A Peek Into My Stamping Room

Our Craft Lounge Guest Designer!

Starting April 1, I am officially a guest designer for Our Craft Lounge for the months of April and May.  I got some super cute stamps to play with a couple of weeks ago and have been anxious to get started!  I hope you will check out all the great stamps - clear & rubber- that Our Craft Lounge has to offer.  I made a project for today that I absolutely love!  It's not my usual style but I am so happy how it turned out!  What do you think?

I turned an ordinary brown lunch sack into a cute card portfolio.  My first step was to fold the bottom of the bag 3/4 of the way up and sewed along the three sides to form a front pocket and back pocket.  There are 2 cards in the front pocket and 2 envelopes in the back pocket.  The lace, crochet flowers, netting and buttons all came from my Mother-in-Law's stash of goodies that I received after she died.  One of the stamp sets that I picked from Our Craft Lounge is very vintage called Vintage Roses.  I thought this stamp set would go perfectly with the 8x8 Graphic45 papers - Once Upon A Springtime.  

Here are my card portfolios....I couldn't just make one!

Be sure to check out the Our Craft Lounge Blog to see the other Guest Designer that are joining me.  Their projects are awesome!

I am working on a tutorial for this project right now but had to set it aside because I am making some samples for the demo I am doing at the Girlfriend's Weekend Scrapbook Retreat given by For Keeps Sake (local scrapbook store).  Saturday morning I will be showing how to use the Grand Caliber and Spellbinders Die Templates.  My order from Spellbinders came this past Monday and I have been having so much fun playing with the new release dies!!

So if you are signed up for the scrapping weekend, I will see you Saturday.  If not, I will have the tutorial up on my blog Monday morning.  Talk to you soon! 

 

 

A Farewell to Heartfelt Creations!

This is my last post as a design team member for Heartfelt Creations.  I have loved working with this wonderful company and the last 6 months have flown by!  I love Heartfelt Creations stamp sets and dies alot and will continue to use them so don't worry about that!  For my final DT project, I created a 12 x 12 layout of my middle daughter, Caitlyn.

 
For this layout, I used a piece of 12 x 12 Kraft cardstock as my base.  The rest of the patterned paper is from The Girls' Paperie - Paper Girl collection.  I cut the ledger paper to 11 x 11" and mounted it onto the kraft piece.  Using Labels 4 Grand Nestabilities, I cut/embossed the patterned paper using the #5 die (with #1 being the smallest) and layered that onto my project.  The picture is matted onto some yellow cardstock.  Then I covered a heart chipboard piece with patterned paper and attached it into place using Craft glue dots.  I used the new Grande Flora 2 stamp set and Posy Patch dies to make the flower at the bottom of the layout.  After stacking everything together, I added a Webster's Pages Sparkler button in the middle.  The other flower was made using Posy Patch dies and a quilling tool to curl the petals.  Both flowers where matted onto a 4" Doily from Wilton (you know the kind they sell in the cake decorating isle).  My journaling is a verse from Taylor Swift's song "15" that I typed and printed using my computer, then cut/embossed using Labels One Grand Nestabilites.

Here are a few close-ups of my flowers:

 
 

This was a fun page to create!  I have really been trying to scrapbook at least 2 pages a week.  Last week was only this one but that's pretty good for me!  LOL

Supplies Used on this layout:

PC 3374 Flora Grande 2 PreCut Set
HCPC 3376 Distressed Leaves PreCut Set
HCD 701 Posy Patch Die
Labels Four Grand Nestabilities #4
Labels One Grand Nestabilities #1 & 2

• Patterned Paper - Paper Girl Collection (The Girls' Paperie)
• Cardstock - 12 x 12 Kraft, Chamois Cascata Felt, Spring Willow Medium Prismatic, Daffodil Yellow, Simply Smooth Ivory, Iced Pink Prismatics - Discount Cardstock
• Accessories - 4" Doilies (Wilton Enterprises); Rhinestone Flourish (Zva Creative); heart chipboard piece, Sparkler Buttons (Webster's Pages); Rich Cocoa Memento Ink Pad, Daffodil Delight ink pad

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my Heartfelt Creations projects.  Check back tomorrow to see a great project I made using some cool stamps from Our Craft Lounge.  See ya then!

