Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  It seems like this year went so fast doesn't it? It's time to look forward to the new year, a new beginning, a chance for us to do things better or differently than we did the year before. Time to look back and think of all the things that went right too.. the wonderful friends we've made and the times we've enjoyed. Before you start making any resolutions celebrate the now! Enjoy time spent with your loved ones that are near - and have a toast to the good times past, and the ones that are yet to come!

I thought I'd get this party started with a fun hat decorated with 2016 and a sprinkle of confetti! The neat tassle on the top is made with Twinery Caribbean Twine. I made a tassel by wrapping the twine around two posts and then tightly wrapped one end with double sided tape. I inserted the tassle under the party hat point. It slid under easily because the hat is popped up on adhesive tape. Next to trim the fringes... I left them long because they look fun to me!

I chose bright colors because they make me happy and just scream "PARTY!!!!"

This card would be great as a birthday card too wouldn't it? Wishing you a very happy 2016 - be safe and have fun tonight!  Speaking for myself only... I WILL be up until midnight and imbibing a cocktail or two.  I've got some good food planned - shrimp scampi, and steak sliders!  I'm not sure about Mr. J... he usually passes out on the couch around 10!  LOL!  I'm hoping my son will have some fireworks ready to go - if he's not too old to be hanging out 

with mom!    Thanks for all the fun and love you brought to me in 2015!

Hugs!

Finished Size 4.25 x 5.5"

Twinery Caribbean Twine

Dies:  MFT Jumbo Party Hat,  Fishtail Flags,  Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Borders, Quickutz Dragonfly Alphabet

Pattern Paper:  Echo Park Pirates Life 12"

Stamp:  Waltzingmouse Flurries Stamp Set

Enamel Dots Queen & Co.

12 Kits of Occasions December Edition

So how is everybody doing?  I have been so very busy this past week  We had a wonderful Christmas but it sure went by in a flash!  We did lots of baking on Christmas Eve - mostly cookies and deserts, and then on Christmas Day - for the big dinner.   I had my Mom and Dad over and everyone left with a full stomach and a bag of leftovers for a snack the next day! 

I'm also honored and delighted to be working on the next Poppystamps Look Book that will feature all Valentine's Day designs.  The dies aren't all in from the manufacturer yet so I've been working with what I can when it arrives in the mail.  

Today I'm happy to share my post for the 12 Kits of Occasions!  The 12 Kits is a group of 12 friends who like to paper craft.  Every month we take turns putting together a kit for the rest of the group.  We all get the same kit and then reveal what we made with it at the end of the month. 

The kit this month was put together by Lindsey Larsen from Occasional Crafting!  Our theme this time is "Walking in a Winter Wonderland".    I can't begin to tell you all the amazing goodies that Lindsey put in this kit!  Stamped and die cut images from Papertrey Ink, Avery Elle and Wplus9.  She included lots and lots of embellishments.. pearls , ribbon, wood veneer accents and glittery fringed twine!   You can get a complete list of the ingredients here at The 12 Kits of Occasions Blog!

I made 7 cards and no kidding... I could have kept going.... so no more talking about it.. here's what I made! 

 

 

 Ready to see more designs that were created with this amazing kit?  You're going to just love it all!  You can get a sneak peek of one design from each of the 12 kits members - sort of give you an idea of their style - as well as links to their blogs here at the 12 Kits of Occasions Blog.

Finished size all cards:  4.25 x 5.5"

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a wonderful, merry, and happy Christmas yesterday. I spent the day entertaining for family and friends. It's lots of work but so nice to see everyone enjoy themselves and indulge - good food, conversation, and fun! It doesn't have to end just yet! Just think.. New Years is just a week away!!!

I made this new years card with the Sparkle Burst Starts die.  I thought they looked like fireworks!  And WOW! are fireworks popular in Indiana - there are only two times of year that it's legal to light them here - July 4th and New Years. 

So I know there will be some pretty lights in the sky next week!
All the little bits are inlaid on this card. I know that's lots of work but it sure makes a clean and flat card. I've got a few tips to share to make it easier and to show how I do it. 

