Crazy for Challenges - aquatic theme

Hello Stampers!

I'm thrilled to be joining the Crazy for Challenges blog as guest designer for June!
This week is all about water!  We're being challenged to use aquatic themes in our creation which is perfect for this beautiful summer weather.
I found a cute little anchor on the Silhouette store for my Cameo and combined it with some watery colours (the new Stampin' Up Coastal Cabana & Pistachio Pudding).  I've added a little rope for the true nautical look.
The background is stamped with MFT Abstract Art which I've been dying to ink up for a while now.
Please visit my C4C friends to see a little watery love - and join in the fun this week!

Sarah
xx

Little Birdie

Hello Stampers!

It may feel like fall out there, but sometimes I just want to make pastel and Spring cards.  I LOVE this stamp & die set from My Favorite Things.  There are so many brands of dies out there now - dies are HOT!  But I keep going back to my beloved MFT.

This paper is from Kaisercraft.  An old 6 1/2" pad I found in my drawers that felt just right for this card!  It's called "Lil' Primrose".  I love a good paper pad, can never have too many!

Sarah

MFT Tea Set Cards

Hello Stampers!

Here are a few of my favourite things:

- Tim Holtz distress inks

- MFT stamps & dies

- Kraft paper

- twine

This is a class I'm teaching at Scrappin' Great Deals on Feb. 4 using the My Favorite Things Always Time for Tea stamp & die set.  I love stamps with matching dies and this set has a fabulously versatile array!



I've also used one of my favourite 6x6 paper pads, Little Black Dress, by Basic Grey.  This is one of those sets that I hoard preciously in preparation for when I can no longer buy it!  It has the most beautiful leopard print paper in it.  Too delicious for words!

Those of you in the know can probably tell that I took the "Clean & Simple Card Making" online class.  What a fanastic class!  I so enjoyed it.

Happy Stamping!

Sarah

xx

Inky Valentine's

Welcome our new little stamp friends at SGD from Inky Impressions! This little guy is Mischievous Christopher.

I thought he seemed just right for a Valentine's Day card to a Daddy (bless!). I used my new favorite 6x6 paper pad from My Mind's Eye called "Love Me".

I love that it has cute banners in it - and isn't all pink & white. PERFECT for a child's card too! Little Christopher is stamped on XPress It with Memento Tuxedo Black and coloured with Copics (see colours below).

In fact, my 7 year old, Samuel, loved it so much that he sat down beside me to create one too! Here is the card that he created, with a little cutting help from Mummy of course.

Copics: E01, E00, E000; E35, E31, YR20; R27, R24, R22, R20; BG09, BG07, BG05, BG02; B00; G05, G02, G00; BG10; C1, C0, C000.

Mother's Day Cameo

Hello stampers!

Here's a card I put together to get my Spring style started!  I think I've stamped enough snowmen to last me a lifetime - and I'm happy to pull out my brightly coloured cardstock & papers!

I've also created this for one of my new fave challenge sites, Moxie Fab World.  They have a great new challenge on right now for die-cutting - which I LOVE to do - especially on my new Vagabond that I got for Christmas (thank you Santa!).

I love this new paper I picked up from My Mind's Eye.  And it just called out for some MFT dies I thought!  I have finally (I think) started to get the hang of my rolled flowers dies so I've put them to use here on a Mother's Day card.

I really like the touch of a little green paper flourish behind the flowers.  And I always put a pearl in the centre.  I've jazzed up the cameo a little too - by stamping a pattern, then spritzing with Perfect Pearls.  The MFT stamp & die set comes with the crackle effect.  I've added that in pink.  Then I used a Unity Doily stamp to spruce up the cameo frame.

Happy Stamping!
Sarah
xx

Cardstock: SU! Pumpkin Pie. Paper: My Mind’s Eye Happier. Dies: My Favorite Things Flourish, Cameo, Rolled Rose, Edge. Stamps: My Favorite Things (Cameo & Sentiment). Unity (Doily). Adhesive: 3M Scotch ATG, Imaginisce I-Bond Cordless Hot Glue Gun, Ranger Glossy Accents. Pearls: SU!. Other: Ranger Perfect Pearls Mist (Heirloom Gold), Tsukineko Goosebumps Shimmer Texture Spray.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Stampers!

