Christmas Cards

Now that Christmas is over I can post the cards I made.  These gatefold cards are my go to card when I need to make a lot of cards and have no time to do so.  I hope you all had a great holiday and that next year is a great one for you.  Here is my Christmas card for this year

Inside of the card

 



Supplies used:

• EP Holly Jolly
• CTMH Ink
• Hero Arts Stamps
• Spellbinders Large Scallop Ovals
• Spellbinders Regular Scallop Ovals

Tag Swap

The Crop Chocolate design team recently decided to do a tag swap.   I have to be honest I am not great with tags, and I really struggle with them.  For this one I misted the background, and then heat embossed with a Hero Arts stamp for the background.  Next I distressed the edges with my TH distresser and added some Spellbinders die cuts.  My partner has posted that she got hers to I can finally post a picture.  The letters were cut with my Cameo and then I sprayed some glue and added glitter to the letters.

 Supplies used:

• Plain tag
• Spellbinders Create a Flake 1
• I-Roc and clear rhinestones
• MS Black Glitter
• White Embossing Powder
• Twinery Twine

Glitter Flowers

I made this birthday card for my Mom's birthday, and I decided to combine it with a challenge at Crop Chocolate as well.  The challenge was to use ribbon and something else (bling, glitter, buckles, etc).  So I decided to use glitter.  I made the flower by stamping Aztec Flowers 2 using embossing ink, and then using heat and stick powder.  I then heated the powder till it melted and viola I have a great glue for glitter, then I sprinkled black glitter on the glue and cut the flowers out with my spellbinders.  The heat and stick powder is great for glitter it doesn't flake off at all.  I had tried the glue pads for stamps but the glue never seemed to hold and then someone suggested heat and stick powder and what a difference.

Closeup of the flower

Products used:

• Carta Bella 6x6 Paris Girl
• Carta Bella Craft Cardstock
• MS Black Glitter
• Spellbinders Blossom 2
• Heartfelt Creations Aztec Flowers 2

Crop Chocolate Challenge # 41

The current challenge at Crop Chocolate is to create something using three different hearts.  I am currently working on a mini album as a Christmas gift, and when I saw this I figured I could make something for it.  This is a journalling tag to go in my album and after Christmas I will upload a video and pictures of the finished project.

 

 

Supplies used:

• FP Winterland Paper
• Spellbinders Hearts
• Spellbinders Ornate Artisan Tags and Accents

Thank Heaven for Babies

I made this card for the Crop Chocolate challenge #40, the theme was thankful and you had to use twine somewhere on the project.  I have a new niece on the way and this was the card I made for the baby shower.  I can't wait to meet her !

 

 

 

Supplies used:

• MME Lush Dots Paper
• Spellbinders Cirlces
• Spellbinders Large Scallop Circles
• Twine
• Ribbon

 



Dreams do come true

Well its snowing here and its pretty nasty outside but I wanted to share a layout of our first trip to Disney World.  It was a surprise for the kids and we had a blast.  My daughter was 5 and she loved meeting all the characters and getting autographs.  Some we did more than once and she filler 1 1/2 autograph books.  When we got to meet Rapunzel she even got to dance with her and Flyn Ryder, she still talks about it and how much fun she had.  Here is a great picture of her hugging Rapunzel, its such a great shot, its one of my favorites.

Here is a closeup of the title and journal box I cut with the Cameo

Supplies used:

• MME Market Street Paper
• Core'dinations shimmer cardstock
• Cameo

Die Cut Easel Card

I made this card for a crop chocolate challenge, but I have been waiting to show it for my daughter's birthday. I decided to try a new technique and create a die cut easel card. I love how it turned out and my daughter was ecstatic.

Card Open

Card Closed

Supplies used:

• Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Pendants
• Spellbinders Floral Doliey Motifs
• MME Stella and Rose Paper
• MME Lush Bling
• DCWV Card Stock

Washi Tape Holder

I made this washi tape holder for an instructagram contest at Crop Chocolate.  I have been wanting to make one for awhile but since I didn't have an empty box of tin foil I created one (I am sure I will get questioned on the roll in the drawer with no box lol)

I also created an igram at instructagram showing the steps to make one of your own.

