Glitter, Stamps, and Ink (Oh My...)

SSS143 Beloved

2012-01-28T19:45:00.000-06:00

I had these papers on my table from last night's crafting session, and I loved this color combo so much, I decided to use these again. I'm using a new Sweet Stop sketch (#143) with the same Color Throwdown challenge (#176) that I used yesterday. This great color combo is Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Pool Party, and Rose Red.

I pulled out this gorgeous Small Beloved Carnation stamp from I Brake for Stamps and used the Tissued Color technique (from Technique Junkies) on it. This is a great way to color collage stamps without having to use markers. I sponged the edges with some Kraft ink for that vintage look.

I know you're going to want this gorgeous collage stamp, so please use this code - SAVE10HOLLY - when you go shopping at I Brake for Stamps. This will save you 10% off your entire order, so fill up your cart with stamps, ink pads, 6x6 paper pads, Wild Orchid flowers, and Creative Inspirations Paints. You will have a great time with your new toys! :-)

Stamps: Small Beloved Carnation from I Brake for Stamps
Ink: Rose Red, Pool Party, Dark Chocolate, Kraft
CS: Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Pool Party, White, Restoration dp (Crate Paper)
Other: Dark Chocolate satin ribbon, Scallop Diamond Edge punch (EK Success), Dark Brown Viva pearl pen, Square Lattice embossing folder
TJ Technique: Tissued Color

Non-traditional Valentine Card

2012-01-27T20:39:00.000-06:00

TGIF!!!! I am so glad it's Friday - that means I can sleep late tomorrow! :-) I saw a couple of challenges that I wanted to play with this week, but I didn't have time to play until tonight after work.

I used this week's Sweet Stop sketch (#142) and the colors from this week's Color Throwdown challenge (#176) to put this sweet non-traditional Valentine card together. If you look closely at the images in the basket, you will see that they are heart-shaped scones. How cute is that?

This Basket of Heart Scones stamp is from I Brake for Stamps, and I colored it with Copic markers. The Curled Corner technique (Technique Junkies) was used to give this card a fun texture. I used Holly's Tattered Background stamp on the kraft layer along with the sentiment from the Every Day Phrases set (all from I Brake for Stamps). It was fun to play with these non-traditional colors - sort of manly yet sort of girly, too.

I wonder if I should give this to my husband next month or if I should give this to my grandparents?? Hmmmmmmm...........

If you want to go shopping for the stamps I used on this card, you can save 10% off your order by using my code - SAVE10HOLLY - when you check out. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Stamps: Basket of Heart Scones, Holly's Tattered Background, Every Day Phrases (all from I Brake for Stamps)
Ink: Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Rich Cocoa Memento
CS: Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Pool Party, Restoration Collection (Crate Paper), White
Other: Copic markers, Dark Chocolate satin ribbon
TJ Technique: Curled Corner

Just Sayin' - New Rogue Redhead Designs release

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

Rogue Redhead Designs is pleased to announce two new releases, Just Sayin' and Carnival Dreams, to brighten up your winter! Each is whimsical in its own way and sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Our Just Sayin' plate is a full-size rubber stamp plate with focal images, sentiments, decorative elements and a full-size background. Its quirky vintage charm lends itself to grace greetings to close friends and family. Order this new full-size plate before February 25, 2012 and get it for the introductory price of $17.60, a 20% savings over its regular retail price of $22.00.

Our second new release is a fabulous new mini featuring the art of New England artist K. Dunn. This newest addition to the Beautifully Dunn range comes just in time for Mardi Gras and Valentine's Day. It features beautiful-drawn free-flowing images of love and enchantment. Romance, mystery and a joyous spirit infuse this collection. Order this new mini collection before February 25, 2012 and get it for the introductory price of $6.00, a 20% savings over its regular retail price of $7.50.

Want both our new releases? During our sale, get our January 2012 Release Bundle including both Just Sayin' and Carnival Dreams for the low price of $22.00! We are also offering our Rogue's Choice Bundle, which includes the popular Relish Reading and Milliner Misses collections, for the same low price of $22.00! For the romantics in the crowd, we have created a Beautifully Dunn True Love Bundle including Snow Hugs, Candy Kisses and Carnival Dreams for the limited-time price of $33.00. Get in on these great deals now! They only last until February 25, 2012!

With the release of these new plates and bundles, Rogue Redhead Designs has also updated our website and added mounting and storage supplies to our product line. Purchase any of our unmounted rubber stamp plates by itself, with a sheet of EZ-Mount Cling Foam or with cling foam and a stamp storage panel - all with one click. Visit the individual pages of each plate for these additional choices. Just need to order EZ-Mount or stamp storage panels? Just visit our new mounting supplies section!

I've shown you a couple of sneak peeks of the new Just Sayin' set, and here's another one for you. I created both cards with the same stamps and layout, but I changed the colors to show the versatility.

The first one is a bright and fun card perfect for a teenager or a fun-loving girlfriend:

I stamped the border stamp with three different colors and I used some Lemondrop Baker's Twine (The Twinery) for the spirelli technique (Technique Junkies) around the sentiment.

The second one is a more rustic version:

I stamped this one with Razzleberry ink and I used linen thread for the spirelli technique (Technique Junkies) around the sentiment. Isn't it neat how changing the color can change the whole "feel" of a card?

Head on over to the Rogue Redhead Designs store to order this awesome new Just Sayin' stamp set as well as the whimsical new Carnival Dreams set. If you haven't picked up the Milliner Misses set yet, what are you waiting for? That one is my absolute favorite set, and you'll be seeing some samples with those in the coming weeks. :-)

Butterfly Circle Card

2012-01-23T21:38:00.000-06:00

I saw the new challenge over on the Cheery Lynn Designs blog today and I just had to make some time to play tonight. I pulled out some dies and stamps and put this together to enter this in their Dry Embossing challenge.

Instead of a regular ol' card, I was inspired by the sample on the Cheery Lynn blog and I made a circle card instead. I used the Cuttlebug Highlights technique on the background and colored the butterfly image with Copic markers.

Sandy Hulsart did a wonderful tutorial on the Cheery Lynn blog showing how she makes those beautiful flowers, so I followed her tips and instructions when I made the three white flowers on my card. Sandy's directions were perfect - look how these flowers turned out!

I hope you have a wonderful week!

Stamps: Botanical Butterflies (Just Rite stamps - purchased from Classy Cards 'n Such)
Inks: Rich Cocoa Memento, Baja Breeze, Fresh Snow
CS: Baja Breeze, Soft Suede, White, Wasabi
Cheery Lynn Designs dies: Olive Branches, Fanciful Flourish, Cuties 3, Dancing Doily Lace Border (purchased from Classy Cards 'n Such)
Other: Copic markers, circle dies (Spellbinders), Finial Press embossing folder (SU)
TJ Technique: Cuttlebug Highlights

Hot Pink Flowers

2012-01-23T05:00:00.001-06:00

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. Today I am sharing a fun card with some hot pink flowers - are you ready for this?? If you're not awake yet, you will be after you see these:

Isn't that fun?? I love the contrast of the soft greens and blues with those bright and sparkly pink flowers. These flowers were stamped with Versamark and then I covered them with Deliquesce Super Sparkle Pink embossing powder from Creative Inspirations Paint. You can see the sparkle in this close up picture:

This week's challenge on the Creative Inspirations Paint blog is to have pink on your project. I hope you join us and share your pink project with us this week!

Creative Inspirations Paint embossing powder: Deliquesce Super Sparkle Pink embossing powder
Stamps: Flower Fusion #1 (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Versamark, Spring Moss, Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Aqua Mist, white, Spring Moss patterned paper, kraft
Other: Aqua Mist buttons, kraft tafetta ribbon, Dotted Wave edge punch

Sneak Peek 2 - Rogue Redhead Designs

2012-01-22T06:00:00.001-06:00

Howdy! I'm glad you've come back this weekend to see my second sneak peek for the new Rogue Redhead Designs release. As promised, this is a wild departure from the card I posted on Monday. :-)

I decided to go fun and funky with this retro geometrical stamp. I stamped it three times in different directions, and then colored the squares with some bright neon colors. I've used the Faux Designer Brads technique from Technique Junkies on the green square in the middle.

The sentiment and the squares are from a new stamp set called Just Sayin'. This will be released on January 25th along with another fantastic set over in the Rogue Redhead Designs store. You can catch some more sneak peeks by checking out some of the posts on the Rogue Redhead Designs blog.

Neon Sledding Bear

2012-01-21T10:33:00.000-06:00

Good morning, folks! I bet you're awake after seeing this adorable bear in neon colors. Hee hee hee!

Have you checked out the blog hop that I Brake for Stamps had yesterday? You still have time to hop through and leave comments on each blog for a chance to win an awesome prize. Just start at the IBFS blog to see all the adorable new Winter Bears.

This one is the brand new Sledding Bear stamp - a Rick St. Dennis exclusive rubber stamp only available at I Brake for Stamps. I colored this with Copic markers, and I couldn't resist adding some bright green dots to the neon yellow snowpants. The background is the Cuttlebug Highlights technique from Technique Junkies. I've kept this card very clean and simple so it will be perfect for mailing.

Would it be really mean to send this card to someone who's been snowed in up north?? Hee hee heeeeeee!

You can order this Sledding Bear as well as the other Winter Bears from I Brake for Stamps. Go fill up your shopping cart with stamps, inkpads, 6x6 paper packs, and Creative Inspirations Paints, and then use this code - SAVE10HOLLY - when you check out. Have a great weekend!

I Brake for Stamps - FIRST BLOG HOP!!!

2012-01-20T06:00:00.004-06:00

Welcome to the first ever I Brake For Stamps Blog Hop!! Today, we are hopping in honor of a BRAND NEW release from Rick St. Dennis. These Rick St. Dennis Exclusive stamps are now available in the I Brake For Stamps store!

If you haven’t started the hop from the I Brake For Stamps blog, you’re going to want to do so. We are offering a $15 IBFS Gift Certificate to a random hopper. In order to qualify, you must leave a comment on each designer’s blog including the IBFS blog. Tell us which bear is your favorite AND anything else that might make our crafty hearts smile.

You’ll also have your chance at winning a bear of your choice when you participate in the current challenge over on the IBFS Challenge Blog. Our current challenge is Fancy Fold cards. Please see the Challenge Blog for all of the details.

Are you ready to see some adorable Winter Bears?? Let's start off with this sweet little Snowman Bear:

You should have heard me squealing when I saw that cute little snowman in the shape of a bear! Eeeeeeeeee! I just fell in love with this stamp! I colored this with Copic markers and used the Curled Corner technique (Technique Junkies). Some snowflakes and sheer silver ribbon were added to balance the card.

My second card is this darling little Skating Girl Bear:

She's so cute and so girly with that ruffled skirt and the bow on her head. I colored her with Copic markers and I used the Out of the Box technique (Technique Junkies).

You can order these brand new stamps from I Brake for Stamps today. Save 10% off your order by using this code - SAVE10HOLLY - when you check out. This code is good for your entire order including stamps, inks, papers, and Creative Inspirations Paints.

The Design Team has been joined by some very talented guest designers for this inaugural IBFS blog hop. You'll probably recognize this next lady as one that I've had the pleasure to be on several design teams with over the years. Please hop on over to Kristine Reynold's blog to see what she is going to share with you today. Enjoy!

IBFCC #17 - Fun or Fancy Fold challenge

2012-01-18T06:00:00.002-06:00

It's time for another challenge over on the I Brake for Challenges blog, and today we are having fun with Fun or Fancy Fold projects.

I was inspired by the blue background paper that I used here. It reminded me of the beautiful Delft plates that my mother collects. I used this sweet scene from the Rare Image Garden Sheet (I Brake for Stamps) and stamped it in blue. I sponged the edges with some Antique Linen distress ink to give it an aged appearance.

You're wondering what the "fancy fold" part of my card is, aren't you? I used the Double Gatefold Card technique (Technique Junkies), and you can see how this card opens in this picture below:

The sentiment inside is also from the Rare Image Garden Sheet. I love the way this card opens up - so unexpected. :-)

Check out what the other Design Team members created over on the I Brake for Challenges blog. We'd love to have you play along!

You can order this stamp sheet and the Antique Linen distress ink from I Brake for Stamps. Save 10% off your order by using this code - SAVE10HOLLY. This code is good for your entire order, including stamps, inks, 6x6 paper packs, flowers, and Creative Inspirations Paints. Happy shopping!

Stamps: Rare Image Garden Sheet - I Brake for Stamps
Ink: Marina Mist, Antique Linen distress ink (my FAVORITE)
CS: White, Marina Mist
Other: sponge
TJ Technique: Double Gatefold Card (Fancy Folds & Motion Paper Crafts cd)

Love Scones

2012-01-17T03:00:00.002-06:00

Have you seen the new rubber over in the I Brake for Stamps store? This Basket of Heart Scones is one of the newest ones, just in time for Valentine's Day. I had so much fun coloring this one with Copic markers in pastel tones.

I used the Wisped Frames technique (from Technique Junkies) for a soft pinkish hue on the image after I colored it. The sentiment comes from the MS102 Full Plate - a wonderful source of sentiments for Valentine's Day, anniversaries, weddings, and general love cards.

Valentine's Day will be here in less than a month. You can save 10% by using this code - SAVE10HOLLY - when you order this Basket of Heart Scones and the MS102 Full Plate love sentiments sheet. This code is also good for everything else in the store - stamps, 6x6 paper, flowers, and Creative Inspirations Paint. Have fun shopping!

Sneak Peek - Rogue Redhead Designs

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday, folks! I have some exciting news for you today. I have joined the Design Team for Rogue Redhead Designs!!! They have some wonderful stamps that appeal to a wide variety of tastes, from eclectic and vintage to fun and funky. It's a great mix of styles, and this sneak peek shows off a couple of stamps from one of the new sheets that will be released on January 25th.

I've used the Antique Glimmers technique from Technique Junkies in the background and I colored that sweet little flower to match. Since the sentiment says "Sorry," I wanted to keep the card appropriately low-key. Both the flower and the sentiment are from a new sheet called Just Sayin'. It will be available at Rogue Redhead Designs on January 25th.

Come on back here this weekend for another sneak peek. The next one is a wild departure from this low-key card! :-)

Stampin' Companion blog hop

2012-01-12T06:00:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the Stampin' Companion blog hop! If you have arrived here from Hetty's blog, you are on the right track. If not, please start at the Technique Junkies blog so you don't miss any of the wonderful inspiration that we are sharing today.

As you may have heard, Technique Junkie Newsletter has just released a brand new CD: Stampin' Companion: 70 Tutorials exclusively using Stampin' Up! products. Every tutorial uses ONLY Stampin' Up! products, from the trimmers to the stamps and everything in-between. It is only $17.95 (US and Canada) ($19.95 for overseas addresses). If you are a Stampin' Up! demo, this CD is a great resource for workshop and stamp camp ideas. If you are a technique junkie like me, you will love the great techniques and artwork on this CD.

Are you curious to see what the tutorials look like? You can check out the FREE tutorial of the Blended Marker Technique by clicking on this link: http://www.techniquejunkies.com/blended-markers.pdf

For my project, I combined two of the new techniques: Faux Quilted Diamonds and Disassembled Jumbo Wheels. I love that gorgeous quilted background. The sentiment is from the Friendly Words Jumbo Wheel. How did I stamp that without the rest of the wheel surrounding it? It is easy to do when you follow the Disassembled Jumbo Wheels tutorial.

A list of all 70 tutorials is on the Stampin' Companion page. The CD will begin shipping on Friday, January 13. To order this fabulous CD, go to the Stampin' Companion Page, or click on the "Buy Now" button below:

Are you ready to see more eye candy? Please hop on over to Jane Bosi's blog - you're in for a wonderful treat!

Stamps: Friendly Words Jumbo Wheel (Stampin' Up)
Ink: Baja Breeze
Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Crumb Cake seam binding ribbon, Basic Pearls

Old Friends and Treasures

2012-01-11T03:00:00.002-06:00

This will be a fun card to give to an old friend. The purses are created using various punched shapes and silver pearls, and I stamped this beautiful sentiment from this Victorian Lady plate (MS81 Full Plate from I Brake for Stamps). I used some Faux Stitching (Technique Junkies) around the edges - y'all know I don't sew. LOL!

