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

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

White on White with Retro Rubber!

Welcome, blogging friends! Hope you and yours are healthy and safe.
Today's card share is one of my all time favorites I think!
(are we allowed to say that about our own cards? giggle)



I am swooning in delight to guest design for:
Loving those old stamps!


It's always a pleasure seeing new twists put to old rubber.
This is one of my favorite challenges because my old rubber finally sees the light of day and emerges very HAPPILY! Try new techniques with your old rubber.

The theme this time is "White Out!"


I am featuring an old, old wood stamp that was gifted to me (but has never seen ink) circa 2002 by a friend whose last name is Berry! So cute since the name of the company is Holly Berry - here is their Facebook Page, and another link to the stamp image called "Garden Maze Medallion" which is available in cling or wood (and a sample from their website).



image close up of my card:




Since the theme is WHITE OUT, I dug out something "new" - English Lace Handmade Paper - this cottony paper boasts deeply embossed imagery so detailed, that you can see the stitching of the eyelet lace. It also has a nice sheen giving the appearance of fabric. In addition, the back side of the paper is absorbent for mixed media applications. Even after running it through the die cut machine a few times for the detailed die cut, you can see how deeply embossed it still is:

  

The image was stamped with VersaMark Ink, heat embossed with Gold Detail embossing powder, and cut out for dimension.
Check out the sheen on the embossed paper:



Lots of layers:



Dimension to show off the pretty shapes:



Gold Detail embossing powder also frames the base image, while Celestial Glitter (gold with transparent highlights) accents the gold frame. A Nuvo Medium Tip Glue Pen was applied to various parts of the image and dredged with either Celestial Glitter or Starfire Ultrafine Transparent Glitter.

Nuvo Glitter Accents (Aztec Gold and Fresh Snowfall) were applied in the small gold areas and as large dots on two of the layers.

Here's a peek at the texture:



A pretty gold-embossed sentiment from the Botanical Orchids Rubber Stamp Set (also available digitally) helps personalize the creation, tied with white twine to continue the White Out effect:



The Finished Creation:



Thanks for stopping by. How about inking up one of your beloved Oldie but Goodies and playing along? White on White is an easy way to bring an old stamp to life!

Products Used:

 Challenges I'm playing in:
  1. Card Mania Challenges #100 Monochromatic Theme 2/1
  2. Classic DT Open Challenge #21 Anything Goes for a DT 2/1
  3. Crafty Cardmakers #203 "Bling's The Thing" 1/26 (1-28) C15
  4. Dragonfly Dreams (Jan) Anything Goes 2/4
  5. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1802 Anything Goes 1/22
  6. Simpy Create Too Challenge #134 Embossing (I have used both wet and dry) 2/2 #2
  7. Sisterhood of Crafters (Jan 10) "Frame It" 1/23
  8. Sweet Stampin' (Jan 13) Lots of Layers (9 layers plus the tag) 1/20
  9. Use Your Stuff Challenge #295 Monochromatic 1/22
  10. World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #30 (Anything for a DT) 2/15  #2


Stamping Hugs,



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Sunday, January 14, 2018

Sparkle N Sprinkle

Welcome, Blogging Friends!
I surely hope those of you in North America are staying warm. Even in Florida we are below normal with temperatures below freezing for long periods of time. Even our cat and dog don't want to be outside!
I hear Down Under that it is unusually hot, and I hope you all are staying comfortable and not too overheated.



Today begins 

Sparkle N Sprinkle's January New Stamps Blog Hop

The Blog Hop order this month is:


We are pleased to bring you:

Cherished Moments - Bride 875    (Digital Version: DIGI875BG)



Digital Version: 
DIGI879FS

 The Roses in My Heart digital bundle is gigantic, with several color variations. The colors come with or without the pretty watercolor "halo" around the image, too. It is coordinated with the Ornate Greetings set also being released this month:

The Ornate Greetings set is specially designed to work with the Roses In My Heart sets. They will look great stamped inside the heart, or die cut and layered on top - or even used on their own. 



Cara and Mouse Friend 881  (also Digital Version DIGI881SG)


I colored this darling friendship set with Copic Markers. It is the same colored images you will receive when purchasing the set. The colored version comes with and without the grassy scene. The black and white images also include Cara and the mouse together, or individually, so you can play with the images in many ways.  



Digital Version: Digi882B
The digital version of Hello Foxy comes with additional sentiments, as well as colored and black and white PNG images in addition to the JPGs.

SNS digital stamps include JPG and transparent PNG images, and often have additional sentiments and papers.  All the new digital and rubber stamp sets are 20% during their debut from January 15 - 20.

On January 17th, ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER will win a $20 gift certificate to the SNS On-Line Store. Winner will be selected from the comments left on the Designers' blogs listed above. Please leave a comment with each Designer in order to be eligible for the Grand Prize. 


The video is at the bottom of the page, or view directly on YouTube here:

 Would you like to win a $15 gift card to the SNS store? Just create a project using any SNS image and join the fun in our monthly ANYTHING GOES Sparkle N Sprinkle Creative Challenge group on Facebook. The challenge runs from the 1st through the 25th. 



My card features Cara and Mouse Friend Digital Stamp Set. I colored this darling friendship set with Copic Markers. It is the same colored images you will receive when purchasing the set. The colored version comes with and without the grassy scene. The black and white images also include Cara and the mouse together, or individually, so you can play with the images in many ways.  

 First I created a green frame by using two brands of dies to customize the size. So don't hesitate putting different brands of dies together when making your pretty cards:

It was coated with VersaMark Ink, then dredged and heat set with Christmas Green Cosmic Opaque EP149 embossing powder.

The card would have been pretty just done simply with this thin frame:



But I wanted to "gussy it up" a bit with a cute frame to complement the pretty Tonic English Lace Embossed Handmade paper.



 The white frame is from lovely Tonic English Picnic Layering Dies embossed with Opaline Cosmic Opaque EP359:



 After lining the white frame with green paper, it was adhered over the focal image. 

 Close-up of the frames:

The sentiments in the set make this a versatile all-occasion set!


Thanks for popping by. For more design inspiration, please hop on over to Diane's blog!

Products Used:


Challenges I'd like to play in please:
  1. Animal Friends #58 "New Beginning" (new friendship with a mouse) 2/1
  2. Crafty Animals #10 Anything Goes with an Animal (new friendship with a mouse) 2/1
  3.  Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #73 Anything Goes  1/20
  4. Pile it on Challenge #138 "Thank You" (You're so Sweet) 2/4
  5. Simply Create Too #134 Use Embossing (I've used wet on frames and dry on card base - the handmade paper is also embossed) 1/26  #1
  6. World Wide Open DT Challenge #1  Anything Goes for a DT  2/15



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