Peek-A-BOO Addy!

Happy Halloween everyone!  Had a lot of fun making Addy's first Halloween card and had to show you how it turned out! 

This card took a few steps, but still pretty easy to do.  Stamped the image first (Whipper Snapper Designs) on white cs and then again on a scrap of orange and yellow polka dotted DSP.  I fussy cut the 2 pieces of the pumpkin and glued to the image I stamped on the white cs.  I colored in the rest of the image with Copics.  I stamped the image again on a piece of paper and cut out to make a mask, and then sponged Wisteria Wonder ink over Memory Box's Spider Web stencil.  Cut out with a Lil Inker's Stitched Circle die and inset into a piece of Wisteria Wonder cs.  Added some baker's twine, a computer generated tag, and a few sequins to finish.  Here's a closer up view so you can see the paper piecing:

Hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween and that the weather cooperates....rain turning to snow is what's predicted here!  Guess it's a good thing Addy's too young to participate this year!  And she outgrew her Halloween costume anyway...newborn size definitely does not fit anymore!  (Maybe Grandma should do some more shopping! :0)

Thanks so much for stopping by today...love it when you do!!

Pumpkin Treat Cups

Good morning friends.  To show you how the mind of a stamper works, thought I'd share one more Halloween treat idea with you today.  One of my favorite things for breakfast is Yoplait yogurt in the clear containers with the granola stored in a clear snap on lid...yep, got to thinking that there must be something I could do with these, and this is what I came up with:

 

 

I know, pretty simple, right?!  My youngest loves goldfish crackers, and they're orange like a pumpkin, sooooo......... you can see how the wheels in my head turn now, right?!! :0)  Anyway, after washing out the containers and filling them with the goldfish, I inserted half of one of the paper straws that are so popular right now ($$ stores) through a hole in the center of the lid (my hubby drilled out for me), and then added the leaves ("Lovely Layers" - PTI) and a twisted pipe cleaner.  Easy peasy and at least there will be one healthy snack in my daughters Halloween treat bag! :0)

 

I'll be back tomorrow with my granddaughter Addy's Halloween card.  Thanks so much for stopping by...I love it when you do! :0) 

Along Came A Spider and..........

Good morning friends.  How many of you remember your nursery rhymes and Little Miss Muffet?  While working on some Halloween treats for my youngest and her friends at school, the rhyme popped into my head and now I can't seem to get it to leave! :0)  Anyway, finally got a chance to work with PTI's new "Vintage Favor It Box" die, and I think they turned out SO cute!  Take a look:

Once I figured out how to lay the 2 pieces together (I probably would have saved myself some time if I had watched the video again!!), these really went together quite easily!  While they were still laid out flat, I used a Memory Box stencil to sponge on the spider web with Wisteria Wonder ink.   The sentiment and die cut banner are from "Just A Little Something" (PTI), and the tags are SU! punches.  The "eek" on the tags is from "Halloween Treats & Sweets" (PTI).  The black spider buttons are from my cousin Sue and I just added the little googly eyes for some fun! :0)  I did use the zipper tab die on the bottom of each box, so they can get the m & m's out with out destroying the box!  I cannot wait for Calla and her friends to see these because I think they turned out just SO cute!! :0)

And for those of you who don't see my FB posts, here's the latest Addy photo smiling at her mom:

Now that is one sweet face!!  Hard to believe she will be 2 months old this Sunday!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day! :0)

Halloween Pillow Box Treat Holders

Good morning friends.  My sister in law requested some Halloween treat holders for a party she was giving, and these are what I came up with for her:

I used PTI's "Pillow Box Die" with assorted Halloween DSP, added ribbon around the middle, and then had fun making all kinds of different tags from my scraps for each one.  These pillow boxes easily fit 3 - 5 mini or snack size candy bars.  Easy peasy and a quick way to add color and fun for all your little ghosts and goblins!  :0)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great Tuesday!

Judy's Halloween Panel Card

Good morning friends.  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  I got a surprise in the mail this past week...a Halloween card from a fellow stamping friend that I met through my cousin Sue.  And let me tell you, this is no ordinary Halloween card - it's a work of art!!  Judy is a fabulous stamper anyway, but she really outdid herself on this one!  Take a look at this:

Can you believe the detail in this card?!!  I wish I could give you all the details of the products she used, but I only know a few of them.  She started with a piece of Smokey Slate cs cut at 5 1/4 x 11 and then scored at 2 3/4, 5 1/2, & 8 1/4 to make each panel.  I believe the "Boo" at the top is a MS punch, and I'm guessing the bottom is a Spellbinders Label die, or maybe even a SU! punch.  The house, light post, and bats are from SU!'s "Holiday Home".  I've tried to find online who makes the trick or treater die, but have not had any luck yet.  My guess was Memory Box or Impression Obsession, but I'm not finding it under either of those manufacturers...help Judy!!!  I keep thinking I should send this to my youngest for Halloween, but have to admit I'm feeling a little possessive and not sure I want to share...we'll see! 

