Life

I have been a Michelangelo fan since I was about 4. The work he did is simply breathtaking and when I saw how many Michelangelo stamps I Brake for Stamps had, I was truly in heaven.

HI everyone, Erika Taylor here to share with you a card I created with the Michelangelo 2 stamp. I colored the image with a combination of Copics and acrylic paints and I really quite like the outcome. I hope you do too.

Thank you so much for stopping in today. I hope you all have a great rest of your weekend. Until next time.

Toodles
Erika Taylor

New Wee Release at I Brake for Stamps

Good morning! It's Holly posting today. I Brake for Stamps has some brand new Sylvia Zet Wee Stamps(a Whimsy Stamps product) in the store. These are the most adorable stamps, and I was fortunate enough to play with three of them.

Before I show you my creations, there is a new challenge over on the I Brake for Challenges blog. This week is all about the Four Seasons - fall, winter, spring, and summer. Create something that evokes any of those four seasons and enter it into the challenge (IBFCC#14).

For my first card, I colored this sweet Wee Florist in some warm autumn colors and added some Wild Orchid flowers (also from I Brake for Stamps). I've used the Wisped Frames technique from Technique Junkies around the image.

For my second creation, I've colored this same Wee Florist in some spring-themed pinks and lavenders. This is actually a Big Flap Card - a fun new Technique Junkies tech from their new 3D and Fun Folds cd.

Now for a fun winter project - a Shadowbox card with this adorable Christmas Bunny. Doesn't this just make you smile? The Shadowbox2 technique can be found on the 3D & Fun Folds cd from Technique Junkies.

One more winter-themed card: I named this one "Dear Santa." This cute little boy reading this letter is called A Letter for Me and he's just as darling as can be in his little jammies with his puppy and his kitty right next to him. I've used the Cuttlebug Highlights technique with this fun card.

I covered three seasons - fall, spring, and winter - with my creations today. We'd love to see what seasonal creation(s) you want to share with us over on the I Brake for Challenges blog. You can also see some more artwork with these new Wee Stamps over on the challenge blog - hint hint!!

Ready to go shopping for these new Wees? Head on over to I Brake for Stamps by clicking on this link. Have fun!!

NEW RELEASE - Let it Snow

Hello Everyone and a very happy Wednesday to each of you! I have a new stamp release to share with you that I totally adore. This new line by Whimsy Stamps called "Wee Stamps" is by Scottish designer Sylvia Zett. They are just the sweetest images ever! There are quite a few new stamps with this release, so I know you'll want to check them out HERE. Such cuties! So glad IBFS is carrying them!

For my card today, I'm sharing the image called "Let it Snow", now do I really want to see snow? Not just yet but this little cutie is making the idea of snow seem a whole lot more pleasant. Isn't she sweet? They won't be in stock for long...the last release was sold out fast.

Thanks for stopping by today, we really, really appreciate it! Have a blessed rest of your week!

JINGLE BELL BEARS!

Hello Everyone! I am SO excited to be back to joining the I Brake For Stamps Design Team again!  Have you checked out all of the fabulous things Della has added to the website?

Della even has a new Rick St. Dennis bears (see my card -aren't these bears the cutest!?) and the latest Embossing Arts holiday images and  the new KennyK holiday stamps! Check out Mistletoe and Mrs. Clause here.

Take some time to check it out!!!

Here are the details to my card: 
Stamps: Jingle Bells Bear from I Brake for Stamps 
Cardstock: SEI Christmas Paper, Garden Green, Real Red, Whisper White, Sticker strip from SU
Accessories:  Spellbinders dies Elegant Ovals Grand Calibur, Dew Drops, Mini Glue Dots, White Satin Ribbon

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful day!

Cookie Time......

Who is ready to make some Christmas cookies?? I have to say, this sweet bear and his ginger friends make me want to get out the flour and turn on some jingle bell tunes!

My image can be found in the I Brake For Stamps store. He is part of the newly released Christmas Bears from Rick St. Dennis. I love all of the Rick St. Dennis images--they definitely appeal to my fun/cutsie side! Be sure to check them all out!

My four drawer easel is a new project also--you can visit my blog for all the details :)

TTFN, Jane

I'll be Home for Christmas

Can you believe that Christmas is only 6 weeks away? AHHHHHH, time to buckle down and get things started for the season. What better way to gain some motivation and mojo, than to create a Holiday Card!

Hi everyone, Erika Taylor here today to share with you a card I created using my absolute favorite Christmas Stamp from I Brake for Stamps.The moment I saw this beautiful stamp in the store, I knew I needed to have it. The perfect image for anyone at Christmas.

