Great Impressions - Moments

Happy Last Thursday of 2012!

I hope that everyone made Santa's 'nice' list...did you receive any Great Impressions stamps? :)

My most recent order included a few stamps I've had on my wish list and, of course, I had to ink up some of my new rubber and show them off on a project!

I started off with a sketch from Splitcoast Stampers - DDSKETCH1212  I turned it upside down and added the circles with the sentiment.

I've been thinking of the highs and lows of my year, of the goals I accomplished and the ones I've yet to set. I can't believe how fast this year has passed! Already it's time for my last post as a member of the Great Impressions Stamps Design Team. It has been wonderful to work with a GREAT company with such fabulous products & service, not to mention the talented team!

 With those thoughts on my mind, Life is Not Measured... (F252) is the perfect sentiment for my New Year's card. I used Simple Elegance (H185) along the bottom edge of my sentiment panel. The flourish is embossed with clear embossing powder and glitter. Embossing with powders is another easy way to add texture and interest to a simple card.

(There is foil, embossing and glitter on this card. Hard to see, I know - they're not so easy to photograph!)

The tiny tag is handwritten with a Glaze pen - goes on wet and looks like the writing was embossed when dry. These pens are great for adding personal touches to patterned papers.

I hope that you have enjoyed your visit today and your 2012 has had more ups than downs! Thank you for your support, comments & participation (you still have a couple of days to link up to the december challenge!) and may 2013 be your best year, yet!

Inky hugs,

Angi

I've linked up to these challenges:
Stamp n Doodle - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Stamptacular Sunday #195 - Emboss Me!
Oozak #9 - Anything Goes + Red
Through the Craftroom Door #50 - Anything Goes
The Paper Shelter #93 - Anything Goes
Loves Rubber Stamps Week 32 - New Year Celebrations

Card Makin' Mamas - Merry Christmas

Every. Single. Year. I make Christmas cards.

Really. I do.

To my chagrin, I usually do not get them mailed. I have seriously sweet intentions, but the pressure of designing just. the. right. card and penning a funny and interesting annual newsletter is absolutely paralyzing!

I get the card made, the pictures taken and then...nothing. So, if I have owed you a Christmas card for this year or year's past...know it's coming...in 2013! (The plan is to write a little each month...fingers crossed this helps! Otherwise, you'll get the cute pictures in a fabulous card with signatures...promise!)

For now, since we are just days from the Gift Giving Gala, let's concentrate on the good stuff!

At the Card Makin' Mamas Challenge Blog we are hosting a HAPPY HOLIDAYS party!

I think this design is one of my faves...easily CAS or if I'm in the mood, I can pile it on!

Lots of gorgeous, shining embossing and clear glitter. I wish I could get more of the background paper...it's a Bo Bunny line from a couple of years ago. Works great for masculine projects and the pretty ones, too! Sigh.

Anyhoo, hope you found something you liked today and get around to joining us for the

HAPPY HOLIDAYS challenge with the Card Makin' Mamas!

Inky hugs,
Angi

Great Impressions - Cool Birthday!

(If you're here from the Great Impressions Stamps blog to see the 'Thanks Snow Much' tag, scroll down to the bottom of this post...)

Happy Thursday! Only 5 days till Christmas...and I'm sitting here typing up this post while a blizzard winds down outside my window! I love days like this where I can start a fire, grab some hot cocoa and take the time to get some crafting done. Even though we are in the last stretch of the holidays for 2012, I'm already looking ahead to 2013 birthdays.

Did you see my Great Impressions Stamps post last week? I used Snow Adorable (E774) on a cute Christmas tag and mentioned how versatile snowmen images can be. Frosty (G476) is another fun snowman image to use on some winter projects...

Frosty (G476)

My youngest daughter will be turning 10 in January and wants a snowman/rainbow party! This is quite the change from the normal glittery princess event, but I like a challenge!

I started with a sketch from Retro Sketches for the birthday card...

I used a few dies, embossing folders, a little bit of distressing and my favorite Smash tape! And, of course, some clear glitter for the snowy parts...and I couldn't leave a nekkid inside...

