Waltzingmouse Stamps April Sneak Peek

I know I must say this each month, but I really can't believe it's time for another Waltzingmouse Stamps sneak peek! And April's release is going to be a fun one, as it surely will feel a void that most of us have in our stamping arsenal.

I find that making cards for men can be somewhat of a challenge. April's new Free Spirit - Boy set is like all of the WMS sets that you have come to know and love; it's packed full of a variety of images and sentiments for every occasion. And there is an additional sentiment set being released, too, which makes this set even more versatile!

For this card I wanted to use this great hibiscus flower stamp. I don't know why, but the thought of a t-shirt popped into my head. I was lucky enough to find one for my Silhouette digital cutter online at the QuicKutz store. I made a few modifications and cut it out of white cardstock. I stamped and colored my flowers with Copic markers. To make it really look like a shirt, I used my Copic marker to add "ribbing" around the sleeves and neck, then used a perforating tool to add "stitching" around the entire shirt. I used a gray Copic marker to add some light shading to make the whole thing stand out against the card. I really like how it turned out:

I think it really looks like a t-shirt, don't you? This will be the perfect card for any guy, especially a teenager. We all know how hard they are to please...lol!

Now, make sure you check out a few of the WMS Design Team members' blogs for a few more peeks at this new WMS set for April:

• Lynn Mercurio
• Julia Aston
• Anya Schrier

Make sure you check out Claire's blog each day, as she will have some great things to share with you. There are two more days of sneak peeks, ending with a WMS Design Team Blog Hop on release day, April 1. You won't want to miss it!

Stamps: Free Spirit - Boy (WMS)
Ink: Fresh Snow, True Black (PTI), Black Tuxedo Momento (Tsukineko)
Paper: True Black, Smokey Shadow, Soft Stone, Stamper's Select White, Summer Sunrise (PTI)
Other: Summer Sunrise, Berry Sorbet & Smokey Shadow Copic Color Collections (PTI), silver eyelets, perforating tool

Hoppy Easter

Wow, I've been such a bad blogger! It's been a busy, busy week I tell ya. I've been staying later than usual at work to wrap up a big project. It may have only been an hour or two here and there, but it sure does make a difference! It left me with virtually no stamping time! So tonight, since it's Friday, I made myself stay up and finish a project so that I could share it with you!

I just realized tonight that I have not worked on any projects for Easter yet. And I have a little person in my house who is expecting some goodies, so I better get crackin'! I found this carrot box online from the QuicKutz Store and downloaded it for my Silhouette SD. I have made similar boxes in the past, but it was so nice to let the cutter do the work for me this time around!

I stamped my box with the polka dot stamp from the Waltzingmouse Stamps Off Beat Backgrounds set and made a little tag for it using one of the circle stamps from the Vintage Circles Small set. This set is "Nestie friendly," so I used one of my Spellbinders classic circle dies to cut it out. I just knew I had to use the bunny from L'il Buddies to add to my tag. Can you believe I hadn't inked him up yet?!

If you look really closely, you can see that I made my bunny's tail nice and fluffy with Liquid Applique. After making this card, I just knew that I would use this technique again! I used Copics to color in my bunny and used my colorless blender to add some texture to his fur by lightly dabbing him with my blender. It's subtle, but I think it makes a difference:

Well, that's one Easter project down! I plan on making some more of these over the weekend, along with the rest of my Easter cards. Now if I can just get them addressed, stamped and in the mail! And who ate all of the jellybeans? I guess that's what I get for buying them a month too early! Have a great weekend and do some stamping!
P.S. Claire is kicking off the sneak peeks for the April 1 release at Waltzingmouse Stamps this Sunday, March 28. My peek will be Monday, March 29. Make sure you come back and check it out...it's something completely different that I've never done before!

Stamps: Off Beat Backgrounds, Vintage Circles Small, L'il Buddies (WMS)
Ink: Orange Zest, True Black (PTI), Black Tuxedo Momento (Tsukineko)
Paper: Orange Zest, Stamper's Select White (PTI)
Other: Spring Moss luxe satin ribbon (PTI), Fresh Snow vintage button (PTI), rustic button twine (PTI), classic circle die (Spellbinders), Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet and Smokey Shadow Copic Color Collection (PTI), Copic Colorless Blender (PTI), foam mounting tape (3M), Liquid Applique (Marvy Uchida)

Hey There, Chickadee!

