Damask Love

Clear and Simple Stamps Baby Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Hey there!

After so many quiet weeks on my blog, I'm guessing you are a bit surprised to see me back with another post today!

Well, I hope you'll like what I've created!

I've had so much fun playing with the new Clear and Simple stamps collection and I've especially loved the extensive collection of dies that have just been released!

Today, I have three cards to share, each showcasing die cuts from the Baby Shower and Large Baby Shower die collection. These two die sets are sized to perfectly coordinate with each other - as you'll see!

First up, is a duo of cards that I made using the birdy images. I die cut several of the large bird to create a faux-debossed background. Then I popped up one of the die cuts and removed a piece using the small bird die.

I love the clean and modern layout of this card as well as the suggestion of pregnancy by nesting one die cut within the other.

I chose a sentiment from Baby Sentiments to coordinate with the theme of this layout.

My next card pairs the elephant die cuts from Baby Shower and Large Baby Shower. To give the elephants a bit of life, I cut out ovals to make ears! Such a simple touch that adds so much!

A sliver of green cardstock peeks out above the sentiment to add a little color to this otherwise neutral color palette.

I hope you like these cards as much as I do!

Thanks for stopping by today! See you tomorrow for another fun post!

Clear and Simple Stamps Style Watch: March/April Collection Release Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Hey there everyone! It's be a little while since my last post and today I'm coming back with a great project that showcases the newest Collection from Clear and Simple Stamps!

So, without further adieu, I'd like to welcome to another amazing Clear and Simple Stamps release! Collection 2 is full of everything you'll ever need to create adorable baby themed projects - and we'll be showcasing them over the next few weeks.  

When I received my design team package, I was absolutely blown away by the fabulous images, sentiments and die cuts that are included in this release. Once you get a look at what the design team has created, you're going to want each and every item being offered!  

Today, I've decided to join in the release party with a Storytime Baby Shower. By using just a few of our newly releasing sets, you too will have everything you need to craft a perfect book-themed shower.  

Even if you're not planning a shower, these projects make perfect gifts for little ones throughout the year. Keep scrolling through today's post for tons of photos and details about each element of this Storytime Baby Shower!

Until Later Loverlies,

Amber D.

To kick off this shower, of course you'll need an invitation and that is exactly where I started with this project ...

For this invite, I opted for an oblong shape ...a little departure from your usual invitation layout. Each piece of this invitation is stamped using wording from the Baby Sentiments, Party Elements: Baby and Sweet Dreams stamp sets!

To keep the book theme going and add something different to this invitation, I trimmed some cardstock into a bookmark and stamped it with the background stamp included in Sweet Dreams. A sweet little die cut heart added the perfect bit of color and style to the bookmark!

To the back of the bookmark, I added spaces for writing in each detail of the party! It's such a fun and functional way to let your guests know all the important information they'll need!

For the invitation envelope (which I purchased from another supplier), I created a simple seal using the newly released Labels 3 Die...which features two sizes that are perfect for creating a mat layer for your die cuts.

Now onto the next part of this Storytime Baby Shower!

I fell in love with the whimiscal images included in the Sweet Dreams stamp set, and thought they would be absolutely perfect for some bookplates!

To create these cuties, I used the border image from Party Elements: Baby, then filled in the center with the images from Sweet Dreams.

Here are individual photos of each bookplate...

Since the invitation asks guests to bring a book for baby, these bookplates would be the perfect activity for a Storytime Baby Shower! You can stamp them ahead of time or let the guest stamp their own. Then, simply provide markers so that each guest can color in the images!

If you've got crafty friends, they will definitely love adding a little creativity and personalization to the book they bring to the shower!

And as I mentioned, you don't need to save this project for a baby shower! In my case, I added my bookplates to a couple of books that I purchased for my friend's 4 month old daughter, Grace.

I took a trip to Barnes & Noble and selected a couple of my own childhood favorites, then added a bookplate to each one with a message to Grace.

To package up this gift, I used the the same bookmark idea - only this time I made it into a tag!

It was so easy to create these projects with the new Clear and Simple stamp products! Everything coordinates perfectly and creates a wonderfully cohesive ensemble!

Be sure to visit the rest of the Clear and Simple Stamp Design Team and see what release projects they have in store for you!

Style Watch: Lush and Lovely Patterns

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 15:17:00 +0000

Valentine's Day is behind us...but love is still in the air!  

With all the cuteness and whimsy included in this year's 1st Collection released from Clear and Simple Stamps, I decided to take the opportunity to create a pair of cards that are lush and lovely.

  It's no secret that I love damask patterns. I used this love as inspiration for today's cards along with my love of building patterns.  

I reached for two of the stamps included in the Love Cupid set and used them to build a beautiful damask-inspired pattern that is perfect for an anniversary or wedding card.

Keep scrolling to see my tip for creating this design on your own!

Until Later Loverlies,
Amber D

Now for a quick tip:

Whenever I am creating a background pattern, I like to divide my cardstock into four equal quadrants. I use a pencil to lightly draw lines down the middle of the length and width of the cardstock.

I did just that this this card, then used my stamps to stamp evenly within each quadrant. This ensures that my stamping is even!

For this particular pattern, I left an empty space down the middle, since I knew I'd be covering it with ribbon!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a fabulous Saturday!

Better Late than Never?

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:16:00 +0000

Stopping in today with my (late) announcement of the blog candy winner from last week's World Card Making Day Blog Hop!

I'm also gonna take the opportunity to share a couple of wedding projects that I completed a few weeks ago. I wanted to make sure the cards reached their recipients before posting them to the blog - so finally I can share them with you!

First off, the winner of a huge box of goodies as well as a brand spanking new copy of the March/April issue of Paper Crafts Magazine!

*Alison*

beautiful colors.. :) love them! :) thanks so much for the chance to win! hugs

February 17, 2012 12:37 PM

Alison, be sure to send me an email with your mailing address so that I can get your goodies off to you!

Now that the blog candy is accounted for, how's about some eye candy? Here's a quick look at two projects that I recently completed for the wedding...

A few weeks ago, I shared this little peek at some wedding papercrafting that I'd been doing. Lots of people left super sweet comments and speculated that these were were our table numbers or our place cards! Well, today I can reveal the final product...

I used those cute little placemats to create our rehearsal luncheon invitations. I wanted something modern and clean so I went with a flat card design with geometric shapes as the backdrop to the placemat.

As a contrast to our rehearsal invitations, I created something a bit more elegant for my bridal shower thank yous. I love, love, love the look of white one white so that's exactly what I did for these cards...and man oh man were there a lot of cards to make!

For the wedding dress image, I used the Cricut Tie the Knot cartridge, which was so generously lent to me by Jessica over at the PTI Forum! (Thanks so much, Jessica!!!)

