The Guard at the Taj Mahal

Hello all!  I hope you're enjoying some beautiful Spring weather wherever you are!   What an amazing bunch of new stamps Chocolate Baroque has come out with this month! I've combined them with some that came out last month - so versatile and fun to play with!  I used two new stamp sets on this card, some masking and die cutting. The stamp sets are: Punky Flowers, and Indian Textiles. Just wait until next month!!! More gorgeous stamps to come, that will be perfect with these! Keep an eye out for possible sneaky-peeks! 

The gilded gate isn't shown very well in this photo, and is very shiny. 

I used a mask and sponge dauber to make the clouds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Pretty Flowers

Hello, All! Have you seen the newest flower stamps from Chocolate Baroque?

The set is called Punky Flowers, and goes well with any other "Steampunk" set in the CB line! Awesome! I love black and fuschia together - one of the most striking color combos I've seen!




































  

I think this flower stamp from the Punky Flowers set is going to be a favorite of mine! It doesn't feel so much like "steampunk", but I really like it's structure, and it will go well with the new Indian Elephants set released last month, as well as many other sets!  

 

The sentiment "I'M GRATEFUL" is from the Words of Gratitude set. 

 

 

Steampunk Christmas Ornaments

Hello!  I know it's too early for Christmas, but I'm participating in the Christmas Card group with Chocolate Baroque, and this card was the theme for last month's card using silver and gold.  When I looked at the new stamps, they were upside down, and that's how I got the idea to make ornaments out of them.  This new stamp set is called PUNKY FLOWERS, which you can see below the card.

I covered the white card base with gold glittered tulle, and tied a gold sparkly cord at the top.  The "ornaments" were heat embossed in gold and silver, hand-cut out, applied over some green die cut "branches" from my stash, then decorated with gold and white half-pearls.

 Thanks for visiting!  I appreciate you stopping by, leaving a note or pinning me!  :)

Indian Elephant!

More amazing new rubber stamps from Chocolate Baroque! These images have an Indian flavor, are so very detailed and fun to color! You'll love them!

I used two stamps from the Indian Elephant set, shown below. The card is 6" by 5 1/2".   The flowers used to decorate the elephant and edge of the diecut are from the Big Bold Backgrounds Belle Flowers stamp - a huge 5.5" x 5.5" solid rubber stamp (released last month)!  These are must-haves!  Aren't these stamps amazing?!  Just click on the stamp set names above to be taken directly to the Chocolate Baroque website where you'll find more information on these specific sets. 

  



I know you'll love these, and they are so versatile!  They are so fun, fantastic and flavorful!

With Deepest Sympathy

A friend loaned me some of her stamps, and this sentiment was one of those which just screamed, "Use me!"  I love the cool colors of coral and olive.  It just feels soothing... the butterfly and rose were die cuts given to me by my friend Donna, (or loaned me the die to cut it out myself), and the hydrangea flowers were done with a punch.  The background die cut is one from Heartfelt Creations.

 

Wild Purple Rose

Hello, everyone! I hope you are well, and warm!

Here's a card made with the new Chocolate Baroque stamps, Wild Rose Sprig, Big Bold Background Belle Flowers and the Words of Gratitude set.Very detailed, yet very easy to use. You'll love 'em!

I heat embossed the Belle Flower background in white, then sponged some ink over the flowers.   Thanks for stopping by! Take care, and Happy Stamping!

Yummy New "Chocolatey" Stamp Sets!

 

Hello! As you probably already know, Fantasy Woodland was the new stamp set of the month for February by Chocolate Baroque!  What an amazing set of stamps - so many different types of trees and beautiful images to work with! Click on the name of the set and you will be taken directly to the stamp set on the website, where you can see all of the stamps in this set.

Below are a couple of projects I made using this set, and I hope they'll inspire you a little! There are so many great projects that the design team has made, so please check out the Chocolate Baroque blog for more ideas! The little house is from the set, Home Sweet Home, as well as the wheat grass. The bottom border is from a brand new clear set, called Floral Edges, released February 14! There are two other clear edge sets that have also been released - Decorative Edges and Landscape Edges - please check them out! They are awesome!

My next sample has the orange tree image from the Fantasy Woodland set, and several "Thank you's" from the Words of Gratitude set. Those oranges look good enough to eat!



My next card is framed with one of the trees from the clear Fantasy Woodland set. I used several dies to cut out the shapes, and hand made the roses. 



This card was made with last month's new set, called The Rose Tree. I used the new clear Floral Edges on the background.

I've enjoyed your visit, and hope you did too! Thanks for stopping in!

Heartfelt Creations Jan Blog Hop Winner!

Congratulations to Karleen, who won the gift certificate from Heartfelt Creations!  She was chosen from Sarah's blog.  Just email Emma Lou at emmalou@heartfeltcreations.us, with "winner of January Alumni Hop" in the subject line.

I know you'll love whatever you chose with your gift certificate!  Have fun!  Lucky you!

