IHP Spring Botanical

Thanks for popping in to visit me today! I sincerely love it when you do, especially since I've been MIA so much for the last several months.

Today, I made this elegant wasp card. I don't normally thing of wasps as elegant, but this gorgeous image from my Spring Botanical set defies common waspish nastiness!

I coloured this image using the following distress markers; wild honey, rusty hinge, walnut stain, pumice stone, and white picket fence across the eyes for a little highlight. First, I stamped  the lovely shaped background on walnut creme cardstock using Pumice Stone distress ink. I cut the image by hand and sponged the edges with Pumice Stone. Then, I stamped the wasp slightly off center using rich cocoa memento ink on top of the pumice stone background.

I then stamped the wasp twice more on watercolour paper using rich cocoa memento ink. I coloured these images using distress markers and blended the colours using my handy dandy aquapainter, but it's almost as easy to use a little water colour brush and a bit of water. I cut the images and mounted them on the walnut creme base and added a little sparkle to the wings with stardust stickles. I wish all wasps looked this lovely!! I'm sure they do and I'm just too busy swatting at them to notice!

After I assembled all the parts, I stamped the sentiment from the Spring Botanical set in the corner using black soot distress ink. I sponged the edges of all the Carefree pattern paper - the darker papers were sponged using gathered twigs and the lighter using pumice stone.

I layered my watermelon crochet trim with ivory satin ribbon because I love the depth, and this coral colour is one of my all time favourite colours.

I lined up these lovely blooms just because I like them...

Thanks to all the people who make up challenges every week! I love them, and I appreciate the inspiration so much! If you have time, do stop by the challenge blogs I have listed for a little inspiration for yourself - I know it really helps me!

stamps; spring botanical (gourmet rubber stamps from ihp)
paper; carefree (authentique from ihp), walnut creme, flintstone (bazzill), watercolour paper - 140lb cold press (strathmore)
ink; black soot, gathered twigs, pumice stone distress inks, distress ink markers (ranger from ihp), rich cocoa memento ink (tsukineko from ihp)
accessories; watermelon crochet trim (may arts from ihp), ivory satin ribbon (offray), stardust stickles (ranger from ihp), doily die (marianne desgins), flowers (recollections)

splitcoast inspiration challenge IC338 - charming charlie 
deconstructing jen - sketch challenge ds53 
craft a scene - spring flowers
crafts & me - fabulous flowers 
creative card crew - dimension
crafty calendar - things with wings
ladybug crafts - things with wings
scrap creations - bingo (glitter, flower, ribbon)
party time tuesday - shabby chic 
our creative corner - shabby chic 

A Little Something

For this card, I used last week's sketch challenge on Splitcoaststampers. I'll be using this sketch again - I love it!This lovely paper is from Fabrications Linen by Teresa Collins which is such a lovely, elegant pad of papers!

I just got the Distress Markers from Tim Holtz, launched at winter CHA. They are divine! I've used them on kraft paper which isn't easy because this paper absorbs the ink very quickly. On this poppy image from Spring Botanical by Gourmet Rubber Stamps, I coloured using fired brick and barn door for the blossom. Then, I used picket fence to add a few highlights. WELL! The ink from the marker went on clear and then it looked like it bleached the paper and the red inks I had already coloured with. VERY INTERESTING!!! I think this marker has some very cool potential and I'll mess around with it some more in the near future.

I have another Gourmet Rubber Stamps stamp that I used for this card - Hot Water. I think it's a wonderful sentiment and I think about it almost every time I'm in a difficult or challenging situation. The background for this portion was stamped with a stamp from Spring Botanical stamped with Pumice Stone ink, one of my favourite neutral inks.

Have a marvelous week!

stamps; spring botanical, hot water (gourmet rubber stamps from ihp)

paper; fabrications (teresa collins from ihp), kraft, raven, walnut creme (bazzill)

ink; gathered twigs, pumice stone, black soot distress inks (ranger from ihp)

accessories; distress markers (ranger from ihp), bow easy (from ihp), black brads (making memories), black ribbon (offray) 

Paper Smooches from the {heart}

Join us for our Spring Cleaning Sale! Beginning today, May 15th through May 19th. Save up to 50% on selected items and as always, free US shipping with your $60 order!

