Day 4 Advent Calendar

 Short and sweet today....too much on my plate otherwise, and not enough hours in the day!  Glad I started the Advent Calendar 10 days early...will be cranking out some QUICK cards for a few of the days that are piling up on my desk right now.  I'm glad I worked ahead, as I have several days already complete...what fun stamps ahead though...I have things already made "in my mind".  lol  Today was QUICK and simple, so not really any product info to share...I really can say this took about 15 minutes to make, if that...lined up, one could crank something like this out very fast.  In the real world, I see me mass producing a simple card rather than one of my all the fluff ones!  lol!  That being said...I enjoy the process of it all...

 

 

Day 3 of Advent!

 My Day 3 Advent Calendar!  I really felt Scandinavian here....

 

 

 I ADORE Graphic 45 Paper...and had originally purchased a believe a couple of collection sets of this design family (I may find 1 or 2 unopened packages...I'm TRYING to organize my craft studio...but I recall buying 2-3 of the paper kits a few years ago, for a project I wanted to, but never started...)

 

As for the JOY letters...  I dug WAY BACK in my cabinet of wooden block Stamping UP! stamp sets...and what did I find?  GIANT LETTERS!  If I had Distress Oxide inks back in the day, I would have used these much more...and oh how am I glad...I never had the urge to purge ANYTHING!  It sure comes in handy for Craft Roulette and needs like this!  

 

Day 2 Advent Calendar!

 Advent Calendar Day 2!  I used a shimmery ink for the pine cones and ink blended the same for the cool bow on top of my "package".  It's a little tricky to fussy cut the insides of the bow loops, but very well worth it.  I love this stamp and see lots of reasons to use it for other celebratory events!

 Lisa Horton Cloud Nine Inks  (I purchased from Scrapbook.com)

 

That's a Wrap (Unity Stamps)

 I linked up a "bundle", but to be honest, I purchased 3 individual ones to test them out first.  I am loving my 3, I used a green one with yesterday's mini tree Advent Calendar entry, and you may see another color coming up.  I linked the bundle to show the variety.  A little tricky for me to get the hang of a smooth blending, but, I truly think it's a combo of me using cheap blender brushes, and maybe not the right card stock.  Any suggestions of both...brushes and card stock... are welcome to send my way.  I am just learning, and open to new ideas on how to use some of my premium inks!  :)

 I'm limited on time, so I'm not going to link up anything else, but if you do have any questions, leave a comment, and I will be sure to send info your way!  :) 

December 1 = Advent Day 1

 Well, the sneak peeks may be a little ambitious now, since we are in the process of assembling 250ish gift baskets over the next few days...BUT...good news, I have sort of kept up with my days that I started opening about 10ish days ago.  I am doing them in order, day by day...and will NOT share before it's "real date", I promise.  I will say, there is a variance on these cards.  Some took more time than others, and one actually was used to finish up an unfinished project from about a year ago.  It's been truly fun...reacting to each window, how I see fit based on my time I have, and first spark that lands in my creative process. 

Anyhow...I REALLY enjoyed making my Advent Day 1 card.  It was off to a good start for me, and I look forward to the following 23 days of reveal!  :)

 

 

 

I used the following stamp set from Unity Stamps 

Winnie the Pooh: Forever with You 

 

Winnie the Pooh: Oh, Dear 

 

Stay tuned for tomorrow!   

 

 

 

Sneaking in some peeks... #3, #4 & #5

 As I suspected it would...things are getting chaotic in the factory, so I'm doubly glad I got a jump start on these!  I will soon have a craft obligation I will be attending to, so, you will see a mix of simple and more complicated with my final pictures.  But for now...here's a little sneak of days 3, 4 and 5.  I'm having fun with this...but I KNOW...I'll be slacking in about a week from now, just got another volume gift basket order, and will be down a couple of my employees for personal reasons, plus I got called for jury duty.  :)

#3 Sneak Peek

 

#4 Sneak Peek

 

 

#5 Sneak Peek

hahahahaha  I know, not much of sneak peeks...but, I didn't want to give too much intel, lol...  I will say, I had an unexplained situation happen to my #5 card....I was proud of the fact I finished it, then when I looked at it, the sticker holographic film I applied to this green circle that I use and love so much WARPED on me...so, it ruined the whole thing...  Not to fret, I'll just make another, and apply it over my ruined one, I wanted dimension...well...the other elements, used some paper that I didn't have enough of, so I had to improvise...and it now is hurting my eyes...SO...I will see if I can yet fix it...if not, be prepared to wear some protective eyewear when you see my #5 card!  lol!  

