Friday, March 28, 2014

Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Merry Christmas

Good Morning my friends.  I hope you are ready for another Christmas Stampin All Year Long challenge on this beautiful Friday morning.  This week we are to use Ribbons and Diecuts.  Here's my card - I used both ribbon and diecuts.
My card base is MFT Smooth White CS, then a mat of SU Not Quite Navy and the image panel is SU Whispher White.  I brayered SU Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, and Not Quite Navy ink in layers, then sponged Night of Navy ink around the edges.  I stamped the trees from SU Lovely As A Tree with Versamark Ink and heat embossed with black embossing powder.  I used my white gel pen to add little patches of snow on the tree branches; then I used Simon Says Stamps Falling Snow Stencil and Golden Light Molding Paste to add the falling snow.  I sprinkled SU Dazzling Diamonds Glitter over the wet snow before I removed the stencil.  I tore some snowbanks from white CS and then added the diecut Deer Trio by Memory Box. The sentimen from SU More Merry Messages is stamped in SU Not Quite Navy ink.

Now it is time to check out all the fabulous creations by my fellow Design Team members over at the CSAYL blog.  I hope you will join us and play along this week;  you could be our Guest Designer for May.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a wonderful day.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Seize the Birthday

Happy Thursday my friends.  I hope you all are doing well.  It is time for another challenge at Seize the Birthday.  This week we have a "Toppings" option of adding rhinestones or buttons.  Remember it is just an option, if you prefer you can just make our usual "Anything Goes" birthday project.
 

 
Here is my card.  I added a button to the center of my flower.
 
 My card base is SU Pool Party and the mats are SU Early Espresso.  The DSP is from SU Sweet Sorbet pack. The sentiment from Verve's Chevron Love is stamped in SU Soft Suede ink.  I did some paper-piercing around the edges.  The flower from Verve's Lean On Me is stamped twice with Soft Suede ink on Crisp Canteloupe CS. I cut the center flower from the 2nd one and layered with a dimensional, then added my button with the twine bow.
 
I used the sketch from Viva la Verve March Week 3.
 
I am also entering my card in the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - to use buttons.
Simon Wednesday Challenge Blog
 
I hope you will check out all the great samples by the Design Team over at the Seize the Birthday blog and play along with us.  Can't wait to see all your lovely creations.
 
Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you have a wonderful day.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn
 

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Your Love Lifts Me Up for Just Us Girls Challenge #233



Love the inspiration photo at JUGS this week.  I was going through my stamps and found this Close To My Heart set, Lifting Spirits.  It had this air balloon in it - perfect  for the challenge.   I stamped the image on X-Press It Blending Card and colored it with Promarkers, fussy cut it out and mounted it with foam dimensionals.  I used some SU Bashful Blue ink and my brayer to ink up the flat side of the Darice Clouds EF and ran it through my Big Shot with MFT Smooth White CS, love how it turned out.  The sentiment is from Heart Benton from Inky Antics, stamped in SU Brilliant Blue ink and cut out with MFT Fishtail Flags Stax and Fishtail Flags Layers Stax Die-namics.   I added two enamel dots from MME Now and Then collection.  The blue and yellow CS is from Recollections.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn

You Are In My Thoughts for MFTWSC#168

 
MFTWSC168
 
Good morning friends. Today I am sharing my card I made for the My Favorite Things Weekly Sketch #168 and also for the MFT Color Palette Challenge 3.
Print
My card base is Kraft, then a layer of Smooth White with the MFT Modern Morocco diecut layered over it. I added the Grapesicle panel under it as it is so pretty, I didn't want to cover it up.  Next is the Berrylicious panel cut with a die from Blueprints 1 Die-namics.  I cut the Kraft circle with MFT Pierced Circle and Circle Stax 1 die-namics.  The sentiment from MFT Sentimental About Sympathy set is stamped in SU Soft Suede ink and cut with the Fishtail Flags Stax die-namicss.  Last I added the pretty flower cut with MFT Upsy Daisy Die-namics from Grapesicle CS, added a dimensional between the layers and a Kraft center.  The leaves are cut from Sour Apple.
 
Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you have a wonderful day.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn

Monday, March 24, 2014

Merry Monday #101 Guest Designer

Happy Monday morning my friends.  Today I am excited to be a Guest Designer over at the Merry Monday Christmas Challenge.  The challenge is to use only Gray, Red and White on your Christmas card.  
Here is my card:

I used MFT Smooth White and Electric Red, SU Basic Gray & Smokey Slate cardstocks.  I stamped MFT's Wood Plank Background on the Smokey Slate with Basic Gray ink, matted it with the Electric Red and Basic Gray.  I used the new SU Scallop Tag punch to make my tag, rounded the bottom 2 corners and inked around the edges with red ink.  The sentiment from SU More Merry Messages is stamped in Basic Gray ink.  I made the flower with Spellbinders Poinsettia dies, added some pearls to the center and mounted it to the tag with dimensionals.  I added some ribbon from Flourishes to the tag and mounted it with dimensionals also.

