InkspiredTreasures.com

Spotlight on Christmas

I know, I know…where have I been, right?  I actually have been on the computer, just doing a lot of maintenance work.  Updating files, placing orders, writing checks…just not working on my Blog!  I’ve also been attempting to clean up my studio!  I really don’t know how I can totally destroy it after one creative session.  But really, I never had put everything away after the Retreat a week ago, then I had two classes out of town to prep last week and I just dumped everything on my tables when I got home Friday…exhausted!  Right now I’m working in about 1 square foot of space.  It HAS to get cleaned up today, cause it is driving me crazy!  (Plus, I have two classes this week…yikes!)

I think this is the first time I’ve used the set, Spotlight on Christmas.  I bought it mainly because it matches all our punches (and you know I LOVE my punches!) and to make holiday tags. I love the Only ___ Days to Christmas stamp in it!  One of my group’s weekly challenges a (during Election week) was to create a Red/White/Blue card and send it off to my partner.  Since I’m in full Christmas Card making mode, I was trying to think of how I could link Red/White/Blue with Christmas.  Our 5 petal punch fits the Poinsettia stamp perfectly….Real Red…and I added three gold mini brads to the centers!  And I love Real Red with the new Pacific Point color (I used it on my Election Day Season of Friendship card).  And, of course, I needed to use my Big Shot Top Note Bigz Die.  I stamped the background of the Top Note with the swirl in that set.  Then I used the new square scallop punch around the December 25th image and used it like a ribbon slide with the Real Red Striped Ribbon.  In the middle of the snowflake, I placed a small blue Rhinestone brad.  Lots of bling going on this card!  I did get it mailed off to Adair yesterday…hope she enjoys it!

Oh…I’m enjoying a nice cup of Pumpkin Pie Spice tea…yummy!  Got to get off here and starting cleaning up my mess!  Hope you have a great day!

Blogger’s Challenge 73 – Color Challenge

Sorry I didn’t get this posted yesterday.  When I got home from doing two out of town classes, I was just too exhausted to finish this card and get it posted as was my intention!  Our Blogger’s Challenge this week was to use a color combination of Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Vanilla or White to complete our card.  This was definitely a challenge for me…I kept wanting to add a third color in there! 

My inspiration comes from our past Christmas tree.  When we were first married, our first artificial tree was white flocked.  I used red ornaments on it to make it pop!  Even though it was messy to put up, I loved it and how it looked at Christmas. 

This card is a variation of the one my punch classes did this month.  I used three of the Photo Corner punches from my Faux Diamond Dust Whisper White cardstock to make the punched tree (three large and then two small).  The snowflake topper is also glittered with Iridescent Ice EP and punched with the 3/4 circle and cut into a snowflake shape.  The large scallop circle die cut is from Baja Breeze and trimmed to fit partially on the card.  I used the snowflake from Season of Friendship randomly across the background with Baja Breeze on Whisper White and the corners were punched with the Ticket Corner punch.  It was mounted on Chocolate Chip base cardstock.  The Joy was cut from the Join in the Cheer die strip out of Chocolate Chip, too.

I’m anxious to see what the others have done.  Hope you enjoy my card this week!

Altered Fall Candles

I made a few of these up for the craft fairs, hoping that they wouldn’t sell so I could use them in my family room!  I do have a couple left for my mantle.  I was excited on how they turned out!  And, they SMELL so good…every time I walk buy the spicy smell jumps out at me!

I started by adhering the Autumn Vine (in the Holiday mini) designer paper to chipboard (the backing from designer paper works great!).  Then I cut the leaves of each pattern out with my Big Shot Leaves #2 die.   These made nice, stiff leaves.  Then I sponged the edges of each one with the coordinating color.

I wrapped the candles with Sage Shadow and more Autumn Vine designer paper.  I hid the seam on the front underneath the leaves.  The leaves I placed with Pop Dots and adhesive so that the stems all came together.  Then I wrapped the Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon (retired) around them to secure.  You could use the 5/8 Chocolate grosgrain for the same effect, I was just out of it at the time I made these.

For safety reasons, I probably won’t burn these candles, but if I did, I would just burn them down to where I could put a tea light in them.

I like these so well, I decided to get some larger holiday ones and make up gifts for my husband’s employees for Christmas!  I purchased them all at Hobby Lobby.

