Collage Valentine's Day Card

Today I'm up on the STAMPlorations blog with a whole feature tutorial on how to create this collagey Valentine wonder! 

I talk all about creating a colorful decoupaged background.

Creating a grungy background using the Artsy Border Maker stamp set. 

And the perfect non-mushy sentiment and focal image using the Funny Kinda Love stamp set.

Go check out my tutorial on the STAMPlorations blog and also feel free to use my code STAMPGIRLBECCA for 20% off anything in the STAMPlorations store. :) 

I also would be remiss if I didn't mention where I got all my lovely collage papers. My friend Lauren Bergold of all the GOOD blog names were taken gave me these awesome papers as a gift and I, of course, am in love with them. She finds the perfect old books, dictionaries, and encyclopedias and creates amazing packages of collage paper in her Etsy store.

Snarky and Funny Valentine's Day Card

When it comes to Valentine's Day, we all know I'm a huge fan. First of all - glitter can be strewn about with abundance and second of all, I get to use all the heart-shaped, kissy image things I want with no repercussions. 

That's why I'm thrilled to be hopping along in STAMPlorations Love Hop and Linky Party. 

 

Rather than getting all mushy gushy, I decided to go with a very non-traditional snark to my card. Last year, I designed this A Funny Kinda Love stamp set for STAMPlorations. Yes it's got all the options to make a cheesy, eye-watering lovey dovey card - but it's also got all the elements and sentiments to add a little cheek to the undertones of amore. 

You're not going to want to miss out on all the fun at STAMPlorations Love Hop & Linky Party. There's three FREE digi stamps for anyone who wants to snag them, and there's a ton of fun prizes! Go leave some comments and get some inspiration as you start your V-day preparations! 

PSSsSSsst - If you're looking to add to your love-themed stamp sets, make sure to use code STAMPGIRLBECCA at checkout for 20% off your whole order in the STAMPstore. 

Romantic Expressions - New Release

Valentine's Day might be gone, but I just can't make myself stop with all things glittery and pink. 

Luckily there are some new releases over at STAMPlorations today that are making it easy for me to keep on with my love of... well... love. 

Hop on up to the STAMPlorations blog to see Romantic Expressions 1, Romantic Expressions 2, and Romantic Expressions 3 in action.

Because I wanted my design to be all full of elegance, I broke out the embossing gun and sprinkled on some platinum powder. 

I also used a sketch from Sunday Stamps. 

Some foiled papers brought the elegance to the forefront of the overall design. It's textured and lovely and I just want to keep running my hands over it and twisting it in the sunlight. That's not weird - right? 

Thanks for popping by!

Funny Valentine's Day Card

You guys. It's January already. That means my annual goal of actually mailing out Christmas cards has waaaay passed and I've failed like usual and now there is only one hope for redemption: Valentine's Day. 

If you're no stranger to my blog, you'll already know that my love of all things heart-shaped, red, and glittery PAIRED with my love of all things punny make Valentine's cards the perfect outlet for my slightly twisted brain. 


Also - a whole new year means a whole new opportunity to rock the socks of the STAMPlorations Theme & Sketch challenge. Here's what we've got going on this month: 

I chose to work on with the sketch for my card and came up with a slightly snarky card. 

If you don't have any slightly silly, yet still kinda lovey dovey stamp sets in your collection, you NEED to go check out Funny Kinda Love. I promise you'll laugh and so will the recipients of your cards. 

I'm going to play along with Addicted to Stamps and More's Holiday challenge. 

I hope you'll come play along in the theme & sketch challenge this month because we've got some awesome prizes to give away! 

2017 Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

It's a hip hop, a hippity hop, a hip hip hop hooray!

(if you haven't heard that song, you need to google it now so that it's as stuck in your head as it is in mine.)

Anyhow

I'ts the Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! Woooo!!!

I know you all have many places to hop along to, so I will keep this post short and sweet. 

When I think winter, I immediate think Valentine's Day, because that' my favorite part about winter. Ergo (using antiquated words is fun, huh?), I decided to create a wintry love-themed coffee card for this particular hop. 

I looooooove this cheeky stamp set (A Cuppa Love), which I designed for super sponsor STAMPlorations. It's perfect for Valentine's Day, lovey-dovey cards, friendship cards, and more. 

Best of all? This set is only $10 AND during the hop you can get it (and anything else in the STAMPlorations store) for 20% off using code STAMPGIRLBECCA at checkout. 

Well what are you waiting for?! Get to hopping you crazies! I'll be popping in with more cards throughout the hop and can't wait to see what you make! 