Typically, I am not much of a Cricut girl - I much prefer stamps and ink - but when I saw this wedding dress image, I fell in love.

I packaged each card in a lavender envelope and sent them off (although I kept a few keepsakes for myself!)

That's all from me today! I hope to find some crafting time this weekend so that I can post a few projects next week!

Have a great day!

World Card Making Day Blog Hop!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:03:00 +0000

Well hello, hello! Fancy seeing you here!

Today's I'm so excited to participate in a very big, very fun and very special blog hop! Today, all 20 winners of Paper Crafts Magazine's World Card Making Day competition are joining forces to offer you lots and lots of crafty inspiration! If you've hopped over to my blog from Alyssa Scritchfield's - then you're right on track!

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was on the morning that Paper Crafts Magazine announced the 20 winners! I didn't sleep at all the night before and had an even tougher time getting back to sleep once I saw my name amongst in the winner's circle!

Just this week, I got to relive the excitement of it all when I received the March/April issue of Paper Crafts, which includes the winning cards! Would you be interested in getting your hands on a copy of the March/April issue?! Well, all you need to do is hop along and leave comments on the way for your chance to win! But that's not all that you can win...keep reading for the details!

leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of the March/April issue

Before I spill the beans on the big giveaway, how about I share my projects!

First up, I thought I'd share the card that won...a simple but fun Thank You card, that I absolutely love!

I'd be lying if I said this card came together quickly...it didn't! Adhering each letter was quite a task - but totally worth it!

Now for my blog hop project - which also falls into the "Thank You" Category.

For quite a while, I've been wanting to pair the pinwheel images from Clear and Simple Stamps with the pinwheel die and sentiments from Lil Inker designs! Today's blog hop gave me the perfect excuse to do just that.

For the simple little note card, I stamped the pinwheel images from Clear and Simple stamps Taglines set with the bucket image included in the Craft Room stamp set - they are the perfect pair, right?!

For a fun & sweet coordinating treat, I used Lil Inker's pinwheel die to make an adorable candy favor. To create this favor, I started out with a clear 4.5" x 1.5" Boutique Box available at Denami Design. I used my Crop-a-dile to punch a hole in the lid which allowed me to place a colorful straw into the box.

Then I filled it up with candies and adhered the pinwheel to the top of the straw.

To finish it off with some style, I added a vibrant purple ribbon and a little banner where I stamped the perfect sentiment: "Your generosity blows me away!"

So there you have it, another Thank You project from yours truly!

Now for the good stuff...the giveaway.

As I mentioned, one randomly selected commenter will win her own issue of the March/April issue of Paper Crafts Magazine....but hold on....that's not it! The same randomly selected winner will receive a mini WCMD prize package!

Paper Crafts was so very amazingly generous with this year's prize package that it's only fair to pay it forward a bit! So - I've selected a few toys to share with one lucky winner! Just leave a comment for your chance to win.

The Fine Print:

Since the prize package is rather weighty, I'm only able to send it to those in the U.S.
Comments close on Monday, February 20, 2012 at 11:59 PST
Winners will be announced on all blogs on Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Alrightly! That's all from me! Here's a complete list of all the participating blogs in today's hop - you really don't want to miss out!!!

Becky Olsen

Julie Day

Sharon Dunn

Happy Valentine's Day ...You've got mail!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:37:00 +0000

Hey there friends...anyone out there still reading this thing? I've been gone for a little while...longer than I'd like, but there a wedding to plan and I'm in the thick of it!

I wanted to stop in to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day and share a little project I made for my coworkers. A few weeks ago, I posted a few "do-over" projects, and today's project keeps that theme going.

About a year ago, I posted a paper mailbox template for Valentine's Day and offered it for others to download. If you missed out on the post...HERE it is!

And here's the mailbox I made for that post...I absolutely refuse to post the coordinating card I made in the same post, because it is an abomination of the entire craft of cardmaking.

Today, I've revived that template to create another version of this project. I recently purchased the Papertrey Ink Postmarks stamp set, which provided tons of inspiration for making today's ensemble.

Unlike my first mailbox, where I used lots of patterned paper, this time around, I opted for stamps, stamps and more stamps!

I layered lots of hearts to decorate the mailbox then created a simple set of mail-themed valentines.

Check out the original post of step-by-step instructions on assembly!

I loved playing with the Postmarks set to create these cards. They were super easy to mass produce! I left most of the card blank so that I could write a little note to each of my coworkers. Then I placed the mailbox in the office and each girl stopped by to pick up her "package!"

And on the back of each card...

So there ya go! A simple little mailbox ensemble perfect for you Valentine! Hope you enjoy your day!

Supplies:
Stamps: Clear and Simple Stamps (Hearts), Papertrey Ink (Love Tags 2010, Postmarks)
Ink: Impress Fresh Ink (Pink Lemonade, Sugar, Strawberry, Fuchsia), Papertrey Ink (Kraft, True Black)
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (Rustic White)
Other: Damask Love Mailbox Template

Clear and Simple Stamps Style Watch: February Week #1

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:53:00 +0000

Creating masculine cards for Valentine's Day has got to be one of the most difficult papercrafting tasks out there. I am always compelled to sneak in a little pink or a few cute hearts - which often results in a completely non-masculine project.  

Today, I have a clean and simple project that has plenty of Valentine's Day flair and is also perfect for a boy.   

To create this set, I combined my Clear and Simple Stamps Baseball stamp set with a few of the background stamps included in our most recent release. Of course, I had to include one of the Party Favor dies too - I just love them!
  
Perhaps the best part of this gift duo is the way I was able to use the "Batty for You" sentiment from
Taglines: Little Critters in a totally new and different way. Take a look - you're gonna go batty for it...

Until Later Loverlies,
Amber

To create this clean and simple card, I stamped the bat image with the woodgrain background stamp from Background Basics #1. Using the same technique, I added a faint heart background to the baseball image.

I continued the theme onto this cute little treat bag bu stamping the woodgrain pattern onto kraft cardstock. This treat bag is perfectly sized for a pack of baseball cards!

Even with a bit of pink and red, this set is totally ready for the favorite little (or big) boy in your life!

SUPPLIES:
STAMPS: Baseball (retired), Hearts Plus, Background Basics 1, Taglines: Critters
INK: Perfect Little Black Dress, Dare to be a Diva Red, Dish All the Dirt Brown, I'm a Princess Pink
PAPER: Kraft Like a Rockstar, A Blanc Check,
SIMPLE CUTS: Tags #1, Party Favor #1
OTHER: Dimensionals, Corner Rounder, Red/White Baker's Twine

Winnerday - Finally!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:32:00 +0000

Better late than never?

