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

My hand at a vintage look

The New Year has started, and I can feel it in my bones that it's going to be a good year.  So far each day in 2011 has brought me a little, nice surprise.  What fun!

For this week's card, I was going for a vintage look.  You know, vintage is all the rage.  But I am a pretty simple girl who goes more for the clean lines.  BUT, I thought I'd give it a try.  I don't think I made my goal of a vintage look (other than the distressing of the card stock), but I do like the way it turned out.  The stamp set is one of my favorites, Friends 24-7.  I like the Fleur-de-lis in the set.  As you can see, I used that as my background.  The little tag hanging off the ribbon is stamped with a sentiment from a new set in the Occasions Mini catalog called You're a Gem.  I like phrase sets.  I tell ya, this Occasions mini is packed full of things I want.  I am really having to hold myself back from breaking the bank buying everything on my wish list!  Anyone know where the line is drawn between something being a hobby and when it becomes an addiction? :-)

Have a lookie:

It's hard to see in the picture (geesh, when will my photography improve?) but there are "smudges" of ink on the background as well as on the vanilla floral piece.  I used the Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon which has a light feel to it.  It reminds me of the kind of ribbon I used to find in my grandma's sewing basket.  The card stock I used is Soft Suede and Pear Pizzaz.  There are also mini Basic Pearls in the flower centers.  Me likee. You know what would have made this card more vintage?  More schtuff.  Ahh well, not vintage, but I like it.  :-)

Thanks for popping in.

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. 

Three more Christmas cards

One of the nice things about Stampin' Up! is the people you meet as a demonstrator.  I belong to a group of demonstrators here in the Reno area.  A few of us are orphans, meaning our uplines are gone.  To support each other, we get together and play and talk shop.  We got together a week ago and made Christmas cards.  Below are some of the cards others brought to. 

The first card is designed by Lynnette Parker.  Her stuff is always wonderful.

Next is a card provided by Mary Cargill.  I didn't finish it while there, so mine looks a bit different than hers.   I just love the sparkle of the card.  The trees are stamped in wild wasabi craft and then embossed with irridescent ice embossing powder.  Really pretty IRL.

And finally is a card from a newbie to our group, Nancy Stafford.  This card is too cute.  Easy to put together as well--a huge bonus for Christmas cards if you're going to make a lot!  The card is basically punches punched, cut and arranged into Santa's jolly face.  Makes me laugh that just by placing the eyes a wee bit differntly, you can gve Santa lots of expressions!  I was going for a jolly expression, but he actually looks a little baffled to me.  Ah well, that more clearly reflects me! lol

Details on Greenhouse Garden and Concord crush post and a birthday card

First, I want to share a birthday card I sent to a customer.  A sun flower for a sunny person! 



Next, on my last post, I was left a comment asking for the details on the card below.  Thanks for the comment!  I adore getting comments!  Another picture of the card, and then the specifics for making the card:

Stamps used: Greenhouse Garden, Afterthoughts (Hostess set in main IBC)
Inks: Early Espresso, Wild Wasabi (for the flower stems) and Concord Crush (To make the flowers, ink your stamp, then stamp off once on a scrap paper before stamping on the project.  When adding the flower detail, that is inked and directly stamped.  It makes it look like two colors, but both are Concord Crush, one is just lighter than the other due to amount of ink on the stamp.)
Card stock (CS):
Early Espresso, 4.25x11, 2x2.75, 3x2, 1x5.25
Crumb cake: 4x5.25, 1.5x2.25
Concord Crush DSP from the Hostess level 1 paper pack. 2 7/8 x 1 7/8
Whisper white punched with the XL Decorative Label Punch found in the Holiday Mini on page 25.

Dry embossing using the Backgrounds Texturz Plate #1 on page 215 of the IBC.  I took a sponge and lightly highlighted the raised portion of the paper with Early Espresso ink.  Use a light touch.
The scallop down the right side is the Scallop Trim Border punch done in Early Espresso CS.  I then added the smallest pearls from the jewel package of Basic Pearls on page 188. I wrapped a piece of 1/2" Concord Crush ribbon over the punch strip and tucked it under the scallop strip and Crumb Cake piece.

To finish the card, use a Corner rounder punch on the small piece of Crumb Cake, add Silver brads to the centers of the flowers and pop the flower image up on Dimensionals.  To make the faux brads in the left corner, punch three 1/4" circles out of Concord Crush CS and adhere to the front with Mini Glue Dots. The VERY LAST THING you should do is add some Crystal Effects to the little circles to add the shine.  These will need to dry, for a bit, but when they are dry, they look like brads!

There you go!

Thanks for stopping in.  I appreciate your time.

Kristine

Greenhouse garden in concord crush

This is a card I did for my demo swap group.  Something about the concord crush and the espresso spoke to me.  I tried a different layout (yeah, some of us tend to get in a layout rut) and I really like how the flower focal point pops off the card.  The background is embossed and then sponged with espresso ink to make the design stand out a bit.  Baby pearls along the side add a little somthin' somethin'.  The DSP behind the flowers is from the Patterns Paper Pack that is the Hostess Level 1 gift.  You know, those packs are great.  I am always pleasantly surprised by what's in them!  To finish the card, I punched three 1/4" circles, adhered them with mini glue dots and then put some shine on them with crystal effects for the faux brad look.  The sentiment is also a hostess level 1 set called Afterthoughts.  It's true...I do love being spoiled!

If you would like any more details on the card, drop me an email.  If you would like to receive the hostess paper patterns pack or the Afterthoughts set, contact me about hosting your own workshop!

Thanks for stopping by.

Kristine