Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Welcome, I hope that you are as excited about the new release as I am. So many fun sets that absolutely make me smile that are more for adult recipients. Today I’m sharing the new stamp set called Blitzened that I have paired with a stencil called Art Deco.

First I die cut an A2 panel with a stitched rectangle die I had in my stash and taped off the outer border. I then ink blended with distress oxide ink in tattered rose over the Art Deco stencil and immediately added sparkle paste (Couture Creations) over the inked areas. I set the panel aside to dry overnight and immediately washed the stencil. In the photo below, you can see the amount of texture and shine that it provides to the card!

In the meantime I die cut all the images & sentiments from the Blitzened stamp set and did some simple copic coloring (R59 & R46 for the candy cane & berries, G28 & G24 for the leaves, B000 and B0000 for the glass, W3 and W0 for the mouse). I love that the image has so much on it and tells a story that you really don’t need anything else to complete the card!

The Art Deco stencil design creates so much interest, but not in an overwhelming way, so that you eyes move all over the card, but the focal point still clearly remains on the mouse.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Christmas Baking Push-Up Card

Hi there, today I have a fun slimline card using the sweet Cottage Kitchen stamp & die set, Cozy Christmas Cottage stamp & die set, Slimline Series: Room Builder die set and the Slimline Series Quilted Cover Die set.  It has a fun mechanism to make the oven pop open when the rug is pushed up.

First I stamped and die cut all the elements using the Cottage Kitchen stamp & die set and Cozy Christmas Cottage stamp & die set, copic colored them simply.  I die cut only half of the room using the Slimline Series: Room Builder die set so that I had the wood flooring and white trim.  I die cut the wallpaper out of cardstock with the Slimline Series Quilted Cover Die set to save time, since I would normally ink blend with distress oxide ink.

Next I started to create a push-up hinge mechanism from scratch, as I wanted the oven to open and reveal a surprise cake & message. I cut 2 0.5 inch strips out of 110 lb cardstock. The length of the 2 strips varied and were custom made to allow the oven to open.  One of the strips had a hinge placed at the end (with 2 creases to allow easy movement); the other strip was glued to the hinge strip to provide extra support.

Next I cut a slit with a craft knife into the background (as shown below) that would be covered by the oven.  I also used a die from Slimline Twist & Slide die set for some partial die cutting as shown below, since we don’t carry a die that cuts this perfectly, I had to improvise and tape part of the floor back on.  I tried to make the sliding mechanism hidden under the rug.

Next I slid the oven and tab back into the cut slit, trimmed the excess and then attached the rug with a double sided foam circle that fit perfectly into the oval track I created.  When you push the rug up, the oven opens, when you pull the rug back down, the oven closes. I then adhered everything into place.  

Thank you so much for stopping by!

2020 Fall | Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

2020 Fall | Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop Friday, Nov 6th, 2020 – Friday, Nov 13th, 2020

Welcome! Today is the start of the Coffee Loving Cardmakers 2020 Spring | Summer Blog hop, which means the caffeinated party starts at the Coffee Loving Cardmakers blog here.  I am so thrilled to join the hop today and have made a card with a digital design from Joy Clair Designs called Coffee Flavors Digital Set.

I kept the design of the A2 card simple by using copic coloring, masking and fussy cutting to create some dimension. I printed 2 copies of the digital and fussy cut the flower & leaves from the 2nd copy, copic colored them and then mounted them on foam tape to create a little more interest by adding dimension.

I did add some glitter paste on the flowers (and some on the coffee because let’s face it, coffee is a magical concoction!). You can see some of the shine and glitter in the close up photo below.

Thank you so much for stopping and hopping by! I can’t wait to see what everyone makes this week. Have a wonderful day!

Potions Master Bookmark

Hello there! Ever since I saw the new release, I knew that I wanted to make a custom bookmark using the new Potions Master stamp & die with the Tall Tales stamp & die set. The Potions Master stamp set was illustrated by the amazing Davina Cantrell and the Tall Tales stamp was illustrated by Christie Black, but I felt that they totally worked together. I also used the new Slimline Paper Pad- Autumn Rainbow to bring the card together.

To make the card, I first die cut a purple striped cardstock piece from the Slimline Paper Pad- Autumn Rainbow with the Slimline Card Series Scalloped Card Panels die set, and then a smaller piece of Neenah 110lb cardstock with a smaller rectangle from the Slimline Card Series: Stitched Card Panels and Windows and then embossed it with the Starry Skies Coverplate die. I knew that I wanted purple to be the main color of the card, so I ink blended distress ink in dusty concord with my Blending Buddy by using a heavy hand. I splashed drops of diluted gold acrylic paint and white acrylic paint all over the panel before I die cut it further with the bookmark die from the Narrow Card and Bookmark Die with Envelope die (now called a mini slimline).

