Dropping Anchor

Hello friends!  It seems that there's lots of ice and snow practically everywhere, but that doesn't stop me from longing for the sights and sounds of the ocean.  It has been a stressful week, and just the thought of sand between my toes is enough to calm the spirit and settle the "monkey mind!"  That sense of peace provides an anchor through the storm.

These supplies were strewn across my desk for another project (more on that another day!) but my heart had a detour in mind and I had to make this card first!  I am hoping that you got the feeling of the boardwalk and the fourth of July when you first saw it. 

  

The inside is reminiscent of the shorebirds patiently wading through the tide pool.  Kinda makes me  wanna go shell seeking or searching for sea glass!  Well...maybe when it's warmer!  ;)  

Here are the Eyelet Outlet supplies I used for this project:

• anchor brads
• seagull brads

If I had had it, I would have added some seahorse washi tape because the colors look like they'd work perfectly with this designer paper!  There are quite a few options for a beach themed, summer vacation card if you are longing for summer or if you're lucky enough to go for a winter getaway!  

And here are the supplies I used from Stamp Simply:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Farmhouse Scriptural Quotes
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Farmhouse Pierced Nested Hearts
• Authentique Seafarer 6x6
• Spellbinders Die - Classic Rectangles Large LG
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• Tim Holtz Tonic Stamp Platform
• May Arts 5/8" Faux Canvas - Spring/Summer Sampler
• May Arts Burlap String - 10 yard Bundle
• Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue
• Scrapbook Adhesives-3L 3D Self-adhesive Foam Squares - Mix

Sew Happy!

Hello crafty friends!  Ready for the weekend?  I am tremendously looking forward to it!  

Most of the crafters I know have their go-to craft but are enthusiastic about other crafts too. I love card-making but lately my heart has been drawn to the first craft I really remember learning...sewing. I am so grateful that my mom and my home-ec teacher, Mrs. Farley, taught me to sew!   It's a very useful skill set to have in the tool box!  Since I have been spending time lately planning some garments for historical reenacting, these sewing stamp sets and the Eyelet Outlet embellishments that coordinate with them were calling out to me.  ;)  I even used a set of paper pinking shears that I haven't used in aeons!  

I love that so many of our EO products come in multiple colors so you can perfectly coordinate with your designer paper and other project elements.  These spools and paper flowers were an exact match for the spools and flowers in this busy, fun sewing print.  

Here are the EO products used for today's project:

• paper flowers in several colors
• Tape Measure Washi Tape
• Thread Brads
• Scissor Brads

I'll be at my sewing machine this weekend sewing up some garments for the Victorian era! I hope to squeeze in some stamping time, too, especially since here in the U. S. we have a long weekend in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  

Enjoy!

Enjoy the Ride!

Hello again!

My brothers are both great car enthusiasts.  They like to buy old, junky "vintage" cars and restore them.  They're really good at it, too, and one of those cars, a gorgeous red hemi Belvedere, has even graced the cover of a popular auto magazine!  We used to go together to car shows and to the drag races (when we didn't live half a continent from each other!), and that's what inspired today's card.

I grabbed Eyelet Outlet's antique car washi tape, red number washi tape, wide ticket washi tape, screw brads, and truck brads to pull this birthday card together.  With its red, black, and white color scheme and tea-dye distress inking, it definitely has that vintage car feel and they'll know exactly what I was going for!  

Haha!  Bet you'd never guess that I used to pack the parachute for a AA fuel dragster!  Yep!  It's true!

12th Night Invite!

Hello everyone!  I hope you had a very merry Christmas!  We're making our way through the 12 days of Christmas on the way to Epiphany, and today I'm here with a totally over-the-top 12th Night card.  

The colors of the Mardi Gras season are purple, gold, and green, and I absolutely love them together!  I used gold embossing powder for the background, sponging over it with bold colors of distress ink, adding a band of sparkling green and purple jewel bling strips and glittery gold washi tape with a giant frou-frou purple bow.  

