Looking Back: Some Favorite Projects From 2013

It's time for an annual look-back at the year to showcase a few of my favorite creations.  This was my blog's third year, but I posted quite a bit less than last year.  (although still more than the first year!)  I had some mojo droughts, so to speak, where I didn't create much at all, and also some heart-wrenching experiences that put my creativity in deep freeze for a while.  Life has a way of doing that sometimes.  My unofficial word for the year was "change" and change definitely happened in both expected and unexpected ways.  I'm ready to put this year behind me and move on.  Still, despite less output than originally planned, I love what I made.

I'm going to show the pictures of my thirteen favorite projects in honor of the year 2013.  (in no particular order)  Click on them to go to the original post for more info about each one.

It was fun to try the chalkboard technique for this card, plus I just adore that gorgeous Limeade Ice color.

I got back into reading books this year and this sweet Bella stamp is just adorable.

Pink and black, what's not to love?  I need to make a whole set of these for myself.

I made this for a Splitcoaststampers challenge.  It was a true labor of love, and it makes me smile every time I look at it.

Love these greens!  Polka dots and chartreuse brads put it over the top.

Glitter buttons!  So much fun and such a simple card.

This card brings fond memories of Kool-Aid dyeing watercolor paper butterflies with my daughter for the PTI Stamp-a-Faire back in August.  Plus, we won Top Chef!  :D

I love the soft colors and ridiculous amounts of glitter in this card.

I made this birthday card for my sister.  Love the pretty patterned papers!

This card was a CASE using my own supplies, but I still really love it.   :)

Love this color combo, plus I really love snowflakes.

Love the bright pink against the black and that sassy little PI girl.

This was a commissioned birthday card I made earlier this year and it's still one of my top fave cards I've ever made.

So there you have it!  Just a sampling of my 47 posts this year.  I made a new card today that I will post once the sun comes up tomorrow and I have better light for photographs.  Now, it's time to sign off and go welcome in the new year with friends and family.  The table is spread and the wassail is simmering.   Cheers!

Christmas tags

I got sick the week of Christmas.  Totally not in the plans.  Of course, who ever plans on being sick?  Thankfully, we could just laze around the house.  My husband took the week off, my kids took care of themselves, and I slept a lot.  Seriously.  I can't remember the last time I took so many naps.  I made these tags for this year's Christmas gifts.  Last minute, naturally, but at least it was before I got sick!  :) 

I kept the tags very simple.  I pulled out my new Snow Day set for the snowman tags.  (which incidentally were the last set I made)  I embossed the snowman using white embossing powder and stamped the face using StazOn ink.  The little carrot noses were stamped separately and cut out.  The sentiment is from a PTI set called Tiny Treats: Christmas.  It fit perfectly in the space left on the tag.

This next set uses Watercolor Winter, a set released last year, and finally got to see some ink.  I love the two-step sketchy style of the images.  The sentiment is from a PTI set called Rustic Snowflakes.

My third set of tags uses an old Stampin' Up set called Peace On Earth in companion with another set called Peaceful Wishes.  I used Copic markers to color the globe ornament.  The word "peace" comes from a PTI set called Holiday Tree.

My last set of tags are actually the first ones I made.  I stamped the wreath image from Glad Tidings and colored it with Copics.  I added red Stickles to the berries for extra sparkle.  Quick and easy!

Stamps:  Snow Day (Stampin' Up); Tiny Treats: Christmas (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  Spring Rain, White (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Oyster White (ColorBox); Pumpkin Pie (Stampin' Up); Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink); Jet Black (StazOn)
Misc:  Tag Sale #3 die (Papertrey Ink); white embossing powder (Filigree)

Stamps:  Watercolor Winter (Stampin' Up); Rustic Snowflakes (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  White (Papertrey Ink); Real Red (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Misc:  Real Red, Handsome Hunter markers (Stampin' Up); Tag Sale #1 die (Papertrey Ink)

Stamps:  Peace On Earth, Peaceful Wishes (Stampin' Up); Holiday Tree (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  White (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento); Handsome Hunter (Stampin' Up)
Copic:  0, C1, B41, B45, G24, G28, YR23
Misc:  Tag Sale #5 die (Papertrey Ink); Basic Black marker (Stampin' Up)

Stamps:  Glad Tidings (Verve)
Paper:  White (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Copic:  G46, R29
Misc:  Tag Sale #4 die (Papertrey Ink); Xmas Red Stickles