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Um, that will be fixed soon.......ohhhhhhhhh Bethie, where is my favorite blogger fixer friend?

Get Well Card Kit

This is another new CUTE image from Karen Lockhart's new release. It's called Tissue Box and it's a gonna be a must have stamp for Get Well Cards or maybe someone who needs a shoulder to cry on. You can find it in the Stamp Section at Ellen's online store or go to the NEW section and it's located there too. The outside looks pretty much like your basic Get Well Card except that I made the top wider. I simply scored 1/4" on each side of the half way fold which is 5-1/2". The card front uses Cosmo Cricket Sugar patterned paper, Memory Box and SU! Groovy Guava, along with SU! Groovy Guava ribbon. The main image is colored with Copic markers and this is double matted with a Spellbinder's plain circle die then a scallop circle die. I mounted that to the card front with SU! dimensionals.
I wanted this to be more than just a card so added some cold season essentials to the inside of the card. There's a little tissue packet and a couple of cough drops. They are held in place with small sticky dots. This little dimensional card will not fit into a standard envelope but I would most like give these to teachers and friends that are a little under the weather. You could certainly mail it in a larger type envelope though. What do you guys for your friends under the weather....take chicken noodle soup, send a card, take over a dinner.......or stay as far away as you can? LOL!
Don't forget to place your orders today at Ellen's store for 15% off! All you have to do is enter the word CELEBRATE when you are ready to check out. And don't miss my other post earlier today....just scroll down a little.

Inchies and New Lockhart Images!

Are you ready for some fun today? Today we're celebrating Ellen Hutson's 1 Year Anniversary of her online store! Congratulations Ellen!! Be sure to check out the STORE and her BLOG for all the fun happenings. While at the store, be sure to clink on the NEW link, this will take you to the new product additions, including brand new Karen Lockhart images. There are some cute, cute new images out, Karen you did a great job!! And also don't forget to add the key word CELEBRATE at the end of your order to receive 15% off your entire order. Woohoo, gotta love a sale!! And congratulations to Cindy Lyles and Sharon Harnist...they are the two newest design associates to join Ellen and Karen's adventure!!

Soooo, if you've been following Ellen's blog you've been hearing the buzz about *inchies*. If you're having a *duh* moment because you're clueless and have never heard of them, don't worry! They're new to us too!! Inchies are simply 1" x 1" little pieces of artwork. They can be on any type of surface including chipboard, glass, metal, wood, plastic, shrink plastic, etc. The possibilities are endless. What do you do with inchies? The concept is that inchies are like artist trading cards. You can trade them, collect them, frame them, use them on cards, put magnets on them, have the kids make them for lockers, put them on a key ring. Whatever you want to do with them! You can use tiny images like the miniature ones Karen Lockhart has designed or you can punch out a portion of a larger image. If you are trading inchies, be sure to sign the finished artwork with your initials. A Copic .005 fine tip black marker works wonders! (I forgot to sign mine, oops!)

