Follow Your Bliss…

Hello! Just thought I would share a couple of pages I was asked to make for Hampton Art! These feature 2 Doodlebug polymer stamp sets: Teen Boy and Teen Girl.

The “models” are my great-niece and great-nephew. Aren’t they the cutest?

She is dressed up like “Fancy Nancy”, who is a character in a book she found at the library. LOL!

He is playing with his Lincoln Logs I got for him last year! Since I live in a log house, I thought that would be a fun gift!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hello! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I know I did! Thank you all for your kind comments about my dogs. I have worked very hard training them, and they are truly my little angels. Shelby is continuing to do well, also.

Today’s favorite is Memory Box Patterned cardstock! You have seen me use this on many of my cards here, and there’s a reason for that…it rocks! It truly is cardstock weight, and comes in so many beautiful designs! Some of the packs are double sided, and some are single sided. Either way, you are going to love the look and feel of this! It’s very smooth, and the colors are so vivid! There is also a wide variety of styles. There are fresh and funky styles, cute and fun, classic and traditional.

I made 4 designs for Rubber Soul and Wordsworth using the Enlighten paper pack yesterday. These first 2 cards use Cherry Blossom Memory Box notecards, Rubber Soul Chick with flower, skinny oval, and Wordsworth Tiny Wise Words collection.

You Bless Me

Both cards use different types of stitching as an accent, and Halloween Dew Drops. The chickie was stamped on Neenah solar white cardstock, then cut and embossed with my circle Spellbinders Nestability dies, and matted with a mellow moss petite scallop panel. I used Moss taffeta ribbon, and the white taffeta was custom colored with my pink Copic marker. (notch for ribbon is a Debbie trick!) I colored chickie with my Copic markers, and added a tiny pink AMuse bling to the flower center. All supplies in bold can be purchsed in Ellen’s store!

Using the same paper pack, I created two more cards with Wordsworth’s Pussywillow image, and Rubber Soul’s Heart Sing set with the Wordsworth’s Thanks collection.

How about some distressing? This design uses Ranger’s distress ink in frayed burlap, old paper, and peeled paint. A dill Memory Box notecard, poison ivory cardstock, and WeRMK brass hardware accents. I created the puffy white pussywillows with my white Sakura souffle pen for some great dimension. It’s colored with the following Copic markers:

Last but not least, my favorite bird on a branch:

So Kind

I think this is my favorite card of the bunch. I love the print in this cardstock! I created some depth to this design simply by adding shadows with my Copic W3 marker around the bird, branch, and words. I used Colorbox Fluid chalk ink Queues in Chocolate and Blueberries, and Rose Petals. Some more Dew Drops, Primas, and Cinnamon Stickles finish off the design.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you all have a great weekend! Don’t forget that Jacksonbelle Embellishments’ big sale ends tonight midnight Pacific!

Well, now is the time to spend some of your Christmas money!! Lindsey is having a gigantic sale in her store Jacksonbelle Embellishments until midnight Pacific Time December 28th! Check it out HERE!!!

Thanks, Lindsey!!

I wish you a beautiful Christmas full of happiness, joy, laughter and love!

I had some fun creating some more Christmas cards today! Yes, that’s right…I haven’t mailed my cards yet! LOL! I decided to use this darling Holiday Whimsical set by Rubber Soul. All of these cards use essentially the same supplies, so it made for some quick and easy cardmaking. I also really wanted to use my Christmas patterned paper from SU! that I purchased a couple months ago.

Wintergreen Tree

I love the fresh, cool colors from this Wintergreen paper. I paired it with this funky little tree that was colored with my SU! markers, and accented with Stickles. It was cut and embossed with my Spellbinders rectangle die, and a bit of shadow was added with my Copic marker. Since I didn’t have brads small enough, I used platinum Stickles in each corner for a “faux brad” look.

Using the same patterned paper pack, and basic layout, I created this card using the penguin:

Snowy Penguin

His hat is popped up on a dimensional, and accented with liquid applique. Card base is Memory Box.

Next up is Rudolph, paired with SU! Dashing patterned paper, and a Memory Box Dill notecard.

Rudolph & Dots

I thought these dots looked cute with Rudolph’s shiny red nose! Several different Stickles were used: gold, Christmas red, cinnamon, and star dust.

And last, but not least, another card using the Wintergreen paper, paired with the Rubber Soul Joy to the World set, and a Spellbinders 3-layer snowflake in vellum:

Snowflake Joy

I used blue bayou with this design, as well as some accents with Liquid Pearls. The scalloped and basic circle panels were cut with my Spellbinders Nestability dies, and sponged with blue bayou.

I hope you enjoyed today’s 4 designs, and I thank you so much for visiting today!

Hello!

