Merry Almost Christmas...

Merry Christmas!!!

So, we are only a couple days away 

from what could be considered the biggest holiday of the year...

and I'm still not ready!

I've been pretty busy with holiday preparations 

as well as traditional activities that come 

with the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Quick Tags...

This time of year we start handing out gifts of all sorts,

and some times a cute tag is need.

This particular tag was on an order I mailed to a customer,

but the tags in the video are typical To:/From: tags.

Reindeer Card...

Last month I made these mini tablets for the ladies

that attended our monthly ladies meetings.

These are (mostly) single layer fronts,

so for nice, but quick Christmas cards, 

I decided to use some of them for inspiration...

Stamping Christmas Invitations...

Sometimes we just need a simple, one layer project...

especially when it is an invitation being handed out for

the youth department's Christmas play at church.

I started with an invitation printed off from the computer,

then did some stamping with a stamp positioning tool...

Bough Hung Stockings...

made with the 2017 Paper Pumpkin kit!

The Christmas decorating at our house is complete...

except our stockings have not yet been hung

by the fire with care...

yet!

I've been waiting to have time to make some stockings

with the Trim Your Stocking die set from the Holiday catalog...

Plus, once I knew that the Paper Pumpkin kit was also going to be stockings,

I wanted to be able to incorporate those into my stocking hanging plan too.

Sparkling "Frozen" Inspired...

Last night I had a little time to get started

on making a birthday card for my youngest daughter.

Then this morning I was able to video the finishing of it

to share with you today!

The card is a "Frozen" inspired card 

to go along with the cake and presents!

Tis' the Saving Season...

Unlike most of my posts,

this is going to be more of an informational one

on the upcoming specials and products that Stampin' Up! 

will be doing over the next few months.

I'll start off by showing you the new logo!

In 2018, Stampin' Up! will be celebrating 30 years of business.

Gradient Sky...

Today's card highlights how to make a ombre effect

for a background for the Bethlehem Edgelit die.

The stars are from the coordinating stamp set. (BUNDLE)

I took a piece of 4 x 5 1/4 inch Whisper White cardstock to make the background.

Hostess Gift Tags...

This year's November activity 

for the the teen group at church

was a progressive dinner. 

We had a great time!

The hosting families did a great job

of making it fun for the kids.

And this year's hostess gift included a fun gift tag!

An Intro to Stampin' Blends...

At the beginning of October,

Stampin' Up introduced Stampin' Blends to demonstrators.

Then they quickly released them to customers

at the beginning of November...

Whoo! for you!!!!

These are great alcohol markers for the artist in you!

Click this image above to check out the catalog for the blends.

Christmas Wreath Card...

Christmas Wreaths can be very beautiful...

but even plain green ones with a simple ribbon

can give a delightful Christmas touch to a space.

It also reminds me of the scene from It's a Wonderful Life

where the kids ask George if he brought home the "Merry Christmas wreath."

He Sought the Lord...

These words from 2 Chronicles 26:5 are part

of our Bible Journaling time together today.

When I recently heard this verse presented again,

it made me want to do a page with you.

Thankful Tablet Cover...

November is quickly approaching

and a time when we are more aware 

of what we are thankful for in our lives.

Within the past few years, 

our family made a construction paper garland during the month of November.

I Am Thankful For...

This is a statement that resonates this time of year.

As Thanksgiving draws closer, 

it seems like remembering what we are thankful for regularly

is a great way to really celebrate the season.

Even today, the girls and I went for a walk this morning,

which was on the chillier side...

in the low 50's with some wind.

First Shaker Cards...

This blog post is WAY LATE this week!!! 

Not only did I miss Tuesday, but also Thursday!

On Monday, I received my October Paper Pumpkin - Yay!

And it is adorable!

So, I didn't get time to work on it until Tuesday evening...

and that's only partially why there was not blog post on Tuesday...

Christmas Card Show and Tell...

Yesterday, I was trying to work on a project to share here.

