Haunted House

Today, I have a "Not so" Haunted House up on the SRM blog--you can see more and check out all the details HERE!

Supply List:   Black acrylic paint; baker’s twine- Mandarin, Charcoal (The Twinery); rhinestones- Recollection’s (Michael’s); birdhouse- Art Minds (Michael’s); SRM Stickers- We’ve Got Your Border- Halloween #57003, We’ve Got Your Sticker Plus- Jack o Lantern #54005, Quick Cards Boo #52030, We’ve Got Your Sticker- Treats #53005, Stickers by the Dozen-Halloween #62003; Patterned paper- Witch Hazel: Chamomille Oil (October Afternoon), KP Halloween (K & company); Brenda Walton Haunted Word Dimensional Stickers (K & Company); Kelly Panacci Layered Accents (K & Company).

I will be picking another winner for the Clean Out the Office Giveway tomorrow.  Still haven't heard from our winner :(

Thanks for stopping by!

Metallic Inspirations- CardMaker Blog Hop

Hi there!  It's time for the monthly CardMaker Blog team hop. The theme is Metallic Inspirations---create a card that is shiny and sparkly. You can use mirrored card stock, glitter, metallic finished, etc.---anything that is metallic and shiny. Cards can be any occasion.

Here is my metallic, shiny, glittery mirrored, sparkly creation:

And here is a picture of the card lying down so you can see some more of the glitter, sparkle, etc:

Took the challenge quite literally, eh!? 

Mirrored- check

Glitter- check

Sparkly- check

Shiny- check

I used some beautiful chipboard from This & That- Christmas collection (Echo Park) that I have been hoarding and layered it on some fabulous paper I found.  It is pretty cool...it's mirrored and then has circular glitter circles.  (Cool, but hard to photograph!)

I used an SRM sticker from Fancy Sticker Sentiments- Christmas for the sentiment and I added a silk ribbon that I gathered with a piece of cord and then added a glittery sparkly snowflake with an extra rhinestone center on top.  I added another rhinestone to the first reindeer's nose (Rudolf!) and to the sentiment .  Finally, I punched a corner from a glittered area of the card stock to add to the corner of the sentiment.

Supplies: Sentiment- Fancy Sticker Sentiments- Christmas (SRM Stickers); Chipboard Accents- This & That Christmas (Echo Park); Patterned paper- This & That: Christmas- Poinsettias, Red (Echo Park Paper); Speciality paper- Metallic foil -Recollections (Michael's); rhinestones- Recollections (Michael's)- Snowflake bling- Jolee's (EK Success).
Cannot wait to get a gander at what my awesomely talented teammates came up with:
CardMaker Blog
Anya
Colleen
Glenda
Jennie
Kimberly
Trudy

Enjoy the hop! Be sure to check in tomorrow for my first "clean-out-the-office-or-bust" giveaway!

Thanks for stopping by!

Gina K Mid Month Challenge Hop

Hello! Welcome to the mid month Gina K Design Team Challenge Hop! This month assignment was to create a card inspired by your autumn memory. (Note: for the challenge we were supposed to use newly released stamp sets but I totally forgot and selected a stamp set that fit perfectly with my favorite memories. Oopsie--five lashings with a wet noodle for me :)

Here is my Favorite Autumn Memory inspired card:

This card uses Feel the Magic set (which was illustrated by Gina's daughter Alicia). I adore this set and come back to it time and time again. My favorite autumn memories always seem to center around Halloween---seeing my kiddos dress up and the excitement they have about going trick or treating; carving pumpkins; hanging with friends; stomping through leaves; seeing all the neighborhood kids dressed up! LOVE it all!

I paper pieced a lot of the witches outfit and used Copics to color the skin and eyes. I added some crystal stickles to her hair and to the eyes and mouth of the jack-o-lantern. I love the fun glow it adds to the card.
I stamped the sentiment and highlighted the "witch" for obvious reasons. I finished it off with a few die cut stars and rhinestones.

Here is a close up of the cutie witch:

Materials used: Stamps- Feel the Magic (Gina K Designs); white cardstock-Gina K Designs; Patterned paper- Halloween mini deck (Recollections), Die cut Newsprint Spellbound (Making Memories); Canvas border stickers (Little Yellow Bicycle); Memento tuxedo black ink; Copic markers; crystal stickles (Ranger); twinkle rhinestone stickers (a muse); ribbon; hemp.

For all the information about how to enter your card into this month's challenge, please visit Gina K's blog, then check out these participating designer's blogs for more inspiration using the newly released stamp sets available through Gina K Designs:

• Jessica Fick


• Theresa Momber


• Nina Brackett


• Melanie Muenchinger


• Tami Mayberry


• Carolyn King


• Cathy Tidwell


• Lee Murphy


• Kurtis Amundson


• Miesje Flach - our CenterStage Spotlight designer!

