A Winner & Simply Amazing

Hello everyone! I have a new project to share at the start of this wonderful week! I would say that it’s a return to my style, with a little drama – by way of some navy. I haven’t been using dark colors very much as of late.

Sparkly strawberries! Why yes, I went there. I just couldn’t leave well enough alone, so I added some glitter, but I’m getting ahead of myself here! I used three sets from WPlus9 on my card today. I started with a panel of Rustic Cream cardstock and made my own patterned paper with the berries and leaves from Fresh Picked. Instead of doing the entire panel with the berries, I decided to add in a more subtle pattern to the top of the card. So, I used Country Charm to add some diagonal stripes to a small piece of Melon Berry cardstock.

I diecut a Label Number 5 and stamped it with the coordinating border image. When I sat down to make this card, I knew I wanted to use that label and I also knew I wanted to use that very sentiment. Now, the problem – if you’d like to think of it as such, was that the sentiment would not fit on the label without looking, to be frank, horrible. So,  I used an EK Success ticket punch because it fit my sentiment perfectly. From there, I adhered my floral embellishment and some navy seam binding bows on both sides.

Back to my glitter bombing. I did this with some stickles. I wanted hints of glitter, so I I just dabbed it here and there. And, finished the entire card off with a spritzing of Mister Huey in Calico Shine. Bam. And, I’m a happy boy!

Supplies

Stamps: Fresh Picked, Country Charm, Quite Like You: WPlus9.

Cardstock: Kraft, Rustic Cream, Melon Berry: Papertrey Ink.

Ink: Crumb Cake, Night of Navy, Cameo Coral: Stampin’ Up.

Dies: Circle Stackers & Label Number 5: WPlus9.

Other: Calico Shine Mr. Huey: Studio Calico, Button: Papertrey Ink, Seam Binding: Liz’s Paperloft Boutique, Crystal Stickles Glitter Glue: Ranger

WINNER, WINNER!!

Okay, I used Random.org to select a winner for the My Creative Time stamp set giveaway, and the lucky person is: Vivi J! Congratulations my dear, I will be emailing you shortly!

Thanks everyone for stopping by! I wish you all a blessed day!

Pinwheel Birthday

Hello crafty peeps! I have a super special post for today. My former DT boss, Emma, invited me to guest design for her and I was more than happy to oblige!

We’re going to think of today as a bit of a Technique Tuesday. One of the most difficult things I can think of is mixing patterned papers. So, my card today will hopefully show you how you can mix different patterns cohesively.

I’m going to throw out a disclaimer, however. I am not a graphic designer so I can’t honestly say that I have special training that makes me an expert. I studied Interior Design,  so my pattern and color usage is influenced by that.

All of the papers  used are from the Dear Lizzy Neapolitan line. I bought it LAST year at Archivers and this is the first time I used it. My overall goal was to make a fun and bright card. Something a little outside of my comfort zone -  because my style is generally very shabby and vintage inspired.

The great thing about using a collection is that the color mixing is done for you. And, generally, the patterns will have a lot of built in coordination. I decided to choose four papers from the collection. I chose the wood grain chevron, green grid, and gray dotted papers because I wanted the banner pattern to provide the pop of color. None of them work against each other. They all kind of peacefully coexist because I used the right patterns in the right amounts.

Also, I left a lot of white space around the sentiment. Even though the pinwheel is a rather large embellishment. It doesn’t take the eye away from the sentiment. I think a lot of people would have used ink to splatter the sentiment card because the pinwheel had splatters. Doing so would have been a mistake because the pinwheel would have disappeared into a sea of ink splotches. Instead, I took some enamel dots and placed them around the sentiment to further define it and draw the eye in. And, in a way, you could imagine them as extensions of the ink spots flying from the pinwheel.

Supplies

Patterned Paper: Dear Lizzy Neapolitan by American Crafts.

Stamps: Journal It and Floral Sentiments from My Creative Time.

Cardstock: Stamper’s Select White.

Ink: Versamark. Mister Huey spray ink in Taxi, Water Cooler, and Boss Lady.

Embellishments: Rustic Twine from Papertrey Ink. Enamel dots and decorative brad from My Mind’s Eye.

Other: Corner Chomper by We R Memory Keepers. Apricot Zing embossing powder by American Crafts

Alrighty, before I let you hop away, I have a giveaway sponsored by Ms. Emma! I have a set from Emma’s last release that I just love! It’s called Life is Good, and I plan to use it in my Project Life album. All you need to do to win is leave me a comment here with a way for me to contact you. You’re not required to follow me or anything else. I will take comments up until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, June 13th. Easy peasy!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I wish you all a very blessed day, and good luck!!

