Happy Easter Chickie!!

Happy Spring! The weather here in NJ has been just gorgeous these past few days. I hope we don't see another snow flake before the lion has turned all the way to lamb. This week's challenge over at Our Creative Corner is to make a spring/Easter themed card or project. I was inspired to try some new things with this one. This is my first digi stamp project. This adorable Pure Innocence image is from Heather Ellis.

For the layout, I used Jen Del Muro's SFYTT from 3/13/2010. It is such a fun sketch, and I though it would work well with my little chickie.

I also tried a new technique for popping images outside the boundaries of your Nestabilities. Click HERE to view the Youtube video tutorial on this technique. I used my new egg die , Egg Hunt Stamps and Egg Hunt Patterned Paper from Papertrey Ink. All so fun! I just love this little girl, and I love the way this card came out. New toys, new technique, new season. Here are the ingredients:

Papers-Elegant Eggplant, Barely Banana, Neenah Solar White, Egg Hunt patterned paper.

Ink-VersaFine Onyx Black, Versa Mark.

Stamps-Pure Innocence PI025, Egg Hunt, SU's A Good Egg.

Accessories-Nestabilities, white embossing powder, heat tool, Dimensionals, mat pack & piercing tool, Sakura white glaze pen, Copic markers, Elegant Eggplant, Pumpkin Pie & Old Olive 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Hero Arts acid free adhesive crystals.

Butterfly Sympathy

This is what I came up with for this week's OCC Challenge, which is a wonderful sketch. I love BasicGrey's Wisteria DP, and SU's Rich Razzleberry goes so well with it. Kraft is marvelous in this combination of papers. The butterfly is from Taylored Expressions Discover Your Wings set. It is embossed in gold on Wisteria DP, cut out and popped up. I used SU's Bashful Blue 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon behind the top panel. The sentiment is from Verve's Forever in Our Hearts. I really like this way this turned out. Thanks for stopping by today.

Stamp TV Organizer

I did a lot of playing with paper during our 2 snow days. I recently bought Gina K's Organize It Stamp TV Kit. I love Gina K's StampTV Kitchen Counter Organizer project, and I decided to make one of these to use in my craft area. This is pretty much an exact replica of hers, but I used different papers that went along with the solid papers and ribbons in the kit. Also, I did not use the words from the stamp set for my folder tabs. I used my
JustRite 1 3/16" wooden stamp mount and the 15 point font JustRite alphabet set to make my own words - "bits & pieces", "notes" and "ideas". This will help me to organize things that are now cluttering my craft space. It is just amazing what you can make from a Kleenex box! I had lots of fun doing this. There are many StampTV projects that go along with this kit. I will certainly be making many of them.

Basket of Love

We are on day 2 of a big snow storm here is NJ. I spent the day yesterday playing in my craft space. Here is a card that I made with this adorable Basket Full o' Flopsey set from MFT. I had spring on my mind, and these wonderful prints in the Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety Mini Deck that I just got with my latest order From Taylored Expressions were perfect to use with Flopsey! I used 2/25{STVSCJH13} from Stamp TV for my layout. The base of the card is Crushed Curry and the next panel is Handsome Hunter. I paper pieced Flopsey and the basket and colored the rest with Copics. I scissor cut the grass, and embellished with some Dew Drops and Soft Suede polka dot grosgrain ribbon.

Dragonflies for Ben and Grace

Taylor VanBruggen of Taylored Expressions kicked off a Card Drive last Friday for a cause that is very dear to my heart. She is calling on card makers worldwide to create cards for a program at Sanford Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD that has been developed to help grieving families who are suffering the loss of a newborn(s). This cause is so close to my heart because I have experienced this twice. The devastation of facing life without the baby you loved so dearly before you even met him or her, is indescribable. People, even those very close to you, say all the wrong things, and it is so hard to navigate through life for a very long time. Most people forget your lost ones, but you need to remember. You never forget. To have a picture, a blanket, a cap - anything that touched your precious one(s) becomes the most important thing(s) in your possession. The work that is being done today to help parents and families through this is incredible. I ask you to consider making at least one card for this cause. The dragonfly is the symbol of hope that this particular program uses, so a dragonfly has to be incorporated in your card. it can be from any company. Click HERE for all of the details.

