Snowy Cuddles

Today I am posting a cute Christmas card created with a stamp from Stampavie.  The name of this one is "Snowy Cuddles" by Penny Johnson.  Have you been to Joan's Gardens to see all the new Sarah Kay and Magnolia stamps she just received?   She also has some of the new Martha Stewart Christmas border punches.

The background paper used is from the DCWV "Winter Wonder" stack.  This was a 12x12" paper pack so I used only one corner from the page.  I thought the little bird on the branch would be cute with the stamped image I wanted to add.   The verse is from the JustRite "Christmas Nested Sentiments".  It was black embossed directly onto the design paper.   I also stamped the "snowpeople" image directly onto the design paper then again onto white card stock.  The images on the card stock were colored using Copic markers.  I trimmed closely around the design and attached it over the image stamped on the design paper.   The reason I did this is because I  didn't want to lose some of the little marks  around the snow people after they were cut out.    A purple bow was added to complete the card. 

Here is the link to check out all the new stamps and punches at Joan's Gardens.

It is hard to believe it is already Halloween.  We are wondering if we are going to have many little Trick or Treat goblins coming around this evening because we have been having rainy weather most of the week.  We always love to see all the cute costumes.

 Have a Happy Halloween.

O Little Town

Today I created a card with a Heartfelt Creations stamp that I received from Joan's Gardens.   This is a 5x7" card.  The image was stamped on white card stock with VersaMark ink and gold embossed.  I sponged on Tim Holtz "Scattered Straw" Distress Ink over the edges, almost to the center of the design, then sponged on "Tea Dye" Distress Ink around the edges.  This image was slipped into a gold framed Christmas card.  I found a box of these cards on clearance after Christmas one year.  They are supposed to be used for photos but I used it for my stamped image.  I think it is a great frame for this beautiful scene.

Three large Heartfelt Creations Holly Leaves and two medium size leaves were gold embossed on gold card stock and cut out with matching dies.  These were placed under the gold bow. 

Heartfelt Creations products used are: 721G O Little Town; HCPC 3340 Holly Leaves Precut Set; HCD 705 Holly/Ornament Diecuts.  These can all be ordered from Joan's Gardens.

Have you started working on your Christmas cards yet?  Joan has a lot of beautiful Christmas stamps in stock.  Tomorrow is the last day for her sale of JustRite stamps.

My Final JUGS Guest Designer Post

It is time for another great JUGS (Just Us Girls) Challenge.  This is my last week as a guest designer and I want to thank the team for inviting me to work with them this month.  This week the challenge is to create a handmade, burnt edged, fabric flower.  The link  provided to learn how to do this here. 

The bottom portion of my card is a piece of Basic Grey design paper.  On the top portion I added a white piece of card stock that was embossed with the Cuttlebug Dotted Swiss embossing folder.  Across the middle is a border punched with a Martha Stewart punch.  Along the top edge I added a narrow strip of pink card stock.  

I have never heard of a handmade, burnt edged, fabric flower.    I found it very easy to create this flower; it doesn't look exactly like the one on the tutorial but I think it does look like a flower.  You start out with cutting a circle out of synthetic silky fabric and make a few slits around it.  You then use a tea light candle and melt the edges and it is fascinating to watch the cut edges curl and look like real petals.  Isn't it amazing how much this looks like a real rose when all the layers are put together!  I bought several colors of material and plan to make other roses.  I used a Cuttlebug die to cut out the leaves.  I conditioned the card stock to break down the fibers in it so I could shape it then used a stylus to draw in veins. 

This is a birthday card to celebrate Kristin Bueter's birthday.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTIN.  The greeting is from the JustRite "Birthday Sentiments" stamp set.  It was white embossed on pink card stock and cut out with a Nestie.  A dotted Swiss white bow and liquid white pearls were added to complete the card.

