Black Tie Affair

I still have lots of Christmas cards to make because it is difficult for me to "skip" holidays, but for today's GRS Diner's Club preview I couldn't resist fast-forwarding to New Year's Eve!  My first idea with this wonderful sentiment was to use some music paper...the ones I have are gorgeous (and are, in fact, from the same 6 x 6 pad) but more vintage-styled, and I wanted this to be a black-and-bright-white, tuxedo inspired kind of card.  I love that clean, simple, classic elegance!

Want a free stamp?! The first 50 orders today are receiving a free stamp with their order. All stamps are 25% off (excluding Diner's Club sets.) Happy shopping!

Visit the GRS blog to see the rest of the images in this great new set, appropriately named "Let's Celebrate!"  You'll also want to visit our designers' blogs to see what they have made with it!

Enjoy your weekend!

Notes:
Gourmet Rubber Stamps "Let's Celebrate"
MME Lost and Found Sunshine designer paper
Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Copic markers
Spellbinders tag die
Creative Impressions crinkle ribbon
silver cording
Kaiser Craft bling
Quickie glue pen
glitter

ihp sale!

It's not even Thanksgiving yet, but let the Black Friday frenzy begin!  i {heart} papers is having a great sale!  Here are the details:

• valid Wednesday 11/23-Sunday 11/27. 
• 25% off EVERYTHING storewide (in stock items only, not valid on gift certificates) using code black25dt for orders totaling a minimum of $35
• 10% gift certificate bonus. IHP will add an additional 10% of the value of the gift certificate during this sale. (25% discount does not apply to gift certificates.)

Enjoy this Thanksgiving holiday!  Celebrate your blessings!  I hope you are able to spend some extra time with your family and friends!  

CPS 245

Hello friends!  It's been a while!  I didn't really plan to take a blog break, but sometimes life just gets in the way of creativity.  I'm hoping that I can jump back in without hesitation because there are lots of fun things coming up in the next few weeks!

This week's CPS sketch is sponsored by Clearsnap.  Visit the CPS blog to see the great cards made by my design team mates!

Notes:

Clearsnap rollagraph, rollers, and ink

Gina K Pure Luxury card stock
Tim Holtz worn lipstick distress ink
Jillibean twine
SU heart punch
Kaiser Craft pearls

Winter Blues!

This week's Flower Soft challenge is "Winter Blues!"  Perfect timing to use this adorable Moments in Time Little Friends Christmas card topper, which is being retired!  Thankfully, it is available as a stamp also, which is not on the retirement list!  If you haven't made your Christmas cards yet and want a fast and easy way to make multiples, you should snatch these pre-colored card toppers right up!

I trimmed this topper down to fit a standard A2 card, then cut a notch in it with a circle die, and scored 1/4 inch in from the straight edges.  That gave a little room for the beautiful blue to peek from underneath a glittery snowflake and gingham bow embellishment.  Easy peasy and super cute!

Notes:
Moments in Time Little Friends Christmas card topper
Nestabilities classic circle die
Polar White Flower Soft
PVA glue
gingham ribbon
MS snowflake punch
glitter
blue button

Visit the Flower Soft blog for links to the challenge designs by the rest of the team!

GRS Design Team Challenge

Our Gourmet Rubber Stamps team was given an inspirational color  challenge!  Just look at this beautiful Fall image!  I was drawn to the soft turquoise blue hues and the speckling of the leaves.

I started with kraft card stock spritzed with Tsukineko's Summer Sky Fireworks, then added two prints from Authentique's Gathering designer paper.  The Big Thank You sentiment was stamped on a tag cut from the flip side of the dotted print.  I colored and shaded the letters with Copic markers, keeping the colors soft.  To embellish, I added a layered bow of satin, twine, flowers and jeweled pins, along with matching pearls and swirls.  The pearly Fireworks makes it so pretty IRL, very hard to catch in a photo!

This layout was inspired by CAS Fall-to-Layout #166.

Be sure to visit the GRS blog!  There are peeks there, and links too, of all of my design team mates' challenge creations.  Now's a great time to shop...it's Black November!  Everything (except Diner’s Club stamps sets) is marked down 25%!

Notes:
Lizzie Anne's Big Thank You from Gourmet Rubber Stamps
Authentique's Gathering designer paper

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink

Tsukineko Summer Sky Fireworks

Copic markers

Kaiser Craft pearls

Zva small taupe pearl flourish

two-tone satin ribbon

natural twine thread

Kaiser Craft flower

antique stick pins

ihp Design Team Challenge!

It's time for this month's i {heart} papers design team challenge.  With the close of 2011 in sight and a brand new year on the horizon, we're spotlighting some cute calendar stickers provided by SRM Press.

I recently started teaching coloring classes, and for the past several months I've been stashing receipts wherever they happen to land.  The need to be more organized inspired this project, which will also provide safe-keeping for seasonal class ideas, marker color choices, etc.  Isn't it more fun when the ho-hum everyday things can become more colorful and sparkly?!

I will be adding an envelope to the ring for each month of the year and hanging the ring in a prominent spot so that it is easily accessible, probably on the handle of one of my Copic crates!  I'll be able to see at a glance when my classes are scheduled and how long I have before the prep-work needs to be finalized.  Receipts for supplies will go straight into the appropriate envelope instead of getting lost amongst the rest of the paper scraps in my studio!

The closure that I used is a ready-made twist closure that I purchased from Michael's...it barely lasted long enough to take this photo, so from now on I'll be using some circle dies, eyelets or brads, and cute twine to make my own!

