12 Kits with Renee!

Renee is our hostess for the 12 Kits of Occasions this month, and she sent us the most adorable kit featuring Crate Paper's "Bundled Up" Collection and oodles of snowmen, snowflakes, snowy sentiments, and sparkling embellishments galore!  Kara made this collage and I always love to make it extra large on my blog so you can see how jam-packed the kits are!

I absolutely loved this snowman from My Favorite Things when I saw him the kit.  I remembered wanting him long ago, and think I will be ordering him soon!  He was such fun to color, perfect for a beginner like me.  Added some teeny sequin snowflakes and a sentiment from PTI's "In the Meadow" set.

Next up, adorable die cuts!  First the mini snowman from My Favorite Things "Snowglobe" die set and a sentiment on a "Tilted Banner" die cut from Simon Says Stamp. The snowy hills are embossed with a Sizzix Dots embossing plate.

Then a large snowman cut with PTI's "Shape Up Snowman" die.

I added some teal brad buttons, and a scarf made with rustic ribbon...I am thinking it's either from Jeanne's Christmas kit, or possibly hoarded from Renee's kit from LAST year!!  The sentiment is from Waltzingmouse Stamps "Alpine Christmas."  I also embossed the snowy hill with a Cuttlebug hexagon embossing plate and then stamped with little stars from the new WMS set "Gift Card It" to match the patterned paper in the background.

Last but not least...the pink vellum snowflakes.  I gasped out loud when I saw them!  Tons of fluffy pink and white vellum snowflakes came cascading out of the envelope onto my table.  I could only bear to use two here...

I embossed a piece of white cardstock with the A Muse Studio Woodgrain impression plate, and then cut a square window.  Layered 2 snowflakes over the top.  A silver sequins hides the dimensionals quite well :)
I really wanted the rosy pink to show, so I backed it with black cardstock.  So lovely!  Glad I have more...I think I will be buying some pink vellum at Michael's SOON!

Thanks SO much to Renee for this awesome kit.  I have oodles and oodles left!  I am continually amazed by the generosity of all of the 12 Kitters each month.

Be sure to check the 12 Kits of Occasions blog HERE for links to the other ladies' projects and a full supply list from this month's kit.  You can always find past inspiration on our Pinterest board HERE and our Facebook page HERE!  Thanks for stopping by!

Waltzingmouse Stamps Release Day Blog Hop

It's release day at Waltzingmouse Stamps!   Claire has released new products that are available now in the store HERE.  They are the Gift Card It stamp set, Gift Card it dies, Gift Card It Envelope die and the Funky Flower dies that coordinate with the previously released stamp set here, and Funky Feathers dies that coordinate with this set here.

We are celebrating with our traditional Design Team blog hop.  You should be arriving here from Claire's blog as I am the first stop on the hop!  You can always go back there if you get lost along the way.

For today, I decided I wanted to make an envelope out of something other than paper.  I made two envelopes with felt, then found this inspiration on Pinterest to take them one step further.

These cute envelopes were originally posted on Belle Maison in February 2013 for a DIY Valentine's Day project, with the original link by Gail on the blog Clever Charlotte here.  As I scrolled down the page of Belle Maison, I noticed a different felt project...

This one was called the 100 Hearts Garland by EJ from Toddlers Approved here.  The idea was each night after dinner for every family member to share something good they did during the day and add a heart to the garland.  It made me think of my girls and how much they have been fighting lately!  They are 8 & 10 years old and there is often some type of drama going on.  I decided to make a "Kindness Catcher" of my own using the new Waltzingmouse products!  

First I made the envelopes using the Gift Card It Envelope die, felt from an Etsy shop called Benzie Bazaar, and PTI's Heart Prints dies.

Next, I stamped the cards using the Gift Card It die, the vine from the Gift Card It stamp set, and the "Love Grows" sentiment from Vintage Garden-Seed Packet.

Next, I cut more hearts and wrapped a piece of twill ribbon around the card and glued it, leaving a long tab hanging down.  I attached velcro to the hearts and ribbon.

I will add a magnet to the back and keep the cards on the refrigerator. Now whenever I "catch" Eva and Claire being kind to one another, they will get a heart.  Eva already asked if she would get a prize if she got to the end first.  I told her the prize was remembering how kind she was each day!  Maybe I will think of a little something here and there :)...

 The whole little ensemble fit perfectly into the felt envelope.  

Instead of doing the 100 hearts project, we're starting small at our house...7 hearts, 1 for each day of the week!

PRIZE INFO:  One randomly chosen commenter from all of the DT members' blogs will receive a code equal to one free large stamp set, although you can use it toward whatever you want in the WMS store! You have until March 1st at midnight to comment.  The winner will be announced on Claire's blog on March 4th.

Thanks so much to everyone for visiting this week!  I've had such fun with this new set and coordinating dies.

Now on you go to LYNN'S BLOG...can't wait to see what she made!

Waltzingmouse Stamps February Release Preview, Day 3

Another fun day of previews featuring the Gift Card It stamp set which will be released at Waltzingmouse Stamps this Friday, February 28th.

Today we are showcasing the images in the Gift Card It stamp set.   They are great for all kinds of cards or projects!

