My Pink Stamper Stamp Sets on Sale!

While perusing the craft sites today, I found that CustomCrops has My Pink Stamper Stamp sets on sale!  Some as low as $10!!! 

If you have been waiting for a sale, now is the time to stock up!  And don't forget that tomorrow is January's My Pink Stamper Blog Hop starting at 8:00 pm Central.  I hope to see you there!

To Embellish, or Not to Embellish, That is the Question:

To embellish, or not to embellish, that is the question:

Do you often find yourself out of time and just need to get a card done as quickly as possible?  Or maybe you lost your creative mojo and are stuck on what to do with your card or scrapbook page next.  Maybe you  just keep adding and adding to your project in hopes that a miracle will occur and it will eventually look better.  Some prefer the K.I.S.S. method of creating and others treat each project as a work of art and spend endless hours on each.   I don't know about you, but I have found myself in each of these situations and quite honestly, they all WORK!  It's just a matter of preference.  If I had to pick one method, I guess I lie somewhere in the middle...  ;)

Basic cut using a stamp instead of the provided sentiment.  Those little letters can be such a buggar!
Stamp Set used:  My Pink Stamper  Even More Punny-licious

Basic cut using the first layer of the phrase provided.

Using all the layers provided for a cut.  No extra embellishments except pop dotting the ear.

My typical method: using all the layers and embellishing.  I often ink the edges and add some type of ribbon.  I probably could have stepped it up even more by adding a few basic color cardstock layers before adding the final designer paper layer and a different layer of pattern paper under the sentiment.  Like I said, I usually lie somewhere in the middle.  ;)

What's your paper crafting style?  I would love for you to share a link!

Recycle and Reuse: Christmas cards and tags.

After each Christmas season, I make a list of cards we received and incorporate the handmade cards into a scrapbook layout of the pictures we received as well.  This year, I decided to get a jump start on next year's Christmas cards by recycling and reusing some of the handmade cards and tags I received and used.

This is one of the cards I received.  It's from an Anna Griffin set.  The front has a faux ribbon running from top to bottom and a real ribbon bow.  The background is also layered.

I didn't want to just toss the card because it's made from quality cardstock.  Instead, I recycled it!  I recreated the same look by dismantling the ribbon bow and running it across the faux ribbon on the card.  I had enough left to add the ribbon tab to the sentiment.  I also pop dotted the sentiment onto the background paper, inked the background paper and added a red cardstock layer.

I was actually able to create two cards from the one!  I double layered the background paper onto olive and red cardstock.  I added ribbon to the bottom and the poinsettia flowers I had from my stash.  Lastly, I pop dotted the sentiment onto the ribbon once I removed it from the inside of the card.

Voila, I gave new life to a card that would otherwise be tossed AND I have a jump start on next year's Christmas cards!

This is also a great way to recycle and reuse the beautiful handmade Christmas tags you made and used this past year:



A Few More Christmas Cards

Here are a  few more Christmas cards I made over the holidays but was on vaction and didn't get to post:

Card made from Stretch Your Imagination and Stampin' Up product.

Card made from the Imagination cartridge Santa's Village.

My Mom's Christmas cards this year using Stampin' Up products.

I hope your Christmas was blessed!

Weekly Challenge #48: Creative Resolutions for 2012 Challenge!

  The Challenge: Whenever the New Year rolls around, we tend to do a little self-evaluation and decide what we want to do differently in the year to come. For the challenge this week, we want you to think about your CREATIVE resolutions and record them in some way. Do you want to stretch your creativity in new ways? Maybe you want to try a new hobby or learn something new. Maybe you want to simplify. Whatever it is, get those goals down on paper! 

My creative goals for 2012.  I need to go back and add the year...oops!

Stampin' Up "Full Calendar" stamp set used.

Frame bought from Ikea.

For this challenge, I created a calendar/goal minder.  One side has the calendar that I can interchange and the flip side has my creative goals for 2012.  Some of them are quite lofty, but what's the harm in dreaming big?  ;)

Pre-Cricut

I was going through my Christmas crafting box and found some old cards I made "pre-Cricut" (two years ago).  We were living in Florida at the time that I sent these, thus the beach themes.  All materials used are Stampin' Up.

Hubbie's Christmas Cards

Here is this year's installment of Hubbie's Christmas cards for work:

He is now over the food section so I thought the Chef's hat and oven mitts would be cute.  Can you guess where he works???

My Cricut Circle Secret Sister's Stocking

Here is the stocking I altered for my Cricut Circle secret sister:

I used Cricut cartridges Art Philosophy for the toe and heel pieces and Stretch Your Imagination for the sunflower.  I cut the top band from hand.

Here is Trinity's crafting blog if you would like to look at some of her nifty creations.  Her mini advent calendar is such a cool idea!

http://trinityscraftingcreation.blogspot.com/

Cricut Circle Secret Sister Stocking Opening

It's time!  I can't believe a year has passed! To continue the tradition, we once again swapped stockings on the Cricut Circle message board.  I received a FABULOUS package with a super cute tiny stocking from Fumiyo (PenquinLover).  Thank you so much Fumiyo for your generosity.  I LOVE EVERYTHING (especially the purple paisley paper)!

Nice to SNOW Ya!

Here is a Christmas card I made for a card swap I was in:

Materials Used:

• Cricut cartridge Snow Friends
• My Pink Stamper Winter Treats & Sayings stamp set
• Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler cardstock
• Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler and Tempting Turquoise classic ink
• Stampin' Up Rose Red stampin' writer
• Stampin' Up Basic Pearls
• My Mind's Eye Lime Twist designer paper
• Brads from my stash
• Hand dyed seam binding
• Ranger Stickles
• Ranger Forest Moss distress ink