It is truly easy to make an elongated bookmark. You simply do a partial die cut using one end of the die and then turn over the paper to cut and do a partial die with the other end of the die. As you can see in the photo below- the bookmark die was used, even though it is shorter than the final bookmark! I put purple and green ribbons at the top of the bookmark to signify the Potion Master affiliation with a certain House.

Finally I stamped and die cut all the images and sentiments from the Potions Master stamp & die with the Tall Tales stamp & die set. I truly love the sentiment and thought it would be perfect on a bookmark! All the images were stamped with Memento ink in tuxedo black onto Neenah 110lb cardstock in solar white. I used whatever copics I had in blues, purples and greens- sometimes I colored them over each other to create new colors- so use whatever you have! Finally I added embellishments from the Golden Stardust – Mixed Star Embellishment mix to add more interest to the background.

Thank you for stopping by- I hope that you will have a great day!

Bundles of Hugs Card

Today I have an interactive slimline card that I’m entering into the 2020 Card Design Superstar-Innovation Master. I used the My Favorite Things Snow Buddies stamp set with the interactive die Meet Me in the Middle die.
I stamped all the images with Memento tuxedo black ink and did simple copic coloring. I use Sandy Allnock’s style of coloring snow with copic colors to make the snow drifts. I die cut all the parts for the Meet Me in the Middle interactive mechanism out of Neenah 110 lb cardstock. I then just placed all the images in a pleasing arrangement that allow the snowman and doggy to make snow angels.

I hope that you like the card- thank you for stopping by!

I Hippopotamiss You

Today I have an A2 card that uses a lot of stencils and the new Hippo Hooray stamp set from Miss Ink Stamps. I used a ton of glittery mediums on this card including metallic sand embossing powder and glitter paste.

To make the card, I first made a mask of the hippo and the turtle. I stamped the images from Hippo Hooray stamp set, masked them and then ink blended with distress ink. The ocean was ink blended with distress oxide ink in china blue and mermaid lagoon with glitter paste brushed on. I then used the Scene Builder stencil to make the sun with distress oxide ink in scattered straw and glitter paste. The clouds were made with the same stencil and distress oxide ink in tattered rose. I then used a mask to make a sand bank with was stamped with versamark ink and then heat embossed with sand embossing powder.

I had made a mistake on the first panel and had to redo the the sky part as shown below. I then pieced both panels together.

Then I colored the hippo with light and dark crumb cake (Stampin Up) and the turtle was colored with YG97, YG63, YG6. Finally I made a frame using 2 rectangle dies that nested within each other and glued it onto the card.

I hope that you like this card and will try some ink blending with stencils- it is so much fun!

Hug in a Mug

Today I have an interactive card that was supposed to be a nod toward fall, but turned out to be more a nod toward winter. I used the Penny Black Snuggles and Cuppa stamp sets paired with Lawn Fawn’s Magic Picture Changer die.

First I ink blended Distress Oxide ink in speckled egg over some Neenah 110lb cardstock in solar white using a stencil from The Greetery (Knit Wits). Once completely dry, I die cut it with Lawn Fawn’s Magic Picture Changer Add-on die. I then copic colored it all over with BG00 (I should have done it before I ink blended, but sometimes I don’t know where I’m going with a card color-wise).  I die cut some Lawn Fawn speckled paper cardstock and navy cardstock with stitched rectangle die I had in my stash.  The pull tab was also cut from the same navy cardstock.

To create the changing scene, I stamped all the images from the Penny Black Snuggles and Cuppa stamp sets onto to Neenah 110lb cardstock in solar white with Memento tuxedo black ink. Before coloring, I die cut all the images with Lawn Fawn’s Magic Picture Changer die.  I always stamp my images before die cutting with dies because it comes out much cleaner (at least for me!).  Lawn Fawn has a great video on how to put the interactive card together.

Finally, I copic colored all the images and decided to use muted tones with a pop of red.  The bear was colored with W0, the hedgehog with Light & Dark Crumb Cake markers (Stampin’ Up), the coffee mugs with R46 & R35.

The assembly took the longest time, but the video from Lawn Fawn makes it quite easy. Two tips I have for you is to use a powder tool on the sliding components of the magic picture changer and to use the mechanism several times before you give your card to someone.  Doing both of these things will ensure that the paper will slide more easily.

Thank you so much for stopping by!  Wishing you a crafty and caffeine-filled day!

Island Hug & Squishies

Welcome!  Today I have another installment of Swamp Thing & Bigfoot’s “Hello from….” it is a postcard from an island with palm trees.  I used several products including the Layered Palm Tree stencil, the Crafty Post stamp & die set, Unbelievable stamp & die, and the Hugs & Squishies stamp & die.

