Hello Baby Card

My sister is expecting her third baby any time now! I'm so excited because this time she lives close enough to visit! Hee! I wanted to have a little present ready for her arrival and here is the card I made to go along with the gift:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes set, I {Heart} Hearts set
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose, Sahara Sand classic inks
Paper: Soft Suede, Whisper White, Kraft, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron cardstock; Sweet Pea DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, hemp twine, Pumpkin Pie and Close to Cocoa corduroy buttons, Extra Large Two-Step Bird punch, Dimensionals. paper piercing tool, White Signo gel pen; Perfect Polka-dots Embossing folder

The tag slides out to reveal a gift card for the baby. I'm sure my sister will appreciate some extra diaper money! Hee!

I've used a lot of new products on this card- they are part of the Occasions Mini that will go live next week! Yahoo! There are so many must haves including the Two-Step Bird punch and Perfect Polka-dots embossing folder on this card. They are great quality and make it easy to create some fun embellishments- perfect for card making!

OK! Better get off the old computer now... Thanks for stopping by for a look today!

-tessa

Using DSP to my advantage!

Hee! The new Sweet Pea DSP pad is huge... double what the normal sized packs of SU! papers are. I love the simple patterns and flower prints in it. Today, I'm using those to my advantage- adding just a little stamping to create a simple card:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Ink: Versamark
Stamps: Full of Life set
Paper: Old Olive, So Saffron cardstock; Sweet Pea DSP
Accessories: Stitched Sweet Pea felt, Scalloped Edge punch, White embossing powder

The long stemmed flower DSP is just perfect for a simple card. I added the felties for some dimension and texture. Easy and cute! All I stamped was the sentiment on the card base! I love that! Hee!

We are keeping busy here this week! We are doing a little winter purging and it feels so good! Out with the old and in with the new!

Hope you are enjoying your day, too! Thanks for stopping by the old blog.

-tessa

A Pretty Birthday Card

Today I'm sharing a card I made for a special someone's birthday coming up next month. Our family has lots of birthdays in January so I thought I'd better get a head start! Here is my card:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Vintage Vogue set, Well Scripted set
Ink: Chocolate Chip classic ink; Versamark
Paper: Kraft, Rose Red, Whisper White cardstock; Sweet Pea DSP
Accessories: Pretty in Pink satin ribbon, Stitched Sweet Pea Felt, Scallop Edge punch, Corner Rounder punch, dimensionals

I really wanted the new felties to be the focal point here so I kept the stamping to a minimum. I think these new little flowers are just adorable! I have a feeling I'll be wanting to put them on everything I make for awhile! Hee!

Hope you are enjoying your Monday!

Thanks for peeking today!

-tessa

Pairing some old with the new...

Hi! Hope you are all enjoying your weekend and maybe even getting some craft time in after the holidays! For me, it was so weird not working on Christmas cards! Hee! I felt a little lost at first until I grabbed a stack of my new goodies from Stampin' Up!



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Vintage Vogue set, Full of Life set
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive classic inks; Versamark
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Whisper White, Rose Red, So Saffron cardstock; Sweet Pea DSP
Accessories: White embossing powder, Scallop Edge punch, Curly Label punch, paper piercing tool, Sweet Pea Stitched Felt

I found a sheet of old sketches I've made while looking through blogs and I know that someone is supposed to be credited for this design- I just don't know who! My sketches were from October and if I track the designer down, I'll add it here...

I have found that the new designer paper pack by SU! is very easy to work with- there are two different types of designs going on but it is fun to mix and match them all together. The ones I used on this card were more vintagy looking to me and very girly! They look very pretty when paired with the new Vintage Vogue set. For this card, I used the 'F' stamp from that set for my focal point. I stamped it with Versamark onto Rose Red cardstock and heat embossed it with White embossing powder. I cut out the 'F' and stamped the image again with Chocolate Chip onto Kraft paper. This time I used my Curly Label punch to punch around the 'friends' part. I felt like my card needed a sentiment of some sort and while the ones that come with the Vintage Vogue set are nice, I immediately thought of this saying from the Full of Life set that I've had forever and rarely use. I stamped it onto Kraft with Chocolate Chip ink and added some Versamark filigree from the Vintage Vogue set in the background. I also finally used one of my new Stitched Felties that SU! created to go with this paper pack. I've been hoarding them for a few weeks now!

