Penned and Painted Thoughts

We never like to have to send cards to friends who've lost a loved one or are going through a hard time, but sometimes those occasions come up.  This card is a great one to have on hand for such occasions.  The Penned and Painted set makes gorgeous flowers with little effort.  I think the hardest part is deciding on a color! 

I have a greeting from Rose Wonder embossed in Black on some vellum and attached to the top of the card.  I love the translucent look of vellum, it's so pretty and often provides just the look you're looking for.

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!   

Sugarplum Totally Trees

The Totally Trees set in the Holiday Catalog is quickly becoming a must have in my book.  I love using that set for cards like this.  I was able to make 10 of these cards in under 30 minutes.  They're so pretty too!!  I  have a fun demo only group for my downline on Facebook.  We have fun playing games and sharing ideas.  I sent these cards to everyone who participated in my last game, it was so much fun!  Want to join in on our fun?!  Consider joining Stampin' Up! I'd love to have you in my downline and on my team!  

Joining is easy and not only do you get a great deal, but you get a discount on your Stampin' Up! purchases, you get to see and order new products before everyone else, you get to join a pretty awesome group of demonstrators :)  There's so so so much more!  If you would like more information please contact me.  If you're ready to sign up head to my website today!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!

November Stamp Set Of The Month

I feel like I just started my stamp set of the month program a few months ago, but as we're already into November's set I've been doing it almost a year!  It's been so much fun and I love highlighting sets that could be easily over looked in the catalogs.  Mixed Borders is a set that is super cut but I think sometimes gets passed over.  The greetings in it are soooo fun! I love the fonts. 

Did you know with photopolymer stamp sets you can bend them into desired shapes, that's what I did with this one.  So cute!!!!!  When you order the Mixed Borders stamp set in November you get supplies for all three of these cards plus directions on making them.  

What's better than getting a new stamp set but three cards ready to go with that set!!!! 

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

Birthday Card With The Pets

Megan's birthday was last week, she's a big 6 year old now.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do for her birthday card.  Waiting until the day before didn't give me a lot of time to make an elaborate card.  Which is probably for the best.  She takes them to her room and they get put who knows where and then I find them weeks later when I finally go in there to clean and reorganize.  This card is really cute though and she loved it. 

The pets are all colored like our own animals.  I used watercolor paper and some watercolor pencils I picked up at a big box store.  I fussy cut them all out which was pretty crazy of me but worth it in the end.  The grey dog is our dog Chase, the black and white kitty is our cat Orbit (though she's a pretty grumpy cat and would never smile like that), the third kitty the grey one is our cat Cinderella who is very vocal as this little kitty is being.  It's a pretty personal card but I love that these little pets you can make your own and color them to look like your own fur babies.  Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Envelope Punch Board Christmas Friends

These boxes were a big hit at my class last week, and why wouldn't they be, they're so stinkin' cute!!!!! I made 30 of them in one afternoon, with a little help from my 10 year old.  He did all the punching and all the Santa belts.  The reindeer was the most popular, I think he's pretty cute too!  Together all three of them are just over the top cute!!!!  I made all the boxes with the envelope punch board!!!!  You guys this is a tool you need!!  You might not use it everyday, but sometimes, yes sometimes and idea like this will strike and you'll need it!!!  

Inside each box was a little individual pack of Milano cookies, I love these, you guys! Just the regular ones, not the weird flavored ones, seriously stop messing with stuff that works!  To make these guys or any boxes of this size grab your Envelope Punch Board and a piece of cardstock that's 7" square.  You'll punch and score twice on each side.  You're first punch and score line is at 1 7/8" and your second is at 3 3/4".  Follow the directions on your punch board by lining up the notch with the score line, and punch and score on both lines all the way around.  Cut the tabs and assemble like a box.  The tops on mine are cut off so it's open on top but you could always fold it down too if you wanted to keep your treat a surprise!  It's that easy!!!!  So much fun and so cute!!!!!  The finished box is about 2 1/8" x 4 1/8".   

