Masculine Silhouettes

Thank you so much for the lovely comments on my last post...each one put a smile on my face! I guess when I wrote that post I had hit my limit of rude people...both in real life and online, and just couldn't take it anymore...so had to say something. Thanks again for listening and/or taking the time to comment.

Now, on to the real reason you stopped by...another card! This is one we made at my last card class. I always like to include at least one masculine card...and good thing I did because my Step-Father's birthday crept up on me earlier this week and I had this one all ready to give him.

I used the same design and technique as my last card (scroll down to read more about the offset embossing technique) but as you can see, the different colors and texture make it more masculine.

Stamps: Serene Silhouettes, Apothecary Art & Timber Wheel
Card stock: Always Artichoke & Very Vanilla
Ink: VersaMark, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Always Artichoke & Marina Mist
Accessories: Always Artichoke Seam Binding Ribbon, White EP, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Woodgrain Embossing Folder

Have a fun & safe Labor Day weekend! I cannot believe summer went by so fast!

Serene Silhouettes Anniversary

Today I am sharing a card that I basically copied off myself. I created the first card using the same technique & colors a few years back. Since this card (shown here ) using the Just Believe stamp set has been consistently a favorite, according to my stats both here and on Pinterest, I thought I would try another version using Serene Silhouettes.

To create the shadow on the image and really make it pop, it was first stamped in Soft Suede and then using my Stamp-a-ma-jig I offset the image and stamped it again in VersaMark. Then it was embossed using Winter White EP. To make the white image stand out even more on the Very Vanilla card stock, I lightly sponged it with Crumb Cake ink using a Sponge Dauber. 

This version of the card looks more distressed and antiqued than my original card by inking up the edges and also inking the Beautifully Baroque embossing folder with Crumb Cake ink before running it through the Big Shot. 

The little butterfly, from Papillon Potpourri and the Basic Pearls used to adorn the ribbon and flowers add just the right finishing details.

Do you use Pinterest? Here is something to consider when pinning:
Like I mentioned earlier in this post, I can tell if a particular blog posting is popular by checking my stats here and also on Pinterest. Before Pinterest, I used to be able to tell if a post was well liked by the comments received on the actual posting. Now it seems most people don't take the time to post comments anymore, but instead, pin something if they like it...and yes, I'm guilty of the same thing! 

I LOVE Pinterest, so I'm certainly not knocking it BUT every now and then I come across a pin where the pinner is criticizing the creation in the pin description. This just happened to me recently where someone pinned one of my cards, and said they liked the layout, but then went on to say what they didn't like. "OK...thanks for the backhanded compliment B*$%!", I thought to myself. Later, I thought more about it...and it kind of made me mad. Us bloggers take a lot of time to share our creations with others. Most, including myself, are certainly not getting compensated for the time we put into it. Should we really have to read negative comments on a very public forum like Pinterest? 

I know what I post is appealing to some and to others...not so much. I'm fine with that...everyone has different tastes. But unless the person posting is asking for opinions why would someone think it's OK to make negative remarks? For those who need to critique and criticize then maybe they should have a secret board dedicated to those pins? 

Just something to consider when you are pinning someones creation...we never know who is reading what we write and how our words can hurt others who were simply sharing something they thought was their best work. One nice comment can make someone's day...but a negative one can ruin the fun of sharing.

Thanks for stopping by and if you read the above...thanks for listening.

Flower Shop Birthday Card

Here is a cheerful birthday card using one of my favorite new sets...Flower Shop.

Stamps: Flower Shop, Mosaic Madness & Petite Pairs
Card stock: Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White & Quatrefancy Specialty paper
Ink: Pool Party, Bermuda Bay & Strawberry Slush
Accessories: Pansy Flower Punch, Modern Mosaic EF, Adorning Accents Edgelits, Adorning Accents EF, Bights Candy Dots

Have a great weekend!

Merry Little Christmas Gift

Lets see if the rule "three times the charm" works for this blog posting. On Monday morning I was in the middle of creating this post and the power went out. We were without power for several hours. Yesterday I thought I would try again...but then the cable went out for several hours. What the heck? Monday it was raining and yesterday it was unseasonably cold, but not the type of weather you would expect to lose power?? Oh well, here I am trying a third time...hopefully it works!

I've been trying to share this little set we made at my Christmas in July class...so here goes...

I think the little Tag a Bag Gift Bags are so cute with their printed chevron design. I dressed up this bag with the Season of Style DSP and a tag created using the Merry Little Christmas stamp set. The decorated acrylic frame fits easily in the bag.

One of my favorite new accessories has got to be washi tape...I can't stop using it! Here I used the Season of Style Washi Tape on both the frame and the tag. With that being said, my absolute favorite new accessory has got to be the gorgeous new Frosted Finishes Embellishments...they are absolutely gorgeous! One is used here as the finishing touch in the center of the silver embossed snowflake created using the Snow Flurry Bundle.

Well...here I am on the home stretch of this post. So far so good...still have power and cable service. So it looks as if three times is the charm! Thanks for visiting me today.

Toil & Trouble

Having some fun playing with new stuff from the 2013 Holiday Catalog!

I love the subway style art on this main image from Toil & Trouble and how it works with the Apothecary Accents Framelits. I have several other projects in the works using this. The Witches' Brew Washi Tape makes a fun accent on this card...even tho I may have gotten a little carried away with it.

Today is another cold & rainy day here in Michigan...so it looks like I'll be heading down to my stampin' lair for a day of creativity.

Merry Mosaics

Here is another card we did at my Christmas in July class last week.

Stamps: Mosaic Madness & Merry Little Christmas
Card stock: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Whisper White & Season of Style DSP
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive & Crumb Cake
Accessories: Basic Rhinestones, Silver 1/8" Ribbon, Modern Mosaic EF, Mosaic & 1/2" Circle Punches

Two down...fifty plus more to go! (as in Christmas cards!) I guess I better get busy...

First Festive Flurry

Summer is just flying by! It's hard to believe that it's already August and that we can now order goodies from the the Holiday Catalog! My absolute favorite item from the Holiday catalog is the Festive Flurry Bundle! Here is a card we made at my Christmas in July class a few days ago.

Each snowflake is embossed with Silver EP and then cut with the coordinating Festive Flurry Framelits (say that 3 times fast!) I used a strip of Winter Frost Specialty Paper that is accented with a foil stripe and pretty new metallic 1/8" Silver Ribbon. The sentiment is from a cute little set called Merry Little Christmas.

Here's a closer look at some of these beautiful new products...aren't the papers gorgeous?

Check back in the coming week for more posts featuring projects we created with these new products at my Christmas in July class.

With the strange weather we've been having in Michigan this past week or so it wouldn't surprise me too much to see some real snowflakes! I hope it warms up a bit so we can enjoy some pool time soon. Have a great weekend!