Sweetest Wishes

The photo inspiration at Papercraft Star this week is this pretty little pic.

When I first saw it I immediately thought polka dots and set about coming up with a project idea.  Well, I never got anywhere with it.  Polka dots is where the inspiration started and then quickly halted.  I went back and took another, closer look.  This time I wrote down cupcakes, blue, lines, and repetition.  Back to the drawing board as they say. 

I kept thinking about cupcakes.  I pulled out my one and only cupcake set and played a minute or two.  Blue cupcakes...where is that going?  My littles really like Cupcake Wars on the Food Network which brought me to the "decoration" for the cupcake.  I think that's our favorite round.  Bring in Christmas Card Challenge's Snowman Challenge - snowmen and blue work together.  And while we're at it why not stick with blue throughout thanks to the Got the Blues Challenge over at Sweet Stampin'.  It seems impossible that this little card started out with the thought of polka dots, but here we are a Christmas Card all in blue for Little Man. 

I'll also be putting it up at the Blue Christmas in September Challenge at Here Come the Boys and the Anything Goes Challenge at Papertake Weekly.

And now, here are the sweetest wishes...

The cupcake and frosting are stamped with the same ink, the frosting is just stamped off twice to get a much lighter feel.  The snowman is popped up on foam. 

Thanks for looking.

Supplies
Cardstock from PTI
Stamps from PTI and Basic Grey
Die from Sizzix
Ink from Tsukineko and Momento
Copics
Glitter from Martha Stewart
Ribbon from Stash

A Taste of Germany before School

As a homeschooling family back to school time can get a little tricky since we don't have a new teacher or classroom.  Yet, I find the beginning of the new school year important and starting a new grade is still something to be proud of even if you have Mommy as your teacher.  To celebrate the start of the new year, or maybe just to make the first day really fun, I pulled out my stash of Schuletuten (I've most likely butchered this word as my German never was very strong.) I brought back from Germany.  This is something we never got to do while we were there as the littles weren't the right age, but I loved the idea so I brought it back with me.  I'm not sure if they do it every year, or just the first year, or what, but we did it this year.  I missed last year for various reasons, but with all the Back to School Challenges I saw this year it was at the forefront of my mind.  These are based on ideas I got from books they have just for these, though I didn't follow anything exactly. 

And a little closer.

 

I filled them with some fun school supplies and candy.  The look on the littles faces was priceless!

This is being entered in the following challenges - Thanks for reminding me to get this done!
by LORi Designs - Back to School
Milk Coffee Challenge - Back to School
Scrap it Girl - Back to School
Cards und More - Anything Goes

Thanks for looking!

Halloween treats with Cheesecloth!

This week Papertrey's Make It Monday challenge was to use a fabric stabilizer to help you make fabric die cuts.  Well, who would want to do that?  Being the planner that I am, I wanted to do something for the coming holiday, but what?  If only I had cheesecloth.  Someone gave me a ghost die cut a couple years ago for Christmas and I can't say it had ever been used.  Sometime I forget some of the stuff I have, especially when I receive it off season and then don't use it right away.  Anyway, I happen to remember that I do have cheesecloth sitting in a jar, left over from a project one of my littles did a couple years ago.  Now, where was the stabilizer?  Surely I have some, but where did I put THAT?  I head to the closet where most of the sewing stuff is and it turns out that at some point I bought heat-n-bond.  Why?  I don't know.  I didn't find the stuff I thought I was going to, but I can use this.  Finally, I can try and get this project started...

So I get these oh so adorable cheesecloth ghosts die cut.  Now what?  Well, Halloween treats are always a hit around here.  I already have so many things planned what else can I do?  Aha!  I have glassine bags I bought years ago and then didn't know what to do with.  So let's make this work.  And it did! 

Here is the final product.

So much fun!  Now I just have to make a few more so everyone around here gets one.  And with all that stuff I forgot I had - heat-n-bond, cheesecloth, dies - I am putting this up in the Forgotten Things Challenge at Our Creative Corner.  I'm also putting in over at the Anything but a Card Challenge over at Gingerloft Challenges.

Thanks for looking!

