Technique Challenge: Split Image

Today's Technique Challenge at SCS was to do a split image. The instructions can be found on the challenge thread HERE. For this card, I decided to use my much-neglected SU! stamps and papers. For one half of the image, I used Chocolate Chip Craft ink and Clear embossing powder, and for the other I used Versamark and White embossing powder. This card is definitely different than my usual style, and I'm still not sure if I like it, but sometimes you just have to try new things, right?!? That's one of my stamping resolutions for the New Year: to go beyond my comfort zone and try new techniques and styles.

I don't have big plans for tonight. I'm still not feeling 100% yet, and Chris has been sick too, so we're going to stay home with Anna and Caroline and ring in the New Year quietly. Kyle and Megan will be at friends' houses tonight (teenagers have much more fun than 40-something moms!). I hope you find a wonderful way to begin 2008, whether with family or friends, at a party or at home. I wish you all a very Happy New Year! Thanks for being such an important part of my 2007!! :)

All supplies Stampin' Up! (except sewing machine)

Stamps: Office Accoutrement Ink: Chocolate Chip Craft, Versamark, Old Olive Paper: Home Again SS Kit, Bordering Blue, River Rock Other: white EP, clear EP, heat tool, Ice Circles brads, oval punches, horizontal slot punch, 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain, Markers (Choc Chip, Bordering Blue), sponge, dimensionals, sewing machine

No "Lion" -- I Love This Little Guy!

Okay, so it's a corny post title -- but I really do love this little lion! He's part of Love Ya Lots, a new Little Bit Kit from C.C. Designs. It will be available at All That Scraps on January 4, along with the set Love Ya Much. I'm obviously having a love affair with my BasicGrey Romani paper, because I've used it on my last three projects! This pattern just seemed so perfect for this Valentine Lion! I colored and outlined him with Prismacolor Pencils and OMS, and I used my Sakura Glaze Gloss Clear Pen on his facial features and whiskers. I did the same thing on my last project, too. That pen is one of my favorite tools -- it adds shine and dimension right where you want it, without heat embossing! You just draw over the image and it's dry in just a couple minutes. It was perfect for the lion's nose -- it just made it pop!

The rest of the card is pretty self-explanatory, so you can check the supply list. If you have any questions, just ask! :) Thanks for stopping by today -- enjoy your weekend!

Stamps: Love Ya Lots (C.C. Designs) Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Romani (BasicGrey) Ink: Basic Black, Pretty in Pink (SU!) Other: Prismacolor Pencils, Turpenoid, blending stumps, Glitter Dots, Glaze Gloss Clear Pen, Corner Rounder, 1 1/4" & 1 3/8" Circle Punches, Pumpkin Pie grosgrain ribbon, pink dotted organdy ribbon, sponge, dimensionals

C.C. Designs Sneak Peek!

C.C. Designs is releasing two new Little Bit Kits: Love Ya Much and Love Ya Lots. Let me just tell you -- if you loved Lucky and Lulu, you'll flip for these sets! Along with that adorable dog and cat there are a bunny, two lovebirds, a lion, and a pig, plus some sweet sentiments! The sets will be available at All That Scraps on January 4. I made this card with the lovebirds from Love Ya Much. I thought this piece of BasicGrey Romani paper would be perfect with the birds, so I built the card around it. I tried to channel the spirit of Julia Stainton on this one -- she does shabby chic so beautifully!!! :)

To make the card base, I machine stitched a border around the paper, then I distressed the edge by hand. The image was stamped in Basic Black ink and colored with Prismacolor Pencils and OMS. After I finished coloring, I traced over the image lines with a Sakura clear glaze pen to give them a little more definition. I sponged Bashful Blue ink around the vanilla circle and the card base. The scalloped circle was punched from more Romani paper, then I pierced the scallops. To finish the card, I stamped the sentiment and added a Prima flower and some May Arts ivory dotted ribbon. I love the way it turned out -- it's sweet, simple and feminine!

I have to admit, I'm glad to be doing something other than Christmas cards! I really like the spring-like look of this card -- it would be great for Valentine's Day or for any time you need a romantic card! I'll have more sneak peeks for you over the next few days, so please come back for more! Thanks for visiting today! :)

Stamps: Love Ya Much (C.C. Designs) Cardstock: Very Vanilla (SU!) Paper: Romani (BasicGrey) Ink: Basic Black, Bashful Blue (SU!) Other: Mega Circle Punch & Giga Scalloped Circle Punch (Marvy Uchida), flower (Prima), ribbon (May Arts), clear glaze pen (Sakura), paper piercer, sponge, dimensionals (SU!), sewing machine

Just a Reminder

Hi, everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I can't believe it's over already! I've had a terrible cold for about five days, so some of the last week is a little foggy, but I DO know that our holiday was wonderful. Christmas Eve we went to Chris's parents' house with his family. Christmas Day was spent at home. My mom, dad, and grandma came over, and we just had a leisurely day -- it was really great!