Claire always has a way with sentiments, and this one has to be one of the cutest she has ever created!  I encircled it (hee) with the lovely vine frame image from Gift Card It, which I think goes perfectly with the hearts from My Heart.

I heat embossed the Gift Card It vine in white and then cut a frame out of the center using the largest die in the Spellbinders Deckled Edge Nestabilities Small set.  I stamped the sentiment, then ran the piece through my cuttlebug with a woodgrain embossing plate from A Muse Studio.  Added a loop twine bow to keep with the rustic (and encircled) theme :).

Then it was time for a tag!  I just love these teeny flowers from Gift Card It and they are stamped along with another beautiful sentiment from the set.  It's so sweet!

I made a layered tag using Maile's idea as inspiration (without the cutting of the bottom edge :)).  My favorite color is yellow and with this constant snow and COLD, I could use a little sunshine in my life right about now!  I embossed the flowers with white powder, then colored them in with yellow and orange watercolor pencils and water. The leaves are colored with a plain white pencil.

Don't forget tomorrow is RELEASE day!  Stay tuned to Claire's blog for details regarding the Gift Card It stamp set and dies, contests, etc.  We will all be back tomorrow with the traditional release day blog hop beginning at 2:00 PM EST.

Now let's see how the other DT members featured the lovely images from the Gift Card It stamp set today!

Anya Schrier 

 Jeanne Jachna 

Jen Cuthbertson 

Julia Aston 

Karin Åkesdotter

Laurie Schmidlin 

Lynn Mercurio 

Renee Lynch 

Claire Brennan

Waltzingmouse Stamps February Release Preview, Day 2

Back for another day of previews featuring the new stamp set Gift Card It from Waltzingmouse Stamps! Today we are also featuring another coordinating die, the Gift Card Envelope die!  Claire will be releasing all of these items this Friday, February 28th.

You didn't travel back in time, it really is February and not Christmas, although you couldn't tell from looking outside my window as it snows AGAIN today!

I took some two-sided paper from October Afternoon called "Silent Night" to make my envelopes.  I cut coordinating gift cards using the dies and stamped them with previously released WMS images.  Up first is a background from Nordic Winter, a candy cane from Sewing Box-Christmas, and a sentiment from Candy Jar Christmas.

Next is the holly from Festive Foliage cut with the WMS Holly Sprig dies, and a sentiment from Gift Card It.

Then a card stamped solely with images from Gift Card It!  Love those vines, berries...and the font in this set (sooo awesome)!

I had fun decorating the fronts of two of the envelopes, too.  Both have sentiments from Gift Card It and the wood paper envelope has boughs and pinecones from Festive Foliage die cut with the coordinating Pinecone dies.

Join us tomorrow for more previews of the Gift Card It set.  Until then, visit these DT members' blogs for inspiration today!

Anya Schrier

Jeanne Jachna

Jen Cuthbertson 

Jennifer Holmes 

 Julia Aston 

Karin Åkesdotter 

Laurie Schmidlin

Lynn Mercurio 

Renee Lynch 

Teresa Kline

Claire Brennan

Waltzingmouse Stamps February Release Preview, Day 1

I'm finally here!  Time to show you a few cards I made featuring the awesome new stamp set Gift Card It and the coordinating Gift Card It dies from Waltzingmouse Stamps.  Claire will be releasing these products this Friday, February 28th.

Up first is a card featuring a homemade gift card featuring images from the set.

I used the little tab gift card die here and covered each of the tabs with a little "daisy".

When you flip over the card inserted on the front, here is a homemade gift card for a night of free babysitting....my niece will love this on her birthday in August!

Next up is a folksy housewarming card featuring images from Gift Card It along with the mini birdhouse from A Good Egg.

I used the bracket die placed horizontally here to hold the gift card.

When you lift the gift card out, a sentiment is revealed!  And...

 Taped to the back of my homemade gift card is this real one from LL Bean!

We'll be back tomorrow featuring more of this sweet set.  In case you missed them, these DT members are also showcasing projects today!

Anya Schrier 

Jeanne Jachna 

Jen Cuthbertson 

Julia Aston 

Karin Åkesdotter 

Laurie Schmidlin 

Lynn Mercurio 

Renee Lynch 

Teresa Kline

Claire Brennan

Fine Feathers and Stencils

It's my day to post at the Waltzingmouse Stamps Team Talk Inspiration Blog!  Come on over to see a fun technique I learned featuring background stamps and stencils!

Challenge Chicks-My Furry Valentine

It's time for another edition of Challenge Chicks!  This month Diane is our hostess, and she is calling her challenge "My Furry Valentine"...make a Valentine's Day card featuring any animal.

Yes, elephants are not furry...but are they hairy?  Lol!  She did say any animal!  I had two sweet elephant punches left over from Sharron's 12 Kits of Occasions this month so I had to make one more card.

The paper in the background from Teresa Collins "You Are My Happy" collection coordinates perfectly.  Added a tag stamped with PTI's coordinating Tiny Tags stamp set.

We would love for you play along!  Upload your creation to Splitcoaststampers with the keyword CHXFEB14 or link a blog post to our Facebook page HERE!

I know the other ladies will have adorable animal creations, can't wait to see...

Anna

Diane

Jeanne

Kelli Jo

Lydia