Sliding Seeds

If you follow my blog or attend my classes you know that I always like to give my guests who attend my classes a thank you gift.  They're taking time out of their day to come to my class, plus I really just like making them :)  This month I made little sliding packages that held a seeded paper.  If you're not familiar with this, it's paper that has seeds in the paper, you just tear up the paper put it in a pot or in the ground, cover with a thin layer of soil water and flowers will grow.  Isn't that cool!  I thought sliders would be the perfect package for these!  

They're super simple to make.  I used the Flowering Fields Sale a Bration DSP.  Each seed slider uses a 6x6 piece of paper so you can 4 per sheet.  Put adhesive on the bottom and along one side.  Then you just fold over your DSP so it overlaps slightly in the middle (the adhesive you put on the side will hold it all closed) adhere the bottom down and you have a little pouch.  I used a retired punch for the top but really any punch would work you could even use a small circle or oval. Punch through both layers on the top of your slider.  Thread your ribbon through, use your seed paper (or whatever your putting in your slider) to push down the ribbon to the bottom of the pouch.  Tie your ribbon at the top and your done! 

Then the item you've put in your slider will slide in and out all while staying nice and contained because the ribbon is stuck in there via the punched hole.  I hope that all makes sense.  They're really easy to make and so much fun to give!!!  If you're interested in the seed paper you can get it from Amazon here.  

This afternoon I leave for my Disney Craft Weekend!!!  I couldn't be more exited.  I will have lots and lots of posting and updating on my Facebook page over the weekend.  Maybe a few giveaways, you never know!  To follow me throughout the weekend make sure you 'like' my Facebook page here.  I'm so excited about this weekend.  Michelle, who hosts these amazing weekends, let me in on more of the planning of this one and I just CAN'T WAIT!!!!  You won't want to miss any updates!
    
Thanks for looking see you soon!!!!

Step It Up Again

I have the other two cards from my Step It Up Class last weekend.  I'm a big fan of this card!  I love that little bike!  It's sooooo cute!  I especially love the stepped up version, that extra pop of color with Melon Mambo on the label changes the look of the card completely!!!  So adorable!!!  

Finally this cute star fish, or as I've been corrected by my 9 year old "They're called 'sea stars'.  Fish have bones, sea stars don't have bones, so they're not a fish.  They're called 'sea stars' not star fish."  So anyway these cute SEA STARS make for a really fun masculine card.  You could stamp the SEA STAR in any color and customize it for any of your friends or family.

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

Step It Up

I had a class over the weekend.  It was a class I don't think I'd ever done before but it was really fun!  I hope everyone that attended had a great time too!  The class was advertised as I would show a simple card and then a 'stepped up' version of that card.  Everyone got to make the stepped up version.  I wanted to show how simple and fast it was to just add a couple more stamps, some accessories and with just a little more effort you have a beautiful card that.  Both the simple and stepped up cards are all great.  I love all the stepped up versions though.  This rose card I think is a favorite of mine though!  The stepped up version has rhinestones, a little more background stamping and we covered the rose and leaves in Clear Wink of Stella so now they shimmer!!!  LOVE THAT!!!!

This little 'Hogs and Kisses' card is another favorite, who am I kidding I love them all!!!!!  This one we changed up the simple version by stamping the little pig on a tag, adding a banner for the greeting, an additional layer of cardstock on the base and of course adding glimmer paper!  When in doubt with your cards, ALWAYS add glimmer paper!!! That's my rule and it always works!  I have the other 2 cards from my class to share tomorrow.

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!! 

Picture Perfect Hummingbird

I didn't use the glitter tape on yesterday's post....were you surprised?  Not to worry it's back today :)  This time the glitter tape makes a beautiful striped background!  But again that's not the focal point of this card.  Today's focal point is the pretty little hummingbird.  There's lots of layers on this card.  I really went crazy and built up the layers.  But I think it all works and looks soooo pretty!!  

The first layer is the paper doilies.  I love these doilies.  I really should use them more.  They're so much fun and so pretty!!!  Then I put some ribbon over that doily.  It's just laying flat, a few scrap pieces looped and laying flat.  This is a great way to use your small scraps.  Then I have a couple punched circles and finally the hummingbird and the greeting.  As for the hummingbird.  He's slightly challenging to stamp.  There's lot of little pieces to line up, not impossible you just need to be a little more careful.  I do love it though.  It's soooo pretty!!!!

Before I go I have a small blog note to point out.  This time next week I'll be happily checked into the Disney Craft Weekend!!!!  I'm so excited and soooooooooooo ready for a crafty get away with my crafty friends!  I have 3 posts scheduled for next week.  Then you won't hear from me again until March!  Eeeek!  I know that seems so far away but it's not!  I'll have lots and lots to share about the Disney weekend, plus I'll have all my projects that I make at the weekend to share with you too.  So there will be a little break then a massive amount of posts.  I hope you continue to check back!  