Head on over to the Merry Monday Challenge blog and check out all the fabulous cards by the Design Team.  I hope you play along.  You could be a winner and Guest Designer also.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Dynamic Duos #95 - Triple Threat Week

It is Saturday and time for another challenge at the Dynamic Duos.  This week is "The Triple Threat" week and we have 3 colors for you to work with, Rich Razzleberry, Soft Sky and Pale Plum.
Here's my card.
  My card base is Rich Razzleberry, then a mat of Soft Sky and the white panel is embossed with the SU Decorative Dots EF (Sale-A-Bration). The 3 Soft Sky panels are stamped with the dotted background from Verve's Better Together in Soft Sky ink.  The sentiment is from Verve's Poppy Birthday stamped in Rich Razzleberry ink, cut out with Spellbinder's Classic Circle die and matted with the SP Scallop Circle die in Rich Razzleberry.  I added some faux stitching with the Rich Razzleberry marker.  The flowers are also from Poppy Birthday stamped in Rich Razzleberry ink on Pale Plum CS.  There are 2 layers separated with a dimensional and the center flower is mounted with a dimensional.  I added a sequin from Verve's Pastel Sequin pack to the center of each flower.  To finish my card, I added a ribbon and bow with SU Rich Razzleberry Dotted grossgrain ribbon.
 
I used the sketch from Viva la Verve March Week 2,
 
 and am also entering in Verve's March Diva Dare - Do the Polka, use polka dots on your card.
 
Head on over to the Dynamic Duos blog and check out the fabulous creations by my fellow Design Team members.  I hope you will join us this week. Can't wait to see what you create.
 
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn

Friday, March 21, 2014

Cozy Little Chickadees for CSAYL

Good morning friends, it is Friday and time for a new challenge at Christmas Stampin All Year Long.
Grab Our Badge!
Meljen's Designs :: Digital Stamps by Melissa Jenkins 
This week our sponsor is Meljen's Designs and she is offering 4 non-colored digi images for the winner.  For my card I am using the sweet Cozy Little Chickadees from our sponsor.  I just love these cute little love birds and enjoyed coloring them up.
I printed the image on X-Press It Blending Card and colored it with Copics and Promarkers.  I cut the image out with a Spellbinder's Classic Oval and lightly sponged SU Bashful Blue ink around the edges while it was still in the die.  I added some Liquid Applique to the little snow patches on the branch and also to the dots around the image, let it dry overnight and heated it with my heat gun so it would puff up (love it).  The sentiment is from MFT's Christmas Ornaments set.  I curved the sentiment while on the block so it would fit the oval.  I matted it with a Scalloped Oval mat of SU Real Red CS. The DSP is from Pebbles Welcome Christmas 6x6 pad. The mats are SU Basic Black and the card base is SU Whisper White.

Now hop on over to the CSAYL blog and check out the wonderful creations by my fellow Design Team members.  I hope you will join us this week.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you have a wonderful day.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Merry Monday #100 - Happy Christmas

ETA:  My card was an Honorable Mention at Merry Monday.
This is Merry Monday's 100th challenge and Lesley has a special challenge this week.  She has a sketch plus a color challenge.  You can use either one or combine them both.
I chose to use both and combined the colors and sketch.  My card base is MFT Smooth White CS and the green is MFT Sour Apple CS, which I embossed with the SU Decorative Dots EF.  I used SU Regal Rose CS and DSP.  The green dot and stripe DSP are from American Crafts Dots & Stripes 6x6 pad.  I cut the banners by hand.  The image is from Stampendous called Snow Girl.  I stamped her in Mememto Tuxedo Black ink on X-Press It Blending Card and colored her with Promarkers, and then matted her with SU Regal Rose. This panel is mounted with foam dimensionals. The sentiment is from  MFT'sPI-Happy Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Joyful Christmas Wishes for Merry Monday #99

ETA:  Woohoo, my card was a winner for Merry Monday #99.
This is my card for Merry Monday #99 Christmas Challenge - to use Brown, Green, Gold  and White or Cream on your card.
My card base is SU Chocolate Chip, then a panel of Brushed Gold and Whisper White.  I stamped the pine branches from SU Watercolor Winter in SU Always Artichoke ink, but used my Choc. Chip marker on the branch part before stamping it.  The sentiment from SU Joyful Christmas is stamped with Versamark ink and embossed with gold embossing powder.  I also embossed the two ornaments from SU Ornament Keepsakes and cut them out with the matching Holiday Ornaments framelits. I tied a gold twine bow around them and hung them with the gold twine and dimensionals.
 
