Do the Monster Mash!

It's the second week of the super fun Monster Mash Release at Imaginisce and I get to share my spooky projects with you. I just LOVE this darling Halloween collection! I thought it would be fun to make a matching treat box and card set and I was inspired by the absolutely adorable Snag 'Em Stamps.

After die-cutting a pumpkin window box, I thought the pumpkin cut-out would make the perfect little window for the Eddy Snag' Em Stamp. 

I also took some of the cute stickers from the Magic Words Sticker Stacker apart to keep him company.

Next up is a card I created to go with my little box:

For my matching card, I used the same pumpkin window cut-out and nestled the super cute Frankenbride and Mummy in a "field" of pumpkins. The images included in the Fall Medley and Spook Alley 12 x 12 papers helped complete my scene and I added the spook-alicious Ghost Snag 'Em floating off to do some happy haunting!

BEAN NOTES
Monster Mash Treat Box

Patterned Paper: Enchantments 12 x 12 from Monster Mash Collection (Imaginisce); Stamps: Eddie Snag 'Em Stamp (Imaginisce); Stickers: Magic Word Sticker Stacker (Imaginisce) ;Accents: Liquid Pearls (Ranger); Fibers: Ribbon (May Arts); Electronic File: Pumpkin Window Box (Lori Whitlock for Silhouette); Cardstock: Solar White (Neenah); Peach Parfait (Stampin' Up!); Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)

Monster Mash Card

Patterned Paper: Fall Medley, Spook Alley and Enchantments 12 x 12 from Monster Mash Collection (Imaginisce); Stamps: Frankenbride, Ghost, Mummy Snag 'Em Stamps (Imaginisce); Stickers: Magic Word Sticker Stacker (Imaginisce); Accents: Liquid Pearls (Ranger); Fibers: Ribbon (May Arts); Electronic File: Pumpkin Window Box (Lori Whitlock for Silhouette); Cardstock: Solar White (Neenah); Peach Parfait; Daffodil Delight (Stampin' Up!); Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)

TE Studio Challenge: Project Runway

It's time for the Baker's Dozen Studio Challenge.  This is a monthly opportunity for us to share what makes our stamping studios hum.  Each month we will have a fun, crafty question so we can share our favorites, some tips and tricks, stamping advice and more.

The August Challenge:

PROJECT RUNWAY!  Do you watch this show?  It's perfect for creative types like us!  On PR, the designers are given crazy challenges each week and asked to maintain their own personal style or point of view in their creation.

 So, what's your stamping style or point of view?  Would you consider your style to be CAS (Clean and Simple), Cutesy, Graphic, Vintage, Elegant, Layers & More Layers, or what?  Describe it any way you like, it's your style after all!  Today's challenge is to show us a couple of different projects using the same supplies.  Show us one CAS card and one Fancy Fold card while still retaining your own personal style as much as possible.

This challenge was actually tough for me because I don't think of myself as having just one style. I admire many different ones and like to try my hand at new ones. I decided to go with more of my whimsical style for this challenge.

First up is my Clean & Simple (CAS) card. I decided to really make it CAS, with lots of white space and a minimal look. 

To make it my own "whimsical" style, I used lots of liquid dimensionals and glitter Stickles.

Next is my second card, which is a Fancy Fold card. I love Fancy Fold cards because they make a big impact even with minimal embellishment. For mine, I did a Multi-Panel Fold Card (tutorial here.) I carried over the colors from my CAS card, using the same Make a Wish stamp set.

More Stickles and dimensionals carried over my style from one card to the next. 

BEAN NOTES

Stamps: Make a Wish (Taylored Expressions); Patterned Paper: This & That (Echo Park); Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Dusty Durango (Stampin' Up!), Solar White (Neenah); Accents: Liquid Pearls, Stickles (Ranger), Button (generic); Fibers: ribbon (Stampin' Up!); Dies: Make a Wish Balloons (Taylored Expressions)

Now be sure to check out how the rest of the Baker's Dozen responded to this month's Style Studio Challenge!

Charmaine Ikach

Jen Shults

Jodi Collins

Karen Giron

Melody Rupple

Regina Mangum

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

Winner!

