To new beginnings....

With the holidays coming to a close,

I look toward the New Year as a time of new beginnings.

 

 

My term is ending at

Crafter's Companion

and it has been a wonderful, however short, fullfilling experience.

The design team has been so very helpful to this newcomer,

and I have learned so much about their products and techniques from everyone!

 

With the recent passing of my father in October,

the caring and closeness of my blogger friends has become even more apparent!

 

So, I say "Good-bye" to 2012

and "WELCOME 2013" and to a fresh start with new ideas and renewed creativity!

 

A "Charmed" New Year!

 

I used the absolutely gorgeous butterfly stamp from the

Sheena Douglas collection,

A Little Bit Scenic, "Flying Colors" set.

 

I spritzed some alcohol ink directly onto my white cardstock, trying to match it to a section of this paper from 7 Gypsies.

(one of my New Year's resolutions is to use up some of my old papers)

Then, I stamped the butterfly image twice onto the dry paper and

black heat embossed them.

I cut them out and added some ink to the wings to better match the color tone and add some dimension.  I always pop up my images for movement.

The key charm was used as the "body" on one of the butterflies, and an extra little clockface tied onto the ribbon.

 

As I say so long to one life experience,

I am excited to see what this coming year holds.

 

As always, I'll continue to bring you goodness and yumminess from

DCWV

and

Doodle Dragon Sudios

and plan to expand in yet more directions with my craft.

 

Have a Happy, Happy New Year!

~Jan~

If not for....

this adorable little image, I would never have made it onto the wonderful

Design Team at

Crafter's Companion!

 

We were asked to pick one of our favorite projects,

and this one immediately came to mind.

 

This 6 x 6 card was made using

In Trouble Again,

one of the many sweet images in the "Paintbox Poppets" collection!

 

 

It is also one of my very favorite projects from the past year!

 

 

If you would like to read the details of how I created this card,

just look here!

 

I hope to eventually get back to creating as I was at that time.

I have been in a bit of a funk since my father's funeral in November and have been addressing some of my own medical issues.

But with the New Year comes new beginnings!

 

I love all of the Paintbox Poppets and look forward to taking marker to paper and designing more of these darlings!

If you would like to win your own "In Trouble Again" stamp, simply leave a comment on this blog post and one lucky winner will receive it!

 

Visit the Crafter's Companion blog to see more projects and go to all of the team's blogs to enter and win more stamps!

 

Thanks, again, for visiting my blog,

and a Very Merry Christmas to all of you!

~Jan~

 

 

 

 

On the Seventh day of Christmas with DCWV....

... I made this little shadow book that can hold so many memories!

So glad you could join

DCWV

for our

12 Days of Christmas!
 

 I am day Seven!

I wanted to make something a bit different than a card, or a layout (and since I have no swans a swimmin' to speak of, or seven of any bird for that matter)

I decided to make a nice keepsake book/box as a decorator piece for the holidays!

 

 

I decorated the front of an old book with the gorgeous vintage paper from the

Chrismas Combo Stack, 2012. 

With 180 pages of beautiful holiday papers to choose from, you can't go wrong!

I cut the adorable little stockings out of the "Winter Holiday" stack, and finished it off with a pretty white bow and gold trim paint.

(You can't tell, but my fireplace is the brown pattern paper run

through a "brick" embossing die!)

 

 

When you open the book, it has become a 3 dimensional frame

with a small scene inside.

 Here's where the swans come into play!

 

The secret to this project is PATIENCE.

I drew my area to be cut out on the top page, and then cut through as many layers with an Exacto knife as possible. Little by little, you make your way through the pages of the book. I stopped about 1/2 inch from the bottom so that my background had some padding behind it.

Decorate the back of what will be your shadow-box, making sure you have absolutely EVERYTHING you want included before this next step.

 

 

For my "shadow box book", I included a stamped, heat embossed and decorated Christmas tree, some white paint and snow, and popped up a lady swan.

 

Only then do you glue an acetate sheet over the top and start decorating the front cover of your frame.

I also glued all of the bottom-section pages together (yes, more patience) and painted the sides lightly with gold paint to give a more antique appearance.

The large swan on the outside is also cut twice and popped up.

 

These old books can be recycled to hold keepsakes and memories of many types.

See where your imagination can take you!

 

The pictures of this were the most difficult I have ever tried to take. Between the acetate reflecting my lights, and the day being so very gloomy and dark, this is the best I could do.

 

But the feeling of the holiday and the old-timey wholesomeness of the poem still comes through....

"seven swans a'swimming...., "

 

Please check back tomorrow at DCWV to see what the Eighth Day of Christmas brings!

 

To join in on the fun over at Top Tip Tuesdays, I entered this project on their weekly challenge!

Happy Holidays!

