12 Kits of Occasions-Crafty Friends!

I am so pleased to be back creating with the wonderful team at The 12 Kits of Occasions!! This month, the lovely Jeanne Jachna was the hostess, and she created an incredible kit full of supplies for all of the crafty friends in our lives!

Up first is this sweet girl from My Favorite Things “You Color My World,”

I colored her with Karin Markers and made her have a bit of a tie dye shirt! Added some beautiful rainbow patterned paper from the American Crafts “ Vicki Boutin Kaleidoscope Collection” in a Hero Arts “Wood Frame Infinity Die,” and a little heart topped with Glossy Accents. The background cardstock is PTI’s Soft Stone, which really made the rainbow colors pop!

Next up, one of the sweet “Crafty Critters” from Reverse Confetti...

Of course a zebra would choose To make polka-dotted artwork (?!) This patterned paper was my starting point, and I added paintbrushes “dripping” with Glossy Accents “paint” to coordinate with the dots.

I used more Glossy Accents on the zebra’s accessories, and glitzed up his stripes with some Sakura Stardust pen.

Last was a mini card that took on a life of its own...

I used these cute “Little Painters” mice from Waffle Flower and added the paint tube and brush to their tiny little hands, and just look at what they created!

Used splatter images from my stash and decorated this Reverse Confetti tag, as well as the “crafty” die cut sentiment from Concord & 9th, with pale gray stripes. Lots of Nuvo Drops became the “paint!”

Thanks SO much to Jeanne for this amazing kit! To see what all of the 12 Kits of Occasions Designers created, as well as a supply list with all of this month’s items, head to the blog HERE! Thanks so much for stopping by!

25 Days of Christmas. Tags- Day 19

Day 19 at Tracey McNeely's 25 Days of Christmas Tags brought adorable, whimsical designs from Paper Smooches! Who could resist that Santa tag by Teri Anderson?!

I used a sweet Santa from My Favorite Things and the Gingham Backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms. The sentiment is from Waltzingmouse Stamps, and the impressed hills are made with a die from The Greetery.

I colored the Santa with Zig Clear Color Markers and a wet paintbrush, then a lot of clear Wink of Stella pen. Added dots with a white gel pen for highlights, then added white Nuvo Drops to his hat and beard. So fun!

Adding this to my set for Kathy's 30 Day Coloring Challenge at The Daily Marker!

Spring Mood

This week at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog, there is the sweetest spring mood board that is sure to get your card-making inspiration flowing! 

I chose my Hello Bluebird "Banner Buddies" set for a spring scene...

I made a background using the My Favorite Things "Drifts and Hills" stencil, inking Tumbled Glass Distress Ink with brushes at the top, then inking Cracked Pistachio at the bottom. Afterward, I flicked water droplets mixed with Cracked Pistachio, Twisted Citron, Peacock Feathers, and Peeled Paint inks at the bottom. 

Die cut the banner using the Hello Bluebird "Vertical Banner Die" and stenciled it with The Stamp Market's "Plaid" stencil using Picked Raspberry ink

Stamped and die cut the adorable Banner Buddies animals and colored them with Zig Clean Color Markers and a waterbrush. The sentiment is also from the set. Added a woodgrain post for my banner, and speckles of Nuvo Drops and Glossy Accents here and there. Happy Easter to you all!

12 Kits of Occasions with Jeanne Jachna

I was thrilled when Jeanne Jachna asked if I would like to be a guest at the The 12 Kits of Occasions this month! Of course, she sent the most AMAZING kit called "Good Fortune" with gorgeous papers, images, dies cuts, and embellishments inspired by Asian culture, architecture, food, and design!

Up first are the adorable ladies from Julie Ebersole's "So Matcha" set, available at Ellen Hutson.

I colored the ladies with Copics, then added some Wink of Stella accents and gems to their hair.

Also, some Glossy Accents to the teapot and Stickles to the fan. For the background, I used the lovely Chinese Landscape die cut and patterned paper from the PhotoPlay "Paper Crane" collection.

Next up, is a sweet, little guy from My Favorite Things "Ninja--mazing" set.

I colored him with Copics and added Papertrey Ink's Sunshine stencil in the background, coated in Stickles.

