Card of the Week.com | Cards, Scrapbooking, and Papercrafts

Best of the Week: October 20 - 26th

Cool Cards:

• Jacksonbelle's Embellished blog: Lacing Card NOEL
• Debbie Olsen's Thinking Inking features this great use of the Garden Silhouette stamp set in this card. 
• Beate's Fresh and Fun blog has this cute RAK.
• This Black & White Winter Wishes card at Just Give Me Stamps is just so elegant.  Check out her beautiful snowflake card while you're there.
• Scroll down to the bottom of Jan Tink's blog, Stamps, Paper, Scissors, for this beautiful Christmas Tree card.  Also check out Jan's coloring skills with these Thomas Kincade cards.
• Taylor VanBruggen at Taylored Expressions has two really adorable Halloween cards: this one and this one.
• Sweet Miss Daisy has this adorable snowman card -- this card just makes me smile :D
• I like this card over at Bell Papier, mostly because I've made one like this last year -- isn't it pretty?! I'm not CASING when you see this one again on my blog.... :D
• Michelle Wooderson over at Mish Mash made all these Bella cards.  The sketch is really easy and eye catching, and I just love Bella.
• Nutmeg Stamping has this really simple baby card.

Awesome Papercrafts:

• Over at Cambria Turnbow's blog, Stamp a Little Love Baby, check out her Door Prize and also these cool Halloween Tins.  Proving that Cambria is just the creative BOMB, check out this DVD tin. 
• Debbie Olsen's Thinking Inking has these cool photo blocks. 
• Nicole's blog, The Stamping Librarian, has this cool tag book and also these great Thanksgiving items. I'll be casing her in about 3 weeks....
• How stinkin' cute is this?!  Check out Lorraine's Stampin' Spot - Snowman Paper Lantern

Scrapbook Pages:
Beate's Fresh and Fun blog has this rockin' scrapbook page -- this page is so cute I would consider having another baby just to copy it!!!

For all you demonstrators out there, check out Kristina Werner's Stamp Camp projects. 

There were actually more projects this week, but this is the best of the best on a really good week.  We're surrounded by such creative people!   

Christmas Shopping Book

Altered $2.50 notebook from Target.  So simple it was stupid.  I "Mod Podged" (that's a technical term) last year's SU holiday paper to the front of the notebook.  I used the new completely kickin' Season of Joy stamp set on the front.  I added ribbon and a glittered snowflake the front.  I used the same snowflake and a circle punch to make tabs for the inside of the notebook.  No side pockets on this notebook -- this is the old fashioned spiral binding that you'd have to be Houdini to get undone.  Made the beaded pen out the of the leftover paper.

I was making this for a gift, but I strongly suspect it will end up in my purse.

Peace Frame

Well it would be framed if it was possible for me to get a snapshot without glare.  This is just the card front that now resides in a frame.  I won't pretend to take any credit for this. Copycatted this from here: all I did was change the tree. http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/405269

Apple Cider Candle Tin

$1 candle tin from Michael's decorated in some seriously ugly stickers.  I took Stampin' Up! Apple Cider DSP, some tacky tape sheets and some beads and made this darling candle tin.  To finish it off, I packaged this in a clear food goodie bag with a ribbon tied at the top. 

Quicky directions:  cut paper to size and adhere with red line tape.  Cut circle of DSP to size.  Cover with tacky tape and dip in beads.  Accept praise.

Recollections Set

Cardstock:  Recollections DSP by Stampin' Up!; blank coasters, beads, RSVP pen, mini comp notebook; Stamp set:  Heartfelt Thanks

 

I made this for a craft fair that fell through.  Turns out to be a good thing.  My second grader doodled in the book without me knowing!!!!  The good news is that the Recollections DSP (retired SU) would be lovely for Christmas goodies.  At least I'm ahead of the shopping curve!

Halloween Nugget Boxes

Have you made a nugget box yet?  This turns a $3 bag of Hershey's Nuggets into an adorable candy gift.  You simply stamp your design on Avery mailing labels and then stick them around the Nuggets.  The box pattern can be found here. 

 

I decorated this using the Papertrey Ink Spooky Sweets set.  If you look in the Papertrey idea gallery, you'll get loads of great ideas on how to use their stamps on a variety of projects.  I've confessed before to being serious copy cat.  I can prove it here -- this is the original inspiration for my box -- it's by Debbie Olsen. 

