Trendsetter Tuesday - Jodi!

Welcome everyone! Today I have the privilege of introducing Jodi Collins as the Trendsetter of the Week!

 Jodi, a TSG Sr. Trendsetter, is an amazing artist with a style all her own. (She's also one of my stamping idol's!) I love that I can spot a "Jodi" card a mile away! Here are some examples of her dynamic artwork:
Jodi make baby cards beautifully! Here she uses the rows of gorgeous scallops which are so trendy right now, while highlighting the sentiment of the TSG set Bit of Stardust to make this stunning welcome baby card!

 This beautiful card uses the gorgeous newly released set Season's Greetings designed by Chris Dark. The trendy addition of the pearls is what makes Jodi's cards rise above the rest.

This layer upon layer card highlights the beautiful sentiment of the Angel Mail stamp set and the gorgeous wings while still being trendy with the large grommets and metal.

The last card I'm showing today is just a beautiful example of how a beautifully crafted card can still be trendy. Jodi used a great sketch,a gorgeous paper pad and beautiful coloring skills to highlight this favorite TSG stamp set titled Believe in You.

Thank you Jodi for all of your gorgeous creations!  Can't wait to see what Jodi comes up with next!

TSG84 - Bring on the Bling!

Scroll down to see the winner for this week's WIR winner!

This week's challenge is brought to us by Jodi and it's all about the bling! Rhinestones, glitter, shimmer...anything goes, as long as your creation has plenty of bling!

To be eligible for the giveaway, you are to create a card that has bling and then come back to the TSG Blog to add your name and a link to your project in the Mr. Linky that is located at the bottom of this challenge post. This challenge is open until the winner has been announced on the following Monday (Dec. 13). The winner will get a $5 gift certificate to use in the TSG Web store!

By participating in this challenge, you may also find yourself in the Trendsetting Spotlight that shines on the TSG Blog every Thursday. We will be on the look out to find challenge cards that stand out and show Trendsetting qualities. TSG stamps are not required to participate in the challenges but are appreciated :)

You do not need to have a blog to be able to participate in the TSG Challenges! You can simply add the URL link from your project after it has been uploaded to your online craft gallery. If you upload your card to an online craft gallery, please use the keyword TSG84 so we can check out your beautiful work!

Need some inspiration to help you get started? Check out these great cards made by the following Trendsetters!
- Jodi
- Christine

- Julie
~Angela
~ Jessie
~ Iwona
~ Jessica
~ Kim

Winner from last week's TSG83 Cards For Kids Challenge: Brook
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:45
Timestamp: 2010-12-06 07:58:08 UTC

Congrats Brook, email me to find out how to redeem your TSG gift certificate!

Week In Review (Nov. 29- Dec. 5) & Card Give Away!

What is Week In Review (WIR)?- WIR is where we showcase cards made by the Trendsetters and myself throughout the week. Not only to you get to see gorgeous projects made using TSG stamps, but you also have a chance to WIN one of these cards! Leave a comment on this post and next WIR I will choose a winner using a random number generator. That person will then get to pick out their favorite card and the Trendsetter that created it will send it to them :)

Winner from last weeks WIR for Nov. 22-28: Gail
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:9
Timestamp: 2010-12-06 08:03:19 UTC
Jodi

Iwona

Iwona

Iwona

Torico

Corinna

Corinna

Corinna

Jessie

Stampbook Saturday

Hello There She Goes Friends!  It's Christine here again with a fun Stampbook Saturday for you...a chance to show you a scrapbooking project inspired by a card design.

Today I get to combine both creative loves in a card and scrapbook page.  Here is the pretty pair I made, a 12 x 12 page and a card.  

When our daughter turned fourteen in October and she got all dolled up that day for school, so that morning I took some pictures of she and her brothers.  She has this lovely purple dress, and we have a deep brown leather couch and green pillows so I knew that was where I wanted to head when it all started.   I always take my color cues from the pictures.   Which is fun because then you can get some interesting new color combos!

I began with the sweet card and the new ADORABLE set by Torico Wrapped in Joy,  and colored up this cutie to look a little bit like our daughter.  The purple dress on the stamp even has little ruffles like my daughter's dress too.  I used some pretty papers by SU! with the new In Colors (Pear Pizzazz and Concord Crush).  The same Beaded Nestability I used for the main shape, I used for the ruffles in the layers of the design.  

Then for the page I used a similar theme and feel...

The beaded nestability ruffles, the row of rose blossoms and the cute little girl as accent.  

So there you have it....a card and a scrapbook page inspired by it!  That was fun!  Hopefully you can take some inspiration from your cards to scrapbook pages, or vice versa!  It's a great way to jump start your creativity!

Dollar Find Friday - Card Clothespin

Join us tonight right here in the TSG Forum for our weekly Friday Night Chat!

Everyone is welcome and we love to meet new people :)

Hello Again TSG Fans!  It's Christine back once again showing you something I found at the Dollar Store that's perfect and practical and pretty for Christmas.  

