Less Is More Week 75 ~ Covered in Gold

Sunday Howdy!

Today's challenge is brought to us by our terrific friends Chrissie and Mandi at Less Is More.  It is Week 75 and it's a colour challenge and the color is Gold. 

The sponsor is the wonderful Wow! Embossing Powders.

I love the affect of embossing on a card, but I was often too lazy to peel myself up out of my chair and walk two feet to gather all the necessary stuff to emboss.  Plus, it often took a few tries to get a good result.  That all changed, however, when I received a fantastic tip from my friend Ardyth.  Now I happlily emboss more often.  Per her advice, I wrapped a sturdy piece of cardboard in foil on which I lay my card to emboss.  The embossing powder doesn't splatter as much, nor the paper curl as much.  Mmm-waugh to Ardyth!

I did have to run to the craft store to buy gold embossing powder for this challenge, however.  When gold prices reached an all-time high, I sold all my gold jewelry and all my gold embossing powder.  They wouldn't take the paper because it wasn't solid core gold.

You know I'm joshing, right?  I don't want to hear about you taking your gold embossing powder downtown to the jewelers. 

My card:

The bling balls are shiny gold, too, but that fact appears to have been overshadowed by the glossy gold paper and the embossed glossy gold pine cone in the photo.  This is my first Christmas card of 2012.  I don't make many holiday cards since the twins came along in 2004.  Now we do a family portrait card instead.  I do make a few cards for my fellow card-making friends and it's fun to use my well-loved stash of holiday stamps.

Speaking of twins, here are a couple of updated pictures to share.  Henry made a wonderful Lego creation and he was quite willing to have me take a picture.  Note how he has discovered a way to make his face smile!  He's not a natural smiler.  When his mom said one day, "Henry, now, please smile so we can see how happy you are," Henry replied equanimbly, "But, Mom, I'm smiling on the inside."  Ya gotta love that!

So the next time you see someone in a gathering who appears to be stand-off-ish, give them a chance.  They may only be naturally shy and smiling and warm on the inside.

The Mister (Papa) was proud as a peafeather when he noticed Adam, fresh from the bath, deep in concentration reading a magazine.

Why was Papa so proud?  Because Adam is reading on his own?  Well, yes, there's that, but check out the magazine Adam is reading.  If you can't make it out, it's called "Cycle World," and now Papa thinks that means the boy will carry on his love of the machines!

It's been a few days since we had anyone come up the front walk, or sneak in behind the garden wall to join us, but today I'm happy to answer the door to the talented Carol L. of Our Little Inspirations.  Thank you, Carol, for following!  Please make yourself at home in the Playhouse!

Enjoy!   As always, thank you for stopping by to visit.  Special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower or leave a comment!

Paper:  PTI rustic white;

  unknown glossy gold

Stamps:  All Night Media 153F

  Joy, unknown, but PTI I think

Ink:  Detail Gold embossing powder

Bling unknown