Merry Christmas!

I might get some artwork up here yet, but in the meantime here is my all-time favourite Christmas commercial made in 2005!
So what are you up to this afternoon?  I'm having a trip through family history!  I am going through all the old Christmas cards that my mother received and kept and getting rid of most of them, but some are treasures. I've also been sorting and organizing my arting area.  Organization is a constant challenge as certain supplies come into favour and others fall out.  They don't fall far enough to throw out, but priorities change.
Hopefully I'll be back later with a card, but take a break and enjoy Hazina - yes, that's her name and she lives at the Vancouver Zoo - she such a personality! (and yes, I did donate to the fund to build her a new habitat!)

P.S.  Belated congrats to Sher Springall for winning the Facebook Candy!!

Facebook Candy!

I hope everyone saw this on the email newsletter, but in case you didn't or have forgotten....

We're celebrating our 400th fan on Facebook!
We're little, but we're growing! Make sure you LIKE us for a chance to win our Facebook Candy!

We'll make a random draw on Monday December 19, 2010 around midnight PST (That'd be Monday night, Tuesday morning on the North American westcoast!) from our list of Friends.

Good luck!
(If you don't get our email newsletter, you can sign up by clicking here!)

All you need to do is be on our list of Friends (people who "like" us!) Yes, you will need to have a Facebook page.

I'd Like to Find You

Here is a quicky little card.  The most work is cutting the paper!  I was delighted to find the Tim Holtz Winter Distress Ink set goes very nicely with the Echo Park Wintertime cardstock.

Okay, okay, I know, I did a crappy job of stamping the BfF!!  You'll do better!

I think I'd Like to Find You would work really well for a friend you haven't seen in a long time.  What do you think?

There were no diecuts in this card, it's just stamps, paper, ink and sticky things.

Card Synthesis:
Card Blanks
Quietfire Stamps: Flourishing Inside-Hearts, I'd Like to Find You, Friends
Paper: Echo Park Wintertime Cardstock set
Glue Dots and Pop Dots
Distress Ink: Tim Holtz Winter set
Brilliance Graphite Black

Here are links to two other posts using this paper:
Snow!
Created byhand Challenge... Oops Missed the Deadline!

Thanks for taking the time to look!
Suzanne

When this Christmas - Created by our Friends!

Here are two lovely cards using When this Christmas!  Thanks for sharing, ladies!

This first one is from Karen G in Logan Lake, BC
(we were just discussing people using damask backgrounds in their Christmas cards this year as we were packing your new rubber stamps this morning Karen!)

and the second is from Carole W. - you can read more about it (and see lots of other good stuff) on her blog -
Carole's Soulfelt Creations.  Love the colours!

Thank you so much for using Quietfire rubber!!  I love seeing what you create!

Warm Winter Wishes

Here is another quick and easy card using Warm Winter Wishes, an embossing folder, cardstock and a bit of decorative paper!
I love the look of blind embossing - that hasn't changed over the years.  Our wedding invitations had a blind embossed snowflake on the front because we had a December wedding!  I might have made my own if there had been easily available embossing machines as there is now.

Card Synthesis:

Card Blanks

Quietfire Warm Winter Wishes

Distress Inks:  Peeled Paint for the sentiment and Antique Linen for distressing

Sizzix: Textured Impressions Branches, Swirls & Ribbons Set (also used in this card the other day)

Kaisercraft December 25th

Coloured Cardstock: Core'dinations Elements

Ink Blending Tool

Tombow Stamp Runner

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzanne

Snowflakes are Kisses - continued in ATC form!

Judi Kauffman shared her "Snowflakes are kisses from Heaven" card with us yesterday.  This morning she surprised us with some ATCs that incorporate the same supplies.  She sent instructions, too.  Thanks again, Judi!

 

Because ATCs are small, I skipped the embossed notary seals I used for yesterday's 5 x 7 card.  Instead of punched stars, I switched to Silver/Gold Glitter Dots that look like tiny snowflakes falling in the distance.  This contrast in size is what makes the larger snowflakes really pop forward to the eye.  I edged the ATCs with silver (Pentouch from Sakura).  The sentiment, "Snowflakes are kisses from heaven" (stamp from Quietfire Design) and the punched Blue Iris Shimmer Sheetz snowflakes topped with glittery snowflake peel-offs remain the same as on the card - though the snowflakes are one layer, not two.  (Glitter dots, snowflakes, Shimmer Sheetz from ElizabethCraft Design)  Tip: Note that on each ATC one of the snowflakes is cut into two pieces - one piece attached at the top toward the left, the other piece attached at the bottom just below and to the left of the whole snowflake, but not directly below the other half!  This kind of cropping tricks your eye into seeing lots of snowflakes falling from the sky.  If you're not into ATCs, this same kind of smaller scale project would work well for tags or tree ornaments. 

