Toni From Designs FLAIR - Happy Halloween!

hey there, chickens!  

i'm SO pleased to have been invited to submit some projects for my friend Toni From for the opening of her Etsy shop!  Toni From Designs was launched on Monday, and all week on her blog, there has been loads of inspiration from Toni and many of the Paper Issues gals...  today, i'm happy to share 2 cards i made to celebrate her grand opening!

both of these use the fun Happy Halloween flair pack:

first up, this:

it includes two pieces of flair plus lots of pretties from the Halloween Swag Bag from Paper Issues, and some goodies from my stash.  that tag?  glittery goodness.  oh yeah.

my second card includes two more pieces of flair, but i took a much cleaner and simpler approach...

do you not LOVE that #sendcandy sentiment?  the doily comes from the Swag Bag, but the ghosts are from SEI and the hexie sequins came from an assorted pack from the dollar store.  i NEVER find good things at our dollar store, so i was overjoyed when i found these in the mix! 

i have more Halloween cards and gift boxes to make, so you can be sure there will be some appearances by Toni From Designs flair!  ANNNNND there's a sale going on right now while we celebrate the kick-off...  use code GRANDOPENING and get 10% off your entire order, now through September 28th!  (custom orders are available!)

CLICK HERE to visit Toni From Designs on Etsy, check out the blog HERE and keep checking for more inspiration!  every Monday, new flair is released, and my wish list is already growing!  :)

(linked up to Paper Issues' "Witchin' You a Happy Halloween" link party sponsored by SRM Stickers!)

there's new FLAIR in town!

can i get a "WOOT WOOT!"? 

my crafty friend and fellow Paper Issues gal, Toni From, opened her online shop today, and she's rocking the FLAIR with Toni From Designs!  i know you love this stuff as much as i do, so let's congratulate Toni on her new venture, wish her a TON of success, and GO SHOPPING!  :)  (there might be a promo code available, too, just sayin'...)

first of all, i LOVE these flair pieces.  they are flat backed, and PLASTIC, so as to maintain the archival-free quality of your paper projects.  the plastic backs make them lighter than the metal ones, too, which is great for cardmakers like me, who prefer their projects NOT to topple!

anywho, there are 10 sets available right now, and i already have 2, plus another set or 3 on order.  ;)  and you can save 10% off your whole order using the code GRANDOPENING now through 9/28 at midnight Eastern.

so.  you wanna see?  CHECK THESE OUT!

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween

 

i'll be sharing a project using some of these later in the week, but CLICK HERE to see Trick or Treat in action, because our friend Jen Chapin made a fab page to show off the set!  

SO!  Toni's Etsy Shop is now OPEN FOR BUSINESS, and you should watch HER BLOG all week for lots of fun reveals!  did i mention she makes CUSTOM FLAIR?  yeah, you can order a specific thing and she'll rock it, just for you.  because she's pretty rad like that.

i'll be back to show off my Toni From Flair...

congrats Toni on your new shop, and thank you for letting me join you for the big release!

 

spotlight on BasicGrey's "Second City" line at Paper Issues

morning, chickens!  how was your weekend?

i had some fun checking out our town-wide yard sale, some drinks with the hubbin, volunteering at a cat adopt-a-thon, and some seriously late-night crafting, which i hadn't done in a LONG time!

well today, i'm sharing the fruits of my labour on Saturday night...  i grabbed a slew of the new Kelly Purkey line, "Second City", from BasicGrey and it came in one of my most recent Paper Issues orders.  WELL!  there are some gorgeous, bold patterns, and for someone who is generally TERRIFIED of purple, i'm kinda loving it in this collection! 

i'm up on the Paper Issues blog today, along with my super-talented teamie, Jen Chapin, and we're showing you how it's done, Second City style...

here's what i made into the wee hours, using one of my fave Origrami prints, the Limba White Woodgrain cardstock (my absolutely fave white!), and various items from the Second City collection (plus a couple of Highline items and VERY old brads and alphas from BasicGrey mixed in)...

i wasn't planning to go all bright and colourful with the photo - it just happened!  but i loved how it turned out!  the transparencies are my favourites from this line (that little HOUSE!):

and page flags!

i have two cards up on the blog, too, but you'll have to go there to check them out!  besides, you won't want to miss the fabulosity of Jen's pocket pages using this line!  CLICK HERE, check it out, and to see all the fun Second City (and Highline!) goodies, CLICK HERE...  if any of it happens to fall into your shopping cart, i've got a code for you!  20% off all of it, anytime.  yep, everything!

Sunshine Sorbet is HERE! Some Odd Girl launches PAPER!

WOOOOOOOOO!  

we've been waiting for this, and the day has finally arrived!  Some Odd Girl is VERY proud to present...

