SugarPea Designs Mix it Up #47 {Make a Wish}

I'm playing along with this month's SugarPea Designs Mix it Up Challenge! I've combined some new and old products on this bright birthday design!

 I started off by creating a distress oxide ink blended background inspired by the magenta wall in the inspiration photo. Once that was done, I spritzed it with water and Shimmer Spray and set it aside to dry. 

 In the meantime,I die cut the heart out of glitter cardstock using the Postage Stamp SugarCuts. I also heat embossed the "It's your birthday, Make a wish" sentiment onto vellum using silver powder. This is one of my favorite sentiments and it is from the Chic Wishes stamp set. It also happens to be on sale, wink, wink!

 I die cut a white piece of cardstock using the London Scape SugarCut.  I trimmed it down to fit the width of the blended panel.

 Once the blended panel was dry, I used the Postage Stamp sugarCuts {linked above} to create the design around the edge. I also used the Card Front Element Builders to die cut the white layer. I love the added detail it adds to my cards. It also adds some stability  as well, since I layer the entire front panel onto a card base.

 Once I had all of the elements ready to go, I got to work adding them to the blended panel. I also did some color spritzing over thew white London Scape. I also added some rhinestone gems and sparkling clear sequins for some added shine....{as if there isn't enough} LOL! At this point, I was ready to call the card DONE, but I just couldn't get the idea of wanting some balloons floating around this scene. So.....that got me working on some heat embossed vellum and white balloons.

I love a good balloon set, so I was over the moon when the Birthday Balloons set came out for this last release! I love that it comes with three different dessigns stamp over the balloons. I, of course, chose the heart design for this card and I just love how they look floating here and there! I realize that this card has quite a bit going on, but for a birthday I think it's just right! LOL! Thanks for fluttering by!

Tuesday Ideas {You inspire me}

I'm over on the Precious Remembrance Shop Blog today sharing this bright and vibrant card! I love mixing patterns but don't do it nearly enough anymore! My sister gave me a gorgeous pad of Martha Stewart pattern paper for my birthday that I used for today's card. 

I stamped and heat embossed the insulated cup from the Coffee Love stamp set twice. Once onto the purple print and then again onto the black. I also heat embossed the little "enjoy" sentiment onto the coffee cozy. 

I brought in a third larger print which I ran through my paper crimping tool. I just love the look of corrugated paper paired with a warm drink design. The flower print is perfect for the insulated cup to nestle into. I also stamped and heat embossed the two patterns above and below the floral print. 

I also stamped the circles from the Positive Thoughts stamp set in black ink. I thought it looked like the wet rings that a cup leaves behind. I also stamped the "you inspire me" sentiment at the bottom of the card base. A few sparkling clear sequins here and there add  some additional sparkle and shine! Thanks for fluttering by!

Reverse Confetti Stock Your Stash Challenge {Eeek!}

I've got a spooky card for you today for this month's Reverse Confetti Stock Your Stash Challenge! I think I may have mentioned {a few hundred times} that I LOVE Halloween so I was excited to see that this month's theme included Fall/Halloween! Today's card features a fun way to use these awesome sentiments from the Boo Yea stamp set! I also have to give a shout out to my fellow Teamie Amy Rohl, who is also sharing her SYS card today. She used this same sentiment set in a very awesome way so make sure to check it out! I love it when a stamp set can be stretched to be more than it appears!

As soon as I saw the "Eeek!" sentiment, I knew that it would make a great spider body. I had originally planned on making some treat spiders during the release, but ran out of time. I decided to try a spider out on a card for the challenge. I picked up some orange and black chenille stems at the Dollar Tree when they first made their Halloween appearance this year and picked them up not knowing how they would be used, but they ended up being the perfect little spider legs!

I cut 6 pieces of stem and then bent them as identical as I could. I die cut two Midnight circles using the Bags and Tags Creator. I  stamped and heat embossed the "eeek!" one and then used the second one to position the spider legs. Once they were in position, I added the embossed one over the top using foam squares. I added a cluster of googly eyes for some extra "eek" factor!

The background is created by die cutting the Triangles Cover Panel and then layering it on top of a blended panel. Before I layered it, I die cut the square portion out of the background using the square die cut from the Bags and Tags Creator (linked above) and then used it to mount the spider. It really gives the spider added definition since the spider is black. The spider has a web of black baker's twine and is attached using scotch tape. I also heat embossed one of the fun sentiments from the Frightening Friends stamp set! This was such a fun card to make and sometimes when I think of an idea, I just have to make it or I will keep thinking about how it will turn out! I hope that my point came across! ha ha! Thanks for fluttering by and I hope you will join us with this month's fun challenge!

