Ice Cream Dream

Hello an welcome to June's stamp of the month blog hop! This month's stamp set is Ice Cream Dream, a set of 7 fun stamps that I can't wait to use on all kinds of projects.  If you've come here from Judy Burger's blog, or if you're just starting out, you are in the right place.  Just hop around our approximately 50 participating blogs until you're back where you started.

For my first project with this stamp set, I made a birthday card for my ice-cream loving 14-year-old daughter. It was perfect, since we planned to give her money this year.

I used the Bokeh technique for the background (more on that at the end), and simply stamped the sentiment in black on it. On a scrap of White Daisy, I stamped the ice cream cone twice using Black pigment ink. I gave it a quick blast with my heat gun to make sure it was completely dry before coloring it with my alcohol markers. (I used Copic markers, but if you are looking for a more economical option, our ShinHan markers are a great alternative!)

After coloring the ice cream of one image and the cone of the other image, I cut them out. I cut the entire image with the cone colored, and only the ice cream of the other image. I mounted the ice cream on the cone using thin 3-D foam adhesive.  I then applied Liquid Glass to the surface of the ice cream and, while still wet, sprinkled on some chunky gold glitter to make it look a bit like her favorite Drumsticks.

I mounted my background on a black mat, then a Gypsy mat, then on to the card base. Once the Liquid Glass on the ice cream cone was dry, I adhered it to the background using more thin 3-D foam adhesive.

If you'd like to shop, here are the supplies I used:

June SOTM

Stamp Pads in Gypsy, Thistle, and Cotton Candy

Basics Mini Pigment Ink Set

White Daisy Pigment Ink Stamp Pad

Thin 3-D Foam Tape

Liquid Glass

Sponge Daubers

Non-Stick Micro-Tip Scissors

Cardstock in Black, Gyspy, and White Daisy

Bokeh Tutorial:

The Bokeh technique is super easy! All you need are a few items:

• White Daisy cardstock
• stamp pads in 2-3 colors for background
• white pigment ink stamp pad
• sponge daubers
• circle templates in various sizes - you can make your own using stiff plastic from product packaging and some circle punches (or a Cricut, etc.)

Step 1 - use sponge daubers and your colored stamp pads to randomly place colors on  the white cardstock. Let dry or blast with a heat gun.

Step 2 - Using the circle templates and a sponge dauber, sponge the white pigment ink randomly on the background. Be sure to overlap some and run some off the edges for a natural look. Let dry or blast with a heat gun.

That's it! Can you believe how easy that is?!

I'd love to hear what you think of this project before you go. Now, let's hop along to Maria Myers' blog and see what fabulous project she has for us this month. I'm looking forward to seeing all the ideas this month!

Christmas in September - Creations by AR Blog Hop

Yes, it's only September. Yes, we just got our kids sent back to school (hooray!). And I think now is a great time to look ahead and start planning for Christmas!

A quick peek at all three new files. Read on for details on each!

Adela is back with three fabulous cutting files for Christmas and Winter, and as usual, you could win the file of your choice just by hopping along with us.  Three random commenters will be chosen from the designers' blogs and the AR Facebook Page to win one of the three new files. Be sure to leave a comment on all of the blogs (listed at the bottom of this post) and the Facebook page for your best chance to win!  Comments will be accepted until Friday, Sept 12, 12:00 noon Eastern. Winners will be announced September 13 on the AR Facebook page and the AR website.

Now, who's ready to check out the new designs? I should mention that these are each for sale individually, as well as a money-saving Winter Bundle.  Let's start with the super cute Gingerbread Gift Bag:

This sweet gift bag is super easy to put together. You'll need two sheets of cardstock for the bag base, and mostly scraps for everything else.  For my bag, I used the heart design cardstock from CTMH's Paper Fundamentals Basic Assortment. I used the side with the ink resist pattern as my outside, and sponged it with darker ink to play up the pattern more. (You can see in the photo, the other side has the same design in white.)  I used white glitter cardstock from American Crafts for my snowy accents, a scrap of Graphic 45 for the wreath, and plain cardstock for everything else.  I glazed the round part of all of my lollipops with Liquid Glass to make them nice and shiny like the real thing. I added details on my "people" with a Uniball Signo white gel pen.

