Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! Are you off to a spookin' day, hee hee! My kids are super anxious to go trick-or-treating tonight. Our neighbor/friends have a potluck dinner every Halloween nite so we go there before running around the neighborhood--always a fun nite. After the kids fill their bags full of candy they're off to my mom's house for the weekend---yippee, a kid-free weekend! I'm looking forward to some downtime w/ hubby for sure! So I have my very last Halloween card for you today in celebration of this "witchin'" holiday (lol, I can't stop)!
**NOTE--Hot Cocoa Box Directions/Tutorial at end of this post!**

I used my Crafty Secrets "Halloween Fun" stamp set that I've had for awhile and hadn't used yet (Eeekkk)! I love their vintage images, just adorable. For this card I used SCS sketch #200 for the layout and Cosmo Cricket "Haunted" dp. I added some black stickles to the images for some sparkle and the ribbon is actually wide black raffia that I've tied into a bow w/ some sheer ribbon layered in. The images were all colored w/ Copics & I used my CB embossing folder on the black cs for more texture.

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Ok, here are my directions for my Hot Cocoa Box from this post. This box will hold 3 of the Land of Lakes Hot Cocoa mixes. You can easily adjust the height & width of this box for whatever size cocoa packets you might have. **Please remember that this box is of my own design and you are welcome to use it for your own project (no submissions please)--just remember to give credit where it is due :)**

For this project you will need:

-Scor-Pal or other scoring tools

-Strong Adhesive like Red-line Tacky tape

-Patterned paper or Cardstock (12x12 works best)

You will cut your paper into (see above, green cs is my side pcs--please click for larger views):

-2 pcs of 3x6" paper for sides (accordian fold)

-2 pcs of 3.5x8" paper for front & back of box

-1 pc of 3.5x5" for lid

You will score your front & back pcs of cs at 6" & 7.5" along the long side (see above)--crease well.

Your sides (accordian fold) need to be scored every 1/2" 5 times along the short side & then fold these back & forth like making a fan.

Your cs for your lid will be scored at 2.5" & 4" along the long side--crease well again.

This is how the front & back are put together--you basically lay one piece of your cs inside the other cs fold and attach w/ strong adhesive. For my template I did this step pretty loosely but if it was my "actual" project I would have used my tacky tape because you want a strong hold. Make sure that the "BACK" of your box is the one with the bottom flap on the outside--you don't want that to show on the front of your box.

For the lid you will attach the shortest scored side to the back w/ your adhesive/tape like above.

Once you've made your accordian fold sides you need to apply your tacky tape to the front & back flaps of each side so it can be attached. In the above picture you can see that I've only attached it to the back so far.

And that's it--you're done. Now you decorate it to your heart's desire! I used a Basic Grey small magnet under my dp on my lid and front so it closes. You could easily use velcro or even a ribbon tied closure too.

This photo shows the back side--you can see where the back bottom flap is better in this picture--you can tell that my actual project was much neater than my template, but you get the idea, lol! Hope this tutorial was easy to follow & let me know if you make one--I'd love to see it!

Have a spooktacular day wherever you are & a wonderfully fun & safe Halloween! I will have 2 posts going up on Saturday & Monday for you while I'm gone. Don't miss me, hee hee!

hugz,
Suzanne

Roses & Toile!

Hello everyone! Tomorrow is Halloween and the end of October already, can ya believe it? Although the weather here has been unbelievably cold & windy it feels like January, ughhh....I hate it! It's supposed to be in the 60's this weekend--just in time for my getaway w/ hubby, yay!! I'm lookin' forward to some downtime before the craziness of the holidays begin.

My first card today will have to go down in "Suzanne History"(LOL) as one of my most favorite cards evah'!! This card has my most favoritest colors (red & black) and my favorite prints--toile. I lovee toile so much!! Isn't this new Pink Tilda w/ Rose (from the new Magnolia Pink Collection) just a dollbaby! She is such a wonderful image for so many occasions including thankyous, love, Mother's Day & etc.. You can pick up your own "dollbaby" at Magnolia-licious--quick before they're all sold out! Both the black/cream & red toile dp are from Anna Griffin who makes the most wonderful toile patterns (which I hoard immensely, lol). She's colored with Copics and I added burgundy stickles to the rose to make it really pop. The sentiment is actually a clear sticker from Cloud 9 Designs (Love-Simple Thoughts)--I have bunches of these & they're really wonderful sentiments & quotes for your cards. Do you likee?