Supplies used:

-MME Lush Flocked Paper
-MS Lattice Punch
-Tin Foil Box
-Snake Tape
-Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive

Crop Chocolate Announcement

I am so excited that I get to share some great news, I have been accepted to the next Crop Chocolate design team.  My new term will start on January 1st so I won't be able to share any DT projects for a while but I am excited to be back on the team.  I love Crop Chocolate, they have the best customer service I have ever seen and the community is so helpful and welcoming that you really need to check it out yourself.  For the DT Application we had to do two projects, one that reflected us as a crafter and one that was outside your box.  For my outside of the box project I made a candle holder that fellow DT member Karen made here, to be honest this was a huge struggle for me.  Several times I was sure this would be the next pinstrosity but I had too much time invested to start over.  I thought once I got the candle holder made I was in the clear but the flower was very frustrating and took a long while to get looking right.

Supplies used:

• Stella and Rose Hazel 6x6
• Silhouette Cameo (flower)
• Spellbinders Rose Creations
• Bling
• Twine

Candy Holder

I made this candy holder for the Trick or Treat challenge at Crop Chocolate.  The challenge was to create something as a gift and use the color of your favorite candy somewhere on the project.  My daughter's birthday is coming up and I am going to make a bunch of these candy holders for her birthday.  My favorite candy is cinamon hearts, every valentines I stock up so that I have then all year round.  I filled this one with those since that is my daughter's favorite as well.  I stamped the cupcake with festive berries distress ink.  Next to all the pink it looks like dark pink but on its own it is red and I topped the cupcake with a bit of bling.  I am sure this won't last long around my daughter because she loves things like this.

Supplies used:

• MME Lush
• Festive berries distress ink
• Hampton Arts Birthday Stamps
• Spellbinders lacey circles
• Spellbinders standard circles large
• Bling

OWH-Blog Challenges

I have been busy getting some cards done for the OWH blog hop that CC is hosting.  With the exception of one card that used the EP Be Mine paper they were all made using EP Life is Good paper collection.  I got a few sheets in a CC grab bag on my last order and after seeing Nina's challenge to use one collection I decided to make the majority of cards with that collection (except for Chris's card at the bottom).  It made it easy to mix and match patterns and scraps, as a result I have none left which is a good thing.  Another decision I made was to use one main card style and stamp.  I wanted to make sure the cards had lots of room to write in and because I couldn't use some of my usual embellishments I thought a gate fold card would be nice.

Belle

Brenna

*you can see it in the card but I put an embossed transparency over top the paper for a clear embossed feel

Brittany

 Jenni

 Julie

 Kathy

 Miwa

 Nina

Chris

Products used

• EP Life is good paper
• EP Be mine paper
• Spellbinders ovals
• Spellbinders Jumbo Scallop Ovals large
• Spellbinders Scallop Squares
• Cherrylynn dies butterflies
• Prima daisy flowers

Operation Write Home-Amber's Challenge

Go check out the latest blog hop at Crop Chocolate, they are hosting a Operation Write Home blog hop (OWH).  I will be posting cards for the blog hop throughout the week as time permits but its a great cause and I encourage everyone to try and do just a little something.  I remember when I was pregnant with my son, so many of the pregnant mom's had their husbands overseas for a deployment and it broke my heart to imagine what they were going through on their own.  The families make such a sacrifice and a nice handmade card from their loved one is a small thing for me to do.  Here is the first challenge I am entering at Amber's blog.  We had to use this sketch and here is what I came up with.

