Enchanted

I had a little more Imaginisce Enchanted left, so I put together a card yesterday.

I used the packaging from some Jenni Bowlin products to make the card.  The flowers and leaves were fussy cut from a sheet of paper.  I used foam dots to pop them up a bit.  I left a little space on the bottom because I am not quite sure if I am going to use this for a Valentine or birthday card.

This had to be a quick post.  I am off to work, and it looks like we got a few inches of snow that I'll be needing to clear off the jeep.  Yuck, yuck, yuck.  I am SO over winter!

Sassy Lil Sketches Reveal

There is a new sketch up at Sassy Lil Sketches!  I would normally post this right away in the day, but I'm a little late because I wanted to play along this time.  I use almost every sketch that Cherie creates.  Her sketches have become my favorite go-to-sketches!

I used CTMH Cardstock and Serendipity papers (long retired) for this layout.  The colors of the paper really complimented this fabulous picture of my great-nephews.  They are just adorable, aren't they?  I cut the flowers and circles from a piece of the paper to make a banner.  Oh, I scored my cardstock, too, just to give it some depth.  "Oh boy" is from the Slice Big Kids card.

You have until February 5th to play along with the January challenges from Sassy Lil Sketches.  These are the sponsors:

I'd love to see what you create with Cherie's sketches!

Fabulous Friday Find

It is my pleasure to be bringing a Fabulous Friday Find to Scrap Tiffany today!  I am thrilled to bring you to a couple of websites where I am certain you can learn so much!

Do you love learning new techniques? I can’t imagine doing the same thing over and over again. I am always hungry to learn something fresh and exciting in paper crafting. So today, the first website I want to tell you about a fabulous place that is showing new technique every week.

Jeanette Lynton is the CEO and founder of Close To My Heart Scrapbooking and Stamping. At the beginning of the year she started something called “52 Weeks of Wonder.” Every week she showcases a stamping technique. Some of them you may know, and some may be brand new to your crafting experience. Either way, Mrs. Lynton brings them to her blog in a fun and informative way. There is a lot of tutorial and pictures so that you are sure to learn the technique with as much guidance as possible. So far, she has taught stamp kissing, embossing, and generational stamping. Let me tell you, I have embossed for many years, but I learned a great deal from that post!

In addition to this, Close To My Heart does fabulous mini webisodes called Art & Soul. There’s always a layout featuring a fresh idea, and in lightning speed (with music), they show you exactly how to build the layout. They pack quite a few ideas in a 12-15 minute episode, and I think you’ll love what you learn!


I hope this has been an informative Fabulous Friday Find for you!!

Valentine's Decor

I have been wanting to make something for Valentine's Day, and this was the perfect wall hanging for a spot I want to fill. 

I cut hearts out of Imaginisce Enchanted paper with my Slice Basics card.  Next I painted them with Ranger clear rock candy distress paint.  After they dried, I hot glued them to a styrofoam wreath.  From there, I added some i-Rock gems here and there.

My final touches were the flowers, trinket pins, and bow.  Now these are the new Imaginisce Paper Roly Rosies.  I created them by using the Imaginisce Petal Roller.  I inked the edges with Ranger worn lipstick distress ink and dotted them with icicle stickles.  The trinket pins are Making Memories and the ribbon is May Arts.

I love this little Petal Roller!  I do not have good hand coordination, and this makes things so easy for me.  Watch the video on YouTube here to see how it works.  You can see how beautiful they turn out!  I was really excited today when I found out that Imaginisce is releasing fabric Roly Rosies and different shaped flowers.  They are also going to release new i-Rock gems in different colors and shapes!  I just love when companies make things so easy and fun for me!!

It's my third post as a torch bearer for Amber Inklings!  It's a birthday theme this week, and I couldn't help but to make another flower.  (You know how I love to make flowers!!) 

I used Shot Through the Heart iPaper to make the flower and the scalloped edge.  The sentiment is also Amber Ink.  If you look closely, there are also tiny little pearls amongst the scallop.  Lots of layering on this card!

