First Non-Christmassy Card in a VERY Long...Long Time!

With all of my Christmas stamps, dies and paper all tucked away

I have been looking forward to creating cards that weren't Holiday related.

As always...

Santa (aka my sweetheart) put lots of love and care into my Christmas gifts

one of which was a complete set of Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils.

I was looking so forward to giving them try

and was hoping that they would be all that they are cranked up to be.

I needed to make a sympathy card...

and so I thought I'd give the pencils a try.

(Note: Yes! They ARE all that they're cranked up to be!)

They go down on the card stock smoothly...the pencil glides on the paper...the color palette is wonderful...

they blend beautifully.

I am a fan!

Here's the sympathy card...

Stamp: Impression Obsession~ Butterfly on Flower

Dies: Hero Arts~ Prayers

The flower and butterfly were colored with the Polychromos...

The background was inked with Clarity Stencil brushes

I added a bit of Wink of Stella Clear to the flower petal edges and the butterfly.

I cut the word die using purple metallic card stock
The clear drops are from Kat Scrappiness

The Polychromos pencils have a nice feel when coloring with them.

Better than I had anticipated.

The color transfers to the card stock smoothly...

and..

Colors blend and layer nicely.

The large set of 120 pencils has a wide assortment of great colors

and there are tons of opportunities to blend colors which expands the color palette.

I paired the colored image with the "Prayers" die cut 

using the same color metallic card stock for the word die cut... and the mat later behind the image.

A very light blush color ink pad....and a green ink pad were used to create the background

with Clarity Stencil brushes.

I thoroughly enjoyed ALL of my Christmas and Holiday card & tag making this year

but...

it sure feels good to be creating non-Christmas/Holiday card again!

and...using my new set of Polychromos to color and create this card

 was a great way to dive back into it!

Thanks for visiting!

Have a great day my crafty and creative friends!

Michelle.

Merry Christmas in Silver and Gold ~ A Shimmering Crafter's Companion Inspiration Design Team Project

 Merry Christmas Eve to my crafty and creative friends 

who celebrate Christmas!

I've got a very special die cut Christmas card to share with you today....

as my last Inspiration Design Team Project of the year

and I think that you're going to love it!

I cut and score a base card, using Spectrum Noir Ultra Smooth Card Stock.

Then...

I used the GEMINI Die Cutting and Embossing Machine for all of the die cutting.

I used Gold and Silver Luxury Mirror card(stock) to create this card.

I used an oval  metal die to  cut an window in the topmost silver mirror card stock layer

The bottommost mat layer was cut and created with gold mirror card stock.

The middle layer is silver and was cut an 1/8 of an inch smaller than the gold layer...

so that some gold wold show all around the edge.

Next, I die cut the Merry Christmas piece..

and some silver and gold snowflakes in 2 different sizes.

I put all of the elements together to create the card.

The final touches were the snowflakes...

some of which I chose to layer.

The shimmer on the gold and silver Mirror Card Stock is gorgeous....

and they are the perfect complements to one  another.

I LOVE the page, one-piece "Merry Christmas"

The font style...snowflakes and swirls make it extra beautiful.

Here's a close-up of the snowflakes...and the layering of the larger one.

Gold and silver, used together, are so pretty, I think.

I've made lots of Holiday and Christmas cards during the last 5 or 6 weeks...

Some have been straight up stamped...

Some have been water colored...

Some have been alcohol marker colored...

or pencil colored

and a few have been die cut.

 and while I have been happy with all of the cards that I've created

as my Crafter's Companion Design Team Projects

It looks like subconsciously, I may have left my potential favorite for last...

for today...

This beautiful silver and gold Merry Christmas card!

Wishing you a beautiful Christmas...

a Happy Hanukkah

and a Holiday Season that fills your heart with joy.

Thanks for visiting today, my crafty and creative friends...

Michelle.

Supplies:

Dies: Signature Collection by Sara Davies - Traditional Christmas Metal Die - Festive Greeting Item#S-TX-MD-GREET

Signature Collection by Sara Davies - Festive Wonder Decorative Metal Die - Snowflake Trio

Generic Metal Oval Die

Paper/Card Stock: Signature Collection by Sara Davies - Traditional Christmas A4 Luxury Mirror Card 

Ultra Smooth Premium White Cardstock Unscored 8.5" x 11" - 20 Sheet Package

Misc: Gemini Die Cutting and Embossing Machine , trimmer, assorted adhesives

Just When I thought I Was Done with Christmas Card Making...

