My blog is called "Creative Smiles" because my designs are the result of incorporating mistakes. With fumble fingers that drop whatever they are holding - repeatedly, it takes a lot of giggles, smiles and creative patience during my crafting process. xx

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Beautiful Geraniums by Sparkle N Sprinkle



Belated Thanksgiving Greetings to all my blogging buddies and new follower Donna K - 

My Blogging Friends top my list of Blessings for which I am very grateful.




This month we are bringing you a pretty new stamp set by 
artist Beccy Muir with FIVE chances to win



the first chance is in our "Beautiful Geraniums" Release Contest
 and
four more chances with the SNS monthly challenge where the monthly theme is always "Anything Goes with Glitter, Embossing Powder and/or Flocking."

The Geranium stamp set is available on line or is included in Jazzy Jill's Technique Video for the month.

The Geranium stamp set, one glitter and one EP will be awarded to one commenter.
To win, just come to our Mystery Designer Party!


How the Mystery Party works:

On one of the participating blogs below, a Commenter will be selected to receive the prize
No one knows who the Mystery Designer is, so you may wish to visit each blog to leave a comment.



The winner will be announced on December 3 on Facebook, the SNS blog, and on our blogs:

The beautiful Geraniums set is available at 20% off 
as part of our December specials. 
Just use the code DEC20 in the COMMENTS SECTION 
when checking out in the SNS on-line store 
to receive these brand new sets at 20% off.
Promotion valid through December 3.(sorry, credit card customers only. Total will be manually adjusted. Or phone the SNS shoppe and ask them to manually adjust the charge on the phone for you).

By now you have guessed that the glitter is in the green frame ( Luau Green Microfine Velvet Glitter )
AND
I stamped directly on the Cloud Nine Microfine Velvet Glitter with Memento Ink, and colored the image with Copic Markers (shown below)
In person it is very sparkly!

Tutorial for how to color on glitter with markers can be found here.
See how glittery it is? (more giggles)

To make this card, just click HERE for complete directions.

A peek inside:

LOVE these pretty geraniums and the Copic Markers on Cloud Nine glitter technique!
Psssst! You can also use regular markers and watercolors on glitter - 
here's the tut for that!


Products:

Submitted to the following incredible challenges:

  1. Crafty Hands Challenge - #3 Sparkle and Bling (blingy flourish and 2 glittered surfaces) (12-6)
  2. Sister Act Card Challenge - #35 Anything Goes (12-6)
  3. Paper Crafting Journey - Nov 21 Bling It Up (12-4) (blingy flourish and 2 glittered surfaces)
  4. Crafter's Cafe Challenge - #39 Anything Goes (12-3)
  5. Simon Says - Nov 27 Anything Goes (12-4)
  6. Party Time Tuesday's Challenge - #148 Anything Goes (12-3)


Thanks for visiting today!
Warm hugs,



Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Lovely Wreath Twisted Easel

Note: November 17, 2015
ABC Christmas Challenge DT Call (ends Nov 30, 2015)


Hi, Blogging Friends! A warm welcome to new followers Vicky, Angelique, Shalu, Carrie, Kren, Carol Crafty-Stamper, Catherine. Thank you for following me, and I look forward to seeing your blogs, too!


Apologies for not leaving comments as much as I used to, and for not even posting many cards. 
My hands have been very uncooperative, and the dexterity and neurologic issues are becoming extensive. And in all honesty - my brain is not functioning well, either, 

but

  Slow is better than Stop 

- right?

And maybe Contentment and Peace are by products of Gratitude?
Being content in the midst of Life regardless of what it brings?
So that we may grow in ways we might otherwise have never grown?
And be exposed to ideas and thoughts we otherwise would never have known?

I do want you to know how blessed I am to have you in my little life,
 and to share in your artwork and photos of your homes and loved ones.

Hopefully you all know how appreciated and valued you are. Since I am home-bound, it is my highlight to visit your blogs and see what you are up to.





I couldn't resist!


Having fallen deeply in love with this wonderfully detailed Christmas Wreath image by Kim Gwin of Scrapbook Stamp Society, I was delighted when sweet DTC Sher sent it to me.


It was remarkably easy to color because the image reveals the places to lighten and darken.

If you enjoy "Pretty", but prefer something easy to color, then this beautiful wreath would make a lovely addition to your digi Christmas items.  It's perfect for vintage or contemporary paper crafting, and it can be cut apart to use pieces of it, too.


I decided to try a Twisted Easel style card, and though Christina Griffiths' video tutorial was very simple, and contained wonderful tips about placement of images both top and bottom, I had trouble with the placement of the sentiment on the bottom portion of the card, so if you try this fold, you might want to use longer, thinner sentiments, or something extremely small, rather than a squarish size sentiment.

When closed, this is what the top looks like:

Except for the printed paper, all of the green is vellum. I'm ashamed to say that vellum has been in my stash at least 10 years, and this is the first time it  has been used!

While it worked with MS punch around the page, it did not play well with the Deep Edge MS Trim punches which cut both sides.

The pink pearls are from my mom's crafting stash (that means I have had them over 21 years - no telling how long she had them!) {smile}

The bottom looks like this when closed:

A computer-generated sentiment with a variety of fonts was fun to create.

Here is a close up of the bottom when opened:



My girl friend will be surprised when she receives this, especially knowing Fumble Fingers here made it (giggle).

thanks for stopping by!

Fondly submitted to the following wonderful challenges:


  1. Created With Love Challenges - #67 Anything Goes (11-25)
  2. Path of Positivity - #8 Gratitude (please see my little comment above) (12-2)
  3. City Crafter Challenge Blog - #186 Card Using a Wreath (11-26)
  4. Incy Wincy Designs - Easel Card (11-25)
  5. Addicted to Stamps - #69 Dies and Punches (9 dies, MS punch around page) (11-25)
  6. Crafty Calendar Challenge - Anything Christmas (12-3)
  7. Tok Bobok Challenge - TBC#6 Christmas (11-29)
  8. Fan-Tastic Tuesday - #10 Make it fancy SQUARE (Square top, square bottom) (11-26)
  9. Party Time Tuesdays - #147 Color Challenge (bright pink, green, purple with deep teal) (11-26)
  10. Sweet Stamps - #144 Anything Goes! (11-25)




Sweet hugs for you always,