Fourth Time is a Charm

Oh. My. Goodness.  I made the Splitcoast CAS team!!!  AAAHHHH!!!!  I seriously couldn't believe I was reading my name...I think I looked at the announcement for a full two minutes before it sunk in and my mouth fell open.  So excited! 

 

This was the first card I posted for the try outs.  The challenge was to use the colors of your favorite sports team.  Since I'm not a huge sports fan, I opted to use Kentucky Wildcats colors (I know I'm a bit off here, as their colors are more of a royal blue but it was the closest I had) for my Dad's favorite team.  And I had to mix those colors with a manly card! :-)

 

This fun tie image and sentiment is from Sweet Stamp Shop, It's a Man's World.  I colored the tie with Copics and layered in on a heavy weight cardstock from Wplus9.  The paper on the bottom is from Core-dinations, it's the Tim Holtz Kraft Core collection (love this stuff and it's on sale!)  The Core Collection cardstock was embossed and then I used the Sanding Block to lightly remove some of the blue.

 

So...our first challenge will be posted on Monday, and it's a super fun one, so don't miss it!

To Teach is to Learn

Hi everyone!  I have a card posted on the Sweet Stamp Shop blog today for their cross promo blog hop with Core-dinations and Petaloo!  Prizes involved!  Hop on over to check out all of the details!

 

Love the products used on this card?  You can get them at eclectic Paperie, see links below!

Enjoy!

 

Cherry Blossom Stamp Set

Bit of Burlap Background Stamp

Core-dinations Paper Pad (On Sale!)

Specialty Stamping Paper

Copic Markers

Pumice Stone Distress Ink Pad

Memento Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black

No Petaloo (yet) but we have Maya Road!

Thank You

One more day until the big CAS DT reveal!  This is my final card for the last challange, which was an inspiration photo.  The photo was sport-themed with orange and navy polka dots and stripes.  I loved the color combo so I incoporated those colors in my banners and flowers.  And if you look closely you can see that I embossed the navy cardstock with a notebook embossing folder, mimicking the stripes from the inspiration photo.

 

This great floral image is from Sweet 'n Sassy and it's called Flower Field.  This is a great stamp to use as a background stamp or as a main image, as I did on my card.  The sentiment is actually from another SNSS set, Leaf Silhouettes.

 

The image was colored with Copics and the main floral portion was popped up with foam tape.

 

Enjoy!

Thinking of You

Sharing a card that I created for the eP blog last week using some of the new Market Street Stamps.  The image I used on this card is from the Growth set.  I colored with Copics and paired the image with designer paper from Authentique, buttons from Buttons Galore (Kiwi Fruit) and ribbon from Papertreyink.  The background paper was embossed with an embossing folder from Tim Holtz.

 

Busy week this week...new card on the eP blog tomorrow, featuring some brand new paper and a Sweet Stamp Shop blog hop on the 30th!

 

Be sure to check back and enjoy!!

Bonjour

Why do I do it to myself?  I'm trying out for the CAS design team on Splitcoast again.  Yes, it's the fourth time (at least) and now I'm busy running eP but still...I figured I needed to give it one more try....So here is my card for the second round.  The challenge was to create a card using our three favorite things.  My three favs right now?

 

1) Sticky Back Canvas!  Can't get enough of it!

2) Distress Stains - Didn't think I'd like them but I LOVE them!

3) Silhouette images - And Sweet 'n Sassy has the best silhouette stamp sets out there!

 

So we'll see...I have a few days to wait until we get the final word.  Of course I'll scream like a little girl if get it and if I don't...then I'll be darn happy for the girls who did get on the team!!  Then I get to play along with the challenges, without any pressure.  That's not a bad thing...

 

To create this card I started by using Distress Stains in Wild Honey and Rusty Hinge on my canvas.  The joy of the stains is that they're very lightweight and translucent so you can start off with a light hand and add more color as you go.  I used the Wild Honey in the center and Rusty Hinge on the edges.  Then I spritzed just a tiny bit of Glimmer Mist on the top.  I used a heat gun to completely dry the canvas before stamping with the To Paris with Love image on the canvas.  Then I got to work on those edges because canvas isn't any good unless it has frayed edges!  Removed the backing from the canvas, attched it to a piece of cardstock, and mounted the whole thing on a piece of watercolor paper...just for a tiny bit of texture.  I'd called that a clean AND simple design! :-)

 

Supply List: 

All products from eclectic Paperie (product links in text), To Paris with Love stamp set from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

NEW - eKits at eclectic Paperie!