I had my mammogram yesterday. It's just one of those "over 40" things that is part of my life now! Ladies, if you need to get one and haven't, please do it -- it's really not as bad as you might think! With this cold, I haven't wanted to do much of anything the last few days, but I did finally muster up the energy to stamp a little today. My mammogram inspired me to make this note holder. I used an oversized wood clothespin and covered the bottom with BasicGrey Romani paper. On the top, I stamped the image on white cardstock, then I paper pieced the dress and the little pink ribbon with more Romani paper. Her arms and neck were colored with a blender pen and Blush Blossom ink. I outlined the woman and shaded the background with a Prismacolor pencil, then I added some Cotton Candy Stickles to the pink ribbon on her dress. I sponged Pretty in Pink around the top and bottom panels and tied on some pink grosgrain ribbon.




It's a pretty simple project, but I think it's a cute little note holder! I always need reminders to make appointments, so hopefully this will help me! :) Ladies, here's a little reminder for all of you:


I'm hoping to have more energy this weekend for more stamping! I'll have sneak peeks of two new C.C. Designs Little Bit Kits to show you -- they are soooooo cute!! I hope you'll come back! Thanks for visiting! :)

Stamps: Think Pink (My Favorite Things) Cardstock: Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Romani (BasicGrey) Ink: Basic Black, Pretty in Pink, Blush Blossom (SU!) Other: blender pen, Cotton Candy Stickles, Prismacolor pencil, pink grosgrain, sponge

Grandma's Christmas Gift Set

Hi, everyone! THREE more days.....

Here's a gift set I made for my Grandma. For her Christmas gift, I wanted to make her some monogrammed stationery to go with her favorite perfume. As luck would have it, I had some Au Chocolat paper I had been hoarding, and it is a perfect match! I made twelve cards, six of each design, and stamped the envelopes to coordinate. Also as luck would have it, Ballet Blue is a perfect match to the blue border on the perfume label. All stamps and the clear box are from Papertrey Ink.

This project doesn't have lots of layers or fancy techniques, but I'm really happy with how it turned out. That's one of the things I love about papercrafting: you can take just a few supplies and create something that is custom-made and beautiful. And, it comes from the heart. That's why we do what we do, right? :)

I'm taking a few days off from stamping and blogging so I can enjoy them with family. I want to wish all of you a happy and blessed Christmas. May Christ's birth bring joy and peace to you and your families. I'll see you all next week. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Stamps: Ambassador Monogram, B&C Monogram Edition, Holiday Sweets (Papertrey Ink) Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Ballet Blue (SU!) Paper: Au Chocolat (SU!) Ink: Chocolate Chip, Ballet Blue (SU!) Other: clear box (PTI); Scalloped Circle Punch, 1/3/8" Circle Punch, 1/4" circle punch, Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon, 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, Very Vanilla medium envelopes (SU!)

Giveaway Winner and Some MFT Fun

We have a winner of my Birthday Giveaway!!! I really enjoyed reading about all your birthday celebrations! I used random.org to choose the winning entry, and the winner is pat s.! She said:

Hi Christina!Congratulations on your birthday, and the success of your
blog! I am one of your daily readers...it's always fun and inspiring :)Thank you
for celebrating with a great give-away!My favorite birthday celebration was when
I turned 50 (that was very recently :) My stamping buddies through me a surprise
over-the-hill party, complete with a black cake!

Pat, email me with your address (under my photo) and I'll get your goodies out to you!! :)

I have one last teacher gift to share. This is a gift card holder I made for Celebrating MFT Day on the MFT Forum at Splitcoaststampers. I used a Petaloo magnetic tag (they are soooo cool) and the set Baby It's Cold Oustide. There's a whole lotta sparkle on this one!! I used three different kinds of Stickles and one of my fave Glitter Dots. Her coat and scarf are paper pieced. I found the fibers in my stash, and the red and pink were perfect! Plus, they have more sparkle!

I can't believe Christmas is just a few days away! I'm just about ready! ;) Have a great Friday!

Stamps: Baby, It's Cold Outside (MFT) Ink: Basic Black, White Craft, Bashful Blue Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Whisper White Paper: Winter Bright SS Kit Other: Petaloo magnetic tag, Heidi Swapp ghost shape, Candy Cane Stickles, Stardust Stickles, Frosted Lace Stickles, SU! Markers (Basic Black, Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue), Glitter Dot, glue dots, fibers, silver cord, sponge, dimensionals

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like... Spring?

Today is a gorgeous day. It's sunny, the sky is blue, and the temperatures are in the 50's. That's VERY unusual for Northern Kentucky. It doesn't feel like it's six days before Christmas -- it feels more like SPRING! It seems only fitting, then, that I received THIS in the mail today...

Yes, that's the Stampin' Up! Spring-Summer 2008 Collection -- my complimentary demonstrator copy!!

The Christmas preparations can wait a little while -- I have some other shopping to do!! :)

Some RAKs to Share

I received some happy mail this week -- three cards from SCS members! I'm part of the Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) group, which sends cards to other members of the group for special occasions, birthdays, or just because! It's so nice to get that card you weren't expecting, and it's fun to send a little sunshine!!

Here's a holiday RAK from Jackie (hpyscrpr2 on SCS). I love how she used the photo corners and round tab punches!




Here's a birthday RAK from Brenda (sassybee on SCS). I think this color combo is so perfect for this image!


