Friday, November 28, 2014

riding in the rain - scrapbook layout

**this is my 2nd post of the day! to see my Newton's Nook Black Friday sale post, scroll down or click here!**

wow!!
i hope everyone n the states had an AMAZING thanksgiving! we're actually off on vacation in California visiting my husband's family! 

anyway! back to it!
today i'm on the Create a Smile blog with a super LOVELY layout that i made!
i used lots of Create a Smile stamps and even one of their NEW stencils!! :) yay!!

here's the layout:


ha ha! it was from this summer! it was raining outside, but the boys had a serious case of 'cabin fever'! so they put on bathing suits and out we went to ride bikes! it was super fun! (and eventually super muddy!) but so so so much fun!

i hope they remember that when they think back on summers! :)

anyway, to see more close ups, and to read more about how the layout came together, check out the Create a Smile blog!

enjoy!

shop til you drop with newton's nook!

the dreaded day is here!!
and to be honest, i do not shop in stores on black friday, but i DO shop online!

and for today and this weekend, Newton's Nook is having an AWESOME black friday sale!!



in honor of their sale, i created this SUPER fun and (hopefully?!) motivating card! ha ha!


isn't it adorable?
i thought it would be ADORABLE to have this card with a gift card inside for someone! ha!

i used the super cute winston from Winston's Home for Christmas stamp set! :) i just love him!
i colored him with copic markers, and then popped him up on the background i made!


i used some clear embossing paste and this super teeny tiny snowflake stencil from Memory Box! then i used distress inks (tumbled glass, peacock feathers and chipped sapphire...read:  my go to distress inks!) to create the winter sky! :)

the sentiment was made with some old thickers and tiny type stickers, which i stitched on with my sewing machine!

this card is also over on the Newton's Nook blog, so go check it out!! :)
all of the details of the sale can be found there, too! :)
enjoy!

Saturday, November 22, 2014

spreading christmas cheer

hey there!

today i have a really fun card that i just LOVE to share! 
i created it for the current Mama Elephant and Me challenge, which is all about Christmas and/or tags! :)


totally LOVE this!!
i have to admit, at first i was stumped! i mean there are SO many incredible Mama Elephant Christmas stamps, and i felt like...how do i choose?! lol! do you ever feel that way too? ha ha! it's an awesome problem to have, though! ha ha!

ok, so here's what i decided:


Alpine Carolers!!! i mean, that sentiment ALONE made the choice for me! ha ha!
i colored the cute kids with copics in traditional christmas colors, and then popped them up with some foam tape! 


i used the Creative Cuts - Landscape Trio dies to create the snowy hill. i stitched that lovely vellum onto the base with my sewing machine! and then while i was at it...i decided to also stitch on my sequins!! ha ha ha! those little babies aren't going ANYWHERE! one win for sam in the long, hard fought battle of keeping sequins on!! 
(side note: i usually use glossy accents or multi matte medium, but i am still not convinced the sequins make it out of the envelope on the card! ha!)

ok, so i really like the look of the sequins stitched on! but then again, i like anything stitched! so, there's that! 
i also stitched the vellum banner at the top on. 
the background was created by covering the card base in gesso. once that dried i sprayed some mint heidi swapp color shine onto my kraft mat, and then smooshed my card base in it until it had a really blustery sort of feel. :)

so that's my card!
thanks for stopping by!
enjoy!

Friday, November 21, 2014

cold, but so happy!!

**this is my 2nd post of the day! to see my Inky Paws Challenge card, please scroll down, or click here**

it's true!
i feel the most 'at home' when i can wear my favorite hoodie, jeans and a pair of sandals! it's the best!! so although it's (finally!!) cold here in South Carolina, i'm super, super happy!

and that brings me to my card!!
today it's also on the Create a Smile blog!! and i have a short little tutorial about how i created the background for my super appropriate and awesome card! :) ha!


mmhmm!! 
just looking at this card makes me excited for the cold weather! ha ha!
i used the newly released Hypnotize stamp set for the background, and then copic colored those adorable little penguins from Cool Buddies



i LOVE those little penguins!! a few white pearls and a heat embossed sentiment (hello vellum!), and it's done!

so go check out the mini tutorial i have on the Create a Smile blog, if you desire!
happy friday!
enjoy!

inky paws challenge - keeping it Christmas!

hello, it's friday! and today kicks off the new Inky Paws Challenge on the Newton's Nook blog!! :) 
this time, it's all about adding a spreading a little Christmas cheer!!



