Merry and Bright with Spots

I won this new Moonlight Whispers Merry image in a recent Kraftin' Kimmie challenge. I put her to use for this week’s Kraftin' Kimmie challenge to use polka dots in your creation.

I colored Merry and her yummy-looking turkey with Copic markers and carefully cut her out. The heart on her apron is covered with Stickles for just a little glitz and sparkle.

The rest of the card is simple. I used two coordinating papers from KaiserCraft’s Christmas Carnival line, including one with polka dots, for the panels on the pink card base. Each is matted with white to set it off a little from the cardfront without adding any more colors to the mix. I stamped the “merry and bright” sentiment on a piece of pink grosgrain ribbon that was notched at one end. It’s attached across the striped panel. Merry is layered on to the card with some foam tape.

Materials Used:
Moonlight Whispers Merry (Kraftin Kimmie Stamps); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Pink Pirouette cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Christmas Carnival designer paper (KaiserCraft); Ruby Slippers Glitz Stickles (Ranger); pink grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); foam tape

Viva la Verve Trio

In between reorganizing my stamping space (and rescuing crafting supplies from the sneaky, stealthy, stealing Chloe the cutie puppy's mouth) and relaxing over the long holiday weekend, I finished the final three sketches from this month's Viva la Verve sketch/inspiration challenges. Here they are, week by week.

I used the sketch from week 3 to make a masculine thank you card. I was inspired by the photo of the mostly gray scarf with the green leaf accent at its side.

I started with a leaf patterned paper from Basic Grey’s Marjolaine line and used that to cover most of my gray card base. I used another pattern from the Marjolaine line for the long panel that runs down the right side of the card. I cut a solid gray circle to slip behind the long paper strip and the image panel. The circle is accented with some paper piercing along the edges.

I used one of the leafy images from Verve’s Autumn Splendor set for the focal image. The stripes in the leaf image are similar to the stripes in the leaves on the patterned paper, so it seemed to be a good match. I stamped the leafy branch in avocado ink on a pale green panel and added the “thank you” sentiment in gray beneath the leaf. To keep with the masculine feel, a strip of gray grosgrain ribbon, knotted at the side of the card, is the only embellishment.

Materials Used:
Autumn Splendor stamp set (Verve Stamps); Ripe Avocado and Smokey Shadow inks, Spring Moss and Smokey Shadow cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Moonlit Fog cardstock (Gina K Designs); Marjolaine designer paper (Basic Grey); circle die (Nestabilities); gray grosgrain ribbon (Michaels)

My cards for week 4 and week 5’s sketches are more seasonal in nature. This one for week 4 strays from the sketch just a little, but I really like the result. It’s inspired by the photo of the red, moss, and cream vintage ribbon bundle. I used Verve’s Sweet Scallop Tag die and coordinating outline stamp for one of the panels on the cardfront. I stamped the outline in olive ink and added the seasonal sentiment from Snowflake Splendor in Riding Hood Red ink. The top of the tag’s dressed up with red grosgrain ribbon and a matching button.

Instead of creating another panel for next to the tag, I replaced it with a felt snowflake. I generally don’t have a lot of use for red snowflakes, so I was glad to find a place where one worked so nicely. To tie the snowflake in with the tag, I added a similar button embellishment at the center.

The rest of the card is pretty simple. A kraft scallop edged strip runs across the cardfront. It’s dotted with some Bisque Liquid Pearls for shimmer and sparkle. A piece of cream satin ribbon runs along the top of the kraft panel.

Materials Used:
Sweet Scallop Tag and Snowflake Splendor stamp sets, Sweet Scallop Tag die (Verve Stamps); Riding Hood Red and Old Olive ink, Mellow Moss, Very Vanilla, and Crumb Cake cardstock, Real Red grosgrain ribbon, felt snowflake, scallop edge punch (Stampin’ Up!); Harvest Holiday matstack (Cloud 9); cream satin ribbon, buttons (Michaels); twine (Papertrey Ink); Bisque Liquid Pearls (Ranger)

Week 5’s card is a fun, whimsical one inspired by the colors of one of the bottles of lotion. I loved the bright pinks along with the green and incorporated that into my design.

I randomly stamped three different sized snowflake images from Verve’s Snowflake Splendor set in three different colors of ink on a shimmery white circle. A trio of small clear crystals is attached to the left side of the circle as a simple accent. I set the circle on a darker pink card base, then ran a strip of soft pink cardstock, accented with a satin ribbon, along the right side of the circle, covering part of it.

The “season’s greetings” sentiment is stamped in dark pink ink on another shimmery white panel. I layered it on a light green panel for contrast against the pink, then set it on the card. After attaching the sentiment panel, I thought the card still needed something, so I added a matching pink satin bow. Perfect!

Materials Used:
Snowflake Splendor stamp set (Verve Stamps); Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, and Spring Moss inks, Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, and Spring Moss cardstock (Papertrey Ink); shimmery white cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); circle dies (Spellbinders); pink satin ribbon (Michaels); clear crystals (Studio 18); Bow Easy

Whee!

The challenge for this month’s My Favorite Things guest designer contest was to create a project with some kind of stitching on it. I made a little framed scene featuring one of the Pure Innocence cuties as the focal image, stitching on both paper and fabric to put the project together.

I stamped the girl on a swing image from the Start the Day with Whee! set and colored her in with Copic markers. Once she was colored, I set her aside and started work on the scene.

I used a piece of light blue cardstock as the base. For the grass, I added a piece of green grid patterned paper at the bottom and zig zag stitched it in place with my sewing machine. I used my Big Shot, some felt, and the cloud and sun Die-Namics dies to cut pieces to fill the sky. Once they were arranged on the blue base, I stitched them in place, too. A little hint for you about this—I used tiny pieces of ScorTape to hold the felt in place so I could stitch and secure it. I free-hand cut both the tree top and the cork tree trunk. The trunk’s attached with ScorTape and the tree top is again stitched in place.

After the scene was assembled, I added the little girl to the picture. She’s attached with foam tape for some dimension. I stamped the set’s sentiment on a green panel and attached it to the bottom of the scene, accenting it with a button. This sweet little scene just might find a place on my desk at work . . .