Supplies
Dies from Sizzix
Cardstock from PTI
Ink from Ranger
Glassine bag, cheesecloth, Heat-n-Bond

From our house

I was reminded last night about the Holiday challenges over at Moxie Fab World.  I had wanted to get some of my items done and ready for the holidays in time for the challenge, but there were other things to do with the littles.  I know they're only little once so they, of course, got my time.  Yet, I woke up this morning determined to get something done to submit.  I had a few ideas, but time is always the magic ingredient that seems to be missing.  In the end, I did it!  So here is my treat box that serves a dual purpose as home décor.  When I finished it I wasn't sure which category to put it in, so I'm putting it in both and perhaps some of you can offer your opinions on where it goes. 

In a perfect world we will give this to someone filled with treats and then they can leave it out on their table or counter with treats in it to grab all season long. 

This little house is made from a template from Papertrey.  I know it's been around for a few years, but it's still a winner to us. 

Once that was done, and believe me it took a long time with so many interruptions, I moved on to gift wrap.  I like to have a few cards set at the ready for those times when you are invited to a last minute party, or the hubby comes home announcing he needs a gift for tomorrow.  Knowing this, a package for one of these sets seemed the way to go. 

This box also used a template from Papertrey.  The ornaments in the wreath actually tiny ornaments that I picked up forever and a day ago and completely forgot I had.  Yet, they were perfect for this project.

Supplies
(House)
Template from Papertrey
Cardstock from Papertrey
Stamps from Papertrey and Stampendous
Ink from Tskineko
Glitter from Martha Stewart
Tombow Watercolor Pens
Vellum
(Card Box)
Cardstock from Papertrey
Garland from stash
Ornaments from Stash
Bells from Stash
Ribbon from Stash

Celebrate the Season with Snow

Another Christmas card to add to the pile.  This is another one of the ones that will go out this season.  I need four that are reproducible so I don't get too bored during the process.  Every year there is a snowman card and thanks to some prompting by a few challenges I have it done. 

I am entering this in the following challenges.
It's snow business over at Crimbo Crackers.
Anything but a Birthday Card over at Aud Sentiments
Anything Goes over at Created With Love
Christmas over at Crafty Boots
Anything Goes over at Craftin' Desert Diva's
Holiday Card over at Moxie Fab World

It seems a lot of people are thinking about the holidays, not just me.  That does make me feel less alone. 

Here are the snowmen, or is it people?

It's a really simple card.  The most time consuming part is coloring, which was done with Tombow watercolor pens. 

Thanks for looking. 

Supplies
Cardstock from Papertrey
Watercolor paper
Stamps from Northwoods Rubber Stamps and Papertrey
Ink from Ranger
Embossing Powder from Stampendous
Tombow Watercolor Pens

Stamp-A-Faire Comes to An End

I finished all the challenges, and have them posted.  I will say I wish my photos were a bit better.  But that's it.  I managed to remain focused AND take the time to put things away between projects so my work space is still fairly neat. 

A few things left to put away.  Even more surprising the cutting area isn't taken over by scraps.

Notice the "drawer" hubby made for me yesterday to store my dies in.

However, all this "me" time shows in the rest of the house...

I guess I know what I'm doing today.  Thanks family!

Tea Stained Treats

One of the challenges at Stamp-A-Faire was tea staining.  There were a few techniques they demonstrated one of which involved Kool-Aid which had amazing results.  Unfortunately I didn't have any Kool-Aid in the house so I'll have to try that one at a later date.  I did, however, have tea.  One of the tea techniques involved dying muslin.  I had picked up these cute little muslin goody bags for this treatment and went right to work.  I made really strong tea apparently because I was able to get a good stain in very little time. 

These little Halloween bags will be filled with some fun, festive goody in the coming weeks. 

Let me know what you think.

Supplies
Watercolor Paper from Michaels
Buttons from PTI
Bags from Stash
Stamps from Stampers Anonymous, Stamps by Judith, Inkado, Northwoods Rubber Stamps, Stampin' Up, and unknown
Ink from Ranger and Momento
Die from PTI
Twine from PTI

Stamp-A-Faire Bake and Take

The first of the challenges was a fun little color and sketch combo.  I selected the following color combo.



