Burgundy and Gold

Good evening all!
Today I have a gift tag I made for the Crafting with Deedee's Digis challenge this week.  The challenge was to use burgundy and gold in a project.  I decided to fold white cardstock over and run it through the Big Shot with the Scallop Square die.  I then used some store-bought bling (from EK Success) to decorate the front portion.  The poinsettias are an image from Deedee's Digis which I printed on both Rich razzleberry and Old Olive cardstock and then cut them out.  The centers are gold rhinestones.  To finish the tag fronts, I sponged all around with Rich Razzleberry.  A very simple card!!

I hope you are getting close to ready for Christmas.  I am on my way.  Finished my shopping and wrapping today - about three days ahead of schedule.  Wow!  But I have not finished my baking yet.  Tree trimming is on Wednesday, my next day off.  We use a real tree so we cannot put it up too early or it will dry out. 
I will be back tomorrow evening with a new project so, until then, Happy Stamping!

Crazy Snowman Juggler

Hi, it is almost Sunday so I wanted to show you this snowman candy cane holder I made for the StampItCrazy challenge this week.  For the challenge, we are sticking with a Christmas theme and members of the design team are to use this snowman image in some way.  I decided to make my snowman juggling snowballs.  To do this, I cut a length of copper wire and attached 1/2" balls to it.  I patted the circles in VersaMark ink and then sprinkled them with Dazzling Diamonds.  It is hard to see the sparkle in this picture.
The candy cane holder base is a rectangular box with 2 3/8" holes punched in it. I coloured the StampItCrazy digital image using Stampin Up! markers and I used a sparkly gel pen to add a bit of detail to the boots.  (It is important not to make the holes for the candy too big or the candy canes  will not stand up).

The design team for StampItCrazy is a very talented and imaginative group of ladies and I am very lucky to be in their company.  I hope you will visit StampItCrazy and also the design team blogs.  It will be time well spent.  Who knows? You may even enter our challenges.

Until tomorrow, Happy Stamping!

Unscripted Hockey Player

Good Evening!
Sorry I did not have time to post this earlier this morning but I was running behind with my getting ready for work.  I hurt my back and was moving very slowly.

It is Saturday and that means it is Unscripted Sketches day.  Today's sketch is coupled with a piggyback challenge (use no patterned paper) in the project.  I chose to use a photo of a hockey game for my background instead of paper.  The pictures of Jordan are all from last year's games.  Since I made this card for a co-worker and good friend who is very interested in my little guy, I added the sentiment "Happy Hockey Days" in place of a Christmas greeting.  This is the perfect card for Gene!

I know I tell you this every week, but I count myself fortunate to be among the talented ladies on the design team at Unscripted Sketches.  Please visit the site and their various blogs to see how great they really are.

Happy Stamping!

Snowflake 411

Good Morning!

Here I go again.  I am in love with metal.  It must be the industrial, constructive nature in me but I am always looking for ways to include metal in my projects!  Today's card absolutely screamed at me that it required a metal snowflake.  Imagine that!!!!

This card is my entry into the Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge 181.  The large and small snowflake motifs are both cut using the Big Shot and the Large Snowflake die and one of the small Snowflakes #2.  The bottom section of the card front is an emboosing folder and the Big Shot.  To make the snowflakes on the top portion of the card, I stamped images from Serene Snowflakes with Versa Mark and then embossed them with silver embossing powder.    Although there was a bow on the original sketch, I had to leave one off because the snowflake was just too big - but I like it that way.  Hope you do too.

Until tomorrow,  Happy Stamping!

Crazy Shelby Pouch

Hi! Hi! Hi!

I recently got more good news.  I am on another Design Team - the StampItCrazy Design Team.  And this week was my first example.  The theme this week is  a Christmas Challenge.  The members of the team were given this image of Shelby and asked to create a Christmas project featuring her.  I decided to make a top note gift bag ( or small pocket book).  The bottom part is a Fancy Favors box with a Top Note folded over on the top.  Both were cut using the Big Shot.  I attached the image of Shelby to the front and velcroed down the flap.  I coloured Shelby with Stampin Markers and Pastels.

