Carrie Stamps

December FSJ Creative Team Blog Hop

YAY! It's time for another FSJ Creative Team Blog Hop!  

December's Blog Hop is all about Christmas finishings, tags, cards, ornaments, etc.

I had to make some woodland critter ornaments. My daughter got a felt animal kit for her birthday and we had a lot of fun making the animals in the kit. After that I stumbled upon some woodland animal dies from Spellbinders.  Hannah and I decided we needed them to make some more felt animals.

And they arrived just in time to turn create Christmas ornaments with them. 

Let me share some tips and tricks for making these cute felt ornaments with you that I learned along the way. 

First of all you will want to buy some higher quality felt. I got my felt at Hobby Lobby and it is 2mm thick, much thicker than the felt I normally get for kids craft projects. This felt was 78 cents a sheet, but 50% off!  I got two sheets (8-1/2" x 11") each of the colors I thought I might need.  Second, buy some coordinating embroidery floss.  The felt die cuts very easily with the dies I used because they are steel rule dies.  But because this is thick felt it may be hard to cut more than one layer of felt at a time. 

This owl was die cut with the Who's There Steel Rule Die. I cut two of each piece on the die except the heart. And the holly is from another die set, Reindeer. 

First step for the owl was to stitch the elements to the top piece; the eyes, wings and heart. I did this with a running stitch, going around each element twice to fill in the spaces between the stitches. The feet, holly and beak are hot glued on. I did double up the beak, hot gluing one beak on top of the other. It just seemed like it needed to be thicker. NOTE: I did all the hot gluing once the owl was all done. 

Then I laid the two owl piece back to back and did a blanket stitch around the outside, I like to do this stitch when my die cut pieces do not have already pierced holes in them as a guide for stitching. 

I left and opening in the two pieces and filled the owl with polyester fiberfill and then continued to stitch the owl closed. I added a bit of Candy Apple twine to the top for a hanger. 

The bunny is done much the same way as the owl, using the It's a Bunny Thing Die, but I do have a couple pointers. For the ears, die cut two pieces and then overlap them slightly and secure with a dot of hot glue. Do a running stitch around the ears as if they were one piece. Once you gone all the way around stitch back through your holes, filling in the open spaces. So there are no spaces between the thread. Set the ears aside. 

Add the eye to the bunny with a tiny dot of hot glue and then add a french knot to the black eye, giving it some life. 

Lay the two bunny pieces together. Blanket stitch them together, but when you get to the spot where the ears will go, only blanket stitch the top layer of the bunny. This leaves an opening for you to hot glue in the stitched ears, but the top of the bunny will have that continuous blanket stitch. Before gluing in the ears, add some stuffing and then hot glue the ears to the front and back of the bunny, closing him up. 

Hot glue on the pink nose and holly. 

For the tail, blanket stitch around two tail pieces. When you have a small gap left stuff the tail, finish stitching the tail closed and hot glue it to the bunny. 

Add a piece of twine to the back for a hanger. 

I had some fun with the fox!  He might be my favorite. I did use two elements from the Owl die, the feet to make paws for the fox and the heart. I love that I can use elements from the other dies for more options. 

The fox die, Hey Foxy, cuts one piece for the head and another for body. So, here's how I handled that. I hot glued the body to the head and used that as a guide to do the same for the back of the fox, so the front and the back are exactly the same. This way when stitching I can treat these pieces as a single piece. Before stitching up the fox, add the face piece with hot glue. And the heart to the belly with a running stitch, going around the object twice. Then add a french knot to each eye. 

Now blanket stitch the front of the fox to the back of the fox. Leaving an opening to add a bit of PolyFill. Then hot glue the tail accent piece to the tip of one tail piece, taking care to only use a dot. Then stitch the two tail pieces together, all the way around with a blanket stitch. Then hot glue the tail to the back of the fox. 

Lastly add the paws, die cut from the Owl die, and the holly with hot glue. Stitch on a pice of twin, but running a piece of twine with a needle through a couple of stitches in the critters head. 

The raccoon is die cut using the Bandit die, exactly as I did the fox. I love these dies so much that I plan to make some other critter ornaments using other materials to share with you soon. 

Below are the dies I use to make these ornaments, including the Reindeer die set that I used to make the holly. It is a thin metal die set, so my tip there is to run it through the die cutting machine a couple times to get a nice clean cut with it from felt. Click any of the dies to shop for them, NOTE that all the main critter dies I used are currently on CLEARANCE!  

