a final Inspiration Team project for Crafter's Companion USA

well it has been a FUN year with Crafter's Companion USA!  i tinkered with my very first Spectrum Noir markers and became an Accredited Colorist (woot!), made some awesome new friends and learned some fun new techniques, was introduced to the Ultimate Tool (which has become a HUGE source of inspiration, especially recently!), and was among the first to play with the fab new Spectrum Noir blendable colored pencils.

there is a LOT going on in my life, and it's definitely a time of huge changes, stressful transition, and, currently, a whole bunch of questions as i wait to see what my career will hold.  my bank is closing, and my job (and 58 others' jobs) will cease to exist, and the direction in which i'm heading is totally uncertain.  we have a waiting period, but in a few weeks, i should have some idea of what's ahead.  WHATEVER is ahead, it's going to be a huge change, and could involve looking for a new job, or beginning a career in insurance.  career moves at 40?  why the heck not, right?

regardless, i'm keeping an open mind and i'm certain that things are going to be okay.  the company for whom i work has been amazing so far, and the future is bright!

so with that, folks, i bring you my final Crafter's Companion USA project...

and here's my supply list:

Art-Kure Britain in Bloom EZmount stamp set - "English Rose", stamped on frosted vellum with StazOn Jet Black ink
embossed on Luxury Centura Pearl cardstock using Die'sire 6x6 Embossalicious embossing folder - "Decorative Heart"
on the same panel, i stamped the birthday sentiment from the Sentimentals EZmount stamp set - "Imagine", using my StazOn
i misted on the embossed panel using Memento Fireworks Spray - Angel Pink, then splattered a few random speckles of Spectrum Noir re-inker BP3
colored up some white Thickers using Spectrum Noir markers - PP1, BP2, True Black

i wish i could capture the shimmer, but it was hard enough to photograph with my glitchy camera!  if everything with the job gets sorted soon and i know i'll be employed in a few months, i will be getting a new camera...  in the meantime, i'm being extra frugal.  

so there you have it.  i will be hanging out with my Crafter's Companion products a whole lot, and i can't wait to see what the amazing Inspiration and Education teams create in the next term!  drop by the Crafter's Companion USA blog to see the first introductions for the new term!  thanks to the whole CC crew for everything - it's been a great run!  xo

a happy little box of HOME with Crafter's Companion

holy wow, chickens.  LOTS going on in my personal life right now, and i've got some HUGE hurdles to clear, but i'm confident it's all going to work out as it should and i'll be okay.  yesterday i received some big (and bad) news, but i also celebrated 10 years since the day my husband and i met.  we're off to NYC in a couple of hours and i'm SO excited, but it's bittersweet coupled with the other stuff.  still, i'm determined to enjoy myself, and his company, and it's going to be a nice little escape.  :)

today, i've got a post that was shared on the Crafter's Companion USA Facebook page yesterday - yet ANOTHER little box created with my Ultimate Tool (and i just got another of the embossing boards, so there will be many more forthcoming!):

this one's a simple box, the perfect size for some little trinkety goodness.  the nice thing about the box feature is that as long as the papers are the exact same size, you don't have to worry about the actual measurements.  just score, snip and stick. 

the floral stamp is from Sheena Douglass - "Lily of the Valley", stamped on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  i colored this and select areas on my sentiment cut with my Spectrum Noir markers:

leaves - LG2, LG3, JG1
flower petals - TN1, GB2, LY3
flower centers - TN1, TN3, TN5
other (on sentiment panel) - GB2, CR7

some bits and bobs to fill the white space, everything coming from the Paper Issues Swag Bags, and voila!  a cute way to give someone a gift welcoming them into their new home!  or returning from a trip.  or just finding a way to relax and enjoy some down time with loved ones. 

have you signed up for the Crafter's Companion newsletter?  there's always something good coming to your inbox, and there are some awesome new stamps available from Sheena Douglass and Scruffy Little Cat!  ANNNNND, there's a whole new line of Die'sire DIES available, too!  sign up now and get all the latest news and deals hot off the press!

another Sheena card - LOVE the Henna stamps from Crafter's Companion!

hi again, chickens!

