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Thursday, December 26, 2019

Masculine Winter Birthday Card | Honey Bee Stamps

Hello and happy Thursday my friends!  I hope your holidays have been full of lots of fun so far!  I have to say that I love making Christmas cards so much that I'm always a bit sad when it's time to move on.  However, this masculine winter birthday card I've made sure helps the transition!  I needed a birthday card for my  nephew and Winter Bouquet Honey Cuts was perfect to use for his card!



To begin, I die cut the pinecones and several of the leafy branches from the Winter Bouquet Honey Cuts.  I used green card stock from my stash for the branches and some brown card stock for the pinecones.  I used the Detail Blender Brushes to add some shading on the die cut pieces.  The little brushes are perfect for this!  I used Mowed Lawn and Lucky Clover Distress Ink on the greenery.  For the pinecones, I used Walnut Stain and Ground Espresso.



I used tools from the Heartfelt Creations Flower Shaping Essentials Kit to add dimension to the pinecones and branches.  If you want them to really hold the shape, very lightly spritz the back of the piece with a water mister before you shape them.  For a snowy effect, I diluted some white gouache with water and added splatters on them all with a paint brush.  Then I added some gloss white NUVO Crystal Drops to the pinecones and set them aside to dry.

For the card layers, I added a piece of Tim Holtz Distress Woodgrain Cardstock to a 5-½" x 4-¼" top-folding A2 card base.  I cut a strip of patterned paper from the Home Essentials pack to 5-¼" x 1-½" and adhered it towards the bottom of the woodgrain cardstock.  I cut a thin strip of the brown cardstock and adhered at the top of the patterned paper.

Next I arranged the pinecones and branches and adhered them with liquid glue and foam squares.  The sentiments are from the Thanks A Bunch set.  I stamped happy birthday with Versamark ink and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  I used the coordinating "happy" Honey Cut to cut it out and trimmed the "birthday" sentiment with my paper trimmer.



I hope you've enjoyed this masculine birthday card and that it has given you some inspiration today.  As always, thank you so much for your kindness and for taking a look.  I wish you all the best in the coming new year and and lots of fun crafty times!  See you next year!

Supplies:
Honey Bee Stamps Winter Bouquet Honey Cuts
Honey Bee Stamps Thanks a Bunch stamps and Honey Cuts
Honey Bee Stamps Detail Blender Brushes
Heartfelt Creations Flower Shaping Essentials Kit 
Home Essentials 6x6 Specialty paper pack
Tim Holtz Distress Woodgrain Cardstock
NUVO gloss white Crystal Drops







Monday, December 16, 2019

Art Impressions | My Top Ten of 2019

Hello my friends!  I can't believe it's almost Christmas and that 2019 is just about done!  I'm so thankful and honored to be on this fabulous and talented design team.  All of the people at Art Impressions are just so kind and make up a wonderful company!  Before the Art Impressions team takes a break for the holidays, we like to share our picks for our Top Ten cards for the year.  It's kind of a challenge to decide, kind of like picking your favorite child!  LOL!

I finally got it narrowed down and have listed these in no particular order.  You can click the photo to go to my original blog post if you'd like more details.  (I hope I got it set up to do that--LOL!)

1.) A sweet Easter card using the Basket of Blessings set and the Window die.

  

2.) I just love this card for a best friend!  This uses the Under My Umbrella set that is now retired from Ai's shop, but still available at Scrapbook.com.


I definitely have to include this sweet card.  Bonnie was on HSN and this was one of the cards on display--on HSN!!!  Also, Scrapbook.com listed this card in their group of The 19 Best Cards of 2019!  I was so honored and happy about all of this!  The Holiday Mansion set and HM Garden set is so versatile for any occasion you need.


I love the WC Bicycle set for a friend card.


I think this gal from the Never Too Old Laugh Lines set is so funny!


Yes, another Holiday Mansion card, this time with the HM Accessory set.


What's not to love about the adorable Gingerbread Cubbies set?



Evidently, I REALLY enjoy using the Holiday Mansion and HM Accessories sets!  Haha!


The WC Winter Kids set is so sweet!



This last one is probably my top favorite!  These penguins in the Penguin Cheer set are so fun!


Well, I hope I've chosen some of your favorites too, and I so appreciate your taking a few minutes to take a look.  However you celebrate the upcoming holidays, may you have many smiles and blessings with friends and family.  See you in 2020!  Carol

Thursday, December 12, 2019

New Crazy Antics Set | Art Impressions

Hello friends!  We are taking a tiny break from the holiday card-making frenzy to feature a new set by Art Impressions.  It's called Crazy Antics Set and has three different anteaters, an ant, a cake, hat and present along with several sentiments for different occasions.