Enjoy! 

Diva Coffee Break Designers

I was asked by Heidi Michel to join a group of talented designers to form the Diva Coffee Break Designers.  How exciting, huh?  Every Wednesday we will be posting a card that follows at sketch design or a specific color combination that Heidi has chosen.  Our first challenge was this sketch.

I recently received Happiness is a Journey with my hostess credits and decided to cut and mount it for my challenge card!  I love the train stamp because of the reverse image on it.  I’m anxious to try out a few different techniques with it!  This first one is a technique we will be doing in my Technique Classes the next few weeks, so I’m not going to share the WAY to do it just yet…although some of you may figure it out on your own!  lol!  I can tell you I used a new color combination for me, Bravo Burgundy, Mellow Moss and Almost Amethyst.  In person, you’d be surprised at how that light color of Almost Amethyst pops out from the background.

I also opened up my package of Manchester Designer Paper and pulled out this green check paper.  I used a strip of it down the left side and then ran a wide band of Bravo Burgundy 5/8 ribbon down the center and a strip of Mellow Moss 1/4" grosgrain ribbon on top of the Burgundy!  I like that masculine touch of ribbon. 

The sketch called for an oval, so I stamped my words, "Happiness is a Journey not a Destination" on a rectangle piece of Very Vanilla cardstock and used my corner rounder.  I like how it softens it just a little.

I need a card for my brother’s birthday next week…I think this will be perfect!

Check out the rest of the talented stampers who are part of the Diva Coffee Break Design Team!  I’m sure they will have some awesome ideas with this sketch!  I love seeing the different ideas!

Chris Austin
Dannie Graves
Dee Tollaksen
Heidi Michel
Julie Semones
Kristen Moore
Selene Kempton
Lisa Freeman

Blogger’s Challenge (late!) – Same but different

I’m back from the Retreat…had a wonderful time!  Of course, didn’t get as much accomplished as I wanted…but then I always take too much with me.  It was great seeing everyone and catching up with old friends.  Wish I could do it every weekend (well, maybe once a month!)  It is a pain to pack up and unpack.

I missed getting last week’s Blogger’s Challenge up and posted before my company arrived last week, so I’m late putting this up.  It is a fun challenge!  I’m anxious to see what the others have come up with!  I used the same layout for both cards as my same and "A Flower for All Seasons" to represent my different.  I love the four different elements in this small set!  The Sunflower for fall and the Poinsettias for Winter are so cute!  I love coloring them.  I also used Autumn Vine designer paper with the Sunflower card (mini catalog) and Holiday Treasures for the Poinsettia card.  The Poinsettia one has green round rhinestone brads and the Sunflower one has gold diamond rhinestone brads to add a little BLING!  See…same, but different!

Well, I still have my girlfriend here today.  We are going to work on a few projects we didn’t get done over the weekend.  Then I need to prep to teach a couple classes out of town later this week and a couple classes back here next week!  Whew!  I just found out that I will probably be having Thanksgiving, too.  Oh joy!

I want to remember and thank all the veterans and their families today on Veteran’s Day!  I know they have sacrificed a lot to keep our country safe.  Thank you!

Country Living Holiday Stampin’ Kit

Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin’ Kit

Big On Christmas

This is my swap card for the Stamping Retreat this weekend!  It is just a mini swap…only had to make 11 of them thank goodness.  With all I had to do before I left, I couldn’t have done many more than that!

First I cut the Kraft cardstock and Riding Hood Red cardstock on the Big Shot with my Top Note die.  I trimmed the perforations away on the Kraft piece and layered it onto the Riding Hood Red.  Then I embossed the Snowman from Big on Christmas with White EP on Kraft (I’m SO into Kraft these days!)  I wrapped the Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon (LOVE it!) around the Top Note.  I cut the Whisper White snowflakes with the small die and secured it to the Top Note with a red Rhinestone brad.

I layered Baja Breeze on the Riding Hood Red card and added a strip of Ski Slope Designer Paper.  Then I added the Top Note layer on top.  I’m happy with how it turned out! 

Ladybug, ladybug…

I’m away on a weekend stamping retreat, but I wanted to still share a few things on my Blog while I’m gone.  Hopefully, these are timed correctly and the server doesn’t fail like last time! 

