Pajama Sunday and a Birthday Card

Happy Sunday!! I cannot believe that it is only four days before Christmas. It still does not seem like it to me. I have almost everything wrapped and just a few last minute things to buy. If they don't get done, they don't get done, no worries.

I spent the day in my pajamas today. I have been fighting a cold and the pace I have been going at just was not conducive to getting better. I slept late and spent the day putzing. I did a little cleaning and organizing today in my craft room. I am hoping that it will all be neat and tidy by the end of Christmas vacation. However, that means I have to make myself purge instead of just organize it move it to a different place. I also made a batch of salted caramel sauce for the first time. It came out really good, which was a big surprise. There are a few changes I would make for next time but I did not burn the house down so it was a big success.

Today I am sharing a few Birthday cards I created. The first one I used Altenew's "Persian Motifs" stamps and Silks Acrylic Glaze.

I had never worked with Silk's before but had seen them in the Simon Says Stamp store and wanted to try them out. I bought three different six piece sets off Amazon, hoping they would work like my old Radiant Pearl paints that I cannot find anymore. The jars in the set are smaller then you would get if you bought them separately but since I was not sure if I was going to like this paint, I did not want to invest in larger jars. I was very happy with the results.

To make this card:

1. Stamp with Versamark Ink and heat emboss with Ranger Fine White embossing powder. (I used watercolor paper but I think a different kind of paper might work better. It sucked up the acrylic ink a bit.)
2. Then using a small brush, paint different shades of reds/oranges in the flowers. Then take a baby wipe and blot the flowers. I blotted around the whole piece of paper to get the mottled background effect.
3. Do the same as step two but with two colors of green paint.
4. Paint a bit of gold onto the leaves. 
5. Set aside and create a mask for the stamped images. 
6. Mask the stamped images. Using Prima "Gold Foil" mist spray, mist the background.
7. You can either set the card aside here OR you can give it a quick pass with a heat embossing gun. Set aside to work on the card base.
8. Next, cut about a 1 1/2" by 5 1/2" piece of foil card stock and adhere it to a card base.
9. Mount the dried background with foam adhesive over the front of the card.

I love the way this paint sparkles. With the added gold mist on the background, this card is really beautiful.

I think this image you can see the shimmer from the paint a bit better. I will play around a little bet more with these before I buy more but I think these were a good purchase. 

Thank you for taking the time to stop by during this busy time. Have a great Holiday!!

Missing in Action and More Christmas Tags

Hello friends! Is everybody ready for the holidays? I have been absent here as I have been busy writing Christmas letters and wrapping presents.

I have also been proofing my daughter's freshman term paper and my whole family was tested for whooping cough in the last two days. My lovely daughter has been coughing her brains out, not able to catch a breath. Both my husband and her are now on antibiotics. I am not as I have had a Tdap shot in the last two years. Fun, fun, fun!!!

Today I am going to share some more tags that I created for Christmas. I made them a couple weeks ago when I actually still had time. I haven't sat down at my craft desk since then.

The first tag I created using a "Sweet Treats" stamps and tags by Spellbinders. I stamped the background in red. It was not the juiciest ink pad and have since re-inked it. I then layered a die cut circle in black and green over the tag and topped it with a stamped penguin from Paper Trey Ink's "Tremendous Treats" Christmas stamp set that was colored with Copic Markers.

The next tag I used the same die cut and stamped tag set as the first. However, I used a fern green ink. I am not sure I like it but I cannot find a true green ink that I love. I then topped it with a stamped gingerbread man from Paper Trey Ink's "Holiday Button Bits" set. Very, very simple. I could make a ton of these very easily, which is key in making tags in bulk. I wish I figured that out when I started!!

My last tag I used Mama Elephant's "Arctic Penguins" stamp and die set to create my tag.

I colored the ice and and bits in with Copic markers. I really love these little guys!!

I used Christmas Red Stickles on the pom pom at the top of the hat and made teeny red dots with it on top of the present. The snowflakes on the tag are from Lawn Fawn's "Snow Day" stamp set.

I thank you for stopping by during this busy time. Have a great night!!

Tagging it Up with Spellbinder's, Paper Trey ink and My Favorite Things

Hello everyone!! It has been a brutally cold Monday here. I really don't mind it during the day but at night, it somehow feels worse.

