Holiday Cards

     I'm super excited! CardMaker published two of my cards in their special Happy Holidays issue. I can't wait for you to see them! You can download the issue or buy a copy here: http://www.cardmakermagazine.com/shopping.php?mode=current_sip

     I'm still down with a broken leg for another month. All my card making supplies are in storage while our house is being finished and I heal. Thank each of you who has offered prayers and good thoughts on my behalf.
     Happy holiday-card making!
 

Card Making Tip - Free Paper

 

 

     

Just a peek.

 

          Any guesses where I might have found these 'free' blue-patterned papers? Find out where I got them and how you can get some of them too in my post today on CardMaker magazine's blog. http://www.cardmakermagazine.com/blog/?p=13523

CardMaker and the Greeting Farm Blog Hop

 
    Welcome to the CardMaker and The Greeting Farm blog hop and giveaway! The Greeting Farm is giving away a great prize for one of you hoppers so keep reading.
     I chose to create my cards using the birthday cake stamps from The Greeting Farm. There are lots of possibilities for this collection. There are several size and design cake layers to mix and match.

     Since I needed a birthday card, I decided to start there. I created the trim on the left side by turning a bow meant for the cake top on it's end.
     On a separate sheet of white cardstock, I stamped my chosen layers, cake stand and candles. I fussy-cut the whole cake and adhered it with foam tape.
     Then, I stamped and trimmed the sentiment tag.
     I used a chalk ink pad for the cake and trim, silver pigment for the stand and candles.

     For my second card, I heat-embossed the bow to use as a vase. I added a tiny punched link to the vase to give some dimension. Then, I heat-embossed the flowers. Like the bow-vase, the flowers were meant to be used as decorations on a cake. With a small paint brush, I picked up pigment from an ink pad and drew in the stems.  Finally, I heat-embossed the sentiment and adhered the white panel to the blue card base.

     Be sure and stop by my fellow CardMaker magazine blog team member's blogs and see all the inspiration they have to share with you today. We all love hearing from you and reading your comments.

     Your next stop is at Carisa's.

    Below is a full list of participating blogs just in case you started here or get lost along the way.

     Thanks so much for hopping along with us today! The Greeting Farm is giving away a $50 gift certificate to one lucky hopper!

Hope you have a great day. Good luck on winning the gift certificate, Pamela

CardMaker

Lisa Silver

Dawn Lusk

Pamela Haskin (you are here)

Carisa Zglobicki

Kim Klinkovsky

Linda Beeson

The Greeting Farm

Materials used:

    

     cardstock- heavy duty white (the Paper Studio 227041)

                          blue (the Paper Studio pack 449769)

     stamps-      The Greeting Farm

     punch-        double link trim (Martha Stewart 42-40086)

     chalk-          Arctic Deep (ColorBox 12052)

     pigment-    Orchid (ColorBox 15327)

                          Moss Green (ColorBox 15062)

                          Cyan (ColorBox 15019)

                          Citrus Splash (ColorBox 17022)

                           Silver (ColorBox)

     powder-      clear (JoAnn Essentials)

     adhesive-    double-stick and foam (Scotch 3M)

CardMaker & Ranger Industries Blog Hop

     Welcome to the CardMaker and Ranger Industries Blog Hop!

     This week we, the members of the CardMaker Blog Team, have been playing with the new Tim Holtz water-reactive Distress Crayons. To be quite honest, I was really nervous about today's blog hop. I am more of a stamper than a painter-with-pigment kind of card maker. But, I surprised myself! I had so much fun with these Distress Crayons!

     To get the hang of working with these new crayons, I experimented on some scraps of cardstock first. After just a few tries, I found what worked best for me - work in small areas and smudge with a wet finger. I am really pleased with how my card turned out.

     To begin, I created a 4.25"x5.5" card base with heavy-duty cream cardstock. I heat-embossed a clear background onto another panel of heavy-duty cream cardstock.

     Then, I began coloring. I applied some of the crayon to my cardstock in a small area and with a wet finger smeared it out and over my background. With a wet paper towel, I gently wiped across the embossed areas to allow the embossing to show. I kept coloring little by little with different colors until my panel was all covered. I adhered it to my card with foam tape.

     I stamped over one of my practice-panels and trimmed it to use as the first piece of a freestyle-collage embellishment. I adhered the collage to my card with foam tape.

     I had so much fun learning to use these Distress Crayons! The colors are so vibrant. But, they can also be very soft depending upon how much water you use with them. It's all up to you. With a wet paintbrush, they also make an ombre look very easy to achieve.

     Thanks so much for hopping along with us today! Give these Tim Holtz Distress Crayons a try. I know I will be using my set often!

     Be sure and stop by my fellow Blog Team member's blogs and see all the inspiration they have to share with you today.

     Your next stop is at Carisa's blog.

