Beautiful Ukrainian Poppy!

Happy Wednesday All,

It's hump day and a short work week! Yay!!!

Today I would like to share with you a poppy flower card.  Now, being Ukrainian, I was thrilled when Sue Wilson came out with the Exquisite Poppy die set; because every Ukrainian needs EVERYTHING poppies!  I myself have a large embroidered framed poppies piece (38" X 18"), silk poppies in an Ukrainian vase and even a painting of poppies! I was so excited about being able to make poppy cards now!!!

I started cutting the flowers and was not pleased at all with the way they looked. They just did not look like poppies. I tried red card stock, then white card stock. Tried molding them on my mat, and still they didn't look like poppies. I just couldn't figure out what was wrong. I was so discouraged.

I couldn't sleep because of my dilema until I thought of doing a search on youtube! I was so hoping that Sue Wilson used them in a video. And sure enough she did!  She created a beautiful card showcasing 3 poppies.  You can see the card and video HERE.

Sue's tip on cutting the poppies did the trick!!! She used crepe paper!!! Of course! It made the flower realistic and lightweight!  I couldn't wait to get to the Dollar Store the next day to get some crepe paper streamers!!!  And here is my card; the crepe paper made ALL the difference.

I'm very pleased with the way it turned out! And it's perfect for ANY occasion! 

Supplies used:

Dies:   Sue Wilson Exquisite Poppy set, Sue Wilson Olive branches, Marianne Creatables Flower filler
           Impression Obsession Rectangle 6 in 1 frame
Embossing folder:  Sizzix


The lesson here --- the right paper goes a long way!!!

Thanks so much for "stamping" by,
           ~Anna

Simple Birthday Cupcakes

Happy Wednesday!

Here are two birthday cards I made over this past weekend.  And literally, the stickles was drying on the second card while I jumped into the shower to get ready for the 50th party I was going to!!! LOL

I needed to make the card for a friend's 50th birthday and I thought that I was finally going to use my "tool" dies, BUT that didn't happen. The week flew by and I didn't even start with pulling the colors together. So, on Friday I decided to make a cupcake card after a browsed Pinterest over the past few days. Next our Matushka left me a message and was hoping that a had an extra card lying around for our Bishop's birthday!  I had to laugh..........as everyone knows that I have A LOT of sample cards, but not to use. Just like the shoemaker's kids not having shoes, I'm the card maker with no cards! LOL.   But I couldn't say no, I mean it was for the Bishop and I truly felt honored that Matushka thought of me. So, I told her that I did have pieces cut for a birthday card that only needed to be put together. Or since I was planning to make Bill's card in the morning, and if I liked the way it was developing, I would make another card at the same time.

Well, as you can see, I ended up making two cupcake cards! I would have loved to have made a more elaborate card for the Bishop, plus at least a 5X7 card, so that it would be big enough for everyone to sign, BUT time just didn't let that happen.

As I was creating the card, I really liked it; it is so cute!  Matushka loved it and I was very thankful!

 

 

Here are close ups; you can see the detail of the embossing folder.  

 

 

As you know, I'm so in love with the teal color combo. Also, notice that I only used strips of teal card stock underneath the saying; a great way to save on colored card stock! 

 

Lastly, the bit of stickles on the frosting and candle was just enough to make everything pop!

 

I know I will be using this layout again; it's simple, cute and pretty fast! You can make several of these pretty quickly!

 

 

Supplies used:

 

     Dies:      Marianne Creatables Cupcake die (it includes the candle and two different cupcake frostings)

     Embossing folder:     Cuttlebug Birthday Sayings

     Stamps:    Hero Arts Birthday sayings clear set

     Other:      Stickles and gems

 

 

Thanks so much for "stamping" by!

               ~Anna

 



Spring is in the Air with Daffodils

Happy Thursday!  Spring is clearly in the air and I wanted to share with you this pretty yet simple daffodil card.

I used this very versatile die set from Leane Creatief.  This die set has 14 pieces and allows you to  make two flowers in two sizes and two views.  It also includes the leaves, all at a very reasonable price of $18. Please, let me know if you want a set; and remember we  can easily ship this in a padded envelope to you!

And here is a picture of the die set:

Every year I pick up a bunch of daffodils at the supermarket and this year I was lucky to be able to do it for 2 weeks!  I always pick a bunch where the bulbs are mostly closed; this way they bloom for me at home and I get to enjoy them for a whole week!  When I made this card, I knew I wanted to take a picture of my vase of daffodils with my handmade card.  Hope you enjoy the look:

Now if you like this look, stop by on Saturday, March 28 for the Daffodil Card Make and Take.  

OR, you may decide to stay and make several cards in our Easter and spring cards class.

Either way you'll be ready for Easter if you do!

Thanks, have a wonderful day and celebrate; tomorrow is spring!
                                   ~Anna


Supplies used:
Dies:  Leane Creatief Lea'bilities daffodils
Stamps:  Impression Obsession Happy Easter
Embossing folder:  Leane Creatief garden tools border
Ink:  Tsukineko Versacolor Mango

Simple and Fun Get Well Cards

Hello Stamping Buddies!
It's the middle of January in the northeast and it seems like we are getting some kind of snow or ice once a week now and I just hate that.  But in turn it gives us time to be indoors and craft (yay)!  See, there's always a plus side!

Lawn Fawn has two great stamp sets with coordinating dies that can be used for some very cute get well cards.  If you know me, you know I don't take meds, unless it is totally necessary, but I just LOVE the little prescription bottle in the "Get Well Soon" stamp set!  It's just so cute - and here is the card that I came up with:

For my second card, I used Impression Obsession's "Under the weather" stamp, and umbrella & cloud dies.  The card is only 3 1/2 X 3 1/2 and perfect to be attached to a gift bag with some goodies for the patient!

There you have it!  These are two of the cards that you will be able to make in the Get Well Cards class.  Check us out tomorrow for more Get Well Cards!

Thanks for stopping by and we look forward to seeing you soon!
                       ~Anna

Sweet Christmas Wishes Topped with Love

Love this cute card - the Make and Take for this weekend's Christmas Open House.

Supplies used:
Dies:  Impression Obsession's take out coffee and Christmas charms sets
Stamp:  Impression Obsession
Other:  Stickles, smallest Marvy's heart punch, Sizzix/Hero Arts snow embossing folder, peel offs

Looking forward to seeing you!
                 ~Anna

Jingle All the Way - A Fun Reindeer Tag

Hi Everyone!  Here's one of the tags that we made and will make in the Tags Galore class!  It's a lot of fun with the bells hanging from the antlers!

The bells of course make the tag!!!




Supplies used:
Dies:  Marianne Collectable die set (even includes a stamp that says "Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!"

Have a great day and be safe --- more bad weather is coming:(
                              ~Anna

Cupcakes Galore

Yay cupcakes!  I don't think that there is anyone out there who doesn't like cupcakes!  And of course I decided to make a pop up card in a box with cupcakes and cherries!

I used gold, chocolate and cream colored card stock (it may look white, but it's cream for vanilla) to make the cupcakes.  The Marianne Creatable cupcake die set includes a cherry, a candle and a flower die; perfect for decorating the yummy snacks.

I decided to use the saying, "My Happy Place" - perfect for any occasion.  I have to laugh because when I think of the saying, "go to your happy place", I think of the movie, Happy Gilmore!  LOL!   I believe that cupcakes can be a happy place for many!

Supplies used:
Dies:  Marianne Creatables cupcakes set
            Nellie Snellen multi frame heart dies MFD 022
           Joy Crafts daisy set
           Cheery Lynn - flourish leaf strip, baby's breath flower kit
Stamps:  Hero Arts

Thanks for "stamping" by
    and I hope you're enjoying the nice weather we're finally having!
                                                ~Anna

Elegant Birthday Card

Happy Wednesday!

Just a quick share of an elegant birthday card I created for a friend recently.  It is a simple design with the new Anja border die set; cut twice, once on top and then on the bottom. 

This is a really pretty die and can be used lots of ways.  I am sure you will also find it versatile.

Supplies used:
Dies:  Marianne Creatbles Anja Border die set, Spellbinders Labels 4
Stamps:  Serendipity
Other:  Viva Decor pearl pens

Thanks so much for "stamping" by
      and have a wonderful day!
               ~Anna

Beautiful Easter Cards Made by Soni Larson Using the Easter "Toppers"!

Thank you Soni for the samples you sent me of the wonderful Easter cards you made using the easy, pre-cut Easter toppers.  What a beautiful job!

Thanks again for sharing Soni!

(And if you'd like to see how we used the snowmen toppers, you can see them HERE.)

Thanks so much for "stamping" by,
            ~Anna

Birthday Cards Galore!

Last month was my birthday and I received so many cards that I decided to post about them.  It was so much fun getting real mail and opening each and every card! Thank you for all of the beautiful birthday wishes!

Here is a picture of the whole set:

And here is the view from above which shows more of the individual cards.

And now I'll showcase each hand made card:

Love the pale blue and chocolate color palette!

Fashion card for the clothes hog;  how did you know Sue?

Pretty birds just perfect to ring in spring!

What a pretty card!  Must have taken days to create!!!

What a simple yet so elegant card!  Love the stenciled background!

 A close up of the stenciled background.

Reminder #1:  3-D Pop up card in a box class will be this Saturday, April 6th @1PM!  Learn how to make these 3-D cards which are a total rage on the internet and Pinterest.  CLICK HERE to see a sample of what these boxes look like.  We will make two such boxes in class; one for Easter and one for spring.  Don't forget to call to reserve your seat today!  Places are filling up quickly!

Reminder #2:  May will be stenciling month at the Creative Corner!  We are planning a class where you will learn several stenciling techniques and make some fabulous cards!  Keep a look out for more details in the coming posts!

Thank you again!

       ~Anna

Happy St. Patty's Day!

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I would like to share with you the card we made at the Make & Take as well as 3 cards I received from fellow stampers.  Sit back, have a sip of your drink and enjoy!

Everyone had fun creating this quick and simple card.  We used paint chips and stamped the Impression Obsession Irish Blessing stamp in Staz-on and decorated the card with Impression Obsession's shamrock die and some stickles, of course.

Here is a great card made by Irene Slaughter.  It is very simple but makes quite an impact with all the glitter!

This is a card made by Sue Speck; a wonderful use of saying stamps and made into a wonderful collage.

Last, but not least is Carol Chiaramonte's card.  Carol has such a unique style and most times she 

uses everyday stamps for whatever occasion she needs!

Thanks so much ladies for sending me your cards!
Again, Happy St. Patrick's Day!
           ~Anna

A Different Use of Corner Dies

Hello Everyone!
I came across a great idea that I wanted to share with you!  Use your corner dies to embellish other things than just corners!

 Above, are the corner die cuts from the new Anja vintage corner set and a tag from another Anja set that many of you already have!

 Now, place the corners on the tag and you have a fabulous new tag! 

Stamp a sentiment on the inside and what a pretty look! 

You can even cut the corners from a different color card stock to get another look!  You can place these tags on the front of your card, or spiffy up the inside! Use them horizontally or vertically.

And for something different, the corner in the picture directly above, even looks like a butterfly!

Time to think outside of the box...............you will find that the possibilities are endless!  I love it when I can use my supplies in various ways!  I'm sure you do too!

Supplies used:

Dies:  Anja's large oval, Anja's vintage corners

Thanks for "stamping" by,
           ~Anna

Another Simple Christmas Card

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

I created another Christmas card for you. Lately I have been drawn to this pretty gray card stock and tried it for this card. 

I added diamond stickles to the snowflake background and silver stickles to the center of the white poinsettia.  It makes the whole card sparkle and ready for Christmas!

Supplies used:
Dies:  Impression Obsession Merry Tree and Twig Wreath, Marianne Creatables Small Poinsettias
Embossing folder:  Sizzix
Other:  Stickles

Thanks so much for "stamping" by,
            ~Anna

Another Christmas Wreath Card!

I know, another wreath card.........but I wanted to show you the different looks that you can get from basically the same supplies.  In this Christmas card, I was going for the "Winter Wonderland" look of white on white with just a little bit of neutral  color.

Again, I used Impression Obsession's Twig Wreath die set.  To get sparkle on the card, I used Shimmer Spritz on the Joy tag and the three layers of the poinsettia.  Unfortunately, you really can't see the sparkle in the photo, though here is a close up:

Supplies used:
Stamp - Impression Obsession
Dies - Impression Obsession Twig Wreath, Cheery Lynn Holly leaves and Flourish leaf strip, Marianne Large and small poinsettias, Spellbinders Labels 4
Other - Swarovski crystals, Shimmer Spritz in Sparkle, Swiss dots embossing folder

This is the third card that we will be making in the "Wreath Cards" class this Saturday!  There still is room available to join us for this fun class........just call to reserve your seat!

Thanks for "stamping" by,
      ~Anna

Christmas Wreath Card

Today I am posting the new card I made with Impression Obsession's wreath die.  This time I used a Christmas theme.  It was a lot of fun choosing the poinsettias, the various layering papers and arranging the layout. 

(I am also now thinking of a different color scheme for a different look.  So check back to see how that one will come out!)

Hope you'll join us for this fun workshop and start your collection of fall and winter cards!

Supplies used:
Stamps:  Impression Obsession
Dies:  Cheery Lynn holly leaves, Cheery Lynn pine branches, Marianne small poinsettias, Impression Obsession twig wreath set, Impression Obsession small tags

Thanks for "stamping" by,
           ~Anna

Welcome Fall with Impression Obsession's Wreath Die

Even though autumn doesn't start until the 22nd, I had this card design and layout in my mind for several days and finally created the card!  I am really happy with the results and am thinking that I'll have a class where we will create different cards with this wreath die and decorate them for fall and Christmas and possibly for spring/summer.  I think it will be lots of fun and help you stretch your supplies! 

Hope you enjoy this and join us for the class!
                       ~Anna

Clean & Simple Flower Card

Good Monday Morning!
Just a quick share of a CAS card............just stamp the background and die cut the pretty oval and flower, stamp a saying and you're done!  You can make a bunch of these in all different colors and have them in your stash when you need a card!  And we all know that those days come more often than we like to admit!

Stamp:  Outlines Dotted background
Dies:   Marianne Fancy flower  LR0248
           Marianne Large fancy oval set LR0240
           Anja Card stand LR0266

Let me know if you would like any of these dies.  I can easily set them aside for you!

Thanks for "stamping" by,
        ~Anna

Cards from the His and Her Class

Good Morning Everyone!  Just wanted to post the cards that we made in the His and Hers Class.  I was able to give you tips and ideas and hopefully make you think outside the box so that you too can come up with some cards yourself.

Here is a picture of the three "His" cards.  

And here are the corresponding "female" versions of the masculine cards.

Next are pictures of the 3 pairs of cards:

Great news........You still have an opportunity to create these cards!  Join us on Thursday, August 22 at 1PM or at 6 in the evening.  You will not be disappointed!

(Don"t forget, click on each picture to see it close up)

Thanks for "stamping" by,
      ~Anna

A Fun Birthday Card

Now, when I saw this Impression Obsession stamp, chicken in overalls, I thought, OK, it's cute but what can you make with it?  Well, don't worry, Soni Larson knew what to make!

She created a fun birthday card for Cecilia Prange!  Isn't it just fabulous!  Great coloring with Copics and the layout and colors of the background papers are just perfect.  The window is framed nicely and the sayings are all FUN! (They were computer generated.)  Thanks Soni for this wonderful idea!

 Who would have thought.  And the ladies who saw it on Saturday, all now want this stamp! LOL!

This is the inside of the card:

And it's all in good fun!

Hope this puts a smile on your face today!

            ~Anna

Pretty Pink Hydrangea

After completing the blue green hydrangea, I wanted to make a pink one.  This time I used Copic re-inkers to make my background paper.  (Copics are alcohol based and therefore you can use them just like other alcohol inks,)  I used RV10 and V12 and squirted a few drops on my felt covered block and decorated my glossy white card stock.

I used the Impression Obsession Hydrangea die set again, but this time I made a white on white card with only pink for the flowers and the bow.

I think everyone knows that I love flowers!  They just make me smile and feel great and therefore, I truly enjoy making paper flowers.  I hope you get inspired and try some flowers for your cards.  They make such a beautiful statement!

Thanks for stopping by,
      ~Anna