Wishing you a year of health, love, and happiness!

Here is one of my first creations for the year, for a class I'll be teaching at SGD Feb. 4.

I'm a big fan of MFT stamps and dies, and this uses a set from their last release, "Time for Tea", as well as the oval doily die.  I LOVE this Time for Tea set!  Not only are all the teapot and cups cute as can be, but I love the sentiments too.

I love all things British (including my husband, hee hee!), and I think this card is very English.  By the way, if you're looking for a tv series to get into on dvd, check out "Downton Abbey".  I am OBSESSED and watched 5 episodes in a row yesterday!  I love it!  I definitely think I lived that experience in a past life.

I've used one of my favorite new designer papers, Basic Grey "Little Black Dress" 6x6 paper pad.  It has a leopard print design in it, Bless!  LOVE!  I've coordinated some Bazzill in Ivory and Ash.  And I used the Viva Decor Pearl Pen to create the little pearls.

My favorite way to create - coordinating stamps & dies - and a perfect paper pad!  Match made in Heaven. 


Happy Stamping!
Sarah
xxx

MFT, Copics, and Smooch Spritz

Go here to win my blog candy!

Happy November everyone!

I just got home today from a Wound Care conference in Ottawa, so sadly I've had no crafty time this week. So sad :-( I hope to get back into the groove this week as I think that was my last work trip for the year (fingers crossed).

This is a card I made for a colleague last week. I picked one of my yet uninked MFT stamps (I LOVE these cute little Innocence girls!) - and by the way - you HAVE to check out this month's release if you are an MFT fan. Oh Em Gee!!!!

I've stamped her with Memento on Xpress It. Now, I have been a faithful fan of the XPress It since it's release, however, thanks to a great lesson with Melanie Holtz the other week, I have discovered that Neeneh does in fact have some great advantages, especially for the really deep shadows that I like, and dark reds, in that it doesn't get so sticky. Great to learn! Also, my stampin' BFF Andrea, who's now on Susanne Dean's design team (so super proud of her!!!) has introduced me to the Cryogen paper which I had the chance to try at Susanne's workshop this summer - and I do really like it's shimmer effect for certain things. So I guess I will be stocking multiple papers in my supply!

I've used this really cute 6x6 paper pad "Happy Go Lucky" which has some of my favourite colours in it. And so I got to use my RV90's which I've been playing with recently. I just coloured my fave Yoga Magnolia Tilda at Andrea's house the other weekend in the RV90's and I'm so pleased with how that came out - I'll be sharing soon! And I just love anything at all with some turquoise or teal in it.

For once, a very rare thing for me, I've even decorated the interior of the card! I have discovered that I like using a softly patterned coordinating paper from my 6x6 pad to do the inside and then stamping a sentiment on it. Although more and more, I use my own sentiment (I bought a great book last month) and I just print it on my printer. Sometimes you need something pretty specific. i.e. There aren't a lot of "Congratulations on Graduating with your Masters in Wound Care" stamps.

I even used some of my very precious Prima Printery series flowers on this card! I fell so much in love with that particular line, that I now have a drawer full of all the accessories, so I won't run out. Slightly obsessive, I know - but I'm sure all of you fellow crafters can relate??

As I almost always do, I've used a Nestie to punch out my image. And then I inked the edges while still in the die. If you take one of my Copic classes at SGD you're virtually guaranteed to learn this technique, as it is one of my trademarks for sure!

I also picked up some of the new Smooch Spritz sprays the last time I was at SGD, and I've used it here. I really like the effect! I was in the store and saw women buying one of each colour - so OF COURSE - I had to have some! I do like the bottle a lot - it's glass and it's skinny. I stand it right in between my pens. SO handy.

In case you saw the photos of my new Copic case disaster by the way, I'm happy to share that I am now fully in love with it!! It's such a great traveler. I spent a whole evening happily colouring on Andrea's couch the other week, Ott light perched beside me, wine in hand, enjoying an awesome show she's introduced me to (Bedlam - it's British and it's spooky - check it out!). And clean up is so quick. No more careful slotting of markers into tiny holes. FANTASTIC!

