Sparkle N Sprinkle Magical Winter Moments

Hi Everybody! Welcome to my stop on Sparkle N Sprinkle's "Magical Winter Moments" hop!  It may not be winter just yet, but if you're anything like me; those holidays sneak right up on you!  So now's the time to start preparing & we have just what you need - some great card samples to get your winter mojo going so you won't have to make cards at the last minute this year.  And better yet, most of the stamps featured are on sale for the rest of the month; so buy now & save a bunch too!  If you hopped here by way of Barbara's great blog ; then you're in the right place.  If not, you might want to jump back to the Sparkle N Sprinkle Home Blog & start from the beginning so you don't miss any of the great ideas.  Plus all the details  for how to qualify for some great prizes are there too - you definitely don't want to miss out on those either!

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For my stop on the hop I have two cards for you featuring the Tiny Tree stamp from the new Tis the Season - Set 439.  Going along with the theme, my first card brings back some Magical memories & really captures the sparkle!  When I saw the Tiny Tree in this stamp set, one of the things that immediately came to mind was those great Aluminum Christmas trees from our past  So I set out to recreate that look and feel.  What do you think - did I capture the feel of the Aluminum trees from years ago?  Or are you too embarrassed to admit you've been around long enough to know when these were all the rage - LOL!  There's so much sparkle on this card that the photo couldn't pick it all up, but the tree itself was done in Tinsel embossing powder (of course) and the frame around it was done with Tearific Tape and Sassy Silver glitter.  The final & crowning touch is the Silver Leaf Glitter Tinsel border which really reminds me of the aluminum branches on those trees.  I love how all those silvers look together and the whole look really takes me back to those old time trees.  And yes, I do admit to being old enough to remember them well!  Full instructions for this card can be found in the Sparkle N Sprinkle Art Gallery here.

For my second card, I went for the complete opposite look with the same stamp.  This time I went for a "Country Christmas".  With all the sparkle at Sparkle N Sprinkle; we don't do as many "non-sparkly" designs, but it's nice to do that look every once in awhile.  And for an added surprise, this card actually does use a sparkling embossing powder.  But the Log Cabin embossing powder I used has just enough to add a little spark yet still blend in perfectly with the country design.  

For an extra natural touch, instead of backing the tree with a paper layer; the tree was backed with a piece of burlap.  I love the look, texture, and dimension that the burlap adds.  And the gingham ribbon & buttons make the perfect accents to complete that country feel.  I really enjoyed creating this country style for something a little different and I like how it shows that you can create completely different looks with the same stamp.  Full directions for this Country Christmas card can be found  in the Gallery here.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my cards today.  Don't forget to leave a comment before you hop on to qualify for prizes.  I read and appreciate every comment.  Now hop on over to Karin's fun blog & enjoy the rest of the hop! 

"You see things and say, "Why?", but I dream things and say, "Why not?"  

                                                                                                                                                  George Bernard Shaw

Until next time,

***Julie***

Supplies Used:

Stamp - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Embossing Powders, Glitter, Glitter Tinsel - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Embossing Folders - Cuttlebug

Frame Die Cut - Spellbinders

Tag Die Cut - Cricut

Coming Soon - SNS Winter Hop this Thursday

Just a real quick reminder that the Sparkle N Sprinkle Sparkling Winter Sensations Blog Hop is coming up in two days on Thursday Sept. 22nd.  We have such an interesting mix of styles on the SNS design team - it's always fun to see what everyone has come up with.  And while the leaves are still on the trees & fall hasn't even completely set in for most of us yet; it's already time to start planning those holiday cards that always seems to sneak up on us.  Plus, to get you ready, Sparkle N Sprinkle has most of their holiday stamps on sale this month!  So don't forget to check out the winter hop on Thursday & pick up some of your favorite holiday stamps while they're on sale!

In the meantime, I have a holiday tag to share with you to start getting you in the mood!

