Secret Sister Reveal - Thanksgiving

This past Monday evening, we had our Secret Sister reveal.  I didn't take pictures of the other cards I sent because it might have been a give away.

Here's the last card I made for her - with the other reveal card appearing on my other blog - Susan Vilar Stamps!

The card base and die cut are in Old Olive with the scroll work highlighted in Old Olive ink with a sponge dauber before I removed the die cut from the die.

I've had this cornucopia stamp for a VERY long time!  I'm not sure if I got it at Hobby Lobby, or found it on our travels. 

The BEST part about this, is I used the NEW  not-yet-released Stampin' Up! Watercolor pencils.  When we were in Kansas City, we had an opportunity to try them, and I fell in LOVE!  I love watercoloring anyway, but this was fantastic!  I used the blender pens to move the color around.

You can get a wonderful close-up view by clicking on the picture.  I love the shading watercoloring gives.  Definitely a medium I love to use!

Christmas in July - July 17, 2014

 I've been working hard on the Christmas cards for this challenge even though I haven't written that much about each card.  Some have been simple and straight forward, but not this one!

This really wasn't that difficult to make, it just uses a lot of different techniques and materials.

This is an Easel card, embossed with silver embossing powder over a Heartfelt Creations stamp I like to use... it's pretty and frilly.
I then die cut the center piece, and stamped and embossed a tree in green ink, and then the silver embossing powder on the top piece.
I used another die to cut the stopper piece from the bottom front edge to give it dimension as well.
I had a stamped Merry Christmas piece to place on the front, but placed it in the back instead.  I will add another embossed Merry Christmas stamp at the base in the front.

I have a battery powered candle behind the vellum.  This card will either be hand delivered, or sent in a box because of it.

Happy Blogoversary to Me!

I LOVE these colors!  Have you noticed?
It seems 85% of the cards I've created lately feature these colors.... Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, and Daffodil Delight.

The other day I was reading a magazine (yes, I read a few) and there was a monogrammed card set using those exact colors.  I don't by any means follow fashion, but I was right-on with this color combination!

SO, it's my Blogoversary....  what does that mean?  On July 5th, 2008 I started this blog.  I don't post consistently by any means, and would like to receive more comments - but that's not why I blog. :)  Six years - that's such a long time!  Sometimes I look at some of the things I've created over the years, and remember how I made them, but it takes me a moment to realize, "Hey, I made that!" 

So.... this was one of the quickest and easiest cards I've made in quite awhile.  I'm using a scrolly stamp from Heartfelt Creations in the colors listed above.... found a Happy Holidays stamp and just inked the Happy part of it for the center... and had a ribbon with some Melon Mambo.

It probably took less than 5 minutes to make.
Hope you like it!

Family's Christmas Gifts - Part 1

Notepads!

Notepads don't really sound like that big of a deal, but when you need to write a list, remember something, or get a phone number (if you don't have your phone with you) they can actually be pretty handy.

This past year I attended the Dallas Stampin' Up Regional Conference.  It was GREAT - and one of the projects we made was this notepad.  I knew these would make great gifts!!!  I've personalized each one.

 This one is another Duct tape creation - the original one!  My friend Dee is CRAZY for OSU, and this is what I came up with for her.  It has lots of little touches - punches, glitter pen, a paper flower, etc.

 This owl is for my friend Melissa.  I finally broke down and bought the punch after borrowing hers and making this owl for her.  It was terrible of me to borrow her punch to make her gift, but no one else I know has it, and I had a good laugh to myself until I got to tell her the story!  LOL  :D  I don't like the owl stamps, but this punch makes some really ADORABLE owls, or bats, or whatever!!!

My cousin married a young lady with quite a musical gift!  This piano notepad is for her.  I used Bermuda Bay to break up the black and white.  No one in the family could tell me her favorite color, so I had to just choose one and go with it.

I put together 7 of these notepads in about an hour.  The hardest think was finding green paper to match the darker logo!  I'm going to have to look harder to find a better match.
The logo is again Duct Tape! :D  I'm having way too much fun with that stuff!  I bought football brads at the Scrapbook show this past August thinking I was going to use them on the calendars, but they never made it to the final design, and ended up working perfectly on these!

It's really hard coming up with ideas for the men in the family - note card sets?  That doesn't work.  Flowery cards?  Nope!  That doesn't work either!  BUT I have a feeling these Packer notepads are going to be just fine!  :)

Please enjoy!  More pictures coming with the rest of the notepads I made.

Heartfelt Creations Design Team Submission Pieces

I was selected as a finalist for the Heartfelt Creations Design Team just two weeks or so ago. These are the cards I submitted for the DT call. We find out very soon who is selected - I hope I make the team and if not, I'll still use their stamps - they really are amazing!!

Mom loves irises so I took the large background stamp and the oval to make this piece using the Spellbinder Die to cut the iris pieces behind the popped pieces.


Here's a view of the same card from the side so you can see the dimensional aspect of the card.

Dimension in extreme close-up! I sent these cards in so I've stamped more of the iris pieces to make one of these to send home. It's an involved piece, so I'll take pics and write up a tutorial.


I really like Shasta Daisies, so I had some fun playing with the Daisy stamps and Daisy Spellbinders Die.


Here are the daisies in full summer-bloom colors!


I just had to make something for Christmas since I'm always happy when that time of the year comes around. It's been pretty chilly here the last few days - really puts me in the mood!

Here's another holly piece using the stamps and dies together.



Your comments are always appreciated!

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Such FANTASTIC News! **Updated

What a week this has been!!! I'm so thrilled to announce two wonderful things!
1. My purple card took a first at the State Fair. AND I found out the Advent Calendar did too!! Two firsts!!! (Unlike previous fair's I've entered, this one gives only ONE first, second, third per category, and a sweepstakes prize for the division.) I'm THRILLED!!!!!

2. I have been chosen as a Semi-Finalist in the Heartfelt Creations Design Team search!! There's still another round to work through... but even this is SO exciting! I'm THRILLED!!!!!!
Wish me luck on this one... I REALLY would love to join this team of amazing crafters!

Such good news....
AND a dear friend of mine is in labor at this minute!
Quite a day!!

Thanks so much for letting me share!

Your comments are always appreciated!

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Study of an Iris - Layers and Layers!

I bought this stamp and Nestabilities die set at the CKC show in August and have been playing with it for awhile now. Some of the samples they had at the show were completely stunning!

Here's a completed Iris piece in yellows. I stamped 6 images and ended up using 5 of them for this piece. I used burnishing on the base to give it a blue background... the colored the irises and greenery with my Stampin' Up markers. Gotta LOVE those Stampin' Up Dimensionals! They really help keep the layers separate.

Here's another view of the same piece from the "bottom".


Here it is all finished - So Saffron paper as the background - another Heartfelt Creations Nestabilities die behind it in purples to compliment the yellow. The top piece is a Cuttlebug die and a Stampin' Up retired stamp for the sentiment. I really like purples and yellows together.
It's difficult to see, but I sprayed the iris piece with some yellow Glimmer Mist to help it glow. Unfortunately, you can only see this in person.


Here's the card again from the side. Now to figure out how to get all those layers in an envelope! :)

Your comments are always appreciated!

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A Proud member of The Lime Light. Click on over to see what we are doing.