Inspired By Stamping September Sneak Peeks - Holiday Sentiments

Welcome to Day Two of the September release party at Inspired By Stamping!  Today, we are featuring Holiday Sentiments.

I stamped the sentiment on a Fancy Labels 2 die cut in black ink.  Then, on a scrap of cardstock, I stamped the "Merry" banner in a suede color, trimmed and added with dimensional stickers.

This month, IBS is rolling out brand-new Digital Patterned Papers and Printable Tags, and I used two on my project:  light blue music notes, and a pale, linen-colored paper featuring this beautiful Christmas tree.  I stamped snowflakes in shades of taupe to decorate the patterned papers using Elegant Christmas Sentiments.

 Betcha thought this tree was a stamp!  I just trimmed it out of the patterned paper, decorated it with some Liquid Pearls and added a rhinestone for a star.

Our team has more inspiration for you, too:

Joanna - Vicki - Tina - Shea - Rose - Rebecca - Leah - Kendra 

Stuff to Know Before You Go:
FREE shipping on all orders over $25, from September 10th 7 p.m. Brisbane time to September 13th 7 p.m. Brisbane time.  Coupon code:  SeptFree == Buy the whole bundle of release stamps and SAVE 10% == Get your chance to win BLOG CANDY each day during the release by leaving a comment at Joanna's blog.

See you tomorrow with another peek!

Inspired By Stamping September Sneak Peeks - A Spooky Halloween & Happy Fall

Welcome to Day One of the September release party at Inspired By Stamping!  I LOVE the stamps being released this month, and can't wait for you to see them.  Lots of holiday goodies involved, including Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas/Winter.

Today we are showcasing A Spooky Halloween & Happy Fall (links will work beginning September 10th when the sets are available for purchase).

First up, my autumn thank you card, which could of course be used at Thanksgiving time, too.

I stamped the argyle label from Happy Fall on a die cut using Fancy Labels 2.  I stamped little leaves from the set and hand-trimmed them, though if you have a Silhouette-type machine, there are FREE cut files for you to use.  Just click on any stamp set in the store and they are listed with the set.

I had such FUN making the Halloween decoration below for my home!  I used A Spooky Halloween and the brand-new Digital Patterned Papers from IBS, and some of my children's old wooden blocks.

A Spooky Halloween has neat-o silhouette images like those you see here, plus a few more.  I stamped them on die cuts, inked the edges, applied to the white-washed wooden blocks, then covered in glitter.

To spell out "Boo", I used Fancy Alphabet.  It's just perfect for the size of these blocks, which measure a little over an inch.

So that each block has visual interest from all sides, I stamped crows, spiders and black cats to place around them.  On the larger block, the skeleton fit just right on the front; then I used the chevron-striped digital paper on the top, sides and back.

Our design team would like to share their creations with you, too:

Joanna - Vicki - Rebecca -  Leah - Kendra - Calypso - Rose - Rose - Shea - Tina

Stuff to Know Before You Go:
FREE shipping on all orders over $25, from September 10th 7 p.m. Brisbane time to September 13th 7 p.m. Brisbane time.  Coupon code:  SeptFree == Buy the whole bundle of release stamps and SAVE 10% == Get your chance to win BLOG CANDY each day during the release by leaving a comment at Joanna's blog.

Thanks for dropping by today!

Dogwood Love

Hello there.  :-D  I had some happy mail from Hero Arts recently, in the form of this beautiful dogwood rubber stamp.  It did not take long to put it to use.

One day, my 15 YO came up to my crafting studio and told me she felt very, very sad, and wanted me to make something for her.  I kept it simple, since she sat and waited for her card right beside me.  The sentiment from Anna Griffin is one I just treasure, and is so appropriate for my dear girl.  She loves bling, and requested that I add some rhinestones to the card.

So glad you dropped by!  Your visit always brightens my day.

Stamps: Dogwood - Hero Arts; sentiment - Anna Griffin Paper: Certainly Celery - SU; white - PTI Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: rhinestones - Queen & Co; Copic markers

Polka Dots & Roses

It's my turn to be featured on the Inspired By Stamping social media sites -- Facebook, Instagram, and the like.  So happy to share this card with you, and hope you like it!

