Createx Jeremiah

To get person for just a moment, my favorite Scripture verse is Jeremiah 20:11, so when I saw it at Verve I just had to have it. It arrived recently so I wanted to put it to good use. My younger sister is in the Army and getting ready to head to a hot spot overseas in or around April. She returned from a one year unaccompanied tour in S. Korea in May, so you can imagine how she and her family feel about another year long separation. She is the one that I thought of when I first started to think about making a card using this stamp.

The background is a TJ technique called Createx Creations that I have had sitting around for months now. I love the vibrant colors of this technique and since I wanted to use a royal purple for this card this background came to mind. Since the background is so dark I pulled out my So Saffron for the base and used my Color Coach to find Almost Amethyst. I used my new Label One Nesties for the two layers and a couple Sakura metallic gelly roll pens to color around the embossed outer portion of the layers. I used my Craft Elegant Eggplant and clear embossed the sentiment, then my Elegant Eggplant marker to make the dots on the So Saffron.

Stamps: Jeremiah 29:11 (Verve); Ink: Craft Elegant Eggplant, Elegant Eggplant marker, Sakura Metallic gelly roll pens; Paper: So Saffron, Glossy, Almost Amethyst; Accessories: Createx paint, clear EP, Labels One Nesties, CB.

Another Artful Inkables

Well, I decided to try the SCS color challenge CC203. The colors were Garden Green, Baja Breeze and Pacific Point. Well, I don't have either one of those blues so I used Not Quite Navy and Soft Sky instead.

I also have been wanting to try the CPS sketch for this week. AND (LOL) I wanted to use my new duck. She is more yellow IRL, I'm not sure where the orange came from since I don't even own any orange shades of Copics. You've got to love scanners. :) BTW, the Daring Duo is one of the stamp sets that Artful Inkables has for an incredible 50% off for just a couple more days!


Well, what do you think? I think I need more practice with my Copics! I have joined a group that is doing a Copic Club. It is a six month committment for $25.00 a month for 5 markers (includes shipping.) I think it is a fantastic deal!

Stamps: Daring Duo and Critter Country (plant); Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), various Copics, Soft Sky (sponging around edges); Paper: Garden Green, Not Quite Navy, Soft Sky, Porcelin Prints DP (SU); Accessories: Rectangle Scallop Nesties, CB, Swiss Dots CB folder, corner rounder (SU).

Father & Son & 50% Off Promotion Code

I just had to use one of my brand new stamp sets. Here is Father & Son from Artful Inkables. This set is currently 50% off! Kristin has a number of other stamp sets for 50% off until the end of the month. Run, do not walk to her website and check out her awesome sell!! (Not affiliated just an extremely satisfied friend/customer!) Just make sure to use the promotion code: 50% off to get the discount.

This card combines SCS color challenge CC202 and Techno Stamper's sketch challenge #54. I just realized as I was typing up the recipe that I forgot the Regal Rose for the color challenge. Oops! Well, I'll leave it since I'm pretty sure that if DH thought purple wasn't masculine he'll think even less of Regal Rose. LOL!

Stamps: Father & Son (AI), Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Bravo Burgundy; Paper: Bravo Burgundy, Old Olive, Whisper White; Accessories: CB & Folder, sponge, Large Oval, Large Scallop Oval, Label One Nesties.

The Fairy and the Butterfly

I'm sure you've all heard of Jen de Muro's blog tart (if not just click on the link.) Well, I've been thinkin' and thinkin' (feelin' like Whinny the Poo here) about the card to send. I'm sure it shouldn't have been this difficult! LOL! I wanted to use this new stamp set I bought from Treehouse Stamps called Beautiful Fairies (Inkadinkado). (To see Ashley's Fairy go here.)

I just love fairies, butterflies and unicorns. I guess the idea of being able to fly freely and the touch of the magical intrigue me. Anyway, about the card. The blue and green background was a Technique Junkie background called Color Pop (Dec 08- Jan 09 issue) that I had lying around and I loved the colors (Bashful Blue & Sage Shaddow.) I didn't want to use white so I went with Blush Blossom and stamped my fairy with Tuxedo Black (Momento) and heat set (because my COPIC started to smudge the ink.) The wings have two different Stickles colors. I used my largest scallop oval and sponged around using both Bashful Blue and Sage Shaddow. The the butterfly was punched with my Martha Stewart butterfly punch, then I used three colors of Stickles, (two were Distress stickles.) I rolled up a mini glue dot and placed it under the body of the butterfly to adhere it to the card, but still allow the wings to be free.