Materials Used:
Pure Innocence Start the Day with Whee! stamp set, cloud and sun Die-Namics, cork sheets (My Favorite Things); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Bashful Blue cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Spring Moss cardstock, Bitty Box Basics patterned paper, Harvest Gold button (Papertrey Ink); Cotton Candy Stickles (Ranger); baker’s twine (Timeless Twine); felt; sewing machine; foam tape; 4” x 6” frame

Rustic Wreath

This is my last week as a DT member for the SCS clean and simple challenge. I've had a great time sharing inspiration for the SCS community for the past three months. Even though my DT term is up, I know I'll continue to participate in the challenges every week since clean and simple is the stamping style that comes most naturally to me.

This week's challenge is a ways to use it challenge--using flower embellishments. I'm not that wild about my card and the other one I made with a flower is going to be submitted for a publication call and can't be shared yet, so I'm going with this one. I tried for a rustic look here, which is a little outside my comfort zone.

I started with the twig wreath image from Papertrey Ink's Wreath for All Seasons set. It's stamped in Dark Chocolate ink on a white flecked panel. I inked around the panel with some Tea Dye distress ink for a weathered look.

The stamped panel is layered on a gold panel. I stitched around the edges with my sewing machine to add some interest. A piece of matching gold grosgrain ribbon is wrapped around the panel and secured with a twine bow. The sentiment is stamped in brown ink directly on the ribbon. I used foam tape to layer the image panel on a dark brown panel and set the panel on a kraft card base. I attached a small gold Prima flower to the wreath as a simple accent. A button at the center dresses the flower up just a bit.

Materials Used:
Wreath for All Seasons and Falling Leaves stamp sets, Dark Chocolate ink, Dark Chocolate, Harvest Gold, and Kraft cardstock, Harvest Gold grosgrain ribbon, Dark Chocolate button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Confetti White cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Tea Dye distress ink (Ranger); flower (Prima); sewing machine; foam tape

Textured Thank You

Here's my card for this week's SCS featured stamper challenge. It's based on this simple thank you card. The colors and layout caught my eye. My version uses different images and a different embossing folder, but is otherwise very close to the original card.

I started by stamping one of the images from Unity's Gratitude=Joy kit on a cream panel. The image was inked with markers to get the two different colors. Even though the kit has a thank you sentiment in it, I went with a sentiment from the Thank You Words kit instead since I decided the panel needed a larger sized word. I used a stamp positioner to align the words where I wanted them and to get them straight, too.

I ran the stamped panel through my Big Shot with the Diamonds and Dots embossing folder to add a simple texture. I added a red crepe bow at the lower right corner of the image panel. I switched the position of the bow from the left to the right for balance. I wanted to add a button or brad to the ribbon, but decided against it so it would be easier to get the card in the mail. It's going out tomorrow as a thank you for a gift I recently received.

Don't forget about the big sale going on at i {heart} papers. Use the coupon code black25dt for 25% off your order of $25 or more. The coupon code will expire at midnight tonight (Sunday). The sale's not over just yet, thought. Tomorrow is the big Cyber Monday sale. Hundreds of products will be on steep, steep discount. You don't want to miss out!

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Unity Stamp Co. Gratitude=Joy and Thank You Words kits, QuicKutz Diamonds and Dots embossing folder, Creative Impressions red crepe ribbon, Bow Easy

other: Real Red and Chocolate Chip markers, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, and Very Vanilla cardstock (Stampin' Up!)

With Gratitude

This week's Wednesday Stamp Club challenge from My Favorite Things was about being thankful. I made my project with a very specific purpose in mind and I'm pleased with how it turned out. I used this week's Sketch for You to Try to make a thank you card to give to my vet. Next Tuesday marks one year since I unexpectedly put my Cosmo the crazy dog to sleep. Even though a year has passed and I brought Chloe the cutie puppy and her big, bubbly personality into my home 8 months ago, I still think about him and miss him all the time. I'm planning to mark the anniversary of his passing by spending time with Chloe at the dog park, seeing her where she's happiest. And, I'm going to bring this card and some special treats to my vet's office. Even though he was a frustrating and challenging patient, the staff there took amazing care of Cosmo for most of his life and truly loved him as I did. I wasn't ready to do something to formally thank them last year (I was having a hard enough time just getting out of bed to get to work), but I wanted to make sure that I did something for them at some point.

Okay, enough sad stuff . . . here's the card. I combined three different Pure Innocence sets to come up with it. I used the girl from Heart Stripes for the largest image panel. She's colored with Copic markers and cut out, then set on the oval panel using foam tape. I stamped the dog from Boy & Dog-Dog Gone Cute on a cardstock scrap, colored it, and cut it out. The dog's set on the cardfront so it appears to be sitting on the sentiment flag. The sentiment comes from the Li'l Pumpkin set.

I used two patterns from the October Afternoon Modern Homemaker line on the cardfront. I love that aqua and red combination! It took a while, but I finally found three similar size, shape, and color buttons to place along the bottom of the card as accents. Each button is knotted with some baker's twine for a little more red. The end result is a sweet way to honor a special friend and thank some of the people who cared for him . . .

Materials Used:

Pure Innocence Heart Stripe, Boy & Dog-Dog Gone Cute, and Li'l Pumpkin stamp sets (My Favorite Things); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Aqua Mist and Hawaiian Shores cardstock, Hawaiian Shores button, Pure Poppy baker's twine (Papertrey Ink); Riding Hood Red cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Modern Homemaker designer paper (October Afternoon); petite oval dies (Spellbinders); Ruby Slippers Glitz Stickles (Ranger); foam tape

Naughty or Nice?

It's a very happy Saturday here in our house. We're celebrating a big Wisconsin Badger football victory and a possible spot in the Rose Bowl on January 1. I was lucky enough to attend the Rose Bowl in 1994 and cheer the Badgers on to victory in a mostly Badger fan-filled stadium--what a surreal, fabulous, and memorable event! I may have to pull out one of Cosmo the crazy dog's Badger bandannas for Chloe the cutie puppy to wear in honor of the big win. Unlike him, she's not a big fan of the bandanna and I'm not sure I'll be able to change that. She even chews on her own dog tags, so I can only imagine how hard she'll be on a bandanna . . .

Anyway, here's a festive card for this week's Paper Craft Planet sketch challenge featuring another of the new releases from Starving Artistamps. This image is from the new Juniper and Jupiter collection and is called Juniper Elf. The elf is colored with Copic markers. I used the out of the box technique on the image panel so Juniper's legs are extending beneath the bottom of the panel.

