Created From Paper

Fresh Vintage Blog Hop - 3D Wrapped Flower

2011-10-12T23:45:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the Sizzix Fresh Vintage Blog Hop! I am always so honored when Eileen Hull asks me to participate on these hops, and this round is probably the most exciting one to date! The new Fresh Vintage series is a great group of dies - I honestly don't know how Eileen keeps coming up with these amazing ideas. Today's featured die is the 3D Wrapped Flower. It's a fun, trendy flower that can be done up quickly and with great variety.

For my wreath project, I started out with a wreath base from the craft store. I die cut patterned papers from Grant Archival - and because this is a steel rule die from Sizzix, you can easily cut two pieces of paper at once. Assembling those pieces is as easy as using a piece of tape - seriously! I mixed and matched papers to create a whimsical look. To tie them all together, I used Wild Honey Distress Stain (Ranger) on the edges. The button centers were created with Epiphany Crafts' button tool, then highlighted with some Copper Stickles (Ranger).

To adhere the individual flowers, I just pulled out my handy glue gun and put them in the blank spots on the wreath. This is such an easy, one-of-a-kind project - and it would be so fun to have them for every occasion during the year!

Would you like a chance to win this die? All you have to do is head over to the Oh My Crafts! Blog and enter! It's that easy! And to continue on the Blog Hop, please just use the widget on the right and click Back or Forward - you will continue along with the other designers highlighting this fantastic die. Thanks for joining me today, and thanks to the incredibly talented Eileen Hull for putting together such an inspiring hop!

Summer Jar Fillers

2011-07-20T06:57:00.000-04:00

When I first got a look at the new Summer Jar Fillers from Papertrey, I fell in love! I knew those hydrangeas were going to make me color to my hearts content! And the adorable smaller jar is pretty fantastic, too. Hydrangeas are one of my very favorite flowers - all that beautiful color on a strong stem is just beautiful to me.

I chose to go with pink for my first coloring of this stamp. I've seen where several people were concerned about the lack of stems with this image, but I just masked this from the tulips image from the Spring Fillers set. Easy & quick! The flower coloring was done with Copics, using shades from the Hibiscus Burst and New Leaf trios, and the jar has the palest markers from Spring Rain and Aqua Mist blended together. I did do some 'fussy cutting' (I've seen that term used a lot lately, and it makes me smile! Yes, it's fussy, but definitely worth it sometimes - like here, I think!) The center of each flower was touched with a dab of Smooch ink (the pearlized top coat).

The background plaid was stamped with Distressed Stripes. I couldn't find just the right paper in my stash, so I opted to make it! The colors used were Spring Moss and New Leaf with Sweet Blush and Hibiscus Burst. If you haven't given this look a try with Distressed Stripes, I think you should give it a try - it's fun and easy and the results are fantastic! A piece of Hibiscus Burst cardstock cut with the medium scalloped die and a length of silk ribbon finish it off.

Thanks for stopping by today - I hope you're having a wonderful summer! We are here - Wally and the Beav are keeping me busy and smiling. Be well!

Peaceful Garden

2011-07-18T17:43:00.002-04:00

Just a quick card to show you using Lisa Johnson's new PTI set, Peaceful Garden. I love this sentiment, and I think it's just the perfect thing for a friend going through a bit of a rough patch.

Be well!

From the Papertrey Ink newsletter

2011-07-01T09:10:00.000-04:00

I had a request for some larger pictures of Nichole's wall units, so I thought I would post them here for your reference. Have a fantastic holiday weekend to my friends in Canada and the US!

A winner and a Patriotic card

2011-06-27T09:21:00.000-04:00

Good morning, friends! I hope you had a great weekend. The boys got out of school last Tuesday, so I'm really enjoying the freedom in our schedule! It's so much fun having them home with me, even if it does mean a little more time wearing my referee jersey.

Since next Monday is the 4th of July, I thought I'd post a card I created a little while back. It was done with Est. 1776 . I'm really happy with the way it turned out. Here's a closer look:

I used some paper weaving on the left side, using strips of Enchanted Evening and Pure Poppy cardstock. The focal piece is the Mat Stack 3 die, with the sentiment holder from the coordinating stamp set. The eagle was stamped in Enchanted Evening ink and then covered with Glossy Accents.

And as promised, I have a book to giveaway today, thanks to the kind people at Annie's Attic! The random number generator chose number 6, so that is TRICIA! Congrats, Tricia! If you could please email me (you can use the link on the right margin) I'll get your details and send this fun technique book right out to you. Thank you so much to all of you!

Have a fantastic day! Be well.

Tea Bag Folding Through The Seasons

2011-06-20T14:43:00.000-04:00

So I have to let you in on a little secret...I'm not good at folding. Even as a kid, I just couldn't get my origami projects to look anything like they should have. It's literally been a life-long affliction, and as a paper crafter, it's always been my Achille's Heel...or I should say UNTIL NOW. ;)

The great people at Annie's Attic Paper Crafts asked me if I would review their new book Tea Bag Folding Through The Seasons by Sharon M. Reinhart. You can imagine the anxiety I had reading the email! How could I possibly review a book that would undoubtedly challenge me? Well, it just took a second for that little voice in my head to go "Duh, Jenn. That's the point of the book - to teach people a new skill!". Thanks to that little voice, I happily accepted the challenge, even telling them that I was a little, hmm, 'excited', to try this technique.

Once the book arrived, I sat down and was really drawn in! What a completely underrated technique! And now with all the great scoring products on the market, it's even easier to create a crisp, beautiful fold. Sharon's instructions are well-written and easy to follow along with - she has even created a folder out of me! There are projects that are photographed clearly, diagrams to show the steps clearly (great for a visual learner like me) and just enough variations to keep it from being overwhelming. The card above is my very first try at tea bag folding (which, by the way, isn't necessarily done with tea bags...Sharon explains it all in the introduction of the book). Here's a closer look at the folds I created for this:

I used papers (Everyday Blessings) and dies (Limitless Layers in both sizes and Doily Details) from Papertrey Ink. I'd tell you how I did it, but Sharon does it SO much better! ;)
If you are looking to learn a new technique, or revisiting an old one to you, you should consider picking up this book! You can create the most beautiful, unique medallions - the recipients of your cards will be amazed!

The kind folks at Annie's Attic sent me a copy to share, so I thought it would be fun to hear about your childhood attempts at origami! Leave me a comment telling me that you were the kid who had a thousand swans around the house, or join me in commiserating over how fold-challenged you were! I will draw a random poster next Monday (June 27th) to receive this beautiful book.

Be well! ~ Jenn

Shabby Chic

2011-05-26T09:44:00.000-04:00

Does your style go through phases? Mine does! I always have a hard time when someone asks me what my style is, mainly because it does change from year to year. When I left Anna Griffin three years ago, I thought all my shabby chic/vintage ways had left me, but amazingly enough - they're back!

I had a lot of fun creating this 9"x4" card. I like this size because they easily fit in a #10 (business) envelope. There is lots of Papertrey goodness on this. The cardstock colors are Vintage Cream, Aqua Mist (my go-to color these days, in clothing and paper!) and Sweet Blush. The dies are from Love Lives Here and Tag Sale #1. Background Basics: Gingham is on the Sweet Blush layer, along with quite a bit of Tea Dye Duo. The stamp on the tags is Library Card (seriously the best $5 stamp!), and then the perfectly imperfect butterflies are from Love Lives Here. Finishing touches include seam binding bows topped off with Aqua Mist buttons and Rustic Cream button twine and of course, a liberal dose of the sewing machine. The end result just makes me sigh with shabby happiness! ;)

I hope this inspires you to create something beautiful today! Be well.

Time flies!

2011-05-18T07:25:00.000-04:00

Isn't amazing how BUSY spring becomes? Every mom I know right now is walking around in a haze trying to keep everything straight - sports, standardized testing, spring concerts...and I guess I'm no exception. The blog has taken a back seat to everything else lately, so thanks for bearing with me.

Today's project was built around the Technique Tag we did at Angela's Happy Stamper. It features Lockhart Stamp Company's English Garden Flowers. All of the coloring was done with Twinkling H2O's for a really beautiful look. A few of you who come in on Tuesdays have asked me to give you some ideas for incorporating the tags into cards, so I will start doing that! In case you weren't able to come in yesterday (ie, your ARK wasn't at the ready - what rain!) here's a quick overview:

If you look closely here, you can see that I embossed this beautiful image. But I also used Versafine Black for it - and that's a great little tip. Versafine is not generally regarded to be an embossable ink, but if you have your powder at the ready, it will emboss beautifully while not losing any of that incredible detail. I *love* using this tip when using Twinkling H2O's because the embossing creates little that encourage the watercolors to stay put. Ahhh, control over the uncontrollable! ;) (And for those that know me in person, you know just how giddy that makes me!)

I hope this shows you a couple of great little tips today! Be well.

Butterfly Love

2011-04-26T08:32:00.000-04:00

Morning, friends! I wanted to share a vintage-feel card that I created with lots of Papertrey Ink goodies. I will admit that I've been a little slow to jump on the whole doily trend, so this is the first card that I've created with the Parisian Lace Doily die. I've found that I love to cut it with text-weight paper (this is an off-white text weight from Neenah). The best part? By simply folding your paper in half, you can cut two doilies at the same time - the text weight is light enough to do this without any problem. I added a little Chamomile ink from the Tea Dye Duo to age the edges slightly.

So, more details...the card base is Spring Rain cardstock given the impression plate treatment with the Sheet Music plate. I inked the edges first with Spring Rain ink, then with Chai ink from the Tea Dye Duo. The focal point is a great combination of stamps; first I stamped some Rustic White cardstock with Text Style, the die cut it with the Angled Label dies. The label edge is from Label Basics (this set fills such a gap in my stamp collection! It's going to be the under-rated hero for me, I'm sure.) The butterfly is my favorite image from Butterfly Dreams. Colored up with the Spring Rain Copic trio, it reminds me of the beautifully colored butterflies I saw in Costa Rica when I was there many years ago. The sweet little die cut tag is from Tiny Tags; the sentiment is from Mixed Messages (LOVE how this combination matches up!!); I used a little silk ribbon to tie it on to the label. There's a fair amount of stuff on there, but I really like how it doesn't look busy in an overpowering way. (I know just who the perfect recipient is, too! I hope it will make her day!)

And don't forget - it's Tuesday, so that means I'll be over at Angela's Happy Stamper today at lunchtime for Technique Tag Tuesday. Stop by to try out Tsukineko's new GlazOn for StazOn. It's a fun way to try out a brand new product.

Have a great day! Be well.

Jelly Bean cupcake

2011-04-22T13:09:00.000-04:00

It's Spring Break this week, and it's been lots of fun here at our house. The boys have been running around, and my sister and her family came for a visit. There's nothing better than watching cousins play!

I wanted to pop in quickly and show you this fun Jelly Bean Cupcake from Lockhart Stamp Company. I wish you could see it in person - I colored it Copics, Prismacolors and Smooch and the effect is really cool. The top of the cupcake is cut out and layered up with foam tape. It was done first with Smooch, then colored pencils for a little shading. The cupcake paper was colored with Copics, then Pearl Smooch over the top. It's a fun, sparkly way to color any image, but especially one as fun as this one.

I hope you have a wonderful (holiday) weekend with your family. Be well.

purse holders

2011-04-12T07:28:00.000-04:00

Morning, friends! I hope you all had a nice weekend. Lots of fun spring activities here, sports for Wally and the Beav, we took in a DC United game and on Sunday I took a cool beading class at Potomac Beads in Alexandria. (I haven't taken a picture of the necklace I made yet, but it was with ribbon, so it's pretty unique.)

I wanted to show you something I've been doing a bit of lately - check out these purse holders! Aren't they the coolest? I found them on Etsy, and I've been having fun making them suited to different people. My mom has always had a thing for quilting, so I made the one with the Quilt Block for her. The block is from Papertrey's Quilter's Block Additions. To make it, I stamped the block onto Fine Linen cardstock; you can't tell in the picture, but the cardstock was also stamped with Text Style background in Chamomile ink. (I found that it was a good subtle background to give it a little extra depth.) I colored the quilt block quickly with Copics (from the Scarlet Jewel and Enchanted Evening trios).

Since I didn't know how big of an area I would have, I just inked up the raised edge (in this case, the raised edge of the heart). I 'stamped' it onto the cardstock, giving me an idea of the space I had to use. Since the edge is metal, the ink wiped right off. The one with the butterfly is from Butterfly Dreams - great choice because it has several smaller images in it. It, too, has a stamped background with Text Style.

Once I had the images stamped, colored and cut, I adhered them in the purse holder with Diamond Glaze, then filled the area with more Diamond Glaze. To avoid bubbles, I try to keep the flow of glaze continuous and not lift up the tip. Not foolproof, but it seems to help. This next part may as well be torture for me, but once the area is filled, I then put them aside and left them alone for a day. See? Torture.

Here's a bit closer look. It's kind of tough to not get a lot of glare in the shot between the glaze and the metal, but you get the idea.

I'm really pleased with the way they turned out. When I ordered them, I wasn't really sure how it would be, but I'm glad I took the chance and followed my instincts. They're the perfect kind of gift that I like to give, too - pretty and purposeful.

I hope this inspires you to take a look around and see what else you can use your stamps with - the possibilities are endless! Have a great day - be well.

Spring means Ducks in A Row!

2011-04-08T10:16:00.000-04:00

Does spring bring new ducks to your house? Not the quacking kind, but all those little issues to keep in a row? It does here, that's for sure! That's why when I saw Karen Lockhart's new Ducks stamp and coordinating sentiment, I fell in love. Whenever I refer to laundry list of to-do's, I have always referred to it as the ducks I need to get in a row - and when something falls between the cracks, it is the duck that left the row. My mom and dad visited last week, and it was when my husband was away at a conference, and Wally had soccer, Beav had baseball and I was definitely busy lining up ducks. My mom kind of giggled, because I have a list written down that I referred to often - a trait that I come by honestly because my dad does that very same thing.

