414 & 415 PPRS

Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps really makes the cutest little images.  I am enjoying working with them as I have always been drawn to small images but never really “used” them.  I love their circle die that allows the images to fit perfectly into them.  They have such a wide array of little decorative edges to play with.

I got to use my new Simon Double Stitched dies that came in the mail yesterday.

I am entering this into the Simon Wednesday Inspiration Challenge.   Inspired by the swirly looks of the pine trees in photo one.

MFT Sketch 207 and Color Challenge

This is a stamp that I have used previously but I wanted to play in MFT color challenge and I don’t have a lot of their winter dies.  I used distress inks to water color in the required colors for the pallette challenge.  I got creative with the scalloped edge to us only MFT products on this card.  Look how I used this part from Blue Prints 1.  I use BP1 and 15 the most.

I am also entering it into Simon’s Winter Inspiration Wednesday Challenge,  I was inspired by the mittens and her little handful of pine cones which is snow in this picture.   

 

MFT 207 Sketch Challenge

Home for the Holidays with Prickley Pear

I wanted to try something a little bit different and use some non-traditional colors for a card.  I chose a graphite gray card stock for the main panel.  I used a stencil and my white color box pigment ink to create the bricks.  Then I chose  a chip board circle and covered it with a rust colored cut out. 
I love this sweet little collage musical image from Prickley Pear.  Its called Collage Pinecone Tag.  Because the stamp is rounded on the corners I wanted to round the edges of my two layered pieces but my corner chomper cuts too large for this delicate piece.  Hmmm….aha, I have done this before but not for a long time.  I still have some of those scalloped scissors that don’t cut worth a penny but they do make nice little curved edges on card stock.  Here’s how you do that?  Isn’t it fun???

Once that was completed I flicked spatters on the layers with a tooth brush.  I kind of protected 2/3rds of the green layer to keep the image clean.  I went digging in my stash and found the perfect little banner accent piece from My Mind’s Eye (clearanced after last Christmas at Michaels)  remember to go looking for the clearance stuff.  don’t you just love a bargain?  Seems like I just bought that though and here it is time to use it already.
I then added this pretty little ribbon from Hobby Lobby’s one dollar ribbons.  The colors were perfect for this.
Oh yes and that sweet little cardinal, he’s from Prickley Pear also.  He comes from the Scalloped Oval 3 Winter Stamps set and I fussy cut him out to perch right on that little sentiment from the same set.  So what do you think?  Does the non-traditional idea work? 

Frostyville

had an idea in my head that I wanted to use this Frostyville Border die from Memory Box. I purchased this die from Simon. I was very careful how I heat embossed on that foil.  I didn’t want it bursting into flames.  The image is PPRS and the sentiment is SU.  I am entering this into Simon’s Inspiration challenge.  Inspired by the snow flake on wood. 

Stamp 412 DCRS

Isn’t she sweet?  In her little apron and cookies in hand?  I love aprons.  I wish I would have kept some of the ones I made when I was in eight grade home ec.  I think my mom might still have the one I made for her.  It was purple and it was kind of sheer.  completely useless as an apron but still pretty. 

You know, it’s going to take me awhile to get through all the stamps we were given and what I purchased on that very fun weekend.  They offered us such discounts it was hard to say to NO to things I had had on my list over the years.  It was so fun to get free stamps.  That’s fun to me, because it is a challenge to use something that I didn't pick out.  Can I make it work?

I did choose this one though.  I chose the small one, it comes in a full size image too.  I just love how this all came together.  I had to think about it and try a couple of different things.  I’m glad for all the “schtuffs” I have on hand to make things work.  so fun

Stamp #411 Snow much fun

Another free stamp from our weekend retreat with Door County Rubber Stamps.  Isn’t he adorable?  I needed to make a CAS card for Split coast.  I didn’t have the exact saying I wanted so I hand wrote in the word “prosperous”  It just fish with this guys catching of a good fish.  I used MFT Blueprints 15 for the die cuts and the design.  I water colored my paper and image even though it isn’t water color paper.  It still worked okay.  Your paints don’t “move” on this regular cardstock like they do on water color paper.  And this will also go into Simon’s Monday Anything goes challenge.

