stamped with tlc

It has been awhile since I participated in the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge , so yesterday I popped on to see what the sketch was this week. I need a graduation card for my niece who is graduating from elementary school this June, so I thought I'd allow this sketch to give me inspiration! This is what I came up with:  I made it in the school colours (red and gray).  This is also (I think) the first time I've ever made a slimline card. I like how it turned out! Supplies: Cardstock: Recollections Black and Gold Foil; SU! Real Red, Smokey Slate, and Whisper White; and Gina K Wild Dandelion Stamps: CTMH You Did It, Just a Little Something, and Time to Celebrate Dies: SU! Stitched Circles and unbranded slimline scalloped rectangle 

I was watching crafty YouTube videos before work one morning this past week and came across this simple gift box tutorial by PootlesPapercraft: How To Make a Gorgeous Be Dazzling Box using Stampin' Up! Supplies - YouTube I never try gift boxes, because they all look so complicated and I need things that look "easy" - I fully admit to being a lazy papercrafter some (most?) days.  But I had the SU! Be Dazzling specialty paper, so I thought, hey, why not try this out? I needed a birthday gift box for a little trinket and a gift card, so this was the perfect size. This box was super easy.  I switched out the cardstock that Sam used for Melon Mambo (my favourite pink!) Hot tip : Like Sam, I always have clothespins kicking around my craft area, but I think this is the first time I've actually had to use them for pinning something together until the glue dries. Very useful!!  I just used a glue runner on the cardstock base, because it was strong enough to hold together. On t

Happy Wednesday! I have been meaning to post this card for the past week or so, but just didn't get around to it. This was my first attempt at playing with the Distress Frosted Crystal embossing powder and I love, love, love the effect. It's hard to get a good picture, but I tried! Here's a close-up: (PS - The best part about using Distress Oxide inks is that they stay wet long enough to emboss!) I've been playing with a lot of Tim Holtz products lately and I have no idea what took me so long to get on Tim's band wagon.  There's so much to learn about his products and he's always releasing something new. Here's the finished card. I think it looks lovely, and even better in person! Supplies: - Paper: SU! Very Vanilla and Mossy Meadow cardstock; This Christmas DSP - Dies: Sizzix Tim Holtz Christmas Ribbon and Poinsettia Pieces - Inks: Distress Oxide Fired Brick and Spiced Marmalade - Embossing powder: Tim Holtz Distress

It's been awhile, friends! I haven't stopped creating, I just haven't been posting.  I thought I'd kick off my first blog post in awhile with a funny story. You know...I have a lot of crafty things. Stamps, dies, embossing folders, inks, patterned paper, cardstock... I think ANY type of crafter can relate.  I buy things when they are on sale, or just in case I think I will use them.   Well, this story starts out with a new purchase... one of the new Tim Holtz Sizzix releases called " Cozy Winter ." I watched Tim's live release on YouTube and hemmed and hawed about getting it. I held out about 2 months before I got it. The dies allowed me to create these cute lil gems: The fact that the bear was holding a coffee cup was actually the part of the die collection that sold me.  The collection also came with some snowflakes and a woodpecker sitting on a limb - but the bear with the coffee cup - THAT did it. It honestly took awhile for me to put together all four

I was watching this Gina K tutorial when my 10 yo niece started watching with me. She said, "I would like to make a card like that." So, she did. I helped with the masking and matting, but she did all of the ink blending and stamping on her own.  (Pretty sure she is better at blending inks that I am!) The ink colours are CTMH Ruby, Tangerine, Green Apple, and Lagoon. She used a couple retired CTMH stamp sets: Love so Sweet (a stamp of the month from 2019) and Little Dreamer Scrapbooking stamp set. The "Love You" sentiment is a die from Sizzix Stephanie Barnard Framelits Step-Ups. I'm happy that she wants to create pretty things, just like her aunt! :)  I hope we get to create together again soon.

Not real ones, thankfully! I've been watching some of Gina K's Lives for the past couple of weeks. On Friday, she showed some masculine cards, and I was just blown away by her woodgrain technique that she showcased in her video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYiy54o2YC8&t=18s ).  It might be an old technique, but I hadn't seen it before so I was amazed and quickly completed some backgrounds on the weekend.  If you haven't seen the technique, watch the video - seriously, it's awesome AND easy. I also watched her Merry Monday Live, on well...Monday. She showed a "carved wood" technique.  MIND BLOWN AGAIN. (See it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MwvaMa7Zc0&t=15s ) So, I thought I would try my hand at making "carved wood."  Now, I don't have many stencils, and I did try one, but couldn't get an impression. I used an embossing folder from SU! called Winter Wonder.  Apparently this is an old technique that she used to d