A Washi Tape Wedding

Can you tell what the strips of color are on my card today?!   If you guessed Washi Tape - you are correct. (big clue in my post title right!?!?!)

The big surprise is - that I made my own -  with the help of Claire's wonderful Monday Morning Make tutorial over on the Waltzingmouse Blog. this week.

I used pale pink and purple tissue paper that I had saved from gifts I've received (yes, I'm a hoarder!)  I adhered strips of masking tape over the back of the tissue paper - then cut out the strips.  Next I stamped the strips.  I used a background stamp from Pic-Nic Patterns on the pink tape using Shaded Lilac Distress Ink.  I stamped a flourish stamp from Flourishes - Scallops and Dots on the dark purple tissue paper with Dusty Concord Distress Ink.  I adhered my tape to card using Scor Tape. (Note to self - check out Michaels for double sided tape like Claire used!) I stamped the sentiment from Big Day Additions in the center of the card - adding 3 purple rhinestones for a little glitter.

So how about making some of your own Washi Tape?  Then link your card over at the WMS blog - Claire will pick a random winner who will get to choose a free large Waltzingmouse stamp set!! 

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Pic-Nic Patterns, Flourishes - Scallops and Dots, Big Day Additions.
Paper:  white - PTI, purple and pale pink tissue paper from my stash.
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Shaded Lilac and Dusty Concord.
Accessories:  Masking tape, Scor-Tape, rhinestones - Kaiser.

A Splash of Love

I've been stamping up a storm the past couple of days - but not posting (!)  so today I have a few cards to share. I've been having fun checking out all of the CAS challenges out here in Blog Land!

 First I have a card that I made for the Cas-ual Friday's Challenge - Make your Mark - to use markers in some way.

I used Ranger Distress Markers, a piece of acetate and a Mini Mister with water to create these backgrounds.  I learned the technique over at Split Coast Stampers -  and it's called Smackin' Acetate!

First, you take a piece of acetate about the size of the front of your card.  Color onto the acetate with your markers.  Spritz the acetate with a Mini Mister filled with water.  Then quickly place the acetate over your card front - colors down - and rub over the back of the acetate.  Remove the acetate and VOILA - you have a cool background!  I used a different number of 'spritz's' on each card -  the less water you use - the more defined the marker strokes are.  I used the most water on the card below. My sentiment is from MFT.

I made this card using the sketch from Less is More and I used the Cherish Border from Memory box to qualify for the Addicted to CAS challenge - Code Word: Heart

In case you can't read my little sentiment - it says "love is in the air".  It's from Tiny Treats: Valentine by PTI.

Well,  thanks for stopping by today - tomorrow I'll be posting a card using home made Washi Tape -  you can check it out on Claire's WMS blog here.

Add a Splash card:
Stamps:  Clearly Sentimental About Art - MFT
Paper:  White - PTI
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories:  Ranger distress markers - barn door, faded jeans, Spiced Marmelade, acetate, mini mister - Ranger.
Love is in the Air card:
Stamps:  Tiny Treats: Valentine - PTI
Paper:  Pure Poppy, true black - PTI
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Cherish Border - Memory Box

A Valentine Trunk

I'm SO excited to show you this cute little Valentine Trunk I just made!  I used a wonderfully easy template from Creations by AR called Papa's Trunk.

This sweet little thing measures 4"x 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" and works up in a jiffy.  It comes as cut files and also a PDF file so you can just print it and cut it out - which is what I did.   I stamped this heart on sticky back canvas, sponged the edges and layered it over the lace here on the cover.

It comes complete with a latch

and a little padlock that unhooks from the loop and opens up so you can stamp or write a little message inside.  I used brushed silver card stock from SU for all of the 'metal' pieces on my little trunk.  I stamped the leaf border on twill and adhered it around the base of the trunk.

There are hinges on the back so when you open the trunk the top stays on -  I used sparkly pink brads to attach mine.

I put a little muslin bag in my trunk - filled with Valentine Candies.  I got the bag at a garden shop - they had them next to a basket of potpouri -  you could fill the bags with it -  or buy the bags separately (which is what I did!)  I just knew I'd use them for something!

All of the stampings on my trunk and bag are from My Heart by Waltzingmouse.

So pop over to Creations by AR and order yourself this cute little trunk template - you can download it immediately -  and you'll be able to make several for all your special Valentine's this year!

