Monday, September 28, 2009

Something new!

A couple weeks ago, my friend Bevie sent me the link to THIS site; a company called Plum Purdy. O...MY...GOSH! The memories came flooding back of the time I was a wood crafter! Yup, pre ink & rubber, me and my skillsaw were the best of friends. I used to buy patterns from this company and make wonderful wood creations as gifts for my family and friends.

So now they are taking some of their fabulous designs and making them into STAMPS! Yipppeee! I placed an order right away for the Pumpkin Birdhouse. I just bought one... needing to make sure it was all I was hoping it to be in terms of quality. I was not disappointed!

Here is my first creation. I used the SCS sketch challenge (SC246) from last week and fall papers from SEI.

I used Copic markers to color the image. I wanted the birdhouse to have a *weathered* look, so I used colors that you wouldn't typically blend together; B12, YG91, B34, B72 and E31 (Marianne from Copic would either cringe or cheer to read that combo! lol)

The leaves and stem are colored in YG91, YG93 and touch of R39 and an over-shadow of E31. I like the effect E31 gives as a final color. Kinda dulls everything out.

The pumpkin is shades of orange; YR04, YR15 and YR18.

The bird is stamped a 2nd time on scratch cardstock, cut out and attached with foam tape.

I finished the image by shading B0000 around the image and a little E31 on the *ground*. Here is a closer look.


I will SO be ordering more of these stamps and hope they come out with a full line of their adorable snowmen!

Don't you just LOVE discovering new things! Thanks Bevie!!
HB

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Here's lookin' at you

This has got to be the funnest card I've made this season! Don't you LOVE all the eyes!?! They are from Spooky Nights (Our Craft Lounge)!


After stamping them all over white cardstock, I colored each with YG21 (Anise) and YG25 (Celadon Green) Copic markers. Then my brilliant friend Joy said... "ooo' you've got to add some Glossy Accents!" OMGOSH! Now the eyes just pop! I used the Copic Airbrush System to spray a spooky grey sky (C2 - Cool Gray) and stamped the fence with Tuxedo Black (Memento)

The sentiment is stamped with Tuxedo Black on orange cardstock, and die cut with a Labels One die (Nestabilities). I ran my 2 way glue pen around the edge and sprinkled on the Eyeliner Black Crafty Sparkles. That stuff has the best sparkle to it! I thought the eyes in the sentiment needed some ooomph, so I stamped it on white cardstock, colored the eyes with YG21, cut them out and glued them on.

Are you ready for Halloween? Me either... but I'm getting there! :o)
HB

Monday, September 21, 2009

Your kindness...

A super easy layout today - it's all about the image! I love these little birds from Tweet Winter Wishes (Our Craft Lounge). A little coloring (Copic markers) and a lot of shimmer and glitter!

I hung the snowflake wreath on the front of the birdbath to give the birdies a "festive" place to play. After stamping the wreath with London Fog (Memento), I outlined each snowflake with a Quickie Glue Pen and then sprinkled on the Crafty Sparkles. I did the same with the snow on the ground.


The papers are all from the Wassail 6x6 paper pad (Basic Grey). You should be able to click on the pics to get a closer view (although I can't guarantee it because it seems to work when it wants to. grrr)
Thanks for stopping by today!
HB

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

It started with this...

A long time ago I picked up some treat boxes at Michaels. They are like mini popcorn boxes, only measuring 7.5 inches high. I was digging through my ever-growing stash of items to alter and found them the other day and thought hmmmmm, what can I do with these?

So, I turned one into this:

And of course I had to make a matching one of these:


And it was all so easy peasy!

I used The Merry Days of Christmas line by My Minds Eye (don't you love when you have a whole collection that matches!) and Gingerbread Fun from Our Craft Lounge. (the links take you to Eclectic Paperie... my favorite place to shop!)

For the tag I stamped the little gingerbread boy on white cardstock, colored with Copic markers and cut him out. I stamped the circle sentiment and used a circle Nestie to die cut it. The polka dot scallop circle is also die cut with a scallop Nestie. One more layer of green and then attached to the box with a little library clip.


For the card, I stamped the larger gingerbread boy on white cardstock and die cut the circle with a Nestie. I colored him with Copic markers and then added course crystal glitter (Martha Stewart) to the head, hands and feet. It looks like course sugar IRL!

I couldn't find tissue paper that matched the deep red of the paper, so I used white and stamped the little Starlite Mint stamp all over.
It's all ready to add some yummy gingerbread cookies and give as a gift! And it's only September! wooHOOO!

Thanks for stopping by! If you are going to ScrapFest at Mall of America this weekend, be sure and stop by the Our Craft Lounge booth and say HI!

HB

Monday, September 14, 2009

Warm Wishes Teubner style

The Featured Stamper over on SCS this week is the amazing Shannan Teubner. I've adored Shannan's creations for a long time, so I just had to make time to play! You can see Shannan's creation that I chose HERE.



