Shabby Chic Christmas

I'm sure you can tell that Christmas is on my mind a lot recently.  My blog has been full of Christmas ideas for the last week.  Perhaps I should work on some other kind of design this week to keep things fresh?!!

This design was inspired by a card that I saw on the Hero Arts Flikr stream.  It may possibly have been a card by 'Carole-ish' I'm not sure.  I know I really should give credit where it is due - but whoever it was, your card was stunning!  I changed the die cut shapes and used different stamps to create the background but the method of using clear embossing powder and distress inks is the same.

If I find a link to the original card I will be sure to post it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps : SU! Christmas Tree and greeting, Stampendous Music Background, Inkadinkado French Script
Paper : PTI Vintage Cream and Chocolate
Ink : Tim Holtz Peeled Paint and Old Paper, VersaMark, Memento Rich Cocoa,
Accessories : Cricut Lacy Labels cartridge, Distressing tool, SU! Vintage brad, Hero Arts lace ribbon, Clear embossing powder

Snowy Cottage

My card today was created using a Hero Arts set called - 'Sending Holiday Cheer'.  I has this set last year and tried multiple times to create 'snow' on the roof of the cottage but I was unsuccessful.  I tried glitter, white embossing powder and a pen that was supposed to look like snow when it was heated, but nothing seemed to give the right effect.  Last week I decided to try again with Martha Stewart's flocking powder in Swan.  This time the result was a little more successful but still not exactly the way I think 'snow' should look!  To create even more texture I added Flower Soft in 'Vintage Christmas' to the trees on either side.

Has anyone else tried to create snow on a stamped image?  Were you successful?  What product did you use and where did you buy it from?  Let me know what you think!

Stamps : Hero Arts (Sending Holiday Cheer)

Paper : SU! Basic Black, Bo Bunny DP, PTI White

Ink : Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories : Copic Markers, FlowerSoft (Vintage Christmas), Martha Stewart Flocking Powder in Swan, Cricut Lacy Labels Cartridge, Gold ribbon from Michaels

Merry Holly

Another Christmas card - I know it's only November, but I am starting to produce lots of Christmas designs.  Today's card was inspired by a card I believe that I saw on Flikr although I changed the orientation of the card and used my own holly and greeting stamps.  (Sorry to whoever I CASEd - I can't remember your name so I can't give you credit but your card was lovely!)

I added some extra detail to the background cardstock using an embossing plate and after I paper pieced the holly I raised it up using foam tape.  The pearls in each corner were originally cream but I used a Copic Marker that matched the ribbon to color them (got to love Copics!).

Thanks for stopping by!  What Christmas card designs have you been creating recently?

Stamps : Archivers (greeting), Annabelle Stamps (holly)
Paper : SU! Baroque Burgundy (retired) and Always Artichoke, PTI White
Ink : Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories : Ribbon from Michaels, Kaisercraft Pearls, Copic Markers, Embossing plate (company?)

Christmas Peace

Today I am posting the first of my Christmas Card designs.  I have had this ornament stamp in my collection for quite a few years now and I have always wanted to be more creative in my use of it, but on this card I just went ahead and stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, colored it using Copic Markers and added some gold leafing to the top.  I also used a Spica Glitter marker to try and add some sparkle to the stars and along the green edges, but it does not show up too well in the photo.

I have lots more Christmas Cards to show you this week, so please check back each day!

Stamps : Hero Arts (ornament), Stampendous (greeting)

Paper : PTI Vintage Cream CS, Kaisercraft DP

Ink : Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories : Hero Arts Metallic Decor (red 'nail heads'), Copic Markers, Gold Leafing pen, Spica Glitter marker, Fiskars mini scallop border punch

Giving Thanks

After nearly 5 months I have started making cards again.  We moved house over the summer and it took a long while before I felt settled enough to be creative.  My mojo must have been packed in a box somewhere. But it's back!

My card today is a direct CASE from a beautiful design I saw on Jen Shults blog : deconstructingjen.  She has been a real inspiration to me over these last few weeks.  Her cards are true eye candy and I recommend you go to her blog to check out her beautiful creativity.

