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Here’s a look at the finished card:

How about that cute frog stamp? It’s from the A Little Lovin’ set by Paper Smooches. Next time, I’ll stamp the lips directly over the colored frog. That’s why there isn’t a line going through them on the stamp – so they can be stamped directly onto the frog. They look cute like this, too. :)

By the way, here’s a link to the magnetic storage binders I mention in the video. I’ll share a lot more about this on Friday, though. :)

Today’s a happy day for me. I’m in the process of making plans for the rest of the summer and am very excited about things out on the horizon! I can’t share anything specific yet, but just know that good things are happening. It’s shaping up to be a very fun and eventful summer. :) Hope your week is off to a great start!

Love,
Britta

P.S. The winner of our mini blog hop with the Critters on the Farm is posted over on Marie’s blog. Thank you so much to everyone who hopped along with us and to Marie and Isha for joining me. We’re going to have to do this again very soon!

P.P.S. If you have any questions about die cutting storage or basic techniques, make sure to post them in the comments below. I would love to answer them in my video this Friday!

The stamp set I’m featuring today is one of my oldest favorites from Lawn Fawn: Bake Me a Cake.

Here’s the card I created with it. Everything on this card was created from part of the set – even the hearts in the background.

I brought out my beloved Watercolor Pencils for this card, coloring each cake piece separately before adhering the whole thing together. I love how this set really lets you make each cake specific to the card. I wanted this one to be more girly, so I added the scallops and used the more frilly base. Instead of worrying about cutting out the bottom curls, I just stamped it on the cardstock and adhered everything on top of it. Works like a charm!

I also made the cake nice and short by only using the 1st, 3rd and 5th layers. You can make a perfect vertical cake by using all of the layers together. I wanted the cake to fit inside of my current favorite labels dies – Labels Sixteen by Spellbinders. Isn’t that shape lovely? I know it’s kind of an oldie, but it’s definitely a goodie.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you’re having a fabulous start to your week. I’m working hard in my “office” (a.k.a. left side of my bed room) and updating my portfolio, resume and working on more blog stuff to come. Good things are happening, yes!

Oh, and early update on the Peppermint Oil Capsules that I received in the mail today: they seem to be working! I have a nervous stomach, and just taking one has really made me more comfortable. First impression is a good one! I’ll keep you updated more as I get used to the new healthy products.

Love,
Britta

P.S. By the way, make sure to submit your “no coloring allowed” creation to the Young Crafters Unite blog by 11:59 pm CDT on the 15th to be entered to win the prize for this month! We’ll be choosing winners soon, so don’t forget to join in over there!

Hello there! I wanted to stop by today and share a card I made for my mom. She doesn’t actually have it yet, but I know she reads my blog, so this counts, right? ;)

Dear Mom: I’m sorry I can’t be in Wisconsin to see you today, but know that I’m thinking about you all day long and and saving up my big hugs to give you for when I see you next. Thanks so much for being there for me and supporting me with every step I take, and comforting me when I take missteps and need my Mommy. You’re an amazing mother, and I’m so lucky to have you in my life. I love you so much, Mom! <3 Britta

This card showcases the brand new Spring Seasonal Distress Inks from Tim Holtz and Ranger. I have to say, I love these colors so much! I started with the plaid background by running some Neenah Solar White cardstock through my Sizzix machine with my favorite plaid folder. Then I inked the embossed background with Peacock Feathers with a Blending Tool and then sprayed it with a mixture of Perfect Pearls and water in a mister to blend everything together and bring in some shine. This color just asks to sparkle. :)

The flower scene is one of my favorite Hero Arts stamps – K5586 Daisies colored with Copic Markers on my favorite Tim Holtz Die – Styled Labels. The curves of the label really shine against the straight lines of the plaid background. I love that contrast!

I hope you enjoyed the card for today and have a happy Mother’s day, whether that means celebrating with or thinking of your mother or being pampered yourself. Every mother out there deserves a big hug today! Thanks so much for stopping by. I’ll be back tomorrow with a new regular blog feature that I think you’re going to  like. See you then!