Supplies used:

EP Goodlife Paper

Spellbinders lacey circles

Doodle Bug Birthday Stamps

Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink

Quad Easel Card

The recent challenge at Crop Chocolate was to create a easel card, and I love these cards and made one which everyone called sexy.  I will post that one soon (I may make some changes), but I saw a really cool quad easel card, and while I don't normally make such dimensional cards I really liked how it looked and decided to try one.  I really like how this turned out and hope the recipient likes it as well (didn't seem right to give her the "sexy" card).  This is one of those cards that is hard to get a good picture of so that is why I made a collage to show the different angles of the card.

Supplies used:

• MME Portabello Road Paper
• Cherry Lynn Dies
• Inkadinkado Stamp
• Stickles

Frist Day of School Card

We just got back from a trip so its been a bit crazy, I have a few things in the works but until then I just realized I forgot to post this card.  I made it for a crop chocolate challenge but it was also for my daughter's first day of grade one.  The challenge was to create something with only one color (black did not count).  I made this quick card for her and put it with her lunch, she was really excited when she got home.  She loves getting cards, and I wanted to remind her to have fun at school since she was so nervous. 

Products used:

• MME Lush
• EP Springtime
• MM Glitter Alpha
• Spellbinders Lacey Circles

Note Box for My Son

 

I made a note box for my daughter and she loved it but when her brother saw it (he is two) he wanted one too.  I was a bit shocked but he saw her getting notes in hers and I guess he wanted in on it.  Here is the version I made for my son.  I like how it turned out but the rosette is in hiding till he gets older, he took it off right away and I worked really hard on the fussy cutting (I hate doing it).  He likes to put little treasures in it and when he is older and reading I will write him little notes like I do for his sister.  

 

 

Supplies used:
DCWV Nana's Nursury
DCWV Pastel Stack

Daddy's Little Princess

I recently got this Paris Girl paper by Carta Bella and I am loving this new paper.  It's very heavy and has a beautiful texture.  The colors were perfect for some recent family pictures, I love this picture but when I see it I think of how much she is growing up on us.  It seems like yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital. 

Closeup of the title (I used my Cameo)

 

Supplies Used

• Spellbinders Parisian Motifs
• Carta Bella Paris Girl Paper
• Bling

Happy Anniversary

I made this anniversary card for my very sweet and wonderful husband.  We recently celebrated out 13th anniversary.  Time really does fly, I can't believe that it has been 13 years since the day we got married.
I still remember that day like it was yesterday, we had so much fun.  My sweet husband also made me a card but I have to take some pictures first.  I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband, I look forward to the rest of our lives together.

Supplies:
EP Be Mine
Spellbinders Classic Heart
Spellbinders Scallop Hearts
MM Bling letters
Coredinations Pearl Paper
Sew Easy Floss

Subway Art Challenge

Our current challenge for the Crop Chocolate focus group was to create a subway art inspired project.  It has to be with 50% crop chocolate products so that ruled out Vinyl for me.  I have some but not the colors they sold and besides my vinyl is spoken for with projects.  I decided to create a stamped background instead, this isn't my usual style but that's the great thing about challenges they get you out of your comfort zone.

Closeup of flowers

Supplies used
Trinity Paper Arts Sincerely Yours
Core'dinations Pearl Paper
Die Names Rolled Rose
Unity Stamps
Doodle Bug Birthday Stamps
Bling

Flower Box

I made this box a little while ago from 2 sheets of 8x8 DCWV baby girl paper. I followed the instructions on my scoring board and came up with this. I liked how it came out but so did my daughter as she staked a claim before it was even finished. I am joking here she oohed and awed over it and then asked very nicely if she could have it. How could I resist? It is holding her treasures in her room and she is very proud of it. I liked how the flower turned out, it was the same one I used on the tutorial I made.

Supplies:

• Spellbinders Blossom 2
• Spellbinders Floral Doiley Accents
• Spellbinders Foliage
• DCWV Baby Girl 8x8

Core Cards Creative Frenzy

Core'dinations is having a DT call for a card maker and since I love their products so much I decided to try out.  One of my favorite things about their cardstock is the different color core.  You can do so many things with it but my favorite is to emboss and then sand it.  It is very heavy and makes a great base cardstock as well, so don't think you have to do anything besides use it. Here are my three cards

Whitewash Card
For my first card I chose this beautiful Whitewash cardstock, I love this paper and wish I could get it locally. Unfortunately I can only get it from the US and I have only been able to get a bit, but now that they have 6x6 pads I will be able to get it shipped in.  I really love working with the Whitewash, it is so soft and elegant.

