Felt Hair Barrettes

I made some hair barrettes for my 2 daughters and my 2 nieces for Christmas this year. My goal was not only to make something pretty for the girls but to also get some of those "must try" projects done! They're super simple to make and didn't take me long at all. For these ones, I had had a few bare barrettes. I added some looped silver organdy (by looped, I mean that I looped the ribbon) and then a couple of die cut felt (from a box store) butterflies using the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die. The center of each butterfly was a brad - I used a couple of the fabric printed brads from a while ago and then my daughter wanted one of the Antique brads for the centre of hers!

I made some pretty packaging for the ones for my nieces too! One cannot gift a handcrafted gift without handcrafting the packaging, right? I made a cardboard backing (used the hardboard from the DSP packages) and cut out a couple of holes so the barrette could be secured to the cardboard. Then, I popped it in one of the bags that Stampin' Up sells - found on page 181 on the bottom right, called Cellophane Bags. I used the 4x6 size for these ones. The topper is made using the Top Note die, a few ciurcle punches, and then a heart punch for the nose.

Hope you like them?!

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Create with Connie & Mary - 182

Stamps: Many Merry Messages
Paper: Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, Silver Glimmer
Ink: Not Quite Navy
Accessories: Baja Breeze Seam Binding, Antique Brads, Movers & Shapers, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Dimensionals®

Ahhh .... Christmas is over once again and we're waiting for New Year's! I still have a few more Christmas cards so you may see them pop in over the next while.

Today's Create with Connie and Mary challenge is a fun sketch. I kept it simple and easy. As you can see, I'm in love with Silver Glimmer Paper! I used it again for this week's challenge (for the past 3, really!).

Hope you like it and are inspired to create! Please check out the challenge and play along with us over at Create with Connie and Mary.

Follow the Recipe - Year in Review 5

This month, the Follow the Recipe challenge is a year in review with themes each week! To play with this week's challenge, all you need to do is link up your fav project in the theme of the week over that the Catered Crop. This week, the theme is "Christmas" projects!

I loved this Christmas card. Loved, loved, loved it. It was a card I'd made for a Christmas class back in October and everyone who came really loved it as well. you can see the original post right HERE! I'd love to see what your fav Christmas projects were!

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Colour Q Challenge #117

Stamps: Take it to Heart, Mixed Bunch, Word Play, I {love} Love wheel
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink: Basic Black Craft ink, Stazon™, Blushing Bride
Accessories: Hearts Collection Framelits, Labels Collection Framelits, Blushing Bride Pleated Ribbon, Black Embossing Powder, White Organdy Ribbon, Basic Rhinestone, Dimensionals®

Good morning! Welcome to a new Colour Q challenge! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to celebrating New Years :) This week, the challenge is really simple - just to keep you in the stamping mode. I chose to add Blushing Bride as my extra colour along with the black and white. I did use a few new products that will be coming to you in the next mini catalogue from Stampin' Up (Jan 4).

I heat embossed the Label shape using Black embossing powder and Black craft ink with the flower image from a new set called mixed Bunch and the the heart image from the Take it to Heart stamp set as well. The rest is pretty easy peasy, eh?

Hope you like my card and are inspired to create something this week! Please check out the Royal Court creations and play along with us over at Colour Q!

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Receive Her King & a Snowman!

Stamps: The Sounding Joy, Medallion
Paper: Mellow Moss, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler
Ink: Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Pennant Die, Dimensionals, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, Celery Ribbon, Designer Button, Linen Thread

I was asked to help out the girls club in our church for a craft night a while ago. Now, I had offered month's ago so it wasn't a surprise to be asked! They asked for some Christmassy type projects for the girls to make. I figured that two projects would be enough so I started out with this one. I've seen the idea online in several places and really really loved it. I used a lot of retired products on this card to help deplete that stash :)

Funnily enough, when I asked my 8 year old daughter what she thought, she was not so keen ... I loved it, but she was hoping for snowmen ... so, back to the drawing board I went.

