Santa Advent Calendar

Good Morning Ladies,
It's raining again. Thank Goodness it is not snow.
I have been doing a few projects that are not cards recently and having a good time creating.
Today I bring you a Santa Advent Calendar....

 This advent calendar was a paper mache' blank when I started. This is the front of the advent calendar. The little drawers were colorized using the Tim Holtz distressed stain in walnut. I love these little dauber top bottles. They make applying stain a breeze. It gave the feel of an old wooden box. I then added the little picture cuts from a Graphics 45 Christmas tablet. I added crystal laquer to each of the images. Then the problem was how to add numbers. I solved that problem by using creative memories tiny letters and numbers in gold. Worked like a dream. Each little drawer opens to reveal a candy surprise.

 To the top I added gold glitter branches from a floral pick. The flocked cardinals seemed to be perfect. So on they went.

 This is a close up of the little drawers.

This is the back of the advent calendar. Of course we needed Santa in the picture. This is from Graphics 45 from the same Christmas tablet. You can not see it in the photo, but I sprayed the back with gold glimmer mist to give it a shimmer.
This was sitting on my table with all the pieces cut for a while. It came down to time was of the essence, so it was finished last night. What a fun way to celebrate Christmas!
Happy Scraps,
Mrs. Swandog

Blue Reindeer Christmas Wreath

Good Morning Ladies,
I have been MIA for a few days. Too much holiday I guess.
Today I have something different for you today. I tried my hand at wreath making and came up with this Blue Reindeer Christmas Wreath.

 This is my first attempt to make a christmas wreath. I took a pre-made wreath and wired big royal blue and white bells into it. I added sparkly reindeer ornaments with hot glue. I made a large wired ribbon bow and hot glued that onto the top of the wreath. I now have a pretty wreath and the price was right, because I bought everything on sale at half off.

Happy Scraps,
Mrs. Swandog

Bear Outside The Window Winter Scene

Good Morning Ladies,
Joan's challenge really has me going this week. I feel that I should not post another card there, but you can see it here. Check out all the great entries at http://www.atjoansgardens.com/2011/11/this-weeks-challenge_17.html
Bear Outside The Window Winter Scene is my card for today....

To create this card I used bristol board for my stamping surface. I stamped the trees from Heartfelt creations using Tim Holtz distressed ink. I then added more distressed ink using the paper towel method for the snow and the sky. To the snow I added stickles. The bear is a mostly animals image. He was stamped and embossed. Colorized with copic markers he is just so cute. A cheery lynn die was used for the window frame. Ribbon creates the curtain. Pine cone bunches and gold glittering boughs are from the christmas dept. at JoAnns and Micheals. My background paper to look like wallpaper is from a Niki Silvas tablet. This creates a 6 inch by 6 inch card. A little to bulky for a regular envelope, this will have to be mailed in a bubble envelope.
Happy Scraps,
Mrs. Swandog

Terrier Dog By The Fire Christmas Greeting Card

Good Morning Ladies,
The challenge over at Joan's this week has been very inspiring for me. As you know I love animals. That is all I have been thinking about this week. Check out the challenge at http://www.atjoansgardens.com/2011/11/this-weeks-challenge_17.html
Here is my card today....

It is a variation on Joan's theme. This card was fun to create. It's life started out as just the colorized and glittered fireplace image from Mostly Animals. An embossed glittered half oval created with a sizzix embossing folder was added to create a rug. Then along came the little terrier dog. The fireplace mantel needed some decoration. The need seemed to be the cheery lynn holly die, pine cones in gold from a floral pick, and a poinsettia embossed in gold from a heart felt creations rubber stamp set. The clock on the wall is a flat back. To spruce it up a little bit and add more christmas a gold ribbon and holly leaves with berries was added.
Happy Scraps,
Mrs. Swandog

Joan's Weekly Challenge #11 Animal Winter Theme Tag

Good Morning Ladies,
Another Monday morning. The weekend was great. We purchased our first Christmas gift of the season. We are a little slow this year. The children are grown and it won't take as long to do the shopping.
Joan's Weekly Challenge #11 Animal Winter Theme Tag is a two part challenge this week. Meaning you can do a card and a tag. Yesterday I posted a card at Joan's. Today I am posting my tag. Check the challenge out here..  http://www.atjoansgardens.com/2011/11/this-weeks-challenge_17.html
requirements are:
Make a card or tag using some kind of animal
Use a die
Use some kind of embossing
Create a winter scene
And here is my tag.....