back with another Sheena Douglass card - the Taste of India stamps from her A Little Bit Sketchy line are gorgeous, and i can totally see myself making my own patterned paper and doing some embossing and MAYBE even some watercoloring, but LOOK!  are they not stunning?

i stamped on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and colored with my Spectrum Noir markers:

GB3, OR2, OR3, BP2, PL3, PL5, TN3, TN4, CT1, CT2, CG3, CG1, BT2, BT4

the sentiment is a Cosmo Cricket hybrid of two separate stickers, and the bling is super fun and very purple, but it didn't photograph well (sorry about that - still working on sorting out my camera issues!).

whatcha think?  check out the Crafter's Companion USA Facebook page for loads of inspiration from the Education and Inspiration teams, and don't forget to play along with the monthly challenge - this month's theme is Tags, Boxes or Bags and as long as you incorporate a Crafter's Companion exclusive product (the rules can be found with the challenge HERE) - besides just Spectrum Noir markers or blendable colored pencils, you could win £30 or $30 to spend at the Crafter's Companion USA or UK store!  

brand new Scruffy Little Cat stamps coming THURSDAY to Crafter's Companion!

heya gang!  quickie post to give you a little sneak peek of what's coming to the Crafter's Companion store this THURSDAY!  there's a new(ish) line called Scruffy Little Cat and we've got NEW stamps coming out on Thursday...  they're too stinkin' cute! 

i've stamped my image on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, then colored up miss Hayley using my Spectrum Noir markers... here's my color list:

skin - FS4, TN2
cheeks - PP1, PP2
lips - CR6, DR3
eyes - CG2, DG2, GB10
shirt - FS6, FS8
skirt - CG2, DG2, GB9, GB10, BG7
purse/shoes - IG1, IG2, IG3
jewels/box - FS1, FS3, IG1, GB3, GB1, TN3, TN5, BG3, BG7, FS8, DR3, PP2
hair - BG1, BG4, BG6

check out the full range of Scruffy Little Cat goodies, including EZMount stamps, clear stamps, paper pads, embossing folders and a CD-Rom! 

peek around the Crafter's Companion Facebook page over the next few days to see more from this new release!

another Crafter's Companion BOX, using the Ultimate Tool!

i know i've mentioned i'm loving my Ultimate Tool from Crafter's Companion USA, and the many embossing boards that come with it, or are available separately, but OH MY GOOMIE, this one could be my fave!  (until my next order comes, that is!)

this project, up on the Crafter's Companion USA Facebook page today, uses the Ultimate Tool with the Ulti-bags embossing folder for a totally cute and functional PURSE!  everything just fits together so well, and i added a handle and decorated to make it super girlie.  behold!

i coloured up the flowers and leaf from Sheena's A Little Bit Sketchy - "A New Leaf" EZMount stamp set with the following Spectrum Noir markers:

flowers - BT1, BT2, EB1, OR1, BG3
leaf - GB3, TN3, BG2

this ALSO happens to fit our current Tags, Bags and Boxes challenge!  CLICK HERE to play along, and use any of your Crafter's Companion USA or Crafter's Companion UK stamps, or our other exclusive products (the full rules list is posted - read carefully!).  projects MUST incorporate more than just Spectrum Noir markers or blendable colored pencils to qualify.  good luck!

blending my Spectrum Noir colored pencils!

good morning, lovely chickens!  

time for another Crafter's Companion Facebook page project!  

i thought i'd play with my Spectrum Noir blendable colored pencils, and actually BLEND THEM!  using my paper stumps with the blending solution, the colors just seem to melt into each other, and i absolutely LOVE the effect!  check it out:

i used "The Butterfly Effect" from Sheena's A Little Bit Sketchy EZMount stamps, and the following Spectrum Noir pencils:

 4, 15, 20, 89, 91, 95, 117, 119, 120

blended them up and added some flicking in for a bit of texture, and this is what i was able to achieve:

whatcha think?  :)  i love the butterflies in this line to begin with, but now i just love coloring them more.  CLICK HERE to see what's new and exciting at Crafter's Companion, and if you don't already subscribe to the newsletter, you're missing out!  you get the first news on sales and sneaks!  here's how you sign up at the main Crafter's Companion page (in the left sidebar):

the Crafter's Companion Inspiration Magazine is HERE!

i'm up today on the Crafter's Companion Facebook page, and i had LOADS of fun trying something a little different than my usual...

