Mama Elephant November Stampede

Welcome to the Mama Elephant November Design Team blog hop! Our November release is now live and available for purchase in the store.

To celebrate the new release, Mama Elephant is giving away one of each of the new stamps released! Winners will be chosen at random from the collective blogs in the Stampede. Winners will be announced on the blog on the last Stamp Highlights Day on the Mama Elephant blog.

You have up to 3 chances to qualify to win! Just leave a separate comment for each!

1. Leave a comment on this blog post
2. Like/share Mama Elephant on Facebook
3. Follow/tweet about Mama Elephant on Twitter

For today's blog hop, I created some tags and packaging. I've been obsessed over making suitcase gift boxes and so when I saw the new Confetti set, I was so excited to use it to create tags.

Materials used: Mama Elephant Confetti, Embellished Tag die, Dainty Bow die, Letters die, Creative Color inks (Lollipop, Hazel); kraft gift box, felt, Hambly overlay, Memento ink in Tuxedo Black

Here's a closer look at each tag! I used the Mama Elephant Embellished Tag die to cut out all 4 tags. 

1. The first tag is created with two pieces of overlay sewn all around with sequins inside. I then stamped "smiles inside" on a piece of kraft cardstock and adhered it to the top of the tag to give the tag an added layered look.
2. The second tag is created simply by using the Mama Elephant Letters die to cut out "joy." I then stitched on the word by running the tag through the sewing machine and stamped the bow image above it using Mama Elephant Creative Color ink pad in Hazel.
3. The third tag is created by die cutting "joy" with the Mama Elephant Letters die from the tag so that there's a nice negative on the tag. I then cut another tag out of polka dot paper to back the top layer.
4. The last tag is created simply by stamping "to you from me with love" using Mama Elephant Creative Color ink pad in Lollipop.

Be sure to stop by every blog in the Mama Elephant Stampede blog hop to see what the rest of the design team put together and to enter to win!

• Mama Elephant (start here)
• Laura Bassen
• Jenn Biederman
• Emily Leiphart
• Pearl Lui (you are here)
• JJ Bolton
• Geralyn Sy
• Nichol Magouirk

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl

Etsy School: Paper & Scarf Marbling

Hi! I mentioned last month here, how I held a class for Etsy employees on cardmaking with watercolor and masking techniques. Since then, I've taken two other classes held by my talented colleagues.

Curious about Etsy School? Learn what they're all about here.

Today, I'd like to focus on a paper and scarf marbling class where I learned different marbling techniques and since have been drawn into an obsession of creating my own marble patterns. There are so many possibilities and I can't wait to try creating more patterns. I have plans of using these as mini scrapbook covers, Project Life cards, and greeting cards for my Etsy store.

How cool, huh? You can learn how to do this yourself too from the lovely Clare McGibbon. She has a great Etsy How-Tuesday post. It's an awesome how-to, so go ahead and check it out!

Thank you, Clare and Etsy, for supporting education amongst employees!

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl

SEI Spotlight: Advent Calendar with the Silhouette

Happy hump day! I was over on the SEI blog yesterday to share another holiday project inspired by the beautiful SEI's Chalet collection. I designed the advent calendar file on my Silhouette Cameo and let the machine do the rest of the work.

Materials used: SEI's Chalet collection, Silhouette Cameo

See how it all came together on the SEI blog.

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl

SEI Spotlight: Suitcase Gift Box

Hi there! I've been behind on some SEI spotlights. Today I'm here to share a decorated gift box made to look like a suitcase. I've been obsessed with making gift boxes look like suitcases. This one is my first try. I'll share a couple more soon!

Materials used: SEI Lexington, SEI Mia Bella, SEI Diane, SEI Cardboard Banner Starter Kit, SEI Paper Pinwheel Wreath Kit

See more details and how I made it on the SEI blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

- KRAFTY pearl

SEI Spotlight: Iron-on Sheets

Hi! I've recently been obsessed with SEI Iron-on Sheets. I was over on the SEI blog last week sharing how I used the easy-to-use sheets to create this onesie here.