I used Tweet Winter Wishes (Our Craft Lounge) for my image and sentiment. The snowman is stamped in Tuxedo Black (Memento) and colored with Copic markers. The hat, the little bird at the bottom and the bow are each stamped a second time, cut out and attached for dimension. The snowflakes on the main image and the sentiment circle are stamped in Aspen Mist (VersaMagic). I outlined them with my Quickie Glue Pen and then sprinkled on the Cosmo Crystal Crafty Sparkles. This glitter has a little red shade to it and looks beautiful with the burgundy cardstock.

Shannan's glitter dots are so cute on her card, but not having any, I ran a strip of burgundy cardstock through my Xyron sticker maker, punched little circles (running the strip through before punching makes it easier to control and you don't get all those trailing sticky threads) and covered them with Very Cherry Red Sparkly Fluff. The effect is fabulous - fuzzy and sparkly at the same time!


The final touch was to create a matching "ribbon". I cut a strip of cardstock, ran my trusty tracing wheel along both edges and then filled in the holes with a white pen (Inkssentials).

Many layers and lots of dimension - pure Teubner style! I love it! :o)
HB

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Happy Birthday Happy Everything

One of the young men on my team at work has a birthday Monday. I, of course, didn't remember until I flipped my calendar on Thursday to see what I have ahead of me next week. My team knows I always make the birthday card and route it for everyone to sign, so that meant I had to get 'r done on Thursday night. I don't work well under pressure AND I had to figure out what to make that didn't look girly or too macho. Man, I was in trouble! lol

Cupcakes to the rescue!


I used the adorable cupcake in the Summer Sweets set (Our Craft Lounge) along with papers from the Tiffany's paper pack (We R Memory Keepers). The blues and greens, with a hint of black out weighed the pink. :o)

The cupcake is stamped in Tuxedo Blank (Memento) and then a second one stamped, cut out and the frosting paper-pieced before attaching it with foam tape. I drew a thin line with a Copic Multiliner pen and then a small swoosh with YG00 Copic to ground it.

The sentiments, from Around and About Sentiments & Birthday Basics (both PTI) are stamped in black and Cool Caribbean (SU!). I also stamped the star and small dot from Around and About Sentiments on the base card with Versa Mark ink to create a subtle background.

I have searched all my favorite blogs to see where I got this wonderful sketch, but cannot find it. Usually, when I draw a sketch in my book I also note where I found it. This time I forgot. If you know, please let me know so I can give credit.

The card is now signed by all and sitting on the birthday boy's desk ready to be opened Monday morning. I hope he remembers to bring treats! ;0)
HB

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Deck the Halls!

Now that's it's after Labor Day, we can start getting ready for Christmas! (cuz you KNOW the stores will be stocking Christmas stuff any day now, right?!?)

I just love this new set by Our Craft Lounge - Sea-sons Greetings. It's unique and so very fun to color!

The fish is stamped on a scrap of white cardstock, cut out and popped up with a piece of foam tape. The garland is also stamped on white cardstock, although I used a thinner cardstock so that it would cut out easier and have some flexibility, and then attached across the front of the card using mini-glue dots.

To *ground* the tree I drew a thin black line with a black Copic Mulitliner pen and then shaded just a tich with YG23 New Leaf.

A simple base card to frame the image and done!

HB

Monday, September 7, 2009

Coffee...

Coffee... a food group (and a necessary one) all to it's own!



Stamps: Fueled by Caffeine (Our Craft Lounge)
Paper: Mango Luau Slang (BoBunny), Neenah, SU!
Ink: Copic markers

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Mass Production

A good friend of mine once told me... if you are gonna cut into a piece of pretty paper, use it all at one sitting. That way, you don't have scraps of paper everywhere, plus, you get a bunch of cards for your stash! BONUS!

So... when I found this adorable strawberry paper recently (Doodlebug Design) at a local scrapbook store, I thought of the Green Thumb set (Papertrey Ink). And I did just what my friend said, I used it all up!
A big stash of thank-you cards (we always need those on hand, right!?!)


And some *blank on the inside* fun cards.


The paper matched perfectly with PTI Berry Sorbet cardstock, paper and ribbon. I also used Spring Moss on the top card.

So... there you have it. Mass production at its best!
HB

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Batty

So, last post you met Spidey and here is Batty! OMGosh, doesn't he just make you giggle! He's from the same Spook-tacular set from Our Craft Lounge.

I stamped each batty with Tuxedo Black (Memento), cut them out and then *colored* the black portion with Sakura Quickie Glue Pen and poured on the Eyeliner Black Crafty Sparkles . Oh how I wish you could see what Batty's wings looks like IRL! It is THE most amazing stuff!


A super easy card to put together - well, other than cutting out those bats, but I consider it theraputic! :o) The Happy Halloween sentiment is from the Spooky Nights set (OCL) as is the adorable fence that I used on the inside (I'm kinda likin' using black cardstock for my cards. It's making me do cute stuff on the inside as well! LOL)


Thanks for stopping!
HB