The sentiment is from Mason Jar Add On II,

and the little polka dot banner from Whimsical Banners is so darned cute!  Here's the set:

By the way, I tried something on Pinterest I saw not too long ago.  I 'cooked' my clear plates from the Big Shot.  HERE are the step-by-step directions to do it.  It worked okay for me.  This is one of the plates before cooking:

It was a bit warped, as you can see next:

After cooking, I was able to brush off lots of paper-bits that stick in the cuts made by metal dies, as you can see below.

It still looked rather marked-up, though, and it got a bit flatter (no pics to show of that).  The tutorial I linked above tells you to cook your plate for 30 minutes.  One the first try, I followed directions to a tee.  With my second plate, I cooked it for about 45 minutes.  I don't recommend going quite that long.  When I picked it up, it actually started to melt like a Salvador Dali painting.

source 

However, that second plate was much clearer than the first, looking almost like brand new.  Sorry I did not take pictures of THAT one!



Stamps: Whimsical Banners, Mason Jar Add On II - Inspired By Stamping Paper: Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip - SU; roses - K & Co. Ink: Chocolate Chip - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: Cappuccino twine - The Twinery Other: pearls - Queen & Co.; corner rounder punch - Fiskars

Autumn Wreath Thanks

It's the day after Labor Day here in the U.S., and though the temps are still quite warm where I live, it feels like Autumn has arrived. 

I inked up a gift from my friend Chris R. to celebrate the season: Remarkable Wreath by Close To My Heart. Had to add some signature pearls to the wreath.

More new toys I played with from Memory Box: Bracket Edge die and a sentiment from Thankful Leaves. 

That's it! Sweet and simple. I am ready to welcome the cooler days and nights of Fall, and when they arrive, I will give thanks.



Stamps: -- Close To My Heart; Thankful Leaves - My Favorite Things Paper: white -PTI; Really Rust, Chocolate Chip - SU Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko; Pumpkin Pie - SU Fibers: Venise lace - ebay  Accessories & Tools: pearls - Queen & Co.; Bracket Edge Duo die -Memory Box

Beautiful, Two Ways

I've got a "self-challenge" going on:  use stash items that haven't been touched in a while, or have perhaps never been used at all.  I created two different cards from the same piece of DCWV Vintage Collage Stack paper, mounted on Mellow Moss card bases.

The first card wears a piece of DCWV paper with a big, bold "beautiful" sentiment already on it.  I let it cover the entire card base front.  Then, I grabbed some things that were near my craft desk (didn't feel like reaching too far):  silver sequins. gray ombre ribbon to frame the sentiment, a text die cut, a cereal box-chipboard star, a tiny framed silhouette, and vintage thread.

Card #2 sports more of that same DCWV paper, cut from a different section of the 12 x 12 page.

I painted a Maya Road chipboard frame white, then added crystal glitter and framed one of the big flowers.  Pearls decorate the blossom's center.  A loosey-goosey arrangement of patterned paper scraps are tucked under the frame.  The "Gratitude" sentiment was stamped with the new September release Happy Fall set by Inspired By Stamping, and a framed damask accent placed on the side.  I deliberately left one corner of the paper unglued, giving it a little lift.  

Which one do you like better?  They both feel a little outside the box for me, but that's part of the fun of creating, isn't it?

Thanks for coming by!

Card #1:

Paper: Mellow Moss - SU; Vintage Collage Stack - DCWV; First Edition - SU; cereal box chipboard Ink: Walnut Stain - Ranger   Fibers: vintage thread; gray ombre ribbon - Martha Stewart  Accessories & Tools: silhouette framed accent - TPC Studio; silver sequins; star punch - Fiskars; Crystal glitter - Martha Stewart; round die - SU

Card #2:

Stamps: Happy Fall - Inspired By Stamping Paper: Mellow Moss - SU; Vintage Collage Stack - DCWV Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: damask framed accent - TPC Studio; white craft paint; chipboard frame - Maya Road; pearls - Queen & Co.