Judy does not have a blog (I really, really think she should!!), but I know she follows mine, so if you want to leave some lovin for her, just leave them in the comment section...I know she would love it! :0)

**Judy contacted me to let me know the "Trick or Treat Border Die is from Cheery Lynn Designs (#B470)...thanks Judy!!

That's all for today friends.  I'm off to babysit that adorable little peanut Addy Grace today, so my week is starting off just perfect!  Hope you all have a wonderful Monday too!   

Papertrey Ink October 2014 Blog Hop - #2

Too many beautiful non-traditional color combos not to play again!  This time I chose to work with the Pure Poppy, Raspberry Fizz, Hawaiian Shores, & New Leaf color combo and the "Painted Poinsettias" stamp set.  I am still in love with the Basic Bookmark 3 die and plan on giving out some bookmarks as simple gifts this year, so this challenge worked out perfectly to get a little ahead. 

 
I used "Background Basics: Super Chevron" to create a bit of background using the 4 colors and I really like the bold against the pretty flower!  I couldn't capture it in my photos, but I used Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist on the flowers so they really sparkle IRL! :0)  The sentiment is from "Season's Greetings" (ALL stamps PTI).  A few gold sequins, some gold embossed curly cues, red dyed seam binding ribbon, and bakers twine finished up these bright and kind of funky bookmarks! :0)

Have fun hopping and you can check it all out right here .  Thanks for stopping by...love it when you do! :0)

Papertrey Ink October 2014 Blog Hop

Hello friends.  Couldn't resist the blog hop this month as it's all about getting ready for the holidays with absolutely beautiful color combinations!  I knew right away that I wanted to use the first set of colors (Hawaiian Shores, Aqua Mist, Hibiscus Burst, Blueberry Sky, & Winter Wisteria) and my new "Songbird" stamp set.  After that the process became a bit trickier and I'll admit I really struggled!  It was the Blueberry Sky color that I struggled with, and even though I was trying to make Christmas tags, they kept coming out like birthday tags...grrrrrr!  It finally hit me after many attempts to just simplify it, and now I really like what I came up with!  Take a look:

I ended up using the little snowflake from the "Phrase Play #9" and that made all the difference (to me at least!) in making it look more like Christmas.  And of course not putting all 5 colors on each tag.  By keeping the colors separate (I did combine Hawaiian Shores & Aqua Mist) they don't look SO busy, and yet they are definitely part of a set by making them with all the same elements. I think these are going to look perfect on just plain white gift bags!  Not traditional, but definitely merry! :0)

Thanks so much for stopping by and have fun hopping around to see all the great ideas...love, LOVE holiday blog hops!! :0)

Make it Monday #185 - Faux Stained Glass

Hello friends.  The challenge this week over at Papertrey Ink's Make it Monday is Betsy showing us how to make our cards look like faux stained glass.  I got really excited when Betsy mentioned in her video about different stamps that would work with this technique, one of them being "Stained Glass" which I have but have never used!  The excitement ended shortly after that when I realized I didn't have a black Stazon pad anymore (I think I got rid of it when I got into using Copic markers and realized a Momento ink pad worked better with them).  And for anyone who hasn't tried this technique yet, Momento ink does NOT stamp well on acetate or clear cardstock! (yes, the voice of experience....grrrrrrrr!)  So anyway, I used vellum instead, and although it works (kinda), it doesn't give the shiny look that using the acetate would.  Here's what I came up with:

 The "Stained Glass" set is a beautiful one, so after I go out and get a new Stazon ink pad, I will definitely be trying this technique out again and getting some more use from this set! :0)

You can see Betsy's video and beautiful card here .

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day! :0) 

Festive Friday Challenge #42

Hello friends.  It's been awhile since I've played along with the Festive Friday challenge, but absolutely loved the inspiration photo and just had to play along.  And since I STILL had the "Ornamental Pine" (SU!) stamp set out, and since I'm STILL crazy in love with this set (I think it's because the pine branch is so big!!), that was my starting point for this CAS red and white card.

And here's the inspiration photo:

So simple and elegant...love it!

There's still a few days to play along, so check out all the info and great cards by the design team and players right here .

