A Few Fall Cards

Hello friends!

Today I've got a few cards to share with you that I made for Anna Griffin with her Fall Paper Kit. Check it out here on HSN... it is by far one of my favorites. I'm a sucker for those lush warm colors that appear in the fall and this kit has them all in fabulously elegant designs.

Gorgeous paper huh?

So what are your plans for the weekend? I hope they are good ones! I'm hoping to stay home... all weekend. Wish me luck!

Fall Floral Mini Album

Hello all! I hope you all are having a wonderful week!  The end of October brings us a busy end to our daughter's soccer seasons...

Here's my little one's big drive in her last game of the season to score her first goal. Talk about hard work paying off to those who stick with it.

And my defensive specialist driving around her dad who also happened to be her assistant coach. I'm so grateful to have such a great soccer program in our community... grateful for the family time, the lessons and the experiences that it provides us.

Here's a photo from Halloween with the girls starring as Dorothy and the Wicked Witch of the West.

I just love them... their costumes were completely their own idea. I hope they do related themed costumes again next year... it was a fun and a memorable holiday for them.

Ok, on to a crafty project... a fall inspired creation that I've had the opportunity to design for Spellbinders™. This mini album is embellished with multiple layers of flower die cuts. Paper, burlap, Premium Craft Foil, all cut/embossed in the Spellbinders™ Grand Calibur® machine with Spellbinders die templates. You can find a complete supply list HERE.

I really enjoy designing for Spellbinders because I get to not only make cards, but also scrapbook pages and mixed media projects too. If you would be interested in trying out for the 2012 design team you can find the call posted HERE. 

Happy Thursday!

Zva Creative Design Team Announced

Hi all! I just wanted to drop in a share the good news that Zva Creative has selected their 2011-12 Design Team Members.  We are proud to present the Zva Creative Design Team for the term of Nov 2011 - October 2012:

Windy Robinson – US  (DT Coordinator)


Andrea Ewen – US

Sarah Gough – New Zealand

Lisa Gregory – US

Christin Grönnslett – Sweden

Lisa Johnson – US

Susan Lui – Singapore


Nicole Martel – US

Carole Maurin – France

Jolanda Meurs – Netherlands

Yukiko Ochi – Japan

Fabi Oremerod – Brazil

Tara Orr – Canada


Karen Shady – Australia

Robin Shakoor – US

Lisa Somerville – US

I am honored to be a part of such a talented team! Please visit Zva's gallery regularly to see their incredible designs using ZVA Creative products. And stop by for our first team blog hop on November 28th!

(I've also linked each designer so you can visit their personal blogs, as I'm sure you will find much inspiration at each of them!)

I'm eager to collect the kiddos from school because tonight is pumpkin carving night for us:) Have a great Wednesday! 

GCD Studios: October Technique

Hello! It Windy here with a little technique that I use to make my gift tags a little more interesting. If you search inspiration sites like Etsy or Pinterest you see that tags are very popular and trendy right now... especially tags that are die cut. So I thought I'd take that trend and make a recessed spot on a few tags that would serve as the perfect home for these embellies...

I love that look... want to see how I did it?

1. Start with two tags, a chipboard circle, a circle punch, foam adhesive and a transparency shape.  

2. Punch a hole near the bottom of the tag.

3. Place foam adhesive on the tag.

4. Layer with the second tag.

5. Place chipboard circle in the center of tags.

6. Embellish rest of tag.

That's it... a new twist on tags. Have a nice one!

Unity Stamp Co. and Spellbinders 2-Day Blog Hop

Welcome to our TWO-day event!  

You should be joining me from the start of the hop beginning on the Unity Stamp Co. Blog.

With all the blog-swaps that are happening out there lately, I can't think of one more exciting than when the amazing women of SPELLBINDERS™ get together with the rock stars of UNITY STAMP COMPANY!

We can't wait to show you a special line of coordinating products featuring SPELLBINDERS dies and SAMANTHA WALKER for Unity Stamp Co. rubber stamps!  

Not only are we thrilled to be collaborating on such a special 2-day event, but ONE of you will win ALL of the coordinating stamps and dies from the Samantha Walker collection!  We will also have 1 winner each day from the comments that will receive 1 Samantha Walker stamp set and coordinating dies.

