For My Valentine

Good morning everyone! Are you ready to welcome the New Year? I am hopeful 2010 runs a bit smoother than '09!

Today I am so excited to sneak peek a new set for Waltzingmouse Stamps, to be released in early January!

This set is packed with sentiments (over 20!) and some great Valentine images. I used the single arrow to create a vintage-inspired Valentine!

Love at first sight!

I stamped the single arrow repeatedly, starting in one location and working out from there. A grid-lined acrylic block makes this easy. The sentiment was stamped right on the arrow - what a great discovery! I stitched around the outside and inked it up with Antique Linen Distress Ink.

The punched background is Martha's Punch Around the Page in Double Loops (with the outside loops cut off). These punches are great, but because of the corner and edge punch combination, come with limitations on the size of cardstock you can use in them.

There you have it! I'd love to hear what you think about the new set so far! If you'd like some more peeks, visit some of my fellow DT members: Julia, Jennifer, and Bonnie!

Wishing you safe celebrations this evening and the happiest of New Years!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps (not yet released)
Cardstock: Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink; Riding Hood Red - Stampin' Up!
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Sahara Sand - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Punch Around the Page Double Loops - Martha Stewart Crafts; sewing machine

Last of the Tags

Good morning friends!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I had intended to blog a bit more than I have, but I have been spending my time getting some much-needed R&R! Bill and I have seen more movies in the past few days (Avatar and Sherlock Holmes) than we have in months!

And in an effort to keep the post-holiday blues from setting in, I'm dragging Christmas out a bit longer. We spend so much time preparing for it, I feel it deserves more than one day!

Today I want to share the rest of the Christmas tags I made for Bill's presents.

Day Seven. Was in a bit of a time crunch with this one! The image is all one stamp, colored with Copics and distressed with Antique Linen Distress Ink.

Day Eight. Jenni Bowlin Christmas Mini Bingo Card layered onto a tag that had been embossed with the Stars Cuttlebug embossing folder. Highlighted the 8 with a Tim Holtz Sprocket gear.

Day Nine. Boy, this one was time intensive! The house is from Boards and Beams and all the holiday decorated bits are from Home for the Holidays. Lots of dimension and glitter on this one!

Day Ten. Another easy one - I was getting into the time crunch here! I embossed the snowflakes (from the Tim Holtz Mini Holidays Cling Set) and then added Distress Ink to the background. The splatter is Perfect Pearls mixed with water - this is one of my favorite new techniques I learned from Tim's 12 Tags!

And finally, Day Eleven! I started with a red and green plaid background made using Off Beat Backgrounds. The tree is from Tree Trimming Trio with ornaments covered in Martha Stewart Brownstone glitter. This is my second favorite (the plaid moose from Day Four is still tops for me!) tag.

I hope you enjoyed these! Maybe a little bit of inspiration for next year? I just love making tags. I still have to finish up my 12 tags for Tim Holtz's contest but I vow to get there! I haven't made much time for the craft studio these past couple days, but am ready to spend some quiet time there later today. I am thinking of you all and wishing you the best as we continue through the holidays!

See you tomorrow!

#Anya

Gifty Things

Good morning!

I am going to take a break from the tags today (..because I forgot to photograph the next ones, that's why!) and show you some other things I've been working on.

First off, some wine bottle scarves!

This uses the ginormous (purple - is that giga?) snowflake punch from Marvy, a simple tag, and a button.

This uses my favorite holly image from Sewing Box Christmas (which is out of stock in the store right now but on order - sorry!) and a big button for the berry.

I first saw these bottle scarves on Amy Rohl's blog and loved them. They were a snap to make!

Next are some gift card holders. I saw these on Jel Del Muro's blog with a link to the tutorial. These are also easy to make but really add something to your gift card presentation!

Using Very Vintage Christmas and a favorite cream, red and sand color combination.

And more holly! Love the woodgrain background on this one.

So here's what makes these so cool - untie the ribbon to reveal the inside..

Isn't that a great presentation? There is space inside for a sentiment or a little note. Very easy to make, too. The original tutorial came from Roxy's blog here. Instead of going through the whole Word Window punch business to create the opening for the gift card, I used one of the rectangle Nestabilities. Much easier!

Hope you have a great day, my dears! Have a very Merry Christmas if your holiday plans keep you away for a few days!

#Anya

Three More Tags

Hello, hello!