It's me! Did you think I'd never come back?! Well, it's amazing what a sinus infection can do, I tell ya. The thought of doing anything other than lay on the couch seemed very remote, and stamping seemed even more unlikely. But I just couldn't go another day without creating something! And I thought a nice, bright card for Easter might cheer me up:

Isn't that chick cute? That's one of the shapes included in the Click Simple Spring Fling template collection from Papertrey Ink. I've had him sitting on my desk forever and I thought it was high time he get on a card! I love that you can resize the shapes for different projects. All I did to jazz him up was to add a rhinestone for an eye, a beak with my Copic marker, and a wing using a small oval die. And I finally got to use my new egg die on this card, also from Papertrey Ink. I stamped my eggs using Polka Dot Basics II and nested them into some grass made from Spring Moss cardstock. The grass was created with my Silhouette, but I defined it a little more with some small sharp scissors to make it look more realistic:

I love how the texture of the grass looks against the card, especially with some of it poking out a bit. And I couldn't resist the sentiment from Everyday Button Bits; it was too perfect for my little chick!

Well, I hope you are all having a great week so far. I have to keep this somewhat short, as it's getting late and it is a school (work) night. Now that it's lighter later outside, I get all confused and assume I have much more time than I really do to get everything done before bedtime. Does this happen to you when the time changes?

One more thing...thanks for all the get well wishes! See you back here soon...promise!

Stamps: Polka Dot Basics II, Fancy Flourishes, Everyday Button Bits (PTI)
Ink: Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, Lemon Tart, Summer Sunrise, Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, True Black (PTI)
Paper: Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, Lemon Tart, Hibiscus Burst, Sweet Blush, Summer Sunrise (PTI)
Other: black adhesive rhinestone (KaiserCrafts), Egg die (PTI), classic oval die (Spellbinders), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Click Simple Spring Fling collection (PTI)

Out of the Groove...

That's me. Completely, totally out of the groove these days. It started with my computer dying last weekend, and then sickness. First my daughter, then me. I'm pretty sure it's a sinus infection. Ugh! So I'm a little out of it, but I hope to get it together soon so I can get back to stamping! I'm going to need some inspiration, so I'd love it if you'd share with me what's been inspiring you lately. Is it a website, a photo, or just the colors of Spring? Whatever it is, I'm going to need some of it, so please share!

Hope you're having a great, healthy weekend!

WMS St. Patrick's Day Blog Hop

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm happy to be playing along with a special Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog Hop in honor of today. And have you spotted any little leprechauns? If you look closely, the design team members have hidden a few of the little guys in their blog hop photos. Why? Because it's a contest, of course! Make sure you log on to the forum to enter your guess as to how many leprechauns you've spotted on the hop today. What fun is this?

Now I have to admit, I have never made a single St. Patrick's Day card, so I am excited about what I came up with:






Do you see that sentiment? It's from the L'il Buddies set and it originally said, "Clucky to have you." But, ink it up and wipe off the "C" and you have a perfect sentiment for this special day! I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought of that, but I was pretty darn proud of myself none the less...lol! And I used my Sweethearts set for the shamrock; I just stamped and punched out the hearts and added them together. The stem is from Off Beat Backgrounds. I love the stitched stamp in this set!

Well, I'm off to hop along and see what terrific things you all have made! Have a lucky day! And keep your eyes peeled for little leprechauns!

Stamps: L'il Buddies, Sweethearts, Off Beat Backgrounds (WMS)
Ink: True Black, Ripe Avocado (PTI)
Paper: Spring Moss, Kraft, Ripe Avocado (PTI)
Other: Ripe Avocado vintage button (PTI), rustic twine (PTI), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

Technical Difficulties

Well, I've been out of commission for a few days thanks to my computer. Or lack of a computer, for mine has died! Here one day, gone the next. Thankfully I had backed up about 90% of my files, so I'm in good shape. And although it wasn't a planned, I now have the laptop that I've always wanted! I just need to get all my files transferred, so I won't be back to blogging for another day or two. But don't forget about me! I've got something planned for the Waltzingmouse Stamps St. Patrick's Day Blog Hop, so come back soon!

