Boxes, Boxes and more Boxes

I recently purchased the 12 days of Christmas tutorial from http://www.inkingidaho.blogspot.com/. I couldn't wait to make some of the boxes in the tutorial. I started with the bow box. She uses the Christmas Cocoa Specialty DSP from the hoiday mini catalog. A couple of sheets of the paper is flocked and beautiful. But since I make everything in bulk and there are only two sheets of each paper in the package I wanted to try to make some of my own DSP. I used the snowflake from the Patterned Pines hostess stamp set in the holiday mini catalog. I stamped the image in white craft ink and then embossed with white embossing powder. I am always looking for ways to save some money and I like to show my craft group different ways to use the stamps for backgrounds.

I also love the bow she made. She has step by step instructions for this bow and all her projects. Of course I had to make two boxes since I am going to be keeping one.

The second box I made was the rectangle box. Again, Becky Roberts used the beautiful white flocked snowflake DSP and the Santa and reindeer from the Wandering Words stamp set. I made a box exactly like the one she did but I just realized that I haven't taken a picture (and my battery in the camera needs charging.) For a picture of hers you can visit the above website on October 3rd.

But it wasn't enough to make one rectangle box I had to make two more. For these boxes I used the Holiday Lineup stamp set. I have always loved this stamp set (but there is a lot of coloring).

Here are the boxes:

Stamps: Holiday Lineup, Heard from the Heart

Paper: Choc Chip, real red, vanilla, a bit of Merry Moments DSP

Ink: Timber Brown Stazon, SU markers

I made a card several days ago that matches this box (posted on October 20th.)

Stamps: Holiday Lineup, Christmas punch

Paper: Black, Ballet Blue, Whisper white

Ink: Black Stazon, SU markers- bashful blue, ballet blue

Other: Iridescent Ice EP, non SU snowflake embossing folder, sponging

Casing my upline

I am casing this card from my awesome upline Jill. (Thanks for all of the inspiration and great ideas Jill!) I only change a couple of things. I made my card a 5x5, and changed some minor details but other than that the colors are the same and the idea is the same. I love the glossy white paper especially for sponging on the color. I didn't have a stiple brush so I had to use a sponge. It turned out ok but it the brush would have made it a lot easier. With the sponge you have to make sure you don't add too much color too quickly. Less is more in this case. I didn't even try to use my brayer. Sometimes my brayer and I don't get along ( I mainly use my brayer to ink up my background stamps).

Stamps: Wandering Words, Lovely as a Tree

Paper: Glossy white, night of navy, bordering blue

Ink: Night of navy

Accessories/Techniques: Sponging, two-way glue pen and dazzeling diamonds glitter.

Here is one more picture (pretty much the same

You can double click on any picture to make it larger.

Fall card, Fall weather????

Ok I made this card awhile back when I was in the mood for fall. I love the autumn season, but after looking outside today it appears we skipped fall and went straight to winter. I am not sure I am ready for the change in weather but I guess I better get ready. I cased this card from Gretchen Barron's posting on September 8, 2009 at http://www.gretchenbarron.typepad.com/. After embossing the rust paper I sponged chocolate chip ink on top. What a difference that made. It really made the textured paper pop.

Boxes and Tags

I recently purchased the Fancy Favor and Two Tags die cuts. I couldn't wait to try them out. I made one Christmas box with tags using the Sparkly and Bright stamp set and the other box using the Embrace life stamp set (shocking I know). I got carried away with embossing on the embrace life tags and didn't leave room to write a message. I think they also would make great bookmarks.

Stamp set: Sparkly and Bright

Paper: Soft Suede, Real Red, Whisper White

Ink: Real Red, Soft Suede, white craft ink, Clear embossing powder, crystal effects

Stamps: Embrace Life

Paper: Artichoke, Rose Red, Regal Rose

Ink: Black Stazon, SU markers (above colors) clear embossing powder

Stamping with a Friend

This last weekend my friend and upline and I got together and worked on our Christmas Stamp a Stack cards. It was so much fun & our kids played so well together we got to work for quite awhile.

Here are the cards I created. I have some more ideas to try and then will narrow down my options.

The first card uses the Holiday Lineup stamp set. This card was cased from Gretchen Barron's blog here http://gretchenbarron.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/07/on-the-sixth-day-of-christmas-.html

Stamp set - Holiday Lineup

Cardstock - Black, Whisper White, Ballet Blue

Ink - Black StazOn, SU markers Ballet Blue & Bashful Blue; Versamark and Irdescent Ice embossing powder

Accessories - Black Ribbon, Snowflake #2 Big Shot die

The next two cards use the Holiday mini catalog hostess set Patterned Pines. I used the tutorial for using the shimmer paints on http://andreawalford.com/. She has seveal great video tutorials for using shimmer paints. Honestly before I watched her videos I wasn't sure what to do with them. Then once I saw how she used them I had to order all three types. I also used the Final Press impressions folder behind the topnote.

Stamp sets - Four Holidays, Patterned Pines

Card stock - Chocolate Chip, Whisper white, old olive

Ink - Old Olive, Champagne mist shimmer paint, chocolate chip

Accessories, Big Shot Top Note Die, Final Press impression folder

Stamp Sets - Four Holidays, Patterned Pines

Cardstock - Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Merry Moments DSP

Ink - Old Olive

For you and Thank you

I felt the need to use my embrace life stamp set again. This is one of my favorite cards. I forget to use black cardstock, but think it looks great with the regal rose and rose red colors. I don't know if you can tell but I used a paint brush to add some champagne Mist shimmer paint to the flowers.

Card Stock - Black, Whisper white, Regal Rose

Ink - Black; I colored the flowers with Regal Rose and Rose Red markers, Versamark and clear embossing powder were used for the background flower.

Accessories - Rose red 1/4" ribbon, Champagne Mist shimmer paint

I made several of these cards using the Manhattan Flower impression folder. On one I put the sentiment "Birthday Wishes" on another I put "Thanks So Much". The thank you card will go to my aunt who has been helping take care of my mom after back surgery. I don't know why but I have a hard time using this impression folder. I think because it seems to take up the whole page. I got the idea for this card from the Stampin Success June issue. The card idea was from one of the art contest winners - Jodi-Danielle Kutz. It helped to make this card a 5x5.

I used the Fifth Avenue Floral set on the inside of the card. I have been adding a decorative item to the inside of the card also. I think it finishes the card.

October Craft Workshop

Here is a picture of what we are going to make at our next craft night workshop on Tuesday October 20th. I am so excited. I just love the holidays.

The spiders and witch hats are made using punches. The spiders are so easy my 5 year old and neighbor girl made some the other day. Here is a picture of what my son made ( I laugh at the eye placement).

Besides halloween type crafts I also wanted to make a fall card. This card uses the Loads of Love stamp set. I cased the layout from www.renaestamps.blogspot.com/ on her 5/28/09 Scenes from a Garden gift set.

I love the versatility of this set and the Loads of Love accessories. It covers pretty much every holiday and it is so much fun to use the people in the truck.

For the Frankenstein boxes I cased the idea from Kimberly Van Diepen at http://www.stampinbythesea.com/ (her 10/15/08 posting). I think these two have so much character.

The other project is another treat holder. I got the idea from http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1059608?&cat=14761. I cased it almost exaclty except for I textured the paper and added a scallop punch. It was super easy to make (which is great when you are making seveal gifts for people.) I am very excited to have our workshop.