Season's greetings

Welcome to my weekly post of sweetpea stamps. This week we are focusing on the images of Conie Fong. This one is called Buttercup and looks very much like a summerstamp, especially as it comes with a little butterfly hovering around the girl's head. I decided to cut the image out instead making it a Christmas one. Doesn't she look like she's waiting for Santa?

I coloured her with oilpencils and used basic grey papers. The big piece with flowers is from the jovial collection and the smaller one is also BG, but I can't remember the name of it. All I know is that it's from a very old collection as I bought it years ago.

Challenges:
Basic Grey - mix'n'match
Everybody art - advent
Papertake weekly - first Christmas
Simon says stamp - red/green/blue
Stamptacular - sketch
Totally gorjuss - Christmas traditions
Wags n whiskers - Christmas themed

Holiday sale and free shipping at sweetpea stamps

Selected Thanksgiving & Christmas stamps @ 40% off

Plus free shipping continues thru Sunday

(free shipping for International on orders over $30)

GO HERE

I'm FALLing for you

I've had so much fun and been so creative with my card today. It's been a while since I've been up late at night crafting. And even though I know my inspiration is best then, I just haven't had the energy or time to be up so late. But today I finished my homeexam (YEY!) so I allowed myself some crafting time without pressure.

I'm superproud of my card today that I made mainly for the house-mouse challenge blog. They are looking for a guest designer and I would love the opportunity to play more with my mice. The challenge was to make a fall-theme card and as house mouse likes to play with words I just had to us the "FALLing for you" sentiment. Thought it was very clever. I originally thought about making a lovecard, but combining it with fall colours and image only adds dimension to it. I thought it was brilliant if I may say so myself, but maybe I'm not that objective at 2 in the morning :D
I started by cutting out the image with a qk shape (heart and scalloped frame) and then coloring the image with oilpencils. This kind of coloring technique is perfect for fur or if you want colors to blend nicely together. I was actually a bit surprised over how great the leaves turned out. I inked the image with distress ink to take away the white background. After that I inked the frame more so it got a stronger color and embossed with clear ink. The other heart is dryembossed with a cuttlebug die and inked aswell. Finally I cut out some shapes with a cuttlebug and nestabilities die and handwrote the sentiment.

The image I have used is called fall commuters and it was one of my first favourites. The frame is cut out from the same image as the rest of the heart so you can actually see the rest of the image on the frame. I thought it was a cool detail.

Challenges:
Crafty catz - anything goes
House-mouse - fall
Papertake weekly - anything
Stampavie and more - anything goes
Stampin for the weekend - sketch (I started with it, but had to move the green decorations as they didn't fit otherwise, so unsure if I'll qualify, but that's what I used for inspiration)

Free shipping at sweetpea stamps

Don't miss out this great offer at sweetpea stamps. All through sunday there is free shipping on all orders (international orders free shipping over $30) Make sure to get your favourites.

Kraftin' Kimmie's GDT challenge

One of my absolute dream designteams - Kraftin' Kimmie - are looking for a guest designer for december! I got so excited I got a total creativeblock for a few days, lol. I've been waiting for this chance forever since the last time I didn't make it. Didn't think I would be able to produce anything, you know when you want something so bad you mess it up? But I prevailed and I'm so pleased with the result. The challenge was to use your fav Kraftin' Kimmie stamp and make any card you like. Well, I'm a huuuge fan of the moonlight whispers stamps. I don't have a favourite I must admit as I love them all and get so impressed every time a new collection comes out. I haven't had the chance to play with many of my new KK stamps and here is one of them. I hadn't actually noticed her before, but when shopping last I browsed through the catalogue and fell inlove her straight away. She's called Talullahbelle. Isn't she the cutest?

I love using different stamps for different occasions. This one is a fairy, but I used her as a Christmasstamp. I originally planned to have a text saying: "have a magical Christmas", but I just couldn't fit it in.
She is colored with promarkers and a clear sakura gelly roll for her wings (the glitter). The papers I have used are all from the same collection from my minds eye. I also used two different Martha Stewart punches. Oh, and I coiled a piece of wire to make the little coil for the "Christmas bulb" in the right upper corner. Thought it was a clever idea. I love this zesty and slightly different Christmascard.

Now just keep your fingers crossed that I'll get the GDT spot. In worst case I'll have at least one very pretty Christmascard this year. 