Thanks for stoppng by.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Dynamic Duos #94

Hello my friends.  It is Saturday and time for a new challenge at the Dynamic Duos.  It is "Black Tie" week and the colors are Black & More Mustard.  There is also a "dessert option" of dry embossing.

 
Here is a photo showing the card open.

 
I wasn't going to get this Scallop Tag Topper Punch from SU, but after seeing so many pretty cards made with it, I had to have it just so I could make this style card. I am sure you have seen some of these cards around blogland. Here is a link on You Tube if you would like to try one. 
 
This is my first one and I really like how it turned out.  I also used my new SU Peaceful Petals stamp set.  I stamped the image in Mememto Tuxedo Black ink and colored it with my Blending Pens with More Mustard ink for the flowers, and Crumb Cake ink for the stem & leaves.  I originally stamped the image on More Mustard DSP and fussy cut the flowers with the intention of layering them on with dimensionals.  I colored them so the white wouldn't show under the DSP flowers, but after I colored them I liked them better.  I added SU pearls to the centers of the flowers and mounted the panel with dimensionals.  The b/w DSP is from MME Meadow Lark 6x6 pad.  I also added a strip of the DSP on the inside panel.  The sentiment is from Verve's Wonderfully Made set.  My card is tied with SU Black Satin ribbon. 
 
This card will be going to a dear friend who recently lost her husband and 2 weeks later lost her sister.  I had already sent her a card, but I wanted her to know that she is still in my prayers.
  
Now hop on over to the Dynamic Duos blog and check out all the fabulous creations by my fellow Design Team members. I hope you will join us in the challenge.
 
 
DesignTeam Badgebig
 
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn
 


Friday, March 14, 2014

Christmas Stampin All Year Long - Lil Snowman

Good morning friends, it is Friday and time for another challenge at Christmas Stampin All Year Long.  This week our sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps.  One winner will win 7 digi images from Bugaboo Stamps.  Our challenge is "Anything Goes" - Sparkle and Shine - use gems, glitter, etc. 
 
I am using the Lil Snowman Star digi image from our sponsor, Bugaboo Stamps. Isn't he just the cutest little snowman?
This second photo shows the glitter on the dots in his scarf and the star (which I added with a Sakura Clear Glitter Gel Pen) and the red glitter paper circles on the sentiment banner. 
I did the sentiment on my computer and cut it out with a die from MFT Blueprints 2 Die-namics.  I cut it half way and then moved the die down and finished cutting it to make it long enough to reach across my card.  The image is cut with MFT Pierced Circle Stax and the mat is cut with MFT Circle Stax 2.  I stamped some tiny snowflakes from SU Serene Snowflakes (retired) in SU Bashful Blue ink around the snowman.  He is mounted with foam dimensionals. The DSP is from Pebbles Welcome Christmas 6x6 pad and the cardstock is MFT Smooth White and Electric Red. The white panel is embossed with a Cuttlebug Snowflake EF.
 
I used the Seize the Sketch #15 for my layout.
 
Now be sure to check out all the fabulous projects by my fellow Design Team members at the Christmas Stampin All Year Long blog.  I hope you will join us. Can't wait to see what you create.
 
Thanks for stopping by.  Have a wonderful day.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn

 

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Seize the Birthday - Stitching, Faux or Real

Happy Thursday my friends.  WOW, can you believe all the wonderful entries we had for our last challenge.  Now it is time for another challenge at Seize the Birthday and this week we have a "Toppings" option of Stitching - faux or real.  Remeber it is just an option, so if you don't do stitching, just make a regular birthday project.  Anything goes as long as it is for a birthday.
 
For my card I used SU Whisper White, Chocolate Chip and More Mustard CS.  The DSP is from Imaginisce Birthday Bash card kit.  I sewed around the two DSP panels and embossed the More Mustard panel with the SU Square Lattice EF.  This is a free digi image I had on my computer (don't remember where I got it), so I printed it on X-Press It Blending Card and colored it with Copics, cut it out with an MFT Pierced Circle die and matted it with an MFT Circle Stax 1 die.  It is mounted with foam dimensionals.
 
Now hop on over to the Seize the Birthday blog and check out the fabulous creations by my fellow Design Team members.  I hope you will join us.  Can't wait to see what you create.
 
