Creative Inking Blog Hop: Heartfelt

Welcome to the Creative Inking Bloghop

Today's projects all around the blog hop are 'heartfelt' so I hope you walk away with all sorts of inspiration of how to show your loved ones they are special in the coming weeks for Valentine's Day!

In the Occasions catalog, I absolutely fell in love with the Painted with Love Specialty DSP. The designs were so versatile and the touch of gold so classy. I knew it was going to be my go to basis for all things Valentine this year. However, the stamp set that was part of the same suite of products just didn't speak to me this year. So I decided to pair it up with items from the main catalog.

First, for this project I just knew I had to break out my Window Box Framelits die set. The adorable little hexagon box and delicate die cut for the top make such an elegant box, perfect for a fancy Valentine treat. I cut the base out twice in Melon Mambo (to match the DSP) and assembled all but the top flap so that I could open and close the box to add treats inside.

I added squares of the fancy DSP to the sides of the boxes. Of course I had to do the gold foiled side out. So pretty how it shimmers and shines.

Then I dressed up the top of the box. The hexagon floral details are cut into a piece of Powder Pink and then mounted with dimentionals to a hexagon of calypso coral. Helpful hint: to cut the hexagon shape just slightly smaller than the box, trace the outside edges of the die that makes the floral cutouts.

Then the finishing touches were added: a gold heart and the word "love' (in Melon Mambo again) both from the Sunshine Wishes Die set. A little banner of vellum under the word added the slightest bit of texture and completed the project.

All in all this was actually SUPER fast to cut and put together. So you could make a dozen of these pretty easy. I hope this inspires you to dress up the Valentine treats for some special someone(s) in your life.

Flutterby again soon!

Now hop along :)

          

Creative Inking: Holiday Catalog Sneak Peek

Welcome to the August Creative Inking Blog Hop

This month we are giving you some sneak peeks of Holiday Catalog Products.

I knew I was gonna need the Merry Cafe set as soon as I saw it. I already had the Coffee Cafe bundle from the Annual catalog (I'm a sucker for Chai Tea Lattes, and wanted to make all sorts of tea themed cards). And it coordinates with the pieces from that set so perfectly- and opens up the venue for Holiday themed drinks.

And if there is one thing I'm a sucker for (even more than Chai Tea) it is Pumpkin Pie Spice Chai Tea!!! So of course that was the first thing I made with this set.

This is a set of little 3x3 notecard sized cards. I used the 12x12 Pumpkin Pie cardstock from the Holiday Catalog for the base, and then added the cup stains using Timeless Textures. The wooden cup is from the Coffee Cafe bundle, as is the cardboard textured hot sleeve (the framelit both cuts and embosses- how cool is that!).

I wanted the whipped topping to look like it was speckled with cinnamon for the Pumpkin Pie Spice Latte, so instead of stamping it solid, I used the kissing technique with the spotted texture from Timeless Textures. It turned out so yummy looking!

Last, but certainly not least, I added the sentiment from the Merry Cafe set, and cut it out using the stitched framelits. It is attached flat along the edge of the card, but has a dimension on the coffee cup side. Just a different way to attach a layer :)

Hope you enjoyed my Pumpkin Pie Spice inspiration. Now hop along and see the rest of the cards!

         

Creative Inking Blog Hop: Bundle Extravaganza!

Today you are in for a real treat, because we are taking a look at the bundles in the new catalog on our Creative Inking Blog Hop!

So what is so great about bundles you ask? Well, you get two adorable products which coordinate (making crafting so much easier) and you get 10% of the price of buying them individually. Whoop whoop!

My favorite bundle so far has been the Color Theory set. I can't get enough of the adorable stamps and die-cuts. Especially the leaves and beach chair. So cute!

I also added in the matching DSP & Color Theory journaling cards- because, why not use ALL the coordinating products. It just makes sense to my brain, that way I don't have to figure out what matches ;)

So, with that intro I'm gonna just let you enjoy the photos now :) They are all pretty self explanatory, most feature a Memories & More card along with some stamping and die-cuts. I've got a set for each season even!

(P.S. Sorry I don't have a better background in the picture- my rug is cute in person but not for a back drop! Ha! And unfortunately the cards are no longer in my possession, so I can't retake the photos...)