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Petal Pusher

Another new option for Sale-a-Bration is this super sweet Petal Pushers set.  There's so many fun little elements to it including the little basket on the front that you can fill with a number of different things!  So cute!!  My first thought with this set was that I wanted to make it move.  My first thoughts are never simple! LOL!  I stamped colored and fussy cut the bike.  Then the slider assembly started.  Part of what I wanted was that it reveals the greeting (seriously it's always more complicated than it seems!).   

This slider was pretty simple to put together.  I used my Word Window punch to punch the track for my slider.  The white cardstock is popped up on dimensionals EXCEPT along the right side where the pull tab is.  Slide the pull tab in and adhere the bike to the far left side of it.  Then when you pull it, the greeting is revealed.  Make sure you adhere your greeting in there BEFORE you glue everything down.  You'd think that would be pretty self explanatory......I didn't do that, so there was a bit of card surgery that had to happen.  Let's just say doing it before is a lot easier!  

The outside greeting says "I'm here for you" The inside says "let me pedal for a while"  Isn't that the best encouragement card you could send?!?!  I really love this set.  Remember you can get it for free during Sale-a-Bration!  Shop here.

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!  

Balloon Builder Monkey

 Guess what? There's more glitter tape on this card :)  Bet you thought I was kidding when I said I couldn't stop using it!  Ha!  I just used it along the background for some extra sparkle.  The real feature of this card is this sweet little monkey!  Isn't he the cutest!!!  I made a similar card to this, except with a bunny, here.  I've seen versions of the monkey all over Pintrest.  So I'm not sure who the original creator for the monkey is but he's cute!!!  

This set is so much fun to use!!!  I love all the shapes and I love creating little guys like this!!!  There was one mistake on this guy, while I was stamping his nose and other facial features it just turned into a hot mess and I had to abort.  I didn't want to start over, so instead I stamped his head again on other piece of cardstock, cut it out and adhered it over the first one.  I think it was a good solution.  This time I went for more simple features and used googlie eyes.  What creatures would you like to see done with this set?  Leave me a comment and who knows maybe you'll see it done on an upcoming post! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!! 

What I Love

I've shared my pure joy with you about the glitter tape here.  But in case you didn't believe me or want to see more of it.  Here it is!!  I'm so pleased to share this card.  Other than the card base and the adhesive it's made from ALL FREE Sale-a-Bration items.  LOVE!!!  First the glitter tape because I can't stop using it!  I think my favorite is the gold, but I do love the white especially because you can make it any color you need it to be!  I used the white tape to make a border on my card, then for an additional pop of color I used the gold tape to hold the layers down.  Obviously this part is just for show, but it looks good! 

I told you this entire card was with FREE Sale-a-Bration products.  Those two layers the heart and the turquoise layer under are Project Life cards from the Memories In The Making Collection.  There are a lot of fun cards in this collections.  Let's start with the bottom layer.  There's lots of white cards with white embossing on them.  I love this because, like I did here, you can add color to it to coordinate with ANY project!  I use my sponge daubers and went for a kind of ombre look using Island Indigo, Tempting Turquoise and Pool Party.  The heart card, also from the collection, is layered over the top for a pretty cool effect!  I used Staz-On for the greeting (from the Sale-a-Bration set What I Love) on the window sheet card.  That completed this card.  Really easy, fun and all made with FREE STUFF!!!  It can't get better than that!!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!!

Thoughts And Prayers

I've recently become obsessed with colored pencils.  I have a nice set that I bought from a craft store.  Stampin' Up! used to carry watercolor pencils and I've always been mad at myself for not keeping them.....hopefully they'll bring back something similar in the future.  Coloring is a big trend and it doesn't really matter how you color or what you use to color.  I saw this card that just used a white colored pencil on some dark cardstock.  I loved the look and I wanted to give it a try.  

I started with some Elegant Eggplant and Night of Navy Cardstock and stamped a flower from the Best Thoughts Hostess Stamp Set in the Annual Catalog.  This flower is so pretty.  I stamped it in white craft ink on both pieces.  Then I got my white colored pencil and just lightly colored it.  I didn't color everything, just added highlights here and there.  I went over some of the stamped lines so they stand out more.












Once I was done I didn't feel like the flower was 'popping' off the page enough so I grabbed a purple and blue colored pencil, trying to match as closely as I could to the cardstock.  With that colored pencil I traced the outside edge.  In the pictures those lines show up more prominently then in real life.  In person it's subtle and just adds some dimension to the flower.  It was a really sunny day when I took these photos and I think the sun made those lines stand out more than they do.  This card was really simple and really fun to do.  Look at your supplies.  What can you do?