First off, thank you so much for the wonderful comments left on THIS post about my mom. I loved hearing all about the amazing and strong women in your lives. As promised, the randomly chosen commenter and her mother will win a packet of patterned paper.
The winner is:

Muneca  who said...

Love the elegance of the card!

I call my mom " Wonderwoman". She raised 10 kids while my dad worked tirelessly and put ALL of us through college!

Congratulations, Muneca! Please email me with all your details
and I will get your prize out.
Now everyone go give your special woman in your life a BIG HUG!

Fun With Flock!

Happy Friday! Today is my day over on the ScrapbookSteals.com Blog and I'm showing off something really fun -- Doodlebug Designs Velvet Flock! If you are like me, you may not have even heard of flock! What is it? I like to think of it as soft, happy fuzz. 

At first, I was a little intimidated by these darling little jars of crushed velvet flock, but then I realized that it would be a great way to add some fun texture to a project. I decided to create three cards with just a small sampling of the amazing colors that come in the package of 12.

First up is one for all you owl fans! After die-cutting out my tree, grass, and owls, I applied some of the flock to the shapes. 

Tip: to get a smooth, even texture, apply adhesive with either an adhesive sheet before you die-cut your shapes or with an adhesive applicator (like a Xyron Create a Sticker) after you have cut your shapes. Then, sprinkle liberally, press down, and shake off excess.

Next, I thought it would be fun to create a shaped card. What could be more warm and fuzzy than a happy brown bear? I die-cut the bear shape using my electronic die-cutter and applied the flock to just the top overlay. I love the touchable texture of the "fur" and added a sweet banner and fun googly eyes.

For my third card, I thought I would make a girlie thank you card for my aunt, who is a poodle lover. The trimmed fur of a poodle was just perfect to use with flock!

I love how the flock looks on the tail and legs of the poodle. 

I hope you enjoyed my "fun with flock" cards today. Once I got over my initial intimidation, I had such a terrific time adding texture to my projects. Thanks so much to ScrapbookSteals for bringing a little flock into my life--head on over there for some terrific deals on this and other scrapbook supplies!

BEAN NOTES

Owl Card

Cardstock: Solar White (Neenah), brown and gray textured (American Crafts), Delightful Daffodil, Basic Black, Peach Parfait, Real Red (Stampin' Up!); Patterned Paper: Petite Prints (Doodlebug Design); Accents: Velvet Flock (Doodlebug Design); Fibers: Hemp Twine (Stampin' Up!), Stamp: sentiment from Tiny Valentine (PTI); Dies: Scallop Square (Sizzix); Digital File: 2 Owl Set, Apple Tree (Lori Whitlock for Silhouette)

Bear Card

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Pool Party (Stampin' Up!); Accents: Velvet Flock (Doodlebug Design), Google Eyes (generic); Stamps: Bannerific (Lawn Fawn), Alphabet (PTI); Digital File: Card Kit Bear (Lori Whitlock for Silhouette)

Poodle Card

Cardstock: Basic Gray (Stampin' Up!), Solar White (Neenah); Patterned Paper: Petite Prints (Doodlebug Design); Accents: Velvet Flock (Doodlebug Design); Fibers: ribbon (Stampin' Up!); Dies: Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Stamps: Bannerific, Merci (Lawn Fawn); Digital File: Poodle (Loni Harris for Silhouette)

Sketch it Out!

It's Mid-Week Mojo Day and I am really thrilled today because today's Sketch over at the ScrapbookSteals.com blog is by ME! I've never created a sketch before (though you know I love using them!) I hope that you will be inspired by it because I'd love to see your take!

Here is the sketch:

And here is my layout using it!

My little guy recently got a Razor scooter and is learning to ride it. I love seeing his happy face as he gets the hang of "coasting" -- I'm sure I'll be desperately trying to keep up with him really soon. 

As you can see, I stuck very close to the sketch, but you should always feel free to use a sketch as a jumping off point. Turn it, alter it, add or take away an element -- it's there to inspire you!

I hope you'll head over to the ScrapbookSteals.com blog to see how others are inspired by my sketch. Have a wonderful, happy day!

