Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Great Impressions Stamps | Elegant Christmas

Happy Halloween, friends! I am back with another card for Great Impressions stamps. I know it's Halloween, but I need to get a jump on my Christmas cards so I've made a clean and simple holiday card this week, featuring a beautiful wreath image and some gold embossing powder:

(Supplies - Stamps (Great Impressions) Merry Wreath and Merry Christmas. Ink: (PTI) Scarlet Jewel and Versamark. Cardstock: (PTI) Kraft, Rustic White, and Scarlet Jewel. Patterned Paper: (PTI) Scarlet Jewel Patterns Pack. Other: Buttons, white thread, gold embossing powder.) 

I wanted to keep the front of the card very simple so the gold wreath shines, so I stamped the sentiment on the inside of the card:


This card would be very easy to mass produce if you are looking to make a lot of Christmas cards but don't have a lot of time... which is usually my position! Every year I feel like I'm prepared, with all my cards ready to go... until I realize I'm 10 or 15 cards short! Then I have to scramble to finish the rest. Hopefully this is the year I learn my lesson! 

I hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween. See you next week! 

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Moxie Fab | Stitching and Sewing Challenge

Hello again! I have time for one more card share this afternoon, this time for Moxie Fab's Stitching and Sewing challenge. Evan is really into kayaking, camping, and all things outdoorsy, so this card is being saved for him. 


I used two Papertrey Ink sets: On The Farm and Summer camp, plus some Summer Camp patterned paper and block alphabet dies. I don't own the rounded label die collection, so I used my regular corner rounder to achieve the same look. 

I used my Stampin' Up! stitching guide to create the holes, then used DMC floss to hand sew the border. I like how it connects the left and right side of the card without taking away from the overall design.

Have a wonderful week!

CAS-ual Fridays | Go Kraft Challenge #76

Hey everyone! This week's challenge on the CAS-ual Fridays blog is to use kraft cardstock in some way. I love using kraft, so this was an fun challenge for me. 


For my card I chose to work with Wplus9's Pretty Patches: Christmas and Folk Art Flurries stamp sets, and the color combo of Papertrey  Ink's Scarlet Jewel and Pinefeather.   

(Supplies - Stamps: (Wplus9) Folk Art Flurries and Pretty Patches: Christmas. Ink: (PTI) Pinefeather and Scarlet Jewel, versamark. Cardstock: (PTI) Kraft. Patterned Paper: (PTI) Scarlet Jewel Patterns Pack. Ribbon: (PTI) Scarlet Jewel satin ribbon. Other: buttons.)

I love the subtle look of the snowflakes stamped in versamark on the top left corner. And it's not even November and I already have a nice stack of Christmas cards ready to go. One of the benefits of doing these challenges! 

I also want to share a card using two Mama Elephant stamp sets I recently purchased. This new company caught my eye and I had to have Trifecta and Geotagged. I used both on my card below. Unfortunately the map didn't photograph well. It is subtle (but visible!) in real life:


Here is a close up of the US map image: 

 (Supplies - Stamps: (Mama Elephant) Trifecta and Geotagged. Ink: (PTI) Limeade Ice, Spring Rain, Enchanted Evening. Dies: (PTI) Pinked edge, Double-ended banner. Patterned Paper: (PTI) Enchanted Evening Patterns Pack; My Mind's Eye. Cardstock: (PTI) Limeade Ice, Rustic White. Other: Buttons)

I'll be back tomorrow with a post using some fun stamps from Great Impressions. Thanks for stopping by!


Monday, October 29, 2012

Around Here | October 2012 Edition

(Before I get to my regular blog post, I want to give a huge shout out to Karla Dudley for designing a fabulous new blog header for me. Thank you so much! I love it!)
 
Fall is in full swing and we have a lot going on these days. 

I am:

Working on Project life, yet terribly behind. How does that happen? I finish a week and the next week rolls around, so I'm a week behind again. But it is such an awesome project & I'm thrilled with what I have so far. Behind or not, I am sticking with it.

Christmas shopping and thinking about my December Daily album. The last time I created a December Daily, Evan was 21 months old, and I am really excited to do one this year.

