Too Early for Winter Decorations?!?

My kids were so confused when they walked into the bathroom last week and saw snowflakes dangling in the window. It's not even Halloween yet. Such is the home of a blogger, right? : )

I'm at CAS-ual Fridays with this winter project so you too can completely confuse your family!!

Thanks for stopping by!
-Kelly

Winnie & Walter Release Day (4 of 4)

Hi folks! We're at the last day of the Winnie & Walter release, and I know you are going to fall in love with the calligraphy in the Evelin T Designs sets like I did. This first card features one of the sentiments, again with a nice mix of typography and calligraphy. The hanging birdhouse and twig is watercolored, with a few sequins added for good measure.

 

Here's a tag I cut with the Essentials: Noelle Cutaways. The to/from are also in this set. The florals on this tag are from yesterday's In Bloom: Hollie's Festive Florals. Love how the pieces of the flower, leaf, stem, berries etc. are all different stamps so you can easily work a bunch of colors in. Under the tag I layered In Bloom: Paulina's Greenery Cutaway. The package looked a little plain without it, so I was excited when this wreath added a little more color, width and interest. So easy to do.

This last card uses Scenery: The Leaf Effect a couple different times for the sponged leaves, which have been masked off the sides. The scalloped panel that the leaves are on is another great die in the Essentials: Noelle Cutaway set. I went with a solid pink for the flower (from In Bloom: Anna's Flora) since there was so much going on in the background. The gold sentiment is another one of Evelin T Designs ... both sets are Christmas themed, but as both cards in this post show, you can easily use them for non-holiday (even summer!) cards.
 
Be sure to check out the other amazing projects from Julie, Shay and our guest designers (the always surprising Keren Baker!) on the Winnie & Walter blog. As usual, leave a comment there for a chance to WIN all of today's goodies. The Big Giveaway is also going on with a chance to win the entire release!! Of course, there's a ton more inspiration on the personal blogs of our Talent:

Joni Andaya | Lydia Evans | Vanessa Menhorn | Gayatri Murali | Heather Pulvirenti

   
Whew, you've made it all the way through the release! As sad as I am that it's over, the good news is that all the shopping can begin. Whoo-hoo!! 
  

Thanks for looking!

-Kelly

Winnie & Walter Release Day (3 of 4)

Hi folks! We're only half way through this massive Winnie & Walter release and there is still so much to show you! This next set is called Our Town and it's full of houses, fences, trees, lamp posts, etc. Anything you'd need to make a town of your own. For this card I stamped all three houses in different colors and masked as I worked my way up the card. The sentiment is another tiny one I'm in love with from Comfort + Joy. It goes so well with the huge neighborhood on the card ... kind of like the card is from everyone who lives in each of the houses.



After I put the w&w watermark on the photo I realized that I created the Winnie & Walter town ... the colors are almost exactly the same as the w&w circles!



For this house I swiped the stamp across a juicy distress ink pad and then stamped it. Love the textured horizontal lines that resulted! I can hardly stand how cute those little stars are. To add to my chilly winter scene, I cut a few layers of hills. This was a perfect place to add my sentiment (from Catherine Pooler's Holiday Stamp of Approval Box.)

Although I made a winter scene here, all the accessories that come in this Our Town set will let you create a scene for all seasons. What a great set of cards that would be!

This last card features a wreath cut with the In Bloom: Paulina's Greenery Cutaway. Really love the open leaves on this wreath. They work well for letting layers show through, especially this gold foil layer on the bottom. The top layer is colored with a few different Copic markers to make a blended Fall wreath. The In a Word Thanks sentiment is bent slightly in a curve to make it fit better on the card (it take up more of the space inside the wreath, as well as doesn't extend over the card edge as much.

For the bow I used the same Copic markers that I used on the wreath to alter my seam binding tape. Perfectly matched!


Be sure to check out the other amazing projects from Julie, Shay and our guest designers (the always surprising Keren Baker!) on the Winnie & Walter blog. As usual, leave a comment there for a chance to WIN all of today's goodies. The Big Giveaway is also going on with a chance to win the entire release!! Of course, there's a ton more inspiration on the personal blogs of our Talent:

Joni Andaya | Lydia Evans | Vanessa Menhorn | Gayatri Murali | Heather Pulvirenti

   
Be sure to stop by tomorrow for the last day of the w&w release! 
  