I used a large luggage tag that measures 8 1/2 inches by 4 1/4 inches. I cover the tag in snowflake paper. My embossing is the horse and man. They are embossed in black and colorized with copic markers. I then hand cut them. They were the inspiration for this tag scene. The lamp post is a cheery lynn die from Joan's cut from silver mirror card. The country house is a memory box die from Joan's cut from white pearl embossed cardstock. The tree is a spellbinders die cut from mirror card. The bottom of the tag looks like an icy street. I created this using glossy accents and diamond dust. The top of the tag has a pearl garland. For my tag ties I used white fiber, silver fiber, and blue velvet ribbon. I make my tag ties long just because it creates a pretty finish to any tag. 

This challenge has been a spring board for so many ideas. They are all floating around in my head. We'll see how many more come out in art.

Happy Scraps,

Mrs. Swandog

Joan's Weekly Challenge #11 Animal Winter Theme

Good Morning Ladies,
I was up early as usual. Ah yes....creating in the quiet of the morning hours. Fresh eyes, fresh mind. Of course I try my hardest to always do http://www.atjoansgardens.com/2011/11/this-weeks-challenge_17.html
This weeks challenge is Joan's Weekly Challenge #11 Animal Winter Theme
The requirements are:
Make a card or tag using some kind of animal
Create a winter scene
Use some kind of embossing
Use a die
Here is my card take on the challenge

 

My use of embossing is dry embossing on the white piece, snowflakes with a sizzix embossing folder. I also gold embossed the word peace. My dies are a spellbinders die that I embossed peace on and the evergreen tree is a spellbinders die. The bear is from a cricut that someone gave to me knowing I would use it. There is a small glitter star on top of the evergreen. I created the snow using snow tex and diamond dust. The card base is from old stash. The cuts were already made in it, I just had to do the folding. I do believe there is a template somewhere for this design. Maybe paper wishes. Thanks again Joan and Selma for the fun challenge.

Oh yes, and next to work on a tag!

Happy Scraps,

Mrs. Swandog

Christmas Cross Wise Men Still Seek Him Ornament

Good Morning Ladies,
I have a full weekend of cleaning house. But no one can clean for that many hours....so I will be creating in between. Sounds like a good idea to me.
I have created a Christmas Cross Wise Men Still Seek Him Ornament for my sister Debbie. She has been very encouraging to me in my art this Christmas creating season. So I wanted to give her a piece of my work. She ask that it not be too busy. I hope I have achieved this.
Here it is.....

 This ornament started it's life as a blank cross paper mache' ornament. It was painted with white acrylic paint first. After it dried it was painted with gold metallic acrylic paint. A piece of vellum was embossed with the words "wise men still seek him". This piece was die-cut with a spellbinders die using the cuttle bug. The poinsettias were created using a Heartfelt Creations stamp set, gold embossing  powder, and liquid pearls in bisque. They were attached with pop-dots. The angel is a flat back.The drop crystal is a partial ornament from hobby lobby. I used just the lower part of the ornament and added gold to drop it from the cross. I pierced a hole in the bottom of the ornament. Beacon 3 in 1 glue was added to the wire and poked up through the cross.

The other side of the ornament. It feels simple enough to me.
I have another sister that supports me in my work in many ways. I will create something special for her also.
Well off to create....
Happy Scraps,
Mrs. Swandog

Ice Horse Third Coast Rubber Stamps

Good Afternoon Ladies,
I seem to be posting at all times of the day here lately. I don't know what has gotten into me. I am such a creature of habit. But as my world changes so do I.
I've had quite a busy day already. I went and got my hair cut, helped wash down my mom's kitchen, and went to Wal-Mart. I am off to pick up my sister's dog after while and then off to dog training for conformation class and a private lesson. Then back to my sister's with the dog. Oh yes and I have done a bit of laundry. The never ending battle of laundry. "sigh"
Here is my card for today...
Ice Horse Third Coast Rubber Stamps

I love this ice horse image by Third Coast Rubber Stamps. They have some very unique stamps that are very fun to work with. I stamped the horse image on La Blanche paper that I purchased at http://www.atjoansgardens.com/ The image was stamped in black archival ink. I then colorized it using Tim Holtz distressed inks and Ranger pen nibs. For the horse's ice mane and tail I used stickles. Liquid pearls by Ranger was used to create the snow at the bottom. Mirror card and a Martha Stewart punch was used to create the side border. A sliver glitter ribbon, a satin bow, and a beaded spray top this card off. The background paper is a pearl card stock that is embossed. A unique winter card that could be used for the winter holidays or a winter thank you.
Happy Scraps,
Mrs. Swandog

This Week's Challenge - Think Outside The Box At Joan's Gardens

Good Morning Ladies,
Well it has taken me almost a week to create for Joan's challenge. My time just has been as free and open in the last few days. But now I am finished with it.
This week's challenge- http://www.atjoansgardens.com/2011/11/this-weeks-challenge-think-outside-box.html
The requirements are...
Think outside the box using stamp and dies
Create something to be used for Thanksgiving/Fall
Use fall colors
This is what I came up with....