Remember Jaws...the movie?

The big line from that movie was....

"....Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water"

Well, I have my own  big "line" about my Christmas card making this year....

"Just when you thought it was safe to put away your Christmas stamps...& stop making cards"

Weeks ago I THOUGHT that my Christmas and Holiday card making was winding down.

I thought , for sure, that I'd be able to put my Christmas and Holiday stamps and dies away...

Until next July or August...when I would begin the Christmas card making again.

I actually put them away...

then took them out to make a few more cards,

Thought I was "done"...

put them away...

took them out again...

Made a few more cards..

put them away...

This went on, it seemed...for weeks.

and then...finally...last week...I put them away...and they stayed away...

For all of one week!

Then..I realized...

We need another dozen cards to attach to some gifts...

The mailman...UPS guy...my sweethearts work friends..etc..

I needed to create a stack of cards

and I needed to create them quickly

(quickly meaning: NOW...and for TOMORROW)

No time to water color....marker color....etc...

I needed to crank out a dozen cards...and I need to do it ASAP

And just in the nick of time....I came across a beautiful card in my email the other day!

The card was created by Kittie Caracciola, whose blog I love to follow.

Kittie creates lots of beautiful die cut  cards.

Most are very beautiful...intricate...detailed...and obviously very time consuming.

But every so often...

Kittie creates and shares a very CAS card (Clean And Simple)

I was totally smitten with the snowflake card that she created.

and so..I did something that I really do...

I CASEd her beautiful snowflake card!!

(CASEd,  in the card making world..in case you don't know...is Cope And Shared)

This is a very straight forward card...

with a very short supply list...

White card stock (a nice hefty weight...nothing flimsy)

Impression Obsession Snowflake dies #241

and

The  Mini Scalloped  Rectangle is by MFT

I used self adhesive fun foam behind the assembled red and snowflake piece 

to add some sturdy lift and dimension.

I LOVE the crispiness of the red and white combination

I used my Gemini to cut the snowflakes.

It was great having a magnetic mat to keep the dies in place...

I was able to position them once...in the position that I wanted them to be on the rectangle...

and then, I  just had to place the die cut card stock rectangle over the dies...

press the GEMINI button...

and wha-la!

  Perfectly cut and positioned snowflakes.... every time! 

This card saved the day for me!

My sweetheart loved them...

and already used half of the dozen that I created...for gifts that he gave to work friends.

I'll be using the remainder of the cards today and tomorrow

I can't tell you when I last CASEd a card...

(decades ago, I think)

But I am so glad that I saw Kittie's card...

and am grateful for the inspiration that she offered with this card

and  with every card that she creates.

and now...

I can REALLY retire the Christmas and Holiday stamps and dies...

until next Summer...

When Christmas card making begins again!

Have a great day, my crafty and creative friends...

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle.

It's Wednesday!....Crafter's Companion Inspiration Design Team Project Day!

It's Wednesday!....

and that means that it's

Crafter's Companion Inspiration Design Team Project Day here at my blog!

I am SO excited to share a die cut card with you today!

Thanks to the GEMINI Die Cutting and Embossing Machine

cutting these intricate ornament dies was a cinch!

One pass through the machine and each of the ornaments were perfectly cut!

In addition to the GEMINI, Decorative Baubles  and Contemporary Seasonal Sentiment 

are the dies that are the stars of the show, here at my blog today!

To create this card...

I used Crafter's Companion Forest Green Shimmering Card Stock

Crafter's Companion Luxury Mirror Card...

The Signature Collection Festive Wonder Snow Furry Embossing Folder...

The Contemporary Collection Seasonal Sentiment Die...

and

the Traditional Christmas Collection Seasonal Baubles die.

I also used generic cranberry metallic card stock to create this card.

And of course...I used the GEMINI for all of the die cutting...and embossing!

The real star of the show here today is the GEMINI Die Cutting Machine.

With just one pass through the machine each of those dies were cut perfectly!

Every little detail was meticulously cut on the ornaments and sentiment words.

Embossing with the GEMINI is equally as easy and gives a beautiful result.

I'm glad that I chose to cut the ornaments with the Gold Mirror Card Stock....