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Watercolored Bloosom

Watercoloring images can often be tricky.  At my class I gave a couple of tips.  Start light, you can always add color, it's a little more challenging to remove it.  You're color will be darkest on the aqua painter when you first start so start in your darkest areas.  Your colors will blend more if you're working with wet paper and wet brush.  You can use a clear Wink Of Stella to color just like an aqua painter for a shimmery look, I love that technique the best!   The most important part, have fun and practice.  You will get better the more you do it. 

I only used three colors for this flower, Melon Mambo for the petals, Old Olive for the leaves and Peekaboo Peach for the center.  The more water you use the lighter you ink will be.  Places I wanted lighter I used more water with my Melon Mambo.  I also like to let the lighter areas dry and come in and do the darker areas later.  Watercoloring is pretty forgiving, give it a try!! 

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

Watercolor Washes

Watercolor washes are pretty trendy, but sometimes it's hard to achieve the right look with a wash.  This is a fool proof method!  You'll need watercolor paper, an ink pad, a window sheet and a color spritzer filled with just water.  Smoosh your ink pad onto your window sheet and spray with your spritzer.  The more water the lighter the wash will be the less water the more concentrated color you'll get.  Once you're happy with your water/ink ratio on your window sheet turn the window sheet over and smoosh it onto your watercolor paper.  It's seriously that easy!!!!  You can do this as many times as you need with as many colors.  Though if you're using multiple colors just make sure they work together or you could end up with an ugly brown or gray.   

Once my wash was dry I heat embossed a greeting and added some balloons.  So cute!!!!!  I love the pop of black and white on the bottom too.

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

Watercolored Balloons

I thought I'd finish up the week with three different watercolored birthday cards.  I held a special Watercolor Class a couple weeks ago and I had all the stuff out so with my left over class supplies I made some watercolored birthday cards.  This first one is one that I didn't demonstrate at the class but it's super easy to do.  I stamped a few of the balloons from the Balloon Celebration set.  The balloons in the stamp set already look a little watercolored but I wanted more of that look, so I just used my aqua painter over the stamp and added more color to the bottoms of the balloons and this gave them the sweetest watercolored look.  

I'm really happy with this card.  I love the balloons, you could easily adapt this card with any colors.  For the strings of the balloons I just stamped the string from the set in Smoky Slate then went over it with my Aqua Painter and drew on some bows.  The card was finished with a quick greeting and some DSP and Silver Foil Cardstock.

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

Christmas Card Stamp A Stack

This is by far one of my most popular classes and even though this class is a ton of work I love doing it!!!  My guests this weekend all got to make 20 Christmas cards, 5 each of each of these four designs.  I love them all!!!  I couldn't even tell you which I love the most!  They're all pretty fun!!!  This reindeer one for sure!  I love that reindeer, truth be told the bundle of stamp sets and framelits was bought just for this reindeer...but don't tell my husband!  LOL!

I'm a gold freak lately.  I'm throwing gold on every card I make lately and you know what!  It makes it a million times better!!!!  This gold star is no exception!!!!  Isn't it pretty!!!

Speaking of gold.....nothing says Christmas like gold angel wings and some gold glimmer paper!  I love this card, the Night of Navy and the white and the gold just make me soooooo happy!!!!!

Finally I always have to have one pink or purple card Christmas card, this year would be no exception.  I love this sweet simple tree!!!  So pretty!!!! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Simple Thank You

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it many many many more times, this years In Colors are the BEST!  I cannot stop using these three especially, Flirty Flamingo, Sweet Sugarplum and Peekaboo Peach.  I decided to make a couple of these cards pretty quickly.  They require minimal supplies, I only used sponge daubers ink and a greeting, in this case I used the Brushstroke Alphabet but any greeting will do!  I masked off some sections with some Post It tape and used my sponge daubers to add the ink to the cardstock.  Working section by section it's easy to get patterns like this.  Over the weekend I had my Christmas Cards stamp a stack.  Check back tomorrow for the cards my guests got to make! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Spooky Spider

My card doesn't do the card I was inspired from any kind of justice, please check out Kim's card to see her amazing spooky spider.  The truly amazing thing about this card though is that the spider is made from the Christmas Pines stamp set.  Yes, those are pinecones that make the spider!!!  Isn't that a brilliant idea!  Again please check out Kim's card, hers is amazing!    