Happy week and Happy stamping!

Sarah

xx

Stamp: My Favorite Things

Paper: My Mind's Eye Lime Twist "Happy Go Lucky. Copic XPress It

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Cool Carribean

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Copics: RV99, RV95, RV93, RV91; E35, E34, E33, E31, YR24, YR23, YR21, YR20; BG75, C7, C6, C5, C4, E11, E02, E01, E00, E000, R20, BG10

Accessories: Spellbinders Nestabilities, Prima Flowers, My Favorite Things Die, Smooch Spritz, Tim Holtz for Ranger Distress Ink in Antique Linen

October MFT Guest Designer Contest

I am thrilled to create this project as my entry to the My Favorite Things October Guest Designer Contest!  This month's challenge is to "create a perfect package".  I have often created special giftwrapping, especially for wedding gifts, so this was a fun one for me!

I had no problem using all MFT designs in my project as I'm a huge fan.  I adore the dies and the coordinating clear stamps.  As a designer and instructor at Scrappin' Great Deals - I use MFT products in my classes all the time.  In fact, my intermediate Copics class later this month will be featuring two MFT Pure Innocence Stamps.

As a guest designer, I would be continue to be the embassador for MFT that I have already become through incorporation of the fabulous dies and stamps in unique and creative ways!  I share my work through teaching and designing.  I blog for SGD as well as my own personal blog, to which I am proud to have many followers. 

I am truly passionate about this wonderful hobby as it's allowed me to meet so many wonderful women who share my enthusiasm for crafting.  I am having a fantastic time teaching workshops now and am so proud when people recognize my work.  It's such an honour to be able to share this with other people.

Thanks so much to My Favorite Things for this wonderful opportunity to submit my work!

Happy Stamping!
Sarah
xx

Prima Printery

ENABLER ALERT!

I have to warn you - that with this new line - it was Love at First Sight!

Welcome to the stunningly gorgeous world of Prima Printery! I feel like these designers must have gone into my head somehow and designed my perfect line of products. Please note that before I wrote this blog - I first went into the store and bought as many pieces as I could carry so as not to run out!

This was a commissioned card I made this weekend and quickly snapped a few photos before it went out the door.

This is my perfect style. Old, European, French, Antiquey. I adore it! I've used several My Favorite Things (MFT) dies, as well as a favourite Spellbinders Nestabilities set. Aside from the adhesive and some Glimmermist (you can see the shimmer on the frame), the rest is 100% Prima Printery!

I've used the paper (I admit - full addiction to 6 x 6 paper pads), the jewels, and the stunning little tiles. About the only thing I didn't use (and that's because I forgot) is the gorgeous flowers!

Happy stamping!
Sarah
xx

MFT Pure Innocence and Copics

Hello all!

VERY pleased to share this awesome deal with you! If you sign up this month at SGD, you can get 50% off any class of your choice in the month of October! What a great way to get back into the winter crafting season again! I'll be teaching two classes in October - Copic 101 on Oct. 12 and Intermediate Copics on Oct. 27.

I wanted to share with you the cards we'll be making at my October 27 Copic cardmaking class. These are the FIRST fall/ winter cards I've made this year. Phew, what a shock to the system! After such a beautiful summer, it was hard to say goodbye to my peach-coloured toes and my summer themed stamps!

These stamps are both from My Favourite Things Pure Innocence Line. I think they're cute as a button! They're very versatile images and come with several sentiments. AND, best of all, they are IDEAL for Copic colouring!

When starting with Copics, you want to choose images that aren't too "intricate" and have lots of nice open spaces so that you can get some nice blending and have room to work. Personally, I really like colouring little people as opposed to animals and scenes. So these stamps are some of my faves!

I also love High Hopes stamps - and I'm thrilled to be a guest designer for them this fall! We are just getting ready for the September release THIS WEEK! So be sure to check out my blog as well as the High Hopes blog to get a glimpse of the GORGEOUS new images which are happily on my craft table right now!

