My GORGEOUS Advent Calendar ;o)

I went to my friend Julie's Advent Calendar Class last Saturday, and created this beauty! Can I tell you how much I LOVE it? And I will freely admit, other than piecing it all together, gluing it down, and copying her samples as exactly as possible, I had NOTHING to do with the creativity part of it! I did not change a THING! LOL! I won't post the list of ingredients as I didn't create it, and would likely miss some things, but it is all 100% SU! and features the "25 & Counting" Stamp Set featured in the current Holiday Mini. Thanks Julie, I had such a blast making this, but also spending time with others from the Artful*Inkers Team!

Toddler Advent Calendar

Hi friends! So I have all these grand plans for the new 25 & Counting Stamp Set released in the Current Holiday Mini (pg 37). Cards, and gift tags and advent calendars....I got to thinking however, that the ideas I had in mind weren't very child friendly, and wondered how I could make an advent calendar for a toddler to actively use. Voila! The idea for my White Board Advent Calendar was born! I'm hoping that a toddler could easily mark/circle/scribble over the Staz On stamped images, and feel like a sense of ownership in the tradition of counting down. The difficulty I had with this was keeping it very simple. I really was itching to add bows and ribbons and jingle bells to the top and bottom, but did not want anything that could be pulled off and swallowed. I've given this little gifty to my friend's 2 yr old, and hope he really enjoys it!

Ingredients: (All SU! unless otherwise mentioned)
25 & Counting Stamp Set, Christmas Greetings Stamp Set, Four Frames Stamp Set, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Christmas Lane Simply Scrappin' Kit, Black Staz On Ink, Cherry Cobbler Classic Ink, Early Espresso Stampin' Write, White Board from my local dollar store.

Ornament Iris Fold

Does this card remind you of anything? :o) I've been waiting since April to make this using the Ornament Punch! So simple, but so stunning (and best of all, people assume it's SO hard to do!)

Ingredients: (All SU! unless otherwise mentioned)
Pear Pizzaz CS and DSP, Garden Green CS, Whisper White CS, Ornament Extra Large Punch, Basic Rhinestone, Silver Chain and Silver Paper from my crafty stash

Sketch Frenzy Friday-SFF 102811

The following cards were made for the Sketch Frenzy SFF 102811 layout. They are pretty loose interpretations, but I will definitely be going back to play with the sketch some more!

This card is my fave of the 3. You might have to click on the photo to make it larger to see the difference. I've used a silver embossing powder here which is a true flat, rich, shiny silver. It might not seem like a huge difference, but you can sure it IRL! :o)

This card was made using a non SU! Embossing powder which is called Silver Tinsel. The "tinsel-y" part made it bumpy and rough and tarnished looking. Not my fave for the true elegance of The Sounding Joy Stamp Set.

I used the same (non SU!) type of Embossing Powder here but in Gold. Again, not loving the bumpy, tarnished look of it. I really think the delicate stamp set calls for a smooth elegant silver (or gold!)

Ingredients: (All SU! unless mentioned otherwise)
The Sounding Joy Stamp Set, Holiday Hoopla Stamp Set (retired), Whisper White CS, Real Red Classic Ink, Versa Mark, 3 Embossing Powder's (non SU!), Heat Tool

I'm in loooooooove!

Gah! Have you all seen THIS card? I positively swooned when I saw it. Admittedly, at first, I didn't "get" the Mustache craze (still not sure I DO get it! ;o), and when I saw the Many Mustaches Stamp Set in the current Idea Book and Catalogue (pg 18, #122917, $11.95), I thought that was one set I would NEVER own. Well. Fast forward to seeing Erica's card, and I could NOT wait to place my next order and own Many Mustaches myself! Love, love, LOVE! (and as a fair warning, you are likely going to see it featured here quite a bit over the next 2 months!)

Here's a close up photo in case you couldn't see all that sparkly goodness in the first photo...

If you are wondering how I made these mustaches, I stamped CIL paint chips with versa mark and heat embossed Iridescent Ice on them. (the actual colors used were "Snowfield", and "Silk Moon")

Hope you all love them as much as I do. What a perfect, quick little gift for someone at Christmas!

Ingredients: (All SU! unless otherwise mentioned)
Blushing Bride CS, Regal Rose Classic Ink, 1" Circle Medium Punch, Many Mustaches Stamp Set, Versa Mark, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, CIL Paint Chip and Candy Sticks from my local dollar store (2 for $1!!!)

Clean and Simple Sketch, FTL 163

Morning everyone! This card was made using the FTL 163 Sketch from the Clean and Simple site. I must admit I don't do a true CAS card very often, but I love it when I do. I love the clean simplicity of this card, and know the perfect person to send it to! Thanks for the inspiration, this is a sketch I will definitely use again.

Ingredients: (All SU!)
The Sounding Joy Stamp Set, 25 & Counting Stamp Set, Holiday Hoopla Stamp Set (retired), Whisper White CS, Basic Black Classic Ink, Basic Rhinestones, Stampin' Write's in So Saffron, Early Espresso, Blushing Bride, River Rock and Sahara Sand

Happy November 1st!

Yay! With Halloween, and our (Canadian) Thanksgiving over, I can officially start the Christmas frenzy here at the bloggo! I know I've shown an occasional Christmas card since the summer months, but now let the craziness begin! LOL! I had to laugh, on the last day of school this past year I walked through BOTH my local craft store, AND Costco, and the Christmas items were being put out. That was too early for even ME! So onward with these sweet little Christmas 3x3's...They are highlighting some new products released in the current Idea Book and Catalogue, and the current Holiday Mini...

The above cards both are made using the NEW Stocking Builder Punch, the one on the right is punched from (retired) DSP, the one on the left was punched after an image was stamped from the Stitched Stockings Stamp Set. Both of these items can be seen on pg 34 if click on the Holiday Mini image on the top right corner of my blog. Do you also see that darling little embossed frame on the card on the right? It is a new embossing folder (2 come in a set!) called Designer Frames (pg 218 in the current Idea Book and Catalogue, click the image of the IB+C below the Holiday Mini on the upper right hand of my blog, and you'll be able to see those as well!)

Next we have 2 more 3x3's made with the Stocking Builder Punch and (retired) DSP and an image from the Stitched Stockings Stamp Set. The card on the right has the other frame from the Designer Frames Embossing Folders, this time embossed on (retired) DSP and torn out, to give a shabby chic look. The card on the left however, look closely....see the plaid grid pattern? It's NOT an embossing folder! It was made using the new Simply Scored Tool, which can also be seen on page 6-7 of the Holiday Mini. SO easy to get a custom background using this tool. If you can imagine any straight edge pattern or shape you'd like to emboss on you card stock, you CAN with this fabby tool! (it also does all the other traditional things you want in a scoring board, I just love finding alternate uses for it! ;o)

Ingredients: (All SU!)
Old Olive Textured CS and Classic Ink, Very Vanilla CS, Whisper White CS, Cherry Cobbler Classic Ink, DSP (retired), Stocking Builder Punch, Stitched Stockings Stamp Set, Designer Frames Embossing Folder, Simply Scored Tool, Stampin' Dimensionals