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - My Heart
Paper:  Pure Poppy, white, Berry Sorbet - PTI, Brushed silver card stock - SU
Ink:  Ranger Distress Festive Berries, Antique Linen, Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories:  Sugare coated brands - Doodlebug design, twill tape - SU, Sticky back canvas - Claudine Helmuth, Muslin bag - garden shop, lace from stash, small heart punch - McGill, med heart punch - EK Success, Scor Tape, exacto knife, 1/8" hole punch.

The Key to My Heart

Today I have a card made using this fun sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch Challenge #12

And here's the card I created

I used two patterned papers from Papertrey Ink and a sparkly cardstock from Michaels for the heart.  I die cut the key with a Movers and Shapers die from Tim Holtz and sponged it's edges with Scattered Straw Distress Ink..  And the perfect sentiment is from Sweethearts from Waltzingmouse!

I used colors from this weeks' Split Coast color challenge.

We're having a Valentine sale at my church this Sunday -  so I'm in high gear with Valentine designs this week!  I'll have a cute little Valentine trunk posted soon!

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Sweethearts
Paper:  white, harvest gold, simply chartreuse patterned pack, text style polkadot parade - PTI
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Scattered Straw
Accessories:  foam tape, Mini Lock & Key Set - Movers and Shapers die - Tim Holtz, Heart punch - EK Success.

We Had a Wonderful Time

Today I'm posting a card I made for the Runway Inspired challenge.  This was the inspiration runway photo:

And here is my inspired card:

I used Alcohol Inks for the swashes of color - applying them with the applicator onto glossy card stock in a kind of tapping motion rather than just swiping it across so it left a more interesting pattern.  Then I stamped the large and small circles from the Waltzingmouse Teeny Trees set using Versamark Onyx black.  This ink is a little more juicy and stamped well on the glossy card stock.  I dried the circle stampings with my heat gun so I wouldn't smudge it.  (the sort of smudge you see on the big circle happened just removing the stamp after stamping - the glossy card stock can be tricky to stamp on!)

I used the Small Madison Window die to mimic the woodwork behind the model on the runway - adhering it over the stampings with foam tape.  I layered the glossy panel to the white card stock base.

This great sentiment is from the Join Us set by Waltzingmouse.  This card is 4 1/4" x 4 1/4".  I will use this for a thank you card sent to someone with whom "we had a wonderful time!"

I'm also entering this in the Moxie Fab World Make Your Own Background challenge.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Sentiment from Join Us, circles from Teeny Trees
Paper:  white - PTI, glossy white - SU
Ink:  Versamark Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Adirondack Alcohol Inks - Red Pepper and Stonewashed, alcohol Ink Applicator and felt - Ranger, small Madison window die -Poppy Stamps, foam tape.

A Chalkboard Candy Wagon

Our Claire has started a Monday Morning Take over on the Waltzingmouse Blog and this week it is a technique challenge -  Chalkboard!

So I looked through my WMS stamp sets and thought the Candy Wagon would be a good set to use on my card. It has lots of sentiments to use around the wonderful candy wagon stamp!

  Design note:  each time I stamped an image I poured the white embossing powder on it, then tapped it off - so I could see where I had stamped - when I had the panel filled - I embossed it all with my hot gun. After embossing  - I scribble colored some of the areas with a  Carmine Red Prismacolor Watercolor pencil.

I also drew lines around the edges and between the images with a white pencil.  I added sparkly blue brads to the wheel spokes and sponged around the card with Fresh Snow ink.

To finish it off - I die cut a scallop edge in white and adhered it to the bottom of the chalkboard to mimic the awning on the candy wagon!

So - let's see what stamps you'll use for a Chalkboard card!  Link it up over on the Waltzingmouse blog so we all can see!  A random pick of entries will win a gift card to the WMS shop!  Check out all the details and link your card here -  you have until Monday 1/28!

Stamps:  Candy Wagon - Waltzingmouse 
Paper:  White, True Black, Hibiscus Burst - PTI
Ink:  Versamark, Fresh Snow - PTI
Accessories:  White embossing powder, hot gun, Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils, Sugar coated Brads - Doodlebug Design, Edger #4 die collection - PTI

Put the Kettle On

Today I have another CAS card for another challenge - this one is for this weeks Cas-ology challenge

And here's the card I created -  my drink of choice was tea!

