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

Thursday, December 20, 2018

No Cards! Moving Along With The Times

Hi, Everyone!
Here is my last post of the year, with the very best wishes to all my friends and visitors. May Peace, Good Health, and Safe Times be with you all.


And now... 



It's time to share a Project for the new Moving Along With The Times Challenge!

Challenge #87's theme is ANYTHING BUT A CARD - for the next 2 weeks!




I "corrugated" a piece of white cardstock with my wavy crimper and rubbed VersaFine Clair Tulip Red on the raised portions. Then Stampendous Shabby White embossing enamel was heat set. Actually, I thought it was going to have white elements with a touch of gold, but the gold really shows off, and is quite glittery!

The background is dry embossed with a Cuttlebug 5x7 folder, distressed with VersaFine Clair Tulip Red, dredged with SNS White Detail EP, and heat set.

An old SU greetings stamp was stamped on vellum with VersaFine Clair Tulip Red and heat set with SNS Red Apple Detail EP.

Sigh. I always have fun playing with embossing powders! It's what got me into stamping in the very beginning!


Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to play in our challenge this fortnight!

Moving Along With The Times Challenge.

Products Used:
  • Dies: Spellbinders Big Scallop Ovals, SB Tear Drop Circles (ribbon)
  • Image: Penny Black "Snowy", SU Christmas Wishes
  • Embossing Powder: SNS White DetailStampendous Shabby White embossing enamel, SNS Red Apple Detail
  • Copics and Prismacolor Markers
  • MS Starlight Border Punch, Red Ribbon
  • Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaFine Clair Tulip Red
  • White Flocking (hat)
  • Cardstock: Red, White, Aqua, Vellum, Gold Glossy
Stamping Hugs,






Wednesday, December 12, 2018

I'm Resisting - Back to Basics and Beyond

Hello, blogging friends!
Wishing you all the happiest of seasonal preparations throughout the month!


It's time for a brand new Back to Basics and Beyond Challenge!
For the next two weeks, join us by uploading an "Anything-Goes" project as long as you use any resist technique on it. The team has all kinds of inspiration and a variety of styles to view, so take a look! Hope to see yours there.

My card is a magical night time dance of snowflakes using two rubber stamp sets from Sparkle N Sprinkle:


Hanging head in shame... because my planning was not satisfactory for this card. The watercolor paper should have been trimmed before stamping the images. The snowflakes were stamped with VersaMark and heat set with White Detail EP. The paper was then spritzed with water and Color Burst watercolor powders" were puffed" onto the wet paper. Both colors were very intense and made a magical night time party of snowflakes.


The edges of the watercolor paper are distressed with VersaFine Clair inks in Purple Delight and Warm Breeze Turquoise, then heat embossed with sparkling Sangria Star EP and Cerulean Star EP.


Embossed the Happy Holidays sentiment on vellum with Sangria EP (no glitter compared to Sangria Star EP)


Products Used:


Products:

Challenges I'd like to support:

  1. City Craft Challenge #442 "Snowflakes" 12/18

Happiness Hugs,

Step Card - Christmas at Sweet Stampin'

Hello, dear friends!
Hoping your Advent Journey is enjoyable as you prepare for Christmas Celebrations!

With great pleasure, I've joined the talented designers at
I'm thrilled to team up with these marvelously brilliant crafters, and hope to see your imaginative artwork each month in our "Anything Goes Christmas" Challenges. The challenge is for ANY Christmas theme craft project. December's Challenge is open until January 8.

Christmas at Sweet Stampin' also has a DT Call out! Hope you can join us!

Recently I drooled over a Crafters Companion Gemini Christmas Tree on Sue Drees' blog. She generously gifted me with several versions of die cuts from the pretty set. My card uses the pink pearl background and the ornate, white glittered detail image on a center step card!



Using IO snowflake dies on brown cardstock, I then coated them with sparkling SNS Embers ultrafine glitter.




Cute little glittered hearts peek from behind the first step:



Wishing you a fantastic week, and hope you and yours enjoy a lovely season.