Challenges:
Kraftin' Kimmie - use your fav stamp
Magical monday - circles and stripes
Papertake weekly - sketch
Simon says stamp - anything goes
Stamptacular sunday - borders and frames

Quick and easy matchbox

I have a quick and easy project for you today: a small decorated matchbox. I used one of the tiny collage stamps from plate 19. I don't know if you have seen this idea, but a couple of years ago it was very big in Sweden. Everyone was decorating matchboxes as a going away present. I didn't really get it, but thought I'd give the decorating itself a try. I think that matching (sorry about the pun) this with a candle and a bathgel maybe would be a better going away present. It's such a simple, cheap and great way to personalize your gifts. Maybe an idea for the upcoming holidays?

Challenges:
Basic Grey - anything goes (I used patterned paper from the fruitcake line called "pine branch")
Midnight madness - sketch #127

Are you scared yet?

This is the first time I have played with one of Anna Marine's images from sweetpea stamps and I love it. It is called pumpkin queen. I thought it might be a bit hard using my promarkers for the little details, but it was no problem at all. I put all focus to decorate the image to make it really stand out and left everything else quite simple and in the background.

I have very limited Halloweenpapers, just one new and two I've used the last 2-3 years :) So to make this card I had to be creative. I only used small scraps of a "real" Halloweenpaper. The orange one is from basic grey (I can't remember the name of the line though as I bought it years ago and have cut off the namestrip. If anyone knows, leave a comment and I'll write it here) The bats are from a 4x4" quickutz (lifestyle crafts) die. I used spellbinders for the ovals and two shades of distressink for the image edges. The glittery text is a sticker I've had for ages.

Hope your Halloween cardmaking is going well. Not much time left now. Are you scared yet?

Challenges:
ABC challenge - B is for boo
Allsorts - Halloween
Basic Grey - Halloween/fall (the orange paper w circles is from BG)
Magical monday - Halloween
Papersundaes - Halloween/fall
Papertake weekly - spooky hues
Pile it on - fall is for fun
Simon says stamp - fairytale/nursery rhyme
Sketch saturday - sketch
Stamptacular - you choose
Stampyland - Halloween
Totally paper crafts - layers

Are you the next Card designing superstar?

 

We love to see all the talented Sweet Pea fans and the work they are creating. With that in mind we think it's time for a contest! We want to see the greatest card creation you can make! Beginning October 15th, here on the Sweet Pea Stamps Blog, we will be taking entries.

The prize is a $50 gift voucher to the Sweet Pea Stamps store, second and third places will each receive $10 gift vouchers to the Sweet Pea Stamps store!

Rules:
1. The main hand stamped image must be a Sweet Pea Stamps rubber stamp image.
2. The card must be a new, unreleased creation as of October 15, 2011.
3. Entries should be submitted via Mr. Linky, on the Sweet Pea Stamps blog directly to the blog post or gallery link being submitted for consideration.
4. Entries must be entered via Mr. Linky by 11:59 pm, October 22, 2011 for consideration.
5. The Sweet Pea Stamps design team will decide on the top five entries.
6. On October 27 - 30, 2011 the top three entries will be posted on the Sweet Pea Stamps blog for open voting.
7. One Entry per person.
8. Winner will be announced October 31, 2011!

Good Luck!

...As a bonus---- if we get at least 40 paticipants, I will randomly draw a winner out of those that partook, for a chance to win a 10 ct grab bag

Extended sale at sweetpea stamps

Extended through October 4th!!!! All orders will receive 25% off(excluding wholesale. Wholesale customers, will receive an additional 10% discount off of their wholesale prices. We will adjust your invoice and e-mail you your new total). The online website will automatically deduct the % off for you, at checkout.

Past orders excluded.

See all the details here and shop here

Soft look with dry chalks

I feel like I have gotten a bit stuck in the same technique of coloring with promarkers and using patterned papers for my cards. So today I made a quite simple card, but with a new twist. I used a versamark inkpad to stamp up Elaine Cox's Katie from sweetpea stamps and rubbed it in different colored chalks to give the subtle look. I chose stronger papers in the same shades which I think enhances the softness of the image. It's a bit opposite of what I did last week. It doesn't always have to be advanced with lots of papers and layers. Sometimes all you need is a new technique to get great and different results.

Challenges:
Simon says stamp - anything goes

Don't miss out on sweetpea's 48 hour sale which will begin at midnight Oct 1 and run through Oct 2nd. All orders will receive 25% off (excluding wholesale. Wholesale customers, she will receive a 10% discount. We will adjust your invoice and e-mail you your new total). The online website will automatically deduct the % off for you, at checkout.