Went to a scrapbook tag sale this weekend at Little Yellow Bicycle. Bought a box full of STUFF for $25. Dragged Char along for the ride. She was kind of stunned at the place, as well as disgusted by some of the people. Some very rude people out there.

Today I want to share a few tags I have created using my Spellbinder's "Sweet Treats" tags and stamps, paired with My Favorite Things "Christmas Cuteness" and Paper Trey Ink's "Tremendous Treats" stamps.

Isn't he cute? I stamped the tag in red, die cut some banners out of scraps and adhered them over the tag. The little reindeer I stamped, die cut and colored in using Copics. His shiny nose is red Stickles.

The next tag is similar but I used a reindeer from Paper Trey Ink.

I utilized the same design as the first. The deer was colored in with Copic's as well as embellished with Stickles. Love the bread tags. Kind of different then a regular Christmas tag!!

Packages are arriving at my house now almost on a daily basis. One for me, one for someone else, one for me, one for someone else...Shhh-don't tell my husband!! Actually, I know he knows by the state of my craft room right now. It is getting so bad that I don't want to work in it. It is time for a day of purging and reorganization. I think that is going to have to wait until Christmas vacation though.

I thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful night!!

Supplies: 

Stamps and Dies-Papery Trey Ink "Tremendous Treats", My Favorite Things "Christmas Cuteness," Spellbinders "Sweet Treats"

Inks-Stampin Up!, My Favorite Things (red hot), Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper-Paper Trey Ink (white), Elle's Studio (Good Cheer and O Christmas Tree), Doodlebug

Other- Red, Silver, Green and Gold Stickles, Copic Markers, Big Shot, Adhesive Foam

Stampin Up! Holiday Home Tags

Happy Friday! So glad that this day is finally here! I get the night off because Char is spending some time with her cousin and my step mother. They are going to a gingerbread exhibit and out to dinner. I will be doing some birthday shopping for Charlotte. Not sure what I am going to get her yet but I think it will be some clothes.

Today I am just sharing a quick post showing a few Christmas tags I made with Stampin Up!'s "Holiday Home" set.

The first thing I did was to stamp the houses on kraft card stock using pigment ink and emboss each in white.

I then die cut each using the matching die set.

Next I folded some scrap pieces of kraft and die cut the houses again. I adhered the stamped images over these to make folded tags.

My last steps were to punch tiny holes on the top and thread some twine through the holes to tie on my gifts. I am in LOVE with the way these came out!!

I thank you for looking!! Have a great day!!

Runway Inspired Challenge #73 and Seize the Birthday

Happy Thursday!! I am so happy that tomorrow is Friday and the weekend will be here. It has been a looooonnnngggg week here. Dreary and cold, with rain. It makes me tired!!

To cheer me up, I decided to do the Runway Inspired Challenge #73. In fact, I had so much fun with this challenge that I actually made TWO cards. Unheard of for me!! (Usually once one is done, I am not inspired and then have to move on.)

The inspiration photo was from Balmain's spring 2015 line. The photo is from Style.com.

I knew immediately what I wanted to do after seeing this photo. I recently bought a Paper Trey Ink cover plate that I wanted to use.

Instead of using horizontally, I flipped it vertically and die cut red, yellow, blue and yellow card stock. This is my first card:

I used the red die cut and then inserted the three other colors inside to mimic the stripes in the dress. Next I added a vellum die cut that was lying on my desk. To add the color black, I chose to use the Mama Elephant "Happy Script" die to cut the black sentiment out. I also added a stamped "birthday" over the die cut using foam adhesive.

My last step was to use another Mama Elephant die to die cut the circles out of glitter paper.

I like this card but the red was just a little too overpowering to me. My next card I toned the colors down a bit and used black as the main color for the background.

I then die cut the "happy" out of yellow and used white embossing powder on black card stock for "birthday." Next I added the panda so that it looked as if he was standing on the "happy" die cut. 

The last step was to add the heart die and the different colored sequins. I am planning on giving this to my daughter for her birthday on Sunday.

I am also entering this into "Seize the Birthday-Anything Goes" challenge.

I thank you for stopping by today. Have a great Friday!!