And here's a birthday card from my friend Ann (Ann Wittmer on SCS). Ann is the friend who invited me to a Stampin' Up! workshop in 2001 and began my love affair with paper and ink! Thanks, Ann!! :) I love the layout and colors on this card -- it just makes me smile!

Take some time today to give someone you know a RAK -- send that card you've been meaning to send, or do something just because!! Don't forget to see Sunday's post for a chance to win my Birthday Giveaway! I'll be choosing the winner Friday morning! Have a great day!! :)

Teacher Gifts

Today is Caroline's last day of preschool before Christmas. I made two of these sets for her to give to her teachers. The template for the gift card holder came from Nancy Morgan's blog, Paper Smiles. They are SO cute and so simple to make! I loved how she used the cord through the eyelets to tie hers closed, so I did that on mine as well. The candy bottle is a recycled Starbucks Frappaccino bottle (it gives me an excuse to buy them *wink*). I used my Fiskars Circle Cutter to cut a 1 1/2" circle to cover the lid, then I sponged the edges with Real Red ink. The little poinsettia on top was made with the Spring Bouquet Punch (I'm so sorry it's retiring). All paper is SU!'s Dashing (also retiring). The images are from Gina K. Designs -- Punchy Words and Festive Labels. I think these sets pair so well with the Dashing dp to make fun projects!

Next on my "to do list" -- Cookies for our neighborhood exchange tomorrow night. Hopefully I'll have some fun packaging to show you!! :) I hope you are having fun with your holiday preparations, too! Have a great day -- thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Festive Labels, Punchy Words (Gina K. Designs) Ink: Real Red, Old Olive (SU!) Cardstock: Real Red, Very Vanilla (SU!) Paper: Dashing dsp (SU!) Other: Giga Scalloped Circle Punch & Mega Circle Punch (Marvy Uchida); Spring Bouquet Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch & Scalloped Circle Punch (SU!); Silver Cord & 5/8" Real Red grosgrain (SU!); Circle Cutter (Fiskars); star eyelets (CTMH); stamping sponge; dimensionals; paper piercing tool

A Card for Jen's Sketch

Good morning -- Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend! Thanks for all the well-wishes for my birthday! See my previous post for a chance to win some birthday goodies!

I had some time to stamp yesterday, so I worked on a card for Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. I so badly wanted to use my new set from My Favorite Things, Baby It's Cold Outside, and this sketch was perfect! I paper pieced her coat and scarf and colored the rest of the image with SU! markers. I added Liquid Applique to the top of her boots and heated it to make it puffy. The snowman, snow, and background were watercolored with an Aquapainter and Cool Caribbean ink. I did some faux stitching on the horizontal panel. I sponged around the circles and image panel and added some Frosted Lace Stickles. The centers of the snowflakes are Ice Circles brads from SU!.

That's it for today -- I'm off to start on some teacher gifts and some treats for Caroline's preschool class. I hope you'll stop back tomorrow -- have a great day! :)

Stamps: Baby, It's Cold Outside (MFT) Ink: Chocolate Chip, Cool Caribbean, White Craft (SU!) Cardstock: Cool Caribbean, Chocolate Chip (SU!) Paper: Figgy 6x6 pack (BasicGrey) Other: 1" & 1 1/4" circle punches, Ice Circles brads, Frosted Lace Stickles (Ranger), Liquid Applique, heat tool, paper piercing tool, Chocolate Chip marker, sponge, dimensionals

Celebrate With Me! It's a Giveaway!

Today is my birthday. I'm 42. Birthdays are typically a time when I look back over the past year and its ups & downs (and most of all give thanks that I've made it through another one!). This year I have much to celebrate. I am fortunate to be healthy and to have healthy family and friends. I have a wonderful husband and four beautiful children. I'm a papercrafter. I am able to do something every day that I LOVE and that hopefully brings joy to others as well. I can't believe how much has happened in just this last year. I started this blog in July, and it is something that has brought new abilities, new friends, and new opportunities. I recently passed 25,000 hits -- that just blows my mind. Thanks to all of you for taking the time to visit me every day!! This year, I was chosen to be on my first Design Team, and I can't thank Christine and Amy at All That Scraps enough for having faith in me. I was asked to be Jen del Muro's Guest Designer for December -- what a thrill! Also, this month, I was published for the first time!! Several of my cards are featured in the Winter 2008 issue of Take Ten magazine, on pages 52-53, as part of their "Variations on a Theme." Check it out if you get a chance!!

Like I said, it's been a great year! *smile* Sometimes I feel like I need to pinch myself to be sure it's really happening! With all these things to celebrate, I thought I'd give a birthday gift to YOU!!! I'm having my first Celebration Giveaway! I'm giving away some Studio G Clear Stamps and a Clear Block, 12 SU! Long Notes with envelopes, Candy Cane Stickles, some Got Flowers? by Prima in blue and pink, and lots of fun ribbon! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Tell me about your favorite birthday, how you like to celebrate birthdays, or just say hi! On Friday morning, December 21, I'll select a random number to be the winner!


Thanks so much for celebrating with me -- have a fantastic day!! :)

A Personal Touch

Hello!

