2009 Photo Finish Holiday Cards

Last year, the girls at Papertrey Ink did a feature incorporating holiday photos into the design of their cards. It was such a hit, that they decided to do it again! Since I'm the Guest Designer, I get to play along!!

This was a really fun assignment. I've been seeing glassine bags used in fun ways, other than for holding treats, so I decided to give it a try. I embossed the bag with the sheet music Cuttlebug embossing folder. Then, I stitched it onto a piece of Ripe Avocado cardstock.

Next, I used my glue pad and stamped a polka dot border using Polka Dot Basics 2onto Pure Polly. I added the glitter. (Note, it's best to let this set overnight) I also used Versamark to stamp a panel of Ripe Avocado cardstock using Text Style 2. I stitched the two panels together and adhered them to the card front.

After that, I stamped one of the 2009 Holiday Tags onto Stamper's Select White cardstock and punched it out. I adhered it to a scalloped circle punched from Ripe Avocado. I adhered the letters J and Y and added the tag to spell 'JOY'. (Note- for mass producing this card, you could cut the letters from cardstock)



Next, I adhered my photo to a piece of Pure Poppy cardstock and punched a hole in the top. I tied some Ripe Avocado saddle stitch ribbon through it. Then I stamped the holly leaves from Holiday Button Bits and cut them out, adhering them to the ribbon with a button. I slid the photo into the bag.





The result is a fun card that can be sent with a little photo for the recipient to pull out and keep.



You can find more cards at these ladies' blogs:

Michelle Wooderson

Heather Nichols

Lisa Johnson

Becky Oehlers

Lauren Meader

And if you want even MORE inspiration, here's last year's post on Nichole's blog.

Thank so much for stopping by! Have a great day. ;)

Tussy Mussy Tutorial

After I posted my Papertrey Tussy Mussy project, I got several requests to do a tutorial. So I put this one together. Hope you find it helpful.

I did this project for the Tattered Angels/Spellbinders blog relay. I really love how it turned out. (Click on the photos to see them closer.)

First, you need to create a cone in the size you'd like. This might take some playing around. I have several templates that I've used. To make one, use a compass and draw an arc. Then use a ruler to draw the sides. Cut it out.




Trace the template onto patterned paper and cut out. I used some Basic Grey Indian Summer papers for this project.




Next, create something you'd like to have hanging from the bottom. I used two Regal Font frames sprayed with Harvest Orange. I cut two circles using the Spellbinders scalloped circle dies. I added stickers to them and adhered them over the frames using foam tape.


I added a bead on some embroidery floss and left a length of floss from the top of the frames. Tape this to the inside of the paper cone.



Now comes the tricky part. Roll the cone up, starting at the bottom. Adhere using hot glue. I've found it's the best adhesive for holding it together. Start at the bottom and add a bit of glue at a time. It cools too quickly to do the whole thing at once.

Now that you have your cone done, it's time to embellish. To make the 'collar', I cut a 12 inch strip of paper, score it every 1/4 inch and then fan fold it. This is adhered with hot, glue, too.



For this project, I used a fall and christmas pick from the craft store. To make the colors coordinate better, I spritzed the picks with Black Cherry and Irridescent Gold Glimmer Mists. This gives it such a pretty glimmer!



I also created a framed tag decoration. I cut a large scalloped oval with my Spellbinders die and Wizard. I added a sticker label and some Nature Chips that have been spritzed with Harvest Orange and Iridescent gold. This was adhered using a glue gun, too.



Finally, punch holes in the top and attach some ribbon. Place the picks inside and you're done!



Hope you find this helpful. I think you'll see that once you start making them, they are pretty quick and easy to do. Enjoy. ;)

Webster's Goodness!

Well, the little guy was quite sick yesterday, but really rallied today. His fever was much lower and he was perkier. I have to say that having a rainy day home together has been wonderful. :) We made some cookies, did some school work and just snuggled. One more day and I think he'll be ready to go back to school, much to his disappointment.

Just a quick post to share some Webster's cards that I've done lately.

This first one uses Postcards from Paris and some fabric. The sticker is K and Co. and the ticket is vintage.




This next one uses the new cameos. I love the elegance they add to projects. I used nature's Storybook for this one along with some PTI stamps (Guidelines 2 and Mega Mixed Messages)




And this last one uses the letterpress technique I explained in the post on the TA Blog (scroll down a bit...) It also uses Postcards from Paris. (I love that line soooooooooooo much!)




