2013 Artisan Finalists Blog Hop – Day 8

Posted on August 17, 2013 by kate80132

Welcome to Day 8 of the 2013 Artisan Design Team Finalists Blog Hop! We may be winding down the days but the creativity is still in full on mode! I don’t want to miss a thing and I am sure you don’t either!!!

You should have come from the fabulous Bree Renwick’s post to get here and from here you can click on “next” and get to Dani Dziama’s amazing work! If you missed Bree either select the “back” button to get there or go all the way around the hop to get back to her.

I have my last scrapbook page to share today! This is an 8 x 8 page of my son Dylan and his beautiful girlfriend Randy. We were actually on a road trip moving them from Arizona back to Colorado. It had been an exhausting couple of days but they looked wonderful don’t you think?

The page primarily features the Epic Day This and That line along with my faves (as you already know) doilies, First Edition DSP and Vintage Faceted Buttons. I also incorporated some great stamps from the photopolymer set Designer Typeset and the May 2013 Paper Pumpkin. One of the things I love most about this page (besides my beloved kids) is the banner. I made this with the photopolymer banner stamp in the Designer Typeset set. I was able to curve the banner image exactly how I wanted it on one of the big acrylic blocks. I stamped the image on Very Vanilla Cardstock in Soft Suede Ink. Then I cut the banner out very carefully along the outside of the stamped image. Next I cut up some of the Canvas Creations into banner shapes and did some stamping and sponging on it. I also cut a couple of pieces of the Epic Day This and That DSP into banner triangles. I adhered canvas and DSP banner pieces randomly on the banner leaving some of the banners the plain Very Vanilla Cardstock. I took Linen Thread and wrapped it around the top of the banner leaving the two ends longish and knotted. I stamped ” ME & U” with the Designer Typeset set and finally I added the banner to the page, popping it up with dimensionals. The page also features a doily painted with Frost White Shimmer Paint (can you tell I was REALLY into this technique when I was making projects to enter?) and some machine sewing. Another product I really loved and I used on this page was the thick Baker’s Twine that came in the Boutique Boxes Designer Kit….yummy! I mixed it with the Calypso Coral Baker’s Twine on the button.

One of the things I love about the photopolymer sets is that they evoke the hobo signs of years ago, the arrows and “the good life”. I thought that was perfect for my page commemorating our travels this summer 🙂

I hope you love this page as much as I do and it inspires you to make a beautiful page of someone you love today too!

Here are the products I used:

Stamps: Designer Typeset Photopolymer, Remember This & That Rotary Stamp, Netting, Clockworks, Paper Pumpkin Image – May, 2013

Ink: Soft Suede, Baked Brown Sugar, Island Indigo

Cardstock: Epic Day This & That DSP, First Edition DSP, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake

Embellishments: Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons, Canvas Creations, Linen Thread, Calypso Coral Baker’s Twine, Boutique Boxes Designer Kit, White Tea Lace Paper Doilies, Frost White Shimmer Paint

To purchase these products go to my online store!

Check here for upcoming events and classes!

Make sure you check out all the fabulous projects created by the finalists by going through the hop! Select “back” to see Bree Renwick’s fabulous work and select “next” to get to Dani Dziama’s amazing projects! You do not want to miss a thing!!!

2013 Artisan Finalists Blog Hop – Day 7

Posted on August 16, 2013 by kate80132

Welcome to Day 7 of the 2013 Artisan Design Team Finalists Blog Hop! I can’t believe it is Day 7 already! This has been so much fun! I sure hope you have been enjoying the finalist’s projects, I think they have all been AH-mazing! It is so different to get to enjoy them up close and personal and not be competing with 5000 other excited stampers to see the boards! I love convention but I am getting so much more out of these fabulous creations at home on my own computer screen!

This is my fluffy, romantic confection of a card! It features lots of sewing and sponging and pretty 🙂 I used two of my absolute favorite stamp sets that retired with the new catalog: Established Elegance and French Foliage. I probably used the script from French Foliage on nearly every project I made while it was current! Well maybe not every project but lots and lots of them!

