February 12 Kits of Christmas

Today I am here with February's installment of our 12 Kits of Christmas club.  The 12 members of this club take turns hosting a monthly holiday card challenge using kits of identical ingredients.  This month I was the hostess and had been thinking and planning the ingredients I wanted to include since last December.  For once, I had enough foresight to buy the stamps and papers while they were actually still available and not discontinued.  Here is a picture of our kit's ingredients:

The idea for this kit came about when I saw an adorable polar bear stamp and die from Memory Box.  As soon as I saw it, I pictured that little guy inside of a snow globe.  The kit included a snow globe shaped card base which was cut with my cricut and is an svg file by Lauren Meader's My Time Made Easy.  It's called Let It Snow Globe.  The papers in the kit are also by Memory Box.  All of the details are located at the end of this post.  Here's my first card:

This little card actually folds down into the globe base and with the clear acrylic front, looks very much like a real snow globe.  I used glass beads on the inside and they really swirl around like real snow.  Here's a little closeup of the beads:

My second card features a snow globe on a card:

I used several of the patterned papers from the kit and challenged myself to use the most difficult part of the kit for me, the synthetic snowflakes.  I bought them at Christmastime and never opened them until I started packaging up the kits.  What a mess!  Since I put them in the kit to mess up everyone's craft space, I knew I better use them.  I ran my snow bank diecuts through my Xyron machine and had to really smoosh the flakes down to keep them in place.  I used a woodgrain stamp and versamark on the globe base and some lace and white pom-poms to make it a little more "Christmasy", kind of a Mrs. Santa Claus kind of feel to it.  I had lots of fun putting this kit together and hope all the rest of my friends in the group enjoyed using the ingredients as much as I did.  Here is an ingredient list:

Snow Globe:  Let It Snow Globe, My Time Made Easy
Paper:  Yuletide Collection, Memory Box
Polar Bear Stamp and Die:  Wesley Bear by Memory Box
Banner Die:  Spellbinder Ribbon Banner Trio
Embossing Folder by Tim Holtz
Sentiments:  Compliments of the Season, Waltzingmouse Stamps
Synthetic snowflakes:  Michaels

Now that you have seen my cards, make sure you check out the other 11 projects by the very talented ladies in my 12 Kits of Christmas club.  You will love what they have come up with!

Suzanne: thecardyard

Joyce: Cards-by-the-Sea

Kim: CupcakesCardsandKim

Amy: Stamp-n-Paradise

Kara: KandRDesigns

Sharron: OnPapillionWings

Marybeth: Marybeth's Time for Paper

Jeanne: AKeptLife

Jessica: The Paper Parade

Christina: SeaGlass&Sentiments

Renee: ItsAPatchworkLife

Liebster Honor

I have been very fortunate lately to have two of my blogging friends honor me with the Liebster Blog Award.

Sharron of "On Papillion Wings" and Jeanne  of "A Kept Life" have both kindly sent me this award.  Shamefully, I was lazy and did not forward it when Jeanne gave it to me a few weeks ago, and hopefully I am rectifying my laziness today.  So sorry, Jeanne!

Liebster means "dearest" in German.  This award is a share-the-love arrangement given to inspirational bloggers with less than 200 followers.
Here's the to-do list of any Liebster award recipient.
Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
Reveal your five blogger picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
Copy and paste the award on your blog.
Hope that those you honor forward it to their favorite bloggers.

First, I would like to thank both Sharron and Jeanne for this honor.  Just to be thought of as "inspirational" by people I admire is quite an honor in itself.

I would like to pass this honor on to five of my blogger friends who inspire me on a daily basis with their creativity and are wonderful friends as well. Some of you may have already received this award, but since you make such great cards, that wouldn't surprise me in the least if you were honored more than once.

Jen of  Only Love Is Real Papercrafts
Susan of Mad Sky Designs
Jessica of The Paper Parade
Jessica of Card Designs by Jess
Pauline of Craft Obsession

Each of these ladies inspires me and have all made cards I have loved...and cased many times.  Besides their wonderful cards, they are all great friends and I am truly grateful for their friendship. 

