STAMPlorations Christmas Release Day 2

Hello Crafty Friends!

STAMPlorations are doing a Christmas in August Release. They are relesing 6 stamp sets and 8 CUTplorations dies and, of course, are celebrating in style with a Blog Hop, welcome to Day 2.

Today we are showcasing a stylish set designed by Deepti under her label Dee's Artsy Impressions. It is called Yuletide Deer and great for giving Christmas cards a modern twist.

As my DT project, I went for a card of the modern variety with a collage stamped background. Here it is:

I stamped, coloured and fuzzy cut the deer, collage stamped my background in light grey, added the deer and sentiment from Deepti's set and finished off with twine and a little bell.

Here is Deepti's new set in full:

And here is a little pre-view of things to come:

As with any blog hop, it is best to comment on all the participating blogs, Facebook and Instagram, links to which can be found here on the STAMPlorations Blog.

Commenting closes on Monday 21st August at 11.55 pm Pacific (that's British Summer Time 7.55am Tuesday 22nd August) with winners being announced on August 24.

Here is what you can win:

Winners randomly drawn from all the comments left on the STAMPlorations Blog and participating designers blogs:

- THREE (3) winners of a $10 gift certificate to the STAMPlorations store
- ONE (1) winner of her choice of 1 stamp set and 1 CUTplorations die from the new release
- ONE (1) winner of a $25 gift certificate to the STAMPlorations store

Extra prizes:

- TWO (2) winners of their choice of 1 CUTplorations die from the new release -- drawn from STAMPlorations Facebook page (for commenting, sharing, and tagging a friend)
- ONE (1) winner of her choice of 1 stamp set from the new release -- drawn from STAMPlorations Instagram post (commenting, liking, tagging a friend)

Well. it's over to you now, you can find all the info and links here on the STAMPlorations Blog. I shall be back again tomorrow with another festive make.

Enjoy your day and happy hopping!
hugs
Monika xxx

links to previous days: Day1

here is what I used from the STAMPlorations Shop, remember to apply my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA (not case sensitive) at check out for a 20% discount on their stamps ***, stencils and dies:

Yuletide Deer, Deepti's new set, Mixed Media Elements, Oh, Christmas Tree!
  
*** Discount code works on sale items too

Getting Festive

Hello Crafty Friends!

Today I have one card and an almost finished project to share. Let's start with the card. I had some playtime over the weekend, when this card just made itself ...

Well last week the pieces of the jigsaw fitted together in the end. Most of the time we can't see all the pieces clearly and just have to trust that it will work out in the end. I rather like how this card turned out with an unintended trick of the eye. There is a sort of an upward sloping parallel strip which includes some of the white space. It is framed by the sentiment and the black jigsaw piece outside of the coloured strip. I only saw it after my card was finished.
I masked off a strip and sponged some Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay and Strawberry Slush, stamped one of the Jigsaw pieces (VIGNETTE: Puzzle Pieces by STAMPlorations) several times in Strawberry Slush, removed the masks and stamped another piece and the sentiment in black Versafine before layering on a gery base card. ....

I would like to enter my card at:
CAS Colours & Sketches - #201 Sketch 
Addicted To Stamps And More - #221 Anything Goes

The other day, I was discussing Advent Calendars with a friend, and came up with the idea of making little bags which I could peg to a piece of string. I made all of my 24 bags, they are now waiting to be filled and hung up. Here are some of my designs ...

... and here is a little video on how to fold the bags ...

I wanted it to be a quick project I could easily make whilst watching tele hence the handwritten numbers. I also used up some paper I printed off at least two years ago for some other project I never made. Finally I got used! 😃 The labels (Blossom Overture) are gold embossed. Apart from that I stamped out some Christmas Trees (Oh, Christmas Tee!), some Reindeer (Christmas Reindeer), some bells (VIGNETTE: Christmas Block), some sleighs and snowmen (both from Gone Postal). I did a lot of fuzzy cutting, colouring where needed and the simply layered it all on my folded bags, decorated with glittery stars and finished off with some Stickles. As I mentioned earlier, they are now waiting in the lounge to be filled and 'strung up'. I shall add a photo in due course.

I am entering my Advent Calendar bags at:

Time Out - Christmas with optional twist glitter or shimmer

I shall leave you with a last look at my card and the finished Advent Calendar ...

Feel free to check out my Mixed Media Tutorial over on the STAMPlorations Blog for a great gift idea. Here is a sneak pre-view ...

That's it from me for today. If you love challenges and getting inspiration, why not pop over on the STAMPlorations Blog to check out their inspiration, challenges and tutorials.