Last night we had Chris's company Christmas party. Every year he gives those in attendance a bottle of wine and a restaurant gift card to take home. I wanted to add a personal touch to the wine bottles, so I turned to my Festive Labels set by Gina K. Designs. What I really wanted to do was to use her Waterproof Labels to create a personalized label for each bottle, but the labels on some of the wines he chose were too long to be covered properly. So, I did the next best thing, which was to create a gift tag for each bottle. I did three different variations -- 21 tags total. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out! It was a simple thing that made a big difference in the presentation!

Today we're getting our first "snowstorm" of the season. It's really coming down, and it's so beautiful to look at. Kyle, Megan and Anna were outside having a blast, and they just came in to have some hot chocolate and sit by the fire. Today is Caroline's 4th birthday, so Chris took her out for a Birthday Breakfast (he does that with all the kids). It's going to be a laid-back, wintery day -- I'm looking forward to just enjoying time with my family today! I hope you have a wonderful day, too -- thanks for stopping by! :)

Stamps: Festive Labels (Gina K. Designs) Cardstock: Whisper White, Cranberry Crisp, Old Olive (SU!) Ink: Cranberry Crisp, Old Olive Other: Mega Circle Punch & Giga Scalloped Circle Punch (Marvy Uchida), Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain, gold cord, 1/4" circle punch, sponge

Commenting on Blogger

I've had a couple people ask me about the change in the comment box for Blogger blogs. I wasn't sure what was going on either, but I just found out that Blogger was working on a way for readers to leave comments that link back to their websites or blogs. They had unintentionally disabled some of the comment options when they were testing it, but now the new process in in effect. When you leave a comment, choose the "Sign-In using" button, then click the drop-down arrow to choose how you want to leave your comment. If you don't have a Blogger account or one of other accounts listed, you can choose the "Open ID" option.

I hope that helps, and I hope it works!! I'm looking forward to hearing from you! :)

A Very BasicGrey Card!!

I have several projects I need to get finished in the next few days, but I had to take some time to do today's SCS Sketch Challenge. It's a perfect sketch for patterned paper, so I couldn't resist using some more BasicGrey Figgy (I *love* it, you know). I also used another new favorite, my BasicGrey Winterland stamp set. What did I ever do without BasicGrey? ;)

It's getting late, and I have to get back to my "to do" list, so I'm going to skip the blah, blah, blah and just list the supplies for you. If you have any questions, just ask! Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Winterland (BasicGrey), sentiment by Gina K. Designs Cardstock: Cranberry Crisp, Soft Sky, Old Olive, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: BasicGrey Figgy 6x6 paper pack Ink: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Cranberry Crisp, Cool Caribbean, Soft Sky Other: Cuttlebug & Snowflakes folder (Provo Craft); Stardust Gelly Roll Pen (Sakura); Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain, oval punches, Chocolate Chip marker, Vintage Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamping Sponge (SU!)

Snowglobe Gift Tag

Sharon Johnson (notimetostamp) had a Stamp Simply Challenge this week to make something round. Her ornament cards and tags are simply gorgeous -- you have to check them out! I wanted to play, so I tried out some different punches to see what I could come up with. I used a Marvy Mega Circle Punch and SU! Round Tab Punch to create a snowglobe gift tag. The images are from Wintertime Fun by C.C. Designs, available at All That Scraps. I watercolored the penguin with an Aquapainter and inks. I thought he looked a little washed out, so I added some depth and color around the edges with Prismacolor Pencils. I cut him out and popped him up on dimensionals. I used a black gel pen to sketch some details on the base. It turned out just like I envisioned it -- don't you love it when that happens? I think I'll make some more and put them on gifts for my nieces and nephews.

I hope your holiday preparations are coming along well! I'm checking a few things off my list each day! Thanks for visiting today -- have a great day! :)

Stamps: Wintertime Fun (C.C. Designs) Cardstock: Whisper White, Blue Bayou Ink: Soft Sky, Basic Black, So Saffron, Blue Bayou Other: Mega Circle Punch (Marvy Uchida), Round Tab Punch (SU!), Stardust Stickles (Ranger), Snowflake Ghost Shape (Heidi Swapp), Silver Cord, Aquapainter, Prismacolor Pencils, rhinestone, sponge, dimensionals, black gel pen

Aaaaahhhh... Simplicity

I was really struggling with a true papercrafter's dilemma last week. Let me preface it by saying that every year I work like a madwoman to get my Christmas cards made and mailed. I make, on average, about 130 cards. It takes a lot of time, as you can well imagine. In the process, I get stressed out and don't do some of the other "holiday" things that make the season fun and special. That brings me to my dilemma: do I make all those cards again this year, or do I do something simpler and enjoy the Christmas season with my family (no-brainer, huh?)? Here was my compromise: I made about 15 cards for my family and close friends (those are the people who I really want to make something for anyway), and I ordered photo cards for the rest of the list!! I also went with a simpler card that was easier to mass produce, and I'm really happy with how it turned out! I knew I wanted to use my Snowflake Serenade set from Papertrey Ink, and I was inspired by Jen del Muro's card here, so this is what I came up with:


Can you hear me breathing a sigh of relief? Can you see the non-stressed look on my face? :)

Have a great day -- take time to enjoy the season! Thanks for visiting -- I really do appreciate it! :)

Stamps: Snowflake Serenade (Papertrey Ink) Ink: Soft Sky, Blue Bayou Cardstock: Crafters Select White (PTI), Soft Sky & Blue Bayou (SU!) Other: Cuttlebug & Snowflakes embossing folder (Provo Craft) silver cord, rhinestone, sponge, dimensionals

An ATC Challenge

Wednesday night, on the My Favorite Things Forum at Splitcoaststampers, there was a challenge to make an ATC card then incorporate it into a regular card. ATCs, or Artist Trading Cards, are 3.5 x 2.5" mini cards, made for trading. They have become very popular among papercrafters, but I had never made one until now! I really had fun with it!