First I die cut a postcard out of 110lb Neenah solar white cardstock and light blue cardstock.  The card was an A2 sized base made from an acetate sheet (Lawn Fawn).  I die cut the monsters from 110 lb Neenah solar white cardstock and copic colored them Big Foot was colored with Light & Dark Crumb cake (Stampin Up markers) and Swamp Thing & the turtle were colored with YG61 & YG63.

The beach sand was made by using the Layered Palm Tree stencil bottom of one of the stencils and ink blending with distress oxide ink in tea dye. The palm trees were made by ink blending distress ink in mowed lawn for the largest area, distress ink in lucky clover for the middle area and distress ink in pine needles for the smallest area.  The tree trunks were ink blended with distress oxide ink in tea dye and brushed corduroy.

Finally I made masks for the trees and then ink blended the sky with distress oxide ink in speckled blue.  I made some glitter splatters with Inkon3 Liquid Pixie Dust.

Thank you for stopping by- wishing you a crafty day!

Sending Warm Wishes

Hello there!  Today I have a slimline card using dies from super sponsor Trinity Stamps stamps from The Greetery that I had been saving (hoarding) since they came out last fall.  I paired them with some new inks that I had just purchased from super sponsor Concord & 9th and I’m so pleased with the result!

First I die cut a slimline scalloped panel using the Slimline Series: Scalloped Card Panels & Banners die from Trinity Stamps and then die cut windows into the panel with Slimline Series Stitched Card Panels & Windows dies  and 110lb Neenah cardstock in solar white and plain vellum.  I love this cardstock because it is so easy to ink blend and copic color on!  I ink blended Distress Oxide ink in speckled egg onto the panel- someone may have to take that color away from me- I always tend to grab it to use on my cards!

I die cut the coaster (Greetery, Cozy Cup Coaster die) out of Lawn Fawn speckled yellow cardstock and stamped a sentiment with Memento ink in tuxedo black.  The cup of coffee (Greetery, Cozy Cup stamp set) is stamped with new Concord & 9th ink in grapefruit and sorbet & Lawn Fawn ink in crunchy leaf and then die cut (Greetery, Cozy Cup die set).  It took me a few times to line everything up right- don’t feel frustrated if it doesn’t work out the first time- it helps to use a MISTI and stamp out several images so that you are guaranteed to get at least one perfect one to use!

The branches with leaves (Greetery, Cozy Cup stamp set) are stamped with new Concord & 9th ink in parsley and sprout.  Again, I stamped multiple images to ensure that I got a few good ones; the MISTI was so useful to re-stamp with the same color ink multiple times. The spoon took me several tries as well and I stamped the entire spoon with My Favorite Things ink in Grout Gray (the darker portion was just stamped many times with the same color).

I hope that you will try out the new Concord & 9th inks, I enjoyed using them and will definitely be buying the larger size ink pad.

Thank you so much for stopping by and I wish you a creative day filled with coffee!

Hay There Morning Magic Card

Hi there!  Today I’m sharing a card that depicts the magic of early mornings to me. I didn’t grow up on a farm (I wish I had though), but I’ve always been an early riser and would go for early morning runs.  I’m using Hay Daze slimline stamp set paired with the Ei-ei-o Word dies.

It funny, because I often with start out with a vision and end up with something different.  I had thought that I would do snapshots of the farm with some photobombing critters, but it just took too much away from the view.  I guess that I love early morning views, it reminds me so much of lazy early mornings growing up, when usually the only other person up in the household was my dad.

I die cut slimline panels using Trinity stamps dies, and set to work using copic markers instead of watercolors as I have been doing lately. I used 3 sets of markers for the grass YG67, YG63 and YG61.  I am slowly expanding my copic marker set and the color I have most of is green(s).  To create highlights, I added white gel pen markers, colored over the marks with YG63 and then added Cosmic Shimmer Paste in Frosty Dawn Sparkle with a paintbrush as you can see below.  The paste has light coral sparkles that really add a lotto the morning scene.  I added them all over- all the patches of grass and the the HAY there sentiment from the Ei-ei-o Word dies.  I cut out 3 sets of die cuts to layer on top of each other to create dimension, followed by painting with glitter paste for sparkle.

Finally I colored the rest of the scene, Y23, Y21 & Y000 for the flowers and sun. Stampin up markers in Dark & Light crumb cake for the fields, hay and fence. The barn in R14 & R35, the roof and silo in C3 & C5 and the inside of the flowers in Y38, YR24 and YR27.  If you don’t have a color that you want to use- just layer copics over one another- for the inside of the flowers I use Y38 and YR24 layered over it.

Thank you for much for stopping by today!  Wishing you a crafty afternoon!