Tag: cocoa

December Art Journal Page-SNOW

**DON’T FORGET TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY I’M OFFERING IN THIS POST – OR SCROLL BELOW THIS POST TO SEE!**

Hello crafty friends!  I hope that you all had a happy Christmas time with your loved ones and friends!  2025 is quickly approaching us and I know there will be lots of changes coming to look forward to!  Although I’m not feeling 100%, so I think I’m going to rest for the remainder of what’s left of the year🤒.

Today is the monthly Art Journal Page collaboration with my crafty friend, Carol (from Crafty-Stamper)! We get creative trying to use up our never-ending stash piles along with a prompt for each month.  I know she always has great inspiration to share, so please check out her blog too! Here’s my AJ page with the “SMASH OUR STASH” December prompt of “FOUND OBJECT(S)” (something you found or discovered):  (I’ve also combined 2 other past prompts with this one that I’ve missed out on earlier in the year!)

SNOW SNOW SNOW!  I know people that hate it and people that love it!  Whatever YOUR favorite place to be with it…or not…mine is being inside the warmth and watching it from the window!  I don’t mind shoveling if I need to help my husband, but I enjoy watching it peacefully from the window.

The prompt for THIS month (December) is “Found object(s)” and I found some VERY pretty blue ribbon on a present this year and decided to keep it…and I have plenty left for another project!  I used it above the die cut window.  (This page is my normal 5.5″ x 8.5″ with pre-punched holes at the top…I would have a book finished, but I wasn’t feeling well enough to get one done, so I’ll have to do it later.)

And for the other prompts I’ve missed this year:  August I was away and didn’t get to complete that one and the prompt for that month was “Vintage/Old“.  The background wallpaper area looks vintage to me and it came from a VERY old pack of paper that I’ve had along with the letters on the side of the window.  I also missed November and the prompt for that month was “Food“.  I love me a good cup of cocoa in the winter and I thought I would make myself some Linzer cookies to add with it in the shape of snowflakes with frosting on them!  I even took a bite out of the one in front of the cup!

Since I’m not feeling well, I’m going to stop typing and get some sleep now.  Please let me know if you have any questions about the page as I’d be happy to answer!

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop in!  I really appreciate it and will try to reciprocate when I feel better.  Happy New Year friends and I’ll see you in 2025!

Challenges:

  1. Art Journal Journey – SNOW

Inky Stamper *NEW* Stamps Inspiration!

Hello friends!  I’m really excited to be sharing some more inspiration today as a guest designer this month using some brand-new Inky Stamper stamp sets that were just released!  Stop by the store and check them out…they’re so cute!

First, I have a couple of shaped interactive cards for those warm drinks as the temperatures start to cool down.  I made one for Autumn and shared it in the Inky Stamper FB Group and was asked how it I made it, so I thought I’d share that one along with another Christmas style version that I made too:

Aren’t these so cute with that little raccoon from the Inky Stamper Warm Beverages stamp set?!  The one on the right is the one I made with Fall colors covering the front of the cup with the Doodlebug Gingham/Linen paper pad.  I also used the Doodlebug Bon Bon Twine around the cup sleeve.

The cup on the left is more Christmas themed and I’ve used pretty much the same products, but just changed up the colors a little bit.  This cup is slightly different because it’s about 1/4″ shorter so that it would properly fit inside an A2 envelope.  The Autumn card was a bit snug, so I tweaked the size a bit more on the Christmas to make it fit nicely.

When you pull the lid off the top of the coffee cup, there is an insert with a greeting and/or a place where you can add a gift certificate.  These were so fun to create and easy to do!  Mass production could be possible for sure!

All that is needed are some measurements and a few tips along the way to get you started.  I thought it would be easier to understand with a video, so check that out below or watch on You Tube HERE.

I also had a birthday card that I needed to make for someone, so I thought I’d pull out the new Inky Stamper Hippo stamp set and have some fun with it!

Aren’t these party animals so cute?!  I thought this one would be fun to turn into a polaroid style, so I pulled out a square die to create my own polaroid frame with it!  I also cut another one in black cardstock so that I had a bit of dimension with it.  I stamped the sentiment from the set at the bottom of the frame.

