You're so sweet

Thanks to everyone who commented on my humble little blog! It really made my week to read your sweet comments. Here's another card as a way to say thanks! :)

I bought these stamps from Waltzingmouse Stamps back in May 2009 when they were first released as the company was getting started. I just love the adorable images and the build-a-gingerbread man possibilities inherent in the set. (well, two sets actually) You can see the sets here and here. I absolutely love Claire's designs and unique style. Most of her sets are on my wish list!

Recently, the Waltzingmouse design team did a series of posts using the new Grand Calibur from Spellbinders. I absolutely love their dies and Claire has so many matching images! Anyway, they issued a challenge to CASE one of their projects and post the result. My card is a CASE of a card posted by Belinda Chang Langner at her blog here. It jumped out at me immediately!

I didn't change much from the original card other than using a different die shape, color, and stamp set. Since Oven-Fresh Gingerbread Joy is geared more toward Christmas cards, I used a sentiment from a Papertrey ink set so my card could work for either Valentine's Day or a thank you card. I stamped the pink background with a small candy image, and then embossed the gingerbread man and sentiment. I used white embossing powder, but my jar is so old that it is more of a vanilla color now. I actually like the look. (I do need to get some new white though!) The white layer and gingerbread man are raised up on dimensionals just like the original card.

I had so much fun stamping this and I'm beyond tickled at the result!

Stamps: Oven-Fresh Gingerbread Joy (Waltzingmouse), Cupcake Collection (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Dark Chocolate, White (Papertrey Ink), Pretty in Pink (Stampin' Up)
Ink: Fresh Snow (Papertrey Ink), Pretty in Pink (Stampin' Up)
Dies: Labels Ten (Spellbinders)
Misc: white embossing powder

Love is in the air

I wanted to stamp a card today, so I decided to participate in the SFYTT sketch challenge to get myself going. The sponsor is The Cat's Pajamas, yet another of my favorite stamp companies, and I own several of their sets. Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I used the cute rocket image and a sentiment from Puppy Love for my card.

 (edited to add another picture with much better lighting so you can see the true colors)

 Boy, did I struggle with this sketch! It seems like a straightforward and simple design, but I played with different papers/colors for a good hour before I settled on this combination. The rocket looked lost on plain white cardstock and the cloud paper I had didn't work with my colors, so I used Pretty in Pink ink to sponge cloud shapes behind the rocket. I then used the matching paper to paper-piece the rocket body. I love how the clouds help ground the rocket and also add a small fantasy element to the card. It turned out pretty cute after all!

Stamps: Puppy Love (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink (Stampin' Up), Bittersweet (Basic Grey)
Ink: Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up)
Punch: Heart (EK Success)

Thank goodness for resolutions.....

Woohoo! I'm finally participating in the Papertrey Ink blog hop! They are one of my favorite stamp companies and this month's challenge was perfect for me.

"With the new year comes a clean slate along with many resolutions. This month's blog hop challenge involves you challenging yourself to use a Papertrey stamp set that has yet to see ink or even one that might be collecting a little dust! Go through your stash and see what little used treasure it might hold. "

That would describe most of my sets since I haven't stamped much this past year. (maybe two...not sayin') Not to mention, a lot of my sets have only seen ink for my inventory book. I'd claim that NONE of my sets are uninked, but I'm so behind on my clear stamps in said book that it wouldn't be true! With so many to choose from, I decided to pick a set I bought in my very first Papertrey order.

I made thank you cards since I have several people on my list and none in my card stash. I made my own background paper using the images from Boxes, Bags & Tags and then sponged the paper to give it a vintage look.

 

Both cards are simple without much in the way of embellishments, but I really like the classic look I achieved in the combination of pattern and color, plus I needed cards that would be appropriate for either men or women. The sentiments are from two other uninked sets. Bonus! :D These cards would be easy to mass produce in a short amount of time. Variations are endless just by altering the colors and sentiments.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the hop!

Stamps: Boxes, Bags & Tags; Around & About Sentiments; Home Made
Paper: Dark Chocolate, Pure Poppy, Vintage Cream
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Pure Poppy, Vintage Cream
(all supplies by Papertrey Ink)

Some more random projects

Here's just a few more random projects....

I love making nugget boxes. They have a certain wow factor and are such a cute way to give candy. I got the template from this thread at Splitcoaststampers.

Stamps: Bodacious Bouquet, Sincere Salutations (Stampin' Up)

This was a birthday present for my daughter's friend's birthday. I painted her initial, added decorative paper, and stamped various words starting with that letter. I added some gingham ribbon, green pearls, and a name tag. It turned out pretty cute! I have letters stashed away to do the same thing for my two daughters, but haven't gotten around to it yet. lol

Stamps: Expressive Flexible Phrases (Stampin' Up), Antique Alphabet (PSX)

Just a simple little wedding card case'd from Splitcoaststampers years ago.

Stamps: Happy Hearts, Curvy Verses (Stampin' Up)

I have a weakness for Halloween stamps. The images are just too irresistible! I have nearly as many Halloween stamps as I do Christmas. :D

Stamps: Best Fiends, Web Wishes (Stampin' Up)
Punch: Spiderweb edger (Martha Stewart)

I case'd the idea of using words as a flower stem from Splitcoaststampers for a Mother's Day card years ago. It's simple but the layered flower makes for a pretty card.

Stamps: Paint Prints, Wonderful Words (Stampin' Up, Antique Alphabet (PSX)

So there you have it! I wish I had pictures of the other projects I've made in the past, but at least I found some. Now to start making NEW stuff with all my poor unused stamps!