For The Record!

One of my new favorite paper lines is Echo Park Paper.  I just really love the bright, funky style and colors of all the lines.  Here is a card I made using For The Record from Echo Park and some Heartfelt Creations image.

I embossed the flower images onto white cardstock using white embossing powder.  Then I used my Copic Airbrush system to airbrush the light yellow color.  I attached the 3 layers together using a brad.  The sentiment was stamped onto white cardstock and then I cut/embossed with the Double-Ended tag die.  I added some ribbon and this card was finished.

Supplies used:

HCPC 3374 Glora Grande 2 PreCut Set,
HCPC 3371 Dutch Iris Oval PreCut Set

•  Patterned Paper - For the Record Collection - Picket Fence (Echo Park Paper)
•  Cardstock - Brilliant White #110 (Discount Cardstock)
  
•  Ink - Tuxedo Black Memento Ink pad (Tsukineko)
  
•  Accessories - Gold Brads (Stampin’ Up!); Blossoms 3 Nestabilities, Double-Ended Tag Die, Classic Rectangles Lg Nestabilities (Spellbinders Paper Arts)

 

It's a Furry Friend Challenge!

This week's Flower Soft Sprinkle Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers is Furry Friends.  Make a project using Flower Soft and a Furry Friend then upload it to Splitcoast with the key words - flowersoft - (all one word).  I can't wait to see all the great cards that will be created!  Here is my card for this challenge.

I used Egg-Citing Day PreCut set from Heartfelt Creations for my main image.  After coloring with Copic Markers, I used some Ultra Fine Sage Flower Soft for the grass.  The background paper is from Echo Park - Springtime Collection.  Pretty simple card and one of my favorite layouts for a quick card.  One thing I do when I want to remember a good sketch for a card is to put it into my sketch book.  I keep it close by all the time.  That way, if I think of something that I want to make or an idea that I don't want to forget, I can write them down.  It really sucks getting older, doesn't it?  I just can't remember everything and having a sketch book really helps!

Have a great day!  It's almost the weekend!  I have a couple more posts for this week, so stay tuned!

Heartfelt Creations Wednesday!

Hello everyone! Hope you are having a great week.  The weather here is kinda weird....one day its 70 degrees and another its rainy..snowy and kinda yucky.  Well, I can't wait until Spring really shows its face for more than just a couple of days at a time.  Here are a couple of cards I made for the Heartfelt Creations blog this week.  I used the Heartfelt Creations Posy Patch diecuts in a different way.

To make the flowers for this card, I used the Wrinkle Free Distress Technique and some coffee filters.  I first saw this technique done by Sherry Cheever.  Here is a link to the Wrinkle Free Distress tutorial at Splitcoaststampers.  After I colored my coffee filters and let them dry, I folded them up into fourths and die cut using the Posy Patch die cuts.  That way I had a big stack!  After stacking them together, I inserted a small brad in the middle.  Then I spritz the flowers with Gold Glimmer Mist and started fluffing them using my Heat Tool.  Its kinda time consuming but I have to say the flowers turned out really pretty in real life.  I don't know if the picture does them justice!  Here is a full list of supplies.

HCPC 3377 Sympathy Sentiment PreCut Set
HCD 711 Decorative Dutch Iris Die
HCD 701 Posy Patch Die
Labels 8 Nestabilities

• Fair Isle Borderabilities
• Ink - Rich Cocoa Memento Ink; Weathered Wood Distress Ink
  
• Patterned Paper - Madeline 6x6 paper pad - Prima Marketing
  
•  Cardstock - Baja Breeze (Stampin’ Up!), Spice, Simply Smooth Ivory - Discount Cardstock
  
• Accessories - Rhinestones - Zva Creative; Seam Binding Ribbon; Coffee Filters, Misting Bottle, Non-Stick Craft Sheet, Heat Tool, Tattered Angles Glimmer Mist - Iridescent Gold

Here is another card I made using the Wrinkle Free Distress Technique, Grunge Rose technique and some coffee filters.

