I'm Sew Excited!

Moxie Fab World's current challenge is "I'm Sew Excited"...using sewing icons on a project.  My card uses a needle threaded with baker's twine.

I stamped the needle on a scrap of ivory paper and poked a hole in the eye as well as a hole just above the eye to thread the twine through.  I stamped the sentiment then I used teeny dabs of glue to strategically adhere the twine.  The right edge is finished with pinking shears.  I don't really card for sewing in real life, but threading this needle was fun!

Supplies:

Paper: (orange gingham & watermelon) a muse studio, (pure luxury ivory) GinaK, (basic black) SU

Ink: (noir black) palette hybrid, (tea dye) PTI

Stamps: (quilter's sampler) PTI

Accessories: (tangerine baker's twine) The Twinery, pinking shears, (pop dots) ANM, (corner chomper) WeRMemoryKeepers

Gallery Idol - Season Five...Congratulations...

I have been storing up creative energy for months...you can see my last post was in May, and that was for cards made back in the winter time!!  When Paper Crafts posted the Gallery Idol competition, with a grand prize being a Paper Crafts cruise in November, that was pretty good incentive to get busy!  The theme for the first round is Congratulations.  I have two entries to share with you today...there is still time (deadline is July 4th), so I may make a few more yet...

 I haven't mentioned it here, but I recently decided to sell my Cricut and I bought a Silhouette SD to replace it.  What I love about the Silhouette is that I can download designs instantly whenever the mood strikes me (most are 99 cent downloads!) and I can cut out any true-type fonts that I have on my computer - no cartridges!  It was Carly that got me started thinking about getting one back when we were on the Splitcoaststampers CAS DT together and she made this card.

I used my Silhouette for both of these - I had the idea for two thumbs up in my head, and wouldn't you know, they had the shape in the Silhouette store...I also cut out the prize ribbon and the w's on it.  I am very happy about both of these designs...there are over 200 cards already submitted and that number is sure to increase before the deadline - competition is fierce...wish me luck ;-)

"Good Job" Supplies:

Stamps:  (School Days ) a muse studio

Paper: (winter sky) a muse studio, (pure luxury white) GinaK, (basic black) SU

Ink: (noir black) Palette hybrid

Die cuts (hand-2) Silhouette 

Accessories:  (corner chomper) We R Memory Keepers, (twinkle stickers) a muse studio, (pop dots) ANM

"Wow" Supplies:

Stamps:  (congratulations MA) a muse artstamps

Ink: (charcoal) Palette Hybrid, (tea dye, black soot) Ranger Distress

Paper: (pure luxury white) GinaK, (basic black) SU, (buttercup, bermuda shimmer couture, orange shimmer couture) a muse studio

Die Cuts: (ribbon pinwheel, w) Silhouette

Accessories; pop dots (ANM)

Paper Crafts Card Creations 9...

 
Did you get your copy yet?  I got mine in the mail from Paper Crafts the other day - I am excited that they chose 2 of my projects for this special issue.  It is full of amazing and inspiring cards for many occasions - I highly recommend you go out and buy it - you won't be disappointed!

Here is one of my cards that you'll find in this issue - the other one is on page 34.

Hope you have a super day! I am off to the nursery with my mom to buy her flowers for her pots for Mother's Day...

Paper:  A muse (winter sky), Stampin Up! (yoyo yellow, real red), XpressIt Blending Cardstock (Copic)

Ink:  palette hybrid noir black, Memento Tuxedo Black

Stamps:  A muse (cityscape, superhero, super day)

Accessories:  copic markers, pop dots (all night media), ribbon (supreme laces), Cricut (doodletype cartridge)

Tuesday Trigger: Crepe Bouquet

I am getting this one done under the wire...I love the bouquet featured in this week's Tuesday Trigger from Moxie Fab World...any hand-tied bouquet is gorgeous in my books.

 

 

Crepe Paper Bouquet from Martha Stewart

I decided to make my own hand-tied bouquet on a card....

