It's Feeling a Lot Like Christmas!

 Hello Peeps! How is everyone faring with the holidays? I'm getting there but not quite done with my cards yet....just when I thought I was ahead...

 First up I'll share a few more pics of Cape May (continued from my last post):

 this restaurant sits across the street from the harbor just over the bridge leading into Cape May

 This was the first time in 25 years we decided to try this restaurant known to be a place where the locals love to hang out. And it did not disappoint!

 This is just part of the menu:

 They have a wonderful wood burning fireplace:

 which I would have LOVED to sit by but hubby said he'd roast :(

 Bill says "hi" to our T Stands For Tuesday peeps-lol!

 Hubby chose their gourmet burger and I had the crab and shrimp patty on a brioche bun. Yum- hardly any fillers! He had a beer and I had a sauvignon blanc and we both had water too. The waitress was very sweet and friendly. We loved the atmosphere, the restaurant area and the bar area too and will definitely come back even though it's on the outer edge of town. Our lovely waitress surprised us with this at the end of our meal:

                     two complimentary hot chocolate shots!

 Now for the art part of my post. First I want to share these lovely handmade gifts one of my BFFS surprised  us with when the 4 of us got together recently:

 She made whisks filled with Hershey Kisses, and aprons made from vintage fabric her mother gave her!! I love this cheerful apron.

 Not long ago I won some prizes from online challenges. Well, my Ranger surprise pkg. arrived:

 It was a very generous gift of a set of Dina Wakley's new washi tapes, watercolor papers and background collage papers!! I kept the packing tape to use in my art journal:):) I also received my three new brushes from Painting With Jane (which I ordered during a special sale) and can't wait to have the time to use them!

 I used the new Dina washi tapes to make a money holder meant for the Simon Wednesday Challenge (Wrap It Up):

 I simply put the tapes across a large tag, sewed around the edges, folded it as shown, added embroidery floss to the spine to hold the money, and embellished with dimensional sparkly stickers. I will also link to Moo Mania for the theme of "trees".

 For the new Simon Monday Challenge (Warm Winter Wishes) and Try It on Tuesday (Winter Wonderland) I made a trio of ATCs:

 There's a close up of one at the top of my post and here's another:

 and you want to know how I made the dimensional snow???

with this: 

 I don't have a stencil that in any way resembles falling snow so I made my own by using two different sized hole punches on a piece of cardboard. I used white embossing paste thru the "stencil" and was quite pleased with the outcome!  Other products- acrylic paints, washi tapes (Recollections), glitter tree stickers (Michaels), Tim Holtz Small Talk Occasions stickers, and a white gel pen.

 Finally, for Art Journal Journey hosted this month by Bleubeard and Elizabeth with the theme of "Tis The Season or My Favorite Season" I have this journal page:

 a very simple cut and paste using patterned paper, a quote from a magazine, red marker, and a photo I cut from and old Christmas card.

 I will also link later in the week to Paint Party Friday. Have a super week ahead everyone, and thanks for your visits!

                       " Winter can be so cold with nothing to warm-

                        bask in the sweet memories of your life

                        and you will then be warm."      Linda Kunsman