Sorry for being such a slow poke - but I've been having a weekend full of bridal shower fun! I can't wait to share photos and details with you!

I've got several winners to announce - but forgive me for not including the image for each of the random number generators - I just didn't have the time to download and include them in the post!

Now for the winners:

Do-over Blog Hop Winners

These are the three randomly selected winners of the Do Over Blog Hop! Thanks so so much for everyone who participated. I loved reading each post and seeing your old and new projects

Jen Rzaza

(I couldn't download a photo but stop by Jen's blog to take a look at her fabulous do-over. Not only did I love the card, but she cracked me up with her comments about her original project! Jen, I totally know what you mean about not wanting to make the photo too large!)

Ardyth

I love the sentiment Ardyth created on this card! And those simple blooms with the shaded background is totally clean, simple and perfect!

Kelly S.

Kelly used my new favorite set, Rosie Posie to create this soft and wonderful beauty...and in all honesty, I absolutely loved her first card. It's a bold and beautiful stunner. Make sure you take a look!

Honey Spoon Giveaway

Thanks for all the "sweet" comments on my honey spoon project. I loved reading each one and I hope you're inspired to make some non-candy valentine's day gifts!

Now for the winner:

Connie!!!

Connie said...
: Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful little valentine treat! I hope you don't mind but I just have to make a few of these. I made homemade suckers/lollipops for my niece for Valentines Day and it will fit in these perfectly.

I think everyone will let you slide on your blogging considering what it is that has gotten your attention lately:)

Thank you so much for all your inspiration as well as the opportunity to win those yummy honey spoons! I look forward to each and every email update I get from you. Keep them coming!(after your upcoming nuptials of course); February 2, 2012 12:01 AM; If your named popped up in this list of winners, send me and email with your mailing information and I'll send you some fun prizes your away!

Thanks for stopping by! I'm back off to more wedding fun!

Winner Announcement Delay

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:52:00 +0000

Hi friends!

Just stopping in to let you know that I'll be posting several winners today! I'm on the run to get some wedding things done before tomorrow's bridal shower (YAY!!!) so I'll be posting the winners this afternoon.

Thanks for understanding!

Hasta luego!

Tea Time Valentines

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:11:00 +0000

Hi there everyone!

I have terrible blogger guilt! I've done a bad job at updating - but I promise it's for a good reason! For the last week I've been a wedding paper crafting MACHINE! I'll be sharing all of our wedding paper goodness, but for now, here's a quick sneak peak of what I've been up to...

My poor Cuttlebug has been getting quite the workout and I've probably created new muscles by cranking it over and over again!

As much fun as I'm having with wedding projects, I've been completely unable to create the other projects that I have swimming around in my head. My sketch book is bursting at the seams with inspiration and ideas, but I am having a tough time finding the time to make it all! I was hoping that maybe, just maybe some magical paper crafting elves would show up in the middle of the night and create all the projects that I have sketched out...no such luck!

So - if you'll bear with me, I promise to have lots of creative projects for you...it just may be a few days between posts!

Today though, I've got a project that I really love! During the Christmas season, I made a trip to Crate & Barrell (one of my favorite stores!) and came across these...

They are honey spoons meant for stirring into your cup o' tea! How cute?! Immediately - my crafty wheels started spinning and I knew I wanted to create a sweet Valentine treat with them.

As you'll see with some of my upcoming Valentine projects, I'm doing my best this Valentine's Day to hand out non-candy gifts. Mainly it's because I am in the thick of Project Wedding Slim Down and I don't need any temptations laying around the house (although I did have a delicious handful of Peanut M&M's last week and I loved every bite!)

Anyway, these little honey spoons provided the perfect inspiration for some "tea time" Valentine treats.

Here's what I came up with:

Here's how they came together:

I trimmed and scored a piece of cardstock as shown

Then, for a quick and simple solution for creating pockets, I adhered foam tape as shown. This provided a little width to the pockets so that the tea bags would fit inside.

Last, I folded up the flaps and adhered the foam tape!

Once I decorated the treat envelopes, I nestled the honey spoon in the fold of the envelope - it's a perfect fit! I also added a small square of Scor-Tape so that I could securely seal the envie.

As for stamping the envelopes, I used the hexagon pattern from PTI's Rosie Posie along with the Honey Bees stamp set to create a colorful and punny treat!

for this envie, I stamped a heart image from PTI's Love Tags 2010 and added the "bee" sentiment on a separate flag that I cut from white cardstock.

Now in order to help me get over my blogger guilt, I thought I'd finish this post off with a giveaway! Since Crate & Barrel is now sold out of the honey spoons I used in this post, I'll be giving away a set of them to one lucky commenter! That way, you can create some tea time treats of your own!

Just leave a comment on this post and I'll announce a winner on Friday (along with the winners of the Do-Over Blog Hop!)

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Rosie Posie, Honey Bees, Love Tags 2010,)

Ink: Impress Fresh Ink (Strawberry, Sugar, Fuchsia, Mango); Ranger Industries (Jet Black)

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (white, Simple Valentine patterned paper)

Other: Papertrey Ink (Sweet Blush Saddle Stitch Ribbon, Pure Poppy Swiss Dot Ribbon)

Do-Over Blog Hop Reminder

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:46:00 +0000

Hey there blog friends!

I hope you don't mind that I had to take a break from my do-over projects! I've been knee deep in wedding prep for the last couple of days - making invitations and all sorts of other projects. Our wedding planner has banned me from doing any projects after March 1st, which means I need to get crackin!

I'll be back next week with more do-overs, so I hope you'll come back to see!

Until then, don't forget about the Do-Over Blog Hop! I'd love to see your fresh, new take on those old projects. Add your project to the linky below and next week, I'll select three participants to receive a few fun prize packages!

Thanks for stopping by - see you soon!

Papertrey Ink January Blog Hop & Another Blogiversary Post

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:03:00 +0000

Today is a big day! Today marks exactly one year since I started blogging and it just so happens that today's occasion coincides with the Papertrey Ink monthly blog hop - so of course I'm playing along.

Before I get to the projects - and boy are there some projects - I wanted to share some more of my ramblings about the oh so wonderful world of crafting. Yesterday, I brought up my struggle with competition and letting it take over my passion for this hobby. It was great to read everyone's thoughts and insight on the topic. I loved the dialogue! As frustrating as it is to feel my competitive nature creep up when it comes to crafting - there is a much bigger and better side to this hobby that makes it easy to stay motivated!

I have been 100% amazed at how supportive, friendly and kind this community is. I've certainly come across my fair share of nasty commenters, nay-sayers and generally unpleasant people - but those experiences are in the minority, by far - although they do make for a rather amusing stories! (Some people can get really nasty about cardstock and stamps! Geez Louis!)