I even finished a card...

but it had a couple issues.

Memories and More - Graduation Album...

I have a project that has been needing some attention...

Well, okay, so I have quite a few projects that need some attention,

but I'm actually starting on this one!

It is a Memories and More project

Poinsettia Card...

It's World Card Making Day!

So, I'm sharing a Christmas card project with you.

This card was suppose to be posted on Thursday, 

but things just got so hectic that I wasn't able to get it all ready until today!

The inside had a little more process to it than normal too! 

October Sales...

October is full of Stampin' Up! deals.

I'm a day late with this post and still running behind...

So, we are going to just cut to the chase!

I have the deals all covered in today's video 

Prepared Heart...

Ezra was a scribe that was in Babylon during the exile...

He requested of the king to return to Jerusalem...

His request was granted to him

because the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.

He had the blessing of God upon him because he had prepared his heart...

Today, I'm sharing my Bible journaling 

of the verse in Ezra 7 that talks of Ezra's prepared heart.

When Times are Busy...

Blog posts don't always get done as planned.

Today, I had a blog post planned...

with a video.

However, I feel a little stressed about not having enough

items made for the craft show I'm doing at the end of the month...

So, the Bible journaling video will need to wait until next week!

Thanks for understanding that not every day can be a full blog post,

and I hope to be able to do the regular blog posts 

next week even with getting inventory ready!

Hope you have a great day!

"Blessed be God, 

which hath not turned away my prayer,

nor his mercy from me."

Psalm 66:20

Amanda

It's Fall, Y'all...

Okay, not really...

Since the Autumnal Equinox isn't for a couple more days, 

but the leaves are falling here!

I was also enjoying some Pumpkin Custard with Caramel topping,

and the girls are outside raking leaves...

so they can jump in them!

And we are going to have a fun time

with the September 2017 Paper Pumpkin kit...

which features leaves!

Painted Quilt Card...

Oh, the wonder of a new season and the joys it brings...

Not to mention the fun blog hops it inspires as well!

And today is not exception with a great FALL theme!

When the 2017 Holiday catalog came out

I decide to get some of the Quilted Christmas suite...

but had other colors in mind for it rather than the colors in the catalog.

Especially warm, rich fall colors!

Autumn Pumpkins...

Along with some Pumpkin Spice Latte!

Autumn is a wonderful time of the year...

definitely my favorite time, as I believe it is for many of us!

I love the colors, decorations, cooling weather, and pumpkins!

Today's card showcases the season to me...

 and is great for a fall birthday...

especially for someone that enjoys these things this time of year too!

Along with a Product Spotlight Blog Hop...

More details a little further down in the post...

Thank You Card Sets...

Showing gratitude is always a wonderful trait to practice,

and it is a great encouragement to the recipient of the thankfulness.

A great way to show thankfulness is giving (sending) someone a card.

Another way is to give someone a package of thank you cards for them to use!

Ways to use paper pumpkin...

Today, I'm going to do another post about paper pumpkin!

Sign up by September 10th to get paper pumpkin at HALF OFF!

What a great deal!

Just click on the picture to head over to sign-up!

and don't forget to enter the promo code: HALFOFF0917

You can check out the great benefits of Paper Pumpkin in my weekend post, Paper Pumpkin.

So, I did a few more alternative projects with the August 2017 Paper Pumpkin.

Let's Decorate...

my planner layout for this week!

I enjoy taking the time to decorate my planner, the Love Today Planner from Stampin' Up!,

 for my up coming week and wanted to share it with you for today.

I used the new Hearts Come Home stamp set.

It is an adorable set that has an even more adorable die set, Hometown Greetings.

(Bundling is always great = 10% savings over buying individually!)

My stamping got a little more wintery this week...

Not really my intention, I was trying to stick with a fall look,

like my past few weekly layouts have been, 

which I love!

Home in the City...

Welcome to the Anything but the Holidays Blog Hop!

