Tomorrow it will be one year

It doesn't seem possible, but tomorrow Joe and I will celebrate our first wedding anniversary. I made a simple card for him, letting the designer paper do most of the work.

I used Fillable Frames #4 from PTI for the frame and sentiment. On the inside I used a sentiment from Tiny Trees and a flourish from Fancy Phrases (both from Waltzingmouse Stamps). I finished it off with a scrap of the same designer paper (Simply Elegant from The Paper Studio).

We have reservations tomorrow night at a nice Italian restaurant and I think it's going to be a fabulous evening.

Tag-You're it Again!

I made this second tag last Saturday as well, but I wasn't quite as happy with it. To be perfectly honest, this is one that I threw away and then rescued from the trash--for the simple fact that I spent enough time and effort on it that I figured I might as well show it too.

There's not anything wrong with it per say, but it didn't turn out quite like I had planned out in my head--it was much more elegant in theory. LOL

You can't tell from the photo, but I covered the sentiment in crystal glitter again. (Running it backwards through my Xyron machine makes it so easy to get perfect coverage.) Also, the vintage glass glitter on the snowflake is SO sparkly in person, but you have to be careful with it--as it is just that--tiny shards of glass with sharp edges.

Stamps:

sentiment from Tiny Trees (Waltzingmouse Stamps)

background is Composer's Dream (Stampendous)

small snowflake (Michael's $1 stamp set)

Ink:

Victorian Velvet (Tim Holtz distress ink)

Silver (Encore! Ultimate Metallic)

Misc:

silver vintage glass glitter (RedLead - redleadpaperworks.com)

snowflake die (Spellbinders)

silver snowflake brad/square brads (The Paper Studio/Hobby Lobby)

ribbon and metallic eyelash yarn (Michaels)

Waltzingmouse Tag-You're It! Challenge

If you check out Claire's blog she has all of the details about her latest challenge. She wants to see tags, not just any tags, elegant ones. The prize for the winner---about $200 USD worth of Waltzingmouse goodies of your choice!!! You can enter as many tags as you'd like and it will increase your odds of winning.

I made one tag last Saturday, but I just got around to getting some pics of it today for the blog. I have always loved the vintage style tags that Tim Holtz creates, but I've never been able to make anything like them. This tag was inspired by him:

I used crystal fine glitter to cover the sentiment for a frosty/Winter look. Here's a close up:

Stamps:

snowflake, sentiment (Walztingmouse/Seasons of Love - Tags)

musical background (Stampabilities/Composer's Dream)

Ink:

Bundled Sage (Tim Holtz distress ink)

Vintage Tea Dye duo, Pure Poppy & Dark Chocolate (PTI)

Misc:

Holiday stickers/red ribbon from Hobby Lobby

red rhinestone bling

fine crystal glitter

Metal bookplate (Ornate plates by Tim Holtz idea-ology)

WaltzingMouse Sketch Challenge #14

I feel like I'm on a bit of a roll here. It's been a while since I've had 2 cards to post in just as many days but here goes.

I made this card last night for this week's Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #14.

I started with a kraft base and then added designer paper from DCWV's Garden Party stack. I've been itching to break out some of the yummy papers in that stack and this butterfly design is one of my favorites. This photo doesn't catch the sparkle in the paper, but I promise it's there.

I used stamps from Fancy Phrases and Very Vintage Labels No. 4. I only inked half of the sentiment at a time to make it fit in the space, but I think it would've fit perfectly had I turned the label on it's side. I don't remember the brown ink color off hand, but it is a Tim Holtz distress ink, as is the pinkish "Worn Lipstick" color.

I accented with some gingham ribbon, gold flourish stickers, and a shiny gold butterfly just to give a little more sparkle.

If you haven't played along yet, you still have 2 days to enter this week's challenge (link on sidebar). There is a new challenge every Saturday so be sure to check back for even more inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a good one.

Friends of Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog Waltz

It's time for the June Friends of Waltzingmouse Stamps blog waltz. The theme this month is "let's hear it for the boys" (yes I do sing those words in my best Deniece Williams Footloose voice every time).


I used stamps from Pic-Nic Patterns and Seasons of Love - Tags by Waltzingmouse and a star from PTI's Star Prints.


Inks used were Broken China and Shabby Shutters (both Distress Inks) and Dark Chocolate (PTI). The stars are stamped on Rustic Cream cardstock (PTI) and I really like how it looks with the twine--definitely gives a more rustic look. I pulled the twine tight to make the paper bow out a little bit--it gives it a little added dimension that you can really see in person.

One thing I realized while making this card is that I really should use eyelets more often. My Crop-A-Dile makes it almost effortless and I have a ton of them in my stash so I have no more excuses! LOL

Thanks for waltzing with me. I've really been out of my grove with stamping, but I hope to make some more time this weekend. I need to get my stamps inky. :-)

Waltzingmouse May Blog Waltz

I was very excited to receive my new stamps in time for the blog waltz this month. In honor of the first birthday of Waltzingmouse Stamps, the theme this month is Happy Birthday!