Highlights of this card: I lightly stamped some Very Vanilla Cardstock with the Netting Stamp and the script from French Foliage. Then I cut out it out with a framelit from Apothecary Accents. I took that piece of paper and cut it down the middle longwise and that created the top and bottom piece of the card. I stacked that with half of a doily and attached them both to the front of the card with machine stitching. I also stitched together two different patterns of the Two for Tea DSP for the front. I cut a piece of First Edition DSP (another sad, sad retirement loss) with an oval framelit. I colored a small butterfly image from Papillon Potpourri with markers and stamped it on the top center of the First Edition and again on a piece of Very Vanilla. I punched out the image on the Very Vanilla and popped it up over the image on the DSP. Then I punched another butterfly out of vellum and added that and a pearl on top of the stamped butterfly. Lots of pretty dimension! I added a button, pennants, flower trim and a big flower made from the cupcake papers in the Pop-Up Posies Designer Kit. One of the ribbons I used came from the Artisan Embellishments Kit in the Spring Mini….oh.my.word….I just loved that kit and could not get enough of it!!!!

All the vintage-y, flowery, lacy yumminess just makes me feel good! I hope it makes you feel good too and inspires you to make something pretty today!

Here are the products I used:

Stamps: Established Elements, French Foliage, Papillon Potpourri, Netting

Ink: Soft Suede, Island Indigo

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, White Vellum, Tea for Two DSP, First Edition DSP

Embellishments: Pearl Basics Jewels, 5/8″ Crochet Trim, Gold Lame Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink, 5/8″ Flower Trim, Pop-Up Posies Designer Kit, Whisper White Baker’s Twine, Artisan Embellishments Kit, Antique Brads, Subtles Designer Buttons, White Tea Lace Paper Doilies, 1/2″ Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint

To purchase these products go to my online store!

Check here for upcoming events and classes!

2013 Artisan Finalists Blog Hop – Day 6

Posted on August 15, 2013 by kate80132

Welcome to Day 6 of the 2013 Artisan Design Team Finalists Blog Hop! I hope you are enjoying these 10 days of inspiration as much as I am! I have learned how to do something new every day 🙂

I have another favorite scrapbook page to share today! This is an 8 x 8 page of my cute little niece Gianna commemorating her first trip to the beach! She is such a cutie! Makes me love this page even more because it’s of her 🙂

I started with a Baked Brown Sugar Cardstock base and used the Soho Subway DSP again. I brought in some Pink Pirouette in the pennants to match her cute little bathing hat. I did some sewing on the page, sewing down the pennants over the large piece of Soho Subway grid image. The stamp set I featured is “By the Tide” and I gold embossed the seashell image, cut it out and popped it up. I also stamped the sea fan image in Whisper White Craft Ink on the base and again on a piece of scrap. I cut out the scrap, sponged and added Gold Lame Smooch Ink to the edges…..soooo pretty!

I hope you love this page as much as I do and make a beautiful page of someone you love today too!

Here are the products I used:

Stamps: By the Tide, Remember This & That Rotary Stamp

Ink: Soft Suede, Whisper White Craft Ink, VersaMark, Baked Brown Sugar, Early Espresso

Cardstock: Baked Brown Sugar, Pink Pirouette, Soho Subway DSP, Very Vanilla, Brushed Gold

Embellishments: Very Vintage Designer Buttons, Canvas Creations, 5/8″ Crochet Trim, Gold Embossing Powder, Linen Thread, 7/16″ Trim, Gold Lame Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink, Epic Day This & That Washi Tape

To purchase these products go to my online store!

Check here for upcoming events and classes!

2013 Artisan Finalists Blog Hop – Day 5

Posted on August 14, 2013 by kate80132

Welcome to Day 5 of the 2013 Artisan Design Team Finalists Blog Hop! I sure hope you are inspired to create something beautiful after seeing all these ah-mazing projects! I know all I want to do every day when I get home from my day job is hole up in my craft room and make something pretty 🙂

Today is another card day….we had to submit 5 cards for our entry so of course we all have more cards to share than anything else! This card features the Mosaic Madness stamp set again but is way more my typical style than the last card I shared with this stamp set.