Thanks for stopping by!

Heartily Yours Hop!

Hello! Tonight Nina is hosting a blog hop featuring her newest set Heartily Yours. Here is the card I created with some of the images from the set:
I stamped the birds on the white base and then stamped the birds in red ink on scrap paper so I could piece the wings on top of the original.

I colored a sateen flower using a red Copic marker for a touch of color.

Materials used: Stamps-Heartily Yours (Gina K Designs); Memento black ink; black and red markers (SU!); Copic markers; sateen flower (Gina K Designs); brads (Gina K Designs; cardstock-white pure luxury (Gina K Designs); designer paper-Farm Fresh (October Afternoon), small red dots (Recollections, Michael's); slit punch (SU!); hemp.

Check out these blogs for even more inspiration:

Nina Brackett {Illustrator}

Jessica Fick
Melanie Muenchinger
Carolyn King
Lee Murphy
Tami Mayberry
Erika Martin
Jen Charboneau
Alice Wertz
StampTV Idea Center

Now, it's your turn! Please hop over to Gina's blog to add the direct link to your blog post showcasing Nina's Heartily Yours and Heartily Yours Additions stamp sets in the Mister Linkey Box. Gina will have a special prize for the one link that she chooses out of all the participating bloggers - check out her blog for the details.

Thanks for stopping by!

Gettin Stitchy!

Hello--happy day! I have been meaning to ink this cutie up again and make a Valentine with her. This is one of the Pure Innocence Line of stamps from My Favorite Things called My Balloon.

In the original stamp, the little girl is holding a balloon. For this card, I simply used my ink pad to ink the girl and the balloon string (not the balloon):
I wanted to make a BIG ole heart balloon for her to hold. So I took a Marvy heart punch and placed it where I wanted on the card.



Then I took a paper piercing tool and pierced around the heart shape. I then stitched through the holes with red thread.
<---Here is another view of the heart balloon. I love the look of the stitching because it adds so much texture. I paper pieced the girl's dress and colored her with Copic markers. I finished off the card by adding the strip of designer paper along the side, adding a few buttons and stamping the sentiment (Stampabilities). Materials used: Stamps- Pure Innocence: My Balloon (My Favorite Things), sentiment (Stampabilities); Memento tuxedo black ink; black and red SU! markers; buttons (Gina K Designs); Marvy Uchida heart punch, paper piercing tool; red thread; designer paper-Farm Fresh (8 by 8 paper pad) October Afternoon; Red Dots (Recollections, by Michael's).

I have another card using a stitched heart to share tomorrow. (Not QUITE done yet!) See you then!

Thanks for stopping by!

Gina K Sketchy Challenge and Happy Thanksgiving

Hi everyone! Donna contacted me on Friday and asked if she could use THIS card I made as the inspiration for the StampTV sketch challenge this week.

Of course I said OK! I also decided to jump on board and create another card that fits the sketch. I thought this gingerbread couple would look so cute in this layout:
All stamps are from First Christmas, one of my all time favorite holiday sets!

Materials used: Stamps-First Christmas (Gina k Designs); cardstock-ivory, pure luxury white (Gina K Designs); Memento tuxedo black ink; SU stamp and Write Markers-red, black; designer paper-Urban Prarie/hayloft (Basic Grey),Lentil Soup/toasted cumin (Jillibean Soup); yellow/Autumn stack (Recollections); Copic markers; hemp; adhesive stickers (Michael's); slit punch (SU!).

So....do you want to play along for your chance to win a Gina K Designs stamp set valued 24.95 or less? You will have a week to play along and the winner will be randomly selected from all the entries. Head on over to Donna's blog for all the details and the link to the challenge thread on Stamp TV.

Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow to all my friends in the States!!! I will miss my family (in PA) and my hubby (overseas). xoxo

Thanks for stopping by!

Hip to Be Square Hop

Hello! Welcome to the Gina K Designs "Hip to be Square" hop where members of the design team and some guests of Melanie are showing off some fun creations they designed with the set.

I have to admit---I LOVE this set. I really love the cool grid background (that so resembles a window!) It makes designing a card EASY. I have so many cards I want to make with it but today I am showing you the most recent two I have designed with it.
The first card combines Hip to be Square with two of Melanie's previous releases: Jumping for Joy and Inspiration Mosaic: (I apologize for the bad photo...we have been having a rainy month and I cannot get enough natural light to photograph my cards :( )

This was the first card idea I had with this set---I love how all these stamps from different sets go together so well. That sentiment is perfect. I created the moon by punching a circle shape and then just cutting away a part of it. I sponged the edges of the moon and then after I assembled the card, I colored with moon with a quickie glue pen and sprinkled Doodlebug yellow glitter on it. I punched a few white stars to add to the night sky.

The background cardstock is called sweet corn.

Materials used: Stamps-Hip to be Square, Inspiration Mosaic, Jumping for Joy (Gina K Designs); cardstock-white, corn (Pure luxury-Gina K Designs); copic markers; ink-Memento black, bashful blue -SU!; ribbon (May Arts); star punch (provocraft); circle punch (SU!); doodlebug glitter; quickie glue pen.

The second card I made is a fun Halloween scene. I paired Hip to be Square with Happy Haunting to create this card:

I brayered the mustard ink over some pure luxury white cardstock. I stamped the grid design over it and then I stamped the haunted house over it and then again on some yellow designer paper. I cut out the moon from the yellow piece and added it over the moon on the card. I added the grid line over the moon back in with a black pen.

The sentiment from Hip to be Square fits perfectly with this spooky scene. I mounted the scene on some heavy weight pure luxury white cardstock.

Materials used: Stamps-Hip to be Square, Happy Haunting (Gina K Designs); ink-Memento black, mustard (SU!); brayer; cardstock-white (Pure luxury-Gina K Designs); oval punch (SU!); designer paper-Halloween pack (Recollections); ribbon-Harvest-Celebrate It (Michaels Stores Inc.)
For even more ideas with Melanie Muenchinger's Hip to be Square stamp set, visit her blog link below as well as the GinaK Idea Center here: Hip to Square. Melanie's tip sheet has been added to the Idea Center as a PDF so you can print out her tips and suggestions for a handy reference tool!
Here's all the Designer's Blog Links to check out tonight:

Melanie Muenchinger
Carolyn King
Cathy Tidwell
Donna Baker
Erika Martin
Jessica Fick
Lee Murphy
Nina Bracket
Theresa Momber

September's Center Stage Spotlight Team:

Giovana Smith
Kay Simmons
Linda Payne

Melanie's Guest Designer for Hip to be Square: Karen Knegten and Special guests: Tina Gilliland, Selma Stevenson, Geri Utterback

Thanks for stopping by!

Fruitful Harvest Blog Hop

Hello! Tonight, Asela is hosting a blog hop with her newest set from Gina K Designs, Fruitful Harvest.

Although I don't make a lot of elegant, lacy, distres-y, vintage-y type cards...sometimes I just feel the need to try. I love the beautiful grapes in this set and wanted to give my card the same feeling I felt when I first saw them:
I added some lace along the side and some rhinestones under the "friend" part of the sentiment. The background is stamped with French Script backgrounder (SU!) and I used tea dye distress ink all along the edges (with a sponge).

The grapes are stamped twice....once on the background paper and once on white pure luxury cardstock. I colored them both in with Copics and the cut out the grapes on the white cardstock, adhering the section on the left right on top of the stamped one and adding some dimension to the rest of the bunch with some mounting tape.

Heeheee....the background purple paper is from a Halloween paper pack that was sitting on my desk!!!

Materials used: Stamps-Fruitful Harvest (Gina K Designs), French Script (SU!); Memento tuxedo black ink; Ranger tea dye and vintage photo distress ink; sponge; Copic markers; designer paper- Halloween pack (Recollections); cardstock-white (Gina K Designs, pure luxury), cocoa (SU!); lace; ribbon (May Arts); adhesive rhinestones-Autumn (Recollections); Spellbinders tag ties; Cuttlebug (Provocraft); hemp (Hobby Lobby); paper piercing tool.

For even more inspiration with the Fruitful Harvest, head over to Asela Hopkin's blog, the illustrator of this beautiful stamp set. She has also asked her friend Deb Felts to share a card with us tonight too!

Then, take the time to check out all the other GinaK Design Team Member's sharing projects tonight on their blogs: Emily Giovanni , Erika Martin , Gina Krupksy , Jessica Fick , Kurtis Amundson , Lee Murphy , Lynn Mercurio , Melanie Muenchinger , Theresa Momber

and our CenterStage spotlight designers: Geri Utterback and Shelly Wilson

Have a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Autumn Beauty Blog Hop

Hi everyone!

First and foremost, I want to take time to remember those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Thank you to all of those who serve our country in the armed forces---your sacrifices are greatly appreciated.

Tonight, Theresa is hosting a blog hop with her newest set--Autumn Beauty! She has also designed a beautiful digital paper pack called All About Autumn that is available for purchase as well. Be sure to leave a comment on Theresa's blog for a chance to win this stamp set!

Here is my card:

I think I used all the other images in this set so I wanted to focus on the sunflower tonight. I stamped it on white Pure Luxury cardstock and colored it with Copics. I added a bit of gold stickles to the center.

