Off to a New Year with Imaginisce!

I decided that one of my New Year's resolutions was to start doing more layouts, and not concentrating completely on cards! I have really slacked off journaling my life around me, and have perhaps escaped into cardmaking for everyone else.
So, when I saw the monthly color challenge at Imaginisce, I "challenged" myself. I have little of their DP left at this point, so it was really interesting seeing what I could come up with using only Imaginisce products!

"Hayden in Scottsdale"

I combined several collections-Polar Expressions, "Frosted Forest", and "Fun Drops", with Apple Cider (where I inked the brown woodgrain leaves).
I used my I-Top and covered four Braddies, two with denim, and two with holiday fabric.
I also used the "Tickets" stamp from the Snag "Em line and heat embossed them in red.
Blue cardstock is Bazzill Basics, and the rub-ons are some very old Making Memories.

And, yep, that's our winter!  The temps will dip down in the low 40's some nights, but basically, the days will recover and reach the high to mid 60's.
It sounds great now, but ask me how I feel about it in the summer when we're seeing 110 degrees for the 30th day in a row! LOL!

I am submitting this layout at Imaginisce Monthly Challenge for December! as I can really use some newer Imaginisce papers!

DYSU Challenge #51 - Stripes!

Hey everyone! Welcome to a new challenge at Do You Stack Up?! This week we want to see your Stripes!

This week's Sponsors:

The Craft’s Meow Winner’s Choice of 1 Stamp Set

Prairie Fairy Designs $15 Gift Certificate

My card for the week:

The image is from Prairie Fairy and is different from what I'm used to working with. That's what I love about Design Teams, you get the chance to create outside of your comfort zone!

I had fun adding the whipped topping to the cocoa, and the bling to her wings!

Enjoy the holidays!

Some Odd Girl Challenge...

I perused through my SOG digi stamps, and remembered I had this adorable image, "Cowboy Tobie"!  I still have several Christmas cards to send out, one of which is to some friends from the cowboy gatherings my husband and I used to attend .  This window card should be perfect for the "Mens" Christmas category!

We know what this little cowboy is thinking about!

His little head was colored twice and popped up

and I've added Glossy Accents to his eyes.

What a great way to greet the Christmas Holiday!

Have a good week,   

Jan

Blame it on Claire!

It's all WaltzingMouse's fault that I was up at 7 am this morning baking my cookies!  No, not really, but that's my story as to why I had Chocolate chip cookies for breakfast!
Actually, I wanted to get my holiday cookie gifts out today and there is the terrific tag challenge over at Waltzingmouse!

Yesterday I worked with the silver glitter for my candy tags, so today I chose to go GOLD!  These "Rescue Remedy" stamps are pretty regardless of what you pair them up with!

If you have multiples to make, this is so easy with the Spellbinders!
And I used vacuum jars purchased at the Dollar Store!  They hold about 8-9 cookies each, perfect for that individual on your list.

So, as I sit here with a "sugar high headache",

I'll just keep telling myself, "It's all Claire's fault"!  Haha!

The little tassle is one I just recieved from Pink Paisley, and the swirled paper is

last year's SEI, "Glitzmas".

SOG Blog Hop!

I made this card the other day thinking perhaps for the DT call at Some Odd Girls... I think I can still submit with my DT call info later...

I love their stamps, both acrylic and digital, but have been so spread financially thin that I haven't been able to get more.  Maybe I can win one, or make the team...wouldn't that be great and keep me out of trouble!  LOL!

She's an older stamp, but a cutie, nonetheless!

It doesn't qualify for any particular category, just a sweet little Christmas card...

Waltzing Mouse Tag Challenge

I love that the Waltzing Mouse "Rescue Remedies" coordinates with the

Spellbinders Labels Four!

It makes tags so easy and pretty!

I simply stamped the "SWEET" labels, and heat embossed,

die cut with the Nesties out of AC Glitter Cardstock,

and added some little bows....

I plan to put these on my candy gift bags!

 

I wish the photo could do the glittery background justice!

They are so gorgeous!

What's really weird is that the glitter cardstock is silver, not gold!

I will retake the pictures tomorrow in the daylight, rather than artificial...

Now to get to work on my tags for my chocolate chip cookie jars!

More Stampendous Colors!

I have another card for the Color Challlenge at Stampendous Impressions this week. Who can get enough of these gorgeous vintage stamps and that Fran'tage glittery goodness?

   Aren't those little pink poinsettias really cute?  I always thought of them as being red, and have  really enjoyed seeing them in various hues of pinks and reds this holiday season.

   I wanted to give the image a somewhat postage stamp look without actually punching all four sides.  Just enough to mimic the feeling of travel. 

