It is a Boootiful day here in San Jose : ) And yes, we have some links just for you!

Good morning, I hope you had a great weekend and are enjoying your week so far.  Our roof is now finished, and we also have had some insulation added to the attic, so far the insulation has made a HUGE difference on the temperature of the house, we still have not had to turn on the heater even though the temperature is in the low 50's.

This week the hall bathroom gets a mini face lift, including adding a shower over the tub (right now we only have one shower which is in our back bathroom.)  Windows and a new front door are coming soon, and then  repairs to the back bathroom.

Anyhow, onto some crafting : ) Here is a card I made using a stamp from the CC Designs Sugarplums Christmas kit (an adorable collection of stamps!)

From 2010-10-26

I used Copics to color this image and also added some diamond stickles (my favorite stickles) and then some Viva Decor Red Glitter pen for even more bling.

Closeup:

From 2010-10-26

For the face I used E50, 51, 21 and 53 (which is becoming my preference over the E00's.  The E50 is less "red" then the E00's and I like the more subtle brown tone).  I used E11, 15 and 19 for the sash, YG91, 93, 95, 97 and 99 for the dress and for the hair and shoes I used E50, 25 and 31.

Here is an image from the same Sugarplums Christmas Kit that was colored with colored pencils:

From 2010-10-26

I love using the colored pencils for many reasons, one being that if you are in the middle of coloring and need to do something you don't have to worry about the ink drying (like with Copics).  The key to coloring with the pencils is to make sure to use a very sharp point on the pencils, color lightly making very small circles, starting with your lightest color and slowly blending in the darker colors.

It does take longer to color an image using the colored pencils versus Copics, however I find it very satisfying to add the colors, sort of like therapy.  And I love the results using the colored pencils, adds a great deal of depth to the image. As you can see, if you take your time, use a very sharp point on your pencils and add lots of light layers your coloring can look every bit as nice as using Copic markers.

And now onto the collection of links for today! Lots and lots of things here for you, and I will try to keep posting any new holiday crafts I find.

Christmas sayings/images:  Lots of stamps here for you, loved the sayings and images.

Humorous Greetings:  Loved some of these, unique and are fun for a different type of Christmas card.  Actually liked lots of the stamps here, make sure to check out their other offerings.

JustRite Stamps:  Make sure you look at their Gallery for some amazing design examples, and also make sure you check out their video how to's.

Martha Stewart:  Don't forget to visit her site for all sorts of interesting ideas.  I have linked to one and thought that one could cut out all sorts of shapes using your Cricut or Slice, add the glue and glitter and make a xmas card/ornament to send out.  You could also cut out words, add the glitter and use to decorate the house.

Make Your Own Mixes:  Make your own mixes and then use your creativity to package these easy and inexpensive gifts.

Glow in the dark Christmas Ornament:  Very interesting idea, I might even try it.

Impress:  Some very cute ideas here for Christmas cards, and they look fairly quick and easy.

Interesting Box:  LOVED this, and while it uses a 6 x 6 square (gives you a small box) I imagine you could do this with 12 x12 paper to get a larger box.  Can't wait to try this.

Treehouse Stamps:  WOW!  Great prices on these unmounted stamps and some really cute designs.  And make sure to visit the $1.00 stamp link, some really cute stamps there as well.

And for your last minute Halloween costume ideas, check out this site for some really funny adult costumes.  I know, off topic, but thought I would throw it in for you.