Ugliest Card EVER!

I just finished making the ugliest card ever made. No, really! I'm sure of it!

You can stop looking...there is not a picture of it here. I know you are all dying to see just how ugly it is, but I would not humiliate myself like that. You will just have to trust me on this one. I am supposed to be a designer, and artiste, and a reasonably good stamper. (Yeah...right!) So I am going to keep this ugly little sucker to myself!

HOWEVER, if anyone knows of an ugly card contest, please let me know. I could win with this baby hands down!

If my Mojo finds it way back tomorrow, so will I. :-)

Tasty Treat Box

I didn't have much time to play tonight, but I did squeeze in enough time to make one of these cute little treat boxes. Talk about fast and easy...WOW!

I bought the tins from Specialty Bottle , but a lot of places sell them. This is their 8 oz square container. I will warn you that their shipping is surprisingly expensive, so if you're going to order I suggest you make it into a share with friends. That's what I did.

For the top of the container I used a stamp from my Gina K Festive Labels stamp set.



I stamped on red cardstock using a ColorBox white pigment ink, then embossed with Ranger Seafoam White embossing powder. Then I cut and embossed the stamped image with a square Nestabilities. (I LOVE those things!)

The bottom of the container was wrapped with a piece of KI Memories designer paper. I used red line tape to adhere it. May Arts ribbon was attached to the sides of the top using my Tombow adhesive.

And that's all there is to it! You won't believe how quickly you can make these!

Now....what shall I fill it with?

Thanks so much for stopping by tonight. I hope you have a fabulous Friday!

Drumroll please..........

And the winner is..........#65

kerryj said...

Oh so cute and love those glittery wings! I know those new Stampendous stamps are going to make their way to my house soon...

November 26, 2007 9:36 PM

Congratulations Kerryj! Please send me your snail mail address and I will get your Gina K Punchy Words set right out to you.

Thanks so much to each of you who participated. You are the best of the best! We will have Dreamy Treats again soon!

I am taking a much needed night off from stamping to get caught up on a few things around here tonight. (Does anyone EVER get caught up?) But I plan to have something new for you tomorrow evening, so be sure to stop back by.

BTW...for those of you who ordered the Nestabilities, they are expected to arrive here tomorrow evening. I will keep you posted!

Watercolor Birthday Wishes

This stamp has been on my desk for a few days, since I made the Sympathy card. Before putting it away in its rightful place, I decided to make another card with it.

The stamp is Watercolor Press Flower by Paper Inspirations.

I colored on the rubber using Tombow markers, then spritzed with water using my JudiKins Extra Fine Mist spritzer to remoisten the ink.

I stamped on white cardstock, then distressed the edges with a Paper Distresser . The pink mat was distressed as well.



The sentiment is from one of my favorite Gina K stamp sets called Punchy Words . (Oh yeah....this is the set I'm giving away tomorrow night!) :-)

The birthday sentiment and the pink circle behind it were cut using my circle Nestabilities.

The ribbon is from my stash, and the paper is made by It Takes Two.

Really, this is a pretty simple card. But sometimes I like those the best.

This post is your last opportunity to register for the Dreamy Treats I'm giving away tomorrow night. Don't miss another chance to register before the winner is announced!

I'm off to do something about dinner and watch the grand finale of Dancing with the Stars! I can't wait to see who wins!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I will be back tomorrow to announce a winner!

Bee Bookmark

There was a challenge by Sharon (is she awesome or what?) at No Time To Stamp? for making bookmarks. The ones she made were so adorable. I couldn't resist making one myself. Of course, it took me a while to get around to it! Hey...better late than never, right?

You can see her tutorial and instructions HERE . I followed her directions exactly, and had no problem whatsoever. They were perfect!


For the bookmark itself, I used a cute little Stampendous bee called Bee Secret . I stamped her (I think she's a girl) on white cardstock using Versafine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder. I colored with Tombow markers, then added some Stickles Glitter Glue .