Sarah Hurley Challenges

It's a sketch from Melly this week at Sarah Hurley Challenges:

I used  the Woodland Whimsies CD.  The owls are just too cute to resist!

Check out the rest of the design team creations and leave them some love!  Sarah is having a design team call, so if you like working with digi images, papers, and embellishments, check out the DT call here.

Everything You Can Imagine is Real

I purchased the Wings Workshop on the Go kit from CTMH, and I fell in love with one of the flower ideas.  The flower on the card is made from a stamped image - 5 of the same - to form he petals on a flower.  I took that idea (a little over the top) and this is what I came up with.

Well my CTMH friends, what do you think with all the added petals?  I still did the second generation stamping with a roll of ink on the edges.  My ink looks a little darker because I painted each petal with rock candy crackle paint before building the flower.  I find this to make the paper pliable so that it will not tear with all the shaping.  Then, if you click on the picture and look closer, you'll see that I added stickles about the whole flower.  The background was misted with a combination of vineyard berry re-inker and pearl paint.  I love this quote - one of my favorites - so I am going to add this card to the These are a Few of My Favorite Things challenge (quotes).  Let's Ink It Up and Paper Cutz are anything goes, and Crafty Carmakers is floral, so this card will also be entered in those challenges.

Beautiful

When I learned that challenge at Create: (CARDS) was spray mist, I just had to take mine off the shelf again.  I really do love working with it, and the two colors I chose - Lilypad and Moonlight Path from Tattered Angels - gave my card just the look I wanted.

The butterfly stamp, white embossing powder, trinket pin, ribbon, sparkles and cardstock are all CTMH.  Because of this, I am also going to enter this card in the Heart 2 Heart challenge which is to use animals, birds, or insects.

I've been busy ignorning chores and staying in my craft room today.  I've finished up some design team projects that you will see in the days ahead, and I've even managed to fit in some paper crafting just for me.  I don't know that I'll have much time to create in the next week or so.  In the coming nine days, I only have one day off.  So I have worked hard at getting reveals done in order to keep you coming back to visit me!

Happy Valentine's Day

The Just us Girls challenge this week is to make a 3D container for Valentine's.  This was a perfect time for me to use a template and some printable stamps from The Cutting Cafe.  I also rough-chalked the hearts and flowers.

I used the following from the Cutting Cafe:

• Heart Goodie Bag Holder
• Words of Love
• Fun with Valentine's

Valentin'es Day Love

Here I am bringing you another project for the month as an Amber Ink torch bearer!  I am using new iPaper from the Shot to My Heart collection. 

I chose to create a gift bag, two jars, and a card.  These are going to be for my Mother's Valentine's present.  I have not decided what I am going to fill the jars with yet, so I've left them empty.  Other items used are Nestabilities, May Arts wrinkled ribbon, Making Memories trinket pins, CTMH black and white cardstock, i-Top gems, and assorted flowers from my stash.

Are you making Valentine's gifts this year?  I'd love for you to leave me a link and show me!

Practical Scrappers One Hour Layout Challenge

I have been furiously working on this for the past hour for PS One Hour Layout Challenge!  Here's the sketch and my entry:

I only knew that we needed the pictures and what sizes they should be.  I was still fussing at five minutes to the hour to figure out what pictures I wanted to scrap.  I came across these pictures of Shane when he was little (where does the time go?) and I had to put them to paper.  By then, I had already lost 3 minutes!!  Well, I grabbed some no-fail Echo Park and delved into this Little Boy kit that I purchased a couple months ago.  I so love matching papers and elements!  I cut the "button" background mat for starters.  When I added the border stickers, I curled them up a bit for dimension and added buttons.  There I was counting buttons - and I had just enough of the same size and color that I wanted.  I diecut some leaves from my Slice Think Pink card for further embellishment.