Stamp #410 a wee little one

We got this little candy cane stamp as part of a gift bag at the Door County Stamping retreat back in October.  It’s  Door County Rubber Stamp original.   I was wondering how I would be using it.  Then I picked up these balsa wood tags at Michaels the other day for 50% off.  Best time to try something, right?  Wasn’t sure how I would like a “dark” holiday card but I love what the bakers  twine did to this creation.  Now I need to make more of them.  I am now working on my holiday cards for next year, while I’m in the mood and have all the supplies out. I will enter this in Simon Says Monday Challenge Anything goes.

using up a set Stamps 408/409

Yay! I got the entire Ginger Bread set from Mark’s Finest Papers used up.  These two little holly branches were in that set and needed using but to me they didn’t look at home with the ginger bread man.
I had embossed this house mouse image earlier (when I made my other similar card a couple of weeks ago)  You can see that card HERE.  But I smeared the embossing powder and ended up having to cut them out.  I didn’t want to throw them away.  (gasp)  I like how the holly really pops right off the page and looks realistic.  I added sequin berries for a bright little touch. I am entering this in Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes Monday challenge.

Stamp #405 Playing in a new challenge

I found this new challenge blog that seems as if it must be always an inspiration challenge.  I am gonna hop right in with this one and play along.  I think their design team is fabulous. Here’s the link, feel free to join in with the rest of us.  It’s called Curtain Call. Here’s the inspiration they are challenging us with this week.  And here is my creation.
I used Mark’s Finest Papers little ginger bread boy along with a Top Dog Die to place him on. It took a while to make this all come together but in the end I liked it.  I thought the scallop edge with the Stampin’ Up coffee cups added a bit, you know, like cookies and coffee.  Especially with ginger bread, right?  I used a bit of distress markers to color in the coffee mugs and tie them in with the doily. The scalloped edge reminds me of the curve on the candy canes and I had to get a bit of embossing in there because the door on the inspiration photo looks embossed.  I am also entering this into Simon Says Monday Anything Goes challenge

Beautiful Christmas Stamps #406 &407

A person never knows how a card will turn out.  I started with just that foil banner that I had cut from a scrap.  I have that beautiful embossing folder from Coutre Creations and it embossed that foil card stock beautifully.  After trying a couple of things that just looked blah, I decided to use my sold stand by cuttlebug embossing folder on some highly glittered white card stock.  mmmm…I love that.  I distressed that beautiful music stamp from Mark’s Finest Papers (retired set) and wrapped it with gold cord.  It still looked a little not quite done.  I wanted to add the holly leaves but didn’t want them plain white and the colored ones just threw off the entire color scheme.  hmmm…what to do?  I saw my Clear Star pen in my holder and that was the perfect answer for some frosty looking holly and I used my gold gel pen for the berries.  Now it looks so much more finished, but still lacking something.  Enter the pearlized Candies up there in the corner.  I am so in love with this creation.  It’s one of those you want to keep because you created it, and you like it so much.  but then…if I mail it, the enjoyment will be extended because I get to enjoy the creation of it and someone else will also enjoy it.  Yes, I think I will mail it.  I am entering this into Simon Says Anything goes challenge for Monday.

MFT Sketch 206

It’s bee a while since I played in MFT sketch challenge.  I am so happy to have the time this week.  I flipped the sketch and made both top layers out of the same card stock.  I bout that wonderful embossed paper last year at a local store and I still have a couple of sheets left of it.  I made the vellum ribbon and the stars from Blue Prints pieces and then tucked that little chip board button on the top.  I embossed the vellum  in the Swiss dots embossing folder before die cutting it.   I really enjoyed this simple sketch.  The sentiment is from an MFT set also.

snow man fun and stamp #404

This is a GKD stamp that I used recently for one of her challenges.  He’s just too cute not to use again.  For this card, I used a torn scrap of paper to mask the tag off and give it some soft snow drifts.  I added the little holly leaves up top with a new stamp from Door County Rubber Stamps.  It looked kind of out of place just hanging there on nothing so I drew in a little bow.  There, that looks better.  I backed my tag with a piece of Gold Foil cardstock and sponged the tag and that was it.  Oh yes, and then that perfect ribbon from Ribbon Carousel.

stamp 403 Northwoods Rubber Stamps

How exciting!  This was just one of the free stamps we received at the stamping workshop sponsored by Door County Rubber Stamps and Scrapbooking back in early November.  I’ve been waiting to use this guy.  He loves birds, just like I do.  Colored with Distress markers on Northwoods water color paper and then sprinkled with Art Impressions Glitter.   I used stickles to bling up the little chip board accent piece and added a sweet button at the top.    I love snow men or ladies.  The very appropriate sentiment is from a Simon Says Sentiments set.   I am entering this into Simon’s Wednesday Challenge, to bling it up.  I think this is a snow lady, she has such a fancy hat.  I added a shiny button bling and also a chipboard bling that i painted with shimmery stickles for some added sparkle.