All stamps 15% off! Spellbinders 20% off! Alterables 25% off! Inks (Sorry, Copics are excluded due to the manufacturer's strict pricing rules) 10% off! 12x12 Collection Packs 15% off! 6x6 and 8x8 pads 10% off! Embossing folders 30% off! And much more!

PLUS! Have you heard about IHP's new rewards from the {heart} referral rewards program? If you love IHP and are looking for another reason to spread the word to your friends, you’ll now be rewarded for doing just that! With our new rewards from the {heart}, simply refer a new customer and earn 10% of their first order placed in the form of a gift certificate. Just have them list you in the “how did you hear about us” section at checkout and 10% of their order will be given back to you as a thank you.

Here are the nitty-gritty details: they must list you at time of checkout; rewards are not valid for any past sales and are only valid for their first order -- but you can refer as many people as you like! There is no limit to the rewards you can earn. We appreciate that you love IHP and want to give back when you share the love. Enjoy, and thanks!

This month, the i {heart} papers design team is doing a hop in partnership with Paper Smooches, a very fun stamp line.

I've made a corner bookmark using Happy Camper. It wasn't until after I was done that it occurred to me that it looks like a bear stalking a cabin in the woods! It's great for a giggle!!!

The back is nice and clean and ready for my daughter to use on her latest book. This paper is from Fiddlesticks, and I do love the cabin in the woods feel this paper has - perfect for my bear!

I've used copics E53/55/84/87/89 to colour this sweet guy. This image was stamped with Rich Cocoa Memento ink.

No bow easy for this bow since the ribbon wraps around the bottom of the bookmark. I love the addition of this sugar stick by Jillibean Soup to the bow for the little ginger bread looking button to rest on.


Check out the fun projects by the rest of the design team, and have a great week!!

• Carolyn


• Deb


• Gretchen


• Loretta


• Lori


• Lynn


• Tracy


• Kate

stamps; happy camper (paper smooches from ihp)
paper; fiddlesticks (my mind's eye from ihp), flintstone, walnut creme (bazzill)
ink; rich cocoa memento (tsukineko from ihp)
accessories; sugar stick pick, cardboard frame (jillybean soup from ihp), ribbon (may arts from ihp), border punch (martha stewart), button (maya road from ihp), copic markers 

Riddersholm Design - Wrought Iron Inspiration

Happy Sunday, y'all. I sprained my foot at my high school last Thursday, so I was forced to stay put all weekend and I took the time to get some paper crafting time in. My foot is quite painful and incredibly ugly right now, but all in all, it's not a bad trade off...

This weekend, I've used some gorgeous paper from the new Fleamarket line by Riddersholm Design. I just love the blue, brown and cream colour combination for this lovely paper collection! I was inspired for this victorian garden feeling from yesterday's Splitcoast stampers challenge from the Vintage Trading Company. I love these cream wrought iron garden stakes from their website.

I've used a sentiment from Scripture Collection 9 from Our Daily Bread Designs, which I've had for awhile but not enough hours in the day to get it inky!  I chose to stamp it on this designer paper because the pattern on it is so muted that it enhances the sentiment rather than overwhelming it. I really love the little blue splotches, which add a lovely pop of colour.

While I'm not a huge fan of birds, I love the graceful shape of this little resin bird from Riddersholm Design, and it was perfect for the inspiration challenge and this sentiment.


Have a blessed week, everyone!

stamps; scripture collection 9 (ODBD)
paper; Fleamarket - Stains (Riddersholm Design), powder blue, flintstone (bazzill)
ink; pitch black adirondack (ranger)
accessories; lg rectangle, labels 18, fleur de lis rectangle, ironwork motifs, sm scallop rectangle (spellbinders), twill ribbon, resin bird (riddersholm design), ivory satin ribbon (offray), taupe pearl flourish (zva), blue pearlized brads (unknown)  

splitcoast inspiration challenge # IC335
anything goes - things with wings
party time tuesday - 2 or more ribbons
inky impressions - 2+ ribbons 
crafts 4 eternity - ribbons
stamp, scrap and doodle - ribbon
4 crafty chicks - favourite embellishment (ribbon)
crafts & me - favourite colour combo (blue, brown and cream!)
aud sentiments - anything goes 
creative craft challenges - anything goes
papertake weekly - anything goes
digi doodles shop - anything goes
poodles parlour - anything goes

IHP Celebrate This Ordinary Day

With the busy-ness of the last several months, I have come to more greatly appreciate normal, ordinary days.