I wasn't really thrilled with my spider.  I think he's missing some elements that would really make him spooky.  To be honest this was one of those cards that I would have normally scrapped and thrown away.  But like it usually happens, it sat on my craft space at the craft weekend and sure enough, even though my spider has issues (hey who doesn't!) he was starting to grow on me.  So I made a quick card base and stuck him down.  He is really cute....in his own little strange way.......

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

Holiday Project Ideas

While at our craft weekend in Raton, NM a couple weeks ago.  Our leader Cindi had planned some fun activities for people to do.  I haven't had a chance to complete all the cute projects she handed out but I did get a couple done.  This little Thanksgiving Tic Tac holder is super cute!!!  There's lots and lots of tutorials on Pintrest for turkey's and Tic Tac holders.  This one is super cute!

While my snowman's eyes are a little wonkey the idea of this popcorn slider is super cute!!!!  Just wrap a package of microwave popcorn with a piece of white cardstock, stamp or draw a face on it.  Add a cute hat with some cute socks!!!  Love this idea!  Quick and fun!

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

Beautiful Angel

When I started to make 8 of these cards I was pretty sure that I had lost my mind.  Not only is the angel watercolored but she's also cut out.  But that's not all.  Each angel has 2 sets of wings that are gold embossed on glitter then fussy cut too.  They came out so pretty so they were definitely worth all the fussy cutting.  I know some people hate to fussy cut, we've all been so spoiled by punches and framelits.  But sometimes it's fun just to sit and cut!  

I love the way she's watercolored.  I love that her dress fades out to white.  I love the Peekaboo Peach banner and I love the gold wings!!!  So pretty!!!!  If you don't want to fussy cut this angel or the wings you could always watercolor or emboss her on your card and she'd look just as amazing!

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

Pink Twinkle Trees

I saw this card made by Kimberly Van Diepen I just loved it!  I had to case it!!!  I love the colors, Blushing Bride and Real Red together!  Yes please!!!!  This cute Twinkle Trees set in the Holiday Catalog I think gets over looked, but it's such a cute set!!!  I love this simple bold tree and you can dress it up in so many ways!  

I love the pop of red and black on this card, along with the subtle Blushing Bride it really makes the card pop!!!  I love love love using non traditional colors in Christmas cards so anytime I can squeeze in a pink or purple I'm all for it!! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

Copper Pinecones

One of my most favorite new accessories that came out with our Annual Catalog in June was the Copper Embossing Powder.  Who knew that I would love copper so much!  Then the Holiday Catalog had some copper foil paper and well it's pretty awesome too!  When you pair it together you have a winning combo!  

Overall this note card is pretty simple.  I love the single copper pine cone.  I love the branches too!  So pretty!!!  But the thing I love the most is that copper embossed greeting!  So pretty!!!!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

One Mixer

I tried really hard to resist getting this set.  The Yummy Little Christmas set in the Holiday Catalog is stinkin' cute but I really only wanted this mixer stamp.  I kept putting it off and off until one day, I don't even know how it happened it showed up at my door!  Obviously I wasn't going to turn it away so I made this card.  Probably it ended up at my door after seeing this post on Holly's blog, which is where my inspiration for this card came from.  Well after that I knew my fate and that this set would be mine, for this one little mixer stamp.  But I'm so happy it found it's way to my house.  I love this card! 

