"The best kiss..." using Quietfire Design and Graphic 45

Hello Crafty Friends!  Today is my day to post at Quietfire Creations and I am sharing a Valentine's Day/Love card using Quietfire Designs' "The Best Kiss" stamp:

Such a sweet sentiment!  And yes, it was difficult for me to cut this beautiful paper from Graphic 45's Mon Amour collection but it was well worth it as it goes so well with the stamped sentiment. 

Feel free to pop on over to Quietfire Design for more details.  :)

Thanks for stopping by!  

Have a happy crafty day!

Big hugs!

Kathy Jo

"You make me melt"- Stampers Anonymous' Brett Weldele

Hello Crafty Friends!

For those of you attending or following the events at this year's CHA in Anaheim, you will know that today is the last day of the show.  I have been following my favorite companies and designers throughout and drooling at all of the crafty goodness.  Last year I was lucky enough to attend the conference and had the most fabulous time.  This year I planned on attending the event but ended up unable to attend.  It was a little disappointing but the good news is that next year I will attend and my sweet hubby will be in tow.  I look forward to it!

Yesterday morning I remembered moments from the show.  One specific memory was being introduced to Brett Weldele's stamps.  I was blown away by the Zombie Casanova stamp set and have been hooked on Brett Weldele's stamps and stencils since.   The memory of last year's CHA and visiting the Stampers Anonymous booth inspired me to make a card using Brett Weldele's stamp set, Blizzy the Happy Snowman.

The images were stamped using Jet Black Archival ink onto watercolor paper and then colored using Distress Markers and a water brush.  I drew a heart on the snowman and added Stickles.  

The fir trees had Stickles applied and glossy accents applied to the carrot nose.  The seam binding bow was dyed using Distress Stain.  The patterned paper is from Tim Holtz' French Industrial pad.

The inside contains the stamped sentiment from the same set.  It was stamped using Distress Markers.

Isn't the snowman just the cutest guy?  He definitely warms my heart.  There are six stamps in the set and below is the complete set.  Such a happy snowman...he makes me smile.  :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you enjoyed the card and thank you for sharing in the reminiscence of last year's CHA.  

Have a happy crafty day!
Big Hugs,
Kathy Jo

CHA Sneak Peek- Elizabeth Craft Designs "Merci"

Hello Crafty Friends!

Today I am sharing another sneak peek of a soon to be released Elizabeth Craft Designs die "Merci":

"Merci" is one of fourteen new ECD dies designed by Suzanne Cannon.  The new release dies are Oh-la-la lovely!

The die was cut twice using white card stock and silver glitter stock.  It was mounted on a tag sprayed with Dylusions sprays in Postbox Red and London Blue.  

Brett Weldele's Star Stencil was used with Ranger's Texture paste and Tim Holtz' Clear Rock Candy glitter.

The patterned paper is from Tim Holtz' French Industrial pad.

Seam binding was dyed red and tied with silver twine and jute twine.

The card base was made with Kraft card stock and voila!- the card was complete. The card was fun to make and it had glitter.  We all need some glitter in our day...and I had glitter on my fingers and clothes for most of it.  :)

Thanks for popping by to see the new die!  Have a great day!

Big Crafty Hugs,

Kathy Jo

This card is entered into the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create, AG

Word Art Wednesday, AG

Love to Create, Mixed Media

Inkspirational Challenges, Thank you with something new (Merci die)

Really Reasonable Ribbon, Look what I got (Merci die, Star stencil)

Aud Sentiments, Thank you

Dies R Us, Something new (Merci die, Star stencil)

Emerald Creek, Something New

Weekly Inspiration- "To create is to touch the spirit" mixed media playing card

 Hello Crafty Friends!

