Tag Tuesday Colors of Christmas

A quick little post today... lots to do, of course. ;)  The challenge this week at Tag Tuesday is to use the Christmas Colors of Navy, Turquoise, and Red.  This was a fun one once I found my little feature image that I received in a swap, which happened to have the required colors in it already.  I glittered it up and framed it with a Tattered Angels frame that I had sponged with Chipped Sapphire distress ink.  The snowflake border is cut with a Martha Stewart punch, and the stamp is from Cornish Heritage Farms.  A little bling, a little Broken China and Antique Linen distress ink, some soft velvety ribbon that I got in the same swap... and a frosty little Christmas tag was born.

I hope all my American friends have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I don't do black Friday, so hopefully I'll get some time to craft after my dinner settles, LOL!  Thanks to everyone who follows, comments, shares, inspires, visits..... I am so grateful for all my crafty, blogland friends! 

Tag Tuesday Backgrounds

This week at Tag Tuesday, guest hostess Pam has challenged us to make a tag where the background is the star.  I've had this idea floating around in my head for a while - using Tim's snowman texture fade in a way that would convey how much I'm wishing for snow, ice skating, making snowmen.... you know, all the things that a northern girl transplanted to North Carolina yearns for when the weather turns colder.

I think of this tag as a snowman wishing to happen.  The background is Glimmer misted (can't remember all of the colors, but Dragonfly is my fave).  I sprayed them on my craft mat, smooshed them on the tag, then spritzed the tag with water for a more snowflakey effect.  Then I embossed the snowman and sanded him, so that he's sort of a shadow of a snowman, looking at that big snowflake and wishing to appear.  A little pigment ink white and some mica flakes give him somewhere to call home.

This was a fun and creative challenge, and many thanks to Pam for being such an inspirational hostess.  I've got a day filled with kids' sporting events, but I'm hoping to get in some time to visit all of the lovely blogs I've been missing these past few days.  a sweet end-of-the-weekend to everyone. :)

A Gift Idea for the Book Lover

I just wanted to pop in quickly and let you know about a post I have up over at the Rogue Redhead Designs blog today.  It's a quick and easy little gift idea for the book lovers in your life.  It's getting to be that time of year.... ;)

Christmas Cards - En Masse

Our ATC club had a Christmas card swap (actual greeting cards, not ATCs) tonight.  I went with two general themes - kids and Santa - and used lots of Christmas paper scraps that I've been hoarding from years past.  A few quick and easy and *mailable* cards, very fun to make.

Here are a few using Artistic Outpost's Sleigh Ride plate, along with some Tim Holtz texture fades, glitter, Tim stamps, and Hero arts snowflakes sprinkled in:
In purple...

And white...

And blue....

 And here are a couple of Tim Holtz Santas, with ticket stamps and dies:
In white....

And blue...

Have you started your Christmas cards yet? Do you make yours?  I was very surprised when I saw that one of my very, very favorite papercrafting artists and bloggers actually orders hers from an online shop that prints them up with the customers own photos.  *Manufactured* cards, from someone who makes quite possibly the most beautiful Christmas cards I've ever seen. *Gasp!*  So whaddya think?  Is your Christmas card list so long that you have to buy them?  Does it feel weird?  Do you give handmade cards to the chosen lucky few?  Or maybe you do a Christmas letter.  Or maybe, like me, your are a queen-of-the-last-minute and end up either doing them at 2:00 AM or just throwing in the towel.  I'd love to hear your thoughts.  I'm hoping to get enough done for everybody on my list this year.  Maybe.  Hopefully.... ;) 

Gingersnap Creations Random Redhead Challenge - Stitching

Real stitching, faux stitching, embroidery stitches - any kind of stitching you like is the theme for this month's Random Redhead challenge at Gingersnap Creations.  Use your machine, a needle and thread, a stamp, or a pen.  For my stitching example, I kept with the Haute Couture theme of the month and created a little French fashion-inspired pocket stitched from vellum and adhered to the front of my card.  The pocket holds a tag for a little additional message, stamped and colored with a fashionista from The Artistic Stamper's Twenties No. 1 plate.  Here's a better look at the little diva:

In addition to the stitching around the pocket, I also stitched the main patterned paper panel, alternating zig-zag and straight stitching for a little more interest:

The tag base is from 7Gypsies, and the words and Eiffel tower are from Cornish Heritage Farms.

I hope you'll have time to play along.  After you post your project, link up over at Gingersnap Creations so that we can all see what you've created.  Have fun!

Tag Tuesday - Bingo!

