Change

Hello!

To answer any questions anyone might possibly have as to why I've not updated my blog in well over a week, it's because...

I was all out of crafting mojo.  I was frustrated.  I was, for lack of a better word, TIRED.  I know, I know, I should have put something up to keep the blog fresh, even if it was only pictures of my darling Boxer puppy, but I didn't even want to look at my blog.  Pitiful, right?  But that's all behind me now, and...

IS

My favorite pink socks.

That's right, change is afoot.  And that's a good thing.  I felt I was in a rut.  I had no fresh ideas.  I had focused too much on others' needs and not enough on my own, and my crafting had suffered greatly.  I didn't even want to be in my sanctuary otherwise known as my craft room or look at any of my supplies.  And that was truly upsetting.

So change is afoot, and after taking several days' break I've decided to forge new paths and revisit some old ones.  I picked up my knitting that I'd neglected for the past two years since making my first card and made a luscious wool/angora neck warmer (gaiter) for this suddenly chilly season.  I'm pulling out the paints and crayons that have been languishing for months.  I've opened up my art journal and am trying my hand at new techniques.  And I'm putting the paper/card projects aside for the time being because there is more to my crafting than cards alone.

Yes, change is afoot.  And I hope you'll continue to keep me company as I forge new paths and get comfortable with some old ones.

As always, happy crafting.

Hugs.

Happy Birthday, Joanna!

Hello!

Today is Joanna Munster's birthday!  She is the genius behind the Inspired By Stamping site which includes her store, blog, newsletter and more.  The Design Team thought we'd wish her a big ol' happy birthday by having a blog hop showcasing some of her stamps, papers, and whatnot.

Today I chose to use one of my favorite razzle dazzle techniques of glittering through lace.

It's simply a matter of placing a piece of lace on sticky paper, coating it with one color (in this case a gorgeous purple), removing the lace and coating with a second color (teal).  Talk about SPARKLY!  I wish the photos could capture the glitter and glimmer and shimmer and shine but you'll have to try it for yourself to see what I mean.  You need to use a very fine glitter, and Art Glitter makes the best glitter in the world, in my opinion.

The flower is an acetate one I made a while back which needed a home, and I centered it with a small pearl.  The sentiment is from the IBS Vintage Sayings set and has been embossed with gold metallic powder.

The inside has been finished with a sentiment from the Happy Sentiment set.

Thanks for joining me and please drop by the other designers' blogs, then pop on over and wish Joanna a big happy birthday!






Leah 
Rebecca 
Rose
Colleen 
Vicki 

Calypso
Grace
Tina


Happy crafting!

It's All About the Glitter with StampNation

Hello!

Just a quick note to share one of my favorite techniques with you that I'm teaching at "Shea's Lounge" over at StampNation.  I call it "Glittering Through Lace," and it's a lovely technique for making the most sparkly one-layer cards that ship in a regular envelope without the need for added postage, plus the cards are super festive and perfect for this holiday season.

Go check it out and while you're there, check out the rest of the fabulous forum as well!

Happy crafting!

Vintage Christmas

Hello!!

Today's card is made for the challenge over at Sugar Creek Hollow with the theme being "Anything Vintage Goes."  It has to be shabby or vintage, which is my favorite kind of card to make.

I used some wonderful textured paper which almost feels like fabric and distressed it around the edges.  The stamps are from Inspired By Stamping and include Vintage Postcards Add On I, Holiday Sentiments and Beautiful Ovals. 

I love those darling little postcard add ons, they so often add a sweet little touch to paper projects, and these were heat embossed with gold metallic embossing powder.

To add some texture I used Scallop Border Crochet Trim and Poinsettias, also from the IBS store.

A little stitching and some gold dew drops finish the front of the card.

I used another sentiment from the Holiday Sentiments set on the inside as well as one of the tiny stamps from the Holiday Tags set.  I got a little carried away, but who doesn't like candy canes anyway?  Even the words "candy cane" are sweet and happy.

Thank you so much for joining me and I wish you a lovely day full of crafting goodness.  And candy canes.  (It's never too early.)

Happy crafting!

Challenges entered:

Sugar Creek Hollow #73 - Anything Vintage Goes
613 Ave. Create - Anything Goes
Pile It On #45 - Show Us Your Tools (Big Shot, embossing tool)

Inspired By Stamping November Catalog

This is today's second post.  To see the Inspired By Stamping November Release, please go here.  (Or scroll down.)

Hello!!

Today we're showing the November edition of the FREE Online Catalog filled with the new Inspired By Stamping stamp sets! Each page provides details of each stamp set plus inspiration from the designers! This new catalog was designed to give you even more inspiration and interaction than ever before with Inspired by Stamping products.