oh yeah! LOVE that photo!! honestly, i was SO inspired by it! 
so i dug out some of my Christmas sets from last year for this card! why not? they fit seamlessly with the sets released this year, so it's a win-win! :)



i watercolored the ADORABLE little kitty wreath image from Newton's Holiday Mischief set, with my distress markers. then fussy cut it out and added foam tape. the background was created by spraying mist onto an old piece of packaging (like the clear packaging that comes on stamps!) and then smooshing that onto my card base. it's such a soft and beautiful watercolor type background! once that was dry, i flicked some white mist onto it too. 


the sentiment is from Holiday Wishes and then i just added some white pearls and a grey text-y background banner!

i LOVE how this looks! so soft and sweet, i think! :)


ok, now it's your turn! what is your favorite way to add sparkle to your cards? i must confess, usually i use wink of stella, but i was trying something else this time! ha!
i can't wait to see what you create! :)
enjoy!

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

get ready to sing it with me!

good morning!
today i have a super sweet and soft card to share using the new Newton's Nook Designs stamp set Winter Tails!! :) i'm also on the Newton's Nook blog today, so check that out too! :)

ok, so let's get to it, shall we?


awww! yes, so sweet, right? i colored the little kitties with copics, then fussy cut them out. the cat on the left was mirror stamped first, and then when i went to place them on the card, i did some mirror-masking to get them up close and cuddling! :)

the background was SUPER fun to make!
i used a white piece of cardstock and some gesso. first i crumpled up a piece of paper towel and dabbed it into the gesso then dabbed that over my white card base. i kept it towards the middle of the card, and a very light coating. once it was dry (literally 5 minutes), i smooshed my old paper distress ink onto my kraft mat, spritzed it with water and laid my card into the watery puddle! it was SO COOL! the gesso acted as a resist. i wasn't expecting that, exactly, it was a super happy accident! one i'll definitely recreate!


anyway, then i heat embossed in white the snowflakes from that same stamp set. then sentiment was made with alpha tabs and then stitched on to the card base. then the whole card base was popped up with foam tape over a soft strip of mint triangle washi! :)

i really LOVE this card!
hope it made you smile! and if you're anything like me, the song (let it snow) is stuck in your head too! ha ha!
enjoy!

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

sunshine and rainbows and candy canes and magic!

hello!

today is a fun little ditty of a card that i'm sharing with Paper Smooches stamps and dies!! :)

i created this card for two challenges:

the Paper Smooches Sparks challenge, which happens to be anything goes (not much easier than that!!)


and also the Squirrel Fest challenge that Emily Leiphart is having on her blog!! (you can read all about the challenge and the adorable little backstory of bunny squirrel here!!)

so here's my card!!


ha ha ha!! 
so silly, right?
I love that little hanging squirrel from Hang Ups! I colored him with copics, and had himhang on the speech bubble shape (the rainbow background was die cut with the Quotable Dies!).


the rainbow background is popped up with foam tape. oh, and it was created with watercolor paper and lots of distress paint! :) 

the sentiment is a combination of sayings from the Spectrum and Group Hugs stamp sets! :) i masked and heat embossed them to created this super encourage (at least to me!) sentiment! :)

So that's my card!
super fun! super silly! and super me! :)
enjoy!

Monday, November 17, 2014

lawnscaping challenge #94 - count on it!

well hello!it's monday! and that means a brand neW lawnscaping challenge! and this time, it's all about using NUMBERS!!


i knew right away, that i wanted to make a layout, and that i wanted to make a 'timeline' sort of layout!
the good news - i made a timeline layout!

the bad news - it didn't turn out exactly as i imagined...
oh well!


see? there's a lot happening, and that makes me sad, i feel like there is just too much going on...but what's done is done. and i don't hate it. i just think it could have been better...


so, yes. it's a timeline of my 'happily ever after' so far! :) i used the numbers from Quinn's 123's and fussy cut them all out! 
i also used Plus One and Wish You Were Here and stamped directly onto the background to emphasize the life events. i stamped the heart and one of the sentiments from #awesome under the 1997 photo. (yes people...1997...that's when i started dating my *now* husband! all i can do is shake my head when i think of it!) 


there is some flair from an older Lawn Fawn collection and also the sequins from the Let's Polka collection on the layout!


i stitched the title (*old, old and did i mention old?* thickers), center of the timeline and on a few of the photo edge with my sewing machine, too. i usually always stitch on my layouts! especially the titles/thickers!

so that's my take on numbers! if i was going to do this layout again, i would remove some of the mattes behind the photos, remove the gesso on the bottom and keep it cleaner since there are so many photos. 
but like i said, i really love that i have this documented! all our major occassions as a couple! 