Here's my ATC:

And here's the finished card:

On the ATC, I used Hot Stuff by MFT and BasicGrey Figgy paper. Cardstock is Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, and Watercolor paper. I stamped the image in Chocolate Chip ink three times: once on the "solid" blue paper, once on the striped paper, and once on vanilla cardstock. I colored the arms on the vanilla cardstock with a blender pen and Blush Blossom ink. Then I cut out the dress and cup from the striped paper and adhered them to the image on the blue paper. Lastly, I cut out the arms I had colored and adhered them as well. I used a corner rounder to create scallops on the bottom of the patterned paper, then I added some dots with a white gel pen. I stamped the cup on watercolor paperwith Basic Brown ink and colored it with an Aquapainter and Cranberry Crisp & Old Olive inks. I punched out the circles with 1" and 1 1/4" circle punches, then I added some Vintage Brads.

To make the card, I layered some more Figgy paper, Chocolate Chip cardstock, Old Olive cardstock, and Cranberry Crisp cardstock on a Cool Caribbean card base. I ran the cranberry cardstock through my Cuttlebug with the D'vine Swirls embossing folder. I stamped the sentiment in Chocolate Chip ink and added some 5/8" Old Olive grosgrain. Then I attached the ATC using dimensionals.

I really like this card, and I think I'll be doing some more ATC's! Try something new today, and have a happy Friday!! :)

Gift Card Holder - A Tutorial

Chris is always buying gift cards for clients and friends as thank-yous. He came home with one the other day and said, "Do you think you could make something to put this in?" Hmmmm..... ;) He realized that the envelope the store provided would not be satisfactory enough for his obsessed paper-crafting wife.

I know there are a lot of templates and tutorials out there for gift card holders, and I've used many of them. For this one, I thought I'd just use the same template as the store envelope, so it could be tucked into a gift basket or placed inside another card or envelope. I'm not one who likes to reinvent the wheel, so I simply took apart the store envelope and got my template from there. Here are the measurements and instructions, in case you'd like to do the same thing!

Start with a piece of cardstock 8" x 3 3/4" (I used Blue Bayou).

With the cardstock the long way in the trimmer, score at 1/2" and 3 1/4" (that's 1/2" from the edge on each side). Turn the cardstock horizontally and score at 3 1/2" and 7".

Using the score lines as a guide, cut out the sections on the top and bottom corners. You will be left with center flaps on each side, You will also have a short top flap and a long bottom flap.

Round the corners of the top flap.

On the long bottom flap, take a circle punch (I used a 1" punch) and punch a half-circle on the edge in the center.

Fold along the remaining score lines, then bring the side flaps in. Apply Sticky Tape or other strong adhesive to the side flaps.

Fold the bottom flap up and adhere.

Now embellish any way you want! I used Figgy 6x6 paper on the front and back. The pieces I used were 3 1/4" x 2 1/2" and 2 3/4" x 2 1/2" (you can get both from one 6" x 2 1/2" strip of the paper). The stamped image is from Punchy Words by Gina K. Designs. I used Old Olive and Chocolate Chip markers to ink the image, then I stamped it on Very Vanilla cardstock. I punched it out with a 1 3/8" circle punch, then matted in on Cranberry Crisp punched with the Scalloped Circle Punch.

I applied Chocolate Chip grosgrain to the flap and adhered the scalloped circle over it. Then I just brought the ribbon around the back and tied it closed.

It's really not much work, and it looks better than the store envelope, don't you think? ;)

That's all I have for today. Tomorrow is Friday already -- where did the week go? Only 19 more days 'til Christmas, and I have so much more to do!! Thanks for stopping by -- have a great day! :)

Journal and Bookmark

Good morning! Today we woke up to see our first snowfall! Not much, maybe 1-2 inches, but it was a pretty sight! I just wish it wasn't so cold! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! :)

Here's a project I worked on yesterday. This is a composition journal that I covered with SU! Brocade Background paper. The darker decorative portion on top is actually another pattern of the paper that I cut around and adhered over the first piece. All the stamped images are from Papertrey Ink. The journal lettering is from Trajan Monogram. The letter on the bookmark is from Ambassador Monogram, and the dotted squares and circle are from Borders & Corners - Monogram Edition. The images were stamped with Old Olive and Chocolate Chip inks. I sponged around the journal and panel with Close to Cocoa ink. Embellishments are 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain, a brown Bazzill Bitty Blossom, and two Silk Road Primas. The brads are from Making Memories.

I created the bookmark by sandwiching one end of the ribbon between two SU! Scalloped Circles. the center circle was made with a 1 3/8" Circle Punch. There is a "T" on the other side as well.