The shine is beautiful!

Here's a close-up, where you can really see the snowflake embossing...

and how about that great sentiment script style?

I love it! 

This card is bursting with texture, dimension and detail!

Thank you GEMINI for making this card a cinch to create!

and...

 thank YOU my crafty & creative  friends for stopping by today!

(PS..It's not to0 late to add a GEMINI Die Cutting and Embossing Machine to your Christmas list )

Have a great day!

Michelle.

SUPPLIES:

Die Cutting and Embossing: Signature Collection by Sara Davies - Traditional Christmas Metal Die - Decorative Baubles Item#S-TX-MD-DECBA

Signature Collection by Sara Davies - Contemporary Christmas Metal Die - Seasonal Sentiment

Signature Collection by Sara Davies - Festive Wonder 5" X 7" Embossing Folder - Snow Flurry

Card Stock: Shimmering Cardstock 6" x 6" - Forest Green

Sara Signature Together Forever - A4 Luxury Matt Mirror Card (10 Sheets)

Generic Cranberry Metallic Card Stock

Other: Gemini Die Cutting and Embossing Machine, trimmer, scissors, assorted adhesives, metallic thread

It's Wednesday!... It's Time for a Crafter's Companion Inspiration Design Team Project!

It's Wednesday...

again!

and that easy that It's Time for a Crafter's Companion Inspiration Design Team Project!

...again!

This week I've got a sweet card 

created with  Christmas Seasons.... a Makey Bakey Mice stamp set.

I colored this adorable little mouse with Spectrum Noir (Alcohol) Markers...

The print papers are from the Vintage Christmas and Festive Wonder paper pads

The shimmery mat is Gold Dust Shimmering Card Stock.

The sentiment is one of the many stamps included in the Festive Sentiments stamp set.

To create the card...

I cut and scored a base card using Spectrum Noir Ultra Smooth card Stock

I hand cut a sentiment banner...

and then stamped a second image...

coloring and cutting just the holly leaves...

to use as an embellishment on the sentiment banner.

I added a little bit of background color to the banner and main image

with stencil brushes and an ink pad. 

I cut the mat layers to size...

2 mats for the image....and one larger one for the card front.

I used Spectrum Noir Ultra Smooth Card Stock for all of the stamping

You can see both prints here...

one used as the larger mat layer...

and one used as a mat layer under the main image.

(I LOVE the sheet music print!)

The holly leaves were set onto the sentiment banner using foam dimensionals...

and the sentiment banner was also positioned using foam dimensionals.

It was fun to mix and match different stamps and paper

from multiple collections.

Creating cards with Crafter's Companion's Makey Bakey Mice stamps

is always fun.

They're sweet...and cute...

and if you enjoy coloring

they're also fun to color! 

Thanks for visiting!

Have a wonderful...and creative day, my crafty friends!

Michelle

Supplies:

Stamps: Crafter's Companion Makey Bakey Mice: Christmas Seasons and Signature Collection by Sara Davies - Contemporary Christmas Stamp Set - Festive Sentiments

Card Stock and Paper: Signature Collection by Sara Davies - Festive Wonder 6" x 6" Paper Pad

Crafter's Companion Vintage Christmas Collection 6x6

Shimmering Cardstock 6" x 6" 20pc package - Gold Dust

Coloring: Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers : DR3, DR5, DR6, TN4, TN5, TN6, CR2, CR3, CG1. CG2, CG4, FS1, FS3, IG1, IG2 and Colorless Blender

Other: Trimmer, scissors, assorted adhesives, Clarity Stencil Brushes, Ink pad

One card Created with a Few Stamp Sets and a Little Bit of Masking

I masked!!!

I masked!!!

I faced my fears and I masked!

I'm still not a fan of masking...

but...I did it!

I masked!

I have to add...

It wasn't by choice...

It was by necessity.

I felt like coloring a Christmas cat image. 

 I had no plan.

I just felt like "using" a cute cat image that I have in my stash of Christmas and Holiday stamp sets.

(I almost always have a card sketch in my head when I start stamping)

This time?

No plan. No sketch in my head. Nuthin'

No clue as to what I would do with the cat after coloring it.

I just had the stamp...an ink pad...and my Spectrum Noir (Alcohol) Markers.

That's it.

No plan.

