Factory in the making!!!

Wow! I have been a busy gal this weekend!! I was so excited by the instant success of my Etsy shop (link is on the right side) that I couldn't sleep, I just dreamed about stamping, laid awake thinking about what to create.....and so, like a little Valentine elf, I got to work! Hi ho, hi ho, hi ho!!!

My mother in-law had given me these great antique muffin tins, and finally! I put them to good use. I sorted my punched and cut items in them, my buttons, and formed an assembly line.

I had been brainstorming about offering a Valentine's kit to all of you, and I do have something different in the idea box for you - OR - feel free to purchase one of these great kits oer on my Etsy shop.

This bundle includes 6 tags (the hearts are from the Love You Much set, border is punched with that oh-so-sweet Pinking Hearts Border Punch, and a little smidgen of the shiny Sending Love DSP), 6 cellophane bags (4x6 size), and 6 - 8 inch satin ribbons to tie the treat bag shut.

Here's a closer pic of the tag:

There's that super sweet Pinking Hearts border!! And look at that DSP shine - it is so nice to work with something glittery, and not have glitter all over! I {heart} this paper!

I also did the the same set, but changed up the tags. This stamp set is now retired, but it is my go to set for making Valentines for the boys. Last year when they were still going to the sitter, I used it, and I will use it again for Will's preschool Valentines. It's a nice look for kids and isn't over the top mushy! Plus, I like the doodled Friends stamp!

Kit details are the same as above: 6 tags, 6 cellophane bags, and 6 - 8 inch ribbons.

The friends image was stamped using Stazon ink and then colored with my SU! markers. Again, I used the Pinking Hearts border punch - it's just too cha-cha for words! It's a capped off with a bit of DSP (retired) and offset with a little red button.

Lastly, I did a set using the same set as above - it's called Love Matters btw - but remember, it's no longer available - SORRY!

I stamped the flower image 3 times across the bottom with Stazon, then colored with markers. Then I distressed the edges (Bonnie style!) with Close to Cocoa and a sponge dauber. I punched a heart with the Full Heart Punch, and roughed up those edges, the added a scrunchy little flower to the heart that is accented with a red button tied up with some jute twine. The top of the tag is a 1/2 inch circle punch, folded in half, then a hole punched with a 1/16 inch punch.

Aren't these flowers just too cute?

Okay folks! Tell me what you think - would you like something like these as a kit? I'm wondering if you'd like them stamped, punched, etc; then you could just color and assemble. I'd really like to hear some opinions - so PLEASE leave me a comment....I do value what you've got to say!!!

Thanks! Hope you enjoyed!

Money may not grow on trees....

....but hearts do! Before I get too far into this post, my son Will, who is almost 4, insisted that I put some of his creations on my blog. He usually wakes up from his nap and goes straight for my scrap drawer. I let him take whatever he wants and he goes to his table and cuts and glues and cuts and glues. He's always very proud of what he comes up with and of course I give him a ton of praise to help boost his ego. So, today he created the little top note Valentine on the left below. On the right is a gingerbread man that he made a couple of days ago and it just had to be in the photo too. He's a creative guy in the making....he didn't fall far from the tree!

And...then I have to show you the pheasants that are still coming around. Still 4 of them, and they are happy as can be because Andy is still out feeding them.

In this picture below, you have to notice the platform birdfeeder behind the pheasants - that stands about 5 feet high from the ground - it appears that about 3 foot of it is covered up by snow. If you look beyond that feeder, you can see that the drifts just keep going up and up from there. We think (but haven't gone out to confirm) those drifts reach a peak of about 12 ft from the ground. I can't wait until Sunday and Monday when it's warmer - I'm gonna be out taking some photos of our awesome drifts.

Oh, and where those pheasants are standing - somewhere under there are some Blue Spruce trees....

Okay, on with the show! Here's creativity in progress:

If you notice over on the right side of my blog, I've opened an Etsy Shop!!!! You can click over there to get there or go to: http://stampedsilly.etsy.com For those of you not familiar with Etsy, it's a website that sells only handcrafted and vintage items. You can find all sorts of great things over there, and I think it's great to support crafters - handmade is so much better than mass produced......
Here's the finished product:

Cute - huh.....and see hearts DO grow on trees! For those of you that are in the Denison, IA area, these will also be for sale at Splurge! in uptown Denison - across from the courthouse.

Here's a detail shot:

And here's the same card, I just swapped out the DSP.

