Silver and Sea Glass Thank You Card {Avery Elle}

Hello friends, 

I am sharing a project today on the Avery Elle blog using the new Thank You Elle-ment die. 

To start, I cut a panel of Sea Glass card stock and stamped and embossed the falling dots from the Circle It stamp set.  Next, I die cut a circle in the center of the card stock.  I adhered the embossed panel to a card base made from Birch Woodgrain Heavy Card Stock with a bit of foam tape. 

I die cut Thank You from some silver card stock and adhered it to the wood grain card stock. 

Be sure to stop by the Avery Elle blog today (and EVERY day) for even more inspiration from my talented teamies.  Thanks for stopping by!

Katie

Tropical Seasons Greeting card {Paper Smooches SPARKS}

Hello friends,

I hope you are having a great weekend.  Today starts another Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge and this week... ANYTHING GOES!  See what I mean?

Last month, we took a family vacation to Florida where Christmas preparation was in full swing at several theme parks and resorts.  I started thinking about what a tropical Christmas would look like, and that was the inspiration for my little holiday scene.  

I die cut the sea and waves using the Borders 1 die set.  I punched a circle from yellow card stock and adhered it below the waves to look like the setting sun.  Next I die cut green card stock using the Feathers die to create a palm tree. 

Then I stamped and die cut the snow men from Freezy Fellas only this time, I don't think they are so freezy... they are sand men! To amp up the Holiday feel, I added a Santa Hat with a pom-pom puff on top to the larger sand man from Merry Motifs and added some sparkling lights to the palm tree with sequins.  Finally, I stamped the sentiment from the Christmas Sampler stamp set. 

Ready to play?  You know the routine!  Link up your take on this week's challenge to the Paper Smooches SPARKS blog by 11:59 p.m. PST on Saturday, December 27.  The winner of the challenge will get a $30.00 gift certificate to the Paper Smooches store!  Yay!!!! 

Be sure to check out the inspiration from the other SPARKS team members playing along with this week's challenge: 

Lynn Mangan

Lori Tecler
Larissa Heskett

Savannah O'Gwynn

That's all for me today!  Thanks so much for stopping by!  I can't wait to see what you create! 

Katie

Simple Gift Wrap {Waffle Flower Crafts}

Hello friends,

Christmas day is drawing near and my thoughts have turned from cards to wrapping- gift wrapping to be precise.  I wanted to share today some simple gift wrap ideas using Waffle Flower Crafts stamps and dies.

First up, a simple label tag.  I die cut a circle using the Flower Circles die set and stamped A Gift from You from A Homemade Christmas stamp set in black ink.  I added the recipient's name using the Be My Guest stamp set and added the pretty bow from the Loved stamp set as an accent.

Here's the same tag; this time used as the focal point in the center of a doily that I wrapped around the gift with a bit of ribbon.  

Lastly, I used the Be My Guest stamp set along with the Surface-Tag Die-Starter Kit to create some gift tags to tie onto my daughter's Christmas gift.  My daughters receive 4 gifts for Christmas- 

• something they want
• something they need
• something to wear
• something to read

Santa fills their stockings, of course, but we really love this framework for keeping the holidays simple. Speaking of simple, I just die cut the tags from rustic cream card stock and stamped the gift category with black ink.  I was able to create two sets of these tags in no time flat and I will tie them to their gifts with plain twine that I picked up from the hardware store. 

Well, that's all for me today!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Katie

Warm Wishes Snowman Card {Avery Elle}

Hello and TGIF!  

I am on the Avery Elle blog today with a card I made using Avery Elle's Dotted Borders Elle-ment die set and the Be Jolly stamp set. 

First, I made a card from white card stock and covered it with the pale blue heart patterned paper from the Sorbet Collection Paper Pad.  I thought the hearts could pass for snowflakes falling.  Next, I cut a pair of snowdrifts from white card stock using the wavy Dotted Boarder dies.  I stamped "Warm Wishes" on the bottom drift before attaching it to the card with a bit of foam tape. 

I stamped and die cut the darling snowman from the Be Jolly stamp set and colored him with some markers.  I tucked him among the drifts and secured him to the card with a bit of adhesive. 

Well, that's all for me today.  Be sure to stop by the Avery Elle blog for even more inspiration from my talented teamie, Karolyn Loncon.  

Thanks for stopping by!

Katie 

Let's Celebrate Card {Take 2 Thursday}

Hello and Happy Thursday!

It's time for another Take 2 Thursday with my friend, Lindsay.  Today, we are using the Simon Says Stamp December Kit of the Month.  Recently, I made the decision to switch my monthly card kit subscription from Studio Calico to the Simon Says Stamp kit, and I am really pleased with this first kit.  Lots of useful items- card stock, embossing powders and a cute stamp set to boot.  I used said cute stamp set to create this super CAS card.

I stamped the "let's celebrate" sentiment in black ink and added a few of the sweet banner shaped just beneath the banner.  I was tempted to leave it as that, but decided that it needed a little something special, so I wrapped the card with black and white baker's twine tied into a sweet bow and added a sprinkle of star sequins. The name of the kit after all is Sparkle and Shine.  