Supplies used:

• Victoria CB Folder
• Spellbinders Flying Beauties
• Core'dinations Whitewash
• Core'dinations Cardstock (teal)
• Core'dinations Pearl Cardstock
• Pearls

 Faux Criss Cross Card
In the DT post, Core'dinations specifically mentioned that they were looking for people to create cards using A2 card bases.  Even though I don't have Core'dinations card bases I challenged myself to start with an A2 card base.  For this card I made a faux Criss Cross card from an A2 base.  I used regular Core'dinations cardstock for the card pocket, some Black Magic for the belly band, and some Whitewash for the cupcake embelishment

Supplies used:

• Core'dinations Cardstock (White, Teal)
• Core'dinations Whitewash
• Core'dinations Blackmagic
• Spellbinders Big Scallop Circles
• Spellbinders Lacey Ovals
• Martha Stewart Swirling Lace Punch

Flower Card

I made a flower card for my final card, because I wanted to show a tutorial on the flower.  I made a video for Crop Chocolate but I never made a step by step tutorial so I thought I would combine them together.  I love making these flowers, and they are very versatile.  I have used them on boxes, cards, scrapbook pages, and even altered items.

Here is the video tutorial I made for the flower, it was my first time doing a video and I remember having to do it over three times. Thankfully I later learned how to edit them, I don't think I would have ever done another.



Step 1:
Cut three flowers of the same shape but in different sizes (I used Spellbinders Blossom 2)

Step 2:
Emboss the flowers (I used CB folder Victoria)

Step 3:
Sand the embossing (this brings out the core color of the Core'dinations)

Step 4:
Cut the flowers between the petals, about a 1/2" for the larger flowers a bit less for the smaller ones

Step 5:
Curl the petals of the flowers up, you can use a bone folder, something round or just your fingers

 Step 6:
Glue each layer together, try to offset the points of the petals between layers.  Add an embellishment to the center  you can use a button, brad, or another flower.

Supplies used:

• Core'dinations Cardstock (white, light and dark purple)
• Spellbinders floral flourishes
• Spellbinders Blossom 2
• Spellbinders Flower Bouquet Miniabilities
• Twine

Fun with Hexagons

I made this card for the Crop Chocolate challenge #23, the challenge was to use 3 different patterns.  I normally don't mix patterns so this was a bit of a challenge for me.  I have been seeing a lot of hexagons lately, and I decided to dust of my CM hexagon punch and try it out.  I used scraps from my MME Lost and Found paper.  I really like how it turned out and I am going to try this again, plus its a great way to used scraps.

Supplies:
Spellbinders Floral Doiley Motifs
CM Hexagon Punch
MME Madison Ave 6x6
Hampton Arts Stamp
Bling

Spread your wings and fly

I made this for the CropChocolate challenge #24, this challenge was to do what ever we wanted.  I had these great pictures taken of my kids at Easter and I have been wanting to use them and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  First I have to give kudos to the great photographer, I think she has seen my stash because she colored some of the pictures to match my Lost and Found Paper.  They were taken by the very talented  Julie Nicole Photography, I can't say enough great things about her.  She is great with kids and has a fantastic eye.  I have some more waiting to be scrapped and I can't wait to get them done as the recent ones she did were even better.  My kids love going to see her and even though my son is a two year old and doesn't want to cooperate she manages to get some good ones of him.

Closeup of the pleated heart and pullout journalling

Supplies used

MME Market Street

MME Madison Ave

Spellbinders Small Circles

Spellbinders Tiny Tabs

Spellbinders Heirloom Ornaments

Lace