Get in Shape!

Here is the good news: I am not going to make you exercise. I AM, however, going to encourage you to take part in this week's Get in Shape Challenge on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog! We want to see you create shaped cards! It can by ANY shape other than square or rectangle. The design team is playing with Lawn Fawn products this week, making our shaped cards EXTRA adorable! YAY!



I chose to use one of my MFT dies to create an easel/chalkboard shaped card. It's not a rectangle, dude. It has legs. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. For reals, though, I love this Die-Namics Blueprint shape for cards. It's just too much fun!!! I pulled out the Lawn Fawn Handsome Hamster stamps to create a fun little 'chalk' scene on my board using Simon Says Stamp white pigment ink.



I layered the Lawn Fawn hello die cut over the same cut cut from white foam to give it dimension and an extra layer of white. I used the triangles from the Blueprints set to cut the banner pieces from gingham paper. Gingham CUTENESS, that is.

And now it's your turn! Create a shaped card (not square or rectangle!) and link it up to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog for your chance to win a $50 Gift Voucher to the Simon Says Stamp Store!

Have a Happy!

No Day Like Today! And... De-STASH Boxes!!!

I have a couple of fun things for you today!  I am DE-STASHING my studio and have put together some mystery boxes!   You can find more information about those at the end of this post!

Before we get there, however, I'd like to share a fun card I created using a great Ronda Palazzari stencil!

For this card, I used an applicator to apply ink over the solid stencil for the cityscape background.  I then layered the detail part of the stencil back over the image and used black embossing paste for the outlines.  I love the texture that this adds!  I also love that I can play with things like embossing paste and still stick with my CAS style!  YAY!


The sentiment stamps are from Mama Elephant and I love how using them together creates a fun, unique birthday sentiment!

AND... about those mystery boxes!

I have gone through my supplies and purged so much stuff!  LOTS and LOTS of stamp sets, some papers, tapes, embellishments, stencils, and more!  I am selling mystery boxes STUFFED with the goodness that I simply cannot use!!!

Each box is a Medium Priority Flat Rate box.  It is promised to include a minimum of ten stamp sets (there will be more than that.  Just sayin').  In addition to the stamps, you may receive paper, embellishments, tapes, stencils, and MORE!  Items are gently used and some things may be partial packages, however, all is in good, useable condition.  All Sales are Final.  I am asking $60 per box and that INCLUDES Priority shipping in the United States.  If you are interested, please email me and I will send you the payment details.  These are ready to go, so the first business day after payment clears, your box will ship!  YAY!!!

*Mama Elephant Clear Stamp SAY WHAT Set ME1302-019 *The Crafter's Workshop MINI URBAN LANDSCAPE 6 x 6 Template RP *Dreamweaver MATTE BLACK Embossing Paste 4oz DMBP *Memento Luxe Ink Pad GRAY FLANNEL Tsukineko *Simon Says Stamp Premium Dye Ink Pad BLACK Ink008 *Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# BLACK BL8 *Versamark WATERMARK Rubber Stamp Emboss Chalk Resist INK PAD *Tsukineko Embossing Powder GOLD Emboss *Crafter's Companion 50 PACK ULTRA SMOOTH PREMIUM WHITE CARDSTOCK 752252

InLinkz.com

A Warm and Cozy Sunset

*sigh*  Oranges and yellows are so wonderfully warm!  It was 29 degrees when I woke up this morning.  Twenty-nine.  That's not warm.  Not even a little.  So, I decided to post this card in an effort to at least warm up visually!  HA!



Warm and Cozy.  Right?  Right.  Trust me on this one.  I masked off the arched area and inked in various shades using the Desert Heat Kaleidacolor ink pad from Tsukineko.  I love using these ink pads for this type of application because it takes all of the guess work out of finding perfect colors to blend!  I inked the stamp for the sun in various shades, as well.



I stamped and embossed the sentiment on a black strip and folded it into a banner.  I inked the edges with white ink to really make it stand out.  This card is fairly simple, but I really love how pretty it turned out!

I am linking this up to the AEI♥U Challenge over on the Avery Elle blog!  

You can find the supplies I used for my card in the links below.

Have a Happy!

