Christmas in July and other holidays...

Wow where did the time go last month?  It seems like just yesterday July was starting...  I have been a bad blogger but am hoping things have calmed down somewhat now and I can get back to a regular schedule. 

For now I am sharing a card I did for Operation Write Home's Christmas in July challenge.  This was posted last Wednesday on the Stars and Stamps blog.

This is a Dustin Pike image colored with Prisma PM-4, PM-31, PM-61, PM-172.  The patterned paper is from my scrap bin so no idea who made it (sorry) and the Happy Holidays stamps are really cool ones I won.  They are from a set of self inking stamps that sit in a tray - all Christmas themed.  *Note to self get a photo of them!  I think I need a touch of bling on here so am looking for something to go before, between and after the Happy Holidays.

Next up is one of 2 Halloween cards I did.  Image is also by Dustin Pike and also colored with Prisma PM-16, PM-25, PM-111, PM-147.  I love the little feet so can see myself using this image again and again.  Ribbon is from my stash and patterned paper is from my scraps.

This card is made using all the same materials as above but I did not use Prisma PM-147 on it.  I did take my black Colorbox Chalk Ink and a paper towel to 'scuff up' the image as I felt it fit the theme better.

Next up is a card I was inspired to make after looking through the July/August 2010 issue of Paper Crafts magazine.  The 'Thank You Very Much' card on page 39 was designed by Heidi Van Laar and I LOVE it!

In her design Heidi used 16 squares that were small enough to fit 4 across a 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 card.  We use 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 for OWH as envelopes are readily available for a decent price and you can fit way more of them into the shipping boxes {wink wink}.  I again raided my scraps bin, you'll be seeing that a lot if you come back, and used the only square punch I have at the moment and punched as many 1 inch squares as I could from each pattern - bonus they are double sided so twice the bang for my buck.  I then rounded the 2 opposite corners and placed then with the pointed corners to the middle.  Used a 1 inch circle punch for the center also using the same paper to get what I am calling my pinwheel card.  I see so many possibilities with this and am looking forward to playing with the rest of the squares to see what I come up with.  I inked the edges of all the patterned paper with Colorbox chalk ink in Chestnut brown.  Sentiment is a Stampabilities stamp using black Memento ink.

Now just for fun I did a card using one of the stamps (a Kolette Hall for Studio G) my cousin Shauna sent me.  We are both Canadian born but now living in the US.  We recently discovered our love of anything with 'home' on it when we are together in Edmonton.  This will get a sentiment when I figure out who is getting it and why  but I still wanted to share.

And to close today a photo I took last night.  I love 90% of the ones we got but this one just screamed share me today.  I did the shoot hoping to find one to enter in this years photo contest at the Fair but am having a hard time deciding.  I think I have it narrowed down to 2 which are being printed as I type so we'll see if they look the same in person as they did on the computer last night.