Christmas Gift Cards

Well, it wasn't the Christmas Eve I thought it was going to be.  My daughter called us this AM that Jennifer had fallen off the sofa and fell into the coffee table and smashed her nose/eye.  We hurried up and drove over and took them to the ER.  Poor Jennifer looked terrible!  The bridge of her nose was so swollen and a nasty cut over her eye.  So after several hours in the ER and an x-ray she came home with a new Barbie doll they gave her and no broker nose - just badly bruised!!  We got back to the house just before our friends came for dinner.  Fortunately, everything had been prepared ahead of time and my daughter and the girls had prepared everything for dinner.

Jennifer face timed us after dinner and she was so much better.  She was putting out her reindeer food I had made for her and set cookies and milk out for Santa!  I finally remember the one thing I had not done and planned on doing today which was make the gift card holders for the girls.  So it is 10PM and here I am finally finishing up.  I saw these cards over at Chic n'Scatch and really liked them.  I printed out the directions as I'm sure I'll use them again.

I always end up giving the girls some gift cards to their favorite eateries so when shopping with their friends they can get a snack.  These came together really quick ad a great way to use up those paper scraps.  Well, tomorrow it the big day and I'm off to set the table and get a jump on things.  Everyone in the Pansy Patch would like to wish to a very Merry Christmas!!

I saw this video and thought you would enjoy it!

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Reindeer Food

The girls came home from school today and reminded me that I didn't yet make Jennifer Reindeer Food!!  Boy, did that bring back memories - I used to make tons of Reindeer Food for the girls and all their friends, but haven't made any for a few years.  I almost forgot!!  Here's a picture of the back of the package.  There are so many different ways you can present this, but I love using the Top Note die from SU to make the seal for my food.  There are also lots of different poems out there, this one is the one I had actually saved on my PC!  Just stuff a baggie with goodies (all animal friendly).  I used oatmeal and different sprinkles which I had in the pantry.  I didn't have edible glitter or raisin which really make it pretty.  Just staple it shut and you're good to go!  The girls used to love doing this after Christmas Eve dinner before they went to bed.

The front of my package I used my SU Jolly Jingle Bits reindeer stamp and punched out paper with my 1", 1 1/4", 1 3/8" and scalloped punches.  After I colored his cute little note red, I put Crystal Effects on it and it looks so cute!  Tie a ribbon on the top and its complete.

Jennifer is coming over tomorrow to make cookies with the girls, so I'll give it to her then as we won't see her Christmas Eve.  I decided to tie on a snowman that I made the other day for her to take home and put on the tree next to her candle light holder I had made her.  She loves watching it shine in the tree!

I just looked out the window and can't see a thing!  The fog has moved in.  I'm glad I don't have to go anywhere tonight or drive home from work - one good thing about retirement!!!

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Snowman Family

I saw this video by Brenda and knew I would have to try and make some.  These turned out so cute but are not something you can do in a hurry!  I make a bunch of the little holders and then went to work making the snowman and the accessories.  I used SU Snow Place stamp set and just SU Real Red to save time.

I really liked how the little penguins turned out.  I knew that I had to make double the amount as I was using them for ornaments, but I always ran short somehow.  Two of everything turned out time consuming but I think it was worth it.  I loved how they turned out!

I used SU's silver cording for the first time and loved it!!  I hope they keep it in their catalog!  Here's the rest of the family.

It was so funny - I would make some and then get up to do something else and when I came back I thought - boy, I thought I had made more.  It always seemed less!  Turns out little fingers were helping themselves to the family members and the bag of Hershey Kisses!  These are all I have left.  I think I will use them to decorate some packages and then put the rest on the tree.

I still have some things I wanted to make.  I thought I had plenty of time but I don't think I will get to everything I planned on making!  I have to finish up the baking this week.  My daughter took off from work this week and next so she and Jennifer are coming over to make cookies.  Rachel and Sarah are almost finished school so it will be fun all around!  Hope you are having a good weekend.

