Trying to Start Off the New Year Right

 Last Year in November I won a stamp at the House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge.

I received the stamp in December and then I saw the Challenge for January 5.   The stamp was perfect, with a few alterations for a card for the first  Monday Challenge of the year.  

                            This is the stamp set I won.  House Mouse - Noel by Spellbinders

This is the way I used it for the first New Year Challenge.

 I stamped and watercolored the bottom half of the stamp and cut around the upper part of the image.  Then I cut the numbers on my Scan 'n Cut out of mirrored silver card stock.  I have a pad of patterned papers that has a paper for every holiday of the year.  So, I found a sheet that looked like fireworks and put a panel of that on the card base, added the watercolored mice and the numbers.   But it just didn't seem finished.  I had a scrap of mat gold card stock barely big enough to cut a 4 x 5.25 panel.  That panel was turned into a frame with my paper trimmer.  I think that was just the touch the card needed. 

It was fun to use this stamp right away even though it is a Christmas stamp.  

I will be exploring other things that these little mice friends can hold up for cards throughout the year.  

Lots of thanks to Sue Kment for providing this stamp as a prize in the November Challenge.  

I think I will be checking out the Wednesday Challenge as well.

 

New Year - New Post

 Just wanted to say Happy New Year to all who might chance to see this.  This is always a good day to start to improve ourselves.  And however long we last at accomplishing those improvements is better than not starting to change at all.  

We had a beautiful morning view the other day - rather ethereal. 

There was even one loan boat on the lake.  I think the guy was cold.  This was the morning we had some pretty low temperatures overnight.  However, the water was still pretty warm as we had several days in the 70's last week.  Thus, we have a misty morning.

I spent a little time water coloring last night and decided it was good enough to actually make a card out of it.   I usually don't let too many people see my watercolors, except for people who I know are kind.  That group includes you.  Only nice people know about my blog.  So I'll let you take a peek.    It was painted from a tutorial listed on the splitcoast Stampers website. 

(528) 3 Colours to Paint a Simple Winter Scene: Full Watercolor Tutorial - YouTube

 I try to do the Watercolor Wednesday Challenge there whenever I can.  So here is my card. 

I've also made a few Christmas cards already to get a start on the ones 

I'll need at the end of this new year.

 This one was a lot of fun.  It has layers of openings. .  

                                                                      first the head. . .   

                                                                 then the middle body. . .        

                                        

                                                                                

                                                        And this is the bottom of the body.

                                                Here are a couple more Christmas cards. 

    

           I had fun water coloring this little bear, actually 4 of them.  I still have 3 to make more cards.

I've used the bargello technique of gluing strips of paper onto a piece of copy paper and then cutting that sheet into strips to stagger into different patterns for your card.  You just have to add a focal point to the card to complete.  I chose Ornaments for the focal since there are some on one of the papers.

So, nearing the end of the first day of 2026 I am feeling like this will be a great year.  I've already cleaned my house and had time to do a few things related to art. I intend to actually produce some more art later tonight.   But someone in the house thinks we should have some dinner.  

We do all have to eat.  Hope your first dinner this year is enjoyable and fills you.

Figuring out Challenge rules.

   I can't use the same link twice for posting more than one card.  I'm not sure how this all works.  So, I'll just add the picture of my Pink Snowflake card here and hopefully it will create another link, since it is a different blog post.  

 I actually used the negative from making this card and made another snowflake card.  

It is always good to get two cards for one!  

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge December 3

 I have such a hard time getting through all of my emails lately.  I didn't see the Wednesday Challenge until a day or two ago.  Trying to get all of my Christmas cards out, but I keep getting sidetracked making more cards.  So for this challenge we are to use Dies - DieCember - you get it.  

I used the Simon Says Stamp set called Gift of Christmas to get my little snowman. I colored him with Copic Markers and I used some dies purchased from Simon Says Stamp, but they are Poppy Stamp dies.  These are Wintertide Border Set and Nordic Rings.  I just love all the patterns in these.  