I found some dotted paper to use for the bottom panel. I purposely selected a pale color with a simple pattern so I could stamp the "naughty or nice?" sentiment on the paper. I ran a strip of red ribbon underneath the sentiment and wrapped some red and white baker's twine around the ribbon a few times. After knotting the ribbon, I added a small gold bell as a fun accent for this week's Just Us Girls challenge to add a 3D holiday embellishment to your card.

If you join us and play along with this week's sketch, be sure to upload it to the PCP gallery with the keyword sk112710 so it can be added to the album with the rest of this week's creations.

Materials Used:

Juniper Elf image and Casual Holiday Greetings set (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Pear Pizzazz and Riding Hood Red cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Snow & Cedar paper collection (Poppy Stamps); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); baker's twine (Papertrey Ink); bell

Ho, Ho, Ho Mojo

Here's another card using one of the images from the new DoodleFactory Tis the Season set, now available at Starving Artistamps. I paired the jolly Santa image with this week's Mojo Monday sketch for this seasonal card.

I colored Santa with Copic markers and carefully cut the colored image out. I covered his beard with some Polar White Flower Soft for a fun, fluffy texture. I made a simple backdrop for Santa using a piece of light blue cardstock with some strips of torn shimmery white cardstock "snow" at the bottom. Santa's set on the scene with foam tape.

I kept the rest of the card simple. I used a panel of Cosmo Cricket's Jolly by Golly designer paper on the cardfront--the colors in the pattern worked well with Santa's suit and the sky backgrount. After setting Santa on the card, I ran a strip of aqua satin ribbon across the card on an angle and embellished it with a small bow. The "ho" sentiment on a pair of layered ovals completed the card.

Materials Used:
DoodleFactory Tis the Season and Casual Holiday Greetings sets, Polar White Flower Soft (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Aqua Mist cardstock, Aqua Mist satin ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Riding Hood Red, Crumb Cake, and Shimmery White cardstock, oval punches (Stampin' Up!); Jolly by Golly designer paper (Cosmo Cricket); Bow Easy; foam tape

Blogger Challenge: Week 179/Friends with Flair

This week’s blogger challenge is a color challenge--blue, mustard, and rust. I got all three in on my little boy themed card using coordinating images and papers from Unity and Echo Park from i {heart} papers.

I made a simple scene using the In the Cloud kit's cloud and plane images. The cloud is stamped in blue ink on a white panel. I inked the plane first in mustard ink, then rolled the edges in rust for a two-toned look. I stamped the image on a white scrap and cut it out, then used dimensional dots to add it to the scene.

I covered the cardfront with an aqua blue dotted paper from Echo Park's coordinating Little Boy Collection Kit--the soft color coordinates nicely with the cloud's color. After attaching the image panel to the cardfront, I ran a strip of pale blue faux suede ribbon along the left edge of the panel. A piece of a Labels 4 die cut is slipped under the edge of the ribbon, opposite the scene. One of the stickers from the collection kit is attached to the die cut piece as a sentiment.

For more projects based on this sketch, you can check out what the rest of the challenge players have created. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right. And, for more Unity inspiration, visit the list of Friends with Flair players on the Unity blog.

Don't forget to stop by i {heart} papers for the big Black Friday sale. From Friday through Sunday (midnight EST) use the code black25dt for 25% off any order $25 or more.

Then, on Cyber Monday, after the 25% off coupon has expired, there will be over 600 items on steep, steep discount - some up to 50% off! So shop early with your 25% off coupon to get what you really NEED to get and then come back on Monday to see all the fantastic savings that are left!

Happy shopping!

(The nitty gritty details - coupon does not apply to any previous orders or any items that are out of stock. Sale items are first come, first served and no rainchecks apply. And, no credits will be issued if you purchase something with the 25% off coupon and then it goes on sale at a later date. Sorry!)

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Unity Stamp Co. In the Clouds kit, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Palette Ballet Blue ink, Echo Park Little Boy Collection Kit, Spellbinders rectangle and Labels 4 dies, May Arts light blue faux suede ribbon, Zva Creative dimensional dots

other: Hawaiian Shores cardstock (Papertrey Ink); More Mustard and Really Rust Classic inks, More Mustard cardstock (Stampin’ Up!)

I Ruff You

Here's a super sweet card that combines this week's There She Goes color challenge with Jen's latest Sketch for You to Try. The cute puppy image from Puppy Love was a perfect fit for the focal image panel.

I colored the image with Copic markers to match the challenge colors---Cherry Cobbler, kraft, and white. After digging through my stash for a bit, I managed to find designer papers using the challenge colors. The kraft paper with foil hearts was a nice match for the image. The dotted paper is pretty close to a Cherry Cobbler red shade and added a little sparkle to the card, too.

After arranging the panels, I added a die cut felt heart with a button accent. The set's "I ruff you" sentiment was stamped in red and slid under the heart to finish the card.

Materials Used:
Puppy Love stamp set (There She Goes); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Real Red Classic ink, Cherry Cobbler and Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Ka-Zoo designer paper (K & Company); Sugar and Spice designer paper (The Paper Studio); heart die (Spellbinders); felt (The Cat's Pajamas); baker's twine (Papertrey Ink); button

Let It Snow--Not!

Happy Thanksgiving! Chloe the cutie puppy and I are having a lazy day before I head to my parent's house for dinner. Chloe will not be joining me--her table manners aren't the greatest yet and I can't imagine her around a table with a big spread of food . . . Anyway, here’s my card for this week’s Our Craft Lounge sketch challenge. I used the Penguin Fun set, minus the cutie penguins, for this week’s sketch along with some Echo Park patterned paper. The card's theme is snow, but I can safely say that one thing I'm thankful for today is that it's not snowy here. After last winter, I don't want to see--or shovel--snow again for a very long time!

I stamped the hat and mitten pair images in black ink on a round panel and colored them with Copic markers. The pom pom on the hat is filled in with some Sugar Sparkly Fluff. The “let it snow” sentiment is stamped so it curves around the edge of the panel—love that about clear stamps! I layered the finished panel on a big scalloped circle—probably should have made this circle a little larger so you could see it better . . .

I used a snowflake patterned paper from Echo Park’s Everybody Loves Christmas collection to cover most of the cardfront. Kate has just started carrying this fabulous line at IHP—you’ll want to stop over and check it out, especially with the big Black Friday and Cyber Monday specials she’s got in store for you.