Oh my goodness! I'm so excited about today's post!! Today I'm annoucing new eKits at eclectic Paperie! We'll have a new kit every month and I have to share that am a huge fan of kits! Not only have a I purchased many throughout the years but I also love creating kits and mini albums. For me, the thought of completing a 12x12 album overwhelms me but putting together a kit (where all of the materials and instructions are provided)...oh, the joy and delight! You can finish these projects in record time and when you're finished, it's a snap to add photos. I have a beautiful basket in my living room that contains a variety of mini albums, all created from kits, that hold photos of past Christmas celebrations, camping trips (yes, I have a camper-shaped mini album!!), and baby photos of my sweet boys. These types of projects just make my heart happy and I'm thrilled to be adding this service to the store! (Click on any photo for a larger view!)

Our very first kit is "Toil and Trouble" and it features beautiful paper, stickers, and embellishments from Authentique, an envelope album and metal brads from Graphic 45, rhinestones from Kasier Craft, and Stickles (yes, you always need bling!) from Ranger. The kit also includes full color photos and instructions on how to put the album together. All this for only $24.99!! These kits are limited in quantity and once they're gone, they're gone so if you're interested...grab one fast!

The Graphic 45 envelope album features 11 pages, plus the front and back cover, and five pockets. This is a fun size album...9" long and 4" wide, leaving you lots of space of more embellishing (you're going to have lots of goodies left over in this kit) and it's the perfect size for 4"x6" or smaller photos.

I've included a few photos of the pages and one of the envelope inserts. My guess is that you can fit anywhere from 16 to 30 photos in this album! What a great way to capture Halloween memories. This would even work well as a gift for someone who goes all out on Halloween and wants to remember the event.

I have a great friend, who shall remain nameless, who has a yearly Halloween party and all of us can't wait to see how her and her husband will dress up. They are so creative; the costumes are hilarious and never disappoint! This would be a great album to keep track of photos of all of the outfits over the years. Come to think of it...I might need to gift her my album. :-)

Stop by the store and grab a kit or just have a look around at our new products! Then stay tuned for more news on future kits...we have some exciting plans in the works.

Welcome to the new eP...

Wow...The day of the new eclectic Paperie reveal has finally come!  It's been quite a journey and a mad dash to get a new site designed and loaded, full of new products, in just three weeks!  I'm so excited to finally be able to share the new design, new products, and our amazing new team!!  Sit back and enjoy today's blog hop and all of the beautiful artwork along the way!  Be sure to stop by the eP blog to read all about today's specials, sales, and prize opportunities!

For my card, I used a stamp from Wplus9 Design Studio, Flora & Fauna.  Wplus9 is a new company for me and I am seriously impressed with their designs, coordinating dies, and quality.  This company is sure to be one of my new favs!

To create this card I embossed the image in white embossing powder (oh, on Inkssentials stamp paper...LOVE this paper!  A stamper's dream!).  I then used Distress Inks to watercolor the image.  (Smear some ink on an acrylic block on non-stick craft sheet and then use a watercolor brush to pick up the ink.)  The Specialty Stamp Paper held up amazingly well to the watercoloring...not even a hint of warping!  Once I was finished coloring the flowers...I just couldn't bare to use DP on my card so I just mounted on orange cardstock and added a sentiment, from Sweet 'n Sassy.

So...how about some more fabulous artwork?  Check out the goodies the eTeam are sharing and enjoy the hop!

eclectic Paperie Blog

Kim Schofield - Owner - You're Here!!

Barbara Anders

Broni Holcombe

Julie Masse

Kim Teasdale

Michelle Daigle

Micki Harper

Sherry Cheever

Tammy Hershberger

Tenia Nelson

Two More Days!!!

Sorry I've been MIA lately...I have been literally chained to my computer, working on entering new product in to the new store, working with the new team, making plans for the big eclectic Paperie re-launch on August 15th!!

Thought I'd share just a snippet of a card that I created last night (oh, it felt good to just play) using some new products...

Be sure to check back on the 15th for the BIG reveal!!

Sweet Stamp Stop August Release and Celebration

Welcome to the Sweet Stamp Shop second release day sneak peek!!  I'm so excited to share my projects with the Sweet Stamp images...they are so adorable!!  This 'sweet' image is no exception, isn't this mermaid so cute!?  It's from the new set, Under the Sea, which includes the images shown on my card plus a few more...Can't wait for the full review!

For this card I used the Mini Ringlets stencil from The Crafters Workshop to create the background behind the mermaid (I thought it looked like bubbles!)  I used Distress Inks and a blending tool to add the ink color and then just a hint of silver Stickles for a little bling.  The image was colored with Copic markers and I used a colorless blender, also from Copic, to add a bit of texture to the mermaid's tail.  My cardstock was embossed with Sizzix embossing folders.  Fun stuff!!

 

So what else is on tap for today's blog hop...The opportunity to win a prize package worth $300!!  Check out the Sweet Stamp blog, links listed below, for full prize details.