Already dreading "the move" in January. I hate, hate, hate packing & unpacking & cleaning out the fridge & the stress moving causes. But I remind myself it is only stressful for a few days, then I will be in our new, big, beautiful house. It will be so worth it.

Wearing new glasses! I picked up my new pair of glasses (with transition lenses!) last week. They are wonderful. I can't believe I lived in Florida for almost 2 years without a pair of sunglasses.

Loving the cooler weather! I can only stand the 90+ degrees and high humidity for so long. Bring on the 70's and 80's! 

So excited for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. We have fun things planned for all three holidays (including 3 Thanksgiving dinners on 3 different days), and I can't wait. 

Evan is:



Growing taller by the second, I swear. He has outgrown most of the clothes I bought him in June, and some of the clothes from August. I had him try on a pair of Old Navy size 6 jeans yesterday and they are 6 inches too short! And he is eating a lot, too. I think he is in the middle of a growth spurt.

Doing really well in school, and his last report card was proof of that. He is ahead in reading and math, and loves going to school every day. 

Is on a really fun soccer team and loving it. Mark and I are really impressed with how much he has improved this year already. "Soccer days" are the best days of the week according to Evan. 

Very excited for the upcoming holidays. He is just like his mama and counts down the days until Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. 


Jack is: 



Also getting very tall. He has moved up to 4t clothes & size 9.5 shoes.

Loving pre-school more than anything. And on Fridays he stays for pizza, which makes that day even better. The kid is pretty easy to please.

Suffering from a cold, and he doesn't do very well when he is sick. We hear a lot of fussing and whining and complaining... and he shares often about the status of his boogers. Mr. Dramatic thinks he's suffering from ebola, however it is just a cold. 

Very excited for the fall festival at his school on Wednesday. I will be manning the temporary tattoo station for a little while and he gets to make a craft, trick or treat, and play with his friends. 

Mark is:

Spending a lot of time on his kayak, both in our lake and in the ocean.

Taking Evan to soccer practice a lot, and Evan loves it. They practice together and Mark is teaching Evan a lot about scoring & how to attack the ball. 

Happy that I made him homemade pizza pockets for his lunches. They say the key to a man's heart is through his stomach, right? That is most definitely the case with Mark. :-) 


Thanks for stopping by and I hope everyone stays safe this week.

Erin.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Make It Monday | Challenge #88

Hey everyone! I hope you all are staying safe this weekend. We are keeping a close eye on Hurricane Sandy. So far we have had a lot of wind and rain, but nothing major (and we still have power... yay!). The boys think the storm is "so, so cool!" and "the wind is AWESOME!". I am significantly less excited!

Being stuck inside isn't all bad... I've spent some time in my office created a card & working on my project life album. Today's card is for Papertrey Ink's Make It Monday Challenge: Positive and Negative Die Cuts:

(Supplies - Stamps: (PTI) Lovely Layers. Ink: Fresh Ink. Cardstock: (PTI) Rustic White, Scarlet Jewel. (Stampin' Up!) Going Gray. Patterned Paper: (PTI) Scarlet Jewel Patterns Pack. Dies: (PTI) Lovely Layers, Pinked Edge. Other: buttons, white string.)

A close up of the layered die cuts. Here is how I created the main dimensional flower image: 

1. Stamp the large flower petal image onto rustic white cardstock, line up the die, and die cut the same flower petal using a second piece of rustic white cardstock. 

2. Die cut a smaller flower petal and stamp on it with light pink ink, then adhere it to the larger petal stamped image. 

3. Use pop dots to pop up the die cut rustic white cardstock and the green petal die/stamped piece. 

4. Layer a smaller center piece on top using a regular adhesive. 

Clear as mud? :)

Please leave any questions in the comments section. I am happy to answer them!


A close up of the right side of the card. I layered the top three pieces using regular adhesive, then adhered the image to the patterned paper/die cut strip.


