Follow Your Bliss…

…Rubber Soul, that is! I wanted to play with these 2 Christmas sets a little more, so I whipped these up today. Nothin’ fancy, just simple and fun!

Tent Wishes

Pretty self explanatory card, just a few details you might not be able to pick up…The star and snowdrifts are highlighted with star dust stickles, and the fire and stars on the trees are accented with a Copic Spica glitter pen. Tent is on a popup glue dot. Cardbase: california poppy notecard. Patterned paper: Winter Soulstice. Stamps: Winter Wonderland.

Funky Tree of Joy

Another simple one, but I am really diggin’ the funky feel to this! The sentiment is embossed with detail black EP, then accented with rhinestone brads for some fun & bling. Notecard: Limeade, Patterned paper: Winter Soulstice, Stamps: Tree Extravaganza, Joy to the World. Ink: ColorBox fluid chalk, Ribbon: Jacksonbelle

Hope you are enjoying your weekend!!

Today was a beautiful day, spent on the Biltmore Estate with good friends. The weather was amazing, the food was delicious, and time with friends was priceless

Here’s several photos from the day. As you can see, I was mesmerized by the flowers. Be sure to click on them to see them full size!

If you do, hop on over to Lindsey’s blog HERE! She is doing a share, and it’s a great price!!

Today’s favorite is a new little toy I received this week: the Ornare Piercing Template! These are the current supplies that I have for Ornare Piercing:

Ornare Piercing Templates and Supplies

I have the vellum piercer, which has a shorter needle, and it works just fine with cardstock as well. The piercing pad is nice and thick, and unlike a mouse pad, does not leave any specks on your piercing work. It’s well worth the $4, IMO. I used the decorative borders template on my pink Lockhart card earlier this week. I love that you can also dry emboss with these as well! All of these supplies can be purchased from Ellen HERE. (it appears she is out of the borders template at this moment.)

These supplies are high quality, and the metal templates will last forever! I feel that its a small investment that will add such beautiful details to your finished work. And you know I am all about the details!

I created this card using the Flower corner template.

Sweet Pea

I stamped the Lockhart Sweet Pea image on Poison Ivory cardstock, using Adirondack pitch black ink. I cut and embossed it with my small square Spellbinders Nestabilities die, and added some warm yellow with my Copic airbrush system. (After 3 months of use, I have finally run out of air from a single can!) It’s mounted on a celery scalloped Spellbinders Nestabilities square, and colored with my beloved Copic markers. (I will add a pic of the markers later.) Here’s a closeup of the main image:

As you can see, I added some more shimmer with my clear Copic Spica glitter pen, and added pearl buttons with some self adhesive white pearls.

The card base is a Memory Box sugar plum notecard, and the floral print is from the Memory Box 6×6 Sugar collection of patterned double sided cardstock. ( I love, love, LOVE this sugar collection!!!!!) I added the Ornare Flower corner piercing, and added two more self adhesive white pearls to the pierced detail. Here’s the closeup of that:

This card is flying off to Marianne at Copic, who has given birth to a precious baby girl this week!!! Congratulations, Marianne and Brian on your new little daughter!!

Have a great weekend, everyone!!! It’s positively GLORIOUS weather here in the mountains!!

I was so excited to have a couple cards in this issue of Paper Crafts! One of them is being used as an online bonus, that you can see on the Paper Crafts website HERE. The other I can share with you now! It’s on pg 49

Merry Christmas Dove

You definitely want to get this issue, as it has all of the Stamping Royalty winners! What a joy to share the pages of this issue with awesome friends! A special shout out to Michele, Julia, Debbie, Lauren, Natasha, and Jen! Congrats to all!!!!

We’re moving from Autumn to Christmas today! LOL! I wanted to use the Lockhart Holiday House “Stamp of the Month” to remind you that you only have a few more days to take advantage of the special!!! Everything you need to make 10 cards for only $18.40! That is a pretty smokin’ deal if you ask me!!

Season’s Greetings

I got a box full of goodies from Ellen yesterday, and couldn’t WAIT to dive in to this Memory Box “Flirt” paper! When I saw the pink snowflake print, it inspired the colors for the house. It’s fun to do something non-traditional for a change of pace! I wanted to make this house shimmer and shine like nobody’s business! (like that is any surprise, LOL!) It’s stamped on Poison Ivory cardstock using Ranger Adirondak pitch black ink, and colored withthe following Copic markers :

I added some liquid applique for the snow, and then added a touch of Star Dust stickles all around. Here’s the closeup:

I created the “smoke” coming from the chimney with my new Ornare piercing template. I LOVE these little gems!! I think they give the perfect little detail to your designs!! I machine stitched the Flirt paper to a Memory Box eggshell notecard, then added the house on dimensionals. To finish off the design, I added the sentiment from the new PaperTrey “Holiday Wishes” set, and added a bit more sparkle with my Copic Spica glitter pen.

Happy Autumn!! I think Mother Nature forgot to flip the switch today, as it was about 85 degrees here, LOL! No worries, though. It was absolutely divine! I have a couple Autumn cards to share with you tonight.

