Clear Dollar Stamps January Release Sneak Preview Day 3!!

Day 3 .... Another great preview day for you!!


Today, we are showing samples of a wonderful baby set called Baby Bundle. This is such an awesome set to celebrate that new bundle of joy in your life or in the life of a friend.



I have been in a brown mood lately ... using a lot of browns on my cards/creations. I chose the brown/blue combination this time because a friend at church recently had a baby boy. :) Baby booties and a onesie ... what could be more perfect?


Shapes on this card were cut using the Cricut and SCAL. The background was embossed with polka dots and sewn for added effect and dimension. Tiny clothes pins were used for embellishment, along with tiny pearls and a little ribbon.




Stamps - Baby Bundle
Paper - brown, blue, white
Ink - blue, pigment white, Memento black
Accessories - duck clothes pins, SCAL, Cricut, Cuttlebug, folder, sewing machine, ribbon, punch, dauber, pearls, pop dots

Baby Bundle will be released tomorrow at Clear Dollar Stamps!! :) Go over to Lori's blog to see more samples!


And tomorrow, join us for a very special event ... Our "Tag! You're It!" blog hop. Wonderful projects and prizes, too! JOIN US FOR THE FUN!! :)


Oh, and Happy New Year!!!!! Be safe if you're out for your celebration tonight.

Have a beautiful Friday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!!




~*Shell*~

Clear Dollar Stamps January Release Sneak Preview Day 2!!

Woohoo!! We've got the ball rolling..... let's keep it going!

Day 2 ... Today, we have We Go Together Like and A Friend in Need (Stamp of the Month) for you. Can't wait to hear what you have to say about these. They are just awesome sets!



How about A Friend in Need first??


This set is simply adorable. I can tell that I'm going to use this a million times. The set has some precious animal images and wonderful sentiments.

Since I'm a Quacker on SCS, the duck is one of my very favorites. I just had to include him on my sample.


And this set is FREE with a qualifying order at CDS after January1!!!




Stamps - A Friend In Need
Paper - Raging River, Fresh Papaya, white
Ink - Memento black, pigment white and Copics (G21, G24, E43, E47, E71, E77, C3, YR04, Y02, Y000)
Accessories/Tools - ribbon, (Turquoise Gem), Cuttlebug, folder, pop dots



And ... We Go Together Like ....


What a precious set! It's great for Valentine's or BFFs and super fun to work with.

I chose a 3D project for this one. The sentiment is "Some things are just better together." What would work better for the milk and cookies' image than a milk carton?! What fun to create this, fill it with goodies (maybe mini cookies), and give it to someone special.




Stamps - We Go Together Like
Paper - yellow, brown, white
Ink - Memento black, brown
Accessories - Cricut, SCAL, flowers, ribbon (Worn Parchment, Toasted Almond), dauber, tacky tape, pop dots, Scor Pal, milk carton svg



So .... whatcha think?! Don't you just love these sets?! I sure do. Go on over to Lori's blog to see the full sets and other samples!


Just wait until tomorrow!

Have an awesome Thursday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!


~*Shell*~

Clear Dollar Stamps January Release Sneak Preview Day 1!!

Day 1 of the January Sneak Peaks for Clear Dollar Stamps!!!! Aren't you excited?!! I sure am. Great, great sets being released on January 1. I hope you like the sets and the samples I have for you today - and the rest of this week.

Today, I'm previewing 2 sets for you - Loving Critters and Heart Hugs. Super precious sets.

First up ... Loving Critters.

Is this not just a precious penguin?! Oh my goodness. I love him. The background on this card was made by running the paper through the Cuttlebug in an inked folder. I love the effect and it's so fun.







Stamps - Loving Critters
Paper - white, black, blue, vellum
Ink - Memento black, blue, white pigment, Copics (C3, C5, C7, Y26, YR07, R46, E57, B34, B21, C1)
Accessories - Designer Labels dies, ribbon, clear dots, cuttlebug, folder, pop dots
Technique - cuttlebug highlights





Next up .... Heart Hugs.

Ooooooh! This bear is just adorable. He's just so perfect for a Valentine's Day card, a paper hug for a friend or family member, alove note note to your hubby or significant other, or a special note to your kids.

The shape of the image layer and it's shadow were cute using the Cricut, but the other cuts are from the fabulous Designer Label dies by Clear Dollar Stamps. What fun those are. So many ways to put them together.









