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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Evergreen Christmas


Are you ready for a Christmas in July blitz?? :-) You'll be seeing a lot of Christmas and winter-themed projects from me this month, and this is just the first one. :-)

For this card, I am using this gorgeous Holly Plate stamp set from Chapel Road. I stamped the holly sprig off onto some scrap paper first and then onto my vanilla cardstock, and then I stamped the sentiment over that. I wanted the holly sprig to fade out enough so that you could read the sentiment.

For the background, I pulled out my shimmery Evergreen paint from Creative Inspirations Paint and applied the Dabbed Shimmers technique from Technique Junkies. Once the paint was dry, I randomly stamped the smaller leaves all over the background.

You can see the gorgeous shimmer here:


I embellished this card with some burgundy wrinkled ribbon and a single Wild Orchid flower from I Brake for Stamps. Now I'm in the mood for Christmas carols and hot chocolate and some good old fashioned holiday movies! :-)


Stamps: Holly Plate (Chapel Road)
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Artichoke
CS: Vanilla, Chocolate Chip
CI Paint: Evergreen
Other: sponge, May Arts ribbon, Wild Orchid Flower(I Brake for Stamps - use code SAVE10HOLLY)
TJ Technique: Dabbed Shimmers

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

I Brake for Challenges #4


Happy Wednesday, everyone! Are you ready to play with this week's challenge over at I Brake for Challenges?? This week is all about birthdays, so that should be an easy one for all of you to play along with.

I pulled out this Birthday Girl Quinn from I Brake for Stamps and colored her with some hot pink Copic markers. I cut this out using the Out of the Nesties Box technique (Technique Junkies) and matted it with a hot pink scallop oval. The background layout is a fun and funky mix of papers and patterns and colors. I added some baker's twine for a fun twist. I love this stamp because I don't have to hunt for a sentiment - it's already on there with the little sign that she is holding.

Come play along with us over at I Brake for Challenges. You don't have to use stamps from I Brake for Stamps, but if you do, you have a chance to win free stamps! We all love free rubber, don't we? :-)

Stamps: Birthday Girl Quinn from Sarah's Girls sheet (I Brake for Stamps) - use coupon code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Melon Mambo, White, Pink Pirouette, Lime Twist papers from My Mind's Eye
Other: oval dies, Copic markers, baker's twine (The Twinery - Honeydew & Blossom)
TJ Technique: Out of the Nesties Box

Monday, June 27, 2011

Razzleberry Flower Basket


I was in the mood to color one night, and I just let the feeling guide me in picking out these colors to use on this gorgeous Flower Basket from Eureka. No, these are not my normal colors, but what can I say? I was just having fun and these colors just wanted to come out and play that night.

I paired this Flower Basket with some papers from Prima and some Razzleberry cardstock and ribbon. I sponged some Antique Linen distress ink over the colored flower basket to give it a vintage feel. I love how this turned out. :-)

Stamps: Flower Basket from Eureka
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Antique Linen distress
CS: Razzleberry, White, Botanical dp (Prima)
Other: circle die, lacy circle die, Copic markers, sponge, Razzleberry satin ribbon

Friday, June 24, 2011

Glimmered Vintage Silk Chapel Road


Ahh.......... Friday!!!!!!! I'm back with another Chapel Road card today, and this one was a lot of fun. I used the Glimmering Silk technique from Technique Junkies with this vintage image from the Typing Time set. There is a gorgeous subtle shimmer on this background, and I enhanced the "vintage" aspect by sponging some Vintage Photo distress ink around the edges.

The sentiment is from the Butterfly Square set and I sponged the edges with the same Vintage Photo distress ink. The old fashioned calligraphy pen (from the Typing Time set) was cut out, sponged, and popped up with dimensionals over the edge of the sentiment. I added a die cut border and some gorgeous satin May Arts ribbon to the side.

