CLICK HERE FOR FREE BLOG LAYOUTS, LINK BUTTONS AND MORE! »

My Pages

Thursday, December 22, 2011

12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop - Day 12



Good morning Crafty Friends!

Welcome to Day 12 of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop brought to us by Lisa of HoneyBearz Designs.  This is a 12 day hop where we will be showcasing Christmas/Holiday projects of all types!  Be sure to stop by and follow each blog (comment each day) for your chance to win many, many sponsored prizes and Lisa's goodies too!  I have a feeling there will be blog candy along the way for you to win as well. :)

If you've arrived here from Anita ~ Anita & Bugs then you are in the right spot!  If you just happened upon my blog then you'll want to get all the juicy details at the beginning of the hop with Lisa (above).  Thanks for stopping by today!  I'm super excited for this challenging hop.  I love hops that make me be more productive than I normally am! LOL It's a great challenge for myself.  I just can't wait to see what every one else has been creating this season so I will list all the stops below for an easy way to find everyone.

Awww, we are at the end of our hop and I must say, I'm pretty sad!  I love posting a project every day and this hop has really motivated me to do that! ;)  I hope you all have had fun and to my fellow stops on the hop, I will be making my way through today.  I hope I will have enough time in my day cause I don't wanna miss anything!

For the final project I have, of course, another Christmas card to show you.  I made this one for a client and I really like how it turned out.  I only wish I had more of this gorgeous embellishment!  Very simple card to do. I am posting photos with a flash and without a flash, as both ways enhance different aspects of the card.




For the card itself, I used notebook style paper from Basic Grey.  Did you see that Cricut has come out with an awesome cartridge for the Imagine to do all different kinds of notebook paper (a trend that I'm really loving)? I simply must have that cartridge!  You can bet I'll be getting it within a month or two.  I think I'll use it a lot really.  Anyways, I embossed the background with the snowflake embossing folder by Cuttlebug on my Big Shot, then I inked across them in blue show they would show up better and to give them a wintry effect.   I inked all of my separate pieces, as usual, then I added a piece of scrap Christmas paper from a 6x6 pack that I have from last year's stash and  added a border from a K&Co. pack of embellishments. I added  the gorgeous floral embellishment by using pot dots, lastly.  It already said "A Merry Christmas" and is from the same K&Co. pack (I think.).  I wish they sold them by themselves, but they come in a large package with lots of other vintagey things. I can look it up if anyone wants to know, which reminds me of a comment I received yesterday regarding the file for my coupon holder... Unfortunately, I don't have a file, but I think I could make one pretty easily or I can get you a picture of the template and the measurements.  Another option is I will be happy to make a kit for anyone who wants one.  If anyone does want one, please let me know and I'll set it up for sale in my store.  I can do the main pieces without patterned paper or I can include patterned paper (your choice of holiday) cut to the correct sizes, depending on what you would like.  They will be pretty inexpensive so don't hesitate to ask!!!  *I believe Blue Crayons left the comment regarding the file... 

I so appreciate everyone who has stopped in during this awesome blog hop.  I am very happy to have received such nice comments and to have made new friends!  Please don't be strangers.  I will have a post up soon with a project from the newest design team I have been accepted as a member of for Paper Piecings by Nikki.  Check back tomorrow for that!

Now you are on to Lynda to see what lovely creation she has in store for us today.  Don't forget to leave a comment and become a follower if you want to enter to win the grand prize!

In case you get lost...
















Xo ~ Amy Jo

12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop - Day 11



Good morning Crafty Friends!

Welcome to Day 11 of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop brought to us by Lisa of HoneyBearz Designs.  This is a 12 day hop where we will be showcasing Christmas/Holiday projects of all types!  Be sure to stop by and follow each blog (comment each day) for your chance to win many, many sponsored prizes and Lisa's goodies too!  I have a feeling there will be blog candy along the way for you to win as well. :)

If you've arrived here from Anita ~ Anita & Bugs then you are in the right spot!  If you just happened upon my blog then you'll want to get all the juicy details at the beginning of the hop with Lisa (above).  Thanks for stopping by today!  I'm super excited for this challenging hop.  I love hops that make me be more productive than I normally am! LOL It's a great challenge for myself.  I just can't wait to see what every one else has been creating this season so I will list all the stops below for an easy way to find everyone.