More tags for you today. These are just so fun to make. I am excited to share today's because #4 is my reigning favorite!

Day Four. Isn't this so me? The trees and moose are from a retired set from Stampin' Up! called Pines. This is one of my favorite Stampin' Up! sets ever. I started by stamping the trees and moose and then cut them out. And then I took the plaid stamp from Off Beat Backgrounds and stamped right over top. I love the effect. The background was stamped with a woodgrain and then I added some stitched snow. Love!

Day Five. Easy stuff here! The candy cane background was created using Faux Ribbon. The holly, gingerbread boy, and sentiment are from Oven Fresh - Gingerbread Joy. Little Ginger gets tucked into the front pocket on the tag. Some white Liquid Applique and glitter was added to give the look of icing.

Day Six. This tag was based on a sketch I saw on the Clean & Simple Stamping blog. I really like this color combination and love to add glitter to that ornament.

So that's it for today! I will be baking and stamping tonight (sound familiar?). I hope your night is productive, too!

Take care!

#Anya

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! :)

Blue Ornament

Happy Friday!

I love it when the holiday season starts to permeate the office... lunches with co-workers and treats abound - I love it!

I put together a card last night for the latest Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge. I was in a Waltzingmouse mood!

I had an old card on my desk that I had made using some of these colors and I thought it would be fun to use them on this card. I stuck with the combination of Night of Navy, Baja Breeze, and White. The ornament stamp is from Sewing Box - Christmas and was stamped twice - once onto white and again onto Baja Breeze. The hearts are also from the same set (the little stripe in the back is from Sewing Box - Hugs). I matted the ornament with an oval I had cut from PTI Linen Vellum. The sentiment is from Very Vintage Christmas. Right before assembly, I gave all the pieces a healthy spray of Perfect Pearls - imagine that you can see the shimmer!

Well, we're headed into the home stretch! I have so many fun things I'd like to share with you in the coming days. Last year when my husband and I started our anniversary to Christmas gift-giving tradition, I was inspired by Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas and created a tag to go along with each one of his gifts. I carried that tradition on this year and have been making different tags for each day. I really love creating this way and would love to share them with you. So look for those coming soon!

Have a great night!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Sewing Box Christmas, Sewing Box Hugs, Very Vintage Christmas - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze - Stampin' Up!; Linen Vellum, White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze - Stampin' Up!
Other: Snowflake Cuttlebug Embossing folder - ProvoCraft; Classic and Scalloped Petite Oval Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Snowflake punch - Marvy Uchida; Silver elastic cord - Stampin' Up!; Silver Gelly Roll pen - Sakura; Perfect Pearl Perfect Pearls - Ranger; sewing machine

Merry Christmas Mouse

A cute little card for you this Thursday afternoon that came together in a snap.

The mouse and sentiment are both stamps from Stampendous. I used Copic markers to color the mouse and outline his little tree. I thought a few red crystal stickers would be a perfect addition to his tree.

I think this guy will be perfect for the Moxie Fab World Blog All Creatures Great and Small Challenge! I hope you are well today - have you made your list and checked it twice? I finally finished my shopping today during my lunch break, thank goodness. I can't handle those crowds!

Have a super night - here in the 'Burgh I'll be cozying up on the couch to watch the Pens play!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Max Tree, Merry Brackets - Stampendous; Woodgrain - All Night Media
Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, Real Red - Stampin' Up!; White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Wild Wasabi - Stampin' Up!; Tuxedo Black Memento - Tsukineko
Other: Assorted markers, Spica glitter pens - Copic; Red crystal stickers - Recollections; pinking shears

Completed By Your Love

Thank you all for the Anniversary wishes - it was a nice day.

I wanted to share some of the things I've been working on recently. Still so much to do, but staying busy keeps me out of trouble, right?

This is the card I made for my hubby (whose name is Bill, by the way, for easier future reference :) for our Anniversary.

I started by making a piece of patterned paper with the plaid stamp from Off Beat Backgrounds. I used Bravo Burgundy and Spring Moss. The sentiment is from Blessed By You and was exactly what I wanted to say.

We started our gift exchange too! With 11 days of gifts to give, it helps to be creative.

One thing I put together for Bill is this little notebook where we can keep track of our sushi adventures. We are both big fans of the cuisine and love to try different combinations and flavors. In passing conversation, we had talked about how it would be fun to keep track of different things we've tried and liked (or not liked) - and so the Yum Yum sushi notebook was born! The inside pages have places where we can keep track of the basics: when, where, what, etc. and an overall rating.