My second card is another Sneak Peek from Clear Dollar Stamps (all new releases available on Nov. 1st) called "Snowman Wishes". This set has a ton of images in it and is sooo cute. I used this lil' snowman family to make a "quiet snow scene". The entire image was colored with Twinkling H2O's and is super shimmery IRL. The dp is Memory Box's "Frost" and I love chocolate & blue together (hence my blog header, lol). I think it makes just a sweet, simple holiday card. Make sure & check out my DT sistah's blogs for all their sneakie peekies too (on my sidebar).

Alright I'm off to do lots of things for you fellow readers, lol. Did you notice I went WAY over 50,000 hits yesterday so it looks like blog candy in your future next week & it is BIG!! I will also have pics/directions for my hot cocoa box from this project--I've had lots of you email me & you've all been so patient with me, lol! And make sure to check out my Storage Units, Ink & More DT sistah's blogs (Jen del Muro, Leigh, Debbie) for more sneak peeks (stamps released on Nov. 1st too) today. Until tomorrow...

Suzanne

Ski Girl & More Peeks!

Happy Hump (Wednesday) Day everyone! I tell ya the weather here has me in a funk--too dreary, too cold & way too windy. I need the sun people!!! But I'm going to lunch today with my lunch bunch so that will be some fun in the day for sure! Hope you're getting some sun wherever you are today! I've got a few more sneak peeks for ya today too...


My first card uses a new set from Storage Units, Ink and More called "Aspen"--there will be 7 new stamp sets released on Nov. 1st for you to purchase. Make sure and check out my fellow DT gals today for their sneak peeks as well (Chat & Carolina have peeks today). This particular set has a snowboarder and some lodge-like stamps as well--really fun to use together for scenes. I used some dp from MFT & I really liked the fun, bright wintry colors. I used my DecoArt SnowWriter for the snow and some stickles on the mountain for sparkle. The snowflakes are diecuts from The Stampin' Place (lovee them)! The sentiment is from a new set called "Winter Thoughts" that you will only be able to get with the purchase of 6 stamp sets. Each of the sentiments work with all of the new sets--fun!

My second card today uses another soon-to-be released set from Clear Dollar Stamps on Nov. 1st as well. This is actually 2 small stamp sets called "Marvin & Marcy Mouse" & "Cheese Wedge" that I've used together. The sentiment is from their "Casual Curlz Sentiments"--good for every occasion. I paired these cuties up with Basic Grey's "Offbeat" dp for some a mod-like layout. I love the colors together--fun but subtle too.

My last card uses another new set from Clear Dollar Stamps called "Deer Wishes" and this will be the Stamp of the Month over there too. Lots of fun images to mix and match in this set, but I only used the reindeer, bird, snowflakes & sentiment for this card. I lovee PTI's new Ocean Tides color palette so I used it for this card in the dp, ink, ribbon and cs. The image was colored with Copics and I added diamond stickles to the snowflakes & snow for lotsa sparkle! I think this is just the sweetest image. Don't forget to visit my CDS DT sistah's blogs this week for all of their fabulous sneak peeks too (list on my sidebar)!

I'm getting ready to hit 50,000 hits so it looks like I'll have blog candy up for ya next week--yippee! And it is the biggest most exciting blog candy I've ever offered up, so ya won't wanna miss it! Thanks to EVERYONE who visits me, enjoys what I make and leave me the sweetest comments--I love ya! Alright I got projects to work on and then I'm off to lunch for a bit. Catch up w/ ya tomorrow.

hugz,

Suzanne

Xmas Sneakie Peekies!!

Good morning to you all! Hope your week has started off well so far--yesterday's weather was so dreary and cold so I'm lookin' for some sun! I am keeping my post short today cuz' I have lots of work to do before I go away for the weekend, lol! So let's get to it...

Both of my sneak peeks today are from Clear Dollar Stamps new releases which will be available to buy on November 1st (this Saturday)!! Both of these cards use the Charlie Snowhorse stamp set--isn't he a cutie-pie! I stamped his lil Xmas tree next to him and loaded it up w/ some ornaments that are included in the set. I used my Copics to color and added my DecoArt SnowWriter for dimension in the snow. I paired PTI's cs in lavender moon and *new*Ocean Tides along with Imaginisce's new "Snowy Jo" Xmas dp. A few sparkly stickles and a spiral clip with some PTI ribbon and it's ready.

The second card I only used Charlie Snowhorse and sentiment stamps. I love to make these round cards with my nestabilities--just a different & fun feel to your cards! The dp is from DCWV "winter glitter stack" paired w/ SU's Pacific Point cs. I punched out a couple of snowflakes w/ my new Marvy snowflake punches and used my silver pen to outline them. A few more stickles and SnowWriter for sparkle and dimension and this was done. Whatcha' think?