Stamps - Heart Hugs
Paper - Pucker Up, white, black
Ink - ruby, Memento black, Copics (C1, C3, C7, R81, R83, R32, R37
Accessories - Designer Label dies, SCAL, Cricut, Cuttlebug, folder, ribbon, silver cord, red crystals, hand-made flower, button brad, pop dots, dauber



Head over to Lori's blog to see the full sets and the rest of the design team's creations!

Ok ... more previews coming up tomorrow!!

Have a fabulous Wednesday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!!!


~*Shell*~

Merry Christmas!!!

I may not be able to post this week because my US Marine son is in town for Christmas!!!! :) Today, I'd just like to share the story of how we surprised my 5 year old daughter with her beloved brother's arrival.

Saturday, December 18 was our monthly 'Family Fun Day.' We rotate who plans the day each time. This month was MINE. :::::insert evil grin:::::::

Saturday morning, we got up and got ready to leave. I altered our plans a little because our TiVo has been fritzing out, and we needed to check on a replacement. We also got gas and bought some tea for our party the next day before going to pick up my mom.

We got to her house, changed her ink cartridges, and printed a picture for her. After that, we went to lunch at Outback. I didn't go directly there - just to confuse, but our next stop was home. Here at home, we decorated cookies, made gingerbread houses, made reindeer food, and decorated foam Christmas trees. All of these (or some of all of them) were to be packed in a box for Jared, my son. I told every one that I had someone meeting me at the airport that would get that box to Jared faster than the post office could do it.

We packed up the box, taped it, addressed it and put it in the truck. Off we went to the airport to meet the guy that would deliver it for us. We texted with 'that guy' several times to arrange the meeting.


While sitting in the drive-thru area of the baggage claim, a guy came and stood by my 5 year old's (Jaydin's) window. Jaydin had no idea - until that moment - that 'the guy' was going to actually BE Jared. He opened the door, said hi to her, and she said - obviously stunned - "Hey. How are you?" I couldn't believe that was all she said!! It was hilarious. But .... needless to say, we're all THRILLED to have him home. And, Jaydin was very surprised. She had NO idea that he was coming home.






And Jared bet me $5 that I couldn't pull it off............. Bwahahahahahahaaaa!! Don't put anything past me.



Our Marine is now home, and we are enjoying every moment of the time with him. His sister has been glued to him for the last 2.5 days. This evening, I hear Jared and his brother wrestling in the den. Perhaps I should go stop them before someone gets hurt .... nope. Not a chance. They are both enjoying it far, far too much. :) I wouldn't trade it for the WORLD.




So, for this week, I will be enjoying the time with all 3 of my children at home. I hope you are enjoying your Christmas with your special people, too. :) Back to blogging next week .... with CDS January Previews!!! :)




Merry Christmas!!!


~*Shell*~

Packaging

Handmade gifts are awesome, aren't they?? This year, I made scarves and hand warmer sets for a few family members. I didn't want to just shove them in a box and wrap it up, so I created some packaging for them.


Each cellophane bag has a topper. I used the printer to put the words on each on, and I stamped the snowmen and snowflakes. Adhesive and staples hold the toppers on the bags and hold the bags closed.















I really like the way the toppers turned out. I think they add a little 'class' to the hand-crafted gifts.














Stamps - Snowman Wishes, Snow Flourishes

Paper - white

Ink - several blues, black

Copics - B21, C3, R81, BV11

Accessories - printer, cello bags, stapler









Have a fantastic Friday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow. I know that my weekend will be amazing. I will tell you all about it next week. :)




~*Shell*~

Creating Christmas Gifts

Every year, I need some small gifts for Sunday school teachers and such at church and even for some family. Last year, I etched some ornaments and prayer journals, but this year, I etched candle holders. I found some amazing candle holders with flat sides at the Dollar Tree - where everything is $1. Can't beat that price!



This one is etched on all 4 sides. Most of them, I only etched on one side. I think they will make very inexpensive gifts for those for whom I just need 'a little something.'










The only things needed for this project are the candle holder, etching cream, vinyl stencil, and the Cricut. I used the Cricut to cut the stencils. The stencils were placed on the glass and the open areas filled with etching cream. I followed the instructions on the etching cream bottle. I made 12 of these candle holders.




