BEEN & GONE!

Christmas that is!!  Over for another year - PHEW!!  But other events still happen, so I thought I would share a couple of my latest CAS creations with you.

First up - Birthday for a Guy!  I have finally got the set I have had my eye on since the catalogue came out last September - Need for Speed!  I love the "sketchy" kind of feel to these images.  The plane was made for a sponged sky background, and Ispritzed a contrail to give the impression of movement and speed.

The second is a Sympathy card, made all the more sadder (is that a word?) at this time of the year when we should all be laughing and having fun.  Again, I have used the Confetti White card stock to sponge on.  I love the textured and moody colour the sponging turns out on this less than smooth card stock.  I cut a rectangular mask out, laid it on my card stock and just picked random colours to sponge.  Removed the mask and stamped an image from the hostess set "Up in the Air".  It is a line art image, so I used my markers to colour it in and make it a silhouette.  Add a pearl and sentiment - done.

Once again, both of these cards can be created in under 10 minutes.  I can see I will be doing a lot more cards with this CAS style in the New Year.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.  Wishing you all a very Prosperous 2012!

JAI #99 - JUST ADD WRAPPING

How do you dress up those gifts to give?  At Just Add Ink this week, there are some gorgeous ideas to give you a start, and just in time for Christmas! While my project is not strictly "wrapping", it is a great way to dress up a gift!

I quite often get Maccona Coffee, mainly because the jar is pretty cool!  It has a great shape and lends itself to be "altered".  I have filled this jar with Christmas coloured Jelly Beans and used the same colours to decorate the jar.

Using the wide grosgrain ribbon, I have wrapped it around the top of the jar and added Jingle Bells to the bow.

I have made a Poinsettia flower, using the 5 Petal Flower Punch and added plenty of glitz to it too!  Add a label and it is all ready to gift to someone special.

This is just one way you can dress up your gifts though, so be sure to pop over to Just Add Ink to see all the other gorgeous projects the Design Team have come up with for you!  We would love to see how you use your crafting skills to dress up your gifts too!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE ♥

CHRISTMAS NOTECARD

How's this for a super cute and really quick 3" x 3" notecard?  I like these notecards in place of tags for a gift.  I have used a cute stamp set called "Every Litte Bit".  You can find it on page 46 of the main Idea Book & Catalogue.  It has 28 images for every occassion you can think of and is just perfect for these notecards.  I made a bunch of these to put with gifts this year.

I stamped the image in Staz On Black, then used my Stampin' Write markers to colour it in.  I then punched the image using  the 1 1/4" Square punch.  I punched another coordinating piece of cardstock (Old Olive) with the 1 3/8" Square punch, layered them with Dimensionals and stuck to the card front.  I then tied a mini bow, using THIS tutorial, with the new Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine from the Summer Mini Catalogue, and stuck that above the ornament using a spot of Tombow Multi.

Another nice, quick project, although not when you are making multiples, like I was!  I also stamped the front of the Mini Envelopes, although, opted not to colour the image in this time.

CAS - CONFETTI CARD

Taking another look at the "You Are Loved" stamp set today, from the Summer Mini Catalgoue.  This time as a Thinking of You/Sympathy type card.  I have gone with clean and simple with this image, by using a method called "thumping".  I have inked my flower image with markers, starting with the lightest colours first, so I don't contaminate them with a dark colour.  I have then "thumped" (gently) a darker marker over portions of the image, to give it a more dimensional look.  "Huff" on the stamp to remoisten the ink, then stamp as normal.  How easy!

I have used Confetti White as my base card.  It suits the image I have used perfectly, with all the little bits of petals inlaid in the card stock.
To lift it just a bit more visually, I have added random pearls around the image and rounded the opposite corners of the base card to soften the edges.
A clean and simple card which can be created in under ten minutes!  Gotta like that.

FANCY FOOTWORK

Something a little different from me today!  Another CAS card using the Emboss resist technique I haven't used for quite sometime.  The stamp set is called "You are Loved" from the new Summer  mini catalogue.  If you haven't seen this catalogue yet, you can check it out HERE. There are so many grogeous new products to play with!!

I have used Naturals Ivory card stock as my card base.  I love the petals inlaid in this card.  Stamped my image in Versamark, sprinkled Clear Embossing Powder over the image and heat set it.  I have then masked off a portion of my card across the width and sponged Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder and Blushing Bride ink in a random pattern.  This really makes the embossed image "pop".  I have then used one gorgeous Jewel brad thats helps draw your eye to the sentiment.

The "Fancy Footwork" I was referring to in my blog title is along the bottom of the card.  I used the Decorative Label punch to cut away about 1cm of the base, then layered Wisteria Wonder card stock underneath.  A simple, but pretty Valentine's Day card.

GOING NAUTICAL

One of the new stamps in the Summer Mini Catalogue is called "Open Seas" and is just a pefect stamp set for guys!  Especially if they love boating or anything Nautical.  It has been sitting on my shelf uninked for the past two weeks, but I FINALLY had a chance to play with it yesterday!

I kept the stamping fairly simple, but just added lots of mats to the card front for interest.  I used mini brads for a wee bit of hardware.  How cute are they?!  I also added the cool knot you see along the front.  You can find the super tutorial for this knot HERE, thanks to a fabuoulous blog called Paper Pursuits. 

If you belong to Pinterest, you can access all my links to other tutorials and the other great ideas I use!  There are so many great tutorials out there and Pinterest helps me to remember them all, by pinning them on boards and providing links.  A really valuable resource!

Don't forget to get your order in for Christmas.  Stampin' Up!'s fabulous December Frenzy promotion has lots of things for you to select at up to 50% off normal retail price!  I love a bargain!!  My last order will be submitted on the 12th of December, so please get your order to me early, so you will have it for Christmas!

FOR THE WOMAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING

Birthday's can be so hard to cater for, can't they?  Especially for Mum!  What do you get for the Woman who has everything she needs?  My Mother is celebrating her Birthday on the 8th of December, and this year I have been making the women in my Family gift card tins, fill to overflowing with cards for all occassions, for their Birthday's.  While there is hours of work invlolved in this gift - it is completely handmade and personalised for that particular person. 

I wanted to go with a vintage theme for Mum.  Not saying she is old though!  Just wanted something a bit nostalgic.  It also took me out of my own comfort zone, as I don't normally do vintage!  I loved using the Hat Pin (retired), and I have also used the Velvet Ribbon available in the new Summer Mini Catalogue.  I didn't want cream though and dyed this ribbon, using my Night of Navy ink pad.  I was surprised how beautifully this ribbon dyed up!  Not at all patchy as I thought it would.

For the card, I CASE'd a design from an old Stampin' Up! Catalogue.  I used the design as a basic template and then added the DSP, ribbon and stamps I used on the tin.  I told you I don't throw anything out and for good reason - there are so many fab designs to recreate!

Mum doesn't have a computer, so I am not spoiling the surprise for her by showing you early!  I wanted to share with you a great gift to give that "hard to buy for" person in your life, made especially with them in mind.