25 Tags Of Christmas Blog Contest

25 Tags Of Christmas

Blog Contest

Swirlydoos Kit Club is giving away 25 stunning Prima Keepsake Ornament Boxes in the month of December! Enter for a chance to win yours on our blog (www.swirlydoos.blogspot.com) beginning Dec. 1st and each day after until Dec. 25th! Every day we will post a theme & example for that day's tag. You create a tag based on the theme posted, upload it to your online gallery with the title reading, "Swirlydoos 25 Tags of Christmas - (enter theme) tag". Leave a comment on our blog with a link to your tag and that's it! We will use a random number generator to pick one winner each day all the way up to Christmas!

25 Tags of Christmas - Tag #1

Open interpretation - "The Reason for the Season"
Here is my version of Tag #1

Go check out the blog for more Tag inspiration from the Swirlydoos Design Team and enter to win one of 25 beautiful prizes!!!

Happily Ever After

It is reveal Day at Heartfelt Creations. This is the layout I did, using my Swirlydoos goodies and the new Window Die from Heartfelt Creations. With a lot of the new stamps revealed, you can create a window scene for layouts and cards. I opted to place one of my wedding photo's behind it. Here is how I created the layout.
The green circle behind the book stamp was done by using a Martha Stewart corner punch around a cut out circle, then cutting an inner circle to make a ring.

I used a large template from The Crafters Workshop for the scalloped paper, used a Prima mask around the paper and misted with glimmer Mist repeating the pattern all around the paper. .I then wet distressed the edges and wrinkled the scallops slightly. I then ran a straight stitch around the page twice with my sewing machine. Adhered the scalloped piece to a 12 x 12 brown card stock .

I cut 3 copies of the stamped bible frame cutting the side gradually shorter on the sides and adhered on top of one another as to make it look like multiple pages in a book then topped with smaller bible stamp I sprayed with Glimmer Mist, inked the edges and also touched the edges with gold metallic paint, then curled the corners of the pages. I die cut the window frame and placed it over my wedding photo and secured it to the book.


I die cut the flowers using my Tim Holtz Alterations Tattered Flowers die using light pink Bazzil crad stock, a Sizzix die using black card stock, glimmer Misted them in Viva pink and stacked the different layers placing the Sizzix stamen die cut in between the layers. I used brads and pearls for the middles. I inked the Leafy swirls stamped leaves in 2 different green Glimmer Mist colors and painted on a little pink Glimmer Mist to highlight the leaves. I then arranged my flowers on the page and secured.


I printed up the butterflies from my collection, cut them out, covered with Rock Candy Stickles and adhered to the page by the body and lifted the wings for dimension. I added some Glossy Accents to the body to give it dimension.

I printed the journaling on paper using Microsoft Word and the Beyond Wonderland font then die cut it using my Spellbinders die and layered it on a larger die cut from the same set.

I will be doing a video tutorial for creating the flowers and shading the leaf stamps. So stay tuned.

Beautiful

It's a beautiful thing when you can have the best of both worlds. Swirlydoos November kit is so jam packed with swirly goodness that there is always left over product once my reveal day LO's are done. I can then use what I have left between my main kit and all of the add ons to use for challenges, contests, tutorials and yes, even my work to showcase the gorgeous stamps for Heartfelt Creations. I also used this particulat LO for the Stop the Hoarding Challenge at Swirydoos..I hoard my Dusty Attic Gates..I have a ton!! So stop saving those "pretties" because they're pretty...Use them!!! That's why you bought them!!


I stamped the Swirly Autumn Leaves PreCut Set onto the cardstock, then stamped the single Open Leaves cut them out, and sprayed with Glimmer Mist, then adhered them over the stamped images to match the pattern.


I then punched different size smaller flowers with the Posey patch die using mulberry paper, distressed the edges a bit, and layered and formed the flowers then used Glimmer mist to color in Pineapple then touched the edge of the petals in Scarlett and added a green flower punch underneath along with some wire swirls that I covered with floral tape.



The Dusty Attic Chipboard "Beautiful" was painted with Apple Barrel Acrylic paint in Satin Cream and slightly sanded for a distressed look.


I painted the Dusty Attic die cut gate with Tim Holtz Crackle paint, and when it dried, inked with soft brown ink, then misted with Glimmer Mist in Scarlett and added some May Arts vine ribbon. Kind of looks like a rusty old, but beautiful gate.

Tuscan Flowers

I have gotten a lot of requests on wanting to know how I shade my stamped leaves and also how I made the flowers on my "Faith" LO. So instead of a photo step by step tutorial, I will be creating a video tutorial . It will be up by next weekend. So grab some cardstock, your Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers die, your Glimmer Mist and get ready to create the latest of my flowers creations. The flowers on my LO were missing something, so I rummaged through my Sizzix collection and found a Sizzix Sizzlets die that looked like stamen. I purchased it last year after seeing the Punch Bunch Demonstrator at CHA creating flowers, and I purchased the book The Paper Bouquet. After seeing Gerry Van Gent use a similar punch in her latest flowers, I remembered I had the Sizzix one...Thanks for the inspiration Gerry!! Then I dicovered that Lisa 9Kaye222) did stamen also. You have got to check hers out, just another twist!! Love it, thanks for sharing Lisa!! These 2 rock the flower world as well!!