I'm keeping this short and sweet today. Life has been crazy - it's always hard to get back into a schedule after Christmas and the New Year's Day holidays. If you are in the mood to go shopping, please use my personal code - SAVE10HOLLY - to save 10% off your order at I Brake for Stamps. You can use this for your entire order, including stamps, flowers, 6x6 paper pads, and Creative Inspirations Paints.

Come on back tomorrow to see what I've created for a special Stampin Up ONLY blog hop! We've got some great techniques and awesome SU artwork to share with you.

IBFCC #16 - CAS

2012-01-04T04:00:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!! We are back with new challenges on the I Brake for Challenges blog, and today we are easing back into challenge mode with a CAS (clean and simple) project.

I pulled out this Bird Houses set (btw - it's on sale!) and inked up this cute birdhouse with the birds flying around. I went with some bright colors and I used the Embossed Image technique from Technique Junkies. You can see the woodgrain embossing folder that I used if you look closely at the image.

There's no flourishes or flowers or buttons on this card today. Just a simply tied ribbon is all I used for this CAS card. Head on over to the I Brake for Challenges blog to see what my fellow team-mates came up with. Hopefully we've inspired you to create your own CAS project, and we've love to see what you've come up with. Share your creation for a chance to win some free rubber from I Brake for Stamps! :-)

Stamps: Bird Houses Set (I Brake for Stamps - use this code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Olive, Limeade, white, Melon Mambo dp, Olive dp
Other: circle dies, woodgrain embossing folder, Melon Mambo ribbon, Copic markers
TJ Technique: Embossed Image

Celebrating Love

2011-12-26T12:38:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday! Did you have a wonderful Christmas? We had a great time with our family at Mom's house this weekend - lots of laughter, lots of hugs, and lots of memories.

I checked out the new challenge over on the Cheery Lynn Designs blog, and their theme is "Celebrate." I created this photo tray for my grandparents who will be celebrating their 67th wedding anniversary in January. Yes, 67 years! That calls for a celebration, don't you think? :-)

I started out with some Authentique papers and some Cheery Lynn Designs dies to put together six different "trays." The "love you always" and the little flourish under the heart (upper right tray) are chipboard pieces that I painted with black acrylic paint and then covered with Antique Silver shimmery paint from Creative Inspirations Paint. I love that shimmery antiqued effect over the black paint.

You can see that I repeated some of the die cut flourishes in several of the trays. That is the Fanciful Flourish die from Cheery Lynn Designs (purchased from Classy Cards 'n Such). I've also used the Victorian Picket Fence die, the Pair of Ferns die, and the Olive Branches die. I'm loving these Cheery Lynn dies! :-)

The flowers are from a Spellbinders die (Rose Creations) and the butterflies are Martha Stewart punches.

The hearts are cut out with some Spellbinders heart dies, and I used the Cuttlebug Highlights technique (Technique Junkies) after running the gray heart through a Sheet Music embossing folder.

I used a Tim Holtz die to create the large rosette (bottom right tray) and then I hand-made the smaller rosette.

This was a fun project to make, and I know my grandparents will love this. I can't wait to see this hanging up in their house where they can see it every day. :-)

Have a wonderful day!

Salty Glimmers Christmas

2011-12-21T20:32:00.001-06:00

Howdy, folks! I had some time to play tonight after spending the last three days taking care of a sick hubby. Hopefully he is on the mend, as no one wants to be sick on Christmas.

I pulled out my Cheery Lynn Designs dies and made this fun Christmas card. The challenge on the Cheery Lynn Designs blog is a "Tis the Season" theme, and I really wanted to play with the Christmas lights before the holiday passed me by.

I started out by creating a background using the Salty Glimmers technique from Technique Junkies. What a cool background, and I love the shimmer! After I cut out the lamp post, the Christmas lights strings, and the lightbulbs, I wanted to make them shimmery as well, so I pulled out my Creative Inspirations Paints.

The lamp post and the light strings were die cut from black cardstock, and I applied some Antique Silver paint to those. I love how the Antique Silver paint looks against the black cardstock. The lightbulbs were painted with Garnet paint, and they really pop out against the die cut fence and the dark blue background. I also painted a tiny piece of white cardstock with some Sunshine yellow paint and adhered it behind the die cut lamp.

The Victorian Picket Fence was die cut from kraft cardstock, and I lightly rubbed a white ink pad here and there to give the fence a snowy look. Well, white ink doesn't dry very fast, so I covered it with some white embossing powder and hit it with a heat gun.

The sentiment is from Rogue Redhead Designs' Candy Kisses stamp set. By the way, you still have a few days left to take advantage of the awesome sale over at Rogue Redhead Designs. I colored the scallop oval with the same Garnet paint to match the lightbulbs.

Wanna see the great shimmer?

It still hasn't quite dawned on me that Christmas is just a few days away. Where did the time go??? I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones. Hugs!

Stamps: Candy Kisses (Rogue Redhead Designs)
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Fresh Snow
CS: white, black, kraft
Cheery Lynn Designs dies: Victorian Picket Fence, Christmas Light Swag, Colonial Lamp Post (purchased at Classy Cards 'n Such)
Creative Inspirations Paint: Garnet, Sunshine, Antique Silver
Other: Frosty Nights glimmer mist, oval punch, scallop oval punch, white embossing powder
TJ Technique: Salty Glimmers

Life is the Flower

2011-12-17T09:37:00.000-06:00

Good morning! I found some time to play last night and this is the card that I created. There were a couple of challenges that I really wanted to play along with, and it was fun to combine them for this card.

The challenge on the Rogue Redhead Designs blog is to create a grid with at least three squares. I used four squares of designer paper for my background, and I used a sentiment from Rogue's Floriculture stamp set. BTW - all their stamps are on sale through the end of this month! The oval is where I used the Wisped Frames technique - there is a pale, pale pink ink on there. :-)

The second challenge is from the Cheery Lynn Designs Blog, which is to use at least one of their dies and to have flowers on your project. I pulled out my Fanciful Flourish die (the green swirl on my card) and the newest Miniature Rose die (the three purple flowers on my card). This was my first time playing with the Miniature Rose die, so I think I need some practice to figure out how to really make these look like roses.

I bought all of my Cheery Lynn Designs dies from Beverly at Classy Cards 'n Such. I asked her if she could get certain dies for me, and she was more than willing to help me out. She has lots of other things in her store as well, so it's always fun to go shopping there. I'm not affiliated with her - just a very happy customer. :-)

I hope you find some time to relax and play today. Remember to breathe and try not to stress out over the coming festivities. Enjoy being with your family and friends this Christmas season.

Stamps: Floriculture (Rogue Redhead Designs)
Ink: Eggplant, Spun Sugar distress
CS: Eggplant, White, Eva dp (Basic Grey)
Cheery Lynn Designs Dies: Fanciful Flourish, Miniature Rose (purchased at Classy Cards 'n Such)
Other: silver brads, oval die and scallop oval die (Spellbinders)
Technique Junkies technique: Wisped Frames

Shimmery Poinsettia

2011-12-08T18:33:00.001-06:00

Hi folks! I took a little break from blogging after last week's flurry of blog hops. :-) I'm back with a Christmas card to share with y'all today.

Cornish Heritage Farms (CHF) opened its doors under new ownership a couple weeks ago, and there are a lot of wonderful digital images in their store. I used this Poinsettia Digital Stamp on my card today.

I colored this image with colored pencils, and then I used my favorite shimmery paints from Creative Inspirations Paints on the flower, the leaves, the jingle bells, and the berries. You can see the gorgeous shimmer in this picture:

I better get to work on addressing my envelopes and getting my Christmas cards out! We've only got a little over two weeks left before the big day! Yikes!

Stamps: Poinsettia Digital Stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms
Ink: Antique Linen, Walnut Stain
CS: Vanilla, White, Espresso, Wonder dp (Authentique)
CI Paint: Garnet, Sunshine, Winter Frost, Antique Gold, Green Olive
Other: May Arts ribbon, colored pencils, sponge, Copic markers, circle punch, Authentique Noteables
TJ Technique: Pencilled Twinks

TJ and Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Blog Hop

2011-12-02T06:00:00.001-06:00

Hello and welcome to the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps and Technique Junkies Newsletter joint Blog Hop! The Technique Junkies Newsletter is excited to showcase their new 3D and Fun Folds CD.

“The Technique Junkies Newsletter has been publishing rubber stamping technique tutorials since 2002. The 3D and Fun Folds CD contains 70 step-by-step technique tutorials in pdf format – perfect dimensions, perfect directions and great pictures for every step. Visit http://www.techniquejunkies.com/ for more details about the CD and the Technique Junkies Newsletter.”

A fantastic group of design team members from both Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps and the Technique Junkies Newsletter have helped put together this fabulous Blog Hop to kick off the new 3D and Fun Folds CD.

We have a Blog Hop happening each day with an opportunity for you to win many prizes from some of our wonderful advertising companies! Please stop through EVERY DAY and take your time visiting each blog. You have until 11:59pm EST December 2nd to leave comments on as many blogs as you can.

Monday – Joint Blog Hop with Classy Cards ‘n Such
Tuesday – Join Blog Hop with Rogue Redhead Designs
Wednesday – Joint Blog Hop with Paper Temptress
Thursday – Joint Blog Hop with Mark’s Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company
Friday – Joint Blog Hop with Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps

Saturday - Announcing Winners from each day

Monday - Announcing the Grand Prize

On Saturday, December 3, Pat from Technique Junkies Newsletter will announce the winners from each company. Be sure to hop along on each day. There will be FIVE WINNERS!

On Monday, December 5th, Pat will announce ONE LUCKY WINNER with a GRAND PRIZE with a bundle of prizes from all of the participating businesses.

If you have been following along already you should have come from Monica Davis' blog. If you are only starting here, please head back to the Technique Junkies Blog and go from there. You won't want to miss any stops along the way – in order to win you will need to comment on everyone’s blog AND Pat Huntoon’s Blog. There will be an additional chance to win by playing along in her Blog Hop!

I've created this fun Goodie Box for today's blog hop. The directions for this project can be found on the new 3D and Fun Folds CD from Technique Junkies. This adorable teddy bear named Rhubarb Santa is a digital image from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. I printed him out and colored him with Copic markers.

The inside of this Goodie Box holds some yummy mini York Peppermint Patties. The pocket on the left side holds a small tag so I can write a sweet note to the lucky recipient of this gift.

Isn't that a great little gift? It's so easy to make, thanks to the concise directions and great pictures in the tutorial on the 3D and Fun Folds CD. You can purchase your cd by going to the Technique Junkies website or by clicking here.

Your next stop on the hop is Jane Bosi's blog, but just in case there are any hiccups, here is the whole list of celebrants on this Blog Hop!

The Technique Junkie Newsletter Blog
Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Blog
Cathy McCauley
Jackie Kalchert
Ann Clack
Monika Davis
Holly Brown --- YOU ARE HERE
Jane Bosi
Chris Dickinson
Pat Huntoon

Thank you so much for joining us in our joint blog hops this week. Good luck to you as you leave your comments for your chances to win. Enjoy!!

I Brake for Challenges #15 - Vintage

2011-11-30T05:00:00.001-06:00

Good morning! I'm here with a new challenge from the I Brake for Challenges blog. Today we are going vintage! :-)

Whatcha think? Is this card vintage-y enough? :-)

I paper pieced the dress and the tiny flowers on the dress form. This beautiful stamp is the Ribbon Dress from I Brake for Stamps. Once I had the dress ready to go, I just had fun adding various elements like the ribbon, the doily, the designer papers, and the pearls.

Check out what the other designers have created for this challenge over on the I Brake for Challenges blog. We'd love to see what you create, so please enter your own artwork in this challenge for a chance to win a prize. :-)

Black Friday may be over, but you can still save some money by using this code - SAVE10HOLLY - when you go shopping at I Brake for Stamps. Save 10% when you check out with your stamps, paints, 6x6 papers, and flowers. Have fun!!

Stamps: Ribbon Dress from I Brake for Stamps
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento, Antique Linen distress
CS: Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Suede, Madison Avenue Lost & Found patterned paper (My Mind's Eye)
Other: Copic markers, pearls, Prima pearl swirl, button, linen thread, seam binding, spiral binding punch, doily die, Scallop Diamond edge punch, distress tool, sponge
TJ Technique: paper piecing

TJ & Rogue Redhead Designs Blog Hop

2011-11-29T06:00:00.045-06:00

Hello and welcome to the Rogue Redhead Designs and Technique Junkies Newsletter joint Blog Hop! The Technique Junkies Newsletter is excited to showcase their new 3D and Fun Folds CD.

“The Technique Junkies Newsletter has been publishing rubber stamping technique tutorials since 2002. The 3D and Fun Folds CD contains 70 step-by-step technique tutorials in pdf format – perfect dimensions, perfect directions and great pictures for every step. Visit http://www.techniquejunkies.com/ for more details about the CD and the Technique Junkies Newsletter.”

A fantastic group of design team members from both Rogue Redhead Designs and the Technique Junkies Newsletter have helped put together this fabulous Blog Hop to kick off the new 3D and Fun Folds CD.

We have a Blog Hop happening each day with an opportunity for you to win many prizes from some of our wonderful advertising companies! Please stop through EVERY DAY and take your time visiting each blog. You have until 11:59pm EST December 2nd to leave comments on as many blogs as you can.

Monday – Joint Blog Hop with Classy Cards ‘n Such
Tuesday – Join Blog Hop with Rogue Redhead Designs
Wednesday – Joint Blog Hop with Paper Temptress
Thursday – Joint Blog Hop with Mark’s Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company
Friday – Joint Blog Hop with Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps

Saturday - Announcing Winners from each day

Monday - Announcing the Grand Prize

On Saturday, December 3, Pat from Technique Junkies Newsletter will announce the winners from each company. Be sure to hop along on each day. There will be FIVE WINNERS!

On Monday, December 5th, Pat will announce ONE LUCKY WINNER with a GRAND PRIZE with a bundle of prizes from all of the participating businesses.

If you have been following along already you should have come from Jean Franks Beck's blog. If you are only starting here, please head back to the Technique Junkies Blog and go from there. You won't want to miss any stops along the way – in order to win you will need to comment on everyone’s blog AND Pat Huntoon’s Blog. There will be an additional chance to win by playing along in her Blog Hop!

I've created two fun projects for today's blog hop. The directions for both of these projects can be found on the new 3D and Fun Folds CD from Technique Junkies.

For my first project, I created this adorable Goodie Purse. I stamped the mittens from the new Candy Kisses stamp set from Rogue Redhead Designs onto the sides of the purse. I stamped them again on some coordinating designer paper and paper pieced the mittens on the purse. The sentiment, also from the Candy Kisses set, was stamped and then punched out with an oval punch.

See why this is called a Goodie Purse? I put some "goodies" inside for a sweet little surprise. Won't this be fun to give to a co-worker or a neighbor?

For my second project, I created a Double Slider Card. I used this romantic winter stamp from the Snow Hugs set (Rogue Redhead Designs) and colored it with Copic markers.

See the tab at the top of the card? When you pull on it, the two sentiments slide up. Isn't that sweet?? Both of these sentiments are also in the Snow Hugs stamp set (Rogue Redhead Designs).

I hope you've enjoyed the projects I've created for you today. All of the stamps at Rogue Redhead Designs are on sale right now, so treat yourself to an early Christmas present and go shopping! :-)

If you recall I mentioned yesterday that there was an opportunity to play along. The more you play along, the more times you can enter in for a prize.

If you have never seen a Technique Junkie CD, here is a real example from the 3D and FUN FOLD CD. This sample is called the Double Twisted Easel Card.

Make a project, post about it on your blog or in another forum and mention this blog hop and link up your post to the Blog Hop on Pat Huntoon's blog by Sunday, December 4th at 12 am EST.

Your next stop on the hop is Jane Bosi's blog, but just in case there are any hiccups, here is the whole list of celebrants on this Blog Hop!

The Technique Junkie Newsletter Blog
Rogue Redhead Designs
Jackie Kalchert
Beverly G.
Jean Franks Beck
Holly Brown --- YOU ARE HERE
Jane Bosi
Laura Liddell
Joanne Wardle
Chris Dickinson
Stephanie Severin
Sharon Briss
Pat Huntoon

Have a wonderful day! Enjoy the hop!

TJ & Classy Cards 'n Such Blog Hop

2011-11-28T06:00:00.047-06:00

Hello and welcome to the Classy Cards ‘n Such and Technique Junkies Newsletter joint Blog Hop! The Technique Junkies Newsletter is excited to showcase their new 3D and Fun Folds CD.

