Paper Cuts

Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone!  No big, crazy plans here.  We’ll just go to a neighbor’s house for a bit, then come home, put the kids to bed and probably fall asleep ourselves before the ball drops.   Exciting, huh?  Our neighbors are fun though so we’re looking forward to it.

No Peeking!

   
I made this for a friend whose birthday is very soon.   Hopefully she won’t mind that this is a mouse since she had several leaving presents in her garage for a while.  This is a nice CUTE mouse though.  I don’t think the ones in her garage were wearing party hats or bearing balloons on her birthday.

I used Prismacolor pencils to color this little Whipper Snapper guy, stamping his arms twice so I could color and cut one set to pop up.  I like to add bits of dimension like that when I can.  I pierced a border around the focal image and popped up the focal panel as well as the matted patterned paper piece.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a safe and happy New Year!!

Stamps:  Whipper Snapper Designs “No Peeking”  Ink:  Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black   Cardstock:  Prism Rose Medium, Nautical Blue Medium, Natural Smooth   Patterned Paper:  My Mind’s Eye 29^th Street Market Bright “Original” Dots   Accessories:  Prismacolor Pencils/Weber Turpenoid Natural, ribbon by Stampin’ Up!, piercing template/needle, pop dots.  Card size 5 ¼” x 5 ¼”.

Happy Sunday (what’s left of it)!  My kids and husband have all been out of school and work for the past week so every day has seemed like a weekend here.  And we’ll have one more week of it!  How fun!

I’ve been eyeing some of the Rachelle Anne Miller and Sarah Kay images lately and was finally able to get a few.  I think they are just adorable!

So Sweet…Precious Moments

I kept the layout on this one fairly simple, mostly because I didn’t want to cover too much of the patterned paper from October Afternoon.  (I got mine from Jacksonbelle Embellishments.  I saw this paper for the first time this summer at CHA and fell in fell love with every line.  If you haven’t seen it, you must check it out.)  

I used Prismacolor pencils to color the image, a Martha Stewart punch for the trim and a little charm is tied into the knot.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a great day/night!

Happy Day-after-Christmas!  I hope you all had a very nice holiday.  I certainly did!  But…

I am So Over This

I’m thankful I no longer have to lock the presents in the spare bathroom and I’m thankful that my children liked everything they received.  I’m thankful to no longer have the argument that if Santa knows when you are sleeping and he knows when you’re awake, he must also, therefore, know when you’re taking a shower and that’s why they refused to take one.  (Actually, they each did take one but it was the quickest ever.)  However, I am not thankful that I now have to take them shopping to spend their gift cards. 

I hate shopping.  In fact, scrapbook and book stores are the only ones I don’t mind going into.  So you could say I was absolutely tortured by the Target/Toys R Us Shop Hop today.   Both of my children left each store empty-handed which, in their eyes, is  an unspeakable fate. But everything was picked over, the shelves were mostly empty and I needed ibuprofen.  Badly.  They want to try again tomorrow.    Not gonna happen.

I have convinced them each to make a list, think about it for a while, then decide which item they would most like to have.  Then either I or their father will go purchase said items…childless.  Just sayin’…I can’t take it. 

About the card…I had an order from My Favorite Things arrive just this afternoon and this set, Daydreaming, was among my new goodies.  I just love coloring these BC Dzyns girls.  (I have another I haven’t yet shown you.)  I used my Prismacolor pencils for this one.  I’m in no way an expert (or even close), but I like how this one turned out.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a great day/night! 

Stamps:  My Favorite Things “Daydreaming” (BC Dzyns)   Ink:  Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black   Cardstock: Prism Suede Brown Dark, Natural Smooth   Patterned Paper:  October Afternoon Hometown “Woolsworth” and “County Library”   Accessories:  Prismacolor Pencils/Weber Turpenoid Natural, McGill “Buttercup,” “Petite Petals” and “Baby Blooms” punches, brads, sewing machine.  Card size 5 ¼” x 5”.

Hi everyone!  I haven’t had much of an opportunity for stamping these last few days, but I just couldn’t let the season pass without using my new Pia Puddingtop image from Stamping Bella.  This might be a record-breaker as it literally took me days to complete…a few minutes here on this day, a few minutes there on another and so on.

Warmest Wishes

There are a few details you can’t see in the picture…  Obviously I used a lot of paper-piecing, but for added dimension I placed a rolled glue dot beneath Pia’s collar and each mistletoe leaf of her dress.  Sometimes pop dots are too large or lacking in stability if cut too small, but rolled or balled glue dots are perfect in their place.

On the berry atop her ‘hat’ and over the ornament in her hand I added a drop of Aleene’s paper glaze.

I’m not sure if I’ll post again before Christmas so if I don’t, I want to wish you all a happy, healthy and safe holiday!   Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps:  Stamping Bella “Pia Puddingtop” and Memory Box “Warmest Wishes”   Ink:  Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black   Cardstock:  Stampin’ Up Bravo Burgundy    Patterned Paper:  Basic Grey Wassail   Accessories:  Basic Grey brads, Morex ribbon, Aleene’s Paper Glaze, Martha Stewart punch, sewing machine, pop dots. 