So, if you need a small gift or two for Christmas, check out your local dollar store. Perhaps you can find something like these candle holders that you can alter a little to make a great, inexpensive gift. :)



Have a wonderful Wednesday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!


~*Shell*~

A Card for Comfort

Recently, a member of the Clear Dollar Stamps Design Team asked for cards and prayers for a co-worker of her husband.


Using CDS stamps, I created a pretty quick card to send her way. The sentiment is from the set Christian Sympathy. No, this isn't a 'sympathy' situation, but I thought this sentiment was appropriate for the situation.




















The Asian Plants set is very comforting to me, so I chose that one to start with. The plant was colored with Copics ... of course. I love the shading effects that can be done with them.























The background is embossed with the script folder. The shapes were cut using the Cricut and SCAL.













Recipe:

Stamps - Asian Plants, Christian Sympathy (both CDS)
Paper - ruby, gray, white
Ink - ruby, black
Copics - G21, G24, G94, G99, E08, E09, E33, C3, C5, R81
Accessories/Tools - Cricut, SCAL, Cuttlebug, folder, ribbon, pop dots, sponge dauber




Have a magical Monday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!




*~Shell*~

Bubble Bubble Toil and ..... Decorate? :)

I'm not one for bland. We recently got a 'bubble,' as we call it. It's actually a cargo carrier for the top of my SUV. I know you've seen them as you drive down the expressway ... black or silver bubble/boxes on the top of someone's car ..... pretty much the same thing ... with no personality. I just couldn't bear the thought of throwing that thing on my SUV without my 'special' touch first.


Thanks to my trusty Cricut Expression, SCAL, and Oracle 631 vinyl, my bubble was transformed! We're big Disney fans, and were headed to the House of Mouse for that trip, so I chose a Disney theme for my focus.


I used red and gold vinyl swirls, Mickey heads, stars, and bows (to make Minnies, of course!). The hardest part for me was putting the swirls on evenly on each side. I think I took one side off about 4 times and moved it around!



It was very easy to cut all of the pieces on the bug and easy to stick them on the bubble. If you have something you want to give a bit of personality, go for it!! Take the challenge! Own it!!!!! Have fun with it. You can do it. :)



I'm having internet issues lately, so please bear with me on blog updates. We will hopefully have this resolved very soon. (It better be ... I'm going CRAZY with it!!!!!)




Hope you have had a great Monday and that you have a great, big beautiful tomorrow!!!






~*Shell*~

Clearly Inspired Challenge #20 .... Color Challenge

The Clearly Inspired Challenge for December is up today. Woohoo!! How fun! I love challenges, and this one was particularly fun - a color challenge!

The challenge - 3 Shades of Blue with white or black as a neutral.

Enter on Lori's Blog for your chance to win a great prize!!!



My sample for this challenge incorporates the new Blooming Bouquet dies from Clear Dollar Stamps, as well as Snow Flourishes from the October stamp release.


I stamped the bigger flakes around the larger die cuts to make the edges of the flakes show behind the smaller die cuts. Ink was added to my Cuttlebug folder to give the effect in the background.







A close up to show the shades of blue that I used.











Stamps - Snow Flourishes
Paper - Still Waters, Billowing Clouds, white
Ink - Bordering Blue, black, white
Accessories/Tools - Blooming Bouquet dies, Cuttlebug, folder, pop dots, crystals, snowy ribbon
Technique - Faux Letterpress




Run on over to Lori's blog to get started on this great challenge!!



Have an awesome Friday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!!!



~*Shell*~

Clear Dollar Stamps December Sneak Peeks!!

Happy December!! Ok, *almost* December. :)

For the preview this month, I have a fabulous die set and coordinating stamp set to show you. I know you are just going to adore the set and dies! :) You can see the full set of dies and stamps at Lori's blog, as well as the list of those that are showing previews today.

My first sample shows the stamp set. The flower and stem were misted with water, colored directly on the stamp (with watercolor crayons), and stamped on the paper. It gives such an 'artsy' feel to the piece. This card is simple, but perfect for a 'thank you' or sympathy card.










Stamps - Blooming Bouquet
Paper - white, Grape Jelly (Clear Dollar Stamps)
Ink - none
Accessories - watercolor crayons, glue dots, Scor Pal, ribbon (Grape Jelly - Clear Dollar Stamps), pop dots






While the stamps coordinate perfectly with the dies, I chose to use just the dies on this project. They make such an adorable flower centerpiece to this card/project.

