Stamping Through the Tulips

The drought is sort of over ...

2010-02-16T22:19:00.000-07:00

Nothing too exciting, but got to use the hostess set Country Morning.

SAB set - Happy Moments

2010-01-20T21:31:00.002-07:00

I haven't stamped in weeks, but I grabbed a few minutes tonight to restock my stash that I keep for sale. These are made with a Sale-a-bration set that you can get FREE with a $50 purchase.

Blue Christmas

2009-11-08T07:19:00.000-07:00

The only stamping that will be happening soon will be quick stamping. This card is a case of a couple that I've seen online. Very easy! Punch a "moon" out of a large post-it and leave the moon piece on the card while you sponge over it with various blue inks. Then swap the moon piece out, and put down the big post-it piece with the missing "moon" and sponge the moon in a light yellow. Stamp your trees and Santa scene, add some layered mats, and you're done!

Wandering Words stamp set, a 1-1/4" circle punch and post-it, Lovely as a Tree stamps, sponges and a post-it note mask.

Christmas Cardinal - SAS card #3

2009-10-27T06:58:00.000-06:00

Here is Stamp-a-Stack card offering #3. The cardinal is colored in with markers after being stamped in black Stazon ink on shimmery white cardstock. I wouldn't normally have put black on a Christmas card, but it seemed like the best way to tie in the black on the bird, and in the end, I liked how it turned out!

Stamp the Old Olive layer using the branch silhouette stamp, add a little ribbon for some more festive cheer, and you're done! To give the branches more dimension, just follow the hatching/shading lines that the stamp's artist already included, coloring them in with a darker shade of green than the rest of the branches/leaves. The only other thing I might add is some Crystal Effects to the berries - since everything papercrafted can benefit from Crystal Effects! :)

Punch happy - SAS card two

2009-10-24T06:59:00.002-06:00

This is the quickie card mentioned yesterday. This card uses the set Christmas Punch.

It's so easy that there's not much to say about this card. :) A stamped background, and a main image stamped and punched, some ribbon and matting and it's done!

Thanks for stopping in!

Updated 10/28/09 with another look at this card in blue

What do you think? Which do you like better?

Winter wonderland - SAS card one

2009-10-23T06:58:00.002-06:00

I managed to put down the wool and do some stamping last night! This is the first card offering for my stamp-a-stack on November 7.

This card uses the sets Winter Post and Teeny Tiny Wishes. With coloring and glittering, this card is slightly more labor intensive, but with the use of punches for the sentiment (no worries about stamping it straight) and simple layers, it's still a pretty quick offering. Tomorrow's card is simpler yet!

If you liked my felt offering, you can now see those on their own blog. I think they're going to be frequent enough, and I wanted to keep them separate. You can either click here, or use the Felting Through the Tulips button/icon in the menu on the right.

I'll be back to stamping soon. Promise.

2009-10-10T07:46:00.004-06:00

Last night I tried needlefelting! I bought a kit from Fancy Tiger last night on my way home from work, and after dinner, I whipped this little guy right up! The kit includes enough wool for two owls. The wings aren't even part of the original pattern, and I was able to fashion them pretty easily after making the rest of the bird. Not including the wings, he's about 1 3/4" across, with the wings, about 3".

Can't stop by the store? They have an etsy shop where you can buy kits like the one I used!

All you need is wool roving, a barbed needle and a foam block. Some repetitive stabbing/poking and it starts to "felt" the wool, making it essentially (I think) hold on to itself.

Seen below are some progressive photos of the process. Isn't he cute? I think I'll be making some more today. I'm going to stay inside since it's only 20 degrees so far and it's supposed to snow.

Birthday sleeve

2009-10-07T06:16:00.008-06:00

This is a reusable coffee cup cozie/sleeve that I made for my friend's birthday. It's made of felt and embroidered all the way around with a little monogram J stitched in just for fun.

She is a fan of coffee and she's the one who got me into stamping, so I feel a little weird not giving her something stamped. BUT, I'm very hopeful she'll appreciate the effort and friendship that I stitched into this project. And while this isn't a stamping projects, I used the Big Shot and Daisies die to cut the felt. It was so, so EASY. All the flowers came out beautifully! I can't imagine cutting out all those petals from felt. Although felt doesn't ravel, it can kind of fuzz/fray if you tug on the edges of a cut piece, too much.

Below are the shots of each of the flowers that I sewed on and their accompanying embroidery. I can totally see how I could incorporate this into a very special card, but if possible, this takes me longer than making a stamped project! However, you may get to see a few more projects like this, at least while football season is going on. I like watching football, but have trouble just sitting there watching, so this has been keeping my hands busy while I watch.

