31 October 2018

Blog Break

Hello Lovely.  I'm sure you've all been behind the eight ball and just felt overwhelmed.  Well, that's where I am right now.  There are a number of things going on in my life right now, and something has to be put on the back burner.  The blog drew the short straw. 

There are 214 cards that need some form of attention in my studio right now.  I have listings to post in the shop, custom orders that need to be packaged, and cards on my desk that need finished.  I also have a job in the real world that needs more attention right now.  Hitting pause on the blog is the easiest thing to do.


In the meantime please follow me on Facebook or Instagram to continue to see my work.  I'll still be active on social media.  I'll be back soon! 

30 October 2018

Absolutely Merry Christmas

Hello Lovely.  It seems as though winter has finally come to Alaska.  I'm not complaining, we had a beautiful, longer than usual, Fall.  It started snowing on Sunday and has been snowing off and on ever since.  It's a fine, dry, powdery snow, the kind that will blow away when the wind comes up.  Anywho... You're not here for the weather report, so let's get to the card.


This card was inspired by this week's CAS(E) this Sketch winner - CTS #294 Winners.  I found some green and white plaid in my pattern paper stash and it just screamed to be used in the style of the "Joy" card by Sentimentally Sue.

I knew I had the "absolutely" die from Simon Says Stamp, but I really wasn't convinced it would work out as I saw things in my head.  Yet here we are.

I updated the older pattern paper a bit by adding a thin gold line to the plaid.  Stamped Merry Christmas under absolutely and gold heat embossed it, along with a small snowflake die.  Used my mega roll of foam tape and popped the absolutely up on the plaid panel, added string to the snowflake and added it to the top, and finish the whole thing adhering it to a forest green card base.

I'd love to know what you think of my modern twist on this Christmas card.  Leave a comment below.

This is a set of four cards, and you'll be able to find it in My Shop soon!  I encourage you to send handmade cards this holiday season, whether you make them or purchase them from an artist like me.  Thanks for swinging by today.

Links to Products Used:

Affiliate links are used at no additional charge to you
Glue Dots MICRO Clear Adhesive
Glue Dots MICRO Clear Adhesive
Shop at:
SSS | SB | AZ
Kokuyo Tape Glue Dot Liner Long tape, Refill cartridge 5 Pack,
Kokuyo Tape Glue Dot Liner Long tape, Refill cartridge 5 Pack,
Shop at:
SSS | AZ
Kokuyo Tape Glue Dot Liner Long-Blue
Kokuyo Tape Glue Dot Liner Long-Blue
Shop at:
SSS | AZ
Ranger Ink - Multi Medium - Matte - .5 Ounce
Ranger Ink - Multi Medium - Matte - .5 Ounce
Shop at:
SSS | SB | AZ
Simon Says Stamp ABSOLUTELY Craft DIE
Simon Says Stamp ABSOLUTELY Craft DIE
Shop at:
SSS
Simon Says Stamp MARYANNE SNOWFLAKE Craft DIE
Simon Says Stamp MARYANNE SNOWFLAKE Craft DIE
Shop at:
SSS
Ranger Ink - Specialty 1 Embossing Powder - Princess Gold
Ranger Ink - Specialty 1 Embossing Powder - Princess Gold
Shop at:
SSS | SB | BI | MFT
Tsukineko Versamark EMBOSS INK PAD Watermark
Tsukineko Versamark EMBOSS INK PAD Watermark
Shop at:
SSS | SB | AZ
Uni-Ball Pen Signo Gel GOLD
Uni-Ball Pen Signo Gel GOLD
Shop at:
SSS | SB
Lawn Fawn WINTER SCRIPTY SAYINGS Clear Stamps LF938
Lawn Fawn WINTER SCRIPTY SAYINGS Clear Stamps LF938
Shop at:
SSS | SB
Dahle Vantage 12x18-inch Self-Healing Cutting Mat
Dahle Vantage 12x18-inch Self-Healing Cutting Mat
Shop at:
AZ
Fiskars - Razor Edge Easy Action Shears
Fiskars - Razor Edge Easy Action Shears
Shop at:
SSS | SB
Fiskars PREMIUM CUT LINE Paper Trimmer 12 Inches
Fiskars PREMIUM CUT LINE Paper Trimmer 12 Inches
Shop at:
SSS | SB | AZ
Stainless Steel Tweezers
Stainless Steel Tweezers
Shop at:
AZ
Tonic Studios - Tim Holtz - Stamp Platform
Tonic Studios - Tim Holtz - Stamp Platform
Shop at:
SSS | SB | AZ
Wagner Heat Gun
Wagner Heat Gun
Shop at:
AZ
We R Memory Keepers - Evolution Advanced Die Cutting Tool
We R Memory Keepers - Evolution Advanced Die Cutting Tool
Shop at:
SB | AZ

29 October 2018

Plaid Christmas

Hello Lovely.  It's Monday and this post is going up a little later than usual.  You might notice this post is written slightly different, with a few changes.  I shifting my writing style, moving more towards my natural voice and less of a forced how-to style.  Let's get into today's card.