The background behind the Hippo was created by white heat embossing the music note image from the stamp set over some Inky Stamper Watercolor Panels and then using some watercolors for an emboss resist background.  I colored up the Hippo, bird and party hat and cut them out to arrange over the background.  I added a couple of pieces of the Doodlebug Grey Swiss Dot Washi Tape over top of the Doodlebug Gingham/Linen Paper that was cut out with a wonky stitched die and attached to a white top folding A2 card base.  I found a couple of sequins from the Picket Fence Rubber Duckies mix and then filling the centers of them with yellow Stickles.

So many different things going on in this post, but I hope that you’ve enjoyed it and have been inspired to create something too!  Thank you so much for stopping in today!

Challenges:

  1. Love to Scrap – Anything Goes 
  2. Love to Craft – Anything Goes
  3. Krafty Chicks – Stamp Act
  4. My Time to Craft – Critters
  5. Colour Crazy Craft – Anything Goes + coloring
  6. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – Anything Goes
  7. Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – Anything Goes
  8. The Corrosive – Anything Goes

HOliday Sweets Challenge Reminder for {Cupcake Inspirations}🥧

Hello friends!  Hope you had a wonderful weekend!  I first would like to say a huge thank you to those that have mentioned they were going to send out a Christmas card for Danny (mentioned in previous post below).  I think it will be so exciting to see how many cards he receives and from where around the world!  I think this will help bring him much needed cheer!

 

Today I have a fun creation with more inspiration for our “Holiday Sweets” challenge over at the {Cupcake Inspirations} blog!  So, I hope that you will drop on over, check out the inspirations from the rest of the sweeties and come share your delicious Holiday Sweets creations with us!

I’m still in a “cookie” mode and looking forward to making some traditional Christmas cookies in my own kitchen soon…so I’ve played around with a recent card kit I’ve received:

I’ve created a cozy and festive table scene full of delicious Christmas cookie treats using several products from an older Christmas card kit and a few other items.  First of all, the cookies from that kit were super fun to put together!  It comes with all the dies and stamps you need to decorate a (craft) cookie with!

I started my card with an A2 sized top folding kraft cardstock piece and used some of the Winter Cabin Papers to create my scene for the “table” and background. The cookies were all created with the stamps, dies and some paper from the kit, but I added some White EP for the frosting and some red Nuvo Crystal Drops for decoration.  There was a felt circle cut in the kit that I cut off to attach over my “table” to place the cookies on.  I also heat embossed the sentiment from the stamp set in the kit with Raven Sparkle EP and die cut with a banner from my stash.  I went around the edges of it with some white Ink.

The hot cocoa mug came from a previous card kit that I stamped, colored and cut out to place on my table scene.  I took the whole scene and layered it over a black piece of cardstock included in the kit and added it to my card base.

Here’s a closer look at those cookies!  You can see that the die cuts have cut the images out right up next to the image line.  I also took a glue pen and added some chunky style glitter from my stash to make some of the cookies look like they’re sugar coated.  You can also see the sparkle from the EP in my sentiment. 

Probably hard to see the bit of shimmer inside the cocoa mug and on the candy cane that I covered with my glitter brush pen, but it’s all shimmery and sparkly in person.  I colored up the mug with my Copic markers and fussy cut out the image.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed my cozy Christmas cookie scene here and are inspired to pull out your favorite Holiday sweets to play along with us too!  Please be sure to stop by the {Cupcake Inspirations} Challenge Blog to see more inspiration from the DT Sweeties!  Looking forward to seeing your creations there!

Thanks for popping in today friends!  I’ll be back very soon with a special post!

Challenges:

  1. Simon Says Stamp Monday – Food and/or Drink
  2. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes
  3. Aud Sentiments – Anything Goes + sentiment
  4. Creative Knockouts – #378 Christmas Delight
  5. Creative Fingers – #198 Anything Goes
  6. Christmas Kickstart – #43 ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (cookies for Santa!)
  7. Merry Little Christmas – MLCCB28 Anything Christmas Goes

Pink & Main Video Hop with Hello Autumn Slimline

Hello friends!  I hope you’ve had a fantastic week!  It seems like this month is flying by!