Products:
  • Dies: Crafters Companion Gemini Christmas tree gifted by Sue Drees, Snowflakes from IO, Step Template from Tattered Lace, Poinsettias from Poppy Stamps, 
  • Glitter: SNS Embers G1034
  • Paper: Bazzill Pale Pink, assorted pinks, white, brown
  • Inks: Raspberry DO, Old Paper D
  • Computer generated sentiments
Challenges I am Supporting:
  1. Allsorts Challenges #497 Christmas Flowers (3 layered poinsettias) sep post 12/14
  2. Scrapyland Challenge #103 AG with dies SL sells (Crafters Companion Gemini Christmas tree gifted by Sue Drees, Snowflakes from IO, Step Template from Tattered Lace, Poinsettias from Poppy Stamps) sep post 12/19
  3. Holly and Ivy #42 Christmas (sep post) 1/8
  4. Sparkles Christmas Challenge #95 Fancy Fold Christmas 01/01
Stamping Hugs,





Thursday, December 06, 2018

Experimental Christmas - Moving Along With the Times

Greetings to all my blogging friends!
Here in Florida we have vacillated from being freezing (well below normal) to the 80s (above normal), so it's been a strange, humid Autumn for us.
Today's card share is full of experiments, some good, some disappointing, but everything worked out in the end.



It's time to share a Project for the new Moving Along With The Times Challenge!

Challenge #86's theme is ANYTHING CHRISTMAS - for the next 2 weeks just make sure your project is Christmas themed, and upload!


Always an experiment to share, blogging friend Connie has inspired me to do the same with this project:

On watercolor paper, the image was partially inked with Tulip Red VersaFine Clair and heat set with Firecracker Red Detail embossing powder. It contains glitter, so there is a lot of sparkle on the card. I deliberately chose the textured side of the watercolor paper. After coloring the poinsettias with distress inks, I painted on Masking Fluid, allowing it to dry completely. (TIP: use an old brush):


Once the masking fluid was dry, I stamped the SNS Crackle Background 5x6 stamp in the open spaces to change the look of the image, again with Tulip Red VersaFine Clair and heat set with Clear Detail EP so the texture is a little different from the main image. 


Fresh Pear Mica Mist was sprayed over most of the panel, allowed to dry, and then more distress colors were added.


After heat setting the Mica Mist, I wet the cardstock again in certain areas, applied a color of distress ink, heat set, and repeated the process using the following colors: Spun Sugar, Pine Needles, Peeled Paint, Lemonade, Worn Lipstick. Then I rubbed off the masking fluid.

Finished card:

The sentiment was also stamped with Tulip Red VersaFine Clair and embossed with Firecracker Red Detail.

Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to play in our challenge this fortnight!
Moving Along With The Times Challenge.


Products Used:




Challenges I'd like to support:

  1. ABC Christmas Challenge (Y, Z) Z is for ZERO EMBELLISHMENTS 01/02
  2. Archi-Scraps Challenge (December) Anything Christmas (right side bar - name country) 01/01
  3. A Bit More Time to Craft #81 AG (sep post) 12/15
  4. Christmas Crafts All Year Round (Dec 1) Christmas AG 01/01
  5. Crafty Addicts #55 AG Christmas 01/02
  6. Crafty Friends #98 Christmas 12/16
  7. Crafty Gals Corner#180 AG Christmas 12/19
  8. Kerst Christmas (Dec 1) Christmas 01/01 FB
  9. Merry Little Christmas #5 AG Christmas 01/01 sep post
  10. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1848 AG 12/10 sep post
  11. Scrapyland Challenge #103 AG with dies SL sells (2 dies from the SW Essential Sized Pierced Noble Rectangles) 12/19 (sep post)
  12. The Artistic Stamper (Dec 1) Christmas (sep post) 01/01 FB ALSO, leave comment
  13. World Wide Open DT Challenge #11 AG for a DT 12/15 (sep post)

Stamping Hugs,



Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Coloring on Vellum - Back to Basics Challenge

Hello, everyone! Did those of you who braved Black Friday survive?
Hoping this finds you and yours in good health.
It's time for a brand new Back to Basics and Beyond Challenge!
BBB is also having a DT Call! If you're looking for an easy-going, fun great to work with, and one that is using a different technique in each challenge, please check out the DT info on our home page.

For the next two weeks, join us by uploading an "Anything-Goes" project as long as it uses vellum which has been hand colored on the back side. I have not used this technique in over 10 years! How sad is that. This challenge has awakened a renewed passion for playing with it. The team has all kinds of inspiration and a variety of styles to view, so take a look! Hope to see yours there.



