Day 10 - Nontraditional Colors

Hello, Bloggin' Buddies!

Well, this is the last moment to post for Ellen Hutson's "12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Touch". I've always done some of my best work under pressure! Ha!

I left this one until last because Julie Ebersole has been an inspiration to me for years and today is no exception. She designs the most amazing products for Essentials by Ellen, teaches terrific classes, has a super-inspiring blog, and has a world-class laugh......all too much for one gal! But, she is really THAT great!

For this tag I used Juile's "Elf'd" stamp and die set. When I thought about nontraditional colors this elf was the first thing that popped into my mind. I love making tags with this guy and have not ever used these colors before. I make a background with many of the smaller stamps and used Zig markers (something else Julie introduced me to) to quickly color up the sweet images. I added dimension to the elf and have the sentiment as a free-moving separate tag. It is all put together with some pink twine and a real pom-pon for his tiny hat.

As you know, I'm running out of tag time!

Thanks Ellen for this great creative adventure, to all the designers for their sweet inspiration, and to you for the kind visit. Time to get wrapping because we've got lots of tags to hang! Actually, I will save most of these for next year and our annual charity gift giving - it fill our hearts with love and we think having handmade tags adds a special touch. Thanks again,

A Third Run at Black and White????

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies:

Okay, I was up at 2:15 AM thinking about these black and white tags from Ellen Hutson's "12 Days of Christmas Tags with a Feminine Twist". What did I do but get up and make yet another one.....this has really gotten under my skin. Thanks to Ellen and Lisa Spangler (isn't she the best?!) for this amazing "out of my comfort zone" inspiration.

This tag uses the "Holiday Words" die and the "Prize Stag" die designed for Essentials by Ellen by the terrific Julie Ebersole. These are some of my all-time favorites for making tags.

Hoping that I soon return to color or I will never get to Day 12 of this blog hop.......thanks ladies and thanks to you for the visit.

Even More Black and White!!!

Hi, Holiday Blogging' Buddies!

Well, here I am, still enthralled with Day 7 of Ellen Hutson's "12 Christmas Tags with a Feminine Twist"! Lisa Spangler really did it to me - inspired the heck out of me to make black and white tags. Me, who loves color!!! Thanks, Lisa!

I continue to use some classic favorites from Essentials by Ellen designed by my crafty mentor, Julie Ebersole. I really got into this.

For the first tag I used "Bear Ware 2" and "Home and Hearth" die for the little heart not the tag within the tag! Some Julie-inspired black and white wash tape grounds the cute images.


This second tag has a background of clear-embossed diagonal strips to add a touch of class. The word is another "Holiday Words" die-cut, the florals are from the "Wild Garden" die set and the "Christmas" is from "Bear Ware 2". I love these classic sets and will never let them out of my stash!


Thanks a million to Ellen, Lisa Spangler and Julie Ebersole.......what an inspiring team!

Thanks for the kind visit,

"Wood" I? You Bet!

Hi, Blogging Buddies!

Indeed! Today's tags are again the result of the "12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Touch" brought to us by the wonderful Ellen Hutson. I was excited to play along with Day 6 and the tree tags inspired by BOTH Laurel Beard and Carly Tee Minner. I love woodgrain! Perhaps it is my background in architecture and environmental studies.......okay, I'm a tree-hugger!

Yes, I continue to use favorite products from Essentials by Ellen designed by the terrific Julie Ebersole. I simply can't help it. They speak to me. For these tags I used woodgrain cardstock, very feminine pink and aqua colors, and Julie's "Geo Tree" dies.

My first tag, inspired by Carly, uses the negative space within the woodgrain paper to create the tree image. But I went over the top with girly-pearly embellishments, as per Laurel's tag!

Since I had the tree shape from the first die cut of the woodgrain paper, I used it for a second tag. I sponged "Spun Sugar" Destress Oxide Ink lightly over the paper for a touch of color and spattered it with Hero Arts Pewter Glimmer Metallic ink for some additional interest and shine. The sentiment is from Hero's Christmas Messages.

Both tree tags are topped with some perfect wood stars and pink help twine from my stash to complete the entire "wood" effect.

Tag Two in Black and White

Hi, quickly. my crafty pals!

I was so inspired by the tags by Lisa Spangler on Day 7 of Ellen Hutson's "12 Tags of Christmas With a Feminine Touch" that I made an additional tag today. My firs one is here. This classic tag was made with Essentials by Ellen "Holiday Words" die designed the amazing Julie Ebersole.