BEAN NOTES

Patterned Paper: Snips & Snails, Petite Prints (Doodlebug); Cardstock: Textured (American Crafts); Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White (Stampin' Up!); Accents: Stickers, Flags, Chipboard Die-cuts from The Escape Collection (Little Yellow Bicycle); Dies: Stardust Alphabet Cookie Cutter (Lifestyle Crafts)

Patterned Paper Giveaway!

Don't forget to leave a comment on THIS post from Monday for a chance to win

 a 6 x 6 packet of patterned paper! I'm celebrating my mom, a strong and wonderful woman, and I'd love to hear about the most amazing women in your lives -- win a second packet of paper for her if you are the lucky winner! 

Good luck!

The Woman Who Wears It...

My mom is the strongest person I know. Three years ago, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Without once complaining, she had surgery, went through painful chemotherapy and is now cancer-free. This card is made in honor of my mother, who turns 70 years old next month.

Last week, I showed you two cards I created using the same die, and today's card makes use of the Apron Die from Taylored Expressions. I simply die-cut the apron shape from black cardstock to create a "little black dress" and dolled it up with some black pearls. I love the quote from fashion icon Yves St. Laurent: 

"What is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it."

Do you have a strong woman in your life that you would like to honor? I would love to hear about those amazing ladies! 

Leave me a comment by Friday, August 24 at midnight and one lucky winner and the wonderful woman described will each win a packet of 6 x 6 patterned paper! 

BEAN NOTES

Cardstock: Choice Snow (Taylored Expressions), Basic Black (Stampin' Up!); Accents: Black Pearls (Kaisercraft); Dies: Apron & Pocket Dies (Taylored Expressions)

There's More Than One Way to Use a Die

Hey there, Crafty Friends! Lifestyle Crafts just released its Pool Party Collection of dies and I am delighted to get to share some of them with you today. Plus, as an Affiliate, I get to offer readers an exclusive 20% discount code for use in the LC Store (details below.) Also, there is a great sale going on right now on special Core Collection favorites...think 55% off with discount code!

I know that sometimes I'm hesitant to buy a die because I'm not sure how often I will use it. So, I'm always really happy when I find more than one way to use my dies. Today, I thought I would show how I used a few of the same dies to create two very different projects.

I love the new Umbrella Die and the Cloud Border Die (which is long enough to use on a scrapbook page) and I used both on two cards.

The first card is a bright, happy summer beach card. The umbrella is super cute and I created a little scene with it as the centerpiece.

I die-cut some light, fluffy clouds and also added the new Waves Border Die (one of two) and the sweet little Sun Die.

Next, I decided the umbrella would be just perfect for a shower (either for a baby or a wedding) and I changed up my colors accordingly.

The Cloud Border Die (which also includes the Sun Border Die) was perfect here, but I used some patterned paper instead of plain white cardstock.

To make this a shower card, I took my sweet sentiment quite literally and punched out a multitude of hearts. I also flipped the handle of the umbrella to give it a more finished look than from the one in my beach scene card.

So there you have it. Two very different cards using the same dies!

BEAN NOTES
Relax Card
Stamps: sentiments from Coconut Grove set (Taylored Expressions); Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko); Patterned Paper: Splash (Echo Park); Cardstock: Solar White (Neenah), Pool Party, Delightful Daffodil (Stampin' Up!); Dies: Cloud Border Die, Sun Die, Umbrella Die, Waves Border Die (Lifestyle Crafts)

Showered With Love Card
Stamps: sentiments from It's in the Bag set (Taylored Expressions); Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko); Patterned Paper: Sweet Day, Dots & Stripes (Echo Park); Cardstock: Classic Cream (Neenah), Blushing Bride (Stampin' Up!); Punch: Hearts (Martha Stewart); Dies: Cloud Border Die, Umbrella Die (Lifestyle Crafts)

I hope you enjoyed my cards today -- if you do any shopping in the Lifestyle Crafts Store, be sure to enter Promo Code: BEAN for a 20% discount. 

Plus, the dies shown below are currently on sale for 35% off...get an additional 20% off (total of 55%!) with Code: BEAN! Have a wonderful day!