Papertrey June 2015 Blog Hop

This sweet little pair of shoes is the inspiration piece for this months blog hop.  On my card, I drew inspiration from the stripes (Ombre Builders stamped in Smokey Shadow), the color pallet (Smokey Shadow, Vintage Cream, Terracotta Tile, and Rustic Artichoke), and the little scroll accent that has the name of the shoe maker in it. 

I'm going to keep this short and sweet so you can hop along and enjoy what others have created!

November Papertrey Ink Blog Hop

This month Nichole challenged us to make little glitter houses.  Can I just say, I am officially hooked!  I have a Pinterest board devoted to these little beauties.  If you do a search for Christmas glitter house or Putz house online, you are sure to fall in love too.  There are even some web sites that have free pattern where you can cut your house pattern from thin chipboard (like a cereal box).

So what do you think?  My favorite is the church.

Little Blue House

Pink House w/White Gold Roof

White house w/Pink Roof

I purchased my glitter houses from a site called Little Village Houses. I am not to steady with an Xacto knife so I saved myself a step and was able to just get down to decorating and having fun!  I also purchased my fences, sisal trees, and some cute little sisal wreaths from there too.  Fast shipping, well packed, and reasonably priced.

Each house got two base coats of gesso and then a couple of coats of acrylic paint.  I tried choosing paint color  that would mimic Sweet Blush, Aqua Mist, and Smokey Shadow.  Each house then got a good coat of glitter (Martha Stewart course glitter and White Gold glitter for the silver roof tops).  For the "snow", I found a wonderful product called Snow-Tex by DecoArt.  My little window panes use PTI's Faux Ribbon stamp set with White Staz-On stamped on their acetate.  For the church, I used some alcohol inks and the tissue that PTI wraps their orders in to make stained glass windows.  The ornaments on the cream trees (that you can't see too well now because of all the Mica flakes) are pearls that I picked up at Michaels.  I also found my snowmen and sleigh in the mini tree section of M's too.  If you have any questions on anything, just let me know and I'll be happy to answer.

Now off you go to look at more beautiful creations from all our PTI friends!  Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

December Daily Cover

Hello everyone!

I've started preparations for my 2013 December Daily.  I was able to actually make a December Daily last year (I would say it is 90% finished, just need to journal a couple of pages, reprint a few photos in different sizes (as I want to use a different page protector configuration) and embellish a little more on a few pages.)

Once again I'm using a red SN@P album by simple stories.  I'm absolutely in love with the chalkboard trend right now and this is what I decided to go with.  I used was hi tape to mask off the red fabric portion and painted the kraft base with Martha Stewart black chalkboard paint (I did two coats, letting the first coat dry 1 hour before painting again.  I then let it all cure a full 24 hours before doing anything else).  I then stamped Tim Holtz's Grunge Snowflakes with Versamark and then used detail white embossing powder to get all those pretty white snowflakes (I was also pleasantly surprised at how cool the chalkboard looked just rubbing my embossing buddy all over)!  I then used my Fresh Snow ink from PTI to distress the edges and cover a bit.  Once the white ink was dry, I just adhered some red glitter tape over the seam where the red fabric of the album and the chalkboard meet.

I'm still undecided as to whether I should further embellish the cover or not (I'm having a hard time covering up those pretty snowflakes).  What do you think?  Leave it as is or add a little more (maybe a die cut snowflake with a 2013 or 25 flair button)?

I'm semi working on prepping the interior pages.  I find that I really need the pictures to be inspired.  I know that I will be having a lot of clear accents in my album, as I like to see other pages peeking through behind each other.  I'm also got a list in my mind of what I'll be including for most days of the album, but you never know what stories/surprises will pop up (like when both of my kids came home with Shining Star awards last year for exemplifying the character word "kindness" for the month of December at school).

Linda

TCP Sneaky Peek Week Day 7 - Simply Holiday

Welcome back for day 7 of Sneaky Peek week!  One more sleep!  One more sleep until the pajama party where aafterwards you'll be able to purchase the awesome stamps and dies that we've been tempting you with all week.  So let's get to it!

When I was jotting down my ideas for all of the sets, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to attempt a chalkboard look with the new Simply Holiday set.  It's ALL about the fonts with this set, and there is no better showcase for fonts than the chalkboard technique.

I arranged all my stamps on one block and then stamped them with versamark ink on a Smokey Shadow panel.  I then heat embossed with detail white embossing powder.  I then inked the stamps again with Fresh Snow, and then stamped over the embossing just a little off kilter for that 'smudgy' look.  

Included in the set are some awesome little accent pieces too.  Alma really does think of everything!  Those were embossed with some glittery embossing powder in red and green for a little pop of color.  I then dipped my finger in the white ink pad and further smudged up my panel.  The final touch was just inking the edges with a direct to paper technique.  I liked my panel so much, I just kept the card simple (hopefully not too simple though).  I'm still wrestling with the urge to use a little twine or some sequins and bling.  What do you think?

Products Used:

A few things that you need to know:

1. All the new stamps and dies will be released on Tuesday, October 29.

2. If you're IN IT TO WIN IT, visit the  TCP Forum at Splitcoaststampers to comment and chat on the IN IT TO WIN IT thread every day for an opportunity to score some new TCP goodies.

3. Save the date for the Pajama Party on Monday, October 28 from 8-10pm eastern time.

The full list of today's Cat Pack participants are on the The Cat's Pajamas blog. I'll be back tomorrow with another sneak peek. See you then!

TCP Sneaky Peek Week Day 6 - Believe

Hello everyone!  I'm a little late posting tonight, but better late than never right (for some reason blogger is giving me fits tonight).  We're coming in the home stretch of the fabulous new release from The Cats Pajamas.  I fell in love with this little guy the second I saw him and knew immediately that I wanted to make a shaker style card.  The next thought that popped in my head is "how in the heck is this little guy going to make it down that teeny tiny chimney?".  Alma has once again nailed it with the sentiments included in this set.  Beautiful fonts and wonderful sayings.

For my card, I decided to go with the "Believe" sentiment in that vintage looking font.  I stamped the sentiment repeatedly at an angle in traditional Christmas colors (New Leaf and Pure Poppy).  That awesome Celebration Toppers die is getting used here as well as some Holiday Divine Twine  (which happens to be hiding a little accidental inky fingered smudge).   The little silvery jingle bells have a sweet coating of vintage glass glitter for that little bit of added charm.

Products used:

A few things that you need to know:

1. All the new stamps and dies will be released on Tuesday, October 29.

2. If you're IN IT TO WIN IT, visit the  TCP Forum at Splitcoaststampers to comment and chat on the IN IT TO WIN IT thread every day for an opportunity to score some new TCP goodies.

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3. Save the date for the Pajama Party on Monday, October 28 from 8-10pm eastern time.

The full list of today's Cat Pack participants are on the The Cat's Pajamas blog. I'll be back tomorrow with another sneak peek. See you then!

TCP Sneaky Peek Day 5 - Bounce Back

Well we're a little over halfway through peeking the new TCP sets.  Have you started figuring out your wish list yet?

We're peeking another cute  BBEoD set today called Bounce Back.  Today our sweet little bun is laid up and needing some much needed rest.  His little nose is all stuffed up and red from blowing it so much.  It's hard for this sweet little one to be laid up for any length of time (seriously, if you go to the new TCP website/store you'll see this little bun doing everything from ice fishing to ice skating and everything in between).

For my card, I decided to use the current Fusion challenge for both my layout and color choices.

For the circular element in the sketch, I pulled out my Lacy Floral Doily CutUps.  I cut it out twice...once from shimmery cream cardstock and once from patterned paper.  I used the patterned paper cut outs to fill back in the spaces on the cream doily for a sweet "wallpaper" type background.  BBEoD was both Copic colored and paper pieced and then fussy cut so s(he) could be the star of the show.  Finished off with a smattering of sequins and rhinestones, and voila...the card is done.

As always with BBEoD, there are some versatile (and sassy) sentiments included.

Catch you tomorrow!  We'll be peeking my second favorite set of the release!

Linda

Products Used:

A few things that you need to know:

1. All the new stamps and dies will be released on Tuesday, October 29.

2. If you're IN IT TO WIN IT, visit the  TCP Forum at Splitcoaststampers to comment and chat on the IN IT TO WIN IT thread every day for an opportunity to score some new TCP goodies.

3. Save the date for the Pajama Party on Monday, October 28 from 8-10pm eastern time.

The full list of today's Cat Pack participants are on the The Cat's Pajamas blog. I'll be back tomorrow with another sneak peek. See you then!

TCP Sneaky Peek Day 4 - Let the Flakes Fly

Welcome back to day four of Sneaky Peek Week for The Cats Pajamas!  Today's peek features what I think is my favorite set of the entire release (and that is saying a lot because there are still PLENTY of awesome sets for you to see).  I have a soft spot for snowmen.  Always have....always will.  This is the very first set that I played with when I got my new goodies.

Now to set the scene (and believe me I did do this), you MUST have The Drifters version of the song White Christmas playing.

Can't you just hear this snowman playing a jazzy version of White Christmas in this pristine and sparkly meadow?  Maybe with a bunny or two and a deer close by enjoying the tunes?

I brought out my inner technique geek to make the background for this card.  I first used Versamark to stamp the snowflakes (borrowed from a set that will be officially peeked in two days) on glossy card stock.  Once I knew that the Versamark stamped snowflakes had dried,  I used my ink blending tool and Salty Ocean and Broken China distress inks to bring out that bright blue sky and the snowflakes.  I believe this technique is called "Ghosting".  I then stamped and embossed some more snowflakes with detail white embossing powder for an even brighter pop.  The snowman was colored with Copics and touches of glitter were added here and there with a few Wink of Stella glitter pens.

The snowman was then fussy cut and set upon hills that were cut out with my Holiday Toppers CutUps (the little trees are also from this die set, I just altered the finished die cut by getting rid of the barn and silo).  The hills got a nice glittery treatment with some vintage glass glitter for some super sparkle!  All that is left is the sentiment that was stamped with White Stazon on an acetate overlay (what looks to be a black stamped sentiment in the first picture is actually a shadow as I took this picture outside to get bright light)

So what do you think of this guy?  Do you love him as much as I do?

Linda

Products used:

A few things that you need to know:

1. All the new stamps and dies will be released on Tuesday, October 29.

2. If you're IN IT TO WIN IT, visit the  TCP Forum at Splitcoaststampers to comment and chat on the IN IT TO WIN IT thread every day for an opportunity to score some new TCP goodies.

3. Save the date for the Pajama Party on Monday, October 28 from 8-10pm eastern time.

The full list of today's Cat Pack participants are on the The Cat's Pajamas blog. I'll be back tomorrow with another sneak peek. See you then!