Wednesday, December 31, 2025

The Best of 2025

What a year it has been! 

For us personally, we never would have dreamed that this year Carl's brother would have been murdered, that Carl would have both hips replaced or that I would agree to acupuncture for pain relief knowing my fear of needles just to name a few.  How TRULY GRATEFUL we are to God for his abundant Grace to get us through LIFE each and every day!  While we are looking forward to 2026, we aren't praying for a better year, but for strength and courage to handle what is already laid out for our lives next year.  This is my prayer for you also. 

Now on to my pick for the top card image for each month.  With about half of the total amount for the year, it sure made it a lot easier to pick for most of the months! 



The Best of 2025!




March

April

May

June

July

August




November

December

Which one is your favorite?

Thank you for visiting and commenting here on my blog and on my Facebook and other social entries.  Your comments touch my heart and I am grateful. 

Here's to more crafting, coloring and card making in 2026! I hope you'll be joining me.

Pam's Pearls


Monday, December 29, 2025

Moondrea Designs

Sliding in an extra Christmas design for the December Progressive Challenge from Moondrea Designs, with 'Teddy2'.  


Be sure to check our their Progressive Challenge each month on their Facebook page ~ Moondrea Designs!  

Now I have my first Christmas card for the 2026 stash! 

Pam's Pearls

I will be entering this card in the following challenges: 

Moondrea Designs ~ December Facebook Challenge  

C.R.A.F.T ~ Challenge 770  

Creative Knockouts ~ Dec 18th ~ Tis the Season  

Addicted to Stamps ~ Challenge 507


Thursday, December 25, 2025

Merry Stampscape Christmas

My dear friend Lisa gave us another lesson in using Stampscape stamps this past summer at Stamp Camp. I loved the projects we made and was determined to do more with them when I got home.  Then a month goes by, then three months, and more.... I know you've never done this right?

At one point I did get the supplies out and inked up a few of the stamps - with the wrong ink!  What a mess that adventure was!

But finally in November I got my act together after coming across one of the example cards* that I really liked and that I had all the stamps for.    It wasn't too complicated and I could add a little color here and there and have my Christmas cards.  

Here's  the 15 finished cards.  No two are the same and I don't think there will be any more like these.  They were made for special friends and a few extras. 




These are step by step instructions requested by a couple of my friends.  I am not an expert, just a beginner and this is just the way I made this card. 

For these I used a 4" x 6" glossy photo paper rectangle and Memento Ink ~ Summer Sky, Bamboo Leaves.  New Sprout and Versa Clair Nocturne.

Start by using the ink pad and lightly rubbing clouds across the top edge of the photo paper, coming down about one inch.


Next Stamp Pine Row (150E) with the Summer Sky, and stamp a row down about 1 1/2" from the top.


Repeat still using the row of Trees, but use the Bamboo Leaves, stamping down about 1/2" from top of the trees, 


Repeat the row of trees stamping one more time, this time using New Sprout and stamp between the blue and green previous stamps. 


For the snowy hillside , we're going to use a water pattern stamp (231C) and the Summer Sky ink.  Stamp rows with the water pattern, going across- from the header of trees, to the bottom of the card.


Stampscape 196F Pine Tree is the next stamp to be used.  Stamp with the Bamboo Leaves first, followed by the New Sprout.  

Stamp one green tree to the left of center, and a second green tree a little shorter and to the right edge.  Use the Bamboo Leaves first then the New Sprout, stamped slightly off the first image. 



You ca also put a washi tape mask on the bottom of the tall pine to help with stamping just the top of the tree.


For the third tree I used Versa Clair Nocturne and stamped the Pine tree in the center at least 3/4" from the center bottom of the card front.  Then you can stamp over it with the Bamboo Spring to fill in some the foliage  At this point you can also add in a small animal if you'd like.  I selected the Bear (167A) and the Buck (008A) and used each on separate cards..


The next part is optional.   I used an angle brush and filled in some of the blue snowy shadows under each of the tree with the memento summer sky ice.


and also filled in some of the background with the Bamboo Leaves.


I used Catherine Pooler, Gingerbread ink to add tree bases and shadows.


Then I added snow with the white galaxy marker and added the metallic tree ornaments with magenta/pink and royal blue gel markers.

I added a black liner mat and then a mauve mat to each card front then mounted on the 5" x 7" card base.  Inside each card is a computer generated sticker that reads 
"Thinking of you a Christmas!"

I hope you are having a very Merry Christmas Day! 

Pam's Pearls


I will be entering this card in the following challenges:





Products:

Stampscapes, Log Cabin Set


* Idea reference card  ~ Darsie Bruno, 2007



Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Alpha Y ~Which Snowman are YOU and Alpha Z ~ ZigZag Snowflkae Border

Christmas Eve Day ~ a special day for my family as our tradition is to celebrate today at my Dad's and then each family will go to their respective churches for Candlelight Services.

