Scrapbook Blessings Club Challenge: Christmas Card Valentine

I have decided to participate in February's challenge over at Scrapbook Blessings Club or SBC for short. It is quite a clever challenge! The rules are this: you can make whatever you like (I made a card-surprising I know) it has to be a Valentine related item and here's the challenge...wait for it...you must make your Valentine related item with CHRISTMAS SUPPLIES!!!

So clever! I read about this challenge on their blog a couple of days ago and really wanted to participate but was afraid that I might be too late. Lucky for me (and even you, if you are so inclined) entries are accepted until the last day of the month by 11pm. It was a lot of fun digging into my Christmas stash and deciding what could be used to create a Valentine's card. It turned out to be quite easy so many items were just wintry and not exclusively Christmas related.

These are the items that I pulled together for this card:

 Ingredients:

• I used the sentiment from the La La Land stamp set "Marci with Christmas Ornament" well a piece of the sentiment I masked off the words I didn't want
• I have no clue where the patterned paper comes from because it was in my Christmas stash :(   Sorry
• the little snowman is C.C. Designs "Nerdy Snowman"
• the snowflakes were made with a Martha Stewart snowflake punch (the snowflake border punch just wasn't working for me)
• I punched a heart out with a punch from Creative Memories "Friendship Micro Marker"
• I covered the snowflakes with clear Wink of Stella pen to make them sparkly, I also colored in the heart with a pink Wink of Stella
• since the little nerdy snowman is wearing glasses I filled the lenses in with Glossy Accents
• I still felt like it was missing something so I added Stickles in frosted lace to create the look of snow

Here it is, isn't he adorable? I am very happy with him and will have to save him for someone really special. As per my usual most of these supplies (if not all of them) were acquired from Scrapping For Less. If you are up to the challenge I encourage you to go over to Scrapbook Blessings Club and give it a go! Oh and please feel free to leave any comments down below and thank you so much for stopping by!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

Valentine Series 2016 Last Card!!!

Hey Sweeties!!!

Well we made it! This is the last card of the Valentine Series for 2016 and I have had a great time making these cards! Originally when I began this series I only had a few people in mind that I planned on sending or giving a card for Valentine's Day. Jamie (the husband) and I recently made plans to have a game day (table top nerd gaming that is!) with one of our favorite couples. Turns out we will be getting together on Valentine's Day itself and I just could not resist making a card for them. Now I will say that this is the first time I have made a Valentine card for another couple but the image I used really seems to lend itself for this.

I was so very giddy when I realized that the image I wanted to use would look adorably cute on the paper pack that I have been itching to dig into. I tend to get very excited when I see an image I want to use and in my mind the entire card starts coming together all at once, even down to the finishing embellishments and that is exactly what happened with this card.

 INGREDIENTS:

• stamp is from Simon Says Stamp Newton's Nook
• all the papers used are from the 6x6 collection from Dovecraft
• the heart bling in the corner I pieced together from pearls from BoBunny and from my stash 
• colored wih copics
• added some shimmer with Wink of Stella to the kitties' collars and to the Eiffel Tower that is on the background paper and the crown
• stamped the image on the inside with My Favorite Things hybrid ink in bubblegum 
• the little stickers on the inside are from a card kit I got from SFL

I am so grateful for those of you who have taken the time to read these entries. I hope you enjoy them and please keep stopping by whenever you are able to! Please feel free to leave a comment and even share what you are doing to celebrate Valentine's Day and the ones you love.

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

Valentine Series 2016 #6

Hi ya!

I am excited to show the image I used on today's card. I borrowed this stamp from a friend over a year ago I believe (and am a little embarrassed to admit). I took it with me to Ireland and looked at it often always having the intention of making this card but didn't quite get to it. I brought it back home with me because I had the card I intended to use it on already in my head. It has been in my mind for quite some time and it feels great to get it out here into the real world!

This is for a friend of mine who LOVES tulips and I wanted to make a card for her with this image because I cannot look at it without thinking of her. Plus the little gal on the image looks to me like she is just bursting with joy to share all the tulips she has. I think the image lends itself to bright and happy colors and I really wanted it to have a cheery feeling.