The stamped image was cut out and embossed with a Nestabilities oval. The black scalloped panel behind it was also cut and embossed with Nestabilities.

The sentiment on the bookmark is Secret Admirer . I stamped little black flowers on the Printworks yellow striped cardstock for added interest and depth.

For the bookmark sleeve, I stamped Stampendous Bee Wings once on white cardstock, then again on the Printworks yellow check paper. I colored and cut out the body of the one stamped on white cardstock, then adhered it over the image stamped on the front panel. The sentiment is Stampendous Crazy About You .

Gosh....that's a lot of writing! I hope that wasn't too much information! But if it wasn't enough, please let me know if I left out something pertinent.

Only two more days until I announce the winner of the blog candy! You may leave one comment per post from the Dreamy Treats announcement through Wednesday for and additional chance each day. If you are a daily reader, I guess that gives you a real edge. And one would also have to read the blog post to know they can get extra chances, wouldn't they? :-)

Thanks so much for stopping by! I appreciate each and every one of you!

Floral Sympathy - FS42

I always enjoy participating in Splitcoast's featured stamper challenge on Sundays. It's really the only day I have any time to play!

This week's featured stamper is TexasGrammy. She is very talented, and has some fabulous designs and layouts. You can view her gallery HERE !

The card I chose to CASE can be seen HERE ! Isn't it pretty?

I used her primary concept, but changed all the stamps, as well as the ribbon.



The background was stamped on pink cardstock using JudiKins Leaf Background and VersaColor Brown ink.

The flowers are from Paper Inspirations. The stamp is called Watercolor Press Flower . I colored on the rubber with Tombow markers, and stamped off on scratch paper. Then I spritzed the image with water using my JudiKins Fine Mist Spritzer to refreshen the ink, and stamped on cream cardstock. The purpose was to make the background light enough so as not to overpower the words.

The sentiment is from Penny Black, and was stamped with VersaColor Brown ink. I then embossed it using JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

The ribbon I used was found in the wedding section at Hobby Lobby on sale for 50% off! It is wired, and really holds its shape. I really wished I had brown. And if you could see my ribbon collection you would be shocked that I DON'T have it! LOL!

So, that is it for tonight, my friends! I have to go get some housework and laundry finished before tomorrow. I don't like Mondays...and I REALLY don't like them if I don't have things caught up around the house.

Don't forget to register for the dreamy treats. You get one chance every day from now through Wednesday. If you commented on yesterday's post, you can comment again on any post after that one for an additional chance to win. Just one comment per post, please. I will announce the winner Wednesday evening.

Thanks for stopping by...and good luck on winning the Dreamy Treats!

Time for Dreamy Treats!

How did I miss it? I passed 35,000 hits DAYS ago without even noticing! Life in the fast lane, you know. So...it's time for Dreamy Treats!

The treat is this fabulous unmounted Punchy Words stamp set by Gina K Designs.

I have made a couple of samples with this set, and it's definitely one you *need*! If you click on the Gina K Designs link on my sidebar you can see those. The circle stamps fit your Nestabilities and the Marvy Extra Jumbo circle punch. Most of the words fit the SU! Word Window punch.

I have many other Gina K Designs sets in my store as well. You can seem them all HERE !

All you have to do for a chance to win this set is leave a post telling me what rubber stamping items you want for Christmas. How simple is that? I know ALL of you want something...a new tool, a new stamp set, the list is endless for me! LOL!

Dreamy treats is my way of saying thanks to all of you for your patronage in My Store , and for visiting my blog and leaving such thoughtful comments. I so appreciate each and every one of you. So in the spirit of giving, this is my gift to you.

I will choose the winner by using the random number selector thingy. The winner will be announcned Wednesday night, November 28.

So...send me your wish list. You just never know...Santa just might be listening and taking notes! :-)

Calendars for the teachers...

You must indulge me. You know I don't do this much. Okay, I'm about to sound like every other grandmother in America, but my grandchildren are sooooooooo special! Really! LOL!