Notes:
Paper Smooches Swanky Snowdudes
Memento ink
Tim Holtz tea-dye distress ink
Copic markers
October Afternoon Holiday Style designer paper
Stickles
Inkssentials white opaque pen
White twinkle ribbon
Kaiser Craft rhinestones
white coin envelopes
twist closures
hinged metal ring

Visit the blogs of my design team mates to see how they've used SRM calendar stickers in their projects!

• Carolyn
• Gretchen
• Kendra
• Loretta
• Lori
• Lynn
• Tracy
• Kate

Come to My Pad!

This week's CPS sketch is sponsored by The {Stamps} of Life!  This layout was just perfect for our new club set, froggy2love.   Since the frogs make music every night near our house, I included a bit of music score behind him, although I suppose a meal buzzing overhead would be music to his ears!  ;)

Notes:
froggy2love, sayings4froggy
Stephanie Barnard for Clearsnap inks

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink

Copic markers
BoBunny dots background paper
October Afternoon Sidewalks designer paper
May Arts ribbon
black brads

Mini-VSN!

I had a fun Veteran's Day weekend stamping a few cards for mini-VSN between Friday and Sunday performances with the Orange Park Chorale!  What a privilege it has been to sing with such a talented group!  I am learning so much, and have met some amazing new friends!  

The first VSN card I'm sharing today is for Lisa's challenge, Warm and Cozy and All Bundled Up!  We were to make a card or project with an image of a something you'd bundle up with....scarf, hats, mittens, sweater, blanket, etc.....AND to make it warm and cozy by incorporating felt into the project.  I chose this sweet snowgal who is holding a fuzzy warm muff. (I had a one just like it but mine was white!)  This is the first time this darling OCL single has seen ink!

The card's warm colors were inspired by some old DCWV "flannel plaid" designer paper which I (machine) blanket-stitched to some textured Bazill card stock.  The sentiment was stamped in white craft ink on kraft card stock which was "warmed" with some tea-dye distress ink.  I added a few strokes of black multiliner to add contrast and definition to the letters.   

It was kinda fun to pull out and love some old stuff that has been sitting sadly neglected for a while!

Notes:

Our Craft Lounge's Mrs. Frosty

Bazill textured card stock

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink

white craft ink

Copic markers

Kaiser Craft lace

Sugar Sparkly Fluff

Creative Impressions felt flowers

Graphic 45 metal flower

MS snowflake punch

Creative Imaginations jewel

My second card is for Kelly's challenge, to create a card representing a favorite holiday song.  I must admit that it would be virtually impossible for me to choose a single favorite!  I absolutely LOVE to sing, especially during the Christmas season, and this cute caroler captures the joy that music brings!  

Kelly requested that we use at least two layers and two embellishments.  The caroler was stamped on a scrap of Copic blending paper and again on Basic Grey designer paper.  I cut around the image and glued it directly to the designer paper, adding sparkly fluff to the hat, scarf, and pant cuffs for dimension, texture, and sparkle!  After stitching around the edges and attaching the sentiment with twine, that layer was adhered to the card base with dimensional adhesive dots.

Notes:
Gina K Designs Kraft card stock
Our Craft Lounge Sing with Joy!
Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink
Copic markers
Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses designer paper
Spellbinders ribbon tag trio
Appletini and Daquiri Ice Sparkly Fluff
The Twinery twine
buttons from the stash

There's still time to play a few challenges for this weekend's Virtual Stamp Night on SCS! The deadline to upload is tonight at 10:00 EST.

Mark your calendar for the main event, Winter Wonderland VSN on Friday, December 9th and Saturday, December 10th!

Water Lilies

Sundays are a day to rest and refocus, so I thought it appropriate to post this card, made with a lovely water lily from this month's TSOL club set, froggy2love.  The set is filled with cute images and funny sayings, but this particular image can be made into a quite elegant card!  I love it when you can work a set that way!  You can get lots more inspiration from the TSOL gallery, and since TSOL is sponsoring this week's CPS sketch, you can check out the cards there too!  Mine will be posted on Tuesday, as usual!

Lots of "white space" and the soft colors of this card create a tranquil, peaceful atmosphere that would be perfect for a variety of occasions.  I often delay choosing a sentiment to stamp until the occasion arises...such is the case with this card.  It would've made a nice get well or thinking of you card, but I will be sending it as a sympathy card.  My friend recently lost her mother, who lived in a pretty house on a peaceful pond, so she'll appreciate this lovely lily!

Notes:
TSOL froggy2love
Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Tim Holtz tea-dye distress ink
Basic Grey Sweet Threads designer paper
Neon Yellow Ultrafine Flower Soft 
PVA glue
Kaiser Craft pearls

Virtual Stamp Night!

Did you "attend" Virtual Stamp Night on SCS last night?  I thought I would be able to visit the VSN forum early, then sing in the first of two Orange Park Chorale concerts this weekend, then VSN some more after our performance, but things didn't turn out as planned!  Thankfully, Plan B was all good too!

The card I'm sharing today is for Carole's challenge, It's a Marshmallow World!  She asked us to make an all white card with something sparkly...only the image itself could be colorful.  I made a Christmas snow globe with lots of shine, sparkle, texture and dimension.  Flower Soft's colorfully printed paper-crafting kit and ready-to-assemble aperture cards make it fast and easy!

Notes:
Christmas Snow Globe papercrafting kit
Oval Aperture cards and envelopes
Display globe
Nestabilities classic ovals
Silver peel-off stickers
Polar White Flower Soft
Clear self-adhesive rhinestones
dimensional adhesive dots
Sheer twinkle ribbon

Cuttlebug embossing folders (dots, snowflake strip)

additional white card stock

EK border punch