Hi everyone.  I have my last gift tin to share today.  Actually, I shouldn’t say that since the season has not yet passed.  I may have to whip up one more. 

O holy night

This is another tin I like to have on had.  A couple places to find these “almost” square CD tins are Eclectic Paperie or All That Scraps.  The stars and reindeer are 3-d stickers.   For a bit more dimension and sparkle, I added a dot of Diamond Stickles in the center of each snowflake on the patterned paper.

After stamping the sentiment, I felt it didn’t stand out as much as I wanted it to so I quickly dumped some clear embossing powder over and heated.  That’s one thing I really like about the Adirondack inks–they dry quickly but not as quickly as some of the others so you have time to grab that powder…assuming you know where it is. 

Inside is another small tin of gum and two gift cards.  (The gum slid down when I tilted the tin for the photo.  Maybe I should have added a bit of tape underneath.)

Thanks for stopping by!  I’m off to enjoy my last few hours of silence before that holiday vacation begins.    Have a great day!

Stamps:  Cornish Heritage Farms “Christmas Expressions” (Mona Lisa Moments)   Ink:  Adirondack Espresso   Patterned Paper:  Imaginisce “Snowy Jo”   Accessories:  Reindeer and Star stickers by EK Success, Diamond Stickles by Ranger, tin, pop dots, clear embossing powder, sewing machine.  Tin size:  5 ¼” x 4 ½”.

Hi everyone!  I hope your week has gone well.  I’ve been scrambling to get some things done before the kids begin their holiday vacation.  So in honor of scrambling, today’s WT challenge at Splitcoast Stampers is to make a quick gift.  (Just for the record, I made this for a friend and it was not a last minute thing.  It just happens to fit today’s challenge.)

A while back I picked up some of these business card tins from Eclectic Paperie for $1.49 each.  They’re great to have on hand as they are quick to decorate. 

Noel

I attached a piece of patterned paper to the front of the tin, cut slightly smaller and corners rounded.  The snowman was paper-pieced using Prism Natural cardstock with the heart paper-pieced from a scrap of the patterned paper and raised on a piece of a pop dot.  I colored the nose with a Copic marker, glued down the trim (which is SOOOO soft) and stamped the sentiment. 

For the inside top, I cut a block of striped paper to fit, punched two slits for the card, added a Dew Drop on each slit and glued the piece inside the lid. 

The bottom is no more complicated than the top.  The only thing you might not be able to see from the picture is that I popped up the dripping wax part of the candle.  I added a few pop dots beneath the bottom panel as I felt the tin looked a bit empty. 

Next…another (but different) gift/gift card holder.  (I suppose it may not be all that helpful to present these ideas so late, but I’ve fallen behind this year.  Sorry about that!)

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Cornish Heritage Farms “Heart Warmers”  (Kim Hughes Collection)   Ink:  Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black   Cardstock:  Prism Natural Smooth   Patterned Paper:  Webster’s Pages Ting-a-Ling Collection “Ribbon Candy” and “Starbright”   Accessories:  Trim by Webster’s Pages, slot punch by EK Success, Copic markers, tin, Dew Drops, sewing machine, pop dots.  Tin size 3 6/16” x 2 9/16”.

I’m not one of those gals who owns a matching purse for every outfit.  As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t even say I have “outfits.”  I’m more of a jeans and sweater or t-shirt kind of girl.  But even so, I think this new set from My Favorite Things is adorable!  (Or should I say Tote-ally Fantastic!)

Purse-onal Thanks

As usual, I paper-pieced the girl and purses after stamping the image onto a solid “white-ish” piece from Basic Grey’s Eva paper pad.  I adhered the top of the skirt to the paper but placed two small pop dots beneath the bottom of her skirt.

Had I put more thought into this, I would have used a magnet behind the brad and had the card open that way.  Oh well, maybe next time.

I used a couple strips of patterned paper to cover the tin base, then added a double-layered paper-pieced purse and “thanks” tag to the ribbon.   I need to get this set out the door and in the hands of the recipient before I eat the chocolate pieces inside.  Way too tempting!

Thanks for stopping by!  I have a gift card tin to share next!  Have a great day!

Stamps:  My Favorite Things “Tote-ally Fantastic”   Ink:  Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black   Cardstock:  Prism Suede Brown Dark, Razzleberry Medium   Patterned Paper:  Basic Grey Eva 6×6 paper pad   Accessories:  Copic markers, corner rounder by EK Success, ribbon by Morex, brad by Paper Studio, pop dots, tin.  Card size 5 ¼” x 5 ¼”.

It’s been way too long since my good buddy, Carole, and I have done one of our Just for Fun challenges.   To refresh your memory, we take turns, one of us choosing paper and the other choosing the image, but the choices are made without knowing which paper or image is chosen by the other.  That’s the “challenge” part.  The rest is “Just for Fun!”