I really like how this turned out. I am keeping it sentiment-less so that the University can use it however they need to.

Stamps: Beautiful Fairies (inkadinkado); Ink: Tuxedo Black (Momento), various COPICs, Sage Shaddow, Bashful Blue; Paper: Blush Blossom, glossy, vellum; Accessories: corner rounder (SU), glue, reinkers, sponge, Stickles, butterfly punch, Scallop oval nestiblilites, CB.

Money/Gift Card Holder

I am such a bad aunt. *sigh* I have a couple of nieces/nephews that I need to send gifts to. I have been searching for a tutorial that I saw a couple of months ago and never did find it but I did find something very similar. Ryann of The Inked Spot has this tutorial on her blog and there is no reason to reinvent the wheel, so I have linked to her tutorial. :D

Since I am late with these I am keeping them simple. Here is the front of of the holder.

Here is the inside. The money is folded into thirds and fits nicely. The money is actually smaller than a gift card so I will change the dimensions of future holders to 4.25 x 11 so I can get two holders from a single sheet of cardstock. I used the window word punch and 1" circle punch to make the pocket inside. I stamps some miscellaneous stamps from that stamp set on the inside, leaving enough room for a short message. Oops! I just noticed I missed a dot on one of the scallops. Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Holiday Tag Team; Ink: Basic Black, MARKERS: Rose Red, Basic Black; Paper: Rose Red; Accessories: Rectangle Nestabilities, White gel pen, window word punch, 1" circle punch.

My Little Fox

I haven't done one of MJ's Monday Lunchtime sketches in ages, but I wanted to get back in the swing of things, it just took me a little longer than I expected to finish this card. Ever have have a couple of "it has to be this way" parts to your card that seem to hinder putting it together? That was this card.

I knew I wanted to use Foxy (isn't he just darling?) that I bought from Tree House Stamps. He was from their $1 spot and is about 2.75 x 2.75 inches! My maiden name is Fox so I just have a soft spot for foxes. :) I decided to send this card to my Dad for his birthday later this month, so I wanted a masculine card.


I also knew I wanted to use MJ's sketch #51. It looked like fun, so the challenge was on! I received the Labels One from my wonderful MIL as a Christmas present so I HAD to use that as well. I thought it would work so well as the focal point in this sketch. I knew that this Ginger Blossom (SU) would coordinate beautifully, so that was a must-have.

It was that layer beneath the fox that I struggled with for two days! This warm chocolate ribbon finally called loud enough for me to find him! LOL! I wanted teh fox layer up a bit but not as much as a pop dot, so I double layered my mini glue dots. I added the buttons to finish off the sketch and whew! Finally! :D

Stamps: Foxy (Treehouse); Ink: Tuxedo Black (Momento), various COPIC Markers; Paper: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Ginger Blossom DP (SU); Accessories: buttons (SU), Labels One Nestabilities, Paper Piercer (SU), ribbon (American Crafts).

SNSS Dragon

I wanted to share this card that I made using the sketch at Card Positioning System using the retired Princess stamp set from Sweet N Sassy Stamps (SNSS). There are some of these stamps sets left if you "need" one for your little princess! ;D (Nope, not an employee just a happy customer.)

The dragon is colored using Shimmerz: Mocha, Celery, Spiced Cider & Opal (over the Celery to mute it a bit) so it has lots of shimmer (go figure, LOL!) When Troy (my 5 y/o DS) saw this on my desk he immediately wanted it! He loves this dragon! (He especially liked the green wings.)

Stamps: Princess (SNSS); Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento) Broken China Distress Ink; Paper: Soft Sky, Tempting Turquoise, Wild Asperagus DP; Accessories: generic dew drops, Nestabilities Scallop Circle, sponge, Shimmerz, paint brush, C1 7 W1 COPIC for shading.

Princess Birthday

My friend/neighbor's daughter had her 6th birthday recently. I had ordered this Princess stamp set from Sweet N Sassy Stamps. Now I have both the Knight and Princess sets from SNSS so I can sell my Dreams & Dragons (SU)! I love that these SNSS stamps are larger than the D&D stamps.