And it's Swirly Happy Birthday (E367) paired with Snow Adorable (E774)! Such a cute stamp. I couldn't resist putting him on the inside. He makes me smile!

(Thank You tag below!)

Thank Yous are always an important part of birthday celebrations around my house. These will look so sweet tied to the goodie bags! Since I colored the snowman with Copics, I backed the tag with another white tag stamped with lines for writing in Tumbled Glass Distress Ink. Can you see the glitter? There may not be princesses, but there's still going to be lots of sparkle!

I printed the sentiment using the An Accidental Kiss font. Just think of the cute phrases you could use with the snowmen...

Warm Winter Wishes
Friends Warm the Heart
You're the Coolest!
Sending You Warm Fuzzies! (use flock on the hat & scarf!)
You're Snow Wonderful!
Some of My Best Friends are Flakes

I'm sure you know some I haven't mentioned. I would love to hear them!

Next week will be my last post for Great Impressions Stamps. Until then, Happy Holidays!

Inky hugs,

Angi

Playing along with the following challenges:
Retro Sketches #42
Catered Crop - Tag You're It
Divas by Design #66 - Anything Goes
Little Red Wagon - Tag
Bearly Mine #66 - Winter Birthdays
Creative Moments #6 - Anything Goes/Anything But A Card

Great Impressions - Snow Adorable

Happy Thursday, Everyone! Here with a simple Christmas tag - with texture, of course! I've got a few more gifts to finish up, so these tags are going to be perfect!

The Distress Markers are great for this image! A little color, a little water, some sparkle with a Spica... Isn't Snow Adorable (E774) so cute?! 

Can you see the white flock on the brim and the pom-pom of the hat? (I decided not to use glitter on this project, but it would have looked fabulous, too!)

I love the texture of this frame. I inked it up with Vintage Photo Distress Ink to highlight the raised design. I felt like it needed just a little bit more character (see my issues with CAS? lol), so I tapped the edge with a Versamark pad and added some copper embossing powder. It's in the details, right?

(I could have stopped right here and made this into a darling tag or ornament...who knows? I still might make a few more of these!)

But if I had stopped, you wouldn't have gotten to see this lovely sentiment Hearts That Give (E775), dressed up with more copper embossing powder and a tiny red punched heart!

I backed this tag with a plain white one, so I can write 'To:' and 'From:'  and leave a little love on the back. The ribbon is wired and tied with a piece of jute twine and a jingle bell.

Snowmen are great winter images!
You could use any of these Great Impressions' snow related stamps for more than just Christmas...hmmm...maybe thank you or winter birthday?
(Watch for my post next week...hint, hint!)

(The 'Artboard' selections are previous Stamp of the Month sample boards. You can see those HERE. Scroll down a bit & click on the boards to see the samples. There's GREAT inspiration to be found!)

It's been great visiting with you today! Thanks for stopping by!

Inky hugs,
Angi

Card Makin' Mamas - Silver and/or Gold

TGIF! There's a new winner and inspiration post up at Card Makin' Mamas Challenge Blog! 

The theme is Silver and/or Gold, sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps. Pretty easy this time of year, wouldn't you say? Here's my card:

It's an easel card. Love those. Easy to have your card on display! :)

This cutie is Princess Charlie - Toad. At first, I thought I would be making a birthday card, but...

...I just couldn't resist the pun!

It's hard to believe 2012 is almost finished. I'm looking forward to enjoying the rest of this year and making the best of the next! There's still time to enter the Silver and/or Gold challenge at the Card Makin' Mamas Challenge Blog! Hope to see your entry!

Inky hugs,
Angi

Great Impressions - Need Another "Gift" Card

Happy St. Nicholas' Day!

(Nikolaustag in Germany)

The clock is a tickin' and I needed a few quick and simple cards for those last minute gifts.  

This design fit the bill! I wanted a CAS look with texture. Easy peasy...

1. Stamp a white panel with Old World Merry Christmas (E739)

2. Color any details (optional)

3. Emboss the panel with the Sizzix Holly Swirls folder

(check your local craft store - they may still have it!)