Autumn Greetings

Hello everyone! So, I’m starting a new adventure, and I am having a lot of fun with it. I have found myself being drawn to image stamps for a long time now, and I held off because I didn’t want another thing to spend money on. Well, that didn’t work, but I tried!

Disclaimer: I have never taken a class and I do not profess myself to be an expert, nor do I think you have to be. That being said, if the powers that be at Copic ever come across this, please schedule a class in the South! Like, Nashville or Birmingham please. Thank you.

I think it is kind of hard to give a step-by-step description of the making of this card, so I’ll be doing it a little differently this time. I still kind of struggle with that.

I started with the cutest image from Stampin’ Up’s Greeting Card Kids stamp set. I have eyed this set since I started stamping, and I am so happy to finally have it. Because I am easing my way into coloring, I used a variety of markers for this project. I *think* that I will be buying the Copic Sketch markers. I am researching my options. I might stick with Prismacolors. Anyway, for this card, here are the markers I used:

Pumpkin

Prismacolor PM-15 Yellowed Orange, PM-16 Orange & PM-13 Poppy Red

Dress

Prismacolor PM-193 Mint Cream, Pm-166 True Green, PM-32 Parrot Green & Copic Sketch B000 Pale Porcelain Blue

Cape, Hat & Socks

BIC Mark-It Polynesian Purple, Prismacolor PM-55 Rhodamine & PM-50 Violet

Hat Band & Buckle

BIC Mark-It Cloud Nine Grey, Tuxedo Black & Prismacolor PM-123 Spanish Orange

Hair

BIC Mark-It Tiki Hut Tan, Prismacolor PM-69 Goldenrod & PM-98 Dark Brown

Skin

Prismacolor PM-72 Eggshell, PM-170 Peach & PM-65 Sienna Brown

Broom, Leaves & Branch

PM-166 True Green & PM-31 Dark Green, BIC Mark-It Tiki Hut Tan, Prismacolor PM-69 Goldenrod & PM-123 Spanish Orange

Shading

Copic Sketch Warm Gray No. 1, B000 Pale Porcelain Blue & Colorless Blender

The card base is 4” x 5.5.” Yes, I trimmed it because I felt it was a little bit too wide. The card base is Kraft and the patterned papers are from Pink Paislee’s London Market 6” x 6” paper pack. I stamped the image with Memento Rich Cocoa Ink onto Stamper’s Select White cardstock. I diecut it with my Spellbinders Petite Ovals Small dies and inked it with Antique Linen and Wild Honey Distress Inks. I set it aside to dry while I worked on the card base, but I went back to it and stamped stars around the image with Versamark Dazzle ink and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. I then matted it on a Petite Scalloped Oval Large cut from Terracotta Tile cardstock. And before I forget, I dry embossed the Aqua Mist cardstock with the Textile Cuttlebug folder.

I tried to keep everything relatively neutral. The only non-neutral color comes from the red-orange of the Terracotta Tile. In my opinion, aqua and lavender are colored neutrals, but again, that’s my view.

I did some embellishing with Prima Say it With Crystals, scrunched seam binding, and a faceted button. I used sentiments from My Creative Time’s Piles of Smiles stamp set. I popped up the sentiment banner with dimensional adhesive, and added some rhinestones to bring in a little more lavender. Lastly, I rounded the corners with the .25” setting on my Corner Chomper and hit the entire care with Mister Huey Shine.

Thanks so much for coming by! Have a blessed day!

Boo! Three Ways

Hello crafty people! So, I will admit that I have been a rather bad blogger lately, but I’ve still been working on things and I have THREE cards to share today!

Two noticeable things, I used my Cricut and I used some new photo editing effects to play up the Halloween theme. I really like the fading effect, but it does make the photos darker so by all means, let me know if you don’t like it.

My good friend Norma and I were chatting one night and she pretty much told me I should make a card using my Cricut. Well, I decided that I wanted to work on my design skills, so I used the same image and sentiment in a series of cards. I started with something simple, and worked my way up to something more involved. I have to be honest and admit that if I were just going to make one card, my first inclination is to always make it very involved.

What I ended up doing was using a few select patterns, textures, colors, and embellishments in different ways. The chevron from the ribbon the first card inspired the use of the chevron paper on the second and third cards. The first card had a black base, but instead of using a black base on the second card, I used a pattern that was mainly black. And, on the third card, I used the same patterned paper (stars) to punch out the pattern, to tie is back to the second card. Lather, rinse, repeat!!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a blessed day!

Victorian Halloween

Good day wonderful people! I have another one of my vintage numbers to share with you all today. As I type this, I have the urge to add some glitter to it, but what’s done is done!

Okay, so I challenged myself to make a Halloween card without using traditional colors, and to also use some of the things that I’ve been hoarding. I’ve been on a bit of a, I need to buy this and this and that phase, and, I have to kind of lay off the buying because I’m going on vacation in November. Moving on!