sentiment from the "Word Play" stamp set

and came up with this! I had already pre-cut the card base, the espresso and vanilla layers so I wanted to use that. I figured a green and brown snowman card looks pretty good! My natural impulse is to use blues but hey, I liked the way this turned out. I changed the cherry cobbler layer to Ruby Red as well and the shape became a Scallop Circle instead of the die cut Pennant scalloped circle. I needed to keep it simple for the girls, though. I had pre-punched everything. I also made the bows with buttons up ahead of time as well. And, I think it was a good thing :)

To remake the snowman, you'll need these punches:

For the Hat:
1-3/8" square punch, Word Window Punch,
Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border, Small Heart Punch

For the Head:
Wide Oval Punch

For the Nose:
Small Heart Punch (cut in half)

Assemble and voila, a snowman.

Hope you like these projects! I know the girls were so happy making this card!!! I'll show you the other project later :)

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Jolly Surprises

Stamps: Holiday Lineup, Many Merry Messages
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Early Espresso
Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso, Designer Series Paper Stacks
Accessories: Copic Markers, Dimensionals®, Vanilla Seam Binding, Scallop Trim Punch

We still had had these colours for an Inkspirations challenge and so even though the challenges are done, I still ended up playing and making this one. Habits are hard to break! I was inspired by a card made by Torico. Loved the layout, loved the use of small elements and the colour combination. I used different ingredients, though! I chose to use the Holiday Lineup stamp set and stamped, coloured, and cut out one of each of the three figures - a snowman, an elf, and a reindeer. I just looked at the stam pand figured out which one I liked best, no science ... :) I coloured them in with Copic markers because I felt like using my neglected tools ... sad, eh? One invests so much into a hobby and then still only uses about 10% of what they own.

The rest, is pretty easy to figure out, I think. BUT, if you have questions, I'm only an email away!

and, in case I'm not around before the holidays, I just thought I'd wish you all a very merry Christmas! I hope your holidays are filled with family, friends, and loved ones. Enjoy every moment (and not just at this time of year), make memories to cherish for a lifetime.

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Create with Connie & Mary - 181

Stamps: The Sounding Joy
Paper: Whisper White, Silver Glitter Paper
Ink: Versa Mark
Accessories: White Bakers Twine, Jingle Bell, Eyeley Border Punch, Dotted Ribbon Trim Punch, Snowflake Decorative Strip Die, Dimensionals®, Silver Embossing Powder, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder

Good morning :) It's a new challenge over at Create with Connie and Mary and it's such a pretty one! White and Silver ... a perfect Christmas combo, don't you think?

I had used this combo for a Christmas card class I'd held a while ago and I absolutely adored it. So simple yet so elegant, eh?

Please check out the challenge over at Create with Connie and Mary! Can't wait to see what you create!

Follow the Recipe - Year in Review 4

The fourth installment of the "Year in Review" is in full swing over at the Catered Crop. To play with this week's challenge, all you need to do is link up your fav project in the theme of the week over that the Catered Crop. This week, the theme is "Just Because" projects.

I can hardly believe that it's less than a week before Christmas ... time is flying! Again, I chose another yellow card. This must be my colour this year. I've made a lot more yellow cards in the past year than normal (and it's not like I made a lot of yellow cards) but I really feel drawn to the striking colour combination. Please check out the original post HERE! Have a fabulous day!

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Colour Q Challenge #116

Stamps: Woodgrain, Pines & Poinsettias
Paper: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Winter Wishes Stitched Felt, Mica Flakes, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Basic Pearls, Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon, Antique Brad, Dimensionals®; Hot Glue Gun

I should've shown a birthday card seeing as it's my birthday today, but I was in the mood to make a Christmas card instead! I've had this stitched felt from the Holiday Mini for a little while and wasn't quite sure what to do with the wreath ... but, the Colour Q challenge was perfect for using it!