Thank you again, Sharron and Jeanne for this Liebster award honor.

So Sweet of You

Today I have a card using another birthday gift, this time the Grand Madison Window die and flower box by Poppystamps.  I got this last week from Renee of It's a Patchwork Life, and I love it!  Renee started the window box craze back in January when she sent that as the main ingredient of our 12 Kits of Christmas club kit.   Since then, I am seeing these windows...everywhere!  So glad I have one now too.  To thank Renee, I made a little card using the die and some pretty flowers in the flower box.

Aren't those pretty flowers so springy?  I was excited to discover that so many images from Papertrey Ink's Vintage Picnic and Waltzingmouse Stamps Bountiful Basket Additions can be used to fill up the flower box.  I just stamped them three times, colored and cut them out, making sure to have a few overhang the flower box.  I used patterned paper from My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Market Street and a little stitching.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Signature Greetings and I added a touch of lace as a valance for the window.  I have so many ideas going through my head that I can use for this die, and I am sure I am going to use this die many, many times in the future.

Papertrey February Blog Hop Challenge

Today is Papertrey Ink's monthly blog hop and the theme this month is Interactive cards.  This month PTI introduced some really innovative dies with stamps that go with them all which will allow their customers to make such fun and interesting interactive cards.  I had never made an interactive card before, a shaker card is about as interactive as I have ever been before, but I almost kissed my mailman when he arrived late yesterday afternoon with my PTI order.  Inside my box were two of the interactive dies, the zipper and the spinner.  Since I had only about an hour to make my card and get it photographed before my light was gone, I went with the spinner card since it seemed like it would be easier to make in a short amount of time.  I was right.  It is so easy and so fun! 

I was surprised how many images I found among my stamp collection that would make cute spinners.  Since I have a birthday party to go to later today for my 3 year old niece, I used the cute little teddy bear in PTI's Baby Button Bits.  I also was able to incorporate this weeks Make It Monday challenge by making my own glittery button to sparkle up that sweet bear.  Now that I have seen glittery buttons up close, I am pretty sure most of my buttons will be sparkly from now on.  I used patterned papers I had on hand and a sentiment from Think Big Favorites #12.  If you look closely, you can also see the embossing with the Linen and Canvas impression plate and some zig zag stitching on the scallops.  My mind is "spinning" with ideas of future cards I can make using my new interactive dies. 

Memory Box Flourish Die Thank You

Today I am sharing a card I sent to my friend Joyce Mehrberg of Cards by the Sea using a die she gave me for my birthday.  It is the Quinn Flourish from Memory Box.  It is just the most delicate and intricate die, a great size and cuts so crisply.  I love it.  Joyce also helped arrange a wonderful birthday blog hop for me last week which totally blew me away.  This is just a little card to thank her for her thoughtfulness.

 Isn't it pretty in Aqua Mist and Dark Chocolate?  The script paper is Simply Jane from PTI on a Mega Mat Stack #3 diecut.  The embossing folder is from Provocraft called Cassie's Brocade.  I used a Spellbinder label and a PTI sentiment from Mat Stack #2 collection.  Now, about those rolled roses, another gift from Joyce, this time at Christmas time and are My Favorite Things rolled roses.  I have made quite a few felt roses with these dies, but this is the first time I tried them with cardstock.  I swiped the edges with ink before I rolled them and added a pearl to the centers.  I wrapped this card all up in bubble wrap and put it inside a padded envelope hoping those roses don't get too smashed.   I hope this card shows Joyce how much I love all the gifts she so carefully selected for me.

Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #85-Heartfelt Thanks

Today I have a card I made for Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #85.  This week's sketch is by Jen Cuthbertson and has lots of possibilities:

I flipped the sketch over and used Waltzingmouse Bitty Banners stamped onto My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Market Street papers.  They are the most soft and pretty papers with lots of pinks and aqua mist green patterns.  The circle medallions are from Waltzingmouse Dainty Doilies topped with buttons and rhinestones.  They are folded and looped over twine woven through a Spellbinder Edgeability diecut.  The sentiment is from Waltzingmouse Frame It stamped on my most favorite piece of the Lost and Found paper with the really pretty roses.  This card will make a nice little thank you for one of my crafty friends.  Thanks for taking a peek.

Card Pattern Sketches #153

It has been forever since I last played along with a Card Pattern Sketches challenge, but this week my good friend Jeanne Jachna of A Kept Life is the guest designer!  How could I not play along?  Here's this weeks sketch (#153) on which my card is based:

Very interesting sketch with all those little squares.  I didn't want to cut squares for my card, but created a grid pattern using a diecut my friend Joyce sent to me using Papertrey Ink's quatrefoil die.
Here's my card:

I used my favorite colors again, raspberry fizz, summer sunrise and black.  I cut the quatrefoil diecut in pieces, covered up the raw edges with satin ribbon over a black scalloped border.  The sentiment is one of PTI's Think Big Favorites.  The flowers are Flower Fusian #12 with the cute gingham pattern.  This was one of those days where I made myself use some dies and stamps I own but have never used, guess that means I can buy some more now!

Make sure you check out Jeanne's beautiful card on the Card Pattern Sketches blog, it is gorgeous!

Waltzingmouse Stamps February Blog Party- Spring

Its the 17th of the month, Waltzingmouse Stamps monthly blog party and the theme this month is Spring.  Living in Southern California, we don't have a true Winter season, but that doesn't stop me from thinking about all things Spring-related.  Pastel colors, flowers, butterflies and Easter.  Especially Easter.  Some of my happiest memories are of my now grown children hunting for candy-filled plastic eggs all over our house on Easter morning. 

For my blog party entry, I made a painters tray.  I made one for the Christmas holiday and today I am adding an Easter version. 

These trays are really fun to make and are actually really easy to fill up all the little sections if you have a stamp collection like I do!  Lots and lots of WM stamps are used for this. 

On the top row is a picture of my oldest son Matt, now 29 and absolutely horrified at the picture I chose to put in this tray.  I told him be glad I didn't show the white matching shoes!  It is one of my favorite pics as he has fruit punch all over his face and a very "Matt" grin.  I diecut the letters for EASTER on  my cricut and embossed them with a polka dot embossing folder.  The stamps are from a variety of Waltzingmouse sets and a few spellbinder diecuts.
The second row has a picture of my middle son, Andy, now 27.  He had the cutest red cheeks in this photo and is also not crazy about the picture I chose of him.

The last row has a picture of my daughter Carly, now 20.  Here's the funny story about this picture.  There is a 7 year gap between my 2nd and 3rd children.  When I was looking for pictures for this project, I found tons of pictures of Matt and Andy with cute little Easter baskets.  I had lots to choose from, but when I started  looking for Carly's picture, not a single one with an Easter basket, and I looked everywhere.   Unfit mother.  I know I got her Easter baskets, but I guess I took the pics but never printed them because if you notice, Carly is carrying a beautiful plastic sack to collect her eggs.  You can bet she noticed that one immediately when she saw the picture. 
Here some details about the stamp sets I used to make this Easter painters tray, all from Waltzingmouse Stamps.
Li'l Buddies
Bountiful Basket Additions
Pic-nic Patterns
Bitty Banners
The picket fence is from Papertrey Ink as is the butterfly die.
The felt roses are from My Favorite Things

Now that you have seen my "Spring" project, make sure you check out the other entries to the February Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog Party!

Four of a Kind- February

I am so excited to show you February's installment of our Four of  Kind kit club.  This month Kim of Cupcakes, Cards and Kim, was the hostess and February  is all about Birthdays!  Yah!  I always need birthday cards and thanks to Kim, I am now stocked up for the next three birthdays which takes me all the way out to May.  Just a little background first though.  Every month Joyce, Kim, Renee and I take turns playing hostess and sending each other a kit with idential ingredients for us to make cards which we reveal to each other on the same day.  It is such fun to see what we all make with the same materials, how different and how much alike they all are.  Here is a peek of the super great kit Kim sent us this month.