Love,
Britta

P.S. Don’t forget to leave a comment on my Friday post for a chance to win a Critters on the Farm stamp set from Lawn Fawn! Entries close soon, so make sure to leave a comment now. <3

Hey there! It’s Friday Funday (not sure if that’s a thing yet, but it might be – we’ll try it out!), and I made another video this week about reinking Distress Ink pads. I just got in a big order of reinkers, and I realized that I’ve never talked about how reinking works and what I do. I’ve gotten lots of questions about this, so here’s a quick video explaining what I’ve learned over the years.

I hope you enjoy the video! If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I’ll make sure to respond.

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While I was taking shots with my camera for this post, I got a little carried away. But looook… things are so pretty when they’re lined up! These photos were all taken with my beloved Nikon D90, a Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AD Nikkor lens and my Opteka .45x Macro lens converter.

Speaking of getting carried away, my enabler bone wants to let you know that as of yesterday, all Tim Holtz Distress Markers are officially in stock at Simon Says Stamp. Woohoo for no more preorders! Hop over there and pick up your set now! If you could only buy a few markers to start out with, I recommend starting with the blues first because they’re my favorite. You’re going to want to blend these babies together! (Try out Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Faded Jeans, Stormy Sky and Chipped Sapphire if you’d like to try out just one color family first.)

Aren’t they pretty? I can’t wait to sit down and play with them more this weekend! That’s definitely happening. So much fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Hope you enjoyed the little tips. I would love to hear some of your distress ink tips if you have one to share! I’m always ready to learn more. :) This week has been so wonderful to me. New fun toys to play with, happy e-mails and catching up with old friends. Everything is good and falling into place. I’m so happy.

Health update: My health is also getting progressively better as I’m working through my stress and feeling accomplished at the end of most days. My doctor even prescribed less medication for me for the first time in years today, and I’m over the moon about that. The less chemicals I need to put in my body, the better.

For you fellow IBS sufferers out there, I’m starting working on incorporating Peppermint Oil Capsules (from Heather’s Tummy Tamers) as well as Heather’s Tummy Fiber into my diet. My mom (and many others) uses these and says they’re awesome, so I can’t wait to have less tummy aches in the coming weeks! I’m sure you’ll hear about them more if they become my new favorite thing. And in case you’ve forgotten, I’m 22 years old. IBS has always seemed to me like something that affects older adults (probably because my grandma and mom have suffered with it for a long time), but it’s actually WAY more common in people under the age of 30. Crazy, right? The best part about these things is that they will not hurt anyone who takes them and does not have IBS, so if someone is having constant stomach aches, trying these out can only make you feel better or stay the same. Yay for natural remedies! Someday, I hope to be completely natural with my treatments. A girl can dream, right?!

Thanks for all of your love, comments and support. Smiles are the best medicine. :) I love you all and will be back soon with another post! Have a wonderful, crafty weekend. :)

Love,
Britta

Here’s the card that I made for our cute little hop. It’s a little different from my usual bright and happy style, but I had fun with my distress inks. :)

My best friend for this card was my roll of Eclipse Masking Tape. It worked like magic to mask off the hay stacks when I was stamping the wall of them. I highly recommend this product if you like to make scenes of little critters.

We have been sponsored by Lawn Fawn, and we are giving away a “Critters on the Farm” stamp set to one lucky winner. Be sure to comment here for your chance to win as well on the other blogs! I’m the last stop on our mini hop, but you can go to Marie’s website to start from the beginning.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I’ll be back tomorrow with a fun video that’s been requested literally dozens of times. :)

Love,
Britta

Today’s card is based on water techniques, and I have to say that I’m very impressed with the color integrity that these markers have. I have to play around with them a bit more to give you my full opinion, but I’m definitely liking them so far.

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I hope you enjoyed the video today! I tried to cut it down as much as I could so it’s nice and short for you. Some day I’ll be able to hover around 7 minutes with ease. ;) Also, how are you liking the new music and editing style? Maybe you don’t even notice it, but if you do I’d love to hear what you think! Like I said, I’m trying out some new things to see if I want to keep them around.