SUNSHINE SORBET!

the new Sunshine Sorbet 6x6 paper pad is filled with 24 sheets - 2 each of 12 original designs, and OH MY GOOMIE, these papers are the bizzomb!  they cut like buttah, they take ink wonderfully, and they are thick and sturdy, so they make great tags without needing a base. 

check out the WHOLE new release in the Some Odd Girl shop HERE, and look what the Odd Girls have done with these beauties HERE!

i made a clean and simple card using JUST the yummy woodgrain papers, and a spattering of the Sorbet Sequins, which match the colours in the paper PERFECTLY. 

but there's more!  we have new clear stamps available, plus we've released these AWESOME Hexie Dots wood veneers, and a new cut file to match the release.

this is an emotional day for me - i am FIERCELY proud of my girl, Kristy, for all she's done to bring Some Odd Girl to life and keep it fresh and fabulous.  this new release is an example of hard work, dedication, organization and MAD ARTISTIC SKILLS, and i am so pleased to be a part of this.  i am truly honoured to be her right-hand man.  love you, girl! 

so.  yeah.  all of that, PLUS the two stamp sets, AND there are new limited edition GOLD and SILVER triangle sequins that are amazing (!!), and the cut file...  this makes for an utterly awesome day for Some Odd Girl.  celebrate with us!

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?  :)

Sassy and Scruffy - new from Crafter's Companion!

last week i shared a card using one of the new Scruffy Little Cat stamps from Crafter's Companion...  they are SPUNKY little ladies, and today's stamp is no exception!  i imagine all of them with a confident and feisty attitude that says "don't mess with me".

this one is called "Louise" and i thought she'd look rather pretty in pink...

 i gotta say, i'm totally digging the giant lipstick and powder puff.

Louise is all done up with Spectrum Noir markers:

FS1, FS4, FS6, FS7, FS8, IG1, IG3, PP2, PP3, PP5, HB2, LV2

and with my Spectrum Noir blendable colored pencils for a bit of shading;

35, 116

here's the rest of my supply list...

Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock
Radiant Neon Inks - Electric Pink, Electric Coral

see the full Scruffy Little Cat release HERE, and be sure to check them out on Facebook - there's a whole Scruffy Little WORLD that includes so much more than just stamps!  i'll be back on Monday with some pretties using my Ultimate Tool!

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!  ;)

Spectrum Noir blendable colored pencils have COME TO TOWN!

hey there, chickens!  did you happen to catch the headline?  it's TIME!  this is my second card for the Spectrum Noir PENCIL launch, and i am very pleased to share it for our huge worldwide release!

the Crafter's Companion USA Inspiration and Education teams have been enjoying this new media and rockin' out the projects to really showcase what they can do!  most of you know that i'm a pencil girl at heart, although i have been loving my Spectrum Noir markers lately, too!  they say you never forget your first love, right?  ;)

well here's evidence that i still love my pencils - here's card #2 using the Spectrum Noir blendable colored pencils:

very pastelly and much different than my usual bright and bold palette, but i loved trying this style out, too!  here's my supply list:

Angelica & Adam acrylic stamp set (female) - Playtime
Bebunni Love EZmount stamp set - Hearts (sentiment)
Ultra Smooth Premium White cardstock
Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Radiant Neons Electric Pink ink
Spectrum Noir Blendable Colored Pencils:
4, 9, 17, 34, 35, 43, 56, 58, 74, 84, 85, 88, 91, 103, 110, 112, 114, 115, 117, 118, 120
(with UmWowStudio Circle Confetti Mask)

linked up at Paper Issues for the May 26-June 8 issue - The World is a Circle
i used a ton of circular elements on here!

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!

 

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 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!  :)

Sheena Douglass NEW RELEASE at Crafter's Companion - hop with us and WIN!

ANNNNNNND we're HOPPING! :)

Hi CC fans! Today we are excited to launch another gorgeous collection from Sheena Douglass
called “A Little Bit Oriental”.

This collection contains four beautiful stamp sets, four 5x7 embossing folders and a paper pad with
48 BEAUTIFUL sheets of coordinating pattern papers in 16 designs. This entire release is available
right now on the Crafter’s Companion website. To celebrate this wonderful new release, the designers
have created projects to inspire you, and we can’t wait to show them off! Hop along and don’t forget
to leave comments along the way because we will be selecting a random winner who will receive one
of the lovely new Sheena Stamp Sets (winner’s choice!).

Here's my card, featuring the gorgeous large water lily, paired up with the Tranquility sentiment, from
the Koi and Waterlilies set:




I used my Spectrum Noir markers to color up the flower and edge the sentiment... Here's the color list:

Flower petals - PL1, PL2, TP4, TB5, PL4 (stamens)
Leaves - LG2, LG5, JG5
To add highlights to the petals, leaves and stamens - Blender

Here's the hop list for you...

Chrissie Tobas
Christiana Reuling
Denise Coulter
Kendra Wietstock
Leah l'Orange
Mary Dawn Quirindongo
Roxanne O’Brien
Stacy Harper-Watson
Stephanie Severin
Trena Brannon
Tenia Nelson
Deb Felts (Guest Designer)

CLICK HERE to visit the shop and see these gorgeous new releases, and for inspiration, visit our gallery!
It's crammed with pretties, and there are lots of new projects featuring these beauties! :) Our hop runs now
through Monday, September 30th, so happy hopping, enjoy all the amazing inspiration from our team, and
good luck! Remember to comment at every stop along the way!

