Gingermass House for Paper Players #712
20 October 2024
Happy Sunday.
It's the fabulous LeAnne's turn to host our Paper Players challenge this week and it was the perfect excuse to use a product that I got as part of the Pinkfresh Studios Create and Connect Holiday event. As we were away when the event happened, and my goodies have been in storage until Thursday this week, I haven't been able to play with any of them. However, as soon as I saw LeAnne's challenge I knew that one of them would get a little inky love. We got this cute little gingerbread house from Simon Says Stamp in our class kit. I decided to use some of my old (and some very dry!) Copics and got to work on coloring the house. Here's a sneak peek:
And here's LeAnne's challenge for this week:
I decided that I would make the gingerbread house into a tag. I had fun coloring and adding some shimmer and shine with some gel pens and added a red and white twine for the tag. I also paired the Gingermass House with a fabulous cover die we got as part of the class goodies. It's a gorgeous background called Holiday Diamond Coverplate. The sentiments are also from the Gingermass House set from SSS. I wanted an unblended look for the gingerbread house because, I don't know about you, but my baking never seems to look even :-)
Here's my card:
As always, the design team have some fabuous inspiration for you:
On a personal note:
Well, we are moved. I wouldn't say we are settled yet. It seems ever room is waiting for something. Whether it's the plumber to come and install the dishwasher that has been sitting in the middle of the kitchen for nearly two weeks... long story! or waiting for the electrician to put in the extra outlets that we need in the bedroom, or the electrician to come and replace the fans in the living room and the upstairs bedrooms, or the painter....,. it seems we can't quite settle a single room. Mind you, it doesn't help that I'm an organization nut and went crazy at Ikea buying storage solutions that need to be erected. :-). However, we are loving it. The peace and quiet is amazing and the cats are incredibly relaxed. Plus they have lots to watch out of the windows.
Little Chilli is growing and his tail is now a magnificent plume and currently sits at 18" long. Here he is stretched out on the carpet in the reading nook:
Such a handsome boy - and he still has so much more growing to do. Charlie found a blanket in the sunroom and was enjoying the sunshine and watching the birds and critters in the garden. But, mostly, just enyoing the comfy couch. It's hard to believe that he's 15 years old!
However, it is what happened on our 2nd night in the new house that really steals the show. I was supposed to leave on 10/14 to go on a cruise to Norway. It was called Chasing the Northern Lights. I chose that cruise as seeing the Northern Lights was #1 left on my life list. We have lived in Minnesota since 1997 and the lights rarely get down this low. If they do, it's usually cloudy. So, I decided getting on a ship and going as close to the North Pole as I could would help me reach that number 1 goal. However, the house delays - and other things - got in the way and I had to cancel the cruise.
The night after we moved in, we got the housewarming gift we could never have hoped for. A cloudless night and a Kp rating of 8 out of 9. Yeah... wasn't expecing to see anything, but I decided to use social media to our advantage. Well, social media didn't disappoint and neither did Mother Nature. I have to admit, as stupid as this sounds, seeing this was such an emotional experience for me. I've wanted to see the Northern Lights for as long as I can remember. At just after 9pm - I ran outside and saw the most amazing streaks of white light in the sky. I looked through my iphone camera and WOW.... there they were:
Over the next few minutes they got more intense. I just wish I had a tripod and a time lapse camera. Sadly I didn't. But... I am NOT complaining.
Now that... is a house warming present that I won't forget. These last couple of years have been incredibly intense for many reasons and missing my cruise to chase the lights ... well, gave that up because I had to. It was almost as though the universe was giving me a present. One that I will NEVER forget and the fact that it happened the night after we moved into the new house... well, that just felt extra special.
When it was all said and done.... it had diminished to a little pink glow.... with little sprinkles of fairy dust.... stars in the sky
All in all... it was less tha 8 minutes of show time! It would have been so easy to miss them, but we didn't and I am SO glad. It was a beautiful. balmy evening. I would loved to have had the right camera equipment, but just getting to spending 8 minutes watching the show was enough. I tried to capture them in motion, but that didn't quite work as they change so quickly. But, I will be forever in awe.
On that note, I will close of by saying warm hugs and prayers to those of you who need it tonight.
Hugs
Jaydee
Card recipe:
- Stamps and dies: Gingermass House - Simon Says Stamp
- Background: Holiday Diamond Cover Plate - Pinkfresh Studio