Thanks again for the visit,

Black and White for Christmas?

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies!

Yes, Today I'm still working on tags inspired by the amazing Ellen Hutson and her wonderful "12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Touch".

Today I worked on Day 7, inspired by my buddy Lisa Spangler. I "met" Lisa so many years ago through Hero Arts, before we even had blogs and I have watched her talents grow.

Well, I guess this is exactly what this hop is intended to do - challenge us to try something that we normally wouldn't do. Black and white is something that I would not think of using for holiday tags. I've done kraft and black for a "homespun" look, but black and white? I love it and simply couldn't stop once I got started!

Once again I reached for Essentials by Ellen products designed by the amazing Julie Ebersole....it is as if they were made for this look. For this tag I used "Bar Ware 2" and "Wish Big". Love this look!

The day was very gray and I am not a photo-pro, but in real life the black and white contrast is stunning!

Thanks for the visit - keep creating!

A Pinterest Inspired Tag

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies:

I continue to be challenged by Ellen Hutson and her "12 Days of Christmas Tags with a Feminine Touch". I have to say that so far this is my very favorite of the group. It is inspired by Day 2 (I'm not going in order!) and the amazing card by Carrsia Wiley (she makes wonderful videos and is such a happy crafter!). Her work was inspired by a post on Pinterest:

All I could think about were some of my all-time favorite products designed for Ellen by one of my favorite gals in the card-making world, Julie Ebersole. Not only is she super-talented, she is a fantastic instructor and has the most contagious giggle ("ask me how I know"!). I have learned so much from her over the years and simply adore her.

Anyway, the products I used are her "Cozy Christmas" set, "Home and Hearth" set and "Laurel Wreath" die (I used this same die here on a "12 Tags" event in 2014! It has an entirely different look and feel.).

I cut three layers of the wreath for dimension, cut the heart from a beautiful gold cardstock, used kraft and black cardstock, heat-embossed the sentiment, added washi tape (something that Julie has helped me to feel more comfortable using) and I added a bow made with Tim Holtz's linen ribbon.

Thanks again, Ellen, and thanks to you for the kind visit,

Another tag design

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies!

I'm here today to share with you another tag I made inspired by Tracey McNeely's "25 Days of Christmas Tags". This time I was inspired by Day 16 which is all about Ellen Hutson's amazing stamps.

I was inspired by the tag made by Tracey herself to make this one also using a stamp set by Ellen Hutson ("Santa's Flight", designed by the amazing Julie Ebersole) and adding a bell and some ink blending.

This guy is jingling all the way!

Thanks for the visit and you might want to jingle a little,

Coloring in a Mondo Fashion

Hi, Blogging Buddies!

I am very excited about today's card. I tried a new (to me)  technique using my favorite medium, Distress Oxide Inks. I "smooched" the inks onto watercolor paper, drying in between layers (a must with Distress Oxides). I misted it with Perfect Pearls and carefully dried the paper, and weighing it down a little to get it flat.

I used my MISTI to stamp an old favorite, Mondo Hydrangea by Julie Ebersole (a great pal and source of inspiration and giggles) by Essentials by Ellen. I then cut out the images and assembled the card. Julie has taught me think of using black more frequently so I gave it a try.

I tried several products for the flower centers, but I decided on my trusty Prisma colored pencils - they did the perfect trick.

I love the results! Im entering this into the Classroom Pin-Sights Challenge, which is using the Pantone Drama Queen Color Palette. You should play along, as you have almost an entire month.

Thanks so much for the visit and have a great weekend!

Fa-la-la-llama!

Hello, Bloggin' Buddies!

A friend mentioned to me that I hadn't posted in some time, so here I am! While I have been creating, sometimes getting things photographed and posted is another matter!

We don't wrap a lot of gifts during the holidays, but we DO write checks and share gift cards. This gift card holder is made with a cute "Prickly Pear" set from Close to My Heart. I colored the silly guy and his cactus pal with Copic markers and used a Santa hat and candy cane from the "Bear Ware 2" set from  Essentials by Ellen (designed by the incredible Julie Ebersol). The scale works perfectly and they add such a jaunty holiday touch, don't cha think?

The sentiment is die cut from an old Sizzix set, probably long retired (like me- ha!). I used my "We R Memory Keepers" Envelope Punch Board to create the holder.

Unfortunately, our beautiful state of California is still burning - such a sad loss.

