clair087

Hello everyone! I hope your weekend has been delightful. I promised I would share a little bit about my upcoming plans for this blog, so let's get to that first. So much change is in store, but I'm going to try and break it down a little :) INSTAGRAM Guys, the day is finally here...I'm sooo excited to announce that I have finally joined Instagram! I plan to share all the latest updates from this blog, crafty/life moments, and whatever other random whims come along. I am probably the least social media savvy person you will meet, so it might be a rough ride to start, but I hope you'll join me anyway!  You can find me at @ivana.creates Also, huge spoiler alert in regards to my upcoming name change -  I'm launching #letsmakesomethinglovely  and hope you'll join in! It's where you'll be able to find all of my posts, but I hope you'll join me there too! I'm super excited to see you all in insta-land! Let's be friends, okay? NEW BLOG DESIGN A brand...

Happy Saturday! It's looking a whole lot like winter here, and snow is all around us! Naturally, cozy cards are on my mind, so today I'm sharing a quick little number that  just might warm even the coldest of days :) I started this card with a patterned paper journal card, complete with polka dots, and a striped heart. I love pulling colors from paper patterns, and I thought the combination of burnt orange and red was perfect for a comforting vibe. I added some mustard to the mix and a wee bit of yellow as well. I framed my sweet cup with these beautiful stamped branches using Altenew's Floral Frame stamp set.  I colored some leaves selectively, and also added a few berries using PTI's Holiday Hugs stamp and die set. I used colors of Smokey Shadow, Pure Poppy, Terracotta Tile, and Saffron Spice  to match the cozy hues.  For the striped mug, I used an older stamp set from The Craft's Meow (no longer available), but I did find this sweet stamp that would work perfec...

Hi Friends! I'm popping in today to share a card with a few of my favorite stamp sets. Some old, some new - these beauties seem to permanently reside on my desk, so I finally thought I'd put them to use and share a little creation with you. And with Thanksgiving here, I also want to extend a big, thankful hug to you all. I am so (so!) thankful for each and every one of your visits, notes, and immense amount of support. Without you, this little place of mine wouldn't be the same. I dedicate this card to you! :)  For the base of this card, I used Lawn Fawn's Scalloped Rectangle Stackables . It's one of my favorite go-to for bases. I love the different sizes, so it permanently stays on my desk.  For the beautiful border, I used PTI's Stitch in Time stamp set, embossed in white over green paper.I layered it atop a soft peach cardstock, and used white cardstock as an insert to stamp a few little flowers and my sentiment. I added some sweet sequins and a bright red b...

Oh my, the last few weeks here have been glorious! All the leaves turning, crisp morning, pumpkins on porches...Everywhere you look, fall splendor is upon us.  Golden and rusty orange hues fill the horizon, while the low Autumn sun seems to make things even more vibrant and colorful. I just love this time of year. It's also the time of year I start thinking about cozy layers, pockets for tucking sweet little treasures into, and anything that add a touch of homey-ness and comfort. So today, I have a little pocket card to share with you that was inspired by this wonderful season.  To start my little pocket card, I used simple kraft cardstock along with my W R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board  to make the sweet little envelope. I stamped the pretty design using PTI's Stitch in Time stamp set and some White and Rose Quartz embossing powder. At the top, I added a burlap trim, rose and some stamped leaves and flowers from PTI's Rosie Posie set (discontinued, but you Farmer...

Isn't it fun to give just because? I find that Autumn brings out the gifting spirit in my soul and all I want to do is shower everyone with goodies! Especially home-made goodies :) And one of my favorite fall gifts is homemade mulling spice pouches, which are super quick and easy to pull together, but are such a tasty and fun treat to share with loved ones. I've included my quick recipe below, but first let's chat about the itty bitty pocket.  To start the pocket, I used a bit of soft yellow cardstock and PTI's Seed Packet die . Around the edges, I stamped, PTI's Stitch in Time borders in two different embossed colors, white and soft yellow. To the top of the card I added a few bows, one made of paper, one of felt and another colorful embroidered trim.  For the sentiment, I used PTI's Petite Places: Home and Garden stamps, stamped and embossed in Rose Quartz .  For the adorable pie, I used an older Spellbinders die set, but you could just as easily use this cute...

