Look Beyond

Rafiki: Whoo! Hoo hoo hoo! Life without worry. You seek Hakuna Matata.
Timon: Harpoon a tomato?
Rafiki: Hakuna Matata, it means "No Worries."...To find it, you must look beyond what you see.
Timon: What the heck is that supposed to mean?
Rafiki: It means, look beyond what you see!
~Exert from The Lion King 11/2

Do you ever pick up a stamp set and study it, just stare and think before inking it up? Do strive to think beyond the normal use of the set? Look beyond what you see? Stamp It! 3 Ways from Paper Crafts is all about ways to use a single stamp set in multiple applications, and what inspiration it holds within its pages!

I'm so excited to be part of today's Paper Crafts Magazine's blog hop featuring more applications of stamp sets that are featured in Stamp It! 3 Ways. I had a card published in this issue using Grunge from Skipping Stones Design. My intent was to showcase how a typical masculine set, and a great one at that, could be used in a feminine application as well. Soft colors, frilly details, lots of textures... And I brought that same idea here today to show you!

This card features the scallop background stamp in the set. I stamped it with watermark ink, coated it liberally with clear embossing powder and then sprinkled a little bit of gold embossing powder on top of that. After heat setting the stamped design, I inked the edges, added a patterned paper panel, some burlap string and a sentiment tag.

Please hop on over to the other fabulous designers! We each have a copy of Stamp It! 3 Ways to give away, you can win by just leaving a comment on each of our posts!

·         Jaclyn Miller
·         Julie Masse
·         Laura Williams
·         Heidi Van Laar
·         Emily Leiphart
·         Mariana Grigsby
·         Julia Stainton
·         Sarah Moerman
·         Karen Baker
·         Laura O’Donnell
·         Kelley Eubanks
·         Kimberly Crawford

And for icing on the cake, stop by the Paper Crafts Connection Blog and leave a comment for your chance to win this...

I'm also super excited to see a stamp set that I designed grace the cover of this fabulous issue too (Carved Love from Practicing Creativity Designs)!

Thank you so much for your visit today, your next stop is Laura O’Donnell.

The comment deadline for chances to win on each blog is Sunday, January 29^th at midnight MST.

Many Kisses

In 1907, the first Hershey Kiss was introduced.

What symbolism one little shaped piece of chocolate can have...

do you remember when you received your first kiss?

CAS-ual Fridays is bringing another fun sketch challenge with a super sweet prize from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps! Check out the challenge rules, sponsorship and prize information, as well as delicious eye candy from the Girl Fridays over on the CAS-ual Fridays blog!

Layers of Love

 

Love? To me? Well, that just might constitute getting up early when you had the opportunity to sleep in but instead drove your wife to work so she wouldn't have to brave the depths of the new fallen snow. It might be the super large wet Spaghetti-o filled smooch planted on an unsuspecting mama's cheek. It perhaps is could be calling your daughter to just make sure she's ok, or your sisters to discuss the latest tv show gossip. Layers of love, and I'm so very lucky to have got it. 

I'm also pretty lucky that the talented Tenia Nelson from Jazzy Paper Designs has joined me in a Carbon Copied post, where we are both showcasing our take on the current Just Us Girls Color Challenge and using the SRM Stickers #53008 Forever sheet.

I had an inkling to go soft and pretty so I chose a shimmery pink cardstock (can't really tell in this photo but you've got to trust me), a doily, lace and pretty little decorative stick pins. I purely do not think I've layered this much ribbon before, but it was a ton of fun choosing what I thought would work together for a fun, texture full design.

I can't wait to see what Tenia has in store today! I adore her layering skills and sense of color and composition. If you haven't the pleasure of visiting her blog, please check it out!

One last thing, May Arts has teamed up with Hero Arts this week, stop on over there too and leave a comment for your chance to win goodies!

Songbird Serenade

May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.

May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.

May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue.

And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.

~Irish Blessing

Skipping Stones Design has another really cool sketch this week. You can make it clean and simple, shabby and chic, or whatever suits your fancy. There are many wonderful examples over on the Skipping Stones blog, as well as challenge details!

The beautiful, neutral color palette offered at The Play Date Cafe and a Favorite Things Challenge from Basic Grey proved to be such a great starting point. If you haven't noticed, I've got a thing for crafting with birds lately, they prove to be one of my all time favorite subjects. I've also been experimenting with layers, textures and the natural color scheme. It's fun to step outside your normal limits, just to see what you can come up with.  I started by stamping the sweet little songbird image from Heartsong onto kraft paper, colored him with a mixture of Copics and Prismacolors and then carefully fussy cut him so he could rest on a burlap background. A bit of beautifully realistic patterned paper from Basic Grey's Curio Collection and twine, a button and a stamped sentiment from Uplifting completes the look.

White Shirt

Me: Boys, find a white shirt to put on and come here when you are done, I need to take a picture.
Boys: Why?
Me: Because I said so.
Boy #2: Mama, I don't have a white shirt.
Me: Why?
Boy #1: Because you said so.
Me: Oh dear.

Judith has an absolutely lovely inspiration photo up for her challenge at Jay Gee's Nook. I was inspired by the hues, softness and silhouettes. I created some faux leather paper with a few ink pads and foam.

The above conversation happened when I was attempting a good picture for a project I have up over at The Project Girl today, featuring some kits designed by Jen Allyson at Design House Digital. (Yes, Mom, you'll get a copy if I can get my act together to print it out!)

Fearless Liberty

Away I spring with a tireless wing,
On a feathery cloud I poise and swing;
I dart down the steep where the lightnings leap,
And the clear blue canopy swiftly sweep;
For, dear to me is the revelry
Of a free and fearless Liberty.

