Sugar and spice and ...

Oh, the sweets of Christmas. Know how I knew Christmas was coming, and soon, at Mama's house?

Ribbon candy, vanilla creme drops, gum drops, wedding cookies, cheese wafers...

Mama had quite the sweet tooth and she believed hospitality meant,  'what would you like to drink?'

During the week or so before the holiday she began shopping for the expected family and company: cheeses,  party crackers (Sociables), Pepperidge Farm Party Rolls, pecans, walnuts, rum, bourbon, eggnog.

For the life of me I cannot remember where she bought the Christmas candies. But it was not Christmas without thin, I mean almost sheer, ribbon candy. She had a particular dish for it and it was always placed on the sideboard.

I preferred Peanutbutter Pillows and Peppermint Straws.  They had their candy dishes as well.  The Peanutbutter Pillows were golden brown satiny, sweet puffy hardened squares filled with soft peanutbutter. 

The Peppermint Straws were traditional red and white striped hard candy that melted immediately into a smooth minty filling. They looked like miniature bed pillows dressed up with festive pillow cases.

Sugar coated gum drops of all colors were poured into its designated candy dish, with a quantity reserved to craft gumdrop trees from green styrofoam cones, toothpicks and candies.

All of the candies were kept in the Butler's Pantry, along with the alcohol.

Mama did not bake much, only her rum cake,  but rather shopped at the local bakery for holiday treats which included her favorite, cheese wafers. Mrs. Erkert's bakery was an institution on Colley Avenue for specialty cookies and bread, birthday cakes and wedding cakes.

Fortunately that bakery hung on long enough for me to be able to walk my children up there for gingerbread men during their toddler Christmases.

These memories and more came rushing forward as soon as I saw the Gingerbread and Peppermint Suite during the July - December Mini Catalog preview back in June. Needless to say, I pre-ordered it immediately (always a perk of being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator!). And now it is finally time to start whipping up a few holiday cards and gifts with the items in the suite. See them all on pages 8 - 10 in the Mini Catalog.

Just like a pastry chef, you can 'pipe icing' on your cards using Embossing Paste (see Annual Catalog page 128), Snowy White Velvet Specialty Paper (p. 37 in the Mini), White Stampin' Ink  (p.129 in the AC); put on your white apron and toque and start mixing!

Order any or all of the items right from Shop Now on this website.

AND, order the entire suite before October 31 and I will treat you to a gift of gingerbread goodies  ~ I  will deliver or mail!

Please use this month's Host Code for your orders: MBKPGVWA.

The card above, inspired by SU Demonstrator Brian King, will be included in November's Christmas Card Buffet on Monday and Tuesday 8 and 9; to-go options available, as well.

Let's stamp!

And tell me, us, some of your favorite holiday goodies. 

 

 Will Work for Chocolate

It's Labor Day and I am willing to labor for you, for free, or for chocolate.

Have you been to a thrift store or a flea market and seen wooden mounted stamp sets in a basket or bin for $3, or even less? You may have thought what a deal, but I don't know how to stamp, but what cute stamps ...

If you come across stamps that are cute, neat, or sweet but don't buy them because you've never stamped ~ buy them and I will teach you how to stamp, free! Seriously. I love teaching this craft.

These stamps are older Stampin' Up! sets that I have found online and in sale piles from other demonstrators. 

I bought the new born/nursery set for myself to use in my scrapbooks with pictures of my grandchildren. Speaking of labor! I was lucky enough to be close at hand when my four grandsons were born. I can remember those nights, the first cries announcing their arrivals. The labor corridors of one hospital were decorated with storks as directional signs! I needed that stork stamp. 

When my first daughter was born, I designed her birth announcements with a drawing of a pram, similar to the one in this set.  And when she had her first son I designed an announcement for me to send to my friends, using a pram again. So,  I needed that pram stamp.

I bought the cute Christmas stamp set as an inexpensive holiday project to introduce children to stamping. I happen to have it left over.

I think sometimes (speaking from experience) we buy craft kits and supplies thinking we can teach ourselves with the instructions provided, how hard could it be? Or, as we have all heard by now, check YouTube. Often we don't do either and that bag of craft goodness gets shoved to the back of the closet just to end up in the church bazaar in a few years. 