Ingredients: 

• image is from Penny Black and created by Mo Manning
• the yellow and blue paper is from my stash
• the red striped paper is from Echo Park 8x8 paper pad Dots & Stripes
• I used Copic markers to color the image
• Wink of Stella in clear to add some sparkle to the flowers and the vases
• I stamped the sentiment on to a label created with a label punch from the Paper Studio
• the sentiment is from Hampton Arts Jillibean Soup Handwritten Sentiments
• stamped the sentiment using My Favorite Things hybrid ink in Wild Cherry
• stamped the main image using My Favorite Things hybrid ink in Black Licorice
• the paper the image is stamped on is Neenah Classic Crest Card in Solar White (this is the paper I bought in the UK and the sizing is different than in the States) 

I have made this card for one of my closest girlfriends and I look forward to giving it to her for Valentine's Day. There really isn't anything that lends this particular image to V-day itself but when I see this image I think of my friend and I thought it would be a perfect image to include on a card to let her know I love her and am thinking of her. So keep in mind that if you don't feel that you have a Valentine specific image that lends itself to be used for friends or family etc you don't have to! Just find an image that either makes you think of them or that you think they would enjoy seeing. The sentiment doesn't even have to be related to Valentine's Day you can always just write it on the inside. Either way I cannot imagine that they wouldn't be pleased to get a card from you and that it would certainly bring a smile to their face, we all like to know we are loved.

Oh! One more thing...it may not stand out to you and I realize that I may be pointing it out and ruining the image for you but it SCREAMS out to me when I look at the card but I have repeated the mantra that "handmade items are NOT perfect nor are they meant to be" (sigh) and I am okay now. I was coloring that tiny little piece of her scarf between her ear and her hair and my marker "burped", which means that too much ink came out and I FREAKED OUT!!! It went into her face and I thought the image was ruined and i had already colored all the flowers and vases and I was in shock! Then I calmed down, blotted the area with a paper towel and used my lightest skin color to move the yellow out of her face as much as I could. I think it is passable enough to still be used and given but I would be lying through my teeth if I said that my eyes don't go straight to that blemish as soon as I look at the card, I am however able to take in the entire image and I feel better about it. I mention this little incident to just encourage you that if you make a mistake or a mistake is made for you DON'T PANIC! There is usually a way to resolve it without trashing the card and starting over. :)

Thanks for joining me for a card and a bit of rambling!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

Valentine Series 2016 #5

Hello Everyone!!!

I bring a new cutie your way today and he was as much fun to color as he was to use on a card! While I was coloring this image I was thinking about musicians and how they have a reputation for people popular with the ladies. I find that to be true for me too...but to an extent. There are certain instruments that I find more attractive than others for example a saxophone is hot as is a guitar or even a piano but...the bongos? Bongos just don't do it for me. This image while not sexy in any way is stinkin' adorable!

Ingredients: 

• card base from my stash
• "lover boy" background paper from DCWV scrapbook kit in a stack Love & Wedding
• grid paper from my stash (I think it was from a collection called Lost & Found from My Mind's Eye but not 100%)
• image from La La Land Crafts Saxophone Luka
• I cut out the wonky frame with My Favorite Things Blueprint 15
• the wooden LOVE is from my stash and I used Smooches to color the wood
• I had also used Smooches to color accents on the saxophone
• I colored in the hearts with clear Wink of Stella to add some shimmer
• Glossy Accents on his eyes 

Everything I used to make this card can be purchased from Scrapping For Less (keep in mind all items depend on availability such as paper packs etc.)

Valentine Series 2016 #4

TGIF!!!!

Happy Friday everybody, well it was Friday when I started this post! (I am easily distracted and apparently cannot watch American Idol and type)  ;)  Here we go into the weekend and here I am with one of the sweetest images I think I have ever found! This image makes me think of the conversation hearts candy which I loved as a kid which is ridiculous because now when I see that candy I think "eww I'm not wasting my carbs on those!". Thankfully I don't have to make carb choices when card making! Yay!!!

