Pinned Post


Please click HERE to join in "Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday" challenge.


Please click HERE to join in "I Spy With My Little Eye" challenge.


Nov 24, 2018

Allsort 495: Inspired By A Song

I am back today sharing my card for this week's Allsorts challenge and this time it's Helene's turn to host. She picked the fun theme of "Inspired by a Song". A great prize is up for grabs so hope you'll manage to join us this time.


My card is below, my first intent was to make a Christmas card but changed my mind when I came across the sentiment on my desk :-)  Can you guess what song it made me think of?

"I wanna dance with somebody" by Whitney Houston. 



I used my Tonic Stamp Platform to ensure a good impression of the pretty stamp Born to Dance by Visible Image, stamped with Versamark Ink and heat embossed with Silver Embossing Powder. I then used the Rays stencil by Tim Holtz and Broken China ink  to make it appear as if the spotlight is on the dancer. The Stars and Clock (you can see a glimpse of it on the top right) were also stencilled, this time using Spun Sugar  distress ink. After the stencilling was finished, I stamped the sentiment from Penny Black (see my "For Sale" tab at the top of my blog if you're interested in this stamp - I currently still have one available brand new) twice using broken china ink and inked the edges with versamark to add some more silver embossing. Isn't this quote perfect for the stamp? 




Scrapbook.com now carries many of the Visible Image brand stamps, and they are currently on sale. Plus, they are currently running their Black Friday Weekend Sale, so there are lots of great deals. You can see all current deals by clicking HERE or simply click on the banner below. 

Black Friday Weekend + 2 Freebies


So what song are you going to be inspired by? Would love to see you joining us this week at Allsorts, check out this fabulous prize package we're giving away to one lucky winner:



My card also fits these challenges:
Crafting-With-Friends - Anything Goes 
Creative Fingers  - Anything Goes
As You Like It Challenge - Favourite Rubber or Digi's (&why) (I have more freedom in creating and designing with rubber stamps)
Crafting With An Attitude  Always Anything Goes
A Perfect Time To Craft  - Always Anything Goes
Craft-Dee BowZ- Anything Goes with a Handmade Bow.
Happy Craft Challenge  - Anything Goes + option: Lace
Just Keep On Creating - Anything Goes
LeAnn’s World 101 -  Anything Goes
Love to Craft  - Anything Goes
Not Just Cards - Always Anything Goes
Sparkle N Sprinkle Creative ChallengesAnything Goes with sparkle, glitter or flocking
Crafty Creations  - Always Anything Goes 
Mod Squad ChallengeStamp Around A Stamp 
The Crafty Addicts  Anything Goes/Optional Girly
Word Art Wednesdays - Anything Goes




Thanks so much for visiting! Enjoy your weekend!! More snow in Sunday's forecast for us ......


This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks so much for your support!

Nov 23, 2018

CAS Christmas With Mini Stamps

Happy Friday! I hope you had a good Thanksgiving if you celebrated yesterday. Did you do any shopping this Black Friday? I usually stay out of the stores at least until Saturday. I hate shopping on a normal day, so there is no way I'd be going to a store during their busiest days. I did place a couple of online orders (non craft items) on Wednesday and I am still trying to find the best deals on some Distress Oxide inks, but haven't seen any better prices than I did a month or so ago.

Today I am sharing a few clean and simple Christmas cards done with the newest My Monthly Hero Kit by Hero Arts.


Unfortunaly this kit has sold out quickly after release and is no longer available for purchase. I am a kit subscriber, so my kit was already reserved for me and shipped automatically. If you are interrested in signing up for auto shipments, simply click here. Your subscription would start with the December kit. And you can cancel at any time if you email them or call them before the 28th of the previous month. Kits are only $34.99 and this does include priority shipping within the U.S. (Shipping cost does apply to orders outside of the US. )

For today's cards I only used the clear stamps, the advent calendar die I used on my last card HERE, along with the mini stamps behind each opening. 