Now let's check out the super sweet set of Starry Trees:

These are even easier to put together than the gift bag! And you have two options: a plain design that looks great with busier patterned paper, and a cutout design that is perfect for cardstock or a simple pattern.  You'll need a piece of cardstock for each inner base (I used brown for my plain trees, and yellow for the cutout one), but you can get two of the covers on one sheet. I used Graphic 45 papers for my trees, so I didn't even bother with embellishments other than the banners that come in the file.

I think these would make great place favors for a dinner or party, and you could write each person's name on the banners. Or, if you have a more informal buffet-type gathering like my family, just use the included words or stamp them all with "Merry Christmas"!

Finally, let's take a closer look at this fun Stack a Snowman:

This fun little guy takes a little more effort, but still easy enough to whip up quickly.  I used textured cardstock for his body and patterned papers from CTMH's Snowhaven paper pack for his other parts.  I wanted to used a light blue patterned piece for the center box, but I only have the consultant sampler on hand which wasn't large enough so I let him white. (Guess what's going on my next order?!)

He's easy to embellish with a little ribbon and some adhesive gems and a pearl. I used brads for his coal buttons and mini brads for him eyes and mouth. I drew on his carrot nose with a Copic marker.

As a reminder, all of Adela's files come with a PDF version as well, for those of you cutting by hand. All three of these should cut by hand easily.

Now, don't forget to visit all the participating blogs and leave a comment for your chance to win:

Adela

Julia

Doris

Lori (YOU ARE HERE)

Lyn

Lisa E

Monica

Patti J

Tina

Lisa S

Sue K

Quick Custom Pendants

So, since yesterday's card was on the time-consuming end of the crafting spectrum, I thought I would share something quick & easy for today!  I fell in love with some sweet DIY pendants at a craft expo last Fall, and as luck would have it, Close To My Heart introduced the SAME pendants in the Spring/Summer Idea Book. It's like they are reading my mind!

These pendants literally take less than 2 minutes to put together - the only hard part is deciding what to put in them!  So here are a few that I have made:

This is nothing more than patterned paper! I used a 1" punch for the circle, and used Liquid Glass to adhere it into the pendant and to adhere the glass dome. I used a baby wipe to clean off any extra adhesive that oozed out, and BOOM! Done! (Of course, I would recommend waiting at least 15 minutes for the adhesive to dry properly before trying to wear it, but seriously, less than 2 minutes start to finish.)

Again, just patterned paper. I added a charm from the Free Thinker packet, and that was it. This will be one of the door prizes at our local Woman's Club Flower Show tomorrow night; I'm sure the winner will love it!

And finally, this is one I made for myself since I am the queen of all things crafty!  For this one, I used an adhesive image from the Craft Queen Style Sheet. I also used some little jewelry pliers to open the jump rings on my charms and attach them to the chain in fixed positions instead of just sliding them on.

Aren't these such a fun and quick project?!  With the great prices, I think they would even be a fun craft for an older girl's birthday party. And of course, what a great project for a grownup Girls Night Out! Some of my fellow consultants have even used photos in theirs for a very special memento - something I would like to try soon.

Pendants are available in circles and squares, and everything comes in Faux Antiqued Gold and Faux Antiqued Silver finishes. You can check out the entire line of Base & Bling Wearable Crafts on my website, but here are the specific items available for these great necklaces.

• Chains - 30" plus 2" extender
• Pendants & Glass Covers
• Style Sheets
• Charms - on page 1 of search results here
• Liquid Glass adhesive

I would love to hear what you think of these - is this something you would try?

Hey, Foxy! Check Out This Stamp of the Month

Hello and welcome to the February Stamp of the Month clog hop! If you've arrived here from the talented Melinda Everitt's blog , or if you are just starting out, you are in the right place. When we're done here, you'll hop along to  Dana Kessler's awesome blog and see what she has to inspire us this month.

