New Blog Design!

Hi everyone,

I've been wanting to give my blog design a bit of a face lift for a while now.  I felt it was time for a change and enlisted the assistance of the very talented Karen Valentine.  I had worked with Karen in the past on some of my sidebar images and knew when the time came she would be the one to create my new look.

I admit I don't always embrace change and it was difficult for me to let someone else do the creativity when I'm usually the creative one.  Karen has always been very professional, listened to what I was looking for and patient with me.

Her vintage designs are magnificent and I'm thrilled with the finished product!  Karen really made this a positive and fun experience - the way creating a blog should be.  I would recommend Valentine Design without hesitation!

If you are thinking about creating a blog or updating your current one, there is no need to wait months for a design.  Valentine Design is just a click away ...

I look forward to reading your comments about my new design.  Oh, I even have a blog button now so go ahead, grab my button and post it to your blog.  Don't forget you can always opt to subscribe for email updates through FeedBurner on my left sidebar and never miss another post again.

The one thing I have enjoyed about blogging is the awesome people I have met along the way.  I am just so happy right now and wish you all a wonderful weekend!

Fifth Avenue Floral for Lily

A co-worker lost her mother a few days before Christmas and I wanted to let her family know I was thinking about them.  I never seem to have sympathy cards on hand when I need one so this will be on my "to do" list for this year.  This card is for lily ... sending you hugs.

The rose image was inked with VersaMark and stamped on Very Vanilla paper and embossed with gold embossing powder and a heat gun.  It was sponged with Apricot Appeal and Groovy Guava then cut out.

I wanted to add a little bit to the beautiful Prima Fairy Flora paper so I stamped the flourish from the Elements of Style set in Brilliance Pearlescent Beige.  The sentiment was also stamped in VersaMark and embossed in gold on Very Vanilla paper.  Edges were sponged with Apricot Appeal and a few Kaiser pearls in latte were added.

I couldn't wait to use my new Cheery Lynn Designs butterfly dies.  The exotic butterfly was cut from the Flora paper with the angel wings from Very Vanilla.  I glued them together.

Once I started to assemble the card I thought the rose could use some leaves.  I used a Sizzix die with a piece of Stardream metallics chiara paper.  I really like the pastel soothing shades.  The rose and butterfly were sprayed with Tsukineko sheer sparkle shimmer spritz and everything was adhered to a natural white linen card.

Card Recipe:
Stamps:  SU Fifth Avenue Floral, SU Elements of Style, My Sentiments Exactly! Cathedral Sympathy
Paper:  Natural White Linen, Prima Marketing Fairy Flora Designer Paper, Kraft, Very Vanilla, Stardream Metallics Chiara Paper
Ink:  Flourishes - Brilliance Pearlescent Beige, Sentiment - VersaMark with Gold EP; Rose - VersaMark with Gold EP; Sponging - Apricot Appeal & Groovy Guava
Accessories:  Kaiser Pearls in Latte, Tsukineko Sheer Sparkle Shimmer, Cheery Lynn Designs Exotic Butterfly Die, Small Angel Wings Die, Sizzix Flowers, Branches & Leaves Die, Spellbinders Labels Eleven #3
Techniques:  Embossing, Sponging
Card Size:  A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Northwoods Winter Squirrel

When I saw this stamp by Northwoods I just knew I had to have it.  Well, don't we say that about all our stamps?  I just think this squirrel is so darn cute! 

I stamped the image in StazOn Black onto Shimmery White paper and colored it with Prismacolor Pencils and Gamsol.  I don't know about you, but I love the Shimmery White paper so much better than the Whisper White.

Merry Christmas was stamped in Cherry Cobbler and embossed with clear embossing powder and layered to a Spellbinders grommet tag.  Lost & Found Christmas rhinestones were added to each end.

My intentions were to keep this card clean and simple.  Everything was adhered to a piece of Cherry Cobbler, then Mellow Moss and mounted to a Solar White Linen card.

The inside sentiment was also stamped in Cherry Cobbler and embossed.  The pine branches were stamped in Mellow Moss. 

This is the last of my Christmas cards.  As much as I've enjoyed creating them it is time to pull out other stamp sets and start to think about Valentine's Day.  Thank you all so much for stopping by!

Card Recipe:
Stamps:  Northwoods Nora's Winter Squirrel with Berries, SU A Cardinal Christmas, SU Peaceful Wishes
Paper:  Solar White Linen, Mellow Moss, Cherry Cobbler, Shimmery White
Ink:  Squirrel - StazOn Black colored with Prismacolor Pencils; Sentiments - Cherry Cobbler with Clear EP, Pine Branches - Mellow Moss
Accessories:  Lost & Found Christmas Rhinestones, Labels One #5, Spellbinders Grommet Tags, Mega Curved Rectangles #4 (Inside), Gamsol
Techniques:  Embossing, Sponging, Prismacolor Pencils
Card Size:  A2 (4.25" x 5.5")