Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas with Outlines Tall Angel

Merry, Merry Christmas!!! 

Soni Larson made this beautiful card for me and now I wanted to share it with you on Christmas!

Wishing you Peace & Love at Christmas and Always!!!

Love,   Anna

Hero Arts Special Time Stamp Set

I just LOVE Joy Taylor's Birthday card, "It's a special time".  Really great for any occasion and perfect for those ever difficult masculine cards we have to design!

I think that this stamp set will be one of my favorites in 2012!

I'm so looking forward to playing with these stamps and of course having classes for you with distress STAINS! It's going to be FUN, FUN, FUN!

Chanukah Card made with Peel offs and Spellbinders Labels Two

Isn't this a great card that Soni made for Chanukah!

I really like the way this card is folded.  The front half of the card is folded in half to expose part of the inside of the card.  By placing the Spellbinders Labels Two strategically in the center, you cover the inside saying.

Below is a scan of the inside of the card and you can see how it was all put together.

This is a very nice layout and I need to use it more often!

Thanks for sharing, Soni!

Orange you glad Tangerine Tango is the color of 2012?

According to the Pantone Color Institute, the color for 2012 is Tangerine Tango.  As per Pantone's blog, here is a description of the color:

"Sophisticated, dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenalin rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.

 This luscious reddish orange adds sensuality to fashion, flair to accessories, verve to cosmetics, and lively luxury to interior surfaces and appointments."
 
Check out the article and video on Yahoo for more fun information.

Pantone’s predictions influence all manner of consumer product manufacturers from cosmetic companies to paint suppliers. 

Here are some clothing fashions in the tangerine tango:

Us stampers will now have to see how we can incorporate this into our art work!  I am sure that the ink pad companies are already making ink pads in this new color for us!  And let's think about paper..........it's going to be HOT, HOT, HOT!!!

White on White, with a bit of Color

All year, I've noticed that white on white  and white on white with a bit of color has been very popular.

Today I completed a tag and a card with these color schemes and I'm very pleased with the way they turned out.  The white makes it look very elegant and because it is December, it reminds me of glistening snow and Christmas.

 The tag was made with the Nellie Snellen multi frame rectangle die (MFD008), Marianne Creatables poinsettia & flourish dies (LR0122, LR0142, & LR0116), holly leaves and pine punches and JustRite stamps.

For the card, I used the very pretty and special pearlized card stock in Raster.  I stamped it with a Hero Arts background stamp and heat embossed it with white diamond embossing powder.  Again I used Marianne Creatables poinsettia dies and Spellbinders Labels 4 for the frame and Curved Rectangles for the card base.  The pretty saying is from JustRite.

If you are running out of time to make cards, consider making tags.  Not only will they decorate your package, but the recipient can hang it on their Christmas tree.

Thanks for stopping by
and
Happy Stamping,
Anna

"Smile" Calendar for 2012

Yesterday, Judy McGowan made this calendar as one of the items in the Christmas Accessories class.  Didn't it come out just great?

We used JustRite Stamps (the Smile set), Spellbinders Nestabilites, butterfly dies, and decorated an acrylic frame.  These hand made calendars make a great stocking stuffer and the recipient will get to enjoy them for a whole year!

If you'd like to join the Christmas Accessories class and make this and several other accessories ready for gift giving, call to reserve your seat in Wednesday's or Friday's class.

In addition, the 2012 mini calendars as well as the acrylic frames are in stock.  These acrylic frames are of a very nice quality; they are much thicker than the Dollar Store ones and they are not scratched up since there is a protective film on each of them. (Just remove the film once you are ready to use them.)

Make someone happy and make a special gift for them this holiday season; they will love you for it!

Christmas Birdcage Ornament

I'd like to share with you a very pretty and unique ornament that Sue Speck made for me.

What a wonderful idea; Sue stamped and heat embossed black card stock and then used the Marianne Creatables die (LR0146) to cut out the birdcage.  She added the red bird as well as punched poinsettia flowers to finish it off. Finally by gluing shut the birdcage door on the reverse side, Sue completed the 3-D look.