Enough about crazy life ducks, I have to tell you about these cuties! I used colored pencils for the grass and sky, but instead of coloring the ducks, I applied yellow flock. Oh gosh, you have no idea how CUTE these are in real life! When I applied the flocking, though, some of the details (like the eyes and wings) were covered up; you could still see them, but not well enough. Solution? I grabbed a fine tip black pen (I used a Copic Multiliner) and went right over the flock. It worked like a charm!

Have to say, if you see this one in your stamp store - snag it up! It's a classic and a great way to send a faraway friend a sweet and whimsical thinking of you card. Have a fantastic weekend! Be well.

To brighten your day!

2011-04-05T08:33:00.000-04:00

Ribbon Tails is one of the March release sets from Papertrey Ink. It coordinates with the Double Ended Banner dies in a really fun way! When I first got it, I was trying to decide what color to use it with, and promptly decided I needed a rainbow to curb my indecision! ;) I used Pure Poppy, Orange Zest, Summer Sunrise, New Leaf, Enchanted Evening, Blueberry Sky and Royal Velvet cardstock. I alternately stamped each one with Versamark, then heat embossed them with clear embossing powder. So easy and so cute!

Coordinating button die cuts add just a bit of interest, and the silk ribbon keeps everything nice and flat for mailing. Really, other than the die cutting, this is a really quick and easy card that could serve for a bunch of occasions. (Don't you just love a go-to design?)

I hope you have a great day! Be well.

Caught A Bug?

2011-03-29T10:48:00.000-04:00

The latest Lockhart Stamp Company release is so full of fun images - they just make me smile! This one, the Caught a Bug? is so funny - and a surefire way to brighten someone's day. The fact that it has a coordinating sentiment makes it a must-have! (As evidenced by the fact that it keeps selling out of Angela's Happy Stamper so quickly!)

I figured it was only appropriate to make this lil' sickie a bit green. I used Copic markers on this, mainly because I knew that I wanted to be able to give the glass a nice shaded look. (Not sure if it is showing up as well as I had hoped here, but it looks really cool in person!) I cut it out and placed it on the mat and added the sentiment. The patterned paper is from Making Memories (Noteworthy collection) and the cardstock and dies are from Papertrey Ink. I added quick accents of Stickles and machine stitching, but tried not to detract from my focal image too much.

I'm glad to have this card on hand to have on hand for my next friend who is under the weather. It's bound to bring a smile to their face!

Have a great day! Be well.

TGIF

2011-03-25T09:52:00.000-04:00

TGIF, blog friends! Thank you so much for the kind comments about the Make It Monday video. I've been branching out and trying to learn new skills lately, the video being one, and the above lil' goodie being another! I'm trying to learn how to solder! The pendant above is my first project (look at all the firsts you're seeing from me this week - guess I'm feeling pretty brave showing you it all!).

So I have a lot to learn with this technique, and this is really far bumpier than it should be, but I'm really happy with it. I was having a seriously TOUGH time trying to conquer this - I burnt my wrist when some hot solder flew backwards, I left a pretty bad burn mark in my desk (YIKES!) and I completely messed up my first tip on my soldering iron. I was determined not to let it get the better of me, though, and finished my project.

The image is from PTI's Friendship Jar Spring Fillers. I colored it with Copics, pretty straightfoward...it was stamped onto Stamper's Select and backed with Spring Rain.

I ordered my soldering supplies from my friend Ellen Hutson. This kit has all you need to get started - well, almost all! May I be a little bold and tell you that you can save yourself a very embarrassing spot on your work surface by stopping by the home improvement store for a 12x12 tile...trust me on this! ;)

Since I'm still such a novice on soldering, I will tell you that Ellen's blog and the Simply Swank website have some great tutorials. I hope to give it another shot this weekend, so who knows, maybe I'll have another one to show you soon.

Have a great weekend! Be well!

2011-03-21T09:11:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! I have a little bit of a surprise today - I'm hosting the Make It Monday video this week! You can view it on Nichole's blog and post your interpretations of the challenge, as well. This is my very first video EVAAHHHH, so I'm a little nervous and excited. I hope you like it and find it inspiring.

Have a great day! Be well.

Apples

2011-03-18T09:51:00.000-04:00

I had a hankering for some apples this morning - and here's what I came up with! Apples in a Chintz Bowl from Lockhart Stamp Company to the rescue. A vibrant, inviting color combination of blue and green is really speaking to me this gorgeous spring morning. (Cardstock colors are blueberry sky and simply chartreuse from Papertrey Ink.)

I just pulled out some of my Prismacolors to color it. I have a blue and white bowl like this, so it was the inspiration for the color choice. I really like the way it turned out - hope you do, too!

Have a wonderful weekend! Be well.

You're Too Kind

2011-03-17T06:42:00.000-04:00

Hi friends! Popping in with a card that I made a few weeks ago and just hadn't gotten around to posting yet. Lots of fun Papertrey Ink stuff layered on here. I started with a cardbase made from Fine Linen (*love*) and then added half the Parisian Lace Doily die cut from text weight paper. (This die came in and out of stock so quickly this week that my head is spinning!) The butterfly die looks so pretty in Sweet Blush cardstock, then I used the Sheet Music Impression plate on it, too. Top it off with a little pearl-y water (perfect pearls + water) and some Liquid Pearls and it look beautiful.

So what is that the butterfly is on? That's Mat Stack 1 die cut from one of PTI's new coasters, then stamped with Background Basics: Newsprint. Flank a couple of buttons cut from coasters (and covered with Liquid Pearls again), add a little ribbon and you have a great focal point. The sentiment is from Think Big Favorites #1 (another *love*).

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you have a great day. Be well.

Tea Cups

2011-03-08T10:31:00.000-05:00

Ready for spring? Me too! Thought I would help things along today with this bright & sunny card featuring one of the new Lockhart images. I love tea cups, so when I saw these, I was so excited! I have a sweet lil' collection of antique English tea cups that my grandmother left to me. She and my great-grandmother used to go over to Fort Erie, Ontario and pick out the most beautiful pieces.

This image is Roses In a Teacup and it is a quick and easy color! I chose to color this with Copics (the pinks are RV10, RV13 and RV14, the yellows are Y21 and YR24 and the greens are YG13 and YG17; shadow is probably C2 - I forgot to write it down!). Pair it with the Just Because sentiment and you have a great card to send for any reason whatsoever!

I wanted to give a little shout out to my sweet friend Maggie. Maggie is the daughter of my very good friend in Pittsburgh, and her mom told me over the weekend that Maggie had stumbled upon my blog recently. Miss you, Maggie! :)

Have a wonderful day - I hope spring is starting to show signs of arriving where you are. Be well.

Pretty Pink Heart

2011-02-17T09:24:00.000-05:00

This week has completely gotten away from me! I meant to get this sweet Lace Heart from Lockhart Stamp Company posted earlier this week, but here it is now. No time like the present, right?

This is one of the latest Lockhart beauties, colored with Prismacolors. I cut it out around the edges and popped it up on some foam tape to have it pop right out at you. I was quite relaxed coloring this - there is something so soothing about sitting down to color. (I think it's that you sit down and focus on something that has nothing to do with the day's problems; cheap therapy!)

The color combination of pink & green was inspired by a funny conversation I had last Friday night. Some people from Ward's office had joined us for dinner, including one his younger staff members. A song came on the radio that was so quinessentially 80s, that four of us started singing along. The other two, it dawned on me, probably weren't born when the song came out! We asked them (one was born - still in diapers!- and the other wasn't)and it prompted one of them to ask what my friend and me how high our hair was in the 80s. (Funny, right?) I had to tell him that because my hair has always been so stick-straight, I could never get it high - it would always fall flat. He continued to ask what I was like, and it got me thinking about all things preppy...which led to this inspired pink & green combination. ;) You just never know when inspiration is going to strike!

I had a chance to meet some serious Lockhart fans at Angela's Happy Stamper this week on Tuesday. We had fun using a Lockhart stamp for paper piecing, then looked through the Lockhart catalog together. It is so fun to meet fellow Lockhart lovers in person!

I hope you find inspiration in an unexpected place today. Be well!

Framed Tags

2011-02-10T23:59:00.001-05:00

I am joining in on the Anniversary fun at Papertrey Ink today! The challenge for today is to create tags with a frame on it - and with all of the frame images that Papertrey has to offer, it is so easy to create something memorable! I started with Tag Sale #3 in Spring Rain and Melon Berry cardstocks. Isn't this a fresh-felling color combination? (Yes, that's a little spring fever sneaking in!) Add a little Vintage Cream and I have a little bit of colorful love. Sigh.

One of the fun things about Tag Sale #3 is that it basically has a built in frame! If you take a look at the background, you can see that I masked off the edges, and stamped Text Style II only in the center. So easy and it gives a nice subtle frame. When you're creating a project like this, why not add details upon details?

From there, I inked the edges with Papertrey's Vintage Tea Dye Duo, then stitched on a piece of Melon Berry that I had given the impression plate treatment with Background Basics: Diamonds. Just more details for this sweet tag! I set my sewing machine for a short, close zig zag stitch to adhere it. My focal point is the frame from Fillable Frames #10 and a sentiment from Fillable Frames #6. (Don't tell my other Fillable Frames, but the frame in #10 is my favorite! I feel a little guilty playing favorites, but that's the way it goes sometimes, hee hee.) The rhinestones are clear Kaisercraft ones that Papertrey carries, but I gave them a little coordinating treatment with my Copic.

This tag uses the same color combination. I used the Linen & Canvas impression plate on this one, along with the frame from Fillable Frames #1 and sentiment from Fillable Frames #12. The background is very subtle and done in the same way as my previous tag with Text Style. And I'm sure you recognize that gorgeous die cut flower as the must-have Beautiful Blooms II #1 - so cute!

Finishing off both tags with buttons, button twine and ribbon lend the perfect touches. I hope you found a little inspiration for creating some of your own Framed tags today! Don't forget to check out Nichole's blog to see the amazing prize for the challenge winner - you will LOVE it!

Have a great weekend! Be well.

Wee & Whimsical Wednesday

2011-02-09T09:55:00.000-05:00

I've run into a few local readers lately, and I just have to say, it is so nice when you tell me who you are! I love knowing that I'm not sitting here talking to myself like a mad-before-her-time woman. And I promised one of you the other day that I was going to get back into the swing of things - so here, for your viewing pleasure (hee hee) is the first official Wee & Whimsical Wednesday of 2011. Whoo hoo!

I opted to make a vintage-feel Valentine for today's post. I stamped the Itty Bitty Chintz heart, the Cupcake with Sprinkles and the Coffee To Go Lockhart images onto Inchie, Inchie + and Twinchie squares (respectively, all from Inchie Arts. I used Dark Cream for each of these, lending a great continuity with the images. For further continuity, I used the same colored pencils for all three images.

Here's a closer look:

For further detail, I used Liquid Applique for the whipped cream on the coffee, and Rock Candy Distress stickles for the sprinkles on the cupcake. Each of the squares were edged with the Vintage Tea Dye Duo from Papertrey ink. All squares from Inchie Arts are made from artist-quality matboard, so you can really put any kind of medium on them without having to worry about them breaking down. They're tough in a beautiful way!

Valentine's Day is sneaking up on us quickly, so why not pull out your Inchie Arts squares and Lockhart stamps and create something beautiful? Your Valentine will be sure to appreciate your thoughtfulness! :)

Have a great day & be well.

New Lockhart Teddy Bear

2011-02-07T09:18:00.000-05:00

We have a special friend in our house...his name is Daddy Bear. He came to live with us the day that Beav was born. See, on the first day that Wally came to delight our lives, my husband left the hospital for a while. It had been a long night, and he said he was going to go home and take a shower and pick up a couple of things that I'd forgotten. When he came back, he had an ENORMOUS baseball glove (sadly, it doesn't look so enormous any more) and a sweet stuffed bear. Wally never really got to bond with the bear, because my husband, with all of his naivete, picked a bear with button eyes and other various chocking hazards.

Fast forward 18 months later, when Beav came to capture our hearts, and there was a repeat of super-daddiness, but this time, he'd learned a bunch about picking a child-safe bear. Daddy Bear, as he came known as, went everywhere with us. His grey fluffiness was a comfort for many years and was that object that caused immense panic when he couldn't be located. He traveled all over Europe, to Thailand and to Hong Kong (that bear is very well-traveled and even has his own backpack thanks to one of my dear friends). Sadly, Daddy Bear has faded into the background in Beav's life over the last couple of years, but he still holds a special place in our family.

When Karen Lockhart showed me this delightful Bennie Bear, I just knew I would be recreating it into Daddy Bear. I grabbed my French Grey Prismacolor pencils, and started coloring. Beav took a look at it and declared him Daddy Bear, so I think I got it right! I opted to use blue and orange for his sweater because those are Beav's favorite colors; it was a fun way for Beav to know this was just for him.

Here's a closeup of the cute lil' guy. I didn't use anything special for blending the colors. I actually just used the pencils themselves, using a similar layering that you would do with Copics. I started with a light grey (French Grey 10%) and colored the whole area. I then went in a did the edges and corners with a darker (French Grey 70%), came back and added a bit of French Grey 50% along those areas, then finished it off with French Gray 30%, using circular motions to blend the dark areas into the light. The result is a nice shaded look. I prefer my pencils in smaller areas like this over my Copics because you can get a much more controlled look; it makes staying in the lines so much easier.

One thing that I haven't mentioned (at least in recent memory) is that I like having a black fine-tip pen nearby when I'm coloring. I tend to reach for my Copic Multiliner 0.3 most. When I go over an area with the colored pencils, it can dull the black ink a bit (for example, I colored over the facial features of the bear and they looked washed out). When this happens, I like to go back with my Multiliner and go back over the areas that look faded. It can really bring a washed-out image back to life effectively.

