The 2012 Christmas Card Challenge! Introduction

I want to take a moment to introduce to you a Christmas Card Challenge I'm sponsoring on my blog for 2012!!

Are you a crafter and want to make your own AWESOME Christmas cards but get so busy after Thanksgiving you don't have enough time to get them finished? Well - if you stick with me for ALL of 2012, you'll have cards to spare for the neighbors, your co-workers, and your entire Christmas Card list!

Here are the "Rules".

1. This 2012 Christmas Card Challenge will take place from January to November 2012.

2. DATES: The 2012 CCC will post here on Sue's Cricut and Crafts on the 5th of each month. You will have 15 days to get your cards prepared! The cards are due on the 20th, with voting (YES there will be voting) starting at midnight of the 21st. Voting will continue until midnight of the 24th of the month with the prize awarded on the 25th. **Prize(s) discussed later.

3. You will make 6 cards all duplicates. You will have 66 cards at the end of the 11 month challenge. IF you need more, please go ahead and add to your monthly total and post that on your blog when you submit your cards in the Linky at the bottom of the post.

4. You will submit one picture (or more) of your cards, with one in front, and the others behind it to show your 6 (or more) cards.

5. PRIZES!!!! One prize will be awarded each month based on the number of votes received on each card set submitted. (I am exempt, not able to win prizes for my own challenge.) The winner and the prize will be announced here on the blog on the 25th of each month.

6. You can use any company's products.

7. You can use any Christmas product! Die cuts, Cricut cuts, stamps, patterned paper, embossing (heat or dry), etc. Your imagination is your limitation.

8. To be eligible for the prize, you must have your submission in on deadline (or earlier) and it must follow the theme set for the month.

9. Use the Linky post at the bottom of the page and follow the directions to link here to be eligible for prizes! They'll be worth it!

Well, that's about it!! If there are anymore informational items I need to post, or questions that need answering, I'll do that when they come up!

I sincerely hope you will join me for this project in 2012!!

Your comments are always appreciated!

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THANK YOU!

I just wanted to send out this BIG THANK YOU to all of my blog readers and people that have left wonderful comments on my blog this past year.

I have a new project coming in which I hope you will join, and we have Lime Light Design Team news coming tomorrow!!!!!

Lots of things planned in 2012!

Again, Thank you so much for your comments and stopping by the blog to take a look at my work. I appreciate it more than you can possibly imagine!

Your comments are always appreciated!
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A Proud member of The Lime Light. Click on over to see what we are doing.

2012 CD Case Calendars - My Annual Project/Gifts

These 3 months are among some of my favorites.

I don't know how October always ended up being the most elaborate in the past... it's not even my favorite holiday, but I have some awesome Cricut Carts with very cool Halloween things so that's how they got so busy. This year I wanted to keep it simpler... and it still turned out pretty cool! (IMHO) I found these adorable Cancer Ribbons at Michael's, and decided to include them on the October design. Did you notice that the spiderweb has black flecks on it?



I bought this Happy Thanksgiving stamp many years ago, and "lost" it! I searched everywhere for it, and finally remembered where I'd put it. Now I am always sure to keep it near, it's so SO pretty! I love the calligraphy type work on it.


This design took me over a week to complete. Mom and Dad had already left to go back home, and I needed to get these finished. I cut some striped Christmas paper I had for "wallpaper" behind the tree, and then made the fireplace. That's what took all the time! I then embossed and inked them and used the month for the fireplace grate. The stockings are Stampin' Up ink and punch in Brilliant Blue/Daffodil Delight, Riding Hood Red/Glorious Green, and Glorious Green, Riding Hood Red. Even with the fireplace design, I still had to include the Christmas tree! They were cut in half, and placed on the edge then the branches, lights, and stickles to finish.


I hope you've enjoyed the 4 posts including this year's 2012 calendars!

I'm already working on the designs for 2013!!!

Your comments are always appreciated!

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2012 CD Case Calendars - My Annual Project/Gifts

Here are the next 3 months. Why am I posting them in 3 month increments? Experience. At the beginning, I would post all 12 months in one, and the labels section doesn't allow for as many characters as I needed, so I've broken them up into different sections, and don't have that problem any more.

I wanted to add some more flash to my July design this year, so I got out my Stand and Salute cart and found fireworks!!! We used the Cuttlebug and embossed the USA piece, and I added blue stickles to the country cut-out. It's only cut in white, and the red background shows through nicely for the red stripes. :)



I went crazy this summer over this color combination! I was playing one of my Facebook games, and came upon this color combo. LOVE it!!!
Turquoise, Yellow, Purple, Melon, and Peach. My dear friend Melissa LOVES the pineapple drink, so here it is!!! LOVE it in these colors!


Martha Stewart leaf punch makes up the border for September, and I found this stamp set from Stampin' Up on ebay. I watercolored them and inked the edges of the Decorator's Label punch. LOVE the falling leaves!


The last 3 months will post tomorrow morning! They are my favorites of all 12!

Your comments are always appreciated!

