Christmas Eve

Another Joy Fold card, this time, much bigger, about 6" square. Had to figure out the measurements all by myself, which I normally stink at! I love to work with larger cards, though, especialy for large stamps such as this one from Stamps Happen.

This is one of my favorite Christmas stamps, I've had it for a while, I use it for at least one card every Christmas.

Thanks for looking!

Stamps: Stamps Happen, Justrite

Ink: Memento, SU

Paper: Heavenly White, Fancy Pants, The Paper Co., Bazzill

Accessories: Nestabilities, Fiskars edger punch, Copics, colored pencils, OMS, McGill circle punch, satin ribbon, Stickles

IO Shaker Card Challenge

It's time for another Impression Obsession challenge, this time shaker cards! You too can join in on the challenge, check out all the details HERE. (You can win a $25 gift certificate for IO.)
I have never done one of these before, but I have seen the tutorials on SCS. It involved acetate, foam tape, measuring, cutting, layering, glitter or flocking scattering everywhere.... NOT for me, lol! I loved the idea of shaker cards, just not the work involved. SO, when I saw these new shake it 'pouches' Impression Obsession came out with, I danced with joy! What an awesome idea to make these cards soooo much easier!

These little plastic 'pouches' make it so easy. They come in circles, squares, ovals, several different sizes. If you have Nestabilities, it's even easier to use these. I simply stamped my image, colored it in, traced the shake it pouch around the image and used the right size die to cut it out. I sprinkled some flower soft, glitter and some tiny snowflake punches into the pouch, peeled the plastic backing off the tape (yes, the pouches have adhesive already on them), put the image face down over it and that's it. I cut a scalloped circle 'frame' and adhered that over the pouch, then layered it as usual. So simple, and a fabulous effect! This was my first one, so I tried to keep it simple, but I have SO many ideas for future cards. Imagine beads, tiny leaves, flowers, anything that will fit!

Well if you have never tried them, you really should, they are a lot of fun. Need more ideas? Check out the other IO design team blogs for more inspiration:

Shirley

Julie

Dina
Kelli
Laura
Jenny
Deborah

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Impression Obsession 'Snow Baby 2'

Ink: Vivid, CTMH

Paper: PTI, Bristol vellum, Oriental Trading Co.

Accessories: Nestabilities, PTI ribbon/button, Sm. Circle shake-it pouch, Flower Soft, Martha tewart snowflake edger punch, Copic Spica pen, colored pencils, OMS, gitter, silver cord

Snowy Winter's Eve

For the longest time I could not figure out where the heck this stamp came from! I've had it for a while and because it's UM rubber, and I put it in an unmarked CD case, I didn't know where I got it. So I searched, and searched, trying to remember which stamp companies I was buying from several years ago. Eventually, I found it, it's from Cherry Pie Art Stamps. I immediately marked it so I wouldn't forget again!

I decided to try a different card again, this time it's a Joy Fold card. The little 'Peace' medallion on the bottom left holds the folded image closed. It's very pretty, but I don't think I will be making many of them. I really can't see the recipient (that is not a cardmaker) being able to figure it out without tearing it somehow, LOL.

The image was the simplest thing I've ever colored. I just used a SU Soft Sky reinker and my waterbrush. Very soft and pretty though.

Hope you like it, thanks for looking!

Stamps: Cherry Pie Art Stamps, PTI

Ink: SU, Perfect Match

Paper: Arches water color paper, SU, PTI, The Paper Company

Accessories: Nestabilities, Martha Stewart edger punch, silk ribbon, Stickles

Snow Flurries

Another adorable Elisabeth Bell image from Belles 'n Whistles! I can't resist these innocent faced kiddos. I used the last of my 'Laundry Line' paper from My Mind's Eye on this one. I really hope I can find more of this sparkly green fern-y pattern, it's one of my faves.

I also used the new deep floral edger punch from Martha Stewart, so many gorgeous designs in her new collection. I don't know how I made cards without them before!

It's back to work for me, hope you all have a great day! Thanks for stopping by...