So be sure to enjoy our hop both days, leave comments on all of the blogs each day and check back to see if you won! (Winners will be posted on Wednesday, October 19^th on the Unity Blog and Spellbinders Blog)

To create this card I paired Spellbinder's S5-070 Ornate Artisan Tags and Accents and Unity's Ornate Artisan Stackers. Here are the instructions to make it:

1. Make card base. Layer cream paper onto patterned paper (both from Crate Paper's Random 6x6 paper pad) and adhere to card.
2. Stamp the outter bracket onto the face of the card.
3. Stamp yellow patterned paper (also from Crate Paper's Random 6x6 paper pad), cut and emboss with die template. Color inside of flourishes with gold ink. Fill in dots with black pen and ink around outside edge of die with gold ink. Adhere to card with foam tape.
4. Cut/emboss F-012 Premium Craft Foil with die template and lightly sand surface. Ink surface with gold ink. Adhere to card with foam tape.
5. Stamp sentiment and frame, cut and emboss with die template. Adhere to card with foam tape.
6. Stamp, color and cut/emboss flourishes. Adhere to card.
7. Embellish with flower (made with S4-351 Spiral Blossoms One), ribbon and decorative pins.

Now head over to  Stephanie Muzzulin’s blog, she is a very talented stamper and I can't wait for you to see what she has created!

Thanks for hopping today!

Swimming for Katie

From October 10-12 some of the best stampers are joining together to support and encourage our friend and fellow stamper, Katie Renz, who is currently battling inoperable gastric cancer.  If you're not familiar with her, Katie’s cancer story started just before Christmas last year.  This young, beautiful, healthy, vibrant mother of 3 with her infectious smile was suddenly diagnosed with an inoperable cancer, virtually overnight.  A few tummy aches and then stage 4 gastric cancer.  Her first post about it is here.  The idea of “Swimming for Katie” came from her recent post here.

This exclusive stamp used in my sample, designed by Becky Oehlers is available as a clear stamp, as well as a digis or a dig and SVG cut file.  

In addition to the Keep Swimming Octopus, Marianne Walker and True =D Doodle Designs both also donated digis that are for sale.  

Click HERE for all the items available for sale. 

Direct donations are also being accepted.

100% of the profits go to Katie's fund to help her and her young family.  Her husband Kevin and her three young children need our help and support. 


I hope you will join me in supporting Katie through a purchase or donation. 

The following is a list of everyone who has projects posted today.  I hope you will be inspired by them and moved to purchase or donate.  

Ashley Harris

Clare Buswell

Jessica Diedrich

Lisa Somerville

Charlene Merrick

Eva Dobilas

Judy Rozema

Sharon Doolittle

Tifany DeGough

Ashley Cannon Newell

Connie McCotter 

Heidi Van Laar 

Karen Maldonado 

Lori Craig 

Melissa Phillips 

Tosha Leyendekker 

Amy Kolling 

Angela Thomas 

Angelica Suarez 

Angie Blom

Becky Oehlers

Betty Wright

Bev Gerard

Brenda Weaver

Carolyn King

Chari Moss

Charlene Driggs

Claire Brennan

Corinna McGregor

Craft Critique

Karen Hunsaker (Rubbernecker Stamps Designer)

Keely Yowler

Kelly Schirmer

Keri Lee Sereika

Kim Hughes

Kimber McGray

Kittie Caracciolo

Kristin Eberline

Wendy Price

If you would like to send Katie a card, her mailing address is:

Katie Renz
PO Box 5913
Bellingham, WA 98227-5913

Information central is HERE.  This is a permanent page that will stay active at i {heart} papers with current information and the full 3 day blog hop listing, as well as the donation button.

Thank you!

World Card Making Day

Hello & Happy World Card Making Day! I hope you all are well & enjoying the big blog tour... if you are just hearing about it, you can find the list of blogger, card makers who will be celebrating with something special on their blogs HERE.

I'm keeping it simple today because frankly, the last week's activities on this blog have worn me out.  So I decided to share a favorite recent creation...

Simple... elegant & easy! I'd give you directions, but you've probably already figured them out;) I hope this does give you some inspiration though. My motto is beautiful and elegant doesn't have to be hard.