In case you get lost along the way, I have a list of everyone participating in the hop here.

Wild About Love is a set of 9 fun & fabulous stamps that celebrate all things "foxy". If you follow my Facebook page, you have already seen a couple of sneak peeks, including one from my Creations by AR Design Team post here on the 21st. I have a couple of other projects coming up this week as well.

For today, I'm sharing a fun 2-page layout from a day we spent at a state park.

 

Obviously, this little fox family is having just as much fun as we did.  I paired them up with the new Timberline papers and MyStickease, 2 kinds of Washi Tape, Timberline Assortment embellishments, and the Irresistibles Frames. All of those items, except the MyStickease, come in the Timberline Workshop On The Go Kit with another great stamp set (and all at a reduced price!).

I used a sketch from Make It From Your Heart volume 2 to design my page, modifying it slightly. It called for a 6x8 photo here, but I wanted to use a 4x6 so I created a title scene in the bottom half.  I cut the plaque from the board patterned paper using the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge, and stamped it in Chocolate. "Take A  Hike" came from the MyStickease and "This Way" is from the Timberline  Assortment.  I stamped the foxes in Autumn Terracotta on Colonial White cardstock and cut them out using my micro-tip scissors.

I colored the Irresistibles Frames using sponge daubers and Ponderosa Pine & Twilight ink pads. I adhered them to the 2x2 Flip Flaps using Liquid Glass.

I used the 2x2 Flip Flaps to add 3 more pictures on top of the memory protector. A great way to squeeze in a few extra pictures of personalities and sweet moments.

I used more Flip Flaps (3x4 size) on the other page to add more pictures of the scenery. I included another fox here, along with a stump stamped in Chocolate on the board patterned paper and cut out with Micro-tip Scissors.

These hearts are also cut with the Cricut cartridge and stamped in Autumn Terracotta and Lagoon. I popped them up with 3-D Foam Tape and inserted a stick pin from the Timberline Assortment.

I hope you enjoyed my project today; I'd love to hear what you think! If you'd like to shop, I have a list of all the products I used below. (The links open in a new window so you can continue the hop.) If you're ready to hop along, let's head over to  Dana Kessler's blog and check it out!

Products used here:

• Wild About Love, February Stamp of the Month
• Timberline Workshop on the Go
• Timberline MyStickease
• Timberline Assortment
• Exclusive Inks Stamp Pads in Chocolate, Ponderosa Pine, Autumn Terracotta, Twilight, and Lagoon
• Sponge Daubers
• Micro-Tip Scissors
• Lagoon Houndstooth Washi Tape
• Honey Triangles Washi Tape
• 3-D Foam Tape
• Flip Flaps Small Assorment
• Liquid Glass
• Make It From Your Heart volume 2

Creations by AR November Release Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the blog hop for November's new releases from Creations by AR. This month we have two great new project files for you, and they both come with a free gift until November 30!

First up, a lovely Stuffed Stocking, and the bonus Holiday Wreath.

 

I used the bonus Holiday Wreath file to decorate the stocking, monogramming it with a stamp from CTMH and adding holly berries with Stickles. I conveniently used my initial, and informed my hubby that he could use this box for a little something for me!

Here's another view:

Since the main part of the box has square corners, it's super easy to put together! I used my trusty Liquid Glass to adhere all of the seams on this project, and I used a Quickie Glue Pen to adhere the wreath. It will look great in any of your favorite papers. I used Fa La La papers from Making Memories that I still had in my stash.

Look, here's a cute little "secret bonus section" - a second box in the toe of the stocking.

Next up, this awesome Pop Up Frosty card with wrap envelope and bonus Snowflake Set.

Isn't that cute?! Another project that's super easy to put together - just follow the directions in the included PDF file.

The file includes circle cuts for the eyes and buttons, but if you're a bit all-thumbs like me, some black brads are the perfect substitute! I used some silver glitter paper for the trim on his hat - I love how it sparkles!

Surprise! It has a built in slot to hold a gift card or a picture. Handy if you're like my family and we finally pass out school portraits at Christmas time!

