SSNOTIME167***BLACK FRIDAY***

In the U.S. it is the day after Thanksgiving when the Christmas shopping season steps into full gear and all retailers hope to get their books from the red into the black! So taking our inspiration from that -- today we will use Black in our creations. Use black as one of your feature colors or merely as an accent, use a black ribbon or other embellishment -- whatever works for you. I love black accents on cards and can't wait to see what you'll create!

Check out all the design teams creations and Sharon's site HERE for all the details.

AJ - THE WILLOW GARDEN
Deb - DREAM IN COLOR
Jenny - ONE KRAFTY KAT

Barb - PAPER PURSUITS
Barb – EXPLORE, DREAM, DISCOVER
Deb – PAPER, INK, SCISSORS, STAMPS

CLAUDIA - PRETTY PRESSINGS

I just love this challenge!! I LOVE black... Black for Christmas, black for weddings! Black for card-making!!!

I used a piece of designer paper called "Jovial" from Basic Grey, a piece of red ribbon from Michaels, a stamp from Hero Arts and a gemstone.

Simple!!

Christmas Ornaments***

One more Christmas card for my basket!! I think I only have a few more to do and then I can stuff the envelopes, address them and get them out of here!!

This is a cling stamp from Hero Arts called Hanging Christmas Ornaments. Stamped in Black Memento ink and colored with Copics. A bit hard to see but I outlined and dotted the ornaments in spica glitter pen. The paper is from Webster's Pages, the twill from my local craft store and the button from PTI.

Have a FABULOUS day and thanks for stopping in***

Believe***

Just another simple card to add to my Christmas card basket!! A stamp from Sparkle and Sprinkle, stamped in Memento black and touched up with Copic markers and spica glitter pens.

A piece of designer paper from my bit bin (K & Company, I think) and a piece of ribbon from my stash as well.

SSNOTIME166***WELL PRESERVED***

Is anyone out there still canning, or freezing or drying your summer harvest? Or is anyone preparing those previously preserved goodies for Thanksgiving or Christmas gifts? Today is all about preserving our fruits of the harvest. Take this food related theme wherever it brings you -- use food type stamps, papers or embellishments on a card, decorate a jar of canned goods, or even wrap and decorate a chocolate bar -- we're easy! Let's just see some lovely fruits, veggies or any type of edible in today's creations!!!

Well I can't have a garden in my backyard because of all the critters in the neighborhood. We are right beside the river and lots of green space so there are rabbits, and deer and skunks and raccoons and who know what all else. I would have to have a fence that no-one could scale.

Anyway... I decided to decorate this jar of grape jam for our neighbors and make some muffins to go along with it.

I wrapped a piece of plain parchment paper around the jam jar and then decorated a piece of kraft card stock with a grape image from PTI. I used vibrant violet stazon ink and ripe avocado for the vines and leaves.

I cut out a circle from a Spellbinders die and added the grape image as well as what is in the jar.

Put this together with a lovely buttermilk muffin and there you have a nice little treat!!

Check out Sharon's site HERE for all the delicious details and play along.... I would love to see what you come up with***

AJ - THE WILLOW GARDEN
Deb - DREAM IN COLOR
Jenny - ONE KRAFTY KAT

Barb - PAPER PURSUITS
Barb – EXPLORE, DREAM, DISCOVER
Deb – PAPER, INK, SCISSORS, STAMPS

Claudia - PRETTY PRESSINGS

Christmas Planner***

Just a quick show of the Christmas Planner I made for a friend of mine***

I used a plain kraft file folder, folded it into equal sections accordian style and covered it with designer paper. I added some lists and little notepads and some embellishments and a pen as well. Click on the picture to get a close-up of it!!

You can go to the "Christmas Planner" site HERE and get all kinds of different ideas for planners and all kinds of printables to stick inside of them. SO much fun!!!