Thanks for looking!

-Kelly

Winnie & Walter Release Day (2 of 4)

Hi folks! Welcome to day 2 of the crazy, packed Winnie & Walter release!



There were several sets introduced yesterday, are you ready for a ton more today?!

There are three creative screenings (stencils) being released ... a faceted design, a leaf design and this awesome birch tree design called Scenery: Into the Woods Creative Screenings. I used distress inks in a rainbow color pattern and inked up several birch trees on the front of the card. So simple. To finish it off, I used a strong sentiment embossed in black from an Evelin T Designs set that will be introduced on Friday. Gotta have some fun paper on the inside too : )






This card uses the same Into the Woods creative screening to make a fall forest design, inspired by the trees outside my mother's patio (check out the leafy floor ... doesn't it remind you of sheet music with all those straight parallel lines?) I don't know how this happens, but my alcohol inks always tend to darken after some time. Does this happen to you too? I could swear this card was very yellow with some orange when I made it, and then the next morning when I photographed it in the natural light it looks very brown. Darn it! Anyway, the In a Word: Thanks cutaway is also used on this card, with some outlining of the letters in a felt-tip pen.

  
This card is made completely from the Comfort + Joy set. I love that there is a deer head and a jingle bell in the same set! LOVE the flock of birds flying. Super love that. And I'm also nuts over all the tiny sentiments. These are so good for when 1) your design is small and you don't want to take away from it, or 2) your design is perfect just the way you want it and then you realize that your card has no sentiment on it yet (I hate it when that happens!) These small sentiments are easy to sneak onto a card without disturbing it too much.

Finally, it was my son's 8th birthday this weekend. We had a party. 18 eight-year-old boys. Yes it was crazy. Yes it was stressful. Yes it was fun. Here's the cake topper I made for his Jack-o-lantern cake.

Eeek, I just loved it!! The true star cutaways in the faceted and solid design are just the right size to pack a whole lot of punch on top of his cake. I love using card-making supplies in everyday life!!

Doesn't take much effort, but it certainly elevates this box mix cake to party-worthy status. One word of caution ... WATCH. THE. CANDLES. Just sayin' : )

Ok, one more photo! Here's the aftermath of the 18 eight-year-olds. Mostly toilet paper from the mummy wrapping. But also a little bit of pinata thrown in on the far right by the front door (see the rope hanging down?) Umm ... good thing we installed hardwood floors when we moved in!

ANYWAY, be sure to check out the other amazing projects from Julie, Shay and our guest designers (the always surprising Keren Baker!) on the Winnie & Walter blog. As usual, leave a comment there for a chance to win all of today's goodies. The Big Giveaway is also going on with a chance to win the entire release!! Of course, there's a ton more inspiration on the personal blogs of our Talent:

Joni Andaya | Lydia Evans | Vanessa Menhorn | Gayatri Murali | Heather Pulvirenti

   
Be sure to stop by over the next two days ... there is just so much left to show you!

  

Thanks for looking!

-Kelly

Winnie & Walter Release Day (1 of 4)

Hi folks! I've been anxiously waiting for this Winnie & Walter release for quite some time, and am relieved that it's finally here. There are so many different stamp sets, cutaways (dies) and creative screenings (stencils) that it's difficult to keep track of them all! Winnie & Walter have really outdone themselves this time. Wait until you see the goodies! We've got four days that are utterly packed.

 This first card uses just one of the sketchy blooms from In Bloom: Elsa's Flora. I kept this poinsettia white (except for the red Pretty Pink Posh sequins in the middle) and added color to the rest of the card with patterned paper. The sentiment is from a set being debuted tomorrow that is filled with wonderfully tiny sentiments.
       

For this second card I used the same white poinsettias, with gold sequin centers, and a sentiment from a set being debuted later in the week. The gold sprigs are also from a cutaway that's being showcased on a future day. I know, I know, didn't I tell you there was so much goodness coming?!?

  
Here are the two cards together. Same basic formula, with two patterned papers being divided a third of the way up with fussy cut white poinsettia(s). A formula like this is good if you're one of those people who is crazy enough to make a unique holiday card for everyone on their list. Not me; I am a proud mass-producer!



This release also has some of the great large word cutaways that Winne & Walter is known for. The In a Word: Joy cutaway is a great decoration to add to presents. The "o" in the middle of the word is an oh-so-convenient way to attach it ... just run your ribbon through the middle!

