I forced myself to work with a white card base with this card--so what do I do? I cover it almost completely with paper and ink distress the rest! I love the distressed image panel plus the Martha Stewart glitter, though.


stamps: Hero Arts Bunches of Thankscardstock: PTI and Bazzill Dotted Swiss
 accessories: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 4, Lg Scalloped Circle, Lg Circle

This Snowman Makes Me Happy

I'm gonna quit titling my posts again, because I can't think of anything new! BUT! This snowman sure does make me happy! I used the brush from the HA Snowman Stamp Digikit from 2peas and used the selection tool in Photoshop to remove all of the gradient shading so I'd have a black and white line art image. (I also removed some of the buttons and geegaws that were on his chest.) I then colored the image with Prismacolor and Koh-I-Noor pencils and blended with a Prismacolor Colorless Blender. This is my favorite way to blend colored pencils, and the colorless marker blends teh KIN's like BUTTAH! I fashioned my folded tag from a scrap of red cardstock that was about 3-1/2 inches wide--I slipped one end through the largest Nestabilities Labels 4 (similar to the technique in this post), scored it on my Scor-Pal and rounded the corners on the uncut end. The "closure" is just a half circle adhered with redline tape and embellished with a punched snowflake to camouflage it.


A little detail:



stamps: HA Snowman Stamp (available at 2peas), HA Jolly Christmas
cardstock: Bazzill, Georgia Pacific white for printing
patterned paper: Making Memories
accessories: HA gemstones, Offray ribbon, Nestabilities Labels 4

These cards are both hybrid using more Hero Arts digital kits from Two Peas. I rather like how they've turned out, I'm on a roll with this hybrid stuff. The husband isn't too impressed with the amout of printer ink I'm going through though!






stamps: PTI vintage picnic sentiments, Hero Arts Clings Butterflies
cardstock: PTI
patterned paper: self made collage using HA digital elements
accessories: stash button, string and ribbon, HA gemstones and Spellbinders Shapeabilities Tags Trio

O Holy Night

I purchased this woodmounted Inkadinkado stamp at Michael's last year but I never was satisfied with any of the cards I'd made last year. I was going for a one layer, easy to mass produce stunner and all I got was bleh or messy. So, I put it away until this year. I got my first few Sakura Stardust Jelly Roll pens recently and thought they'd highlight the Holy family quite nicely. I'm happy with how these turned out, even if they aren't stunning.


Some detail:


stamp: 98353-P by Inkadinkado
cardstock: PTI kraft
patterned paper: American Crafts Merrymint 8x8 pack
accessories: Sakura Stardust pens in Red Star, Sky Star and Golden Star, EK Success corner rounder for scallop border

Jolly By Golly

Cosmo Cricket has some of the cutest paper collections I've ever seen. I was off them for awhile, but I couldn't resist this pinky winter wonderland they've got going on in this collection. It's so whimsical and fun, the colors are right up my alley. I paired it with some PTI carstock from my scrap bin, so I'm not entirely sure what colors these are, but they match.





stamps: Tree Trimmings by SU! (are you tired of it yet? too bad), Hero Arts Holiday Messages
cardstock: PTI kraft and colored scraps
patterned paper: Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly  Mini Deck
accessories: Martha Stewart cornice edge punch, ecru crochet cotton, Hero Arts gemstones

Merry Christmas

I'm a little late, but I'm really into making Christmas cards the past few weeks. This is another with my vintage ornaments stamps. I also kinda cased this off of several different cards I found at Splitcoast, I just searched the gallery for "tree trimmings".







stamps: Tree Trimmings from SU!, Hero Arts Holiday Messages
cardstock: PTI kraft, ripe avocado and vintage cream
patterned paper: Making Memories Autumn Splendor
accessories: antique linen and peeled paint distress inks by Ranger, martha stewart cornice edge punch

Another HA Holiday Tags Entry

I love Hero Arts weekly challenges. There are some seriously talented ladies in the Flickr Group, I've learned so much in the past few months from them all. This past week's challenge was to make or use a holiday tag. I did all of the above on the 3 (so far) projects I've made. This is just one of them, and also my least favorite.



stamps: Hero Arts Holiday Messages 
cardstock: PTI Kraft 
patterned paper: Making Memories Sabrina, Be Merry Digikit 
accessories: Marvy purple tag punch (trimmed down), Hero Arts Gemstones, Offray grosgrain ribbon

Hero Arts Holiday Tags Week

Recently, Hero Arts began offering digital images and kits through Two Peas In A Bucket. Many of them are free or super cheap. I think this adorable snowman stamp image was $.99. I recolored it in Photoshop to make it a snowgirl and made a round tag with my Spellbinders Nestabilities and some gorgeous (my last pieces, in fact) double faced satin ribbon from Martha Stewart's collection at Michael's.