“The Technique Junkies Newsletter has been publishing rubber stamping technique tutorials since 2002. The 3D and Fun Folds CD contains 70 step-by-step technique tutorials in pdf format – perfect dimensions, perfect directions and great pictures for every step. Visit http://www.techniquejunkies.com/ for more details about the CD and the Technique Junkies Newsletter.”

A fantastic group of design team members from both Classy Cards ‘n Such and the Technique Junkies Newsletter have helped put together this fabulous Blog Hop to kick off the new 3D and Fun Folds CD.

We have a Blog Hop happening each day with an opportunity for you to win many prizes from some of our wonderful advertising companies! Please stop through EVERY DAY and take your time visiting each blog. You have until 11:59pm EST December 2nd to leave comments on as many blogs as you can.

Monday – Joint Blog Hop with Classy Cards ‘n Such
Tuesday – Join Blog Hop with Rogue Redhead Designs
Wednesday – Joint Blog Hop with Paper Temptress
Thursday – Joint Blog Hop with Mark’s Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company
Friday – Joint Blog Hop with Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps

Saturday - Announcing Winners from each day

Monday - Announcing the Grand Prize

On Saturday, December 3, Pat from Technique Junkies Newsletter will announce the winners from each company. Be sure to hop along on each day. There will be FIVE WINNERS!

On Monday, December 5th, Pat will announce ONE LUCKY WINNER with a GRAND PRIZE with a bundle of prizes from all of the participating businesses.

If you have been following along already you should have come from the Classy Cards 'n Such Blog. If you are only starting here, please head back to the Technique Junkies Blog and go from there. You won't want to miss any stops along the way – in order to win you will need to comment on everyone’s blog AND Pat Huntoon’s Blog. There will be an additional chance to win by playing along in her Blog Hop!

I've created two different projects for today's blog hop. The directions for both of these projects can be found on the new 3D and Fun Folds CD from Technique Junkies.

My first project is this fun Standing Pop-Up Card. I've used the fabulous Birthday Rubz from Classy Cards 'n Such on the front of this card. This sentiment is perfect for what you're about to see.....

Watch what happens when you press on the card:

Isn't that fun?? The center pops up to reveal this adorable Mouse Carrying Cake image from Classy Cards 'n Such. I stamped the image and colored it with Copic markers. After looking at all those candles on that cake, I just had to use that sentiment. They were just meant to go together, don't you think? :-)

For my second project, I created a Flap Card. I got this sweet Mouse with Sunflower stamp from Classy Cards 'n Such and colored it with Copic markers. The butterfly is paper pieced with the same pretty blue paper that you see in the background.

This is what you see when you lift up the stamped image. I've used one of the sentiments from the same Birthday Rubz sheet from Classy Cards 'n Such and applied it directly to the designer paper.

This is the inside of the Flap Card. I've applied the matching Birthday Rubz sentiment in here for a finished card. This is ready to be signed and given to one lucky birthday gal. :-)

I hope you've enjoyed the projects I created for you. The stamps and the birthday sentiments can be found at Classy Cards 'n Such along with much, much more.

Your next stop on the hop is Chris Dickinson's blog, but just in case there are any hiccups, here is the whole list of celebrants on this party train:

The Technique Junkie Newsletter Blog
Classy Cards 'n Such Blog
Holly Brown --- YOU ARE HERE

Chris Dickinson

Elisa Kammerdiener

Pat Huntoon

Have a wonderful day! Enjoy the hop and come on back tomorrow for a new hop with a different company. :-)

Holiday Bears

2011-11-23T13:24:00.001-06:00

Have you been busy with your Thanksgiving preparations? Here's some eye candy for you while you are taking a break from the kitchen.

These Holiday Bears from I Brake for Stamps are just adorable! I love them all, and here are two of them for you today. You can buy the set of six (at a wonderful savings!) or you can buy each bear individually.

I've used the sweet Caroler Bears on this first card. It looks like a simple card, but just wait til you open it. :-)

When you open it, you see the fun fold of this card. I used the Z-fold technique from Technique Junkies (Fancy Folds cd).

On this second card, I've used the darling Holly Angel Bear. She is colored with Copic markers and I used the Double Ruffle technique from Technique Junkies on the bottom edge of the card.

I also used some shimmery Fairy Dust paint (Creative Inspirations Paint) on the wings and all the burgundy-colored areas. You can see the pretty shimmer in this picture below:

Let these holiday cards provide you with some inspiration for your Black Friday shopping. You can save 10% on your purchases at I Brake for Stamps by entering this code - SAVE10HOLLY - when you check out. You can use this code for your entire order, including stamps, paints, 6x6 papers, and flowers.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. Enjoy your day!

Winner of CHF blog hop!

2011-11-22T06:12:00.000-06:00

Hey folks! I have a winner for the Cornish Heritage Farms blog hop. If you remember, each blog in the blog hop will have a winner, and the winner from my blog is:

Gwen Zierdt said...
I love 3D cards! Hooray! Stopping by for the Blog Hop!

November 19, 2011 10:03 PM

Congratulations, Gwen!! I will contact you shortly. :-)

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Grand Opening - Cornish Heritage Farms

2011-11-19T21:00:00.025-06:00

Welcome to the Grand Opening Blog Hop for Cornish Heritage Farms! If you've come here from Frances' blog, you're on the right track. If not, please start at the beginning by going to the CHF Blog - you don't want to miss anything today. :-)

I've had fun playing with some of the winter digis available at Cornish Heritage Farms. On this first card, I shrunk the snowman down to about an inch, printed it, colored it, and punched it out with a circle punch. I wanted it to be small enough to add on top of the rosette. The rosette is adhered to a large snowflake that has been covered with Martha Stewart glitter.

I used the same sentiment from CHF on both cards, but I printed them out in different sizes. That's a great little feature of digital images and sentiments. On this second card, I colored this snow-covered mailbox with Copic markers, and then I covered all the snowy areas with Martha Stewart glitter.

Now for the big news! We will be randomly giving away 8 gift certificates to shop in the new CHF store!

Here is how to enter:

Visit each of our blog hop sites, beginning with the Cornish Heritage Farms blog. Leave a comment on each site before you hop to the next blog. Each DT alumni will randomly draw a name from the comments left in the first 24 hours of the hop. That means you have 8 different chances of winning!

Thank you for visiting with me today. Ready to see some more eye candy? Hop on over to Lisa's blog to see what she created for you today. Good luck in the random drawing! :-)

Cornish Heritage Farms is COMING BACK!!!!

2011-11-17T16:21:00.000-06:00

Yes, you read that right! The new owner of Cornish Heritage Farms will be opening the new store this Saturday, November 19. Wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!

Tanya - the owner - contacted several of the CHF DT alumni and asked if we would help out with some sneak peeks and with the Grand Opening blog hop on Saturday. I couldn't say YES fast enough. LOL! Here is one of my little sneak peek cards:

I printed this pumpkin wheelbarrow digi and colored it with Copic markers before cutting it out with an oval die. I layered it with a Labels 4 die and added some copper brads to the sides. The background is CHF's Woodgrain background. Yes! The rubber background stamps will be in the store very soon. If you are impatient (like me) and you want some background stamps right now, read on.

Tanya has ten of the CHF backgrounds ready for sale, one of which is this Woodgrain backgrounder. She also has the Chicken Wire backgrounder, a butterfly backgrounder, and several others in her retail store. If you'd like to purchase any of those now, give Tanya a call. Her information is listed below:

Tanya Kostynuk
The Stamper's Ink. Company
Stamper's, Ink. - 2007 Rubber Stamping Retailer of the Year!
Rubber Stampin' Retailer Magazine
12152 Shawnee Mission Parkway (SM Pkwy & Quivira)
Shawnee, KS 66216
913-248-7826
Website: www.stampersink.net
Blog: stampersink.typepad.com

Please join our blog hop this Saturday evening for the Grand Opening of Cornish Heritage Farms. There will be some great eye candy, and some lucky folks will win prizes!!!

New Wee Stamps at I Brake for Stamps

2011-11-16T08:00:00.002-06:00

Good morning! Today, I Brake for Stamps has some brand new Sylvia Zet Wee Stamps(a Whimsy Stamps product) in the store. These are the most adorable stamps, and I was fortunate enough to play with three of them.

Before I show you my creations, today also marks a new challenge over on the I Brake for Challenges blog. This week is all about the Four Seasons - fall, winter, spring, and summer. Create something that evokes any of those four seasons and enter it into the challenge (IBFCC#14).

For my first card, I colored this sweet Wee Florist in some warm autumn colors and added some Wild Orchid flowers (also from I Brake for Stamps). I've used the Wisped Frames technique from Technique Junkies around the image.

For my second creation, I've colored this same Wee Florist in some spring-themed pinks and lavenders. This is actually a Big Flap Card - a fun new Technique Junkies tech from their new 3D and Fun Folds cd.

Now for a fun winter project - a Shadowbox card with this adorable Christmas Bunny. Doesn't this just make you smile? The Shadowbox2 technique can be found on the 3D & Fun Folds cd from Technique Junkies.

One more winter-themed card: I named this one "Dear Santa." This cute little boy reading this letter is called A Letter for Me and he's just as darling as can be in his little jammies with his puppy and his kitty right next to him. I've used the Cuttlebug Highlights technique with this fun card.

I covered three seasons - fall, spring, and winter - with my creations today. We'd love to see what seasonal creation(s) you want to share with us over on the I Brake for Challenges blog. You can also see some more artwork with these new Wee Stamps over on the challenge blog - hint hint!!

Ready to go shopping for these new Wees? Head on over to I Brake for Stamps by clicking on this link. Use this code - SAVE10HOLLY - to save 10% off your order when you check out. Have fun!!

Gingerbread House Album Blog Hop

2011-11-09T21:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Gingerbread House Album blog hop! If you have come here from the Die Cut Diva blog, you're on the right track. If not, please start at the beginning - http://die-cut-diva.blogspot.com/ - so you don't miss out on any of the wonderful albums today!

We are showcasing this exclusive Gingerbread House Album that can only be found at Creative Cuts and More. The basic chipboard kit comes with three sizes of gingerbread men, candy canes, icicles, and doors, along with the gingerbread houses and album pages. All the pieces are cut from chipboard, which is perfect for any style of decorating.

There are actually three Gingerbread House kits to choose from:

Gingerbread House Album Chipboard Kit - this is the one I worked with today

Gingerbread House Album Deluxe Kit

Gingerbread House Album Ultimate Deluxe Kit

When I started thinking about what I wanted to do with this album, I knew exactly what it was going to be - a recipe book. More specifically, this is a Christmas recipe album, full of those special foods and drinks that I usually make for the holidays. I originally thought I would paint all the chipboard pages with acrylic paint, but I ran across this incredibly cute package of holiday paper and I just had to use it. So I covered all the pages and one of the gingerbread houses with various sheets of these papers.

I used some shimmery Creative Inspirations Paints to color the chipboard gingerbread men, and I used some liquid snow for the "frosting" on the men. I found some really cute stickers at various craft stores and it was fun to mix and match these on all the pages. The icicles that you see on this front cover were painted with white gesso, and then I spread Star Dust Stickles all over them and set them aside to dry.

I loved putting this album together. Now I have all my favorite holiday recipes right where I can get my hands on them. It will be easy to find my Bohemian Tea recipe in here versus looking through 20 cookbooks. If you are having trouble reading the recipes, send me an email and I'd be happy to share my recipes with you. :-)

There will be a prize! CC&M will be giving away a Gingerbread House Album Chipboard Kit worth $12.99. The deadline for entry will be Sunday, November 13. We will announce the winner on Monday, November 14th on the Die Cut Diva blog. In order to win, you must:

1. HOP through AND comment on each blog, then go back to the Die Cut Diva blog and let us know you did so.
2. For another chance, follow the Die Cut Diva blog.
3. For another chance, become a Fan on Facebook by clicking HERE.
4. For another chance, spread the word about our Blog Hop on your blog!

Ready for more inspiration? Continue along the hop by going to Noelle's blog to see what she has to share with you today. Remember to comment on each blog to have a chance at winning a Gingerbread House Chipboard kit. Enjoy the hop!

Santa Bear

2011-11-07T06:00:00.002-06:00

Ho ho ho!!!!!!!! Isn't this Santa Bear just adorable??? This is one of the brand new bears from I Brake for Stamps. These holiday bears are so cute!

This Santa Bear is colored with Copic markers and I added some white Flower Soft for some powdery snow along the bottom. I've used the Stacked Nesties technique from Technique Junkies - a fun and easy technique. The blue snowy background is some patterned paper from My Mind's Eye.

So which holiday bear do you think I'll share with you next time?? Which one is your favorite? Leave a comment and maybe a lucky someone will receive a special Christmas card. :-)

You can save 10% off your order using this code - SAVE10HOLLY - when you shop at I Brake for Stamps. You can use this for your entire order - stamps, flowers, 6x6 papers, Creative Inspirations Paints, anything. Have fun!

Save the Date - Nov. 10

2011-11-06T14:50:00.000-06:00

Just a heads up - be sure to come on back here on Thursday, November 10 for a fabulous blog hop featuring a brand new album. Creative Cuts & More will be debuting their exclusive new Gingerbread House album, and several designers will be showing off their take on these albums. You don't want to miss this! :-)

I Brake for Challenges #13 - White Out

2011-11-02T03:00:00.003-05:00

Good morning, everyone! It's time for another challenge on the I Brake for Challenges blog. The theme for this week is "White Out." Nooooooo - we don't want you to use the white out stuff that we used in school to cover up our mistakes. LOL We want to see what you create when you do NOT use any white on your project. No white cardstock, no white ink, no white, period.

Quite a challenge, huh?

I pulled out this sweet country stamp of a momma horse and her baby grazing in the meadow. This is called "Mare and Colt" from I Brake for Stamps. I stamped it with Rich Cocoa Memento ink, and then colored in the grass and trees and mountains. For the horses, I used the Silhouette technique from Technique Junkies. It's an interesting take on this scene.

I overstamped this scene with my beloved Holly's Tattered Background stamp to give it that weathered, aged, time-worn look. To enhance the aged appearance, I distressed the edges, and then I added some brads and brown twine to frame the scene.

There is no white on this card at all. I've used kraft cardstock for my main image and some Artichoke and Chocolate Chip cardstock for the matting.

Give your stamps another look and see what you can create for this White Out challenge. Need more inspiration? Check out what the other girls created over on the IBFCC blog by clicking here. We'd love to have you play along with us!

I see that this card also fits in with the Farm Fresh challenge over at the Gingersnap Creations blog. If you have a "farm" or "country" type of image, you should enter your card in there too. :-)

When you place your order at I Brake for Stamps, you can get 10% off when you use this code - SAVE10HOLLY during checkout. Happy Shopping!

Stamps: Mare and Colt, Holly's Tattered Background - I Brake for Stamps
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento, Kraft
CS: Kraft, Artichoke, Chocolate Chip
Other: Copic markers, distress tool, brads, brown twine, photo corner punch
TJ Technique: Silhouette

Scallop Pocket Gift Card

2011-10-29T11:32:00.000-05:00

Happy Saturday! Did you get to sleep in today? It's actually cold here this morning, but it will warm up into the 70's this afternoon - beautiful!

Have you ordered your 3D and Fun Folds cd yet?? See the "Buy Now" button over on the right side of my blog? Click on that and you'll be able to buy your copy of this great cd filled with 70 brand new techniques. In addition to the step by step techniques, you'll also see some gorgeous artwork for these techniques to inspire you.

If you have never seen a TJ CD, here is a real example from the Fancy Folds and Motion CD (the format is the same, but ALL of the techniques are different!) of the Vertical Accordion Card:
http://techniquejunkies.com/Vertical_Accordion_Card.pdf

Here is the Christmas project I promised to share with you: Scallop Pocket Gift Card. This is perfect for putting any kind of gift card inside. Just pick some papers to match the gift card and you've got the perfect presentation to give to your loved one.

Won't that be a great gift to give away for Christmas? Order your 3D and Fun Folds cd today and you'll have plenty of time to make these gift card holders for this Christmas. Have a wonderful weekend!!

Christmas Double Easel Card

2011-10-27T19:40:00.001-05:00

Hey folks! I've got some awesome news for y'all! The new 3D and Fun Folds CD from Technique Junkies is ready for purchase!! See the "Buy Now" button over on the right side of my blog? Click on that and you'll be able to buy your copy of this great cd filled with 70 brand new techniques. In addition to the step by step techniques, you'll also see some gorgeous artwork for these techniques to inspire you.