I've come to "know" several crafty people and each has been a true gem! I remember going to Stamp-A-Faire and having dinner with a room full of crafty ladies. We had the best time and it was wonderful getting to know everyone! I truly get the sense that this crafting community is full of cheerleaders and go-getters who enjoy encouraging each other - I love it!

It's a blessing to have found this creative outlet and a community of supporters who are always ready to lend a hand, give a compliment or simply come by the blog to say "Hi" - it's positively fabulous!

Now onto today's projects - this is a long post so I hope you'll hang in there!

The assignment for this month's Papertrey Blog Hop is to pick a favorite project from the past year and use it as inspiration for a second card!

This challenge totally fits in with my recent "Project Do Over" posts. Today, though, I'm taking a break from the projects that I don't like and choosing two do-overs that are favorites of mine.

First up is a card I made for another PTI Blog Hop:

I had such fun stamping out this folk artsy pattern and I was so proud of my bow! Bows are just not my thing, but here it worked and I love it!

For my makeover card, I stamped a similar folk artsy design using several stamps from several different sets. I used a softer, more muted, Valentinesy color scheme this time around.

It's so much fun to play around with stamps to see how they can be combined!

To create the symmetrical design, I started by using a pencil to divide the piece of cardstock into four quadrants, with the top two quadrants being a little bigger to account for the twine I planned to tie at the top. Then I stamped the design using the pencil lines as guides for keeping things even.

My second project is a card make-over and a CASE - I'll explain:

This card is one of my all time favorites:

I love the colors and the layout, with the blooms all gathered on the side of the card. For my makeover of this card, I'm actually CASEing a card that I saw on the Snow & Graham site. (P.S. If you're not familiar with Snow & Graham - you will love it! So much beautiful stationery and so much inspiration)

This is the card that I saw and loved:

Similar to my card, this one has the flowers sort of gathered onto one side with a simple sentiment perched within the white space.

So, with this card and my card in mind, I did something that I try to avoid. I CASED this card. It took a little creativity to recreate this layout, which made me feel a bit better about replicating the design.

Here's what I did:

Using PTI's Beautiful Blooms #1, I die cut flower shapes from Post-Its to create masks. For this project, I opted for using the Post -It Full Adhesive notes, so make sure I got a good "seal" when adhering the masks.

Next, I simply adhered the die cuts on the cardfront.

I needed to create solid leave stamps for this card and since I don't own any, I made some using the PTI Sending You dies and fun foam. Just die cut the shapes from the foam and adhere to an acrylic block.

I used the foam stamps to stamp solid leaf images all around the die cut masks. When doing this, be sure to stamp all edges of each mask to leave a clean, crisp negative image when they're removed.

Once removed, I stamped the sentiment and centers on the flowers using the small dandelion image from the Botanical Silhouette Anniversary Set.

I know it's a lot of photos and words - but I promise this is a really quick card to pull together!

Okee Dokee - I'm done (finally, right?!)

I hope I haven't annoyed you with today's long post. I love both of these projects and I hope they give you some ideas for creating fun cards of your own!

Have a great day!

Supplies:

Folk Art Card #2:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Mat Stack 5 {red flourishes}, Christmas Friends {bird images}, Sending You {green leaves}, Botanical Silhouettes {small pink flowers}, Mat Stack 1 {pink flourishes above and below sentiment}, Love Birds {sentiment}) Hero Arts (Sweet Hearts {heart images})

Ink: Impress Fresh Ink (Basil, Pink Lemonade, Sugar, Strawberry, Fuchsia

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink: Rustic Cream, Fine Linen, Vintage Cream)

Other: Pink baker's twine

Masked Thank You Card:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Inside & Out Thank You, Botanical Silhouettes)

Ink: Impress Fresh Ink (Basil), Ranger Industries (Jet Black)

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream)

Other: Papertrey Ink (Sending You Die collection)

Bloggiversary Week: Competive Crafting

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:34:00 +0000

Another day. Another post to celebrate one year of blogging! I'm gonna hijack your attention for a little bit as I pontificate about this whole crazy crafting thing.

Really, I've got just one question - When did papercrafting become a competitive sport!? When I think about it, I have this vision of a bunch of ladies - adhesive in one hand and die cuts in the other - crafting to the death. Kind of like Gladiator - where the king will give a thumbs up to the best card and the others are carted off, never to be seen again. Of course, I'm being facetious...sorta.

I remember how shocked I was to find out how competitive the hobby could be. Who's on what design team. Who's a "name." Who's won what challenges. It's really quite crazy-making! And in all honestly, there was a decent amount of time when I got sucked in the crazy competition of it all - and soon after - I wrote this Cards & Confessions post.

Thankfully, since that post, I've stuck to my word and been a lot less hard on myself and a lot less competitive about this hobby. I post things that I love and if others do too - it's a bonus.

As I've grown into my own crafting style, I've also found myself being much less competitive and much more realistic with myself. Truth of the matter is - there are some things I'm good at and there are some things I just can't do well. For example, no matter how many times I try to do shabby chic - it's just not gonna work. No matter how many vintage inspired stamp sets I purchase - Melissa Phillips, I will never be. If I need something shabby chic - I'd better case it or just give up. I feel comfortable in my niche and if I create something shabby - it's purely by chance, not because I put the pressure on myself the do it.

With this change, I've noticed that I participate in far fewer challenges. I find much more enjoyment in creating the projects that just pop into my head, rather than the ones that are dictated by a color scheme or a particular theme. I enjoy the creative freedom of making whatever I'd like to make! I'm sure I'll get back into the challenge thing, but for now, I've got lots of ideas that I'm so excited to share!

Now- with all that said - I do still hold myself accountable for the atrocities that I've posted in the past...which brings me to today's "do-over." When I searched through the last year of posts, this card stood out as one of my absolute least favorite. What was I thinking! I'm embarrassed to even post it again here! YOWZAS!

All that embossing and fussy cutting and vellum and more embossing and gold ball things and distressing - geeez! Entirely. too. much. happening. here. And for the love of God, why did I think it was a good idea to photograph this against a neon green background. Funny thing is - Andrew loves this card and another one of my girlfriends said she loves it too! I guess we each have our own taste, huh?

Well, I needed to rectify this shambolic mess of a card...so here we go...

I pulled a few elements from the original and created something much more clean, simple and true to my current style. This layout would be great for a masculine Valentine's Day card - just change up the sentiment.

Phew! I feel much better about this! I'll sleep better tonight!

Now - I know I said there would be a giveaway today, but I've changed things up a bit thanks to a great suggestion made by Rochelle. I'm gonna have a little Do-Over Blog Hop!

We all have a few of those "what was I thinking" projects - and now it's time to make things right by recreating them in a way that makes you happy!

