Thursday, December 31, 2009

MoxieFabWorld Tuesday Trigger

This week's Tuesday Trigger over on MoxieFabWorld was this pretty pastel color bedroom. Kind of a tease to have this warm summer scene when we've just started the deep freeze of winter here in the Northeast huh?!

I used my brandy-new Valentine/Anniversary stamp set from Waltzingmouse (being released Jan 4th!) to create my Tuesday Trigger inspired card.

My card base is a textured Cream Bazzill. I added a panel of Kraft punched along the bottom edge with a Martha Stewart punch. I overlayed that with a piece of vellum with hearts - just attaching it along the top so it floats free along the bottom. I tied a piece of satin ribbon along the top edge. The hearts are stamped on Aqua Mist card stock with Versamark and one is embossed with white EP and the other is clear embossed. I layered the top one with foam dimensionals.

On the inside of my card I stamped this great sentiment on an Aqua Mist panel using black ink and then overstamped it with the heart using Aqua Mist Ink. Finally, I stamped the little heart from this set repeatedly along the bottom edge.
I really love these colors! If you used a different sentiment from this pretty set on the front - you could easily make this into a Valentine card even though it's not red and white!
Claire will be releasing this set on January 4th - be sure to check her blog for Sneak Peeks as well as the other Design Team Members - you'll find links to them on my side bar!
Stamps: Waltzingmouse Valentine Set (to be released 1/4/10)
Paper: Cream Bazzill, Vellum with hearts - unknown, Kraft, Aqua Mist - PTI
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Aqua Mist - PTI, Versamark
Accessories: Foam dimensionals, aqua mist dotted satin ribbon - PTI, Martha Stewart edge punch, hot gun, clear EP, White EP

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Colored in Sympathy

I used the color challenge over on Split Coast for the colors on my sympathy card today. Basic Gray, Barely Banana and Really Rust.

A friend at work needed a few sympathy cards and asked if I had any. I found that I had none in my stash (yikes!) So today's challenge was a good reason to make some.

The sentiment is a rub on by Deja Views that I put on a panel cut with a Labels One Nestability that I cut in half. I embossed both the flower and the leaf (Papertrey Ink) in clear embossing powder. I colored some of the flower with a Copic to give it a little depth. I layered the flower onto the card with foam dimensionals.

I appreciate your stopping by today!

Stamps: In Bloom - Papertrey Ink
Paper: Basic Grey, Barely Banana, Really Rust, DP - SU
Ink: Versamark Watermark Ink pad
Accessories: zutter corner rounder, rub ons Deja Views, Clear EP, Hot Gun, Rhinestones - Kaiser (PTI), Terracotta Tile Ribbon - PTI, Copic E19, foam dimensionals, Labels One Nestability (cut in half)

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Hey! Sweet Thing - Waltzingmouse Sneak Peek!

Congrats to Stef the Featured Stamper over at Split Coast today!

I cased this pretty anniversary card of hers but made mine a Valentine instead. I used different stamps, different colors, used a ribbon instead of a punched panel and did my sentiment differently.

The stamps I used are a sneak peek of Claire's new Valentine/Anniversary set (Waltzingmouse Stamps ) that will be coming out around January 4th or 5th (just a few short days away!)

There are over 20 sentiments with this set as well as 4 different size hearts, a single arrow plus the bow and arrow that I used on my card. Wait until you see it - It's just perfect for all your Valentine and Anniversary cards!

This also qualifies for last weeks Ways to Use It Challenge on SCS - to use background stamps. I stamped a grid stamp from Off Beat Backgrounds set on the Kraft panel using fresh snow ink. (you can JUST see it in the pic I think).

