Hey friends!
You are going to want to hop on over to the Power Poppy blog today! Why, you ask? Well, simply because I am the hostess....AND you have yet another chance to win a $50 shopping spree in the Power Poppy store!
Here's a peek at my project:
There are complete, step-by-step instructions for this project, as well as free downloadable templates for you, over on the Power Poppy blog. Check it out!
Have a fabulous weekend!
~Cindy
Hello & happy Sunday, crafty friends!
How about all of those yummy colors up there? Those fabulous pens are a fairly new offering from Imagination International Inc, the same company that brings you your Copic Markers here in the US. It's the Kirarina 2win Oil-based Pen, and you really want to have it in your collection. Just sayin'. ;)
So, what's so special about these pens? For starters the oil-based ink in these pens sticks to any surface. Yup, I said ANY. As you can see, they come in a wide range of vibrant colors...18 to be exact. Each pen is double-sided with a different original Kirarina color on each end. So, you really are getting two pens in one!
I decided to try something a bit out of my comfort zone, because why not, right?!
I chose to dress up this plain ivory colored pot:
I chose to work with the Raspberry Kirarina 2win Oil-based Pen. I first made sure my surface was clean.
Next, I die-cut a few different sizes of flowers from MFT's Upsy-Daisy Die-namics set using X-Press It Mask It paper. I then adhered the die-cut daisies to the pot and began to dot on color with the Raspberry Kirarina 2win Oil-based Pen.
I concentrated the dots quite closely in between the flower petals and spaced them apart further as I moved away from each flower. I made sure to use both ends of the pen, as the colors are different. Here's a look at the two colors in the Raspberry Kirarina 2win Oil-based Pen:
Both tips on each marker is the same round nib, with the exception of the black marker, which has a round nib on one end and a fine nib on the other. Here's a peek at the markers with their caps removed:
Once I finished the dots all the way around the pot, I added some gold ones using a shiny gold oil-based paint pen to dress it up just a bit more. Once I was finished, and the piece was dry, I peeled off all of the X-Press It Mask It daisies, added flower centers, and colored up the rim of the flower pot to match.
All in all, it was really easy to make, and I think it turned out pretty great. :)
I decided it would be the perfect pot for my basil plant:
Kinda sweet, right?
It has definitely inspired me to play with my Kirarina 2win Oil-based Pens a whole lot more!
Have a fantastic day, friends! Thanks for stopping by to visit with me once again!
~Cindy
Good sunshiny morning, friends!
I hope today finds you happy, healthy, and ready for a great weekend! Now that September is upon us, my schedule is a little more "normal" (whatever that is). So you should be seeing lots more of me...certainly more than you did this summer. ;)
Today, the Bloom Brigade is sharing fun projects for this month's new Power & Spark challenge, Gifts From the Heart. To play along with the challenge, you simple need to create a project with a gift-giving theme, whether it be packaging or the gift itself. Then upload your project to the Power Poppy blog to be entered into the drawing for a FREE stamp set of your choosing!
My project is a sweet little gable box created using the Happy Crabapple stamp set. The instructions for making the box are HERE. The only difference on mine is that I used a die-cut oval, rather than a punch for the handles.
My card stock is Kraft, hot pink, and X-Press It Blending Card. I stamped the large crabapple image all over the box base with pigment white ink for a subtle background. The sentiment was stamped in hot pink and the small blossom image was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and colored with Copic markers. Here are the markers I used: Leaves - G20/YG63/YG67 Blossoms - R81/R85
Next up, check out what the rest of the Bloom Brigade has created for this challenge! So many fantastic projects!
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!
Julie Koerber
Katie Sims
Leslie Miller
Marcella Hawley
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker
Have a most FABULOUS weekend, friends! Thanks for hanging in there with me, in spite of my absence this summer! xo
~Cindy
Hello, friends!
This month's Ingenious Inking Challenge from My Favorite Things is all about mixed media. Mixed media can be a little intimidating – once you begin piling up different textures, patterns, and colors though, you quickly realize how forgiving, and exciting, it can be. This month, we’re using Hybrid Inks, the perfect choice for mixed media applications with its quick-dry, no-smudge formulation.
I created two 6" x 6" art canvases to share with you.
My first canvas has a "love" theme. Since the canvas was pre-primed, I was able to get to work inking it right up. I brushed on a trio of Hybrid Refill Inks in the following shades: Sno Cone, Tropical Teal, and Blueberry.
I sponged some extra Blueberry Hybrid Ink on the edges of the canvas, and allowed the ink to dry completely before adding more layers. I then stamped the Romantic Script Background in Blueberry Hybrid Ink, angled in the center of the canvas. I stenciled Tropical Teal Hybrid Ink using the Tiled Hearts Stencil in both the upper right and lower left corners.