After the cat was colored..I liked it ...a lot..

and didn't want him to go to waste.

None of the other stamps in the set were calling out to me ...

I started browsing through  all of my Christmas and Holiday stamps...

and found a few possibilities.

I pulled out a stamp from here...and a stamp from there...

and then...Uh Oh...

TROUBLE.

A feeling of DREAD came over me.

I realized that I would have to  do some masking to complete the little scene 

that I wanted to create for the card.

DREAD. DREAD DREAD

Masking.

No No Noooooo

I DO NOT LIKE TO MASK

Ugh...

but I did it...

I masked the cat and the packages on the left... so that I could stamp the tree....

and this is what I wound up with...

(I'm glad that I didn't give up when I realized that I'd have to do some making...

because in the end...I was very happy with the card.

Other than the dreaded masking...

I really had fun creating this card.

I got to use a few different stamp sets...

and a great sheet of colorful holly and berry print paper....a little bit of silver embroidery thread

some metallic card stock...

Ink pads and Clarity stencil brushes to add background color...

and wha-la!

A Card!

Am I over my dislike for masking??

Heck no!

But...after this experience...I can deal with it.

A little bit.

In case you're liking the images used to create this card...

I'll share the stamp set info with you:

Sunny Studio: Santa's Helpers (for the cat and sentiment)

Sunny Studio: Gleeful Reindeer (for the tree, lights in the corner and the gifts)

Mama Elephant O Tiny Tree (for the ornaments)

Thanks for visiting, my crafty and creative friends..

have a wonderful day!

(Stay warm...it's chilly here on Long Island today!)

Michelle.

A Santa....with Lots of Dimension!

I am winding down now on Christmas and Holiday card making.

But...

before I retired all of my wonderful holiday stamps and dies...

(Many of which I didn't even get to try this year)

I wanted to make just one card with 

Hero Arts- Paper layering SANTA FACE with Frame Die set

I didn't feel like dragging out all sorts of supplies
So I used what was right at my fingertips ...on the studio worktable
Some red, bronze and pale gold metallic card stock...
Crafter's Companion Snow Flurry Embossing Folder
and a Merry Christmas die with shadow...from Top Dog Dies..
(Top Dog was fave die company of mine for a long long time...
Sadly..they have gone out of business)

I also needed an embossing stylus and a foam molding mat
to create the dimensional pop up look on  Santa's hat...beard
eyebrows and mustache.

 NOTE: I have been having lighting challenges lately when I take photos of my cards...

and so I'm having a problem getting card stock and ink colors to look authentic to what they truly are.

This card was created with a beautiful deep red...a gold....and a gorgeous bronze metallic card stock.

(Makes me sad that you aren't allowed the opportunity to appreciate how beautiful the metallics are)

Well...lets get back to the card...

and this fun die!

For the dimensional look...

the embossing stylus was rolled around on the back of the die cut...

on areas that I wanted to "pop"

By working on the reverse side...and pressing down and rolling the stylus...

the "right" side will have the "pop" and dimension.

You can see all of the dimension, here in this photo.

The die set also comes with a "frame" die...that can be cut and placed behind Santa...
kind of like a shadow

that can be placed behind the Santa die cut.

(I chose not to use the frame/shadow)

Isn't this Santa great!

Creating this card was a fun and nice way to wind down 

on my Christmas and Holiday card making...

I do have one more purrrrrrrfect Christmas card that I'll share in a day or two...

and then....on to something other than Christmas

(no promises, of course, that you won't see another Christmas card.....but that's my intention)

Thanks for visiting today,  my crafty and creative friends...

We put our tree up today...

and so,  am off now...to relax...and enjoy our tall skinny "pencil" Christmas tree

(It's a BIG change from the gigantic massive tree of past years...but I LOVE it!)

There's such a warm cozy feeling in the house when the tree is lit...

At  hour house..the tree is lit up from morning...until we go to bed at night.

Just as I like it to be!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Michelle

Holiday Cards...No Stamping Allowed!

My card making typically involves ink...

in one way or another.

I am either inking and stamping...

or painting and water coloring...

with ink.

Today...

I've taken a step away from ink...

and have a few cards to share with you 

that were created with chipboard, a die...and an embossing folder.

I recently (re)visited a wonderful local scrap and stamp shop that is a few towns way from where I live.

Scrap-a-Latte is a gem!

