With Sympathy

Big hugs to you!  All good things, as they say, must come to an end.  And this is one of them.  I want to say that I really had an awesome time creating for Creative Vision with the rest of the Design Team 5, and I want to thank Ms. Laura for a very wonderful opportunity.  I appreciate you, dear craft reader, for visiting us here in the Creative Vision blog, epsecially during the DT5 term.  It was all fun!

For my last CV project, I played with stamps from the Arms of Jesus set.  This card closes in an unconventional way, where the flap is tucked under the main image.

Materials used:

cardstock/dp:  Bazzil, Paper Adventures, Recollections

image/sentiment:  Creative Vision "Arms of Jesus"

ink:  Tsukineko, Copic, Spica

tools:  Spellbinders, Martha Stewart deep edge punch, piercing template

embellishments:  flower sequins

adhesive:  Scotch, Zots, mounting tape

Before I bid my final adieu, I would like to invite you to take another glimpse of all my projects for Creative Vision during the past four months.  You can see them HERE.

And if you haven't given Creative Clear stamps a try, you definitely must.  Get your first set in the Creative Vision Store.

Happy crafting everyone! 

Yours truly,
Joan Switalski
(Tinker Planet)

Officially Single

It's hump day crafty reader!  That means two more work days, and then it's the three-day weekend... yeah!

Anyway, for my Wednesday project, I played with the "Officially Single" stamp set.  This time, I wanted to do something different.  It's a key chain made of melted UTEE, with the image sorta floating inside.  I stamped and embossed the image on vellum, then cut with Spellbinders.  The shape was achieved with the use of a plastic cookie cutter.

See the pink dots?  They are actually pigment powder that I mixed with the UTEE. 

Materials used:

image/sentiment:  Creative Vision "Officially Single"

ink:  Tsukineko

tools:  Spellbinders, heat gun, cookie cutter

embellishment:  ribbon

misc.:   Pearl Ex pigment powder, paper clip, Ranger embossing powder

You know what else you can do with this key chain?  It can also be a pendant.  A long pink ribbon can serve as the necklace. 

I can't believe DT5's term is almost over.  See you all tomorrow for my last DT5 project. 

Have a fun day!

Book Fart

Ooops.... I meant BOOK MARK.  That's my Creative Project for today, which you can say is sorta spunky.  Well, the sentiment I used is out of the norm - one of the things I like about Creative Clear Stamps.  This one is a single stamp called "You Old Fart". 

See the folding in the background?  I cut those with a craft knife following a pattern, then folded to achieve that look.

Again, this bookmark is more meant for guys to use, so there are no flowers or swirls involved.  I tried to make the design as simple as possible, using minimal embellishments so as not to leave dents on book pages.  The book you see is actually being read by DH at the moment, and I thought this bookmark is perfect for him to use (definitely no pun intended!).   The colors I used actually matched the cover of his book.

Catch you all next week!

Altered Altoid Tin

Hello creative peeps!  As you may already know, I'll be covering for Molly for the rest of May.  I hope you won't get tired of me... hee hee!

Before I move on, I have a confession to make.  I'm an Altoid junkie.  Yeah.  I usually have one in my purse, one at work, one at home and another one in the car.  You are right, I keep all the tins because you can alter them in a good number of ways.

With that being said, I made this stationery set showcasing stamps from Creative Vision's Arms of Jesus set:

The first step is to sand the cover, especially erasing the "black" images on the label so it won't show through.  I also sanded the edges for more character.  After that, I cut my new cover (3.5 x 2 3/16 inches), corner-rounded, inked and stamped with my images of choice.

As you can see in the photo below, I cut my stationery (3 3/8 x 2 1/16 inches), enough to fill the Altoid tin.  Another thing I like about this project is that I get to use my white cardstock scraps.  After rounding the corners (it will save you time if you have those heavy duty corner rounders), I inked each piece with red and green, matching the colors of my cover.  Then I stamped each piece with the same image.

You know what my favorite part is?  When you open the Altoid tin all the way, the stationery pops out so it's easy to grab a piece each time you need one.  And when you close the tin, you can use it to write on the stationery.

I designed this stationery set so that it can be put in a purse without having to worry about embellishments being pulled off.  To achieve that, I try to make the cover as flat as possible, using mainly stamps.  This is really handy when I need to leave notes for someone, or give somebody my contact number or craft website.  It can be anything you want -  a collection of favorite quotes, images to color, ideas... the possibilies are endless!

See you all tomorrow for another Creative Clear stamp project.

'Til next blog!

Pssst....!

