Season's Greetings!

I ordered some things from Ellen Hutson's online store http://www.ellenhutson.com/servlet/StoreFront about a month ago and inside my package was the most delightful *thank you*. She had packaged up some yummy satin ribbon in a small bag with a beautiful christmas tree image that she had colored inside. It was so cute and thoughtful. As I was cleaning my *hazard zone* stamp area yesterday, I found the ribbon and set it aside so that I could use it. The image reminded me of one of the new images from The Saltbox Studio and I decided to use it for the focal point of my card today. I used my neglected nestablities dies to create the scalloped rectangle and then stamped my image with Palette Noir ink. I colored the image with an assortment of copic and prismacolor markers. After I had finished coloring the tree, I added a few diamond stickles to the bulbs and star. I decided I had better use the nestabilities that I own since I put in an order to spellbinders for more.
LOL! You all are such enbablers, let me tell you!!!!! I sponged the edges with Antique Linen distress ink by Ranger. The background was run through my cuttlebug with the swiss dot embossing folder. Of course the satin ribbon was the finishing touch with a few buttons for a homespun feel! Thanks for fluttering by!

Supplies:

All stamps from The Saltbox Studio- http://www.amuseartstamps.com/

Ink: Palette Noir, Antique Linen distress ink by Ranger, Copic and Prismacolor markers

Paper: Garden Green, Kraft, PTI White

Accessories: Cuttlebug, Swiss Dot Embossing Folder, Satin Ribbon from Ellen Hutson, Diamond Stickles, Paper Piercer and Mat Pack, Hobby Blade, Nestabilities Dies

Two Cards-One Sketch

I hopped over to Card Positioning Systems today to check out this week's sketch. It was fabulous as always, so I decided to make two cards. One using some of the new Christmas images from The Saltbox Studio and another using the Old Saint Nick rub-ons from Stampin' Up! Both cards were super fun to make. You can check out this week's sketch here: http://cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/

The first card doesn't have any stamped images on it, but I did use the fantastic rub-ons called
"Old Saint Nick" I used the white images and transfered the image onto a piece of acetate. I distressed the edges for a frosty look using my Cotton White StazOn inkpad. This is one of my favorite inkpads, but it has been neglected lately. I guess Christmas time is a great time to use it. I also used "Christmas Traditions" DSP for each layer and Pink Pirouette cardstock for the base and the mat. I used a gem and some glitter from Martha Stewart Crafts. I rounded the corners on the base using my small corner rounder. I really like this one, because it is sharper than others I have had and it will punch through both layers of my cards.

The next card uses some great new images from The Saltbox Studio that can be found Here: http://www.amuseartstamps.com/ I love these little mouse images. I can just imagine the little church mice putting on a Christmas pageant. Yes...I am a nerd!!! I had fun coloring the images using copics and prismacolor markers. I also used a pigment gold inkpad for the sentiment and the star. I paired the images with the yummy FaLaLa paper from Making Memories. I was at Target the other day picking up some other items and I spied this and had to have it. I usually don't purchase my craft items at Target but this paper was calling my name. I punched one of the snowflakes out from the pattern paper and used that for the snowflake element that the sketch called for. Easy Peasy.

Don't forget to check back for the BLOG CANDY I will be posting this week!

Card 1 Supplies:

Old Saint Nick Rub-Ons

Paper: Pink Pirouette Card stock, Christmas Traditions DSP

Ink: Antique Linen by Ranger

Accessories: Riding Hood Red Striped ribbon fromSU! , Little Felt Flurries, Crystal Coarse Glitter and pink gem sticker from Martha Stewart Crafts, foam squares, vintage brads, acetate, sponge, liquid glue

Card 2 Supplies:

Images from The Saltbox Studio (http://www.amuseartstamps.com/)

Paper: Kraft, PTI white, FaLaLa from Making Memories

Ink: Palette Noir, copic and prismacolor markers, gold pigment pad, Vintage Photo by Ranger

Accessories: Gold Brads, Circle punches from SU!

Horn of Plenty

I finally finished the baby blanket last night! My husband and kid's went to the library to check out new books and ended up bringing home a DVD as well. I sat at my sewing machine while they watched the movie and ate popcorn. That is one reason why I love my craft area where it is; I can be there, but doing something else so I don't seem so *stamp crazed*! LOL! I love having my sewing machine right there, too. The quilt is in the washing machine, so I will have to post it when it is dry.

Today's card features some of the new stamps from The Saltbox Studio which can be found here: http://www.amuseartstamps.com/ I used some of my new paper salon paper, too. I love this image and had fun coloring. I didn't even color the bird blue! ****shocker***!!!LOL! Anyway, I have every intention of playing in today's color challenge when I get a minute, but I will probably post that tomorrow!

P.S. I am a copy-cat. I love how Julia S photographs her cards laying down, so I decided to try it! Thanks for the idea, Julia! I Love your stuff!!!!

Live Simply Inspiration

The other day I was visiting Amy Rohl's blog-Inkaboutme, and loved her post which can be read here: http://inkaboutme.blogspot.com/2008/11/happy-holiday-inspiration.html I love what she wrote. I love finding inspiration in the world around me. The other day I was telling my Mom that I don't do that as much as I used to. It seems that either I am too much of a home-body these days or that I am in too big of a hurry when I am running here or there. Amy's post reminded me of all the inpspiration that I *used* to find! LOL! I guess her post really stuck in my head because the other day when I was cleaning up after dinner, I looked down at my dish towel and thought, "Hey...I have all of those images in stamps from The Saltbox Studio and I could create a cute card along these same lines." My dish towel was given to me by my Mom and it is a darling Deb Strain towel with cute primitive images. Of course my Saltbox Stamps would be perfect. I had *so*much fun creating this scene and I couldn't resist the sentiment; it works perfectly. I used quite an assortment of Saltbox images all of which can be found here: http://www.amuseartstamps.com/ I colored the images with Copic and Prismacolor markers. Thanks for fluttering by!

Parisian Dreams and Ho Ho Ho!

Yesterday, Mr. Brown brought me some great new SU! DSP including Parisian Summer. This has been one that I have wanted since the catalog came out, but kept putting it off. It is finally here and it is positively scrumptious. I haven't seen much done with it, but who knows, maybe I am just out of it? LOL! Anyway, I thought it would work well with today's sketch challenge over at SCS. I also paired it with "Dreams du Jour" Stamp Set. The flowers in this paper reminded me of the flower from this set. I did minimal sewing because I am lazy today! LOL! Anyway, I thought the sewing that I did worked well with this design to mimic a quilt square. I colored the images with a blender pen and ink refills. I also added some pink taffeta ribbon. Yummy! Of course it couldn't be complete without a little glitter, so I added some diamond stickles.

My second card started out as an attempt at yesterday's color challenge, but I decided I wanted it to not be so bright red; more vintage. So...I pulled out some of the Paper Salon paper I picked up the other day at Hobby Lobby and started creating. I realized after I was done that this card looked familiar. This is almost the exact same layout I already used for this exact santa for my Design Team assignment. I CASED myself! LOL! This santa and sentiment are from The Saltbox Studio which can be found here: http://www.amuseartstamps.com/ Thanks for fluttering by!