I’m excited to share with you a fun video hop collaboration with Pink and Main on my You Tube Channel today! (Be sure to check it out on MY VIDEO because there is a giveaway and you’ll need to leave comments on the videos to be entered to win!)  So head on over to see the wonderful inspiration with the Pink and Main products going on!

Here’s the fun Autumn themed slimline card I’ve made for the video hop today:

So Pink and Main has come out with some fabulous new products which I’ve used for my card here and I’ve added some fun techniques to use with some of those products as well!

The background was really fun to create using the Pink & Main Blending Brushes along with the new Crackling Campfire Distress Oxide Ink color that just came out!  I’ve also used the wonderful Leafy Stencil from Pink & Main over the background too.  The cups and leaves were also colored using the oxide inks and a waterbrush which you can see in my video as well as how I’ve inked and cut out the one image backwards so I have two cups with the handles in opposite directions on my design here. 

You can check out how I’ve put this design together and the techniques I’ve used in this video below, or to leave a comment and see the link to the next person in the video hop, CLICK HERE to go to the video on You Tube.

I absolutely fell in love with that Need to Venti stamp set and coordinating dies!  I loved that older Christmas Mugs stamps they had previously came out, but Autumn is awesome to add to my collection because it’s my favorite time of the year!  So be sure to check out how to stretch out the use of this set in video above!

The Blessings slimline die was so fun to use on my card too and I love that the frame cuts out separately from the center and there was room to layer behind it before attaching to your slimline card base.  The Brutus Monroe Copper Glitterstock was the perfect accent behind the scallop frame. That frame was cut out with several layers of cardstock and stacked together for thickness.

The same Copper Glitterstock was used to cut out the sentiment dies as well.  I’ve used some vellum to layer behind the Autumn sentiment, which the backing diecut was also included in this same slimeline die set!  The final measurement of my slimline card was a piece of brown cardstock measuring 8.5″ x 7″ and scored at 3.5″ in the center.  The finished card will fit inside a #10 envelope when closed.

Here’s a closer view of the details with my colored cups using the distress oxide inks and waterbrush.  I’ve also used the same Need to Venti stamp set and oxide ink colors to stamp the leaves and die cut them out to arrange over my scene as well.

I popped up the cups with foam squares and added some drops over the whip topping in the cups with some Nuvo Honey Gold Crystal Drops.

Hopefully you can see the pretty Autumn colors and dimension in the card.  I sure had lots of fun putting all of this together!

Thanks so much for dropping in today and I’ll be seeing you soon!

Challenges:

  1. Challenge Up Your Life – Autumn Mood 
  2. The Paper Funday – #21 Anything Goes optional:  Fall/Autumn
  3. Dream Valley – Embossing wet/dry (embossed cup images)
  4. The Sisterhood of Crafters – Autumn Inspiration
  5. CCEE Stampers – CCEE2037 Slimline Cards
  6. Not Just Cards – Anything Goes
  7. Crafting Happiness – Anything Goes
  8. Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – PIP2037 Anything Goes
  9. Simon Says Stamp Monday – Frame It

We’re Recycling at Cute Card Thursday!

Hello friends!  I’m back to share our new challenge for Cute Card Thursday this week!  I have to say that I enjoyed this challenge, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with for this one.  We would like to see some “Recycling” on your projects this week!  There are so many different ways you could go…do you have a box full of “trash treasures” waiting to be used?  Now is the time to pull it out! 🙂

Here’s what I’ve come up with for the challenge:

Vicki-CCT558-Recycle-PolarBearSoup

I haven’t made these for a couple of years, but I like to save those Crystal Light plastic containers and decorate them and use them as “gift holders” or like I have here for some “polar bear/snowman soup” containers!

I try and keep the decorating somewhat simple, but I enjoy adding ribbon, glitter, etc. just for the fun of it!  I’ve used an oldie but a goodie and my fave set from My Favorite Things called “Cool Day“.  I’ve used both of the polar bear images and colored them in, fussy cut them out and attached to the containers.  I’ve also white heat embossed the sentiments from the set and cut them out with a banner die for them to stand on.  I found some matching ribbon that I’ve wrapped around the top of the container and then added the bow.  Although I didn’t take a photo of the top of the lid, I’ve also cut out some matching pattern paper to decorate the top of the lid.  I’ve used some liquid glue to add some faux snow at the bottom of the containers and then some glitter under the polar bears feet.

