a card for my Aunt

Hello, my friends,
 Hope you had a very happy Christmas with your beloveds.

 At our region, the peak of the biggest cold wave this month was over this afternoon. The consumption of electricity at our supply company seems to be decreasing gradually. Thank you.

 Yesterday, I finished a card for my aunt. Though I was going to make it after the coming New Year holidays, I couldn't wait to do it, because I received the HA new released stamps yesterday morning. This time, the delivery was quicker more than I expected for this time of year.　(But judging from the tracking report, my parcel seemed to have taken enough 'ZZZ time' for about a week at LA before going through the customs clearance.

Well, here is the card, Thinking of you'.

And, this is a close up.

 The methods I used: Blended several Distress Inks after stamping with oil based ink, or after heat embossing. Spread the Distress Stickle Rock Candy on two hearts' surface after blending inks with blending foam.
 By my broad interpretation of the sketches, I'm going to send this to Flickr to join in HA December challenge Round 2. Hope this qualifies their requirement.

Merry Christmas! and about the electricity shortage of our city

Hello, my friends,

Merry Christmas!

 After the earthquakes hit Touhoku and Kantou area this March, the amount of electricity supply comes to decrease at Kyushu island where I live, without exception. Just only one works among four nuclear reactors stands on neighboring prefecture. Because those under suspension to be inspected can't restart even now. (There's one more plant at southern part of our island. But it is under similar situation now.) So I use my personal computer to check the rate of the consumption of electricity on the website of our power supply company to escape a large scale of power cut.

By the reason of increasing the consumption - it has been unusually cold this winter, and it stormes now -,  I'm going to access friends' blogs after checking the situation, though I want to visit all by today. Thanks for your understandings.

If all the nuclear reactors restarts, it changes to be a stable supply. But we are very scary, because the nuclear power plant in neighboring prefecture is located on just only 60 km west of Fukuoka City where I live...

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
Tomo

Christmas card for my father

Hi, again,
 I have one more post today. Just finished a Christmas card for my father. When I thought about its design, I hit upon a good idea to take on two themes of Hero Arts December challenge Round 2.
Made the design to combine 'pocket card' with 'one of the sketches'. Wow, the card for my father was done, and I can join the challenge!

Here is the card.

 The bottom half is a pocket. The method I used is stamping with distress inks and blending for the oval shaped area, and heat-embossing for the pocket area.

Here is a close up.

 The reason I chose Starry Night stamp for this card is ...

a card and an ATC for sharing

Hi, there,
 Today, I'd like to share you a card which I rushed to make and already sent it to one of my friends yesterday. I used a paper piecing technique for the retro trees.

Here is the card.

And this is an ATC that I made after finishing my first card posted here on Dec.15.

 I liked the combination of the girl holding the big ornament and the winter tree, so I made a few card last year. This year, I made to use Music Background with it.

 The Music Background stamp by Hero Arts was omitted from my shopping list at first. 'Cos I already had a few similar stamps when it released, and I had actual music scores that I could digitize easily. BUT, while looking at so many beautiful works using it at Flickr HA group pool, I decided to order. Do you have it in your drawer? You are to blame! ;) But this is really a good purchase. It's one of my favorite. :)

Stamp used:
American Art Stamp: Robin Pickens Retro trees, Karen Stolper Stick Chick
Hero Arts: Winter Tree / H5244, Music Background / CG222, Poly Clear Holiday Sayings / CL343

Other supplies:
Bazzill CS, Basic Grey PP(left over)
Tsukineko Versa Fine / Onyx Black, Memento / Tuxedo Black
Ranger Distress Ink / Tumbled Glass, Stickles and Distress Stickles/ several
HA shadow Ink / Soft Pool, Felt Snowflake, button,
Faber-Castell / watercolor pencils (aquarelle and Albrecht Durer etc), Design Memory Craft /several painting tools

Thanks for stopping by!
Have a wonderful week!!
Tomo