Here’s the final card. I don’t think you can hear it in my voice, but I was genuinely concerned at the end when I didn’t know how to “fix it.” That sentiment (although a very awesome sentiment) was very overpowering to the dainty little flower and watercolor! I wasn’t sure if I was going to pull it off. But man, that line around the outside made all the difference. This proves that sometime all you card needs is a little TLC to save it. Never be afraid to try something new! You might just end up surprising yourself. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope I’ve encouraged you to try something new the next time you craft. I can’t wait to share more things with the Distress Markers in the future!

Be back tomorrow with a very special mini hop with two special ladies. Word on the street is that there may even be a little giveaway. Hint, hint. ;)

Love,
Britta

This may be the funniest Clean and Simple card I’ve ever made. That’s not to say I don’t like it. In fact, I very much like how this card turned out. I just find it funny that a card with such a simple design and few elements contains so much hand cutting, outlining and intricate paperpiecing. It’s quite counter-intuitive to the CAS name! However, I find cutting and paperpiecing really therapeutic and great for when I’m watching tv, so I would still consider this a simple card. Simple but effective design with one of my favorite techniques!

Those gorgeous (and easy to cut out) butterflies were stamped with the new Flutter By stamp set onto Lawn Fawn’s Bright Side patterned paper in Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I cut them out, glued the pieces together and adhered them with foam adhesive to my card base. Then all was left was one of my favorite sentiments, the “I love you” from Love ‘N Breakfast. I love that font so much!

Make sure to hop over to Simon Says Stamp and thank them for supporting our Lawnscaping Challenge! They’re so awesome that they’ve given us a $25 dollar gift certificate to the Simon Says store that goes to the winner of this challenge. Thanks, Simon!

So make sure to head over to the Lawnscaping blog to check out all of the the DT creations and to get the full details on how to enter the challenge. I’ll see you over there!

I hope you had a great NSD and celebrated by doing something crafty! My day was full of scrapbooking during the afternoon (I’ll make sure to share some layouts with you this week), and my night was filled with way too much drama. Hanging out with friends to celebrate Cinco de Mayo went off without a hitch (and I got to see many friends I haven’t seen since I left for Spain), but on the way home, it was incredibly rainy and thunderstormy. And then this happened.

My roommates and I were unlocking our door as the lightning struck the transformer on the same block as us, and I’ve never been more momentarily terrified in my life! Thankfully, no one was hurt and we even have out electricity and gas back now. Some would say I’m unlucky for getting caught in a storm. I say I’m blessed to be alive and healthy.

So needless to say, I’m going to be taking it easy for the next day or so. Haha! Love you all and I’ll be back tomorrow with more crafty goodness. <3

Love,
Britta

I stamped the middle zig-zag from Lawn Fawn’s Chevron Backdrops twice across the card in Cerulean Chalk Ink from Hero Arts and then inked over it with Tumbled Glass, Broken China and Chipped Sapphire distress inks (this way, the chalk ink doesn’t blend into the distress inks like stamping in another distress ink would). I liked the subtle effect here of just two impressions and then inking over it. I’m going to have to try this technique again soon.

Hope you liked the card! It started out as a father’s day card for my dad, but it ended up a little too girly for him, so I suppose I’ll have to give it to some one else important. Teehee! Oh, and if you’re as obsessed with washi tape as I am lately, you might want to check out Amy Tan’s blog post here about it. Not only can you oogle at her collection of tape, but she has a coupon code for free shipping at Freckled Fawn, too. I’m totally taking advantage of this ASAP.

I couldn’t leave without a little Trixie lovin’! She’s been especially cute lately. How am I supposed to get work done when this cutie is sleeping so peacefully in my chair?!

Oh, and one more thing! I’ve been binging on my latest audio book from Audible.com over the past couple of days, Sacré Bleu by Christopher Moore. It’s SO funny and so good. It connects with me on so many levels: London, Paris, French, painting and art history all play a role in this book. Plus, the majority of it takes place around the turn of the 20th century, which is my area of art expertise obsession. If you’re an art nut like me, you’ll love this. (Moore does swear a lot and makes a lot of sexual references, so if that’s not your cup of tea, though, I’ll understand.) :)

Happy weekend to you!