    Below is a full list of participating blogs just in case you started here or get lost along the way.

   Have a wonderful day, Pamela

CardMaker

Linda Beeson

Lisa Silver

Kim Klinkovsky

Pamela Haskin -- you are here

Carisa Zglobicki

Dawn Lusk

Ranger Industries 

 

 

     Materials used:

          Distress Crayons-   (Ranger, Tim Holtz pack TDBK47919

                                               seedless preserves TDB49630

                                               chipped sapphire TDB49609

                                               festive berries TDB49586)

                                             

          cardstock-                heavy-duty cream (the Paper Studio 667998)

                                              navy, pink, purple (the Paper Studio 449769)

 

          stamps-                     background (Hero Arts, Line Dots CG316)

                                              butterfly (Unity Stamp Co, Butterfly Endearment UK-777A)

                                              sentiment (Hero Arts, CL342)

                                              dots (Fiskars, All Year Cheer 03-013370)

 

          ink-                            black dye (Memories BLACK-020MEMB)

                                              watermark pigment (VersaMark VM-001)

 

         embossing powder- clear (JoAnn Craft Essentials)

 

          dies-                           circles (Spellbinders GLD-005)

                                              confetti (Our Daily Bread Designs, CSBD15)

 

          brad-                         black (Recollections 356862)

 

          gems-                        purple (Studio G WM0161)

 

          paperclip-                mini (Tim Holtz, ideaology TH92791)

          adhesive-                  foam tape (Scotch 3M)

CardMaker and American Crafts Blog Hop

     Welcome to the CardMaker and American Crafts Blog Hop! I've had so much fun this week playing with the Amy Tangerine "better together" collection from American Crafts! 

     Just look at all the beautiful colors on this patterned cardstock! So full of spring flowers.

     I started by making a 5x7 white cardstock base. Then, I began adding layers. You know I love lots of layers! My rectangle pieces are 1.25" wide including the navy blue matting. They are, from left to right, 5.75", 4.5" and 5.25" high.

     The triangle accents are from a mistake. I made the rectangles too tall to begin with. I trimmed them and ended up with these triangle shapes that I cut from those leftovers. I really like the look of them! I think I will do this on more cards.

     The die cut flower and acetate sentiment are also part of the "better together" collection. To adhere the "thanks" tag, I adhered the flower with foam tape partially over the tag.

    My second card makes me feel a little naughty. I love mixing prints together even if Mom always told me that was a big no-no.

     I started again with a white card base. I cut tags from different sheets in the collection. As in my first card, the die cut sentiment tag and the acetate flower spray are part of the collection.

     So that the flower spray would show up better on my card, I ran it through my Xyron sticker maker and adhered it to a scrap of white cardstock. Then, I trimmed along the edge of the acetate and attached it with foam tape.

 -----------------------------

     TIP:  A great way to mix prints when you're not sure what goes together is to go with prints from a collection like this one. Someone else has already picked colors and patterns that go with each other.

 -----------------------------

     Thanks a million for hopping along with us today! I hope we have inspired you to create your own cards or other projects using the American Crafts, Amy Tangerine "better together" collection.

     Make sure you stop by my fellow CardMaker Blog Team member's blogs for more great inspiration! Leave them a little love if you have time.

     May the Lord be glorified by the work of my hands, Pamela

 -----------------------------

     In case you came here first, or if you get lost, here is a complete list of the blog writers that are joining in the fun today.

     Your next stop is:  Linda Beeson

     CardMaker

     Lisa Silver

     Pamela Haskin (you are here)

     Linda Beeson

     Dawn Lusk

     Kim Klinkovsky

     Carisa Zglobicki

     American Crafts

Materials used:

     cardstock-     from Amy Tangerine better together collection

                              blogs + coffee #373980

                              cloud + sunshine #373974

                              sweet + sour #373964

                              jack + jill #373972

                              bow + arrow #373982

                              fact + fiction #373979

                              push + pull #373966

                              knot + bow #373977

                              back + forth #373969

                              soap + water #373971

                              cut + paste #373965

                              heavy-duty white (the Paper Studio 227041)

     die cuts-         cardstock and acetate (Amy Tangerine better together collection 373993)

     adhesive-       double-stick tape, foam tape (Scotch 3M)

10 - Minute Cards

     

     I'm sharing a "10-Minutes or Less" card on the CardMaker Blog today.


     That was a real challenge for me, but I did it! I actually made two cards in the ten minutes. Check them out on the CardMaker Blog today. Then, give it a go yourself. I surprised myself at what I could do in ten minutes. I think you might surprise yourself too!
     Thanks so much for stopping in.
     May the Lord be glorified by the work of my hands, Pamela

CardMaker & Faber-Castell Blog Hop

     Welcome to the CardMaker and Faber-Castell blog hop and giveaway! I've had so much fun this weekend creating flowers with the Paper Flowers kit from Faber-Castell.  

