MMMMmmmm Chocolate!

Ok, I took a bit of creative license with this one! I took this darling bunny sitting on an egg (click HERE to see original image) and I chomped it's ears off! When I saw the saying "mmmm Chocholate" in Asela Hopkin's new line for Cornish Heritage Farms, I couldn't help but think of a chocolate bunny. The next step was just stamping partial images and adding "bite marks!" LOL!

I colored these little guys using watercolor pencils and a blender pen. The circles and scalloped circles were done with my Nestabilities (seems like I use them for EVERYTHING now!) The paper is Lasting Impressions. A few weeks ago, my bud Janine talked about the Decorative Accents that she found at Michaels that look just like Dew Drops. Well, not too long ago, they restocked my store and I found them!! So, that is what I used on my little words tag.

Hope your having a fab week!! See ya tomorrow!

Hey Chickie!

Hi all! Thanks for the comments about yesterday's tutorial! I didn't tell you this yesterday, but to make sure that the directions were easy enough to follow - I actually sat my hubby down and made him do it! His folds were kinda crooked, but he did it! Man, that guy must love me!! LOL!

Yesterday I showed you one of Asela Hopkin's new stamps for Easter that is sold through Cornish Heritage Farms. Well, I decided, it was too cute of an image not to be able to use year round! So, here's what I came up with. Take out the Easter saying and add "Hey Chickie," then, only ink up the chick - not the egg - and you have a fun card to say "hey" to your girlfriends!

To make the card, I just stamped the chick in permanent black ink, colored with watercolor pencils and cut the shape out (both scalloped and regular circle) with my Nestabilities. And, the sky was added with some dots done in sky blue ink just by tapping off the color all around the chick. Now that I look at the little guy, I also outlined one side of him with a really light blue Tombow marker to make him "pop" a bit.

Here's a close up....
Now, all I am going to say about tomorrow's post is this - it just might make you hungry!! :-)

Have a good one!!

A card... and a tutorial!

Happy Monday!
A little more than a week ago, my bloggin' bud Asela Hopkins dropped a surprise in the mail just for me! It was her Easter collection from Cornish Heritage Farms with all those darling bunnies and chicks! I was stunned. I told her it felt like Christmas all over again! So, in honor of her gift and awesome new stamps, I'm going to give you a card a day this week showcasing her great stamps! Let's face it -with Easter coming early this year- now is the time for Easter cards! THANKS ASELA! You truly are just one big sweet heart.

This first card is using the stamp Chick N' Egg
I just stamped it on a white rectangle that I cut out with one of my rectangle classic Nestability dies, colored it with colored pencils, added some Stickles to the dots and lines on the egg, matted it onto a scalloped rectangle Nestie, added some ribbon and mounted this all on a Lasting Impressions paper card base. The saying, Happy Easter, is also a part of her new line. Love that script!

Here's a close up of that cute little chickie!!

So, looking at this stamp, you think -- that's just an Easter image. WELL - think again! Tomorrow, I'll show you how you can use this very stamp ALL YEAR ROUND!

Now, the tutorial....
Ok... better have time for the rest of this post!! :-) Also, I would suggest practicing as we go along so that you can see each step and how it works. I tried, really hard to do this via video but for some reason, it would NOT upload. If those of you who have done video have any pointers---I would love it! My file was an AVI file. Is that wrong??

If, after reading this and looking at the pictures, you have questions - on my profile is my link to email. Feel free to email! OR, email me for my address and you can drop a SASE in the mail and I'll shoot you back the written directions I have.

With those things out of the way, here we go! You need an 8-1/2" by 11 piece of paper. Following my little dot marks, you want to create two valley folds both widthwise and lengthwise.

Now, you want to fold the piece lengthwise on both sides to the center fold.Next, you want to fold each corner in so that the edge will line up with the widthwise center fold.
After you have done this on all four corners, this is what it will look like....
Now, this next part becomes a little more complicated. This is where the diagonal folds come into play. After you fold both sides lengthwise to the center, you are going to fold just part of the diagonal down to the center fold. I know this sounds confusing, but hopefully the picture spells it out.

Now, do this on the other side as well.
Then, the top part that is just flying in the air right now will be folded down to the center widthwise fold like this...
If you turn this over, you'll see you kind of have wings hanging off the edge....
You are going to want to fold those little triangles in to the front like this. Here's one side...
Here's what it looks like with both sides folded in...
See that little flap of extra paper at the top right between my index and middle fingers? You will fold this down over your triangle folds. This is really what helps secure your card box.

Here's what it looks like folded..

Now, it's time to do all of this all over again on the other side.... A refresher....
Now fold back the other side...
Fold the top flap down making sure to line up the creases with the edges of both sides of your card...
Now, fold back your little triangular flaps...
Lastly, fold the excess paper back to secure your card/box...
And... VOILA... you have your card box!!!
Now, you are probably thinking, what's up with all these folds showing? I don't like that! Well, mat some coordinating paper over top. Mat a square to cover the folds on the bottom of your box. Use strips of paper in a coordinating color for the "flaps" that open your card/box. Didn't see my original post with my sample? Click HERE...

Hope you enjoyed this! If you do a sample with this idea, I would love it if you linked back here for the directions and then-- of course-- I would LOVE it if you shared what you did! This is what makes sharing so fun!

Have a fab day! See ya tomorrow!

Fly & Be Free!

When my bloggin' bud Asela Hopkins first showcased this stamp set on her blog, I thought I have to have it! One, because it's pretty and two, because it's her illustration. Isn't she too talented for words?

This is the stamp of the month for Cornish Heritage Farms and thankfully, my LSS featured it today for a game of "stamping bingo" (bingo where stampers meet to win stamping stuff!) I didn't win, but I wasn't going to let someone else have this set and not me!!! :-) No offense Ann! So, anyway, I went home, grabbed a cup of joe, and went to my happy place (my stamp room!)

For this card, I used Butterscotch Adirondack and Rust Adirondack to direct to paper the background. I inked up just the butterfly with Black Onyx Versafine and then colored the flower with yellow and orange and the stem with two shades of green marker. After I heat set the black ink, I used my watercolor pencils to add color to the wings. For the pop of white, I dotted on some white acrylic paint. Stamp the saying, layer it up, add some polka dot ribbon and done! Ooops.. almost forgot...my base card was stamped with a Magenta background stamp using VersaMark ink.

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend!

p.s. Don't forget to sign up for Blog Candy in Friday's post! I'll draw a name tomorrow night!