Because of the softness of the photo, I chose vellum as my card base.  I used a piece of tissue paper I had saved and die cut multiple layers of flowers, crumpling them up and attaching them together with a brad.  I ran a ribbon through a few holes on the bottom of a scrap of ivory paper and tucked some green tissue paper underneath for the ties.  Edging and rounded corners as well as a flourishy sentiment complete the look.

Enjoy!

Stamps:  Spiral Bouquet (PTI)

Paper:  chiffon yellow (A muse studio), pure ivory (GinaK), vellum, tissue paper

Ink:  peeled paint (Ranger distress)

Accessories:  scallop trim border punch (SU), corner chomper (WeRMemory Keepers), Bigz Island Floral die (Sizzix), olive twill ribbon (SU), yellow brad (BasicGrey)

Tuesday Trigger: A Burst of Blooms

I made a last minute card for this week's Tuesday Trigger in the Moxie Fab World.

  
I found some really cool trim at a local fabric warehouse a few weeks ago and it is perfect for this challenge.  The trim itself is off-white, but easily coloured with copics using some of the colour combos found in the flowers.  I stamped the sentiment on a card base with rounded corners, then I grounded a strip of the flower trim with an ivory scalloped base and adhered it to the card base.  I love how quick and easy this was to make!

Enjoy your day!  Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:

Paper:  watermelon (A muse studio), vintage cream (PTI)

Stamps:  Eat Cake (PTI)

Ink:  fired brick distress (Ranger)

Accessories:  scallop edge punch (SU), corner chomper (WeR Memory Keepers), flower trim (NST), copics

In my Beautiful Balloon...a Moxie Fab Challenge

Hot air balloons are beautiful...they are everywhere in the crafting world these days, and now that spring is here, I expect we will see some in the horizon from our back deck.  I am afraid of heights, and would likely never go up in one, but I love to watch them from the ground!!  I am also loving all the great creations that are being made for the latest Moxie Fab World Challenge "In my Beautiful Balloon".  Here is my entry:

Here is how the card came together...I hand-drew my balloon and cut it out of kraft cardstock.  I then cut out the stripes in different colours.  Once they were adhered to the balloon base, I stitched the seams for dimension.  All of the edges are sponged with distress ink which gives additional dimension.  I had to do all of that twice because my sewing machine ate my first balloon and completely wrecked it.  ACK!!!  The basket is made from half of the decorative label punch topped with a large scalloped border.  The sentiment fit perfectly on the basket - YAY!  The balloon is accented by kraft clouds and baker's twine ropes.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Supplies:

Paper:  kraft (SU), vintage cream (PTI), cherry, grass, orange & bermuda shimmer couture, eucalyptus (A muse studio)

Stamps:  everyday button bits, polka dot basics (PTI)

Ink:  versamark, burnt umber (palette hybrid), walnut stain distress (Ranger)

Accessories:  cappucino baker's twine (the Twinery), pop dots (ANM), corner chomper (WeRMemoryKeepers), decorative label punch (SU), cloud trio & jumbo scallop dies (MFT)

Quick card - using what I have...

I have not bought much lately (stamping supplies or stamps).  There has been a lot of talk on Splitcoaststampers about using what you have - a great concept really, considering I could open a small store with my supplies!!

Here is a card made with some of my "older" stash:

 Image was stamped in distress ink, spritzed with water, stamped onto watercolour paper and matted with black.  I stamped the sentiment then adhered the main image to the card base with pop dots.  The birds were  "coloured" with liquid pearls.

Fast and Easy...

Magical and Happy...

Hope your day is one of those!!

Supplies:

Stamps:  happy forest, magical day (Stamping Bella)

Ink:  black soot (Ranger distress)

Paper:  ivory pure luxury (GinaK), basic black (SU), aquarello cold pressed watercolour paper (Fabriano)

Accessories:  pop dots, ruby red liquid pearls (Ranger)

Blue Gingham & Sparkles

Today's card is a card just for fun...no challenge associated with it at all!  These cards are rare...

I have been drooling over the way JulieHRR uses bling and this card is definitely inspired by her talent with bling placement!