Thank you for coming by today! Back to work tomorrow - Yuck!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Off Beat Backgrounds & Sneak peek of Valentine set
Paper: Kraft, White, Pure Poppy - PTI
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Fresh Snow - PTI
Accessories: Zutter corner Rounder, Saddle Stitched True Black Ribbon - PTI, Swiss Dots Cuttlebug Folder, Rhinestones - Studio 18 (Michaels), Labels Eight Nestability, foam dimensionals

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Blessed by Your Kindness

We had a very fun web site called Posh Tots to find inspiration from today over at Split Coast. I was inspired by this cute Two of a Kind artwork for girls.Although the inspiration is actually a pair of monkeys (I thought they were two little girls with hats on!) it reminded me of this cute Digi image I have from Bee Crafty called Whimsical Girl.I cut a piece of Basic Grey Porcelain paper along the angles, wrapped a piece of ribbon around it - cut my digi image and stamped sentiment with long rectangle Nestabilities and adhered them with foam dimensionals. The digi image is colored with copics. I also cut a snowflake from the Snowflake Nestability set to adhere onto the sentiment rectangle.

My sentiment is from the Blessed by You set by Waltzingmouse Stamps
I hope you all had a restful recooperative day - I didn't set foot into a mall today - but boy were the parking lots full when we drove by one!!
Thanks so much for dropping by!
Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Blessed by You, Bee Crafty Digi Image - Whimsical Girl
Paper: white, berry sorbet - PTI, Choc Chip - SU, DP Basic Grey Porcelain
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: foam dimensionals, Petite rectangle Nestabilities, Snowflake Shapeabilities, Saddle stitched Berry Sorbet Ribbon - PTI, Copics - E53, E34, E37, E00, R20, R32

Friday, December 25, 2009

Thankful and a Little Village

The Chairman of Surgery hosted a holiday party for everyone in the department at his home a week ago so I wanted to send a thank you note to him and his wife.

I stamped the window from the Home Made stamp set by Papertrey Ink complete with curtains and colored the inside yellow like the glow of lights within. I cut it out, popped it up on foam dimensionals and framed it with a rectangle Nestability that I just embossed (not cut). The sentiment from Blessed by You by Waltzingmouse was just perfect for what I wanted to say with this card.

And finally I wanted to share with you a little winter village I created on top of my entertainment center this year.

I've always loved miniatures and have collected houses and trees over the years. These houses are little tin ornaments from Hallmark.

I love this little tree inside the coffee cup and the wind up tree hops all over when wound up!

The little tree by the farm house is actually a piece of a pine cone sprayed green that I picked up at a craft fair somewhere! Some of the bottle brush trees are from my parents when they were young and some are newer ones.
Merry Christmas everyone!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Houses for Friends

I made these two festive houses for my friends Bill and Sandy at work. Bill's real house is white with black trim so this one is for him.
And Sandy's house is white with blue trim - so this one is for her!
Inside the houses I packaged two home made Pecan Rum Bundt cakes (Yumm!!) I also gave them a bag of Sugar Spice Nuts .
I placed everything in these little baskets that I got at the Christmas Tree Shop last year. The star on the bag is from the Seasons of Love set by Waltzingmouse.
Doesn't this make a pretty package!? I just love making these cute little houses - they can be as fancy or as simple as you want to make them.

For my friends of the Christian faith - I wish you all a most blessed Christmas Eve and Day as we celebrate Our Lord Jesus' birth.

Stamps: Seasons of Love, LVery Vintage Labels No 4 - Waltzingmouse Stamps, Home Made, Signature Christmas - PTI
Paper: White - PTI, Going Grey - SU
Ink: Spring Rain, Melon Berry, Enchanted Evening - PTI, Memento Tuxedo black
Accessories: Wreath charm - Michaels, clear dew drops colored with Copics, Scor tape, scor pal, Home Made Template - PTI, bags - PTI, Star & Labels Four nestabilities, Copics - Y02, Y11, R29, Gold spica pen, foam dimensionals, saddle stitched ribbon - PTI, Martha Stewart Fern punch .