Northwoods Rubber Stamps #402

I love this stamp on the scroll.  It is so pretty.  For this years offering I embossed it with black embossing powder, colored it with distress markers and then used spray adhesive on it and sprinkled Art Impressions crystal glitter all over it.  In real life it is AH-mazing.  The little button tree just seemed to fit up there in the corner and on the bottom left I added a multi-layered brown snowflake created from a Sizzex die from long ago.  You can’t see it very well on the snowflake in the picture but the addition of a tiny silver star gives this just the touch of bling it needs.  The gold in the ribbon kicks it up a notch.

I am entering this in Simons Bling it on Challenge for Wednesday.

Stamp 401 Stampin’ Up

This pretty pine cone is from a SU set that actually has the image in a square.  I just carefully rubbed off the VersaMark ink from the frame it was in and used only the pine cone.  I have had a vision of making these white embossed pine cones for a while but never quite got the right mojo going for them.  Then I saw this scrap of card stock left over from a previous creation and, well, it just worked. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  I sure am loving the gold foil card stock I picked up at Michaels.  Just adds the perfect touch of elegance and moves the card up a notch in “coolness”, eh?  LOL

Thanks for stopping by.

repurposing

I’m a card maker.  I can’t stand to throw away something that might be useful in the craft room. I usually try to save a couple of cards from the previous year to re-purpose them.  Like this one.  It came in handy today when I really didn’t feel like I could put my mind to crafting, but I have a CAS challenge commitment as part of the hosting team on Split Coast.  The challenge is to be Clean and Simple and be shimmery.
This image came in all it’s glittery goodness and I just felt it had to be repurposed.  I cut out the cute image, layered it on to some shimmering gold reflective card stock added the perfect snowflake charm I have been trying to get off my desk for two years, stamped a sentiment and it’s ALLLLL good.  I love how it turned out, it meets the requirements, I can no go to bed in peace. 
Have a wonderful Sunday everyone. Thanks for dropping by.  I know your schedules are busy this time of year. Image is by Fantus Paper Products.  I don’t know if you can see that what looks like texture is ALL glitter, it is so sparkly, I love it.  I am entering this into Simon's Bling it On Challenge for Wednesday. 

Having so much fun with Prickley Pear Holiday stamps

Don’t you think these choraling kids are the cutest?  I love the little puppy who went to sing along.  When we were children, before it was dangerous out there, all five of us used to go and carol around the neighborhood.  People would invite us in and give us hot chocolate or apple cider and lots of them gave us money in the form of coins.    We always had so much fun doing that.  It was my four brothers and me.  I know it was before I was ten because that is when we moved and we didn’t do it any more after that. I used to have a little muff thing like that to keep my hands warm too.  (I told you I was and advanced in age stamper) 
This stamp is called Bundled for Winter and it is one of the red rubber stamps they sell that stamps so crisply.
I embossed the main panel and the white panel and then just used a white gel pen for some faux stitching on the gray panel.
To give a bit of added interest I cut the image out with the largest of the Scallop Nesting Die Set also from Prickley Pear.
Here’s a close up to see some of the detail  I used Staedler Water Color pencils to color with.  I just in-lined the images a bit and used a blender pen to pull the color.


 

Stamp 400

LOL, you would think for a milestone marker of 400 different stamps used this year that I would have some grand stamp to show off.  Well the 400th stamp is that little stamp that went into the basket on the sled.  Yep, you can put different stamps for the different seasons into the basket.  Since Simon’s Monday challenge is all about Transportation, I thought I would enter this sled image in for that.   You can’t see the Wink of Stella very well on the snow but it does add some glitz to the card.  Happy Stamping

Technorati Tags: SU,Winter,Christmas

Stamp 399 from the same MFP set

From the same MFT gingerbread set comes this tag image.  I fussy cut it out and using up scraps of everything made it into this nice home spun feel happy card.