I did this quickly, but I can say that I will not change a thing.  Well, why would I when the focal point is that million dollar smile?  I can tell you that at 21, he still has that million dollar smile!

So fun to do a one-hour challenge!  I learned what I waste time on and what I could do more quickly without diddling so much.  And I am so grateful for this Echo Park Little Boy kit.  The most difficult thing was picking out which papers I would use.  They are all so cute!!

Creative Imaginations IOD

I pulled out some Iron Orchid Designs paper from Creative Imagination today.  I so love the softness of the paper!  I thought as long as I was playing and making some more Valentine's that I would also enter a few challenges.  The first card is for Frosted Designs where they are asking for transparency, vellum, or acrylic.

I made an acrylic card for this challenge.  I cut a hole in the front with a circle nestabilities, and then used the scalloped circle to make a border around the cut.  (If you click on the picture, it will show larger for you and you'll be able to see the detail.)  The background paper is on the inside of the card as well as the "xoxo" and one butterfly.  "Beloved" and another butterfly are on the front.  I am so glad that FD had this challenge because it was really fun to challenge myself to make an acrylic card again!  I'll also enter this card into the Wee Memories challenge which is to "free your creativity."

I have used the sketch from Card Patterns for the next card.

Again, I used IOD paper and a matching journaling tag.  The ribbon, stamp, and sparkles are CTMH.  I am going back to playing now.  I've got some finsihed projects sitting on my desk that I'll have to wait to show you.  But I still want ot continue on in the Valentine's mode so back to crafting!!

Winter Wonderland

It's time for another Sassy Lil' Sketches reveal!  This is my last assignment on the layout design team.  But I am so happy that I will be staying on for the next six months as a card design team member!  I LOVE Sassy Lil' Sketches, the sketches Cherie creates, and the camaraderie on the new  Sketches forum board.  I am still a lurker and don't comment often, but it's fun to "listen" to everyone and see how paper crafting brings everyone together!  If you haven't joined yet, hop over to the forum and introduce yourself.  I'd love to see you there - and so would everyone else!

So on to Cherie's FABULOUS sketch:

Here's my take:

As much as I dislike all the snow we've gotten this winter, I have to say that I've been able to take some beautiful pictures!  Both of these trees are in our front yard, and they are just so gorgeous when snow-ridden.  For this layout, I used all Fancy Pants Hot Chocolate.  I die cut the tree and snowflakes with the Slice FaLaLa card.  I've scattered gems all around the snowflakes and on the tree.  Click on the picture to see that "puff ball" metal ribbon.  I found it after Christmas at Wal-Mart for 66 cents.  How perfect for this layout! 

I'd love if you played along!  Our sponsors this month at SLS are:

and

You have until February 5th to link up your work.  You can play with one sketch or all four that are revealed in the month.  You get one entry in the drawing for each time you participate.  Isn't that great?  We'll be having some events coming up on the forum that I think you'll like, too!

Nobody Beats You

I am so excited to bring you my first project using Amber Ink digi stamps and paper!  When I saw the sets I used on my card, I smiled and fell in love with them.  They are so darn fun!

The two sets I used are Mod Kitchen (images) and Say it Like It's 1959 (sentiment).  I created a border using the diamond pattern.  I remember everything being these colors when I was a little girl - especially that olive green!  I printed off an extra mixer stamp, colored it, and then pop dotted it over the one on the card. I hope you can see that - it gives the card a little more dimension!  I used CTMH cardstock and markers.

Head over to the Amber Inklings blog to see more new releases.  I think you'll agree that the product is so much fun!!  Be sure to visit me next week when I bring you some Valentine's ideas using Amber Ink digi products!

Birthday Girl

Birthday girl is the theme this week at Sarah Hurley Challenges.  I don't very often make pink cards, so it was a treat to sit down and use some of the papers from the Wonderland CD.  The light pink flower is a digital stamp that I printed on one of the digi papers.  Now who doesn't like cupcakes and sprinkles?  This challenge is open until January 30th, and you can use anything you want to create your card.  Can't wait to see what you create!

