Follow Your Bliss…

Well, the sun is back out here in the mountains, and we are gradually warming back up. In the 50’s today…I’ll take it!

I wanted to remind you all that the postage rate is increasing here in the US on May 12th. The new rate for 1 oz letters will be .42, and non-machinable letters will be .62. Check out the full details HERE. Now would be a good time to stock up on the “Forever” stamp, (the one with the Liberty Bell on it) as that will not be affected by the change. Buy it now at .41 and you can continue to use it!

And lastly, I just received my Summer 2008 issue of Paper Creations magazine, where this card is featured:

I’m so happy to share the pages of this issue with Michele and Julia! Be sure to pick this one up at your magazine stand!

Have a great day!

Hello!

I was so tickled to receive my latest issue of Paper Crafts magazine yesterday- the April/May issue. I have this design featured on page 72, and it includes the pattern for the bell. The photo in the magazine doesn’t show the beautiful white embossed paisley backgrounder. This was a last minute design that popped in my head on the night the call was due.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you all have a great day! HUGS!!!

I have one last sample to share with you, that I created for the CHF booth!

Serenity Lighthouse

The CHF booth had a selected a particular color scheme. I chose Prism razzleberry medium and spring willow dark for this card. The cardbase is cryogen shimmery white cardstock. The Light of Peace vignette focal image (stamped in Adrirondack pesto ink) was cut and layered on an embossed petite oval Nestability panel.

CHF’s petite pattern backgrounder was used, and the Kinkade serenity sentiment was embossed in detail white EP.  A little button tied with some embroidery floss, some tiny Primas dotted with liquid pearls, some artichoke green gingham, and a rhinestone for the lighthouse finish it off!

May you all have a little serenity today! Thanks for stopping by!

Hooray, the day is finally here! I am so excited about this release, as I think it’s my favorite one yet! Of course I have a special fondness to one of the sentiments that was chosen… Can you guess which one I suggested?

Rose Garden Birthday

This image is so easy to use in monochromatic! Standard A2 card.

The sentiment was stamped on vellum, then embossed with detail black embossing powder. Diamond shaped brads were silver, but also embossed with the detail black EP, too. I ran my black Copic marker around the outer edge of the razzleberry base panel to make it pop a little more.

Stamps: TK rose garden, perfect as a rose, flora backgrounder. (all CHF)

Cardstock: Neenah classic cream, prism razzleberry medium, prism black. vellum cardstock.

Ink: ranger distress aged mahogany, ranger adirondack pitch black.

Accessories: detail black embossing powder, brads, black grosgrain ribbon, tonic edge distresser, foam dimensional tape, black Copic marker.

Always on my Mind

I chose the spotlighting technique for this image, using my oval Spellbinders Nestability dies. Spotlighted image was colored with Prismacolor pencils. Notebook was purchased at Target, and covered with Prism Suede brown light.

Closeup of the spotlighting:

Cardstock: Neenah classic cream, Prism suede brown light, dark, & black

Ink: adirondack espresso & pitch black

Stamps: Kinkade Graceland, You are always on my mind, broad stripe, pretty pattern (all CHF)

Accesories: Spellbinders Nestabilities basic & scalloped oval (available from Ellen Hutson LLC), prismacolor pencils, May Arts ribbon, making memories brads, tonic paper distresser, sewing machine, brown thread, ranger cut & dry foam (for sponging), foam dimensional tape.

Follow Your Bliss…

This is a shadow box card, or also called a diorama card. It is standard A2 size. Image colored with Ikandee shimmer chalks, and prismacolor pencils.

Closeup of the image:

Cardstock: Prism island mist light, Neenah classic cream.

Ink: adirondack cool peri & eggplant, versafine olympia green.

Stamps: TK summer day vignette, Follow your bliss, leaves #2 backgrounder. (all CHF)

Accessories: Joy Craft self adhesive pearls (from Ellen), Spellbinders Nestability scalloped oval (from Ellen), Ikandee shimmery chalks, prismacolor pencils, ranger cut & dry foam (for sponging), sewing machine, white thread.

I hope you all enjoy this release as much as I did! Be sure to check out all of the samples from the entire TK design team HERE!

Have a great day!!

Just working on my Kinkade projects! Here’s a little teaser for you!

I’ll be back tonight to share some more and give details. Have a great day!

I told you that I would be using more of my spectrum pads with my Thomas Kinkade images! I think this one might be my favorite so far, using the retired SU! Late November pad. It’s a birthday card for my Dad, who’s special day is next week!

Late November Fisherman

This Thomas Kinkade image by Cornish Heritage Farms, “It Doesn’t get much Better“, reminds me so much of my Dad, who is an avid outdoorsman. I just knew I would use this for his birthday card this year! As with my other spectrum designs, I used my rubber brayer to ink the image. It’s stamped on SU! vanilla, which has such a smooth finish. It really helped to bring out the detail.