Next, I used the Small Brick Wall Stencil and White Embossing Paste to create texture and pops of white brick in the corners of the canvas.
Once the embossing paste dried completely, I added a Smooth White die-cut heart that I colored with Persimmon Hybrid Ink, giving it some irregular color texture. I die-cut the heart with the Pierced Heart STAX Die-namics.
The x's and o's were die-cut from Blueberry card stock using the Tag Builder Blueprints 3 Die-namics. The word "love" was die-cut from Smooth White card stock using the Peace, Love, Joy Die-namics.
Once I had everything attached to the canvas, and the inks were completely dry, I brushed on a coat of Distress Clear Crackle Paint. This not only served to seal the project; but it added a wonderful cracked texture to the surface.
My second canvas is more vibrant, in keeping with the "happy" theme. :)
I began by painting on some Blueberry, Tropical Teal, and Limelight Hybrid Inks. I used a paper towel to wipe off the excess ink, which also added some nice texture...especially to the edges. Once the inks were dry, I laid my Scrolled Background Stencil on top and spread on some White Embossing Paste. When I peeled up that stencil to reveal the pattern, it was definitely a WOW moment...so cool!
I allowed the embossing paste to dry thoroughly, and then attached a couple of Stitched Circle Die-namics die-cut circles in Tropical Teal and Limelight to the center of the canvas.
The butterfly from Blissful Butterflies was stamped in Blueberry Hybrid Ink, and die-cut with the Blissful Butterflies Die-namics. I die-cut the word "happy" with the Happy Trio Die-namics and Persimmon card stock.
Just like the first canvas, I finished it off with a coat of Distress Clear Crackle Paint.
Swing by the MFT Blog for links to the other designers' Ingenious Inking projects.
Have a beautiful day, friends!
~Cindy
Love Canvas Supplies:
Happy Canvas Supplies:
Hello friends~
One more day before the big release from My Favorite Things! Today I have a sweet card to share with you, as well as a peek into my personal planner.
First up, the card:
My card showcases the new Love Die-namics, which is this month's Free With $60 product, as well as the Smitten With You stamp set and Damask Background. I created this one for my sweet hubby to give him on Valentine's Day. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband!
The card base is Ripe Raspberry, and the layers are Smooth White and a mirrored silver card stock.
I wrapped a couple of the letters in silver cording, and backed it all with mirrored silver card stock.
Inside, I added a layer of Smooth White, a strip of Ripe Raspberry, a strip of silver mirrored card stock, and stamped the sentiment and hearts in Ripe Raspberry ink.
Now is a great time to get organized for the upcoming year, and MFT has made that easy with the new Planner Basics stamp set and coordinating Planner Pieces Die-namics.
I die-cut a nice assortment of shapes using the Planner Pieces Die-namics and sticker paper. I then stamped them with Black Licorice Hybrid Ink, as well as an assortment of other Hybrid inks. Then I colored them up using Copic markers.
I re-did each of the headers in my planner to make it work better for me. The sections are now "work", "family", and "to-do".
To mark off my daughter's cheerleading competitions, I added strips of washi tape, as well as die-cut stars made using the Pierced Star STAX Die-namics, my BG72 Copic marker, and a bit of sparkle created with the MIX-ables Sheer Shimmer Mist. As you can see, I also marked off church each week, including a sweet little cross found in the Planner Basics stamp set.
Along the bottom of each page, I created stickers to keep track of my water intake. Part of my endeavor to be healthier includes drinking more water; so this is a perfect visual for me. I stamped the water glasses in Tropical Teal, and the word "hydrate" in Black Licorice. I then check off each water glass as I drink it. I usually get between 5 and 7 glasses in each day...working on getting to a consistent 8.
Here's a peek at a page after it's been used and abused by me. :) As much as I love all the pretty stickers and colors, I also need it to be functional and not add too much time to an already-full schedule. So...it isn't always very pretty once I've used it; but it is definitely working for me!Here's a peek at a future page that is marked and ready with appointments and even a scheduled day off. You'll notice I have a "write" sticker on my scheduled day off. I have been jotting notes to write a book for a long, long time, and this year I've decided to put a little more action behind that dream. So...I'm scheduling in some writing time. :)
Here's a look at some very simple hand-made stickers I have ready for inserting into my planner. I used a package of plain white circle stickers, colored them with assorted Copic markers (you can coordinate or color code as you wish), and stamped with images and words from the Planner Basics set. I have found that you can get quite a lot of these created in very minimal time. I give myself 1/2 hour increments of time to work on planner stuff here and there throughout my week. You may choose to give yourself an entire afternoon all at once instead. Whatever works for you! I assure you that it is worth every minute you spend to keep your life organized. Life gets pretty harried at times, and those are the moments when you REALLY appreciate that everything you need to know about what you need to do or where you need to be is right there in your planner. It's quite therapeutic also...and very satisfying!