On January 31st , I'll randomly select THREE blog hop participants to receive a prize package full of papercrafting goodies! I can't wait to see your makeovers!

One Year of Damask Loving - Can you believe it!?

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:39:00 +0000

Hi there blog friends!

This week (on Wednesday to be exact) will mark one year of Damask Loving! I am so excited that I made it this long. When I started - I wasn't sure if I could keep it up this long, but here I am - still crafting away.

I went back and forth about how to celebrate this fun occasion. I've decided that I want to use this week to reflect on the ups and downs of this whole crazy world of crafting. If you're not so interested in the whole "reflecting" thing - I'll also have a couple of giveaways and lots of projects too. I hope you'll hang out with me and celebrate a year of the good, the bad and the ugly - and boy have their been some uglies - which brings me to today's reflection.

Blogs are such a blessing and a curse. That may be a bit of an overstatement, but I'll explain what I mean. I love being able to chronicle all the crafty things I've made. Especially since many of them are gifts for other people, it's really nice to have photos to look back on and remember the fun things I've made. That's the blessing.

Then there's the curse. You see, last week, I did something that I haven't done since I launched Damask Love...I went through my whole blog. All I have to say is YIKES! There are some doozies buried in there. As I looked through the projects of the past, I was a little embarrassed by some of the things I've posted. It's nice to see how my style has changed and developed over time and how I've grown as a papercrafter. Even with that said - there are a few cards in the archives that need to be laid to rest.

It would be completely disingenuous for me to delete those projects and act as if they never happened. After all - I made them and liked them at one point. They are a part of the growing process, BUT - that doesn't mean I can't try to make things right - right?!

So - this week, in addition to sharing my thoughts, I'm also gonna call a do-over on a few projects from way back when...

and without further adieu - here's the first do-over:

Now, this card isn't terrible by any stretch. The borders are even. I love the stripes...but when I look at it today, I'm thoroughly unimpressed with myself. The overall feel of the card isn't as sophisticated as I'd like and it's not really my style. And if I'm gonna get nitpicky...I really don't like how I stamped the sentiment on the middle stripe. Generally speaking, this card is not one of my faves.

Hopefully, I don't sound like a complaining, pessimist. That is not my intent. Instead, I really wanted to take the opportunity to study my past cards and make them better, and truer to my current style.

For my do-over card, I used stripes and die cuts, just like in the original, but this time, I used a layout that is much more my style.

This card is certainly not rocket science but it's right up my alley! I positioned the sentiment in the upper right of the card which is a little different from what I typically do. I also positioned it tightly within the stripes without any space above or below the letters. Compared to the first pink & white striped creation, this card speaks more to my preference for graphic and modern cards!

And with that card done - I'm signing off for today! Come back tomorrow for another "do-over" and a giveaway!!!

Supplies for "Hi" card:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (Sweet Blush, white craft)
Other: Alphablock Dies

Clear and Simple Stamps January Style Watch - Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:11:00 +0000

Hey there Style Watchers!

So sorry about my late post today. I hope you'll forgive me once you get a peek at today's awesomely fun project!

I may be getting a little ahead of myself with today's group of projects, but I simply could not resist a little St. Patrick's Day crafting when I got a hold of this month's release package.   

Among the many newly released sets is the Lucky Charm stamp set, which is a much needed addition to my collection. I didn't own any St. Patrick's Day themed stamps before Lucky Charm, and this set totally fills in the gap!  

It's full of adorable and punny sentiments, as well as, a rainbow image that goes perfectly with the pot o' gold image included in the previously released Taglines set - don't you just love that each release works so perfectly with one another.   

Today's project showcases a card and two treat packages. I got creative with my Build-a-Critters: Owl/Kitty and my Party Favor #1 die cuts to create a pot o' gold treat bag that is simply "charming"...  

Keep scrolling for more photos and details about creating these fun treats!
Until Later Loverlies,
Amber

Today's trio of treats came together with just a few die cuts and stamps. Here's a peek at the finished products!

For each piece of this ensemble, I used stamps from Lucky Charm and Taglines. These two sets are a match made in papercrafting heaven!

For the card, I stamped the rainbow image from Lucky Charm along with the pot o' gold from Taglines! Weren't they just made for each other ?! A little coloring finished off this simple notecard.

Now for the details on making the treat containers! I wanted to create two containers that mimicked the images on the card.

I started off my making an adorable pot o' gold gift bag! You won't believe how simple these are to make!

First I die cut the Party Favor #1 die with black cardstock (not shown). Next, I die cut two of the Owl/Kitty body shapes. Here's what I mean...

Step one was to create the die cuts -easy peasy.

Next, I trimmed 1 1/2" off the top of each die cut and rounded the top corners on the remaining bottom portion. This bottom portion became my "pot."

Then I adhered the cuts on either side of the Party #1 favor bag. Voila! You've got your own adorable pot o' gold! I filled my bag with chocolate coins which I picked up at Party City.

Of course my pot o' gold needed a rainbow, so I created one very simply by arranging a spectrum of jelly beans in a small plastic tube! Topped off with a tag and the perfect sentiment, these treat containers are the perfect pair!

That's all from me today! I hope these project get you in the spirit to be creative with your Build-A-Critter dies! The possibilities are endless!

SUPPLIES:
STAMPS: Lucky Charm, Trendy Tags, Taglines
INK: Perfect Little Black Dress, Green with Envy
PAPER: Perfect Little Black Dress, A Blanc Check
SIMPLE CUTS: Tags #1, Party Favor #1, Build-a-Critter: Owl/Kitty
OTHER: Dimensionals, Corner Rounder, Baker's Twine

Clean and Simple Card Class - Card Sets

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:36:00 +0000

Ok - buckle in. This is going to be a long post with lots of photos...but if you hang in there, I think you'll like it...it's definitely one of my faves!

Today's Clean and Simple Card Class lesson is all about creating card sets - and if you know me - you know I LOVE making card sets. When I was a kid, I collected stationery and the only thing that has changed is that now I make my own stationery!

In today's lesson, Jen McGuire created the most awesome stationery set! She stamped a beautiful background then left space on the card for the recipient to adhere her choice of sentiment strips, which Jen included in the stationery set! So clever and such a fun way to give stationery!

So....for today's project, I took inspiration from several places. First, I loved the concept behind Jen's stationery set, which I combined with inspiration that I recently found in an issue of House Beautiful magazine.

I saw this bedding and immediately wanted to replicate it with stamps and paper.

Here's a quick peek at the finished project - and then I'll share photos and details about each step.

The design here is not quite as clean and simple as you might expect, but I do think the fresh colors and minimal layers keeps things simple even with the busy pattern.