If you haven't seen the latest Lockhart Stamps, take a peek at the Lockhart homepage. They're so beautiful, and there are some new & different images for spring. (The Ducks In A Row is my absolute favorite! I say that all the time and pretty much live by that, so you'll be seeing it soon!)

Have a wonderful day and thanks for reminiscing about Daddy Bear with me. Be well.

Valentine Angel

2011-02-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

I wanted to pop by and show you a non-traditional Valentine card today. I have been neglecting my poor, beloved Prismacolor pencils lately, so out they came to color this lovely Lockhart Love Angel wanted to challenge myself to create a Valentine without red in it, and other that the touch of red in the patterned paper, I succeeded. Here's a closer look:

You'll notice that the dress has a plaid piece on it; that was paper pieced in, then I choose colored pencils to match, coloring the rest of the dress in the same colors. I love the way this turned out! If you look closely, you'll also see that I shaded the plaid piece with pencils, too. This is a great tip - it not only adds much needed dimension through shading, but works to make the pieced in paper look less obvious, too!

I took a little extra liberty with the heart the angel was holding, too. It is popped up on a piece of foam tape and covered in Glossy Accents. Once it was all dry, I was pleased to see that the colored pencil shading still showed through beautifully. When popping up a piece like this, keep in mind that you should remember to color the piece underneath in a similar manner - it gives that polished look that we're all striving for!

(Both pieces of patterned paper are from Little Yellow Bicycle, in case you're wondering. It's their Savor Collection - and it is full of sweet, small scale patterns that are great for cards.)

There are many Lockhart stamps that lend themselves to fun paper piecing. If you haven't played around with this technique in a while, give it a try. (And if you're one of my local friends, you can get some tips in person from me on Tuesday, February 15th, as we will be looking at it on Technique Tag Tuesday at Angela's Happy Stamper. What do you think the chances are that we'll be playing with a Lockhart Stamp or two?! ;)

Have a fantastic day! Be well.

Papertrey Tuesday

2011-01-25T09:21:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd show you a card that I've fallen in love with...it uses PTI's Love Lives Here. From the moment I saw this stamp set, I knew that it would be a set that I would keep close to my heart. I've mentioned it before, but my mom is an folk-painting artist (although lately she's been creating some stunning watercolor botanicals), and growing up, I remember that she was very drawn to Shaker pieces. The heart-in-hand image is very Shaker-oriented, so it reminds me of my mom.

There are lots of fun goodies that went into creating this piece; the background is stamped with Background Basics: Sheet Music. I used a piece of patterned paper from the Library Ledger collection, along with some pieces of Aqua Mist cardstock die cut with the Banner Builders die. The focal image is placed on a background cut from Mat Stack 4. The matching dies for Love Lives Here completely make this set! I love the little heart that gets cut out; here I cut an extra piece of Aqua Mist for the center (and you can't tell here, but I covered it with Rock Candy Distress Stickles; it added the perfect understated touch). My final touch was a bow tied from Fine Linen Satin Ribbon.

I'm not sure if I can bring myself to part with this lil' pretty! (That's terribly selfish, but completely true!) I hope you find it inspiring. Have a wonderful day & be well.

English Tea

2011-01-24T08:23:00.000-05:00

Good morning, blog friends! Please forgive the lack of postings this past month or so - I have a good reason. I've just returned from a two week jaunt to Thailand! Ward, Wally, the Beav and I went to share in a friend's joy - he got married to the most amazing woman. I'll try to share some stories and pics soon, but in the meantime, I have a fun Lockhart card to share with you.

This Tea Pot image was a no-brainer choice for me today, as I'm very cold and very much in need of caffeine! I started this card with some papers from Kaisercraft, called English Rose. (I don't usually start with the paper, instead I prefer to color the image first, then choose papers that coordinate.) My coloring choice on this was Copic markers, and I pretty much stuck with a mono-chromatic look to emphasize the coordination with the papers. A little machine stitching finished off the simple look with style. Here's a closer look at this great image:

One of the best things about Lockhart stamps are their versatility. I love how this card can be used for a variety of occasions! (I think this one will be going to a friend whose birthday is at the end of the week.)

Thanks for sticking with me during my little haitus. I have a personal goal to get back into regular posting, so don't be surprised to hear from me a bit more regularly! Have an amazing day & be well.

Last Minute Wrapping

2010-12-23T12:00:00.017-05:00

Ok, I admit it. I'm spending today doing some last minute wrapping of gifts. How about you?

Well, just in case you are sitting around your computer procrasinating even further than I am, here's a surprisingly quick way to dress up your gift bags (because let's face it, those are HEAVEN for last minute wrapping!). Cut a tag from kraft paper and stamp one of the beautiful trees from Lockhart Stamp Company on it, like this Snowy Tree With Birds.

This is just three colored pencils - green, red and white! Colored pencils on kraft paper are fantastic - if you haven't tried it you absolutely must!

Add some curvy snow drifts and stamp the "Celebrate The Season" sentiment. Ink the edges with a very light blue chalk ink for instant softness and dimension, then simply tie it on your gift bag with a little baker's twine for an on-trend, festive look.

The amazing Lockhart image makes it look like you spent all day prepping your tag - and your recipient will be wow'd! Only you and I will know how quick and easy it really was - and I won't tell if you don't!

OK - now go wrap up those gifts! Be well. ~ Jenn

Wishing you JOY!

2010-12-22T15:34:00.000-05:00

There really isn't anything better than sending just the right card to the right recipient, is there? I love that contented feeling I get when it matches up perfectly. This lovely was sent off to none other than Karen Lockhart herself. Her images bring me such joy through the year that it is only appropriate to send back a little joy, don't you think? This holiday installment of her fantastic windows series is full of detail (you can click on the picture for a larger image). A real joy to color. I used Copics on this one, with Copic Spicas for some sparkly detail in spots.

Lockhart Stamp Company has some brand new images coming soon! I can't wait to see what Karen has up her sleeve for this release.

It is a great time for me to let you know how grateful I am to have you stop by. I know a bunch of you aren't too chatty, but if you would like to say hi, I would LOVE to hear from you. Be well!

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Week 7: Treat Bag Toppers

2010-12-16T10:14:00.000-05:00

I can't hardly believe this is the last week of the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop. I think this week's die, Eileen's Treat Bag Toppers is the perfect die for last minute holiday gift giving! It's perfect for dressing up small bags for special treats. On this example, I used it on a small glassine bag filled with chocolates. It's dressed up with stamps from Papertrey Ink (Distressed Stripes and Tiny Treats: Christmas) as well as some fun baker's twine. I used my japanese screw punch to punch the holes in the matboard and just stamped away. Stamping on matboard is so effortless - matboard takes ink beautifully!

Here's another example of using a treat bag topper on a kraft tin tie bag. This clever die actually cuts three toppers at once - each one a different size for a variety of options. LOVE that! I quickly stamped the kraft bag with snowflakes (PTI's Peace Be Still) For this topper, I adhered some patterned paper with Sparkle Mod Podge for a fun & festive look. And just look at that fun scalloped edge - Eileen is so great about those fun details! The tag that is hanging is part of Eileen's die, as well. I used a few steps on that, stamping and embossing the JOY sentiment, then airbrushing the green background with a Copic marker. Next I used Sparkle Mod Podge again, then painted the edges with white acrylic paint. Add some silvery trim and you have a fantastic treat bag that will wow your recipient.
As always, you can use the widget on the right for navigating through the hop.Thanks for checking out the Triple Play Blog Hop these past several weeks! Please visit http://www.tripleplay.typepad.com/ for more fun ideas from Brenda Pinnick, Karen Burniston, Eileen Hull and friends. If you have enjoyed seeing all of the inspiring ideas on the blog hop, you can also "like" Triple Play on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Triple-Play/125068950891362.

Be well!

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Week 6: Album, Brackets

2010-12-09T14:15:00.000-05:00

Good morning, Sizzix Blog Hoppers (as well as my blog friends!). Welcome to Week 6 of the Triple Play Blog Hop. This morning, all 60 of us are showing what we've done with Brenda Pinnick's Album, Brackets die. I wanted to create something that was a little different that its original use, but wanted to keep it simple, so I ended up with a fun holiday banner.

Since the shapes already have a hole in the corner to bind the album, this was a very simple task! I hung this in my butler's pantry doorway and used Ripe Avocado and Scarlet Jewel (ink, ribbon and paper) from Papertrey Ink. The sentiments are all from Big & Bold Holiday Wishes and the embossing powder is Silver Zing from American Crafts. That fun, festive border is a stamp from Background Basics: Christmas.

This Album Brackets die from Sizzix makes for a quick & simple banner - I did this one in about 30 minutes! You could hang one in every doorway of your house in no time flat!

Enjoy the rest of the hop today! The Sizzix Blog has the master list of participants, and the magical widget on my right margin allows you to follow along forward or backward. Have a great day - be well!

Papertrey Tuesday

2010-12-07T09:35:00.000-05:00

Since the holiday party season is in full swing, I thought I would show you the invitation I whipped up for the annual party we host for people from my husband's office. I cranked out 40 of these pretty quickly (in one evening!), so you know they are easy to reproduce!

I started with a cardbase of Pure Poppy cardstock from Papertrey Ink. Cut, score and round the corners -easy peasy! I then stamped the frame image and a sentiment from this year's PTI anniversary set (Round & Round) with Versmark ink. Sprinkled on silver embossing powder and went to town with my heat gun. (As always, you can click on the picture for a more detailed look.)

The bell is punched from a text weight silver shimmer paper that I picked up at A Happy Stamper. The punch is from the Martha Stewart line. I tied a small bow from red and white baker's twine for a nice little touch, too. So far, so good - right?

I turned to my computer to start the interior. Find a postcard template and simply fill in your information. You can then print four on one sheet of paper - nice and quick! These are printed on an off-white text weight paper. Once I printed them, I trimmed them and rounded the corners. I added the flourish that you see there with a stamp from Big & Bold Holiday Wishes - the stamping ink and the printer ink matched seamlessly. (Hubby couldn't even tell that it was stamped!) I adhered that text weight sheet and voila! I was done.

I work pretty quickly, but anyone could easily make a bunch of these over a weekend. Simple techniques (like the heat embossing I did on the front) are techniques that always make a BIG impact, so choose just one WOW factor to incorporate into your design, whether it be embossing or die cutting, or something similar. Give it a try - your recipients will be impressed!

Be well. ~ Jenn

Lockhart's Angel With Gift

2010-12-06T10:01:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! I just had to show you this Lockhart Angel today! I've been itching to ink her up for sometime now, but haven't carved out the time to do so. See, it ends up that I desperately need a new pair of glasses. I haven't been doing that much detailed coloring lately because of it, but today I decided to throw caution to the wind and go for it!

(I saw the eye doctor last week and have my new glasses ordered - just waiting for them to come in. I've had glasses since I was a kid to see distance, but over the last year, I've been looking out the bottom of my glasses a bit more, and low & behold, it has gotten to the point where that's just not good enough. I've got a nice pair of no-line bifocals coming my way really soon, ha ha! Merry Christmas to me!)

OK, so back to this beautiful image! This is the new Angel With Gift, Karen's addition to the Angels this year. Isn't she beautiful? Here's a closer look:

I did a little less blending with my Copics than I would ordinarily do, mainly for just one reason! I stamped the image with Versafine instead of Memento. The Versafine pad tends to bleed a bit more than the Memento, so I tried not to add as much of the alcohol-based Copic as I normally would. (And yes, I'm a little gun shy since finding out just how badly I'm really seeing, HA!)

I know my Tuesday friends from Angela's Happy Stamper will smile at the color combination; I've told them I'm just not feeling the red & green this year, so this combination (PTI's Ocean Tides and Scarlet Jewel) is a nice change of pace, I think!) Speaking of Angela's Happy Stamper, you can find a great selection of Lockhart images there, or at your local stamp store. Karen has a great store locator on her site, too, in case you're traveling over the holidays.

I'd love to see your non-traditional color combinations for your holiday cards, too, so leave me a link in your comment and I'll pop by and visit! Be well.

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Week 5: Gift Card Holder (For You)

2010-12-02T11:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to another installment of the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop! This week we are taking another turn with Karen Burniston and taking a look at her incredibly useful Gift Card Holder with Phrase For You, 3D Pop-Up. This die is so much fun!

First, I created a 5" x 7" card. I used Shimmer cardstock in Silver and White from Papertrey Ink. For the background, I stamped Fancy Flourishes (also from PTI) and heat embossed them in silver (Zing from American Crafts - love this embossing powder! Seriously - best stuff ever!). Then I used the Ornate Flowers embossing folder from Sizzix on the white shimmer. I heat embossed the edges of this piece with silver EP, too.

The NOEL was cut from this die from Sizzix (and it's in the Sizzix Outlet for a BARGAIN!!!). I used the same flourish stamp for the embossing, too. Add a string of pearls and a few rhinestones for a touch of elegance and you're done with the card front.

Just take a look at this! Don't you just LOVE IT?! Karen Burniston is the Pop-Up Queen! Honestly, I left it unadorned so you can see just how brilliant this is. The details are so well thought out, from the way it adheres on both sides of the interior so nothing falls out of place to the handy-dandy slots for the bottom of the gift card. Brilliant. It goes together easily and you can make a bunch in no time flat (no pun intended!). I send bunches of gift cards to my nieces and nephew, so this die is a must have in my book! Karen supplied this piece of cardstock from Die Cuts With A View, but I can't wait to try it with some fun patterned paper for a different look!

Karen, I'm sitting in Virginia doing the Wayne & Garth "I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!" bow towards you! ;) Thanks for such a useful, fun die!

Go take a look at all the great stuff everyone else has done with this brilliant die! The Triple Play Widget on my right margin can take you forward, back or right back to the beginning at the Sizzix Blog. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by. Be well!