Oh My Goodness!

What a huge honor!  I received an e-mail letting me know that someone had nominated me to be a January torch bearer for Amber Inklings!  I knew right away that it had to be my fabulous blogging friend Laurel.  (Please go visit her.  You will be happy to have found the inspiration!)  I only hope that I can carry the torch with the grace that Laurel did!

During the next month I'll be posting projects using Amber Inklings fabulous digital stamps and papers.  If you pop over to Amber's blog, you'll meet the rest of the torchbearers for January!  Also be sure to check back with me tomorrow when I reveal my first project!

Butterfly Kisses

I made this card using one of the new sets from The Cutting Cafe - Animal and Bug Mini Colored Circle set.  Now how can you resist those little hearts making up the butterflies?  The background paper is part of the set, and so is that beige-colored circle.  There are a set of two mini butterflies, so I copied and pasted them to make a border for the top of the card.  I finished off the card with some red gems and May Arts ribbon.  If you haven't tried The Cutting Cafe printable stamps yet, you should really hop over and check them out.  Right now, the Monthly Inspiration is up featuring Valentine's Day.  In that post, Regina is having a giveaway just for commenting.  Hurry - she will be drawing on Janauary 19th, and you could be the winner of 3 sets of printable stamps!

Valentine's Cards

Third post for the day - I've been a busy little crafter today!

I am continuing to work on  my Valentine's Day cards.  It's been so much fun to put energy into these!  For the first card I combined Cherie's sketch from Sassy Lil Sketches and Moxie Fab's Color Inspiration  Challenge using metallic colors.

The next two cards are also for Moxie Fab Color Inspiration challenges.

Pretty Pastels Challenge:

Bright and Bold Challenge:

I've so enjoyed the color inspiration challenges!  They make me step out of my confort zone and do something just a little bit different.  I especially had a hard time with Bright and Bold as I tend to lean toward warmer colors.  But it was fun to see what I could make happen with those colors!

Supplies used: CTMH Black, Hollyhock, White Daisy, Petal, Amethyst, Baby Pink, and Desert Sand cardstock; CTMH Promise of Spring, Priceless Love, and Key to my Heart stamps sets; CTMH, Prima, and Bo Bunny flowers; CTMH and Making Memories trinket pins; CTMH, SU!, and American Crafts ribbon; American Crafts brad and badge; Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers die; Recollections pearls; CTMH White embossing powder; Fiskars border punch

Snowflakes

Second post for today!  With this one, I think I'll show you the card before I get on to explaining the details:

I diecut my snowflakes for this card with my Slice FaLaLa card.  They are just so yummy when they are layered like that! 

This card was actually inspired by a several challenges:

1. Wee Memories - ribbon
2. Sentimental Sunday - winter themed card and a sentiment
3. Moxie Fab - Neutral Challenge for Color Inspiration Week
4. Our Creative Corner - Dressing Up this sketch

It has been a lovely Sunday - I hope you are having the same!  I slept late, my husband made brunch (and cleaned up!), did a little catching up on  blog reading, took a nap (yes, I've needed some sleep!), made some cards and projects (some I can show you now - some have to wait till reveal dates), and now I'm heading into the kitchen to make a blended coffee before I craft some more.  You just can't ask for a better Sunday than that!

Reading

The challenge at Bo Bunny Card Challenge Tuesday is to use their wraps or trims on a card. 

I think this is one of the best elements that Bo Bunny has introduced.  The trims and wraps for the lines are all so unique and add so much flair to a project!  All of this product is from the Learning Curve collection.  The base of the card is a 6x6 mat.  To the journaling box, I added one of the dimensional stickers to raise up the book s a little.  I simply love that saying!  I used a couple ribbons form the collection.  The first is simply wrapped around the card, and I used the denim ribbon to make the rosette.  Such a fun "back to school" card!

