santa was here...

Hello friends!!   The rush to Christmas is on!  I have been busy trying to get a few little paper crafting projects wrapped up and so far haven't accomplished much... yikes!  But I had time to make a card for a couple of challenges:   ColourQ and RC's Sketch for You to Try #7.  Gotta have your priorities, right? 

I recently got some yummy new Reverse Confetti... two stamps sets and their brand new Confetti Cut die set Tag Me and I have been dying to use them.  Of course their SFYTT was the perfect opportunity.  I stamped one of the circle images from the RC set Whole Lotta Dots on kraft cardstock using kraft ink and then die cut it using the large tag from Tag Me.   The circular image from the RC set Tinsel n' Trim was stamped in red ink and die cut with a Spellbinders circle die.  The arrow image was stamped using Always Artichoke and trimmed out.   I cut some patterned papers from various manufacturers, layered then and then adhered the tag and sentiments.  I finished off the card with a bow tied with kraft and dark green hemp twine, adhered it to the tag and added the snowflake/pearl embellishment.

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Stamps:  Reverse Confetti; Dies:  Reverse Confetti & Spellbinders; Cardstock:  PTI white; SU! Chocolate Chip; PP:  Teresa Collins and PTI; Inks:  SU!:  Real Red, Always Artichoke & Crumb Cake; Hemp:  Hempotique; Sequin:  Lawn Fawn; pearl

CCC #74...

{for my CardMaker/Crafter's Companion post scroll down or click here}

Hello friends!!  Tuesday is here and that means time for a brand new CASology challenge.  Oh my goodness I cannot believe all the gorgeous projects that were posted in the gallery for last week's challenge!!  I know that there will be tons more gorgeous project posted for this week's cue word:  snowflake.   Once, again, we have a fabulous sponsor.  All the details can be found on the CASology blog.  Joining us in the guest designer spot is the super talented Lynn! 

I don't know about you, but I have lots and lots of dies and sometimes I forget that I can do more with those dies than just die cutting.  But thanks to a little video put together by the wildly talented Chupa (found here) I remembered that many of them can be used to emboss your cardstock.   Using the current layout from CAS(E) this Sketch as my starting point I got out my MFT jumbo Snowflake die and used it to emboss some white cardstock.  I stamped the sentiment from the Precious Remembrance Shop set Holiday Wishes in red on white cardstock and trimmed it out.  I adhered the sentiment and a little bow tied with green twine and I was done.  I love the subtle look created by the embossed snowflake and the way the red sentiment just pops.

Thanks for stopping by... I cannot wait to see where this week's cue word "snowflake" takes you!  In the meantime make sure you check out the cards from the rest of the design team: Melissa, Judy, Meghan, Ardyth, Gillian, Maureen, Kimberly, Tracey and guest designer, Lynn!

CardMaker/Crafter's Companion Blog Hop!

Hello friends!!!  Today the CardMaker blog design team has joined up with the Crafter's Companion design team to bring you a fun blog hop.  We will be putting the spotlight on some of Crafter's Companion wonderful products!   If you arrived here from the blog of Crafter's Companion design team member Leah Lucescu then you are on the right track.  If not, then you should head to the CardMaker blog to start at the beginning.  Make sure that you check out the Crafter's Companion Facebook page for the fun giveaway that they are having.  You will have the chance to win one of two prize packs that include a stamp set, embossing folder, two sets of Spectrum Noir makers and a one year digital subscription to CardMaker!

Crafter's Companion generously provided me with Spectrum Noir markers, a fun stamp set and embossing folder.  The stamp set is from their Makey Bakey Mice collection called Makey Bakey Christmas.  I stamped the image and colored it with the following Spectrum Noir markers:  DR1, DR5, DR7, BG1, BG2, BG4, CG1, DG2 & DG4.  After I finished coloring the image I added a little bit of glimmer with a silver Wink of Stella marker.  I embossed the red and olive green cardstock with the Crafter's Companion Christmas Elegance embossing folder.   To finish off the card I added a little fishtail banner on which I stamped the sentiment in black ink.

Thanks for stopping by... your next stop is the blog of Crafter's Companion design team member Tenia Nelson.  I know you are definitely in for a treat when you visit her blog!   Please also take the time to visit the Crafter's Companion blog for more inspiration!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  Smooth white, red and olive green; Stamps:  Crafter's Companion; Ink:  Memento; Markers:  Spectrum Noir; Embossing folder:  Crafter's Companion

verve december diva dare...

Hello friends!!  I have a couple of cards to share today.  Both are cards that I made several months ago, but only posted in my Splitcoaststampers gallery because they were made for Verve's monthly sketch challenge.  I'm sharing them with you now because this month's Diva Dare over that the Verve blog is to either post a favorite card that you made using Verve stamps in 2013 or create a new card using a favorite Verve set.  Because I'm in a bit of a creative funk (again!) and I have other projects that I need to get done I decided to go with the first option and share two cards that I made using Verve stamps that I absolutely love.   First up is a card that I made using two Verve sets:  Learning to Sail and Strong Anchor.

 

I absolutely love how this card turned out.  It just makes me think of a cottage by the sea.  I had to fiddle around for a bit to get the boat just so (and did a wee bit of paper piecing, too), but all the fiddling was worth it!    The second card was made using the Verve set Shining Star, as well as the matching Stars die.

 

 



The clean simplicity of this card just makes me happy and that is one reason I love it so much.  This was one of those cards that just came together with little effort and turned out exactly as I wanted it  to.   The other thing I like is how I was able to make the card clean and simple, but give it a bit of shabby edge.

