Paper Smooches DT Blog Hop

Paper Smooches will be releasing 10 new stamps and 8 new dies by January. They are having a DT blog hop. Not only do we get sneak peeks of the upcoming release from their DT, but they are having a giveaway! Here's the link and start hopping...Paper Smooches DT Blog Hop

Thanks for stopping by.

Maria Giselle B.

Always and Forever

I decided to play with my new metal dies from Paper Smooches and submit a card in this week's PS Sparks Designer Drafts Challenge.

Inside of card

Dies used: Always and Forever, Toppers.
Stamp used: Hip to be Square, Merry Motifs

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Maria Giselle B.

Christmas 2013

I made Christmas give-aways for my boys' teachers & for Mr. Joe (school housekeeper.)

 I used Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge for the pillow box, cut at 5.8 inches. The tag was cut at 3 inches and ran through Sizzix using a Lifestyle embossing folder. The kraft card stock was cut at 2-3/4 x 1-3/4 inches. I used Cricut Artiste cartridge for the bow, cut at 0.4 inches. The stamps used for the tag are from Paper Smooches and Mama Elephant.

I used Hero Arts sentiments to make a background stamp. 

I enjoyed the lay-out of the sentiments so much that I decided to create a CAS card using the same concept before storing the stamps back to its packaging.

I tried it in different colors. The first two in Kraft color for a tone on tone effect. The last one in red. One sentiment (Warmest Wishes) was heat embossed in gold and red. Some sentiments looked splotchy which gives it a more handmade look.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Maria Giselle B.

Hello

This is my third entry to the Lawn Fawn CHA 2014 Catalog Challenge. I used the Chevron Backdrop stamp set to create my own background paper. My colors didn't turn out the way I wanted it to be. These are the only ink pads I own as of the moment. I used the Cole ABC metal die to die cut hello. Cut the letters a few more times and stacked them on top of each other to create a chipboard like embellishment. I applied clear Wink of Stella to the letters and sealed it with Glossy Accents. To attract the eye to this embellishment, I added some Studio Calico Sequins.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Maria Giselle B.

Coffee Bean Christmas Tree

Today is the first time that PS Sparks projects need to be submitted on a Saturday. I am used to having one more day to finish a  project. I didn't think I will be able to create a card for this week's Anything Goes challenge. I have a sketch in hand but when Friday came, chances of making it became bleak. I work the weekends and it just happened that I woke up today feeling ill. So I stayed home tonight. To try and make myself productive, I went ahead and created a card for the challenge. It is not the original lay-out I sketched but I got inspired with the template craze and a black Christmas tree card I saw in the Target ad today.

Do you recognize the Coffee Bean stamp from Cyber Cafe?
First, I cut a Christmas tree using my Cricut. I used the negative space as my template to stamp the wi-fi  signal as the trim, and the coffee beans to create the tree. I used Versamark ink to stamp both, embossed the trim using Wow! Platinum Glitter embossing powder, and embossed the beans with Gold embossing powder. I used the Merry Motifs stamp set for the star. I masked the tree to ink the star only of the Christmas tree stamp.

I created my own oval diffuser using two pieces of thin cardboard so I can emboss around the Christmas tree.

The sponsor of the  challenge.

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The challenge for this week.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Maria Giselle  B.

I Love You Card

This is my second project created for the Lawn Fawn 2014 CHA Catalog Challenge.  I thought of making a patterned paper using a sentiment stamp from the Lucky Stars stamp set.  I masked off the rest of the sentiment in the 'I {heart} you to the stars and back.'  Stamped the 'I' and 'you' using Memento Tuxedo Black ink repeatedly. I love the font used on this sentiment!
Then, I masked everything else again except for the heart.  This time, I stamped it using Versamark.  I wasn't decided on whether to apply embossing powder or not. But I decided on leaving it as is. I love the tone on tone effect of the Versamark ink.

The card was cut using the Mini Monograms Cricut cartridge. I chose the big scalloped lay-out, cut it twice in pink card stock.  I cut the white embellishment and heart found on the same page. I ran the heart using an embossing folder.  I distressed the heart with Tim Holtz Distress Ink, painted the bubbles with clear Ink of Stella, and applied Glossy Accents to some of the bubbles.  I tried but I wasn't able to capture in photo the effects it created. I scored the second scalloped die cut at about 1 inch from the top making sure it is aligned with the front card stock. For some reason, they do not match up when you cut it twice. You have to flip the second cut horizontally to match it up. I adhered this to the front part of the card, creating a custom shaped card.

Thanks for visiting my blog.
Maria Giselle B.

Boys' Bookmarks

I love Lawn Fawn products!  That's why I was very excited to create something for their Lawn Fawn CHA 2014 Catalog Challenge.  My head was racing with ideas based on the three stamp sets and one craft die I own.

I made personalized bookmarks for my three boys who are in Seventh, Third and Second Grades.  I have a toddler, too, but I'll make him his own bookmark once he reaches school age.

I used the stamp set Check This Out and the craft die Cole's ABC.  I die cut the letters on black card stock, which is the bookmark base.  I cut the letters in different colored card stocks and nestled these letters on the black card stock (sort of putting a puzzle together.) I painted the letters with clear Wink of Stella and applied Glossy Accents to the letters, as well.  The sentiment was stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed using white embossing powder.

The dimensions of the bookmark are 7 x 1.5 inches.
I made the tassels based on a video tutorial by Tiffany on the Lawn Fawn blog website http://lawnfawn.blogspot.com/2013/05/lawn-clippings-video-52413-grad-cards.html
I used color coordinated twine and modified the length of the twine since I wanted a longer tassel.
These are the names of my three school boys in reverse order.

Thanks for visiting my blog.
Maria Giselle