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Week 4: Scoreboards Frame

2010-11-25T11:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! Welcome to the 4th week of the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop. This week all the designers are showcasing my sweet friend, Eileen Hull's, new Sizzix ScoreBoards Pro Die - Frame & Frame Back w/Stand (#656835). This die is a large die designed to work with the Big Shot Pro. There are several pieces to the set, allowing for a huge number of possibilities.

I opted to make a little wall hanging from the frame. I pulled out lots of fun products from Papertrey Ink, including buttons (in Raspberry Fizz and adhered with my hot glue gun) and stamps from Background Basics: Hearts (for the background - an embossed resist) and Simple Valentine. Since this is cut from matboard, it can take a huge variety of techniques easily.

I popped up the interior framed piece with some foam tape for a fun, dimensional look. You can also see the sweet postage edge on these two pieces. Eileen really put some fantastic details on this die!

I hope the Americans reading this today have a wonderful holiday with their families. Thanks for stopping by! And as with week's past, you can use the widget on the right to continue navigating through the hop. Be well.

Aqua Wreath

2010-11-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

This is one of those cards that I so wish I could show you in person! I had a blast creating this one! So I mentioned a little while back that I'm trying to come up with fun color combinations for Christmas this year, and this is one of them! The Lockhart Wreath Of Gifts is one of Karen's newer holiday images, and as usual, there is a ton of fantastic detail in it.

I started by heat embossing the wreath with black ink and clear powder. I knew that I wanted to watercolor the image with Twinkling H2Os, and embossing the image allows little 'walls' to form - it really helps keep your watercolor where you want (great when you're dealing with such a small area such on this!). I also stamped another wreath on aqua paper with silver embossing powder. I cut out three pieces and paper pieced them into the wreath. Finally, I cut the entire wreath and used foam tape to make it pop off the surface a bit. In real life, this card is so beautifully shimmery - I wish I could show you. This Wreath of Gifts image is so beautifully illustrated that I can barely keep my eyes off of it! I just love it! I hope you do, too!

Have an amazing day! Be well.

Etsy Inspired Challenge with Inchie Arts!

2010-11-20T00:01:00.001-05:00

Do I have something fun for you today! Inchie Arts is sponsoring the team at Etsy Inspired, and the fun gals there asked the Inchie Arts design team members to play along. I wasn't familiar with this challenge blog, but I can guarantee that I'll be going back! Each week, they spotlight one Etsy shop (this week is Queen of Arts Cakes; she has two shops here and here) . So once I went in and really absorbed all the gorgeous creations she has, I decided to us this as my inspiration:

Can you believe those are cookies? Aren't they gorgeous? There's no way I would ever be able to eat those - they're just too amazing.

So I started out with a Light Gray Twinchie Square for my base. I stamped Papertrey Ink's Year Of Flowers: Sweet Peas on it using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, then went to town with my Copics. The fantastic quality of the matboard used on all Inchie Arts products lends itself beautifully to lots of blending, allowing you to be able to achieve some great shadows and highlights. I used a Copic Multiliner in black to draw in the frame, and a Copic to color the edges of the Twinchie. Here's a closer look:

The note card has some great details, too. The note card itself is from the Inchie Arts Inchie Notes Peach/Pink Set. These note cards are perfect when paired with Inchies, Inchie + and Twinchies. I also added some texture to it by running it through my die cut machine with the PTI Picnic Plaid Impression Plate. It's topped off with a smidgen of Hibiscus Burst Bitty Dots Ribbon (also from PTI).

Stop over to the Etsy Inspired blog to participate in the challenge! It's a fun one that you won't want to miss!

Have a wonderful weekend! Be well.

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Week 3: Fuchsia Flower

2010-11-18T11:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the third week of the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop! This week the designers are showing you their takes on Brenda Pinnick's Flower, Beauty Bloom, Originals Die #655455. Brenda was kind enough to cut these from various materials and send them to us. My combination is fun & funky! The felt is from National Non-Wovens, and the animal print fabric is from Brenda's Couluer Vie Collection with Henry Glass & Co. This color and pattern were definitely a little different from what I would ordinarily choose, but boy, did I have fun with it!

I layered the pieces and gathered them with a little stitching. Then I used a french knot to grab all the pieces together in the center. To highlight the fun animal print, I edged the pieces with Stardust Stickles. Sizzix dies will cut a variety of materials, like those shown here. It's really a great way to bring versatility to your crafting.

I placed the flower on a piece of Sticky Back Canvas that I die cut from another Sizzix die, the Baroque Movers & Shapers die. The canvas was a little plain on its own, so I stamped it with Papertrey Ink's Background Basics: Retro (LOVE this set! I reach for it all the time!), then placed it on some Raspberry Fizz cardstock that was machine stitched around the edges. The card base was cut from PTI's Vintage Cream.

This Beauty Bloom die is such a gorgeous, layered flower. I think there are so many possibilities with it and will definitely be adding this Beauty to my collection!

Thanks for stopping by here on the Hop. All the projects will be up by noon eastern today and you can use the widget on the right margin to keep hopping, or you can refer back to the Master List on the Sizzix Blog for a complete list of participants. Have a wonderful day and be well! ~ Jenn

Papertrey Tuesday

2010-11-16T10:20:00.000-05:00

Have you fallen in love with Papertrey Ink's November release yet? I have! As usual, it's tough to pick a favorite, but I thought I would start out by showing you a card I did with the new Banner Builder. I adore this shape - I've been longing for it in a die, and look! There it is!

This card is for the Beav's best friend. I needed to keep it relatively flat since we were mailing it, so there aren't any pieces popped up on this. It features Orange Zest and Blueberry Sky (both the boys' fave color combo). In addition to the Banner Builder stamp set, I also used Fresh Alphabet, Birthday Basics and Birthday Bash Sentiments. I strung the banners on Enchanted Evening baker's twine for a textured, fun look. I'm really pleased that it turned out so well.

Make sure to check out the rest of the new releases! I'll be back with more of my takes on them over the next while. In the meantime, have a great day! Be well.

Time for a Lockhart Lovely!

2010-11-15T10:26:00.000-05:00

Good morning, blog friends! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I have a new image from Lockhart Stamp Company to show you today. It is the Angel With Gift, and she is just lovely!

The Lockhart angels were the very first images I noticed when I discovered Karen's stamps. I remember so clearly, it was a card that Ellen Hutson created for Paper Crafts magazine several years ago. What a difference a bit of time can make, because now I'm not only fortunate to be creating with Lockhart stamps, I'm also fortunate to have both Ellen and Karen as friends. But I digress...the angel images are so beautifully created. Karen must spend so much time creating them because there is so much detail on them. The hair, the details on the dress, it's all just amazing!

I should probably also let you know, sweet blog friends, that I'm just not feeling red & green for Christmas this year. I like red, I like green, but I think I'm feeling a little complacent about the two together for the holidays this year. So consider this fair warning, I'm going a little astray with the colors this holiday season! ;) (The red and kraft paper is from Jillibean Soup.)

This image, and the other great holiday images from Lockhart Stamp Company, are already in your local stamp shop. Hurry to go get it before they're gone!

Have a great day & be well.

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Week 2: Present Pop Up

2010-11-11T11:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Week 2 of the Triple Play Blog Hop. This week we are all showing our takes on Karen Burniston's fantastic Twist Cube. If you're not familiar with Karen's dies, this is a great introduction. She is an engineering marvel, yet makes it foolproof! Take this beauty - look at how it looks 'squashed'.

And this is how it looks popped-up! Isn't that fun? Here are the details on what I used - the gold cardstock is from Die Cuts With A View, and I stamped it with Background Basics: Christmas from Papertrey Ink. (The ribbon, button and baker's twine are from PTI, too.) Karen Burniston has made a great video showing step by step instructions on how to assemble this, too - perfect if you're a visual learner like I am. You can view the video here on Karen's blog . You'll be amazed at just how easy it is! They look great placed in a card, or (as I plan to do) hanging on the Christmas tree. (Just think - you can send an ornament in an envelope!)

Hop along and enjoy all the amazing creations! You can view the full list of participants on the Sizzix Blog, or use the Triple Play Widget on my right margin. Thanks for stopping by.

Be well. ~ Jenn

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Week 1: Lil' Red Schoolhouse

2010-11-04T11:15:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop! I'm so honored to be included in my 3rd Sizzix Blog Hop, and this one is the best one yet! 60+ very talented designers are participating (don't worry! You have a week to go through them!); for the next couple of months, we will be each showing you our individual takes on a particular die on Thursday. Three die designers, Eileen Hull, Karen Burniston and Brenda Pinnick have come up with some fantastic dies to showcase.

The first die that we are showcasing is one of Eileen's new Scoreboard dies. It is the new 3D house for the Sizzix Big Shot Pro and it is designed to work with matboard and chipboard, for a sturdier creation (you can use it with paper, too, though!). For my project, I decided to keep it simple and create a fun gift box for a teacher. Making a little red schoolhouse was easy with some red and brown acrylic paint. For the roof detail, I simply drew in shingle lines with a Copic marker.

I then added a flagpole (which is one of those fancy fork-like toothpicks painted white). The flag, an apple for the teacher, was created with Papertrey Ink cardstock and the stamps were from Papertrey's Teacher's Apple.

I used hot glue to adhere one side of the roof piece, but then I left the other side open. I thought it would be fun to let it open and close, so I used some magnetic tape along the inside. I think this would be so cute filled with candy or even a teacher's survival kit of hand sanitizer, a small tissue pack and a little bottle of headache medicine. The possibilities are endless with this fun die!

There are two ways to proceed on the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop. The first way is to use the blinkie tool on my right margin; this fantastic widget (developed by the amazing Jen Goode! Thanks Jen!) allows you to go back or forward to the people next to me on the list. The second way to navigate through the blog hop is to go to the Sizzix Blog for a complete list of participants. Take your time & enjoy! The talent that has been assembled is amazing!

Be well.

Sizzix Supply List:
656836
Sizzix ScoreBoards Pro Die - House, 3-D by Eileen Hull
656852
Sizzix Little Sizzles - 12" x 12" Mat Board Pack
Sizzix Big Shot Pro

Wee & Whimsical Wednesday

2010-11-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

This yummy goodness is on its way to my mother-in-law, whose birthday is later this week. The cupcake image is one of Lockhart Stamp Company's newest images, the Cupcake with Bow. Isn't it cute? It is tough to tell here, but I put Rock Candy Distress Stickles on the frosting portion - it looks so fantastic in real life, just like a sugar-coated frosting!

The image was stamped on White Inchie+ squares. I used Memento ink, then colored them in with Copics. I outlined each Inchie+ square with a light Copic, too. Once that was done, I added the Stickles I mentioned above, as well as Liquid Pearls on the bow's polka dots. Adding details like this really make your image pop! (And these great matboard squares can really take what you want them to!)

The sentiments are from Lockhart, too. They're classics and should be in everyone's Lockhart collection! It was fun to be able to pair them up like this. I popped up the strips with the sentiments with foam tape so that they would be on a similar level as the Inchie+ squares.

I hope this inspires you to create a fun birthday card! After all, you never know when that next birthday is going to sneak up on you! Be well.

Papertrey Tuesday

2010-11-02T07:54:00.003-04:00

Hi & welcome to my poor, neglected blog! :) Lots of fun happening in the Ellefson household these days - sorry for the absence! I wanted to show you a quick baby gift that I did up recently. Hubby was over in Germany recently, and a colleague that he was meeting with had a baby a bit early (like the day before hubby was leaving!). I like to keep kraft wrapping paper on hand for gift 'emergencies' just like this! Luckily, my husband ran out on his lunch break for the gift and dropped it off with me. Kraft paper to the rescue because you can stamp it to create whatever occasion you need! For this ensemble, I pulled out Star Prints and Inside & Out: Baby and got to work!

The card was completely inspired by this card by Geny Cassady. When I am tight on time, I am not at my creative best and the design process is my largest time-grabber, so the PTI gallery is a great resource. Geny's fun card really jumped out at me! Thanks for the inspiration, Geny! (Tons of PTI goodies on this - just give me a shout if there is something there that you have a question on!)

Here's a closeup of the package detail, too. I used the Seeing Stars Die Collection and the Polka Dot Basics II Impression Plate, along with the sentiment from Mega Mixed Messages. The grosgrain ribbon is a roll of wide white that I had on hand - doesn't it look great stamped?

By the time hubby got home for dinner, this fun ensemble was already packed in his suitcase. Only you & I need to know just how quickly it all went together (definitely keep that little gem to yourself because I looked like a rock star!) ;)

Have a wonderful day! Be well.

Autumn Wreath

2010-10-20T06:58:00.003-04:00

I pulled out an oldie but a goodie from my Lockhart collection to create this warm autumn tag. The Autumn Wreath has been a favorite of mine for a while now because of the great variety you can achieve in coloring it. I know the first impression of this image is that it can be tough to color, but really, it is pretty easy! The areas are small, so colored pencils make quick work of it, and since they're small, shading is achieved quickly by blending colors together. Here's a closer look:

An important tip when you're working with an image like this - don't forget to color the 'inside'. After you color the fruits and leaves on this wreath, you're left with some space inbetween; don't forget to color this area. I used my Ginger Root pencil (one of my Go-To colors!) here, so it looks faint in the picture, but I can tell you that this is what makes the wreath look finished. It's always a bit of an after-thought for me, but I can tell you that it makes a huge difference!

Off to bake some pumpkin bread for our new neighbors - this tag is going on it when it's wrapped up for a little something special. Nothing says welcome like a beautiful wreath! Have a great day. Be well.

Mark Your Calendars!

2010-10-07T06:57:00.002-04:00

Halloween Bookmark

2010-10-04T06:49:00.003-04:00

(Sorry if this is coming to you a second time - I hit publish instead of save. )

One of the things that I miss most about living close to family is just popping by to give them things. Lucky for me, though, my seven-year-old niece loves getting mail. I send her cards quite often and she has a special box where she puts them. (My sister told me she hasn't even seen the last one that I sent because my niece put it away so quickly.)