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn
 
 

Happy Birthday Wishes for JUGS #231

My card is for the Just Us Girls #231 technique challenge to make a weathered wood background.  They even have a link to a video here showing how to create the background.  I had to give it a try as I like trying new techniques and am very pleased with how it turned out.  I took a piece of SU Early Espresso CS, scored every 1/2 inch and then swiped my SU Whisper White Craft ink pad over it.  It made the CS look gray.  I added the Cheery Lynn Designs Fanciful Flourish, cut in Certainly Celery CS, which I cut apart and arranged to fit my flowers.  The SU Petite Petals are stamped in Basic Gray ink on a scrap piece of yellow DSP and punched with the matching punch. I cut small slits between the petals and shaped them with my fingers and glued them on.  I added some yellow rhinestones to the centers.  The sentiment is from SU Simply Sketched, cut with MFT Fishtail Flags and Fishtail Flag Layers.
 
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Merry Monday #98 - Noel

 
 ETA:  My card won Honorable Mention at Merry Monday.
This is my card for Merry Monday #98 to add some country charm with stitching and buttons.  While going through my stamps I found this cute "Country Doll Angel" from Close To My Heart.  I have had her a really long time, but I thought she would be perfect for this challenge.  I stamped her on X-Press It Blending Card and colored her with Copics.  She is matted on an MFT Pierced Rectangle die of MFT Electric Red CS, which I ran back through the Big Shot to shorten it to match the size of the image panel.  I sewed around the edges and added 2 buttons from my stash.  The plaid DSP is from DCWV Christmas Matstack from 2012.  The mat is Electric Red and I sewed around this panel also, and added it to my card base of MFT Smooth White CS.  I used MFT Fishtail Flag Layers die-namics to cut the banner and added some alphabet stickers from my stash.  I used SU Cherry Cobbler twine to mount the banner on using foam dimensionals.  The angel panel is also mounted with foam dimensionals.
 
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Dynamic Duos - You Are In My Thoughts

Happy Saturday my friends, it is "Subtly Yours" week at the Dynamic Duos with the pretty color combo of Blushing Bride and Sahara Sand. 

I used SU Sahara Sand for my card base and the mats, and the strip of Sahara Sand DSP is from the Sweet Sorbet pack (from Sale-a-bration); and Blushing Bride DSP.  The white CS is MFT Sweet Tooth.  The flowers are from MFT LJD Forget Me Not, stamped in Sahara Sand and Blushing Bride ink. I used the matching MFT Forget Me Not die-namics to cut them out. The flowers are mounted with dimensionals.  I used the text stamp from the same set to stamp the background in Blushing Bride ink on an MFT Pierced Circle Stax die-cut,  The mat is cut with MFT Circle Stax 2.  The sentiment is from MFT Clearly Sentimental About Sympathy stamped in Sahara Sand ink and cut with a die from MFT Blueprints 2 die-namics, and mounted with foam dimensionals.
I used MFT Weekly Sketch Challenge #166 for my layout.
MFTWSC166
Now check out all the great creations by my fellow Design Team members over at the Dynamic Duos challenge blog.  I hope you can join us.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn

Friday, March 7, 2014

CSAYL - Happy Holidays

Grab Our Badge!

This is my first post as a new Design Team member for Christmas Stampin All Year Long and also the first challenge of the year.  It is an "Anything Goes" using this photo to inspire you.

Photo credit UpTownOriginals on Etsy

This is my card:
 
I used the Splitcoast Stampers Card Sketch #SC477 and this cute digi snowman image (I can't remember where I got it, but will try to find out and update my post), printed on X-Press It Blending Card and colored with Promarkers. The sentiment is from Verve's Holiday Treats.  I used MFT Smooth White and Black Licorice CS and the DSP is from Pebbles Welcome Christmas 6x6 pad. The image and sentiment panels are mounted with foam dimensionals.
 
I hope you will check out all the wonderful creations by my fellow Design Team members and be inspired to play along. 
 
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Have a wonderful day.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn
 

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Liebster Award!



 
I received such a nice surprise from a blogging friend, Kathy at http://stampsatplay.blogspot.com/.  She nominated me for the Liebster Award.  Thank you for thinking of me Kathy, I am very honored. You should check out her wonderful blog at http://stampsatplay.blogspot.com/
She is a great designer and is on the Merry Monday Design Team.
 
Here are the rules of the nomination:
  1. Be sure to thank the blog that nominated you and be sure to link back to their blog.
  2. Answer the 11 questions that the blogger asked you.
  3. Nominate 11 of your favorite blogs with under 500 followers and ask your own 11 questions.
  4. Make sure to let each blogger know about your Liebster Blog nomination on their blog (leave a comment and link back to your Liebster Blog post).
 