Challenges entered:
Winter Wonderland  Christmas Characters
Crafty Creations - Always Anything Goes
The Merry Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
 The Creative Crafters - Anything Goes 
Daisy Chain Challenges Christmas/Winter
Fabrika Fantasy - Christmas or Winter
Craft-Dee BowZAnything Goes with a Handmade Bow.
Creative Craft Cottage Challenges  - Christmas is Coming
Aud Sentiments Challenge - Christmas or Winter Sentiment
Craft Rocket Challenges - Nov- Christmas Is Coming
Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes 


Challenges entered:
2 Sisters On The Blog   not eligible
Path of Positivity ANYTHING POSITIVE WITH Optional Theme: SHADES OF GREEN
Stamping Sensations - Get Ready for Christmas
Fab 'n' Funky  - Christmas
Merry Little Christmas Challenge Blog Anything Goes
Happy Little Stampers ChristmasAnything Goes + option : Clean and Simple
Cute Card Thursday - Festive Colours
Crafting-With-Friends - Anything Goes  
Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
Creative Fingers - Anything Goes



Challenges entered:
Double Trouble Challenges - Sweet Holiday Treats 
Use Your Stuff

Christmas Crafts All Year Round- Gingerbread
Jingle Belles  - Any kind of Holiday Food and/or beverage 
The Corrosive Challenges Always Anything Goes
Paper Shelter Challenge - Christmas Card
Crafting By Designs - Something sweet
Christmas at Sweet Stampin - Anything Goes Christmas
The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up - Anything Goes
Sweet Stampers  - Christmas
Love to Craft - Anything Goes
QKR Stampede - Anything Goes


All cards were done in a similar matter. I used my scoring tool to add score lines on the top part of each card. Next I stamped a row of images from the Hero Arts kit and selected a fitting sentiment also from the kit, which I stamped with black ink. Some gold cord finishes off each card front, then I adhered to a colored card base. 



As mentioned, this kit is no longer available, but do check out Hero Arts' Black Friday sale. 

The Hero Arts 50-25-25 Sale ends Tuesday, November 27 at 4am PST. While supplies last. No promo code needed. Simply click the logo below ... BTW - free shipping on all domestic (US) orders of $25 or more! 





Happy stamping everyone, I hope I inspired you to use some of your mini stamps for some quick and simple Christmas cards! I have another not so CAS card ready to share tomorrow, hope to see you then!


Please note, this blog post contains affiliate links, meaning I might earn a small commision if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support. All products featured in today's post have been purchased by me at full price and all opinions are my own.

Nov 18, 2018

Midmonth Inspiration for Penny Black and More

Happy Sunday! Did you get a chance yet to join us at Penny Black and More challenge? If you haven't but wanted to, then you are in luck, as there is still plenty of time to play along for a chance to win. And don't forget you may enter up to 3 cards!

Our theme this month is "Make Someone Smile". So any happy and uplifting cards would be perfect for this challenge theme, along with the humourous ones as well.



I decided to make another Christmas card. This time I used the cute stamp Chill Day by Penny Black along with the set Woodland Beauty to create the scenery. I have linked both to Amazon, did you know, most (if not all) amazon prime eligible products currently ship for free with no minimum purchase? And you don't have to be a prime member either. Both these stamps and most other products I used today are included in this free shipping special. 

I started out by heat embossing the image on Bristol Vellum Paper using versafine onyx ink and clear embossing powder. Then colored with Zig Clean Color Markers and a Detailer Brush. I cut a quick mask to cover the image. You might think this takes time, but it's actually really quick to fussy cut as it doesn't have to be super detailed or perfect and it's done on a post it note, so it's quickly done. With the mask in place I stamped the trees in the background and finished off with some winter plants in the foreground (this stamp is also from the set Woodland Beauty). Using a hand cut mask I added an impression of a couple snowy drifts and glitter was applied using a clear wink of stella brush. Sentiment is from the Penny Black set Holly Jolly. A strip of pattern paper and some Wink of Stella  clear glitter finishes off the card fron. It's then been mounted onto a Neenah linen textured card base.