This is a drawer card (a card attached to the top of a paper drawer), but I changed it up a little. I made the attached card an 'easel' card. I love the effect that it gives as a display as well as a drawer and card.








Stamps - Blooming Bouquet, Liberty (sentiment)
Paper - white, eggplant, pink, light yellow, green, apricot, pink dp
Ink - pink, blue, purple, Memento Black
Accessories - Blooming Bouquet Dies, Designer Label Dies, Cricut (cutting drawer), SCAL, circle punch, brads, ScorPal, pop dots, ribbon, Cuttlebug, folder, sponge dauber
Technique - easel card, paper drawer




Remember to head to Lori's blog and to Katie's blog for the full list of previews today!


I hope you have a super duper Monday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!!! :)



~*Shell*~

Clean and Simple

For the Clean and Simple challenge last week (11.15.10), we had a sketch challenge. The sketch by Lori was beautiful, but for whatever reason, I had fits with it!

The ribbon is really a lavender color, but the picture doesn't show it very well.

I chose to do a square focal point rather than a circle. Still not sure I really like it. Let me know what you think about it, please!!

Stamps: Get Well Sentiments and Get Well Critters by Clear Dollar Stamps

Paper: black, white, purple, blue

Ink: Memento black, pigment white

Accessories: ribbon, pop dots, Cricut, SCAL, flower

Hope you had a beautiful Thanksgiving!!! Monday - Clear Dollar Stamps December Preview day!!! I can't wait to share with you.



Have a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!!!!


*~Shell*~

Little Creatures

Tail waggin' fun!! This small card was made for the Free for All challenge on November 5th. The card is just 2.5" x 4". It's the perfect size to go with a small 'get well' gift or box of tissues. :)


I LOVE this fantabulistic little mouse. Isn't he precious?! The sentiment with him was stamped on a punched oval which was turned on it's side. I did this little challenge in just a few minutes - as the rest of my family scrambled to get ready to leave for our Disney trip! :) Yeah, yeah, priorities .... :)

Stamps: Get Well Critters (Clear Dollar Stamps)

Paper: white, black, Grape Jelly (Clear Dollar Stamps)

Ink: Memento Black, Copics

Accessories: Cuttlebug, folder, oval punch, ribbon, pop dots Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday and a totally terrific Thanksgiving!! ~*Shell*~

Cricut Design Studio Update ....

For all of you keeping up with the font updates, there's a new one out. Run over here to get your update. If you have SCAL, remember to download ONLY the font pack, not the program update.


New cartridges added in this update -

• Classic Font
• Cupcake
• Four Legged Friends
• Gingerbread
• Inspired Heart
• Jolly Holidays
• Playtime
• Trim The Tree
• Twinkle Toes
• Winter Lace
• Zoo Day

Projects coming later today. Previews for Clear Dollar Stamps coming this weekend!!!


Have a fabulistic Monday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow.



~*Shell*~

Reflecting Butterflies

Another wonderful item I found at the Dollar Store recently was a candle mirror - you know, the kind that serve as a candle holders and beautifully reflect the burning candles. When I found them, I knew - once again - that they were begging to be etched.



This gift was made for one of our Mousekeeper gifts (a gift for our daily housekeeper at the resort).
















The candle is wrapped with a wonderful red and green dotted ribbon bought from Hobby Lobby.


















Etched on this gift are butterflies. I used vinyl as a stencil after cutting with the Cricut.















I hope our Mousekeeper likes this gift and all of the others I put together for her.

Next week, I should be back on track with my blogging. I'm looking forward to sharing challenges, gifts, and previews with you soon!! :)



Have fantastic Friday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!





~*Shell*~

The Tooth Tin

My daughter is growing up. Yep. It happens. I hate it .... I REALLY hate it, but I hate the alternative even worse. Anyway, I thought I'd have a little time before we got to the 'loose tooth' stage, but, alas, no such luck. She turned 5 in September - with a loose tooth. Now, it is VERY loose, and very well may come out while we're on vacation. So, in an effort to not lose the loose tooth, I made a tin for her to put it in so the tooth fairy can find it. We've never used a tin with the boys, but we might as well make it easy on the "tooth fairy," right??? :)


The tin was in a 'goody' bag bought for $2 at Michael's earlier this year. Originally, it was a 'Crayola' tin.


















