Belle Papier {pretty paper}

I had a little fun putting this card design together. It is a little different and I took a few risks with it. A fresh color combo and some vintage/shabby touches and some quick messy watercoloring…well…I love it but I’m not sure how you all are going to like it! DH hates it! LOL “You MADE that?!” Soooo be honest…what do you think? I’m a big girl…I can take it. I think last yesterday I was just tired of perfect coloring and perfect squares and perfect scallops and wanted to think outside the box. I even colored that wild rose in blue! One of my resolutions this year is to try out new things and be more creative. I hope it is one I can keep!

Shabby Hello

This design is currently out for publication…

I actually started this design while cleaning up my desk. I couldn’t throw away this darling little scrap of Hambly Screen Prints transparency. So I paired up that acid green with some turquoise and blue and had a little shabby fun. For the background…I used the Spanish Script backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms. I inked it up randomly…leaving the edges uninked for a interesting look. After watercoloring my Wild Rose stamp with Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery and Cool Caribbean, I ripped out the image and crumpled up the edges.

To hold down that Hambly transparency I added some brown stitching to the left side and secured the right with some Spumoni Prima Flowers. To add a quick sentiment, I tucked in a little Hello…from the Silhouette Blooms stamp set and added some more random stitching. A few Autumn Leaves buttons decorate the top left corner to finish it off.

I also want to take this time to wish you all a safe and happy new year! If you want to kick the new year off with some new stamps and goodies…I thought I’d let you know… Cornish Heritage Farms is having a one day sale tomorrow. You might want to check it out!

Supply List:

Cardstock: Frosted Teal, Birchtone Dark, Natural Ivory - Prism

Stamps: Wild Rose, Spanish Script, Silhouette Blooms - Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Cool Caribbean - SU, Burnt Umber Palette - Stewart Superior

Other: flowers - Prima, sewing machine, buttons - Autumn Leaves, transparency - Hambly Screen Prints, brad - Creative Impressions

Well…It’s not Saturday but I’m going to share a very simple design with you today instead. These holidays mixed up with a lot to do have really done a number on my schedule! I’m hoping another week of the kids home and then I’ll be able to get back to normal!

This is a super quick Valentine’s Design. I’m really loving simple these days. I love designing a variety of styles and mixing them up to keep things interesting. When you design pretty much daily…this is a good thing. I shared a design with you on Thursday with this same set and it has a totally different look. I still have another one up my sleeve for another day. It is totally different again so stay tuned!

{Heart} U

For this design, I used a simple card of Very Vanilla cardstock and used a Spellbinders Oval Nestability die to emboss the front. This gives a very subtle look with no layers but still gives a sense of boundaries in the design. Inside the embossing, I stamped a simple U and heart from the Heart To Heart stamp set by Lizzie Anne Designs. For the heart…I added a little interest by first inking the stamp in Regal Rose ink and then Rock n Rolling the stamp by rolling the edges with my Rose Red ink pad. I love the dual tones and this is such a great simple technique for solid stamps.

For my super quick embellishments…I just adore these little felt birds from Maya Road…how cute is that?! A little button is tied with some May Arts ribbon and helps anchor the design.

Hope you are having a simply wonderful weekend!

I’m just smitten with Paper Crafts new February issue! Haven’t gotten my copies yet but I did spy it in the drug store yesterday while I was posting some designs….we have a post office right in the store. Of course I had to flip through. I can’t wait for it to arrive in my mailbox and for some time to actually go through it carefully. LOL I had to stop as I was getting some curious looks from an employee. Some gorgeous designs were catching my eye! I have two designs in this issue and can share one of them with you here.

Words of Love

This design uses three embossing powders embossed over patterned paper as part of the Hot Hot Heat feature in this issue. You can check it out on page 70, I believe. My other design on is page 51 and is part of the Valentine’s feature. If you don’t subscribe to this magazine…you can purchase it at your local craft store or on-line at Paper Crafts.

I always like making Valentine’s Cards that are a little more masculine in nature. After all…my hubby is NOT going to appreciate a lot of pink and flowers …he just wants to know that I love him. While playing around with this Heart to Heart stamp set by Lizzie Anne Designs I decided to try out a darker, more vintage look…perhaps a more “scrappy style” if you will. I love the results…some stamping on acetate, a little paint, stitching…I’m hoping he likes it!

Today is also Thursday and time for another Ways to Use it Challenge. This week, the challenge is a rerun. With the busy days during the holidays I thought it would be a good time for one and today….the challenge is to use Stazon! I love Stazon ink…perfect for so many surfaces. As in this card design, I mostly use mine on acetate but also love using it on glass. Stazon ink is also great for stamping and then watercoloring as it doesn’t bleed. If you’re just starting out…my favorite Stazon inks are Black and White Opaque…soooo flexible. Try them! You’ll love them. If you’d like to play along…make sure you check out the challenge at WT146.

U & I

This design is pretty simple…a 5.25″ square card design layered with the beautiful Perhaps Basic Grey paper. You know how much I love those 6×6 paper pads! The U heart I was stamped in black Stazon Ink from Tsukinkeo onto a transparency. I love transparencies…they are fabulous to stamp on and you can brush ink or paint behind them just where it is needed…sort of a layer but one that barely covers up what is beneath. Over the heart…I hand wrote “and” on a little strip of paper and then sponged the edges with Distress Ink. After crumpling the strip…I attached it over the heart with my Crop-a-dile and some eyelets. I then attached the transparency to my design by stitching the edges to the card and also added a little stitching to the top of the card. I decided to have a little fun with the bottom of the design as well…I pulled out my Just Words stamp set and stamped coordinating words along the bottom of the patterned paper. Between each word, to add definition, I added a tiny silver heart brad by Making Memories. A Prima flower, a button and some ribbon finish off the design.

Wishing you a wonderful day! Hope you have time to join us for the challenge!

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas yesterday. Was Santa good to you? I had a lovely day spent with my family, aunt and dad. So much to eat and that refrigerator is stocked full with leftovers. Yippee…doesn’t look like I’ll have to do much cooking for a while! Today I’m doing some designing and trying to get back to normal here. It’s been so busy I haven’t stamped in a week and so I’m really looking forward to it.

In the meantime, New Years is just around the corner. Now I’ve never actually sent a New Year’s card before…I’ve only designed two actually and so I’m sharing this quick design below. Lots of shimmer and fun.

Starry Glitter New Year’s

This design actually uses a Christmas paper that has a starry night with Santa riding on his sleigh. After designing a card with the image, i was left with this scrap of starry black patterned paper and thought it might be fun to try a New Years design with it. I love pairing up black and aqua. This cardstock is actually the retired SU Cool Caribbean cardstock as it matched up my glittery chipboard alphabet so well. This Making Memories chipboard is so sparkly and fun and easy to work with. H N Y for Happy New Year. On the right side of hte design…I used a little acetate Ghost Shape Snowflake by Heidi Swapp and over top… a Happy New Years epoxy embellishment from Around the Block. To finish it off…a couple rhinestone brads by Making Memories.

Hope you are having a great Boxing Day. That’s the day after Christmas…a holiday for most people here in Canada and also in Britain. I’m staying home and not braving the stores! If you do feel like doing a little shopping…you might want to pop by Jacksonbelle Embellishments. Lindsey is having a huge sale…most items in the store 25% off until midnight the 28th. Have fun!