Now you will want to hop along to the next blog on the hop, Love of Sparkles with Christine Chan. If you missed a link on the hop the others are listed below for you as well. We love it when you leave us comments, so don't be shy.

 Got lost hopping?  Don't miss out on these other stops on the blog hop: 

Jill Hillard

Marty McGee

Alissa Hall

Thanks for stopping by! 

Bubble Gum Christmas Card

I love to stamp and create in the early morning hours when my hubby is off to work and my children are still sleeping. The other morning when in the middle of creating I noticed a beautiful sunrise of pink.  The clouds glowed with a perfect pink color. The roof tops were snow covered and Christmas lights were still on from the night before. This beautiful scene inspired todays card. 

The Bubble Gum color from FSJ was the perfect color to create my card in. I used the card stock, ink pad, and ink refill. 

I added shine and sparkle to my card using the Glimmer Hot Foil System from Spellbinders, silver heat embossing and Sparkle Silk. 

You can see the making of this card in the video below.  I love the Hot Foil machine, it is easy to use with only a few times of practice I was able to get great results like the Happy Holidays sentiment on this card. See the machine in action as well as the other techniques I used in my video demonstration. 

 

Below I have linked all the products I used to make this card for your convenience. Thank you for stopping by and letting me share my pink sunrise inspired Christmas card with you. 

 

 

 

2 Stencil Techniques with Distress Oxide inks

I've been playing in my stamp studio again with my new ink pads, Distress Oxide by Tim Holtz. Today's card feature two techniques using stencils with these hybrid inks. 

This card started by blending 3 colors, Peacock Feathers, Tumbled Glass and Salty Ocean on a piece of white card stock.  Because these inks have not only die ink but also pigment ink, they blend like butter. The rich color coats the top of the paper beautifully. 

Next step is to adhere this panel to a stencil, I used the Winter Wonderland stencil by FSJ. With the inked side of the paper up and the stencil on top, I misted the paper with water. Leave this on for a minute and then remove the stencil to see the oxidation that occurred. I will leave a beautiful background. 

I stamped images from the Most Wonderful stamp set over the top with Lucky Clover Distress Oxide ink. 

Technique number 2, uses the Buffalo Check stencil by FSJ.

I started with a piece of white card stock and coated it with Black Soot distress oxide ink, by rubbing the pad direct to paper.  Then I took the Buffalo Check stencil and misted it several times with water, laid the wet side down onto my ink coated paper. Let this sit for a minute or so and use a paper towel to press on the stencil so that it comes in contact with the entire surface of the card stock. 

You can watch the making of these cards in the video below. If you have not already LIKED my facebook page make sure you do so that you can catch me when I go live each Monday and Friday night. 

 

Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope you are inspired to try something new with your paper crafting today.  Below you will find links to the products I used to create these cards. 

 

 

 

Merry Everything Gift Tag

I don't know what it is about gift tags that make me so happy.  Maybe because it is like a mini card. But I have been loving the Special Day Tag Die set and making tags with the large scalloped tag. 

Here is one I made that features the Merry Everything stamp set. 

I love this soft and pastel color combination for Christmas, it has a retro feel that is joyful. 

My favorite part of this tag has got to be the tree though. I stamped the die cut tree, also from the Special Day Tag Die Set, with the Flannel Life background stamp. I LOVE that stamp!!! 

The stitched rectangle and the die cut "to" are also from the same die set. There is also a die for the word from, which I added to the back of this tag. 

To give the look of snow on the tag I splattered the finished piece with Whip Cream Silk. I love that this silk is more translucent than most and can give a very subtle look. 

Will you be making gift tags this holiday season? I'd love to see them if you do! 

Below are all the products linked for you convenience. Affiliate links have been used at no cost to you thank you for your support! 

 

Stay Cozy Ornament Card

Happy December!  Last night on my Stamp Set of the Month Live demonstration on Facebook I introduced the December stamp set of the month, Stay Cozy by FSJ.  Stamp set of the month is a set that I choose as one I LOVE and want to share with you. I love a stamp set that is versatile with images and sentiments. Usually the set I pick will have a matching die set, but not this month. 

And in last nights demonstration I showcase not only this stamp set but a fun technique with Distress Oxide inks and show a unique card that has a removable ornament. 

I have been OBSESSED with making shaker ornaments with the DIY hoops from Spellbinders/FSJ. You can see the cute little critter ones I made, HERE. 

On this ornament I showed how to use a MISTI to stamp on a window sheet with FSJ's True Color Fusion ink. It really takes the stress out of stamping on this slippery surface and you can get good ink coverage by stamping the image lightly and repeatedly. 

