I have an unused trio of dies, one of which just called out to be on this sketch!
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Freshly Made Sketches: Let Us Adore Him
It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Linda Callahan.
The colors took a funny turn - this card started out all white!! White wasn't quite right because the die got lost - so I paged through my Christmas paper stash and this one just jumped out. I loved its bold, Nordic colors yet I really hadn't done a Christmas card in quite this color scheme.
It's such a busy time of year, but I hope you can find a few minutes for yourself and play along with us at Freshly Made Sketches.
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The patterned paper is from an old Basic Grey collection - Nordic Holiday
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Milk & Cookies
It's time for a new challenge at the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Milk & Cookies.
How cute is this inspiration photo??!! Red and white diagonals, charming little gingbread men. I got both of those components onto my card. I didn't get the milk added, but I think my two little gingerbread are a little too merry and just might have spilled the milk.
Be sure to check out all of other Curtain Call designers plus our guest designer for this challenge.
Betty Wright
Kim Singdahlsen
Laurie Willison
Leigh Penner
Lisa Henke
Lori Tecler
Marisa Ritzen
Maureen Plut
Melody Rupple
Monika Davis
Sheri Gilson
Silke Ledlow
Stacey Schafer
Tracey McNeely
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| brit.co |
Kim Singdahlsen
Laurie Willison
Leigh Penner
Lisa Henke
Lori Tecler
Marisa Ritzen
Maureen Plut
Melody Rupple
Monika Davis
Sheri Gilson
Silke Ledlow
Stacey Schafer
Tracey McNeely
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InLinkz.com
Stop by the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Milk & Cookies for the challenge details and to play along with us!
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Amazing, Courageous and Ready to Fly
Today is a very dear friend's birthday. I've known her for 15 years - we have worshipped together, volunteered together, and shared good and bad times over coffee (tea for her!) I'm celebrating her birthday, but it's also somewhat bittersweet because she is in the process of moving far, far away. This card needed to be special and have meaning beyond just "happy birthday" so I based the entire card around a small piece of patterned paper.
It's that piece of paper on the large butterfly. I didn't have a big enough piece to cover a card front or anything at all much bigger than the butterfly. I carefully cut it so that words like "amazing", "courageous", "ready to fly", and "blessed" were showing. The butterflies were based on the "ready to fly" part which is so appropriate for her right now. (This paper comes from the Simple Stories I Am pad linked below - the remaining paper comes from the Pink Paislee pad).
I didn't want to overwhelm that piece of paper so I decided not to pop the butterflies with lots of dimension, rather I used the inlaid die cutting technique. There are some great videos out there describing how to do it. For example, Jennifer McGuire's here or Splitcoaststamper's here. My card was much simpler than their cards, but I still have a few tips and hints that I learned the hard way.
First, die cut the butterflies (I didn't take any pictures while making the card - these are afterthoughts.)
Cut the main butterfly from the background paper. I would recommend just leaving it all on the cutting plate through the entire cutting process. Remove the cut butterfly and replace it with the previously cut full butterfly. Line up the die for the second butterfly to overlap.
When this is cut, remove the full second butterfly, which includes a portion of the first butterfly, and then you will replace it with the patterned butterfly (in this case the cantaloupe butterfly) before repeating the entire process for the bottom butterfly.
If I could give one important tip - VERY CAREFULLY apply adhesive to the edges of the background paper so the edges don't pop up. Had I thought about it - I would have used a sheet of Stick It Adhesive to make sure that I had every edge. I used a fine-tipped glue.
You all probably understood this better than I did - I just found that it took me a lot of thinking and planning to make sure my butterflies were cut appropriately, so I thought I'd share!
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It's that piece of paper on the large butterfly. I didn't have a big enough piece to cover a card front or anything at all much bigger than the butterfly. I carefully cut it so that words like "amazing", "courageous", "ready to fly", and "blessed" were showing. The butterflies were based on the "ready to fly" part which is so appropriate for her right now. (This paper comes from the Simple Stories I Am pad linked below - the remaining paper comes from the Pink Paislee pad).
You all probably understood this better than I did - I just found that it took me a lot of thinking and planning to make sure my butterflies were cut appropriately, so I thought I'd share!