Thanks for looking, see you soon!! 

You're So Sweet

This card started as an experiment, after 'fixing' it a couple times I'm happy with the results.  I started with some Island Indigo, Tempting Turquoise and Mint Macaron ink (I had them out from another card I was working on anyway).  I wanted to make a one layer card with lots of color, because it was one layer I went with the heavy white cardstock.  I stamped my ice cream images and used some post its to mask them off.  Then using sponge daubers I covered the whole cardstock, blending the colors together.  This part I love!  Then I wanted to add some more texture, so I grabbed my spritzer and sprayed water on it.  Well the spritzer sprayed WAY too much water, the paper started to warp and freak out (had I used watercolor paper this wouldn't have been a problem). So after drying the paper and seeing what was left, well let's just say it was a hot mess.  Too much water caused all the colors to bleed under the masks.  I put it aside like I do all cards that I need a break from and I came back to it a couple days later.  I loved the look of the background.  While too much water caused lots of problems it did make for a really pretty look.  I decided to go with it.  The cone was the only part of the image I could still use so instead, I stamped and cut out each ice cream in a different color.    

I added some sequins and decided this would not be a one layer card and mounted it on some cardstock.  I'm so pleased with the final result.  I often have half finished cards all over my desk.  Sometimes if you have an image and it's not going according to plan, I find setting it aside for a day or two really helps.  Looking at it again with fresh eyes later could spark some creativity.  And if it doesn't work no matter what you do, it's just cardstock :) 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Big News: Glitter Tape

Big news you guys!  Guess what's happening in less than a week!?  NEW Sale-a-Bration options are being offered!  You guys....it's glitter tape!  GLITTER TAPE!!!!!  This stuff is sooooooo amazing!!!  My favorite Sale-a-Bration choice this year by far...maybe my favorite ever!!!  I've been making a lot of cards lately, they've all had glitter tape on them.  I seriously cannot not use it.  It's so easy and the best way to add glitter to anything.  Wait there's more!  As if I need to add to the value of this tape.  The glitter doesn't rub off!!!  I'm not bothered by a few pieces of glitter that come off the glimmer paper, but I know my husband is.  This tape is husband approved!  I could go on and on and on about the amazing features of this product.  But I think it will sell itself! 

It comes in 3 colors; Gold, Silver and White----You can use a sponge dauber and make the white one ANY color you want!  EEEEEKKKK!!!!  I am over the moon for this product...in case you can't tell :)  Again it will be available as a Sale-a-Bration option starting Tuesday, February 16.  There's also a couple more adorable stamp sets coming too!  I hope you enjoy this simple card, and enjoy the sparkle!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

February Stamp Set Of The Month

This year I'm doing a featured stamp set of the month.  This month the stamp set is Balloon Celebration!  I really love this stamp set and of course the coordinating balloon punch!  When you purchase this stamp set from me this month only, you get the stamp set for $25 and you can add on the Balloon Bouquet Punch for only $16.  PLUS you get supplies to make these three cards!  (This offer only valid through me, this is not a Stampin' Up! company promotion)

How cute are these cards.  The one with the mugs, so cute, so simple!!  I just love them.  Then there's this one that's classy and beautiful!  So pretty!!!  

And finally the fun bright, cheerful one!  Don't you love those enamel dots too!!!  I love the details stamped on these balloons!  You can email, text or call me if you'd like to add this stamp set to your collection and get the supplies for these three cards! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!   

Spoons

I'm CASEing Target today.  Yep it's true.  While in Target not long ago I passed the card section.  I don't usually stop but there was one that caught my eye and made me laugh.  Then I realized I could make it.  In the Cups and Kettles Framelits come with a full set of utensils.  For this card I only needed the spoon.  This is a tiny 3x3 card.  You could easily make this a full sized card.  The top of the card has a little pull tab.........

......when you pull it up it reveals the word 'wanna'.  I thought it was such a cute card and for less than the $5 Target wanted for it.  Really adorable card and so timely with Valentine's day in less than a week.

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Just For You

 I love this giant greeting in the Botanicals For You Sale a Bration set!  I just love how big and bold it is!  Doesn't it look great on that watercolored background?!!?  This look is so easy to do! I started by taping a piece of watercolor paper to an old piece of chipboard or anything flat and durable.  I just use old washi tape, it peels off easy and leaves a nice border.  Once your paper is taped down use your aqua painter and get the whole paper wet, the wetter your paper is the easier the color will move.  Once it was nice and wet I dropped some Bermuda Bay reinker onto a block and picked it up with my aqua painter.  Drop the color in where you want the darkest part to be.  The color will work it's way down the paper, you can help it along with your aqua painter.  Add more color and help it out as needed.  You can use a heat tool to speed the drying or just let it air dry.  

