Le Jardin Boutique

Here is a card I made a while back but never put it on my blog.  All Supplies are from Stampin Up!  Kraft, Chocolate Chip, and Whisper White Cardstock, Taffeta Ribbon, and Le Jardin Boutique Stamp Set.  Every now and then I get into a mood to color an image in.  Usually what I do is use a blender pen with markers.  If you use just the marker you get a very heavy look with minimal shading abiltiy.  I take the blender pen and just rub it on the tip of the marker.  I then test it on a sheet of paper to see how saturated the color is before I apply.  It is a good rule of thumb to start light and then build up the color.  (You can always add color but you can't take color away).    Also and very important you must you Stazon when using a blender pen.  It is a special ink that will not smear when blending or watercoloring.  Because Stazon really STAYS ON you also need a special cleaner to get it off of your stamp pads.  The cleaner is (you guessed it) Stazon Cleaner. 

Things I am loving right now.

I am really into these new Basic Grey Christmas Bling.  Pretty much they just make an entire card.  You really don't need much when you have these. 

This is Snowflake bling, Ivy Tree, and Cherry Present.

Here is a really simple card I made using the snowflake bling. 

This card took me maybe 10 minutes.  I really dislike doing cards in bulk but this design I could stomach because it is so fast and easy and like I said, the bling really makes the whole card.  I used the Hero Arts Acetate Notecards agains (which also reduces the amount of work, no cutting or scoring here), and then I used a polka dot border stamp PaperTrey Ink's Polka Dot BasicsII Stamp Set (using uneven pressure so it looked kind of worn) with Memento's London Fog ink.  The Silent Night is from Technique Tuesday it is called Ali Edwards Peace Joy Love Words We Love Stamps (Wow! thats long)

Also, I am in heaven with Art Warehouse's Christmas paper/transparencies/stickers, I prefer traditional Christams items in papercrafting (and decorating) for the Holidays so I was really excited when I saw these new papers come out.  I can't wait to use them.

Here are their names Hollyberry Song Art, 25 Days 12x12 Cardstock Stickers, and Mistletoe Transparency.  A Cherry on Top.com carries the whole line and its 10% off there so check it out. 

Merry Acetate

A Christmas Card!

I am so excited for Christmas this year (probably because its the first year of celebrating with a child).  He will be 13 months when Santa comes and I can't wait.  I am not sure what to do about the christmas tree.  Do you just not put ornaments down low? Or do you just put the whole tree in a room they aren't allowed?  Any advice would be appreciated since I am all new at this.  He is already into everything.  I have had to clear out soooo much stuff its unbelievable.  Vases, plants, books, wine racks, magazine racks, dog food/water bowls.  I didn't really even think about all the stuff was in his reach until he got his walker.  Anyway, so here is my first Christmas card of the season.  What do you think?  It was sooo easy. 

Here is a a card I made using Hero Arts Acetate Cards w/ Envelopes.  What these are so great is because the acetate is already pre-cut and folded and it has the white cardstock cut to fit along with it.  It makes card making so much faster. 

Here is a better view of this being an acetate card.  Doesn't really show up well in a picture. 

The rest of the supplies used are Basic Greys Undressed Chipboard Letters which I colored red with Colorbox's Red Chalk ink.  The ribbon is from Stampin Up!, the polka dot piece is from Making Memories Mistletoe Collection it is their Masking Tape, the flower/button embellishment is also Making Memories its their Mistletoe Poinsettia Buttons (soooooo cute, I think I bought 3 packs of these)

A Couple Amy Butler Cards.

Have I mentioned lately how much I like Amy Butler paper?

Cardstock is Natural cream from Stampin Up!, Paper is from Amy Butler Lucky Flowers, Flowers are Hero Arts White and Cream Art Flowers (these are awsome, you can stamp on them), Middles are from  (hum...I am not sure sorry ) and the FRIENDS is Amy Butler Sola Adhesive Chipboard Stickers. 

Cardstock is Kraft paper.  Patterned paper is Amy Butler from her Lucky Flowers collection.  The SMILE is from Amy Butler's Sola Collection (link is above).  The Blue paper is Bordering Blue from Stampin Up! as is the linen thread.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Monstrosities Alphabet Book

This was soooooooooooo much fun.  You know how I love Woolies (from Basic Grey)?   WELL,  now I love FELTIES (from Sassafrass Lass).    I have several of Sassafras' paper collection but then at Archivers the other day I saw these.