Greetings, crafty friends!  My card this week features stamps from two of the Creative Vision sets:  Surprise Party and Sassy Happy Birthday II.  I have been wanting to create something with this darling turtle from Surprise Party, and finally a light bulb sorta literally "dinged" on top of my head. 

Armed with my alcohol markers, I started coloring.  And to draw more attention to the image, I layered my DP with vellum.  After that, I stamped and embossed the sentiment from Sassy Happy Birthday II. 

Materials used:

cardstock/dp:  Stampin' Up, K & Co., Copic, vellum, leftovers

image/sentiment:  Creative Vision "Surprise Party" and "Sassy Happy Birthday II"

ink:  Tsukineko, Copic

tools:  Spellbinders, EK Success edge punch, Big Shot, heat gun

embellishments:  pearl stickers

misc.:  Ranger embossing powder

adhesive:  Scotch, Fiskars, mounting tape

Catch you all next week!

Lake People

Hi crafty friends!  My project this week is a picture frame featuring a stamp from the "Hooked On Fishing" set.  The photo was taken during our first visit to Lake Tahoe in Nevada.  The sentiment is perfect to preserve that special memory 4 years ago.

For the stand, I just used a piece of chipboard which I attached to back of the frame with brads.  Then I scored at an inch from the top edge to achieve a straight fold.

Materials used:

cardstock/dp:  Recollections, leftovers

stamp/sentiment:  Creative Vision "Hooked on Fishing"

ink:  Tsukineko, Spica glitter pen

tools:  Spellbinders, Big Shot

embellishments:  rhinestones, brads

adhesive:  Scotch, Zots, mounting tape

misc.:  chipboard

'Til next week!

Masculine Birthday Card

Hi creative friends!  Can you believe April is almost over???  I know I have said this before, but I'm sooo ready for Spring!  Yeah!

My project for this week is a masculine birthday card, featuring stamps from the Sassy Birthday set.  It's sorta like a pop-up card, but also a gift card holder.  I didn't want it to be too fancy in the front, since the intended receiver is a male person.

When you open the card, this is what you see:

Materials used:

cardstock/dp:  DCWV, Georgia Pacific

image/sentiment:  Creative Vision "Sassy Birthday"

ink:  Tsukineko, Copic, Spica

tools:  Spellbinders, Big Shot, craft knife, heat gun, hole punch, corner rounder

misc.:  embossing powder

adhesive:  Scotch, mounting tape

'Til next week!

Happy Birthday

Hello creative friends!  It's my turn to showcase one of the new release sets by Creative Vision called "Sassy Birthday".  I already used this set in last week's blog hop, and I wanted to use it again for this week's project.  Can you tell I really like this set?

Materials used:

cardstock/dp:  DCWV, leftovers

image/sentiment:  Creative Vision "Sassy Birthday"

ink:  Stampin' Up, Tsukineko, gel pen

tools:  Spellbinders, Big Shot, Crop-A-Dile

embellishments:  ribbon, rhinestones, eyelets

misc.:  Ranger embossing powder 

Before I end this blog entry, I want to wish everyone a wonderful Easter.  Please don't forget the real reason why we celebrate this event.

'Til next week!

The Best Years

Hi everyone!  Have you been playing our Bunny Hop Blog Game?  If you haven't linked your blog with us, you have 'til Friday this week to do so.  There's a bunch of fun prizes waiting for you.  Click here to join.

I'm so glad that Spring is finally here... at least in our neck of the woods.  The snow has melted and the grass is turning green.  And the best part is - it's getting warmer, yeah!  Last year, a friend from work helped me prep a small garden to start with.  Growing up in the city, I never really was into planting flowers and such.  I'm hoping that my first flower garden will change that.  And that the plants and flowers stay alive too.

Anyway, here's my card for this week.  I used a stamp from the Sassy Happy Birthday II set, one of my Creative Clear stamp faves.  The pinwheel was colored with alcohol markers.

Materials used:

cardstock/dp:  Georgia Pacific, Embassy, leftovers

image/sentiment:  Creative Clear "Sassy Happy Birthday II"

ink:  Stampin' Up, Copic

tools:  Spellbinders die, Sizzix die, Tim Holtz embossing folder, Big Shot

embellishment:  brad

adhesive:  Scotch, Fiskars, mounting tape

Don't forget to join us this Saturday for Design Team 5's 2nd blog hop.  See you then!



Got Worms?

Hello creative peeps!  I apologize, my card for today has lots of holes on it.  There are a bunch of little creatures that just want to crawl out, and I just can't control them.  These worms love attention, you see, and they just like to be followed.  I have a secret to tell you too - they love to read comments!