We always have a string of Christmas Cards up in our house, but the string doesn't always work for hanging vertical cards, or Christmas pictures....but as I was perusing through the aisles of the Dollar Store I found  something perfect!  It's a Christmas Clothespin Card string.  Take a look at the finished string as it hangs over our bay window....  

This is what it looks like with some cards on it...

Here is what I started with from the Dollar Store

Cute but not quite cute enough....and it definitely doesn't go with my color scheme.  

Above is what it looked like out the the package.  

Above you can see the image colored from the Snowy Days set and the original clothespin cover with Scor Tape on it where the image will go.  

Above is each side of the design and how it is attached.  

And, below you can see what they look like close up, and colored up :)

Each panel style is done twice, and I added a chocolate snowflake panel on each end.    It's just so cute in all it's wintery fun!   All the coloring is done with Copic Markers, and then I added some fun Polar White Flower Soft on each panel to give it that snowy wonderful feeling.  And do you see the adorable little jingle bells on each panel!  EEE!  Love them, and they are also a Dollar Store Find.  So fun what you can find at your Dollar Store to be creative with!  

Thanks for joining me today!  Tomorrow join me for Stampbook Saturday!

Trendsetting Spotlight on Danielle Daws!

Hey everyone! It's time for the Trendsetting Spotlight! Each Thursday we feature a card made by someone who has participated in the previous week's TSG Challenge. Would you like to be in the Trendsetting Spotlight?? Join in the fun by participating in our weekly challenges posted every Monday!

I am so excited to shine our Trendsetting Spotlight this week on our friend from "the land down under"...

Danielle Daws!

Here are some great tid bits about Danielle.

1. How long have you been stamping and how did you get introduced to the craft?

I was introduced to stamping just under two years ago when I went to a Stampin' Up! workshop.  I'd never really come across stamping before (apart from playing when I was a kid!), but I think it's safe to say I'm well and truly hooked now!   I'd dabbled with scrapbooking before that.

Here is a gorgeous card Danielle created using Flourish and Angel Mail stamp sets.

 2. What is your "go to" embellishment?

It's a toss-up between ribbon and kitchen string (aka Baker's Twine)!  I love the simplicity of kitchen string, but I also LOVE adding gorgeous bows with beautiful ribbon - at the moment I'm a big fan of satin ribbon.

 

3. Favorite new craft tool?

Prismacolour pencils!  I love those babies!  I've been developing my watercolouring over recent months, but my Prismas give such a different effect that's just brilliant.  Colouring is my favourite technique - it's the only thing that stops me from overthinking!  And my new TSG stamps are perfect for colouring too!

Here's an example of Danielle using kitchen string (baker's twine) and her Prismas to color the beautiful cat from TSG's Cattitude Stamp Set.

4. Bio: family, work, fun?

I live in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia with my husband of 5 years and our 3 and a half year old daughter.  I'm a stay-at-home mum, but I also stock a local gift store with cards and gift boxes on the side.  And I'm being published next year!  I also keep myself out of trouble by co-hosting Just Add Ink and designing for UStamp.  Before our daughter came along I was a high school Drama/English teacher... that feels like a lifetime ago!

With Danielle's first TSG order in hand, I'm sure we'll see some beautiful TSG creations from her!

Wednesday Trends - Tassels

Hi Everyone!  It's Christine here again, and today I get to show you a fun trend... Tassels.  I read recently on a Fashion Website  via Moxie Fab World that Tassels are going to be the trend in fashion this spring, so you can only imagine that they'll be the IN thing cardmaking too :)  So, lets start the trend early shall we?

I am so taken by this gorgeous new stamp set illustrated by Chris Dark, Season's Greetings.  The vintage country feel is just so well done in this set!   I thought I'd make something I can set out each Christmas as a pretty festive decoration, a 3D Christmas Frame.

I colored up this gorgeous Santa, and these pretty trees with Prismacolor Pencils and OMS, I stamped several of each and layered them in the design for a real Paper-Tole effect, the trees are under the glass and the Santa, the tassel and the buttons are overtop of the glass on this frame.  That way you don't lose all of the 3D effect.  

Now...how to go about making the tassle?  

First you begin by using a wider grossgrain ribbon (or something with that same type of vertical and horizontal weaving).  

I added a strip of Scor Tape where I wanted the fraying to end, and you'll need a pair of good ribbon scissors, nice and sharp. 

Now take your scissors and cut off the webbed edge of both sides of the ribbon up to the Scor Tape  (it's the fused edge that finishes each side of the ribbon).  

Now begin pulling out the short threads on the horizontal edge, you'll be left with long tassels hanging down. 

Once the ribbon is pulled to your desired length, you'll want to tie off the tassel.  I used jute thread and wrapped it around several times and tied a knot. 

Here you can see how I've tied it off and how I've attached it to the back of the design with more Scor Tape. 

There you have it!  You can make short tassels, long tassels, lots of tassels, they can be an accent or focal point...now go and have some fashionable trendy fun!