After Christmas Creating

 I have been busy with getting ready for Christmas.  Everything I purchased this year was online.  Waiting for the mailman, UPS truck, or Fedex guy kept me on my toes.  With each purchase I added the item to a list so I didn't forget what I bought and I didn't forget that I was waiting for something.

It was a great day. I hope your Christmas was merry and bright.

Here are a few cards I created over the past few days.  The frame set is Pinkfresh Stitched Scallop rectangles, the background was made using Pinkfresh Simple Plaid layering stencils, the wreath is Pinkfresh Daisy Wreath layering stencils and die.

These are my first Pinkfresh products and I love them.  The layering stencils were so easy to use - much easier than stamps.  And I love, love the frames.  Each frame cuts 2 at once.  I used both the outside and inside frames in white and then layered one gold frame.  The words were die cut from Spellbinders Our Favorite Sentiment Set.  I love the thin lines of these words.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope 2021 is a much better year for you.

Flowers and foliage

 It took all day. But I got them all assembled - all 16 of them. 

Tomorrow I’ll need to replenish my inventory of layered flowers and foliage. 

Thanks for stopping by. Susan

Assembling

 Today is assembly day. The flowers were already done but all the greenery, words, and card parts I did last night.  I love seeing the cards come together.

Do you see the grabber?  Four years ago my husband and I decided to sell our 4-bedroom, 2-story house (with its dedicated craft room 😔) because my in-laws were having health issues and we needed to have a handicap accessible place for them to live when the time came (which we thought would be a few years down the road). 

The house sold within 30 days and our condo wasn’t ready so everything was put in storage and we moved into an apartment for 5 months.  While living there my mother-in-law passed unexpectedly and my FIL wasn’t doing well living alone (he never had before).  We offered for him to move in with us. 

I will admit I was disappointed that he was coming so soon. I wanted us to have the chance to live there on our own for awhile - it was our first empty-nest home. But I saw his mental decline and knew it was the right thing to do. 

He lived with us just under a year before he got married to a lovely woman he knew in high school.  I’m thankful for their time together - she made him happy. I’m also thankful we honored him and had him living with us (honor your mother and father ... the first commandment with a promise!).  Unfortunately he passed shortly before celebrating his one-year anniversary with his new love. 

All this to say that the grabber is probably one of the most used things my FIL left here when he moved out. My craft table is bar height so my chair sits higher. I love that it has a magnetic tip to get those dies that pop out of my hand.  

I use it to bring smaller tables closer to me or to push them away. 

I use it to pull my paper closer to me. 

I’m sure when he left it he didn’t realize that I’d think of him every time I use it - which is ALOT! 

Honor your parents if they are still living. Call them, visit, spend time with them. Now that all of our parents have passed we realize that we’d love more time with them. Make sure you have no regrets when it comes to things left unsaid and undone. 

Susan

Scan n Cut

 Did I mention how much I love my SNC DX 😉

I’ve been cutting foliage this evening to build some cards.  I need to get more colors going.  

It runs so quietly. 

The sentiment in the card is new from Spellbinders. I love how thin it is. 

I hope you have time to get crafty this weekend. Susan

Loading up lots of cards

 I try, I really do, to upload my cards and creations as I go along.  But, then, life happens and I get distracted.  Okay, getting distracted is so much easier as I get older!  

In no special order, here we go:

And my Christmas present this year - the Brother Scan n Cut DX125.  Isn't she beautiful!  And oh so quiet.  I thought my CM350 was awesome ... but this one is a dream!  Can you tell, I love it. The mandalas are a design from Brother and are cut from rose gold metallic vinyl; the logo is my creation (SusieLou Creates) and was cut from green metallic and flat black vinyl; the "imagine create inspire" are words I want to live by and they are cut from green metallic vinyl.  I think I should add "share" ... maybe I'd get my creations up here quicker.

Here is a sample of how intricate it can cut.  No more dies!  This font is "Japan".  It cuts nicely.

Thanks for stopping by.  I'll make a better effort to keep this updated.  Thanks for stopping by, Susan

Another reason I ❤️ My SNC

 I love my Brother Scan n Cut. I have this great Altenew stamp (Bergernia) but I didn’t get the die set. My SNC to the rescue. I stamped the entire set and scanned it in!  I use the negative space to set my stamps. 

Shaker Cards - take 2

I had an idea for another shaker card.  The snowflakes turned out great.  I double stacked the foam to give the filler more room to move.  I hope they can get through the post without extra postage :) 

Thanks for looking, Susan

Shaker Cards

 While away on my scrappy weekend last weekend I got to make some shaker cards.  Well, of course, that got me thinking about how I could design shakers on my Brother Scan N Cut.  

I made the teapot from a free file.  I'm not a tea drinker but I know of few! 

The overlay cards are files I bought.  I blended Distress Oxide inks on the background.  I think the overlay is a little much so next time I'll use plain or pearl cardstock.  

This last one is a just a frame - but a pretty one.  I've had the pattern paper for a long time and was just waiting for the perfect use.  

I was supposed to be creating today with my scrapping group but it's been a long week (even though it started with a day off Monday.  I'm exhausted so I'm off to bed.  Thanks for stopping by, Susan

Spending time at my scrappy place

 I had the pleasure of spending a long weekend at my favorite scrapbook retreat.  It is only 40 minutes from home so travel time is ideal.  The setting is beautiful.

Here are some cards I got done.

Got to play with some shaker cards and elements as well.

The weekend was fun but always glad to be home.  Susan

Blossoms

 These cards are made using Dare 2B Artzy stamp set Blossom. The embossing was done using Altenew stamp set Focus on You 

Thanks for stopping by - get creative. Susan

More flowers for my garden

 One good thing about television being so boring is that I can spend my time in my craft room creating these lovelies.

I love this Stampin Up patterned paper; it's the perfect background for these lovely blooms from Altenew.

A take on a Jennifer McGuire idea.  Strips of color with a embossed flower spray.  

This is my new favorite look.  Another Jennifer McGuire video inspiration.  I used a gel press to make the background and then stenciled the white ink pattern.  The flowers are heat embossed on vellum.  I really like both looks, with and without color.  The metallic thread is new for me to use.

Thanks for stopping by.  I'm off to create some more before the grandsons come over.  Susan

 

Flowers in bloom

I love having all these flowers in bloom in my craft room.

Thanks for stopping by, Susan

Sunflowers

 Don't you just love sunflowers.  As the sun moves in the sky, the sunflower follows it.  If only we followed the Son the same way.

Thanks for dropping by.  Susan

Catching up

 It's been a month since I've posted but I have been creating.  I've picked some of my favorites.

I've been working on getting my grandsons' scrapbooks caught up.  That's done too.  Now I can get back to card making!

Enjoy your long weekend.  Susan

Lily cards

Here are the cards I made today. I love the background on the yellow lilies card. I’ve got to make more of those!

Get creative, Susan