New Beginnings - Eileen Hull Inspiration Team!

I have some very exciting news to share with you today! The incredibly talented Eileen Hull has started an Inspiration Team, and I am one of the lucky designers who was invited to join! I have loved Eileen's dies since my time on the Sizzix Design Team, so I am thrilled to be continuing to work with them.

Today, we're kicking off a fun new challenge. The Art with Heart Challenge is a monthly celebration of creativity!  Each month the Inspiration Team will be showcasing their Art with Heart created with Eileen Hull’s innovative Sizzix dies. They will be following a broad theme left entirely open to creative interpretation.  We invite you to play along with us and share YOUR art with heart!

The Inspiration Team was asked to share some of our favorite pieces that represent who we are as artists. Here are a few of my faves:

Artist Trading Block - Journey

My first project to share is one from just a couple weeks ago. It was the first Artist Trading Block I ever made and I was so happy with how it turned out! The great thing about the ATBs is that they are a totally blank canvas - you can dress it up with your own style and flair. So fun! This block features my love of inks and stamping, plus a couple fun ways to use dies in different ways. You can click on the title to see the full post.

Time 2 Create

My next project is one I created for Tim Holtz's latest Sizzix release. As you can see, I do love putting things on wheels! It also features another favorite of mine - drawers. It's a fun example of combining dies and finishes to create a unique piece that's fun as well as functional. I have been thinking of adding a clock movement to make it a working clock. How cool would that be?

ScoreBoards Apothecary Cabinet

Finally, I have a project that is probably my all-time favorite. It's a paper version of the apothecary cabinet that Tim Holtz had in his Summer '13 CHA booth. I used three of Eileen's dies to create this storage piece, which is almost entirely made from mat board. It's remarkably sturdy and is currently in my living room, holding all kinds of different treasures. Again, you can see the full post by clicking on the title.

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my favorite projects. Make sure you check out Eileen's blog to meet the rest of the designers. You can also find out all the info on our new Art with Heart Challenge. I hope you will all join us on this fun new venture - I can't wait to see what you create!

Pop it Ups Designer Challenge - Happy Easter!

Hi everyone! Today I'm sharing my card for Karen Burniston's monthly designer challenge. This month we could choose either a Spring or Easter theme. I had the hardest time deciding which to choose! I had piles of paper out, I cut a bunch of different cards using different dies...finally, I realized I had the perfect stamp set to use, and everything fell into place.

The stamp set is called Easter Bunny, and is made by Oxford Impressions. For the front of my card, I used this cute little bunny. I stamped him with Watering Can Archival ink and colored him with Distress markers. I stamped the image a second time onto coordinating paper and cut out the bow, layering it onto the colored image. The bunny was cut out and adhered to an oval panel cut using the largest oval from Karen's Oval Accordion card die set.

The paper I used is from Hobby Lobby (can't remember the name, but it's in the paper by the sheet section). I added some Lace from Maya Road, paper flowers, and Tim Holtz's Crinkle Ribbon.

To create the card, I cut pink cardstock using Karen's original Pop 'n Cuts base (BTW, these are being discontinued, so you'd better get one while you can!). After I cut the card and scored it in the middle, I used the Pop it Ups Lucy Label die to cut the pop-up. I love the little extra pop-up tab - perfect for my little chick. The chick is also from the same Oxford Impressions stamp set. I stamped it onto Distress Watercolor paper and colored it with Distress markers.

For the label, I cut a piece of the same paper as I used on the front, using the pop-up die. I trimmed the label out and layered it onto the front of the pink pop-up, just to give it some contrast. The sentiment was stamped onto manila cardstock using Watering Can ink and cut using one of the companion dies in the Lucy Label set. I sponged the edges with Spun Sugar Distress ink and adhered it with pop dots.

Most of the supplies I used can be found at Inspiration Emporium via the links below. Remember to use my coupon code - stamptramp - to save 10% on your order!

Pop it Ups - Lucy Label Die Pop it Ups Oval Accordion Card Sizzix Pop 'n Cuts XL Die Set Distress Watercolor Cardstock Kaiser Rhinestones - Champagne Idea-ology Baubles Idea-ology Crinkle Ribbon Spun Sugar Distress Ink Archival Ink - Watering Can Distress Markers

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Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure and check out the Elizabeth Crafts blog tomorrow for another fantastic card and tutorial from Karen Burniston, and to see what the other designers have created for the challenge. You'll leave with tons of inspiration!

Filigree Butterflies Tag

I don't know about you, but I am so ready for spring to arrive! We haven't had the horrible snowfall where I am, but it has been much colder than usual for way longer than it normally is. I've decided that if I start working on nothing but spring-y projects, it will have no choice but to show its face. And it seems to be working! Today we have beautiful blue skies with lots of sunshine. Spring is (almost) here!

