Spreading Some Love...

One of my most anticipated moments in recent years happened on my birthday a few weeks ago and what did I do?? I forgot to blog about it. I finally entered the wonderful world of dslr's!!! I've dreamt about a camera like this for YEARS. After tons of research and paws-on handling in the stores, I decided on the Canon Rebel XS and it didn't disappoint! I can't say enough awesome things about this camera. I know it's just the beginning of my journey into real photography, and I'm so happy I went with a Canon. I have a wishlist a mile long of the new glass I want and a very cool hiking bag to protect and bring my new pal around with me on our hiking adventure this summer. I can't believe what I've been missing all these years!!

Ok, enough gushing about the new toy--time for some Valentine's cards. I'm still learning the camera but the pics I can get of projects now are already so much better. I don't, however, have a good lighting situation and I sold my ott-lite last year. Really wish I hadn't done that now. I have a pseudo-lightbox setup that's working nicely but still using halogen lights so forgive the icky color-cast. I promise it's not the XS's fault ;)

Here's a card inspired by a sketch on SCS and using a little bit of everything. I absolutely love the new BG Bittersweet line and I'm SO not a pink girlie girl. Of course, being the Quickutz freak that I am, I like to mix these two manufacturers so the ribbon heart is QK punched from velvet paper and the alphabet is the new QK Storybook (SUPER CUTE font!!!). I used the smallest Nestabilities Labels One and then for the mat, I just traced around the Nestie and cut it out with scissors. The next size Nestie up from this one just produces too big of a mat for me.

The scalloped square was made with the long scalloped rectangles Nestabilities. For whatever reason, I just haven't gotten around to buying the scalloped squares and found the rectangles can easily serve double-duty in a pinch. I added a little trim on the bottom using the Martha Stewart lace valentine border punch and finished the card with some American Crafts $ ribbon from Michael's and some rhinestones.

Oh, one last tip--if you are lucky enough to get your hands on that MS border punch, the little hearts it punches out and leaves behind are so cute to use as accents here and there. That's what I used under "love".