With All My Love

It is snowy and cold here.  Well, I should say that it's almost 20 degrees today, so it does feel a little bit warmer.  But last night we got another 2-1/2 inches of snow.  It just keeps coming, and I dare say I am not the only person tired of it!

So it's fun to pull out some bright colors to work with.  Moxie Fab has a monochromatic color challenge using three shade of pink.  I brought that together with the sketch at Card Patterns and the heart themed challenge at Really Reasonable Ribbon.

I stamped the hearts in three different inks before stacking them together - CTMH Baby Pink, Blush, and Hollyhock.  It's very easy to do this with clear stamps, and I am going to point you to Jeanette Lynton's blog to teach you how to do this.  She has new stamping techniques every week, and you will love what you learn from this extremely kind founder of CTMH.

Supplies used: CTMH Hollyhock and Baby Pink cardstock; CTMH Soul Mates and Birthday Script stamp sets; Petaloo flowers; Recollections pearls; SU Whisper White ribbon; Nestabilities Circle and Scalloped Circle; WRMK Corner Chomper rounder

Scrap Tiffany Sketch!

Today is a new reveal at Scrap Tiffany!  I would love for you to hop on over and take a look at all the design team's work.  We are all showing you how you can take a sketch and turn it into a card or layout!  Here's the sketch and my card:

I used My Mind's Eye Portebello Road for this baby card.  One of Shane's friends is having a baby shower today, and I could not let him buy a card for the event!

If you would like to take up the challenge, send your project to Tiffany@ScrapTiffany.com by January 30th.  You will be entered into a drawing for a $25 certificate to Sierra Metal Designs. And then let me know that you've entered so that I can check out your blog to see your work!

New Sassy Lil' Sketches Sketch!

Have you joined the Sassy Lil' Sketches forum yet?  I think you should run right over there!  It is so much fun to be connected with people that love paper crafting!  It is not my turn for a reveal, but I want to be sure to share the sketch with you:

The sponsors this month are:

I'd love to see you play along - and see your name on the SLS forum!!

One of my layouts was published on Practical Scrappers Echo Park call.  Yippee - so happy!!  I love this layout of Miss Chanel #5!  Head over to check out the Echo Park giveaway!

Alice in Wonderland

This week's challenge at Sarah Hurley is to create with Alice in Wonderland in mind.  Sarah has her own Alice CD with LOADS of great paper, embellishments, and stamps.  Take a peek at what I've created:

The winner of this week's challenge is going to get an Alice in Wonderland digital mini kit from Sarah.  Be sure to hop over to the challenge blog to see what the other DT gals have created.  Lots of inspiration!!

Child of Mine

First of all, I've been posting a lot in the last couple of days, so be sure to scroll down if you'd like to see more artwork!

I saw the sketch over at Bo Bunny and decided I just had to play.  I had taken this picture of Shane with Miss Chanel #5 on Christmas Day, and I just knew Bo Bunny's Noel was the paper I wanted to use ot scrap it.  Here's the sketch from layout Friday:

As you can see, I replaced the two photos with one 5x7:

When you have all the matching elements, a layout can come together pretty quickly and this one did.  The only part that took a bit longer was fussy cutting the holly from a sheet of paper.  But those of you that know me well know that I love to fussy cut, so it's never a hindrance for me!

The challenge at Lasting Memories is to show your style, and this layout depicts my style perfectly.  I like clean lines and matching elements.  Mostly though, I like to embellish in a way that is "just enough."  I never want my pictures to be hidden but rather to be the first thing you see.

Back to my paper, inks, and embellishments!

Friends

I took out my new CTMH paper (Wings) and stamp (Find Your Style) to make this card.  While I was making this card, I realized that I liked it so much because I would never have put these colors together.  I used sketch #97 from Card Patterns:

I also grabbed the challenge from Sentimental Sunday which is anything with wings and a sentiment.