I dressed up the front of the card with a scallop edged strip and some red faux suede ribbon. Each of the scallops is dotted with a bit of White Opal Liquid Pearls. The new, reformulated LP’s are super shiny. I have a feeling I’ll be adding some more colors to my collection soon . . . I added a trio of self-adhesive pearls to the open area in the upper left side of the cardfront to complete the design.

If you're planning on doing some holiday shopping over the next few days, be sure that you make a stop at i {heart} papers (my favorite place to get OCL stamps!). There are two fantastic sale opportunities waiting for you.

From Black Friday through Sunday (midnight EST) use the code black25dt for 25% off any order $25 or more. This is the biggest discount IHP has ever offered so take advantage of it while you can!

Then, in celebration of Cyber Monday, after the 25% off coupon has expired, there will be over 600 items on steep, steep discount - some up to 50% off! So shop early with your 25% off coupon to get what you really NEED to get and then come back on Monday to see all the fantastic savings that are left!

Happy shopping!

(The nitty gritty details - coupon does not apply to any previous orders or any items that are out of stock. Sale items are first come, first served and no rainchecks apply. And, no credits will be issued if you purchase something with the 25% off coupon and then it goes on sale at a later date. Sorry!)

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Our Craft Lounge Penguin Fun stamp set and Sugar Sparkly Fluff, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (R12, R22, R24, R27, BG10, BG11, BG32), Echo Park Everybody Loves Christmas collection kit, Spellbinders circle and big scalloped circle dies, May Arts red faux suede ribbon, Ranger White Opal Liquid Pearls, Zva Creative dimensional dots and white self-adhesive pearls

other: Aqua Mist and Hawaiian Shores cardstock (Papertrey Ink); scallop edge punch (Stampin’ Up!)

Papertrey Ink November Blog Hop: Holiday Tags

The theme for this month's Papertrey Ink blog hop is holiday tags. Tags are a fun and easy way to dress up a gift and the new tag dies from PTI make creating tags quick, too. I made two different ones to share today.

Here's the first one. This one uses the new Warm Happiness Too set. I picked up a pretty bag of flavored coffee from Target's Dollar Spot, thinking that this set would work nicely to create a pretty presentation for the coffee.

I stamped one of the coffee cup images on a piece of Distressed Dots paper, cut out with the matching die. The cup is set on a kraft tag cut with the Tag Sale 1 die. I stamped the swirly steam image above the cup in Dark Chocolate ink, stamping off once first for a softer look. The heart is stamped in red above the steam.

I stamped the sentiment on a red strip cut with the double ended banner die. The strip is slipped under the cup, extending beyond the edge of the tag. I added some red grosgrain ribbon to the top of the tag, secured with a brown button tied with Pure Poppy baker's twine.

Materials Used:
Warm Happiness Too stamp set, Pure Poppy and Dark Chocolate inks, Kraft, Pure Poppy and Dark Chocolate cardstock, Distressed Dots patterned paper, Pure Poppy grosgrain ribbon, Dark Chocolate button, Warm Happiness, Double-Ended Banner, and Tag Sale 1 dies (Papertrey Ink); foam tape

And, here's my second tag. This one follows a more traditional holiday theme than my first. It also flips open up to allow a little more space to write a message to the recipient.

I made the white die cut felt dove the focal image of the tag. The dove has a small self-adhesive blue crystal as an eye for a little sparkle and definition. It's layered on a pair of blue circles to set it off from the kraft tag made using Tag Sale Die 2.

I used the double-ended banner die again for the sentiment. This time I scored the banner near the ends for a raised look. To tie the sentiment strip in with the image panel, I added a scalloped accent at the bottom under the sentiment, made with the scalloped section from the Banner Borders die.

I threaded a piece of blue grosgrain ribbon through the hole at the top of the tag and secured it with a button and Enchanted Evening baker's twine. For a whimsical touch, I threaded a small bell onto the twine before tying it into a bow.

Here's what I did to get the tag to flip open. I cut a piece of cardstock long enough to die cut two tags. I scored the cardstock at the middle and folded it on the score, then carefully placed the die so that the bottom (the straight end, not the end with the hole) was just the tiniest bit above the fold, then ran the die through my die cutting machine. This left the two tag shapes attached at the bottom while keeping the tag shape. I arranged all of my elements on one of the tags, then cut off a little bit from the top of the tag, above the hole. The decorated front folds up and the top of the tag slips underneath the button to stay securely in place.

Materials Used:
Fillable Frames #8 stamp set, Enchanted Evening ink, Kraft, Enchanted Evening, and Spring Rain cardstock, Spring Rain grosgrain ribbon, Enchanted Evening baker's twine, Blueberry Sky button, Double-Ended Banners, Banner Borders, Tag Sale 2, and Peace Be Still collection (dove) dies (Papertrey Ink); circle and scalloped circle punches (Stampin' Up!); bell; foam tape

Tis the Season

Starving Artistamps just released two brand new sets of images that are perfect for the holiday season. I used Berry the elf from the new DoodleFactory Tis the Season collection for this card for today's SCS sketch challenge.

The elf is colored in seasonal shades of red and green using Copic markers. I added some white flock to her jacket as a fun accent.

The rest of the card is simple, even though there are a lot of layers going on here. I built the card around the panel of Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses paper that runs across the green cardfront. I layered the image over red and kraft panels. Some green ribbon adds interest to the kraft and zig zag machine stitching along the edges dresses up the red cardstock panel. Once I finished putting everything together, there wasn't any room for a sentiment on the front of this small 4 1/4" square card. I think I'll stamp the "naughty or nice" sentiment on the inside . . .

Materials Used:

Berry image--DoodleFactory Tis the Season set (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Real Red, Pear Pizzazz, and Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Eskimo Kisses collection (Basic Grey); Spring Moss grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink); white flock (Stampendous); sewing machine

Happy Fall Favor

Today’s the official start of my Thanksgiving mini-break. I took an extra day off from work so I could do some things around the house (like get my stamp space in order and fix an outside light that my homeowner’s association thinks is an eyesore . . .) and spend quality time hanging out with my Chloe the cutie puppy. Before I get started on all of that, I have a sweet treat to share with you using the Happy Fall set from Clear and Simple Stamps.

I used one of CSS’s free templates to create a basket that was the perfect size and shape for a yummy caramel and nut covered apple I picked up at the grocery store. The basket is made from CSS’s Kraft Like a Rockstar cardstock for a sort of rustic look. You can download the template right here.

