New Challenge Blog - Use your stash!

Well, anyone who has seen my craft room knows that I have a little (??) problem with hoarding, and my stash of craft supplies has grown and grown over the years.  I am sure I could keep making cards at my present rate for the next 10 years without needing to buy coloured card stock again LOL!

So I'm pretty excited about the new challenge blog that my online blogging buddy, Carla, has started.  To celebrate, she's also offering some blog candy right now, so I suggest you check it out.  The new challenge blog is called "Shopping Our Stash".

For myself, I dug in to my stash today and whipped this lovely creation together:

The lovely butterflies are from Marks Finest Papers.  The sentiment may or may not have ever have been used.  The grass stamp is one that I got from SU a few years ago, but I'd say that I've used it less than 10 times ever, and the punches I used for the corners and the swirly square behind the sentiment, both were covered in actual DUST! (let's not discuss my devotion (or lack thereof) to housekeeping)

Anyway, I hope you like this card, and it inspires you to shop your own stash :-)

Happy Saturday!

Cheery card for you

I've been in the mood for spring and happy cards lately, and so I'm loving the new cherry sets in the latest release from Heartfelt Creations.  Here's one of the cards I've made lately.

Products Used on This Project
HCPC 3386 Cheery Cardinal PreCut Set
HCPC 3387 Luscious Cherry Swirls PreCut Set
HCPC 3303 Posy Patch Flowers PreCut Set
HCD 701 Posy Patch Die
Espresso Adirondak ink, Vintage Sepia Versafine, Memento Rich Cocoa, SU pastels, SU ribbon,
Copics used:R32, R35, R37, R05, R29, R59, RV11, G12, G21, BG96, Y02, YG63, YR23, Y23, E25

Card size is 5.5x5.5
Stamp cherries on page out of dictionary, add colour using pastels and airgun. Stamp main image on white cardstock and cut out with die cut, using technique to avoid cutting the tail off the bird, then colour, using airbrush for the background. Stamp and cut flowers with die cut out of velum, and layer over main image. Stamp sentiment and cut with punch. Adhere all items as in photo and embellish as shown.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

I've got a cute bunny card to share with you today, using Peek-a-Bunny by Rachelle Ann Miller:

I made this card for our challenge this week at Sentimental Sunday's which is to make a card using 3 or more punches. I love punches and have over 30 of them, so I figured this wouldn't be that tough of a challenge.  I hope you'll play along with us.  Remember that you need to use a sentiment on any card submitted to the Sentimental Sunday's challenge.

The sentiment is one from Raindrop Echo Designs that I really like as it can be used for pretty much anything.

Have a happy day, whether it is an egg hunt with your kids, a lazy day around the house, or your Easter services at your Church, whatever you do, enjoy!

Birthday Jay

Happy Wednesday!

I'm very excited to let you know that Marilyn (Newfiecrafter) who so a regularly visits my blog and cheerily leaves happy comments all the time, was selected for the random blog commenter to win the latest release from Heartfelt Creations - Congratulations Marilyn!

Today I've got another card featuring the new release to share with you, a quick and easy one that I dressed up with some glitter, flowersoft and velum:

I can't wait to see what Marilyn does with this new release--she's been showcasing all kinds of Tim Holtz techniques for vintage and distressed and grunge styles and I've been so wanting to get that Compendium of Curiosities she is always referencing--it will be neat to see how she combines that style with these images.

Products Used on This Project

HCPC 3388 Spring Cardinals PreCut Set
HCPC 3303 Posy Patch Flowers PreCut Set
HCD 701 Posy Patch Die

Other:Black memento, Black Versafine, Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder, Stickles, Basic Grey Rhinestones, Yellow Flowersoft, White gel pen, SU velum Copics used: C1, C3, B05, B24, B37, B02, B0000, R11, R20, R22, Y02, B21, E37, YR23, G21, YG63

Card size is standard 4.25x5.5

Stamp main image and sentiment on white cardstock and cut out, then colour.  Stamp flowers on velum, cut out with coordinating die, adhere to the main image, add flowersoft to centres and stickles to edges.  Emboss background cardstock. Adhere all items as in photo and embellish as shown.

Easter or Spring challenge at Sentimental Sundays

Happy Sunday!  After our little snow storm earlier this week, Mother Nature has turned around and brought Spring back with sunshine and warmer weather...the poor plants and outdoor life must all be in shock LOL!