I started with a Smoky Slate base … have I mentioned how yummy this cardstock is? It was a perfect base for my design. During one of the main stage presentations at convention someone said silver is out and gold is in, well I have to say, I love them both equally and this card is all about silver! I sponged the edges of my doily with Soft Suede and then painted it with Frost White Shimmer Paint, full strength. My craft room is missing that luscious product big time! I tore a strip of the canvas creations and sponged it lightly with Soft Suede too. I stacked the canvas, crochet trim and a strip of Brushed Silver paper under my main panel of Crumb Cake cardstock. I stamped my Mosaic Madness images on Pool Party, Crisp Cantaloupe and Crumb Cake cardstock in Whisper White Craft Ink and punched them out. On top of each punched image I added a Vintage Faceted Button with Whisper White Baker’s Twine. Each one! One button was just not enough for this card in my opinion 🙂

To make the sentiment banner, I embossed “gratitude” Whisper White cardstock with silver embossing powder. I lightly sponged the edges in Soft Suede and then I painted the whole banner with Frost White Shimmer Paint, full strength. Hopefully the picture shows at least a little how gorgeous this is! The sponging becomes kind of muted and pretty and the whole look is just amazing.

I hope I have inspired you to make something pretty today!

Here are the products I used:

Stamps: Mosaic Madness, Fabulous Phrases

Ink: Soft Suede, Whisper White Craft Ink, VersaMark

Cardstock: Strawberry Slush, Whisper White, Quatrefancy SpecialtyDSP

Embellishments: Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons, Canvas Creations, Whisper White Baker’s Twine, White Tea Lace Paper Doilies, Frost White Shimmer Paint, 5/8″ Crochet Trim, Pearl Basics Jewels, Silver Embossing Powder

Tools: Big Shot, Chevron Embossing Folder, Mosaic Punch

To purchase these products go to my online store!

Check here for upcoming events and classes!

2013 Artisan Finalists Blog Hop – Day 4

Posted on August 13, 2013 by kate80132

Welcome to Day 4 of the 2013 Artisan Design Team Finalists Blog Hop! You should have come from the fabulous Bree Renwick’s post to get here and from here you can click on “next” and get to Dani Dziama’s amazing work! Aren’t these projects amazing? I am overwhelmed with how pretty everything is every day! If you missed Bree either select the “back” button to get there or go all the way around the hop to get back to her.

Today I am sharing one of the 3-D projects I submitted for the Artisan Design Team contest. This project is small in stature but I love, love the way it came out! I think it is a perfect gift for someone that works in an office and doesn’t have a lot of space for knick-knacks in their workspace.

I purchased the miniature canvas and easel from a craft store and painted the canvas with acrylic paint. It’s a mix of Antique White and Linen and probably some other colors. I mixed so that the effect was not flat but very antique feeling. I made the flower with a combination of Crochet Trim, Taffeta Ribbon and the new 7/16″ Trim ribbon. I hot glued the flower together and topped it off with some punched Crumb Cake and Brushed Gold Cardstock. The final touch to my flower is the gorgeous Vintage Faceted Button….yummy!

Next I stamped the Fleur de Lis image from the Itty Bitties stamp set on Crumb Cake, sponged lightly with Soft Suede Ink and used the image on the Designer Builder Brad. Under the brad I added a pretty little ribbon pennant. I stamped “one” “sweet” “life” on Very Vanilla Cardstock, cut it out and sponged it lightly with Soft Suede (my fave sponging color). I roughed the edges with a fancy tool…my fingernail….and attached the words to the canvas with dimensionals. I added a ribbon trim flower (alas another retired product I loved!) and some pearls to the project to give it some bling. For over the top bling, I sprayed the flower with shimmer mist and I “painted” the edges of the words with Gold Lame Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink. This fantastic little item is still available on the clearance rack and I have to say that I LOVE it! It is soooo pretty and really adds a pretty, vintage touch when you splatter it on your project or use it to line the edges of pennants, banners and other paper edges!