The teeth were cut with the Cricut and SCAL. They were sprayed with Shimmer Spritz and covered in Glassy Glaze. The shimmer shows through the clear glaze pretty well. My glitter pen was used on the fairy's wings, and in the 'sparkles' around.















Ribbon was wrapped around both the lid and the side of the tin. Small pearls are dotted around the entire tin.












Stamps - a Fairy set from ... somewhere?!
Ink - Memento, Copics
Paper - pink, black
Accessories - SCAL, Cricut, pearls, ribbons, butterfly crystal, tacky tape




Hopefully, this Tooth Tin will get some use while we're gone. She really wants to lose the tooth in Disney!


Have a great Wednesday, and a great, big, beautiful day!!



~*Shell*~

Thank You Gift

We are using the Concierge service at our resort, and I wanted to make something special for those who help us on our (MUCH needed vacation). I know they are probably tired of Mickey (although, I can't even fathom the thought!!!), but I thought that they might could use this on their desks or even at home.


When I saw these wonderful - and flat!!! - square, glass candle holders, I couldn't resist them! They are a dream to etch, and I think they will work great for the purpose.











The glass candle holder and candle were both purchased at the Dollar Store. ONE dollar for each of those! Awesome!!!!











Used - vinyl (for stencil), etching cream, $1 glass candle holder, $1 candle, foam brush, water





Off to the World!!

Have a wonderful Friday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!!



~*Shell*~

Clean And Simple

The Clean and Simple challenge on SCS last week was to use checks or gingham on the card. I don't usually use paper piecing (have I mentioned - several hundred times - that I HATE to cut stuff out??), but decided that it would work very well for this particular challenge.

The middle of the stocking was cut from a Mat Stack - green gingham, and the toe/heel patches were cut from red swirls in the same stack. The ribbon was colored using Copics (duh!), and the white 'fluff' was colored simply with a Gelly Rollz glitter pen.











Stamps - Filled with Cheer
Paper - white, black, mat stack (green gingham and red swirl)
Ink - Memento black, Copics (G28, C3, R46)
Accessories - Stardust pen, pop dots
Technique - paper piecing



Posts will be a bit sparse until after November 15th. Vacation time! :)

Have a wonderful week and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow.

I will see you in a couple of weeks.


~*Shell*~

Clear Dollar Stamps November Release Day 2!!

Ready for another day of sneak peeks??


Today, I've got 2 more sets for you ...

The first one is called Rooster Sunrise. I love this sets - particularly the sentiments in it. They worked perfectly for this birthday card I made. I don't think I could have found a more fitting sentiment.

Yep ... used the Cricut and SCAL for this one - the card base and the shadows. The beautiful layered labels that the Happy Birthday is on were cut from Clear Dollar Stamps' Designer Labels dies which were released in October.





Stamps - Rooster Sunrise
Paper - black, yellow, orange, white, glossy
Ink - Memento Black and London Fog, Copics (YR16, YR04, Y02)
Accessories - Designer Label dies, pop dots, Cricut, SCAL, ribbon, Scor Pal, brads
Technique - shadowbox card



The second set that I'm previewing today is called Thankful Pockets. It's the stamp set of the month at Clear Dollar, and you can get this set FREE just by placing a $50 order in the month of November! How cool is that? Super set ... and free!


This is actually a packet of tissues. I covered it (it's a folding pack) and embellished it.

To give the pocket a faded, washed look, I rubbed my stamp straight down the ink pad. Love the effect for this stamp.

Watercolor crayons were used to color the flowers ON the stamp. Water was spritzed on it, and then, it was stamped on the paper.




Stamps - Thankful Pockets
Paper - dp, white
Ink - Memento black, turquoise
Accessories - ribbon (grape jelly), watercolor crayons, water, tacky tape




The last stamp for today goes along with the Stamp of the Month (Thankful Pockets). It's the Thankful Pockets Quote.

I used this set on the inside of the altered tissue packet.




Stamps - Thankful Pockets Quote
Paper - dp, white
Ink - Memento black
Accessories - tissue packet (folding), tacky tape




Wander on over to Lori's blog and Katie's blog to see the other samples and sets for today. Don't forget to check over there tomorrow, too!!