Here is a close up shot of the inside :

This card is made from multiple layers and is more like a mini album than a card.  The original idea for this type of card comes from www.splitcoaststampers.com (although it's in the 'tutorial' section somewhere, I don't remember the exact name).  I have been enjoying all the Fall colors here in Alabama (yes, we do have Fall here!) and I wanted to make a card that reflected all the beauty I have seen this week.

Thanks for stopping by - please don't give up on me - I've got lots of other posts planned for this week.





Stamps : Verve (front panel text), Hero Arts (togetherness and greeting text) and Stampin'Up! ('thanks' definition)
Paper : Papertrey Ink Chocolate and Vintage Cream CS, SU! More Mustard and Really Rust CS (retired now I think), Patterned paper from BoBunny
Ink : Memento Rich Cocoa, Tim Holtz Wild Honey Distress Ink
Accessories : Cricut Lacy Labels Cartridge, QuicKutz squeeze leaf die, Copic Markers (on pumpkin), SU! cream organdy ribbon

Bluebird Thankyou

I am just loving these new patterned papers that I found in Archivers from My Mind's Eye (I think this particular set is called 'Hattie').  Blue and tan is also a favorite combination of mine right now too.

I am still in the process of building up my supply of thank you cards and this seemed to work perfectly with the sentiment.  The little bird is from a Stampin'Up! hostess set I got about a year ago and I don't think I've used it on a card until now.

Thanks for dropping by,



Stamps : Stampin'Up! (Sentiment and image)
Ink : VersaMagic chalk inks, Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper : PTI Linen and Enchanted Evening, MME Hattie DP
Accessories : Micheals Ribbons, MME Brad, TPC Studios Gems, SU! Scallop border punch

Cute Dragon

This sweet little dragon was something I created for my boys to give my husband for an early Father's Day. With moving so close to Father's Day I thought the gift I'd bought might go astray and so we decided to celebrate early. I used a stamp that I bought in Britain 2 years ago. It is from a company called 'Little Pink Gem' and has really cute clear stamps

I enjoyed using my Prismacolors again to color in the image and it was easy to find colors to match the Fancy Pants patterned paper that I found in Archivers a couple of week ago.

Hope you are having a great week,

Stamps : Little Pink Gem (Dragon)

Paper : PTI Smokey Shadow and Vintage Cream, Fancy Pants 'To the Moon' DP

Ink : Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories : TPC Studios Gems, Green Ribbon from Michaels, Prismacolor pencils and gamsol

Kaisercraft Lilac Delight

This card was made for the Verve Friday challenge for May week 3 (I think) over on Splitcoaststampers.  I have not entered for a long time, but I was inspired when I saw all the entries while I was enjoying browsing the gallery last week.  Here is the sketch this is based on :

The patterned papers have been in my collection for quite a while now and they don't get used too often, even though they are some of my favorites.  The entire card uses Kaisercraft supplies apart from the ribbon and the base cardstock.

Enjoy!

Stamps : Stampin'Up! (sentiment)
Paper : SU! Certainly Celery, PTI White
Ink : Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories : All Kaisercraft (papers, pearls, die cut)

Simple Thankyou

This card is based on a very simple card that I saw last week.  I think there was a sketch somewhere, but I am not sure where I saw it now!  Anyhow, it was super easy to make - in fact I made two of them in different color schemes!

Short and sweet for today!

Stamps : Inkadinkado
Paper : PTI White, SU! Old Olive and Rich Razzleberry
Ink : Versamark Chalk inks (Perfect Plumeria and Green Tea)
Accessories : Bo Bunny Brads

Plum Thankyou

I have now fixed the problem with publishing to my blog so hopefully I will be able to post here on a regular basis now.  It turned out to the something very simple in the end!

This card was inspired by browing Nichole Heady's blog.  She is the owner of PaperTrey Ink - it's a wonderful company and her blog is just beautiful.  You really should check it out.

I started with one of my favorite lavender colors and then added a complimentary raspberry color.  The flower in the center was created using a Heartfelt Creations set (stamped and then hand cut) and the leaves were stamped using the petals from the same flower.  Added a little extra detail with the scalloped border punch, some FlowerSoft in the center of the flower and then some KaiserCraft pearls for a finishing touch.