I have been obsessing over these pretty, lacy butterfly dies from Karen Burniston's new Butterfly Pivot Card die set and the companion decorator set. I thought it would be fun to show that, while they're gorgeous when used on a Pop it Ups card, they are also beautiful on their own.

I thought they would be perfect for my Faux Tarnished Silver technique, and they are! It's hard to believe that they're not real metal embellishments. I will definitely be making more of these to have on hand for other projects. If you haven't tried this technique yet, you really need to! It's so easy and I guarantee you'll get great results.

Since color is the theme over at the Inspiration Emporium blog this month, I decided to use this pretty paper from Prima. I added Tissue Tape here and there to give it a little more texture. The stamp (one of my faves) was inked with Wendy Vecchi's Watering Can ink, leaving the 'to be wonderful' uninked. After I stamped it, I added Chit Chat stickers and one of the new Alpha Parts to complete the sentiment.

To finish it off, I added some of the new idea-ology Jute String and a length of Crinkle Ribbon that was dyed with Worn Lipstick Distress Stain. Speaking of which, I need to remember to use my stains more. Did you ever see this pretty sampler of ribbon I made a couple years ago? So pretty! I think I'll have a little dyeing party soon!

Most everything I used can be found at Inspiration Emporium via the links below. Don't forget to use my coupon code - stamptramp - to save yourself 10%!

Karen Burniston Butterfly Pivot Card Karen Burniston Butterfly Accessories Dies Sizzix Tag & Bookplates Die Way With Words Stamps Ranger Silver Embossing Powder Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel 8 oz idea-ology Alpha Parts - Framed idea-ology Jute String Distress Paint - Picket Fence Idea-ology Chit Chat Stickers idea-ology Ephemera - Thrift Shop idea-ology Tissue Tape - Symphony idea-ology Tissue Tape - Laboratorie Idea-ology Crinkle Ribbon Worn Lipstick Distress Stain Archival Ink - Watering Can

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I'm off to a spring-y tea party to celebrate my birthday (a bit early). I have the best friends! Hope you all have a fantastic and creative weekend. :)

Artist Trading Blocks - Fly

Hi everyone! I'm back today with another Artist Trading Block. When I saw Tim Holtz's March tag, I immediately thought - how cool would that look in ATB form? I tell ya, it's an addiction! I pulled out a couple of my favorite stamp sets from Artistic Outpost, my dies from Eileen Hull, and all the wonderful new bits from Tim's idea-ology line.

One of my favorite discoveries was an idea for how to make my own flower stamens. I used Tim's Tattered Florals die, his Paper String, and Ranger's Liquid Pearls. I'll share a tutorial for this very soon. I love that I can create my own custom paper flowers for just pennies!

In this photo, you can also see this pretty bird from Artistic Outpost's Birds of a Feather stamp set. I wanted to use it, but it was too big for this block. To make it work, I stamped it on the block, and another time on a piece of cream cardstock. After coloring it, I cut it out and adhered it to the block with foam dots. I love the 3D look of it. I added one of the new Botanical Remnant Rubs to the block, along with a bit of spritzing using the new Marker Spritzer. On the bottom of the block, I tied a bit of Crinkle Ribbon that was dyed using Tumbled Glass Distress Stain, along with one of the new Nature Adornments.

The bottom block was the one meant to most closely follow Tim's tag. Since I don't have the new stamp set he used, I substituted the Birds of a Feather set from Artistic Outpost. This one has been around for awhile and I still love it - it's probably one of my most used stamp sets!

The quote on the middle block is from another Artistic Outpost stamp set called Serenity. It's out of stock at IE right now, but you can order it directly from AO here.

Most everything I used can be found at Inspiration Emporium via the links below. Don't forget to use my coupon code - stamptramp - to save 10% on your order!

Sizzix 3D Block Die Sizzix 3D Cubes Die Sizzix Tattered Florals Die Artistic Outpost Birds of a Feather idea-ology Adornments - Nature idea-ology Alpha Chips idea-ology Jute String idea-ology Paper String - Solids Idea-ology Crinkle Ribbon Idea-ology Philosophy Tags idea-ology Plaquettes idea-ology Ornate Plates Idea-ology Long Fasteners Liquid Pearls - Buttercup Jet Black Archival Ink Archival Ink - Watering Can Archival Ink - Potting Soil idea-ology Tissue Tape - Symphony Idea-ology Sanding Grip Inkssentials Blending Tool Tumbled Glass Distress Stain Pumice Stone Distress Ink Distress Markers Cutter Bee Scissors

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Before I forget - a new month means a new challenge over at the IE blog. Be sure and check out this month's colorful theme. Thanks so much for stopping by today!