Yes, another craft fair item…a sketchbook, small pen and a jumbo bookmark in the Ladybug theme.  I wrapped these up in a cello bag and added some black/red polka dot ribbon and a tag with a ladybug on it.  Too cute! 

The ladybug sketchbook was inspired by a swap card I received.  It doesn’t have a name on the back, so I really don’t know who to give credit to.  It was perfect to cover the round sketchbooks I had purchased a few months ago.  I took off the spiral binding and then traced the front onto Real Red cardstock and the back on Basic Black.  I punched the 1/2" circles out of Black Faux Diamond Dust so they sparkle.  I used my white gel pen for the stitching around the body and wings.  I tied some different polka dot ribbons on the top. 

Then I received the scallop circle ladybug bookmark/paperclip in a 3D swap at Convention.  Another great idea.  It is 4 Scalloped Circle punches, stamped with black dots, folded in half and then layered on a Black Scallop Circle.  A pop dot between the paperclip and a second black scallop circle undeneath holds it secure.  A 1" black circle is punched for the head and slid between the Red scallop body and the top black scallop circle.  Pretty easy!

The little red pens I had from a LONG time ago.  I wrapped a label around them after I brayed the white label with Real Red ink and then stamped the dots in black.

I think this is a great stocking gift for someone who loves ladybugs or that young girl you know!

Winter Post – Control Freaks Swap

I think everyone should have received their swaps back by now, so this is ok to post.  This was my swap for the Holiday Mini Catalog Swap for Control Freaks Swappers.  We get the BEST swaps from this group!  I love getting my package back in the mail…it is just like Christmas!

I used Winter Post for my card.  I did something similar to a Joy Fold, but turned it so the card could stand up on its own.  The second picture shows this better.  I used Baja Breeze as my base card, then layered Whisper White stamped with Baja Breeze snowflakes.  I used a narrow piece of Holiday Treasures Designer Paper and my Scallop Edge punch to punch an edge of scallops above the designer paper.  I stamped the December 25 image and punched it with the Designer Label punch.  Then I folded a small piece of Riding Hood Stripe ribbon in half and tucked it under the Label punch.  The skaters were stamped in Basic Brown on Whisper White.  I decided to leave them uncolored since it made a quicker card.  I didn’t think to make an "ice rink" under their skates until I’d already shipped it off.  The Columbus Day holiday made my time a little shorter than I thought.

So…I’m pleased with how it turned out!  And I love the swaps I received in return. 

I put a good dent in packing for the Retreat this weekend.  Just need to grab a suitcase full of stamp sets and I’ll be good to go!  Hope everything fits in the car (along with my two friends!)  Woohoo!  Everyone is arriving today!  Yeah!

Patriotic Season of Friendship

After spending almost two hours in line this morning (and getting there at 6:30 AM so I could vote with my husband and son), I was inspired to come home and create this card.  Thank you to all of you who go out and brave the LONG lines to vote today.  We are blessed to live in a country where our voice is heard!

My Season of Friendship Card Kit purchasers will be happy that here is another sample using the Season of Friendship stamp set!  I stamped the tree in Basic Black on Whisper White, towards the right edge.  Then I added three 1/4" strips of Real Red cardstock along the left side.  I punched the stars with the Small Star punch from Pacific Point and adhered them with mini glue dots to the limbs of the tree.  I stamped the words Thank You from Family Accessories in Basic Black on Whisper White and punched with the small oval punch.  Then a border of Pacific Point with the Large Oval.  I punched a small hole next to the bottom of the tree and wrapped the 5/8 Real Red ribbon around and thru the hole to tie it. I’m happy that it turned out how I pictured it in my head!

Today I am spending the day packing up my craft items to take to the weekend stamping retreat.  I have a couple girlfriends coming into town Wednesday evening to spend the night and visit…then we leave right after lunch on Thursday to go to the retreat!  Woohoo!  We’ve been planning this so long, I can’t believe it is finally here.  There are about 50 ladies going…should be a great time!  It is held twice a year and I’ve been going since it started in 2005.  I’m working on getting some posts ready to publish while I’m gone.  Hopefully I won’t run into any server issues like last time!

Now…GO VOTE!