This is one of several projects that have been keeping me so busy lately. I'm excited to share some of the samples that I created for this cd. What I am sharing tonight is the Double Twisted Easel Tutorial.

Isn't that a cool card? It's actually much easier than it looks - just follow the steps in the tutorial and you'll have your own card made lickety split! Just click on the "Buy Now" button (upper right side of my blog) to order your cd.

This chipboard star was painted with some gesso first, and then I used some yellow Sunshine Creative Inspirations Paints to make this chipboard star all shimmery.

For this cute scene, I colored the image with Copic markers first, and then I went to town with several Creative Inspirations Paints. The star at the top of the tree is painted with Sunshine, the red Christmas lights and the holly berries are painted with Garnet, the blue bulbs on the ground are painted with Denium, the tops of the blue bulbs are painted with Antique Silver, and the copper bands going around the barrel planter are painted with Antique Copper. Isn't that shimmer nice and festive? :-)

Check in with me this weekend as I share some more of the projects I created for the new technique cd. Some will be SO perfect for those Christmas gifts that you'll be giving to your loved ones in less than two months. :-)

Stamps: Christmas Tree Bear & Beary Christmas - I Brake for Stamps - use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order
Creative Inspirations Paint: Sunshine, Garnet, Denium, Antique Silver, Antique Copper - use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10%
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Black, Red, White, dp (Recollections)
Other: Copic markers, holly leaf punch, red bling, chipboard star, gesso
TJ Technique: Double Twisted Easel - 3D and Fun Folds CD

Belli Challenge #129 - 1234

2011-10-26T05:00:00.001-05:00

Good morning! This is my card for this week's Belli Challenge. We are doing a unique twist this time - it's called 1234. Basically you use a certain number of certain items so they fit into the 1234 group. For example, you could use 1 ribbon, 2 brads, 3 stamps, and 4 sheets of paper. You decide what embellishments go with each number.

For my card, I used:

1 - stamp (The Blessing of Peace from I Brake for Stamps)
2 - die cuts (Labels 17 - Spellbinders, Holly Flourish - Cheery Lynn Designs from Classy Cards n Such)
3 - flowers (Wild Orchid Flowers from I Brake for Stamps)
4 - sheets of designer paper (Season's Greetings - Echo Park)

My background is a technique that I created called Collaged Circles. If you are a subscriber to the Technique Junkies newsletter, you can look up the tutorial to see how to create your own background. :-)

Isn't that a fun challenge? You could have all kinds of combinations. Why don't you give it a whirl? We'd love to see what you come up with! Check out what the other Belli Girls created over on the Belli Challenge blog and then share your creation(s) with us. :-)

When you go shopping at I Brake for Stamps, be sure to use this code - SAVE10HOLLY - to save 10% off your order. You can use this for your entire order, whether it is stamps, Wild Orchid flowers, 6x6 papers, or even Creative Inspirations Paints. Have fun shopping!

Have a great day!

I Brake for Challenges #12 - Halloween

2011-10-19T03:00:00.003-05:00

Hey folks! Today's challenge on the I Brake for Challenges blog is to create a project with a Halloween theme. I pulled out this cute Vampire Costume Bear from I Brake for Stamps to share with you today.

How adorable is that?? I colored the bear with Copic markers and I used the Copic Texturizing technique from Technique Junkies to give his fur a "furry" appearance. His vest and his "wings" are painted with shimmery Onyx paint (Creative Inspirations Paint) and I used a gold glitter pen to color in his medallion and the stars.

I found some chipboard letters to spell out "boo!" but they had a glossy white finish on them. So I peeled off that glossy paper and then painted the raw chipboard with the same shimmery Onyx paint. You can see the wonderful shimmer in this picture:

There are more fun Costume Bears over at I Brake for Stamps - a witch, a pirate, and a princess to name a few. Pull out your Halloween stamps or order these Costume Bears, then create a project and share it with us over at the I Brake for Challenges blog. We'd love to see your Halloween projects!

When you go shopping at I Brake for Stamps, you can use this code - SAVE10HOLLY - to save 10% off your order. This is good for anything in the store, including stamps, Creative Inspirations Paint, Wild Orchid flowers, and 6x6 papers. :-)

Stamps: Vampire Costume Bear from I Brake for Stamps
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Basic Gray, Black, White
Other: Copic markers, gold glitter pen, black organdy ribbon, chipboard letters
TJ Technique: Copic Texturizing
Creative Inspirations Paint: Onyx

Belli Challenge #128 - Wisteria Girl

2011-10-12T03:00:00.002-05:00

Today's Belli Challenge is to use Flower Soft, felt, or chunky glitter on your project. I wanted to play with this Sweet Blossom girl from I Brake for Stamps, and the Flower Soft was the perfect embellishment for this image. This girl is a brand new Sylvia Zet stamp from IBFS, and the challenge over on the I Brake for Challenges blog is "Girl Power." Two challenges in one card - too cool! :-)

I colored this Sweet Blossom girl with Copic markers, and then I used the Wisped Frame technique from Technique Junkies. I added some Lavender Flower Soft to the areas where the flowers were. The seam binding is hand-dyed by sponging the wisteria ink all over it.

Check out the challenges I've listed below to see the gorgeous samples. We'd love to have you play along with us!

Belli Challenge - Flower Soft, felt, or chunky glitter
I Brake for Challenges - Girl Power

You can use my coupon code - SAVE10HOLLY - when you go shopping at I Brake for Stamps. You can use this on stamps, shimmery Creative Inspirations Paint, Wild Orchid flowers, anything you see in the store. Have fun!

Stamps: Sweet Blossom - I Brake for Stamps
Ink: Wisteria, Black
CS: Wisteria, White, Lily Kate dp (Basic Grey)
Other: sponge, Lavender Flower Soft, Copic markers, circle die, Eyelet circle die, butterfly punch, pearl, seam binding, corner rounder punch
TJ Technique: Wisped Frames

Rogue Challenge #4 - Toile Bookmark

2011-10-09T23:01:00.000-05:00

I just saw the new challenge over on the Rogue Redhead Designs blog, and you know I had to play along. :-) For this challenge, we have to have a tag and a quote on our project, so I looked around my studio to see what I could do.

I wanted to try a new technique from Technique Junkies called Back to Back, but never really got around to it. So tonight, I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. After I created my background with this technique, I decided to cut this out with the new Tim Holtz tag die (rule #1 of the challenge). I looked through my Rogue stamps to see which quote I wanted, and this one from the Relish Reading set is so perfect for a bookmark.

I stamped the quote (rule #2 of the challenge) on kraft cardstock and then cut it out with scissors. The flower was cut from white cardstock and I sponged the purple inks on it, with the darker ink on the very edges. While my sponge was still loaded with purple ink, I dabbed it over some white seam binding.

Why don't you check out the challenge and play along? There is an awesome prize for one lucky winner, so give it a shot! :-)

Stamps: Relish Reading (Rogue Redhead Designs), French Script (SU), Bella Toile (SU), Twill (SU)
Ink: Kraft, Wisteria, Dusty Concord distress
CS: Kraft, White
Other: seam binding, sponge, button, linen thread, Rose Creations die, Tim Holtz tag die
TJ Technique: Back to Back

Exciting New Release at IBFS!!!!

2011-10-05T08:00:00.004-05:00

Guess what?? I Brake For Stamps is now offering the gorgeous Wee Stamps in rubber from artist Sylvia Zet!!!

These beautiful stamps are perfect for this week's challenge over on the I Brake for Challenges blog. It's all about Girl Power, and the design team has had a blast playing with these new Wee Stamps for this challenge.

I played with two of these cuties, and the first one is this adorable Sweet Blossom. I colored her with Copic markers and I used the new Stacked Nesties technique from Technique Junkies. I also added some of the Wild Orchid flowers (Aster Daisies) that are available at I Brake for Stamps.

For my second card, I used this beautiful Silver Fairy stamp. This is colored with Copic markers, and then I used some Creative Inspirations Paints over her hair and her wings. The die cut flourishes are painted with Silver Frost paint for a shimmery accent, and some tiny little jingle bells are dangling from the hand-dyed ribbon.

The wings are painted with Fairy Dust - a shimmery translucent paint. It's perfect for angels and fairies and butterflies. I've used the Silver Frost paint on the hair and the tiny jingle bell on the end of the wing. You can see the beautiful shimmer here:

I just love these sweet little girls! This Girl Power challenge runs for two weeks, so you've got plenty of time to order these Wee Stamps and enter your creation in the challenge.

When you go shopping at I Brake for Stamps, remember to use this code - SAVE10HOLLY - to save 10% off your order. You can use this code for anything in the store - stamps, flowers, paint, anything! Have fun!

Shimmery Pink Ornament

2011-09-30T03:00:00.002-05:00

It's never too early to think about Christmas cards, right? LOL Here is a bright and fun card for someone who loves pink.

I pulled out some stamps from Flourishes and some fun papers from My Mind's Eye (12 Days of Christmas), and I just had a blast playing around. I used some Fuchsia and Antique Silver paints from Creative Inspirations Paint to color in the ornament. You can see the beautiful shimmer in this picture below:

Creative Inspirations Paint: Fuchsia & Antique Silver
Stamps: All that Glitters, Holiday Greetings (Flourishes)
Ink: Jet Black Stazon
CS: Black, Vanilla, 12 Days of Christmas (MME)
Other: sheer black ribbon, silver pearls, button, silver cord, pencils
TJ Technique: Pencilled Twinks

Walk Beside Me

2011-09-29T03:00:00.002-05:00

There are times when I want to make "just because" cards that I can send to friends to brighten their day. I found this beautiful sentiment from I Brake for Stamps, and I wanted to make a feminine and sunny card with it.

I used some sunny Yellow Crepe Ruche paper and some Cryogen White (a yummy shimmery white cardstock) from Paper Temptress. The sentiment was stamped and die cut with an oval die, and I used the Wisped Frames technique. I added some flourishes that I die cut with the Cryogen White cardstock, and I added some flowers from I Brake for Stamps to embellish the lower right edge of the sentiment.

You can see the gorgeous shimmer of the Cryogen White cardstock here:

Why not make a "just because" card today and send it to a special friend? It's always fun to surprise people with some happy mail. :-)

Have a wonderful day!

Stamps: Inspirational Plate #2 (I Brake for Stamps - use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Daffodil
CS: all from Paper Temptress ---
--- Cryogen White
--- Yellow Crepe Ruche
Other: lace, Wild Orchid flowers (I Brake for Stamps - code SAVE10HOLLY), oval dies (Spellbinders), Fanciful Flourishes die (Cheery Lynn Designs - purchased at Classy Cards and Such)
TJ Technique: Wisped Frames

Belli Challenge #127 - Paper Piecing

2011-09-28T03:00:00.000-05:00

Today's Belli Challenge is all about paper piecing, and I've used this gorgeous Harvest Basket from Eureka for my project. After I colored the basket with Copic markers, I paper pieced the ribbon bow and the two smaller gourds on the right of the pumpkin.

When I was playing around with the paper flowers (Orange1 Collection), I accidentally pulled the petals apart. Instead of trying to tape the petals back together, I started arranging them behind my harvest basket. This makes for an interesting look, doesn't it? It's a fun and different way to use the paper flowers. :-)

Check out what the Belli Girls have created over on the Belli Blog and play along with us this week. We'd love to see your paper pieced creations!!

Have a wonderful day!

Stamps: Small Harvest Basket (Eureka Stamps)
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento
CS: Suede, White, Forever Fall (Bo Bunny)
Other: Copic markers, flowers - Orange1 collection (QKR Stampede), circle dies
TJ Technique: Paper Piecing

IBFCC #10 - Fall

2011-09-21T03:00:00.002-05:00

This week's challenge over on the I Brake for Challenges blog is all about fall. I love the fall season - you're probably sick of hearing me gush about the crisp, cool weather. LOL Just as soon as I actually GET some here, maybe I'll stop gushing. Hee hee hee!

I decided to use this fun Harvest Pumpkins scene from I Brake for Stamps for my challenge card today. This image just screams fall, doesn't it? The pumpkins, the apples, the adorable little kitty.......

I stamped this image on watercolor paper and then pulled out various dye inks (SU as well as distress inks) to color in the image. I colored the background behind the fence a warm golden glow to go with the fall theme.

The pumpkin cardstock is stamped with Holly's Tattered Background, and I used the Torn Frames technique on the dark brown cardstock. I just couldn't cover up this sweet scene with ribbons or buttons or anything, so this card is clean and simple (and tattered). :-)

Take some time to pull out some fall-themed stamps and play along with this fun challenge. You can see more gorgeous inspiration on the I Brake for Challenges blog, and you can go shopping at I Brake for Stamps for all kinds of fall-themed stamps.

Stamps: Harvest Pumpkins & Holly's Tattered Background (I Brake for Stamps - use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order)
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Pumpkin Pie, dye inks for watercoloring
CS: Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, watercolor paper
Other: aquapainter, distress tool
TJ Technique: Torn Frames

Trick or Treat - Candy Corn

2011-09-20T03:00:00.001-05:00

In less than a month and a half, Halloween will be here! Walmart and the grocery stores already have the big ol' bags of Halloween candy out for sale, and it won't be long before we see all the fun costumes that the little kids will be running around in.

When I saw this cute Trick or Treat stamp in the Eureka store, I really wanted to have a candy corn background to go with it. I couldn't find any candy corn stamps, so I got a little creative.

I ordered two of these Trick or Treat stamps, and I trimmed the one on the right side so I could use it as designed.

For the second stamp, I cut out three of the candy corn pairs and trimmed them. I adhered them to a clear acrylic block and stamped them all over my background.

Now I can use the separated candy corn stamps to make backgrounds, to stamp next to a "Happy Halloween" sentiment, anything I want. Isn't that a fun little trick? :-)

Stamps: Trick or Treat (Eureka Stamps)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Orange, Black, White
Other: Copic markers, ribbon (Offray)

Rogue ATC - Je t'aime

2011-09-18T14:28:00.000-05:00

Hiya, folks! Are you enjoying your Saturday? It's been wonderfully sunny and NOT in the 100's this weekend - awesome! Maybe fall is FINALLY making its way here??? We can only hope.

This little project is not a card. It's actually an ATC - artist trading card. I'm playing along in the Rogue challenge to create an ATC with some part of it sticking "outside the box." If you've been following me, you know I don't make ATC's so this was a bit of a challenge for me.

I pulled out my Floriculture stamp set and played around with some of the stamps to see what would look good. Due to the tiny nature of this ATC - it's only 2.5" by 3.5" - I decided to stick with a little floral scene.

The white cardstock is sponged with blue and green inks, and then I stamped the flowers with a brown ink. The three round-ish flowers are not solid stamps - I used the Silhouette technique (from Technique Junkies) to change them a little bit. The sentiment was stamped and punched out with an oval punch, and I adhered it to the top with part of it sticking out from the side. I added some sheer dotted ribbon to the bottom to balance out the ATC so it wasn't so top-heavy.

Have you played along with these Rogue challenges? Check out their current challenge and play along with us. There's a fantastic prize for one lucky winner!

Stamps: Floriculture - Rogue Redhead Designs
Ink: French Roast, Bermuda, Evergreen - A Muse
CS: Chocolate Chip, White - SU
Other: sponge, oval punches, ribbon (Offray)
TJ Technique: Silhouettes

Puff Box 2011

2011-09-15T03:00:00.005-05:00

Good morning, folks! I've got a personal project to share with you today. A group of dear friends decided to hold a puff box swap, and this is the box I created for my "puff-ee."

A puff box is basically a customized box that you create for a person who is assigned to you. The box can be anything - a wooden box, a papier mache box, a rigid plastic box, even a heavy duty bookboard box. The box is decorated using the "puff-ee's" favorite colors, favorite flowers, favorite literary characters, anything that is personalized to that person.

Inside the box are the puffs. Puffs are little papers with quotes, Scripture, jokes, inspirational sentiments, or poems all typed up and decorated. We were required to have a certain number of puffs, but I know most of the gals in this swap went WAY over that number just because they couldn't decide which puffs to include and which ones to weed out.

I was assigned to make my puff box for a sweet gal named Diana. I wanted to use this fun wooden lunch box from Hobby Lobby, and I painted it with acrylic paint and let it dry. Then I used some patterned papers and some fun flower stickers and added those randomly all over the box. I painted some chipboard letters with the gorgeous Rose Quartz paint from Creative Inspirations Paint - love that shimmer! I also added some of the clear Jeweled Inspirations (also from Creative Inspirations Paint) in various sizes in the centers of my flowers and the edges of the name plate.