I decorated the outside of the card to match the inside, using the same pattern paper and some silver glitter tape. I cut all of the snowflakes in the file at 3/4" from white adhesive vinyl.  I find that smaller sizes cut super cleanly and easily from the vinyl, and they are easier to adhere than cardstock.

I love this awesome wrap envelope! Frosty's chin tucks right in behind his scarf to close it. I made a green base to give it a more Christmas-y feel, but it would look awesome with a blue base as well. I used black brads again to make his eyes.

So, how much do you want these project files?! You might even be lucky enough to get one of them (plus its bonus file) for free!  This month we will have two winners: the first for the Stuffed Stocking and Holiday Wreath files, and the second for the Pop Up Frosty and Snowflake Set files. And how do you enter to win? Just like this:
• Leave comments on each blog
• AR FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Creations-by-AR/154314751303824
• AR PCP Group: http://www.papercraftplanet.com/group/creationsbyar

Comments accepted until Nov 17 (12:00 noon EST)
Two random winners will be announced Nov 18 on the AR Blog:  http://cbyar.blogspot.com

Make sure you stop by ALL of the clogs in this hop. Here's the list:

• Adela
• Jak
• Julia
• Lisa
• Lori ---------YOU ARE HERE!!!-----------
• Lyn
• Patti J
• Sue

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you enjoyed my take on these great projects.

Sharpen Your Skills With Challenges

I love to work with challenges! They always give me new ideas, and many times get me using things together that I would not have thought of.  Combining 2-3 challenges helps me stretch my skills even further and gets me thinking outside the box. This morning, I finished just such a project and I am so pleased with the results!

I really loved this week's Mojo Monday sketch, and I am hoping to find time to use it multiple times this week for some different types of cards. Then I saw the current Color Dare challenge to use black & white with green and I knew my first project would be a birthday card for my green loving hubby. His birthday is next month & now I am all done ahead of time - yay me!  Here's the example sketch from Mojo Monday:

The black & white of the challenge made me instantly think of the For Always paper pack. The pattern is more subtle than the picture shows; I had to sharpen it up a it to get the green to look better.

Of course a party needs glitter, and these sparkly balloons from the Artiste Cricut cartridge were just what I wanted.  I used the Green Glitter Paper from CTMH, and the black is Glitter Cardstock from American Crafts. Cutting both materials really made me appreciate the CTMH product even more, and I will be ordering the Black & Gray pack the next time I place an order! It cut so smoothly, in a single pass, where I had to use multi-cut with the chipboard then ink the sides to cover the gray chipboard. And better than the Pow! option from AC, the colors of the green glitter papers are nice and bright. Since this is a heavier material, I adhered the balloons with my trusty Liquid Glass so they will stay put.

I stamped on the tag with a Hostess Exclusive* stamp set, The Party Is On, in Black and Topiary ink. I used Black Distress Ink on the edges of the tag (and on the sides of the black balloon, and the edges of the background paper), and finished it off with a Baker's Twine bow.

The wide green ribbon on my card is from my stash - it was part of packaging on something we bought. Keep your eyes open when you are buying things like blankets, pajamas, and more, especially at Christmas time!

*Hostess Exclusive stamp sets are sets that can be bought at a reduced price using Hostess Rewards. You don't have to host an actual gathering at your home to get Hostess Rewards; you can use the EZinvite system like an online "book party", or contact me to place an individual qualifying order that earns Rewards. You can see all of the Hostess Exclusive stamp sets in the online catalog located here.

What a Sweet Life! - July Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our last stamp of the month blog hop for the Spring/Summer 2013 catalog cycle!  If you have arrived here from Jen Rubio's blog, or if you are just starting out, you are in the right place! When we're done here, we'll hop over to Wanda Riley's blog and see what she has to share with us. This month's stamp set, Sweet Life, is easily one of my favorites, and I will definitely be using it a lot.  Here are the first two projects I made with this set.  I started with a card:

I based this card on this week's Mojo Monday sketch, using the Buzz and Bumble Workshop on the Go.  I added a sheet of Olive cardstock as well. I colored my Color Ready Seam Binding ribbon with an Olive marker, and colored in my stamped image using Olive and Sunset markers.  I distressed the edges of all of my papers using sponge daubers and coordinating inks. All of the embellishments I used are included in the WOTG kit, along with another awesome stamp set.