A precision tip glue applicator is a must. I use Ranger Multi Matt Medium with a precision tip from Quilled Creations. It provides great control allowing you to add very small amounts in the smallest of spaces.





When I cut the die I try to leave as many pieces in the holes as possible. Next I overlay the pieces I want to inlay over the cut out panel. Using a wood pic I just push the die cuts into the open holes underneath. While the glue is still wet it's easy to push them into place. The remaining pieces that were left behind on the cutting plate are also easy to pick up with the wood pic. I dab the wood pic on a wet sponge and the pieces stick easily. 

This black card was really hard to photograph but the colors really pop against the dark background. I love how flush and smooth the finished card looks.

One more tip.. a Swiffer dry cloth is great for picking up all those little bits of dust left behind from the die cutting. I hope you'll give this a try! And let's keep the party going another week!

Sparkle Burst Stars

Proper Happy New Year

InLinkz.com

Mini Mint Ornaments!

Hi friends! Just a last minute gift idea for you.  I'm on the design team for The Twinery and this is one of my last projects for 2015.  They ask us to create different projects like home decor, tags, treats, cards, printables, scrapbook layouts etc. so that there is something fresh on the blog every time you look.  Things that will appeal to a vast variety of crafters.

I signed up for a Christmas treat.  I found these plastic clear ornaments at Michaels and got them when they were half off - so I paid $1 each for them.  They're a heavy plastic, and they just snap together like a clam shell.

I found the big jar of mini mints at GFS.  The whole jar was about $10.  You can use any treats you like of course.  I thought these were really pretty and they taste good too :)  YUM!!

I filled one half with mini mints and then snapped on the top half of the ornament. Next I threaded Twinery Blossom Twine through the hanger, and attached a pretty pink bow with hot glue.

The poinsettia and foliage are also hot glued on to the front of the clam shell so this is still easy to open and close to get at those sweets inside. I added a bitty tag with more pretty Twinery Blossom Twine.

All the items I used were very inexpensive - so you can make several to give away to friends, coworkers or family. I'm thinking I'll fill a few with cashews too!  

 

Merry Christmas!  Let the baking begin - well that's what I'll be doing today!   I have a Pistachio Cheesecake with a Ganache  topping to make!










Supplies:
Twinery Blossom Twine

Stamp:  Waltzingmouse Tag Collection 1
Dies:  Poppystamps:  General Store Tag, Pine Boughs, Blooming Poinsettia
Gem
May Arts 5/8" Sheer Ruffle Edge Pink Ribbon
Clam Shell Ornament :  Michaels
Mini Mints:  GFS

SSCB#50 Tag It! - Lucky You!

Hi and thanks for stopping by ! I know most of us are running around trying to get it all together for the big day.  Wow!  Christmas crept up really fast didn't it?  I've been trying to fit in some regular check ups at the doctor too before I start a new year with a new deductible.  I've got all the groceries bought and the cooking will begin on Thursday.  That leaves today for a pretty tag for you.  We're at the half way point of the latest challenge at Serendipity Stamps Challenge Blog.  This time it's all about those tags.  Tags usually come together pretty quick so this is a good one for December.   Were you expecting a Christmas tag?  I thought I'd do something completely different!!!

My favorite sort of gift to give is an unexpected one. I'm hopeless at remembering birthdays, and sometimes "a little something" just can't compete with all the other gifts. So this tag is for a very happy un birthday! Lucky you to get a gift, and lucky me to have you as a friend!

The poker chip die is still one of my favorites and it pairs beautifully with the Lucky word die. I'm going to have to pin this one in my secret church/school board in case I ever get sweet talked into working the casino night! This would sure dress up the gift table wouldn't it? I think this one would be great for one of the guys too!

The pretty stitched scalloped border is from Pretty Pink Posh, and you can find it in the store at Serendipity Stamps. I love the wood look sequins (also in the store) they mix and match with any and every color you can imagine. They add a natural look, and I love to add them to just about everything!

