Flower Soft Hop

We have a special blog hop today! The Flower Soft team will be showing you some new products that were recently released at CHA. Lots of fluffy goodness along this hop!

One lucky blog hopper who comments on all the blogs will win a $50 Flower Soft gift certificate!!!

The blog hop will remain open until Tuesday February 22^nd. The winner will be announced on the Flower Soft blog on February 23rd.

Stacker cards are so fun! I used our new Country Village 3D Stackers for today's card. It was so easy to cut them out using Spellbinder's Standard Circles Large. I accented by design with Marigold, Meadow and Ivory Flower Soft. I also added a gold peel off sticker around my outer border. You may be noticing some other Spellbinder's on my card...I was the very blessed winner of the entire winter release - and my big box of goodies just arrived. So I used the Parisian Accents and Motif on my card. My designer paper is Little Girl from Echo Park.


You've got one more stop on this hop, the sweet Cibele!

If you get lost along the way please visit the Flower Soft blog where there will be a complete list of the Flower Soft Hop participants.

Flower Soft Blog

Debbie Sherman

Linda Beeson
Debbie Seyer
Jeanne Streiff
Vicki Garrett
Dina Kowal
Deb Felts

Gini Cagle
Cibele Glazer

Heartfelt Creations Wednesday

Welcome to another Wednesday full of inspiration from Heartfelt Creations! There is an announcement over at the Heartfelt Blog that you are not going to want to miss (besides, you know you don't want to miss seeing any of the other wonderful projects posted by the other DT members ).

Rejoice for He Lives (6 x 7)

HCPC 3366 Wrought Iron Cross PreCut Set (sentiment only)

HCPC 3370 Easter Lilies PreCut Set

HCD Decorative Oval Window Die

Cut and emboss one Decorative Oval Window. Stencil using Peeled Paint Distress ink. On pale pink cardstock, stamp the three crosses stamp using Versamark ink. Let dry. Stamp over the top, the sentiment, using the Peeled Paint ink. Stamp 4 of the lily swags. Color and cut two complete images, using Copic markers ( YG01, YG03, R20, R21, R22). Color just the flowers of the second set of swags, and cut the flowers out. Cut deep into the petals to allow you to shape each petal upward. Attach these to the colored images using dimensional foam. Use glass glitter and dew drops to embellish the flower centers. Assemble t
he centerpiece as shown and place on card. Add ribbons and pearls as shown to finish.

6 x 6 Wrought Iron Cross Card

HCPC 3366 Wrought Iron Cross PreCut Set

HCPC 3303 Posy Patch Flowers Precut Set

HCPC 3367 Vintage Life Background PreCut Set

HCPC 2255 Large Fancy Flourish

HCD 701 Posy Patch Die

HCD 702 Decorative Butterfly-Border Die

Background Paper: Stamp the Vintage Life background on water color paper using Vintage Photo distress ink. Let dry. Stamp the Fancy Flourish using Versa-mark ink over the top, and emboss with a clear embossing powder. Ink over the paper using Distress Inks ( Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Victorian Velvet). Start with the lightest color, and work away from the center with the darker colors. Distress the edges and add a little Vintage Photo around the edges. Punch a border and tuck under the right side of the background mat. Add bling and ribbon to decorate.

Cross: Stamp the Wrought Iron Cross using gold ink onto watercolor paper and cut out. Ink the outside edges using the Victorian Velvet ink. Paint the brown of the cross using Glimmer Mist in Suede. Stamp and cut two Posy flowers and pop them up on the cross, using dimensional foam. Cut two of the small decorative corners form the HCD 702 die set, and tuck under the cross. Assemble card as shown.

Vintage Cross Card

Products Used on This Project

HCPC 3365 Decorative Vintage Cross PreCut Set
HCPC 3367 Vintage Life Background PreCut Set

Other: gold embossing powder, Versamark embossing ink, CTMH White Daisy Pigment ink, adhesive pearls, Webster’s Pages DP, LuminArte water color paints, gold lace

Stamp the Vintage Life Backgound stamp set on Kraft cardstock, using white ink. Allow to thoroughly dry (or use a heat gun to speed the process). Stamp the cross over the background using the embossing ink. Sprinkle with gold embossing powder and heat set. Stamp two more cross images one on watercolor paper, the other on the DP. Cut out the cross from the DP (just cutting the main cross image). Use dimensional dots to pop this up from the base. Finally, use water colors to paint the flower that is stamped on the watercolor paper. Cut this out, and use another dimensional dot to layer this up. The butterflies were cut from the DP and layered where the butterflies originally appeared on the designer paper.

Unity Co-brand Finalist - Please vote!

This post will remain at the top until voting is final on Feb. 15th!
Please, vote and help spread the word!

Gosh, I found out a couple of weeks ago that I was one of five finalists for the Unity Stamps co-brand challenge - And now it comes down to a vote. Up for grabs is $500 in Unity Stamps and a 3 month design team gig.

I really need everyone's help - There are two ways to vote.

1. You can "like" my photo on Facebook. I think you will have to "like" Unity Stamps before you will be able to access the link to "like" my entry. Remember, you have to "like" to register a vote - I love reading all of the comments, but they won't count as entries.

