Fresh Squeezed Stamps: A Tennis Shoe Christmas

I know you are probably all done with thinking about Christmas so I really shouldn't be posting a Christmas card today.  But it's my day to post at Fresh Squeezed Stamps and since they came to my rescue on the 24th, I wanted to share.  We had planned to give my 13-year old son his pick of basketball shoes for Christmas.  This is somewhat different from our usual approach in which he wants the most expensive and we refuse to buy anything but the cheapest!!  His gift was to pick out his own (within reason) without us complaining about the price!  As I was finishing up on Christmas Eve it occurred to me that he wouldn't have anything from us under the tree because he had would have to go shopping for his own shoes after Christmas.  He's still so young - I HAD to have something for him to open up.  Fresh Squeezed and their cute tennis shoe from String Me Along came to the rescue!!

If you knew my 13-year old son, you would understand why I also HAD to include the "nice 2b naughty" graphic from Hello December!  (BTW - if you like the idea but not for Christmas, On Trend 2013 has a great birthday word bubble that could replace the "naughty" circle!  That set is also where I got the swoosh that I used for the ground.)

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and are now looking forward to the new year!!

• Stamps: Fresh Squeezed Stamps On Trend 2013, Hello December, String Me Along
• Paper: MFT Red Hot, Fuse Green
• Ink: MFT Red Hot, Fuse Green, Factory Green
• Accessories: Pretty Pink Posh Sequins

Sparkle and Shine and Merry and Bright!

I woke up this morning and decided to treat myself to some time at my craft table before the day began!! I have a number of Christmas stamps still in my NBUS stash (Never-Before-Used Schtuff).  I had big plans to use them in the last week, but you know how it is this time of the year - joyful and busy, excited and stressed, peaceful and frantic.  I am a bit of a pre-Christmas grinch but starting today - it's all perfectly wonderful!!  I have carols playing, great coffee in my mug, just a little cooking to do today and I am looking forward to candles and carols and His story at tonight's Christmas Eve service.


I love this bokeh style set from Neat and Tangled called Party Dots. I can't believe that it has been in my NBUS stash for so long.  Particularly given how well it works with the sentiment and ornament from the set Merry and Bright.  A splattering of Neat and Tangled sequins and it completely captures the glow that is so beautiful during Christmas.
I was going to stop at this card.  But there were a few more stamps and sequins calling my name.  I went out to a Christmas lunch with a dear friend yesterday and after a few Cucumber Mimosas(!) we wandered through a number of stores.  One of them was a high-end antique/craft type store that included a display of ornaments and decoration in colors and styles that took me right back to my childhood.  I'm standing in the middle of a crowded store almost in tears with the happy memories brought on by these kitschy ornament!!  (Or maybe it was the mimosas!)  I don't have the stamps to truly capture it all - but I did put together some of the colors and sparkle.

I also wanted to do cards today to use my NBUS Neat and Tangled stash along with the Little Tangles challenge of sequins, sequins, sequins.  I do like Neat and Tangle sequins.  Their mixes are fabulous and I love their Crystal Clear sequins.  It's amazing how different clear sequins can be.  Some are iridescent and take on other colors, some are truly clear - but Neat and Tangled's have a silvery cast to them (see first card) that work so well with snowflakes!

Have a happy Christmas Eve day!!!

Sparkle and Shine:

• Stamps: Neat and Tangled Party Dots, Merry and Bright
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Smokey Shadow
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Harvest Gold (light), My Favorite Things Lemon Drop (darker), Papertrey Ink Smokey Shadow
• Accessories: Neat and Tangled sequins in Summer Sun and Crystal Clear, Studio Calico gem, Hemptique black

Merry and Bright:

• Stamps: Neat and Tangled Merry and Bright
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Scarlet Jewel, My Favorite Things Whip Cream and MME Mistletoe Magic 6x6
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Scarlet Jewel and Limeade Ice
• Accessories: Neat and Tangled sequins - Classic Christmas mix

The next bit....

So I have one page to finish off my Heidi Swapp December photo hunt/Memory file...and it's getting very thick but I thought I would share it with you now before Christmas day. As I mentioned in my first instalment here I used the Believe Memory File Album to record my journey and these are some of my favourite pages..