On with today's fun projects, I have lots to show you! The first photo below show what *inchies* are. These three inchies were created from one stamped image that I colored with Copic markers. Each separate image measures 1" x 1" and is adhered to chipboard squares. So the finished card has lots of dimension to it.
Here's the finished card using inchies. The stamp on the top is a new Lockhart image called Clothesline. Look for it in the NEW section of Ellen's online store. The bottom image is also a new Lockhart image called Bib and coordinates perfectly with the Clothesline image. I stamped the word *baby* from the Baby Cakes Lockhart stamp onto the bib. Patterned paper is from the Cosmo Cricket Sugar line. Solid card stock colors are from Memory Box. Top scallop portion is cut from a scallop cut and embossed Spellbinder's large rectangle. And check out the green ribbon....it doesn't match one single color on this card! So why did I use it? I love to just throw in a random color sometimes to liven things up. I love how it just sets this card off! This next card below is another new Lockhart image called Best Cupcake. I think it's simply adorable and I know I will use it a ton. I just watched this Food Network show down with Bobby Flay and this cupcake lady. Wouldn't it be fun to own a cupcake shop? I have ALWAYS wanted to run a little bakery business from my home. I could put cupcake tags with this stamp on all my cupcakes! Ahhhhh, to dream. The recipe for this card includes Memory Box card base and card stock, Cosmo Cricket Sugar patterned paper, Spellbinder's scallop rectangle and a delightful sprinkling of 2 pink Dew Drops from Ellen's store. I also used the Vine Ribbon Millinery Lockhart stamp on the bottom of the card, Copic markers to color in the image and SU! Groovy Guava ribbon. Notice how I cut the main image with the scallop rectangle die this time. Usually I cut the image out plain then mount it on a scallop mat. I love how the bright white is enhanced with the scallop cut and embossing.
This card cracks me up! I always say *Well, that just stinks* so I just had to create this sentiment on my computer and print it off. These socks are from another new Lockhart image called Warm Socks. I turned them into stinky socks for this card though. But I made this stinky sock card as elegant as I could by adding the pretty ribbon, Cosmo Cricket paper and more of the fun Dew Drops. I colored the image with Copic markers and achieved the dirty sock look by just dabbing the finished colored image with shades of tan markers. I can't wait to maker more of this card......it seems that the *down to earth, tell it like it is* kind of cards are always a hit!
Here's my final card I made using Karen's new Adirondack Chair image. I colored it with Copic markers then airbrushed in a cloudy sky with the Copic Air Brush System, available at Ellen's store. Base card is from Memory Box, patterned paper is from Cosmo Cricket Sugar line. Sentiment is from Stampin' Up!. I can't wait for summer to roll around so I can use this image tons!
Okay, so what do you think? Do you think you'll try to make some inchies? I'd love to hear your ideas about what you can do with inchies.

TIP OF THE DAY: COME BACK LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND I'LL HAVE ANOTHER NEW LOCKHART STAMP PREVIEW. I'M HAVING SO MUCH FUN I JUST CAN'T STOP!!!!

Christmas Trees Galore!

Q & A: On yesterday's cards, I used some green canvas across the front of my cards. It does not wrap around the card. I neatly snip the edges off at the sides of the card and then use a little liquid glue to seal the edges so they won't fray.

Update on the family: My mom is doing wonderful, although she backed her pickup into my dad's tractor which had a fork loader on the front of it. She now has this nice hole through the tail gate! Josey has chicken pox and Jordan was up all night throwing up! Niiiiiiiice!

Have you seen the little pink pencil Christmas trees this year? I have noticed them everywhere and think they are SO dang cute! I wish I had a room in my house to totally decorate in pink Christmas items.....but I don't so I'll stick to making some cards! All of these images are from Rubber Soul. They have tons of cute Christmas trees and Christmas themed stamp images.

This card uses a pink (yes it's pink but doesn't show up well in the photo)Auturo card and envelope available at Ellen's store. They make card making so easy! I found some Christmas patterned paper scraps from last year and added some big pink buttons and glitter and I was done! This little stick tree reminds me so much of those cute pink trees. Here's a close up of the buttons and glitter! Pine will be so proud that I threaded those buttons! Oh and check out the envelope, I used a Copic multiliner in pink to add some sketchy lines.
Here's another one that has a green theme. More of those big buttons from Foofala and hand drawn lines on the envy.
This one's made from some paper scraps I had left over and more cute Rubber Soul images.

This is a fun one. The card and the envelope represent going on the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. The card shows the Christmas tree farm and the envy shows the perfect tree all loaded up and ready to take home. The paper strip on the top of the card is from Cosmo Cricket, love those pine cones! Stamp images from Rubber Soul.
Here's a close up of the envy. I love making little ensembles out of stamps. The tree and car are one image, the star and sentiment are two more separate images and the line for the road is hand drawn with a Copic multi liner.

A little more formal.......

Edited: Here's another link to the Rose Border stamp set. Click HERE.

These cards are made from one Rubber Soul set called Rose Border. (When I click on this link, it comes up with an *X* so I hope it shows up for you). It's a more formal set with beautiful sentiments. What I really love about this set is that the main image is the vase and the rectangle border. The sentiments come as separate stamps so you can add what verse you want depending on the card's occasion. For Christmas gifts for the ladies of my family, I go through my stash and package up 10-20 cards for various occasions. I know some of these will make it into those packages. I might make up some more and do these as sets with a different sentiment on each card. Base card is SU! Blush Blossom. Copic markers for coloring the image. Patterned paper by My Mind's Eye. Green canvas twill from Martha Stewart at Michael's.

Becky Higgins inspired...

Good Morning Fellow Stampers!! Are you all dragging this Monday morning? My poor Josey has Chicken Pox!!! So she'll be hanging at home with Mom this week! Jordan was not a happy camper getting up so early this morning for school either. I'm infusing myself with coffee as my friend Val says. Hope you all have a great week!

Here's our winner of the Hanna Stamps sentiment set! Congratulations Lori!! I'll contact you at your blog to get your mailing address!! Thank you to all who entered the drawing, I had 284 wonderful comments!!!

Lori said...
After dinner at my mom's house, it's time to clean up and snack on the turkey skin and left over desserts. Have a happy holiday!

When I have free time I like to sketch out card layouts....very similar to what Becky Higgins does for scrapbook page layouts. I keep them in my card idea notebook that I've posted before. And I know Becky loves to make cards too and has begun to incorporate card ideas from her scrapbook layouts in her monthly spread in Creating Keepsakes magazine. So today's cards are are totally inspired by a few of Becky's scrapbook layouts from her new Sketches book. It is an invaluable resource for me as a scrapbooker AND a stamper. The idea is to find snippets of Becky's scrapbook layouts that would be suitable for cards. So I'm just using a portion of her layouts and interpreting them into cards. It's the perfect inspiration to find fun new twists for card layouts. You can find Becky's new Sketch book HERE or at your local scrapbook stores and you can follow Becky's blog HERE. If you missed her 12 Days of Christmas videos, be sure to scroll down to find them. She offers some great tips, and I think she had a different hair style every day......wish I could do that with my hair!!

Here are some of the sketches that I came up with after browsing through Becky's Sketch book. I usually sketch on scratch paper. Then if I like the layout after finishing a card and think it will be a *keeper* card layout that I'll use again and again, I'll add it to my card idea journal.

This card uses the new Basic Grey Figgy Pudding patterned paper, Karen Lockhart's Star Angel image and a PaperTrey Ink sentiment. This layout is a great way to incorporate two patterned papers easily, without being too *cluttered*. It's inspired from Becky's sketch on page 6 of her book. Image is colored in with Copic markers. I added silver shimmer to the angel's wings with a Silver Copic glitter pen and sparkle to the stars with Stampin Up! Dazzling Diamond's glitter. LOVE this layout!

The next card was inspired from Becky's sketch on page 65 of her book. Very clean and simple design and again allows a big piece of patterned paper to show through on the background. The image is from Karen Lockhart and is called Christmas Rose Stocking. I love the non-traditional colors on my cards today. I got the color inspiration from the fun Basic Grey Figgy Pudding patterned paper. I think this pretty robin's egg blue color and brown are my favorite color combination right now. I just can't get enough of it!! The image is colored with Copic markers. Simple *Cheers* sentiment from PaperTrey Ink.
Tip of the day: Next time you're waiting at the doctor's office or are sitting at your kids' practice, take along a little sketch book and your favorite marker and sketch out some card designs. It's fun to go home and create a card with a sketch you've drawn......then to see if it turned out like you planned. The hardest thing to do when creating cards is to get out all of our supplies and then to stare at that blank piece of cardstock with no ideas. By having a journal full of sketches, the inspiration will come quick and easy. Then it's just a matter of putting together the design elements like color, patterned paper, embellishments and ribbon. Try it, you can do it!!

Girly Lockhart Holiday Cards

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! My mom is feeling much better so we're having a small dinner at her house tonight.....I knew she wouldn't stay down long, she's a worker bee and needs to be flitting around some. My little one is at her house now helping Grandma. DH and my oldest are delivering a load of firewood. I'm stamping while everyone is gone!!! Be sure to check out the previous post to sign up for a FREE Hanna sentiment stamp.....over 25 sentiments that will match Hanna stamps! I will pick a name on Sunday or Monday.