Thanks so much for stopping by...love it when you do! :0)

Merry Monday #130 - Silent Night

Hello friends and happy Friday!  Playing along with the challenge over at Merry Mondays and the theme this week is Silent Night (one of my favorite Christmas carols!!).  There are some absolutely stunning cards by the design team and players of snowy scenes, and I almost went that route too.  But after digging through my stamps I decided to use an oldie (but a goodie!) stamp set by Our Daily Bread called "We Three Kings".  One of the players this week (Ingrid Blackburn of The Creative Grove) made an awesome card and video on how to create snowdrifts, and I got to thinking that why couldn't I use the same technique but with the tan color family to create a desert scene for my three Wise Men?  I think it turned out great...thank you Ingrid!! 

I started at the top with different shades of blue to create the sky, and then worked my way down with the masks and Crumb Cake, Baked Brown Sugar, and just a touch of Soft Suede inks to create the sandy desert hills.  The "Star" was embossed in gold and then I used the speckled stamp from "Glorious Grunge" (SU!) with gold ink to create the rest of the starry sky.  A layer of shiny gold mirror cs and a soft cream card base finished my card.  I debated and debated over adding a sentiment to the front of the card, but just couldn't do it...I like it just the way it is!  And the scene itself says "Silent Night" to me (IMHO!).

If you would like to check out Ingrid's video, you can find it right here .

And you can check out all the other beautiful cards and info to play along with the challenge over at Merry Mondays right here .

Thanks so much for stopping by today and have a wonderful weekend!  I'm SO excited that I get to go shopping with my daughter and granddaughter Addy this afternoon...it's been a week and a half since I've seen her and I'm having withdrawls!  NEED to have an Addy fix at least once a week! :0)

Make it Monday #184 - Dipped Die Cuts

Hello friends.  On this week's Make it Monday video, Danielle shows how dipping just the edge of your die cuts into gold (or silver) gives such an elegant touch to your projects!  And since I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year, I followed in Danielle's footsteps and made a simple favor using the Pillow Box die and decorating it with the leaves from "Phrase Play #7" and "Counting My Blessings Die Collection" (all PTI).  Take a look:

I cut the Pillow Box out of kraft cs and then stamped it with one of the large dots from "Polka Dot Basics" in Crumb Cake ink.  The "thankful" is cut from Soft Suede cs and the two leaves from Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive cs.  I dipped just one edge of each leaf in gold and love how it takes the leaf from pretty to elegant with this one simple step.  I think these are going to look SO pretty on my Thanksgiving table! :0)  (And yes of course I will fill them with chocolate!!)

Make sure you check out Danielle's video and beautiful, beautiful bookmarks with the gold tipped leaves embellishing them...definitely worth the time!!  You can find this and all the other entries right here .

Thanks so much for stopping by...love it when you do!

Love & Joy

Good morning friends.  Back with another Christmas card from this past weekend when I finally had time to play with some new, and in this case, a new BUT never used for a year stamp!  This was one of those stamps I HAD to have but then just could never figure out a way to use it that I liked!  And go figure that this card came together SO easily and I really, really like it!  Take a look:

I know, I know, a simple and bold sentiment and I couldn't figure out what to do with it?!!  I think I was over-thinking it and making it harder than it actually was!  I stamped the sentiment (SU!) with versamark and embossed with silver on Wisteria Wonder cs, and then layered on silver mirror cardstock.  My background was made by using Memory Box's "Winter Flurry Frame" stencil with Wisteria Wonder and Bashful Blue inks sponged over it.  I love these 2 colors together and just the delicate lacy feel to the background against the bold sentiment! :0)  And look, I even finished the inside:

The sentiment on the inside is from PTI's new "Season's Greetings" stamp set.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do!  I'm off to take Daisy to the doggy parlor....can not take any more of her white hairs floating all over EVERYTHING!!  Have a great day!

Christmas Pocket Card

Hello friends.  Had a chance to play with some new goodies this weekend and made a Christmas pocket card with a bookmark.  Take a look:

I used a couple pieces of scrap DSP for the background, and only added adhesive to the sides and bottom of the plaid piece to create the pocket.  The Bookmark Tag (PTI) was stamped with the "O' Tannenbaum" stamp set (also PTI), and the star border (Super Star Border Die) and "merry" die cut are Papertrey Ink products as well.  A few sequins and some dyed seam binding ribbon finished off my country feeling Christmas card, and this would be a perfect card to go along with a gift of a book!  (or to someone who just likes to read!)

