Hi Everyone. Happy Monday.
I hope you all had a great start to your week. Me? Well, it was our first day back at work after two weeks vacation. The less said about that, the better 🙂
I cannot believe that this is my 750th blog post. Yep. 750 blog posts! It blows my mind!
Anyway, I saw a challenge across at Waltzingmouse this week. It was a CASE challenge. Now, I don't do CASE challenges often, but I find it a good idea when I want to step out of my comfort zone and do something entirely different style wise. I saw this great card from Laurie Schmidlin using a stamp set I bought at the end of last year. It's a vintage card, but still has fairly clean lines. I decided it was an ideal card to case for two reasons. 1) it took me out of my comfort zone. 2) it used a set I had! 🙂
As it needed DSP that had a vintage feel, I pulled out some year old Webster's Pages as the background layer. I then used my Stampin' Up! Naturals Ivory and some Early Espresso ink to add some distressing. I also pulled out my Neutrals buttons and some Crumb Cake Seam Binding ribbon. The sentiment, the poem and the santa all come from te 'Twas the Night Before Christmas set from Waltzingmouse Stamps.
As a child we really had very little money. Well, no money, actually! It was always Dad's treat to me to take me to see the Christmas lights in town. It was also my opportunity to walk past the window displays and dream about what I really wanted for Christmas. I remember one year really wanting a Barbie doll. They were way out of the price range of what was affordable, so I made do with whatever my parents could afford. You know what? I didn't miss that Barbie doll. What I remember most was the fact that my few meager presents were strung out the whole day and my parents made a big deal of the whole day, and not just the receiving of presents.
From my earliest memories of Christmas, I remember opening up my sack. In there were oranges and nuts. Now, for many of you, you will be wondering what the heck was so special about those. Well, this wasn't that long after the end of World War II and oranges were still pretty much a novelty. Inside my sack were brand new, totally unused, bronze pennies. I remember how shiny they were. They might only have been pennies, oranges and nuts – but at least they weren't pieces of coal. I knew then that I had been a good girl! Somehow, sadly, I cannot imagine most children today being happy about receiving pennies, oranges and nuts! 🙂
Anyway, I digress. I got on to the subject of Christmas and childhood because of Clare. Clare is the owner of Waltzingmouse stamps and she LOVES Christmas. Her enthusiasm for Christmas, and the stamps she creates, takes me back to those times when life was just a little more simple. When consumerism wasn't as rife. When commercialism didn't rule Christmas. When, even though we had no money, my parents made Christmas so incredibly special. My Mother was ACE at eeking out a couple of presents and making that magic last the whole day. When I couldn't open presents until after breakfast. When I could only open one present every couple of hours. When Christmas was all about family and doing something good. I thank Clare for making stamps that bring those memories to the forefront.
Here is my take on Laurie's card. I did change out the background DSP. I changed the sentiment. I changed the position of Santa. I also changed the position of the buttons and the color of the ribbon. So, based on the rules of CASEing to change at least three components, I think I accomplished that. However, you can absolutely still see the fabulous card that I was inspired by.
The bell came from my collection, also about a year old. The great thing about this bell? It actually rings! I love it! I strung it from my ribbon with a little silk yarn. I distressed the edges of the DSP using the side of my paper snips and rubbed the edges with Early Espresso ink. Early Espresso also formed my card base.
Here's the inside:
I don't know about you, but this card took me back to my childhood and still makes me smile!
On a personal note
Does anyone – anyone at all – have an SU stamp set called "The More the Merrier" that they would like to sell to one of our regular blog readers. Pat is desperately seeking this set and would be very grateful to anyone who would like to part with their set. Unfortunately, I have already donated that particular set to Ronald McDonald. If you do have it, and would like to sell it, please could you let me know what you want for it, and I will put you in touch with Pat.
I cannot believe how quickly the last two weeks have gone by. It's hard to believe how much – and yet how little – we have gotten done. Unfortunately we did not win the lottery, so we both had to return to work this morning! 🙂
As always, thank you so much for spending time in my little area of the stamping blogosphere. Your visits, and your comments, do mean a great deal to me.
