confession.

More Valentine's Day fun coming soon, but first I wanted to share with you these two cards using the "Of the Earth" hostess set.

Both use the same stamps & basically the same layout, but a few simple changes in the colors make it easy to create a gift set (for example) of coordinating, yet different, cards.

My dear sister-in-law (Hi Micaela!) needed a set of cards to use as thank you cards & farewell cards before she quit her job as a nurse to go travel & volunteer in Bolivia for 6 months. She was looking for something appropriate for co-workers/bosses/people who wrote letters of recommendation for her/etc. and I thought a set like this would be just perfect.








CONFESSION. You've read this far (thank you) (if anyone did...), so I have a stamping secret to share with you. I guess it's sort of a secret, sort of a bit of advice.

When you have all of your stampin' stuff out and you're having so much fun stamp stamping away and you come up with a gorgeous card design, make two. Vary it a bit, if you wish, like I did above... but make two. That way when you remember two minutes before heading out the door to go to a birthday party/baby shower/graduation/enter in your special event here you will have a stash of lovely & thoughtful handmade cards to choose to give the lucky recipient.

They can think you planned ahead & made it just for them & they don't even have to know it can from your secret stash. Not that I've ever had to do that...

smiles,
Kristi

Candle "How To" Tutorial

Just how am I making these candles I've been posting, you ask?
Here's a photo tutorial for those of you who are more visual learners.

It's so very easy & they turn out so cute!

Step 1- Gather your supplies: parchment paper, candle, stamp set, ink pad, and white tissue paper.
Step 2- Stamp your image on the tissue paper. It will go through the layers so make sure you have a scratch paper or more tissue layers underneath it to protect your table!
Step 3- Trim the image close to the edges & place it on the candle
Step 4- Wrap parchment paper around the candle and hold it together in the back
Step 5- Use a heat gun (aka embossing tool aka heat tool) to heat your image. It should slightly change colors as the tissue melts into the candle
Step 6- Let it cool for just a minute or so & you're finished! You have beautiful & thoughtful homemade gift that is sure to bring a smile to the lucky recipient's face!

Good luck & let me know if you have any questions!
Kristi

ps just click the photo to enlarge the image & get a closer up view of the easy steps!