Saturday, December 19, 2015

Laura's Loft December Challenge Tic Tac Toe

Welcome to the first Challenge issued by Laura's Loft. The design team and I are so excited to be sharing our projects with you today, and hope you play along. 
The rules are easy, take a look at the gameboard below. Find 3 elements either horizontal, vertical, or diagonal that will get your Tic Tac Toe. Put your project together and upload it to Laura's blog.
Challenge runs Dec 19 11am EST through January 2 MIDNIGHT EST

 Challenge page
For my project I decided to make and A2 sized card (surprise)!




Working with Newton's Nook Holiday Smooches I went to work. First I stamped out the cute little images of the Seals, Penguins and Polar Bears with Momento Tuxedo Black ink. While they were drying I used my cuttlebug to die cut a stencil using a Spellbinders Cascade Dots die, which I then taped to my patterned paper and spritzed with metallic gold spray. I then went to work with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers and colored all the little critters. After finishing this and putting my card together using some foam tape to add dimension to some of the elements, and stamping the "Merry Kissmas" I realized with one more element I could have double Tic Tac Toe, so grabbing my alcohol markers (in this case Bic Mark-Its) I colored that little Mistletoe up at the top.
I decided I needed some red and stamped out the little hearts that also were part of the Holiday Smooches set, and then added some Blue Enamel Dots to simulate snow.

I hope you enjoy my creation, and can't wait to see what you bring to the table.

Item's from Laura's Loft... Newton's Nook Holiday Smooches
                                           Virginia Turtle Caribbean Enamel Dots

Challenge Prizes... Grand Prize:
                                Runner Up


Please go back to Laura's Loft for entry requirements for these great prizes. 

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

2016 IS SHINING BRIGHT ALREADY

I have to admit with 2015 quickly coming to a close, 2016 is looking pretty dog gone good already. This weekend my husband and I are going to be moving 3 hours north of the small town we have called home together since 2009. This move is going to be good for us in so many ways, one because we are going to be closer to family. While we could have moved 1.5 hours south and been near family as well, we left there in 2009 for a reason. Big city (Ft Lauderdale area) just wasn't for us anymore. Although moving back down south meant being near several of my cousins, my aunt and husbands mom, brother, sister, their spouses and my two best friends. Moving north meant being closer to one of my daughters, still in a fairly small town, and also near one of his brothers (literally a stones throw across the street). We will be 35 minutes from Disney and 45 to Busch Gardens, not to mention all my Central Florida family that I miss so much as well. 
Along with this move and good things for 2016, I am proud to announce I have been chosen as one of the 2016 design team members for Joy Clair Stamps and their new line Color by Faith as well. This is going to be and exciting adventure, going right along with my design team position with Laura's Loft. Busy with my crafty fun, and blog posting. At the same time,  am looking forward to the job possibilities in our new town, and for sure will be looking at my favorite craft stores for employment availability. 

So Merry Christmas to my blogging family and friends. Hope everyone has a great end to 2015 and an even better 2016. 
This card I made using a digital stamp that was a limited time black friday offer from the OneRunClub. This group is great, especially with the fact that the clear as well as digital stamps are limited editions. Once they are gone, they are gone. This Christmas file was fun to work with using my spray misters from A Muse in Pink and Green and a Gold spray I made myself. I colored the images with my Bic Mark-Its and the sequins are from Laura's Loft Autumn Serenade collection. 

After I made this card, I took a little trip for a few days to help out a family member that had just had surgery, of course as usual my crafty case went along with me... I sat one night with the three year old grand daughter and had fun watching her color and use stamps and stickers to create cards for her Nonna, MomMom and Daddy.... these were her cards, I showed her how to use my cuttlebug and she ran the paper through herself making the embossed images and then gave them her magic touch. 



I think we have a little card maker in the midst. Looking forward to more crafty times with her. 

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Laura's Loft is Ringing In The Holidays


 Hi, everyone, and welcome to Mimi's Crafty Abyss.  My post today is part of Laura's Loft December Ringing In The Holidays Shop and Hop.  I am excited to be an inspirational compadre  with all these wonderful, talented ladies at Laura's loft.  You should have arrived here from Robbie's blog.  If not you can go back by clicking the Previous Button or her name. 

