House Mouse Christmas and Get Well Cards

Hi, guys!  Hope all is well on your end. I wanted to tell you some fun news with you today.  I was one of the 12 winners on Tim Holtz's blog for my December Tag that I shared here the other day!  I was so excited to learn this on New Year's Day!  What a fun way to start my New Year!   Being able to make all 12 tags was so much fun and I am looking forward to starting the new ones for 2013!

Today I will be sharing two cards I made using stamps by House Mouse.  The first one up is the Christmas card I made for my husband.

Supplies:

Stamps: House Mouse, Anna Griffin

Paper: Papertrey Ink, Gina K (White), Echo Park

Ink: Distress Ink, Memento Black

Misc.: Snowflake Button, Tag Punch, Brad, Copic Markers

The next card up I made for my husband to send to a co-worker who fell ill over the holiday.  I think this image is adorable and hope it will bring a smile to the recipient's face.  I used colored pencils and gamsol to color the image.

Supplies:

Stamps: House Mouse

Paper: Gina K (White), Stampin' Up

Ink: Archival Black, Distress Ink

Misc.: Prisma Colored Pencils, Gamsol, Ribbon, Corner Rounder

These were fun to make.  I love to use these stamps and do so when time allows for coloring.  For the first one I used Copic Markers which gave them a bolder look.  The second one got a softer look by using the colored pencils.

Have a great day!  Until next time!

Tag a-long with Tim

Hi, guys!  As many of you know, I have been taking part in the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2012.  Today I will be sharing the last two tags I completed for the December challenge.  All the products I used on these tags are Ranger and Tim Holtz products.

These were so fun to make.  When I work on any of Tim's tags, I end up using a lot of different products and techniques.  While working on these, I used Distress Inks, Distress Stains, Distress Markers (notice a pattern?).  I really enjoyed using the mirror sheets in the first one, as they are so pretty in person and so reflective and die cut very easily.  The poinsettia die was a fun one to use and I enjoyed using acrylic paint and the tissue tape.

Sad that the 12 tags are now complete, but feel so happy that I was able to complete them ALL!  I am hoping Tim continues this tradition in 2013!

Off to see the Nutcracker with my hubby and niece.  I cannot wait!  My niece has been doing ballet since she is 3 and now is 8 and so it is the perfect age for her to experience her first ballet.  Lincoln Center is just so beautiful and I can't wait to share the experience with her.

Have a great weekend!  Until next time!

Made With Love And Memories

Hi, guys!  Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the holiday season.  For today, I thought I would share two tags I completed on Friday.  I made this tags for my sister in-law as a gift.  As you probably recall, I have been taking part in the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2012.  I had made a set of tags for myself a few months back when we learned to tint photos using distress inks.  My sister in-law liked the ones I did of my late husband and his mother and she requested a pair.  I decided to make them on Friday as it was the 6th anniversary of my husband's passing and thought it would be a fitting tribute to him.  I varied the tags from the ones I did for myself by using stamps that were more specific for a brother and daughter.

This project was very special to me.  I am not sure if I can relay the joy and memories that I was able to recall while creating these tags.  Charlie loved to sail, loved his garden, loved the stars and I was able to incorporate the verse my sister in-law read for us at our wedding.   For my mother in-law's tag, I used a Tim Holtz bingo chip to reflect the year of her marriage and it reminded me of her love of playing bingo and her "big" winnings of a couple dollars and her excitement.  I was able to use a page of an old book (avid reader and teacher) and scripture to reflect her strong faith.

When I was finished with these and put them in the mail, I felt very happy.  If you would have told me I would have felt those feelings Friday, I would have said you were wrong.  Crafting can bring me joy and contentment even when I am feeling at my lowest.  I am sure Tim Holtz probably never realized that such a project could have such a profound effect on someone.

If you are looking to make a special gift for someone (or just for yourself), I would highly recommend you visit Tim Holtz to learn how these are done. I am sure you will enjoy the experience and want to share your memories with those special in your life.

Thanks to Tim Holtz for always inspiring me (and countless others), and for sharing his knowledge. Teachers are truly special people.

Have a great day, my friends!   Until next time!

Whimsical Faerie Birthday Wishes

Hi, guys! today I want to share a birthday card I made for my friend Anna. While deciding what card to make for Anna, I came across this little sprite of a faerie.  I think she is just darling. So, I decided to use the photo tinting technique I learned from Tim Holtz while participating in his 12 Tags of 2012. In this technique you add color to selected areas of the photo.  You will notice that I used glossy cardstock for the image, and stamped with a permanent ink (Archival Black).  To add color I used various shades of distress inks.

Supplies:
Stamps:Stampsmith
Paper: Ranger Glossy Cardstock, Stampin' Up
Ink: Archival Ink (Black), Distress Inks
Misc.: Gem, rectangle punch, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder


This is becoming one of my favorite techniques.  I find it fun and relaxing to color the images and am busy making tags using old family photographs for family members.

Wishing Anna a very happy birthday, and a great year ahead!  May each of you have a day filled with fun and perhaps a bit of magic!