Take good care and thanks for the visit,

Pineapple Chin?!

Hello, Bloggin' Buddies!

So, the other day one of my very favorite exercise instructors was leading us in an exercise and she said to imagine a pineapple under our chins! Well, I've just had that image in my head ever since! I decided to thank her for doing that to me - ha!

I made this card with the Hero Arts Layering Pineapple die which is a little tricky to use. I doesn't cut out the shape of the pineapple, but rather the textural elements. A bit of a challenge. In fact, if I had realized this when I purchased it (I love all things tropical) I probably would not have.

I die cut the image and colored it up, using a mask, with Distress Inks and some finger daubers. It went well.

The sentiment is from "Many Thanks" by Paper Smooches and the sequins are from Simon Says Stamp "Sunshine Mix". I splattered the background with my gold and black Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors. The cardstock is Essentials by Ellen's "Desert Storm".

The nifty Stickles edging on the left side is a little trick I learned from the amazing Julie Ebersole when I took a class from her at the Paper Garden Boutique. My hand isn't quite as steady as hers, but I love the look.

Thanks for the visit and think tropical,

Mix It Up Monday!

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies!

I made this card for the current "Mix It Up" Challenge at Essentials by Ellen's "the Classroom". We are to use products by Essentials by Ellen and Technique Tuesday. So, I broke out my all-tame favorite Mondo Magnolia stamp and matching dies.

As an aside, I was having such difficulty aligning the flower center die onto my image - it was so frustrating! When I recently took a class from the super-amazing Julie Ebersole (who designed this set and many others for Ellen), I mentioned it to her. She suggested die-cutting first, then stamping the center onto it. By gosh, it worked like a dream and I am a happy gal. Yay, Julie!

I used watercolor paper and Wink of Luna. The center is heat embossed and embellished with some "Prims" (sounds very British! - something I felt I had to buy when I tried them in a class and they haven't been used). I kind of curled the flower.

The background is spattered with some Heidi Swapp gold to go with the amazing foiled paper I used for the sentiment. The sentiment is "Missing You" by Technique Tuesday.

I love the elegance of this card! Thanks for the sweet visit and have a wonderful week!

More Inspirational Fun with Julie!

Happy Sunday, Bloggin' Buddies!

I am still on a creative high after spending a day learning great things (& being entertained) by the super-amazing Julie Ebersole. She is a designer for Essentials by Ellen and her blog is Paper Trufflez, just in case you've been living under a rock. I have been a fan for so many years!

Twice a year she comes to an adorable store called The Paper Garden Boutique in Sacramento to teach classes. This is my second year - I KNEW there was a reason we moved here!

Yesterday's classes were beyond fantastic! In the morning we made 10 - count 'em, ten! - fun one-layer cards. That is what I need, as I get so tired of adding extra postage to all my thick creations.

In the afternoon we made 6 more cards. These had some more intricate techniques, some involving foil, the Fuse Tool, watercolor, etc.

I have provided photos of all but 2 of the cards. I had trouble finding some natural light this afternoon - it is a dark and rainy day here in California.

I love every single card! My hubby always laughs at me because as soon as I get home I have to head to my craft room and finish, correct mistakes, and add my own personal touches to all the cards I've made. It was a long day.

These three are my favorite ones, even though I don't consider myself a real "flower" person. Aren't they delicious and they are so "Julie". The one on the right includes a flower cut from black fun foam!

Anyway, I'm still flying high. What a spectacular day. I learned some things, met some nice ladies, had fun with my card-making friend Mary, had fun shopping in Steph's wonderful store (if you are in northern CA, visit!) and I feel so enriched by Julie's talents.

Thanks for the visit and have a great week!

Party in a Card!

Hello, Bloggin' Buddies!

I have been so excited about the new designs by Julie Ebersole in the latest Essentials by Ellen release. I received my order and have been itching to play, so earlier this week I decided to play along with Ellen's Mix It Up Challenge featuring Penny Black products.

I broke out my We R Memory Keepers Fuse Tool for this totally fun shaker card. I am trying to remember to think about the color wheel when deciding on colors and I think it really helped with this card.

I love the results! The sentiments (outside and inside of the card) are from Penny Black's "Kind Words" set. My Essentials by Ellen products are the sweet envelopes, "Bitty Envelope" die set (so many possibilities!!!), and the tiny hearts on the envelopes, "Home and Hearth" dies."