And I thought what a cute Alphabet book these would make for Ethan. 

This is my favorite page.  I love those little legs.  I cut them of the bodies of one of the monsters.  I love how they look like they are dangling. 

When I finished this book I thought how thick it was, was going to be a problem.  It turns out,  its great that it is so thick.  The book sits up all on its own.  I think it will look adorable on his shelf. 

Here are the Supplies I used

1. Kraft Cardstock

2. Sassafras Lass products. 

Ok, more specifically I used kraft cardstock from Stampin Up!, Unknown 4x4 chipboard pieces for the front and back, binder rings from 7 Gypsies, a White Gel Pen, and then here is a list of the Sassafras products that I used.

1. Alpha Token Blue Chipboard Alphabet (the inspiration)

2. Amplify 6x6 Wee bundle

3. Monstrosities 6x6 Wee bundle

4. Sweet Marmalade 6x6 Wee bundle

5. Fuzzy Friends Felties

6. Under the Sea Felties

7.  Silly Monster Felties

8. Zoom Zoom Felties

9. Monstrosities 12x12 Journaling Stickers

10. Amplify 12x12 Journaling Stickers

11.Free Rein Blossoms

12.Spot On Double Sided Monstristies Paper

ONLY 2 PRODUCTS USED.

I can't believe I made 2 cards with only 2 products.  I think that should be a challenge.  If anyone else can make a card using only 2 products leave me a link.  I would love to see them. 

I used Kraft paper from Bazzill Basics and rub ons from Basic Grey's Indian Summer Collection.  Thats it. 

Lexicon of Leaves.

I am still in this natural cream paper mood (from Stampin Up!).  So here is another fall card using it as well as a stamp set called Lexicon of Leaves also from Stampin Up!.  I watercolored the leave with Stampin Up! markers and then used some Glossy Accents by Ranger on top  to make the leave really stand out. 

I also distressed this middle piece with the Basic Grey Precision Filing Set (a must have). 

And then I just wrapped it up in Linen thread from Stampin Up! This is a really simple layout

that could be used so many different ways for so many occasions.  This is one of those layouts

I always come back to if I am out of ideas. 

Christmas Journal Progress

So This is what I have so far page by page. 

Below is the paper that I added a Silvery finish too. 

However, that just was not sparkly enough for me so I went spread some silver

stickles all over the top also.  The Silver Flourish is from Making Memories.

This metallic damask overlay in from Hambly Studios.

This half circle of paper if from Making Memories from their Mistletoe collection

I just cut it in half and glued the two halves together to create this page.  I also added Making Memories

Clear Specialty Finish Paint to it (before I cut it) to make is shiny.

I added another Making Memories Flourish here and also Poinsettia's from Prima.

The Snowflake overlay is from Making Memories Mistletoe Collection. 

I know I have used a lot of their stuff.  I really like it and its really one of the

only Holiday collections already out. 

Here is the front.  Not sure what I am going to put here yet.  Binder rings are from

7 Gypsies.  I have gotten a lot done I just need to finish up the cover and then add some more details inside.  I think I am also going to add a few more pages but we'll see.  Leave a message if you have any ideas of how I should decorate the cover.  I could really use the inspiration. 

If you would like any more information about the products used please see (in the archives) my 1st Christmas Journal post. 

OOPS!

This is so funny to me.
For some reason in my mind I was thinking this sticker said Love not Live.  I didn't notice it until I went to take a picture and I saw it thru the lens of the camera.  Wow, are minds really do funny things.  That is something to think about. 

This card uses kraft paper, a white Singo Gel Pen, Stickers from Sassafras Lass' Amplify Collection, and the U. is from K. & Co.'s Actopus to Zelephant  line.

Here is another 'Love' card using Sassafras products.

 

I used the same alpha stickers here as I did above however, I used them as a mask here.   I also added some yellow stickles in the middle. 

The paper is Sassafra Lass' paper Sweet Marmalade. I use their wee bundles because they are great for cards and they are a fantastic price.  The orange suede ribbon is from Making Memories Great Escape Trims. Baby is crying so I am cutting this post short.  Sorry.

 

Ugliest thing ever and the CUTEST thing ever.

The mess in my husband's and my office.  Yuck.  But then three feet is away is the

cutest and sweetest person that ever existed (but I am not biased).  His name is Ethan and he is 10 months.  He has one tooth and is dying to walk already.