Something's squeaking over at Crafter's Companion!

okay, so who knew i'd be so into HOLIDAY crafting right now?  seriously?!  but there's a brand new family coming to Crafter's Companion, and i just couldn't resist these little cuties!

they're coming this THURSDAY, and you'll be able to grab them for yourself, but i had the privilege of getting my hot little hands on them in advance.  :)  ready to meet one of the Makey Bakey Mice?!

oh my goomie, SO CUTE!  love his crooked little smile!  the Trimming the Tree set comes with this little dude, some sentiments, and a couple of extras, so you can mix and match to your heart's content.  i printed him out on Ultra Smooth Premium White Cardstock and colored him up, added my sentiment and some simple bling, and PRESTO. 

adorbs, no?  :)  well you can't have him yet, but you CAN put him on your wish list, along with the other fab sets (check out the other sneaks by CLICKING HERE!)...  and Thursday's the day!

here's a close-up:

so.

fun to color.

mix and match.

a BUNCH of other cute sets to choose from!

you know you wannnnnnna!

annnnnnd we're LIVE! new Sheena stamps at Crafter's Companion!

have you SEEN them?!  oh, they are so nice to color, and you can make so many brilliant things with these new sets.  OH MY GOOMIE.  i know Sheena Douglass does good stuff, but i'm totally doing a little happy dance because *I* get to design with them for Crafter's Companion!  did you like my mushrooms, from The Enchanted Doorway set?  well today, one from the Honesty set (i can see myself using these bottles for LOTS of fun Halloween stuff!)...

what do you think?  birthday card?  girls' night out?  GUYS' night out?  someone with a tummy ache?  :)  lullz.  that might be a little inappropriate, yeah?  ;)  check the close-up:

 all colored up with my Spectrum Noirs:  TN2, FS3, IG6, DR1, DR5, DR7, IG1, IG2, TB1

you can CLICK HERE to see more creations from the team using the new "A Little Bit Magical" stamps - AND right now, you can get the stamps on sale!  any 2 sets for $30 - WOOT WOOT!

STUNNING new Sheena Douglass release tomorrow at Crafter's Companion!

okay, so there's a big, GORGEOUS new release of Sheena Douglass stamps tomorrow at Crafter's Companion, and i am THRILLED to share my project with you today!  the sets are cram-packed with stuff, and there are four different themes, each one with an array of stamps that will allow you to create a scene or mix and match.  i can't choose a favorite!  they're BEAUTIFUL!  and my first creation uses a stamp from The Enchanted Doorway...

are these mushrooms not fab?  i loved coloring them up with my Spectrum Noirs (and only used the following:  TN2, FS3, IG6, DR1, DR5, DR7, IG1, IG2, TB1) - threw down some washi, some chipboard confetti, and a little rubon i've had for some 5 years, a few bubble dots, and DONE.  and i LOVE how this one came out!  the stamp is fun to color, it's easy to make it the spotlight, and the card came together quickly for me (told you i've found some mojo!). 

whatcha think?  wanna see what the rest of the team are doing with these beautiful stamps from Sheena's A Little Bit Magical release?  CLICK HERE to check out the Crafter's Companion blog and you'll see a whole slew of mushrooms today, along with some other pretties that will be released TOMORROW.  and i'll be back tomorrow to share my second card from this release, so i hope you'll come back for a little visit!  :)

oh, and a close-up:

there you have it!  LOVE these new sets.  tomorrow, something i've had "bottled up" inside for the last week!  ;)  have a fabulous hump day, folks!

feeling Sentimental about the holidays!

hiya.  again!  yep, i'm getting back into my groove, folks, and it's feelin' GOOOOOOOD.  not only have i been busy playing with lots of new products and surrounding myself with loads of creative people, but i have been picking up things here and there for my new craft room (yeah, still in progress - lots to do!), and i can't wait to have it all in one designated space.  for now, i'm crafting at the kitchen table (formerly the dining room table), and i'm okay with that.  but it won't be long!

today, a quick project to share using Christmas Magic, one of the new and SO, SO versatile Sentimentals stamp sets from Crafter's Companion...  i didn't have a lot of time, but wanted to launch my holiday crafting as soon as the stamps arrived, so i put this little cutie together in NO TIME FLAT (not the greatest photo, taken late at night):

i stamped the sentiment multiple times to create a simple background, once more to highlight, stamped the tree, embellished with a few gems, a strip of paper, and a chipboard flourish, and that, as they say, was that.  easy peasy, right?  CLICK HERE to check out the new Sentimentals stamp sets, and if you grab them by TOMORROW, you'll get 25% off!  Our whole list of Birthday Week Specials can be found HERE, and there are free gifts to be gotten when you spend $50 or $100 (not to mention the FREE shipping and double loyalty points - holy WOWZA!).  GO SHOPPING! : )