 First I must tell you that this is a decorated jar of jam off the wagon in front of Joan's. The farmer/farmer's wife makes the jam and jelly. It is wonderful and comes in many different flavors. It is more than worth the three dollars a jar price. The perfect gift for a hostess decorated with products from Joan's. On to the details of my jar. I stamped a stamping fools turkey turtle on a spellbinders die-cut. I colorized it with prisma pencil, gamsol, and stickles. Brown and orange ribbon is wrapped around the band of the lid and glued into place.

 I created a band around the jar using brown card stock and a strip I created using a Martha Stewart punch. I then added two leaf die-cuts using Cheery Lynn large leaves dies.

 I added a tag to identify the contents of the jar using a spellbinder die set. An acorn was added from the same Cheery Lynn die set as above.

 This is the topper on my jar. The base is a spellbinder die. The leaves are curled and popped with pop dot material.

This is another look at the topper.
A fun way to spice up a jar of jam and give it the creative treatment it deserves. Thanks Joan and Selma for another wonderful challenge! Keep us thinking outside the box.
Happy Scraps,
Mrs. Swandog

Australian Shepherd Winter Card

Good Afternoon Ladies,
I have missed a day or two blogging. I don't know what happened. But I do have a card for you today.
I call it Australian Shepherd Winter Card

This card features a blue merle australian  shepherd sitting in front of a pine tree scene. The dog is popped up. The trees were created using a rubber stamp, prisma pencil, gamsol, stickles, and liquid pearls. The poinsettia is created using shimmer paper and silver embossing powder. Liquid pearl makes the center of the flower. A beaded spray tops this card off. All of the above sits on a around the border punched shimmer mat. The white mat is an embossed pearlized  cardstock. The card base is the same shimmer cardstock as the mat.
I have left this card blank inside so that it may be used as a Christmas card or a Thank You card.
Happy Scraps,
Mrs. Swandog

Aloha Cat

Good Evening Ladies,
I am posting very late in the day...or should I say early evening. It has been another long week.
So another card from the archives....
Aloha Cat....

I created this card using the kitty from Art Impressions. He is popped up on a background of flowers stamped in navy blue on white cardstock. The saying is a vellum quote from well...I don't remember where. A fast card for sure.
Happy Scraps,
Mrs. Swandog

One Horse Open Sleigh

Good Morning Ladies,
They are calling for maybe a little bit of snow today. Ugh...no way!
I bring you a card that is snow.....
One Horse Open Sleigh

This is another card from the archives. It features a Mostly Animals image just like yesterday. Colorized with copic markers and metallic pen. The image is embossed in black. Crystal laquer highlights the mane and white leg hair. Felt snowflakes top this card off.
Happy Scraps,
Mrs. Swandog

Camel Christmas Card

Good Morning Ladies,
I have decided to bring you some cards I have created in the past. These also deserve a spot on the blog.
Today I bring you Camel Christmas Card .....

This is a card I did for an exchange. A simple card. The camel image is by Mostly Animals. This company went out of business a few years ago. A company that I was sad to see go. I love their stamps. They are very hard to locate. Sometimes you are able to pick up one or two on E-Bay. The camel is colorized with copic markers. A rhinestone is added to his saddle. The Merry Christmas is a gold outline sticker. The edges of the camel panel is swiped with tan ink.

Happy Scraps,
Mrs. Swandog

Christmas Poinsettia Ornament

Good Morning Ladies,
I had a lazy kind of weekend. Sometimes we need these to recharge. It is Monday and I am ready for the world.
I'll get right down to the newest creation...
Christmas Poinsettia Ornament

 This is a double sided ornament, but what ornament wouldn't be. The base of this ornament is a paper mache' ornament. I love working with these. They give you a nice flat surface to work with. Perfect for stamped images, die-cuts, well just about anything! To start I painted the whole thing with silver metallic paint. I added a country house die-cut from Memory Box cut in a white pearlized paper. It does not show well in the photograph but has just enough shine. I then added the holly leaves and berries. The poinsettias are stamped and embossed in silver. These were then hand cut. The image is from a Heartfelt Creations stamp set. To the top of the ornament I added a crystal do dad.

 The other side of the ornament features a bigger size of the same stamp set.

This is a view of the edge of the ornament to which I added red glitter ribbon all the way around. This gave it a nice finished look.
The die and stamp set was purchased from http://www.atjoansgardens.com/
The other do dads came from Hobby Lobby. In fact I spent quite a bit of time at Hobby Lobby just walking around looking at things and letting my mind go wild. Check out the bridal dept. there...so many treasures.
Happy Scraps,
Mrs. Swandog

Happy Christmas Elf

Good Morning Ladies,
Ah...early Saturday mornings. I love them. Time to relax a little before going off to dog training.
Here is a card for you today....
Happy Christmas Elf

 This happy little Christmas elf and the candy canes are clear stamps from Niki Silvis. A fun stamp set I purchased from scrapbuck. The elf is colorized with Prisma pencil and gamsol. He is accented with liquid pearls and stickles. The candy canes are the same minus the stickles. I used a martha stewart punch around the page set to create the borders. The north pole stamp is one of those clear one dollar stamps from Jo Anns. The paper is from echo park Christmas collection that I purchased at Joan's. http://www.atjoansgardens.com/

This is the inside of the card.
Happy Scraps,
Mrs. Swandog

Joan's Challenge Gift Box Mini

Good Morning Ladies,
It's Friday already. Boy is time flying by.
I have created for Joan's Challenge Gift Box Mini. http://www.atjoansgardens.com/2011/11/this-weeks-challenge.html
The challenge is
■ Use Selma's new technique for creating a box
■ Use a ban around the box
■ Use Christmas Paper (Graphic 45 if possible)
■ Decorate the pull off band.
Here is my take on the challenge....

 I created my box with last year's Graphic 45 Christmas paper, Christmas Past. When I was out at Joan's I only bought the 8 by 8 pad of the new Christmas collection. This project required the 12 by 12. My band was created using a piece of matching green cardstock and red cardstock that I punched with a Martha Stewart punch. I decided on the angel tag from the same paper pad and layered her with the same green and red as the band. For my topper embellishment I created a bow using gold wired ribbon. This bow looked so bare on this box. So I took a cue from the angel on the tag and backed the bow with feathers like her wings. For the center of the bow I added a cream colored angel button with gold trim. I took the shank of the back to create a flat back.

 I just love feathers. I think they dress up or add fun to any project. The angel is just divine.

Graphic 45 paper is so beautiful. I just love it. Next time I will remember to get both the 8 by 8 pad and the 12 by 12 pad.
Thanks Joan and Selma for another fun challenge. Now I can give gifts in style!
Happy Scraps,
Mrs. Swandog

Polar Bear Aurora Borealis

Good Morning Ladies,
Thursday has rolled around again. That means more laundry. What else would I do on Thursday. LOL
I missed Joan's challenge last week. To busy and to tired to do much of anything except work and train dogs. Not a bad week though. And my poor muse got a rest for a change.
Here is a card for you today....

Polar Bear Aurora Borealis I created this card using a polar bear rubber stamp from Magenta. This is a very detailed stamp I have never gotten good results from. This time around I am very pleased. I stamped it on La Blanche paper and archival ink in black. You can purchase the La Blanche paper at http://www.atjoansgardens.com/  I colorized the bears using Tim Holtz distressed inks and range pen nibs you can also get these at Joan's. The poinsettias are rubber stamps from Heartfelt Creations. I stamped them on metallic white card stock and embossed them in silver. These were hand cut and popped. The background paper is from last year's Martha Stewart metallic pad in 12 x 12. For the finishing touch I added silver metallic ribbon. A very pretty card was the results.
Off to laundry...
Happy Scraps,
Mrs. Swandog

Grumpy Christmas Bear

Good Morning Ladies,
I can't believe it has been a week since my last post. Time has gotten away from me.
Windy has been sick and is feeling better now. I was worried about her.
Monday night I helped pass out trick or treat candy at my mom's house. It was fun seeing all the little kids in their costumes.
Here is a card for you today....

 

This is one grumpy Christmas bear. The tree and bear are colorized with Prisma pencil and Gamsol. The tree has stickles for snow and a gold glittered star on top. The bear sits on snow created with diamond dust. I have not come up with a sentiment for this card yet. It was fun to make. Something different that's for sure.

Well, off to create....

Happy Scraps,

Mrs. Swandog