This time around I sent to Carole this double-sided pink and brown paper by Kaiser.  I know you can’t see much of it because I nearly covered it all.  (I tend to do that sometimes.)   But when I saw it, my first thought was “This is so ME!”  I love pink and brown.  I’m not sure if Carole does…I guess I’ll find out. 

Once I mailed the paper, Carole chose this cute Inkadinkado image of birds. 

Together, Life is Sweet!

These little guys (or gals) are a Quartet of friends.  Each one is different from the other, but they love each other just the same, as good friends should.   They don’t ruffle each other’s feathers and they’re always there when they need each other.

I had a hard time matching the paper with my “limited” number of Copic markers, so I blew the dust off of my Prismacolor pencils and used those.  I really should leave them out so I’ll use them more often.

All the panels are raised on pop dots and the hardware was a gift from the very sweet Jessica Rone.  (Thank you again, Jessie!!)

Please be sure to check out Carole’s project!  I’m sure it’s fabulous!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a great day! 

Stamps:  Inkadinkado “Quartet”, sentiment from Gina K. Designs “How Sweet it Is!”   Ink:  Adirondack Pitch Black   Cardstock:  Prism Tawny Medium, Suede Brown Dark, Natural Smooth   Patterned Paper:  Kaiser “Pretty in Pink”   Accessories:  Prismacolor pencils/Weber Turpenoid Natural, Spellbinders Nestabilities, ribbon, Stampin’ Up Aged Copper hodgepodge, sewing machine, pop dots.  Card size 5” x 5”.

Hi everyone.   I have a bit of news to share today.  Not big, huge life-changing news (thank goodness)–just “little” (but still important) news. 

As most of you know, I’ve been part of the Cornish Heritage Farms Design Team  for a while.  I’ve had a great time being part of the CHF family, and I truly appreciate all of the wonderful opportunities that experience has afforded me, as well as all of the dear friends I’ve made there, but I have decided to leave the team.  I’ll still be using CHF images (at a minimum, you know I can’t go without the fabulous Kim Hughes sets), but I’ll have a little more free time for publication work, F-U-N (isn’t that what stamping is supposed to be about?) and who knows what else.  It’s a big change for me, but I feel certain it’s a good one.   

Now, moving on…

Warm Wishes

I waited a long time (or so it seems) to find this image by Whiff of Joy.  So cute.   I’m still experimenting with shading backgrounds and might have gone a bit overboard with the “glow” here.  Maybe she has a candle behind her…or maybe her sweater is on fire.  Eek!  Anyway, I’m practicing. 

As an afterthought, I decided to add a bit more dimension to the card so I stamped the image a second time, colored the sweater cuffs, her hands and the cup and cut out only those parts (as one piece).  I glued the cuffs over the image but placed a pop dot under the cup.  Much better!

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I hope to get back to my more regular timing with posting, but my first goal is to clean my stamp room.  It is a very scary place right now.  But I’ll be back soon!  I have a “Just for Fun” challenge with Carole just around the corner!  Have a great day! 

Stamps:  Whiff of Joy “Willow with Hot Chocolate”   Ink:  Adirondack Pitch Black   Cardstock:  Prism Natural Smooth; Stampin’ Up Chocolate Chip   Patterned Paper:  My Mind’s Eye “My Sunshine”   Accessories:  Copic markers, Stampin’ Up felt flowers, mm brads, Creative Memories cutting system, sewing machine, pop dots.  Card size 5” x 5”.

Hi everyone!  TGIM!  My Monday won’t be as quiet as usual as I have a red-eyed girl home today.  We’ll soon be off to see if it’s allergies or the dreaded pink eye.  But either way, I won’t have to listen to the relentless arguing and tattling I endured over the weekend…  “Mom, he said I’m stupid!”  “No, I didn’t!”  “Yes, he did!”  “No, I didn’t!”  “Did too!”  “No, I said she was SO stupid!  There’s a difference!”   **sigh**  Anyway…

Today’s challenge at Cornish Heritage Farms is to watercolor.  I’ve relied on Copic markers so much lately that watercoloring really was a challenge for me.  (Please be kind.)

Happiness

I chose to use Easter Basket, one of three new Saturday Evening Post images to be released this Friday, December 12th. The word “happiness” was taken from a sentiment in the Friend Centers set by Mona Lisa Moments.

Be sure to check out these other CHF designers to see their watercoloring:  Julia, Kim, Dawn, Joanne, Kristine, Jen and Sherrie.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Cornish Heritage Farms “Easter Basket” (Saturday Evening Post), “Friend Centers” (Mona Lisa Moments)   Ink:  Adirondack Espresso, Stonewashed, Butterscotch, Salmon, Lettuce, Latte   Cardstock:  Prism White, watercolor   Patterned Paper: Basic Grey Urban Prairie   Accessories:  Ribbon, safety pin, water brush, sewing machine. Card size 5 ½” x 5 ½”.