Envelope Art

Hello everyone-Darlene here this week.

I have been a big fan of envelope art for years now. So when you are making all those beautiful cards don't forget to dress up your envelopes with a little art using your stamps. Have fun addressing your envelope with a variety of lettering too.

For this image, I used some of my Studio112 stamps. I colored the horses with Prisma pencils along with Copics. I also used some Odorless Mineral Spirits for blending. I distressed the envelope with some of Tim Holtz Vintage Photo distress ink. The sunflowers were colored with Copics.

These envelopes I used some stamps I had on hand and colored the images using my Copics. The sky on the larger envelope was created using watercolors. The smaller envelope was created with We are Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board. This is definitely one of my favorite tools! It can make envelopes in over 60 custom sizes! 

This is a fun stamp set by Inky Antics. Images were colored using Copics. I also made these envelopes using my We are Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board.  

One of my favorite envelopes! This was also made using the We are Memory Keepers Envelope Board. For the clouds I used a template and some Tim Holtz Distress Ink. The Bird Stamp is Inkadinkado Cling Stamp. The birds were colored using a combination of Prisma colored pencils and Copics.

Many of the supplies were generously donated by EK Success.

Have a "Super" Day!

Hi everyone! Darlene here this week....

This week was my husband's birthday. In the past, I have always bought him a card but this year I decided to finally make one for him.  My order from Paper Smooches came in and I couldn't resist their "Super" stamps. I stamped the images and colored them with Copics. I also used Stampin Up ink "Bashful Blue" to create some light clouds behind the buildings. Tim Holtz Distress ink "Weatherwood" created the street in front of the buildings. I fussy cut all the images and adhered them to the card base using 3D foam circles.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hey there Friends,  Anna here from St@mpAnna Designs and I am here to wish all the Mom's out there a wonderful Mother's Day! 

Today I am going to share with you a project that I made for my in-laws for Mother's Day.  This project is Super cute and cost efficient.  

First- I went to Marshall's and purchased the tea cup's and little bowl.  I did catch them on sale for $5.50 for the tea cup & $3 for the other bowl.  I bought two of each cup and bowl.  Then Hubby & I went to Lowe's and purchased some annual flowers.  The flowers cost about $1.60 - $5 for a grouping (depends on what you want).  However,  I did end up purchasing more than I needed.  ooppss...  :)   When I got home I transplanted the flowers over to their prospective "presentable" container.  (i.e... Tea cup or the bowl)

After I finished transplanting the flowers - I used my die by Mama Elephant to cut the tag out of vanilla card stock.  Then I pulled out out a stamp set I have had for quite a while and it is by Stampin' Up called Natures Walk.  I used a variety of ink from Hero Arts: Butter Bar, Forest Hills, and Chalkboard.  I also used Not Quite Navy ink by Stampin' Up.   

Last week-end the hubby and I went to a garage sale and I purchased a typewriter for $5.  What a deal!!!  I was so happy to use my typewriter to type out "Happy Mother's Day" onto craft card stock then I cut it out with my scissors and created fish tails on each end.  

The cute little heart is from a small punch that I punched out of pink card stock scraps. Then I tied the tag onto the handles with some vintage, crinkled, and shabby seam binding ribbon.

Thank you so much for stopping by today and I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day.  

How to Use a Craft Knife -- Scrapbook Video Saturday

Hi, there! Carla here with another Scrapbook Video Saturday! Cutting with a craft knife gives you another skill to bring to your scrapbooking. Today we have some tips on how to use your craft knife. Please take a peek! Let us know what you think, and leave your own tips in the comments.

View How to Use a Craft Knife for Scrapbooking and all our scrapbooking videos on Howcast

Caution: Dip Ahead

 

Hello again everyone!  It's Elizabeth here. So a few years ago I had the pleasure of writing a party themed blog for the company I work with.  I had a lot of fun staging hosting parties and thankfully my awesome girlfriends were always willing to come over and “party” with me ... even if they were belligerent shy about being photographed ... ahem ... I won’t mention names ... they know who they are ... Jane, Polley, Leslie, Kay ... oops ... my bad (insert wicked laugh). Anywho, one day as I was driving around town I came up with a very random party theme ... DIPS.  All dips. All the time. Nothin’ but dips.  So a few weeks later, the girls were back over at my house for another round of festivities. The pix below show off the details.

But before we start ... a caution and a disclosure. First, my food photography skills are non-existent so no judging on how bad the pix are. My new camera lens will make a huge improvement next time for that reason alone, but I promise for future posts to work on gaining some actual photography how-to knowledge. Second, these pix were never used for the above mentioned blog. This content is all new just for you dear reader!  I was released from my blogging duties before I had the chance to share this “party” so these pix have been collecting digital dust for over two years just waiting for a reason to be posted. Yay for today!

 

Naturally the word “DIP” lead me to think of street signs (work with me ... my brain tangents quickly) so of course I had to use yellow caution signs as the primary party décor element. Guests were greeted at the front door with an introduction to this theme and the mantle got a simple banner further cautioning guests to be ready for deliciousness.

The color scheme of black, white and yellow carried through all the other party elements and makes for a very high contrast and graphic statement.  Love it!  Now ... before you ask ... yes ... I can do parties in other color schemes. Just because the only two you’ve seen here just happen to be black, white and yellow, doesn’t mean I can’t do other colors.  I like pink, black and white too. LOL.

Muti-tiered serving pieces add visual interest and help to save space.  If you don’t have some, make some.  I. Do. All. The. Time. I layer cakes stands. I put platters on top of upside down bowls.  Get creative ... layers make a huge difference in your tablescapes.  If nothing else they give you more surface space and table top real estate is always at a premium.

One of my most favorite party décor tricks comes in a roll. A gift wrap roll. Unroll gift wrap down the center of your table for an easy table runner.  Great way to add color and to cover up those cheap, thin dollar store plastic tablecloths I always use ... yes,  I’m cheap that way. 

Napkin wraps were the perfect place to add more yellow caution signs and have a little fun with a pun ... heeheehee.  The “centerpiece” was actually three elements ... two handmade signs (“One Way To Yum”) and an apothecary jar (another must have in your party serving ware stash) filled with yellow (um, duh!)  lemons.  

 

So by now you are probably wondering what was served at this “DIPS. All dips. All the time. Nothin’ but dips.” party.  Well ... there were ... wait for it ... dips! Surprise!  There were sweet dips: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip with Graham Crackers; Coconut Drizzle Cupcakes ... what?  Kay ... did you bring those? ... always a rebel bucking up against the “rules”; Yogurt Dipped Pretzels (see what I did there ... dipped pretzels ... l know, it’s a stretch); and Fruit Salsa Dip with Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips (pictured below).  Seriously, why didn’t I have breakfast before I started writing?  Sigh.

There were also savory dips: Loaded Baked Potato Dip with Oven Fries; Spinach Artichoke Dip with Tortilla Chips; and Cheesey Garlic  Dip with Chips (not pictured).  Yum. Garlic. 

Now ... If I were a better blogger, I’d have links to recipes ... but alas, I am not that organized.   If I remember correctly, these dips weren’t that obscure to find on the big wide web, so I’m sure a quick search will yield plenty of options.  Get it? Yield. Hahahaha.  Ok, I’ll stop with the bad puns now.

Well, I hope you’ve found some inspiration here! Enjoy indulging in an evening of dips with friends ... it’s sure to be all the talk on the street : ).

Ok ... seriously ... why can't I get those three above paragraphs left-justified? Ugh. I'm just so technologically inept.  Well ... I tried ... just love me for my flaws and all : ).