Although the kit is sold out, the stamp set is still available here.   

Be sure to stop by Lindsay's blog to see what she made with this fun kit.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Katie

Rockin' Record Card {Paper Smooches SPARKS}

Hello!

Today starts another Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge and this week, we are inspired by this picture of a lovely necklace:

source

There are so many approaches to take with this inspiration photo, but when it came down to it, I saw rocks and my mind went here: 

Using the Beboppin' stamp set, I stamped a bunch of the records on a white card base.  I added the record labels with ink colors that reminded me of the rock colors.  I popped a few of the records up with foam tape for a little interest.  

I stamped the sentiment on a scrap of white card stock and trimmed it at an angle. I adhered it to the card also with foam tape on top of a black card stock mat.   Lastly, I stamped the star among the rockin' records and called it finished. :)

Ready to play?  You know the routine!  Link up your take on this week's challenge to the Paper Smooches SPARKS blog by 11:59 p.m. PST on Saturday, December 20.  The winner of the challenge will get a $30.00 gift certificate to the Paper Smooches store!  Yay!!!! 

Be sure to check out the inspiration from the other SPARKS team members playing along with this week's challenge: 

Lynn Mangan

Lori Tecler
Larissa Heskett

Savannah O'Gwynn

That's all for me today!  Thanks so much for stopping by!  I can't wait to see what you create! 

Katie

Just a Note {Avery Elle}

Hi folks!

Happy Friday!  I am on the Avery Elle blog today with a card I made using the new Just a Note Elle-ment die set.  

I die cut the banner card from Avery Elle's Aquamarine, Fizz, Mimosa and Sapphire card stock. I arranged the banners on a panel of white card stock.  Next, I die cut "just a note" from gold card stock and adhered it to the panel. 

I adhered the completed panel to a card base made from Sapphire card stock.  That little extra strip of the Sapphire card base at the bottom?  That was a mistake- apparently, I couldn't recall that card bases were 4.25 x 5.5 and I cut the panel of white card stock a bit too short, but I thought the asymmetry looked cool, so I left it.  

Well, that's all for me today.  Be sure to stop by the Avery Elle blog for even more inspiration from my talented teamie, Karolyn Loncon.  

Thanks for stopping by!

Katie 

A Christmas Wreath Card from Our Home to Yours {Waffle Flower Crafts}

Hello friends, 

Today, I am sharing a Christmas Wreath card that I made using a couple sets from Waffle Flower Crafts.

It's no secret that I LOVE Waffle Flower's Loved stamp set (see my other cards I made this this amazing set here, here and here) and I pulled it out this weekend to stamp a holiday wreath.

To start, I traced a circle onto a panel of rustic cream card stock and stamps the leafy laurel with Hero Art's Soft Olive ink.  I left a space between each laurel as I knew I wanted to add in some flowers and the bow which I did with WPlus9's Cranberry Crush and Sweet Gelato ink. 

I continued working my way around the wreath stamping the branches and other botanicals with darker shades of green ink (Hero Arts- Forever Green, Field Greens) along with the vibrant cranberry and gelato.  Once I reached the point where I was concerned that I would mess it up if I stamped any more, I added a sentiment from A Homemade Christmas stamp set. I inked the edges of the card stock panel before adhering it to a kraft card base.  

Well that's all for me today!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Katie

New Release Blog Hop {Avery Elle}

Hello, hello and Happy Avery Elle New Release Day! 

Today, the Avery Elle design team is sharing projects created with the December release.  I used the Simply Said: You stamp set and die to create this cheerful card:

I covered a card base made from Mimosa card stock with a patterned paper from the Every Day 6x6 paper pad.  I positioned the paper so that the rays would start at about one-third of the way up the card.  Next I die cut one of the larger balloons from the Balloons Elle-ments die set and positioned it at the center of the rays.  I die cut a white card stock strip with the Dotted Border Elle-ments dies and adhered it at the bottom of the card and stamped the "Brighten My Day" sentiment with red ink. 

I die cut "you" from several shades of card stock, adhered them together and affixed the die cuts to the card.  When the recipient looks at the card from an angle, he or she will see all that rainbow goodness.  Finally, I added a couple enamel dots as a finishing touch.  

Now you can't have a blog hop without prizes and to celebrate our December 2014 Release Blog Hop, Avery Elle is giving away a $25 Gift Certificate to one random winner.  You have until midnight Sunday, December 7th to enter.  The winner will be announced on the Avery Elle Blog on Monday, December 8th .  All products are available for purchase in the Avery Elle store right now.

To enter to win you can do 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or all 6 of the following to increase your chances:

1. Comment on any of the design team's posts and/or here on the Avery Elle Blog
2. Follow us on Twitter and tweet the contest (we are @averyellestamps )
3. Follow us on Facebook (we are www.facebook.com/AveryElle ) and share us with your friends - make sure they tell us you sent them.
4. Follow us on Pinterest
5. Become a blog follower through email (comment on the Avery Elle blog if you already follow us)
6. Join our Flickr group (comment on the Avery Elle blog if you already belong) 

Be sure to check out the projects made by the rest of the Avery Elle team and leave some love for these talented girls for even more chances to win!

