Eighteen Already

Hi guys!

I apologize for being a bit of a sporadic blogger recently. I am busy creating for the Waltzingmouse Stamps September release. All I can tell you is that the releases just keep getting better and better - you are really in for a treat, and you're going to get some things that I know you've been waiting for!

Today I want to share a card I made for my brother-in-law's birthday a few weeks ago.

Whenever I need to make a guy card, the first stamp sets I turn to are Free Spirit - Boy and Free Spirit - Sentiments. I know there is something in these that I can always use!

The punched and stitched circles were inspired by this card created by Mariana Grigsby. I just loved the fun layers and thought it would be perfect for a graphic guy card.

Here is a photo of the inside - I usually don't finish the insides of my cards, but seeing as this one was headed somewhere, I did. When Bill and I first met and started dating, Mark was 3 years old. And now he's just turned 18! So, it was an '18 already?!?' moment for me. The entire inside was made using words and phrases from Free Spirit - Sentiments.

Thank you for stopping in today! I hope you have a great day!

Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Free Spirit - Boy, Free Spirit - Sentiments - Waltzingmouse Stamps; Psychedelic Grunge - Tim Holtz Collection for Stampers Anonymous
Cardstock: Going Gray, Basic Gray - Stampin' Up!
Patterned Paper: Lucky from Get Happy Collection - Cosmo Cricket
Ink: Versamark - Tsukineko; Jet Black Archival Ink, Black Soot Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
Other: 1", 1-1/4", 1-3/8" circle punches - EK Success; sewing machine

11 Tags of Christmas

Hello friends! Here we are, the final days before Christmas.

I thought I'd start sharing the tags I've been making for our 11 Days of Christmas. My husband and I share a gift a day between our Anniversary (12/15) and Christmas - 11 days! Last year, inspired by Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas, I made a tag each day to go with my husband's gifts. We hung them on the tree and oohed and aahed - it was fun. I continued the tradition this year and thought you'd like to follow along.

For some of the tags that I made, I used a bunch of different products and things from my stash. I am going to skip giving recipes for each, but instead highlight the main products I used. If you have any specific questions, please don't hesitate to leave me a comment or send me an email! Ok - enough chit chat (you can click the pictures for an enlarged version)!

Day One (our Anniversary, hence the hearts). I stamped the text first and then clear embossed the hearts on top. Then I dipped the tag into ink I had spread on my craft mat.

Day Two. Stitched holly leaves and heart berries from Sewing Box - Christmas. I stitched around the outside and then stamped a row of polka dots from Off Beat Backgrounds.

Day Three. A collage of images from the Mini Holidays set, along with Fired Brick, Peeled Paint, and Broken China Distress Ink. I added a layer of Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint and the number three from Tim's Metal Numerals.

There you have it! Tomorrow I will share the next three! I hope you have a wonderful night!

#Anya

If you have any product questions, don't hesitate to ask! :)

Vintage Merry Christmas

Happy December, friends! Before we know it, it will be June again!

Today I'm sharing my card that I made for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge (late again).

Here is the sketch:

And here is my card. I flipped the sketch and took some other liberties..

I love this card! I pulled out my Mini Holidays cling stamp set from the Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection. The collage of ads, cluster of snowflakes, and sentiment are all from this set. The music score background, which I just found this weekend and *love* is from Stampendous. Everything got a treatment of Distress Ink after I cut it out... I just love Distress Ink!

The cream strip of cardstock was punched with the Martha Stewart Simple Scallop edge punch. There are some other do-dads and things added - its all in the recipe, but if you have questions leave me a comment.

And speaking of Tim Holtz, today he started his 12 Tags of Christmas over on his blog. If you've never followed Tim's Christmas tags, you should check it out! It is very inspiring and he's giving step-by-step instructions, so you can play along (I am!)

Thank you for your visit today, I hope you'll stop back again!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Ad Collage, Snowflakes, Sentiment from Mini Holidays - Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection; Music Score - Stampendous
Cardstock: Bravo Burgundy, Handsome Hunter - Stampin' Up!; Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Handsome Hunter - Stampin' Up!; Aged Mahogany, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Branch and Simple Scallop punches - Martha Stewart Crafts; Pinking Edge for Rotary Paper Trimmer - Fiskars; Gold pearls - Recollections; Fired Brick Distress Ink Stickles - Ranger