Hope you all enjoyed your holidays! We are enjoying a sort of winter break here- no preschool to wake up early for and my hubby is taking some time off, too! It's a nice change of pace!

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Snowy days mean time to play along...

Hi! Hope you enjoyed your weekend! We had a snow storm here in DC and I had such a good weekend just being snowed in! I forgot how much fun that can be... cocoa... video games... and card making for me! Love it! I played along with the most recent Embellish Magazine challenge...



Here is what I made:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: My Matryoshka set, Christmas Greetings set, Patterned Pines set
Ink: Crushed Curry, Bermudda Bay, Soft Suede, Ruby Red, Old Olive classic inks; Whisper White craft ink; Jet Black StazOn
Paper: Kraft, Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Confetti cardstock
Accessories: The Write Stuff DSP (diecut), Crushed Curry polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge punch, paper piercer, Signo White gel pen, Aqua Painter, Blender pens, Icicle Rubons, Stamp-a-ma-jig

I created my stamped background using the snowflake from the Patterned Pines set. I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to line it up and just stamped it over and over again! I forgot how pretty white looks on kraft...

The little dolls were colored with a mix of the blender pens and the aqua painter- I love the look of watercolor but some of those spots are so darn tiny!

I made a couple other cards with the same color scheme... I really liked these colors together! Here they are:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Stamps: Wings of Friendship set, Patterned Pines set
Ink: Chocolate Chip classic ink; Whisper White craft ink; Versamark
Paper: Kraft, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White,Chocolate Chip cardstock; yellow and lighter turquoise paper by Bazzill
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Heat and Stick powder, Clear embossing powder, Crushed Curry polka-dot ribbon, paper piercer, signo White gel pen

I loved how the background turned out on this card but I am not entirely pleased with the card over all... something about the snowflakes with the flowers just doesn't go...

Here is the last one I made:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Medalion, Thank You Kindly set
Ink: Crushed Curry, Creamy Caramel classic inks; Versamark
Paper: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Kraft,
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain ribbon, half-back pearls (Prettys Kit), White embossing powder, paper piercer, White Signo Gel pen

I speckled the card a little by using some Creamy Caramel reinker and a toothbrush- it was just too clean with out it, hee!

I hope you are enjoying your Monday! It helps that it is the Monday before Christmas, doesn't it? Hee! I'll be finishing up my shopping and hopefully getting some presents wrapped.

Thanks for peeking!

-tessa

Some Fun Christmas Cards

I'm about done with all my Christmas cards! I thought I'd share a couple of fun ones I made over the weekend. The first one is for my Mother-in-law- I just think she'll get a kick out of it!



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Stamps: Season's Surfin' set
Ink: Old Olive, Melon Mambo, Soft Suede, Tempting Turquoise, Summer Sun classic inks; Jet Black StazOn
Paper: Whisper White; vanilla and light blue cardstock by Bazzill; patterned paper by My Minds Eye
Accessories:Aqua Painter, Dazzling Diamonds, paper piercing tool, Dimensionals, White Signo gel pen; Scallop Edge punch by Fiskars; ribbon by Maya Road

The next card makes me smile- our last name is Wise so I have a thing for cute little owls...



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Stamps: Owl Together set; Four the Holidays set
Ink:Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, Basic Gray, Soft Suede, Summer Sun classic inks; Jet Black StazOn; Versamark
Paper:Whisper White, Old Olive, Melon Mambo, Basic Gray, Pretty in Pink cardstock; watercolor paper
Accessories: Aqua Painter, Dimensionlas, paper piercing tool; Liquid Applique; Stardust pen by Sakura

Hope you are all enjoing the holiday season! I think I'll enjoy it a little more when my deadlines are met and my gifts are all shipped off in the mail. My girls are having a blast though- right now they are playing Santa... Zoey has her Santa hat on and is delivering presents to Natalie as she pretends to sleep- so cute! Hee!

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

One stamp set, three cards!

I've been busy creating the rest of my Christmas cards this week! I only have eight more to go and hopefully I'll get most of those done tonight! I ended up making around 50 cards all together and each one is unique. I can't wait to get them in the mail!

