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!  ;)

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!

 

utterly BEAUTIFUL new Sheena stamps from Crafter's Companion!

wow, so, seriously!  Crafter's Companion might just have some new releases - like, a TON of them - and i love these new sets from Sheena Douglass!  i was SO excited to ink them up and colour away with my sweet Spectrum Noir markers.  check THIS beauty out!

the stamp set is "True Colors" from the new Sheena's A Little Bit Sketchy series - in this particular set, there are two BIG, beautiful butterflies, and 5 fabulous sentiments, and trust me, when you start colouring them, you can't STOP. 

stamped both the image and sentiment on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, coloured with the following Spectrum Noir markers:

LY1, CT3, CT4, GB3, OR1, OR2, CR8, BG4, BG7, BG9, True Black

die-cut my sentiment with a Nesties die and inked around the edges with one of the new StazOn Midi ink pads (coming soon!) in Orange Zest (my fave, of course!) and added some bits and bobs here and there.  :)

and i used the sketch at the lovely Lesley Croghan's blog, Always Playing With Paper for the #3 challenge...  here's the sketch:

there are some differences, but this is what inspired me for my card design, so there you go.  :)

and that's all she wrote!  hope you have a fantabulatious hump day!  we got MORE snow, and to be honest, it's not going to interfere with my need to go out with the hubbin for some frozen yogurt this evening!  hee hee.

the stork visited and brought a BEBUNNI!

you've seen Bebunni, right?  oh my goomie, Crafter's Companion has the sweetest little bunny critter, and if you haven't met Bebunni, you've been missing out!  there are a whole SLEW of stamp sets available, and for today's card, i used a set from the Baby collection called "New Arrival".  this set comes with SEVEN different sentiments, plus two frames and, of course, a bunny.  :)

everyone's having babies lately, so it's time to build up my baby card stash again!  let's start with an EASEL card!  (i NEVER make these, but somehow i was feeling the mojo!)

i went rather CAS for this one, with just a few die-cuts, my punched sentiment, and a few buttons (there's also twine under the main panel but it hides!).  that's it!

i stamped Bebunni with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock,
and coloured him up with the following Spectrum Noir markers:

fur:  BG1, BG3, BG5
ears/feet:  PP1, PP2
blanket/balloons/around sentiment:  FS1, FS2, FS3, OR1, OR3

and i added some white gel pen on the balloons and popped up a couple of the clouds with foam dots.  that's it!  hope you're all as excited about the weekend as i am!  happy FRIDAY, and i'll be back tomorrow!  later, chickens!

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!  :)  

More Barkley sweetness from Crafter's Companion!

annnnnd didn't i tell you this little dude was one of my faves from Crafter's Companion?  well not only is Barkley adorbs, but he has a cute little kitty cat friend, and i couldn't help but fall in lurve with this set, from Barkley Everyday, called "Special Friend"...  check 'em out!

these two cuties are stamped on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock using StazOn jet black, then coloured up with my pencils...  the sentiment (and frame) comes from the Sentimentals Everyday "Imagine" set; "you & me" is stamped with StazOn timber brown and the frame with Delicata Golden Glitz (can't tell you how much i LOVE this ink - it's so juicy and shimmery and just utterly gorgeous!).  i added some Cosmo Cricket "Creative Girl" papers in behind, some enamel dots, triangle brads (brads - i know!), a few teensy pearls and a little ribbon for texture.

loving Barkley?  he and his friends are too stinkin' cute, and i see myself using them for LOTS of different occasions!

i'll have another Crafter's Companion project to share this time next week, but hey, if you're one of the lucky ones attending CHA, you might catch more glimpses of these cute critters at the Crafter's Companion or Spectrum Noir booths!  :) 

Happy New Year! Celebrating with BARKLEY at Crafter's Companion!

woo hoo!  and here we are, welcoming another year, and i'm feeling OPTIMISTIC about 2014!  let's celebrate with some super cute BARKLEY-ness, shall we?

