With Love At Christmas

Sparkle N Sprinkle released a wonderful Christmas set a short time ago called Christmas Holly.  I have had it sitting on my craft table, hoping to have some time to use it.  I love the lamp image and used it, along with the With Love At Christmas sentiment.  

For the card background I used a variety of die cut, inked, distressed, and embossed layers of decorative cardstock.  

The image is stamped and heat embossed with Cappuccino Embossing Powder on white cardstock covered with Tear-ific tape and Cloud Nine Velvet Glitter three times, then colored with alcohol markers.  I cut out the full image one time and then cut out the second image without the glass lamp shade and layered these with dimensionals.  I cut out the flowers only from the third image and added them to the layered image, once again using dimensionals.  This is all added to the center of card front.

The sentiment heat embossed on decorative cream cardstock and colored.  I added a little Sparkle embossing powder to the berries and leaves, using a Versamarker, to give them a little sparkle and shine.  I die cut this with a large ribbon banner die from Spellbinders, using the center section only.  The edges are inked and distressed and the whole banner is curved and curled to give it dimension and added to the card with a combination of glue and dimensionals.

I had these little floral berry branches so I add a little color and glitter to the petals and berries and tucked them around the sentiment, along with a few fussy cut glittery leave left over from layering the lamp image.

Detailed instructions for this card can be found here in the SNS gallery. 

Thanks for visiting!

E. Marie

This card is entered in the following challenges:

Corrosive Challenge #189 – Anything Goes

Crafty Catz Challenge #210 - Use 2 or more dies!

Creative Card Crew Challenge #51 – Poinsettia or Holly

CI Paint Inspired By: Merry Christmas

Stamp and Create December Monthly Challenge: Anything Goes

Stampin For The Weekend Challenge – Use Some Red

Crafty Sentiment Designs Challenge – Christmas  

Imagination Crafts Challenge 6 - Merry Christmas

Color Me Creative Classroom Challenge - Holiday Themed 

Happy Mother's Day

What a wonderful, peaceful Mother’s Day.  It is actually kind of dreary with a lot of rain but this made it a perfect day to stay in and play in my craft room.  My husband was going to grill some filet mignons but with all the rain we ended up with baked chicken.  Don't worry, we will have them pretty soon.  We had some delicious organic potatoes and broccoli, given to me by one of my students this week for Teacher Appreciation.  The only thing that would have made this day better was to actually have spent it with my children.  Both girls are out of town, though one is due back any minute.  I was able to spend time with both of them last weekend since we drove to Memphis for the oldest daughter’s college graduation.  Very proud!! 

I meant to have this post out earlier today but had saved it as a draft and forgot to tell it when to post.  My mother lives far away so I do not get to see her very often.  She will get a phone call shortly.  This made me think how there are so many people in our lives who are so special and how important it is to let them know.  What better way than with a handmade card.  I made this card for that very reason, using Sparkle N Sprinkle’s Hummingbirds & Flowers Stamp Set and some lovely cardstock I have had in my stash for a while. 

The HibiscusFlower is embossed with Teddy Brown Embossing Powder and colored with chalks and a Dove Blender.  They are layered on some very sparkly Pine Star Embossing Powder.  Head over to the Sparkle N Sprinkle Blog for more details or you can find it in the gallery here.

All the stamps used on this card can be purchased individually or together in the Hummingbirds& Flowers stamp set, on sale this month at a 15% discount.  Check out all the May monthly specials.

Also, don’t forget to come back for a sneak peak of some new SNS stamps about to be released, along with the Sparkle and Sprinkle Celebrating Summer Blog Hop on May 17-18. 

Happy Mother’s Day!!