The admission ticket dangling from the bow features a gold embossed crown with purple jewels.  Beautiful green jewel bling leads the eye from one corner of the design to the other. 

Inside is a bold embossed crown with more purple and green jewels.

While this card is designed for 12th Night, the kick-off of the Mardi Gras season, it would be easily adaptable to practically any holiday or special occasion!  

We're planning to enjoy some King Cake and chicory coffee on the day of Epiphany, January 6th.  I hope you are enjoying an extended holiday celebration, too!  It's nice to make the most of the season since it seems to come and go so quickly!    

Wishing all of the best to you for 2018!

Vintage Floral

Eyelet Outlet products form a beautiful focal point for today's card. This pad of designer paper has so many lovely patterns, and the color combination is soft and elegant, so it inspired an elegant vintage layout for this project.

The grey-blue, sage green, kraft, and dark rose pink of the papers are echoed in the vintage washi tape, gold pearl swirl bling, enamel dot flower center, and in the paper flower leaves and petals.  A light sponging of the leaves and flower petals with silver ink helped to mute the colors and match the hazy, softer colors of the flowers in the background.  

Inside, there's another strip of washi tape.  A splattering of Finetec silver metallic watercolor inside and out brings even more sparkle.  

I like having my holidays one at a time, so I'm not completely ready to stamp Valentines just yet since Christmas is not quite here!  This card is a way to make a soft transition from one holiday to the next!

Happy holidays, everyone!  

More Cards Inspired by Music

Music always inspires me!  It's funny, but my brain thinks in lyrics and music nearly as often as it does in words and images. Sometimes I wake up with music and an idea in my head.  Other times, it's like a recording on replay and the idea takes time to soak in and take shape.  

I have two projects today that are both music-inspired, blessed by a bit of serendipity, and definitely influenced by my design teammates and their creativity!  (Did you see Susan's card from yesterday and all of these cool "plumbing" cards?!)

First up is a punny version of "What are you doin' New Year's Eve?" I had deliberately planned to use watercolor paper, paints and distress inks with our pipe brads, but as I was cutting the words, the stamped sentiment happened to assume the shape of a tree.  I looked down and couldn't resist going with the flow (I know, another corny pun, but I had to do it!).  

It made sense to use Clock Washi Tape and Music Note Washi Tape - Mini Notes as part of the background along with a clock stencil, and of course, the tree had to have gold glitter enamel ornaments and be topped with a sparkling Jewel Star Brad.     

Inside, the clock and music motifs repeat, with a watercolored, stamped calendar to save the date!  

My second card practically made itself...the paper clay bells ornament is one that I made way back when I was on the FlowerSoft design team.  From the minute I laid eyes on the Holiday Bell Washi Tape, I knew they would have to play together!  Looks so pretty with EO jewel bling in multi sizes.

I'm sure you're not surprised to see more of my favorite Skinny Washi Tape.   That red is a great match and is simply perfect for the holidays!  

I can't believe Christmas is only 10 days away!  Time is short to squeeze in a few more holiday cards!    Wishing the best to you and yours!  

Winter Sports Fun!

I had a lot of fun playing with this cute patterned paper, some Eyelet Outlet bling and a few sled brads for this Winter sports fun card.  You can almost imagine these skiers blazing down the hill toward a banner finish!    

It's nice to have a few winter-themed cards on hand that are not necessarily for any particular holiday.  For this card, the focal image is a sparkly snowman who has a sled at-the-ready.  Those little sleds have so much detail!

Some tear drop bling, small rhinestones trimmed from a bling strip, and a beautiful jewel embellish layers of snowflakes.  A strategically placed sled brad adds more color and interest on the front of the card in keeping with the theme.

Inside, a strip of designer paper is framed by some skinny washi tape strips, and the word "sledding" is emphasized by another sled brad.  A single rhinestone brings some sparkle to the stamped sentiment.   

