Fourth of July Treats

Hi Stampers! I am excited to share the project I created for this week's Chi Chi Memories blog post! I have altered this adorable paint can that was originally filled with Christmas tags - no really, I didn't buy the tags so I could have the can later, I swear!

I started with my Happy 4th of July tag from the 4th of July Stamp Set which had been colored with Spectrum Noir Markers. I layered it onto a 2 1/2" circle punched from a scrap of paper I had stamped little stars onto, then added a ruffle of crepe paper to the back.

I punched some little banners to decorate the rim around the top of the can and embellished them with glittery stars and BoBunny Jewels.

I added a burst of ribbon to the handle using a variety from my scrap basket.

A little button and a few extra stars add finishing touches on the front of the can! The last step was to embellish the top. Once again I used a 2 1/2" punched circle, along with a die cut star, a scrap of ribbon, and a punched heart.

This piece came together so easily, I could have kept going but I really had to stop adding to it because I was simply running out of room! For now the can is sitting on my shelf, but a good friend just may be the lucky recipient of this little piece! It's not too late for you to stop by the Chi Chi Memories Store to get your own 4th of July stamps so you can make something fun for the upcoming holiday!

Before I leave, I just wanted to let you know that Chi Chi Memories is releasing a new stamp set next week. It's super cute and I can't wait to share a few projects using it in the coming weeks. Here's a sneak peek for you:





Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great week!

Merry Monday Challenge #67

Hi Stampers! I have to admit that I love making Christmas Cards, and I especially love having them ahead of time so I can mail them just after Thanksgiving. This is one reason I love playing along with the Merry Monday Challenge all year - aside from my addiction to all things Christmas! But this year I know I'll be ready when the time comes to mail out cards, and I think it's much more interesting to have many different cards rather than mass producing one or two designs! Here's what I came up with:

When I first saw this sketch, I wasn't quite sure what to do with that curve at the bottom. Then I remembered that I had some of these adorable crystal snowflakes that I picked up at Joanne's awhile back. There were just enough left to finish off that edge nicely!

I colored the image with my Spectrum Noir Markers. I really love how these blend together and provide a rich and evenly colored image.

The ribbon is simply 5/8" bright red from the craft store, and the brad is from Carta Bella's Merry & Bright which I picked up over at I {Heart} Papers on the clearance rack for $2 when I ordered the markers. What a deal that was!

Make sure you stop by Always Playing With Paper to see some other fun ideas made with this sketch!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Splash of Fun! Fun! Fun!

Hi Stampers! I am excited to share this card with you today. It's actually the second one I made this past week using Chi Chi Memories Splash of Fun Stamp Set. I think it would be perfect for a summer birthday, or maybe you know a teacher out there who is celebrating the first days of summer vacation this week. I know I sure do!


To make this card I started with a base of 10x7 White Card Stock for a 5x7 card. Lately I find myself drawn to bigger cards. You can put so much more on them! I layered a stamped background on top of my base that I stamped using my Stampin' Up! Distressed Dots background stamp inked in Island Indigo. For the main image I used Spectrum Noir Markers to color the divers, and Stampin' Write Markers for little touches here and there.

I printed the verse in big, bold letters and then cut them apart to make a few banners - one of the awesome things about digital stamps! I also used my Banner Punch (SU) to create the banner across the top. The colors used on this project are from last week's Color Q Challenge of Island Indigo, Bermuda Bay, Certainly Celery and Real Red.

If you want to see more paper crafting goodness today, stop by the Chi Chi Memories Blog to see what some of the other designers are showcasing there! If you don't make it today, make sure you stop by tomorrow for an amazing tutorial that I can't wait to try!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Love You Deeply

Hi Stampers! I am playing along with Freshly Made Sketches again this week! Here is the sketch I used to make this Love You Deeply Card:

Don't you think these images on Splash of Fun are just too cute not to use for a summer time card? Have I mentioned that I am really enjoying digital stamps, and here is a great example of why - I was able to enlarge the verse in this set to make it big and bold.

I thought this Pool Party paper from Stampin' Up! Sweet Shop pack would make the perfect wavy background for a couple snorkeling kids, and it came out even better than I had envisioned. I dressed up the banner with a couple of coordinating brads, it seemed the bubbly hearts were a perfect fit for the theme of the card!

I used my small hole punches to punch the bubbles from glimmer paper, and added a teeny heart. The images were colored with Spectrum Noir markers.

Visit Chi Chi Memories blog for more great ideas on using Spash of Fun, and the Chi Chi Memories Store to get a copy of your own images!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Explosion Box Made Better!

Hi Stampers! A couple weeks ago I cam across an Envelope Explosion Box I made a few years ago. It hasn't held up very well over time, mostly because it was made of thinner paper envelopes. So I set out to redesign it and see if I could make a sturdier version. Here are the final results:

This is the box all closed up. The envelopes are large enough to hold several 4x6 photos, and are hand made out of sturdy cardstock.

In this photo the outside layers of the box are open and you can see the 2nd and 3rd layers of envelopes. There are lots of pockets to tuck journal cards or mementos, and space for journaling here!

Lots of Sn@p cards, and coordinating brads and embellishments!

I think this is my favorite part of the box, isn't this a happy card?

I am in the process of scheduling this as a class, and as soon as I have a date I'll post it here and on my facebook page - My Magical Inkery Tour (and if you're there, why hot hit that Like button?)

Thanks for stopping by today!

More Fourth of July Cuteness!

