Blue Christmas

Welcome to another installment of Monday Montage!  For those who have hopped here from Dara's blog I say hello and isn't she so fabulous?  I am always inspired by the cards Dara creates.  Now that you are here I have a blue Christmas card to let you all see today.  I have used the Pretty Pines Thinlits, Christmas Pines Stamp Set, and the Banners for You Stamp Set and coordinating thinlits.

My card base is Pool Party which a speckled using the gold color Wink of Stella pen.  It may be hard to see but the cut pine boughs are white with a light tinting of Pool Party ink.  I was liking how the card was coming together and then I added the Gold Glimmer mistletoe pieces and was LOVING the card.  I finished with Gold Thread, a couple PIne Cone embellishments, and Metallic Enamel Shapes.

Now you're set to hop on over to Julie Warnick's blog to be totally inspired.  Enjoy!

from Dara

to Julie

TGIF #79 Designer Spotlight

Greetings stampin' friends and TGIF followers!  Today's challenge over at TGIF is a first ever for us.  We are spotlighting one of our designers and for this first spotlight challenge we are showcasing the most amazing Krista Frattin.  For several years I have been following Krista's blog.  When I say follow I actually don't "follow" blogs, but instead I bookmark them.  I have a long list of bookmarked favorite blogs that I visit regularly for fabulous inspiration.

When Mercedes Weber, creator of TGIF, set up this spotlight challenge she included a picture of one of Krista's posts.  I totally remembered that post.  In fact I went back to her blog to revisit that post more than once!  I was totally intrigued by the cards she created.  If you want you to can see her collection of cards from that post that have inspired my cards for today.  Krista's Painted Petals post 

For this entire month I have not been home.  I have been at a beach house relaxing, playing, touring and every now and then stamping.  Yep, I brought a few things with me to stamp.  One set I have in my small box of supplies is Fresh Fruit which for this challenge, and the season, I felt was a great fit.

I worked hard to channel Krista's style.  I tucked bits of Gold Glimmer Paper and twisted threads to accent round greeting panels.  I speckled and layered images for a light and airy feel again to reflect the Painted Petal cards designed by Krista.   On my first card I started with a handmade stencil.  I cut the word "love" from Sunshine Wishes Thinlits a bunch of times and then rolled a light coverage of Pool Party ink for a soft and unique background.  For all of my cards the greetings have been shadow stamped.  First in Blushing Bride and then in Tip Top Taupe directly over top, or as close as I could get.

For the next two cards I used an Aquapainter, filled with water, directly on my stamps.  I inked the solid images, stamped off, brushed each stamped off image with an Aqua Painter, and then stamped onto Thick Whisper White card stock.  I stamped the coordinating line images in full strength ink for a fun and easy layered look.

I mentioned I splattered each of my cards.  Here is what Krista says about her method to splatter:

"Splatter with ink and a Aqua Painter.  I squeeze my ink pads together when closed to transfer ink to the inside of the lid.  Open the ink pad and ink your Aqua Painter from the lid. Flick the Aqua Painter over cards with the ink."

Suite Seasons Super Sketch

There is a great stamp set in the Holiday Catalog that is jam packed with greetings perfect for the fall season.  It's called Suite Seasons and I used one of the images for my card today.  The awesome sketch is from Hand Stamped Sentiments.

Monday Montage Halloween Treats

The most wonderful time of the year is almost here!  Halloween to me is the best.  You can go to the extreme, be funky, a bit over the top, and be totally weird.  The fun with Halloween is there are no rules.  Be crooked, smear ink, tear an edge whatever flies is totally perfect and acceptable.

For this Monday Montage Blog Hop I thought I would share some of the treats we made at my stamp class last month.  This first treat is made with a half sheet of card stock, a 3" x 3.5" piece of DSP, and a focal panel.  The DSP is cut on the diagonal and one half is flipped over to add a coordinating splash of pattern and color.

The DSP is the Halloween Night from the Holiday Catalog.  The star is cut from the oh so amazing Pumpkin Pie Glimmer Paper (that paper is GORGEOUS).  I stamped the greeting from the You're So Sweet stamp set in Basic Grey and Pumpkin Pie on Whisper White.  I cut all the focal layers using the Layering Ovals Framelits.  One detail that really stands out in person is the edging of Dazzling Diamonds Glitter around the white layer.  And, to finish of course I added twine.  I have become totally addicted to twine.

