Happy Halloween everyone!!!!!

I’ve been away for quite a while and to tell the truth I’ve been going into withdrawal from not creating any greeting cards, as that is my passion!!! I’ve been busy working on a project for Pazzles, as well as creating some files, but I can’t talk about them just yet. I’ve also been experimenting with some techniques as well!

Well, today I broke down and created a Christmas card using the Splitcoast Sketch Challenge (SC200) for my inspiration. I used some “faux metal” that I made and I really wanted to use some handmade paper that I had recently purchased at Hobby Lobby. I also used some gold spray paint to spray my base card gold! I will have to tell you this….this has been one of the most difficult cards to photograph!!!! I think I’ve taken like 50 plus shots and I’m still not happy with the one I’m posting here, as it really does not do justice to the beautiful colors and textures of this card….but here it is.

I’ve also taken a close-up of some of the “faux metal”.

Finished Card Size: A2/4.25"x5.5"

I just came across this while reading a newsletter and decided to share it with everyone!

Blessings in Stone

Two friends were walking through the desert. As the day wore on and they became hotter and wearier, they had an argument and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, he wrote in the sand, Today my best friend slapped me in the face.

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they knelt beside a pond, eager for a long, cool drink. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone, Today my best friend saved my life.

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone. Why?”

The other friend replied, “When someone hurts us we should write it in the sand where the winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”

Let’s learn to write our hurts in the sand and carve our blessings in stone!

Supplies

Papers: GA Pacific White CS (card base & square frames that are spray painted gold) & The Paper Studio “Handmade Paper Pack”
Stamps: Hero Arts & Plaid All Night Media “Winter Holiday” (sentiment)
Tools: Pazzles Inspiration, Range “Heat It”, Cuttlebug
Ink: Ranger “Queen’s Gold” & Old Town Crafts “Ultra Fine Silver”Accessories: Offray “Gold Metallic” Ribbon, Michaels Gold & Silver “Rhinestone Stickers”, Premium Brilliant Finish "25 Kt. Gold Spray Enamel"

This is my 1st Christmas Card for the 2008 season...

and I have to thank the ladies at the Splitcoast Stampers site for my design inspirations, which were created for Tuesday’s (October 14th) Color Challenge CC188 and Wednesday’s (October 15th) Sketch Challenge SC198!!! I love them both. I know that pink, black and white seem like strange colors for a Christmas Card, but I personally think they are great! The beautiful pink poinsettia blooms that I cut using my Pazzles Inspiration were designed by a very talented lady in the UK named Sharon Long, but better known as “The Scrapbook Lady”. Here is a link to her site where you can find about 19 free GSD files for download, although I’m afraid that I don’t see this file any longer: http://www.thescrapbooklady.co.uk/catalog/gsddownload.php. I used Photoshop, “Santa’s Sleigh Full” font and my Canon Pixma MP530 inkjet printer to do “Happy Holidays”. I paper sculpted the poinsettias and filled the center with Stickles and some black fun foam that I punched with my tiny hole punch. By the way, I once again pulled out my sewing machine and some thread…..check out the “sewn” leaves on the bottom black panel on my card! I think I may be getting addicted!LOL
Finished Card Size: A2/4.25”x5.5”

Supplies

Papers: Westrim Crafts (Black CS), The Paper Company (White CS), Bazzill (Pink CS)
Tools: Pazzles Inspiration, Brother i6000 Sewing Machine, Cuttlebug
Accessories: Spellbinders Nestabilitis Small Standard Circles, Mark Richards “Pearls Perles” Crystal Stickers, Offray Black Satin Ribbon, “Black Diamond” Stickles, Fiskars Hole Punch

Well....finally I'm back and feeling much better!

For the Splitcoast “Technique Lover’s Challenge” this past Monday (TLC190), they selected the “Stair Step Fold” and I decided that would be great for making my friend Liz’s birthday card……….so here it is! My actual design started around the beautiful ribbon that I recently purchased at Michael’s for $1.00!!! The butterfly that I cut with my Pazzles Inspiration was a free paper piecing from the Better Homes and Gardens Scrapbooks, etc. The only thing I changed was the “body”….I kind of redesigned it in my Pazzles software and I used some beading “eye pins” that I re-shaped for antennae. If any of you would like the “recipe” for the Stair Step/Accordion Card, you can find it here at the Splitcoast site. I also want to mention that I made a little “card in a card” for this project so that I would have a place for my personal signature! The little metal looking “celebrate!” piece at the top of the ribbon is “faux metal” that I made some time back. The “Happy Birthday Liz” was done using Adobe Photoshop CS3 and the “Young Love ES” font and I used Color Code #122903 and then I printed it using my Canon Pixma MP530 inkjet printer. I also want to mention that this is the very first time that I have used machine stitching on a paper crafting project, but I will be doing it more often….love the look!!!