I just love this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt.  I stamped the quote on Fine Linen card stock with Coffee Archival Ink then cut it with a Wonky Rectangle Nestability.  The sentiment is a  Waltzingmouse stamp from the set called Afternoon Tea Sentiments.  The tea tag stamped with the sentiment and the tea kettle that I stamped on the card base are from the WMS set Afternoon Tea.  I layered the sentiment over the kettle with foam tape.

We've had a frigid day here today in New England but we didn't get the 5" of snow predicted - I woke up to just a dusting - I guess the storm went out to sea.  But another storm is expected Friday - so we'll see how much, if any, that will bring to our weird winter!

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Afternoon Tea, Afternoon Tea Sentiments
Paper:  Fair Linen - PTI
Ink:  Archival Ink - Coffee
Accessories:  Wonky Rectangle Nestabilities, foam tape.

You Paint My Heart Happy

Just popping in to share a clean and simple card that I made for 3 CAS challenges. I want to get it posted before the challenges end!

Cas-ual Fridays CFC86 - Long and Short

Cas(e)This Sketch

Less Is More -  Friends theme

My card is 3" x 5 1/2" so it's Long and Short!  For the sketch I stamped a heart from the Sweet Hearts set by Waltzingmouse 4 times in 4 bright Ranger Distress colors.  To help with placement of the hearts I measured and drew a line in pencil down the center of the card. The sentiment is from the Clearly Sentimental About Art set from MFT.

A clean and simple card doesn't always get done quickly -  I stamped this three different times!  The first time I didn't let the ink dry long enough and so the ink ran when I erased the pencil.  The second time I somehow got a smudge on the bottom of the card.  The third time was a charm and here it is!

Thanks for coming by today - we're expecting 5" of snow tonight.  Luckily I took tomorrow off so I won't have to get out into it early in the morning!

Stamps:  hearts from Sweet Hearts set by Waltzingmouse, sentiment from Clearly Sentimental About Art set by My Favorite Things.
Paper:  White - PTI
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Ink - Festive Berries, Peacock Feathers, Seedless Preserves, Chipped Sapphire

Scandinavian Christmas

Well, yes, I have a Christmas card to share today (!)  I'm participating in several year long Christmas challenges so I'll have plenty of cards when December rolls around.  And so that also means - you will be seeing a few Christmas cards on my blog each month!

This card was inspired by the inspiration picture over at this weeks Jingle Belles Challenge -  a box of lovely Scandinavian Christmas Ornaments.  I was inspired by the heart shapes, the red and white, the silver in the metallic heart and the Scandinavian or Nordic designs!

and my sketch is from the Waltzingmouse Christmas Challenge for January held in the Playroom of the WMS Forum.  Here's the sketch:

For my card I used, appropriately enough, stamps from the Nordic Winter set by Waltzingmouse.  I stamped the background stamp on a white panel, cut it with a Nestability heart die and sponged the edges with Antique Linen Distress Ink.  I made the banner with Brushed Silver card stock from SU and a Ribbon Banner die from Spellbinders.  The smaller heart is a Marvy Uchida punch and the Good Jul is also from the Nordic Winter set. (it looks like this set is out of stock at the moment - you can also check out Claire's Nordic Spring)

And there you go -  a fairly clean and simple Christmas card.  I didn't layer anything up with foam dots to keep it flat for easy mailing that wouldn't require extra postage!

Kent and I will be couch potatoes Sunday afternoon and evening -  watching the two football games.  We live in Patriot's country so we're excited that they will be playing in one of the games!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Stamps:  Nordic Winter - Waltzingmouse
Paper:  White, Pure Poppy - PTI, Brushed Silver - Stampin'Up
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black and Lady Bug, Ranger Distress Antique Linen
Accessories:  Heart Nestabilities, ribbon banner Spellbinders, heart punch - Marvy Uchida

January Waltzingmouse Blog Party - My Heart is Yours!

Today I'm participating in the Waltzingmouse Blog Party - our parties are held the 17th of every month and anyone can join in!  Lynn announces the topic over on the Waltzingmouse Blog on the first of every month - so you have 16 days to get a card made.          This month the theme is Love!

 I made a Mini Blind card for my project today -  the tutorial is over on Split Coast  here.  I changed the design a little - adding window 'panes' and using a front and back panel as opposed to a folded card taped together.

This is the card with the 'blind' closed.  Before folding it - I stamped the leafy heart and sentiment 'my heart' from the WMS set My Heart on the patterned paper.

and when you pull the two ribbons at the top on both sides of the blind -  the blind opens and reveals what's outside!  Outside of my window is a tree with a heart on it that says -   is yours -  finishing the sentiment on front (My heart......  is yours)  How cute is this???!!!