I'll be giving this set to my friend for Christmas (I hope she's not reading this!). One more gift to check off the list! :) Thanks for stopping by today -- have a great day!

Penguin Hugs

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend!! I wanted to introduce you to this little guy -- he's one of the images from the new C.C. Designs Little Bit Kit called Little Penguins. there are two sentiments and four penguins in the set -- the others are just as cute as this one! :) Mini images and "inchies" are all the rage right now, and this set is perfect!

I used my Cuttlebug and Stitched Circles embossing folder to create the embossed "frame" around the penguin. The sentiment and penguin are stamped in Basic Black ink. I colored in and around the penguin with Prismacolor Pencils then blended it with Turpenoid. The snow line was hand-drawn, then I added some Baby Blue Stickles. I rounded opposite corners with a corner rounder, and I sponged on and around the panel and sentiment. I machine stitched a freehand border with white thread. The final embellishments are a Heidi Swapp Snowflake Ghost Shape and White Lightning Glitter Dots (have I told you how much I *love* 'em?).

I hope you enjoyed meeting this Little Penguin -- I'll introduce his friends later this week! Have a great day -- thanks for visiting! :)

Stamps: Little Penguins (C.C. Designs) Ink: Basic Black (SU!) Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Wild Wasabi (SU!); Crafters Select White (Papertrey Ink) Paper: Winter Bright Simply Scrappin' Kit (SU!) Other: Prismacolor Pencils; Turpenoid & blending stumps; Baby Blue Stickles (Ranger); Cuttlebug & Stitched Circles folder (ProvoCraft); Snowflake Ghost Shape (Heidi Swapp); 1" and 1 1/4" circle punches, corner rounder (SU!); Glitter Dots; glue dots, sponge, dimensionals, sewing machine & thread

GUESS WHAT?!?!?

I am i{heart}2stamp's Guest Designer for December!!!!! I was blown away when Jen del Muro asked me about a month ago, and it's been so hard to keep it under my hat! :) Jen del Muro, or genie1314, is a SCS Dirty Dozen alum, and her work can be seen in publications and as a Design Team member for Verve Visual and My Favorite Things. I have been a fan of her work since I first saw it at Splitcoaststampers. So, you can imagine my surprise when I received a PM from her through SCS!!!! I am so excited and honored!! Wooohooo!!!!!


Jen also asked if I'd do a sample for her Sketch for You to Try (SFYTT). Here it is, and it's also on her blog. I used a $1 Michael's stamp -- I stamped the entire image once in the middle, then just the glass once on each side. I stamped another glass, cut it out, and popped it up on the center image. They are colored with my Prismacolors and covered in Crystal Effects to give them a realistic look. The paper is Holiday Words from the Christmas Collection by Flair Designs. Cardstock is SU! Garden Green and Real Red. The ribbon is SU! 5/8" Real Red grosgrain, and the brads are Sugarcoated Brads by Doodlebug. I sponged around the image panel with Real Red ink, and I machine stitched around the paper with white thread to create a border.

I'm headed out this morning for the annual Christmas shopping day with Megan, my sisters-in-law, and my nieces. Wish me luck!! And, thanks for sharing my joy!! *smile* Have a great Saturday!!

Limited Supplies: Mini Focal Point

I didn't think I'd have a chance to post again today, but my little girls went to a neighbor's house to play, so I had some bonus stamping time! I checked out today's Limited Supplies Challenge -- using mini stamps as the focal point. The focal image had to be a stamp no bigger than 1.5 x 1.5". We had to limit the embellishments to one and tools to only two, plus limit the card layers. For my focal image, I used this little wreath from BasicGrey's Winterland set. I just got this set from Jacksonbelle Embellishments, and I *love* it! The images are beautiful -- you'll be seeing more of it in the very near future, I'm sure! The background is SU! En Francais. The cardstock is SU! Cranberry Crisp, Chocolate Chip, and Very Vanilla. The paper is Wonderland by Cosmo Cricket. I obviously love this combination, because it's almost identical to my Sketch Challenge card a few posts ago! Ink pads I used were Chocolate Chip, Cranberry Crisp, and Certainly Celery (to sponge around the image panel). I also used markers (Cranberry Crisp and Chocolate Chip) for the bird and faux stitching. My two specialty tools are a paper piercer and stamping sponge. My one embellishment is the 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain. I sooooooo badly wanted to add Cinnamon Stickles to the wreath, but that would be another embellishment!!

I have a confession to make. The ribbon was originally placed higher on the card, but I totally screwed up when I stamped the sentiment, so the ribbon went to the bottom to cover it! I think I actually like it better down there! No sentiment anymore, but that's okay.

That's it for today -- please stop back tomorrow for my exciting announcement! Also, don't forget -- All That Scraps is releasing the new C.C. Designs stamps TONIGHT at midnight!!!

I think I might go downstairs and get the Cinnamon Stickles now... ;)

A-Sledding We Will Go!

