Starry Santa

Today I am sharing a recycled star from a birthday decoration.  The Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge is stars and the City Crafter Blog Challenge is Santa Claus is coming to town. The ColourQ colors worked beautifully too!  I combined the challenges to create a vintage star decoration.

The background paper is a combination of Stella and October Afternoon paper for the layers of the star. Then a rim of Melissa Frances Crushed Glitter around the edges.  The edge of the circle is made from crepe paper glimmer misted with Patina blue. 

The center of the circle is stamped using Artistic Outpost - Route 66 and Snowy Woods.  A little distressing, crushed glass and embellishments and done.

Here are the colors:

Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

Suzz

Stationary Set - CR84FN43

I was looking for some pattern paper to use for the beautiful  CR84FN colors and found the sweetest image in the Graphic 45 papers.  It was the inspiration for my project.

A side view showing the post it notes: 

 I started with creating a post it notes holder using the template here.  I loved how it turned out and decided to create the coordinating stationary set.

This is how it looks when it is closed:

 and when you open it up by taking the top off:

 

I have to admit I didn't finish it.  There are cut pieces that you create that you can attach to the part that lays flat and to fit in the pockets.  I gave it to my youngest as she is always playing teacher and she was thrilled. 

This template is on SCS and you can find it here. 

The only stamping this week was the thank you sentiment.  I ended up moving the tab to the bottom of the cover so it could tuck into the twine and hold the matchbook closed.  I also put the thank you face down so when they open it up they see the sentiment.  I thought this would be great as a teacher gift. :) 

The inspirational photos and quote for CR84FN43:

For all the details on the challenge this week go to the CR84FN blog. 

The wonderful CR84FN Design Team:

Deborah Frings * Sue Lelli  * Andrea Matthews *  Stephanie Kraft * Suzanne Czosek (me)  *  Heather Jensen * Mona Pendleton  * Lisa Somerville *   and our wonderful guest designer this month Mackie Robertson.

Do you like my new blog header?  I wanted to get something wintery up and replace my autumn banner.  I love how it turned out.  Fun to create as well!  Thanks for stopping by! 

Suzz

Believe

The Stampendous challenge this month to use Chipboard has been a great inspiration for me. I have so many scraps of cardboard that I have been saving for future projects. This challenge had me digging them out and using them. 

I decided to make snowflakes and a Christmas frame.  Here is a close up of the frame to show the soft subtle stamping on the frame.

 
Here is the full frame:

 And a close up of the background on the frame. Very subtle but in real life a beautiful bit of texture.

I started with a wood picture frame and painted it white. I stamped the beautiful Jumbo Cling Believe on the bottom right corner using versamark. I heat embossed it using the Stampendous Silver Tinsel EP embossing powder. 

I then stamped the lovely background using the Jumbo Cling Zinnia and Versamark over the entire surface. I heat embossed using one of my all time favorite embossing powders - Stampendous Kaleidoscope Embossing Powder 

The snowflakes were cut from scrap cardboard using the Spellbinders Snowflake dies.  I then applied glue over the surface and coated them with the Stampendous Shaved Ice Glitter.

The rest was simply attaching the variety of snowflakes over the surface and accenting them with a crystal gem.

For more inspiration and blog candy!   go check out the wonderful design team projects: 

Wendy Jordan - http://www.papertherapy-wendy.blogspot.com/

Pam Hornschu - http://1pamperedstamper.blogspot.com/

and for all the details on the challenge visit the Stampendous blog: 

Stampendous Blog -- http://stampendousblog.wordpress.com/

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzz

Red & Rustic Christmas

 I was so happy to see the Tuesday Trigger from Moxie Fab World.  I had entered into the May Arts Deck the Halls with Burlap Monthly challenge.  They send you a few yards of ribbon and you have to create a project using them.  While the beautiful ribbon works perfectly with the lovely Moxie Fab trigger.

I started with creating banners using the lovely red stripes.  I sponged the edges after I cut them to add a little more fraying and distressing. The background is stamped using Hero Arts Old French Writing.  Distressed with a brown dye ink. Placed on a kraft card base.  The flowers were a pretty color but I wanted the red so I glimmer misted them with a nice red color. I created faux leaves with the burlap ribbon and tied multiple bows using the green and natural twine. I finished off the card with mini banners with the Christmas sentiment.

Here is the inspiration photo:

And the beautiful ribbon I started with:

Hope you are having a wonderful Friday! 