I used some wired red satin ribbon to make a bright handle for the basket. I stamped the set’s leaf border block across a small manila shipping tag, adding the “happy fall” sentiment and a copper brad at the bottom. The tag is attached to the handle with some twine. Once I had the basket completed, I set the wrapped caramel apple in the basket. Wouldn’t these make adorable favors or place cards for a Thanksgiving meal? That’s not going to be happening here, though. That gooey apple is calling my name and I’m planning to eat it for dessert after lunch today--LOL!

Materials Used:
Happy Fall stamp set, Kraft Like a Rockstar cardstock, Dish All the Dirt Brown button, ScorTape (Clear and Simple Stamps); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento); manila shipping tag (Staples); wired red satin ribbon (Michaels); copper brads (Making Memories); twine (Papertrey Ink)

Blog Hopping with The Cat's Pajamas

I’m beyond thrilled to be joining the Cat Pack for today’s blog hop featuring the latest releases from The Cat’s Pajamas. It’s a great time to add some of the newest images and some of the great Cut Ups dies to your collection since TCP is starting off Black Friday a little bit early and offering free U.S. shipping ($3.00 for international customers) from now through Monday. You should be arriving here from the amazing Julie. If you didn't, you'll want to head over to Jen's to start off so you don't miss a thing.

Here’s a sweet wintery thank you card using two brand new Cut Ups—Snowflake and the Big Scallop dies. I went with a monochromatic look using the dies and images from the new Snowflake Girl set.

The girl is colored with Copic markers and cut out. I used foam tape to add her to a snowflake patterned background. I added a pretty snowflake, die cut from felt, at the top of the panel. I dressed up the flake with some sparkly crystals and a matching button tied with a little baker’s twine. The “thanks snow much” sentiment is stamped at the bottom of the panel in black.

I ran some ruffle edged faux suede ribbon along the bottom of the panel for a little decoration. The new Big Scallop die adds a fun touch to the bottom of the card.

Materials Used:
Snowflake Girl stamp set, Snowflake and Big Scallop Cut Ups dies (The Cat’s Pajamas); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Aqua Mist and Hawaiian Shores cardstock, Hawaiian Shores button (Papertrey Ink); Everybody Loves Christmas designer paper (Echo Park); blue ruffle edged faux suede ribbon (Hobby Lobby); blue felt (My Favorite Things); clear crystals (Imaginisce); baker’s twine (The Twinery); foam tape

Before you hop on, I have one more dazzling die cut sample to share with you. I used the wave die in a non-traditional way to create this fun and festive Christmas tree. I cut two green cardstock triangles with the die and layered them, stitching them at the center so that I could fold the top die cut piece up for a dimensional look. A bunch of sparkly crystals are attached to the paper tree and a textured cardstock star sits at the top.

To keep the tree the center of attention, the rest of the card is very simple. I layered the tree on a festive paper panel and added a pink ribbon underneath. The sentiment from the Your Gift set is stamped under the tree on a panel cut with the Big Scallop die.

Thanks for stopping by. Your next stop on the hop is Ana. You won’t want to miss what she’s created for you!

Materials Used:
Your Gift stamp set, Wave and Big Scallop Cut Ups dies (The Cat’s Pajamas); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); Pear Pizzazz and Crushed Curry cardstock, small star punch (Stampin’ Up!); Hawaiian Shores cardstock, (Papertrey Ink); Christmas Carnival designer paper (KaiserCraft); pink grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); clear crystals (Imaginisce); sewing machine; foam tape

The Latest from The Cat's Pajamas

I’m so excited to be joining The Cat’s Pajamas as a guest designer for their latest release. You’re going to love the newest additions to the TCP lineup!

Here’s a pretty simple but still fun and festive design featuring the new Jingle Bells set. This is one of my favorite layouts—it works with so many different images. Here, I stamped the girl on a white panel and colored her with Copic markers. I added some white flock to her cuffs and the bottom of her coat. The bell in her hands is a bell brad that I picked up while crafty shopping with my best friend over the weekend. I saw the package of brads and knew they’d be just perfect to use with this image. I had plenty of white space left for stamping the matching “jingle all the way” sentiment.

Once the image was colored, I matted the image on a red panel with a fancy edge made with the new Apron Border Cut-Ups die—love it! I ran a strip of red grosgrain ribbon down the front of the card before layering the image panel on top. A matching red button-embellished bow completed the design.

Materials Used:
Jingle Bells stamp set, Apron Border Cut-Ups die, Divine Twine (The Cat’s Pajamas); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Real Red and Bashful Blue cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Pure Poppy button (Papertrey Ink); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); bell brad (The Paper Source); white flock (Stampendous)

Next up is a cute little tag featuring the adorable little girl image from the new You Suit Me set. I colored the little girl with Copic markers and carefully cut her out to be placed on the manila shipping tag. I added some Stickles and clear Stardust glitter pen to sparkle her up a bit, too.

The shipping tag has some torn shimmery white paper for a snowy base. Some candy cane striped paper tape runs along the bottom. It’s a perfect match for the coffee package I attached the tag to. After adding the little girl to the tag with foam tape, I stamped the “how you’ve bean?” sentiment on a notch-ended strip and attached it to the tag. Some red satin ribbon and a matching button

Unfortunately, this adorable set will never be gifted to anyone. The coffee package encountered the natural disaster known as Chloe the cutie puppy. It must have smelled super good to her—she snagged it off of my table and carried it around the house. There are a few teeth holes that I had to plug with tape so I could photograph the set before pitching the leaking bag of coffee flakes. That puppy is so lucky she’s so cute . . .

Materials Used:
You Suit Me stamp set, Divine Twine (The Cat’s Pajamas); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Real Red, Shimmery White cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Pure Poppy button (Papertrey Ink); paper tape (Martha Stewart); clear Stardust pen (Sakura); Ruby Slippers Glitz Stickles (Ranger); red satin ribbon (?); manila shipping tag (Staples); foam tape

And, if you’re a regular reader, you know I love, love, love bunnies. So, I was thrilled to see a new bunny set, Define Good, in this month’s release. I colored the bunny’s packages in bright tones to coordinate with the colors in the fun (and kind of busy) designer paper I used to cover the cardfront. The bunny himself (or her?) has a red hat with some sparkly fluff as an accent.

I kept the layout simple, using coordinating colors for mats and stamping the “define good” sentiment on a notch-edged ribbon strip. Can you see that fun new Apron Border die cut strip peeking out from underneath the ribbon? I had to fit it in there . . .

