Hey there, blog friends!  Pardon my lack of posting...the holidays, cleaning up & getting ready for 2015 has taken up most of my time!!  As 2014 comes to a close, I would like to take a moment to reflect on this past year in my crafting life.  I will share my favorite projects from this past year, but first...I just want to go over some of my highlights!!

In January I was asked to be a guest designer for Winnie & Walter, and then later added full-time to their creative team.  I was also asked to be part of the Lil' Inker Designs creative team this year...and I love both of these stamp/die companies!!

Early in the year I got an email from Stephanie Howell asking me to join the My Mind's Eye creative team...and I about fell over!!  They are one of my favorite paper companies, and I am still so excited to be part of the team. 

I made a very hard decision to step away from Glitz Design, but it has been a blessing.  The company just wasn't the same after it changed ownership, and it was the right decision for me.  I have more time to just create for myself now, and I really love that.

I was asked to guest design for Neat & Tangled stamps in December, and I had SUCH a great time!  I made some of my latest favorite cards for those guest design posts, and am so happy that I got a chance to use their great product!  I know I will keep using it all in the future!

I've also joined the Taylored Expressions blog team, and had my first posts in December.  I've worked with Taylor in the past, and I just love to use her products! I look forward to our continued relationship in the coming year!!

I feel very blessed every single day by all the opportunties that I've been extended in this awesome industry.  I have some more up my sleeve for the early parts of 2015, and look forward to anything else that might come my way.  Thank you to everyone who has asked me to be part of their team (both full-time & guesting), to everyone who reads this little blog of mine & leaves me sweet comments.  I appreciate it more than you know, and feel loved by this close knit community of ours.

Here is a peek at some of my favorite projects from this year:

Happy Sunday, blog friends!!  I hope that you've had a wonderful weekend so far, and are excited for Christmas this week!  It's been a quiet couple of days on the homefront...I've got a couple gifts left to pick up (will do tomorrow morning right when stores open!) & a little bit of wrapping & baking to do.

I peeked this project on Friday, and as stated, I am here to share it in full now!  Taylor from Taylored Expressions asked me to be part of her Blog Team a little while back, and of course I said yes!  I used the galaxy watercolor technique for my background, along with the beautiful sentiments from the "Sing of the King" stamp set, and Nativity border die.
 There is a little write-up on my post at the TE blog that goes over my process of making this card, so be sure to head on over to check it out if you are interested.  Plus, Taylor is also giving away one Nativity border die to a lucky commenter on my Oh Night Divine blog post @ the TE blog.  (You absolutely can leave me a comment here, but those comments are not in the running to win the giveaway.  You must follow the commenting instructions on the TE blog.)  Comments are open until 11:59pm tonight....so get on over there for your chance to win if you haven't already!! :)

Card Challenges:

• Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - anything goes
• Little Red Wagon #268 - Christmas
• Dies R Us #16 - anything goes

Thanks for checking out my card today!!  I hope that you enjoy the rest of your Sunday!If you want to see more of what I will be creating this December & into 2015, be sure to like my Lea Lawson Creates Facebook page, and become a follower of my blog in the right hand column! :)

 

This is my second post of the day...to see my Taylored Expressions project peek + giveaway info, just scroll down or CLICK HERE.  :)

Today I have my final post as the guest designer this month on the Neat & Tangled blog.  I have had SO much fun creating with these fun stamps, and know that I will use them often in the future.  Thank you to Danielle at Neat & Tangled for asking me, & supplying me with the amazing product I got to use for my projects.  I appreciate it so much!!

If you frequent my blog in even the tiniest bit, you will know that I can't get enough of shaker cards this season.  So today I've created another one for you!!  I used the beautiful "Warm Wishes" stamp, with the Winter Wonderland sequin mix to create my card today!  I've combined these two great items with My Mind's Eye "Joyous" 6x6 paper, & a selection of enamel dots & shapes.  All products are linked below!  Check it out:
I just fell in love with this single stamp set when I saw it, and knew that it would be perfect for the shaker card that I had in mind!  There is a full list of instructions on how to recreate this card on my Neat & Tangled blog post today, so head on over to check those out!!

Card Challenges:

• Little Tangles #51 - Bling Bling
• Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - Winter Inspiration
• Dies R Us #16 - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for checking out my final card as the Neat & Tangled guest this month!  If you've found me via Neat & Tangled....I would like to welcome you to my little part of the crafty world, & hope you will join me here! 

If you want to see more of what I will be creating this December, be sure to like my Lea Lawson Creates Facebook page, and become a follower of my blog in the right hand column! :)

Have a great weekend!!

Until later,
~L.    

Hi there, blog friends!  Pardon me while I dust off the cobwebs on my blog!!  I'm sorry I've been absent this week.  It's just been busy around here, and while you all know that I don't put too much about my personal life out on the internet....I was really anxious & scared about a medical procedure that I had to have done yesterday.  And while it might be the most pain I have ever felt in my life, everything they looked at was perfect & normal.  So, in the end....peace of mind & having about 6000 pounds of worry lifted off my shoulders was well worth it.

