Season's Greetings...

The beautiful part about Christmas season is that there are infinite traditions and infinite ways to celebrate.  For some, this is the most hallowed of holidays.  For others, it is simply the season to embrace all that is good about humanity.  And let's face it...for many it's about SHOPPING!  

It is my most favorite holiday.  I love the food, the family, the music, the togetherness...  As a mother, Christmas has taken on a whole 'nother meaning.  My husband and I look forward to shopping for our son together and then surprising him on the big day!  That's my inspiration for today's card.  I'm submitting this design for the Paper Smooches Sparks Anything Goes Challenge.

I'm all kinds of in love with Tim Holtz's watercolor paper.  I just love the texture.

I used dimensional tape and glossy accents make the shop windows and lantern pop.

The sentiment is from Freckled Fawn.  I thought it was so appropriate.

Inspiration:  Small town USA, downtown.  You know, Main Street where the lamp posts are decorated and the attached shops are lovely and charming.

Supplies:

Markers - Copic (lots of 'em)

Sentiment stamp - Freckled Fawn

Tim Holtz Water Color Paper

Zig Kuretake Gansai Tambi Water Colors

Images - Paper Smooches (Promenade)

Peace Y'all,

Rochelle

Thankful...

Papercrafting is big on trends.  I am not ashamed to admit that I fall prey to mostly all of the new trends.  I try and incorporate them into my projects and still maintain my signature style.  

But...ya know what?  I find that I become just as excited about techniques as well.  

I don't know about you but, the more I add new techniques to my arsenal, the better I become as a crafter.  There are some "basic" papercrafting skills that will always without fail - add value to a project.  One of those techniques for me is masking.

I used masking on this card and I just LOVE it!  I'm linking it up with the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

I just love how this card turned out.  See the masking?  I think it made all the difference.

I've never been really good with listing my supplies.  ESPECIALLY the Copic markers that I've used.  However, I can tell you I used about nine different markers on the leaves.

Inspiration:  My yard!  I have beautiful oak trees and many other varieties of trees on my property and they're all so pretty!

Supplies:

Markers - Copic (lots of 'em)

Leaf stamp - Freckled Fawn

Sentiment - Avery Elle Stamps (Aim High)

Peace y'all,

Rochelle

A Lovely Day...

I think everyone that has ever participated in the art/hobby of paper crafting has read Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking Magazine.  I also think that we were all shocked to learn that our beloved mainstay is going to stop publishing!  When I started out in this hobby I felt overwhelmed.  I would visit different crafter's blogs, and manufacturer's blogs and I would compare myself to them.  I would inevitably end up discouraging myself by comparing myself to those seasoned crafters.  I thought their stashes were better than mine (well, they were) and I thought their blogs looked better than mine...etc.  HOWEVER, when I discovered the Moxie Fab blog (then run by Cath), I found my paper crafting voice!  Through Cath's challenges, I unlocked my creativity on a completely different level.  About six to seven months after that, I began submitting to publication calls!  I also began to be selected to join design teams.  So, just like everyone else, Paper Crafts has been an integral part of my crafting experience.

Today, my card is dedicated to all the staff, editors and Go-To Gals over at Paper Crafts Mag.  I've been endlessly inspired by the magazines, blog posts and contests.  Thank you, thank you, thank you...

I've recently become more and more enamored with water coloring.  Today, I learned how to mix different colors in order to create a "drippy" ombre effect.

Now that I look at it, this is a VERY trendy card.  It features origami, sequins and watercolor.

Inspiration:  I wanted to create a card that embodied the darkness of night and the cheerfulness of day.

This is a perfect card for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.  Your project must feature stars. 

Supplies:

Tim Holtz Water Color Paper

Zig Kuretake Gansai Tambi Water Colors

Mama Elephant Origami Stamp Set

6mm Cupped Sequins in Silver (iheartpapers.com)

Peace y'all,

Rochelle

Handmade Holidays 2014 Blog Hop

Welcome to the final day of the 4th Annual Handmade Holidays Blog Hop! We hope you enjoyed the projects from the last 2 days! A few years ago we were looking online for handmade gift ideas and thought it would be great if there was a resource dedicated JUST to handmade gift ideas. Enter the Handmade Holidays hop! We've gathered over 100 of our creative blogger friends in the craft industry as well as some of our fellow product manufacturers to bring you a plethora of inspiring gift ideas you can make now to give to your friends, family, and colleagues. Pin and bookmark these ideas for this holiday season and to use throughout the year! Each day of the hop features approximately 30 gift projects and you can "hop" from one blog to another to check them all out. 

Welcome! I'd like to share my projects with you for today's lovely hop!