I'll be back tomorrow with some more Clear Dollar Stamps sneak peeks and a special "peek" from Storage Units, Ink & More new Christmas stamps. Make sure and check out both of the DT's sneak peeks on their blogs too (on my sidebar). While you're waiting please visit my Whiff of Joy GDT sistah Suzy's blog for her blog candy giveaway. She has "Melinda Christmas Angel" up for grabs, so you won't wanna miss out!

hugz,

Suzanne

Monday Spookies!!

Hiya and Happy Monday! Here's to another week--can you believe this is the last week of October already? The kids are trick-or-treating Friday nite and then goin' to Grammy's house for 3 days while hubby & I go away to celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary! I'm looking forward to some time away--we're going to Alexandria,VA which is our go-to place every year for our anniversary it seems. I love it cuz it's historic and by the Potomac River & we always have a relaxing, fun time together. The kids have off of school on Monday & Tuesday for elections but we have to be back Monday evening cuz' my daughter has district chorus tryouts on Tuesday morning.

This first picture is of my "lunch bunch" gal pals this past weekend at my friend's Alex & Dan's Halloween party. My lunch bunch gets together the last Wednesday of every month and yayyy its this Wednesday--I always look forward to it! I'm the second one from the left!

My first card today uses this week's Stamp of the Week from Spiral Whisper--this lil' guys name is "Percy" by Janet Roberts. If you're interested in buying him he is 10% off all this week. I decided to make this an anniversary card for my hubby cuz' he's such a cutie, lol! I used the yummy Basic Grey "Ambrosia" dp & paper pieced his lil' vest. I'm having a hard time finding "gray" accessories--I have paper and finally found some pretty ribbon, but it sure is hard to come by. I used my CB embossing folder on the background Coredinations cs and then sanded it a bit to make the core color come thru. I used my Copics to color and added a few stickles to the flowers and his bowtie. The sentiment is from CC Designs "sugarplum sentiments" set. Think he'll like it?

I have to warn you between sneak peeks this week, I will be blitzing on Halloween projects. I seem to have bought WAY TOO much Halloween stuff and I'm trying to use a bunch of it before Friday comes, lol! So hope you don't get too tired of seeing it, hee hee. This is another one of the new Halloween Magnolia stamps and isn't she just the sweetest? If you're interested in these Halloween or Fall Magnolias, Diana is having a 30% off sale on them at Magnolia-licious--Get 'em while you can!! This card started off as something entirely different, but I didn't like it so I started over & made it more simple. I paper pieced her lil dress using SU's new Halloweeen dp and colored with Copics. Her lil' pumpkin bag is stickled up for sparkle and the ribbon is from Offray. I like how she turned out--sweet & simple!

The second card uses another Halloween Magnolia--Tilda as a Witch (I personally call her Witchie-Poo, lol)! I paper pieced part of her dress and I had to color her hair green ya know, lol! I used another bg stamp from The Stampin' Place, this one is called "Tree/Road Scene"--I love this bg becuz' I'm imagining it for all different seasons. Color the trees differently for each season & you've got a very versatile background. I wanted this to look like a spooky hollow so I embossed the whole image w/ black embossing pwdr and then shaded with gray Copics. The sentiment is from a retired SU Halloween set and then I attached a few MS punched bats to finish it off. Witch-a-licious enough?

Ok, I'm sure that's enough eye candy for ya today! I'll be back tomorrow with some more spooky treats for ya! I'm edgin' super close to 50,000 hits and you won't wanna miss the super "sweet" blog candy I have comin' up!

And a shout-out for the fabulous Elisabeth Bell (of Sugar Nellie & Whiff of Joy fame)--she's having a wonderful blog candy giveaway right now--so go check it out!

hugz,

Suzanne

Diva-licious!!

Hello everyone! I'm pooped--so I'll keep it short today. I'm taking the day off from crafting & I'm gonna be lazy & watch the football games :) I need to recharge my MOJO--hee hee! We had a great time at the Halloween party & was fun catching up with our friends. Sometimes it feels like we're doing the daily grind so much we don't connect with our friends as much as we should. Ahhh, if we could always be on vacation-wouldn't that be great!!!

My card today uses the same SCS sketch #199 that I've pretty much used all week, lol--told ya I love it! I wanted to ink up this gorgeous Rubber Romance stamp "Melanie" that I got from Susana's Custom Art & Card Design and this sketch worked perfectly. These stamps always remind me of Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly for some reason--2 of my favorite actresses (love Sabrina,Breakfast at Tiffany's & Rear View Window--I lovee my old movies). I love me my Bellas but I love these too--larger w/ more drama I think!