I wanted to show you what my back panel looks like without the front panel over it so you could see how I made it.  I stamped a rectangle of Vintage Cream card stock with the WMS woodgrain background using Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink, then trimmed it to look like a tree trunk with a couple of branches. I sponged the edges with the same ink and layered it to a piece of Kraft core Core-dinations paper that I had sanded a little.  I laid my already completed front piece over the panel to help me place the tree and heart on the back panel.   I stamped the heart and sentiment  from My Heart on a scrap of Vintage Cream, cut out the heart, sponged the edges and adhered it to the tree.  The sponging really gave depth to the trunk!

Below, you see the back of my front panel -  you can see how I laid the little strips to make the window panes - just taping the ends to the edges and the thick foam tape I place on all 4 edges so when I layered it over the back panel it was lifted up a bit to give some space between the window and the tree. ( Not so pretty from 'back stage' huh??!!)

I know this probably looks tricky to make - but it is REALLY easy using the step by step tutorial on SCS.  And what an impressive little card it makes don't you think??!!

 

Now -  let's go over to the Waltzingmouse Blog where everyone attending the party has posted links to their creations!  Let's go share the LOVE!!!

Oh and big news!  Waltzingmouse Stamps are being featured on Cath's  Moxie Fab World today!! Be sure to check that out as well!   You could win both of the stamp sets I've used here (plus a few more!)

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - My Heart, Woodgrain Backgrounder Set

Paper:  Vintage Cream, Scarlet Jewel - PTI, Kraft Core Core-dinations, DP Irresistible Love Dots and Sweet Hearts - My Minds Eye.

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Rhubarb Stalk, Ranger Distress Brushed Corduroy.

Accessories:  Scor Tape, foam tape, Scor Buddy, large rectangle Nestabilities, wrinkled seam tape - Prairie Bird Boutique Etsy Shop, Cropadile, scallop edge punch - SU

Wow - What a Ride!

My son is a biker - he eats sleeps motorcycles -  he even works at a motorcycle shop.  So - when I saw this great motorcycle stamp set by A Jillian Vance Design called Live to Ride - I bought it so I could make cards for him that he would like!

Have I made a card with it yet????  We know the answer to that right??  Yes - the answer is NO!

So - when I saw this week's CAS-logy cue card - Blue challenge

Somehow I made the connection that  I could make a biker card in blue!  I made it a side fold and the size is 3" x 5"

Clean and biker simple -  I just added 3 silver half pearls on the spokes and saddle bag, because you really have to have SOME silver on a bike right??!

Here's my son, Josh (he's 6'3"), with his fiance April on Christmas Day -  April is holding Mila - my niece Katies' new baby girl.  I wanted to post a pic of Josh on his bike - but I couldn't find any of the pics I have of him!! (my computer crashed recently and I have pics on disks all over the place!)

 Thanks for coming by today!

Stamps:  A Jillian Vance Design - Live to Ride
Paper:  White - PTI
Ink:  Momento Nautical Blue
Accessories:  silver half pearls - Michaels.

Thanks Snow Much

This simple little 'Thanks Snow Much' card was created for 3 challenges.

The Ways to Use it Challenge on Split Coast last week was to use snow.

The Inspiration Challenge was a lovely web site Layla Grace and I was inspired by the colors on these pretty drapes.

 and this week's CASology Cue Card is winter.

The pine tree and snowflakes stamps are from PTI - In the Meadow Set - the tree die is PTI and the Thanks Snow Much is from Winter Wishes from a jillian vance design. I popped the tree up on foam tape. My card is 4 1/4" x 4 1/4".

It's been quite unseasonably warm here in MA this weekend - high 40's maybe 50 although overcast and a little wet - not like winter at all, and we even saw a robin in our backyard yesterday (in January???!!!)  I don't think I have ever seen a robin back so early - they are one of the first harbingers of Spring here -  and we really haven't had any winter yet??!!

Are you watching all the football this weekend???     I'm rooting for the Patriots this afternoon!

Stamps:  In the Meadow - Papertrey Ink,  Winter Wishes - a jillian vance design
Paper:  white  - PTI
Ink:  Memento - Tuxedo Black and Desert Sand
Accessories:  tree die - In The Meadow - PTI, foam tape.