i LOVE LOVE LOVE the newest issue of Crafter's Inspiration - it is FULL of fabulosity on the DVD and in the magazine, and the freebies are AWESOME.  i have never tried the decoupage/layering technique with an image except for some minor paper piecing, so i decided to give this little Angelica cutie some love...

i cannot take credit for coloring her up, but there is a lot of dimension and all i did was stick the layers down...  i didn't use foam dots for this one, but i may try it next time for some of the layers, just to see the difference...  the image, floral paper, blue flowers and birthday sentiment are all from the sampler pack, and the box?

ah, yes!  the box! WOOT!  :)  box made with my awesome Ultimate Tool, and the simple box-making board that comes with it.  it's SO. STINKING. EASY.  and it's a perfect fit every time!  check out one of the super simple tutorials HERE...  (i made some boxes using the Ulti-bags and Ulti-boxes embossing boards earlier this week - click HERE to check them out!)
yep.  FUN.  and different.  and sometimes i just need to step outside of my comfort zone and do something besides cards to keep it fresh and funky!  whatcha think?  :)

the Scruffy Little Cat collection is HERE from Crafter's Companion!

WOOT!  now available, these crazy-cute and ridiculously sassy gals - the Scruffy Little Cat collection, which includes stamps, embossing folders, papers and a CD-rom!  the whole she-bang!  Crafter's Companion USA released all of it YESTERDAY, so CLICK HERE to check it all out!  i'm up on the Crafter's Companion Facebook page today with this card...

isn't she sassy and fun?!  i added a little smirk and a mole just 'cuz...  here's my supply list:

Scruffy Little Cat EZmount stamp set "Autumn"
Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock
Spectrum Noir blendable colored pencils:
5, 9, 34, 41, 57, 60, 63, 73, 85, 88, 89, 91, 96, 116, 119

i love the SIZE of these images - they really fill a card nicely, give the crafter a change to REALLY get their color on, and don't require much embellishing to tie everything together!   don't forget to check out the Crafter's Companion USA blog for more inspiration from my talented teammates, including lots of Scruffy Little Cat projects and tutorials using the new Spectrum Noir blendable colored pencils!  for inquiring minds that wanna know!  ;)

more of Sheena's lovely butterflies at Crafter's Companion!

hellooooooo chickens!  i'm headed for Washington, DC this morning and will be chaperoning a bunch of high school students for their chorus competition - wish me luck!  ;)  last year was Seattle (the OTHER Washington), and it was my first time going, both to Seattle and on the chorus trip.  it was AMAZING and there were so many fun things crammed into our stay!  while DC is much closer, i don't imagine i will have less fun!

today, i'm up on the Crafter's Companion USA Facebook page with a brand new card using the gorgeous Sheena Douglass sets - this one's from her A Little Bit Sketchy line and the set is called True Colors...

isn't the butterfly stunning?!  i colored it up using the following:

Spectrum Noir markers - CT1, PP1, PP2 in order to establish a base
Spectrum Noir blendable colored pencils - 005, 009, 024, 027, 028, 029, 031, 033, 071, 073, 093, 094, 111 and 116.

the butterfly and sentiment are both stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock.  i also used the Petite Floral embossing folder (also by Sheena!) and inked it with Electric Yellow and Electric Coral Radiant Inks.  splattered with some Memento Fireworks spray in Bahama Blue, because it looks fab with the blue in the wings!

a few minimal embellies, and voila! 

i love the sentiment and think it's an awesome little message to someone in need of some encouragement - maybe someone going off to school, starting a new business endeavour, or taking a big leap to try something new.  regardless, LOVE IT.  and have i mentioned how much i am loving these Sheena butterflies?  :)

it's a SHEENA DOUGLASS HOP at Crafter's Companion!