I rounded the corners on my card base and the main image for a softer look.  I punched the left edge of the main image then stamped the wild rose image and the sentiment.  I added some accents to the rose with glitter pens (red and hot pink).  I used tea dye inks to add some distressing and definition to all of the edges on the card and main image.  I adhered the main image with dimensionals.  Bling was added next as per Julie's card.  The scalloped edge at the bottom was an afterthought...the card was missing something and this edge helps to ground the main image as well as adds that magical third red element.

Hope your day has something "just for fun" in it too!

Supplies:

Stamps:  Wild Rose (A muse Studio), Have a beautiful day (A muse artstamps)

Ink:  noir black (Palette hybrid), warm red, maroon (Colorbox Qs), tea dye (PTI)

Paper:  blue gingham, currant (A muse Studio), Pure Luxury Ivory (GinaK)

Accessories:  scallop punch, notebook punch (SU), glitter pens (atyou spica), twinkle stickers (A muse studio), pop dots (ANM), corner chomper (WeRMemory Keepers)

Cityscapes are on the rise - Moxie Fab Challenge...

I love big cities...the hustle and bustle...taking the subway...walking around at night and not being the only ones on the street...the shopping (can't forget that!)...Plans are in the works for a second annual get-away-from-it-all trip to New York City!  I could totally live there if I had a few million to buy a place ;-)

So when I came across the Cityscapes Are On the Rise challenge on Moxie Fab World, I had to make a card!

Not much stamping on this one...only the sentiment.  I used a bunch of scraps - the herringbone background, the swiss-dotted clouds and the strip of green.  I used my cricut to cut out a blue cityscape silhouette.  I got some Tim Holtz sentiments in a trade this past year and cut one up a bit to fit on the card.  Love using bits and pieces that are laying around.  You have no idea how many times I have pulled out those clouds and tried them on a card...finally, they are glued down on one!!

Hope you are living the life you have imagined...

Supplies:

Paper:  lemon whip, sage, winter sky (white side), ocean & sugar shimmer couture (A muse studio), white (PTI)

Stamps:  Creative Muse (Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous)

Ink:  noir black (Palette hybrid)

Accesories:  herringbone & swiss dots embossing folders (Provocraft), cityscape die cut (Going Places Cricut cartridge), cloud trio die (Die-manics by MFT), pop dots (All Night Media)

Yikes, a sketch challenge!

I don't like sketch challenges...but I did one...the Clean and Simple challenge posted on Splitcoaststampers today is based on lisa lara's Congratulations Clothesline card.  Here is my version, flipped upside down:

I saw my first robin while hiking in the forest behind my house yesterday!  Spring has arrived...can't wait for the sun to shine and dry up all the mud!  I am so excited to make a warm weather card for this challenge.  I submitted to the last Paper Crafts call (no luck this time) and was making Halloween cards!!

The hummingbird and flower are all stamped in one layer...used a bit of rock and roll on the bird & flower for depth.  All the edges are distessed with tea dye ink.  I decided to embellish with bella baubles (say that 10 times fast!) because everything on the card was so flat - they add some needed dimension. 

Hope you are enjoying the sights, smells and sounds of spring...

Supplies:

Paper:  yellow gingham, madeira, red shimmer couture (A muse studio), vintage cream (PTI)

Stamps: birds of a feather (PTI)

Ink: tea dye distress ink (Ranger), always artichoke, ruby red, regal rose, pumpkin pie (SU)

Accessories: pomegranate bella baubles (Stamping Bella), circle nestibilities (Spellbinders), small oval punch (SU)

Tuesday Trigger: Oh so Lovely

Where has the time gone...middle of March already!  I certainly haven't been finding time to make cards lately - that has got to change!  There is too much inspiration out there not to make something!  This post's inspiration comes right from the motherlode of inspiration - Moxie Fab World's Tuesday Trigger - it's "Oh So Lovely" this week!

I love two things about this photo - the colours and the distressed look of the paint on the chair.  You can see both of those elements in my card...

All of the edges are distressed with tea dye ink and then roughened up.  I stamped the birdhouse and branch directly on the patterned paper and "hung" the birdhouse by a line of piercing.  The twine bow helps anchor the end of the branch at the edge of the paper.  The white in the twine was a bit stark so I coloured it with a copic to age it...love doing that!  To adhere to the rule of threes, I added the black label for the sentiment.  Adding the label helps the eye travel around the card - to the branch, down to the birdhouse and back to the label.