 

How about the quickest little card/tag ever? Just place the metal die slightly above your folded paper and you instantly have a unique greeting that you can write inside. I added a star and a disc onto gold thread and hung it from the bottom of the "o". I love the way it dangles!
   
  Be sure to check out the other amazing projects from Julie, Shay and our guest designers (the always surprising Keren Baker!) on the Winnie & Walter blog. As usual, leave a comment there for a chance to WIN all of today's goodies. The Big Giveaway is also going on with a chance to win the entire release!! Of course, there's a ton more inspiration on the personal blogs of our Talent:

Joni Andaya | Lydia Evans | Vanessa Menhorn | Gayatri Murali | Heather Pulvirenti

   
Be sure to stop by over the next three days ... there is just so much left to show you! 
  

Thanks for looking!

-Kelly

CFS Birthday Bash Hop

Hi Folks! It's hard to believe CAS-ual Fridays Stamps is 3 years old already! If you're just joining us, we're in the middle of a grand birthday blog hop (starting at the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps blog) to celebrate the anniversary!

In addition to this blog hop, there is a no-code-needed sale going on at CAS-ual Fridays Stamps all week. Wait, there's more! All commenters throughout the hop will be entered to win either a $75 gift certificate to CAS-ual Fridays Stamps OR a MISTI ($60 credit to order one). How awesome is that?!?
  

 
This card is special because it uses one of the first-ever CAS-ual Fridays Stamps sets called WTF (the sentiment and the line) and one of the more recent CAS-ual Fridays Stamps and Fri-Dies called Must Love Snowflakes and Flurry (snowflakes). It really spans the lifetime of CAS-ual Fridays Stamps.
  

 
Plus it's so fun to layer those cute snowflakes.



The snowflake in the top corner is bleeding off the edge of the inset panel, and continued on the base of the card for interest.

I won't keep you any longer on this blog hop. Your next stop is the wonderful blog of Maureen Merritt. Thanks so much for stopping by!
- Kelly

Catherine Pooler's Holiday Stamp of Approval

Hi folks! Welcome to the holiday Stamp of Approval Box Blog Hop by Catherine Pooler! I'm joining some of the Winnie & Walter gals, as there is a fabulous w&w stamp set in this Stamp of Approval Box.

This set, along with most of the other contents of the box, won't be available to purchase individually until sometime in 2016. So if you want it now, you need the box!


 
The cute, candy cane stripe, border stamp makes a great frame for featuring something on your card. In this case, it's an adorable tree with a fabulously scripted sentiment. If you're making a set of these cards, you can pick from 7 different Christmas trees, and 3 different sentiments (peace/love/joy) to really mix it up.

 

I wrapped a bit of a doily on the top and secured the loose charcoal paper with my Tiny Attacher. The paper is curled up slightly to give it more presence. It's a 3D element without the bulk to make mailing easier. So fun to make!

 

Your next stop is Heather's blog, and you won't want to miss her fabulously modern and graphic creation. Here's a list of the complete hop:

• Catherine Pooler
• Maureen Merritt
• Kristie Goulet
• Heather North
• Allison Cope
• Isha Gupta  
• Laurel Beard
• Lisa Harrolle  
• Kay Miller
• Jessica Frost-Ballas
• Lydia Evans for Winnie and Walter
• Vanessa Menhorn for Winnie and Walter
• Kelly Griglione for Winnie and Walter <--- You are here!
• Heather Pulvirenti for Winnie and Walter
• Danielle Walls for Neat and Tangled
• Effie Cho for The Ton 

Two winners will be randomly picked from all the comments throughout the blog hop to receive the Holiday Magic Collection Stamp of Approval Box. Comments must be placed by Friday, noon EST to be considered for the prize.

Thanks for stopping by!
-Kelly

WCMD Challenge: Use a Portion of Your Stamp

Hi Folks! It's challenge time!! Who's up for a fun challenge?
 