~Jan~



Big Giveaway at DCWV!

Go to DCWV Diary blog

to see how you can win some amazing papers!

 

 

Also, Blue Moon Beads,

a subsidiary of DCWV is giving away some fantastic goodies!

 

Comments are all that are required!

Join us in looking towards a wonderful

New Year with some terrific new product!

 

Good luck!

~Jan~



Easy Gift Wrap Idea with Crafter's Companion!

So many times I just need a simple way to present a small gift without

all the hoopla of papers and ribbons!

 

I whipped up this easy, folded packaging for my holiday gifts such as gloves, scarves, and (in this case) a knitted hat that all the kids are wearing!

 

 

This little image of Humphrey trudging through the snow is so cute!

 Crafter's Companion, "Snow Fun"

Start with an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of your preferred white coloring cardstock and cut

to 6 x 11. Score your paper at 4", 4 1/2" 8 1/2 and 9".  Stamp your image in the center of your center 4" space. (Sorry, it was only AFTER I finished my project did I think to photograph it!)

 

Color your image and don't forget to add shadowing to it and the sentiment to look as though the words are shadowed in the snow!

 

Simply adorn with some pretty patterned paper at top and bottom and you have packaging that even the retail stores would envy!

 

 

Hope this makes some of your gift wrapping faster!

You could easily color one image and then make copies to put together dozens of matching gifts! (Think school/teacher projects!)

 

Have a great week!

~Jan~



DCWV/Hampton Art Hop!

Hello and welcome to day one of the two-day DCWV/Hampton Art Holiday Hop!
 

 



DCWV and Hampton Art are two companies that go above and beyond to provide a wide selection of products from classic, to vintage, to trendy and modern. So, when we decided to team up, it was only natural that we would want to show you some variety.

Day #1 of our hop is all about vintage! Whether you are talking lace and pearls and soft weathered colors or distressed, grungy, and aged, if you love all things vintage we have some beautiful projects to show you today!
 
DCWV (Hop Beginning)
Vivian Keh
Jan Garber  (you are here!)
Dana Warren
Hilde Stolk
Gini Williams Cagle
Rita Barakat
Linda Abadie
Tessa Buys
Beverly Sizemore
Karla Der
Gloria Stengel
Amanda Philips
Hampton Art


If you have come here from Vivian's blog then you're on track! If not, you should go back to the DCWV blog and start the hop from there!

 

Swan Lake Christmas Gift Box

 

The stamps are from Hampton Art, Graphic 45 collection,
papers from DCWV, "The Heirloom Christmas" stack,
with the added duck feathers to symbolize the swan.

 

 

The container is an altered wooden cigar box.

 



 

Not only does she sparkle, but she wobbles, too!

Yep, when the box opens, she gently wiggles.

 

 

 

This will make any gift extra special!

 

 



Next, hop on over to Dana's blog and see what surprises she has in store for you!

 But, first, don't forget to leave a comment on all the blogs for your chance to win a terrific prize!

 

 

Make a note to visit the DCWV/Hampton Art Hop Day Two tomorrow!

The girls will be highlighting "modern" projects!
AND 3, yes 3, winners will be chosen from those who comment on all of the blogs to win fantastic prize packages!
Whoo-hoo!

 

Hoppy Holidays!

Mr. Toad here wishing you a very "Hoppy Christmas" holiday!

 

 

I can't resist grabbing my Copic markers

and playing with some new techniques now and then.

This image from Stampendous is one that I found particularly fun!

 

And with my new Christmas stack from

DCWV,

I had no problem picking out some great papers!

 

 

I was intimadated when I first saw this little guy, but with a few pointers from my local marker instructor, I was puttin' warts on a frog in no time!

 

And hint:  ALWAYS stamp twice, and cut twice, popping your image up off the card!

You may not be able to tell here, but that gentleman toad appears to be ready to leap right off the card!

 

Paper:  DCWV, Winter Holiday Stack

Image Stamp: Stampendous

Sentiment:  TPC Studio, Christmas Tags

Ink: Copic Markers

Entered in the December Challenge (CAS Christmas card) at
Stampendous Impressions!



Traditional Christmas cards from DCWV!

Holiday Greetings!

More Christmas goodness from

DCWV!

"Traditional Holiday" stack goodness,
that is!

 

Beads and pendant are "Blue Moon".

Here's another quick card made from the same stack!

The flower was die cut from the "Heirloom Christmas" stack.


All other pattern papers are "Traditional Holiday"
Simple and easy...

Fa-la-la-la-la....

Christmas is drawing near, and many of you may have heard that I recently lost my father. This holiday will definately be a difficult one,

but with grown children of my own and a grandson who still believes in Santa,

I am trying to enjoy the season and all that goes with it!

