100% Hero Arts - Thank You Very Much!

This summer I went old school with a no layer card...just stamps and ink on a 110lb white card stock base.  I created 24 cards in a good 8 hours, using only Hero Arts inks and Hero Arts Poly CLEAR stamps.

inks:  charcoal (sentiment); the five inks (two greens and three reds) are all from a "my monthly HERO creativity in a box" kit from October 2015.

stamp sets:  "Thanks a Bunch" and "Layering For You Flowers"

Blue Christmas

When I saw the "Blue Christmas" challenge at Jingle Belles, I immediately thought of my blue mirror paper.  I forgot that I used it all up a few months ago, except for a few strips.  I did, however, have a little bit of this Magenta metallic fabric paper.  I have saved it for years (17 years?)  For more than a decade I have purchased decorative papers and specialty papers that I thought were pretty, then I found them too pretty to cut.  Fortunately I no longer suffer from that; now I am all about using up stash.

I also have a S.A.B.L.E. (supplies available beyond life expectancy) amount of rub-ons.  These rub-ons from Stampin' Up! adhered easily to the fabric paper.  A quick and easy one-layer card.

Happy Monday!

Something Old, Something New

Once again reorganizing my craft room has yielded a mixed-manufacturer card.  I came across this bouquet die cut that I purchased nine years ago.  I couldn't decide if I should keep it or toss it, but then I thought I should try to make a spring card with it.  

My stash yielded the plaid BoBunny papers from a retired Simon Says Stamp monthly card kit; I paired it with the Doodlebug green grid paper.  I perused my doily dies, but I really wanted a 4" doily.  I tried Wal-Mart, Michaels, JoAnn, and Hobby Lobby...no luck!  I came home dejected, and a friend suggested I try amazon.  Why not?  I got 100 for just $3.77.  Score!  Okay, so maybe that is a lifetime supply, but I won't ever need to shop for them again :)

Finally I added some Stampin' Up! So Saffron ribbon.  It is so fun to pair different bits and bobs and come up with a sweet card.

Happy Mother's Day!

Flowers for Mother's Day

It is a rainy rainy day today, so I tried my best to get a decent picture of my Mother's Day card that I made for my mom and my grandmothers.  It was not too difficult making three at a time; I used two sets of Taylored Expressions (Bloomers 5 and Mini Bloomers 2) once each on scraps of orange, pink, and yellow card stock...a great way to use up scraps.  I used my mini glue dots to layer.  The leafy vines are Taylored Expressions Bloomers Greenery and the pitcher and vase die is also by Taylored Expressions (so versatile!)

I used the "vase" die on pale blue vellum and a My Favorite Things oval die beneath the pitcher.  I cut the pitcher from white card stock (twice per card) and once (per card) from white fun foam.  I glued them together, adding sequins and acetate to create a shaker card.  My sentiment is from Stampin' Up!

Happy Thursday!  Gotta get these to the post office ASAP :)

12 Days of Christmas Challenge

The current challenge at Jingle Belles is:

Create a holiday card for your *TRUE LOVE* 
or for any extra-special person in your life 

OR...
Create a holiday card with HEARTS on it 

OR... 

Create a holiday card that references any aspect of
"The 12 Days of Xmas" that appeals to you

The "hearts" part caught my attention!  I purchased two dies (both by Reverse Confetti) to make Valentines earlier this year, but never got around to it.  My card was completely designed around this flair button.  I perused my stash to match the snowflakes in the flair button with my card stock and patterned papers, and I liked this "Wintergreen" by Stampin' Up!  I stamped and embossed the word "Christmas" in whisper white; the sentiment is from the Simon Says Stamp set "Gifts of Love."  I really like how this card turned out.

Happy Sunday!

Mixed manufacturer birthday card

Long time, no post.  I am enjoying my part-time job, and it has been a busy year.  Recently I thought I would never get back to my craft room, but then in the past five weeks I have spent every spare minute reorganizing my crafty supplies...some days only five minutes, some days a half hour or more...who needs sleep?  I have a lot of crafty goodies, but then again I have been "collecting" for about twenty years.  I am not finished...it is always a work in progress, but I like the progress I've made.  There are still supplies on the floor in crates and even in an old laundry basket, but overall it is neat and orderly.  My current focus (fingers-crossed) is to finish partially started projects; I have plenty of those to keep me busy for weeks or months, and completing them will give me more space and make it even tidier.

Today's card is my most recently started-but-not-finished project.  A sweet friend of mine gave me a stamp set with this adorable elephant.  My grandmother loves elephants, especially if the trunk is up; she says it is good luck.  Her birthday is not until August, so I am actually early on this one!

My inspiration came from a card that Amy Sheffer made.

Supplies:
card stock:  Recollections 110lb white; Stampin' Up! Rose Red
patterned paper:  Echo Park "Anything Goes" Double Scoop
Dies:  My Favorite Things Die-namics "Wonky Stitched rectangles" and "Blueprints 20" (stitched banner); Reverse Confetti "Coffee and You" (elephant) and Background Banners
Stamp sets:  Reverse Confetti "Coffee and You" (elephant) and Stampin' Up! "Something to Celebrate" (happy birthday sentiment)
ink:  Stampin' Up! Rose Red
Copic markers:  RV10, RV21, C1, C3, C5, and C7

Happy Sunday!

Let it SNOW!

Winter has been a bust in northern Virginia this year...very very little snow.  Perhaps my snowy card will bring us one nice blanket of white, then Spring can come.  I created this card for the snow challenge at Jingle Belles, but my inspiration came from sketch #34 at Paper Play Sketches:

I substituted the circle in the sketch for an upcycled scene from a store bought Christmas card.  The papers are all scraps from my Echo Park "Winter Park" 12x12 collection.  The "merry" was Cricut cut scrap that I had leftover from a project from a few years ago.  No new stash used here, but it is rewarding to create a unique card from old bits and pieces!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Stick With Us (sticker challenge)

I am playing along with the Jingle Belles sticker challenge.  I used Simon Says Stamp rectangle stitched dies to cutely base red rectangle and the two smaller red patterned rectangles.  All of the papers and the ornament sticker are from the BasicGrey "Figgy Pudding" 12x12 collection.  I used last week's Paper Play sketch #32 to help me design the card.  Lastly I added a Creative Imaginations rub-on sentiment on the sticker.

Happy Tuesday!

More Presents?

 I recently acquired some "Christmas Delivery" ephemera and 12x12 by Carta Bella.  That wonderful old world Santa is a Carta Bella die cut and the presents background and red with white snow pennant is cut from their 12x12 papers.  Used MFT Dynamics to die cut the pennant.  The forest green polka dot paper is by WeRMemoryKeepers.

My inspiration came from two places:  "It's All About the Presents" Jingle Belles challenge and this fun sketch at Paper Play Sketches.

I played along with every single Jingle Belles challenge in 2016 and I had plenty of cards by December!  I hope to do the same for 2017.  With great sketches at Paper Play Sketches, this should be easy.  Please join in the fun at both challenge blogs.

Happy Thursday!