Have a wonderful day and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!!


~*Shell*~

Clear Dollar Stamps November Release Sneak Preview Day 1!!

Woohoo! Another month of wonderful stamp sets and samples being released at Clear Dollar Stamps.

Today, I'm showing off 2 fantastic sets - Get Well Critters and Get Well Sentiments. Both sets will be available on Monday, November 1.



Oh my gosh!! Isn't this mouse just absolutely adorable?! I just LOVE him. I just hate that he has a boo boo. But, wouldn't he make you feel better if you got him on a card? I just know he would. :)

The gray layer has been crinkled and distressed. I, then, rubbed it with white pigment ink to highlight the distressing.






Stamps - Get Well Critters
Paper - gray, pink, white blue
Ink - Memento black, white pigment Copics (R81, C1, C3, C5, YR61, B000, B00, blender)
Accessories - ribbon, Cricut, SCAL, sewing machine, crystals, flowers, pop dots



On my second sample of this set, I used the precious turtle and 'feel better' sentiment. Stacking several flower shapes together on top of an oval punch was a little twist, but one that paid off.







Stamps - Get Well Critters
Paper - gray, black, white, yellow, apricot
Ink - Memento black, caramel, Copics (C1, C3, C5, E33, E37, G21, G24, BG72, E71, E77, B21)
Accessories - Cricut, SCAL, Cuttlebug, folder, brad, flower, ribbon, pop dots, oval punch





The next set that I'm previewing is made to go along with Get Well Critters and is called Get Well Sentiments.

What a great set for get well cards. Doesn't need a ton with it to make it an effective message to a friend or relative.




Stamps - Get Well Sentiments
Paper - green, yellow, orange
Ink - Memento black, London Fog, Copics (Y11, Y15, Y17)
Accessories - Designer Label dies (CDS), Cuttlebug, folder, ribbon (Tangelo Smoothie), flower, pop dots, crystal brad, sponge dauber




The last sample I have for you today is an altered tin. Fill this with some mints or cough drops, and pass it along to a sick or hurting (physically or emotionally) friend. I guarantee that they will feel better - at least for a minute or two. :) :)

I used a sentiment from Get Well Sentiments and the cute, little skunk from Get Well Critters.








Stamps - Get Well Critters, Get Well Sentiments
Paper - gray, black, rose, blue, white
Ink - Memento black, rose, Copics (E09, E08, C1, C3, C5, C7, E38)
Accessories - metal tin, ribbon, Cricut, SCAL, sewing machine, brads, flowers, pop dots, sponge dauber
Technique - Altered tin



Can't wait to show you more samples tomorrow! And, I know you can't wait to run to Clear Dollar on the 1st to grab these sets. To see more samples or what is included with each set, head to Lori and Katie's blogs.



Hope you have a great Thursday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!


~*Shell*~

M I C .... K E Y ....

Mouse. :)

I wanted to make a special little gift for the concierge that assists us when we check in to our resort next week.

I found this great jar for only $1 at Dollar Store ... and it's glass! When I found it, I knew that I would be etching that baby!


For this one, I went with a classic Mickey theme.



I put Mickey heads on each flat side, and turned them different ways to give it a little more personality.












Here it is up close.










I plan to fill it with candy and give it to our very helpful concierge. :) I hope he or she lilkes it.



Have a wonderful Wednesday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!



~*Shell*~

Another Challenging Thought ....

Maggie sent our challenge kits out for the month of October. My life has been so busy lately that I wasn't able to work on any of the pieces until today. The pieces were Halloween-themed, and since I don't 'do' Halloween, it was definitely a challenge for me! :)


The Frankie image is colored with Copics, and the background layer is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder. Everything came from the challenge kit, except the orange ribbon.












Before I finished, I gave in to the temptation to use my new Shimmer Spritz. Wow. What a cool little spritz bottle that is! Love the effect it gives to a piece.












Tomorrow, I'm going to share a glass-etched jar that I will be giving as a gift.


Hope you're having a great Tuesday and that you have a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!! :)


~*Shell*~

Happy Birthday, Mom!

My precious mom is celebrating her 76th birthday today! She is such a wonderful lady and is loved by all who know her. I hope that she has a most wonderful day.
Happy, happy birthday, Mom.