I would really like it if you would visit StampItCrazy to take a look at the examples from the other team members (they are stunning) and maybe give the challenge a try.  I know you will enjoy the StampItCrazy blog and the Crazy Ladies.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Stamping!

Sweet Stampin Announcement

I have an announcement to make!  I have been selected for the design team over at The Sweet Stampin Challenge Blog.  I am thrilled and honoured to be chosen for this design team.  Sometimes I think my style is so different from others but I guess that is why I was chosen. 

Please visit The Sweet Stampin Challenge Blog every Saturday to see the new challenge and to check out the work of the awesome Design Team members.

I will have more info to pass on in the coming days.
Happy Stamping!

Unscripted Hockey Player

Good Snowy Morning!

We are supposed to get a snowstorm today so maybe after Jordan's hockey game I will be able to hunker down and do some serious stamping.  (Fingers crossed)

Today is Saturday so that means it is Unscripted Sketches Sketch Challenge day.  For my card, I went a little bit out of my "normal" zone.  I usually have a hard time mixing patterns in one project but I decided to use three different patterns on this one card.  I tried adding a fourth for the top note but i just could not do it.  Instead I cut it out of metal and that seamed to tie it together for me.  When I look at it now, I think it is slightly out of proportion though and I would move everything a bit left if I did it again.  The hockey player is quite cute though and, all in all, I am not too disappointed.  Remember, if everything turned out perfect every time we would never learn anything new.

Please visit Unscripted Sketches to see the amazing work from the other design team members .  You will find them an extremely talented group.  You will find links to their blogs there.  Please check it out!

Well, I am off to the shower and then to work.  Hope it is busy and the day goes quickly.
See you later and Happy Stamping!

Vintage Grunge ? Santa

Hi!

My project today was made for the Sweet Stampin Challenge Blog this week.  Theme -Create Your Own Background Paper.  And it was really fun to participate.

The style of my card is something new for me.  I very seldom do vintage but this card is sort of vintage grunge (if there is such a thing).  The background is newsprint wrapping paper which I stamped with snowflakes (from Serene Snowflakes) using Crumb Cake ink.  I then sponged more Crumb Cake  all over it lightly.  The Santa had to be a bit darker to show up so I used Soft Suede ink and the stamp set Jolliest Time of the Year.  I purposely made the image off-centre so I could add the Big Shot snowflake on the side to spice it up a bit.  And it worked!

I hope I get more time in my stamping room tomorrow but I am WAY behind on my holiday preparations.  Wish me luck.
Until next time...........
Happy Stamping!

Candle Wishes

Good afternoon!

I have been meaning to include a 3-d wreath on a Christmas card for a few weeks.  Today's card gives me the opportunity to do just that.  This project is for the Crafting With Deedee's Digis Challenge this week .  Our task was to create a card for someone we would not normally give a card to.  I am sending it to one of my customers at work who touched my soul recently.  I hope she gets a good and positive feeling from it.

To make the card I used a digi from Deedee's Digis and cut it out.  Instead of colouring the halos, I punched out 3 different sized circles and patted them on my Versa pad and then embossed them with silver, gold and bronze.  The melting wax is a combination of salt, flour and water spread with a toothpick and then dried with the heat gun.  It really gives texture to the image.  I saw this technique on Butternut Sage Designs and then I thickened it a bit to give it more "bumpiness".  For the wreath, I cut a form from chipboard and then covered it all over with tiny cut-out holly leaves.  The berries are red beads which I glued on with clear glue.  For the leaves on the candle holder, I printed a second image, coloured it and cut only the leaves out.  I adhered them on top of the ones on the original image.

I hope you like this card, and also that you get an opportunity to craft today.  See you later and Happy Stamping!