4. Cut 3 lengths of ribbon and layer 2 pieces. Tie a bow & adhere.

5. Pop up panel with foam squares, pop dots, etc. (optional)

If you leave out the coloring and adhere the panel to the card base, this card will be quick and easy to assemble. You could even skip the embossing, if you're really in a hurry!

Here's a close up of this lovely, detailed stamp:

Have you taken a look at all the entries in the Great Impressions' monthly challenge? The theme is ANYTHING GOES! Can't get much simpler than that...I hope you find time to make a little something this month - we'd love to see it!

Inky hugs,

Angi

Great Impressions December Challenge - Anything Goes

With all the holiday festivities I was glad to hear this month's challenge was to be ANYTHING GOES for the Great Impressions Stamps Monthly Challenge! I needed a little break from the holly and the snowmen...

Having boys in the house means that I need masculine cards pretty often. This happens to be the type of card that I have the least of. I mean, you don't usually use satin ribbons, flowers, bling, glitter...any of the usual stuff that makes a card shine!

This required a stretching of the creative muscles...and a little paint! Something I love about my men is they don't mind a little mess! You could use paint daubers, dishes of paint, mists...whatever you wanted to give those chipboard stars a bit of oomph!

Me? I used silver paint straight out of the bottle onto my fingers. Easy to apply the paint & easy to clean up! I used a touch of Black Soot Distress Ink to edge the stars.

The blue splatters are from a bottle of SEI Tumble Dye Spray. I took out the sprayer and flicked the tubing over the cardstock. Now if you're looking for a specific size dot or pattern this is not the method for you! :) I like random splatter. I aim for the areas I'm looking to add color to and work slowly. 

When I had designed this card I used CAS(e) this Sketch #7, but I didn't post this in time to link it up! I really liked this sketch!

Don't forget if you want to earn an extra chance for the prize, use a Great Impressions Stamp on your entry AND leave us a comment on the Challenge Post letting us know that you did!

Good luck!

Inky hugs,

Angi

Great Impressions - Little Angel White on White

26 sleeps until Christmas Day!

What have you been working on?

Finishing up cards? Tags? Gift wrap? Wouldn't this little angel look adorable on any of those?

Little Angel (E515)

She's just the sweetest little bit, isn't she? I've been wanting to make a 'white on white' card for awhile, but it didn't come together as easily as I thought it would...but this is a good start. 

I accidentally snipped off her halo when I was cutting her out. Good thing I love to try new hobbies and had some gold wire sitting in a drawer...happy serendipity!

 Have Yourself (E512)

There are so many wonderful sentiments in the Great Impressions Stamps online store (you can even check your local craft store to see if these are in stock!) and this was another perfect fit!

By the way I have really enjoyed stopping by to see your wonderful creations linked up to the Great Impressions Stamps monthly challenge! Thank you for sharing them with us! Watch for the new challenge this weekend...

Inky hugs,

Angi

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Divas By Design - Glitter & Sparkle
Totally Stampalicious - Let It Snow

WOYWW #27 (182) - Less of a Mess!

WOYWW!!!
Read more about Julia Dunnit's craft space community on her blog.

It's still Wednesday, so I'm doing pretty good...

Hi.
My name is Angi.
It's been more than 30 days since my last WOYWW post.

Whew. I feel so much better getting that off my creative desk! ;)

Now comes the sharing...so, the last time I posted you got to see my messy work area. Well, part of the work area...my main workbench which was covered in stuff. So much stuff, I wasn't even sure what was there! And I didn't show you the floor...you can see that post HERE.

(Does anyone else take pictures of their desks with the intention of actually linking & posting to WOYWW...but somehow it doesn't happen?! I was just perusing my WOYWW photos and realized I have quite a few more photos than posts!)

Okay...on to the pictures!

Yep, it's a bit messy, but I know exactly what is on the desk because it was clean prior to my project...

(I  didn't think to take a before picture until just now.)

Still not showing much of the floor, but the fact is you can see it & I can actually walk on it!

Here's a peek of the project I was working on.

You can see the rest of it HERE. 

(along with a blog hop & prizes! Ends 11/30)

Okay. I'm going to be late to the school to pick up the kiddos, if I don't hit the 'publish' button right now...

I can't wait to sit down this evening and visit the other crafty spaces. Thanks for stopping by for a peek!

