Life is Fabulous!

Hi! Today I have a quick little bookmark (or tag) idea to share. Since this is the season of gift giving, I will have a lot of gift ideas on my blog in the coming weeks.

For this tag, I used Our Craft Lounge set--Life Is :

I love the vintage look of this set and love the sentiment :) I paired it with Echo Park Times & Seasons patterned paper and some Die-namic dies by My Favorite Things. Perfect together!

Thanks for stopping by!

Making the Most of Your Digital Cut Files!!

Hello! Hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving had a wonderful and safe holiday. I did!! ....Still stuffed :)

Today, I wanted to share with you some ways to get more bang for your buck with your digital cut files. Remember this gingerbread house:

I used Lori Whitlock's Gingerbread House file that I LOVE. It comes with the files to create the house, plus lots of extras like the tree, candy, gingerbread man, candy canes, etc.
Aside from creating a pretty cool gingerbread house----the files can be used for so much more. So, for my project today, I wanted to show you two cards I created using the Gingerbread House files:
For my first card, I used the roof of the gingerbread house to create the card base. I love the easy fold over scalloped design. Worked perfectly!
I used the snowflake cardstock sticker from Season's Greetings Collection (Echo Park Paper) to create the O and the "J" and "Y" are from another file from Lori Find Joy Everyday (which can be found in the Silhouette Store under Lori Whitlock).

Next, I used the Gingerbread file to create a simple house card. By just using the front of the gingerbread house (cutting off the side panels) you can create a simple design for a Christmas card (below) or a new home card. Possibilities are endless!
All paper is from Season's Greetings Collection (Echo Park Paper).

Digital cut files----> Lori Whitlock store.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Thank You Card Set!

Hello! Happy Thanksgiving (tomorrow). I will not be posting for the rest of the week so that I can take some time off and enjoy the holiday with my family. Wishing you all my readers in the U.S. a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Here is a set of Thank You cards I created for my Helmar design team post last week.

You can check out the POST for more details on the creation of these cards.
Supply list:
Helmar 450 Quick Dry
Helmar Quick-Fix Adhesive Runner
Helmar Zapdots
Patterned paper- Finally Fall: Quadrants, Borders, Cute Cuts (Bella Blvd)
Stamps- Very Square Sentiments (Mint Motif)
Memento tuxedo black ink
Mini clothespins (Tree House Studio)
rhinestones (Recollections, Michael's)
Have a wonderful week!

Lori Whitlock Christmas Blog Hop Winner

Thanks to everyone who hopped along on the Lori Whitlock Christmas blog hop! We all had so much fun sharing our Christmas creations. Lori announced the winner of her gift card on her blog.

Random.Cara chose #53 as the winner of the 6 by 6 Season's Greetings Paper pad. Congrats to Carole who said "Very clever idea...and a great display."

Carole, please email me your mailing address and I will get your prize to you.

Thanks for playing along!!

Lori Whitlock Christmas Blog Hop and *Blog Candy* and FREE gift!!

Hi there! Welcome to the Lori Whitlock Design Team Christmas Blog Hop. There are seven stops along the way and if you leave a comment at every stop, you will be entered to win a $25 gift card to Lori's store (that's A LOT of shapes!) (Check out the bottom of the post to check out your free gift and some more blog candy you can win just by leaving a comment :)


In addition, Lori is having a 25% off sale in her online shop this weekend (now through Sunday)! Woohoo!
Here is the blog hop order (just in case you get lost along the way!)

Lori Whitlock

Carolyn King

Natalie Graham

Corri Garza

Joy Dickson

Krissy Clark

Tamara Tripodi

I know you will be inspired by these ladies---and I will too. Cannot wait to see their projects!!

Now onto my project for the hop! Somehow I got the hairbrained idea that it would be neat to create a bunch of tags and then create a tree for them to hang from.

I bought a few thin pieces of wood from my local craft store and handed them to my husband so he could cut the corners for the tree shape. (<<<----that was the hairbrained part.)

Heaven knows why I couldn't just hang them on a tree but I like the end result.