After dinner last night (and before) my 7 and 5 year old grandsons worked on these calendars for their teachers at school. I did a little of the stamping ahead of time, but I let them select stamps for most of the pages. They did all the coloring by themselves with no help from me.



The pages on the left were done by Christian, my sweet 5 year old, and the pages on the right were done by Dylan, my adorable 7 year old.

A couple of funny stories....Dylan wanted to use a stamp that was too large for the page. It was a turkey stamp for November. When I told him that it would be too big for the space he said, "Well Mimi, if we put a piece of paper over the numbers on the calendar then stamp, the ink won't get on the numbers." The child understands masking at age 7!!! How funny is that? LOL!





A little later Dylan brought me a puppy foot stamp that was very bold, not an outline stamp. He said, "I could use this on one of my pages, but we would have to color on the rubber with a marker." I HAD to laugh out loud! Of course, no one in the house got it but me. Obviously, we've had that lesson before! Too darned funny! He's going to be a Stampin' Kub for sure, isn't he?


I wanted you to see the front of each of their calendars when they were finished. They were soooooo proud of them, and I was too!

As they left to go home, calendars in hand, Dylan said, "I love my calendar, Mimi. It's so much fun to make things with you." Before a tear could drop from my eye, little Christian hugged me and said, "You're the best Mimi EVER!"

A good day, indeed! :-)

Christmas Jeans Money Holder

Just a quick post. There is MUCH going on here, but I decided to take a moment to post this anyway! Some tiny little voice calls my name about every 30 seconds! LOL!

I had some scraps from another project laying on my table, so I decided to use them on this card money holder.

Both stamps are from JudiKins. The Jeans Pants Backgroundas well as the Jeans Pocket were stamped on white cardstock using Adirondack Denim ink.


I cut out the Pants Pocket and adhered it to the Jeans Pants on three sides, leaving open the top so I could put money inside.

I stamped the Jeans Pants again on a piece of scrap paper and used it as a pattern to cut my belt out of designer paper. I cut a slit on each side of the belt loops using my JudiKins Retractable Pen Knife . Boy...is that thing sharp. And I love it that it's retractable!

After cutting the slits, I put the belt under the belt loops. The decorative piece for the pocket was cut with a Fiskars border punch, then trimmed to fit the top of the pocket.

I used Crystal Stickles Glitter Glue to accent the belt and pocket treatment.

Short and to the point, I know. But I've got grands EVERYWHERE. Dylan, the 7 year old, and his brother Christian, age 5, are working on their A Muse calendars. (That's how I got these few stolen moments!) I will take pictures and post them for you tomorrow.

I hope you're all having a Happy Thanksgiving. I know I am!

Christmas Thanks

I thought I should make a thank you card that I can use this year for Christmas gifts, and I decided on these great Gina K stamps! After all, we ALL have a few thank you cards to send for Christmas gifts we received, don't we?

The stamps are from a Gina K Designs set called Simple Pleasures .

I stamped the main image on watercolor paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

After I selected my designer paper, I chose markers in shades to match the paper, then colored the image using Tombow markers and a Tombow blender pen. For added interested I paper pierced the corners of the stamped image.

I used my SU! oval punches for the sentiment, and popped them up on my Designer Label punched in green. I also used this punch twice more on the cranberry cardstock, then mounted one of each behind the green punched piece, one just above, and one just below.

The corners were punched with my Concave Corner punch, then I used Red Geo Shapes Sparkler Stickers in each corner.

So....I think this is a great thank you for a Christmas gift. But just changing the designer paper and colors, it could easily be a thank you card for a gift receiveid on ANY occasion.

The designer paper is from Basic Grey Figgy Pudding collection.

I sincerely thank each of you for your continued support. And I wish you the very happiest Thanksgiving with your friends and family.

So Thankful...

I made this card for the sketch challenge posted by Jen at i{heart}2stamp . She has a new sketch every week. And I really encourage you to play along!