I used the DCWV "All Dressed Up" stack which in my personal & very humble opinion is the best dp they've ever come out with--love these colors together. I gussied up her shopping bags with a flourish from Verve Stamps & some polka-dots for fun. Her dress & black shoes have stickles on them becuz' she's a DIVA! My corner brackets I make with my Fiskars Border Punch-- I just punch a long edge and then trim into right angle triangles. The sentiment is another cool one from Amy R's "Boutique Sentiments". I have to say this card is so me--the colors, the image and of course the shopping (wish I was that thin, hee hee) :)

Hope ya like it! I'll see ya back here tomorrow with another busy week in store. There are sneak peeks coming at you from Storage Units, Ink and More and Clear Dollar Stamps---and so many more projects!! Oh, almost forgot--some friends of mine started a new Yahoo group for all of us stamping/crafting addicts where there are NO RULES! Well some within reason ya know, but you can talk about all products, all companies, promote yourself & give tips and let everyone know about steals and deals you've found. It's all good & we'd love to have you--so check it out here. See ya there!

hugz,

Suzanne

Christmas Fun!!

Hello & welcome to the weekend---Yee Haw! I'm working on a couple of projects and then headed to our friends Halloween party for awhile. Its supposed to be cold and rainy here, yucko--where oh where has my warm weather gone! And its only like 59 days until Christmas---ackkkkkkkk, where does the time go. I have so much to get done before then that it makes me feel nauseous, hee hee!! Oh well, day by day I guess! Let me get thru Halloween first!!





Both of my cards today use stamps from The Stampin' Place--lovee their stuff. I have to tell you I had soooo much fun coloring this Santa's Workshop that it shouldn't be legal, lol! I colored with my Copics and added diamond glaze (I lovee this stuff & use it constantly-wish I could buy it by the gallon) to the window panes and the paint on the floor. Their caps also have liquid applique on them. There are a few stickles in there and I used my Spica Atyou pens too. The dp is from Hot Off The Press--great small prints; flowers are by Prima. The sentiment is from The Stampin' Place too--I made the tag using my Fiskars corner punch. Do you likee?


The second card was so fun to do too. I used the SCS sketch #199 again (omgoodness I love this sketch--I made 3 cards using it). I love this snowman image looking up to the sky like he's trying to catch the snow and the sentiment is too fun--cracks me up! The dp is DCWV paired w/ SU's pacific point cs (1st time I've used this color). I used my DecoArt SnowWriter again for the snow around the base of the snowman (lovee this stuff--dries super quick too). Those bee-u-tiful snowflakes are diecuts from The Stampin' Place too--you get 64 of them in 4 colors and sizes for only $5.95, can't beat that with a stick. The brads are from them too--so fun!


Well I hope you're enjoying your weekend and that you enjoyed my cards today too! See ya around tomorrow (I'm taking the day off but I have a post planned for ya)!


hugz,
Suzanne

A Birthday Pumpkin!

Happy Friday my friends! Ahhh...thank goodness its the weekend, right!! I lovee my craft room but I feel like I haven't left it much this week. I'm definitely taking a break on Sunday--no stamping--do you think I can do it, lol? We're going to a friend's house tomorrow afternoon for their annual Halloween party so that should be lots of fun. The kids are dressing up (Alexa is a woodland fairy & Riley is a 20's mobster/gangster) but hubby and I are not this year :( We just ran out of time so I'm going as a crazy stamper lady w/ ink stamped hands, ROFL!!!

Anywhoo, I just have one card for ya today cuz' I didn't get to take my pictures of everything else before I lost daylight (I hate it getting dark early--feels like my day is over too soon)! I bought myself one of those fancy lightboxes but whenever I use it at night my pics turn out pinkish and not true to color even after Photoshopping them. Anyone have any advice on that--I'd appreciate it?

I made this card for my sister's bday (she's 11 yrs older than me {giggle} & her bday was the 16th so I'm late, what else is new, lol). She loves Precious Moments and this stamp is so perfect for this month. For those of you who like these stamps head to Ebay cuz' that's where I got all of mine--for some hefty prices too! Stampendous stopped making them in the late 90's for whatever reason so they're hard to come by, but oh so cute! I used this weeks sketch challenge #199 on SCS--I actually made 3 cards with this sketch cuz' I loved it so much, very versatile & fun to do. The yummy dp is from SU's "Autumn Vine"--lovin' that Baja Breeze color! Image is colored w/ Copics and highlighted with my Ranger Inkssentials pen. The sentiment is from Verve Stamps "Wonderful Wishes Remixed" set. Hope you likee--I really like this color combo alot!