Inky hugs,

Angi

Great Impressions & Ribbon Carousel Blog Hop

Happy, happy Wednesday! Today the Great Impressions Stamps Design Team and the Ribbon Carousel Crew are getting together for a fabulous blog hop.

Gorgeous stamps and luscious ribbons make for inspiration worth stopping for!

My happy mail from the Ribbon Carousel was a lovely mix of greens and browns, crushed and wired ribbon among them...

...perfect to go along with my Great Impressions Stamp:

Pointsettias & Berries (K40)

These flowers were colored up using Distress Markers and a waterbrush. The berries were colored with a white Signo gel pen and topped off with clear glitter.

The sentiment is Magic in the Air... (B218).

I cut apart the words and inked up the edges with Vintage Photo. After I adhered the words I used a glue pen to outline the word pieces with a heavy glue line and then added more clear glitter.

Thanks so much for visiting today! Your next stop on the hop is ELS. (Use the Links below to visit each of the designers.) Enjoy!

Inky hugs,
Angi

Great Impressions - Celebrate with Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know not every one of our wonderful Great Impressions fans celebrates Thanksgiving, but I'm sure no matter where we live, we all have lots to be grateful for this year.

Family.

I am most grateful this year for family.

How do you define family?

Blood relations? Closest friends? Community?

I am grateful for the Great Impressions' family & that includes YOU!

Thank you for taking the time to leave uplifting comments, for supporting Great Impressions and sharing your wonderful projects with us every month! We appreciate you.

Here's a card I made with you in mind...

I stamped Berry Sprig (D281) along the outside of the heart cut out.

It adds a layer without adding bulk to the flower embellishments.

I spritzed the flowers with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists: Tuscan Sun, Sugar Maple & Rum Punch

Bliss Mist: Whipped Honey Butter (I love those names!)

Isn't this sentiment perfect for today?

[Here's another card I made using Abundant Blessings (C384) that is NOT a Thanksgiving card.]

A couple of strips of patterned paper from the stash to finish off the inside.

Thanks for stopping by the Great Impressions Stamps blog.
Next week join us for our Holiday Hop with the Ribbon Carousel!

However you celebrate today, may it be full of friends, family & love!

Inky hugs,

Angi

Great Impressions Release Week - Tangled Moose

Hey, Great Impressions Fans!
Hasn't this been another wonderful release week?
Today I've got an adorable moose to show you...

This Decorated Moose (G474) is adorable, right?!

The image is colored with Copics and then the tiny lights were covered with Glossy Accents.

Love how the lights look like they're glowing!

Added a little Polar Flower Soft...

And, of course, the perfect sentiment to go along...Tangled Up (C440)

Did you know there are 40 days till Christmas! You still have time to order a few Great Impressions Christmas stamps for a few more tags and cards...or even to gift! I know I have a wish list in the Great Impressions' online store!

Hope your Thursday is a great start to the weekend.

Inky hugs,
Angi

Card Makin' Mamas - Thanksgiving or Thank You

Love Fridays...especially when it means there's a new challenge at Card Makin' Mamas! This challenge is sponsored by Digi My World - Thanksgiving or Thank You.

This sweet Indian Girl is from the Thankful Givings by Digi My World.

Another image colored with Copics! The sentiment is also from the set. 

Easy peasy. This is about as CAS as I get!

Inky hugs,

Angi

Great Impressions November Challenge - Holidays

When I was younger, I thought when I got older, time wouldn't go as fast, I would have more time on my hands...boy, was I wrong!!! I'm sure there are a few of you who are having a chuckle over my naivety. Go ahead and laugh! I am. It's good for the body and soul, right? ❤

Can you believe it's the 11th month of the year? I feel like Halloween was just the other day...oh yeah...it was. Ugh. Thanksgiving is just weeks away. While I absolutely love the family and friends aspects of the holidays, I wish these days of celebration were spread out more throughout the year. Whose idea was it to have Thanksgiving barely a month before Christmas?!

Anyway, it's time for the newest challenge on the Great Impressions Stamps blog and the theme is...

HOLIDAYS!

There are plenty of holidays, no matter where you're from, so create something and join us!