Cool Features:

- Browse the catalog with ease on your tablet or computer.
- Get the entire release in one spot! Plus, zoom in on your favorite products, projects and cards.
- Watch video tutorials from our YouTube channel right inside the catalog!
- SHOP ONLINE! Order products by clicking on the stamp set which takes you directly to our online store.

Here is a peek at what is inside:

We hope you like it!

BTW, the next Color Challenge resumes on November 11, and the next blog hop will begin on November 20 with the theme being featured on the 12th.  Check Joanna's blog for details!

Happy crafting!

Inspired By Stamping November Release

Hello!

It's time to finally reveal the wonderful new stamp sets and digital paper that the Design Team has been showcasing over the past few days!

Vintage Pieces

Vintage Thread

Vintage Dress Form

Garden Seed Packets

Just Because Sentiments

Vintage Digital Paper

Vintage Digital Printables

A few useful bits of information:

• All sets will be available for purchase on November 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) in the IBS store. 
• For our Australian customers, Free Shipping for orders over $25. All International Customers, Free Shipping over $50. No code needed. Sale will be for 48 hours ONLY and will end Tuesday, November 12th, 11:59PM AEST (Brisbane Time) No exceptions.
• All NEW stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount until Dec. 1
• 1 winner each day will receive that day's stamp sets (and papers if applicable)!  Just leave a comment at owner Joanna Munster's blog each day for your chance to win. Each winner will be randomly selected and announced on the Winner's Page on the following day.  (Only one comment per person, please)
• Color Challenge will resume on the November 11.  Check Joanna's blog for details!

Happy crafting!

IBS New Release - Garden Seeds

Hello!

Today is the final day of showcasing the new stamp sets and digital papers for Inspired By Stamping as tomorrow they all become available for sale!

The set we are featuring today is Garden Seeds, a darling set comprised of a seed packet and various images and sentiments to place on, in or near it.

My project includes both a card and a sweet little tote bag container that could actually hold a few packets of seeds  Once again I've used IBS Vintage Digital Papers.  These papers have proven useful over and over again during this month's release and are perfectly suited for any and all vintage and/or shabby chic projects.

I've colored the little crocus with Copics markers and colored both the background and outer edge of the packet with chalks applied with a cotton swab.

The flower is an IBS Carnation adhered to a lace rosette using the WHW tutorial here.  A stamped expression on a banner, both from the featured stamp set, graces the seed packet as well.

These pretty little tickets come from the new Vintage Digital Printables also being released on the 10th.  There are so many wonderful shapes and elements in this set...

...such as this pretty piece...

...and this pretty tag on the back of the tote which I've left blank for the time being.

Thank you for joining me and I do hope you visit the other designers to see how they've interpreted this new stamp set!

Joanna
Irit
Leah
Colleen
Grace
Rebecca
Vicki
Tina
Rose
Calypso

A few useful bits of information:

• All sets will be available for purchase on November 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) in the IBS store. 
• For our Australian customers, Free Shipping for orders over $25. All International Customers, Free Shipping over $50. No code needed. Sale will be for 48 hours ONLY and will end Tuesday, November 12th, 11:59PM AEST (Brisbane Time) No exceptions.
• All NEW stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount until Dec. 1
• 1 winner each day will receive that day's stamp sets (and papers if applicable)!  Just leave a comment at owner Joanna Munster's blog each day for your chance to win. Each winner will be randomly selected and announced on the Winner's Page on the following day.  (Only one comment per person, please)

Happy crafting!

IBS New Release - Vintage Dress Form

Hello!

Today's Inspired By Stamping showcase features the lovely set Vintage Dress Form.

This card startled me with the quickness and ease with which it went together.  It helps to use beautiful papers when making a simple note card, and Joanna's new Vintage Digital Paper is top notch.  Honestly, this gorgeous paper did almost all the work.

All I did was stamp the beautifully shaped dress form, embossed the necklace (one of several accessories) in metallic gold, add the sentiment with a couple of flourishes and voila, a simple, charming and elegant note card worthy of any of a number of occasions.  A little stitching and distressing of the edges adds just the right shabby touch.

I honestly kept trying to embellish this card with pearls, lace, ribbons, etc., but it kept telling me NO.  So I left it alone, and I'm glad I did.  This might be the first card I've ever made that will fit into an envelope with no special treatment.  I think I need to make more of them.

The inside was decorated with a stamped-off dress form and the main component of the soon-to-be-released Just Because stamp set.

Thank you for joining me, and don't forget to visit the rest of the IBS Design Team to see their fabulous creations.