Loved how Little Ninja's Chinese star matched that PhotoPlay patterned paper!

My last card was created using a fun technique that Betsy Veldman posted on her blog this week called Watercolor & Salt Backgrounds.

I didn't know this lovely die was a moon (thought it was a tree scene!), but it ended up working perfectly for the sentiment from PTI's Guiding Light set that I had stamped! The die is from Hero Arts, and it's called "Cloudy Moon."

The background is made by coloring Kosher salt (I colored them with liquid watercolors), dropping the salt on a piece of watercolor paper that's already painted with watercolors (and still wet), then brushing it off when it's all dry. Fun texture and colored speckles are left behind!

I adhered sparkly gems to a Kaisercraft wood veneer lantern, and used gold thread to hang it from the clouds 🙂!

This gorgeous thick, textured paper that Jeanne sent was perfect for this technique. This might be my favorite card of the set.

Thanks SO MUCH to Jeanne and the 12 Kits Design Team for letting me play along! Always inspired by this team of incredibly kind, generous, and talented ladies! 💗

Cabin Sketch

Narelle at Freshly Made Sketches has a fun layered sketch that is oN their blog until the new year...

I made a little cabin scene using a house die cut from Neat and Tangled's Winter Village plate and some rustic accents. The house was cut from birch tape and sponged with Aged Mahogany Distress ink.

Used a MFT's stencil to make the hills and a mini tree from Pinkfresh Studio's Skating Bunnies. The sentiment is from Hello Bluebird's Christmas is Coming.

A snowy embossing folder matched the Nuvo Drop blizzard that I added to my scene. Some pine boughs cut with Simon Says Stamps' Pine Trio, red pearl berries, and some woodgrain patterned paper to finish off my card!

25 Days of Christmas Tags: Day 4 Inspiration

For Tracey's Day 4 of 25 Days of Christmas Tags, she featured Reverse Confetti! I was inspired by Kathy Schweinfurth's pretty red, blue, and pink wreath tag with its bold black and white sentiment.

I used a favorite set of mine, Reverse Confetti's Fall for You stamps and dies, as well as Whole Lotta Happy.

 I stamped the wreath with Memento Nautical Blue ink and colored it with Copics. Added some mini berries from the set, die cut then dotted with red and pink Nuvo Drops. The sentiment is from Whole Lotta Happy and it's heat embossed with white powder.

The bottom is a piece of kraft cardstock that I stenciled with MFT's Snowfall Stencil and texture paste. 

Deer Duo Throwdown

Playing along with the Color Throwdown this week, with the colors kraft, red, aqua, and orange...

I loved all of the colors againsy the black background, so I tried this...

More inspiration from my stamping day with Michelle and Karen...this time, Karen shared her adorable My Favorite Things "Delightful Deer" Die-Namics with us. I added some Zig marker coloring to them on the kraft paper (and glittered up the red cardinal I cut with the die set, too)! Cut PTI's Rustic Wreath from orange and aqua patterned paper, and a tiny bow cut with some Mama Elephant dies.

Some red Nuvo Drop berries, a polka dot embossed background like snow, and a sentiment from PTI's "Winter Village." 

Such an adorable deer duo from MFT that I will be ordering for myself soon (told you my shopping list gets so much longer after a day with Michelle and Karen)!

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!

Top 10 of 2013!

Time for a little bit of crafty reflection!  I love when people review the favorite cards that they made over the year, such a fun walk down memory lane.  So here are my favorites from my own blog posts this year...

 My Favorite Things, Papertrey Ink

 Papertrey Ink

 Waltzingmouse Stamps

 Waltzingmouse Stamps

Waltzingmouse Stamps 

 Waltzingmouse Stamps

 Waltzingmouse Stamps

 Waltzingmouse Stamps

A Muse Studio, Waltzingmouse Stamps

And my favorite of all from way back in January 2013 for Challenge Chicks...

Waltzingmouse Stamps, Papertrey Ink, Sizzix snowman die

I am pretty sure this card took me 2-3 hours to complete, and it was worth every second of crafting!  I was so happy with how it turned out!

I hope that you have a wonderful New Year's Eve tonight...and here's to everything fun and crafty in 2014!!