The Amy Doodle Of It All . . .

Scrappy Boy Christmas Cards!

I know I know it's not  Christmas yet, but you HAVE TO SEE these adorable Christmas stamps!

Trust me you are going to want a set. If you are anything like me you love to watch all those amazing PBS Victorian shows, and this stamp takes me right back to all the pretty Victorian themed clothes and Christmas baubles!
It's the set Victorian Christmas! This cute 6x8 stamp set has 27 image stamps & 5 sentiment stamps. 
You can find it here: Victorian Christmas and they have dies to match!


For my first card I had this idea in my mind of the front being outside the Victorian house, and when you open the card you would be inside of it. There are so many little scene stamp pieces it's just begging for you to create a scene!

Here is the outside of the card. I used an old house stamp I had from Artist Impressions.
I thought the little boy would be adorable on the outside just welcoming you into his home. I used some of the smaller element stamps to decorate the house, and I used the tree stamp to create my background.

Doesn't he have the cutest little face!


Next for the inside of the card I stamped all the things and used the handy cutting dies to cut all out. I used some patterned paper for the wall and floors, and I just glues white cardstock rectangles and squares together to get that wood panel look.

I used foam tape on some elements to raise them up and give them dimension.
What a perfect little Victorian Christmas scene, and I think this would be a fun card to display on the mantel at Christmas.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!
Before you go I want to share a bonus card. I know there are peeps out there that really love the blue/purple Christmas color combo so I decided to make a sweet and simple wreath card. I used a 3 window cutting die, and Catherine Pooler inks in Something Borrowed, and Flirty Fuchsia to create my little colorful squares for the wreath to sit on.


I used a "Family" cutting die from Honey Bee Stamps to coordinate with the stamp sentiment from ours to yours, and I was so to add a ton of glitter paper and bling!

I hope this inspires you to create some of your own fun Christmas scenes, and if you haven't already . . .
You are going to want to check out Scrappy Boy Stamps!


I will leave you with 2 other sets that I adore to check out.

Tomb Town, and Future Family
GO SEE HOW CUTE!!

Scrappy Boy Away in a Manger stamp Set

I just had to share this Dollar Tree frame makeover I did using the NEW RELEASE Away in a Manger stamp and die set from Scrappy Boy Stamps! I love this adorable little set and they it has the sweet little characters you need to create a super cute nativity decoration! 

 

I found this great frame at Dollar Tree that you hang photos from a piece of

twine and I thought it would be perfect for creating a little nativity scene!

After I stamped and cut out images I colored them with Copics.
I wanted to add some texture to the background so on the out side cards, so I ink blended 
Catherine Pooler Suede Shoes & Stone Blue inks. Then I splattered on some white paint.

For the center card I Blended Catherine Pooler Suede Shoes and Tiara. I used a ray stencil to create some rays shinning down on baby Jesus, and added a small amount of glitter to make it shine!

 

You are definitely going to need to pop over to Scrappy Boy Stamps and see their new release as well as all their other cuteness they have!

Go take a peek, you won't regret it!

Scrappy Boy - Stamp & Scrapbook Expo

Sequin mixes and sparkles oh my!

My latest obsession has been sequin mixes for crafting, card making and scrapbooking. To be honest I have loved all things sparkly forever and now with the surge of companies selling sequin mixes it has really become my new favorite thing! I love testing myself to see just how many different ways I can use these sparkly blends. 

I started off with just a couple and really resisted the urge to buy one of those organizers until my BFF just happen to have an extra one. Then the race to fill it was on! LOL 




Even harder than filling my new sparkly container was how to use these bits so I felt like I was getting my money's worth out of them. (Although in all honesty some I won't use because I just want to look at them LOL). So let me share with you what I have come up with. This isn't me re-inventing the wheel because these techniques have been around awhile, but this post is rather an easy way to find many techniques in one spot!

First up The classic Shaker card. It shakes, it wiggles, and it's so sparkly! So satisfying to shake that card!
I created this one with one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE mixes by Doodle's Paper Playground called "I love the 80's"


(Stamps by Stamp Annie thing 80's box & MFT Trendy Triangles)

Another take on a shaker card is creating a see through window. I created a shaker with clear transparency on both sides so when you open the card you can see through it! I used a tropical must have from Doodle's Paper Playground called "Pineapple Garden"

(Stamps from MFT BB Polynesian Paradise)

How about taking the concept of a shaker card and creating 3 windows! For this one I took sequins & sparkles from multiple mixes to create my own custom blend!

 

(stamp from SSS Narwhal Friends)

 

Of course you can always pick out your favorite elements from a mix and just add a few bobbles on your card to add small touches. I picked some white stars from a mix just to add a little something to finish the look.