Hop along now to see what everyone else has created!

Creative Inking Blog Hop: What Goes Around

Welcome to the Creative Inking Blog Hop!

This month our theme is things that are round... or things that go around. The first thing I thought of when I heard our topic was the never-ending cycle of seasons. And it just so happens that we have an amazing suite coming out on June 1st with this theme! It is called Color Theory and it is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!! I love it- it was the first thing I had to have (and I NEEDED all parts of it- the stamps, framelits, papers, journal cards, accessories...). So very pretty!

Are you ready to see what I created with this gorgeous suite? Better grab some popcorn cause this is gonna be a long post! And by long I mean lots of pretty pictures to drool over. You ready? Got your snack? Here we go!

Isn't it fun :) I'm gonna use it as a home decor piece on my wall! It is a 12" circle- I'm thinking I'll reinforce the back a bit and then add some string for hanging. It is pretty light so it shouldn't need more than a pin to hold it up.

Wanna know the secret to creating a 12" circle? No... we don't have a die that big. I wish! First I took a 12x12 sheet of cardstock and scored it at the 6" mark both directions. Then I took one of the 4x6 journal cards and used it as a compass (remember those things from grade school!). I just put one corner of the card in the middle and tilted it little by little, making marks at the other corner. And since a picture will make that all much clearer, here you go :)

Once I had a quarter of the circle marked out, I cut just that one corner. Then I was able to use the piece I cut off as a template for the other three. Nice trick right?!

After that it was just a matter of decorating each quarter. I'll try to show you a straight on shot as well as an angle (so you can see all the detailed dimension) for each season.

Spring
First we will start with our current weather. Here is spring:

The branches and flowers are from the Color Theory thinlits. And the buds- well they are actually made by cutting the big (6 petal) flower apart. Fun trick :)

Aside from the Color Theory products, I also pulled out my dragonfly thinlits for this area. I thought that adding the little creatures to the branches was the perfect finishing touch.

Summer
And then we move onto summer:

I'm so in love with this adirondack chair thinlit in the Color Theory suite. Such a fun design! And the ombre paper was just so very perfect for the sunny day theme.

This time I added a little swirly bird for the sun, and then the seagulls are from the High Tide stamp set. I also LOVED the look of the ripped paper for the sand and waves.

Autumn
Fall is my absolute favorite season of the year... and I think I did it justice with its area :)

The leaves are also a diecut from the Color Theory set. To give the leaves texture I crinkled them up into a ball and then flattened them back out. After that I hit them with a little berry burst (one of the new in colors!) ink on a sponge around the edges and distress marks. I was happy that the branches looked really good with the little leaves on them as well as the flowers in the spring area.

Winter
And finally winter. Not my favorite time of year... cause it is so blasted cold here in MN :P but yet a great time of year with Christmas. So I tried to capture that portion of the season to make me happy (as opposed to just cold snow).   :)

Despite not being a huge snow fan, these detailed dies from the Color Theory thinlits are pretty. Although, unless you use the precision plate I highly suggest going back and forth a couple of times to make sure to cut all the way through the little lacy parts.

The Christmas pine bough was made using the pretty pine thinlits- I am so beyond thrilled that these are carrying over. They were my absolute favorite of the seasonal stamps last year :)

And of course a little glitz
No project is quite compete until it has been Winked by Stella :) Pictures never do Stella justice, but I tried to capture as much as I could. You can see that I made the flowers and dragonflies sparkle, the snowflakes and berries, bits of all the leaves, and- my personal favorite- the summer waves!

That's it for me today. Did you make it all the way through? I'm hoping you're still with me- cause now it is time to jump along to the next blog.

But don't forget to flutterby again soon!

Creative Inking Blog Hop: Color Challenge

Welcome to the April Creative Inking Blog Hop!

 This month we were challenged to use the colors: Peek-a-boo Peach, Pear Pizzaz, & Flirty Flamingo together. Of course with this bright challenge my mind when straight to spring flowers. So I pulled out my Flourishing Phrases Bundle and got to work. Here is what I came up with! (And here is where I ask you to pardon the slightly 'off' white pictures- I prefer to use natural light but it has been raining HARD here the last couple days!!)