I hope you've enjoyed the vintage feminine artwork I've shared with you this month. What do you think I'll be sharing with you in July? :-)

Stamps: Typing Time and Butterfly Square from Class Act/Chapel Road division
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Vintage Photo
CS: Black, White, tissue paper
Glimmer Mist: Vanilla Breeze, Sweet Clover, Seafoam
Other: oval dies, border die, May Arts ribbon, sponge
TJ Technique: Glimmering Silk

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Bright Pink Flowers in a Basket


Hi everyone! I'm sharing this fun basket of bright pink flowers with you today. This fits into this week's challenge on the Creative Inspirations Paint blog to use bright and fun colors.

I colored the basket and flowers with Copic markers, and then went over the basket with the Tan paint from Creative Inspirations Paint. You can see the awesome shimmer in this picture:


I used the matching border stamp on the pale yellow polka dotted paper, and I stamped it again on some white cardstock. I colored the flowers with some pink Copic markers, and then cut them out and paper pieced them onto the pale yellow polka dotted paper. I filled in the centers of all the flowers with some white Liquid Pearls for a little texture.


CI Paint: Tan
Stamps: Great Impressions
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento
CS: white, brown, yellow polka dot dp
Other: Copic markers, Liquid Pearls, Prima flowers, Labels 8 die, EK Success edge punch
TJ Technique: Paper Piecing

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Whitewashed Fence & Cowgirl


Howdy, y'all! Howdya like this cute little cowgirl??? This is my project for the challenge this week over at I Brake For Challenges. This is an inspiration challenge, and there is the cutest inspiration picture over on the challenge blog. I was inspired by the red and white polka dot dress, and I added the white polka dots on the red boot, the red bandanna, and the red bow in the little cowgirl's hair.

The fence and the background were transformed by using the Simple Whitewash technique from Technique Junkies. This technique just exactly what I needed to go with this sweet little cowgirl. The cowgirl - Chelsea with Pony - is from the Sarah's Girls sheet over at I Brake for Stamps. I added some die cut clouds and some little strips of red cardstock for a little pop of color.

I hope you play along with this fun challenge from I Brake for Challenges. You don't have to use stamps from I Brake for Stamps, but if you do, you have a chance to win free stamps. Don't have any IBFS stamps yet? Use this coupon code - SAVE10HOLLY - to save 10% and stock up on a few stamps so you can play!


Stamps: Chelsea with Pony from Sarah's Girls sheet (I Brake for Stamps)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Kraft, White, Red, Linen Closet dp (DCWV)
Other: white gel pen, Copic markers, gesso, fence die, cloud die
TJ Technique: Simple Whitewash

Monday, June 20, 2011

3D Shell birthday card


Good morning! Ready for another workweek? Here's some eye candy to help you get through those Monday blues.

This Shell Pattern is an awesome stamp from Eureka Stamps. You basically stamp it, color it however you want, and then follow the lines to cut and score it, and assemble it so it forms the 3D shape. So cool!

I colored this shell with some Distress Stains and then flicked some dark blue ink splotches over it. I paired this up with the Happy Birthday Script stamp and some fun twine with little shells on it. Below is a close-up picture of the 3D shell:



Check out all the neat 3D stamps in the Eureka store by clicking HERE. I've got a few more of these stamps and I'm working on putting some together. You'll see more in the next few weeks, so stay tuned. Have a wonderful week!

Stamps: 3D Shell Pattern and Happy Birthday Script from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Antique Linen
CS: Not Quite Navy, White, Minuet dp (Memory Box)
Distress Stains: Weathered Wood, Peeled Paint, Wild Honey
Other: shell trim (Walmart)

Friday, June 17, 2011

Vintage Seamstress


It's time for this month's Chapel Road challenge, and this time we are focusing on "vintage" themed projects. Chapel Road came out with two new stamp sets that are perfect for making vintage-y projects: Sew Much to Do and Typing Time. I pulled out the Sew Much to Do set and played around with it.