And a detail shot of that one:

FYI - I love the new Satin Ribbon - it is just SO easy to work with. Oh, and those clear mount stamps - phew....they are lifesavers! I just don't see much for wood mounted stamps in my future....poor things!

Okay - time to go. Enjoy your day - the sun will come out tomorrow, and it'll be about 50 degrees warmer!!! (that is really something - huh?? )

My Heart's All a Flutter!!!

Alrighty - the mad recycler that I am....I had these really cute jars that I saved (after cleaning out the refrigerator when we lost power during the last blizzard). I thought they would be really cute with some candies in them for Valentine's and here's what I came up with.
I decorated the lid using Real Red Satin Ribbon. This stuff is awesome to work with. I'm not sure I love the way I did the ribbon here - almost wish I would have just broke out the sewing machine and stitched it into a ruffle....now I have another idea tho (secret, secret - I have more jars!). I tacked it to the lid using sticky strip, then cut a piece of pattern paper (from the Sending Love DSP) using the circle cutter, and attached that to the lid. Added my sentiment - viola - lid done. It's the most important part after all.

Then I stamped the hugs & kisses in Real Red on Very Vanilla. I colored in parts of the image with my Pretty in Pink marker, and the dots with the Real Red Marker. Then I glittered to my hearts content. I thought that was fitting with the very glittery DSP.

There's an close-up for you.

I cut one of the flowers out of the DSP, and tacked it onto the other side. The opposite sides then have hearts punched out using the Heart to Heart punch. Other than the ribbon, I really like it. Now, it just needs to be filled with some Hershey's Hugs and Kisses and it'll be perfect. (Unbelievably, I couldn't find any *ANY* Valentine's candy in our local Wal-Mart - usually they start putting that out before Christmas is even over. Maybe I need to send Cupid their way??)

Let me know whatcha think....

Jen

Cupid has struck me!

Here's another little card for you using the Love You Much stamp set. Remember you can earn this stamp set free - check out this post.
This card is super easy peasy and just as sweet as can be. I stamped the heart trio image from the Love You Much stamp set with Whisper White Craft Ink on Real Red. Then, I punched those out using the Heart to Heart punch. I trimmed some of the bottom of the front of the card off - about 3/4", then used that awesome new pinking hearts border punch. (You gotta get this!) I layered a strip (out of my scrap pile) of Real Red onto some sparkly new Sending Love DSP, then put that behind the border punch so that it really popped! Oh, and to make the hearts appear like flowers, I used my paper piercer and free handed some stems. Then stamped a couple of leaves in Old Olive Craft Ink. (Craft ink is GROWING on me!!!)

I decided to leave it just this simple. I wanted a clean look, and that's what I think I got! Believe it or not, NO RIBBON!! The ribbon was calling my name, and I tried to add some, but I just couldn't make it happen.....I could have maybe substituted the leaves with some ribbon knots.....there's an idea.....hmmmm.....I should have thought of that earlier!

What do you think? I love to hear your comments!

As promised....

......I have a card showing you the Love You Much Stamp Set (that you can earn absolutely free! Check out yesterday's blog post) I turned to the Mojo Monday blog for some inspiration. I love a sketch challenge, and it had been so long since I'd participated in one, I thought it was high time! Blank sketches are great to work with because you can interpret your own design without being influenced by colors or stamps, etc. Anyway.....this was quite simple - I stamped the Love You Much in black stazon, then stamped the flower portion in Real Red on a scrap, which I cut out. (you know how I like to cut tedious little objects out!!!!) I colored the image with SU! markers, then shadowed with a gray watercolor crayon and blender pen. I always like the way shadowing really helps ground an image. It completes me!

There is the card in it's entirety. It's a little more busy than what I typically put together, but I still really like it. That's the great thing about Stampin' Up's Designer Series Papers. They easily work together. Just remember to use a large pattern with a small pattern. Never two large patterns on the same page. It's easier to pull off two small patterns together. This is also why I went with just a plain Chocolate Chip square and border - to break it up a bit.

Check out that new pinking hearts border. Isn't it super sweet? And the glitter in the new Sending Love DSP. I love the fact that it's pre-glittered. I get my glitter fix without the mess. (Yes Karen - you too could have mess free glittered paper!)

So - whatch think? Cute card? Leave me a comment - I just might have something up my sleeve for you....... :)

Love You Much!

Isn't this just the cutest little box you ever did see? I found the directions for it on Splitcoast Stampers - it's just the right size to hold 3x3 gift notes. I'm loving it! I used Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, and the new Candy Lane Designer series paper, the stamp set used was Love You Much.