Flower Garden sympathy

Just had to try out my new Flower Garden embossing folder today!  There have been some complaints about the embossing being on the right side instead of the left side where it is pictured in the catalog, but I must say that doesn't bother me a bit.  I think it is beautiful. 

Here I embossed it first then rubbed over it very gently with a sponge and some Champagne Mist shimmer paint.  I intentionally let the swipe marks show and I like it that way.  Kind of an artistic look I'm hoping for.   

On the inside I used the butterfly stamp from Watercolor Trio as well as a sentiment from Thoughts & Prayers. 

Thanks for stopping by!  That's all I've got for now but hope to be back to stamping again soon. 
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes, Watercolor Trio, Thought & Prayers

Colors: Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant

Accessories:  Champagne Mist shimmer paint, Big Shot, Flower Garden embossing folder, Decorative Label Punch

Shimmer Stencil with a hint of color

Oh boy are these decor stencils neat! You can find this one, Folk Flowers, on page 18 of the new Occasions Mini Catalog. This is the first time I've ever used one and I decided to dab some of our Platinum Shimmer Paint with a sponge dauber to see how it looks. So what do you think? It is so dramatic on black I could've just quit but I wanted to play around and experiment a little so I added some chalk to add a hint of color. Funny thing is, this paint dries so much more quickly than I anticipated that by the time I decided to add the chalk it was mostly dry. Good thing I was going for a subtle look. In real life the shimmer paint is very... well, shimmery and the various colors of chalk show up at different angles, so it has a neat effect that I can't show real well on camera.

If you haven't tried these Shimmer Paints yet SU has announced they will be available as a write-in to the catalog after the Holiday Mini is no longer available. Speaking of the Holiday Mini, today is the last day to order from it so don't miss out if you've been on the fence on something!

Have a great day!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies
Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes

Colors: Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Platinum

Accessories: Folk Flower Decor Stencil, Platinum Shimmer Paint, Modern Label punch, sponge dauber, Stampin' Pastels (chalks)

Suede & Shimmer Noel {CAS44}

Well, here it is... my first try for the Clean & Simple Design Team on Splitcoast! I was so excited to see a PM from Jen saying I'd been chosen! I think I had made this card within about 2 hours of hearing from her.

The challenge this week is a luscious color combination of brown, red and white/vanilla. As I said on SCS, there are so many ways to use this color combo. I plan to try it again tomorrow after I get the kids off to school (or maybe yet tonight if I can keep my eyes open long enough).

Can you tell that the sentiment (as well as the snowflakes below) were stamped with not ink but Shimmer Paint?! Yep, this is my new favorite way to use Shimmer Paint. The Champagne Mist looks especially nice with the sheen in this Designer Series Paper, Christmas Cocoa.

Here's the inside. I had cut this Top Note thinking I'd use it for the front, but when I decided against it it was still laying here and perfect for the inside.

Well, if you haven't already why don't you go play along with the CAS challenge for today?! I'd love to see what you come up with!

Thanks for stopping by again!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Many Merry Messages, Serene Snowflakes

Colors: Soft Suede, Real Red, Christmas Cocoa DSP

Accessories: Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Felt Flurries, Scallop Edge punch, Top Note Die, Big Shot

Masking with Shimmer Paint

I've been playing around with the shimmer paint lately. This is one of the ideas I had in mind when I first ordered these snowflake dies a while back... to use them as a mask for sponging. IRL this is very shimmery and looks pretty cool! The snowflake that I attached is the one I used as the mask- when it dried it looked cool so I just had to use it.

Hope you're having a wonderful holiday weekend!
Thanks for stopping by,
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Short & Sweet

Colors: Bermuda Bay

Accessories: Big Shot, Snowflakes die, Platinum shimmer paint, rhinestone brad, sponge

Shimmer Paint Designs

I've got an annual Christmas card party this weekend for a special group of customers and am in the design phase right now. Don't worry- I always do this. If I design too soon I get tired of the cards before the party rolls around. I have decided to use two designs I did this season so far- two of my favorites. When I have all 5 designs chosen I'll show you a group photo.


This design utilizes a Mojo Monday sketch I missed last week (MOJO112) and some Christmas Cocoa DSP. Did you notice that these two patterns have a sheen to them? Oh yes! It is quite pretty- but subtle. It also very nicely coordinates with the Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint in SU's current Holiday Mini catalog. In fact, that is what I inked up this flourish from Baroque Motif with- Shimmer Paint. Isn't it lovely?!

This is an alternative my ladies will be able to make if they prefer. I've always wanted to try this 3D type of card so this is the perfect opportunity.

If you would like a Christmas card class of your own contact me soon because time is running out and dates are getting harder to schedule.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope to have more for you tomorrow.

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Delightful Decorations

Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White

Accessories: Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Ornament punch, gold elastic cord, Rich Razzleberry dotted grosgrain, 1" circle punch, Christmas Cocoa DSP

Stumbled upon a fun idea!!

Yes, I stumbled upon one of my favorite Christmas card ideas this morning while I was supposed to be preparing for a workshop tonight, but first I needed to clean up my desk which meant putting away scraps and leftovers from previous projects. Then, like magic these three pieces of paper- Elegant Eggplant card base, Textured Kraft piece and already cut Real Red Scalloped Envelop- just came together at the center of my workspace! Immediately I thought I could take just a minute and put together a real quick card with these instead of doing what I should be. So this is what happened...

