Giving Gifts: Joy

With the new Stampin' Up mini catalog, I spent many happy hours browsing and creating a wishlist - then changing that wishlist when I saw other bloggers' cards, then browsing again and again.  Then when it finally came time to order, I went in an entirely different direction! Go figure!  There was one particular set (especially the dies) that I kept imagining along with another die set from the main catalog that had been on my wishlist for awhile.  The holiday dies are the Giving Gifts dies and the second set is the Playful Alphabet.  Here is my first card with the two, inspired by the CAS Christmas: Decorations challenge. 

Besides the two die sets, I also got a variety of the unique specialty papers they had in this catalog.  Today I used the Be Dazzling paper with the alphabet and as accents on the ornament. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this paper - at least in photographs.  In real life, it has a fabulous sparkle and you can see hints of that above.  In photographs, I looks a bit like lizard skin :( 

I used a scrap of paper from the new Whimsy & Wonder dsp.  The paper actually coordinates with Polished Pink which is not one of my favorite colors so toned it down by using Flirty Flamingo cardstock.  

I have the parts for three other Giving Gifts/Playful Alphabet cards out on my desk but they got pushed to the side when I had both of my sons home this weekend.  The oldest is only about 90 miles up the interstate at Colorado State University.  He's graduating in December (not early graduation - very late graduation!)  He's getting a seriously advanced combination of degrees - things like Applied Math and Physics - so he rarely looks up from his computer long enough to come visit.  (Although he doesn't mind at all when we go visit him and take him out to brunch.)  My youngest is in school in Illinois and is heading back on Wednesday.  As a junior, he's in a house this year, but a school-owned house.  When he's a senior, he'll also be in a house but owned by a landlord and requiring responsible behavior like making utility and water payments. I love the way the school has set this up - I believe that college is all about growing up while still in a safe environment.  But living in a house takes a LOT of stuff and as I'm looking at the growing pile in my dining room, I'm a little afraid I'll be spending a lot of money shipping with UPS because I have no idea how he thinks it will all go in his car.

Thanks to CAS Christmas for the inspiration and the push to get one card completed this weekend even with the chaos in my house!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Stampin' Up Giving Gifts dies, Rectangle Stitched Framelits and Playful Alphabet

Paper: Stampin' Up Whimsy & Wonder dsp, Be Dazzling Specialty Paper, Flirty Flamingo and Mossy Meadow Cardstock