th acorn nks

We celebrated Thanksgiving last Sunday since there is no Thanksgiving holiday in Germany. But for about 20 years we've been cooking the dinner and enjoying it with friends who either are American or who have spent time in America so that they really "get" it. There were 12 of us this year and I'm still enjoying the leftovers :)

I'd like to take this chance to wish all my American blog buddies a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with laughter and good eats. This one's for you.

Did some paper piecing with fall papers and one of my favorite MFT alpha dies. The papers are Simple Stories Harvest Lane. Substituted the acorn from Paper Smooches Falling for You for the "a". Kinda fun, eh?

Big hug to ya'll. Thanks for making me a happy blogger. And don't eat too much, at least not in one sitting ;)

I'm joining the fun at:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Thanks
AAA Cards - Thanksgiving

Catered Crop - a great challenge that is closing its doors with an Anything Goes

exploration STAMPlorations holiday sketches: christmas flower (CASOS, SSS, Catered Crop)

It's time to explore the latest release from STAMPlorations (before November and the next release roll around!) If you missed the release blog hop you can check it out here. Stick around here this week and you'll see several of the sets in use.

Today and tomorrow are about Christmas. Cuz I love this poinsettia set. BTW, there's a bundle sale on the Christmas lot going on right now.

Holiday Sketches: Christmas Flower

I checked out the following challenges for inspiration.
CAS on Sunday - #43 Lift a Card :

and Catered Crop - Seeing Red
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Heat embossed the bloom red on red CS, fussy cut (nod to the negative die cut "smile") and stickled (nod to the gem) the center. Added strips of dark green and light green (nod to the twine) CS and a sentiment. I'm thinking that red bloom is luscious enough to cut the mustard at Catered Crop!

C'mon back tomorrow for more STAMPlorations fun. Have you heard that Shery has started an Anything Goes challenge over at STAMPlorations? Use your STAMPlorations stamps and link up your project. For every 50 entries, she's giving a random winner a free set! Check out the deets.

fully loaded thank you (CASOS, Catered Crop, Sprinkle of Imagination, Simply Create Too)

Are you blog hopped out yet?  I took a break yesterday to make a card for a few challenges.  A feat for moi, as you know I'm usually getting my card ready as the challenge doors close.  But mostly, this card was about the process.  Shirley B. has been creating beauties with her Gelli plate and I decided to give the monoprinting technique a go using a good ole acrylic block.

This is not for control freaks.  Once you smoosh that paper onto the paint there's no telling what you're going to get.  But I like that.  Although I am a control freak.  Hmmmm.

And you use up your stash of acrylic paint before it dries up.  Fabby, eh?  Anyhoo, I masked the spot for the sentiment, fearing stamping on paint wouldn't work well.  Smooshed the yellows. Stamped with pale sage which I brayered onto parts of a BG stamp.  Stamped the sentiment and then made a stencil with dies to make the arrows. Mixed a clear embossing paste with some purple paint for those.  I think doing that makes the paste a bit runnier, which may or may not be what you want! Ran a purple pigment ink pad around the edges.

This is a one-layer card.  But lotsa depth and interest happening there.  My let's-keep-it-mailable heart likes it.  Hope you do too.

I chose my colors, kinda, from the palette at A Sprinkle of Imagination - it's their first challenge.  I used ochre, a lighter yellow, pale sage and then purple (looking very dark in this photo) mixed into the modelling paste.

Over at CAS on Sunday#21 they're looking for one-layer wonders.  Wonder, nah.  One layer? Check.

And then we have a Thank You Kindly recipe swap going over at Catered Crop where I was lucky to be chosen for the Washi Tape challenge so I get to GD for this challenge.  Thanks Linda!

And... I'm not up this week at Simply Create Too, but Challenge #50 is "Give Thanks" so I'm adding my two cents.

Whew, thanks for looking.