Here's a detail shot: stamps: HA Digital Snowman available at 2peas
cardstock: Georgia Pacific white for printing, PTI kraft
patterned paper: 2peas May Freebie
accessories: Martha Stewart double faced satin ribbon, cell phone bling rhinestones, sakura micron pen

Vintage Ornament in 3D D D D

Yeah, that was an echo! I've been on the lookout for some vintage ornament stamps that were the right design, shape and size. I'm not telling you where these came from, I'm too ashamed! (But I ordered them from Leslie Hanna, The Crooked Stamper.) I cased a card from Devlinwhite's Splitcoast Gallery, it's so perfect for this larger ornament stamp. I just wish I'd stamped the ornament in red instead of green. I'll be doing this one up again, for sure.







Here is a detail shot:


stamps: Tree Trimmings by SU!, Hero Arts Jolly Christmas
cardstock: PTI vintage cream and kraft
patterned paper: Snow Kissed Digikit by Betsy Tuma & April Freebie by Crystal Wilkerson (both are free kits available at 2peas)
accessories: Antique Linen Distress Ink and my ranger inking tool, Martha Stewart detail scissors, ecru crochet cotton and some Offray ribbon

How About a Bullet List?

• I ordered a signature stamp from ScribblingClub at Etsy, so cute. It was delivered yesterday, I love it more than very much!
• I won an honorable mention from The Hero Club Blog a few weeks ago for one of my "unexpected" Christmas color combos. They sent me a prize, yo! A background stamp AND a package of gems. Hero Arts is ace. 
• Thanks to stoooopid Black Friday I'm finished with my Christmas shopping. However, I will never go out on stoooooopid Black Friday again, not alone anyway.
• This has been a very short bullet list. 
• Sorry.
  

Congrats x 2

My mom works for the local police department and one of her cops announced that he had a baby on the way. It is my mom's tradition to make a handmade crocheted baby shawl for every new bundle of joy. Her cop friend came to her a few weeks after announcing that he and his wife were expecting to let Mom know that she'd have to make two baby afghans. This tickled my mom pink, literally. She showed me the two baby shawls yesterday and ordered a card. I knew exactly what I'd do!

I used an Inkadinkado set (shown here)and performed a bit of surgery on the onesie stamp. I love how it all came together, it's so over the top, just like having twins is going to be!

stamps: Inkadinkado Little Cupcake  
cardstock: PTI vintage cream
patterned paper: Making Memories Sabrina 6x6 pad 
embellishments: Heidi Grace alpha rubons by Fiskars, Offray ribbon, sticky back pearls 
tools: Nestabilities, redline tape

More Glitter

Here is another card for last week's Hero Club Challenge. I love the color scheme, and my new Snowflake Circle cling stamp.

Hero Club Challenge: Glitter

Now, this is a challenge I can get into. I love the bling and the glitz, especially on holiday cards. I made this Christmas card today for this challenge with my new Hero Arts Clings--trippple love that Flourish Background! (Click the image for the recipe.) And a close up:

Gift Set

My friend Donna wanted a gift set of all occasion cards for her mom, for a gift--we went back and forth for, like, a year about what, how many and when. Finally this year she decided she wanted a set of 12 and we picked paper. But she kept changing her mind--always coming back to my favorite Anna Griffin pattern, the retro sheets set pattern that I use ALL. THE. TIME! Well, all I have left are scraps, people, zero full sheets left! I'm sad.

I made the cards assembly line fashion yesterday. My children were fascinated by 12 of everything laying out on my work table. I used way more embellishments than I had originally intended, but I love the end result.

I stamped with Versamark onto the vintage cream cardstock circles with an AllNight Media woodgrain background, added the die cut patterned paper (I slipped only one end through the largest Nestabilities Label 4) and a strip embossed with the dotted embossing border folder from the Cuttlebug Just My Type set. The focal image is a white embossed butterfly from a Martha Stewart Heat Embossing kit (I purchased this kit for the tree stamp and have so far only used the butterflies), and punched it with a 1-1/2" circle and layered that onto more Nestabilities scalloped circles and labels 4. I stamped a smaller butterfly from the set on two different colors of card stock and white embossed those as well and cut them out (what a job, gah). I stamped various phrases from PTI's Vintage Picnic Sentiments onto strips of vintage cream and cut the end with my square punch to resemble a banner. Finally, I added sticky back pearls in three sizes aaaaaaaaaaaall over.