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Crafting Some Gift Containers

Today I thought I'd share some gift containers I've made for my various gift giving needs this Christmas. Above are some bags of Sugar and Spice nuts decorated with stamped and die cut stars from the Waltzingmouse set Seasons of Love. I'm giving these to the Surgery Residents that I work with. They always need a little snack to give them strength during the long hours they work!
My friend Lisa makes beaded jewelry and I commissioned her to make this pretty little bracelet with a heart and the letter 'E' charms on it for my 4 year old God-daughter, Eden. I'm going to tell her it means 'I love Eden'! Lisa gave me the bracelet in this pretty star bag. I thought Eden would love to play with this cute little purse box that I made to tuck it all into! And finally - we always give our mailman a gift card to somewhere each year. This year I slipped a Dunkin Donuts one inside this festive stocking I made - template designed by Claire

Before I go - I just wanted to share this red sunset we had last Sunday just as our 12" snowstorm ended - I took this from our front door and you can see a corner of our decorated fence as well as the pretty red sky above our neighbors roof.

Thanks for coming by today!

Monday, December 21, 2009

An Early Valentine!

Congratulations to Benzi (Bev) the Featured Stamper over on Split Coast! I had fun checking out her lovely gallery.

We were kind of snowed in on Sunday and I was supposed to be cleaning up the house for Christmas - but I just had to make a card (of course!) It's pretty CAS but took me about 4 tries to get it to where it is (!?!) (some cards are just like that - aren't they?!)

I cased her candy cane Christmas card but made it a Valentine instead. I'm ready to move on from Christmas cards! I changed the embossing folder and used a heart instead of a candy cane.The sentiment and scrolly I stamped behind the sentiment in Versamark are from the Seasons of Love set by Waltzingmouse Stamps.

Hope you are enjoying the last days until we celebrate Jesus birth and that you aren't too crazy busy! I'm cleaned and baked - now I just have to wrap a couple of things and I can relax and enjoy! AHHHHHH......... what a good feeling! AND we have snow! Perfecto!!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Seasons of Love
Paper: White, Pure Poppy - PTI
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark
Accessories: Heart nestabilities, Leafy Branch Cuttlebug folder, foam dimensionals

Sunday, December 20, 2009

A Snowy Tree

My good friend Anne (itsapassion) was the hostess for the Inspiration Challenge over on Split Coast this week. She showed us a wonderful web store called Fabulous Stationary. And it sure is fabulous! I was inspired by this snowy tree card.When I saw this card it reminded me of this tree stamp I won from Innovative Stamp Creations. I got it quite some time ago but hadn't used it yet - so today was a good day to get it out and ink it up! I embossed it in white directly on the blue card. I made a score line around the edges of the card to give it some depth since it's pretty much a single layer card.I used stamps from the Seasons of Love set by Waltzingmouse Stamps for the ornament piece. The sentiment is white embossed. I looped a piece of velvet ribbon through the top to represent the hanger on the ornament. I really like the blue/orange color combination on this!


We just got about 6" of snow over night - so our trees look pretty much like this today!


Stamps: Tree: Innovative Stamp Creations, Ornament - Waltzingmouse - Seasons of Love
Paper: Enchanted Evening - PTI, Pumpkin Pie - SU
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black. Versamark
Accessories: White ep - PTI, hot gun, circle nestability, foam dimensionals, scor pal, white velvet ribbon - PTI

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Not A Creature was Stirring........

OK - so can you tell what this is on my card????!!! Here's a clue - I made it for the Moxie Fab World challenge - to incorporate a critter into your card. So - this is my kittie Scout - sitting happily under/inside the Christmas tree!

And here's the story - we had just put up our tree - no ornaments on yet - and I walked out into the kitchen - and when I walked back into the livingroom- there she was - a headless kitty sitting under the tree (actually with her head in the branches of course!) - it just CRACKED ME UP!! I grabbed my camera and took the shot - I was so glad she stayed there long enough!

So I thought I'd make the picture into a card for the challenge.... The sentiment is computer generated - I thought it was kind of 'tongue in cheek' funny for the pic! I added a lacey punched edge, some gems as ornaments, a button with punched ferns behind it over a ribbon - and good to go!

