Card Making Monday : Paper Piecing Love

Good afternoon! It's Monday, which means I've spent the day creating three new cards for Creations Galore. I've chosen my favorite from this week to share here with you. 

I've fallen head over heels for Paper Smooches stamps, especially this set. Those flowers are just to die for! I stamped them in black ink on several pieces of patterned paper, cut them out, and pieced them together. It took a little self restraint to not fill up the entire card front with these beauties!

I used the same paper piecing technique for the butterfly, choosing not to cut out the intricate details of the image. I folded the wings at the body and adhered only the body to the card front with a dab of Glossy Accents. 

This would make a beautiful gift set... You just might find me making a dozen more! 

SUPPLIES :: Paper Cut White Cardstock / We R Memory Keepers Inked Rose, Antique Chic, & Love 2 Craft Patterned Papers / Studio Calico Thataway Patterned Paper / Paper Smooches Pretty Momma Stamp Set / Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Card Making Monday : Peace on Earth

Happy Monday! I'm back with a new card to share. This week I used a nativity scene stamp from Penny Black Inc. With Christmas only 9 days away, I'm squeezing in as many holiday themed cards as I can!

Distress Inks were used to create the background. I stamped the image once on the background, a second time on white cardstock, and a third time on gold cardstock. Rather than coloring in the image, I chose to fussy cut everything! 

SUPPLIES :: Paper Cut Cardstock (Cocoa, White, Antique), Penny Black Inc Peace on Earth Cling Stamp, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Distress Inks (Faded Jeans, Black Soot, Tea Dye)

TOOLS :: EK Success Large Corner Rounder, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Risers, MyStik Permanent Adhesive, Inkssentials Ink Applicator Tool

The Masterpiece Of Nature : Plum Poppy Studio

I am so excited for today's post. When the lovely and talented DoBea of Plum Poppy Studio asked me to play around with her stamps, my heart skipped a beat. I've been a huge fan of DoBea's creations, along with the stamp she illustrated for Market Street Stamps last year. You can see my creation from that stamp set here. If you haven't heard of Plum Poppy Studio, hurry up and head over to her site - You'll find lots of inspiration and tutorials, as well as her high quality stamps and SVG files. 

For today's post I worked with The Masterpiece of Nature set, partnering it with We R Memory Keepers' Harvest collection. I distressed, inked, and layered a few of the cardstocks in the collection to create the base of the card. The small patterns of the 6x6 paper pad were MADE for these leaves! I simply stamped a few onto different colors, cut them out, and adhered them to the front of the card. 

I loved stamping and cutting the leaves out of patterned paper SO much, I had to do it again. And I may have gone a little crazy for this second card. 

Plum Poppy Studio has wonderful SVGs to cut out these leaves (found here). I highly recommend it unless you're halfway through Season 8 of How I Met Your Mother and you NEED to finish it RIGHT. NOW. I'm going to assume that's not the case. Opt for the SVG files to make this card super easy and quick!

Again, I started with an inked and layered cardstock base. I then adhered the leaves, cut from the Harvest 6x6 Paper Pad, around the outside edges of the card. This beautiful sentiment was stamped on cream cardstock and popped up with foam risers. I loved contrast of the clean sentiment and distressed background. 

Thanks for checking out today's blog post. Please head over to the Plum Poppy Studio blog or Facebook page and give DoBea some love. I'm positive you'll fall in love with her new stamps!

SUPPLIES :: Plum Poppy Studio The Masterpiece of Nature Set, We R Memory Keepers Harvest Collection, Memento Tuxedo Black & Rich Cocoa Inks, Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Tattered Angels Apple Glimmer Mist, Mister Huey's Dark Calico, A Muse Studio Twine, Creative Imaginations Twill

TOOLS :: Inkssentials Foam Applicator Tool, CTMH Paper Distresser, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares, MyStik Permanent Adhesive

Card Making Monday : Holiday Mittens

It's never too early to start your Christmas cards. So when I came across these mitten stamps at Creations Galore, I knew what needed to be done! 

The mittens, from Stamps by Judith, were stamped on three different patterns from BasicGrey's 25th & Pine Collection. It has quickly become my favorite holiday collection this year. With such gorgeous patterned papers, paper piecing my projects trumps coloring! 

I stamped a holiday greeting by A Muse Studio onto a white banner and popped it up with foam risers. But not before stringing some yellow baker's twine around it. The ends of the twine were adhered with washi tape to the back of the mittens. 

I had so much fun making this card... Are you making your own Christmas cards this year?

