just a note

Stampavie offers so many adorable images.  I know there was just a release with lots of great Christmas and fall images, but I still have lots of the previously released images that I haven't had a chance to use yet.  For my card today, I decided to pull out the Mouse in a Tea Cup image from Tina Wenke.

I stamped the image on copic x-press it cardstock with tuxedo black memento ink and colored it with copic markers.  I used these markers: B00, B02, Y35, Y38, YG63, YG67, R20, R22, R24, R46, R89, W3, W5, W7, T3, B000, B000, B00, colorless blender.  I used some patterned papers from October Afternoon's Modern Homemaker paper pad and sponged some antique linen, tea dye, and walnut stain distress inks on the edges of my image, patterned papers, and sentiment.  Then, I stitched my layers and added some flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts (2 tone antique blue cherry blossoms, 2 tone pale blue sweetheart blossoms, white gypsophila).   The sentiment is from Whimsy Stamps' Everyday Mini Postage stamp set.

Have a great day!

Niki

CTMH August SOTM

I'm a Close to My Heart consultant (direct sales company like SU), but I don't usually do posts like these.  I feel awkward doing the direct sales things and am just a hobby consultant.   Close to My Heart offers high quality photopolymer (clear) stamps, great inks, and lots of other things for scrapbooking and card making.  I really like their inks and use them all the time along with many other products.  Anyway, I thought I would do a post this month with the special offers because there are some really great promotions going on right now! (You can see the catalog online here.)

I'm going to do online catalog party so if you're interested in joining us and ordering some things, drop me an email and I'll send you an invite.  You will be able to order online and your order will ship directly to you!                                       

Every month, CTMH offers a Stamp of the Month.  You can purchase that SOTM for $17.95 or for $5 if you purchase $50 or more in other products.  You can read the flyer here ( Download S1108) and see the full stamp set.  August's SOTM is called Wicked and is a great Halloween set.  I just love the fonts and sentiments in the set.

I created this little card and Halloween treat tin using stamps from the Wicked stamp set.  I started by stamping a piece of colonial white cardstock with sorbet ink and the little honeycomb stamp.  Then, I stamped the witch and sentiment on white cardstock and the sentiment on my tin on colonial white cardstock using archival black ink (this ink does stain clear stamps, but it stamps beautifully).  I die cut the sentiment on the card with a petite oval nestability die and used a labels 4 nestability die for the sentiment on the tin.  I added some stitching and black mats along with some black buttons, crocheted lace, gemstones, and black grosgrain ribbon.  My favorite stamp in the entire set is that sentiment on the tin.  I love the style of the fonts!

You can see the online version of the catalog here if you want to do some browsing.  Drop me an email (under profile photo if you can't click the link), if you like to join me in the online catalog party and I'll send you an invite so you can order online.  Your order will be shipped directly to you!

Have a wonderful day!

Niki

Trick or Treat

Hi Everyone!  It's time for another challenge over on the High Hopes blog.  The new challenge is Autumn Colors.  I pulled out the adorable Witchy Poo Stirring Brew and the Happy Halloween Top/Bottom sentiment.  I used more patterned paper from the Cosmo Cricket Matilda paper pad and added lots of stitching, some black lace from May Arts, and some black buttons.

I stamped the image on copic x-press it cardstock with tuxedo black memento ink and colored it with copic markers (sorry, I didn't write the colors down this time).

Come join us in the challenge for a chance to win some free stamps from High Hopes.  Thanks so much to Tina, Bethany, and Lacey for inviting me to guest design this summer!  It was so much fun catching up with everyone and, of course, getting to play with the adorable stamps.

Have a great night!

Niki

quick halloween treats

Earlier this month, Waltzingmouse Stamps released a couple new Halloween stamp sets.  Claire always comes up with some of the cutest sentiments for Halloween sets and the new sets also feature some adorable vintage inspired girls.  The style of the drawings is just perfect.