I used Distress Inks (Cracked Pistachio and Squeezed Lemonade) on my back panel and drizzled it with some Perfect Pearls solution. I heat embossed the sentiment, loaded the shaker up with the heart-studded envelopes, sequins and tiny beads from my stash and there was plenty of shakin' goin' on!

It isn't easy to still photograph shaker cards!

Thanks for the visit and keep shakin' it!!!!

What's Shakin'?

Hello, Bloggin' Buddies and Happy New Year!

Today I have a fun shaker card that I made with my new Fuse tool. I've been having such fun with it.

The balloon shape was cut with Hero Arts "Stamp and Cut Balloons" - an older Archiver's Exclusive. The birdie is from Essentials by Ellen's "Wish Big" by the amazing Julie Ebersole. The sentiment is from Clearly Besotted's "Happy Birthday".

I used Prisma Colors for the birdie and some unmarked tiny star stamps that I picked up at a used stamp sale years ago.

So, I guess one could say that this is a hybrid card! Lots of companies and lots of fun. The sequins are a mix from my stash (vintage and new).

I love how the balloon cut out goes through the card front so that there is no backing on the acetate balloon "pocket".

I am always hesitant to buy new tools or to jump on any current "trends", but I am really glad to have this tool. It doesn't require much storage space and it is easy to use - kind of like the old wood-burning tool I had as a kid. Super-fun!

Have a great day and thanks for the visit. Stay happy,

ZUMBA!

Happy Monday, Blogging Buddies!

I am a fan of Zumba. As one who loves to dance and hates to exercise, it is just perfect for me. I can become exhausted and work up a huge sweat without realizing it because I am having so much fun. If you have never tried it, I recommend it.

Why am I telling you this? This week's Share Handmade Kindness Challenge at Jennifer McGuire's blog is "Community" and we are to share with someone who works/serves in our community.

I decided to give a special thank you to our sweet Zumba instructor, Summer. I made a card inspired by one I did months ago in a class at the Paper Garden Boutique in Sacramento taught by the amazing Julie Ebersole. I especially like it because we are celebrating some terrific and much-needed rain here in northern California.

I used a Memory Box die to cut some watercolor paper that I had painted with my Gansai Tambi paints and textured with a Tim Holtz stencil. I die cut (Essentials by Ellen) some stars and attached them with some twine. All good.

Even better is that I used the other portion of the paper to create another card which I can give to a special lady who works the desk at our gym!

Think about someone who is in your life who could use a little handmade kindness and get busy!

Have a great week, thanks for the visit and Zumba on!

Paper Smooches

Good Monday morning, Bloggin' Buddies!

Hope ya'll had a great weekend! I was lucky enough to take an all-day card-making class at the Paper Garden Boutique in Sacramento taught by the AMAZING Julie Ebersole! Wowzer! What a true joy and inspiration she is.

I am starting the week off thinking about the upcoming holidays (not my favorite time of year). However, it is kind of fun to unearth my holiday stamps (I keep them packed away all year) and see all the goodness that has been hidden away.

I made this card (actually, several of them) using Paper Smooches "Falling For You" stamp set and the"Notebook Basic" die on a watercolor panel.

I found these vintage fall doilies at an estate sale and wanted to incorporate them.

Now that I look at the photograph I wish I would have balanced the elements a bit differently. Guess that happens with rushing to produce several cards....

Ah well. This is headed for the current paper Smooches SPARKS challenge, "Anything Goes". Have a great week and thanks for the sweet visit!

Last Minute Mix-Up!

Hello, Bloggin' Buddies!

The current Essentials by Ellen Mix It Up Challenge  is to mix products from Essentials by Ellen and Impression Obsession. I knew I had some IO products, but I didn't get to looking for them until this morning! So, I am getting this in under the wire.

This card uses the cutest mermaid stamp (IO "Layla & Ginger" by Claudia Tenorio-Pearl) - and you all know what a mermaid gal I am. She is colored with Copics and has a touch of Wink of Stella for some glimmer.

I have paired her with Essentials by Ellen's "Wold Garden" dies by the amazing Julie Ebersole for my coral and seaweed (yes, liberties taken!). I colored the elements with Distress Ink and added lots of sparkle with Stickles. The fun bubble paper is from Cosmo Cricket's 6 x 6 pad called "Salt Air"

This is kind of over the top, but it is for a very special young Mermaid Princess and it had to be special.

As Julie herself says, "Happy Mundane"! Thanks for the visit!