Dies are so versatile... and really fun to work with! I had a blast creating this project. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Retro Sketches | Challenge #34

I have a fun card to share today for Retro Sketches newest challenge:


Isn't it a great sketch? I pulled out Papertrey Ink's Simply You and Faux Ribbon stamp sets, some My Mind's Eye patterned paper, gems, and a PTI button. Easy peasy. :-)


I hope you are having a wonderful week! The school district the boys are in announced that school is cancelled tomorrow due to Hurricane Sandy. This is our first real Hurricane encounter... but I am hopeful Sandy will stay off shore and we won't have any major issues. I hope that is true for our friends up north as well. Thanks for stopping by!

Karla Dudley Designs | Jubilee

Good morning! Karla Dudley has a fantastic new kit available in her shop today named Jubilee. I used a few photos from the girls weekend I took in June to create my layout. And I have no idea why I was wearing a sweatshirt in the first picture... it was over 90 degrees in Orlando! The bottom picture was taken at the theater before our movie started. We saw Magic Mike and I got to drink a Long Island Iced Tea during the movie. :-)

(Supplies - Staples: Me Time. "girls weekend" alpha: Calipso. Template: Everyday Storyteller No. 4. Stickers: Jubilee. Brushes: Jubilee. Patterned paper: Jubilee. "note": Me Time. Journaling card: Wild Child. Flair button: Jubilee. Butterfly: Roycroft. Stitching: Me Time.)

Evan and Jack are both in school this morning and I am going to enjoy 3 whole hours of peace and quiet. Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Great Impressions Stamps | Happy Birthday Turtles

Happy Wednesday, friends! The card I created last week was very layered with lots of "stuff" on it... so this week I went in a completely different direction. Clean, simple, and monochromatic. Sometimes less is definitely more!

I used two Great Impressions stamps: Swimming Turtles and Happy Birthday.


(supplies - Stamps: (Great Impressions) Swimming Turtles & Happy Birthday. Cardstock, ribbon: Papertrey Ink. Other: Gems, Copics.)

In real life the ribbon matches the color of the turtles & gems. 

With two little boys I can see myself getting a lot of use out of the turtle stamp... they both love going to the ocean and we own a yellow bellied slider turtle named Henry. He is just as cute as can be. :-)

Thanks for stopping by and see you next week!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Great Impressions Stamps + Echo Park Blog Hop Winners!

Hi everyone! Thank you guys so much for hopping along with Great Impressions Stamps + Echo Park last week. Both design teams are grateful for your comments and enthusiasm. 

Two winners were chosen from the comments on my blog to receive prizes from Great Impressions or Echo Park.... and the winners are:

Zahara - Echo Park collection kit of her choice
Little Pink Bike - 2 Great Impressions Stamps

The winners have been contacted by me with instructions for claiming their prize. 

Congrats to the winners and thanks again for your support! 

Friday, October 19, 2012

8 Years | Digital Layout

Miss Karla has a beautiful new collection, Penelopi, available in her shop, and I had a chance to work with it tonight (and last night... I'm a slow scrapper!). Her collection is full of bright papers, colorful badges, stickers, washi tape (yay!), and digital brushes. 

Evan took this picture of Mark and me last summer and I had to use it on a layout:

 (All supplies are Karla Dudley Designs - Alphabet letters: Calipso. "8": Roycroft. Patterned paper: Penelopi. Staples: Digi Essentials. Love you badge: Penelopi. Template: Everyday Storyteller No. 4) 

Isn't the bird paper the cutest? And I used another one of her Everyday Storyteller templates... a new favorite of mine. They make creating a layout fast and easy. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend. We have a few things planned (soccer, the pumpkin patch) and hopefully some card making/scrapbooking! 

Thanks for stopping by. :-)

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Paper Smooches Sparks | Cool Shades Challenge

Happy Thursday!  I hope you guys are having a great week.

This week's Paper Smooches Sparks challenge is a color challenge:




I used two stamp sets to create my card: Party Posse and My Peeps. 

(Supplies - Stamps: (Paper Smooches) Party Posse and My Peeps. Cardstock: (Avery Elle) Kraft and Celery. Ink: (Memento) Tuxedo Black. Ribbon: (PTI) Berry Sorbet. Other: Copic Markers.)