A ride out to Scrap-a-latte always results in me coming home with a shopping bag FULL of wonderful goodies....

The shop is actually 2 shops in one...a Scrap Shop...and  Stamp Shop...

It's never a challenge to find lots of stamps...and beautiful 12x 12 paper at Scrap-a-Latte.

The owners, Renee and Justin are beautiful as well...they're warm, friendly and welcoming...

Their enthusiasm for card making and paper crafting is infectious

and their shop had wonderful creative vibe that you feel as soon as you walk through the door!
*Local crafty friends....IF you haven't visited Scrap-a-Latte yet....You MUST go!
You'll love it!

During my last trip there a few weekends ago...

I picked up something that I ordinarily would never buy.

A package of vintage looking Christmas Chipboard and crafty goodies...by Prima.

The SWEET PEPPERMINT Collection caught my eye...because I liked the look of the pieces.

I thought that I might use them to make some quick and easy tags.

This is what was in the package!

I also had a new "Merry Christmas" word die and snowflake embossing folder... 

both from Crafter's Companion...

and thought that before I made tags...

 I'd make a few quickie Christmas cards.

ALL of the chipboard pieces are beautiful...

I chose a few that I thought were a nice size for an A2 card...

and I got out my stash of metallic card stock and mirror card stock.

*ALL of the cards were created with  metallic card stock and mirror board only...

for lots of Holiday shimmer and shine...

I kept the cards very CAS (Clean and Simple)

All of the cards were lots of fun to create...

a nice diversion and change of pace from stamping, coloring and painting.

 I was having so much fun...I had to actually stop myself, after making 4 cards... from creating more!

*NOTE: Product info and links are shared at the end of this blog post

Look at that Santa!

and how about the terrific die cut sentiment.

(This die is my favorite word die this Holiday season....I LOVE the script style!)

The Snowflake embossing folder has LOTS of great detail.

Brown, green and this gold dust color are great when used together.

The gold dust is almost an ivory color...with an undertone of gold...

very subtle...

This card was created with a combination of Mirror card Stock

and metallic card stock.

I've always loved silver and blue together...

so I wanted to create one card with that color combo.

The "Believe" word on the chipboard piece is silver...so the silver and blue came together nicely

The oval was cut with a double stitched oval die.

Here again...

Metallic card stock...some snowflake embossing...and that wonderful word die...

This time, I added some ornate die cuts on either end of the main mat layer.

There's something so warm and earthy about this color combo...

all done in metallic...chocolate brown...forest green...and gold dust.

and...

one last Santa...

This is another color combo that I always like to create with at Christmas time...

a vintage red...chocolate brown...an that thin mat layer that you see is deep gold metallic card stock...

If you're liking the cards that I've shared today...

You've still got plenty of time to whip up a stack of your own...

in time for Christmas!

The supply/shopping info is:

Chipboard Package: Prima Marketing Chipboard and More: Sweet Peppermint Collection.

Die: Signature Collection by Sara Davies - Contemporary Christmas Metal Die - Seasonal Sentiment 

Embossing Folder: Signature Collection by Sara Davies - Festive Wonder 5" X 7" Embossing Folder - Snow Flurry

Mirror Card(stock): Sara Signature Together Forever - A4 Luxury Matt Mirror Card (10 Sheets)

 Metallic card stock used to create the cards is from an assortment of companies.

Thanks for visiting today, my crafty and creative friends!

I hope that you're feeling inspired to spend some time, today...

creating some non-inked-up cards of your own!

Michelle

It's Wednesday! ~ Crafter's Companion Inspiration Design Team Day

It's Wednesday!

and...

That means that it's Crafter's Companion Inspiration Design Team Project Day

here at my blog!

I've got the cutest Holiday card to share with you today...

created with Crafter's Companion Mulberry Wood "Wish Upon a Star" stamp set

I stamped the image (Memento Tuxedo Black ink) onto Ultra Smooth Card stock

and colored the image with Spectrum (Alcohol) Markers

I matted the colored image, using Black Pearl Shimmering Card Stock

and then created a second mat with a print chosen from the Festive Wonder paper pad.

I used a Shimmering card stock Pre-scored A2 card in White Pearl, as the base card

For embellishing I created a ribbon tab 

that I placed at the center...on the back top of the image layer.