For Mom...

Just a quick post for tonight...American Idol is coming on soon!

Tonight's card might seem familiar. It was made with a few leftovers from this card. I just couldn't part with the beautiful scrap of linen vellum, so I turned it into this:

This time around I colored one of the rose images from the Waltzingmouse Stamps Roses in Bloom set. Although I am fairly new to Copics, and I've never been much into coloring my images, I will admit that it's very addicting. And I find it to be very relaxing! I cut out and colored the roses in an evening, taking my time, then came back and put together the card. I think some of my best cards are ones that I've stepped away from for a day or two and then came back with fresh eyes to complete. It's hard to tell, but I used my Stardust pen for a little touch of glitter in the center of the flower:


Okay, off to make popcorn and enjoy the show! Do you have a favorite singer yet?!?

P.S. Did you see that WMS is having a St. Patrick's Day Blog Hop? Check out the details here!

Stamps: Roses in Bloom (WMS)
Ink: black
Paper: True Black, Linen Vellum, Stamper's Select White, Berry Sorbet (PTI)
Other: Berry Sorbet & Spring Moss Copic Color Collection and Copic blender pen (PTI), black adhesive rhinestones (KaiserCrafts), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Stardust pen (Sakura), foam mounting tape (3M)

Moxie Fab Olympics of Stamping Challenge: Thank You

I don't know if I'll get through all the categories, but here is my third card for the Moxie Fab Olympics of Stamping Challenge. This one is for the "Thank You" category:

Quite some time ago I was checking out one of my favorite blogs, Twig & Thistle, and came across this post. I was very intrigued by the color combination of yellow and gray, especially for a wedding. Well, it must have really stuck with me, because I remembered it the other day and used it as inspiration for this card. I love gray, in general. It can really step up a project and turn it into something unexpected when you use it instead of white or cream. I got the chance to play with my new Large Scalloped Border die from Papertrey Ink. Can I just say...I love it! It cuts like buttah, really, it does. And I love the size of this die; it fills a gap in my scallop border collection. Now, finally, to finish off the card, I added Lemon Tart grosgrain ribbon and some clear pearls in the center of the flowers:

If you've never tried this color combination, you should! You might be surprised at how elegant your card can become! And if you do, make sure to link me so that I can see what you make! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and have a great week!





Stamps: Year of Flowers: Violets (PTI)
Ink: Smokey Shadow (PTI)
Paper: Soft Stone, Stamper's Select White, Smokey Shadow, Lemon Tart (PTI)
Other: Large Scalloped Border die (PTI), Lemon Tart grosgrain ribbon (PTI), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), clear pearls, long classic rectangle die (Spellbinders), Smokey Shadow Copic Color Collection (PTI)

You're A Good Egg

Happy Friday! Before I get to my card tonight, I have to take care of a little business. First I must announce the lucky winner from the WMS March Release Blog Hop. One winner was already announced here, but the second winner comes from my Blog Hop post. And the winner is...

Nancy L. said...
"Love the idea of not having to color, still looks beautiful!"

Congrats, Nancy! Make sure you contact Claire, if she hasn't already reached you first!

And, the second order of business is a Waltzingmouse Stamps St. Patrick's Day blog hop on March 17! Don't worry; if you are short on St. Pat's stamps you can join in by using a digital stamp that Claire will make available for free! Sign up for the hop will be through the WMS Forum here. How much fun will this be?!

And now, onto a fun card on a Friday night. I couldn't help but think of my fellow WMS design team member, Bonnie, when I created this card. If you know Bonnie, then you'll know why:

I downloaded the tag shape from the online Silhouette store and cut it out with the digital cutter. I did some background stamping on the tag using Off Beat Backgrounds and added pierced holes in the scallops. My favorite part of the card are the egg shells, which I made with my oval dies. I used a small pair of sharp scissors to cut the eggs to resemble cracked shells. I colored the little chick from L'il Buddies with colored pencils and stamped him again so that I could cut out the the egg and pop it up with foam mounting tape. I like the dimension it gives to the card:

There you have it! So from one good egg to another; have a great night and an even better weekend! The sun was shining brightly here today and I think it did a world of good! Spring is coming...it is!





