Amazing Birthday/ NAC #21 My Challenge #48

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Hey y'all. Happy Saturday. I hope you are having a great weekend and that your week was Amazing!

First let me say, I'm a BAD Blogger! For 2 reasons. 1- I got this Amazing set from my friend Terry over at Going Over the Edge. (I won it during her "The Great Pumpkin" blog hop) and haven't sent her a Thank-You card with it yet. Hey Terry, I have a special card for you! Check her site out, it's Fabulous!!!! 2- I've been busy all week and went to 4 different houses on Thanksgiving and didn't get a chance to tell you all Happy Thanksgiving. I'm very Thankful for all of you. Thanks so much for all of your support and friendship.

One of my dear friends, Adrienne, had a birthday on Thanksgiving. It was another reason to be thankful. So, of course I had to make her a card. We were headed to her house for our 1st stop so I was able to take it with me, along with my Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake, Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie and Homemade Fudge. :) (I stirred them all backwards to take out the Fat and Calories. You do use that technique right?) I used this week's sketch over at Nacho Average Challenge as my inspiration. Here's what I came up with-

Birthday Card featuring
World Spectacular DSP and You're Amazing Stamp Set

Here's the sketch from NAC-

It's another great one. Have you checked out their site yet. Great sketches and color challenges. I never miss their challenges. Make sure you stop by for a little weekly inspiration. I viewed the challenge on my phone so I didn't remember it was in landscape orientation when I made my card, but other than that I stuck to the layout. I even remembered to stamp a coordinating envelope. :)

This card came together really quickly. Love when that happens. I actually started with the World Spectacular DSP and got my color inspiration from that. The base is Island Indigo and the banner is Daffodil Delight. I ran the banner through my Big Shot with my Chevron Embossing Folder for a little added dimension. I curled the end of my banner to give it some motion and adhered the top of the banner to my DSP with Tombow. This allowed the end to curve outward. My sentiment was stamped in I.I. and then cut out with one of my Apothecary Accents Framelets. This was adhered with Dimensionals. I added a few Rhinestones for a little extra bling and he front of my card was done.

Here's the inside-

I used the Fabulous Phrases set for the sentiment and the image is from the You're Amazing set. I colored it with my Stampin' Write Markers in Basic Gray and Island Indigo and let Tink have a little fun and my card was done.

I hope you like today's card and the fabulous ladies over at NAC like it too. I'm happy to say my friend Adrienne really liked it and the thing she liked the most was that I took the time to make it just for her. If you liked today's card or have questions about it, I hope you'll take a moment to leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you and I read them all. They really do make my day! If you'd like to +1 or Pin it, I've put those buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to sot by my little corner of the world. You are so very appreciated! Till Next Time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan Pin It

Witches, Goblins and Spooks...Oh My / The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop Week #10

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Hey y'all. Happy Humpday! I hope you're week is great so far. The day started out pretty yucky here in the DMV but it's supposed to get up to 80 today so you know I'm a happy girl! I hope it's fabulous wherever you might be.

Wanna know why Wednesday's are now one of my favorite days? It's The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop Day. Woo-Hoo! Terry over at Goin' Over The Edge is hosting this fun event , but only for 3 more weeks. Have you played along with us yet? If you haven't, come on! It's a fun way to see lots of creative ideas and if that's not enough incentive, Terry is drawing someone's name at the end of the 13 weeks and that lucky person will get  $50.00 worth of Stampin' Up supplies! How fabulous is that!?! Fun, Ideas, And Supplies...Oh My! Thanks Terry!!! Don't forget to read all the way to the end of today's post. The link will be at the bottom below my name. You can see all the blogs from there and you can even link up your creation there too.