We are having an early spring and I love the watermelon-y colours of the this & that graceful designer paper I've used on this card as I anticipate an early summer. This is a simple card, with a simple layout because I am in an appreciate the simple things season in my life journey. I have used my ordinary days stamp set - I love these sentiments! - stamped in rich cocoa memento ink.

I sincerely hope you have a perfectly, wonderfully, ordinary day!

stamps; ordinary days (technique tuesday from ihp)
paper; this & that graceful (echo park from ihp), java, coconut swirl (bazzill)
ink; rich cocoa memento ink (tsukineko from ihp), mountain rose adirondack (ranger)
accessories; bracket border (ek success), sm & lg classic square nestabilities, labels 16 (spellbinders), lt pink rhinestones (kaiser craft from ihp), buttons (cosmo cricket from ihp), green satin ribbon (may arts from ihp)  

IHP A Little Van Gogh Inspiration

I just learned that I have two clean 4.0 grades as I finished my winter session graduate courses in Education. I am so happy that all that work paid off. Yesterday, my admittance into graduate school was formally accepted. I am the exception to their rule because they don't normally accept candidates with less than 2 years of experience into the program. They are admitting me with technically no "professional" experience. I also had a University assessment of my teaching practices yesterday morning, 9 days into my practicum and was told a school needs to hire me immediately because she could find no fault with my practices. I still have 7 weeks of practicum left - whatever shall I do with myself?!! I am thrilled with my results all round!

I am happy that I can get back to a little crafting me time. I made yet another butterfly card and I wasn't sure I liked it until I stood across the room and squinted at it, suddenly realizing that it had a similar feel to Van Gogh's masterpiece, 'Starry Night'. Can't top a masterpiece! The paper in the Genuine pad is so Van Gogh!

I want to show you that this sentiment from Thinking of You by Technique Tuesday, fits in the lines of this paper as if the two were made for each other. How incredibly perfect!

I used butterfly dies to create this multi layered butterfly, adorned with Snow White pearls.

Have a lovely weekend, peeps and thanks for sticking around while I was a little MIA!

stamps; thinking of you (technique tuesday from ihp)
paper; genuine (authentique from ihp), oxford, powder blue, butter dotted swiss (bazzill), pearlized vellum (paper accents)
ink; tuxedo black memento (tsukineko)
accessories; snow white pearls (kaiser craft from ihp), narrow blue silk ribbon (may arts from ihp), bow easy (from ihp), LR0114 butterfly (marianne), bigz butterfly die (sizzix) 

IHP A Little Felt...

Hiya, peeps. I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, it has just felt like it!

This month, the i {heart} papers team has been challenged to use felt in our projects. This is fabulous stuff, I must say and I've never used anything like it before.

I've used the Pinwheel Posie die to cut my felt and create these darling felt flowers. The felt cuts like a dream using standard dies, like this Memory Box die. It seemed that these flowers were easier to make with felt than with paper! I really love the look.

I coloured for the first time in months. I think I'm a little out of practice...

My copics hardly recognized me. Copics used today; RV91/93/95, G20/21/24/40/43/46, BV20/23/25, N0/2/4, Y21/23/26, B000/00/01, E01/30/31/35/93, colourless blender

I hope you have time to check out what the rest of the ihp team has done with felt today!

• **Kate Baldwin** owner
• Carolyn
• Deb
• Gretchen
• Loretta *me!*
• Lori
• Lynn
• Tracy

stamps; floating down the river (stampavie  from ihp)
paper; fiddlesticks (my mind's eye from ihp), lagoon, flintstone, walnut creme (bazzill)
ink; london fog memento ink (tsukineko from ihp)
accessories; felt ( from ihp), pinwheel posie die (memory box from ihp), paper doily (unknown), lg/sm circles, ornate artisan tags & accents (spellbinders)