this dude's one of my FAVE characters from Crafter's Companion, and i decided to make a card that reflects my big game plan for this year.  :)

meet Barkley! 

this is from the Barkley Everyday series - it's called "Let's Party" and i think that crown's just a bit too big for his little noggin.  :) 

he's colored with my pencils, and then i did some other fun stuff using Memento's Fireworks sprays (Summer Sky, Bahama Blue, Danube Blue) on watercolor paper - embossed with this Darice Chevron embossing folder.  little bit of doodling and popping things up, and VOILA!  FUN!

yep.  you know how people do that One Little Word thing for a year?  i think, even though i don't DO the One Little Word thing, i will just try to keep this little word at the FRONT of my mind and remember to have lots of FUN in 2014.  how's about you?

Crafter's Companion has LUXE INKS and a very Majestic Oak

whoa.  have you tried these?  the Memento Luxe inks - TO. DIE. FOR.  i'm seriously loving them.  they're juicy without being too wet, they're wonderfully opaque and give amazing coverage.  and i have 4, and i need to have ALL. OF. THEM.  they're available now, but they're in HOT demand at Crafter's Companion.  you might wanna CLICK HERE to check 'em out.

i made a card using the gorgeous Majestic Oak (from Sheena's A Little Bit Sketchy line) and stamped it onto my patterned paper using Espresso Truffle. distressed my edges and used Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress inks around the edges (always my go-to combo for that perfectly aged paper look), then added super minimal embellies.  the stamp is fab.  the INK.  ermahgerd.  just TRUST ME. 

and then i proceeded to stamp out 8 more of The Majestic Oak, with the intention of making retirement, congrats, birthday and thinking of you cards.  you'll be seeing lots more of this one, folks.  :)

SO.  there's a new challenge up at the Crafter's Companion blog...  i'll be sharing my project soon, but you might wanna hop on over to check it out!  lots of inspiration to be found over there - the U.S. and U. K. teams make for quite a collaborative force!  :)

holiday inspiration with Crafter's Companion

i have been a MAD card making woman this weekend.  between last night and today, i managed to whip up a SLEW of new cards for the two craft fairs i have coming up next weekend.  these two are among the 15 or 20 cards i made!

this first one uses the new Falling Snowflake E-Z mount stamp set from Stamp-It Australia's Twinkle line, and it's so simple but SO wonderfully customizable.  I. LOVE. THAT.

i opted for a bright and modern look, picking up on the glitter from the papers in the buttons and using silver ink.  i stamped my image on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock, and used my Spectrum Noir markers PL2 and HB3, with GB2 and GB7, and StazOn Metallic Silver ink on the sentiment. 

close-up!

simple, right?  and just a smidge of colour.

next up!  i decided i needed some elegance without being overly specific.
these birds are also from the Stamp-It Australia Twinkle - Falling Snowflake set:

stamped on the Ultra Smooth Premium White using Memento Espresso Truffle ink, i went over the whole image with my Spectrum Noir BG1 to age it up a bit, then accented the blue with BGR3 - love the dull watercoloury look it added.  fussy-cut and popped it up and added my accents.

so you've taken advantage of the SALES going on at Crafter's Companion USA this weekend, right?  'cuz WOO HOO, there's a lot of money waiting to be saved!  deals on stamps, cardstock, Spectrum Noir markers and storage, the eBosser, craft sprays, The Ultimate Tool, embossing folders, adhesives...  and shipping!  ANNNND double rewards points!  CLICK HERE to see the whole array of specials we've got going on! 

