Sending love

This is a simple card that works for Valentine's Day, but also for any occasion in which you just want the receiver to know that you're thinking about her and sending some love.  We all need a little love now and then and to know that other's are thinking of us.  It does the soul good. 

I used blender pens for the coloring of the tree.  I wanted a soft look.  The hearts... are they not too cute!?  They are new.  They are the Embossilits Die: Fashionable Hearts found in the Occasions Mini catalog.  They are just the right size for cards, but would look cute on a scrapbook page too.  I've also used the new Pleated Satin Ribbon in Pear Pizzazz.  This is a CASE card of something I saw a while ago...around convention time.  But it is from memory, so I do not know who to credit or how close it is to what I originally saw.  With my memory, the card could actually be nothing near a CASE. :-)  Ah, the perks of a bad memory...meeting "new" people every day, finding money in a pocket, hiding your own gifts for Christmas and finding them the next spring and having no idea what's inside...Life is good.

Thanks for stopping in.  If you do not have a demonstrator and would like to purchase some Stampin' Up! merchandise, I'd love to be your demonstrator! Contact me if you have questions.

Kristine

That's one big Rossette!

This is another project that I made using the new rossette die from the Occasions Mini catalog.  If you use the entire cutting surface of the die, you will need 2 whole sheets of 12x12 paper to complete the circle.  Here it is...

The finished rossette measures 1 foot across!  Wowza! I placed some dried flowers in the center in the shape of a heart and finished off the project with some Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon  I did use a piece of light cardboard on the back to sturdy the rossette.  This is a hostess gift that I made.  An easy decoration for Valentines!

Thanks for stopping in!

Kristine

On the softer side

Happy Tuesday morning to you!  Today I am in a funk.  Ever have those days?  Just cannot get the rear in gear! Fortunately, I am ready to post some more cards for you!

The first uses the watercolor roses technique shown to me by my friend, Lynnette.  She's a talented lady! (Shame, shame shame she does not have a blog we can all oogle. Sigh)  Using an aqua painter and some reinker, you float the color on top of glossy or shimmer paper and let it dry.  I used So Saffron and Peach Parfait reinkers because, as Donkey says in Shrek, "Everybody like Parfait!." I used that wonderful flourish from the set Baroque Motifs (may it never retire) and the rose image from Fifth Avenue Floral.  The leaves of the rose are punched from the wing of the Two step bird punch! 

 "Ahhh!" you say, "What a versatile punch!"

  "Yes," I answer wisely, nodding my head, "It is not just for the birds!"  hahahahaha 

 Okay, add ramie to that funky thing I got goin'.  With a Polka Dot dry emboss on the Peach Parfait panel (again, because "Everybody like Parfait!")  and a vanilla Top Note, the card has a Victorian feel.  Yes?

 

"But, Kristine...how did you make those bird wings look like such realistic leaves?" 

I blush, smile and say, "It's easy!  Punch out the wing from Pear Pizzazz card stock.  Then crumple it 'til it's tiny, tiny.  Then uncrumple it and press it against a Pear Pizzazz classic ink pad.  The ink fills in the crumples and makes it look great!" 

You smile at me and we are both happy to know how to make leaves from bird wings.  I only wish I could press myself up against a classic ink pad and make my "crumples" look great. {sigh}  Basic pearls in the swirls of the flourish, some Victoria Crochet ribbon and a pretty font in the sentiment from Fabulous Phrases finish off the card.  Okay, you now get to look!

Next up is a direct CAS card from Mary Fish.  She is becoming my idol.  Love her stuff!  This card uses the Rub-ons from the Occasions Mini called Love Impressions.  An aside: Have you ever stopped to think that there is someone,( maybe multiple someones!) whose job it is to name the stuff in the catalog!  Hmmm, guess that would take a talent for alliteration or maybe just a need to control the world and name things?  Anyway, moving on....The card is framed with the pretty Tulip Embossing folder.  Simple black, red and white with a touch of pink keep it simple.  Not an ounce of ink is used on this card!  I suppose this isn't a stamped card, technically.  It's a rubbed card!  No inky fingers.

And the final card.  Thank you for reading this far.  My... you're a saint. 

This card uses Lap of Luxury DSP and the Square Lattice Embossing folder.  To get the look of a quilt, first layer all pieces and then run the whole thing through the Big Shot with the embossing folder.  It squishes (a very technical stamping term) all the layers together and it looks very "quilty."  The sentiment is from the Occasions set You're a Gem.  And really...YOU'RE a gem if you read my whole post today.  Gracias!