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white & Blueberry Sky; Patterned paper:  My Mind's Eye Kate & Co (2nd card), Penny Black Madison pad (1st card); Inks:  Memento and Stampin Up!; Stamps & dies:  Verve; Hemp twine:  Close to my Heart

golden butterfly...

Hello friends!!  Have a quick little post to share a couple of things.  First, I have a post up over at the CardMaker blog sharing a little candle wrap I made. I hope you will check it out here.   Second, I have a card that I made using this week's Splitcoaststamper's color combo (gold, yellow and green) and the layout from Sketchbook Saturday.

My wonderful friend, Greta, sent me a lovely birthday card and along with it came some butterflies that she die cut using the Penny Black Delicate Wings die set.  Thank you, Greta!!!!  I have the Soft Wings stamp that matches the dies so I was really excited to receive them.   I stamped the die cuts using my Delicata Golden Glitz ink and then adhered them together.   I did a bit of die cutting and embossing and then layered up everything per the sketch.  Some yellow sequins and green pearls were added to the body.  The sentiment is from the Stampin Up! set Blooming with Kindness.  I really love this color combo... so refreshing and dare I say... spring like?? 

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white, SU! Wild Wasabi; PP:  SU! Polka Dot Parade dsp; Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black & Delicata Golden Glitz; Stamps:  Penny Black & Stampin Up!; Sequins:  Ellen Hutson; Pearls:  Hero Arts; Ribbon:  Stampin Up!

CCC #73... seasons greetings

Hello friends!!!   Tuesday has rolled back around and that means time for a brand new CASology challenge!  Lots of fun projects in the gallery for last week's cue word "shop".   I just know this week's cue word will spark just as many wonderful projects.   Say hello to this week's cue word:  ribbon.  We have another wonderful sponsor this week (all the details can be found here) and joining us as guest designer is the very talented Donna! 

So... when I saw this week's cue word I was pretty excited because I LOVE RIBBON!  I haven't used a lot of it lately, but that could change at any moment, lol!!   Over the years I have determined exactly what types of ribbon I love the most and sadly skinny ribbon is not on that list.  Skinny ribbon does not make yummy full bows and I love nicely tied bows.  I have been known to spend upwards of 15 minutes or more to get my bow just right!  So I really wanted to use some nice wide ribbon that I could tie in a big yummy bow, but realizing that this is a CAS challenge I knew that idea might not work.  So I went with using a just a small piece of ribbon for my card.  My color combo is based on this week's Dynamic Duo of dark blue and your choice.  I decided to go with yellow for my second color.   I covered the front of my card base with a piece of designer paper from Stampin Up! that has a subtle pattern on it.  The ornament (from the Hero Arts set Ornaments) was stamped using Midnight Muse ink and then die cut with the corresponding die.  A piece of yellow and cream striped ribbon (from SU!) was cut, tied in a knot and then the ends fishtailed.  That was adhered to the top of the ornament.  A snowflake from another Hero Arts set (Decorate Your Holiday) was stamped in yellow, trimmed out, popped up on the ornament and a yellow sequin added to the center.  The ornament was adhered to a cardstock piece that I stamped with the sentiment using Midnight Muse ink and then that piece was adhered to the card base.  See... you can use wide ribbon on a CAS card, lol!

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI Rustic White; PP:  Stampin Up!; Stamps:  Hero Arts; Inks:  Memento Dandelion, SU! Midnight Muse; Sequin:  Ellen Hutson; Ribbon:  Stampin Up!

yellow poinsettia...

Hello friends!!  Wow... December is here!!  Time sure does fly by doesn't it???  Have a little card to share that I made for Seize the Sketch that uses this week's SCS color challenge combo of Baja Breeze, Delightful Daffodil and Night of Navy.  For this card I used the gorgeous Penny Black stamp Warm Wishes, as well as a sentiment from the Penny Black set "banner of joy".  ETA:  I have never played along with Addicted to Stamps, but I saw that their current challenge is "holidays" so I thought I would enter this in the challenge.

I stamped the image using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored it with the following Copic markers:  Y11, Y13, Y15, Y17 & Y19.   Yellow isn't necessarily a color you see in those huge displays of poinsettias at the nursery or store, but they do come in a nice creamy yellow shade so I'm not too far off, right?   Once I was done coloring the image I applied some glue to the center of the flower and added some glass glitter.  Once the glue was dry I stamped the sentiment using Night of Navy ink and then mounted the piece on a Baja Breeze card base.  Super simple, but I think rather striking.

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white, SU! Baja Breeze; Stamps:  Penny Black; Ink;  Memento Tuxedo Black & SU! Night of Navy; Glass Glitter:  Stampin Up! Baja Breeze; Copic Markers

{live your dream}

Hello friends!! Hope everyone here in the USA had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We did... but now it is time to get the Christmas tree up and decorated!   Have a card to share that has absolutely nothing to do with any holiday!  Had a bit of time the other day and so I played with some new stamps from Precious Remembrance Shop and the colors from ColourQ.

For my card I combined two Precious Remembrance Shop sets:  Positive Thoughts and DIY.  Both sets are full of fun trendy images that are easy to collage on your project.   Even though the design is pretty simple and one I tend to use fairly frequently I did spend the time stamping all the images on some scrap paper to make sure I liked the combination of images and colors.   A few sequins were added just to give the design a bit more interest.

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white; Stamps:  Precious Remembrance Shop; Inks:  Stampin Up! Kiwi Kiss; Tempting Turquoise & Early Espresso, Memento Tangelo