Thanks for stopping by.
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Candy Cane Holders

I made these adorable candy cane holders for my daughter to take to the Wellness Center.  Dawn put together this great how-to video.  She said she got the idea from Pinterest.  One can really get addicted to that website!!

Since I had a lot to make, I cut out and scored all my holders first.  Then I did my stamping.  I used SU's stamp sets Festival of Trees for the - A Merry Wish, the Lots of Joy for the sentiment on the back of the holder, and the little star from the Jolly Bingo Bits.  I used the Whisper White craft ink and let it dry thoroughly before inserting the candy cane and tying the ribbons.

Here is a picture of the finished product with the ribbon and trim that I used.

Then I placed them in a cute Xmas basket I had and they are all ready to go!

These were so easy to put together - great for teachers, bus drivers, Sunday School, kids, etc.  Hope everyone is having a great week.  One more week until Christmas!!  Are you ready????

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Circle Punch Ornaments

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  After the holiday my daughter, Jennifer, Joe and I headed to Lancaster for a few days.  We had a great time!  Jennifer loved seeing the horse and buggies - everyday she would wake up and announce "let's go shopping"!  The hotel we were in was great but didn't have any nightlights, so my daughter brought Jennifer a little candle light that she put in the bedroom which did the trick.  When we got home she announced that she wanted to hang it on the Xmas tree.  She said Nanny can fix this - oh boy!

The next day I was visiting some of my favorite blogs and came across this video by Brenda and was so excited.  This was just what I needed to hang Jennifer's little candle light!  I was really surprised how easy and quick they came together.

This picture doesn't do it justice.  It was hard to photograph, but they really look nice hanging in the tree at night.

They also have the candle lights that change color, which I think would be neat along with a remote control to turn them off and on.  I am definitely going to make some more of these for the holidays.

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Thanksgiving Card

Only a few days left to "Turkey Day" and a lot of things to do.  I always feel that Thanksgiving is the forgotten holiday overshadowed by Xmas which creeps in earlier every year!  I have so many fond memories of Thanksgiving spend with my relatives in Maryland, which is why I probably try to carry on some family traditions.  I did manage to make some cards - only one design this year.  I saw this card on Pinterest and decided to make some.

It came together pretty quick which was good as my crafting time has been limited.  I made a base sized A2 card in Whisper White with a layer embossed with the Woodland Folder.  This is a great embossing folder which I will be able to use for many occasions.  I used Early Espresso  and Calypso Coral ink with SU's Among the Branches stamp set and some tri-colored twine.  Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Jennifer's Birthday Card

Well, we're back after having a great time checking out our favorite spots in New England.  Just in time to get ready for Thanksgiving!!  Am I the only one that thinks time is flying by way too fast!!  Uploading my pictures, I realized that I did not post Jennifer's birthday card.  She loves ladybugs which is what she was for Halloween, so I decided to make a card with some ladybugs on it wishing her Happy Birthday!

I made an A2 size card in Whisper White and punched out their little bodies with some scraps of SU DSP.  Using matching CS, I punched out their heads and popped them up with some dimensionals and gave them some wiggle eyes.  I used my Black SU marker and made some legs.  I put this on another layer of Whisper White which I adhered to my base card.

Since Jennifer's birthday is on Halloween, I try to combine both her birthday wishes and Halloween.  On the inside of her card,  I stamped a birthday cake and colored it in and placed a Halloween sticker I had on the opposite side of the card.  When she opened it up she was so excited with the little ladybugs!!

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Happy 50th Anniversary!!!

Well, it's hard to believe, but November 6th will be our 50th Wedding Anniversary!!  Where has all the time gone!  It was 1965 and a much different world that existed then.  We were just these young kids that fell in love and thought we would conquer the world as we lived on love!!