Crafter's Companion USA announces their new teams!

hi everyone!

got some happy news to share today, and i'd just like to say how pleased i am that i was able to stay up until midnight tonight.  this whole getting old thing is getting a little out of hand, when i'm tired at 9 pm ALL THE TIME.  tonight, i am a champion.  uh-huh!

and in true champion fashion, i CELEBRATE!  the announcement was made at the Crafter's Companion USA blog today, and we're gearing up for a VERY exciting start to 2014!  there are 2 teams, and i am pleased to be a part of the inaugural Inspiration Team!  i have some flippin' cool things up my sleeves, and i'm REALLY looking forward to the good stuff ahead! 

in the meantime, i will continue to share my projects that feature Crafter's Companion products, including my Spectrum Noir markers and all kinds of gorje stamps and embossing folders and inks and sprays and tools and adhesives and, well, more.  :) 

that said, there's a brand new SENTIMENTALS release coming out tomorrow, and we've been sneak peeking these beautiful stamps this week.  you like sentiments?  WE'VE GOT SENTIMENTS!  :)

this card uses the new Everyday Sentimentals, and i'm all about the inspirational quotes - this one happens to be a fave. 

i stamped my sentiment on Ultra Smooth Premium White, cut it with a Nestie and inked inside the frame before popping out the cut.  i fussy cut the flourish and laid down some Spectrum Noir BT4 over it, embossed a vellum piece (there are LOADS of awesome embossing folders in the store!), added a fabric brad and some bling, and bob's my uncle!  (i don't actually have an uncle bob, but i used to watch The Uncle Bobby Show as a kid - that Bimbo clown creeped me out).

anywho, pop on over to the Crafter's Companion shop to grab these new sets (there's a slew of 'em!) and check out the blog for inspiration from our awesome team!  :)

Crafter's Companion and Xyron teaming up for holiday gift giving!

hiya!  there is a PARTY going on at the Xyron Facebook page and Crafter's Companion blog!  SO much inspiration for your holiday crafting, you may need to take a week off from whatever you do just to craft and get all the ideas out of your head!  :)

i am sharing a project created using the awesome Xyron adhesives we received, paired up with a couple of fab Crafter's Companion products.  BUT...  i am also sharing a photo tutorial on how i made it.

we received a fabulous adhesive kit and were asked to do SOMETHING for the 30 Days of Holiday Projects event!  there are PRIZES!  leave your comments on the Xyron Facebook page and Crafter's Companion and design team blogs to win super sweet goodies from both awesome companies!

so i made SOMETHING...  i altered this box - can't remember what i had in it, but it was probably junk! 

the first thing i did was grab a sheet of 6x6 patterned paper for the inside bottom of the box.  it needed to be trimmed slightly to fit:

next, i busted out my Ultimate Tool for some scoring action.  the scoring part was easy, but because the box is bulky, i trimmed some of the edges where the folds met in order to get a nice, snug fit when i adhered the papers.

et voila!  adhered with the Xyron Mega Runner and it was a great fit!

next, i needed some trims so the cardboard wouldn't look so drab.  i sliced up some shimmery (and flimsy) paper and some ricrac, but i wasn't feeling confident it would all stick down with just the tape runner.  instead, i ran them through the Xyron Sticker Maker for a good, permanent bond:

remember to burnish!  i rubbed down hard on all of the strips (notice how i doubled up to conserve adhesive?  i'm thrifty that way, and it worked great!)

next up, preparing the sentiment!  i had something very specific in mind, and i went pretty simple, with white cardstock and the Die'sire Embossalicious 6x6 folder "Holiday Holly" and ran it on through my C'bug:

simple embellishing here - i punched the corners and inked the edges and the raised surface with a light green chalk ink.  stamped my sentiment from Stamp-It Australia's new Christmas line, Twinkle (this set is Falling Snowflake) on plain white cardstock and inked those edges too:

added the trims and used Xyron Adhesive Dots to adhere my sentiment and the image i'd coloured - this is Sheena's A Little Bit Floral (Lily), coloured up my Spectrum Noir markers (PP1, BP1, BP3, BP7, DR7, CT2, LG3, DG3, OR1, TN7)...  click to enlarge! 

this was the inspiration for my colouring (next time i'll stamp it in a really light colour)...   :)

annnnnnd the finished box!  i can add candies or votive candles or a set of notecards or something cute all nestled in pretty tissue paper.  or maybe even rolls of washi tape! 

