He will bring you through it

I've got a sweet little encouragement card to share today. My inspiration was this pretty piece of rose-filled patterned paper from Stampin' Up! 

Though it's subtle, the top half of the card is stamped with Vintage Farmhouse by Fiskars in a pale, pale pink. The encouraging sentiment is from Inspired By Stamping. 

Those gorgeous resin roses - how about that color matching?? - are from Anna Griffin.

There is a bit of white lace along the bottom, too.  It's rather tough to see in the photo, but in real life, it brings a gentle, textural touch to the card.

I'm so glad you came by. Perhaps you needed to read a message like the one on this card today, and I pray it brings you a measure of inspiration and hope!

Stamps: Vintage Farmhouse - Fiskars; Words of Inspiration - Inspired By Stamping Paper: floral patter, Riding Hood Red - Stampin' Up!; white - Papertrey Ink Ink: Pink Pirhouette, Kiwi Kiss - Stampin' Up! Fibers: white lace - fabric store Accessories & Tools: Scalloped Rectangle die - Spellbinders; Sparkling Crystal sequins - Pretty Pink Posh; resin roses - Anna Griffin; pearls

You & Me: salt & pepper

Hi there! It makes me happy to share this card.  I gave it to my husband for our anniversary this past fall. How can you go wrong with the cuteness of Lawn Fawn?

The salt and pepper shaker cuties are from their Love 'N Breakfast set.  The ampersands and sentiments are from Paper Smooches We Connect, a set that I scored when an online shop closed its doors. 

The scattered white and charcoal sequins represent, what else? Salt and pepper!

Stamps: Love 'n Breakfast - Lawn Fawn; (ampersands) We Connect - Paper Smooches Paper: kraft - Papertrey Ink; white scraps Ink: white pigment ink - Ranger; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Marshmallow, Charcoal sequins - Pretty Pink Posh; Copic markers

Tulips: Coloring the negative space

Hello there! I hope you are having a good week so far. We've had some crazy weather here in NJ the past two days.  Yesterday, it was 19 degrees when I got in the car to go to work, and today, it was in the upper 50s, with torrential rain and wind. Totally weird!

I'm popping in to share a card I made several months ago - back in the fall, actually. It's a thank-you card for someone lovely, who did such a kind thing for me. The gesture humbled me, and I made this card to express my gratitude.  

I used a tulip stamp from Dynamic Duos: Peonies & Tulips by Power Poppy, and stamped it multiple times to fill in the blank spaces of a cream-colored cardstock panel. Then, I used a W3 Copic marker and filled in all the negative space between the flowers. (Ahem, this was when I noticed that my marker was running dry, and had to order a Copic refill--my very first.  Sandy Allnock has a helpful tutorial for refilling markers.)

After all that coloring, I didn't want to cover it up much.  Just a bit of Venise lace, topped with a Colleen Bow in black, and a little sentiment were the only things I added.

Thanks a bunch for stopping by.  Be a blessing to someone today!

Stamps: Dynamic Duos: Peonies & Tulips - Power Poppy Paper: Vintage Cream, True Black, white - Papertrey Ink Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: Venise lace - eBay; black seam binding - Hug Snug - The Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: Tiny Tags die - Papertrey Ink; pearls; Copic marker

Dear Santa

Hello there!

My family and I just got back from Disney World a few days ago.  I love it there.  So clean, so magical (except for the crowds....not so magical) and so fun.  And the food!  I've never had a bad meal in Disney. We stayed at Coronado Springs Resort. Previously, we'd stayed at the French Quarter. The more you go, the more you know:  we wouldn't do Coronado again, even though it is beautiful.  It's just too large and expansive of a property.  When you walk those parks all day, the last thing your feet want to do is walk some more back on "home" turf.  Our hotel room was quite a distance away from the main building, where the restaurants and gift shop are located (and the coffee -- very important!).

This week, it's back to school and work...it's back to reality. :-)

I can't seem to keep up with sharing on my blog all the cards I've made over the last several months.  Always, always, I'd rather spend my spare time making cards than photographing and blogging about them. :-) 

For this card, I gave my Unity set, "Believe In Miracles" some inky love.  (Surely, I'm not alone in this:  you have so many stamps, and so little time, that some sets never see ink!)

That's it for now, my friends, at least until I can get some more pics edited!  Take care, and thank you for dropping by!

Stamps: Believe In Miracles - Unity/Webster's Pages Paper: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, gold glitter - Stampin' Up!; holly/plaid pattern - Calisto - Anna Griffin; white - Papertrey Ink; metallic gold smooth - WorldWin; calendar Ink: Garden Green, Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler - Stampin' Up!; Frayed Burlap, Antique Linen - Ranger; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: matte gold sequins - MJ Trimming; bright gold sequins - Pretty Pink Posh; Itty Bitty star punch - Stampin' Up!; circle dies - Spellbinders; 18k gold marker - Krylon

Noel Postale

Hi everyone!  I have a Christmas card to share today that feels a bit unusual with the addition of so much yellow. See the ornament die cut border (K & Co.)? In addition to the red and green, there are slight golden touches on the ornaments, and that was my inspiration.  