I'm not really a pink person, so my stash of Flirty Flamingo has up until now remained fairly untouched... but I do really like how this turned out! Such a pretty combo all together.

And- if you follow my blog- you know I'm not much of a fussy cutter. But I really really wanted to get the 3-D flower effect... so look what I did!!

After I had it all assembled out of it's 'paper parts' it just seemed dull still. Like it was missing something. It was at that point I added a little baker's twine (which helped) and bling-d it up with some sprinkles (which totally finished it for me). I especially like the pearls in the middle of the flower- although if you want to mail a card I can't suggest such an effect. :)

No hop along and see the amazing samples the other hoppers have put together for you!

And remember, flutterby again soon!

Creative Inking Blog Hop: Color My World

Welcome to the February Creative Inking Blog Hop

This month's theme is creative ways to introduce color to your projects. I've got two great samples to share with you today- both stamped by my amazing Mom! (I'm in the process of moving... so I wasn't able to do my own cards, but still wanted to share something awesome with you today).

The first color adding technique I want to talk about is paper piecing. Now, depending on your stamped image this can require a bit of patience and fussy cutting, but the end result is pretty cool!

Isn't that fun? Her dress & hat are actually made from DSP. So how do you achieve this cool result you ask? Well, it is pretty simple. You are gonna stamp the image twice- once on the white and once on the DSP. Then you cut out the DSP image and adhere it to the white. Pretty neat!

One nice thing about this technique is that you don't have to be super precise as you cut. Since the image will be in black on both sheets of paper you can cut anywhere on the black and the edges will 'hide' themselves. Also, if you don't want to do the tiny details (like the ruffles on her skirt) you can just use a marker to make them match the DSP.

This card also has a fun fold to it. It opens up twice. So fun right?

Now for the second card. This one has lots of color added to it in the background using grunge type stamps. And then my favorite part is actually the cloudy sky. That isn't DSP- that is actually sponged onto the paper.

Here is a bit of a closeup. To achieve this look you need to make a cloud 'template'- which in this case was one of the cloud die cuts from the Lift Me Up thinlits. Then, after dabbing the sponge on the ink pad, you start on the diecut and slowly rub around in circles moving off and away from the die. That way the darkest color will be right next to the cloud and it will lighten as the distance grows. Do this a couple of times in different locations to get the pretty cloudy collage all over the sky!

Well, I hope you enjoyed these creative ways to add color. Now hop along and see the other amazing creations!

Flutterby again soon!

Creative Inking Blog Hop: Winter Frolics

Welcome to the Creative Inking Blog Hop!

It's time for some Wintery Fun :)

First a little confession time. I bought these little pinecones right away cause I thought they were super cute! But I have such a hard time putting them on cards. I worry that they will get thrown away (gasp!!) and it makes it harder to mail them. So they sat untouched in my drawer, waiting for some love.

Over Thanksgiving, at my up-line meeting, we made a set of earrings with the pinecones. They were SO CUTE!! I couldn't wait to try playing with jewelry making using them some more :)

So my mom and I decided to split some supplies to make a necklace to match. I've never made jewelry before this, so if I can do it so can you! You will need a chain (we chose a bronze to match the pinecones), some jump rings, and a clasp for the back. Then a needlenose pliers (or even better some jewelry pliers) and you are set.

Didn't it turn out cute! One hint (I got this from a friend on our team that has made jewelry)- when you open the rings you bend them each sideways away from one another. Do Not make the link bigger- that kind of bending stresses the metal and fatigues it. If that didn't make sense... I would check out YouTube videos that explain how to do it. Like I said, super simple.

After finishing the necklace I had just enough chain left to make a bracelet too. Isn't it just a cute set!

So now I have some wintery SU! jewelry I can wear for the next few months when I want to feel festive :) And I don't have to worry that they will get thrown away ;) Bonus!

I hope you enjoyed this idea! The pinecones are being discontinued at the end of the month, and are only available while supplies last until then- so make sure to pick some up now if you want to make your own set.

Now, hop along and see what my fellow stampers have created for you this cold wintery day.

Flutterby again soon!