On the Sixth Day of Christmas

 Another year that started as it ended...with COVID-19 lots of people sick and a lot of deaths. For the first time in my time and I think history the President of the US started a riot that caused some deaths and lots of injuries and the government has done nothing to him amazing how for some crimes or issues they are quick to make an example of people and for others they just let them break the law and do whatever, when no one is above the law or so we think. We are a country that should be better, show better but hasn't. It was the first time in the US history to have a president impeached twice in a 4-year term although it was nothing since he continue in office until he lost the election thank goodness as we don't want a President that breaks the law as an example to the citizens.

As every year I start with the loses we had. One of my adoptive relatives loss her daughter Melinda in January of COVID, we loss my cousin Toñito in January also of COVID, my cousin's BIL David also died of COVID in February, my uncle Chava died in February of a heart attack, one of my online stamping friends loss her dad in March, a good friend from Mexico Lulu also died of COVID in May

two of my best friends in Mexico lost a brother in August to COVID and their sister Teresa in September to complications on health issues, another friend in Mexico lost her dad Jesus also in August and Bret lost his dad. The sadness loss of all here on earth was my mom, that suddenly died a couple days ago, leaving my dad behind. They had been married less than 2 months shy of 59 years a lifetime. 

Lots of deaths this year but guess I always say that, there was one new baby from an online stamping friend, her 4th grandson Grayson, first son of her daughter Britney what a blessing.

Our oldest Granddaughter turned 11 this year and graduated from 5th grade in the June and moved to middle school to start in person 6th grade in August and started with sports by playing soft ball and basketball guess season is short on soft ball but she did well and she's doing well on basketball too. She is as big as me if you don't count the shoes LOL

Our other Granddaughter turned 5 this year still not in school but next year she'll start pre-school

And now on the card, started with a piece of Accent Opaque Digital International Paper 100 lb. Cover Smooth white cardstock then stamped Slimline all spruced up stamp set by Trinity Stamps with Altenew crisp dye ink tropical forest collection moss, olive & parrot on a scrap piece stamped the poinsettia VersaFine Clair tulip red and Memento rhubarb stalk applied with ergonomic brush and added a little shade with Copic Marker, for pine cones VersaFine Pine cone and Memento rich cocoa applied with blending brushes then I die cut everything with matching dies then using Erin Lee Creative blending brushes added some Tim Holtz distress mowed lawn around the edge. Added a rhinestone from stash and some Spectrum Noir sparkle Crystal clear glitter brush,  then I mounted to Core’dinations Foundations canvas texture 65 lb. Holly leaf cardstock and stamped the messages one is from Merry stamp & cut set by HA and the other Spanish sentiments stamp set by Little Darlings Rubber Stamps both stamped with VersaFine Clair nocturne ink then moun and finally mounted to a card base Accent Opaque Digital International Paper 100 lb. Cover Smooth white cardstock

On the Fifth Day of Christmas

 For this card, I started by cutting my card base with Recollections 65 lb. red shades and made it into a "s" fold then cut my scrapbook paper from The Paper Studio Scribble candy canes and a scrap of Park Lane 110 lb. smooth white solid core cardstock 12x12 for the top I cut another piece of Recollections 65 lb. red shades with mini slimline stitched stacklets and then I die cut my Candy cane 3 white and one red and did in-lay technique. The Merry Christmas stamp is by Impress and the Spanish is from Global greetings Christmas wishes by Papertrey Ink both with VersaFine Clair nocturne ink

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

For this card, I cut a piece of white core glitter cardstock brights stack by DCWV then ran it through the 3D textured impressions A6 FA LA LA folder by Courtney Chilson & Sizzix/Ellison then mounted to a base of Accent Opaque Digital International Paper 120 lb. Cover Smooth white cardstock and added Wink of Stella glitter brush black for the letters and red for the berries

On the Third Day of Christmas

For this card, I started by using a piece of Accent Opaque Digital International Paper 80 lb. Cover Smooth white cardstock then I die cut it with double stitched rectangle die by Kat Scrappiness then stamped pine bough background stamp by Taylored Expressions with Classic stampin ink mossy meadow then stamped my ornament from the stamp set ornament keepsakes by SU with Altenew crisp dye ink shades of purple collection deep iris and using the matching dies holiday ornaments Framelits die cut the top of the ornament with scraps of gold paper and with a Copic Multi Liner tuxedo black 0.3 pen and a ruler I hang the ornament in the branches. The message is from Christmas messages stamp set by HA with Altenew crisp dye ink enchanted garden collection Andromeda. Added Spectrum Noir sparkle Crystal clear glitter brush on the ornament then mounted on a scrap of purple card stock die cut with Cindy Echtinaw Designs Card Creator Perfect Layers A and then mounted on a card base of Accent Opaque Digital International Paper 120 lb. Cover Smooth white cardstock

