Celebrate with Stampin' Celebration

It's the most festive time of the year!  Are you ready for Christmas and New Year's celebrations?  Perhaps the new challenge at Stampin' Celebration will get you in a celebratory mood.

While I don't normally send cards for New Year's I will send out thank you cards if we go somewhere for a party.  This card would be great for that or for a couple that gets engaged on New Years.  I'm ready for whatever the New Year brings me.

Be sure to head over to the challenge blog and see how the rest of the design team was inspired, and then come up with your own creative masterpiece to share with us.  I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Supplies- Stampin' UP! unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Remember This - Project Life
Ink: Versamark
Paper: Basic Black, Gold Foil Sheets, Whisper White
Accessories: Gold Floss (DMC); Stitched Stars (Lil' Inker Designs); Tea Lace Doily (SU); Whisper White Embossing Powder

Paw Prints On Our Heart ~ A Trixie Tribute

Trixie Waunch

Earlier this week our friends had to say goodbye to their beloved dog, Trixie.  I wanted to send them a special card to let them know we care and that their fur baby will be missed.  Here is the card I came up with.

The video below shows you how this card was made.  *Note* If you are reading this on an email or reader you may need to go to my blog to view the video.

The inside of the card coordinates with the outside of the card.

I made the first card off camera and the second one while videoing.   The boys have another friend with a dog that has cancer.  It's only a matter of time before we will need to send another pet sympathy card.  Poor kids.  Poor doggies.

Goodbye sweet Trixie.  The boys will miss you playing airsoft with them, jumping on the trampoline and being a part of all their home movies.  You have been a great friend to your human family.

Stamping Supplies
Stamps: Pawprints On Our Hearts (SSS)
Paper: Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla/Whisper White, Misc. DSP (CM)
Ink: Soft Suede, Versamark
Accessories: Early Espresso Embossing Powder, Sweetheart Punch (SU), Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack (SU), Linen Thread (SU), Stitched Rectangles (LID)


I'm linking up to the Pretty Pink Posh Cutting Edge Blog Hop.  Pretty Pink Posh has some FABULOUS stitched dies!  In fact, her new ones just got back in stock, so I need to place an order before they go out of stock again.  :)

Hello Darling ~ OWH Midweek Throwdown & Scarf Challenge

Have you visited the Operation Write Home blog lately?  If not, you might want to take a peek today.  About a month ago someone from OWH contacted me and asked my permission to use one of my cards for their midweek throwdown in July.  Are you kidding me?!!!!  Of course I said I would be honored and delighted if they used my card.  

In light of this special occasion I have made a card for Operation Write Home's new Scarf Challenge.  

It fit perfectly into the style of cards I have been making in preparation for the StampNation Beach Vacation starting on Sunday.  Don't you love when a challenge lines up with a card idea you had in mind to create?

Come back tomorrow to see the video I filmed while making this card.  Be sure to follow by email if you don't want to miss when I post.  :)   Want to see more cards I've made specifically for OWH?  A good place to start is typing in OWH in the "Search This Blog" on the right sidebar.

Operation Write Home is near and dear to me heart and I am so grateful to Sandy Allnock and her team of volunteers that give all of us cardmakers an opportunity to serve the men and women who serve us.  Be sure to check out their blog to see more of my story and the card they have featured.

Supplies:
Stamps: Hello Darling (Stampin' UP!)

Stampin' UP! Ink: Calypso Coral, Crisp Canteloupe, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi
Misc: Clear Embossing Powder (Stampin' UP!), Embellished Tag (Mama Elephant), Stitched Rectangles (Lil' Inker Designs)

Hello Darling

Memorial Weekend Blog Hop with OWH

Is there a more fitting thing for an American cardmaker to do on her blog for Memorial Day weekend than to join with Operation Write Home for a blog hop?  I didn't think so.   That's why I'm joining others again this year for the OWH Memorial Day Bloghop.

I used OWH Sketch #225 to create this thank you card.

See how the stars are inlaid and then a couple of them are popped up?  Come back tomorrow to see a video on how I made this card, plus another card using the same sketch, but rotated and flipped.

Add your email to the follow me by email box to the right and you will get an email when my new post goes up. :)

Be sure to head over to the OWH blog to see what the others have created for this special event.  Clicky to go there now.


Supplies:
Paper: Aboard (Authentique), Basic Black, Very Vanilla
Stamps: Hip Notes (Stampin' UP!)
Misc: Banner Framelits (Stampin' UP!), Stitched Stars (Lil' Inker Designs), Versamark, White Embossing Powder


UPDATE:  I have added more pictures and video in the next post.  Clicky to go there now, or scroll up to see the new post.  

Seeing Stars

Are you ready for my 3rd post for today?   It appears that cleaning my stamp room has really given me some creative energy.  I would wait for next week to post these, but I wanted to get in on time to enter the challenges I designed them for.  :)

The current challenge at Merry Monday is to create a Christmas card with stars.  It gave me the perfect opportunity to play with my adorable Stitched Stars dies from Lil' Inker Designs.

MM#108

Since I had everything out I decided to cut another star for the inside of my card.

I thought the star theme would be fabulous with the sketch from Mojo Monday.  What do you think?  It's a great layout for inlaid die cutting.

MM345

As I was applying glue to the back of one of the stars I saw the pattern on the opposite side and thought it would be super cute on a baby card for my friend who is going to be a Grandma soon.

