The Big Top

Happy Monday, friends, and I'm happy to share a card with you that I made with a great circus ticket stamp from Stampin' d'Amour! SDA has so many great vintage image stamps that are all the rage right now and this is no exception!

I start by pulling out papers and extras that I'm considering for the card and keep them on my desk as I piece the card together.

I stamp the ticket images on white card stock using a piece of foam underneath to get a crisp image.

I cut out the tickets and distressed them both by crunching them up with my hands and inking them up with dye inks.

I finished the card using a coordinating poster image from the same paper pad, some shabby ribbon and a glittery star.

Supplies: Stamps - Circus Ticket (SDA), DP - LeCirque (Graphic 45), Ribbon/Glitter Star - MemrieMare (Etsy)

Paper Crafts Publication

Hello friends! Today I'm thrilled to share a card with you that is featured in the current issue of Paper Crafts Magazine! Anyone who knows me knows I'm a huge fan of everything movies and what better day to share my "Red Carpet Arrival" card than Oscar Sunday?!

The minute I saw the Hollywood Vogue line, I knew I had to have it and pairs up so well with Just the Ticket and the ticket dies! While a lot of new arrival cards are baby-themed in image and in color, this take shows how easy it is to think outside of the popcorn box when making baby items.

Go Colin!

Supplies: DP - Hollywood Vogue Collection (Webster's Pages), Stamps - Just the Ticket (PTI), Ticket Die (PTI), Cuttlebug, Ink - Basic Black (SU!), Ribbon (my stash)

Ahoy Matey

Hello friends and welcome to another fun week of sketchy goodness with Waltzingmouse Stamps! I love what I've seen from the Mischief Makers and the DT and can't wait to see what you do with this sketch! Remember, one lucky participant will win a stamp set of your choice, and three of you will be chosen "Top Mouse!" Have fun and link up your entries by Thursday!
I still have my Half Pint Heroes set out from the Waltz last week - just can't get enough of it, really! I saw the little porthole windows and I couldn't get the idea of a large boat out of my head! I drew and cut out the submarine and ocean waves, cut out the portholes and added a couple of clouds for good measure! Something about the whole thing reminds me of Disneyland! Remember that submarine ride when we were kids? I think it is Nemo-themed now but it is still fun!

Have a wonderful, crafty weekend!

Supplies: Stamps - Half Pint Heroes (WMS), Card Stock - Whisper White, Going Gray, Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue (SU!), Stickles, Ink - Not Quite Navy (SU!), Cuttlebug, Cloud Dies (PTI), Brads (SU!), Copic Markers

40 Looks Good on You

I just got a box of new goodies from Papertrey Ink and thought this month's hop would be the perfect place to try them out! This month was all about scallops and I'll be honest that it was hard to be very scallopy while making a guy card! If you just happened by, head over to Nichole's blog to get started!

I paired up my new dies with some patterned papers from October Afternoon's Wilderness collection (love!!) along with a large tag and some twine. I think even with the little scallop border, it still works for our friend (finger's crossed!)

Supplies: Stamps - Big Birthday Wishes (PTI), DP - Wilderness Collection (October Afternoon), Tag (Uline), Twine (May Arts), Ink - Riding Hood Red (SU!), Cuttlebug, Dies (PTI), Scallop Border Punch (SU!), Card Stock - Select White (PTI)

It'll Be Okay

Hello friends and welcome to another fun challenge at Papercraft Star! This week we've got something new for you - extended hours to participate!! Yes, you saw it correctly - you will now have all weekend to craft and link up your submission to the site! I work full-time like a lot of you and know that weekend crafting time is both fun and important and we hope this change will get a lot more of you out playing with us! Without further ado, here is this week's sketch - I used another fun set from My Favorite Things this week along with my Copic markers to create this cute card. I found these great papers from the Modern Homemaker collection and paper pieced the umbrella with a cute floral. I then matched the rain boots and slicker to the colors of the umbrella. I think it turned out quite cute!

One fabulous fact about acrylic stamps is how flexible the are - and I mean literally flexible! Who says you have to use sentiments in a straight line like they come in the package? Just bend them at the angle you want them and stick them to your acrylic block like I did here for inside this circle. Fun and different!

Looking forward to seeing what you create!!

Supplies: Stamps - My Umbrella (MFT), DP - Modern Homemaker Collection (October Afternoon), Copic Markers, Ink - Basic Black (SU!), Twine (May Arts), Charm (Frost Creek), Cuttlebug, Dies (Spellbinders), Glossy Accents

Vintage Typewriter

Good morning! Today I'm happy to share with you a card I made using the fabulous Vintage Typewriter stamp from Stampin' d'Amour! I love the vintage images they have and this one's no exception!

I stamped the typewriter image on a manila tag and distressed it by crumpling it over and over (it was really soft when I finished!) and adding a lot of dye ink. I finished the tag with red twine to give it a vintage repair tag feel. I thought the tag would be a great addition to the new Curtain Call collection from Graphic 45 and I finished the card with a couple of red bead accents.