Stamps: L'il Buddies, Off Beat Backgrounds (WMS)
Ink: Aqua Mist, Summer Sunrise, Fresh Snow, True Black, Vintage Chai & Chamomile (PTI), Black Tuxedo Momento (Tsukineko)
Paper: Kraft, Aqua Mist, Lemon Tart, Stamper's Select White (PTI)
Other: oval dies (Spellbinders), twine, paper piercing needle, Crop-a-Dile (We R Memory Keepers), circle punches (EK Success), foam mounting tape (3M)

Moxie Fab Olympics of Stamping Challenge: Love

Today I'm back with another card for the Moxie Fab Olympics of Stamping Challenge. This time I have a card for the "Love" category:

I'm into the Berry Sorbet these days and I love it paired together with Aqua Mist. And I absolutely love Aqua Mist ink! I used two different stamps for the background; one from Papertrey Ink's Text Style II and one from Polka Dot Basics. And I wanted to use a grosgrain ribbon on this card, but didn't have Berry Sorbet, so I colored my Vintage Cream grosgrain ribbon with a Copic marker to coordinate with my card. Isn't that a neat trick?! I'm still working on my coloring skills, but this flower from Baby Buton Bits was pretty easy to color. I created a subtle crosshatch pattern on the center of the flowers with my Copic colorless blender. It reminded me of sunflowers (click photo to see it larger):

Another cheery Spring card; I guess you can say I'm ready for Winter to be over! And, there's an end in sight for me, as my vacation is just a month away! And I think a few of you guessed correctly...we're headed to Arizona! If any of you live in or near the Phoenix area, I'd love to hear your tips for places we should go and things we should see. Mostly I'm excited about seeing the sun and 80 degree temperatures, but I'm open to other stuff...lol!





Stamps: Background Basics: Text Style II, Polka Dot Basics, Baby Button Bits (PTI)
Ink: Aqua Mist, True Black (PTI), Black Tuxedo Momento (Tsukinedo)
Paper: Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet, Stamper's Select White (PTI)
Other: Berry Sorbet and Spring Moss Copic Color Collections (PTI), Copic Colorless Blender (PTI), Melon Berry vintage button (PTI), classic and scalloped oval dies (Spellbinders), Vintage Cream grosgrain ribbon (PTI), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), tag die (Spellbinders)

Come To The House!

In all the excitement yesterday I forgot to mention that Waltzingmouse Stamps now has a forum! That's right! We now have a place for all things Waltzingmouse! Click here to check it out! You might just find a few familiar faces, a new recipe or two, and loads of crafting tips!

WMS March Release Blog Hop

Today's the day! Waltzingmouse Stamps is releasing three new sets today and the design team is having a release day blog hop! If you got to me first, you'll want to go to the WMS blog and start at the beginning. When you're done with me, you'll go to Laurie Schmidlin next. And don't forget to leave comments; one lucky commenter will win a free WMS stamp set of their choice! But as for me, I am so excited to share a card I made with the new Roses in Bloom set:



This set is so beautifully illustrated, and you'll love the sentiments, too. Now, if you're like me, and you're still working on perfecting your coloring skills, don't worry! You don't have to color these images. Although I found these roses easy to color, I wanted to show you another option. They look just as beautiful with no color at all! And the linen vellum that I used as a background makes such a subtle statement against the black. If you look closely, you'll see the linen texture. All this card needed was a few rhinestones and a pop of pink to set it off:

Now, off you go to the next stop, which is the super talented Laurie Schmidlin. Don't forget to leave those comments for your chance to win a WMS set of your choice! Have fun hopping!




Stamps: Roses in Bloom (WMS)
Ink: black
Paper: True Black, Stamper's Select White, Raspberry Fizz, Linen Vellum (PTI)
Other: adhesive rhinestones (KaiserCrafts), long rectangle scalloped die (Spellbinders), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)