Today, I'm offering a free file in her honor. She loves hummingbirds, so the free file today is a flittering hummingbird .... or two. :)





Let me know what you think and what you do with these files. I'd love to see a link to your creations!!




Have a great Friday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow. Happy birthday, Mom!!! :)




~*Shell*~

Wet Snow

The challenge for the Technique Lovers from last week was to do "wet paper stamping." It's a very cool effect on a card. I'm very glad that I tried it.


The layered shapes were cut using the Cricut and SCAL, and the label was cut and embossed with the combo folder/die for the Cuttlebug. The ribbon was purchased at Hobby Lobby just for me to use with this set. Works great, I think! :)














Stamps - Snow Flourishes by Clear Dollar Stamps
Paper - white, tropical mist, dp
Ink - silver, pink, blue, lavender, black, glitter pen
Accessories - Cricut, SCAL, Shapelies, ribbon, Cuttlebug, folder/die (labels), sewing machine, sliver dot
Technique - wet paper stamping



Have a beautiful Thursday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow.





~*Shell*~

Simple Snow

The Clean and Simple challenge for today was to get inspiration from kstamper. My project didn't turn out with quite the same feel as Karen's, but I think I do like it. What do you think?


It's a one-layered card, which is not easy nor typical for me. After embossing the frame on the white, I stamped the snowflakes from Snow Flourishes. I added a few sparkly dots on the snowflakes and, then, stamped the sentiment from Winter Critters.

That's all it took to make this card. Very simple and very easy.

The photograph makes it look as though there is a little pink in the middle of the image. There is not, but it looks neat that way. :)






Stamps: Snow Flourishes and Winter Critters
Paper: white
Ink: blue
Accessories: glitter pen, Cuttlebug and Scrollworks folder




Have an awesome Monday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow.



~*Shell*~

Free File .... Saturday? :)

Want a free file today?

Recently, a friend asked me to create a nativity for her to use on a glass block for a Christmas display. I cut it from black vinyl (Oracle 631), but cut it from paper first. I wanted to make sure it cut the way I wanted it to.


So ... here are the files. One is for the stable and one for Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. I put them all in one SCUT file when I cut the vinyl.





Please comment back to me, and let me know what you think and what you do with the files! :)


Have an awesome Saturday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow.



~*Shell*~

WooHoo ... Disney again! :)

For years, we've gone to Walt Disney World every other year, but the last time we went for a big trip was in 2006. It was an amazing trip, but instead of going back to the parks in 2008, we went on our first Disney Cruise and took our second in 2009. This year, though, we decided to go back to the World.... I've missed it!!!! :)

In 2008 and 2009, I created 'memory/autograph' books for Jaydin to use on the ship. She had so many comments about it and we enjoyed it so much that I created another one this year. Jaydin wanted me to change the style just a bit this year, so the spirals were moved to the top.





The Jaydin, WDW, and 2010 were cut using the Cricut and SCAL. The fantastic metal accents - Mickey and the castle - were in a couple of scrapping kits I found at Hobby Lobby. The colored accents on them are brads, and they hold the metal shapes in place. The characters dancing at the bottom of the page are part of the background paper. The 2010 is on pop dots, but I had to cut them very small to make them fit.


Because we often have to search for the Sharpie to use for autographs, I decided to secure the pen to the book. I used that fabulous Mickey ribbon, and I sewed it on the book spirals and on the pen. I can slide the pen off (with difficulty) in case it runs out of ink, but it won't slide off by accident, I don't believe. I used a little clear glue to make sure the ribbon doesn't unravel on both ends.




The inside of the front cover looks like this. The inside pages are decorated with stickers and chipboard Disney shapes. That saved me a lot of time. If I want to add stamps and such, I can do that when we get home.

I have particular pages dedicated to particular characters that we will see. We will have them sign one page and will put the picture of them with my daughter on the opposite page. :)








TO keep track of where certain characters' pages are in the book, I placed tabs on the ends of the pages. This will allow us to quickly access certain sections so that we can find the characters' pages more efficiently. You can see the Mickey and Friends tab in the picture above.




All of the tabs are shown here.
















We can't wait for our Disney trip and to be able to use our book. Once again, I know that Jaydin will enjoy using her book and will have a great memory book when we get home. :)



Have a great Thursday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow (I will hear that in person very soon!!!).


~*Shell*~