First off I would like to thank all of you for your very sweet comments!  I just love reading them.  Thanks, also, to all my new followers!  So happy to have you on board!  I get so excited (still) when I see a new follower. :0)

I can't believe this hop is almost over!  I still have to go through several of my fellow hop stops postings and check out what they've created.  I think tomorrow will be a perfect day for that since it is snowing here and I have nowhere to be!  Yay!  :0)  Onto today's project...  This is EXTREMELY PICTURE HEAVY and there is a reason for that... This was the main gift I gave to my husband last year, broken down in steps for you all to see how it was put together!  I had sooooo much fun doing this one. I will add as many details as possible in the captions under the pictures.  I hope you enjoy it!

 This is the basic kit.  It does not contain patterned paper or buttons or anything else.  I decided to copy the pattern so next time, I won't have to buy the kit!
 The 1st step and main part of the holder.
 All the individual card holders folded and with patterned paper added from a seasonal pack that I just love!  If you want the name of it, let me know and I'll look it up in my craft room tomorrow.
 Individual pocket closeup.
 Outside of card holder with brads and gold twine??? added so it can close properly.
 Notice all the edges are inked as usual and the closeup of this cute brad.  I believe it's Basic Grey.
 Closeup of the back... Promise, it gets more interesting the further down you go. ;)  Don't stop yet!
 The second brad with the gold twine stuff added. LOL
 Front of coupon 1 - IPOD sticker from Michael's.  Recollections.  Is this not perfect???  I used pre-made tags and painted them (both sides) with metallic acrylic paint.  I LOVE the way they turned out!
Coupon 1, Side 2 - I added some random stickers and matching ribbon.  Okay, so my handwriting is not great, but I felt it would be a little more personal if I wrote it.
 Coupon 2, Side 1 - My hubby's favorite one! ;)  I had so much fun making this one.  I used elements from Making Memories, K & Company and ??? I can look up anything if you are curious b/c I still have all the supplies in my craft room.  Aren't those puffy Tiny Alphabet stickers just great?  I painted this one metallic pink.
 Coupon 2, Side 2 - I just love these random word stickers.  They come in handy for lots of things! ;)  I added pink ribbon to match.
 Coupon 3, Side 1 - Painted metallic green.  Added chipboard stickers from Me & My Big Ideas (I think - sorry, having a hard time recalling.  It's the middle of the night. :p) 
 Coupon 3, Side 2 - Added green ribbon to match.
 Coupon 4, Side 1 - Painted metallic yellow - Stickers are from the same set as Coupon 3.
 Coupon 4, Side 2 - I added some pics of my hubby's favorite things to get at the movies.  These stickers came from Michael's.  I added purple ribbon to make it pop!
 You stick all the folders together by adhering in the center and this is what the side view looks like.
 This is what it looks like when you open it.
 Closeup
 Top View- Like a pretty rainbow!
Ta da!  Finished product!!!

Thanks so much for hanging in there with me!  I know that was a lot of work. ;)  Would love to hear your thoughts on this one.  As always, I appreciate your comments, each and every one!


Now you are off to Lynda to see what lovely creation she has in store for us today.  Don't forget to leave a comment and become a follower if you want to enter to win the grand prize!

In case you get lost...
















Xo ~ Amy Jo

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop - Day 10



Good morning Crafty Friends!

