Seasonal cards...

My cards for today are quick and easy for the upcoming holiday seasons! I used a wide variety of items from my stash for these cards and you can find most of them at your favorite craft store. Now, on to the instructions!

I received my Debbie Mumm paper stack from JoAnn's online yesterday, and the fall designs are adorable! The pine cone paper is soft and was perfect for my idea! I mounted the paper to a peach card measuring 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches. I "inked" the leaf stamp from Judikins with the Essential Glue Pad and stamped it on a scrap of peach cardstock. With Martha Stewart glitter, I added green for the center of the leaf, then orange and gold for the sides and let it dry. Once it was dry, I cut the leaf out and put it aside.

With the Cuttlebug, I cut out a scalloped brown square. I stamped the "Fall" stamp from Hero Arts, using Memento Rich Cocoa ink onto peach cardstock. I mounted the stamped image to the brown square at an angle and added gold pearls. I mounted this to my card, added pop dots to the leaf cut out and adhered it beside the fall sentiment. Lastly, I added a brown ribbon and tied it in a knot. A pretty and easy card for a loved one!

Here's a pretty Christmas card using the Snowflake embossing folder for the Cuttlebug. Once my paper was embossed, I took a stipple brush and added blue ink around the edges of the card. I mounted this to a purple card sized 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches. I stamped a Christmas tree from the Winter Wonderland Stamp set at Michael's onto a small tag. I outlined the tree and ground with a purple glitter pen.

With my stipple brush, I added color to the tag with Memento inks in blue and light purple. I added a pretty bow and mounted the tag with pop up dots onto my card. Lastly, I added sparkly rhinestone swirls on the corners on the card.

I think this next card is the cutest thing I've made in a long time. I used my scalloped circle Nestabilities in the Cuttlebug and cut 4 circles and assembled my basic snowman. I found some too cute snowman face rub ons at Michael's that fit my snowman perfectly! The "tis the season" scarf is a stamp from the same Winter Wonderland stamp set from Michael's. I added tiny black dots for the snowman's belly, and added just a touch of blue and purple ink with my stipple brush.

I used an EK Success Snowflake punch for the edges of my decorative background paper. I mounted that piece to a purple card sized 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches. I cut and embossed a Cuttlebug snowflake and added a purple epoxy dot to the center, then mounted it to my card in the upper right corner. Lastly, I attached my snowman to the card then sent it off to my sister who loves Snowmen!!

How are these for cute? I made these aliens for my son! Al loves my glass beads, and every time I sit at the torch, I make him an Alien bead. These are just a few of the ones I have made for him!

Another in the series....

Here's "Gone Batty!", which is the second scene in my Halloween Series using cut outs, masking and Stampscapes stamps. The technique for this scene is similar to the one in my previous post with the Halloween Ghost. I used only Memento inks with this scene. I cut out a moon and the bat, then laid the cut outs down on glossy cardstock. I stamped the Cloud Cumulus with London Fog ink over the entire card. With the Colorbox Stylus, I added color for my night sky, using Lulu Lavender, Grape Jelly, Paris Dusk, Bahama Blue, and Dandelion inks. I removed the masks and my bat and moon were exposed.

Next, I laid down the paper I cut the moon from over the scene, and replaced the bat mask. This left just the moon exposed. I applied Dandelion, Cantaloupe, Tangelo and New Sprout inks on the moon with the Stylus. I then removed the masks again, and only my bat was left white. I laid down the paper I cut the bat from over the scene and stamped the "Eyes" from the Symmetry: Sheet 4 using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I added Paris Dusk, Grape Jelly and Tuxedo Black inks on the bat. I tapped a touch of Dandelion ink on the eyes. Lastly, I stamped the Spooky Branch over the scene in a random manner and finished it off by adding purple rhinestones to the bat for eyes.

