Bee Happy!

Today I have a "springy" card to show you.  (I'm sharing it at My Craft Spot too!)  Here in my part of Canada, we've had a very snowy February and I am more than ready for spring!  In fact, we had another huge dumping yesterday.  The only good thing about our weather is all the unexpected "snow days" (days off due to all the snow)!

I created my card using my new embossing folder from Stampin' Up. (I'm linking this to Little Scrap Piece's Emboss It Challenge.)  Using my Gypsy, I resized some little hexigons from Accent Essentials to fit the embossed centers of my mat.  I used several pieces of scrap paper to vary the colours and patterns. I also used Accent Essentials to create the little border at the side of my card and then handstitched the zigzag in blue, using We R Memory Keepers Sew Easy kit to create the pattern.

The little sentiment tag was handcut (using a square punch on the diagonal for the pennant end).  I stamped the tag with a fun sentiment from My Craft Spot's Sweet Sentiments - Set #2. My little bee is from Walk in my Garden. I popped the sentiment tag and bee onto my card to add even more dimension. Tim Holtz distress ink was used on all papers of my card.

Don't forget that this week's challenge at My Craft Spot is "Pop it up!" You have until Monday to link up your own project to be eligible to win this week's prize - a New Arrival stamp set.

Have a fantastic day!

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I'm SNOW Stuck on You

It's time for another fun challenge at My Craft Spot and this week's challenge is all about PopDots/dimensionals.  We are encouraging you to use PopDots on your projects.

I made a fun little card to give to my husband.  I really AM stuck on him!  

Before Christmas, I'd seen some layered circle snowmen and thought they were so cute.  I finally had a chance to make one!  I cut three circles of different sizes using George and Basic Shapes, layering them with PopDots.  The arms are actually exclamation points from George and Basic Shapes and the little mitts are from Winter Frolic.  I used a snowflake stamp from My Craft Spot's Think Snow set to add some interest to the mitts, stamping white on the red cardstock.  The eyes and "coal" mouth were created with black Enamel Accents and I finished off the face with an orange carrot nose cut from Doodlecharms. 

My snowman also has a Cranberry crinkle ribbon (from My Craft Spot) scarf, knotted at the ends and tucked between the top two layers.

The sentiment is from My Craft Spot's Think Snow set, as is the little snowflake (which is actually the same stamp I used on the mitts).  I added a little gem in the middle of the snowflake and used a square punch on the diagonal to create a pennant look.  Finally, the faux stitching on my card was done using a roller stamp from We R Memory Keepers.

Please head over to My Craft Spot and check out the fabulous projects by the rest of the design team - and then link up your own popped creation!

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Sympathy Card

Hello friends!  Today I'm sharing a card that I created using products available from My Craft Spot.  Unfortunately, the brother of a colleague recently passed away rather unexpectedly.  I made this card to offer my sympathy.

I used Fancy Frames to create the frame to highlight the beautiful sentiment from My Craft Spot's With Deepest Sympathy stamp set.  The font on this set is simply gorgeous and there are such heartfelt messages available to choose from.  (You can click on the image of the stamp set below to enlarge it for a closer view.)  These messages are perfect for projects of sympathy following the loss of a loved one - but also for projects of encouragement when others are going through troubled times.

I embossed the background of my card using my Cuttlebug and also assembled a flower using cuts from Flower Shoppe.  I did some inking with some different colours of Tim Holtz distress inks too.  To finish things off, I added three little pearls under the sentiment and some fabulous Vanilla Bean crinkle ribbon, available from My Craft Spot.

 

For the inside of my card, I cut the outline of the frame used on the front and stamped another sentiment from My Craft Spot's With Deepest Sympathy stamp set.
 

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Wish Big Birthday Card

 My middle guy recently had another birthday to attend so I needed a quick card for a 16 year old teen. (Ack!) Using an idea I got from a class with my Stampin' Up demonstrator, Mandy of KIds Collage, I was able to quickly put together a card using some of the fabulous metal dies available for purchase at My Craft Spot.

 

Each of the points on my star was cut using a die from the Lacy Banners Metal Dies set.  (They're not just for banners!!)  I embossed each one using my Cuttlebug and used my craft mat to align the points before adhering them to the red circle.  The inner blue star burst and white circle were also cut from the Lacy Banners Metal Dies set.  I popped my star on a background created by embossing a piece of white cardstock. 