And while I'm sharing pet stuff - thought I'd show you what I made for the dogs in the family that will be coming over for Christmas Day. I made some dog biscuits in the shape of a moose and some shaped like bones.

Not sure if you can see the moose in the package - his antlers are at the top left - and there are two bones behind him. (I forgot to take a pic before I sealed them all up!) I slipped them into cellophane bags and wrapped a piece of twill around it that I had stamped with 'woof' and a dog paw print. I got the dog biscuit recipe from Bullwrinkle.com

I think they will be happy crunching on these!

Stamps: Paw print - Art Impressions Clear Stamps, Woof - Pet tootie sentiments- Cornish Heritage Farms
Paper: Handsome Hunter, Black - SU, White - PTI
Ink: Dark Chocolate - PTI
Accessories: Edge punch - Martha Stewart, adhesive gems - K&Co, vintage button - PTI, fern punch - Martha Stewart, pure poppy satin ribbon - PTI, printed picture, computer generated sentiment, Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder, putty twill - Martha Stewart

Friday, December 18, 2009

The Star of Bethlehem

The Limited Supplies Challenge on Split Coast was to incorporate silver or gold into your project. After re-reading the challenge - I think I was supposed to make an actual ornament - oops!!! Well - you could hang this on your tree right?!?!?

I needed a few more Christmas cards (can you believe that?!) so I embossed this beautiful Bethlehem stamp with silver EP, mounted the image to a silver panel, tied a silver ribbon around the base, and punched a silver star to layer on top with a foam dimensional.

I embossed a line on the edges of the image panel just to give it a little dimension.Inside I layered a white panel over the dark blue so you could read the sentiment (!) and stamped Luke chapter 2:12 and Christmas Blessings. The star is a Fiskars corner punch called Celestial and has a punch for a moon, a sun and this star all on the same punch. My card is 4 1/4 x 4 1/4

Thanks so much for stopping by today!
Stamps: Stampington & Co, Inside: Rosebud Rubber Stamps, Signature Blessings - PTI
Paper: Enchanted Evening, White - PTI, Silver CS - unknown
Ink: Versamark, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Silver EP - PTI, hot gun, star punch - McGIll, Silver Ribbon - PTI, Foam dimensionals, star corner punch - Fiskars Celestial, scorpal

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Cookin Up Some Love

I bet we've all been in the kitchen baking for the holidays in the past week or maybe we're going to be this week?!? So the Ways to Use It Challenge on Splitcoast was to make a card with a recipe on it!

I used this week's Taylored Expressions sketch for my card.

I attached my little cooking Tilda panel with thick foam tape just at the top and bottom so there was an open space in the middle that I could slip my recipe through. The heart and sentiment are also up on foam dimensionals to help hold the recipe in place.

I stamped a little Magnolia rolling pin in light ink over the recipe.

This is a great Biscotti recipe - my sister got it from her friend last year and she gave it to me. These biscotti are a little softer than the norm so you can actually eat them without dunking them in tea or milk!

Thanks for stopping by - let me know what you've been baking this week - any good recipes to share?!?

Stamps: Magnolia
Paper: white, pure poppy - PTI, DP Basic Grey Nook&Pantry
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Memories Soft Sage
Accessories: Martha Stewart Punch, foam tape, computer generated recipe, copics, vintage button - PTI, modern label punch - SU, heart punch

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Colorful Warm Winter Wishes

I decided to make another one of these cute Beanie hat gift card holders using the Color challenge over at Split Coast which was rose red, mellow moss and so saffron.

I also used polka dots (on my DP the nested buttons and the brad) which was hostess Joan Ervin's Doubledog Dare challenge to us this week. To make the fringe on the top of my hat - I used a Spellbinders Labels Trio and just cut slices on one end and attached the tag to the back of the hat behind the button!You will find Carolina's beanie tutorial here My sentiment is from the Waltzingmouse Stamps Sewing Box Christmas set.

