Happy New Year!!

To enter my Die-Versions Giveaway, click HERE!!

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone!! I can't believe this is the last day in 2013!! My gosh, where did this year go?? Do you have any resolutions for the new year?? One of my main goals is to work on my photography. It's a second hobby/obsession for me and I really want to learn all I can :) I also signed up for N*Studio's Creative Jumpstart for 2014. I can't wait to learn new techniques from some amazing artists (you can find all the info HERE if you want to participate)!!

I have a card to share with you that I actually made about two months ago but haven't had a chance to post. I'm not even sure I can remember how I put this together :/ The paper is from the Glitz Sunshine in My Soul paper stack. The base is a Spellbinders Grand Scalloped Square, followed by a Grand Square.

The next two layers are Spellbinders Captivating Squares. The reason I wanted to make this card was to use the Spellbinders D-Lites Blooms 3 die...I just love these flowers!! I added foam tape between the layers for dimension. The crinkle ribbon was inked with Tim Holtz Faded Jeans Distress Ink and water.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

1. Little Scrap Pieces - Anything Goes
2. DL.Art - December Linky
3. Sunday Funday - December Linky
4. Just B Creative Crazy - December Linky

Thanks so much for stopping by!! Please be sure to enter my Die-Versions die giveaway if you haven't already (click HERE)!! I hope you have fun plans for New Year's Eve!! Stay safe and I wish you all a very healthy, happy, wonderful 2014!!

Holly Jolly Christmas Blog Hop!!

Welcome to Craftin Desert Diva's Holly Jolly Christmas Blog Hop!!

I'm so happy that you could join us today!! If this is the first time that you have hopped with us, you won't be disappointed. This is the Craftin Desert Divas design team's first hop and I have to say my design team are all amazingly talented.

This is Day 1 and the start of the Holly Jolly Christmas Blog Hop! You will not only get some inspiration, but you could win GREAT prizes, too!! You must FOLLOW and COMMENT on all of the stops both days to have chance to win.

Here's the wonderful sponsors for this hop...

For this two day hop each blog will be offering a prize from one of the sponsors listed above. You must visit each stop both days to be eligible to win. Winners will be announced on Dec 18. The entire winning list will be posted on Craftin Desert Diva's website.

My sponsor for today is..

http://blog.tombowusa.com/

You could win Permanent Adhesive as well as a Refill Value Pack that includes 3 refills!! And their adhesive is awesome!!

You should have arrived from Michelle of Michelle's Cricut Fun. If you are just stopping by, you will want to start at the beginning at Craftin Desert Divas. You don't want to miss the chance at some awesome prizes!!

Here is my project....

The letters are heavyweight chipboard from Hobby Lobby. I covered them in My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Christmas paper. I used Tombow Permanent Adhesive to adhere all of the items to the letters.

As you can see, I love the Tim Holtz Victorian Carolers die (and adding bokeh to my pictures ;)!! I have to use them while I can during the season, so you will see them again on a project or two ;) For this one, I stamped the music stamp from Tim's Mini Holidays #2 set in Embossing Ink and then heat embossed it with copper embossing powder. I offset the black layer for a shadow effect.

For the O, I used one of the deer from Tim's Reindeer Flight die. He was covered in Glossy Accents and then a jingle bell collar was added.

Tim's Snow Tree die was used for the E. I coated the edges with White Enamel Accents and then filled in the rest with Rock Candy Distress Stickles. The stem was inked with TH Walnut Distress Ink.

For the L, I strung jingle bells on hemp twine and then wrapped them around the end. A Merry Christmas is from Tim's Mini Holiday's #5, and it was heat embossed with Fired Brick Distress Powder.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

1. Craftin Desert Divas - Christmas
2. Little Scrap Pieces - Anything Goes
3. DL.Art - Christmas
4. DL.Art - December Linky
5. Sunday Funday - December Linky
6. Just B Creative Crazy - December Linky
7. 2 Creative Chicks - Christmas/Winter
8. Cut It Up Challenge #34 - Christmas 

I am your last stop on the  hop. Below is the list of all the participants in case you get lost or want to revisit anyone. Thanks for stopping by...I hope you will join us tomorrow for more fabulous projects and prizes!!