The layout is from CardMaps. I just love having one place with loads of layout ideas! The tag is not attached so it could be used as a bookmark. Does a 6 y/o use bookmarks? LOL! I sponged Cameo Coral on the embossed borders to help show the detail. Then I debossed the base layer (accidently actually).

I took this picture with the COPICs that I used. I don't know how others get their markers to stack so nicely, I did try to get all the end caps rightside up but wasn't too successful. Oh well, I think I'll stick with scanning my cards.

Well, off to get my DS from the bus stop. :D Can you tell, the holidays are over? Yes, two posts in two days! ;D

Stamps: Princess (SNSS), Hugs & Wishes (SU); Ink: Tuxedo Black (Momento), various Copic Markers, Cameo Coral; Paper: Cameo Coral, Once upon A Time (DCWV), shimmery white; Accessories: CB: border folder & tag die, Scallop edge punch (SU), small grosgrain ribbon and silver cord,brads, black fine embossing poweder.

Errr, Merry Christmas. . .

Yes, too much time has passed since I have posted anything. Rather than give excuses (we've heard them all) I thought I'd just post my Christmas card for 2008 and share a couple of other Christmas cards that are special to me.

My first share is from my darling 5 y/o son. He proudly made it himself while I was out shopping (and DADDY supervised!!) Yes, I was shocked! Daddy usually steers away from my craft room so to have him supervise Troy was quite the surprise. Yes, they used my Tonic guillotine cutter and my ATG gun!! Yikes! That is some serious crafting, hehe! It is probably difficult to see, but he stamped the Santa and tree from Crayon Christmas (SU) and scribbled colored them in. This lavendar layer is actually adhered to a white base, hence the ATG need. I do believe that my DH suggested they go buy me a card but Troy wanted to make one. That is how David got sucked into "supervising".


This is the card that ended up going out to friends and family. My first version was stamped onto acetate, colored on the back with COPICs, vintaged the Very Vanilla layer under the acetate and distressed the edges, used brads to adhere the acetate to the top two layers. This photo is actually the second version. I stamped onto Very Vanilla, aged and distressed, added brads, mounted on burgundy. The background stamp is SU's Antique Background using Galaxy Gold Brilliance ink. About a 1/3 of my Christmas cards looked like this one. The final version just omitted the brads. I didn't want to add more to postage because of the thickness. I was reminded by Lisa Somerville that simplier is usually better (or something along those lines). Thanks Lisa! :D Oh, you really can't see in this scan that I colored the windows with So Saffron. It was the only coloring I did, sponging not included.


Stamps: The Forest Chapel (CHF), Antique Backgrounds (SU), Season's Greetings (SU), Ink: Basic Brown, Basic Black, Glaxy Gold (Brilliance); So Saffron Marker (windows), Antique Linen & Brushed Corduroy (Distress Ink); Paper: Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip; Bravo Burgundy; Accessories: brads, Cut-N-Dry (Ranger), Distress tool (SU).

The next card is the O-N-L-Y card that my DH has ever said "Let's keep this!" Yes, after stamping for eight years those were the first words out of his mouth when he opened his card from me this year. Here's why:
I got this stamp, Miss Crystal, from RubberNecker.com. I used one of Tim Holtz' 12 Days of Christmas 2008 ( Day 2) for her dress and paper pieced the dress. I used stickles for the white rim of her hat, the stars she's holding and the "string" so it all sparkles. I used the snowflake CB folder for the white layer. I used the scallop punch from SU for the opening base layer (Elegant Eggplant.) I also scalloped a white layer inside the card and offset it so when it is closed you can see the white peeking out. It really helped add to the card without adding any more embellishments. Oh, this card was inspired by Linda Duke. I used some CB snowflake dies for the last embellishments. Whew! So what do you think of Miss Crystal??

Stamps: Miss Crystal (RubberNecker); Ink: Tuxedo Black (Momento), COPIC: Skin White (E00), SU Markers: Real Red, Close to Cocoa; Paper: Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White; Accessories: CB snowflake embossing folder and snowflake dies, Tim Holtz Day 2 Technique; Stickles, Paper Snips (SU).