Some French knots ... aren't they cute? And easy, easy to do!

The little orange center is kind of "pooched" up in the middle; it feels especially nice to the touch. :)

A close up of the J. On this one, the orange circle behind it kind of flares up around the edges giving it even more dimension.

On this one I stitched across the circle/center and then layered French knots over the top.

More little French knot seeds in the flower center ...

And then, kind of a corset-looking closure to keep the girliness going. I also lined the inside of this cup holder with another piece of felt to cover up all my stitches. It ended up feeling very cozy and soft to the touch. Perfect for a hot beverage holder.

Birthday Rocker

2009-10-06T06:50:00.001-06:00

This was my sister's birthday card this year. I used retired papers and the skull stamp from Just Jawin' to make an unusual card that made me smile and she seemed to like it too. :)

Nothing too tricky here. The sentiment was printed using my computer. I think the font is Rosewood.

The skull is kind of a metallic, transparent champagne (using shimmer paint) but because I didn't want the teeth to be that color, I masked them off before I painted over the skull.

Above you can see the mask stamped onto a large yellow sticky note with the plain white skull behind that. The crossed bones behind the skull were previously stamped onto brushed silver cardstock and cut out and adhered. Small note: you can see the big chunk of missing "forehead" from the stamp, and that's because it kept stamping a small smudge on my projects where there shouldn't be one.

Cut out the teeth from the stamped mask and layer them over the original. In this case the teeth are sticky-backed because I stamped that part of the image on top of the sticky from the paper (the sticky is on the back).

Sponge your shimmer paint or other color over the entire front, then just peel the mask away.

For my glitter eyes, I put down some Tombo mono-multi glue, filling in the eyes fully.

Dump the glitter on top, then tap off, returning excess to your container.

If extra sticks around the edges, just use your adhesive remover block, or even a clean pencil eraser.

As a final step, I put some Crystal Effects over the teeth just because I could. Hope you're having a good week! Tomorrow I'm going to post something totally different for me. But it's still a craft project. :)

Birthday boy's card

2009-09-30T20:25:00.001-06:00

This is the card for my mom's husband's birthday. I was in need of a masculine card and could NOT think of what to do, so I went blog browsing.

Thankfully I found my inspiration. My card is based on Sharon Johnson's card from her blog. I left her a comment earlier this week thanking her for posting such a great card! :)

Happy birthday is from the set Teeny Tiny Wishes. The designer paper is from the retired Muirfield paper pack. Love it, love it. What do you think of my (our) card?

New Stampin' Up! Clearance Rack

2009-09-29T21:16:00.002-06:00

Shop early and often at the new Stampin' Up clearance rack! They're offering retired inventory at reduced prices, but only while supplies last. Today I saw that they had designer series paper, and ribbon and rub-ons at GREAT prices.

The only catch, and I can't really consider it a catch, is that you have to shop online for these deals. You can go through my site for these awesome deals. There isn't a set promotion timeframe, so you'll want to check back to see what's up there every so often and see what goodies you can find. :)

Fresh Fall Flowers

2009-09-28T21:21:00.004-06:00

OK! Here's the final stamp camp card. I really like this one, a lot. There are lots of little elements to this card that I think make this card special. Brads, ribbons, striped paper, scallop punching, corner punch elements ... whew! But for all that, this is a very quick card. :)

These flowers and grass are from the Inspired by Nature stamp set. I pulled my color inspiration from the striped designer paper from the Autumn Traditions paper, and colored in my flowers using markers in More Mustard, Elegant Eggplant and Always Artichoke.

I'm off to cut paper for camp ... so if you're one of my stampers and you're coming, but haven't let me know - ahem - be sure to let me know as soon as possible so I'm sure to have supplies ready for you! :)

Fall is almost here

2009-09-27T21:37:00.007-06:00

I'm sorry the photo on this isn't the best, I'm just trying to get it out there before I head to bed tonight. :)

I think this is one of the cards that we're making for stamp camp this weekend. One more to design! You like my preplanning skills? Ha! I usually know which sets I want to use, and what the theme is, but don't have the final design in mind.

This card uses the set Season of Friendship and Tall Tales designer paper. The bird and ribbon are in the color Dusty Durango, and the other colors are chocolate chip, old olive and so saffron.

You may be reading this on a Monday and I hope if that's the case that your Monday is going great. Have a good week and stop by later for some more cards, including the last stamp camp card. Thanks!