I really like the sketchy look of the images in this stamp set. And I think they look great with the Buzz and Bumble colors and patterns.

I like my second project even better! I made this little home decor piece on our 6x6 canvas.

I placed an acrylic stamping block behind the canvas to have a flat surface on which to stamp.  Then I just stamped the designs and sentiments with Exclusive Inks stamp pads.  I pleated paper and ran it through my sewing machine for that cute skirted border along the bottom. I distressed the folds with Cocoa ink and attached it to the canvas with Liquid Glass. (This really is my favorite adhesive!) The last thing I added was a little bee from the WOTG kit embellishments.

I colored in the images with our alcohol markers (except the brown, which is a Copic).  The canvas is the perfect material for this because it gives the markers more of a sketchy look to go with the stamped images.  Just be sure to use a light touch with the markers so they don't bleed outside of the lines.

I hope you enjoyed my projects today! I'd love if you let me know what you think before we head over to Wanda Riley's blog.

Of Husbands, Hockey, and Home Decor

There are very few things that my husband truly enjoys; watching hockey is one of them.  In particular, Chicago Blackhawks hockey.  We had the unbelievable opportunity to take in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals at the United Center, so I had to commemorate it with something more permanent and awesome than a t-shirt:

I took the main photo just as the Hawks won the game, and the players were all leaving the bench for the ice.  It was a great memory to capture, along with the smaller pic of hubby basking in their win from our penthouse view.  I thought the Workshops on the Go Canvas Art Kit was the perfect way to display these pictures; they'll look great right along with our "traditional" home decor pieces.

This neat little chipboard frame I stamped is super cute, and I love the fun & trendy arrow chipboard embellishments.

More of the chipboard shapes, both stamped and as-is, make a great accent for the main photo.

This is the sample artwork from corporate, and the version shown in the instructions that come with the kit.  I'm definitely planning to get another one to document my upcoming class reunion next weekend. My school colors were blue & white with red accent, plus it's the weekend of the 4th, so these colors will be great for that version! It comes with two sheets of chipboard shapes in two different color combinations, but they're really easy to mix & match as you wish.  You'll notice that I stuck pretty close to the original layout,but you can change that around however you like too.

My favorite part about this whole thing? Of course it looks awesome, and it was totally quick and easy to put together, but what's really great is that the kits are on sale for just $19.95 July 1 through July 31! You can see the whole kit, with everything that comes in it, right here on my website. Be sure to grab a bottle of Liquid Glass and 3-D Foam Tape if you don't have any. They make attaching everything to the canvas super easy!

While you're there, make sure you check out the "Let's Get Patriotic" promotion. Celebrate military service and promote patriotism with our new patriotic stamp sets—available only until July 31, 2013. Three dollars from each B-size My Acrylix^® Courage stamp set and $5 from each D-size My Acrylix^® Home of the Brave stamp set will be donated to the USO, the leading, most recognized military-support and services organization in the country. Show your support with your own patriotic stamp set!

Thanks for checking out my project; I'd love to hear what you think! And don't forget to come back later for our monthly Stamp of the Month blog hop.  I really LOVE July's stamp set, and I'm sure I'll be using it a lot!

More Decor with Buzz and Bumble

You may remember the cute little wall decor piece I made way back in January using the February stamp of the month and the Buzz and Bumble papers... well, I finally got around to making a couple of coordinating decor piece so that I can hang a series of three in my hopefully-soon-to-be-remodeled laundry room!

Here are the new additions:

And here are all three together:

I will likely hang them like this, with the center one placed higher. They were super easy to make, with only one stamp for each, and the extra coloring is totally optional! The ribbon is attached to the back using Liquid Glass.

While I was creating, I also decided to decorate one of our Kraft Containers to match. It will be a great place to drop any "treasures" I happen to find while doing laundry instead of just laying them on top of the dryer (where they tend to vibrate right on to the floor).

