Ombre versus Rainbow

Yes friends. It's an epic battle on the challenge blog between two of the leading colour trends - Ombre and Rainbow. Which will come out on top?

For my first project, I decided on ombre.

I started out with various green a|s inks, stamped the ink pads on a craft mat from light to dark, sprayed the mat with water, and added a damp piece of watercolour paper to the pools of ink. Then I left the paper to dry before stamping with Beautiful Botanicals and Beautiful Botanicals 2. Next I added the entire panel to a grass cardstock mat, adhered a sentiment panel wrapped with onyx bakers twine before adding it all to a sugar card base. The white embossed sentiment comes from the Essential Sentiments set.

I'm thinking I might try something rainbow inspired next. So stay tuned...

Supplies used (all A Muse Studio)
stamps: beautiful botanicals, beautiful botanicals 2, essential sentiments
cardstock: sugar, grass
ink: lichen, grass, fern, versamark, versafine onyx black
other: watercolour paper, onyx baker's twine, white embossing powder, corner chomper

Hugs and Kisses.

Beautiful Blooms

Hey there. This week on the a|s challenge blog we're asking you to share some beautiful blooms with us.

Here in Florida, it's hurricane season which means lots of rain and, yes, lots and lots of those beautiful blooms. Every day is a riot of colour as the warm sunshine and midday showers bring more and more blooms to life.

I've been obsessed with He is Risen since the 2013 A Muse Studio catalogue came out, so I chose to ink up and colour that gorgeous flower today. And here it is:

This beautiful bloom was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black on Sugar Cardstock and coloured with Tombow Markers (apricot, papaya, grass, lime, sky). The stamped panel was then sponged with Latte Ink and adhered to a Vanilla card base. The sentiment is from Letterpress Greetings - a stamp set that ships with a set of sugar notecards ready for stamping.

So, what are you waiting for? Go get floral...

Hugs and Kisses.
TraceyJ

supplies used
stamps: he is risen, letterpress greetings
cardstock: sugar, vanilla
ink: memento tuxedo black; latte
other: tombow markers, sponge dauber

All About Colour

...is the challenge on the blog this week. And we'd love to see some of your favourite colour combos make an appearance.

I started with my new favourite colour - Mermaid.  I thought I'd let it shine by pairing it with Sugar and a touch of Onyx. So I ended up with this beauty:

A sugar panel was stamped with screenprint background and then swiped around the edges using mermaid ink and tied with onyx baker's twine. The sentiment comes from say it with style.

You have until Saturday, June 1 at 11:59MST to link up your creation for a chance to win a fantastic A Muse Studio prize.

See you there!

Supplies Used
stamps: say it with style, screenprint background
cardstock: sugar
ink: mermaid, versafine black onyx
other:  onyx bakers twine

I'm a Hostess!!!

Hey all,
It's my turn to be hostess on the A Muse Studio Challenge Blog, so I decided on a colour challenge with an inspiration photo found here.

This is what I came up with:

A one layer card!
This is a sugar card base stamped with butterflies from Sunny Side of Life in bermuda, cherry, grape, lemon whip, sage, and shell. The sentiment is from Hand Scripted. I masked off about a quarter inch on all four sides, stamped to my heart's content, then drew in a border using a Copic multiliner.

I hope you guys find time to go over to the blog and join in the challenge which runs for the next 2 weeks. You've got to play to have a shot at winning the prize - a paper pack featuring the A Muse Studio September Spotlight colours.

Supplies Used:
stamps: Hand Scripted, Sunny Side of Life
cardstock: sugar
ink: bermuda, cherry, grape, lemon whip, sage, shell
other: Copic multiliner, ruler


Hugs and Kisses
Tracey J

May Inkpad Sale

If you've been curious about A Muse Studio inks, now is the time to try them. 