Welcome to Day 10 of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop brought to us by Lisa of HoneyBearz Designs.  This is a 12 day hop where we will be showcasing Christmas/Holiday projects of all types!  Be sure to stop by and follow each blog (comment each day) for your chance to win many, many sponsored prizes and Lisa's goodies too!  I have a feeling there will be blog candy along the way for you to win as well. :)

If you've arrived here from Anita ~ Anita & Bugs then you are in the right spot!  If you just happened upon my blog then you'll want to get all the juicy details at the beginning of the hop with Lisa (above).  Thanks for stopping by today!  I'm super excited for this challenging hop.  I love hops that make me be more productive than I normally am! LOL It's a great challenge for myself.  I just can't wait to see what every one else has been creating this season so I will list all the stops below for an easy way to find everyone.

On to today's projects... First is one I sent to my sweet friend in Hawaii last year.  I felt it was appropriate. ;)  This is the very first project I did on my Imagine!  I honestly don't even remember which Cricut cartridges I used, but I believe the palm trees are from Stretch Your Imagination.  As you can see, I made this one a window card.  I used Colorbox Ink, my Zig Pen, and Stickles to enhance the card.  The different colored cardstock is from Recollections, but I'm not sure what brand my patterned prints are.  I got them at my LSS.





I hope you enjoyed my projects today and thank you for stopping by!  Now you are on to Lynda to see what lovely creation she has in store for us today.  Don't forget to leave a comment and become a follower if you want to enter to win the grand prize!

In case you get lost...
















Xo ~ Amy Jo

12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop - Day 9



Good morning Crafty Friends!

Welcome to Day 9 of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop brought to us by Lisa of HoneyBearz Designs.  This is a 12 day hop where we will be showcasing Christmas/Holiday projects of all types!  Be sure to stop by and follow each blog (comment each day) for your chance to win many, many sponsored prizes and Lisa's goodies too!  I have a feeling there will be blog candy along the way for you to win as well. :)

If you've arrived here from Anita ~ Anita & Bugs then you are in the right spot!  If you just happened upon my blog then you'll want to get all the juicy details at the beginning of the hop with Lisa (above).  Thanks for stopping by today!  I'm super excited for this challenging hop.  I love hops that make me be more productive than I normally am! LOL It's a great challenge for myself.  I just can't wait to see what every one else has been creating this season so I will list all the stops below for an easy way to find everyone.

On to today's projects.  I decided to show you an old and a new!  The first one is a card using the same paper line (mostly) as the cards on days 6, 7, & 8. This one has two snowflakes that were precut from either the Cricut or a Cuttlebug die.  I added extra Stickles to make it shimmery and inked my edges as always.  I like the burgundy background with the blue.  It's not something I would normally think to pair together, but I pulled the idea from the pretty flowers on the patterned strip of paper.  I added a little brad from Basic Grey to the center of the snowflakes.  I stamped a plain piece of cardstock with the "Merry Christmas" stamp and also added a little star.  Then, to finish it off, I added two strips of ribbon, one silver sheer and one brown.  I got the basic layout idea from a kit (of four) from my local scrapbooking store, so they are not totally my designs, but I always incorporate something to make them my own. ;O)  Again, this is another card from last year.

Now, onto one that I made just this past week!  I decided to really mix up non-traditional patterns and prints this year.  I decided to just go off the wall and start my own sort of holiday trend. ;)  Hope  you like what I've come up with!  Here's the first one...
Look closely or you'll miss the reindeer!

The sentiment stamp happened to land right on a weird spot of the pattern so the last part looks a little funky, but it's not smeared, I assure you. :)

TPC Studio Clear Stamps - Christmas Reindeer Fun
Same images, but mine are not clear.  They are cling stamps, which I'm loving!
I am really happy with the way this one turned out.  I used one of the cutest stamp sets ever, that I picked up at Archiver's last time I was there, called Reindeer Fun by TPC Studio.    Both the reindeer and "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" are from that set.  I added some red Stickles for the reindeer's nose because, well... don't you just have to? ;)  The papers I picked are Basic Grey (polka dot background, green patterned print, and the red patterned print) and the border and paisley print square were from a punch out sheet from My Mind's Eye - Out & About.  I added a fun brad and some pop dots to add some dimension.  I inked all my edges with ink from Colorbox and used my ATG for adhesive.  I used Stampin' Up ink for the reindeer and the sentiment, in Basic Black.  I'm very excited to get some feedback on this one.  What do you all think of the mixture of patterns, prints, and colors?  I know it's very non-traditional, but it still seems appropriate for Christmas to me!  

