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Monday, October 26, 2015

Cheers to the New Year!

Hello Friends!

I’m WAY early with this card design but you know how your mind travels from one thing to another, to another, etc. Here is how it went.

I was looking at elves in MFT’s Santa’s Elves set:
“You know if I turn that hand a little I could have it holding something.”
“Hmmm what could he hold?”
“Santa’s List? No”
“Beer Mug? That could be funny.”
“OOOH a champagne glass!”
And a New Year’s card was born.

I mentioned before that I suck at sketch challenges. I’m kind of a rule follower so deviating is hard. And starting out with a completed card and then trying to fill it in works in opposition to my creative mojo. But trying new things is how we become better designers. So I soldiered on with MFT Sketch #251. I’m still miffed that I missed last weeks because I didn’t post on time. (Deep breath, let it go…).

So where was I? Oh, yes, an elf holding a glass of champagne. After going through my stash of MFT products I found everything I needed including a champagne glass which I did have to trim down a bit.

 The gold background is colored with Lindy’s Stamp Gang Golden Sleigh Bells Magicals from the Jingle Bells collection. I used some distress ink techniques to get the background looking blotchy and cool. It's hard to tell but it is beautiful and shimmery. 

I colored the elf using the same Lindy’s Magical color and for the black I used the Wink of Stella Black Glitter Brush Pen and water to pull out the color. I really like how it turned out. The sparkle stayed in the depths. I was going to do some doodling and add a bow tie but felt the little elf dude looked pretty sophisticated just like he was in his cute little turtleneck.

I stamped all of the black accents and words with Simon Says Stamp black ink. I am really liking this ink. It gives a great crisp impression every time. I created the tag the old fashioned way, meaning no die. LOL and stamped it with a sentiment from MFT’s Hand Lettered Holiday set.


The checkboard was created using MFT’s Fine Check Background. First I stamped in Brilliance Gold Ink, then VersaMark Dazzle Champagne Ink, then embossed with Lindy’s Stamp Gang Sunrise Salmon Gold.

Check out this background texture! It looks like fabric. That was created with the Spellbinders Fabric Weave Embossing Folder. It is absolutely gorgeous on this black paper.

I finished up with some glitter enamel dots from my stash, a piece of Pretty Pink Posh ribbon and some Glossy Accents on the buttons, the bell, and to create bubbles floating up from the Champagne.




Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Jingle All The Way

Hi Everyone!

I’ve been a little under the weather so I missed posting on Monday. I probably won’t be posting 3 times a week as I won’t be able to keep up with that and trying to keep my craft room from blowing up. Seriously, it is sooooo trashed right now!

I stopped at Hobby Lobby to pick up a few Christmas picks for card photos and came across the cutest paper pad by The Paper Studio. I don’t use a lot of patterned paper and I have a ton of of it. But I had to have this pad. The charcoal black background in many of the sheets is so cool. I couldn't link to it because it wasn't on Hobby Lobby's site.

I created this card based on a My Favorited Things Sketch Challenge #250 but just now realized I missed the deadline. Darn It! Maybe I’ll use that same pad to make one for next weeks challenge. ):

You guys need to let me know how much detail you want me to go into on how I made the card. I really don't want to bore you with long posts.

I stamped the adorable dancing Santa from MFT's Jingle All The Way stamp set on watercolor paper and colored with Distress inks. I did not do the no line technique because I felt he really needed the black outline.

I stamped the sentiment from that same stamp set onto 40# vellum and attached it to the tag which I die cut using the Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Duo 3 die and then created the banner bottom with a die set called Fishtail Banner Dies from a new company named Sunny Studio. I did a whole lot of die cutting and fussy cutting on this card.









To finish it off I added the ribbon bow and bell, sequins, snowflake confetti, Wink of Stella, and some glossy accents to the belt, boots, and thin inset black border.

I really like how this turned out. It is so unusual because of the coloring. I hope you enjoy it too! 

I'll leave you with a close up of the Santa because he makes me smile!

If you have any questions please leave me a comment.

NOTE: I am an Amazon Affiliate which means I will get a small percentage of any purchases you make when clicking through the links labeled (AMZ). I only link them if they are the better price!






Friday, October 16, 2015

Warm Wishes

Hi Everyone!

Did you ever have one of those cards that took an eternity to complete? By the time you finished your not even sure you like it anymore? I stared at it for 3 whole days!!!!!  Yep, I started this baby on Wednesday and just finished it. 

Hopefully others will look at it and love it. But right now, I just want it off my craft desk so I can get on with my life! Okay, maybe it isn’t that bad. But I seriously stressed over it. It's another no line coloring using Distress Inks.

So here it is. I hope you like it.



I really do love how the birds turned out. It was making it into a card that really messed me up. Thanks to my puppies needing to eat lunch I took a much needed break and watched some video’s.  

All I can say is thank you Kristina Werner!!!! She made a round card today and I knew that was how I was going to finish it.

I told all of the other voices in my head to shut up because a decision has finally been made. Surprisingly they listened until I stamped the sentiment too high on the card and we started all over again on how to fill the empty space. LOL








Needless to say, my craft room is totally trashed and it will take me all weekend to get it back in order. Details on my supplies are listed below. Oh and the adorable bird stamp is on sale at Amazon. Just click through the link below. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

NOTE: I am now set up as an Amazon Affiliate.










Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Gnome One Else


Happy hump day! 

I have a special card today for a very special person. I think we all have someone we have known forever and don’t always keep in close touch with. But when you are together or talk on the phone, it’s like nothing has changed. They have been through everything with you. And they remember you the way you wish others knew you, young and full of life. Jean is my somebody.



When we were in school she was in jazz dance and I would laugh whenever she did jazz hands in a routine. When I saw this little gnome from My Favorite Things stamp set called “You Gnome Me”. I thought of her. Because of his little jazz hands, because she “gnomes” me, and she thinks puns are funny.  The real trick is going to be to get it to her by her birthday. I suck at getting cards out on time!
Happy Birthday Jean!

This is another no line colored image. The gorgeous plaid paper in the background is also from My Favorite Things as is the banner frame die (see supply list below post). All of the coloring is done with Distress Inks including the bow and the grass. Isn’t that little bow adorable? It’s a die from Mama Elephant. I got it in a Basic Set but I’ll also link it separately. I also used that Basic Set for the scallops on the plaid paper.

I have 2 close-ups for you today because I’m in love with that little snail.