Robbie's Blog
First I want to say, we have a wonderful guest Designer this month, please make sure you take a few minutes and check out Jasmine's blog.
Now for mine.
So I sat here and did my complete post, and realized I had used that particular card for another post within the shop (had originally planned on using it for this hop) and last night realized it. SO, here is the new card for this hop.
I had a lot of fun with this one, as I do with all of my fun cards. Using the Avery Elle "Snow Much Fun" stamp set for the Moose and Sentiment, Newton's Nook "Holiday Smooches" set for the Birds, and Newton's Nook "Fox Hollow" for the snow flakes I went to work.
Using my Versamark pad I stamped out a few snowflakes on GinaK white cardstock. I heat embossed with WOW Clear Sparkle embossing powder. I then put a post it note in the middle of the card to mask out a section for the "Ice Rink". Using my distress inks in Peacock Feathers, Faded Jeans and Salty Ocean I colored the night sky. Used my heat tool to dry the ink. Removed the mask and used my Versamark pad to ink up the ice rink and used the WOW Sparkling Snow to add some shine to the ice. Heat tool again took care of that embossing.
I then used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out the moose and birds, colored him with my Spectrum Noir markers and used WOW HOHOHO embossing powder on this cap and Skate Socks. I used my Tombow Mono to affix a few snowflakes dug out of the Baby It's Cold Sequin Mix, as well as the cute little snowman, which I used pop dots on. I hope you all have enjoyed my card as much as I enjoyed making it.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Festivus and any other holiday which you may choose to celebrate.

Items from Laura's Loft:


PROMOTIONS:
All Christmas Stamps and Dies are 30%, no code needed prices will be changed. This will run from Dec. 3 until they sell out.
We also have WRMK products on sale 20% off with code WRMK20% from Dec. 3rd through Jan. 3

DECEMBER HOP GIVEAWAY 


 TO ENTER:
1. Follow Laura's Loft on IG @InLaurasLoft, like the IG Hop/Giveaway post and tag a friend. as many as you like but one tag per comment(this part is for extra entries), If you do not have IG, say so!
2.Visit & Like Laura's Loft store page on facebook https://www.facebook.com/Lauras.Loft.Shop
3. Leave a comment at each stop on the blog hop including Laura's.

After doing these 3 things you need to fill out the rafflecopter to be entered!!
 



To get to the next artist on the hop just click on the button below.  If you get lost, click on the names listed below.  Have fun hopping and shopping!!!

GUEST DESIGNER
Jasmine http://journeywithjasmine.blogspot.com/2015/12/ringing-in-holidays-with-lauras-loft.html

http://debbielovestocraft.blogspot.com/2015/12/december-shop-hop-ringing-in-holidays.html
1. Laura  http://www.lauralscott.com/ringing-in-the-holidays/
2. Deana Benson http://www.designcreativelybling.com/2015/12/ringing-in-holidays-with-lauras-loft.html
3. Robbie Rubala    http://inkedx2.blogspot.com/search/label/LL
4. LeeAnn McKinney YOU ARE HERE!!!
5. Debbie Brunssen: http://debbielovestocraft.blogspot.com/2015/12/december-shop-hop-ringing-in-holidays.html
6. Joy Hadden:     http://piecesofjoyhadden.blogspot.com/2015/12/ringing-in-holidays-with-lauras-loft.html
7. Lisa Bedigian - http://royalpumpkinart.blogspot.com/2015/12/ringing-in-holidays-december-shop-hop.html
8. Jasmine Burgess - http://journeywithjasmine.blogspot.com/2015/12/ringing-in-holidays-with-lauras-loft.html
9. Emma- http://heartofcraft.blogspot.com/2015/12/lauras-loft-shop-and-hop-ringing-in.html  
10. Cindy Dooley - http://wp.me/p5d3NQ-4b

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Fox Hollow Shaker Card

Hi y'all. LeeAnn McKinney here, one of the Inspirational Compadres at Laura's Loft. With winter showing its face in a lot of the world, and many locations having snow, thought I would post today with a fun shaker card I have made using a couple of products found at Laura's Loft.

