Vintage Postcard Christmas

This stamp has been in my collection forever, and yet I have never used it on a Christmas card. I turned to Pinterest for inspiration and found some great examples of Christmas Cards that used this design - so in essence I could probably say that inspiration for this card came from a number of sources. For anyone who has a stamp they haven't used in a while and needs ideas, just put your stamp name and company in the search box on Pinterest and hopefully it will give you a reason to visit some old favorites like I did!

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Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill Kraft and White and Stampin Up Navy
Ink: Versafine Onyx and Ranger Distress Ink Blueprint sketch
Stamp: Stampendous Snowy Postcard
Glitter Ritz Cool Highlight Glitter
Liquid Pearls: White Opal

Skates for Christmas

Featuring the beautiful skates die from Marianne Designs and Bo Bunny Powder Mountain paper line - I love how this card turned out.

Inspiration for this card came from:
http://kath-allthatglitter.blogspot.ca/2015/01/frilly-and-funkie.html

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Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzil White and Kraft
Skates Die: Marianne Designs
Paper: Bo Bunny Powder Mountain and Vellum
Prima Distressing Tool
PSX Silver Embossing Powder
Ranger Distress Ink in Pumice Stone
Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch
Recollections Pearls

Thomas Kinkaide Christmas Card

Okay this stamp has been in my craft room forever, and this year I decided to put it to some use. I feel like I did some really classic Victorian style Christmas cards this year, and this is one of them.

I took the inspiration for this card from here:
http://renlymatsworld.blogspot.ca/2008/11/thomas-kinkade-stonehearth-hutch.html

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Supplies

Cardstock - Bazzill Kraft and Raven Black
Paper - Craft Smith Tiimeless Holiday
Sizzix for Stampin Up - Top Note Die
Ribbon - Bo Bunny
Glitter - Martha Stewart
Stamp - Cornish Heritage Farms
Ink - Versamark Sepia
Embellishment - Unknown
Markers - Mixture

Beautiful Blue Christmas

I went a little retro this Christmas, not necessarily in the designs, but in the supplies. I dug out a lot of stamps and papers I have had for ages, including the gorgeous background paper you see on this card. It's from SandyLion, which should tell you how old it is, since I don't even know if that company is still operating.

I took inspiration for this card from a card done by Hania (http://hania739.blogspot.ca/). She has some beautiful work if you would like to check out her site.

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Supplies

Cardstock - Bazzill
Paper - Sandy Lion
Ribbon - Recollections
Ink - Stampin Up Brocade Blue
Stamp - Hero Arts CL722
Die - Memory Box Frostyville Border and ProvoCraft Label Die

Polka Dot Snowflake

This was such a simple card to make, but it's really pretty. And for anyone who knows me and thinks I might have lost my mind - no that isn't sewing on the edges, that's the Bo Bunny Stitches stamp!!!

I took the inspiration for this card from the following:
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1847290?&cat=19756

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Supplies

Silhouette Cameo
Cardstock - Bazzill Kraft and Milk Chocolate
Paper - Recollections
Stamps - Momenta Joy to the World and Bo Bunny Stitches
Bakers Twine
Ink - Stampin Up Chocolate Chip and ColorBox White

O Christmas Tree

Christmas Card production has been in full swing in the craft room the past two weeks and now all the cards are prepped for mail out on December 1st!

Here is the first card design of the 2015 Holiday Season. I took the inspiration for this card from a card by Lynn Dunn at stamptasticdesigns.com (http://stamptasticdesigns.com/2013/08/06/o-christmas-tree/).

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Supplies

Paper - DCWV Autumn Melody paper stack
Stamps - Stampin Up (Christmas Lodge Set)
Ink - Stampin Up (Handsome Hunter) and Ranger Distress Ink (Tea Dye)
Embossing Powder - Ranger Gold
Ribbon - Unknown

Sugar Skull - Halloween Card

My Silhouette Cameo got quite the workout this Halloween season! Here is another great card made using a die I cut out with my Cameo. I had a lot of fun with this one, although I had to create a larger card than I'm used to (5x7) in order to fit everything in. I just love how spooky this one turned out.