Growing in Unity - Day 2 + Prizes

What did the fox say?!

Ever since I designed this card for my second day of Growing in Unity guest designer posts, I've had that little earworm playing on repeat in my head. 

How fleepin' cute are these fleepin' foxes? Fleepin' cute. That's how cute. 

When I saw them in the Warmth of Winter Kit of the Month, I'm pretty sure I actually let out a little bit of squeeeeal before immediately inking them up. 


I used my Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors to paint it up and added some splashy colors to my winter scene. If you haven't invested in a set of watercolors, I would HIGHLY recommend these because they're so vibrant! The trees also came from the same kit. 

I didn't want to add any sentiment to muddy up the card, so I just left it blank. I think it's a perfect design for an anniversary, Valentine's Day or just an all-around general lovey-dovey card. 

I'm going to play along at
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything goes featuring a critter
Simon Says Stamp - Stamp It

If you're feeling like leaving some extra bloggy love today go check out my fellow GIU gal for the week: Rebecca Wong Pui Yee.

Make sure you leave a comment down below because Unity is giving away two stamp sets to those of you who are kind enough to drop some lines! 

Cozy Cocoa Card - Valentines Day

I know Valentine's Day is a ways away, but it's also my fave card-gifting holiday, so I like to start on lovey dovey mushy gushy cards waaay early. 

Today I'm up on the Coffee Loving Cardmakers blog showcasing two adorably cozy designs I made using Sunny Studios Mug Hugs stamp set. You should totally pop over there and check out the second design because it's equally as squeal-worthy. 

My design was inspired by the latest sketch challenge from Sketch Saturday. I'm also going to send this over to play along in Eclectic Ellapu's anything goes challenge and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Add a Sentiment challenge.

Don't you just love those plaid papers? So fleepin' cute! 

I hope you'll pop on over to the Coffee Loving Papercrafters blog to leave a little comment and see my other design! 

Happy Monday!

Fusion Challenge - Pink, Pretty, Coffee!

I'm popping in for a quick card I designed for the new Fusion Challenge. 

The minute I saw this adorable inspiration image, I knew exactly what I wanted to create. This card took me all of 20 minutes and that NEVER happens! 

Usually I'm putzing around with this embellishment, trying that paper - no that one!, all the while attempting to keep myself from getting glue on my boobs (I said it) because I've left the cap off *again* and am constantly reaching for things. I can't tell you just how many shirts I've ruined with that ol' fiasco. 

But anyhow, here's my card:

I used STAMPlorations A Cuppa Love stamp set (which my bloggy readers can get in the STAMPlorations store for 20% off by using code STAMPGIRLBECCA) along with the XOXO word die.

I added some teeny heart stickers, along with a less-than-teeny heart rosette and put it all together! 

I hope you'll go check out what the other Fusion girlies have made for your eye-ticement. 

Little Red Wagon - Company or Companies you Love
Oh La La Creations - Die Cuts

Vintage Chic Card - Valentine

I know... I know... it's the day after Valentine's Day and I should stop already, but I just can't! I've whipped up SO many valentines this season and I've still got a few more to showcase. 

Case in point? This one that I designed for the latest The Card Concept challenge, which hit the internet TODAY. 

Isn't that inspiration image a beaut? I love all the vintagey goodness going on and was super inspired by the scrawly script and leather heart. 

So I decided to make some paper leather. 

Check that out! This was made with a combination of Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, Antique Linen, and Tea Dye Distress Inks - using the Distress Ink Double Dipping technique. 

Next, I brought out a lovely little cardboard heart and did some alterations to give it texture and life. 

I started by using Vintage Photo Distress Paint over the surface of the cardboard and, while it was still wet, sprinkled some Rust Embossing Powder over the top. I heat set it with my embossing gun and edged the heart with a coppery InkaGold. 

To bring in the scrawly script, I used a big background stamp and added a layer of Distress Crayon and Distress Spray Stain splatters, edging the whole panel in InkaGold to tie it in. 

Put it all together and what do you get? Taaaa daaaa! 

I hope you'll go check out the other awesome inspiration on The Card Concept blog and then play along! 

I'm going to enter my card at the following challenges:
Mixed Media World - Anything Mixed Media Goes
Try it on Tuesday - Let's Get Messy with Paints/inks

My Valentine... A Valentine's Day Memory

Valentine's Day has always been my favorite holiday - mostly because the weekend before was always spent with my Grandma Mead, cutting up sparkly bits of pink and red and creating cards, laughing and gabbing away the hours. 