WELCOME!  the brand new (utterly stunning) Sheena Douglass "A Taste of India" release is NOW.  we are HOPPING!  we've been waiting for this day, and it's finally here!

we've shared lots of sneak peeks over the last week and these gorgeous new stamp sets AND embossing folders (!!!) are all available NOW at Crafter's Companion!

there are 8 prizes to be won.  EIGHT!  so be sure to comment at each of the blogs to maximize your chances to win, and you have until Monday, April 21st at midnight EDT to get in on the action!  winners will be announced on Tuesday at the Crafter's Companion US blog.

if you've arrived here from Giovana's blog, you're well on your way (with only a few more stops to go!)...  if you've randomly arrived, that's great too!  but here's our full hop list, just in case:

Crafter's Companion US Blog

Kendra Wietstock

Allie Gower

Chrissie Tobas

Christiana Reuling

Jenn Cochran

Jennifer Ingle

Laurel Beard

Mary Dawn Quirindongo

Tenia Nelson

Trena Brannon

Wendy Price

Stephanie Severin
Annette Allen

Giovana Smith

Leah l'Orange (you are here, natch!)
Lori Barnett

Roxanne O'Brien

Swarup Murthy

the Inspiration and Education Teams have rocked out some seriously amazing creations to showcase this beautiful new line, and i've got a card for ya!

i LOVE Indian patterns and all the gorgeous bright colors they incorporate into the designs, so this fabulous image from the Henna Mango set really grabbed me.  the trim on the bottom is from the Mandala set - everything works so wonderfully together, you'll want them all!  i shared my first sneak for A Taste of India on Saturday, so click here to see several of these new sets in action!

zoom on my card!

i love the little details!  i combined my Spectrum Noir markers and Spectrum Noir blendable colored pencils using the following:

Markers: LY2, LY3, OR2, CR7, PP3, BP2, BP4, BT3, BT5, TB5, CG1, CG2
Pencils: 008, 026, 030, 038, 061, 066, 088

the images were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock and i went for clean and simple for maximum POP! 

so JOIN US in celebrating this fantastic new release at Crafter's Companion from the brilliant and talented Sheena Douglass by HOPPING!  enjoy the eye candy, and thanks for visiting!

 

Sneaks of Sheena and India and Spectrum Noir!

hey there chickens!  did you see the big EVENT going on at Crafter's Companion right now?!  we're promoting an upcoming Sheena Douglass release that could, quite possibly, be my favourite ever.  yeah, i know i've said that before.  ;)

the new sets are from Taste of India, and they will take your breath away!  Sheena has outdone herself with this gorgeous new art, and i'm super pleased to share my card...

this is "Marching Elephant" - the image...  but i've also added the sentiment from "Tiger Tiger" and accents from "Henna", "Henna Mango" and "Mandala" to show how awesome all of the sets work together.  are they not AMAZING?!

my Marching Elephant is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock, and coloured with Spectrum Noir markers AND blendable pencils...  here's what i used:

Spectrum Noir markers:
elephant - BGR2, BGE3, GG1, GG2
tusks/hooves - FS2, GG1
blanket/flowers - OR1, OR2, GT1, GT2, DR5, DR6, PL2, PL3

Spectrum Noir colored pencils:
shading/texture (elephant) - 114
shading (blanket) - 097

just pencils for a bit of added texture and depth, but you'll see more of them in upcoming projects!  the background was made with a stencil and i inked some Electric Orange and Electric Purple Radiant Neon inks...  here's a little zoom:

(okay, a big zoom)...  LOVE this elephant.  and i need to get the tiger coloured up too, because he's just beautiful!  CLICK HERE to check out the rest of the sneak peeks on the Crafter's Companion blog (we're featuring this new set all week - starting yesterday!) and see what my utterly talented teammates have done!

one more for the road:

and i love it.  clean and simple design (for a change!) and some gorgeous Sheena Douglass, coming soon!!

Sheena has these lovely FLOWERS at Crafter's Companion!

told you i like my Sheena Douglass stamps!  

i'm up on the Crafter's Companion Facebook page today with a new card, and it's all about Sheena!  this gorgeous flower comes from another of her new sets from the A Little Bit Sketchy line - the set is called Bloomin' Beautiful (the sentiment comes from Only Words - Through the Rain) and i'm kinda LOVING this card...

i used a bunch of things i don't typically use, including some Smooch ink, those paper flowers, some Ranger liquid pearls and those AWESOME gold hexagon sequins...  the rest are basic staples (the doily, vellum and loads of pop dots!).

the Sheena flower is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock and colored with my Spectrum Noir markers:

flower center - LY1, OR1
petals - CR1, CR7, CR10

the sentiment is also stamped with Tuxedo Black, and the flower is shaded with colored pencil (coming soon!).