Supplies used:
  • Newton's Nook Fox Hollow stamp set*
  • Baby Its Cold sequin mix*
  • Ranger White embossing powder
  • Project Life Die 
  • Tim Holtz Distress Inks
  • Versafine Black Onyx
  • Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers
  • Bic Mark-Its
  • Tombow multi mono adhesive
  • Scotch foam tape
  • Scotch ATG gun/adhesive
  • Neenah Bright White Cardstock (for card base)
  • Tim Holtz Watercolor Paper (for front panel) 
  • Silhouette Cameo
  • Darice heat tool
First thing I did was use the stamp set and Versafine to stamp out the fox and tree on a Panel of Neenah Bright White. I then took the Tim Holtz Watercolor paper and stamped out snowflakes with versamark ink and using my heat tool embossed them using Ranger white embossing powder.
Once complete I used various colors of distress inks to create the night sky scene, including Chipped Sapphire, Peacock Feathers, Dusty Concord and Faded Jeans.
I then used my project life die to cut out the area for the shaker card, and used the ATG to mount that to the card base front. After applying atg to the back of the card front, I affixed a sheet of acetate a little larger than the cut out; and then applied Scotch foam tape to that. After adding some Baby Its Cold* sequin mix I affixed the card front to the base.
Using my Spectrum Noir and Bic Mark-its to get the desired colors, I took to the fun little fox frolicking through the snow, and the pine tree he is running past. I then affixed these to the front of the card. After completing all this I added a few sequin snowflakes from the Baby Its Cold* mix to the font with Tombow multi mono adhesive.

I hope you have enjoyed this project, and I am seriously going to try to start taking photo's throughout the process in the future, I don't seem to think about it until the card is finished.

Have a great day.
*reflects items found in Laura's Loft

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Prayers for Paris

While I am not a writer, and will never pretend to be. Here I sit writing about the senseless tragedy that took place in Paris, France yesteray (11/13/2015).
I will be honest, sitting here in my craft room playing on the computer I saw a message from someone pop up that only said "Prayers for Paris". Many things went through my mind... great something happened to another wanna be celebrity and people are going to make a big deal about it was the first. Then I did a little research (turned on CNN) and there it was... shock, dismay and anger all at the same time.
I wanted to do something, but here I am across the pond, and other than prayers not much I could offer. So for those families, friends and coworkers off the people who lost their lives, or are battling for their lives in the hospitals now... this card is for you :
It isn't much, but it is from my heart. It won't bring your loved ones back, but hopefully it will give you a little solace knowing that someone is thinking and caring about you.



Thursday, November 12, 2015

Laura's Loft Shop & Hop- "Winter Wonderland"


https://lauras-loft-shop.myshopify.com/

http://debbielovestocraft.blogspot.com/2015/11/winter-wonderland-with-lauras-loft.html

COUPON CODE: 
We have a coupon code for this hop AE20% which gives you 20% off Avery Elle products and ends on 11/28/15.


If you arrived here from Debbie's blog I am sure she had a fabulous creation for you.  If you missed Debbie's stop, then please click the previous button above and check out her work.
Hi there hoppers, today we are hopping with Laura's Loft, and I am happy to share with you my creation using Avery Elle's "Snow Much Fun" stamp set, WOW "HOHOHO" embossing powder and our own "Baby It's Cold" sequins. But first, we have two fantastic guest designers. 
and
Now that you have seen there wonderful creations... here is mine :)





 First I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the designed card base. I then stamped and cut the fun little characters from the stamp set, and colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol pens. The scarves were colored with my versamark pen and WOW "HOHOHO" embossing powder was added for that bit of color and sparkle.  Pop dots were used to give some dimension to the sledding duo. The background was colored with Peacock Feathers Distress ink. Pieced it all together using Tombow Mono Multi liquid glue as well as my ATG gun.

