11/06/2013

Handmade Elements Challenge

    Thanks for stopping by today. Always love your visits. I'm playing along this week in Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock online crop and getting a head start on my Christmas cards.

     The challenge here was to make a card using handmade elements. I made my Christmas tree with two sizes of heart punches (Fiskars). I used two shades of olive and dark rosy red from Core'dinations Nostalgia collection.
     First, with the lighter olive, I embossed - well actually I debossed because I got the paper against the plate (Spellbinders) upside down. But, I liked it so I went with it. I sanded the cardstock and punched four large and one small heart, turned them so the pointy end was up, and glued them together to make a tree. I decorated with pearls and a star which began life as a flower. I adhered the tree with foam tape to the rosy red panel.
     I cut a same-size panel of darker olive and embossed it with a folder (Sizzix) and fussy-cut the center out. I added thicker foam tape to adhere the top panel.
     You still have time to play along. Check the Master Challenge list here: http://www.coredinations.com/index.php/2013/10/31/master-challenge-list/



11/03/2013

CAS Christmas Card - Snowstar

     I'm playing along this weekend in Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock online crop and getting a head start on my Christmas cards.
      Those who know me would tell you that I almost always use non-traditional colors for my Christmas cards - like this purple, blue and white card. The object of this challenge is to create a clean-and-simple card with a sentiment and two or less embellishments. As you see, I only used one which I call a snowstar.
     To get the snowflake brad (the Paper Studio) to shine, I laid it on the back side of a 5 x 7" grape panel from Core'dinations' Nostalgia collection. I marked the arms of the snowflake and then scored from the back along those lines. I did a little sanding and my snowflake, I mean snowstar, shines!
     I heat-embossed the sentiment (Fiskars) with white pigment and white embossing powder. I lightly sanded the edges of the tag to make it stand out against the same color background. To finish, I adhered the panel to a white card base.
     Thanks so much for stopping in today. There is still lots of time left if you want to play along with us. See the Master Challenge List here: http://www.coredinations.com/index.php/2013/10/31/master-challenge-list/



11/02/2013

Christmas Tags

UPDATE:   I'm excited to learn my tags won in their category! You can check out all the other winners here:    http://www.coredinations.com/index.php/2013/11/12/hard-core-crop-winnners-in-here/

  I'm playing along this weekend in Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock online crop and getting a head start on my Christmas tags.
     The object of this challenge was to create at least two tags and to stamp on the tags. I used an olive green and three shades of rosy red from Core'dinations Nostalgia collection to make my tags. I used embossing folders(the Paper Studio) to create the quatrefoil and dotted textures. I used a combination of dies(Spellbinders)  and punches (Fiskars) to make the embellishments. I heat-embossed the sentiment (Cosmo Cricket) with white pigment and white embossing powder. Added a giant diamond (real, of course) and some ribbons. Two tags down and lots more to go.
     There is lots of time left to get your projects in if you want to play along with us. The Challenge Master List is here:  http://www.coredinations.com/index.php/2013/10/31/master-challenge-list/

11/01/2013

A Great Big Thanks

 
     If you popped in today expecting to see a card, you might get one later today. But first, I owe you all a big thanks! You guys are buying so many e-book copies of my book, A Deliberate Life: A Journey into the Alaskan Wilderness, that you have brought new life to it. And, the price is super - less than $4 at bn.com and amazon.com. I know you have been buying copies since it was first published, but once my publisher made it an e-book, sales have really taken off again. Thank you so much to each one of you.
     I'm currently working on the illustrations for a children's picture book I wrote. It will be out before long. I'll keep you posted about the release date and other info.
     You guys really are the greatest!