For the first time in a long time, I made an odd sized card. The base is Sweet Blush and measures 3.75” x 5.5.” I basically made an A2 and shaved half an inch off. That keeps you from wasting cardstock.

All of the patterned papers are for Colorbok. I bought the Victorian Parlour 8” x 8” pad and the die cut accents from Jo-Ann this summer. Basically, I just picked some patterns that coordinated, starting with a brown scroll type pattern. I stamped Background Basics: Sheet Music with Crumb Cake ink on the pink doily paper. I wanted something a bit subtle. I stitched the papers together and then adhered them to the base.

I found some new (Well, new to me!) doilies at Jo-Ann a few weeks ago, and it' wouldn’t be one of my cards if I didn’t use one, so I took one out and gave it a misting with Boss Lady Mr. Huey spray mist from Studio Calico. Again, trying to bring in the pink more. Ohh, I did ink the doily with Antique Linen and just the tiniest amount of Vintage Photo Distress ink because white would have ben too stark for this card. I rarely, if ever, use white cardstock. When I do, you will know it!

From there, I adhered a large rose die cut and then I layered on the vintage postcard I printed from Beatriz Jennings Etsy shop. A little more stitching – to fully secure it. I added a little pearl flourish from Recollections across the bottom. I used some trim on the edge of the card. I really love this stuff. I need to get it in more colors.

To finish it up, I made a bow from natural jute ribbon and seam binding from Liz’s Paperloft Boutique. I glued one of the butterfly die cuts from the collection in the center. If you look closely, the little girl on the postcard is holding Jack – O – Lantern, so I found the perfect sentiment in All Around Halloween from My Creative Time. I stamped it with Soft Suede ink from Stampin Up. The very last touch was to swipe my Fresh Ink Paper White ink pad to soften the hard edges of the card. I decided to do this instead of Distressing it with Antique Linen. I wanted it to stay kind of light.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a blessed day!

Thank You Blossoms

Hello everyone! I had to pop in and share a card with a warm weather card before Fall is full blown. I think if I went with the ideas that pop in my brain, I would be making tons of Halloween and Christmas cards.

I wanted to make a card using my newest favorite color, Wisteria Wonder, and this the result:

I have never thought of myself as a purple person, but I am in love with this color. Anyway, I started by stamping my roses from Stippled Blossoms (My first multi-step stamping set, and it’s divine!) from Stampin’ Up. The base layer was stamped with Wisteria Wonder, and the top layer was stamped with Elegant Eggplant.  I stamped them on Vintage Cream cardstock and I cut them out with my detail scissors.

From there, I matted a sheet of woodgrain patterned paper from the My Mind’s Eye Miss Caroline Howdy Doody paper pad onto a piece of Vintage Cream cardstock that I inked with Antique Linen and Vintage Photo. I swear, I use those inks like they’re going out of style. I digress! I took the card front to my sewing machine and did a simple perimeter stitch. I wanted to use a big sentiment with this card, so I pulled out My Creative Time’s Floral Sentiments. I embossed the sentiment with White Zing embossing powder from American Crafts.

Okay, pulling it all together now! I used my Expression to cut a large scalloped border from a piece of script patterned paper from the My Mind’s Eye The Sweetest Thing Lavender pad. If I recall, the scallop is on the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge. I adhered it directly to the card front. I then added some Victoria Trim from Stampin’ Up. Love this stuff, you will be seeing lots of it. And then, I took my flowers that I had stamped and cut out, and some leaves that I diecut from Simply Chartreuse Felt using my Sweet Life dies and layered them onto the card front. I used a combination of dimensional adhesive and hot glue.

The finishing touch was some scrunched seam binding from Liz’s Paperloft Boutique and an Antique Brad from Stampin’ Up. OHH! I also misted the card with Mr. Huey Calico Shine, but I don’t possess the photography skills to show you all. But in person, it has a really nice shimmer. Love that stuff!

Thanks for stopping by! Having a bit of a busy work week, but I do hope to find some time to craft. As always, I wish you a blessed day!

Floral Hello

Hey there! So, I really didn’t have plans to post this week – my workload is kind of heavy this week, but I didn’t want to leave y’all hanging, so I’m pulling from the archives! Have you’ve ever been in the mall and wondered who dressed the mannequins, did the window displays, and merchandising? Well, people like me. Anyway, enough of that, let’s get to the card!

This is a card I made a while back when I just needed to get something out of my system:

My goal here to make a clean and graphic card. I used what is probably my favorite set ever, Rosie Posie. And, I finally used the Quatrefoil background stamp that I picked up at Hob Lob.