Here's my card for this weeks hop-

Halloween Card featuring
Toxic Treats and Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP

There's lots of layers here but it's still a pretty simple card. I started with a base of Basic Gray c/s. My sentiment was stamped and embossed in Tangerine Tango on a scrap on Very Vanilla c/s. This was then layered onto 2 different pieces of DSP from the Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP Collection. I used the Corner Rounder Punch and Scalloped Border Punch to add a little interest to these layers. All three layers were lightly sponged with Basic Gray with the top and bottom layers being adhered with Dimensionals.

My next layer  is Basic Gray c/s that I ran through my Chevron Embossing Folder. You can see it a little better in the next photo, but the black color is sooooo sparkly. You've probably seen this all over bloglandia but it's my first time to show it to you. I inked up my e.f. (on the side with the SU logo)  with my Brayer and Versamark ink and then ran it through the Big Shot. Once it came out the debossed area's had Versamark on them and were ready for some shine. I mixed my own Embossing Powder by mixing SU Black E.P. and Iridescent Ice in an empty Embossing Powder container. It didn't look pretty, (a salt and peppery gray), but I had faith...This was added to my embossed card layer and set with my heat tool. WOW! What an Amazing effect. I topped this with a piece of our new Twill Ribbon. It's stamped with the "Trick or Treat" sentiment from the Toxic Treats set in Black Staz-On. I cut two strips one about 5" and one about 3 1/2. The longer piece is secured on the back of the layer with Snail. The smaller piece was tied in a knot after stamping it as well. Some Linen Thread was used to cinch in the middle of the ribbon and to secure the knot. I also used one Mini-Glue Dot to help secure the knot. This layer was then adhered with Dimensionals.

Here's a closer look at that-

Here's a few tips for doing this technique-
1- Use your embossing buddy! I forgot about it the first time, so needless to say there was a second time.
2- Rub the embossing buddy over your fingers too. This will help to prevent fingerprint marks.
3- This embossing folder causes deep impressions and will alter the size of your c/s. How do I know. Well, this layer wasn't supposed to be a layer. I originally ran just the card front through but it changed the dimensions of the front enough that I couldn't use it unless I went back and trimmed the sides down.   Make your layer a little bigger than needed, if it's still too big you can just trim it to your needs.

Here's the inside-

Inside of Halloween Card featuring
Toxic Treats Stamp Set

I kept it really simple here and just stamped both images in Basic Gray. Because I felt the card could be used as a "masculine" card I didn't add any shimmer or shine and to be honest, I still think it looks nice.

That's all I have for you today. I hope you liked it and I hope you join us on The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop, just below. If you liked today's card or have questions, I hope you'll take just a moment to leave me a message below. I read all of your comments and they really do make my day! If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, I've put those buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,

Shan

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Hanging With My Ghouls - End of the Week Technique #49 Using Chipboard

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Hey y'all. Happy Humpday! Woo-Hoo, just 2 more days until the weeked. *HappyDance* You know what else is great about Wednesdays? (at least for a few more weeks) It's time for The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop! YEA!!!!! I don't know about you, but I'm sooo enjoying making a new card each week for this fun hop and really enjoying seeing everyone's fun and creative cards and projects. Don't forget to scroll all the way to the bottom of my page to see everyone's entry in this week's hop.

I had a lot of fun making today's card. I did a technique that I haven't shown here before. Always fun. :)  Here's today's card-

Halloween Card featuring
Googly Ghouls Stamp Set and
Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP

Isn't it fun? My little friends are just "hanging out"and "dropping by" to say Boo, which of course just means Hi! in Ghoul-Speak. You did know that, right? Oh, of course you did!

I started with a base of Tangerine Tango cut at 4 1/4 x 8 1/2 and scored at 4 1/4 to make a square card. I then took a 4 x 4 piece of Basic Black c/s and ran it through my Big Shot with my Chevron E.F. for a little texture. I used chipboard for the first time on a card and since it was so elevated off the card, that's where I got my inspiration for my little friends. I ran the chipboard through my Big Shot with my new alphabet die. I finally had an excuse to use it and can't wait to use it even more. Even though it's a little expensive, I know I'm going to get plenty of use out of it. How about getting it for half-price? If you have a $450 stampcamp, home party or personal order you can choose this as your half-priced item. That's what I did. Love, Love, L.O.V.E. half-price. If you're interested in getting free and half-priced merchandise, let me know. I'd love to help you get everything on your wishlist.