Please do come join us at Penny Black and More challenge this month. We have some great prizes to give away. No need to use Penny Black products, any company is fine, just no digis as traditional stamping is required at this challenge blog. The only exception are PB stickeroos.

I am also entering my card here:
AAA  - On the Move 
Cutie Pie Challenge  Winter Layers
Double Trouble  - Christmas Holiday
Incy Wincy Designs  - Christmas
Unicorn Challenge Use a Sentiment
ABC Christmas Challenge -   W for Wishes, X for Christmas
Paper Shelter Challenge - Christmas is Coming
Sunny Day Crafting - Any Animals Always
Aud Sentiments Challenge  - Ribbon and / or Bows
C.R.A.F.T.  - Christmas 
Craft Rocket Challenges - November- Christmas Is Coming
Moving along with the Times - Winter Animals
Send a Smile for Kids - Anything Goes for Kids
Dragonfly Dreams – November - Anything Goes
Stamping Sensations - Get Ready For Christmas


Thanks so much for visiting! Hope you stay warm. It snowed (again) here yesterday, I am ready to move south :-) I haven't felt this way about winter until last year when we had a miserable never - seemed -to -be -ending winter! 

Amazon quicklinks are below. Please note, some affiliate links are used in this post, meaning I might earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Remember, Amazon currently offers FREE SHIPPING with NO minimum purchase amount on most of the products, including all but one I have linked below

Nov 17, 2018

Allsorts 494: Clean and Simple Christmas

This week at Allsorts challenge it is my turn to host and I went with the theme of 
Clean and Simple Christmas. These will be cards that can easily be duplicated and you could even make sets of so they will be ready to mail in December. I hope you will join us this week, we have some GORGEOUS dies from Tattered lace to give away this week.





My cards were super easy to make because they only required a little bit of coloring.





The images and sentiment were both stamped with Versafine Onyx ink on Neenah Linen card stock using my Tonic Stamp Platform. Both cards required only a little bit of coloring, and this time I used my Faber Castell Polychromos Pencils. The snowflakes were stamped using Tumbled Glass Distress ink and I also inked the edges to give the image panels a little frame without adding extra card stock. A clear Wink of Stella glitter brush was used to add a little bit of sparkle to the snow. The card base is also Neenah linen textured 80lb card stock. 



Here is a closer look at each card:



Stamps used:


Sharing this card with these challenges:
ABC Christmas Challenge W for Wishes/X for Xmas
Christmas with the Cuties - Wrap up Warm
Christmas at Sweet Stampin'Anything Goes Christmas
Paper Shelter Challenge  - Christmas
That's Crafty! Challenge - Winter Wonderland
Cardz 4 Guyz - Winter Blues 
Crafty Sentiment Designs -  Christmas
Through The Craft Room Door Always Anything Goes 
Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
Double Trouble Challenges - Christmas Holiday
The Paper Girls - Do You Want to Build a Snowman? 
Angie's Digital Stamps -  Anything Goes, Optional Twist: Christmas  
Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes
The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - 
 Anything Christmas Goes 




I love how quickly these can be duplicated and switched up by using different stamps. And it's a plus that they are flat, meaning they require no extra postage when mailing.



Sharing this card with these challenges:
Colour Crazy Challenge - Anything Goes with Coloring
Fab 'n' Funky   - Include an Animal
Crafting-With-Friends - Anything Goes
Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
QKR Stampede – Anything Goes
4 Crafty Chicks - Snowflakes
Moving along with the Times -  Winter Animals 
Crafty Creations  - Always Anything Goes 
Creative Moments  Always Anything Goes 
Cutie Pie Challenge - Winter Layers
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends -  Anything Goes
The Corrosive Challenges - Always Anything Goes
Crafter's Castle - Anything Goes with option: Holidays
Send a Smile for Kids -  Happy Holidays 4 Kids



Thank you so much for visiting. Hope you have great Saturday! Stay warm!

