...It'll get easier...they said...

I'm not even going to write you a big excuse as to why the blog has been empty for two weeks, I'm just going to say one word and I know you will understand. Children. Not complaining at all, they remain the most perfect, sweet smelling, delightfully grinny little fluffy angels that the Big Man above ever created (present company excepted) but they sure know how to induce a heart attack keep me on my toes... which is grand... that's what I'm here for... breathe... "Hello is that Mrs Brennan? Can you come to school? Your son has passed out/your daughter is ill/there's something living in his schoolbag..." breathe. Also it takes a day and a half to track down a decent looking cowboy hat in Northern Ireland.... gap in the market?

Meantime, back at the ranch, this sorry excuse for a card had been hanging around the desk waiting to be put out of it's misery. It was only after I had finished (because, by Jove, I was determined to finish at least one blasted project this week) that I realised how dreadful this card actually was... poor Moose got hung by his horns without a hint of grounding, and as DH says "Warm winter wishes? You wish me a season of dead moose?..."

Yep this card is my lesson for you on how NOT to put a card together....

1) Choose a sentiment that actually matches or relates to your focal point...
2) Decide what you want the focal point to be before you assemble the card... Tip - 3 focal points on one card don't work.... unless you are a genius stylist such as Melissa Phillips and can combine different elements with aplomb....
3) While it's tempting to use card fronts/bits and bobs you already made up for another project, just because you are pushed for time... Don't. Unless it already matches. Turns out rusty orange Moose (Mooses? Moosiae?) and blue snowflakes don't really conjure up that Christmas/winter vibe....
4) In fact, if you are feeling mojoless, or really tight for time - so tight that you don't even have time to turn the handle, just once, on the die machine - Give up. Walk away. Leave it alone or risk the curse of the poor winter moose.

 If you happen to have some rusty moose hanging about (see what I did there) and are desperate to recreate this horror for your own edification, you could use these items that I also used... I can assure you that these items are all terribly well behaved of their own accord and only get into trouble, such as above, when I am 'just not feeling it'.... Chat soon. C.

...It's not what's under the tree...

Happy Friday Afternoon!! SOOO glad to see Friday this week, how about you? What are you up to - plans? or just a quiet weekend - well I have a date with about 536 other Coffee loving blog hoppers, the Fall Coffee Loving Hop is still on, but only just - you've only a few hours left. Here's the link.

I'm going to 'try' to get around at least some of them over the weekend, I've seen glimpses and it looks like an amazing hop!

I desperately wanted to case this card by Joan Bardee, Joan has away with a CAS card and this card spoke to me of peace yesterday when I needed peace. Isn't this fabby - must pop back over, see what ink she used...get some....

Well I decided that I wanted to make my own plaid and so I dug out the Pic Nic Pattern set, it has two neat plaid maker stamps, I used the narrower one and stamped some plaidy type patterns, loved the pumpkin spice and green plaid and so I went with that. I did stamp the stag image from Rustic Christmas (just released) but I baulked at the orange stag and went with the tree image instead. I used my plaid as a narrow outer border. I cut out the middle section and I'll keep that for another project.

One of the things I like about this Rustic Christmas set is the laid back feel - the images are intentionally 'grainy' here and there, and so I thought I'd just play that up by splattering my background panel with some white paint. Instant snow storm. I stamped the tree in Old Olive SU ink onto a tree shaped cut out that I made with my Silhouette Cameo (- free matching cut files available here) and then I sponged a little. The tree was grounded in a drift of white flock snow. Loved that.

Hope it tickles, thanks for stopping by!