I just love these gift card holders! I think these will be perfect for my own Stampin' Up! gift certificates that my customers buy.

This design was the Splitcoast Technique Challenge for this week. I made a few adjustments. You can find a video tutorial there, if you wish, or my instructions below.

My tree from Snow Swirled is embossed with white EP on Holiday Treasures designer paper. I also swiped the edges of the paper with my versamark pad and embossed. Holiday Treasures is soooo gorgeous, isn't it?

After embossing, I added glue pen dots and sprinkled with green fine cosmo glitter and an ice rhinestone brad. After matting the main image, I wrapped Alpine ribbon around the whole card to tie it closed, secured with glue dots.

I love the little gift card pocket on the inside. Here's what

I did:

Score a 4 X 12 piece of paper every 4" (so you have three squares.) Fold the middle square in half, adhering the edges of that square together, then punching a slot along the fold with the word window punch to form the pocket for the gift card. Adhere the whole thing to the inside of a 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" square card.

You should try it -- it is too cute!!!

Scallop Snowflake

This was one of my cards in class last Friday night. I meant for it to be quick and simple, and was surprised by how much everyone liked it! I guess I need to keep it quick and simple more often.

I stamped the snowflakes with versamark on the baja breeze background, then rounded the corners. I cut out the chocolate chip scallop circle with my scallop circle #2 sizzix die and my Big Shot, then adhered a baja little felt flurry and baja button from Button Boquet. I {{{{{LOVE}}}}} Button Boquet!!! Stamped the sentiment in basic brown and there we go:)

Thanks for looking!

Watercolor Christmas


With tomorrow night's watercolor stamp class to prepare for, today's Ways to Use it Challenge on Splitcoast was perfect! The challenge was to use watercolor paper -- not a problem! That's my favorite thing to color on these days, especially with my SU markers.


I like to watercolor with a combination of blender pen & ink and Stampin Up markers.


If you are interested in purchasing a kit to make this card, please see my Arin's Kits blog.






I also have a kit available to make this card, scaled back from the time-consuming watercoloring.

Disclaimer: you are about to become thoroughly confused by the scattering of thoughts in the next few posts due to the complete blogging inaptitude of the author. I'm new here; cut me some slack.

Well, my cupcake card just *poof* vanished into cyberspace. Since I don't know my way around there very well, I'm just gonna post it afresh! Details below... somewhere...

I made two My Favorite Things cards for What's Up Wednesday! GO ME!!!

Well... OK... I guess I hafta admit that I finished two cards. Subtle difference, yes, but still raises the question, "did I cheat?"

I started these cards at my PSF Michelle's house last weekend using her stamping toys. This was just a matter of neccessity; I don't have these stamps.

So yes, these cards were sorta made on Sunday, but I did finish them today for What's Up Wednesday. I promise.

The first one was made with MFT's new set, "Who's That eGirl?" I love this set and need to get my own soon. I colored with Michelle's copics -- something else I need soon (actually, I need these yesterday!). The couch is pieced from SU real red patterns paper. The pirouette layer was run through my Big Shot with the Swiss Dots CB folder. Flowers and felt brads are from mm.

This one was with the adorable "What's Up Cupcake" set. I used Michelle's copics and real red patterns paper for the piecing on this one too.

The ribbon on both of these cards is from Michelle's store Paper Addiction -- the link is listed on the left.

Three uploads today!!!! Can you imagine? I think I'm still on a stamping high from my stamp getaway last weekend. Nothing like hanging out with SCSers in real life to really kick that obsession into high gear:)

This card was for today's Sketch challange on Splitcoast. I used a new to me Gina K stamp -- Little Girl at Play. Isn't she sweet? The sentiment is from one of my favorite sentiment sets -- SU's Many Happy Returns.



I colored her with SU markers. The saffron layer was run through my Big Shot with the Stylized Flowers embossing folder from Cuttlebug. These cute buttons were packaged together with the flowers in a little box of goodies from mm called Blossoms and Buttons. I LOVE buttons lately!



Thanks so much for stopping in -- come again:D

Yes, I'm back! Whoo Hoo! Aren't you excited? Well, don't put too much pressure on me, now. I really wasn't very good at this last time. But there's no room for guilt here -- upward and onward!

I'll start with this card because I just used it for a shoebox swap last weekend. I was thinking about offering this card in one of my first kits. the kit would include the materials needed to make 6 of this card. What do you think?

I will start posting kits soon, very soon.