Technorati Tags: Christmas,Tags,Winter,MFP

Stamp #398 Ginger Bread Mark’s Finest Papers

I received this set of stamps one year when I was designing for MFT.  I think it is so adorable.  all those happy gingerbread men.  I had seen this cord technique uses on Lols @ Lorraine’s Loft Blog and I loved it.  It is so hard to tie that frustrating cording.  I knew right away I wanted to try it.  Check out her beautiful cards. I am entering this in Simon's Wednesday Challenge Holiday Cards. 

Technorati Tags: Christmas,Mark's Finest Papers

Winter Birthday

I received a beautiful card in the mail for Thanksgiving holiday and I was inspired to try the die cut words using the negatives as the main portion.  the tedious part of this was to keep the little bitty pieces that make up the insides of the letters all in one place and oh so carefully glue them and place them.  Still, I like the effect and would do it again. 

I made this flower from home made paper and a die from MFT.  It’s there gardenia die that I think is on sale right now.  I used my home made glimmer spray on the main panel to give it some movement.  it looked tooooo white.  Cherry Lynn dies.

Technorati Tags: Cheery Lynn,MFT Gardenia,Happy Birthday,Script cutouts

Happy Cardinals Stamp #397

I have had this cardinal stamp for three years and for two of those I forgot about them.  I’m using up scraps of paper and thought this would take a few of those off my OCD list.
They are so cheerful.  Got ‘em at a rummage in the summer one year, no wonder I forgot about them. I am entering this into Simon's Wednesday Holiday Card Challenge.

Technorati Tags: Christmas,MFT,birds,Holiday

More Susan Louise images

I don’t know, at first it seemed like “cheating” to use pre-stamped and pre-colored images but they are so very cute and beautiful that I got over that.  I am enjoying finding ways to utilize these images and make the Holiday card making process go more smoothly and quicker.  For this one I sponged with Ranger Distress inks and then flicked some water on.  Since they are printed on Tim Holtz specialty paper the water reacts with the distress inks to look like snow and give some beautiful character. I love this very nice gold paper I picked up at Michaels. I stamped the sentiment from Mark’s Finest Papers onto the corner.  When using this paper, I found you have to be very careful and it would be best to use Staz-on. This was slippery and luckily only smeared a teeny bit or my image would have been ruined.  Thanks for looking. I am entering this into Simon's Wednesday Holiday Card Challenge

Technorati Tags: Susan Louise,Christmas,Birds,Holiday

Recreating MFT #396

I had to recreate this one, I just did not like the way the ink looked stamped directly on the circle layer.  I made the same card again, stamped it again just like the first one but this time I cut another layer out of white and stamped the sewing machine on that.  I like it ever so much better.  I made the pearls in graduated sizes also with my Viva Pearl pen.  Yep, I like it now.  I am entering this one into the MFT sketch challenge for Wednesday.  You can find that HERE.  Stamp # 396 is the measuring tape which completes using that sewing set from MFT

MFTWSC205

Stamps 393, 394, 395 GKD

I like playing in StampTV challenges because the prizes are so very worth it.  Gina gives away a mini card kit with ribbons, papers, stamps and embellishments.  What a great gift.  This week For Joyces challenge to use as much shiny and shimmery I chose all these images i received in one of those grab bags. Unfortunately, the camera didn't pick up the shimmer. I used gold foil for a bg layer, the L & R sides have Art Impressions glitter on the top panel, I used Wink of Stella on the snow man and his buttons. I added a tiny rhinestone bling to his hat over the button. Fun, but i wish it showed up better. The mistletoe and the berries are two different stamps.

Technorati Tags: GKD,Christmas,Winter

MFT color Palette challenge

Thought I would play along with this with a non-holiday card.  All items are MFT except the embossing folder.   You can find the challenge HERE.

Stampendous House Mouse Stamp # 392

I wanted to play along with another card in the Simon Says Wednesday Holiday card challenge but this time using the Stampendous products that they are featuring this week.  I chose the Candy Gram House Mouse with Maxwell and Amanda.  I have had my silver embossing paste sitting out because I wanted to use it this holiday season and for some reason it’s more difficult to use than I thought.  It doesn’t show up as well as gold does. I added a bit of Clear Star sparkle pen to the candy canes.     I used the outside the box technique with my MFT dies.  All these dies are from the MFT Blueprints 3.  I turned the bow over and ran a stylus around the pieces to give them a bit of height then used dimensionals to pop them up a bit.  Aren’t they so cute?