Ok - so here's how these cards came together:

I started by stamping a pattern using Papertrey Ink's Rosie Posie and Turning a New Leaf stamp sets. As you can see, the design is pretty, but a little flat. To add dimension without adding layers, I simply used colored pencils to add shading to each element of the stamped design.

See what a huge difference that makes!? By using colored pencils, I think the design really comes to life and looks a lot more polished and sophisticated.

Next, I ran the stamped cardstock through my Cuttlebug along with the Papertrey Ink Canvas/Linen Impression plate. Since I was inspired by fabric, I wanted to add the suggestion of fabric to the card.

I adhered the impressed cardstock onto a white A2 cardbase.

Now - you could totally stop right here and have a fabulous all-occasion card featuring this beautiful floral pattern.

Since this is a card set though, I wanted to add the fun element of sentiments that the recipient could choose from when sending a card.

I created a selection of common sentiments using the Papertrey Ink Mat Stack 4 Collection which features a small little banner stamp that has space for a stamped sentiment. I stamped the banners and sentiments in vibrant colors, then cut them out.

To make sure that the recipient would have no difficulty adhering the sentiments, I added a strip of dimensional adhesive to the back of each one.

Now of course I had to package these up in a fun way, right?!

I placed the cards in a clear box then wrapped it with fun green chevron ribbon that I purchased from a seller on Etsy. Don't you LOVE that ribbon?!?!

Then - for the sentiment strips, I thought it would be fun to play off the beautiful floral garden feel of the cards. So I opted to package the strips in a seed packet envelope!

I tied the seed packet onto the ribbon so that everything was packaged up together.

UPDATE: I've received a couple of questions regarding the seed packet die - and I'm glad I did because I completely forgot to include the details on this part of the project! To create the windowed seed packet here's what I did:

1) Die cut the seed packet and frame.
2) Use a rectangle die cut or a craft knife to remove the center portion of the seed packet envelope. Don't remove the entire front of the envelope. Just enough to account for the size of the opening in the seed packet frame.
3) Adhere acetate to the back of the seed packet frame.
4) Adhere the seed packet frame over the opening in the front of the envelope using dimensional adhesive.

And one of my favorite parts of this card set is that the sentiment can be adhered in any way you'd like. You can orient the card horizontally or vertically and the pattern still works

This card set may go down as one of my favorite projects ever! I just love the colorful flowers and the texture of the linen impression! Top it off with assorted sentiments and you just can't lose!

Hope this project inspires you to create some card sets of your own!!

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Rosie Posie, Turning a New Leaf, Mat Stack 4, Mat Stack 1, Garden Variety, Simple Stationery)

Ink: Impress Fresh Ink (Pink Lemonade, Silver Lilac, French Lavender, Mojito, Tuscan Olive, Peach) ; Versafine Ink (Habanero)

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (white)

Other: Prismacolor Colored Pencils (Parma Violet, Pink, Apple Green, Orange, Light Aqua); Papertrey Ink (Canvas/Linen Impression Plate, Seed Packet Die, Seed Packet Frame Die, A2 Card Set Clear Box)

Quatrefoil Revival

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:39:00 +0000

I was poking around on the Papertrey Ink Forum the other day and came across a forum member in search of ideas for reviving her use of the PTI Quatrefoil die.

The thread made me realize that I've really neglected this die and I was immediately inspired to bring it back out for some attention.

I like to keep things especially simple with this die, since it is so intricate and busy on it's own. For today's project, I also wanted to get creative with the quatrefoil die and use it in a new way.

I decided to create a couple of A1 sized notecards - which was sort of necessary given my approach to using the the die...I'll show you what I mean:

I trimmed away the edge of the die cut to create a different sort of background for my card. With the edge gone, I had to make the card size smaller than the typical 4.25" x 5.5" dimensions, since the die itself is exactly those dimensions.

Then, I adhered the die to the cardbase leaving space on the bottom for a strip of cardstock where I would stamp the sentiment.

With the die cut adhered, I simply trimmed off the excess.

I stamped the sentiment on neutral cardstock backed with a sliver of bold green cardstock.

For the second card, I used the same technique but cut the quatrefoil pattern apart and inserted the sentiment strip in the middle.

I am loving these simple cards! I'm going to be needing lots of thank you cards for wedding gifts and these will work just perfectly!

NOTE: Now, you may be wondering why I didn't just adhere the full quatrefoil panel to the cardfront and then adhere the sentiment strip on top. Well, I tried that at first, and the finished product just wasn't as polished as I wanted. I like having the sentiment strip sitting flush against the quatrefoil - almost as if they are one piece. It's just my preference - you could totally forgo this part of the process!

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Special Edition Thank You set, Mat Stack 1 Collection)

Ink: Ranger Industries (Jet Black), Impress Fresh Ink (Slate)

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (Smokey Shadow, Vintage Cream, Soft Stone, Simply Chartreuse, Aqua Mist)

Other: Papertrey Ink (Quatrefoil Die)

Clean and Simple Card Class - Study of White Space

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:25:00 +0000

I love a white cardbase. It's probably my favorite. One of my favorite cards that I ever made is THIS one, that includes plenty of white space!

One of my go-to ways to use white space is including a bold focal image and a simple sentiment.

For today's Clean and Simple Card Class, we're studying white space and all the cool ways to incorporate it into card design.

For my "assignment" I decided to revamp the design I used in that first card using different stamps but a similar layout.

I opted to pair my white card with a sizable image and dimension.

I love that huge flower so much!!!

With such a simple layout, I added dimension to the flower by cutting it out in different shades of pink and adhering them together with dimensionals.

Tip: To add more dimension, outline each flower layer with a marker that is the same color as the cardstock. This will add subtle shading.

Simplicity is my favorite look when it comes to cards, so I love a card with lots of white space!

Supplies:

Stamps: Hero Arts (Everyday Sayings, Sweet Petals Cling Stamp)

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (white, True Black), Bazzil (Chablis, Pinkini, Tutu Pink)

Ink: Ranger Industries (Jet Black)

Blog Hop Winner and CAS Class Day #6 Project

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:47:00 +0000

Hey there everyone!

Today I've got a couple of fun things to share with you! First, I've got the winner of the Cool Tools Blog Hop!

The 83rd comment was from:

Marie / Legojenta said...
What a wonderfully great idea to use that border punch to make tags! TFS =)
January 13, 2012 1:32 PM

Marie, make sure you send me an email so that I can pass your information along to the Paper Crafts Magazine peeps!

To everyone else who participated in the hop - thank you for all your lovely comments and emails! I was so excited every time I received a new comment and was delighted by the kindness!! (Seriously, ask Andrew- I read all the comments outloud to him and was super smiley when I did!)

