Happy Halloween!

I don't send Halloween cards, but I fell in love with the Ghosties stamp set by Seredipity Stamps.  That's right... I shopped!

Boo!!!!

I stamped the ghosties and colored with Copic markers. Because white is never just white, I highlighted the ghosts with two shades of violet. While I'm not a purple-lover, I really like the tone of purple in the Basic Grey Eerie paper. I carefully trimmed and popped this up on the Eerie paper background. I also went over the bats on the fence with a Black Glaze pen for extra dimension and shine.

Have a safe and fun Halloween!  Save a Snickers for me!
Thanks for visiting,
lise

-----------------------------------------------------------
Supplies
Stamps: Ghosties and Trick or Treat Bag ($1) from Serendipity Stamps



Paper: Classic Crest Solar White by Neenah, Wizard Light, Black Prismatic, Suede Brown Light by Prism Papers, Eerie Patterned Paper by Basic Grey


Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento ink by Tsukineko, Vintage Photo Distress ink by Ranger


Accessories: Copic markers (R20, o, E53, E55, E57, V09, V93, V95), Black Glaze pen by Sakura, precision scissors, sewing machine and thread


Techniques: sewing, precision trimming

Upcoming Saturday Evening Post Release

I love the vintage art from the Saturday Evening Post line at Cornish Heritage Farms. The Horse & Rider image releasing on Tuesday is one of my favorites!

Graphic Girl:

This sweet little girl, giving her friend some attention, is so classic.  I stamped the image on glossy paper and sanded for a Faux Linen finish.  It's such a great technique and so fast.  The card is finished with some graphic paper from the Antique Collection by Creative Imaginations (which I found at Hobby Lobby) and a bit of velvet ribbon.  I added the hardware to my ribbon with my Crop-o-dile.

Be sure to stop by the CHF gallery on Tuesday for more inspiration!

Thanks for visiting!
lise
-----------------------------------------------
Supplies:
Stamps:
-Horse and Rider (Saturday Evening Post) by CHF

Ink:
-Jet Black Stazon ink by Tsukineko
-Old Paper Distress ink by Ranger

Paper:
-Black by Prism
-Glossy White cardstock by Ranger

Patterned Paper:
-Antique Cream by Creative Imaginations

Other:
-Black velvet ribbon by May Arts
-Pewter Press hardware and Crop-o-dile by We R Memory Keepers
-Sanding block
-Nestabilities by Spellbinder

Technique:
-Faux Linen

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall...

Birthdays are just another day for me. But, I love to make them a big deal for friends and family.  A new release for Cornish Heritage Farms this Tuesday is an amazing set in the Rummage Bin line called A Royal Birthday.  Here's one of the projects I created with the set...

Lying Mirrors:

The image itself is the vintage, delicate frame with the sentiment "do not Believe the Mirror it is Lying" inside of it.  To create the frame, I stamped the image with Black Soot Distress ink and embossed with clear embossing powder.  I carefully trimmed out the image and used a scalpel to remove the center.  I cut a small piece of metal sheet and adhered behind the frame to make my own mirror of sorts.  Then, to make the sentiment tag, I used cellophane tape to cover the frame portion of the image and inked the image.  I removed the tape and stamped on the tag shape.  Super simple!

The set will release on Tuesday, October 20th - so be sure to check out the CHF gallery for more inspiration.

Thanks for visiting!
lise
-----------------------------------------------------------
Supplies:
Stamps:
-A Royal Birthday (Rummage Bin) by CHF
 Ink:
-Black Soot Distress ink by Ranger
Paper:
-Simply Smooth White by CHF
 Patterned Paper:
-Rhubarb Tart by Memory Box
Other:
-Clear Embossing powder by Ranger
-metal sheeting by Making Memories
-gems by Mark Richards
-flowers and Lace by Prima Marketing
-gem brad by Making Memories
-dimensional tape
-scalpel
-nestabilities by Spellbinder

Blossom Box Template from Every Thing Creative

I love the ease of templates!  Every Thing Creative has made this one SO easy for me!

Blossom Boxes aren't the easiest thing to create from scratch.  Trust me - it's not something I woud ever think to do, for sure!  That's what makes this template magical to me... I printed this template twice to create the following treasures... and I can guarantee that I'll be printing again and again in the future for the perfect packaging.

Snowy Gift Box:

I printed the Blossom Box template on a sheet of kraft cardstock.  I used white pigment ink to stamp my snowflakes and ink the edges of the box for a frosty look.  Super simple!

Tip: It was simplist to get the box together by using a stylus, a ruler and a mousepad (for a soft, impressionable surface) to create even scores along all the marks.  I also used a very strong adhesive to put this together - ATG worked great, but you could also use sticky strip.

