Hopping again with Crafter's Companion and CardMaker Magazine!

if you're here for the Hol-ODD-Day hop, CLICK CLICK and you'll get to my post.  :)

seriously, what a FUN week!  you must be here TODAY for the big Crafter's Companion USA and CardMaker Magazine blog hop!  WELCOME and thanks for coming by!

i am SO excited about this hop - not only do i love my Crafter's Companion products, but i have been subscribing to CardMaker Magazine for many years and i am a HUGE fan!  the content, the projects, the gorgeous spreads and detailed instructions, designer tips, and the DESIGNERS!  so much talent!  such an inspiring magazine!  and speaking of talent, you've probably arrived from Trena's blog - if so, you're well on your way!  if NOT, then you may want to CLICK HERE to start from the beginning!

YOU, dear friend, could win one of two awesome prize packs which include: a 1-year digital subscription to CardMaker Magazine, a stamp set, 2 six-marker sets of Spectrum Noirs (the new generation!) and an embossing folder.  check out this AWESOME prize pack!

i went Nutcracker-themed for my card, combining some holiday with non-holiday products and colours...

LOVE this little girl - so poised and graceful, and trying so hard!  i took dance lessons when i was younger, so i can relate!  :)  here she is, up close and personal:

this image is from the Angelica and Friends EZmount set - "Eleanor"
the sentiment is from the Sentimentals "Christmas Magic" set...
Eleanor is stamped on Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock
with StazOn Jet Black ink (and I used my Prismacolor Pencils)
and the sentiment  (plus the inking around the scalloped panel) with Distress Ink in Dusty Concord
cut my girlie out with a Nestie, inked and stickered.  :D
i used the 6x6 Die'sire Embossalicious folder in Holiday Holly
inked the raised parts with Memento Luxe ink in Pear Tart (have you TRIED these inks?  WHOA!)
and splattered some Spectrum Noir re-inker in PP4 randomly around, then gave it a nice coating of Heidi Swapp Color Shine in white (of course that doesn't show up in the photos, but the pink paper and embossed panel are SUPER shimmery!)

the pink paper is from issue 3 of the Crafter's Inspiration magazine (yep, it's available now!)

then i added some ribbon and clustered some flowers and bling to finish it all off.  :)  LOVE the added texture.  i just can't do a flat card anymore, no matter how hard i try!

and the REST of the Crafter's Companion team have had some fun for the occasion, too!  BUT, there's more!  we're hopping with the CardMaker crew, too!  LOADS of stunning projects to inspire you from THESE people:

CardMaker

Kendra Wietstock

Mary Dawn Quirindongo

Stacy Morgan

Khristen Foss

Laurel Beard

Chrissie Tobas

Alice Golden

Stacy Harper Watson

Denise Coulter
Christiana Reuling

Michelle Woerner

Roxanne O'Brien

Trena Brannon

Leah Lucescu

Rosemary Dennis

Tenia Nelson

Stephanie Severin

Jennifer Ingle

Latisha Yoast

Taylor Usry

Crafter’s Companion

you'll need to drop by the Crafter's Companion Facebook page to say hello and enter to win one of the two hop prize packs i mentioned.  :)

thank you for dropping by, and i hope you're enjoying the hop so far!  now you're off to visit Rosemary - tell her i said hello!  ;)  happy hopping, and happy CRAFTING, and happy holidays from Crafter's Companion and CardMaker!

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!  :)

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!  ;)

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!)

Bamboo loves Graciela!

i'm attending my niece's christening on Sunday, and the whole family is pretty smitten with this little miss.  Graciela will be 2 months old that day, and she's full of smiles and sweetness.  oh, and she LOVES her Tia (that's me)!  she's always quiet when i hold her, so her mommy and daddy can catch a break once in a while when i visit.  :)

anywho.  of COURSE i had to make a card using some of my new goodies from Crafter's Companion!  i went for super clean and simple here, with a little sliver of paper embossed with my Darice "Chevron Background" folder and Love From Bamboo from the Party Paws collection, colored up with my Speccies (IG1, IG2, IG4 and PP1):

 and Bamboo, up close and personal:

it's weird coloring soft and subtle, compared to my usual pencils approach, but for this occasion, it definitely made sense! 

have you checked out the huge array of embossing folders available at Crafter's Companion?  i'd put my folders away for a long time, but i'm showing them the love again.  the new ones in the Christmas Shop are FABULOUS and i'm actually DYING to make holiday cards!  :)  yeah, i don't usually get that bug until late October.  :)