Suzz

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Happy Thanksgiving to my U.S. friends!  I hope your day is going to be filled with family and friends.

I didn't have anything prepared for today so I pulled out a card I made for Stampendous.  I love the jumbo clings and the Jumbo Cling Zinnia is a new favorite!  I had fun stamping  the flower multiple times and creating the layers.

The flower is stamped on kraft cardstock and colored with glimmer mist and a water brush. I love how it appears chalky on the kraft surface.  The center of the flower is Stampendous Crystal Halo Glitter.

The background is a mix of white acrylic paints and smearing dye ink across the background. A very simple design just showcasing the beautiful flower.

Have a blessed day!

Suzz

Joy

I combined the Mojo Monday Sketch #216, the Moxie Fab World Championing Awards & City Crafter Blog Challenge for Think Pink to create this holiday card.

 I started with the lovely sketch and knew I wanted to use the Memory Box Rosette die to create my medallions.  The papers are all memory box and the Joy and music background are Memory Box stamps.

A simple card that took forever with lots of mistakes. (Hate when you spend so much time fiddling with things that don't even make it on the card!)

The background is embossed using the embossing folder. Pink and White acrylic paint were smeared over the surface.  Then brown dye ink was sponged around the edges and the music sheet stamped over the embossing.

The medallions were die cut with the same die but I trimmed off some of the straight edge to make two smaller medallions.

Hope your week is off to a good start!

Suzz

Ticket Time

Simon Says Stamp and Show some tickets was my inspiration this morning.  I dove into my drawers looking for all my different size tickets.

I ended up using the covers to the Tim Holtz Journal tickets as my inspiration:

I turned them inside out and used the opening on the cover as my ticket shape.  I stamped the lovely verse from Verses Rubber Stamps on the inside. Added some small tickets along the edge on the left.  Stamped the Memory Box music over the background.  Added some flourishes from the Stampers Anonymous to the cover.  The flower is made from an old sewing pattern. I used the Donna Salzar die cut and assembled. (Thanks Lisa!)

Easy little card. :)

Have a wonderful Monday!  I am off work all week. Yeah!  Hope to have some inky time!

Suzz

CR84FN43 - Ho Ho Ho

This week the CR84FN colors are wonderful earthy tones.

I was inspired to create a couple of different Christmas cards.

I used the  Mojo Monday Sketch as my starting point and the fabulous My Minds Eye Christmas papers. The rest was some simple stamping on the background and banner.  Stamps used: Stampington, Memory Box, Hero Arts. Papers: My Minds Eye.


My second card:

I love this little tree stamp from Hero Arts and used it to create a forest over my music background. Colored with water color pencils and highlight with some white snow.  I added a few birds from the Memory Box stamp Let Heaven and Nature sing which was used for the sentiment as well.

The inspirational photos and quote for CR84FN43:

For all the details on the challenge this week go to the CR84FN blog. 

The wonderful CR84FN Design Team:

Deborah Frings * Sue Lelli  * Andrea Matthews *  Stephanie Kraft * Suzanne Czosek (me)  *  Heather Jensen * Mona Pendleton  * Lisa Somerville *   and our wonderful guest designer this month Mackie Robertson.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Suzz

Bird in a Frame

I had fun using a piece of chipboard that I have had in my stash for awhile for another fun project for  the  Stampendous challenge.  

And a close up of the texture on the frame:

 Recipe:

1. Ink up the frame using Versamark Watermark Ink Pad. 
2. Heat emboss using Stampendous Aged Gold Embossing Enamel. 
3. Ink up the Jumbo Zinnia border cling stamp with versamark ink.
4. Heat up embossed frame in sections. Stamp border into warm embossing powder. Let sit for 30 seconds. Remove.  Repeat around the edges. 
5. Trace white cardstock in shape of birdcage frame. 
6. Stamp the Jumbo Cling Songbird the white cardstock using versamark. Heat emboss using Stampendous Aged Gold Embossing Enamel powder. Cut out and pop dot on the front of the frame.
7. Stamp the verse from  the Jumbo SongBird Cling using Versafine Toffee along the left side of the background. 
8. Stamp the Jumbo Cling RoseHip flowers  in versamark and embossed using Aged Gold Embossing Enamel

For more inspiration in the Chipboard challenge go check out the wonderful design team projects: 

Taylor Usry - http://taylorusry.blogspot.com/

Wendy Jordan - http://www.papertherapy-wendy.blogspot.com/

Suzanne Czosek - http://www.suzzstampingspot.blogspot.com/

Pam Hornschu - http://1pamperedstamper.blogspot.com/

and for all the details on the challenge visit the Stampendous blog: 

Stampendous Blog -- http://stampendousblog.wordpress.com/

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzz

Hanging Art

The Lessology Challenge this time is Hanging Mobiles.  On the heels of an element/atom project for youngest.... I wasn't to excited about making another hanging mobile. :)  But.... I had this idea to create some three dimensional birdcages and it snowballed from there.

The only tough thing was to photograph it. It was hanging from my light in my craft room and you can't see it well enough with out a backdrop so I had my son hold up an old table cloth.

This is the full mobile.

And a close up of the birdcages.

Memory Box has these gorgeous birdcage dies and I was lucky enough to be able to get one of them with DT supplies.  I decided to die cut Memory Box YuleTide paper making four cut pieces.  I distressed them with white acrylic paint. I folded them in half with the pattern paper side facing in.  I then taped them together.  Lesson learned would be to put the pattern paper onto a xyron sheet and then die cut. :) 

After that I added chunky crystal glitter to the birdcages and the top of the branch which my son said "cool" like frosty branches in winter.

I had two choices of birds in my stash but loved the glittery frosty birds so they were added to finish it off.

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

French Flight

Today is release day for another wonderful Artistic Outpost plate - French Flight!  

Here is a brief description of the new plate: 

In the late 1700's , two French brothers, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier launched the first manned balloon from the from the center of Paris and flew for a period of 20 minutes.  In 1793, Jean Pierre Blanchard became the first to fly a hot air balloon in North America, yet another French adventurer!

This stamp collection pay homage to these adventurers. Fun, quirky, with a little bit of Steampunk thrown in for good measure, French Flight is pure creative delight.

 

Collection available in both unmounted rubber sheets or pre-mounted on EZMount cling foam and hand trimmed on a clear cling storage card. 

The images are so fun with this set I want to share two of the cards I created for the release: 

First I created a montage of the Steampunk images and embellishments with the dare devil image and his balloon!  I used some of the wonderful Graphic 45 Steampunk pattern paper as my background.  Stamped the image and created a hot air balloon to go with the balloonist. 

The second card started with the three men used to create a crowd:

Here is the front of the card. They were stamped multiple times on a piece of pattern paper using two masks. I stamped the one gentlemen on another piece of paper and cut him out and pop dotted him and gave him a red bow tie.  I then turned the card into an easel card that looks like this when opened: 

I used the fun sentiment from the Think and Wonder plate, which I think will be perfect for a graduation card!   

For more inspiration, go visit the wonderful design team: 

Gerrie Johnnic Lisa Somerville Judy Hayes Lynn Stevens Barbara Washington Stephanie Severin Suzanne Czosek Louise Granlund

 

Thanks for stopping by! 

 

Suzz 

Veterans Day

I combined a few challenges together to honor our Veterans.  I am a little late for our Veteran's day.  The City Crafter Challenge is Thanksgiving, Card Patterns Sketch # 141 and Simon Says Stamp and Show Some Women. 

In honor our Vets who serve for our country this is a thank you.  My brother who is serving overseas right now and for all our soldiers.

The stamps are from Artistic Outpost She-Roes plate. The background is from the AO Ephemeral Backgrounds.  The inks are Ranger Archival Coffee, Crimson Red, Ranger Distress Inks Vintage Photo and Versafine Blue. The cardstock base is actually blue.  (Photographs black)

The sketch:

Hope your weekend is off to a good start!

Suzz

CR84FN42 - Part II

Welcome back for the second week of the CR84FN challenge.  The colors are black, light pink and neutrals. I pulled out my favorite glimmer mist in a bubble gum pink to create a background paper.  

After the background was dry the edges were sponged with a touch of black dye ink. The flower background is stamped with a music sheet stamp in faint black ink.  The Memory Box Birch Branch Print G1718 stamp was stamped using a black archival ink. The sentiment is from Verses Rubber Stamps - Flowers in Bloom - FS1119-D.

The inspiration photos for CR84FN42:

For all the details on the challenge this week go to the CR84FN blog. 

The wonderful CR84FN Design Team:

Deborah Frings * Sue Lelli  * Andrea Matthews *  Stephanie Kraft * Suzanne Czosek (me)  *  Heather Jensen * Mona Pendleton  * Lisa Somerville *   and our wonderful guest designer this month Mackie Robertson.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Suzz

Stampendous Encrusted Jewel Blog Hop

Welcome to the Stampendous "Fran•tage Encrusted Jewel Hop"! The encrusted jewel technique was an accidental creative process discovered by  Fran Seiford, Chief Artistic Officer at Stampendous! For more info on the process of Encrusting with the Fran•tage Essentials, check out the YouTube video HERE. 