I did say that the ornament was removable. But I did not the card to be a total waste once you remove the ornament. So I added a cute stamped element behind the ornament. 

To secure the ornament to the card I threaded the string through the card front in a small hole. I used the large holly at the bottom of the card as well as the gems on the right to help hold the ornament in place.  The recipient just pulls the string out of the card to remove it. 

Now let's talk about the background. It started with Distress Oxide ink, my new favorite thing to play with!  I covered a piece of Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb. card stock with Mowed Lawn Distress Oxide ink. This ink is a fusion of dye and pigment ink. Because of the pigment in this ink, the ink sits on top of the paper and is thick, creamy and almost suede like. 

Next I inked up the Solid Holly background stamp from Impression Obsession with Twisted Citron Distress Oxide ink. Since this ink reacts amazingly well with water I sprayed the inked stamp with water and then stamped it on my Mowed Lawn panel. After letting it sit for a couple minutes I got this amazing two toned background that looks almost like a pice of fabric. You want to use a heat gun to help dry the paper and watch the image intensify as it dries. 

You can watch the making of this card in the video below. 

 

If you managed watch this entire video, sorry so long, you heard that I was going to share a matching tag to this card. So here is a cute matching shaker tag. 

I use the largest tag and rectangle in the Special Day Tag die set to make the frame for this tag. For the scene, I die cut part of the tag and then cut around the top part of the image. 

Thank you so much for stopping by, as always I am here to help you, please reach out if you have any questions. I'd love to hear from you. 

I have linked all the products I used to make these projects for you below. Affiliate links have been used at no cost to you, thank you for your support.

 

 

 

Snowflowers in 3 sizes!

Last year I shared some paper ornaments that I a made with my daughters art class. I called them snowflowers. This year I wanted to make some more and thought it would be fun to make then in different sizes. I started with the original and then made one smaller and one bigger. 

Let me start by showing you the regular size. 

Aren't they so pretty! And easy to make. Here's what you need: 

7 strips of printed paper that measure 1/2" x 12", scored at 3" and 7". 

BUT, I like to score a piece of 12" x12" paper at 3" and 7" and then cut it into 1/2" strips, much easier than scoring seven 1/2" strips.  Then I have enough strips to make 3 snowflowers.  Each strip gets bent into a petal. The finished flower is about 4-1/2" in diameter. It is hard to explain how you bend and glue them, so I have a video for you on how to make them below. 

Next up is the smaller version. 

For the small snowflower you will also need seven strips. These strips are 1/2" x 9" and are scored at 2" and 5".  The finished flower is about 3-1/2" in diameter. 

Again, I started with a piece of printed paper that was 9" x 12" and on the 9" side I scored the entire piece of paper at 2" and 5" and then cut them into half inch strips. You will see how much faster this is in the video. 

Lastly I have the largest snowflower, where I added a fourth loop to the outside of each petal. 

This beauty measure just over 5" in diameter.  To make it larger you make the 7 petals for the original size and then add another loop to the outside of each that is 1/2" x 6". 

I added some fun elements to the center of each snowflower. This one has a poinsettia that I made HERE. 

I also thought I'd help make the ornaments a little more sturdy by adding a small element to the back side. 

Here I used a small punched circle from coordinating paper. 

On the others I used a button or rhinestone that matched. 

Now let's take a look at how to make these ornaments. 

Thanks for watching and visiting my blog. If you have any questions I'd love to hear from you! 

Below I have linked all the things I used to make these Snowflowers. Affiliate links have been used at no cost to you. Thank you for your support. 

 

 

Woodland Deer

Today's Christmas card is one I made for my Facebook group, The Gel Press Journey. 

The Gel Press Journey is a page for those who want to learn how to use the Gel Press to make their own backgrounds like the one I used in this card. 

It is a ombre polka dot background made using red and white paint, a Gel Press, brayer and stencil.  The snowflakes were stamped on top of the polka dots. 

The other star of this card is the deer, die cut from the Woodland Deer die set by Spellbinders (currently on sale for $9.44). 

All the white parts on this deer I colored with a white gel pen. The eyes and nose I colored with a brown marker. 

I'm very happy with how this card turned out and am a big fan of making my own background with my Gel Press for one of a kind cards. If you want more information about  using the Gel Press and my page The Gel Press Journey, click HERE. 

Thank you for stopping by, I'll be back soon with another Gel Press Print Christmas card! 

December Happy Stamping Box

The December Happy Stamping Box is available for order! 

You are invited to join me in creating some CUTE and useful gift card holders from the comfort of your own home with the December Happy Stamping Box. 