Florida is enjoying its first real blast of Winter this weekend, and the snow and wintry mix may make it as far south as my hometown in southwest Louisiana!  Sure makes it seem especially Christmas-y!

Enjoy your weekend!

Winter Wonderland

Happy December, everyone!  With Thanksgiving behind us and today being the beginning of the month, it is officially time to really get into the holiday spirit if you haven't already!  

I am here with a pair of coordinating cards in a soft, elegant color combo.  This designer paper has kraft, silver foil and white in its color scheme, which really goes well with pretty Eyelet Outlet pearl and jewel bling,  swirly rhinestone bling, silver glitter washi tape, clear 12 mm jewel bling, antler brads.  

The pearl and jewel bling sparkle like ice and snow, and even the antlers, which could be thought of as more sportive and masculine, look really lovely in combination with metallic silver and gold ink.  

Here the swirls of bling mimic the printed swirls of the designer paper, with jewel bling and small rhinestones strategically placed on the snowflake and accenting the greeting.  I love it when a card has big impact for only a little time and effort!

I love crafting holiday cards when the tree is up, the house is decorated, and Christmas music fills the air.  The week between Christmas and the New Year is usually quiet (and technically it's still Christmas since there are the 12 days!), so it's a great time to get a head start on next year's cards!  Something to think about!  ;) 

Have a great weekend!

Girlfriends are...

...born to shop!  It's Black Friday, so today's project is all about the shopping!  This trio of blinged-out grandmas is out for a good time together while searching for some great bargains!  

This shopping bag is a recycled bag from the bookstore where my son works.  I covered the logo with some cute designer papers in holiday colors, paper-piecing the focal image with scraps from the same paper pad.  The edges of the green panel are bordered with sticky jewel bling strips.  My favorite, most-oft-used washi tape set, Eyelet Outlet's 5-roll skinny washi tape set, plays along nicely with some music washi and planner washi for a fun calendar theme that harmonizes with the designer paper.  The big layered paper flower mimics the flowers in their hats,  which were given single jewel accents cut from the sticky back bling strips.  Yep, these are gaudy grandmas!  The more bling, the better!  ;)

The tag accenting the top of the bag features more skinny washi tape, a sticky-back bling heart and a tiny calendar of December.  

Whether you choose to shop out in the frenzy or from the comfort of your easy chair, I hope you find what you're looking for at a price you love!  Enjoy your first weekend of the holiday season!  

From the North Pole!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and that means that Santa will soon be making his holiday debut!  Letters are gonna be flying to the North Pole, and Santa might just answer a few himself!  Eyelet Outlet has so many cute brads and washi tapes to dress those letters in style!

For this project Santa Mail washi tape, Santa washi tape, and skinny washi tape are a fast and easy way to establish the themed background for an envelope and mailbox from our mail brads set.  Sticky back pearl hearts accent the scalloped edge of a strip of designer paper.  

Inside another pearl heart sits beside the sentiment.  

It is exciting to make a wishlist to send to Santa and a real thrill to get a card SWAK from Santa in return!  A fast, fun project with lasting memories!  A quick search for Christmas and/or Santa will turn up all kinds of ideas!  Time to get busy!  

Enjoy your weekend!

More Pun With the Herd from Eyelet Outlet!

These cow brads (well, all the animals from down on the farm!) just crack me up!  There are all kinds of funny, punny sayings to go along with them so you can really stretch their mileage in your card-making.  If you are like I am, you have goofy friends who appreciate this "roll-your-eyes" kind of humor!

Christmas around our house means extra "moo-sical" opportunities, so here's a little milk chocolate appreciation for the extra effort!  There are green rhinestone notes, some gold glitter washi tape sparkle, and of course, another cow brad.  

Happy Friday!  Happy Veteran's Day, and a great big thank you to those of you who have served in our armed forces.  You are admired, respected, and appreciated!  