The stamped image is another one from Gina K Designs called Punchy Words . All the round images fit the Nestabilities circles and the Marvy (yellow) Extra Jumbo Scallop circle punch. (Sorry, I'm temporarily out of those.) The words fit the SU! Word Window punch. Gotta love that!

I colored on the rubber of the image with Tombow markers, then stamped on white cardstock. I punched out the stamped image, and all the layers behind it using my circle Nestabilities. I embossed them as well.

The designer paper is from the Basic Grey Mellow collection, and the ribbon is from Wal Mart.

So...how simple was that? I think it makes a great card, and could be used for many occasions. I could have "gussied it up" a bit more, but today I'm in the less is more mode. Then again, that could be just another mood swing. Who knows these days? LOL!

I know this is kind of short, but have to go boil 2 dozen eggs to make deviled eggs for our office party tomorrow, so I'd better scoot.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I have something new for you tomorrow, so be sure to stop by.

Snowman Joy

This is a fun card I made yesterday using some more of my new Gina K stamps. Can you tell that I am totally hooked on these? LOL!

The main image and sentiment are both from the North Pole stamp set.

First, stamped snowflakes and swirls on my background snowflake paper using baby blue VersaColor ink. Next I tore white cardstock to make my snow for the bottom, then layered it on the blue snowflake background.

I stamped the snowman on the background layer, then again on a piece of white cardstock. As always, I used Versafine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

On the image stamped on white cardstock, I colored the snowman with Tombow markers, then cut it out and adhered it over the image stamped on my background. I used foam mounting tape to pop it up for a little dimension. Then I adhered three tiny buttons using JudiKins Diamond Glaze Adhesive . For the top of his cap I used a drop or so of White Liquid Applique .

The snowflake at the top is a Heidi Swapp clear ghost shape snowflake. Is that pretty, or what??? I used Icicle Stickles Glitter Glue to make it sparkle. After it dried I put a blue gemstone in the center and adhered it to the card with a glue dot. The snow on the torn white layer is Stickles Frosted Lace .

I hope I didn't leave out anything. But if I did please don't hesitate to email me.

So....do you all have huge Thanksgiving plans? Will there be lots of cooking going on at your house this week?

The current plan is that my family will all be here....my sons and their families (which includes my adorable 6 grandchildren)! :-) I purchased and printed the cute little calendars from A Muse for the 5 and 7 year old grands to stamp and decorate after lunch. They will just love that! I always have a new project for them to make when they come, and they enjoy it so much!

If you haven't seen the calendars, please go to A Muse and make your purchase. All funds go to a charitable organization, the Scleroderma Research Foundation. They have already raised over $300, and A Muse is matching that contribution. Very admirable, indeed.

I'll be back tomorrow night with something new. Thanks for stopping by.

Merry & Bright - FS41

The featured stamper today on SCS was Shelly, better known as papermoon04 on Splitcoast. She has such a fabulous gallery. If you haven't been there before, you must see all her fantastic designs.

The card I chose to CASE is HERE . I kept the general design, and changed the stamps and the designer paper.

The stamp is from a Gina K set called Punchy Words . There are some GREAT stamps in that set. All the circle stamps fit the Marvy Extra Jumbo Scallop Circle punch and the words fit the SU! Word Window punch. Of course, you can also use your circle Nestabilities with the round stamps.



For this card I used my new Nestabilities dies. LOVE those things, and can't wait to get the Rectangles that I ordered earlier this week.

I colored on the rubber with my Tombow markers then stamped on white cardstock. I cut out the stamped image, then layered the embossed circles behind it.

The designer paper is all from the Basic Grey Dasher collection. The ribbon is from my ever-growing ribbon stash.

If you have never played along with the challenges on SCS or some of the other blogs, I encourage you to do so. It's a great exercise. I think it helps me grow as a stamper, and besides...it's a whole lot of fun.