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This stamp on this tag comes from the Merry Crows - Set 385 and features one of my favorite fun products to play with - Sparkle N Soft.  Sparkle N Soft is so much fun to add to your cards - soft, fluffy, touchable flocking with just the right touch of sparkle to really make it "pop".  If you've never used it before; you really need to add this to your "to do" list!  Sparkle N Soft makes such a big impression on your projects.  On this card, I added it to the scarf & hat (after coloring them for extra color intensity) using brushable glue to make them warm & wooly.  I also added it to the edge of the card using Sparkle N Sprinkle's awesome Tear-ific Tape to make a beautiful coordinating fuzzy accent on the side of the card.  Doesn't it look so warm & sparkly?!  The holly strip was painstakingly handmade using a border punch and gluing tiny little strips of red & dark green paper behind each cut out.  Forgive me for dwelling on the "painstakingly" part; but it was quite time consuming to make.  And yes, I do realize I could have only put the red behind the berries and just let the green show through from the tag base.  But wanted a darker green, plus & more importantly, the strip would have been all "lumpy bumpy" if I only backed the red berries.  So....a few more pieces and a little bit more time & wel-lah!  A bit time consuming, but I was really happy with the result though!  Don't forget to click on the picture for a better view of the card & all it's sparkling softness!  I hope you enjoyed my holiday tag today & that it puts you in the mood for the Sparkling Winter Sensations hop coming up on Thursday!  Be sure to come back to see what I & the other designers have come up with for this Wintery hop!  Hope you'll join us then!!

And remember -

"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans"  John Lennon

Until next time,

Julie

Supplies used:

Stamp - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Sparkle N Soft - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Tag Die Cut - Sizzix

Border Punch - EK Success Holiday series

Pencils/Mineral Spirits

Here's a look at the whole Merry Crows set - lots of great snowman, holiday & wintery images to use and enjoy!

Blog Hop Winners Announced - Autumn Inspirations Hop

Winners from the Sparkle N Sprinkle "Autumn Inspiratons" Blog Hop have been announced.  Just wanted to pass those along in case you didn't get to see them yet.

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The Grand Prize was awarded to Aileen Freeman!

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Secondary winners (extra prizes)
1. From Donna Ellis's Blog: 2 glitter tinsels of your choice! – Karen A. Jones 
2. From Dawn Thomas's Blog: 3 embossing powders of your choice! - Linda Craig
3. From Linda Loew's Blog: 3 glitters of your choice! - Denise B
4. From Shona Erlenborn's Blog: 2 Sparkle N Soft colors of your choice! - Barb P
5. From Patti White's Blog: 2 Flocking colors of your choice! - Anita Braddock

More details (including details on what to do if you're a winner) are on the "home blog" - Sparkle N Sprinkle Blog.  And we've said before on previous hops & I'd like to repeat again myself because it's so absolutely true.....we truly enjoy & appreciate every comment   It encourages & inspires us more than you know!  Thank you so much for joining us & spending a little part of your day with us.  We're so glad you did!

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For an extra treat, I have another SNS (Sparkle N Sprinkle) fall card to share with you today.  This is another of my "Pre-Blog" designs that I wanted to share now.  This one may or may not appeal to everyone because it's a bit unusual; but it IS a completely fun card that is near and dear to my heart!

You see, for a similar SNS design request last fall; we were also asked to do cards with a fall theme - much like this recent project for the Autumn Inspirations hop.  Well, at that time, I was working with the really cute Brooke & Bailey baby sets from SNS.  Those two sets are a lot of fun & have so many great images & sayings - here's a peek at the two of them:

 

Click any photo or image for a larger view

So again...I'm working with these two sets when the fall themed request comes in & the request includes a suggestion to "re-purpose" everyday stamps into fall themed designs.  Well there it was, right in front of me....since I, like many people, create from their own life experiences or that which is personal to them - the answer was right in front of me.  Two of the four grandchildren in my immediate family (my daughter & my niece) were both born within a week of Thanksgiving.  Many people call them "turkey babies".  And since I have one and know one - I just had to create one for this design call.  Plus, the Bailey in Diapers stamp was perfect for this idea!  I just loved this card - cute, a little funny, and really unique.  What do you think?

The feathers can be done lots of different ways.  I used a Cricut to cut these, but they could easily be made out of a lot of different dies, punches, or even free hand. These ones are actually
flower petals!  They just happened to be the shape I was looking for - so let your creativity flow - think outside the box!  The saying was part stamped (the "Congratulations" from the same set as Bailey) and part done on the computer ("on your New Little Gobbler").  With cling stamps it's so easy to see through the acrylic blocks to make lining up with the computer text a breeze! And don't forget that the saying could easily be changed so that you could have a birth announcement, a shower card, or even one congratulating parents that found out they're expecting in the fall.  To finish the piece, the card and the saying piece were both accented with SNS Autumn Medley glitter for that extra "pop".

