Fall into Fall with Flair Week on Paper Craft Planet

The week of Zva Creative inspired projects is wrapping up today with my post over on Paper Craft Planet. Just in case you think the rhinestone flourishes I'm using on my projects are a must have in your stash, head on over to the Planet blog to find out how to win them.

I created a photo frame just like the old fashion portraits used to arrive from the photographer. I've added my own style to the outside just for that special gift someone might receive this Christmas. I stamped the largest frame from the Vintage Frames set in watermark ink and embossed with Vintage Lilac Tinsel Embossing Powder. I went back over the center of the frame with Aged Wine Embossing Enamel and heated from the back side of the piece then fussy cut around the outside. The sentiment from Cherub Wishes was stamped in Onyx Black and bordered with another stamp from Vintage Frames also embossed with Vintage Lilac. The sentiment is popped up with foam dots and those fabulous flourishes of bling were added from Zva Creative.

The frame is really easy to make using some acetate on the window of the frame so you can slide out the photo for another one later on (but seriously, I think this frame was made for that sweet photo of my daughter).

The frame can be folded up and closed just like the vintage ones I've found in my father's house last fall. here's a close up of the closure.

You can also get in on the Stampendous monthly challenge to emboss with powders! Details are on the Stampendous blog where you can add your project to the link list!

Details:
Stamps: Vintage Frames (Stampendous), Cherub Wishes (Stampendous)
Paper: Strathmore Sample Pad (from a long time ago), clear acetate
Ink: Versamark Watermark Pad, and Onyx Black Ink (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Gem Flourishes (Zva Creative), Vintage Lilac Tinsel Embossing Powder and Aged Wine Embossing Enamel (Stampendous), tacky tape, Score board (Martha Stewart), utility knife, eyelet hole punch

Just a Word for Viva La Verve Sketch Challenge

I'm hosting the Viva La Verve sketch today and it's got some potential! Stop on over for week 4's sketch and play along! Take the Champions challenge and complete all four sketches by the deadline and win some Verve! (Details are over on the forum.)

Details:
Stamps: Stronger Love (Verve Stamps), Making a Statement (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Hippie Chick (DCWV), white (Mohawk), Olive (Wausau)
Ink: Night of Navy (SU), Cameo Coral (SU)
Accessories: Loopy Blooms Die Set (A Cut Above, Verve), bamboo fiber yarn, circle die (Lifestyle Crafts), rhinestones, flower punch (SU)

Fanspiration Diva Dare - You are inspiring

 

I'm showing you my inspiration for the Verve Fan gallery today. There's more to it than just being inspired though. The Diva's want YOU to show us what inspires you from the Verve Fan gallery. We dare you!

If you decide to take our dare, head on over to today's post, because there are two chances to win prizes! Go on, have some fun!

Details:
Stamps: Lean on Me (Verve Stamps), Borderline (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Random Paper Pad (Crate Paper), Kraft (Wausau)
Ink: Chocolate (CTMH), 
Accessories: Flourished Trim Die (A Cut Above, Verve), Mini Classy Label Die (A Cut Above, Verve), Pointed Flowers Die Set (A Cut Above, Verve), Pennant Trim Die (A Cut Above, Verve), twine (Martha Stewart), acrylic paint (various brands), oil pastels (Pentel), colored pencils (Prismacolor), Scallop Square die (Spellbinders), Wite-Out pen (Bic)

Ready for Holiday Gift Giving

It's the big Saturday Handmade Gifts Hop with Stampendous and the designers! I'm second in the hop so you've probably come from Cyndi's blog and please start at the beginning if you just happened on to this post. Throughout the week you've had a chance at some prizes, because it's just not a party otherwise, and it's the same for today! There will be THREE prize winners today for those that comment along the hop. You can find out the winner's on Monday over on the Stampendous Blog

It's pretty hard to come up with a different way to give a gift these days, so I'm combining a couple ideas. I have a few people in my life that live on the lean side of life. They don't want or need a whole lot of material things in their life so it can make for a hard decision on what gift I give for them.

So I went with small scale table decorations. Something that could brighten up their small space and be practical. A small poinsettia print flower tea light. Here's a string of photos to show how this tealight went together.

Draw a spiral scallop flower on vellum.	Stamp background stamp on the other side.
Spread embossing enamel across stamped image, tap off and heat from the back side of vellum.	Add some Scarlet glass glitter over the melted top of a tealight with a heat gun. Trace leaf shapes on green cardstock.
Cut out two leaf shapes and crimp cardstock. Adhere two cardstock layers with tacky tape.	Cut out spiral scallop flower leaving a center the same size as the tealight.
Add center of vellum to the bottom of the tealight and again to the stacked leaf shapes.	Wrap embossed scallop around the tealight, crumpling and bending petals.
Glue down end of scallop strip with Zip-Dry Paper Adhesive.