Materials used: SEI Iron-on Sheet in Pink Polka Dot

Seriously, how cute is the little heart shape on the tush? Go on over to the SEI blog to see how the onesie came together.

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl

Mama Elephant Highlight: Stitches

Hello! Welcome to the first day of highlights of July releases from Mama Elephant. We're sharing Stitches today. This stamp set is super cute and perfect for saying "thanks!"

I created a mini sewing kit perfect as bridesmaid emergency kits or party favors. I used the triangle box die to create the container. I then made a tag and stamped a gold embossed spool of thread and buttons. I love how this set allows you to create whatever sewing scene you wish. There are so many configurations and options, you can have many different spools of thread.

Here's a closer look at the inside of the kit once it's open.

 

Materials used: Bazzill cardstock, Zing! embossing powder, Lifestyle triangle box die, Hambly overlay, buttons, thread, needles, twine

Be sure to stop by the Mama Elephant blog to see what the rest of the design team created! And come back tomorrow for another highlight!

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl

Mama Elephant July Stampede

Welcome to the Mama Elephant July Design Team blog hop! Our July release is now live and available for purchase in the Mama Elephant store.

To celebrate the new release, Mama Elephant is giving away 3 gift certificates worth $20.00 each to 3 lucky people! Winners will be chosen at random from the collective blogs in the Stampede. Winners will be announced on the blog on the last Stamp Highlight day on the Mama Elephant blog.

Here's how to qualify to win (leave a separate comment for each):

1. Leave a comment on this blog post
2. Become a follower of our blog
3. Like/share us on Facebook
4. Follow/tweet us on Twitter

One of my favorites is Hustle. It is awesome because of all the fun sentiments. I particularly love "if you want a rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain".

To create this Caribbean pink and purple sunset-inspired postcard piece that's perfect for anybody's desktop, I used clear embossing powder to stamp the sentiment onto watercolor paper. I then created a background using distress markers using the ink to craft sheet, water and bead up the ink, before applying paper to the craft sheet. This is one of my favorite techniques currently.

To finish off the postcard piece, I added sequins, photo corners, a pattern background, and placed it into a frame.

Materials used: Mama Elephant Hustle, Tim Holtz distress markers, Ranger super fine embossing powder, sequins

Hope you enjoyed this project. Be sure to hop to every Mama Elephant design team member's blog.

• Mama Elephant http://www.mamaelephantblog.com/ -- start here if you get lost
• Karolyn Loncon http://karolyns-paperkraft.blogspot.com/
• JJ Bolton http://jjbolton.org
• Geralyn Sy http://inacreativebubble.blogspot.com/ 
• Jenn Biederman http://createdbyjb.typepad.com/
• Cheiron Brandon http://www.cheironbrandon.typepad.com
• Alice Wertz http://aliceslittlewonderland.blogspot.com/
• Mariana Grigsby http://marianagrigsby.wordpress.com/
• Savannah O'Gwynn http://savannahland2.blogspot.com/ -- your previous stop
• Pearl Lui http://kraftypearl.blogspot.com/ -- you are here
• Lea Lawson http://leascupcakesandsunshine.blogspot.com/ -- your next stop

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl

SEI Spotlight: Baby Love Garland

Happy July! Hope everyone had a great 4th of July. I'm over at the SEI blog this week to share a simple and cute garland which doubles as a card. Be sure to check out the SEI blog for details on how this project came together!

Materials used: SEI Mia Bella, Think of Me; glitter, circle punch, scallop scissors, letter stencils

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl

Spotlight on SEI: Happy Valentine's Day

Dropping in to say Happy Valentine's Day!

Check out this banner I created using lovely SEI From Your Secret Admirer Think of Me Die-Cuts.