I don't watch a lot of TV, but I do like my Sunday night shows. I am so bummed that they aren't on tonight. Oh well...maybe I will be productive instead. :-)

That's all for tonight. I have a few more things for later this week, so be sure to stop by tomorrow.

So Sweet

When I saw this image in the Gina K North Pole rubber stamp set, I knew I had to have it!

I stamped the image on watercolor paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

One of the reasons I used watercolor paper was so I could do some shading. The other reason is that I knew I wanted to add heavy glitter, and I was concerned that regular cardstock might warp a bit. Since watercolor paper is heavier, it was not a concern.

Remember that you can click on the image-----> to enlarge for more detail.

I cut out the stamped image with my Nestabilites, then embossed....love those! Then I colored with Tombow markers. The "fluff" is White Liquid Applique . I heated it ever so slightly to get a little "puff" before adding Stickles Glitter Glue to the entire image...including on top of the Liquid Applique.

The "sweet" sentiment is also in the North Pole set. I stamped it then cut it out with my SU! Word Window punch. In order to make it stand out a bit more, I used my Word Window punch on a piece of hot pink and green cardstock as well. I cut each piece down the middle and adhered them behind the sweet sentiment.

The designer paper is called Holiday Gingham from Karen Foster. The ribbon is from my Michael's stash.

I hope you all have a great Sunday. Please be sure to check back tomorrow.

Wishes for a joyous season...

Elegant cards are always my most favorite...and these Penny Black stamps are just so elegant and classic.

The Winter Berries stamp was colored on the rubber with Tombow markers, then spritzed with water using a JudiKins Extra Fine Mister . The purpose of the water mist is to refresh the ink before stamping.

The sentiment is Joyous Season , also from Penny Black. I stamped it using Versafine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with JudiKins Black Opal embossing powder.

The photo corner was embossed with a Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder. The designer paper is from the Basic Grey Figgy Pudding collection. I think the dp is just perfect for this stamp.

So...that's it for tonight, my friends. Thanks so very much for checking in every day. Your feedback and comments are so appreciated!

More tomorrow.

Naughty?

I'm loving this cute, cute image from Gina K Designs. It's included in the stamp set called Sandy Claws . There are so many great images in that set!

The main image was stamped on watercolor paper with Versafine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

I colored the stamped image with Tombow markers, then added White Liquid Applique for the snow on the sign. I heated it ever so slightly, then put Stickles Glitter Glue over the top of the Liquid Applique. I also put Stickles on the ground to make the snow glisten.

The designer paper is from KI Memories. I used one of my new Martha Stewart embossing punches for the top and bottom of the designer paper. I looked hard for some unique brads to use here so it would qualify for today's SCS challenge. Unfortunately, the only unique brads I had wouldn't work. Bummer!

That's it for me tonight, peeps. I'm off to make dinner and watch Grey's Anatomy. With any luck I will have time to make something new tomorrow night, so be sure to stop back by.

Until then.....

Let It Snow!

Is this little snowman not just tooooo adorable? It's one of the stamps in the Gina K Let It Snow stamp set. See yesterday's post for a sample using other stamps in this same stamp set. Honestly, there isn't a sleeper in that set! :-)

Not much to tell you that you can't figure out for yourself. I used watercolor paper and colored with Tombow markers and a blender pen. I was trying to go for kind of a soft look because I think the background paper lends itself to that. The glittery accents are Stickles Glitter Glue .

Remember, you can always click on the image for an enlargement if you need to see more detail.

The designer paper is from Scenic Route Paper Co. Isn't that pretty paper? On the bottom edge of the dp I used my new Martha Stewart embossing punch. I got it at Michael's in Dallas this past weekend with a 50% off coupon. Gotta love that!

If I forgot to tell you anything pertinent, please don't hesitate to email me.

As always, I do so apprecite your stopping by, as well as your comments.

I'll be back tomorrow night with something new.

Have a great Thursday!

peace....