Saturday Dec. 14

 1. Tara - http://www.craftindesertdivas.com/
 2. Kathy - http://3spoileddogs.blogspot.com/
 3. Karen - http://craftedwithlovebykaren.blogspot.com/
 4. Tracy - http://tracyscricutcorner.blogspot.com
 5. Migdalia - http://craftingwithcreativem.blogspot.com/
 6. Shelly - http://mypaperlove.blogspot.com/
 7. Emily - http://molliemugsblog.blogspot.com/
 8. Michelle B - http://michellescircutfun.blogspot.com
 9. Lisa - http://indymermaid.blogspot.com < YOU ARE HERE

Sunday Dec. 15

 1. Tara - http://www.craftindesertdivas.com/
 2. Lori - http://got2bcrafting.blogspot.com/
 3. Janis - http://pausedreamenjoy.blogspot.com/
 4. Michelle P - http://mumoftwoblog.blogspot.com
 5. Migdalia - http://craftingwithcreativem.blogspot.com/
 6. Kathy Jo - http://daisysanddaffodils.blogspot.ca/
 7. Donna K - http://createdbydonnak.blogspot.com
 8. Robin C - http://cutonedesignsbyrobin.blogspot.com/
 9. Mayra - http://mayrasdesigns.blogspot.com/
10. Jessica - http://craftinandstampin.blogspot.com

Craft It Up & Link It Up #21 - Christmas

Happy Monday!! I hope you had a wonderful weekend!! It's time for another Craft It Up & Link It Up challenge at Craftin Desert Divas. The theme this week is Christmas. Our sponsors are KaDoodle Bug Designs with a $15.00 gift card and Cardz TV with a set of CTV stamps.

For my Christmas card, I used paper from K & Company. The base was cut with a Sizzix Label Window Pop n Cuts die. The deer are Tim Holtz Reindeer Flight dies. I cut them once in black and then in music note cardstock, offsetting the black for a shadow. The matching Sizzix Butterfly and Label die was used for the pop out lables. The three wise men are from TH's Mini Holiday #4, as are the trees in the background. Merry Christmas is from TH's Old Fashioned Christmas and the 25 is from Mini Holidays #3.

I needed this to be flat (a rarity for me!!) enough to mail  so instead of ribbons or gems, I used the Sizzix Edge and Scroll die. The banner is a TH Tattered Banners die and Merry Christmas is from Mini Holidays #4.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

1. Little Scrap Pieces - Anything Goes Linky
2. DL.Art - December Linky
3. Sunday Funday - December Linky
4. Just B Creative Crazy - December Linky
5. 2 Creative Chicks - Christmas/Winter
6. An Inky Situation #20  - Cherry Cobbler

Now it's your turn!! Head on over to Craftin Desert Divas to see the amazing projects my talented design team sisters have created for today's challenge. Then link up your Christmas project...I can't wait to see what you create :)

Merry Christmas!!

Happy Sunday!! I hope you are having a fabulous weekend!! For my friends in the USA, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your family :)

I have a card to share with you today, using some awesome background stamps I won from my sweet friend Jo of Jo's Scrap Shack and 3 Twenty Crafts!! Jo is having a huge sale right now, but hurry, not only are the stamps almost sold out, but the sale ends tomorrow at midnight. If you purchase two sets of stamps, you get free shipping (use code "FREESHIP). And if you like sequins, she sells them dirt cheap - $.99 a bag!! Buy three bags and get a fourth bag free (use code "BLACKFRIDAY"). I hope you will stop by her new shop, 3 Twenty Crafts, and check out all she has to offer!! You will love the stamps!!

The layers of the card were constructed with heavyweight cardstock from Canvas Corp. The base is a Spellbinders Decorative Labels Eight, followed by a Labels Eight, embossed with a Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder and popped up with foam tape. The next layer is a Spellbinders Opulent Ovals, also embossed with Swiss Dots and popped up with foam tape. The top layer is also an Opulent Opals die. The stamp is from Tim Holtz Mini Holidays #5. I wanted it to look like my silhouette guy was rushing through the snow, so using Iced Spruce Distress Ink, I inked the dots background stamp from 3 Twenty Crafts Background Builders set, taping off the edges so they didn't show. The flower is a Spellbinders Poinsettia die, inked with Iced Spruce. I also inked Tim Holtz Crinkle Ribbon with Iced Spruce. The tag is a Spellbinders Charmed I'm Sure die. The sentiment is from My Craft Spot's Joy Filled Christmas stamp set that I won from my sweet friend Susie of Susie Craft Happy!!

I am entering this in the following challenges:

1. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
2. Little Scrap Pieces - Anything Goes
3. Paper Playtime #24 - Anything Goes
4. Funday Friday #28 - Get in the Spirit 
5. 2 Creative Chicks #9 - Christmas/Winter
6. Just B Creative Crazy - December Linky

Thanks so much for stopping by!! Have a great day :)

Craft It Up & Link It Up #20 - Tag, You're It

Happy Monday!! I hope you had a wonderful weekend!! For my US friends, how are your plans coming along for Thanksgiving?? Are you traveling?? I can't wait for all the yummy goodies on Thursday...turkey and pumpkin pie :)

It's time for another fun challenge at Craftin Desert Divas!! The challenge this week is: Tag, You're It. We want to see your projects using a tag. The sponsors for this challenge are Too Cute by Jessica with a $20 gift card, and Cardz TV with a set of stamps.