Vicki-CCT558-Recycle-PolarBearSoup-back

This is actually the first time that I’ve done polar bears for these.  I usually use a snowman with the snowman soup poem, but since these were polar bears, I sort of changed out the wording to make it work with my design.  LOL.  I’ve just printed it up on the computer and added a coordinating mat behind it and attached it to the back of the containers.  It slightly sticks out on each side, but I could always trim it down more if I wanted it to fit, but I was fine with it.

Vicki-CCT558-Recycle-PolarBearSoup-containters

I just wanted to share a photo of the original packaging of these containers.  I have my family save these up for me and I will create with them each year.  I have about 10 of them saved up for now.  As a crafter, we always keep our eyes peeled for something we can save and create with! 🙂

Vicki-CCT558-Recycle-PolarBearSoup-close

And here’s a closer look at the details of the polar bears.  I used my Copics to color them.  For the green one, I used the pointillism technique to create the look on the sweater.  I also made the elbow pads and the circles on the mug.  I covered the mug with some glossy accents.  I added some glitter to the top of the hat on the red one.

Thanks for stopping in today!  See you soon!

Challenges I’d like to enter:

  1.  Always Fun – Anything Goes
  2. Christmas with the Cuties – Anything but a Card
  3. Use Your Stuff – Mood board (inspired by the sweet treats, mugs and red/white colors!)
  4. Double Trouble – Thing 1:  My sweet treat is inside the containers!  Thing 2:  I used the mood board above from “Use Your Stuff” challenge!  Thing 3:  I used lots of “sprinkles” with faux snow and glitter!
  5. Crafty Card Makers – Anything but a Card
  6. Artistic Inspiration – Just for Fun Challenge – Anything Goes

Guest Design for the Retro Rubber Challenge

Hello friends!  I’m super excited to have been asked to be a guest designer for one of the challenges over at the Retro Rubber Challenge blog!  Yay!  I really enjoy playing along in their challenges when I feel the need to break out some of my older stamps that have either been unused or neglected for a while.  If you have some stamps that are at least one year or older…or older yet as many of mine can be, then this is a great challenge to play along with!  Be sure to pop on over there and see what it’s all about, check out the inspiration from the design team and play along!

Here’s the card that I’ve created for the challenge but be sure to check out the full details along with lots more photos below!

Vicki-rrcb97-GDT

For my card, I went with the bottom row of “animals, window and circles“:

Vicki-rrcb97guestDT

I have pulled out some stamps from my “penguin stash” as I like to call it!  LOL!  I have lots and lots of them and most of them are years and years old.  I’m actually not really sure how old this stamp set that I’ve used on my card today is, but it’s from Darcie’s Stamps and they haven’t been in the store for quite a while now I think.

For my card, I’ve taken a circle die and cut out my colored images.  I had to mask the hat so that it looked like the penguin was wearing it as well as mask that giggling penguin along with the hat so that I could stamp the mug so that it looked like the penguin was in front of the mug.  I also white heat embossed the sentiment and cut it out with a banner die at the top.  The sentiment also came with the stamp set.  I cut out a scallop circle and then cut the center out with the same size circle as the penguins to create the frame around the penguin scene.  I’ve used some older SU! papers from my stash to go along with my theme and then lastly added some red baker’s twine at the top along with some white enamel dots as well as a cute little wrapped up peppermint candy accent.

I have cut the center of the heart on the mug with my craft knife and now we are going to zoom in on the mug….

Vicki-rrcb97-GDT-windowcloseup

Here you can see the glittery heart window with the penguin on the other side!  I have made a window by cutting out the heart on the mug and then on the other side, I’ve used some packing tape with the sticky side exposed through the window so that I could add some glitter to it.

Vicki-rrbc97-GDT-insidecard

And then of course when you open the card, you can see this cute little penguin trying to balance himself on these glittery rolling peppermint candies!  LOL!  This is why the penguin on the front was giggling.  I think they had too much sugar!