Today's blog post is going to be short... I have a wonderful friend visiting me from Washington State and we are about to chat & watch Suburgatory. Definitely not enough hours in the day to talk when she is here! :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Great Impressions Stamps | Fancy Flourishes

Hey everyone! I hope you guys are enjoying the Echo Park + Great Impressions Stamps blog hop! I have loved looking at all the projects... amazing inspiration! 

Today I have a card to share with a fantastic flourish stamp. I stamped it with Enchanted Evening ink onto kraft cardstock and layered it behind a doily die cut:

 (Supplies - Stamp: (Great Impressions Stamps) Simple Elegance. Ink: (PTI) Enchanted Evening. Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye, LillyBee. Cardstock: (PTI) Kraft, Sweet Blush. Die: (PTI) Parisian Doily Die. Other: Ribbon, buttons, gems.)

I didn't realize the sentiment is partially covered by the bow in this picture, but it says "Happy Birthday to you!". 

Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Great Impressions Stamps + Echo Park Blog Hop

 
Happy Monday everyone! Welcome to the Great Impressions Stamps + Echo Park Paper Design Team Blog Hop! Today the Echo Park Paper Design Team and Great Impressions Stamps Design Team are showcasing projects from our latest collections. Be sure to follow the blog hop list below as you hop from one blog to the next. ONE winner will be selected from EACH blog to receive an Echo Park Paper collection kit of their choosing, and a set of two stickable stamps from Great Impressions Stamps.  To qualify for the kit and stamps, comments will be due by midnight EST, Sunday, October 21st to qualify for the drawing. The winner will be announced on each blog Monday, October 22nd so be sure to check back to see if you've won.

With Christmas right around the corner this hop comes at the perfect time for me. I created three Christmas cards with Echo Park's Very Merry Christmas line... a beautiful collection of traditional red + green, tan, brown, and silver. First up is a 4.5 x 5.75 inch horizontal card using the large ornament sticker:


I was also drawn to the large tree sticker on the Echo Park sticker sheet. I backed it on a sheet of silver snowflake paper and embellished the tree with gems and stickles. The sentiment is Great Impressions Stamps' Season's Greetings


My last card uses a lot of the smaller stickers from the included sticker sheet + some baker's twine by Stampin' Up!. The green chevron paper is so much fun to work with! And I love the little stars, holly, and letter stickers:


That's it for me! Wendy Sue is next on the hop & I know her project will be amazing! Thanks for joining us this week and make sure you leave a comment to be entered in our contest!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Paper Smooches Sparks | Designer Drafts Challenge

Hey there! I have a fun card for this week's Paper Smooches Sparks challenge:


I colored the convertible (from the set My Guy) with red, gray, and yellow Copic markers before adhering two buttons for wheels. I trimmed a piece of gray textured cardstock, from Stampin' Up!, into a triangle, added small yellow rectangles and adhered it to the green cardstock (by Avery Elle). The clouds were die cut from Wplus9's Hearts and Clouds die & impressed with Papertrey Ink's Linen and Canvas impression plate (my favorite!).


Check back tomorrow for the Great Impressions/Echo Park blog hop! I am very excited to share my Christmas card with you. Thanks for stopping by! 

Friday, October 12, 2012

Delight In Today | Digital Layout

A few weeks ago I finished a layout about Jack and his first soccer practice, but I completely forgot to post it here. I used a new template set that Karla released last month, along with a few other digital kits of hers.

(All supplies are Karla Dudley Designs)

I also finished a traditional layout last night after my work out. I love, love, love these photos of Jack and I am so happy they are scrapbooked! You can click on the photo to make it larger:


The journaling is on a piece of cardstock behind a vellum pocket I made. Here is a closer look:


I really like the look of torn washi tape "holding down" my journaling block... I used an actual piece of washi on this layout, and a digital washi tape on the above layout. 

A few things about Jack right now:

He loves holding his soccer ball, and Saturday mornings are now his favorite part of the week... because he gets to play soccer "just like Evan". :-)

He told me yesterday morning: "Mom, you're stylin!" Where did he come up with that one?!? Too funny. 