Snowmen Present

Hi, there must be something wrong - two posts in one day!  Wow!
This evening I have a box I made for the Stamp It Crazy Challenge today.  We had to use a blue and white colour scheme which includes a snowflake and red ribbon.  This is what I came up with.  I used bashful blue for the box and stamped Snow Swirled snowflakes all over it with Bashful Blue ink.  I used the same for the divider in the box.  The snowmen (Peachy Keen) were stamped with Stazon and then I coloured them with various blues and blender pens.  For the top, I scored it half way so, that by only adhering the bottom half of the snowman picture, it would stand up when the flap was tucked in the back.  For the snowflake I used the Big Shot and the Snowflakes #2 dies and stuck a rhinestone in the centre.  To make the raised snowballs and fur areas, I daubed clear glue on the areas and then sprinkled them with glitter.
This box will hold candy ( as I have done) or a whole lot of other small gifts. 
Enjoy your evening and Happy Stamping!

Reindeer Step Card

Hello once again!

Here is a card I made for the Friday Sketchers Challenge #131.  I wanted to make a step card and the sketch gave me the perfect opportunity to do so.  It is hard to see in the photo but I made layers of snow and attached them to the various levels with dimensionals.  I sponged all the snow edges with a very pale blue which you see in person but does not transfer to the picture.  I also stamped tiny snowflakes with versa mark and sprinkled glitter on them.  I started to make this a totally forest scene but felt I needed to punch the tree up with rhinestones.  Instead of the ribbon around the card, I made several little presents and added a row of these behind the reindeer.   In case you are interested in creating a step card, this one is 4 1/4"X 11".  The scores are at 1 3/8", 2 1/2", 4 3/8", 6" and 8 1/4".  Hope you give it a try.

Happy Stamping!

Unscripted Recipe Book

Good morning!

It is Unscripted Sketches day again and instead of making a card I decided to make a recipe book.  For the covers I used rectangular coasters I bought from a bulk buy programme  and covered them with cardstock and patterned papers.  This was the perfect project for using scraps.  I dug to the bottom of my leftovers and found several papperns of Christmas paper -all right.

To bind the book, I used my Zutters Bind It All, a quick and easy and very professional way to bind a book.  The recipe sheets are printed from the internet.

I really encourage you to visit Unscripted Sketches this week and to check out the blogs of the other talented ladiies on the design team:Alanna,Angy,April,Arielle,Becky,Debbie,Gardenia,Jenny,Lelia,Linda,Marcy,SarahKaye,Steph and Suzanne.  You will love their projects and their blogs.

Have a great day and Happy Stamping!



Truckload of Wishes

Good afternoon, friends!
I received my thank you gifts from Dawn today so I just had to use them.  I have wanted this stamp set for a long time but did not order it since it was pretty expensive and I was not sure exactly how much I would use it.  But as a gift, there is no guilt involved.

Today's card is for  the Get Sketchy Challenge #67.  it is a very simple little card but I think the simplicity adds to its charm.  My stamp set is Loads of Love and I coloured the images with Stampin Pastels.  The snowflakes are die cut and a rhinestone is added to each centre.  This card came together so quickly but I think it is one of my favourites this season.

Enjoy the rest of the day.  I am off to a hockey game.  9 year old hockey is soooooooooo much fun!

Happy Stamping!

Minty Package

Hi!
Can you believe it?  It's 1:35 a.m. and I am up posting - and I should be sleeping - I work all day tomorrow ( or should I say today?).  This little box is done in non-traditional Christmas colours.  It houses three York Peppermint Patties
and I made it for the Late Nite Stampers

Challenge # 98 Non-Traditional Colours Christmas Project.  I used Pear Pizzazz, Taken With Teal and Pacific Point.  To spice the box up, I lined the inside and made dividers between the candies and I adhered a window sheet in the lid.
I used the Ornaments stamp set and punch for this project.  Very simple but a nice and quick gift for an acquaintance or co-worker at Christmas.   If you would like the dimensions and instructions, just leave a note in the comments with your email and I will send them to you.

Hope you are all having a good sleep and I will see you tomorrow.
Happy Stamping!