The award says... "This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships!These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated."
I am honored to be called charming and Lord knows, you can never have too many friends! So, thanks Robin!!! You rock! Ok, now I am giggling... Rockin' Robin... tweet, tweet, tweet! (Sorry, I couldn't resist! I am SURE she's heard that time and time again!!)
Then, today I got this award from the lovely and talented Tanya....
The coolest blog? Wow Tanya--- too sweet! Thank you both ladies! I am supposed to pick a number of people to dole these out to but that is always so hard for me! So, I am going to chicken out and just tell both of these ladies a BIG huge thank you! It's nice to know that talking and posting here in cyberspace is appreciated! It truly is! You all have no idea just how much fun it is for me when you stop by and say hi!
...all you need to do is leave a comment at the end of this post! Why don't you tell me your favorite Christmas or holiday tradition?
To make this 4-1/4" square card, I used my scalloped circle and circle nesties along with a Marvy Giga scalloped circle punch. I used the Christmas Glittered Paper (which is going on sale soon!). After embossing the Merry Christmas and adding some bling, I used one of the ornaments from the All that Glitters set for my centerpiece. Not a difficult card, but it sure is festive!
So, sign up for my candy and then hop on over to these other DT members to check out their goodies! Late Sunday, we'll have the winners' roundup over at the Flourishes Newsletter!
Faith
Susan
Cindy
Laura
Flourishes Newsletter
Latisha
That's it my friends! Hope you are enjoying your weekend!
I recently picked up this stamp set- Sing to The Lord from Our Daily Bread Designs - and I just am in love with it. I think it is just stunning. To make the card, I stamped the bird twice - first on a piece of ivory that I cut out with the Curved Rectangle Nestabilities set. I cut a smaller curved rectangle from a scrap piece and used it as a mask to sponge ink into the center of my larger rectangle. I stamped the bird and the sentiment over top. On a scrap piece, I stamped the bird on the limb, colored the bird and flowers, cut them out and layered them on top of my main piece for a pop of dimension. I colored the bird and flowers with watercolor pencils and blended with my blender pen. (It's the easy "cheat" way!) Add some decorative paper, some self adhesive pearls and some ivory satin ribbon and... you're done!
Here's a close up of that cute birdie!!! 
ETA: I just was surfing over at the Papercraft Planet and they are having 12 days of Christmas challenges! Well, today's challenge is a bird or tree card --- so, this fits! You can check out the challenge HERE!
But first, you have to check out what the other Stamp Simply gals cooked up this week? (besides turkey!)
Sharon Johnson
Becky Oehlers
Dee Jackson
Janine Orchard
Tammy Hershberger
AJ Otto
Cathy Tidwell
Jennifer Buck
Before I go, there is a LONG candy trail for a whole host of Just Rite goodies being offered up by Flourishes! Today, check out Latisha Yoast's place HERE for her blog candy and don't forget to check out all the week's blog candy giveaways HERE. The drawings end early Sunday--- so sign up now if you haven't yet!! My candy will be offered up at midnight Saturday!!
I love today! I love waking up in the morning, cuddling up with my kiddos and watching the parades on TV as I start baking pies or desserts and getting those wonderful smells floating through the house. I love the sounds of football and savor the scents of roasting turkey! I am thankful for friends, family and all the wonderful blessings that land on our doorstep! So, to those reading this post today, I raise my glass to you and wish you just the same!
The card I made for today is one featuring an old PSX stamp that I colored with Prismacolor pencils and accented with chalks. I used a mix of oranges, reds and greens and then blended with odorless mineral spirits. You might also see a bit of sheen. I always spray my work with workable fixative to prevent what's called "wax bloom." When you work with colored pencils that have a wax base, over time, you can get a white chalky appearance to your work -- so-- to prevent this -- you spray it! That's a little tip for you! The saying "Happy Thanksgiving" is from the new Autumn Flourishes set by Flourishes!
Before I go....the candy trail of Just Rite goodies continues! The Flourishes DT is showing you all the fun ways to use Just Rite products to get ready for Monday's big sale!!! Starting December 1st, all of the Just Rite products in the Flourishes store will be 25% off!
Before then, stop by and say hi to these DT members and check out the goodies they will be offering up on these days!
Sunday - Faith
Monday - Susan
Tuesday - Cindy
Wednesday - Laura
Thursday - Flourishes Newsletter
Friday - Latisha
Saturday - ME!
