cas(e) this sketch #195 - guest designer

I’m so excited to join the CAS(E) this Sketch challenge as a guest designer this week!  Such an honor!  Here’s the sketch we worked with:

And, here’s my card:

I tried to achieve the splatter and blotchy look by using a heavy hand when I blended distress inks for the sky.  Then I splattered on some white color mist, waited for everything to dry, and stamped on the blue snowflakes.

I stamped, colored (with Copics), and die cut the buildings.  Then I die cut the snowy hill.  Next, I adhered everything onto the card base with a combo of glue and foam tape.  And last by not least, I brushed some Wink of Stella glitter on to the buildings.  It was absolutely necessary.

Thank you for taking a look, and big hugs and thanks to CAS(E)this Sketch for inviting me to the party!  I had a great time!

Supplies:

Stamps: Mama Elephant City Sidewalks

Dies: Mama Elephant City Sidewalks and Landscape Trio

Inks: Copic markers, Mama Elephant (stargaze), Mister Huey’s Color Mists (opaque white), Tim Holtz Distress (broken china, peacock feathers)    

Other: Wink of Stella glitter brush (clear)

mama elephant november challenge: holiday cards and tags

This is 2 of 2 posts for today.  For my Avery Elle challenge post, please click here.

We were simply blown away by the entries for October's Mama Elephant and Me challenge, and I have a feeling we're going to get a lot of amazing entries again this month.  November's theme is Holiday Cards and Tags.

I recently got the Instalove die set, which I instantly loved (heh heh!).  I thought the main die in this set -- the long and narrow picture frame -- would make a fun shaker...the teeniest, tiniest shaker in the land.  Here's what I made...

This tag used Polar Pals stamps and dies, as well as the partial die cutting technique, and yes, I had to channel my inner Pamela Ho in order to make this.  The process was like a crafty GRE question...from the analytical section to be exact.  I had to figure out where to set my die cutting plates so that I could cut some pieces and not others.  After several attempts, I finally got it right.

I had an extra glittery Tags a Lot tag that from Mama Elephants 2nd anniversary party (read all about it here), so I used it for the back.  Initially, I had thought of having a solid background for the shaker element, but I really liked the way the glitter tag sparkled, so I opted instead to make this a clear shaker.

  

  front                                                                  back 

I don't really like to toot my own horn, but this is honestly one of my most fave things I've ever made:)  Its so tiny and cute.  It has a bell and so it jingles.  Its clear, so its kind of cool to see the glittery background...and when you shake it, it appears that the sequins are dancing around magically.  Oh well...toot toot!

The Mama Elephant and Me challenge team has created some amazing holiday cards and tags that are sure to inspire you.  Make sure to check out their projects and join the fun.

Some guidelines for playing along:

• Your entry must use at least one Mama Elephant stamp
• Your entry must be based on the challenge/inspiration source provided
• Your entry must link back to Mama Elephant and Me blog post along with the graphic image
• Winner gets featured here and a stamp set of choice
• Deadline is November 28th
• Link up using the Inlinkz on the bottom of Mama Elephant and Me challenge post
• Have fun, stamp, stamp, stamp!!!

Hope to see your creations!  And, thanks for stopping by.

Supplies:
Stamps: Polar Pals
Dies: Instalove, Polar Pals, Tags a Lot

AEI♥U November Challenge: Holiday

This is 1 of 2 posts for today.  For my Mama Elephant challenge post, please click here .

Its the first of the month, which means its time for a new AEI♥U Challenge.  For the month of November, our theme is holiday.  

I hope you've already seen all the new holiday stamp and die sets that Avery Elle released in September.  There are a lot of cute and festive images that will help you to make some fantastic wintery and holiday cards.  I worked with the Noel set and made this...

The set has a couple large sentiments, which I cut apart (gasp!).  I like having the flexibility to build and change the layouts of sentiments so that they take center stage, and this stamp set allowed me to do just that. 

I embossed the sentiment in white, stamped and colored the birds and their accessories, and with a bit of masking, blended distress inks to make the gradient sky.

I added some glossy accents, which can take a card from simple to sophisticated.  Here's a close-up...