I did not have a dragonfly stamp, so I used BasicGrey's Wisteria DP which has beautiful dragonfly images on it. In the meantime, I ordered a gorgeous stamp set from TE called "Discover Your Wings" that has a beautiful dragonfly image. For a limited time, TE will donate $7.00 to an organization called "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep", which you can read about HERE.

Here are the ingredients for my card:

Paper ~ Sage Shadow, Brushed Gold, Almost Amythist.

Stamps ~ Cute Converse (SU retired hostess), Verve~Forever in Our Hearts.

Ink ~ Elegant Eggplant (front), Sage Shadow and VersaFine Black Onyx (inside).
Accessories~ Mat pack & piercing tool, Score Tape, Bow Easy, Hero Arts 2mm rhinestones, SY scallop punch, Saukra white glaze pen, SU white taffeta ribbon, Dimensionals.

Thank you for stopping in...

Jon's Valentine

This is my take on this week's Crazy 4 Challenges Challenge, which is to use RED as the main color on your project. I have twin boys who are 10 wonderful years old. They are so different... both really great kids. This card is for Jon. He is so athletic, and tenacious, and funny, and dear... Skateboarding is one of his latest endeavors. I just got this Extreme Skateboard stamp from Stampin' Up just in time for Valentine's Day. It's perfect for his Valentine. I found THIS and THIS card by Englishrose over at SCS, and combined ideas from them for my inspiration. I stamped the image in Basic Gray, and then stamped off 3 more times to give it dimension and movement. I sponged around the outside of the image with Bordering Blue ink, added 3 black brads to the top left corner, and popped it up with Dimensionals. The DSP is BasicGrey's Sugar Rush. The Card Stock is Riding Hood Red, Bordering Blue, Basic Gray and White. The sentiment is from MFT's Clearly Sentimental About Chocolate set. I can't wait for my boys to see their Valentines tomorrow. Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Valentines

I was down to the wire with Valentines this year. Valentine's Day falls on Sunday, we had 2 snow days this week - everything is off kilter. So today, I made a few - had to have one for my Mom (love you, mom), and a few others. I did not send out Christmas cards this year, and I VOWED to send Valentines. Ha Ha Ha - that did not happen. I have lots of good intentions...
Anyway, I made this one above for my mom. I pulled out a Hero Arts stamp that I bought years ago. I used my MS heart lace punch and some retired papers that I had not pulled out in a while... I felt like my mom would like that I dug into my stash - she is the queen of thrifty. Before I mailed this card, I added 2 half pearls on the red card stock where the left and right points of the Nesties frames are, and BOY did that make a difference. I just had to get the cards to the post office though, so I could not take more pictures of the cards after I added this embellishment.


These next 3 cards were born of inspiration from Sharon Johnson. I used a very simple layout to make 3 different cards with this adorable Love Puppy stamp from The Cat's Pajamas. As with my mom's card above, I added a red rhinestone to the top and bottom on the black Nestie between the point and the red circle. That made the world of difference, but I had taken the pics before I did that and I had to get to the post office, so I did not have time to re-take the pics. It really looked sooooo much better with the rhinestones... I wish you could see that.

I used the MS heart lace punch on this one. The white card stock showed through this hearts in front - nice touch.

The double heart image on this one and the one above is from Verve's Sweet Valentine set.

I stamped the image twice and cut out the heart and popped it up with Dimensionals. Looks great in person....

Here are the three together. Please excuse the mess on my counter. I was really in a hurry and there was no time for artistic detail! I was very pleased with the way these cards came out. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stopping by, anf Happy Valentine's Day!