Christmas Trees

No stamping in these as yet.  Will be on the inside later.  The tree is a sizzix die and the background paper and tags are from a colorbok 12x12 stack that I bought last year at a garage sale. I wanted a gold to match the start on the trees, though there are only two.  This one matched perfectly.

Green

I didn't even know what to call this one, since I have not made it a birthday, thank you etc.  I want to have some cards in case anybody  needs one so will add the label when it is needed.

I got the idea from a card I found somewhere, I'm sorry I can't give credit to the original artist.  Of course, mine has many variations from the original.  I cut the oval with two dies and used embroidery floss.   Have been working on Christmas and just needed a little diversion.

Pink Ornament

Had to do just one more today.  I've really been wanting to do a pink ornament though I have a limited amount of pink pattern paper.  

Again both the mat, background and the flourish of the top of the ornament are glitter paper.

Christmas Ornament

I love love love this die by Memory Box.  It is actually two dies, the top and the bottom.  The top was really hard to cut until I got a tip to use bubble wrap between the paper and the die, and now it works perfect.  The background on both dies are actually glitter paper, and the flourish front is a shiny cardstock.

 I finally figured out how to make tiny bows too, by using a fork (the tines) to wrap the ribbon around, and then sewing the center together.  It makes the perfect little size and they are always uniform in size.  I just have to make sure that I sew it exactly in the center or it will be lopsided.

I didn't know how well I would like the white background on a white card, so I mounted it on red glitter paper.  This cardstock is pretty expensive comparatively so didn't want to waste it, so I cut the center out and I can use it to cut more ornaments or something else.

Not a Creature was stirring

The only kid of mouse that will be allowed in my house!

I did three of these cute little stamps today and put one together.  Various papers from previous years, Spellbinders octogon label and Memory Box wreath.

Drummer Boy Mishap

I colored four of these little drummer boys for cards today and I almost thew this one away.  I dropped a pen on it and got a green blotch on it.  I have never had much luck with using the colorless blender to remove colors but I thought I would give it a try.  I just hate wasting all the work that goes in to coloring a stamp.

But I worked with it a little bit and set it aside and worked on the others.  Then I came back to it a few times.  I knew that I was going to be doing the blue  shading on it, so thought it might work.  Sure enough, it did.  If you look really close you can see just a hint of green, but the blue pretty well disguises it.  I'm pretty happy with the results.  And of course, I love this stamp.

More Christmas

I did the coloring for these a while back and just put them together.  I just love this stamp.

Chrstmas Horses

I thought I had to settle down to something serious here.  I've had so many ideas in my head, that I've been flipping from one project to another.  My craft room is a disaster.  So thought I get serious about Christmas cards.  These are some of what was ordered by a friend.  She hasn't seen them yet, sure hope she likes them.  They were a lot of fun to make.

 The wreath die cut is from Memory Box.  It is not a Christmas stamp but thught it would go well with some Christmas paper and a little bling.  This is three layers, two shade of green and the red striped.

Joy is a Sizzix die, the flourish and the greenery are a Tim Holtz die.

I haven't posted for over a month, but this is some tuff that I've been working on.  The first one I did tonight.  I've been wanting to try this technique and it was the tutorial from Split Coast Stampers this month.  It was fun to do with my Spellbinders die cuts.

 I left the tag empty so that when the need comes up I can just fill it in.  The flowers I got at the show I went to last month.

 The flowers are cut with Tim Holtz Tattered Floral die using burlap and paper.

 Window card for Christmas

 These little journals are gifts for a project I have coming up soon.

Bachelor Buttons

Just killing time today.  Background paper is Butcher Block that I've had forever!  Background stamp is Inadinkado wood.  Bachelor Button is Hero Arts cling.  The adornments are from Quikkutz.  Punch used is EK Success.  Flower is colored with Copic B00 and B15.  Background and floral stamped with Memento Cocoa.  Background inked with Tea Dye and Stormy Sky.

More Little People

This is the second set of stamps that I got recently from icopics.com .  They are OA Buddies from The Greeting Farm.  It took several tries to get it right.  I wonder if all the people that do the fantastic coloring that I see had to go through as much trial and error, or does it come just naturally?

The paper is DCWV stack, punch is EK, die cut Spellbinders.

I love the red/yellow combo, it is just so bright and cheerful.  I think it is psychological because my mother would never let me wear red and yellow together, she said it clashed!  Well, actually I would never 'wear' it together now, but my little kiddies can.  :)   Flower die cut is Sizzix, labels Spellbinders, punch EK.  Paper is from old stash.