No stamping tonight

2009-09-24T20:04:00.000-06:00

Instead, we are watching the Colorado Rockies live at Coors Field in
downtown Denver, just a few blocks from work. We're just 16 rows up in
my company's seats. They got turned in late when they couldn't be used
with clients, and since I was working late, I got to take them! Go
Rockies!! :)

Cupcake card

2009-09-24T06:16:00.001-06:00

I think this is one of the cards we'll make at next week's stamp camp. Seriously, I really could use someone to tell me the truth, though! Is this card cute enough for others to make, or am I just fooling myself? I messed with it and messed with it and had the hardest time making it look good to me.

But once I figured out what I was doing, it wasn't a hard card to make.

This card uses two stamp sets, Crazy for Cupcakes and Everything Nice. The patterned paper is Razzleberry Lemonade, with Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo and Whisper White cardstock. The orange glitter is from the Fine Supernova set. It's very sparkly!

The cupcake stand is colored in Razzleberry, the frosting is So Saffron and the cherries are in Melon Mambo and topped with Crystal Effects for shine. I love that the In Colors are available in markers now! Finally, I watercolored in the cupcake wrappers with Soft Suede so that I could dilute the color a little bit.

The two main image pieces also have lines drawn in around the edges using Melon Mambo and Pumpkin Pie markers. Because the designer paper has sort of a doodle feel about it, I thought I could get away with that as a way to fill up space when I had too much white space still showing after the card was assembled. I think it's a casual way to bring in more color and vibrancy! :)

Frankenstein Treat Bucket

2009-09-22T21:08:00.008-06:00

My project should have been up yesterday, but apparently, the end project that I had in mind, wasn't where the project wanted to go ... Instead, a little Frankenstein decided to come out, just a little later than anticipated!

It's kind of funny, but I had a hard time taking a picture of this project. I really do think it's cuter in person, by quite a lot! His eyes are done using a 1" circle and 1/2" circle project. His eyes and nose are punched out using the Modern Label Punch. The mouth was just doodled in with a permanent marker.

My original project that I started with used the Just Jawing set and this little bucket from the Target Dollar Spot. As you can see, there's no part of Just Jawing in here. :) I finished the feature piece with that set, but I'll have to post that later. I may be a little absent this week as I have a busy week at my day job.

Entering the teen years

2009-09-20T06:26:00.000-06:00

Today's card is for our friend's son. He's entering the teen years on Monday. He's a great kid and I wanted to be able to give him a special card. As a new teen it doesn't seem like he'd appreciate a "kiddie" card, and I don't have a lot of teen-friendly stamps, so I opened Photoshop and made an image with the number 13 and then I flipped it before printing it on some brushed silver cardstock. I flipped it so that it could be cut out and still face correctly.

When I inserted my brads, they were too smooth and shiny so I took out a cotton swab and dipped it in the Platinum shimmer paint. I daubed it on the brads and let it dry - I think it gave it a nice, almost hammered finish.

I thought the background for this card would be perfect if I could replicate diamond plating. I pulled out some cardstock and my texture plates and ran it all through the Big Shot. I spritzed my cardstock with alcohol to help make the impressions deeper (used alcohol because it dries faster than water and doesn't affect the color).

Once the paper dried, I got out the frost white shimmer paint and a sponge and lightly brushed it over the textured paper, bringing out the texture even more.

Happy anniversary!

2009-09-19T06:19:00.001-06:00

Today is my wedding anniversary. This is the card that I'm giving to my husband. Marriage is work, but it's the most fun work I've ever done. We'll probably go out to dinner ... or something. :) We don't worry about the celebration aspect too much because we feel like we have such a good life together anyway that we just enjoy anything we do to celebrate as a special time to spend together.

I don't have a lot of detail to share about this card ... I used the recipe stamp and "yummy scale" stamp from the set From the Kitchen Of and the i [heart] u is from A Happy Heart.

The black and white designer paper is from the Day & Night.

Shown above is the heart punched out with a 1/2" circle and inserted into a Build-a-Brad. The Build-a-Brads come in a kit and you have the base, you attach your 1/2" circle with a mini glue dot or drop of Crystal Effects and then put the self-adhesive acrylic bubble over that.

Happy birthday, dude.

2009-09-16T22:44:00.014-06:00

This card uses the truck from the retired set, Classic Pickups, with the greeting from A Little Birthday Cheer. This is for a guy who is a big fan of almost any kind of automobile. The kind of guy who has his first truck stored in a storage lot so that someday he WILL complete its refurbishment. Someone who doesn't care at all that his wife and I call the truck the calico beast. Someone who claims that the calico beast's tires aren't totally flat, they're just flat on ONE side.