(A side note: I know it's fashionable to write just a few words in a blog or on facebook, but after four decades of teaching it feels like cheating if I don't provide complete information and instructions - and it's really important to me to include the "why" of the project as well as the "how"...I hope you find this useful and worth reading!  Judi K)

Judi Kauffman is author of By the Batch: Creative Cards, Postcards, Envelopes & More

Un-used copies are available from Amazon.ca

Snowflakes are Kisses - Artwork from Judi Kauffman

Our friend and frequent guest designer Judi Kauffman sent us a card that mixes stamping with snowflakes in a unique way.  The snowflakes are blue and gold, not the traditional white.  The card base is glossy coated cardstock folded to an ample 5 x 7.  She also sent instructions, just in case you want to make a card just like her sample.  (Thanks, Judi!)

"Snowflakes are kisses from heaven" is a brand new stamp from Quietfire Design.  I chose Ranger Adirondack Brights ink in Sailboat Blue for the stamping and sponging.  This ink looks soft and pale on the coated cardstock base, brighter and more intense on the matte cardstock rectangle where the phrase is stamped.  I embossed 2.5" gold notary seals with a Cuttlebug folder (Ice Crystals) and used the large circles to draw the eye.  (Tip: take your time peeling the embossed notary seals from the backing - they might tear if you aren't vigilent when lifting the edges)  I punched tiny stars (Fiskars punch) and 1" snowflakes (EK Success punch) from Blue Iris and White Iris Shimmer Sheetz (Elizabeth Craft Designs).  The tiny stars are secured with GemTac glue (Beacon Adhesives).  (Tip: A small dot of glue applied with a corsage pin is all that's needed, I used Embellie Gellie to lift each star and place it atop the wet glue.  The snowflakes are layered in pairs on foam dots to create shadows and extra dimension.  The top snowflake in each pair is embellished with a different snowflake peel-off (Glitter Silver/Gold Peel-offs #7055, Elizabeth Craft Designs).  Not one to be a minimalist, I added sparkly fibers from my stash of knitting yarns, and used Glitter Cardstock (Darice) as the border around the stamped rectangle.

I have been looking for a product like Embellie Gellie for years since a friend showed me a stylus with a similar product on the end, but she couldn't remember what it was called!  Thanks to Judi for that insight.  It is in now on order from my supplier!!  I'm so excited - it will be like having another hand!

Click here to see Snowflakes Are Kisses on the site

Thanks again to Judi for sharing her creation!  And for using Quietfire Design rubber stamps!

Suzanne

Twin Babies in Dandelions

My assistant Jeneen is full of great ideas and this was one of them.  Here is a card she created using the Bosskut Tiny Baby and Dandelion Whispers Embossing Folder.  We think this idea could be expanded to include Christmas themes and single babies.  Too cute!

Thanks for stopping by! Suzanne (and Jeneen!)

Dona Nobis Pacem - for Christmas

When I sold out of the Wreath Embossing Folder overnight, it left me wishing I'd ordered a lot more!! (These things are hard to predict....)
Here is my "make do" wreath!

Oh, oops, the leaf is over "peace".

I used the Dew Drops and inked up the parts of the stamp separately with different colours.  Easy!  I adore this Sizzix Embossing folder.  It's called Branches, Swirls and Ribbons Set.

Here is a close up.

Card Synthesis:

Thanks for having a look! Suzanne

Celebrate Marker Card

The lettering for this card was done with the darker purple and then the drop shadow was added with the lightest marker in the set.
The gilded flourish was made with the Quickie Glue pen and the variegated leaf pressed on while the glue was still wet.  I tried using Jones Tones transfer foil, but the pen glue wasn't strong enough.  Not exactly fine gilding, but fun and quick!

Card Synthesis:
Card Blanks
Quickie Glue Pen
Zig Memory Markers - Elegance
Lilac Avenue (Kaisercraft) 6x6 paper pad
Variegated Green Leaf
Xacto Knife
Pentel Clic eraser

It Is Christmas In the Heart

Here is a quickie card using the new Quietfire Christmas rubber and Spellbinder's dies.

Note:  By popular demand! the whole set of new

Quietfire Christmas/Seasonal stamps

are continuing on special until Sunday November 20th!

