Category Archives: Seasons

Happy Birthday, Sister!

By | May 6, 2019

May 6, 2019 – My sister Karla is celebrating her birthday today, and now she shares the occasion with the newborn royal son of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan of Sussex! I used a bird image and a couple of flowers from the retiring 141477 Birds & Blooms Thinlits dies as the focal point of… Read More »

Happy Halloween!

By | October 31, 2018

Greetings for all Hallows’ Eve! According to catholiceducation.org, “it was in Ireland, Scotland and England that All Hallows’ Eve became a combination of prayer and merriment.” I can thank my Anglo and Celtic ancestors, then, for the fun celebration that we call Halloween today! In keeping with the family connection, one of my relatives will… Read More »

Stamping With Sisters and Friends!

By | October 18, 2018

Pratt Road, Jeffersonville, VT Fall is my favorite season, and for the past few years Reggie and I have spent a week or so in Vermont with our family and friends. What a treat to be in New England when the leaves are changing color and the nip in the air tells us “we aren’t… Read More »

Monoprint Card Backgrounds

By | October 6, 2018

A couple of years ago when I was visiting my sister-in-law Sherry in her Vermont stamp art studio, she showed me how she makes prints with her Gelli Plate, a monoprinting system using acrylic paints brayered onto a soft jello-like clear surface. After the paint is applied, she lays embossed cardstock onto the painted surface… Read More »

Moonlight in Vermont

By | September 26, 2018

My father-in-law Harold Degree was born on September 26, 1933 in Vermont. So today, as he turns 85 years old, we are celebrating his milestone by creating a special card! It’s always fun to design a special card for the occasion, and there are a few aspects of this card that I especially like. First,… Read More »

Dear Reindeer

By | September 19, 2018

There is another “dear” reindeer image from the Dashing Deer stamp set; this one with a damask-style design on the body, and another set of gorgeous antlers like those that we saw on the leaping copper deer a few days ago! Dashing Deer stamps and Detailed Deer Thinlits Dies (Holiday Catalog pg. 9) Aside from the images… Read More »

Falling for Leaves!

By | September 17, 2018

I know that fall will officially start in about a week by the calendar, but I’m already in the mood for cooler weather and autumn colors and images, including leaves! The new Falling for Leaves photopolymer set and the coordinating Detailed Leaves Thinlits Dies (on pg. 45 of the Holiday Catalog) are just what I was looking for: I made a… Read More »

Reindeer by Moonlight

By | September 15, 2018

It’s about 100 days until Christmas; not too early to start planning for your special handcrafted cards this year! Luxurious materials, colors and textures are perfect for holiday cards, so I’m happy to share this reindeer card with you: Dashing Deer and Detailed Deer Thinlits Dies on page 9 of the Holiday Catalog. First of all, I have… Read More »

Thankful for Fall!

By | September 5, 2018

Although it isn’t technically fall yet, when Labor Day is over and school is back in session, we feel the change of season approaching. Today is September 5th, the first day to order from the 2018 Holiday Catalog, and if you’re like me, you will welcome the chance to start working on cards appropriate for… Read More »

The Horse of the Weathervane

By | August 24, 2018

Now for something completely different! We have had a series of pink and flowery cards, but today I started working with a new Stampin’ Up! set, Country Roads, one that would be especially nice for masculine cards. Maybe this set is supposed to reflect the Old West, and it does, but when I look at… Read More »

Color a Vintage Summer Bouquet!

By | August 17, 2018

The profusion of flowers in a late summer garden are the inspiration for this card made with the Very Vintage Hostess stamp set.* This bouquet, reminiscent of a botanical drawing in an antique book, is perfect for coloring with Stampin’ Blends markers in Petal Pink, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight and Old Olive. Here are the… Read More »

Stamping Smart!

By | August 4, 2018

Every year I say that I will start stamping my Christmas cards early, but I always find myself rushing at the end of the year to get those cards finished! Can you relate? This year I did myself a favor and I actually sat down in August to stamp 20 Christmas cards; I “stamped smart”… Read More »

Stamping California Poppies

By | May 4, 2018

The Golden State is covered with California Poppies at this time of the year; in gardens, on hillsides, beside the highways and even growing up through the sidewalks! When I saw the floral image from the new Love What You Do stamp set, I decided to recreate a bouquet of California Poppies using a couple… Read More »

The Groundhog Got it Right

By | February 20, 2018

Groundhog Day was a couple of weeks ago on February 2nd, and according to the reports, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, which means 6 more weeks of winter. Now, even though the rest of the country was doomed to continue with the cold and the snow, here in California we were already enjoying weather in… Read More »

Valentines From Vermont

By | February 18, 2018

When you live far away from family, one of the best ways to keep in touch is to send a card. The first handcrafted Valentine we received this year was made by Sherry Pakulski of Colchester, VT: Sherry and I both have the same “all you need is love” stamp; a great sentiment for  a… Read More »