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Boy the year went fast! October through December were pretty fresh in my mind, but it was fun to look back to try to choose cards to feature as the best of the best! For me it is a great time to reflect back and check my consistency with blogging. It was better than years past, but I plan to get even more consistent in 2017. So, I hope you will join me as I look back, but also stay with me as we go into the new year!

October 2016

Grateful for Fall is the perfect blend of texture, shine, and simplicity! First you notice the subtle color scheme, Soft Suede card base topped with Very Vanilla for contrast and then the embossed layer in Cajun Craze. You can cut out the leaf shape from the Leaflet Framelits before or after you emboss with the Petal Burst embossing folder. Be sure to use the leaf shape inside the card for a fun surprise! There is shine and extra shine with the Copper Foil paper and the 1/8" gold ribbon both perfect for your fall themed projects! One of my favorite products from the full line catalog was the stamp set and punch bundle Thoughtful Banner. There are so many useful greetings, borders, and punch ideas to make each project special. You can get more information about this card by reviewing the blog post.

November 2016

Christmas Bells are ringing was my favorite card from November and I made a lot of cards in November! I used this design a few times but changed up the colors. This card is stunning in blue, white, and silver! My favorite part of this card design was the stampers looked at this card and thought it would be hard to make, but soon found it was so easy and that the elegant stamping made it look complex. Check out the post and get some more details for this card!

December 2016

Layered Snowflakes is a fun card that uses product that I had in my stash. I love the star border punch used on the background cardstock piece. The stamp set is Holly Jolly Greetings and was a new set last Holiday Catalog. The colors are Island Indigo and Pool Party.   One my favorite things to do is create fun layers with texture from the star punched piece, a little silver glimmer paper, and the stamped panel. The step by step instructions are available, check them out here! 

Wasn't that fun? Did you remember all the cards? Did you check out some of the other ideas that didn't quite make the cut into the Top 12? If not, please take another visit and be sure to save some of your favorites to Pinterest! I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and looking forward to having you join me again for more project ideas, great sale specials, and more!

More of 2016 best ideas! July through September there were so many card ideas to choose from that it was difficult to choose, so I hope you will go back and take a look to see if you have different favorites! were some of the busiest times for my blog. There are lots of great project to look back on, but I wanted to pick my favorites to share with you today! I hope you will take a look at these card ideas again for inspiration for the coming year!

July 2016

Wedding Wishes was a card I designed for a swap with some fellow demonstrators. It uses a "fancy fold" called an easel card that is easy to make but with the Detailed Floral thinlits creating such an amazing edge detail, the card looks more difficult than it is. This card is feminine from head to toe, with the pretty ribbon, delicate stamped border and the pretty butterflies. as with all of my cards, I go for classic layouts so all you have to do is change up the color scheme and stamp sets to create your very own idea using my design. Let me do the "heavy lifting" for you. The Floral Phrases stamp set provides the pretty floral border and the greeting on this card. You can get more information about this card by reviewing the blog post.

August 2016

Timeless Wishes Birthday card was a very popular card with my fellow demonstrators when I brought it as a Make and Take for our August meeting. Many of them had said they liked the card so much that they purchased the Timeless Textures stamp set and the Morrocan Designer washi tape so they could make similar cards. Now, when you can sell to fellow demonstrators you are doing something right! So, the card had to make my Top 12! One of my favorite parts of the card is the layering and texture added with a touch of 5/8" Burlap ribbon and Very Vanilla Thick Bakers Twine  Check out the post and get some more details for this card!

September 2016

Subtle Fall Paisley and Posies was the perfect pick for September. It uses the beautiful Paisley and Posies stamp set in an amazing color combination that is not traditional for fall, but works so well! The colors are Soft Sky, Early Espresso, and Cherry Cobbler stamped on Whisper White cardstock to allow the colors to be true without warming them like a Very Vanilla background would have done. The fun part of this card is the background can be part of a One Sheet Wonder template that has you do all your stamping first, then do a little cutting and add the pieces to your card base to create multiple cards in almost the same amount of time as just stamping one card! This is one of my most favorite card layouts, with the standard base size (8 1/2" x 5 1/2 folded to create a top fold and horizontal opening card), then making the Early Espresso second layer slightly smaller than normal (5" x 3 3/4" instead of 5 1/4" x 4") to allow more of the Soft Sky base to show through. Finally, the stamping layer is done in the traditional spacing giving us 4 3/4" x 3 1/2". This layering and card layout is one my favorite and I used it many time in 2016. Top add some interest without a lot of bulk I used the smallest amount of 5/8" Burlap ribbon cut into a banner end tucked under the 1" wide greeting piece. I hope you will take another look at the blog post here! 

The last two installment of the the Top 12 List for 2016 will post tomorrow, so I hope you will take some time to look at it as well. It has been fun for me to see some of my favorites again!

We continue through the Year! April through June were some of the busiest times for my blog. There are lots of great project to look back on, but I wanted to pick my favorites to share with you today! I hope you will take a look at these card ideas again for inspiration for the coming year!

