Smile

Hi all!  I have a card today that uses a new (to me anyway) artist named Alicia Alva.   The image I used is Photographer:

I colored her with Copics and used my new fave Polaroid die from the Insta Love die set from YNS and a sentiment from the Insta Love stamp set.  To finish off the card, I added a bit of washi tape and a star button, both from A·Muse|Studio, tied on with just a bit of Timeless Twine.

This is for Alicia's Challenge – use your fave crafty item (I used Copics and the polaroid die).  I hope you like it and TFL!

Luv U Lolli

Hi all!  We have a new challenge for you over at All That Scraps – Valentine’s Treats.  Here’s what I came up with:

I used the Webbie’s Words Love Nuggets set with the Lollipop Cover die from YNS.  It’s finished off with a bit of May Arts ribbon.

We hope you’ll play along!  We’ve made a slight rule change this week – you must use a C.C. Designs stamp, including - AmyR, Mashi's Muffins, Sweet November, Lil Lads & Lolitas & Webbie's Words.

If you’re unsure which those are, please check out the ATS Store to be sure.  TFL!

More Lolli Covers & Giveaway!

***The giveaway is now closed. Thanks very much for your comments! Please check back for the winners!***

Hi all!  As promised, I’m back with a few more samples using my new Lollipop Cover Die from Your Next Stamp.  First up I have a couple more holiday samples for Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day:

And here’s an “anytime” lolli just because:

Karen (the super fab owner of YNS) has generously given me 2 of the Lolli Cover dies to give away on my blog – yay!  Thanks so much Karen!

To be entered into the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post telling me what you think you would use the lolli cover die for if you won.  I’ll be picking the winners this Friday at noon Hawaii time, so please get your comments in before then!  TFL and good luck!

Huge Hugs

Hi all!  Today I have a card for a couple challenges:

I used the Party Posse set (dinosaur) and We Connect (sentiment, cut in 2 so I could ink in vertically).  The dinosaur was colored with Copics and cut out with a Nestie die.  The grey mat was hand cut.  The 3 flags behind him were cut with the Fishtail/Banner die set from YNS and I added a bit of washi tape with a PTI button.

This is for the Paper Smooches SPARKS color challenge and the sketch is from Retro Sketches (flipped because my dinosaur was looking that way).  I hope you like it and TFL!

Cupid Bun

Hi all!  I got the most adorable freebie from the Kitty Bee Designs Facebook page called Cupid Bun and I had to use it on a card right away!  Here’s what I came up with:

Cupid Bun was colored with Copics and a little colored pencil and the cloud background was done just as I explained in this post.  I used Deconstructed Sketch no. 86 and the papers are from the MME Lucky in Love paper pad.  I hope you like it and TFL!

Chalkboard Technique with WMS

Hi all!  Waltzingmouse has a fun challenge on their blog to make a card using the chalkboard technique so I tried it out and came up with 2 different cards.  Here’s the first one:

It’s a little shaped card based on the Labels 18 dies and matching Very Vintage Labels No. 18.  I did a bunch of stamping with the label and a couple images and a sentiment from other sets along with a lot of doodling with green, blue and white colored pencils.  Here’s my other card:

Almost the entire card was done with the Playful Pinwheels set.  I also doodled on this one with red, pink and white colored pencils.  I hope you like them and TFL!

YNS January New Release Hop!

Hello! Welcome to the Your Next Stamp January New Release Blog Hop!  If you came here by way of Julie's Blog, then you’re on the right track.  However, if you just happened across my blog, you’ll want to go back to the start at Thanh's Blog because you won’t want to miss a stop!

We are so excited about the hop today because this release is HUGE! We have had a blast playing with all of the cuteness, and we know you will too! We are also introducing another new illustrator to the YNS family~Angie Blom! I think we all fell in love with her new Insta Love Set which totally rocks!

We have 3 prizes hidden along the hop! Just make sure you leave a comment on all of the DT blogs for your chance to win an amazing new release prize pack!!! Winners will be announced On the Your Next Stamp Blog on January 28th.

And now, onto my projects!

First up, I have a smaller card using the new Happy Hello Butterfly set as well as the polaroid die from the Insta Love Polaroid die set:

I paper pieced the wings of the butterfly, coloring the edges and spots with Copics.  I also colored the body with copics and cut it out to go over the pieced wings.  The whole thing was mounted on foam tape and I stamped the matching sentiment on the polaroid die.  I cut the card base to fit the die shape exactly.

Next I have another card using the polaroid die as well as the Fishtail/Banner die set and the new SUPER cute Rosalie set:

I colored her with Copics and did a bit of shading with colored pencil.  The cloud background was really simple – all you do is use the Puffy Cloud die set to cut a few cloud shapes out of masking paper.  Stick them around your colored Rosalie and outline each cloud shape with a light blue Copic (I believe I used B00).  Then just color in all the rest of the background with a lighter blue marker (B000).  I also did just the littlest bit of shading of the clouds with a C00 marker – really fast and easy!

If you read my Sneak Peek Post yesterday, you’ll know that I’m super excited about the Lollipop Cover die I designed for YNS this month!!  I’ll be back really soon with a couple more samples and a couple of the dies to give away!!  Watch this space! :)

As always, we have a Blog Hop Special in the Your Next Stamp Store! All online orders will receive 20% OFF! Just use codeYNSJAN2013.

Now it’s time to hop on over to Carole’s fabulous blog, but don’t forget to leave a comment before you leave! Happy hopping and shopping!

Hello Heidi

Hi all!  If you’re looking for my YNS Sneak Peek, it’s the post directly below this one.  Thanks!

