PaperFections

Moxie Fab Metallics Color Inspiration

There have been some fun color inspiration for card makers challenges going on over at the Moxie Fab blog, so I thought I would play along in the metallics one that uses these colors: Fun, right?!! The Bazzill equivalents are Gold Leaf Metallic, Satin Wedding White and Pinkini -- none of which I have, so I made do with what I had . . . Here's what I came up with: I used Lockhart Stamp Company's Queen of Hearts Crown, stamped onto Copic's X-Press It Blending Card and colored with Copic markers R81-Rose Pink, R83-Rose Mist, Y28-Lionet Gold. I die cut and embossed the crown with a Spellbinders Nested Hearts die and then rubbed gold metallic paste onto the embossed areas (it's actually the same color as the gold cardstock, but it's looking a little coppery in this photo!): Rhinestones accent the crown. I backed the die cut heart with a heart doily and then mounted the hearts onto a square of gold metallic cardstock. The Lockhart "Queen of Hearts" sentiment was zig-zag stitched onto the gold cardstock. The pretty Echo Park Be Mine pink patterned paper was distressed and machine stitched to the 5.25" square card base. Some cream... Read more →

4th Blogoversary Giveaway No. 3!

With my 4th blogging anniversary coming up on Monday, January 31, here's my final Blogoversary Giveaway, once again sponsored by JustRite Stampers! Prize package consists of (left in the photo above) - JustRite Original Ribbed/unmounted stamps: Baroque Nested Frames, Sympathy Nested Sentiments, All occasion Nested Sentiments, Christmas Nested Sentiments (you need the Clear Horizontal Stamper in order to use these stamps). And (right) - JustRite Cling stamp sets on storage panels (will cling to any acrylic block): A Day in the Country, Hangin' Around, Simple Blessings, Sparky the Snowman -- almost a $140 total retail value, all for one lucky winner! If you would like a chance to win this giveaway, this is what you need to do: Option 1: ADD the photo to YOUR blog sidebar, linking it back to this blog post. (All you have to do is right click the photo to copy or save it to your computer). Once posted on your blog or in a Flickr gallery or on Facebook about this giveaway, ADD YOUR NAME on the InLinkz list below with the URL to wherever you posted the photo online (if on your blog’s sidebar, then a general link to your blog’s home page... Read more →

Work Desk Wednesday & Giveaway Winner!

While recently doing a bit of *rare* blog surfing, I came across this different "challenge" of sorts: "What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday". It's just as the name dipicts -- share a photo of what's on your work desk! So I thought I might play along occasionally, if that's something you all might be interested in seeing? Let me know in the comment section of this post, OR if you think this kind of blog post should get the gong (do you remember that game show?!!), then let me know that, too, and I won't do it any more, okay?!! So here's what was on my work desk early this morning -- my 3rd grader's school project to make a potato into their favorite storybook character! Ha! She chose Horton from Dr. Suess's Horton Hears A Who! We found a photo on the Internet of Horton and printed it out (thank goodness we guessed correctly at the size)! She colored Horton with some Copic markers (C1 & N4) and then cut him out. We taped his ears to some wooden skewers (bits that were laying on my desk from yesterday's blog post project!) and stuck them into the potato. Horton's face... Read more →

Birthday Celebrations!

Today we have another new JustRite Original Ribbed 3-1/4" set to show you, Birthday Celebrations: This set will be perfect all year long, for just about any birthday need you may have! Besides birthday cards, I decided this set would also make great cupcake picks! I stamped two of the extra-wide borders from this set onto Copic's X-Press It Blending Card and colored with these Copic markers: R81, R83, G21, G24 and Y21 -- it's so much fun to make them any color you'd like! Next, I die cut the left (yellow) center with Spellbinders Classic Circle Nestabilities and then framed it with their Lacy Circles, die cut from rose cardstock. The centers were also colored with some of the same Copic colors and also die cut with Classic Circle Nestabilities; they are popped up on foam tape. The right pink center was easy to hand trim around the design and then also framed with a yellow Lacy Circles die cut. The cupcake wrappers were cut with the Cindy Loo Cricut cartridge -- I'm loving my Cricut! I think I know what I'm having for dessert tonight! ;-) FYI -- these pretty new wide borders will also accomodate any of... Read more →

New JustRite Bird Houses Meet Cricut!

JustRite Stampers is debuting this darling new 3-1/4" round Original Ribbed stamp set today, Bird Houses: I've been anxiously awaiting this set and think it will be a big hit -- I love bird houses, how about you?!! I knew I wanted to combine one of these bird houses with the Winter Wonderland Cricut cartridge and thought this early Spring (but still wintery!) tree branch and bird would work well together. Here's how it turned out: I cut the branch and card front out of dark gray cardstock and hopefully you can see the pretty Spellbinders Flourish Impressabilities dry embossing on the lower part of the gray panel. I rubbed it with Versamark Dazzle Frost ink, to help highlight it -- hopefully you can see that a little better in this different outside view (click on any photo to see it larger): The tree buds were cut out of Blush cardstock and have Star Dust Stickles on them. The bird was also cut partially from the Blush cardstock and then Copic R81 marker used to shade it -- a quick and easy way to give more life to your die cuts! The bird house was stamped onto Copic's X-Press It... Read more →

Blogoversary Giveaway No. 2!