ETA: I just got an email from Christine at C.C. Designs -- there's been such a buzz about the new sets that she's releasing them TONIGHT at midnight!!!!! WooHoo!!!!! :)

Here's another C.C. Designs sneak peek for you! Lucky's having lots of fun on his sled, don't you think? Lucky and the snowflakes are from the Little Bit Kit Winter Playtime, and the sentiment is a Little Single Bit called Winter Time Hi!. Both will be released at All That Scraps on December 7. I stamped Lucky and the sentiment on SU! Shimmery White cardstock -- I wish the photo showed how shimmery this card is IRL! I watercolored Lucky with my Aquapainter and inks. FYI -- this cardstock accepts watercoloring beautifully (even better than Whisper White)!! I didn't think it would, but I was pleasantly surprised! I drew in the snow line and accented the snow with Stardust Stickles. I added a little shimmer to his scarf fringe with a Sakura Stardust Pen. I sponged the sky with -- what else -- Soft Sky ink. The fun striped paper is from Piggy Tales Ba Ba Black Sheep Collection. The red satin ribbon is from May Arts, and the brads are Sugar Coated Brads from Doodlebug (one of my new favorite embellishments!). They come in so many colors and are a great sparkly accent!

I hope you liked this little sneak peek! Remember that All That Scraps is having a Design Team Call -- applications are due December 2! I'll be back with another card (and an exciting announcement) tomorrow! Thanks for visiting -- have a great Friday! :)

Stamps: Winter Playtime, Winter Time Hi! (C.C. Designs) Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Green Galore, Shimmery White (SU!) Paper: Ba Ba Black Sheep (Piggy Tales) Ink: Basic Black, Sahara Sand, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Soft Sky Other: Giga Scalloped Circle Punch & Mega Circle Punch (Marvy Uchida), Sugar Coated Brads (Doodlebug), Stardust Gelly Roll Pen (Sakura), Stardust Stickles (Ranger), paper piercing tool & Basic Black marker (SU!)

Lots of Happy Mail!

I have been meaning to show you this, but I keep forgetting! This is the prize I received from Jacksonbelle for being a runner-up in her Inkadinkado Contest. Isn't this awesome?!?! I couldn't believe it when I opened the package -- a pack of 6x6 Figgy paper, Prima ribbon, Prima flowers and leaves, a photo holder, and lots of fun embellies!!! I'm gonna have so much fun with all this great stuff -- isn't she a sweetheart? Thanks so much, Lindsey!! :)

Also, I received even more happy mail today -- the second of the C.C. Designs new Little Bit Kits came!! It's a set of PENGUINS, and it's way too cute!! I'll be inking it up as soon as possible, so I can show you some more sneak peeks! The new releases will be available at All That Scraps on December 7.

One more thing: All That Scraps is looking for six new Design Team members! Could one of them be you?!? See HERE for all the details. The deadline for applications is December 2. I'd love for you to join me!!!! :)

That's all I have for now -- I'll be back tomorrow with a C.C. Designs sneak peek! Thanks for stopping by! :)

A Sketch Challenge -- Papertrey Style

Here's my card for today's Sketch Challenge at SCS. I was able to squeeze it in after the kids got home from school and before Kyle's basketball game! All the images are from Papertrey Ink's Believe set. The paper is Wonderland by Cosmo Cricket. Cardstock is SU! Chocolate Chip and Watercolor Paper. I stamped the image in Basic Brown ink, then watercolored with an Aquapainter and inks. I used Cranberry Crisp on his suit, then gave it a light wash with Close to Cocoa to age it a bit. I used Blush Blossom on his face. The shadow was done with a Creamy Caramel marker, then blended with a blender pen. I used the same marker to outline Santa, then I used Creamy Caramel ink to sponge around the edges of the panel. The faux stitching was done with a Chocolate Chip marker. The sentiment and stars were stamped in Chocolate Chip ink. I stamped a fourth star, cut it out, and covered it with Cinnamon Stickles. Then I mounted it between Santa's hands with half of a Stampin' Dimensional. I also used the Cinnamon Stickles on the three star centers and on the "i" in Believe. I used Frosted Lace Stickles on Santa's beard and suit trim. Finally, I added SU! Jumbo Eyelets and Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon.

I'm really pleased with how this card turned out! I think I'm definitely in the Christmas spirit now! Thanks so much for stopping by -- have a great night! :)

Easy Dinner Recipe

Hi, everyone!

If your family is anything like mine, your afternoons and evenings are often filled with practices, games, homework, or meetings. As much as I'd love to be putting big dinners on the table every night to feed my family (and thereby adding something to my "mother of the year" resume), I've resigned myself to the fact that it just isn't realistic at this point in our lives. When we actually have a night when we're all at home for a couple hours, I've come to rely on a few of my kids' favorite meals. I wanted to share this one with you -- it's quick to prepare and has very few ingredients, plus it's easy enough for my teenagers to make in a pinch (and you can always substitute some of that leftover holiday turkey)!!


Easy Chicken Pot Pie
pkg. of 2 refrigerated, ready-to-bake pie crusts
1 10 oz. can chicken breast
1 can cream of chicken soup
16 oz. mixed vegetables (canned or frozen)
splash of milk
dash of pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Unroll pie crusts (leave out at room temperature for about 15 minutes first to make handling easier). Place one crust at the bottom of a deep-dish pie pan. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour into pie crust. Cover with second pie crust, and pinch sides closed. With a knife, make several vents on the top. Bake for 40 minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with salad and bread and enjoy! :)

I'll be back later with a sketch challenge card to share -- see you then!