The December box features the Lawn Fawn Tiny Tag Sayings stamp set, an exclusive die set, Gift Twine,  Party Burst Dots  and lots of extras!  The theme this month is Gift Card Holders! 

From this box you will be making 5 gift card holders. Each project is a unique die cut shape or size perfect for giving gift cards this holiday season. Having something cute to put gift cards gives them a more special and thoughtful feel.

With the purchase of your box you will get an invitation to my private Facebook page, The Happy Stamping Box.  Where you will have access to a printable PDF tutorial for the class projects. As well as the LIVE online class video with me. 

INCLUDED IN YOUR DECEMBER HAPPY STAMPING BOX:

Tiny Tag Sayings stamp set by Lawn Fawn (set of 19)

December Happy Stamping Die Set (set of 9)

Gift Twine

Party Burst Dots

Foam Squares

Teal Glitter

Accessories to complete your projects: Ribbon, Gems, Jumbo Glue Dots, Pearls and Stickers

On-Line Content: Printable full color PDF tutorial and On-line LIVE class with me

BONUS PROJECT: Earn a 6th Bonus Project for FREE by ordering your December Happy Stamping Box by NOVEMBER 30th!  

You will need to have some basic supplies on hand to make these projects. Below I have shared what I will be using. You can use what you already have on hand or click to shop for exactly what I will be using. 

 

Affiliate links have been used at no cost to you, thank you for your support. 

WHEN IS THE CLASS?

The December Happy Stamping Box class will be held LIVE in the private Facebook group on Saturday, December 15th at 9:30am MST.  If you can not make the LIVE event the video will be available after the event in the Facebook group for 3 weeks for you to watch at your convenience. 

You will be added to the Facebook page about 1 week prior to the LIVE class.  If we are not currently friends on Facebook please send me a friend request when you sign up for this class (Carrie Cady Rhoades) so I can easily add you to the page. 

REGISTRATION: 

Registration for the December Happy Stamping Box is now open and closes on December 1st.  (This is a short registrations period due to the upcoming holidays and this class being earlier in the month than normal.)

DECEMBER HAPPY STAMPING BOX ~ $45 (plus $7 shipping)

Box includes: 5 project kits, the Tiny Tags Sayings stamp set, December Happy Stamping Box die set as well as all the products listed above. Online content: Printable PDF tutorial with color pictures and LIVE class with Carrie Rhoades on the private Facebook page, The Happy Stamping Box. 

Register here:

 

DETAILS:

All product for the kits will be ordered and prepared by me after the registration deadline, December 1st. I do not have all the product on hand, it is ordered when registration is complete. Class kit ordering, cutting and preparing that 10-12days after the deadline. The expected shipping date for all boxes is December 8th. 

Happy Stamping Boxes can only be mailed with in the United States at this time, send me a special request via email if you are outside the US. (carrie@carriestamps.com)

Registration ends December 1st. 

The LIVE class is on Saturday December 15th at 9:30am MST. The recorded class will be available for viewing immediately after the live class is over for you to watch at your convenience for up to 3 weeks. After 3 weeks and video and PDF will be removed in preparation for the January Happy Stamping Box class. 

The PDF tutorial will post to the Happy Stamping Box FB page around December 10th for you to print out and use along with the LIVE class. 

EVERYONE is welcome to join, new stampers, professional stampers, beginners!  Try out my Happy Stamping Box, I know we will have fun! 

I love my gift card packaging class, it has become a tradition every year and I am very excited to be sharing it with you. 

Snowglobe and Ornament Shaker Cards

Today I am sharing a cool die set from Honey Bee, Snowglobe and Ornament Shaker Tag die set. 

When I saw this die set I knew I had to have it and that I would make some shaker cards with it. 

You can see this die set makes a snow globe or an ornament.  I love when a die set is versatile like that. 

This deer card uses the dies to make a snow globe. 

The deer is from the It's Cold Outside stamp set by FSJ.  This snowglobe sits on top of the card. I made the snow globe shaker and then glued it to my card. But you can also create an "inlaid" shaker. Here's a look at an Inlaid Snowglobe Shaker card. 

For this card I die cut the snowglobe/ornament shape out of the card front. 

I love this sweet little squirrel! 

Now let's look at this die set used as an ornament. 

So much cute!!!  I used my Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers for all of the coloring on these cards. And I love how the shaker elements have a bit of transparency, so you can see through them like actual ice. 

This ornament sits on top of the card, but I also made a card with the ornament inlaid! 