For the entire month of May, all A Muse Studio branded ink pads are on sale at 20% off original prices. That makes our inkpads only $4.76 each! Add a few to your shopping cart today. 
(sale applies only to individual A Muse Studio inkpads. Does not include refills, assortments, or non-A Muse Studio branded inks.)

Head to my A Muse Studio website and place your order today! As always, be sure to contact me regarding hostess rewards before placing any order totalling $150 or more.

Hugs & Kisses.


TraceyJ

CTMH Product Spotlight Blog Hop - December

Season's Greetings to one and all!
This month's hop is focusing on CTMH Pearls and Sparkles, two of my personal favourites. As always, this is a round robin, so start anywhere you like and keep going till you get to the end. You may have just come from Jill's blog, and after you've seen my offering, you'll head to Kristie's.

Today I'm sharing a Christmas card using one of my favourite stamp sets - Ms. Holiday Cheer. As a little girl, I loved colouring and this set's got a whole lot of colouring fun to appeal to my inner child. I chose the tree trimming image because it was the one I noticed when this set was first released. So here she is:

Tree Trimming Missy was coloured in using a combination of CTMH markers and stamp pad with blending pen. Her gown needed some shimmer and I chose to heat emboss it using a mixture of clear embossing powder and Prisma glitter. I also added a touch of shimmer to her shoes and earrings and the star on top of the tree. I wanted to use the Pearls as ornaments on the tree, but they needed a little alteration. So I took out my trusty red Sharpie and gave them a new look. CTMH Pearls are available in white, mocha, and licorice but you can change the look of them with any alcohol based marker you own. So dig up those Sharpies and get to colouring! And while you're at it, enter your holiday creation in the last Heart 2 Heart challenge of the year. I know I am...

Now head on over to Kristie's blog for some more sparkly fun.

Enjoy a fun filled holiday with family and friends.
Hugs and kisses,
TraceyJ

Supplies used:
Cardstock - Colonial White; PP - Mistletoe Creative Basics; Ink - Archival Black, Brown Bag, Desert Sand, Parchment, and Taffy; Markers - Bamboo, Blending Pen, Cocoa, Garden Green, Honey, Sweet Leaf, and Tulip; Stamp Set - D1374 Ms. Holiday Cheer; Opaques Pearl Gems; Liquid Applique; Bonding Memories Glue Pen; Prisma Glitter; Clear Detail Embossing Powder; Foam Tape; Sharpie

Product Spotlight Blog Hop - October 2010

It's time once again to highlight some gorgeous CTMH products. If you've come here from Kristie's blog, then you're on the right track. This hop is a round robin so you can start anywhere and end up right where you began. From here, you'll be headed to Haley's blog.
Gift giving season is almost upon us and this month CTMH consultants have chosen to show you a few adorable gift ideas that you might be find useful. Today I'm showing a little something I plan to hide on my coworkers' desks this year. I enjoy sharing a few of the things I love and my favourite thing for the season is HOT CHOCOLATE!!! Love it!
I found a huge box in Sams that had a lovely variety of hot chocolates - from the usual milk chocolate to the more exotic raspberry chocolate to my absolute fave dark chocolate. Of course I had to take it home with me. We don't have a big gift exchange at the office since we do a Secret Santa. But I thought it would be fun to stash a few of my hot chocolates in a couple of desk just to see the faces when they were discovered. And you can't just hide it without decorating it a touch. How else would they know it was a little gift for them?
I'm a big lover of stamping so I thought I'd challenge myself to create a package that used absolutely no stamping anywhere. I ended up creating a "matchbook" using the lovely papers of Topstitch as well as the Topstitch My Stickease. Topstitich features a great colour combo of Baby Pink, Heavenly Blue, Vineyard Berry, and of course Chocolate. Appropriate? I think so. Check it out:

Now head on over to Haley's blog and see what she's done for you...

Supplies used: PP - Topstitch; Cardstock - Colonial White; Inks - Blush, Chocolate; Accessories - Topstitch My Stickease, Soft Suede Pinwheels, Clear Sparkles.

