What a mess!

These are the two cards I used for inspiration today. Again they have the same basic layout. I started with the card to the left and created quite a mess.

 Here's the mess... I wanted to use Glimmer paper as a mat but also wanted it to be in the Rich Razzleberry color. So I thought I would use my Razzleberry marker... didn't get much color with that... so tried direct to ink pad... a little better but it didn't want to dry and I wound up with smudges of Razzleberry everywhere! On top of that I was trying to mock the gold dots on the background of the commercial card; so I used my dotted embossing folder and inked it with silver Encore pad before running it through the Big Shot. I wound up with silver smudges there, too. Realize now I should have used a Sharpie to color the glimmer paper. And could have embossed the dots and then used silver pen to fill them in. 

Then I remembered I had Blushing Bride Glimmer Paper. So, I changed my color scheme and came up with this card. By the time I had the background images colored and stamped on the Whisper White cardstock I decided using the textured embossing folder was just going to make it too busy. So quit while I was pleased with the background and moved on to layering my other elements. I used Clear Wink of Stella on the tree and grass to give some sparkle to that image as the commercial card had sparkles on the pathway and church building. It's a nice touch that doesn't show up in the photo. 

The second card went together much more quickly and with no mess! I embossed some Shimmery White card stock and then used Clear Wink of Stella to add more sparkle to the embossed design. It is so pretty in real life but hard to get a good photo. I'm really happy with the Clear Wink of Stella; now thinking about ordering the Gold. Then it was a matter of coloring the stamped image. Instead of using lots of layers of cardstock to get the same framed effect as commercial card I decided to free-hand a line using Watermelon Wonder marker and then layering on Watermelon Wonder cardstock which I trimmed freehand to match the wavy look of the drawn line. 

I also used the inside of this commercial card for my card interior. See how the flowers are hanging upside down. I would never have thought to do that. But I did give it a try and am pleased with the way it looks. 

Glimmer Paper

This card uses some Silver Glimmer Paper from Stampin' Up! I used the Hexagon punch to punch the one hexagon of Glimmer Paper and the 4 hexagons of Designer Series Paper. I added a Pink Pirouette stamped flower and some candy dots as embellishments.

You Brighten My Day!

This stamped image is from a cute free Sale-A-Bration set called You Brighten My Day. I also used the Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper from Sale-A-Bration. The banner was cut using Banner framelits and is embossed with the new Happy Hearts Textured Embossing Folder for the big shot and the Whisper White twine from the Painted Blooms Cotton Twine pack (Soft Sky and Wild Wasabi are the other two colors in the pack). I used Circle punches for the circles and the little heart from the Itty Bitty Punch Pack. Silver Glimmer paper adds to the sparkle. The bulb was colored with the Daffodil Delight Blendabilities.
I'll have some more ideas for the Occasions and Sale-A-Bration products next week. Check back in!

Flower Tag

This is a flower tag made using several different punches. I'm sorry I don't remember where I first saw this one.

Stained Glass

I made this tag with a retired set called Holy Triptych. I got this idea from Jan Tink's blog.
The image is stamped with Staz-On ink on a window sheet and then you flip it over to color with Blendabilities markers. Then layer it on glimmer paper. Sparkly!

Christmas Tags

I'm working on some Christmas tags and packaging this week.
Here's a cute Santa Tag using the Big Shot Gift Bow Die (CASE: Angie Leach).

Lolly Gift Card Holder

 Today's card is a CASE from Linda Heller. I didn't have all the same supplies she had so I just improvised. The swirl background comes from the Everything Eleanor stamp set. This is a card you would want to hand deliver. The lolly on the front would get smashed if you tried to mail it. And as Linda recommends using a glue gun when making the lolly and I have to say that is the best(!) piece of advise; otherwise they just want to spring apart.
Designer Series Paper, Glimmer Paper and the sequins from the Frosted Sequins Accessories make this gift card holder sparkle.

And now I have to share a cute story. I gave one of my coaster calendars to a friend who had treated the three of us to an Advent concert on Sunday evening. The concert was so good and this is the second year she has provided tickets for us. Anyhow, I also included this card in the gift bag telling her now much we enjoyed our evening. She called me to say how much she liked the calendar and that the card was a "work of art" and of course, it is because that's the name of the stamp set used!. LOL

ho! ho! ho!

This card is a CASE from Dawn Olchefske. It uses one of the Apothecary Framelits to make the Santa's beard. Just cut the largest framelit in the set using Whisper White Cardstock and then cut it in half to make the beard. The stamped expression is from the FREE hostess Good Greetings stamp set. It is full of fun expressions and is available through October 31st.
The belt and buckle are pieces of Basic Black card stock, a strip for the belt and another punched square for the piece in the buckle. The buckle is a size larger punched square of silver glimmer paper. The card is so stinking cute and easy!
Today is the last day the Apothecary framelits and glimmer paper on offered at a special price in the weekly deals.

The final cards for this week also use the Mingle All The Way stamp set (135773 c, 135770 w). I stamped the Wishing You Holiday Cheer... twice so that I could fussy cut the "cheer" banner and popped it up with a dimensional. The expression is cut out using the Chalk Talk Framelits (129983).

Both cards are a CASE from projects in the Holiday catalog. I changed the color combo for the cheer card by using Baked Brown Sugar, Watercolor Wonder Designer Washi Tape (133000) and Champagne Glimmer Paper (127885). The stars are from the 2013-2015 In Color Sequin Assortment (133631). The background is made by stamping the expression multiple times using Baked Brown Sugar ink.

In the lower card I made the gift tag shown in the Holiday catalog and mounted it on All Is Calm Specialty Designer Series Paper (135823) and Lost Lagoon card stock . I had to improvise using the supplies I have to make the tag. So, I stamped the imagine; colored it with Soft Sky, Lost Lagoon, Pear Pizzazz and Strawberry Slush markers. Then I added a band of Pear Pizzazz card stock to the bottom and ran it through the Big Shot using the Banners Framelits (132173). After that I used Fringe Scissors (133325) to cut the Pear Pizzazz card stock. Then layered a strip of All Is Calm Designer Washi Tape (135844) along the fringed card stock. The banner is adhered with some adhesive on the back and a torn piece of the same washi tape along the top.

Seeing Stars

I used the new Lucky Stars embossing folder (135817) and Whisper White ink to make the background. I just inked the 'raised' side of the embossing folder with the Whisper White ink pad, placed the Night of Navy card stock in the folder and rolled my brayer (102395) over the top to get even pressure. The Silver Glimmer paper (135314) was cut with the Chalk Talk framelit (129983). The expression comes from the Merry Everything stamp set (135071 c, 135068 w) and punched with the coordinating Note Tag punch (135860). You can save 15% by buying them as a bundle. The ribbon is 1/8" silver ribbon (132137).
The second card uses the Confetti Stars punch (135861) with shimmer paper layered behind it. The Note Tag punch was used again. I stamped the expression using the Silver Metallic Encore stamp pad (132142). The Snowflake embellishments are from the Frosted Sequins (135835). I topped the snowflakes with Sequins (119246) and scattered a few others on the card.