Materials Used:
Define Good stamp set, Apron Border Cut-Ups die (The Cat’s Pajamas); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Real Red, Pink Pirouette, and Pear Pizzazz cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Hawaiian Shores cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Christmas Carnival designer paper (KaiserCraft); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); Sugar Sparkly Fluff (Our Craft Lounge); clear crystals (Studio 18)

Clean and Simple Lift

This week’s SCS clean and simple challenge is to use some kind of sponging on your project. I went with a sponged cloud sky for my simple, cheery card using images from the Across the Miles set from Clear and Simple Stamps.

To get the cloud-filled sky, I created a rectangle shaped mask and sponged blue ink over a cloud template inside the open part of the mask. After the sky was complete, I drew a black line around it to define it against the white background.

I stamped the set’s balloon image on the sky panel, extending a bit beyond the edge to give a sense of movement. I stamped the balloon part a second time on a scrap of cardstock, colored it with Copic markers and cut it out, then attached it to the card with foam tape. The “thanks for the lift” sentiment is stamped in red ink on a blue scrap. I attached it to the card and added a button, tied with some red and white baker’s twine, as a simple accent.

Materials Used:
Across the Miles stamp set, Trendsetter Blue and Perfect Little Black Dress inks, Trendsetter Blue and A Blanc Check cardstock, Simply Blue-tiful button (Clear and Simple Stamps); Real Red Classic ink (Stampin’ Up!); markers (Copic-R12, R22, R24, R27, E33, E34, E35); baker’s twine (Papertrey Ink); cloud template; sponge; foam tape

Be Merry!

Here's my card for today's SCS featured stamper challenge. It's based on this super sparkly winter holiday card here. The snowflake's sparkle and the clean design caught my eye. For my version I kept the layout mostly the same, changing just a few elements of the design.

I decided I wanted to go fun and festive, so I went with pink for my snowflake. Instead of using glitter and Glossy Accents to create the sparkly snowflake, I used a piece of a pink glittered sheet attached to the cardfront so it showed through the open space in the punched snowflake. The panel with the punched snowflake is attached to the cardfront with dimensional dots to give the glittery portion a recessed appearance.

I stamped the "Be Merry!" sentiment from the Hero Arts Get Merry stamp set in gray ink beneath the snowflake cut out. For another splash of pink, I knotted a piece of fuschia faux suede ribbon around the card. The ribbon filled some of the white space, but still left plenty. The card's simple, but the sparkle sure packs a punch!

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Hero Arts Get Merry! stamp set, Couture Cardstock white cardstock, Petaloo pink glittered sheet, Memento London Fog ink, May Arts fuschia faux suede ribbon, Zva Creative dimensional dots

other: snowflake punch (Marvy Uchida)

Krafty Warm Wishes

Here's my card for this week's Kraftin' Kimmie challenge to use kraft, along with this week's sketch from Cute Card Thursday. I used the Moonlight Whispers Willard image for the card. I'm hoping I don't have to bundle up this much to take Chloe the cutie puppy for her morning walk today. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that it won't be too long before I have to do that for both our weekend morning strolls and our brisk, in the dark, after work walks . . .

I colored Willard with Copic markers and cut him out. After adding some white flock to his hat, I used foam tape to attach him to a simple background panel with a torn, shimmery white snowy base.

I used some paper with a pattern similar to Willard's sweater for the three panels on the cardfront. Each panel is layered on a darker blue panel, then attached to the kraft card base. I stamped the "warm wishes" sentiment on a kraft strip and layered it on a light blue panel. A light blue ribbon was knotted around it before attaching it to the cardfront. Willard is layered over the sentiment strip to complete the card.

Materials Used:
Moonlight Whispers Willard image and sentiment (Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Brocade Blue, Bashful Blue, Shimmery White, and Crumb Cake cardstock, Bashful Blue grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!); The Winter Combo matstack (DCWV); white flock (Stampendous); foam tape

Warm Wishes in Blue

My sister asked me to bring her some winter-themed cards she could send for the holidays, so I've been putting a few together to share with her. This one, based on this week's Paper Craft Planet sketch challenge from Lynn, is going right into Jill's stack of cards.

I used images from Verve's Winter Mittens set (love those mittens!) along with Verve's Sweet Scallop Tag die for my card. The mittens are paper pieced on a dotted patterned paper. I added some fun tinsel glitter to the cuffs for a sparkle with a little texture. The mittens are strung together with some baker's twine and attached to the fancy shaped tag with some foam tape. I stamped the "warm wishes" sentiment beneath the mittens in blue ink and knotted a piece of blue twill through the hole at the end of the tag.

I used blue papers and elements to complete the rest of the card. A snowflake patterned paper covers most of the cardfront. I layered it on a solid blue panel, then on a striped panel, before placing it on the blue card base. For some texture, I used strips of grosgrain and twill in different shades of blue for the panels that run down the length of the card.

If you get a chance to play along this week, please use the keyword sk112010 when uploading to the PCP gallery. That way your card can be added to the album with the rest of the cards made using this sketch for everyone to admire.

Materials Used:

Winter Mittens stamp set, Sweet Scallop Tag die (Verve Stamps); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); Brocade Blue Classic ink (Stampin' Up!); Blueberry Sky cardstock, Blueberry Sky grosgrain ribbon, Spring Rain twill, Enchanted Evening baker's twine (Papertrey Ink); The Winter Combo matstack (DCWV); tinsel glitter (Martha Stewart); foam tape

Cold Hands, Warm Heart

Here’s my card for this week’s My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club challenge to make a card inspired by the classic song, My Favorite Things, from The Sound of Music. I took my inspiration from the warm woolen mittens and packages tied up with strings for this simple wintery card.

I used the Pure Innocence Emma Celebrates the Season image for my card. Emma is colored with Copic markers and cut out. I added some white Sparkly Fluff to her hat, muff, and the top of her boots, then used foam tape to attach her to a simple snowy background made from a blue panel with strips of torn shimmery white cardstock along the bottom.

I used MFT’s Perfect Bracket Edge Die-Namics die to make the fancy edged panel that’s along the left side of the tiny scene. The purple and white baker’s twine is threaded through two tiny holes in the purple panel and tied in a bow. The coordinating sentiment is stamped in purple ink on a shimmery white panel. As someone who always has cold hands, I totally feel this sentiment—LOL!