For this friend, I thought I'd give him a sweet new truck to admire. Granted, the truck image itself is pretty small, less than 4" x 4" overall ... and it's 2-dimensional, but its chrome is all new (used the new Platinum Shimmer Paint for that) and its windows are all there (used a piece of clear envelope for that), and the paint is super-shiny (thanks to Crystal Effects and shimmery white cardstock as the base). This is a thick, heavy card, perfect for the hand-delivery tonight at dinner.

For color inspiration I had to find Ky and ask him what kind of truck this was. He guessed a '56 or '57 Chevy. Then I had to ask if our friend is a Chevy guy or a Ford guy. For a guy who cares, he's REALLY going to care, and I didn't want to insult him by giving the wrong make of truck. The Chevy was a good fit, so then I just Google for images of Chevy, truck and flame paint. I found a couple images to show me the way to making a good flame paint job. For this kind of realistic color job, I wanted an example to follow, even if it meant tweaking it from there.

Then there are manly details like these screw eyelets that I've been hoarding for quite a long time. I thought they were perfect for a car card! I was worried though that I had too many layers for them to go all the way through, but they were just perfect and the Crop-a-dile set them easily.

In the picture above you can see one of my tricks for adding dimension to a project. Stamp the image once on your background layer and then stamp it again on a scrap for painting/coloring, then cut it out, pop it on dimensionals, and voila! you have a shadow behind it and everything.

See? In the photo above is the Platinum Shimmer Paint on the wheel rims, grill and bumper. It's the most opaque of the three shimmer paints available, and I just sort of drew it on by dipping a toothpick into it and then dragging it on my project. Where it got messy and I lost some design elements, I just went back in with my permanent marker and dotted them back in. It worked great and was easy.

In the picture above here you can see my clear envelope-turned window, and the shine that the Crystal Effects gives to the truck's paint job. You can also see the Brushed Silver cardstock that I mounted the truck image and screw eyelets to. It's a subtle shine, but it was another way to work in a big silver metallic element.

In the picture below I show you a small tip. You know how sometimes you wonder if you go ahead and put in some brads if you'll regret it right after you do so?

I punched out some similarly sized black dots and placed them where I was thinking of putting my black brads. This allowed me to see what it would like and then decide. (Black brads shown on the project and in place above, black paper dots shown in place in the photo below.) They're not exact, but close enough to make a decision ....

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you're having a good week - mine's been good, but really busy at work, so I've been tired when I get home. Hoping to find some stamp time this weekend, but I know there are also a few chores to get done, too.

Bird and Bamboo

2009-09-14T16:11:00.011-06:00

I've used the Level 2 Hostess Set, Asian Artistry, for today's card. This isn't a holiday-specific card so that I can use it for what I want to. I stamped the bird/bamboo image in Soft Suede (an In Color) on Confetti Naturals cardstock and then, using the ink on the inside of the stamp pad lid, I water colored in the little bird. Because my watercoloring diluted the definition of the bird's wing and tail feathers, I used the matching marker (new this year in In Color options) and drew the details in again. Each layer is also matted on Soft Suede cardstock. The card base is Kraft.

The More Mustard Designer Series Paper is from the Autumn Traditions pack. I liked its natural look to go with the bird and bamboo centerpiece. Around the middle layer I wrapped some hemp twine for some more interest and then placed my focal image over that on dimensionals. I apologize for the not-so-great pictures, I was trying to get an angle that would show you the gold border on the main piece. That border was done by masking off the stamped image and then sponging on some Champagne Shimmer Paint. I was surprised I couldn't get a photo of the shimmer on this! In person, it's really noticeable with the right tilt. It's still a translucent shimmer, so it isn't gaudy, it's just shiny! If you click on either picture, especially the one above in the upper left corner, you can get a hint of what I'm seeing in person. :)

I hope you all had a great weekend. Sorry there weren't any posts this weekend. We took off early and went to the mountains for a Scottish-Irish festival where we got rained on and shivered in the cold - just like real Scots. Fall is coming in Colorado! I'm ok with the season's change because I'm ready (for one thing) to start wearing some of my other clothes, and at the festival, I got a great knitted shawl/wrap thing, but I'd roast if I wear it now. What are you looking forward to this fall? Talk to you soon!

Quickie Christmas

2009-09-10T07:07:00.000-06:00

I still had Serene Snowflakes and the Season of Cheer rub-ons out on my stamping desk, so I decided to try another card with them. The wreath was created by sketching a circle in pencil, then repeatedly stamping over it with the smallest single snowflake in Old Olive ink. The ornaments were stamped using a pencil eraser on the ink pad, and then I swirled a little more of the Frost White Shimmer Paint over each of them. The ribbon was tied first for the knot and then I punched two holes through the cardstock and pulled the tails through the back so that it would be positioned as flatly as possible.