My theory about Valentine's Day is that everyday should be Valentine's Day! So show your sweetheart and loved ones lots of love every single day! :)

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl

Mama Elephant December Stampede

You know it's a happy Monday here because I want to welcome you to Mama Elephant's December Stampede! Plus, there's a giveaway! Just comment for a chance to win a Mama Elephant gift certificate. A winner will be announced on Wednesday, 12/5 on the Mama Elephant blog.

If you've come from Mariana Grigsby's blog, you're right on track. If you're lost, start the blog hop at the beginning -- the Mama Elephant blog.

I created a notebook for all my December checklists. Since the holidays are a busy time, I need a little jotter to go everywhere with me for my notes and lists. The stamped cover is made to look like a train ticket with a faux envelope button and loop. To create the tracks, I used the arrows from the On Target stamp set. To create the button and clasp, I used the No Peeking stamp set. And the title was stamped using the Midnight Letters stamp set.

Materials used: Mama Elephant Midnight Letters, On Target, No Peeking; CTMH Inks, twine

A closer look: I love how I can spell anything I want with these awesome Midnight Letters. All you have to do is line your letters up on an acrylic block and the rest is easy. I love the positive and negative letters that can be mixed and matched.

Your next stop is the super talented JJ Bolton. Just in case you're lost, be sure to start at the Mama Elephant blog!

• Alice Wertz
• Joy Taylor
• Cheiron Brandon
• Julie Ebersole
• Mariana Grigsby
• Pearl Lui (me)
• JJ Bolton
• Lexi Bridges
• Savannah O'Gwynn
• Teri Anderson

Thanks for stopping by!

- KRAFTY pearl

Mama Elephant Giveaway & Highlight: Cup of Wishes

Wedding Wednesday will return next week!

Today, I've got another Mama Elephant highlight for you. Remember, the November release goes on sale tomorrow, November 15th, with a full reveal of each set.

We're giving away a Cup of Wishes stamp set and all you have to do is comment for a chance to win. One winner will be randomly chosen from all of the Design Team's blogs and the will be announced on the Mama Elephant blog tomorrow, November 15th.

The Mama Elephant Cup of Wishes stamp set is adorable. When I saw it, I knew I had to make a shadowbox for my kitchen wall. The typographical treatment on "warm" is so pretty and the perfectly fitted sentiment "and cozy" gives the collage shadowbox just the right touch. I wanted to create a cute collage using the cups to represent my coffee-drinking husband and my tea-drinking self sitting on a kitchen table. How'd I do? I love it!

Materials used: Mama Elephant Cup of Wishes, CTMH ink, Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black

Don't forget to stop by the Mama Elephant blog to see what the rest of the design team and special guest designer, Julie Ebersole, made with this set!

• JJ Bolton
• Cheiron Brandon
• Mariana Grigsby
• Savannah O'Gwynn
• Alice Wertz

Come back tomorrow for a full view of the Mama Elephant November release!

Thanks for stopping by!

- KRAFTY pearl

Simple Spring Shopping Mini Jotters

I've been out and about running errands or doing lots of shopping. (This always happens when the weather changes.) I made mini jotters to keep my hurried life in check. And their covers are perfectly bright and sunny just like the season thanks to the lovely cardstock from the SEI Vanilla Sunshine collection sprinkled in with some SEI Cheery Brights.

Check out the SEI blog for more inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl

Tea Time, Tea Notes

Tea is one of my favorite drinks and if I were to ever throw a tea party, I'd use the lovely Kaisercraft Tigerlilly collection.

Materials Used: Kaisercraft Tigerlilly Blossom Double-Sided 12"X12" Paper, Blush Double-Sided 12"X12" Paper, Pomegranate Double-Sided 12"X12" Paper, Flamingo Double-Sided 12"X12" Paper, Collectables Die-Cuts; Other: embroidery floss, twine, eyelet

Inspired by the lovely floral patterns, I created a notebook to take notes on different tea leaves and brews. To make the perfect tea party set-up, I also created pyramid tea wrappers as favors to collect tea leaves for enjoying after the party!