   I added gold micro beads on the poinsettias, and sprinkled Shabby White Embossing powder on the corners and across the Eiffel Tower. I used Fran's terrific "Fran'taging" technique and heated the powder from the underside. I love the effect! 
   Next, I distressed, gold and vintage inked the edges of the layers, and added the soft, little pink ribbon and bow.  Hope you like!

I entered this as my second card for the Stampendous Color Challenge
and in the Scrap it With a Song -Holiday Christmas Carol ( "Noel' A Paris", and oh how I long to be somewhere else this holiday!)!

My Favorite Little Gal!

Back again with a card featuring that adorable little Pure Innocence girl from

My Favorite Things!

She's spunky, she's cute, and she can get you out of just about any sticky situation,

even a forgotten birthday!

This was submitted for the sketch challenge at MFT.

Since I flipped the sketch sideways, I figured I would download onto my blog that way! LOL!

Stamp: MFT, Pure Innocence, "Happy Mail"
Sentiment is also MFT, "First Class Friend"

Pattern papers are Basic Grey, "Nook and Pantry" 

Die; Spellbinders, "Labels Eleven"

I realized after I took the pictures when the sun was still out, that I had forgotten to add the tiny flower I had dug out from hundreds of tiny Prima flowers to match her dress.

Ok, it's glued on now...  close your eyes and try to picture it!

If I think of it in the morning, I'll retake the picture.

She's a cutie, though, right?

Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge #77

The sketch this week at Waltzing Mouse is an easy layout, and made for so many possibilites!  But I wanted to step out of the box a bit.  I only have a few WM stamps (not that I wouldn't want to have them ALL! LOL!), so I had to get creative!

Here is the sketch:

I looked at my stamps and decided to make a hot air balloon!

I'm getting rather tired of Christmas cards. I love the holidays, but I needed a break!

Here is my card and an explanation of how this worked!

The basket and sentiment are from the

Waltzing Mouse, "Bountiful Basket Additions" stamp set;

The scrolled portion of the balloon is a label from "Holiday Labels No. 14";

and the back portion of the balloon is cut with the Spellbinders, "Labels Nine" die.

The pattern paper is Prima, so you know it has to be gorgeous!

Lots of lots of distress ink was added, of course!

I popped up the balloon and the basket and added the twine as ropes.

It was so terrific the way these dies and stamps all worked together!

I think it's adorable!  Perfect for sending a Spring birthday message!

This card is proudly entered into the challenge and posted on their Gallery.   http://waltzingmousehouse.com/wmsgallery/main.php

If you haven't been there, go check it out!

oh, yea, and wish me luck! 

I could really use some new Waltzing Mouse stamps!



Say it with a Flourish!

This challenge at Flourishes was particularly fun for me, because I LOVE working with the ribbons and lace, and buttons, and pearls, and well, everything vintage and romantic!

Here's my card. 

When I have a morning like today, I have to just shut myself off in my scrap room and play...  I am sooo frustrated with my medical doctors right now,I could scream!!!!  Leave it to say, from what I'm experiencing, this country's health system is going down the toilet!  But, for now, I'm happy playing with my goodies!

And suffice it to say, when I fell in love with the resin pieces, I decided I had to have tons! Little ones, big ones, and all colors and shapes...  isn't this one gorgeous! Definately a "no mailing" card!

The stamp is Flourishes "Medallion", and I absolutely love it!  I have used it more than most!  It heat embosses so beautifully and detailed.

I've also used this sketch from CardPatterns, as my jumping-off sketch guide.

They have some wonderful metal sheets to giveaway over there!  Check it out!

Pattern Paper:  My Mind's Eye, "Lost and Found"

DYSU Challenge #50 WINTER!

 Welcome back for a new challenge here at Do You Stack Up?!

As the chilly weather moves in, we want you to show us your

Winter projects!

This week's Sponsors:

Crafty Emma £10 Gift Voucher (exc p&p)

Digi Darla Digital Stamp Club One Month’s Membership

Inky Impressions
$10 Gift Certificate

I chose to go with a decorated jar to hold candy canes...seems everyone enjoys an occasional sweet treat around the holidays!

With the adorable image, "Reindeer Rides"  from Inky Impressions, it was so easy!
Here's "Rudolf, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" for the
challenge at "Scrap It With A song" (a Christmas carol).

I didn't want to loose the image by wrapping it tight around the jar, and didn't have a larger jar, so I made little "wings" with tri-folded cardstock, and attached them to the backside of the cut out image.  I may transfer this whole image to a different jar or box later. But for now, the candy canes show through the window and look so yummy!

