Welcome 2014

Hello everyone!

I can’t believe it’s been over a week since I last posted on my blog! In fact, it’s my first post of the new year! 

I spent the past several days making cards for the Cards From the Heart Card Drive, which is an annual event run by Winter Sims. The Card Drive benefits children who are confined to the hospital during Valentine's Day, and runs until the end of January. Please feel free to click on the link if you are interested in participating. I will also be posting more of my cards throughout the month.
 
Our Code Word for this week’s challenge at Addicted to Clean & Simple is ‘Die Cuts’. Since I recently bought these tags from PTI, (sold as a set) I couldn’t resist creating a Valentine card with them!

I die cut the angled heart from my Clearly Besotted Love Hearts Dies so the bold red would show through from larger tag, stamped the sentiment from Lawn Fawn, and added some twine and a small strip of red cardstock along the bottom to keep it simple. It was fun to mix up various stamps and dies from several companies to create this card! The tricky part was to refrain from using any gems or small elements, as they could create a choking hazard for a child...I even glued down the twine with Glossy Accents so it was secure...OCD, I know!

So, that’s it for me ~ Just a quick post to say hello! I hope everyone is having a great week! 
Barb

 

Supplies:
Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Bee Mine
Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink - Select White, Pure Poppy
Dies: Papertrey Ink - Tag Sale #9; Clearly Besotted Stamps - Love Hearts
Twine: Lawn Fawn - Lawn Trimmings Red & White

Faves from 2013

Hello all my blog friends ~

2013 has been a banner year for me! I've made so many wonderful friends, came 'Into my own' in terms of my paper crafting style, started my blog, and even won several challenges! I've spent the last several weeks considering my goals for 2014, both personal and craft related, and I'm really looking forward to achieving my goals.

Looking back, I realized that I actually have several cards that I would consider my favorites, and since this is my first year as a blogger, I wanted to start a tradition of sharing them here on New Year's Eve ~

While I consider myself a 'Clean & Simple' cardmaker, this is the first card I ever made using the chalkboard technique, and it 'killed me' to add smudges to it! But I finally did, and in the end, I thought it turned out pretty well...in fact, I won the Hero Arts Contest for trying a new technique:

It's no secret that I 'Love' Lawn Fawn stamps and dies, and here are a few of my faves using them:

I guess I'm a big lover of their birds, too! 

I created this next card as Guest Designer at CASology:

Hero Arts background stamps just make me smile...well, actually all of their products have that effect on me. For this one, I used a technique I learned from Jen McGuire:

Here's another Hero Arts card using their gorgeous Painted Flower Stamp:

Here's a fun Christmas card I made using Mama Elephant stamps...Mr. & Mrs. Claus are just too cute!

This is a card I created after numerous tries at Origami: 

And this one playing with my Copic markers on the flowers and stems:

Last but not least, there's nothing like a little sunshine to brighten your day:

Thanks so much for hanging in there with me on this long post! I also want to thank you all for stopping by my blog to leave me words of encouragement all the time...it means the world to me!

Sending you all my very best wishes for a safe, healthy and happy New Year!

Barb

Let's "Party"

Hello everyone!

I created 2 cards for the current challenge at CASology. This is a 2 week challenge, and the Cue Card is ‘Party’, so on my first card, I went with the theme for a birthday party. 

On this first card, I die cut the Landscape Trio die with vellum to create clouds. I added mini stars and balloons, a silver embossed sentiment, then the balloon holder with foiled cardstock to give it some flair.

My next card is for a New Year’s Eve celebration, and for this one, I die cut the wine glass and added faux bubbles to create more like a ‘champagne’ effect with embossing paste colored pink. I also stamped some confetti along the bottom of the card.

Well, that’s it for me ~ I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, and that hopefully you're enjoying some time off from work! 
Barb

First Card
Stamps: Fresh Squeezed Stamps - Everyday Expressions
Ink: Versamark
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink - Select White, Vellum; Memory Box - Dove Gray; DCWV - Foiled Cardstock
Patterned Paper: Amy Tangerine - Sketchbook
Dies: Lil Inkers - Stitched Balloons; Mama Elephant - Landscape Trio
Embossing Powder: Hero Arts - Silver

2nd Card
Stamps: Paper Smooches - Free Spirits
Ink: Memento Luxe - Angel Pink, Rose Bud, Pear Tart; Ranger Archival - Jet Black
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink - Select White
Patterned Paper: Papertrey Ink - Smokey Shadow Bitty Dot
Dies: Paper Smooches - Free Spirits
Embossing Paste: Wendy Vecchi - White
Paint: Making Memories - Lipstick
Other: Wink of Stella Pen; Glossy Accents

'Apple of My Eye'

Hello everyone! One last card before Santa gets here :-)

I created this card for the current challenge at Less is More. Our challenge is to create something based on a past challenge, and I chose challenge #26 “Feeling Fruity”. 