The black background was stamped with one of the stamps from Background Basics: Diamonds and clear embossed. The sushi pieces were all cut freehand from scraps of paper... I giggled the whole time! I used my Bind-It-All to put it all together. It was great fun, and Bill got a kick out of it. We even used it last night when we went for sushi dinner!

So glad you stopped by today, and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow! Have a great night!

#Anya

Recipe:
Completed By Your Love card:
Stamps: Off Beat Backgrounds, Very Vintage Christmas, Blessed By You - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Scarlet Jewel, Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Bravo Burgundy - Stampin' Up!; Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink
Other: Medium Heart punch - EK Success; Scarlet Jewel button - Papertrey Ink; Linen thread - Stampin' Up!; pinking shears; sewing machine

Yum Yum Sushi notebook:
Stamps: Taffy Alphabet - Stampin' Up; Background Basics: Diamonds - Papertrey Ink; Woodgrain - All Night Media
Cardstock: Basic Black, Sahara Sand, Wild Wasabi, Blush Blossom - Stampin' Up!; Spring Moss, White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Sahara Sand - Stampin' Up!
Other: Filigree clear embossing powder - Stewart Superior; Sakura Stardust gelly roll pen - Tsukineko; Bind-It-All - Zutter; Assorted markers - Copic

Serendipity Stamps December Challenge

Good morning everyone!

Today I have two cards for you made for the Serendipity Stamps December Design Team Challenge. We were challenged to make a Valentine's Day and an Easter card. It was fun looking to the holidays ahead!

This card was made using the gorgeous Love Scroll stamp. I embossed mine in gold, cut it out and matted it with a Labels Four Nestabilities die cut. The patterned paper is from Bo Bunny - very romantic!

My Easter card was made using the image and sentiment stamps available in the Easter Flower Corner Cling Set. These stamps are also available separately as the Easter Flower Corner and This Is the Day. I colored the image with Copic markers and highlighted with Spica glitter pens. I love the detail in Serendipity's images, yet they are really easy to color (a great combination in my book!). The cardstock is Blush Blossom and Berry Sorbet - very springy!

Thank you for the stop today, now make sure you visit the other Design Team members!

Amy
Jennifer
Kathie
Lynda
Sue

And don't forget that Serendipity also sponsors a Reader Challenge in conjunction with the DT Challenge. Check out the Serendipity Stamps Blog and Gallery for more information - play along with us and you could win a $20 Serendipity gift certificate!

Have a great one!

#Anya

Recipe:
Love Card:
Stamps: Love Scroll (837G) - Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Scarlet Jewel - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Velvet Floral - Bo Bunny
Ink: Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Red crystal stickers - Recollections; Scarlet Jewel Satin Ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Labels 4 Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Corner punch - Marvy Uchida; Gold embossing powder

This Is the Day Card:
Stamps: Easter Flower Corner Cling Set (842QCL) - Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: White, Berry Sorbet - Papertrey Ink; Blush Blossom - Stampin' Up!
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento - Tsukineko
Other: Markers, Spica glitter pens - Copic; Scallop border punch - Stampin' Up!

Warm Cozy Snowflakes

I love this snowflake stamp. It makes me think of a warm, cozy sweater every time I see it.

Very simple card today - I stamped the snowflake three times and then filled in some of the empty spaces left on the outside edges. I used my quilter's tracing wheel to create some faux stitching along the top and bottom sides and then matted it on a piece of navy cardstock.

I added some blue rhinestones and the sentiment and called it done. This is going into my Christmas card stash (the ones that I have yet to send out :P)

Thank you all for your comments on my last post. We really enjoyed the Nutcracker - the production here in Pittsburgh has some wonderful references to the City incorporated into it and its great to see the story set 'here'! On Saturday we went out to cut down our tree and we'll put that up tomorrow.

My husband and I celebrate our anniversary tomorrow and despite a difficult, scary, stressful year have decided to carry on our own special Christmas tradition. Since we were married so close to Christmas (which I love) we give each other a gift each day from our anniversary to Christmas. It really is a lot of fun and helps to extend the season! I usually am not one to share too much of my personal life, but you gals really do mean so much to me I feel like your good vibes will help!