Over at Kard Krazy this week, Louise has challenged us to use Bingo cards for Tag Tuesday.  This was a particularly fun one for me because I love how bingo cards are popping up all over, and I have quite a collection - minis, vintage, bingo card albums, etc.... and needed some incentive to stop hoarding them!

I centered my tag around an adorable stamped image from Rogue Redhead Designs and a Jenni Bowlin "Grow" mini bingo card.  Most of the embellies are from Basic Grey's new Curio collection (L-O-V-E it!).  There's also some vintage trim and a tiny bit of glitter here and there.

Thanks for stopping by and have a crafty Monday. :) 

Imagination Journal at Rogue Redhead Designs

Happy Friday, Everyone!  This is a teeny peek at something I have posted today over at the Rogue Redhead Designs blog.  It's a little project-sketch journal I created using their new plate, Relish Reading.  I'd love it if you could go pay a visit and have a little look. ;)

Gingersnap Creations Winter 4x4 Art Exchange

I am having so much fun participating in Gingersnap Creations' Art Exchanges.  The latest one was to make 4x4 panels with a Winter theme.  I pulled out my brand new Artistic Outpost plate, "Sleigh Ride".  The images on this plate are vintage winter heaven, I tell ya!  I colored them with Copics and adhered them to some background panels that I was having fun with.   

For two of the backgrounds, I misted with Glimmer Mists (blues and purples), then ran them through Tim's snowflake texture fade.  For the other two, I started with ruched paper from The Paper Temptress, ran it through the snowflake texture fade, then, while the paper was still on the folder, I tapped it with Papertrey Ink's Fresh Snow Pigment Ink.  I sprinked polysparkle clear embossing powder on the ink while it was still wet (which is no problem, since it stays wet a loooong time!) and heat embossed.  I loved the effect this created.  The really fun thing is that you don't have to worry about extra embossing powder sticking to the ruched paper, because when it's heat embossed it just adds to the frosty effect.  

Other little added touches include crepe paper with Stickles dotted on and fun little snowflake stickers from my stash.  I sewed up a little vellum pouch for each one and tied it up with some fun fringy fibers [sorry, no pic of that... you'll see if you get one ;) ].

Have a wonderful day everyone.

Gingersnap Creations Challenge GC78: Sewing Notions

Hello my crafty friends! If you like to stitch or play in the button box, if quality time with your sewing machine has you on pins and needles (sorry, couldn't resist!), then you will have fun this month over at Gingersnap Creations.  Our monthly theme is Haute Couture, and everything related to fashion, sewing, stitching.... you name it.... will be themes for our challenges.  This week we start the Sewing Notions challenge.  Looooove it!  My mom is an avid quilter, so most likely all of the cards I make this month will end up with her eventually.  I centered my little card around this awesome button card stamp from Oxford Impressions' The Art of Being Beautiful plate.  I stamped it, colored it with Copics, and added some real-life buttons.  It's paired with a dress form diecut from Girls' Paperie, a spool chipboard shape from Maya Rd, and some ribbons, thread, ruler sticker, canvas, and pin from my stash.  The sentiment is from Cornish Heritage Farms' Sew Special set (sadly retired).

So, how many different notions can you put on your project?  It's quite addictive once you start digging.  Use lots, or use only one - Notions.  Try them. ;)

P.S. Not to sound like a commercial - cuz I don't even design for them (tho' I wish I did).... but Oxford Impressions has just released a fabulous new dress form plate that has my fingers itchin'.  Oh, why must I have a limited stamp budget?  Maybe Oprah could spare me some change..... I'll go ask her now...... ;)

Gingersnap Creations Creative Connection - Only One Stamp

It's time for another fun Gingersnap Creations Creative Connection (GCCC).  The idea is to first create a piece of art using a particular theme as inspiration - and this month's theme is "Only One." Make a stamped creations that uses Only One Stamp - use it as many times as you want, but don't bother to ink any others up!  Once you've posted your piece to your blog or other share website, mention my post and the Creative Connection post on Gingersnap Creations.  Whoever is inspired by your post should similarly link to both your post and to GCCC.  We all "craft it forward" so to speak, and see how far we can get this connection to go.

I was inspired to participate in this month’s "GCCC" - Only One - by Aisling's gorgeous fall card on her blog, Aisling's Hobby Blog.  The "one stamp" I chose to use was a larkspur flower from Papertrey Ink.  I stamped it twice on some background paper in lavender Archival ink, then again in black on a cardstock panel, which I colored in with Copics.  Also added a little patterned paper, some crinkly seam binding, and a decorative edge.  I wanted to continue the theme on the inside, so....

