CardSwaps Blog Hop: Time to Shine

Welcome to the CardMaker Magazine CardSwaps blog hop! The blog team gets to join in the fun today! We are all making cards about your Time to Shine. And what a better day to shine than a birthday?
With washi tape being the craze these days, I thought, why not make my own custom tape by using masking tape?!? :)

1. Place strips of masking tape down onto silicon mat.
2. Cover each piece of tape with Distress ink using the foam applicator.
3. Stamp the lemon border from Mint Motif’s Beyond Borders in the same color ink over the top.
4. Once dry, applied the tape pieces to the piece of patterned paper.
5. To make the candle tops, stamp another row of the lemon border onto a piece of white cardstock using Spiced Marmalade ink.
6. Then rub Scattered Straw ink  over the top.
7. Apply Stickles to the centers and once dry, cut out and foam mount to the top of each candle.

We are supposed to share a day that we personally had our time to shine. Well, seeing as I made a birthday card, I will share one of my favorite birthdays. It was my 30th. I had just given birth to my son, and my husband and family were around me that day. It was a simple and beautiful way to celebrate a new decade in my life. Everything that I am and was grateful for was around me that day.

Ok, now for some FUN! “Unscramble It game for hoppers... You will be unscrambling a word once you will collect a letter at each blog you visit. The hostesses can play along, because they don't know any of the letters but their own... Once you collect ALL the letters, the last hostess in the blog hop will direct you to the thread in the forum where you can find all the details you need to enter the drawing. All hoppers collecting all the letters, unscrambling the word or phrase, entering the game by following the directions in the forum, and leaving feedback on EVERY blog they visit WILL be entered in to a random drawing held on May 23, 2012. ONE lucky hopper will have their name drawn and will win a prize!! Fun, right?? So, make sure you visit every blog and find the letters. Your hints are... it’s a phrase, it has four words, and it’s a way you will be able to shine.”

You should have arrived here from ANGELINA’s blog. If not, hop on back and collect the letter. If you haven’t started the hop at all, start at the beginning and have a great time! Here is a list of all the blogs, just in case.

• Brooke Smith -CardMaker blog
  Jeanette
  Ashley
  Anya Schrier
  Golda
  Ivanka
  Ana
  Michelle Woerner
  Judy L
  Lisa
  Trudy Sjolander
  Jane
  Angelina
  Kimberly Crawford *you are here*
  Laura
  Tammy
  Carolyn King
  Marlene
  Susan
  Colleen Schaan
  Meredith
  Lora

AND the letter you are looking for is B.

thanks for stopping by!

~kimberly

Stamp It 3 Ways

Stamp It 3 Ways, another special issue from Paper Crafts magazine is now available. I am always excited and honored to have projects in any print publication, but this particular issue holds a special place in my heart. The reason being, one of the stamp sets I designed was used in the issue!!!!!



Beyond Borders was used by three very talented card makers, Kim Kesti, Jaclyn Miller, and Amber Daigre. A huge thank you to them! Its amazing to see what others create using something you designed!! Its totally unreal actually, who are we kidding? :)

thanks for stopping by and listening to my stories! :)

~kimberly

sending you sunshine and laughter

Just having a little fun with stamps and all that good stuff! :) I stamped a doily image in the background, on the card base. Then on a separate piece of cardstock, I stamped the Zig Zag border from Mint Motif’s Beyond Borders. I trimmed one of the edges to bring out the shape even more. The butterfly is a new die template from Spellbinders and Donna Salazar called, Fanciful Flight.

Ok, I have a question, and to thank you for answering, how about a little blog candy? I have a Spellbinders bag, limited edition CHA Spellbinders t-shirt, quite a few new Kaiser mini sentiment stamp sets, a My Stix adhesive runner from Scrapbooking Adhesives, and several other little goodies from the show.

Leave your answer in the comments. You have until 10:00 pm CST Sunday night. I will announce the winner on Monday. Ready for the question? Would you prefer for me to write out step-by-step instructions of each project I share, or is the narrative that I write now ok?

We are off to shop for a new dryer this weekend…hope your plans are more fun than ours! :) thanks for stopping by!