 

 

I put up my tree this weekend, including my Dad's Lionel train set, and felt my family room fireplace needed a bit of the traditional mood,
so I made this chipboard stocking banner.

 

Starting with a KaiserKraft mini board kit, I covered the stocking shapes with
DCWV

"Heirloom Christmas" papers.
I then cut out dozens of poinsettia blooms with my Spellbinders die.  It made the process so fast and easy!

The chipboard letters were old Colorbok ones I'd hung onto for years, simply painting and glittering them with Stampendous, "Red Tinsel" embossing powder.
 

 

 

                                                                

 



It's not much,but I intend to add more before the 23rd.
 

Perhaps some pots of poinsetties along the bottom the fireplace!

 



Winter Friends!

What little girl didn't grow up dreaming of getting a pony for Christmas!

 

When I saw this new stamp from the
Crafter's Companion,

Pawfect Pals Stamp Collection,

 I immediately recalled those early days and thinking I could actually have a horse in the suburbs!

  

"Champion"

Wrapped up like a package, and sporting my favorite boot charms, this little
Christmas card would have been the perfect one for a little horse-lover like me!

My dreams and wishes are more realistic now, but I did finally get my horses and, while it lasted, enjoyed having them every day!

Spectrum Noir colors used:

 

I hope all of your dreams and wishes come true for the holiday season!

~Jan~

 

Crafter's Companion Giveaway!

It's Friday again, and that means it's time for a giveaway! This week they're giving you the chance to win this sweet Party Girl stamp set, from the fun Strawberry Kisses range:

 

Go to their blog at Crafter's Companion USA

and become a follower (if you're not already!) and leave a comment!

I would love to see one of my followers win this adorable stamp!

 

I'll be back tomorrow with a new project!

~Jan~

Hol-ODD-day Hop at Some Odd Girl!

 

Welome to the 3rd annual

Some Odd Girl Hol-ODD-day Hop!

 

 

This is a card I made and entered for the very first Some Odd Girl Hol-ODD-day Hop

when I first began coloring with my Copics markers!

It brings back so many memories;

struggling with highlighting hair, coloring the darling eyes, skin tones...

These SOG images are so great to color or to paper piece!

 

I love joining all these terrific gals this year and

being a Some Odd Girl "hopper"!

 

Happy Hol-ODD-Days!

~Jan~

 

 

 

 

In the Christmas "Spirit"....

Normally NOT a wine drinker, or any kind of drinker for that matter,

I recently took a trip to Iowa to visit an old high school friend. While there, I discovered this amazing Apple/Cinnamon dessert wine that I could sip all evening!

It tastes very much like apple cider with a bit

of spice and a punch.

So, I suppose now I can call myself a "wine-drinker"!
 

(Unfortunately, the Iowa winery does not ship to Arizona, so it has caused some difficulty in ever getting more!  She and I are working on it!)

 

This season there are so many choices of gifts out there, and just as many ways to wrap them.
 

 I used the very beautiful stamp set from

Crafter's Companion's

"A Little Bit Scenic" line from Sheena Douglas,

"Provence".

 

Sheena's complete line is simply gorgeous!

 

 

Here's a hanging gift tag I made for that special bottle that should I find and want to "present" as a present, I am ready....

 

 

Yes, I know, ...this bottle isn't quite full. 
I may have used a teeny weeny bit in a recipe the other day...hmmm...I think...

Since I am new to the Wine Scene, I have no idea what true colors wine comes in, but I know red is in there somewhere!   My favorite, the Eve's Apple from the Santa Maria Winery in Iowa, has little color, so this card would not have popped like it did had I used it as a sample!

Merry Christmas and Green pattern papers are DCWV, wood grain pattern paper is
My Mind's Eye, and the sentiments were borrowed from my old stamp stash.

This tag has also been entered into the RED challenge at
OOzak Blog.

Peek-a -boo Moose!

Here's another of my 15 minute holiday cards

from

DCWV!

The stack I used for this little card was

"The Winter Holiday"

 

The objective was to make a cute, easy card in less time than it takes to hard-boil an egg (Yes, I still make homemade egg salad on a regular basis!)

 

First, I determined I wanted a card that fit in a 6 x 6 envelope! I'm tired of trying to customize each and every envelope (not to mention the postage!)

 

So, this card base is 5 1/2 x 5 1/2,

which was easily cut from 8 1/2 x 11 heavy cardstock.

 

I then scored 1/2 inch from all four sides of the front to give a bit of texture to the white-on-white.

Next, deciding that my image needed at 2 1/2 inch square opening, I measured center and cut out my "window".

With the  moose paper, I chose to extend the image across the inside of the card. It just seemed more finished than putting a square in the middle of the card.

 

 

And I can always add an appropriate sentiment, depending on the recipient.

 

 

Simple, that's the ticket!