This reminds me of a book my mom had when I was a kid--the woodgrain in versamark on cream card stock is so faux bois and retro and along with this floral--LOVE! I hope Donna's mom loves them too.

I created a box to hold them all and decorated it to coordinate. I don't want to talk about the box--the box nearly did me in.

Another Unexpected Christmas Card

These scraps of Martha Stewart patterned paper were sitting by my paper cutter, taunting me. I purchased this cute tree stamp at Michaels today and decided to use it with the birthday themed paper for another Unexpected Xmas card for the Hero Club Challenge. I used distress inks in Fired Brick, Worn Lipstick and Spiced Marmalade to stamp the 3 trees onto a scrap of PTI Vintage Cream card stock. I used Nestabilities and scraps of PTI for my layers and sentiment tag and some Offray grosgrain in bright orange. The sentiment is from Hero Arts Jolly Christmas clear set. I decorated my trees with a mixture of rhinestones from Michaels Recollections brand and some cellphone bling I found at Wal*Mart.

As I finished up the card this afternoon, one of my Facebook friends updated her status with this:

"5yr old boy named Noah Biorkman is in the last stages of a 2 1/2yr battle with Neuroblastoma Cancer. The family is celebrating Christmas NEXT WEEK and Noah's request is to get lots of Christmas cards. Let’s get him some! Please send cards to: Noah Biorkman, 1141 Fountain View Circle, South Lyon, MI 48178 Let’s see how many cards we can get to this little guy, Thank You! PLEASE REPOST THIS TO YOUR STATUS TODAY!"

 And I decided that I must have been making this card for Noah. It will go in the mail tomorrow. I hope some of you will decide to send the Biorkman's a Christmas card this week too.

Christmas Shaker

Here's another shaker card I made. It's actually the first one I put together, it's for this week's Hero Club Challenge: Unexpected Christmas Colors. All cardstock is PTI and all stamps are Hero Arts. I used Nestabilities for my shaker frame and bugle beads and Martha Stewart glitter for the shake-y stuff.

I also want to let you guys know that there's a new Silhouette blog with a new design team. One of the design team members is none other than Erin Lincoln! I'm so excited about that. They are pushing for 500 followers and giving away a $50 download card if they reach their goal by Monday.
  

Birthday Shaker Card

I made this card for a friend and actually sent it in. the. mail. today. I know, what's up with that? Today is her birthday, actually, so it's going to be slightly belated...ok, totally belated. I, the cardmaker, am always always late with the greeting cards. I never even sent my Christmas cards last year--dodged that bullet this year, because they're so ready to go hanging in a bag in the pantry. Oh yes, I will. 

I loosely followed a video tutorial from StampTV's Gina K for the shaker. I always thought shaker cards were over-doing it, but recently I've had the urge. And Gina K made it look so easy. Part 1 of her tutorial is below:

A Week, Really?

 Time got away from me, I guess. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to get inspired. I sometimes feel as though I'm only creating for this blog and nobody reads it so why do I bother? Meh, I should just get over it and create for ME, right?

Friday we took the kids to the zoo for trick-or-treating and they had a blast! We'll definitely be doing that again next year.

Cards Blog Weekly Challenge

Northridge Media's Cards Magazine has a blog and that blog has a weekly challenge. This week's challenge was collage-y with loooooooooots of white space...I couldn't stop! I used up a pile of scraps and punches and just went nuts. I love them all!


HA Jolly Christmas sentiment, EK Success scalloped edge punch, Cuttlebug oval postage stamp die, Nestabilities Labels 4, basicGrey and Making Memories scraps, solid cardstock from Archiver's


HA artistic windows bg, white craft ink, circle punch, cuttlebug embossing folder, quickutz cork, making memories, archiver's and PTI paper scraps, ek success edge punch, recollections flat backed pearls


AmyR autumn sentiments stamp, stash buttons, making memories chloes closet and ledger paper, basic Grey lemonade, archiver's solid cardstock, ball fringe and crochet cotton, quickutz cork, martha stewart edge punch, ek success notebook edge punch

amyr autumn sentiments, stash buttons, basic grey lemonade, making memories ledger paper and chloe's closet, archiver's solid cardstock, ball fringe and crochet cotton, ek success scallop and notebook edge punches

all card bases are PTI

Not A Creature Was Stirring...

This adorable image is a from Mo's Digital Pencil, it's called Not Even a Mouse. I love his little teabag pillow.

Are you tired of the Making Memories Deck the Halls paper yet? Yeah, me neither! HA! I found this paper at Tuesday Morning recently and it was such a steal! 25 12x12 sheets of each for only 2.99. I'll never run out of it, NEVERRRRRRRR.