I was inspired to pull out a wooden sled and decorate it for the holiday season: 

 Here are a few photos of the process: 

My unadorned sled: 

I painted the sled using the distress stain and finished it up with a glimmer mist chalkboard spray tan. 

I waited for that to dry completely before the next step:) 

I stamped the Lovely Jumbo Cling Holly Holidays using Versamark across the sleigh multiple times.  Heat emboss using Vintage Olive Embossing Tinsel.   

The next step was to die cut some fir branches and pine cones using the new Tim Holtz die from Sizzix.  The fir branches were covered in Versamark and heat embossed using the same Vintage Olive Embossing Tinsel. The final step was to heat up the fir branches to warm up the embossing tinsel and sprinkle with  Gold Medium Halo Glitter.

The pine cones were coated with Aged Gold Embossing Enamel and Encrusted with the Gold Medium Halo Glitter.

 

The finishing steps involved creating a star from chipboard, staining it and embossing the edges with the Aged Silver Embossing Enamel.  The sentiment was stamped using the Altered Type Alphabet using Versamark. 

Heat emboss using the Vintage Olive Embossing Tinsel powder. 

The jingle bells were encrusted with an Aged Silver Embossing Enamel and Gold Halo Medium Glitter. 

I am the last stop on the blog hop. So if you haven't had a chance to visit any of the other blogs here's the list of our Encrusted Hoppers for today:

Stampendous Impressions'
Blog
Cyndi Bundy
Trudee Sauer
Jennifer Dove
Pam Hornschu
Wendy Price
Taylor Usry
Wendy Jordan
Lynn Mercurio
Krissy Fossmeyer
Rachel Sztonyk
Suzanne Czosek

As you hop from blog to blog, oohing and aahing over the Encrusted Jewel fabulousness, be sure to leave some love (and your contact email) for the designers, as well as on the Stampendous blog by Sunday, November 13th, 2011 8PM EST.  Your comments give you an opportunity  to win one of four blog candy goody boxes of Stampendous Fran•tage Essentials for you to create your own Encrusted Jewel goodness. (*Prizes only available for U.S. Residents Only*)

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Suzz

Mojo Monday

The Mojo Monday sketch #214 this week has a fun banner in the center and was the inspiration for my next project.

I wanted a flower to put in the corner and started by creating a stamped, layered and glittered acetate poinsettia.

I loved the effect of the poinsettia.  The poinsettia (Memory Box - Poinsettia) is stamped on acetate four times using StaZon ink.  I flipped the acetate over and applied cranberry alcohol inks to the back side. Then cut out two full poinsettias and two of the top layers of the poinsettia. Layered, crumpled and applied the Stampendous Halo Silver glitter to the edges.

I then created the background using a mix of the Memory Box Snowfall and Valise papers. 

I wasnt' sure about my flower with the card so I tried out a bundle of holly and pine-cones instead and added a little bird.

 So which do you think?  Holly or poinsettia? 

Here is the lovely sketch:

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful Thursday!

Suzz

Simon Says Stamp and Show Recycling

Simon Says Stamp and Show some Recycling/UpCycling and I had this fantastic wood box my hubby got a new wallet in.  He knew as soon as he opened his gift that I would want that box.  He took the wallet out and admired it and then said to me... "I suppose you want my box?"  LOL!

I have been hoarding it for awhile but decided to take it out and use it for this challenge.

Here is the picture of the box originally:

Recipe:

1. Paint box with white acrylic paint. (I did this two times) 
2. Smear Vintage Photo Distress Ink across the surface. 
3. Stamp David (Stampers Anonymous)  using Black Archival Ink in corner.  
4. Smear Black archival ink around the edges of the front of the box. Smear around sides of box. 
5. Mask over box front up to bottom of David image with paper.  Smear black ink across bottom until filled in. 
6. Spritz front with brown glimmer mist chalkboard ink. 
7. Pick up excess ink from spritz onto white cardstock. 
8. Stamp sentiment Verses Rubber Stamps - One's Destination on inked cardstock using black ink. Cut and run black marker around edges. 
9. Attach sentiment. 
10. Versamark the entire surface of the box and heat emboss using clear embossing powder. Repeat process two more times.