 

But you know it's often typical to have one that's completely the opposite.  This worm on the inside is quite shy and prefers to be alone.  But when the coast is clear, it likes to come out and read comments as well.

Materials used:

cardstock/dp:  Glitz Design, leftovers

image/sentiment:  Creative Vision "Hooked on Fishing"

ink:  Tsukineko, Copics

tools:  Creative Memories circle punch, Tim Holtz distressing tool, heat gun

misc.:  embossing powder (Ranger, American Crafts)

adhesive:  Scotch, mounting tape

Before I go, the worms are inviting you to join the Creative Vision Challenge happening right now.  All you need to do is make a card with a monochromatic scheme and upload to the Creative Vision blog.  At the end of this week, a winner of a Creative Clear single stamp will be drawn.  Click here to submit your card now.

Wait... hold on.  The worm from inside the card also wants me to remind you about the Creative Vision Design Team 5 Blog Hop.  Mark your calendars, this fun event is going to be on April 16th. 

'Til next blog!

In Case of Emergency

Hi creative friends!  Can you believe March is almost over?  I know we are all looking forward to the next season - which means warmer weather, green grass and colorful flowers.  Just the thought of all those things make me smile.  Can't wait!

My card for this week features a couple of sentiment stamps from the Sassy Happy Birthday II set.  My favorite part here is the wall background.  After embossing, I cut some parts and then inked the surface to make it look realistic.

Materials used:

cardstock/dp:  Embassy, EK Success, leftovers

image/sentiment:  Creative Vision "Sassy Happy Birthday II"

ink:  Stampin' Up, Tsukineko

tools:  Tim Holtz embossing folder, Martha Stewart edge punch

embellishments:  brad

Guess what?  Creative Vision is going to start having weekly challenges this Saturday.  Be sure to come back to find out what's in store.  Or better yet, be a follower (scroll up to see) so you won't miss out on the fun.

'Til next time!

You're Invited

Hello Creative friends!  My project this week features a stamp from the Surprise Party set.  I was purging my brown scrap paper stash, and I started cutting a bunch of dresses with a retired wafer-thin die.  And while I was cutting, I thought they would be great to make invitations for a shower party, sweet 16 or all girls party.

Materials used:

cardstock/dp:  My Minds Eye, Embassy, DCWV, leftovers

image/sentiment:  Creative Vision "Surprise Party"

ink:  Tsukineko

tools:  Cuttlebug embossing folder, Spellbinders, Big Shot, edge punch (Martha Stewart, EK Success)

embellishments:  pearl stickers, rhinestone stickers

misc.:  Ranger embossing powder

adhesive:  Scotch, mounting tape

Pssst... I have a secret to tell you.  Something new is coming to Creative Vision... but don't tell anyone I said anything.  Shhhhh!

'Til next week!

Another Candle?

Hello creative friends!  I'm here to feature another stamp from the Sassy Happy Birthday II set.  I have to say, when I reached this particular age (and I'm not going to tell!), I wasn't too excited about the succeeding birthdays.  Even though I still like the "receiving presents" part (who doesn't?), I no longer look forward to the "aging" part (who does?).

Anyway, here's a card I made which sorta shows what I'm talking about.

Materials used:

cardstock/dp:  Wausau, Recollections, The Paper Company

stamps:  Creative Clear Stamps (Sassy Happy Birthday II)

tools:  Cuttlebug embossing folder, Stampin' Up punch, Spellbinders, Big Shot, heat gun

embellishments:  flowers, pearls, rhinestones, Stickles

adhesive:  Scotch, Zots

'Til next Thurday!

25th Anniversary Party

Hello creative peeps!  My project for this week features stamps from the Surprise Party stamp set.  This set is very handy if you're making invitations, party favors or souvenirs.  In this case, I made a silver anniversary paper fan for a party favor:

Materials used:

cardstock/dp:  Best Occasions, leftovers

stamps:  Creative Vision "Surprise Party"

ink:  Tsukineko, Zebra Popstar in silver

tools:  Martha Stewart edge puch, Martha Stewart scoring tool, heat gun, corner rounder

misc.:  American Crafts embossing powder, metal sticker sheet, chipboard, clear rubber band

adhesive:  Scotch, Zots

'Til next Thursday!

G-49?

Hello crafty friends!  My card for this week is out of the ordinary.  It's a shaker card actually, which showcases a couple of stamps from the  Sassy Happy Birthday II set.  I really like this stamp set because it's so out of the box.  I don't think you can find a sassy birthday stamp set like this anywhere else. 