Old-fashioned Christmas Cards

Hello Eyelet Outlet fans!  I'm here today with a pair of cards that were completed with no stamping.  I love to stamp and color but sometimes, especially at Christmas, it's nice to have a faster alternative.  Eyelet Outlet brads and washi to the rescue! 

First up is Santa's List.  I love this old-fashioned looking Santa washi tape.  

A pine tree brad and a prancing reindeer add color and visual interest in keeping with the theme.

A cute sled brad and some music note washi are the perfect companions for this snowman.  I love the pop of orange and red together in the midst of the muted, more traditional Christmas colors.  This is a sentiment you've just gotta sing!

Bee Happy!

For today's card I am revisiting an old favorite stamp set, accenting with some cute coordinating Eyelet Outlet brads in both funky and mini versions.  

These mini bee brads are absolutely adorable!  

The minis are the smaller version of our traditional bumble bee brads, but I love the funky bee brads version, and spring bubble brads are the perfect companions for a fun sentiment inside.  

When the days get short and gray, a happy yellow card is the perfect perk-me-up!  

If the Shoes Fit...

A Pinterest pin of a Halloween wood project inspired my potion-y, rebus/pictogram card for today!  Distress oxide inks have made creating "witches' brew" backgrounds so much fun, and Eyelet Outlet brads are perfect for spelling out a Happy Halloween phrase!  

Witch Leg Brads

Witch's Hat Brads

Monster Brads

Glitter Washi Tape - Purple

Purple Jewel Bling Strips

Skinny Washi Tape

Enjoy your weekend!

Hello!!

Hello!!  I'm here with a CAS vintage kraft, black and white card with just a tiny pop of color.  The outside is clean and graphic with a sentiment in an old-fashioned font accented by a telephone brad from Eyelet Outlet's telephone/fan brad set.  

Inside there are some torn strips of vintage washi tape and phone washi tape, along with a punny sentiment built from typewritten words, a couple of stamps and a fan brad.   We have so many selections for coordinating tapes and brads, it really makes your creative options practically limitless!  

Enjoy your weekend!  We have forecast highs around 87 degrees so I'll be enjoying some craft time in the comfort of the AC!

Swept Off My Feet!

Halloween card-making is so much fun!  The colors are so bold and quirky.  Silly, punny and even downright corny can work for Halloween when it would fall flat for other holidays.  On top of all that, it is just fun to stretch your non-holiday stamps and supplies and use them in unexpected ways.

I've been sewing clothing for a Colonial era historical reenactment, and so I guess petticoats and bumrolls are partly what inspired today's card!  I looked through all of my stamps and found an image and sentiment that I thought would go with these witch's legs brads, and then sketched a bodice and some poufy purple hair to go along with them. 

The witch's bum is a small piece of tulle stitched and gathered and knotted, then positioned so that the broomstick barely peeks through from underneath...hopefully it looks like she is comfortably seated and flying off into the night. Of course, her little black kitten had to go along for the ride!

Bright purple glitter washi tape frames the design, echoed in her glittery purple hair and the colors of the designer paper bodice.  

Certainly silly and sure to bring some Halloween smiles and snickers (pun intended!)!  Have a great weekend!

Cinema: Admit One

I love going to the movies!  It has been a couple of months since we've been because we all seem to all be going in different directions with hectic schedules, especially since school started again.  I'm hoping to go soon to see the one with Judi Dench.  I love her!

Our new movie brads and this retro designer paper are what inspired today's card.  

I adhered some wide ticket washi tape to some white card stock and bordered it with some skinny washi tape, adding a little red pearl heart and a tiny red bow because that little bit of red in the washi tape design caught my eye. 

 

Don't you adore these brads?!  Against some black, white and retro they really stand out!

Inside there's a little heart jewel bling atop black and white layers for another pop of color.

Happy Friday!  Have a great weekend!