I used Helmar Premium Craft Glue to glue the wood together and then after the shape was dry, I covered the front with glue and cut strips of Echo Park Season's Greetings (the insert page) to cover up the wood. I used some Twinery baker's twine to string across and adhere to the back of the tree so the tags could be clipped it it.

The tags were all cut using my Silhouette from this file of Lori's: tag shape and all of the shapes on the tags are from Lori's digital files and/ or from the Season's Greetings collection she designed for Echo Park Paper.
I used these files for the shapes on the tags: Christmas Set #2 . Love them! There are so many shapes in this collection--I could have made more tags :)
I added some chipboard elements/element stickers from the collection in a few spots too.

Here is the finished tree:


Now I either have a fun holiday display or I have a bunch of Christmas tags ready to use. I can just unclip the tag and add it to a gift. Then, I have the tree that I can put away for next year and make a whole new batch of tags.

Here are close up pictures of all the tags because you cannot see them real well in the group shot:


















Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to comment all along the way to be entered to win the $25 gift card from Lori!

BONUS: Lori created these fabulous tags for the design team to give away along the hop. At Each blog you visit you can collect a FREE SVG/DXF for a tag! You can collect them now till Sunday! Then, they go back into the online store. Download the second tag HERE.


Cool, ugh?

.....And here is another EXTRA bonus from me----I will select another person who comments on this post to receive the Season's Greetings 6 by 6 paper pad designed by Lori Whitlock for Echo Park. This paper pad is perfect for cardmaking or for making some beautiful gift tags for all your holiday gifts! Leave a comment by Sunday (11/20) at 8 p.m. EST time to be entered. I will announce the winner on my blog on Monday! Good luck!

Have a GREAT weekend! Have fun hopping!

Join us tomorrow

For the Lori Whitlock Christmas Blog Hop!

Hope you stop by and see what the dt has been creating and enter to win a $25 gift card to Lori's store!

See you tomorrow!

Happy Birthday!

Hello! Happy whatever-the-heck day it is! It has been a busy two weeks. My youngest was home sick from Tuesday through Friday last week and by Friday, my son joined her. I *think* we are germ free now but it was an exhausting week for sure :)

Today, I have a cute birthday card to share with you. I used Our Craft Lounge set Slow and Steady for this one: I colored this adorable fella in with Copic markers and paper pieced the balloons with some Bella Blvd paper, which i just love the colors of. (Really fun collection!) I popped the panel up with Helmar Zapdots (and I used some smaller ones to pop up the turtle too!).

I used Helmar Quick-Fix Adhesive Runner on this to adhere the patterned paper to the card base. This stuff STICKS....it is the best tape runner I have used by a wide margin. PROMISE! Great stuff!

Supply list:
Stamps- Slow and Steady (Our Craft Lounge)
Memento tuxedo black ink
Ivory cardstock (Gina K Designs)
Patterned paper- Finally Fall: You're a Hoot, Cute Cuts (Bella Blvd)
mini clothespin (Tree House Studio)
twine (May Arts)
Adhesive: Hemar Quick-Fix Adhesive Runner, Helmar Zapdots

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Santa

Gettin' in the holiday spirit? I have a cute little project you can make for your kids or even make with your kids.
For my Merry Santa I used this digital file: Christmas set #2 from Lori Whitlock (Silhouette users you can find these files in the Silhouette store as well under Lori Whitlock's name!) I used the Santa image and just enlarged him to create this:

I trimmed his hat and his coat with some felt. I used SRM Stickers- We've Got Your Sticker-Merry to create the banner. I used some of the white sentiments on the chimney and on the SRM tube itself:


Here is a picture of Santa out of the chimney so you can see the tube:

Supplies list:
Santa Digital file-by Lori Whitlock- Christmas set #2
Silhouette
Patterned paper is by Echo Park (Season's Greetings and Dots & Stripes.)
Cardstock- white, onyx (Gina K Designs)
Felt - Papertrey Ink
Baker's twine- The Twinery (Marachino)
Stickers- SRM Stickers- We've Got Your Sticker- Merry
Tube- SRM Stickers
Adhesive- Acid Free Glue (Helmar)

Thanks for stopping by!