I went to work immediately and created 2 cards, one with a feminine touch and one that would make a good masculine card.

First up is the girlie one. I used stamps from Pic-Nic Patterns, Off Beat Backgrounds, and Fancy Phrases for this. The plaid is made from Summer Sunrise and Hibiscus Burst and I also used Dark Chocolate (PTI) and Shabby Shutters (distress ink).

I went for a clean and simple approach with my next card. I used stamps from Fancy Phrases and Off Beat Backgrounds. The colors used were Dark Chocolate and Ripe Avocado.

I hope you're enjoying the blog waltz. Thanks for stopping by.

WaltzingMouse Stamps Blog Waltz

Monday, May 17th is the next WaltzingMouse Blog Waltz. The theme is Birthdays in honor of the first birthday of WMS being celebrated this month. You can find the details on Claire's blog here: http://waltzingmouse.blogspot.com/2010/05/friends-of-waltzingmouse-stamps-monthly.html

Last month I ran out of time, but I'm hoping to be able to participate next Monday. It will be even better if my new WMS stamps arrive in time!

Waltzingmouse Stamps 1st Anniversary

(This is going to be a short post since I'm supposed to be working right now.)

Waltzingmouse Stamps is celebrating it's 1st Anniversary in a big way. Claire has a sketch challenge on her blog and the winner gets all 8 of the new release stamp sets! If you haven't yet, be sure to check out Waltzingmouse Stamps and Claire's blog (links on sidebar).

I apologize for the photo quality (or lack of), but I had to borrow a camera from work and I'm not used to all of the bells and whistles. LOL

I decided to make a Christmas card for this challenge because Christmas will always be the first thing I think of when I think of Claire and Waltzingmouse Stamps. She has grown in many different directions since, but Christmas is how I was first introduced to her beautiful creations.

All stamps used were from Very Vintage Christmas. I tried to keep with a vintage sort of theme by not inking the background stamps evenly for a distressed look. The snowflake at the top has Stickles (icicle) on it so in person it really shines.

I hope you enjoyed my card and more importantly I hope that this is just the first of many anniversaries for Claire and Waltzingmouse Stamps!

Waltzing Mouse Blog Waltz

It's that time again! Time for another Blog Waltz over at the WaltzingMouse Stamps forum. www.waltzingmousehouse.com

I got sidetracked with an organizational project and ran out of time to make a card for this one, but you can still join in the fun by visiting all of the blogs and seeing what everyone has been up to. There is also a contest where the design team members have hidden an image in their posts. Count the number of times you see that image and post it in the forum for a chance to win a new stamp set from WMS.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend and hope to see you waltzing. :-)

A few new cards

DH's niece has a birthday in a few days so I needed to make something fun for an 11 yr old girl. I figured the combo of bright colors and a little bling would be the way to go.
I started with a base of PTI's Hawiian Shores and stamped it with HS ink using Polka Dot Basics. I layered some purple from my stash and Hibiscus Burst after using another EK Success edger punch on them (Morocco Lace) and tying them up with purple gingham ribbon.

For the sentiment I used Fillable Frames #1, but the frame and coordinating die are from Fillable Frames #2. The little flourishy things on the side of the sentiment are from the Waltzingmouse Stamps set Very Vintage Labels No. 1. The bling is a rhinestone sticker from Michael's that was only $1--I bought a few so that I would make sure to use at least one instead of just hoarding them. LOL

Next up is a quick card that I made using a neutral color scheme. I started with a Kraft base and stamped it with Inkadinkado's Dot Flourishes using Dark Chocolate ink. I accented with a few brown rhinestones and a little bit of glitter for just a touch of sparkle.

I cut out a Labels 1 shape in Vintage Cream with my Cuttlebug and stamped it in Dark Chocolate using one of the stamps in Very Vintage Labels No. 1 (WMS). The sentiment is from K & Company's Que Sera Sera set and I thought the flourishes around Thank You fit perfectly with the fancy frame that Claire designed.

I finished up with yet another accent piece using an EK Success edge punch (yes, I am still in love with them) and some chocolate ribbon from my Stash.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you're having a great weekend.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I'm sorry that I'm posting this a little early. I've had it ready to go for a week now and I can't wait any longer. LOL

This is my first ever blog hop and I'm very excited to see what everyone creates. My card came together pretty quickly because as soon as I saw Claire's beautiful shamrock digi stamp I knew I was going to attack it with my Copics.


I tried to make all of the shamrocks look different so I used a few different shades of green and just started coloring. I cut out the image and mounted it with dimensionals on Rustic Cream, New Leaf, and purple cardstock from my stash.

