oh, those ProvoCraft Asian folders

For a while I was holding out, several months actually, not purchasing any more embossing folders from ProvoCraft. That ended up changing after I was given some of the Asian designs over the holidays.

Here are some of the cards that I've made with them....

This card was made using first the Kimiko folder on some Core'dinations card stock. I turned the folder over and debossed the image then sanded it to remove some of the black and bring out the color underneath, leaving the image nicely outlined. I then ran that through again, this time inside the Bamboo folder. I sanded that again to remove the black. The sentiment was cut out using my Slice.

For this card I again pulled out the Bamboo embossing folder. I then added a few of the lanterns from the Lanterns folder at the top. The stamped image is by Inkadinkado and accented using Spica glitter pens. The sentiment is by Verve.

For this last card I did some double 'bossing. I debossed my white card stock layer using the Plum Blossoms embossing folder and applied the Angel Pink Memento ink DTP. I then embossed that piece using the Kimiko folder and accented the embossing using Memento London Fog ink. I like the way that the kimono took on some of the blossoms. The sentiment is again by Verve. I embellished using Brides flowers that I also embossed using the Plum Blossoms folder.

two more textured impressions cards

I made a couple more cards using the new Sizzix textured impressions embossing folders that I've talked about in a couple of previous posts. (Please note: these should not be confused with the Texturz texture plates or the Simple Impressions folders. These are different and are like the Cuttlebug embossing folders.) I just wanted to show more of the designs and again show how these folders will emboss an entire A2 size card front.

The background embossing of the above card was made using the A2 size folder of Wedding set 2. The sentiment is also an embossing folder from that set. The decorative borders were made using a Fiskars embossing border punch.

For this card I pulled out one of the Christmas sets. I thought this one could be a bit more winter than Christmas necessarily. Again, these snowflakes float over the whole card front. The image in the center was made using a smaller folder from that set. I accented the snowflakes in that image with Diamond Stickles. The sentiment is by Verve and stamped using Memento dye ink.

These embossing folders can make card-making a very fast process!

holiday ornaments

A few weeks ago I couldn't resist a clearance item that I'd found at Target--a bucket of thirty 2" diameter tins, the kind that are used for bridal or baby showers, for only $4.99. I didn't have a specific idea in mind at the time, but I knew that I could somehow fashion some ornaments out of these.

Here's what I came up with....


These are two of those tins. I'd embossed some sparkly cardstock using some holiday Cuttlebug folders, Winter House and Lace Tree. I cut 2" circles with my Martha Stewart circle cutter and then accented the snowy parts with Stickles in the ornament on the left and Liquid Pearls in the one on the right. The foreground image was made with the Martha Stewart train punch, and I added the smoke with a thin layer of Liquid Pearls.


This is a close up view. The sentiment is by Verve Stamps using Memento dye ink.


This is a close up of the second ornament. I attached the hanger by punching a couple of holes at the top with my Crop-a-dile. The embellishments are Primas and Brides flowers. The winter houses layer was popped out from the background using pop dots to give more of a 3D effect. Again, the train was made using Martha Stewart's train edge punch.

many thanks

I've been remiss and have a couple of things that I need to give thanks for. So, first off, here's a card that fits the occasion.


The birds are by Stampendous. The greenery and the sentiment are by Verve. All were stamped using Memento dye inks. The flowers are just clear glue applied randomly with Flower Soft sprinkled on top. The embossing was made using a picket fence wood die cut and my Big Shot.

My apologies to the award-givers. I really appreciate the awards and I'd been hoping to find some time to link a number of blogs. Time keeps getting away from me though, and yesterday a Jeep Wrangler tangled with the back end of my minivan at a four-way stop. Probably wouldn't have been so bad if the jeep hadn't had the big winch on the front of it. ARGH! So now I'm dealing with insurance and repair estimates etc. Such fun. 'Nuff said about that though. I didn't want to let any more time go by without at least acknowledging the awards and the award givers.


This is the third time I've received this award. This time it comes from Heather G. Thank you so much, Heather!


This second one is from Lori, and isn't it a cute one! Thanks, Lori!

I appreciate the awards. Sometimes I still can't get over the idea that there are people who actually come by here regularly, so to be given awards on top of receiving comments or seeing the counter tick off visits is really kind of a thrill. Makes my day brighter. :-) Thanks again!

Now, back to making those phone calls....

using lots of my faves

Between the celebrating and the playing around with my Big Shot and Cuttlebug, I haven't posted any cards lately! Here's one that I've been working on intermittently.


The card is made from Core'dinations cardstock that I hadn't realized until very recently is now available at Hobby Lobby! Thankfully I had a 40% off coupon and got a nice big package of it. I creatively Cuttled with the Cuttlebug Floral Screen A2 embossing folder, then sanded the embossing to reveal the lighter color. I embossed around the unembossed area of the card front with a rectangle Nestabilities die, then stamped the Verve image and sentiment on white cardstock that I'd cut and embossed using the crease pad and a single pass through the Big Shot. I used Memento ink for the stamping.


This is a close up view of the flowers. I'd made these using floral wire, clear liquid glue and three colors of Flower Soft. It wasn't until I thought about my materials "list" that I realized how many of my current favorite things I'd used in making this card. Fun! :-)

Partial Cuttling with new folders

I pulled out another "old" technique to use with one of the new Cuttlebug A2 embossing folders. This time I used partial Cuttling and the Floral Screen folder.


For this card I stamped the cardstock using Heidi Grace Designs clear stamps and Memento ink, then embossed it and added the score lines using my Scor-It. I embellished with Robin's Nest dew drops.


This card is actually debossed, not on purpose, but because it's one of the new releases that debosses if you use it with the logo facing you. Not a biggie in this case because you can just flip the folder over and use it to emboss. It's just that you have to REMEMBER to do it. Yep, even if you've marked the front of the folder to remind yourself that it will deboss. You can guess how I know that, eh? LOL!

The birds were made using a Martha Stewart punch. The sentiment is by Verve and stamped using Memento ink. I finished by adding a couple of bronze glitter dots.