Isn't it sweet?  She is going to love it!  There was one slight problem with this card and that was the vellum. I hid my adhesive behind the star on the left and the rhinestone on the right, but there were still a couple of spots that were not popped up enough.

My solution was to add more rhinestones under the vellum.  It was a great solution.  

Die Crazy

Third challenge for the third post of the day is over at Simon Says Stamp.  The challenge is to use a diecut on your card.  Seems fitting, doesn't it.

Supplies:

Merry Christmas Card
Stamps: More Merry Messages (SU)
Paper: Crumb Cake, Festival of Prints DSP Stack (SU)
Misc: Stitched Stars Die (Lil' Inker Designs), Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Washi Tape

Welcome Little One
Stamps: Big Day~Today (WaltzingMouseStamps)
Paper: Same as above + Vellum Cardstock
Misc: Stitched Stars Die (Lil' Inker Designs), Bashful Blue Satin Ribbon, Basic Rhinestones, Silver Embossing Powder, Clear Foam Tape

Sew Saturday ~ Quilt Card

It's a sewing weekend for me as I attempt to finish quilting my son's quilt, but I took a break to complete this card that has been in progress all week.  Obviously my mind wasn't too far from the sewing machine.   :)

Isn't it fun when you two crafting worlds collide?  My quilt was simply colored with Copics. Not much shading and blending going on.  The reason I had to finish this card is that I wanted to enter it in the Curtain Call Challenge.  Lil' Inker Designs is the sponsor this week and I would love to win the prize.  My wish list is looooong for LID.  ;)  

CC- Cozy Quilt

Isn't that stitched banner cute?!  To create it I took my copics and colored a scrap of paper for my sentiment using the same colors I used in the quilt above it before cutting it out with my stitched banner die from Lil' Inker Designs.

The center panel was an "oops" that I almost threw away. It was created by covering my cardstock with a stencil and spraying glimmer mist over it. Unfortunately I sprayed a bit to much and ended up losing the definition from the stencil.  It makes a beautiful backdrop piece though.  

The center panel was framed with my stitched scallop die cuts.  (again from LID)  The last step was to add the baker's twine and button.  

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

P.S.  If you are here to see my Sew Saturday quilt, come back tomorrow, or scroll up to newer posts.  :)  I need an extra day to finish this one.

Supplies:
Stamps:  Beautiful Shelf (The Craft's Meow), Express Yourself (SU- Hostess)

Copics: BG13, C1, YG63, V12,

Ink: Trunk Bay Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels), Sahara Sand, Black

Misc: Garden Vines Stencil (Memory Box), Stitched Scallop Die (Lil' Inker Designs), Stitched Sentiment Flag (LID),  Button (SU), Pool Baker's Twine (SU-SAB), Pink Baker's Twine (Jillibean Soup??)

Baseball Star

Being on a design team means that you usually have 2 weeks to 3 months to make cards for when the challenge/release goes live.  That is why I find it more than mildly amusing that my Design Team card for today's challenge at StampNation happens to be a baseball card.

Why do I find it funny?  Tonight happens to be sign-up night for our local Babe Ruth Baseball league.  Last month when I was creating this I had no idea when sign ups would be.  Perfect timing, wouldn't you agree?

All Star Team at Tacoma Rainier's game 2012

If you are in the Rochester, Oakville, Tenino area and have a son age 13-15 head on over to the middle school between 6-8pm and sign up.  See you on the field.  (If only Spring would arrive in the Pacific Northwest when baseball season starts... time to get that jean's quilt made for game time.)


Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Song of My Heart ~ CTD278

I'm so honored to be a guest designer for Color Throwdown this week!!!  A couple of weeks ago the card I made using a cute little nurse that Julz Butler made for me was chosen as the Featured Stamper.  Clicky to see that post if you missed it.

Barbara Anders graciously asked me if I wanted to be the guest designer on February 5th and I said yes!   She didn't know she was helping me reach one of my goals for 2014.

Aren't those colors yummy?!    Color challenges often stump me, but Color Throwdown does a fabulous job of combing colors and I'm usually happy with what I come up with when I use a CTD pallet.

In case you were wondering, here are the little tags I tucked inside the front pocket.  It's hard to see but those Lil' Inker Design tags have debossed hearts on them.  I embossed them with my new Love Notes stamp set from CAS-UAL Fridays.

The inside was kept simple by using scraps I made while designing the front of the card.

I'm linking this up with the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.  Were they reading my mind when they put up a challenge for Have A Heart?  :)  I love this time of year where hearts can be found everywhere!

Have A Heart

Thank you  Barbara Anders and the Color Throwdown design team for allowing me to participate with you this week, and for the fabulous color pallet you give us each week.

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Supplies Used
Stamps: Language of Love (SU), Love Notes (CAS-UAL Fridays),
Paper (SU): Crumb Cake, Fresh Prints DSP Stack, InColor DSP Prints, Pink Pirouette, Pistachio Pudding, Vellum, Whisper White
Accessories: Embossing Powder- Clear & White (SU), Linen Thread, Love Tags Dies (Lil' Inker Designs), Pink Pirouette Taffeta Ribbon, Pink/Red Baker's Twine, Stitched Scallop Border (LID)

Language of Love

Fresh Prints DSP Stack