Faith***Stuck On You Sketches*** 11-12-10

This week I am the Guest Designer for Stuck On U Sketches, and this is the LO I did following the sketch by the wonderful Vanessa Waller. I had been hoarding the beautiful paper from K and Company "Tuscan Sun", and decided to use it for the Stop The Hoarding Challenge at Swirlydoos. The designers entries are always for inspiration only. But it forced me to finally cut open that paper pack!! I was also inspired by The Color Room colors this week. Palette # 32... So warm and cozy and feels like Autumn.

The leaves are from Heartfelt Creations and I misted them with Glimmer Mist in 3 different colors. I die cut some small flourishes from my Sizzix Sizzlets collection. I also misted the lace with GM in pinapple. The clock was stamped from my Tim Holtz Lifes Possibilities stamp set, then cut out and adhered to LO. I die cut the journaling block using Spellbinders Nestabilities set Labels #1 and used a Heartfelt Creations stamp for the journaling.

I created the flowers to match the paper using the Tim Holtz Alterations Tattered Floral die to make the sunflowers in 2 layers. I cut out a warm orange cardstock then sprayed on Glimmer Mist in Scarlet and Golden Terre Cotta. I misted them slightly and scrunched them for texture. The middles were created the same way I created the middles for my Name that Flower tutorial and misted them in Pineapple. The butterfly is from one of the collections I share with everyone. I covered it in Rock Candy Stickles for some vintage shimmer, adhered by the body and lifted the wings for dimension.
The letters were die cut with Tim Holtz Vintage Market strip die. And you can find my tutorial for the decorative circle for Swirlydoos here. Thanks for all of the inspiration I find everywhere and to all the scrappers who pay it forward. I do this every chance I get.

Heartfelt Creations Reveal

Hop on over to the Heartfelt Creations Blog to see what the designers have created this week!! If you love stamps and cards, then you are going to love what you will see. Heartfelt Creations has some of the most talented cardmakers and scrappers around. I am proud to call myself a Heartfelt Creations Design Team member. These women are so talented!! I just love incorporating the beautiful stamps into my Swirlydoos LO's. Then check out my tip to get larger stamped images!!

Angel Eyes

This Lo is a design team project for Heartfelt Creations, and I have the both of best worlds by incorporating my Swirlydoos kits with them. Everything (except ribbon) on the LO is from this months Swirlydoos kit "Simply Irresistible and I used Heartfelt Creations to enhance the LO. I also presented this LO for the round Robin challenge at Swirlydoos. Once a month the girls host a Round Robin where scrappers are placed on to teams of 4. The first scrapper on the team does a layout and is followed weekly by the next person who lifts the first scrapper and so on till the last scrapper is done..It is so cool to see the different variations of the first lo posted. And a lot of fun. I was 1st in my group for November.
I used my favorite leaf stamps on this page. The other leaves are from Heartfelt creations as well. From the same set as the same ones I always use. I stamped them, photocopied the stamped image, enlarged it and voila!! larger leaves... I Glimmer Mist my leaves in 2-3 colors, then enhance with a contrasting but compliment color..One trick is to stamp using Tim Holtz distress ink, so when you mist it with Glimmer mist, it kind of bleeds...I use 2 different greens, then paint Glimmer Mist on a different color or ink a different color.

I used my sewing machine onto some grosgrain ribbon to gather it and use as an embellie.
I shared some butterflies for your collection. I used Stickles and Glimmer
Mist on them

***Stuck On U Sketches Fall Mini Swap***

This is the mini I created for Brenda for the Fall Mini Album Swap we started in September at STUCK*ON*U*SKETCHES. I really enjoyed making this one for Brenda although it pales in comparison to the one she created for me!!. I love the fall colors, so rich and yummy!! I love sunflowers and warm tones...I am inspired to creat another one!!! A birdhouse mini like the one Brenda made for me...Maybe in some Pretty Prima paper, covered in Prima flowers!!! Maybe, I will use my Swirly kit to do one...Yea, thats it... A Swirlydoos Birdhouse Mini Album!!!..Oh the possibilities!!

***Stuck On U Sketches Mini Album Swap***

Nanne from Stuck On U Sketches invited me to do a mini album swap a couple of months ago. I decided to join in on the fun. I was paired with Brenda Smith, a very creative scrapper!! I just received my Gorgeous album in the mail yesterday and was blown away by the creativity!! She created this beautiful Album from the prettiest fall papers and embellies. You think you are looking at a cute birdhouse, then you remove the roof and ...A MINI!!!! It has pockets, and hidden tags and just yumminess with every page!! If you know Laura Denison, then you know this wonderful piece of art was made from one of her patterns!! I follow The Paper Trail, and get inspired!!! Looks like Brenda did as well!! Thank you Girls at Stuck On U Sketches Nanne, Leah and Sandi, for hosting a wonderful swap, and thank you Brenda for the little piece of heaven you mailed my way!!!