Color Blocked Penguin

I love penguins. So I pulled out this Our Craft Lounge set to play with. Right now, I am OK with the sentiment...flash forward a few months and I might change my mind! We are excited for our first PA winter in years! Hopefully it isn't too bad :)

I used Our Craft Lounge set: Penguin Fun to create this color blocked card:

I used some Rockstar Red sparkly fluff on the penguin's hat and scarf. Love how sparkly and fluffy it is. (I guess it is named well!) I stamped the snowflakes in the set in very light sky blue on the white background.

Supplies used:
Stamps- Penguin Fun (Our Craft Lounge)
ink- Memento Tuxedo black ink; sky blue (SU!)
Copic Markers
Patterned paper by Echo Park
String (May Arts)
Sparkly Fluff- Rockstar Red (Our Craft Lounge)

Thanks for stopping by!

No words....

For those who have not heard, Katie Renz passed away peacefully in her sleep, surrounded by her family on Monday morning. Just another reminder of how short/precious life is.

Sympathy cards can be sent to her husband and boys:
The Renz Family
PO Box 5913
Bellingham, WA 98227-5913

Also, the donation page at I {heart} papers is still active and you can still give to the family through that.

Honored

......to be a part of THIS team! Cannot wait to learn a lot and share with you what I learn :)

Gingerbread House

Hello! Today, as promised, I have my first "official" Lori Whitlock design team project to share with you.
For my project, I used the new Gingerbread House that Lori created. This house is incredible. Lori thought of everything....It literally takes 10 minutes to put together and then all you have to do is have fun and decorate it :) The file also comes with a gingerbread man, candy canes, a wreath, tree, candy, etc. ---Tons of stuff to decorate your house AND to use on other Christmas projects!

I love it....what a fun idea this would be to print out for the kids and decorate this instead of a candy one--->it lasts a lot longer and it is actually more fun!

Here is my house (I included lots of pictures so you could see it from lots of angles): I used patterned paper from two different Echo Park collections to make the house: Season's Greetings and Holly Jolly. The tree, gingerbread man and candy canes and candy are just some of the darling designs that come with the gingerbread house file.

I cut some felt for the roof and under the windows for some "snow." I used some stickers from Season's Greetings collection (Echo Park), like the string of ornaments, to further decorate the house. The gift and Merry Christmas sentiment are from Holly Jolly (Echo Park).

Here are a few more close up pictures:






This was such a fun project to create. I love how easy it was. If you have not already, give her 3D files a try...you will not believe how well-designed they are :)

Supplies--Gingerbread house *** file (Lori Whitlock for Silhouette); Patterned paper- Holly Jolly, Season's Greetings (Echo Park paper); adhesive pearls (Recollections, Michael's); black pearl (Want2Scrap); white felt (Papertrey Ink); cardstock- Kraft, chocolate (SU!); button; stickers- element stickers- Holly Jolly, Season's Greetings (Echo Park Paper); ink- Tea dye distress ink (Ranger); white gel pen (Ranger).

***Files can also be purchased in Silhouette store if you need .studio files!!

My fellow design team member Corri has a fabulous wreath on her blog today! Check it out...it is wonderful!

Hope you like this project!!! Thanks for stopping by today!

Cupcake notepad

Yippee! Today I was officially introduced as a design team member on Lori Whitlock's blog. You can check out the post HERE (if ya wanna!) So excited to be a part of this team. My first "official" design team project will be posted on Monday....cannot wait to share it with you. Lori's files are fabulous to work with.

In the meantime, here is a little notepad I created as part of my application:

I used Lori's cupcake file to create this notepad. I enlarged the cupcake parts (stitched the top of the cupcake and inked the edges of all of them) and adhered them to cardboard. I cut a felt heart, added a button, some Twinery bakers twine and a SRM sticker to complete the front. The big white ribbon is a hair bow of my daughters that broke and I had in my craft drawer for the perfect project....:) I just broke off the barrette part and used a strong adhesive to attach it to the project.

Hope you like it! Head on over to Lori's blog to check out all her amazing files. I guarantee you will love them. Check back on Monday for a project that will get you in the holiday spirit!

Thanks for stopping by!