Have a lovely week!

hugs
Monika xxx



here is what I used from the STAMPlorations Shop, remember to apply my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA (not case sensitive) at check out for a 20% discount on their stamps, stencils and dies:

VIGNETTE: Puzzle Pieces, Blossom Overture, Oh, Christmas Tree!, Christmas Reindeer
   

VIGNETTE: Christmas Block, Gone Postal
 

25 Tags Of Christmas

Hello Crafty Friends!

Welcome to 25 Days Of Christmas Tags featuring STAMPlorations. Shery, STAMPlorations owner, is one of the sponsors and put up a prize in the form of a $25 gift certificate, redeemable at the STAMPlorations Shop of course. If you want to play along, make sure to check out Tracey's Blog for all the information about the 25 Days Of Christmas Tags event.

I went for a teal/silver and white creation using the CUTplorations ATC/Tag Builder Dies and Blessings Word Die in combination with stamps from the Oh, Christmas Tree! set.

It was quite easy to make:

• cut a tag and the bottom bit of the tag from white card using dies from the ATC/Tag Builder set
• blend the tag with Soft Sky and Island Indigo inks
• stamp the Christmas Trees in Island Indigo and silver emboss one of them
• stamp the sentiment in Island Indigo and cut to size
• give the white bottom bit a torn edge
• die-cut the word Blessings from silver card and punch a little star from the same card
• layer up as shown adding a little Stickles to the torn edge as you go along
• add some rays to the star using a sparkly gel pen and finish off eith gem and ribbon

Here is another look at the finished project ...

There is another tag I made with a full tutorial. It has a secret pocket and is over on the STAMPlorations Blog. here is a sneak preview ...

That's it from me for today. Check out the fab tags my teamies made by popping over to Tracey's Blog to join the fun.

Have a lovely weekend!
hugs

Monika xxx


here is what I used from the STAMPlorations Shop, remember to apply my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA (not case sensitive) at check out for a 20% discount on their stamps, stencils and dies:

STAMPlorations Stamps: Oh, Christmas Tree!


CUTplorations Dies: ATC/Tag Builder Dies, Blessings Word Die
 

Going Festive

Hello Crafty Friends!

It's Inspiration Time over at STAMPlorations plus there is still time to join with the Holiday TAGplorations event too ... which made me think ... how about creating a tag with a difference ....

... one to feed ribbon through ...

I cut my basic shape from a piece of kraft card using the ATC/Tag Builder CUTplorations Die. I then stamped the trees from the Oh, Christmas Tree! set in Versamark, sprinkled with white embossing powder and dabbed off as I would normally do for heat embossing .... but here is the difference ... I went back to sprinkle some more on to create the snow, thicker towards the bottom and fine dust towards the top ... before heating the powder from underneath the card. To finish, I added a red metallic Merry Christmas, a jumping Christmas Reindeer including red nose and metallic red ribbon. I tied the tag to a wooden box to demonstrate how it could be used in gift wrapping like a label or you could just attach ribbon to both ends or .... whatever your imagination suggests.

The die-cut strip at the top symbolizing icicles is the negative from one of the new Art Edges Dies used in my CUTplorations Challenge DT project here.

That's it from me for today, pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog for more stamping, die-cutting and stenciling inspiration from my teamies ... and of course to leave a comment for your entry in to their monthly prize draw. There is still time to join their TAGplorations Party too.

Have fun and a lovely week!
hugs
Monika xxx


here is what I used from the STAMPlorations Shop, remember to apply my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA (not case sensitive) at check out for a 20% discount on their stamps, stencils and dies:

STAMPlorations Stamps: Oh' Christmas Tree!, Christmas Reindeer
 

CUTplorations Dies: Merry Christmas Phrase Die, ATC/Tag Builder Dies, Christmas Reindeer Coordinating Dies and
  

Art Edges Border Dies

Holiday TAGplorations Day 1

Hello Crafty Friends!

STAMPlorations are hosting a festive party, Holiday TAGplorations.

It's all about TAGS and HOLIDAYS. For my DT project, I choose to make a Christmas tag using their Artsy Borders: Poinsettia Row, Holiday Sketches: Christmas Flower and Oh, Christmas Tree! sets in combination with the largest of their CUTplorations Luggage Tag Nesting Dies.

Here it is ...

I tried my hand at a spot of watercolouring. It was actually pretty easy ...

• stamp the Poinsttia Border in Archival on the die-cut tag, watercolour and edge with gold leaf pen
• stamp and watercolour two Christmas Flowers, edge with gold leaf pen and attach
• stamp, cut and attach sentiment from the Oh, Christmas Tree! set
• finish off with golden twine and Stickles

Now more about the event ...

Holiday TAGplorations is a blog hop and linky party starting today and reminder posts finishing on Tuesday 8th November.

What can you do to participate? ... 