I hope you find some time to join us fun ladies over at the the AEI♥U Challenge.  Please check out the the AEI♥U Challenge blog to get some inspiration from our design team, see the rules for playing, and link up your projects.

Avery Elle Supplies:
Stamps: Noel
Paper: Birch Woodgrain Heavy Card Stock

ric #70: sparkle and shine

Just like a lot of other crafters out there, I was blown away by Julie Ebersole's new stamps that were released at the beginning of the month.  The new Essentials by Ellen stamps and dies have the quirkiness and humor that I really enjoy working with.  Here's the first of what I'm sure will be many projects using the EBE products.

The deer is from Essential by Ellen's Prize Stag.  I die cut it three times -- twice on scrap pieces of card stock and once on some glittery black card stock.  Stacked and glued them to each other for a sparkly embellishment.

This card easily came together with a small piece of patterned paper I made using Basic Grey's Tiny Triangles, a scrap piece of black card stock, a pinch of sequins, enamel accents, and a sentiment using Mama Elephant's Winter Wonderland stamp set.  I'm thinking it'll be a great card to mass produce for the holidays...plus it'll help me to cut down on my paper scraps (and make room for more in 2015!!!).

A close-up of the sparkly deer.  Oh, how I love him so:)

I'm entering this card into the Runway Inspired Challenge, where we used this pic as inspiration.

Pics like this make me miss having TV...Project Runway was one of my fave shows, especially the last part before the runway when the designers would bring their models down to the hair and makeup artists, who would often completely transform the look.  Pretty amazing, if you ask me.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Stamps: Mama Elephant Winter Wonderland, Basic Grey Tiny Triangles
Dies: Essentials by Ellen Prize Stag
Other: sequins, enamel accents (black)

mama elephant - party recap and release in review

Hi all!  I'm guest posting for Mama Elephant's blog today, sharing some wonderful memories of the party we had last weekend to celebrate Mama Elephant's 2nd anniversary as well as some cards I made using Mama Elephant's newest products.

The anniversary party took place at the Westbeth Artist Housing and Center for the Arts in the NYC, and folks braved the rain to be part of such a special event.  We had one "make and take" table, which was full of crafters before the party even officially started, and by one hour in, we had spilled over to 4 full tables.

We had a chance to play around with Mama Elephant's newest products.  It was lovely to see everyone's creations, from sparkly tags and holiday cards to neon backgrounds using Mama Elephants new ink pads.

In the house that day: cardmakers, scrapbookers, parents, children, folks who had traveled great distances, people new to crafting.  It didn't matter how long you had been crafting, the atmosphere was warm and friendly, and we all just had a great time together.

My friend, Gary, came to join the fun.  This was the first card he ever made.  I'm so proud of him:)

Some were even lucky and won raffle prizes: gift certificates to spend in the pop-up store that the Mama Elephant staff set up for us.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the mamas behind Mama Elephant are pretty incredible.  They are so thoughtful with their product design and are committed to making quality products for their growing fan base (Mama Ele-fans?).  Stamp sets are compatible with each other and can be stretched for so many occasions, their aesthetic is cute, classy, and consistent, and there's just so much joy in their products.  More than that, Kryssi and Angela are two of the most fun, down to earth, talented, smart, and humble people I know.  When there are so many places where we can spend money, I choose to support a business where they people behind it respect and appreciate their customers and are just good people.

Congratulations to the mamas, Kryssi and Angela!  Happy 2nd Anniversary from your Mama Ele-fans!!!

We had a fantastic 3-day Stampede last week that showcased all of the new products in the most recent release.  But, you know we can never get enough of Mama Elephant goodness, right?!?  So, I put together some cards and would love to share with you.

Using Arctic Penguins, Season's Greetings, Jolly and Merry, and Boutique Borders.

Using Alpine Carolers (stamps and creative cuts) and Season's Greetings.

Using Block Party and Peace on Earth

Using Borderlines Trio and Thanks Script 

And, the last set of cards feature the "Happy Everything" stamp set and creative cut, free with purchase of over $100 (to get stamp set) or $150 (to get stamp set and creative cut).  