So, last night, I used my Berry Christmas set to make these three cards- it's fun to see the same set used in different ways, isn't it! Here they are:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Berry Christmas set; Four the Holidays set
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Basic Gray, Going Gray classic inks; Versamark
Paper: Basic Gray, Going Gray, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White cardstock
Accessories: Pretty in Pink satin ribbon, Heat and Stick powder, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Dimensionals



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Berry Christmas set
Ink: Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black classic ink
Paper: Whisper White, Old Olive, Sahara Sand cardstock; Rich Razzleberry textured cardstock; Christmas Cocoa DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, Whisper White organza ribbon, Paper-piercing tool, White Signo gel pen, Crystal Effects, Dimensionals



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Berry Christmas set; Four the Holidays set
Ink: Soft Suede Classic ink; Versamark
Paper: Bermuda Bay, Whisper White, Real Red cardstock; Christmas Cocoa DSP
Accessories: White Embossing Powder, Paper-piercing tool, White Signo gel pen, Half-back pearl from Pretties Kit, Dimensionals

OK! I'll keep it short so I can keep creating! Hee! Have a great evening!!

-tessa

Trio of Ornaments Card

While surfing through blogland this week, I came across a sketch challenge on a favorite blog of mine and loved the design! I had to try it out myself! Here is the sketch found on Gretchen Barron's blog:



And, here is my card:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Four the Holidays set, Christmas Classics set
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Ruby Red, Basic Black classic inks
Paper: Whisper White, Ruby Red cardstock; Christmas Cocoa DSP
Accessories: Pretty in Pink satin ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Aqua Painter, Top Note die; DMC thread in black

Thanks Gretchen for the great sketch idea! I wanted to keep it pretty simple so I watercolored my ornaments and added some glitter for sparkle! The new Pretty in Pink satin ribbon also created a softness that I just love!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend! If you have a chance, stop by Gretchen's blog and play along with her challenge!

-tessa

Merry Matryoshka Christmas

Hello! Hope you are all enjoying your Friday afternoon! I'm looking forward to this weekend- teaching a Christmas card class tomorrow and shopping with my sister on Sunday! I can't wait!

Today, I'm sharing a card using a new set out of the upcoming Occasions Mini from Stampin' Up! It's called My Matryoshka and it couldn't be cuter! Here is my card:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: My Matryoshka set
Ink: Ruby Red, Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, Blush Blossom, Soft Suede classic inks; Jet Black Staz On
Paper: Soft Suede, Ruby Red cardstock; Watercolor paper; Sweet Pea DSP (also from the upcoming mini!)
Accessories: Pretty in Pink satin ribbon (upcoming mini), Hemp twine, Latte button assortment, Scallop Edge punch, paper piercer, Signo white gel pen, Blending pens

I colored my little dolls using blender pens and residual ink from my stamp pads. The image has tiny spots that were a little tricky coloring in with the Aqua painter so I switched it up and the blender pens worked great!

These stamps were also in a new format that Stampin' Up! will offer with the upcoming mini- repositionable clear mounting stamps! I can honestly say that the quality is superb and the image came out crisp and clear- just like a wood-mounted stamp. It is the same quality rubber and foam as they have always used, just with a cling layer to stick to acrylic blocks. I know a lot of people who will be very happy with this option! Hee!

Well, better get back to my Christmas cards... Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Merry Christmas Love Card

Oh! How I love new stamps! I listened for the UPS man all morning and finally he delivered me a box of goodies! Yahoo!! The items I got are all from the upcoming mini catalog- out January 5th! The first set I inked up was the I {Heart} Hearts set. I worked it into a Christmas card because I'm just not ready for Valentine's yet! Hee! Here is my card:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts set, Four the Seasons set, Christmas Classics set
Ink: Soft Suede, Ruby Red, Certainly Celery classic inks
Paper: Ruby Red, Whisper White, Kraft, Certainly Celery cardstock; The Write Stuff DSP
Accessories: Soft Suede polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge punch, Crystal Effects, paper piercer, dimensionals

Pretty much, I kept this one simple! I added a little Crystal Effects to let my holly berries pop a bit but that is the only fancy thing! Hee!

Hopefully I'll be spending some time in my stamp room tonight so I can have lots to share next time I blog!

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Wild Thing...

About a month ago (yes, it took me sooo long!), my friend Andrea challenged me to make a card inspired by Where the Wild Things Are. We found all sorts of cute inspirations at this site. I love it! Here is my card- the idea came from their blog header:



Goodies:

Paper: cardstock by Stampin' Up! and Bazzill
Ink: Basic Black by Stampin' Up!
Accessories: Letter stickers by October Afternoon

Everything is hand cut on this card for a more silhouetted look. I traced half of a circle on the back of the black cardstock so my wild thing's head would have a good, round shape. Then I just cut fur in different directions. I was trying to think of a fun sentiment for this guy- a quote from the book or something- but ended up keeping it simple so I could use letter stickers I already owned...