Ingredients:

• image is a digi stamp from Saturated Canary LLC, created by Krista Smith
• striped patterned paper is from BoBunny #foreveryoung collection 6x6 paper pad which I purchased from Scrapping For Less
• wooden embellishment with sentiment is from Crate Paper Kiss Kiss wood pieces also from SFL (Scrapping For Less)
• yellow cardstock was from my stash
• the sweet little enamel heart stickers were part of SFL's 2015 card kit (I think it was February but not completely sure)
• Wink of Stella on the hearts in her hair and on her leg warmers (that's what I'm calling them) and also on the hearts in the box and the one in her hands
• Glossy Accents on her eyes (one of my favorite things about the Saturated Canary characters) and her lips

One last thing: If you are making a card with an image like this and are fussy cutting it out I picked up a great tip from Kristina Werner about taking a black ink marker and running it along the edges of the image. It gives it a clear, crisp, more finished look and can also hide any little scissor slips you may have along the way. 

I am missing my buddy Teresa but for an excellent reason. She is off lending a helping hand and some much needed TLC to my friend and her sister Beth. If you are looking for some inspiration on card making, goal setting, or just a pick me up check out her blog at Fresh and Renewed. 

Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoy this little gal, she is so sweet I want to print out a bunch of her and color her in a ton of different color combos! Happy Weekend!!!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,

Kim :) 

Valentine Series 2016 #2

So here is card number two. I received the kit that this stamp came in months ago and have being itching to color it. This little image is sooo cute and I figured with all the hearts on the image it would be perfect for a Valentine card.

The Ingredients:

• card base
• patterned paper from my stash
• image from La La Land Club Kit
• My Favorite Things Dienamics blueprints #15
• Technique Tuesdays Fishtail Banners 
• colored image with Copic markers
• Wink of Stella on bow and heart on purse
• Glossy Accents to apply to camera and eyes

This was such a fun card to make! I really love the hair on this image and all the hearts too she's cute and funky. 

Hope you enjoyed stopping by and look forward to seeing you all on Monday! 

Wishing you sunshine and smiles, 

Kim :) 

2016 Valentine's Series Begins!!!

Hi ya's!!!

The candy's been on the shelves for weeks now! I walked into the grocery store a couple of days ago and it was chocolates, stuffed animals, forever roses galore...so thus beggineth the Valentine Series!!! I am so excited! I love cutesy images, fun colors, hearts galore, and finding ways to use images that don't typically lend themselves to the holiday of focus and bending them to my will! (Bwahahahaha!!! Hmm I feel as though a holiday built around letting your loved ones know they are special should not bring out the villain laugh in me...oh well! )

The lovely little banner at the top of this post is brought to you by Teresa Russell (I am still working on acquiring such skills). She has been posting her Valentine Series since January 6th. You should definitely check it out over on her blog at Fresh and Renewed. Many thanks to Teresa for making this for us, I had to tweak my dates a little since I was still traveling through the first of the year.

So here we go!

I always use items that are in my stash, the majority of my supplies I order from Scrapping For Less which is a preorder site that Teresa runs on FaceBook. I am sure if you follow this blog for any length of time you will hear about it again and again. :)

The Ingredients:

• textured cardstock
• patterned paper from my stash (thought the hearts on grey were so cute)
• image is from La La Land Crafts (I participate in the La La Land Club Kit it is absolutely worth it! )
• used copic  markers to color the image
• the sentiment is also from La La Land Crafts (is part of the same kit the image came it...told you it was worth it!)
• the pearl spray is a Zva sticker
• the little purple heart is a wood heart that I colored in with a purple Wink of Stella pen

I don't think the photo really shows it but on the buttons on the hat and on her eyes I added Glossy Accents. I also used a Uniball Signo white pen to color the white of her eyes.

 I put in links where I could just in case you see something you would like to add to your arsenal. I don't get any kickbacks or endorsement for any of the products they are what I happened to use while making the card. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)