Anna Griffin Aviary

Welcome!  I got some new crafting goodies this summer, and combined two of them to help create this card:

Pretty simple in style, but the little details make it a bit more special.  The sentiment is from Thankful Leaves by My Favorite Things.  I am new to this company, and am quite impressed.  Their customer service is terrific.  I had bought one of their doily die sets through Joann.com, and there was a manufacturing defect on it.  I contacted MFT through Facebook, and someone got back to me within 24 hours.  I was given a store credit to replace not only the defective die, but also to cover the shipping costs on the MFT website.  LOVE when a company stands by their products and offers good customer relations.

The embossing folder is Aviary by Anna Griffin.  I found that at JoAnn.com, too.  It is so pretty that I did not want to cover it up with too many details, hence the simple design.

Thank you so much for dropping by today!



Stamps: Thankful Leaves - My Favorite Things
Paper: white - PTI; Basic Gray - SU
Ink: white opaque ink, Pumice Stone dye - Ranger; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko
Accessories & Tools: Ribbon Banners die - Spellbinders; Aviary embossing folder - Anna Griffin; pearls - Recollections

Shadow Stamping Sympathy

Welcome!  I am still trying to catch up here on my blog, by sharing all the cards I've made this summer.  This sympathy card features shadow stamping.

Brought out my trusty Thoughts & Prayers set by Stampin' Up!, and used two green inks to achieve the shadows:  Pear Pizzazz and Old Olive.  I dotted each blossom with Liquid Pearls.  An errant black smudge was covered up with some 3-D pearls.  ;-)

Entering this in two 'anything goes' challenges:  Simon Says Stamp and Word Art Wednesday.

Thank you for letting me share this with you!  I hope you have a wonderful day.

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers - SU Paper: Vintage Cream - PTI; Old Olive  - SU Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko; Antique Linen - Ranger Fibers: Old Olive satin ribbon - SU Accessories & Tools: pearls - Queen & Co.; White Opal Liquid Pearls - Ranger; corner rounder punch - Fiskars

Feather Note

Hi there!  Mind if I show you a super-simple card, made in the earliest days after my surgery in June?  Back then, I could barely crawl to the attic studio, and found it difficult to sit with my foot down for more than a half hour.

What made this card easy:  a lovely K & Co. sticker, mounted on a die cut gray rectangle just sitting in my scraps basket.  Love this sentiment from Cute Circles by Inspired By Stamping, and the fact that it's vertical.  Sometimes you need a stacked sentiment, and not a horizontal one.  (Ooooh, darn!  My sticker is coming up on one corner!  Oh, the things you notice after you photograph something....)

Thank the good Lord I am making progress week by week.  Though it is sometimes painful learning to walk again, I know the day will come soon enough when I can get around without crutches and that awful, awful boot.  Can't wait!



Stamps: Cute Circles - Inspired By Stamping Paper: Going Gray, Pale Plum - SU Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Bracket border punch - EK Success; Deckled Edge Rectangle die - Spellbinders; sticker - K & Co.

Inspired By A Magazine Tableau

It's been ages since I created an "Inspired By..." card.  I love to be inspired by things around me, like signs on the road, a little girl's bathing suit, a tissue box, framed butterflies and so much more.  I'm at it again with another framed butterfly.  I'll show you the inspiration, which came from maybe Better Homes & Gardens (saw so many magazines during my initial recovery after surgery, I just don't know!)  in just a moment.

I used a sentiment from Hero Arts, and a butterfly from Lost Coast Designs, one of the best sets I received when I worked on the design team at Blockheads.   

After coloring and trimming the butterfly, I applied Glossy Accents liberally to it.  

Gonna play along with the Simon Says Stamp challenge:  'Anything Goes' and at CASology's 'Book' challenge.

When my 11 YO was younger, she was fascinated by the whole series of these I Spy books, including this one about butterflies.

For my U.S. friends, enjoy your Labor Day weekend!  And for those of you around the rest of the world, enjoy your weekend, too.  :-)



Stamps: Butterflies - Lost Coast Designs; With Sympathy - Hero Arts Paper: Vintage Cream, white - PTI Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Copic markers; Glossy Accents - Ranger; Rectangle die - Spellbinders