Thank you for visiting me, Amanda Dickson, here at Home Designs by Amanda.

In this blog hop, Stampin' Up! demonstrators are using new product from the just released 2017 Holiday catalog to share ways of using the products that are not holiday in nature.

There is a long list of participants, so a ton of inspiration is awaiting you!

Paper Pumpkin...

Welcome to an "extra" blog post!

I'm spending today of My Autumn Launch Party focusing 

on sharing Paper Pumpkin with you!

The biggest thing to share with you is the great sale

that is going on right now...

At 50% off, you can get your first month for less than $10 (USA)!

Shipping is also included with that price!

My August Paper Pumpkin got to me a little later than normal this month,

but I have had a chance to work on it some today...

Figgy Birthday Card...

Today's card features the NEW Painted Harvest stamp set 

(Available in the NEW 2017 Holiday catalog that is coming out TOMORROW!),

along with a 2017-2019 In-color and a 2016-2018 In-color.

I love this Painted Harvest stamp set!

I have made quite a few cards with it already...

some I will share with you as this month goes along.

I also used it for some other decorative needs...

Baby Girl Card...

Babies are exciting and so sweet...

It is nice to be able to congratulate the family on the new addition.

And last week I was working on a card for someone to be able to do just that.

I had struggled at first with what kind of card to make,

I think mostly because I don't really do much as far as baby cards go.

In the Box...

It's been a little while since I have been here to share my paper-crafting fun with you,

but this Summer just seemed to require an impromptu break from blogging and video making.

 I've missed my work here and on YouTube,

but in some ways, not really...

The break afforded me a time of less pressure 

on myself to produce projects to share with you,

and that was kind of nice.

I just made things as needed and rested from major surgery.

The thing is, I really like being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator...

Plan It Out Monday - Using It So Far...

Today is the last in this Monday series on the Love Today Planner.

In the video today, I am stamping/decorating the week of July 3rd with you.

I have had a little more time to use the planner,

and I think that the spaces are a nice size.

Simple Bible Journaling with Stamps...

It has been a while since I have shared a Bible Journaling process with you.

And so, today we are going to journal Psalm 139:23-24 together.

Well, actually, I already did it 😊 but now I can share with you what I did.

Plan It Out Monday - More Set Up...

Welcome to the next installment of the Plan It Out Monday series,

where we are going to look at my set up

of the Love Today Planner and what I have decided to do with it so far.

I don't have much commentary to go with this post, 

so we'll just dive right into the video...

Sweet Strawberry Jam Birthday Card...

Strawberries come into full swing here in the month of June.

Whether you grow your own, go pick them yourself, 

or just stop and pick some up at the local road side stand, 

they are abundant...as well as delishious!

So, I made some Sweet Strawberry Jam...

in the form of a card!

Although, this year my oldest daughter said that she wants us to try to make some jam...

I made some when I was still in school...

Plan It Out - Unboxing and Starting to Set-up...

Welcome to the start of a new week...

and for me a new planner.

Are you all as giddy as I am?

Well, probably not, but you can be...

You can order one now and have it in time to start with it in July!

I realize that that probably doesn't work as well for most,

however, it might help more than you may think at first...

Wood Words with Overlay...

The new catalog is brimming with great products.

The Wood Words stamp set and coordinating dies, Wood Crate,

are just one of the great bundles.

It was one of the available preorders for demonstrators, so I got mine last month,

but it seemed like I didn't get much of a chance to work with it until last week...

Plan It Out - Preview...

Are you a plan things out kind of person?

Or are you more of "I write appointments on a calendar and that's about it" kind of person?

Well, either way, you might like this beautiful planner...

I love office supplies...

And new planners are great!

New Catalog Day...

Good bright Thursday morning!

It's June 1st, so that means 

NEW Catalog Day!

The 2017-2018 Stampin' Up! catalog is now available!

The ordering will go live at 12 p.m. (MT time),

which is 2 p.m. for me here in the Eastern time zone.