To create this card, I used some Fancy Pants papers, gold ribbon, gold glitter and Distress Inks to paint the Reindeer Collage Stamped image. A little Creative Charms bling and it was finished. The Reindeer Collage Stamp is truly magnificent to stamp and I hope that you take a few moments to grab it from the store.

Hope you enjoy it

When it comes to Collage Images, I love adding just that little bit of color. It really makes the image come alive. Try your hand at adding a little color and have fun. Until next time

Toodles
Erika Taylor

Santa Bear

Ho ho ho!!!!!!!! It's Holly posting today. Isn't this Santa Bear just adorable??? This is one of the brand new bears from I Brake for Stamps. These holiday bears are so cute!

This Santa Bear is colored with Copic markers and I added some white Flower Soft for some powdery snow along the bottom. I've used the Stacked Nesties technique from Technique Junkies - a fun and easy technique. The blue snowy background is some patterned paper from My Mind's Eye.

So which holiday bear do you think I'll share with you next time?? Which one is your favorite? Leave a comment and maybe a lucky someone will receive a special Christmas card. :-)

Snowmen Gang

Hello Everyone, Robyn here. It's an amazing Wednesday today! I have a cute little card to share with you using the Snowman Gang stamp from I Brake for Stamps. I've been busy working on my Christmas cards and so far they're all different. LOL I need to settle on one and get busy mass producing. This one is a cutie but not really practical for mailing out so is set to go to a friend's family here local to me.

I've used my Letraset Promarkers to color it in and then used my snow writer on the bottom for a bit of snow. The card measures 6"x6".

I hope it makes you smile.

Autumn Love

I've been creating some ATC's as of late and I was so moved by this beautiful image. Something about Cupid I think, being a romantic for sure. So I created an Autumn ATC using the Love Collage Stamps.

Hi Everyone, Erika Taylor here today sharing some Cupid and Glimmer Mist love with you. I first sprayed a white piece of card stock with Harvest Orange, Candy Apple Red and Sun Sisters Glimmer Mists. Then I stamped the image using Brown Memento ink and finished the ATC with white gel pen and a little Stickles for more sparkle. Hope you like it

Make sure you check out the beautiful Collage stamps available at I Brake For Stamps. They are truly stunning

Until next time
Toodles
Erika

A Little Christmas Cheer

Now that Halloween has passed, it is time to start thinking about the Holiday Season: Full of miracles, cheer and magic. There is something to this day that I'm drawn to, when it comes to Jolly Old Saint Nick. Maybe it is the child in me, but he makes me smile from ear to ear.

Hi everyone, Erika Taylor here today to share with you a sweet little card featuring a wonderful Christmas image. The Small Nostalgic Santa is so perfectly drawn and I love how you can add a little paint and markers to give that Jolly man a little umph. I added a little puff paint for the fur trim and his white beard to really make him shine.

If you are looking for amazing stamps for Christmas, check out the HUGE selection at I Brake for Stamps. There is truly something for everyone. I hope you are all having a great week. I see you all on Sunday. Until then...

Toodles
Erika Taylor

I Brake for Challenges #13 - White Out

Good morning, everyone! It's time for another challenge on the I Brake for Challenges blog. The theme for this week is "White Out." Nooooooo - we don't want you to use the white out stuff that we used in school to cover up our mistakes. LOL We want to see what you create when you do NOT use any white on your project. No white cardstock, no white ink, no white, period.

Quite a challenge, huh?

I pulled out this sweet country stamp of a momma horse and her baby grazing in the meadow. This is called "Mare and Colt" from I Brake for Stamps. I stamped it with Rich Cocoa Memento ink, and then colored in the grass and trees and mountains. For the horses, I used the Silhouette technique from Technique Junkies. It's an interesting take on this scene.

I overstamped this scene with my beloved Holly's Tattered Background stamp to give it that weathered, aged, time-worn look. To enhance the aged appearance, I distressed the edges, and then I added some brads and brown twine to frame the scene.

There is no white on this card at all. I've used kraft cardstock for my main image and some Artichoke and Chocolate Chip cardstock for the matting.

Give your stamps another look and see what you can create for this White Out challenge. Need more inspiration? Check out what the other girls created over on the IBFCC blog by clicking here. We'd love to have you play along with us!