On that note, I wish you a wonderful evening and I'll be back tomorrow with the Serendipity Stamps Design Team challenge!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Santa Was Here, Very Vintage Christmas - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Night of Navy - Stampin' Up!; Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Night of Navy - Stampin' Up!
Other: Blue crystal stickers; quilter's tracing wheel

Ho Ho Ho Holly!

Happy Friday everyone!

Tonight is date night, and my husband and I are heading out for a nice dinner and our annual showing of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's performance of the Nutcracker. It should be a great time, we are big on holiday traditions!

I have a cute little card to share with you today that I made for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge. I used Sewing Box Christmas from Waltzingmouse Stamps.

I stamped the holly leaves onto Spring Moss and Ocean Tides and cut them out, adhering the Spring Moss layer with foam tape. I love the little hearts as stand-ins for holly berries (ups the cuteness factor :). The sentiment is also from the Sewing Box Christmas set and was stamped three times for the classic greeting. Each 'ho!' is separate, so you can place them where you like!

The patterned paper is PTI's Rustic Snowflakes. I chose the colors for the other card elements based on the colors in this paper. Some glitter to frame the holly and glitz up the berries finishes it off. Love!

You're the best, so glad you stopped by today! Hope you're finding the holiday spirit!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Sewing Box Christmas - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, Ocean Tides, Pure Poppy, White - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Rustic Snowflakes collection - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Ocean Tides - Papertrey Ink; Real Red - Stampin' Up!
Other: Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Two-way glue pen - Stampin' Up!; Garnet glitter - Martha Stewart Crafts

Easy Star Ornament

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

The snowflakes are swirling, the carolers are caroling.. tonight my monthly stamp group meets and we'll be making a few last-minute Christmas things.

One of our projects will be this simple star ornament. Claire created these easy, beautiful ornaments as a part of the Seasons of Love - Tags release in September. She has a great tutorial on her blog here. I thought these would be a great way to show off some of the Waltzingmouse Stamps sets to my group!

I stamped four stars in Handsome Hunter ink and followed up with a Bravo Burgundy snowflake in the center of each. The Happy Holidays sentiment is also from the SOL - Tags set and was stamped on the smallest tag from the Spellbinders Tags Trio. There are so many embellishment possibilities here, even though I decided to keep mine simple. We might need to break out some rhinestones or Stickles, though!

I also want to share a picture of my decorated fireplace! I have always dreamed of living in a home with a fireplace and I purchased this one as a part of my studio renovation project. It is a ventless fireplace from RealFlame! You burn an alcohol-based gel fuel can in the fireplace, and does not require connection to a chimney or gas line (so its portable, too!). I love it and would absolutely recommend one. It gives off a comfortable amount of heat and crackles just like a wood fireplace. The only bad part is that it doesn't have a smell! I found a candle at Target, though, called Bonfire Nights and it is the perfect addition! Anyway, here's a shot of my fireplace all decorated up. I apologize for the crap picture - I took it early this morning (with a camera that I really don't like) - I will try and get some better shots later.

I love the pine cones and berries. Makes me so happy :) So how is your decorating coming along? Are you an early preparer, or do you like to wait until it is closer to Christmas? I'd love to hear from you!

Have a great night - stay warm and cozy!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Season of Joy - Tags - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Handsome Hunter, Bravo Burgundy - Stampin' Up!
Other: Stars Five, Tags Trio - Spellbinders; Gold elastic cord - Stampin' Up!

Simple Thank You

I feel like I've been slacking recently... I think I am starting to feel a little overwhelmed by the holiday season and that just puts my mojo on the fritz. I think I am going to try and pick up a favorite stamp (the snowflake from Santa Was Here or the plaid stamp from Off Beat Backgrounds) to kickstart things.

Today I have a simple thank you card that I made. Not too much effort involved here - keeping it simple sometimes is the way to go.

I'll skip the chit chat and refer you to the recipe for the project details. One thing I will mention that is probably hard to see is that I added Frosted Lace Stickles to the center of each diamond. Very pretty in person!

I hope you did some Christmas shopping for yourself at the Waltzingmouse Stamps store this weekend. One lucky shopper will get their entire cart for free! You still have time -but not much!- Claire will be picking the winner by midnight her time tonight! Details are here.

Have a great night!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Background Basics: Diamonds, Big & Bold Wishes - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Aqua Mist, Enchanted Evening - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Blue Bayou - Stampin' Up!
Other: Scallop border punch - Stampin' Up!; Frosted Lace Stickles - Ranger; Adhesive rhinestones - K&Company

Believe

Hi guys! How is your Monday shaping up?