     Is this not the most vivid yellow you've ever seen!?! I really love the watercolor gelatos that come in the kit. You just shave some of the pigment off and mix with water or rubbing alcohol and brush it on. I chose to use alcohol so that my flowers would dry faster.

     All the paper layers I used came with the kit including cardstock, vellum and crepe. To protect my desktop from the pigment, I painted my 'lemon' flower layers on top of a large scrap of white cardstock. I never imagined I would use that scrap, but I loved the look of the accidental background. I trimmed it and adhered it with foam tape. I'm so happy about how it turned out.
     The kit also comes with a bottle of 'texture gems' gel to make dew drops and/or designs on the flower petals. Instead, as my rebel side insisted, I made clear drops around my card where I might normally adhere gems or sequins.

     I have a great basket stamp that I thought would be perfect to use with a few flowers from the kit. I painted the centers first with 'metallic melon'. Then, I painted on 'metallic grape' by lightly dragging a stiff brush from the centers out. Once the flowers were dry, I gently scored between each petal of the top layer to get more dimension. I curled the petals and stacked the layers with foam tape that also comes in the kit. I'm telling you, this kit has everything in it you need! But, I digress- I used a Faber-Castell India ink 'light skin #114' marker to add shading to my basket. I finished the card with a heat-embossed sentiment tag and a few white pearls.

------------------------

     Thanks a million for hopping along with us today! I hope we have inspired you to create your own cards or other projects using this Faber-Castell Paper Flowers kit. I would love to see what you create!

     Be sure to stop in and see the amazing creations of my fellow CardMaker blog-team members. Leave a little love for each if you can while you are there. And, make sure you stop at Faber-Castell. They are hosting a giveaway for a lucky hopper.

------------------------

    Your next stop is Faber-Castell.

------------------------

   In case you came here first, or if you get lost, here's a complete list of the blogs that are joining in the fun today.
     CardMaker
      Carisa Zglobicki    
     Dawn Lusk  
     Kim Klinkovsky 
     Linda Beeson
     Lisa Silver
     Pamela Haskin (you are here)
     Faber-Castell

Products Used:
     paper flowers, texture gems gel, gelatos, foam tape- (Faber-Castell 770803T)
     marker- India ink light skin #114 (Faber-Castell 770080)
     cardstock- heavy duty white (the Paper Studio 227041), heavy duty cream (the Paper
                            Studio 667998), purple, yellow, orange (the Paper Studio pack 449769),
                            pre-embossed white (DCWV CM-002-00008)
     stamps- hello sentiment (Hero Arts CL342), blessings sentiment and basket (Our
                       Daily Bread Designs - Basket of Blessings H618)
     pigment- dragonfly black (ColorBox 13165), black dye (Memories BLACK-002-MEMB)
     embossing powder- clear (Ranger Super Fine Detail SFJ06954)
     gems- pearls, white (Michaels 377558), yellow (Prima 530891)
   




CardMaker & Faber-Castell Blog Hop Tomorrow

Sneak peek
from one of my
projects.

     Get ready for a really fun CardMaker & Faber-Castell blog hop tomorrow (Monday 2/29/16 - 8 a.m. EST)!
     Start here at CardMaker's blog- http://www.cardmakermagazine.com/blog/
     All links will also be available on my blog- http://www.cottagebelow.com/

CardMaker Stamp Storage Tip

     Do you have trouble keeping your stamps organized so that you can find them easily? Do you want a quicker cleanup? Check out my feature post on the CardMaker Magazine blog to see how I keep them at my fingertips.

http://www.cardmakermagazine.com/blog/?p=13131

     I would love to see how you keep your stamps organized. I'm always on the lookout for good ideas!
     Thanks for stopping in today, Pamela

New Life for Your Stamps and Dies

      Sharing a little sneak peak from my card-making-tip post on CardMaker magazine's blog today.
     You won't believe what this was to begin with. Any guesses? You can see the whole thing here: http://www.cardmakermagazine.com/blog/?p=13086
     Thanks for stopping in today,
Pamela
 

Writing Today on CardMaker Magazine's Blog

     If you've ever wanted to make window-cards, you should check out my tutorial on CardMaker Magazine's blog today!

     I'm excited for you to see the card I created for them. Just click on this link and you will go right to it. 
http://www.cardmakermagazine.com/blog/?p=13033
     Thanks so much for stopping by.
     May the Lord be glorified by the work of my hands, Pamela

CardMaker and May Arts Blog Hop

     Welcome ribbon lovers and card makers to a Valentine's Day Card Making blog hop with the CardMaker and Ribbon Resource blog teams.
     I'm so excited to share my first posting as a new member of the CardMaker Blog Team! I have two cards to share with you today that celebrate the love between friends.
    
