Pretty as a Peacock

Good morning everyone - I'm over at So Suzy Stamps today sharing the oh-so-regal Phineas!

Come read all about it! Oh, and if you love Flower Soft, Suzy has it 20% off through midnight tonight, January 18th.

Happy Crafting!

Card Book and World Card Making Day

Woohoo, happy World Card Making Day everyone! There are so many fun contests, product releases, and card sketches out there in blog land today; have you been playing along?

I'm here to share my vintage Graphic 45 project for Mountain Plains Crafters today; we're giving away THREE pads of Graphic 45 paper over on our Facebook page. Just 'like' and 'comment' to enter! Believe me, I wish I could win it...

So, I finally finished a card storage book I started, oh, back in March...what, I've been busy! The book measures 6"x6" and is made from folded sheets of the Place in Time paper pad.

Place in Time card book

Pretty cool, huh? The back & front covers are chipboard covered with some paper from the pad, then topped with one of the tags from the embellishment kit. I added some navy ruffle ribbon from Pretty Pink Posh and a scrap of white shimmer ribbon I had laying around. The flower is from May Arts that I added a chocolate pearl to for the center.

Closeup of the tag

Some clear Wink of Stella finished the tag off, along with my handwriting and a Sharpie. ;)

Inside the book are (2) pages for every month, with pockets for keeping cards in. Now when we make things ahead of time, we have somewhere to put them! Each page also has a tag to keep track of birthdays, anniversaries, and the like.

March with the tag in the special tag pocket

September with a closeup of the tag for the month

Some ribbons over the binding finish the whole thing off. How about you; how do you keep track of your cards for those special people?

Happy Crafting!

Wedding Roses

Tired of all of my wedding-related posts yet? ;) Now that I'm quite sure my sister and new brother-in-law have received their card, I can finally share it with all of you!

Funny story; this card was sort of done before the wedding. Kind of. Ok, a few pieces were and then I packed up everything else I needed (including the heat gun) and brought it to the hotel with me and finished it the morning after the ceremony. What, am I the only one who's ever done that? Hey, I had 75 fan programs to finish first!!

I bought the new Ranger Texture Paste and simply went to town with my stencils one night playing with it, so that lovely background was already sitting in my stash. The red ribbon was actually part of some packaging from an online order (yay for reusing!) so all I had to really create were the roses. My dear friend Annette over at Feeding the Soul with Art handed me her DeNami rose stamp and said "here, this is what you need for a wedding card" and she was so right.

I heat embossed two of the roses with the gorgeous Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder; OMG is this stuff beautiful! I almost could have left the roses alone, but instead went in with the Distress Markers in  Fired Brick and Peeled Paint for just enough color. After letting the markers dry for a moment, I fussy-cut them out and used my favorite foam tape on just the rose buds and some of the leaves to stick them to the card. The stems were tied with the ribbon and then tacked down under the ribbon. Made them more three-dimensional and made it so that I didn't have to try and glue down those little stems!

I opened up my brand new Wink of Stella clear pen and proceeded to get a HUGE drop of it right on the card. ACK! I freaked out, looked again, and added 3 more to balance it all out and make it look intentional. Yup, when in doubt, act like it was intentional. Then I added it to the rosebuds as I had planned all along. All done!

We have two more weddings to attend this month, so better be prepared for more wedding posts! I'm also blogging over at Mountain Plains Crafters today about a stunning (if I do say so myself) fall card I made up for our latest card challenge. Be sure to stop on by and say 'hello'!

Linking up to: Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge; Bold

Happy Crafting!

Polka, Polka, Polka Dots!

We're hopping along with DeNami again, and this month it's all about polka dots! I think they're such a fun pattern; they're happy, cheerful, and fun to say. Polka dots. Polka. Dots.

Yeah, I need more coffee.

You should be arriving here from Amy's blog. Remember, if you get lost along the way you can always head back to the DeNami blog for directions. Be sure to comment on everyone's blog along the hop to try and win those lovely, lovely DeNami gift certificates!

So, what happens when you combine polka dots and coffee? In this case, I'm pleased to say the answer is massive cuteness:

DeNami Espresso Scene stamp

I stamped the Espresso Scene onto thick white card stock with black Memento ink then colored in the latte mugs with my Spectrum Noir markers. The background of the circles was lightly colored with a light latte color as well. While that dried, I sent my blue paper through the Big Shot in the polka dot embossing folder. A bit of sanding of the Core'dinations afterwards and we have instant texture (and polka dots!).

Side view to show the layers and coloring

I added a backer of coffee card stock to the blue then tied on my champagne chevron ribbon. The entire stack was then mounted to my card base with foam tape. Next came the latte mugs using more foam tape because, well, I love a good layer.

Close-up of the latte mugs; see the shimmer & shine?

