Christmas in...June?

Christmas in July has become one of my favourite blog features over the past couple of years.  And this year will be no exception, as I have been dreaming in vivid colour, making my wishlist from the new Holiday catalogue!  But today I have a Christmas card for you...exactly six months till Christmas Eve!  Check it out:

Christmas Card featuring the Happy Day and the A Round Array stamp sets with sentiment from More Merry Messages.

I have to admit I was a wee bit dismayed when I saw there were no Christmas-specific stamp sets in the new Annual Catalogue.  Christmas is my thing and I truly do make Christmas cards all year long, so not having new Christmas stamp sets to play with until the Holiday catalogue pre-order was alarming.  So, I set to work designing Christmas cards using sets that may not have been designed specifically for that holiday.  It has really sparked my creativity and, I am proud to say, I am thrilled with the results so far!  This card uses two sets with beautiful medallion images that pass quite nicely for snowflakes when embossed in silver on a white background.  The larger image is from the Happy Day set and the smaller is from A Round Array.  The sentiment is from the carry-over set More Merry Messages.  I am SO glad that set it still around, as it is full of great holiday greetings and sentiments.  I layered the stamped panel on a mat of Coastal Cabana and then adhered it to a Smoky Slate card base.  I love the shimmer and sparkle of this card so much I am making a bunch for a swap I am participating in at Convention!  Who needs holiday stamps, when there are so many great sets that do double duty?!?

So...whaddya think?

I'm dying to know what you all think of the new catalogue!  You've had the weekend to browse and complile your wish lists...so what are your must-haves?  The most popular items at my Open House last Saturday were most definitely the new Simply Pressed Clay and molds.  Very cool new product with tons of possibilities!  My new favourite colour is fast-becoming Coastal Cabana.  I love, love, love it!!  Here is a card I made this weekend using my new fav and a couple of others that are rapidly finding their way to the top of my go-to list:

Wedding card featuring the Happy Day and Label Love stamp sets.

I can not wait for my new catty order to arrive next week, but in the meantime I'm having fun playing with the pre-order and incentive items I've received.  The beautiful medallion on this card is from the Happy Day set...just gorgeous!  I stamped it in Crushed Curry (stamped off), Coastal Cabana (also stamped off) and Smoky Slate.  I also heat embossed one image in pewter.  The sentiment, from the Label Love set, is also heat embossed in pewter and punched out using the Artisan Label punch.  I layered the focal image on a Tea Lace Doily.  Since I don't yet have any Crushed Curry ribbon, I cheated and used some Daffodil Delight seam binding...I think it is close enough that it works ok.  (Did I mention I can't wait for my order to arrive?!?)  The Smoky Slate background layer is embossed with the Modern Mosaic TIEF.  I layered the whole thing on a Basic Gray card base. 
Don't forget to LIKE my Facebook page to be entered in my draw for a free month's subscription to Craft Project Central.  I will be making the draw on June 16th...Father's Day!
The last order of business today is to announce the winner of my Open House door prize.  My impartial judge, Max, drew the winner yesterday.  Congratulations go to...

Chris Light!!

Stay tuned for more prizes later this month...my birthday is coming and there's nothing I like more than birthday surprises ;)

Today's the Day!!!

It's here!!  The new 2013-14 Annual Catalogue goes live TODAY! 

Click here to view the catalogue online!

We'll be able to start placing orders as of 2:00 pm (EDT) today.  I have my order all ready to go, so the race will be on to see whose order gets shipped first...mine or yours! :)

I have a project to show you that uses more new products from this magnificent book.  Take a look:

Hello card featuring the Mosaic Madness and Happy Day stamp sets.

I thought this was an appropriate card for today, as we say HELLO to the new catty!   I used loads of new products on this one.  Here is a quick list, along with their product numbers just in case you want to add them to your wishlist!

Mosaic Madness stamp set (CM 130249, WM 130246)

Happy Day stamp set (CM 130297,130294)

Modern Medley DSP (126926)

Modern Mosaic TIEF (129984)

Mosaic Punch (131267)

Essentials Hardware Clips (129964)

Coastal Cabana card stock (131297)

If you are local to me and would like to see these products in person be sure to stop by my New Catalogue Open House tomorrow afternoon.  I'd love to see you and personally hand you your FREE copy of the catalogue!  If you can't make it drop me a quick email and I will send you a copy for free :)

Now just a reminder that today is also the LAST day you can order from the Spring Catalogue.  If there are items in there that you just love that are not in the new Annual catty, be sure to add them to your order before the end of the day today.  As of midnight, those fabulous items will be gone for good :(