Birthday Card for a Little Boy!

We have a little boy in the family turning 2 in January!  I sent him the Elmo with 1 a year ago for his first birthday - a trend has started...  I'll see how long these cards are popular, then I'll move to something a little more 'grown up' when he gets there.

I've always seen the edge doodling on crafter's cards.  This was my first attempt.  I'm pretty happy with it.  I'll have to keep playing with this technique.

Got to LOVE Cookie Monster!!!  COOKIE!

Happy Birthday to you, Michael!

2017 Annual Calendar Project January - March

Here they are!  I know - I posted them in descending order - BUT with a purpose!  In the past, I posted the calendar's in order, and when you scroll through, the months are out of order!  By posting October - December first, they actually end up in correct order when all the pages post!  Whew!

Here they are all now in proper order. 

 Last year I used this melted snowman on Christmas cards, and received my very first one the Christmas before it from my niece who also makes cards!  It's been a favorite every since.  I used the stamp set Invisible Snowman from Kitchen Sink Stamps.  They're fantastic...  GREAT quality stamps!

 The vertical hearts have appeared on many calendars, and will continue on every February as long as I make these calendars.  I really LOVE this vertical hearts cut!

March contains many different elements.  An Irish blessing stamp I picked up on our travels many years ago; a shamrock stamp I've had for many years, and the Cricut shamrocks border cut. 

2017 Annual Calendar Project April - June

I took some risks with each of the three calendar pages in this post. 

 The April calendar uses one of my very favorite Easter stamps.  The silhouette reminds me so much of a series I read called The Boxcar Children.  They were easy reads, but chapter books with only these silhouette pictures at the start of each chapter.  I still love them.  I stamped an image in white craft ink on the background to give it more interest.

 For May, I used a burnishing technique to color the grass and sky you see looking through the window.  It's difficult to see, but the Happy Mother's Day cut is there.

My Dad loves to bowl, and belongs (I believe) to two bowling leagues.  I used to go with him when we were out of school... and have tomato juice from the bar while I watched the men bowling.  I picked up bowling again in 2016 with my friend Rozella once a week until the bowling alley pushed us out because they were starting a new league when we could bowl. (BAD bowling alley!)

2017 Annual Calendar Project July - September

Here are three more of the calendars.

The backgrounds measure 4 1/4 inch by 7 1/4 inch.  I ordered cases from a website called calendar-case.com (or something like that)  These calendar pieces fit the landscape design. 

 As always, July MUST have fireworks!  I also got out a favorite stamp; God Bless America.  I used the new watercolor pencils on it - SO pretty!

 I had more hot air balloons stamped and cut to add to the August page and didn't.  Looking at it more and more, I feel I should have added those other balloons. 

THIS is one of my very favorite designs this year!  I LOVED it when I first saw it on Pinterest a year or two (or more) ago!  It uses gorgeous grunge, and the stamp set Gently Falling.  YES, I fussy cut each of the leaves - the other leaf dies I have were too big!  

2017 Annual Calendar Project October - December

Here it is!  The annual calendar project for 2017.  It's a 365 day gift for 18 of my closest family and friends.  Last year we made 20 calendars, but I've lost touch with 2 of the recipients, so we pared down our production (and it IS a production) to 18 calendar sets.  Do the math:  18 calendars x 12 months....  that's 216 layouts to reproduce!! Whew!

 With the exception of the October cut, all die cuts and stamps on October are from the Holiday Stampin' Up! catalog. 

 I like this Mayflower cut on the November calendar page.  I haven't used it anything like it yet, and thought it would be an interesting change.

I LOVE the banner!  Stampin' Up! debuted glitter embossing powder this past Holiday catalog.  It's GREAT!  As always, we must have a Christmas tree for December!

Christmas Card Santa!

Here are two of my very favorite Christmas Card designs!  I LOVE the Santa Stamp - it's so Victorian!  The other is the wood-cut look NOEL stamp.  It's just spectacular by itself without much embellishment.

 On the Santa Stamp, I used the NEW Stampin' Up! Watercolor pencils.  They're SPECTACULAR!  Wait til you can play with them!

The NOEL is stamped in Emerald Envy ink, Stickles were added for the holly berries.  I used Real Red cardstock for the card base, and ribbon.