I colored this little guy with my pencils, a mix of Koh I Nor and Prismacolor and I've been blending them (when appropriate due to inks and such) with a Prismacolor Colorless Blender. Works like a dream with the Koh I Nor's, actually. I've been using Copics for my fleshtones though and I did so here for my mousey.


stamps: Not Even a Mouse from Mo's Digital Pencil
cardstock: GP white, red card base
patterned paper: Making Memories Deck the Halls collection
ink: printer, Copic
tools: Spellbinders Shapeabilities Ribbon Tags Trio, Nestabilities Large Rectangles, EK Success Corner rounder, Martha Stewart Double Scallop edge punch

Here's a Tutorial OR Why I Love My Scor-Pal

Here's a quickie (sorta) tutorial for a giftcard holder and coordinating envelope. The finished size of the giftcard holder is 4x4, but I got the math wrong on the envelope and it's not a perfect square. Naturally, I got the math wrong.** LOL It still looks sharp.

If you have any questions, feel free to address them in the comments or email me at the address in my sidebar. Click to view full-size photos.







**cut this at 5-1/2 x 10 for a 4-1/2 square envelope

Hello, Pumpkin!

I have developed a 'thing' for pumpkins this year. This stamp is from Michael's $1 bin and I love it bad. I stamped with Versamark and embossed with detail white twice, water colored with distress inks and cut them out. I love the boldness of the white line on kraft cardstock. I added my favorite AmyR Autumn sentiment and here you go.



stamps: Recollections wood mounted pumpkin, AmyR Autumn Sentiments
ink: Versamark, Distress Peeled Paint and Orange Marmalade
cardstock: PTI Kraft
patterned paper: Recollections Autumn mat pad
tools: Spellbinders Labels 4, Cuttlebug

More Hero Club Paper Piecing

I made these cards for the paper piecing challenge on the Hero Club Blog from last week. I told you I was paper piecing crazy lately! I love this little frog from the Be Jolly Clear Design set, so cute!

It's really more of a paper tole technique, since the elements are popped up and layered--I think it is, maybe. It looks cute anyway.

I did the same layout on both, but I stamped different backgrounds and I left one clean and distressed one with Antique Linen and my inking tool.



stamps: Hero Arts Be Jolly & Artistic Windows
cardstock: PTI Kraft
patterned paper: Making Memories Deck the Halls Collection 12x12
ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Versamark
tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities Large Circles & Large Scalloped Circles, Martha Stewart Precision Scissors
embellishments: vintage button, Offray chocolate ribbon


stamps: Hero Arts Be Jolly & Holiday Messages
cardstock: PTI Kraft
patterned paper: Making Memories Deck the Halls Collection 12x12
ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Versamark, Ranger Distress Antique Linen
tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities Large Circles & Large Scalloped Circles, Martha Stewart Precision Scissors, Tim Holtz inking tool with foam
embellishments: vintage button, crochet cotton, Stampendous detail white embossing powder

Hero Club Challenge: Paper Piecing

The Hero Club Challenge for last week was paper piecing, as I mentioned in my previous post. I love paper piecing, saves me from coloring.

I used Sweet Kiki Larue from All That Scraps along with a sentiment from Hero Arts Clear Design Elephants. I think Kiki's hair is adorable and I love the pearls on her shoes. Here are two versions for you to enjoy. (LOL)


stamps: sweet kiki larue, hero arts clear design elephants
ink: Ranger Distress Walnut Stain, copic E00
cardstock: PTI stamper's select white
patterned paper: making memories chloe's closet 6x6 pad and 8x8 collection pack, recollections autumn mat stack
tools: Nestabilities Large Rectangles, Martha Stewart detail scissors
accessories: vintage button, Offray ribbon, ranger glossy accents, Koh-I-Nor pencils blended with Prismacolor colorless blender, recollections half-back sticky pearls



stamps: sweet kiki larue, hero arts clear design elephants
ink: Ranger Distress Walnut Stain, copic E00
cardstock: PTI stamper's select white
patterned paper: basic grey lemonade, recollections autumn mat stack
tools: Nestabilities Large Rectangles, Martha Stewart detail scissors
accessories: vintage button, Offray ribbon, ranger glossy accents, Koh-I-Nor pencils blended with Prismacolor colorless blender, recollections half-back sticky pearls

Hey, Is This Thing Still On?

I have not forgotten that this blog exists. I promise. I am just lazy...and entirely too involved in the internet! I've recently cut down on the forums I read and I deleted my Twitter the other day. I'm considering deleting my Facebook profile as well, but I have family members there and maybe I shouldn't?

