Happy 12-12-12! Countdown to Christmas: 13 days Countdown to End of World: 9 days Christmas card count as of today: 27 Ah, the numerology of it all. . .
I hope this post finds you all well, houses decorated, goodies baked, shopping done, cards made and sent, gifts wrapped and trees trimmed. If it doesn't find you this organized, then I hope it finds you with your choice of beverage in hand still believing strongly that it will all get done. You know the policy here on my blog is BYOB. Keep the faith Kiddos!
Seems like this post has an animal theme. . .Here are my cards for this week:
I wanted to make a "manly" Christmas card and I think I did that here. Believe it or not, all pictures of my cards this week were shot in direct sunlight outside, and it still didn't make a difference on photo quality. The outside mat on this was ran through an embossing folder then I went over the raised elements with a silver sparkly pen. It looks awesomely frosty in real life. I used a Memory Box die for the deer then colored them with marker. Set them against the snowflake paper and then matted the whole thing. The inside reads "Wishing you peace at Christmas".
Next. . .
Again, the sun was no friend to this photo. I created a scene using another Memory Box die (country landscape) and it is super sparkly. The rooftops, snow, and outline of the big moon are all glittered up. I like doing witches flying across moons for Halloween so I thought this stamp would be fun to do that with as well.
And lastly. . .
Sometimes I like to do "self-imposed" challenges. When I'm stuck for an idea for a card I try to think outside the box. So my "self-imposed" challenge was to use an image that is in no way meant for Christmas and use it to make a Christmas card. So that is where this came from. The image is a digital image from Doodle Pantry. I bought it a long time ago and never used it. So it became the target. I even challenged myself to use a pun for the sentiment. I drew the Santa hats freehand with a white gel pen and cut them out and glittered 'em. Everything is colored with markers.
Well, that's it for another Wednesday Evening Post. I hope you enjoyed your time here. I sure have enjoyed visiting you all and seeing your wonderful work. I sure do have some mega talented blogging friends.
Curt O'Brien
"God, please help me be the person that my dogs think I am."
29 comments:
Oh love the deer card, amazing. I love the frolicking reindeer too...oh I just love them all :) I'm already for Christmas except for wrapping, ugghh hate wrapping :) Hope you and yours have a wonderful, happy, warm, amazing Holiday! Hugs! Leah Ann
I have my beverage of choice (coffee) in hand and I am almost done - thank goodness for Amazon.com! No decorating this year since it's just the 2 of us and some potentially mischievous kitties. Ornaments and tinsel are just too tempting for them.
Your cards are gorgeous, I love the Memory Box landscape and Santa with his sleigh. A tip about shooting photos in the sun - try to find some indirect light, or turn the card so that the light isn't hitting it straight on. You get the same effect as you would with a flash when the light is hitting the card head on, it washes out all of the detail.
Curt
Such a lovely collection of cards. The deer scene is great. Love the way you have placed them in the circle.
The Santa cruising over the moon is cool.
So glad you thought outside the box. The birds are so cute.
Your reindeer with the cockeyed grin made me smile.
Last, but not least, I love the wee branch with hoar frost. It is one of Gods wonders and I always love to see it.
Myrna
Wonderful Christmas cards Curt. I'm halfway prepared for Christmas, so I've taken your advice and have my choice of beverage in my hand and am having a drink!!! lol
Gorgeous goodies once again Curt. Love all of them but especially love the one you challenged yourself with - great job! All the best to Jay and big hugz to those darling boys. ~chris
Without a doubt that bird card is my favorite! :) PECK THE HALLS! Love it! I always enjoy your weekly updates, my friend. :)
Just love all your card Ccurt, the little birdhouse is too sweet with their santa hats. I certainly fall into the second category, with my favourite beverage in my hand, in the morning a cup of coffee, at night something in a glass. Hope you are enjoying the holiday preparations and taking care, hugs, Ursula
Gosh, I do really need to get my Christmas cards out. Will do that tomorrow. Your cards are great. Glad you got a head start on things.
You can never go wrong with an animal themed set of cards. Looks like you found your mojo again. I just have have one question .... what did the three little birds do wrong that they didn't warrant Santa hats?????
Once again, I love all the cards you have shared this week. I think my fave is the first one, it is truly beautiful!
Thanks for sharing! Enjoy this holiday season!
~Krissy
Great cards Kurt.
I just wanted to wish you and yours a wonderful Holiday Season my friend.
Merry Christmas and ALL the Very Beast in 2013.
Warm hugz
Tonniece
Greetings Curt
Again your cards is super...you always amaze me. I think the deer one is my favorite. I love deers...and wish I had started a collection of them years ago.
I can say for once, I am ready for Christmas. Just have to purchase a few grocery that must wait until the last minute but otherwise done.
Have my beverage of choice of choice in hand which is coffee for now, as it's way too early for Southern Comfort. Cheers! Have a blessed one.
Hello my friend, I always have a large coffee to go cup~ filled with hot tea with milk and sugar when I come visit you ~ and your work .