Hoping you find some inspiration around you...

Supplies:

Stamps:  Home Tweet Home (Technique Tuesday)

Paper:  robin's egg, pink shimmer couture, orange gingham, pretty little paper (A muse)

Ink:   noir black (Palette hybrid), tea dye (PTI)

Accessories:  scallop punch (SU), pink sorbet twine (The Twinery), E31 (Copic), paper piercer (Making Memories), label (Dymo)

My card is in Paper Crafts Stamp It! Techniques!!!

I finally have my computer back...it died on me at the worst time ever...glad to have it all fixed!  

I wanted to share my first project ever to be published!!  It's on page 45 of Paper Crafts Stamp It! Techniques (in the paper piecing section).  There are so many amazing cards in this special issue - if you don't have it already, you need it!!

Cardstock: (basic black) Stampin’ Up!, (pure luxury white 120lb) GinaK Designs

Patterned paper: (black gingham) A muse, (offbeat) BasicGrey

Stamps…rubber, foam, clear: (Lamp) A muse, (“Thank you for making us feel right at home” from Boards & Beams set) Papertrey Ink

Ink…dye, pigment, solvent, watermark, chalk: (noir black) Palette hybrid

Accent: (cranberry pretty pearls) A muse

Dies, embossing folders, brass templates: (Lots of Tags Label 1) Sizzix Sizzlits

Tool: (paper piercer) Making Memories, (Design Ruler) Tim Holtz

Other: (pop dots) All Night Media  

Instructions

1)     Stamp lamps on small piece of white cardstock (approximately 2” x 3”)

2)     Stamp lamps again on scraps of patterned paper

3)     Cut out lampshades, making sure to cut just inside the stamped line, and adhere to lamp images.

4)     Ground the lamps with two pierced lines

5)     Mat the main image on black cardstock

6)     Adhere main image to card base with pop dots

7)     Add strip of patterned paper to bottom of card base

8)     Die cut label and stamp sentiment

9)     Distress edge of label with fingernail for added dimension and interest

10) Adhere label with double layer of pop dots

11) Embellish lamps with tiny pearls

A Cameo Card...

I have not made a card for a challenge in ages!  The current challenge at Moxie Fab World is "The Appearance of Cameos"..truly a challenge for me as I have no cameo stamps.  After checking out Google Images for inspiration, I was happy to see that cameos are not just faces of women...they could be flowers or butterflies or scenes.  Here is what I came up with:

Supplies:

Stamps: gossamer wings (A muse), borders & corners oval (PTI)

Paper:  latte, red shimmer couture, watermelon (A muse)

Ink:  versamark

Accessories:  black embossing powder (SU), black superfine detail embossing powder (Ranger), black pearls (Kaisercraft), styled labels die (Tim Holtz), black ribbons (Supreme Laces), Dymo labeller, corner chomper

The butterfly and oval frame are heat embossed for a bit of dimension - I used detail embossing powder for the oval frame and regular embossing powder for the butterfly.  The black elements help the eye travel around the card.  I kind of like the pink label backed with the red panel - doesn't clash at all!! Hope you like it...make sure you check out the challenge and play along!

Teachers are amazing...

I am sending this into my "grade one-er"'s (as he calls himself) teacher because she is clearly amazing...

We had his 7th birthday party this past weekend at our house- 2 parents to 12 boys (ages 5-8) - it was an intense 2 hours.  Their energy was unbelievable - it's a wonder the only "injury" was one bloody nose!  And this was not even all the boys in his class - imagine a class full!!  I am still in a state of shock from the party - I don't think I'll ever forget it!!