I really love this new stamp set from Gina K Designs. The name of the set is Let It Snow .

This is one of those cards where I just kept trying to add something else. I tried ribbon, Primas, pretty much every embellishment I could think of. I finally decided that I liked it better in its simplicity. Do you think it needs something?

The images were stamped on watercolor paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

The house was colored with Tombow markers and a blender pen. I used Stickles Glitter Glue on the roof and along the ground for snow.

The designer paper is from the Basic Grey Fruitcake collection.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I'm off to fix a bite to eat and watch Dancing with the Stars!

More tomorrow.......

Sandy Claws is coming...

I couldn't WAIT to ink this stamp. I have wanted it for some time now, and I love it as much as I thought I would! Honestly, I have some friends who will think this is pretty funny. Since I live in Louisiana, it seems to have a little Cajun flavor too, don't you think?

The stamps are from the Gina K Designs set (appropriately) called Sandy Claws . This is my first time to stamp with Gina K stamps, and I can tell you they are very deeply etched. I LOVE that!

I stamped both the main image and the sentiment on watercolor paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

The image was colored with Tombow markers and a Tombow blender pen using colors chosen to coordinate with the designer paper. I used White Liquid Applique for the fur.

The main image was cut out and embossed with an oval Nestabilities die. I used a scalloped Nestabilities die for the red layer behind it.

For a little bling on the sentiment I put a bead of Stickles Glitter Glue around the edge, and added some Red Geo Shapes stickers on each side.

The designer paper is from the Basic Grey Fruitcake collection.

I have a SALE going on in the store that started this evening, and runs through the end of this month. I have included quite a few Christmas images as well as others in almost every category. Be sure to check it out HERE .

I'm ordering the Nestabilities tomorrow, so be sure to let me know if I don't already have your order.

Thanks for checking in tonight. Have a great evening!

Gina K Stamps are in da house!

I'm home! Oh my gosh, I had SUCH a fun trip! My best friend and I went to Dallas for a fun weekend...and boy, was it fun! I didn't even know how bad I needed that!

We shopped till we dropped, and I found some great designer paper and a few other things I couldn't live without. (I KNOW you know how that is!) LOL!

I haven't even unpacked all my new goodies yet...but I DID take time unpack the new Gina K stamps that arrived while I was gone! Woo hoo! They are soooooo fabulous. I am dying to ink some of them up.

The new Gina K stamps are already listed in the store for you. You can find them HERE . I know you're going to love them as much as I do!

So....I promised a little incentive when the new Gina K stamps arrived...and this is it! The Punchy Words set that you see here is FREE to the first 6 customers who purchase 3 Gina K sets in the month of November. Yep....it's FREE! All you have to do is send me an email after you purchase 3 sets and I will include this one for free.

The word stamps in this set fit the SU! Word Window punch, and the round stamps fit the Marvy Extra Jumbo Circle punch.

Don't wait too long.....because I can only offer this to the first 6 of you who purchase 3 Gina K sets. And the offer ends November 30.

Gotta go unpack....but I'll be back tomorrow with something new for you.

Thanks so much....I do appreciate you stopping by.

Gift Tags

I made these cute little gift tags from the boxes of tags you buy at Michael's in the $1 spot. For only one dollar you get 12 gift tags AND the envelopes. What a deal! For all four cards shown below, I used the Hero Arts Framed Winter Holidays stamp set.



For the Christmas tree gift tag I used my Nestabilities squares and made several layers. Have I told you how mucn I love my Nestabilities? LOL! I colored the stamped image with Tombow markers, and added a little Stickles Glitter Glue for sparkle.



For the poinsettia gift tag I covered the card with background paper, then adhered my stamped imaged and Nestability square over it.



The snowflakes gift tag was colored with Tombow markers, then I added a few Blue Geo Shapes Sparkler Stickers for some bling. The scalloped square was punched from a Marvy Giga Scalloped Square punch.