I was asked to make a monkey pattern for a wonderful lady who will be stitching him for charity. I think she said she had to make over 5,000 cards! WOW! I say! I think after 10 cards sewn, Dawn will think she's going bananas :)(Right click on the pattern to download it to your computer)

Here is a recent necklace I've made using my own lampworked beads, sterling components with Swarovski crystals. The floral bead in the center takes about 20 minutes alone to make at the torch, but I love how it turned out. I etched all the beads except the pinks ones for a soft effect.

a fun technique...

For this technique, I cut out a ghost on scrap paper and laid it down on glossy cardstock sized 5 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches. With the Colorbox Stylus I added color with Memento inks in this order: Tangelo, Potter's Clay, Lady Bug, Rhubarb Stalk, and Tuxedo Black. I also used Marvy Ink Pad Wine between the Rhubarb Stalk and Black.

Next, I laid the piece of scrap paper that I cut the ghost from, over the inked part of the card which revealed the white part of the ghost. With Memento Tuxedo Black ink, I stamped Stampscapes Eerie Moon, then the large Cloud Cumulus stamp above and below the moon. With the Stylus, I added Memento Grape Jelly ink to the upper and lower portions of the ghost (the stamped clouds). With a paintbrush, and black ink, I added the eyes and mouth for the ghost.

I stamped the bat (Hero Arts) in the moon, then used the Large and Small Spooky Branch (Stampscapes) on the outer portion of the card. Once finished, I mounted it to a piece of black cardstock, then a purple card.

Special Note: I'm so excited! Kevin Nakagawa, the owner of Stampscapes, is going to make this Halloween scene into a postcard!

I did the same technique with this card as well. I laid a snowflake cut out from Sizzix onto my glossy paper, then stamped Rocky Peaks, Cabin with Fence, Pine Row, and the Water Pattern (All Stampscapes stamps).

With the cut out snowflake still on the card, I added color with the Colorbox Stylus. I used Marvy Ink Pads in the following colors: Salvia Blue, #3 Blue, Prussian Blue, Deep Lilac, Pale Violet, Pine, Brown and Black.

I removed the cut out and lightly added Salvia Blue and Deep Lilac to the snowflake. I then stamped the sentiment (also from Stampscapes) and added a lavender rhinestone to the snowflake. I mounted the scene on black then purple cardstock. Card size 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches.

Fall Scenic Card...

I stamped the leaf on a scrap piece of paper for a mask, then put it on glossy matte cardstock! I then brayered Adirondack Lemonade ink onto the whole card. I added Peach Bellini on the ends, then a little bit of Marvy Orange to deepen the color. Next I stamped the same leaf with Versamark on the card around my masked leaf. I embossed those leaves with clear embossing powder. Next, with Marvy inks (Yellow, Orange, Terra Cotta, English Red) I brayered the scene darker. Once that was dry, with a wet q-tip, I removed the ink from the embossed leaves which left the lighter leaves.

I removed the leaf mask, then laid the scrap paper that I cut the leaf out of over my scene. This left the masked leaf exposed! I stamped the small unmounted Lakeside Cove and the Crooked Branch from Stampscapes with Memento Black ink. With the Colorbox Stylus, I added color to my scene (Salvia Blue, Deep Lilac, Pine, and Brown Marvy inks). Lastly, I stamped the Stampscape sentiments using black ink. The leaf stamp is from JudiKins. Card size: 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches

Halloween Time...

I'm in a Halloween mood!! Here are two Halloween cards I made for my sister and my niece as a sort of "lesson" card. They are just starting out in card making and have asked me to make cards with tiny tutorials for them. This card showed them how to do direct to paper inking, stamping, using a border punch and ribbon. I purchased the stamp set for them as well, so they could play along. These Halloween stamps are from an unmounted clear set you can get it at Michael's.

I first cut out a circle and laid it down on yellow cardstock. I took Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad and swiped it across the entire card. Once it was dry, I removed the circle, then stamped the bats over the "moon". I punched a pumpkin border using Martha Stewart's newest Halloween punches. I added rhinestone stars and a Halloween ribbon, then adhered it to a purple card. Card size: 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches.

