Sunday, March 30, 2014

Stamping Fun

The other day, I picked up a copy of "the stamper's sampler"--one of the few crafting magazines still in print.  I don't know about you, but nothing beats having a printed copy in hand.  To me, it's so much easier to flip through a magazine for inspiration than trying to remember where you saw something online.  Anyway, the projects in this magazine inspired me to make use of my stamp images.


This lady stamp is from Rubber Stampede.  I stamped the image onto watercolor paper and used Faber-Castell pencils to color it.  I painted a piece of DCWV corrugated cardboard with picket fence Distress Paint.  The pattern paper is K&Co.  All paper edges were given an aged look with tea dye Distress Ink.  I glued the image to another piece of K&Co paper and attached it to the card with foam tape.  The fabric flower as well as the pearls and lace trim at the bottom are from Recollections, and the tiny roses and trim at the top are from Prima.


It has been a very rainy weekend here.  I don't mind.  I've been crafting, reading, watching a couple of movies, and baking.  Earlier in the week, I was hit in the head with a paper towel dispenser that flew open when I tried getting a towel out at work.  Can you believe it?  I have a bruised forehead and black eye, so having a nice relaxing weekend is just what I needed.  Here's hoping the upcoming week is a good one for all!  Thanks so much for stopping by and for the sweet comments you leave.


Tuesday, March 25, 2014

You Are Loved Card

Just popping in for a quick post.  I had intended to share this on Sunday and then yesterday but forgot.  So here it is now!  I made this card for my son's recent birthday.  Everything used on the card is from Tim Holtz.  I think this is the first time that I've ever made a card with product completely from one line.


This postage stamp die is my absolute favorite die!  I embossed a sheet of cardstock, highlighted it with Vintage Photo Distress Ink, and adhered it to the frame.  Some ephemera was added next.  I used some Distress Paint on the metal band and tied it and a star charm onto the card with some new trim.  The butterflies were diecut from more Tim cardstock and colored with Distress Stains and Paint.


Have you noticed I managed not to add one flower to this card?  I believe that's a first for me!


Inside was a Tim Holtz stamped sentiment but I forgot to take a picture of it.  I really love playing with his products.

Well, that's it for now.  We are experiencing yet a bit of snow again tonight.  Winter is fighting to hang on for as long as it can!  Hope all is well with you.  Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Gift Card Holder

Spring is beginning to peek through here and there; however, winter is holding on tight.  We are expecting a bit of snow overnight and tomorrow morning.  The weather temperatures have been on a see-saw lately.

This card was inspired by a tutorial I saw on the Graphic 45 blog.  It was my first attempt at making a gift card holder, and it came together rather quickly.  It's not perfect, but I know what to do differently the next time.


Everything used here has been in my stash for quite awhile.  The papers are from K&Co's ancestry.com line.  First, I cut a piece of the cardstock to an 8-1/2x12" size.  With a Martha Stewart Score Board, I scored the paper at 4" intervals.  A piece of patterned paper was glued to the second panel.  On the last panel, I cut a 4x5 section off and folded and glued the flap (leaving top of flap open) onto the second panel creating a pocket.  I fussy cut some flowers from the papers and glued them to the flap, highlighting them with Stickles and Liquid Pearls.  A piece of a Zva swirl was added for sparkle.


The front of the card was easy to decorate.  I cut out the different sizes of papers and inked and distressed the edges.  I am not sure who made the flowers, but I know the leaves are from Prima.  The oval circle was cut from the paper pad, the edges highlighted with Inka Gold, and a PTI sentiment stamped on it.   Foam dots were added under the oval for dimension.  Stamps from Crafty Secrets were used for the corner brackets.  Recollections pearls, Zva rhinestone swirl and a bit of  lace add the finishing touches.


There you have it--fairly quick and simple.  I'll need to make up some more of these.  It felt good to use up some of my stash that I have been hoarding.  I need to do more of that--a lot more!!

Thank you so much for stopping by and for the comments you leave.  I appreciate each and every one of them!  Have a wonderful week!



Sunday, March 9, 2014

Simply Pastel

Hi everyone!  I hope your weekend has been good.  Today, I'm sharing a card and tag I made with a new line from Recollections called Simply Pastel.


The papers in this line are perfect for spring.  The pretty aqua flower is part of the Simply Pastel pack while the rest of the flowers are from other Recollections product and Michaels.  The yellow tag was cut from one of the 6x6 papers and stamped with a PTI stamp.  The butterflies and fronds were cut from the papers with Martha Stewart punches.  The tiny pearls on the butterflies are also from Martha Stewart.  The sparkly aqua adhesive ribbon strip is from Michaels, the doily from Wilton, and the pearl swirl from Zva.  The yellow and white twine bow is from My Mind's Eye.


Next up is a tag made with leftover pieces of the papers.  I fussy cut some tiny flowers from the papers, added a bit of Stickles to their centers and adhered them to the yellow strip in the center of the tag.  The frame was painted white and coated with glitter from Recollections.  The butterfly and large pink flower are wooden shapes from the Simply Pastel collection.  I did all kinds of inking to them for color.  The other flowers are also from Recollections and highlighted with Stickles.


I hate to throw out even small pieces of paper, so I was happy to put the scraps to good use.  What you see of the doily is all that was left of the original piece.


Even though my favorite season of the year is winding down, I have to admit it felt good to play with these cheerful spring colors and patterns.  Thanks for stopping by and for all your sweet comments.  Wishing you the best in the upcoming week!

Sunday, March 2, 2014

A Masculine Birthday Card

Happy March!  It definitely is coming in like a lion.  We are gearing up for another arctic blast as well as a snowstorm.  Well, it still is winter.

My husband recently celebrated his birthday, so I made this card for him.  I used a couple of Tim Holtz dies on the pattern papers which are also from Tim Holtz.  I inked the corrugated cardstock from DCWV and all the papers with Ingvild Bolme tin can chalk ink.  Twine was wrapped around some of the papers to form a bow.  I then attached the clock to the bow with a TH pin.  The gears are from Bead Landing and the tag from 7 Gypsies.  Stickers are TH.


I really struggle making masculine cards.  It just doesn't come easy to me.  However, I really do enjoy using dies to create interesting borders.


The Oscar's are on television tonight and I hope to stay awake long enough to see who gets Best Picture since I've seen a few of the ones nominated.  Plus, I like to see what everyone is wearing!  Have a wonderful week.  Thanks for stopping by!