And this sketch.



I flipped the sketch upside down and came up with this.

Clearly I was very into this tree die yesterday. 

Thanks for looking.

Supplies
Cardstock from PTI
Die from PTI
Stamp from PTI
Rhinestones from stash
Copics

Rolled Dough Designs

This was another slightly frustrating challenge for me since I am not good at waiting.  I didn't realize the drying time on the Paperclay was so long and while I could have tried to speed it up I didn't want to mess it up and have to run to the store for more.  Luckily, things fell into place so I was busy most of the wait time.  I am sure this particular technique needs a bit more work on my part as I had trouble cutting it with the dies.  I also had a few ripping issues when I did get a good cut.  Not everything can work out as we plan the first time, or the first day for that matter. 

Here we have a super simple Holiday card.  The dimension of the Delight Paperclay was so unique and pretty (I added chunky glitter before rolling.) I didn't want to overshadow it.  I added "lights" with various colors of Stickles.

I really must find a better way to take photos...

Supplies
Cardstock from PTI
Die from PTI
Embossing Folder from Sizzix
Stickles
Delight Paperclay
Glitter from stash

Mixing Mists

I love mists, though I don't really like the mess.  It's not even the mess really, it's the idea of having a mess I must walk away from when the littles decide to make one of their own.  And trust me, my littles can make one in two seconds flat.  This was a fun challenge if for no other reason than I got to make a mess without worrying about the littles. 

Now for this technique I only had the older version of reinkers, which is not what the design team was using.  It did take a lot of ink and I never really got the color I was trying to make, but I did make a perfect match to Melon Berry.  Easy peasy!  I just revamped the colors for the card to make it work. 

Yes, another Halloween card.  We are big Halloween people.  I mean BIG.  Halloween is a month long celebration leading up to the Great Pumpkin's visit in this house.  I see now most of the detail was lost in my poor lighting situation this afternoon.  The image was stamped and embossed with black embossing powder that has rainbow glitter mixed in.  It was then colored with Copics and the stars were colored with Stardust pens to add a little sparkle. 

Thanks for looking.

Supplies
Cardstock from PTI
Stamps from PTI
Ink from Clearsnap and PTI
Dies from PTI
Embossing Powder from PSX (yes, I've had it that long!)
Copics
Stardust pens

Sprinkle of Salt

Nichole over at Papertrey always makes water techniques she does look so easy and yet, I always have trouble getting them to work for me.  I had more success this time with the salt technique, but it took several tries and a lot of frustration.  Even still, I'm not sure I did a great job.  Of the ones I did here are the two best of the effect. 

I like the way the watercolors came out.  I'm just not sure the salt effect is noticeable. 

Let me know what you think.

Supplies
Cardstock from PTI
Stamps from PTI and Michaels (Inkado, I think)
Ink from Ranger
Die from PTI
Divine Twine

Gallon, Quart, Pint

Next up, is something of a color challenge.  It goes to the theory about how much of each color to use.  I'd love to tell you all about it, but frankly, I'm too tired so you can read all about it over at the Papertrey blog.  I have put together a sweet little Halloween card.

Hopefully it's clear that Purple is the gallon, Black is the quart, and Orange is the pint.  I went back and added little swipes of pewter Stain because I felt it needed a little something.

Supplies
Cardstock from PTI
Stamps from Michaels (Inkado I think)
Ink from Clearsnap
Embossing Powder from Stampendous
Stain from Ranger

Custom Accents From the Oven

I have a house with littles and we love art.  Lots of art.  My littles really don't understand that not all kids have an art room let alone one as well stocked as ours.  There are many days filled with projects around here and typically the only problem is finding a project for everyone at the same time.  One of the go-to projects that will keep then occupied for a decent chunk of time is Shrinky Dinks.  We love Shrinky Dinks.  I have packs and packs of shrink plastic on the shelves.  The next challenge was to create a custom accent using shrink plastic.  This is something I do from time to time, but while working on this project I broke out the good stuff.  Honestly, I forgot I had it until the move a couple of weeks ago.  It's amazing the things that you "remember" when you're moving it all! 