My cards feature an old Outlines Rubber Stamp by Hampton Art. The stamp has been in my stash since 2011, but is one of my favorites. The vellum has shiny confetti on it. VersaFine Clair Golden Meadow was used to get a clean, crisp image, then dredged with Gold Detail Embossing Powder. It melted very quickly:

First up is a lovely, soft rendition using only 2 colors of Copic Markers. I heat set Gold Detail Embossing Powder on the front side of the vellum, flipped it over, and colored with a pale blue #12 copic marker, and then darker color in the smaller areas:

The top of the vellum is folded over a piece of white cardstock, and adhered from behind to pale aqua cardstock.

The blue copic marker shades the entire embossed area:

The second card includes a fun, wonky frame using two square dies:


The dove was stamped on vellum as above, but colored with more hues and with darker colors. VersaFine Clair Golden Meadow was distressed around the edges of the frame and dredged with Gold Tinsel Embossing Powder to give a little sparkly effect:


The sweet sentiment made me feel good, so that's why it's there giggling - It's on a strip of the same vellum. I love this challenge - always getting me out of my box!


Hope you have time to join us!
Back to Basics and Beyond Challenge

Products Used:


Challenges I'd like to play in please:

  1. Crafting by Designs #Nov 28 Christmas 12/5
  2. Crafty Creations #379 AG 12/12
  3. Creative Craft Challenge #113 Christmas 12/7
  4. ScrapyLand Challenges #102 Use Die SL sells (SB Grand & Classic squares) 12/3
  5. Holly and Ivy Christmas #41 AG Christmas 12/2
  6. Mod Squad #Nov 28 Christmas with a Critter 12/5
  7. Make My Monday #85 Non Traditional Colors (turquoise/aqua) 12/8

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season.







Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Poinsettia Easel - Back to Basics and Beyond

I'm so happy you are here, and that you have time to share in my little creation.
It's time for a brand new Back to Basics and Beyond Challenge!
For the next two weeks, join us by uploading an "Anything-Goes" project as long as an easel "fold" technique is used. The team has all kinds of inspiration and a variety of styles to view, so take a look! Hope to see yours there.

My card features a Stampendous 6x6 stamp which has been cut down:


I started with this gorgeous Stampendous Poinsettia Collage stamp on textured watercolor paper and VersaFine Clair Tulip Red. What dreamy details this fabulous ink picks up! I have all the colors and am delighted my favorite store now carries them - (get an extra 10% off using my discount code)



Because of the heavily textured paper, I stamped the image 3 times to capture all the details:


Apple Red Detail EP276 was used on the top half of the image, and Clear Detail EP was used on the bottom half:


I stamped two more partial images for layering purposes and heat set with Firecracker Detail EP291 because it contains glitter:



Here is the main image embossed and watercolored:



A 6x6 red panel was cut, and 1/2" Double-sided Tear-ific Tape was applied to each side. Tomato Red Glitter Tinsel was burnished into each side:



Gypsy Red Microfine Glitter was burnished into the tinsel to cover up all the tiny crevices:



The sentiment from Happy Holidays 897 was stamped with VersaMark Ink and heat set with White Detail EP298,



A close up of the image:


An old Martha Stewart Trim punch was used for the easel stop. There are 8 layers adhered together.


Dynamites Holly Branch die was decked out with Gecko Green Microfine Glitter and Fire Engine Red Ultrafine Glitter:



I promise the dimensional flower is glittery and not so dark around the edges in real life.

Hoping to see your pretty easel cards in our challenge this time!

On a sad note, this is my final official SNS design team card, but I'm grateful to still be using their products!





    Products Used:

    Challenges I'd like to play in please:
    1. Allsorts Challenges #493 Poppies or RED 11/16 sep post
    2. Christmas at Sweet Stampin' (Nov 14) 12/3 (sep post)
    3. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #40 Anything Christmas Goes 11/17 (sep post) C15
    4. Try Stampin' Or Not on Tuesday Nov Technique Challenge - Glitter - (I have 2 types microfine glitter, glitter tinsel, and 1 ultrafine glitter) 11/25 (sep post - they have multiple challenges each month)
    5. Dream Valley #190 Use Dies AND punches (3 Martha Stewart punches and one Dynamites die) 2nd entry, C10, 11/16 sep post
    6. Make My Monday Challenge #84 Winter Foliage 11/25
    7. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1845 AG 11/19

    Stamping Hugs,