~Author Unknown

The boys went out driving yesterday and came upon three eagles perched in a tree. Nothing makes me think more about the freedom that I have than seeing the regal bald eagle roam about.

Anywho, a quick card to share for my entry into the Moxie Fab World's Cool Tools Week Die Cutting Challenge. I thought that I'd dare using the Cricut and make use of the electronic sizing and border option of to my advantage as well as working with a monochromatic color scheme and threw in a pun for good measure. (The sentiment and faces were computer generated.) I say "dare" using it because sometimes it shoots sparks.

Black Tie Affair

According to Forbes, women should stick to the classic cocktail dress paired with rhinestone chandelier earrings, stack of bangle bracelets or a chunky statement necklace for a black tie affair. Oh dear, I don't own anything that is remotely close to that. Yes, a classic cocktail dress paired with chandelier earrings and bangle bracelets sounds shall go on my wish list...

CAS-ual Fridays is challenging you to participate in a strictly black and white challenge this week, and Cindy Coutts is the sponsor! For more details, please check out the blog, there you will find out more about the sponsor, challenge rules and to see the great inspiration from the Girl Fridays too!

I wanted to add a bit of interest in the stark design so I grabbed a detailed and dainty stamp set from My Mind's Eye and stamped both in pigment black ink as well as watermark ink and then embossed in black. It is like a matte/high gloss look that I will have to try again!

Sings a Lullaby

"The bluebird sings a lullaby, the firefly gives a light,

the twinkling stars are candles bright, Sleep, [Child], Good Night."

Elizabeth T. Dillingham

There's just something about the bluebird that I find so magical and majestic. My creative infatuation with bluebirds took off with the first card in this post and I had to create another version. I have a tutorial on giving personality to silhouette images over on the Skipping Stones Design blog today featuring the Garden Stamp Kiss stamp set.

I based the card off of the sketch over at Wee Memories, their last challenge. (What a great run, and thank you for the inspiration!) I hope you can pop on over to the Skipping Stones Design Blog too, to let me know how my tutorial was, albeit a brief one. (This is where learning how to shoot a video might be helpful! On the to-do list, I assure you!)

Supplies:
Cardstock: (Rustic White) PTI, (Blue) The Paper Source
Patterned Paper: (Orange from Stella & Rose Collection) My Mind's Eye
Stamps: (Bird and text from Garden Stamp Kiss, Sentiment from Healing Wings) Skipping Stones Design
Ink: (Vintage Photo, Antique Linen, Walnut Stain Distress) Ranger
Fiber: (Natural Burlap String) May Arts
Tools: (Eyelet Border) PTI
Other: (Colored Pencils) PrismaColor

Dancin' on the Street

"Snowflakes, snowflakes... Are such funny things.
They haven't feet or haven't wings.
Yet they sail through the air...With the greatest of ease,
And dance on the street, Wherever they please."   
~Author Unknown

Woohoo, it's a long overdue edition of Carbon Copied today-same set, same challenge, same day! The talented Jen from Jen Shears Designs and I are featuring Lawn Fawn's Fly Free and Bannerific and for a real challenge we are participating in Lawnscaping's Winter Wonderland! Love this challenge site because it often times makes me think of these stamps in different ways to get more use out of them.

Here in Wisconsin, winter is all about snow and the monochromatic landscape, not to mention the chilly temperatures! My card features some paper piecing and spray painted snowflake embellishments. The vintage color scheme was kind of dictated because of those copper snowflakes. (Funny, but true story: For some reason, my husband thought copper was gold?? Eh, metallic is close enough, I suppose. I was originally hoping for gold but now I'm liking the copper, as I was able to bring in a fun splattering of spray mists too!)

I can't wait to see Jen's take on this edition of Carbon Copied at her blog, Jen Shear's Designs. She's fabulously talented and does amazing projects with ribbon. Plus, she is so sweet to, it's a win win situation! Click on the Carbon Copied icon on my sidebar if you'd like to sign up for a feature edition with me!

Supplies:
Cardstock: (Kraft) PTI
Patterned Paper: (Manilla Basics Collection) Basic Grey

Stamps: (Fly Free, Bannerific, Sophie's Sentiments) Lawn Fawn

Ink: (Walnut Stain, Vintage Photo Distress) Ranger

Fibers: (Natural Burlap String, Vanilla Crotchet Lace) May Arts

Embellishments: (Spray Painted Snowflake Confetti), (Rhinestone)

Other: (Treasure Hymn Spray Mist) Shimmerz

 

Steady

 

"The greatest thing about men is that they are steady.

You know where they stand.

They believe the same thing Wednesday that they believed on Monday,

no matter what happened Tuesday..."

~paraphrased from Steven Colbert

The Skipping Stones Design Team and the wonderful guest designers has another showcase of great cards today featuring a great sketch and the stamp of the month (available for only $12.95), Grunge! Check out the blog for contest details, prizes and great inspiration!

If you have a difficult time making masculine cards, Grunge is perfect set for you...even guys need cards too, right? The patterns make it so easy to create a simple and effective card.

Before you leave, I thought I'd mention the super PMS (Purchase More Stamps) sale over at Skipping Stones Design that lasts through January 22nd. There's more details on the blog, but here's a quick gist: Buy 1 set and save 5%, buy 2 sets and save 10%, buy 3 sets and save 15%, purchase 4 sets and save 20%, buy 5 sets and save 25% and purchase 6 sets OR MORE and SAVE 30% on every set you buy-no limit!!! If you ever have a problem with the checkout, email SSD with your order and a pay pal invoice will be sent to you, just be sure to mention the sale!