Belle Papier {pretty paper}

Wow! It’s cold out this morning! I had to send the kids to school in winter coats for the first time this season. I’m determined to eek out a little more fall before the long winter arrives which got me thinking about a challenge for today’s Ways to Use it Challenge. Today’s challenge is more of a theme than a product. I’d love to see how you find Ways to Use Beautiful Leaves. Recently I purchased some lovely velvet Prima leaves and this is my first whirl at using them. Feel free to use images of leaves, die cuts, leaf embellishments, create a leaf shaped card, even take some real leaves and ink them to make your own leaf prints. However you decide to incorporate leaves, have fun with the challenge! Here’s the link…

A Sheltering Tree

I’ve had a migraine for the past two days so this card was a quick-make-something-off-the-desk sort of deal. I’m glad that I’m at least semi-functioning today. I’m tired of not getting anything accomplished! This card mixes some stamping up with some fun papers and embellishments. I’m loving the brown, teal and green color combo.   It’s kind of cozy for this time of year. It was way too cold at the bus stop this morning!

 Supply List: Vintage Text Scrapblock by CHF, Friend Centers (MLM Line) by CHF, Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Tsukineko, sandpaper, sewing machine, chipboard & Leaves by Prima, paper by Webster’s Pages, ribbon by Michael’s

Now I’m off to warm up with my French Vanilla!

Have a great day!
Julia

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday. More than just the turkey ended up stuffed. My husband’s family arrived for the day and with twenty-one of us, it was quite a fun and noisy occasion. Hubby and I had managed to make quite the dent in the to do list so I was pleased. The turkey was delicious and it was amazing how much food disappeared. What a wonderful day. We have so much to be thankful for!

I must admit though, today I’m feeling a little zonked. I hope I can squeeze in an afternoon nap! And I’m hoping to find some creating time today so I have something new to share with you. It’s been a while! In the meantime, I thought I’d share a couple pub designs with you…

The Paper Crafts Nov/Dec issue is already on the shelves. Where does the time go? I seem to be repeating that too many times lately! I’m excited that this issue has a few of my designs and excited that this year I submitted to the Stamping Royalty contest and won one of the spots with this  Glimmer Mist resist card. Sorry this picture isn’t a great one but I didn’t have much light the day I sent this off.

Love Gives Us a Fairy Tale

I haven’t received my Holiday Cards and More copy yet but I did find a copy at my local Michael’s  to take a peek at. Wow! So many fabulous holiday ideas! I can’t wait to get my issue and sit down with a French Vanilla and go through it all. I love my computer but there is nothing quite like curling up on the couch with a beautiful magazine full of great ideas!

Merry & Bright

This was a super fun and quick card using My Mind’s Eye paper and die cuts embellished with some sweet Dew Drops.

Take care and have a fabulous day!

Julia

I love buttons! They are such a simple, inexpensive embellishment but I love the dimension and warm feel that they add to a project. I have two stamped projects to share with you today.  I actually made them weeks ago but am just finding some time to share them now.I’m still on my home projects kick and the house is looking much more homey. I’m lovin it. Of course, my list and hubby’s list are still a few miles long but hey…baby steps! It’s hard to live in a constant renovation. Come to think of it, for the past twenty years, I can’t think of a time when we HAVEN’T been renovating.

Button Swatches

This is a quick little card featuring my Sew Special stamp set. I simply stamped the little swatches, stitched them and added some buttons.

Supply List:

Stamps: Sew Special (the Rummage Bin line) by CHF
Ink: Memento Ink by Tsukineko
Paper: Simply Smooth white cardstock by CHF
Other: sewing machine, buttons, thread

Friendship

This sweet little image in another Sara England rubber stamp. It’s colored with Copic markers and then die cut.

Supply List:

Stamps: A Walk in the Woods (Sara England line) by CHF
Script Essential Expressions (MLM Line) by CHF
Ink: Black Memento ink by Tsukineko
Paper: Simply Smooth white cardstock by CHF, patterned paper by Fancy Pants Designs & October Afternoon
Other: buttons by Autumn Leaves, linen thread, Labels 1 Nestability dies by Spellbinders, sewing machine, Copic markers

Have a beautiful day!

Anyone else tired? Did everyone have a wonderful World Card Making Day?! While I only managed to get one card made on the actual day, I certainly did my share in the week leading up to it! I ended up taking care of some family things and we actually got the first coat of paint onto my craft room. How’s this for a yummy color? It’s called Bird’s Egg.

Hopefully I’ll be in there before Christmas! Thanks to all of you who stopped by, entered to win the stamps and followed me through a maze of links. You ladies rock! I appreciate all your sweet comments more than you can know. I wish I could send you all some goodies!