Supplies: Stamps - Vintage Typewriter (SDA), DP - Curtain Call Collection (G45), Card Stock - Basic Black (SU!), Ink - Basic Black (SU!), Tea Dye Duo (PTI), Twine (May Arts), Beads (Martha Stewart), Tag (Uline), Corner Chomper

Babies!

Happy Sunday, friends! Today I'm happy to share with you two cards I made for weeks 3 and 4 of the Viva la Verve challenge! This month there were four amazing sketches the Divas provided as inspiration and this card is my take on the week 3 sketch here - I love the new "To the Moon" set and decided to pair it up with the cute "Ducks in a Row" paper collection from October Afternoon to make both cards. I stamped and cut out the bear and the moon giving the moon a coating of Stickles for shimmer. I stamped the stars on the card and glittered them up as well.
Here is my take on the week 4 sketch below - I stamped and cut out the elephant from the "To the Moon" set and colored her with my copic markers. Isn't it cute how her little arms look like they're hanging over the alphabet paper? I stamped and cut out the framed sentiment and added a shimmery ribbon to finish it off.

Supplies: Stamps - To the Moon, Vintage Oval (Verve), DP - Ducks in a Row Collection (October Afternoon), Copic Markers, Ribbon (my stash), Foam Squares, Card Stock - Select White, Vintage Cream (PTI), Soft Sky (SU!), Ink - Basic Black (SU!), Aqua Mist (PTI), Stickles

Bravo!

Happy Saturday and welcome to another fabby Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge! We're looking to the stars this week and I can't wait to see your creations using this sketch -

I wanted to make a special occasion card so I broke out some gold ink and stamped the background with the Musical Backgrounds set. I love these background stamps because they go the entire length of a card (approx 5.5") so you don't have to keep stamping where your stamp left off. Brilliant! I embossed the star from Seasons of Love - Tags and punched out a separate center with a 1.5" circle punch. You can see how it pops off the card in this photo -

I finished the card with some special trim - a piece of beautiful beaded trim I found at the fabric store - so pricey but so worth it for a special card - and a vintage gold button with a rhinestone in the center (still had my jar out from when I made this card.)

There's lots of time to play along - remember Waltzingmouse stamps are not required to play but we do love to see them!

Supplies: Stamps - Musical Backgrounds, Seasons of Love - Tags (WMS), Card Stock - Select White (PTI), Ink - Encore Gold, Versamark (PTI), Basic Black (SU!), Black Embossing Powder (American Crafts), Button (Vintage, eBay), Trim (Joann), 1.5 Circle Punch (SU!)

Giveaway Friday!

Hi everyone! I wanted to share with you all a fun giveaway that is taking place at Rebekah Dotson's blog. All you have to do is leave a comment and winners will be selected next Friday, February 24th! I'm donating the card set you see above as well as a $20 gift certificate to my Etsy shop.

Rebekah is a wonderful photographer (isn't that photo of the toddler playing at the beach just precious?) who has put together an amazing group of SF Bay Area artists all donating handmade items! I love it!

Head on over and good luck!

Supplies: Stamps - Rescue Remedies (WMS), Card Stock - Vintage Cream (PTI), Ink - Basic Black, Regal Rose, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip (SU!), Tea Dye Duo (PTI), Distressing Tool (Making Memories), Ribbon (Etsy), DP (K&Co), Foam Squares, Twine (PTI), Buttons (Vintage, eBay)

To the Moon

Happy waltz day, WMS lovers and I am thrilled to be able to join you all on the dance floor! :) This month is all about buttons! If you happened here by accident, head over to the 'Mouse House to get started!

I decided to use my half pint heroes set along with the big stamp from the Free Spirit - Boy set to create this cute space scene! I have a ton of vintage rhinestone buttons that sure came in handy to embellish the blast from the rocket ship!

I embossed the blast with silver, glitter embossing powder, and attached the buttons with glue dots. I always cut the shanks off of the buttons so they sit nice and flat. I colored the rocket ship with my Copics and fussy cut the moon and stars which I made sparkly with my Stickles! The card base is a deep, shimmery navy that I think looks just like the night sky! I'll take this compliment - my husband said this was "Awesome! - Probably my favorite card ever." :)

Off to waltz with you, cup of coffee in hand, and can't wait to see what you've created!

Supplies - Free Spirit - Boy, Half Pint Heroes (WMS), Card Stock - Select White, Navy Shimmer (PTI), Stickles, Copic Markers, Zots, Embossing Powder - Zing Silver with Glitter (American Crafts), Ink - Basic Black (SU!), Versamark, Buttons (vintage, eBay)

The Baby Made Me Do It!