I've made a ton of cards today, though, look...

This card is for the Anyone For Anya Weekly Challenge: Perfect Paper Piecing (LOVE LOVE that DawnyP!). (Incidentally, the Hero Club Challenge for last week was also paper piecing, so I've been kinda in a paper piecing groove--those cards are up on my Flickr Photostream).

I love this set by the Greeting Farm and I was greatly inspired to paper piece her--again, it's honestly all I've ever managed to do with her. But she was drawn to be paper pieced, don't you think?


stamps: Pretty Hat Anya by The Greeting Farm
ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
cardstock: PTI Vintage Cream, GP White
patterned paper: Anna Griffin (pink and yellow floral), basic Grey (pink solid-ish), Making Memories (boho chic houndstooth and ledger 8x8)
accessories: Recollections half-back pearls, Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Four & Shapeabilities Ribbon Slide Trio, Offray ribbon, E.K. Success Notebook edge punch, Koh-I-Nor pencils and Goo Gone for blending, Copic E00 for fleshtone

!!

Erin Lincoln is blogging again! I can't even put into words how excited I am...I've missed her so.

I Have a Bone to Pick With The Nestabilities People!

I have a deep and abiding love for Spellbinder Nestabilities, don't get me wrong. I would slap a Labels One on every card I made if I didn't think YOU guys would get bored and unfollow me!

So when I had the chance to pick up Labels Four with a discount, I jumped on that bad boy with a quickness. Imagine my surprise when they arrived on my doorstep. Now, the largest die in the set IS smaller than I expected, but it IS rectangular so it's a reasonable size. But the smallest....



...that is seriously useless! It's not even an inch in either direction, and the detail of the brackets is LOST!

Admittedly, my PTI Mixed Messages sentiments will nearly all fit on the thing, but really...really? Spellbinders!



I'm not off Nestabilities by any means, I'd never have been able to collect punches in all these sizes in less than two years or at this price point. I'll still buy the ones I like, for sure. I guess I'm just disappointed...


ps...that gorgeous santa stamp is from Rubber Stampede and I'm considering his marriage proposal as we speak...don't tell Mr. Pink Mexico.

My Final All That Scraps Guest Designer Feature

I'm sad to see September end, I had a great time being a part of All That Scraps this month. The realease was huge and beautiful and it really gave me an itch to be on a design team full time. Deadlines and a purpose really motivate me to create.

Amy chose my two personal favorites from my submissions to feature yesterday on my final day on the blog.

I used PTI kraft cardstock for the tiny 3 x 3 one layer card. I stamped in Tim Holtz Distress Inks and also colored the pumpkins with distress inks. I made 5 or 6 versions of this card before I was satisfied--I used the same layout for the stamping/masking on each, but I colored in different parts. This version with the pumpkins POPPING was my favorite. And now I have 5 other versions to send for Thanksgiving greetings (like that's gonna happen, sha).




This card is also a ton of stamping, masking and coloring in with distress inks. I had to put Emma and Trevor on a card together! This card is 5.5 x 5.5--larger with the over hanging sentiment. I love how it came out with the soft warm tans and oranges.

Thanks Amy and Christine, I've had a blast designing for All That Scraps this month. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the opportunity.

Mondays are MINE this month...

...but I didn't get around to posting my ATS Monday Guest Designer Spotlight until today. Sorry about that.

I really did have so much fun (still having!) creating projects with the ATS September release. Fall is my favorite time of year, especially in Kentucky. The leaves have already started changing this year due to an unusually mild Summer.


This card features Swiss Pixie Pippi in all her pumkin-ness and AmyR's Autumn Sentiments. I loved exploring watercoloring with Tim Holtz Distress Inks by Ranger. The warm orangey tones along with the PTI Ripe Avocado cardstock make me so happy. I used patterned paper and coordinating gems from Michael's Recollections brand. I also used my Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots EF, Nestabilities and an EK Success (aren't they all, really? HA) border bunch to accessorize and embellish my card.

I've got one more Monday feature as September's Guest Designer for All That Scraps; I'm so thankful to have been invited to create with them this month.

Has Anyone Seen My Mojo?

I know, where are the cards!?! I can't be arsed to photograph them, and in fact, I ripped one up COMPLETELY--there was nothing salvageable PEE REE UDD.

So, I placed an order for some stuff! Maybe my inspiration faerie is in the box with it?

I ordered some new nestabilities, a Scor-Pal, some CC Designs stamps and some odds and ends from ATS. I told you they have everything everything everything--and free shipping if you spend more than $50. And of course I did!

If I can't be inspired by new goodies, then I may be a goner.