Your next inspiration stop is with Krissy, and if you should get lost somewhere on the hop here is the master list.

Cyndi Bundy

Janelle Stollfus

Krissy Fossmeyer

Kristine Reynolds

Melinda Gleissner

Pam Hornschu

Tenia Nelson

Wendy Jordan

Wendy Price

Jennifer Ingle (Jingle)

Lea Kimmel

More gift giving ideas from past posts.

Make jewelry with stamps and resin!	Make wall décor with stamps and embossing enamel on tissue paper!
Gift a sample of luxurious soaps wrapped with stamped and embossed detail!	Create a package deal for a night on the town!

Details:
Stamps: Poinsettia Background (Stampendous)
Paper: Vellum, green cardstock
Ink: any slow drying ink so the embossing powder will stick to the stamped pattern
Accessories: Aged Scarlet Embossing Enamel (Stampendous), Red Glass Glitter (Stampendous), Zip Dry Paper Glue by Beacon Adhesives, paper crimper, tacky tape

Homemade Gifts with Stampendous

 

This week the Stampendous Design Team is bringing Homemade gift ideas to your doorstep. The holidays are just around the block and we want you all to have some ideas up your sleeves.

Today Wendy Jordan and I have the stage, so be sure to stop by her blog too! There will be prizes so be sure to comment as well!

I combined some of the best ways to create a gift, the most traditional ones. The key to making this quick is to use Stampendous Jumbo sets with the Background Stamps. Let's jump through my idea, shall we?

 

I made a purse sized calendar with a pencil included. :) The cover is stamped with the Jumbo Dogwood and quickly colored with three Copic marker colors. Then some dabbling of Zip-Dry glue  in the centers to add some Fun Flock from the Over the Rainbow Flock and Glitter Kit by Stampendous. While that was drying I made a mask by stamping onto a large sticky note and cutting it out. I added the mask and then stamped the Lacey Background stamp with VersaMark Watermark pad and sprinkled Topaz PearLustre Powder after removing the mask. Heat emboss with a heat tool. The sentiment is from the Garden Beauty Perfectly Clear Stamp Set, stamped in Tuxedo Black ink by Tsukineko, framed with black cardstock and popped up to allow space for the Woven Burlap ribbon to tie it closed.

For the inside, I grabbed a free 2013 calendar and reduced it by about 49% so that it would fit into an A6 (4 1/2 x 6 1/4 inch card). I kept the printouts stacked and just cut them excess paper off with a utility knife and straight edge ruler (yes, my see-through one). I divided them into four sets and ran my perforating blade on my Rotary handle cutter across the top of each one and then put them all back together with a couple of staples. They are forever adhered to the inside with i {heart} papers, tacky tape. For the pencil holder, I folded up some more cardstock and glued it down just low enough from the top fold to keep the pencil from falling out while closed. The cover base is 6 1/2 inches by 9 inches and scored across the middle at the 4 1/2 and 4 3/4 inch marks. When folded it will be an A6 size card. Slide it into an envelope and mail it out for a gift. Voila!

Now it's time to hop on over to Wendy's blog or if you came from her blog hop on over to Stampendous' blog.

Details:
Stamps: Garden Beauty (Stampendous), Lacey Background (Stampendous), Jumbo Dogwood (Stampendous)
Paper: Kraft (Wausau), Cream (Wausau), Black (Hobby Lobby)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento, Tsukineko), Versamark Watermark Pad (Tsukineko), Copic Markers
Accessories: Over the Rainbow Kit (Stampendous), Topaz PearLustre Powder (Stampendous), Woven Burlap ribbon (May Arts), tacky tape (I {heart} papers), dimensional adhesive dots, score board (Martha Stewart)

Splitcoast Stampers CAS Challenge

It's such a pleasure and excitement to be a guest designer with THE CAS team on Splitcoast Stampers this week. It's a technique week with the challenge to Color Block. Seriously, I had to Google it! LOL I needed to make sure I was thinking right about the challenge and I was, but I liked the thought of using "blocking" inside of a die cut. So, let's hope I am still inside the technique! :)

I took three scraps of cardstock and taped them together then stamped the Sweet Scallop Stamp in Tuxedo Black. I used the coordinating sweet scallop die to cut out the tag and tied a little black bow at the top popping it up with dimensional dots. I stamped the sentiment from the newly released Treasured Words set from Verve in Tuxedo Black as well as the cake stand image from the same set. It was popped with dimensional dots, too.