On the Second Day of Christmas

For this card, I started with a layer of Accent Opaque Digital International Paper 80 lb. Cover Smooth white cardstock then I die cut it with double stitched rectangle die by Kat Scrappiness then I using my ergonomic brush and Tim Holtz distress oxide inks mowed lawn, rustic wilderness and lucky clover. Then stamp my image and message from the stamp set Holly berries by HA with VersaFine Clair nocturne ink and colored the berries with Copic marker then mounted on a precut piece of red cardstock with Cindy Echtinaw Designs Card Creator Perfect Layers A and mounted on a base of Accent Opaque Digital International Paper 120 lb. Cover Smooth white cardstock

On the First Day of Christmas

This was one of the cards I sent this year. I started with embossing the tree, winter foliage 3D botanical embossing folder by Altenew on Tim Holtz idea-ology kraft-stock metallic jewels, because it wrinkle the paper I fuzzy cut the tree. This folder has a heart in the middle so at first I was going to emboss and fuzzy cut it out but then I decided to use my stitched hearts dies by Gina Marie Designs which was a bit bigger but it was ok as it was covering the whole embossed area then I cut my base of Accent Opaque Digital International Paper 120 lb. Cover Smooth white cardstock to fit the tree and then cut a piece of green cardstock from Recollections 110 lb. elementary pack cardstock same size as card base then a layer 1/4" smaller of peaceful prints sale-a-bration DSP by SU and mounted the tree. I stamped the message on scrap of Accent cardstock Color layering gingerbread house stamp set by HA with Memento cottage ivy dew drop ink and die cut it with Cindy Echtinaw Designs Card Creator Perfect Layers B

Feliz Navidad & Merry Christmas

Back in September I took the Hero Holiday Stamp Along class, it was a two-day event, it only included the classes no product but they did give a list ahead of time in case you wanted to recreate the cards exactly as they were making them or you could find supplies in your stash that would work for the same thing which I did for some things. I didn’t end up stamping along, I just watch since time between Eastern time and Western time not very good so replay for me. Since I had all my supplies ready to go I finally worked on one card. 

I used Accent Opaque Digital International Paper 100 lb. Cover Smooth 11x17 white cardstock to make my base and then Accent Opaque Digital International Paper 120 lb. Cover Smooth white cardstock for each panel die cut with Cindy Echtinaw Designs Card Creator Perfect Layers then I started working on each panel. The pine branches were in the layering ornament and trimmings square stencil, I used Tim Holtz distress oxide ink and Picket Fence Studios life changing blender brush for all coloring, mowed lawn and with detail blending brush rustic wilderness. I made sure the pattern continued from one panel to the other if that’s what I wanted or needed so it didn’t look weird as when open you would see the whole card, closed it didn’t matter much. Then I did the ornaments some were from the same stencil the others from Layering ornament square stencil, on the first ornament I used scattered straw with fossilized amber, for the second ornament I put two layers together so I could continue the pattern and used wilted violet and dusty concord, the third ornament was candied apple and fired brick and the last ornament ripe persimmon and spiced marmalade. I used Copic multi liner tuxedo black 0.3 to hang the ornaments. The first message is from Christmas messages stamp set, the middle message is from Papertrey Ink stamp set global greetings Christmas wishes and the last message I don't know who makes it all of them stamped with VersaFine Clair nocturne ink. I added Spectrum Noir sparkle Crystal clear glitter brush on all ornaments and then added some rhinestones to each ornament same color as the ornament.

To make easy the coloring of the ornaments I made a template from Holiday ornaments Frame Cuts like Daniel West suggested but I made it of stencil material so I can just clean and reuse instead of cardstock. Actually, this was 1 of 2 things I learned in the two-day class. Now, if there is a stencil I like and has matching dies I can buy it as I can do my mask and color the different component, before I hated to keep masking to use images because they were just too closed to each other so avoided those stencils. I know it’s good for us having lots of images in one stencil as is cheaper but too much work for me LOL

Feliz Noche Buena / Happy Christmas Eve

I joined a mingle aka swap called St Nicholas and that was the perfect theme to make a card for the grand-daughters. This year our youngest is 5 so she gets her own card just like the other grand-daughter that is 11. 

For the card, I started with blue pieces that were on my scrap drawer that were die cut with embossed edge nesting slim dies by Kat Scrappiness then using my Altenew ergonomic brush and Tim Holtz distress oxide inks made my sky with broken China, faded jeans and chipped sapphire and then over with tumbled glass with Picket Fence Studios life changing blender brush, then I wanted some platter but I’m bad at it so used a stamp from gorgeous grunge stamp set by SU with Unicorn pigment ink Hero Hues by HA then I die cut 3 times of Park Lane 110 lb. smooth black solid core cardstock the Santa from slimline series Christmas Magic coordinating die set by Trinity Stamps but cut off the last deer and cover the whole thing with black Wink of Stella glitter brush  it didn't give much glitter so added Spectrum Noir sparkle Crystal clear glitter brush. Then I stamped the ho!ho!ho! stamp by MB and Merry Christmas stamp by Impress both with VersaFine Clair nocturne ink. I mounted the front to a piece of Park Lane 110 lb. smooth black solid core cardstock and then to a base of Accent Opaque Digital International Paper 120 lb. Cover Smooth white cardstock