Supplies

Papers: Bazzill & “Kiwi Iridescent” EFFECTS Papercraft by Canson
Ink: “Ultra Fine Silver” by Old Town Crafts (for “faux metal”)
Tools: Pazzles Inspiration, Cuttlebug, Ranger “Heat It”, Martha Stewart “Embossed ZigZag” Border Punch, Brother i6000 Sewing Machine
Accessories: Ribbon is Michaels Stores “Shimmering Crystals”, the Paper Studios “Peel-Off Stickers” (silver border), Silver Stars were a gift of Peel-Offs from a friend in the UK, Mark Richards “Peel-Offs” (the remainder of the silver stickers), Craft Expressions “Eye Pins” (antennae), Spellbinders Nestabilities “Small Petite Scalloped Ovals” & “Small Petite Ovals”, “Mesh”, “Textile” & “Tiny Bubbles” Cuttlebug Embossing Folders. Coats & Clark “Silver Metallic Thread”

I'm afraid that I've been "under the weather"............

for the past couple of days, so I have not been posting. Seems to be some kind of upper respiratory infection! I'm ready for it to go somewhere else!!!

Prior to that I was busy working on some designs for Pazzles, so I've not been creating any cards, etc. this week. I happened to be going through my pBase Gallery and came across a couple of nature shots that I actually was somewhat proud of....so I thought I would share them with you.

This first one is a shot of what I call the "perfect gardenia bloom". It was taken in my backyard back in the spring of 2004, as we have a huge gardenia bush. I think gardenias are my favorite. My husband always cuts some for me to have in the house because their fragrance in simply heavenly!!!

This second one was taken around the same time, as I was practicing using my macro shot on some wild flowers. I came across this "blackeyed susan" and was lucky enough to also get a shot of a "Green Lynx Spider". My husband laughed when I told him it reminded me of a kiwi!!!

Well, I'm starting to cough again, so for now I'm going to call it a day. I hope you enjoy my "nature" shots!!!

Wedding Card for my Sister-In-Law.................

This is the wedding card that I just made for my husband's sister, who is getting married tomorrow at 2pm! She was widowed about four years ago and the man she is marrying lost his wife around the same time. Her son works with this man and he introduced them and they hit it off! I'm so happy for both of them!

I desgined and cut the "Hearts Frame" using my Pazzles Inspiration. The flourish embellishment (Flourish Embellishment from Luck Pg.) that I used was designed by “ibpamelac” at the Yahoo KNK Group. I converted it to a WPC file and cut it using my Pazzles Inspiration. The "text" was done using my Pazzles Inspiration's "Pen Tool" and then I heat embossed it. The font I used is "Edwardian Script".
Finished Card Size" A7/5"x7"

Papers: GA Pacific (White CS Base), Effects Papercraft by Canson ("Translucent Silver" behind the hearts frame and "Iced Gold" for the hearts frame, the embossed area and the text) and "Chalice Silver" Metallic CS by Wausau Paper (Silver CS for 2nd layer and base for the flourish).

Ink: Tsukineko “VersaMark Watermark”

Tools: Pazzles Inspiration, Cuttlebug, Ranger "Heat It"

Accessories: "Textile" Embossing Folder, Crystal Stickers 5mm "Pearl Perles", Offray "Salutation with Love" Ribbon, "Ultra Fine Silver" embossing power by Old Town Craftsand the tiny silver heart on the ribbon was a "Peel-Offs" sticker from the UK that was given to me as a gift

Check out the beautiful card that I...............

found in my mailbox when I returned home on Monday from a trip to visit with my adorable grandsons for my "birthday weekend"!!! It is from my crafting friend, Teri and I'm afraid that the photo really does not capture all the beauty of her creation!!!!

Please visit Teri's Splitcoast Stampers Gallery for information and details on this beautiful creation!!! I so fell in love with this....that today I had to go to Michaels and purchase the beautiful metallic, iridescent and translucent papers that she used for the leaves and butterflies! Thank you so much Teri, I love it!!!

I received some VERY exciting news this evening!!!

I have been selected to be on the Design Team for Pazzles for 2008-2009!!! This will be the first time that I have done something like this and I'm very excited about it!

For those of you that are not familiar with Pazzles, they make digital cutters....similar to the Cricut, except you don't ever have to buy cartridges! I purchased my Pazzles, which is the Pazzles Inspiration, this past March and I absolutely love it!!! Here is a photo of it:

It cuts 12"x12" and you can even cut chipboard with it!!! It's a fantastic tool for cardmaking, scrapbooking and paper crafts in general. You can do wonders with vinyl also. It cuts any true type font that you have on your computer........any size you desire (up to 12")!!! And did I mention that there are tons of FREE files that you can download online? Here is a photo of an off the shoulder gown that I designed and made available for download for free:

This is just an example of files that you can find online to download and cut with your Pazzles that are free for personal use! At any rate..............can you tell that I am excited? Thanks for bearing with me!!!