We'll be missing part of our family, my nephew and his family live in AZ. But we'll facetime with them around the room and are grateful for that technology.  

My Alpha Y Christmas card is the one I sent to this family of five, asking Which Snowman are YOU?  I made this card by taking five different snowmen from Beccy's Place and lining them up (squeezed them in ) since there are 5 of them.  Didn't it turn out super cute! 

The last Alpha card is Z ~ I've used All Dressed Up's, My Little Elf and added a Zig Zag Border.  I love using the magenta color at Christmas time. 


I hope you've enjoyed my sharing of the cards through the alphabet.  I have one more special on tomorrow, so please come back again.

Merry Christmas Eve ~  

Pam's Pearls




Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Half Year Birthday

I'm sure anyone who has or had a family member with a birthday near Christmas has heard of or celebrated half year birthdays!

Today is my very special friend Linda's "for real birthday". We celebrated the first half back in July.  It's a lot of fun for both of us  ~ so if you have a friend who's birthday falls in this December Christmas seasonal window, consider surprising them next July with a 'half birthday celebration'!!!

Linda loves many things and among those things are gnomes and the color purple.  What better combination for her real birthday card! 



The image is 'Gnome with Birthday Cake' and is from Lee Holland Art.

The inside is a stamped image from Stampin' Up,  Big Wishes set.  I used My Favorite Things, 'Elegant Stitched Stax' die set throughout the card design.




 Thanks for stopping by to see what I've been coloring.  Join me in wishing my friend a very Happy Birthday! 

Happy Birthday Linda! 

Pam's Pearls

I'll be entering this card in the following challenges: 

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends ~ Challenge 268  

Creative Fingers ~ Challenge 313  

Creative Inspiration ~ Challenge 33

Copics:

Cake & Icing: Y21, Y20, V12, V15, V17, Candles: E2, BG45, BG49,  Flame: R14, Hands: YG95, Arms and Shoes: YG91, YG93, YG95, Hill: G95, Background: BV00,  Inside  Candles: V12, V15, V17


Products: 

Lee Holland Art, Gnome with Birthday Cake

Stampin' Up, Big Wishes

My Favorite Things, Elegant Stitched Stax

W ~ Gold Wired Lantern and X ~ XOXO

W ~ Gold Wired Lantern

December 23 ~ Alpha W


I think I ended up with four cards that would work for Alpha W but this one was a 'new to me' image.  It was a free image from Beccy's Place before she closed the digital part of her business. 

I colored the WIRED part of the lantern a golden shade of gold / bronze and used lavender and yellow as the accent colors.  After adding the double mats and securing to the yellow card base,  I added small enamel dots for the flower centers to complete the design.



Tis the season - 

Alpha X ~ XOXO

Love this cute little Whimsy Stamps 'Snowman with Bird' stamp.  I added a vellum Christmas tree for the background and a tiny sign with the alpha x - 'XOXO' , and the acetate Merry little Christmas!  Of course, colored in my favorite color Purple! 



Pam's Pearls

 

Monday, December 22, 2025

V ~ Vintage Santa & Vertical Music Slimline

V ~ Vintage Santa & Vertical Music Slimline

December 22 ~ Alpha V


Another two card day - first I'm sharing a vintage Santa from BoBunny Stamps ~ 'Holly Jolly'.  I love the non traditional colors and the extra end piece of the die that I cut to add the snowflake brad.



The second card is from Studio Light, 'Grunge Lantern' which is a very long stamp,  It a perfect stamp for a slimline or could be trimmed at the top or bottom for a regular size card.  Collage images like this are fun to color and add different media elements for the different layers of the designs.


 Do you enjoy making slimline cards?

Pam's Pearls

Sunday, December 21, 2025

U ~ USPS ~ Dear Santa

U ~ USPS ~ Dear Santa

December Twenty-first ~ Alpha U  

For my Alpha U card, I started with the three miniature post cards, knowing they would work for the U but unsure what to do with them.  

Flipping through my stamps, I ran across this older Whimsy Stamp with Santa and though they would be perfect with him and his special reindeer.  The stamp is 'Jingle Bells Three' drawn by Crissy Armstrong.


How about you? Nice or Naughty?

Pam's Pearls
 

Saturday, December 20, 2025

T ~ Three Trees and a Snowman

 T ~ Three Trees & a Snowman

December 20th ~ Alpha T

I think this was my 'surprise' stamp this year.  It is one I've had  a couple of years and it never made it to the ink and paper.  But it did this year and I loved it so much I made several!