Technorati Tags: Stampendous,House Mouse,Christmas

Stamp 391-Door County Rubber Stamps

I bought this image at the stamping retreat and wanted to put it into action THIS holiday season.  So many times my holiday stamps get pushed off into the next year. I had fun using this in two different ways.  A simple way and then a bit more detail.  That little sheet music tag is also from Door County Rubber Stamps.  It made a great background for this sweet little boy.  I am entering this first card in the Simon Says Holiday Wednesday Challenge.

The second card I used an MFT stencil on.  I posted this card for the mixed media challenge but I just want to include it on here to show how different the same stamp can look when used in two different ways.  I love the golden oval that surrounds the image.

Mixed Media and a new stamp

I found this sweet little image at Door County Rubber Stamps.  It is one of their own original creations.  I purchased it at the stamping retreat along with the sentiment and was anxious to use it and I am just getting around to it now.  Still in time for the Holidays though.  At least it’s not AFTER the fact.
I found a new challenge blog, all about mixed media, thought I would dip my little toe in with a fairly simple card.  I have been wanting to use my Dream Weavers embossing paste not covering the entire card front.  I used a light hand with the paste and just in spots on the stencil and then touch it up with a tiny bit of distress ink.  Copics, Glitter and ovals finish it off.  The sentiment is embossed with SU fine detail white.  Thanks for stopping by.
I hope to learn a lot from this site.  I am also entering this into Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge to show our Holiday cards.

Prickley Pear Snow Bunnies

I was so excited to see this image.  It is so beautiful.  It called out for a different color than black.  I love how the red on the kraft colored card stock turned out.  This beautiful ribbon from the Ribbon Carousel was the perfect accent. It looks kind of like a snow drift doesn’t it?  The non-traditional color of turquoise adds a surprise element to this card.  The snowflakes look so frosty die cut in vellum with the beautiful die from Prickley Pear.  This was the most fun card to create.  When I got all that red rubber, this was the first card I stamped but I didn’t want to post it until closer to Christmas. 

SUPPLIES FROM PRICKLEY PEAR
Snow Bunnies – Red Rubber Stamp
Snow Flake Pendant Die Set
Sentiment is from  Scalloped Oval 3- Winter Clear Stamp Set

Doesn’t this just bring the feeling of Holiday joy out??  I hope you enjoy the fun spirit that this Holiday brings.
I made a special envelope with my envelope punch board to accommodate the snowflake hanging off the edge. 

Because I was so excited to receive my Prickley Pear goodies I was anxious to make this following card with the Hibiscus Die, that I had in mind,  as soon as I knew that I would be a Guest Designer. Isn’t it fun to take something and use it in an intentional way to create something new from it.  I wanted to turn that Hibiscus into a Poinsettia.  What do you think?  Mission accomplished?

My first step was to use a stencil and create a panel to represent snow.  Then using the Hibiscus die cuts that I punched out three times, I used  my Scor Buddy and bone folder to crease and bend the leaves for dimension.


After doing that, I stacked the three die cuts with glue dots to hold them.  Since this is such a fun matching stamps and die set, I stamped the hibiscus and then fussy cut the center out in pink.  I used the patterned leaf clear stamps to give some character to the die cut leaves.  After assembling the flower I added the enamel dot and some gold cord for a fun double bow.  The little berries are rain drops product.  The sweet teeny sentiment comes from the Snow Flake inserts set and it embossed nicely onto the red punched oval. Here’s a picture of the card from the side and you can see the dimension of it. 
Thanks for stopping by today and having a look.  Check out the Prickley Pear Blog for wonderful inspiration from my team mates. They have a Monday Inspiration day each and every week.
PRICKLEY PEAR SUPPLIES USED:
Hibiscus 2 Clear Stamp Set
Hibiscus Die Set
Snow Flake Inserts Clear Stamps

Prickley Pear is having a SALE

What better time to scoop up red rubber than a 30% off sale.  You will love the soft vintage look of Prickley Pear stamps.  I am not a vintage stamper but I love love love the look of the Prickley Pear.  They also have nice sentiments in red rubber.  The rubber is flat.  You need to adhere it to your own acrylic block.  They stamp beautifully.   Click on the picture to find your way to their site.  Happy Shopping.  the beauty, you have until the 15th to add items to your cart, or if you want Christmas stamps early, you can go for it right now!