This next treat is one of those things you think of and wonder if it will work.  So, you try it and it turns out with total success!!!  I call these treats Sour Cream Shish Kabobs.  Aren't they cool?  Just picture a full bouquet of them displayed in a pumpkin or a jar of unpopped corn kernals.

 Each of these sour cream containers is made from a 3" x 4" piece of Halloween Night DSP.  The only trick to these is to punch a hole in the center of the container before you turn the container to close the second side.

Pretty cool right?  Remember you saw them here first!

I hope you are enjoying our hop.  Have a safe and happy Halloween.

To Dara

To Julie

TGIF #77 Awesome Sketch

This is such an awesome sketch challenge.  You should see the fabulous entries over at TGIF and better yet it would be fun if you joined in the stampin' action and add your take on the sketch.  Think of the possibilities with this layout as it's perfect for tags, a long and narrow card, a scrapbook page, or whatever paper project you have in the works.

For my take on the sketch I interpreted the largest panel of the layout with a watercolor wash.  I used Sweet Sugarplum on Shimmer White card stock.  For the next layer I added pieces of Playful Palette Washi Tape and then finished the sketch with a glittery birthday cake.  The Blushing Bride Glimmer Paper cake was cut using the Party Pop Up Thinlits, which I have to say is beautiful in person.

Lately I can't seem to get enough twine.  I LOVE BAKERS TWINE.  It used to be that I thought "glitter made everything better!"  Now, "twine makes it divine."  I know that's totally hokey, but I have just love it.  The grey and black twine is from the Halloween two pack that you can get in the Holiday Catalog.  The flowers were punched using the Blossom Builder Punch and the 2016-2018 In Color Enamel Shapes.

Aqua Blue with Red is Awesome

Seriously, one of my most favorite color combinations is aqua with red.  I don't know what it is but, it's just total yumminess to me.  For this color challenge I kept my card simple and fuss free.   Take a moment to pop on over to Hand Stamped Sentiments and check out the Design Team's approach to the challenge.

Super Cute Favors

Check out these super cute party favors.  I made them for my own birthday party dinner that was at Olla Cocina in downtown San Jose.  The ambiance there is fun and funky and the food is a fusion of street and swanky Latin flavors.  Here is the catch.  While it was my birthday we actually celebrated my sons 26th birhtday.  You see back in July we just couldn't work it out to have the traditional festivities and so, for my birthday I chose to make it a surprise for Nicholas.  What mom wouldn't give up her day for their child?

Earlier today I posted another version of these Lots of Labels treat holders.  These are just a bit different in that I glued the sides together to form the boxes while the other style has holes with twine to bring up the sides and form the box.  You can click here to see the others and a quick photo tutorial with measurements.

to Dara

to Julie

Creation Station Framelits to Die For

This month's theme for the Creation Station Blog Hop fits the season of tricks and treats, scares and dares, and opportunities to decorate and party in any way you desire.  The theme this month, framelits to die for, features a stamper and paper crafters best friend -- the framelit/thinlet!

These Halloween treats are made using the largest of the Lots of Labels Framelits.  Scroll down and check out these goodies holders.  They are fairly simple to put together and can hold a good amount of yumminess.

 Want to make a Lots of Labels treat box?  Just follow these simple photo instructions below.

To Sara

To Kimberly

Product List

Lots Of Labels Framelits Dies [138281] $27.00	Bunch Of Banners Framelits Dies [141488] $27.00	Stars Framelits Dies [133723] $27.00	Banners For You Photopolymer Stamp Set [141710] $27.00
Halloween Night Specialty Designer Series Paper [142022] $13.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $9.00	Pumpkin Pie Glimmer Paper [142029] $5.00	Pumpkin Pie 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [105117] $8.00
Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad* [105216] $5.95	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad [140931] $7.00	Halloween Night Baker's Twine [142027] $6.00	Stampin' Trimmer [126889] $30.00
Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755] $4.00