We got married in our local church with friends and family joining in our celebration.  Joe worked as an automobile mechanic and I at a local Pharmaceutical Co.  We rented this TINY apartment and thought it was a castle - because it was all ours!  I remember the rent was $125 a month and we were so nervous that we would not be able to meet that commitment.  The Vietnam War was raging on and many of our friends were affected by this.  I also remember the big "Black Out" of the East Coast happened a few days after our wedding and the Beetles were making their way into the US.  Life was so different back then.  No cell phones or internet.  TV was the big entertainment then along with the movies!

Our oldest daughter Margaret was our first miracle born to us in 1966.  Our second daughter Jeannie was our next miracle who came along in 1968.  That would complete our family.  Who would have thought all those years ago that we would become Grandparents of three wonderful Granddaughters!

Rachel Morgan was born April 30, 2000, Sarah Mae was born March 25, 2002 and then on October 31, 2013 Jennifer Faith was born to complete our family.  We feel so blessed to be able to enjoy these girls!!

We didn't have a honeymoon 50 years ago as money was short, so we are on our way out the door to enjoy the mountains and foliage and some down time.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing our memories!
Nancy and Joe

Halloween Take Out Treat Box

This is my last blog for Halloween.  I actually made it first but waited until today so the kids would be surprised.  I saw Chic n'Scratch's video on this adorable box and knew it was what I was looking for to make the kids!  I had to order SU's Take out Boxes as I didn't have any and I was so glad I did as they are very sturdy.

The only thing I did different was I put an eyelet on the sides of the boxes so when I put the wire in it wouldn't tear the paper.  She used Rebar tiewire but I had some copper wiring and I loved how the handles turned out.

I packed them full of goodies and tied a cute little pumpkin tag on the side with their names.  Well, have to go Jennifer is on her way.  W e are celebrating both her 2nd birthday and Halloween today.  Everyone in the Pansy Patch hopes you have a wonderful Halloween!!

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Halloween Curvy Keepsake Goodies & Witches Hats

I was putting together some treat bags and I realized that I didn't post my little Curvy Keepsake Goodies along with the Witches Hats we made.

The first thing we made were the Witches Hats.  I'm sure you have seen them all over the blogs.  We just fell in love with them.  The girls have some hooked up in their rooms for decorations.  We loved making them - and yes they were addictive!!

Then we made some of the Curvy Keepsake boxes with the Witches clothespins on the top and stuffed them with some Hersey's Kisses.  These turned out so cute.  I'm so glad I purchased this die.  It is so easy to put together and is so versatile.

Finally, I made some boxes with the Spider's web underneath a Witches Hat.  These were so cute as little decorations as well as centerpieces on some of the Halloween trays.  Check out Dawns how-to video on making these little gems.  You'll love them!  I can't tell you how much fun we had this Halloween season with all these projects.  My house is going to look bare once Halloween is over.

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Treat or Treat Halloween Card

Here's another Halloween card I made this year.  I saw it on Pinterest and fell in love with it.

Recipe:

Paper - SU Black, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie CS, Happy Haunting DSP
Stamps - SU Howl-o-ween Treat and Die Cut
Embellishments - SU Spider Web

This card is an A2 size card made of SU Black CS with a layer of DSP.  I cut a spider web in half and glued it on the DSP.  The sentiment is on a layer of 3 1/2" x 3" Black CS and 2 7/8" x 3 3/8" Whisper White CS,  I adhered that over the web and die cut my owl and little pumpkin.  I really liked how it turned out.

I had so much fun this Halloween season making cards and treats.  Hope everyone has a great weekend.

I entered this card in Cards TV Challenge #4 - Halloween Card.

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Halloween Treat Box

I have been so busy making treat items for Halloween this year!  There are so many great ideas out there.  This cute little box I saw on Chic'n Scratch.  What even made it better was that I had the stamp set she used.

These boxes were so easy to make and came together really quick.  I used the SU stamp set Haunt You Later with my circle & scallop punches.  I had a little Boo $1 stamp from Michael's that I also used.  The paper was SU's Happy Haunting DSP which I fell in love with!  I also used my SU stamp set Labels for all Seasons that I stamped on label paper and wrapped around my chocolate nuggets.  I use this stamp set every holiday - I love it!  I filled each box with nuggets and here is another tray ready for delivery.