Did you know that this week's challenge on the Creative Inspirations Paint blog is "Inspired by Ribbon?" Think I have enough ribbon on here for that challenge? LOL

Go check out the challenge and share your be-ribboned projects with us. You could win some free Creative Inspirations Paint just for sharing. You will love these yummy, creamy, shimmery paints. :-)

Belli Challenge #126 - String

2011-09-14T03:00:00.028-05:00

Today's Belli Challenge is focusing on string. Any kind of string - baker's twine, linen thread, kitchen string, carpenter's string, what have you. I wanted to do something besides just wrap it around a card and tie it in a knot, so I turned to the Technique Junkies newsletter for inspiration.

There is a fun new technique called Spirelli in the latest newsletter, and I just had to give it a shot. It may look complicated, but if you just follow the directions, it's very fun and easy. It's only available for subscribers, so you really should sign up today (Technique Junkies) if you haven't already.

I always need birthday cards, and I wanted to make a feminine, frilly, and very pink card this time. So I pulled out my beautiful January Carnation stamp from I Brake for Stamps and colored it with pink Copic markers before cutting it out with a circle die. I just saw that this stamp is on sale this week - check it out HERE!

I used this fun sketch (SSS125)from The Sweet Stop for my card, and I wanted to use papers that would go with the pretty pink carnations. So I pulled out my Be Mine 6x6 paper pad (Echo Park) which I bought from I Brake for Stamps (just a few left so grab yours HERE). These papers are so pretty - shades of pinks and grays and blacks which are so perfect for feminine projects.

I've combined a lot of things here on this post, haven't I? LOL After you're done shopping at I Brake for Stamps, check out the Belli Challenge blog and see what the ladies have created for you there. We'd love to have you play along with us this week. :-)

Stamps: January Carnation (on SALE right now at I Brake for Stamps - use code SAVE10HOLLY for an extra 10% off your order)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Black, White
Patterned Paper: Be Mine 6x6 paper pad (Echo Park) - I Brake for Stamps (use code SAVE10HOLLY for 10% off your order)
Other: Copic markers, string, black & white checkered ribbon, circle dies
TJ Technique: Spirelli
Sketch: #125 - The Sweet Stop Sketches

Eureka - Fall theme Blog Hop

2011-09-11T21:00:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the Eureka blog hop! Our theme this month is Fall and all the autumnal bounty it brings. If you have arrived here from Ceal's blog, you are on the right track. If not, please start at the Eureka blog so you don't miss any of the wonderful artwork today.

I found this gorgeous Pumpkins and Fence stamp in the Eureka store (2nd page in the Fall category) and I couldn't wait to color it up:

I decided to get back to basics and watercolor this image instead of playing with my Copic markers. I stamped the image on watercolor paper and used dye ink pads to color in the image. After it dried completely, I sponged the edges with a brown ink before matting it. The pumpkin cardstock has been distressed and manipulated into a Torn Frame (a TJ technique).

The sweet little orange flower is from the QKR Stampede store (a sister store to Eureka). I have the Orange Flowers 1 collection, but this sweet orange flower is in all four of the Orange Flowers collections. I cut some raffia and adhered it behind the flower, and then I added a button to the top.

I'm ready for the fall season after a long, record-breaking, HOT summer in Texas. Bring on the 75 degree temps, the falling leaves, the hay rides, and the cool crisp mornings!! :-)

I hope you've enjoyed my project today. Your next stop on this hop is Jessica's blog - have fun!

Stamps: Pumpkins and Fence (Eureka)
Ink: Timber Brown Stazon, dye inks from SU
CS: watercolor paper, pumpkin, suede, mustard dp
Other: raffia, button, linen thread, aquapainter, distress tool, orange flower from QKR Stampede
TJ Technique: Torn Frames

IBFCC #9 - Background Stamps

2011-09-07T03:00:00.002-05:00

Howdy! Today's challenge over on the I Brake for Challenges blog is all about background stamps. So pull out your background stamps and get inky and share your creations with us!

I love background stamps, and my favorite one is Holly's Tattered Background from I Brake for Stamps. This is THE most versatile stamp I've ever owned. Just look at how I used it on this card.

Not only did I stamp the Tattered Background on the red paper, but I also stamped it directly over the horse scene after I colored it. Now it looks like a very old Western painting - love it!!

I stamped this Desert Mustang with Timber Brown Stazon ink onto watercolor paper, and then I watercolored it with various distress inks. After this was completely dry, I sponged some Antique Linen distress ink around the edges. Then I used Antique Linen distress ink and stamped Holly's Tattered Background all over the colored image.

I used some Walnut Stain distress ink on the same Tattered background and stamped it all over the red paper in the background. The main image was distressed with a distress tool, and then I used the Torn Frames technique (from Technique Junkies) around it. Lastly, I frayed some twill tape and added that behind the Torn Frame.

You can see that you don't "have" to use background stamps only on your backgrounds. Give your stamps a whirl and see what you can do with yours. Better yet, check out what the other gals have done on the I Brake for Challenges blog and play along with us. There's a fun prize for one lucky player!

Stamps: Desert Mustang, Holly's Tattered Background - I Brake for Stamps (use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order)
Ink: Timber Brown Stazon, distress inks
CS: Chocolate Chip, Vanilla, watercolor paper, Wanted pp (Cosmo Cricket)
Other: aquapainter, distress tool, twill tape, sponge
TJ Techniques: Torn Frames, Worn Wallpaper

Belli Challenge #125 - Vellum or Acetate

2011-08-31T03:00:00.003-05:00

I'm playing along with the Belli Challenge again, and this week is all about acetate or vellum. I've used the Vellum Sentiments technique from Technique Junkies for today's card.

I stamped these gorgeous peaches from I Brake for Stamps and colored them with Copic markers. Then I stamped the sentiment on the vellum, centered it over the peaches, and adhered it with brads in each corner. There is a little trick to this technique, but you'd have to subscribe to the Technique Junkies newsletter to read about it.

Ready to play along with this fun Belli challenge?? Check out what the Belli Girls have created over on the Belli blog, and then share your creation with us in our linky widget. :-)

Stamps: peach and sentiment from MS71 Full Plate (I Brake for Stamps) - use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: white, Olive, Chocolate Chip, vellum
Other: Copics, hole punch, brads (Queen & Co.)
TJ Technique: Vellum Sentiments

Christmas Dog

2011-08-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

Hi folks! I've got a cute Christmas card to share with you today. This adorable puppy is from Eureka Stamps, and I colored him with Copic markers. The stocking is paper pieced and I added some white Flower Soft to the cap and the stocking.

Instead of adhering this to a normal ol' card, I tried this neat Center Step Card tutorial that I found at SCS. I punched out some holly leaves and added some red rhinestones to each cluster for a festive feel.

Have you made any Christmas cards yet? Can you believe it's less than four months til Christmas Day is here?? Are you ready?? :-)

Stamps: Large Snow Cap Pup & Tis the Season - Eureka
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento, Olive
CS: Olive, Chocolate Chip, White, Holiday Treasures dp
Other: red rhinestones, leaf punch (Martha Stewart), white Flower Soft, Copic markers
TJ Technique: Paper Piecing
Technique: Center Step Card from SCS

Rogue Flower with Distress Stains

2011-08-28T15:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday! I am cyber-stamping with my friend Chrissy this afternoon, and I decided to just have fun. Recently I won a free stamp set from Rogue Redhead Designs for playing in their first blog challenge, so I wanted to play with those stamps. I checked out their current challenge and got busy.

The new Rogue challenge is to use wet and dry embossing on your project. I wanted to play with my Distress Stains, so I used the Distress Stain Resist technique from Technique Junkies for the "wet embossing" part of the challenge. But I was a little stumped as to how to put it on a card, so I went looking for a sketch that might fit the stamps I was using. I found this sketch challenge on the Sweet Stop Sketches blog. This was perfect - main image, sentiment, and a place to put my dry embossed paper as well. I used the Sanded Co'redinations technique on some sand colored paper from the Linen Closet collection (DCWV).

Everything just came together so perfectly today - the stamps, the Rogue challenge, the sketch challenge, the colors, everything. This is a "happy mojo" day! LOL I hope you play along with both of these challenges. Just have some wet and dry embossing on your card and upload it to the Rogue challenge linky, and you could win a free stamp set! There's only a week left to play in the Rogue challenge, so start embossing. :-)

Stamps: Floriculture from Rogue Redhead Designs
Ink: Versamark, Vintage Photo
CS: brown, vanilla, watercolor paper, Linen Closet dp (DCWV)
Other: clear ep, embossing folder, butterfly punch (Martha Stewart), pearls, vanilla tafetta ribbon, Distress Stains (Walnut Stain, Straw, Broken China, Vintage Photo, Tumbled Glass)
TJ Techniques: Distress Stain Resist (Stampbooking CD) & Sanded Co'redinations
Sketch: SSS123 - Sweet Stop Sketches

Rainbow of Buttons

2011-08-26T03:00:00.003-05:00

This is my last post as a Chapel Road Design Team member. *sniff sniff* The owner, Carol, really wants me to stay on, but I had to step down in order to make time for more of a personal life outside of stamping. I've had an absolute blast working with all of these wonderful Chapel Road stamps and all the sweet ladies on the team. It was so nice to form some closer relationships with several of the ladies - hugs!!!

For this card, I stamped the inchie frame (from the Inchy Designs set) with black ink onto this wonderfully thick white cardstock from Paper Temptress (Heavenly White #120). I stamped the sentiment from Edwardian Birthday onto a larger piece of the same Heavenly White #120 cardstock.

I used the Eclipse Black #100 cardstock (also from Paper Temptress) for my card base and I cut a smaller piece and punched it with a Scallop Diamond edge punch. This is another beautifully thick cardstock - it doesn't warp or bend at all. I wanted to use some thick heavy cardstock that wouldn't bend under the weight of all the buttons, and these two cardstocks are perfect.

I wanted a rainbow of colors on this card, so I pulled out all my buttons and spent half an hour selecting just the right palette. Color makes me happy, and it was fun to play around with all the different color combinations. Once I decided on my buttons, I tied each one with some white thread and adhered them inside each of the inchie frames.

You could put anything inside these frames. The Inchy Designs set includes some wonderful artistic elements along with several different frame designs. This is a great set to mix and match and have fun with!

I hope you have enjoyed all the Chapel Road creations I have shared with you. It's been a great experience to help Carol start her first design team and I've been truly honored to be a part of this first team for the past six months. Thank you, Carol and all the design team ladies!

Stamps: Edwardian Birthday and Inchy Designs - Chapel Road
Ink: Jet Black Stazon
CS: Heavenly White #120 and Eclipse Black #100 - Paper Temptress
Other: Scallop Diamond edge punch, white thread, buttons

IBFCC #8 - Distressed Shabby Chic

2011-08-24T03:00:00.002-05:00

Have you been playing in the challenges over on the I Brake for Challenges blog? This week's challenge is a fun one - grungy, distressed, shabby chic.

I used the Distress Stain Resist technique from Technique Junkies with this beautiful Magnolia Tile collage stamp from I Brake for Stamps. Then I used the same colors of distress stains to color some white seam binding, which I crumpled up and let dry. To create the blue background, I used the distress stains again, but with more blues and less browns.

Yeah, I was having a ton of fun with my distress stains! Wanna see what happened to my hands??

Hee hee hee!

After everything dried, I distressed the edges of the collage and adhered all the layers. I tied the ribbon into a bow and added a brown button with linen thread in the center. This collage is just so beautiful, I didn't want to cover it up with a bunch of embellishments or layers.

Head on over to the I Brake for Challenges blog and play along with us. We'd love to see what you've created!

Stamps: Magnolia Tile collage stamp from I Brake for Stamps (use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order)
Ink: Versamark
CS: watercolor paper, Suede
Other: clear embossing powder, seam binding, button, linen thread, distress tool, Distress Stains (Faded Jeans, Weathered Wood, Vintage Photo, Broken China)
TJ Technique: Distress Stain Resist (Stampbooking CD)

Mosaic Squash

2011-08-23T03:00:00.002-05:00

I fell in love with this Mosaic Squash when I saw this in the Eureka store. There is a whole collection of mosaic images - squash, pumpkin, leaves, and sentiments. Look under the Fall section in the store and you'll see all the mosaic images on pages 2 and 3.

I used the Tissued Color technique from Technique Junkies to color in the squash, and I sponged the edges of the oval with some Antique Linen distress ink. I added some raffia, some punched leaves, and this pretty little flower on the edge of the image. That pretty little flower is from the Orange paper flowers collection in the QKR Stampede shop.

I love the fall season - cool, crisp air contrasting with the warm sun shining down on me, hay rides, trips to the pumpkin patch, and the promise of some great holidays coming up. Ahhhhhh.........

Stamps: Mosaic Squash from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Curry, Tangerine, Durango, Walnut Stain, Antique Linen
CS: Curry, Chocolate Chip, Vanilla, Indian Summer (Basic Grey)
Other: button, raffia, Frond punch (Martha Stewart), oval dies, brads, flower from QKR Stampede
TJ Technique: Tissued Color

Painting the Roses Red challenge

2011-08-20T19:24:00.001-05:00

I'm playing with the gals on The Altered Alice blog in their "Painting the Roses Red" challenge. Creative Inspirations Paint is sponsoring this challenge, and one lucky winner could win some free paint just for playing in this fun challenge.

For my card, I found a rose stamp and colored it with pencils and Creative Inspirations Paint (the Pencilled Twinks technique from Technique Junkies). Since I don't have any Alice-type stamps, I looked around for something that would give me that "courtly" feel of the Queen ordering that all the roses be painted red. I saw this harlequin background stamp (Print Pattern from SU) and that was the vibe I was looking for. I didn't want it to overpower the card, so I only stamped a small strip with the harlequin diamonds.

Here is a close-up of the yummy shimmer from those Creative Inspirations Paints:

I hope you check out this challenge and play along with us! Enjoy your weekend!

Creative Inspirations Paints: Garnet & Green Olive
Stamps: Year of Flowers 2 (Flourishes), Print Pattern background (SU)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Black, White, Real Red
Other: circle dies, pencils, aquapainter, scallop edge punch
TJ Technique: Pencilled Twinks

Chapel Road Blog Hop

2011-08-19T05:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the Class Act/Chapel Road Blog Hop.

You will see the newest releases from both of these lines on this hop. Please leave a comment on every project of each design team member, and your name will be entered into the draw to win a free rubber stamp from our Class Act line of stamps. If you leave a comment on each of the Design Team members project, that will give you 7 chances to win. A random winner will be chosen. The blog hop will end on Thursday August 25, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. and the winner announced the following day. Below is the order to hop around!

The list with the links to each place is as follows:
Class Act – http://www.classactinsider.blogspot.com
Suzanne - http://www.suzzstampingspot.blogspot.com
Sheila - http://www.happyssightspectacle.blogspot.com
Holly - http://www.glitterstampsandink.blogspot.com - YOU ARE HERE
Gini - http://www.ginicagle.blogspot.com
Barbara - http://www.magicdelights.blogspot.com
Chelsea - http://www.cjpbcreations.blogspot.com

If you have come here from Sheila's blog, you're on the right track. If not, please start at the Class Act blog so you don't miss any of the great artwork today.

I am using this cute Dots background stamp from Chapel Road today, and I've created this fun and colorful square card:

I've used the Tone on Tone Background technique (from Technique Junkies) on each of the four colored squares with the Dots background stamp, and then I painted a chipboard flower with white paint. I found a nice big yellow button and tied some white thread through the holes for a flirty feminine touch.

Are you ready to hop on over to the next blog? Please remember to leave a comment on each blog so you increase your chances of winning a free stamp set! Now it's time to see what Gini has created for you! Have fun!

Witch Bear

2011-08-18T03:00:00.002-05:00

EDITED TO ADD: Random.hubby just picked the winner of this blog candy. Congratulations to Debbie!!!! Please email me with your mailing address and I will get this in the mail to you. :-)

Awwwwwwwww isn't this witch bear adorable? This Witch Costume Bear is from I Brake for Stamps, and I colored her with a combination of Copic markers and glitter pens. The broom is sticking out "Out of the Nesties Box", and I used a spider web embossing folder on the black background.