Today’s post is a reminder that you still have a week to play along with the current  All That Scraps Challenge – Anything Goes!  Here’s what I came up with using a sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch:

I stamped the adorable Swiss Pixie Heidi and watercolored her.  The sentiment is from Paper Smooches.  We hope you’ll play along!  Just remember to use a stamp that’s carried in the ATS Store!  TFL!

YNS Sneak Peek!

Hi all!  I am SO super excited about this month’s release!  I actually designed the die that I’m peeking today!!  YAY!!  It’s a lollipop cover and it makes all the necessary holes and score lines to make covering a lolli really easy!  Here are two samples I made for Valentine’s Day (I used Chupa Chups lollipops):

I used the heart from the Whatnots Seasons Set One die set for both covers and, of course, the lollipop cover die.  For the first one, I cut the lolli cover first, then taped the heart die in place and cut that second.  I backed the opening with a little scrap of grey dotted patterned paper and tied it off with some Trendy Twine.  For the second, I cut the cover out of patterned paper and the heart from a different pattern and sewed it onto the cover.  It’s finished with some Timeless Twine.

One of the great things about the lolli cover die is that I designed it to be small enough to use a strip of paper just 6” long – that means you can use any of the tons of patterned paper pads out there!!  You can actually get 3 lolli covers from just 1 sheet of 6x6 paper!  Of course you can use cardstock and decorate it however you’d like as well.

I hope you like my sneak peek as well as this new die and I hope you’ll be back for our January New Release Blog Hop tomorrow!  For the rest of today’s sneak peeks, check out the YNS Blog to see the full list of designers.

Bee Mine Forever

Hi all!  I have a fun, non-traditional Valentine’s card for you today:

I used the We Connect (forever) and Bee Mine (bee mine and bee image) sets from Paper Smooches.  The sketch is from Papercrafts Magazine. 

I repeatedly stamped the Bee Mine on the honeycomb paper using a pencil line as a guide.  I stamped the Forever on blue star paper, fussy cut out and mounted over the Bee Mine with foam tape.  The bee was stamped, colored with Copics and a glitter pen on the wings, and fussy cut out.  I mounted it on the card using an accordion folded piece of clear acetate.  Here you can see the dimension of it (yet it still smashes flat for mailing!):

This is for the Paper Smooches February Guest Designer Search.  I hope you like it and TFL!

Celebrate

Hi all!  We have a new challenge for you over at the ATS Challenge Blog – Anything Goes!  Here’s what I came up with:

I used the super sweet Baby Bear Beatrice, a bit of washi tape and an old die cut from Quickutz.  The sketch is from CAS(E) this Sketch.

We hope you’ll play along!  Just remember to use a stamp that’s carried in the ATS Store.  TFL!

YNS Tasty Tuesday!

Hi all!  In case you haven’t heard yet, Your Next Stamp has a fun new challenge going on called Tasty Tuesday!  The first Tuesday of every month, there will be a food photo on the YNS Blog to inspire you to create a project.  And every Tuesday there will be samples from the DT in case you need a little more inspiration.  Please check out the YNS Blog for all the details.

Here’s our yummy inspiration pic for January:

(click on image to go to original post)

I took inspiration from the pretty pastel colors and the white background and came up with this CAS card:

I used Heartfelt Sentiments and the heart and large banner dies from the Whatnots Seasons Set One die set.  I cut the heart from 3 different colors of cardstock, stacked them together and machine sewed them onto the front of my card.  Then I carefully bent the sides up to give it dimension.

We hope you’ll play along with us!  TFL!

Bear Hugs

Hi all!  This is a reminder post that you still have a week left to enter the ATS Challenge.  It’s a color challenge of Pink, Red and Chocolate.  Here’s what I came up with:

I used the adorable Teddy Bauregard, a sentiment from Paper Smooches and some washi tape.  Teddy was colored with Copics and cut out.  The sketch is from Retro Sketches. 

We hope you’ll play along with us.  Just remember to use a stamp that’s sold in the ATS Store.  TFL!

Warm Wishes

Hi all!  I have a card today using the current Clean & Simple Stamping sketch:

I changed the rectangle shape to a square and turned it on its side for my card. 

The wisp of steam is from Cyber Cafe and all the rest are from Hot Concoctions from Paper Smooches.  This is also for the Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge – Anything Goes.  Hope you like it and TFL!

Forever

Hi all!  I have a Fun Friday post for you today!  Our theme this month is “Hugs and Kisses.”  I used Cute with Wings Dress Up Fhiona and the matching dies to make Fhiona into a little Love Bug:

I cut her outfit from patterned paper and did a bit of coloring with Copics.  Next I cut the antenna and added little punched hearts to the ends.  Finally I added in her cute little face.

I used the heart die from the Whatnots Seasons Set One to cut 9 hearts from different papers and sewed them onto the card 3 at a time.  I got the idea from the last card here.  Such a neat addition – I think I’ll be doing it again in the future!

Lastly, I added a sentiment from the We Connect set from Paper Smooches.  The twine is from Timeless Twine.

Don’t forget to check out the YNS Blog to see all the other Fun Friday projects!  TFL!

Sweet New Baby

Hi all!  There’s a new challenge over at All That Scraps.  The theme is to use the colors Red, Pink and Chocolate.  Here’s what I came up with:

I used the adorable new Meoples Baby Burps set that will be released at ATS tomorrow, Jan. 3.  I colored with copics and fussy cut out.  The doily die is from Cherry Lynn Designs and the sentiment is from the  AmyR Stamps Big Words and Handy Additions set.

We hope you’ll play along with us!  Just remember to use a stamp that’s sold in the ATS store! 

This is also for Stamptacular Sunday - Doilies Galore and Simon Says Stamp - New Something. TFL!