Creative Charms Winner!

     What a pleasant surprise to check my email and found I won the super prize from Creative Charms. It includes the gradient gems (you know how I LOVE them) and the vintage sets. That adds up to 21 packages of pure goodness.

     They offer deals every month ( a few of which got me all started using their products, lol). This is the package I won. Here is a project they made using these goodies: http://creative-charms.blogspot.com/2011/08/altered-silver-brooch-box-using-vintage.html While you're there, be sure to check out the other great projects.

     I'll be watching the mail to see these beauties when they come in!

Not So Shabby Heart Book

     Wow I am on a roll lately! I thought I'd share this wonderful little project with you today but first I have to welcome some new followers, yeah! I hope I can inspire you a bit with my creative adventures!

     I have had this album on my craft table for months now and finally said enough, finish it! This will be picture heavy but thought you might enjoy seeing the finished product. I started with the chipboard heart albums they sell for $1 in the clearance aisle @ Michaels. Next I grabbed a Scrap Pad by K & Company called K-ology Peabody Scrap Pad. This is one of the yummiest pads I own. Isn't the paper just fabulous?
     I just added ran it through my Xyron 900 and rolled it down with my brayer. When it was done I used an xacto knife to trim around the edge and then lightly sanded it smooth. I then used a paint marker to go around the edges for a nice finished edge. All the inner pages were done the same way.

     For the cover I stamped a flourish with Inkadinkado stamps and then added some bling with my Imaginisce tool. I LOVE how this came out! The center tag was from the scrap pad but I decided to emboss a heart with some silver Zing powder. I also pulled out my stash of buttons and added them for some dimension before I used pop dots on the center image.

     This gives you a different view as to how I closed the album. I just used rivets by Zutter to secure the ribbon. Now for the inside view!

     The inside cover and first page have a pocket with tag for journal ling and the 1st page leaves room for a photo. The pink rhinestone flower is a creative charm. ( Love these things).

       The next page also has a tag with a very romantic feel to it whereas the next page is more shabby chic!

     Another tag from the pad only this time I added a little dimension to the "forever" wording by adding Diamond Glaze. This is a new product I tried and OMG I will have to do a review on this. It is amazing!

     I made a pocket for the left hand page out of scrap paper that was just screaming to be used. So I added 2 tags. These could fit some wallet sized pics. The patterned heart is the inside back cover that also would support a photo.
     That's its for now. I must try Audrey's tri easel card if I can find my craft table. Ughhh!

Welcome baby!

     I'm having a hard time keeping up with all the cards I need to make, lol! We've had 2 birthdays  in the last 2 weeks and 1 more next week before I start on Mothers' Day cards now that the Easter cards are done, whew. However I have been remiss because one nephew and niece have both had babies in the last few months and I still haven't made a card let alone bought a gift! ( I am hanging my head in shame). I am glad they both had boys so I didn't have to think so hard to come up with these.
     First of all I had intended to use this as a color challenge for simply scrapping group but one of the colors was rose/pink so that would not have been appropriate. When doing something for the baby boys I usually do the typical blues and yellows but decided on a peachy color, kraft and blues instead.
     Once again I fall back on my scraps. Believe it or not the background paper was left over from a mini album I did a while ago and I had just enough for the 2 cards! Also, I get so upset with myself that I have small pieces of card stock hanging around that I cut out these baby monograms for boys and girls along time ago and put them in my embellishment box. I'm sure glad I did! I know they were cut from the Mini Monograms and I think it was 1". Next I took a scrap of peach color card stock and ran that through the cuttle bug with the tags die.
     The cute bunny is from Nursery Tails on the Imagine @ 2". I kept all the layers combined and printed the image however I really wanted a shadow on this. This particular image did not have a shadow so I used the background layer and chose a background print that would set it all off by cutting it @ 2.25". Its not quite perfect but I was satisfied enough to apply it to the card with pop dots. I even added a beautiful gradient gem to the flower center as well as the 4 corners of the card. Finished it off with some ribbon and a cute stamped sentiment.
     Now all I have to do is buy the gifts to go with the cards and I'm all set. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to leave a comment and say hi!

My American Girl Album

     Hi all! I'm back with the second album I just completed. These are so much fun to  make and are ready for pictures . All the pages were cut using Spellbinders new Grand dies. The main album was cut using Grand Labels One the 3rd of 6 sizes.
     The album cover and pages are cut from K&Company Sparkly Sweet pad plus 2 chip boards for front and back cover. There are 5 double sided pages and plenty of embellishments and tags for journal spots.

     The cute little pop out image is from an embellishment pack of American Girl embellishments I got at Michaels. The green tag on the left is from a cuttlebug tags folder and the pink tag is from K&Company valentine tags. The right mat has corner punches so a photo can slip right in place.

     The left page is double matted and the right side has a pocket with a slip in tag. I love these tags because you can add pictures on the front and back of the tag.

     These are both matted pages with cute American Girl embellishments. There also is a skinny tag to leave a private message!

     The left page leaves room for another picture where as the right side has a pocket to add secret messages, receipts etc.

     This is my favorite page in a mini album. It has double sided tags that slip in a pocket. One side could hold a picture with journalism on the back!
     I love making these albums because they are so much fun to decorate. They are also easy to do when you use a bind-it-all. The album cover has the tags from the Cuttlebug tag folder that I inked and added glimmer mist to. I also added glimmer mist to some prima flowers and of course, a creative charms gradient gem for the flower center! After adding some beautiful ribbons it's done. Now I'm going to add it to my etsy shop if anyone cares to purchase one, lol. Thanks for stopping by.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/cardsnmore0005

Let Me Count The Ways

     The wonderful people @ Copics Creations have a great challenge #42 going on. It's to use something new, a technique, tool or product, that's it. I REALLY am trying to get more skillful @ using my copics but it's hard because I have a limited number of them.     I stamped my image with tuxedo black Momento inks and then embossed the key with detail gold embossing powders. The image was a stamp by Inkadinkado and colored with the following copic markers: E50, E53, YR00 and E04. Since I don't have a black and coordinating shades I just used my spica copics to add highlights for the hair. I also used the gold spica pen for some of the dots around "Love". The dots around the girl are done with Creative Inspiration paints in burgundy. The background card stock is dry embossed with the cuttlebug folder. My "new" thing was using this paper from DCVW and new gradient gems from creative charms. More importantly was the chance to use my copics. I guess practice makes perfect! This is only the 3rd project I've tried with them. I really hope to get better.