3Ds for Valentines

For Christmas I made a lantern and a candy holder using Christmas Designer Paper and colors.  (Click here to see them.) For Valentines, I decided to do the same projects, just changing the colors and adding another bird for the lantern.  I think I like the Valentine colors better, even though I like Christmas much more.  Go figure.  I will fill the candy holder on the right with dark chocolate Ghirardelli squares before I give it away.  The lantern does have a flame less candle inside.  As I was making it, it made me think of a gift my husband and I received when we married many moons ago.  The gift was a beautiful crystal bell.  The note that came with it said to set the bell in a special spot if you have had an argument and are ready to talk, or ring it if you are ready for some "love."  I thought, hey, this lantern could be a sign for a significant other!  Light the candle inside and set it somewhere your partner will find it, and they will know "you're in the mood."  That just makes me laugh.  What fun!

Next is a project by my daughter, Olivia.  I had made some letters decorated with Designer Paper as gifts at Christmas.  (Click here to see those.) She really liked them and wanted to do something for her room.  I love how she put her baby picture in the center of the "O."  She's clever.  She turns 11 in March and she is wanting to change her room.  Make it more "who she is."  Lordy, the teen years are a comin'.

Thanks for sharing some of your time with me today.  I hope your day brings you happiness.

Kristine

Product of play

Amazingly, recently I had some time to sit and play with my schtuff.  This is the card that was produced out of that play.  I used the designer paper Lap of Luxury which has a Pretty in pink sheet with the words, Life is Beautiful in this glorious script.  I wanted to use the paper, but I didn't want the card to be pink.  Oh what to do?  So, I stamped the Medallion background stamp in Versamark onto the DSP.  Then I embossed using clear embossing powder.  THEN...oh then, I brayered Basic Gray ink over the DSP.  Waalaa!  Not so much pink!  The DSP when heated turned more of a blush color.  I likie!  I wiped the gray ink off of the medallion (the embossing powder lets you wipe off the ink and lets the words show through.  It's magic!)

I added some Basic Pearls around the center of the Medallion and larger ones down the side.  And of course one in the very center of the Medallion.  Some Gray Satin Ribbon adhered in a wave of glory and a Styled Silver Hodgepodge piece adds some class.  The sentiment is from a set out of the Occasions Mini Catalog called You're a Gem.  I used this same set on my last project too.  I thought the script of the E in "enjoy" was so similar to the script of the DSP.  Do ya think SU did that on purpose? Hmmm.

Next are the cards that my club made for January.  They are wonderful, no?  YES!  I cannot take any of the credit for their design.  Mary Fish is the creator of all three cards.  So pretty, clean and simple.  Valentines is not my favorite holiday.  I'll eat the chocolate that is in abundant supply around Valentines, but the rest of the holiday leaves me feeling...ehhhhh.  Even with all that said, I really liked these cards.  So I had my club make them!  The card with the trio of flowers could easily be made into a birthday card.  Just switch out the sentiment.  My favorite thing about all of the cards is the scrunched ribbon on the bottom card.  Love it, baby!  The bottom card is actually a "clear" card, meaning that the main card is made from mid weight Window sheets.  Very cool.  All of the stamps are from the Filled with Love set available until January 24th as a Promotion from SU.  I made 36 cards from the paper that comes in the bundle, and I still have three FULL sheets left!!  That's a heck of a good deal. If you would like to purchase the Filled with Love Bundle, which comes with free Bitty Buttons, shoot me an email.  I can help you order what you need.

It's time to sign off.  I have other projects to share, but they will have to post next time. 

Take care, be kind to yourself, and smile.

Kristine

Finishing up the year

I have a couple of projects to share with you from the past month.  I have been creating, but not blogging.  I'd make a New Year's Resolution about blogging more often, but that resolution may go the way of many and not be realized.  So I won't make the resolution! lol 

I hope you have a wonderful New Year with lots of fun and time to do the things you love most.  Enjoy the following posts. 


A card I made to send to the troops.  I made a bunch of these so that they could be sent to the troops and the troops would have time to receive them and then be able to send them back home to a loved one for Valentines.  This was a challenge made by Gretchen Barron on her blog.  The card design is a CAS of Rhonda Beadell.

Next, a gift using DSP on letters from Joanne's.  Of course I had to bling them up just a tad.