Thanks for the challenge Andrea!

-tessa

Thank You Cards

At my last workshop, the hostess asked specifically for thank yous as our make and takes so that is exactly what we did! Here they are:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Friends 24-7 set, En Francais background stamp
Ink: Soft Suede, Bashful Blue, Dusty Durango, Always Artichoke classic inks; Versamark
Paper: Soft Suede, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Dusty Durango cardstock
Accessories: Whisper White organza ribbon, Clear embossing powder, Scallop Edge punch, Aqua Painter, Dazzling Diamonds

I wrote in the sentiment after the card was finished because I couldn't decide where to put it with out taking away from the emboss resist background.

Here is the second card we made:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Season of Friendship set, Thank You Kindly set, Christmas Punch hostess set
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede classic inks; Versamark
Paper: Kraft, Ruby Red, Pretty in Pink, Sage Shadow cardstock
Accessories: Clear embossing powder, White Signo gel pen, paper piercer, Scallop Edge punch, half-back pearls from Pretties Kit, Dazzling Diamonds, Dimensionals

I had to use my favorite stamp set, hee!! I added the snow with the White gel pen and then added glitter to it for a special touch.

Today I'm catching up on cleaning up my stamp space... the mess has become out of hand and with people coming to visit tomorrow, I better get it picked up! Does cleaning inspire you? It sure inspires me- I think seeing all my stuff as I'm putting it away makes me want to use it. It's always nice to start with a clean pallet, too!

OK! Have a great day and if you are travelling, be safe!

-tessa

Christmas Ornaments in Brown...

Look at Me! I'm blogging again! Hee! I've been busy lately- it started with a girls weekend away and before I even got to unpack I was hit with a week with a workshop and two classes planned, project deadlines, friends coming home from overseas, buying a new car, and now Thanksgiving holiday! Hee! The holiday really feels like sort of a vacation after that last week!

I thought I'd share a card I made recently. I got the idea from the famously clever Jan Tink who has been taking pictures of fun store bought cards and using them for inspiration at home. While I was shopping for some odds and ends at Walmart, I hit the card isle just in case and inspirations struck! Sorry for the crappy cell phone picture:



And here is my homemade version:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Tree Trimmings set; Christmas Greetings set; Baroque Motifs set
Ink: Soft Suede, Basic Black Classic inks; Versamark
Paper: Soft Suede and Kraft cardstock; Christmas Cocoa DSP
Accessories: Kraft Taffeta ribbon; Clear Embossing powder; White Signo gel pen, paper piercer, Scallop Edge punch, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Dimensionals

For the ornaments, I started by painting the Soft Suede cardstock with a thin coat of Champagne Mist shimmer paint. Next, I inked up my ornament stamps with Versamark and then Soft Suede ink and stamped them onto the shimmery paper. I embossed them with clear embossing powder and cut them out. I love how all of these elements worked together!

Well, I hope all of you out in blog land are having a wonderful Thanksgiving week! I am enjoying the quietness this week... nothing going on but cooking in the kitchen and visiting with my friends and family! I love that!

-tessa

Autumn Leaves Card

Hello!

Hope you are all gearing up for a fun and relaxing weekend! We are here, too- I'll be hanging out at my favorite lss tomorrow all day! Hee! I've been really inspired lately so maybe I'll have lots of cards to share next week! Here is one for today...



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Goodies: Autumn Splendor set, Holiday Best (hostess)set
Ink: Basic Black, Soft Suede, Taken with Teal, Dusty Durango classic inks
Paper: Kraft, Dusty Durango, Soft Suede, Taken with Teal cardstock
Accessories: paper piercer, Scallop Edge punch, Dimensionals, DMC thread, corner rounder punch

I stamped each of the leaves with black ink onto different colored cardstock and cut them out. Next, I distressed them by sponging coordinating ink on them and then Soft Suede ink over all of them. I actually hand sewed real stiches around the edge, too- rather then the faux stitching I usually do! I really like the simplicity of this card and the pretty color scheme.

OK! Enjoy your weekend! Hopefully I'll be scrappin' up a storm down at Scrapdoodles! Hee!

-tessa

Give Thanks

Hello!