CTMH Product Spotlight Blog Hop - September 2010

Hey there,

Thanks for joining us CTMH Consultants once again as we highlight one of the many amazing products offered by Close to My Heart. If you've come from Jill's blog, you're on the right track. When you leave, you'll continue on to Haley's blog.

This month we're shining a spotlight on Dimensional Elements. I love these chipboard pieces because unlike the naked brown chipboard that most of us are used to, these babies are ready to soak up ink and paint, get covered with glue and paper, or stay naked and brilliantly white. I love using them with one of my favourite techniques - embossed resist - to mimic the newer and fun Irresistibles, so that's what I'm doing for you today.

I decided to use my favourite Dimensional Elements, Booksmart. This a collection great frames surrounding basic shapes like ovals and squares which means there are tons of possibilities when you're feeling a little creative.

My card is for a special someone who has always supported me, even in my moments of insanity. We've been friends since we were very young and even though we now live thousands of miles apart I know our friendship will last forever. Now if only I could learn to keep in touch more :-) Love you, S!

Hop on over to Haley's blog for some more Dimensional Elements artwork...

Laters,
TraceyJ

Supplies used are all by CTMH:
Cardstock - Colonial White; Paper Pack - X7128B Olivia; Stamp Sets - D1349 Be Yourself, C1406 Hit the Spot, C1422 Unity; Inks - Barn Red, Smoothie, Z891 Versamark; Z1223 Dimensional Elements Booksmart; Z821 Clear Detail Embossing Powder; Z555 Heat Gun; Z726 Sponge Daubers; Z697 Round Sponge

Triple Play

In honour of National Stamping Month, Close to My Heart is offering a brand new (absolutely gorgeous) mini album kit called Triple Play (available now on my website). When you purchase this kit, you will receive enough materials to create 3 mini albums. Triple Play comes to you papers, inks, a stamp set, die cuts, and all the instructions needed to complete your albums.

Each album has its own colour scheme, which makes Triple Play perfect for gift giving since you can choose very different pictures for your albums.

Triple Play can be yours for the low price of $29.95. You may also receive it for the discounted price of $15 or $5 with the purchase of a few My Acrylix®  stamp sets.

Available for a limited time only, from August 15 to September 30, 2010.

Kit contents include:

• My Acrylix® Love This Stamp Set
• Exclusive Inks® Mini Stamp Pads in Desert Sand, Hollyhock, Indian Corn Blue, and Sunset
• 4" x 12" Panels (3 each of 3 color schemes)
• 6" x 12" Die-Cut Sheets
• 72" Length Colonial White Grosgrain Ribbon
• Hook and Loop Fasteners
• Assembly Instructions

The kit colours are Bamboo, Blush, Desert Sand, Garden Green, Hollyhock, Indian Corn Blue, Outdoor Denim, and Sunset.

There are 5 ways you can purchase this outstanding kit available August 15th - September 30th:

1. Buy the Triple Play kit for $29.95.
2. Purchase $25 in My Acrylix® stamps and get the Triple Play kit for just $15.
3. Spend $40 on My Acrylix stamps and get Triple Play for only $5! 
4. Host a Gathering with sales of $300 or more and get Triple Play FREE!
5. Join Close To My Heart as a Consultant in September and get the kit FREE!

National Stamping Month is always fun, and this year you’ll get three times the excitement with Triple Play. So head on over to getinky.myctmh.com and start shopping today!


Laters,
TraceyJean

Give a Little, Get a Lot

I finally participated in my first card swap. Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like - make a bunch of cards for the others in the group and then exchange. So you make one card and end up with a ton of different ones for all types of occasions. Here's what I made:

I used the new Cherry-O level II paper pack and the Tasty Treats stamp set, along with some cocoa ribbon and clear sparkles. The card layout came from the amazing Wishes book by Jeannette Lynton. I love all her books because the hard work is already done for you with cutting guides for each included card or layout. There's tons of sketches, and who doesn't love a good sketch? You'll find these and other great CTMH items on my website: getinky.myctmh.com. Happy shopping!