Isn't he so cute in his little ornament! All the cards in today's post are 4" x 4". So I made custom envelopes for them using the Score Board by FSJ. It comes with an attachment for making envelops and boxes. 

If you'd like to see how I made these ornaments you will find my facebook live demonstration below. 

 

Yes, I was a little crazy in the stamp studio during the making of that video!  But still made some crazy cute cards! 

 Below you will find all the things I used to make these cards. Affiliate links are used at no cost to you, thank you for your support! 

 

 

   

 

 

 

If you have any questions about todays cards or the products used please let me know. And remember if you purchase the It's Cold Outside stamp set in November you can get a FREE card kit from me to make your first card with your new set on me! Just email me your order number and address once you make your purchase. Kits are mailed out at the end of the month. 

Glimmer Hot Foil for the Holidays

I have been having lots of fun playing with my new Glimmer Hot Foil System by Spellbinders. Don't we all just love new things to add to our crafting line up!  Well, the Hot Foil system is that new thing for me. It uses heat and pressure to apply a foiled image to paper (or other medias). 

In today's share I am showing you the basic method of Hot Foiling. But there are several other things you can do and ways to use this machine. 

For this card I used the Happy Holidays hot foil plate and red foil. 

The plates for the Hot Foil System look like dies, but they do not cut the paper they press into it. And you can see the crisp shinny image of the "Happy Holidays" looks amazing on this white card front. 

I found the directions that come with the machine very helpful and when I bought the machine it came with everything I needed to make my first hot foil impression. It comes with a shim, plate, cooling mat, tweezers, two rolls of foil (silver and rose gold), and a set of hot plates. 

When I purchased my machine I also got a roll of red foil and this Happy Holidays plate. Here you can see the same hot plate used with red foil on pink card stock. 

I know you'd like to see this machine in action so I am attaching a video of how I made the squirrel card here for you.  

In the video I share with you my fun new markers the Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers. 

 

They are really great!  I love how easily they blend. I do recommend watercolor paper for these markers or Bristol Smooth cardstock, for best results. As several of you have asked, here's a link to where I got my set of markers. Note: you can purchase smaller sets than the set of 80 I got. There is a set of 48 markers, HERE.  A set of 36 markers, HERE.  And a set of 24 Zig markers, HERE.  They even have a set of 12 which has a lot of good color and because you can blend these markers you could make a lot of custom colors with this set, see it HERE. 

FREE CARD KIT! Just a reminder that the It's Cold Outside stamp set used on today's cards is the November Stamp Set of the month. When you purchase this set from the link above I will send you an exclusive card kit, using this stamp set. So that you can make your first card on me!  Just email me your order number and I will send you your card kit! (email: carrie@carriestamps.com)

Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit my blog. If you have any questions about the hot foil system I am here to help! Or any other questions, just reach out. 

Below are all the things I used to make these cards. Affiliate links have been used at no cost to you. 

 

Lawn Fawn Gift Box

Did you see the shaker ornaments I shared yesterday?  Today's projects is a gift box to hold them. 

I knew the four little ornaments would make a great set and would need cute packaging to match. So, I pulled out my Lawn Fawn Gift Box die set. This finished box is intended to gift note cards (3-1/2" x 5"). Which is a GREAT idea!  I altered the box slightly to have a hinged lid. And it holds all four of my ornaments perfectly! 

Here's a look at the top of the closed box. The "just for you" and the bow are from the die set, they really thought of everything in this set. 

Here is a picture of the box open. You can see that the lid does not remove from the box but it hinged. I also lined the inside of the box with a piece of printed paper. 

I love the decorative corners in this die set because not only are they cute but they also serve a purpose. They are the essential piece that creates the lid for this box out of the die that also makes the base of this box. 

That might sound confusing, so check out this video where I show you how to make this box. 

If you are interested in any of the products I used to make this box you can find them linked below for your convenience. Affiliate links have been used at not cost to you.  

 

 

Thank you for taking time to stop and visit my blog! If you have any questions please let me know. 

DIY Hoop Shaker Ornaments

When I first saw the DIY Hoops from FSJ I knew I was going to have a lot of fun making ornaments. And since I LOVE to make shaker cards I knew I wanted to try to make a shaker ornament with these hoops. 

To make these shakers you will need two hoops. The ornaments I am making today are with the medium hoops in a package, They measure about 3-1/4" in diameter. 

I pared the Cozy Prints paper pack with the It's Cold Outside stamp set. All the coloring was done with Color Burst pencils. 

I added the sentiment to the back of these ornaments so that if they get turned around on the tree there is something else to see. 