LOVED working with the Xyron adhesives for this project - HUGE thanks to our awesome sponsor/partner for this event!  and i KNOW you'll see lots of other amazing inspiration - just pop on over to the Crafter's Companion blog, visit the blogs of the rest of the awesome Crafter's Companion USA Design Team, check out our Facebook page, and visit Xyron on Facebook, and tell them i sent ya!  :)  leave your comments everywhere by Monday, November 18th to win stuff, too, and maybe you'll get the awesome new Xyron 3" Sticker Maker!  (I WANT THAT)  or some other fantastic prize.  regardless, thanks for joining me today, and have a WONDERFUL weekend!  :)

i don't suck at colouring!

'cuz Spectrum Noir said so!  :)  

go, me!  :)  i am an Accredited Colorist!

now i'm just holding my breath to see if i'll get an email from Crafter's Companion by tomorrow, telling me i've been selected for another term on their lovely design team.  cross your fingers for me, 'kay?  :D

Falling in love with Spectrum Noir's new bullet tips and Sheena Douglass!

well.  i coloured.  i blended.  i CONQUERED!  i am feeling much more confident with my Speccie skillz, and i am QUITE happy to share this Crafter's Companion card i started just before my vacay and finished this weekend. 

have you heard about the new Spectrum Noir markers?  they're new and improved!  new barrel style, new, more precise, bullet nibs, and interchangeable brush nibs for those who prefer them.  yeah, i'll be investing in a bunch for myself! 

well i have been playing, and i feel like i'm actually getting the hang of this!  you all know pencils are my first loves, but here's what i did using my Spectrum Noir markers, and this utterly, ridiculously GORJE Iris stamp from Sheena Douglass:

stamped it on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock, coloured it up, added minimal stuff because i wanted the iris to be the star of the show!  a little Heidi Swapp sentiment, some ribbon, flowers and bling, and voila!

here's a close-up on the image:

and slightly more detail on the flower itself, plus my little cluster:

and here are the Spectrum Noirs i used:

flower - LV1, LV2, PL4
leaves/stem - LG1, LG3, DG3
shadows on flower and leaves/stem - GG4

lots of blending and TLC went into this one, but i am SO impressed with the precision of the new bullet nibs.  you're gonna love 'em, too! 

new embossing folders at Crafter's Companion - LOVE THEM!

Die'sire makes AWESOME embossing folders.  seriously.  fun designs, elegant designs, trendy designs, strange and quirky and right up my alley.  i have never loved my Cuttlebug so much as since i became a design team member for Crafter's Companion.  and i'm not exaggerating!

check this one out...  this is a new Embossalicious 6x6 folder - "Cherry-licious"

SO CUTE!  i embossed some glittery cardstock and brushed white ink over the raised parts for definition.  and i love how realistic the cherries look! 

embossed another little piece so i could cut a pair of cherries out for a totally simple card, keeping the focus on the pattern but not wanting to add too many embellishments.  whatcha think?

love it.  gonna get some mileage out of this folder, for sure!  i love the size, too.  wide enough to cover a larger card surface AND fit through my 'bug!  :)

there are a bunch (and i mean a BUNCH, no pun intended) of new Die'sire folders available - CLICK HERE to see them!

i've got another Crafter's Companion project coming tomorrow, so stay tuned!  been working on my colouring skillz, and i think i'm gettin' the hang of it!

embossing holiday pretties and BIRTHDAY WEEK at Crafter's Companion!

so i NEVER in a million years thought i'd be busting out my Cuttlebug so much.  lately, i'm a die-cutting maniac, and i've fallen in love with EMBOSSING FOLDERS all over again.  it's WEIRD! 

but i'm loving the variety of embossing folders available at Crafter's Companion, and i did some SERIOUS holiday crafting during my little getaway in Cape May this week.  this card uses some silver mirror cardstock and the gorgeous Die'sire "Holiday Holly" 6x6 folder:

(side note - there's a BIG sale for Birthday Week - Crafter's Companion is 8! - and you can save a ton on your 6x6 embossing folders by clicking HERE!)