Hope that you are all having a wonderful week,

Stamps : Heartfelt Creations (Flower and leaves), Stampin'Up! (Sentiment and background)
Paper : SU! Pale Plum and Rich Razzleberry, PTI Vintage Cream
Ink : Memento Tuxedo Black, SU! Elegant Eggplant and Old Olive
Accessories : SU! Organdy Ribbon and scallop border punch, KaiserCraft pearls, Flowersoft (toffee)

Mojo Monday - Let's try again!

Let's try again shall we! Blogger has been out of action for a few days now - on the one day I finally get back to making cards and using my blog again after 4 or 5 months absence. We are in the process of moving house and it has been so crazy with all the arrangements I have not had any creative mojo at all. When I saw this week's Mojo Monday sketch though, I just had to participate and it was fantastic to get back into my craft closet again.

Here is this weeks sketch :



Archivers was calling my name again this week and so I went in and got some new patterned papers which also inspired me to begin making cards again. Our move will finally be complete by the end of June and it will all be worth it because my new house has a craft room - I get my own space with tons of storage and countertop space. Can't wait!

Have a great weekend!

Stamps : Verve Plain Jane

Paper : MME Hattie DP

Ink : Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories : Marvy Embossing Butterfly Punch, KaiserCraft pearls, Prima Flowers, Bo Bunny brad, Cricut Lacy Labels cartridge

Thoughful Owl

Purple is one of my favorite colors and I've had this patterned paper sitting in my stash for a while now (I love My Mind's Eye designer paper and this one is especially delightful because of the added glitter and embossing). I think I've used it only once before so I thought it was time to put it to good use in this sweet little card. The owl is paper pieced from a larger sheet of patterned paper but the colors work really well together. I wanted to change his eyes up a little bit because they are so tiny, but I decided to leave them in the end.

Hope you are having a great week?!



Stamps : Stampin'Up! (sentiment)
Ink : VersaColor Pigment Cube (Green Tea), SU! Elegant Eggplant
Paper : My Mind's Eye DP, PTI Vintage Cream and Green, SU! Lovely Lilac
Accessories : ACMoore Sheer lavendar ribbon, Kaisercraft Purple gems, SU! small oval punch, EK Success border punch and medium circle punch

Hope and Strength

I made a few cards like this one for my mother-in-law last week. She wanted some encouragement cards that were a little more neutral in color so she could send them to men or women. SU!'s Old Olive and Chocolate Chip are two of my favorite colors so this was a joy to create. Verve Plain Jane Scripture verses are always a great choice for encouragement cards and I love the fonts that are used.

Thanks for dropping in!



Stamps : Verve (Plain Jane verse), SU! (Background)
Paper : SU! Chocolate Chip and Old Olive, PTI Vintage Cream
Ink : Tim Holtz Olive distress ink, Memento Rich Cocoa
Accessories : SU! Scallop border punch, Cricut Lacy labels cartridge, Michaels Chocolate ribbon

Embossed Butterfly Thank you

Well girls (and guys??) I've finally gotten around to posting another card for you....!!!!!!! Where have I been, you wonder? Last year my schedule was just getting insane and it was getting very difficult to fit everything in as well as make and post a card every single day. In the end I was just pumping out cards because I was trying to keep up with some crazy idea that I absolutely HAD to make a card every day and it became more of a chore than a joy..... so... I took a few months break. My creative 'mojo' had definitely left me for a good long time and it has only recently started to return.

During Christmas we received some delightful gifts from members at our church and I needed some very special thank you notes to send in return. Thus, a card design started to take shape in my head and was inspired by a card that Julee Tilman from Verve made a couple of weeks ago on her blog Poetic Artistry. Check it out and then see how I've changed the design and made it different.

Hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas and are starting the New Year off in a positive way!

Sarah

Stamps : Hero Arts (Butterfly), Stampin'Up! (Sentiment)
Paper : PTI White and Pink, My Minds Eye Sophie DP
Ink : Tuxedo Memento Black
Accessories : Kaisercraft Pearls, Sizzix Embossing Folder, Ribbon from ACMoore, Copic Markers, Distressing tool