Friend

Good morning!

I have a card to share with you today that I made using the adorable The Craft's Meow Jar of Sunshine stamp set along it's coordinating Spellbinder Homespun die set.  I stamped and fussy cut the flower 'belly band' for the jar and added a tag from the Potted Garden stamp set. 

(Both sets along with nearly all of TCM's stamps are no longer available for purchase... sorry!)

I added some honeydew striped baker's twine for the card front since it matched the patterned paper so well.

Have a great day!

Jessica

A Jar full of wishes...

Good morning!

I have a bright 'spring-y' card to share that I made with The Craft's Meow Jar of Sunshine stamp set along with it's coordinating Spellbinder Homespun die set.  I die cut the jar from vellum, stamped the image in stazon and then added the Copic colored flower images.

Have a great day!

Jessica

TCM: Rustic Greetings and Chalkboard Faith

Hi there!

Welcome to another sneak peek new stamp sets from The Craft's Meow 's September release which will be available for purchase on September 21.  We have five new stamp sets that we will be featuring until then on our blogs to give you lots of ideas with these fabulous new stamp sets!

Today, we are previewing two new stamp sets and I have two cards for each set, so get ready for lots of photos!  My first two cards were made with the new Rustic Greetings illustrated by Angelica Suarez.  You're going to love this set - you've got to see all the fun cards everyone has prepared for you today!  (You can see them over on TCM's store blog, lined below).

Card details

Stamps: Rustic Greetings

Ink: Versafine

Cardstock: PaperTrey ink solid; My mind's Eye patterned; Vellum

Other: PTI woodgrain impression plate on the vellum; stone baker's twine from The Twinery; PTI tag die; Punch Bunch leaf punch; SU taffeta ribbon; Copic W2 Grey marker; buttons

For my first card, I just had to use the deer head image along with this clever coordinating sentiment.  My stone baker's twine came to the rescue for a fun 'manly' ribbon treatment.  I love these two together and tried to make a 'masculine' card with it.  Those are always hard to make, aren't they?  I made another card to share later this week that is a 'bit' more masculine, I think.  You'll have to be the judge of that in a few days when you see it.

My next card used the little snowflake images that Angelica designed for this stamp set.  I stamped the banner image on a separate piece of paper (like I did for the first card) and trimmed it out to help it pop up a bit better.  The little rectangle frame that I used on one of my cards yesterday is also from this stamp set.  So fun how they coordinate so well together - good job, Angelica!

Card Details

Stamps: Rustic Greetings

Ink: SU blue; Versafine black; Colorbox Chalk light blue

Card stock: PTI solid card stock; My Mind's Eye patterned

Other: PTI tag die cut; SU ribbons; ocean baker's twine from The Twinery; SU Sizzix snowflake die; PTI impression plate; buttons; sewing machine

The next stamp set we are showing today is called Chalkboard Faith illustrated by Nina Brackett.  And, yes, it is as awesome as it sounds like it is!  I love the quotes Nina included as well as the fun way she put each of them together!  I decided to stamp out several of them on watercolor paper in Versafine ink, clear emboss with detail embossing powder and play with my Distress inks to add color to them.

Card Details

Stamps: Chalkboard Faith 

Ink: Black Versafine; Distress inks

Card stock: Vellum; PTI solid; watercolor

Other: PTI sunbeam impression plate; detail clear embossing powder; ribbon; solid peapod green baker's twine from The Twinery; doily 

My next card uses another favorite sentiment along with some pink distress inks for the background.  For both of the focal sentiments on my cards today, I swiped some ink on my Ranger craft mat, spritzed the inks with water (mixed with some perfect pearls for shimmer) and then I laid the sentiment down in the ink until it had the color I wanted it to have.  To help blend the pink one a bit more, I spritzed the sentiment panel with water too.

I'm no expert by any means but it was fun experimenting with the Distress inks and water.  I need to do this a bit more often!  The clear embossing helped the black to stay nice and defined against all the inks.

Card Details

Stamps: Chalkboard Faith

Ink: Versafine black; Distress pinks

Cardstock: PTI solid; watercolor

Other: Seam binding ribbon; sewing machine; detail clear embossing powder; doily; PTI impression plate; perfect pearls mixed in water & water bottle for coloring the focal image

To see everyone the designers' cards for today's preview with these new stamp sets, please check out The Craft's Meow store blog for all the photos and links.  I've seen some of them already and know you will love what they've prepared for us today!

Have a great day!

Jessica

TCM September blog hop: Anything Goes!

Hi there!

Welcome to The Craft's Meow monthly blog hop event.  If you've been following along on the hop, you should have arrived on my blog from my friend, Jennie's blog.  If not, please start at the beginning and check in on TCM's store blog for all the details on today's event.

For all three of my cards today, I used one of my favorite TCM/NinaBDesigns stamp set: Life is a Carnival.  Lisa wanted us to share a technique with our projects today.  While I don't have a 'technique' per se, I thought I'd show how I usually design for my assignments - I pull out a stamp set and stamp out several images, color them up and begin 'playing' with them.  One card leads to another and I usually end up making 2-3 cards at a time... one evolving into the next, often using many of the same elements but in different ways.