Joanna

Irit

Leah

Colleen

Rebecca

Calypso

Tina

Rose

Vicki

A few useful bits of information:

• All sets will be available for purchase on November 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) in the IBS store. 
• For our Australian customers, Free Shipping for orders over $25. All International Customers, Free Shipping over $50. No code needed. Sale will be for 48 hours ONLY and will end Tuesday, November 12th, 11:59PM AEST (Brisbane Time) No exceptions.
• All NEW stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount until Dec. 1
• 1 winner each day will receive that day's stamp sets (and papers if applicable)!  Just leave a comment at owner Joanna Munster's blog each day for your chance to win. Each winner will be randomly selected and announced on the Winner's Page on the following day.  (Only one comment per person, please)

Happy crafting!

IBS New Release - Vintage Pieces

Hello!

Today we're showcasing projects made with the new Inspired By Stamping Vintage Pieces stamp set (available November 10).  This is such a lovely set full of the charming icons of days gone by and is sure to add a sweet and elegant touch to all of your vintage cards and projects.

This is a super simple note card using more of the wonderfully soft and sweet soon-to-be-released Vintage Digital Papers (music notes and vintage label papers).

 I stamped the sentiment then fussy cut by hand all around it, but Joanna offers FREE cut files for this and most of her other stamp sets, so fussy cutting is not required!  I adhered it to some blue seam binding and attached a matching bow with a vintage button.  The hand is stamped directly onto the digi paper.

On the inside I used a couple more of the stamps from the set and the sentiment is one from the Just Because set which we showcased yesterday.

My second project will look a little familiar to those of you who viewed my Spooky Banner a few days ago.  I liked it so much (and it disappeared to my daughter's apartment so quickly) that I decided to make another one that would serve year round.

So far this has managed to remain in my office.  I used more of Joanna's new Vintage Digital Papers (you'll recognize the rose print from yesterday's card) and cut the letters on my Silhouette Cameo then glittered them up with green glitter.  I placed the print digi paper onto alternating blue and pink pennants (also cut on the Silhouette) to create this QUEEN banner and placed some of the Vintage Pieces stamps, heat embossed onto vellum, between each letter on top of small ribbon knots.  The ends are finished with two bows made from IBS white Seam Binding.

Here's the little pointing hand again.

And a clock.

A little bird.

A tiny boot.


Thank you for joining me today and do hop on over to see what the other designers have created!

Joanna

Leah

Irit

Colleen

Vicki

Rebecca

Tina

Rose

Grace

A few useful bits of information:

• All sets will be available for purchase on November 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) in the IBS store. 
• For our Australian customers, Free Shipping for orders over $25. All International Customers, Free Shipping over $50. No code needed. Sale will be for 48 hours ONLY and will end Tuesday, November 12th, 11:59PM AEST (Brisbane Time) No exceptions.
• All NEW stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount until Dec. 1
• 1 winner each day will receive that day's stamp sets (and papers if applicable)!  Just leave a comment at owner Joanna Munster's blog each day for your chance to win. Each winner will be randomly selected and announced on the Winner's Page on the following day.  (Only one comment per person, please)

Happy crafting!

IBS New Release - Just Because and Vintage Thread

Hello!

Today we begin showcasing the new Inspired By Stamping stamp sets, and the two sets being featured today are Just Because and Vintage Thread, both of which I have combined into one card. 

I loved making this card because I also used Joanna's new Vintage Digital Paper which coordinates so beautifully with the vintage images.  All stamp sets and papers will be available November 10.

I used the new digi paper with script as the base for the sentiment panel, on top of which I stamped a frame from the Fancy Labels 2 set.  On top of that I stamped the large sentiment "Just Because", then fussy cut around the entire image and inked the edges.

The spool was also stamped on the script digi paper, fussy cut, then inked on the edges before I wrapped it with a bit of pink 1/8" ribbon.  If you don't like fussy cutting (and I usually don't), Joanna offers FREE cut files with many, if not most, of her stamp sets.

I added stitching in soft pink thread to the floral corner panels and some IBS Flowers as well as some soft blue pearls (which I colored with alcohol markers).

On the inside I stamped many of the sentiment "completions" from the Just Because set, first stamping off twice so they'd be very faint, then stamped the main sentiment in deep rose ink.

Thank you for joining me and I hope you'll visit the rest of the Design Team to see their lovely creations.

Just Because

Joanna (both sets)

Leah

Tina

Calypso

Vicki

Vintage Thread

Colleen

Irit

Rose

Rebecca  

A few useful bits of information:

• All sets will be available for purchase on November 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) in the IBS store. 
• For our Australian customers, Free Shipping for orders over $25. All International Customers, Free Shipping over $50. No code needed. Sale will be for 48 hours ONLY and will end Tuesday, November 12th, 11:59PM AEST (Brisbane Time) No exceptions.
• All NEW stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount until Dec. 1
• 1 winner each day will receive that day's stamp sets (and papers if applicable)!  Just leave a comment at owner Joanna Munster's blog each day for your chance to win. Each winner will be randomly selected and announced on the Winner's Page on the following day.  (Only one comment per person, please)

Happy crafting!

