Celebrating Love

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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!!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!!