Pop on over to the JUGS Blog to get all the information about this fun challenge and see all the beautiful cards made by the designers.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Just Because

Have you ever had a day when you just couldn't seem to come up with an idea for a card?  Well that happened to me today.  Finally after lunch I decided to work with a new Tim Holtz flower Sizzix die called "Tattered Florals".  This is another new product Joan's Gardens is carrying.  Flowers always get me -- they make me happy so all of a sudden I had a lot of ideas going on in my head.  There are four different flowers on this die.  I use the two middle sized flowers.  As I told you in the pine cone tutorial, I conditioned the card stock after cutting out the flowers.  This just helps to shape them better.  I used the black mat and stylus to push them down to give them shape.  I sponged around the edges with a darker pink to give the petals a more realistic look.  I LOVE how these turned out. 

The background designer paper is from the Kaiser Craft "Candy Lane Collection" paper pad.   The pendant under the flowers is the Spellbinder "Fleur De Lis" die.  After assembling the flowers I arranged them on the pendant.  A few leaves were cut using a Sizzix die.   It is Sizzlits die called "Branch w/Leaves".  

Can you see the hummingbird?   He is from the JustRite stamp set "Backyard Birds".  I cut him apart from the flower and attached him to my flower with a small dimensional dot.   The greeting is from the JustRite "Just A Note" stamp set.  It was cut out with a circle Nestie.  A piece of pretty lace was added to the bottom of the card.  

Do you like the flowers made with this Tim  Holtz Sizzix die? 

Have you checked out the sale Joan's Gardens has this month on JustRite stamps?  The sale ends Oct 31.

Tomorrow I will be back with my last post as October Guest Designer for JUGS.  The challenge is something I have never done.  Hope you come be back tomorrow to see what it is.

Pine Cone Tutorial

Today I have two cards for you.  Both qualify for this week's Joan's Garden's Thursday Challenge.  I am including a tutorial with this post.   This card was created using punches for the poinsettia and the pine cones.

This card was made using "Groovy Snowmen" stamps from JustRite. To emboss the trees, I used a Tim Holtz embossing folder. I made the pine cones using card stock. Joan (Joan's Gardens) has created a gorgeous card using another JustRite stamp and it also has pine cones. Be sure to go to her blog to see it.

Joan  is has some new products that we are having so much fun using. These include new punches, flower tools,  YES paste, and a book.   She has more information about these products on her blog here. 

Here is the tutorial on how I made the pine cones:

You start off punching 20 "pine cone petals" using a "Pear" punch. 

Using a flower shaping tool, you "condition" the card stock to soften and shape  it.

This picture shows how you use the large "ball" end of the tool to shape the petal of the pine cone.  You press down in the center causing the edges to curl up slightly.  You need to do this on a thick rubber mat.  Using tweezers you pinch down in center of the stem end of the "pear" to help curve each one.

What we use as a base to shape the pine cone is "YES" Paste.  This is a thick glue that will hold its shape so you can push each  petal into it to form the pine cone.

I use a chop stick to take out a small amount of paste and place it on a piece of acrylic.  I use acrylic from Nestability packaging. 

This paste is very sticky, but try and shape it in a bee hive shape.  In the picture here I have three shapes for my three pine cones.  When dry, this glue is transparent.

I have to say I am pretty messy when I am doing this.  You start off pushing seven "petals" into the bottom of the paste slightly overlapping. To form a "closed" pine cone, you want the cupped part facing the middle.   Don't worry if they aren't perfect because you can shape it after you have finished adding all level of petals.  Also, you can cut off extra glue that is showing after you are finished adding all petals. 

Here I am using tweezers to add the second level of petals.  You should add three or four rows of petals in the paste.

This picture shows the pine cones once all petals have been added.  In the very center you use the tweezers to roll one last pear shape diagonally.  Grasp the top of the petal with the tweezers and place it in the top center of the cone.  It is important to roll this middle one to make it look realistic.  Now I have lots of glue showing on the bottom.  I take a scrap piece of card stock and just "slice" down around the pine cone to remove all the excess glue.  Maybe with more practice I won't have so much paste showing on the outside.   I  slide a piece of card stock under them, one by one, and place each pine cone where I want it on my completed card.  You can shape them easily the way you want them once they are on the card.  If you want to add snow to them, just add a tiny bit of Liquid Applique to the tips and heat with heat gun.  You can sprinkle on clear glitter immediately after heating and it will stick.  You can also add punched "greenery" around your pine cones. 

