Welcome to the January Control Freaks Blog Tour! Our theme this month is “Love is in the Air – Cards/Projects for your Valentine”. If you’re following the blog tour lineup, you’ve just come from Wendy Weixler’s blog. Wendy has such a talent for adding just the right accessories to her projects!

I am so excited to finally be posting my three projects! I created all of them last week and could hardly stand the wait this week to share them with you!

PROJECT #1 – I LOVE YOU VALENTINE

I used everything but the kitchen sink to create this first card (or so it seemed once I began listing all the supplies I used)! I love the new Blushing Bride Smooch Spritz — it lends a rich, pink color and gorgeous shimmer. And I never get tired of using SU!’s Vintage Brads — they’re one of my all-time favorite accessory!

Stamps: Three Little Words, Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel, En Francais

Paper: Soft Suede, Blushing Bride, Beau Chateau DSP, Very Vanilla, First Edition Specialty DSP

Ink: Soft Suede, Blushing Bride, Crumb Cake

Accessories: Victoria 5/8″ Crochet Trim, Vintage Brad, Boho Blossoms Punch, Pearls, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Hearts Collection Framelits Die, Adorning Accents Edgelits Die, Big Shot, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Blushing Bride 3/8″ Pleated Satin Ribbon, Blushing Bride Smooch Spritz, Color Spritzer Tool, Sponge, Fashionable Hearts Embosslits Die

PROJECT #2 – LOVE YOU, YOU, YOU VALENTINE

I love watercoloring this small bouquet of flowers from the Bordering on Romance stamp set! The flowers were watercolored with an Aqua Painter and reinker inks and then the entire image was overstamped in VersaMark ink and and then embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. I created my own ruffled ribbon by sewing a basting stitch down the center of a piece of Very Vanilla satin ribbon. The small “love” piece was punched with the Jewelry Tag Punch and the rounded end was trimmed off to create the rectangle shape.

Stamps: Bordering on Romance, Tiny Tags, Three Little Words

Paper: Blashful Blue (Smooth and Textured), Watercolor, Very Vanilla

Ink: Black StazOn, Rose Red, Wild Wasabi, VersaMark Ink

Accessories: Elegant Lines Embossing Folder, Hearts Collection Framelits Die, Pearls, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Aqua Painter and Reinker Inks, Very Vanilla 5/8″ Satin Ribbon, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, Sewing Machine and Thread, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Pop-Up Glue Dots, Jewelry Tag Punch

PROJECT #3 – TWITTERPATED HEART-SHAPED POT HOLDERS

My final project is a set of three heart-shaped pot holders created using the Twitterpated Designer Fabric. Aren’t they sweet? I found the tutorial here: Heart-Shaped Pot Holders. There are two “pockets” on each side where your thumb goes in one side and the other four fingers go in the other so you can grip whatever you’re removing from the oven – very clever! The pot holders measure 8-1/2″ wide by 8″ tall. Here’s a shot of one of the pot holders up close:

Stamps: None

Paper: None

Ink: None

Accessories: Twitterpated Designer Fabric, 3/8″ Pleated Satin Ribbon (Pear Pizzazz, Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze), White Cotton Fabric, Bias Tape, Quilt Batting, Sewing Machine and Thread

To see the next blog, click the link below. Lisa Martz’s blog is next and you’re in for a real treat when you see the wonderful projects she’s created! Thanks so much for taking the tour!

I made this sympathy card and when I took the picture and uploaded it to my computer, the flowers looked almost electric blue rather than Not Quite Navy. I’ve never had my camera skew the colors so much! In real life, the flowers are much more subdued and not as bright as they appear in the photo.

Stamps: My Friend, Three Little Words

Paper: Very Vanilla (Smooth and Textured), Well Worn DSP, Early Espresso

Ink: Early Espresso, Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake, Black StazOn

Accessories: Early Espresso 3/8″ Quilted Satin Ribbon, Paper Piercing Tool & Mat, Eyelet Border Punch, Sponge, Elegant Lines Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Lots of Tags Sizzlits Die, Pearls

Yesterday I worked on a class I’ll be holding at the end of the month. It’s one of my most popular classes — make 10 cards with each card taking 10 minutes or less to make. Today’s butterfly card will be one of those 10 cards. The butterfly on this card was inspired by a sample in the Sale-a-bration catalog. The wings are embossed by stamping the floral image in VersaMark ink and then embossing with clear embossing powder. TIP: To get all of the tiny pieces to pop out of the Paper Doily Sizzlits Die, I had to use an extra shim. I ended up using the thin, cardboard backing sheet that comes in SU!’s scrapbook paper packs.