I woke up in the best mood today! It could be because of the sunshine outside or the fact that the only thing I have on my to do list today is stamping some cards for an upcoming project! My girls have been good and we played movie theater, picked out one of their favorite movies and made popcorn to snack on! While they watched, I stamped! Hee!! Here is what I made:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Holiday Best set (hostess)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Real Rust, Soft Suede
Paper: Taken With Teal, Chocolate Chip cardstock; Autumn Meadows DSP
Accessories: On Board So Tweet chipboard, Valet ribbon originals (retired), Top Note die, Sanding Block, paper piercer, 1 3/4" Circle punch

I finally bought the Autumn Meadows DSP... I've been staring at it and all the great creations made with it on the internet for a couple of months now! Hee! I really don't know how I held out so long- it is beautifully done and I love every sheet in this pack! I have a feeling I'll be playing with it a lot this week!! I also finally used one of these little owl chipboard pieces that I've been hording... I bought them to make Christmas ornaments with for the Wise side of our family- we all love little hooty owls!

Hope you are all enjoying your day! This week is going by really fast- I can't believe that it's already Thursday!! Gee- better get crackin' on those cards... they are due Saturday! Yikes!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by today!!

-tessa

Make Merry!

Good Morning!

I thought I'd share a card I did yesterday with just the scraps on my desk left over from other recent projects...



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Berry Christmas set
Ink: Soft suede, Bermuda Bay classic inks, Versamark
Paper: Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, Real Red cardstock; Christmas Cocoa DSP
Accessories: Real Red 3/4" polka-dot grosgrain ribbon; Crystal Effects, Clear embossing powder, Dimensionals

This little set has been one of my favorites since coming out in the Holiday Mini! Even the sentiment has grown on me...

I'm keeping it short today! Lots to do here!

-tessa

Pretty Paper...

Hello!

I've been hoarding the Christmas Cocoa DSP pack since I got it and finally I decided to take advantage of the pretty paper! Here is a super fast card I made in just minutes:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Four the Holidays set
Ink: Soft Suede classic ink; Versamark
Paper: Soft Suede cardstock; Christmas Cocoa Specialty DSP
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Corduroy Buttons, Real Red 3/4" Polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, Clear embossing powder

I trimmed the patterned paper to fit on my card base and inked around the edges with Soft Suede ink. Next, I stamped the sentiment with Soft Suede and Versamark and heat embossed it using clear embossing powder. Layering the Versamark and the classic inks on your stamp lets you emboss it! I love that trick...

OK! Hope you are all enjoying your afternoon! I've been on a Christmas card kick so hopefully I'll have lots to share this week!

Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Butterfly Thank You Card

Good morning!! Today I'm in a great mood, despite the weather and despite having to go to the dentist today... I'm planning some shopping this afternoon- all by myself- which almost never happens! Hee!

Today I'm sharing a card I made using Embellish Magazine's latest challenge:



I sat with these colors on my desk for soooo long! I just couldn't decide what to do. Finally, I grabbed an old favorite that hasn't gotten to play in a while, my Simple Friendship set, and finally, the idea came! Here is what I made:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Simple Friendship set, Thank You Kindly set
Ink: Melon Mambo, Basic Gray Classic inks
Paper: Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Basic Gray, Whisper White cardstock; Going Gray textured cardstock; Walk in the Park DSP(retired)
Accessories: Top Note Die, Melon Mambo polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, White Signo Gel pen, paper piercer, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Fire Circle Rhinestone brads

Have you ever tried to pop the rhinestones out of the Fire and Ice brads? It's a toughie but I did it for my butterfly's wings. I also loaded her up with lots of Dazzling Diamonds glitter. I also flipped the ribbon so that the polka-dots wouldn't be seen- an easy trick for a totally different look!

I am so glad that people post challenges like this that make me use products I haven't in a while... it is like a little breath of fresh crafty air! I think tonight I'll pull all my stamps out and grab another I haven't used in awhile for my next card!

Hope you all have a great Thursday! It's almost Friday!! Yeah!! Thanks for stopping by today, too!

-tessa

A Christmas Scrapbook Page

Hello!

I've been trying to scrapbook a little more and here is a page I made recently:



Goodies:

Paper: Mistletoe line by Making Memories; cardstock by Bazzill
Accessories: Stickers by Making Memories; Letter Stickers by Doodlebug Designs; Glimmer Mists by Tattered Angels; polka dot mask by Heidi Swapp; rub ons by Daisy D's for Recollections

This was our family picture from last Christmas. The girls always have such cute Christmas jammies so I decided that that would be a fun theme for the picture! We took it just after waking up one Saturday morning and I think it turned out pretty cute! Hee! Now to think of a fun one for this Christmas...