SUPPLIES :: BasicGrey 25th & Pine Papers, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Judith Left & Right Mitten Stamps, A Muse Studio Happy Holidays Stamp, Baker's Twine, American Crafts Cardstock

TOOLS :: Tim Holtz Paper Distresser, MyStik Permanent Adhesive, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares

On Trend :: Back To School

It's another gorgeous Monday morning, which means it's time to bring you another trend along with the talented ladies at Practical Scrappers. Today we're exploring BACK TO SCHOOL! 

The kiddos aren't the only ones headed back into the classroom, I created a card for a teacher friend about to embark on her first year! 

I found some old BoBunny papers in my stash from the Learning Curve collection, along with these stamps from We R Memory Keepers Show & Tell collection. So glad I was able to put these to good use! I cut out a few of the flash cards from the patterned paper and layered them onto the card front. Next, I stamped the images onto the papers, cut them out, and added them as the next layer. The sentiment and book were adhered with foam risers to give added dimension. 

Head over to the Practical Scrappers blog to discover so many gorgeous and unique Back To School Projects by my fellow On Trend team members - There's layouts, creative pockets, and gifts! 

SUPPLIES :: A Muse Studio Sugar Cardstock, We R Memory Keepers Straight A's stamp set, Peachy Keen Stamps Smartie the Owl sentiment, BoBunny Learning Curve patterned papers, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Studio Calico (Darling Dear Opaque Gems, Mister Huey's Dark Calico mist)

TOOLS :: Fiskars Scrapbooking Rotary Paper Trimmer, MyStik Permanent Adhesive, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares, A Muse Studio Acrylic Block, Close To My Heart Paper Distresser

Unscripted Sketches :: Flashback Sketch #69

Thanks for stopping by this morning! We've got another Flashback Sketch from Unscripted Sketches! This summer, the design team has been going back in time, picking randomly selected sketches to use in a new and creative way! This Saturday, sketch #69 is the inspiration! 

I flipped the sketch upside down and mixed up a few of the elements. 

For this card, I was determined to use nothing but a 6x6 paper pad from Crate paper. Therefore, I made the base smaller than my average cards, creating a folded card of 3x5 inches. It's the perfect size to include in a baby shower gift! The bunny was stamped on the same cardstock as the card base and then again on patterned paper to piece together the pink elements. The white banner for the sentiment was the back side of a scrap of patterned paper from the pack. 

Stop by Unscripted Sketches to take a look at my fellow design team members' projects and a chance to play along! 

SUPPLIES :: Peachy Keen Stamps Somebunny Special Stamp, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Mister Huey's Dewey Mist, Crate Paper Random 6x6 Paper Pad

TOOLS :: A Muse Studio Acrylic Block, MyStik Permanent Adhesive, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares, Fiskars Scrapbooking Rotary Cutter, Close To My Heart Paper Distresser

Squeeze The Day

Hello! The heat wave has broke and we're enjoying cooler weather, but it's still the heart of summer. Therefore, there's still plenty of time to share summer themed projects!

I had some fun patterned papers left over from a past BoBunny collection. I used them as the background of the card, in addition to paper piecing a few lemons. 

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you're summer is filled with many bright and happy days!

CARD SUPPLIES
Cardstock: A Muse Studio (Sugar)
Patterned Paper: BoBunny (Sunkissed Skies), Crate Paper (On Trend Swanky)
Stamps: A Muse Studio
Inks: StazOn (Jet Black)

April Card Sketch :: Orange You Glad

I'm watching the snow fall outside my office window here in Green Bay, Wisconsin. But Practical Scrappers is bringing a little Spring my way with this month's card sketch. Take a look:

How fun! I decided against the flowers, switching it out for this great stamp from Unity Stamp Co. I didn't stray too far from the rest of the sketch, and kept the bright, spring colors. The orange and leaves were paper pieced with pieces of coordinating cardstock. The center of the orange is a lighter color than the cardstock and is actually a patterned paper scrap.

Please visit Practical Scrappers to see my fellow design team members rock this sketch. We'd love to see you take the sketch and create your own Spring-inspired creation!

SUPPLIES
Cardstock: A Muse Studio (Sugar), DCWV (Double Sided Cardstock Pad)
Patterned Paper: Amy Tangerine (Sketchbook 6x6 Pad)
Stamps: Unity Stamp Company (Orange You Glad)
Ink: StazOn (Jet Black)

Retiring Inspiration

Good morning! It's time for a new challenge from the A Muse Studio Challenge Blog. Rita Holmes is our host the next two weeks and has a great prize up for grabs! Rita challenged us to use one of the retiring stamp sets from A Muse Studio, and I'm so glad she did! 