It's hard to see the gorgeous shimmer on this little cutie pie, so I've decided to give this card away to one lucky winner. That's right. Leave a comment telling me what your favorite bear is (see them all here), and I will use random.hubby to pick a winner! I'll mail this card out to the winner, and he/she will be able to hold this card in his/her hands and see the shimmer in person.

Hmm..... let's see....... I'll leave this open for a week and pick a winner on August 25. How does that sound? :-) Good luck!

Stamps: Witch Costume Bear from I Brake for Stamps (use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10%)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Yellow, White, Black
Other: Copic markers, Spica glitter pens, Viva Glitter Liner - Holo Iridescent, spiderweb embossing folder, ribbon (Offray), square die
TJ Technique: Out of the Nesties Box

Belli Challenge #124 - Gingham

2011-08-17T03:00:00.001-05:00

Hey folks! It's been a while since I played in the Belli Challenges, and I couldn't pass up this one. Today's challenge is all about gingham and I love me some gingham! :-)

I've got a mix of stamp companies on this card, and you might recognize my beloved Fine Gingham backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms on here. I stamped it with olive ink and cut it into smaller strips for this card. The red background is the Embossed Image technique from Technique Junkies, and I've used the Sanded background from Stampin Up on there. The adorable bear holding the sunflower is a new digi from Sweet N Sassy Stamps called Rhubarb's Sunflower.

I colored the bear with Copic markers and then I used the Out of the Nesties box to cut it out with an oval die. I distressed it a little bit with some Walnut Stain ink and a distressing tool. Then I used that same distressing tool on all the other cardstock pieces - it almost looked like it was snowing in here! LOL

Go check out the Belli Challenge and play along with us! We'd love to see what you create!

Stamps: Rhubarb's Sunflower (Sweet N Sassy Stamps), Sanded (Stampin Up), Fine Gingham (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Ink: Walnut Stain, Olive, Riding Hood Red
CS: Chocolate Chip, White, Riding Hood Red
Other: Copic markers, oval dies, flower die, circle punch, buttons, distress tool, sponge, paper piercer, Baker's Twine (Lemonade from The Twinery), Bricked embossing folder
TJ Techniques: Embossed Image, Out of the Nesties Box, Copic Texturizing

Cow and Cowboy

2011-08-16T03:00:00.002-05:00

I've got one more Cowboy and balloon card to share with you today. I have had lots of fun with this adorable Cowboy Holder from Eureka, and I've paired him up with a Cow Balloon today. Isn't that a hoot?? You've just gotta go look at all the cool balloons and holders in the Eureka store - so much fun!

I colored the images with Copic markers, and then I created a scene by cutting out some clouds and some grassy green hills. Unfortunately, we don't have green hills here anymore - just brown crunchy mounds. I can't remember the last time we had any rain here, it's been that long. We've been fortunate enough to still have some grass down in our meadow, and our parents have been moving their horses so they can graze down there. My husband has only had to mow maybe 3 or 4 times this summer, quite a change from when he usually had to mow every weekend.

I hope you're having a wonderful week! Stay cool!

Stamps: Cowboy Holder, Cow Balloon (Eureka Stamps)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Celery
CS: black, white, Celery, Bashful Blue
Other: copic markers, linen thread, sponge, glitter pen, cloud die

Side-saddle card

2011-08-14T14:11:00.001-05:00

That sentiment really makes you think, doesn't it? LOL! These are some new stamps from Chapel Road and I wanted a feminine, yet distressed, feel on this card. I distressed the edges of the cardstock by sponging some brown ink as well as using a distress tool, and I used the Sanded Co'redinations technique on the eggplant background. The eggplant paper helps to offset all the masculine rusticity going on here. (Yeah, rusticity is a word, right?? LOL!) All these papers are from Paper Temptress. I absolutely adore the Brown Bag papers - so perfect for distressed techniques!

I lightly colored the lady and the horse with some chalks for a soft, sepia effect. I added some aged copper brads to finish off this card. Ribbon just didn't look right, and twine was just too masculine, and lace just looked so out of place. The brads were the only thing that just looked right.

I am entering this card in several challenges that I found out in blog-land:

Challenge Up Your Life #50 - no patterned paper
Mark's Finest Papers #68 - distressed card
Frosted Designs - animals
Simply Create #50 - Time to Distress

I hope you enjoy your Sunday! I'm staying inside with my a/c today - gonna be another hot week here in Texas!

Stamps: Quips stamp set from Chapel Road
Ink: Timber Brown Stazon, Kraft, Suede
CS: all from Paper Temptress -
Brown Basis cardstock
Eggplant Brown Bag cardstock
Speckled Kraft cardstock
Other: sponge, chalk, woodgrain embossing folder, aged copper brads, distress tool
Technique Junkies techs: Sepia, Sanded Co'redinations

Wicker Chair

2011-08-09T18:50:00.000-05:00

I fell in love with this wicker chair when I saw it in the I Brake for Stamps store, and I put in a big order for a bunch of the Embossing Arts images there. :-) I watercolored this sweet image with distress inks and then sponged some Tea Dye distress ink around the edges. The kraft mat underneath was turned into a Torn Frame via the technique of the same name from Technique Junkies.

I didn't realize this until after the card was done, but I picked the strips of blue patterned paper to subconsciously coordinate with the weaving in the wicker chair. How cool is that? I love it when I pick just the "right" paper only to realize later on "why" it was so perfect. I went through literally ALL of my designer paper, rejecting everything I saw because it just wasn't right, until I found this particular sheet from the Country Drive collection by Echo Park. :-)

I hope you're staying cool this week. It's still sweltering here in Texas - still no break from the 100+ degree heat yet. Oy. Send rain, please!! :-)

Stamps: Wicker Chair from I Brake for Stamps (use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order)
Ink: Timber Brown Stazon, Tea Dye, Broken China, Tumbled Glass, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Straw, Mustard Seed, Worn Lipstick
CS: Kraft, watercolor paper, Country Drive (Echo Park)
Other: wooden button, linen thread, aquapainter, corner rounder, sponge
TJ Technique: Torn Frames

Eureka - Balloons and Holders blog hop

2011-08-07T21:00:00.001-05:00

Howdy, y'all!! Are ya ready for a fun blog hop with balloons and holders from Eureka?? If you've arrived here from the Eureka blog, you're on the right track. If not, please start there so you don't miss any of our fun projects today!

I picked the adorable Cowboy holder and the Horse balloon for my card today. There is also a Lasso and a Cow balloon to go with this cute cowboy, as well as a ton of other balloons and holders that you can look at HERE. Think of all the fun combinations you can come up with using all these unique stamps!

How dadgummed cute is that?? LOL I cut out a fence and some clouds to make a fun little scene. The horse balloon and the cowboy are colored with Copic markers, and I tied some linen thread around the horse balloon and stuck it in the cowboy's hand. I used some letter stickers to form the sentiment "Yee Haw."

Your next stop on this hop is Kristine's blog. You're in for a treat - she has something fabulous to share with you! :-)

Stamps: Cowboy holder, Horse balloon from Eureka
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento, Suede
CS: Rust, White, Bashful Blue, Kraft, Naturals White
Other: Copics, cloud die, fence die, letter stickers, linen thread, sponge, glitter pen (on belt buckle)

Beauty of Nature

2011-08-05T03:00:00.001-05:00

Hey folks! Technique Junkies is sponsoring the Bella Creations blog this month, and the design team has been working hard on some special projects. We each used the fun Tie Dye Chic Embellishments technique from the new Stampbooking CD but each project is so different. :-) The beauty of this cd is that the techniques can be applied to cards and 3D projects as well as scrapbook pages. There are 75 awesome techniques on this cd!

I wanted to showcase this technique on a card since that is my primary medium of choice. I've used this Tie Die Chic technique with some leaves that I cut out with Tim Holtz's leaf die. The leaves are stamped with Holly's Tattered Background from I Brake for Stamps and I used my fingers to shape them and give them a real 3D appearance.

The sentiment is also from I Brake for Stamps, and I've used the Wisped Frames technique on it. I tied some linen thread around each leaf stem and I wrapped it around the edge of the card base. I opted for a clean and simple card base so that the leaf embellishments can take center stage.

Please visit the Bella Creations blog to see the directions for this great technique. You have the entire month to play along with this challenge and you could win the Scrapbooking cd as well as a 1 year online subscription to the Technique Junkies newsletter! This is a fabulous prize, and you don't want to miss out on your chance to win.

Stamps: Holly's Tattered Background & Nature from I Brake for Stamps - use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order
Ink: Walnut Stain, Tea Dye, Scattered Straw, Forest Moss, Rusty Hinge, Timber Brown Stazon
CS: white, brown
Other: Labels 4 die, sponge, linen thread, Tim Holtz leaf die
TJ Techniques: Wisped Frames, Tie Dye Chic Embellishment (Stampbooking CD)

Food of Love

2011-08-04T03:00:00.000-05:00

Well, amazingly enough, I haven't melted from this record-breaking heat - YET! LOL I'm still here and still making cards to share with y'all!

Today's card uses brand new images from Chapel Road. They are working on getting the pictures up in the store, so please keep checking back and clicking on the "New" category to see them.

When I went to a shoebox swap back in May, my sweet friend Tex (hi, Bev!!!) and I had some leftover bags with the card parts ready to go. I asked her if I could steal a few of them and she practically shoved them at me. LOL I gave her some of my bags for an even trade.

All I had to do was stamp something on this and glue the pieces down - so perfect for those days when you just don't have much time. I picked out the little flourish/swirly stamp from the new Inchy Designs set and stamped it on each side of the white cardstock piece, and then I stamped the sentiment from a brand new drama/theater set (un-named as of yet) in the center.

I used the Wisped Frames technique around the sentiment to soften the bright white a bit. I also did the Cuttlebug Highlights technique by sponging some Blue Ice Creative Inspirations Paint on the embossed areas in the background. It's so shimmery and sparkly!

I hope you are staying cool and hydrated in this hot weather. Have a wonderful day!

Stamps: new sets from Chapel Road - Inchy Designs and a drama/theater set
Ink: Tumbled Glass, Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Cool Caribbean, white, black
Other: sponge, Labels 4 die, Tim Holtz flourishes embossing folder, Blue Ice Creative Inspirations Paint
TJ Techniques: Cuttlebug Highlights, Wisped Frames

Venetian Carnivale Mask

2011-08-03T03:00:00.003-05:00

Good morning! I have a very different kind of project to share with you today. I happened to be browsing around one day and I saw a gorgeous project with a mask on Linda Duke's blog. To be honest, I don't remember what the rest of it looked like - I just remember the mask. It just stuck in my brain and I had to sit down and create something with it.

I think that turned out so cool! I used the Antique Glimmers technique from Technique Junkies on the mask, and then I used Antique Silver Creative Inspirations Paint around the edges of the mask as well as inside the eyes. While I had the silver paint out, I used it to paint a bamboo skewer - that is the handle of the mask. Instead of stamping on the mask, I added rows of pearls around the eyes so you can see the wonderful shimmer on the mask.

I hand-dyed the seam binding with various purple inks and Glimmer Mist, and then I attached the ribbon to the silver handle along with some silver cord. A Wild Orchid flower from I Brake for Stamps is at the top of the handle. The sentiment is also from I Brake for Stamps which you can see by clicking here.

I hope you enjoyed my little burst of creativity today. Why not break out of your comfortable stamping norm and try something different? :-)

Stamps: Dream from I Brake for Stamps - use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order today
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Dusty Concord, Lavender, Walnut, Tea Dye, Antique Linen
CS: Eggplant, White, Fairy Flora (Prima), Victoria Gardens (Echo Park)
Other: Wild Orchid flower from I Brake for Stamps, pearls, bamboo skewer, paintbrush, sponge, seam binding, silver cord, Delphinium Glimmer Mist, Labels 14 die, oval die
Creative Inspirations Paint: Antique Silver
TJ Technique: Antique Glimmers

Lasso Cowboy

2011-07-31T17:52:00.000-05:00

Howdy, y'all! Are you ready for another Monday morning? :-) This cowboy is ready to lasso you outta bed and put you to work!

Hee hee hee! This cute cowboy is from Eureka Stamps, and I added the lasso to his hand before coloring them with Copic markers. They are stamped directly onto kraft cardstock for a rustic look, and I added some die cut letters for the sentiment.

Taking the rustic theme further, I sponged a little bit of brown ink on the edges of the kraft cardstock, and then I distressed the edges. Some cross-stitched x's frame the upper left corner for a fun and unexpected touch.

Hope y'all have a great week!!

Stamps: Cowboy Holder and Lasso from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento, Suede
CS: Suede, Kraft, Naturals Ivory
Other: copic markers, glitter pen, distress tool, linen thread, Wingo Zingo alphabet sizzlit

Frost with a Twist - Noel

2011-07-29T03:00:00.000-05:00

This is the last of my Christmas in July cards with Chapel Road stamps. I've loved coming up with different ideas each week, and this week I've gone clean and simple.

The background is a really cool technique from Technique Junkies and it's called Frost with a Twist. I've never tried this one before, and I love the effect. It gives this card a great visual texture while still being a mail-able card.

I stamped the long holly garland from the Holly Plate (Chapel Road) at the top of the white cardstock and then I sponged some Antique Linen distress ink all over. The ornaments are 3/4" circles punched from some Christmas paper, and then I adhered some page pebbles to each circle. Some gold cord was tied into bows and adhered to the top of each ornament and then I drew lines from the holly garland to each ornament with a glitter pen. The sentiment is some letter stickers from Authentique.

Have you enjoyed all my Christmas cards this month? Which one was your favorite? :-)

Stamps: Holly Plate from Chapel Road
Ink: Moss, Artichoke, Antique Linen distress
CS: White, glossy white, Chocolate Chip, Wassail dp (Basic Grey)
Other: sponge, gold cord, page pebbles, 3/4" circle punch, glitter pen, letter stickers from Authentique
TJ Technique: Frost with a Twist

Antique Glimmers - Noel

2011-07-27T03:00:00.003-05:00

There is a new challenge on the I Brake for Challenges blog, and today is all about Christmas. I love making Christmas cards, and this one was a joy to make.

I tried the Antique Glimmers technique from Technique Junkies for the first time, and I love the results. What you don't see in this picture is the gorgeous gold shimmer from this technique. I tried to photograph it, but because of all the red in the background, none of the pictures came out right. You're more than welcome to come on over here to see it in person - trust me, it's gorgeous and shimmery. :-)

This beautiful Christmas collage is the Joyeux Noel Amaryllis stamp from I Brake for Stamps. The sentiment is paper pieced, and I added some black pearls to the gold cardstock scallops.

I think I will make some more cards like this, perhaps in different colors, and if I leave the black pearls off, it would be the perfect mail-able Christmas card. I love making flat cards so I can easily mail them out. What colors do you think I should use for this card?

Be sure to check out the I Brake for Challenges blog to see what the other gals created. We'd love to have you play along with us!

Stamps: Joyeux Noel Amaryllis stamp from I Brake for Stamps (use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order)
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Aged Mahogany distress, Fired Brick distress
CS: Red Riding Hood, White, Black, Gold
Other: black pearls, Scallop Diamond Edge punch (EK Success), Gold Glimmer Mist, sponge
TJ Techniques: Antique Glimmers, Paper Piecing

Wedding Cake

2011-07-26T03:00:00.001-05:00

When I was at a shoebox swap back in May, one of the cards we did was a fun wedding cake made from cardstock. That inspired me to create this card today using cardstocks from Paper Temptress. I've got a complete tutorial written up on the Paper Temptress blog HERE if you'd like to check it out.

This card is so versatile - you can substitute any color for the pink background in order to coordinate with the wedding colors of your special couple. You can also use different flowers or something else in place of the flowers. I love it when a project is easily "customizable!"

Town of Bethlehem

2011-07-25T03:00:00.001-05:00

This is a very quick and simple Christmas card using this wonderful Bethlehem with Verse image from Eureka Stamps. I inked it up with Versamark and embossed with gold embossing powder. Then I cut the excess cardstock away from the edges and adhered it to a vanilla card base.

Clean, simple, striking, elegant, and best of all - mailable! I whipped out a set of these in less than 30 minutes. You could do these in any color you wish, and you can easily produce 50 of these at the last minute and pop them in the mail.

