Gather Together & Zen Leaves Fall Card

I don't know about you, but I am ready for fall.

Texas is doing it's best to keep fall far from us with temps still in the upper 90s, but playing with some fall stamp sets, fan going in my craft room I could almost sense it coming in.

 

I started with two ATS (artist trading stamp) sets. I love these, because they are smaller sets for a great price! I chose to use the Zen Leaves and the Gather Together sets on this card.

 

 I knew I wanted the background to look like a pile of fallen leaves, so using my Misti, I aligned the stamps were I wanted and started stamping. I used Pumpkin Bread for the first stamping and then embossed with clear embossing powder.

 I then aligned the stamps again and this time I used Tangerine Fusion. I decided to use my Misti as I made 4 of the same card and using it saves time lining things up for multiple stampings.

 The third stamping was with Cranberry Bliss and this added a nice richness to the background I think.

 And finally I added one Summer Days leaf just to add to the fun autumn colors.

 Next I got out my new Bread Tag Die and cut 4 out with Pumpkin Bread cardstock.

 I really like this Gather Together stamp, but didn't want the "eat pie" part on this card, so I did a little trick.

 I used some post-it tape and cover the "eat pie" before I stamped with Versamark. I pulled the tape off before I stamped.

 I then embossed with white embossing powder, which I think really pops on the brown background.

 I used some Candy Red twine and a button I had laying around in my room and completed the card. I wish I would have put the yellow leaf where it was more visible. I ended up making sure on the other 3 cards that I did, but forgot to take a picture of those.

Hope you like this easy tutorial...a fall card.

Creating my new craft space - Part 2

After a few weekends of unpacking, decluttering and figuring out how I really wanted to have my space organized, I am done!
Here is a picture of the new space.

 My chair from IKEA arrived and helps add to my color selection. I love the color combination of teal and red, but added grey and white as neutrals in this space.
First up is my shoe organizer.
My cousin Jessica gifted this to me a year ago and I've been holding onto it, knowing it would be perfect in my craft space. So I put it up using some pushpins and put all sorts of small embellishments in it. I've got twine, tags, sequins, buttons, brads, etc.

Next up is the left hand side on my desk area. I had purchased a Your Way container from a 31 party and had it embroidered with "Markers and Such" on the front a few months ago, knowing I needed a good bin for them. I have my Copic markers next to it in a plastic container. I've got a box which I put dowels through to store ribbon and washi tapes. I purchased some smaller grey cube boxes at Dollar Tree (yes I said Dollar Tree!!!) and I have one for adhesives, one for small ink pads, one for full size ink pads, one for tools, a plastic bin of glue guns (thanks to years of teaching for VBS, I've got 5 of them), and boxes of envelopes and a space for my coloring books.
Those cute cactus, you ask?? Well those are from Dollar Tree too! I had to add them, you know now being in Texas and all.

Moving on to the right side of my desk is stamp sets, die sets, embossing folders, paper cutters, 6x6 papers, paints and my normal miscellaneous junk area. Oh and one more cactus!

The main desk area is made from the desktop I saved from IKEA with a couple of legs on the front and the back and sides are attached to the cubes via L brackets.
I've got my OTT light, which is one of the best purchases I have ever made. I bought this light 8-9 years ago with a 40% off coupon and I've never had any issues with it. It's moved many times now, taking it to countless retreats and craft events and the bulb is still the original. I've got my trusty pampered chef utensil holder that is also very old (10+ years!) that holds all my colored ink pens, waterpens, little tools, ruler, craft knife and more. I've always got my score board within reach too! A little bin on the desk for trash, the flower pot is still trying to figure out what it needs to be. Maybe to replace the utensil holder? Just not sure yet, but I got it at IKEA for like $5 and I just love it...maybe I'll get a plant for it, who knows.
Under the desk I have two bins, the left is full of embossing powders, my heat gun and glitter. I need to reorganize those, but haven't done it yet. One the right is a bin with all of my watercolor papers, and 12x12 cardstock. The inbox on the wall I got from 31 and I put cards I've received in the top, so that they stay safe. It also helps keep me on task to see cards for inspiration.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my studio. I love looking at other peoples and incorporating things I see into mine.
Love and Ink,
Annie

Creating my new craft space - Part 1

Moving is challenging...especially when moving over 1200 miles. In our last home we had an office and I turned that room into my craft room. Here is what it looked like.