I stamped the images in Copic safe ink and colored them with Copic markers (colors listed below.)  I stamped the ants onto a strip of white card stock and adhered it to the black and white striped paper.  I adhered that to the bottom of the panel with the images.  I then used a Rounded Rectangle Double Stitched die to cut it all out.  I used a pencil and traced around the outside edge of the die on some blue card stock.  I trimmed it along the pencil lines so I would have a layer for the main panel.


I stamped the sentiment using my MISTI and some Versafine Onyx black ink.  I adhered it to a top-folding A2 card base.  I used a clear glitter pen to add sparkle to the white parts of the present and hat.  I added a few Caribbean Ocean NUVO Crystal Drops for a bit more shine.


I hope you got a grin out of this funny little anteater!  Back to making Christmas cards--I only need a few more!  Thank you for stopping by!


Copic markers:
BG11, BG13, BG18, E70, E71, E74, E77, E79,
C00, C1, CC3, N0, N2

Supplies:


Monday, December 9, 2019

Merriest of Christmases | Art Impressions

Happy Monday Ai Friends!  I'm over on the blog at Art Impressions today!  Have you seen the beautiful new Art Impressions Exclusive Poinsettia Set?  It's only available at Scrapbook.com and is a must-have for your floral cards, I think!  There are four main floral images in the set with several sentiments to choose from.


I stamped this image with Versamark ink onto some 80# Neenah Solar White.  I heat embossed it with some gold embossing powder.  Then I used my Prismacolor Premier pencils to color it.  (I've listed the colors below.)  Next I stamped it again onto some masking paper and fussy cut it out.  I didn't cut around the fern images as these are embossed and will resist the ink.


Next I used a background blender brush and inked on some Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide ink.  Be sure to use a clean, dry towel to buff the Oxide Ink off of the embossed areas, then remove the mask.  I stamped the sentiment with some Versafine Onyx Black ink.   I die cut it out with a Rectangle Double Stitched die.


I added this piece to a gold layer I created by embossing the edges with the same gold embossing powder.  These were adhered and added to a pink cardstock layer and all layers are adhered to an A2 top-folding card base.  My last step was to add some NUVO Bright Gold Crystal Drops here and there for an extra bit of shine.


Thank you so much for stopping by today!  I hope you're not too busy with holiday happenings to get in some crafty time this week!

Prismacolor pencils:
Pomegranate, Tuscan Red, Magenta, Process Red, Pink, Blush Pink, Deco Pink,
Dark Green, Grass Green, Prussian Green, True Green, Apple Green
Spring Green, True Green, Black, White

Supplies:




Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Honey Bee Stamps 12 Days of Christmas

Hello my friends!  It's Day 3 of designers on the Honey Bee Stamps blog for 12 days of Christmas inspiration!


It's no secret that I love all things sparkly, especially for the holidays, and I had so much fun making this Winter card with the Snowfall Background Stencil!


To begin, I sprayed the back of the stencil with some Pixie Spray.  If you are a fan of using stencils, this spray is a must have, I think.  It's a light, tacky adhesive that holds even the most delicate stencil in place and allows for easy removal when you are done.  I put my stencil onto a 4" x 5-¼" white cardstock layer and I used the Background Blender Brushes to ink an ombre background in Chipped Sapphire, Faded Jeans, and Stormy Sky Distress Oxides.

An important thing I learned is to make sure the Oxide Inks have dried thoroughly before applying any paste or gel.  The moisture will lift the colors and tint your medium (ask me how I know!)  I applied some Gina K. Designs white Glitz Glitter Gel through the stencil and set it aside to dry.


While that was drying, I worked on the sentiment.  Using the Winter Honey Cuts, I die cut three of the top layer from some Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock.  I adhered those layers with liquid glue.  For the middle layer, I took a scrap piece of cardstock and inked the same Distress Oxides in the ombre pattern with the Blender Brushes.  While I had these out, I also inked around the edges of the front of my A2 card base.  Using the inked scrap piece, I die cut the middle layer of the Winter Honey Cuts.  The pierced bottom layer is die cut from vellum.  I adhered all the layers together with Ranger Multi Medium Matte Collage and put them under a large stamp block to weight it down while it dried.  I used more of the blue inked scrap piece and stamped the other sentiment from the Winter Stamp set with Versamark ink.  I added white embossing powder and heat set it.  I used my paper trimmer to cut them in strips and added some thin foam tape behind them.  I added all of the other elements to the card base with liquid glue.  


I love how easy this card was to make and I wish you could see how sparkly this is in real life!  Thank you so much for stopping by today!  Be sure to check back at the Honey Bee Stamps' blog each day as there will be awesome inspiration from some super talented designers for you to see!  Until next time, have a wonderful, crafty week!