Then I took the Grand Pixie Snowflake Die and made another quick card.  It's plain and somewhat simple but really give a big WOW statement with the BIG snowflake! Next time I might use a piercing plate before I cut the snowflake.  With a border layer of the same color as the snowflake and a die cut sentiment in a purple glitter CS the card is finished. One of these two cards could land in your mailbox soon.  That is if I quit making cards and get the rest of them sent.  Better get at it!

So, if I don't get back before Christmas, for anyone reading this my wish is for a very                     Merry Christmas to each of you.  Share the joy with family and friends.

AnotherHouse Mouse Post

 I guess I have to post each picture separately in order to enter them both.  So I'll just put the picture her again.  

This image was a gift from a friend, Lisa, I think.  So, I don't know the name of the set, but I'm calling the card making Merry.  

I Found a New challenge - For Me at Least

 I can't believe I had not heard of the house Mouse and Friends Challenges.  I have always loved House Mouse Stamps, and I have been making a few cards today with some of mine and one that a friend had sent an image from.  One of my Alpha sisters, Shelly let me know about the House Mouse Monday Challenge.  

So, I am entering these two cards in it.  I have a couple of others but they don't fit the challenge, so I'll post those later.  

This has been one of my favorite Christmas images since I got the Stamp. I'm calling the card Deck the Halls and that is the name of the stamp also.  This stamp just goes to show you can make a Christmas tree out of anything, and it will still mean as much, if you're with your people. 

 I remember one Christmas, my husband was away for work, so my children and I loaded up the car with all the Christmas presents and a Christmas tree we had cut from green paper. and we went to spend Christmas in a hotel room with my husband.  We taped the tree on the wall in the corner of the hotel room; we had a wonderful Christmas. The only problem was that there were no restaurants open is the small town we were in.  We finally found a Mexican restaurant open many miles away and we had the best Enchiladas for Christmas dinner.  My children still talk about that Christmas when they have forgotten details about many other, supposedly better Christmas days.  

You don't need much if you are with your family.  That is what really counts.  

This card is the one I don't know the name of the stamp set, so I'm calling it Making Merry.  I gave it that name mostly because of the sentiment I added to the card.  I watercolored both of the images for these cards and then added a little of the darker shading with touches of color from a few markers.  I had foiled the sentiments at a friend's house last Christmas.  I think it is from a Pink Fresh set. 

Simon Says Stamp Challenge and more

 Hello again just in time for the Simon Says Stamp Challenge

It seems that this is the only challenge other than a few on Splitcoast Stampers that I can seem to find the time to do.  I always enjoy them.  

The challenge is for using Studio Light products, but I unfortunately have none.  So, I used a Simon Says Stamp stencil for my card and an old die and embossing folder from Cuttlebug for the pumpkin.  

Here is the card I am entering in the challenge that ends November 5.  

I hadn't planned to add more thanksgiving cards to my stash, but I couldn't

 resist using this fun Stencil for a card. 

I also wanted to show off the pretty card I received from Greta for the 

Card Chain Challenge for October

Her background is so pretty and one of my favorite methods for making them.  

It's got great colors and a bold black shiny sentiment and die cut flowers!  The flower 

centers are sparkly, afraid I didn't get a great picture of all the shine and sparkle. 

And this is the card for the October Chain that I sent to Hillary

   

         It's from a fun digi stamp I've had for ages and ages.  I used a die-cut frame to

 look like this tenny-wearing fairy is in a woodland setting. 

I've been doing a couple of challenges on Splitcoast Stampers the last couple of weeks.  

Here is a watercolor I painted for the Wednesday Watercolor Challenge.

This was for the challenge last week; I didn't get to paint this week.  

There are just never enough hours in the day or the night (maybe because I'm trying to 

squeeze one more hour out of the day before I go to sleep).