Today, like every day on the SU Website there is a group of cards featured in the Stamper's Showcase. One of them features this envelope on the front of a card, slightly angled with ornaments peaking through. I liked the idea enough and started playing around.

I wanted my envelope closed so the scallop part would show more, and then I got the idea to hide the cute ornaments inside as a fun bonus to the recipient. One idea lead to another and I decided the "bonus" could be school pictures of my kids in the shape of ornaments complete with some elastic cord so Grandma can hang them from her tree!!

Every year my mom manages to load her GIANT tree down with favorite collected ornaments, many handmade with past school pictures of her grandkids as well as all the photo cards she receives throughout the season. It is so fun to have all those memories hanging there, as well as cherished family photos of friends and loved ones. So I KNOW that Grandma will not only hang these pictures but she'll also cherish them for years!

Even though I never do the same design for my Christmas cards I am seriously thinking of reproducing this one! We'll see how many pictures I have of my kiddos.

Anyway, one final note about this card- the little stamped snowflakes on the Eggplant card base are done with a stamp from Delightful Decorations which is inked with Champagne Mist shimmer paint found in SU's Holiday Mini Catalog right now! The shimmer paint perfectly applied to the stamp with a Sponge Dauber.

I'm so glad you decided to visit today!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Delightful Decorations, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Colors: Elegant Eggplant, Kraft, Real Red, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Champagne Mist shimmer paint, Sponge dauber, Scalloped Envelope Die, Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Folder, Big Shot, Modern Label punch, Kraft Taffeta ribbon, Ornament punch, Silver Elastic cord

Snow Happy

Well, I'm on a scrapbook roll this weekend! I've got 7 pages done now. It helps that I've gotten a lot of new goodies recently like the 4-pack of snowflake sizzlit dies for the Big Shot, the Billboard alphabet strip and the wide black striped ribbon as shown here. I typically do 2 page spreads, but this is the only single page spread I did this time.

Here's a spread of the snowy December day. Here I've used the Serene Snowflakes, that same snowflake die and black striped ribbon as well as the 12x12 textured Melon Mambo paper! My title is bugging me and I'm so tempted to redo it. The alphabet is the Big Deal set and I'm ashamed to admit I've used the 'T' several times including here, pondered why on earth the tail goes the wrong way, and FINALLY realized that I switched the 'F' and 'T' when I mounted them! Seriously! I've had this set for a long time and have always been irritated by that dumb 'T'!! Anyway, that title is done with the Silver Shimmer Paint from the Holiday Mini ctalog. I basically just made an inkpad out of a barely damp paper towel folded over several times. Then dabbed some shimmer paint onto the inkpad and smeared it around with a sponge. It isn't perfect here but wait until you see the next page- it worked much better!

These pages are going in two different albums so it's OK to use the same title (in case you were wondering). That snowflake and the title were both stamped with the Shimmer Paint! Isn't that sharp on the black?! I was at a loss how to work with all these white pictures and not many great shots but I like how this turned out considering.

I'll show you my last layout another day- it isn't photo'd yet.

Thanks for stopping by! 'Night.

~Kristin

PS- I've noticed that my double page spreads cannot be clicked on for a closer view and I'm not sure why. I did take photos of each page individually. What do you think, should I post those as well or instead of the 2 page spreads??

Champagne Mist... Now who doesn't like the sound of that??

My DH was ready to walk out the door today when he sat back down to watch "just one more play" of some football game. Well, I took that opportunity to get started on a card for today's Mojo sketch. I wasn't expecting much from this card when I left- it was lacking some pizazz. But when I got back I finished putting it together and am so pleased with how it came out.

I had it entirely assembled when it dawned on me that this shimmery champagne colored paper (from the new Specialty Designer Series paper in SU's holiday mini, Christmas Cocoa) is probably a match to the Champagne Mist shimmer paint that is also available in the new mini. I hadn't used it yet so got it out just to see... Well, one thing led to another and I had some on my finger (oops) which I rubbed on a stamp from Itty Bitty backgrounds then though, what the heck, it just might look like snow. So that's how it ended up on the deer. What do you think?

Next thing I know I'm using the end of a stylus to dab the paint into the recessed centers of the poinsettias on the black strip at the right. My photo probably doesn't show this well, but I used the new petals-a-plenty Textured Impressions Folder (also from the mini) on that black piece but instead of placing it with the embossing side up I flipped it so it is essentially "debossed". Is that what happens when your kids grow up and don't think they have to listen to you any more... because you're debossed??

Anyway, the rhinestone collar was Cindy B's idea- isn't that great?!! I also added a felt snowflake underneath the tiny sentiment from Delightful Decorations (also a mini item- seriously!)

Now that it's done the only thing I would do differently is use Shimmery White cardstock instead of whisper white, but just a step up to the bling factor!

Hope you like it, and thanks so much for stopping by! Why not take a minute to let me know you're here- I'd love to come visit you too! Special thanks to Nancy Riley for listing me in her iPICKS yesterday- I am stunned at the amount of hits my blog took yesterday!


~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Dasher, Delightful Decorations

Colors: Whisper White, Riding Hood Red (retired In Color), Basic Black

Accessories: Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer Series Paper, Fire Rhinestone brads, Felt Flurries (retired), Riding Hood Red striped ribbon (retired), Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Folder, Big Shot, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint