Another Card with the Anja Corner Die

Even though we still have snow on the ground, I keep dreaming of spring flowers!  I also love the Anja dies and therefore went for the corner die to make another card with flowers, of course.

This time I used a peach and cream color scheme.  I used the Cheery Lynn cherry blossom dies and a few Nellie Snellen punches.  I added a sentiment, but this can easily be a card for any occasion!

Thanks for stopping by,
        ~Anna

Double Matting by using Oval Dies

Good Morning Everyone!   Actually a very cold morning; but it's January and there is nothing we can do so let's craft! 

I've seen many cards on Pinterest that show double matting recently.  I therefore tried it with two oval dies from Spellbinders and here is what I came up with:

Of course I had to add a flower (Cheery Lynn rose die) and a butterfly (Nelle Snellen punch with embosser) adorned with stickles.  Spring just has to be here soon, right?

Keep on stamping and crafting,
          ~Anna

Pretty Thanksgiving Day Card from Soni Larson

Hope you had a very nice Thanksgiving!  I had a very lovely one and Soni presented me with this very pretty card.

She used the great leaf set from JustRite Stamps and distress inks to color them.  The layout is so clean and simple, yet very elegant!

Hope you are enjoying the weekend and remember to support your favorite small businesses today, on Shop Small Day!
      ~Anna

Great Christmas Tags

Thought I'd get you into the Christmas mood with these great tags.  They were fun to make and will make your gift truly stand out!

Here, I used Stacy Stamps, Mini Poinsettia and attached it to the middle of a JustRite Christmas Ornament stamp. The poinsettia was colored with Copics and the ornaments were cut out using Spellbinders 2010 Heirloom Ornament dies.  To make it all sparkle, I used stickles!

For the next tag, I used JustRite, O Christmas Tree stamp set.  I also stamped the Holly Background with Hero Arts and then used the matching embossing folder to give it lots of dimension.  This is a wonderful set from Hero Arts and Sizzix!

I also saw somewhere that someone had used a part of a rosette and so I tried it here, using one of the smaller rosette's from Tim Holtz.  Also used lots of stickles and Elizabeth Crafts, Canadian Blue micro fine glitter for the finishing touches!

For the third tag, I used Dee's Candle die (from Elizabeth Crafts), the pine punch from Nellie Snellen and Spellbinders Large Ovals. 

Of course, stickles was added to the pine branches and the flame.  It's a simple design yet impressive.

Hope this gives you some ideas for the upcoming holidays and get you started on your projects.  Christmas will be here before you know it!

Thanks for stopping by,
       ~Anna

Different Ways to Use the New Stained Glass Stamps from Stacy Stamps

The new stained glass stamps from Stacy are very versatile. 

Stained glass rectangles

Stained glass waves

 Here are two samples using the stained glass stamps the traditional way. 

In this third sample, you can stamp different images in the rectangle "windows", as well as cut open some of them and even stamp something inside!

Lastly, I tried my hand at Zentangle.  I first tried a few patterns on scrap card stock.  I have to say this is my first attempt at Zentangle and I found it is very easy, fun and relaxing.  They say it is like organized doodling.  I find it just as relaxing as coloring and was surprised how addictive it is.

I then just layered the completed design on black card stock and added my initial with a Just Rite monogram stamp layered on a scalloped circle. 

Zentangle is great when you are traveling and want to take something to create with you.  You just need a few micron black pens, pre-stamped card stock with any open design and you are ready to go!  You can now look at your stamps in a totally different way!

Hope this helped spark your imagination!
                      ~Anna

Egg Shaped Easter Card

Just in time for Easter, I completed an egg shaped Easter card using Cheery Lynn dies and Elizabeth Crafts micro fine glitter.

 The little bunny comes in the set of the egg nesting dies.  I added a little color with my Copics, stamped and cut out a Just Rite bow and even added a tiny cotton ball for his tail.

Here is a close up of the glitter.  I wish you could see how the card sparkles in the sunlight!

   ~Anna

Inspiration from Ukrainian Style Embroidery

I belong to a stamping club, The High Nooners.  We meet at noon every other month at our favorite restaurant, have lunch, share stamping ideas, and catch up with each other.  We also make a card for the theme of that month and recently our theme was quilting.  We visited the Quilt Show at Bethel Woods and decided to to use the quilts as inspiration.

I decided to use the new JustRite stamp set, Starburst Medallion Labels.  As I was playing with the stamped and embossed images, moving them around on the table, I realized that they reminded me of the counted cross stitch I used to do.  The colors I chose are traditional Ukrainian colors used for embroidered linen towels and tablecloths.  These designs are also used to make beautiful folk blouses for the traditional Ukrainian folk costumes.  I liked that and therefore went in that direction.  As is, both quilts and Ukrainian counted cross are geometric designs.

I used a simple layout so that medallion would stand out and be the main focus of the card.  I stamped and heat embossed the medallion 3 times and paper pieced it.  The saying and the stitching lines are from Hero Arts.

I then went and pulled out the counted cross stitch that I had started way back in high school!  I know, it's still not finished!  LOL!  (OK, I'm sure you too have a bunch of unfinished projects!)

You can definitely see that the star in the center of the JustRite image is very similar to the repeated star design in the embroidery! 

And now for some nostalgia......................I went and found a photo that my dad took of us way back in the summer of 1971!  Back in the day when we were up at Mohican Lake with no TV (no reception up there), no computers, etc.  We swam, played games and us girls spent hours doing embroidery!

From the left:  me, Martha's grandmother, Martha Fenchen, and my sister, Olga

My gosh, where did the time go???  Could it really be 40 years already!

Hope you enjoyed this journey through time and my cultural background.
    ~Anna

Newsprint Skyline

To continue with the newsprint fad, I created a card using the fabulous Hero Arts stamp, "Newspaper Skyline".  For this card, I just wanted to go black and white with a bit of red.

This so reminds me of Sex and the City!

When I first looked at this stamp, it just screamed NYC to me and I thought it would be fun to add girlfriends to the scene.   After cutting out the ladies from other Hero stamps and putting it all together, it totally reminded me of Sex and the City.  What do you think? 

The great sayings are from JustRite and I even added bits of the buildings to the inside of the card.

What a fun card to send to your girlfriend and celebrate friendship!

Thanks for "stamping" by,
        ~Anna

Wishing you a Happy Birthday with a Snowflake Cupcake!

In order to celebrate winter birthdays, I like to use winter theme stamps and this Impression Obsession snowflake cupcake is perfect!  I also made a little box to go with it and filled it with Hershey Kisses.....and who doesn't like Hershey Kisses?

 I used my Copics to color the image and edge the little heart.  I used a Viva Decor pearl pen to make the little blue pearl on the heart and the Crafts-Too Snowflakes embossing folder to make the background for the card.  Stickles was added for sparkle; and we need sparkle for those snowflakes!

 I decorated the box with Marianne Creatables LR0125  snowflake dies, layered with foam tape and added the same heart that I did for the card.  That little heart is so cute and a perfect little embellishment!

 Here's a close up of the box.

Here you can see the inside of the card, decorated with the Hero Arts stamp set Yummy Treats CL489  and the goodies inside the box!

I think I will have to incorporate this into a winter Birthday class.  Would be fun, don't you think?

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!
~Anna

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!

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

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

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

A Christmas to Remember

Today I finally got to use the new Hero Arts Holly background stamp with the matching embossing folder! It was very easy to use; you first stamp the image and then put it in the embossing folder, match up the design and run it through your Big Shot machine.

Here's the Christmas card that I made.  I stamped the background on that pretty, white pearlized cardstock we all love.

I then heat embossed it with white embossing powder,  put it in the embossing folder and ran it through the Big Shot.  You can see the depth of the design.  The wreath and all of the other stamp images are from JustRite, which I colored with my Copics.  Lastly, I stickled the images so that they would really pop.

This is truly a neat idea from Hero Arts!

Hope you give these a try!

Have a great day
and
Happy Stamping,
Anna

Card Sets in Matching Folder

Today I finished making two card folders for gift cards.  I was inspired by Debby and her tutorial on her blog.  I changed the measurements to inches and this is what I came up with.

The first one is a Christmas theme and this is the view of the folder when it is closed.  I used the JustRite Charming Christmas stamp set with the custom die.  I also used Nellie Snellen's Multi Frame Heart Die.

Here is the inside view of the folder.  You can see that there are two pockets that can hold the 3 1/2 inch square cards and matching envelops.  I used StacyStamps envelope template to make the envelope.  All of the coloring was done with Copics.

This is a close up of the card and matching envelope.  This would make a great hostess gift during the Christmas season.

This folder is perfect for any occasion.  I used the JustRite Smile stamp set and the Spellbinders Classic Circles dies.
 

Here is the inside of the folder.

And here you can see the card and matching envelope.

If you would like to learn how to make these sets, come and join the class. These make perfect little gifts for teachers and co-workers, just to name a few.  (Check the calendar for dates and time)

Hope to see you soon,
Anna

A Round Christmas Card

I completed another Christmas card; this time a round card, using the Grand Scalloped Circles and the Grand Circle  Nestabilities.  It's always fun to make a uniquely shaped card and it is so easy now with the grand nestabilities.

I also textured the cardstock with embossing folders and colored the wreath and snowman with my Copics.  JustRite stamp sets Christmas Trimmings and Holiday Cheer were used.

Stickles was added for that extra sparkle and pop.

Hope this gives you some inspiration for your holiday cards.
Thanks for stopping by,
Anna

More Xmas Cards

Soni did it again!  She made these stunning Christmas cards using JustRite Stamps.

This is so simple, yet so elegant.  

The ornament on this card was colored with Copics and Soni layered it on Hero Arts printed cardstock.  This cardstock comes in 6 X 6 pads of 36 sheets.   They are great for quick backgrounds.

Here are the sets of the JustRite Stamps that Soni used to create these cards.  These sets are versatile, coordinate with all the sayings and are cling.  You just need to use your regular acrylic blocks and "go to town"!

 Deck the Halls

Merry and Bright

Let me know if you would like any of these great sets.  I will be ordering from JustRite very shortly and I want to make sure that I get enough of everything.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend
and
Happy Stamping,
Anna