For my project, I created a Christmas tag using several Tim Holtz products. The tag was cut with a TH Tag and Bookplate die. The papers are from My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Christmas stack. The trees were colored with TH Pine Needles and Walnut Distress Markers and cut out with the coordinating TH Holiday Joy Framelits. Santa was colored with Festive Berries and Black Soot Distress Markers and cut out with the coordinating Retro Christmas Framelits set. His beard and fur were covered with Ranger White Enamel Accents and he was popped up with foam tape for dimension. Merry Christmas was stamped with Versafine Black ink and then inked with Walnut Distress Ink and Festive Berries along the edges. It was covered with Glossy Accents and then popped up with foam tape when dry. The holly in the corner was stamped with Pine Needles Distress Marker and cut out with the coordinating Holiday Joy Framelits. The berries were added with Liquid Pearls.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

1. Little Scrap Pieces - Anything Goes
2. DL.Art - November Linky
3. Sunday Funday - November Linky
4. Just B Creative Crazy - November Linky

Now it's your turn!! Head on over to Craftin Desert Divas to see the amazing projects my talented design team sisters have created for today's challenge. Then link up your Tag, You're It project...I can't wait to see what you create :)

Know in Your Heart You Are Loved

Happy Sunday!! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!! We are supposed to be hit by a major storm, including possible tornado conditions, so I'm trying to get this post in before it hits.

The card I'm sharing with you today is the one I made for my Mom to give my Dad for their anniversary a couple of days ago :)

The papers for this card are from Prima's Engraver stack. The base is a Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles die. It was covered with a strip of burlap ribbon from Hobby Lobby. The next layer is a Spellbinders Adorning Squares die. It was attached with brass brads...my way of adding bling to a masculine card...I have such trouble with them :)

The hearts are Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Hearts and Classic Hearts. The hearts were cut with the same paper and lined up then popped up for dimension. A Tim Holtz Word Band was added to the bottom. I covered it with white paint and then wiped it off so it stayed in the engraved words. It too was attached with brass brads.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

1. Little Scrap Pieces - Anything Goes
2. DL.Art - November Linky
3. Funday Friday Challenge - Anything Goes
4. Sunday Funday - November Linky
5. Just B Creative Crazy - November Linky

Thanks so much for stopping by!! Enjoy the rest of your weekend :)

Decorate to Celebrate #64 - Thanksgiving/Fall

Happy Wednesday, everyone!! I hope you are having a great week!! We actually had a light dusting of snow Monday night. Ugh. Thankfully, it didn't stay on the ground long. But it's supposed to get down to 18 tonight. It seems too early to be this cold already. I hope that doesn't mean a long, cold winter :/

It's time for another challenge at Decorate to Celebrate. The theme this week is Thanksgiving/Fall Part 2. Let's celebrate everything wonderful about turkeys, pilgrims, family, being thankful and more with your table decorations, party banners, pennants, yard signs, cupcakes, party favors and more :)

For my Thanksgiving table, I had to create Tim Holtz' Quirky Turkeys from last year!! I just love them and couldn't wait to make them this Thanksgiving season :)

I followed Tim's instructions, including printing out the template for the turkey body. I made the wire holders from 20 gage wire. The tickets are Spellbinders Labels and Tags dies. Both sentiments are from K Andrew Design's Fall-o-ween stamp set.

I am entering these in the following challenges:

1. Craft It Up & Link It Up - Thanskgiving
2. Little Scrap Pieces - Anything Goes
3. DL.Art - November Linky
4. Funday Friday Challenge - Things With Wings
5. Sunday Funday - November Linky
6. Just B Creative Crazy - November Linky

Funny that I was posting my turkey project and I look out the window and see this!! There were actually eight of them...one is hidden behind the tree. Their coloring is so beautiful, isn't it??!!

Now it's your turn!! Head on over to Decorate to Celebrate to see the amazing projects my talented design team sisters have created for today's challenge. Then link up your Thanksgiving/Fall project...I can't wait to see what you create :)

Finnabair Inspired Canvas

Happy Sunday!! I can't believe it's November already. Where did this year go?? I have a canvas to share with you today that was inspired by the amazing works of Finnabair. If you haven't seen her work, it's just stunning!! This is my first attempt of her techniques, but I will definitely be trying more in the future :)

I created this a couple of months ago and I'm sorry, but I don't remember all of the steps. So I apologize, but this won't be the most detailed description...plus, the pictures aren't the greatest (it looks purple but it's actually very pink). I adhered patterned paper to the background, along with drywall tape for texture using Multi-Medium by Claudine Hellmuth. Wendy Vecchi Embossing Paste was adhered through Crafter's Workshop templates: Bricks on the left, Art Is on the bottom, and Harlequin on the top right.

