Coloring is a Great Holiday Stress Relief

Adult coloring books are all the rage right now. What I always say, 'If you have stamps, you have your own coloring book." 

The two basics cards for December's card class let you color and color and color -- my cards used yellows and greens with either a Saffron or Peacock mat.

The heart card was one I saw on Karen Pederson's website done in pink using watercolors. Changing the hearts to yellow and using the ShinHan markers gave it a bright and sunny look.

I love sunflowers and the second card is colored, again, with the Shinhan markers using browns, oranges, yellows, and green.

Wavy Blooms D1651

December Stamp of the Month - Candlelight Garden S1512

Winter Wonderland in Crystal Blue and White Daisy

It will be a little warm where I live for Christmas so I looked for a little craft time to help me think Winter!!

Here is a little Winter Wonderland layout. This was our $5 Layout kit at the December Crop and it was so much fun.

A little watercolor fun creating a blue sky behind the tree. Tone on tone with White Daisy letters and snowflakes. This looks great in one of Close To My Heart's shadow box frames.

Keep an eye out for January's $5 Layout kit, it will be a little Valentine love!!

Use Your Stash Washi Tape Time

December's Use Your Stash Blog Hop theme is Washi Tape. There are only three this month, so all the hoppers are listed at the bottom so you can move right along.

My Washi tape has a great home in one of the Close To My Heart small organizers and as you see, I do have a collection beginning. There will be a few more washi tape dispensers in my future.

And with my need to organize, my organizer is labeled on the top for traveling in the Close To My Heart rolling cart and on the front panel (not shown) for easy location on my shelves.

With our new 2016 Everyday Life Planner (which has it's own coordinating washi tape), it just made sense to use some of my stash to get my life organized, or at least try.

After a bit of testing, I found the pink polka dot and the arrow washi tapes to look real good with the colors of the planner.

My favorite is the pink!!

Here is the beginning of my planning -- and it works great -- so get out your stash of washi tape and find a new project to show it some love!!

Shirley Ross - YOU ARE HERE

Wendy Kessler

Michelle Loncar 

December Daily Photo is Christmas Tree

Today was the day to take a photo of your tree but this year it looks like it will be a no tree year. And that is not a bad thing because I made my own little trees to share with my bestest friends -- my Rockin heARTS team members.

Here are a few of the place cards and a little gift box that will hold something delicious for each.

It is the season for giving and thanks to so many in my life, I feel so much love this season!!

Join my Rockin' heART team and enjoy some fun at our team meetings. They do go on the road so no matter where you live you will see something good come your way!!

Do You Love a Pretty Bouquet for your Christmas Table

Here is a great idea on creating the perfect Christmas Centerpiece.

December 3rd Photo A Day Activity - Your Favorite Christmas Movie

My favorite movies are all from years gone by and most are black and white -- no big fancy special effects, just good dialog and storylines that make you smile.

Of course, most everyone has heard of It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) and Miracle on 34^th Street (1947) but have you heard or better, seen any of these

• The Bishop’s Wife - 1947 starring Cary Grant
• Holiday Inn - 1942 - the first movie to debut White Christmas, and yes, Bing Crosby sang it in this movie too
• It Happened on Fifth Avenue - 1947- a beautiful movie leaving you feeling good about helping others
• Christmas in Connecticut - 1945 - with Barbara Stanwyck as that day’s Martha Stewart with a twist
• The Man Who Came to Dinner - 1942 - a great movie full of fun and I love Bette Davis
• And did you know The Thin Man - 1934 is set at Christmas time and can be considered a Christmas movie
• The Lemon Drop Kid - 1951 - which gave us Silver Bells for the first time starring Bob Hope

And now on to MY FAVORITE 

We’re No Angels – 1955 (the year before I was born) with Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray, and Peter Ustinov. This is not your typical Christmas movie however it shows there is good in all and good comes to those who wait and good can overcome evil. BUT it does this in a funny, off beat sort of way.

How do you share your favorite movie about escaped convicts at Christmas time? Well, maybe a photo of popcorn and a soda or hot chocolate with marshmallows next to a CD case will work just fine.

Whate is your favorite Christmas movie, please share in the comments below.

Thanks for stopping by

Shirley

A Gift Box Kind of a Cyber Week Special

One of the Cyber Week specials are our wonderful cupcake boxes!! I have a cookie exchange coming up and am trying some different ideas using our Designer Creations.

My little box uses Glacier Twine, Glacier card stock, and silver glitter paper.

Love using blue at Christmas time. Now to try a little different approach to my cookie exchange gift idea.

Thanks for stopping by
Shirley

December A Day Photo Fun

My planning for the December A Day photo project has been on my schedule for months, BUT, I am one of those procrastinator types. Along comes my friend and mentor, Michelle Snyder with an AWESOME photo activity plan already done!! And she said I could use it!! Yea, another thing off my list -- so here it is!

Starting today, December the 1st and each day after, I will follow the activities sheet and take a photo BUT that is not all. I am using the White Pines Picture My Life cards, they are WONDERFUL for this project as they have a card for each day -- AND journaling cards, which is what my BUT was about, I plan on journaling the photo - a photo without a story is just a photo. I want to share with my grands the why of the photo.

These Picture My Life cards and page protectors will be stored in the beautiful red floral D Ring album, which I think goes great with Christmas and each year I can add to this album, making it a work in progress!!

I will share more about how I am progressing and more products that I am using to take it up a notch.

For quick reference I put a photo of the Activities on the inside title page - cool layouts, we made these at a recent Close To My Heart event --I LOVE CTMH!!

I would love to hear how you are making this December a memorable one!!

You may follow my progress on my Facebook Page

Planners Gonna Plan and Candlelight Garden (S1511) Stamp of the Month

December starts out with an AMAZING 2016 Planner special. Attention all planner addicts! During December, you can get your hands on the new, gorgeous Everyday Life™ album from Close To My Heart, the accompanying Everyday Life 2016 planner pages, and the coordinating Everyday Life Perfect Plan roller stamp in an exclusive product bundle for only $29.95. That’s over 15% off the retail price! With the new Everyday Life line, you’ll experience “memory keeping on the go” as you track your menus and shopping lists, stamp reminders, keep appointments, and tuck away precious memories—plus much more—all at once! This offer is only available while supplies last, so plan to place your order early in the month and start 2016 off right.

And while you are checking out the new Everyday Life Perfect Life 2016 and the Cyber Week special, keep in mind that the AWESOME December Stamp of the Month is only $5 with a $50 order --

Here is one of the many projects I will be sharing this month -- this is one of my advance class cards.

I started with some old vellum envelopes and stamped using Mementos ink, two images.

The stamped flowers were colored in using the ShinHan alcohol markers, as was the bottom of the jar to give it the look of water.

My dear friend and fellow Rockin' heART team member, Joan, shared the slider card.

Together we created a Cricut Design Space file for use with the Cricut Explore.

Makes my class preparation so much easier when I can cut using the Cricut Explore. I will share both the video link and Design Space file, you will need our Cricut Cartridges - Artbooking and Artiste.

There is a tag you pull in the back and it draws the front up, revealing a message.

The Whisper Large Twine and the Enamel and Glitter Blue Duos both come in the Urban Workshop on the Go (G1103), Urban is my featured Creative Collection for December.

 The tag has little message, too.

And don't forget the inside with the pretty friends and flowers sentiment.

I would love for all my stampin' crafty friends to make this cute Stamp of the Month their own -- the little jar won me over!

Tutorial HERE
Cricut Explore File HERE

Thank you for stopping by
Shirley