 

Here's how you can be eligible to be entered into the drawing for the prize:

1. Hop along and comment (with unique comments) on the daily release blog hop - started yesterday.

2. Share our new release with your friends on your favorite social media site (and link or tag or 'tweet' us so we know you did)

3. Grab our blog badge and add some *sweet* support to your blog!

4. If you're not already- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

 

Now how about visiting the rest of the team's blogs to see their beautiful work:

 

SSSBlog

Emily

Jamie

Kim - You're Here!

Misty

Nicole

Enjoy!!

Supply List: All products, with the exception of cardstock and stamps, from eclectic Paperie.

More News w/Sweet Stamp Shop

With all of last week's activities and news I completely forgot to tell you about Sweet Stamp Shop stamps!  I'm on their design team!  WooHoo!!!  Seriously excited!  Sweet Stamp is a relatively new stamp company and they have some of the cutest designs...I love them and can't wait to show you more projects! 

This week is their big release week!  The DT will be showing snippets of new sets that will be released at the end of the week.  I'll be sharing tomorrow...

Check their blog for details on the DT announcement and stay tuned for the full release!

What's Perking

I had some time to play with some new products a few night's ago.  One major benefit of owning a store is having the opportunity to work with new products!  WooHoo!!  One of those products is stencils.  Many years ago I used to use the metal stencils and a stipple brush to create my name image (who remembers those?).  However, The Crafter's Workshop stencils are much larger (come in a variety of sizess) and are plastic.  Since this is a new product for me, I wanted to get my hands on a few and spend an evening just playing!

I grabbed my Distress Inks (new Summer colors), paint daubers, Glimmer Mist (Dylusions sprays would work as well), Distress Stains, a bunch of cardstock, and my blending tool.  (The kids even decided to play with me...love that!)  Then we got to work trying out different products to see what worked the best.  The conclusion...everything works with stencils!  My preference ended up being the Distress Inks because the color was rich and I could mix colors (that sample coming up next week).  The sprays worked great as well, either on their own or as an accent over the Distress Inks.  The stains blend a little bit but that can create a fun vintage look.  I also really liked the paint daubers and can see using this type of method on altered projects.

I decided to use my sample as designer paper on a card, 'cause cards are my favorite go-to craft!  I paired my stenciled paper with designer paper from Authentique (ohh...perhaps a product sneak peek), and stamps from Hero Arts, from the What's Perking set. 

I had a great time using stencils and can see bringing them into my studio for use on a regular basis!  eP has a great selection of stencils, paints, mists, and inks available...why not check out some of these great products this weekend!

Enjoy!

Supplies:
Distress Inks (Picked Raspberry)
The Crafters Workshop Stencils - Mini Fish Scales used on this card

Blending Tool

Sweet 'n Sassy Release Day

First, thank you all so much for your kind words and congratuations offered yesterday!  I'm so excited about this new adventure and can't wait until all of the changes (and NEW product are in place!!)  Be sure to check back here on August 15th for more news!!

And now on to my favorite time of the month...Release Day with Sweet 'n Sassy!!  Today I'm sharing two Fall-inspired cards (but please, don't event suggest that summer may be anywhere close to coming to and end!!)

My first card features the Leaf Silhouettes set...ohhhh leaves and silhouettes, all in one set!  It makes my heart go pitter patter!  I paired this darling set with papers from Imaginisce and ribbon from American Crafts.  I used three colors of Distress Inks (Aged Mahogoney, More Mustard, Rusty Hinge) and for the leaves and matched the leaf colors to those in my paper.

My second card features a stunning image from the new Tree Background set.  I kept this card fairly simple, choosing to focus on the tree image.  I used a circle mask to create the moon and again used Distress Inks and a blending tool to add the sunset.  The sentiment on my card is from the True Friend set.

So...what's in store for today's blog hop?

1. Comment on each blog on the hop and be entered into a drawing for a GRAND PRIZE of two stamp sets, of your choice, from today's release!
2. Virtual Stamp Day, with challenges, on Splitcoast
3. A free stamp set when you place a $50 order

But that's not all...you also get to see all the crafting goodness on the other DT blogs, check it out here!  Enjoy!!

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Blog

Monika Davis

Jessica Fick

Cathy McCauley

Mary Faus

Kim Singdahlsen

Bridget Finlay

Taylor Usry

Dina Kowal
Lee Murphy

Kim Schofield - You're Here!

Ceal Pritchett

Giovana Smith

Jennie Harper

Korin Sutherland

HUGE NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

So...guess what?  I bought a company...That's right!!!!  That's the big news that I've been keeping for so long, I purchased one of my all time favorite online craft supplies stores...eclectic Paperie!  I can hardly contain my excitement and I'm thrilled to finally share the big news!

There are a ton of changes coming to the store...new team, new design, new products...so I have a bunch of work coming up and a big re-launch scheduled for August 15!!  So mark those calendars for August 15 and be sure to visit the eP blog on the morning of the 15th for all of the details!!

Welcome to the new eP friends!!