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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Belli Challenge #125 - Vellum or Acetate


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


Monday, August 29, 2011

Christmas Dog


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

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Rogue Flower with Distress Stains


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

Friday, August 26, 2011

Rainbow of Buttons


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

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

IBFCC #8 - Distressed Shabby Chic


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)



Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Mosaic Squash



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

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Painting the Roses Red challenge

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

Friday, August 19, 2011

Chapel Road Blog Hop

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!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Witch Bear

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



Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Belli Challenge #124 - Gingham


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

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Cow and Cowboy


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

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Side-saddle card



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

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Wicker Chair



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

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Eureka - Balloons and Holders blog hop

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)

Friday, August 5, 2011

Beauty of Nature


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)

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Food of Love


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

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Venetian Carnivale Mask

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