Here is my list of supplies:

HCPC 3354 Classic Message PreCut Set,
HCPC 3367 Vintage Life Background PreCut Set,
HCPC 3376 Distressed Leaves PreCut Set,
HCD 701 Posy Patch Die,
Ribbon Tag Trio

• Cardstock - Baja Breeze (SU); Simply Smooth White (Discount cardstock)
  
• Patterned Paper - Madeline 6x6 Paper pad - Prima Marketing Ink
• Baja Breeze ink pad & refill, Old Olive refill - (SU); Rich Cocoa Memento Ink Pad (Tsukineko)
  
• Accessories - Seam Binding ribbon, 4” Doily (Wilton), 3d foam squares, misting bottle, coffee filters, heat tool, liquid glue (Aleene’s Tacky)

I had alot of fun getting my hands super inky and dirty playing around with these techniques.  If you want a tutorial on the roses, just let me know!  Have a great day!

Quick Card for Today!

Here is a quick card I made for Monday's Technique challenge on Splitcoatstampers.  You were to use newsprint on your card somewhere.  Well, quite a few weeks back, I was experimenting with making my own flowers from an old hymnal that I rescued from the recycle bin.  So I already had the hard part done for this challenge.  So I needed a sketch to make it even easier!  I used the Mojo Monday sketch for my card layout.  What do you think?

Here is a link to my card in my Splitcoast gallery where I have all the supplies listed.  Yes, I am being lazy today!  LOL

Hope you are having a great week!

A Couple of Scrapbook Pages!

This week has been a productive one for me.  I have been really slacking on my scrapbooking and decided that 2 pages a weeks might be a goal I can achieve.  Well, since I set that goal in January, I think I am in trouble!  See what I mean about being a slacker?  LOL

Here is my first page:

This is a picture I took of my girls this past fall.  We were having a camping weekend and visited Elephant Rock State park.  I smile everything I see this picture.  Colleen is kissing Caitlyn and Cassie is tugging on Caitlyn.  That is what their relationship is like.  Love one minute and fights the next!  I guess this is a typical sibling relationship.  I am on only child so I don't really know.  I will tell that most days my girls love each other alot but occasionally - they fight!

I used a My Little Shoebox Scrapbook kit that I have had for over a year.  This is such a cutesy line of paper and I really enjoy scrapping with it.  I added a Little Yellow Bicycle heartshaped doily but everything else is from the My Little Shoebox Kit.

Here is my other page:

I know you have seen this picture before but I used it on a wall-hanging I gave to my mom.  So this project is just for me!  I made some rosettes out of patterned paper using the Scalloped Circle Nestabilities.  The papers and stickers are from My Little Shoebox again.  This was so fun to make and the cute little girl makes me smile too!

Hope you have a great weekend!  I will have more stuff to share with you Monday!

Happy St. Patrick's Day and other Stuff!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Hope you enjoy some corned beef, cabbage and maybe even some green beer!  I know we are eating the corned beef & cabbage but will pass on the green beer!  The card I want to share with you today has NOTHING to do with St. Patrick's Day. 

The other day on Splitcoaststampers, it was announced that Taylored Expressions was a new member company.  It's exciting because we all love Taylored Expressions stamps in this house.  Whenever my girls make cards for friends, the cute cupcake stamps are the ones they always pull out!  So to show my excitement, I decided to participate in a couple of challenges - Color Challenge & Grand Opening Gallery Challenge using some Taylor Expressions stamps!

Here is my card:

I used MY favorite set from Taylored Expressions called creativiTEA.  This set is full of teapots, tea cups, flowers and sweet sentiments!  My color choices are from this week's color challenge on Splitcoaststampers - Baja Breeze, Soft Suede & Kraft plus a neutral.  I stamped the flower image onto Simply Smooth White cardstock, colored it with copic markers and carefully cut it out.  I layered it onto some die cuts - Classic Circle Nestabilities & the new Parisian Motifs die sete from Spellbinders.  After putting the card together, I added the Crystal Stickles to the flower.  It never fails, whenever I add stickles to my project, I get it all over everything so it works better for me to just put it on last!!  LOL

So if you have any Taylored Expression stamps or want to win some, you should participate in the Grand Opening Gallery Challenge on Splitcoaststampers!  I would love to win some Taylored Expressions!

 

Flower Soft Toppers Blog Hop!

Hello!  So glad you could join me for today's blog hop.  You should be coming from Debbie Sherman's blog.  If not, please visit the Flower Soft Blog to get started!