I colored in a penguin from the set, fussy cut him out and then layered him over this line of peppermint circles that I found from an older card kit I had in my stash.  It’s from a piece of patterned paper that I cut out.  I added some shimmer over them with a glitter brush pen.  At the top you can see the cut-out heart I made.

Vicki-rrbc97-GDT-inside

This is just a closer view of the penguin on the inside.  There is plenty of room above him to write a message.  Wasn’t sure if I wanted to leave this blank or put a Christmas sentiment on the inside yet.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my card for today!

Challenges:

  1.  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Get Ready for Christmas
  2. 4 Crafty Chicks – (4CC423) Something Old is Something New (old stamps and paper)
  3. Crafting with An Attitude – Anything Goes
  4. Happy Little Stampers Christmas – Anything Goes with Optional Twist:  ribbon
  5. Crazy 4 Challenges (C4C455) – Make any card in honor of WCMD
  6. Crafting By Designs – Anything Goes

Lawn Fawn Friday

Hello friends!  Yay, it’s Friday!  I have lots of fun Lawn Fawn “goodies” to share with you today and although it’s still a bit warm over my way, I am in the mood for Fall, how about you?  There’s nothing better in the Fall, for me, than a warm apple cider donut that we get every year from an apple orchid we like to visit each Fall!  It had me thinking of the current challenge going on…

Vicki-LF-FallTreats

It may be a bit of an oldie, but a goodie to me and I really enjoy using it!  I have pulled out my LF Love You a Latte stamp set to base my card for today.

I started with a white A2 sized top folding card base and added a piece of (now retired) “Perfectly Plaid Fall” mini paper stack that I’ve cut with the LF Stitched Rectangle die along with the pieces used on my image panel also cut with the same die set.  I layered that onto a white piece of cardstock that was cut from the LF “Scalloped Rectangle die” (Looks to be retired too!)  I have taken a strip of the plaid papers and used the LF Valentine Borders die to cut the edging on it.  I then wrapped some twine around it and added the LF Stitched Leaves that were cut from kraft cardstock and colored on the edges with distress ink and a foam blending tool.  I then tied a bow with the twine and placed it over the leaves.

I colored my images, fussy cut them out and placed them over my layered paper panels and then popped it up over the plaid card base with some craft foam.

Vicki-LF-FallTreats1

Upon a closer view of the image, you can see that I white heat embossed the sentiment from the stamp set.  I also added some glitter to the marshmallows in the cup and covered the donut with some glossy accents.  I added a LF Small Stitched Leaves that I made similar to the others to tuck inside with my treats! 🙂  All the leaves were covered with a glitter brush pen.

*Be sure to scroll down below for more Lawn Fawn goodies!!*

Here are the challenges I’d like to enter this card for:

  1.  Lawn Fawnatics – Coffee, Tea and Treats
  2. Retro Rubber (RRCB94) – Anything Goes + Older Stamp(s) Mine is circa 2015
  3. Watercooler Wednesday (WWC185) – Anything Goes
  4. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes

I thought this was a good place to stick in this project I made and had entered into my local county fair last month.  This particular item did not place, but the category was “Hand Stamped Item Other Than a Card”…so I created this using a Lawn Fawn stamp:

Vicki-LFSkunk-Wood Slice

I found a bag of these really cute wood slices when I was out shopping with my mom earlier this Summer at Hobby Lobby.  They seemed like a perfect size to do this with!

I stamped this adorable skunk from the Lawn Fawn Stinkin’ Cute stamp set and then colored him in with my Prismacolor pencils.  Of course, the woodgrain gives it some slight imperfections, but I didn’t mind and thought it gave it more character!  (See the wood knot under his chin!)  I’ve added some green “Flower Soft” for the grass portion to give him something to stand on.  I also added some glitter to the hearts above his head.  Hubby drilled a hole in it for me so that I could add some twine for it to hang.

Vicki-LFSkunk-WoodSlice1

Here I’ve turned it at a bit of an angle so that you can see the thickness of the slice and the fun texture of the bark on it.  I thought this would be so cute on a gift bag or something.  I have it hanging in my room because he’s just too stinkin’ cute anyway! 🙂

Thanks for stopping in today and I wish you all a fabulous weekend!

P.S.  Sunday I will be sharing a post with a brand-new release…so be sure to check that out too!  Bye!