Supplies: Stamps-Mint Motif (Beyond Borders), Hero Arts (Circle Lace, Everyday Sayings), Cardstock-Papertrey Ink, Ink-Palette (Canvas, Noir, Charcoal), Spellbinders-Fanciful Flight

Mint Monday

Gratitude Day 14: Today’s gratitude is quiet Sunday afternoons. Football games, the paper, naps, and left-overs for dinner. Its a wonderful way to end our weekend and get ready for the week ahead. All three of us hanging out, with no place to go, and no plans. Wonderful bliss!

The November release stamps are now available at i {heart} papers! Be sure and check out What a Card! and I’ve Got Your Number! And keep scrolling to see the sneak peek projects.

Here are some cute projects from Kelly Jo, using Beyond Borders:

And congrats to Kelly Jo for getting an honorable mention for the Moxie Fab World Blog challenge, Diggin’ On Damask, using Beyond Borders!

A card from Gretchen, using Very Merry Sentiments:

Winners of the new release stamp sets are,

I’ve Got Your Number:

Emily Niehaus says:

November 14, 2010 at 7:42 am

LOVE that house you made from the woodgrain stamp! Fabulous CAS card!

What a Card!:

Jnett's Place said...

How festive! Nice work. This new set is wonderful.

November 14, 2010 8:24 AM

Please email me at Kimberly1Crawford@gmail.com! Congrats!

What are you thankful for today? Thanks for stopping by!

A very happy birthday to my mom today!! Miss you, Mom! Wish we could be there to celebrate!! We love you!

And happy birthday to my sister-in-law Michelle! :)

Mint Monday and gratitude day 7

Today’s gratitude: Today I am thankful that I had 5 amazing designers working with my stamps, creating beautiful projects that inspire others. And to top it off, 6 more amazing designers are going to continue the tradition. I am so blessed by these women, not only by their creativity, but their thoughtfulness, kindness, and professionalism. Thank you, ladies!

Good Monday Morning! Today there is eye candy! I hope you are enjoying seeing projects with Mint Motif stamps as much as I am! And remember, send your pictures and blog links to Kimberly1Crawford@gmail.com

A huge thank you to everyone!! You really liked Beyond Borders because it is currently sold out! More have been ordered. Be sure and sign up to receive an email announcing their arrival.

Sneak Peeks start THURSDAY (1th) for the November release (14th)! We will be releasing two sets this month, one set which will work with pretty much every set we have released so far, and one that is just plain fun. Be sure and check the banner ads at Splitcoast Stampers for some hints and peeks! :) It will also be the first time we will get to see the new design team’s creations! I can hardly wait!

Charlene Austin, former design team member, with Beyond Borders and Very Merry Sentiments

Look at the heat embossed zig zag! LOVE!!!

Kim Howard with Very Square

LOVE the design, simplicity, use of color, its awesome!

Kim Howard with Very Square again

Simple, elegant. Black and white really makes the patterns pop!

Julie Overby, former design team member with Very Square Sentiments and Beyond Borders

How beautiful and elegant is this? I love how she made this so shabby chic! The pearls between the quatrefoils is a lovely touch as well.

What are you grateful for today? thanks for stopping by!

an ending

A quick card tonight, with two of my favorite companies, Hero Arts and Mint Motif! :)

The background started with a Hero Arts Graph Design Block. Then Mint Motif’s Beyond Borders image was generation stamped over the top. Generation stamping is stamping your image and then continuing to stamp, without re-inking. Cool effect. One more thing, the brown paper is thick cherry wood paper.

Today is the end of an era in my family. This morning my parents closed on my grandparent’s house. It was time. My grandma is now 90 and grandpa has been gone since 1998. They built the house in 1960, just to their design. Its hard to believe that we won’t be stopping over there anymore. I know with us living in Iowa now, we wouldn’t be able to stop much, but its still the idea. When we were up north last week, we spent quite a bit of time there, cleaning the last nooks and crannies out. It was easier to be busy than to stop and think about what was really happening. The kitchen was the hardest. Its where grandma always was. Where we had to be to hang out with her. I still felt like a 10 year old girl, standing at the stove, learning how to make gravy for the family dinners. A feeling of gratitude also swept over me, knowing that she had taught me how to make the traditional Christmas cookies, right there. I spent quite a bit of my childhood, well, my whole life, at the house and even lived there for two summers during college. I have so many wonderful memories of the house. Part of my life story is a part of it. So, my heart is breaking just a little bit today. Life is very bittersweet.