Thanks so much for stopping by, friends! Be sure to swing by the MFT Blog for your chance to win some fabulous prizes, as well as for links to the other designers' blogs!
Have a beautiful day!
~Cindy
Hello everyone~
It's time for the monthly Design Team Creative Challenge from My Favorite Things. This month we were challenged to create projects using MFT's fabulous Felt.
I created a couple of fun projects to share with you all.
My first project is a sweet eyeglass case. I have a hard sided case for my reading glasses, and I find that it's too bulky to carry around in my purse; so this was the perfect project for me to make.
I began by cutting a piece of Steel Grey felt to 8" x 10". I then cut the top two corners off by measuring down 3-1/2" on the 10" side, and across 2-1/2" on the 8" side.
I then applique'd the flowers, leaves, and border pieces before folding and stitching the case together.
The applique'd flowers from the Gerbera Daisy Die-namics & Upsy-Daisy Die-namics were created with the following colors of felt: Sweet Tooth, Banana Split, and Gumdrop Green. I blanket stitched all around the edges of the case.
I created the scalloped flap edge with the Stitched Scallop Edges Die-namics, as well as the Blueprints 2 Die-namics.
I then sewed on a Steel Grey Button, and cut a button hole to fit.
My glasses fit inside perfectly, and will be handy to carry with me in my sweet little felt holder. :)
My second project is a sweet felt doily for my table. I die-cut oodles of snowflakes using the Pierced Snowflakes Die-namics, and hot glued them together to created a beautiful accent for my holiday table. Since I chose snowflakes, I'll be able to keep this out all through the winter. It would be fun to created one using hearts and red felt, wouldn't it? This was an easy project, and a lot of fun to create!
Here's a slightly different viewpoint. The felt I used is all Sweet Tooth. (I need a new package asap!)
Thanks so much for stopping by, friends! Be sure to swing by the MFT Blog for links to the other designers' felt creations.
Have a beautiful day!
~Cindy
Supplies:
Hey everyone~
It's time for the monthly Design Team Creative Challenge from My Favorite Things. This month we were challenged to spread a little Christmas cheer, with some holiday-inspired projects.
I created a little gift set for my darling hubby. I just adore the Cozy Mittens Die-namics; so I began with a couple of sets of mittens for my projects. I die-cut them with a wonderful herringbone patterned paper from Carta Bella's Warm & Cozy 6x6 paper pack. I then sponged the edges with Hot Fudge ink.
My card has a Whip Cream base, and the layers are Hot Fudge and patterned papers from the Warm & Cozy collection. The scalloped bottom was die-cut with the Stitched Scalloped Edges Die-namics. The sweet little Christmas tree on the mittens is from the Cozy Mittens set.
I stamped the sentiment in Hot Fudge ink, and added a trio of enamel dots to dresss it up.
Here's a look at the inside of the card:
A strip of patterned paper and Hot Fudge card stock anchor the top and bottom. I stamped the tree in Jellybean Green and the sentiment in Hot Fudge.
Here's a peek at the gift wrap and tag I created:
I simply stamped the mittens from Cozy Mittens in Whip Cream, Hot Fudge, and Jellybean Green onto kraft paper. I tied it up with a Hot Fudge Grosgrain Ribbon. The tag was die-cut with the Stitched Traditional Tag STAX Die-namics out of Whip Cream card stock. I stamped it up using Hot Fudge and Jellybean Green inks.
Finally, here's a peek a the sweet little treat box:
The box was die-cut with the Paper Bag Treat Bag Die-namics out of Hot Fudge card stock. I stamped the Sweater Stitch Background in Hot Fudge ink on the background. I die-cut a couple more mittens and decorated them in the same way as the previous pair. A bit of hemp cord and a duo of wooden enamel dots ties the mittens together.
Thanks so much for visiting today, friends! Be sure to swing by the MFT Blog for links to the rest of the design team creations.
Have a beautiful day!
~Cindy
Supplies:
Hello friends!
Today, I shaking it up a bit with a set of Christmas gift tags made with Power Poppy's new Merry Littles stamp set. AND....are you ready for this? I didn't use my Copics to color them. Okay, I'll wait while you pick yourself up off the floor....