A few years ago, I found some vintage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle trading cards at a thrift shop. I bought them and forgot about them really. Then, I came up with the idea of making some cool jewelry out of them. I thought that would be the perfect hipster Christmas gift for one of my cool friends. I used Mod Podge and Glossy Accents to make both the earrings and the necklace. I also used jump rings and earring hooks.

I made a sweet card using Paper Smooches stamps. I thought since I was using retro TMNT cards, I'd use the sentiment "I regifted something nice for you". I used Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L to adhere my card elements and make them pop! I also used their keepsake envelopes to place my earrings inside of the card.

I used a cool earring punch to create an earring card for display!  I don't know if I'll be able to give this set away!

I was going to make a calendar out of coasters BUT...I printed out the 2014 calendar.  So, I ended up making a small thankful list for each month.  I used Tim Holtz watercolor paper.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have fun on the hop!

 Are you ready for lots more creative handmade gift ideas and projects?? Follow along on our blog hop! Simply click on each of the links below to be taken to that post with additional information and photos on how to create a handmade gift project. Have fun and pin away! Clearsnap  Westcott  Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L  Ellison Educational Equipment  ICE Resin  Neat and Tangled  Therm O Web  Walnut Hollow  Elizabeth Craft Designs  Rowland Technologies  Graphic 45  Hydrangea Hippo   Pink and Main  The Buckle Boutique  Tami Mayberry Art & Design - Tami Mayberry  Jamie Dougherty - Jamie Dougherty Designs  Elizabeth Craft Designs - Raquel Mason  Meagan - The Charming Farmer  Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L - Angela Ploegman   Carolyn Dube - A Colorful Journey  Pink and Main - Mistyana Wright  The Buckle Boutique - Niki Wilson  It’s Sew Lorine - Lorine Mason   ‎ Therm O Web - Andy Knowlton  L. Grace Lauer - Uniquely Grace  Clearsnap - Meihsia Liu Oh Snap Lizzie - Lizzie Sanchez Graphic 45 - Katie Zoey Ho Charity Wings ICE Resin - Tatiana Allen Polly Carlson - Pieces by Polly Ellison Educational Equipment - Jan Hobbins  RoseRedd Paper Studio - Rochelle Washington a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow our Handmade Holidays Gift Ideas Pinterest board for even more inspiration!

Follow Jennifer Priest of RainMaker Media Works + Hydrangea Hippo's board Handmade Holidays on Pinterest.  

A huge thank you to our sponsors for this hop - please visit their blogs & websites below and follow them. And be sure to come back tomorrow for another 30+ amazing Handmade Gift Ideas!

 

Clearsnap || Ellison Educational Equipment || Walnut Hollow || Graphic45 || Westcott || ICE Resin || Therm O Web || Rowland Industries || Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L || Pink and Main || Elizabeth Craft Designs || The Buckle Boutique || Neat and Tangled

Additional Sponsorship provided to bloggers by:

Sakura || Fairfield Processing 

You're Perfect in my Book...

Hey y'all.  Every time I get stressed out or inundated with all of life's issues, I stop doing the things that I love the most.  Crafting, creating, and keeping this blog current are usually the first to go.  I'm trying to bust out of that cycle.  My friend Stephanie and I are trying to get back to using our lovely craft products.  We are also trying to get back to ENJOYING ourselves and our favorite hobby.

Today, I'm playing along with the ladies over at Runway Inspired Challenge.  I LOVE this photo.

Here is my interpretation of the situation: 

Up close: 

Supplies:

Frame - Freckled Fawn

DP - Basic Grey "Capture"

Stamps - Mama Elephant "Origami"

Sentiment - Simon Says Stamp "To Thine Ownself"

Photo Inspiration...

When I think of blue, pink and yellow, together, I always think of sunset.  I think of the sun streaking warm waves across the sky.  I think of the dark silhouettes of birds and heavily perfumed, cool air hanging in the atmosphere.

Here I am waxing poetic about colors!  Do you ever do that?

Anyway, the inspiration photo challenge is going on over at Paper Smooches Sparks challenge blog.  The colors in the photo move me...as you can see! LOL!

This is my version of sunset on a card.  It eases my spirit.

Supplies:

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Gold and Pink Coral

Ink - Momento Tuxedo Black

Paper Smooches - My Peeps and We Totally Click

You're Awesome...

I love a good old "Anything Goes" challenge.  The Paper Smooches Sparks challenge has one going on right now.  Since I'm not quite over my new Paper Smooches set "Spectrum".  I decided to use that unicorn again.  This time I paper pieced it and added a little distress ink to give it a little bit of a loved stuffed animal affect.  My son has some very well loved stuffed animals and they inspired me for this card.

I've been really using my heat gun lately.  I use some Zing! embossing powder in opaque white to make the sentiment pop!

New techniques are always fun but, heat embossing is going to always going to be one of my favorites.

Gallop on little unicorn...gallop on!