If you know anyone expecting in November; I'd bet they'd just love to receive a Baby Bailey Gobbler!  Or for that matter, Bailey would look great "dressed up" for a bunch of other holidays & events too!  Once again, let that creativity flow!!  If you do a "Bailey" card, be sure to let me know; I'd love to see yours!  Hope you enjoyed the card & congrats again to the Autumn Inspirations blog hop winners!!

"The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy; 

                                                                      I mean that if you are happy you will be good."              Bertrand Russell

Until next time,

** Julie**

Supplies used:                                        

Stamps - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Glitter - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Die cut "feathers" - Cricut

Die cut label - Spellbinders Nestabilities

Embossing Folder - Sizzix

Dew Drops - The Robin's Nest

Markers - Copic                                      Full instructions for this card can be found HERE.

Sparkle N Sprinkle "Autumn Inspirations" Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Autumn Inspirations Blog Hop.  Autumn is my favorite season - the sights, the sounds, the smells!  I'm so glad you're here!  If you've arrived here from  Jill's awesome blog; you're in the right place.  If not, you may want to go back to the Sparkle N Sprinkle Blog to start from the beginning & find out about all the great prizes for this hop.  Plus, that way you won't miss any of the great "Autumn Inspirations" we have for you!

Click any photo for larger view

For my card today I chose to do a general card instead of one specifically for the season, but instead used all those beautiful fall colors as it's focus.  Perfect for a special friend, family member, spouse- anyone close to your heart.  And for a little extra fun; I did it as a waterfall card - these are so much fun to receive and play with.  I wish you could hold it in your hands - it's so much more fun to see "in action" than in photos.  But alas, I just haven't gotten into making videos just yet; so you're going to have to accept plain old photo's for now.

While there was a lot of stamps & pieces to this card; it was so much fun to create (sensing a trend here?!)  It was a blast mixing & matching all the great Sparkle N Sprinkle stamps & sets.  And three of the sets are from the newest releases which makes them even more fun to design with!  The main element that ties everything together are the beautiful Copper embossed frames that surround every image.  These are from the new Thoughtful Frames - Set 436.  They make such a perfect accent for so many different things & there's two more great frames on this set as well as a bunch of lovely sayings as well.  A really useful & versatile set to own.
(click on any colored word(s) in the posts for links to more information)

Of course, the really fun thing about a waterfall card is the movement.  If you've never done one of these cards before; give yourself a treat & make one or two or three!  (Full instructions for this card can be found here in the art gallery at Sparkle N Sprinkle).  In order to flip through all the great "pages" of the waterfall, you pull on the pretty "pull tab" made with ribbon & a Spellbinders Parisian Accent die.  While doing that, you'll flip through fun sayings & images from the new Bird Swirl - Set 432,





new Fancy Butterflies - Set 437 & Thoughtful Frames - Set 436,

and many other favorite sets such as Nikki's Romance - Set 400 , Love Is Sweet - Set 401, and Solid Butterfly - Set 391.  It's so much fun to pull together all these different images & sayings to make a really special card for that special someone in your life.  As a matter of fact, this card was so much fun that I already have ideas for a bunch more waterfall cards from all the great stamp sets at Sparkle N Sprinkle.  Hopefully I'll have some more of those to share with you in the coming months; so be sure to stay tuned for those.  In the meantime, don't forget to check out the SNS Art Gallery for the full instructions to this card.  

Well, I sure hope you've enjoyed this card & I look forward to hearing your comments.  It's time to hop on over to the next stop on this hop - the Glitterific Patti!  Remember to leave a comment on each stop to qualify for all the great prizes!  And thanks a bunch for joining us on this warm & colorful autumn adventure!

Autumn has a beauty & color & warmth that lingers in our senses the whole year through.  Embrace it!

 Until next time, 

**Julie**

 PS - Don't forget, I'm still building this new blog; so if you like what you see consider becoming a follower so you can see the great things I'll be adding as this blog builds & grows.  Come along with me on my adventures in creativity & life!