Hope you are enjoying your day!

-tessa

Happy Fall Card

Good Morning! Hope you are all off to a good start!

I made this card over the weekend with the new Nutmeg line by Cosmo Cricket...



Goodies:

Paper: Cardstock by Bazzill and DCWV; patterned paper by Cosmo Cricket and Chatterbox
Accessories: Acorn template by Lasting Impressions; Scallop Edge punch and hemp twine by Stampin' Up!; brown marker by American Crafts

I've been having fun with my Lasting Impressions templates lately! The Acorn template I used here is too cute! I thought it would go perfectly with the new Cosmo papers!

I'll keep this short and get busy on my day! Hee!

Thanks for looking!

-tessa

Halloween Candy Card

Hello!

Hope everyone is having a great Monday! It's a fun week for us... we had family pictures taken yesterday and visited with my sister; today Zoey had show and tell at school; Wednesday we will visit the Pumpkin Fairy and Friday, Zoey's class has a Halloween party and costume parade! I can't wait!! We are also having fantastic weather so that makes it even better...

Today I'm posting a cute Halloween card I made over the weekend:



Goodies:

Stamps: The More the Merrier set (hostess) by Stampin' Up!
Ink: Basic Black classic ink by Stampin' Up!
Paper: cardstock by DCWV, Bazzill, and Stampin' Up!; Patterned papers by Pebbles and Doodlebug Designs
Accessories: paper piercer, White Signo Gel pen, Basic Black narrow grosgrain ribbon by Stampin' Up!; Scallop Edge punch by Fiskars, Candy Embossing Template by Lasting Impressions; Stickles by Ranger

While I was at my LSS last week, I picked up the Doodlebug candy paper knowing exactly what I wanted to do with it! I've had this Candy template by Lasting Impressions for years now and it was begging to be used on a Halloween card! I embossed all the candy pieces in different colors, sanded them, and stickled them. I used Vellum to emboss the wrapper part and pieced them all together. I love the dimensions this card has!

My girls are busy crafting this afternoon so hopefully, I'll be doing the same! Hope you enjoy the rest of your day!

-tessa

Collector's Club: Tree Trimmings Edition

Good morning!

I am holding a new Collector's Club Class in November, this time featuring the Tree Trimmings set! Here is a picture of the class samples:



We will be making two of each design so you will go home with 10 cards! You will also go home with the Tree Trimmings and Christmas Greetings stamp sets.

Here are the details:

When: Sunday, November 22nd at 1:30pm
Where: Kristen's house in Lorton, VA
What to bring: paper trimmer, adhesive, bone folder, scissors, and if you have one, a Stamp-a-ma-jig!
Cost: $36.00

I already know this class will be a blast! If you are interested in attending, please email me!

Hope you have a great day!

-tessa

Glimmer Mist and Tulle...

Good Morning! Hope you all enjoyed the weekend... mine are never long enough! I did get to play a little down at my favorite LSS Scrapdoodles though and that is always fun!

Today I'm sharing a card I made using some homemade glimmer mist tissue flowers. I found this technique featured in CK over the summer and thought they were cute and very easy to repeat! I made several in all different colors- this card shows three of them:



Goodies:

Stamps: Upsy Daisy set by Stampin' Up!
Ink: Basic Black by Stampin' Up!
Paper: Basic Black cardstock by Stampin' Up!; patterned papers by Crate Paper
Accessories: Pashmina, Lime, and Raven Glimmer Mists by Tattered Angels; Dew Drops; Glitter by Stampin' Up!; Tulle by Bazzill Basics; white tissue paper

To make these flowers, you need plain white tissue paper to start with. You can punch out or hand cut out lots and lots of circles in all different sizes. This is pretty easy because you can do about 6 sheets at a time because it is so thin! If you are hand cutting the circles, don't worry about them being perfect- you want them to ruffle up anyways!

Once you have your circles cut, lay them out on a piece of newspaper and spray them all with the glimmer mist of your choice. I really saturated mine. Next, heat set them to speed up the drying process. Then, adhere the layers together... I found glue sticks to work the best for this- they aren't bulky and didn't tear up the tissue paper. I started with the smallest one and just built back from there. You can add different items to the center of your flowers, too. Here, I used glitter, Dew Drops, and a button.