I hope you enjoyed my projects today and thank you for stopping by!  Now you are on to Lynda to see what lovely creation she has in store for us today.  Don't forget to leave a comment and become a follower if you want to enter to win the grand prize!

In case you get lost...
















Xo ~ Amy Jo

Monday, December 19, 2011

12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop Day 8



Good morning Crafty Friends!

Welcome to Day 8 of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop brought to us by Lisa of HoneyBearz Designs.  This is a 12 day hop where we will be showcasing Christmas/Holiday projects of all types!  Be sure to stop by and follow each blog (comment each day) for your chance to win many, many sponsored prizes and Lisa's goodies too!  I have a feeling there will be blog candy along the way for you to win as well. :)

If you've arrived here from Anita ~ Anita & Bugs then you are in the right spot!  If you just happened upon my blog then you'll want to get all the juicy details at the beginning of the hop with Lisa (above).  Thanks for stopping by today!  I'm super excited for this challenging hop.  I love hops that make me be more productive than I normally am! LOL It's a great challenge for myself.  I just can't wait to see what every one else has been creating this season so I will list all the stops below for an easy way to find everyone.

On to today's project... This is a card using the same paper line (mostly) as the cards on Days 6 & 7. I also used that same cute little snowman stamp and the same Cuttlebug die that the snowman was on for the trees.  Aren't they just sweet?  I got the ideas from a kit (of four) from my local scrapbooking store, so they are not totally my designs, but I always incorporate something to make them my own. ;O)  Again, this is another card from last year.


The button that was added was made by using a circle punch, adhesive, paper piercer for the holes and a clear button.  Now I use my Epiphany punch which I purchased at A Jillian Vance Design to create these.  Much simpler! ;)  Again, I added tulle and a torn sheet of blue just to jazz it up (as my mom would say) a little bit.  Of course, my edges are inked, as always.  Cute, simple, and sweet!

 Thanks for stopping by today!  Now you are on to Lynda to see what lovely creation she has in store for us today.  Don't forget to leave a comment and become a follower if you want to enter to win the grand prize!

In case you get lost...
















Xo ~ Amy Jo

Sunday, December 18, 2011

12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop - Day 7



Good morning Crafty Friends!

Welcome to Day 7 of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop brought to us by Lisa of HoneyBearz Designs.  This is a 12 day hop where we will be showcasing Christmas/Holiday projects of all types!  Be sure to stop by and follow each blog (comment each day) for your chance to win many, many sponsored prizes and Lisa's goodies too!  I have a feeling there will be blog candy along the way for you to win as well. :)

If you've arrived here from Anita ~ Anita & Bugs then you are in the right spot!  If you just happened upon my blog then you'll want to get all the juicy details at the beginning of the hop with Lisa (above).  Thanks for stopping by today!  I'm super excited for this challenging hop.  I love hops that make me be more productive than I normally am! LOL It's a great challenge for myself.  I just can't wait to see what every one else has been creating this season so I will list all the stops below for an easy way to find everyone.

On to today's project... This is a card using the same paper line (mostly) as the card on Day 6.  I got the ideas from a kit (of four) from my local scrapbooking store, so they are not totally my designs, but I always incorporate something to make them my own. ;O)  Again, this is another card from last year.  I'm so happy to be able to get them all posted finally!  Perfect excuse right?  ;)


This one, as you can see, was pretty simple.  I used a lot of Stickles on this one and some cute gold twine and sheer ribbon.  Look closely at the embellishment in the middle.  It's a little present!  The ornament was cut from the Cricut (notice the star center), but I am not sure which cartridge as this came pre-made in the kit.  I added a stamped sentiment to a plain white piece of cardstock, but thought it looked too plain so I, again, added some Stickles.  Stickles, Pop dots, and Glossy Accents just make everything better in my book! ;0)

 Thanks for stopping by today!  Now you are on to Lynda to see what lovely creation she has in store for us today.  Don't forget to leave a comment and become a follower if you want to enter to win the grand prize!

In case you get lost...















Xo ~ Amy Jo

Saturday, December 17, 2011

12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop - Days 5 & 6



Good morning Crafty Friends!

Welcome to Days 5 & 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop brought to us by Lisa of HoneyBearz Designs.  This is a 12 day hop where we will be showcasing Christmas/Holiday projects of all types!  Be sure to stop by and follow each blog (comment each day) for your chance to win many, many sponsored prizes and Lisa's goodies too!  I have a feeling there will be blog candy along the way for you to win as well. :)

If you've arrived here from Anita ~ Anita & Bugs then you are in the right spot!  If you just happened upon my blog then you'll want to get all the juicy details at the beginning of the hop with Lisa (above).  Thanks for stopping by today!  I'm super excited for this challenging hop.  I love hops that make me be more productive than I normally am! LOL It's a great challenge for myself.  I just can't wait to see what every one else has been creating this season so I will list all the stops below for an easy way to find everyone.

Well, imagine my embarrassment when I realized I didn't post a project for yesterday!  I am so sorry to all the gals in the hop and to my followers.  Today I will post two projects to make up for it.  :)  I will be gone for the next few days; however, I will be bringing my computer so I should be ok as far as posting goes.  If for some reason my Internet doesn't work, please know that I will be back on Monday with projects to make up for it, but in the meantime, please stop to see all the other participants projects.  The links should still be correct (as far as I know). :)

On to yesterday's project...  This is a card using the same papers and embellishments as the card on Day 5.  I got the ideas from a kit from my local scrapbooking store, so they are not totally my designs, but I always incorporate something to make them my own. ;O)  Again, this is another card from last year.  I'm so happy to be able to get them all posted finally!  Perfect excuse right?  ;)

I can't remember exactly what paper line this is from, but the "25" is cut from a full sheet, using just a circle punch and then pop-dotted.  I was really into tulle last year and added some of that as well as some pretty, sheer ribbon.  As always, I inked all my edges and used a stamp that was on hand at the store where I worked.  The red paper has glossy elements if you look closely.  I didn't even have to use my Glossy Accents! ;)  Super quick and easy idea if you are looking to make some last minute cards.

Next up is another card inspired by a kit from the store I worked at last year here in town.  Gosh, I miss that job!  There is nothing better than getting up, knowing you get to go to a scrapbook store for the day!  Best job in the world! ;)  This is the first of a set of a more whimsical nature.
I added Glossy Accents to some of the dots in the paper to make them really stand out.  The cute little snowman is from a Cuttlbug die and I think it's so cute with the great big head and little body. :)  I also just adore that tiny snowman stamp that I added.  Look at the cute little scarf and hat!  I wish I had that stamp, but again, it was in my bosses stash.  I love the Happy Holidays sentiment as well.  Great font!  I added a cute little bow and a sweet little bell clear embellishment to turn a simple card into something with a bit more substance.  Love those clear embellies and you will see that I have been using a bit of them in this year's card orders as well.  As soon (if actually) as I run out of last year's projects to post, I will be showing you the cards I made this year, but I might just have to wait til next year to share them all with you because I believe I have enough projects to finish out this hop!

  
Thanks for stopping by today!  Again, I apologize for being a day late!  Now you are on to Lynda to see what lovely creation she has in store for us today.  Don't forget to leave a comment and become a follower if you want to enter to win the grand prize!

In case you get lost...















Xo ~ Amy Jo