It was perfect. I had purchase a Kallax cube system from Ikea and had a fun chair, nice work area and rolling cart for extra goodies......well not everything made it in the U-Haul. The chair and the rolling cart were left behind. But I decided that the Kallax would work in Texas in my new space.

 So on Friday I started by attempting to find pins to make the cube work, but no luck. So I found the closest option and started to get to work. Saturday I got the dowel pins glued in place and attempted to rebuild the system. But after multiple broken dowel pins, hitting my finger repeatedly with the hammer and having a slight cry fest I concluded the although it was easy to put together in NC, in Texas it was not going to be the case (basically you can't move Ikea stuff without damage).
Here is the shelving unit and my messy room before I began.

After my cry fest, my hubby attempted to help me, which only helped it break into more pieces and I felt totally discouraged....that was until hubby said, look to see what you can get at Wal-Mart or Lowes. This is the time when phones are completely our friends, I searched and found similar replacements and measured to make sure that everything would fit. So we purchased a 9 cube and a 6 cube units and I was able to use the tabletop and legs from my Ikea system.
I was able to put the two cube systems together and add the tabletop in under and hour....I had been working on the other trying to rebuild for over 3 hours!
So here is the beginning of the finished project.

So now I just need to weed through the boxes of supplies and get it organized. I am hoping with this set up that I can always have my big shot set up on one of the tops of the cabinets. I did get a chair ordered to replace the one the didn't make it. I also did purchase some new containers to put in the cubes.
I'll post more once it is completed and give you a tour of my new craft area.
Stamp happy!
Annie

Blog Relaunch!!

Hello all!
I am so excited to announce that I will be relaunching my blog.  I know it's been forever (almost 4 years) since I posted anything, but after 6 moves (including vacation rentals), 3 states and 4 job changes, we are settled and I am ready to get crafty again.
This weekend I will be assembling my craft area in my bedroom, and will photograph and share that adventure with you here.
I need crafting in my life again, as many of you know it is a release and place that makes me smile.
I've been out of the loop for a while, so it may take me a few weeks to get back into tip top form, but I know that all of my loyal followers will be ready to see what I can come up with.

So stay tuned. Craftiness is coming your way.
Annie

Easy Peasy Gift Card Holder

 Today I wanted to make a fun winter gift card holder. Note that I didn't say Christmas, only because I think this could be used anytime in the winter months.

I started with these two stamp sets. Endless Wishes and Scattered Greeting.

Next I created a mulitcolor ink pad.

I used these ink colors: Pacific Point, Coastal Cabana, Indigo Island and Marina Mist.

I started by layering some baby wipes (Note: if you don't have wipes you can use paper towel and wet it with water).

I started with my lightest color Coastal Cabana and added dots of reinker.

Here is after 3 of the colors, I have added the Marina Mist and Indigo Island.

Next I filled in the gaps using the Pacific Point.

This is my completed ink pad and now it's time to stamp.

I used a piece of whisper white cardstock and the snowflakes from the Endless Wishes set.

Notice the variations in the coloring of the snowflakes! I love it.

I also stamped the "Merry" using the same ink pad.

Next I grabbed my Gift Card framelit set and cut the base out of the snowflake stamped piece.

I put it all together with the Merry and here is the completed project front and back.

A cute little holder to give away a gift card.

I know that I love giving and receiving them.

Wouldn't this be cute to give your mailman for a McDonald's cafe card?

Or your child's teacher?

Or a neighbor?

Or...I could go on and on.

Remember you can always purchase these products and more in my online store. Just click the link on the right side.

As always - Stamp Happy!

Annie :)

Christmas Polaroid Card

It's the first time I have been able to take some tie to actually craft in my new space.

So today I got a little crafty.

Here's what I did.