I hope you'll join us at Serendipity Stamps Challenge Blog. Any sort of tag for any occassion will do - just make sure you include at least one Serendipity Stamps image (die or stamp) on your project. Looking for more inspiration? You can find more samples from the design team as well as our guest this month, Susan Wuthrich of Blue Fog Studio, here. You have until January 4th to play along!

Oh yesssss.. our 50% off stamp of the month? The Cupcake!

Mini grab bags are back! They're listed at the top of the $1 sale page. 5 cling stamps / $1, 5 sticky cushion stamps / $1 or 10 unmounted stamps / $1. Click here.

Supplies:  
Stamps:  Serendipity Stamps Wishing You
Dies:  Serendipity Stamps  Lucky Word Die, Poker Chip, Poppystamps Mainstreet Tags, Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Borders
Wood Look Sequins:  Serendipity Stamps
Heart Pin:  Maya Road
Pattern Paper:  Basic Grey Carte Postal
Jumbo Eyelet We R Memory Keepers
Twisted Burlap Twine May Arts

Checking his list.....

Wow! Christmas is creeping up! I hope you're ready because you can count it down on the fingers on one hand! And I hope you've been very good and find yourself on the "Nice" list because Santa's made up the list and he has this cute little elf double checking to make sure it's ready to roll on Christmas Eve! There's lots of homes to visit!! This elf is named "Twinkle". It's printed and die cut - ready to work with. That's pretty nice too right?

I started with a base of pattern paper from two different collections. The patterns and colors mix beautifully together so you can't go wrong. The green chevron paper is from Holiday Cheer and the spruce pines are from the Merry and Bright Collection.

This sentiment is from the Waltzingmouse "Santa Was Here" set.   It seems perfect for this little elf with the long gift list!  I've got our little Elf "Twinkle" layered on a Birthday Favors Shipping Tag. There are 6 tags in a package in an assortment of colors that are easy to match with any of the collections in the shop.

That bright red flair button is from the Dear Santa Buttons set. There's six flairs in the package - three with images of Jolly St. Nick, and three with sentiments. I thought the "25" would be perfect with our elf checkinghis list - counting down to the big day!

Time is running out!!!  You better double check your list and make sure you have a little something for everyone on your nice list!  

Finished Size: 4.25 x 5.5”
Pretty Little Studio Supplies:

Pattern Paper:  Holiday Cheer, Merry & Bright

Die Cut:  Twinkle Elf

Flair:  Dear Santa Buttons

Tags:  Birthday Favor Shipping

Confetti:  Starry Night Mix

Twinery Marachino Twine

Stamp:  Waltzingmouse Santa Was Here

Die:  Paper Smooches Flag Tags, Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Borders

Tag You're It! Pine Branches & Poinsettia

Looking for something yummy to make today?  A new challenge starts at Tag You're It Challenge - and this one is from our design team member Donna from Room in a Cupboard blog!  Donna's been making me crazy with all the clear acetate tags she's been making lately!  I think they're so unique and unusual!  I'm happy for an excuse to make one of my own.  The hardest part about this one was finding some clear acetate that was strong enough for the job.  I tried clear transparency and it was flimsy.  I  knew it wouldn't hold the weight of the ribbon let alone the number of die cuts that I wanted to stack on top of it.  I finally wound up recycling a thick piece of plastic.  It was included as a divider in a card stock storage bin I purchased at Joann.   If you look close you'll see it has a striped pattern on it.    I loved everything about Donna's tag - its elegant and sophisticated.

I kept lots of elements the same - particularly the layout from Donna's design.  To try to make this more "me" I added color - a pink poinsettia, and green pine boughs. 
 
 Instead of clear baubles I added wood sequins and a few scattered gems. 

I think this one might catch your fancy too!! I hope you will give it a try!   To see more samples from the design team and to link up your design just click here and jump to the Tag You're It Challenge Blog!

Supplies:  
Dies:  Poppystamps Blooming Poinsettia, PIne Boughs, Memory Box Branching out
Ribbon: 3/4" Pink Grosgrain - May Arts
Twinery Gold Shimmer Twine
Pattern Paper:  Basic Grey Juniper Berry 
Wood Sequins:  Cloud 9
Misc:  Button, Gems
Punch:  We R Memory Keepers