Supplies:

Stamps - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Embossing Powders - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Die - Spellbinders Parisian Accents

Embossing Folder - Cuttlebug

Ribbon - Michaels

 

Finally Back......And Showcasing New SNS Stamps!

Wow, I'm finally "back on the blog"!  It seems I've hit one of those little spells where I've ended up being much busier than I expected and I haven't gotten to blogging for awhile.  While I really enjoy sharing things with you all, at times, things with higher priorities just take over.  And with two young school age kids, the end of summer seems to have "snuck" up on me.  Suddenly our days have been extra filled with everything from extra outings we wanted to go on during the summer to back to school shoppping to those doctor appts. that you just want to squeeze in before school starts.  It's amazing how fast the days can slip away with even the little "mundane" things!

Well, in any case, I definitely wanted to get back to blogging and share some more fun things with you.  And while I haven't been blogging for awhile; I definitely have been creating; so I've got some great things to share as we catch up.

Plus, this is the perfect time to start catching up because Sparkle N Sprinkle is getting ready for another great blog hop this Thursday & Friday - Autumn Inspirations - I have a really fun project to share with you for that too!  And of course, there will be some great prizes for those that leave comments along the hop; so make sure you check in for that on Thursday!!

Click any photo for a larger view

(Don't forget, click on any highlighted word(s) for further details/links).
Ok then, what I have for you today is from a new stamp release from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  This card uses a beautiful butterfly and saying from the new Fancy Butterflies - Set 437.  This stamp set coordinates with Spellbinders new summer release butterfly dies and can be purchased as individual stamps, as a money saving set, or in either of two combo's that include one or both of the two great Spellbinder die sets!  So you can get exactly what you want - so many options!  (Pics of the sets are further down in this post)

For my card, to add a little extra interest, creativity, and fun; the butterfly is stamped & embossed on metal!  This is such a fun medium to work with for this image because you can mold & shape the butterfly exactly how you want to make it really dimensional & lifelike.  There's a great little tutorial on the SNS Tips & Techniques section for Embossing on Metal & you'll find another example there where I embossed on metal.  If you haven't tried this yet; you have to try this.  It's so much fun & adds so much interest to your creations.  For this card, I did cut my butterfly out by hand to get the look I wanted; but the Spellbinders dies will cut the craft metal; so that's another great option you have too.  Here's a look at the stamp set & the coordinating dies from Spellbinders:

This card also takes on a fun feel by having the whole card cut out in an oval shape.  I used the Spellbinders new Grand Calibur and Grand Oval Nestabilities to cut out the main card base & layers.  While I chose a simple shape for this card, all the Grand Nestabilities make such great (& interesting) card bases!  If you'd like to see the full directions for this card; they can be found here in my gallery on the SNS site.

Fancy Butterflies set is just one of a bunch of new stamp releases from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  You might enjoy taking a look at 5 of the new sets in the newly released You Tube video showcasing some of the great new Spring & Summer sets.  I only have one card in this group, but I did another card that uses a bunch of the new sets (& some older ones too!) that isn't on the video because it's part of the up coming blog hop.  So you'll have to make sure you come back to check that out!!  In the meantime, here's a link to the YouTube video so you can check out the new sets -
  Sparkle N Sprinkle 5 New Sets (Spring/Summer 2011)

Be sure to come back Thursday for the Autumn Inspirations blog hop & I'll share the card I did with a bunch of these new sets!  Looking forward to seeing you then! 

     "Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."  

Theodore Roosevelt

 Until next time,

** Julie**

Supplies used:
Stamps & Embossing Powder - Sparkle N Sprinkle
Dies - Spellbinders Nestabilities
Embossing Folder - Quickutz
Craft Metal - Walnut Hollow

For Your Paws

Hi again!  Well, I said I'd share another project today using the fun Sparkle N Sprinkle stamp "For Your Paws Only" and one that was not Christmas-y.  And so I will!  I did this one at the same time as the dog bones card, but this one is for the cat lovers this time!