When deciding what to do for my "vintage" project, I searched through all the techniques over at Technique Junkies. The one called "Vada's Gesso Resist technique" just popped out at me and I had to give it a try. I really love the effect I've achieved here - faded, distressed, and muted. This reminds me of those old-timey advertisements that have been hiding in someone's attic for decades.

Pop on over to the Chapel Road challenge blog and see what the other ladies have created for this challenge. I hope you will play along with us - you could win free stamps! :-)

Stamps: Sew Much to Do (Chapel Road)

Ink: Antique Linen, Tattered Rose, Walnut Stain, Aged Mahogany, Jet Black Stazon
CS: Glossy white, black, Naturals Ivory
Other: May Arts ribbon, buttons, letter stickers(Cosmo Cricket), Claudine Hellmuth Studio Gesso
TJ Technique: Vada's Gesso Resist

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

I Brake for Challenges #2


Are y'all ready for the second challenge from I Brake for Challenges? This week is all about techniques. If you are a member of Technique Junkies, pick a tech and share your artwork with us. You can find all kinds of techniques on the internet such as polished stone or paper piecing. If you are a Tim Holtz fan, show us your Tim-inspired creation.

For my project, you might be stumped as to what technique I actually used here. If you look very closely at the "white" space around the princess, you will see a very pale pink "frame" around her. I used Wisped Frames - a fun technique from Technique Junkies.

This sweet princess is one of the girls from the Sarah's Girls stamp sheet at I Brake for Stamps. Princess Mary is colored with Copic markers, and I added some pearls to the top of her crown. The flowers are also from I Brake for Stamps; they are found in the Wild Orchid flowers section (such GORGEOUS flowers!).

Come play with us this week over at the I Brake for Challenges blog! We'd love to see what techniques you are using on your artwork! :-)


Stamps: Princess Mary from the Sarah's Girls stamp sheet (use SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Spun Sugar distress
CS: White, Brushed Silver, patterned paper (Creative Imaginations)
Other: oval dies, copic markers, pearls, sponge, ribbon, silver glitter pen, Wild Orchid flowers (I Brake for Stamps)
TJ Technique: Wisped Frames

Monday, June 13, 2011

Stampbooking Blog Hop

NOTE: I am participating in two blog hops today. Please scroll down to my second posting to see my project for the Eureka blog hop.


The Technique Junkie Newsletter Designers, along with some very talented Spotlight Stampers, are proud to bring you a special Stampbooking Blog Hop! During this hop, our designers will be using techniques from the recently released TJ Stampbooking CD. The CD contains 75 inspiring tutorials in pdf format. As you will see, these tutorials are fun and versatile.

You will find more information about the CD and how to order your own copy here: http://www.techniquejunkies.com/stampbooking-cd.html

If you have come here from Regan Seifert's blog, then you are on the right track. If not, please start at the TJ Designer's Blog where Judy Jackson is sharing an awesome project.

For my project, I decided to try the Distress Stain Resist technique from the Scrapbooking CD. This was even easier and more fun than I thought it would be, and you can use this technique for anything. In fact, for most of the techniques, you can use them for cards, 3D projects, and ATC's as well as scrapbook pages.

The fun pink and purple background here is the Distress Stain Resist technique, and I added a picture of my sweet puppy below. I used the same Distress Stains to color a couple of Prima flowers and I cut out some leaves to complete the page.




I loved playing with this technique, and I can't wait to try it again. The techniques that I have tried so far have been really easy, and - dare I say - addictive! LOL

Today is also a very special day because Jane Bosi - a fellow TJ design teammate - is celebrating her birthday! Happy Birthday, sweetie!! One lucky hopper will win a special birthday prize which is a copy of the TJ Stampbooking CD. Hoppers will have until the end of this birthday week, June 17th, to leave a comment on Jane's blog to be entered into a random drawing for the prize. Jane is the last stop on this hop, so be sure to wish her Happy Birthday and you'll have a chance to win the CD.

