Waltzingmouse Tag #2

Waltzingmouse Tag You're It Challenge continued...

This is Tag #2.
Additional materials used are similar to Tag #1, except I used silver pigment ink & embossing powder instead of gold (see previous post for details)

Waltzingmouse Tag You're It Challenge

One of my new favorite stamp companies, Waltzingmouse Stamps, is having a challenge to create some beautiful Christmas tags. I recently got four stamp sets from them and so of course I wanted to use at least one of the sets...it is Vintage Labels No. 2, one of many that coordinate perfectly with Spellbinders Nestabilities dies.

I already had Spellbinders Labels 2 so I got this set to "fancy them up"! I made a set of 9 tags that I plan to use on gifts of baked yummies for Christmas for neighbors and church members. They're all a somewhat similar design, but they use a variety (almost all) of the stamps from that stamp set. I will post each one separately so I can enter 9 times in the challenge, thereby increasing my chances of winning some Waltzingmouse goodies! ;) (I hope so!!!)

Here is Tag #1:
Additional materials used:
Stamps: Papertrey 2008 Holiday Tag Collection (you can't see it well in the picture but behind the sentiment is a wreath stamped in Versamark ink) & Signature Christmas
Organdy Ribbon: CTMH
Gold embossing powder: CTMH
Gold pigment ink: ColorBox

Handmade Christmas gifts...the start...

This year, I got the idea that I wanted to hand make a lot of my Christmas gifts. I've been terribly inspired by so many of the ideas at Papertrey...notepads, stationery, calendars...I'm very excited to be able to try these kinds of things for the first time. My first project to try was these adorable altered notepads. I bought them from Papertrey along with a stamp set designed specifically to make these called Take Note. I got the ideas for the covers from many of the different designer's blogs. They turned out so cute! I decided to make these as teacher gifts, so I made these into "Books to Read" lists. I can't wait to make more! (I'll post them as soon as I do!)

Materials used:
Cover template downloaded from a Papertrey download (I don't have the link handy but it's on one of the release posts for the stamp set "Take Note")
Patterned Paper: Stampin' Up
Ribbon: CTMH
Buttons: Basic Grey & other assorted

After a long absence...

Well, the last 8 months have obviously been very crazy...I haven't posted in ages! For many months I was unable to make it to my craft room, and then my little one started preschool and finally I had some free time a few hours a week to work on my cards again. Starting in September, I began making my Christmas cards and now they're pretty much all done. I've been wanting to share them here on my blog for a long time, but was lacking a way to take decent pictures effectively. Now that I've come up with something, (though it's hardly professional) I've taken pictures and will post my Christmas cards. Because there are so many and I'm so behind, I'm just going to post them all in one post...just the pictures. If anyone (and I don't expect a ton of people to be looking at my blog just yet, but still) is interested in any details of any of the cards, feel free to ask and I'll try to remember what materials I used. Here goes!!!...(in no particular order of creation)

Mojo Monday Challenge 2-01-10

This is my first time doing the Mojo Monday card! My friend Jessa has been doing them a long time, and has inspired me. I'm trying to step up my crafting "game", so to speak, so wanting to get more into the world of following designers, making & submitting cards for contests & publication (maybe someday!), and just trying to improve my creative skill, so that hopefully one day I might be able to be good enough to pursue something within the paper crafting field as a career, even if it's only part time.

This card was a lot of fun, because I ADORE Valentine's Day colors & images. I always go crazy every year buying up V-day stuff. I intended to use my new Verve Valentine's Day stamps (they're so cute!), but I decided to use this really cute big felt sweetheart sticker as the bottom focal point instead. And with these adorable V-day papers from Martha Stewart, what else does one need? ;)

Materials used:

Patterned papers - Martha Stewart Crafts Valentine's paper stack
Cardstock - Core'dinations Chocolate/Pink
5x7 Embossing folder - from Cuttlebug's exclusive Valentine's "Romance" bundle
Adhesive pearls - Close To My Heart
Epoxy brads - Stampin' Up
Border Punch - Doily Hearts; Martha Stewart Crafts
1-1/4" Grosgrain Pretty in Pink Ribbon - Stampin' Up
Felt heart sticker - JoAnn Fabrics & Crafts
Corner punch - Looped hearts; Martha Stewart Crafts
Candy sticker - Martha Stewart Crafts

Christmas card 2009

After the last lengthy post took me hours of time and STILL failed to show the pictures properly, I'm tired and want to keep this post short. This is a Christmas card I made, one I really liked. Maybe I'll add more info later.

Birthday invitations!

So awhile back, I was completely consumed with snapping up all of DCWV's "Sweet" line ~ I bought the adorable paper packet, (tons of glitter & GORGEOUS, thick papers) and all the accoutrements: stickers, glitter chipboard, rub-ons, the works. I bought all of this not knowing exactly what I'd do with it, but knowing I HAD to have it all.

When my daughter's birthday party was coming up, it hit me: INVITATIONS! The paper is thick enough to be used as a card base, and then I just had to add some additional embellishments. Because I was making 12 5x7 cards, and there are only 2 sheets of each design, I had to make each 2 invitations a little different; but that's what made it fun! I have pictures of all the unique ones, because I wanted to remember what they all looked like. These took me the better part of a whole day to make, but I was SO happy with the results. (this is saying something, as those of you who know me know...I'm quite the perfectionist and not always happy with my work!)

Materials used:

Glitter Paper (card bases) - DCWV

Patterned paper: assorted, mostly Stampin' Up

Stamp sets: Cupcake Sprinkles, Friendship Alphabet (sm) - Close To My Heart

Ink: Close to My Heart

Glitter brads: Oriental Trading

Border punches: EK Success

Decorative edge scissors: Provo Craft

Glitter chipboard accents: DCWV

Ribbon: assorted

(sorry about the cards cut off - it is a highly annoying glitch with stupid photobucket that I can't seem to fix, even after wasting tons of time on it)