Supplies for thank you:

Paper:  cardbase Bringmann

Stamps: BG Penny Black, sentiment PTI

Ink : Versafine, Aladine

Tools: corner rounder EKS, arrow dies Kesi Art

Other: acrylic block, acrylic paint, brayer

washi plaid (WPlus9, Catered Crop, SSS)

DD needs a birthday card.  Happy to oblige.  Picked a couple of challenges and here's the result.

Can you say "use up some washi tape?"  Doesn't that sound good? And it's pretty darn easy to create a plaid with washi.  Put your vertical strips down onto a piece of CS, extending them over the edge to hold it down.  Lift every other strip, pulling it back and sticking it temporarily to your work surface.  Lay down a horizontal strip.  Pull the lifted strips back into place and lift the other every-other strips.  Repeat.

TIP:  I used stitching on the banner and sentiment strip cuz adhesive doesn't stick too well to washi.  Plus it fits the mood (as in board).

I'm using the Mood Board from WPlus9 again.  And the recipe to use washi is from Catered Crop Washi's Up?  And since I can, I'm joining the fun at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge one more time.  Who wouldn't love some free shopping over there?  I've got a wish list a mile long.

Here's wishing you a fun week!

upplies for happy birthday:

Paper:  cardbase The Paper Studio, PP Basic Grey

Stamps: WPlus9

Ink : Versafine

Tools: heart die Wplus9

Other: washi, sewing machine

gift tags in a bag (Catered Crop, Lessology, Moxie)

Big post comin' at ya.

I was thrilled to win a spot as Guest Designer for the Fabric of Friendship Recipe Swap at Catered Crop so the plan began.  Fabric.  Hmmm, make a flower?  Use fabric for a card front?  Well, if you check out the challenge, you'll see a board of ideas Linda has put together including two CAS beauties which look like they have an element of the design done in patchwork.  So my gears started rolling.

Tomorrow is girlfriend's bday.  Guess what she's getting?  Gift tags. I sure hope all my friends think they are just as good for hanging around the neck of a wine bottle as I do...  Maybe I should just start making wine bottle tags like Erin T....

So how about if I edged the tag with "patchwork" - that looks fabric-y - and stamped a simple image onto fabric (recycled canvasy stuff)?  Then it occurred to me to use PTI Button Bits in keeping with the fabric theme.  Done deal.  Here's my fave of the bunch:

And here's the bunch:

Die cut tags in two different sizes - once from CS and once from canvas.  Cut strips of PP (it's a Christmas PP pack from Penny Black! - wanted primary colors) and cut the strips into different sized pieces.  Adhesive  around the edges then I stuck them on randomly  (such fun for all you control freaks out there).  Stamped the images with Versafine and sewed on the buttons.  Glued and stitched the fabric tags to the paper tags, punched a hole and added seam binding.  Hmmm, how to package them?

Just bought a T-shirt at Aldi and was throwing away the packaging when I thought "hey I could sew myself a small pouch out of that and the tags will be visible through it."  Done deal.  TIP:  Sewing machines don't like slippery plastic.  Use temporary adhesive to lightly adhere the plastic to a piece of paper (the feed dog - is it really called that? - likes paper better than plastic), sew and then carefully tear away the paper.  I even stitched at the top of the packaging so I could use the sticky foldover flap.  A die cut patchwork heart, a sentiment stamped on a fabric scrap and a tiny clothespin and she's good to go.

Whew.  Oh, I'm also playing at Lessology - #25 For the love of fabric and Moxie Fab's The Gift Tag Challenge as well as The Gift Packaging Challenge.

Note:  I'm still reeling from my watercolor related wins over at Moxie Fab.  Playing with colors is SO MUCH FUN and there is so much inspiration over there to be had.  The challenge is over but you must check out the gallery if you haven't.

Supplies tag set:

Paper: CS scraps, PP Penny Black

Stamps: Papertrey

Ink: Versafine

Tools: die MFT, sewing machine

Other: buttons Sew Sweet, needle/crochet thread, seam binding

prefer snow to gray (KIS, Catered Crop, SSSS)

Coming from MI, "the four seasons" are an integral part of my make-up.  Twenty-some years ago when I moved to Germany, I would tell people at home that Germany was gray from November to April.  What happened to my change of seasons?