I added Clear Sparkle marker to the snowy parts of the image.and the tiny stars.

Here's a close up....

There are lots of nice details on this happy 

and very adorable...Holiday image!

So now.....

it is officially December...

and Christmas is less than 3 weeks away!

If you haven't started your holiday card making yet....

I hope that this sweet little holy card inspires you to get busy...today...

creating some holiday cards of your own!

Thanks for visiting!

have a great day, my crafty friends!

Michelle.

SUPPLIES:

Stamp: Crafter's Companion Mulberry Wood "Wish Upon a Star" stamp set

Paper: Ultra Smooth Premium White Cardstock Unscored 8.5" x 11

Shimmering Cardstock - Black Pearl

Signature Collection by Sara Davies - Festive Wonder

Shimmering Cardstock A2 Prescored Cards (10pk) - White Pearl

Coloring: Spectrum Noir (Alcohol) markers ~ TN1, TN2, TN4, TN5, TN6, OR2, OR3, DR2, DR5, 

GG4, IG2, FS2, CT4, CG4, Colorless Blender

Misc: trimmer, asst adhesives, ribbon, Clear Spectrum Sparkle Marker

O' Tiny Tree

After taking a break from Christmas themed card making

with yesterday's "Totally Fabulous" card...

I decided to get back to Christmas.

A few weeks ago I picked  O' Tiny Tree stamp set (by Mama Elephant)  at a local shop

and thought that I should finally ink it up to make a card or two.

This stamp set has lots of great little (aka "tiny") stamps...

so the possibilities are many!

This is what I came up with.

 (Note: The sentiment is form another stamps...sorry...I can't recall which one)

I stamped the tree part of the image first....

then did the layering...

adding the pine needles and lights.

(It's a cinch to do the layering with this stamp set

because the pine needles are all on one stamp..

and the string of lights are all on another stamp.)

So to create this tree...you just need to stamp 3x's...

The star is a separate little stamp from the set that I stamped and cut by hand.

The lights, tree , wooden tree base and star were all colored with Stampin Up markers.

Background color was brushed on with Clarity Stencil brushes and ink pads.

I added some touches of Clear Wink of Stella here an there for a little bit of sparkle.

I chose red metallic card stock for the mini scalloped mat layer...

The print is from a past Stampin Up 4x6 print pad.

CAS (Clean And Simple) is my preferred style of card making...

and this card is all about CAS.

This was a fun and easy stamp set to use...

(Sometimes layered stamping can be tedious...but..not this time!)

By the way...

If you visit my blog often...

you're probably aware that I have been having camera (lighting/exposure) issues.

It's been difficult to take photos with authentic sharp colors.

Hopefully this will be resolved soon...

because I recently unearthed (aka unpacked) something that has been packed up for 4 years

since our hurricane construction days of 2012

I found my Nikon camera!!

(I felt like throwing myself a party!!)

So wish me luck!...

and here's to better photos in days to come!

Thanks for visiting!

Have a wonderful Sunday my crafty and creative friends...

I am off to spend the day in my studio!

What do YOU have up your crafty sleeve today?

Michelle.

Totally Fabulous....and a Little Bit Sassy!

Hello my crafty and creative friends!

Today I've got a quickie blog post and a "fabulous" card to share!

featuring...

Totally Fabulous...by Penny Black

"Fabulous" is the key word...

because...

The main image is fabulous...

the sentiment is fabulous...

and the sassy gal and the fashion conscious dogs sure is fabulous!

I colored this image with Spectrum Noir (Alcohol) Markers

Then added some background color with Clarity Stencil Brushes 

and ink pads.

I kept the matting simple....

with just one layer of a wonderful blue card stock.

The image layer was positioned and attached with foam dimensionals.

I love the details in this image...

the hat..purse...shoes...jewelry and accessories on the  dogs

Not to mention that this gal shouts CONFIDENCE and SASS!

Lately...when I share cards here at my blog...

 I find myself saying...

"This was a fun card to create!"...

And guess what?

Today...I am going to say it again...

This was a FUN card to create!

Thanks for visiting today!

Have a wonderful Saturday, my friends!

Michelle

Wintry Book Marks

I always get excited when I am asked to create some book marks.

They're fun to make...and to me, they're like working on a mini card.

So...when I was asked to create Wintry book marks...