Bloom Box:

This one was so easy, I had it complete in about 5 minutes from print to finish.  I printed this one on patterned paper.  It's double-sided and heavy card, so it holds up well to the scoring... and is gorgeous on the inside from it's coordinating side!

Add a coordinating tag to make this a gift someone will be ready to dive into... The Happy Birthday tag was created uing the larger Open Poppy stamp.  I colored both sides of the cardstock and trimmed out carefully.  To give the open petals an upward turn, I cut the petals from the edge to the center (about where the dark poppy "seeds" are).  I colored and trimmed out a small peony and completely covered in glue.  I added Diamond Dust to the center and allowed to dry completely.  It looks like a gem!  I used this to cover the poppy center and folded the petals upwards to make a realistic paper flower.  I really loved how this came together... I can see me making this again in other colors to suit any project.

Thanks for visiting!  If you create with the template, I'd love to know what you think too.  Stop by and leave me a comment.

lise

--------------------------------------------
Supplies for Snowy Gift Box:
Stamps:
-Wings of Joy by Taylored Expressions

Ink:
-Snow Cap and Pitch Black Pigment Adirondack ink by Ranger

Paper:
-Kraft cardstock

Patterned Paper:
-Webster's Pages

Other:
-everything creative Blossom Top Box Printables template
-Clear embossing powder by Ranger
-printer
-ribbon by May Arts

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Supplies for Bloom Box:
Stamps:
-Open Poppy and Peony stamps by Memory Box
-Cursive Expressions by CHF

Ink:
-Tuxedo Black Memento ink by Tsukineko

Paper:
-Solar White and Kraft

Patterned Paper:
-Bloom and Grow by My Mind's Eye

Other:
-everything creative Blossom Top Box Printables template
-Glitter glue by Martha Stewart / EK Success
-Diamond Dus by Flora Craft
-Copic markers (R22, R24, R27, and R29)
-Precision scissors

Gingersnap Creations Challenges

The weather is starting to turn frosty in St. Louis... the holidays are just around the corner!

I couldn't resist creating for a Gingersnap Creations challenge this month.  Not only are the challenges No Stress (and they promise it), Cornish Heritage Farms is also sponsoring their design team this month.

GC25: Chestnut Theme Challenge - Harvest

Fall Harvest:

This card came together quickly.  I stamped the Fall Harvest image on glossy cardstock with Timber Brown StazOn ink.  I colored the image using pen nibs and my Distress ink pads (and it seemed like I used every single one of them).  :-)  To help you with the step by step process, there is a wonderful tutorial on CHF's forums to give you a hand called Vintage Photo Tinting.

After I finished coloring the image, I used a sanding block to rough up the image.  I know... it seems odd to mess with a pretty colored image.  But the truth is that Glossy cardstock won't absorb all the ink.  By roughing up the image, it hides any imperfections and gives a great vintage look.  To see a tutorial for this detail, check out the Faux Fabric / Faux Linen Technique at CHF.  I used Old Paper and Vintage Photo Distress ink to age the photo... such a great technique.  It's probably one of my favorites!

I deliberately created lighter and darker areas of the sky (Broken China).  When I sanded the image, it really gives the illusion of fluffy white clouds.

To see all the great projects, be sure to check out Gingersnap Creations for more Harvest inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by!
lise

----------------------------------------------------
Supplies:
Stamps:
-Fall Harvest (Saturday Evening Post) by Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink:
-Timber Brown StazOn ink by Tsukineko
-Vintage Photo, Old Paper, Broken China, Peeled Paint, Scattered Straw, Spice Marmalade, Mustard Seed and Fired Brick Distress inks by Ranger

Paper:
-Kraft and Dark Suede Brown by Prism Papers
-Dark orange by C’oredinations
-Glossy cardstock by Ranger

Other:
-Ornamental Iron Cuttlebug folder by Provo Craft
-felt by Prima Marketing
-flower by Fancy Pants
-brad by Karen Foster
-ribbon by May Arts
-Pen Nibs and ink blending tool by Ranger
-Sanding block

Techniques:
-Faux Linen / Faux Fabric
-Vintage Photo Tinting

Haute Couture

Before you fall off your chair in shock... I'm posting again. I'm not sure why it's all clicked into place lately for me to create and post in a timely fashion. It just has!

A new ATC (All Things Considered) stamp set is releasing this Tuesday. It's amazing! I love the vintage feel to this set and couldn't wait to get inky.

Paris in the Spring:

So, I've been to Paris in the Fall, not the Spring like this card suggests. But the sweet pink of the patterned paper just seemed to be a perfect fit.

I really think you'll love all the designs filling the gallery on this set.  Be sure to check it out on release day HERE.