Jack's favorite art activity is painting. He brought home a really cool finger painting from pre-school today and he was very excited to show it to me. When I asked him to tell me about it, he said "I made Bowser's Castle!" (from Mario).

His "job" in school today was sweeping. When I picked him up, he had a little broom and dust pan and he was sweeping up the floor. I told him it was time to leave and he looked at me and said "but mom, I  am sweeping and the floor is so dirty!" 

His favorite color is blue.

His favorite foods are apples, crackers, cereal, and pizza.


I'm sorry this post is all over the place... it's been a really crazy day! Evan was home from school & Jack was in a mood. I am ready for bedtime so I can catch up on a few shows with Mark. 

Have a fantastic weekend!

ColourQ | Challenge #158

Happy Friday! I don't know about you, but I am really looking forward to the weekend.

I have a card to share today for ColourQ's latest challenge:


I pulled out Papertrey Ink's Mr. Bones for this card. I think he is adorable! I might have gone a little crazy with patterns, though... stripes, chevron, and polka dots. I just couldn't help myself! I used silver metallic embossing powder for the chevron frame and the little dotted line/web the spider is hanging from.

(Supplies - Cardstock: (PTI) Canyon Clay, White. Patterned Paper: (PTI) Smokey Shadow Patterns Pack. Ink: (PTI) Plum Pudding. (Memento) Tuxedo Black. (Impress) Slate, Mango. Versamark. Dies: (PTI) Fabulous Frames, Mr. Bones. Other: Silver embossing powder, white string, Copic Markers, white embossing powder.)

Have a fantastic weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Erin.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Karla Dudley Designs | Everyday Storyteller Templates

Now that my MacBook is up and running again, I am able to use CS5 (yay!) for digital scrapbooking... and I missed it! Talk about a l-o-n-g two weeks. Karla released a new set of 8.5x11 inch templates today that are AWESOME! I use templates all. the. time. and hers are simply the best.

REMOVED FOR PUBLICATION

 (All supplies are Karla Dudley Designs: Temples: Everyday Story Teller Template 8.5 x 11 inches. Staples: Me Time. '12 tag: Me Time. "today" acrylic: Me Time. "j": Tab Alphabet. "adventure" and. "boy" stickers: Itty Stickers Boy White. Brush: For the Boys. Blue patterned paper: Roycroft. "little dude" sticker: For the Boys. White paper: Me Time. Background paper: Berenstain. Font: Georgia.)

I used a ton of different kits on this layout, but my favorite thing is definitely the "today" clear word over the photo on top... such a cool look. 

I wish I had taken video of Jack jumping in the puddles... he was having so much fun. I have never seen him so dirty... but he loved every second of it. I watched Evan practice & took a million photos of both Ev and Jack... but the top one is my favorite of the bunch.

Evan doesn't have school tomorrow (teacher work day) and I'm trying to plan something fun for just the two of us. Jack will be in pre-school until noon and I never have one on one time with my oldest anymore. He is all about soccer lately, so I'm thinking of taking him to the fields to kick the ball around. 

Have a great week!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Great Impressions Stamps | Thankful Autumn

Hi there! Welcome to release week at Great Impressions Stamps. I have a CAS card and a cool fridge magnet to share today using two new Great Impressions stamps. First up is the card:

 (Supplies - Stamp: (Great Impressions Stamps) Fall Garden. Cardstock: (PTI) Rustic White, Dark Chocolate, Spring Rain. Patterned Paper: (PTI) Fine Linen Patterns Pack. Die: (PTI) Edgers Die #1. Other: Copic Markers, typewriter, baker's twine.)

The main image is so beautiful and detailed so I kept the colors and embellishments minimal. The artist of this stamp did an amazing job of capturing fall... I love it! I used my typewriter to create the sentiment strip.

Next up is a super easy fridge magnet using the new stamp Small Autumn. I die cut a frame using my Big Shot, then stamped the "Autumn" image on the bottom before coloring. This picture of my oldest son, Evan, and my sister is 5 years old... taken at a pumpkin patch in my home town. I trimmed the photo then sandwiched it between two frames, adhering it all together. Then I used an adhesive magnet on the back so it will stick to the fridge. Easy and oh so cute!