So this fun little bookmark is for her. I thought it would be fun to stick in with her Halloween goodies. It features the new Pumpkin Cupcake from Lockhart Stamp Company. I stamped it in black ink on PTI's Orange Zest cardstock and started coloring. Colored pencils on colored cardstock give a much different look, it's fun to play around with! This stamp is so cute, don't you think? For the highlights in the eyes, I just added a little white pen. I punched out the image with a 1.75" punch and edged it with white ink.

I placed it on a bookmark cut from a PTI die, then added a tassel made from baker's twine. This particular color is from Divine Twine. No affliation with them, but they have beautiful colors and ship quickly. (For a quick tutorial on how to make tassels, check out this page on Martha Stewart.)

This Lockhart Halloween image, as well as the other wonderful ones, are in your local stamp store already. And if your local store doesn't carry them, my friend Ellen Hutson has a great selection in her store.

Off to pop it in the mail! Have a great day and be well!

Peace Be Still

2010-09-30T08:55:00.003-04:00

Morning, all! Just a quick post today, as I'm working diligently on the Papertrey Ink October newsletter. 17,000+ of you receive it! I'm always blown away by that - and I'm blown away that tomorrow is October. Time flies...

Heather Nichol's Pinefeather Press stamps (for PTI) have this funny little way of sneaking up on me. Peace Be Still was no exception! I started out and became so quickly enamored that I could hardly stop! So quick details here: Clearly Creative Cardstock base, blue shimmer cardstock given the Background Basics: Diamond Impression Plate treatment with a lil' stitching for good measure. Peace Be Still dies and stamps with Spring Rain ink.

Fun trick I discovered, thanks in part to Jennifer McGuire. Ranger Perfect Pearls dusted over PTI inks (the 2nd generation, pigment hybrid formulation - the one with the spongey base) looks UNBELIEVABLE. Perfect Pearls have always been a love of mine, but they adhere so beautifully to the PTI ink that I can't hardly stand it. The most gorgeous, subtle shimmer ever - and it looks so perfect with the blue shimmer cardstock. Just stamp, dust on the Perfect Pearls before the ink dries and set it aside for a minute or two. Dust off the excess and this is what you're left with. Go - pull out your Perfect Pearls and try it!!

A very glary pic of the interior to show you a couple of quick things - one, the beauty of Inside & Out: Holiday. Such a striking font combination - I will be using this set for years to come, so if you're on my card list, just be forewarned. Also wanted to show you that the flourish from Vintage Labels goes with this in the most absolutely perfect way. Last thing I thought I would point out is how stinkin' cool Smokey Shadow ink is on PTI's Blue Shimmer cardstock. Can you hear my contented sigh from over there?

Ok, back to the newsletter! Have a wonderfully creative day! Be well.

PS - Thanks for the sweet comments yesterday! For those of you who asked, I picked up my mini clothespins at Paper Source, but I think you can find them at Michael's, too, in the wood craft aisle. Hope this helps.

The stockings were hung....

2010-09-29T05:39:00.003-04:00

Good morning, blog friends. I haven't properly thanked you for stopping by in quite some time. I was reading over the stats yesterday, and so many of you come from so far away. I am so grateful that you share a little part of your day with me - it's really humbling! Thank you.

OK, onto the crafty fun! I had so much fun creating this sweet holiday card. It's the first card I made when I received my box; in fact, I spent a little time with Erin Lincoln (total sweetie with SO much creativity!!!) crafting earlier this month, and this was the card that I spent the most time talking about.

It's probably very easy to figure out, but I'll break it down a little just in case. I started out by creating the stockings from the new Stocking Prints die, then inked them up with the coordinating stamp set. (One of my favorites - I used this on my holiday cards last year.) The die completely makes this set come alive!

I used the new set Framed for the background on this. This is one set that will stay on your desktop - it's that useful! No more worrying about achieving this look perfectly with a pen and ruler. (I must drink too much coffee for this technique, because I would always mess up more than I got right! No more worrying about jittery hand for me!) The sentiment is from this set, too, but there are a TON of your existing sentiments that will fit beautifully as well.

The finishing touches were Pure Poppy Baker's Twine and mini clothespins. I had to hang those stockings with care, right? :) These would make adorable cards to give to neighbors (the clothespins make them not-too-friendly for mailing in bulk, but you could always skip those!).

I hope this gives you a little inspiration for fun holiday cards. Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by. Be well.

Papertrey Tuesday

2010-09-28T06:52:00.007-04:00

I thought I would show you a fun technique today that is an oldie but a goodie - the glitter window. This technique is so easy to do with Papertrey Ink dies. You simply start by cutting and scoring a card base, then die cutting the front with the die of your choice (in this case, I used the new Christmas tree die).

Once you have the front cut out, you are going to need something clear and sticky on one side. Packing tape can be a great choice, but here you would see a seam. There are other products on the market that you can use. But the easiest choice is probably taking a piece of Papertrey's Clearly Creative Cardstock and running it through a Xyron machine. Make sure you put the sticky side up, so that you can simply sprinkle glitter on it. Once you have it covered, sprinkle off your excess and use your bone folder or better yet, your fingers (I know, several of you just cringed!) to really mat down the glitter onto the sticky surface.

So you can see that I have a matching die cut image on the inside. Isn't it pretty to look through the glitter window and see that image? It's from Tree Trimming Trio and is a classic image. The tree die cut coordinates with the Flourish Tree perfectly.

I added a little Scarlet Jewel ribbon, then the sentiment on the front is from Alli Miles' new set, Holiday Spirit Sentiments. I was pleased to find out that it fit in the Jar Label die cut perfectly! (Many sentiments do - it's a great tip!)

To finish the ensemble, I used my Envelope Liner die and created a simple gift tag. The tag was done with the new Tag Sale 1 die (I have used this NON-STOP since I got it!!!! It's a wonderful size!!!) and the stamp from All Booked Up. The to/from is from the 2009 Holiday Tag Collection and the sentiment is once again from Alli's new set. Everything is a perfect fit on that great lil' tag! You could whip out a ton of those for everyone on your gift list in no time flat.

I hope this gives you some fun ideas for your holiday crafting. Have a great day! Be well.

I think it's fall...

2010-09-27T09:54:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the work week, friends...how was your weekend? We had a great one - chock full o' fun activities with great friends. Just one of those weekends that you really don't want to end, you know?

I did manage to squeeze in a little stamping & coloring. Given that I woke up Sunday before the sun came up wondering how exactly I was quite so sunburned from Saturday, I opted to color a beautiful autumn Lockhart image. (I feel like the lil' engine that could - "I think it's fall, I think it's fall")

There is SO much detail in this fall window that I really didn't trust myself with Copics, so this is all done with my Prismacolor pencils. They're my medium of choice in a situation where I need total control. They make this window come alive with color, coming close to doing justice to Karen Lockhart's fantastic illustrations.

Are you looking forward to fall? It was a scorcher on Saturday (mid 90s! Hence the sunburn...) so I think I'm really ready. ;) I hope you have a wonderful day! Be well.

Year of Flowers: Morning Glories

2010-09-24T08:52:00.002-04:00

Popping in to show you what I created with the latest installment in the Year Of Flowers Series from Papertrey Ink. This is Year of Flowers: Morning Glories and I think it is just beautiful! Nichole did such a wonderful job illustrating this. This card went out as a birthday greeting to a friend of mine. I hope it brightened her day!

I colored this with the Copic Trios suggested by PTI for the colors coordinating with Plum Pudding, Lavender Moon and New Leaf. The background was created by stamping the focal image with Plum Pudding ink onto Plum Pudding cardstock. I like the tone-on-tone look that adds a cohesive feel to the card without detracting from the focal image.

We have a fun, busy weekend here! It's been unseasonably warm here this week. (I thought it was done! I hoped it was done! Just wait - come February I'll be lamenting about the cold again...I should really just move to somewhere with moderate temps year round!) Heading to a Nats game tomorrow with some friends then Sunday plans for football - should be a fun, sports-filled weekend! Hopefully I will squeeze in a little time for stamping, too. Whatever you're up to, I hope it is a ton of fun! Be well.

Back to school

2010-09-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

I don't know what it's like in your house, but in mine, the annual Back to School leads to an inevitable increase in the amount of laundry. Honestly, it's a phenomenon that I cannot explain, because my boys don't wear uniforms, or dress particularly nice for school. They just wear what they wear! So why the dramatic increase in laundry?

I was chatting on the phone with an old friend about this very thing (you know that friend, the one that you chat with for hours about nothing at all). I thought it would be fun to send her a card celebrating the everyday, so I pulled out my fun Lockhart Laundry Basket and color it up. Notice that there are no pastels in that laundry basket - just all bold boy colors here! And yes, mismatched socks (these are the bane of my domestic existence!). We have TONS of them here - they multiply like rabbits or something.

The sentiment "wash, dry, fold, repeat" repeats and repeats and repeats...kind of like the laundry around here...

Off to switch a load from the washer to the dryer - have an amazing day! Be well.

Wee & Whimsical Wednesday

2010-09-22T07:11:00.000-04:00

Morning, stampy friends! I hope your week is going well. Last week, the talented design team at Impression Obsession, including my sweet friend Laura Fulcher, took a swing at using products from Inchie Arts. They all did amazing work with my favorite lil' squares!

So, I'm a little late in playing along, but I did manage to get the challenge finished. I thought I would show you the little notecard set that I did using stamps from Impression Obsession. I started by stamping Inchie Notes from the Fall Collection with the Cover A Card Gingham and Versamark ink. (Totally a stamping short cut! No need to go looking for matching ink - Versamark to the rescue!)

I then stamped 3 Wheat Twinchies with Cover A Card Greenery and Versafine Sepia. If you have one of Impression Obsession's Mega Mounts, you can actually stamp all the Twinchies at one time - yep, another shortcut! ;) I edged each Twinchie with Versamark ink for a soft look.

The sentiment is from this stamp. I masked it to get just the word I wanted. Copper Stickles and brown buttons with twine were my finishing touches.

This was a fun challenge - and a great product pairing. You can hop over to the I-O Blog to get more great ideas. Be well!

Papertrey Tuesday

2010-09-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

I just realized that I had forgotten to show you this card that I did with Take Three: Fall! I can't believe it! :) I kept the design on this very simple, but there are a few things on here worth mentioning. The Kraft panel was treated with a little something special from the Guide Lines Grid Impression plate. The focal piece is die cut with the Spiral Notebook Page & Library Pocket dies. All of the patterned paper was pulled from the Autumn Abundance pack (love these patterns!). To achieve the look that I did with the pumpkin, I started with Terracotta Tile paper and stamped it with Vintage Cream ink. I really like the way it turned out.

I've been creating like crazy lately, so I'm planning on posting each day this week - and maybe next week, too! (OK, maybe that is a little too ambitious!) I have lots of fun things to show you from the latest Papertrey Ink release starting later this week, so stay tuned! Be well.

2010-09-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

I'm honored to have been asked to be the Fab Friend at My Favorite Things today! I first met Kim last summer when she was in town for the GASC in Chantilly. I have always enjoyed the great images from MFT. You can click over to the My Favorite Things Blog to see my contribution to this fun program. Thanks, Kim, for asking me to participate!

Fall is on its way!

2010-09-13T11:52:00.003-04:00

I saw my second red tree this weekend (I don't really get too excited about the first - could be a fluke!), so I have a feeling we are at the end of these dreadful HOT days that we've seen so many of this summer. And that is just fine by me!

To celebrate, I thought I would color up this beautiful Harvest Candle image from Lockhart Stamp Company. I used Copic markers on this, and added Glossy Accents on the hurricane for a more realistic glass feel.

So happy to be coloring fall images! They are so warm and inviting, and Lockhart's are definitely some of my favorites! Be on the lookout for more later this week. In the meantime, have a wonderful week. Be well!

Wee & Whimsical...Thursday?

2010-09-09T11:10:00.002-04:00

Yes, I am off a day again! Darn Monday holidays always throw me for a loop! :) Thanks for bearing with my loopiness.

Inchie Arts is sponsoring the current color challenge at Embellish Magazine, so I thought it would be fun to play along. The color combo is such a fun one, and I knew I definitely wanted to create a Lockhart Halloween card to go with it. This witch's legs image fits perfectly on a Twinchie (don't you just love that!), so I started by stamping it with Memento Tuxedo Black, then coloring it with Copics. I used a lot of Copic Colorless Blender on the background of the image - see how it is just a faint green? I just outlined the background space, then used my blender to pull the color in towards the center. After the coloring was finished, I added Stickles to accent a few places. It turned out so cute! The artist-quality matboard takes whatever you can dish out - and does so with blinking an eye! ;)

The "Haunt Couture" sentiment (one of Karen's new ones) was perfect here, too. I embossed it with Leaf Zing embossing powder (from American Crafts); the background of the card was done with this, as well. It really pops on the purple, don't you think? Black mats on all the layers really helped the pop-factor, too.

Such a fun color challenge! Thanks, Ashley at Embellish Magazine and Lisa at Inchie Arts for coming up with such a fun challenge.

Be well!

Gobble Gobble

2010-09-07T07:06:00.000-04:00

I hope all my American friends had a nice long weekend, and all my other friends are well into having a productive week. I just wanted to pop in quickly to show you a fun card with Gobble Gobble. I used both the stamp set and the coordinating die on this, as well as the Mat Stack 3 die. This is a really fun set to brighten up someone's Thanksgiving.

It's the first day of school here, so I'm keeping it short and sweet today. Wally is already out the door for his first day of HIGH SCHOOL (yikes!) and the Beav just shut off the shower, so that is my cue to say Be Well!