(Here is a link to some info on the award if you are new to blogging and aren't sure what it is all about!)
 
Here are my answers to Kathy's questions:
 
1. How long have you been crafting?  I have been doing crafts of some kind since I was a young girl and my Grandmother taught me to crochet. I started scrapbooking and card making in 1998 after going to a CTMH home party. I have been "addicted" ever since.
2. What's your favorite product? I have so many favorites, I can't list just one: my Big Shot, Silhouette Cameo, MFT dies & Stamps, Verve Stamps & dies; SU products, etc. etc. :)
3. How much time do you spend each week making cards and things? Usually a couple of hours a day or when I can.
4. What are your favorite challenges to play in? Seize the Birthday, Dynamic Duos, Christmas Stampin All Year Long, Merry Monday,  My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge, Verve challenges, and Just Us Girls.
5. If you were to learn a new technique, what would it be? I think I would like to try Mixed Media
6. What got you blogging? My friend has a blog and she encouraged me to start a blog.
7. Where do you get your inspiration? Other bloggers, Pinterest, Splitcoast Stampers
8. If you could only use one stamp set and one die, what would they be? I don't know if I could pick just one but I like Stampin Up Secret Garden stamp set and matching dies.
9. What advice would you give someone just starting to craft?  I think I would tell them to have fun and enjoy it, no matter which craft it is.
10. What's your favorite color combo?  I like pinks & browns and blues & browns.
11. Tell us one thing about yourself that people would be surprised to know. I have a twin brother.
 

Here are 11 of my favorite blogs that I have chosen to nominate for the Liebster Award - stop by their blogs and congratulate them!:

Jeanie - The Spotted Chick
Nancy - Scrapper at Heart
Sheri - Paper Crafty's Creations
Jodene - Jodene's Cards & Creations
Sharyn - My Crafty Place
Janet - Janet's Joy
Colleen - One Smile Lifts A Spirit
Brenda - Ottawa Mom
Annette - AEstamps a Latte
Angel - My Whole Stampin World
Caroline - Caroline's Creatons

Here are my 11 questions:
 
1.  Why did you start your blog?
2.  How long have you been blogging?
3.  How long have you been doing crafts?
4.  What kind of crafts do you like to do?
5.  Do you scrapbook or make cards, or both?
6.  Do you participate in challenges?
7.  What is your favorite kind of card to make?
8.  Where do you get your inspiration from?
9.  Have any of your projects ever been published in a magazine?
10. What do you do with the cards you make?
11.  What is your favorite tool to use when crafting?





 


 



Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Don't Sweat It

I made this card for a "Special Friend's" birthday.  She has the card (and really loved it) so I am posting it to my blog now.  The image is a From The Heart digital image.  I printed it on X-Press It Blending Card and cut it out with MFT's Circle Stax 1 and Circle Stax 2 die-namics for the black mat.  I sponged SU Bashful Blue ink around the image while it was still in the die.   I colored the image with Copics and added some Liquid Applique to the candle wax.  The sentiment is included with the image and was cut with a Spellbinder's die and also sponged with Bashful Blue ink.  I added some black grossgrain ribbon and bow.   The borders are punched with an EK Success punch.  The chicken wire is from MFT's Distressed Background Blocks and is stamped in SU Basic Gray ink.
 I used MFT Electric Red, Black Licorice and Smooth White CS. The check DSP is from my stash.   Here is the inside of the card printed with an included sentiment (except for the Happy Birthday).  I added a small strip of the DSP.
 
Thanks for stopping by and taking a look.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn


A Cheerful Heart for MFTWSC165

 
MFTWSC165
 
I made this card for a friend using this week's My Favorite Things sketch challenge (MFTWSC165).  The card base is MFT Sno Cone CS, next is MFT Smooth White CS, and then MFT Pink Lemonade.  I used MFT MPD Graduated Hearts Stencil with Golden Light Molding Paste on the pink layer (love how it turned out).  The sentiment from MFT Cheerful Blessings is stamped in SU Basic Gray ink and the heart from the same set is stamped in SU Rose Red ink on Smooth White CS and cut out with MFT Pierced Circle Stax die-namic.  The MFT Spearmint CS banner is cut with a die from the MFT Blueprints 2 die-namics.  Finally, the flower was cut from MFT Banana Split CS using the MFT Upsy Daisy die-namic.  I added a pink button from my stash to the center.
 
Thanks for stopping by and taking a look.
Happy Stamping,
JoAnn