First, this is how it was all packaged up.  Kim is the absolute best when it comes to presentation.  I had to really use a lot of restraint in not ripping right into it so I could photograph it first.  Here is what was inside the kit:

Great patterned paper, die cut numbers, velvet ribbon, buttons and even some cute balloons and birthday candles.  I have to admit, I had no idea what I would do with those balloons!

Here is my first card:

Joyce likes to say that her cards make themselves and I found that to be true for me this month with all three cards.  I especially love the number impression plate embossed cardstock Kim sent us. With the exception of the cardstock base, every element on this card is from our kit.

Card Number 2 is going to my best friend who is turning 50 in a few weeks.

I tried not to be too mean with all those "50's", but it isn't my fault there were so many pieces of patterned paper with 5's and 0's printed right next to each other, is it?  Again, every single element except the card base is from our kit.  See what I mean?  The card made itself.

The last card is my favorite because it used those balloons that I had such a hard time deciding how to use.  I settled on a birthday card for my niece who is turning 3.  What 3 year old wouldn't like a few balloons to play with?

I tucked three balloons and the last three candles into a seed packet diecut envelope from Papertrey Ink.  I also added her diecut name, some buttons and pearls.  This card weighs about a pound, but I love how it turned out.

Here's a pic of all three cards I made.  I used up just about everything in the kit except the velvet ribbon, and I will admit that I am saving that for something special in the future.

Now that you have seen my cards, make sure you check out the great cards the other three ladies in my group have made.  Prepare to be blown away with their creativity.  I am so fortunate to call all three of these sweet and creative ladies my friends.

Kim

Joyce

Renee

WMSC#83-Sewing Box Velvet Valentine

Just stopping in today with a card I made for Waltzingmouse Stamp Sketch Challenge #83.  This weeks sketch is by one of Waltzingmouse's Mischief Makers, Jen Cuthbertson.

Isn't this a cute sketch for Valentines Day?  I don't have very many Valentine Waltzingmouse images, but there is a really cute heart in Waltzingmouse Sewing Box Hugs.  I used some black/white patterned paper layered over some red velvet cardstock.  The velvet cardstock is cut using a scalloped nestie and I also used the velvet to cut a heart border with PTI's Heart Border die.  Even though Waltzingmouse Nordic Winter is primarily a holiday set, it does have a great heart border stamp which I used to make a little patterned paper the image is stamped on.  I also stamped a heart image onto some smokey shadow cardstock to add a little more contrast.  here are three tiny heart shaped brads up in the corner and a spellbinder tag in smokey shadow holds the twine bow and sentiment tag from Afternoon Tea Sentiments.    I am very careful how I use my precious velvet cardstock and just have enough for one more card, so I am going to have to ration it unless I can find some more!

PTI Inspired By Challenge (Ashley Cannon Newell)

I cheated a little bit today.  I just gave my husband a card three days ago for our 32nd wedding anniversary that was inspired by Ashley Cannon Newell's card which was front and center today on Nichole Heady's blog.  There is a super prize package up for grabs and sharing a card inspired by one of the Design Team is how you can enter.  Since I just made this card and it is actually sitting on my husbands night stand this very minute, I decided to share it again and use it as my entry for this contest.   Oh, how I would love to win this prize packiage.  Make sure you check out this link to the contest.

Although Ashley Cannon Newell has only been on PTI's Design Team a short while, you will see quite a few of her gorgeous projects pinned on my Pinterest board.  I love her style, her mini scrapbooks and I have never ever seen better card photography than hers.  Here is the card that she made back in November that inspired my entry:

Ashley Cannon Newell

Here is the card I made:

Although I used a Waltzingmouse sketch for the design of this card, it has PTI all over it!  I used Background Basics Newsprint for the background, Tiny Tag diecuts for the sweet little tags, Background Basic Hearts stamped on each tag, dark chocolate twine and check out those mini clothespins the tags are hanging from.  I loved them so much on Ashley's original card, I ordered some from the Etsy shop where she buys hers, Way...to Bead.   I have a whole bunch of them now, so I predict lots of cards with little tags on them in my future!  I would like to thank Ashley for the inspiration she brings to every person who has the pleasure of reading her blog and admiring her gorgeous projects.
Happy 5th Anniversary PTI.

