naughty or nice, this christmas

well, the latest use what you have challenge is up at the sweet stamp shop blog! :) this time, nicole challenged everyone to also try to use their stamps in a new way! challenge accepted!

first of all, i used my stash of paper scraps! (confession alert: i have stashes of paper scraps all over my scrap room! ha ha! most recently, i organized my main scraps by color...yeah, i'm that girl! ha ha! looooooove organizing by color - my closet is the same way! all organized by color! ha ha! ...i'm a nerd...)

moving on! for my card, i used 5 stamp sets!!! oh yeah! below is the list of stamps i used:

calendar
gnomies
holiday sentiments
scootin' by
geek chic

oh yeah! here's my fun (and funny?!) christmas card:

all of the images were colored with copics and some of them were popped up for dimension! yay! i turned that cute little gnome into santa (easily done with an enamel dot and some white enamel for the trim of the hat!)! i just love that it looks like mr claus is asking you, 'have you been naughty or nice?' ha ha! and for a little more fun, i even added some presents (for the nice kids!) and some coal for the...not so nice kids!! (at least it's supposed to be coal! does it look like coal to you?) the coal is actually the 'puffs' of smoke from the exhaust on the 'scootin by' stamp set! :)

the background of the card was created by heat embossing the calendar (for the month of december, of course!) and then spraying some studio calico shine for some extra festive fun! i like that it's still a little CAS, but also has lots of interest! :)
(and see that blue/red/white striped base? that's my scrap! check!) :)

so that's it! i would say i used my stamps in an unconventional way! lots of transformation here people (santa, the coal, oh yeah!).
now it's your turn! get your thinking caps on, and use up your stash at the same time! win-win! :)
enjoy!

a perfect match

today i have real fun card i made today to share! i was able to get it done during the quietest time of the day for me - nap time! ha ha! the little menn were sleeping (along with 'the' mann - my husband! ha!) and it's by far my favorite time to craft - no distractions, i have music and the sun (can be) out! :)

i made my card for two challenges today! sweet stamp shop's use what you have challenge and CAS(E) this sketch challenge! 

what a fun sketch, right?! so i took out my copics (my coloring is a work in progress!) and created this fun card! 

i think this stamp sets is one of my favorites - perfect match. it's so FUN! and originally i was going to use the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (my FAVORITE images on this set by far!) but i decided to use other images - can you believe this is the first time i didn't use them! ha ha! i love all of the other images, but i am a pb&j fanatic - so i always lean towards those images! lol! :)

anyway, i fussy cut and popped up all of the images and then stamped the sentiment directly onto the grey, checkerboard base. then to create a sort of 'picnic table' feel, i used some washi (from my...very...large...ahem, collection) at the top and bottom of the card (under the cardstock). fun!! and not at all how i usually use washi tape - i usually make my washi tape use front and center! lol! 

here's my washi stash:

 *my husband made me that washi tape holder for christmas last year, and i LOVE that i can see all of my washi all of the time! the colors are bright, happy and inspirational! :)

so that's it! 
enjoy!

a happy birthday card

well, i meant to post this card hours ago...but then i lost power for 6 hours. that was NOT FUN. it was 106 here with the heat index. we were melting. ugh.

on to good things!! i made a card this morning (before melting!) for the sweet stamp shop's use what you have challenge! love that challenge! 

i used up some of my scraps...i have a few scraps...

*whistle*
i have a LOT of scraps. sigh.

anyway! :) my big little mann is turning 5 tomorrow!!!! so i had to make him a birthday card!! and he loves all things hockey - so that made this card pretty easy! :)

i actually used three stamp sets - alpha tabs (LOVE it), sports fever and scootin' by (only for the 'th' which i masked from the happy birthday sentiment ironically). 

first i added some black and white washi to the base of the card, then added the 'happy birthday' and the 5 (a super fun thicker set!). 

since he's still my little mann (always!!), i had to add an i love you to the front! i love those alpha tabs so much, and i thought a staple was 'manly' so there.