Give Thanks

Both cards are fairly simple designs keeping the focus on these awesome Lockhart stamps! This one features Indian Corn for the focal image, with the sentiment from SU! Fancy Flex. Phrases. I stamped the Indian Corn on Papertrey white using Brilliance coffee bean ink. I cut and embossed it with my oval Spellbinders Nestabilities die, and kept the die in place to use my Copic airbrush system around the corn for a warm glow. I colored the image with my Copic markers in the following colors (these were used for both cards):

Then I added some shimmer with my Copic Spica clear glitter pen. Here’s the closeup:

I mounted it to a choc chip Spellbinders scalloped oval, punched a couple holes with my paper piercer, and added some frayed linen thread to accent the corn husks. The card base is a Memory Box vanilla bean notecard, and I added some DaisyD’s patterned paper from the new Autumn line, and also the Gypsy Harvest line.

Pumpkin Wheelbarrow

I love this Pumpkins in Wheelbarrow image! It’s stamped on Papertrey white cardstock with Brilliance graphite black ink, then cut and embossed with my oval Spellbinders Nestabilities die. Keeping the die in place, I used my Copic airbrush system to add some warm yellows and beige (for the ground). I used a darker mustard color around the outer edge and allowed it to splatter a bit. (I did the same on the Indian Corn image as well). I think it gives it a cool texture.

I colored it with my Copic markers, and added some shimmer with my clear Copic Spica glitter pen. I was looking for a sentiment, and found this teeny little Basic Grey rub-on. I like how the flourishes coordinate with the vines of the pumpkins. Here’s the closeup:

The patterned paper used is from my LSS. The plaid is from BoBunny, and the only thing I could find on the back of this fall print says “MMI”. I can’t find anything online, but I will keep trying. The papers are adhered to a pumpkin pie card base, machine stitched with brown thread, and then embellished with 2 olive word window tabs and copper brads. The focal image is up on dimensionals.

I hope these cards generate some Autumn spirit for you! Thanks for stopping by

WOO HOO!! I just got this email from CreativeXpress, and their WeRMK Precious Metals collection is 25% off!! Go get your hardware, ladies!!! You won’t be disappointed!!! Clicky HERE to be enabled!

I really liked this week’s sketch challenge over on SCS, so I decided to make a card for it! I had to modify the sketch to the left side because of the orientation of the branch. I really love this NEW “Heart Sing” set from Wordsworth. It’s so elegant, and versatile!

Thinking of You

This design features Rubber Soul’s Pomegranate notecard, and “Garden Variety” patterned paper. I machine stitched the patterned paper to the cardfront using ivory thread. I stamped the tree branch on PaperTrey white cardstock using ColorBox dark brown fluid chalk ink, and then cut it out. I stamped the bird with warm red ColorBox fluid chalk ink on a piece of coordinating paper, masked it, then stamped the branch over the mask. This makes it look more realistic~like he’s sitting on the branch.

I matted the bird with marigold, and machine stitched across the bottom. Then I added 3 square copper brads from my WeRMK hardware kit. I felt like it needed some sparkle, so I outlined the bird with Stickles and set it aside to dry. Y’all seem to enjoy when I add closeups, so here is a closeup of Mr. Birdie:

I adhered the branch to the card base, then stamped a few leaves in celery ink. I cut them out, and mounted them on dimensionals. I stamped the sentiment with marigold ink, then highlighted it with a lemon Copic Spica glitter pen. Finally, I added Mr. Birdie on dimensionals, lining up the branch image. Here’s the closeup of that yummy shimmer on the sentiment:

Thank you for visiting! Hope you have a great weekend!!!

Happy Friday!!

Today’s favorite is the Precious Metal Hardware Kit by WeR Memory Keepers! These hardware kits come in 4 gorgeous colors:

Coppered Out

Pewter Press

Silver Lining

Vintage Brass

At over 300 pieces in a 5 1/2″ square tin that begs to be altered, I feel like this hardware set is a bargain. As you can see from the pictures above, the set includes: bookplates, squeeze clips, hinges, buckles, ribbon loops, metal tabs, photo corners, ribbon slides, and photo turns (these are slightly thinner than the SU! ones), plus brads (both square and round) and eyelets. This hardware is excellent quality. I love that I have so many choices! It retails for $29.99 at www.shopwer.com, but you can find it cheaper at Frugalities (when it’s in stock), and Addicted to Rubber Stamps. (I got mine here from their Labor Day weekend sale)

I own the copper (which was a fabulous Bday gift from an awesome friend!), silver, and pewter. I am not a big user of brass, but I am sure I will buy that one eventually. My favorite is the copper, simply because I love anything copper, and my next fave is silver, which is a beautiful bright, shiny silver. There is only one negative thing I have to say about this. I am not sure why, but when I received one of mine in the mail, somehow the inner cover got loose, and the pieces were all mixed up in the little sections. I just wanted to warn you that this can happen if yours has a bumpy trip to your house, LOL!

If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask, and I will edit my post with answers for you!

Q: Good morning: Do you cut your cardstock freehand that goes behind the hardware plate and how do you adhere it. Do you adhere it to the hardware? For example an oval plate with two brad openings on each side.

A: Hi Judy, First I try my punches to see if I have one that fits. If I don’t, I will lightly trace the inside hole with a pencil, then cut it out slightly larger and attach with mini glue dots or my Sakura Quickie Glue pen.

Edited: I just Googled, and found a couple more retailers that appear to have these in stock:

ScrapJazz, and Scrapbook.com