E. Marie

This card is entered in the following challenges:

CI Paints Challenge - Inspired By: Mother's Day

Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge 107 - Use Chalk

Paper Sundaes Challenge #120 - Things with Wings        

DYSU #71 - Use A Flower
Oldie But A Goodie Challenge – Die Cuts and Punches (6 mo. old – Cardstock)
Stamp and Create May Challenge - For the Ladies
Stampin Sisters In Christ Challenge #139 - Animal, Bird or Bug
Totally Gorjuss Challenge #131 - Pink and Green

Sparkle N Sprinkle May Sketch Challenge

Happy May Day!!!  Can you believe it is already May 1^st.  The teacher I work with is originally from Hawaii and they always celebrate May Day, also known as Lei Day, so we usually help our little kindergarten students each make a Lei.  I die cut a lot of flowers and they string them on yarn with pieces of straws between them.  They love doing this, and we review patterns. 

Today is also time for a new sketch challenge at the Sparkle N Sprinkle Blog so here is the new sketch.  You will have until the end of the month to enter a card for a chance to win a free stamp set of your choice.  You can find all the details on the SNS Blog, along with some great inspiration from some of my fellow designers. 

I have been playing with one of my favorite background techniques called Zindorf.  You create awesome scenic looks by simply sponging or brayering different colors of ink on your glossy cardstock, starting with the lightest colors and using darker colors toward the edges.  I decided to do a form of this for my sketch card.

I embossed my images, Sandin Your Shoes and Sun Wave, and then added all of the color to the background.  I used even darker colors for the bottom layer and then added the embossed Sea Oats.  For the Sun Wave and Sea Oats, I used one of our newer embossing powders called Sienna Star.

I used Spellbinders Standard Circles LG Nestabilities to cut out the centers of the suns and added my charms.  These charms were originally an antique gold but I colored them with permanent markers and then added VersaMark Ink and Sparkle Embossing Powder.  The top layer is popped up so the charms can dangle.  Details on making this card can be found in the Sparkle N Sprinkle Gallery. 

I will be looking forward to seeing all your fabulous creations using this sketch!! 

E. Marie 

This card is entered in the following challenges:

Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge 105- Blues

Simon Says Stamps Challenge – Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp and Show - Kaleidescope of Colour!

The Corrosive Challenge #148 - The Man, the Myth, the Legend:  Tim Holtz (Distress Inks)

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge #130 – Anything Goes

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge #61 - Punches and Dies

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #117 – Dimension

Oldie But A Goodie Challenge – Die Cuts and Punches (Distress Inks and Corded Ribbon

Fabulous Birthday

I had a headache most of today which was very frustrating because I had so many things I wanted to do.  Later in the day I finally felt better and headed into my craft room to do some stamping.  I ended up spending quite a bit of time cleaning but did manage to finish a card for one of my friends, who has a birthday this week.

I haven’t used my stamps from JustRite Designs for a while and their current challenge is a Spring theme using pastel colors and a butterfly.  I had a set, Butterfly Garden, I hadn’t opened yet and it was perfect for this.  I stamped it in black and colored it with my Tombow markers.  I cut it out with a Spellbinders’ circle die, layered it on a scalloped circle, and centered it on a flower made with Spellbinders’ new Floral Burst Cut and Tuck die.  I created a 2^nd set and cut out the butterfly and part of the flowers and popped these up to give some dimension.  The sentiment is from JustRite’s You Inspire Me set, cut out with Spellbinders’ Floral Oval die. 

For the background of the card I used one white layer punched with a Martha Stewart corner/border punch and a larger white layer punched with a Fiskar’s Corner/Border punch.  The lovely blue designer paper is Cupcake/Make A Wish from Basic Grey.  I added a blue jewel swirl and additional jewels to the Butterfly and flowers in the center. 

It is very later (or very early) so I am off to bed.   

