birthday banner...

do you know what this post means???  last friends with flair with the unity peeps of twenty.eleven.  check them out here.  i have been using my silhouette more this week  and  have i mentioned that i love it?  didn't think i had  :)  i took the idea from the christmas tree card i posted earlier and made it into a birthday card.  endless possibilities.  how crazy is that???

birthday banner

stamps: bella blvd+unity

cardstock: crumb cake, island indigo, my mind's eye pp

ink:  island indigo

tools:  silhouette

thanks...

i've taken a few days off from the blog to enjoy christmas, but that doesn't mean i wasn't having fun creating new things in my craft room!  i hope you all had a wonderful and happy holiday with your friends and family.  i certainly did.  spoiled...i'll admit i was spoiled this year!

here's a card i made for the latest challenge, cc011 , over at the {ippity} chick challenges blog!!  and...for the challenge at the {ippity} blog.  you can play along, too!!

thanks.
stamps: ippity
cardstock: crumb cake, tangerine tango, cherry cobbler, walnut cream
ink:  ripe persimmon distress, walnut stain distress,crumb cake, lucky limeade, cherry cobbler
embellishments: su ribbon
tools:  silhouette

happy holidays...

merry christmas trees...

i don't know about you, but i'm about christmas-carded out!!  i did see this really cool card on pinterest (which is from the devil, i'm sure...pinterest, not the card) the other day and i totally thought it would be cute with a christmas motif.  so i whipped out cam (ok, turned it on!) and went to work.  have i mentioned that i love it so?  so many cool possiblities in one little cutter!  here's the link to the card so you can see the original.  and it is friday (last one before christmas!) so don't forget to go see what the unity peeps have for friends with flair today!

merry christmas trees
stamps: ippity
cardstock: crumb cake, making memories pp
ink:  walnut stain distress, versamark
tools: silhouette

whimsical...

i've been playing with more paint, canvas and stamps.  i made this 5x7 canvas for someone as a christmas gift.  just what i need...another obsession hobby!  at least i have most of the supplies already!!  i also tried a cool technique.  remember a while ago i posted about making my own washi tape?  well, similar idea.  only i ran some muslin through my xyron then stamped on it.  so cool!!

are you done with the chirstmas frenzy?  i finally finished my last shopping today.  so glad!!

whimsical
stamps: unity
cardstock: making memories pp
ink:  walnut stain distress, burnt umber
embellishments: candy apple red glimmer mist, muslin
tools: acrylic paint, mod podge

and i'm not sure why i haven't seen this until today!!!  (too much christmas on the brain...)  how fun to be a featured peep on the chick challenges blog!!  go check it out!! 

(clickie clickie)

winter wishes...

well, they are finally done.  in the mail.  out of my hands.  christmas cards.  i swear...next year i'm sending them in october!!  why did i wait so long??  i knew i was running out of time, so i needed to simplify.  i played with my new toy for a while (probably one of the reasons i was running out of time!) and had the idea to make a stencil.  this is how it turned out.  i kinda wish i would have done this in the beginning because even though it's so simple, i think it turned out nice!  and i used my new fave color of distress ink, iced spruce! 

winter wishes

stamps:  purple onion

cardstock: white

ink:  iced spruce distress, fired brick distress

tools: silhouette cameo

and...it's time to announce the 5 winners of the itty bitty stamps!  but since it's christmas, i'm going to send everyone who entered one!!  so if you are one of the following, email me your info (address, etc)!

thahn

emily

jen

cindi

lori

patty

suzi

joanne

shelley

happy holidays!!!

merry...

what can i say??  it's a "merry" kind of week!  i didn't realize that all of the cards i posted this week only had the word "merry"...oh well.  merry, merry, merry!!!

it's now only a week away, the merry time of year.  how nuts is that?  this is one of the christmas cards i made to send to friends.  it's simplicity in the beginning turned into quite the time consuming process.  funny, i was explaining it to the mom of one of my cute patients the other day.  she is a quilter.  she told me a way to do it that would have made it so much less time consuming!!  too bad i didn't consult with her prior!  oh well...  i  used sticker paper and inked it the colors i wanted for the tree, then layered them.  sort of homeade washi type fashion!

go enjoy friends with flair over at unity.  i'm sure there will be christmasy, holiday ideas a-pleanty!!

merry
stamps: ippity
cardstock: crumb cake, walnut cream
ink:  peeled paint distress, walnut stain distress, lucky limeade, old olive, soft sky, cloud white, cherry cobbler
embellishments: baker's twine, buttons, sticker paper

ps if you need any last minute gifts for your stamping crafties, check out my {ippity} blog...lots of fun stamps over there!!!

pps sharing the unity love on this post!

holy itty bitty!!!

i just have to gush for a minute!!!  when i posted my christmas canvas (see here...) on the unity facebook page for their contest, i had no idea it would be picked!  i never win!  (ok, not very often...)

check out this post on the unity blog and see the other cool projects that won.   

what does this mean to you???  it means i like to share the love (especially being the christmas season and all) so  i am going to pick 5 random peeps who put up with my shenanigans throughout the year.  tell me which itty bitty is your favorite and i'll send it to you.  here is a link to all of them...143 to choose from!

how to enter?
leave a comment on this post telling me two things.
1) your favorite christmas tradition
2) which itty bitty is your favorite (that you don't have!)