Supplies: Stamps-Mint Motif (Beyond Borders, Very Square Sentiments), Hero Arts (Graph Design Block, Watercolor Petals), Ink-Palette (Giverny Green, Noir), Ranger-Distressing Inks (Frayed Burlap, Tumbled Glass), Gems-Hero Arts (Midnight Black Accent Pearls), Wood paper-Creative Imaginations (Cherry Thick)

Mint Monday

Happy Monday!! Another card I made using the latest releases from Mint Motif, Beyond Borders and Very Merry Sentiments. Once again, I used this amazing stamping-with-your-acrylic-block-technique from Jennifer McGuire. The original background was masked off with two post it notes, once it was dry. And this time, I generation stamped the Beyond Borders quatrefoil on the left side.

Supplies:Stamps-Mint Motif (Very Merry Sentiments, Beyond Borders), Ink-Ranger (Distressing Inks-Peeled Paint,Broken China) Memento (Tuxedo Black)

And here are a couple of projects from a wonderful Mint Motif fan!! Remember to share your projects with me! I love to see them!!

Project by Cecilia Stephens using School Basics:

Another project by Cecilia Stephens using Cake Shoppe and Cake Shoppe, Too:

Have a wonderful week! Its going to be a busy one on the blog here. thanks for stopping by!

may His love

Today’s Mint Motif project is a gift all in itself. Its a handmade box, filled with a handmade ornament.

For the top of the handmade box, I stamped Beyond Borders with Distressing Ink. Inside each quatrefoil shape, I stamped a snowflake with the same ink.

The inside of the box holds a handmade ornament. Its a flat, circle-shaped glass ornament from Michael’s. I cleaned the inside with alcohol and turned it upside down in a cup to drop dry for about 24 hours. I poured Glimmer Mist into the ornament and rolled it around. Once again, I put it upside down in a cup to drip dry. Its splotchy. Not the results I wanted. I would definitely do the standard paint treatment the next time.

The front of the ornament is SO COOL! I die cut double sided adhesive from 3L with a snowflake from Spellbinder’s Create A Flake 2. Peeling off one side of the adhesive backing, I placed it on the ornament and smoothed it out. Then I removed the top piece of backing. Glitter was poured over the top and pressed down. A gem was added to the center, along with a bow on the top. I am thinking that video tutorial is going to be helpful…soon, ok?

Both Very Merry Sentiments and Beyond Borders are now available at i{heart}papers.com. Have a super weekend! thanks for stopping by!

Supplies: Stamps-Mint Motif (Beyond Borders, Very Merry Sentiments), Hero Arts (Holiday Sayings), Ink-Ranger (Distressing Ink-Frayed Burlap, Broken China), Ribbon-American Crafts, Gems-Hero Arts (Star Gems), Glimmer Mist-Turquoise, Adhesive Sheets-3L, Ornament-Michael’s, Spellbinders-(Create a Flake 2, Standard Tags)

Introducing Mint Motif: Very Merry Sentiments, Beyond Borders

Very Merry Sentiments $10

• 8 sentiments
• Sentiments fit on Very Square

Beyond Borders $10

• 5 border images
• Each border measures 5.55”, allowing you to cover the long side of a standard A2 card

Both sets are now available at i{heart}papers.com!!

Check out what the fantastic design team members created for today!!

• Charlene Austin
• Geny Cassady
• Kazan Clark
• Latisha Yoast
• Julie Overby
• Kate Baldwin, iheartpapers.com owner

AND, like always, there is a chance to win!! From all the comments left here, and on the rest of the team's blogs, I will be drawing names of TWO winners! One person will win Very Merry Sentiments and another lucky winner will get Beyond Borders! You have until Saturday, October 16 at 10 pm CST to leave comments. The winner will be announced on the i{heart}papers.com blog on Monday, October 18th.