I created the tulle ruffle by running a little adhesive to my card base. I stuck the tulle down, bunching it as I went. Then, I went back and back stitched a line of DMC thread to hold it all in place. The texture is really pretty in real life!

I hope you enjoy your day! Thanks for stopping by for a peek at what I made!

-tessa

Cardinal Christmas Card

Last year, my mom bought A Cardinal Christmas set to do her Christmas cards with. I got to play around with it for a couple days before sending it to her and just loved it! This year when we were talking about the different sets to use, we decided to make a trade- I sent the one I used for my cards last year and she sent me A Cardinal Christmas! Hee! Here is what I made with it:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: A Cardinal Christmas
Ink: Jet Black StazOn; Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Soft Suede classic inks
Paper: Watercolor paper; Chocolate Chip and Real Red cardstock; Christmas Cocoa DSP
Accessories: White Signo Gel pen, paper piercer, Aqua Painter, Valet Ribbon Originals (retired)

I was keeping this card simple and elegant and I love how it turned out! I just watercolored the image onto watercolor paper and then added faux stitching around the outside edge. I inked around the focal point and the patterned paper edges, too!

Well, hopefully you are having a great Thursday today! We have rain so I think it will be a craft day for my two little girls... I'm thinking finger paints!!! I can't say that too loud though or they'll go bazurk! Hee!

Bye!

-tessa

A Fun Emboss Resist...

While going through my blog roll this week, I found a great tutorial from Jennifer McGuire showing an updated emboss resist technique. It looked so great, I had to try it out myself! Here is what I made:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Christmas Punch hostess set
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black classic inks; Versamark
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black, Whisper White, Brushed Silver cardstock
Accessories: Basic Black narrow grosgrain ribbon, Clear embossing powder, Latte button assortment, Dimensionals

I followed her directions from the video. First, I inked around the edges with Rich Razzleberry ink. Next, I stamped the snowflakes with Versamark and heat embossed them with clear embossing powder. Then I rubbed in some more ink using a sponge and working from the outside towards the center. The snowflakes really popped after I wiped them off again!

Hope you are all enjoying your week! I had a super creative weekend but seem to be in a little funk right now... time to focus on other projects! Hee!

Thanks for checking out the old blog today!

-tessa

Christmas in the Round...

I played along with a new challenge over at Embellish Magazine... to create a circle card using thier color pallet... the colors weren't too tough but a circle card? Yikes! I think this may be the second one I've ever made... Here is what they challenged us with:



and here is my card:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Stamps: Patterned Pines set , Christmas Punch set, Season of Friendship set, Warm Words set
Ink: Certainly Celery, Soft Sky, Basic Black classic inks, Whisper White craft ink, Versamark
Paper: Soft Sky, Whisper White cardstock
Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds; rhinestones are from my stash

For the background, I stamped the snowflakes from Christmas Punch with Versamark and then stamped the snowflake from Season of Friendship over the top of it with Whisper White craft ink. I also inked around the edges with Soft Sky ink. The trees are just stamped in Certainly Celery on Whisper White cardstock. I added a few rhinestones and glittered the snow just for fun!

Thanks for the great challenge Ashley!

-tessa

Fall Love Card

A while ago, my friend Andrea and I decided that we would challenge each other back and forth with an inspirational something that we found... she challenged me with this book cover and now it's my turn to challenge her! While shopping online for my girls, I ran across these cute boots from Gymboree:



Great color pallet, right? My card idea was already brewing... Here is what I made:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Love You Much set; Sprinkles set
Ink: Basic Black, Soft Suede, Ruby Red, Pretty in Pink, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Kiwi Kiss classic inks
Paper: Whisper White, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink, Soft Suede, Pumpkin Pie cardstock; The Write Stuff Specialty DSP
Accessories: Kraft taffeta ribbon, paper piercer, Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds, Dimensionals

The base is stamped with the hearts from Sprinkles. I inked around the edges before adhering the patterned and torn pieces. Next, I stamped out the Love you Much image and watercolored it. I matted it, added piercings, and adhered the flower with dimensionals. Last, I added the Crystal Effects and Dazzling Diamonds.

I can't wait to see what Andrea comes up with!! Also, if you would like to play along, I'd love to see what you create, too! Just link your finished project in the comments...

Thanks for stopping by and have a great fall day! I think it will be a beautiful one here...

-tessa

A Couple of Pages...