For another idea using the same birdcage die, you can see the card I made here.

Thanks so much Sue for this fabulous ornament!

Time Flies!

Here is a great card that Ceci Prange made for her DH's birthday, which was at the end of November; hence the fall colors.

Wasn't it clever to use the Marianne Designables, Classic (DS0911) and make it into a clock!  Now, change the color scheme and you can use this clock for New Year's Party invites.

Thank you Ceci for sharing!

Thank you!

Just wanted to thank everyone who came to yesterday's Open House.  You helped make it a wonderful day!

I have to say, everyone liked the Make & Take.........those Cheery Lynn dainty flowers were a hit! And because all of us were working on them, we now have gathered a lot of tips!  I love learning from you guys!!!

 Here are Mildred, Ceci, Ginny and Soni.  As always, fun and relaxing, spending time with friends!

And here is Becky just checking out all the goodies through out the store!  

Forgive me if you don't see yourself in the pictures........I always have good intentions to take photos of the event, but forget to actually do it.  At least I remembered before it was all over this time and I got a few shots!

Thanks again and looking forward to the next event!
Anna

New Cheery Lynn Spiral Flowers

I received the new Cheery Lynn Cuties 2 die and couldn't wait to try it out.

The spiral flowers turn out so dainty and once you get the hang of rolling them and stop worrying about all the glue you get on your fingers, the rest is a piece of cake!

Besides the Cuties 2 die, I used a leaf punch, the multi-square frame die from Nellie Snellen (MFD006), Marianne Creatables LR0157 and Tim Holtz's rosette die.  I also used some distress ink to give the rosette some depth and cover the white core of the printed paper and age the cream card.

All in all it was fun creating something new!

Saturday's Make & Take

Join us on Saturday for our Annual Christmas Open House and you can create this fabulous gift card!

You'll use a "non-Christmas" stamp to create a Christmas gift card.  This may help you look at your stamps a whole new way.  Remember, by changing a color scheme, changes the entire look and feel of your art.

In addition, learn how to make this pretty 3-D flower by using the new Cheery Lynn Cuties 2 die.  These spiral flowers are so dainty and a wonderful embellishment for so many things.  The possibilities are just endless!

Looking forward to seeing you Saturday,
Anna

Blog Comments

Hi Everyone,
Hope all is well and you are getting into the swing of the holidays!  Boy, they seem to come around quicker every year!

I've been checking my blog,,,,and there haven't been any comments lately.  I'd LOVE to hear from you!  And I also know that I get hits from all around the world......from our neighbors in Canada.......from the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands..........as far away as Australia..... and even the Ukraine and Russia.

It would be awesome to hear from you and share our love of stamping and paper crafting!

If you'd like, you can post comments or pictures of projects you have completed on our Facebook page!  Let's get the conversation going!!!  This can get really BIG!!! 

Let's show the world how BIG it can get!!!

In addition, you may want to sign up to get the postings straight into your e-mail box.  Check the side bar on the right and submit your e-mail address.  It's very simple.  (Don't forget that you will get a confirmation e-mail AND you will need to click on the link to verify your e-mail address.  Once that is done, you're finished and you will be getting automatic e-mails of every posting!)

Looking forward to your comments,
Anna

Christmas Tag

I really liked the tag I made for the "Thanksgiving wine bottle", so today I made one with Christmas colors.

I used the Spellbinders Mega Ovals, the Marianne Poinsettia dies (LR0122 & LR0142) and Marianne Swirls (LR0116).  These tags are great for wine bottles, but you can also put them on a nice bottle of olive oil or balsamic vinegar.  Or you can easily expand the tag and make a card.

Join us for the Christmas Accessories class where you'll make this tag and a few other non-card items for Christmas. 

Have a peaceful evening
and
Happy Stamping,
Anna

Happy Thanksgiving !

Hope you are having a wonderful day with family and friends today!

I just wanted to post the Thanksgiving Day card I made last night, just in time to be hand delivered today.

I really like the way it came out; I just love those Cheery Lynn Stacking Flowers and the Polynesian Sails oval.  You may remember that it is the same layout as a birthday card I made last month, but this time with a fall color scheme. 