I spent last evening catching up with Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Chritmas and felt a little collage-y type card was in order.

The Santa's Workshop label is from Waltzingmouse Stamps. It was stamped in Frayed Burlap Distress Ink and cut out with the coordinating Label Nestability. The patterned paper is from the Cosmo Cricket Oh Joy Collection. I added some other touches: stamps from the Mini Holidays set from Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection, a bit of the herringbone background from Little Box Labels, and some Perfect Pearls.

Thanks for your visit today - have a great night!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Secret Set, Little Box Labels - Waltzingmouse Stamps; Mini Holidays - Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection
Cardstock: Cranberry Crisp - Stampin' Up!; Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Frayed Burlap, Vintage Photo, Antique Linen, Fired Brick, Peeled Paint Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Labels Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls - Ranger; pinking shears

Be Merry and Bright

I have to confess - this card is my favorite of the bunch I made for the new Waltzingmouse Stamps release, and I have been saving it for last!

The herringbone pattern border stamp from Little Box Labels was my staple for this one, which I used to create some festive patterned paper. I inked the stamp in various colors, masking off a portion each time so that my stripes would be different widths. (There are 6 stripes total in the stamp, so for the first color I stamped - Rose Red - I masked off 3 stripes and only inked up 3. Easy!) I repeated this, mixing up colors and stripe widths for some variety. I trimmed my patterned paper to a 4-1/8" square and stitched around the outside.

I used a label outline from Very Vintage Labels No. 1, a sentiment from Seasons of Love - Tags, and the holly outline from Very Vintage Christmas (which I also stamped with the herringbone pattern) to finish it off. There are so many possibilities for mixing and matching with Claire's sets that I have a problem using only one! Finally, I outlined my label with a glue pen and added some Smoky Quartz glitter.

I think I just found my Christmas cards for this year! It may seem like a lot of work, but doing things in batches (cutting then stamping, etc.) will make it a piece of cake.

As always, I so appreciate your visit! I hope you'll take a moment to say hi - have a wonderful Sunday! I'm off to walk my dogs. :)

Don't forget to stop in to the Waltzingmouse Stamps store and check out Little Box Labels in its entirety. Very Vintage Lables No. 5 is also available for sale!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Little Box Labels, Very Vintage Christmas, Seasons of Love - Tags, Very Vintage Labels No. 1 - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Always Artichoke - Stampin' Up!; Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Always Artichoke, Rose Red - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Smoky Quartz glitter - Martha Stewart Crafts; sewing machine

Cookie Recipes

Hello! Today I'm sharing my second project for the new Waltzingmouse Stamps December release using the fabulous new Little Box Labels.

I don't know about you, but when I think of Christmas, one thing that springs immediately to mind is cookies! We all have our favorite Christmas cookie recipes... you know, Grandma's Snowballs or Mom's Pecan Tassies - this little recipe book is the perfect place to keep track of all of those!

I stamped the Label image in Riding Hood Red, trimmed it out, and matted it with a die cut from the Labels Eight Nestabilities. This image also coordinates beautifully with the Labels Five Nestabilities from Spellbinders - Claire is one smart cookie! ;) I used two of the sentiments from Little Box Labels to create my title (these are separate words). The gingerbread man, holly, and candy cane images are from the Oven Fresh Gingerbread Joy set. The background is stamped with the herringbone pattern stamp in Pink Pirouette (this is one of my favorite color combinations).

I used my Bind-It-All to put the recipe book together. This is very easy and rather inexpensive (if you're keeping track of gift ideas!). I use index cards for my inside pages, so there's no need for trimming or anything. I get lots of comments about the insides of my recipe books so I have included a photo.

Nothing fancy, but perfect for keeping track of those important cookie recipes!

I'm glad you stopped by today, hop on over to Bonnie's blog where she is sharing another project using the Little Box Labels set. Bonnie and I were on the same wavelength today - you know what they say about great minds! ;)

Have a great day everyone!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Little Box Labels, Oven Fresh Gingerbread Joy - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette - Stampin' Up!; White - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Bella Rose - Stampin' Up! (for inside covers)
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa, Always Artichoke - Stampin' Up!
Other: Sakura Stardust gelly roll pen - Tsukineko; Lables Eight Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Bind-It-All - Zutter

Little Box Labels

Good morning everyone!

