Because COLOR!

Because COLOR! We have a brand new Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge for you this week! We want you to MAKE IT COLORFUL! Yup. That's the challenge! Make something wonderfully colorful! I, naturally, pulled out some of my brand new STAMPtember goodies from Simon Says Stamp for this one, along with some red cardstock to get me started. Red is my favorite color, so things generally go well when I start there!



PARTY! Are you ready for a party? Because I AM! This super fun Party die is just too much! I love it! I combined it with the trees from the Warm Christmas Wishes stamp set. Nope. I didn't make a Christmas card. Yup. I used a Christmas stamp set. It's AMAZING what you can do, isn't it?! *wink* The Design Team is showcasing Doodlebug products this week and I decided to use some Doodlebug Sprinkles as accents on my card!



A bit of Wink of Stella adds sparkle to the word 'Party', while some clear Stickles make the tree lights shine!

Now it's YOUR turn! Create something COLORFUL and link it up to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog for a chance to win a $50 Gift Voucher to the Simon Says Stamp Store! Woot! Woot! 

Also, be sure to check out the new STAMPtember products that were just released yesterday! We have some fun stuff coming up all month long! I do so love STAMPtember!!!

Have a Happy!

Cookie Cutter Christmas {May Arts & Helmar Blog Hop}

Hello, friends! I hope you had a super fabulous weekend! I have a super fun project to share with you for the May Arts & Helmar Blog Hop today! If you have come from Jen Shears blog, you are on the right track! If not, hop on back to the May Arts blog for the complete hop list!

Today I'm showing you how to create these super fun Cookie Cutter Christmas Ornaments!



These make fabulous ornaments on the tree and they are wonderful accents on top of beautifully wrapped gifts, as well!

To begin, choose the papers you would like to line your cutters with. I used Little Yellow Bicycle's Once Upon A Christmas line for mine! Cut pieces large enough to fit under the cutters and match the papers to the cutter you wish to pair them with.


Before adhering to the paper use a Crop-a-dile to punch holes in the top of each cookie cutter.


Next, use Helmar's Gemstone Glue to carefully line the sharp edge of the cookie cutter and adhere it to the paper (adhere to the side you want to show). Allow to dry.


While they are drying, carefully apply glitter glue to the top side of the cookie cutters. Allow to dry thoroughly before moving to next step.


Cut out each cookie cutter from the paper. The gemstone glue is nice and strong and will hold the backing onto the cutter nicely! Apply adhesive all the way around the outer edge of the cutter and adhere ribbon around the edge. I used May Arts Woven Burlap and Grosgrain ribbons for this.


Pull several strands of May Arts burlap string, tied in a loop, through the hole to create the hanger for the ornament.


And that's it! These aren't too hard to create at all and they are way super fun! I hope you enjoy making some for your very own Cookie Cutter Christmas! You have reached the end of today's hop! Be sure to check back on the May Arts blog tomorrow for another list of inspiring blogs!


Jingle Out!

Teaching Me To Be. And a Call to Share Your Passion!!!

***Don't forget to check out my post HERE to join in my month long Blogiversary Celebration!***

I finally managed to do a layout on time for Diana's way fun sketch challenge! I really loved the sketch this time around, but, as per usual when I work with sketches, I ended up really making it my own. Due to the position of The Hubbums in the photograph, I flipped the sketch and I placed my circles a bit differently. Instead of using the strips in the sketch for journaling, I decided to create glitter dots, a glitter stripe, and a twill that coordinated with my layout idea.

Here is my layout.

Now that I am looking at it, I can't decide if I like the fire embellishment on there or not. It is there because I feel like it has meaning that relates to the idea of the layout. Hmmm.....that's a tough one. I'll have to think on it.

BUT....even with that thinking going on and such, I still TOTALLY love this layout and I am so excited to have had the chance to participate in the Sketch Challenge this week! The sketch inspired such a wonderful outcome for me! I love it when that happens!!!!

No. Seriously, folks. That is just wicked crazy cool. You know...when something just JUMPSTARTS you and totally gets you going in a direction that only could have been led by that single catalyst?! Does that ever happen to you? I mean at all in life...not just in making stuff. I know lots of my readers aren't scrapbookers, but we all have a passion for something.