I just love these cute little hat gift card holders - Don't you?!? - I think I'm going to try a masculine one next!
Thanks so much for coming by!
Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Sewing Box Christmas
Paper: Rose Red, DP - SU
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Crop a dile, eyelet, glue dots, brad - basic grey, spellbinders labels trio, edge punch - EK success, Prima flowers, prima leaves, vintage buttons - PTI, dew drops, quickie glue stick, dazzling diamonds - SU

Monday, December 14, 2009

Happy Holly Day Beanie

Today's Try a New Technique challenge over on Split Coast was to make this cute little Beanie Gift card holder. How fun is this!?!

You can find Carolina's tutorial here (Note: I adhered my circle of designer paper to a circle of card stock to make it more sturdy - the directions have you just cut a circle out of DP.)The top of the hat lifts up (there's an eyelet involved!) and reveals a gift card (all I had available was a Kohl's discount card for the pic!) tucked inside!!

My stamps are from two sets by Waltzingmouse Stamps. The large holly and sentiment are from Sewing Box Christmas and the small holly on the top of the beanie is from Very Vintage Christmas.

These are really easy to put together - I'll be making a few more of these for sure. You should try one too - I know you are giving a gift card to someone right? !

Thanks so much for coming by today!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Sewing Box Christmas, Very Vintage Christmas
Paper: Vintage Cream, Ocean Tide - PTI, DP Cosmo Cricket/Jolly by Golly
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Chai - PTI
Accessories: Saddlestitched ribbon: PTI, adhesive gems - K& Co, eyelet, crop a dile, tag trio spellbinders, swiss dots cuttlebug folder, copics: YG03, R08, Curvy Cutter, Scalloped punch - EK success

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Little Wooden Pins

What great vintage images at the Sushi Pot web site Stef showed us for the inspiration challenge on Split Coast.

I actually made my little dog pin a few weeks ago for our church fair but I never loaded it up here or on SCS - and doesn't it look very similar to this cute little pup from the SushiPot web site seen below?
My dog image is a clip art from The Cute as a Button set from the Vintage Workshop. My DH cut out the wood shape for me - I glued the image to it, brushed it with a varnish and glued a pin to the back.
To display the pin better - I mounted it to a piece of Kraft card stock stamped with one of the label stamps from the Very Vintage Labels No 1 set by Waltzingmouse Stamps
Here are a few more images from the same set that I made into pins. These rectangle shaped images were obviously much easier to mount to wood than the shaped pup! I left the images as they were - going for the simple look - rather than painting the edges or framing them in foil.
They're kinda cute don't you think?
Thanks for coming by today! Hope everyone's having a good weekend!
Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Vintage Labels No 1
Paper: Kraft, white - PTI
Ink: Adirondack Lettuce
Accessories: varnish, wood, pin back, clip art images - The Vintage Workshop Cute as a Button

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Celebrating Chanukah!

I wish everyone who celebrates the Festival of Lights starting Friday evening a very Happy Chanukah! I'd like to share with you gifts I made for the three doctors that I work with.

First I made this cute little house from Lauren's template I embossed all the stampings with Silver EP.

I kept it clean and simple using two Papertrey stamp sets, Home Made and Mazel Tov.

Inside the house I tucked 8 Star of David sugar cookies frosted and sprinkled with blue sugar crystals bundled up in a flatbottom bag and tied with a blue ribbon.

Next I made some spiced nuts (ETA: recipe by Denise (Peanutbee) I make them EVERY year since I found her recipe and they are just de-lish!!!) and poured them into sterilized Starbucks bottles that I decorated with a Spellbinders snowflake layered onto a large felt snowflake, and hung around the bottle with a ribbon. I added a few silver gemstones for shimmer! I wrapped a piece of cardstock around the jar that I had scored at half inch intervals over the whole piece so that it wrapped nicely. I embossed a symbol on a blue circle that I attached to the top of the cover.