The pine sprig and ornament are from Flourishes Stamps All That Glitters. I'm still crushing on Flourishes Stamps, and have acquired many new-to-me sets in the past few months. 

The Carte Postale stamp (All Night Media) -- subtly stamped in kraft -- is new to my stash, and I think I paid a dollar for it at AC Moore. That was the highlight of my day.  LOL  I stamped a "Noel" sentiment and flourish over top of it in Crisp Black by Altenew. There are also some tiny snowflakes stamped on top with kraft ink, so they may not be noticeable at first.

I wanted to point out a little fudging I did at the top of this ornament. 

I fussy cut the whole ornament, including the tiny "eye", which was just a white circle after trimming it out. Once I placed it up against the pine sprig, it didn't look right: the white eye (where you'd place a hook if it were a real ornament) was glaring. I used an Always Artichoke marker to match the pine, and drew in little brush strokes to resemble the greenery. 

The cap is colored with a metallic gold gel pen, but it's hard to see that in the pictures.

I really appreciate you coming by today. Your visit makes me happy. :-)

Stamps: Carte Postale - All Night Media; All That Glitters - Flourishes; Christmas Greetings, Elegant Christmas Sentiments - Inspired By Stamping Paper: yellow pattern - Calisto - Anna Griffin; white - Papertrey Ink Ink: Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake - Stampin' Up!; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko; Frayed Burlap - Ranger; Crisp Black - Altenew Fibers: gold braided thread Accessories & Tools: ornaments, holly die cut borders - K & Co.; Copic markers; gold gel pen; gold sequins - Pretty Pink Posh; Always Artichoke marker - Stampin' Up!

Artsy Heart(sy)

Hello again!  You might want to put on some sunglasses to view this Valentine today.

That pink!  Oh my.  It's so....bubblegum. So...Pepto Bismol.  LOL 

I had been trying out new dies, and used some scrap cardstock, whatever was close at hand.  I think it's Pixie Pink (retired) from Stampin' Up! that I used for the heart (My Favorite Things). A white glittered chipboard frame (Target $1 Spot) was layered on top of that, then a rose made from Papertrey Ink Circle Scribbles  and Spellbinders Foliage die cuts. 

There's a white doily behind the heart, and some chunky glass glitter and sequins on top.  

It's not your usual "Colleen card", but it's okay, I just wanted to play around. :-)

Happy Birdy!

Welcome! 

My friend Rebecca gave me some beautiful patterned paper, which had me so inspired the other day.

These beautiful images (polka dots, ruler, floral with bird) are all on one sheet of 12x12 paper (I believe it's from DCWV). All I had to do was trim it down to fit a card base, and then embellish it.

I used a sentiment stamp from Flourishes' Sweet Violets set, and how convenient that a blue frame already existed on this patterned paper! It was the perfect size, too.

The details I added: paper roses and leaves, some taupe lace, and plenty of pink and white sequins.

Thanks so much for coming by today!

Stamps: sentiment - Sweet Violets - Flourishes Paper: pattern - DCWV; white - Papertrey Ink Fibers: lace - Stampin' Up! Accessories & Tools: paper roses, leaves - iamroses dot com; Princess Pink sequins - Neat & Tangled; Marshmallow sequins - Pretty Pink Posh

Warm & Cozy Christmas

Hello there! Happy Almost Weekend. :-)

I am playing in a challenge with this Christmas card.  Sound the trumpets, cue the confetti!  I have not participated in a challenge in a loooooonnnnngggg time.  

I'm linking up at Weekly Christmas Card Challenges.  Thanks so much for letting me play, ladies!

I used Lawn Fawn's Cozy Christmas set, which I bought at an online "yard sale".  It just makes me smile, these cute l'il guys. :-) That milk! Those cookies! The friendly fire!

I stamped everything on a white die cut panel, colored all in with Copic markers, and then something just wasn't right. I checked with one of my at-home critics (my 14 year old), and the problem was too stark a contrast between the bright colors and all.that.white. 

To fix that, I first drew in a hardwood floor.

I then stamped some really subtle snowflakes (can you see them in the above photo, behind the cute cookies?) and inked the edges of the panel with the same Antique Linen ink. That worked!  

I added some Glossy Accents to the milk glass and the strand of lights, as finishing touches. 

I'm so glad you came by today!  Thanks for your visit!

Stamps: Cozy Christmas - Lawn Fawn Paper: white - Papertrey Ink; pattern - Be Merry - My Mind's Eye Ink: Antique Linen, Black Soot - Ranger; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Glossy Accents - Ranger; Copic markers; silver gel pen; Stitched Rectangles die - L'il Inker Designs

Black Polka Dot Christmas Tree

Hello! This is quite a different kind of Christmas tree:  black, with white polka dots. It's got a modern feel, and I balanced it with lots of white.

