Lily & the Cuttlebug

Here's Lily helping me with some card samples while simultaneously having a celery stick - so young to be multi-tasking!

A little bird house votive candle

Here's a quick and easy way to make a votive candle holder. Stamp and color four little birdhouses. Tape them together and line with vellum. Add an electric tea light. Enjoy!

A Chocolate Bouquet

Give your sweetheart a dozen chocolate hearts for Valentine's Day. Keep your colors in the brown family for a rich chocolate look. Here's how to make it:

Supplies:
variety of brown cardstock
MSRS Mini Heart stamp
MSRS Orient Express embossing powder (or similar brown)
Versamark pigment inkpad (or any pigment pad you have)
MSRS Mini Heart die cutter (optional)
any embossing folders you like
Cuttlebug embossing machine (or whatever one you have will work too)
paper cutter
heat tool
Viva-Decor Pearl Pen (dark brown)
foam mounting tape
ribbon
scissors
tape

Steps:
Make a folded card measuring 5'X7" from your darkest brown cardstock. Line the inside with a pale brown cardstock for writing a sweet message.
Emboss a 4 1/2" x 3 1/2" piece of dark brown cardstock using your favorite embossing folder pattern and an embossing machine.
Tap the surface of the embossed piece all over with the pigment inkpad. Sprinkle with Orient Express embossing powder and heat. Layer the embossed piece onto a lighter color frame measuring 4 3/4" X 3 3/4". Apply foam mounting tape to the back and attach to the folded 5" x 7" card.
Stamp and emboss some Mini Hearts onto dark cardstock using the Orient Express embossing powder. Cut them out with scissors or use the MSRS Mini Heart die cutter. Use other brown colors to make additional hearts.
Using your paper cutter, make a 5 1/2" x 1/8" "stem" for each heart. Tape the stems to the back of each heart.
Gather the hearts into a bouquet and tape them together just below the lowest heart in the bunch. Tie ribbon around the bouquet to hide the tape. Add foam mounting tape to the back of each heart and place the bouquet over the embossed background piece on the front of your folded card.
Happy Valentines Day - Enjoy!

Blowing kisses

January Card Challenge Winners!

Here are the winning submissions in the "Love is in the Air" card making challenge. Congratulations to Birgit Edblom, Loes Pasteuning and Linda Benson (or Linda Brogren - not sure which one of you sent the card) I love them! Thanks to all who sent in a card. This was a hard decision which took a blue ribbon committee of five family members to make the choices. Well done one and all!