Then came the fussy work; the polka dots around the cups got colored with a black Sakura gelly roller and the hearts and swirl of coffee got finished off with the clear Sakura pen. A bit of glitter via the clear Spica pen and my coffee was ready! A lovely espresso sequin in each corner finished off the card with a last bit of shimmer.

Looks good enough to drink!

Thanks for stopping by today! You're now off to the lovely Lisa's blog to see what she's done with the fun that is polka dots.

In case this is your first stop, here are the blog hop details:

When: The blog hop starts on February 9, 2014 at 6 AM, PST. However, you have until February 10, 11:59 pm PST, to leave comments on all the blogs (to be eligible for a prize).
Why: To be inspired by fun DeNami Design creations and also the chance to win mini shopping sprees on the DeNami Design website!

Prizes: We are giving away THREE $20 gift certificates to our website! We'll be giving away one gift certificate to a random participant (DT members not eligible) and then we'll also be giving away TWO gift certificates to TWO people who comment along the hop!

Happy Crafting!

Razzle Dazzle with DeNami

Hi everyone, welcome to the next stop on the DeNami Razzle Dazzle hop! You should have come from Tammy's blog. If you're just joining in, be sure to head over to the DeNami blog for the full list of dazzling participants!

I've been dying to try making a shaker card, and when Pretty Pink Posh came out with her razzle dazzley sequins, it was a match made in shiny crafty heaven! Mix in some adorable DeNami chickies building a snow chickie, and the results are razzle dazzle snow fun!

The snow chickie ornament I filled with some crystal glitter to give the appearance of snow, then I filled the other ornament with some Pretty Pink Posh glitter (which I LOVE and am in the process of collecting all of the colors).

In the meadow they can build a snow chickie...

I used my silver gel pen to draw in the ornament toppers and strings holding them up, then added some sparkly baker's twine to hold them on.

Yes, they really shake!

I scattered some sequin stars around the background to break up all the blue and have it look like twinkling Christmas tree lights on the tree.

Topping it all off are some Season's "Tweet"ings, and you have yourself a gorgeous shaker card!

There are two more stops on this Razzle Dazzle hop; off to Lyndal's blog you go! Remember to comment on all of the blogs in the hop for a chance to win one of the TWO gift certificates DeNami is giving away!

Happy Crafting!

November Blog Hop with DeNami

Good morning everyone! You should be arriving at my little coffee-filled corner from Deb's blog. We're hopping along with DeNami again this month having fun with twine!

I'm actually off at a wonderful three day scrapbooking retreat up in the Catskills snd spent last night pulling this fun card together.

I have to brag a bit; the basket I drew myself and then covered with twine. I used those lovely DeNami cookie stamps to fill my sweet basket.

I stamped them with Memento Toffee Crunch, then colored them with the Distress Pen in Gathered Twigs and a water brush. The sprinkled are Liquid Pearls and the frosting is Rock Candy Distress Glitter.

In a word, YUM.

Thanks for stopping by today! Remember to comment on all the blogs in the hop for a chance to win the DeNami gift certificate. You're off to Wendy's blog next!

Happy Crafting!

DeNami Halloween Blog Hop

I love Halloween; the costumes, the candy corn, the spookables. What other day a year do we have the freedom to get dressed up and party while eating candy? So, I happily drank my pumpkin coffee and ate my candy corn while I came up with this cutie-patootie card for this month's hop.

You should have arrived here from Paulina's blog (once you were able to tear yourself away, that is...her work is amazing!). If you didn't, feel free to head back to the DeNami blog when you're done to see the full list of participants on this spooooky Halloween hop!

In case you've forgotten why you're here:

When: The blog hop starts on October 13 at 6 AM, PST. However, you have until October 14, 2013, 11:59 pm PST, to leave comments on all the blogs (to be eligible for a prize).
Why: To be inspired by fun DeNami Design creations and also the chance to win mini shopping sprees on the DeNami Design website!
Prizes: We are giving away THREE $20 gift certificates to our website! We'll be giving away one gift certificate to a random participant (DT members not eligible) and then we'll also be giving away TWO gift certificates to TWO people who comment along the hop!

So, what did my pumpkin and candy saturated brain come up with?

Trick or treaters and batty bats, ooooo!

Here's a secret; I love Halloween bats. Love. Them. So I had to use the vampire bat stamp and have them following that cute little band of chickie trick or treaters. A little seasonal glitter paper, some ribbon and Liquid Pearls, and those chickies are ready to get some candy!

Top view in my cruddy craft room lighting...sigh...

Thanks for stopping by today! Now you're off to see what kind of Halloween treats Wendy has for you while I go celebrate my husband's birthday. Yes, there will be candy corn. :)

Happy Crafting!

Krazy for Kraft DeNami Blog Hop

Good morning everyone!  Welcome to September's DeNami Blog Hop featuring the oh-so-versatile kraft paper. You should be arriving from Lisa's blog. If you get lost along the way, just head on back to the DeNami blog for the full list of bloggers hopping along today.