You can see I created a set with four different colors below:

Stamps: Bethlehem with Verse from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Versamark, Antique Linen (sponged around edge of vanilla card)
CS: Vanilla, Burgundy, Eggplant, Artichoke, Night of Navy
Other: gold embossing powder, sponge

Pull Tab Rhubarb Honey Bee

2011-07-23T21:34:00.000-05:00

Hey folks! I was just playing for fun tonight, and I colored up this adorable Rhubarb Honey Bee image from Sweet N Sassy Stamps. This is a digital image, so I printed it out and then colored it with Copic markers. I used the Copic Texturizing technique from Technique Junkies to give the fur some texture, and then I added some glitter to the wings with a glitter pen.

In case you were wondering, yes, that is a pop tab from a can of soda. I don't know what this particular technique is actually called, but I call it a Pull Tab card. When you pull on the metal tab, you can read the first part of the sentiment:

The inside reads,"have a honey of a day!" I hope this brings a smile to your face this weekend. :-)

Stamps: Rhubarb Honey Bee from Sweet N Sassy Stamps, sentiment from Stampin Up!
Ink: So Saffron
CS: Black, White, Saffron, Saffron dp
Other: oval dies, Copic markers, glitter pen, pop tab from soda can, silver brad
TJ Technique: Copic Texturizing

Chapel Road Challenge - July 22, 2011

2011-07-22T03:00:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas!! :-) The theme for today's Chapel Road challenge is Christmas, and I need some cool thoughts today. We've had daily temps of 101 and 102 since the beginning of June, and next week promises to be 103. Yikes. I'm definitely in the mood for Christmas and some nice frosty temps.

I used the small bunch of holly leaves from the Holly Plate set to create this wreath. I just stamped the leaves over and over in a circle, added some red "berries," and tied a red bow at the top. The background was created by using the Cuttlebug Highlights technique from Technique Junkies.

Check out what the other Design Team gals created for this challenge by going to the Chapel Road blog. Pull out your Christmas stamps and play along with this fun challenge. Ho ho ho!!

Stamps: Holly Plate from Chapel Road
Ink: Olive, Moss
CS: Vanilla, Olive
Other: sponge, red ribbon, red rhinestones, circle dies, Holly Ribbons embossing folder
TJ Technique: Cuttlebug Highlights

Telescoping Card - Bird & Feathers

2011-07-20T11:55:00.000-05:00

Good morning! I'm sharing this fun Telescoping Card with you today. This is a fun technique from Technique Junkies, and it is much easier than it looks. I used stamps from the "For the Birds" sheet and the Two Feathers stamp from I Brake for Stamps here.

This is how the card looks at first:

Then you pull the top circle up, and you see this:

Then you pull again to see the entire card:

Isn't that fun? I stamped the feathers in a soft Kraft ink so it would be light enough for me to write a personal note on there. The sentiment on the middle circle was stamped with a darker brown ink over the bird and then I sponged the edges with that same darker brown ink. It will be fun to give this to a dear friend and see their reaction. :-)

Stamps: For the Birds sheet & Two Feathers from I Brake for Stamps (use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order)
Ink: Kraft, Chocolate Chip
CS: Kraft, Naturals Ivory, Marina Mist
Other: sponge, brands, ribbon, circle dies
TJ Technique: Telescoping Card

Santa and his Rein-dillos!

2011-07-18T03:00:00.001-05:00

Ho ho ho!!!!! Yup, you read that right - Rein-dillos!!!! Santa doesn't have reindeer in Texas because it's just too darn hot for those reindeer. Ever resourceful, Santa loads up his special armadillos when he gets to the Texas border. Hee hee hee!!!

How's that for a fun Christmas card? :-) I watercolored this Santa & Dillos image from Eureka with some dye inks. I sponged "dirt" around the armadillos and I sponged around the entire piece with some dark blue ink and used a white gel pen to add some stars to the sky. The yellow stars & gift bag and the black wrought-iron work around the sleigh were painted with some shimmery Creative Inspirations Paint. You can see the shimmer here:

I used the Faux Chipboard technique to create this star and this is also painted with some shimmery yellow Creative Inspirations Paint:

Stamps: Santa & Dillos and Ho Y'all from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Not Quite Navy, Blush, Basic Grey, Caramel, Red, Going Gray, Pumice Stone distress
CS: Red, Kraft, White
Other: sponges, aquapainter, glossy accents (dillo nose), white gel pen
Creative Inspirations Paint: Onyx, Sunshine
TJ Technique: Faux Chipboard

Faux Tiles Poinsettia

2011-07-15T03:00:00.028-05:00

I'm back with another Christmas card today! Are you getting inspired to start making your own Christmas cards yet? LOL

For this card, I used the Poinsettia Background stamp from Chapel Road to do the Faux Tile Technique. It's a cool way to show off your background stamps! I kept the rest of the card simple by stamping a single poinsettia from the Poinsettia Plate and adding some gold cord and gold brads. The single poinsettia is embellished with the Wisped Frames technique from Technique Junkies.

This card is easily mail-able. Think of all the different colors you could do this card in - you could have a whole box of Christmas cards done in no time!

Stamps: Poinsettia Background and Poinsettia Plate - Chapel Road
Ink: Cherry Cobbler
CS: White, Cherry Cobbler
Other: sheer white organdy ribbon, gold cord, gold brads, oval dies, sponge
TJ Techniques: Faux Tiles and Wisped Frames

I Brake for Challenges - Summer!

2011-07-13T03:00:00.001-05:00

It's time for the next challenge from the I Brake for Challenges blog! Can you guess what it is this time? It's all about Summer - hot days, swimming, flip flops, and BBQ's!

So what does a birdhouse have to do with summer? Bear with me as I tell you a little story. Every year we have some barn swallows who nest in the spaces under our porches. Well, right now I've been seeing a lot of those barn swallows flying in and they are hanging out on the ledges and on our outdoor ceiling fans. I don't know if these are the parents or the babies, but they come back every year. Sooooo..... I had birdies on the brain when I was creating my "summery" card. :-)

I was also inspired by a couple of challenges over on the Rogue Redhead Designs blog. They have a sketch challenge and a color challenge going on - click on those to see what they are and play along! I used summery colors - fun oranges and pale blues - and I aged these papers by doing the Distressed Papers technique. The birdhouse image (Birdhouses Set from I Brake for Stamps) is colored with Copic markers directly on some patterned paper. The ribbon is actually some white ribbon that I colored with some distress stains. A few Wild Orchid flowers from I Brake for Stamps provide the finishing touch on this clean and simple card.

I hope you play along with this fun Summer challenge over at the I Brake for Challenges blog. Feel free to combine this with the sketch challenge and the color challenge on the Rogue Redhead Designs blog as well! :-)

Stamps: Birdhouses Set - I Brake for Stamps (use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order)
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento
CS: dark brown, Stella Rose-Mabel paper (My Minds Eye)
Other: distress stains, white ribbon, Wild Orchid Flowers from I Brake for Stamps
TJ Technique: Distressed Paper

Eureka - Christmas in July blog hop

2011-07-10T21:00:00.030-05:00

Hiya, folks! Welcome to the Christmas in July blog hop with the Eureka design team! If you have come here from Kristie's blog, then you are on the right track. If not, please start at the Eureka blog so you don't miss anything.

For my project today, I used the Three Wise Men stamp and the O Holy Night sentiment stamp. I stamped both with brown ink and then cut them with some oval dies. While they were still inside the dies, I sponged some Antique Linen ink around the edges. Some dark chocolate satin ribbon on the left side and some pale blue patterned paper is all I needed to add to this Christmas card.

I hope you have enjoyed my Christmas card today! Please hop on over to Dawn's blog to see her Christmas project. Have a wonderful day!

Stamps: Three Wise Men and O Holy Night - Eureka Stamps
Ink: French Roast (A Muse), Antique Linen distress
CS: Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, patterned paper from Hobby Lobby
Other: oval dies, Dark Chocolate satin ribbon
TJ Technique: Wisped Frames

Glimmered Snowflakes

2011-07-06T15:00:00.003-05:00

Hiya folks! Are you ready for another Christmas card? This heat in Texas is just yucky, and I'm ready for some nice cool, crisp fall/winter weather. It can't come soon enough, lemme tell ya!

I love the Glimmering Silk technique from Technique Junkies, and I put it to use again on this card. This time I used a pale blue Glimmer Mist and I didn't sponge any extra color onto the card. These Snowflakes are from Chapel Road and I stamped them with a gray ink onto the paper after it dried.

The white and blue cardstocks as well as the pretty pink ribbon are from Paper Temptress. The white background is the yummy Cryogen White cardstock - it's a gorgeous shimmery white cardstock. The blue is Aqua Basics cardstock and that gorgeous pink ribbon is the 3/8 Reversible Satin Ribbon w/stitches in Pink/Light Pink. I ordered the 5 yard length, but now I'm thinking I need to order the 25 yard roll! It's gorgeous and soft and ties like a dream.

This close-up picture will help you see the gorgeous shimmer of the Cryogen White cardstock as well as the light blue Glimmer Mist on my Glimmering Silk snowflakes:

I love shimmery, glittery things! :-) I added some pink rhinestones to the center of the clear acrylic snowflake just to do something different and to keep this card sparkly.

As I looked around at all the different challenge blogs, I noticed that this card actually fits into several of the challenges. I'm entering this into these challenges:

Christmas Card Challenges #31 - Christmas cards
Craft Your Passion Challenge #65 - anything goes
House of Gilli #11 - lots of sparkle
There She Goes #114 - glitter, glitz & bling

I hope you have a wonderful day! Stay cool!!

3D Christmas Tree

2011-07-05T03:00:00.001-05:00

Did you have a nice 4th of July? With the burn bans across most of Texas, we didn't get to see any fireworks, so we stayed in the house and watched fireworks on tv. At least it was nice and cool in the house! :-)

I promised you a lot of Christmas projects this month, and here is another one. This is a 3D tree from Eureka Stamps. It's so neat! You just stamp the image, cut and score, and then glue it down.

I actually sponged extra ink onto the tree to emphasize the edges, and then I adhered a million tiny little red rhinestones all over. This will be a fun tree to decorate - think of all the different colors you could use, glitter, pearls, brads, anything you can think of. I used the Wisped Frames technique from Technique Junkies on the vanilla background behind the tree. I kept the rest of the card simple so that the tree would shine.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Stamps: 3D Tree Pattern from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Olive, Antique Linen distress
CS: Olive, Vanilla, Dashing dp (SU)
Other: sponge, May Arts ribbon, rhinestones (Kaiser), Label 8 die (Spellbinders)
TJ Technique: Wisped Frames

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T03:00:00.001-05:00

Happy 4th of July, y'all!! I hope you are all having a fun and safe day today.

I'm sharing my patriotic card today, and this is the Color Sandwich technique from Technique Junkies. It's a fun and unexpected technique with loads of possibilities. I used Holly's Tattered Background from I Brake for Stamps on the star and accented it with some red, white, and blue buttons.

Enjoy the celebrations today!

Stamps: Holly's Tattered Background (I Brake for Stamps - use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order)
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy, Kraft
CS: Kraft, White
Other: buttons, linen thread, sponges, star die, distress tool
TJ Technique: Color Sandwich

$25 gift card giveaway at Paper Temptress

2011-07-02T20:59:00.000-05:00

Hey folks! I've been down and out with a migraine all day today, but I wanted to let you know about a special giveaway at Paper Temptress. You could win a $25 gift certificate to shop at Paper Temptress (free cardstocks and papers!)! All the details are HERE. Good luck to y'all and enjoy your weekend!

Evergreen Christmas

2011-06-30T20:28:00.001-05:00

Are you ready for a Christmas in July blitz?? :-) You'll be seeing a lot of Christmas and winter-themed projects from me this month, and this is just the first one. :-)

For this card, I am using this gorgeous Holly Plate stamp set from Chapel Road. I stamped the holly sprig off onto some scrap paper first and then onto my vanilla cardstock, and then I stamped the sentiment over that. I wanted the holly sprig to fade out enough so that you could read the sentiment.

For the background, I pulled out my shimmery Evergreen paint from Creative Inspirations Paint and applied the Dabbed Shimmers technique from Technique Junkies. Once the paint was dry, I randomly stamped the smaller leaves all over the background.

You can see the gorgeous shimmer here:

I embellished this card with some burgundy wrinkled ribbon and a single Wild Orchid flower from I Brake for Stamps. Now I'm in the mood for Christmas carols and hot chocolate and some good old fashioned holiday movies! :-)

Stamps: Holly Plate (Chapel Road)
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Artichoke
CS: Vanilla, Chocolate Chip
CI Paint: Evergreen
Other: sponge, May Arts ribbon, Wild Orchid Flower(I Brake for Stamps - use code SAVE10HOLLY)
TJ Technique: Dabbed Shimmers

I Brake for Challenges #4

2011-06-29T03:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Are you ready to play with this week's challenge over at I Brake for Challenges?? This week is all about birthdays, so that should be an easy one for all of you to play along with.

I pulled out this Birthday Girl Quinn from I Brake for Stamps and colored her with some hot pink Copic markers. I cut this out using the Out of the Nesties Box technique (Technique Junkies) and matted it with a hot pink scallop oval. The background layout is a fun and funky mix of papers and patterns and colors. I added some baker's twine for a fun twist. I love this stamp because I don't have to hunt for a sentiment - it's already on there with the little sign that she is holding.

Come play along with us over at I Brake for Challenges. You don't have to use stamps from I Brake for Stamps, but if you do, you have a chance to win free stamps! We all love free rubber, don't we? :-)

Stamps: Birthday Girl Quinn from Sarah's Girls sheet (I Brake for Stamps) - use coupon code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Melon Mambo, White, Pink Pirouette, Lime Twist papers from My Mind's Eye
Other: oval dies, Copic markers, baker's twine (The Twinery - Honeydew & Blossom)
TJ Technique: Out of the Nesties Box

Razzleberry Flower Basket

2011-06-27T03:00:00.001-05:00

I was in the mood to color one night, and I just let the feeling guide me in picking out these colors to use on this gorgeous Flower Basket from Eureka. No, these are not my normal colors, but what can I say? I was just having fun and these colors just wanted to come out and play that night.

I paired this Flower Basket with some papers from Prima and some Razzleberry cardstock and ribbon. I sponged some Antique Linen distress ink over the colored flower basket to give it a vintage feel. I love how this turned out. :-)

Stamps: Flower Basket from Eureka
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Antique Linen distress
CS: Razzleberry, White, Botanical dp (Prima)
Other: circle die, lacy circle die, Copic markers, sponge, Razzleberry satin ribbon

Glimmered Vintage Silk Chapel Road

2011-06-24T03:00:00.002-05:00

Ahh.......... Friday!!!!!!! I'm back with another Chapel Road card today, and this one was a lot of fun. I used the Glimmering Silk technique from Technique Junkies with this vintage image from the Typing Time set. There is a gorgeous subtle shimmer on this background, and I enhanced the "vintage" aspect by sponging some Vintage Photo distress ink around the edges.

The sentiment is from the Butterfly Square set and I sponged the edges with the same Vintage Photo distress ink. The old fashioned calligraphy pen (from the Typing Time set) was cut out, sponged, and popped up with dimensionals over the edge of the sentiment. I added a die cut border and some gorgeous satin May Arts ribbon to the side.

I hope you've enjoyed the vintage feminine artwork I've shared with you this month. What do you think I'll be sharing with you in July? :-)

Stamps: Typing Time and Butterfly Square from Class Act/Chapel Road division
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Vintage Photo
CS: Black, White, tissue paper
Glimmer Mist: Vanilla Breeze, Sweet Clover, Seafoam
Other: oval dies, border die, May Arts ribbon, sponge
TJ Technique: Glimmering Silk

Bright Pink Flowers in a Basket

2011-06-23T03:00:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! I'm sharing this fun basket of bright pink flowers with you today. This fits into this week's challenge on the Creative Inspirations Paint blog to use bright and fun colors.

I colored the basket and flowers with Copic markers, and then went over the basket with the Tan paint from Creative Inspirations Paint. You can see the awesome shimmer in this picture:

I used the matching border stamp on the pale yellow polka dotted paper, and I stamped it again on some white cardstock. I colored the flowers with some pink Copic markers, and then cut them out and paper pieced them onto the pale yellow polka dotted paper. I filled in the centers of all the flowers with some white Liquid Pearls for a little texture.

CI Paint: Tan
Stamps: Great Impressions
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento
CS: white, brown, yellow polka dot dp
Other: Copic markers, Liquid Pearls, Prima flowers, Labels 8 die, EK Success edge punch
TJ Technique: Paper Piecing

Whitewashed Fence & Cowgirl

2011-06-22T03:00:00.002-05:00

Howdy, y'all! Howdya like this cute little cowgirl??? This is my project for the challenge this week over at I Brake For Challenges. This is an inspiration challenge, and there is the cutest inspiration picture over on the challenge blog. I was inspired by the red and white polka dot dress, and I added the white polka dots on the red boot, the red bandanna, and the red bow in the little cowgirl's hair.