The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's mini set Luck of the Irish--so is the tiny shamrock that I stamped randomly in New Leaf ink all over the Rustic Cream base.

I'm embarrassed to say that I've had my Copics for quite some time now and I rarely use them. I usually gravitate towards stamps that are solid images that don't require coloring, but I guess when I find the right images I can be inspired enough to get them out. (Thanks again to Claire!)

Thank you for coming to visit. I hope you enjoyed my first ever blog hop card. :-)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day

I finished up Joe's Valentine's Day card in time to give it to him last night, but tonight is going to be the best part. I've had some nice steaks marinating since last night, I have all the fixings for my white wine lemon butter sauce, some baby portabella mushrooms, and I have some really good mozzarella and tomatoes to serve with balsamic dressing.

As I type this , the dough is chilling for my traditional Valentine's Day cookies I bake and decorate for him every year. I'd say that we're probably going to both gain about 10 lbs, but it is going to be SO good!

Enough about food, here's the card I made him. I carried the theme to the inside since it was a black card base and just because I think it is a nice finishing touch.

It took me a little while to decide to turn the focal point on an angle on the card front. That's one of those things I see other people do and I like it, but it's just not my normal way of making a card. I thought about it, and decided it was time to get out of my comfort zone and try something different.

I used True Black, Black & White Basics PP, White, and Pure Poppy cardstocks all from Papertrey Ink. The stamps are all from the Sweet Hearts set from Waltzingmouse Stamps. I used my new EK Success border punch and a few rhinestones in the hearts, but I kept the embellishments to a minimum since I was trying to strike a balance between Valentine's Day and a manly card. I've always loved the combo of black/white/red and I this card is no exception--I think those colors work for just about anything, but are perfect for Valentine's Day.

I hope everyone has a good day with someone they love! XXOOXX

My first cards using Waltzingmouse Stamps!

I finally had a chance to ink up some of my new stamps from Waltzingmouse Stamps (see sidebar for link to store). These both use stamps from the Sweethearts set. All of the paper is from Papertrey Ink.

First up I wanted to do a Valentine card in non-traditional colors. I used a color scheme of Vintage Cream, Spring Moss, and Ripe Avocado. I used a fun border punch from EK Success that has a wavy edge and tiny dots that look like paper piercing. I think it gives some interest without looking as girly as my scalloped punches do. (I still have the old formula of Spring Moss ink so it doesn't show up as well as it should--I have to get the new formulation soon.)

Next up I went a little more traditional with my colors and added in some Dark Chocolate to the Vintage Cream and Pure Poppy. I stamped the hearts in Pure Poppy first and then stamped again without reinking to get the softer shade. I finished it up with some gold chord and a tiny heart charm with a keyhole that I found at Red Lead (local store with a webstore too - http://www.redleadpaperworks.com/). They have tons of sweet little charms and lots of vintage inspired stamps and papers.

I still have plenty more stamps that need to see some ink and I hope to be able to get working on that later today over the coming week. I'm also pretty excited about all of the fun contests happening for Papertrey Ink's 3rd Anniversary celebration.

Blessed :-)

I feel blessed. :-)

I have many reasons--one of them is how happy I am to be able to share my love of crafting with all of the amazing people I have met through blogs and forums. The forum at Papertrey Ink was the first that I joined, and I have met so many wonderful and supportive people there. They opened up a new world of creativity to me and at the same time became my biggest cheerleaders. I gained a confidence in my creations that allowed me to actually SEND my cards to people so they can be enjoyed rather than just sticking them in a shoe box. They also gave me the confidence to start a blog. (Even if I don't post regularly it is such a wonderful outlet and I'm glad to have it available.)

In a previous post I mentioned Beverly from Precious Scraps (blog link on sidebar)--she is a perfect example of someone I have never met face to face, but I consider her a friend. She always goes above and beyond to do or say something nice (all while juggling her family, her dream business that she built from the ground up literally, her day job, and daily life). Her thoughtfulness has touched my heart and she is such a great reminder that there are people out there who do nice things just because they are good people.

Another amazing woman I have never met in person, but have been so fortunate to call a friend is Claire from Waltzingmouse Stamps (links to blog and store on sidebar). Even though she lives in Ireland (across the "Big Water" as my relatives in Germany call it), she has become a source of encouragement and inspiration to me. Claire also has such kindness and generosity that can be hard to find these days, especially while everyone is so busy with life/work/family. She followed her dreams and now designs and sells her own stamps. I received such a sweet surprise from her yesterday and it more than made my day.

They are only two examples of the many fabulous friends I have been lucky enough to encounter during the last few years. I want to thank anyone who comes here to read/comment on my little blog and offer encouragement. I am so blessed to belong to such an amazing community of crafters who come together from all over to share ideas, inspiration, advice, friendship, and a pure love of creating.

I am excited to see what the new year holds for all of us. {{{hugs}}}