A passion for art, for cooking, for fashion, for teaching, for learning, for writing, for caring for others, for ANYTHING! NO matter what your passion is, it is just the COOLEST THING EVER when you are inspired. I mean really INSPIRED!

Tell me about it! Or...better yet...write a blog post about it and then come back and link to your post here so we can all read about your passion and what inspires you!!!!

Oooooo!!!! I am so stinking excited right now! I really hope you take the time to share your stories! Thanks, Diana, for inspiring me, not only to create this awesome layout, but also to encourage others to share their passion! This is GREAT STUFF, folks!!! Okay. I'm just happy now. I'm typing at like super sonic speed, so you totally better not let me down! I want to see your passion! Blog about it! If you don't have a blog, just leave a really long comment if you need to! LOL! I want to know!!!

Thinking of You and The Creative Process

I am sure I am not alone in this. I started to create this card a couple of weeks ago. I was, at the time, actually making it because I needed a card to give to someone that night. I chose my papers, cut them out, and punched my butterflies because I had a vision.

Only one problem.

That's about where my vision stopped.

Cosmo Cricket papers, a scalloped circle in two parts, and some butterflies.

Hmmmm.....

I began to assemble the pieces and that's when I decided that I wasn't going to make this card at all! I stopped, set it aside and made the "Just Drop'n In!" card that I posted a few days ago for the recipient instead.

Yup. A COMPLETE AND TOTAL halt. That's what this card came to! And just to keep it interesting, as you can clearly see, the card I actually made is MUCH different in style than this one that I am showing you here.

Sometimes I think creating has EVERYTHING to do with what mood I am in. I was not in the mood for 'pretty papers' and butterflies that day. I was in the mood for fun papers and stamps and robots, instead! The thing about this is....

....I put down the card...I didn't toss it. Because I knew I would return to it eventually...or at least I hoped! LOL! Well, alas, I did return to it and here is what I did with the pretty papers and the butterflies! I think it turned out great! What do you think?







As I mentioned, the papers are Cosmo Cricket. The ink and the Distress Stickles are Ranger. The stamp is Hero Arts. The ribbon is Basic Grey and I honestly have no idea who makes the brown felt flowers because they were given to me! LOL! The punch is from Martha, but we try not to mention that too loudly. LOL!

How much does your creative spirit depend on your mood? What do you do when you realize you've started the wrong project at the wrong time?

Glittery Graduation Card - Tutorial

Happy Friday!!! Yes, it is FINALLY here! Sometimes I swear they add a couple of extra days to the week because that is the ONLY way it could actually take as stinking long as it does! LOL!

This is an exciting weekend in my family! My little sister, well...turns out...she's not so little anymore and she is graduating with her Bachelor's degree in Theater from Providence College! Yup! That's pretty crazy, folks! No...really. It's a little nuts because there is NO WAY I am that old! LOL! It's just the two of us and there is a big 'ole span between us so when she hits milestones it totally weirds me out!

So, being that she is graduating and all, I figured I'd be nice and make her a card! LOL! As you know...the Use Your Stash theme for this month is GLITTER! Well, I have to be honest. This challenge was not so much 'challenging' in that 'make you use something in your stash you never use' sort of way for me, simply because I LOVE GLITTER! No, really. I love it. I could marry it. It sparkles and it's pretty and I just want to hug it and squeeze it and...

...okay. You get the point. I'm a fan.

So, I decided to find some fun ways to use it! You saw my layout at the first of the month and now here is my fun Congrats card!


Supplies:

White Cardstock card form. I made my own, but if you have some use 'em. Totally up to you!

Black Cardstock scraps

Patterned Papers from My Little Shoebox Who's There Collection - Wise Old Owl and Night Owl and the solid teal came from Tinkering Ink Perennial Parade collection - Bluebell

Ranger Stickles in Fruit Punch

Light Colored Ink - I used Vanilla Cream from Close To My Heart

Dotty Background Stamp - Mid is from the Close To My Heart Argyle Backgrounds set

White Alphabet Stickers - Doodlebug Designs

Juniper Ink - Close To My Heart (to ink letters)

Pink embroidery floss - DMC

Chocolate Ribbon - Close To My Heart

Tools: Fiskars Finger Knife, paper cutter, 1 inch circle punch, 1/8 inch circle punch, scissors, adhesives - both flat and foam


It takes a bit of time to make this card, but it is all way fun, so it is so worth it!