Now don't forget to stop by the World Card Making Day website to join in on the festivities that are happening there.

So how are you spending the day? Leave me a comment & I'll select a winner to receive a big surprise box of paper crafting making goodies!

- - - ETA- contest closed. Winner has been notified. - - -

Thanks for stopping by today... and if you've visited earlier this thanks so much for doing so and leaving such kind words here. It is greatly appreciated:)

Products: patterned paper (Webster's Pages); bling (Zva Creative); cardstock (Papertrey Ink); stamp (A-Muse Studio); ribbon (American Crafts).

Paper Crafts Magazine Presents: 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop

Hello! Welcome to Paper Crafts Magazine's 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop. Today we are celebrating the new issue of Holiday Cards and More, Vol. 6 and World Card Making Day which is tomorrow (yeah!!!) & the start of the holiday card making season (double yeah!!!).

I am thrilled to be participating in this blog hop because it truly is my favorite time of the year... what could be better than having your scrap space full of beautiful Christmas & holiday product and having your house full of the smell of pumpkin spice? I had a friend in college who always referred to a great blend of food as the "perfect bite"... this brew of fall time  & Christmas card making is the "perfect bite" for me.

Today 12 designers from Holiday Cards & More will be sharing new quick n' easy holiday cards. Quick 'n easy cards are often the way to go when making holiday cards in mass. My favorite part about working in this issue was putting together the Super Scraps Card (p. 156) and step-outs to show you how you can use your scraps to make quick and easy cards by the dozen.

My card design for today's hop is one that I will most likely give to my girl friends when we get together before Christmas. I like to make all my gal pals the same card, so I need a design that will quickly translate to 8 or 10 cards. And when I say quickly I mean... oh no!, its 4 o'clock and I need to make the cards before I leave at 6:30 pm... and feed the kids, and wash the dog... that kind of quick.

To create this card:
1) make card from cardstock
2) adhere decorative paper to face of card
3) stamp sentiment
4) tie on bow and embellish bells

My tips for making quick & simple cards is to use products that you are comfortable with and love working with, for instance my top 2 go-to products are satin ribbon and patterned paper. So I started by finding a patterned paper that I loved and made that the focus of my design along with a big bow.  Lastly I try to add one novel item to add which in this case is the silver bells.


So... do you want a copy of the new Holiday Cards & More? It is fabulous... chock full of cards & projects that are just genius & totally doable. This issue is a must!  You can leave a comment here for your chance to win it, or you can order yours on line HERE.  All comments must be posted by midnight (MDT) on Sunday, Oct. 2.

- - - ETA- contest closed. Winner has been notified. - - -

Lastly, don't forget to stop by Paper Crafts Connection today for your chance to win a festive holiday prize and visit the 11 other designers for even more inspiration.

Julia Stainton

Chan Vuong

Teri Anderson

Kelley Eubanks

Maile Belles

Vanessa Menhorn

Amber Daigre

Lorena Canto

AJ Otto

Betsy Veldman

Dawn Petrick

Thanks for stopping by today... enjoy the hop!


Products: decorative paper (ANW Crestwood), ribbon (Schiff Ribbons), bells (Creatology by Michaels), stamp (Very Merry Christmas by Hero Arts), cardstock (Papertry Ink).

Spellbinders and Core’dinations Blog Swap

Welcome to the Spellbinders™ and Core'dinations® Blog Swap!




This week Spellbinders™ has teamed up with our Core’dinations Color Core
Cardstock® to showcase the wonderful ways our products work together!


Here's a gift box that I made for the hop featuring Spellbinder's S4-351 Spiral Blossoms One Die Template and Core’dinations Core Impression Jenni Bowlin Studio Collection: Everyday. I thought I'd make a great little catcher for all of my daughter's pencils that she leaves laying around the house no that school is back in session:)

Sophistication, value and maximum versatility make Spellbinders™ die
templates #1. Beautiful Details Inspiring Creativity…Spellbinders unique
triple function die templates allow you to cut, emboss, and then stencil
through the die template for unlimited possibilities. The Spellbinders Grand
Calibur® machine and Spellbinders Grand Nestabilities™ die templates cut and
emboss up to 11¾”, taking die cutting to grand proportions. Follow
 Spellbinders on Facebook, Twitter
and the Spellbinders Blog!