Now, the idea of making a door is not unique, it's been done before but I really really loved that look! I decided to make a "door" and then add interesting bits to the wreath itself. Originally, the wreath is a simple green holly leaf shape. I added hot glue over the top of the wreath and then dipped it into the Mica Flakes (I have mine in a bigger tub). It's messy stuff, but worth it, in my opinion! I let the glue set for a bit and while that was setting, I made the little flowers. I punched out 5 of the flower shape from the Itty Bitty Punch pack. Then, I pushed each one in the centre with a stylus to pop up the sides and give them more dimension. A pearl was placed in the centre of each one, then I re-pushed the pearl in (it always flattens a little when adding the pearl!). Each flower was hot glued to the wreath. I tied a quick bow with the Lucky Limeade ribbon and hot glued that to the bottom of the wreath. Voila, a finished wreath!!! I hot glued the wreath to the door. The reason I used hot glue is because it really is the best glue for felt. Felt doesn't seem to like glue - glue dots do work, though, but I had my glue gun out - it's quick enough :)

Hope you like this card! Please check out the Royal Court's creations and play along with us over at Colour Q!

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merry Christmas

Stamps from Verve Stamps and PaperTrey Ink
Paper: Pool Party, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer, Always Artichoke, Lucky Limeade
Ink: Melon Mambo, Pool Party, Poppy Parade
Accessories: Basic Rhinestones, Wonderful Words: Holiday Collection dies (from PaperTrey Ink)

I had saved a card from someone, somewhere - there was no watermark and I cannot find it ... the layout is cased but I changed up the stamps and papers.

Hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by my blog today :)

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Inkspirations Challenge!

Stamps: Tags Til Christmas
Paper: Real Red, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer Paper, Blush Blossom
Ink: Real Red, Regal Rose, Bashful Blue
Accessories: tons of punches, Mini brads, Winter Wishes Stitched Felt, Dimensionals®, Elegant Lines Embossing Folder, Cuttlebug Alphabet Embossing Folder, Top Note die, Red Striped Grosgrain, Jingle Bell, Bakers Twine, White Gel Pen

It's our final Inkspirations challenge! Not just for the year, but forever ... wow. I've been a part of Inkspirations for a loooooooooooong time - my first Inkspirations post was back in 2009! If you want a peek through memory lane, you can stroll through all of my Inkspirations posts (over 125!) by clicking right HERE. I won't know what to do with my Friday's for a while ... it's going to be weird! BUT, as much as I'll miss stamping for Inkspirations, I have to say that this is a welcome break. It's time for something new and fresh, maybe make room once again for all those other challenge blogs I used to play in!

This week at Inkspirations, we're doing something a little different. Instead of a sketch or a colour combination, we're inviting you to join us in making something other than a card focussing on Christmas!

I chose to make this quick little box. Okay, the box is quick; the punch art is not ... the punch art took me forever but then, I don't make it very often so it takes a little longer to figure out which punches to use :)

The box itself is simple. I can't remember the dimensions, but basically the box is a non topped box sandwiched between two embossed top not die pieces. The handle was made using a strip of striped grosgrain that was strengthened with a narrower (leftover from the box) piece of real red card stock - just to keep the handle round rather than floppy ... :)

The punch art, well, like I said in the recipe above, it uses tons of punches. I have all of them so it's not an issue :) One thing to note, Blush Blossom is a colour that is retired so it is unavailable. Possible suggestions could be Pink Pirouette for a more pink face, or River Rock, or Crumb Cake ... Here's a list of what I used:

Ornament Punch - it's upside down for the hat in real red and right side up and embossed for the beard.

Wide Oval Punch - once in Blush Blossom for the face and once for the silver cuff on his hat (punch a half oval out first, discard what was punched, punch again to create the cuff shape).

Bird punch - two wings were punched out of Whisper White for the mustache.

Owl Punch - two basic black eyes were punched (I liked this size circle:)). - I added detail with the white gel pen.