Stamps may be purchased individually

Card Synthesis:

Card Blanks

Quietfire Design Rubber stamp: It is Christmas in the Heart

Distress Ink: Peeled Paint

Spellbinders: Holly Motifs, Standard Circles Large, Standard Circles Small

Core'dinations: 2 green colours from Elements Cardstock

Glue Dots, Pop Dots and Double-sided Tape

Thanks for dropping by!

Terre Frye - published in Steampunk Magazine

Congratulations to Terre Frye who has been published (again!), this time in Just Steampunk! Terre used the Quietfire Italic Double Stroke Caps in her fabulous bodice creations!

You can find the Double Stroke Caps in the Stamp Department in the Alphabets and Word Stamps.

Thanks so much to Terre for using Quietfire stamps!!

Postage Stamps - Created byhand Challenge

This week's challenge is postage stamps, so I used the Spellbinders Postage Stamp Nestabilities along with some old nibs I had hanging around.

Card Synthesis
Quietfire Design I Write You Letters
Quietfire Design Flourishing Inside - Hearts
Brilliance Graphite Black Ink
Brilliance Pearlescent Poppy Dew Drop Ink
Blending Tool and Foam
Spellbinders Postage Stamp Nestabilities
Quietfire Chipboard
Walnut Ink
Gillott 404 pointed nib
7 Gypsies' Global Collection 6x6 Paper Pad
Core'dinations Coloured Cardstock
Diamond Glaze (for attaching all the nibs together)
Mica (base for nib "heart")

Calligraphers aim for high contrast between thick and thins in their strokes, so it pains me to see what can happen on certain papers with certain inks.  I really wanted to use the Chipboard.  First I used Black Archival Ink and it blurred - that's the top sample. 

By switching to a pigment pad, the ink doesn't sink into the chipboard so much and the letters are much clearer. Su-zed-q is a now a happy stamper!

Archival ink is a great ink!  Just not on absorbant chipboard.

Dona Nobis Pacem

Remembering all those who gave their lives.

11:00 ~ 11 ~ 11 ~ 2011

Quietfire Christmas Rubber Stamps 2011

Here are the new Quietfire Design Rubber Stamps for the Christmas season!  All of the 11 new stamps are available as a pre-order till Friday, November 11, 2011 at 54% off the individual price.  The stamps may be purchase individually, too! 

See them all here!  You can see more detail if you look at the individual stamps.

I'm Telling You is designed to fit on Spellbinders Labels 22

I hope you like them - there are cheeky ones in there, too!

Boo!

Here's my first attempt at carving just the skin from a pumpkin!

I enlarged the Boo stamp from the Quietfire Design Wicked 2011 rubber stamp sheet.  As you can see, I didn't get everything lined up quite right!  I'll do better next year!  And we were so late getting pumpkins that there were none left with stems!  :-(

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you're recovered from Halloween!

Inspiration from our Talented Customers!

Every once in a while, I get lucky enough to be sent photos of artwork which customers have created using the Quietfire rubber stamps.

This beauty is from Hellen E. in Australia.  Hellen doesn't have a blog, so I'm very happy she send this to me!

And from Carole At Carole's Soulfelt Creations (I had trouble viewing her blog using IE - but it's perfect with FireFox!)

but Carole says one of her favourites is here. I'm so glad I don't have to make a choice - they're all wonderful!

 

I've been meaning to share this one for a while. Jeneen is the Queen of ATCs and she created and gave me this adorable one. This is my little black fellow, who takes great interest in assisting with anything related to Waxed Linen thread.  I swear he can hear it coming off the spool from a dead sleep at the other end of the house. *sigh*  I think three wraps around the table is his current record.   Needless to say, he and Jeneen have a interesting relationship.....  He is one happy kitty when she visits!

Thank you all for sharing your work!
To Everyone:
Please let me know if you've uploaded something you have used Quietfire products on.  I'd love to share it!
You are also welcome to add your links to our Facebook Page, too!
Thanks for visiting, Suzanne

Kozmetica Script Typeface

Meet Kozmetica Script.
Sometimes I wonder why I bother....  What an elegant beauty.
Designed by Alejandro Paul and Angel Koziupa. See more details of it here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzanne

Burberry Baby Card - Chiara

Or Do-It-Yourself Plaid!

Chiara was born a few months ago to a family that loves Burberry! Chiara even had a little Burberry dress for her christening.
Here is the result of my efforts to create the Burberry tartan using the perfect tool for the job; the Dreamweaver Stripes stencil.  I think I know this tartan pretty well by now! (One day I'll get it perfectly!)