I've been scrapping again lately and I'm loving it! The two pages I am sharing today were started over a year ago... They sat, half finished in a pile of 'to do' projects for way too long! Here they are:

My girls and thier cousins on my hubby's side:


My cousin Gretchen on her wedding day:


I've been trying to take better pictures of my pages but it is a little tough for me... I think I need a camera upgrade...

We have a lot going on around the house today but I'm going to try to squeeze in a couple of cards... I've been missing my stamps a little! Hee!

Hope you are all enjoying the day! Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Give Thanks

Good morning! I woke up to another pretty fall day... I love it! We don't have anything planned for today so I am going to try and get out there to enjoy it! Hee!

Today I'm sharing two cards I made recently to show others how thankful I am for them. They have a pretty fall look to them, too! Here they are:



Goodies:

Paper: Bazzill cardstock; patterns by Creative Imaginations, Jenni Bowlin, Bo Bunny
Accessories: Pumpkin Die, Flirt Alphabet and Polkadot Embossing plate by Quickutz; hemp twine by Stampin' Up!; Brads by American Crafts; letter stickers by Pink Paislee



Goodies:

Stamps: Falling For You set by Bo Bunny
Ink: Versamark; Dark Brown Colorbox ink
Paper: Kraft cardstock by Bazzill; patterns by Basic Gray and Pink Paislee
Accessories: ribbon by Making Memories, letter stickers by Pink Paislee

Don't forget to let the people you are thankful for know that you care.

Have a great day!!

-tessa

Scrap Pink Weekend

Hello!

I thought I'd pop on tonight and share some of my layouts from this weekend- I attended a local Scrap Pink event at Scrapdoodles and had lots of fun scrapping the whole weekend! I am the world's slowest scrapbooker though- maybe that is why I generally make cards- it takes less time and I don't have as much space to fill up! Hee! On top of it, when I get together with my scrappin' buddies, we usually end up talking and laughing more then anything! Hee! Spotted Elephants! Hee! Anyways, here are the three finished layouts that I came home with:

Shy Girl:


Her Blue Eyes:


Sleeping Beauty:


The first layout was inspired by a page in the most recent CK magazine... my friends and I all CASEd it and I love how all of our layouts are the same but a little different...




We had a fun weekend and I'm now super inspired to work on my layouts again! They have been few and far between over that last 2 years since Recollections closed... hopefully I can get back into the swing of things and make them a little more regularly!

Thanks for stopping by and hope you all had a great Monday!

-tessa

Be Merry

Good Morning!

I stamped this card when I was in the mood for Christmas. Winter weather isn't my favorite but I love snowflake stamps! Especially when they are accompanied by pretty swirls!



For the focal point of this card, I first stamped the swirly snow stamp with blue ink onto white cardstock. Next, I stamped the same image with Versamark on vellum, placing it slightly off of the blue image behind it. I heat embossed it and then stamped the sentiment with blue pigment ink onto the vellum, heat embossing it as well. I attached the vellum to the white cardstock using brads. It is very pretty in real life!

I am hoping that the winter weather stays away for a long, long time! Stamped snow is more fun then real snow any day! Hee!

-tessa

Snowy Tree Card

I thought I'd pop on this afternoon to post a card I made for Dawn McVey's most recent Raspberry Suite color challenge! I found time to play along this morning during preschool. Here is the inspiration she challenged us with:



Here's my card:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Season of Friendship set; Christmas Tags Hostess set
Ink: Versamark; Chocolate Chip craft ink; Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Baja Breeze Classic inks
Paper: Very Vanilla, Soft Sky, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Kraft cardstock; Baja Breeze textured cardstock; Christmas Cocoa Specialty DSP
Accessories: Kraft taffeta ribbon, White Signo gel pen, Dazzling Diamonds, Clear embossing powder, Scallop Edge punch, paper piercer, half back pearls from Pretties Kit

It was fun bringing back some old school Stampin' Up! In colors! Hee! The card base is textured Baja Breeze cardstock and I used Soft Sky for the background behind my tree- stamping it with Versamark snowflakes before I added the tree image. I also created some faux stitches around the edge, using my White gel pen and a paper piercer! To add snow to some of the tree branches, I first drew it in with my White gel pen and then added a little glue and some Dazzling Diamonds glitter!

Hope you all enjoy your day! I'm off to cook up a special dessert for tonight's dinner with two little helpers! Hee!

Thanks for looking,

-tessa