Recipe:

Paper - Cherry-O Level II; Stamps - Tasty Treats D1427; Ink - CTMH Tulip, StazOn Timber Brown; Cardstock - Colonial White, Chocolate; Cocoa Grosgrain Ribbon; Clear Sparkles; Wishes

All supplies are available on my site: getinky.myctmh.com

The Jackpot June special continues. Today's items are: Blue Ribbon My Stickease, Boom di Ada My Stickease, Majestic Blue, Sweet Harmony, and Rough n Tumble My Stickease. One of these items will win you the jackpot, but if you'd rather not leave it to chance, get them all and be assured that you will also be taking home the adorable Flutter stamp set. Remember, this jackpot is available on my site today only. Tomorrow is the last day of Jackpot June. So come back to learn about the newest prize...

June 2010 Product Spotlight Blog Hop

I'm really excited to be participating in the CTMH Product Spotlight Blog Hop for the first time. Each month a group of CTMH consultants get together and showcase a specific CTMH product. For June we're focusing on Just Blooms paper flowers and I'm going to show you my personal favourite - Z1266 Just Blooms Spring Blossom.
First, let's do some housekeeping. You should have come here from Haley's blog and next you'll head to Jennifer's blog.

Now on to my masterpiece. I love the Spring Blossom Blooms because in addition to three different flower styles, there is also an embossed butterfly. Looove that!

I started with a Bamboo card base stamped with Boutique Borders, sponged with Bamboo ink, and rounded the edges with the corner rounder punch. I used the new 1 1/4" circle punch and Veranda papers, folded the circle and stuffed it with a few blooms that I inked with Bamboo and Sorbet. Next I rubbed a little Cocoa ink on the butterfly and added a touch of foam tape to the center. I stamped a background on some Colonial White cardstock using second generation stamping and sponged it with some Bamboo ink. I added some leaves and stems from "One of a Kind" in Garden Green and Cocoa ink. Then I had what I chose to call a "happy accident". I wanted to add a bit of shimmer to the butterfly, so I mixed some Pearl Paint with water and Tulip reinker, and gave the butterfly a quick spritz. Of course I wasn't paying attention so I ended up with my homemade shimmery spray all over my card and flowers. I wasn't about to start over, so I decided to work with it. I'm thinking it came out ok.

Here is the card at an angle so you can see a touch of shimmer.

Now head on over to Jennifer's blog and get some more inspiration.

Recipe (all items by CTMH unless noted)
Stamp Sets - D1332 Boutique Borders, D1410 One of a Kind, C1381 Card Chatter Thank You; Cardstock - Bamboo, Colonial White; PP - Veranda; Ink - Garden Green, Cocoa; Tulip Reinker; Pearl Paint; Just Blooms Spring Blossom; Foam Tape; Foam Tool; Corner Rounder Punch; 1 1/4" Circle Punch

My thoughts are with you (7 of 52)

clipped from cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com

Today I pulled together a quick card for a friend who didn't have time to go shopping. Look at me turning into the local (free) Hallmark.

I was drawing a complete blank, so I decided to do a quickie web search for some inspiration and came across this sketch from Card Positioning Systems. Sketches are such time savers, particularly when you feel like all your creative juices have dried up and you can't come up with one more thing.

So here is my masterpiece. I hope she likes it.

Supplies used: Paper - Basic Grey Sugared; Stamps - Clearly Wordsworth Comfort Collection, CTMH Felicity; Ink - CTMH Autumn Terracotta, Cocoa, Goldrush, Desert Sand; Ribbon - American Crafts, Offray; Adhesive - CTMH Liquid Glass, Scotch Foam Tape, Tombow Mono Liquid; WRMK Corner Chomper

Catch you later,
TJ

For My Friend JN (6 of 52)

Today, I'm sharing a little treat created for the birthday girl - my dear friend Jeannette. I don't get to see her every day, the way I used to, so I wanted to do something extra special.