(Supplies - Stamp: (Great Impressions Stamps) Small Autumn. Die: (PTI) Fabulous Frames. Other: Copic Markers.)

And here it is, on the refrigerator next to two other magnets... the little boy on the right is Evan now (age 6!) and Jack is on the left (age 3). The boys love to clutter up the fridge with various drawings, magnets, and pictures. The poor "x" on the left fell victim to our puppy, Rocket... I can still see the teeth marks!


Make sure to check out the Great Impressions Stamps blog all week for projects, inspiration, and a look at all the new stamps being released this month. Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

CAS-ual Fridays + Wplus9 Cloud 9 + Hero Arts

I finally have a few minutes to post my cards before I need to prepare dinner and get Evan ready for scouts. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are really crazy for us... scouts, soccer, therapy, recorders... we are on the go from 7:30am - 7:30pm. By the time Friday rolls around I am ready for a nap. :-)

First up is a card for CAS-ual Fridays "For the Girls" challenge:


 (Supplies - Stamps: (Hero Arts) Lotus Leaves, (Stampin' Up!) Well Scripted. Ink: (Memento) Tuxedo Black, (Fresh Ink) Pink Lemonade. Cardstock: (PTI) Aqua Mist, Smokey Shadow. Heart Punch: Stampin' Up!. Impression Plate: (PTI) Argyle. Other: Stickles, white ribbon.)


I used my Pink Lemonade fresh ink to stamp the lotus leaves onto white cardstock, then used the argyle impression plate in my Big Shot to give some texture. The hearts were punched first, then I spread stickles all over them with my finger. After they dried, I adhered them to the background cardstock. 

Next up is a card for Cloud9's October Blog Hop. Here is our inspiration piece: 


I just love the painted pumpkins! I pulled out Pretty Patches: Pumpkins for my card:

(Supplies - Stamps: (Wplus9) Pretty Patches: Pumpkin, Happy Harvest. Ink: (PTI) Canyon Clay, Dark Chocolate, Ripe Avocado. Cardstock: (PTI) Canyon Clay, Kraft. Patterned Paper: (PTI) Distressed Dots. Dies: (Wplus9) Clear Cuts Stackers: Pinking Squares. Impression Plate: (PTI) Cane. Other: gems, baker's twine.)

Finally I have a card for this month's Hero Arts card challenge. I used one of the sketches and a beautiful dogwood stamp for my card:

 (Supplies - Stamps: (Hero Arts) Dogwood stamp & die set, Everyday Messages. Ink: (Memento) Desert Sand, (PTI) Fresh Snow. Cardstock: (PTI) Kraft, White, Soft Stone. Patterned Paper: Studio Calico. Dies: (PTI) Double Ended Banner, 2.5" Limitless Layers Circles, Pinking edger. Other: Button.)

I think this last card is my favorite... I love how soft and feminine it is. The dogwood image is beautiful... even more so in person. 

That's it from me today! Have a great week. :-)

Retro Sketches | Challenge #32

Hey everyone! I finally have a working laptop! And to celebrate I spent some time in my office today watching The Vampire Diaries (hello, guilty pleasure) and making a few cards. First up is a red/white/black card featuring a beautiful poppy image from Technique Tuesday for this week's Retro Sketches challenge



(Supplies - Stamps: Poppy by Technique Tuesday. Ink: Tuxedo Black by Memento. Cardstock: (PTI) White, Pure Poppy, Smokey Shadow. Die: (PTI) Double Ended Banner. Patterned Paper: Pure Poppy Patterns Pack. Other: Buttons, white string.)

I am in love with this poppy stamp. Actually, I am in love with all the Greenhouse Society stamps. They stamp beautifully and the images are gorgeous. I haven't seen a sneak peek of this month's stamp, but I'm hoping for tulips or daffodils... two of my favorite flowers. :-)

I have 3 more cards to share tomorrow... like I said, I was on a bit of a roll tonight. But they need to be photographed and natural light is my friend. And it's 1am.... so tomorrow it is! 

Have a great night! 