Are you ready to see some more fabulous techniques from the Stampbooking CD?? Please hop on over to Pat Huntoon's blog - the creator of Technique Junkies - and enjoy the eye candy!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Summer Fun - Eureka Blog Hop


Welcome to our Summer Fun blog hop! This is the very first blop hop featuring Eureka stamps by the brand new Eureka Design Team. If you have come here from Kristine's blog, then you are on the right track. If not, please start at the beginning by going to the Eureka blog and following the links along the hop.

Today's blog hop is all about summer fun, and I thought these hot air balloons were perfect for a fun summer activity. I stamped them with orange and turquoise inks and cut them out. What's a hot air balloon without some clouds? I cut out a few clouds and stuck them behind the balloons. Some purple baker's twine is wrapped around the bottom for a fun, unexpected pop of color.

I hope you enjoyed today's project! Your next stop is the fabulous Roxie - you're going to love what she has in store for you. :-)


Stamps: 5704 Hot Air Balloon from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Orange, Turquoise, Olive
CS: White, A Walk in the Park (Echo Park)
Other: cloud die, Lilac Baker's Twine (The Twinery)

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Masculine cards with Paper Temptress

The men in my family love outdoorsy activities such as hunting and fishing and camping, so I wanted to use some rugged papers and scenic stamps for that masculine feel. On my first card, I pulled out the Blueberry Brown Bag paper and embossed it with a woodgrain embossing folder, then sanded it so you can see the kraft color coming through. I love these Brown Bag papers from Paper Temptress!

I stamped several Stampscapes images on some Pure White Gloss digital paper and matted it with some Pop Black Licorice cardstock. The card base is also Pop Black Licorice cardstock.





For my second card, I pulled out the Olive Brown Bag paper and embossed it with a woodgrain embossing folder, then sanded it just like I did with the blue card. I stamped one Stampscapes image on some Pure White Gloss digital paper, colored it with some markers, and matted it with some Pop Black Licorice cardstock. The card base is also Pop Black Licorice cardstock.



Have fun shopping in the Paper Temptress store for these great masculine papers. Father's Day is coming up soon! :-)

Friday, June 10, 2011

Vintage Art Portrait


Happy Friday!! Aren't you glad the weekend is almost here? I'm sharing my latest Chapel Road creation with you today.

This portrait of a lady from the Vanity set (Chapel Road) just screamed out to be framed in a gilded, weathered, antique frame. I used the Vintage Art technique from Technique Junkies on the lady, and then gilded and weathered the frame before adding flowers and ribbon to it. You can see how I created the frame by visiting THIS post.

The picture below is a close-up of the antique gold shimmer on the frame:


Come on back next Friday for another Chapel Road creation. Can you guess what our monthly Chapel Road challenge will be next week? :-)

Enjoy your weekend!


Stamps: Vanity set (Chapel Road)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Scattered Straw, Wild Honey
CS: White, Black, Curio patterned paper (Basic Grey)
Creative Inspirations Paint: Antique Gold
Other: Classic Frame die (Spellbinders), seam binding, Wild Orchid flowers (I Brake for Stamps)
TJ Technique: Vintage Art

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

I Brake for Challenges!!!


I Brake For Challenges and so does Jane Bosi! Jane and I decided to have some fun challenging each other with stamps from I Brake for Stamps. What makes this even more special is the new I Brake for Challenge BLOG!!! That's right - there's a new blog dedicated to fun weekly challenges where you can see more awesome IBFS artwork. I hear tell there might be PRIZES involved for some lucky folks who play along with these challenges!!!

This month Jane and I are focusing on the fun Sarah's Girls from I Brake For Stamps, and today's challenge is all about MUSIC.

Now which girl do you think I picked for this challenge?? LOL! No brainer, right??? LOL iPod Hailey is perfect for this challenge, and I was thinking of my nieces with their headphones when I was creating this card. They like bright, fun colors, so I had to go with neon pink and lime green and a bright sunny yellow.

The tiny little iPod case is paper pieced with the same lime green patterned paper you see in the background. The image is colored with Copic markers, and I actually tried the Copic Texturizing technique (from Technique Junkies)on the pink dress and boots. Unfortunately, it didn't show up very well no matter what angle I used for my picture. I added the ribbon tabs and black buttons for some fun textural interest.

