Thangiving Greetings and Christmas Treats!

Happy Thursday!

Just one more day until Friday! I can't believe how quickly this week has gone by! It is crazy. Tomorrow, Jason, Izzy, Tuxy and I are going into Kansas City to visit my in laws. Every year Jason's mother's side of the family hosts a Christmas party and this year it is my mother-in-laws turn. I can hear your question now in my head (everybody has been asking it when I tell them), but they used to try to have it in December and then it got pushed back to just before Thanksgiving and now it has gotten pushed back even further. November and December and just crazy busy! I think from now on they are just calling it a family get together!

The nice thing is Jason has the day off tomorrow, so we can take our time driving in. It is supposed to be chillier tomorrow and Saturday, which is a shame, but it will be really neat to see all the fall colors. It really doesn't truly feel like fall until the air is crisp and there is that cold air smell. Who knows what I am talking about?

Well Izzy is getting bigger and bigger by the day. Today I was making her breakfast and had the fridge door open. The little stinker went over, pulled out the cheese and strawberries (I don't know how well those go together, especially since it was taco cheese) and put them on the table. I couldn't believe it. I have never seen her do that before. And this morning while I was stamping, she opened up my stamping scrub pad and scrubbed one of my stamps clean. (Tearing up). She is a big girl!!!!! OOOOOOHHHH, I just had an epiphany! Since she is obviously stamping now, Jason will have to buy her some stamp sets of her own, that mommy can borrow! I am a genius!!!

On to the cards! Late yesterday afternoon, I went outside to get the mail and guess what little goody was in the mailbox? Not chocolate, not a million dollars; it was stamps from SUInk and More! I was so excited. They came just in time for me to participate in this week's Watchadoin' Wednesday Challenge. This week's challenge was to create a scene with your stamps. Well since we are basically going to a Thanksgiving party this weekend, I knew that I wanted to use my brand new Thanksgiving sets.

Isn't it sweet! I seriously used almost every color of yellow, brown and blue ink that Stampin' Up makes to create the background. My hands are stained from all the ink! Lol! To start this card I stamped the boat and pilgrim girl from Bountiful Harvest by SUInk and More on white card stock and colored them in with my copics and stampin' write markers. I then stamped the Native American girl from Giving Thanks and colored her in with my copics and stampin write markers. To create the waves/ocean, I used a sponge and (here goes) almost amethyst, ballet blue, bashful blue, bordering blue, night of navy, and tempting turquoise. I then ripped the paper in strips and added it to another sheet of paper, overlapping as I went. I then adhered the ship to the top wave. Next I created the sand and rocks using the same technique as I did the water except I used summer sun, so saffron, apricot appeal, caramel, close to cocoa and chocolate chip. I cut out rock shapes and adhered them around the sand. I then added some shading with my copics and filled in the sky. I popped of the two girls and the scene was complete. I then layered the image on a piece of brown card stock and a piece of DP. I repeated this layering in the background adding some blue paper. I created a banner with the sentiment I stamped from Bountiful Harvest and added two brads. I can't wait to give it to my mother-in-law!

My second project for today uses another set from SUInk and More called Kiss the Cook. I love this set. I couldn't wait to use it. I actually combined two different challenges to make this project. I used today's Ways to Use it challenge over at SCS, which was to use corner punches and Tamara's Sketch Challenge over on her blog.

I decided to create a gingerbread house kit. I used to be an elementary school teacher and the 5th grade team at the school I taught at used to have the kids make gingerbread houses out of grahmn crackers, royal icing and candy. Even my kindergartners couldn't wait to get to fifth grade to be able to do the project! Actually I just saw one of my old coworkers who told me that one of my former kindergartners (who is now in fifth grade!!! What! I can't be that old, can I?) asked about this the first day of school. lol. Anywhoo, I got to thinking about that and decided what a wonderful little gift this would be. I had an extra little bakery box that I picked up at Michaels some time ago and knew that I would be the perfect size for my kit. I started off by stamping the girl, stove, bowls, utensils and gingerbread house from the Kiss the Cook set on white paper and some DP. I colored them and paper pieced the images. I then used Tamara's sketch and my slot punch to layer on the images to pieces of burgundy card stock, teal card stock and DP. I stamped the sentiment on the middle rectangle and popped off the three mini tags. I attached the images to the top of the box, filled it up with my food and tied a white ribbon around it. Lastly I popped off the little girl chef. I can't wait to give it out!! It is such a fun and easy project although in my experience, most of the houses don't actually get made because the ingredients get eaten up!

Well that is it for me today! I am off to do some more stamping and to get packed! Have a great rest of the day, I know I will! Thanks as always for all the wonderful, encouraging comments! They really inspire me!