Copic Class - Oct. 27 - Card 1:

Stamp: My Favorite Things Pure Innocence You Color My World

Paper: Bo Bunny Back to Basics Forever Fall

Cardstock: Bazzill

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black & Tim Holtz for Ranger Distress Ink in Antique Linen

Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 8 and Sizzix Tags Scallop Combo #2

Copics: BG78, BG75, BG72, RV69, RV66, RV06, YR23, YR21, YR20, E01, E00, E000, R20, E33, E31, YR20, C4, C5, C1, BG10.

Copic Class - Oct. 27 - Card 2:

Stamp: My Favorite Things Pure Innocence Flurry of Love

Paper: Bo Bunny Back to Basics Blitzen Dot

Cardstock: Bazzill

Accessories: Bo Bunny Blitzen Dot Cardstock Stickers, Adhesive Pearls

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Copics: R37, R35, R32, E01, E00, E000, R20, E33, E31, YR20, B97, B95, B93, G85, G82, G40, BG10, BG000.

If you are coming to a Copic cardmaking class at SGD, please bring your own Copics if you have them! We do not have all the colours and will only have full sets for the 101 class. Please also remember to bring your adhesive, scissors, and paper trimmer. THANK YOU!!

I would LOVE to hear from you about any suggestions for future classes! I'm thinking of running some special Copic technique classes including monochromatic, black & white, "look no lines", etc. Let me know what you'd like to see from us!

I'm submitting these cards to the challenge for the brand new Touch Twin Markers!  Check it out here

Happy Stamping!
Sarah
xx

fun with MFT dies

This card was just for fun!  Not for a challenge, or design team, or custom order, or anything other than for me!  What a thrill!

I LOVE MFT dies - they are just some of the best in the business honestly!  Now, the rolled flowers did have me stumped for a while, but many YouTube views later, I think I have at least a start at it!

I've used "Own Your Story" stamp set & die combo here which I just ordered last month.  I think it's just a beautiful and versatile set.  I love it!  And how strange for me - a card with no coloring!  Imagine!

I wanted to use all muted, neutral tones here to coordinate with this beautiful Bo Bunny et cetera paper, and to show off the dies really.  I've also used quite a bit of Tim Holtz for Ranger distress ink with the ink tool, which I don't usually reach for.  So this card was quite out of my ordinary style!

I've coordinated with some Stampin' Up cardstock in Kraft and Chocolate Chip, and I've used the Memento ink in both Tuxedo Black and Rich Cocoa.   I LOVE stamping on designer paper - think it just looks so nice.  And the stamps in this set are really versatile - they went so well with this Bo Bunny paper.

I've been trying to figure out this rolled rose die for a while now, and the right material to use with it.  Finally I found some felt that worked just right.  I did try with the Tim Holtz grunge paper, but I just found it too thick and rigid to work with.  Practice makes perfect I hope!

The distress inks I used were Antique Linen and Victorian Velvet.  I've used my beloved Viva Pearl Pen (how did I live without this thing?), some gold smooch, 3D crystal lacquer, and crystal Stickles.  Can NEVER have enough bling!

Happy Stamping!

Sarah
xx

High Hopes Stamp Challenge

Hello everyone and happy August!

We are having a beautiful summer here in London - absolutely fantastic!  And for some reason it is motivating me to craft!  Well, that along with the fact that I had my crafty Mother-in-Law here for two weeks, AND I've been making time to get together with my stamping and crafting friends lately!  We had an awesome time at Friday night crop at Scrappin' Great Deals last week - if you live in the area - definitely come and hang out with us some time!  It's a blast!

I am also LOVING this weather and spending so much time outside - enjoying my backyard and deck.  Even sharing my son's little pool with him!  It fits my bum, so it works for me!  And I happen to really like taking photos of my cards outside - instead of inside.  I just like the look of the outside shots personally.

I'm especially motivated lately because I'm beyond excited to go to a full day workshop with Suzanne Dean this Sunday!  HURRAY!  I've been looking forward to this for MONTHS!  If you don't know of her, and you're a Copic fan, you really need to check out her blog - and her FABULOUS YouTube tutorials!  I really love them - they are so helpful.