I couldn’t leave the little easel with no love so I sponged the easel with Soft Suede to distress it a little and adhered a tiny piece of Tea for Two DSP across the front.

I think the final result is just cute as can be! The sky is the limit with these little canvases. Think a “Best Friend” tiny picture or “Happy Birthday”…..lot’s of fun projects can be created!

Here are the products I used:

Stamps: Itty Bitties, Fabulous Phrases

Ink: Soft Suede

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Brushed Gold, Very Vanilla, Tea for Two DSP

Embellishments: Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons, Designer Builder Brads, Large Pearl Basic Jewels, Whisper White Baker’s Twine, 5/8″ Crochet Trim, 3/8″ Crumb Cake Taffeta Ribbon, Pearl Basic Jewels, Gold Lame Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink, 5/8″ Flower Trim, 7/16″ Trim

To purchase these products go to my online store!

Check here for upcoming events and classes!

2013 Artisan Finalists Blog Hop – Day 3

Posted on August 12, 2013 by kate80132

Welcome to Day 3 of the 2013 Artisan Design Team Finalists Blog Hop! If you have been following the last two days you may have noticed the same thing I have! These projects are amazing! I hope you are enjoying seeing these fabulous projects as much as I have!

I have another card today that I submitted for the Artisan Design Team contest. This one is wayyyyy outside the box for me! I am more of a vintage, shabby chic girl and the bright colors I used here are not my usual color palette. I love how this turned out though, I think I need to work outside of my comfort zone more often 🙂

Highlights: I embossed Strawberry Slush with the Chevron Embossing Folder and then I smeared it a bit with Whisper White Craft Ink. I also heat embossed some of the Mosaic Madness stamp set images on Strawberry Slush Cardstock and on some of the Quatrefancy Specialty Designer Series Paper in White. After punching some of these images out with the Mosaic Punch, I adhered some of them flat and popped some up with dimensionals. The perfect finishing touch was the White Tea Paper Doily. I told you I can hardly create anything these days without adding one or two of those to the project!

I wish I had a better picture of this one…I guess I am happy that I have a picture at all!

Here are the products I used:

Stamps: Mosaic Madness, Friendly Phrases

Ink: Strawberry Slush, Whisper White Craft Ink,

Cardstock: Strawberry Slush, Whisper White, Quatrefancy SpecialtyDSP

Embellishments: Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons, In Color Dahlias, Whisper White Baker’s Twine, White Tea Lace Paper Doilies

Tools: Big Shot, Chevron Embossing Folder, Mosaic Punch

To purchase these products go to my online store!

Check here for upcoming events and classes!

2013 Artisan Finalists Blog Hop – Day 2

Posted on August 11, 2013 by kate80132

Welcome to Day 2 of the 2013 Artisan Design Team Finalists Blog Hop! You should have come from the fabulous Bree Renwick’s post to get here and from here you can click on “next” and get to Dani Dziama’s amazing work! If you missed Bree either select the “back” button to get there or go all the way around the hop to get back to her.

