creatively crafty adventures

The last time I was here, I felt I had wasted my weekend because I only made one card - this weekend I completed nine!  Two of them I just had to do the insides, and this one I had embossed the white layer two months ago for the three trees card that ended up going in a completely different direction.  Somewhere, since then I found some inspiration, and this one qualifies as monochrome for the challenge at Christmas Cards All Year 'Round:

stamp sets - Better Together, Thoughtful Branches; ink - Real Red; card stock - Whisper White, Real Red; Big Shot with Woodland embossing folder and Tags & Labels thinlits

I'm preparing for Card Buffet this week, and it's time to increase the Christmas options to two (of six).  Next month there will be three or four, and the card above is a possibility, but it wouldn't work this month because the Thoughtful Branches is needed for another card.  I decided Jean's Watercooler Wednesday color prompt would make an elegant choice, though, and I was able to combine it with the Creating Pretty Cards sketch:

stamp set - Christmas Pines; ink - Versaamark;  Stampin' Emboss powder - Copper; BigShot with Pine Bough embossing folder and Layering Circles framelits

You may have noticed that I missed the rectangle element in the lower left of the sketch; I think it really, reeeaaalllly needs a small pine branch cut with the Pretty Pines thinlits from Copper foil paper, but I don't have any Copper foil paper.  It's already on my next order, so I may re-post it when it's finished!  Hmm, so maybe I only completed eight cards.

But, in addition to cards, I made two wood signs with vinyl lettering.  One was a Life Expressions Make & Take - great fun with coworkers:

The other was a combined effort - my friend Ginger had a second cut from one she made and she gave it to me, then my husband cut & sanded a piece of wood for me, which I painted and applied the vinyl to.  It's my ♥favorite♥:

Before I did anything else, I machine-embroidered our names on the polo shirts we bought three and twelve months ago for bubble machine/kite festival engagements, and the household chores are (mostly) caught up, too!