This project is out for publication. 

Supplies

Silhouette Cameo
Cardstock - Bazzil
Punch - Martha Stewart
Dylusions Ink Spray - Postbox Red
Stamps - Inkadinkadoo
Paper - Recollections and Stampin Up

Witches Brew - Halloween Card

I found this card by Olena Levchenko on pinterest (see her original here: http://scrappingcottage.blogspot.ca/2014/10/happy-halloween-card.html), but I didn't have the die she used, nor did I have the patience to wait for it to come in. So instead I decided to get creative and try and find enough similar elements in the Silhouette Studio to piece together my own witchy scene. I am so pleased with how it turned out!

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Supplies

Silhouette Cameo
Cardstock - Bazzil
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black and Stampin Up
White Opaque Pen - Recollections
Stamp - Recollections

Spooktacular Witch - Halloween Card

The idea for this card came from the fabulous Michelle Zindorf (see her original design here: http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2008/09/29/a-witchie-night-tutorial-125/).

I didn't make my card in the exact same manner, but the spirit and look are the same. It's a bit labour intensive, and be prepared to get your fingers inky!

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Supplies

Cardstock - Bazzil and Stampin Up
Stamps - Stampin Up and Inkadinkadoo
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, Colorbox and Stampin Up
White Opaque Marker - Recollections
Dylusions Spray Ink - London Blue

The Headless Horseman Rides - Halloween Card

I saw this image available in the Silhouette Studio Store and I knew I just had to have it for Halloween Cards. I love how this turned out, and it was really quite simple to make.

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Supplies

Silhouette Cameo
Paper - Me & My Big Ideas
Stamps - Stampin Up and Recollections
Cardstock - Bazzil
Ink - Versafine

Halloween - Creepy Crawly Card

So, after a very busy summer and a hectic back to school I am finally returning to the craft room to get some much needed crafting done. I hope you all had a great summer too and are enjoying the fabulous fall foliage (great for lots of pictures!).

Halloween Cards are top of my "to-do" list these days, so over the next few weeks, that's what you'll see the most. I hope you enjoy them, and as always, feel free to comment and/or share your projects.

Supplies

Paper - Me and My Big Ideas and Recollections
Cardstock - Bazzil Raven Black
Stamp - CraftSmart
Ribbon - Recollections
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Silhouette Cameo

Wild about the birthday boy

As a parent of a grade school boy, I end up attending a good number of little boy birthday parties. Well, little boys don't really care about home made cards, if they care about cards at all. So, instead of making cards I decided to keep it simple and just make some cute birthday tags to attach to gifts.

Here's the first:

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Supplies:

Cardstock - Bazzil and Stampin Up
Crafters Workshop Stencil
Stamps and Ink - Stampin Up
Die - Cheery Lynn Dies
Ribbon - American Crafts

Inspiration Wednesday - Glorious Autumn

Wow, this weeks Inspiration Wednesday project for me was a rollercoaster. When I first watched the video I loved the idea. I fully admit to being a hoarder of paper, so the idea of being able to use some beautiful paper as the main feature was, to me, heavenly.

As I proceeded though I ran into some trouble and thought it was going to turn into a hot mess. But in the end, with some determination and creative thinking, it turned into something I really like :D

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Here is the back of the inclusion, where I added my journal content for the page. It's great because it's hidden when the page first opens, but adds some visuals on the right side of the page when you flip it over.

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Some of you may recognize this tag from a previously posted project. I decided to add it to this journal layout because it is one of my favourite tags and it works so nicely with the layout.

Supplies:

Paper - BoBunny - Forever Fall and Cambridge paper packs
Cardstock - Stampin-up
Stamps - Stampin up, Heartfelt Creations (Script Stamp), Stampendous (Sunflower)
Stampin' Up Blendabilities
Ink - Momento and Stampin' Up
Stencils - Crafters Workshop
Acrylic Paints - Pumpkin, Laguna, Raw Umber
Matte Medium, Mod Podge, Acrylic Glazing Liquid, Light Molding Paste
Dylusions Journal

Inspiration Wednesday - Music is...

Another Inspiration Wednesday art journal page. Again, this one is quite a deviation from the original, but I really like how it turned out. It's also very personal because around the edge are all my favorite bands or favorite artists from my iPod right now.

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Supplies

Tim Holtz Tissue Paper
DCWV Performance Stack paper
Distress Ink - Tea Dye
Acrylic Paint - Various Colors
Gesso, Matte Medium, Acrylic Glazing Liquid

Inspiration Wednesday - Triple Crescent Moon

Okay this project completely took on a life of it's own. It's a pretty big jump from what Donna Downey created for Inspiration Wednesday Week 5 but.....I actually really like it.

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Supplies

Dylusions Art Journal
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists
Stencil - The Crafters Workshop
Art Supplies - Molding Paste, Light Molding Paste, Gesso, Acrylic Glazing Liquid
Beads - Unknown
Stamps - Bo Bunny and Unknown Foam Stamps

Inspiration Wednesday - Passion for Spring

Another Inspiration Wednesday with Donna Downey project. Is there anyone else out there doing IW, or just working in their art journal? We'd love to hear from you!

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Supplies:

Dylusions Journal by Ranger
Paper - Bazzil Basics Antique Dictionary Print
Stencil - The Crafters Workshop
Stamps - Stampendous and Stampin' Up
Prima Flowers
Dylusions spray ink
Art Supplies - Gesso, Glazing Liquid, Light Molding Paste

Inspiration Wednesday - Shoot for the Moon

I was apprehensive about this weeks Inspiration Wednesday because it is so far out of my comfort zone and style. But I stuck with it and honestly, I really enjoyed the process.

If you haven't already....consider joining up for Inspiration Wednesday with Donna Downey.

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Dance

I completed this layout for both the Sketchabilities Challenge #132 and the Let's Get Sketchy - January Week 2 Challenge. For this week I tried returning to my own style a bit more, but also tried a new technique I saw where the photo was layered up from underneath with ephemera. I'm not sure I got the result I was fully expecting, but I do like it. Perhaps some more practice in this area.....

And here is my interpretation. I hope you like it....comments are welcome, and if you would like to see more of my work, please don't forget to subscribe to my blog!

Again, the photo is one I found on pinterest that I just really liked and went so well with the "Anthem" paper line from Bo Bunny.

Supplies

Paper, Ephemera and chipboard elements - Bo Bunny "Anthem"
Ink - Tim Holtz Distress Ink and Stampin Up
Stampin Up Chipboard Letters
Stamps - Stampin Up and Heather's Stamping Haven by the Stamp Barn

Inspiration Wednesday - Go confidently in the direction of your dreams

Anyone else participating in Inspiration Wednesday with Donna Downey? Well week 2 brought another fabulous journal project for us to try. Unlike my first IW project, I LOVE how this one turned out. It's an extravaganza of mixed media supplies and a whole lot of getting messy!

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Supplies

Dylusions art journal
Gesso
Super Heavy Gesso
Fluid Matte Medium
Acrylic Glazing Liquid
Stencils - Tim Holtz and Dina Wakely
Paper and Bits - Aitoh Company Origami Paper, Hot off the Press Stamps, Tim Holtz Tissue Paper
Making Memories  Alphabet Stickers
Stamps and Ink - Stampin Up and Stazon
Various acrylic paints
Dylusions ink

Winter Queen

Okay, confession time - I'm struggling a bit with this style. I wanted to try and emulate a style I see a lot of people creating some beautiful work with, but I have yet to master the technique to my satisfaction. Perhaps I should be trying to stick more to my style and adopt smaller elements of new ideas, rather than biting off more than I could chew from the start. I'm a big paper collection user so my preferences tend to lean more towards brighter, busier layouts. I'm not giving up....just trying to figure out the best approach.

Comments are welcome, or please feel free to follow our blog.

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The picture I printed from Pinterest, and I thought it was beautiful, and perfect for this white space layout. But I have a love-hate relationship with this layout. I like the left side...I think....but I think there's a design disconnect between it and the bottom right corner. I went wrong when the glitter ritz I used on the bottom layer was darker than I thought and the color blue didn't match up. And again, I'm new to this whole "spray splatter" idea. While I love the concept and a lot of people produce some beautiful work, I have yet to master the technique to my satisfaction.

Supplies:

Cardstock - Bazzil and DCWV
Patterned Paper - Bo Bunny Powder Mountain and Hot off the Press Color Me Music
Martha Stewart Doilies
Metal Dies - Die-namics
Darice Embossing Folder
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Sapphire
Glitter Ritz - Canadian Blue
Molding Paste
Stencils, Mosaics and Ribbon - Unknown
Dollar store extra embellishments

Don't Let Life Ruffle Your Feathers

This was a challenge art journal page - the goal was to use "Wings". I really like the way this one turned out, but I'm pretty new to this art journal work. The embellishments on the left side might prove to be a bit much - I'm still trying to balance the art journal/painting work with my scrapbooking tendencies.

Hope you like it, and I would welcome comments/feedback!

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Supplies:

Art Journal - Dylusions
Acrylic Paint - Accent and Americana
Stencil - Folkart
Flowers - Prima
Dylusions Spray Ink
Die - Die-namics
Hot off the press - stamp
Memento Black ink

Inspiration Wednesday - Grow

For 2015 I decided to join Donna Downey's new Inspiration Wednesday online workshop. It's a great opportunity to explore new art techniques and hopefully learn some fun new things! If you're participating in Inspiration Wednesday, please let us know. If you aren't, please consider joining the fun at Donna Downey Studios.

Here's my first Inspiration Wednesday Journal Page:

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I'm not "thrilled" with the way it turned out. My letter stencils weren't the best for this technique, the light molding paste I tried to use for texture instead of heavy gesso didn't apply like I had wanted, and I'm not sure my glazing liquid application was correct. I tried to add some more dimension by adding some harvest-y stickers, but I'm not sure if they add or detract. I'm hoping to improve as we go, but then that is the point of the endeavour - and why the term "Grow" is so appropriate for my first page.

Comments welcome.

Supplies:

Dylusions Art Journal
Acrylic Paint
Gesso
Light Molding Paste
Acrylic Glazing Liquid

Fall in Love

For this layout, I wanted to try a new technique showcased by Julie Balzer using Viva Inka Gold on black cardstock. I love the dramatic look it gives a layout, and it's a really fun product to work with. I hope you like it as well. Comments are welcome, and if you like our projects, I hope you'll consider following our blog!

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The photo is an artist rendering I printed from the internet. The little boy in it is so cute and kind of reminds me of my son :D

Supplies:

Cardstock - Bazzil
Stencils - Crafters Workshop Template
Viva Inka Gold
Stickers - Creative Imaginations and Stickopotamus
Key - K&Company
Ribbon, Feathers, and Grass embellishments - Michaels and Dollar Store
Silhouette Cameo letters

Winter Snowflakes

This is the last of the Christmas cards for 2014 - PHEW! I got the idea for this card from a YouTube tutorial on how to line up the Martha Stewart punch-all-over-the-page punches. I wanted to try out the techniques, so I designed a card I could use them on.

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I really enjoyed how this card turned out with the punch-all-over-the-page punch.

Supplies:
Punches - Martha Stewart and EK Success
Die - Die-namics
Cardstock - Stampin-up
Ribbon - unknown
Pearl - Michaels Recollections

Beautiful Poinsettia

A little post-Christmas clean-up because I realized I hadn't posted a few additional cards I made late in the Christmas season!  These cards were made a little larger than my traditional 4x6 size, but I really wanted to spend some quality time making them as pretty as I could, and the larger size was needed to accommodate the design. This one features the gorgeous Poinsettia stamp and matching die from Heartfelt Creations.

I hope you like them as much as I do!

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Supplies:

Cardstock - Bazzil
Tim Holtz Distress Ink
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Motif paper
Spellbinders Dies
Heartfelt Creations Stamp and matching Spellbinders Die
Sizzix Embossing Folder
Seed Beads - Unknown