Embellishments

2010-09-03T07:18:00.001-04:00

Good Friday Morning to you! Whoo hoo - long weekend waiting ahead, friends! :)

I have a couple of sweet goodies to show you today! Both are created with Papertrey Ink's August release set Embellishments. I was looking for something different to do with these, and while surfing for inspiration, I came across THIS beautiful pillow from Pottery Barn. I knew it was a great leaping off point to create a sun-kissed, slightly faded look like this:

I had made this a couple of weeks ago, then went to lunch with my friend Eileen. While there, I received one of her newer ScoreBoards dies, the Box with Scalloped Flap. I just *love* these! I promptly cut a piece of off-white matboard and stamped a matching piece! The front piece was die cut from the coordinating PTI Embellishments die; to achieve the look, I stamped Vintage Cream ink and immediately applied clear embossing powder. (The paper is Terracotta Tile.) When heat embossed, it gave this sweet, milky look that went so well with the rest of the project.

I hope this inspires you to create something fun this weekend. Have a wonderful Labor Day and I will chat with you next week!

Waiting for fall...

2010-08-30T08:42:00.002-04:00

Good Monday morning, blog friends! I hope you had a great weekend! I had a great, crafty weekend, spending lots of time creating and meeting some really talented people. I started Saturday bright & early by driving out to West Virginia. The sun coming up through the hills and valleys was just beautiful, and as I crossed the Shenandoah River, a low-lying cloud caught all the sunlight beautifully. I never really got the old John Denver song (sorry if it gets stuck in your head!), but after my early morning drive, it is beginning to make a little more sense. The purpose of my drive was to head out to the FABULOUS Summer In Paris retreat where I taught two classes. I had so much fun with my groups! What fantastic ladies!!

Sunday was a bit of a 180...I was the student in two classes! Jennifer McGuire was a guest instructor at Angela's Happy Stamper. We learned so many fantastic techniques! I was positively giddy! It was nice to be on the other side of the table, too.

Another fun aspect of my weekend was receiving some new Lockhart stamps! The new fall & holiday collection is full of fantastic images to color, and this Autumn Leaves image is no exception! I had to ink it up immediately - it was definitely calling my name.

Here's a closer look at the coloring. I took a little different route with this and started out by coloring the basket with Copic Spicas; they give such a great shimmer! The rest of the image is colored with Prismacolor pencils. I just pulled out reds, oranges, yellows, greens and browns and went to town! (I really enjoy coloring fall leaves because you can put so many colors in them.)

It's the last week of summer vacation here, so I'll be enjoying it with Wally and the Beav. We have a few things left on our summer fun list, so we need to get busy! I hope you'll have a great week, too! Be well.

Been Boo'd

2010-08-26T08:24:00.000-04:00

Been Boo'd from Beth Silaika is such a clever stamp set! I learned about this fun Halloween tradition when we lived in a subdivision in Pittsburgh; it's basically a round of ding-dong-ditch with a twist - there are goodies waiting for you at the door! My kids loved this! This stamp set from Papertrey Ink lets you create a great package in no time flat! And the best part (in my mind, at least!) is that the poem is already in stamp form.

PTI's Coffee Bags make a great bag to decorate and leave your goodies in, too. You can easily fit several fun snacks in them - and their surface is ready for ink, so your Boo'd package will be the envy of the neighborhood! (I even stamped the ribbon for a fun touch.)

I hope this gives you some fun ideas for what you can do with your neighborhood or even your co-workers! Be well.

Wee & Whimsical Wednesday

2010-08-25T07:45:00.003-04:00

Good morning, Blog friends! It's a Wee & Whimsical Wednesday, so that means I'm going to show you a fun project with products from Inchie Arts. I have had this project fragmented in my head for a while now, but I just recently put all those stray thoughts all together! It all starts with two Inchie + squares! I have mentioned before that because Inchie Arts squares are made from artist-quality matboard, they take a variety of mediums beautifully, and today's project really capitalizes on that feature. I started by stamping and heat embossing the two Inchie + squares with Giga Guidelines from Papertrey Ink. (Tip for my PTI friends: you can heat emboss with the pigment-hybrid inks if you work quickly. Here I used Hawaiian Shores and Simply Chartruese.)

Next, I created an emboss resist with the opposite color. You can use whatever tool you like to apply the ink. My favorite is probably just a cotton ball in a binder clip, as shown here. The matboard of the Inchie + square accepts the ink evenly, making it so simple to accomplish a great look!

Next, use a tissue to wipe the ink off the embossed area. Going in a circular motion helps get it all even.

I adhered the two squares back-to-back with my Glue Glider Pro High Tac cartridge. Then I slid the two Inchie + squares into a 1 1/2" square Memory Frame from Ranger. It's a perfect fit! A piece of ribbon makes a fun chain for the necklace, and because I adhered the two Inchie + squares back-to-back, it doesn't matter if the necklace flips over, it will always look great! (A rhinestone in the center adds just the slightest bit of visual interest that I thought it really needed.)

I hope this gives you a fun idea for your Inchie Arts products. The frames come in various sizes, so you'll be able to create a wide variety of projects, too. (I have one or two related projects in mind, too - so keep your eyes peeled!) Be well!

Papertrey Tuesday

2010-08-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

Every so often, I get going on a card that I end up just loving. This one is one of those cards! It uses Papertrey Ink's new release Leaf Prints, as well as the new coordinating dies. I created the leaves by really playing with my inks, doing a lot of rock & roll techniques on them, as well as inking only portions of the stamps and stamping over the image a couple of times. This set is also a two-step stamp, so the leaf veins are separate images.

The leaves were placed on kraft panels that were stamped with Text Style II in Terracotta Tile ink. The sentiment, stamped repeatedly around the edges is from Heather Nichol's Falling Leaves. Patterned paper and rustic cream twine add the perfect finishing touches. The card is 4" x 9" and fits in a business-sized (#10) envelope. It's a great all-purpose card that will make your recipient really look forward to fall.

Have a wonderful day! Be well.

Keep it Simple!

2010-08-23T15:16:00.003-04:00

One thing that I hear a lot at the stamp store where I do demos is that people are intimidated by coloring. I try to always assure them that there is NO need to be - you can make any image gorgeous just by keeping it simple! This card is a great example! There is NO coloring on this (gasp!) - just the image and sentiment stamped in white ink on a dark raspbery-like paper. The Lockhart Pie in the Window image is a great choice for something like this - the image is so beautifully detailed that your eye is drawn in to take a closer look. The 'pie oh my' sentiment is a natural choice, too.

You should really give this a try! It's a great technique to do when you're tight on time or if you just want to try something new. Have a great day! Be well.

Pretty Peaches

2010-08-20T08:01:00.004-04:00

July and August can be really sweltering in the DC area, but there is an upside: the local peaches. Oh, they are so good! Almost makes you grateful for those days that are so oppressively humid - well, almost.

The Lockhart Peaches image is a really fun image to color. I used my Copic markers on this one. Want to know what makes it fun to color? That adorable bowl made out of lettuce leaves! This image may look simple, but once you get into it, it is a great challenge image, with the shading and highlights that you start working in!

Isn't it great? If you have this image in your Lockhart Stamp collection, pull it out! It's the perfect time of year to color it up and send it out to a friend!

And speaking of your Lockhart Stamp collection, did you see the new Fall & Halloween images that Karen introduced? Oh goodness - what fun I'm going to have with those! I can't wait. I know that they're beginning to arrive at stamp stores (Angela's Happy Stamper got them in earlier this week!), so make sure to take a look.

Have a wonderful weekend! Be well.

Friendship Jar Fall Fillers

2010-08-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

So I mentioned the other day how I didn't have a favorite set from the August Papertrey Ink release, but I do actually have a favorite card! :) It is this one, made with the fun new Friendship Jar Fall Fillers. This set works in conjunction with Friendship Jar and the coordinating dies. Way too much fun!

To create the focal image, I stamped the jar first, then the cute ghost image several times onto Plum Pudding cardstock that I had diecut. To color the ghost, I used a white Prismacolor pencil. You can get some fun looks by using the pencil on darker cardstock! It's a great technique.

I couldn't find a patterned paper that I wanted to use once I had the jar completed, so I decided to make my own. We stampers are a resourceful bunch, aren't we? ;) I pulled out Distressed Stripes and created a matching plaid background using Plum Pudding and Simply Chartruese inks. I finished it all off with some Topnotch Twill, Stickles, machine stitching and lots of inked edges. I'm not sure if it is the cute ghosts or the kickin' color combination, but boy, do I love this card! I hope you like it, too!

Have a great day! Be well.

Papertrey Tuesday

2010-08-17T08:00:00.001-04:00

It's been another fantastic Papertrey Ink release! There are so many fantastic sets this month that it's impossible for me to say which is my favorite - so I won't! ;) But I will say that I think Tiny Treats: Halloween is just adorable! I'm sure you saw last week when the design team did their group post; my post today was what I did to play along with that challenge!

I started by cutting out Mat Stack 4 from Orange Zest cardstock. Fresh Snow is such a great ink that it looks fantastic on the orange, as well as the Plum Pudding. I used the new Gridlines Impression plate on the Plum Pudding piece, then started stamping the ghost image on every other square. I then used Simple Alphabet to create the boo! that is also there. (Cute stuff!)

For the background of this card, I pulled out Background Basics: Retro for the cardbase (I liked the way it mimicked the circles on the Mat Stack!).

The treat container is the small version of the Around Town Tote template. It's the perfect size to put a couple fun-sized candy bars into, or several Laffy Taffy. Whatever floats your ghost! (Yep, sorry about that, probably should have had a bad pun alert ahead of that one.)

Both the card and the little tote were finished off with a white pen, purple stickles and Plum Pudding twill. It's a fantastic look for the upcoming Trick or Treat season - perfect for lots of lil' goblins!

Be well!

A bit of a different coloring technique

2010-08-16T11:01:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to pop in & show you this Lockhart Peonies image that I colored in a new way for me. This image was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black, but all the coloring was done with Pebbles Metallic Creams Chalk. I was using these for a demo at Angela's Happy Stamper a couple of weeks ago, and I wanted to see just how much detail you could get with them. I have to say, you can get a pretty good amount of detail, as you can see here. It has a looser feel than you would ordinarily achieve with pencils or markers, but you can still get a great look, and even some shading by using the light ones first, then the dark (as you can see here with the pink flowers and the blue container).

And as I like to do with Lockhart images, I kept the rest of the card very simple so as not to detract from the beautiful stamped image. I love letting the image take center stage!

I hope your week is off to a great start! Be well.

Wee & Whimsical Whoops!

2010-08-14T08:38:00.002-04:00

Hi all! So, I tend to preschedule my posts, and I thought I had my Wee & Whimsical Wednesday post scheduled, but alas, I left it in draft mode. Too funny! So here it is for your Inchie fix!

There is really nothing that Karen Lockhart does better than what I like to think of as 'variation on a theme'. These sweet Itty Bittys from Lockhart Stamp Company prove that perfectly! I love the way they pair up on Inchie Squares from Inchie Arts. This is a quick and easy layout that you can use to showcase a variety of images. Here, I pulled out three desserts, the IB Cupcake, the IB Cake and the IB Ice Cream Cone and stamped them in Memento Tuxedo Black. I chose this ink because I knew I wanted to use my Copics, and this is such a great choice when using that medium. Anyone who knows me know how much I love my desserts, so this was a fun combination of stamped images for me to use.

A quick design note, I used a piece of twill underneath the Inchie Squares to ground them; if I just left them in the center of the paper, it would have a 'floating' feel, which in my opinion, can really leave the recipient feeling like something is not quite right with it. Something as simple as a strip of paper underneath can fix that quickly and easily.

Let me know if you have any questions. Have an amazing day! Be well.

Aprons!

2010-08-09T09:04:00.002-04:00

The Apron series of images from Lockhart Stamp Company always make me think of the wonderful hostesses we all encounter. I love using these images on hostess gifts as well as thank-yous for the special people who put up with you.

This new Ric Rac Apron was a lot of fun to put together. I started by paper-piecing in a portion of the apron (the stripes, from a Memory Box paper), then stamped the image again onto pink cardstock. I added some tone-on-tone coloring with Copic markers, then cut it all out. Once I mounted it onto white cardstock, it takes on a dimension while still being flat (a great trick for cards that you put in the mail!). I think it makes a perfect way to say thank you to someone who opened their home to you!

Have a great day! Be well.

Papertrey Ink Classes at the Summer In Paris Retreat

2010-08-05T09:50:00.006-04:00

I am so excited to share this little tidbit of news with you: I am teaching two Papertrey Ink classes at the Summer In Paris Retreat in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia on Saturday, August 28. I am so honored to be part of this amazing event! Korie B. has thought of everything, and it is going to be a wonderful retreat! This is the first time that Papertrey Ink classes have been offered in the WV/MD/VA area, so if you've been wondering what it's all about, this is the PERFECT opportunity to find out! Seats are limited and filling quickly, so don't wait to register!

The first class I'm teaching is called Paper Perfections. All of your Papertrey Ink materials will be supplied, including a Template and a full-sized stamp set!

The next class is called All The Buzz About Buttons, and just as with the previous class, you will be receiving lots of Papertrey Ink goodies, including a Template and full-sized stamp set!

As a former design team member (and current employee), I will be passing along lots of great tips about how to get that classic Papertrey Ink look. The classes are 3 hours long so that we have lots of time to get lots of creations done, as well as learn lots of Papertrey Ink nuances. I am really looking forward to it being a great time! Let me know if you have any questions - and make sure to sign up soon! Seats are going fast!

Wee & Whimsical Wednesday

2010-07-28T08:00:00.002-04:00

Good morning! As you're reading this, I'm on my way to Chicago for this year's Craft and Hobby Association's Summer trade show. I love Chicago! And since I'm heading towards the Windy City (which I think is such a misnomer, but I digress...), I thought it would be appropriate to have today's Wee & Whimsical Wednesday to feature a kite!

I started out with a Inchie + Square from Inchie Arts. This one started out white, but I had a little fun with it. First, I created a checked pattern with a Copic marker and a ruler. Then I pulled out my Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers) and rounded the corners with a 1/2" corner. To finish it off, I added a trim with Stickles (in Mermaid). I love all the great things you can do with these Inchie Arts products!