Sunday - Winner’s Roundup on the Flourishes Blog
I'll be back later tonight with a sneak peek at Sharon's Stamp Simply challenge -- so after turkey time - check back!!! :-)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
~Julie
I just got this new rubber from Impression Obsession! It is part of the winter offerings from the talented illustrator Leigh Hannan! The main stamp is called Birthday Martini and the saying is -- Happy Birthday To You! The card was super duper easy! I stamped the main image with Versamark Black ink, colored with watercolor pencils, added some Stickles, matted it up with the help of my nesties, add some pink satin ribbon and you're almost done! The saying was stamped on a 1-1/4" circle and, of course, I had to add some bling to both the saying and the bottom of the glass! No such thing as too much bling! The background paper is actually called Nana's Kids from DCWV. Round the corners on the card and.... VOILA!
Here's a look at my little tag....
And, here's a close up of the birthday martini! Don't you love the little cupcakes??? I do!
Before I let you go.... I have some FUN news!
My friend Joyce Edwards is one that I have been stamping with for 8 years now! It's hard to believe we have been talking about inky fingers for that long! But now, in addition to being creative, she is my daughter's adopted third grandma! She made me this classy card!
My mother in law stamps but her first passion is quilling! Has anyone tried it? Her creations always amaze me because it just looks so time intensive! Check this beautiful card I got for my birthday!
My bloggin' bud Denise Gooch is a hoot- she wanted me to lasso a good time! LOL! I think the card is darling and the boots even come complete with BLING! You know, I love my bling!
Today, some of the most beautiful Christmas cards arrived and they both made me GASP! This first one is from Karen Wallace. I love the way Karen used the gold mirror paper and decked it out with an embossed tree and plenty of red rhinestones. She created a real stunner of a card! 
And my bud Cheryl Moody sent me this little number! I love, love, love the angel and she decked it out with plenty of sparkle! Isn't it just a darling card! Me thinks so!
Gosh, I can't tell you how heartwarming it is to know someone took time out of their day to create something for lil ole me! Truly heartwarming! I will have to make some room on my wall of fame! :-)
Now to news of candy! To help you make sure the holiday is Just Rite, all Just Rite products in the Flourishes store will be 25% off starting December 1st! In order to build some excitement, the Flourishes Design team will be showing you all the fun ways you can use these products and we will be giving away some goodies of our own! Here's a look at the goody trail!!!
I wanted to bring out some drama without a ton of stamping. So,the background is the Flourishes Damask backgrounder, the flowers are from Flourishes Spring Ephemerals set and the rest is just a tag with a Studio G sentiment, add a black satin ribbon, a splash of gold and some black rhinetones and you are pretty much done!
I did add the tag on with some gold cording... See? And, as you can see -- there's no such thing as too much bling! Not in my world! :-)
Before I go, I want to thank my blogging friend Kim for giving me the Kreativ Blogger award. I (blush) was honored to get this award twice. Thanks Kim! You rock!!
Hope you are having a fabulous start to your week! I'll be back tomorrow!
So, here's my card!
This card actually couldn't get any easier! I used my new nesties - Curved Rectangles along with the new "You Are Invited" from Flourishes. Stamp it in black ink - color it with Opal Shimmerz, add some bling (Kaiser rhinestones) and Crystal Stickles for the champagne bubbles. Mat it on some decorative paper, add a blingy ribbon slide and .... done! The ribbon is May Arts. This is seriously a 10 minute card!
I wanted to show you a close up of the Shimmerz! In real life it has a light pink cast to it and really matches my paper!
So, that's it my friends! If you want all the details on the challenge, be sure to click HERE. Or, make the rounds and see what all the SS gals did this week!
Ok folks... this is how my morning went. I am just waking up- you know me without coffee --- not good -- when my daughter literally jumps out from behind a corner and starts singing happy birthday to me. It was like she was stalking me! LOL! And then, she says -- "Want to read my card mom? It's really funny. It's about weiner dogs!" Then she starts giggling uncontrollably. Well, with one eye open and now a cup of coffee in my hand, I say - "Ok honey. That sounds fun." Well, my husband is now on to us and says - "Are you going to open your card because if you are- I am not going anywhere!" I look at him with the expression of "huh?" She hands me the envelope and I stop to check out all the smiley faces and hearts she drew all over the envelope. When I open it up - there is a chihuahua on the front of the card- in a sombero with the words "Enjoy your birthday Amigo...." Open it up and you see the dog with a whole mess of tequila and it says, "If you know what I mean!" That's not the funniest part - when you open the card, the song "Tequilla" plays! OH MY! Now, my daughter is dancing all over the room and my husband is laughing his butt off. While cracking up myself, I look at him like - What the heck were you thinkin'? He says, "She doesn't even know what it says -- she thought the dog was cute!" HA! Oh, my family. I tell you!