1/2" Circle Punch - once out of Blush Blossom for the nose.

Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack - three of the flower shape were punched out of the silver glimmer paper, layered to create a pom pom for the end of his hat.

See, tons of punches ... I added cheeks with a sponge dauber and Regal Rose ink. Also, the bashful blue was used for sponging around the white pieces.

His mitts are from the Winter Wishes stitched felt (available in the Holiday Mini until January 3rd), and then I added a jingle bells with bakers twine to the pom pom - did you know that a dental floss threader works wonders for threading those bells? They aren't so horrible to thread when you've got an easy and inexpensive tool to use! I picked them up at a local drug store - 50 for less than $4.

Then, I added the sentimen which I punched out with the Scalloped Square Punch. Now how many punches did I end up using ... 7. Not bad, LOL!

Please check out what the rest of the Inkspirations Crew came up with and share your projects with us too over at Inkspirations!

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Create with Connie & Mary - 180

Stamps: The Sounding Joy
Paper: Whisper White, Silver Glimmer Paper, Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack
Ink: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Versa Mark®
Accessories: Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Snowflake Embossing Folder, Winter Wishes Stitched Felt, Jingle Bells, Baja Breeze Seam Binding, Dimensionals®, Bakers Twine, Sanding Block

I'm really enjoying my pack of Silver Glimmer paper and I really really really hope it will be in the next catalogue. It's so sparkly in real life - it's hard to reproduce this level of sparkly even with glitter. Plus, glitter is messy; this paper isn't.

Anyway, I made this for a new sketch over at Create with Connie and Mary! The one thing I really love about this card is the double embossed snowflake panel. You know why it's double embossed? heat and dry. The other thing that's really kinda cool is that the patterned paper has a white core so when it's sanded, the white pops out! The way I made this is:

1. Ink up the debossed side of the embossing folder with Versa Mark ink - you can find this by running your fingers over the insed of the embossing folder. If you feel bumps going up, you're on the embossing side. When the lines bend into the plastic, that's the debossing side.
2. Place your paper right side up onto the embossed side so that when you close the folder, the inked side is going to close on top of the face-up side of your paper.
3. Run the folder through the Big Shot.
4. Immediately heat emboss with the iridescent ice embossing powder. The powder will only stick to where the versa mark went - in this case, it won't stick to the raised snowflakes.
5. Then, once cooled, take your sanding block and lightly sand the raised snowflakes to all the snowflakes to pop out a little more.
   

For a reverse effect, try inking up the other side :) or, try inking with a coloured ink.

Hope you like my project!!! Please check out the challenge over at Create with Connie and Mary! Can't wait to see what you create :)

Follow the Recipe - Year in Review 3

As you know, this month the Follow the Recipe challenge is a doing year in review challenge with themes each week! To play with this week's challenge, all you need to do is link up your fav project in the theme of the week over that the Catered Crop. This week, the theme is "Birthday" projects!

There are so many cards to choose from the past year ... over 200! Can you believe that? 200 projects in one year and where did they all go???? Most are still here, LOL! That should be my New Year's resolution - to send more of those cards out in the mail, eh?

Anywho, you can see the orginal post right HERE! Have a great day!

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Colour Q Challenge #115

Stamps: Pennant Parade, Elementary Alphabet Builder Wheel, Sentiment from Bella Stamps
Paper: (top card) Whisper White, Real Red, Regal Rose, Love Impressions DSP; (bottom card) Whisper White, Garden Green, Lucky Limeade, Pocketful of Posies DSP
Ink: Stazon™, Real Red, Garden Green, Lucky Limeade, Regal Rose
Accessories: Pink Taffeta, Dimensionals®, Pennant Punch, Celery Taffeta (retired), Rhinestones

Good morning! The colour combination is a bright one this week. I needed birthday invitations for two of my children who celebrated their birthday's earlier this month so this was the perfect combo for them too :) Not so Christmassy, but certainly perfect, eh? As you can see, I made two versions of the same card. Well, they are actually all different because I reversed their layouts. It always amazes me that something so simple as using different colours or slightly moving around the elements can get you a variety of cards. 1 Colour combo, 1 layout = 4 cards!