Hi Friends!  I'm sharing a card today that I just love because of the unusual colors, given the theme of the card. With the holidays fast approaching (especially Thanksgiving here in Canada), I've got holiday cards on my mind. But this time around, I wanted to incorporate a bit of a different palette - one that I wouldn't typically use this time of year. I found that with a few little tweaks, it actually works pretty well. Whaddya think? To start this card, I used a white card base. The first tip about taking brighter hues into the fall season, is to actually season your whites! Yes, you read that right!  Instead of leaving whites as they are, I add just a smidge of tan, brown, or grey ink to the edges, and it instantly gives the card not only an aged look, but a much more fall-appropriate look. Don't you think? Next up, when using greens, I love using warmer hues as they really emulate the golden harvest sun on those last few remaining green leaves. And then I build my...

Good morning!  How are you all doing today? I hope your week has been full of creativity. Today, I'm sharing a card that I've been meaning to do for some time now. It's probably been done before, but the idea came upon me when I was stamping with multi-layer stamps, thinking how fun it would be to add more dimension with a bit of embossing. I find this technique especially fitting for Autumn cards, where layers evoke so much coziness. And it's such a fun way to stamp on colored cardstock :) I am also very, very excited to share with you my most recent favorite stamp...which just so happens to be on SALE for a limited time ;) So here we go! Altenew SALE! Before we get into the nitty gritty, SB.com is having a huge sale on Altenew products over the next three days. The sale is happening until midnight, Thursday Sept. 20th and most of the stamps are 20% off or more! My favoritest, cutest little mushroom stamp used above is only $12 right now! And so are way too many others...

Our Thanksgiving is approaching quickly, yet I'm still in a very Summer-y state of mind.  So I thought it would be fun to adapt a colorful palette just a bit and bring out some Autumn accents. The first thing I think of when cooler weather approaches is chunky, cozy layers, and this lovely canvas base is the perfect way to add a bit of textured cozyness to my card. But keeping in mind fresh floral hues, I also added two patterns in feminine colors: this pretty Pinkfresh print , and this sweet floral print. For the topper, I added a striped bow ( DIY tutorial here ), and also a sweet vintage button. I stamped a portion of my sentiment using Purls of Wisdom stamps from Papertrey. They are discontinued, but since this is such a generic saying, it would be really easy to use an alternative. I really love adding a touch of sparkle to holiday cards, so I used a really delicate font to die cut a gorgeous glitter cardstock . I prefer to use cardstock when working with such fine details, as...

Good Morning! Many of the cards I've been gravitating towards lately are all about gratitude.  It's so easy to forget how much one has to be thankful for when life is not so easy.  But just like a rainbow, emerging through the clouds and rain, so does a grateful heart in times of difficulty. And just like a rainbow, gratitude has the power to brighten a cloudy day like nothing else!  Especially with the help of a pile of colorful pumpkins at the end :)  Before I get to my card, I want to take just a second to thank you all for your patience with my pre-scheduled posts as these last few weeks passed by. And for still visiting this lil' blog in my absence! I apologize that I have not been able to get back to you all just yet - I'm definitely working on that as we speak. Things are a little bit better now for me health wise, so I'm going to try and be more present in blogland in the coming weeks. Thank you all so much for your support and love! It means so much to me!...

Hiya Friends!  Even though we're still in the thick of Summer, a few turning leaves bring on thoughts of Autumn. Before we know it, the days will be shorter and the air crisper, and even though Summer is welcome here for as long as it will stay, I do love the changes that Autumn brings about.  Today's tag is a super simple little piece! It was inspired by Melissa's sweet pastel pumpkin card over on the PTI blog . Her pink pumpkin especially caught my eye! You can check it out here . I started this tag with PTI's Tag Sale Quilted die, and used my newest favorite Altenew Peony Bouquet stamp set to create a colorful background. Altenew SALE This beautiful stamp set is currently a part of a huge sale on SB.com - most Altenew stamps and dies are 20% off or more, meaning this gorgeous (and really large) stamp set is under $18! You can use my link above or use the link provided in the supplies list below. The sale is valid until midnight Thursday, September 20th! Happy Shopp...