You can say this card is sassier than normal, but I'm hoping that it will make somebody smile, if not laugh.  The shaker box is from a piece of embellishment packaging.

Materials used:

cardstock:  Embassy, CostCo

image/sentiment:  Creative Clear Stamps (Sassy Happy Birthday II)

ink:  Stampin' Up, Tsukineko, Ranger

tools:  Martha Stewart, Sizzix embossing folder, Big Shot, heat gun

misc.:  embossing powder (Inkadinkado), piece of packaging for shaker box

adhesive:  Scotch

'Til next week!

Catch of the Day

Hello everyone!  Time sure flies...  it's already been 4 weeks since I became a part of Creative Vision's DT5.  Woot!

Just came back from a 9-day vacation down in warm and sunny Florida.  During our trip, we bought a pack of key lime taffy, which was my inspiration for today's project:

The heat embossed image and sentiment are from the Hooked On Fishing set.
  

Meanwhile, the paper bowl is a type of origami, made from a sheet of 8 x 8 cardstock.  I focused on tropical colors to remind me of the nice and sunny weather from way down south.
  

Materials used:

cardstock:  ColorBok

image/sentiment:  Creative Vision "Hooked on Fishing"

ink:  Tsukineko

tools:  Spellbinders, Big Shot, heat gun

embellishments:  mini clothespins, leftover ribbon
adhesive:  Scotch, Zots

misc.:  embossing powder (American Crafts), chenile pipe cleaner

 'Til next week!

Hooked on Fishing

Hello everyone!  How's the weather in your location?  It has been very cold, snowy and windy in our part of Northern Michigan.  You may find this funny, but despite that, I still like winter.  However I'm starting to miss summer and a lot of fun activities we do during that time of the year.

Those are the things I was thinking of while making this card.  I was picturing weathered wood on the beach with fishermen's nets hanging on it.  And the stamps from Hooked On Fishing set was perfect for what I wanted to depict.

Materials used:

cardstock/dp:  The Paper Company, DCWV, Embassy, Fiskars

image/sentiment:  Creative Vision (Hooked On Fishing)

ink:  Tsukineko, Copics

tools:  Fiskars edge punch, Tim Holtz distressing tool

embellishment:  brads

misc.:  embossing powder (Ranger), shelf liner

adhesive:  Scotch, Zots, mounting tape

Well, a few more weeks and it's going to start warming up... I hope!

'Til next Thursday!

Pills?

Guess what?  It's Thursday!  Do you know what I like about Thursday?  It's followed by Friday, and Friday is the last day of my work week... yeah!  And there's one more great reason.  I get to show you another project here on Creative Vision.  Hey, that rhymes...

This card features a stamp from the Sassy Happy Birthday II set.  If you want something out of the box, this is it.  It's one of the reaons why I like this set a lot.

I made my pills by cutting pieces from a piece of leftover dp.  I cut some of the pills in half, which I then adhered to some of the pills to achieve the capsule look.

Materials used:

cardstock/dp:  Fiskars, The Paper Company, leftovers

image/sentiment:  Creative Vision (Sassy Happy Birthday II)

ink:  Tsukineko, Ranger

tools:  EK Success edge punch, Sizzix pocket die, Spellbinders, Tim Holtz paper distresser

embellishments:  rhinestone
adhesive:  Scotch, Fiskars, Zots

'Til next Thursday!

Precious One

Hello crafty reader!  I'm Joan Switalski from Northern Michigan, and I'll be your Thursday girl in the CCS Blog over the next four months.  This is my first take on being a design team member for a stamping company, and I'm so glad it's for Creative Vision.... woot!!!  I'm excited to share with you my first project for Creative Vision DT5.

I call this one a hole-y card - using a variety of tools to achieve the look.  The stamp "Precious One" is from the Sentiment Singles Collection, which was embossed with distress powder.  Let me tell you a secret also.  The inked background was actually from a sheet of copy paper I used to protect my desk while inking cardstock for another project.  I liked the mix of colors, so it's now the background of this card:

 Materials used:

cardstock/dp:  Stampin' Up, Recollection, copy paper

image/sentiment:  Creative Vision "Precious One"

ink:  Tsukineko, Stampin' Up, Prismacolor pencils, Staedler

tools: edge and corner punches (Martha Stewart), piercing template (Lasting Impressions),

Tim Holtz ruler, Spellbinders dies

embellishments:  flowers (Forever in Time), rhinestones

adhesive:  Scotch, Zots, mounting tape

misc.:  Shimmer Spritz

And before I go, don't forget to join us in the Creative Vision blog hop this coming Saturday, February 5th.  It's going to be fun!  Until then...