Each of the new sets, Cicely at Halloween and Gracie at Halloween, has a great circle image that is perfect for tags and sentiments.  My first thought when I saw the sets was to create these quick and easy little tags that are perfect for little Halloween treats.  (Do you know how hard it is to find candy corn this time of year?!  I thought it was something you could buy any time of the year, but I had to search for a long time to find some.)

Are these images so cute?!  I simply stamped them on white cardstock and colored them with copic markers.  Then, I punched them out with a 1.75" circle punch and added a scalloped black circle (2").  I used my cropadile to punch a small hole to thread the baker's twine through and tied them to some test tubes and attached one to a small round tin.

Have a great week!

Niki

Trick or Treat

Have you seen all the new images that Stampavie released last month?  There are lots of adorable Christmas images, but there are also a few Autumn images thrown in.  For my card today, I decided to use the new Batty image from Penny Johnson.

I just love the cute little Halloween images Penny drew for this release!  I used some patterned papers from Cosmo Cricket’s Matilda paper pad.  I added lots of stitching and some orange brads and some baker’s twine.  I stamped the image on copic x-press it with tuxedo black memento ink and added a sentiment.  I colored the image with copic markers.  I used these marker colors: W1, W3, W5, W7, W9, E33, E35, E37, E29, V93, V95, V99, T1, T3, T5, T7, N1, N3, N5, N7, Y11, E000, E00, E11, E13, colorless blender.

Then, I stamped the image again on Eclipse Masking Tape and cut it out.  I masked the image so I could spray the background.  I punch a circle out of the masking tape and used the negative piece to spray the moon (using Y35 marker).  Then, I put the circle over the sprayed moon to mask it.  I tore a piece of cardstock and used it as a mask so I could spray the background (using T3 marker) to resemble a spooky, foggy night.  I finished the image by spraying the background a different shade of gray (using W3 marker).

Next time, I will change the way I spray the moon so that it's peeking out from behind the fog, but I had fun experimenting with a new idea (to create a foggy background).  :)

Have a great week!

Niki

You Make a Difference in My Life

Hi Everyone!  I didn't get a chance to come back and post this yesterday, but here it is now. :)  I created this card this weekend to play along with a couple Verve challenges.  I played along with the August Get Your Diva on Challenge (to use tags or create a set of tags) and the Viva La Verve August Week #3 sketch challenge.

I used the Bloom and Grow and Text Objects stamp sets from Verve Stamps along with the Elegant Leaves die (also from Verve Stamps).  I stamped the leaves on cream cardstock with archival black ink (CTMH).  My patterned papers are from My Mind's Eye's Alphabet Soup Girl line.  I stamped the text print (using tea dye distress ink) over a piece of patterned paper that I had die cut for my tag.  Then, I added a sentiment and distressed the edges of all my patterned papers, tag, and leaves using antique linen and tea dye distress ink.  I added lots of stitching and some crocheted lace from May Arts.  I finished off my card with some 5mm pearls, 25mm white wild roses, 15mm white open roses, 8mm white semi-open white roses, and heart stick pins from Wild Orchid Crafts.

Have a great day!

Niki

Thanks, Teacher

Every month, there is a new challenge over on the Sundays with Crissy blog.  The challenge this month is K.I.S.S. --Keep It Simple Stamper.  I used Crissy’s adorable new Back to School Bart image and her Meadow Background image for my card.  (Both are digital images available from Whimsy Stamps.)

I used a piece of patterned paper from October Afternoon's Schoolhouse paper pad and some baker's twine from my etsy shop.  I embossed a piece of white cardstock using a cuttlebug folder.  I used a sentiment from the School Time stamp set I illustrated for Papertrey Ink.

I printed the image on copic x-press it cardstock and colored it with copic markers.  I used these marker colors: Y17, YR20, YR21, YR23, E31, E33, B32, B34, B37, B39, YG97, YG17, V25, R24, 63, YG67, colorless blender.  I sprayed the sky using my air compressor and B000 and B01 markers.  I used Bev's cloud template.

Come join us in the challenge for a chance to win five free images from Crissy.  Have a great week!

Niki