Today I am sharing a project using one of the new, soon-to-be-released sets from Waltzingmouse Stamps called Little Box Labels. This set is so versatile, with the main label image coordinating with the Spellbinders Labels Five Nestabilities. The set also contains four images, over 15 coordinating sentiments, AND a huge herringbone pattern border stamp!

I started by stamping the label image onto Blush Blossom cardstock in Groovy Guava ink. I don't have the Labels Five Nestabilities, so I trimmed my label by hand - which was very easy! The snowflake stamp is also a part of this set, I chose to punch it out and pop it up with some foam tape. And isn't the herringbone pattern divine? I have more to share using that! Like all of Claire's background and border stamps, this stamp is approximately 6 inches long, making it a piece of cake to cover a card. That is one of my favorite features!

The beautiful scripted sentiment is from Say It With Style, a set currently available in the Waltzingmouse Stamps store. It is a perfect fit, as are many of the other sentiments in other WMS sets.

So there you have it! For more sneaky peeks, check out Claire's post from yesterday - it is bursting with fantastic projects! Julia has also shared a fabulous project made using this set, too.

Claire will be releasing the sets in the store either tonight or tomorrow. So be sure to check her blog for updates! I'll be sharing more tomorrow, so be sure to stop back.

Have a great day!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Little Box Labels, Say It With Style - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Blush Blossom - Stampin' Up!; Ocean Tides - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Groovy Guava - Stampin' Up!
Other: Ocean Tides satin ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Creative Candy twinkle stickers - Amuse

Tuesday Trigger Merry Christmas

I really love the Tuesday Triggers on the Moxie Fab World blog. I like to see what sorts of things inspire people and how they interpret this into projects. This week's trigger was a beautiful red and cream patchwork stocking from Pottery Barn. I thought I would double-dip and use this picture and this week's Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge (in time - yah!) for my project.

Let's just take a moment, shall we?

Whew! Lots of lovely things on this one. Here are my favorites: the Music Score stamp from Stampendous, the fancy snowflake border stamp from Very Vintage Christmas, and the Two Leaf Holly punch from Martha Stewart highlighted with some Stickles.

I'm really having fun with the vintage-y Christmas. This color combination is a great one for that too. I hope you like it!

Thank you for your visit today - make sure to stop back tomorrow, I am going to be helping Claire with some sneak peeks for one of the new Waltzingmouse Stamps releases!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Very Vintage Christmas - Waltzingmouse Stamps; Music Score - Stampendous
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Sahara Sand - Stampin' Up!; Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Sahara Sand, Riding Hood Red - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Swiss Dots Cuttlebug Folder - Provo Craft; Pure Poppy satin ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Two Leaf Holly punch - Martha Stewart Crafts; Xmas Red Stickles - Ranger; Classic Circle Nestabilities - Spellbinders

On the first day...

.. of Christmas my true love gave to me... Come on, sing along - I know you know the words!

I bet you can tell where the inspiration for this card came from :)

Not too much fuss here, so the details will be short. The pears are from the Fruitful set from PTI. I inked them up with Spring Moss and then tapped a bit of Ripe Avocado to the one side. The bird is a die-cut from the Birds and Blooms Sizzlit Die (Stampin' Up!). Some flourishes from the Fancy Flourishes were stamped on the bird and also behind the pears for a bit of a 'branch'. The patterned paper is from the Holiday Vintage Prints pack. The ribbon is Scarlet Jewel and was adhered with glue dots. I have never been able to quite get the ribbon frills like this to look good. I need to practice!

Great to see you today, hope you'll stop by again! Take care!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Fruitful, Fancy Flourishes, Vintage Picnic - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Scarlet Jewel, Rustic Cream - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Holiday Vintage Prints - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Scarlet Jewel, Dark Chocolate, Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado, Chamomile Tea Dye - Papertrey Ink
Other: Birds and Blooms Sizzlit Die - Stampin' Up!; Scarlet Jewel Satin ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Clear adhesive rhinestone

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

PPRS Star Sketch Challenge

Hi everyone! Here in the States it is back to a normal schedule again.. it was nice to have a short break, though. I certainly indulged in a little laziness!

