21st Century Pillow Book

Greetings! Today marks the beginning of a new challenge with Aurora Wings ! For this go-round, we challenge you to make a project for a "Joyous Occasion." It can be anything....graduation, a birthday, Christmas, etc. I chose to make a Christmas card, because why not get a jump on things? ;) My card features Little Christmas Tree, from the Sprite collection. You can find him on the Aurora Wings site HERE , and in the Etsy Shop HERE . Now, let's take a look at this cutie. I colored the Little Christmas Tree Sprite with Zig Clean Color Markers. I liked how this tree looks like it is made out of fabric, as if the Sprite is wearing a costume. So I colored the tree itself kind of flat, and not with a lot of definition so that I could mimic fabric a bit. The ornaments were colored with a Spectrum Noir Sparkle pen. It's hard to see in the above photo, but you'll be able to see it better in the 3rd picture.  The large circle (done with the same Neenah Desert St...

Hello! This week, the Stampendous Team is sharing projects with the brand new Wisteria Circle and Tree Circle stamps. For my card today, I used the Tree Circle. This is a very simple card to create, so I hope you'll give it a try. My full instructions are below. Supplies: Stampendous : W201 6: Tree Circle SSC1283: Big Words Thanks Other : My Colors Cardstock: Madras Blue, Wildflower Tombow Recycled Pencils in Yellow Green, Green, Yellow, Light Orange, Chrome Yellow, Purple, and Ultramarine. Imagine: VersaFine Clair Ink in Nocturne Scrapbook Adhesives: E-Z Runner Canson: Mixed Media Paper Directions: 1. Stamp the Tree Circle with VersaFine Clair Ink in Nocturne. 2. Color the stamped image using the pencils listed, to look like a sunrise. 3. Cut out the colored image. 4. Create the card base out of Wildflower cardstock, cut to the size of 4 1/4 x 11." 5. On a piece of Madras Blue cardstock that is 4 1/4" wide and approximately 2 1/2" tall...

Hello! Today is Day 26 of the 31 Days of Halloween. My card today features the Haunted Tree stamp from Stampendous, cardstock, and not much else. You can get a cool card without a lot of "stuff" depending on how you use the basics, which in this case is cardstock. Below is my full tutorial on how to make this card. Supplies: Stampendous : R295 : Haunted Tree Other : My Colors Cardstock: Velvet Night, Plum, Evergreen, Grasshopper Imagine: VersaFine Ink in Onyx Black Zig Clean Color Markers: 035, 043, 044, 062, 065, 068, 075, 083, 091, 093, 096, 901 Kraft Cardstock Water Brush Heidi Swapp: Edge Distresser Canson Mixed Media Paper Scotch ATG Gun Directions: 1. Stamp the Haunted Tree with Onyx Black VersaFine on to Mixed Media Paper. 2. Color the image using the listed Zig Clean Color Markers listed. Use the water brush as desired. 3. Crop the image. 4. Use the Edge Distresser to tear up the edge of the colored image. 5. Create the card base out ...

Hello! The Stampendous Design Team is gearing up for a fun blog hop with Tombow .  Today, I am going show a project with the Zero Drawing Technique to you. You may have seen me use this technique a couple of weeks ago, with the same beautiful Leafless Tree from Dreamweaver, and other pumpkins. But this time, I decided to go a bit spookier and use these Jack O Lanterns . This is a very simple technique with awesome results, and you can learn how to do it by watching this video HERE . This is perfect if you need a card in a pinch,and just don't feel like coloring. You'll definitely want to pick up the MONO Zero Round Eraser if you decide to try this technique. The eraser is so small and can get into such teeny crevices of your stencils. Plus, you can easily draw with it. It's a great eraser! I used Spoonful of Midnight Embossing Powder and Elements around the edge of my card base. I also added a bit of opaque black embossing powder in addition to what's in...