so that's my project! 
are you ready to play along?
for even more inspiration (if you can stand it!), check out the lawnscaping facebook page! we're dedicated to keeping your creative juices flowing! :)

this week we're sponsored by lawn fawn! so get your card making on, and you could win a stamp set of your choice! :)


Sunday, November 16, 2014

making my world brighter

hello and happy sunday!

today i am sharing a card that i made for the most recent Little Tangles challenge! this one is a color inspiration, and let me just say...i love the colors!! totally awesome!


see? it reminded me of summer, right away!
but for my card, i sort of went masculine...with sequins!!! ha!



i used the amazing (!!!!) origami map set from Neat and Tangled! i just LOVE this stamp set so much!

i stamped the main image onto some MFT Natural (light kraft) cardstock. i've never colored with copics on kraft, it was SO fun!
then i colored in the countries/states with orange/yellow copics! and then i outlined the world image with some aqua copics and faded it out. i also matted the panel with vellum and an aqua panel of patterned cardstock. 


the sentiment was stamped onto a vellum strip over the whole world; which i think is appropirate considering the super sweet and loving sentiment! :) the sequins are the awesome soft orange Summer Sun, and just possibly could be my favorite pack! (odd since it's orange and not my top favorite colors...i know!!)

so that's my card!
i actually finished this on friday, but then...laziness..a little add...weekend things...you know the drill, it all happened and i am just now posting this - nothing like last minute entries! ha! :)
enjoy!

Friday, November 14, 2014

A Very Fawny Holiday Week - Day 5

what a wonderful week on holiday inspiration at the Lawn Fawn Blog!


today is the last day of the Very Fawny Holiday Week, and i am on the Lawn Fawn blog again with a super sweet watercolor Christmas card!


i stamped the trees from Let it Snow onto some watercolor paper and then added some green color with distress inks and water! there are 3 shades of green on the trees. then i heat embossed some of the snow/stars background in white and added the sky!

i LOVE how the sky turned out! i used worn lipstick (my new favorite distress ink for watercoloring skies!) and squeezed lemonade! i LOVE the orange they create when mixed together with water! 


i also added some snow hills with the stitched hillside borders die!

so that's it! i'm totally humbled to have been featured on the blog throughout the week alongside the incredible other projects by the whole Lawn Fawn family! 

i'm totally ready to knock out my Christmas cards, how about you? do you make your Christmas cards? do you make individual cards, or one or two designs mass produced? this will probably not surprise you...i make each one different! ha! more work, but so fun!

enjoy!

Thursday, November 13, 2014

A Very Fawny Holiday Week - Day 4

the fun is NON-STOP at Lawn Fawn!

it's day 4 of their Very Fawny Holiday Week, and I'm excited to have another project featured on thier blog! :)


this card uses the absolutly adorable Pa-Rum-Pa-Pum-Pum stamp set! i LOVE that set!


first i painted gesso onto the base of some cardstock. then once it was dry, i used peacock feathers and tumbled glass distress inks to watercolor! the gesso helps the color run and blend, even though it's not watercolor paper! magic!


then i copic colored the presents and cute as can be bear and gathered them all together on the patterned paper strip! the sentiment was created by masking two of the sentiments on the set together, and heat embossing them! easy peasy!

of course i had to sprinkle some more of the snowflake wood veneers on my card!! 

thanks again for stopping by! tomorrow i have one more card on the Lawn Fawn blog to celebrate this Fawny Holiday week
enjoy!

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

A Very Fawny Holiday Week - Day 3

hello again!

Lawn Fawn is continuing their very Fawny holiday week of inspiration, and i have another project to share! :)


this time i made a layout with the Peace Joy Love collection!


love it!
i used papers from Peace Joy Love and Sweater Weather to layer my photo. then i used lots of Snowflake Wood Veneers, Peace Joy Love flair and other embellishments (enamel dots, arrows, and a bow!) to make the diaganol line on my layout! then i cover it ALL in a light cover of gesso to tone down all of the colors! i totally LOVE that look, and i feel like it adds to the snow-y feel of the layout! (i saw that AMAZING idea in this video. check it out - this lady is SO TALENTED!! i am in awe of her layouts!!)


i also painted over the thickers title with gesso, and stitched them on for some added texture!


i stamped the christmas lights as a border on the top and bottom and added just a glow of color! i took a balled up dry paper towel, tapped it onto some distress ink, and then very ligthtly patted the area on my layout that i wanted the color to 'glow'! :)


so that's my layout! 
i still have to pinch myself that i have more projects being shared on the Lawn Fawn blog! eek!

thanks again for stopping by!
enjoy!