Now on to the second fun thing for the day - a card!


I've decided to get in on the fun at the Clean & Simple Card Class. I'm not only guest designing but I'm also participating - and I'm learning lots!

Today's class is all about DIY embellishments - the CAS way. I'm always a little afraid of DIY embellishment challenges, since I'm never quite sure if I've DIY'ed properly, or if my creation counts as an "embellishment" - ah well!

For my card today, I used an image from PTI's Baby Button Bits in a totally non-baby way.

Clear and Simple Stamp January Style Watch Issue #2

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Hey there Style Watchers!

Today marks one month from Valentine's Day and I've got a project that you won't want to miss!

I am head over heels in love with all the party favor dies included in this month's release. I've have a blast playing with them and coming up with creative ways to use them. Today's project is no exception.

I remember being a gradeschooler and receiving bag-fulls of miniature Valentine's Day cards, many of which had a piece of candy attached. There is no reason that the fun of miniature Valentine cards should be for gradeschoolers only! We adults should join in on the fun too, right?

Well, take a look at today's mini Valentine "boxes" that I created using the basic box top die from Party Favor Die #2. It's super cute and very easy to make, and they are perfectly sized to fit a few grown-up chocolates inside. Set up an assembly line and you can pump out a bunch of these in no time!

Keep scrolling for a brief photo tutorial on creating these quick and easy Valentine's Day containers.

Until Later Loveries,
Amber D.

Here's the basic step-by-step for turning your Party Favor #3 die into a perfect little treat box:

For today's project, I took these three basic steps and added a few fun accents...

I stamped each box with patterns from Hearts Plus and used Shapes: Hearts die cuts to create a window in the front which I backed with acetate. I also added a sentiment banner using Spellbinders Shapabilities Ribbon Banners dies.

These little boxes are perfectly sized to hold two Ghirardelli chocolate squares, which makes these treat boxes very adult-friendly

I love how easy these boxes are to create! I've already made a bunch for friends and coworkers!!

Thanks for stopping in today for some inspiration! Have a great weekend!

Paper Crafts Magazine Cool Tools Blog Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Happy Friday Friends!

Today I'm joining forces with 9 other designers to promote the newest issue of Paper Crafts Magazine - Cool Tools for Papercrafters.

This issue of Paper Crafts definitely goes down as one of my Top Five Faves! If you haven't picked up a copy - you really should! This is the kind of magazine that you'll keep forever and refer to often! Oh - and did I mention that one of my projects made the cover?!?!? How awesome is that?!

Today, we've all come together to share our own take on one "cool" tool that most crafter have in their arsenal: The Paper Punch.

I've gotta admit - I own way too many paper punches...and I NEVER use them! So, today's blog hop assignment was a welcome challenge for me to put those punches to work.

With Valentine's Day a month away, I am totally in "treat bag" state of mind! I decided that I'd use a few of my punches to create some quick and easy Valentine's Day treat bags with tags.

You'll love how easy these are to make and mass produce!

For these bags, I used punches for each component, making these really quick to create....

Here are my supplies...

The heart punch is an anywhere on the page punch by Martha Stewart and it fit perfectly into the paper bags to create a little window.

TIP: When using the scalloped border punch on the paper bag edge - fold the bag down first, then punch. This will ensure that both bag edges are even with each other.

Now - see those sweet little tags on the treat bags? I made those with a punch too!!! I used the EK Success Abstract Flower Edger which I got in my WCMD prize package! Here's a look at how they came together...

I punched the edge of a scrap strip of white cardstock.

Then I trimmed apart the strip like this.

Last, I used my Corner Chomper 1/4" punch to round the corners and stamped each tag with a sentiment from Papertrey Ink's Little Label set.

For a bit of color on each bag, I stamped the flap with a background stamp using classic Valentine's Day colors.

Hope this project inspires you to pull out your neglected punches and get creative with them!

Now before you leave, be sure to leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of this fabulous issue AND be sure leave comments on every blog along the way for the best chance of winning.

You also have the chance to win the mother of all prize packages by taking a trip over to the Paper Crafts Connection Blog where they are giving away many of the tools featured in Cool Tools for Papercrafters!

And with that...it's time for you to head off to see the rest of the inspiration from 9 other talented ladies (seriously - I am so excited to be participating with such an amazing group!!!)

2012 Custom Calendar Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:15:00 +0000

Hey there!

Today I've got all my calendar downloads for you in one place along with some tips for creating your own custom stamped calendars.

Let's get started...

Traditional and Modern 11x17 Wall Calendars

This calendar is one that I never posted. It's the same layout as the floral one, just with modern fonts and a more modern and graphic imagery. I also rounded the corners of the calendar for a little something different.

Download templates here:

Traditional Font 11x17 Wall Calendar

Modern Font 11x17 Wall Calendar

Mehndi Medallion Desk Calendar

This is one of my favorites! I love the simplicity of it! You certainly don't need to use the Mehndi Medallion stamp on this calendar. Get creative and stamp any image in the open space!

Download template here:

Mehndi Medallion Desk Calendar

Modern Patterns Desk Calendar

For this calendar, I've got two templates for you. One with the dates perfectly centered and another with the dates a bit off center toward the right (as shown above). This allows you the choice of stamping a number in place of the month as I did in this calendar or you can go the more traditional route and stamp the month name above the dates.

Download templates here:

Modern Patterns Desk Calendar - Off Center

Modern Patterns Desk Calendar - Centered

Landscape Inspirational Calendar

I designed this calendar to fit within the Landscape Calendar Case available at www.calendar-case.com. You definitely don't need the case though - this would make a great desk calendar placed on an easel! For the templates, I had to create six different documents (two months on each page) since I was having a terrible time getting the formatting to cooperate. I hope this isn't too inconvenient!

Download Templates Here:

Landscape Desk Calendar - Jan/Feb

Landscape Desk Calendar - March/April

Landscape Desk Calendar - May/June

Landscape Desk Calendar - July/Aug

Landscape Desk Calendar - Sept/Oct

Landscape Desk Calendar - Nov/Dec

Business Card Sized Desk Calendar

I designed this template to fit in the Business Card sized clear calendar case available at www.calendar-case.com. This is probably on of the quickest calendars to create! Just stamp fun, simple images on each page and you're done! Again, because of formatting problems, this is a two page template with six months on each page.

Download templates here:

Business Card Sized Calendar: January-June

Business Card Sized Calendar: July-December

Now for a few tips on creating your custom calendar:

Before printing, check the page size in your "Print" dialog box. There were a few times when my computer automatically set the printer to fit the calendar onto a 8.5x11 sheet of paper. For many of the templates this is ok, but for the Modern Pattern Desk Calendar, for example, the template is formatted to print directly onto an 8.5 x 5.5, so you'll need to check your setting to make sure that it will print correctly.