Copic coloring

I've really been struggling with my coloring.  I just have to remember that it will get better with practice.  I think the brunnette came out a little better than the blonde.  The brunnette is C.C. Designs Swiss Pixies "Bouquet Birgitta".  Paper is DCWV glitter stack, flowers are from Oriental Trading.  Die cut is Sizzix, border EK Success.

I was inspired by the flower color combo of red and blue and tried to match it with the ink colors and background.  The flowers were cut from the oval Spellbinders die and shaped as with the previous post.  The stamp is The Greeting Farm "Dahlia".  I love these stamps and hope I can get better with my coloring techniques.  Border punch is EK, flourish Sizzix and label Spellbinders.

Fun with flowers and markers

The directions for making these flowers can be found at valitasfreshfolds.blogspot.com.  She is an asolute genius at making beautiful flowers from punches.  I didn't use punches, but my Spellbinder dies.  The large one was cut from the second smallest oval scalloped die, and the small flowers with the smallest die.  You cut each petal and glue them together.  I made several one day with different pattern papers.  What makes it so much fun is that you can re-purpose those old pattern papers that you don't use anymore.  At least, I don't use them so much since I started stamping.  When you cut down a pattern paper it totally changes the looks.  The one was actually a yellow/pink dahlia floral paper, but when it is cut down it looks like a nice pastel marble.  I inked each petal.  The centers are made with a small starburst punch that has been in my drawer for years.  I covered it with glitter, but don't think I will with the next ones.   

 This one is for "somebody" I know that likes orange.  It was meant to be a birthday card, but I didn't get it off in time.  I think she will like it anyway.  Colored with Copics.

Another Bird Cage

Used the same technique for the birdcage, but add a p iece of broken jewelry to the bottom.  Stamps are Inkadinkado and Fiskars, parts from  three different sets.   Flower is colored with copics.

Bird Cage

There are several techniques used in this baby!  To start with the birdcage is cut from grunge board.  I wanted to use the black distress poweders on it, but after two attempts, I didn't like the results.  I had a piece of grunge board that I tried to cut a leave out of, but it didn't cut all the way through, so I thought I'd just give that piece a try.  When I cut the birdcage it did show some imprints from the other die cut, so I decided to emboss it to cover up those lines.  I love the way it turned out.  It was a swirly leaf with litle flowers, but hardly distinquishable on the birdcage.  I then airbrushed it with C9, a dark grey, copic.  I like to use the dark grey rather than black.  Then I used a silver pigment ink pad and rubbed over the top of that.  It gave it a really cool metalic look, but not shiny.  There are Making Memories antique finish jump rings in the holes on the bottom of the cage.  The background is also a combination of techniques that I just kept trying untl it came out how I wanted it.  It is creme cardstock that was misted with Green Patina and Pewter perfect pearls.  Then I put Rusty Hinge distress ink on my glass mat and sprayed it again with the pewter perfect pearls and rubbed the paper onto it.  I repeated the process with Brushed Courdoroy Distress ink.  I dried it with a heat gun then embossed it with a Cuttlebug folder.  The flourishes are die cut from Tim Holtz Alterations.  The leaf is a Sizzix die.  Flowers are cut from the Sizzix hydrangea die using two large petals and one small.

Tuesday Night Cards

These two cards were really fun to make.  I love this one but already thinking of ways to re-do it.  Guess that might be a project for tonight.  There are 5 different Sizzix dies, 1 Tim Holtz Alterations and 1 Spellbinders die used for this card.  The stamp is Studio G.  Paper is  DCWV Citrus Glitter Stack that I just picked up this week at 40% off.

I don't know why this picture appears upside down, as that is not the way it looks on the disc.  I mounted some of the die cuts with pop dots.

I love the color combo of CTMH Tulip and Juniper.  Stamp is Inkadinkado colored with copics, label is my new Spellbinders eyelet die.  The flowers are cut with the Sizzix big die Hydrangea with the DCWV pack above, but there is no glitter on this piece and they have little tiny polka dots.  I inked the edges with Tulip ink and I think it gives them a real soft look.  Each flower uses two large petals and one small.  The glitter brads are from a set that I bought a couple years ago on Christmas clearance.  I have used these on so many different pieces, they are very versatile and really add sparkle.  Background paper is embossed with large cuttlebug folder and sanded