Tic Tac Toe, Anyone?

Hi!

I'm so excited about this project! I've been wanting to make one of these tic tac toe boards for a while, and the new images from C.C. Designs are just the perfect size! The adorable penguin is from the new Little Bit Kit Winter Playtime, and the darling Snowman is a Little Single Bit called Little Snowman. Both will be available December 7 at All That Scraps. This game really came together pretty easily. The images were stamped with SU! Basic Black ink and colored with Prismacolor Pencils & Turpenoid. I used SU! punches (1 3/8" circle punch and scalloped circle punch) to make the game pieces. The game board base is a 9 1/2 x 8" piece of Bazzill Nightmist Canvas cardstock. The playing board is a piece of BasicGrey Figgy 6x6 paper. I simply measured 2" squares and drew the lines with a Sharpie marker. It is matted on a 6 1/4" square piece of white cardstock. The header is a 8 1/2 x 1 1/2" piece of white cardstock. The letters were die cut with my Cuttlebug and Olivia Alphabet, and I used a Quickie Glue Pen to adhere them to the cardstock. Since the board will be handled quite a bit, I didn't want to embellish with anything that would pull loose or be in the way. I decided on a row of snowflake eyelets I found in my stash. The whole thing stores easily in a gallon-size food storage bag.

I thought this would be a great game to have on a snow day, when friends are over, or during holiday travel time! It would make a cute gift, too! My kids have already been playing with this one! Try making a tic tac toe game for your family or for a gift -- if you do, I'd love for you to leave a link here so I can see it!

Thanks for visiting -- I really do appreciate it so much, and I love hearing from you! Have a great day! :)

Winter Fun with Lulu!

Good morning! I hope your weekend was great! We had a good one here -- we got most of our indoor Christmas decorations up, and Chris got the lights up outside! All the kids were home most of the time, and it was so much fun to watch them decorate the tree together. We went through a lot of hot chocolate! It's rare that we have a weekend with NOTHING on the calendar, but this was one of them. I guess it was the calm before the storm, since there are 29 days 'til Christmas!!

I have a card I'm dying to share with you. The images are from the newest set from C.C. Designs, Winter Playtime. It will be released December 7 at All That Scraps. If you fell in love with Lucky and Lulu like I did, you will want this set! The images are absolutely adorable! I'll have more to share in the next few days!

The layout for this card is from Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. The card base is Bazzill Apple Green Washboard. The other cardstock is SU! Regal Rose, Basic Black, and Whisper White. The patterned paper is from Piggy Tales Ba Ba Black Sheep Collection. The snowflakes were stamped in SU! White Craft ink, and the rest was stamped in Basic Black. I colored the main image with Prismacolor Pencils then blended them with Turpenoid and blending stumps. I sponged around the edge of the panel with SU! Regal Rose ink. I added Stardust Stickles to the snow and Lulu's coat. I used a Sakura clear glaze pen on the eyes, nose, mouths, and snowman buttons & arms. I *love* the clear glaze pen -- it gives shine and dimension just where you want it. I tied some yummy May Arts Two Tone Ribbon around the bottom of the image panel. It is sheer and shimmery and seemed perfect for this wintery card!

I have to talk a minute about the Glitter Dots I used next to the image panel. What a fun embellishment! They come in so many colors, and they can easily be applied with glue dots. They can be used just like brads, but you don't have to pierce holes in your card base! I love that -- no prongs showing on the inside! Plus, the glitter is perfect for a card like this one!

I think that's it for now -- I hope this card puts you in a wintery mood! Thanks for stopping by -- have a great day! :)

All That Scraps Design Team Call!

Hey, everyone! I wanted to let you know that All That Scraps is having a Design Team Call! They're adding 6 more members to the Design Team. See Amy's post HERE to find out all the deets! I'd LOVE to have you on the team with me!! Deadline for applications is December 2 -- what are you waiting for? :)

Sensational Snowflakes

Two posts in one day! Everyone in my family has been home today, so we just spent the day watching Christmas movies and playing games. I had lots of time to play with new stamps! I just received Snowflake Serenade from Papertrey Ink, and it was great that I could use it for today's Limited Supplies Challenge -- Sensational Snowflakes. I did the first card in browns, to follow the challenge guidelines, then I made another in greens. Let me tell you, I'm lovin' this set! The images are so elegant, and I can imagine so many color combinations on cards and gifts!

Chris and I are headed out to find a tree and decorations for his office -- I hope the crowds aren't too bad! I plan to get started on my decorations at home this weekend, but I'm sure I'll squeeze in a little stamping, too! ;) Have a great night!

Card 1

Stamps: Snowflake Serenade (PTI) Ink: Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Cranberry Crisp (SU!) Cardstock: Kraft, Cranberry Crisp, Whisper White (SU!) Other: cranberry stitched grosgrain, corner rounder, rhinestone, sponge, dimensionals

Card 2

Stamps: Snowflake Serenade (PTI) Ink: Sahara Sand, Mellow Moss, Cranberry Crisp (SU!) Cardstock: Mellow Moss, Cranberry Crisp, Whisper White (SU!) Other: cranberry stitched grosgrain, corner rounder, rhinestone, sponge, dimensionals