I stamped the fun leaf swirls in the corner of the designer paper and then layered the image on top. The ribbon on the side of the image is from Gina K Designs too.

Materials used: Stamps-Autumn Beauty (Gina K Designs); Memento black ink; Copic markers; Frayed burlap distress ink (Ranger); stickles (Ranger); Autumn cardstock paper (Recollections); hemp; corner rounder punch (Creative Memories); ribbon (Gina K Designs).

Theresa has asked several guest designers to join in on the blog hop tonight:
Pam Imholz
Karen Knegten
Jennie Harper
Melissa Shulz
Brenda Turner

Then stop by these Designers' blogs to see the projects they are sharing tonight on their blogs:
Gina Krupsky
Emily Giovanni
Jessica Fick
Kurtis Amundson
Lee Murphy
Lynn Mercurio
Melanie Muenchinger

And finally, check out our CenterStage Spotlight Designers joining us with cards tonight:
Geri Utterback
Shelly Wilson
Tina Gilliland

Have a wonderful weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Hopping through the LEAVES

Tonight, Melanie is hosting a blog hop featuring her newest set A Year of Leaves.

Here is what I came up with:

I stamped some leaf images on the designer paper and then stamped one of the leaves on white Pure Luxury cardstock and colored it with Copics.

I love the simple scripty sentiment so I left it as is and added a few adhesive pearls underneath.

The final touch is the row of eyelets (remember those?) along the top and I put two more in the bottom part to tie a hemp bow.

Materials used: Stamps-A Year of Leaves (Gina K Designs); ink- Fired brick (Ranger), Rust (Stampin up!), memento black ink; Autumn cardstock paper (Recollections); Autumn adhesive pearls (Recollections); hemp; slit punch (SU!); eyelets (Making Memories); Cropadile.

Want some more inspiration? Head on over to Melanie Muenchinger's blog. You'll want to leave a comment on her blog because she is hosting a drawing for her gorgeous stamp set there tonight!

Also showcasing Year of Leaves stamp set samples tonight are these GinaK Designers:
Gina Krupsky
Donna Baker
Erika Martin
Jessica Fick
Kurtis Amundson
Lee Murphy
Theresa Momber

as well as our CenterStage Spotlight Designers:
Geri Utterback
Shelly Wilson
Tina Gilliland

and Melanie's guest designers:
Selma Stevenson
Karen Knegten


Totally random non-stamping stuff: My son's favorite part of school is the game they play in PE called Pass the Chalupa, Por Favor!

Heehee....ONLY in Texas!


Have a great day! Thanks for stopping by!

Do You Believe in Magic???

...you might after you see this new set by Alicia for Gina K Designs-- Feel the Magic!
When I first saw these images I was immediately drawn to the adorable witch...she is so cute and I knew I wanted to make a little treat bag featuring her.


I cropped the original image of the witch (she is sitting on a mushroom in the actual stamp) and I had her sitting on a cauldron (that I just cut from designer paper) instead. Since I wanted to use these little eyeball chocolate crisp candies inside---I thought having her sit on a cauldron working up a spell would work well. (Who knows what she is planning on turning a bunch of eyeballs into anyway??!!) The set comes with a cute little star wand so I took that idea and just made it larger (so it wouldn't get lost in the busy design) and used a punched star covered in glitter for her wand.

I used my treat tote tutorial to make this pouch. I just made this a bit wider to accommodate the large window. I put the eyeballs into a clear envelope before securing them inside and then I re-used the mesh bag the candies originally came into to add to the inside of the window. (I cut the mesh bag open and then adhered it to the backside of the front opening.)

Materials used: Stamps-Feel the Magic (Gina K Designs); cardstock-white Pure Luxury (Gina K Designs); Copic markers; stickles-purple and gold (Ranger); designer paper--Stampin' Up, Halloween paper pack (Recollections); circle punches (Stampin' UP); star punch (SU!); slit punch (SU!); scalloped circle punch (SU!); Spellbinders Nestabilities dies; crystal stickers (Mark Richards); hemp; orange ribbon (May Arts); (candy).

Boy, my kids are gonna be so happy to see this posted---- they have been patiently waiting to eat those eyeballs!!!

Wanna see some more MAGIC??? Joining us tonight with special projects made with Alicia K's Feel the Magic Stamp set are these amazing designers:

Gina, Asela, Donna, Emily, Jessica, Melanie, Theresa and Erika.

*******

NSR (Non stamping Related): My baby, Lauren, started preschool today. My other two kids started school already but she didn't start until today. She marched right out the door---totally happy....no worries at all! Gotta love THAT!

Hope your day is MAGICAL! Thanks for stopping by!