so, no, this is NOT my typical style, but i love how it turned out!  there's a shabby/gritty feel while still being feminine and (i hope) kind of elegant at the same time.

and from another angle, to show the yummy gold:

pop over to the Crafter's Companion store to see the new stuff (more Sheena coming next week, and i can't WAIT to share!), and if you haven't already checked out the new StazOn midi inks and the Radiant Neons, what are you waiting for?!

the OAK from Crafter's Companion!

you've seen me use this stamp before - it has SUCH a presence on a card, and the sentiments are simple but LOVELY.

here's my new card for Crafter's Companion today, featuring Sheena's A Little Bit Sketchy - "The Majestic Oak":

nice and simple, this one, but with a stamp this big, it does all the talking!  all i needed to add (or had room for!) were a sentiment, and little backing panel and a couple of little pearls.

The Majestic Oak and sentiment (from same set) are stamped with Memento Luxe ink (Espresso Truffle) - have you tried these inks?  they're all the fab colours of Memento with lots of juice on a cushier inkpad.  PERFECT for covering large areas and for sponging backgrounds and such.  it's a thicker formula and i'm rather smitten!  check out the whole range of colors HERE!

drop by the Crafter's Companion Facebook page to see this one and all the other gorgeous creations from the Inspiration and Education teams - there are SO many products to show off, so we're constantly sharing there!

the new Angelica and Adam series at Crafter's Companion is ADORABLE!

oh my.  there's another new release at Crafter's Companion, and the design team has been keeping busy and having LOTS of fun with the new stamps!  this particular set is perfect for the little chicas and the little dudes in your life (whether they're genuinely little ones or they're big, grown-up ones!). 

i love these new Angelica and Adam EZmount stamp sets, and i couldn't wait to color up the adorable Ben!  

here's my card that's up on the Crafter's Companion Facebook page today!

so where do i begin with this one?
stamped Ben and the sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock.
embossed the small side panel with Darice Stars 12" folder (and colored the stars with BGR1)
inked around the edges of my panels with StazOn midi in Cactus Green (they're new and they're FABULOUS!) and Delicata Golden Glitz inks.
and COLORED!  yeah, i spent a bit of time on the details for this one...

i dotted, blended, dotted, blended, dotted, blended and continued until i achieved an effect i really liked.  in hindsight, i wish i had thought of shadows under Ben, but next time, i guess.  :)  

anywho, there you have it!  close-up?

 

here's my Spectrum Noir marker list:

skin - FS5, FS7, FS9
hair - TN2, OR1, OR2, EB4, EB7
shirt - LG1, LG4, GD3
shorts - IG2, IG4, IG5
shoes - BG1, BG4, BG5
tree - TN2, EB6, EB7
leaves - DG2, DG3
rope - GB1, GB8
background - BGR1, BGR2, LY1, DG1, GB1, OR1, TB3, CG2, JG1, Blender

closer?

 
whatcha think?  isn't he a cute little thing?  you can grab Ben and his friends by CLICKING HERE, and i TOTALLY encourage you to take a peek at all the new, amazing inks that are in the shop now!  seriously - the StazOn Midis and the new Radiant Neons are FANTASTIC!

 

Crafter's Companion has a HUMPHREY and now I do, too!

morning, chickens!  and happy HUMP DAY to you all!  hope the week's been treating you well so far - i have a LOT going on and have to share my computer with the hubbin as he's taking graduate courses, so i don't have an issue chillin' in my craft room instead to while away the hours.  ;)

i'm up on the Crafter's Companion Facebook page today (where you'll happen to find some awesome deals, HUGE giveaways, and loads of inspiration from my talented teammates!), and i have a sweet little critter to share.  since people everywhere seem to be having BABIES, i figured i ought to build up my stash because these cards will go quick! 

this one features the sweet little Humphrey, from Crafter's Companion.  i used the Welcome Little One stamps from the "A Year With Humphrey" line, and i love the versatility of this set!  good for a boy or girl, new baby, baby's 1st birthday, or, heck, just use the flowers for a cute little thinking of you card...  loads of options!  heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Humphrey!

the sentiment and flower are from the same set - cute, right?  and that fab embossed background?  that's one of the new Sheena Douglass embossing folders - "Petite Floral" - and i love how it goes so well with the flower stamps!

i stamped Humphrey using Memento London Fog ink, then coloured her (!) up with my pencils on plain ol' business card stock (i liked the added bit of texture i got from it):

stamped the sentiment with StazOn Jet Black ink, punched it out, added some little scraps behind the sentiment, tied my ribbon and added just a HINT of yellow Wink of Stella to the flower centers (though it's not visible from the pics)...