Avery Elle / Jamie

Karolyn Loncon 

Chunyuan Wu

Caryn Davies

Heather Campbell

JJ Bolton

Yainea

Melania Deasy

Katie Gehring 

Maska Vanacker 

So that's all for me today, but thank you for stopping by and good luck!

Katie

Thank You Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking Magazine

Hello friends, 

Today I and many, many members of the paper crafting community are joining hands and taking a moment to honor and thank Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking magazine. Last month contributors received notification that the magazine would be ceasing publication after the February 2015 issue, and this week, the editorial team is wrapping up many of their responsibilities. You should have arrived here from the lovely Lalo IK's blog. If not, and you would like to catch up with all the participants, I have included the full list below. 

To be honest, I am not really sure how start this post.  Over the past couple of days it seems that every time I sit down to write, I come down with a major case of the "feels."  In fact, I have managed to delay writing this post until the 11th hour of the evening before in the hop.  I am not sure if my thought process was that the added pressure of deadline would help the writing flow, or if once I completed this project and post, it would mean that it's truly over.  Maybe it's a little of both. Sadly, it's late, and I'm still struggling to find the words to adequately express what's on my mind and in my heart.  

Over the past 3+ years, so many of my creative adventures from my morning blog checks to my weekend crafty to-dos and even my "crafty bucket list" have been inspired by Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking Magazine, and for that, I am so grateful. 

I still remember the giddy joy of receiving my very first project acceptance email from Susan on March 17, 2011.  I was a little shocked, but so, so excited.  Over the years, there would be more happy emails, a couple contest wins, many Facebook acceptance email parties, a crown, and even a cover project (or two).  It's been quite a ride.  

So to the team at Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking Magazine, I want to say thank you.   Thank you for teaching me about design.  Thank you for encouraging me. Thank you for challenging me to grow creatively.  Thank for you for the amazing inspiration. Thank you for giving me something to aspire to. Thank you for the opportunities to create. Thank you for being a dream to work with. Thank you for supporting and creating a sense of community among paper crafters.  Your impact on me and the paper crafting community has been profound, and I want to thank you... for everything.

There's more I could say, but there are many more stops and stories to be shared along this hop. 

Before I go and send you along to your next stop, I would like to say to the amazing editorial and design team at PCS, each and every one of you is so amazing.  Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to making the magazine what it was and what it meant to each and every one of your readers.  I have faith that great things are just ahead for each of you, and I wish you all the best in whatever comes next. 

Your next stop is the darling Jennifer Cuthbertson.  

Thanks for stopping by. 

Katie

Card supplies: Tribal Thank You and Loved Stamp Sets by Waffle Flower Crafts, Ink by Hero Arts, Studio Calico and Tsukineko

Introducing Made With Love {Avery Elle}

Hello friends,

The December release preview week is continuing on the Avery Elle blog and I am sharing a card I made with the new set filled with motifs perfect for the knitters and makers in your life and anyone who appreciates a good pun- Made with Love.

When I think of knitting, I think of blankets and scarves- I know there are so many other possibilities, but I was definitely going for a scarf vibe with my card:

I stamped rows of knitting stitches on a panel of silver fox card stock and then colored in the stitches with some Copic markers.  I die cut the panel with the wavy boarder die from the Custom Panels Elle-ments set.  I adhered the scarf to a Fog card stock card base and stamped the sentiment and tag on white card stock.  I trimmed the tag and tucked it under the scarf.  And that sentiment? Cracks me up every time.  And I know that you are singing Brittany's school girl hit in your head right now- no judgement. ;) 

Made with Love and all the sets that Jamie is previewing this week will be available for purchase on Thursday, December 4.  Be sure to stop by the Avery Elle blog for more details about the release including additional sneaks and previews. 

That's it for me today.  Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Katie

 

Introducing Berry Good {Avery Elle}

Hello, 

This week, Jamie is sharing some sneak peeks and previews of Avery Elle's December release and I wanted to share a couple cards that I made with the Berry Good stamp set.  Berry Good is an amazing fruit-filled set featuring berried, peaches, pears and lemons.  The set also takes some of the guess work out of sentiment placement because many of the sentiments included in the set fit right inside the fruit.  

First up is a card I made with the lemon image.  I did some simple masking to achieve the set of lemons stamped in Old Paper Distress Ink.  Then I did a bit of "no line" watercoloring by smooshing distress ink pads on an acrylic block and adding the color to the stamped image. 

Once the ink was dry, I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment with white powder, and I die cut the stamped panel using the Finished Frames Elle-ments die set.

Next up, it's more simple masking and "no line" watercoloring with this "peach" of a card.  I tried to envision what the peaches might look like hanging off the branch of a tree.  I heat embossed the sentiment with gold embossing powder and added a strip of patterned paper from the Fancy Pants Burlap and Bows paper pad.  

I die cut the bottom edge of the panel with the Pinked Elle-ments die set and tied a bit of twine into a bow before adhering it to a kraft card base. 

Well, that's all for me today, but be sure to stop by the Avery Elle blog today for more sneaks and previews of this and the other awesome sets that Jamie is introducing today! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Katie