Today I am sharing one of the scrapbook pages I submitted for the Artisan Design Team contest. I love, love, love this page! I love the subjects….my daughter and her beautiful puppy Sawyer….and I love the products I used to create it! This is an 8 1/2 x 11 scrapbook page and I used the new member of the neutrals family as my base: Smoky Slate. This color is soooo yummy! I also used a couple of different patterns from Soho Subway Designer Series Paper; it was perfect for this project. Some highlights on the page: I made a “flag” with a wooden skewer and put three flags in Smoky Slate with words from the “Fabulous Phrases” stamp set. I added some ribbon to the flag and slid it under the panel of Early Espresso Core’dinations Cardstock across the bottom. I embossed the Early Espresso panel with the Honeycomb Embossing Folder and distressed it a bit by sanding it and then smearing some Whisper White Craft Ink over the high spots. I included White Tea Paper Doilies again and again, I painted them with shimmer paint. This time I used Frost White Shimmer Paint. Have I mentioned how much I will miss this product???? (sigh) I can’t seem to make any projects these days without using a doily or two! And who would want to? They are beautiful, add just the right final touch to nearly every project and they are sooooo affordable! I embossed “You’re Amazing” from the “You’re Amazing” stamp set in Silver Embossing Powder onto White Vellum Cardstock and then used one of the framelits from the Apothecary Accents Framelits to cut it out. I added the brads from Vintage Trinkets to finish off the piece. I used one of the images from the “Mosaic Madness” stamp set to stamp some subtle highlights on the base cardstock in Whisper White Craft Ink. I love how beautiful this is on the Smoky Slate, the image is delicate and soft at the same time. It makes me swoon a little! Lastly, I made a flower with the corduroy Summer Starfruit button and some punched cardstock. I love that Summer Starfruit button and ribbon pick up the color of my daughter’s sweater!

Here are the products I used:

Stamps: You’re Amazing, Mosaic Madness, Fabulous Phrases

Ink: Early Espresso, Whisper White Craft Ink, VersaMark

Cardstock: Smoky Slate, Brushed Silver, White Vellum, Soho Subway DSP

Embellishments: Summer Starfruit Corduroy Button, Frost White Shimmer Paint, Summer Starfruit 3/8″ Stitched Satin Ribbon, Very Vanilla 1/2″ Seam Binding Ribbon, Vintage Trinkets, White Tea Lace Paper Doilies, Silver Embossing Powder

Tools: Big Shot, Honeycomb Embossing Folder, Apothecary Accents Framelits

To purchase these products go to my online store!

Check here for upcoming events and classes!

2013 Artisan Finalists Blog Hop – Day 1

Posted on August 10, 2013 by kate80132

Welcome to the 2013 Artisan Design Team Finalists Blog Hop! We will be sharing all the projects that we submitted to Stampin’ Up for the contest over the next ten days. I can’t wait to share all the projects I poured my heart into for this! This is an AH-mazingly talented group of ladies and I know you will be inspired by all the gorgeous projects! You can choose the “next” and “back” buttons below to get to each designer’s post each day.

First off, I have to say that I was humbled and overjoyed to find myself in the company of all these creative souls! What an honor to make the Top 20 in this contest! I will be following all of the 2013 Artisan Design Team’s posts this year, I can’t wait to see what they come up with! I feel especially lucky to have become friends with these girls during the weeks prior to convention when we found ourselves as part of the Top 20! We still chat as we have time and I have truly won some wonderful new crafty friends 🙂

The first project I am sharing is a card featuring some of my favorite products old and new. I was so sad to see the Shimmer Paint retire in May! I just loved that stuff and used it in many ways! On this card, I “painted” full strength Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint on my White Tea Lace Paper Doily and on at least one of my banners…yummy! My button is made with the White Simply Pressed Clay dyed with Calypso Coral Re-Inker. I sponged the dry button with Soft Suede Ink to give it that vintage look. I used the Canvas Creations for the label shape, I cut it out with a framelit from the Labels Collection. Then I stamped it with the Ship’s Log image from “The Open Sea” stamp set and sponged the edges with Soft Suede. Thank goodness that stamp set is still around, I find myself reaching for it often!

Here are the products I used:

Stamps: The Open Sea, Loving Thoughts

Ink: Soft Suede, Baked Brown Sugar, VersaMark

Cardstock: Smoky Slate, Brushed Gold, Epic Day This and That DSP

Embellishments: Canvas Creations, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Simply Pressed Clay, Calypso Coral Baker’s Twine, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, White Tea Lace Paper Doilies, Gold Embossing Powder

Tools: Big Shot, Honeycomb Embossing Folder, Labels Collection Framelits, Buttons & Blossoms Simply Pressed Clay Molds

To purchase these products go to my online store!

Check here for upcoming events and classes!