Love,
Britta

I’m doing some things different, and I’m doing some things the same. I didn’t know what I was going to do when I sat down at my desk, and this is what came out. It’s long because it has a lot of steps, but I broke it up into three shorter parts to make the tutorial easier to watch. I hope you enjoy it! No worries, I promise my new tutorials won’t all be this long. Making a video this long is exhausting!

I’m also trying out Final Cut Pro X and learning new things there. This means that editing took me so long yesterday that my videos had to go up today, but I know I’ll get faster and faster the more I work with it. Soon, I’ll be back into the rhythm and this process will hopefully take only a fraction of the time. Plus, it’s a big-girl program and learning cool programs like this might actually get me a job someday. We can only hope on that one. ;)

I’m back. And if you’ll have me, I’m happy to be here. I’m starting a new blog posting schedule starting today (well… errr… yesterday) and plan on posting 5 times a week – every day Monday through Friday. New videos will be on Wednesdays every week (assuming it doesn’t take me 8 hours to edit them… haha), and I have a few more things up my sleeve for this summer. :)

Without further ado, here is the tutorial for today! Scroll down for the finished project pictures (oh sweet light tent, I missed you so!) as well as a full supply list of things that appear in the video. Thanks for watching!

Part One: Covering the Covers

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Part Two : Making it Pretty

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Part Three : Putting it All Together

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What did you think of the tutorial? Sorry it’s so long, but I was chatty. Getting back into making videos is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be! I need to remember to be more organized and precise with my words next time. Don’t worry, I’ll get there. :) Here’s the finished project:

I’m in love with these journals by Studio Calico. They have new designs too, like the 3 by 4 Woodgrain Journal Kit, the 4 by 8 Honeycomb Journal Kit, the 5 by 5 Alphabet Journal Kit and the 8 by 10 Chevron Journal Kit. These would be so much fun to make as gifts for birthdays. I like the whole hands- on process a lot more than just simply decorating a journal. Plus, the SC grid paper inside is FAB!

Here’s another shot. I added the little twine (in grey Lawn Fawn Trimmings twine) bow after I finished filming to balance out the composition a little bit.

Here’s a peak of the inside back cover.

And here’s the binding. The muslin was a scrap a friend gave me when she was done with a sewing project. You can pick up some of this for about a dollar a yard at any fabric store. :)

So that’s it for today! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and I’m already looking forward to my one for next week. Mark my words, though, that it’ll be quite a bit more simple next time. Ha! Thank you so much for all of your love and support. I’ll see you tomorrow with a card!

Love,
Britta

P.S. If you have some ideas or pictures that are currently inspiring you, I’d love to see them! I want to surround myself with inspiration so I can get off to a really good start. My crafty muscles are still feeling very rusty!

Are you ready? Here’s what I came up with:

This is a perfect use for all of those solid stamps and colored inks you’ve been aquiring. Oh, I know you have a collection of them. ;) I found my paper-pieced and stamped background a little busy, so I added some vellum over the top to calm it down a bit. This is a great technique for anything from a too-bright color to a pattern paper that just needs to be toned down a notch.

Of course, the wonderful and fantastic Simon Says Stamp is sponsoring this challenge, so make sure to check our their store and thank them for sponsoring us!

Because of their generosity, the winner of this month’s challenge will receive a $25 gift certificate to the Simon Says Stamp store. Thanks a million, Simon!

Don’t forget to hop on over to the Young Crafters Unite blog to check out our amazingly talented design team member creations and for all of the rules and tools to submit your own creation. We can’t wait to see you over there. Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Love,
Britta

P.S. I’m home safe in Minneapolis. This is my first night back in my own real bed. Ahhh… There’s nothing like the feel of your own pillow to let you know you’re home. <3 More from me later this week once I get settled in, and then I’ll be back in full force! Thanks so much for all of the hugs and good luck wishes on my travel. It means so much to me. Mwah!