Now before you start pointing fingers, I can explain....... the sentiment is a *sticker* from SRM.  Nope, it's not cheating, it's being creative!!!  LOL!  This little card has already found its way to my MIL.  (Had to mail it, that's why I kept it relatively flat.... for me, anyway!).


I hope you'll have time to play along - it's a fun challenge!

Simon Says Shabby

Normally when I do shabby, I do lots of crinkly ribbon, glittery distressed chipboard shapes, vintage buttons..... none of which exactly scream "masculine."  So I wanted to do a little "shabby" in the masculine style today, for the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge.  My inspiration was this fine young scholarly "vintage" lad from Rogue Redhead Designs' "Relish Reading" plate.  I colored him with Copics, masked him off and stamped the almanac stamp - not fully inked up, so that the impression would be mottled - in antique linen for a background.  (I used the same almanac stamp for the background paper on the top part of the card.) I cut two additional panels, one patterned paper and one vintage text (of course!), and went at all three with Tim's distresser.  Some walnut stain Distress Ink made them even shabbier.  Then I applied them to the card all kattywompus (that means crooked here in the south, in case you couldn't guess LOL!).  There's a bit of hardware from Stampin' Up, tied with some grosgrain ribbon just like those old fashioned belt-type thingies they carried their stacks of schoolbooks with.  The sentiment is also from Relish Reading.

Hope everyone's having a great weekend! It is cool and crisp and sunny here - I looooove fall!

Exciting News... A Brand-New Stamp Company!!!

Today I've got some super-exciting news! My fabulously talented friend Shar - aka Sharon Briss - has started her very own stamp company, Rogue Redhead Designs! 

Shar is an avid stamper, and you may already know her as a founding femme of Gingersnap Creations blog.  Her new stamp company will feature stamps in several different styles including vintage, eclectic, and modern.  Rogue Redhead Designs offers deeply etched unmounted stamps on high quality rubber.  Her first full plate release is a tribute to the literature lovers in our midst; the “Relish Reading” unmounted plate is perfect for creating hand-made bookmarks, adding a personal touch to journals, and creating beautiful note cards.  I absolutely love the level of detail!  It's an 8" x 10" plate, and includes images and elements to get you stamping right away, from a full-sized background to focal images to sentiments.

And now the enabling part.  "Relish Reading” is available at the Rogue Redhead Etsy store. As part of their initial release, RRD is offering this brand-new plate on sale for 20% off the regular retail price of $22.00 until December 15, 2010. Yep, that means you can get this full-sized plate for $17.60 - cool, eh?

I am very honored to be on Shar's first design team, and have been having tons of fun playing with these stamps.  For my project pictured above, I wanted to create a bookmark as a little thank-you for a friend who lent me a book (Water for Elephants - great read!).  Bookmarks are great little gifts for book club members, or to accompany a gift certificate to a bookstore, or just to say 'thanks for lending me your book' as in my case.

I stamped the reading girl right onto some text print paper from My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Line, and colored her with Copics.  I used light to medium colors to keep the transparent effect.  Next up came some papers on top and bottom from Pink Paislee's Parisian Anthology collection.  The butterfly is punched from the same paper, and highlighted with a little bling.  I also gathered a bit of blue seam binding for a trim, and used it as the tie for the bookmark, with a crystal charm also from the same Pink Paislee collection.  The sentiment from the Relish Reading stamp set is stamped and distressed, and added to the top of the image. 

Here's another version of the same bookmark, this time with a different quote and a different butterfly embellishment.

Want to see the entire plate and some more samples made with "Relish Reading"? Check out the new Rogue Redhead blog to see what the Rogue Crew have been creating.

Tag Tuesday Front and Back

I'm finally back after a technology black-out.... I now have a "new" (hubby's hand-me-down) computer, new paintshop software, email access.... aaah, life is good. :)  Today I'm participating in a *totally fun* challenge over at Kard Krazy.  This week's Tag Tuesday Challenge is to include something on the front of your tag that runs over to the back of it.  Louise has a stunning example - she actually created a scene using two different stamps, both of which are half on the front and half on the back of her tag.  You've really got to see it and read about it to fully appreciate what I'm talkin' 'bout.  I wanted to try the stamp thing, too, and this cute little snowball fight image from Cornish Heritage Farms came to mind right away.  (Keepin' these rascally children apart, LOL!)  So here's the back:

The image is stamped in Adirondack ink, the snowflakes were clear embossed, and then lots of distress inks were applied for the snowy background.  I also split the sentiment, and put "To" and "From" on the front/back. Yes, this is an actual gift tag. :)

Head on over to Kard Krazy and check out all the linkies.... I can see this technique becoming quite addicting!