Instructions:

1)      stamp 3 pencils, colour with copics and cut out

2)      cut 3 thin strips of cardstock in the same colour as the pencils

3)      adhere pencils & thin strips to white cardstock of main panel

4)      stamp sentiment

5)      mat main panel in black

6)      adhere orange patterned paper to bottom ¾ of card base

7)      adhere twill ribbon where orange paper and card base meet

8)      adhere main panel over top

9)      adhere punched star

Supplies:

Paper:  GinaK (Pure Luxury White), BasicGrey (lime rickey), A muse (cobalt blue, shimmery orange, chiffon green), Stampin’Up! (basic black), Copic (XpressIt blending cardstock)

Ink:  Palette hybrid (noir black), Memento (tuxedo black)

Stamps:  A muse (pencil, for a special teacher)

Accessories:  Star punch (Stampin’Up!), copics, green twill ribbon (unknown source), pop dots (all night media), Corner Chomper

Time for fun...a party card...

I have a "reject" from a magazine call that I thought I'd share tonight...

This card was a lot of fun to make...colouring with my copics, masking the cactus and lots of glitter!  It's hard to see, but the sombrero is pretty glittered up and there is a red-glitter-dotted-border on the black mat.  This card is in honour of the busy month of January with 2 birthdays in the family and a trip to Florida coming up quickly :-)

Supplies:

Paper:  Pure Luxury White (GinaK), XpressIt Blending Cardstock (Copic), basic black (Stampin' Up!)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Palette hybrid noir black

Stamps:  A muse (cactus, sombrero, time for fun)

Accessories:  MS glitter (carnelian), pop dots (All Night Media), Copic markers, Ranger liquid pearls (ruby red), Eclipse masking tape

My Last Minute Christmas Card...

I seem to do everything at the last minute...I have very little time to plan ahead because I am always doing something at the last minute that needs to be done NOW, leaving no time for planning.  Sigh...

Nevertheless, I have been stealing bits and pieces of time here and there to plan bits and pieces of this year's Christmas cards in my head...this card is all of those fragments put together.  There is an interesting thread on Splitcoaststampers discussing whether stampers just "wing it" or plan out their cards ahead of time...neat to see how everyone creates!!  I like to and usually do create spontaneously but when I have taken the time to gather all the elements ahead of time and map out my card, less wasted cardstock and supplies is the result! 

This card also fits with the latest A muse Lounge Challenge "Sparkling Season"  - to make a card that sparkles...

So without further ado, here is my planned-out-ahead-of-time sparkling card:

Here is how it went together:

• I traced the hill on a scrap piece of white cardstock and cut it out
• I placed the white hill on the card base in order to properly position the sentiment and the snowman
• Using my Stampamajig, I stamped the sentiment first and the snowman second (I pulled the white hill out of the way in order to stamp the snowman completely on the card base)
• Next, I put the hill back on the base, lined up the snowman image on the acetate from the Stampamajig over the snowman on the card base, slid a post it under the hill (to avoid stamping over the card base) and restamped the (lower part of the) snowman on the hill.
• Next, I ran the card base through the swiss dots folder on my cuttlebug and sanded the dots to make the white core appear on the cardstock - snow!!
• Then, I adhered the hill to the base, lining up the snowman
• Then, I stamped the snowman a third time on a scrap of white, coloured him with copics and cut him out (leaving off his arms and the snowballs)
• I adhered the cut out snowman over the snowman on the hill.
• I coloured the snowballs on the card base with white gel pen 
• Lastly, I used crystal effects on the edge of the hill and on the snowballs and sprinkled on glitter (I used Diamond Dust which is soooo sparkly because it is actually tiny pieces of glass - sharp if you get a sliver!!)

Hope you enjoy the holidays...thanks for stopping by today!!

Supplies:

Paper:  A muse (winter sky), PTI (white)

Ink:  Palette hybrid noir

Stamps:  A muse (juggling snowman, enjoy the wonders)

Accessories:  Crystal effects (SU), Diamond Dust (twinklets), copics, pop dots, cuttlebug, swiss dots folder, sanding block

My A muse Teeny Tiny Calendar Book...

I love buying the A muse calendar every year...this year there are so many sizes available and there is always a good cause involved.  The proceeds this year are going towards Charley's Fund.

Charley

My calendar this year is an adorable teeny tiny mini book.  It measures 2 1/2" square.  Other years, I have used the 4" square calendar and made 6x6 scrapbook pages either put into page protectors and tied together with a ribbon or bound with my Bind-it-all.