I had so much fun creating this and I think it will be a fantastic trinket box to give to an artist.

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzz

Faith - ODBDLYLS11

I was very pleased when ODBD asked me to guest design for the Scrapbook challenge for November and December.  Today is the first day of the November Our Daily Bread Designs Scrapbook Challenge.  The challenge is to create a layout of any size and any theme using ODBD stamps and a photo as inspiration for the colors on your layout.

Here is my layout inspired by the beautiful photo:

I used a lovely picture of my  daughter Kaeli from our trip to the Grand Canyon.   I framed her using the beautiful Faith set.  I stamped the butterfly bush repeatedly using brown ink on the pattern paper.  I colored the butterflies and berries using watercolor pencils in the colors from the inspiration photo.  The sentiment is stamped using the same brown ink.  The butterflies have layers on the wings and pearl accents on the bodies.  

The beautiful autumnal  inspiration photo:

For complete details  and to play along for a chance to win a $20 ODBD Gift Certificate, click here.

As always thanks for stopping by....

Suzz

CR84FN42 - Happy Anniversary

Time for another beautiful  CR84FN challenge.  The colors are very elegant and sophisticated this week. :) 

I had the Verses Stamp May Today Anniversary - SP9011F from their new release that is in Spanish. One of my favorite sentiments from them:

"May

TODAY

be filled with happy

MEMORIES

of the past...and bright

HOPES

For the future"

Happy Anniversary 

The sentiment was stamped using black archival ink on white cardstock. I then stamped the Hero Arts Lace Doily over the top of the sentiment using Versamark.  I heat embossed the lace background using  clear embossing powder.  I sponged Memento pink dye ink over the surface to bring out the doily resist.   The background papers are from My Minds Eye. Those pink crystal sprigs are from the floral department at Hobby Lobby. I loved them when I saw them. I was busy looking for Easter accents for another project I was working on and they fit with the card. :)


The inspiration photos for CR84FN42:

For all the details on the challenge this week go to the CR84FN blog. 

The wonderful CR84FN Design Team:

Deborah Frings * Sue Lelli  * Andrea Matthews *  Stephanie Kraft * Suzanne Czosek (me)  *  Heather Jensen * Mona Pendleton  * Lisa Somerville *   and our wonderful guest designer this month Mackie Robertson.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Suzz

Stampendous Monthly Challenge - Chip in!

It's time for a new Stampendous challenge!

The challenge this month is to use chipboard on your cards and projects.  This month Stampendous is giving away a Cling Jumbo Songbird set to a random winner. You don't have to use a Stampendous image or products to play along, but it is appreciated when you do!  You have until Thursday, December 1 at 11:59 PM EST to add your link to the linky tool, and Stampendous will draw a random winner.  You can enter as many times as you'd like.

I had this idea to create party favors using the Stampendous Mini Pail. I thought this would be so fun at a place setting with a name tag.  The stars are die cut from recycled cardboard to create my own chipboard.  I covered the chipboard with glue pen and dipped it in the Silver Glitter to create the sparkly effect. then did the same on another star and taped them back to back with the wire between.

The top of the mini pail is covered with a piece of white cardstock embossed with silver embossing powder and stamped using the Jumbo Cling Holly Set.  I also added a touch of glitter!

The main part of the pail is a piece of vellum stamped using the Jumbo Cling Holly Set.  The image was stamped using  versamark and heat embossed using silver embossing powder. I accented it with little gems.


I thought it would be fun to give them some silver Hershey Kisses to match my color scheme. 

I also wanted to mention that Stampendous  is looking for a few blogstars!  Go here and check out how to apply... I had a lot of fun during my term!

For more inspiration in the Chipboard challenge go check out the wonderful design team projects:

Lynn Mercurio

Taylor Usry

Wendy Jordan

Pam Hornschu 

Krissy Fossmeyer 
Cyndi Bundy 

Stampendous Blog

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzz

Postcard Fun

City Crafter Challenge this week is postcards.  I made about six versions of this... I spent more time on this than I did my spooky house. :) six versions later.....

The images are from the following Artistic Outpost plates: London Underground, Loverly London, Ephemeral Backgrounds.

I layered the images using black, grey and red inks.  Then smeared a touch of colors over the surface to add a little distressing.

Hope you are having a fabulous week! I will leave you with a picture of our sunrise on Halloween. I couldn't believe the gorgeous colors when I let the dogs out so I had to run in and get the camera.

Suzz