With my 4th Blogoversary quickly approaching the end of this month, as another thank you for visiting me the past four years here at PaperFections, I have another giveaway for you! This prize donation is courtesy of JustRite Stampers! These are four fabulous sets of original ribbed/interlocking Nested Frames & Sentiments stamps: Friendship Nested Sentiments, Victorian Nested Frames, Wedding Nested Frames and Cherish the Memories that fit on the Clear Horizontal Stamper (not included in giveaway). All you need to do for the chance to win this prize package, valued at almost $60, is leave a comment on this blog -- any comment! Comments will remain open until this Tuesday, January 25th at 5pm Central and the winner will be announced at 6pm. Good luck and many thanks to JustRite Stampers for this generous prize donation! This giveaway is now closed -- the winner will be announced shortly! Read more →

Holiday Recipe Album

I've been promising myself the past several years that I would gather up all of my favorite family holiday recipes from the four different cook books, three loose recipe cards, and five different pieces of paper they are all written on and put them all together into ONE easy-to-access holiday favorites recipe album, so I finally did it! I hope you'll join me today over in the CLASSroom for the details on how I created this recipe album with some of my favorite products from Copic, 7 Gypsies, Maya Road, Ranger, Tim Holtz & Melissa Frances! I also wanted to mention that my Copic Info page has been updated with some newly opened Certification classes, and give you some details about an art contest Copic is having. If this isn't your forte, then maybe you know an artist to pass this information on to: The winner will have their artwork displayed ON the public building headquarters of Copic USA in Eugene, Oregon, receive a set of Copic markers and some cash! The theme for the artwork is One World, Many Faces. There is no age limit, the contest is open Internationally, and works do not have to be completed solo.... Read more →

Blast From The Past ~ Oldies But Goodies ~ Valentine Countdown!

Good morning! I'm participating in two blog hops today, both of which challenged us to use stamp sets we've had at least six months (and probably haven't used yet?)! And my girls (8 and 11) told me it was time to take down the Christmas countdown calendar we had on the refrigerator, and they wanted a new one -- so that's how this Valentine countdown calendar came about! I used a very sweet Taylored Expressions stamp set, Beary Special, released in July 2009. My girls LOVE animals (stuffed or real) of ANY kind, so they flipped when they saw their new calendar! I stamped the animals onto TE Choice Buttercream cardstock and The Girl's Paperie patterned papers and colored them with these Copic markers: Yes, you can usually successfully color with your Copics on patterned papers -- see how much added interest the coloring adds to the red dotted paper bear at the top of the calendar (other animals were colored totally with Copics): and to the puppy at the bottom of the calendar: All of the animals were cut out and popped up on foam tape. Copic's X-Press It Double-Sided High Tack Tape was used to hold the rick-rack... Read more →

Lockhart Floral Twinchies

Hello! I have a quick card to share today that uses a beautiful Lockhart floral that I discovered during my studio clean up & reorganization I hadn't used yet (shame on me!): I adore orchids (scientific name, phalaenopsis) - they remind me of our honeymoon in Hawaii almost 17 years ago (longing to go back)! I stamped this one with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto two Inchie Arts ivory Twinchie Squares -- they measure 2" square each. I just taped them together and then stamped the orchid image on: I colored the image with these Copic markers and Pink Atyou Spica Glitter Pen: The Inchie Arts Twinchies handle the Copic coloring beautifully and make me feel like a real artist coloring on them! I love the sturdy presence they create, especially popped up on thick foam tape, like I did on this card. A simple row of rhinestones is all I felt this image needed to anchor it to the printed notecard. I'll be back tomorrow with another "oldie but goodie" stamp image I recently rediscovered! Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Co-Phalaenopsis #2123 Paper: The Paper Studio (Hobby Lobby) Simple Elegance notecards Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic Markers: G21, G24, G28,... Read more →

New JustRite Cling, Kindness!

