Working on the backlog...

this time I was working on Dad's birthday card only half a month late. I hate it when work gets in the way. I originally saw this while digging through PInterest, and it was only a matter of time before I decided it was worth doing.

I`m pretty tired these days so classy and simple is my favorite style lately. Today`s inspiration : http://www.mamamostamps.com/2013/08/case-study-3rd-anniversary-blog-hop.html by Maureen Merritt.

I just realized I forgot to add fancy borders on these photos... oh well, guess that is for next time. I went through my scrap heap and pulled out the funky little pigment cube sets to use on these stamps. I also brought back Enjoy Life`s clock and added a few embellishments.

And of course, I couldn`t resist using the bicycle once again teamed with some fancy yellow swirls and the same colors into the inside.

Other:
* Solid cardstock
* Orange patterned cardstock

CTMH:
* Enjoy Life (retired)
* Just A Number (retired)
* Saddle Pigment cube from Basic set
* Buttercup Pigment cube from Whimsy set
* Twilight Pigment cube from Whimsy set
* Avalon Level 2 Paper Pack (retired)
* Dreamin`Level 2 Paper Pack (retired)
* Mocha Adhesive Pearls (retired)
* Blue and Green Adhesive Rhinestones (retired)

What a crazy set of ridiculously cold days, hope you are staying warm!

Mojo Monday Fun...

It's been a while since I used a Mojo Monday layout. This one was an old one from Nov 2011 but I really liked Debbie Carrier's take on it.

The inspiration: MOJO2160 : Debbie Carriere

I used a combination of papers for this one and decided to use the daylights out of the Rock n' Roll technique. You stamp an image in a lighter color, then roll the edges of the stamp around in a darker color. You can see it on the middle piece just under the birthday wishes piece.

The bird and flowers were colored with Copics R22, R24, V12, V15

There was one paper that I would have never thought to use for a guy's card - Stella! This is the other side of a vivacious pink that I used on the baby card a little while back. The two colors I used for Rock n' Roll was Ponderosa Pine and Desert Sand.

Other:
* Solid Cardstock

CTMH:
* Blue and Green Adhesive Sparkles
* Mocha Adhesive Pearls
* Wings Workshop stamp set (retired)
* Wonderful You
* Just A Number
* Desert Sand
* Ponderosa Pine
* Stella Paper Pack Level 2 (retired)
* Dreamin Paper Pack Level 2 (retired)

Happy Family Day!

Love of Travel

I thought I'd crack into some of the paper packs that I have purchased and saved for the right occasion. CTMH tends to retire papers now and again but I always grab a few packs from the current line and use them much later on.

Today's inspiration is another Random Acts of Creativity piece, Sketchbook Saturday Challenge #48.

I wanted to incorporate a bit of heat embossing and a travel theme into this piece. One of my brother's favorite things to do is travel alongside rock climbing and diving and what better than to add a suitcase with a compass on it?

I finished the inside with flourishes from Love Life and I brought the same cardstock patterns inside by way of four little squares, distressed in two different shades of brown - my trusty Chocolate and then Cocoa to darken it a bit more. This turned into a two tone distress which looked really cool.

Wonder how I got those fancy lines on? A ruler and a Sharpie marker!

My Stash:
* Solid color cardstock
* Gold button
* Sharpie

CTMH:
* Love Life
* Just a Number
* Ruler
* Black Embossing Powder
* Blue and Green Adhesive Sparkles
* Mocha Opaque Pearls
* Avonlea Paper Pack Lvl 2 (retired)
* Chocolate Ink
* Cocoa Ink
* Black Ink
* Twilight Ink
* Garden Green Ink

And like that January is out the door and Feburary arrives - with a new catalogue!

So simplistic it's beautiful...

I originally saw this card from Random Acts of Creativity: Sketchbook Challenge #67 but I didn't have the right butterfly stamps!

However I decided to use silver embossing powder which didn't originally show up so well on La Belle Vie, and then I distressed all over it in Gypsy Ink and the stamp just popped up.

I also cut the edges with Fiskars Edging scissors and distressed them in Gypsy. A few gems and all of a sudden it was looking very classy. The photo doesn't do the color of the paper justice. That's what I get for photo-editing on a tiny iPhone screen... my iPad is in Moscow with my husband.

I finished the inside with the same stamp in gypsy along with a sentiment and it was a perfect match to the purple cardstock. Did I mention I have a love affair with La Belle Vie and the Flair stamp?

My Stash:
* Fiskars Edging scissors
* Solid cardstock

CTMH:
* Flair
* Silver embossing powder
* Itty Bitty Clear Sparkles
* La Belle Vie Level 2 Paper Pack
* Gypsy Ink

It's foggy out today!

And the birthdays start again...

With both my brothers having birthdays in January I had to break out all my crafts again, even though they were all put away for the holidays.

However a swift inspiration kick in the back is always welcome and the new Spring/Summer catalogs arrived! They will debut Feb 1st but I will include one new catalog with any order in January.

My inspiration for today had to include planes, as my brother-in-law was once a pilot and still adores them : Mojo Monday : MOJO275

I thought I'd let the paper from Dreamin Level 2 (retired) carry the oomph of this card as it is so beautiful. However I was needing a distress tool and as it turns out, my foot file did the trick. Mind you I think I'll have to include the distress files in my next order. It exposes the white core that is at the center of all CTMH papers for a nice look.

I carried the paper and distressing through to the inside of the card and added a few flourishes, including distressing the middle panel's edges with Pacifica.

My Stash:
* Solid color cardstock
* Blue flower rhinestones

CTMH:
* Dreamin Level 2 Paper Pack
* Horizon
* Just A Number
* Love Life
* Olive Ink
* Pacifica Ink

Finally I should mention the stamp of the month for January - Happy Valentine's before it's too late - it's a beautiful set of roses that would work wonders on any layout or card.

This set is only 5$ with a minimum order of $50 CAD and don't forget about the latest promotion - a Valentine's Day kit for $10 with a minimum purchase of $35.00. 

Stay warm, it's cold outside!

Sometimes you just get inspired...

I was browsing through my blogroll when my eye lighted on the following three:

* Papertrey Ink : Make it Monday Challenge #67
* Mojo Monday : Challenge #242 interpreted by Julie Tilman aka MOJO242
* Heart2Heart: Distressing Challenge

and off I was to my crafting supplies to make a card! I sadly don't qualify for the first challenge (Papertrey Ink) as they require you to use at least one PaperTrey item but don't worry - they make beautiful stamps and they're definetly going on my birthday wishlist.

I'm not sure that it's directly obvious here but I tried to sand the blue layer of the butterfly with my nailfile and the purple flourish to expose the white core that is at the heart of all CTMH cardstock. It shows best on the right wing, and I distressed the inside panel with chocolate ink. I had seen this layered technique before with butterflies some time ago and felt like giving it a try. The top is actually vellum embossed with silver embossing powder.

To get that look with the little butterflies, I used the same paintbrush technique that I've done previously, working from where I want it darkest and swept out to the lighter part of the image. The ink used here to "paint" with is Smoothie.

Michaels, etc:
* Solid cardstock (Spice Market)
* Silver embossing powder
* Fiskars Edge Punch

CTMH:
* Pair-A-Phrase (retired)
* Just A Number
* Dreamin Level 2 Paper Pack - retired
* Florentine Level 2 Paper Pack
* Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge
* Cocoa Ink
* Smokey Plum Ink
* Autumn Cardstock Pack
* Smoothie Ink
* Opaque Pearl Adhesives

Have a great weekend!