I have a sketch challenge to share today, brought to you by Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps. The DT was challenged to create a card using this sketch:

Here's what I came up with:

The star card was fun to make! I used the circle part of the sketch and created a little window to the inside. The inside candle image is actually part of a larger ornament. I stamped it twice, paper piecing the candle and flame. I added some Stickles, too. The scalloped circle frame was made using Nestabilities.. it is covered in Stickles too but is a little difficult to see. Here's a view of the inside:

Fun! Thanks for stopping by today. I will be back with more tomorrow. Have a great evening!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Snowflake Candle Ornament - PPRS
Cardstock: Real Red, Wild Wasabi - Stampin' Up!; Spring Moss, Summer Sunrise, White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Wild Wasabi - Stampin' Up!; Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink
Other: Classic and Scalloped Circle Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Stickles - Ranger

Autumn Wreath

In the spirit of the season, I want to thank all of you for your daily visits and comments. I am encouraged, comforted, and blessed by you all and for that I am grateful!

I held a stamp workshop back in September and we made these wreaths. I was originally inspired by a wreath similar to this in the current Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog. I started with a 7" styrofoam wreath form and added the leaves with Elmer's glue. I just layered and curled and layered until I got the look I wanted. Aside from cutting all the leaves, it was easy!

Thank you so much for stopping by today, please know how much I appreciate your visits. I hope you and your families have a wonderful (and relaxing) belly-stuffing Thanksgiving!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Season by Season, Country Blessings - Stampin' Up!
Cardstock: Ruby Red, Elegant Eggplant, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie - Stampin' Up!; Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Autumn Traditions Designer Series Paper - Stampin' Up!
Ink: Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Leaves #2 Originals Die - Sizzix; Kraft corduroy buttons - Stampin' Up!; Branch and Frond punches - Martha Stewart Crafts; pinking shears; linen ribbon; styrofoam wreath form

Fall Blessings

Hi friends! Only one day left before break! Yipee!

Before I go full-on Christmas mode (I admit, I've been listening to Christmas music already.. gotta love the 'Sounds of the Season' cable channel) I have a fall card to share with you. I am squeaking in under the wire with last week's sketch challenge from Mercy.

Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

Boy, do I love these colors together! I had a color combination of Terracotta Tile and Spring Moss in mind and then when I saw this patterned paper from the Cosmo Cricket Nutmeg collection, my plan fell perfectly into place! This card is 6" by 3-1/2".

The oak leaf and acorn stamps are from the Waltzingmouse Stamps Blessed By You stamp set. The Fall Blessings sentiment is from Peace and Plenty. I stamped the leaves in Spring Moss, Really Rust, and Dark Chocolate. I cut them out and added some Martha Stewart glitter with a glue pen. Nothing like adding a little sparkle :)

I think I am finally caught up now with Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge. I like doing these challenges regularly, so I'm glad to be back on track. And before I go, I'd like to share another of my husband's photos with you. Today's card reminded me of this one. Enjoy!

Hope you have a wonderful night!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Peace and Plenty, Blessed By You - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Terracotta Tile, Spring Moss, Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Nutmeg - Cosmo Cricket
Ink: Spring Moss, Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink; Really Rust, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Green Agate, Brownstone, Fire Opal glitter - Martha Stewart Crafts; sewing machine

Winter Wonderland ATC

Here we are at another Monday! I had grandiose plans for crafting this weekend but only managed to squeak out the ATC I am sharing with you today. But, I did take a mini-road trip with my Mom, winterized my backyard patio, put some finishing touches on my studio, and rearranged more furniture - so all was not lost! ;)

This is for Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps, using their Snowflake Tree stamp.

I don't usually make ATCs, but they are so fun! A mini canvas for your creativity!

I stamped the snowflake tree once onto white cardstock and again onto shimmer white. I used a punch to punch out the shimmery circles and then adhered them to the first tree with foam tape. I added some stitching, some aqua rhinestones, and a layer of vintage glass glitter. You could add this to a card front, use it as a tag, or trade it! Just keep an eye out for an ATC trade on your favorite forum. It is fun to work on the small scale. Hopefully I'll have better luck with the crafting tonight - I have so much I'd like to do!

Have a great evening - thank you for stopping by!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Snowflake Tree, Winter Wonderland - Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps
Cardstock: Night of Navy, Cool Caribbean - Stampin' Up!; White, Shimmer White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Night of Navy - Stampin' Up!; Old Paper Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Creative Candy Twinkle Stickers - Amuse; sewing machine; vintage glass glitter; circle punches

Holiday Birds

Happy Friday everyone! Just a quick one today.. here is another card made using the holiday stamps from Prickley Pear. This stamp is called Holiday Birds.