Links to items from Laura's Loft:

COUPON CODE: 
We have a coupon code for this hop AE20% which gives you 20% off Avery Elle products and ends on 11/28/15.

Laura
Debbie -
LeeAnn McKinney- YOU ARE HERE

Now... after you leave a comment here on my post, please just hit the next button and hop on over and check out what Lisa has done for us this month.  

http://royalpumpkinart.blogspot.com/2015/11/winter-wonderland-with-lauras-loft-shop.html

This months giveaway is great, and I can't wait to see who wins. The requirements are not hard... actually quite easy and only 4 steps...

TO ENTER:
1. Follow Laura's Loft on IG @InLaurasLoft, like the IG Hop/Giveaway post and tag a friend. as many as you like but one tag per comment
2. Follow Laura's Loft store page on facebook https://www.facebook.com/Lauras.Loft.Shop
3. Leave a comment at each stop on the blog hop
4. After doing these 3 steps, go to Laura's post and fill out the rafflecopter to be entered!!



Thursday, October 22, 2015

Friendship

Sometimes I can sit down, read a challenge and just go to work and get it done. Yet, other times I sit and think, and think and it takes hours. I read the rules for this one yesterday and finally today it clicked. 
The challenge is to use an image depicting a friend or family relationship and/or a sentiment focused on relationship (mom, sister, friend, etc).

Here is my card... first the outside then the inside. 

 Products used:
Georgia Pacific Bright White Premium Cardstock
Tim Holtz Distress Inks: Pickled Raspberry, Dusty Concord, Tumbled Glass, Mowed Lawn, Tea Dye
AMuse Ink & Paper: Navy
Stamp-N-Stuff: Sahara Pearls embossing powder
Stamps: So Suzy, Virginia Turtle, Lawn Fawn and Simon Says Stamp. 
Silhouette Cameo and Big Shot

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Lawnscaping Challenge: Too Cute To Spook

Lawnscaping Challenges is doing a "Too Cute To Spook" challenge.
So "scary" Halloween has never been my thing. I don't like horror movies, haunted houses or gore. Most expect that from this candy filled holiday. But I am fine without it. Perfect  Halloween for me is Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

So for my 'Too Cute To Spook' card I decided to have a ball. Using the Lawn Fawn "Sweet Smiles" stamp/die sets I used some Black Onyx Versafine ink and stamped on Neenah white cardstock. Once all was stamped I used the big shot to cut out the Gumball Machine and 12 gumballs, colored and colored with Bic Mark-its and Ganzi Tambi Watercolors. I then stamped out 6 cute gumball figures from a Sweet Shop Planner stamp set, colored with both Bic Mark-its and Ganzi Tambi Watercolors.
"Happy Halloween" sentiment is from Virginia Turtle Designs.
This was a fun project and I had a great time making it. I hope you enjoy it as much a I do.

Items used:
Lawn Fawn "Sweet Smiles" stamp/die
Sweet Stamp Shop "Lets Face It" stamps
Virginia Turtle "Happy Halloween"
Versafine Black Onyx
Bic Mark-Its
Ganzi Tambi Watercolors

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

PINKALICIOUS is the word!!!

PINKALICIOUS

The newest challenge is to unscramble the word PINKALICIOUS to make three or four words to use in or on the project. SO... here we go Pink of course, Lion, Ink, and CIAO... I really had fun with this one. 
 Using a 3 step build a lion stamp from Stampology and GinaK honey mustard ink stamped the first layer, second layer with Tim Holtz tea dye, and the final AMuse bubblegum. The palm tree is from Hero Arts stamped with GinaK dark chocolate and AMuse grass inks. 
I then used contact paper to mask of the top so I could use mowed lawn for the grassy mound. Another section of contact paper was used to mask off the lion and tree while I used tumbled glass for the sky area. 
After removing the contact paper I went back in to fill in sections with the inks that were missed, this also created somewhat of a shadow effect. 
I then put the final touch on with CIAO, this little piece is from a card making package I received on my birthday cruise this year, during the cardmaking class that my friend and I were the only ones to show up to. I used a project life die to cut out the banner piece, the pink layer is a post-it note that I also used the banner die to cut. 