SSNOTIME165***NO GREEN***NO RED***

Sharon does this every year, but it's a personal favorite of hers! And mine too!! Let's make Christmas cards or projects today in NON-traditional Christmas colors. So that means NO typical red and green. Some non-traditional colors areBashful Blue, Amethyst, Celery, Pink or Rose. Can't WAIT to see YOUR favorites!!!

One of my favorite colors combos is black and white or black and kraft/ivory so that is what I went with. I am having two friends for dinner this weekend, my house is semi decorated for Christmas so I decided to make these little treats boxes for them.

The paper is from K & Company and I used the favor box die from PTI..

The paper is two sided so the inside of the box looks just as nice as the outside.

It is super simple to throw together. I used my Sizzix snowflake dies and cut two snowflakes, covered them in Coarse glitter from Martha Stewart, added some black twine and a brown button. Before that I used some Antique linen distress ink on them.

Fill them with chocolates and there you have it!!

Check out Sharon's site HERE and show us all your fabulous creations in your favorite color combos.

Don't forget to visit all the design teams sites too for some fabulous holiday inspiration.

AJ - THE WILLOW GARDEN
Deb - DREAM IN COLOR - not playing this week
Jenny - ONE KRAFTY KAT

Barb - PAPER PURSUITS
Barb – EXPLORE, DREAM, DISCOVER
Deb – PAPER, INK, SCISSORS, STAMPS

Claudia - PRETTY PRESSINGS

Slow but Sure***

Here is another one for my Christmas stash!!

Paper from K & Company, image from "Wreath for all Seasons" from PTI, stamped with New Leaf and Pure Poppy inks and the sentiment from "Holiday Spirit Sentiments" also from PTI... Ribbon from Michaels.

Simple***

Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping in***

SSNOTIME164*** TAG*** YOU ARE IT***

Tags are Fun! -- Who doesn't like to make a tag or two! Tags are small canvases to decorate that we pass on with a gift or use to embellish a card or other project. Today we are making tags -- could be Christmas tags or ANY tag you might need for any occasion -- whether it be a tag to hang on a bag handle or gift or an adornment for a card or other project, let's just have some fun today making tags!!!

I love making tags... I used my Sizzix Bigz Tag Die and added some Figgy Designer Paper to the front and back. The image is a Whipper Snapper Design simply stamped on white cardstock with Fired Brick distress ink and I added a few red gemstones.

I added a snippet of ribbon from my stash!!

Couldn't be simpler!!! Have some fun getting a head start on your tag collection***

Check out Sharon's site HERE for all the deets and head over to the Design Team's blogs for all the taggy creations!!!

AJ - THE WILLOW GARDEN
Deb - DREAM IN COLOR
Jenny - ONE KRAFTY KAT

Barb - PAPER PURSUITS
Barb – EXPLORE, DREAM, DISCOVER
Deb – PAPER, INK, SCISSORS, STAMPS

CLAUDIA - PRETTY PRESSINGS - our guest designer for the month of November

Thanks to Jerri Kay for all her wonderful contributions throughout October***

Perpetual Calendar***

I saw this idea on Debbie Olsen's blog and knew I had to do it!

I had purchased these perpetual calendars a few years ago at Taylored Expressions. I never did anything with them until now.

I used some Mind's Eye designer paper and covered all the open spaces. Before I did that I painted the edges with Ivory craft paint.

I added a piece of black felt to the bottom to keep the surface from getting scratched.

In the first picture the little note pad is sitting up a bit so that you can see the image that I used which is from PTI...

The pen is an RSVP Pentel pen and I used a piece of paper to slide into the barrel.

This was a really fun project and if you have the opportunity to find one of these calendars try it out for yourself.

Thanks a bunch for dropping in!!!

Just had to share***

Me and the Bean***






















Need I say more!!

Landon and Britt carved these pumpkins out and brought them over!! Cool huh??!!

Hope everyone had a fabulous Hallowe'en night!!!