Hope you're all off to a wonderful, relaxing weekend! I have another blog candy alert for you--my Whiff of Joy DT sistah Camilla is having her blog candy giveaway starting today. She's offering up a WOJ "Charlie 007" for ya, so go enter for it! I'm edging ever so closer to 50,000 hits so keep your eyes peeled for my Xmas blog candy real soon! I'll be back tomorrow with lots of new goodies for ya!

hugz,
Suzanne

Summer Longing!

Happy Thursday everyone! Oh how I'm longing for the warmth of summer--my bones are chilled and I'm not liking it, lol! Every year I just despise the cold more and more--I wish I could tolerate it better but I can't! So in lieu of warmer weather I decided to make some NON-HOLIDAY, cheery-colored cards! Don't get me wrong--I love the holiday cards but needed a break,lol!


So I decided to pull out a couple of my Whiff of Joy stamps that I hadn't inked up yet--GASP, I know can ya believe it!! This one here is little "Oakley in Bathtub" w/ his rubber duckie, what a cutie. (Remember if you're in the US you can order these stamps from All That Scraps now) I made this card for a friend of mine who just adopted a toddler boy after many years of trying--so I'm very happy for her! I thought this was just the perfect lil' image for her card. The sentiment is a rub-on from SU's "Chit Chat". This ultra yummy dp is from My Mind's Eye "Laundry Line"--gosh I love this paper! The ribbon is from PTI and its their new color "Ocean Tides"--lovin' this color! I added diamond glaze & stickles to the the bubbly water & of course he's colored w/ Copics.


This second card uses WOJ's Guardian Angel "Melinda Helping Angel"--isn't she a lil' beauty? I knew I wanted to use her to make thankyou/gratitude card with her. This dp is from My Mind's Eye "DayDream"--they make the best dp :) She's colored w/ Copics and I added a few stickles to her wings for sparkle. The sentiment is another rub-on from SU's "Chit Chat" set that I put on my nestability tag and threaded with twill from Taylored Expressions. Final touches are layered Primas with MM brads in the center. Whatcha' think? I likee them, but I'll be back tomorrow with some more holiday stuff for ya, hee hee!

Don't forget to visit my WOJ DT sistah Rach's blog if you haven't already. She's giving away some yummy WOJ blog candy this week. I'll see ya back here tomorrow...

hugz,
Suzanne

Challenge Days!!

Hello everyone & welcome back to my Challenge Wednesday, lol! Seems that Wednesdays seem to be popular for challenges on some of my DT's! I'll try not to keep this post too long for you cuz' I've got lots to do. I have deadlines due at the end of the week and I'm only halfway finished---ahhhhh--gotta get it done! Can't share any of those with ya yet cuz' they're still top secret! My dimensions and pictures for the hot chocolate box will be up on my blog on Friday for those of you who have been oh-so patiently waiting for it :) And can ya believe Halloween is next week--my how time doth fly! I've got to get out my Halloween decorations outside--my creepy graveyard and lots of scary pumpkins, fun! I'll share some pics with you real soon!

So it's Whatchadoin' Wednesday over on the Storage Units, Ink and More blog site. This week the DT's challenge was to make "Treats for our Sweets"--you can join in on the challenge too. Just upload your cards to SCS with the keyword SUINKWWC11 so we can all see!

I decided to use my "First & Goal" stamp set to make some football snacks that you can just grab & go. I thought these could be used for many things including SuperBowl party snacks, football tailgating and treats for those of you who have kids on a football team for after the game. These are quick and easy to do which is good when you need to mass produce! The fun football field dp was picked up at Joann's and the clear cellophane bags I purchased at Michaels in the candy/cake aisle (a big bag of them for cheap). I measured the top of the bags to figure out how large to make my bag toppers then cut my white cs to size so I could stamp on it. I stamped multiple images on each topper and then colored them in with my Copics. After that it was just simple cutting and attaching to my dp & cs. I stapled the bags shut after filling w/ party mix and attached the toppers with my red-line tacky tape. Quick, easy & fun!




My second and final card is for the Spiral Whisper Challenge #6 today and its to make a spooky Halloween card. Please feel free to join in and upload it to the comment section (by Nov. 5th) on the Spiral Whisper blog for a chance to win a "Christmas Pudding Max" stamp. You've seen me use alot of the Janet Robert stamps from there but today I'm switchin' it up. This cute witch stamp is by Mandy Yaxley--creepy but cute me thinks! The image is colored w/ Copics and the yummy dp is from SU's Halloween line this fall. I added diamond glaze to her cauldron and green stickles to her brew and some to her hair! The cobwebs are from my MS punch and isn't that ribbon so fun--I picked it up at Michaels for $1! I also sponged some sagey green Colorbox chalk ink around the image so that it looks like a creepy looking glass! Hope you likee!