Making these ornaments are easier to make than you might think, but there are a few key steps, so I have a video for you to watch to see how to make them. 

 

You can find all the fun things I used to make these ornaments below. 

 

Affiliate links have been used at no cost to you

The It's Cold Outside is my November stamp set of the month. If you purchase this set through the link above, email me your order number and I will send you an exclusive card kit to make your first card with your new stamp set on me! 

Thank you for stopping by! Tune in tomorrow to see the gift box I made to put these ornaments in and the matching gift tag. 

 

Mini DIY Hoop Ornament

The Winter Build-a-Scene stamp set is a perfect set for making ornaments with the DIY Hoops. The DIY Hoops are very thin, light weight wooden hoops that are flat. They are only about 1/4" thick, maybe less. Which makes them a fun accent for a card too. But I can not stop making them into ornaments!  Today's ornament is made using the smallest hoop that comes in the package. This hoop is about 2-1/2" in diameter. 

I backed the hoop with a plaid piece of printed paper from the Cozy Prints pack. The easiest way I found to do this is to cut a square of paper slightly bigger than the hoop and glue this to the back. I make sure to put the edge of the paper lower than the hoops top screw piece. Then when dry I cut off the excess. If you have the perfect size circle punch or die you can use that to pre-cut the paper. 

For the front a added a die cut snowflake and then the snowman from the Winter Build-a-Scene stamp set. I colored him with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers.  I love that they have really light colors, I was able to add a bit of light blue shading to my snowman. And because these markers have such a fine tip I was able to color in that tiny circle of his cheek with a light pink. 

To dress up this little hoop I coated the outer ring with Journey Glaze and then sprinkled that with Sparkle Cuts glitter. I LOVE this icy look. 

I finished off each ornament with a Merry Christmas tag that I glued to the ornament so it does not fall into the snowman's face.  Because I was gluing it to the chunky glitter I made sure I clamped the saying down to the ornament with a clip until it dried. 

I made 28 of these little cuties, as a gift for every one who is getting my November Happy Stamping Box and for all attending  my Winter Build-a-Scene card party today. They were quick and easy to make and adding that glitter made it so much fun! 

Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit me. If you have any questions about these ornaments, I would love to help! 

Gingerbread Boy Ornament

Welcome to the November FSJ Creative Team Blog Hop!

Today we are sharing with you NON card projects for the holidays. 

 

My project is an ornament or home decor piece. 

It was easy to create my gingerbread man using the new Gingerbread Boy Garland Tag die set. This gingerbread boy measures about 5-1/4" tall. 

To make my gingerbread boy more cookie like and sturdy enough to be an ornament for several years to come, I die cut three pieces from Hazelnut Blend card stock and glued them together. This left me with a much stronger and sturdy piece. I then sponged the edge with Riverstone ink, giving him a darker, just baked look. All of his accent pieces are die cut using the same die set, I love that it has so many fun pieces that you can use to dress him or HER up. I actually die cut two of teach pieces that accents him, to make them thicker. And all the white and red pieces have been covered with Journey Glaze and Sparkle Cuts ( a chunky glitter). 

Now let's talk about how I made the baking sheet.  I used Riverstone card stock, cut to 4-1/4" x 6". I cut three pieces this size. I then rounded all the corners. I sponged one of the pieces that became my top layer.  I then stamped my sentiment from the stamp set, Stay Cozy, and embossed with with White embossing powder. 

To create the handles for the pan I die cut 4 rolling pin pieces from the die set, Let's Bake. I glued two together and then cut off the handles of the rolling pin. 

I glued this to the back of the front piece of my pan. And repeated this for another handle at the bottom of the pan. Finished it off by sponging it with Riverstone ink. Then glue the other two pan pieces to the back of the first, covering up the pan handles and making for a very strong ornament. 

Then I used my Crop-A-Dile to double punch holes in the top two corners of the pan. I needed larger holes so that the thick twine, Tied Up With Sting, would fit through. 

I tied the knots on the front side of the pan for fun visual interest/ I liked how it looked. 

Next I created some charms to hang on my pan. 

I die cut these kitchen pieces from the Let's Bake die set by Spellbinders. I used Cranberry Bliss and Whip Cream card stock. Each piece is three layers thick to make them stronger. Then I coated each piece with clear pigment ink, by pressing them into the stamp pad. Then I sprinkled on some homemade embossing powder, a mix of clear embossing powder and Sparkle Dust (a very fine glitter). I use about 3 parts clear embossing powder to 1 part glitter. I love the shine mixed with glitter!  

