The Ugly Duckling

I wasn't quite sure about this card, but here it is anyways! :)  Perhaps it will be gratifying to some of you, that even when you've been paper crafting for years, you sometimes (quite often, actually) make a card that makes you go "Hmmm, don't think it's a winner!"

The color combo I used here, was Riding hood Red, Pool Party, and Lucky Limeade -- based on colors in the "Every Day Enchantment" designer paper -- a FREE Sale-a-bration pack of DSP.  The flower is from the Sale-a-bration set -- Fresh Vintage.  I colored it with markers, then stamped it on a 3" white circle.  I love how this flower coordinates with this designer paper -- takes the guess work out of matching things.  This card design was an attempt to follow a Mojo Monday card sketch from Mary Fish's blog, Mojo Monday.  I do love her blog, and hope to play along with her sketches more in the coming year -- great way to get out of your card making rut.
Supplies used:
Card Stock: Pool Party, Riding Hood Red, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White, Every Day Enchantment DSP
Markers: Tempting Turqoise, Poppy Parade, Old Olive
Ink: Poppy Parade, Crumb Cake
Stamps: Fresh Vintage, Kind Thanks
Accessories: Finial Press embossing folder, 3" circle die, 2-way glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds glitter

Another "Mixed Bunch"

Another look at this gorgeous flower from the "Mixed Bunch" stamp set -- there are three flower patterns in the set, but this filligree looking one is my favorite.  Here, I stamped it in Concord Crush on Wisteria Wonder cardstock and punched it out, then layered it onto a Concord Crush flower with an In Color polka dotted brad in the center.  I spritzed the flowers with my homemade shimmer mist, so in real life, they are oh so sparkly!!!  The leaves are punched from Lucky Limeade using the Blossom Petals punch.  I stamped the sentiment from "Curly Cute" in Concord Crush on a folded white card base. 
For that sweet edging, I used the new Adorning Accents edgelit die.  The designer paper here, is from the retired Hostess In Colors DSP pack.  It adds a nice little punch to a very simple card.
Are you feeling the excitement yet for these upcoming incredible products??? They're so cool!!!
Happy New Year to each of you, and may 2012 bring you lots of stamping mojo! :)

"Black and White and Poppy Parade all over!"

Oh, how I love a little time to play -- especially when I have a whole stack of new stamps, punches, and accessories to play with!  Yesterday, was a blissful day, as I just closed the doors of my craft room (to shut out the horrible mess the house was in :) and "created away"! AND I don't even feel guilty because it recharged me so, that today I tackled the post-holiday, trashed living quarters -- and it ALMOST sparkles around here. :)
So,.... drum roll, here is a card made with my brand new treasures from the Occasions Mini catalog -- available Jan 4th.

That beautiful flower was stamped in Versamark (using a stamp from the "Mixed Bunch"stamp set), embossed with clear embossing powder, then punched out with it's coordinating punch.  As many of you know, I am NOT a "cutter" -- I hate to cut things out, so a punch that coordinates with a stamp is always at the very top of my list.  And, I can hardly ever resist flowers, so here you go -- another beautiful floral set to add to my huge collection. :)
Another cool new product in the Occasions Mini, are our framelits -- these ones are the the Labels framelits -- large set of nesting shapes -- perfect for scrap book pages, cards, etc.  Along the bottom of the card, I cut that decorative edge along the bottom of the card, with the new "edgelit dies" -- that also have a coordinating little embossing folder -- see that embossed line right along the edge.  They are all really easy to use, and such a stunning effect!  I can't wait for you to try them out.  The sentiment is from a new Sale-a-bration set called "Fresh Vintage".
Of course, for some bling, I added Basic Rhinestones colored black with a Sharpie.
Supplies:
Card Stock: Poppy Parade, Basic Black, Whisper White
Stamps: Mixed Bunch, Fresh Vintage
Ink: Poppy Parade, Versamark
Accessories: Adorning Accents Edgelit dies, Adorning accents embossing folders, Labels Collection framelits, Blossom Punch, Basic Rhinestones, clear embossing powder

My Personal Christmas Card

Merry Belated Christmas! :)  Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were both very busy days for me, so no time to post! so here it is anyways!  It's not SO far away from Christmas that you can't still enjoy it.
When I went to design my card this year, first, it needed to be easy, as we were traveling in December, I was taking a big exam, and, well, I just don't seem to have long stretches of crafting time these days -- just little snatches here and there...  Secondly, I wanted to use a set that, sadly, had never seen ink yet -- high time to pull out Tree Trimmings and make something gorgeous with it before that set retires.  Thirdly, I wanted a somewhat non-traditional color scheme -- which I half way accomplished -- I still threw some Cherry Cobbler in the mix because I just couldn't help myself....