I was surfing for inspiration and found it on the Caardvarks blog! They had a "chocolate" challenge! Who couldn't be inspired by chocolate? I mean-- really! My sentiment is computer generated (gotta love that saying!!) and the images are from the Flourishes Sweet Treats set! I loved giving life to all those little delicious niblets! Chocolate covered strawberries, truffles, chocolate cupcakes and chocolates! YUM! I added bling and stickles. The rest is pretty much self explanatory -- punched edge with some paper piercing and ribbon!
And, here's what it looked like after a couple hours cleaning it!
A clean mean machine ready to get dirty all over again! hehe! I actually have some really fun things up my sleeve! I just got some new rubber from Impression Obsession and have to work on some catalog samples. I also got some new polymer and need to make some samples for Winter CHA. Then, there are some new releases brewing for Flourishes and... a huge fun celebration that I will be a part of! I can't tell you much more than that-- for now! So, in no time at all, my stamp room will look more like the first photo for sure!! ;-)
It's actually one I wish I never had to make. Last Friday I got some new stamps from Our Daily Bread Designs. This was one of them. It's called Footprints In The Sand. When I first laid eyes on it, I thought it would be a good set to turn to for sympathy cards. I didn't know I would be grabbing it so soon. My college roomate emailed me over the weekend to let me know that her mom passed away after a year long battle with pancreatic cancer. Gosh, I hate the "c" word. It robs so many people of loved ones. Are you with me??
To make the card, I just masked and sponged ink, watercolored some of the sea grass, distressed the edges of my main focal piece and then punched a hole and added some natural cord with some beads strung on. Not too hard at all.....
On a much lighter note, my bud Jacki-- you know-- the "princess" over at the Card Castle-- gave me this fun award! And, with it comes a few rules! 
It's called Wild Bill Lake and in the early 1900's "Wild Bill" decided that he would make this lake to be a recreation hot spot. He not only dug the lake and stocked it with whitefish (now brown trout), built a dance platform for country dancin', and a boat dock where he did boat rentals. Today, it's not the hoppin' space Bill wanted. Instead, it's a really quiet part of the forest that you can just sit and hear......... nothing! We did think we saw some bear tracks on the trail though. Not a good thing for me. As you'll see in the photo below - Ellie was wearing her black fake fur jacket. Um... maybe not the best choice for hiking in a spot where black bears live. Note to self - pick the pink jacket next time! :-)
So, here's one photo that I played with a bit that Ken took of me and the kiddos. Deep breath in... Can't it always be like this????
When we got home, I had the most fabulous R.A.K. waiting for me in my mailbox. It is one of the prettiest cards I have ever laid eyes on-- really! It was from the lovely Jenn Balcer and had the sweetest note inside!
Well, hope you enjoy a great start to your week! My b-day is coming up in a few days and so I am officially taking it easy and declaring it my birth-week! LOL! Why not? I mean, sometimes our lives get so crazy, we need an excuse to kick our feet up and slow down a bit!
You might think that looks pretty standard but.... look again! The back of the card is a 5-1/2" by 4-1/4" piece. THEN, the card is created by wrapping a 3" by 8-1/2" piece around it scoring it at the 4-1/4" mark.
This is it from the inside! Ok, getting to the stamps! I used my Spellbinders Labels Two Nesties to create the centerpiece on the front of my card. Stamp the plate and silverware from the You Are Invited Set (brand new set from Flourishes!) in Versafine Black Onyx and cut out. Mat on a 2-1/4" square of Metallic Gold Card Stock. Weave through some black satin ribbon and add some gold self stick nail heads.
The inside was done by stamping the three glasses in a row using Lightning Black Brilliance ink. I also used this ink for the Damask pattern on the front of my card. The shimmer matches the Stardream paper PERFECTLY! It rocks! The saying, "You Are Invited" was stamped at the top using Black Onyx Versafine ink. 
Here's a closeup of the flourished silverware. So classy looking.... don't you think? Me thinks so! 
And, here's a close up of the classy little glasses! They are perfect for this time of year! Love the idea of using them for a dinner party invite!