Hope you enjoy the first creation of the day.

Monday, October 19, 2015

Stamping Smiles Tic Tac Toe Challenge

I have to say this was fun. The idea for this challenge is to create a card while winning the game. How do you win the game, 3 in a row of course. I have never played tic tac toe by myself, so I had to improvise. I remade the board and held 2 markers up let them go, once the game was won, that would be the methods used to make my card.
So, yellow won, I would be making my card using Forest Friends, Embossing, and Woodgrain at minimum, I also hit on leaves so figured I would throw them in as well, and to tie it all together I used "Thank You" as the sentiment.
Products used in this project were Woodgrain embossing folder on kraft cardstock. GinaK Dark Chocolate Dye Ink to highlight the texture of the woodgrain.
Tod is my little fox, he is a stamped image from inkadinkadoo, stamped in AMuse Studio Orange pigment ink and embossed using Whispers Orange embossing powder. Tod's background was done with Mowed Lawn and Tumbled Glass Distress Inks.
Copper is my puppy, he is a clear inkadinkadoo stamp that I embossed using Whispers Copper embossing powder, and colored his highlights with a honey brown bic mark-it.
The leaves were cut with Impression Obsession Rake/leaf die on colorbok Autumn Leaves paper.
I used a project life frame die to cut out the window of my card base so that the two friends could see each other.
The ladybug in the corner of the window near Copper is  a sparkle dot from Virginia Turtle Designs.

I really had a great time with this, and look forward to more fun in the coming months :)



Krafty Mimi Button

I am krafty, (love the spelling); I am a Mimi; so my button will read Krafty Mimi... I have seen so many cardmakers with their own buttons for their blog photos and I wanted one myself, so another project for today was to make one.

Hope You Can Cling To 2015 Challenge entries part 2

Today I woke up thinking I should catch up on this months HYCCT challenge, since I decided I was going to push myself to complete all 36 challenges. Well I did 3 on October 1, and nothing since. SO.... today I completed 5 challenges. 
 I am a Warrior- For those fighting and those supporting them. The design can reflect Camo or a Native American theme. For this I went with the Native American route and focused on feathers.
 Trio of Hearts- Make a card with a trio of hearts and the color red.
 Make a card showing a form of Transportation
 Make it tasty- make a card with food images. Some people like sushi and find it tasty, I do not but I had the stamps so wanted to use them :)
My favorite and last card of the day. HUGS... 

I hope you all enjoy my creations today.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

WCMD Challenge Win

WOW, really I do not know what to say, except thank you. Not sure which one of my 10 cards did it, but I am one of the winners over at Stamp Nation for the World Card Making Day 10 card Journey Around the World!!!
These are the fun cards I created for this challenge. I am not sure which card was the winner, but will update when I find out :)






And my prize for having all this fun... a $15 gift certificate to an awesome online stamp store... whimsystamps.com  I know what I want, just need to place the order. 
Congratulations to everyone who was in the challenge, and to the other eight winners as well.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Do What You Love

Hi all!  I am posting today to share with you my entry for the latest Lawnscaping Challenge.  The challenge is all about focusing on sentiments

Years ago, I heard the statement, "Do what you love and Love what you do". I never really paid much attention to this, and kept searching for a hobby I was interested in. I have finally found that hobby and that is how THIS card came about.

HP glossy white photo paper, Adirondack alcohol inks in Sail Boat Blue and Watermelon along with Red and Blue McCormick food coloring, blended with Alcohol ink blending solution. Drip and drop all over paper and let dry. I then used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the sentiment out of the photo paper and another white piece of paper and inlaid the sentiment so it would pop. I hope you enjoy.
Cardmaking is what I love and Cardmaking is what I do!!!

Laura's Loft Trick or Treat Shope & Hop

Laura's Loft
http://royalpumpkinart.blogspot.com/2015/10/lauras-trick-or-treat-shop-and-hop.html
Today I am hopping with Laura over at Laura's Loft for the Trick or Treat Shop & Hop. We have some wonderful talent gathered today and I am sure you will love what they have created.