I’ll get right to the winner of the A Very Merry World Card Making Day post. The random.org number generator picked #39. Congrats Jennifer Styles! Please e-mail me with your address and I’ll get the stamps out to you asap!

While last week was busy with WCD, this week I’m focusing on getting ready for Thanksgiving. Canadian Thanksgiving is just one week away and I have a houseful of family coming. Should be fun and so very yummy. As my mind has been on Thanksgiving,  I designed this Giving Thanks Printable and card project. It’s a collage of scripture. I really want to create a home decor piece with it this week so I’m hoping I’ll find the time.

 Giving Thanks

This image was printed twice. I then cut out the main “thanks” line and popped it up on dimensional foam tape.

Don’t be afraid to cut up your Printables!

Special Day

I’ve been a little remiss on getting much stamping done but I thought I’d share this design today. It’s the Shady Tree Studio Stump Scene that I colored with my Copic markers. The beautiful laser cut paper is from the Lemonade collection by Basic Grey. It’s fun to think of interesting ways to use every scrap!
Stamps: Stump Scene (Shady Tree Studio) by CHF
Ink: Black memento Ink by Tsukineko
Paper: Lemonade die cut paper, Lemonade 6×6 paper pad by Basic Grey, kraft cardstock by Bazzill Basics, Simply Smooth white cardstock by CHF
Other: Ribbon by American Crafts, sewing machine, Copic markers, button by Autumn Leaves, twine

Thanks for stopping by!

For the past two days I’ve been armed and dangerous…with a spray paint can that is. Yes, I’m still on that home clean/purge/creatively recycle kick and I’m having fun. I found yet MORE fabulous crafty decorating blogs and am now inspired to paint, paint, paint. I found a few things yesterday that could use a little love or they needed to get donated to someone who will love them. I ran off to Michael’s and picked up a can of Suede spray paint. What did I paint? An old wood calendar frame that looked VERY 90s , some 20 year old pink picture frames, white letters that I had picked up in Michael’s, oh…3 years ago and never did anything with them. Actually…I have another funny DH story. The spray painted word was DREAM and I adhered it over the bed with some cool picture mounting adhesive that I think I may have picked up at Michael’s last year sometime. I finished in the afternoon and thought it was looking pretty cool and then went off to make dinner, help with homework…the usual drill. After dinner he calls me upstairs. I thought Uh-oh. He hates it. sigh. So it turns out that he was concerned with my vocabulary. Huh? He has a problem with dream? No. It seems that the mounting adhesive wasn’t quite up to snuff and the R & the E had fallen off. Yikes! I think I may have to try nails instead.

Back to the spray paint…I have a wood tray that I still want to paint as I’m having lots of fun with my new addiction. The point is…it can be super fun to try out new things. Now I’m not asking you to find a spray paint can and attack your house but I do have a challenge for you that will help you step out of the box. Now and then as a designer, I’m challenged to work with products that are a little outside my comfort zone, in a totally different style than I would normally pick. Now there is no right or wrong style, everyone has their own preferences but I’m asking you to find ways to use a different style than you normally create in. Check out the challenge here.

Drama Diva

So. Art Nouveau is not really me. That’s ok though as it was fun thinking through the style and figuring out how best to use this Drama Queen image. I decided a vintage look was in order and distressed the image and also paired it up with the Vintage Text Scrapblock. You can see how I created a rough mask around the image. I didn’t want to cut it too close so that the image had room to “breathe”. Graphic 45 is always a great vintage look and I used black and tan toned papers from both the Botanicabella and Fashionista lines. Some stitching, a pearl sticker and some vintage-styled accessories finish the look.
Supply List:

Stamps: Drama Queen by Cornish Heritage Farms
Vintage Text Scrapblock by Cornish Heritage Farms
Sassy Petites (Mona Lisa Moments line) by CHF
Ink: Black Memento by Tsukineko, Vintage Photo Distess Ink by Ranger
Paper: Simply Smooth white cardstock by CHF, patterned paper by Graphic 45
Other: gaffer tape by 7 Gypsies, flower by Prima, button by Autumn Leaves, pearl sticker, ribbon by Creative Impressions, extra large eyelet by We R Memory Keepers, sewing machine

I ended up tackling my dining room yesterday and all those spray painting projects. I’m so proud of everything I’m accomplishing each day. Wish I could tackle the study today but I’ll be busy creating instead. I have lots going on next week and need to get prepared! It’s all good though I’ll be having fun getting inky and that’s always super fun!

Happy creating!