so i THOUGHT about busting out some of my Spectrum Noir Re-Inkers on this, but just thought the silver was so pretty and elegant that i couldn't bear to risk messing it up.  and voila!  one of about 40 christmas cards i made for my stash (for work, and for an upcoming craft fair)...  there will be more to come, but i wanted to let you all in on the Birthday Week action before it ends!

come back for a visit tomorrow at 9 am for something SPOOOOOOOOOKY!  ;)

New release at Crafter's Companion - i loves me the Bebunni!

he's SO stinkin' cute!  love this little character, and i can see myself wishlisting every single set!  we're so excited to introduce you to Bebunni!  this little bun has crazy long ears and the cutest little tail and is perfect for ANY occasion!

i realized that i ALWAYS run out of baby cards, so i opted for a girlie one this time, even though everyone i know keeps having boys!  here's my take on Bebunni:

and i can see myself using this same balloon theme with different colour schemes depending on my mood and my patterned paper.  i don't know about you, but there's something kinda therapeutic about colouring BALLOONS, espesh in such large quantities!  this image is coloured up my my pencils, and i printed my little bun on Ultra Smooth Premium White Cardstock. 

Bebunni, for all different occasions, is available this FRIDAY at Crafter's Companion, but i'll warn you...  you might just get addicted!  LOVE HIM!  :)

brand new STAMP-IT AUSTRALIA available TOMORROW at Crafter's Companion!

can i get a WOOT WOOT?!

seriously, this might be one of my very fave releases to date from Crafter's Companion USA and i could not WAIT to play with these pretties!

this stamp set from Stamp-It Australia's TWINKLE release will be available TOMORROW and these sets are absolutely PERFECT for all kinds of holiday and winter projects.

i decided to bust out my Ultimate Tool and embossed the big star on my card, and all along the border - handy little (big) tool, this thing!  stamped the big snowflake from the Falling Snowflake set (there are 4 sets in all), coloured it a SMIDGE with my Spectrum Noir markers (LV1 and LV2), just for a hint of colour on the snowflake.  

finished off wtih some bling and alphas and that's all she wrote!  here's a close-up on the star:

i'm really enjoying the non-traditional holiday colours, and purple was VERY different for me, but i think it worked out well.  there are loads of other fun shapes in the Ultimate Tool, so expect to see some appearances soon!

also, you may want to know that these new Stamp-It Australia will be on sale with their release tomorrow - individually they're $19.95 each, but you can get all four GORGEOUS sets for just $59.95!  gotta love a good sale.  :) 

(linked up later for Paper Issues' Count Your Lucky Stars issue!)

Crafter's Companion has GLITTERY GOODNESS!

hiya chickens!

back to share a SUPER FUN card i made that showcases some of the OTHER stuff carried by Crafter's Companion USA.  i love the heck out of the EzMount stamps (and today's project follows suit), but i've also recently discovered my love for Spray & Sparkle GLITTER SPRAY.  i need it in EVERY colour.  :)

here's why...  check out this finish!

OH MY GOOMIE.  this stuff sprays, layers beautifully, dries quickly, and leaves SUCH a pretty shimmer, without dulling the image and destroying the colour behind it.

i used the Multicolour Spray & Sparkle (and will be using it on LOTS of other things!)

sprayed over my Sheena Douglass Silhouette Wildflowers 

stamped in StazOn Black Cherry (and covered the chipboard in ink, too)

Candy Cane Stickles on the chipboard pieces to finish everything off

and i was VERY pleased at the subtle effects.  here's the card in its entirety:

yeah, so shimmery and the texture is FABULOUS.  the Spray & Sparkle is available in gold, silver, pink, iridescent, and the multicoloured can that i used and it gives amazing coverage!  can't wait to get the other colours,

in the meantime, the countdown to my vacation (and cardmaking extravaganza with the lovely Lesley Jackson) has BEGUN!  during my vacation, i shall CERTAINLY be getting my fingers inky (and probably my elbows, too!) and try to keep you folks posted on my shenanigans!  hope you're having a great week so far!