Stamps: Mare and Colt, Holly's Tattered Background - I Brake for Stamps
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento, Kraft
CS: Kraft, Artichoke, Chocolate Chip
Other: Copic markers, distress tool, brads, brown twine, photo corner punch
TJ Technique: Silhouette

Christmas Cookie Bear

It's a happy Wednesday around here today! I hope your day is going fabulous as well! If not, I hope this little card brings a smile to your face. I thought I would give you a little sneak peek of a soon-to-be-released Christmas Bear stamp sheet from IBFS. I did hear through the grape vine that it will be released later this week! *squeal* It's such a fun, cute set. I know you'll want to be on the look out for that.

The card measures 6"x6". I have created a background pattern using the Merry Christmas/Balls stamp; which I've embossed with clear embossing powder. You can see it better below.

I added some subtle shimmer spray just to add a little somethin'-somethin'. For the stamped layer, I've used the Labels 1 nestie and have edged around it using silver Martha Stewart glitter glue. I think it made the image "pop" a bit more.

I've used my Letraset Promarkers to color in the image and then chalked around it using a soft green/grey chalk.


NOTE: Be sure an check out the "Deal of the Week" over at IBFS on select stamp sets!

Okay, so for those of you who enjoy watching a video, I've added it below.

Hope you have a wonderful rest of your week!

Hugz,

Robyn =)

The Blessing of Peace

Good morning! This is my card for this week's Belli Challenge. We are doing a unique twist this time - it's called 1234. Basically you use a certain number of certain items so they fit into the 1234 group. For example, you could use 1 ribbon, 2 brads, 3 stamps, and 4 sheets of paper. You decide what embellishments go with each number.

For my card, I used:

1 - stamp (The Blessing of Peace from I Brake for Stamps)
2 - die cuts (Labels 17 - Spellbinders, Holly Flourish - Cheery Lynn Designs)
3 - flowers (Wild Orchid Flowers from I Brake for Stamps)
4 - sheets of designer paper (Season's Greetings - Echo Park)

My background is a technique that I created called Collaged Circles. If you are a subscriber to the Technique Junkies newsletter, you can look up the tutorial to see how to create your own background. :-)


Isn't that a fun challenge? You could have all kinds of combinations. Why don't you give it a whirl?

Have a great day!

Thinking of you...

Hi there and happy Wednesday, it's Robyn here today.

I have a card today that is a sad card to create, but a very needed type of card. It's a Thinking of you/Sympathy card. :( One of our son's college classmates just lost her grandfather and although I don't know her I know what she is going through. I just wanted to send her a card to let her know that our family cares.

I embossed the sentiment on the front and for the life of me, I couldn't get a full card picture without the glare. Sorry about that.

I've used My Minds Eye Portabella Road 6x6 paper pad and Stampin' Up! Not Quite Navy card stock for the papers. I really like the sentiment for the verse, but also the way it is written. I like the flourish around it that creates a sort of frame look. It made it easy to cut out. This stamp is called: Perfect Peace. Here's a closer look at it (hopefully with a little less glare).

For the inside of the card, I've used 2 different stamp sheets from I Brake for Stamps. The phrase came from the Inspirational Phrases set, and the butterflies came from the Butterfly Kisses set.

Here's a little video...

Thank you again for stopping by today. You're super special! xx

Roses....

{Jane Bosi} Here's a sweet little project featuring some great words of wisdom from I Brake For Stamps: On Your Knees. I wanted to keep the focus on the words and this beautiful rose so, I kept the rest of my project super simple. This wonderful Shadow Box is featured on the new 3D and Fun Folds CD from the Technique Junkie Newsletter. You can read more about it on my blog :) Have a great day!

Be The Change

I Love great sentiments and quotes. Sometimes a few words can make such an impact!

Hi everyone Erika Taylor here today to share with you a card I created using the beautiful Be the Change Stamp. This has been one of my favorite quotes for years and I absolutely love that I've finally found it. I Brake for Stamps has some of the prettiest quotes and sentiments out there, so make sure you take a look.

For this card I first stamped the sentiment with Versamark and used Sparkle N Sprinkle Copper Kettle embossing powder. I then used Distress Inks in Spiced Marmalade, Broken China, and Dusty Concord  to create the background colors. I added a little water so they would blend a bit too. Here is the end result. I hope that you like it and would love to hear your comments.

A simple card that really showcases the beauty of a simple sentiment. Thank you so much for stopping by today. Make sure you take a look at the specials available right now at the I Brake for Stamps shop. There are so many stunning flower stamps that are on sale.

I hope that you all have had a great weekend. Until next time

Toodles
Erika Taylor

Vampire Costume Bear

Hey folks! Today's challenge on the I Brake for Challenges blog is to create a project with a Halloween theme. I pulled out this cute Vampire Costume Bear from I Brake for Stamps to share with you today.