I had to switch out the greens for different ones as I didn't have those same two greens anymore so I chose Garden Green and Lucky Limeade. They're different, but give that same amount of contrast, IMO.

I also used an image that I hadn't used since I bought it back in July ... I had ordered one of those Builder Wheels from Stampin' Up. Now, I did not get the spindle thing to attach it to a wheel. I actually peeled the stamp off, used some cling mount foam instead. I'd rather use it unmounted anyway - easier to use a stamp positioner or frankly in this case, I eyeballed them.

Anywho, hope you like my cards and are inspired to try something creative! Please check out the Royal Court's creations and play along with us :)

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dec 25 Tag

Stamps: Tags Til Christmas, Stitched Stockings
Paper: Whisper White, retired patterned Paper, Real Red
Ink: Real Red
Accessories: Dimensionals®, Stocking Punch, Rhinestone, Mica Flakes, Tag Die (Paper Trey Ink)

And here's the last tag of three made for a class in November :) This one uses the other tag die in the set that I'd gotten from Paper Trey Ink. Simple and small, this tag is really easy to make and perfect for any gift, eh? Wow, that sounded like an advert ...

Hope you have a great day!

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Inkspirations Challenge #99

Stamps: Come to Bethlehem, Music Notes Wheel
Paper: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla
Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, VersaMark®, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Glassy Glaze Embossing Powder, Dimensionals®, Striped Chocolate Grosgrain, Antique Brads, Gold Microbeads, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder

Time for a new Inkspirations challenge! The sketch is pretty straighforward although I did change it a little. For one, I don't make square cards, and I didn't really make those three square panels on the bottom. I was going to but somehow it didn't happen :)

Anywho, the main panel uses a technique called "Cracked Glass". It's really easy to create. All you do is stamp what you want on your paper (in this case, I rolled the wheel in Crumb Cake and the stamped the Wisemen image with Soft Suede). Then, you cover the panel with VersaMark and heat emboss. I used Glassy Glaze which is a thicker version of clear embossing powder. You can also use UTEE (ultra thick embossing powder), or just use the clear embossing powder. You'll need more layers of the clear embossing powder, though. So, yes, heat emboss. Repeat the process three times with the thicker embossing powder or 5 times with the regular clear embossing powder. Then, freeze it for about 30 minutes. After its frozen, crack the glaze by bending the paper! I sponged a darker brown over top to get a little added effect.

Now, one thing different that I added was the microbeads. I added them during the embossing process. After the first heat embossing, I put on the versa mark, dropped some of the beads on, added the powder, and heated. Then, I did another layer of embossing powder to finish.

Hope you like my card and are inspired to try something different out! Please check out the challenge and play along with us over at Inkspirations!

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Create with Connie & Mary - 179

Stamps: Elements of Style, Come to Bethlehem
Paper: Basic Grey, Whisper White, Lucky Limeade, Poppy Parade
Ink: Basic Grey, Versa Mark®
Accessories: Basic Pearls, Dimensionals®, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder

We just finished celebrating two of my children's birthday's ... wow, SO busy with TWO birthdays parties within TWO days. Wow, was that ever busy!! I can't believe how big they are getting ,though ... our daughter turned 7 and our son turned 6.

Anyway, here's my card for today's colour challenge from Create with Connie and Mary. Interesting colour combo. As you can see, a great Christmas combination which I could not ignore this week :)I'd seen a card a while ago with this kind of layout and I really loved the idea. Of course, it wasn't with SU product but I made it work with what I had - this is my favorite thing to do!!

Please check out the challenge over at Create with Connie and Mary! Can't wait to see what you create!