Core’dinations ColorCore Cardstock is the only sandable cardstock with a
color core. Sand it, tear it, emboss it and so much more! The Core
Essentials line comes in over 160 colors with matching color families.

Or
maybe you are looking for something a bit more contrasting like the Black
Magic or Chocolate Box collections. The sandable core will shine through the
unique black and brown colors once it is sanded.

Core’dinations has also
teamed up with industry leading companies such as Pink Paislee, BasicGrey,
Graphic 45 and more to create new and unique pre-embossed cardstock that
perfectly accents their patterned papers.



But there is more! Check out Core’dinations website for the new Cardmaker
Series, Kraft-Core and various other wonderful cardstock lines.

 And Visit the Core'dinations Blog to see today's Core'dinations Blog Swap Designers!

Want to win?

Spellbinders is offering TWO winners, drawn from the comments left on the participating Designer's blogs, each a $24.99 value die template of their choice.

Stop by each Designer’s Blog and leave a comment to enter to win!  (You can find a link to all of the blogs HERE). Spellbinders will randomly draw winners at the end of the week from all the comments posted on the designers blogs, so be sure to check back on their blog.

- - - ETA- Winners from blog hop have been announced HERE - - -

Core'dinations will be giving away prizes too so be sure to visit their Scrapbook Blog for details.

Have fun and good luck!

Go-to Gal Designer Challenge... World Card Making Day

Hi all & welcome to the Go-to Gal's Designer Challenge!

On the last Wednesday of the month Paper Crafts Magazine's Go-to Gals take turns picking a manufacturer and then we challenge each other to create something using those products. Its a fun little hop to see how we put some of our favorite goodies to use. There are really no rules... some times we all play, some times we don't.

Today everyone's playing along so you are certain to see some fabulous cards along the way. A little holiday inspiration... because World Card Making Day is just 3 days away... 

...and World Card Making Day is the kick off for the holiday card making season. So put on your favorite holiday music & and enjoy the hop!


Today we are all using Hero Arts - BasicGrey's Nordic Holiday collection of stamps and we all have give-a-ways! Yep, you'll find that we are each giving away a different stamp/set from the Nordic Holiday collection... all you have to do is hop & leave a comment on each blog.


Here's what I've got for you...

To create this card start by making your card from cardstock and cover the face with patterned paper (I used BasicGrey's 6x6 Nordic Collection pad). Stamp image on kraft, cut down to smaller size, mount on cardstock and adhere to face of card with foam tape. Stamp image on kraft (using red ink), cut into tree shape and ink edges & adhere to card with foam tape. Lastly, embellish with ribbon, bells and a sentiment tag.

Ok.. want to win this stamp that I've used on my card today?

And (if that's not enough to get you ready for World Card Making Day) the awesome folks over at Paper Crafts Magazine have thrown in a copy of Holiday Cards & More, Vol. 6.  Can't beat that for holiday paper crafting inspiration! Comments must be received by Thursday evening at 5 PM MDT.

- - - ETA- contest closed. Winner has been notified. - - -

Ok, so what are you waiting for... go visit Betsy, Julie, Jennifer, Kim & Teri:) Have fun!


P.S. If you want more ideas for you WCMD party... Jump over to Paper Crafts Connection & Moxie Fab World because they are celebrating both World Card Making Day & the new issue of Holiday Cards & More all week! 

Sept. Zva Blog Hop Winners

We'd like to congratulate the FIVE June Zva Blog Hop winners! Their names will be found on the following blogs:

Nancy Doren

Windy Robinson*** That's here... yeah!

Camilla Ekman

Jillian Deiling Cassity

Susan Lui

April W.... you are the winner from this blog! Here is the comment that you left:

What a gorgeous card! LOVE the colors...
- April W

SEPTEMBER 27, 2011 12:15 PM 

Congratulations! Please send your mailing address to me at windyrobinson@gmail.com.

One winner from each of the 4 other blogs + April will receive a Zva prize package worth $30.00. Congrats winners!

Zva Products: Supplies Used: FL-04CA-125 (Dual Frosty Flowers/Soft Blue), FL-04CA-138 (brown graceful rose), PE-03CA-113 (Soft Blue Double Flourishes)