My grandma loved all 22 of her grandchildren and managed to take time for each of them in unique ways. Valentine's cardmaking weekend was "our" time and I looked forward to it every year.

I'd always buy the basics - cardstock and V-day papers, but I cringe now to think about the expense she incurred in embellishments, ribbons, stamps, inks, embossing powders and specialty tools she kept at the ready for her young granddaughter.

She'd patiently show me the latest cardmaking techniques, let me mess up her kitchen for two days, and then put it all back together again once my whir of valentine's energy subsided. My favorite part, though, was when our creative retreat came to a close. I'd line up my collection of creations on her kitchen counter and we'd carefully vote on the order of best cards. She always pretended like there wasn't a bad one in the bunch, but hey - I'm sure in my 10-11-12-year-old cardmaking infancy that she was a big ol' lovable liar.

I can't remember when or how or why this tradition started... but I miss it terribly. Her patience and love created the foundation for the papercrafting artist I am today. She's been gone now for 3 years. 
 

In the years since she's been gone, I haven't really done much of V-day crafting (at least not on the scale that I used to). No pun intended, but my heart just wasn't in it. This year, though, I'm starting a new tradition. I am teaching a Valentine's Day card class and following it up with a crafty crop. I'm excited to share my love of all things red and pink and sparkly with new crafters.

Would you all send some extra good vibes my way this weekend? They would definitely be joyously accepted! 


Now that storytime is over, I suppose I'd better share one of the designs I'll be teaching.

Check out that metallic goodness, loved up with some InkaGold paste. 

My card was derived from the Atlantic Hearts Sketch:

That scrawly "love you" comes from Verve's Stronger Love sentiment set, which has theee most beautiful sentiments. <3 <3 Seriously! Go check it out!

I also want to play along in the following awesome challenges:
Simon Say Stamp Monday - Young at Heart
Crafty Cardmakers - Love Love Love
Paper Players - Will You Be My Valentine

Thank you for stopping by and reading my memories! <3 <3

A Punny Valentine's Day Card

Ah, February, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:
1) You give me reasons to make tons of punny cards
2)  I can fully express my love of all things hot pink
3)  You're short - just like me

 

If you haven't guessed by now, I've got another Valentine's Day card to share with you! Actually - two of them! I loved the first one so much that I made it in duplicates. 

But before I get toooo far ahead of myself, let's talk about where I'm drawing my inspiration from. It's time for a brand spankin' new STAMPlorations theme & sketch challenge. 

As lovely as the sketch is, I saw the theme "Stamps & Retro" and could see no further than that. Especially since I just got the new Hello You 5x7 Stamp Club set and <3 <3 <3 everything about it!

I could not WAIT to ink up that typewriter. I also wanted more of a V-day lovey dovey sentiment, so I decided to make my own. 

I verrrrry carefully (because stamping is such an exact science right? <-- please see sarcasm in the dictionary for a full definition) drew a tiny little sheet of paper and then hand-lettered a punny typewriter-related phrase. 

I layered and layered and layered following the sketch from the Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge. 

Figuring out how so many patterns could go together and not clash was so fun, that I decided to do it a second time in order to create a more masculine version and used the color challenge from The Color Throwdown.

Taaaaa-daaaaaaa! 

My cards are also going to play along in:
Simon Says Wednesday - Color of Love
Craft Rocket Challenge - It's a Love Thing
Cute Card Thursday - Be My Valentine

Thanks for popping by!!

Fusion Card Challenge - Interlocking Hearts

Chugga chugga chugga chugga CHOOO CHOOO - I'm still riding the Valentine's Day card train and I've got two more adooooorable cards to share with you today. 

Today I'm taking my inspiration courtesy of Fusion Card Challenge. I loooove Fusion because it gives me options. You can choose to work with either the sketch or the inspiration image or BOTH. 

For me, I chose to work with the sketch, and used the inspiration image loosely by interpreting it by making it a lovey dovey card. 

I used a couple of adorable animal sets from Unity to make some squeal-worthy designs. The inside of this one says "I wuff you". haha - you know me, I can't resist a good pun. 

Can you even stand that adorable cat's glasses?!?! I named him Spencer and he is definitely one of my new faves. I stamped the used a sentiment from the stamp set and repeatedly stamped it in the background to create a pattern. The inside of this one reads "You are purrrrr-fect for me". 

I'm sending these over to play along in:
Simon Says Stamp Monday - Pets Corner
Cards und More - Pets and Other Furry Friends
Tuesday Throwdown - Love Notes

I hope you'll head on over to Fusion and play along! Can't wait to see what you create!