Hello!  All of this week, the  Stampendous  and  Dreamweaver  teams have been playing with a mix of their products, along with some wonderful, SAND-ABLE papers from  Core'dinations . We've sanded our way to the "core" of all things Christmas and the Holiday season. ***If you are looking for my Day 17 post for the 31 Days of Halloween, please scroll down to my next post.*** Of course, there are prizes, and we are giving away the best...this time with a mix of fun  Core'dinations products as well. To be one of three prize package winners, follow the posted link lists from each day, leave comments, and winners will be selected from these comments at the beginning of next week.  I've been sharing a few car featuring the Stampendous set, Forest Friends . It's such a sweet set. I was going through my Dreamweaver Stencils, and I came across the Open X-Mas Tree . Then it came to me. Remember the part in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, when the song Silv...

It's the first Monday of the month, so it's time for me to share with you this month's Bombshell Stamps Muse Monday set! This month, I chose to feature Indian Princess. I thought it was appropriate. I was really digging the paper I used for Shannon's Birthday card the other day, so I decided to use it again. And I also colored my image with Distress Inks, as I did the other day. Her face is a little too blotchy. Not sure why, but it's not as smooth as I can usually get it. I sprayed my huge Leafless Tree from Dreamweaver Stencils for my background. A couple of spritzes if a color wash ink, and that's it. Remember, the Indian Princess set is on sale for the entire month of November, so be sure to get yours! Please visit the Bombshell Blog today and every Monday to see what some of the other gals have created with this cool set. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Hello again! This is the 19th day of the Smeared & Smudged 31 Days of Halloween. Today I have another project that only took a matter of minutes to take. I used the beautiful Leafless Tree  from Dreamweaver Stencils, and creeped it up a bit. This is so simple. Ready? Take any of your fabulous Dreamweaver Stencils (which are metal), and spray the heck out of it with an assortment of colors. I used a couple sprays from Tattered Angels, and Stormy Weather  from Dreamweaver. Be sure to be working on scrap paper or in a spray box, to keep your work area neat. Then, simply flip over the stencil on to glossy paper (mine is from Ranger), and press. Once you've pressed across the entire stencil, simply lift it and let the card dry. I love the swirls of color. And I didn't press (accidentally) in one spot at the bottom, but it was the perfect fit for a tombstone stamp that I have hat came with a tombstone punch (from Martha Stewart), so I inked it up and stuck it there. ...

So it’s December 3rd and I am as of yesterday just starting my Holiday cards. I’m not making cards for everyone though, so the folks that are getting the pre-fabbed ones are already out in the mail… so that’s something right??? Today I thought I’d share with you one style that I came up with yesterday. It features one of my fave holiday stamps. A gorgeous pine tree. I love trees. All trees. I have several tree stamps. I am a tree hugger… it’s true! I have used this stamp (from Inkadinkado) for lots of cards over the past few years… decorating it’s boughs in all different ways. But this time, I used nonconventional colors and Stickles! Yum! It’s a simplistic design, but I thought they came out really pretty. The one thing I struggled with was how to end the ribbon. Do I make a slot in the card and tie it? Do I just cut it at the end of the card? This is what I came up with… I thought these epoxy stickers I had laying around added a sweet and unexpected touch! They are from JoAnns, th...

I tried. I really did. I tried so hard. All I wanted to do was make one card for the latest Color Throwdown . But, my daughter just wouldn’t have it. No way. She was pretty unhappy today. I have no idea why. She just cried and cried. She’s not sick or anything… So, my card never got made. But, that’s why I am so glad I decided to post some of my “pre-blog” stuff up. Here is one of my all-time favorite layouts. And, it goes right along with the “Quiet” layout I posted the other day. Please click on my photos to see them bigger. There is actually a lot going on in this layout. Let’s start with the photo itself. You really need to see this one blown up… Why? Because I am IN this tree! It’s hard to tell with the photo being so small. This is the same cemetery I wrote about the other day. It’s in Salem, Mass. I love this tree. If I could take it home and keep it forever I would. It’s so majestic, old and beautiful. Yes, I am a Tree-Hugger! I sit in this tree for so long whenever we visit...