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Paper Smooches Sparks | Trend Watch

Happy World Cardmaking Day! I have a quick card to share for Paper Smooches Sparks Trend Watch challenge. I used the green/pink/blue/orange colors from the tree as my inspiration for this card:


(Supplies - Stamps: (Paper Smooches) Pretty Phrases, Reflections. Cardstock: Papertrey Ink and Stampin' Up! Ink: Impress, Papertrey Ink, Stampin' Up!. Other: Buttons, gems)

I stamped the leaf image onto Kraft cardstock using my Impress Fresh Ink. I have 8 Fresh Ink ink pads... and I want to buy the rest of them! They stamp so cleanly and give perfect coverage every time. 

 Washington State University is playing OSU tonight and I have a date with my hubby (and the remote). I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! 

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Papertrey Ink | Make It Monday #85

This week's Make It Monday is glitter tabs! I love glitter and this challenge was so much fun. In the tutorial, Dawn uses heat and stick powder to secure the glitter to her card. I don't own any heat and stick powder, so I had to come up with an alternative.

First, I placed two strips of score tape on the bottom of my tab, trimming the tape to match the cardstock tab. I dumped glitter onto the sticky tab, and tapped off the excess. After pouring the leftover glitter back into the bottle, I masked off the non-glittered cardstock with post it notes and pressed the glittered cardstock into  my Versamark pad, then poured clear embossing powder over it. I tapped off the excess, then heat set it using my heat tool. The result is a perfectly glittered project with no glitter mess! I hope my mini-tutorial makes sense... feel free to ask questions in the comments! I will do my best to answer them. 

*** Edited to answer question from comments: I didn't notice any glitter sticking to my VersaMark pad. Score Tape is super sticky, and I made sure to flick the back of my card after applying glitter (to eliminate any loose pieces), before pressing it into the VersaMark pad. 

Here is my card:


(Supplies - Stamps: (PTI) Snowflake Medley, Happiest of Holidays. Cardstock: (PTI) Rustic White, Spring Rain. Ink: (PTI) Enchanted Evening, Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky. Dies: (PTI) Snowflake Medley, Half & Half. Other: Glitter, vellum, buttons, silk ribbon.)

I'm sorry about the horrible picture... my MacBook bit the dust last week and Mark is backing up all my files before completely reformatting the hard drive (taking all the files off and starting over), so I am using a free 30 day trial of Photoshop Elements until my computer is returned to me. I haven't used PSE in 3+ years, and it is driving me crazy! I don't know where any of my tools are, I can't find things, and my photos are coming out dark and blueish. Hopefully Mark will be finished soon and I can have my computer back! 

I am off to check out the rest of the glitter tab projects. Have a great week!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Great Impressions Stamps | Happy Hello

Hey everyone! I have a cheerful (and very pink!) card to share today. I pulled out Whimsical Mushrooms again, this time using a pink/blue/orange color scheme. The patterned paper has been in my stash for a long time... one of the first lines I picked up from Crate Paper. 


(Supplies - Stamps: Whimsical Mushrooms by Great Impressions Stamps. Cardstock: PTI. Dies: PTI. Patterned Paper: Crate Paper. Ribbon: Stampin' Up. Other: Copics, Stickles.)

I love line art images because of their versatility... I can color them to match patterned paper, ribbon... the sky is the limit!

And thank you to everyone who left comments and participated in the Ronald McDonald House Charities blog hop. I LOVED visiting all the blogs and leaving comments! The cards were amazing and it was a great opportunity to "meet" new stampers! 

Have a fantastic week! 

Monday, October 1, 2012

Great Impressions Stamps | October Challenge

Good morning! The October Challenge for Great Impressions Stamps is Fall/Halloween. I pulled out Henry, an adorable turkey holding a pumpkin, and made a CAS card that can easily be duplicated to send to family and friends. 

(Supplies - Stamp: Henry, Great Impressions Stamps. Cardstock: Papertrey Ink. Patterned Paper: Papertrey Ink. Markers: Copics. Other: Typewriter, twine, stickles.)

I hope everyone has a great week! 

Erin.