The tag on my card was cut using the My Craft Spot Tiny Tags Metal Dies set.  I love the graduated sizes so that a shadow can be used for the little tags!  Both sentiments used on my card are from My Craft Spot's Tiny Tags stamp set.  I also used some wonderful Peppermint Stick baker's twine (available from My Craft Spot) to wind around my card.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today!  Have a fantastic day!

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Valentine's Day Hogs and Kisses

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I made these little treat bags and toppers to decorate our place settings this weekend.  Every year, on Valentine's Day, I have a 1/2 birthday party for the children.  As they all have August birthdays, Valentine's Day works perfectly for this.  My daughter is away at uni this year but is coming home this weekend for Reading Week.  As such, we'll have our 1/2 birthday celebration on Sunday.  I am SO excited!!

I used Just Because Cards for the sweet little pig on my toppers.  The toppers themselves were cut using dies from Jaded Blossom and I embossed them with a hearts folder.  I got the idea to add a little heart to the back end of my pig from L.B. of Cool Beans by L.B.  She made a total of 96 bag toppers- with a huge variety of cuts!!  Lots of inspiration there!

The lovely scalloped pennant on my topper is from My Craft Spot's Lacy Banners Metal Dies.  I stamped the pennant with a sentiment from My Craft Spot's Sweet Sentiments Set #2 stamp set.  The sentiment actually reads "Hugs and Kisses" so I stamped "gs and Kisses" and then stamped the H on its own, leaving a little extra space to add a punched heart and gem between the H and g.  After bit of faux stitching, I filled the baggies and attached the toppers (but not before having a marshmallow heart or two of my own!).

I pray you all have a wonderful day filled with lots and lots of love!

I am entering this project at Little Scrap Pieces for Karen's Love is in the Air challenge.

I am also entering this project at Exploring Cricut for their Be My Valentine challenge.

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Valentine's Day Card for my Sweetheart

There are only a few more days until Valentine's Day.  It seems to be rushing to get here this year!  Our challenge this week at My Craft Spot is "For Your Sweetheart" - perfect for getting me in gear to create something for the man I most love in this world.

I followed a sketch to create my card (December Cardmaps).  Even though the sketch was posted for Christmas, as soon as I saw it, I knew that I wanted to use it for Valentine's Day.  I didn't use any die cuts (gasp!) on my card and just let the pretty gcd studios Cloisonné papers do all the work.  I did run the ivory cardstock through my crimper and also used a Stampin' Up punch on the notepaper.  Punches were used for the hearts too.

The simple sentiment on my card is from My Craft Spot's Build a Valentine stamp set.  This set is wonderful as you can mix and match the different stamps.  The red jute string is also from My Craft Spot and I used it to tie around a locket charm sent to me in a package of goodies from my sweet DT sister, Ally of Rock Paper Cricut.  She surprised me with a package of crafting goodies and I'm so thankful and blessed that she would think of me with such kindness.  Thank you, Ally!!  Also, for the FIRST time EVER, I used staples on a card!  I've seen staples used on projects created by others and always think it's a neat idea, but have never given it a go until now.  I like the look!

Remember to head over to My Craft Spot to see what the rest of the design team has created.  We would love for you to link up your own "For Your Sweetheart" project too!

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Sweet 16 Card

I am sharing a creation at My Craft Spot today - and am posting it here on my blog too.

This birthday card was created for the friend of my middle guy.  They've known each other since birth and have gone all through school together.  It's so hard to believe that they are turning 16 this year!  Time really does fly far too quickly.

This card was relatively simple to put together.  I used metal dies from My Craft Spot's Tiny Doilies (the scalloped doilies) and Lacy Banners (the smaller circles) sets.  Each circle was then stamped with a letter from SWEET using Chunky Alphabet.  This stamp set from My Craft Spot coordinates perfectly with the Lacy Banners Metal Dies.  I scored and folded each of the doilies and then strung them across some fabulous Purple Plum baker's twine from My Craft Spot, popping each one for a bit of dimension.

I added some faux stitching around the edge of my card and also added a purple 16, cut on my Cricut using Kate's ABCs.  I finished everything off by added a Martha Stewart lace border.

 

For more information on the stamps, twine and metal dies used to create this card, please head over to My Craft Spot.  Have a fabulous day!

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