Shimmery Pink Ornament

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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