Looking forward to getting my order in...

Do you want to look through the new catalog?

Happy Memorial Day...

Good morning and welcome to the Memorial Day holiday

(here in the United States).

Today, we take time to celebrate the lives of those that 

died while in active duty in our country's military.

While some family's are personally affected,

and others are just grateful citizens that pay their respects 

to those that have suffered this great loss,

we all are moved by the strength shown by those that have lost those closest to them.

Adirondack Chair Cards...

I finally had some time to work with some of the new products

that arrived just before we went on vacation.

I've always liked Adirondack chairs

and they were prevalent in the yards in Connecticut (where we were on vacation).

So, I was excited to get home to use the new Seasonal Layers Thinlits Dies

and the chair in the set...

once I got a chance to start creating again.

I made two variations of the card...

Make it the Way You Like... (Paper Pumpkin Alternative)

Sorry that I am a day late on my 'Monday Blog Post'...

Things were quite busy, so I just didn't get everything all done yesterday.

But here it is, a Paper Pumpkin alternative for this month's (May 2017) kit.

A little pink :) but I was using colors I have that coordinated with the kit.

It will be great for ladies.

Graduation Hat Card...

So, their rightful name is mortarboard, 

but how many actually look that up 

when they want to make a graduation card?

Simple and to the point is a good way to go!

There are two graduates in our family this year...

One from Law school

and the other from High School.

Nature Scene Bible Journaling...

Psalm 104 has a number of references to nature in it.

And after reading in my daily reading, 

I decided to journal a nature scene...

Here is the video showing my process.

The stamp sets used are retiring at the end of May,

so if any peek your interest,

don't wait to order them!

            

The colors used today are

Pacific Point

Tempting Turquoise

Smokey Slate

Old Olive

What have you been working on in your Bible?

Thank  you for coming to Create with Me today!

"Who laid the foundations of the earth,

that it should not be removed for ever."

Psalm 104:5

Amanda

Fabric Inspired Card...

Last week, I put this picture on my Facebook page

showing the fabric I was using to make culottes with matching ink colors.

My friend wanted to see the card inspired by the culottes!

So, I came up with one...

And it also has two matching varieties to go with it.

Here is the video showing how I made it...

I used the Flourishing Phrases stamp set and the Flourish Dies

(the bundle will be available until the end of the current catalog),

which are carrying over to the new catalog!

The colors used are

Old Olive

Rich Razzleberry

Pumpkin Pie

Early Espresso

Very Vanilla (cardstock)

Dimensions are in inches...

The card base is 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, scored at 4 1/4

The background 3 3/4 x 5,

and the sentiment piece is 3/4 x 3 1/2.

Extra pieces of very vanilla and/or other matching cardstock

 are needed for die cuts.

How do you get inspired for projects?

Thank  you for coming to Create with Me today!

"And this is the confidence that we have in him,

that, if we ask any thing 

according to his will, he heareth us:"

1 John 5:14

Amanda

Appetizer Umbrella's for Geography Fair...

Here at Quarter Acre Academy 

we are finished up with most of our 2016-2017 school year.

Part of our activities included a Geography Fair.

 Our local homeschool group did it's second academic fair this year.

(Last year it was History.)

My oldest daughter chose to do the United States National Parks.

My youngest daughter did Norway.

All the kids did a good job!

A friend of ours was also participating in the fair 

and did her display on the Amazon Rainforest.

We all were bringing snacks, with a lot of them being from the areas being shown on the displays.

The idea for the Amazon Rainforest was little umbrellas on some pepperoni and cheese appetizers.

But the umbrellas couldn't be found at the store...

So, I'm going to show you a quick video on how I made some easy Appetizer Umbrellas.

Supplies needed:

toothpicks

printed paper

2 inch circle punch or dies

tape

What are you doing to finish up the school year with your kids?

Thanks for stopping by to Create with Me!

"Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, 

thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever."

Psalm 12:7

Amanda