Once I had my chipboard cut out, I used Tombow to adhere my DSP from the Howlstooth and Scaringbone collection.My sanding block was used to smooth the edges and make sure everything was attached well. You can see the white along the outside of the letters where I sanded them. They were then attached with more Tombow to my embossed B.B. layer.

Here's a closer look-

How sweet are my ghoulish little friends, just hanging out waiting to say Hi to you? Sooo cute. I tell you, I just want to put them all in my pocket and carry them around! I stamped them all in Black Staz-On, colored them and then cut them out. My little Mummy's bandages are colored in with Sahara Sand Classic Ink and a blender pen. He's attached with a combination of Dimensionals and Tombow to make it look like he's swinging from the bottom of the "B" and waving Hi!. Such a friendly little fella. Frankie was given a Wild Wasabi shirt and Certainly Celery face & hands. I stamped him twice, adhered one behind the "O" with Tombow, and then cut his face out of the second one and adhered it with Dimensionals so it looks like his face is leaning out in front of the "O". My little dangly dude is hanging from a piece of Calypso Coral Baker's Twine that I simply knotted in a loop around the top of the letter. A few Dimensional pieces not only secures the Baker's Twine, but makes it look like he's just hanging around. A few googly eyes complete the front. Don't you just want to go and "hang out" with them? You know you want to and, even better, you know you're going to have fun!

Here's the inside-

Inside of Halloween Card featuring
Googly Ghouls Stamp Set

My sentiment is stamped in Black Staz-On as is my sweet little witchy girl. Look at that smile. She just wants to play and she even brought another friend along with her. I used Wild Wasabi, Tangerine Tango and Perfect Plum to add a little color to her outfit. Tink dropped by to play a little and to make her party outfit a little more festive.

What do you think? Isn't it cute? I really love the effect adding the chipboard made. Of course, you would expect to pay a little more postage if you made a card like this. Or you could just hand deliver it and see the smile you get. Instant Gratification. Yea!!!

Here's what you'll need for today's technique- Chipboard (You can use regular chipboard or if you're looking for a "lighter" alternative, try using the backer board that comes in your DSP packs. It works great and won't add as much weight.), Die (I used the new Sizzix Alphabet die in the big catalog), Die Cutting Machine (I used my Big Shot), DSP to cover your cut-outs and Tombow to adhere it with.

Here's what you do- This is soooo stinkin' easy you're not going to believe it!
1- Choose your design, letters, image (whatever you choose) that you want to cut out and run it through your die-cutting machine. I cut out a "B" & 2 "O's"
2- Choose your DSP. Cut the same items with your die and machine, this time using your DSP instead of chipboard. Save yourself some time and do this instead of attaching DSP to your cutouts and then trimming the excess away. I just realized, as I was writing today's post, that I could have used my die to cut the letters out of my DSP. Geesh! The time that would have saved me. Like I said, this was my first time to make something like this. Ok, it was the first time I did it at home. I did 1 letter in my techniques class about two months ago along with other pre-cut chipboard pieces and all I remembered was applying the DSP to pre-cut pieces and trimming and sanding. *SMH* Sometimes 29 is a looooot older than it seems. :)
3- If you're using a pre-cut piece of chip board, attach your DSP with Tombow and then trim the excess away.
4- Using your sanding block, stroke in a downward motion to get off any excess paper and to make sure the paper is molded well to the chipboard. Don't sand "back & forth". This will lift the edges of your paper off your chipboard.
5- Adhere your finished pieces to your card/project. I used more Tombow, but depending on the piece and whether or not you were looking for elevation, you could also use Dimensionals.
6- Complete your project and smile when you see what you've created. Smile even bigger when you think of the joy it will bring it's recipient. Man, that part just never gets old!!!

Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you liked my card and this week's technique. Hopefully it inspires you to try something new. While you're being so inspired, why not create something and add it to this week's hop. Terry at Going' Over the Edge is hosting this fun hop and she's even offering a $50 SU gift certificate to one lucky participant. Thanks, Terry! You can check out everyone's entries at the bottom of my page. Just click on their name and you'll go straight to their page. You can even enter your fabulous creation directly from the link here on my page. Pretty cool, huh?

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. you are very appreciated! If you liked today's card or have questions about it, I hope you'll take a moment to leave me a message below. I read them all and they really do make my day. If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, I've put the buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :) Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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Christmas Sweet-Hearts / SSC #269

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*Don't forget to check out this post for my Blog-Versary - Give-Away. It will be open until Midnight August 23, 2012.* 

Hey y'all. Happy Thursday! I hope you're having a great week. The best part? The weekend is just a day away. Gee, I really love having a Monday-Friday job and being able to say that and having every weekend off. The best part, no off hours or weekend shifts. Woo-Hoo. Next best part, my evenings and weekends are usually free to stamp and play. :)

I've been trying to get to today's card all week, but just haven't been able too. Other creative things kept getting done instead. How does that happen!?! Anyways, I finally got it done and am so excited to show it to you. Here it is-

Holiday Card featuring
Scentsational Season and Be of Good Cheer DSP

For today's card I started with a base of Very Vanilla c/s. For the next layer I ran a piece of W.W. c/s through my Big Shot with the new Chevron E.F. I attached this and a piece of Be of Good Cheer DSP to some Cherry Cobbler c/s. A piece of Gumball Green ribbon was added to cover the seam between the two top layers and was secured with SNAIL. This whole panel was attached to the base with Dimensionals. I used two pieces of Rose Red c/s, that matched the snowflakes on the DSP, as mats. My two sweet Gingies are stamped on scraps of V.V. c/s with Soft Suede Classic Ink and attached them with Tombow. These two panels were mounted with Dimensionals. Don't you hate when you have a plan and then forget to do it? I had planned on embossing my sweetie's with the Sugar and Spice Embossing Powder and remembered it as I was gluing the inside pieces to card base. AUGH!!!!

Here's a closer look-

I used my Owl-Builder Punch to punch hearts out of C.C. c/s. I used them to make a sweet little Bow-Tie and a cute little Hair-Bow. Both were secured with Tombow and a small pearl. A little Dazzling Diamonds made the bow extra pretty and look like a little dusting of sugar on their arms and legs. I used more Gumball Green Ribbon as an accent since the Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge had an element there. It's kinda cute though, don't you think? The sentiment is from Petite Pairs, love that set.

Here's the sketch I was working with from Stamping 411. Make sure to check them out. They always have great challenges and give measurements to get you started. That's worth the price of admission for sure! :)

Here's the inside-

Inside of Holiday Card featuring
Scentsational Seasons Stamp Set and Petite Pairs

I've got an extra layer of c/s here since I hate to just stamp on the inside of the card. Plus it gives a little more color. I meant to stamp off once on these two sweeties and forgot. :( For some reason they came out looking darker than the ones on the front. I'm afraid they looked a little crispy. I love a little dusting of sugar on my Ginger-Bread cookies so I sugared them to make them look a little yummier.

Don't you just want to take a bite out of him? YUM!!!

That's all I have for you today. I hope you like my little Sweet-Hearts. Don't forget to check out Stamping 411. They'll have a new sketch for us on Saturday. I love hearing from you so if you have any questions or comments about today's card, I hope you'll leave me a comment. I read all of my comments and they really do make my day. :) If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, I've put the buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Don't forget to come back tomorrow for a cute card and 3-D set. Also, today's the last day for you to stop by my Blog-Versary page and leave me a comment to be entered in my free give-away. Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the Peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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