Hope you like what you see and make sure you stop by the Kaisercraft blog for more inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl

Sweet Treats For My Sweetheart

Back with another project great for any day of the year!

Materials Used: Kaisercraft These Days Ancestry, Family, Collectables Die-Cuts; Other: Whisker Graphics twine, Uchida Scallop Oval Craft Punch

Chocolates as a gift is even sweeter when it comes in handmade packaging. I created a pull out drawer box using the beautiful and romantic papers from the "These Days" collection by Kaisercraft. The red/pink polka dot design of "Family" is gorgeous and is perfect for sweet love-themed projects. I simply dressed up the box in a bit of twine and embellished with a label from the "These Days" Collectables, and other punched shapes.

Don't forget to check out the Kaisercraft blog for more inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl

Everyday Should Be Valentine's Day

That's a motto of mine. I think it's great that we have a special day to celebrate love, but I think everyday should be Valentine's Day. With that in mind, here's another project that can be made for any occasion!

Materials Used: Kaisercraft Tiny Woods Cypress, Pine, Pearl brads; Other: Whisker Graphics twine, Uchida Scallop Oval Craft Punch, doily, candle, matches, tin box

I decided to make something different from the usual. Inspired by mini survival kits in a box, I decided to create a date night theme, a candle light dinner in a box! To create the matchbook, I took apart a match book and recreated the cover using "Pine". I used a pearl brad to hold the matchbook cover and matches together. A simple and cute gift to give to your date any day of the year!

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl

Have a Spook-tacular Halloween!

Happy Halloween, everyone! Here to share a classic technique, perfect for today.

One of my favorite ways to decorate for Halloween is to cluster candles to set that spooky mood. The best part is that you get to make any design you want on the candles.

You'll need:

• ivory or white candles
• ivory or white tissue paper
• wax paper
• stamps and ink
• heat gun
• gloves to protect from heat/hot wax
• scrap paper or craft mat

Make your own designs on candles with these easy steps!

1. Stamp image onto tissue paper like so:
   
   
2. Layer on stamped tissue paper over candle
3. Layer wax paper over the tissue paper sandwiching the tissue paper between the candle and wax paper
4. Slowly heat the wax paper over the stamped image with a heat gun
5. Lastly, peel the wax paper off and the stamped tissue paper will magically be melted onto the candle

Tip 1: Be careful to keep the tip of the heat gun a safe distance so you don't burn the wax

Tip 2: If you're sensitive to heat, put on protective gloves to keep the heat or hot wax from dripping on your fingers as you handle the candles

Tip 3: Make sure you protect your work surface with either scrap paper or a craft mat to collect any wax drips

Materials: Kaisercraft 13th Hour Clear Stamp; Other: candles, tissue paper, wax paper, Memento ink in Tuxedo Black, heat gun


This really is a simple and classic way to dress up candles for a spooky Halloween look, so it's not too late to give it a try!

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl

Trick-or-Treat!

Happy Friday! With the Halloween weekend beginning tomorrow, do you have all of your decorations ready?

If you have and want to make some more decorations or if you haven't at all and just want a quick candy tray or centerpiece, you can make this too!

There's something super fun and spooky about the black and white patterns from the Kaisercraft 13th Hour collection. I decided to add bright orange and yellow candy corn to contrast with the black and white. I colored skewers in black, hot-glued them to the nest, tied twine around the skewers several times, hung die-cuts from the back of the paper pad to the twine with clothespins, further embellished with printed chipboard crows and dominoes, and added candy corn - so simple!

Materials Used: Kaisercraft 13th Hour Paper Pad, Printed Chipboards; Other: Whisker Graphics twine, skewers, nest, mini clothespins

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl