5 Things Friday

Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily got me started with 5 Things Friday and it was a great way to wrap up the week! We haven't done it for awhile but I just felt the need to do one this week so grab a cup of tea, put your feet up and here we go!

#1...I didn't lose weight this week, in fact, gained .2 pound. My total weight loss for the month is 5.2 pounds!  Not great but totally acceptable! Just think, if I do that again next month it will really add up! I am planning to start walking on my treadmill next week and maybe do some arm exercises with the weights. I will probably incorporate a few exercises to strengthen my lower back as well. I was so close to my 1 1/2 pound per week average that hubby offered to pay for my Weight Watchers Online anyway but I told him "a deal is a deal" so will just do better next month!

#2...I got my taxes ready for the accountant. They are headed to the accountant TODAY!!! I hope we don't give the poor guy a heart attack! He has been doing our taxes since about 1985 and this is by far the earliest we have ever gotten our stuff to him! It is so nice to have that off my back and not be looking at needing to do it yet as I do most years. I am such a procrastinator when it comes to taxes:(

#3...The lotion I bought for my hands, generic version of Eucerin Aquaphore, is working!!! It would work better if I used it like I should. It is greasy and doesn't absorb very fast so I procrastinate with using it. However, my thumb is healing so will keep working on it. What I really need are some cotton gloves to wear to bed at night so I can grease up and not worry about it getting on the sheets.

#4...Last year I participated in the A to Z Blogging Challenge during April. For my long time readers, did you enjoy it? Should I do it again? For the month of April, Monday through Saturday, I blogged using letters of the alphabet...A to Z...ending the month with Z. It's sign-up time so thought I would put it out there and see what you think! Anyone want to join me? The fun part is visiting some of the more than 1500 blogs who are participating! The call was put out on January 27 and already 440 bloggers have signed up to participate! WOW!

#5...I haven't bought any Christmas gifts yet but have been thinking about items to purchase or make. I have money saved for this purpose:) One of my goals for this year is to start working on my Christmas list in January. Having some money set aside should count, right?!!!

Well, that about wraps it up for this week! I will be back Sunday night for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat! See you then!!!

Kat

Okay, I Lied!

On January 8 I showed you some Christmas cards I received and said that was it till July! Well, I lied, though unintentionally! I have one more beautiful Christmas card to show you!

This card was made by Ella and accompanied a beautiful brown scarf that goes so perfect with my hat and coat. 

Isn't the deer cute? I love the green rhinestones on the antlers. Thank you Ella for this super adorable card.

Margarita's swap this month is to make 2 1/4" squares with a Valentine theme. We are to send two different squares to each person in the swap. When we receive all the squares we will be able to put them together in a frame for a collage. I received the first two squares yesterday from Charina...

Aren't the little macaroons cute? These are so adorable! I am so looking forward to getting the rest of the squares:) 

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend.

Kat

A Few More Christmas Cards

I have just a few more Christmas cards to show you and then I'm done with Christmas cards...till July anyway!

The card below was made by my darling daughter and sent as part of our December Card Swap! It turned out so cute! Can you tell she's using her new Big Shot (birthday gift from moi)? I love the addition of the little pearls.

This card was sent to me by Marie, one of my wonderful customers! I love how she used the Silver Glimmer Paper on her stockings to give them pizzazz! Can you see how she scored the paper to give it some texture? Love this card! I still don't understand how Stampin' Up! could retire the Stocking Punch!!! It can be used for Christmas or for baby cards--so cute!

This next card was also by my darling daughter--also using the Stocking Punch!

She got the snowflake embossing folder at Craft Mart and had so much fun using it for her Christmas cards! 

This last card is from my upline Vicki and it is elegant in it's simplicity! I am still kicking myself for not purchasing the star punch when Stampin' Up! had it on the Clearance Rack! I will just have to get one from another company because I really think I need one after seeing this card! I love how Vicki layered the Silver Glimmer Paper star over the Red Glimmer Paper. The Baker's Twine bow adds the perfect finishing touch!

Thank you, ladies, for these beautiful cards! I love getting handmade Christmas cards...or any handmade cards in the mail! There are two types of cards I keep--picture cards and handmade cards so know if you send me a handmade card, I will keep it forever!!!

Thank you for stopping in today and I hope you enjoyed seeing these beautiful cards!

Stay warm!

Kat

The Cupboard Trilogy Design Team Projects

I sure hope it is warmer where you are than it is here! Today is definitely a stay inside by the fire kinda day! Brrr!

The Cupboard Trilogy theme for this month is Christmas/Holiday so I looked through my stamp sets to see which ones were being neglected this holiday season. I love this little retired Stampin' Up! stamp set and I hadn't used it yet so got busy!

For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! supplies:

• Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive and Whisper White card stock; Season of Style Designer Series Paper
• Stamps: Scentsational Seasons (retired) and Tags 4 You
• Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler and Basic Gray
• Label Bracket Punch
• Other: Dimensionals, Basic Pearls

The second card I made for The Cupboard Trilogy...

I love the way this one turned out! I still think there need to be something in the middle of the sparkly mosaic but haven't figured out what yet so am leaving it alone! The Ornament Punch is retired from Stampin' Up! but is new to me so am loving using it!

Inside

There are so many things I like about this card!

For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! supplies:

• Paper: Pool Party and Island Indigo card stock; Silver Glimmer Paper
• Stamps: Tags til Christmas (retired), More Merry Messages
• Ink: Island Indigo, Pool Party, Old Olive
• Punches: Ornament (retired), Scallop Border and Mosaic
• Other: Dimensionals, Glue Dots, 1/8" Silver Ribbon, Basic Pearls

I hope you enjoyed these cards today! I always enjoy making them and sharing them with you.

Have a great weekend and I will be back Sunday night with the Sunday Night Chit-Chat!

Kat

Christmas Wishes

Yesterday kinda got away from me and I didn't get a post up! That's what I get for blogging "in the moment" instead of having some scheduled and ready to go. Someday, maybe!

Today it is foggy and cold:( At 1:00 in the afternoon it is still only 42 degrees (F)! The fog makes everything look dark and dreary.

I am participating in two monthly card swaps: the Happy Stampers Swap that I coordinate and another swap my Stampin' Up! team member, Margarita, coordinates. Margarita's swap has us sending to ALL the participants making that six cards this month. I recently received my swap from Ella and it is AMAZING!!!

This is what this awesome card looks like closed. check out the coffee packet attached in a very unique way using a Scallop Circle Punch and a Circle Punch! I love the Mosaic punched out of sparkly paper and topped with Candy Dots!

The card opened shows all kinds of wonderful elements! Do you see the retired Stampin' Up! Ornament Punch? 

This is a great card and a big THANKS to Ella for sending it!

Have a great day!

Kat

Santa's List Post Card

My kitchen sink is still plugged so I am still doing dishes "camping style":( 

I have walked two days on the treadmill this week. Although I think I am going to have to only walk every other day and do Pilates on the off days to stretch. The walking is causing a lot of pain to my lower back and neck so the stretching should help. 

We got our first frost last night but it was a light one. The killing frost is still to come but hubby got the tomatoes and peppers brought in so they are safe. Even a light frost will make the tomatoes taste nasty! We have beautiful sunshine today but the temperature didn't quite reach 50 degrees (F).

Are you wondering about our sauerkraut? Well, it was two weeks Sunday since we made it. We can't take the lid off to peek so just have to hope that our diligence with the temperature is paying off. We have two more weeks to go before we can taste it. Then about two weeks after that we can move it into the root cellar to store for winter use. Sauerkraut is sooo good for your digestive system...as good as taking probiotics and a whole lot cheaper. You can read about the benefits of sauerkraut here and here.

Okay, now on to the card for today...

Santa's List is one of those stamp sets I bought but wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. My Happy Stampers made a card at our last stamping club meeting and you can see it here. Then I saw this super cute card on Pinterest and since I was wanting to order the Post Card stamp and Gorgeous Grunge (for the speckles), decided to get everything I needed and make it! I have been looking for the last hour for the original designer of this card and finally found her! Whoo Hoo! I would hate to not give due credit for this great card design. Her name is Jane Goldman and you can see her card at Petite Fleur Paperie . I really wanted to angle my post card like she did but evidently didn't cut my base card the right size. I love the way I can control the spots with the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set. I used the stamp off method so as to get more subtle spotting. I sponged all the edges and the paper doily with Crumb Cake ink. 

For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! supplies:

• Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White
• Stamps: Santa's List; Post Card
• Ink: Crumb Cake, Baked Brown Sugar and Cherry Cobble
• Other: Tea Lace Paper Doily, Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine

What! No Dimensionals?!!! Not on this card! 

I hope you enjoyed this very cute card and please, stop over to see Jane's creations at Petite Fleur Paperie.

Have a great day...or what's left of it!

Kat

Happy Stampers Sneak Peek

I was so super excited about this project I got ready for my Happy Stampers! We meet tonight and I don't want to ruin the whole surprise so will just show you a bit of it! I will show you the "full meal deal" tomorrow and tell you how I did it! Another hint? I am making these for Christmas gifts this year...but only ones that don't have to mail! You will not believe how cheap and easy these are to make!

Have a great day!

Kat

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you and your family! I truly appreciate each time you come to visit! 

Kat