Galaxy Watercolor

I've seen lots of galaxy looking cards lately.  I love how they're watercolored.  I wanted to give it a try too so I pulled out some watercolor paper and ink and did my best.  Actually I really love how it came out.  Though I think next time I'll stamp the greeting directly onto the watercolor paper and not on the vellum, but it's ok.  The greeting says 'You Amaze Me'. To achieve this look, I watercolored in layers.  I did a bottom layer of Melon Mambo, Sweet Sugarplum and Bermuda Bay (I used a little Daffodil Delight but I didn't like that and eventually covered it mostly).  I did a wash of color with those ink and let it dry.  Then I came back and added lots of Night of Navy all over.  

The Night of Navy gives it that deep, dark galaxy feel, while the pinks, purples and blues shine through the bottom.  I didn't really mess with the watercolor too much, I really just let the water do it's job and blend and mesh the colors together.  Once it was completely dry I added white dots with a white gel pen and I splattered on some Gold Wink Of Stella and some black ink.  I really love this watercolored card!

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

Introducing Heather And Her Village

Over the weekend I joined some of my amazing demonstrator friends for a craft weekend in Raton, NM. We pilled into one car with all our craft stuff.  Our road trip was so much fun, can we just take a minute to point out how cute we are!  I got a lot done over the weekend and I'll share more in other posts.  This weekend was similar to the Albuquerque ones I help Michelle put on, but less stressful because I was just there to craft and have a good time!  It was a great weekend with amazing friends and we had so much fun in the car! There was talking, laughing, chatting, laughing, singing....no clapping though right Nikki ;) Such a good time! 

While at craft weekend I met Heather.  Heather is a pretty amazing crafter!  She's 17 years old (I think....I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong on that). She's a senior in high school as was there with her equally amazing mom Tracy (I could do a whole blog post with her creations too!).  Heather spent a lot of the weekend playing with the Home Sweet Home Bundle and her houses were all so adorable I asked if I could take pictures of all of them and share them with you guys. 

 Her Halloween house is so cute!  There's a ghost inside the house, I didn't get a good picture of that so you'll have to take my word.  I love the face on the front of the house and all the little elements around the house.  So cute!! 

 Her Thanksgiving house is super cute too!  Aren't those great colors for Thanksgiving.  I love the banner over the door and the pumpkins on either side of it! I love that all her doors open too! 

She cut out windows for the roof.  As someone who's put together one house, I know how much work goes into every one.  These houses are just so sweet and adorable!!! 

Oh and did you notice that little turkey on top of the Thanksgiving house.  Such attention to detail!   

After Thanksgiving comes Christmas, this sweet workshop looks like it could have come directly from the North Pole!  I love the scallops on the roof, the windows and the banner!  So cute!!!

There's even smoke coming out of the chimney!  I'm pretty sure I want my Christmas gifts made in that workshop, it's so cute and cozy! 

Finally, this last house is pretty amazing!  It's a Snoopy dog house!  Come on!  How stinkin' adorable is that idea!!!!! I was told that she drew and cut out snoopy, can we just take a moment to recognize that talent!  

You guys know that I love detail work and I love punch art and I love fussy cutting so all of these little homes just make my day to see them!!!!  I think Snoopy is pretty happy with this house too!  

Here's a picture of myself and Heather (try not to judge my freaky hair or lack of make up too much it was on day 3 of the 3 day craft weekend and we're all just lucky I didn't come to the craft room in my jammies ok!).  Heather of course is 17 and looks great all the time!  Thank you Heather for letting me share all your wonderful homes! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

Swaps!

My downline Michelle hosted a swap for her downline and some of her demonstrator friends.  I was so excited to join in! These are the swaps we made!  I love them all!!!! 

 Made by Nikki

 Made by Carol

 Made by Anne

 Made by Kim M

 Made by Vickie

 Made by Pam

 Made by Kim S

 Made by our 'boss' Michelle

Made by Cindi

I hope you're full of holiday inspiration! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!