Several different flowers, buttons, chipboard pieces, twisted wire and lace and elements were added. Finnabair uses lots of industrial items, but I wanted to keep this a bit softer with the sweet image of my niece. The awesome chipboard butterflies are from my sweet friend Sherrie of Sherrie Scraps With Passion!! Thanks again, Sherrie, I love them!! Once everything was glued down, it was completely covered with a couple of layers of Gesso.

Once all of the Gesso dried, it was sprayed with Tattered Angels mist in Valentine Pink and Bubblegum pink (although it looks purple in the pics, it's actually very pink!!) Perfect Pearls Mist in Biscotti was then spritzed over the canvas. Once all of the mist dried, Gesso was dry-brushed over several elements to highlight them, as was pink acrylic paint.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

1. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes
2. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes 
3. Craftin Desert Divas - Anything Goes
4. Little Scrap Pieces - Anything Goes
5. Just B Creative Crazy - November Linky
6. Crafting Musketeers - Pretty Pastels

Thanks so much for stopping by!! Happy November :)

Happy Halloween II

Happy Saturday!! I hope you are having a fabulous weekend!! I still haven't been able to get to my craft room very much, hence the few posts the last couple of weeks. I apologize for that. I keep hoping that I will have more time to craft but things keep popping up. There are so many projects I want to get done but just can't find the time to do them. I love creating Halloween projects but I haven't had the opportunity to do very many. This might be my last one of the year :(

The inspiration for this piece was a canvas I saw in Michaels. It featured a skull with a yellow and brown background with a black border. I tried to recreate it with my Tim Holtz stamps. The frame was created with Spellbinders Grand Labels Large dies. It was popped up with foam tape for dimension. The base is Canvas Corp heavyweight cardstock. The skull is from Tim Holtz's Apothecary stamp set. It was stamped twice with Versafine Black Onyx ink, once on the white cardstock and once on a TH Masking Sheet. The mask was cut out and applied over the other image. The background was then sponged with TH Distress Inks in Mustard Seed, Scattered Straw, Gathered Twigs and Tea Dye. The spider webs are from TH's Halloween Cutout stamp set. Happy Halloween is from Apothecary. The bottom one was outlined with a Sakura White Gelly Roll pen.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

1. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Spooky
2. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge  - Halloween or Halloween Colors
3. Little Scrap Pieces - Anything Goes
4. Craftin Desert Divas - Halloween 
5. DL.Art - October Anything Goes Linky 
6. Sunday Funday #14 - Anything Goes 
7. Just B Creative Crazy - October Linky 
8. 2 Creative Chicks - Halloween

Thanks so much for stopping by!! Have a wonderful weekend my friends :)

Surely The Stars Danced and WINNER!!

Happy Saturday!! I am having a hard time getting back into the swing of things after being on vacation. I've been trying to stop by your blogs this week and catch up, so if I haven't been by, I hope to soon. Thank you all who voted for me at Heartfelt Creations (you can still vote HERE). I appreciate it so much!! I have a winner to announce from my Early Christmas giveaway, but first I actually have a project...I can't believe it's been over a week and a half since I've posted a project :(

I used a piece of plastic from a large die as the base of the card. The bottom layer is a Spellbinders Majestic Labels Twenty Five die cut with black cardstock. The next layer is a Spellbinders Labels twenty five. It was popped up with foam tape. The paper is from my stash.

I used the Tim Holtz Crescent Moon and Stars die to decorate the card. The papers are from my stash. A Spellbinders Labels Twenty Nine die was used for the sentiment, the edges inked with Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Ink. The sentiment is from Paper Wings Productions.

I used another Labels Twenty Five and Labels Twenty Nine for the inside.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Inspired by Tammy Tutterow (her card HERE...I actually purchased the die set after seeing her card!)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Use Rubber or Clear Stamp
Little Scrap Pieces - Fun Friday Anything Goes
DL.Art - October Anything Goes Linky
Craft It Up & Link It Up #16 - Anything With a Sentiment
Jo's Scrap Shack - Favorite Technique (Spellbinders)
Sunday Funday #14 - Anything Goes
Just B Creative Crazy - October Linky

And now for the winner of my Early Christmas Giveaway!! Thank you all who entered!! It took longer that I thought to pick a winner. I printed out all the comments from the Giveaway post, as well as the ones from the posts while I was gone, making sure to add extra entries for the additional chances to win. After they were all cut out and put into a box, I chose one name out. And the winner is.......................................................................................

jessica of Chick-n-Scrap!!

Congratulations, Jessica!! Please email your addy to me at indymermaid(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll get it in the mail to you!! Thanks for stopping by!! I hope you have a wonderful weekend :)