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks so much for your support!

Nov 14, 2018

Advent Calendar Card for Crafty Wednesday Challenge

Happy Wednesday, today I am sharing another card for this month's Crafty Wednesday challenge. This challenge runs until the end of the month and you can join in by using the linky tool at the end of this post (I have moved the linky tool here for easier access). This month's prize is a $6 gift certificate to the Tiddly Inks shop sponsored by me. If you would like to see who won last month's challenge and who the top picks were, simply click here to get to the original November challenge post (you can also still access the linky tool there.)

As a reminder, this month's theme is:
Christmas and Seasonal Holidays.


This Advent Calendar card was done with the new My Monthly Hero kit by Hero Arts. Unfortunately this kit has sold out quickly after release and is no longer available. I subscribed to the kits a couple of months ago, so that means the kit was automatically sent to me and I was guaranteed to receive a kit. If you would like to subscribe, you can do so by clicking HERE. Kits are $34.99 and ship free within the US. Kits also ship overseas, but shipping cost does apply then. Cancelling the subscription is easy too, all you have to do is  contact Hero Arts by the 28th of the month prior to the release of the kit and you will no longer receive the following month's kit. Please note, if you were to subscribe now, you would start with the December kit. Just to give you an idea of what these kits look like, here is a look at the November kit.
These kits are always different though, sometimes they include pretty papers, in addition to the stamps and dies, sometimes a watercolor sampler, mini ink pads, etc. You can take a peek at the past kits HERE. Many of the kits are sold out (while some are still available for purchase), but this  gives you an idea of what might be included in the kits.

Back to my card...

I inked up a piece of Bristol Vellum paper using distress inks (Seedless Preserves, Broken China and Tumbled Glass) then used the fun advent calendar die from the Hero Arts November kit. On another piece of card stock I stamped 24 little characters from the clear set (I wish I had gotten a picture of them before I glued the die cut piece over it, but you can see all the little stamps on the Hero Arts stock photo I included above), using the die as a guide so they would show up exacty under each opening. I then adhered the front to the the folded card and stamped the numbers in a random order, the 24th being the largest ornament. I am keeping this card as a sample, so I had fun alreading opening each door :-). But I will make a couple more of these to give to each of the kids along with their chocolate advent calendar. A little silver bow finishes off the card.




Please note, this blog post contains affiliate links, meaning I might earn a small commision if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support. All products featured in today's post have been purchased by me at full price and all opinions are my own.


Also sharing with these challenges:
Double Trouble - Christmas Holiday
Incy Wincy Designs  - Christmas
Aud Sentiments Challenge  - Ribbon and / or Bows 
Craft Rocket Challenges - Christmas Is Coming
CAS on Friday - Brighten Someone's Day
Crafty Catz  - ATGoes / Option Christmas
Paper Shelter Challenge - Christmas is Coming 
Send a Smile for Kids  - Anything Goes for Kids
Dragonfly Dreams - Anything Goes
Lemon Shortbread  - Always Anything Goes 
Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes w/Optional Twist: Christmas/Winter
Angie's Digital Stamps - Anything Goes, Optional Twist: Christmas
The Corrosive Challenges - Anything Goes
Crafter's Castle Anything Goes with option: Holidays
Crafting-With-Friends  - Anthing Goes
Creative Fingers  - Anything Goes
QKR Stampede – Anything Goes
Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes 

To link up for a chance to win this month's prize, simply use the linky tool below.
Please remember you must leave a link back to this blog in your blog post, and feel free to combine with any other challenges and use any products you like.

Please remember: this is a public blog, meaning any papercraft you link up or any comments left on this blog will be visible and clickable by third parties. The blog owner is not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without permission.