Welcome!

Welcome to my blog. Over the years that I have been stamping and paper crafting, I have so often been inspired by the ideas on other sites and blogs. I hope I can pay that back in some measure with my own. (In between laughs -- or cackles as my son calls it!)

August 26, 2012

Cross-stitched Poppet

Isn't the new Paintbox Poppets Winter Collection by Christine Haworth too sweet?  I really like the nostalgic feel to these images.  Today I decided to use the Yuletide Logs set.

For a change, I picked out my background paper first.  I had a big slab of Christmas paper and I decided to use it.  So, I used my Spectrum Noir alcohol-ink markers to color the poppet's dress to coordinate in shades of moss, olive, rose red and pale blue.  (You'll understand why I used blue when you see the envelope.)  I used my oval die to cut and emboss, and then cut a scalloped oval from rose red for the layer.

Before adhering the layers, I hand-stitched with white embroidery floss.  I did cross stitches along the left side of the oval; satin stitched the hat's pompom; and tied a little white bow on her vest.  Use a piercing tool and a template for even stitches.

The stitched image was then adhered to the red scalloped layer.  This went on to a dry embossed white layer (doesn't this embossing folder remind you of a knit Norwegian sweater?), then on to the patterned paper, then layered on olive, and finally on to a folded white card base.  

Inside, I used coordinating paper and mounted the greeting on a moss scallop-punched oval.  The final touch was a coordinating envelope made with the Envelobox Creator.  It is so easy to make coordinating envelopes, and doesn't even take a full sheet of paper!

Hope you enjoyed today's card.  Have you started your Christmas cards yet?  ;-)

August 19, 2012

Winter Panda Bears

Today I have a card done with a new set, "Winter Wonderland", from the fun Christmas in Mulberry Wood line from Crafter's Companion.

I decided to make my bears Panda's, although what Pandas are doing in the snow, I'm not really sure.  But in my craft room, imagination is allowed :-)

First, I stamped the image and greeting in black ink on to white card stock.  Then I colored with my Spectrum Noir markers. I liked the way that fellow Design Team member Taylor colored the winter trees blue on her recent card here.  

I layered the main umage on to black to draw out the black in the Pandas.  I scalloped the edge of this layer and added an assortment of blue polka dot and black gingham ribbon.  This was then layered onto blue patterned paper which I also punched with a fancier scallop.  This went on to a top-folded white card base.

I decided to reprise the scallops a third time, on the bottom opening edge of the card.  I added some rhinestone snowflakes and some tiny rhinestones under the bottom scallop flap and it was done!

Hope you enjoy it and have a happy Sunday!




August 12, 2012

Country Lane

Love, love, love this set by Sheena Douglass.  It's called Milestones and Moments.   I was inspired by this great card that my stampin' sister Trena had made for me when I retired in January.  It was a short-lived retirement; I'm back at work with a new company, and I needed a card for a colleague who was moving to a new job and this image seemed perfect.

I stamped in Versamark ink on confetti cream paper, and used detail black embossing powder.  I chose the off-white color to match the lattice-edged card base.  (Yes, sometimes I do think ahead, LOL!)  I used my watercolor crayons because this scenic image was just asking for a soft, flowing touch.  I like to emboss the image when I watercolor, because it creates little raised edges that keep the colors from bleeding too much.  When I use the water color crayons, I color along the edges and draw the pigment inward with a wet brush.  This gives you gradation of color without over-thinking it.  When you do trees, be sure to mix the greens for a more realistic look.

I layered the image on to a black mat, and adhered this to the card base.  I stamped the greeting in black and used a large oval punch and attached it with dimensionals.

For a finishing touch, I put tiny black rhinestones on the greeting and at the intersection of the lattice.

Hope it inspires you to try water coloring an image.

August 11, 2012

Birthday Blog Hop Winner

And the winner for my giveaway for the Crafter's Companion Birthday Blog Hop is:  AJ Scrapbooking and Cards

Congrats to AJ!


AJ, please email me (stampinmarge@yahoo.com) your mailing address so that we can send you your prixe, the cute Popcorn Bear Party Time stamp set.

August 6, 2012

Happy Birthday to Crafter's Companion!


It's Crafter's Companion fifth birthday, and we are celebrating with a CC Design Team blog hop!  The hop runs August 6 - 10.  Crafter's Companion is generously giving away a $100 gift card as the grand prize!  I'm also giving away a Popcorn the Bear birthday-themed stamp set!  Instructions for both are at the end of this post.

If you reached my blog, that means you came from Lisa Hunt's, and after me you will go to Stacy's.

I wanted to make Crafter's Companion a birthday card to celebrate.  I chose Popcorn the Bear and he's bringing an armful of daisies as a birthday gift from the Thanks a Bunch set.  Isn't this little bear adorable? 

I started by stamping in black ink on to white card stock.  I colored him with my Spectrum Noir markers.  Then, I layered him onto mossy green card stock.   

At that point, I embellished with hand stitching in yellow embroidery floss and lots of subtle white French knots. I used a hole piercer and template to keep the spacing even.  This was then layered onto cheerful yellow polka dot paper, and then on to a folded white card base.  The finished card is 5.5 x 5.5 inches.
Inside, I put a Happy Birthday greeting, layered in to a mossy green scalloped mat.  I reprised the stitching theme from the front of the card with yellow cross stitches.
  OK, now the rules to win prizes:
  1. You need to be a follower of my blog
  2. You need to be a follower of the Crafter's Companion blog
  3. You need to leave a comment on this post
  4. You need to find the secret letter on each Design Team member's blog that spells out a secret phrase.  HINT:  My secret letter is "W"
  5. You need to be a US resident
When you have visited all the blogs in order and collected all the letters for the secret phrase, email the phrase to Bindy at bindy@crafterscompanion.com .  When the blog hop is over, Bind will select by random number generator the grand prize winner of the $100 gift card.

I'll select the winner for my blog's give-away (the Popcorn the Bear birthday stamp set) by random number generator from those who have left a comment here, and post the winner's name here on August 11th.  Be sure to check back to give me your mailing address if you are the winner (or have your email in your profile so I can contact you).


 

August 5, 2012

Sweet Daisy Girl

Aren't these new Morehead stamps just too adorable?  Today I chose the "Raindrops" image.  Like Meg Ryan in 'You've Got Mail', I love daisies - they are just an unassuming and happy flower.

I started by stamping the image in black on to white card stock.  I then colored it with my Spectrum Noir markers.

I had a scrap of daisy patterned paper, and it seemed perfect to go with this image.  I combined it with tiny yellow polka dots and blue checked gingham paper.  I love the juxtaposition of the structured checks with the looser floral design.  The background of mixed papers was layered on to pink, and this was layered on to a top-folded white 5.5 x 5.5 card base.

For the main image, I put just a slim strip of the polka dot paper on the left edge.  This was then layered on to pink,  and then on to the background.

I used the "Hello" greeting from the Beatrix Potter Timmy Tiptoes set -- it was just the right size and cheery sentiment. I oval-punched it, then used a larger oval with a scrap of the yellow polka dot paper as a mat, to reprise it.  I adhered it with dimensionals in the lower right corner, being sure to overlap the image and the gingham as a sort of 'bridge' for the eye.

Finishing touches were three white buttons, each tied with embroidery floss in blue, yellow and pink respectively.  These were attached with glue dots.  I like to 'faux sew' my buttons.  To me seeing the holes in a button looks a bit naked.  ;-)


Now for my confession.  I used to stay clear of making the large square cards because I never had an envelope on hand that would fit.  But with the Envelobox Creator, making square envelopes is so easy!  I find that I'm doing more and more of the square cards. Start with 8.25" square of paper and use row G on the tool for a perfect fit.  I used a wavy yellow gingham for my coordinating envelope.

Hope you enjoyed it!