 

my little heffalump and the sentiment are popped up and i am LOVING all the fun textures going on here!

drop by the Crafter's Companion Facebook page and see what else is going on!

in celebration of FRIENDS!

i'm up today on the Crafter's Companion Facebook page, and yesterday was a co-worker's birthday, so natch i whipped something up for the occasion!  see, since i started giving handmade cards to people at work, a store bought card simply WILL NOT DO.  ever.  even if i have no time whatsoever, they refuse to settle.

SO!  Liz turned a darling 24.  SERIOUSLY.  she could nearly be my daughter (i said NEARLY!).  and i grabbed my Mulberry Wood "Friend" set from Crafter's Companion, stamped the little fuzzpaw with Jet Black StazOn, coloured him up with my pencils, and added the sentiment from Sheena's A Little Bit Sketchy "Only Words - Through the Rain".  Liz has a bit of a thing for blue, so i added a few embellies in blue, blinged it up, and VOILA!  this little card was born:

the clouds?  i love this part!  i grabbed a sheet of pale blue vellum and punched them out...  this is a one-layer card (not my forte', but every once in a while i surprise myself!), so i just laid them on top of the image, traced the edges of the image on the vellum and trimmed the clouds down to fit around the pooch.  i'm also slightly obsessed with these shaped cards and i've been making loads of SQUARE cards lately.  watch for them!  :)

here's a close-up of the critter:

fur still isn't one of my strengths, and i wanted to go subtle with an emphasis on that blue flower, so pale worked better for me in this case anyway. 

and that is that!  CLICK HERE to check out the rest of the Mulberry Wood stamp sets (oh my goomie, so cute!), and CLICK HERE for all the gorgeousness from Sheena Douglass.  i should mention that there's also a brand new line of Sheena embossing folders and they're absolutely GORGEOUS.  you'll want to check them out by CLICKING HERE!  :)

hope the day's fab, folks.  i'm crazy swamped with work lately, and putting the pedal to the metal at the gym, so let's hope that 2014 is all it SHOULD be!  see you tomorrow!

playing with Mixed Media (!!) and Crafter's Companion goodies

hey there, crafty chickens!  hope the week has been good to you!  it's been busy, rainy, and COLD here, and i'm glad the weekend is here.  i'm going to round things out with a card i made using my Crafter's Companion goodies (that's on the Crafter's Companion Facebook page today!), and i'm kinda LOVING the mixed media thing i've got goin' on here.

i'm not usually one for flat cards, and i often struggle with mixed media, to be perfectly honest.  but since i wasn't specifically going for the vintage look, and stuck with what makes me happy (bright colours, gold things, punchinella, mists), i found this came much easier than expected.  :)

SO.  here we are!

i busted out my Luxury Centura Pearl Snow White cardstock, misted with Memento Fireworks (Angel Pink) and added some drops of Spectrum Noir Re-inker (BP3), then sponged some Delicata Golden Glitz ink using punchinella as a mask.

i stamped Sheena's A Little Bit Scenic (Silhouette Grasses) using StazOn Jet Black ink, then stamped the sentiment from the same set using a wet chalk ink, embossing with black powder.  i LOVE the effect of the black embossed dots from where the Delicata hadn't yet dried.  love it!

snipped a doily and added pieces for interest, then found some matching gold hexagon confetti, inked my edges and stuck it on down onto my card base. 

i promise you it was SO much easier than it looks!  OH, but check this out:

the Luxury Centura Pearl cardstock is TO. DIE. FOR.  the shimmer is incredible.  and it holds colour so well!  for example:

the embossing with the shimmer makes a pretty fab combination, oui?  

all in all, i'm happy with this little experiment!  you can grab most of my supplies at the Crafter's Companion store, but CLICK HERE to see all the new stuff because there's a ton of it!  and play along with the challenge we've got going on by CLICKING HERE...  this month it's all about Clean and Simple! 