Hi Stampers! Have you ever seen a Double Easel Card? I was inspired to create this after seeing a Triple Easel Card at a recent stamp show, so made this one for the Chi Chi Memories blog! Isn't this stamp set is just the cutest thing ever?

Here's a view from the side so you can see how I put it together:



Here's a close up of Candace and Jordy all dressed up for the Fourth of July festivities!



I had a little fun with that white ruffly waffle paper in the backround, too! You can grab your Fourth of July Digi Stamps in the Chi Chi Memories online store, and see what you can come up with too!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Reverse Confetti's Sketch For You To Try #1

Reverse Confetti has posted a new monthly challenge on their blog here. How cool is it to enter into a very first sketch challenge?? I found it while I was creating and blog hopping this past weekend, and thought it would be fun to create a card using some of the left over supplies from the upcoming class I was prepping.

Here's my take on this sketch:



I used a card cut from a Simple Stories 12x12 Journal Page, and added a Snap Brad to embellish the card. The design on the card fits this sketch perfectly I think. This was a quick and easy card to put together and you have to love those! If you're looking for some inspiration, stop by Reverse Confetti and play along!

Tuesday Trigger Challenge and My June Stamp A Stack Class

My card today fit perfectly with the Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World that you can view here:



I love the shabby chic combination of yellows, pinks and greens in both this photo and my card:



Here's a close-up picture of the sweet yellow flowers I mentioned in this previous post:



I love how this cluster of flowers and buttons turned out on my card. So much that I have this card prepped for my June Stamp A Stack Class at Life's Memories and More and the best part is that I have room for someone new to join! If you are going to be in Central or Western Mass, you can email me or call Tanya to add your name to the class that will be held on Thursday June 13th at 6:30. If you aren't going to be local but love the colors as much as I do, you can play along by visiting this post or just take a peek at all the Sweetness and Light that the other stampers there have shared!

Thanks for stopping by today, have a great weekend!

~Katherine

Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge #60

The Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge is becoming one of my favorite weekly challenges! I am really going to be ready to mail all these babies out on time next fall for sure! Here is my design for this week's challenge:



I used some pages from my Crate Paper Snow Day Collection 6x6 Pad, and my Winter Wishes from Unity Stamps all inked in SU Raspberry Ripple. I also used some mylar snowflakes that I had in my stash, along with some pink and clear crystals, and silver cord from Target's dollar bin.

This is a 5x7 card because I have awesome envelopes and I'm going BIG this year! I just had to add a little extra to the inside, so here's what I did there:



I used some images from my SU Snow Much Fun for the inside. My Stamp-a-ma-jig helped me make sure all the lines and images were perfectly place *favorite tool!

You can play along with this week's Merry Monday Challenge by visiting Always Playing With Paper!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #89

Hi Stampers! Today I am playing along with Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #89. I think by now it's pretty clear that I love banners of all kinds, so when I saw this sketch I knew I wanted to play along. Here's my take on the sketch:



I broke out a new stamp set that just arrived at my door yesterday, called Banner Greetings from Stampin' Up! I stamped the Happy Birthday Banner in Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral and Mambo Melon. I also think the paper flowers on this card came out pretty cute...



They were originally yellow with white polka dots, but I inked them up to match my paper and banners. Just think, I almost passed these over in a clearance bin because I wasn't sure I would need an entire bag of yellow and white flowers! Then I remembered that they were made of paper, so the color could be changed!

Well that's all for tonight, thanks for stopping by!

~Katherine

Gearing Up for the Fourth of July!

Did I mention yet that I love, love this Fourth of July stamp set from Chi Chi Memories?



With the holiday only weeks away, it seems fitting to begin planning for any upcoming barbecues or parties. There are so many possibilities swimming in my head about ways to use these stamps, but all parties should begin with a proper invitation, and I think a card like this would make a perfect invitation for a party.





The stars were popped up with foam dots to give them a little dimension. I even used a bit of the left over glimmer paper to make a shiny flag pole.



I love this cute red and white designer paper, and I've been hoarding it for so long that I decided to pull it out and create a banner that matches the elephant's blanket almost perfectly!

Make sure you stop by again soon to see some other ways I have used this adorable stamp set. One fabulous thing about Digi Stamps is that you don't have to leave the house to get some new ones, and they are delivered instantly without a shipping charge!

Unscripted Sketches 213 Fourth of July Balloon

Hi Stampers! Here's my entry for this week's Unscripted Sketches:



I have been reorganizing my work space, and digging out some of my old stash which I was able to use on this card. I have also spent the past week working away with my new Fourth of July Digi Images from Chi Chi Memories. I love how I am able to size the images to fit the projects I'm working on! For this image I used watercolor pencils to color my balloon - I always forget that I have these!!!



The balloon is centered on a bright red tag, and embellished with a gorgeous epoxy brad that I have been hoarding away for some time. The tiny side tag also came from my basket of Big Shot left overs. I hate throwing away perfectly good supplies, even if it does take me 4 years to use them up! At the bottom of the tag I added on some red grosgrain ribbon. I haven't seen this technique done with ribbon for some time, but I saw a bit of it at the Paper Arts Festival that I attended yesterday and wanted to add it to my project today.



It adds a nice touch of dimension to any card. Head on over to Unscripted Sketches to see some amazing ideas for using this week's sketch, and if you are looking for something new to use you can check out Chi Chi Memories cute and fun stamp sets. They are delivered instantly to your computer, no gas or shipping needed - go green! I myself am off to get ready for a picnic lunch with my adorable husband - can you believe we have the whole day to ourselves?