Alrighty, that's enough from me today. I'll be back tomorrow with some more eye candy for ya! Don't forget to visit my Whiff of Joy DT sistah Rach's blog this week for some yummy blog candy--she's giving a lucky someone a "Melinda Hugging Heart" stamp.

Suzanne

Stampin' Madness!!

Hiya everyone and Happy Tuesday! I'm feeling good today so hopefully that means I get lots done cuz' I got lots to do, lol! I'm also seeing that I'm getting close to 50,000 hits--woohoo! That means some awesome blog candy coming your way & it's Christmas themed!! So thanks to each and everyone of you that visit my lil' ole blog everyday---love ya!

Ok, I'm sure you're just eagerly awaiting my NEWs aren't ya? Hee, Hee! Well the owner of The Stampin' Place, Sally asked me a few weeks ago to be a designer for her store. Can I get a woo-hoo from ya. You know how much I lovee all their background stamps, but did you know they also have awesome stamps that aren't bg's---you'll be seeing some real soon. They also carry everything under the sun for all your stampin' needs to so get over there and check 'em out! So in honor of my new DT position I made a card for ya in 2 different ways using one of their wonderful stamps!!

I wanted to show you that these bg stamps are versatile, you can use them with an image like I've done with my Magnolia stamp or alone--I like both versions! This bg stamp is called "Wintry Lamp Scene" & I lovee it especially that cute lil' snowman in the bg! The Magnolia image (Tilda on Kicksled) can be purchased at Magnolia-licious if you're interested in purchasing her. All the images were colored with Copics and if you click on the picture to make larger you'll see I used diamond glaze on the lamp post's glass lights & sled rails. I also used a new product I found while perusing my new Joann's store and its called SnowWriter by DecoArt (I even looked it up for ya). Its like liquid applique except you don't have to heat it, it comes out puffy and you can add glitter to it while its still wet. Really cool--I used it on the trees, roofs and snow drifts. The snowflakes were done with my new Marvy snowflake punches from PTI and I added some fun, sparkly buttons to the centers. I also used my Inkssentials pen on the snowflakes and Tilda. This yummy dp is new by SU this holiday season--I lovee the colors which I paired with Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze & Blue Bayou. So whatcha' think?

My last image I'm sharing with you is an JATC I made for a swap I was in. I've never made the Jumbo ATC's before but it was really fun. I guess the idea behind the JATC's is that you can use them to make a card quickly. I hope the ladies in my swap like this one. This is "Tilda w/ Lantern" and the pine tree forest was actually done with just a single tree stamp from Alota Rubber Stamps. I stamped a forest lightly w/ my dk brown inkpad and then added liquid applique to some of the branches. Tilda was colored w/ Copics and her lantern has diamond glaze on it too. The sentiment is from PTI's "Merry & Bright" set that I embossed in white. I wanted it to look as though she was heading out for a winter's walk at night so I used the blue cs for a nighttime effect. What do you think? Think they'll like them?

Ok, that's all from me today. I have deadlines to catch up on and a super-long post again for ya tomorrow cuz' its Wednesday--which means challenges day. Some good stuff comin'!!

hugz,
Suzanne

Winter Wishes!!

Happy Monday everyone! Sorry I didn't get around to posting yesterday, but we spent the day at the Pumpkin Patch. The weather was beautiful, we got pumpkins and had a great time (pictures of my son and daughter below)! I wish fall and winter could stay at 65 degrees--I would love it so much more, lol! I also got to go shopping at our new Joann's store--LOVE IT! I bought so many goodies, just you wait and see what I have planned--lots of projects for ya!


For my first card today I used the Stamp of the Week from Spiral Whisper called "Christmas Tree Row". If you're interested in buying this stamp its 10% off all this week. I really liked the whimsical look of the trees and wanted to color them in different Xmas colors. I colored them w/ Copics and then added diamond stickles to some of them to make them pop! All the dp is from DCWV "Christmas Glitter stack" (from my new Joann's goodies,lol)--love all the sparkles! The sentiment is from Verve Stamps "Wonderful Wishes Remixed" set--lovee that set, so versatile.