Supplies:

Thursday, November 28, 2019

25 Days of Christmas Tags | Honey Bee Stamps

Hello my friends, and happy Thanksgiving to you!  Today is day 25 of Tracy McNeely's 25 Days of Christmas Tags.  Honey Bee Stamps is one of the many awesome sponsors, and I have some fun tags with some of their products.

I used the Scallop Square Gift Tag Honey Cuts to create my buffalo check tags.  I was at Hobby Lobby and saw so many cute items in various buffalo checks.  That's what inspired me to create these!  I used the check stamp from the Bitty Patterns stamps and inked it up with Versafine Onyx Black ink and stamped onto white, red, and green cardstock.  I used my MISTI to do this as I needed to line it up and stamp it a few times to get a large enough pattern.  I used the square die that in the set to die cut the checked patterns out.



I die cut some 80# Neenah three times with the scallop tag.  Then I adhered the checked piece to the middle of the tags.   Using the Layering Snowflakes Honey Cuts, I die cut a bunch of them so I could layer several together.  Some were cut from Neenah and some from white sticky-back glitter foam.  I adhered several together with liquid glue and attached a gem sticker to the top one.


The sentiment is from the Christ is Born stamp set.  I stamped it in black ink, cut it out with my paper trimmer and adhered it to a black layer.  After I adhered the sentiment, I added NUVO Crystal Drops and let them dry overnight.  I finished the tags off with some ribbon and jingle bells from my stash.


There are a few different ways to win prizes so be sure to go over to Tracy's blog post to get the details!  Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Supplies:
Honey Bee Stamps products:

Other:
Nuvo Crystal Drops:  Bottle Green, Red Berry, Ebony Black

New! Baby Boy Set | Art Impressions

Happy Thanksgiving my friends!  Art Impressions has two new sets out and my card features the new Baby Boy Set.  There is also a new Baby Girl Set that is just as precious.


This card was super easy to create.  I stamped the boy in Copic safe ink onto some Neenah 80# cardstock. I also stamped him onto some blue gingham paper.  I colored the neck and arm bands of the top with a white gel pen.  I fussy cut out the bits I wanted to use for my paper piecing.  Be sure to use a Memento Tuxedo Black pen to go around the edges of your cutting for a more finished look.  I colored the boy with my Copics that are listed below.  After I finished the coloring, I adhered the gingham pieces with liquid glue.  I added some stitching details and highlights with a white gel pen.  Next I die cut the panel with a Rectangle Double Stitched die.


 I stamped the sentiment with Versamark Onyx Black ink using my MISTI.  I added a gingham border and some red floss tied into a bow.  A tip to make it easier to get the floss on is to put some tape runner on the back of the panel so you can stick the floss down as you wrap it.  So much easier!  I added some foam tape to the back and adhered it to a layer that I colored the edges of with my darkest blue Copic to coordinate it better.  This is adhered to a top-folding A2 card base.


I hope you know that I am so very thankful for you all, and especially for those that give my blog posts a look on a regular basis.  I hope you have a wonderful day today, filled with lots of love and happiness!  



Copic markers:
B23, B24, B26, C00, C1, C3, 
E11, E21, E34, E35, E37, E50, E51,
N2, N5, N7, R20, R24, R27, R29, R30, Y23

Supplies:
Red DMC floss #666

Monday, November 25, 2019

Warmest Wishes | Art Impressions

Happy Monday!  I'm over on the blog at Art Impressions today with a quick-to-make holiday card.  I've used one of the three images that is in the beautiful Christmas Scene TryFold set.  Each of these images can totally stand alone for a card.  I love being able to use one stamp set in several different ways!


I created my card base first because I wanted to make sure I got the openings and image lined up just right.  First I put a a piece of Neenah 80# into a snowflake embossing folder and ran it through my machine.  I trimmed it to 4" x 5-¼".

I used the middle sized Oval Double Stitched Die and die cut an opening in the embossed panel.  I lined up that die with the next largest and die cut a red frame and adhered it to the embossed panel.  I die cut an opening in the red card base with the larger die of the two.  (Doing this gave me a bit of a margin for error when lining up the layers and not having to worry that the ovals would be off.)


I stamped the image in Copic safe ink and colored it with the markers listed below.  


I added some sparkle to the snowy areas with a clear Wink of Stella pen.  Then I die cut it out with a Rectangle Double Stitched die and adhered it to the inside of my card base.  I added a snowflake to the outside that I had made a while back for a previous project.