I pulled my inspiration from Lime Doodle Designs post - Plaid or is it Tartan?  I found my inspiration on Pinterest and followed the rabbit hole over to Debby's blog.  If you don't follow Debby Hughes you really should.  She makes some amazing cards.

My spin on this card was to turn it into a Christmas card that followed the trend in plaid I've been seeing lately.  I started with a scalloped border die and cut my plaid paper.  I knew I wanted gold lettering on this red buffalo plaid, and my original plan was to use both words from the Merry Christmas die, but it was just too big.  I dug through my stamp sets to find the perfect Christmas and embossed it in gold powder to match the Merry I had cut from gold foil paper.  I added all of this to a white card base but felt like it was missing something.

There was a lot of trial and error to find the right embellishment.  I tried jewels, enamel dots, gold leaves and finally the gold bow.  The bow was the perfect pop to make the card feel complete.  I love it when an idea comes together and I love it more when it becomes a stash buster!

This will be a set of eight cards when it's complete, and you'll be able to find it in My Shop soon!  I encourage you to send handmade cards this holiday season, whether you make them or purchase them from an artist like me.  Thanks for swinging by today.

Links to Products Used:

Affiliate links are used at no additional charge to you
Kokuyo Tape Glue Dot Liner Long tape, Refill cartridge 5 Pack,
Kokuyo Tape Glue Dot Liner Long tape, Refill cartridge 5 Pack,
Shop at:
SSS | AZ
Kokuyo Tape Glue Dot Liner Long-Blue
Kokuyo Tape Glue Dot Liner Long-Blue
Shop at:
SSS | AZ
Kuretake - ZIG - Memory System - 2 Way Glue Pen - Squeeze and Roll
Kuretake - ZIG - Memory System - 2 Way Glue Pen - Squeeze and Roll
Shop at:
SSS | SB
Simon Says Stamp WAVY SCALLOP STITCHES Wafer Dies
Simon Says Stamp WAVY SCALLOP STITCHES Wafer Dies
Shop at:
SSS
Ranger Ink - Specialty 1 Embossing Powder - Princess Gold
Ranger Ink - Specialty 1 Embossing Powder - Princess Gold
Shop at:
SSS | SB | MFT
Tsukineko Versamark EMBOSS INK PAD Watermark
Tsukineko Versamark EMBOSS INK PAD Watermark
Shop at:
SSS | SB | AZ
Kaisercraft CHRISTMAS WISHES Clear Stamps
Kaisercraft CHRISTMAS WISHES Clear Stamps
Shop at:
SSS | SB
Dahle Vantage 12x18-inch Self-Healing Cutting Mat
Dahle Vantage 12x18-inch Self-Healing Cutting Mat
Shop at:
AZ
EK Tools Powder Tool
EK Tools Powder Tool
Shop at:
SSS | SB | AZ
Fiskars PREMIUM CUT LINE Paper Trimmer 12 Inches
Fiskars PREMIUM CUT LINE Paper Trimmer 12 Inches
Shop at:
SSS | SB | AZ
Perfect Clear Acrylic Stamp Block Kit
Perfect Clear Acrylic Stamp Block Kit
Shop at:
SB
Stainless Steel Tweezers
Stainless Steel Tweezers
Shop at:
AZ
We R Memory Keepers - Evolution Advanced Die Cutting Tool
We R Memory Keepers - Evolution Advanced Die Cutting Tool
Shop at:
SB | AZ

26 October 2018

SSS Ornate Ornaments - Hope and Joy with Copics

Hello Lovely.  Are you ready for the weekend?  I know I sure am.  I've done a lot of socializing this week and I'm ready for some downtime in the studio.  Let's talk about this Christmas card.  Yes, I said Christmas.  I've transitioned out of the Fall cards and into the Holidays.


I'm gonna start by telling you this was take two of this card.  If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you know that I stamped the ampersand sideways the first time.  Ok, let's talk about what I did to make this beauty.

I started by stamping the ornaments from the Simon Says Stamp Ornate Ornaments set onto a Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock panel.  I started by stamping my silver ornament first, masked with a mask I fussy cut from a full stick Post-it note and stamped the green and red ornaments.  I used Gina K. Amalgam ink because I knew I wanted to Copic color my ornament.  The green ornament is shaded using YG17, YG67, and YG23, then silver accents were added with a silver gel pen.  The silver ornament is shaded using C2, C1 and C0, then covered with Wink of Stella glitter pen. The red ornament is shaded with R35 and RV29, then the same silver gel pen accents as the green.