so that's it!
enjoy!

you color my world sweet layout

i was able to play along (again!) with the sweet stamp shop's use what you have challenge! LOVE it! crafting, playing and also using up supplies i have a TON of, or supplies that are older? i accept! :)

this time, i made a layout! and i really like how it turned out! but i must warn you, it has a lot going on! :)
i used up some of my wood veneers stash! as you can see...i have a lot of it...ha ha!!

i used lots of arrows and even a camera! all of the wood veneers were colored white with some white enamel. :) oh and score! i also used up more of my thicker stash (you can see THAT crazy amount that i have here)!

i looooove using stamps on my layouts and this one was no different! i used the color wheel stamp set (duh - this layout was CALLING for this stamp set!) and also view finder from the sweet stamp shop (of course!).

i used some soft, subtle grey washi on the layout and created some banners in MAGENTA and grey to add the color and layers. i really like how the only POPS of color are the magenta color! the same color that my littlest little used to color on his head...in permanent marker. sigh. talk about cliches. 

oh, and my perhaps my favorite part of this layout - i LOVE that camera patterened paper, but i thought it might be a little much for an entire layout. so i tried to calm it down by adding some vellum over top. and then i splattered some magenta spots all over using my watercolor brush and pencils. FUN! 

so that's it! another memory captured and a fun time in the process!
i definitely think you should get your stamps out and try this 'use what you have' challenge - it's one of the best challenges!!! 
enjoy!

rock on

today i have a quick post, for a quick card i made for the sweet stamp shop's use what you have challenge.

i have a TON of thickers. like...a ton. here are only two example pictures of my stash (there's more. sadly).

anyway, i decided it was time to make a card with them! (i usually save them for my layouts, which are few and far between...hence the pile up)

i love the stamp set 'old school rock'! it's super fun! and that amp was calling my name! :) i paper pieced in lime green and grey (FUN!) and then added the headphone leaning against it! :) both were popped up for dimension.

then i added my trusty thickers for the sentiment! :)

oh, and i even added a surprise embellishment to the inside of the card! too fun! :)
enjoy!

peachy keen

time for another card created for the 'use what you have challenge' over at the sweet stamp shop! one of my favorite new challenges because i get to create a card with fun stamps and use up my old stash at the same time! score!

for this particular one nicole created a card inspired by a photo on pinterest. i decided to use the same photo for inspiration on my card! :)

i also used the sentimental birds stamp set - one of my favorites! :) 

i used watercolor paper as the base, and then i heat embossed the birds on a wire in clear. then i added some disress marker coloring and mixed the two colors (worn lipstick and wild honey) together to give it a really soft and warm feel. in real life, this card is super soft! the pictures make it look a little harsh, but, what can you do?

oh, and my old product? (and i mean oooolllllddd...we're talking like 2004 people) is this decorative wire from close to my heart! who uses wire on projects?! i don't know what i was thinking at the time! sigh. (as you can see...it has not had much use...there's a ton left!!) 
anyway, i really liked the idea of the grey/silver with those warm colors from the basket in the inspiration photo, so i ran with it and made a few of the 'wires' from the stamp 'actual' wires for the birds. ha!

the sentiment was then heat embossed in silver and i added a few rosey sequins to balance all of the metallic action. :) 
so that's it!
enjoy! hope to see you making a card for this challenge too! 

the interns

i just wanted to share a quick post of a scrapbook layout i made for the most recent sweet stamp shop - use what you have challenge! one of my new favorite ways to use up my old (decrepit) stash of crafty supplies! i feel awesome after i do this challenge because i make something great, and i also use something that may or may not have given up on ever seeing the light of day in my craft room! lol! 

so, this time, i made a layout! and a little backstory here: i work full time from home, and my little menn love nothing more than to sit at my desk and 'work' if the chair is empty! what's more exciting to the littles than two computers, a mouse and a corporate phone? lol! so now then, here it is:

the stamp sets i used from the sweet stamp shop are alpha tabs, lil sweet peeps, and let's chat! i colored in the camera and added an enamel dot to the lens and popped it up!  also created some 'rays' from the camera in teal, white and grey, i really like how that looks!  the two little dudes were also colored with some of my copics (i'm very much an amateur!), but i do like how the hair turned out, beginner-level-wise!

i layered some washi behind these pictures (and i had to share a close up of it, i mean - look at that face!) ha ha!

there's an itty bitty bag from whisker's graphics on this layout too, which i filled with the 'message' card from the let's chat stamp set.

so the old stash - those would be the old looking rotary numbers (which i placed on my layout in a circle to reflect the old dials!)! i bought those at target - no LIE - about 4 years ago from the dollar section! and i have loved them, but not known that to do with them! and it wasn't until i went to place them on my layout that i realized they were magnets! lol!! surprise!! i wasn't going to not use them though, they're way too cool!

so that's it! i hope you're able to play along this week - it's such an awesome challenge! 

enjoy! (and happy father's day!!)

crunchy and creamy and cool

i had SO much fun going through my old stash and making a card for the use what you have challenge at the sweet stamp shop last week! i had to play along again - it's too fun! and i feel accomplished afterwards because i have less waste in my craft room! it's win-win!

this week, nicole also challenged everyone to play along and combine your card with another challenge, too!! even better! so i chose to play along with the retro sketches challenge this week, as well! it's such a fun sketch!!

i used the sweet stamp shop's, perfect match stamp set - one of my top favorites! i love the pairings of the food! so fun! :) ha ha! here's my card! 

i paper pieced the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and also added some glossy accents - it was calling to me! :) they're also popped up - i could NOT resist adding a touch of dimension! oh, and i LOVE that red strawberry jelly!! ha ha! oh, and as for my 'old' stash...check it out: rub ons!!! oh yeah baby! two different kinds to be exact! 

i just couldn't get past the sentiment i created in my mind (through thick and think, crunchy and creamy - best friends!)! get it? because peanut butter can be of the crunchy or creamy variety? lol! i crack myself up. the 'crunchy & creamy' part was created by using individual rub on letters...sort of tedious. but, worth it in this case. :)

i especially love the blue striped banner and bit of twine on this card - i added them to follow the sketch closer and i think that aqua blue is a great compliment to the reds, brown, and beige-s of the pb&j colors! :)

so that's it! 
enjoy! and don't forget to go through your stash and give new life to your old product! :)

happy day

today i have a card i made while facetime scrapping with my bestie - danielle at girlracer scrap! :)

it's for the latest 'use what you have challenge' over at the sweet stamp shop! :) i just think that is a fabulous challenge!! i mean, i think all crafters have a little hoarding tendencies by nature, and then time passes, and you get new stuff...lol! anyway, i was super excited to try my hand at it! :)

and guess what i found in my stash...waxy flax!!! i remember thinking at the time, what do you do with this?! but the rainbow colors were too exciting to pass up! i bought these at a local scrapbook store in wichita, ks when we lived there in 2008! ha ha! 

the rainbows color scheme is also what really inspired me with my card too:

i wrapped some of the waxy flax around the top of the panel to resemble a rainbow! that was my starting point! then i used my distress inks to watercolor some of the buildings from the 'cityscape' stamp set. i also used the sun from 'sweet spring' and the sentiment was created from the AWESOME, AMAZING, SUPER FUN 'alpha tabs' stamp set from the sweet stamp shop! i just LOVE that stamp set - it looks just like tiny type! the sentiment was popped up and the little sun was tucked behind the rainbow.

then the whole panel was popped up as well! 
oh, and those little strips of grass...yeah, NO LIE those are from 2003. i bought a package of jolee's boutique soccer themed stickers to make a scrapbook for my (other) best friend who graduation college and never threw it out! i have kept that strip of grass through 10 years, 6 states and who knows how many scrap supply purges!!  lol! sigh. hoarder. :)
so that's it! 
i'm SO excited i was able to play along and LOVING this challenge! 
enjoy!