 

While on Pinterest last night, I was inspired by a project using twine to fill in the shape of an apple, so I thought I would try to do something like that. I die cut my apple, loop-de-looped my red and white twine, then added 2 solid colors for the stem and leaf...I stamped my sentiment, and that was it! I thought this would be a fun card to send off with our 'care packages’ to my step-granddaughter at college.  

Here is a close up of the twine:

Well, that’s it for me ~ We celebrate on Christmas Eve, so I will probably not have time to blog again for a few days. I would like to take this time to thank all of my blog followers for your loyalty and friendship, and to wish everyone a very Christmas!
Barb


Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Fruit Fusion 'Apple’
Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink - Select White; MFT - Wild Cherry
Dies: Mama Elephant - Femme Frames
Gems: Kaisercraft - Red

 

Thanks!

Hello everyone! 

I have 2 cards to share today that I created for a few different challenges. I used N@ Ali’s beautiful  sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch  and would also like to submit this card to the challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More for the theme 'Anything Goes'. 

 

I couldn’t wait to play with my new stamp and die set from Lawn Fawn, so I colored this fun little guy with my Copics and added some ‘Wink of Stella’ glitter to him, and glossy accents to his glasses!

My next card is for the current Muse Challenge. Marion Vagg created the most beautiful card to inspire us, and I wanted to channel her feminine details and window on the front panel...a rather literal interpretation of her card.

Well, that’s it for me ~ I hope everyone is doing well!  I also wish all my blog friends who celebrate Christmas a very happy holiday!  Thank you all so much for stopping by!
Barb

Thanks
Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Science of Love
Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink - Select White, Aqua Mist
Impression Plate - Linen & Canvas
Dies: Simon Says Stamp - Thanks; Lawn Fawn - Science of Love 

Markers: Copics - R24, R27, C0
Sequins: Neat & Tangled - Crystal Clear

Misc: Wink of Stella - Clear Pen; Glossy Accents

Make a Wish
Stamps: Wplus9 - Fresh Cut Florals; Papertrey Ink - Think Big Favorites #1
Ink: Memento Luxe - Angel Pink, Rose Bud, Pear Tart; Ranger Archival - Jet Black
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink - Select White; MFT - Cotton Candy
Dies: Lil Inkers - Stitched Mat Circles
Gems: Hero Arts - Small Pearl Gems

A New Look

Hello there Blog Friends!

Firstly, did you notice anything new? I have a new look on my blog! (If you are reading on a reader you might want to click on over to my site to check it out). As an early Christmas gift, my sweet hubby treated me to a new blog design, and I am really happy with it! Cindy, from Blessed Design Studio put the whole thing together for me...so, if you’re interested in a 'New Look’ too, check out Her Store

So, I’m just about finished with my Christmas cards but this week’s Cue Card at CASology is ‘Knit’, and the challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More is 'Anything Goes'. So, I was more than happy to pull out my SSS holiday stamps with these adorable mittens and play along! I also used my current favorite impression plate to add some texture, my Wink of Stella pen on the mittens and some sequins to add sparkle.

 

Here is a close up of the sparkle on the mittens and texture on the background:

Well, that’s it for me ~ I hope everyone is doing well and ready for Christmas! I have some baking to do tomorrow, and with any luck I will also have them packed up to ship to Florida in time for Christmas Eve. Thank you all so much for stopping by!
Barb

Supplies:

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp - Big Holiday Wishes
Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento Luxe - Love Letter
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink - Select White, Pure Poppy

Die: Lil Inker Designs: Stitched Mat Rectangles

Impression Plate: Papertrey Ink - Linen & Canvas
Sequins: Kelly Purkey - Red

Pen: Wink of Stella - Clear