you must comment by 12/18/11 @ 8pm mst.  i will post the 5 random peeps on monday 12/19.  you must check back on monday to see if you are a winner.

easy peasy?  yep.

now i really really need to quick slacking and go finish my christmas cards!!

merry trees...

i wanted to show off the love of my fonts. so i made three of the same card, using three of my favorite fonts that i cut out with cam (my new silhouette cutter). 

merry trees
stamps:  jillibean soup
cardstock: purely pomegranate, certainly celery, early espresso
ink:  peeled paint distress, walnut stain distress
tools: silhouette cameo, prismacolor markers
font:  wish i were taller, king kool kc, ldj martian mania

merry snowflakes...

i played with a new toy this weekend.  i couldn't wait two more weeks to open my christmas present. i had to break into it as soon as the big brown truck dropped it off! i got a silhouette cameo. for those that don't know what a silhoutte cameo is, it's an electronic cutting machine, similar to a cricut, only so much more awesome!! you can pretty much cut anything you can dream up, without spending a ton on cartridges for shapes. the selling point for me was the ability to cut out any font on your computer. if you know me at all, you know i'm a font ho'! my husband hates it because i've got hundreds! so i played around a little a made a card for the chick challenge #9. check out the challange here.   i cut all the layers out and the letters with cam (i've name it!).  so easy and so cool!

(sorry for the dark photo...didn't get it done during daylight!)

merry snowflakes
stamps: ippity
cardstock: soft sky, cherry cobbler, crumb cake, early espresso
ink:  broken china distress,soft sky, white cloud
embellishments:  hemp twine
tools: silhouette cameo
font:  king kool kc

you should play along, too.  {ippity} stamps are up for grabs!

peace.love.joy.

can you believe that in two weeks and a day it's chrsitmas eve? ok, starting to panic.  i got some christmas cards done this week, but not nearly enough!!  i have worked on something that was not my usual  genre though.  i saw this awesome mixed media canvas that christy tomlinson did and i fell in love with the idea (here's a link to it),  so i figured i'd give it a shot.  i have to say i learned a few things creating this.  a) not matter if you think you have enough mod podge, add more.  i was never using enough!  b) distress ink isn't the greatest to mod podge over!  but there are no mistakes in crafting, right?  i think it just adds character.  c) this mixed media stuff is messy, but so much fun!  it's so cool to see the layers come alive.

wow...enough of my rambling!  it's also friday so don't forget to visit the unity blog and see what friends with flair has in store today!  there are free stamps to be won! have a great weekend!

peace.love.joy.
stamps: unity, simple stories+unity, samantha walker+unity
cardstock: my mind's eye pp, early espresso
ink:  gathered twigs distress, mustard seed distress, fired brick distress, iced spruce distress,  true thyme, early espresso, cherry cobbler, onyx black
embellishments:  buttons, hemp twine, mod podge, gesso, acrylic paint, glitter, tinsel glitter

have a great weekend!

april showers...

i know, i know...it's december.  and now is the time for all things wintery and christmasy.  but i had to share a little sunshine (i guess rain!)  for the past few years, i've hosted a coaster calendar swap.  12 people each take a month and make a coaster of that month.  in the end, you have an awesome little calendar for the year.  and we just finished making the one for 2012.  (holy crap...it's nearly twenty.twelve!!)  anyway, i had april and this is what i created.

april showers
stamps: purple onion, unity
cardstock: american crafts pp, daffodil delight, blushing bride
ink: regal rose, baja breeze, mustard seed distress, peeled paint distress, blue chalk
embellishments:  buttons
tools: cricut, prismacolor markers

joy trees...

have you all seen the new {ippity} challenge?  you can find it here.  the theme is...get this...a free for all!!  meaning you can do whatever your little heart desires!!  i had to make some little gift tags for a friend at work, so i used the gingham holiday greetings set.  (you can get this cute set, too, by visiting here...)  the tags are 2x2 and perfect to use on presents or gift bags!! 

joy trees
stamps: ippity
cardstock: vanilla, cherry cobbler, certainly celery
ink: cherry cobbler, soft sky, lucky limeade
embellishments:  baker's twine
tools: square scallop punch

as i was typing this, i realized it's the first project in a while that i didn't use any distress ink!!  gotta work on that.  i also really really need to get cracking on my christmas cards.  i can't believe i only have like 5 made.  yikes!

and don't forget it's not too late to order a {just add ink} kit that includes this stamp set and supplies to make 10 christmas cards.  check out the {just add ink} link!

makes you happy...

let's hear it for new {ippity} release time!!  three new sets today.  see them all over at my {ippity} blog.  i used my favorite of the three on this creation, do what makes you happy.  it started with the thought of being a book mark, but then i added the buttons and decided it wouldn't be great in a book!  oh well!!

makes you happy
stamps: ippity
cardstock:soft suede, tag
ink:  gathered twigs distress, worn lipstick distress, festive berries distress, spun sugar distress, early espresso
embellishments:  buttons, waxed cord, hemp twine, baker's twine

love. forever...

wow.  it's december 4th already?  where has time gone?  this year has buzzed by so quickly!!  here's a wedding card i made for a friend at work.

love. forever
stamps: hampton arts
cardstock: early espresso, cherry cobbler, walnut cream
ink:  early espresso
embellishments:  ribbon
tools: embossing folder

and here's a little peek at one of the three new {ippity} releasing tomorrow. i love it!!  and only $6!