Stamps: Fresh Vintage (Sale-a-bration), Heard from the Heart

Paper: Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla, Poppy Parade

Ink: VersaMark, Peach Parfait, Lucky Limeade

Accessories: Paper Doily Large Sizzlits Die, Big Shot, Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die, Everyday Enchantment Brad (Sale-a-bration), Stampin’ Dimensionals

This is my card for the Control Freaks Occasions Mini and Sale-a bration mini catalogs swap — I made 30 of these!

Stamps: Rue Des Fleurs, Tiny Tags, En Francais

Paper: Whisper White, Soft Suede, Pool Party

Ink: Soft Suede

Accessories: Pool Party 1/2″ Seam Binding Ribbon, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Sponge, Labels Collection Framelits Die, 1/2″ Circle Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Pearl, Stampin’ Dimensionals

This will be my family’s Christmas thank you card this year (I’m a little behind in designing it, I know). I was happy to be able to use the new Sale-a-bration stamp set Outlined Occasions without having to color each letter; here I’ve only colored the little stars with a Real Red marker. I very rarely use the Pinking Hearts Border Punch, but I think the sharp, pointy edges of this punch go well with the stars.

Stamps: Outlined Occasions (Sale-a-bration)

Paper: Very Vanilla, Wild Wasabi, Real Red, Real Red DSP, Garden Green

Ink: Black StazOn, Real Red (marker)

Accessories: Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Sweet Buttons Embosslits Die, Stars #2 Originals Die, Big Shot, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals

This card took some extra time to make — why you might ask? Because I made the mistake of stamping the sentiment last and messing it up after all the watercoloring had been done! Yikes! I’ve always said in stamping and cardmaking that there’s usually a way to fix a “mistake” without starting completely over. In this case, I stamped the ribboned center again, stamped the sentiment, and then cut it out and attached it to the watercolored flower piece with Stampin’ Dimensionals. I actually like the banner popped up so it all worked out (fortunately). One other technique I included on this card is to overstamp the image in VersaMark ink using a Stamp-a-ma-jig, apply Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, and emboss. It not only creates a glittery, sparkly image, but it makes the stamped image POP.

Stamps: Apothecary Art

Paper: Blushing Bride (Textured), Pear Pizzazz, Pear Pizzazz DSP, Whisper White, Twitterpated DSP

Ink: Black StazOn, Blushing Bride, Regal Rose, Pear Pizzazz, Garden Green, VersaMark

Accessories: Scallop Edge Border Punch, Whisper White 5/8″ Organza Ribbon, Sewing Machine and Thread, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Aqua Painter and Reinker Inks, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Twitterpated Designer Buttons, Rhinestones, Big Shot, Labels Collection Framelits Die

I had a little time this afternoon to try out the new Bordering on Romance stamp set — it’s perfect for watercoloring! The central image is watercolored with an Aqua Painter and Reinker Inks (Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight and Old Olive).

Stamps: Bordering on Romance, Fabulous Phrases, En Francais

Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Daffodil Delight, Watercolor Paper, Attic Boutique DSP

Ink: Black StazOn, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight

Accessories: Adorning Accents Edgelits Die, Paper Piercing Tool and Mat, Cherry Cobbler 3/8″ Quilted Satin Ribbon, Silver Mini Brads, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Small Oval Punch, Big Shot

I needed to make some monogram thank you cards for a friend who likes subdued, neutral colors. The “S” is computer generated in Word and the font is Baskerville Old Face, with a font size of 84. I found the RGB code for Early Espresso online (R=80, G=57, B=49) and punched the “S” out with the Curly Label Punch.

Stamps: Elementary Elegance (SAB)

Paper: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Mocha Morning Specialty DSP

Ink: Early Espresso

Accessories: Curly Label Punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon (retired), Elegant Lines Embossing Folder, Big Shot

Welcome to the Control Freaks Blog Tour! We’re showcasing products from the new Occasions Mini and Sale-A-Bration Catalogs. You’ve just come from Wendy Weixler’s blog — weren’t her projects WONDERFUL??!!