A little while ago I received a message from Taylor at Taylored Expressions to join her blog team!  This is a team that creates a couple of projects each month for the Taylored Expressions blog, using any of the products currently offered in the store.  Of course, I said yes!  I've worked with Taylor in the past on her Key Ingredients team, and it was a blast!!

My first post went live on the Taylored Expressions blog today, and it is a nativity themed card with a galaxy watercolor background.  Here is a little peak:

Hey there, blog friends!  How has your Friday been?  Are you ready for the weekend?  I have a wedding this weekend, so I will be in work mode.  BUT...my house is now decorated.  Yay!!!  I've got that Scrooge off my back, and am feeling a little more Christmasy.  Next week I am going to do my baking, which will make it even better.  I LOVE to bake.

Today I have my second post as the guest designer on the Neat & Tangled blog.  For today's card I combined the Christmas goodness of the Very Merry stamp set with the non-holiday themed Origami Maps stamp set, which paired together even better than I thought they would!  Check it out!!
When I was picking stamp sets to use for my guest design spot this month, I just KNEW I had find a way to use this map on a Christmas card....and I couldn't be more excited with how it turned out!!  There is a full list of instructions on how to recreate this card on my Neat & Tangled blog post today, so head on over to check those out!!

Card Challenges:

• Little Tangles #50 - embossing
• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Transportation
• House of Cards December - photo inspiration
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - bling it on
• Pals Paper Art #231 - blues (bermuda bay, pool party, soft sky)

Thanks so much for checking out my card today! I will be back next week with one more holiday project to share as the guest designer for Neat & Tangled!

If you want to see more of what I will be creating this December, be sure to like my Lea Lawson Creates Facebook page, and become a follower of my blog in the right hand column! :)

Have a great weekend!!

Until later,
~L.  

Happy Thursday, blog friends!!  How have you been this week?  I've been good.  I've been struggling a little to get into the holiday spirit this year.  But...I started decorating my house yesterday, and I think I am starting to get there.  And as much as I love presents & Christmas decorations & Christmas cards & baking...I am reminded that none of that really matters compared to the birth of Christ, which is what this time of year is really all about to me.

While I've been a little slow going getting my house all Christmasy, I haven't been slacking on creating Christmas cards & projects!  We are showcasing stickers this week on the My Mind's Eye Blog, and today I've pulled out all of my Sleigh Bells Ring goodies to create these cards, with an emphasis on the Gift Label stickers, Alpha & Word sticker sheets & the Enamel Shapes.
These cards do have a lot of layers to them, but they are really simple to put together.  My Mind's Eye makes it easy with all the amazing stickers & accents that they create for each collection.  With everything ready made, all I had to do was grab & start layering them on the card fronts.

The first card with the big (but fabulous!!) bow on it is the only one that can't easily slide into an envelope to be sent.  But it would look beautiful atop a gift package, basket or bag...don't you think?  The other three cards do have some dimension added to them, but will still fit into an envelope with ease (I checked!).

Card Challenges:

• December Viva la Verve One Sheet Wonder - sketches
• Cupcake Inspirations #290 - red, white & green
• The Pink Elephant #279 - photo inspiration
• Word Art Wednesday #162 - anything goes

Thanks for checking out my cards today!!  If you want to see more of what I will be creating this December, be sure to like my Lea Lawson Creates Facebook page, and become a follower of my blog in the right hand column! :)

I hope you have a wonderful rest of your Thursday!

Until later,
~L.

Hey there, blog friends!  Welcome to the final night of the Lil' Inker Designs December release!!  If you haven't already checked them out, there are 4 new stamp sets & 6 new dies are now available for purchase in the Lil' Inker Designs shop....so be sure to go over & add some items to your Christmas wishlist!

I've got two more projects to share with you, and I'm using the following items tonight: Hello, Awesome stamp set, Awesome word die & Stitched Mats: Long & Skinny Rectangles, among other previously released items.

I used a rainbow theme for my first card, and the super fun "possum" sentiment!  Check it out!
I started with cutting an A2 card from white cardstock.  I then diecut the stitched rectangle from rainbow colored cardstock strips, then adhered them all to a block of white cardstock.  I then diecut the word "Awesome" from bottom of it.  Because it is fairly thick, the word leaves a perfect impression but does not cut all the way through.  I then stamped & heat embossed the rest of the sentiment to the front.  After adhere the entire rainbow block to the card front, I accented it with jewels to finish.



I created a baby themed card for my next project.  I combined the awesome die with some previously released stamps & dies, and I love how it turned out!
 I started by cutting an A2 card from white cardstock.  I cut a chevron paper block slightly smaller, then diecut "seriously awesome" from the bottom of it. I added a strip of gold glittered paper to the bottom of the card, then added the chevron paper block to the top using foam adhesive.  I then diecut the speech bubble border to a block of art paper, & painted the watercolor background.  I diecut the speech bubbles from vellum, & adhered them to the top of the watercolor blocks.  I then stamped the rest of the sentiments as shown to finish.