Not Christmassy...just "Wintry"

I went through all of  my Winter and Holiday stamp sets...

and pulled out sets that had smaller images that would be an ideal size for a book mark.

I decided to use a few different sets...

and thought that I might mix and match stamps from different sets.

The stamp sets that I chose to create the book marks with were:

Happy Holidays....by Hero Arts

Winter Scene.....also by Hero Arts

At the end of the evening...I had an assortment of 10 book marks...

I used an assortment of ink pads to stamp the images...

and then added some additional color with my beloved Clarity Stencil brushes.

Each book mark has a metallic card stock mat layer.

The tag top was created with a Stampin Up Tag topper punch.

Each book mark was finished with ribbon and some touches of Clear Wink of Stella...

for some sparkle on the snowman...trees..berries and pine cones.

I was happy with what I had created...

and was ready to turn off the studio lights...

and call it a day.

And then...

I spotted The Ton's Fresh Cut Poinsettias stamp set on the studio work table!!!

so...

I left the lights on...and I sat down again...

to create a few more book marks. 

I love pink poinsettias ...so that's what I created.

I love the soft muted colors 

and it's always fun watching an image emerge when doing layering stamping.

So...

My goal of creating 10 book marks...

wound up being  an assortment of 14 book marks!

This was a fun project

(book marks always are fun to create)

And the ideal project to ease my way back into the studio.

I actually surprised myself ...because I had zero strength and energy all day....

I was like a limp noodle...

When I headed out to the studio it was truly an effort to pull myself together to move.

I thought that I'd make 3 or 4 book marks

and call it a night.

(and that would have made me happy)

Instead..I surprised myself!

Most of all..it feels great to finally be back...if even a little bit...to "creating".

You know...

It's funny how life is...

When we are on life's merry-go-round..

we long for a day of doing nothing.

But...

When you MUST spend weeks in bed...

you long for a day of feeling better....normal...and being able to enjoy the day...

and...even a ride on life's merry-go round seems appealing.

This being said...

During this past month of bed rest...

I have become the Queen of Channel Surfing...Net Flix and the Amazon Fire Stick...

and I'm proud to say that I am now an aficionado on Hallmark Christmas movies.

See what a month in bed can do to a person??

Thanks for visiting my crafty and creative friends...

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Now go make some book marks!

Michelle

It's Wednesday ~ Crafter's Companion Inspiration Design Team Day!

Some images shout WATER COLOR!

Country Christmas...a stamp set  

from the Sheena A Little Bit Festive Collection 

is one of those stamp sets.

I stamped the image onto Crafter's Companion Watercolor Card Stock

with Stazon on Black Ink.

Then...I colored the image with Spectrum Aqua markers.

When the image was complete, I used Black Pearl Shimmering Card Stock for the mat layer.

I created the sentiment piece the same way...
(* sentiment is not part of this stamp set)

I Stamped...cut..matted...and added some water coloring to the sentiment background.
I positioned and placed the main image piece and the sentiment piece with foam dimensionals.

The base card is a White Pearl A2 pre-cored card.

and a close-up....
I added a touch of Clear Sparkle marker
to the snowy areas on the roof and stone wall
to complete the card and add a little bit or sparkly shimmer.

When I was in college...I lived and studied in Austria...
and travelled to many of the surrounding countries...
This little cottage brings a smile...
because it reminds me of many of the Alpine cottages
that were part of the beautiful town where I lived...
as well as other towns that I visited.


Thanks for visiting ...
I hope that this card has inspired you to pick up your paint brushes...
to create a water colored card of your own.
Have a wonderful day, my crafty friends...
Michelle

Supplies:

Stamps: Sheena's A Little Bit Festive - Country Christmas

Paper: Crafter's Companion Watercolour Cardstock

Shimmering Cardstock A2 Prescored Cards (10pk) - White Pearl

Shimmering Cardstock 6" x 6" 20pc package - Black Pearl

Coloring: Spectrum Aqua Markers ~ Moss, Topaz, Evergreen, Bud Green, Slate, Gold, Fawn

Chocolate, Desert, Jasmin, Tan, Yellow, Marigold 

Misc: Trimmer, scissors , asst adhesives, Ink pad, asst water color paint brushes, water receptacle

A Snowman Returns

A few weeks ago, 

I created a card with a wonderful COUNTRY SNOWMAN stamp from Stampendous.