In just a little while, I’m off for a fun day of crafty shopping with my best friend. We’re venturing out to a Hobby Lobby store (and a Joann superstore and some lunch, too) about 45 minutes away from us. It’s the first time either of us has been to a HL, so we’re excited to see what we’ll find.

Materials Used:
Pure Innocence Emma Celebrates the Season stamp set, Die-Namics Perfect Bracket Edge die (My Favorite Things); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Elegant Eggplant, Bashful Blue, and Shimmery White cardstock, oval punch (Stampin’ Up!); The Winter Combo matstack (DCWV); Sugar Sparkly Fluff (Our Craft Lounge); purple button (Clear and Simple Stamps); baker’s twine (Divine Twine); foam tape

Blogger Challenge: Week 178/Friends with Flair

This week’s blogger challenge is a theme challenge. I went mostly monochromatic with touches for brown for my card, combining images from Unity with this week’s Mojo Monday sketch.

I used one of the leaf images from Unity’s August Stampin’ Store Kit, Harvest of Memories, as my focal image. The leaf is stamped in brown ink on a gold panel. I layered it on a slightly darker mustard panel.

I used patterned papers from two different lines—actually, from two different companies—for the tilted panel on the cardfront. The larger panel is from the new Cosmo Cricket Circa 1934 mini deck. The more vintage look and feel of these papers isn’t my usual style, but they’re so pretty that I’m going to challenge myself to work with them. I used my sewing machine to zig zag stitch around the edges of the panel for a nice finish. The strip at the top is a scrap from Basic Grey's Max & Whiskers line. I used a dark brown decorative edged strip to break up the two pieces. A piece of brown faux suede ribbon is wrapped around the panel and tied at the side with some dark brown burlap rope. The sentiment is stamped just above the ribbon.

I covered the cardfront with a grid patterned piece of kraft paper--just enough pattern to add interest without competing with the tilted panel. After attaching the panel to the cardfront, I used dimensional dots to layer on the image panel.


And, you've found the Unity FWF blinkie! Before you go, be sure to leave a comment on this this post for a chance to win 25 random Unity stamps. Tomorrow morning, I'll post the winner's name here and on the FWF thread over at SCS.

Edited to add: The winner is comment #2--Rachel from Bucket Full of Cards. Congratulations, Rachel!

For more projects based on this sketch, you can check out what the rest of the challenge players have created. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right. And, for more Unity inspiration, visit the list of Friends with Flair players on the Unity blog.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Unity Stamp Co. August Stampin' Store Kit-Harvest of Memories,Memento Rich Cocoa ink, Cosmo Cricket Circa 1934 mini deck, Basic Grey Max & Whiskers and Basics-Basic Kraft 6x6 paper pads, Spellbinders circle dies, May Arts brown faux suede ribbonbrown rope twisted burlap, Zva Creative dimensional dots

other: Sweet Corn cardstock (Gina K Designs); More Mustard and Chocolate Chip cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Apron Lace border punch (Fiskars); sewing machine and

No Bunny Like You

Here’s my card for this week’s TCP Tuesday inspiration challenge. I love the inspiration piece—a modern style chair with a funky pattern that would work perfectly in my own house. It took me several tries to come up with this card based on the inspiration piece along with this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.

I used the skating bunny image from Skating Bunny as my focal image. The bunny is colored with Copic markers. I used a silver gel pen to fill in the skate blades for a metallic look. A sparkly acetate snowflake with a clear crystal center fills in the open space in the bottom right corner of the image panel.

Taking a cue from the some of the colors and the repeated circle pattern in the inspiration photo, I used a dotted paper from KaiserCraft's Christmas Carnival collection for the panel along the left side of the card. The paper panel is matted on a pale green mat. I used a dotted green paper, matted with the same pale green, for the panel that’s underneath the bunny image. The set’s “there’s no bunny like you” sentiment is attached to the top left corner of the image panel. A matching ribbon tab completed the card.

I've been working away on samples for the upcoming TCP release next week. I'm so excited to be joining the Cat Pack as a guest designer. Be sure to stop by here next week to see the fabulous new stamp sets (and dies)!

Materials Used:
Skating Bunny stamp set (The Cat’s Pajamas); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Aqua Mist and Spring Moss cardstock, Aqua Mist grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Christmas Carnival 6x6 designer paper pad (KaiserCraft); circle punches (EK Success); acetate snowflake (Me and My Big Ideas); clear crystal (Studio 18); silver gel pen; foam tape

You're a Hoot

Here’s my card for this week’s There She Goes sketch challenge. I used the fun You’re a Hoot set for my card based on the sketch.

I started by stamping the solid branch image on a cream panel. Once I had the branch in place, I picked one of the line image owls to color to set on the branch. I stamped the own on a scrap of cream cardstock and colored it with Copic markers, then cut it out. It’s set on the branch with foam tape.

I used a pair of patterned papers from KaiserCraft’s Up, Up, and Away pad on the cardfront. I went with my favorite dots and stripes pattern combination. The yellow panel is embossed with a dot pattern to add interest and texture. I wrapped a piece of matching grosgrain ribbon around the embossed panel, finishing it off with a button embellished bow at the bottom. I set the image panel in place—there are lots of layers going on here—then slid the sentiment panel underneath it.

Materials Used:
You’re a Hoot stamp set (There She Goes); Buttercream cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Pumpkin Spice and Sweet Corn cardstock (Gina K Designs); Creamy Caramel cardstock, So Saffron grosgrain ribbon (Stampin’ Up!); Up, Up, and Away designer paper (KaiserCraft); Dark Chocolate button, twine (Papertrey Ink); circle punches (EK Success); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); foam tape

Drucilla Meets Mercy

Here’s a fun card I made combining Mercy’s 100th sketch challenge with this week’s Kraftin’ Kimmie's funky fibers challenge.

I started by coloring the Moonlight Whispers Drucilla image with Copic markers. For some sparkle and shine, I added some Stickles and some new Rouge Liquid Pearls to the image. The new reformulated Liquid Pearls are super shiny and vivid—love them! I used the out of the box technique to cut out the colored image, letting some of Drucilla’s wild hair extend beyond the image panel. It was a pain to do, but I like the way it ended up looking.

I used a piece of heart patterned paper from BoBunny’s Crush line for the panel that runs across the card. I matted the image on a gray panel, then wrapped a red grosgrain ribbon around it. A button-embellished bow dresses up the ribbon. I used some baker’s twine to attach the button to the ribbon—I’m using this as my fibers for the challenge since I don’t have any other kind of fancy fibers to use. I kept the rest of the card simple, choosing solid colors for layers and mats to coordinate with the patterned paper.