I paired this masculine design with the CHF Burlap backgrounder, and my new fabulous Prism cardstock, in Spring Willow Dark and Suede Brown Dark. I absolutely LOVE the texture that was achieved using the backgrounder on the textured cardstock. In person, it just begs to be touched!

To highlight the fisherman, I used my copper WeRMK hardware, attached with mini glue dots, then I covered the holes with knotted hemp. A little faux stitching in the corners, PaperTrey sentiment, and some glitter on the water completes the design.

I hope Dad likes his card when he receives it!!

I was commissioned to make a few cards, and needed to get them done this weekend. I had a request for some Kinkade. I have been wanting to use my spectrum pads with the Thomas Kinkade stamps, and finally got around to doing it! I am pleased with the results, so this won’t be the last time you’ll see Kinkade in spectrum!

Autumn Good Life

For this one, I used my Autumn Leaves spectrum pad. The Good Life stamp was inked with the rubber brayer, and stamped on vanilla cardstock. I used Ranger vintage photo ink to sponge around the edges, and also used that ink for the pine needles and cones background stamp. After the card was done, I brushed on some bronze pearl-ex.

Peace on Earth

This card is very difficult to capture in a photo. A couple years ago, I made a custom spectrum pad with amethyst in the center, then 2 lavender, and 2 eggplant. This looks so much prettier in person. The Stonehearth Hutch image was brayered, stamped on cryogen white cardstock, glittered with Stickles, and matted with brushed silver. The background is the victorian leaves backgrounder, in eggplant ink on eggplant cardstock. I stamped the Papertrey sentiment, then cut and embossed it with my Spellbinders oval Nestabilities die. I sponged some amethyst ink around it while the die was in place, then adhered it to a scalloped eggplant oval. A Swarovski crystal embellishes it perfectly.

Christmas Wishes

This card was inspired by another card I did back in July HERE. I decided to step up that version a little. The Thomas Kinkade Village Christmas image is stamped in Brilliance pearlescent poppy ink on shimmery poison ivory cardstock. I heat set it to speed up the drying time, then colored in all of the windows with my yellow Copic marker. To bring out the warmth of the yellow, I matted it with saffron cardstock, and then highlighted it with diamond Stickles. I stamped the cranberry cardbase with leaves #3 backgrounder in the same Brilliance ink. The Papertrey sentiment was embossed with vanilla embossing powder, and the oval was edged with a gold paint pen.

I hope you enjoyed a day with Thomas Kinkade today! I know I sure did!

At 10am Mountain time today, you will be able to purchase the NEW Thomas Kinkade stamps from Cornish Heritage Farms!! I have been teasing you all week with these gorgeous stamps, but today you will be able to get them for yourself!!!

Happy Shopping, and have fun!

PS– I will be doing my Friday Favorites today, but I don’t have time before work. I will get it posted as soon as I possibly can! Have a great day!!

I have one final Kinkade design to share with you! I wanted to do a monochromatic/tonal card, and combine it with another one of the fabulous new Cornish Heritage Farms backgrounders…Tree Bark.

Love is the Bridge

I was inspired by the curves under the Cobblestone Bridge for they layout of this card. It’s a simple design that is easily duplicated! I stamped the Tree Bark on kraft cardstock using Ancient Page chocolate ink. Then, without re-inking it, I stamped it again~moving it slightly to the left. This gave it a three-dimensional effect.

The focal image is simply stamped with Clearsnap’s Vivid! taupe ink on stamper’s select (Papertrey) cardstock, matted with choc chip, with chocolate brads added. I used a salad plate to trace the semicircle on close to cocoa cardstock, distressed and sponged the edge, and added some faux stitching.

I hope you enjoyed my series of sneak peeks! Be on the lookout for the release of these images SOON!!

Thanks for stopping by!!! Hugs!

Oooooooh I am just giddy about these Thomas Kinkade stamps, I tell ya! This design features rather non-traditional colors for a Christmas card, but I think it works! What do you think? I have a soft spot in my heart for this Woodgrain backgrounder, because, well, I got to help pick it out! I really wanted a true woodgrain, and lucky for me that Lisa was thinking the same thing!! SCORE!

Have Yourself…

And a closeup of all that sparkle!

Supplies:

Stamps: Stonehearth Vignette, Woodgrain, “Have Yourself…” (Thomas Kinkade by Cornish Heritage Farms)
Ink: jet black staz-on, craft vanilla, craft black
Paper: blue bayou, curious poison ivory, black
Accessories: may arts ribbon, (from Jacksonbelle) gold brads, dimensionals, detail black embossing powder, prismacolor pencils, SU! markers, stickles

I have edited yesterday’s post with the supplies I used to create the card. Please let me know if you have questions and I will be happy to answer them here! Thanks again for all of your kind words! I really appreciate it more than you’ll know.