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

create a smile stamps - november release countdown

**this is my 2nd post of the day! to see my Newton's Nook November Release Post, scroll down, or click here!**

i told you this was going to be an exciting week!
on top of all the fun happening on my blog this week, it's ALSO Create a Smile Stamps release week! yahoo!!!



today i have a card on the blog showing off the new Hypnotize stamp!! it's AWESOME!!
there is so much you can do with this set! i used it as a background stamp on my card, this time, but i have SO many ideas, i can't wait to share!


i heat embossed the stamp onto watercolor paper. then i used distress markers to watercolor in the rings. i alternated between a warm grey and blues and teals! :)

then i used the sentiments from Jungle Fever, and placed them inside the rings! so FUN! i love how they pop!



that adorable fox (my favorite critter ever!) from Friends in the Woods, and some coordinating orange enamel dots finish off the card!

make sure you head over to the Create a Smile Stamps blog to see the other INCREDIBLE card by Anja! 

enjoy!

Newton's Nook Designs November Release - Beautiful Blizzard

yay for day 2 of Newton's Nook's November Release!



the stamp set today is just beautiful! i love the elegant shapes of the these snowflakes!! they are perfect for scrapbooking your winter memories, doing a project life type spread, gift tags and, of course, cards!! all of the new sets will be available for purchase on November 12th, right here!

ok, here's my first card :



i thought, why not paper piece this beauties?
it wasn't as bad as i originally thought! they are perfect for paper piecing! i even added some extra detail with a white gel pen! 



i LOVE the color combination of mints and cork! hello!! what a FUN take on a holiday card, right? it's a little masculine...a little elegant - so COOL!! :)

for my 2nd card, i went in the opposite direction!


see?
so girly and pretty! 
all of the snowflakes were heat embossed in liquid platinum (eeeee!!). then, i used two distress inks (worn lipstick and squeezed lemonade) and squished them onto my craft mat, then spritzed with water and placed my card base face down into the water mess! 



so pretty!
i just added the sentiment to a banner in the center of the card, and it was done! i LOVE how it turned out! :) by the way - that sentiment is my favorite ever!! i actually used a set that was released last year - Holiday Wishes!





Would you like to win “Beautiful Blizzard”?
This set will be given away to TWO lucky winners
Here's how to win: 
Comment on the NND blog and Design Team and Guest blogs (see list below)! Two winners will be chosen at random from the collective blogs release posts. Make sure to check out each of their blogs and comment for your chance to win. You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning! You have until Tuesday, November 11th at 9pm CDT to comment  -- winners will be announced on the blog post on Wednesday, November 12th. 
Check out all the awesome Design Team Blogs below to enter:

Monday, November 10, 2014

Newton's Nook Designs November Release - Winter Tails

**this is my 2nd post today - to see my Very Fawny Holiday Week card, scroll down, or click here!** 

what an awesome week, this is going to be!

to start, today is the first day of Newton's Nook's November Release!






today, the whole DT is showcasing the new, super FUN and playful, Winter Tails set!! i just LOVE these little critters, caught in the midst of snow agony! ha ha!! they are perfect for scrapbooking your winter memories, doing a project life type spread, gift tags and, of course, cards!! all of the new sets will be available for purchase on November 12th, right here!

ok, here's my first card :


he he he!!
that poor little bunny!! i paper pieced him and the shovel and then added some shading with my copics! then i used this snow marker thing...all you do is color in the area you want to add 'snow' and then heat set it with your heat tool! and then it magically pops up to make the snow! it's awesome! i've had it for years, and i love pulling it out every winter!



i also used the snowflakes from the set to create the blizzardy background by heat embossing them over watercolored background! the background was watercolored with tumbled glass distress ink, and then when i t dried, i flicked some water on top! :)

my second card was also lots of fun to make!



i used distress inks for the sky, but it's actually the inside of the card!! i cut down the front of the card, and put newton on top! I colored the bird and newton with copics and then added some more 'snow' to the front of the card with that awesome bumpy snow border!


when the card opens, it's the sky background, that fades to white towards the bottom of the card! so fun!





Would you like to win “Winter Tails”?
This set will be given away to TWO lucky winners
Here's how to win: 
Comment on the NND blog and Design Team and Guest blogs (see list below)! Two winners will be chosen at random from the collective blogs release posts. Make sure to check out each of their blogs and comment for your chance to win. You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning! You have until Tuesday, November 11th at 9pm CDT to comment  -- winners will be announced on the blog post on Wednesday, November 12th. 
Check out all the awesome Design Team Blogs below to enter: