Highdesert Stamper – Artistic Inkspirations

Did you get everything you wanted at Christmas? If not…it’s not too late to get some great buys on our Clearance Rack!!

Well…it’s that time..the year is drawing to a close, as is the month, and the quarter. So it’s time for some BLOG CANDY. I am giving away a package of goodies to ONE LUCKY customer.  The package of goodies, valued at $50+ will have the Scallop Border trim punch, a 6×6 pack of Designer Paper, a roll of Taffeta ribbon, and a BRAND NEW not released yet Stamp set!! To get in the drawing for the BLOG CANDY….just go place your online order with me through the end of this week….Sat Dec 31st. For every $25 in purchases, you’ll get a ticket in the drawing. After you place your order, go LIKE ME on FACEBOOK and get another ticket for the drawing! I will draw a name next “year” from all those who place an order of $25 or more this week with me!! (all orders placed THIS WEEK of $25 or more will be placed in the drawing!!)

Here’s what all will be in the BLOG CANDY package!!

Scallop Trim Border Punch

6×6 pack Designer PaperTaffeta Ribbon

And a NEW Stamp set!! ?????? which one will it be?

Be sure to go place your order now!! And don’t forget to check the clearance rack!!

Here’s a little box one of my friends made this past week with the Kraft boxes currently available in the Holiday flyer.I was able to take a few really quick pictures of the box before she left with her prize!! Here is how she decorated the box with the Holly Berry Bouquet designer paper, some ribbon, lace and a beautiful rosette on top made with the new Simply Scored tool.  Enjoy!!

I’d like to wish all my friends and those who follow my blog, a very Blessed Christmas. This isn’t really the time of year Jesus was born, but it’s become the “traditional Christmas” season to celebrate His Birth.  Here is part of the passage of the birth of the KING from Luke 2: 7-16

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because  there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this [shall be] a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Out here in the Southwest we have lots of unique traditions, from the lighting of the Farolitos or Luminarias, to eating traditional foods only cooked during the Christmas season. Posole is one of those traditional foods. It was originally a dish from Mexico, said to be a cure for hangovers. But here in New Mexico, it’s cooked and eaten around the Christmas season. If you’ve never had any, you’ll just have to come to the Southwest and try some!

So I made my traditional Christmas Posole…for Christmas Eve, something I have done for the past 30 years (I was reminded…and HAD to do it again this year)….. This has become sort of a tradition in my house. I used to have lots of people stop by for a bowl of this wonderous Christmas special. This year we had a few visitors and I put the rest away for later in the year when you get hungry for a bowl of it, but really don’t want to go to the trouble to make it, and most of the year we can’t find the special Posole mix in the stores to make it. So, we had some good food and good friends to share it with. This is my large pot boiling away on the stove…almost ready to eat!!

It’s often served with garnishes such as sour cream, diced avocados, diced green onions, tortilla chips or fresh flour tortillas. So next time you decide to take a trip to the southwest, if you come during the Christmas season, you’ll be able to find this as a “special” on the menu of all the Mexican restaurants in town.

We have a new die for the Bigshot, that debuted in the Holiday mini. Many were using the die for cutting the little windows for an ADVENT calendar. I didn’t get to make one, but I did make a few tags using one of the larger scalloped windows. Here’s one of my tags which I will be teaching at a workshop this week. All the ladies will get to make a set of tags using every one of the little windows, plus some other cool rubons using the transfer sheets available from “ADD-A-LITTLE-DAZZLE” and images in My Digital Studio software. Be sure to check back next week to see what they made!!  If you should order some of those cool transfer sheets…be sure to tell Monica I sent you!! She and her family live up in COLD Northern New Mexico…and they have been a big blessing to me and my daughter when I couldn’t get my house winterized last year.. They took time out of their busy life and helped me out. That was truly neighborly!!

Here’s my first tag.

Here are some more close ups and what’s under the “peek-a-boo-flap”

and all the bling…..

I used the silver glimmer paper for the snowflake, the center flower from the lace border punch in the center of the snowflake, topped off with a pearl. You can buy all these punches, dies and papers on my website HERE.