Materials Used:
Moonlight Whispers Drucilla image (Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Pretty in Pink, Real Red, and Basic Gray cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Crush 6x6 paper pad (BoBunny); petite oval dies (Spellbinders); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); button, baker’s twine (Papertrey Ink); Ruby Slippers Glitz Stickles, Rouge Liquid Pearls (Ranger)

Linen Kind Deeds

Here’s my card for this week’s SCS sketch challenge. I went with a pretty quick and simple design using images from the Kind Deeds set from Clear and Simple Stamps. The beautiful silhouette image in this set is perfect for putting together a great card in no time at all.

I stamped the silhouette image two times on a Trendsetter Blue panel using a soft brown ink. I paired the silhouette image with two patterned papers from DCWV's Linen Closet matstack. I really like the muted color tones in this collection. I decided not to mat the layers for a cleaner design.

An elegant satin ribbon along the bottom of the image panel dresses up the design. I added a button as a simple accent and slid the "thinking of you" sentiment under the top edge of the ribbon to finish the card.

Materials Used:
Kind Deeds stamp set, Trendsetter Blue, Kraft Like a Rockstar, and On the Catwalk Cream, Trendsetter Blue satin ribbon, Trendsetter Blue button (Clear and Simple Stamps); Crumb Cake Classic ink (Stampin' Up!); Linen Closet matstack (DCWV); linen thread (The Cat's Pajamas)

Be sure to stop by the Clear and Simple iPhone app today to check out another one of my CSS creations. I have a little sneak peek to share here, but you’ll have to visit the app to see the full project. You can find all the details on the app here.

You're the Best

Here’s my card for this week’s Our Craft Lounge sketch challenge. I used the Tweet Trees set for this week’s sketch along with a pair of patterned papers from Basic Grey’s Marjolaine 6x6 paper pad.

I stamped the tree image in brown ink, then paper pieced the tree with a combination of green cardstock and patterned paper with an interesting, textured look. I used the solid for the base, then added the smaller circles with the patterned paper, using dimensional dots to get a layered look. The grass beneath the tree is added in with a combination of YG Copic markers.

To coordinate with the tree image, I used a paper with a circle pattern for the panel that goes across the cardfront. And to tie things in, I used a strip of the same paper I used for the circles on the trees for the panel that runs along the left side of the cardfront. I layered the strip on a kraft mat and paper pierced along one side, mimicking the dotted look of the circles on the patterned paper.

I stamped the “you’re the best” sentiment from the Big Thanks set on a white label die cut. To attach it to the card, I used some twine, wrapped around the card and tied in a nice bow.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Our Craft Lounge Tweet Trees and Big Thanks stamp sets, Memento Rich Cocoa ink, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (YG91, YG93, YG95, W00, W-1), Basic Grey Marjolaine designer paper, Spellbinders rectangle and Labels Trio dies, Creative Impressions twine, Zva Creative dimensional dots

other: Green Apple cardstock (Gina K Designs); Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin’ Up!)

IHP DT Challenge: Lights All Aglow

The theme for this month’s i {heart} papers design team challenge theme is "lights all aglow." I went with a pretty literal interpretation of the theme and created a pretty set of stamped tealights, packaged in a handmade box. The box is dressed up with some sparkly supplies from IHP.

I started off by decorating the tealights. I stamped one of the snowflakes from the Hero Arts Get Merry! stamp set on white tissue paper in blue ink, then punched out the stamped images with a circle punch and used my heat tool to melt the tissue into the top of each of the four tealights.

The box is made from a 5” x 8” piece of cardstock with a few cuts and scores, done with the ScorBuddy, and assembled with redline tape. It’s a variation of the slidetop box I shared in this post. This box is all one piece and the top flips up. I posted a template here if you'd like to try to make one of your own.

I used a sheet of silver foil (it's actually the back side of one of the pack's green sheets) to make a decorative strip for the top of the box. It’s embossed with a snowflake embossing folder to coordinate with the candles. I made a simple round tag using the same snowflake stamp as I used on the candles plus a sentiment. The tag's attached to the box with some sparkly metallic white string.

Be sure to visit the rest of the IHP DT for more bright inspiration. Here’s where to find them:

• Carolyn
• Cathleen
• Deb
• Gretchen
• Kendra
• Loretta
• Lori (you're here)
• Lynn
• Megan
• Tracy
• Kate

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Hero Arts Get Merry! stamp set, QuicKutz Snowflake embossing folder, Spellbinders foil sheets and Nestabilities circle dies, ScorBuddy, i {stick} papers redline tape, May Arts metallic white string

other: Blueberry Sky and Enchanted Evening cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Silver ink (Encore); corner rounder (Stampin’ Up!); circle punch (EK Success); handheld punch

Chill Out

I pulled out an image from the DoodleFactory Arctic collection from Starving Artistamps for this fun, wintery card. I used Jen's Sketch for You to Try for as the basis for the card.

I colored Dodge (the skier) with Copic markers then carefully cut the colored image out. I added a little white flock on his hat and cuffs for a fun touch. Then, I dropped the not yet cleaned, still somewhat inked stamp on my colored image and had to start over from square one . . . So, what you see here is the second version of the colored image. Once I had version #2 colored, cut out, and flocked, I added it to a snowy scene made from an aqua panel with shimmery white torn strips of "snow" along the bottom.

I used colors to coordinate with the blue-greens in the wintery We R Memory Keepers papers I used for the panels on the cardfront. I managed to cut them to just the right sizes on the first try—glad something worked well on the first try for this card! After arranging the patterned paper panels on the aqua card base, I added a felt sun with a button, then layered on the image panel. It probably would have been more appropriate to add a snowflake instead of a sun, but I liked the pop of color from the sun, so I ran with it. I stamped the coordinating “chill out” sentiment so it fit nicely on two of the patterned panels to complete the design.

Materials Used:
DoodleFactory Arctic stamp set (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Couture Cardstock); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Aqua Mist and Hawaiian Shores cardstock, Harvest Gold felt, Harvest Gold button (Papertrey Ink); Shimmery White cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Merry January designer papers (We R Memory Keepers); Die-Namics sun die (My Favorite Things); white flock (Stampendous); baker’s twine (The Twinery); foam tape