Stamps: Belles n Whistles, SU

Ink: Memento, SU

Paper: Heavenly White, My Mind's Eye, Bazzill, The Paper Co.

Accessories: Satin ribbon, PTI button/twine, Martha Stewart edger punch, Liquid Pearls, Copic sketch & Spica markers, colored pencils, OMS, SU designer label punch, rhinestone

Silent Night

Another card that goes onto the Family/friends pile. This image is from a retired Stampin Up set, 'Country Pleasures'. I colored it with Copics and colored pencils. The sentiment tag is Waltzingmouse Stamps, I love using them to enhance the Spellbinders die cuts. The sentiment is from PTI's Silent Night.

It's hard to see in the picture, but there are white speckles of 'snow' all over the image. I used to use this technique all the time when I was doing decorative painting, you take an old toothbrush, dip it in some watered down acrylic paint and flick your finger over the bristles to spatter all over your surface. I love the effect. However it's best to use a nice opaque acrylic paint, which I could NOT find anywhere in my craft area, every other color under the sun, but not white! So I ended up using Gouache, which wasn't as opaque, which is why the white 'snow' doesn't show as much as I'd anticipated. But IRL, you can see them fairly well, and I was happy with the end result.

Anyway, hope it inspires, thanks for looking!

Stamps: Stampin Up, Waltzingmouse Stamps, PTI

Ink: Memento, Memories, SU, Versamark

Paper: Close to My Heart, PTI, SU

Accessories: Spellbinders Labels die, Martha Stewart deep edger punch, Copics, colored pencils, OMS, Stickles, gouache, PTI ribbon/button/twine, brown metallic ribbon, copper embossing powder, antique silver brads

Forever Friends Card box set

Better a late post than none at all, right?!

I just can't get enough of these pudgy little bears. I love their sweet little faces and rounded tummies! I HATE that I can't get the stamps easily here in the US! lol. Although I have found a couple of auctions that were willing to ship to me, yay! I don't know why I always fall for the hard-to-get stamps. I remember it started with Magnolia before anyone even knew what they were, I had to wait weeks to get my first ones! Then there were the Rachelle Ann Miller stamps first put out by Ladybug and Friends (I think) that were only available in Europe. Thank goodness her adorable illustrations quickly grew popular and a couple of other stamp companies started manufacturing them.

Then there's the retired Penny Black's, PSX and SU sets...sigh. Most of the time, I just can't be happy with readily available stamps, it has to be a treasure hunt! Maybe that's part of the thrill.

Anyway, I love these images so much I had to create a whole coordinating set of them. I even made a little card box for all of them to fit neatly into. (Thanks to Creative Inklings for the 'Wonderful You' card box, which I had to modify slightly to make my fatter cards fit!)

I used the lovely, lovely retired (surprise, I go for all the retired DSP's too!) Wintergreen papers from Stampin Up. Love the colors!

Thanks for stopping by for a peek at my latest project, have a good night all!

Stamps: Forever Friends, Papertrey Ink, SU, Justrite

Ink: Memento, Perfect Match, SU, Adirondack

Paper: SU, The Paper Company

Accessories: Spellbinders Labels dies & Nestabilities, SU punches, Martha Stewart punch, SU ribbon, satin ribbon, Copic sketch & Spica markers, colored pencils, OMS, Marvy snowflake punch, Stickles, Flower Soft, rhinestone, pearls, PTI button, silver cord

Christmas Toys

I don't think I've ever made a gate fold card, this is my first time! I find myself so comfortable making a card ONE WAY, and never straying, it tends to get boring! I might be making more cards this way.....maybe, LOL! I try to force myself to create outside my sphere of comfort, just to change things up a bit, every once in a while.

The stamp is from Stampavie, colored with colored pencils and blended with OMS. The paper is Imaginisce.

Short and sweet, thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Stampavie, Papertrey Ink
Ink: Vivid, Perfect Match
Paper: PTI, Imaginisce, Stardream, The Paper Co.
Accessories: Red grosgrain ribbon, colored pencils, OMS, Liquid Glass, Stickles, Uchida clever lever snowflake punch, brad