Change the color scheme and you get a totally different look and feel to the card!  (The background paper is Marianne's Pretty Paper Bloc - Songbook, distressed with Antique Linen distress ink.) 

I also made this tag for a bottle of wine.  Here I used Marianne's Creatables dies, a Stampendous saying stamp, and the new Scrollworks embossing folder.  This embossing folder is becoming one of my favorites.

Thanks for stopping by
and
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Anna

Rosette Turkey

It is Thanksgiving Eve and Tim Holtz made these cute turkeys with his rosette dies!  Aren't they awesome!

So.......how many will YOU be making tonight?  Tim says there is still time and they're not too difficult to make.  Plus, it's another use for your rosette dies!
Check out Tim's blog; there's a video, picture tutorial and even a turkey body template sheet you can download!  You better get cracking......time is "gobbling" away!

Gift Box for the Rosette Ornaments

As promised, here is the box I made for the rosette ornaments.

 These hand made square boxes are so easy to make.  You start with a square piece of card stock and make several folds with the points of the square and you make a professional looking box with no adhesive, in a color of your choice.  For the top, use a square piece of card stock 1/4 inch larger than the piece for the bottom .

In class yesterday, everyone was very pleased with the boxes they created; each one was beautiful, yet different.  Everyone used different color combinations for the rosette and it's backing and gave the box it's own personality.

Decorate the top and the sides, add some tissue paper to the inside, stack the ornaments and you have a fabulous hostess gift.

These hand made square boxes are just perfect for so many things.  What about filling them with special chocolates and using them as bridal shower party favors.  Any small square or round shaped object fits perfectly inside.  The possibilities are endless plus the finished product looks so very professional.

Join the Christmas Ornaments class and be ready for gift giving time.  You'll be happy you did!

Thanks for stopping by
and
Enjoy the beautiful warm weather today!
Anna

Rosette Style Xmas Ornaments

I really like the way my paper rosette ornaments came out.  And they were quite easy to make.

I made the rosettes with the Tim Holtz mini paper rosette die (the larger one on the strip die).  The centers were stamped with Just Rite Stamps and colored with Copic markers.  I then matted the rosettes on round scalloped circles from my Spellbinders Nestabilities.  Lastly, I added glitter because for Christmas ornaments we need glitter!

Here is a close up of one of the ornaments.

Later I thought of a great way you can package and present 3 of these ornaments.  Since they are relatively flat, you can stack 3 ornaments and place them in one of those cube hand made boxes made out of card stock.  I'll have to make one and post a picture of it soon. 

These would also make great gift tags!   Attach them to a gift and then the recipient can use it on their Christmas tree.

Join tomorrow's Christmas Ornaments class and you'll make one of these!  Just don't forget to call to reserve your seat.

Thanks
and
Happy Stamping,
Anna

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is almost here and here is another card that the ladies made in Saturday's class.  We used watercolor paper and made some backgrounds with Twinkling H2O's.  The trick here was to get the paper very wet and then paint with the Twinks.  I'm glad that you can see the pretty shimmer of the Twinkling H2O's in the photo.  Click here to see my video of the technique.

Besides stamping, we also used the background paper we created to punch out the maple leaves. This way everything is color coordinated.  The punch also does a great job and the embosser makes the pretty veins in the leaf.  To finish off the card we used the Scrollworks embossing folder and the Viva Decor Pearl Pen in black.  Quick and easy!

Thanks for stopping by
and
Happy Stamping,
Anna

Thanksgiving Day Card & Matching Candle

It is always fun to use our craft to make more than just cards. This was true this past Saturday when everyone went home with a beautifully decorated candle as well as Thanksgiving Day cards.

Place the decorated candle in a clear plastic bag, tie a beautiful ribbon to close the top and you have a great hostess gift!  Think about a Christmas themed candle for more wonderful hand made gifts from your heart.  I know we all run out of ideas on what to get everyone.  Hand decorated scented candles are always appreciated and as you can see, they are not too difficult to make.