Papertrey Ink September Release Day 1

Welcome, my friends, to Day 1 of the Papertrey Ink September Release! There is so much to love this month that I know you will all be smitten! Today, I am featuring the new "Sentiment Staples: Christmas" and a darling new set called "Merry Mug"! I have used it in a few different ways today, but first off, I'm sharing this sweet "thinking of you" card! My other projects are all Christmas-y, so this way I can just ease you into the idea that Christmas is on its way! LOL! Also, don't forget to stop by the Papertrey Ink Blog to see how the other designers have used today's featured products!

When I decide which particular sets I want to buy, I usually try to think of all the ways that I will use it. This "Sending you a hug in a mug" sentiment, in addition to the other sentiments,  makes this set a "sure-sale" for me! Is that even a word? LOL! I'm a sucker for mugs and cups, especially for holiday crafting, but knowing this could be used for tea inspired gifts/cards as well as "all things winter" makes my mind go crazy with possibilities! 

For this card, I used the new "Pierced Feature Frames: Oval to frame this stack of pastel colored mugs. It is die cut using Weathervane cardstock and popped up onto the Pale Peony Bitty Big pattern paper panel. I used the small polka dots to balance out the large print on the cups. The trio of cups are stamped in Aqua Mist, Lemon Tart, and Pale Peony. I used some left over flowers from my Traveler's Journal project in the corner of the bottom mug.

I love all of the little "extras" that this set comes with; the tag, the heart, the "steam" image. All of these little details really make a project seem more special. The steam is heat embossed using silver powder. 

I continued the embossing with the sentiment. I stamped the "sending" portion directly onto the mug using Versamark ink and then heat embossed it. The "you a hug a in a mug" portion is embossed onto a white sentiment strip and attached to the card using some foam squares. I thought some sparkling clear sequins would look so cute sprinkled around the steam. I had so much fun making this card! 

My second project also uses the "Merry Mug" set, as you can see! Last year, I made up some packages of "mug cake" mixes and added them to  Christmas mugs to gift to the secretaries at my sons' school. This year I thought it would be fun to do the same thing, but THIS time, I made some fabric sacks to put them in. I know that cookie mixes are popular to buy in the fabric sacks around Christmas time, but I thought that a miniature version would be super fun! 

 You could also use powdered hot chocolate mix as well, if you wanted! I'm sure I'll be trying that as well at some point before the holidays hit! Also, the sweet little heart that is included got my Valentine's Day brain working as well...don't be surprised it I pop out with some mug-tastic Valentine goodness! Ha Ha!

The recipe that I used for the "Mug Cake" can be found HERE. I used Devil's food cake as my "other" cake that you can pick. I also included some mini chocolate chips inside the fabric sacks as well. I used the snack sized ziploc style bags. I was able to get about 2/3 of a cup of mix into the bags as well as a good sprinkling of the mini chocolate chips.  The fabric bags are cut 4 inches by 6 inches and then sewn on 3 sides. This is the perfect size to hold everything, but it does require some "shoving"! LOL! The topper is die cut using the new "Shape Shifters: Oval 3" and is the perfect fit for the fabric bags.

The sentiment is stamped in Chocolate Chip ink. I realize that it is a little hard to see in the photos, but in real life it goes very nicely with the Kraft cardstock and the homespun feel. I thought that black would be too harsh! Once the sentiment was stamped, I was able to score a nice straight line to fold it over. It does hang a little bit lower in the back, but I like that because I am planning on writing the "to/from" greeting as well as a label with the directions on how to cook the mug cake.

This particular mug is one that I got from Hobby Lobby a few years ago, but it is the perfect size to hold one of these mixes! I also forgot to mention earlier that one recipe of "mug cake" makes 10 ziplock baggies of mix.So....I have made 10 of these little gifts! My sewing machine has been happily humming along these past few days!

I absolutely love the whip cream image. I discovered a fun little stamping tip for the cream whilst stamping 10 different swirls; ink the edges using Fine Linen Ink. Once you have a good amount of ink of the edges, take your fingertip and swirl it around. I figured this out about 2/3 of the way through, but I love the result! There is also a "cinnamon" sprinkle image as well that I also stamped in Fine Linen ink. I also went one step further and used my color spritzing tool and a brown marker to add some extra cinnamon-y speckles!

I chose 5 different Moda Fabrics so there is 2 of each design. It was fun mixing and matching all of the different designs to add to each mug to coordinate with the fabric! The heart is added to the cream using foam squares as well as the little holly sprig and berries in the corner. This project took a little longer than a card, but I am very pleased that I have 10 gifts ready to give this Christmas. The recipe said that the mix would be good for 6 months in an airtight container, so I pressed the bags closed very well. It was easy to sew a straight line underneath the sentiment as well...unless I filled the bag a little too full! woops! Oh well....I'm human! Ha Ha!

My final project uses the new "Sentiment Staples: Christmas". I wanted something other than a card for this stamp set as well, so when I saw that this set had the "from our home" and the "from my home" sentiment, I KNEW exactly what I wanted to do! Most of you probably have the charming Tiny Town: Basic Die, so this will be a fun project to put together this Christmas. 

I used Soft Stone Bitty Big patterned paper for the houses; one each of the different patterns. I used white for all of the shutters, doors and Scalloped Shingles. The "Merry Christmas" portion of the sentiment is heat embossed in white onto a strip of Pure Poppy Cardstock. The oval piece is the very center of the smallest Pierced Feature Frame: Oval that will be released this month. It is die cut out of Soft Stone cardstock and I used the outer frame for a bonus project at the end of this post.

I stamped the "from our home to yours" portions of the sentiment in Smokey Shadow ink. I added the red sentiment strip in the middle using foam squares. I just love the vintage vibe that this particular font gives the project, especially with the red and aqua color combination! It is one of my favorite color combinations for Christmas!

I used the new "Shape Shifters: Oval 3 die" again on this project as the bases to glue the houses. I wanted the houses to have a little bit more substance and this sweet die cut gives it that extra touch. It also gave me a place to add these mini bottle brush trees. It just really amps up the "cute" factor a few notches, am I right? What is it about women and anything "miniature"? 

I threaded some Pure Poppy 5/8 inch saddle stitched ribbon and some Pure Poppy Swiss Dot 5/8 inch Satin Ribbon through the holes of the handles. I didn't add any extra twine of fussiness so that the recipient can just untie and find the sweet treat or gift inside!

I have a few bonus tags to show you that I made as well. I was having so much fun and I had the extra Soft Stone ovals leftover from the tags I made for the houses, that I figured I may as well. It gave me a good excuse to use all of the different "Merry Christmas" fonts as well.

I threaded them all with some Pure Poppy Baker's Twine. I can't wait to add these to my Chrismtas gifts this year! I know that I shared quite a bit today, but I hope that you enjoyed it and that I have given you some inspiration for your holiday season! Thanks for fluttering by!

Traveler's Journal: Project Journal

It's the 8th and that means it is time for some fresh inspiration for all of you Papertrey Ink Traveler's Journal lovers! You can see the rest of the projects on the Papertrey ink Blog. I'm super excited about today's project because it is something that I can't wait to use! I do a lot of needlework projects when I'm not papercrafting. I love this hobby because it is something I can do virtually anywhere! My favorite thing to do is to go outside and find a patch of shade and work on my projects, so having something portable is essential. In the past, I've just thrown everything into a small basket, but now, I have my own super cute handmade basket, coordinating pincushion and project journal that holds all of my "tools" needed for stitching! There are quite a few photos so grab a cuppa and enjoy!

I used the Traveler's Journal : Passport Cover Die for this month's journal. I love this size and it works perfectly to hold all of my things. I also used some of the new release goodies on the cover because I wanted something feminine and pretty. I thought that the Stitching Garden stamp set was the perfect choice for the cover. I patterned it off of THIS card {the second one down} from the August release.

 I die cut the "project" word 4 times out of Weathervane cardstock and stacked it using liquid glue. I didn't want to fuss with the tiny dot of the "J" so I just added a dot of grey Nuvo drops.{shhhhh} This particular word die is included in the Traveler's Journal: Passport Cover Die. I have been using these on each of my projects the last 2 months and I love them! The frame is die cut using the Frame it Out: Many Blessings from the Winter Wisteria cardstock panel that had been previously die cut with the new Scallop Stackers: Small die cuts. I just love the sweet detail that it gives the cover.