Back to the challenge...I decided to try adding glitter to the finished product, something I'm not sure I've ever done.  I made a snowflake and a tree and then realized they were the perfect size to add to tags.  Here they are.

And once again, I'll need more before I can use these, but for today this is it.  I especially love the reindeer one.  They pair with the Tiny Treats images really well.

I'm also entering this in the Tag Challenge over at Crafting For All Seasons and the Holiday Tag Challenge at Moxie Fab World.

I hope you like what I've done.

Supplies
Cardstock from PTI
Dies from PTI
Stamps from PTI
Ink from Momento
Shrink Plastic
Glitter from ART and Martha Stewart
Copics

Scent-sational Cards

The next challenge I'm putting out here is the Scent-sational Cards Challenge, which is making your own scratch and sniff cards.  I must admit I did not go into this challenge prepared.  I did not have any of the sweet smelling Kool-Aid on hand.  The design team pointed out that spices could be used and so I went to fall.  In case you can't tell, I am ready for fall.  I love fall.  I made a tag that will be attached to some kind of treat for one of the littles in the coming months.  Of course, that means I need to make more tags so everyone gets one.  But for today I have just the one.

It seems to me a solid image works better with this technique but as I don't tend to get those I made it work with something else.  I pulled out the Fall Fillers for the Friendship Jars and colored it in.  Then I mixed up a scenty embossing powder with cinnamon and nutmeg and applied it by painting the pumpkins with embossing ink from the refill bottle to apply the embossing powder, and thus the scent. 

Let me know what you think.

Supplies
Cardstock from PTI
Tag from Stash
Stamps from PTI
Dies from Sizzix and PTI
Ink from Ranger and Momento
Embossing Folder from Sizzix
Copics

Stamp-A-Faire Limited Ingredients Challenge

Next up is the Limited Ingredients Challenge with what felt like a very short list of ingredients.  And for the record I started to reach for things that weren't on the list more than once.  Scallops were the piece I kept trying to add. 

Here's the list of allowed items. 

white cardstock

white or transparent glitter(Prisma Glitter)

1-3/4" circle punch or die

1" strip of light gray cardstock (Soft Stone)

melon cardstock & ink (Melon Berry)

aqua cardstock & ink (Aqua Mist)

golden yellow cardstock & ink (Harvest Gold)

And here's the card I came up with. 

Here I've made a simple birthday card using Papertrey's Sign Language Set.  I love this set and really, really wish they would had more squares for it.  A snowman would be great, as would a flag, star, or something else patriotic.  I went with a gray ink for the sign post so it would be so overpowering.  And while I'm not sure you can really see it, there is glitter on the present.

Thanks for looking.

Supplies
Cardstock from PTI
Stamps from PTI
Ink from Ranger, Momento
Glitter from Martha Stewart

Sweet Sugar Coated Embellishments

Here we are at the start of the series of blog posts showing all that I got done yesterday during Papertrey's Stamp-A-Faire Event.  I will likely be posting in the opposite order of how there were presented at Papertrey yesterday just because it's easier for me.  First up is the sugar coated embellishments challenge, and it seems as though I would love this one given this is the Sugar Coated Bits Blog, though the name has nothing to do with glitter. 

I do, however, love glitter and truth be known, so does the hubby.  So I went with Dawn's approach using Glossy Accents and getting the "bump" from it to help the design along a bit. 

Here I used the technique to beef up the candle on this Halloween card. 

Here is a slightly different angle.  I die cut the candles from Fine Linen Cardstock, aged them a little with distress ink, and then added the glitter (a color called Flesh).  I love the dimension the glitter gives the candle. 

I will also be entering this in the Just Add Glitter Challenge over at Whimsical Designs.

Thanks for looking.  Let me know what you think.

Supplies
Cardstock from Papertrey
Dies from Sizzix
Ink from Ranger
Tissue Tape from Idea-ology
Glossy Accents from Ranger
Glitter from Sparkle N Spinkle
Stain from Ranger

August 2013 Papertrey Blog Hop

After a very full day of challenges and projects yesterday, today is Papertrey Ink's monthly blog hop.  This month provided a series of color and sketch combinations.  Pick one and interpret.  While several of the color combos and inspiration photos caught my attention, nothing screams at me more than chocolate chip cookies.