SUPPLY LIST
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Taylored Expressions Release Day: Love Always Wins
It's here! All of the new Christmas products from Taylored Expressions are available! Also be sure to head over to the Taylored Expressions blog for a few more sneak peeks and, if you've been leaving comments, see if you are a winner of the giveaways.
I have one more peek for you.
I am surrounded by men and boys - men and boys who like football and lacrosse, shoot-em-up video games, and smoked meats - so I am always on the lookout for cute Valentines products that are sweet and loving, but will work for them. Don't get me wrong - this next set would be equally sweet on a feminine Valentine - but check out my Valentine for one of my teenage sons!!
He's just going to have to get over the bit of pink in the heart!
I added an arrow from the previously released Follow Your Arrow to add to the graffiti look of the card.
I do hope you enjoyed everything that you saw. I'm not going to chat much today, because the store's open - the new release is up!! Have fun!
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I used a variety of cardstock to match the hearts in the patterned paper.
I have one more peek for you.
I am surrounded by men and boys - men and boys who like football and lacrosse, shoot-em-up video games, and smoked meats - so I am always on the lookout for cute Valentines products that are sweet and loving, but will work for them. Don't get me wrong - this next set would be equally sweet on a feminine Valentine - but check out my Valentine for one of my teenage sons!!
SUPPLY LIST
I used a variety of cardstock to match the hearts in the patterned paper.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek 3: Pandas and Bugs
It's day 3 of sneak peeks for the December release from Taylored Expressions!! Today my sneak peeks are all about bugs and roly poly pandas!!
Be sure to check out all of the other designers starting on the Taylored Expressions blog because there is just too much for one designer to show off in just a few days.
All the products that I have used are linked at the bottom, but remember that new products aren't live until Thursday, December 10, 7 a.m. PST.
Taylored Expressions is celebrating Release Week with some fabulous giveaways! Visit the TE blog each Sneak Peek Day this week for details on how you can enter to win.
My first paragraph said today was about bugs. Bugs??! Check out how cute this guy is!
The new set Bugs & Kisses Stamp & Die Combo includes three bugs and four sentiments. And they go perfectly with the new Mason Jar stamp and Mason Jar dies. I left the inner part of the jar attached to the outer part. Then I could easily cut six layers of cardstock to adhere together and build up. I poured in some new Sweetheart Sequins, topped it with acrylic, and then with a jar cut from silver from the Metallic Neutral Premium Cardstock pack.
I put the bug on the outside of the jar since the sentiment says it "cannot be contained" but with the other sentiments, the bugs would look really cute on the inside. (Also check out the new embossing folder - Swiss Hearts.)
I'm also excited to show a new addition to the Roly Poly line of dies. TE has been release these for the past few months - check out all of the fun projects in the Roly Poly gallery. There are three new Roly Polys in this month's release. Check out this sweet panda!
I paired her with some soft patterned paper and with a sentiment from the previously released Love Makes the World Go 'Round. It's like they were made to go together!
It's important to note with these Roly Polys that you also need the 3" circle which is the second largest circle in the Stitched Circle Stacklets.
Tomorrow's the big day! Be sure to head over to the Taylored Expressions blog to see all of the sneak peeks for today and be sure to leave a comment for your chance to win a prize.
SUPPLY LIST
Remember that links to new products will not work until the release tomorrow.
Uncontained Love
Big Hugs
Be sure to check out all of the other designers starting on the Taylored Expressions blog because there is just too much for one designer to show off in just a few days.
All the products that I have used are linked at the bottom, but remember that new products aren't live until Thursday, December 10, 7 a.m. PST.
Taylored Expressions is celebrating Release Week with some fabulous giveaways! Visit the TE blog each Sneak Peek Day this week for details on how you can enter to win.
My first paragraph said today was about bugs. Bugs??! Check out how cute this guy is!
Tomorrow's the big day! Be sure to head over to the Taylored Expressions blog to see all of the sneak peeks for today and be sure to leave a comment for your chance to win a prize.
SUPPLY LIST
Remember that links to new products will not work until the release tomorrow.
Uncontained Love
Big Hugs
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