I had decided, then,  that this adorable snowman was my favorite snowman this year.

So...

this weekend, when I was asked to make some Winter/Holiday/Christmas themed cards

I immediately reached for this snowman stamp...again.

I used Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers to add color to the image.

The background color was added with Clarity Stencil Brushes and an ink pad.

(I used the mini scalloped rectangle die as a stencil when adding the brushed on background.)

I kept the card sketch the same...

used an assortment of prints for matting...

most of which came from the Crafter's Companion Traditional Christmas Paper Pad.

I used a scalloped metallic mat layer behind the main image

The sentiments are from an assortment of stamp sets.

I've got 3 cards to share with you...

As I mentioned, the sketches are the same...

The differences between each are the prints and the sentiments. 

The hounds tooth print caught my eye 

and so I used it as the largest mat layer on this card.

The biggest challenge when creating this little stack of cards

was finding narrow sentiments that would fit along the side of the card.

A few Concord and 9th stamp sets had sentiments that worked well on these cards. 

I stamped all of the sentiments with Gina K's Charcoal Brown ink.

(A new fave of mine...it's a beautiful brown!)

The mat layers on this card have snowflakes in muted colors on them...

(Wish you could see them better in this photo)

The nice crisp lines around the blue background inking

as created by using the scalloped die as a stencil, when brushing on the blue ink.

See? Dies are not just for die cutting!

I Like the holly print on this print...

You can also see the shimmer on the metallic card stock in this photo.

and one last photo of the 3rd card...

I'm happy with how the colors used on the snowman work well with the prints that I chose...

and I like that they're not the traditional Holiday colors..

It was nice to create a few cards with this snowman again.

and...

I have a feeling that he will be making another appearance next year.

Thanks for visiting!

Wishing you a wonderful and creative day!

Michelle.

Warmest Wishes

I (think) that I am finally able to say that I am feeling better!!

YAY!

After a month in bed...waiting to get over having pneumonia...

and watching tons of Hallmark Christmas movies

I am finally able to be up and about...

and am back to doing what I love!!

Card making!

Somehow...while I was sick..

November kind of happened...

and I was not a participant.

But now...December is almost here..

and I am so thankful for being able to join in on the fun.

I have so many new ...fun..and fantastic Wintry/Christmassy/Holiday-ish stamps and dies...

and now..

I am FINALLY able to enjoy them!

It wasn't easy choosing "which" stamp set to use first...

After going through the big stack of stamp sets that I have set aside on the studio work table...

I decided to create a few cards with Hero Arts COFFEE CUP TAGS.

(I almost always create in multiples...so I created 4 of this card)

I used my MISTI to stamp the cup with red ink.

By using the MISTI,  I was able to re-stamp multiple times to get great color coverage...

(no white or light spots)

I did the same for the holly leaves to get a good solid image.

The sentiment and snow flakes are stamps from other stamp sets (Concord and 9th)

The berries and cup edge were colored with Stampin Up markers.

The colors in this lovely print seemed to be a perfect match for Kraft Card stock..

so I cut a mini scalloped rectangle to sue as the background mat layer for the main image.
I matted the print on red card stock.

All of the components (the cup..whipped cream and holly sprigs) were die cut after being stamped

The cup was adhered with ATG adhesive.

The whipped cream and holly leaves were placed using foam dimensionals.

I added some shimmer to the whipped cream with a Clear Wink of Stella marker.

The Kraft layer was also secured with foam dimensionals.

Yes!...There's lots of dimension on this card!

I picked this beautiful print paper up last month 

at a wonderful local stamp and scrap shop

called Scrap-a-Latte

One of the owners, Renee, has an eye for beautiful paper

so I am always able to find lots of great 12 x 12 paper 

and some beautiful 6x6 paper pads when I visit the shop.

I was so happy to finally use this paper!

So now...

I THINK that I am "back"

I am taking it slow...

because fatigue is still an issue for me...

But I am THRILLED about being able to spend a few hours in my studio!

I've missed creating cards SO much.

Thanks for visiting today...

Wishing you a great Monday, my crafty and create friends!

Michelle

PS...Thanks a BIG bunch to everyone who has sent emails 

and/or private messages on FB during this past month..

asking how I am...

and sending good wishes and prayers.

Your kindness brings a smile...and gratitude.

Thank YOU!