Thanks for stopping by,
Lise

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Supplies:
Stamps:
-Haute Couture (ATC) by CHF
 Ink:
-Rich Cocoa Memento ink by Tsukineko

Paper:
-Kraft and Suede Brown by Prism
 Patterned Paper:
-Bellezo by My Mind's Eye
 Other:
-flower, lace and ribbon by Prima Marketing
-Copics
-Dimensional tape
-pin by Making Memories
-Smooch paint in Snickerdoodle by Clearsnap
-beads and pearls from craft store

Christmas Peace

I purchase the limited edition snow globe image by Karen Lockhart (from Ellen Hutson's store) every year.  There is something so sweet and wonderful about these images.  The one for 2009 is darling!

I'm not necessarily a cat person and we don't have a pet.  My son has allergies, so we've always refrained.  However, our neighbor has a sweet little cat that has decided we're all part of his family too.  At first, we didn't know his name and just called him "orange kitty".  Later, we talked to his family and learned his name is Paprika and that he's a rescue pet.  He's such a tentative little guy - so it's amazing he's taken a shine to us at all.

But he loves us and we adore him.  Isn't he sweet?  He sits on my front porch sometimes and watches me work.

So, of course, I had to create an orange kitty in this snow globe!  He's Paprika!

Christmas Peace:

To get perfect placement of the circle in the middle of my patterned paper, I created an "X" by drawing lines from corner to corner. This centered the nestabilities circle die perfectly.  But, other than that, it's a simple design... all to feature a really fun image.
Thanks for stopping by today,
lise

------------------------------------------
Supplies:
Stamps: 2009 snow globe Lockhart image from Ellen Hutson, LLC, Vintage Christmas Expressions (Mona Lisa Moments) by CHF


Paper: Neenah Solar White, Jolly by Golly by Cosmo Cricket


Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento ink by Tsukineko


Accessories: copic markers, At you spicca glitter pens, Nestabilities by Spellbinder, precision scissors, sewing machine

World Card Making Day

OK... So I was half-way through my post and Blogger spazzed on me. Sorry if you get a goofy post on your Google reader...

I created today in celebration of World Card Making Day! Can you believe it? I just had so much fun!

I have a few things to share... since this is my second time trying to type all this out, I'm sure I'll miss a few things. And I'm scampering off to my parents for a night of fun, food and bonfire.

Scaredy Cat:

This image was from the ever so talented friends of mine - Julia Stainton, Becky Olsen and Lisa Strahl. They have joined creative forces to create their own line of digital images that I couldn't wait to try.  You can find their etsy shop at every thing creative.  They also have a blog called etc. that will have inspiration galore!

Isn't this Halloween card fun?!?  This little guy was printed twice. I carefully trimed around the cat and flocked him. Isn't that fun? Not the flock... I have it EVERYWHERE. It's evil, I tell ya. But, I just love how this black cat looks so fuzzy!  I used my copic airbrush system to give the base image a little glow and voila!  Finis!

Inchie Carolers:

And I also did a quick card with their Carolers image. I trimmed it down to 3" x 4" and glued it to a piece of cardboard (which I saved from the insert of a pack of patterned paper). I cut the image into inchies and adhered to the card base. This came together SO quickly. But, doesn't it look like it took me hours? I love when that happens!

OK... I'd better run!  See you later!
lise

---------------------------------------------
Supplies:
Digital Images:
-Scaredy Cat and Christmas Carolers from everything creative (etsy)

Ink:
-Old Paper Distress ink by Ranger

Paper:
-Kraft by Prism
-Solar White by Neenah
-Black by Prism

Patterned Paper:
-Eerie by Basic Grey
-Holiday Collection Combo by Webster's Pages

Other:
-Bling by Prima Marketing
-felt flower by K & Co.
-Sewing machine
-cardboard
-mono-multi glue
-flock by Stampendous
-twill tape by May Arts
-mini fastener by Tim Holtz
-Copic markers and airbrush system

World Card Making Day preview

There's much to celebrate tomorrow with World Card Making Day.  So much to enjoy, that I thought I'd post something to get the party started.
Check out my latest technique at the Cornish Heritage Farms forums HERE.

Notecard Folder:

This project is all about cards.  Gather a few very simple supplies to create a quick gift.  I'm planning on giving this to my mother-in-law for her birthday in a couple of weeks.  I think she'll really love having a few cards on hand along with the extra stamps.

See you tomorrow for the big day!  Thanks for stopping by!
lise
----------------------------------------------
Supplies:
Stamps:
Can It (All Things Considered) by Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink:
Rich Cocoa Memento ink by Tsukineko

Cardstock:
Dark brown cardstock by Prism
Simply Smooth vanilla cardstock by Cornish Heritage Farms

Patterned Paper:
French Flea Market by My Mind's Eye

Other:
Twill Tape by EK Success
Large Eyelets and Crop-o-dile by We R Memory Keepers
Copic markers
Scor-Pal scoring tool
Glittered chipboard alphabet by Prima Marketing
Felt flourish by Prima Marketing
Nestabilities by Spellbinder