Exploding gift boxes.  These boxes use just one sheet of 8.5x11 card stock plus DSP or stickers as you desire.  These are filled with chocolate. :-)

My first ever Hanukkah card made for my friend Dan. 

A little bitty lantern.  Soooo cute.  The idea came from a fellow demonstrator (and very nice person I might add) Laura Lipe.  I changed mine up a bit from hers.  This was a club project for December.  Inside is a flame-less tea light. 

Another December club project.  Chocolate Ghirardelli squares are always a great gift, but when presented in this decorative box...well they become just a little more special, yes?

And the final club project for December was punch art gift tags. 

Back to school and something cool

If your household has been anything like mine, you're looking forward to school starting on Monday.  This time of year always reminds me of my own school years--the school supplies and the clothes and the anticipation and nerves about seeing classmates after a summer away.  My children are excited to go back, for which I am grateful.  Back to school time can also be expensive.  Fortunately, my children have never been worried about keeping up with others and are willing to use again supplies from last year.  This year, my daughter was okay not getting new colored pencils, but really wanted a new pencil box.  We compromised and she picked out some of my designer paper and we created a box to hold the pencils.  It's nice that she still thinks something I create is cool.  Very simple, but it made my daughter smile!

A loop of hemp around the buttons keeps the box closed after the tray slides back into the outer box.  Don't those buttons look yummy?  They are the new buttons in the brights collections. They remind me of sour candy! My daughter likes that she can pull the tray out of the box and not have her pencils roll around her desk.  We also had a good time creating the box.  Stampin' Up! save me again! lol

This next card was a card I made back in January.  This is the cool part.  I was looking at pictures of the Stampin' Up convention that were posted by another demonstrator.  Lo-and-behold, one of the pictures was of my card, which had been posted on a display board at convention!  One of my cards made it to a display board at convention!!  Besides that, this other demonstrator liked it so much she took a picture of it so she could use the idea in her own workshops!  That is too cool!  Stampin' Up encourages us to send sample cards to them so they can use them in displays or in the magazine.  But not every card they receive makes the cut.  Just imagine how excited I'd be if one of my cards made it into the magazine.  My family would not be able to live with me! lol.  Here it is...

I wish all you moms out there the peace and quiet of your family away at work and school.  Get some stamping done! :-)

Kristine

A Valentine for you

This is a great little Valentine holder.  It's sorta a mini book, note card and treat holder all in one.  I adore things that are versatile (see my other posts to prove this point.) The heart is inked in white craft and then embossed with white embossing powder so it really pops.  It's cute right now, but open it up and....

waa laaa!....there's a little place to put a love/friendship note and another pocket to put a tea bag or maybe some chocolate (Maybe both!). The person I made this for is a tea drinker, so the tea bag works for her.  I used the Sending Love Specialty DSP, so there's a little sparkle on the papers, too. (Yes, this has two of my favorite things--red and sparkle.)  Interesting thought: I hardly ever wear red or bright colors, and the only jewelry I wear is a simple wedding ring, my grandmother's ring and simple earrings.  I'm a pretty neutral gal in real life, but I go for red and bling in my creations. One of the main colors in my house is a deep maroon color. What would Freud say?  hmmmmm?

If your interested in the dimensions and the supplies for this, leave me a comment with your email address and I'll send them to your email.

Thanks for taking the time to see what I've been up to! :-)

Kristine

Love swap

This is going to be a short post.  How do I let myself get so overwhelmed!?  Huh!?  I have more tile being put into the house, and I hate, hate, hate the mess it makes.  Love the easy cleanup of tile once it's in, but the actual job of laying it is messy, messy, messy! 

This card was made for a swap of a group to which I belong.  The stamp set, Season of Friendship, is one of my favorites.  A person can do just so doggone much with it!  Is it a Christmas set, winter, spring, Valentine set?  Yup!  It can be all!  Gotta love a set that is that versatile.  I hope you like the card.

Supplies:
Stamps: Season of Friendship, Well Scripted (Occasions Mini)
Papers: Choc. chip, whisper white, real red, pretty in pink, Cottage Wall DSP
Inks: Choc chip, Real red, old olive, white gel pen
Accessories: Red gingham ribbon
Tools: Wide oval punch,  Three heart punch, 1" circle punch, 1/8" circle punch, dimensional, paper snips

Thanks for popping in today.
Kristine