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