Step 1:

Stamp a dotted background onto your card using a light, but visible ink color. Versamark will work if you can see it clearly enough. I used Vanilla Cream from Close To My Heart because I was too lazy to look for my VersaMark. Hee-hee.


Step 2:

Use the dots as a guide to drop dots of Stickles Glitter Glue over the entire background of your card. Be sure to work from top to bottom so that you don't smear the glue with your hand and, therefore, glitter yourself, the dog, your husband, and your entire work space.

...not that I've ever done that. I'm just say'n. It's possible.

Allow to dry thoroughly. You can move on to the next few steps while this dries.

Step 3:

Punch colored circles for the fun large dot background behind the main image.



Step 4:

Using the same dotty background stamp (I {heart} dots!) stamp a tone on tone background onto the solid punched circles.


Step 5: AKA: The part where you laugh at me really loudly and tell me that I'm crazy and there is no way you are doing this. BUT WAIT!

Give it a shot! It's not that hard and it looks SO stinking cute when you are done! PLEEEEEASE! {insert cheesy, big-eyed grin here}

Step 5:

Cut out owl/bird/swirl pattern from your patterned paper with a craft knife. I chose my Fiskars Finger Knife for this and let me tell you that was the best $5 I've ever spent! That thing is magnificent! MAGNIFICENT, I tell you!


Step 6:

Since you already got through with Step 5, I'm assuming I'll here less whining about this step. It really is rather simple. Free hand cut a diamond and a small trapezoid for the top and bottom portions of your hat. Using a 1/8 inch hole punch, punch a small circle of black paper for the button on the top of the hat.

For the tassle take a length of embroidery floss about 8 inches or so...maybe shorter, I don't really remember and wrap it around your thumb tip. Leave some extra at the end. Carefully slide the wrapped floss off of your thumb and pinch the top and tie it tightly together close to the top with the remaining floss end. Use scissors to snip the 'loop' of the long end, creating a cute little tiny tassel!


I included the penny to give you an idea of how big these pieces need to be.

Step 7:

Attach your background dots (the larger, punched ones) to the glittered background card. By this point your Stickles should be dry, but doule check before you make a big 'ole mess and stuff.

Use pop dots to attach the owl/bird/swirly cut out piece nicely over the dots. CUTENESS!

Using a small piece of adhesive foam at the very top of your trapezoid piece (the short end) and a small piece of flat adhesive on the bottom (the long end) attach the trapezoid to the head of the bird. The flat adhesive will adhere to the head of the bird and the foam will adhere to the card background. Then, using a foam dot, adhere the diamond piece to the top of the trapezoid giving it dimension. Use a drop of Stickles to adhere the tassel to the center of the hat and then a small drop of Stickles to add the 'button' to the top! ISN'T THAT THE CUTEST THING EVERRRR??? Yes, my friends, it most certianly is.


Step 8:

Cut a piece of patterned paper to fit across the top of the card (4 1/4 in.) Cut two pieces of brown ribbon to fit the same size. Ahere the brown ribbon and then adhere the patterned paper strip overlapping the ribbon to create your sentiment block. Use a dauber to ink white letters to match your card and adhere sentiment. (P.S. If you happen to have letters that match feel free to use them. I wanted this color and didn't have them, so I made 'em! Use'n my stash, folks! Use'n the stash!)





Step 9:

Admire the cuteness that is your card!

Step 10:

Give your card to your little Sitta who is Gradiat'n from college! WHOAH! (If you pronounced that 'whoah' correctly, you are probably very close to me in age. Just say'n.)

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial! If you make a card like this one I would love to see it so totally link me up, K! K. Thanks, peeps!

Be sure to check out the Use Your Stash blog today for more great card ideas using GLITTER!