The second card I made uses new CC Designs stamps from Christine's Sugarplum line--this is "Pajama Olivia" and "Sugarplums Christmas Scenery" for last weeks All That Scraps Wednesday Challenge #22. You had to base your card around some fun ribbon--I love this peppermint colored ribbon I got from Michaels. Isn't Olivia the cutest (I got the lil boy called Pajama Christopher too)? I had to paperpiece her jammies with this cute dotted dp, the candy dp is by ? (sorry not sure) and the white dotted dp I made using PTI's "Polka Dot Basics" set (great for making your own dotted dp). Both images are colored with Copics and accented with my Inkssentials pen. The sentiment is from PTI's "Merry & Bright" set.

Ok, I hope you liked my cards today. I have lots more in store for ya this week including a project tomorrow to go w/ my "NEWS" I have to share with everyone! When you get a chance please visit my fabulously talented Whiff of Joy DT sistah, Rach's blog this week. She's got some yummy blog candy to giveaway including the "Melinda Hugging Heart" and make sure and look at all her fabulous creations while you're there! Till tomorrow...

Suzanne

Shoe Diva!!

Happy Saturday everyone! Sorry I didn't post yesterday but I had to take a "holiday" to get all my other "stuff" done (errands and chores, yum)! I had to catch up on laundry and cleaning and run around trying to find a Halloween costume for my daughter. AHHHHHHHh--they do not make costumes for "young" teen girls that are appropriate anywhere, frustrating. We finally found her a cute woodland fairy costume that was appropriate and we "both" agreed on for her 7th/8th grade Halloween dance last night. And of course I had to chaperone which my daughter just loves (NOT) and it gave me a migraine--too loud (I'm gettin' old I guess, lol) !! Hey, I'm an involved parent and like to know what's going on ya know--this age is very scary!! The picture below is of her dressed for the dance--I had to do her makeup and hair of course because she says she can't, lol!


Ok, onto my news of the day. First and foremost Susana of Susana's Custom Art and Card Design asked me to be her designer to help get her business off and running and I was happy to accept her offer. I like that she carries a smaller line of stamps and is an artist herself so its a great match. She has some fabby things in her shop that you should go check out. She carries Rubber Romance and Karen Lockhart stamps too along with her own line of stamps and some other fun goodies too. Please go visit her shop and show her some love!! I'll share my other "news" with ya tomorrow--I don't want to overwhelm you with too much news, lol!!

My two cards today use stamps from Susana's own line of stamps. I lovee shoes (I have alot, I won't share how many cuz' I might be embarrassed or you might be shocked,lol)! Shoes and purses and stamps are my obssessions you could say, lol!! This first card uses a Rubber Romance stamp (it's really a picture of me, ha ha) named "Vivian" and some of Susana's shoe stamps. I used the Color Challenge #188 from SCS this week to use pink/black/white--which was easy cuz' I lovee those colors together. The dp is from DCWV "All Dressed Up" stack. The image was colored w/ Copics and I also used black stickles on her dress and some of the shoes. I also used silver liquid pearls to paint the red shoe accents and the bow on her hat--I like the shine and dimension of these liquid pearls alot. I fancied up the inside too--I don't always show the inside of my cards but today I felt like switchin' it up for ya :) The sentiments on the front and inside are from Amy R's "boutique sentiments" over at All That Scraps--fabulous sentiments in this set, for the shopper in all of us!!
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Second card uses just Susana's stamps--I love how you can dress up the shoes anyway you want (stamp 'em, color 'em, glitter 'em up)! I wanted the one pair to match my leopard print dp by DCWV(have I told you I{heart} animal prints) so I colored them to match. I think this "shoe-da" sentiment is too cute---there's lots of thing's I shoe'd do, but don't--ROFL!! I know just who to send this fabby card to :)

That's it for me today. Hope you liked my cards and you're off to having a great weekend. I'm working today on projects and then tomorrow we finally get to go the Pumpkin Patch as a family. The weather is supposed to be in the 60's so it should be really nice, I can't wait. See ya back here tomorrow w/ some Xmas projects.

Hugz,
Suzanne

It's Sketchy!!

Happy Thursday everyone! The week is almost done and I'm behind on my to-do list, what else is new right. The laundry is now screaming at me and I'm trying to ignore it, ha ha! I mean come on, toss the dice--laundry or stampin'--Stampin wins everytime, lol! Anywho, I'll keep this short for ya today. I also didn't get around to the dimensions for the hot-cocoa box, but I will have that up tomorrow for ya'll, ok!