  I added homemade "flower fluff" to his antlers and to the ones on the building.  And of course, he had to have a shiny, red, blingy nose!

And wanting to make it more vintage, I inked the edge of the image with Distress Ink.  It still needed an old-timey look, so I glued some DCWV holiday paper added to the lid, along with the traditional red bow!

The tickets are Tim Holtz with an Inkadinkado Christmas sentiment stamp.

Check out the rest of the team's goodies, and join in the fun this week at

DYSU!

Also, this project was entered in the challenge at

Simon Says Stamp and Show (Through the looking glass)

Stampendous Color Challenge

This month, the color challenge at Stampendous Impressions is

Pink, Cream, Gold, and Brown. 

That said VINTAGE to me immediately! 

Isn't this Stampendous image just gorgeous?  It's called "Rose Corset".  And the KaiserCraft pattern paper I used for the background is flocked so it looks like wallpaper.

After coloring my image with Copics, I used my little Spritzer and "spit" some soft pink/lavender ink (Copics V04) around the finished image, casually masking it off using my hand.  The little buttons are made with my Pearl Pen.  I stamped the sentiment from Stampendous "Happy Messages" set onto my matted stamped image, and finished it off by attaching a gold ribbon and bow.
Copics used for this image: 
E00
E51
E33
R81
RV21
RV04
Since I use primarily Ciao markers, I'm unable to simply take a photo of the Copics I use, showing the numbers.  Someday...

P.S.  Note to anyone out there considering starting Copics, go with the Sketches! They cost just a bit more, but there are several advantages.  You don't need to refill as often, they have the identifying letter/number on the caps, and there are many more colors available in the Sketches.  I am mixing the two types of markers, but storage of both together  tends to be a problem.

Dreaming of a White Christmas?

I saw this challenge on Scrap It With A Song and absolutely had to laugh out loud!  Being in the desert of Arizona, I doubt very much if any amount of dreaming will result in a white Christmas! But it doesn't stop us all from making our winter cards and layouts!
I made several versions of this card for my friends and relatives, most of whom live in areas where they really will have snow!

I've been getting my Copics out more now since I started classes. 

Hopefully, my coloring skills will only improve.

I used beads, glitter, and embossed the snowflakes to make this one

different and a little special.

Also, entered in the challenges at:

 Party Time Tuesdays (Red and Green)

Scrap-Creations (Snow!)

Papertrey Part Deux

I had such a good time with the first card, so I decided to make a second one for this fun challenge at Capture the Moment for Make it Monday!

I heat embossed the stamped design on the dress form and then followed up by coloring it with Copics.  Loving those Pearl Pens, too! Makes adding the little details so quick and easy!  The sentiment is Papertrey Ink, of course!

new papertrey challenge!

The Make It Monday challenge at Capture the Moment this week is to color with your Copics on an embossed image or sentiment...
Needless to say, this made me a bit nervous.  There are so many rules about what you CAN and CAN NOT touch the Copics ink tips to that I kinda freaked.

But here is my card.  I heat embossed the Papertrey sentiment and the butterfly stamped image from my stash. Then I highlighted the butterflies in flight with my markers.  I noticed a bit of a white residue left on my marker tips so I cleaned them thoroughly to avoid any gumminess or problems next time I use them.  I would suggest always cleaning them if you are in doubt about where those tips have been!

I like the soft color it added to my butterflies.

And it gave me an excuse to use some of the Prima flowers a friend gave me recently!

(Thanks, Jennifer!)

DYSU Challenge #49

So glad you could join us once again for a new challenge at Do You Stack Up?!
This week we want to see Something Old!
It could truly be something old, or just a vintage style or image.

This week's Sponsors:

Saturated Canary Digis Winner’s Choice of 2 Digis

Gecko Galz Prize Package: Pack of paper of the winners choice, 4 collage sets of the winners choice, a stamp set of the winners choice, and vintage pearl button pack, vintage lace, and Gecko Galz fibers

I really fell in love with this image from Saturated Canary!
I actually split the digital in two on Photoshop and used it as seperate images.
I love the way it turned out!
It reminded me of when I was a young girl (yes, THAT long ago) and we used to play with cups as phones! This new generation doesn't have a clue how to use their imagination!
I still love using all the banners!

Aren't they adorable?
I carefully planned the placement so that the little gal inside the card wasn't showing from the cover.

I'm still good  friends and stay in touch with my grade school buddy, and she so enjoys getting my cards. 

Now, Go check out the rest of the Design Team's creations this week!
FUN!

This card is also entered into the CONTEST:
"Celebrating Relationships Challenge in the Moxie Fab World"