Heartfelt Creations January Blog Hop

I apologize for not being ready for the blog hop this time, but I am having an issue with being able to download photos off my new camera to either of the two computers we have.  I'm so sorry to the Heartfelt Creations Blog Hop ladies for not being able to complete my blog entry in time for the hop!

I know this is late, but here is my entry for this hop!  If you came here from Alissa's fantastic blog, you are in the right place!

The color in these photos doesn't represent the actual set of six cards and envelopes very well!  Taken with my phone, they didn't edit right at all, but you can get an idea, I think (I hope!).  :)  I have listed all the stamps and die sets used below, along with cross-partner products used. 

The pocket was stamped in black on blue printed paper, then cut out.  The daisies on the front (in yellow on off-white cardstock) are stamped with the bouquet, and the blue ones on the inside were stamped with the three smallest daisies in the set listed below (on white cardstock).  The inside was stamped using the daisy background stamp, in yellow, then single daisies in blue.  The "popped up" daisy on the front was stamped in black with one of the single daisy stamps on off-white, colored, then diecut using the coordinating die from the die set listed below.  The centers of each flower on the front were covered with liquid glue, the sprinkled with black ultra-fine Flower Soft.

The white cardstock base was cut from 8 1/2" x 11" plain cardstock.  Each card was cut 7" wide by 8 1/2" long.  They were scored in half to 3 1/2" wide by 8 1/2" long.  With the card opened up with inside down, and the top front of the card on the right, cut a square 3" down from the top, and from the center fold to the outside edge.  Fold the card in half once more along the long score line with the front 5 1/2" side facing up.  Stamp single daisies using the smallest stamps in yellow on the front. Score across the 3 1/2" side on the back of the card right at the cut line, so that the remaining 3" on the backside, folds to the front of the card, over the folded 5 1/2" length of the card. 

Stamp your daisy bouquets in black on off-white cardstock, then color as desired.  The markers I used are listed below.  Cut out using scissors.  On the front of the flap that will fold over the main body of the card, I shaded in blue, then adhered the bouquet to the 3" x 3 1/2" area, and trimmed only the bottom edge along the bouquet edge.  On the inside of this flap,stamp varying sizes of the single daisies in yellow.  On the front, adhere a single small daisy stamped in black on white cardstock and colored with markers, and the center glued with black flower soft, with a dimensional adhesive.  This single daisy can be placed anywhere on the front over the bouquet.

 Using the daisy background stamp, stamp one image in yellow in the center of the largest area of the inside of the card completely opened up.  Using various sizes of the smallest single daisy stamps, stamp in blue.  Stamp a sentiment in black on the inside over the background image.

 To finish the cards, make the bookmark for the pocket.  I used yellow patterned cardstock from my scrap stash, and cut into 6 bookmarks measuring 2 1/8" wide by 4" high.  I used the sentiment stamp below in black on the center of the bookmark, and stamped varying sizes of single daisies all over the front.  Punch a hole using a 1/4" diameter round punch in the center top of the bookmark, and tie a 7" length each of blue and yellow trim through the hole.  Slide the bookmark into the pocket, write your own words in the inside of the card over the background, and mail to that special person!

This card will fit in a standard 3 5/8" x 6 1/2" letter-size envelope, and should not require extra postage, but if you use a thicker trim on your bookmark, the card may require a little larger envelope and extra postage.

Next on the hop is the talented Marsha, and you'll enjoy her project! 

Please don't forget to leave a comment on each spot along the hop, so that you have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate from Heartfelt Creations.  The winner will be announced on the blogs on by noon on Saturday, February 2nd.  If you are chosen, just email Emma Lou at emmalou@heartfeltcreations.us, with "winner of January Alumni Hop" in the subject line.  Good luck!

 

 

Heartfelt Creations Products used:

 

    HCPC 3325 Daisy Patch Bouquet PreCut Set

    HCPC 3318 Daisy Patch Flowers PreCut Set

    HCPC 3307 Jean Pocket/Ball Can PreCut Set

    HCPC 3322 Daisy Patch Background PreCut Set

    HCD 703 Daisy Patch Diecuts

 

Cross-Promotional supplies:

 

    Flower Soft, ultra-fine in Black

    Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black

    Stampin' Up Classic Inkpad in Daffodil Delight

    Stampin' Up markers in Yoyo Yellow, Daffodil Delight, Summer Sun, Green Galore,  Garden Green and Gable Green

    DCWV patterned paper from stash (not sure which stack)  

    Verve Stamps - Birthday Cheer & Zephaniah 3:17

    White and off-white cardstock

Thank you so much for participating in this hop, and we hope you've been inspired, even in some small way!  Have a great day!

Christmas Luminary

Some of the gals at Chocolate Baroque are participating in a monthly Christmas Card Group, in the hope that we can get a small stock of Christmas cards made for this year, while posting them on the group site as inspiration.  There have been some beauties this first month, and the theme is Red and Gold/Traditional for January. 
 
I didn't get this luminary done in time for Christmas, so I finished it a bit ago, and would like to share it with you.  I know that Christmas will be here again in 11 months, but I'm starting early, with a little help from my friends!
 
The instructions are detailed, so if you would like them, please let me know by leaving a reply here.