 I first started by cutting a piece of white 3.5 x 3.5 and stamped one of the houses from the Holiday Home stamp set.

 I made a mask using a piece of copy paper and then stamped the trees by the house.

I cut a 1" circle out of a piece of copy paper and created the moon using Hello Honey. I then covered the moon with the mask and colored the sky with Pool Party and Marina Mist.

 I added the Santa and deer and colored in the houses I used two different techniques. 

The one on top I colored using one color for each area and just made areas darker by coloring the areas again.

The next one I used multiple markers to color it in.

 I used the polaroid framelit and cut using the coaster board paper.

This one I put on straight.

 This one I mounted on a angle.

For the sentiment I cut a piece of white, created a banner end and added some washi tape on the bottom to add a little something.

I would love to hear what you think!

Annie :)

Up and Running in Chattanooga!

Life is getting back to normal after moving 600+ miles away from everyone I know (well except the hubby, I brought him with me). I left my stable job, warm house, nearby family and church to move to a place where I knew no one, had no place to live and no church.  That was 2.5 weeks ago and boy has life changed. I am now in a job with constant upheaval, an apartment, and thankfully we have found a church to attend.

Life has been a roller coaster.

So during this ride I have been away.

But I am back!

And I have pictures of my new craft space to share.

Now mind you, I can't hang anything on the walls, so it's a little bland, but it's all mine!

 I have all of my stamp sets all lined up on a shelf. The cling mount are on one shelf and the wood mount are above.

 I have my stereo, fan, patterned paper and tools all set up on my table,

 Here is a better view of the stamp sets all lined up.

 I put down my Fiskars cutting mat as my table surface. It's easy to clean up and I can cut right on it.

I also have adhesive in the blue basket and all of my cardstock in the black file folder box.

 The two lower shelves on the black shelving unit have my Big Shot with dies and embossing folders.

I also have all of my paper trimmers, acrylic blocks, stamp scrubbers and misc stuff on these shelves.

 The toilet box is full of linens that I am hoping not to have to unpack until we move into a home.

The ink pads are all in the holder on top of the filing cabinet, which holds all of our paperwork.

 On the other wall is this small shelf unit with all sorts of adhesive, embossing powders, washi tape, magazines and catalogs.

And finally under the table is this three drawer cabinet filled with punches and other embellishments.

So that was my project for today, my day off. 

I got my space organized.

Tomorrow and Saturday I have to work the late shift, so not sure if I will get to crating, but if I do I will post it here.

Until next time - get crafty and stamp happy!

Annie :)

Ghostly Treat Holder

Living at the end of a dirt private road you don't get many Trick or Treaters. Well in the six years I have lived here we haven't had a single one. But I wanted to get creative and play in my craft room and create an easy treat holder that you can make for your ghosts and goblins.
I started with a piece of Tangerine Tango that was 4 1/4 x 11.
I scored at 5" from each end (so that there was a 1" bottom) (NOTE: you can modify the size of the bottom for bigger candies).

Next I took my Tag topper punch and punched each end. You will see in the picture that the paper hangs over on each side of the punch. I just did my best to keep the punch in the middle.

Here is what it looks like when you have both sides punched.

Next I took and cut the extra pieces from each side of the tag punched areas. I used my SU paper trimmer and lined up where I wanted to cut in the center of the slot.

Here is what one end looks like with the pieces removed

Next I cut a piece of black 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 and then a piece of DSP 3 1/4 x 3 1/4 and mounted. I stamped the ghost in grey on white paper and cut out. I cut the whole in the top a bit bigger just using the 1/2" circle punch. Stamped the Happy Halloween and punched out using the Modern Label punch. It's held together using the orange and white twine. Put it all together and you get.........

I used a cello bag to put the treats in. I stapled the top of the bag and put it inside with a little Fast Fuse to hold it in place.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial for making some Halloween treat holders. OH, but WAIT. Wouldn't these be cute for Christmas with peppermints and snowflakes, or chocolate and hearts for Valentines, or there are many other possibilities!!
Stamp Happy!
Annie :)