How adorable is that?? I colored the bear with Copic markers and I used the Copic Texturizing technique from Technique Junkies to give his fur a "furry" appearance. His vest and his "wings" are painted with shimmery Onyx paint (Creative Inspirations Paint) and I used a gold glitter pen to color in his medallion and the stars.

I found some chipboard letters to spell out "boo!" but they had a glossy white finish on them. So I peeled off that glossy paper and then painted the raw chipboard with the same shimmery Onyx paint. You can see the wonderful shimmer in this picture:

There are more fun Costume Bears over at I Brake for Stamps - a witch, a pirate, and a princess to name a few. Pull out your Halloween stamps or order these Costume Bears, then create a project and share it with us over at the I Brake for Challenges blog. We'd love to see your Halloween projects!


Stamps: Vampire Costume Bear from I Brake for Stamps
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Basic Gray, Black, White
Other: Copic markers, gold glitter pen, black organdy ribbon, chipboard letters
TJ Technique: Copic Texturizing
Creative Inspirations Paint: Onyx

Rock On!

{Jane Bosi} Sharing a project that I will be teaching soon at a New York stamp show!! This 3D Gift Card box is a fun technique from Technique Junkie Newsletter and features one of my favorite images from I Brake For Stamps! You'll find it on the Music Sheet. This plate is FULL of great images for music lovers of all kinds--check it out! All of you New York area Brakers--come on out to the Greater New York Stamp Show 2011....I'd love to see you ;) TTFN, Jane

Another Guest Designer

We have another guest designer. Elsa made this adorable card from the Sylvia Zet collection. She also made a matching gift bag. Please go check out her beautiful creations here and give her some love!
Have a great day everyone.

Sentiment Stamps

I adore all the different sentiment stamps that I Brake for Stamps carries. From funny to inspirational and everything in between. There truly is one for every occasion and project at the I Brake for Stamp Store.

Hi Everyone, Erika Taylor here today to share with you a card I created using the Nature stamp and a bunch of Tattered Angels goodness. I simply embossed the stamp with a silver embossing powder so the image would sing all on its own.

I love this quote and had to use it on my idea of a simple card. I hope you like it.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Check out the new stamps that are in store. There are some absolutely adorable ones available.

Toodles
Erika Taylor

October Guest Designer

Hi Everyone,
We have a guest designer for October. Every week this month she will have creations to share. Check out this project on her blog!

Wisteria Girl

This week's Belli Challenge is to use Flower Soft, felt, or chunky glitter on your project. I wanted to play with this Sweet Blossom girl from I Brake for Stamps, and the Flower Soft was the perfect embellishment for this image. This girl is a brand new Sylvia Zet stamp from IBFS, and the challenge over on the I Brake for Challenges blog is "Girl Power." Two challenges in one card - too cool! :-)

I colored this Sweet Blossom girl with Copic markers, and then I used the Wisped Frame technique from Technique Junkies. I added some Lavender Flower Soft to the areas where the flowers were. The seam binding is hand-dyed by sponging the wisteria ink all over it.

Check out the Girl Power challenge over on the I Brake for Challenges blog to see the gorgeous samples. We'd love to have you play along with us!


Stamps: Sweet Blossom - I Brake for Stamps
Ink: Wisteria, Black
CS: Wisteria, White, Lily Kate dp (Basic Grey)
Other: sponge, Lavender Flower Soft, Copic markers, circle die, Eyelet circle die, butterfly punch, pearl, seam binding, corner rounder punch
TJ Technique: Wisped Frames

I love the Wee Stamps

Hi Everyone, it's Robyn here today. Are you loving the new Wee Stamps on the IBFS website as much as I do?!! Boy, many of them flew right out of stock! They are just the cutest little stamps and perfect for your Christmas cards. You can see them all HERE.

For my card today, I've used little Winter Fairy and created a center step card. I've colored her in using my Letraset Promarkers.

I'm also entering her in our "Girl Power" challenge over on the Challenge blog HERE. There is still time to enter your card. We've been having such a great response and there's lots of eye candy over there!

Hope you all have a great week!

Wee Girl by Cheryl

Look at the adorable Wee Girl card Cheryl made!!! This image is called Rose's Bike Ride--it's so cute!! You'll find an awesome collection of Wee Girl inspiration on the I Brake For Challenges blog! Remember, our current challenge theme is Girl Power! (YES, there is a PRIZE!!! So, play along!) You'll find all of the Wee Stamps by Sylvia Zet in the IBFS store--have fun! TTFN, Jane

Gecko....