2. Also you can leave a comment on the Unity Blog, saying that you would like to vote for Gini Cagle.

If you can pass this along, re-post it - anything you can do to help get the word out!

Thanks!

Beat Those Winter Blues!

Hi, it's time for a new challenge theme at the Beary Scrap, and we chose Winter Blues. Your project can be wintery, or blue, or how you escape your winter blues - however you would like to interpret the theme.

I decided to use the Bo Bunny Midnight Frost papers (and gorgeous trim) - but decided I would use these papers for blue skies rather than a winter chill! So I added some stamped images from Unity stamps - and colored with copics. It's really fun sometimes to use your copics on designer papers rather than white paper. I inked the edges of my paper with Distress Ink and the Ranger Blending Tool (I love this little tool, and keep one of the pads for each color of Distress Ink in a divided craft box). I added a couple of Kaiser Craft Pearls to set off my Bo Bunny Wraps. I love keeping a great stash of the pearls on hand, in all colors. You know how us Southern girls are about our pearls!

Please don't forget to enter your sketch for the Beary Scrap Guest DT call. This is such a fun group and we would love for you to be a part! Check out the details here.

Challenges:
Bo Bunny - Valentine Candy

JustRite Sketch

This was one of those cards that just made me say, ahhhh! I made the flower first and was thrilled with the results, and then I started adding everything else and was just in love by the time I finished. I used the JustRite Stamps Baroque Nested Frames. Hope you enjoy it!

Challenge:
JustRite: sketch

Flower Soft - Garden Theme

There is a new challenge up at Flower Soft - and it's super easy! It's a garden theme. Just be sure to use either Flower Soft or a FS product in order to be eligible for the prize of 4 pots of Flower Soft of your choice.

I used all kinds of colors of Flower Soft on this Wishes Stamp from Belles n Whistles. Adding different colors for flowers and leaves, it really gave the illusion of wildflowers. I also added some FS to the butterfly's body.

Challenges:
Waltzing Mouse: sketch

Heartfelt Creations New Life Collection - Release!

Just when you think that Heartfelt Creations can't outdo themselves, they go and release another wonderful collection! The New Life Collection is gorgeous (and you are going to want it all). Be sure to head to the blog and see the incredible inspiration, and then you will want to go to the store. Orders are shipped in the order that they are placed - and I know you are going to want to get your hands on these as quickly as possible!

Here is a card that I wanted to share with you today -

5 x 7 Easter Lily Card

HCPC 3370 Easter Lilies PreCut Set

HCD 710 Decorative Oval Window Die

Other: Graphic 45 Designer Paper (Once Upon a Springtime);Banana Leaf paper, ribbon, pearls, buttons, German Glass glitter, Kreaxions punch #305, Copics (R000,R00, R01,R02, YG91, YG93), Distress Inks (Vintage Photo, Tattered Rose)

Stamp Easter Lily and color with Copics or your choice of coloring medium. Cut out, but leave extra space around the curls of the leaves. After you have cut out, you can add some gold glass glitter along those thin edges to make them a little sturdier. Set aside. Use the Decorative Oval window die and make a cut and emboss using the banana leaf paper. Use the Vintage Photo distress ink, to add the details to the stenciled areas. Take coordinating cardstock and run the die through your machine – but this time – don’t use your cutting mat – only emboss the die. When you remove the paper from your machine, you will have the entire die embossed, which will allow you to cut it out with scissors creating a frame for the original die. Back the window openings with a coordinating DP. Add your flower with dimensional adhesives. Add ribbon and punched border . Finish the card with a large bow, decorated with buttons.

The Beary Scrap - Sketch with some fabric

For a new take on the Beary Scrap sketch, I decided to try something whimsical. The papers from My Mind's Eye Fine and Dandy are certainly whimsical. So that was my starting point. I also used the Fine and Dandy stamp set to stamp my stuffed owl and the embossed cloud.
For my fabric, I cut a piece of felt using my Spellbinders. I have found if you are cutting fabric, you will get a much cleaner cut by adding a piece of paper between the die and the fabric - it gives you a little more "tooth".

You have a little less than a week to play along with our sketch - and don't forget - The Beary Scrap is holding a Guest DT call. We would love for you to give it a try!

For the Birds

I wanted to share an altered project with you today. I found this cute church birdhouse at Michael's and decided I would see if I could make a book, with recipes for the birds (you know...bird treats) - that would nest onto the front of the house.

I am really pleased with how this turned out - the book fit perfectly.

Challenges:

Simon Says Stamp and Show: show some love (granted..it's some love for the birds!)
Delightful Sketches: Come Fly with Me

Guest DT Call for the Beary Scrap!

Guest Designer Call!

Hello Beary Sweet friends,

I have been so blessed to be a part of the Beary Scrap Design Team for the past year, and I have some very exciting news for you! We are holding a Guest Design Team call for 4 lucky designers. All of the details are on the Beary Scrap Store Blog. Kimm is so sweet and generous - and we all have such a great time....In other words, you need to make something with the sketch below, so you can try to join us for three months!

Our first Guest Designer term will start April 1st and include 2 (yes, 2!) guest designers. Each term will be three months. In this call, we are looking for a total of 4 guest designers – two for Term 1 (April 1 – June 30) and two for Term 2 ( July 1 – September 30, 2011).

We would love to see your best creations!