 
To help celebrate World Card Making Day (WCMD), winnie & walter are hosting no less than SEVEN different challenges on their blog. You have over a week to go through the challenges, pick your favorites, and start crafting. AND you do NOT have to use w&w products on your cards, so everyone can play along. Isn't that awesome?! As always, w&w will make it worth your while, this time with $50 certificates up for grabs. You can do a lot of damage with $50 at winnie & walter : )
 

 
The challenge I'm hosting is to ink up only a portion of your stamp. It could be a doorway from a house, a specific pattern, interesting lines, a face of an animal, whatever you can think of. In my case I've inked up portions of a chrysanthemum stamp to make an Autumn field for my pumpkins to sit in. Take a closer look at your stamps and see what you can come up with! I'm all about getting more mileage out of our supplies.

Hope to see you on the w&w blog this week!!
-Kelly

Pinecone Fri-dies

Hi Folks! I'm happy to share a sneak peek of the new Pinecones Fri-Die. It's a companion die to the previously-released Pinecones stamp set at CAS-ual Fridays.

 

What fun to bling up some pinecones with a little gold embossing on the tops and some sequins! I outlined each "petal" with a brown watercolor pencil to give them some more dimension. The pine boughs have three different greens inked onto the stamp, again, for more dimension.

So, you obviously know the pinecone Fri-die is great to cut out the pinecone stamps. What about a flower?

If you layer two of the large pinecone dies on top of one small pinecone die in the middle, you get a cute little tulip. Or maybe a rose bud? Either way, it's another way to use your supplies, and that's always a good thing!

Check out the rest of the Ink Squad to see more awesome projects with these stamps:

Julia | Angie | Archana |  Jingle | Joanna

  

Well, that's the end of the CASual Fridays release sneaks. Everything you've seen this week is now available at the CASual Fridays site. Thanks so much for joining us this week!

-Kelly

Lovely Blessings

Hi Folks! Today's sneak peek from the CAS-ual Fridays release is a stamp set filled with sentiments perfect for Christmas cards. Lovely Blessings includes a nice mix of fonts. This sentiment layered on some Christmas-themed patterned paper is all that's needed for a fun tag. Or, you could add a little something extra to the top, like the square flower from Funky Square Tag Fri-Die in a metallic red foil paper.

I'm always forcing myself not to neglect the inside of the card, because with all the time spent on the outside my natural inclination is to be done with it. This sentiment is the perfect shape for the inside of your card. If you're mass-producing Christmas cards, it would look good all in one color, but if you're just sending a single card it's fun to ink the words in separate colors. I am lazy and don't mask anything off, I just use the small ink pads and carefully ink each section of the stamp. Perfect to fill the inside of your card!

Check out the rest of the Ink Squad to see more awesome projects with these stamps:

Julia | Angie | Archana |  Jingle | Joanna

  

Thanks for looking, and I'll see you tomorrow for the last day of the release!

-Kelly

w&w Rerun: Moonlight

 

Hi Folks! On the first of each month winnie & walter host a fun feature called "rerun" where a previously released set is featured, and you have the opportunity to win a prize by creating a project using that set. This month the Moonlight stamp set is featured. It's one of my all-time favorite Halloween sets due to all the details included. I'm absolutely sure you could make hundreds of different cards from this set!

 

This card features a spider dropping down to a pile of 31's in Halloween colors. I have no idea what that means, but I thought it just looked like a fun, graphic card. The "spooktacular" banner is stapled and bent into a wave with my fingers.

Same cluster of 31's here, this time with a witch's hat on top. I'm madly in love with the tiny stars included with this set. I think because the points are so skinny. They're just the right little something to add when you'd normally grab some sequins. Or in this case, after you've already grabbed some sequins : )

If you're a proud owner of the Moonlight set be sure to link up a creation to the winnie & walter blog!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

-Kelly

Lovely Snowflake and Noel Fri-Dies

Hi Folks! Well I hope there's no such thing as too much glitter! In this case, I did just spray the entire card with glue and then dump a bottle of chunky glitter on top. Although it's quite something to see in person it does get tricky to photograph : )

This is from a CAS-ual Fridays set called Lovely Snowflakes which will be released on Saturday, October 3rd along with the rest of the sets you've seen this week. 

I really like this sentiment, as it could be used for holiday and non-holiday cards. Plus it goes so well with the gorgeous snowflake, because, let's face it, what's lighter than a snowflake?!

Check out the rest of the Ink Squad to see more awesome projects with these stamps:

Julia | Angie | Archana |  Jingle | Joanna

  

Thanks for looking, and I'll see you tomorrow with more release goodies!

-Kelly