Love is in the air....

With Valentines Day fast approaching it seems that everywhere you look you see hearts......red hearts, pink hearts, scallop hearts....hearts, hearts, hearts!  After all, what says I love you better than a big red heart!  This week several of the card challenge blogs have challenged it's participants to created a card incorporating, what else......HEARTS!

Caardvarks challenge to use red and hearts.

Practical Scrappers blog hop challenge to create a love project.

Etsy Inspired challenge.  I was inspired by the trio of turquoise soap.

Cookin' Up Creations Friday challenge to create a Valentine's card using a non traditional color. 

Here's my card:

 

Thanks for looking!

Highlighting With Chalk

We're going into week #3 of chalk techniques over at the Cookin' Up Creations forum.  This week I chose to share a tip instead of a technique and I'm sure for most of you, this is nothing new, but for those just starting out might just appreciate it.  Did you know that you can use chalks instead of inks to highlight words and it's much more cost efficient because you can purchase a palette of colors for what a couple of ink pads would cost you!

Here's a couple of cards I created using chalks!  For this first card I ran the sunflower cardstock from CTMH through the Cuttlebug using a Swiss Dots embossing folder and then sanded it lightly.  I also used my computer and printer for the quote.  And as you can see, I used my chalks to highlight certain words in the quote.

Deets: Cardstock: The Paper Co., Stampin' Up and Close To My Heart.  Stamp: Rubber Stampede.  Chalks: Craf-T Products. Ribbon: Offray.
I also used Spellbinder's large rectangle and large scallop rectangle nestabilities and a Making Memories metal clip.


For this next card, I used my computer and printer to create the words you see and my chalks to highlight the word, "friend".

Deets: Cardstock: Coredinations and Stampin' Up.  Pattern Paper: Basic Grey.  Chalks: Craf-T Products. Ribbon: Offray. Button: Foof-a-la.
I also used a EK Success heart punch.

Thanks for looking!

Winter Wonderland of Embellishments Blog Hop

Welcome to the first ever Coookin' Up Creations Winter Wonderland of Embellishments Blog Hop. This month the Cookin' Up Creations design team had the opportunity to work with some amazing products by some very generous sponsors and we wanted to share with all of you!   

Okay, so here's how to play.

Your first stop on the hop should have been the Cookin' up Creations Blog. There you will find a complete list of all the participating blogs.  Please visit all 12 blogs, leaving a comment at each one.  Then return to the Cookin' up Creations Blog to let us know you're finish. This will get you an entry to win one of two prizes that will be given away at the end of the week.

You should have come here from Angela's blog, if not, head back to the Cookin' up Creations Blog and start from the beginning! I should be your 11th stop on the hop and from here you will go to Tammy's blog before heading back to the Cookin' up Creations Blog. Once you make your way back to the main blog, make sure to leave a comment letting us know that you have completed the hop.

Okay, my challenge for you is to create a card using chalk.......that's it!

Here is a card I created using THIS tutorial.  I used Bazzill cardstock, Making Memories and K & Co. pattern paper, Stampin' Up stamps, Craf-T Products chalk and Offray ribbon.  I also used my Spellbinders square scallop nestabilities to create the little scallop around the main image. 

You will have until January 22nd to complete all challenges on the participating blogs and be sure to upload your creations to the Embellishment Blog Hop gallery over at Cookin' Up Creations.  You must register in the gallery before uploading.

How to Make Tissue Paper Flowers

I was browsing the web this past weekend when I ran across a little tutorial on how to make tissue paper flowers.....stupid me forgot to save the link but it was easy enough that I was able to recreate it. Anywhooo, this is it in a nutshell.

Supplies needed:
tissue paper
glimmer mist
brad
scallop circle punch, or nestibilities in a couple of different sizes - I used the flower cookie cutter dies from Quickutz

 

Step 1: Fold your tissue paper several times - you want about 10-12 layers of each size.

Step 2: Stack the layers and add a brad to the center to hold the layers together. It doesn't matter what color brad you use because you won't see it at the end anyway.

Step 3: Separate each layer and scrunch as you go - this will form your flower.

Step 4: Place your flower in a box and spritz with glimmer mist.

And your flower should look like this:

 

These can be added to cards or layouts!

Winter Wonderland of Embellishments

 

Cookin' Up Creations is having their first ever Blog Hop starting Friday, January 15th - Friday, January 22nd.  We would love for you to join us!

Embellish Hearts Color Challenge

 

For my card I used a free SVG download called Cecile The Valentine Bear I found over at the SVG Cuts blog - if you would like to download it for yourself, you can find it HERE.  I also used my SCAL to cut the letters "be mine" using the Bauhaus 93 font.

 

Okay now for the deets:

Cardstock: Bazzill, Stampin' Up and The Paper Co., everything but the card base was cut with my Cricut using SCAL 2.0.

Thanks for looking!

 

How To Use Chalk Enhancer!

While I was browsing the web looking for a few chalk techniques I ran across this video on You Tube. 

I gotta tell ya, I had never used chalk enhancer before so after watching the video I had to pull out my chalks and enhancer and play! 

Here's a card using Stampin' Up cardstock, K & Co pattern paper and a stamp I purchased at Walmart or Michaels - can't remember which at the moment but in case you're wondering it is manufactured by Stampcraft.  I also used my Spellbinders large scallop rectangle nestabilitie to create the little scallop strip you see next to my stamped image.

Chalks and enhancer are by Craf-T Products who is sponsoring us over at the Cookin' Up Creations site this month!!!  Thank you so much Craf-T Products for my new set of chalks!  I now know how a child feels when he or she gets a new box of crayons!!!

Okay here's my card. 

 

And here's another card using the same technique as above but this time I added Magic Mesh - who is also sponsoring us over at Cookin' Up Creations this month!  Thank you Magic Mesh!!! And no, I have never used this before either....shocker, I know!

For this card I used Stampin' Up cardstock and stamp from the Classic Convertibles set, Craf-T Products chalk and enhancer, Magic Mesh and eyelets from Making Memories.

Thanks for looking!