Better now? ;) Great! I pulled out my Peerless Watercolors, which I haven't played with in forever, and forgot how very much I adore! I used a very small paint brush to watercolor the images. The tags were die-cut from Fabriano watercolor paper, and the images stamped using Jet Black Staz-On ink. All of the images and sentiments are from the Merry Littles stamp set. That is SUCH a versatile set, my friends.
A bit of hemp twine through 1/8" circles ensures that the tags are ready to be tied on to packages.
Here's a look at each individual tag:
Aren't they just so much FUN!? They came together so quickly too, as there are no layers or embellishments to fuss with. I need to make lots more of these STAT, as my daughter just reminded me yesterday that Christmas is just 49 days away. Ugh....no WAY?! How does it sneak up on me every year? Sigh...I guess I better get crackin' on some Christmas shopping, eh?
Here's an alternate view of the tags all together:
Be sure to swing by and see some of the rest of the Bloom Brigade blogs to see their gorgeous creations today.
Thanks so much for visiting with me today, friends!
Have a beautiful day!
~Cindy
Hey everyone!
It's time for the monthly My Favorite Things Design Team Creative Challenge! This month we were challenged to create some spooky things for Halloween.
I decided to create some fun treat sacks for my family. They were all created using the Paper Bag Treat Box Die-namics, Miss Tiina Trick or Treat stamp set, and Trick or Treat Die-namics. I stamped the spooky critters in Black Licorice Hybrid Ink, and colored the with the following Copic markers: YG91/YG93/YG95 YR23/YR27/W0/W3/W5/W9/E40/E42
The patterned papers I used are from Echo Park's Chillingsworth Manor collection.
Here's a look at each one individually:
These were so much fun to create...and super EASY too! That's the best kind of project during the busy holiday season, don't you think? I didn't put any candy in them yet, because candy + me alone in the house = dangerous! I will purchase it last-minute; so I am not tempted in a weak moment. ;)
Be sure to swing by the MFT Blog for links to the other designers spooky creations!
Have a beautiful day!
~Cindy
Supplies:
Hey everyone! I'm back with some more fun projects from the July release from My Favorite Things. It's day one of the release rewind!
I may have had a little fun with the new Cupcake Stand Die-namics...*maybe*. Haha...I LOVE that thing SO much! Since my hubby brought home such an assortment of yummy cupcakes, I decided to make an assortment of cupcake stands to hold them...right before we all devoured them! Don't they look amazing?! (They were!)
When I created my stands, I added an extra "top" layer to each of them. I like the ruffled border that creates...fancy. :)
The first stand is made from Orange Fizz card stock. The "doily" was created with the Dizzy Doily Duo Die-namics and Smooth White card stock. I created the cupcake "wrap" by simply cutting a half-circle of Lemon Drop card stock, and wrapping it around the cupcake. I stamped the Confetti Background stamp in Orange Fizz ink on the cupcake wrapper to gussy it up a bit.
The second stand is made from Bubblegum card stock. The "doily" was created with the Dizzy Doily Duo Die-namics and Lemon Drop card stock. I stamped the little stars from Celebrate You on the cupcake wrapper with Orange Fizz and Sweet Tooth inks.
The third stand is made from Lemon Drop card stock. The "doily" was created with the Dizzy Doily Duo Die-namics and Orange Fizz card stock. I stamped the Happy Birthday Background on the wrapper with Bubblegum ink.
...and you know I had to create a coordinating card...
The card base is Bubblegum, and the layers are Smooth White, Orange Fizz, and X-Press It Blending Card. The adorable little girl image is from the new Sweet Birthday Wishes stamp set, and it was die-cut with the coordinating Sweet Birthday Wishes Die-namics.
The "window" was created with the new Square Grid Cover-Up Die-namics. I stamped the Diagonal Stripes Background in Sweet Tooth ink to dress up the background a bit. The clouds were created with the Cloud Cover-Up Die-namics.
That darling banner was created with the Blueprints 17 Die-namics, and the "4 u" was die-cut with the Tag Builder Blueprints 1 Die-namics.
I stamped her on X-Press It Blending Card with Black Licorice Hybrid Ink, and colored her with Copic markers.
Here's a look at the inside of the card:
I added a layer of Smooth White card stock, a strip of Orange Fizz card stock, stamped the image in Orange Fizz ink, and stamped the sentiment in Bubblegum ink.
Thanks so much for stopping by today, friends! Swing by the MFT Blog for links to the other designers' blogs!
Have a great day!
~Cindy
Supplies:
I'm from southern NH, the wife of one wonderful husband, and mother to three fantastic boys & one beautiful girl.
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