You can see how nicely it fits inside the {Flutterby} basket. There's also enough room for the pincushion, all of my thread that I would need for my current project and the actual supplies for the project. I also included the pink mini cutting mat which you can see in this photo as well. I also have a sweet little sewing notebook to jot down any notes or ideas that pop into my head while I'm lost in my stitching!

I purchased my fabric at the my favorite local quilt shop. The floral and green lining fabric is from Moda and the purple polka dot pattern is from Riley Blake. 

 The yellow portion is the actual journal that goes inside the purple cover. I used the Traveler's Journal: Typed Notes mini stamp set for the little sentiment that says "happy place". I thought it was fitting since escaping with a needlework project is definitely one of my "happy places". The rectangle is from the Pierced Feature Frames and I used both the frame portion and the inside piece, shown here. You'll see where I used the frames further in the post.

I stamped quite a few images from the Stitching Garden stamp set and then die cut them all using the coordinating Stitching Garden die cuts. I've used them throughout the project for continuity. I created my own pages using an assortment of Bitty Big Pattern Paper. 

 The first page is for these adorable embroidery scissors. I created a pocket using paper, vellum, and my sewing machine. Scissors are a must have for needlework! The "crafting" sentiment is from the Traveler's Journal: Currently stamp set. This is one that is being discontinued so grab it while you can! It is one of those "go-to" sets! 

The next page was meant to be decorative, but in the end it became an actual "usable" piece. I framed a scrap of the fabric I used to make the basket and pushed some pins through it. These are some adorable quilting pins that are from Riley Blake. The container is a snap shut box but it is in the shape of a mason jar. These are also tucked inside the basket.

The word "pinning" was meant for pinning things on pinterest, I'm sure, but it worked perfectly for this page! LOL!

The next few pages are to hold all of the different kinds of needles. I found these awesome "color coded" needles! Aren't they adorable? They are from Honey Bee! There are so many varieties that I can't wait to use! I didn't show the rest of the pages because they are all very similar, just different colors of needles! Ha ha!

I mentioned earlier that I made a coordinating pincushion. My mom made me one years ago and I just love it, so this one is patterned after that one, just slightly smaller so that it will fit in the basket. I used a Sweet Blush Button to add to the center.

This is one of those projects that kept a smile on my face from beginning to end and the joy is just beginning! I can't wait to put it to use! Thanks for fluttering by!

Reverse Confetti New Release Blog Hop

I hope you've all enjoyed this week's Reverse Confetti Countdown to Confetti! It's been so much fun sharing all of the fun new products for the upcoming holidays! Today we've got an amazing line-up of designers participating in the Blog Hop; lots of Fetti Friends and guests! 

Reverse Confetti Blog

Amy Kolling

Laurie Willison

Crystal Thompson

Melissa Phillips

Amy Sheffer

Lydia Fiedler

Tricia Barber

Kelly Lunceford

Lisa Henke

Yana Smakula

Amy Rohl

Lea Lawson

Laurie Schmidlin

Wanda Guess

Heather Hoffman

Amy Tsuruta

Kathy Schweinfurth

Michelle Short

Audrey Tokach

Jeanne Jachna

Therese Calvird

Olga Moss

Maria Sabina

I think I mentioned yesterday that I had colored quite a few gnomes and accessories, so I decided to put them to good use on today's project!  These sweet little gnomes have been stamped using Palette Black ink and then colored using an assortment of alcohol markers. The sentiment is heat embossed in white onto a piece of Midnight cardstock. 

When I was creating my projects for Day 1 of the Countdown to Confetti, I thought that the cute little treat sack would make a fabulous gift card holder so that is what  I have created today! I loved how many of the designers used the new "Bags and Tags Creator" in such fun and different ways! I can't wait to try some of them!  I like having a good assortment of gift card holders on hand when I am doing my Christmas wrapping! I can't tell you how many times I have had to go out and buy some because I don't have enough on hand and time is of the essence!  Of course, you could also use this same design for some holiday treats as well! I used the Warm Heart 6 by 6 paper pad for this project! I thought it complemented these nordic gnomes so perfectly!

The Santa bag is stamped with the "noel" sentiment  and is the perfect size to fit on this sweet little tag that is included in the "Bags and Tags Creator" die set as well. I added a few sparkling clear sequins for some added detail and shine! All of the new products are available for purchase so head to the Reverse Confetti store today to get your favorites to get started on your projects! Thanks for fluttering by!