Speaking of Webster's, I'm so excited to share that there is going to be a 12 Days of Christmas Crop starting on November 12!! Each DT member has created a holiday themed project and one will be posted each day. There will be chats, prizes and loads of fun! So, mark your calendars. You can check out the info. here at Inspire Me. The supply lists have already been posted, so you can start gathering the supplies now.

Here's a little peek at the Thank You Note set that I will be doing...


Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Halloween Goody Bag

I have a few more Halloween things to share this week. This project is one that I did for the Tattered Angels blog. I used the Halloween Bingo Boards and calling cards. First, I colored the Bingo board. Then I sprayed it, along with the calling card, with Run Raisin, Harvest Orange and Jack-O-Lantern Glimmer Mists. I added some glitter to the Halloween Checklist.




Next, I did some embossing using the Garden Gate glimmer screen. I ran it through my Wizard machine, cut it out and added some black ink.



Then, I adhered everything to some Pink Paislee paper and added some Zva gem swirls.



Some ribbon and a fun tag finished it off!

So, that's it for today. I have a sick one home today. He has a fever. Hoping that the flu hasn't found it's way here.

Have a great day!

Rainy Friday

Well, I took a little break from creating the past couple of days. I usually create something every day, even if it's just a quick card. But, my scraproom was in need of a major overhaul. So, I pulled everything apart, reorganized and purged. It took a looooooong time, but feels so good to be done. I brought 4 big boxes of stuff up to the school today for the art teacher. It's good to know my stash will be put to good use. ;)
So, as I was cleaning, I came across these pictures. I'd printed them a while ago, but they ended up in a pile and I never scrapped them. So, I decided to scrap them with some fun striped Making Memories paper and my current FAVORITE paper - the October Afternoon polka dot one. I added some American Crafts chipboard that I'd found and some ribbon that I love.



The crystals are Zva. I love that heart one and thought it would be perfect on here. And I've been hoarding the gray thickers....love them, too!
So, my new mantra is to try and use what I've got. Or at least mix in the older stuff with the new. At least I know where it all is now!
Thanks for stopping by!

Halloween Cards

It's almost Halloween! My little guy is so excited. His school has Storybook Character dress up day on the 30th and then we'll do regular trick or treating on the 31st. At first he thought he wanted to be Max from Where the Wild Things Are. But we were striking out in finding something to use as a costume, and the Max costumes are $225 online!!! So, we brainstormed some more ideas and he decided to be a mouse and carry a big cookie like the mouse in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. I liked this idea much better! A mouse it will be. And he actually agreed to using his Spiderman costume from last year for trick or treating. Life is good. ;)

I thought I'd share a couple of Halloween cards that I don't think I've posted yet.

This first one was in the October issue of Papercrafts. The paper is SEI and that cute little bat is a Me and My Big Ideas sticker.




This next card is one I made using some My Mind's Eye goodies. I did some stitching on the side. It's in the Octoer issue of Cards.



And finally this last guy. I LOVE this Crafty Secrets image. Isn't he the cutest. The paper is Making Memories and the trim is Webster's.




Well, that's it for today. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

Halloween Fun

I feel waterlogged! We have had rain here for the past four days. Ugh! I think I know what it must be like to live in Seattle now. The one good thing is that it's supposed to get up to 70 again by the end of the week. I'm glad because I'm just not ready for winter weather yet!

I have a really quick project to share with you all today. At Emma's Paperie, we all designed easy Halloween treat containers. I decided to make little Bingo card pockets. I just folded the Jenni Bowlin bingo cards in half, stitched them up and added some embellishments. I finished them off with ribbon handles. Very quick and easy. I think these will go to my co-workers.





You can see the rest of the projects HERE.

Have a great day! Thanks for stopping by. :)

Papertrey Ink Round 3

I have one more Papertrey project from this month's release to share with you today.
I just love the Holiday 2009 tags set! It's so versatile!

Several people have requested that I do a tutorial on the Tussy Mussy I made a couple of posts down. I will start working on that and, hopefully, have it posted in the next week or so. ;)

For this last project,I decided to make a gift tin and card set. I created the snowflake border by stamping the snowflake trio over and over on a cardstock strip. Then, I heat embossed it with white powder and added a glitter dot center.




For the card, I stamped one tag in red, then stamped another in white. I cut the center from that one and layered it over the first. More glitter and a ribbon/button tab rounded out my tag.



Here's the whole set. I think I'll fill it with a few starlight peppermints and give it as a little token gift at Christmas.



And finally, I want to share a really fun tutorial I put together. I love the look of Letterpress, so I used my Glimmer Screens, Glimmer Mist and Wizard machine to do this...