 I'll post my Craft Roulette card maybe tomorrow.  I want to provide some links, I've had a couple inquire about the supplies I used for it...  :)  Although I try to post a blog before I share on my social media pages..I'm not really set up to blog post as easy from my home as I can in the factory, where I have my desk top.  OK...I'll fess up...I'm not as password and computer savvy with my laptop, I work best in my work environment, and I can fit it in here and there when I'm in the chocolate...which is most my day, everyday...  yikes...  

 

Ya'll have a nice Thanksgiving!  I'm going to pop in to line up production for my next week, and get caught up with all the "to dos"...but, truly plan to enjoy a good meal with family! 

 

SNEAK PEEK #2

 Refer to my first sneak peek post for context of my sneak peeks.  I was wordy in that post, and it explains why the itty bitty glimpse / purpose of the sneak peeks.  Be assured, I AM NOT REVEALING ANY of what I found behind window/door #2, which will be revealed on December 2nd.  This card took me a little longer than I had hoped...so, cross fingers I can get through 24 days...  I thought it was 25, but I see it's 24.  Lol...That being said, I literally was exploring with some of my new supplies with this one!

SNEAK PEEK #2

 And for funsies...I'll share a little picture of my chocolate life right now....

One of our more recent lines, last year, we started a whole new peppermint crush category in our line.  We have close to a dozen, maybe more crushed peppermint products that we offer, pretzels being extremely popular in giant knots or rods!   

 

 

 

Just in time for Santa!!!  
 

 

Let's Talk Advent Calendars!!! SP #1

 So this year, I'm excited I have not one, not two, but THREE Advent Calendars for me to open the little door and find my surprise behind!  I remember how exciting it was to open the little window door of an advent calendar when I was a kidlet.  I think the last one I had, well, I KNOW it was the last one...was about 2020ish, when I had purchased a Unity Stamps Advent Calendar, where hidden behind each perforated window door, I found a precious fun stamp.  My idea then, as it is now, was to open each day, quickly make a fun card, tag, project, etc., and keep up with a daily post on that given day in the Unity Advent Calendar group.  Well...that lasted me about 7-8 days, as my sleep meant an awful lot to my well being that year, as it does every year during my busy time in the factory.  

 Unity Stamp Company  Kindred Stamps  Spice Advent 

If any of you have kept up or read my blog over the past...you will learn that I own a chocolate company, and my primary customer is corporate, who can purchase last minute orders as little as 12 quantity gift baskets, and as large as 10,000 plus trade show giveaways.  

 

A glimpse of a few of our themed sets...all chocolate!

I kid you not, we have pulled a rabbit out of a hat so many times over the last 40 years, that my well being has been tested far beyond what anyone could imagine.  I've had my staff send me home to take a break, I've had meltdowns in the factory, and I've been known to sneak in at 3:00 AM, work until 9:00 PM with little breaks (if any)...not ideal, but, it's what you do...  So.....................in the spirit of things....  having THREE calendars, if I wanted to follow through with that same concept, of a daily entry, well with a craft advent, that's not going to happen...  UNLESS ... I start early.  Of my calendars, 2 of them are craft related, and 1 is a really fun SPICES!!!!  I can play traditionally with the spice one, and open on the 1st of December, but for the craft ones, I decided whichever one arrived first, I'd pounce in on...and that would be the one I'd TRY to upload a result 25 days in a row....

Yesterday, I opened my #1 window door of the Unity Stamps 2025 Advent Calendar....  I promise I will NOT NOT NOT NOT reveal my stamp or final result until DECEMBER 1ST.....  I won't ruin ANYONE'S surprise, if at all any of you who might read this has purchased or received one of these sets too...  I will, however include a SNEAK PEEK picture...that does NOT reveal any part of the advent stamp....  I ADORED making this card...and I was able to crank it out fairly fast...something I've been trying to train myself to do....  NOT OVERTHINK ... ACCEPT THE FIRST ATTEMPT ... EDIT EDIT EDIT ... no need to put everything under the sun on the card type of editing .... MAKE IT A ONE POSTAGE  STAMP NOT SMALL PACKAGE TYPE CARD!!!

Wanna see my sneak peek?  

 The FULL result, including the #1 Advent Stamp image will be posted on December 1....  This image does NOT include any part of that stamp...I'm excited for the next 24 days!!!!!!   

I've already opened up my Day 2 window!!!  No promises, but I hope to have a sneak peek tomorrow again?  I may need to sneak in several in a row in one post...we will see... My HOPES are to stay on top of things, and when December 1 rolls around...I'll post the result!  Cross fingers I can pull it off!  If I can't...it's because chocolate emergencies got in the way...which is a GOOD THING!  We so far, are on top of things, so not behind YET!  yikes