JustRite Stampers has another beautiful new cling stamp set sneak peek today, Kindness: This stamp set is made to coordinate with one of Spellbinders new Winter release dies, Labels 20! I used the second from largest (die #4) to die cut the largest label stamp in this set that I stamped with Memento Rhubarb Stalk ink onto Neenah Natural White cardstock. (Just for reference, the smaller label stamp in this set matches with the middle or die #3). I stamped one of the four sentiments from this set with Rich Coco ink onto kraft cardstock and then die cut it with Spellbinders Classic Petite Oval Nestabilities (smallest in the large set). The stamped frame is accented with pearls and popped up over the kraft panel that was dry embossed with the Victoria Cuttlebug folder. Zig-zag machine stitching secures everything to the chocolate card base. I used this week's CR84FN11 color challenge (one of my favorites!) and CPS sketch (turned) as inspiration for this card. These JustRite designers also have samples with this set to share today: Becca Feeken Debbie Olson Kathy Jones Sharon Harnist <=You are here! Kellie Fortin Sankari Wegman Michele Kovack Angela Barkhouse Stephanie Kraft Barb Shram {Kindness... Read more →

My Studio

Finally, 3 years after moving in, I invite you to take a tour of my stamping, scrapping, cardmaking, general papercrafting studio and home office! Let me start off by explaining my room is a "flex space" -- it was the third/tandem garage space (approximately 16' x 12') that was already finished out when we found the house just completed. It has NO closet or other built-in storage, so I had to get creative with mostly just the furniture I already had! And because I know someone will ask -- the green paint we used on the walls was custom mixed at Home Depot to match Stampin' Up's Certainly Celery color! It's lighter and less yellow than it's appearing in the photos here. Here's a full view of those storage units on the back wall: They are Store In Style 15-inch cubes by Crop In Style. I found this 12-cube starter set to be the least expensive (per cube) at the time I purchased them almost 5 years ago from Oriental Trading, after closely watching free shipping and additional discount offers from them and creatively combining offers (so watch for those, if you are considering these units)! The cubes can be... Read more →

Lockhart Stamp Giveaway Winner!

Many thanks to all of you who entered the first of my Blogoversary giveaways of the Lockhart stamp package. Random.org chose: who is: 33 - kathy s said... How generous are you? - love that apron stamp - I love everything you create but I would love to see you do more altered art projects they are so inspiring I love them and may even get game enough to try a few this year thanks for all you do love your blog Congratulations, Kathy! Please email me with your mailing address and I'll get your stamps in the mail to you! Many thanks once again to Karen Lockhart for this fabulous prize! I'll be back randomly this month (at least once a week!) with giveaways, so keep a watch on the blog! I'll also be back this weekend with that tour of my studio! Read more →

Friendship Blooms!

With the introduction of Spellbinders new Blossms Three die templates yesterday, AND Labels 18 earlier this week, JustRite Stampers can now reveal they have a coordinating new cling stamp set, Friendship Blooms! One of my New Year's resolutions this year is to do more scrapbooking -- I love having pages of my two sweet daughters on display in my home! So here's an 8-inch page I made with this new stamp set, new Spellbinders dies, and a photo of them cuddled up on the sofa watching a scary movie together last last month: I decided on a color palette from the photo -- raspberry pink and chocolate, one of my favorite combos! I stamped the smaller blossom from this stamp set with Ranger Adirondack Espresso dye ink on kraft cardstock, to create my own patterned paper. This geometric shape is very easy to line up: Then I stamped the small flower again with Memento Rose Bud ink on Neenah Natural White cardstock and die cut three accents with the smallest of the Blossoms Three dies -- they are a perfect fit! I stitched brown buttons in the centers and popped them up on foam tape along the top of the... Read more →

Cricut Used!

I finally took a little time to get acquainted with my Cricut Expression this week -- for a school project my 8-year had to turn trash into treasure (a lesson on recycling something that might otherwise be put into the trash or recycle bin). Here's what she came up with: A Mardi-Gras type mask! She knew exactly what she wanted (an owl) and had even sketched it all out (wish I had taken a photo of her sketch before we turned it in). Fortunately, we found the cutest owl image in the Cindy Lou cartridge! We cut it at 8.75" out of cocoa, pumpkin & turquoise cardstock, so it would fit the blue mushroom container in the photo below that she recycled and wanted to use for the base of the mask. After struggling for about an hour, getting used to my machine (!) cutting out all the pieces and gluing them all together, she added bronze glitter pen accents around the edges: She added glitter glue to the turquoise body pieces, rhinestones around the body, and decorative brown & orange brads for "earrings" since, after all, this is a GIRL owl! We die cut eye holes out of the... Read more →

Blogoversary Giveaway No. 1!

As a big New Year's thank you to all of you who visit me here at PaperFections, here's the first giveaway for my 4th blogging anniversary the end of this month . . . compliments of one of my favorite stamp makers, Lockhart Stamp Company! All you need to do for the chance to win this prize package consisting of these six wood-mounted red rubber stamps (L to R): Daisy Apron, Bluebird in the Window, Phalaenopsis, Roses Daisies & Polka Dots, IB Egg Head, and Bird's Nest Wreath, is leave a comment on this blog post telling me what types of things you would like to see me blog about this year . . . from a certain technique or featuring a particular stamp company's images, or how to use a certain tool. Whatever you may be interested in or want to see more of! Comments will remain open until this Friday, January 14th at 5pm Central and the winner will be announced at 6pm. Good luck and many thanks to Karen Lockhart for this generous prize donation . . . she's the sweetest! Comments are now closed . . . winner will be announced shortly! Read more →