Thank you so much for stopping by today!  I hope you all have a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

Copic markers:
BOOO, B0000, BV20, C0, C00, C1, C3, N0, N2, N5, 
R35, R46, R59, W1, W3, WS5, W7,
Y11, Y14, YG03, YG25, YG67, YR23

Supplies:


Wednesday, November 20, 2019

CAS Peace on Earth | Honey Bee Stamps

Hello friends!  As promised over on my Instagram post, here's a quick "how I made it" blog post.  I was struck with fear when we were told this week would be CAS and quick to produce card week.  I mean, really, look at my cards--nothing CAS about them--not ever!  LOL!  All of the products I used are available in the Honey Bee shop--just click on the link.  Nothing like one-stop-shopping!


Here are the steps for the card base:
  • Die cut some Tim Holtz Distress Woodgrain Cardstock with the largest A2 Deckle Edge die.  Die cut a top-folding A2 card base with the same die, leaving the top edge of the die just beyond the fold.
  • Take the #5 and #6 deckle dies (with the smallest being #1) and center, then tape them together to create a frame.  See photo below.
  • Center these dies onto the woodgrain die cut piece and run it through your machine.
  • Keeping the 2 dies taped together, die cut some foam so the frame will have dimension. (I had to die cut card stock 4 times as I remembered that I was out of foam.)
  • Adhered the foam to the woodgrain frame.
  • Adhere the largest piece to your top-folding card that was die cut with the Deckle Edge die. Then adhere the stacked frame.
  • Using the #5 Deckle Edge die, cut out a piece of the evergreen paper that's from the Holiday Traditions 6x6 paper pad.  Adhere it in the center.  (Honey Bee has a die release tool with a little spatula like tool on one end that helped push this piece down in the frame.)

Take a piece white self-adhesive glitter foam and adhere it to a scrap piece of white card stock.  Then die cut the wreath from the Joy Noel Honey Cuts twice.  I intertwined them a bit and adhered them together with a few drops of glue.  Adhere that to the center of the green panel.


Next I used a sentiment from the Rejoice stamp set.  I stamped it with Versamark and heat embossed it in WOW! Silver Metallic embossing powder.  Then I die cut it with a die from the Banner Builder Honey Cuts.  I added a couple of strips of thin foam tape to the back and adhered it to the frame.  

The final thing was to add some green gems from the Log Cabin Gem Stickers set.  I used small dots of Distress Collage Medium Matte just to make sure those gems stayed put!


Ok, I know that may sound like a lot of steps, but honestly, once you have it all set up, it comes together very quickly.  I hope you've found these steps helpful.  As always, you are so kind to stop by my blog--I appreciate you!


Supply list:

Whimsy Stamps Guest Desinger

Hello friends! I'm very happy to share that I am a Guest Designer over on the Whimsy Stamps blog today!  This is a new-to-me company and there are so many adorable stamps of theirs that I love!

I have two card projects to share with you today.  First up is my card featuring the oh, so adorable Happy Owlidays Too set!  When I saw this stamp set, I had to have it!  There are two other cute owl images in this set with several fun sentiments.


To begin, I used the Whimsy Stamps Twinkle stencil.  After placing the stencil on some dark blue card stock, I applied some Deco Foil Metallix White Pearl Gel through the stencil.  I set it aside to dry.  I stamped the owl and the holly leaves with some Copic safe ink and colored the images.

Next I used Whimsy's Pierced and Stitched Circles die set to cut the owl out.  I wanted it to look like he was perched on the sentiment strip so I used a ruler and drew a straight line on either side of the bottom of the image.  I used my paper trimmer to cut the straight portions and fussy cut along the bottom of feet and hat.  I also fussy cut the two holly clusters.



I stamped the sentiment onto a strip of card stock and adhered it to a silver glitter strip.  I adhered the stenciled piece onto an A2 top-folding card base, added the sentiment strip, the owl and the holly clusters.



I love the starry night look this stencil gives to this adorable owl scene!



Ok, now on to my second project.  I used the beautiful Floral Oval stamp for this next card.



Once again I used the Twinkle stencil on a die cut panel (it's a die I've had for a long time) and applied some Gina K. Designs Glitz Glitter Gel through the stencil.  I set that aside to dry.

I stamped the Floral Oval with Copic safe ink onto some Neenah 80# card stock.  After I finished coloring it, I fussy cut it out.



I adhered the stenciled piece to a top-folding A2 red card stock base.  I added some thin foam tape to the back of the oval and put in onto the card.  This stencil looks so pretty with the glittery gel!  I was going to put a sentiment on the card front, but I just ended up feeling like I wanted this floral image to be the focal point.



Thank you so much Whimsy Stamps for inviting me to Guest Design for you!  I really enjoyed creating with your stamps, dies and stencil!


These are the Whimsy Stamps products used:

Happy Owlidays Too
Twinkle stencil
Floral Oval
Pierced and Stitched Circle dies