I used the string stamp that is included in the set and then went over it with a Micron Pen to thicken the line a bit.  I stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set under the ornaments in VersaFine Onyx black ink.

To finish the card I cut the right edge of the panel using the Lawn Fawn Scalloped Edge dies.  Added some plaid paper to a white card base and adhered my colored panel.

Thanks for swinging by today.  Have a crafty weekend and I see you back here on Monday.

Links to Products Used:

Affiliate links are used at no additional charge to you
Kokuyo Tape Glue Dot Liner Long tape, Refill cartridge 5 Pack,
Kokuyo Tape Glue Dot Liner Long tape, Refill cartridge 5 Pack,
Shop at:
SSS | AZ
Kokuyo Tape Glue Dot Liner Long-Blue
Kokuyo Tape Glue Dot Liner Long-Blue
Shop at:
SSS | AZ
Copic Sketch MARKER C0 COOL GRAY
Copic Sketch MARKER C0 COOL GRAY
Shop at:
SSS
Copic Sketch Marker C1 COOL GRAY Grey
Copic Sketch Marker C1 COOL GRAY Grey
Shop at:
SSS
Copic Sketch MARKER C2 COOL GRAY NO. 2
Copic Sketch MARKER C2 COOL GRAY NO. 2
Shop at:
SSS
Copic Sketch Marker R29 LIPSTICK RED
Copic Sketch Marker R29 LIPSTICK RED
Shop at:
SSS
Copic Sketch Marker R35 CORAL
Copic Sketch Marker R35 CORAL
Shop at:
SSS
Copic Sketch Marker YG17 GRASS GREEN
Copic Sketch Marker YG17 GRASS GREEN
Shop at:
SSS
Copic Sketch Marker YG17 GRASS GREEN Bold
Copic Sketch Marker YG17 GRASS GREEN Bold
Shop at:
SSS
Copic Sketch Marker YG23 NEW LEAF Green Light Subtle
Copic Sketch Marker YG23 NEW LEAF Green Light Subtle
Shop at:
SSS
Copic Sketch Marker YG67 MOSS Dark Green
Copic Sketch Marker YG67 MOSS Dark Green
Shop at:
SSS
Lawn Fawn STITCHED SCALLOPED BORDERS Lawn Cuts Dies
Lawn Fawn STITCHED SCALLOPED BORDERS Lawn Cuts Dies
Shop at:
SSS | SB | Other Shops
Gina K Designs JET BLACK AMALGAM Cube Ink Mini Pad
Gina K Designs JET BLACK AMALGAM Cube Ink Mini Pad
Shop at:
SSS
Tsukineko VersaFine Pigment Ink Pad - Onyx Black
Tsukineko VersaFine Pigment Ink Pad - Onyx Black
Shop at:
SSS | AZ | BI
ZIG - Memory System - Wink Of Stella - Glitter Brush Marker - Glitter Clear
ZIG - Memory System - Wink Of Stella - Glitter Brush Marker - Glitter Clear
Shop at:
SSS | SB
3M Scotch SUPER STICKY FULL ADHESIVE Post It Notes
3M Scotch SUPER STICKY FULL ADHESIVE Post It Notes
Shop at:
SSS | AZ
Neenah Classic Crest 80 LB REAM Smooth Solar White Paper Pack 250 Sheets
Neenah Classic Crest 80 LB REAM Smooth Solar White Paper Pack 250 Sheets
Shop at:
SSS | AZ
Neenah Classic Crest 80 LB SMOOTH SOLAR WHITE Paper Pack 25 Sheets
Neenah Classic Crest 80 LB SMOOTH SOLAR WHITE Paper Pack 25 Sheets
Shop at:
SSS | SB
Sakura MICRON BLACK PIGMA PENS 8 Pack
Sakura MICRON BLACK PIGMA PENS 8 Pack
Shop at:
SSS
Uni-Ball Pen Signo Gel Silver
Uni-Ball Pen Signo Gel Silver
Shop at:
SSS
Simon Says Clear Stamps ORNATE ORNAMENTS
Simon Says Clear Stamps ORNATE ORNAMENTS
Shop at:
SSS
Dahle Vantage 12x18-inch Self-Healing Cutting Mat
Dahle Vantage 12x18-inch Self-Healing Cutting Mat
Shop at:
AZ
Fiskars PREMIUM CUT LINE Paper Trimmer 12 Inches
Fiskars PREMIUM CUT LINE Paper Trimmer 12 Inches
Shop at:
SSS | SB | AZ
Tonic Studios - Tim Holtz - Stamp Platform
Tonic Studios - Tim Holtz - Stamp Platform
Shop at:
SSS | SB | AZ
We R Memory Keepers - Evolution Advanced Die Cutting Tool
We R Memory Keepers - Evolution Advanced Die Cutting Tool
Shop at:
SB | AZ