These cards were created for the Joan's Gardens Thursday Challenge #21.  You can read all the details about the challenge here.  Hope you will join in on the fun.

Blog Candy to Celebrate 150,000 Blog Visits

I appreciate all my blogging friends and have some Blog Candy to thank you. The winner will receive two $25 gift certificates to Joan's Gardens.  I will be including a $25 certificate and Joan has donated another $25 gift certificate for a total of $50 to spend in Joan's Gardens. Thank you Joan for helping me celebrate!   In addition to the certificates, you will receive all the items in the picture above; included are stamps, ink, adhesive, ribbon, rhinestones, Flower Soft,  embossing folders, chalk pencils and eraser, punches, and a Cosmo Cricket box to decorate. 

I had planned to offer blog candy when I reached 100,000 visits, but it got past me.   I started my blog, a little over a year ago so I could share my work with you.    It has been so fun  creating a variety of stamped projects and knowing it gives others inspiration to try new things.  I have made so many new wonderful friends and  I want to give something back to my readers to tell you I am so grateful for all of you. Thanks to you, I am nearing 150,000 visits to my blog and almost 200 Followers.   I appreciate your friendship and  every visit and comment you leave more than you know! 

This blog candy is open to all my lovely followers.  Here is what I would like for you to do:

1.  If you’re not already a follower,  then become one for a chance to win
2. Leave me a comment, on this post,  telling me one of your favorite projects and/or techniques on my blog and let me know you have signed up as a Follower.
3. If you have a blog, post a link to my candy in your sidebar linking back to my blog to help spread the word.


The winner will be announced on my blog as soon as I hit 150,000 visits, or by Nov 20,  and will have three days to contact me after I have announced the winner.  If that person does not contact me, I will draw another winner.

Thanks for your visits and comments.  

Christmas Poinsettia

Close up of the center of the poinsettia.  It was made using punches.

I should never wait until night time to take pictures.  I have had a busy day and ended up making my card after it turned dark outside.  The colors look different in these two photos even though they were taken under the same lighting.  The actual colors are more like the bottom picture. 

I used the Heartfelt Creations Poinsettia Petals Precut set and Perfect Petals Diecuts to create the poinsettia.  The background paper is from Basic Grey.  Under the poinsettia I layered two Perfect Petal Lacy background die cuts.  They were sponged with Tim Holtz Distress Ink.  Three layers of poinsettia petals were layered on top of the green leaves.  Two different punches were used to create the center of the flower and then I added some Stickles on the tips.  I think they look very realistic.    A piece of Webster's Pages Designer trim was attached to a piece of ivory card stock that was sponged.  Three red pearls were added to complete this card. 

I have had a lot of emails asking when I am going to do a tutorial on how to make the pine cones.  I will be doing this as soon as products arrive at Joan's Gardens.  We are hoping that will be later this week. 

All products used in this project can be purchased from Joan's Gardens.  Have you checked out the sale items Joan posted today?  The sale includes JustRite products.  Be sure to check it out.   Also there are not many entries yet in the challenge this week.  One of the entries will win a nice prize and be eligible to be in the drawing at the end of the year for the $100 gift certificate.  You will find the information about the challenge here. 

Sweet Season

I recently received some new products from Joan's Gardens and was excited to work with them today.  I love Webster's Pages papers.  This sheet is from the "Waiting for Santa and Sweet Season" petite papers.  I created a rosette using the Tim Holtz "Paper Rosette" die.  For the center, I used a stamp from the JustRite "Holiday Cheer Set".  These are such cute little stamps.  The diameter is 1 3/16" and worked perfect for the center of my rosette. I cut it out with a scallop circle Nestie and sponged it prior taking it out of the die.  Each scallop was pierced.   

I created three pine cones out of card stock but did something different today from what I posted last week.  I added snow to the tips using Liquid Applique and sprinkling on clear glitter.  These are placed on punched greenery.  I couldn't resist using another cardinal.  This one is from the Heartfelt Creations Cardinal Family precut set and was cut out with the matching Cardinal family dies. 

A double sheer white bow was made and attached with a glue dot.  In the center I added a red Webster's Pages Sparklers designer button.  A few red rhinestones were added around the pine cones and on the stamped JustRite pine cone.  Glitter was added to the trees and snowflakes in the designer paper. 

It is so fun to create beautiful cards using Webster's Pages for the background.  All the products used on this card can be purchased from Joan's Gardens.  She will be announcing soon the products I used to create the pine cones. 

Christmas in the Country

This is another one of my Design Team projects for Heartfelt Creations.  I love working with HFC stamps.  They always stamp so well and one of the most exciting things about this line of stamps is that they now have matching die cuts, made by Spellbinders, for many of the stamps, so you can create beautiful dimensional cards/projects.

I love this scene. The name of this stamp is "Christmas In The Country".  It was stamped with black Memento ink and colored with Copic markers. A silver metallic pen was used on the mailbox then Polar White Flower Soft and glitter added for the snow.  It was layered onto forest green card stock.  The white card is 5.5 inches square. 

The poinsettia is from the HCPC 2291 Regal Poinsettia 2 PreCut set. It was stamped twice with VersaMark on red card stock,  and clear embossed, then cut out with the Nestabilities "Blossom 2" die. It was attached with dimensionals.  The center was gold embossed on gold cs.

Heartfelt Creations products used on this project:  709G Christmas In The Country; HCPC 2291 Regal Poinsettia 2 PreCut PreCut Set; Blossom 2 Nestabilities.

 

JUGS Template Challenge

It is time for another JUGS Challenge.  It has been a lot of fun being a guest designer this month.   This week we received a template from "My Time Made Easy". The name of this template is "In Suspense".   Isn't this a great idea -- a box that will hang on a door knob.  I printed out the template and cut it out using design paper from Martha Stewart.  The hole for the knob was cut out with a circle Nestability. 

For my decoration on the box I used a cardinal from the Heartfelt Creations  "Snowy Cardinal Precut set".  The cardinal image was stamped using black Memento ink and colored with Copic markers. The image was cut out with scissors.   I stamped one of the single cardinals from the  Cardinal Family Precut set, colored it with Copics, then cut it out with the matching Cardinal Family diecuts.  It was attached with dimensional tape to give the design a 3-D effect.  This image was attached on the front of the box with dimensionals. 

The greeting on the lid is from the JustRite "Something Sweet" stamp set.  I cut around the outer edge with scissors and it is also attached with dimensional tape.  Three small red pearls were added to it.  A pretty silk bow was made and attached on the top.  I added some krinkle paper strips and filled the box with  Chocolates.

I think this will be a very cute "surprise" to leave on my neighbor's door.

Be sure to check out the JUGS blog to see a lot more cute ideas using this MTME template.  Hope you will join in on this fun challenge.

The Beauty of Fall

Isn't Fall a beautiful time of year!   I just love all the beautiful colors.  This card was created using a lot of different products from Joan's Gardens.  The top background pumpkins were embossed using a Tim Holtz Texture Fades embossing folder called Pumpkin Patch.  These embossing folders give you a really deep embossing. There is another embossing folder in this package with Cattails.  The fence is a Tim Holtz Alterations die called "On The Edge".  It is such a perfect size for cards.  The bottom design paper is from the Graphic 45 "Halloween in Wonderland Collection" paper pad. 

The Sentiment is from  JustRite "Nature's Nested Sentiments"and the JustRite frame is from the Victorian Frames.  It was was stamped in black ink, cut out around the frame and sponged with Distress Ink, then backed with green card stock.  It was attached with dimensionals. 

The leaves are from the Heartfelt Creations sets:  "Bold Falling Leaves precut set" and "Open Falling Leaves Precut set".  I stamped the bold leaves using the "Autumn" Kaleidacolor rainbow ink pad then using the stamp positioner, stamps the open leaves stamp in brown ink.  They were cut out with the matching die cut.  Having the matching dies sure makes cutting things out so quick and easy -- love it.  The leaves were all attached on dimensionals.

Joan's Garden Challenge #20

This was the most fun.  It's time for another Joan's Garden's Thursday Challenge and gosh it was fun creating this card because most of it was created without stamping -- something I seldom do.  Joan has a lot of new Tim Holtz products and this card is created using some of the new dies and embossing folders.  Here are the items to be used in the challenge this week:

• A tree
• An embossed object (not a background)
• Something cut out with a die
• Brads

The card base is black card stock.  This is a 6" square card.  Using  Tim Holtz "The Branch" embossing folder, I embossed the tree on the left side of the dark gray panel.  The embossing is very deep when using Tim's embossing folders.  This really gives a very dimensional look.    The house was cut from Tim's "Rickety House" Sizzix die.  The witch from, GKD, was stamped on yellow card stock then cut to fit behind the cut out house. Wonder what is in that witch's brew!   I used a sponge dauber to add additional brightness to the windows using a darker ink.  Two little ghosts, from the Making Memories "Toil & Trouble" brads, were added to the house.  There is dimensional tape between the yellow card stock and the house, then the house was attached to the gray panel with dimensionals.  A Tim Holtz die called "On the Edge Sizzix die" was used for the fence.  I used silver card stock for this and streaked it with black chalk ink to give it a little distressing.  A white ink pad was swiped over the embossed tree and the house to give it a ghostly appearance.  The fence was added with more dimensional tape.  Another ghost brad was added in the tree.  A spider and pumpkin from the Making Memories brads were added in front of the fence.  A moon was cut out with a circle Nestability, sponged around the edges,  and added with dimensionals.  Bats from GKD were stamped around the house,  then a Silver Gelly Roll pen was used to draw stars in the sky. 

I have some more ideas for using this house and fence for Christmas cards.  I will post them at a later date. 

Be sure to check out Joan's blog for all these Tim Holtz products and to get all the details for this week's challenge. 

Holiday Greeting Cardinal Mailbox

I have had so many emails about how much everyone loves the cardinal projects I have been posting, so today I am posting another one of my Heartfelt Creations design team projects.   To create this easel card I used Kraft card stock for the frame. The "Cardinal Holiday Mailbox" image was stamped and colored using colored pencils and OMS. I cut around the lid of the mailbox then used a circle Nestability to cut out the image. It was sponged with Distressed Ink prior to taking it out of the die. A scalloped background was cut out using Kraft card stock. Glitter was added to the image.

For the bottom of the easel, the greeting from "Cardinal Holiday Mailbox was stamped then cut out with a long rectangle Nestability. It was sponged prior to taking it out of the die. The greeting was placed near the bottom of the cut out so I could add one of the cardinals from the Cardinal Pine Cone Border set. I stamped the border then just used the cardinal on the left end. I cut around the image and attached it partially over the greeting. A matching cardinal from the "Cardinal Family Precut set" was stamped, colored and cut out with the matching die. It was attached with dimensionals. Glitter was added to give it some sparkle. A few little snowflakes were cut out of the design paper and added on the greeting piece. A button was attached on the line where I wanted to place the top when opened. A bow, made out of natural fiber, was created and added over the button. A decorative button was added to the top of the card. I really LOVE both these stamp sets.

You can see all the projects the design team created this week here.

Products used on this project:  HCPC 3349 Cardinal Holiday Mailbox Precut set; HCPC 3348 Cardinal Pine Cone Border Precut Set; HCPC 3353 Cardinal Family Precut Set; HCD 706 Cardinal Family Die

Tomorrow I will be posting a fun card I made for the Joan's Gardens Challenge.  Hope you will visit again in the morning.

Happy Fall

This is another one of my design team projects for  Heartfelt Creations.  The card base is Chocolate Chip card stock. The Swirly Autumn Leaves was stamped with VersaMark ink and embossed with Super Fine Gold Embossing Powder. The three large leaves from the Open Falling Leaves set and one medium and two small pumpkins from the Pumpkin/Autumn Vines set were also gold embossed. They were colored using Twinkling H20's and cut out with matching dies. The leaves were attached with adhesive and the pumpkins attached with dimensionals. The edge of the ivory card stock was sponged. I had some white trim but wanted it brown, so I sprayed it with Walnut ink. It was attached with ScorTape.

Products used on this project:  HCPC 3328 Swirly Autumn Leaves Precut Set; HCPC 3331 All Seasons Tree Precut Set; HCPC 3334 Open Falling Leaves Precut Set; HCD 707 Fall Leaves Die; HCPC 3329 Pumpkin/Autumn Vines Precut Set; 415218 Pumpkin Nestabilities

Together We Celebrate Shadow Box

This is one of my design team projects for  Heartfelt Creations  -- it is a shadow box.     The stamp set used for this project is HCPC 3352 "Snowy Cardinal Precut Set". The cardinal on the bottom was stamped on the top panel of the shadow box. A portion of the design was cut around so a large circle could be cut out with a Nestability. I placed the Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder across the top, under the stamped image, to emboss snowflakes down to the cardinal. The second cardinal was stamped and cut out with scissors then attached over the opening. On a separate piece of card stock the greeting was gold embossed and attached to the top of the bottom of the shadow box. The sides of the shadow box were attached using ScorTape. A Martha Stewart punch was used to create the border on each side. This panel was attached to the back of the box. Polar White Flower Soft was added for snow on the branches to complete the card. The size of the card is 5.5 inches square.

I love to make shadow box cards -- they always seem to get a "wow" when someone receives them.  This type of card folds flat so they are easy to mail.  Have you tried making a shadow box card?

Pop Up Card Tutorial

Joan Fricker (Joan's Gardens)  and several other people have asked me to do a tutorial on how to make a pop up card so I am attempting to do that for you today.  Every pop up card I have ever made has been a little different but I will show you how to do it for this card that fits into a business sized envelope.  I have used all Heartfelt Creations stamps in this project.

The Cardinal on the front was stamped and colored with Copic markers.  It was attached with dimensionals.  I created the pine cones and attached them next to the greeting.  The cardinal and greeting are from the HFC Snowy Cardinal set.  A bow made with sheer ribbon was added that I heated with the heat tool to give it a "crinkle" look.    On the inside the Cardinal Pine Cone Border was stamped and cut out to be used for the pop up.  The verse is a combination of stamps from two HFC stamp sets:  Cardinal Holiday Mailbox and Cardinal Pine Cone Border.  

Here is how I prepared my pop up card:

You will need two pieces of card stock.  The one for the inside will need to be slightly smaller.  Mine is 1/4" smaller all the way around.  This shows the two pieces folded into a card that will fit into a business sized envelope.  The bottom card is slightly smaller and will fit inside the top card.

The tabs for the pop up piece need to be spaced within the width of the stamped image you want to attach.  Using a Tim Holtz ruler, I found the center of my card then added two 1" tabs to hold the stamped design.  You can create the pop up with just about any distance you want it to pop up, but for my card, I cut the slits 3/4" deep.  I measure and place my marking on the backside of the inside insert.

Push the cut tabs in toward the inside of the card and use a bone folder to crease them well.

This picture shows the pop up tabs from the inside of the card.  I use ScorTape to attach the inside insert to the front of the card.  Put a small piece of tape at the top and the bottom of each cut tab (make sure it isn't on the tab)  to hold the middle of the card securely in place. 

This picture shows my cut out piece before I placed it on the tabs.  I put ScorTape on the bottom portion of each tab to hold the design.  (I cut the side of my image down after taking this picture so they were even with the side of the tab.)

I hope this tutoriall helps you so you can make a pop up card.  They are lots of fun to do.

 

Joan will be announcing, soon, the products used to make the pine cones.  She also has all the Heartfelt Creations stamps I have used.  Here is the link to Joan's Gardens.