Inspired By Stamping Sneak Peek - Day Four (and prizes!)

Hello!

Today is the fourth and final day of Inspired By Stamping's sneak peeks (with prizes), and tomorrow we begin showcasing the projects made with them!

Today's peek is at

Garden Seeds

This is a darling set of 16 stamps which includes the seed packet, images with which to accessorize it, and various sentiments in lovely script.  So sweet and delightful!

A few useful bits of information:

• All sets will be available for purchase on November 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) in the IBS store.
• Free shipping on all orders over $25 for 48 hours only -- November 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time to November 13th, 7 pm Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) -- coupon code is IBSVINTAGE.
• All NEW stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount until Dec. 1
• 1 winner each day of the Sneak Peeks will receive the stamp sets featured on that day. Just leave a comment at owner Joanna Munster's blog each day for your chance to win. Each winner will be randomly selected and announced on the Winner's Page on the following day.  (Only one comment per person, please)

Happy crafting!

Inspired By Stamping Sneak Peek - Day Three (and prizes!)

Hello!

Today is Day Three of Inspired By Stamping's Sneak Peeks plus prizes (see below), and I'm pleased to let you take a peek at

Dress Form

Set of 8 stamps featuring a lovely vintage dress form, accessories and sentiments in beautiful script to add an elegant and classy note to your projects.

Vintage Digital Paper

12 pieces of beautiful, vintage digital paper in soft, romantic colors.

Vintage Digital Printables

 26 elements, including tags, banners and frames, in png format to coordinate with the Vintage Digital Paper.


A few useful bits of information:

• All sets will be available for purchase on November 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) in the IBS store.
• Free shipping on all orders over $25 for 48 hours only -- November 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time to November 13th, 7 pm Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) -- coupon code is IBSVINTAGE.
• All NEW stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount until Dec. 1
• 1 winner each day of the Sneak Peeks will receive the stamp sets (and digital papers) featured on that day. Just leave a comment at owner Joanna Munster's blog each day for your chance to win. Each winner will be randomly selected and announced on the Winner's Page on the following day.  (Only one comment per person, please)

Happy crafting!

Inspired By Stamping Sneak Peeks - Day Two (and prizes!)

Hello!

I'm sharing more vintage stamping goodness with today's Inspired By Stamping Sneak Peeks which come with the added bonus of possible prizes!  (See below.)

Today's offering is

Vintage Pieces

Set of 10 charming icons of days gone by, so useful for adding sweet little touches to your paper projects.


A few useful bits of information:

• All sets will be available for purchase on November 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) in the IBS store.
• Free shipping on all orders over $25 for 48 hours only -- November 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time to November 13th, 7 pm Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) -- coupon code is IBSVINTAGE.
• All NEW stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount until Dec. 1
• 1 winner each day of the Sneak Peeks will receive the stamp sets featured on that day. Just leave a comment at owner Joanna Munster's blog each day for your chance to win. Each winner will be randomly selected and announced on the Winner's Page on the following day.  (Only one comment per person, please)

Happy crafting!

Inspired By Stamping Sneak Peeks - Day One (and prizes!)

Hello!

Can you believe it's already November?  Where in the world did 2013 go??  As such, it's time for Inspired By Stamping's latest release, starting with sneak peeks today through the 5th, and Joanna's mixing it up a bit to include prizes on these Sneak Peek days!  These are some beautiful stamp sets indeed.  They all have a vintage feel to them which inspires projects in the vintage/distressed/shabby chic manner.  And THAT is right up my alley.

So without further ado, we'll start things off with

Just Because

 

Set of twelve stamps with a large "Just Because" in beautiful script and 11 follow up sentiments.  SUPER useful!

Vintage Thread

Charming set of two thread spool stamps, one solid, one open, to add charm and delight to your project!


A few useful bits of information:

• All sets will be available for purchase on November 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) in the IBS store.
• Free shipping on all orders over $25 for 48 hours only -- November 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time to November 13th, 7 pm Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) -- coupon code is IBSVINTAGE.
• All NEW stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount until Dec. 1
• 1 winner each day of the Sneak Peeks will receive the stamp sets featured on that day. Just leave a comment at owner Joanna Munster's blog each day for your chance to win. Each winner will be randomly selected and announced on the Winner's Page on the following day.  (Only one comment per person, please)

Happy crafting!