April 2016

Timeless and Classic was a versatile design showcased in April! It is done in a color scheme and with minimal embellishments to lend itself to a masculine card idea. The greeting and color scheme could be changed up to stay masculine or go in a feminine or gear it for a teen! The Timeless Textures stamp set has been a great addition to my stamping stash. I use it to add subtle backgrounds on cards or as the case of this card to be the focal point. You can get more information about this card by reviewing the blog post here.

May 2016

Way to Go - Bravo was my most popular card in May! It was so poplular in fact that it caused several of my fellow demonstrators to copy it in their own color schemes that I blogged about later in the month. The card used a classic layout and a fun technique called Subway Art layout. These was a card design that was featuring a retiring stamp set that is no longer available, but could certainly be done with another stamp set that is greeting heavy. One of my favorite parts of this card is the cut-out in the top layer and the focal greeting peeking through. Check out the post and get some more details for this card!

June 2016

You are Totally Awesome. I hope you like my pick for June. It uses one of my favorite stamp sets called Grateful Bunch with it's coordinating punch to really make a card with lots of interest! I had received a card in a swap with other demos and she had used the paper from the Playful Palette paper pack in the background of her card and it gave me the idea for this card. The colors and the stamp set are the only similarities between our cards. That is the fun part of card design, you can be inspired by another design or you can just copy it completely and still have a great design!  The instructions tell you how to attach the doily at the back of the front cover and some other tips. Be sure to check them out here! 

Watch for the last two installments of the the Top 12 List 2016 which are coming soon! I hope you are enjoying this stroll down memory lane!

Through the Year! As the end of the year gets closer, I thought it would be fun to look back at my Top 12 projects from 2016! I hope you remember them all, but if not, go back a visit each one with the links provided. This first post will get you started in the first quarter of 2016.

January 2016

Party Wishes was a hit in January! I traditionally start the year off with ideas for your Birthday card needs throughout the year and that is what January and part of February was this year. The card idea shown used festive paper that was available in the new catalog, so you could substitute the paper you have on hand, or I can let it slip there will be some fun paper available starting January 4th that you could use! The stamp set used for the focal point is retired, but I think Party With Cake could easily be substituted! This design is a simplified One Sheet Wonder template. You only need to cut each 4" x 6" piece into three pieces to get the fun effect! 

 

February 2016

Smiles and Flowering Fields was my most popular card in February! I created this card for a demonstrator only card swap that I participated in. The idea behind a swap is I created one design, and make a set number of multiples of it. Everyone else participating in the swap does the same thing. Then we trade our cards to get several card ideas back for our efforts. It is one of the best parts of being a demonstrator, you get to swap cards with some of the most creative people out there! I used a free Saleabration stamp set called Flowering Fields that was so delicate and pretty, but then I added some soft feminine touches with the ribbon, lace, linen thread, and a peek of a doily. The Soft Sky cardstock against the Crumb Cake base really pops! 

March

The idea from March was called Bright Flower and Spring. It included pretty flowers made with punches and a little greenery using the Botanical Builder Framelits. After stamping the front piece with the Hardwood background stamp it was easy to create the layered flower embellishment at the top of the cut-down card front. I used three different embellishments on the different colored flowers to make each one special and unique. The instructions tell you how to attach the doily at the back of the front cover and some other tips. Be sure to check them out here! 

There is just something wonderful about reminiscing and this blog post has warmed my heart. I hope you found it useful as well, so you can add these card ideas to your resource library. I hope you will check back later this week and next week for additional blog posts and more card ideas from this year as we walk back through 2016 in card project ideas.  

This snowflake card uses a twist on the classic blue, white, and silver color combination! Stamp up the snowflake panels on one piece of cardstock and you can quickly have 10 pieces for your card fronts!

I can't believe it is only 2 weeks until Christmas!! Are you ready? 

I need very few gifts each year. My family chooses to spend time together playing games and "yik-yakking" instead of exchanging gifts. What's that? Oh, yik-yak is "talk" in non-Brausen terms. So, I just get a few things for the kids. I am fortunate that my shopping is done. I just need to wrap presents. This year we aren't gathering until January, so I have plenty of time (check back with me in three weeks and I might be in a panic). But, if you are in a panic right now or if you have someone in your life that needs a REALLY BIG HINT of what to get you. I have some help for you!

3 quick and easy, creative gift ideas!

Paper Pumpkin Prepaid Subscriptions! The perfect gift this holiday season is a fully designed kit (with no work on your part) that will arrive each month with stamps, ink, and all the supplies you need in your choice of 1 month, 3 month, 6 month, or even a 1 yr  subscription! They arrive so anyone can get creative! Appreciated by family, friends, teachers, even yourself! It's the gift that keeps on giving too! They get a gift of the kit and then they can make a gift for someone else! Paper Pumpkin fun !

WISH LIST! Is there someone you love that should GIFT you with what you love (Stampin' Up!)? You give me your wish list (and the contact information for someone who needs gift ideas for you) and I will contact them letting them know what items would make your Holiday bright! Need an even easier idea? Go ahead and shop for yourself (orders must be placed by Friday Dec 15 to guarantee Christmas delivery) and when the box arrives, tell them to wrap it.