Welcome to another fun challenge over at Papercraft Star! This week we have another great sketch from Liz Chidester to play with! I can't wait to see what you come up with using this sketch!
This week I chose a fun stamp set from My Favorite Things who is generously sponsoring our design team for the month of February! I flipped the sketch over and used a combination of Copic markers and paper piecing techniques to "color" the image.

One tip I always follow is to use coordinating papers from a paper pad or paper collection when I make a card. You'd be surprised because even if the papers are all patterned or you think the patterns don't really go together, you'll find they actually do! Makes coordinating your work all the more simple!

Don't forget to link up your entries by Saturday! And you get to choose the winners! I hear there are Copic markers up for grabs this month... ;)

Supplies: Stamps - Baby Bump (MFT), DP - Ducks in a Row Collection (October Afternoon), Copic Markers, Cuttlebug, Labels 4 (Spellbinders), Ink - Basic Black (SU!), Edge Punch (SU!), Ribbon (Crafta)

Happy Birthday (x2)!

Happy Tuesday! Today I have two cards to share with you that I made for Viva la Verve this month! This card is from the week one sketch here
I had so much fun pairing the sketch with some wonderful, tropical print paper and the Happy Days stamp set! Don't you think that flourish goes so well with the papers?

This second card was made using the same papers and a number of sentiments from the Big Wish set and the hibiscus from Happy Days. I matched up the colors of the papers with some Copic markers to color the flowers and think they matched up pretty well.


Here is the sketch for VLV week 2
Supplies: Stamps - Big Wish, Happy Days (Verve), DP - South Seas Collection (Creative Imaginations), Card Stock - Riding Hood Red, Whisper White (SU!), Vintage Cream (PTI), Copic Markers, Foam Squares, Ribbon (Crafta), Ink - Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Chocolate Chip (SU!), Tea Dye Duo (PTI), Cuttlebug, Dies (Spellbinders)

Merci

Good afternoon, friends! This is the second card I made for the Appearance of Cameos challenge over at Moxie Fab! I think there's still a li'l time left for you to link up your creations, too!

I love pink and green together and just got these great stamps from Hero Arts that I had to ink up - perfect for this challenge! I stamped the large wreath with Versamark ink and used green embossing powder. What you can't really see from the photo is that the embossing powder has little flecks of gold in it. I coordinated some gold rhinestones, added some sheer ribbon and a bright pink tag to finish off the card!

Supplies: Silhouettes, Ivy Wreath (Hero Arts), DP - Modern Homemaker Collection (October Afternoon), Tag (Etsy), Ribbon/Rhinestones (Crafta), Card Stock - Pretty in Pink, Whisper White (SU!), Embossing Powder (Michael's), Ink - Versamark, Basic Black (SU!), Tea Dye Duo (PTI)

Viva Bene

I've shared a number of projects using images from Stampin' D'amour and today I want to show you the great sentiments they have to offer as well! The sentiment on this card is in Italian and translates to "live well, love much, laugh often" which is a great way to live, right?

I paired the sentiment with papers and embellishments from my new Curio Collection - I adore everything about these papers - and added some vintage brads to give the cameo a framed look. Cameos are everywhere right now - just ask Cath over at Moxie Fab World! I made this card for her Appearance of Cameos challenge and there may be a few hours left for you to join in the fun! In fact, I had quite a few ideas for this challenge so you just may see another post before midnight tonight! :)

Supplies: Sentiment Stamp (SDA), DP/Chipboard Stickers/Woolies - Curio Collection (Basic Gray), Ink/Card Stock - Chocolate Chip (SU!)

Love

I made this card for Papertrey Ink's new Make it Monday series and love the concept of grouping sentiments as the focal point of a card!

I used 5 (!!) sets to make this paper and used silver ink for most and dark brown ink to accent the message of the card. I finished the card with some lovely stars covered in silver German glass glitter! That glitter is amazing - it doesn't flake off and get everywhere! Perfecto!

Supplies: Stamps - 2010 Love Tags, Everyday Button Bits, Round and Round, Out on a Limb Sentiments, Men of Life (PTI), Card Stock - Chocolate Chip (SU!), Vintage Cream (PTI), Ink - Silver Metallic (Encore), Chocolate Chip (SU!), Stars (Etsy)

A Rose in Life's Garden

Hello friends and welcome to Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge 34! You have until Thursday to link up your entries and play along! I'd love to see what you create! Remember, WMS are not required but we do love to see 'em if you have 'em! :)

I just got this lovely "Roses in Bloom" set and wonder why I waited so long! The flowers are amazing and because they're outline images, they're perfect for coloring or paper piecing!

I selected coordinating papers from the new G45 line "Once Upon a Springtime" to piece the roses and the leaves, stamping each of the roses twice so I could pop the centers off of the main rose.

Supplies: Stamps - Roses in Bloom (WMS), DP - Once Upon a Springtime Collection (Graphic 45), Ink - Bravo Burgundy, Old Olive (SU!), Foam Squres, Card Stock - Select Cream (PTI)