Can’t wait to see what you create with these images! Don’t forget to send them my way, so I can share them with everyone; Kimberly1Crawford@gmail.com. thanks for stopping by!

Another peek

Another quick peek at Beyond Borders today. This was inspired by a new line of products by Jonathan Adler. I stamped the lemons border in Memento ink . Then colored the insides and outsides of lemons with random Copic markers. Fun, graphic, and easy!!

Tomorrow will be the full set reveal! And I will have more projects to share with you!! With having to teach a class last night, and pre-school and swimming for the little man, well, you know how that goes and how mommy didn’t get a chance to create! :)

thanks bunches and bunches for stopping by!

Supplies: Stamps-Mint Motif (Beyond Borders, School Basics), Copics-B37, E55, Y15, G07, YR07, Ink-Memento (Tuxedo Black)

more Mint Motif peeks

Its day two of sneak peeks! Today I am focusing on the set, Beyond Borders. What I love about this set is the fact that the borders are all 5.55” long. Meaning, you can cover a standard A2 card, the long way!

I designed this set on paper at CHA this past summer and then on the computer the second I got home. Borders and patterns like these were everywhere!!! And now you can create your own papers, in any color you want!

I like to call this border, gems. I love how easily these emboss to create a wowee look!

Supplies: Stamps-Mint Motif (Beyond Borders, Very Square Sentiments), Ink-Versamark (Watermark), Embossing Powder-Stampendous (White Detail), Spellbinders-Labels One, Classic Rectangles Small, On the Vine Border Grand

Doesn’t this make you think of Rainbow Bright? Or maybe leg warmers? I am pretty sure I had a sweater with this pattern on it! :) I love it. It makes me smile! So, the warm fuzzies sentiment worked swell. :) Zig Zag borders are so popular right now and this one will let you have a ton of fun!!

Supplies: Stamps-Mint Motif (Beyond Borders), Hero Arts (Everyday Sayings), Ink-Palette (L’Amour, Orangerie, Paris Lights, Giverny Green, Reflection Blue, Lavendar Sachet)

Be sure and check out the sketch at 2 Sketches 4 You site this week, as this card was created before the sketch came out, but happened to be one and the same. Great minds think alike! :)

This background is called lemons. This might be my favorite one, at least right now. :) I stamped the background in the same ink color as the cardstock. Then, I used a Copic marker and colored the inside of each lemon. A small dot of white was added to the centers.

Supplies: Stamps-Mint Motif (Beyond Borders, Very Square Sentiments), Ink-Palette (Hawaiian Shores) Versamark (Watermark), Embossing Powder-Stampendous (White Detail), Copic-BG10, White pen-Uniball Signo U53 Broad, Spellbinders-Classic Circles Large, Lacey Circles

Check back tomorrow and a peek at Very Merry Sentiments. Both sets will be available on October 14th at i{heart}papers.com. Hope you are enjoying what you are seeing so far! thanks for stopping by!

Mint Monday: Sneak Peeks Begin!

Good Mint Monday morning!! Today starts the sneak peeks at Mint Motif’s latest sets, which will be available at i{heart}papers.com on Thursday, October 14. And I am all smiles about this release!! We will be releasing two sets, Beyond Borders and Very Merry Sentiments. Each set will be $10 and made of photopolymer in the USA.

This is a basic, yet beautiful, Christmas card that would be easy to mass produce. All the images were stamped with watermark ink and then heat embossed with detail white powder.

Check out what the amazing design team has for you today!

• Charlene Austin
• Geny Cassady
• Julie Overby
• Kazan Clark
• Latisha Yoast
• Kate Baldwin (store owner)

Tomorrow the peeks will continue here! There is some pretty fun stuff, if I do say so myself!! :) thanks for stopping by!

And check back next Monday, I have quite a few projects from our talented fans! Remember to send a photo of your projects and a link to your blog post or gallery to Kimberly1Crawford@gmail.com :)