Thanks for your patience with me today! I am very excited to share this favorite with you, as it’s something I have wanted for several months! (click below for the link)

OBN 24″ Photography Lighting Tent Kit

This is my new setup for taking photos of my projects! I have to thank Sherry (BadSherry on SCS) for sharing this info with me, as this is what she uses, too. Thank you, Sherry!!!

I was so tired of having to wait until daytime to take well lighted photos of my cards. In addition, I had to set it up, and take it down every time. Drove me crazy, and such a waste of time! Now, I have this set up on a table in my basement and I can photograph my projects any time of day or night! Rain or shine! WOO HOO!

I purchased the 24″ tent box, because I wanted it large enough to accommodate a 12×12 scrapbook page if needed. If you make things under 12″ you can get the 17″ kit HERE. I got mine on sale for 83.99 at the beginning of the month, but it’s 89.99 now. I think it’s still a fabulous deal! Shipping was really fast, too…within a week and that was from Colorado to the East coast.

It was very easy to set up, with easy to understand instructions. I love that it comes with different color backdrops: white, red, black, blue, and gray. I like having options!

If you are looking for a reasonably priced set-up, I would highly recommend this system. My blog entries on December 15th were photographed at around 10pm using my new system. The colors are true, the glitter is visible, and I think they look great!

Please let me know if you have any questions. I’ll do my best to answer them! Have a great weekend! I will have some eye candy for you soon!! HUGS!!!

Lindsey, Michele, Julia and I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas, and Happy Holiday season! We choreographed a dance for you and would like to share it with you, as our thanks for visiting our blogs every day!!

CLICK HERE! (turn on your volume!)

Karen Lockhart has really outdone herself with this release of new stamps. I think this is her best release yet!! This pot of Hydrangeas is my favorite, I think. GORGEOUS! I was obviously channeling Debbie Olson when I made this card, LOL! Deb, thanks for the inspiration, my friend!

I stamped the Gingham backgrounder from CHF with pink ink on blush cardstock, which is a Debbie trick that I love! The blush ink never shows up dark enough, but the pink is perfect! I cut and embossed the image (on poison ivory cardstock) with my oval Spellbinders Nestability die, then airbrushed a bit of Copic B000 around the edge. I colored the image with my Copic markers, and matted it with a scalloped, embossed panel of sahara sand cardstock. When coloring the can, I chose to use a different method. I used 3 shades of warm grey, and dotted the ink, rather than use strokes. This gave the can a “hammered” look.

A bit of Stickles, and some vanilla taffeta ribbon finish off the design. I left this without a sentiment, so it can be used for any occasion.

This next image, Cottage Flowers, is so charming. I just love the Mason canning jar. I often use a canning jar for my garden flowers, as well!

I used soft sky cardstock, and Memory Box Echo patterned cardstock. I cut and embossed a window, and wrapped some vanilla taffeta ribbon around it. Image colored with my Copics, and cut and embossed with a scalloped oval Spellbinders Nestability die. I sponged around the edge with some amethyst ink, added some Stickles, and popped it up on dimensionals.

Some Ornare piercing in the corners with a little bling, and a sentiment make this card complete!

Thank you all for your kindness about my new job! I am just so excited about it!

Thanks for visiting!

Leave it to Karen Lockhart to come up with that fabulous sentiment. I think it’s almost better than “witchie, witchie, screamie, screamie happy, happy halloweenie”. At the very least, I know I can use it more often! LOL! Here’s a couple of cards, slightly different.

I chose simplicity for these designs, and when it’s simple, I like to use Arturo notecards. I love to let that luscious paper take front stage! The Tissue Box was stamped on the lavender notecard, and again on Memory Box Echo patterned cardstock. I used the same patterned cardstock for the sentiment, which is cut and embossed with the Spellbinders Tag die set. I outlined the stamped image with my Copic marker, and colored in some of the tissue box, as well. To add some fun to this design, I used my craft knife to cut a slit where the tissues come out of the box. Then, I just snipped a piece of kleenex and pulled it through the slit, and adhered with mini glue dots! A little piercing with my Ornare template, pop up the tissue box on dimensionals, add some Stickles and May Arts ribbon, and the design is complete.

Here it is in blue:

and a closeup of the tissue box:

I have a couple more designs to show you so stay tuned!

Shelby update: She is doing really well the past couple of days. I hope that we can continue on this road for awhile longer! Thank you so much for your prayers and concern. It means so much to me!

I would like to announce that I have accepted a position with DRG as a part-time freelance Editor for their PaperWorks Kit Club! You likely are most familiar with DRG for their CardMaker and GiftMaker magazines. Those publications are just “the tip of the iceberg”!

I am so excited and honored to have been chosen for this position! I look forward to working with this awesome company, and continuing to grow with them to develop new and exciting kits in the future!