I've been re-discovering my High Hopes stamps lately, which were buried in my stash.  They are beautiful images to colour with Copics.  I really love little people, and love colouring skin and hair especially, so these are perfect for me!  You can find a full selection of them at Scrappin' Great Deals.  Sheila keeps all the latest in stock!  And my beloved friend and fellow stamper Andrea happens to be on their design team - so that certainly helps - as she's one of my crafty inspirations!  (Definitely check out her beautiful blog for some inspiration - she is so talented).

I stamped this little girl with Memento tuxedo black, on XPress It cardstock.  I always pull my Copic colours from my paper, and this one is My Mind's Eye, Lime Twist - Fly a Kite.  I coordinated with Stampin' Up Pumpkin Pie and Buckaroo Blue to pull from the papers.  I really like working with the 6x6" paper stacks and pulling all my other colours (card, flowers, Copics) from there.

I started by colouring her overalls in blue with B00, B02, B04, B06, B18.  I've feathered over with the colourless blender a little to bring in some more highlight.  I then coloured her t-shirt, bows, and patches in orange with YR07, YR04, Y38, trying to get a little contrast at least, even in those tiny spaces.  Then I picked up the red in the flowers & ladybugs, with R14, R24, R26.  I've coloured the little hearts in R14, R12.  The skin I used my usual combo of E11, E02, E01, E00, R20.  I like having lots of depth in the face and lots of shading.  I just like the effect on my little characters faces.  Her hair I've used my favourite combo E35, E31, YR20, which can really give different effects depending on how many layers you do, and how much white space you leave.  The shoes and buckles are with E29, E27, E25.  The grass and leaves are done with G20, G21, G24, G29.  I've highlighted her eyes with B00 (I'm not fond of leaving "empty" eyes) and as I usually do, outlined the whole image with BG10 (my favourite colour).  I've highlighted the little "dots" in B00, added some diamond glaze to the bugs and the flowers, and some stickles to the dots and lines, just to perk it up a little!

I added some Prima flowers, some rhinestones, and a cute sentiment from My Favorite Things - stamped on some of the Lime Twist paper and punched with a die from My Favorite Things.

I've entered this card into these challenges:
High Hopes:  anything goes
Oldie but Goodie:  Outdoors
Creative Craft Challenges:  summertime
Everybody Art Challenges:  summer
Craft Your Passion:  favourite season
Have a great week!

Sarah
xx

Kraftin' Kimmie Abigail Apple in Copic pastels

Here's my latest Kraftin' Kimmie creation!  I LOVE a stamp with a full skirt - so much fun to colour!  And these colours are my ABSOLUTE favourite.  I have gone through two packs of this beautiful Bo Bunny Gabrielle paper.  It just suits me to a t!

I've stamped Abigail on XPress It with Memento tuxedo black.  I've antiqued the edges with distressing ink and punched her out with a Nestie. After colouring, I've added a few accents with my Sharpie Poster Paint pen and crystal glaze on the apples.  I did have to give her some eyelids and eyelashes.  The big eyes seemed too "blank" for me!

Colours:
Dress:  R17, R14, R12, R11
Apples, sash, bows:  G24, G21, G20
Hair:  E49, E29, E25, E33, E31
Basket:  E35, E34, E33
Skin:  E11, E01, E00, E000, R20, R00
Outline:  Bg10
Eyes:  B00

As mentioned, this is my fave Bo Bunny Gabrielle paper (6x6 stack).  I've used SU! Cameo Coral.  I've antiqued all the edges with distressing ink.  I've added some cute little plastic flowers I had, and some self-adhesive pearls (I LOVE these patterned ones!).  And then I've punched out various Gabrielle papers with my new My Favourite Things dies:  Die-namics Dizzy Doily, Die-namics Sweet Stack Labels, and inside I've used Die-namics Dizzy Border. 

To abide with Kimmie's challenge, I've decorated the inside for once!  I used some more Gabrielle paper, SU! Very Vanilla, antiqued the edges, and stamped with a quote from the SU! Asian Artistry set (I LOVE this set!).

I'm entered this card into the following challenges:
Kraftin' Kimmie
Copic Challenge #54, Pastel Colors

Happy Summer!  It's a hot one here today - 33 - phew!

Sarah