We have a big weekend coming soon - Jennifer will be 2 years old on Halloween.  We are having her birthday party here and then the girls are taking her out to "Treat or Treat".  Can hardly wait!  I am entering this post in Cardz TV Challenge #3 - Halloween Treat Bag.

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Halloween Gift Bag

Every year besides putting together some Halloween goodies for the Wellness Center, I give out some Halloween goodies to some close friends.  This year while looking for the candle cupcakes I made a few weeks ago, I came across these cute little clear pumpkin jars.  I filled them with some candy and decorated them with some ribbons.

I then stamped  a plain white bag with the SU stamp set - Howl-o-ween Treat and filled it with some grass.  I placed my little pumpkin jar inside with some of my goodies, card and tied it together with some ribbons.

I added a witches clothespin hat for good measure.  Wait till you see all the hats we made!  I loved how these treat bags turned out.  Joe and I watched Jennifer yesterday and had so much fun!  Her new trick is that she is singing the ABC song!!  So cute!

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Halloween Chocolate Nugget Bat

Here's another cute Halloween treat I saw on Julie's blog.

She made them using glue dots, but I found that some popped off, so I went back and put them together with my tear/tape and they stayed together great.

I had a bunch of wiggle eyes that I used and didn't make the fangs.  It did take me a few times to get used to making the wings but once I got the hang of it I think they turned out good!

I combined some of them with the Pumpkin Kiss Tents for one of the platters I'll send to the Wellness Center.  I love these little smiley pumpkin faces!

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Halloween Double Gate Fold Card

When my friend from Florida was here, we decided to make this adorable Halloween card that we saw on Split Coast Stampers.  Here is the video.  Dawn did a great job explaining how to make this card.  This was the first time we made this type of card, and we loved how it turned out.

We used the Happy Haunting DS paper exactly how Dawn made the card.  We used the SU Fall Fest stamp set on the front of the card as I didn't have the one she used.

Then we used the SU Spooky Bingo Bits stamp set for the inside of the card.  I will definitely be making more of this kind of card in the future.  We had beautiful fall weather here this week, so I'm hoping it will continue for the weekend.  We need to get the girls to the pumpkin patch.

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

I submitted his card to Cardz TV Challenge #3 - Fun Card Fold

Pumpkin Kiss Tents

I have a really cute Halloween treat for you to make today!  I saw this on Qbee's and knew this was what I would make for one of the Halloween treats I make for my daughter to take to the Wellness Center.  The nice thing was that I had all the supplies I needed to make them as well - which doesn't always happen.  She has a video on the how-tos but here are some pictures I took along the way.

First, I made the little black tents.  I usually make about 50 of each treats, so I knew I would make these in steps.

The next thing I did was use my SU Stamp Set Howl-o-ween to stamp my pumpkins in Pumpkin Pie ink on the same paper.  Then I used my SU Boo to You Framelits Dies, cut them out and colored in the little faces with a black marker.  At this point I realized that instead of making 50 pumpkins, I needed 100 to make the little tents!!!! LOL!!  Well, I was committed and put the call in for help to the Pansy Patch.  We got them all done in record time much to my surprise.

Yesterday, it was pouring rain here so it gave me an opportunity to glue the pumpkins together and make the beginnings of the tent.

OMG!  They looked so cute!  I then put in the candy kiss in the bottom tent (while rewarding myself with a few for doing such a good job) and glued the top tent to the bottom one.

Here is a picture of how they group turned turned out.

These actually didn't take as long as I thought they would considering I made 50 of them.  The longest part was cutting them out with the framelits as I had to do one at a time.  I loved how they turned out and am now working on making another little treat.  Everyone here loves Halloween!!!