Join us again next Wednesday on the I Brake for Challenges blog to see what our next challenge will be. Be sure to sign up as a follower or email subscriber so you don't miss out on any of the fun challenges!


Stamps: iPod Hailey from Sarah's Girls sheet (I Brake for Stamps - use coupon code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Black, White, Daffodil, DeLovely (Cosmo Cricket)
Other: Copics, buttons, yellow ribbon
TJ Techniques: Copic Texturizing, Paper Piecing

Monday, June 6, 2011

My first Eureka post!



Happy Monday, everyone! This is my first posting as a member of the Eureka design team. Today, I'm sharing this card and envelope that I've created using this Heart Tree. Isn't that cute???

This Heart Tree stamp is so versatile! I gave this one away yesterday as an anniversary card, but it can also be used as a Valentine's Day card or a "just because I love you" card. You can customize the card to coordinate with someone's wedding as well. Wouldn't that be fun?

I stamped the Heart Tree with black ink and then colored it with Copic markers. I sponged on some green ink at the bottom and used a pale blue Copic marker to color in the "sky." I wanted a matching envelope, so I repeated the process except I only stamped half of the tree on the side.

I hope you have a wonderful week! It's going to be another hot and dry week here in Texas. It's just crazy to have this kind of heat so early in June. Thank goodness for air conditioning!


Stamps: Heart Tree (Eureka)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Bamboo Leaves Memento
CS: White, Chocolate Chip, Hopscotch (Basic Grey)
Other: envelope, Copic markers, sponge, hole punch, May Arts wrinkled brown ribbon

Friday, June 3, 2011

Burnt Edges Vintage Painting


Happy Friday! I'm back with another Chapel Road project to share with you today. This month we are doing feminine themed projects, and today I've gone with a sort of "Middle Ages" feel.

This old-fashioned portrait is from the Margaret stamp set, and I inked it up with Straw and Wild Honey inks and then used the Burnt Edges technique (from Technique Junkies) around the edges. It feels like I just walked into a museum and I'm looking at a musty old painting by da Vinci or Rembrandt.

I added the sentiment (also from the Margaret set) below the portrait, and adhered some sheer brown ribbon tied in a bow to the upper right corner. Some paper from Basic Grey's Curio collection completes the vintage feel of this card.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Stamps: Margaret from Class Act/Chapel Road (click on Chapel Road, then click Women of the Ages to see more feminine stamp sets)
Ink: Wild Honey, Straw, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain
CS: Chocolate Chip, White, Curio from Basic Grey
Other: distress tool, ribbon, sponge
TJ Technique: Burnt Edges

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Exciting News!

Can you believe it's the first of June?? This year is just flying by. Maybe we can skip over all this horrid summer heat and head straight into some crisp, cool fall weather?? Heheheee!

I've got some exciting news to share with you today. First of all, I have joined the Eureka Stamps design team, and I'll start sharing my Eureka artwork next week. When I was on the QKR Stampede design team, the owner asked me to stick around until she was ready to start a new design team for Eureka Stamps. As of today, she now has three design teams, one for each of her rubber stamp stores: QKR Stampede, Eureka Stamps, and Biblical Impressions.


The second thing I'm excited to share with you is that Pat Huntoon asked me to join the Technique Junkies design team! I've been a long time subscriber and fan of the Technique Junkies newsletter, and it is such an honor to be asked to create artwork for TJ. The June/July 2011 issue of Technique Junkies will always be a special one for me as it is the first one in which my artwork has been published. It was thrilling to see my own creations in print in my own little hands!

This is a fun card using a new technique called Copic Sections. This one really expresses my desire to get back to some cool 50 and 60 degree weather instead of these 95+ degree days. :-)




I hope you have a fabulous week! Join me on Friday for another Chapel Road card, and I will share my first Eureka project with you on Monday.