Today at Sentimental Sundays we have a challenge to make a card (with a sentiment of course) focused on Easter or Spring.  Here's what I came up with.

The sentiment is from Raindrop Echo Designs, available at the Whimsy store.  The flowers and ribbon are from my stash (the foliage came wrapped around a gift bag--talk about recycling) and the butterfly is from an SU die.

This month we are celebrating Earth Day, I hope you will find time to plant something, maybe a tree!

Another peak at the new Springtime Cardinal Collection

Hiya folks!


Well, here in the moderate climate of the Pacific Northwest I have to advise that we had SNOW today!  We only get snow here a handful of times a year and we kind of expect it between December and February, not in the middle of April!  Anyway, I guess it's wishful thinking, but here is a spring themed birthday card.

The image is meant to be a cardinal, but I am very partial to Jays - we get them around here, mainly Stellars Jays, and they come in my yard and I feed them all through the spring and summer.  They are very social and love to collect food from us and then go and hide it somewhere.


It's almost the weekend, and I'd planned to work in my garden and plant some herbs and flowers, but now I'm thinking that may have to wait till next weekend--guess that means more play time in my craft room!  I hope you all have fun plans to look forward to for the weekend.




Products Used on This Project  -  All stamps are from Heartfelt Creations

HCPC 3388 Spring Cardinals PreCut Set
Nestabilities labels 4
Nestabilities fancy labels

Other: Black memento, Black Versafine, Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder, white gel pen Copics used: C1, C3, B05, B24, B37, B02, B0000, R11, R20, R22, Y02, B21, E37, YR23, G21, YG63

Card size is standard 4.25x5.5

Stamp main image on white cardstock and cut out with die cut, then colour, using airbrush for the background.  Emboss background cardstock.  Stamp sentiment and cut with die cut.  Adhere all items as in photo and embellish as shown.

Springtime Cardinal Collection - new HC release!

Yay!  It's the 2nd Wednesday of the month and that means another fabulous new release from Heartfelt Creations :-)  (how do you make that an extra big smilly by the way??).  At the bottom of my post I've included a blurb from HC about the new release including how YOU can get a chance to win the new release.  And may I also say that if you'd like to see all the cards the design team (including our new members!) made so far to showcase the new release check out this weeks HC Blog post.

My favorite set out of the new collection is a cherry set designed to provide sentiments and accents, and can be used to create your own background and also can be used for the main image....love all the versatility!  Here's what I made using it.

Products Used on This Project

HCPC 3386 Cheery Cardinal PreCut Set
HCPC 3387 Luscious Cherry Swirls PreCut Set
Nestabilities fancy tags

Other:Espresso Adirondak ink, Black Versafine, Memento Rich Cocoa, SU pastels, Basic Grey Pearls, Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder, Copics used:R32, R35, R37, R59, G12, G21, BG96, YG63, YR23, Y23, E25

Card size is 5.25x5.5 Stamp cherries on page out of dictionary, add colour using pastels and airgun.  Stamp main image on white cardstock and cut out with die cut, then colour, using airbrush for the background.  Emboss background cardstock and sand.  Stamp sentiment and cut with die cut.  Adhere all items as in photo and embellish as shown.

The Springtime Cardinal Collection features 8 new PreCut Sets. These new sets coordinate with existing exclusive Heartfelt Creations dies manufactured by Spellbinders.The images in this collection are very classic and elegant, perfect for your copic markers, and you will love the fact that they coordinate with some of the existing Heartfelt Creation dies, so this is an added value for some of the dies you might already own. Leave a comment on my blog or the Heartfelt Creations blog by April 19 and one lucky person will win the entire release valued at $119.92. The winner will be announced on the HC blog on April 20.

Help for Japan Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to a very special blog hop today!  You may have been on the first hop that Whimsy put on for this special cause.  Well, there were so many who volunteered to join in that we had to do a second one!  The illustrators of Whimsy Stamps have come together to draw a special set of digi images for the purpose of raising money for the relief effort in Japan.  All proceeds from the sale of these images will be donated to that cause.   Kenny K, Raindrop Echo Designs, Meljens Designs, and Crissy Armstrong all contributed art work.

For the whole month of April, you can purchase the images as a set or individually (your choice) by visiting this page on the Whimsy store site.  Please consider helping this special cause by purchasing one or all of the digital images we are offering. 