E. Marie

This card is entered in the following challenges:

JustRite Friday Challenge #069 - Spring Fling (Butterfly and Spring Colors)

Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge 101 - Square Card

Stamp With Fun Challenge #155 – No Easter Card

Totally Gorjuss Challenge #125 – Swirly Whirly

Art Impressions Stamps Challenge #57 – Spring
Crafts 4 Eternity Challenge R#65 - 3 of Something (Flowers)

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #163 – Birthday

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #113 – Anything But a Rectangle
Paper Pretties Monday Challenge PPMC33 - April Showers Bring May Flowers

Phindy's Place Challenge #99 – Ribbon

Stamp and Create April Monthly Challenge – Spring

Incy Wincy Designs Challenge #140 – Easter and/or Pastel Colors

Anything Challenge #64 – Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamps Challenge – Favorite Tool (Big Shot, Spellbinders’ Dies, Martha Stewart Punch)
Creative Card Crew Challenge #7 – Spring
Crafts and Me Challenge #78 - Butterflies and Bows

Swirls and Pearls

I did not get to celebrate Valentine's with the hubby last week because I was just too sick.  I basically came home from work all week and went straight to bed.  I guess I just don’t have the resistance to all those little germs anymore.  Thanks goodness I felt much better by Friday and spent Saturday at the StampScrapArtTour convention in Columbia with four of my great friends.  We had a wonderful time, found some fun things to spend money on, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Today I have a card I created using the Jasmine image from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  This lady is so elegant and I want to make a card that was very feminine.  I used some lovely swirly background paper and added the top half of a large decorative tag on the left side.  Both are sponged with Tea Dye and Victorian Velvet ink around the edges.  I added a die cut dress form colored with Victorian Velvet, Tea Dye, and Antique Linen distress stains and wrapped some seam binding ribbon, colored with the same stains, around the tag and tying it in a simple bow.

I stamped and embossed the Jasmine image, using Copper Embossing Powder, and colored her with markers and my Dove Blender.  She is cut out with a Spellbinders label die and popped up on the card with foam tape.  I added a few paper roses, a pearl swirl, and a decorative stick pin.  You can find all the details of this card at Sparkle N Sprinkle in my gallery.

I hope you have had as lovely of a weekend as I have.    

E. Marie

This card is entered in the following challenges:

DYSU #59 – Layers

Simon Says Stamps Challenge – Tag It

Simon Says Stamp and Show - Anything Goes!

Stamping Scrapping February – Say It With Flowers (used Distress Stains)

All Sorts Challenge Week 142 – Anything Goes

Corrosive Challenge #143 – Another Dimension

Crafts and Me Challenge #71 – Distressed

Crafty Catz Challenge #120 – Favorite Things (Seam Binding Ribbon, Flowers, Pearls, Swirls)

Cute Card Thursday Challenge 204 – Flower Power

Stampin Sisters In Christ Challenge #127 – Image of/with a Flower

Totally Papercrafts Challenge 104 - Ribbons &/or Bows
Phindy's Place Challenge #93 - Bling It On

Flower Soft and Our Daily Bread Blog Hop

Welcome to a very special blog with the Flower Soft & Our Daily Bread Design Teams!  As you make your way through the hop make sure you comment on each and every post.  There will be two prize winners chosen randomly among the blogs.  Flower Soft and Our Daily Bread will each be selecting a winner for a $20 prize package!

The blog hop ends on August 30th.  The prize winners will be announced on The Flower Soft blog and Our Daily Bread Blog on August 31st.

If you came here from Dina Kowal's fantastic blog you are in the right place.   If not please start at the beginning at the Our Daily Bread Blog where you will find all the details and the entire hop listed in order.

Flower Soft is the perfect addition to Our Daily Bread Designs’ images.  For my project I decided to make a step card, using a combination of cream, white, green, and some lovely floral background cardstock from K & Co.  On the left side of the card I used a verse from ODBD’s new Scripture Series 2 set stamped inside a border from their new Scrolly Borders.  This is layered on white cardstock punched with a Martha Stewart corner/border punch.

Along the bottom I created a decorative fence, also using a Martha Stewart border punch.  I added seam binding ribbon and a bow.  On top of this I place the flower filled watering can from ODBD’s Happy Birthday set.  I colored the image with markers and cut it out.  I added Flower Soft to various flowers using some single colors and also some combinations I mixed.  Along the bottom I added Flowers Soft’s Fushia mix.