The little snowman was stamped on watercolor paper, then colored with Tombow markers. I added some Stickles Glitter Glue on the hat band and scarf. The green layer behind the snowman was punched and embossed with my square Nestabilities.

Thanks so much for stopping by tonight! I will be MIA for a couple of days. I'm leaving town EARLY tomorrow morning , but I will be back Sunday night.

The Gina K stamps have been shipped. So when I return, they should be here! Woo Hoo! I can't wait!

I will also be sending a Nestabilities order on Tuesday. Anyone who is interested in ordering should email me by Monday evening. Thanks!

For my neice...

I needed a sweet little card to put in the mail this week for my neice. She's having a birthday, and she also just graduated from Louisiana Tech with her degree in photography. She definitely needs to camp out at my house and give me some tips! Seriously! ! !

The stamp set I chose to make this card is from My Favorite Things, and it's called
Bundle of Bouquets . I stamped the main image on watercolor paper using Versafine Onyx Blank ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder. The image was colored with my Tombow markers, then punched out with a Marvy Mega Oval punch. I used a Marvy Giga Scalloped Oval punch for the purple layer behind the main image.

The sentiment and little butterfly are also in the Bundle of Bouquets stamp set. Isn't that little butterfly adorable?

The designer paper is from KI Memories. You will notice that I even lined the envelope.

Happy Birthday, sweet Devon! I'm so very proud of you! I hope you like your card.....AND the check inside. :-)

Joy Gift Card Holder

Well, when I make a mistake it's usually a whopper! I was going to re-do this one, but time ran out, so I decided to post it "as is" and maybe you can learn from my mistake.

The challenge for the gift card holder was posted by one of my favorite bloggers, Sharon Johnson at No Time To Stamp . If you haven't visited her blog you just MUST! Everything she does is with such style and elegance!

So....the mistake I made was that I adhered my designer paper to my cardstock, THEN folded the card. What WAS I thinking? See the wrinkled paper at the top of the fold? Grrrrrrrrrrr! Oh well...now we've ALL learned somthing. Actually, most of you would have probably thought of that.

The stamp is from Outlines, and is called Joy Ornament Square . Isn't that just the best and happiest stamp? It's a little different than my usual style, but different is good. Stepping out of our comfort zone helps us to stretch our abilities. (I always tell myself that!) LOL!

I stamped on white cardstock with VersaFine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder. Then I stamped and embossed once again on red cardstock.

The stamped white panel was colored with Tombow markers, then cut out along the inner square, and layered on top of the stamped red panel. I added Green Geo Shapes Sparkler Stickers for a little bling and added dimension.

The white frame behind the stamped panel was cut and embossed with a Nestabilities square scalloped die. I put a small green square behind it for added interest.

I love the design of the gift card holder. It would also be perfect for checks or cash. Be sure to check out Sharon's challenge HERE .

Thanks so much for checking in tonight. Have a great evening, and be sure to stop in again tomorrow.

Peace on Earth....

This was a very simple and easy card. You could make a lot of them in a reasonable amount of time if you wanted to. I like those kinds of cards!

The main image is by Stampendous, and it's called Classic Peace . You may recall that I made another card with this stamp a while back. You can see it Here .

For this card, I stamped on vellum using VersaMark Ink , then embossed with JudiKins Detail Gold embossing powder. DO NOT forget to swipe your vellum with Puff Static Away! before stamping. It helps to keep the embossing powder where you intended it.

I added a little gray with a Tombow marker to shadow the dove, and colored a couple of the stars with red. The gold stars were colored in with a gold gel pen.

The vellum layer was adhered to a white panel using small pieces of vellum adhesive in inconspicuous places. Then I added Canson gold photo corners. The rest is just several layers of red, black and gold cardstock. Did I get a little carried away with the layers? LOL! You could definitely use less and it would still be a very striking card.

I'm running a little late tonight because I just finished uploading the My Favorite Things stamps which came in tonight. You can see them HERE . I have all the new ones, and restocked some of your classic favorites.

