Lovely as a Tree in Winter

I know, I know….it’s about time that I finally bought Lovely as a Tree.  And it’s about time that I used that stamp set! 

So, with all the wintery weather….note I did not say snow (we live in a bubble of the world that does not receive more than a dusting usually )….I was inspired to use winter colors.

I masked off an area with my post it notes to create a rectangle focal point.  Within that rectangle I sponged Soft Sky, Smoky Slate, Island Indigo, and Perfect Plum.  It kind of gives a glimpse of a skyline look.

After I created my pop of color, I stamped the tree in Basic Grey and again with Illuminate shimmery white ink.  If you can ignore the random shadow that came from my phone, you can kind of see the offset shimmery shadow.  I think the next one I make may get some Dazzling Diamonds, too!  It needs some snow….kind of like I need real snow and not just piddly little snowfalls! 

Fall Fun Scrapbook Page

I’m slowly but surely completing my goal of scrapbooking the pile of pictures that has been on my desk for months.  Granted, the pile was huge, but in the fall I get so busy I hardly have time for scrapbooking!  Too many treats for children, cards for birthday parties and Christmas gifts to worry about, I guess!  Needless to say, I have finally started to load up more pictures to my account and print out new ones to scrapbook.  In the meantime, my husband’s reply was, “Did you just now print out pictures from last Christmas?!”  Squeak…..Yes!!!!

So I accomplished two things with this layout – I used up some more of the fall paper pack from last year and got a few more pictures in the family book!  Look at those cuties!  They grow up so quickly!

Side note:  If you do not already own a White Uniball Signo Gel Pen, Please invest in one!!!!  They are the absolute best pens to write journaling with on dark colors or just write a sentiment inside a dark colored card base.  I literally go through at least 1-2 of these pens a year!  They are great!

The acorn and leaves are from the Autumn Accents Bigz Die the last time they were on a weekly deal! 

Paper:  Island Indigo, Very Vanilla, Retired DSP

Acccents:  Retired Big Buttons, Autumn Accents Die, Candy Dots Regals, Uniball Signo Gel Pen

Retro Fresh Scrapbook Pages

I really love the whole entire Retro Fresh line in the Occasions Catalogue.  So much so that every single item on both pages is on my wish list.

Did I just say that?!   Don’t tell the hubby!

So….I don’t know why, but something about the color combo just screamed a great color combo for a fall scrapbook page.  It came together pretty easily.  I used some Pool Party Ruffled Ribbon and Retro Fresh This and That Designer Washi Tape to connect my pieces.

The extra fall badges were Amy Tan (I think) that I found on clearance somewhere here in town.

Paper:  Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Retro Fresh DSP

Accessories:  Retro Fresh This and That Washi Tape, Pool Party Ruffled Ribbon, Badges (Amy Tangerine)

Happy Watercolor Ensemble

I made this ensemble recently during an Open House for the Occasions catalogue. 

To make the card, I stamped off 3 times using the watercolor background stamp.  I inked it with Coastal Cabana and then stamped three times starting at the top and allowing the color to lighten up as it went down.  I stamped both sentiments in StazOn Jet Black.

I made this tag using the new Scallop Edge Tag Topper punch.  You can cut a tag of any length as long as it is 2 inches in width.

This treat holder also uses the Tag Topper punch – I used a longer strip of paper and scored two lines in it so you could fold it up and add a treat inside. 

Stamps:  Happy Watercolor

Ink:  Coastal Cabana, StazOn Jet Black

Paper:  Whisper White

Accessories:  Scalloped Edge Tag Topper Punch, Coastal Cabana ruffled ribbon, Basic Rhinestones

Love you to the Moon

So one of my favorite new stamp sets in the occasions catalogue is called Love You to the Moon.  I love how all the stamps can be used for your significant other or just for someone you love dearly. 

My daughter was actually the inspiration for this card.  She happens to be absolutely crazy over American Girl dolls and found a project in her recent American Girl magazine that had a flower made out of hearts.  While I had seen projects like this before I had never made one.  Of course, when she decided we needed to make a card using this technique….well, the rest was history! 

I punched hearts out of Melon Mambo and the Fancy Foil Designer Vellum paper and folded them in half.  Putting the centers in the middle, I fanned them out until a flower formed.

And here is the middle of the card.

Stamps:  Love You to the Moon

Ink:  Versamark

Paper:  Wisteria Wonder, Melon Mambo, Fancy Foil Designer Vellum

Accessories:  Heart Punch, Gold Embossing Powder

Gold is on my mind

I think I am in love with all of the new gold items in the Spring Catalogue!  I love how they are just little accents, but not too much.  Here I have used the Fancy Foil Designer Vellum paper – I just love it! 

The string is from a Sale-a-bration product – it is in the Sweet Sorbet accessory pack.

Stamps:  Love You to the Moon

Ink:  Coastal Cabana

Paper:  Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Fancy Foil Designer Vellum paper, Gold Foil Sheet

Accessories:  Sweet Sorbet Accessory Pack, Corner Rounder

All that glitters is gold!

I CASEd this idea from someone on Pinterest.  I had actually seen a few different similar ideas, so I just used the materials that I had sitting around to create my own version of this card.  It is very easy and yet it packs quite a punch.

I tore strips of Watercolor Wonder washi tape and layered them across the center of the Whisper White mat. 

Next, I added some strips of Gold Sequin Trim using Tombow Multi-purpose Adhesive.

I finished with the sentiment from the Happy Watercolor stamp set.  The sequins on the label die cut are just loose sequins that fell off the trim, so I added them with a glue dot.  Easy peasy!

Stamps:  Happy Watercolor

Ink:  Staz-on Jet Black

Paper:  Whisper White

Accessories:  Chalk Talk Framelits, Watercolor Wonder Washi Tape, Gold Sequin Trim

I’m Back with a Valentine’s Class!

Sorry about the holiday hiatus!  I had a surgery on the heel of my right foot and have had to deal with a huge hole in my heel about the size of my thumbnail and about 3/8” deep for the last several weeks.  I’m slowly but surely getting back to normal, but I know it will be at least another month before my foot is back to normal.  Ugh!

Anyway, I am planning to have a Valentine’s class on Saturday, January 18 at 1:00.  During the class we will be making these 4 cards using the Crazy, Mixed Up Love stamp set. 

Cost:  $10 OR Free with a $50 purchase! 

****This includes online orders!  Use hostess code 64DX7B7S for your online order.

So, as you can see – this stamp set is full of fun and silly sayings – I love these!  They make great Valentine cards or just cards for any time throughout the year.

One of the fun and easy techniques we will be learning is how to make these stamped images have a two toned effect without using markers.

This card is so fun – it reminds me of when I first met my husband.  He had a lava lamp!   I just lava him! 

And of course, glitter and rhinestones are always optional!

Here are a few extra cards that I made using my stash.  They took a little bit more time, but they were well worth it.  If you take the class or get the class free with a purchase, you get a pdf file that gives you step by step directions to create these cards.