• Comment on the original Holiday TAGploration Post and participating Designers post, Links and full rules will be on the original Holiday TAGplorations Post.
• Create a Holiday Tag or two or three and join the Linky Party; any holiday not just Christmas.
• Commenting and linking up of your Holiday Tags is from today, 4th November, and finishes 11.55pm Pacific Friday 25th November on the original Holiday TAGplorations Post. Plenty of time to get creative.
• Winners will be announced on Friday 9th December in the November Challenges & Hops Winners Post. Just in time for Christmas!

Prizes:
10 prizes (with a value of $178+) will be distributed among randomly drawn winners:

- (3) randomly drawn winners from all comments left on the STAMPlorations blog and participating designers blog will each receive a $15 gift certificate to the store, links can be found on the original Holiday TAGploration Post

- (3) randomly drawn participants to the TAGplorations linky party will each receive the Luggage Tag Dies, linky party can be found on the original Holiday TAGploration Post

- (3) randomly drawn participants to the TAGplorations linky party will each receive the ATC Tag Builder Dies, linky party can be found on the original Holiday TAGploration Post

- (1) randomly drawn participant to the TAGplorations linky party will receive a $25 gift certificate to the store, linky party can be found on the original Holiday TAGploration Post

- if the event is well-received/we get lots of participants and commenters, Shery may just throw in a few surprise prizes + the event will be repeated next year :o)

Here is another look at my piece of tag inspiration ...

That's it from me for today. Hope you join the party.

Have a lovely weekend!
hugs
Monika xxx


here is what I used from the STAMPlorations Shop, remember to apply my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA (not case sensitive) at check out for a 20% discount on their stamps, stencils and dies:

STAMPlorations Stamps: Holiday Sketches: Christmas Flower, Artsy Borders: Poinsettia Row, Oh, Christmas Tree!
  

CUTplorations Dies: Luggage Tags Nesting Dies

CASEing My Own

 ... and Punch Board Ideas ...

Hi All,

Something different for the Inspiration Roundup over at STAMPlorations. Remember this card from my Spotlight Feature a couple of weeks ago???

Well. I decided to give you an idea for a CASE and CASEd my own turning it into the shaker card below ...

I basically added an extra layer for my stamping and die cut a frame from the stamped background plus a few more from white card which I used for building up the frame and sandwiching a piece of acetate. I thought this might be a good idea if you had a design you liked but wanted to do something different with.

You can see how I stamped the background in the original Spotlight Post here. The sets I used were: Joyful, VIGNETTE: Christmas Block, Mixed Media Elements and Oh, Christmas Tree!

Next up is a simple box with bow I created using the 123 Punch Board. I was showing my friend Sue how to use her envelope punch board to create the bow and box which we simply decorated using the snowflakes from the VIGNETTE: Christmas Block set and a tri-colour pigment ink pad.

Pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog for more gorgeous inspiration and projects to CASE.

Have a lovely day!
hugs
Monika xxx


here is what I used, links to the stamp sets are in the above text
   
We R Memory Keepers 1-2-3 Punch Board
Die-namics pierced rectangle

A Letter From Santa

Hi All.
I am back with another Spotlight Feature over at STAMPlorations. This time I set myself the challenge to show you a project which is easy to repeat, easy to make several of and uses two October Stamp Club Sets, Joyful (2014) and Mixed Media Elements (2015).

Well, I couldn't help myself and enlisted help from Oh, Christmas Tree! and Vignette Christmas Block too.

The other thing I wanted to show you was that you can use a linen textured base card to great effect for stamping as can best be seen when zooming in at either the Christmas tree or the sentiment strip.

I chose collage stamping for my background as it is very easy to repeat given that you don't have to be very precise, which gives each card its own uniqueness too.

All background elements have been stamped using Concord Crush ink and 2nd generation stamping apart from the sentiment strip 'Season's Greetings' and the 'ho! ho! ho!'which use the 1st generation imprint.

I first stamped the script followed by the strip of numbers and postage stamps. Next I added the Christmas Tree and the snowflakes before stamping the 'ho! ho! ho!' and Season's Greetings. Something else was needed, and I added the circles before attaching my stamped, watercoloured (Concord Crush and Crushed Curry) and fuzzy cut sleigh to finish.

As always there is a video tutorial of the craft-along type with some added tips.

Before I go, here is another look at the actual card made in the video which differs slightly from my first card giving it its own unique feel.

Pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog to leave a comment for your chance to win a prize. Whilst there feel free to have a look around and check out their challenges, tutorials and more.

Have a lovely day!
hugs
Monika xxx

Sets I used in today's project, links are in the above text:
    

inks I used: Concord Crush and Crushed Curry by Stampin'Up!, jet black Archival by Ranger