Last week I said I would share my resolutions for 2016.  The project today has to do with one of those resolutions: inspiration or crafty fun by transforming a deck of playing cards into a weekly project.  The idea is to take one playing card every week (52 weeks in a year and 52 cards in a deck) and transfer that particular card into a crafty project.  This week I thought I would start with an inspiring, crafty quote from Quietfire Design, "To create is to touch the spirit":

The card transformed into a mixed media project using several mediums from cheese cloth, stencils (TH Flourish, Crafters Workshop Elegant Bracket and Rosetta), Inka Gold...

...Ranger Texture Paste, Dylusions sprays, TH Picket Fence marker "spritzed", gold glimmer mist...

 

...TH tissue tape, chunky metallic embossing powder, gold glitter embossing powder, gems and Distress inks.

 The project is bright, glittery and inspiring.  Very happy with my week 1 card.  :)

The rest of my resolutions?  I always have several each year and this year is no exception:

• Only one soda per week.  I usually have one a day (Pepsi).  I know that it is not good for a healthy lifestyle so I decided to try to limit or kick the habit.  So far this year I have not had any.  Yay!
• Save more money.  I have a goal amount in mind as my hubby and I are planning three trips in the next 13 months.  
• Downsize.  Every month I will go through the house and get rid of 15 things.  This will not only reduce clutter but will also help me save money as every time I shop I will think "Will this be one of my 15 items I will get rid of in a future month?"
• Lastly, create two Christmas cards a month.  Another fabulous excuse to be in the craft room!

So, those are my resolutions.  Do you have any this year and how are the resolutions going?

Thank you for stopping by!  Have a happy, crafty day!

Big Hugs,

Kathy Jo

This card is entered into the following challenges:

613 Ave Create, AG (LOL, I definitely cannot enter into the CAS project)

Simon Says Stamp Monday, New (my new year resolution project)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday, New (my new year resolution project)

Word Art Wednesday, AG

Scrapy Land Challenge card- "Thank You" using ECD and Graphic 45

Hello Crafty Friends!

For months I have wanted to tell you all some exciting news and today I can finally announce it: I am the newest member of the Scrapy Land Design Team.  Woo-who!  Last year I was lucky enough to be picked on the Guest Design Team and I had the best time.  The ladies on the team are not only talented but exceedingly nice.  I was a little sad when the Guest Design stint ended but ecstatic when Anne asked if I would consider staying on the team permanently.  I could have hugged her!  Today is my first challenge as a permanent design team member and I hope that you can participate.  The challenge is easy: anything goes as long as you use a brand of die that Scrapy Land sells.  Scrapy Land has over 40 brands of dies and you find find their list here.

For my card I used the soon to be released "thank you" die from Elizabeth Craft Designs.  Such a pretty die set!  The lovely doily is Cheery Lynn's French Pastry and the butterflies are from Sizzix' Butterfly Frenzy strip die.

The bold and beautiful papers are Graphic 45's Artisan Style.  The inside is a few more butterflies and more of the patterned paper.

The triple scrunch bow was made with white seam binding that I dyed using Distress Stains in Tumbled Glass and Broken China.  Liquid Pearls in gold was added to the butterflies to create their sparkly bodies.

Thank you for stopping by!  I do hope you enjoyed the card and that I will see your creation at Scrapy Land this fortnight!

Big Crafty Hugs,
Kathy Jo

Guest Designer at Elizabeth Craft Designs: CHA 2016 Sneak Peek

Hello Crafty Friends!

I have some happy news to share: for the next 6 months I am a Guest Designer at Elizabeth Craft Designs!  One or two Saturdays each month I will share a project using Elizabeth Craft Designs dies designed by the incredibly talented Suzanne Cannon.  

In December the soon to be released dies arrived in my post box and I have had so much fun playing with them.  Two weeks ago I was able to share my first project, Dream...

...and last week was the Happy Birthday gift card holder to my brother in law.

For the ECD post I decided to make a pretty in pink and bubbly "It's a Party" birthday card for a friend of mine who loves pink.