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful and joy filled day! :0)

Make it Monday #183 - Dry Embossing Over Heat Embossing

Good morning friends.  Playing along with the Make it Monday challenge this week where Dawn McVey shows us how to dry emboss over heat embossing.  I pulled out one of my all time favorite PTI sets "Simple Sunflower" for this challenge.  I'm very limited in my embossing powders, and don't have any of the pretty colors Dawn used...I have just the basic white, clear, gold, and silver.  So I decided to let the cardstock be my color and went with Tangerine Tango and then white and clear embossing powders.  Take a look:

I had everything stamped and looking good, and then picked the wrong dry embossing folder!  I was trying to be creative and used a music note folder to match with the sentiment (Think Big Favorites #22), and this is what I got for trying to be creative:

The embossing folder embossed so deep it actually tore the cardstock in several places, but what I really didn't like was how it took away from the sentiment.  OK, lesson learned and try something a little less fussy for the dry embossing!  The dotted diamond folder I ended up using is from Darice, and I really do like how it just subtly enhanced the background of my card.  I also added a few rainstones to finish off my card.

There's still time to play along, so check out Dawn's video and beautiful card right here .

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day! :0)

Merry Monday #129 - Use Neon Colors

Good morning friends.  The challenge at Merry Monday this week is to use neon colors on your Christmas card.  I admit that when I first saw this I turned up my nose a bit as when I think of neon, I think of highlighter yellow!  However, when I saw the design teams cards, I got excited about the bright colors they used and knew I had to play along!  One of my favorite stamp sets (right now!) is SU!'s new "Ornamental Pine".  Since I had just finished a card using traditional colors with this set and it was still laying out, it hit me it would be easy to make the same card with Green Galore (SU! - retired) and Pink Passion (also SU! and retired).  Take a look:

There hasn't been a whole lot of sun in my area, but in real life, this card really "pops" with the green and pink!  I matted with a bright silver mirror paper, and also made a snowflake ornament (Memory Box) from the same silver paper.  A few sequins finished my "neon" card.

Still lots of time to play along, so check out all the beautiful (and bright!) cards and information to play along right here .

Thanks so much for stopping by today and have a wonderful Wednesday!

Merry Monday #128 - Polka Dots and/or Stripes

Good morning friends.  Playing along with the Merry Monday challenge today, where we are asked to use polka dots and/or stripes.  I used both, and since it's very wet and a cold front moving through in my neck of the woods, I thought this Impression Obsession image would be perfect for the day and this challenge.  Take a look:

I started by picking out 2 of the DSP from SU!'s "Fresh Prints"  paper stack, and used the striped paper for my background, and then paper pieced the polka dotted paper for the mug.  I also paper pieced the ribbon around the mug with Real Red cs.  I used a few Copics to color the hot cocoa (E13), C1 and Dazzling Diamonds glitter for the whipped cream, YG03 for the evergreen sprig, and R29 for the stripes on the straw.  I used a Lil Inker Stitched Circle Die to cut out my image, and then finished the card with a red grosgrain ribbon and 2 of the "Tiny Tags" die cuts (PTI).  Oh, and also a few red pearls for the berries on the evergreen sprig.   I liked this image so much I made a 2nd card and changed up the colors just a little bit.  Take another look:

This time I used a piece of DSP from SU!'s newest paper stack called "Trim the Tree".  Rather than paper piecing the mug this time, I used my Copics again...same colors as the last card except for the evergreen sprig - I used a little darker green (YG67).  I also used a Wink of Stella silver pen to color the ribbon around the mug.  The sentiment is from Stampendous.  Some bakers twine, sequins, and a few more red pearls finished this card.

So which one do you like best?  I like them both, but am leaning more towards the red square card...I like cards that tend to use not so traditional colors! :0)

 

 

There's still a little bit of time to play along with this challenge, and you can find all the info you need right here . 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today and have a wonderful weekend!  

 

Tag You're It! Challenge #7

Good morning friends.  Missed the last Tag You're It! Challenge, so definitely wanted to make sure I got to play along with this one!  The colors in my "neck of the woods" have been changing and reminds me of the awesomeness of God's artistry, so decided to incorporate those colors into my tag/ card.  Take a look:

 
I used 2 of "Tag Sale #5" die cuts, and stamped Happy Fall (from PTI's "Mum's the Word") repeatedly on the Pumpkin Pie tag, and different leaves on the other tag from SU! and Gina K in Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, & Old Olive inks.  My background is SU!'s "Canvas" stamp (retired) and Pumpkin Pie ink, and then I finished by embellishing with a couple leaf tags, a sentiment tag, bakers twine, seam binding ribbon, and rainstones.  I also sprayed the whole card with iridescent gold Glimmer Mist, so in real life it really sparkles! :0)  Here's a closer up view:

Definitely a "Fall" feeling card!  And here's the beautiful inspiration tags to inspire us for this challenge:

There's still time to play along with this fun challenge, and you can find all the info and great entries right here .

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful Wednesday! :0)