The Flower Soft team will be showing you fun ways to use Flower Soft Card Toppers.  One lucky blog hopper who comments on all the blogs will win a $50 Flower Soft gift certificate so comment on every post along the way!  The blog hop will remain open until Tuesday March 22^nd. The winner will be announced on the Flower Soft blog on March 23rd.

Here is my project using the new release Country-Village 3D Cut Outs card topper.

I cut the layers out using scissors and put them together using some 3d Foam squares.  I added some Peony Pink Flower Soft for highlights.  The sentiment comes in the kit, too.  In this kit, you get 8 card toppers - 2 each of 4 different designs.  Each design comes with a sentiment.  Here is a close-up of my card:

I have another project using the Lavender Papercraft Kit and the sketch from Card Positioning Systems this week!  Flower Soft is sponsoring the sketch this week.  So this is another way you could win some Flower Soft!!

The Lavender Paper Craft kit matches die templates from Spellbinders Paper Arts.  I used Labels 7 to cut/emboss the "book" layers from the kit.  I stamped the sentiment (Heartfelt Creations) using Dusty Concord Distress Ink and layered everything together using 3d foam squares.

• Supplies Used:  Stamps - Dutch Iris Medley PreCut Set, Sympathy Sentiment PreCut Set - Heartfelt Creations 
• Cardstock - Orchid Cascata Felt, Simply Smooth White - www.discountcardstock.com
• Flower Soft - Lavender Papercraft Kit, Ultra Fine Citrus Crush, Flower Soft Glue
• Accessories - S4-231 Labels Seven Nestabilities, Floral & Stone Impressabilities, Fair Isle Borderabilities - Spellbinders Paper Arts; ribbon, Dusty Concord Distress Ink, Copic Markers, 3d Foam Squares

 

Hope you liked my project!  Did I inspire you to get yourself some Flower Soft Toppers?  They make creating cards so easy!  Now its time to hop on over to Gini Cagle's Blog for your next stop!

If you get lost along the way please visit the Flower Soft blog where there will be a complete list of the Flower Soft Hop participants or here is an updated list going to each blog post directly!

Dina Kowal
Debbie Sherman
Debbie Seyer
Gini Cagle
Cibele Glazer
Linda Beeson
Deb Felts
Jeanne Streiff
Vicki Garrett

 

Yeah, It's Friday!!

So glad it's Friday!  The sun is shining and while we do have a busy day planned for Saturday,  I hope it will still be a relaxing couple of days!  I just hope the weather improves.  Kinda tired of the dreary, rainy weather and am looking forward to green grass and pretty flowers.  Even if my allergies won't like them!

I have a couple of projects to share with you today using the March Posh Paper Kit from Discount Cardstock.  Unfortunately, the Posh Paper Kit club is being discontinued but you can still get all the great goodies in this month's kit!

Lot's of cool embellishments that include at stamp set, hearts and flower assortnments, Stickles, buttons, pearls and loads of ribbon.   I had a great time creating some pretty cards with this kit.

This card uses the Slate Grey cardstock for the base - which measures 5 1/4 x 10 1/2"- then I folded it in half.  I used an embossing folder on the Silver Ore Metallic cardstock.  Doesn't the embossing look so neat?  I layered the embossed cardstock onto some Brilliant White cardstock.  Using a sentiment from the stamp set that is included in the kit, I stamped the "You're Invited" onto a scrap of white cardstock and cut/embossed using a Fancy Tag die from Spellbinders.  I added some ribbon and the cut heart embellishment (also included in the kit) to complete the card.

 

Here is Thank You card!

I used some new release dies from Spellbinders called Parisian Accents Shapeabilities for this card.  The base is made from Brilliant White cardstock.  The sentiment is from the stamp set included in the Posh Paper Kit stamped in Basic Grey ink.   Using Sky Metallic cardstock, I cut/embossed a Mega Curved Rectangle and added the die cuts from the Parisian Accents Shapeabilities.  The Metallic cardstock cuts and embosses so well.  You can even heat emboss on it, too!

Well, I hope you have a great weekend.  Tomorrow is a Jazz Festival for my 2 older daughters so we will be busy enjoying the High School Jazz music from all the different schools in the area.  It will be lots of fun!  Talk to you soon!