Hope you'll take some time to make some hand made gifts for the upcoming holidays.

The Limited Edition Distress Ink Pads

Hi Everyone,  Just wanted to let you know that the Limited Edition Winter Distress Ink Pads have arrived at the Creative Corner!

The three colors are:  Evergreen Bough (a beautiful green with a hint of blue), Festive Berries (a true Christmas red), and Iced Spruce (an incredible greyish blue).

Those of you who have pre-ordered a set, they are ready for pick up.
And don't worry, there are still several sets left for anyone else; so hurry in before they are gone!

Also, check out Tim Holtz's blog!  He even has a video on there showing you more ideas using these great colors!

Embroidered Xmas Candle Card

Today, I used some straight embroidery stitches to create this card. 

I also used the Marianne Creatables poinsettia dies as well as a pine branch punch and the Spellbinders Mega Oval Nestabilities.  Lastly I finished it off with the large dots embossing folder and the very pretty Merry Christmas peel off.  I have to say that the peel off pulls it all together as I was going for an old fashioned look.

Thanks for stopping by,
Anna

Another Christmas Card

I have been wanting to make a Christmas card using the Marianne Creatables LR 0182 Christmas ornament die (the set comes with this ornament and the bell die) with the Marianne Creatables LR 0181 pine tree branch.  And this is what I came up with:

I kept it simple with just two colors for the card and glitter, of course!  Elizabeth Crafts micro fine glitter in Sahara makes the ornament really sparkle.  I highlighted the pine branch with stickles, embossed the shiny white card stock with the snowflakes embossing folder, added a greeting and ribbon and voila, I was done!

Hope you're getting in some craft time for your Christmas cards!

Happy Stamping,
Anna

The Perfect Layout

Recently, Soni came up with a wonderful layout and made this beautiful birthday card for Ginny.

 Soni used the Spellbinders Labels 12 to make the frame for the window.  She also used  the Cheery Lynn Victorian Romance Flourish die and the dots embossing folder by Crafts-too.  By using the 3-D Antique Roses and the pretty pale pink card stock, it truly gave it a vintage look.

Next, Ginny used the same layout for inspiration and came up with this stunning Wedding/Anniversary card!  For this card, Ginny used the Spellbinders Labels 16 for her window frame and the Marianne Creatable LR 0182 Bell die. Just like Soni, she also used the Cheery Lynn flourish to complete the card. 

The bells were die cut and adhered to cream card stock.  She then added cool highlights micro fine glitter to make the bells really sparkle!   As I mentioned before, these bells are great for Christmas and Weddings/Anniversaries.  And what about to "ring in the new year"?

These cards are truly beautiful and unfortunately the pictures do not do them justice. You really need to see these cards up close and personal!

Have a wonderful day,
Anna

Happy Halloween

Have you made your treat bags yet? There is still time and here's an idea - use the Marianne icicles die (LR0135) to create the border!  By using green card stock, the border looks like gooey goop that is dripping off the paper.  I just love it when I get multiple uses out of my supplies.

Even though yesterday Monticello had snow showers and we are bracing ourselves for a snowstorm tomorrow, hope you have a fun Halloween!

One good thing is that we can be warm inside and stamp the day away!  The other good thing is that this time of year, the snow should melt in a day or so!

Have a good one
and
Happy Stamping,
Anna

"A Very Merry Christmas" Ornament Card

I used the "Romantic" Marianne Designables embossing/cutting folder to create this quick and easy Christmas card.  The white pearlized, "wedding" card stock gives it a very elegant look.

The purple ornament was heat embossed in white, sprayed with sparkle shimmer spritz, and cut out with a Spellbinders 2011 Heirloom Ornament die. 

I'm sure you'll like it; it's quick and easy, yet elegant.  What more can you ask for?

BIC Mark-it Pens

Hi Everyone,  Just wanted to share with you these great markers on a budget.  I first heard of the BIC Mark-it markers from Gina K of StampTV.  Since these markers are alcohol based, they work great with your Copics!  (Click here to see one of Gina K's videos on these markers.)  What a great way to expand the colors in your collection OR get to try alcohol markers before you decide to invest in Copics.  Of course, Copics are a high quality marker, but this is a great start for many of you.

