Elisabeth Bell at sweetpea stamps

I hope you haven't missed that sweetpea stamps are carrying stamps drawn by Elisabeth Bell? Right now we have three new images. They can be used for Christmas and New Year's cards, but can also be used all year around. Don't you just love those kind of stamps? And as an extra bonus, if you preorder all three of them by nov 24:th (today) you will be entered in a drawing for sheet #31 that goes beautifully with these stamps.

I also want to let you know about the huge 40% off sale. All sheets from 1-126 are on sale! Time to get those Christmasgifts for your crafting friends or why not a gift for yourself? I always buy myself a craftinggift for Christmas as my family can't find their way around all the stuff that are out there :) A good way to spoil myself

And don't forget about the 20 stamps grab bags for $22.50. Visit the blog for more details and inspiration or go straight to the shop.

Dreamy bookmark

As Christmas is approaching I've been thinking about quick and easy gifts to make as going away presents. I think a pretty bookmark is always appreciated, because who doesn't like to read once in a while at least? I often find bookmarks too bulky with flowers and decorations. They look very pretty, but are not very practical.

So for my project today I used Meredith Dillman's Peridot from plate 137 by sweetpea stamps. The image is stamped off two times before stamping on the paper to give that invisible edge look. I coloured the image with copics (which I can't figure out, but I guess I need to practice more. My promarkers weren't cooperating with me in the beginning either). I used a die to cut out the pretty shapes, added a ribbon in between two pieces of cardstock and glued them together. The pink parts on this bookmark have beautiful dryembossed swirls that I accentuated with a glitterpen. I like when things look pretty from all sides.

I added a rhinestone on the hanging flower as I imagine it to be hanging out of the book. I also added glitter to parts of the image and around the biggest shape.

Challenges:
ABC challenge - D is for dazzle
Pile it on - Anything with P (pink/purple)
Totally Gorjuss - swirly whirly

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