To complete the project I made a little card using this cute little guy - Fred Frolic - from Poppy Stamps that I colored with Copics. The sentiment is from the Mazel Tov set.

Then I placed it all inside a little basket that I picked up last year at The Christmas Tree Shop and placed one on each doctor's desks.

They were gratifyingly pleased with their home made Chanukah gifts!
You can see the gifts I made them last year on this post.
Thanks so much for coming by today!

Stamps: Home Made, Mazel Tov - Papertrey Ink, Fred Frolic - Poppy Stamps
Paper: Pacific Point, Going Grey - SU, white - PTI, silver paper (unknown)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark Embossing pad
Accessories: Silver EP - PTI, silver and blue ribbons - PTI, hot gun, silver rhinestone stickers, Starbucks bottles, basket - Christmas Tree Shops, felt snowflake - Michaels, flat bottom bag - clearbags.com, Copics, Spellbinders snowflake, Cuttlebug, foam dimensionals.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

A Little Box of Bits and Bobs

Ok - so about a year ago, a friend at church gave me a bag of these unfinished boxes (probably from Michaels?). She was going to make something with them but never did and was cleaning up her room and decided she wouldn't be using them after all.

She asked me if I might like them - and of course I said 'Yes' ! (having no idea what I would do with them!! LOL!)


Fast forward a year or so - and along comes our Claire who creates a wonderful stamp set called Little Box Labels (which you may have noticed I can't seem to put down!?) and suddenly I have an idea of what to use these for!!! I run up to the attic to retrieve these little saved treasures.

And here is my little "Bits and Bobs" box!

I painted it up with some acrylic paint, sprayed it with a matte finish and cut panels of Cosmo Cricket designer paper to glue on each of the 6 sides of the box. I just traced the edge of one panel and cut 6 pieces of DP slightly smaller on all sides and glued them on - easy peasy! I sponged all the edges with More Mustard Ink - punched the edge of the paper, added a library clip, a paper clip and a flower and tucked it behind the ribbon!


The box is about 3" high and 4" across at the top - it tapers down a bit to the bottom.


You probably all recognize the 'bits and bobs' inside my box (I just grabbed a lot of stuff from my stamping table!) This will look so cute on my work table, or on the kitchen counter, or on my desk, or on dear husband's workbench (ok, so maybe I'll make one in 'manly' colors for his workbench!) but you get the idea - this will look cute (AND be useful) anywhere you put it!!


Thanks so much for coming by today - I hope you are inspired by my little box and this really fun stamp set!!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Little Box Labels
Paper: DP'Cosmo Cricket - The Boyfriend/homework, Early Bird/Cherry Pie
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, More Mustard - SU
Accessories: saddle stitched pure poppy ribbon - PTI, Library Clip - SU, ink dauber, distresser - Heidi Swapp, wooden box - Michaels?, Delta Ceramcoat Acrylic paint - bright red, clear acrylic spray sealer matte finish, Primas, spiral punch - SU, brad - Basic gray, Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Delighted!

I made this card for 3 challenges! The first is the Doubledog Dare Challenge where I am this week's hostess. My challenge is to make a Thank You card since we'll all be needing some of those pretty soon won't we now!

I used the MojoMonday sketch #116 on my card as well as the colors for the Split Coast color challenge. Betty was the hostess this week and she asked me to help her by making a sample card to post with her challenge - whoo hoo!! The colors for us to use are yellow, eggplant and artichoke - a nice combination don't you think?

My sentiment is from the Waltzingmouse set Blessed by You - isn't it a great way to let the giver know that you liked their gift!?!?!
Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Blessed By You
Paper: Always Artichoke, Barely Banana, Elegant Eggplant - SU, DP - Basic Grey Wisteria/Violet
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Lemon Tart Ribbon - PTI, Circle & Pinking Circle Nestabilities, Nested Birds Shapeabilities, Swiss Dots & Diamonds in the Rough Cuttlebug folders, cuttlebug, dew drops, glue dots, foam dimensionals.