For the middle step I used layers of white, green, and floral cardstock all punched with a Deep Edger Martha Stewart border punch to create a floral edge.  Then I added Flower Soft’s Garden Oval Topper to the last step.  I decorated it with more of the Fushia and Ultra-Fine Sage.  I stamped the birthday sentiment and added four little butterflies, also from ODBD’s Birthday set.

Now hop on over to Deb Felt’s blog to see what wonderful project she has waiting for you.  Don’t forget to leave some love for all the designers for a chance to win.

Thanks for stopping by.

E. Marie

This card has been entered in the following Challenges:

Aifactory Challenge #089 – Anything Goes

Art Impressions Stamps Challenge #29 – Summertime

A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge #162 – Happy Birthday

Flutter By Wednesday #168 – Open Challenge

Fussy and Fancy 1000 Followers Celebration Challenge – Celebrate Something

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #81 – Ribbons

Sentimental Sundays Challenge #69 – Happy Birthday Projects

Stamp and Create August Challenge – Critters/Bug or Animals

Totally Stampalicious Challenge – Use Three Different Punches
The Pink Elephant Challenge TPE113– Inspiration Challenge!!

Our Daily Bread Designs' August Release Blog Hop

Hello!!  Thank you for joining us for the Our Daily Bread Designs August Release Blog Hop!!  If you came here from Sandee’s blog you are in the right place, but if you just happened on my blog you might want to go to Our Daily Bread Designs Blog and start from there.  If you find that any links are broken, just return to the ODBD blog where you can find the entire hop listed in order.  (You can always go on to the next person and check back later for the missing one.)

The Hop will run from 8am EDT August 1st until 8pm EDT August 2nd.  Then check back on August 3rd when the winners will be announced on the ODBD Blog.  You will have the chance to win one of FIVE $20.OO Gift Certificates good toward stamps (for up to 6 months).

Here is what you need to do to be entered in the random drawing:

v Leave comments for each designer on each blog.

v Return to the ODBD Blog and leave a comment, telling us you have completed the hop and informing us of any blogs you were unable to comment on.

v Answer the question on the ODBD blog in your comments.

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For my project I used a variety of the new sets.  I started with the beautiful quilt image from the Sew Special set.  After coloring it with markers, I framed it using the Flower Border.  This was also colored with markers and cut out using Spellbinders’ Label 18.  It is made to work perfectly with this die.  Then I used Spellbinders’ Label 13 to cut out the window and sponged ink around all edges.

The sentiment is from the Spool Tag Set.  I cut it out using one of the dies from Spellbinders’ Ribbon Tags Trio Three, then trimmed it down and layered it on the same die, cut from green cardstock.  I used seam binding for the ribbon and bow.

I wanted the background to look like a quilt so I used Lattice 1 Window Frame Die from Cheery Lynn Designs to create a frame around different squares of decorative cardstock from K & Co.  The layer under this was punched around the edges using a Martha Stewart Corner/Border punch.  I added pink and green mini pearls and a pearl pin for embellishment.

Your next stop is Lisa’s blog.  Make sure you leave some love before moving on and after finishing the hop, don’t forget to return to the ODBD Blog to comment and answer the question.

E. Marie

This card has been entered in the following challenges:

Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light ODBDSLC70 – Sketch

All Sort Challenge Week 114 - Free & Easy

Crafts and Me Challenge #45 – Ribbon

Craft Us Crazy Wednesday Challenge #13...Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion Challenge #69 – Anything Goes

Creative Craft World Challenge – Anything But Birthday

4 Crafty Chicks CHALLENGE #48 - Get Your Bling On

Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger

  

One Stop Craft Challenge #141 – Vintage

Phindy's Place Challenge #66 - Delightful Diecuts

Sew Many Challenges #62 – Anything Goes

The Shabby Tea Room Challenge Week #73 – Mix and Match (at least 3 different patterned papers) and Photo Inspiration

   

Totally Papercrafts Challenge #77 – Bling It Up