PROJECT #1 – ALTERED NOTEBOOK AND PEN

My first project is an altered notebook and pen. The notebook measures 10-1/8 x 7-1/4″ and is covered with Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper. Out of all the new scrapbook papers offered in the new Occasions Mini and the Sale-A-Bration Catalogs, the Everyday Enchantment paper is my FAVORITE! The colors and patterns are so soft, pretty and elegant — it makes creating projects that much easier to design because they are so inspiring! And the new Elegant Bird Bigz Die — gorgeous! I took a piece of the Lucky Limeade 1/8″ Organdy Ribbon found in the SAB catalog, curled it with the edge of a pair of scissors, attached it to the beak and then secured the ends with a small amount of Tombow Adhesive. The pen is a Pentel RSVP pen with a piece of Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper (measuring 1″ x 3-1/4″) rolled up and placed in the barrel of the pen. Just screw off the end of the pen, pull the ink tube out, wrap the paper tightly around it and reinsert into the barrel.

Stamps: None

Paper: Everyday Enchantment DSP, Very Vanilla, Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, Pool Party (Textured), Neutrals Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack (Vanilla stripe)

Ink: Crumb Cake

Accessories: Lucky Limeade 1/8″ Organdy Ribbon, 3/8″ Printed Designer Brads, Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die, Lace Ribbon Border Punch, Labels Collection Framelits Dies, Elegant Bird Bigz Die, Pearl, Sponge, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Computer Generated Sentiment, Big Shot

PROJECT #2 – ALTERED PHOTO FRAME

My next project is an altered photo frame. I found the frame at Michael’s in a pack of four for $10.00 (after using a 50% off coupon). The frame measures 8 inches square. Once again, I was drawn to using the Everyday Enchantment paper for the background. I love how the sentiments from the Sprinkled Expressions SAB stamp set fit perfectly in the Curly Label Punch.

Stamps: Elementary Elegance (SAB), Sprinkled Expressions (SAB)

Paper: Everyday Enchantment DSP, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Poppy Parade, Calypso Coral, Pool Party

Ink: Soft Suede, Poppy Parade

Accessories: Fashionable Hearts Embosslits Die, Eyelet Border Punch, Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Big Shot

PROJECT #3 – THANK YOU CARD

My third and final project is a card using the Fresh Vintage SAB stamp set, as well as several accessories from the Occasions Mini catalog. The main image was created by coloring directly on the stamp with markers and then stamping on Very Vanilla Textured cardstock — I love how it gives that vintage, scritch-scratch pattern.

Stamps: Fresh Vintage (SAB), Tiny Tags

Paper: Calypso Coral (Textured), Soft Suede, Very Vanilla (Textured and Smooth), Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait

Ink: Soft Suede, Calypso Coral, Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Peach Parfait, Lucky Limeade

Accessories: Calypso Coral 1/8″ Organdy Ribbon, Jewelry Tag Punch, Labels Collection Framelits Dies, Beautiful Wings Embosslits Dies, Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Adorning Accents Edgelits Dies, Pearl, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Big Shot

To see the next blog, click the link below. It’ll take you to Gretchen Barron’s awesome projects! Thanks for taking the tour!

My boss is a big UK fan and I was given a UK scarf to use for inspiration in creating a Christmas card for her. It’s a good thing I’m such a pack rat when it comes to SU! retired items; I still have a generous stash of Brilliant Blue cardstock and inks to work with.  I do wish SU! would come up with a poinsettia die — my “poinsettia” is made by punching several petals with the Blossom Petals Builder Punch and then I used the Simply Scored Scoring Tool to score each petal down the center. To assemble the flower, I punched a 1-1/4″ circle out of scrap cardstock and used a hot glue gun to attach each petal to the circle, working around and around until the flower seemed full enough. The antique brad in the center provided a nice, elegant finish to the flower.

Stamps: Come to Bethlehem

Paper: Brilliant Blue DSP (retired), Bride DSP (retired), Brilliant Blue (retired), Whisper White

Ink: Brilliant Blue (retired), VersaMark

Accessories: White Brads, Lots of Tags Sizzlits Die, Blossom Petals Builder Punch, Simply Scored Scoring Tool, Antique Brad, Whisper White 5/8″ Organza Ribbon, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Big Shot