If you have landed here from Cheryl's blog, you are right on track.  If you have come here randomly and would like to start hopping from the beginning, please go to Ann's blog.   She has the blog rotation order posted if you need to refer to it.

The amazing ladies of two design teams have come together to host this blog hop for you!  The team from Sentimental Sundays and the Kenny K Krafty Girlz have joined forces to design some amazing jaw dropping creations for you.  You have seven days to hop through all the blogs and enjoy all the lovely creations from these talented people.

The hop runs from now through til Sunday April 17 at noon.  There will be several opportunities to win blog candy!  Four random commenters will get a chance to receive one of the three individual images or Ann's sentiment set.  So be sure to leave comments all along the way for your chance at a free digi!  Also, if you post the "Help for Japan" button on your blog's sidebar, you can enter into the draw for the grand prize!  The grand prize will consist of the entire digital set made just for this cause as well as a gift certificate donated by Ann of Raindrop Echo Designs worth $10 to use at the Whimsy Stamps store! To enter, you must help us advertise for this cause by posting the "Help for Japan" button on your blog's side bar (just grab it from my side bar or from the top of this post) and then get your name on the Inlinkz option on Ann's post so we can be sure to find the winner. 

Now on to my project: 

I have used a special sentiment in my project today, created by Ann to lend support to this cause.

Next you'll want to visit Chris's blog to continue hopping.  Thank you so much for stopping by, and for your support of this very worthy cause. 

Treasured memories with Sentimental Sundays

Today we have a challenge at Sentimental Sundays to create a card on the theme Treasured Memories.

Here's my take on this.  You'll see I'm featuring a Cornish Heritage farms image that I knew I had to have as soon as I saw it as it reminded me of many special days of my childhood at the beach with my family.  I've paired it up with a sentiment created by Raindrop Echo Designs.

Wednesdays with Heartfelt Creations

Happy news to share with you today, I get to stay on the HC design team for another 6 months, yay!!  


Today at Heartfelt Creations we are wishing a fond farewell to 9 of the current design team members: Clare Curcio, Debbie Seyer, Peggy Cain, Selma Stevenson, Gini Cagle, Linda Payne, Dee Jackson, Rosemary Dennis, and Anita Hovey. We wish you a double blessing on all of your future creative endeavors. Visit their blogs and please thank each one of them for all the creative projects they have shared featuring Heartfelt Creations projects.

Ten of the current Heartfelt Creations design team members will continue for another 6 month term: Lisa Gregory,Angelica Turner, Kristina King, Olga Jewell, Lisa Somerville, Cheryl Walker, Giovana Smith, Loretta Lock, Olena Levchenko, and Kerry Urbatch. We are excited for another creative term with these ladies.

We would also like to extend a warm welcome to 10 new design team finalists that will be joining the Heartfelt Creations design team for the next 6 months: Glenda Brooks, Therese Broman, Carla Suto, Lori Leng, Jan Hennings, Heidi Erickson, Lisa Lynne Wright, Marsha Sanderlin, Sue Walsh, and Joelle Hancox. Congrats Ladies! We look forward to working with you and taking the paper-crafting industry to new heights of inspiration.


I've got a card to share with you that I made recently, it totally fits my Spring mood as I've been watching the flowers start and the birds come back.

Products used:
 
Bluebird With Flowers Precut Set HCPC 641 

Amazing Grace 1198G 

Nestabilities Labels 9 

Posy Patch Flowers PreCut Set HCPC 3303 

Posy Patch Die HCD 701 

Distressed Leaves PreCut Set HCPC 3376
 
 
Instructions:
 
Stamp music background on white card stock using light coloured ink diagonally on the base card stock.  Then create a mask with another piece of paper by cutting out the centre with the nestie die cut.  Use this mask to add orange colour to the centre of the card as shown.  This can be done with sponges, however in this case I used E97 and Y000 with the Copic airgun, concentrating on the outside edges of the circle.  Then I
stamped the image of the bird in the centre using black memento, and coloured with Copics.  After that I used the sewing machine to add stitching to the edges, distressed the edges too, then assembled over layers as shown in photo.

The flowers and leaves on the edges were stamped on coloured card stock and cut out using die cuts.  Then, I used my scissors to quickly cut off the edges of the flowers so that they had straight edges rather than rounded edges, to coordinate better with the  flowers in the bird image, and added rhinestones to the centres.  The flowers and leaves were adhered with various heights of dimensionals/pop up dots.