Card Synthesis

Handlettering on cardstock

Reagents:

Mitchell Roundhand Nib

Higgins Eternal Ink 

Spellbinders Grand Calibur

Spellbinders: Classic Ovals Small, Lacey Ovals

Dreamweaver stencil – stripes

Removable Tape

Gesso

Ink Blending tool

VersaMagic Dew Drops Midnight Black

Ranger Distress Aged Mahogany

Card Blanks

Burgundy Cardstock

Fawn coloured cardstock

ribbon

Sookwang Be Creative Double sided tape

Glue Dots and Pop Dots

Thanks for visiting!

Suzanne

Baby Card & Album - Sofianne

Recently my friend had her first grandchild.

It's hard to decide what to send when you don't know what they have and don't have! I knew there would be a card....  I wandered through a baby store and came out bewildered.  And then I remembered I'm a bookbinder....  I thought I could probably come up with something that no one else would give!

I started out with these adorable little rocking horse stickers from Martha Stewart and designed with Spellbinders around their colour scheme.  Here is the card.

I love the dimensional effect that the Pop Dots give.  And when you layer the Edgeabilities just right, you get this little heart peaking through.

One of my favourite thing about Spellbinders is the ovals.  You can draw and cut a circle pretty easily, but ovals....  that's another thing.  And you get this gorgeous embossed edge.  Absolutely classy.  It knocks anything you make up a notch (or two!).

Here is the album made to match the card - it's designed as a little coffee table brag book!

And here is where I get on my bookbinder's soapbox (it's been a while!). These stab bindings look so lovely and you can dress them up so beautifully, but really they're a horrible binding for a Western book.  The Japanese binding uses soft oriental paper and a soft cover and having the book lie flat and the pages fold over the previous page isn't such a big issue.

Adapting the binding for Western uses requires some finesse.

Here is a photo I took before I bound the book.  You can see the spacers between the pages, inserted so the book won't yawn at the foredges when photos are added.  You can also see the pages are scored sequentially so that they will fold over the page before it.

Card Synthesis:

Card Blanks

"Sofianne" handlettered with a Mitchell Roundhand Nib

Winsor & Newton Maganese Blue watercolour

Arches Text Wove paper

Spellbinders Grand Calibur

Spellbinders: Classic Ovals Small, Classic Ovals Large, Lacy Ovals, Edgeabilities Classic Petal

Coordinations Core Color

Sookwang Be Creative Double-sided Tape

Glue Dots, Pop Dots

Ribbon

Brag Book Synthesis:

Pre-cut bookboard

Black acid-free cardstock

Self-adhesive Linen Hinging Tape

Oriental paper

Coordinations Core Color

Spellbinders - as in the card above

Scor-it-All

Drill

Glue, Xyron

Ribbon

Nerves of Steel ('cause I haven't made one in so long!!!)

Thanks for looking!
Suzanne

Donald Jackson on Today

Thanks to Roann Mathias for the Facebook heads up about this interview on msnbc.com!
The last time I saw Donald Jackson was up in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where I was living.  He came to teach a workshop.  He is very entertaining - unfortunately it didn't really show up in this interview! Too bad!

I was so sick that weekend.  He very sweetly gave me a pat on the shoulder.  I didn't bother telling him I wasn't contagious.  I was pregnant!  (Never been so sick in my whole life!)

If this video makes you want to know more, here is the website for the Saint John's Bible

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Thanks for visiting! Suzanne

Terre Fry - Snowflakes are the Fairydust

Congratulations to artist
Terre Fry
for her full page spread in the current issue of
Paper Creations magazine!

In the article Terre lists all the supplies and describes how she created her card. In addition to an excellent close-up photo of the project, there is a diagram in the pattern pull-out so you can precisely position all of the elements and layers in the card.

Absolutely beautiful Terre!!
Thanks so much for using Quietfire Rubber!

Snowflakes are the Fairydust is available here.



If the Broom Fits

Here is my contribution to this week's Created byhand Challenge!
This week's theme is Witches/Circle Dies

NOTE:

This week two lucky Challenge participants will each receive one of the stamps from the new Quietfire Wicked set. Names will be randomly chosen and posted with the Sampler!  Happy creating!

Card Synthesis

Reagents:

Flying Kitty image from the internet
Cardblanks

If the Broom Fits & Wicked
Golden Ivory Waves – Decorative paper for moon
Spellbinders Fleur De Lis Accents
Spellbinders Standard Circles Large
Tim Holtz Kraft Glassine paper
Archival Ink Black
VersaMark Ink

Thanks for stopping by!
Suzanne