That's it for me!  Thank you for checking out this long blog of loads o' photos.  I hope you can see just how excited many of us are about Mama Elephant's anniversary and new release.  Congrats again, Kryssi and Angela.  To many more years of Mama Elephant goodness!

purple onion designs - holiday sweets and treats

I had a lot of fun using stamps from Purple Onion Designs to make decorations and packaging for some baked goods.  The stamp images are so cute and whimsical, they just make me happy:)  First up, I baked red velvet cupcakes that are great on any day, but the striking red makes them even better for holiday gift-giving and celebrations.  The cupcake toppers were made with Merry Thoughts, a fun set containing a combination of wintery images and sentiments.

I also made almond tea cookies aka Mexican Wedding cookies.  I have made these cookies for baby and wedding showers, but I love making them around the holidays because they look like snowballs.  The simple sign was made using Merry Thoughts.

Finally, snowball cookies in a bag with a cute little snowman in the front, using Winterberry and Winter Wishes! sentiment set.

Baking orders have picked up and I'm excited to be in the kitchen and get to work...though when you enjoy something this much, it really doesn't feel like work.  So thankful that I have the cute Purple Onion Designs to play around with.  They really do elevate a simple treat into something super sweet:)

Check out Purple Onion Designs' holiday sale going on right now.  All stamps are 25% until December 10th.  Yes ya'll, ALL!

Thanks for stopping by.

owl I want for Christmas...

Oh, how I love puns!!!  And, oh how I love the movie Love Actually!!!  And, so does my friend Gary, who asked me to make Christmas cards for him this year.  When I saw Lawn Fawn's Winter Owl, I just *knew* this would be perfect for him.

See, Gary is a Mariah Carey fan, and not your average fan who enjoys one of her tunes from time to time.  Gary owns her piano books, has been to her concerts, and even had a Mariah (or Gariah) -themed birthday party one year.  We all had to prepare Mariah songs to sing at a karaoke spot.  Memorable!

When I showed Gary this stamp set, he said he loved it.  He then proceeded to ask me if I could make his Christmas cards have Mariah Carey on them with her arm extended, on which the winter owl would be perched.  I said no...that this would have to do.

This card will be submitted to Lawnscaping Challenge, where we had to incorporate polka dots into our project.  Thanks for taking a look!

Supplies:
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Into the Woods, Winter Owl
Inks: Versafine (onyx black)
Dies: Lawn Fawn Winter Owl
Other: Lawn Fawn Into the Woods, Peace Joy Love, kraft paper

sparkle and shine

It's been a while since I've made any cards, the reason which I'll blog about another day.  All I know is that I have a bunch of thank you/you're amazing cards that I need to make to show my gratitude.  Happy to be back in the groove of things and to be participating in CASology's challenge where we have to incorporate the key word "bell" into a card.  Here's mine:

I used one of my favorite holiday stamp sets: Winter Wonderland by Mama Elephant.  The sentiments stamp out soooo clearly and sharply.  And, I didn't even think you could strike a balance between cute and classy, but Mama Elephant figured it out.

I *think* those are bells on deers antlers?  My roommate says they're ornaments, but I looked really closely and the bell images have the tiny little notches on the bottom...you know, the holes in the bells that let you hear them ring.  Bells or ornaments...I'm going with bells.

Hope everyone is doing well.  Thank you for stopping by.

Supplies:
Stamps: Mama Elephant Winter Wonderland, No Peeking
Inks: Mama Elephant (ocean, winter); Versamark (onyx black)
Other: Wink of Stella glitter brush (clear)

holiday cupcake boxes

Here's a quick post to showcase these cute little cupcake boxes I made that feature the Holiday Border Tape Set from Purple Onion Designs.

I used the holiday sentiment borders to serve as bands around the little boxes.   And they really are little...just the right size to hold a mini cupcake.  I sprinkled a few sequins in there just for a size reference.

I've been asked to make favors for weddings and showers; these borders can work for holiday themed favors.  I think party guests would be so happy to take one of these home.

Thanks for stopping by!  Check out all the goodies at Purple Onion Designs.  Their holiday stamps are so much fun!  And, if you want some inspiration, check out the design team's creations on the Purple Onion Design blog.