Head over to the Tattered Angels blog to see the process and the finished card set that I made. ;)

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great day!

Papertrey Project Round 2

Here are another couple of projects that I did for Papertrey.
This first one uses Dawn's Vintage Ornaments and Vintage Ornaments Additions set.
I stamped the image with my glue pad and then added glitter. Then, I stamped and cut out the star image for the center of the ornament. I had decided to create the background using the star pattern, but when I got partially done, I liked the look as it was, so I left it. I like how the stars seem to flow down from the left side. I added some gliter dots to the centers of some of them.





This next card uses Holiday Button Bits. I used Melon Berry, Aqua Mist and Dark Chocolate as my color combo. I stamped the background papers with Text Style II and Polka Dot Basics II.




The stamps were released at midnight and are now available at Papertrey Ink.
Thanks so much for stopping by!

Papertrey Projects - Round One

It would be an understatement to say I've been having so much fun this week! I've been in Papertrey Heaven! I'm just loving having the chance to create with the October stamps. They are great!

I have a few projects to share with you tonight.

This first one uses stamps from the Holiday Tree collection. I stamped the tree with Sweet Blush and then the leaves with Pure Poppy. I cut them out, added some glitter and layered them onto the card front.






Next up is this quick and easy card using Giga Guidelines. When I looked at the images, I saw snowflakes! I embossed the cardstock and stamped the images using Aqua Mist. I cut them out and added them to the card. The sentiment is from the Holiday Tags set.






My final project for today also uses Giga Guidelines. I love making Tussy Mussies! They can be hung as a decoration, used as a decorative place 'card' or filled with something special and given as a gift. I used Sweet Blush and Scarlet Jewel to stamp the images. The tag has a sentiment from Signature Christmas.







I've been whistling Christmas songs all week! It's fun to get into the spirit of things a bit early.

Stop back tomorrow. I'll be posting more of my Papertrey creations!

We Have a Winner!

Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by yesterday to welcome me to PTI. Your warm comments really made my day!

The winner of my 'Favorites Package' is:



Big congrats, Andrea!!! Email your contact information to Customer Service at PTI and they'll get the prize out to you ASAP. ;)Enjoy your goodies!!!

Just wanted to share something else with you all. A co-worker recently brought these amazing brownies to work. Ryan and I decided to make them on Monday. They are Peppermint Patty Brownies.



You just prepare the brownie mix according to the directions. I love Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Brownies. Pour half of the mix into the bottom of the pan. Then, layer the Peppermint Patties onto the mix. We used a whole bag of the smaller size ones. Finally, pour the remaining mix over them. I can't even tell you how AWESOME they are. We ate them all in a couple of days! I've had to restrain myself from running to the store to buy more ingredients. But, I don't think I can hold out much longer. ;)

So, even if you didn't win my giveaway, you can make these awesome brownies and feel like a winner!

Thanks for stopping by!

The Cat's Out of the Bag!!!

Yay, I can FINALLY spill my secret!!! I am going to be Papertrey Ink's Distinguished Guest Designer for October and November! To say that I'm honored is an understatement. ;) When Nichole emailed me, I almost fell out of my chair. I just adore anything and everything PTI. I drool over the new releases every month and am always amazed by the super talented design team. I can't believe I get to play along with them for these next couple of months!

To celebrate, Papertrey is giving away 'Anabelle's Favorites'. Here is what you can win. These are definitely some of my favorite 'go to' products when I'm designing.



(I'm trying to get a bigger graphic, but for now, click on the image to see it more clearly.) The prize package includes... Damask Designs, Polka Dot Basics 2,In Bloom stamp sets, Kraft, Lemon Tart and Sweet Blush cardstocks, Lemon Tart and Sweet Blush buttons, and some Aqua Mist swiss dot ribbon.

You have until 7am EST Friday, October 9th to post a comment here and be eligible to win this prize package. Please play nice, only one entry per person. One winner will be randomly selected at the close of the contest and announced on the October Release Winners page before noon EST the same day.


So, in honor of tonight's announcement, I thought I'd leave you with a few of my favorite PTI cards. (You may have seen a couple of these before.)

This one uses Damask Designs along with two of my favorite PTI colors - Aqua Mist and Lemon Tart.




I used the Simply Stationery Set along with Melon Berry, Aqua Mist and Dark Chocolate on this one.




The lighting on this one is lousy, but you'll get the idea. I used Star Prints and Polka Dot Basics on here.




And this last one uses Tags for Easter and Mega Mixed Messages.



Thanks so much for stopping by and for celebrating my big secret with me! Have a great day.