My inspiration came from the colors, my desire to work on Halloween projects, and treats.  Here's my interpretation.  The skull is cut from Fine Linen Cardstock, aged with white paint and distress inks.  It's been attached to Dark Chocolate Cardstock with distressed edges.  A strip of True Black Cardstock was cut and then tissue tape was applied.  It was wrapped with twine and a few tiny bat brads were added.  The whole thing was attached to a Kraft Cardstock Card Base which had also been aged with distress ink. 

I am also entering this in A.R.T. Card Challenges Anything Goes Challenge.  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Supplies
Cardstock from Papertrey
Die from Sizzix
Tissue Tape from Idea-ology
Twine from The Twinery
Ink from Ranger
Paint from Ranger
Brads from Stash

Papertrey's Stamp-A-Faire Is Here!

For the last couple of years Papertrey has held a one day online stamping event full of challenges.  And today is the day!  I will be doing my best to join in on the fun.  We'll see how much the littles cooperate.  The room is ready though...

The work area is cleaned off.  The little pile is the project I was working on that had to be slid to the side for the day. 

The cutting area has been cleared of all the scraps and the dies have all been put in their homes.

The PTI stamps are all in their cases and lined up ready for the day. 

And just for fun, here are a few of the things that I love that hang around in my art room.

Let's go have a little fun!

Ho, ho, ho!

I really want to get my Christmas cards designed.  It's almost September and Halloween treats and festivities will be here before we know it.  I like to have the thought process of the Christmas cards done before then.  It makes my life easier.  Lucky for me there were a few points of inspiration this week to get another one done.  First, in case anyone doesn't know, Tim Holtz does a monthly tag on his blog with a specific technique.  And while I've wanted to participate since they began I have never been able to until now.  This month's masking technique is something I used to do back before the littles and it immediately made me think of this Santa stamp that Santa was nice enough to bring me a couple of years ago.  Of course, the Christmas card with Santa kept getting put off for this and that.  A few challenges helped get back on track.  First, there was the reminder about masking from A Creative Romance, so I had my focus back.  Then as I was trying to put it together I needed a little something different than I was doing.  The tic-tac-toe board at Jingle Belles Rock Challenges led me to die cuts.  For the last little sparkle Holly Jolly Christmas Challenges took me to the glitter drawer.  It all came together like this.

I really like the final product.  It feels very me and what I would send to the serious group on my Christmas card list.  Since I like it so much I would also like to enter it in a few Anything Goes Challenges - Craftin' Boutique Challenges, Creative Corner Challenges, and Jo's Scrap Shack Challenge.

Thanks for looking.  I hope you enjoy it.  Let me know what your thoughts are.

Supplies
Cardstock from PTI and Stampin' Up
Stamps from Stampers Annonymous and PTI
Dies from Sizzix and PTI
Ink from Ranger
Twine from The Twinery
Stickles from Ranger
Paint from Ranger
Masking film
Distress Stain

10 Minute Craft Dash is celebrating!

The good people over at the 10 Minute Craft Dash are celebrating one year of challenges.  So the order of the latest challenge is a Birthday card in under 10 minutes.  I am not so very good at the ten minute thing.  I have issues.  And I have little people that just can't seem to let Mommy go even for just ten minutes.  So, I reached for a punch and then a die, and finally a stamp.  Here's how it came together - in 9:58.  Yes, I cut it very close.

This picture is really rather poor, but the blue paper is all shimmery to add a little something to the quick card. 

Thanks for looking!

Supplies
Cardstock from PTI and Stardream from Marco Paper
Stamp from PTI
Dies from PTI
Punch from Martha Stewart
Ink from Tsukineko
Twine from Whisker Graphics
Brad from stash

Sweet Christmas Wishes

We love Christmas around here.  It always feels good to the season started off right by having some of the work done ahead of time.  Work does not make for a festive season, cookies and fun are festive, work is not.  Thus, over the summer I try to get the designs for the Christmas cards done so they can get made long before the season actually arrives.  The first card of the year (running a bit late I may add) is this sweet little gingerbread man. 

He is being entered in four challenges.  The Christmas challenge at Craftin' Boutique Challenges, the Cute Christmas Challenge at Winter Wonderland (I'm pretty sure he qualifies as cute!), the Anything Goes Challenge at Bearly-Mine Challenges, and the Holiday Card Challenge over at Moxie Fab World.

He has me ready to get to work on other Christmas projects!  Thanks for taking a look at him.

Supplies
Cardstock from PTI
Dies from PTI
Stamps from PTI and My Time Made Easy
Ink from Tsukineko and Momento
Copics
Gelly Roll pens

Monster Mash!

This week Simon Says Stamps has a triangle challenge going on.  Well, while I understand triangles are pretty "in" right now, they just aren't my thing.  For me triangles are math and I'm afraid they always will be so I had to put the thinking cap on.  I was determined to find a way to use triangles.  Lucky for me Halloween is right around the corner and on my mind.  Who wouldn't love a little purple monster with triangle teeth?  And he had to have a horn...So me my monster...

No stamping here, which may be a first for me.  The entire face is covered in purple Fun Flock!  So much fun!!

Tell me what you think about this little monster.

Supplies
Cardstock from PTI
Buttons from PTI
Embossing Folder from Sizzix
Fun Flock from Stampendous
Ink from Ranger

 

 

 

 

The Hungry Invite

Moxie Fab World has been running a collection of birthday challenges over the last month.  One of which is the birthday invite challenge.  We don't have another birthday around here for several months, but I do like a good head start.  So it seemed like a good idea to put the two together and get to work.  Bug's birthday theme this year had already been decided as "The Hungry Caterpillar" since there is so much fun to be had for little people if you just think about it.  Also, this theme is doable all year round which cannot be said for every theme.  The question was how to make the caterpillar fun.  It was really simple once I figured out the overall idea.  And here is it.

Super simple, but big enough to be held by little hands.  But wait, there's more.

The caterpillar is accordion folded to give room to write the party information, which we don't have yet.

Thanks for looking.

Supplies
Cardstock from PTI and stash
Googly Eyes from OTC
Pipcleaners
Stamp from PTI
Ink from Ranger

Happy, Happy Birthday

There are several challenges over at Moxie Fab World ending today.  When they were announced it seemed as though there was plenty of time to get them all done in advance of the deadline.  Of course, if I hadn't rearranged my whole house and didn't have any littles that would very much have been true.  My ideas don't always work out the way I think they will so sometimes the first (or second or third) idea ends up in the recycle bin.  This happened with the sketch challenge.  Here's the sketch.



There was an addition to the sketch here though.  It had to be all stamping or no stamping.  It sounds so simple...until you want to reach for just one little thing.  On top of that I am not a sketch wizard.  I tend to take them too literal and end of feeling very confined.  Until this card.  This one made the light bulb over my head come on, all by accident.  Here is what I came up with - all stamping (and coloring, of course).

The balloons were stamped on vellum and then colored with Copics.  If you have a minute, I'd love your thoughts.

Supplies
Cardstock from PTI and stash
Vellum from stash
Stamps from Stamping Bella, Northwoods Rubber Stamps, PTI
Ink from Momento, Tsukineko, Ranger
Copics

Collage K-utie

Today's post is pretty outside my comfort zone.  I'm not a collage kind of girl, but I was inspired to give it a try by the Tuesday Trigger over at Moxie Fab World. 



Of course, then I didn't know what kind of project to make.  Then I saw the photo inspiration over at Papercraft Star. 



I love this photo.  There are so many things about it I found interesting.  If you zoom in on the different areas you will find lots of little treasures.  Ultimately I went with a letter for a little person I know.  A little treasure in my own life.  One that loves books.  Here's my final product.

Just enough of this and that.  Let me know what you think.

Supplies
K from Hobby Lobby
Paper from the stash
Buttons from PTI
Charm from the stash
Twine from The Twinery