Laura is also having a Trick or Treat Giveaway details at the bottom!

This month we are excited to have TWO Awesome Guest Hoppers that you should definitely check out!

This months guest designers are:
Jasmine Laisure Burgess
LeeAnn McKinney


Today I am featuring a couple of the wonderful items that can be purchased through Laura's Shop. 

I have to say I am so excited to be a guest designer this month. I am featuring a Newton's Nook stamp set, along with the WRMK Fuse Tool. When I began this project two weeks ago I was working on a card, and then decided to change gears wanted to do a shaker but not a card, so let me tell you about my Shaker Bookmark.
I began with Neenah bright white 65lbs card stock and cut it to 3.25" x 5.25". I then used my Sizzix Big Shot and the WRMK Woven embossing folder (coming soon to Laura's Loft). Then I had some inky fun and used Spiced Marmalade and Squeezed Lemonade Distress Inks by Ranger. From then I decided to use Homemade Splash Spray in Orange, Green and Gold to get the fall colors going. Once I achieved the appropriate mess in my room, I mean colors I wanted I left it to dry. 
I then on the same Neenah bright white stamped Newton with sleeping on his pumpkin stack and the wagon from the Wagon Wishes stamp set using VersaColor Black. I then colored with Spectrum Noir Markers and let dry. I then used the scan/cut option with my Silhouette Cameo to cut it out. I then went over the wagon with clear Wink of Stella. 
The sentiment "Loads of Wishes" is also from this same "Wagon Wishes" stamp set and heat embossed with Gold embossing powder, cut with a WRMK Quickutz Long Frame die. 
Once this was all together I mounted it with Tombow Multi Adhesive on a paper studio red card base.
Once I was finished with all this I used a Fuse 4x6 pouch and enclosed the bookmark, added some of the Autumn Serenade sequin mix and Virginia Turtle Enamel Dots,  and closed it up. I added an eyelet at the top and slipped in the ribbon. This was a very fun project and I hope you enjoy. I do see more bookmarks being created in the near future for this Mimi.

TRICK OR TREAT BLOG HOP SPECIAL
In order to get $10 of of a $75 or more purchase.
Please use code $10Treat

Make sure you enter Laura's Loft Giveaway to win this fantastic Laura's Loft Trick or Treat Hop Stamp, Die and Sequins Mix Set. 


TO ENTER:
1. Follow Laura's Loft on IG @InLaurasLoft, like the IG Hop/Giveaway post and tag a friend, as many as you like but one tag per comment
2. Follow Laura's Loft store page on facebook https://www.facebook.com/Lauras.Loft.Shop
3. Leave a comment at each stop on the blog hop
T&C posted at the bottom of the page.

You have reached the end of the hop. Sure has been great hopping along with everyone today. Please make sure you have checked in and commented on the rest of the blogs, and followed those 3 steps above to be entered into the giveaway.

 If you did get off track or missed someone here is the list of hoppers:

Emma Hall
Joy Hadden
Lisa Bedigian
LeeAnn McKinney - YOU ARE HERE

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

RRBC25 Challenge Entry

This is my first entry for a challenge on Retro Rubber Challenge blog and I am so happy I was introduced here today. Having to use stamps that are at least a year old is pretty easy for someone who only buys twice a year and tends to go with the older sets.

On with my card. The background paper, pumpkin sticker, tree, bats and bird stamps are all from Oriental Trading Co Halloween collections with manufactured dates of 4/13. The skeleton is also an older stamp purchased 8/14 in a craigslist buy. I had fun and heat embossed the skeleton with Whispers White, the tree with Whispers Copper, fence, birds and bats with Whispers Black.  I hope you enjoy my project. 

Sunday, October 4, 2015

WCMD

Stamp Nation WCMD-Card 6, this was so fun. This is the debossed side of an embossed page where I used Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, and Worn Lipstick distress inks. The turtle is a So Suzy Stamp, which I colored with glitter glue. The sentiment is from Virginia Turtle Designs.