So, I am offering a free stamping lesson to anyone who would like to try it out; even if you tried stamping years ago and have done nothing with it since, I'll help you! 

My next class is on Monday, September 13 at 10 AM. You are welcome as long as there is room around the table, and if the class is full, we'll stamp later that afternoon at 2 PM. Or at ... my schedule is a bit flexible thanks to retirement. Contact me to make a reservation; make a reservation for two and bring along a friend.

I am currently working on fall cards because I love leaves and my favorite color is Autumn and there are many easy techniques to produce gorgeous designs. 

Of course, if you are one of my Stampin' Friends and have not already registered for Monday's class, please do. This is my favorite time of year for designing and creating cards.

I am including a shopping list of some of my favorite autumn stamp sets from the new July - December Mini Catalog. Take a look: 

https://www.stampinup.com/shared-lists/d0cb5d3d-c26a-4c29-b39f-eb1ce94f0393?

 

The entire catalog can also be seen from the website. just click on the Mini Catalog pic.

Let's stamp!

Someone Is In Need of A Card This Holiday

As I was stamping with a group of lovely gals yesterday I reminded them to please mail out their cards ~  to friends, associates, neighbors ...

And then in today's email I received an update from a stamper/crafter about an annual collection of holiday cards for nursing/rehab center residents. I want to pass the info along in case you should have extra cards OR in case you would like to create a few just for this cause.

Please visit www.lingshappyplace.blogspot.com and click on the 2016 Caring Hearts Card Drive. The details are all there. Cards will be accepted through November 25 ~ that should be plenty of time to make a card or two.

Do you need ideas for cards? Ideas abound in so many places; such as my card classes. Perhaps you are not close enough to attend, and if that's the case, I am happy to share with you any and all of my cards. Most ideas are not entirely original ~ I search Pinterest for many and I visit the blogs and sites of other stampers.

If you do not necessarily need a template to follow, but just need a jumping off place, check out
www.merrymondaychristmaschallenge.blogspot.com. Each week there is a prompt for a holiday card; this week's prompt is to create a card (holiday) that includes a bird. The site's artists will show you their cards for inspiration. You may join the challenge yourself and link your card to their site. Try it! You don't have to link it if you don't want, but try the challenge. Can you create a Christmas card featuring a bird? Sure you can.

Another great place to gather card design ideas? Paper Pumpkin by Stampin' Up! Although this month's design is inspired by autumn's leaves, next month's could easily be Christmas. Whatever the design, the kit usually makes six or more cards, often with pieces of leftover materials. If you subscribe to Paper Pumpkin, you may purchase kit refills, if available ~ more cards!! There's more Paper Pumpkin info on my site - I even have a button for it - see it?

Create those cards - share those cards.

Let's stamp!

Christmas is Coming, Again

Often my reaction to the Christmas holidays is "Bah, humbug." And when I begin seeing 'Christmas' displayed in stores in October, I am completely put off.

Even with stamping, I don't usually get to Christmas till Christmas. But, some of the new Stampin' Up! holiday product is now available, along with some favorite stamps set from last season.

Contemplating the schedule of classes, I ordered the new This Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper. In my haste, I thought the paper was one of the great and convenient 6 X 6 paper stacks. It isn't, but it has served me well all the same. (see pages 26 & 27 in your catalog)

Included in the variety of designs is sheet music ~ can you see it, cut into an oval as a mat for the gold and the stamped holy family? There are no words printed with the musical notes, so, this paper can be used for more than just Christmas carols and holiday strains.

Musical designs beg to be used in romantic settings: Valentines, anniversary, love, birds ...







The musical score was not my favorite design in this pack. My favorites were the dark green and red patterns, which are not particularly Christmasy at all. I do have cards designed with these papers, but I think, again, these patterns will outlive the holidays.
As will the Fabulous Foil Designer Acetate!
I have plans for that! (see page 31)

My bah humbug-ness will not last forever; I enjoyed stamping with the holy family and it provided an evening of peace, that which we all pray for during the holiday season, and every season.