Well, two things.  I moved to a Karneval-Krazy area which insists on adding a fifth season to the year AND Mother Nature has seen it fitting to dump the white stuff on us on a more regular basis in the past few years. And the past few days.   I'm happy.

And therefore I'm also willing to partake in the KIS Challenge #7 asking for Snowmen cards.  And since I can't resist a polka dot challenge I'm also playing at Catered Crop's Polka Dot Recipe Swap.  And since I got my fingers nice and messy when smearing white paint on the PP BG (the jury's still out - does it give a snowy feel or just a messy feel?) I'm hooking up at Simon Says Stamp and Show's - Something Messy.

I applied glitter to a few teensy snowflakes.  Got your magnifying glass handy?

So, join me in adios-ing winter (cute as this little chica is, I don't think I wanna make any more snowman cards) AND the fifth season (tomorrow is Ash Wednesday).  And hello to my second year of blogging.  I feel a giveaway coming on...

Supplies for welcome winter:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, CS Neenah, polka PP echo park, floral PP MME, vellum The Paper Co.

Stamps: Paper Smooches

Ink : Jenny Bowlin, Versamark, Versafine

Tools: sewing machine

Other: acrylic paint, orange colored pencil, embossing powder Ranger, Stickles, thread

dahoo doray tag a la ellen H. (Ellen Hutson, Catered Crop, Stamping Sensations, Craft Room)

OK, I'm dating myself here, but I grew up with the original red-and-green-cover copy of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".  And the TV show (the animated version) only came on once a year.  So you planned your life accordingly.  Just sayin'.

Well, thanks Ellen Hutson for stirring up those wonderful memories.  Check out her tag on Day 12 of 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist over at The Classroom.  It's totally Whoville.  And all I could think of was the end of the movie when all the little Whos stand around the Christmas tree singing "Welcome, Christmas" while the narrator reads "Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.  Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."  Yep.  I think it's a girl thing.  The guys probably remember hottie Martha May's line from the movie:

Martha May Whovier:   Did I have a crush on the Grinch? Of COURSE not. 
Cindy Lou Who:   Uh... I didn't ask you that. 

Enter my gnomes-turned-Whos.  And a crepe paper Who tree.

What did you do with your Friday evening?  With the exception of a couple interruptions, I spent mine making a tag!  I'd venture to say there isn't a technique I didn't use on this tag!

Heat embossing - BG, sentiment
Distress Inking - BG
Homemade PP - polka dots, banner
3D die cut and stitching- tree
Fussy cutting - gnomes
Selective inking - sentiment
Banner building - banner
Washi tape - tree trunk, star
Beads - heart (cuz you know the Grinch's heart grew two sizes that day!)

Other little tidbits... vintage pink yarn from MIL for the top of the tag, the teensy ornament from my bestest Hero Arts Christmas sentiment set cuz it looks so Whoville-y, the gnomes out of some funky PP from Aldi, the glitter CS hole reinforcer for sparkle. And I used a Penny Black BG stamp which I won in a Simon Says Stamp giveaway.  Thanks PB.  I kinda like the retro look of it.

Yeah that's what your life is like when you play at The Classroom.  And I won't mention that it took 84 photos shot at three different times (thanks to lousy weather) to get an OK photo.  TIP:  3D elements create shadows.  No matter where your light source is!  Oh well.

Put a gift card pocket on the back of this tag like I did here.  It's popular to give someone a bouquet as a gift in Germany and I think this special tag with a gift card hung on the bouquet will make for an extra special touch.

This is the HS CL343 clear stamp set I used for the sentiment and ornaments.  Ellen Hutson is having a contest where you can win some of the 2013 HA cuties.  Check it out here.

Let's hear it for Dr. Seuss's take on Christmas.  And Ellen Hutson's.  Warning:  I think there's one more tag in the making (special request from DD) but then I'm tagged out.

Joining the fun at:
Stamping Sensations - Treemendous
Craft Room Challenge - Make a Tag
Catered Crop - Tag, You're It

Appreciate your visit.

Supplies for welcome Christmas:

Paper: CS  American Crafts, Neenah, linen texture copy paper, crepe paper

Stamps: sky BG Penny Black, banner BG CHF, dots PTI, sentiment Hero Arts

Ink : Distress Ink, Jenny Bowlin, Versamark

Tools:die Sizzix

Other:  twine, washi, bead, vintage yarn

tag a la sharon h. (Ellen Hutson, Color Q, Craft Room, Catered Crop)

If you love new techniques and have a bit of time you really should check out the 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist over at Ellen Hutson's Classroom.  Ellen does a take on Tim Holtz's 12 Tags.  But there's lotsa pink!

My tag is inspired by Sharon H.'s tag on Day 1.  Hers is elegant and shiny and really girly.  Mine is... well mine.

I must thank this challenge for getting me to ink up my brayer (bought one awhile back - everyone has to have a brayer, right? - hadn't used it til now).  TIP:   Distress Inks are marvelous for lots of things.  Brayering is not one of them apparently.  Notice the spottiness to my BG.

I used the colors from Color Q #167:

Sorta.  Used DI Evergreen Bough cuz it's kinda green/gray for my BG.  Brayered it onto a Sizzix embossing plate and dry embossed the white CS.  See why I wouldn't recommend using DI for this???  Spritzed with copper Perfect Pearls mist to give it a little sheen.  Cut the top of the tag with a Spellbinders die for interest. TIP:  Don't do this if you plan to stitch around the edges.  Note the word "plan"...

Well the stitching happened cuz I decided to make this a gift-card-holder-tag (Ellen did this on her tag for Day 12 - Duh!  What a super idea!)  I had dry embossed a piece of red CS for the poinsettia petal strips and used the rest of it for interest on the front and a pocket on the back of the tag.

Got the idea for the poinsettia here at Basic Grey.  Obviously not mailable, but this is a tag.  It works.

Used two colors of green for the die cut snowflakes for the center of the bloom (and on the back pocket) and a cool brad too.  Mounted it on a die cut PTI green bloom for a bit more interest and "hold".  TIP:  Always have a bottle of Glossy Accents on hand.  It dries shiny (guess that's the point of "glossy" accents, eh?) but holds better than any other glue I know.

Whew, long post.  I'm joining the fun at:
Craft Room Challenge - Make a Tag
Catered Crop - Tag, You're It

Appreciate your visit.

Supplies for Merry Christmas:

Paper: CS TPC Studio, American Crafts

Stamps: sentiment 7 Gypsies

Ink : Distress Ink, Jenny Bowlin

Tools: brayer, dies - snowflakes Marianne Creatables, border Amuse, tag top Spellbinders, sewing machine, embossing plate Sizzix

Other:  pearl, sheer ribbon, glue dots, brad 

grown-up baby card

Mitt's got Super Tuesday. I've got Super Challenge.

Picked up this rubber stamp on ebay and use it often. I love the vintage feel of those baby shoes (probably cuz I wore shoes like that).

I'm out to prove that baby cards don't always have to be pink/blue and cutesy.

Actually I'm out to rock three challenges :)  CAS-ual Fridays wants a CAS baby card.  Less is More wants neutrals and Catered Crop is ravenous about ribbon. 

Decided to use kraft as my base.  PP with a barely-there-checkered-pattern in light gray for the shoes which I also heat embossed for some texture. Greige polka dot circle.  Recycled and stamped twill messy-stitched.  All edges inked with Pumice Stone Distress Ink.  Done. 

I actually used sketch #18 from Fetch-a-Sketch.  Like the simplicity of it.  Missed the deadline.  Surprise, surprise.

Supplies: baby congratulations

Paper: kraft ?, PP Fancy Pants & echo park

Stamps: shoes A La Carte, sentiment Stampendous

Ink: black Versafine

Tools: corner rounder  & circle punch EKS,  sewing machine

Other: embossing powder