Card Details

Stamps: Life is a Carnival (TCM)

Ink: Versafine; Memento

Card stock: PaperTrey Ink solid and patterned; My Mind's Eye grid

Accessories: Flax baker's twine from The Twinery; Copic markers; PaperTrey Ink notebook die; sewing machine; doily

Often, my favorite card ends up being the last one that I make... which is the case with these cards.  My first card in this post is the last one I made.  This one right above was my first, original design.  I thought the images would make some fun background paper and I think I was right.  After stamping all the images, I embossed the panel with an impression plate and 'shabbied' up the edges with the same ink I used to stamp the images.  Since the background was so busy I went very simple with the rest of the card.

Card Details

Stamps: Life is a Carnival (TCM)
Ink: Stampin Up baked brown sugar; Memento; Versafine

Card stock: Paper Trey Ink; Stampin Up

Accessories: Copic markers; seam binding ribbon; PaperTrey Ink fillable frame die & coordinating stamp; PaperTrey Ink grid lines impression plate

Another idea I had when I pulled out the stamp set was to stamp these ice cream cones all in a row and color only one and pop it up to help it stand out.  I'm not sure that I executed this one very well with the colors though.  I colored the ice cream flavors first (strawberry; mint chocolate chip, chocolate, and blue moon) and then pulled out some patterned papers from my stash to put the card together.  I should have found some paper with some pink in it... oh well, can't win all of them, right?     

Card Details

Stamps: Life is a Carnival (TCM)

Ink: Memento

Card stock: PaperTrey Ink; My Mind's Eye patterned papers

Accessories: Seam binding ribbon; sewing machine; Copic markers; Glossy Accents; Corner rounder

Next up on the hop today is the sweet Jinny.

Happy Hopping!  

I hope you get inspired by everyone's lovely projects!
Jessica

TCM: August Release Blog hop

Hi there!

Today's the big day for all you The Craft's Meow fans!  The new August release stamps that we've been previewing the past several days are finally ready for purchase and to celebrate, we're having our new release blog hop!

If you've been following along on the hop, you should have arrived here from Jennie's blog you're right on track.  If not, please consider starting at the beginning so you don't miss out on any of the fun!

Stamps Used: Folk Art Blooms; Potted Garden

Embossing folder: Stampin Up

Caribbean and flax twine from The Twinery

I was so inspired with this month's release that I made three cards to share for the hop today!  To save your time, I'm not going to chatter about the cards since they are pretty straightforward.  I'll just list the stamps and any special supplies I used under the cards for your information.  If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I'll answer it as needed.

Stamps Used: Choose Hope; Potted Garden

Inks: Distress markers for the tulips with a waterbrush

Lilac twine from The Twinery

Organdy ribbon from Stampin Up, heated up with a heat gun to shrivel just a bit

Stamps: Folk Art Blooms, Potted Garden

Embossing folder: Stampin Up

Heart: Spellbinder Home Sweet Home die set

Heart Button cut from red fun foam with die from My Favorite Things

Honeydew die from The Twinery

Next up on the hop is Jinny! 

Be sure to leave comments along the way on the hop for your chance to win the release for yourself!  Leave comments by 8:00 pm PST on Friday, August 23.  Remember the awesome new Dream Catcher stamp set is the new free with $60 purchase and is also available separately for purchase.

Happy Hopping!
Jessica

TCM: Folk Art Blooms and Jar of Sunshine

Good morning!

Welcome to day 3 of The Craft's Meow August release previews!  Today's stamp sets are from one of my favorite illustrators - Nina Brackett and they are lovely, as are all things she designs.  I am so in love with the first stamp set called Folk Art Blooms.  

I stamped the flowers with a variety of Hero Arts shadow inks and then added some shading with coordinating Copic colors.  To soften everything I added some light brown chalk ink.

Nina's second new stamp set is a super sweet set called Jar of Sunshine.  The jar image coordinates with her Spellbinder Homespun die set.  I love this little jar image and the sentiments she included as well as all the embellishments for the mason jar image.  I die cut the jars with vellum and then stamped the images with black Stazon ink.  I added the lemon wedge and straw to my jar for a cup of lemonade!

My last card for today pairs the two stamp sets we are featuring today.  I die cut the jar image in vellum and stamped with Stazon ink again. Then, I die cut the jar a second time with some red polka dot patterned paper and added it behind the jar.  I added a ruffle trim from the coordinating Spellbinder set.  

I added my favorite flower image from the Folk Art Blooms and stamped in red ink and added some highlights with a dark red Copic, to make them look like red raspberries... so it could be a jar of red raspberry jam.  The leaves from the set were stamped in soft stone ink because I didn't want to add any other colors to the card - I was liking the reds, oranges, and grays.

To see all the other designer's projects with today's stamp sets, please hop over to The Craft's Meow store blog for all the photos and links.  Be sure to leave a comment there for your chance to win one the sets for yourself!

See you tomorrow with more new TCM goodness!

Jessica

Thanks for the thoughtful gift

Good morning!