I have standard, top fold A2 base made from True Black. Not something I use often, but this is what popped in my head at the time. The card front is Rustic Cream as are all of the flower die cuts. I stamped the large roses with Real Red ink by Stampin’ Up. The buds and quatrefoil were stamped in Fountain Pen by Jenni Bowlin. I used the Rosie Posie leaves for the die cuts, but I also stamped a different leaf from a Studio G set that I got from Wal-Mart last year. I don’t buy the inexpensive stamps anymore, but I love the leaves in that set. I stamped them using Lucky Limeade ink. Also, the shading you see on the blooms, I did that with a Real Red Stampin’ Write Marker.

I tied a bow using red saddle stitch from Hob Lob. I use this quite a bit – mainly because I love having a pop of color, especially red, but also so that I can order some from Papertrey. I just prefer their ribbon over most others.

I stamped a sentiment from Fillable Frames #1 onto a scrap of True Black and trimmed it with my pinking shears. I highly recommend a pair. I got mine when I worked for Jo-Ann, but they were not expensive at all. I keep telling myself that I need to get another pair to dedicate to ribbon and fabric. And I am convinced that I was a Southern Belle or something in a former life, because I am addicted to pearls! That being the case, I tucked some Melissa Frances pearls in my bouquet of flowers.

I finished the card off with a spritz of Mister Huey Calico Shine from Studio Calico.

As always, I thank you for stopping by! I hope to find some time to create this week, as I have a LOT of ideas that I want to share. Plus, I’ll be working on something special with a dear friend of mine, I’m just waiting on my goodies to come in. Also, the My Creative Time team is giving you all peaks into the different techniques that we use, and the first group started today! You can check that out here. My turn hasn’t come yet, so if there is something I do that you would like to see, LET ME KNOW! I’ve been pricing video cameras, so there are tutorials coming. One reason I stopped was I didn’t like that my camera picked up the noise from itself when I recorded. Anyway, leave a comment below this post, or feel free to email me. Okay, I’ve gone on enough! Have a blessed day!

Bon Voyage–MCT June Sneak Peek

Hey there! I have a super special project to share with you all for the June My Creative Time Release. So, I am going to get right to it!

I made a mini album using the tag dies! I went on a trip to Michigan during May, and snapped a lot of photos using Instagram that I plan on printing out and putting to use.

So, as you can see, I decided to color the hot air balloon from Fly Away With Me. Here is the thing, I am not a alcohol marker expert by any means. I just worked with what I had (Prismacolor and BIC Markers.) until I was satisfied. I don’t even have the right cardstock! Nevertheless, I am more than thrilled with the result.

I was going to show all of the individual pages and what not, but I’m holding off for a bit – but it will be up, I promise.

For those that want to understand the color palette and everything. I based everything on the papers from the My Mind’s Eye Follow Your Heart, “Be Happy,” collection. I supplemented that with some paper from the Recollections Pastel cardstock pack. The solid cardstock I used is all Papertrey – Kraft, Aqua Mist, Melon Berry, and Sweet Blush.

The title or the sentiment that I used as my title, is from Fly Away With Me Sentiments.

My felt addiction continues – I used the coordinating die to cut out some clouds. It’s all about texture, right? And I couldn’t resist a bow. I used some Orange Zest Saddle Stitch for that.

Sneak Peek Giveaway Time!

With all of our Sneak Peeks week, Emma likes to do some FUN giveaways!

All you have to do is leave comments on our blogs! It is NOT required to comment on every blog, BUT if you do, you will just have more chances to win!

SPREAD THE WORD TO THE WORD ON FACEBOOK about this release & whatever connections you may have! Let us know on "My Creative Time's" FB page here http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/My-Creative-Time/364568506334 that you did so! OR you can just tag me in your post!

Emma will randomly pick & announce all winners on Thursday, June 21st during the blog hop release happening @ 12:01am PST in her video! GOOD LUCK!

Log onto to your Facebook now & let start spreading word!;)

Thanks for coming by! I will see you back here tomorrow for the blog hop. Have a blessed day!

Favorite Stamp of the Month

Hey everyone! I am popping up with a card to share before I jet off to work.

I won’t go into the ins and outs of everything, but the flip-flops are from the Pack Your Bags Cricut cartridge. The cut includes a pair of sunglasses, but I didn’t want them, so I used my snips to trim them off.

I took a picture inside so that you all could see the misting. After I adhered my layers to the card base, I did a little misting with my new Mister Huey’s Shine from Studio Calico. Love this stuff already!

I used My Creative Time’s Fun in the Sun stamp set for my sentiment. With the weather we are having, it is such an appropriate sentiment. And, because my flip-flops were looking kind of dull, I decided to add some Melissa Frances that I picked up from Liz’s Paperloft Boutique.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a blessed day!