Looking for 11x17 cardstock? Check out Paper Presentation! You can also find a lighter weight 11x17 cardstock at most FedEx Kinkos stores.

Can't print onto 11x17 paper from your home computer? I was able to print mine at a FedEx Kinkos store. You can also try Staples or Office Max where they offer printing service

For the Mehndi Medallion Calendar, here are two tips that will help you out:

Save the scraps!

Each page of the Mehndi calendar measures 4x6, which means I could fit two on each page. That also means that you'll have a lot of scraps after trimming down each page. Save the scraps! You can use them for making a belly band or tags for packaging.

Pencil in the month.

These calendar pages do not include the month. I did this so that I could stamp the month on each page using PTI's Calendar Basics. I have noted the corresponding month next to each page but when you trim this part away, you don't want to lose track of which month is which. To solve this issue, I simply penciled the month name on the back of each calendar page. Once I was done stamping, I erased my notes.

Please email me with any questions you have and if you create a calendar with one of these templates - I'd love to see!!!

Have a great day!

Monograms Made Easy...My first Ella Article

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:42:00 +0000

Hi friends,

I've got a brief but exciting post for you today - AND a simple bonus project that you might just like!

First let's get to the exciting part of today's post:

I've had the wonderful opportunity to write and article and create a group of projects to be featured at Ella Publishing. How fun is that?!

Today, the article entitled, Monograms Made Easy went live and you should definitely take a trip over there to check it out! I'm a huge fan of monogrammed stationery, so I had a great time creating these card sets.

Here's a peek at one of my monogram projects featured in the article. You'll find four other card ideas along with supplies and instructions in the Ella Article ....(and if you keep scrolling through this post, you'll find another bonus monogram project that you won't see over at Ella)

Be sure you head over the Ella Publishing to see all the details for this card set! It's my favorite of the cards I created and I think you may agree!!

Now for the bonus project...

For this simple set of one-layer stationery, I used Papertrey Ink's Delightful Doilies set and stamped off the bottom corner of a Vintage Cream cardbase.

I love the engravers font included in several of PTI's recent sets, so I masked the "Warm Wishes" sentiment from Holiday Photo Finishers . Maybe someone will come out with an engraver's font alphabet set, but until then, this masking technique works perfectly for monogramming!

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you'll check out my article! And if you're up to it, I'd love to hear what you think about the projects or any ideas you have for other projects to be featured at Ella. I'm chomping at the bit to create more!!!

Clear and Simple Stamps January Group Project

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:57:00 +0000

As the Style Watch Editor for Clear and Simple Stamps, I don't always take advantage of the monthly design team group projects. This month, though, I couldn't pass up the chance to play along. This month, the group project theme is:

It's in the Bag

The January Clear and Simple Stamps release is full of amazing dies that are perfect for creating gift boxes and favor bags. Since I love to papercraft and party plan...this challenge is right up my alley!

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I thought I'd create a trio of treat bags for the holiday. I also wanted to create something using the Party Favors #2 Die Collection

This particular die collection includes three dies. One for the bottom of the gift box...and two tops (one basic and one decorative). Of course, you can use these dies to make a ton of amazing gift boxes, but I also want to share a couple of ideas for stretching your usage of these tools. Today, I'll be sharing one of my ideas and I have another project using Party Favor #2 that I'll showcase in this Saturday's Style Watch!

For today's project, I created something that I'm calling "Bag Boxes". They are SUPER simple to make!

Here's a little photo tutorial on creating these...

I die cut and assembled the basic top that is included in Party Favors #2. I also trimmed a piece of patterned acetate to 12" x 4.25". For this project I used Hambly patterned acetate.

I adhere Scor-tape around the outside lip of the box as shown.

**Tip: Scor-tape works best for this because it is super sticky and you don't want any problems keeping the acetate adhered to the box top.

Next, it's just a matter of adhering the length of acetate cardstock around the box top and filling it up with treats!

To close the bag, I punched a hole in both sides, and tied a ribbon.

I played around with color combinations for this trio of bags and added a heart shaped tag using the Shapes: Hearts die collection and sentiments from Taglines and Love Cupid.

These little guys came together really quickly and could be easily mass produced for friends, coworkers or teachers.

I hope I've inspired you to get creative with your Party Favor #2 Die! Now it's time for more inspiration from the CSS Design Team:

Clear and Simple Stamps Blog

One last calendar...

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:45:00 +0000

I thought I was done making calendars until I started cleaning up my craft desk and came across one of the clear calendar cases that was included in my sampler pack from Calendar-case.com

It's a business card sized case and I thought how adorable it would be to create a simple, miniature desk calendar. So I did.

I'll share a few photos of the finished product and on Thursday of this week, I'll be posting a calendar recap that will include photos and downloads for all the calendars I've shared here on the blog (...plus a few that I haven't!!) Be sure to stop by on Thursday for the full list of projects and downloads!

But for now...take a look at this little mini. It doesn't get much simpler than this project! Each page has one (or two) simple images and that's it!

just noticed that September and August are flip flopped....oops!

Here's what it looks like in the case...

And here is it ready to gift...

I'll see you tomorrow for the Clear and Simple Stamps Design Team group challenge! It's going to be a good one!!!

Before I go, here's the supply rundown for each page of this mini calendar:

January
Stamps: Clear and Simple Stamps (Taglines)
Ink: Ranger Archival Jet Black, colored in with Tombow Watercolor Markers

February
Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Love Songs)
Ink: Impress Fresh Ink (Honey, Pink Lemonade, Strawberry)

March
Stamps: Clear and Simple Stamps (Lucky Charm)
Ink: Impress Fresh Ink (Basil)

April
Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Scattered Shower Additions)
Ink: Impress Fresh Ink (Mango)

May
Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Wishing You)
Ink: Impress Fresh Ink (Basil, French Lavender, Mango, Pink Lemonade)

June
Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Up Up & Away)
Ink: Impress Fresh Ink (Strawberry, Sicilian Blue), Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)

July
Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Fruit Fusion: Melon)
Ink: Impress Fresh Ink (Fuchsia, Basil)

August
Stamps: Practicing Creativity (The Whole Cycle)
Ink: Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black), colored in with Tombow watercolor markers

September
Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Fruitful)
Ink: Impress Fresh Ink (Red Currant, Pear)

October
Stamps: Skipping Stones Stamps (Halloweenie)
Ink: Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black), colored in with Tombow Watercolor Markers

November
Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Falling Leaves)
Ink: Impress Fresh Ink (Mango, Fig, Honey, Chamomile)

December
Stamps: Clear and Simple Stamps (Cookie Bake)
Ink: Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black), colored in with Tombow Watercolor Markers