Some random projects

I thought I would post a few random projects that I've done in the past. They were done several years ago, but they are the only ones for which I have semi-decent pictures. I haven't stamped anything recently because I've been knee-deep in some organizational projects. I plan to post about them when I finish, but here's something in the meantime!

I love this sweet baby card that I made for a Verve sketch challenge years ago. In fact, I still have this card because I can't bear to use it!

Stamps: Winter Wonder (Verve), Small Sayings (Stampin' Up)
Ink: Cool Caribbean (Stampin' Up)
Paper: Cool Caribbean (Stampin' Up), patterned (Close to My Heart)
Misc: Stickles, ribbon

Just a simple thank you card, but I love the bright color.

Stamps: Shapes & Shadows (Stampin' Up)
Ink: Basic Black, Yo-Yo Yellow (Stampin' Up)
Paper: Yo-Yo Yellow (Stampin' Up), white
Misc: ribbon

I made this card for Father's Day many years ago when folded origami shirts were all the rage on Splitcoaststampers. It took me a while to design the card but I love how it turned out. I have no idea what paper I used and I think the stamps are Antique Alphabet by PSX.

This is another card I made for a Verve sketch challenge. Again, pretty simple but cute!

Stamps: Fairy Tales (Verve)
ink and paper unknown (possibly Basic Grey)

I made this card for a friend who was celebrating two major birthdays for herself and her husband. I case'd a card from Splitcoaststampers and simply added the extra set of numbers.

Stamps: Crab & Company (Stampin' Up)
paper: unknown
Misc: Happy Birthday, Tiny Mosaic embossing folders (Cuttlebug), ribbon, markers, chalks

Easter Candlesticks

There's nothing like moving to help you realize just how much stuff you have, not to mention the unfinished projects! When I rediscovered some Easter candlesticks I had started painting many years ago and set aside, I decided they would make the perfect Christmas present for my mom. Naturally, I mused on that for several months and started finishing them the week before we left for Christmas. Did I mention before that I am a procrastinator? ;)

Thankfully, the bunnies were already painted and all I had to do was add the liner details and 3D elements. I dug around for the missing wood pieces (so glad I didn't get rid of that stuff!) and painted the butterfly and flower garland. Once that was done, I glued them on the bunnies and added the felt ears, silk flowers, and raffia.

They turned out super cute! I got the instructions from a April 2001 Craftworks magazine project that was designed by Marilyn Gossett. It didn't take that much time to finish them, so now I wonder why I waited so long!

Tag punch snowflake ornament

My sweet sister-in-law Aubrie took a picture of the tag punch ornament they received and sent it to me so here it is in all its glittery glory. It was either SU Real Red or PTI Pure Poppy cardstock (can't remember which) and Garnet glitter from Martha Stewart. Instead of stamping the vellum, I used a Cuttlebug folder to emboss it. I love the texture it adds to the ornament.


I also used a snowflake punch from Marvy/Uchida and a rhinestone brad from American Crafts. The other ornaments I made were a rich blue, black, a mauve-ish purple, and white with silver glitter. In the process of matching cardstock to glitter, I decided that I really need more bright glitters. I'd love to make these in more colors! (Well, who really needs an excuse? I wanted to get them all anyway. lol)

Glitter for Christmas

I went to a workshop at my Stampin' Up demo's house several weeks ago and made this framed Bingo artwork. It uses stamp sets from the Holiday Mini 2010 catalog called Bingo Card and Jolly Bingo Bits.

 I don't remember what colors I used or the name of the decorative paper, unfortunately. You can see the glittery details in the closeup pic. The colors aren't entirely true to life, but you get the idea.

I had so much fun making it that I decided to make five more to give to my family. It was the perfect opportunity since it was the first time I was home for Christmas in nineteen years. Since I don't actually own the stamps, I went back to my demo's house to stamp and then glittered/assembled them at home. If you read my first post, then you already know that my name is Procrastinator, so it shouldn't surprise you that I did these at the last minute. The two days before we left, I made these gifts in the middle of packing for our trip and performing the closing weekend of a show. I was literally putting them in frames on my way to the airport. (and no, I was not driving at the time!)

I also made five tag punch snowflake ornaments using a tutorial from Splitcoaststampers. They turned out great! I used different colors of glitter to match cardstock I had on hand so each one was unique. I just wish I had taken a picture of them! Glitter was all over me and my desk. In fact, I'm still finding glitter everywhere. But even with the mess and time-crunch, I had an absolute ball making all of it. It felt good to be creating again!

Face the fear and do it anyway

It's the first day of a new year and I'm determined to break the blank-page syndrome and finally make that scary first post. I started setting up this blog two years ago (yes that is TWO) and have been putting it off ever since. About time, huh? Procrastinator, thy name is Heidi. I didn't want to post until I had made my banner and added all the fancy stuff first. Well, I'm not waiting any longer! :D

I've been crafting my whole life (thanks to my mother) and I got hooked on stamping about ten years ago. Based on my stamps versus output, I'm primarily a collector of craft supplies rather than a creator. Anyone else raising their hand about now? lol Okay, so now that my confession is out of the way, this is the year I plan to change that. I wanted to start a blog to share my creations with my sister, join in on stamping challenges/blog hops, and just plain get myself using all my stuff. I'll post whatever I'm doing whether it's stamping, cross-stitch, decorative painting.....pretty much anything I feel like sharing!

So there you go, big scary universe. I've done it and there's no going back! Now to figure out how to actually post a picture......