The kite image is from the Itty Bittys Collections from Lockhart Stamp Company. One thing that I love about Karen's stamps is that there is always a way to illustrate them just a bit further! Here, I created a polka dot pattern so easily and it really jazzes it up a bit. (Nothing like adding a bit of additional visual interest to wow your recipient!)I cut out the image a popped it up with foam tape, placing it on the Inchie + Square. The additional dimension helps pull it away from the checked pattern a bit.

Let me know if you have any other questions about today's Wee & Whimsical Wednesday card! I'll chat with you when I get back from CHA. In the meantime, be well!

Rose Window

2010-07-27T09:54:00.004-04:00

If you've ever taken a coloring class with Karen Lockhart, you know that one of her challenges is to color her images with a color theme. It's something that I've carried along with my work since meeting her two years ago, and this piece is no exception! I love yellow and blue together, it reminds me of French Provincial.

I have decided to create a series of these framed pieces with all of the beautifully illustrated Window Images from Lockhart Stamp Company. (If you're new to my blog, {and I am so happy to have you here!} then you may have missed this previous post when I created a similar project with the Tulip Window.) I think they'll look great lined up together! Here's a closeup of this beautiful Rose Window:

You can see that I cut out the center of the window, popped up the image on foam tape and layered some yellow gingham paper behind it. The Itty Bitty Jar of Jam looked so perfect there - just like it was on the window sill! I am so pleased with the way this image turned out! It makes a great next installment in my little framed grouping.

Have an amazing day! Be well.

A giggle for the day!

2010-07-15T08:12:00.002-04:00

This new image from Lockhart Stamp Company has been getting a lot of attention all around the internet lately! But what really makes it is the sentiment! Doesn't it just make you giggle? I wanted to show you how I used the sentiment a bit differently; as you can see on the webview, the sentiment is two lines curved together. Karen always does such a great job making the sentiments full of fun and whimsy! But on this one, I wanted to separate them into two lines. That's when your favorite stamp positioner will really come in handy.

The key to this is to ink each line by itself and stamp it onto your positioning sheet. (I used a Memento Dew Drop pad to achieve this easily - the point on the inkpad really helps with this!) Next, align the sentiment on the positioning sheet until the angle matches your piece, then using the positioner, stamp away! Wipe off your stamp and repeat the process with the next line of the sentiment. Using this technique allows you to get more mileage from your sentiments.

The cute swimsuits were colored with summery colored Copic markers. I used the same colors behind the image for the color blocks. Fun, summery and easy!

Have a great day! It's going to be a warm one here - I might just have to do a little chunky dunkin', too! ;) Be well.

Wee & Whimsical Wednesday

2010-07-14T08:35:00.003-04:00

Welcome to another Wee & Whimsical Wednesday. If you're new to my little blog, I try do this every other Wednesday - and it always features fun products from Inchie Arts. Today, I'm using a Twinchie square paired up with a new image from Lockhart stamps. Since the Twinchie is two inches square, you can get a good-sized image on it, just like this new web lawn chair.

I giggled when I saw this new Lockhart image the first time, because it reminds me of being a kid. Seemed like my parents always had a couple of these chairs around! I remember one in this color scheme, too - so you know what they say about art imitating life! Since there are fine details on this image, I used both Copics and Prismacolor pencils. The silver pencil added great metallic detail for the aluminum frame of this chair, and the green vertical stripes were done in pencil to match the green horizontal stripes (done with Copics). Since the Twinchie is made from artist-quality matboard, it takes both of these coloring mediums beautifully! (You can even use the Copic Blender pen well with these Inchie Arts squares. The Blending solution doesn't get away from you like it does on so many surfaces.)

Of course, I had to choose 'Sit back and relax' for my sentiment on this. I used my stamp positioner to get the orientation to how I wanted it for this card - which is a great tip to remember with Lockhart sentiments (more on this tomorrow!).

I hope you have a wonderful day - and you get a chance to sit back & relax! Be well.

Papertrey Tuesday

2010-07-13T07:10:00.001-04:00

Night Night Moon had absolutely perfect timing in my life because I've had several friends who have either had a baby or who are going to have one soon - which of course means lots of baby cards.

This set has a unique combination of images, from the fun border strip to this adorable little duck! On this card, I've paired it up with the frame and die from Fillable Frames #1 as well as one of the dies from Tea For Two. I always love a soft yellow for baby stuff, so Lemon Tart is a great choice and machine stitching accents it all with nice detail.

Sweet cards for sweet babies! :) Is there any better reason to make a card?

Have a fantastic day! Be well.

Lockhart Guest Artist!

2010-07-09T08:41:00.004-04:00

I am so fortunate to be surrounded in my creative life by the most generous and kind women - and Karen Lockhart is one of those very special people. She called a couple weeks ago and asked if I would like to be the next Lockhart Guest Artist, and "Yes, please!" was running through my head in as many languages as I could muster! I decided to use this amazing new Peonies image for my featured piece; you can learn a little more about the process here.

I'll be creating new cards with the latest release over the coming weeks. They're so much fun, and there are some great additions to our favorites series (a new chair and a new window!). I think you'll like them nearly as much as I do! ;)

Thanks for letting me share my fun news with you! Have a great weekend and be well.

All About You

2010-07-07T09:14:00.000-04:00

All of the stamp designers at Papertrey Ink make my mind just spin with possibilities, but if I had to choose one whose stamps I turn to time and time again (not counting my super sweet boss,Nichole Heady, of course!), it would be Melissa Bickford. Her clever designs and fun layering make her stamps ones that I grab often. This card shows exactly why! I started with a color combination of Enchanted Evening and Hibiscus Burst. The Enchanted Evening cardstock got a healthy dose of Background Basics: Botanicals in Fresh Snow ink (yum!). The Hibiscus Burst got to have a little fun, too, after a rendevous with Linen & Canvas Impression plate. The stamped focal image was done on a piece of Stamper's Select cardstock punched with a Marvy punch. The "Make Me Happy" is actually a straight sentiment that I curved on my block (LOVE that about clear stamps!).

And you may be wondering about those scrumptious felt flowers - you will not believe how easy those are! I simply cut Fresh Snow felt with the Large Scalloped Border die, rolled them up, then started folding back the layers. (They were easy to adhere with Glue Arts Adhesive Squares.) So easy - and it looks great!

Hey - speaking of Glue Arts, I wanted to let you know that there is a brand-new blog! Some of my design team projects will be on there, and I think you will get some fun sneak peeks of the innovative products coming out for CHA. (I'm working on my trade show projects right now, and I can tell you, the product I'm working with has me wondering where it has been because it is SO COOL! I think it will really open up crafting possibilities...stop by the Glue Arts Blog to learn more! ;)

Alright friends - thanks for stopping by today! Have an amazing one - be well.

Papertrey Tuesday

2010-07-06T09:06:00.000-04:00

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend! We sure did at the Ellefson household! It's been crazy hot here (as for much of the East Coast!) To try and escape the heat, I thought I would show this is a new-to-me color combination of Spring Rain and Melon Berry - and I love the light, airy feel to it.

Take a look at the flowers on the Spring Rain cardstock - I achieved that with the In Bloom Impression Plate. Oh, goodness - is this ever a COOL impression plate. I fell in love with it the second I tried it! Just look at that unbelievable detail! And when paired with the In Bloom stamp set, you get a veritable garden on paper. The sentiment (from Year Of Flowers: Lily of the Valley) and the stitching add just right amount of understated elegance, I think.

Stay cool today - it's going to be a scorcher here in DC (100+ degrees - not sure if I'm ready for that!). Be well!

Wee & Whimsical Wednesday

2010-06-30T11:47:00.002-04:00

One thing that I love about the products from Inchie Arts is the way it can make one of your older stamps look brand new! Here, I used the Lockhart Baby Carriage on two Inchie + squares. By stamping on them when they're placed together, then simply separating them slightly, you get a fun look full of whimsy! The artist-quality matboard takes Copics beautifully, so even in this small space, I was able to get some shading techniques to show up very well! The blanket in the image is fun because you could paper piece in a bit of patterned paper, add flocking, or as I did here, just add some polka dots with a white pen.

Try pairing up an older stamp with Inchie Arts products - I think you will have a lot of fun rediscovering your stamp collection in this new way!

Papertrey Tuesday

2010-06-29T08:06:00.003-04:00

It's been a little while since I've done a packaging inspiration challenge here, so I guess there is no better time than the present! This really jumped out at me when I saw it because the colors reminded me of Papertrey Ink's Terracotta Tile and Dark Chocolate. The layout was clean and simple and it had lots of possibilities for a card.

Here's what I came up with using that picture as inspiration:

You can see that I started with a Dark Chocolate card base, then used the Woodgrain Impression Plate. To get a bit more visual depth, I used my Dark Chocolate inkpad direct-to-paper.

Stamp-wise, I used the big glorious damask image from Damask Designs. Working quickly, I stamped it with Vintage Cream ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder. I then framed it with a frame fromVintage Labels. The sentiment is from Year Of Flowers: Daffodils and is a great multi-purpose stamp. I finished it off with a little rustic twine and Vintage Cream ink on the edges.

I would LOVE to see what that packaging inspires you to come up with! Leave a link to your card so I can comment on it.

Have a great day! Be well.

An oldie, but a goodie!

2010-06-28T09:13:00.003-04:00

Whenever I see these Lockhart game boards, the saying "It's all fun and games 'til someone loses an eye" pops into my head. It's probably because of this house full o' guys (that I commonly refer to as my frat house) that I live in. Our basement is a magnet for boys of all ages...and that's actually how I like it. We have foosball, ping pong, a wall-mounted basketball game, a pub-style dart board and to top it all off, a storage room that has been transformed into a hockey rink, with regulation size boards and everything. During the day it is filled with teens and weekend nights, it is usually the big boys hanging out.

And now you know why this saying pops into my head so often! :)

I used Prismacolor pencils to color up this Checker Board image. No fancy coloring here, just straight old red and blue. I printed the sentiment after creating it on my computer; the font is a new favorite of mine called Lobster 1.3 - you'll be seeing a lot of this one for a while! The frame is one that I had on hand, and it really adds a sense of completion to the project, even though it only took a small amount of time. Talk about a quick & easy project! You should try one - you'll be amazed at how quickly it goes together!

Have a wonderful day. Be well!

Fillable Frames Fun

2010-06-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

I thought this card was very appropriate after a very long week - any reason to celebrate, right? ;) Say it with me now - THANK GOODNESS IT'S FRIDAY!

Lots of fun Papertrey Ink products on this! The focal point uses Heather Nichol's sweet new Fillable Frames 5. You know how much I adore this font! I die cut and stamped Simply Chartruese paper, then paired it up with Pure Poppy, Hawaiian Shores and Beautiful Blooms paper (I took my color cues from the patterned paper, actually!). The flower on top of the frame is from Beautiful Blooms II. And of course, I had to use my new absolute favorite die - the Envelope Liner Die (where have you been all my crafting life?!?!). Ah, true love! ;)

OK all, have a fantastic weekend! I'm definitely looking forward to a little unwind-time with friends and family, and I hope you get the same! Be well!

Strawberries!

2010-06-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

Yummmmmm, does anything say early summer like strawberries? Of course, I devour them year-round, but they never seem to taste as good as they do this time of year, do they?

When I was trying to decide what image I wanted to color, this Lockhart Bowl Of Strawberries practically jumped out of my drawer! I really like this bowl because you can easily make it match the rest of your card. Here, I paired it up with some Cosmo Cricket and Jenni Bowlin patterned papers. Circle punches made quick work of framing the fun image, too.

I colored it with Copics, and here is a closer look. The reds were R24 and R29, the greens YG13 and YG17 and the yellows were Y21 and Y26. Quick & simple!

Stitching accents and ribbon finished off this bright beauty! Just another fun all-purpose card to have on hand when I need it (and something always comes up that I need a card for!). Have an great day!

Flutterby Friend

2010-06-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

Lisa Johnson has created yet another ADORABLE set with Flutterby Friend. I just love this little snail (does anyone else remember the little snail that was in every episode of Blue's Clues? It completely reminds me of that!). I did a little masking on the leaves for a fun, layered effect. And lookie there - the sentiment fits in the new die from Tea for Two label. Isn't that great?!

I finished this card up with some fun, subtle details, including the Linen/Canvas Impression plate on the background and a piece die cut with the Small Scalloped Edge die (highlighted a bit with some stitching). I love the clean feel of this card, but I got to color a bit, too - the best of both worlds for me! I hope you like it, too!

Have an amazing day! Be well -

Papertrey Tuesday

2010-06-22T08:00:00.002-04:00

Papertrey Ink's Year Of Flowers: Roses is such a beautiful set! I was excited to get a hold of it and start coloring! Seeing as yellow is my favorite color, it seemed only appropriate that my first go-round with it be yellow! I added lots of accents from the Lemon Tart color collection (cardstock, ribbon, button, and Bitty Dots Paper), so it really added to the bright, cheery feel of this. Since the focal image is a bit larger on this set, I chose to make my card base 5 x 7 - I thought this allowed the rose to stand alone a bit better and not be overcrowded.

The sentiment is just perfect, too! I'm enjoying how the sentiments in this series are all done with the same fonts - perfect for mixing and matching!

Thanks for coming by today - you all make me smile each and every day! :) Have a wonderful day! Be well -

Shabby Wicker Chair

2010-06-21T08:36:00.002-04:00

I went a little outside of my comfort zone on my card today - and I am pleased with the way it turned out. It's no secret that I have a real affinity for my Lockhart Wicker Chair, but it has been a long time since I played with my watercolor pencils. This light and airy image seemed like a natural choice. I also paper-pieced in a gingham cushion, inked with a little light brown ink.

The Just Because stamp is also from Lockhart Stamp Company. It is a great one to have in your collection because you can use it for a multitude of reasons. I'm happy to have this on hand for just the right occasion. (And the recipient will be blown away by your thoughtfulness.)