Haven't heard about the retiring items?! A Muse Studio is releasing a new catalog in March; therefore, we're saying goodbye to a few of our favorite products. As bittersweet as it is, I'm really excited for all the new things coming. 

Even more exciting - this year, the items on the retiring list are on sale! That's right. You'll receive 30% off everything on the list! You'll want to take advantage of this quickly! Many of the sets are already sold out. You can see the retiring list by heading to my webstore before February 28th. 

I chose the retiring set, Brief Notes. This set is so great for creating masculine cards! I paper pieced the blue tie onto the image to match the card layers. A little faux stitching and photo corners added some pizzazz to this clean and simple card. 

Now it's your turn! Head to A Muse Studio Challenge blog to link up your own project for a chance to win a great prize! And don't forget to shop the retiring list for great deals on paper, stamps, and embellishments before they're gone!

CARD SUPPLIES

Cardstock: A Muse Studio (Kraft, Sugar, Sky, Slate, Pumpkin)

Stamps: A Muse Studio (Brief Notes) NOW 30% Off!

Inks: StazOn (Jet Black), ZIG Writer (Black)

Photo Corners: A Muse Studio (Scrapbook Adhesives)

*You can purchase A Muse Studio products from my webstore

DIY Valentines

This is my second post today. If you've traveled here from the Practical Scrappers blog, please scroll down to see today's snow themed layout!

It's a new year and time for new challenges at the A Muse Studio Challenge Blog! Woo Hoo! Tracey is hosting the first challenge, and it's to celebrate your new goodies. Show your love for something new to you by combining it with one of your favorites. Whether your paper crafting favorite is a color, tool, or technique, use it to showcase one of those new, never been used items we all have. 

Link up your project to the A Muse Studio Challenge blog by January 26th for your chance to win some great A Muse Studio products. You can find out more here.

When I heard Tracey's challenge to use our new items, I knew exactly what I wanted to do! I picked up some A Muse Studio glassine envelopes a few months ago and hadn't taken them out of the package. With February 14th quickly approaching, today was just the right day to use those envelopes to make some pretty valentines!

My favorite paper crafting technique is paper piecing. I'm a sucker for detail cutting! I started out with a doily and some washi tape from the new Valentine catalog. Next, I stamped the heart, from the Sending My Love set, onto kraft cardstock and patterned paper. After cutting them out, I adhered them to the front of the envelope and added pearls. In the open space on the left hand side, I added the names of the recipients in permanent, acid free marker.  

To coordinate with the CA-UTE envelopes, I created these Valentine cards:

 

I started out with the card base, adding faux stitching with the same permanent marker. After cutting a layer of kraft paper, I added pieces of washi tape and rounded the corners. Of course I had to add the piece of doily I trimmed off the envelopes to the card front. This I Heart You stamp is also from the Sending My Love stamp set. I first stamped it onto white cardstock and then again on patterned paper. I cut out the patterned paper heart and adhered it to the white piece. 

Creating the set of cards and envelopes was fast and easy. You could create a set to give away as a gift or give away individually to those you love. Who says Valentine's Day has to be for couples?! I'm going back to the days of grade school and handing out valentines to all my friends. 

SUPPLIES

Cardstock: A Muse Studio (Sugar, Kraft)

Patterned Paper: BasicGrey (Fiction 12x12 Paper Pack)

Pearls: A Muse Studio (White)

Punch: Martha Stewart Crafts (1-inch Corner Rounder)

Marker: Bic Ultra Fine Acid Free (Black)

Washi Tape: A Muse Studio (Valentine Collection)

Doily: A Muse Studio (4.5 inch)

Envelopes: A Muse Studio (Large Glassine)

*You can find A Muse Studio products in my webstore

Practical Scrappers Challenge :: Negative Space

Good morning! Today is my first post with the Practical Scrappers On Trend Team! Today we're showcasing projects using NEGATIVE SPACE. 

At first, I thought of creating a layout with a single picture and lots of wide open space. However, I chose to create a card instead. Leaving a background white, blank, and without texture or ink was hard for me. I wanted to add some faux stitching or another layer of patterned paper. Forcing myself to abide by the 'Less is more' rule was fun, and I love the result.

The camera and sentiment were separate pieces stamped onto a circle punched from white cardstock. I then paper pieced the grey patterned paper and pink heart. To balance out the smaller sized circle, I added some washi tape and pearls. Just because you choose to have negative space in your project, doesn't mean you can't add some bling!

The rest of the On Trend Team has created some great projects for you! Make sure you head over to the Practical Scrappers blog to see more. I'm so honored to be on this talented team!