Bebunni LOVE at Crafter's Companion... i DO love him!

hey there, chickens!  hope your week is off to a great start!  i have a sweet little somethin'-somethin' to share, featuring the sweet little Bebunni from Crafter's Companion!  he's a cute lil' fella, and even though this particular stamp is from the new Bebunni Love series (this one's called Hearts), i thought he'd work well for a baby shower card.  check him out!

i stamped Bebunni on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored him up with my Spectrum Noir markers...  i used:

fur - IG1, IG2, IG4
ears/nose/tummy/tail - PP1, PP3

hearts - LG1, LG2, LG4, BT1, BT3, BT4

for the background, i sponged around some little cloud masks right onto the card base, die-cut a deckled rectangle frame and used the negative, added some raindrops, sequins, a few little embellies and a sentiment, and VOILA!  there's loads of dimension here with tons of pop dots.  i loves me lots of dimension!

and i loves me the Bebunni.  you can check out the whole Bebunni line by CLICKING HERE...  and while you're at it, why not check out the awesome MOVING SALE we've got going on?  happy shopping!  :)

you and me and things by the sea

hey there, crafty chickens...  hope all's well in your respective necks of the woods!  it's still stinkin' COLD here in New Jersey, and each morning i wake up and hope that spring has sprung!  i know it's only nearing the end of January, but it's been an unseasonably cold winter, and darn it, i thought i left all that junk behind when i moved from Canada!

at any rate, the cold weather means lots of opportunities to colour, since nobody wants to go outside in this! 

i coloured.  i busted out my pencils and coloured a couple of the individual shells from the Sheena's A Little Bit Scenic set, Sea Shells, and i'm really enjoying this set!  lookie:

i stamped the shells with Jet Black StazOn, and the sentiment (from the Sentimentals Everyday - "Imagine" set) in Timber Brown StazOn - both are stamped on Ultra Smooth Premium White Cardstock...  added in some gorgeous textured mulberry paper for the back panel, a simple distressy panel on top, inked my edges and added my little bits and bobs to finish it up.

the deets:

for the record, i totally cheat when i colour stuff like this!  i do a Google search for images of shells (or flowers, or lighthouses, or whatever) and mimic the style of an image that catches my eye.  but i've never been one to draw or colour from memory, so it works for me.  :)  Google is handy.  yep.

so that's my Crafter's Companion project for today - i have more shells from this Sheena set stamped out so i have a feeling you'll be getting more beachy projects for a little while yet!

BY THE WAY, did you notice the brand new Bebunni lines available ON SALE?  oh. my. goomie.  CLICK HERE.  enjoy!  

i LOVE this Lily stamp from Sheena Douglass

helloooooooooo chickens!  i'll be at CHA when this post goes live, so hopefully it all goes off without a hitch!

today, i'm sharing a clean and simple project for Crafter's Companion that features the gorgeous "Lily" stamp from Sheena Douglass.  i totally love her realistic but sketch style, and this particular stamp has become a favourite of mine to colour.

i stamped the lily on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock, using StazOn jet black ink, and coloured it up with my beloved pencils:

the sentiment comes from the Sentimentals Everyday "Imagine" set...  i cut a piece of a transparency and a little snip of paper from Cosmo Cricket's "Social Club" line, stuck on a few enamel dots, and i was happy with this one.  believe me, i was TEMPTED to add more patterned paper behind the transparency, or some ribbon or washi, but i decided that less was definitely more given the detail of the image.  the cardstock has a super shimmery pearlescent finish, so it's very feminine and elegant, but doesn't photograph worth beans (not to mention it looks more red than pink!)...  STILL!  i like it.  and i need more of these types of birthday cards for those who DON'T prefer the cute.

so there you have it!  i'll be back from CHA in a couple of days, but i hope you're all doing well and gettin' yer craft on and watching all the CHA action!  the internet absolutely blows up with the blog feeds from the show, and you can bet i've been drooling at some of the fab new product!  see you soon!  xo

linking up for the "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" issue at Paper Issues - show us your FLOWERS, or your toes, or whatever might fit the theme!  :)