     I love how these two soft-pink ribbons tie the front and back of my card together.

     First, I cut two 4.25 x 5.5 panels. This is a great way to use up large scraps that are not big enough for a card base. I punched two holes in the front and back. I scored just below the holes so that it will be easier to open and display the card later.

     I should say that if you want to add an inside sentiment, now would be the time to do that.

      Cut two 10" lengths of ribbon. Line up front and back panels and insert both ends of the ribbon through the holes from the front of the card.  To have the narrower ribbon on top of the larger one on the finished card, you should insert the smallest ribbon first.

     You now have both ribbons sticking through the back panel. 

     Cross the ribbons in back and feed both ribbons through the opposite holes to the front of the card. 

      Pull the ribbon snug and trim ends as desired.

    

     Next, I trimmed a panel slightly smaller than the front of the card. I heat-embossed the sentiment and added pink 'diamonds' before adhering the panel with foam tape.

****************

     For my second card, I used a beautiful, crocheted ribbon.

     I pleated the ribbon by hand-stitching along the top of the flat ribbon. I adhered the ribbon t0 my card with glue dots. The front panel is a glitter sheet so regular glues and tapes would not hold the ribbon in place. But, the glue dots hold it securely.

     I punched one red and one black large heart. I punched two red and two black medium hearts. I adhered them together as shown, slightly offsetting the red and black to give added dimension.

     I stamped and matted the sentiment, adhering it to the card with glue dots. Then, I hot-glued the gold button and black ribbon in place.

******************

     Be sure to stop in and see the Valentine's Cards at each hop and leave a little love. The Ribbon Resource is giving away some of their gorgeous ribbon to a couple of hoppers.  

     Your next stop is at Terri's!

     Here's a complete line-up of the hops. If you get lost or find a broken link, you can always head over to CardMaker or Ribbon Resource for a complete line-up.

CardMaker

Amy Rysavy

DeeDee Catron

Carisa Zglobski

Gini Williams Cagle

Jenifer Cowles

Dawn Lusk

Jennifer Davey

Karen Baker

Kim Klinkovsky

Karen Hanson

Latrice Murphy

Linda Beeson

Lori Williams

Michele Kosciolek

Lisa Silver

Rebecca Van De Mark

Tami Mayberry

Pamela Haskin (you are here)

Terri Burson

Jen Shears

Tracy McLennon

Ribbon Resource

 Supplies used:

    ribbon: Ribbon Resource; cardstock: white heavy weight, black (the Paper Studio); red glitter sheet (DCWV-Holiday Glitzy Glitter Stack); heart punch (Fiskars- That's Amore medium and large); stamps: sentiment (Craft Smart, Hampton Art); gold button: (Dress it Up - Nostalgic Treasures); gems: pink (StudioG); ink: cranberry pigment and pink sky chalk (ColorBox); embossing powder: clear (Stampendous)

                                  

--- Blog Hop Tuesday ---

     Just popping in to give you a heads up about a Valentine's Day Card blog hop! It begins tomorrow (Jan 19th) at 8 a.m. EST. The CardMaker magazine and the Ribbon Resource blog teams are hosting the hop. There will, of course, be a giveaway. Can't have a proper blog hop without fun prizes! I'll look forward to your visit tomorrow as you hop through my blog!

CardMaker Blog Team!

     I'm on the CardMaker Magazine Blog Team!!! I couldn't be more excited to work and share my cards there. We are already working on blog hops and blog posts. You are in for some fun times, new techniques and great organizing tips! I can already feel the rebel in me rising to the top. Who says you must adhere your embellishments and layers perfectly straight!?! Who says turquoise and orange can't go together!?!

    Make sure you follow my personal blog www.cottagebelow.com and the CardMaker blog too http://www.cardmakermagazine.com/blog/ so that you don't miss any of the fun.

    You can meet the other team members here: http://www.cardmakermagazine.com/blog/?p=12846

     Hope you have a wonderful day. Thanks so much for stopping in today, Pamela

Published in CardMaker Magazine, Winter 2015 Issue

     I am so honored that CardMaker Magazine chose to publish one of my cards in the Winter 2015 issue.

      If you would like to make my card, you can visit www.CardMakerMagazine.com/ to download the Winter 2015 issue today or pick up a print edition of CardMaker magazine which will be on your local newsstand.

Published in CardMaker Magazine, Summer 2015 Issue

     Thanks for stopping in today. I have a fun sneak peak to share with you today.



      CardMaker magazine is allowing me to give a sneak peak to you from their Summer 2015 issue! So honored they chose one of my cards to publish in this issue.
      If you would like to make my card or learn how to make a shaker-box from product packaging, visit www.CardMakerMagazine.com to download the Summer issue today or pick up a print edition of CardMaker magazine which will be on your local newsstand.