I've been seeing the emboss resist technique everywhere lately and I wanted to give it a try, but I just couldn't find a stamp that worked well enough for me... until I happened across an old CTMH stamp of the month - You've Got Flair. It had a lovely medallion image that I felt would achieve the look I was going for, and it did. I embossed, and got to work with about 4 different inks. First, I went from light to dark to create a sort of gradient effect. Then I went back around the edges with the darkest colour until I had just the look I envisioned. I adhered it to a lovely piece of Basic Grey patterned paper, placed it on the card, and finished up with a sentiment from the January 2010 Stamp of the Month, a few puffy little heart stickers, and the best bow I've created yet. (A big thank you to the YouTube ribbon tying lessons from Kristina Werner and Dawn McVey)

And here are my ingredients:
Cardstock - PTI Kraft, Georgia Pacific White; Paper - BG Eva; Stamps - CTMH You've Got Flair, True Friends; Ink - Versamark, CTMH Barn Red, Blush, Chocolate, Hollyhock, Vineyard Berry; Stickers - K&Co Puffy Hearts; Embossing Powder - Ranger Super Fine Detail Clear; Ribbon - PTI Fresh Snow; WRMK Corner Chomper

{Heart} U (3 of 52)

Silly girl, after you make them you have to post them. How else do we keep track?

Yes, there will be much catching up today. I was blurfing, looking for some inspiration when I decided to check out the ol' blog. Immediately I realised I had not posted any of my weekly cards since January. Uh oh! What this means for you is that there will be a whole bunch of insane posts in the next day from yours truly. (It's the only way I'll get caught up)

N-E-Wayz, here is the first of many - a little something I put together for my girl Ali. Anyone who knows her is aware that she is a big holiday girl, with Valentine's Day topping the list.

This little gem has got some faux stitching, heat embossing, and a touch of the gold leafing with a paint marker. I really enjoyed making it and I especially like the end result.
(In case you're wondering, yes, she loved it)

Here's what I used:
Cardstock - PTI and Bazzill; Paper - MM Cosmopolitan; Stamps - CTMH Chocolate Alpha, K&Co Seasonal Stamps; Ink - Colorbox Frost White, CTMH Garnet; Ribbon - AC; Pens - Elmers Gold Leaf, Uniball Signo Broad; Punch - Fiskars My Funny Valentine and Upper Crest; Zing embossing powder; WRMK Corner Chomper

Laters,
TJ

Hey There Sunshine

Here it is, week 1 of my 52 week cardmaking journey.

When I realised it was 9:30pm on Saturday night and I still hadn't posted, I knew simple and quick was the order of the day. Unfortunately, with my stash, that's easier said than done. Oh the stress of finding the right paper combo, the perfect stamp, and the right embellishment. At 10:30 I realised I'd never be done without some serious help, so I turned to cyberspace and found this sketch from the Card Patterns blog.

And I finally managed to grasp that concept embraced by cardmakers everywhere: Keep It Simple Stupid! So I did. And here it is - my take on Sketch 46 from Card Patterns:

This is just a simple white card base coloured with ink, an old tag, and a chipboard sticker. I didn't think I'd like it, but I think it came together very well. Yeah me!
Here's hoping the sunshine really does come back out. My toes are ice cubes in my socks and I live in sunny Florida! Hey there Mr. Sun, send us a little of your warmth please.
See you next week...

Supplies used: Inks - CTMH Buttercup, Creme Brulee, & Chocolate; Sticker - DCWV Latte Collection; Tag - Colorbok; Ribbon - Offray; Card Base - Value Pack from Michaels; Rhinestones from a swap; Tombow Mono Aqua Glue; Ranger Glossy Accents