Just because there's lots of white space doesn't mean it needs to be flat and boring. I used a snowflake embossing folder, and topped it with punched snowflakes, which are then topped with Marshmallow sequins. 

The polka dot paper came from an iPhone case package. Couldn't pass it up, it's so cute. I decorated my tree with sequins of gold, silver, and sparkling clear, then topped it with a shiny gold star using an Itty Bitty Accent punch from Stampin' Up!.

Thanks for coming by today! 

Paper: white - Papertrey Ink; shiny gold - WorldWin; polka dot pattern - cell phone packaging Accessories & Tools: Itty Bitty Accents - Stampin' Up!; Christmas Tree die - Papertrey Ink; silver, gold, clear, white sequins - Pretty Pink Posh; matte gold sequins - MJ Trimming; Glacial Snowflake punch - Martha Stewart; Northern Flurry embossing folder - Stampin' Up!

Veggies

My mom's neighbors have a garden full of vegetables, and they kindly share their harvest with my mother.

I gave my mom some of my cards as a Christmas gift, to give away, and this was one of them. Naturally, I had her sweet neighbors in mind when I made this one.

I stamped the garlic and artichoke images from Homegrown (Stampin' Up!) repeatedly on the kraft card base, then topped it with a diagonally-cut black strip. Some gold puffy alpha stickers, gold sequins, and more veggies (trimmed out of white cardstock) were added to the black strip for an eclectic kind of card, with a slightly modern feel.

Hope Mom's neighbors enjoy this!

Stamps: Homegrown - Stampin' Up! Paper: white, kraft, True Black - Papertrey Ink Accessories & Tools: gold alphabet puffy stickers - Target Dollar Spot; gold sequins - Pretty Pink Posh

Sledding Bunny

Finally, after pining for this little guy for a couple of years, I have the pleasure of playing with Winter Bunny by Lawn Fawn.

Love that long scarf, blowing in the wind! I stamped lots of mini flakes in the air around him from Flourishes Warm Winter Wishes set, using Silver Shadow Ink from Hero Arts.  

The scalloped panel is actually the negative die-cut piece, after cutting out a frame using Embroidered Frames: Dots, by Papertrey Ink. 

After all was said and done, I thought the bunny should have some glittery snow to sled on. I used a Tombow glue pen, then sprinkled on the glitter. I am SO GLAD the image did not bleed or blur after running the glue pen over it! Whew.

Stamps: Winter Bunny - Lawn Fawn; Warm Winter Wishes - Flourishes Paper: white - Papertrey Ink; Ballet Blue - Stampin' Up! Ink: Silver shadow ink - Hero Arts; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Crystal glitter - Martha Stewart; Copic markers; Sparkling Clear sequins - Pretty Pink Posh; Embroidered Frame - Dots die - Papertrey Ink

For the guys

Hi!  Today I am sharing two cards that have a masculine edge to them.

Many guys I know say their favorite color is blue, so that was my inspiration on this first leafy card. I die-cut leaves using the Tattered Leaves die by Sizzix/Tim Holtz, then stamped over them with some Stampin' Up! and My Favorite Things leaf stamps. You can see veining on the lighter blue leaf, and, well, leaves stamped on the darker leaf.

The sentiment - from Papertrey Ink's Daily Designs Sentiments - actually says "Just for you", but I selectively stamped it using a cocoa marker. The tiny tag is edged with gold. More on that in a moment.

The next card has an autumnal feel to it, as well. I used a tree image from a new-to-me My Favorite Things stamp set called Inspired By Spring. This set is retired, but hey, it's new in my eyes, and I like it a lot. ;-)

You can see the gold-edged circle die cut best in the photo below. Once I found out that an 18k gold leaf pen/marker (Krylon) exists, I had to have it, and love using it.

If you have any questions about materials I've used, please email me or leave a comment. I'll get back to you as soon as possible with an answer!

Thank you for coming by today, and have a great week!

It's all about snowflakes!

Yes, indeed, it's all about snowflakes today, both here on my blog and outside my window!

We had roughly 15-22" of snow here yesterday, thanks to Winter Storm Jonas.  Hard to tell exactly how much snow accumulated because of the drifting. The wind was really whipping, and boy, was it cold up in my attic studio, even with the space heater on full blast.

I thought it appropriate to share some snowflake cards on my blog today in honor of the winter wonderland outside.

I don't have enough time to share a supply list for these cards, but please do email or leave a comment if you have questions about the things I've used.

The Jersey shore got pounded again, a la Superstorm Sandy.  Lots of flooding from Jonas happened, and my heart just sank when I saw images on the news of the water-logged streets there. :-(