Popcorn Sliders

I made this for TLC 138.  LOL -- crafters are just amazingly creative.  I'd love to meet the person who first figured out how to make microwave popcorn into a cute gift.  I owe that person a big ol' hug because they saved me oodles of money in various small gifts.  Our neighborhood does "the Phantom" (some people call this game "Boo") -- these popcorn sliders made a cute addition to the goodie sack.  Of course, my neighbors know who hit them -- I'm the only one who takes the time to stamp popcorn!

Directions for sliders are listed with the Technique Challenge -- check out the link above.  Happy sliding!

SC146 Cracked Glass Angel and my Copic Marker Review

All supplies by Stampin' Up! unless noted:  cardstock:  holiday DSP, Soft Sky, Whisper White, non-SU snowflake, acetate; Stamps:  Holy Triptych, Hero Arts snowflakes; Accessories:  jump rings, stickles, UTEE; Ink:  Versamark, Bashful Blue, White Staz-on, Copic Markers.

 

I have lots and lots to say about this card.  First, I love it.  When I first saw the Holy Triptych set, I had to buy it.  I think the angel is just so, so pretty.  I also have been wanting to try the "cracked glass" technique for a while, and this set seems to scream for the "window" look.

This was my first stab at the Copic Markers.  I'm easily influenced by those around me and when all my favorite bloggers started going on and on about Copic Markers I felt like I would be incomplete if I didn't get "hooked up".  I waited about 3 weeks -- which for me is just ages -- and then found myself in Dick Blick holding $75 worth of markers.  I ran right home to color and guess what?!  I smeared the design all over the place.  I didn't realize that you had to have special ink to use alcohol markers.  I Googled for ink recommendations and read that Adirondack ink is the best for this.  Of course, Michael's, JoAnn's and Archiver's don't carry Adirondack ink!  So, I tried Archival ink.  Nope -- smeared.  I tried Versamagic Black with heat setting.  Nope.  Smeared.  I tried Brilliance Ink with heat set.  Well, sort of works -- it only smears a little.  $15 worth of black ink spent before I realized that I could have just embossed the image!  Snap.

Tried again.  Soaked through my paper and the colors wouldn't blend.  What the @W#$@?!  Googled about paper.  You need special cartoonist sketch paper to get the full benefit of coloring with Copics.  A regular cardstock absorbs the ink before you can blend it.  $12.  Tried again.  Worked.  Worked beautifully.   However, on this paper, SU markers will also blend -- beautifully.  Can you tell which parts of the angel are Copic and which parts of SU?  I can't either -- but I used both with similar results.  Snap.

I would return the Copics if I could get away with it.  Too bad I used them already.  Perhaps they will end up on eBay.  Maybe I'll offer the stamping world's most expensive Blog Candy.  Who knows.  Seriously aggravating.

Are you wondering if I learned my lesson?  No.  I'm lusting after a die cutter machine like the Wishblade. 

Best of the Week

I am loving the blogging world as we approach the holidays!  There are so many great, great projects out there right now!

Here are some of the items that caught my attention this week:

• Debbie Olsen's angel ornaments
• Vickie Maduzia's Breast Cancer Chocolate card -- Vickie has an SU gallery -- the card is on the bottom left.  Check out her other projects -- she's got a lot of talent!
• Some great holiday gift packaging ideas from Papertrey -- here are Nicole Heady's newest creations:  Snowflake Tin and Peace Card.
• Here are some great Halloween projects:  Amy Celona's Creepy Halloween Goodies and Cambria Turnbow's Halloween Tin and Card
• Emily Giovanni has a great Stationary Set  this would make a wonderful gift.

and Some holiday cards that deserve some notice:

• Ana at InkaStamp
• Pomegranate Joy at Just Give Me Stamps
• Kristina Werner's Christmas Card

A great card for any time --- Cambria brought this back from Regionals -- Thank You Card

** My favorite from the week:  This AWESOME video from Kristina Werner.  You can bet your booties that I'll be trying some more video on my site!  Check it out HERE.

Hope you enjoy these!  If you'd like me to read your blog -- comment here and I'll add you to my Google Reader :D

Blogging tip:  Put your name on your blog.  You wouldn't believe how many people forget to put their names on!

PMS

On Friday, I hosted "Think Pink" Bunco -- my guests were instructed to bring a $5 donation to Komen, wear pink and bring a pink food or drink to share.  The "pinkest" person would win a prize.  The prize was an altered coffee drink box with wine, pink M&Ms, nail polish, nail files, lip gloss, a pink bath "poof" (scrubby thing), and a pink coaster frame.  I used some leftover Basic Grey paper from the Lily Kate collection, but I also used the Think Pink Digital kit that Paper Crafts gave away.    PMS stands for "Pamper Me Silly" -- I figure we all need wine and chocolate and a little TLC sometimes!