My card base  is embossed with a Sissix Polka Dot embossing folder.

So take the technique challenge on your next creation and link it up on the forum!

Details:
Stamps: Doodled Occasions (Verve Stamps), Sweet Scallop Tag (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Pewter (Neutech CCC ~ Fox River Paper), Olive, Teal and Lavender scraps
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento, Tsukineko)
Accessories: Sweet Scallop Tag Die (A Cut Above Die, Verve), Black Crochet Thread No 10, embossing folder (Sissix)

September Diva Inspiration Blog Hop

It's time for the monthly Diva Inspiration Hop! We are lined up to inspire you with some of the stamps you've seen in past releases (and I couldn't help pair up with some new ones too). The hop starts on the Verve blog where I hear if you comment along the way you are entered into a sweet giveaway.

I'm here with a fun multi-layer-full of texture card. Inspired by the mix of an older released Dream Big Verve set with a new Brighter Days Anni-Verve-sary set.

If you came from Andrea's blog then you are in the right spot!

So, I don't even know where to begin describing this card! I started with the flower and chipped paint paper from My Mind's Eye. The flower is stamped in Rose Red with the medium flower from Dream Big and then in Chocolate with the same size flower in Brighter Days and finished with cutting it out with the coordinating Scalloped Flowers Die from Verve. I added some clear embossing powder on that flower and heated from the back side and liquid pearl dots in the center, just for some fun. The extra pattern that came from the center just started all the extras in this card like using Borderline for the banner across the burlap strip. I aged it a bit with a light stamping of a linen background stamp. The leaves, stamped with Taken with Teal, behind the flower are from Dream Big and cut out with coordinating Dreamy Leaves Die. I made silver pearl veins with Ranger Liquid Pearls. Yum-o!

The sentiment is from Brighter Days and stamped in Rose Red on a Sweet Scallop Chestnut embossed tag, also cut out with a coordinating Sweet Scallop Tag die. The tag has strips of straggling pieces from the burlap and popped onto a piece of charcoal cardstock that has a sweet pinking shear cut at the bottom. It's all encompassed with liquid pearl dots and then layered onto distressed kraft paper happily jumping off the corners of a rounded charcoal base. Whew! That was a mouthful!  But all of this couldn't have come together without a sweet little sketch from Jen over on Deconstructed Jen's sketch challenge.

That does it for me! The next hop is super talented Maureen! In case you need the whole list just jump down a wee bit to the blog hop table. Take care...

	1. Betty	8. Amber
	2. Jen d.	9. Amy
	3. Jen T.	10. Andrea
	4. Julee	11. Janelle
	5. Sankari	12. Maureen
	6. Sony	13. Teresa
	7. Susan	14. Tosha

 Details:

Challenge:

Stamps: Dream Big (Verve Stamps), Brighter Days (Verve Stamps), Borderline (Verve Stamps), Sweet Scallop Tag (Verve Stamps), Linen BG (Stampin' Up) Paper: Charcoal (Wausau Royal Fiber), Kraft (Hobby Lobby), On the Bright Side (My Mind's Eye), blue and white scraps Ink: Rose Red (Stampin' Up), Chocolate (CTMH), Parchment (CTMH), Soft Sky (Stampin' Up), Taken with Teal (Stampin' Up), Brushed Corduroy (Ranger) Accessories: Dreamy Leaves Die (A Cut Above, Verve), Scalloped Flowers Die (A Cut Above, Verve), Sweet Scallop Tag Die (A Cut Above, Verve), Burlap (Craft Warehouse), Platinum Liquid Pearls (Ranger), Zigzag scissors (Fiskars), corner rounder (WRMK), Lipstick paint (Jenni Bowlin, Ranger), Chestnut embossing powder (Zing, AC)

Painted Clouds

(credits: Photo by Janelle Stollfus
Balloon: )
Edited with Corel Paint Shop Pro X3

Happy Labor Day to my US friends, but also a wish for a wonderful weekend wherever you are. We are having a staycation with the family. We were up really early on Saturday morning to catch up to 40 hot air balloons launch at the Spirit of Boise Hot Air Balloon Classic. We usually see a few balloons over our rooftop at this time of year, but we've never made down to see them all launch together. This was the year and it was spectacular! I took tons of photos of balloons and just in case my mother-in-law asked, I snapped a few of the grandkids, too. :)

There is nothing like the look of real sun-kissed clouds, but I know a close second. I've stirred up some curiosity over a few clouds I painted on this card I posted back in July. Now you can have a chance to make them yourself with a tutorial I'm hosting over on Paper Craft Planet Blog today. Come and see!