I added a sheet of Twilight cardstock to my arsenal for this, in order to add some contrast between all of the neutrals.  The bee was cut with my Cricut using the Home Decor cartridge, but there are some stylish looking bees on other cartridges too!

If you're looking to reproduce these, here's what you'll want to have:

• Buzz and Bumble Workshop on the Go (comes with another awesome stamp set, BTW)
• Quick Cards - Dragonfly stamp
• Quick Cards - Bumble Bee stamp
• Exclusive Inks stamp pad in Cocoa and Honey (for sponging, optional)
• Exclusive Inks Alcohol Markers in Honey and Indian Corn Blue (optional)
• Twilight cardstock
• Dark Chocolate Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
• My Creations Kraft Container 
• Liquid Glass (if you have Ranger Glossy Accents, they are the same thing!)

Other products:

• 4" burlap canvas - the ones I have are no longer made; if you can't find any, our 6" canvas is a great alternative!
• Cricut Home Decor cartridge (or other cartridge with a bee of your choice)
• Sewing machine with brown upholstery thread (or fake it with a pen or stamp)

Just a warning: the Buzz and Bumble is in VERY short supply, so if you want one, NOW is the time to order!

 Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed today's project ideas; I'd love to hear what you think.

Enchanted Lantern - Creations by AR New Release Blog Hop

 

Hello and welcome to another New Release blog hop for Creations by AR!  This month's new release is the beautiful Enchanted Lantern, with 3 window options. All files are available in SVG and DXF format, as well as PDF for those of you cutting by hand! After seeing all of the beautiful things you can do with this file, I know you're going to want one of your own! And here's how you can WIN your very own:

• Leave comments on each blog
• AR FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Creations-by-AR/154314751303824
• AR PCP Group: http://www.papercraftplanet.com/group/creationsbyar

Comments accepted until Friday, April 19 (12:00 noon EST)
One random winner will be announced April 20:
AR FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Creations-by-AR/154314751303824
AR PCP Group: http://www.papercraftplanet.com/group/creationsbyar
AR Blog:  http://cbyar.blogspot.com

Now, who's ready to see some beautiful Enchanted Lanterns?! Here's my version:

I chose to make an elegant "garden party lantern" in soft colors. I even covered the inside of the windows with vellum (who remembers vellum?!) for a softer, romantic light.

I created my lantern using the Avonlea Paper Pack and Avonlea Canvas Shapes from Close To My Heart, and paper flowers and brads (for flower centers) from my stash. I assembled the lantern using Scor Tape and adhered the flowers using Liquid Glass.

 Here you can see my battery operated tealight. The lantern top conveniently sits on the lantern without adhesive, making it easy to remove and replace the tealight.

Here you can see what the lantern looks like "plain", on the back side. If I were making these for an actual Garden Party, however, I would definitely decorate at least two sides of the lantern. Wouldn't several of these look lovely as table centerpieces?

Now, I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see what the rest of the DT has created with this file! Before we go, be sure to leave a comment to be entered to win.  (And I would love if you come back here on Thursday when I plan to have another version of this made.)  Here's the list of DT members you should visit this month:

Adela - http://cbyar.blogspot.com/2013/04/creations-by-ar-april-blog-hop.html

Amy - http://tethered2home.com/?p=10167 

Jak - http://www.jakheath.com/2013/04/enchanted-lantern-blog-hop-creations-by.html 

Julia - http://createwithjulia.blogspot.com/2013/04/creations-by-ar-enchanted-lantern-april.html
Lisa - http://www.lisasomerville.com/2013/04/enchanted-lantern-creations-by-ar-april.html
Lori - <<<<<<<<< YOU ARE HERE >>>>>>>>>>
Lyn - http://www.lynspaperpetunia.com/2013/04/creations-by-ar-new-release-hop.html
Sue K - http://suesstampingstuff.blogspot.com/2013/04/creations-by-ar-new-release-lantern.html
Sue M - http://www.suessentiments.org/2013/04/creations-by-ar-april-16th-release-blog.html