Both of my cards today feature this weeks sketch challenge #198 over on SCS. This first card uses one of my new Rachelle Anne Miller Xmas stamps (I got 5 new ones, yippee) that I got from 7 Kids College Fund. I think this teddy bear is just too stinkin' cute. I colored the image with Copics basing all my colors on my fave holiday dp paper from My Minds Eye "Be Merry"--such cute,fun colors! The "joy" sentiment is a rub-on and I embossed the bg with one of my Xmas CB folders. I added a couple of punched snowflakes to the corners w/ some dew drop centers.

This second card uses the same sketch but instead of circles I wanted to use squares to emulate a fireplace. I love this lil' Changito monkey--I have alot of his stamps by Stampendous but I never seem to get to use them(have to fix that). I think the sentiment on this stamp is so funny--lovee it. All the dp is from Memory Box, ribbon is from PTI and the poinsettia/holly are Primas.

Hope you like my two takes on the sketch--they were fun to do. By the way, Paper Trey Ink released all their new Xmas stamps and goodies yesterday and oh my they're lovely--I won't tell you how much I spent cuz' its embarassing. But I'm justifying the hundreds because I'm making a good portion of my Xmas presents this year, lol!! Check 'em out if you get a chance--you'll likee them too! I'll see ya back here tomorrow--I've got some news to share with you all :)

hugz,
Suzanne

Fall Fever!!

Good Wednesday Morning to Ya! I am feeling so much better, now if my energy level would rise up I'd be set, lol! I have a few things to share with ya today so bear with me. First and foremost, my teabox template/directions is at the end of this post if you've been waiting for it (I will post the dimensions for the hot chocolate box tomorrow). Secondly, please visit my Whiff of Joy DT sistah Murielle's blog to enter for some yummy blog candy including a "Melinda Blowing Kisses" stamp. And lastly its Whatchadoin' Wednesday over at Storage Units, Ink and More so go check out all my DT sistah's lovely creations this week!

Ok, my first card was done using this week's SCS "Try a New Technique" Challenge #190 which was to make a stair-step card. I think this is such a fun and easy idea--how fun would this be to give to someone and there are so many different ways to use this (love it)!! I used my new stamps from Storage Units, Ink and More (Bountiful Harvest and Giving Thanks)--these 2 sets allow you to mix and match so many ways. I created the background scene with my SU inkpads, a cut-up makeup sponge and homemade hill and cloud template (cut out circles and scalloped circle)--I just sponged different colors onto my cs to make the water, land and clouds, easy-peasy. Each image was stamped, colored w/ Copics and then cut out and attached with dimensionals. The cs is Coredinations and the dp is from SU "prints pack". Whatcha' think?

The second fall card today uses both stamps and a sketch challenge from H&M Stamps--see the sketch here--Play along to win a 10% off coupon to the store. This scarecrow and crow stamp are from the "Old Fashioned Hayride" set which I colored w/ Copics. I inked the edges for distressing in 2 different ColorBox colors (their chalk inks are wonderful for this). The fun colorful dp is from DCWV's "Pet Stack"--I loved the shock of bright blue in this plaid dp, so fun! I embossed the brown strip of cs w/ my CB "button border" embossing folder and added some Basic Grey buttons on top. I wanted this card to look like it was bursting with hay like the scarecrow so I bundled up raffia, trimmed it and attached it underneath w/ gluedots. I think it turned out cute.
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Ok, below are the pictures and directions for my tea box that you can see here. I will post the dimensions for the hot chocolate box tomorrow. Once you make one (they're super easy) you can adjust the dimensions to whatever you'd like.

To start with you need:
-(1)2.75"x9.75" pc of cs for the frame of the box
-(2) 2.75"x4" pieces of cs for sides
-scor-pal or other scoring tools
-ruler
-tacky tape or other strong adhesive

Referring to my photo(double click to make larger) you need to score the longer piece of cs along the long edge at: 2.75, 3.5, 6.5, and 7.25. Fold and crease your score lines well. Your front foldover flap should be a tad shorter than the back.

Next, you need to take the two smaller pieces of cs (for sides) and score along long edge at a 1/2 inch seven times on each piece. You should end up with an accordian fold with 4 mountain/valley peaks.

Attach your 2 side pieces to the main box frame (see above picture) with tacky-tape or another strong adhesive--my picture shows it attached to the back, but you will also need to attach it to the front. And that's it, now you decorate it to your heart's desire.

I used a Basic Grey magnet hidden under my dp to keep it closed. You could also use velcro or a pretty ribbon. This holder will fit 4 teabags. If you have any questions just email me at sjdean@smartneighborhood.net . Alright that's all for me today--I'm off to run errands. Hope this tutorial was ok and easy to follow.

hugz,
Suzanne