Today, I have another 'masculine' type card to share with you that I made using The Craft's Meow Chalkboard Birthday.  Once again I paired lots of masculine colors together - grey, tan, shades of green and blue, etc. to make my card.  I added my favorite - a doily- for a pop of white and then decided to add a button to the banner for one embellishment.  

The papers are from My Mind's Eye and the stripes impression plate is from PaperTrey Ink.  I added a little Shore baker's twine bow to the Basic Grey button and called it done!

My white ink smeared a bit on the black card stock, but since the chalkboard technique is all the rage right now, I went with it. lol!  

Have a wonderful rest of your day!
Jessica

Be Still...

Good morning!

I have a card to share with you today that I made using The Craft's Meow: Beautiful Hymns (sentiment) and a retired Layers of Color flower - I don't remember what the stamp set was called, sorry.  To be honest, when I made the card I thought the flowers was from TCM since I know it was designed by Nina Brackett, but obviously it's not a TCM set.  I'm wondering if it's available now through Penny Black, since Nina illustrates for them now as well.... sorry, I couldn't be of more help!

At any rate, I paper pieced the flower, added some shading with Copics (one of my favorite techniques) and then added it to this song - one of my favorites.

I added a double tied some Seaweed baker's twine for the only embellishment on this card.  I wanted it to be a clean and simple but bright and cheerful card to send to a friend who needs some encouragement.

Unfortunately, I already need to use this card for a sweet friend whose husband suddenly died of a heart attack.  If that's not bad enough, the younger son just graduated from high school and his dad passed away the weekend of Father's Day.  It's events like this that make me long for heaven, where no more goodbyes will be said.

Have a great day and remember to take time to be still.

Jessica

TCM: June Release Blog hop!

Hi there!

Today's the big day - The Craft's Meow June release is now available for purchase!  To celebrate, the designers are joining together for a new release blog hop.  Be sure to leave comments along the way for your chance to win the release for yourself!  Comment deadline is Sunday, June 23 at 8:00pm PST.

If you've been following along on the hop, you should have arrived here from Jennifer's blog.  If not, please consider starting at the beginning so you don't miss out on any of the gorgeous projects my friends have designed for the hop.

My first card uses the new Kindred Spirits (flowers) and Fancy Flourishes (sentiment).  It's such a bright cheery card with all those yellows! 

My next card uses three of the new stamp sets - Fancy Flourishes (the new Free with $50 purchase stamp set!), Kindred Spirits (for the two friendship sentiments), and Sweet Memories.  I like the versatility of the Sweet Memories set and the sentiments that Nina included in it.  I haven't gotten into Project Life but can see myself using this set quite a bit.

Next up on the hop is Jinny!

Happy Hopping and shopping!

Jessica

TCM: Fancy Flourishes

Hi there!

Today, the designers from The Crafts' Meow are joining together to show off the new free with $50 purchase stamp set called Fancy Flourishes illustrated by NinaB Designs.

To see all the other designers' projects with today's stamp set, please check out TCM's store blog.  Leave a comment while you're there for a chance to win it for yourself!

For my first card, I stamped the flourish image in versafine on this yellow patterned paper and embossed with white embossing powder.  Then, I rubbed some brown chalk ink over it to help it stand out a bit, shading the entire card front panel with the same chalk ink to 'shabby' it up a bit.  Some vellum embossed honeycomb trimmed to make a border for the top of the card along with buttercream baker's twine and pearls from Want2Scrap finished it off.  I stamped and embossed the sentiment on a vellum flag die cut too.  It's such a soft and pretty card - but seems to be a bit washed out on my computer screen... sorry I couldn't capture it a bit better for you.

My next card didn't quite come out the way I was hoping it would, but I thought I'd share it with you anyways.  I'm not super happy about the trimmed 'Happy Anniversary' sentiment - but I'm not sure how else to include that on the card like I wanted too... hmmm.

Anyway, I stamped the flourish on a die cut in a soft yellow ink and then embellished it a bit with a strip of grey patterned paper and two vines from the stamp set which I finished off with a Wild Orchid soft yellow rose.  I was thinking of my parent's wedding anniversary coming up soon when I made this card.  My mom loves yellow roses, thus the yellow and grey color scheme.  

The anniversary sentiments are from TCM's Side By Side and were stamped in black Stazon ink on vellum. 

Have a wonderful day!

Jessica

TCM: Sweet Memories

Hi there!

Welcome to the third day of The Craft's Meow June previews!  Today, we are showing the new Sweet Memories stamp set illustrated by NinaB Designs.  This fun stamp set was designed for you Project Life ladies out there but is versatile enough to work great for cards too!

To see everyone else's projects with today's stamp set, please visit TCM's store blog for all the links and photos.  Leave a comment while you're there for a chance to win today's stamp set for yourself!

For my first card, I stamped one of the frames on some grey patterned paper in black versafine ink and added the 'blessings and joys' sentiment and a flourish from the Fancy Flourishes stamp set to embellish it a bit.  I added a soft green rose to the center for a bit of embellishment.  I thought this would be a fun baby card - or even a thank you/ congratulations card.

Have a great day!
Jessica