Cardstock: Paper Trey Ink-(True Black, Pure Poppy, Summer Sunrise) White-Recollections, Blue-Bazzill

Stamps: Mama Elephant-"Pandamonium," "Happy Everything" and Altenew-"Label Love"

Dies: Paper Trey Ink-"Stripes Horizontal, "Fabulous Frames," Mama Elephant-"Pandamonium," "Happy Script," "Rounds and Rounds."

Other: Big Shot, sequins, foam adhesive, black ink

My Favorite Things "Jingle All The Way" Santa and the Tag Your It Challenge #11

Happy Monday!! Today I am sharing a quick tag I created using a Santa from My Favorite Things that I created for the Tag It Your It Challenge #11.

I sat down one day a while ago to stamp, die cut and color one of all the images in the "Jingle all the Way" stamp set from MFT. I tend to do this so that I then when I want to make a tag or a card, I have a bunch all ready made to pull from. It makes things so much easier.

Here is the tag I created for the challenge:

Here is the inspiration piece:

The tag die I used is the same that is on the card above. I chose to make one with a Christmas theme. I stamped, die cut and colored in the Santa with Copic markers. (I went out of the lines in part of it-hard to shade in such a tiny space!) I then used a Wink of Stella clear glitter pen over the pom pom and the edge of his white hat. (This is after getting the glitter all OVER my hands. Don't even ask how that happened!!)

I then die cut two tags out of patterned Christmas paper from Elle's Studio. I used a sentiment stamp from Simon Says Stamp's "Holiday Labels" for the sentiment on the front tag. I then used foam adhesive to adhere the Santa.

Next I use green ribbon and some green twine for the top of the tag. The last step was to glue some sequins on the tag to give it a little extra sparkle. 

I thank you for stopping by today. Have a Happy Monday!

Supplies:

My Favorite Things-"Jingle All the Way" stamps and dies

Elle's Studio-Good Cheer Collection-"Merry Christmas" and "O Christmas Tree"

Ribbon-Michael's

InLinkz.com

Stampin Up! Holiday Home Cards

It is Sunday here in blog land. I will be going over my sister's shortly to say good bye to my brother. He was here for Thanksgiving and to attend a wedding. I was able to have lunch with him on Saturday and it was nice to talk to him. I am sad he lives so far away.

I also did a little shopping at Michael's yesterday. What great sales they had!! I was only in there for a  about ten minutes and wish I had a bit more time to browse but Chris was waiting for me in the car. He is pretty good about letting me look around but we were on a time deadline and had to be home so I could be on time for lunch. I did get adhesive which was 40% off. That almost NEVER goes on sale so I bought quite a bit. They also had a coupon to get 25% sale AND clearance items. I bought a few Heidi Swapp stencils that were on clearance, as well as some ribbon.

Today I am sharing two cards that I created with Stampin Up!'s "Holiday Home" stamp set. I borrowed this set from my friend this weekend and think I am going to have to borrow it again another day. I LOVE it.

The first card I created for my friend who just moved into her new house on Friday. This card was a total CASE of a card I saw somewhere on the web. I know I pinned it but I have pinned so many darn cards that I couldn't find it to link up. Anyway, I stamped three houses in gray on a white card base and a street light image in black. I then die cut the white panel and mounted it on a red hot card stock base.

Next I stamped a fourth house in black, colored it in with Copic markers and then die cut it out. I colored it in yellow because my friend's new house is yellow. Hmm...I just noticed that this house should have been on the opposite card! I meant to put a different house on this one! Ugh!!!

I mounted the yellow house onto the card with foam adhesive and used Ranger Glossy Accents on the windows to make them reflect.

The last step was to stamp the sentiment in black, the heart in red and then to cover the heart in red Stickles. I really love how this came out. You can see how the glossy accents shines in the photo above.

The second card I created in the same way but flipped the card so that it was 5 1/2" by 4 1/4".

On this card, I stamped four houses in gray and then die cut a fifth that I had stamped in black on another sheet of white card stock. Instead of yellow, I chose to color this house in with red. I am obsessed with red!!

This house was also adhered to the card using foam adhesive. Like the first house, the windows on this one got a treatment of Glossy Accents.

I think that I am going to try to stamp these houses with white on Kraft card stock next and use colored pencils to color one of them in. I really love how this came out!!

That is all for today. Thank you so much for stopping by!!

Supplies:

Stampin Up!-Holiday Home stamps and dies

InLinkz.com