This next card uses Martha Stewart's new "Continuous Edge" Punches. I, of course, had to have all of them. She has a Spider Web, Snowflakes and a Loop punch set. There is a corner punch as well as a border punch. They are a bit tricky in lining them up, and here is a great tutorial on the necessary measurements needed to make these punches work well.

Indigo Inklings: Martha Stewart Continuous Edge Tutorial

Once I punched the spider web frame, I put the card piece through the Cuttlebug using the Spider Web Embossing Folder. Next, I added black glitter with a glue pen onto the spider web. I cut and embossed the spider on a glittery orange cardstock using the "Creepy" Die from Provocraft.

I stamped the Witch shoes onto white cardstock then used jagged edge scissors to cut it out. I colored and glittered the piece and set it aside. I wrapped a sparkly silver thread around the upper left corner of the card, and added the spider using pop dots.

I then tied a cute lime green and checked ribbon around the base of the card, mounted the witch feet with pop dots and added purple rhinestones in the corners. I mounted it to a lime green card and was finished! Card size: 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches.

(click to enlarge to see detail)

Glass Bead and Jewelry Update:

Had a wonderful and successful jewelry party last weekend! I can't believe how many things sold! It's a thrill to see your hard work appreciated and oooh'd and ahhhh'd over. My daughter is currently working on getting my Lampwork Bead and Jewelry website up and running and in the next month, I'll be putting some of the jewelry on etsy. Will let you know when it's listed. Have a happy and creative week!

Brayering Scenes ...

I've been playing with a fabulous brayer technique by Sandy Hulsart, a friend of mine. She has two great blogs that's well worth a visit. Creative Moments with Sandy, Scenes by Sandy

The first card is Sandy's technique using Stampscapes stamps and a sentiment stamp from Close to my Heart.

The second and third cards uses the same technique with a twist. I first stamped the main image with the new Versamark Dazzle "Frost" ink pad, then heat set it. I followed that with Sandy's brayering style using Stampscapes stamps and a sentiment stamp from Hero Arts. The Versamark ink acts as a "resist" and creates a glowing effect.

It's a fun and easy idea for great backgrounds as well.

Latest Bead Update: My first jewelry party is scheduled for August 2nd and I've been working my butt off making beads and creating jewelry. I've made earrings, necklaces and bracelets in preparation. I learned how to do chain maille, which is easier than it looks. Here's a necklace using a chain maille flower with one of my beads.

This weekend, my daughter, Lee is coming home from Cincinnati and we're headed to Albany for a Green Day concert! I'm a "roadie mom"! Have a great week :)

Red, White, Blue OCC Challenge...

I enjoy subscribing to other talented artists' blogs, and a particular favorite of mine is Sandy Hulsart's "Creative Moments with Sandy" and "Scenes by Sandy". This week she is a Guest Designer for "Our Creative Corner", another fabulous blog and they are having their weekly challenge focusing on the colors of Red, White and Blue.

This is my submission entry for their challenge, and I encourage you to submit your own cards using Red, White & Blue for a chance to win free stamps! That's always FUN!

My sister is coming to visit for over a week, and I'm so excited. So, of course, I'm trying my best to "straighten" my craft room, which is a feat in itself! We're going to drive down to Virginia to surprise my Mom this weekend!

As I rummage around and try to make some kind of dent in my creative mess, maybe I'll take a break and stamp some cards with stamps I purchased from the new Hobby Lobby that just opened in our area! More exciting news, the manager has asked me to teach at the store, and I'm also making preparations for my FIRST jewelry party!

What do you think of my Snowflake necklace and matching earrings? My glass lampwork beads are the focus of this pretty necklace as well as a Crystal Silver Snowflake by Swarovski. (Click on the picture and it should show a larger size.)

Stay tuned for more cards and news!