{Jane Bosi} While I'm not a big fan of the lizard-ish kind of thing, I do rather enjoy this Gecko image! I've combined it with some background stamps from Grunge Backgrounds for this Embossed Cuts card. The technique can be found in the TJNL, June 2004 edition. It's a fun little technique and the perfect way to start off a Monday! TTFN, Jane

A Tag a Day

Seems that every fall since I started paper crafting, I get into the spirit of tags. I think its the desire to personalize gifts that really drives me and Fall is the start of busy season for celebrations.

Hi everyone, Erika Taylor here today with another tag using a very whimsical stamp from I Brake for Stamps. As you all know, I love fairies. I actually collect them and they always move me. Call it the child in me or the believer of magical things, but I adore them and this stamp is no exception.It is an elf fairy and I love love love it.

For this tag, I used 3 different colors of embossing powders from Sparkle n Sprinkle, as well as a few Glimmer Mists. The sprigs are from Petaloo as is the flower. I also used the Tree Background and this amazingly beautiful sentiment stamp Create Something.  I hope you like it

That's it for me today. I hope all of the Canadian readers have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and Happy Columbus Day to all my friends stateside. Until next time

Toodles
Erika Taylor

New Wee Stamps!

Good morning, it's Holly posting today. Guess what?? I Brake For Stamps is now offering the gorgeous Wee Stamps in rubber from artist Sylvia Zet!!!

These beautiful stamps are perfect for this week's challenge over on the I Brake for Challenges blog. It's all about Girl Power, and the design team has had a blast playing with these new Wee Stamps for this challenge.

I played with two of these cuties, and the first one is this adorable Sweet Blossom. I colored her with Copic markers and I used the new Stacked Nesties technique from Technique Junkies. I also added some of the Wild Orchid flowers (Aster Daisies) that are available at I Brake for Stamps.

For my second card, I used this beautiful Silver Fairy stamp. This is colored with Copic markers, and then I used some Creative Inspirations Paints over her hair and her wings. The die cut flourishes are painted with Silver Frost paint for a shimmery accent, and some tiny little jingle bells are dangling from the hand-dyed ribbon.

The wings are painted with Fairy Dust - a shimmery translucent paint. It's perfect for angels and fairies and butterflies. I've used the Silver Frost paint on the hair and the tiny jingle bell on the end of the wing. You can see the beautiful shimmer here:

I just love these sweet little girls! This Girl Power challenge runs for two weeks, so you've got plenty of time to order these Wee Stamps and enter your creation in the challenge.

Wee Winter Fairy

Hi Everyone! It's Robyn here today with a sweet little image; which is a new release TODAY! The design team have all been creating samples for you on the challenge site so I hope you'll take a moment to pop over there and see what we've been up to. I've created with the stamp Winter Fairy. (LOVE!) You can see the Wee Stamps line on the IBFS website; which were created by the amazing designer and illustrator Sylvia Zet from Scotland. I Brake for Stamps is making them available to us beginning today!

It's a very special day for a very special month. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month and to honor all of the survivors and those still battling this awful disease Della has decided to add these "make-someone-smile-today" line of stamps, and I'm so glad she did.

I also wanted to let you know that today is also the day that the IBFS challenge blog has a new challenge; which is "Girl Power." I sure hope you'll play along. Perhaps to reate a card as an encouragement for someone in your life who has been touched by Breast Cancer in some way and send them your finished card as a way of letting them know you are thinking of them.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope you pop over to the IBFS website and take a look at the entire collection of Wee Stamps.

I hope you have a great day!

Guest Designer for October

Hi Everyone,
We have a guest designer for October. Every Monday this month she will have creations to share.
Check out this project!




Dar did a great job on this! Be sure to check out her blog for more pictures. You don't want to miss this!

Della

Frightfully Eerie

Halloween does cometh!!! and I love it. Anything ghoulish, wicked and creepy is perfect for this time of year. So what better way to start celebrating than to create a Wicked little tag. Hi everyone, Erika Taylor here today to share a really cool tag using the Tree Background Stamp from I Brake for Stamps. This stamp has so many possibilities and I've decided that I am going to try a few different tags using it. But today you get to see my Halloween one.

First I stamped the tree image onto a Glimmer Misted tag. Then I applied a few layers of UTEE. Once dried and cooled, I cracked it and added some Glass bead medium, a few small embellishments and the ribbon. Definitely wicked I'd say boohahahahaha. Hope you enjoy

And to see the Tree Branches a little closer, I've taken another photo for you. This stamp is simply amazing and I know it is going to quickly become an absolute favorite of mine

Take a look at the beautiful background stamps that I Brake for Stamps has. There is one for each of your projects. Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you are all having a fantastic weekend. Until next time

Toodles
Erika Taylor