The other surprise is it's an Our Daily Bread stamp - Snowman.  No scripture - which of course isn't on all of theirs but this being an older stamp, most had scripture.  Love the way it stamps and how well the trees filled in when colored.



We're getting close to the end....

Pam's Pearls

Friday, December 19, 2025

S ~ Snow Good Sledding

S ~ Snow Good Sledding

December 20th ~ Alpha S


Today's Alpha S card was a fun card I made with a new stamp from Colorado Crafts.  Hope you were lucky enough to get in on some of their amazing sales in the last couple of months!  

This image is from 'Snow Good Sledding' a perfect title for the stamp!



 Is snow sledding something you get to do in the winter where you live?

Pam's Pearls

Thursday, December 18, 2025

The Man in RED Pants

 R ~ Red Pants and Rolled List

T 18 ~ Alpha R

This card is quite different than the others I made, and you may have remembered seeing it post on the Classic Design Challenge Blog as my Design Team Card.  I used it for my Alpha R challenge card on Beccy's place also.

It's different because of the background.  This is a digital background that I sized and printed.  The Santa with his ROLLED list of good girls and boys is a Dr. Digi image, 'Naughty or Nice'.  It was sized to fit the background then colored and fussy cut to fit back into the design. I added the red plaid strips at the top and bottom to ground the photo and to have a spot to add the Dear Santa Claus sticker that I used as the header.


Which list are you on this year... Naughty or Nice?????

Pam Pearls 


Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Q ~ Quick Figure 8

Q ~ Quick Figure 8

December 17 ~ Alpha Q

The alpha Q isn't an easy one to come up with.  Although Beccy has this down to a science and a library of words for each letter of the alphabet!  

I've used All Dressed Up stamps digital image 'Skater Girl' for my Quick Figure 8 for this letter. 

I used My Favorite Things, Stitched Scallop Basic Edgers die to cut right below the image and also to cut the burgundy mat about 1/4" which was placed below the colored image.  I added the floral patterned paper across the bottom and a preprinted sentiment near the bottom to complete the card.



 Pam's Pearls

Be The Light

 It's Finally Here!


Word Art Wednesday's Annual Christmas Blog Hop 

If you are just popping in here first then you're probably a bit surprised to see you are at the END of the line up for this event ~ but no worries...  we have you covered to continue right back to the top of the lineup of blogs to put your comments in. 

Unity Stamp Company is our sponsor for this Blog Hop and there are lots of prizes! 

First let's look at our featured scripture which comes from Psalm 119 verse 105. 
You are welcome to right click on the scripture and save to your files for future use, here from my blog or from the Word Art Wednesday blog.

For my Design Team card, I selected Unity Stamps, Be The Light by artist Phyllis Harris, to illustrate with this scripture. 


To make this card, I stamped the image and colored her with Copic markers, then fussy cut and set her aside.  I used a background piece from my Stamp Camp 2023 stash.  We used NOVO Shimmer Powders over a white embossed snowflake stamp to make the bright wintery piece.  

After trimming and attaching to the yellow card base, I added the coordinating purple 1 1/2" strip across the bottom and the die cut printed scripture.  This stamp set comes with an arched stamp that says 'Be The Light'  but with this busy background, I needed a header title that went straight across.  I die cut the computer generated title with a similar shaped die, secured it across the top of the card design and added a 1/4" purple strip to cover the edge and to tie it in with the bottom purple strip. 

I love the glow of the candle reflecting on her face and body.  Isn't that the way we are when we allow God to be our light, to lead our feet and guide our path. 

Thank you for stopping by today to see what I've been coloring. Be sure to comment for your chance to win one of our Blog Hop prizes!

 Our monthly prize for this special Annual Christmas Blog Hop includes two $25 gift certificates from Unity Stamps.  In addition, our Admin for Word Art Wednesday will be drawing from the comments for a winner for the Close to my Heart, 'A Cup of Cheer' stamp set.  As an additional Merry Christmas prize, I will also be randomly drawing one winner from the comments for my prize package of Our Daily Bread, 'Brocade Background' and Unity Stamps, 'Saved'.






As I mentioned earlier, I'm the final stop on this fun blog hop if you've been working through the Word Art Wednesday Design Team List.  You can head back to Word Art Wednesday to check to be sure you've commented on all the posted cards.  


Blog Hop Line-Up:

Merry Christmas ~ Pam's Pearls

I'll be entering this card in the following challenges: 






Copics:

Hat: N3, R81, R83, Hair, E21, E23, E25, E27, Coat: G16, G09, G03, B06, B66, B63, Scarf: R56, RV34, RV63 Mug: R59, Candle: Y18, Pants: N0, N3, N4 

Products: 




Unity Stamps,  Be The Light