Warm hugs and prayers to those of you who need a little lift tonight. Lynn especial prayers for you and your hubby.
Hugs
Jaydee
15 Responses
I adore this – it is wonderful. Always nice when you can reach in your stash and get all the things you need. Justifies the stash! I had no idea about the “change 3 things” CASE rule! Hmmm. I *think* I’m okay!
I was in Tarjay today, and there they were, stocking Christmas already. ARGH! Let’s get past Thanksgiving first, shall we? While I may begin getting my gifts out of the way this time of year, I’m not ready to see it plastered everywhere as of yet. I think Charlie Brown had the right of it.
I adore the love and feelings at Christmas, the closeness, family. I enjoy the simple things, really. We are a bit too commercial, and when I think about those Who’s down in Whoville (I’ve probably spelled it all wrong), they didn’t need their things, did they? We’re trying to really scale it back some more this year. We’ll see what happens.
Which in turn brings me to your lovely card. I too had no idea about the rule of CASEing. Oops! Thanks for setting me straight!
The card is wonderful, I can totally see the inspiration behind it, and love what you’ve created. The bell is the perfect little touch. :o)
I hope things are fairly calm when you return to work.
Hugs and prayers for those in need.
P.S. Hi Lou!
I’ve been enjoying your cards and upbeat commentary for awhile and should have been commenting sooner than this. Thanks for sharing your creativity and positive vibes each day.
Your story of a paper bag of fruit and nuts brought back a Christmas memory. My grandma always filled bags like that for each grandchild. I felt very special and grown-up when she allowed me to help her fill the bags one year.
Wonderful card! I just added this set to my wish list! I love the little jingle bell – what a perfect accent.
Beautifully written, Jaydee. The best part of my Christmas, growing up, was being with family and having a wonderful turkey dinner. We didn’t have much money, either. One Christmas, after my brother had gone to work (he’s ten years older than me), he bought me a doll bed. It was the most amazing gift to me, then. I still have it. It’s a tradition we still enjoy. Love your card.
Learning is all a part of life . . . I too didn’t know that about *casing*, but I can say that I am always changing at least two things, so I guess I have been in the lines a little bit. Thank goodness. : ) Lovely card Jaydee and brings back memories when we were kids. We didn’t have a whole lot of money neither, but mom & dad always seemed to get us a few things that were on our wishlist. Thanks for sharing your story with us and the card.
Hey, might tell your friend that the stamp set is on Ebay for sale. : )
Have a great day.
Don’t we all wish life was just a little more simpler, friendly and innocent! We always got an orange in the toe of our stocking – the story being an orange in the middle of winter was quite a treat!
Love your CASE of Laurie’s card – wonderful paper, buttons and green ribbon!
Your card is absolutely wonderful, Jaydee! I LOVE the vintage touches and the sentiment!
I absolutly love your cards! I will definetly be cheking back! Thank you for sharing you insperations.
Toodles,
CandyCC
Great card – I absolutely love how you attached the bell!
A beauty – inside and out! Love the distressing and the bell hanging off the bow is so perfect.
Thanks for those special prayers Jaydee!
Hugs, Lynn
Gorgeous card!! Love it!!
I love this, Jaydee….if I could buy all of Waltzingmouse’s stamps, I WOULD! Love her stuff!
Love your vintage card and the worn page with notebook border. Great CASE of Laurie’s card!
Jaydee, I love this. A lovely job. Beautiful colours and it all just looks perfectly cozy. BUT – I love your reminiscences too, I remember getting oranges in my stocking, I loved the coloured tissue paper wrappings that they came in, and I loved the fancy letter styles and some even had gold foil embossings. I kept them pressed in the pages of books for years. When I think back to Christmases, like you, I don’t remember the toys, I remember the times. I guess that’s why I like vintage style stamps, takes me back home. Hugs Jaydee, thank you for playing along!!