Gift Certificate! You can order a gift certificate for any amount that can be redeemed at anytime (up to one year)! Why not have them use it during Saleabration so they get more bang for your bucks! When you place your gift certificate order by Dec 21, I can provide a fancy holder that you can use to put under the tree! Place your gift certificate order here.

Wasn't that easy?! All the creativity with no prep work on your part!  Gifts for Christmas day and through-out the year. Shop from your seat, not your feet!

There's always time for snowflakes and for joy in our lives. I like the look of snowfalling and how it looks on the ground, but not on the roads. It brings me great joy to see how beautiful everything looks as it is covered with a blanket of white. So the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. Even when we don't have snow on the ground, I can prepare cards that look like snow has fallen. That is what I have done with these two versions of the same card. 

This card is called Snowflake Joy 1 and it is my original design. I was not influenced by anything I've seen on Pinterest or other stamping sites. It is unusual for me not to be influenced, but this card just came to me quite quickly. So, I want to share the details with you. First choose a bold feature stamping image. I used the large snowflake from Holly Jolly stamp set. I stamped in Night of Navy and used Real Red for my accent color. This color combination is classic and never goes out of style at Christmastime! You can get all the details for this card including the complete supply list here. I think this design is so versatile and could be changed up using completely different stamp sets and colors, but I stayed fairly close with the next design.

Snowflake Joy 2 is a variation of my original design. It is a top fold card which allows plenty of room inside to write a special message. This is another quick and easy Christmas card idea that would be easy to duplicate in the time remaining before Christmas. I used one of my favorite new colors Dapper Denim for the snowflake and added Gold Glimmer Paper for the shiny accent this time. I think you can see I took my own advice and added a Basic Rhinestone in the center (almost) of the snowflake. You could change up the accent pieces and colors to use up supplies you have on hand already or grab some of the items on the End of the Year Sale. One of the things I used on this card that really speeds up the card making process is the pre-embossed Fancy Frost speciality paper which is on sale while supplies last! You can get six accent pieces per sheet of paper, so one pack of paper would take you a long way in your cardmaking this year. Plus, I think you would agree, if you don't quite finish your cards for Christmas this design would be perfect to send Happy New Year greetings or just to say hello in January.Go ahead and check out the complete instructions and supply list here for Snowflake Joy 2.

My tips:

• Use dimensionals to pop up the snowflake on both cards.
• Use glue dots to attach the ribbon and the small banner greeting on the second card. The glimmer paper is very textured so regular adhesive doesn't hold well.

Have fun and make up your own design but post it to my Facebook page so everyone can oooh and ahhhh over it!

Black Friday Shopping?! I have a niece who makes a sport of it. She gets all the ads, determines which stores she will go to and in which order. This is the third year she will be doing this crazy shopping while pregnant - can you imagine? This is all done on very little sleep and loads of caffeine or other artificial stimulant. She feels she gets great deals on things she wants. 

There is no part of this that appeals to me. I am a night owl and don't ever like to see the crack of dawn. I don't like to stand in line (especially outside, in the cold). I don't like to race to a certain section of a store to grab one of only a few "bargain" items. I don't enjoy the thrill of shopping in the first place so Black Friday shopping only heightens my anxiety level. Besides, there ususally isn't something that I want that is on sale, or there are so few of them that "trying" to get them doesn't appeal to me. I am not competitive by nature so getting a "door buster" before someone else is not a draw. Don't get me wrong, I love bargains especially on the things I love (Stampin' Up!), but I prefer a more civilized version of shopping: online! From the privacy and comfort of my home, feet up, relaxed, strategic, and purposeful. If you are like me prepare for Stampin' Up!'s annual  Online Extravaganza 2016!

Items pictured are a few of the items available duting the Online Extravaganza!

Picture it: you holding a cup of something warm sitting cozy on your couch with your tablet or in your favorite chair in front of your computer. Click, click, click and done! In and out in less than 10 minutes! Ah! Now that is my kind of shopping! You will be able to pick up some items as gifts and some items you will use to make the perfect gift! See the full list of items here! 

The best part of this sale? It starts Monday Nov 21 w/ a 24-hr sale! That's right the first 24-hour sale starts at 12:01 am MT (what time is that for you? 2:01 am ET, 1:01 am CT, and 11:01 pm - Sunday night PT). There will be five bundles or items discounted at 20% to 35% off! Be sure to use the special bundle item numbers listed below to take advantage of the best discounts:

 

Another cool part of this online event those stamp sets that are already on sale at 25% off are still available during this sale. There are great sets perfect for the Holidays but also sets that will take you throughout the year for all occasions! See them all here! 

Hey! If you love the thrill of the hunt, you can still do BLACK FRIDAY! I'll be thinking of you as I sleep in late and stay in my jammies all day! But for now, I hope you will print off a copy of the list of items on sale and head on over to the Duchess of Design online store on Monday!