Hello crafty friends!! Please join me for a new challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.  This week the challenge is

Christmas

We are showcasing Creative Expressions Products this week.  If you have any of these products, we’d love to see them used, but it’s certainly not a requirement to join the challenge. 

As always, the generous folks at Simon Says Stamp will be giving away a $50 voucher to one randomly selected winner to shop at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Store.

This time of year is always so crazy and busy, so I’m really focusing on carving out time to spend with my family.  I found myself spending more time in my craft room than I was with the kiddos and hubs so I’ve made it a point to put it all away as soon as the kids get home from school everyday.  It seems like once I realize what I’m doing, I make a vow to myself to focus on what’s really important.  And for the next month or so, I’ll do just that.  But then I’ll slowly start spending more time in my cave and less time with my boys and before I know it, I’ll be right back in that same position, wondering how I ended up here again.  I’m making it a year long goal to not end up back in that same position anymore.  I only have 7 years left until he’s 18!!

It really hit me when I saw my sister post a picture of a Christmas tree in a house that she tagged “Ty’s Place”.  Tyler is my nephew and I had to sit there in awe for a moment and digest that this boy that I watched grow up before my eyes was now about to move out on his own.  I messaged my sister and said, “can it be so?  Is this really happening already?”  And she messaged me back and reminded me to spend as much time with my boys now because in the blink of an eye, it will all be over and they’ll be getting ready to move out on their own.

I thought about that for a moment.  While I do savor every moment with them, I also know that I spend a lot of time in my craft room and when the day comes for my boy to move out on his own, I don’t want to look back and wonder why I spent so much time on my cards and not enough time with my son.  I don’t want to regret anything.  

It happens slowly and sneakily.  There’s always a project to be made or a deadline to meet so I tell myself, “I’ll just work on this for one more hour and that’s it.”   Then the next thing I know, 2 hours have gone by.  Or three.  I’m surprised when I realize everyone is in bed.  Everyone but me.  

I thought about what peace means to me as I made these cards.  I kept thinking about that day in the not so distant future when my son prepares to move out and go off to college.  I want to feel at peace knowing that I soaked up every moment I could with him as he grows up, that I didn’t waste a moment being distracted by the unimportant.  Every day I wake up, more grateful than the day before.  Every day I remind myself of what’s truly important.  

Ok, ok.  Enough reflecting, it’s this time of the year, I swear…  Let’s talk about these fantastic products I used this week!!

How GORGEOUS is this glitter polish??  I am in love with it.  I used Golden Sand Glitter Kiss Polish by Creative Expressions and I wish I had more of it.  I only ordered one color because I wasn’t sure what to expect but as soon as I laid eyes on it, I wished that I had picked up at least one more color.

These were so easy to make.  I used this fabulous stencil by Simon Says Stamp called Square Dance.  I cut my front panel using the SSS Stitched Rectangle die (3.25″ x 4.5″).  The background is 4.25″ x 5.5″ and I used the largest Stitched Rectangle die from Lawn Fawn to give it a matching stitched border.  Once I had the polished piece done, all I had left to do was heat emboss the sentiment from the Stained Glass Greetings set with gold embossing powder.  

This went together so quickly that I decided to make another one in a different color.  This red one I used Simon Says Stamp Schoolhouse Red card stock.  The next one I used Soft Navy card stock.  Now I wish I would have made a few more in a few different colors.  I think a green one would look really good and also a purple.  I just might have to find the time to add to my little duo.  During school hours, of course.  😉

The pictures don’t do this gold glitter polish any justice.  It’s so beautiful in person, I wish I could have captured it in a photo.

The gold embossing powder keeps everything tied together.

To add a little dimension, I popped the card panel up on craft foam and popped the sentiment up on foam squares.  This card literally took me all of 15 minutes to make.  Scroll down to see my process video and if you stick around til the end, I would love to hear your suggestions to something extremely important to me.  

  So now it’s YOUR turn, Happy Crafting!!    

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Simon Says Stencils SQUARE DANCE… [ SSS ] Cosmic Shimmer GOLDEN SAND Glitter… [ SSS ] Simon Says Stamps And Dies STAINED… [ SSS ] Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100#… [ SSS ] Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# SOFT… [ SSS ] Simon Says Stamp EMBOSSING POWDER… [ SSS ] Best Creation SMALL SQUARES 3-D Foam… [ SSS ] Best Creation BIG SQUARES 3-D Foam… [ SSS ] 9 x 12 WHITE FUN FOAM 12 Pack 118711 [ SSS ] EK Success CRAFT TWEEZERS Precision… [ SSS ] EK Success POWDER TOOL Applicator… [ SSS ] EK Success HONEY BEE Non-Stick… [ SSS ] Simon Says Stamp STITCHED RECTANGLES… [ SSS ] Lawn Fawn LARGE STITCHED RECTANGLE… [ SSS ] Ranger PALETTE KNIFE SET INK47407 [ SSS ] FrogTape DELICATE SURFACE Masking Tape [ SSS ] Precision Heat Embossing Tool Gun… [ SSS ] Scor-Tape 1/4 Inch Crafting Tape [ SSS ]