The fence and the background were transformed by using the Simple Whitewash technique from Technique Junkies. This technique just exactly what I needed to go with this sweet little cowgirl. The cowgirl - Chelsea with Pony - is from the Sarah's Girls sheet over at I Brake for Stamps. I added some die cut clouds and some little strips of red cardstock for a little pop of color.

I hope you play along with this fun challenge from I Brake for Challenges. You don't have to use stamps from I Brake for Stamps, but if you do, you have a chance to win free stamps. Don't have any IBFS stamps yet? Use this coupon code - SAVE10HOLLY - to save 10% and stock up on a few stamps so you can play!

Stamps: Chelsea with Pony from Sarah's Girls sheet (I Brake for Stamps)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Kraft, White, Red, Linen Closet dp (DCWV)
Other: white gel pen, Copic markers, gesso, fence die, cloud die
TJ Technique: Simple Whitewash

3D Shell birthday card

2011-06-20T03:00:00.001-05:00

Good morning! Ready for another workweek? Here's some eye candy to help you get through those Monday blues.

This Shell Pattern is an awesome stamp from Eureka Stamps. You basically stamp it, color it however you want, and then follow the lines to cut and score it, and assemble it so it forms the 3D shape. So cool!

I colored this shell with some Distress Stains and then flicked some dark blue ink splotches over it. I paired this up with the Happy Birthday Script stamp and some fun twine with little shells on it. Below is a close-up picture of the 3D shell:

Check out all the neat 3D stamps in the Eureka store by clicking HERE. I've got a few more of these stamps and I'm working on putting some together. You'll see more in the next few weeks, so stay tuned. Have a wonderful week!

Stamps: 3D Shell Pattern and Happy Birthday Script from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Antique Linen
CS: Not Quite Navy, White, Minuet dp (Memory Box)
Distress Stains: Weathered Wood, Peeled Paint, Wild Honey
Other: shell trim (Walmart)

Vintage Seamstress

2011-06-17T03:00:00.001-05:00

It's time for this month's Chapel Road challenge, and this time we are focusing on "vintage" themed projects. Chapel Road came out with two new stamp sets that are perfect for making vintage-y projects: Sew Much to Do and Typing Time. I pulled out the Sew Much to Do set and played around with it.

When deciding what to do for my "vintage" project, I searched through all the techniques over at Technique Junkies. The one called "Vada's Gesso Resist technique" just popped out at me and I had to give it a try. I really love the effect I've achieved here - faded, distressed, and muted. This reminds me of those old-timey advertisements that have been hiding in someone's attic for decades.

Pop on over to the Chapel Road challenge blog and see what the other ladies have created for this challenge. I hope you will play along with us - you could win free stamps! :-)

Stamps: Sew Much to Do (Chapel Road)

Ink: Antique Linen, Tattered Rose, Walnut Stain, Aged Mahogany, Jet Black Stazon
CS: Glossy white, black, Naturals Ivory
Other: May Arts ribbon, buttons, letter stickers(Cosmo Cricket), Claudine Hellmuth Studio Gesso
TJ Technique: Vada's Gesso Resist

I Brake for Challenges #2

2011-06-15T03:00:00.006-05:00

Are y'all ready for the second challenge from I Brake for Challenges? This week is all about techniques. If you are a member of Technique Junkies, pick a tech and share your artwork with us. You can find all kinds of techniques on the internet such as polished stone or paper piecing. If you are a Tim Holtz fan, show us your Tim-inspired creation.

For my project, you might be stumped as to what technique I actually used here. If you look very closely at the "white" space around the princess, you will see a very pale pink "frame" around her. I used Wisped Frames - a fun technique from Technique Junkies.

This sweet princess is one of the girls from the Sarah's Girls stamp sheet at I Brake for Stamps. Princess Mary is colored with Copic markers, and I added some pearls to the top of her crown. The flowers are also from I Brake for Stamps; they are found in the Wild Orchid flowers section (such GORGEOUS flowers!).

Come play with us this week over at the I Brake for Challenges blog! We'd love to see what techniques you are using on your artwork! :-)

Stamps: Princess Mary from the Sarah's Girls stamp sheet (use SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Spun Sugar distress
CS: White, Brushed Silver, patterned paper (Creative Imaginations)
Other: oval dies, copic markers, pearls, sponge, ribbon, silver glitter pen, Wild Orchid flowers (I Brake for Stamps)
TJ Technique: Wisped Frames

Stampbooking Blog Hop

2011-06-13T06:00:00.002-05:00

NOTE: I am participating in two blog hops today. Please scroll down to my second posting to see my project for the Eureka blog hop.

The Technique Junkie Newsletter Designers, along with some very talented Spotlight Stampers, are proud to bring you a special Stampbooking Blog Hop! During this hop, our designers will be using techniques from the recently released TJ Stampbooking CD. The CD contains 75 inspiring tutorials in pdf format. As you will see, these tutorials are fun and versatile.

You will find more information about the CD and how to order your own copy here: http://www.techniquejunkies.com/stampbooking-cd.html

If you have come here from Regan Seifert's blog, then you are on the right track. If not, please start at the TJ Designer's Blog where Judy Jackson is sharing an awesome project.

For my project, I decided to try the Distress Stain Resist technique from the Scrapbooking CD. This was even easier and more fun than I thought it would be, and you can use this technique for anything. In fact, for most of the techniques, you can use them for cards, 3D projects, and ATC's as well as scrapbook pages.

The fun pink and purple background here is the Distress Stain Resist technique, and I added a picture of my sweet puppy below. I used the same Distress Stains to color a couple of Prima flowers and I cut out some leaves to complete the page.

I loved playing with this technique, and I can't wait to try it again. The techniques that I have tried so far have been really easy, and - dare I say - addictive! LOL

Today is also a very special day because Jane Bosi - a fellow TJ design teammate - is celebrating her birthday! Happy Birthday, sweetie!! One lucky hopper will win a special birthday prize which is a copy of the TJ Stampbooking CD. Hoppers will have until the end of this birthday week, June 17th, to leave a comment on Jane's blog to be entered into a random drawing for the prize. Jane is the last stop on this hop, so be sure to wish her Happy Birthday and you'll have a chance to win the CD.

Are you ready to see some more fabulous techniques from the Stampbooking CD?? Please hop on over to Pat Huntoon's blog - the creator of Technique Junkies - and enjoy the eye candy!

Summer Fun - Eureka Blog Hop

2011-06-12T21:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to our Summer Fun blog hop! This is the very first blop hop featuring Eureka stamps by the brand new Eureka Design Team. If you have come here from Kristine's blog, then you are on the right track. If not, please start at the beginning by going to the Eureka blog and following the links along the hop.

Today's blog hop is all about summer fun, and I thought these hot air balloons were perfect for a fun summer activity. I stamped them with orange and turquoise inks and cut them out. What's a hot air balloon without some clouds? I cut out a few clouds and stuck them behind the balloons. Some purple baker's twine is wrapped around the bottom for a fun, unexpected pop of color.

I hope you enjoyed today's project! Your next stop is the fabulous Roxie - you're going to love what she has in store for you. :-)

Stamps: 5704 Hot Air Balloon from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Orange, Turquoise, Olive
CS: White, A Walk in the Park (Echo Park)
Other: cloud die, Lilac Baker's Twine (The Twinery)

Masculine cards with Paper Temptress

2011-06-11T03:00:00.002-05:00

The men in my family love outdoorsy activities such as hunting and fishing and camping, so I wanted to use some rugged papers and scenic stamps for that masculine feel. On my first card, I pulled out the Blueberry Brown Bag paper and embossed it with a woodgrain embossing folder, then sanded it so you can see the kraft color coming through. I love these Brown Bag papers from Paper Temptress!

I stamped several Stampscapes images on some Pure White Gloss digital paper and matted it with some Pop Black Licorice cardstock. The card base is also Pop Black Licorice cardstock.

For my second card, I pulled out the Olive Brown Bag paper and embossed it with a woodgrain embossing folder, then sanded it just like I did with the blue card. I stamped one Stampscapes image on some Pure White Gloss digital paper, colored it with some markers, and matted it with some Pop Black Licorice cardstock. The card base is also Pop Black Licorice cardstock.

Have fun shopping in the Paper Temptress store for these great masculine papers. Father's Day is coming up soon! :-)

Vintage Art Portrait

2011-06-10T03:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday!! Aren't you glad the weekend is almost here? I'm sharing my latest Chapel Road creation with you today.

This portrait of a lady from the Vanity set (Chapel Road) just screamed out to be framed in a gilded, weathered, antique frame. I used the Vintage Art technique from Technique Junkies on the lady, and then gilded and weathered the frame before adding flowers and ribbon to it. You can see how I created the frame by visiting THIS post.

The picture below is a close-up of the antique gold shimmer on the frame:

Come on back next Friday for another Chapel Road creation. Can you guess what our monthly Chapel Road challenge will be next week? :-)

Enjoy your weekend!

Stamps: Vanity set (Chapel Road)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Scattered Straw, Wild Honey
CS: White, Black, Curio patterned paper (Basic Grey)
Creative Inspirations Paint: Antique Gold
Other: Classic Frame die (Spellbinders), seam binding, Wild Orchid flowers (I Brake for Stamps)
TJ Technique: Vintage Art

I Brake for Challenges!!!

2011-06-08T03:00:00.005-05:00

I Brake For Challenges and so does Jane Bosi! Jane and I decided to have some fun challenging each other with stamps from I Brake for Stamps. What makes this even more special is the new I Brake for Challenge BLOG!!! That's right - there's a new blog dedicated to fun weekly challenges where you can see more awesome IBFS artwork. I hear tell there might be PRIZES involved for some lucky folks who play along with these challenges!!!

This month Jane and I are focusing on the fun Sarah's Girls from I Brake For Stamps, and today's challenge is all about MUSIC.

Now which girl do you think I picked for this challenge?? LOL! No brainer, right??? LOL iPod Hailey is perfect for this challenge, and I was thinking of my nieces with their headphones when I was creating this card. They like bright, fun colors, so I had to go with neon pink and lime green and a bright sunny yellow.

The tiny little iPod case is paper pieced with the same lime green patterned paper you see in the background. The image is colored with Copic markers, and I actually tried the Copic Texturizing technique (from Technique Junkies)on the pink dress and boots. Unfortunately, it didn't show up very well no matter what angle I used for my picture. I added the ribbon tabs and black buttons for some fun textural interest.

Join us again next Wednesday on the I Brake for Challenges blog to see what our next challenge will be. Be sure to sign up as a follower or email subscriber so you don't miss out on any of the fun challenges!

Stamps: iPod Hailey from Sarah's Girls sheet (I Brake for Stamps - use coupon code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Black, White, Daffodil, DeLovely (Cosmo Cricket)
Other: Copics, buttons, yellow ribbon
TJ Techniques: Copic Texturizing, Paper Piecing

My first Eureka post!

2011-06-06T03:00:00.005-05:00

Happy Monday, everyone! This is my first posting as a member of the Eureka design team. Today, I'm sharing this card and envelope that I've created using this Heart Tree. Isn't that cute???

This Heart Tree stamp is so versatile! I gave this one away yesterday as an anniversary card, but it can also be used as a Valentine's Day card or a "just because I love you" card. You can customize the card to coordinate with someone's wedding as well. Wouldn't that be fun?

I stamped the Heart Tree with black ink and then colored it with Copic markers. I sponged on some green ink at the bottom and used a pale blue Copic marker to color in the "sky." I wanted a matching envelope, so I repeated the process except I only stamped half of the tree on the side.

I hope you have a wonderful week! It's going to be another hot and dry week here in Texas. It's just crazy to have this kind of heat so early in June. Thank goodness for air conditioning!

Stamps: Heart Tree (Eureka)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Bamboo Leaves Memento
CS: White, Chocolate Chip, Hopscotch (Basic Grey)
Other: envelope, Copic markers, sponge, hole punch, May Arts wrinkled brown ribbon

Burnt Edges Vintage Painting

2011-06-03T03:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday! I'm back with another Chapel Road project to share with you today. This month we are doing feminine themed projects, and today I've gone with a sort of "Middle Ages" feel.

This old-fashioned portrait is from the Margaret stamp set, and I inked it up with Straw and Wild Honey inks and then used the Burnt Edges technique (from Technique Junkies) around the edges. It feels like I just walked into a museum and I'm looking at a musty old painting by da Vinci or Rembrandt.

I added the sentiment (also from the Margaret set) below the portrait, and adhered some sheer brown ribbon tied in a bow to the upper right corner. Some paper from Basic Grey's Curio collection completes the vintage feel of this card.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Stamps: Margaret from Class Act/Chapel Road (click on Chapel Road, then click Women of the Ages to see more feminine stamp sets)
Ink: Wild Honey, Straw, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain
CS: Chocolate Chip, White, Curio from Basic Grey
Other: distress tool, ribbon, sponge
TJ Technique: Burnt Edges

Exciting News!

2011-06-01T03:00:00.001-05:00

Can you believe it's the first of June?? This year is just flying by. Maybe we can skip over all this horrid summer heat and head straight into some crisp, cool fall weather?? Heheheee!

I've got some exciting news to share with you today. First of all, I have joined the Eureka Stamps design team, and I'll start sharing my Eureka artwork next week. When I was on the QKR Stampede design team, the owner asked me to stick around until she was ready to start a new design team for Eureka Stamps. As of today, she now has three design teams, one for each of her rubber stamp stores: QKR Stampede, Eureka Stamps, and Biblical Impressions.

The second thing I'm excited to share with you is that Pat Huntoon asked me to join the Technique Junkies design team! I've been a long time subscriber and fan of the Technique Junkies newsletter, and it is such an honor to be asked to create artwork for TJ. The June/July 2011 issue of Technique Junkies will always be a special one for me as it is the first one in which my artwork has been published. It was thrilling to see my own creations in print in my own little hands!

This is a fun card using a new technique called Copic Sections. This one really expresses my desire to get back to some cool 50 and 60 degree weather instead of these 95+ degree days. :-)

I hope you have a fabulous week! Join me on Friday for another Chapel Road card, and I will share my first Eureka project with you on Monday.

Skating Brittney

2011-05-30T14:42:00.001-05:00

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful and relaxing day with your families.

Today I am sharing this fun roller-skating girl from I Brake for Stamps. This Skating Brittney is from the Sarah's Girls sheet, and I colored her with Copic markers. The funky background is the Mono Dies technique from Technique Junkies, and I thought it was a fun and hip card base for this sweet girl.

I've got a busy week ahead of me creating lots of artwork which I will share with you very soon. June 1 marks the beginning of a couple of wonderful new adventures that I am embarking upon, so come on back here on Wednesday to hear the big news! :-)

Stamps: Skating Brittney from the Sarah's Girls sheet (use coupon code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Turquoise, White, Yellow
Other: Copic markers, star punch, turquoise rhinestones
TJ Technique: Mono Dies

Plum Sparklers

2011-05-29T03:00:00.001-05:00

Good morning! I've got a fun and different way to use the Creative Inspirations Paints to show you.

Can you figure out what I did here? Hee hee hee!!

I stamped the image with Versamark and embossed it with white embossing powder. Then I dipped my finger into a jar of Plum Creative Inspirations Paint, smeared it all over the cardstock, and then sprayed it with water. The paint thinned out and left this pale colored sheen all over. I crumpled up the cardstock to give it a little texture.

But wait, I'm not done yet. LOL! Then I dipped my finger into the same Plum paint and rubbed it in circles directly over the white sparklers. Isn't that a cool effect??

But wait, I'm still not done yet. Heheheee!!! The last thing I did was dip a paintbrush into the same Plum paint, and then I "thwacked" it against my finger so it would splatter all over the image. That's what the little dark dots are - paint splatters. :-) Here's a close-up so you can see the splatters and the gorgeous shimmer:

I hope you enjoyed this fun project. There are so many different ways to use these paints, and I hope you try these out for yourself. :-)

Creative Inspirations Paint: Plum
Stamps: Penny Black Sparklers
Ink: Versamark
CS: plum, pale plum, white
Other: white embossing powder, May Arts silk ribbon
TJ Technique: Splatter