Thank you for letting me share my gingerbread boy creation with you. Be sure to hop along and see what my fellow designers have created for you this month.  

Next up on the hop is Christine Chan at Love of Sparkles. 

Here is the list of blogs on the hop incase you get lost along the way.

Kazan Clark

 

Lezlye Lauterbach

 

YOU ARE HERE: Carrie Rhoades

 

 Christine Chan

 

Jill Hilliard

 

Marty McGee

 

 Below you can find all the things I used to create this project. Affiliate links have been used at no cost to you. 

 

Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit, be sure to hop along and leave comments letting the designers know how much you love their creations. 

Cinch and Go Poinsettias

Today I am sharing a fun new die set by Spellbinders, the Cinch and Go Poinsettia die set, designed by Becca Feeken. I love poinsettias for the holidays and have wanted a good poinsettia die set for a while now. And this die set definitely delivers! 

It not only die cuts but embosses texture into the petals of each flower! 

The largest flower was done by die  cutting one of each flower from the die set and layering them up. The leaves are just the largest flower die cut from Olive Green card stock. It is helpful to have a tool to shape the petals. The center flower here was shaped by using a crease tool.  The smaller flowers were made die cutting two of the smallest flower from the set and layering them up. But the petals were shaped using a large stylus tool. I demonstrate how in the video below. 

The wreath I attached the poinsettias to is from FSJ, Spruced Up 3D Wreaths. They are about 3-1/2" in diameter. The come green, but I frosted mine with the addition of some white acrylic paint. 

This mini wreath would be a great topper for a gift that could then be used as an ornament or decor piece. 

This second project features poinsettias in non-traditional colors. 

I attached these to the top of a store bought gift box, found at Walmart. To adhere my flowers to the box I first tied on my Oatmeal Cookie Satin ribbon. Then adhered a large die cut circle to the ribbon. 

I then adhered my flowers to the circle instead of to the box. Now the entire ribbon/flower piece can be removed and the box in tact. 

To add interest to these flowers I sponged some Oatmeal Cookie ink to each of the petals, giving them a more vintage feel.  I finished off the box with a simple tag stamped with 'tis the season, from the Snowmen Days stamp set by FSJ. 

Below I have a video on the making of the poinsettia flowers, included a few not shown here! 

 

Below I have linked all the products I used to create the poinsettias as well as the projects in this blog post. affiliate links are used, at no cost to you. 

Thank you so much for visiting my blog! Please let me know if you have any questions. 

Turkey Day Card

If you follow my blog then you might know that I love to make prints on a Gel Press. Having unique one of a kind backgrounds that I made is so much fun! It has added new a level of creativity and artistry to my paper crafting. BUT, sometimes I make a print that I don't really like. Well, not all is lost. I took one of those prints, it was plain and there was not a lot going on, so I stamped the Color Me Fall background stamp on it. And that was the start of this card. 

You can see what the print looked like before going on the card on the right. From that point I colored in the images with colored pencils. Then I sponged with edge of this panel with Oatmeal Cookie ink to draw the eye into the center. 

For the Turkey I used the Holiday Box Window Plates die set, I die cut the turkey shape with the details die inside of it from Cocoa Powder card stock. Then I glued that to another Gel Press print and die cut it again, using just the outside turkey die. 

To make my turkey POP, I coated him with a layer of Journey Glaze. 

If you want to learn more about the Gel Press you can click on the Gel Press category on the right hand side of my blog for more ideas. I also offer Gel Press 101 a getting started series of videos and printable PDF which is part of my Gel Press Journey Facebook page. Find out more about Gel Press 101 here. 

I have linked all the products I used to make this card below for your convenience:

Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit my blog! If you have any questions do not be shy about reaching out. I am glad to help.  

It's Cold Outside Christmas Card

Time to share the Christmas card I made on Monday night with the It's Cold Outside Stamp Set of the Month. 

It is very similar to yesterday's Fall themed card. I also made this background on my Gel Press with the Buffalo Check Stencil. I love the matte look of the acrylic paint on my card stock and it has a bit of texture that you can not get with ink. 

 

I added some snowflake elements to this card by stamping a snowflake background on the green circle using the Cold Snap stamp by Spellbinders. 

The black snowflake element is 3 die cut snowflakes from the Snow Flowers die set by FSJ. I just glued the three snowflake together to make it a thicker element. Once in place on the card I covered it with Journey Glaze. 

On the LIVE demonstration (see video below) I said that this month I would be making a card and matching tag each week with this Stamp Set of the Month. So, here is the matching tag for this card. 

It's very similar to the card. Take a close look at the sentiment. I added a shadow to the stamped image with a light gray colored pencil. Giving it a shadow and a bit of a vintage feel. 

This tag was die cut from the Special Day Tag Die set. After die cutting the tag, I added a hole in the top of the tag for my twine and a hole in each of the scallops at the bottom. 

What a cute set, I so enjoyed making a tag to match my card. Below you will find all the things I used to make these projects as well as the video to the Live demonstration of this card and the fall card.  You will want to see how I made the background for these on a Gel Press.

See the making of my first two card using the November Stamp Set of the Month, It's Cold Outside, here: 

NOTE: When you purchase the Stamp Set of the Month at my On-Line store then I will send you an exclusive card kit to make your first card with your new set on me!  Just email me your order number and the address that you want me to send the kit and tutorial to. (email: carrie@carriestamps.com)

Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit my blog. I am here to chat if you have any questions and of course I'd love to hear your comments too. 

It's Cold Outside

Introducing the November stamp set of the month, It's Cold Outside!  It's is a set of 7 images with a coordinating set of 7 dies!  That's right every stamp has a die!  I love that! 

For this share of the Stamp Set of the month I made two cards during my Facebook Live video, one fall themed and one Christmas themed. Both with a Buffalo Check background that started out on the Gel Press. Today I am going to share the fall card. Be sure to stop by again tomorrow to see the Christmas card and I will be sharing a coordinating tag with that card. 

To create this background I used the Buffalo Check stencil by FSJ with Black Licorice paint on the Gel Press. I love the look of the matte finish acrylic paint with this stencil. It's not perfect and it gives the paper some texture. I finished off the check with some pin stripping. To create this look I used colored pencils and a ruler, simple and quick!  

My little fox, isn't he so sweet!!! I color him with colored pencils as well. Then sentiment I chose for this card is from the Hello Fall stamp set. I also used a background stamp, Color Me Fall to stamp the circle the fox is sitting on. 

To dress up this card I used some gold thread, which comes as an off white thread and gold twisted together. I unraveled it and used just the gold behind the circle. I added a wooden leaf element and some candy drops. 

You can watch the making of this card below, and the Christmas card as well!  

As with every Stamp Set of the Month, I will be back next Monday with another project with this set. This month I am focusing on cards and gift tags, join me next Monday night at 8pm MST on my Facebook page. 

I have linked all the products I have used to make both cards below for your convenience.

Thank you for stopping by and letting me share my creations with you. Remember if you purchase the Stamp Set of the Month, It's Cold Outside then you will get a card kit in the mail from me. All you need to do is send me an email with your order # and your shipping address. (email: carrie@carriestamps.com)Kit go out at the end of the month. 

 

Christmas Candy Canes in Rose Gold

I love a good challenge! When my friend Lael said she'd like to see a Christmas card with rose gold, I took that challenge! 

I thought my new Christmas Candy Cane stamp and die set from Spellbinders would look great in rose gold. So I stamp both of the candy cane images in Clear Pigment ink and embossed them with Rose Gold Embossing powder. 

I used a surprising product to color in the lines of the candy canes to add more rose gold to them and to splatter the background. It's Peaches and Cream Silk. 

Isn't it the perfect match to the Rose Gold embossing powder. You can see how I made this on the video below. 

 

Here are all the fun things I used to make this card:  

Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit my blog, I hope that you're leaving inspired and that you will come back again soon.  And join me tomorrow night at 8pm MST on my facebook page for a LIVE video demonstration of my November stamp set of the month. 

Charming Cottage Candy Cane Box

I am excited to announce that Spellbinder and FSJ have joined forces! Now when you shop for FSJ products you will also be able to shop for Spellbinder products!  This is a great new partnership and I am happy to be a part of it and now share with you even more cool products that I love. 

 

And I am starting with my favorite Spellbinders die set, Charming Cottage. This is a set of 15 dies that includes the die to cut this gable style box that is very easy to put together.  You can see all the dies and a more traditional use for the box. 

For my box I used Cozy Prints paper from FSJ. Their printed paper is very sturdy and will hold up to die cutting, even with dies that make a crease. And this box is fairly sturdy. 

I love that several of the dies in this set also emboss details into the pieces!  My favorite die in this set has to be the little bow.  There are so many things you can put this bow on. 

You can watch the making of this box on the video below. 

I filled my box with old fashion looking Peppermint Twists by See's Candy, you can find them HERE. 

  

Thank you so much for stopping by, I love crafting and sharing my creations with you brings me joy!