I love the first and the the third cards your detail work just mesmerizes me... I can never think to create scenes like that ~ I think you need to send me a challenge or two lol
the other two cards were cute, I just prefer beauty over cute most days lol
the pic of the week was amazing~ that was a great outdoor shot :)
I send my Christmas love top your house so please share it with Jay and the boys ~ Wishes for a Blessed New Year too
Of course, I haven't shopped, wrapped or sent out Christmas cards yet. That would mean I was on top of things and my life isn't chaotic! LOL Your cards are amazing! I love the thinking outside the box! I agree that natural light doesn't help much. Can't wait to see what you create for next week!
Miranda :)
www.nanasscrapspot.com
Hi Curt! Your cards are wonderful as always! I love the first one - so elegant! The green/red sweater made me nearly spit my beverage of choice all over the computer screen; what a hoot! The santa and sleigh with the moon is a fave image of mine as well, but I never made the connection to the witch/broom and the moon. The last one is just perfect! I would never have known you didn't have a bird-house full of birds ready for Christmas if you hadn't told me how you created this magic! Awesome!
Wish I could say that I'm ready - but I'm faithfully pushing ahead with hope that we'll be ready! Hugs!!!
Good Job! Enjoyed all of them. Of course, I am not nearly ready for the big day. Each step of my card for this year takes a whole evening by itself. So far, I've cut/scored cs to make 100 cards, then embossed and cut out ornaments plus cut out the ornament peakaboo on the cs. I even went to the chiropractor yesterday cause my right shoulder/back hurt from using the cuttlebug so much, lol.
Hugs,
Gina
love all of your cards today Curt-I think my fave is the first "manly" card-I like the winter scene you created-I am on schedule for Christmas just not done-trying to plan my menu now
I love all the cards. Love the photo of the branch, is that frost? I am battling with the heat over here, weird to think how cold it is on your side of the world.
My tree only got done today, but we had a lot of fun doing it with the grandies, so it was worth the wait.
All your deer cards are fabulous! The peck the hall sentiment is too funny.
CURT, YOUR MOTHER LET ME SEE YOUR BLOG AND I WAS AMAZED AT ALL THE THINGS YOU CAN DO, HOWEVER, I ALREADY KNEW YOU WERE VERY TALENTED
OOPS IT'S GETTING DARK THANKS FOR THE DINNER INVITE BUT I HAVE TO GO
DOLORES
As always, love 'em all. But I really am partial to the deer trio. I've been playing with this die as well and your card is very similar to one of mine, cept I've added a glitter window. Love it!
Keep smilin' and Keep Creating,
Jean ~
Another lot of lovely Christmas cards! I have been very slack and not posted to my blog lately! I love your card with Santa and his reindeer in the sky but all the others are really fun cards too. The male themed one is great!! Hard to imagine that you are seeing that ice on leaves!! So very hot here!! Hugs!
Oh sigh!
The cards are gorgeous, I'm gonna have to step mine up for next year!
Of course I'm done mine! Not that I'm anywhere finished addressing them!
The decorating will commence today, and I'm not stopping til it's done!
I AM done shopping, menu's planned, most of the goodies are baked!
Love the pic of the week!
I'll talk to you later!
Oh my! I love your cards, especially the wonderful scenes you've created. You are so talented like that! That last one with the peck the halls just makes me giggle. Thanks for not only inspiring me, but making me laugh too. I hope to get quite a bit done today. Hugs friend!
More sweet cards!!!
TFS Curt!
What stamp is the Santa & reindeer?
Love it!
I was busy with some new Hero Arts stamps this week....
you'll see when u visit my blog!
Keep smiling!
:)
Your cards never cease to amaze me - love them all - and love how you took the digi image and made it your own -
especially the hats!!! I saw the Memory Box die country landscape at a scrap/stamp store last week and "almost" bought it - so now will have to put it on my must have list. Awesome job on all your cards.
Whee! A Dozen Deer in the yard! Four point buck(counting on one side only) in the alley browsing under snow in the neighbor's freshly planted turf/ sod for tender green blades...the reaction to one tenth of an inch of rain about a week ago which turned into a sheet of ice covered with a half inch of snowball type flakey snow. Took until well past noon to get enough sunshine melting the sheet of ice. Highway patrol was busy! Last night this storm cell dropped three-quarters of an inch. We are well over six inches behind average precipitation; pray for moisture to bless this area avoiding another fire season four and a half months dangerously smokey. Do the deer. They look so excellent to be greetings well into February! That frost photo looks like three frosty mornings lasting well beyond noon last week, great photo ops - glad you caught this view! Keep Looking UP!
Almost there for Christmas Curt, just been to the other island of Guernsey to see grandson Herbie now 4 what a joy. Four other grandson coming for Christmas lunch. Love the cards and I just love Memory Box dies. Keep well and warm Merry Christmas to you and your family Hugs X Jersey U.K.
Great cards...had a good laugh at the peck the halls one...and I never did all my decorating done...love the silly reindeer, too...I am behind in visiting...but just had to take a peek at what I missed!!
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