*Avery Elle Clear Stamps HANDWRITTEN NOTES Set ST-13-16 *Avery Elle Clear Stamps BRIGHT DAYS *Memento Luxe Ink Pad WEDDING DRESS Tsukineko *Tsukineko KALEIDACOLOR Spectrum Ink Pad DESERT HEAT *Versamark WATERMARK Rubber Stamp Emboss Chalk Resist INK PAD *Tsukineko Embossing Powder WHITE Emboss *Precision Heat Embossing Emboss Tool Gun Hero Arts PW200 *EK Success POWDER TOOL Applicator EKT001 *Fiskars Compact STAMPING PRESS Stamp Entire Project at Once! 02958 *Tsukineko Rubber Stamp Ink Pad 6 SPONGE DAUBERS *EK Success 1/16"" SQUARES 3-D Foam Dots Adhesive SPAF-THS *Crafter's Companion 50 PACK ULTRA SMOOTH PREMIUM WHITE CARDSTOCK 752252 *Bazzill LICORICE TWIST Card Shoppe Heavy Weight 8.5 x 11 Cardstock *EK Success CUTTER BEE Scissors EKCB01

InLinkz.com

A Bowl of LUUUUV!

Due to the fun topic at hand today, I thought I would use a lovely font.

Then I thought better of that idea and decided it is best if you can actually READ my post! HA!

So, today is Friday. Friday is a good thing. Friday means that tomorrow is Saturday and I don't have to go to work. That makes me happy. It really and truly does.

Today is also the LAST day that you can enter my giveaway! So, I HIGHLY recommend that you go check THAT out because it pretty much ROCKS! It will close at midnight tonight and I will choose a winner no later than Monday, but possibly earlier, so keep your eyes PEELED like a banana!

I have to tell you, Valentine's Day is not a big one in our house. It never has been, really. Let's face it. Hallmark got us on this one. The decided to toss out a lot of bright and shiny red and pink and fluffy stuff and tell everyone that we should have a day of LUUUUV! (I'm not quite sure how to do the proper pronunciation key for that word, but I'm hoping you are getting the idea...) So, seriously, folks....is this REALLY a necessary holiday? I would put for that it is, indeed, not. Now, that being said....I do love me some cherry gummy hearts and WalMart only has them for Valentine's Day, so I'm not going to start a boycott campaign or anything! My point is more that we don't do silly cards and I CERTAINLY don't expect (or even want) over-priced roses that magically get more "valuable" simply because of the date. I do, however, LOVE the color RED! And, I must admit, I'm a pretty big fan of Pink, too! So, that means that I have a certain color-based appreciation for this time of year. The colors make me happy!!! AND...who doesn't love a good heart now and then?

So, I do create Valentine's cards...which I haven't done quite yet this year, but I will get there! I promise! And I also create some other fun valentinesey type projects, as well. (OMG! "Valentinesey" is actually NOT throwing the spell checker! Sometimes it simply amazes me what passes for a word in the English language! At least the American version! Yikes!....but I digress...)

I made this fun little "LOVE" banner, since it seems that banners and such are all the rage and I didn't feel like being left off that little train.....



Umm...I kinda love it.
I used Chatterbox ArtsyLicious papers to cover the heavy chipboard letters and then I set eyelets (remember those things!) in each letter. The ribbon was the fun part! I didn't want it to look "strung" but I did want the ribbon to be the connecting factor, so I folded the ribbon and pushed a loop through from the back to the front of each eyelet. Then I cut the loop and tied a cute little knot on the front to fasten it. I love the way it looks and I love that I didn't have to have that "over/under" kind of thing going on!



See!!!

Okay....so that's my fun little banner! You should totally make one! It didn't take very long and I LOVE it!!! (Hee-hee....love....yeah, anyway....moving on....)

ALSO, I just knew that I was supposed to go ahead and embrace the creative force of the season when I scooped out a small bowl of ice cream the other night. I used one of my favorite Crate and Barrell bowls that my wonderful little sister gave to us. It's red. I sprinkled it with wonderful Rainbow sprinkles and drizzled a bit of caramel on top and sat down to enjoy my evening snack. Well, after a couple of bites I looked down and I saw it!!! My ice cream had scooped out in a perfect little heart shape!!! How cute is THAT? It made me happy. Really, sometimes it doesn't take much! Anyway, I was really glad that I hadn't taken any bites from that scoop because I grabbed my camera just show I could show you!



I LOVE THAT!!! It still makes me happy. Heart shaped ice cream. By accident. It wouldn't have been as great if it was on purpose. Just say'n.

So, alas we come to the end of my happy little LLUUUUUV post.

My Little Gnome Pooh would like to say goodbye.