Hope you enjoy your weekend and it won't be a washout.  Rachel has her Home Coming dance tonight which had to be moved inside from the pavilion due to the weather, but I'm sure they will have a good time.

Thank for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Owl Halloween Card

OMG - I'm making Halloween cards!  It doesn't seem possible!  I'm trying to get an early start this year.   I saw this card and thought it was so cute!  Brenda makes a lot of cute items and this caught my eye.  She made it a note card, but I decided to make it into an A2 size card.

I changed it around a bit.  I used the SU Howl-o-ween Treat Stamp Set and the Boo to You Framelits. I did use the Woodland Embossing Folder which she used.

I had a cute little stick bat stamp that I picked up at the Scrapbooking Show last year and decided to decorate the front with a few of them flying around.

The sentiment I used on the inside came from the Haunt Ya Later SU Stamp Set.  These came together really quick.  We spent some time yesterday with Jennifer and her play-doh!!  She is she addicted to the stuff.  She showed us her Halloween costume - she is going to be a ladybug - so cute! She loves them but gets so upset when they fly away!  Have a great weekend!

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Cupcake Candle Holder

I have such a cute project for you today.  I saw this little box on Sam Donald's blog and loved it!  I thought what a cute way to give a little something to someone on their birthday, or for that matter you could give it for any occasion - thinking of you, thank you, place card, etc.  There are so many uses for this little gem!

I first had to find some cupcake candles.  Fortunately, I have some nice candle stores around, but if you don't have any locally you can find so many on the web.

I tried to match up my DSP with the color of the candle.  After I finished making the holders, I felt that I needed to make up some tags to dress up the container.  I went rummaging through my stamps and found this adorable little cupcake stamp I had purchased at the Scrapbook Show!  I colored them in with coordinating SU markers and then actually cut them out - which wasn't too bad!  I'm not the best when it comes to cutting little things out but these turned out pretty good.

I used my SU stamp set Perfect Punches for the Happy Birthday wishes and punched them out with the large oval SU punch for all the holders this time around.  I used my Martha Stewart butterfly punch and matching CS and DSP to dress up the box.

Then I packaged them up in some clear bags and tied everything together with some matching ribbons.

Here's what's left of the first bunch I made.

I just loved how they turned out!  The girls are off to the football game tonight and this weekend we are looking forward to spending Sunday with Jennifer at the local farm feeding the animals, which she loves to do!  Have a great weekend and enjoy this wonderful weather!

Thank for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Mini Notepads

My friend Denise moved to Virginia this summer, so it is just our friend Martha from Florida, who spends the summer here, and myself doing some crafting.  I saw these adorable mini notepads on one of my favorite blogs and knew they would be great gifts to make ahead of time for teachers in school and Sunday School, coworkers, etc.

I put a bunch in a decorated basket for my daughter to take to work for her coworkers and they loved them.

I didn't have the Ornate tag punch she used, but the Scalloped tag punch worked out great.

This project is also a great way to use up your scraps of paper as well as ribbon and twine!  I just ordered the new Banner triple punch and can hardly wait to try it out!  Lots of goodies in the new SU catalog.

Well, it is back to the kitchen.  The family is coming tomorrow for a picnic and there is still a lot to do.  Fortunately, my helpers are out of school until Tuesday.  They just went back Monday and they have 5 days off - I don't remember that when I was in school.  Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend.  Hard to believe that summer is over.  I'm not looking forward to the snow that is coming!

Thanks for stopping by,
Nancy, Rachel & Sarah

Christmas Stars

I have been thinking about things to make for Christmas and I saw these adorable stars on Chic N' Scratch and decided to make some.

I was surprised how quickly they came together.  I'm definitely going to make some more in different colors.  I'm going to use them along with some table decorations and maybe hang some with some twine.

Hope everyone is enjoying the last week of summer.  Jennifer has learned to love her "corn on the cob".  The girls go back to school tomorrow, so the schedules begin!  It looks like its going to be a hot week for them.

Thanks for joining us,
Nancy, Rachel and Sarah