I have used the next set of Free  countdown cards available here on Heidi's blog.

 

Merry Christmas to everyone, have a fabulous day with your friends and families.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus in Cucumber Cups

These little cucumber cups stuffed with roasted red pepper hummus are the perfect little red and green appetizers for Christmas.  Not only are these little bites festive, but they're so healthy you don't have to feel guilty about popping them in your mouth.  At all!  They're also incredibly tasty.  The cucumber cups are crunchy and fresh and the hummus is creamy and smooth with hints of garlic and red pepper.  This would be a great addition to any holiday table! 

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus in Cucumber Cups 

Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

found online here    

Makes 4-6 servings

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained

½ cup diced, jarred roasted red bell peppers

1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)

1 large garlic clove, peeled

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (from ½ small lemon)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra, to taste

Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

2 hot house cucumbers, ends trimmed

Fresh parsley, cilantro or mint leaves

In a food processor, combine the beans, peppers, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper, if using. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed. Season with salt, to taste. Transfer the hummus to a small bowl. Run the tines of a fork down the length of each cucumber several times, turning to make ridges about 1/8-inch deep in the skin all the way around. Cut cucumbers crosswise into 1-inch rounds, for a total of at least 12. Using the smaller end of a melon baller or a round measuring spoon, scoop out the center of each cucumber round to form a hollow. Use a small spoon to fill each cup with hummus, mounding slightly over the top. Tuck a small fresh parsley, cilantro or mint leaf into the side of the filling as a garnish. Arrange the cups on a platter and serve.  MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My Sunshine

I've had these papers from Glitz Designs sitting in my stash for a while now and when I found this photo on my camera of my son at the beach I knew they were perfect .

I added in the Sunshine flair from Greatest View.

...and created a shaker element with a transparency.

Merry & Bright, the Twin Polar Bears

It's my day to post at Fresh Squeezed Stamps.  I definitely wanted to use the bear yet from Arctic Friends (I had used the penguin here and the walrus here.)

As I was pondering what to do with this cute stamp, I was remembering twin polar bears born almost 20-years ago in my local zoo. Their mother abandoned them, but zoo staff successfully raised them.  It was quite an experience for the entire city - we all stood in line for hours to see them, books were written about them - they were famous!

Their names were Klondike and Snow and they lived most of their adult years in Orlando.  Klondike died just this fall and Snow died a year ago at the ages of 17 and 18.

These stamps aren't quite as cute as the real baby cubs - but pretty darn close!!  And these twin bears are wishing you a Merry & Bright Christmas!


This definitely works for the current Merry Monday challenge to use an animal on a Christmas card.

• Stamps: Fresh Squeezed Stamps Arctic Friends, Hello December
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Blueberry Sky
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Blueberry Sky, Winter Wisteria, Versamark
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Heat & Stick Embossing Powder, Martha Stewart Crystal Fine Glitter, Divine Twine Black Licorice, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (see here for details on this embossing folder)

CAS(E) this Sketch! Believe

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch

I am determined to get through my Christmas NBUS (Never-Before-Used-Schtuff) stamp sets - so I ended up going in a slightly different direction.  I wanted to use My Favorite Things Holiday Subway Art, but when I used it I wanted to use a number of the words.  Instead of using a single word - I used a variety of words in a subtle color - then popped the word "Believe" in red.

The die is also in my NBUS basket - it's the Small Blooming Poinsettia from Memory Box.  I love how it layers up!
I think this is a very nice sketch - add a beautiful sentiment and a simple embellishment and you have a great card!  I hope you all find time to play along during this busy holiday season.

• Stamps: My Favorite Things Stamps Holiday Subway Art
• Paper: Stampin' Up Real Red, Papertrey Ink Soft Stone, Basic Grey 25th and Pine 6x6, Stampin' Up Silver Glimmer Paper (just the center of the flower)
• Ink: Stampin' Up Real Red, Papertrey Ink Soft Stone
• Accessories: Memory Box/Poppystamps Small Blooming Poinsettia, Hemptique 10-lb white twine