I embossed that beautiful big butterfly with CTMH vineyard berry embossing powder.  The sentiment "friend" is embossed with Zing vanilla. A few CTMH bitty sparkles and juniper waxy flax finished off the card.

Hugs

I have had such fun playing this evening, and I actually have a lot of things to show you!  I'll get some posted tomorrow (as it's midnight here now), but I want to get this Valentine's card up tonight.  Regina at The Cutting Cafe has been busy making some wonderfully creative Valentine's papers and printable stamps. I so enjoy Valentine's Day and the whole sentiment behind it - sharing love is a wonderful thing!  Here is a card I created using the HUGE Words of Love set.

If you are looking for a good set that has a variety of frames, papers, and sentiments for Valentine's Day, take a peek at this one.  It has 69 images that are great for making kids Valentines cards to pass (the frames are perfect!) or Valentines for adults.  I love this set, and I know I'll be doing a lot with it!

It's a Good Day

I love the new look over at All Things Unity.  You've just got to hop over and see!  If you love Unity Stamps, you'll love the ideas and challenges.  They are starting off the year with a mini card challenge, and I just couldn't resist pulling out one of my new Itty Bitty sets.

When I saw this set, I fell in love with that little tricycle and sentiment.  I paired it with some Fancy Pants paper - Like Father, Like Son.  The ink is CTMH outdoor denim and the jute is from my stash.

I got to see one of my sisters, three of her kids, and my mother one more time today.  Then I took a little afternoon nap, and I still have plenty of time to play in my craft room tonight.  I don't work until Tuesday evening, so I think I've found the perfect place to hibernate in this below zero weather.  Did I tell you it was 18 degrees below zero this morning?  Love that I have a warm craft room, netflix, and plenty of decaf coffee.  It is a good day!

Our Big Family

Too tired to post much tonight, but I have to share a picture from today.  Of course, I make everyone gather for a picture!  There were 7 people missing that weren't able to come to the party today, and there are a fe hidden faces.  But all in all, this is a great picture of everyone squeezed into a portion of our tiny living room.

Jerry is standing on a chair way in the back - in a salmon colored shirt.  Shane is at the top right in an argyle sweater, and I am at the bottom right crouching behind my nephew.  All of my sisters were here today, and Jerry's mom (white shirt on the left) and my mom (standing next to Jerry's mom).  A couple of brither-in-laws, and loads of nieces, nephews, and their kids.  I love family pictures!

I Couldn't Help Myself!

I was going about cleaning today, and the mail lady interrupted me with the supplies I ordered from my Close To My Heart consultant.  Oh my goodness!  What beautiful product!  So as soon as I fed my family and cleaned up, I sat down and made a simple 15-minute card.

I dyed my flowers with Vineyard Berry re-inker to match the paper.  I have learned to speed up that process with an embossing gun ;)  The dress form is in the January Stamp of the Month, and the small sentiment is in the exclusive stamp set you receive when you buy the Workshop on the Go.  I love that pleated twill ribbon! 

Anyway, this card is not for a design team assignment or a challenge.  I created this one simply because I fell in love with the paper and stamps I received today.  To me, that's a pretty good reason to create!

Sassy Lil' Sketches Sketch & My Pets

It's the 7th and time for a great new sketch from Cherie at Sassy Lil Sketches!  Be sure to stop by and see the great inspiration from the design team members.

Our sponsors this month are

and

Now I have to share a photo I took of the pets:

Aren they a cute pair or what?  These are the spots where they sit every day.  The window faces the south, so they get a lot of good sun there!  These two always make me smile!

I was up very early this morning getting the house and food ready for my family Christmas tomorrow.  We are expecting about 35 people, and I am excited to see everyone!  Easy meal - Chicken Wild Rice Soup, Beer Cheese Soup, Paula Deen's Macaroni and Cheese, Ham, Shrimp Puffs, Veggies, and Cara Cara orange wedges.  I think it will be a great day, and I'll be sure to share the group shot with you!

Hope you have a great weekend!