After having my girly girl Card Club last weekend, I was in total girly mode when creating these cards. This first one uses Karen Lockhart's adorable Child's Stocking stamp. I love all the toys and candy sticking out of the stocking and the little blanket stitched round accents too. I drew the color inspiration from the SU! polka dot patterned paper and used Copic markers for coloring. It's hard to see but the stocking is all glittery from a Copic glitter pen. I die cut and embossed the main image with a Spellbinder's rectangle die template and then mounted that onto a scallop cut and embossed SU! Certainly Celery piece of cardstock. Card base and SU! tab punch are in Pixie Pink. For You sentiment is from SU! also. The two white brads are from StarLit Studio. Cindy's brads are THE BEST, I love them......need more, making note to self! I love this card and will save it for a perfect little angel for Christmas. This card is so fun! Pocket cards are a favorite design of mine so it's also easy to come up with some fun creations. I used Karen Lockhart's Kitty In My Stocking stamp and colored the stocking to match my patterned paper by adding in a few extra polka dots with my Copic markers. The main image was cut with a Spellbinder's Tag Die Template which I LOVE, I use it a ton! I attached the tag to the pocket card insert with a brad. When the white card insert is slipped into the pocket, I simply slipped the tag onto the outside of the card. So when you pull out the white card, the tag comes out too. It's a great way to show off a fun image! The *meowy christmas* is stamped from Karen Foster's discontinued snap stamps. Ribbon is by Martha Stewart, available at Michael's. The pocket card is stapled together with two staples, one on each side of the pocket under the ribbon.
I couldn't resist getting my pets to pose with this card. On the left is Emma. I tried to get her to pose by herself with the card but she wanted to be pet so badly that she just kept nuzzling the card....I think she likes it! On the right is Hammy, our new man of the house since our beloved Tiger disappeared recently. Not house cats actually but they would like to be. That's Josey with her *metal mouth* in the middle. I'm secretly trying to find a calico kitty for us as a Christmas surprise. Living near a timber, our cats disappear often from wild coyotes we suspect. Calicos are my favorite and I've spied about a dozen at this farm. I'm hoping the owners will love to give my girls a new kitty for Christmas. DH will not be thrilled but he likes whatever makes us happy! Anyone getting a new pet for Christmas?

Hanna Stamps Give Away!!!!!!!

First of all I'd like to thank you all for keeping my mom and I in your thoughts and prayers. My mom had to have a stint put in a 90% blocked artery! She will be home later today and needs lots of rest and TLC!

Secondly, let's talk weather.........it's FREEZING here in Kansas! I am definitely not a cold weather fan so I'm a little grumpy about it! But the cold weather season does enable us to create fun wintry cards though right? Today's card features Hanna from the set Tis the Season. I used Copic markers to color the images then airbrushed the stars for a pretty blue blow. The starts are twinkling with Stickles. I wanted more of my patterned paper to show through so I cut a semi-circle out of the main image with a plain Spellbinder's Circle Die Template. Then I added a Spellbinder's cut circle and stamped and airbrushed the big snowflake. This is adhered to the card front with SU! dimensionals slightly off center. Hanna's skirt is also paper pierced from the same Basic Grey Figgy Pudding patterned paper. The strings for the stars are hand drawn.



So who would like a FREE Hanna stamp set? The two sentiments below are from a brand new all sentiment set called Things Hanna Would Say. You could be a lucky winner of this not yet released stamp set. Check out Kristi's blog HERE for more details and be sure to visit the other Hanna Stamps Designer Team blogs.......we're all giving away a FREE stamp set!!

To enter for the drawing, which will be held on Sunday, please reply to this post with an answer to the following question: What do you do AFTER Thanksgiving dinner? Do you nap? Play games? Go for a hay rack ride? Head off to another dinner that you're too full to even think about? I know for us, we'll not be having a Thanksgiving dinner on my family's side. My mom needs her rest and having her home and recovering is what I'm really thankful for this year. Have a great holiday, eat some turkey for me and be safe travelling!