But this one...it's so cute I could just about eat it ;-)

Here is how I made it:

1) Cut 12 pieces of patterned paper measuring 2 1/2” by 5”

2) Score and fold the first piece at the halfway mark lengthwise with the pattern facing inwards.  Repeat with the remaining 11 pieces

3) Open up the first piece

4) With patterned side of the first piece now facing you, adhere the reverse side of the bottom half of the first piece to the reverse side of the top half of a second piece of patterned paper (see picture below)

5) Fold the first piece back in half with the pattern facing in – you now should see the patterned side of the second piece opened up

6) Repeat steps 4 and 5 with the remaining pieces of patterned paper

7) To make a cover for your mini book, cut 2 pieces of paper 2 1/2” x 3”, scoring vertically along the long side at 1/2”

8) Adhere the 2 1/2” square portion of each piece to the front and back of the mini book (to the reverse sides of the first and last pieces of patterned paper)

9) Finally, adhere the 1/2” portions together at the top of your book to cover up the folds of patterned paper

10) Print out mini calendar and cut each month to be 1 3/4" square

11) Cut 12 2” square pieces of paper and mat each month

12) Adhere matted months to inside of each mini book page

13) Punch out year and adhere to front of mini book

14) Decorate and embellish as desired

I hope my instructions were somewhat clear!  Thanks for checking out my little project! 

Enjoy your day...

Supplies:

Paper:  A muse (gingham, eucalyptus), GinaK Pure Luxury white

Ink:  none!
Stamps:  none!
Accessories:  SU curly label punch, A muse mini calendar

CASEing CriminalGrace...

Supplies:

Paper:  A muse (gingham, robin's egg, eucalyptus, shimmery white)
Stamps:  A muse (Holiday combo)
Ink:  Versamagic Turquoise Gem
Accessories:  MS snowflake punch & drippy goo punches, pop dots, SU silver glass glitter, a muse twinkle stickers

The Featured Stamper on SCS this week is CriminalGrace. Her card designs are always clever & inspiring, plus she loves A muse stamps! I made a card based on her Trio of Tulips...switched up the season and changed the colour scheme but kept the great layout.

I recently ordered some of the glass glitter from SU after using it at stamp camp...this stuff is heaven - glitter that actually only goes where the glue is and is really easy to clean up after! I can use it and not be a sparkling glittery mess afterwards!! I "cheated" and used the MS drippy goo punch instead of the more winter-appropriate icicle punch. Covered in glitter, I think they look close enough to icicles!!

Make sure you check out Sarah's wonderful gallery...and have a great day!

Pobody's Nerfect...

...and that includes me with my horrible handwriting!!  That is the challenge this month in the A muse Lounge - "Dashes, Dots & Doodles" -to include something handwritten on your card.  Sigh...

While he was working, my dad had a piece of art in his office above his desk that my mom made (with buttons glued onto cork - very 70s!!).  It featured several owls on a branch with one upside down and the saying "Pobody's Nerfect".  I just received a small shipment from A muse which included this owl stamp - I had to buy it because it brought back memories of visits to my dad's office...

This card is a re-creation of that kitschy piece of art featuring my own handwriting (which I think is a complete eyesore on this card)...I wish A muse had had a stamp for this, then I could have hand-drawn the "branch" for the owls instead...

Hope you enjoy this one and have a great weekend!!

Supplies:

Stamps:  A muse (skinny owl)

Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa

Paper:  A muse (latte, shimmery brown)

Accessories:  copics, pop dots, SU curly label punch, SU markers

What a Lineup...

I was in the mood of colouring so I stamped a lineup of A muse characters and went to town with my copics. I quite like the Xpress It blending cardstock from Copic. I matted the main image with yellow to make it stand out, grounded the lineup with some ribbon and mounted it on the blue base. I stamped the sentiment and punched it out in an arrow shape.

It could be fun to make different lineups...not only people - animals, food, vehicles (a traffic jam)....

Supplies:

Stamps:  A muse (scarecrow, policeman, robot kid, superhero, hello)

Ink:  memento tuxedo black

Paper:  A muse (cobalt blue), Copic (xpress it blending cardstock), SU (summer sun)

Accessories:  ribbon (May arts), SU arrow punch, pop dots, copics