Click any photo for closer view

This time I went with a gift bag.  And for cat lovers it's got to be a fish for the treat!  The fish was cut out on a Cricut machine, the saying was then embossed with By The Lake embossing powder, and then the entire fish & his details were all done with a Quickie glue pen and Aquamarine glitter.  I added a white stud that I drew the eye onto & added a fun "fish stringer" from jute rope.  One (or more) of these strung onto a rope would also be perfect for a fisherman.  The fish was pop dotted onto a Spellbinders Label One Nestability that was run through an embossing folder, attached to the bag & accented with paw print ribbon & coordinating rhinestones.  I just love this little fishy & how he's tied up with the rope!  I think any cat lover (or fisherman!) would love receiving this!  Below there's a close up too.  If you'd like to see the full instructions for this project, go to my gallery page at Sparkle N Sprinkle by clicking here.





Take a look at all that sparkling goodness!  Not only does all that Sparkle N Sprinkle glitter shine, but the embossing powder (which is also from Sparkle N Sprinkle) has it's own sparkling goodness too!  Well, I hope you enjoyed this project as much as the dog one.  And don't forget to always really take a good look at everything you can do with your stamp sets.  Sparkle N Sprinkle often has stamps like this that are intended for a particular holiday, but can be used for so much more!  More bang for your buck......I'm always a big fan of that!  Oh, and don't forget you can get the stamps individually or as part of the money saving set - always up to you!

Okay then, thought for today is.....

Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed.
Corita Kent

Hope you make the most of every moment!  

Unitl next time,

**Julie**

Supplies:

Fish die cut - Cricut

Label - Spellbinders Nestability

Embossing Folder - Cuttlebug

Stamp - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Glitter - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Embossing Powder - Sparkle N Sprinkle

 

Blog Hop Winners Announced

Winners from the Sparkle N Sprinkle "Sparkling Winter Sensations" Blog Hop have been announced.  Thought I'd pass that along in case you didn't get to see them yet.  And one of the 5 extra prizes was hidden on my blog - Yeah!  Well, here they are:

The Grand Prize is awarded to Mitzi Vogel!

Secondary winners (extra prizes)
1. From Barbara Bruder’s Blog –  Peg Klitch
2. From Eleanor Jenkins’ Blog – April of South Carolina
3. From Julie Zippel’s Blog – NWFlamingo (yeah again! a winner from this blog!!)
4. From Marie Berquist’s Blog – Lois (lew1993)
5. From Karin Martin’s Blog – Donna Levine


More details (including details on what to do if you're a winner) & a special thank you from all of us on the design team are on the "home blog" - Sparkle N Sprinkle blog.  And similar to what it says there I'd like to say myself because it's so absolutely true.....we truly enjoy & appreciate every comment   It encourages & inspires us more than you know!  Thank you so much for joining us & spending a little part of your day with us.  We're so glad you did!

And in the spirit of sharing & the hop; I thought I'd share a card with you today from another Christmas set from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  I did this card a little while back; but that was before I had a blog to share projects on.  And since the main stamp comes from a Christmas set; I thought this would be the perfect occasion to share this as a follow up to the hop!

Click any photo for closer view

At first this card does look "Christmas-y" because of the colors.  But really, it could be used almost any time of the year and for almost any occasion (birthday, thinking of you, thank you, get well, you name it)!.  Just add whatever saying fits your occasion inside!  You could even change the green background paper to another color to tone down the holiday feel if you wanted to.  The dog bowl & dog bones are from an older Sizzix die.  The "For Your Paws Only" stamp comes from Set 342 below.

 

Here's a close up of the bowl & bones so you can see all the dimension with the corrugated background, and pop dotted bones & bowl.  I used pop dots only in certain parts of the bones & bowl (instead of all over) to get those to pop up more realistically in just right places !  It's is a card any dog lover would enjoy.  The paw prints on the bowl are also from Sparkle N Sprinkle - Set 249 - Dogs - Kramer.  Full instructions for this card can be found in my SNS gallery here.  

Sparkle N Sprinkle sets are such a great value.  And you never want to forget how versatile the different sets can be - there's always so many more ways to use them than what may be obvious at first.  This "For your paws only" from a Christmas set is a perfect example! And don't forget to come on back tomorrow & I'll share a completely different (completely non-Christmas look) using the same "For Your Paws Only" stamp - this time for the cat lovers!  Don't miss it!  And remember,

Life is what you make of it. Always has been, always will be.

                                                                                                                             (-Grandma Mary)

Make the best of yours!

Until next time -

** Julie** 

Supplies used:

Stamps - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Embossing Powders - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Die Cuts - Sizzix 

Sm Dog Bone Punch - McGill or Fiskars?