Engaged Scrapbook Page

Today I am sharing Page 2 in Andy & Ashley's Wedding scrapbook focusing on their engagement.  I saw a really pretty scrapbook  page and cased the design seen here.  Ashley finally chose her wedding colors and my page now incorporates those three colors, black, cream and shades of lavender. 
Here's the page I created:

This time, I printed out the photo, digital papers and used my cricut to cut the title letters.  I stamped the journal with PTI Happily Ever After stamp set and layered it all onto a 12 x 12 sheet of cream cardstock.  There is a zig-zag stitching on one of the  layers and a couple little embellishment that were diecut from silver cardstock using spellbinder dies. 

I want to tell you a little about this digital paper.  I found a digital paper pack I liked from Peppermint Creative that included all the black and cream papers, but the accent color was gold.  Here's the link.  Since Ashley chose lavender, I had to start looking for some papers that would compliment what I already had.  I found the neatest person, Marissa Hansen on Etsy who custom made 28 sheets of patterned papers, in the exact shades of light and dark lavender that Ashley wanted.  Thee are damask patterns, stripes, polka dots and even some custom wedding text paper.  She also made me some great distressed solid sheets that she custom matched to the tones of the original papers I was using.  All that for only $16 and she did it in less than 24 hours.   I can now print out as many pieces as I need to for the next year while I am working on this scrapbook.  I was pretty excited at that one.

WMSC#82 Hot Pink Plaid

There are some colors that are so cheerful, just seeing them makes you smile.  The colors I used today for WMSC#82 are a combination that always makes me smile, orange zest, raspberry fizz and hibiscus burst.  So bright and cheery, perfect for a Happy Birthday themed card.  The sketch today is by Anya Schrier and is just perfect for stamping your own patterned paper.  Here's the sketch:

Anytime I want to stamp a large area of cardstock, I bring out my WM plaid stamps.  This time I used both Pic-nic Patterns and Off Beat Background plaid stamps.  It is so much fun creating a custom plaid pattern in the exact color combination you want.  They roll out so smoothly and I love the result.  After I stamped the plaid, I diecut a top border using raspberry fizz cardstock and Spellbinder edgeability dies to give it the nice edge and decorative insert.  I stamped a screen print over the layer with a cover a card stamp by Impression Obsession.  I added some ribbon and tied a double bow topped off with a decorative Webster's Pages button.  The sentiment and birthday cake are from WM Eat Cake.  Doesn't that creamy AMuse Latte ink look like the perfect frosting?  The leaves on the cake are from WM Teeny Trees dotted with colored rhinestones.  I can always use birthday cards, so this one is all set to go for the next time I need a pretty pink card.  Thanks for taking a look.

WMSC#82:Teeny Valentine Trees

Today I have a sweet little valentine card for my daughter.  Every year, my husband always buys Carly flowers on her birthday and on Valentines Day.  Someday, I am sure she will look back and remember this as something special he did for her, just because she's Daddy's Girl, no matter how old she gets.  This year, I made a card to go along with it, very simple, but cute, just like her.  The inspiration for the card is Waltzingmouse Stamps sketch challenge #82 and a very nice sketch by Anya Schrier.

I flipped the sketch around and here is what I came up with.

I used Waltzingmouse Stamps Teeny Trees stamped on sweet blush cardstock in Valentines Day traditional colors of red, pink and white.  The sentiment is from WM Fancy Phrases and the hearts are diecuts from Papertrey Ink.  This will look cute tucked inside the bouquet he brings home for her on Valentines Day.