This card has a few more things going on that I usually do on a card, but most of it is probably pretty apparent. If there is anything that has you going "Hmmm...." just let me know!

Happy Monday (the last Monday of school for us - I'm savoring the silence!). Be well.

Friendship Jar

2010-06-17T09:32:00.000-04:00

Have you seen Papertrey Ink's new Friendship Jar and the companion set Friendship Jar Fillers? These two sets are just adorable, and this card just begins to show why!

I started out by die cutting the jar out of Stamper's Select White and Cardstock Vellum. I stamped the candy/marbles image onto the white, then the jar outline onto the vellum. The candy reminded me of the sour balls candy I loved as a kid.(Of course, nearly choking myself to death on a time or two - I do have a very vivid memory of receiving the Heimlich manuever thanks to one, too. Hmm, no wonder you can't find these any more!) ;) I decided to color them with the Melon Berry Copic Trio, then place the vellum jar over the top. To add a little dimension to the jar image, I added a little light blue Copic to the edges (it has a glass-like feel in real life). To further embellish the jar, I added the label die and jar-topper die. So cute!

I thought this striped piece had a candy-like feel, too. The stripe is from Distressed Stripes and it is done with Melon Berry Ink. The sentiment, from Cupcake Collection, was a no-brainer for this card! I finished off the card with a little Nichole-treatment with a fine-tip pen and a ruler. Pretty 'sweet', if I do say so myself! ;)

Have a great day! Be well.

Wee & Whimsical Wednesday

2010-06-16T11:42:00.004-04:00

Hi All! Do you ever feel yourself drawn to unexpected color combinations? I'm so drawn to this turquoise and lime combination, and it's funny because I can't imagine wearing it or having it in my home (way too bold for my personal style - yes, I'm boring!). But oh good golly, I can't help but use it on my cards. ;)

I decided the Lockhart Chintz Butterfly would look fantastic with this color combination, so I colored it with Prismacolor pencils and outlined it with Stickles. I then wallpapered a White Twinchie Square with some patterned paper (PTI), and mounted the butterfly onto the new foam adhesive from Glue Arts. The cardbase is one of the super cute 3" notecards from Inchie Arts, as well. So bright, cheerful and trendy!

I hope this inspires you to play with a color combo that is a little outside of your comfort zone! Have a fun time with it. Be well -

Papertrey Tuesday

2010-06-13T08:56:00.004-04:00

Happy 15th! That means we're waking up to another fantastic Papertrey Ink release day! I bet you love this release as much as I do. Each month I try to do at least one project from each stamp set, and this month I actually succeeded - which means that I have some fun things to show you while you're waiting for your order to arrive.

Tea For Two has always been a beloved set in my Papertrey Ink collection, so when I found out there was going to be a companion set (Tea For Two Additions) as well as new coordinating dies, I did a little happy dance in my chair!

For this box, I used the Perfect Match Box Template (Melon Berry cardstock), knowing it would be a great size for tea bags. I wanted to keep it simple, so I stamped it with the new tea cups from Additions (Melon Berry and Smokey Shadow). The front of the box has the label cut from the new die - just love this!!!!

For the card, I used the new tea pot die, then stamped it with the outline stamp from the original set, as well as a sentiment from the new set. I placed that on Mat Stack 2 which I had stitched. The background is stamped with Turning a New Leaf, which just so happens to coordinate beautifully with Green Tea Leaves paper! Love it when it all comes together. ;)

I used a scrap of the Green Tea Leaves paper to line my square envelope. Since the advent of the nifty PTI envelope liner for the A2 envelopes, I am addicted (no this one isn't a die, but with a little bit of figuring, you can make one!).

So that's today's project in a nutshell! I hope you enjoy it. Have a great day! Be well.

Kitchen Shower

2010-06-13T08:52:00.004-04:00

One of the most amazing things about stamping to me is the endless possibilities a stamp can have. I mean, you change the ink, you change the paper, and your stamp instantly has a distinctly different look. It still boggles my mind sometimes just how drastic it can be.

The Lockhart Vintage Apron is just one such stamp. You can change this up so quickly that it makes it so versatile. It lends itself to a variety of occasions, too - as you can tell by this little kitchen shower ensemble I've made. (All the papers are from My Mind's Eye, their Lush Collection.) By adding a few accents with Copics, I was able to make the apron take on a little extra dimension.

For the favor box, I chose another piece of coordinating paper from this collection and die cut a small gable box (an Accucut die). To finish it off, I stamped the Itty Bitty Chintz Heart onto an Ivory Inchie Square. (The Inchie Squares are great in a situation like this where your room to embellish is quite small, but your project really needs a little something!)

Have an amazing day! Be well.

Tons of technical fun

2010-06-11T17:50:00.002-04:00

Hi All - just wanted to pop in and let you know I'm still around. My computer AND my camera have been misbehaving this week, so this mom had to put them in timeout. They'll be back to play next week!

Couple quickies - don't forget this Tuesday is the June release for Papertrey Ink. There's lots of good stuff to show you from that! :)

Tuesday is also demo day at Angela's Happy Stamper - I'm showing the Fiskars Stamp Press. It's a nice alternative to large acrylic blocks & I will show you why!

I changed my blog layout to a new look. It was time for a change and it was cheaper and less traumatic than a haircut! ;)

Have an amazing weekend! Be well.

Sending smiles across the miles

2010-06-04T07:21:00.003-04:00

There are very few things that make me smile like hot air balloons! Ever since I was a girl, they've held a special place in my heart. When I was really little, the song "Up, Up and Away" made me think of my dad - he must have really liked it or something (I'm going to have to ask him about that!). When Nichole showed me her ideas for this Up, Up & Away set, I was positively giddy! I loved the designs of the balloons and knew they would be a blast to color.

One question I get quite often is the order in which to stamp and die cut with Papertrey's great dies. I think it is much easier to die cut first, then stamp - which is made even simpler by the clear nature of the stamps. For this, I die cut, stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento and then I chose the Hibiscus Burst Copic Trio to color this in. The Trios make it really easy to get some great shading effects - you don't even need a colorless blender to create this fun look. I like to color with the lightest, add some of the darkest, then go back with the light (or the medium, depending on the look) to pull some of the darker color into the light area. These blend so well that it makes it easy!

On the background of this card, I used the Linen & Canvas Impression Plate for a great, subtle texture. When I stamped the clouds from this set onto it, it once again gave that light, airy feel to it that I have really grown to love! The sentiment is from the companion sentiment set. To finish it off, I added a little ribbon and a length of cardstock cut with the Eyelet Lace Border Die. (Too darn cute!) That's just about it - and it makes me smile! ;)

I hope you have an amazing weekend! Be well.

Dream a little dream

2010-06-03T07:45:00.003-04:00

Good morning, friends! It is a bright, sunshiny day today, and a little part of me is dreaming of the beach. I think this fun Lockhart Lighthouse is the reason why! I colored this with Copics. The patterned paper is from Cosmo Cricket (and I chose it because it matched my sand). Add a little stitching, a scalloped edge, a few buttons and you're set.

Quick post today - guess I'm not too talkative today! :) Have an amazing one! Be well.

Wee & Whimsical Wednesday

2010-06-02T08:20:00.003-04:00

Today's Wee & Whimsical Wednesday card is Burberry inspired. I love the classic combination of khaki & black - it's timeless (and a clothing combination that I tend to turn to a lot!) It's really easy to achieve this classic look with Inchies Arts notecards, Twinchies and Inchie Squares.

I started with a 3" square notecard in Wheat. I stamped the background with Papertrey's Background Basics: Diamonds set with Chai ink (part of the Vintage Tea Dye Duo). I then stamped my Black Twinchie square with the same stamp and Fresh Snow ink. Because of the artist-quality matboard that these are made with, it takes the ink perfectly, allowing for a gorgeous contrast.

I then pulled out two Dark Cream Inchie Squares and stamped them with PTI's Outlines Alphabet in True Black. I colored them in with a white Prismacolor pencil, then highlighted the coloring with Pearlized Top Coat from Smooch. (Don't forget my trick about turning Inchie Arts squares of all sizes onto the diagonal! You gain instant visual interest as well as more space.) The edges are inked with PTI Chamomile ink.

I layered them and adhered with my Glue Arts PermaTac cartridge. The Inchies and Twinchies adhere very easily and accept many types of glue without any problem. I added some Liquid Pearls to accent, as well as more True Black ink in the edges. It's a quick and easy notecard that really has a WOW factor.

Have an amazing day! Be well -

Have a great weekend!

2010-05-28T09:56:00.004-04:00

Just a quick lil' pop-in to wish all my American friends a wonderful long weekend! The boys have a half day today, and we are sticking close to home this weekend. I have all sorts of baking on tap for anyone who shows up (summer weekends there's always someone! And I love it!). The propane tank is full and ready for weekend grilling! (I'm going to make some pizza dough in the bread machine, too - Wally & I have a grilled pizza that we love. It has fresh mozarella, proscuitto, arugula, carmelized onions and a balsamic reduction - and I'm armed with all the fixins so my Jr. Foodie and I can indulge!) :)

I put together this card to celebrate this wonderful weekend, although it could easily be used for the 4th of July, too. I am planning on giving it to my next-door neighbor as a Thanks-type of card. He's a retired General and has contributed on tours that would give me nightmares. I think he'll like it.

I used Vintage Picnic for my focal point, coloring it with Copic Trios in Pure Poppy and Enchanted Evening. I love having these Trios already picked out to coordinate with my paper - it makes the coloring process so much faster. The background is Background Basics: Stars embossed with white embossing powder. My envelope liner die JUST arrived (literally - took a break from typing this up to go get it!!!), so my envelope is going to have the matching piece of Pure Poppy Bitty Star Basics. It looks fantastic!

I hope you have a great weekend. Enjoy your family and be well.

Lemon fresh goodness

2010-05-27T07:34:00.002-04:00

I know I've said it before, but this color combination of yellow and blue is SO me! It's been a while since I colored up this cheerful bowl of lemony goodness, and it was really calling out to me. ;) This lovely Lemons & Bay image has been carefully illustrated by Karen Lockhart; so much so that I will let you in on a little secret...she shows you where to shadow! (Shhh, don't tell your recipient - let them think you're the master!) The little dots on the lemons make it incredibly easy for you to go in and add some darker gradient color, giving you the perfect lemon. Use two similar colors for the bay leaves and you're set! I colored the bowl cobalt this time because this is a recurring color in my kitchen.

I used Prismacolor pencils on this one for a softer, more-controlled colored look. Sometimes I find small areas like this difficult to color with Copics, so if you experience a similar issue, pull out some pencils to try!

I hope you have a fantastic day! Be well.

There's a long weekend coming!

2010-05-24T15:56:00.003-04:00

I'm slightly ahead of myself this week in ushering in the unofficial start of summer! I love this Lockhart Picnic image this time of year. It just cries to colored in patriotic hues! This would make a great picnic or barbeque invitation.

One week from today is Memorial Day. Last year, seeing as we live in the DC area, we decided to go to Arlington Memorial Cemetary for Memorial Day. We've been there many times before, and each time is a life-affirming moment, but none compare to going there on Memorial Day. I'm getting a bit weepy just thinking about it. There are so many men & women making such unfathomable sacrifices in the name of freedom - it's truly a daunting thought, especially when faced head on with the ultimate sacrifice. Wally and I were really overwhelmed by the deluge of feelings that we had when we were there, especially when we happened upon a group of kids who had lost parents to the war (one of whom is Wally's friend). So before I get too preachy, or cross any political lines, I just wanted to thank those of you who have loved ones serving in our Armed Services. The troops are truly amazing.

Be well.

The Sky is the Limit

2010-05-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

Up Up & Away is one of Papertrey Ink's newest sets. Nichole Heady hit a home run with this set! It's beautifully illustrated and a joy to use thanks to the handy, dandy matching dies (dies for the balloons and the clouds! Isn't that the best?!).

I started out with a Spring Rain cardbase on this - I wanted it to be my 'sky'. I stamped the sun in the corner and then went to town on my balloons. This set has balloons that you can stamp and be done with, as well as stamps that you can color as much as you want! Best of both worlds! The Lemon Tart and Plum Pudding balloons were stamped and the blue balloon was colored with the Spring Rain Copic Trio. For the clouds, I die cut them from PTI's Vellum cardstock then stamped them with Fresh Snow ink. (Gotta just say that I LOVE how these turned out because they have such a light cloud-like feel to them!) And just to add another piece of visual interest, I added a silver lining to each one with a Sakura Gelly Roll pen. Once I had it all in place, I highlighted the sun with Stickles.

The sentiment is from the main set and is stamped in Smokey Shadow ink. (Sometimes you really need an ink with less contrast than black, and this is why I love Smokey Shadow so much!)

Alright peeps, I hope you have a fantastic weekend! We have lots of baseball on the agenda, but I'm hoping to carve out a little stamping time. I hope you can, too! Be well.

Chicken Soup - yum!

2010-05-20T08:07:00.003-04:00

You know how there are times when your far-away friend is under the weather and all you really want to do is be there to take her soup? Well, with this fun Lockhart image, now you can! ;)

I colored this chicken soup image to match these fun papers from the new Lush collection from My Minds Eye. I thought all the circles were fun, and I was really drawn to this deep dark red - it felt really warm to me, just what you need when you're sick! There are so many fantastic details on this image from the spoon to the crackers to all the little noodles in the soup. It's a fun image to color (I used Copics here) and there are some great opportunites to practice your more subtle techniques (shading between the bowl and plate, on the spoon, and coloring the steam!).

To finish off this warm card, I added a felt trim (and before you ask, it's not a PTI felt, it's just one that I had on hand that matched!) cut from PTI's rick rack die. (The sentiment is PTI, too.)

I am so glad to have this Lockhart image in my stamping arsenal - there have been so many times that I've said to friends "I wish I was there to bring you soup!" - and now, I can! ;)

Have a fantastic day! Be well.