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A Proud member of The Lime Light. Click on over to see what we are doing.

2012 CD Case Calendars - My Annual Project/Gifts

Here are the next 3 months for the 2012 calendars.

I like to use the small Studio G stamps I got a few years ago to highlight the holidays in each month.

I also used the Ultimate Crafter's Companion to make the double bows on the April calendar, and Mom used it to tie the bows we put on the June calendar.



I really LOVE the Walk in My Garden cart. I use it so often and love the larger flowers as a single focus.


Here we used vellum to cut the flower pieces and stickles to highlight the flower center.


I am posting the next 3 months this afternoon!

Your comments are always appreciated!

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A Proud member of The Lime Light. Click on over to see what we are doing.

2012 CD Case Calendars - My Annual Project/Gifts

Here are the first 3 months of the CD case 2012 calendars.

This is the project Mom and I do together every year. When they come to visit after Thanksgiving, among all the other "stuff" we do the week they visit, we put together these calendars as gifts for family and friends. I like to think of it as a gift that "gives" all year 'round. I also have some very special people that I don't see as often as I'd like that receive these as special gifts because of my eternal gratitude for something they did, or their continuing friendship.

I use lots of Cricut Cartridges on these calendars every year as well as lots of my Martha Stewart punches and Stampin' Up ink, punches.



I use the vertical hearts cut from the Love Struck cartridge every year. I look at all the different designs, and always end up coming back to this one. It's a favorite!!!


I lent out one of my Cricut carts I wanted to use for this, so I found some stamps I'd bought on our travels, and used some very cute stickers I found. They shine and sparkle very nicely in the sunlight!


Stay tuned for the next 3 months tomorrow morning!

Your comments are always appreciated!

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Christmas Cookies and Candy 2011

Here are some of the cookies I baked and decorated for Christmas this year. I have 2 recipes from Taste of Home I've used over the last few years quite successfully. The Sugar Cookie recipe is posted on the blog under the label Recipes. The gingerbread is a recipe called Butterscotch Gingerbread Men. They're delicious!

I also dipped pretzel rods, made 2 batches of fudge for the first time, made the haystack cookies, and dipped raisins, peanuts, and pecans in chocolate. At the bottom of the post you can see the gift boxes I put together for the neighbors.

Click on a picture to see it enlarged!












Here's Mamie Eisenhower's Million Dollar Fudge recipe which I added pecans. I also made a microwave fudge with walnuts.


These are the dipped pretzel rods, with a Stampin' Up punch and stamp decoration at the top.


Here's a picture of one of the gift boxes I put together. There were 4 in all for the neighbors.



I really LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas !!!!!!!!!


Your comments are always appreciated!
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A Proud member of The Lime Light. Click on over to see what we are doing.

Christmas Cards 2011

As LONG as the calendars took this year to make, I was thrilled that my Christmas cards, though VERY cute didn't take near as long to make! I made 29 (yes, a weird number) and they are all sent. Delivery should come soon!!

This one is a little more special for Mom and Dad... extra rhinestones, extra ribbon, etc.


Using variations of background reds/greens, and different patterned paper at the bottom, this is what the cards looked like.


Even my husband got in the act and helped me with address labels, stamps, and return address labels! What a shock! THANKS for the help, Bennie!!!


Your comments are always appreciated!
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A Proud member of The Lime Light. Click on over to see what we are doing.

Our House at Christmas

Christmas time is by far my most favorite time of the year - everything looks so beautiful lit up and sparkly with lights and icicles hanging from so many houses!

The last few years we haven't had a tree for so many reasons!!! I missed the sale at Hobby Lobby - there weren't any left!!! I had a baby kitty that would be too much trouble with a tree... We'd just barely moved into the house and weren't ready for a tree.... BUT this year, we have our tree!!!!! I blackmailed my husband into getting it early, and I'm so SO happy I did! It's a 9 ft. Montana Fir. I'm sad that the lights are all white, but he's enjoying it that way. I suppose I can let him have ONE concession! :)


Here's the mantle to the fireplace. I'm slowly adding little touches to this every year, so it's a little different than last.


Here's the dining area with the sugar plum lights and my Precious Moments tree on the table.


Here's a close-up of my Precious Moments tree. It's been with us a long time... and is the best of my Christmas Tree collection.


This is a view of the bar. Mom gave me the bear dragging the tree, and the jar with lights and potpourri in it... they're perfect next to my Scentsy pot!


Here's the table and lamps at our entry. I had the two candlesticks and candles first and then found the nativity scene, and Mom and I found the garland which I wrapped in lights and used a bow on that left side.


Of course, I had to add a picture of my 3 babies under the tree!!! I took about 20 of these, trying to get the best of all 3, but this is one of the better ones. I'm going to keep trying! You can see Hank's back farthest away, Sandy's back in the foreground, and of course Witchy Poo trying to see what's going on!


I hope you've enjoyed this view of our Christmas decorations - it's just a small glimpse and I had to share my favorite time of the year!

Your comments are always appreciated!

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A Proud member of The Lime Light. Click on over to see what we are doing.