I've been wanting to use Winter Chickadee (G28). Such a simple image, but soft and sweet. Here's the hanging winter decor piece.

The Winter Chickadee is embossed in black and then colored with Copics. All of the cardstock panels are popped up with foam dots. I used my Sizzix eClips to resize and then cut a free SVG file designed by Jenny and used this as the base. (Thank you, Jenny!)

The patterned papers are from the Echo Park line - Very Merry.

I loved that this came together so easily! A Great use for my larger scraps. The acetate window definitely adds some fun dimension and allowed me to attach the There's Magic in the Air... (B218) sentiment to the front. 

To make the banner: I used regular printer paper for a softer, more distressed look. Stamped the sentiment with Black Archival ink and then sponged on Vintage Photo. Sprayed Perfect Pearls in Pearl over the top and then squished up the paper being careful not to tear it up too much. Unfolded/opened the banner and then used a heat gun to dry it. Inked up the edges a little more, folded it as shown, added the ep powder. Melted it and then attached the banner to the ornament.

I knew I would hang this up with ribbon, so I needed to reenforce the cardstock parts on top, so I added Frantage Embossing Enamel to the top section and then bottom sections of the frame base.

I like the piece simple, but who knows? I might get a creative itch and want to add something to this piece later...pins, tags, more ribbon.

Don't forget, if you enter the monthly challenge, you'll be entered into the prize drawing!

And if you use a Great Impressions Stamp (or two, or three) you'll be entered twice!

Thank you for spending a bit of your Sunday with me!

Inky hugs,

Angi

Great Impressions - Teacups Thanks

Hello, hello!

Happy First Day of November! I've got a quick little project for you...those holidays are right around the corner...

Yep, it's another gift card holder! This one is so easy...it's a Sizzix Bigz XL die. All you have to do is decorate. My kind of gift wrap! Those little Elegant Tea Cups (F389) are stamped and then fussy cut. The tiniest bit of Copic coloring and then glitter was added to a few lines. I love tone on tone and that lovely chocolate brown ribbon on top of the brown. Well... it's just lovely!

Here's a close up of the stamped panel inside the holder. I've used this stamp, Simple Thanks (D374), for a few projects already. I think it's on my top 10 Great Impressions' list... and here it is open! Since the cardstock base is so dark, I included a small panel for someone to write in their message.

Alright, folks...that's a wrap! *wink*

Don't forget to check out the top of the Great Impressions blog for special announcements!

Inky hugs,
Angi

Card Makin' Mamas - Anything Goes

Woohoo! The new challenge at Card Makin' Mamas Challenge Blog is Anything Goes!

Colored up with Distress Markers. Love these Autumn colors!

(12/13/2012 It appears that Squiggle Stamps is no longer in business.)

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky hugs,
Angi

Great Impressions - Masking the Mouse

Snowed last night.

 Only flurries, but the temperature dropped and out came the wool sweater and slippers! Guess it's time to dig in and get to some serious crafting in the studio!

One of my favorite things about using stamps is the ability to combine images by masking. Once you know how to layer your images (foreground to background), you can customize any project by mixing and matching.

This card uses two Great Impressions Stickables for the scene:

Harvest Mouse (F169)

Mailboxes (G465)

and part of the Just For You (C370) Stickable for the sentiment.

When I first saw Harvest Mouse I thought he should be gifting this sweet pumpkin to a friend...now he is! First I stamped Harvest Mouse. Make a mask by stamping on a sticky note (make sure part of the image is actually on the sticky part. Just sayin'.) and then trim out the image.

Place the sticky note image over your stamped image. Ink up the Mailboxes and stamp it once on the left. Ink it up again and stamp on the right. Lift up the mask and ta-da!

Harvest Mouse is on his way to the Mailboxes!

The edges are sprinkled with Frantage Bronzed Mica Fragments. I love the vintage glam. It's hard to see in photos, but I used Spica Pens to add shimmer here and there, too.

That little strip was a leftover from trimming the front panel. Works great here!

Time for a refill on my hot chocolate. There's still time to enter the monthly challenge. Can't wait to visit you!

Inky hugs,

Angi