Once it was completely dry I stamped my greeting and added on some embellishments.  I love the gold layer of cardstock, but I'll let you in on a secret.....I'm pretty cheap when it comes to my gold and silver foil cardstock.  I have a really hard time using it especially as a mat where most of it would be covered.  Now I could have cut a frame out of it and then saved the inside piece that doesn't show but I didn't have that much gold to work with so instead I used white cardstock, some Versa Mark and some Gold Embossing Powder.  It's so easy to add a quick metallic border and a doesn't use hardly any embossing powder.  Those little containers will last forever!  I just pressed my Versa Mark pad on the outside of the white paper, sprinkled embossing powder over it and heat set it!  This is a fun, quick and easy way to add that metallic look without using up all your foil cardstock!  Hope that tip helps! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!

Long Skinny Box

I love making boxes.  I don't always have something to do with them but I love making them.  Our cardstock is so nice and thick, it works great to make sturdy boxes.  When I saw this box on Sam's blog I just had to try it out.  There was no cutting, no gluing, just score and fold!!!  How ingenious!!!  I was intrigued!  So I made one, the one I made that followed her measurements is the larger Night of Navy one.  Really fun but big!  I wanted to get 2 per sheet of paper so with a few modifications I came up with the smaller one.    

I do love the big one, but since I had it in my head I was going to make 30 of them and I needed to fill them for my class, the smaller one was the way to go.  I'll leave the measurements for the smaller one down below.  Make sure to check out Sam's blog for the assembly process.  The smaller one is done the exact same way as the larger one.  They're really easy, once you do 30 you can do them blindfolded....probably....maybe.....  

The smaller one holds 4 Hershey's nuggets perfectly.  To make the smaller one you'll need a 5 3/8x8 1/2 piece of paper.  On the 8 1/2 inch side score at 1 and 7 1/2.  On the 5 3/8 side score at 1, 2 1/8, 3 1/4 and 4 3/8.  Remember to check out Sam's tutorial for the instructions on assembly.

Thanks for looking, see you soon!  

Sale a Bration Stamp Camp

I just loved this little bird from the moment I saw him.  This card is super cute!  And pretty simple to put together.  The bird and balloon are from the Honeycomb Happiness Sale-a-Bration stamp set.  Each image was stamped twice, once on the white base and then once again on either Hello Honey or Mint Macaron cardstock.  Then those images were cut out, sponged in the coordinating color to add dimension and attached to the white base.  Such an easy way to add color and texture to these images.  Especially if you don't like to color.  

This card uses two Sale-a-Bration products.  The first is the Perfectly Artistic DSP, this is another product that is only available until February 15! The other Sale-a-Bration item is the Botanicals For You stamp set.  I love the huge greeting in this set!  The greeting is embossed right on the DSP in gold, that's the hardest part of this card.  

The final card uses the Hello Sale-a-Bration set.  This set too is only available until February 15!  The outside is pretty simple but very cute!  The real WOW part of this card is on the inside..... 

We used the party pop up framelits to really make the inside...well...pop!  I'm asked a lot at classes what you write your message with when using black or any dark cardstock for a card base or on the inside like this one.  I love to use white gel pens or metallic pens to write my message when I have a dark card base like this one.  You could also use a project life card or a smaller piece of cardstock in a lighter color and attach that on the inside too.  Just a random tip of the day!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!! 

Sale a Bration Stamp Camp

Saturday was my Sale-a-Bration Stamp Camp.  I look forward to this class every year.  I hope my customers do too.  I had a great crowd and a wonderful group of ladies there to stamp with me!  My guests made 6 cards I'll share 3 today and 3 tomorrow.  All the cards showcase our wonderful selection of Sale-a-Bration products this year!  Originally this little plane just didn't appeal to me, but it did eventually grow on me and I love it!  We used the Sky Is The Limit Sale-a-Bration set for this one.  This one is only available through February 15, then new stuff will be released!  So if you love this plane, grab it now!    

This rose one is probably my favorite, surprise right.  It's very simple but with the Silver it makes it really elegant.  We used the Perfect Pairing Sale-a-Bration set for this one.  

Finally, for today anyway, we used the What I Love Sale a Bration set for this one.  It's super simple, aside from the fussy cutting but I enjoy the cutting, very pretty!  While this is a 3 step stamp I love that it's really sketchy and it doesn't have to line up perfectly every time for a beautiful flower.  The flower was created with only 1 ink pad, Watermelon Wonder. Make sure you stamp off the bottom layers to get the lighter ink.  I'll have the rest of the cards to share tomorrow!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!