The card base is Blushing Bride, embossed with the Snow Burst embossing folder, and then sponged with Champagne Shimmer paint around the edges.  I then stamped the ornaments with Cherry Cobbler, Blushing Bride, and Early Espresso -- and used a Pear Pizzazz marker to color in the branches from a stamp in the set -- Tags till Christmas.  They gave me the ferny little branches I was looking for.  The rest is quite self explanatory -- and many of you have received this card in the mail!  Simple, yet elegant -- and went together pretty quickly -- all excellent qualities for this year especially.
Supplies:
Card Stock: Blushing Bride, Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Blushing Bride, Early Espresso, Pear Pizzazz marker
Stamps: Tree Trimmings, Petite Pairs, Tags Till Christmas
Accessories: Scalloped Cherry Cobbler ribbon, Scallop # 2 die, 3" circle die, large oval and scallop oval punches, scallop border punch, snow burst embossing folder, Champagne shimmer paint, 2-way glue pen and Dazzling Diamonds glitter

Hope this inspires you to pull out a set you've never used before and make something lovely with it!

Something Old, Something New,...

...but nothing borrowed, or anything blue!
Here is another glass block decor piece Christmas present!  I used the retired Birds and branches Bigz die, and the Frosted Flurries Sizzlit strip die for the snow flakes -- plus red, black, and white vinyl.  The snow flakes were tedious to extract from the die, but so worth it!  Filled with some beautiful faux snow (courtesy of Pottery Barn) and this will be such a beautiful centerpiece! ...or little ornaments, snow balls, cranberries -- suit yourself! :)
Of course, it had to have some bling, so I added plenty of the Basic Rhinestones to glitter it up!  So pretty in real life!

Happy last minute Christmas crafting!!! :)

A special Christmas present

My "baby" brother got married two years ago, now, and I have been meaning to make them a decorative glass block commemorating their special day.  I cut the design for the black die cut out of black vinyl using the retired Tulipe Bigz die (however, this die IS in the clearance rack if you're interested!), then a friend who has a Cricket, helped me cut out the vinyl words.  It was an excruciatingly tedious process to get the vinyl words transferred to the block, as they were so finely detailed -- definitely a nap time/Bryn in school -- only! type of project.  I do love how it came out, though, and hope they do too!  It looks so festive filled with little ornaments or faux snowballs and Christmas lights!

Don't forget about the Clearance Rack Blitz happening right now!!!  Tons of punches and designer paper and ribbon up to 80% off!  Click here to view these amazing savings: Clearance Rack Blitz.
Merry Christmas to each of you!!!

Tags, tags and MORE tags!

With Christmas less than a week away, I once again found myself scrounging for tags to put on my many beautifully wrapped gifts....  So much for having them all stamped and ready to go early this year.  BUT, better late than never, so I pulled out my Two Tags Bigz Die and cut out a bunch of tags in Real Red, Old Olive, and Marina Mist and got to work.  I love that die!  So easy to make some really cute tags REALLY quickly -- which is just what I needed!  In half an hour, I had all my tags ready to go -- and here they are!

The snow flake and the reindeer stamp are both from a new (to me) set -- Winter Post.  Just LOVE this set -- such an elegant snow flake and that little reindeer makes the cutest little tag topper -- just add a little rhinestone colored red with my Sharpie, and he's got a nose that glows!

Now, isn't he just the cutest on this little tag!!!!  I also used the lace ribbon punch to make that elegant little strip behind him -- easy peezy but makes it look so .... professional and time consuming, which it clearly was neither of those. :)  Of course, I also punched out some ornaments with the ornament from the Tags Till Christmas set, and also a little stocking with my stocking punch and matching set. 

Enjoy! and happy wrapping to each of you!