(Stamps by Stamp Annie thing 80's box)

 

One of my FAVORITE ways to use mixes is to build backgrounds! I love how it looks.
For this card I used double sided adhesive on the front of my card. I placed the "Light in the forest" mix down by hand choosing the pieces I wanted. I cut out the outline of the word  "Hugs" and backed it with clear transparency, then I glued the word "Hug" to the front of the transparency so you could see the mix of sequins glued down on the background. I love the way it shows of the sequin mixes and I find it relaxing to place all those little goodies!

(Word Die by Honeybee Stamps "Hugs" word dies)


Here I have done the exact same technique but instead I left the sequins exposed and used it as a small background to frame my image!

(Stamp from SSS Tumbling Shell Background & Darcie's Fin-tastic)

I hope me sharing some of my favorite ways to use sequins inspires you to got out and get some of your own sparkle blends, and if I have started you down the path to total sparkle obsession? . . . What can I say, at least we are in it together!

 

Favorite sequin blends:
Sparkle Blends Shop

One Layout 4 cards!

I thought it would be really fun to try and use one layout and make a card from each of my Doodlebug paper pads. Clearly I have an obsession with Doodlebug paper, so I figured it is time to put them to use! I created a template in case you would like to make one of your own!



Stamp used: SY Sweet Friends
Die Cut Word: Bitty Buzzwords


Stamp Used: Studio G
Die Cut Word: Bitty Buzzwords



Stamp Used: Little Fairies
Die Cut Word: Bitty Buzzwords



Stamp Used: BB You make my tail wag
Die Cut Word: Bitty Buzzwords



Layout:

Happy Crafting!

My new Website

I have slowly been working on a website for myself in the hopes of starting to offer new content and classes both free and for purchase. I thought it would be a fun way to share with all of you what I have learned over the years. Especially since getting other people to craft is totally my favorite thing to do LOL! Be sure to check out my new site and if you haven't checked out my other SM sites you should sneak a peek too!

You can find it HERE:

HOME | My Site (wixsite.com)

Gel Press Fun!

Recently I watched a couple of video's about the Gel Press. Now I have played with it before but I am one of those people that sometimes needs to really play with a new product before I get the hang of it. I must say that I highly recommend playing with the Gel Press for an entire weekend to try it out. I guarantee once you start you won't be able to stop! I LOVE my GEL PRESS! 




It is so satisfying to play with it and create one of a kind backgrounds that in turn create clean and simple cards! I am always in need of clean and simple cards. Not only for my own stash, but also for the family members that are always wanting a stash of handmade cards of their own. Here are a few I made using just some blending techniques with Distress Oxide inks and a couple stencils.

 

I also did a project recently where I made 52 Valentines for a local Senior Center. You would think that's a lot of backgrounds but to be honest I couldn't stop myself...LOL. Once I got creating I just kept experimenting and playing with different stencils and Inks, and the project went by so fast! I used a combination of Distress Inks & Distress Oxide inks. (I like to buy mine HERE)






I intend to make a video on my Gel Press but for now it's just in the works. If you are looking for somewhere to get started I HIGHLY recommend Jennifer McGuire's Gel Plate video series. You will get lots of helpful tips and tons of inspiration!

Jennifer McGuire Gel Press Video

Be sure to check out my channel and be on the watch for new content coming!

Amy Hurley Purdie YouTube Channel

Gluten free dairy free treats

 

If you are here on my blog for the card making . . . this is gonna feel totally like it's coming out of left field LOL. I am also a person with several rare disorders and a part of that means I have a specialized diet. I belong to a few groups so I am throwing in a GF, Dairy-free post for those groups that I am a part of in the hopes of helping people with specialized diets feel like they can have special treats too.

If you don't already know I used to do party/wedding planning and last year decided I was throwing myself a birthday party.
So I created a kind of pastel floral tea party with lots of yummy food!

Here is the menu. Everything was marked for guests so the knew what they could eat
GF-Gluten Free  D-Dairy Free

Sausage Mushroom Swirls:
Schar GF pastry dough
https://www.teatimemagazine.com/pork-and-mushroom-puff-pastry-swirls-recipe/

Herb Cucumber Sandwiches:
Schar GF bread with the crust cut off. I made a mixture of 

1 container (10 ounces Kite Hill brand “Cream Cheese Style Spread”)

1/4 cup chopped dill
1 TBSP chopped tarragon
1 TBSP chopped thyme
1/2 small shallot (chopped)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Lightly spread on bread and add a generous layer of thin cucumber slices that have been lightly salted. 