When: The blog hop starts on September 8th at 6 AM, PST. However, you have until September 9th, 2013, 11:59 pm PST, to leave comments on all the blogs (to be eligible for a prize).
Why: To be inspired by fun DeNami Design creations and also the chance to win mini shopping sprees on the DeNami Design website!

Prizes: We are giving away THREE $20 gift certificates to our website! We'll be giving away one gift certificate to a random participant (DT members not eligible) and then we'll also be giving away TWO gift certificates to TWO people who comment along the hop!

So, here's a little secret - I love kraft paper. I buy it by the 100 pack. Yes, really. It's so versatile! I also had new stamps to play with...and I was hungry. Confused yet? Allow me to enlighten you:

Mmmm, holiday cookies...

 Yup, I was thinking of gingerbread. The sugar cookie set paired with the Gumdrops makes for quite a yummy card, don't you think? I hand-wrote the sentiment with gold Stickles and masked the area while stamping to give me a nice, clean surface. A bit of scoring on the top and bottom makes a nice border for the Visions of Sugarplums...

The cookies were stamped, fussy-cut, then decorated with Liquid Pearls and watercolor pencils. I wanted them to really look like they were covered in icing, so I added a layer of Glossy Accents for dimension. It's a massively long drying time, but so worth it.

How yummy do they look?

The gumdrops received some sugar crystals by way of Rock Candy Stickles. Just look at all of the shimmer and shine!

Ok, pass the coffee - these babies are getting eaten! Oh, they're still only paper...dang...

That's it for me this month! Your next stop is Amy. Enjoy the krafty tour!

Happy Crafting!

Sweet & Simple DeNami Blog Hop!

Good morning everyone! Thanks for joining me in hopping along this month with DeNami Stamps. The theme this month is Sweet & Simple. You should have hopped over from Lisa's blog. Remember, if you get lost along the way, you can always start back at the DeNami blog.

When: The blog hop starts on August 11th at 6 AM, PST. However, you have until August 12th, 2013, 11:59 pm PST, to leave comments on all the blogs (to be eligible for a prize).

Why: To be inspired by fun DeNami Design creations and also the chance to win mini shopping sprees on the DeNami Design website!

Prizes: We are giving away THREE $20 gift certificates to our website! We'll be giving away one gift certificate to a random participant (DT members not eligible) and then we'll also be giving away TWO gift certificates to TWO people who comment along the hop!

All right, now that the fine print is out of the way, onto my card! I came across this cute stamp in a clearance bin of all places, so of course I had to give it a good home.
 

Deck the halls with holiday chickies, fa la la la la!

I kept it nice and simple by simply layering three different sizes of my Spellbinders cutout with some lovely holiday paper. Some watercolor coloring, a bit of Stickles (because it's not done until there are Stickles on it!) and a whole bunch of foam tape and this cute little holiday card was all done!

Look at those luscious layers!

Here's a great tip; for my patterned paper, I used both sides of a double-sided page. Hey, they're meant to match, so take advantage of the opposite side!

Ok, now you're off to Linda's blog to keep on hoppin'.

Happy Crafting!

DeNami Summer Splash Blog Hop

Good morning everyone! Welcome to the DeNami Summer Splash Blog Hop! Are you feeling all warm and summery yet? You should have come here from Barbara's blog. If you didn't, remember you can always head back to the DeNami blog to check out the full list of participants.

When: The blog hop starts on July 14th at 6 AM, PST. However, you have until July 15, 2013, 11:59 pm PST, to leave comments on all the blogs (to be eligible for a prize).
Why: To be inspired by fun DeNami Design creations and also the chance to win mini shopping sprees on the DeNami Design website!
Prizes: We are giving away THREE $20 gift certificates to our website! We'll be giving away one gift certificate to a random participant (DT members not eligible) and then we'll also be giving away TWO gift certificates to TWO people who comment along the hop!

Ahh summer...in our house that means time to head to the beach! Which, incidentally, is where I am now as you're reading this. Yes, I might be rubbing that in just a touch. It also means that our kitties get left home alone though I always think they have a mini-vacation themselves. Can you guess where this card is heading? ;)

Kitties at the beach!

Hey, I'm convinced it would happen. After all, there are yummy fishies to be had! Those cute little watercolor representations of my furry babies were made with the Cuddly Cats and Kitty Toys stamp sets, absolute must-haves for kitty lovers everywhere. The 'sand' was created with some Tim Holtz Distress Paper, the 'surf' features the Fiskars wave punch, and the 'sky' is from a My Mind's Eye paper pack. The handwriting is mine...try not to judge.

Jasper, Liam, Cassie, Rowan, and Lochlan

I miss my little ones, but I'll see them tonight with fresh catnip! I hope you enjoy my lovely little beach scene, now you're off to Emily's blog for some more summer fun!

Happy Crafting!

p.s. Don't forget the big Christmas in July on Etsy sale is going on now through the 21st! Stop on by and see what goodies we've stocked the shelves with!