holiday cheer

I borrowed my friend Linda's stocking punch and a made a bunch of these cards one year, again, a long time ago.  The best was using fuzzy paper for the top of the stocking (white).

{forgive the photography,
I found these photos on my computer and they were taken with a really old camera}

{christmas polar bear}

I thought I would share a Christmas card that I located in my craft space overhaul.  It was made by my friend Kathy.  She puts such amazing detail into every single card that she constructs.  Each card is worthy of being framed!

wish big

I made this card many moons ago at a Stampin' Up! party.  I guess it could be a winter birthday card, but the pine needles scream Christmas to me.

happy birthday

I have a small container where I keep extra scraps of paper and die cuts that I don't use.  I found the "5" and the "orange lace scallop" and whipped out this card.

stamp: A Muse "happy birthday"

ink: VersaFine onyx black

other: Papertrey Ink die cut, scalloped oval punch, circle punch, square punch

happy birthday

I wanted to play along with the Embellish Magazine's Rosettes Color Challenge.  I've never made a rosette, but have seen many floating around on card blogs and projects on pinterest.  I followed this pictorial tutorial and made my first rosette.  It was easy and fun!

 

stamp: Papertrey text & "happy birthday"
ink: VersaFine onyx black
other: Papertrey die cut, A Muse washi tape, buttons, twine, circle punch, vintage label punch

hello

I have been falling in love with Laurie Wilison's chevron cards here and here and here and decided to try one of the adorable circle cards.

 

I think it's such a fun and fresh look!

stamp: A Muse chevron stripes, flower, & "hello"

ink: Memento tuxedo black; A Muse orange

other: circle punch, Copics (Y17, YG23, YR68, YR04)

{flower vase}

I wanted to play along with The Paper Dolls "Spring Bling" challenge.  I decided to pair it with Laura Bassen adorable cherry card layout.  It was a little hard to think of Spring today as it's been snowing off and on all day here in Seattle.  I'm ready for warmer weather though!

 

stamp: Memory Box flowers; A Muse chevron stripes
ink: Memento tuxedo black; A Muse sage & grass
other: scallop punch, hole punch, Copics (YG23, Y02, Y06, Y11), Memory Box jewel stickers canary yellow

celebrate today

I was intrigued by the Make It Monday #56  from Papertrey Ink.  The challenge is to use a partially die cut image.  I don't own any chipboard, so I had a hard time creating the right thickness to keep the one side from cutting, but it was fun to play with a die cut in a different way.

stamp: Papertrey Ink mat stack 4 & "celebrate today"
ink: A Muse slate; VersaFine onyx black
other: buttons, twine, mat stack 4 die cut, circle punch

papertrey february blog hop

Let me start of by saying, my cards are never interactive and I never take them to the next level.  If anything, I bring them down a notch (or two) and go for über simple.  Needless to say, this Papertrey Ink Challenge was challenging for me.  

My dear friend Linda Barker, taught me this card trick and it's easy and fun.  With a few simple folds of plain copy paper, you can make your cards pop!  Then in true Linda fashion, she taught me to use decorative scissors and a hole punch for a lacey look.

{Apologies for the horrible photos.  It was late, dark, and there was poor lighting with a poor photographer (me)}.

front

opening

completely open

stamp: Papertrey Ink flowers, "just for you", & "missing you"

ink: A Muse french roast

other: scalloped scissors, circle punch, square punch, Papertrey die cuts

eye heart u

I thought this was cheesey and cute.  Not to mention super easy to make.

stamp: (small alphabet set, sold at Impress?)

ink: Impress jet black

other: heart punch, velvet ribbon, googly eye, circle punch

eek!

Again, ignore the poor photography.

stamps: Impress background stamp; Stampin' Up! halloween and letters

ink: VersaMagic persimmon; ColorBox parchment

other: white embossing powder, circle punch

you are one of a kind!

Don't pinch yourself.  It's really me.  With two cards in two days.  I completely stole this card from Kasia.  I just love the monochromatic look paired with the butterflies.  Thanks for keeping me crafting Kasia!

stamps: A Muse "you are one of a kind!"
ink: VersaFine onyx black

other: Memory Box jewel stickers deep lagoon; A Muse butterfly trio die cut, circle punch

{blank sailboat}

I wanted to participate in the Embellish Magazine Nautical Color Challenge.  Then I realized I own zero nautical stamps (shame on me).  I had to get creative.  I intended for this to fit on a toothpick (I like smaller center pieces), but I got carried away with the hull and just went with it.  Here's my nautical card.

stamp: A muse woodgrain

ink: A Muse french roast

other: circle punch, wooden kabob skewer, Papertrey Ink die cut

a|s blog hop

Welcome to the a·muse|studio blog hop with my  a·muse "cousins".   We are all lucky to have Krystie as our upline lady.  If you are joining the blog hop, you should have arrived from Karen Crisp's blog (My Paper Paradise). 