The image was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento and colored with my Copics. It was matted on a piece of Riding Hood Red cardstock that had been outlined with a gold paint pen.

I added some random messy stitching to a piece of Mellow Moss, and some snowflakes to the Sahara Sand cardstock. I had a piece of faux pine and a pinecone that I thought would be fun to add!

Thanks for stopping by - it is Light Up Night here in Pittsburgh so I'm going to head downtown later for some hot chocolate and fireworks! The Holiday Season is offically here!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Holiday Birds, Snowflake - Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Sahara Sand, Mellow Moss - Stampin' Up!; Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Sahara Sand - Stampin' Up!; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko
Other: Assorted Copic markers; sewing machine; Stardust Gelly Roll pen - Sakura; gold paint pen; faux foliage

Pink Winter Wonderland

It is a dreary, cold and rainy Thursday here today. I think some cozy time on the couch is in order this evening.

Today's card uses new holiday stamps from Prickley Pear.

I stamped the flourished reindeer three times with Versamark ink and then embossed it with silver embossing powder. I added a Raspberry Fizz mat and then tied on a Raspberry Fizz satin ribbon. The card base is a Hibiscus Burst square (I can't seem to make anything but square cards recently). I added some clear adhesive rhinestones to the deer antlers to finish it off. The sentiment is also from Prickley Pear.

Hope you enjoy! Stay warm and dry tonight! :)

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Flourished Deer, Winter Wonderland sentiment - PPRS
Cardstock: Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz, White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: True Black - PTI, Versamark - Tsukineko
Other: Raspberry Fizz satin ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Rhinestone stickers - Recollections; silver embossing powder

Cookie Sheet Advent Calendar

Hello!

I have to tap into my files of old projects to share today's with you.. I haven't made anything new in a few days. But that changes tonight! I have new stamps from Waltzingmouse Stamps sitting on my desk, my Papertrey Ink order was delivered today, and I have assignments for Prickley Pear. I don't know what I'm waiting for!

Today's project is a cookie sheet advent calendar that I made for the craft show last weekend. These are a little time consuming, but so, so fun! I certainly didn't come up with the idea - a quick Google search results in these links here, here and here (and many more). I first saw this idea last year and made them as gifts for family. I can't wait to make one for myself.

Anyway - on to the photos!


If you have any product-specific questions or want to know a little more about how I did something, please ask! I'm not going to bog us down with details in this post today. I will say that I used patterned paper from the Cosmo Cricket Oh Joy Collection (Frosty and Wrapping Paper), Thickers from American Crafts, and other little do-dads from my stash. Each day is a magnet created from a chipboard shape, and either inked or glittered (if they are glittered, I put a coat of Crystal Effects on top to smooth and seal them). Here is a close-up of some of the days (click on any picture for a larger version).

The dates are stamped onto the cookie sheet as well, so that when the magnets are not in place, you have a guide for magnet placement.. not that you couldn't just count! ;)

There is still time to get cracking on one of these for yourself in time for December!

I also wanted to thank you for the kind words you had for my husband's photos. He pops in here now and again, so I know he saw them. I will certainly share more of his pictures!

Thank you for your visit, and I hope the rest of your day is wonderful!

#Anya

Please comment on this post or email me for any product-specific questions you may have :)

Warm Wishes

Hello, my friends!

I have a cozy, snowy card for you today. I am enjoying experimenting with some non-traditional holiday colors and originally made this card for the first Embellish Magazine publication call.


All stamps used are from the Waltzingmouse Stamps Very Vintage Christmas set (which is currently out of stock - but you can add your name to Claire's waiting list).

This would be easy to mass-produce for Christmas cards.. which I just might do! I love the colors together and think these snowflakes are so elegant. A color combination of light and dark blue would be beautiful too! Have you started your Christmas cards yet? (I haven't!)

And finally, before I go, I wanted to share these photos with you. My husband took these. He really is turning into quite the photographer - if anyone has contacts in the photo industry, please send them our way!

Those are star trails - seriously! That just boggles my mind!

And a classic western Pennsylvania stream. Aren't they fantastic?!

Enjoy your evening!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Very Vintage Christmas - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Kraft, Rustic Cream, Ocean Tides - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Real Red, Sahara Sand - Stampin' Up!; Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Ocean Tides Twill, Dark Chocolate Button, Rustic Cream Button Twine - Papertrey Ink