CARD SUPPLIES
Cardstock: Paper Cut (White, Pewter)
Patterned Paper: American Crafts (Dear Lizzy Neapolitan 6x6 Paper Pack)
Stamps: A Muse Studio (Sending My Love)
Ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black)
Pearls: A Muse Studio (White)
Washi Tape: Studio G (Green), A Muse Studio (Valentine Collection)

Sketch It Saturday :: Light Up My Life

Good morning, and thank you for joining me today as I bring you a new sketch from Unscripted Sketches! Our Design Team ROCKED. IT. this week with their gorgeous creations. You must head over to the blog after you check out my card to see all their projects!

Remember, this sketch is just a starting point. We can't wait to visit your blog or photo gallery and see what you've created using it as your inspiration. Here's what I've created this week:

Rather than a stripe of paper across the middle of the card, I added some washi tape from A Muse Studio's new Valentine's catalog. The scalloped circle was punched from grey patterned paper and layered with the punched white circle. I stamped the light bulb onto the circle and paper pieced the pink heart as an accent. I've been going CRAZY over this new baker's cording. Yes... baker's cording. It's exactly like baker's twine; however, it's thicker and more heavy duty. I've noticed bows hold better shape with the cording and packages look fabulous wrapped with it! A Muse Studio has released it in two colors... Check it out here.

Thanks for stopping by... Don't forget to head over to Unscripted Sketches to see the full Design Team and to add your own creation! 

CARD SUPPLIES
Cardstock: Paper Cut (White, Pewter)
Patterned Paper: American Crafts (Dear Lizzy Neapolitan 6x6 Paper Stack)
Stamps: A Muse Studio (Sending My Love)
Inks: Memento (Tuxedo Black), Copic Multiliner (Black 0.5)
Washi Tapes: A Muse Studio (Valentine Collection)
Baker's Cording: A Muse Studio (Seattle)

A card to warm your heart... and fill your stomach?!

The temperatures have dropped, everyone I know seems to have a cold, and all I want to do is stay inside where it's warm. With that said, this card could not be more perfect for the times!

The pot was first embossed onto a cream colored vellum. I didn't want to take away from the gorgeous patterned papers by adding a solid cardstock. I embossed the pot image a second time on cream paper and pieced it onto the original image. MyStik's permanent vellum adhesive was used to adhere the vellum to the front of card. I love how you can fearlessly use vellum with this adhesive... Can't see a single strip of it!

Thanks for stopping by today... I hope it's a SOUPER one!

CARD SUPPLIES

Cardstock: Paper Cut (Black Linen, Whip Cream)

Patterned Paper: Bo Bunny (Serenade Dot, Promenade, & Poppies)

Vellum: Paper Cut (Cream)

Stamps: Market Street Stamps (Comfort Food)

Inks: Versamark Watermark

Embossing Powder: Ranger (Super Fine Detail Black)

Adhesive: MyStick (Permanent, Vellum)

Harvest Blessings!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Today I will be spending the day stuffing my face full of my momma's good home cooking, and thanking God for many things. My family, that food, a roof to sleep under... And a job that allows me to have fun and enjoy my paper crafting hobbies. 

After today, Christmas music will be played and holiday shopping will be on everyone's mind, so I must sneak in one last fall-themed card! It's only fair. 

I clear embossed the Harlequin Background from A Muse Studio onto the green cardstock. I love the subtle pattern this provides. I die cut the circle and kraft shape before assembling the card. I stamped the wheat with wheat ink (ha! so perfect) and paper pieced the pumpkin with pumpkin cardstock (seriously!). 

Have the most wonderful holiday and enjoy your weekend!

CARD SUPPLIES
All A Muse Studio
Cardstock: Sugar, Rialto, Kraft, Pumpkin, Buttercup
Stamps: Harvest Blessings*
Ink: A Muse Studio (Wheat), Memento (Rich Cocoa), Versamark Watermark, Clear Embossing Powder

*The Harvest Blessings stamp set is available only as a hostess gift. To host a workshop, please contact me at nicolelaha{at}gmail{dot}com.

Sketch It Saturday :: Going Bananas

Welcome to another Sketch It Saturday with Unscripted Sketches. 

I had a lot of fun with this week's sketch. I recently picked up this stamp set and went to work paper piecing the bananas. 

My Honeybee scissors from EK Success match my project... How cute! 

Head over to Unscripted Sketches to look at the creative ideas from the rest of the US Design Team. While you're there, link up your own project using this week's sketch as inspiration!

CARD SUPPPLIES

Cardstock: Paper Cut

Patterned Paper: A Muse Studio

Stamps: Fiskars (Fresh Fruit)

Inks: StazOn (Jet Black)

Baker's Twine: A Muse Studio (Onyx)