Tuesday Bloglift - Easter Boxes

Today's bloglift came from Stamp a Little Love Baby but the original box and template are from QBee on Splitcoast. I love these little things! Unfortunately I don't have eggs to fill them tonight but I will pop to Walmart and pick some up tomorrow.

I put the lid box through my new dots Cuttlebug folder to give it some texture - I like the way it turned out. This box is really simple but the possibilities for decorating it are endless. I've kept my colours pretty tradionally "Eastery" but I think this would be a great Halloween box with little round candies and Halloween colours!

Supplies: Paper (Bazzill, SU!), Embossing (Cuttlebug), Diecut (Nestabilities), Embellishments (Prima, Bella Baubles), Stamps (Amuse Artstamps, SU!)

Here are a few swap cards I've made recently.

Supplies: Cardstock (SU!), Ink (SU!), Embellishments (SU, Stamping Bella), Stamps (SU, Wordsworth), Embossing (Cuttlebug), ribbon (SU!)




Supplies: Cardstock (SU!), Patterned Paper (SU!) Ink (SU!), Stamps (SU!), Embellishments (Prima, Stamping Bella), accessories (circle punch), Embossing Powder (Stampendous)








Supplies: Cardstock (SU!), Diecut letters (Quickutz), Embellishment (Making Memories), Ribbon (Maya Road), Stamps (SU!), circle punch

Swap Cards

Hello all. Weekend got away from me - never enough Saturdays in a month I say...

Not much to share today but here are a few swap cards I've been making.

The first is for an "Ink it Up" swap - the object is to use a stamp that hasn't seen ink lately. This card is pretty simple but I love the American Craft patterned paper at the bottom.

Supplies: Stamps (Whipper Snapper, Stampin' Up!), Nestabilities, Paper (Bazzill, American Craft) Ink (Brilliance, Elegant Eggplant), Ribbon (Maya Roads), Copic Markers

The next card is for a swap "Black and White with a Pop!" This is the same card I featured in the glittered background tutorial but I've made some minor changes to pop it out a bit. I added colour to the stamped image and put a scalloped teal oval behind it.

Supplies: Paper (Bazzill), Stamps (Stamping Bella, Stampin' Up!), Copic Markers, Ribbon, rhinestones, glitter (Glitter Ritz), double sided adhesive tape, embossing powder, inks (Brilliance, Versa)

I'm also in a cupcake themed swap and these are two cards for it. One is a 3x3 mini card and the other is a regular size card. The faux stitching on the large card is made with a paper piercer and Glaze pen.

Supplies (mini): Paper (Bazzill, CTMH) Inks (Brilliance, Versa), Stamps (Hero Arts), Rub-ons, Photo Corners (Quickutz), Copic Markers, Bella Baubles, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, mini brad, embossing powder (gelatins)

Supplies (right): Paper (Bazzill), Inks (Brilliance, Stampin' Up!) Stamps (Stamping Bella, Hero Arts, Inkadinkado), Ribbon, Copic Markers, glaze pen, slot punch.

Ravelry, Happy Mail and SAB Stampin' Up Order is In!

Okay, I got loads of new stuff today so I'm posting it here and tomorrow I promise to have a few projects to display as well.

For you knitters/crocheters out there - I got my invite to Ravelry today and if you haven't checked this place out I encourage you to do so. There is a ton of stuff available for knitters including a place to track you stash, your works in progress and lots of resources like patterns, tips, etc. Check me out - Graphixgirl72.

I got some happy mail today from my Mystery Sistah, yeah! She sent me a lovely package including a beautiful album filled with recipes which she's promised to add to each month of the swap. Also got some embellishments, ribbon and a nice mini album along with a beautiful card. I will post a card made with some of these items tomorrow.

I also picked up my SAB Stampin' Up order today. I was lucky enough to pull February from the hat to be the hostess at my scrappin' club so I got a ton of freebies on my last order including three of the SAB sets! Can't wait to ink up these guys.

My craft room is officially a disaster area. Between recent purchases, multiple swaps and the baby girl I just can't seem to keep this place in any semblance of order. I've got to get it together so I can actually finish my swaps.

Speaking of swaps - here's the ribbon I purchased today for my ribbon swap on SCS. I really like these two - and I hope the swappers who get them do as well. My LSS is blowing out ribbon at 40% off so its a great time to stock up - not that I actually need any more ribbon...oh, who am I kidding...

Card Kit Swap

This is a picture of some card kits I made for a swap I'm in on Splitcoast. I've got no idea what people put into these kits so I hope whoever gets them is able to make a cute card from them. Its a March swap so I thought I'd go with a Saint Patrick's Day theme. Inside each kit is the following:

• 2 pieces 6x6 patterned paper (Reminisce)
• 1 - 12" piece of ribbon (Making Memories)
• 1 stamped image (Stamping Bella - Goodluckabella)
• 2 homemade dimensional stickers (1 is a shamrock outlined in Glitter Ritz emerald glitter and the other is a two-toned four-leaf clover with a Heida Swapp rhinestone in the centre)
• 1 Good Luck sentiment - embossed in emerald embossing powder
• 6 green brads
• 2 green dew drops (Robin's Nest)

This is a completely foreign way of designing a card for me. Usually I start with a concept (i.e. a colour combination, a layout, a technique), then I determine the stamped image, if any, I'm going to use. I pick out my cardstock and patterned paper and the last thing I pick out is my embellishments - usually after the card has been laid out.

I think swaps are great. I went a little over board when I first started doing them and I think that I've got myself signed up for like 15 or so... but there are a lot of advantages to swaps. Here's a few reasons to do them:

• To use up your stash. There's a reason why this site is called Craft Store Junkie and sometimes I find myself spending more time purchasing supplies than actually creating projects.
• To get to know other scrappers/stampers on SCS. There's usually a lot of chatter on the swap boards and its a great way to meet other stampers. I've actually met a few local ladies by being involved in swaps.
• To stretch your creative bounderies - do a swap that puts you outside of your comfort zone. Learn a new technique, try a new stamp company, use a colour combination that you don't normally use. Like the challenges, swaps will make you a better stamper.
• To receive some amazing cards from the very talented folks on SCS. I've gotten back some absolutely beautiful works of art.

I've got a few swap going myself if any of you are interested. Check out Last Minute Occasions, Ribbon Addicts and Scrap to Basics.

If there's anyone actually reading this blog I'd be interested in hearing about your experiences with swaps. Do you like them? If you haven't done one, why not?