For details on the project, please feel free to hop on over to the Elizabeth Craft Designs post.  :)

Thank you for stopping by!  Have a great day.
Big Crafty Hugs,
Kathy Jo

Favorite 15 of 2015

Hello Crafty Friends!  As promised, today's post is a recap of my 15 favorite projects of 2015.  The recap is a long post so I will list my New Year resolutions tomorrow.  :)

 

Above is the first favorite project of 2015: You are Sunlight to my heart.  Loved how the card turned out- especially the colors against the ivory and gold.

The Love Lives Here wall art used some of my favorite Graphic 45 papers (Bird Song), Tim Holtz' Butterfly Bigz die set and stamps from Quietfire.  The wall art is hanging in my craft room and I plan to always have it there.

The vintage style masculine gift card wallet was time consuming to make but once I figured out dimensions, I was happy with the results.

Loved the colors of the pop up box and fussy cutting all of the wee bits to make the French Country scene.

I was very fortunate to be a Guest Designer at Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine.  The card used Quietfire's Believe die- my fave!  The brick background was stamped and embossed with fired brick embossing powder for a tres cool texture.

How could I not choose Pepper's scrapbook page?  She is such a beautiful kitty and Graphic 45's Raining Cats and Dogs papers matched her photo perfectly. 

The above butterfly creativity card had so many different layers, techniques and products used.  It took a few nights to complete and was well worth it.

I dwell in Possibility card used not only one of my favorite new release stamps from Quietfire but also used Marion Smith's Junque Gypsy papers and Ranger ink products such as Crackle and Stickles.

Sometimes the simplest card sketch results in a favorite card.  The above Friendship card used Quietfire's lovely stamp and Graphic 45 bold papers.  And butterflies.  Who doesn't love butterflies?

Talking about butterflies, the above miracles card is another favorite project from 2015.  Love the sentiment, the Tim Holtz distress colors and the Thinlits Mixed Media die corner. 

I am beginning to realize I may have an obsession with butterflies...and saying the word "love".  Another butterfly project using Tim Holtz inks, a mixed media corner die and the fave Believe die from Quietfire.

At first I thought that I had a project without a butterfly but I forgot I adhered one above the stamped sentiment.  But, the butterfly was a sweet touch to the Paris themed Friendship card.

Oh look!  A project without a butterfly. LOL.  This Halloween themed tag is definitely in my top fave projects to make in 2015.  My hands were covered in ink and I so enjoyed grunging up the embellishments and placing crackle on the owl eyes.

The blessing fall card was picked for a few reasons: it was fun to make, the colors are fabulously fall and I made this at my first papercrafting weekend retreat with my friend, Janice.  The weekend was a blast and I will always remember that crafty weekend!

Lastly- but not leastly- was this upcycled wall hook using many Tim Holtz products from glitter and paste to ink, corrugation, crackle, dies and paper.  I look forward to hanging it up again next year.

 

Thank you for stopping by and looking back at my favorite 15 of 2015!  I appreciate you taking the time to look back at the projects of 2015.  I also appreciate you being a follower to my happy crafty blog space!

 Have a great day!

Big Hugs,

Kathy Jo

"Snowflakes are kisses from Heaven"

Happy New Year!!

I wish you all the best in 2016.  May it be filled with happiness, good health, and lots of crafty time.  :)

Tomorrow I will share my resolutions for 2016 and a look back at 2015.  Today I wanted to share a cheerful card to start 2016 with a smile.  The stamped sentiment is Quietfire Design's oh-so-sweet snowflake sentiment: 

 

It was stamped and heat embossed in white on Kraft card stock. It was die cut using Memory Box's Stitched Square Layers (30038). 

The heart and snowflakes were cut from scrap paper using Memory Box's Snowflake Love Pendant.  Spellbinders' Scalloped Grand Squares.  A tent fold white card was the base and the bottom corners rounded.  A little bit of Stickles and the card was complete.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day!

Big Crafty Hugs,

Kathy Jo