Ham & Dijon Sandwiches:
Schar GF bread with the crust cut off.
Add mustard and ham

Apple Spice Scones:
For this recipe, I used Earth Balance butter substitute sticks and I left out the cinnamon chips.
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/gluten-free-apple-cinnamon-scones-recipe


Cranberry Spice Scones:


Mock Clotted Cream:

https://www.rosielovestea.com/recipes/2019/10/5/paleo-clotted-cream?fbclid=IwAR2qWIKmt2hUaYB93BpGqsf55CWXA_DArWujzdXcN7pa0u7pdZ7O7yS9SEc

 

Gingerbread cake bites:
Her recipes are great because they give ideas for egg and milk substitutes
https://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/gingerbread-cake/?goal=0_f8910d658b-92d025368e-61419009

 

Vanilla Macarons:
I fill them with raspberry jam that's GF, dairy free
https://tutti-dolci.com/vanilla-bean-macarons-with-raspberry-curd/

 

Pumpkin Pie squares:
Her recipes are great because they give ideas for egg and milk substitutes
https://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/gluten-free-pumpkin-slab-pie/

Lemon and Blueberry tartlets:
Just use the GF Shar frozen pastry dough to make tart shells and fill with vegan lemon curd
https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/easy-vegan-lemon-curd/

Lime tartlets:
Lime tarts were made the same way but with lime curd

BEST GF CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER!!!!!
https://www.agirldefloured.com/2013/04/17/gluten-free-fudge-cake/?fbclid=IwAR0XlBxY9DUPrNOEkJEerWtxnqJVup3-qQlusTcl1DRsImmSs_FSdAceHd8

Coffee Lovers Blog

While I am not a coffee drinker myself, I am surrounded by tons of coffee drinkers! Making it very easy to make fun coffee themed card! Truth be told I am a tes drinker but I LOVE COFFEE ICE CREAM, Yum!

For my coffee themed card I used the adorable Brentwood Owl Digital stamp from Jessica Lyn Originals.

I used my Copics to color him and then for my coffee cup I used Chronic Pain Warrior stamp from Sassy and Crafty. I used a no-line coloring technique on the cup so Brentwood would stand out more than the cup.

I used a couple of sentiments stamps to create my greeting inside and I used the adorable 6x6 Doodlebug Pumpkin Spice paper pad to create the whole card.

Have a great day!

Sassy & Crafty November Release

While I am no longer a part of Sassy & Crafty I will be making a few samples for the November and December release. They are the last 2 months that I designed product for and I would like to still make a  card or two to celebrate my time with the company. With that said . . .Let the sample extravaganza begin! (okay . . . it's more like 8 cards so not really an extravaganza, but still fun LOL)

First up Merry Mouse-Mas

I wanted to make this fun inside/outside card and I envisioned a light-up feature, so Pear Blossom EZ Lights were perfect to make it happen!




My second Merry Mouse-mas card I paired it with Cooler than you stamp set to create a snow-bear!


I am OBSESSED with the Cooler than you stamp set! It's my fav because of all the adorable little polar animals.

Here's my first card. I used 2 of the new stencils from Sassy & Crafty called Swirls and snowfall.


This by far is my favorite card I have made this release! It's a tag card featuring every animal on the stamp set!







Last I have Be Jolly, By Golly stamp set featuring this adorable snowman! I put him in a clear shaker card for something a little different!


If you liked any of the cute images be sure to pop on over to 

Sassy & Crafty

to see the rest of their release!

Craft Studio Finished!

I finally did it! I finished my craft studio! I am so excited to finally be organized and done! I have a few small tweaks I want to work on but for now, things are put away and labeled. I was wanting to have a basic white and grey backdrop so all the colorful art and creations would be the thing that stands out.

So I have a twin bed in my studio for 2 reasons . . . Just in case one of my friends or family needs to stay over, but mostly because I have a 3 rare diseases and some days I need to do work from bed on my bad days.

On my desk I have my 6x6 paper pads organized. 

 

I have all my stamps organized in these great clear refrigerator organizer bins, and I cut up plastic folders for the dividers. I organize them by company and place each stamp set in clear envelopes.

Here are some shots of my organized embellishment cabinet!




Then all my pens, pencils, and paper

Finally my envelope and mailing center

 

In the bottom of the cabinet, I have my painting supplies.

Here's my computer station that features family art and my photography.


Super excited it's done because it was a 6-month process to get it organized! Also small disclosure . . . This studio did not happen overnight. If you find yourself thinking about how can she afford all that stuff, let me tell you that it didn't come easy or fast but rather it was 20 years of hard work in the crafting industry designing and working with many different companies. It takes time to accumulate supplies and many were given in exchange for work that I had done for those companies.

Even if you have a small box of supplies, carve out a little space for yourself somewhere. You work hard and you deserve to have a spot where you can relax and take a moment to recharge with a little creativity.

Now . . . I am off to mess up that pretty room!

Hugs

Amy