Thanks so much! Be sure to stop in again tomorrow.

Noel - Featured Stamper Challenge

I took a little time to join in this week's Featered Stamper's challenge on SCS. If you have never participated, I really urge you to! You wouldn't believe how quickly this card came together since I had a "plan" when I started it. Most of the time I don't have a plan....I just start and see where it ends up! LOL!

Today's featured stamper is jpmayo. You can view her awesome gallery HERE . She has a lot of great cards in her gallery, but I chose THIS ONE to CASE.




I loved her card, particularly the layout! So I changed the stamp, the colors and the designer paper.

For my main image I used Stampendous Doodle Noel . I stamped it on watercolor paper using Versafine Onyx Blank ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder. The "O" in Noel was paper pieced using Basic Grey Figgy Pudding paper. The other letters were colored using Tombow markers.

The long strip of designer paper is also from Basic Grey Figgy Pudding. The light turquoise background was embossed with my Cuttlebug snowflakes embossing folder.

The bling on the "N" is Red Geo Shaper Sparkler Stickers . I also used them on all four corners of the Noel panel.

I love Sunday's featured stamper challenge.....you should try it!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I will have something new for you tomorrow.

Shepherd Collage

I had a few stolen moments today, so I decided to participate in Jen's sketch challenge at I{heart}2stamp . Jen has a sketch every Saturday. You really should consider playing along. I love the challenge, and it gives me new ideas for layouts so I don't end up with the same ones time and time again. Thanks Jen!

I used Paper Inspirations Shepherd Collage to stamp the main image on designer paper. I stamped with VersaMark Ink , then embossed with JudiKins Black Opal embossing powder. It's really a very black embossing powder with a touch of gold glitter in it. So pretty!

The designer paper is from Hobby Lobby. The back of it says The Paper Studio. I also used this same dp for my background layer, and the strip across the bottom in order to tie it all together. Sometimes continuity is a good thing! :-)

The noel stamp is from my Penny Black stash. It was embossed with JudiKins Black Opal embossing powder as well. The cardstock is all from Bazzill. The texture really shows up in the photograph, doesn't it?

The second card is one I made last year using the same stamp. I simply added it to this post so you can see how versatile the stamp is, and how many different looks you can get with the same stamp.

Much to do....so this is short tonight.

Thanks for stopping by. I will try to have something new for you tomorrow night.

And don't forget to set your clocks back, otherwise you will be EARLY for church tomorrow morning!

Art Brush Reindeer

My friend Nancy came by one night this week to pick up the Nestabilities she had ordered. I always ask her to bring her latest creations so I can see what she's been up to. She brought these two GORGEOUS cards that she made with the Art Brush Reindeer by Paper Inspirations. Aren't they just beautiful????

One of the things I really like about both of these is that you could make A LOT of them in a relatively short period of time if you send quite a few Christmas cards.




The designer paper is by Basic Grey. She used a little clear gemstone for his eye, and tied a pretty bow with May Arts ribbon. You should see some of her bows....perfect every time!

Honestly, I can't decide which one I like better.

Beautiful work, Nancy. Thanks so much for sharing these with us!

A True Friend - Post It Note Holder

I had some friends over to stamp this weekend, and this is one of the projects we made.

Emily at Stamping and Stuff has a great tutorial for making these. You can find it HERE . They are so easy, and I think they would make great little gifts for your friends at work. The sky is the limit on embellishing and designing the cover. So you can use your imagination and even personalize them for the recipient.

The designer paper is from Basic Grey. I used my corner rounder to make the scalloped border at the top, and my Marvy Oval Punches to punch the sentiment and scalloped layer. The sentiment is from A Muse Artstamps. It's out of stock right now...sorry.

I know this is short and sweet but I've had one heckuva day...stress to the MAX! Ever have those? LOL!

I'm off to try to relax a bit and have dinner before turning in early.

Thanks so much for stopping by!