I love the  a·muse|studio twinkle sticker packets and wanted to play with some different shapes besides the circle (my go to twinkle sticker).  First up, is the twinkle sticker teardrop.

front

inside

This next card I used the twinkle sticker star.

front

inside

Finally the twinkle sticker heart.

front

peek-a-boo of the beans inside

Did you find it?  Oops, it's not there.  When I originally designed this card there was going to be a little twinkle heart in the circle on the latte cup.  Then my Seattle brain saw the circle and had to make it a Starbucks cup.  So no twinkle sticker on this card, but still fun a·muse|studio goodies.

thanks
stamp: A Muse chandelier, "thanks", & "you are amazing"
ink: A Muse ocean
other: A Muse twinkle stickers; Copic (process blue)


{blank birthday cake}
stamp: A Muse cake, stripes, & "birthday wishes"
ink: VersaFine onyx black
other: A Muse twinkle stickers, circle punch


how ya' bean?
stamp: A Muse latte cup, mini circle, beans, & "how ya' bean?"
ink: A Muse fern & french roast; VersaFine onyx black
other: circle punches, Copic multiliner


It's time for a prize!!
Become a "follower" and leave a comment for a chance to win one package of  a·muse|studio twinkle stickers (I'll even include the heart strip even though I forgot to use it).


Now you are off to Lesa Wolfe's blog (The Paper Pundit).



Here is a complete list in case you get lost along the way:
Kathy Hatzke
Karen Crisp
Kari Bell   you are here!
Lesa Wolfe
Lisa Wakabayashi
Lisa Chapman
Veronica Zalis
Ida P. Krause
Lianna Vigil
Kristen Watson

big birthday wishes

Are you ready for some color?  I mean, lots of color?  Check out this card by the amazing Amy Wanford.  I was dying to reproduce that rainbow color blocking.  I have no idea what was wrong with me, but it took me way too long to reproduce this card.  Does that ever happen to you?

stamp: Papertrey Ink "big birthday wishes"
ink: VersaFine onyx black
other: circle punch, ribbon, buttons

with deepest sympathy

I learned this new mosaic tile technique (this is not where I learned it, I lost that link, but this is a great step by step) the other day and wanted to give it a try.  Once my "stamp" was made it was super easy and quick.  I just love the broken tile look!  I also added a little recessed window to play along with the a·muse|studio consultant challenge.

If you dare to cut up your extra a·muse|studio rubber, you can make your own mosaic tile stamp.

A quick video from Julie about recessed windows:

stamp: A Muse bird, birdcages, & "with deepest sympathy"; homemade mosaic tile stamp

ink: VersaFine onyx black; VersaMark; A Muse french roast & grass

other: circle hole punch

make it monday: challenge #10

The Papertrey Ink Make it Monday Challenge is masking with dies.  I had never tried this or even considered this before. It was fun and I'll have to try it again.  My photo didn't come out that well, but the ink and the paper match much better than it looks, not perfect, but not quite so glaring, yikes!  Looking back, I should have stamped some words over the ric-rac like Lisa did, to soften the color.

stamp: Papertrey Ink "thank you"

ink: ColorBox marigold; VersaFine onyx black

other: jewel stickers, butterfly punch, scalloped oval punch, circle punch (for lace effect), Papertrey Ink die cut, ribbon

thank you

One of my fellow teachers, Linda Barker, makes beautiful and intricate cards.  She teaches the calligraphy classes and the Halloween classes at Impress (and probably a few more I don't know about).  In fact, Linda has such a following of people who take her Halloween class every year that she has to buy new stamps to keep the variety up (because of it, no one has a bigger collection of Halloween stamps)!  

Our moms and daughters stamp group hired her out to teach a class for us.  I came across this old picture of a card we made.  That polka dot paper was so amazing.  It was a fuzzy velvet, but thin enough to punch out. The light pink paper were actually card fronts that Dave used to sell at Memory Box, but he no longer carries. You can easily make your own with a large circle punch though.

stamp: Impress "thank you"

ink: VersaFine onyx black

other: flower punches in 2 sizes, brad, circle punch

you're the best!

I decide to participate in the Embellish Magazine's Masculine Color Trends Challenge.  It's always a task to come up with those manly cards!

stamp: A Muse wrench, harlequin background, & "you're the best!"

ink: A Muse slate; VersaFine onyx black

other: circle punch, square punch

your friendship is like a sheltering tree

stamp: A Muse tree & "your friendship is like a sheltering tree"

ink: VersaFine onyx black

other: circle hole punch, twine