They come in Ultra-fine point and fine point, in several size packages.  I have tried the Ultra-fine ones, in the 36 pack.  They work and color wonderfully, especially in those tiny spaces that we need sometimes.  Plus, what a great range of colors!

The good news is that Staples carries these markers AND they are on sale right now!  They normally run for $20, though until Saturday, you can get 36 markers for $15!  What a deal!

Just sharing the good news!

Have a wonderful day
and
Happy Stamping,
Anna

Marianne Designables

I'm happy to share with you another card I made using the Marianne Designables (DS0907  Swirls). 

I ran parchment paper through my Big Shot and then added JustRite stamped and colored images to it.   This gives you a different look that you can get with these wonderful embossing/cutting folders.

This is a close up of the doily I used to back the JustRite heart above.  It is just beautiful and it is a great bonus when you cut out the Polynesian Sails border.  You see, when you cut out the Polynesian Sails border, you also get this gorgeous doily.  Click here to see the Birthday Card I made using the Polynesian Sails die from Cheery Lynn.

This doily die looks great with so many things.  The round JustRite stamps  fit perfectly in the center!  Just think of all the different layering you can do with this die!

Have a wonderful day
and
Happy Stamping,
Anna

Happy Birthday

Now that Ginny's birthday has passed, I can post a picture of the card I made for her.

 I used the Polynesian Sails die by Cheery Lynn to make the pretty oval frame.  To make the flowers, I used the stacking flowers #4, Swarovski crystals for the centers and various punches and dies for the leaves.

Since the card was quite thick, I made a box for it and here is a picture of the cover.  (Of course, I had to decorate it.)  The lettering are peel offs that I colored and adhered to the oval clip punch.

Thanks for stopping by
and
Have a wonderful day,
Anna

Parchment Craft Gift Cards

I've made the following Parchment Craft (Pergamano) samples using the Pergamano Multi Grids.  These metallic stencils are used with embossing and piercing tools on parchment (a bit heavier than vellum) to create very pretty and delicate designs.  I really love the look.

 I just love the way the flower came out, as well as the design around it!

This pretty gift card would dress up any present.

And this is a sample of the one you can create tomorrow.  You get to learn some basic techniques and still come up with a very delicate & beautiful card. 

Looking forward to seeing you!
Anna

Show & Tell Saturday

Hi Everyone,
I'm so excited to share with you some of the wonderful card samples and new items you will see this Saturday at the Show & Tell.  Between Soni and me, we made 16 card samples in Canada and here is just a small sample of what you will get to see on Saturday!

 This beautiful card was made with the new Marianne Designables, called Swirls.  This is a fabulous die that embosses AND cuts at the same time.  You get this wonderful look with only one pass through your Big Shot machine.  I then "dry embossed" the bell by hand.  The card looks like you spent hours on it, when in reality, you only hand embossed only one part of it.

 Here, you can see the beautiful detail you get using this die and parchment paper (heavy weight vellum).

 On this card, we used the Marianne poinsettia die set and added peel offs and a bow to complete it.

On this card we pierced the design  and used the new mini poinsettia punch and embosser to add the flowers onto the pre-printed design.

 Here is a close up of the punched 3-D flowers and the pierced design.

 Saturday, you will be able to get this card in a pre-packaged kit.  The kit will include the pre-printed designs, the patterns for the piercings, the card stock & envelopes to make 4 cards; all for the special price of $4.00! That's only $1 per card!

For this card, we used a brass embroidery stencil and ran it through the Big Shot to get it dry embossed.  Then we pierced the holes and embroidered the design.  Add some peel offs and you have a very beautiful and unique card! 
You will be able to get this brass stencil to make this card for only $6.00!  (And these embroidery stencils come in the following designs:  Xmas tree, bell, Xmas ornament, and candle).  What a variety!

Looking forward to seeing you and sharing these wonderful ideas. This will be the year that you'll make some truly stunning Christmas cards!

Have a peaceful evening,
Anna