You're Just My Type

I can't say I'm a huge fan of Valentine's Day on principle, but I do like the feminism and/or romanticism of it, plus the cards are so fun to make (and give)! I also love puns, so I couldn't resist using these typewriters & sentiment from Clear Art Stamps along with this lovely paper from Graphic 45's Typography collection. 

This notch swing card was designed in Sure Cut A Lot (SCAL) and cut with my Silhouette electronic die-cutting machine. All of my Notch Swing Cards are archived here. If you'd like to try it yourself, a version of this card design is now available for purchase as SVG files for your die-cutting machine in the SaySomethingLoudly Etsy Shop. This actual card is also for sale...Thank you for supporting my crafting!

I made the "keys" in SCAL as well, using the print-and-cut feature. I can't get my Silhouette to align correctly, but I'm getting the hang of it. I used one of my favorite fonts, American Typewriter! The letters are cut from white cardstock, inked with Antique Linen distress ink, and coated with Glossy Accents. The silver bases were cut from a shiny Recollections cardstock.

The wood typewriter embellishment (Darice) was inked with the same Tea Dye distress ink that I used for all the edging. I stamped a little heart on it, using a stamp from a Dilo En Español set.

Thank you for visiting, and hope you'll visit my Etsy Shop,

Retro Heart Notch Swing Card #1

With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought it would be fun to try my hand at a heart-shaped Notch Swing card.

I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to ink up this cassette tape stamp from TPC Studio's Retro Technology rubber stamp set. I also used a music-themed Posh Impressions rubber stamp. Both were stamped with Versamark ink and heat-embossed with purple powder (Stampendous).

I added a border of neon orange Liquid Pearls on both sides of the notch swing piece, plus in the corners.

The front is a pre-glittered cardstock (Core'Dinations), and I added a bit of black satin ribbon. The corners were notched with a Marvy punch.

This heart-shaped notch swing card was designed in Sure Cut A Lot (SCAL) and cut with my Silhouette electronic die-cutting machine. All of my Notch Swing Cards are archived here. If you'd like to try it yourself, a version of this card design is now available for purchase as SVG files for your die-cutting machine in the SaySomethingLoudly Etsy Shop. Thank you for supporting my crafting!

Chromatic Craze #6

Inspiration/Challenges:
Chromatic Craze: Color Combo #6
Hobbycutz Challenge #30: Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting,

1st Pile It On challenge of 2014 - Just Because

Today begins a new year of challenges at Pile It On, with the theme of "Just Because" (no celebrations nor birthday).

Our sponsor is Inky Impressions, so I used one of their great digi sentiments:

For the other side of the notch-swing circle, I used a KaiserCraft stamp that I won at a crop at Scraps of Love! I heat-embossed it in silver. The turquoise hummingbird is a separate stamp from the same set, heat-embossed and fussy-cut. The large hummingbord on the front of the card is also from that set, and was kinda a mistake...I stamped it with Memento ink but heat-embossed the opposite side with turquoise powder (I wanted it to face right at the time), but a little of the powder got on the "wrong" side and I ended up liking this version better!

The notch swing card was designed in Sure Cut A Lot (SCAL) and cut with my Silhouette electronic die-cutting machine. All of my Notch Swing Cards are archived here. If you'd like to try it yourself, a version of this card design is available for purchase as SVG files for your die-cutting machine in the SaySomethingLoudly Etsy Shop. Thank you for supporting my crafting!


The lace is from my stash, and the background DP is from a set Mom & I bought recently (at Michaels, I think?) I did the faux stistching by hand, using a silver Spica pen.

Color Throwdown #273

Inspiration/Challenges:
Color Throwdown: Color Combo #273
Cuttin & Stampin Challenge #52: Use Something New (new stamp set) / 2nd entry
Mema's Challenge: January BINGO (1st column: Lace/Ribbon, Stitching (real or faux), Digi/Rubber Stamp)
Shopping Our Stash #124: Use The Last Of Something (last bit of this gray ribbon; also, this was probably the last project for the silver pen I used for the edging)
Sparkle N Sprinkle January Challenge: Anything Goes with Glitter, Embossing Powder and/or Flocking (used 2 embossing powders) / 2nd entry
Through The Craft Room Door: Always Anything Goes

Update: This was a prize winner for Mema's January BINGO Challenge!

Thank you for visiting and hope you'll join us at Pile It On,

Three Kings Day Kitty

You may have seen my New Year's post about our grape tradition; well, there's another Spanish tradition we always followed while I was growing up: Three Kings Day. You can see the cards I've made previously for this holiday here on my blog. This year, I focused on the tradition of leaving your shoes out for the Kings to leave presents in.

I thought it would be fun to use this "Party Animal" rubber stamp by Strawberry Kisses/Crafter's Companion.

click to enlarge

I stamped the image four times: on white, shiny gray, gold, and silver papers (all purchased at Michaels). The silver base piece was cut/emobossed with a Pagemaps die. I added some detail on the kitty with a Warm Gray Copic, and then covered it with white flocking by rubbing it through my Xyron sticker machine (I did retrace it with an XS Pitt pen. The confetti & streamers with colored with a Wite-Out pen and also retraced with the black pen. The gold shoe was painted with gold Stickles. The sentiment is from a Dilo En Español set and was heat-embossed in detail gold (Stampendous).

Although difficult to see in this photo, there are three die-cut hearts on the bottom of the card. They were cut using SCAL and my Silhouette, from a black pre-glittered Core'Dinations cardstock.

The black background was edged with zig-zag scissors, and is backed with a shiny black paper (Recollections/Michaels). I finished the card with some Platinum Opal Liquid Pearls in the corners.

ColourQ #222

Inspiration/Challenges:
ColourQ: Color Combo #222
Crafter's Companion January Challenge: Hearts + CC product (die-cut hearts + Strawberry Kisses/CC Stamp)
Delicious Doodles #69: Layer Up
Sparkle N Sprinkle January Challenge: Anything Goes with Glitter, Embossing Powder and/or Flocking (used flocking a glitter glue)


Thank you for visiting,

Happy Scrappy New Year

We're not sure when my parents picked up the tradition -- probably when they moved to Spain -- but my family always rings in the New Year by eating 12 grapes, one for each toll of the New Year's bell, for good luck. I can't remember if we found our first plastic grape-holders at El Corte Inglés or Pryca, but they are some of our most precious possessions, and I think my folks still use theirs. I know where mine are...in the attic! I haven't really kept to the tradition since seedless grapes became the norm (because it's kind of cheating!), but I like to send my parents a grape-themed New Year's card (Um, Mom, if you're reading this, it will be in the mail tomorrow!) This year, I broke out my bag of Washi tape:

I used some white scrap paper to adhere the Washi tape and punched out the circle with a punch, and stuck them to the card with pop dots. I used 12 circles to represent the 12 grapes, and topped it with a leaf-shaped brad.

Using baker's twine and Glossy Accents, I made the vine spell out "2014". The sentiment is from a Dilo En Español set, and was heat-embossed in a shiny green powder (Stampendous). I added some decorative tapes as a banner, and made a hand-drawn border with a PITT pen.

I sure had fun making this, and am looking forward to a new crafty year!

Sketch Saturday #290

Inspiration/Challenges:
C.R.A.F.T. #239;: New Year/New Beginnings
Cuttin & Stampin Challenge #52: Use Something New (the lacey tape and camera-themed Washi tapes are new)
Opus Gluei #173: Leftovers (used scrap paper for the washi tape pieces and the yellow background is literally "leftover" from an old project)
Perfectly Rustics: Washi Tape
Sketch Saturday: Sketch #290
The Crazy Challenge: Celebrate the new year
Twisted Tuesday: New Beginnings (New Year) + Twist: Use something new (the lacey tape and camera-themed Washi tapes are new)

Update: This was chosen as the Winner/Top Pick for Perfectly Rustics' Washi Tape Challenge. What an honor, thank you! I'm so glad I was inspired by the challenge, I never would have thought of these Washi Tape grapes without it!

Thank you for visiting and best wishes for 2014,