Finally, the rub-on "Merry Christmas" was applied. A little hint, if you move too fast with the rub-ons (like I did this morning), they don't apply nicely, and you can get cracks or tears in your completed image. If you get those, at least with rub-ons in Chocolate Chip, because they're an exact match, you can fill in the tiny gaps using the fine point of your Chocolate Chip marker. (Yay, Stampin' Up! for color coordination!!)

It's not my least favorite card ever, but I think it's kind of bland, and a little sloppy, and could use some finessing. Unfortunately, I was finishing it up in the minutes before leaving for work, so it was hurried. Maybe this is one I should challenge myself to remake ...

Holiday Hoppin'

2009-09-09T06:49:00.004-06:00

I'm just holiday (card) hoppin' around here lately. Today's card is my first Christmas card of the season. As someone who handmakes each holiday card, you can't start too early! Of course, you also have to send the cards OUT. Last year I had all my cards done, but didn't send a single one. Hmm. Not so good. This year, I vow to send them out. I just hope I didn't get dropped from others' lists by being delinquent last year. :)

This card uses the new set Serene Snowflakes for the backgrounds and focal point. The words are rub-ons from the set Season of Cheer.

You can't see it so much in the original photos of the card, but I used the new Frost White Shimmer Paint from the current holiday mini. It's super easy to put on and the effect is soft, transparent and lovely. Below is the original snowflake panel:

And below that is the shimmery version.

See?! So pretty. You don't even have to heat set it.

Just shake the bottle, place a sponge over the top and tip it to get just a bit on. Then just swirl it over your project for a beautiful, easy shimmer. Let dry (it just takes a short time) and then adhere your newly shimmery piece to your project.

A half pearl from the Pretties Kit and some Chocolate taffeta ribbon finish the card.

I have to thank Nancy Riley for her inspiration for this card. Her card is more of a square card, and I'm square card challenged, but she completely inspired my card. Hers is so lovely. Thank you Nancy!

Using Everything Nice

2009-09-08T18:39:00.000-06:00

This is a quickie baby card for a baby boy. It uses the current set, Everything Nice, and the retired set, Ruff Day. The designer series paper is from Tall Tales.

I layered the buttons on each other and then "threaded" a skinny piece of paper through them, fastening the ends with mini glue dots on the back. The pup is mounted on foam dots for some dimension.

Thanks for stopping by!

Home made thanks

2009-09-07T18:16:00.008-06:00

New wood sheets (item 116309) from Stampin' Up were my inspiration for this card, along with the set Country Morning, which is a current Level One hostess set. The wood sheets cut really easily in the tabletop paper trimmer and can even be punched out using standard Stampin' Up punches. They're very cool! Lots of layers make this card interesting to look at, but simple to make.

The thank you sentiment is from the new set Teeny Tiny Wishes and punched out with the Word Window Punch, layered over a piece using the Modern Label punch.

Aww. Love bugs.

2009-09-05T13:08:00.007-06:00

I was feeling happy last night because my husband finally got home from a week-long business trip. What's a stamper to do, but make her husband a card to celebrate?! So that's what I did.

This card uses the super-cute Stampin' Up set, Love Bug. This is a level one hostess set and everything in the set is cute!

This was a fun card to give him because when I show him a new card I've made, he always opens it, even though I don't put words on the inside of most of them to start. Well, he opened this one to where I HAD written a little note to him, and he looked up and said, "Hey! This card is for me!" He sounded super pleased, which in turn made ME super pleased.

This is one of the few times I've gotten to use my new In Color markers. Isn't it great that Stampin' Up is offering these to match this season's In Colors? They make coloring in a breeze.
The purple scalloped circle mat and the polka dot-stripe paper are both from the Designer Series Paper, Lovely Flowers. The purple is Rich Razzleberry and the yellow is the new Crushed Curry, and I'm trying to become friends with it. :)

I was getting a kick out of how I take my project photos their as-is creative environment. I just push everything else to the side and take the photo. I appreciate other stampers who have a light box, and set it all up just-so, but then I think "I would never get them posted ... and where would I store the light box!?" Does it matter to you how the photos are taken? Does it impact returning to a blog or posting comments? Just wondering ...

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend with friends or family and if you're a stamper, I hope you fit that in, too!!

Halloween Haunt

2009-09-04T06:34:00.000-06:00

I'm normally not one for decorating like crazy for Halloween, but this year I have a new Halloween haunt. Almost all of what was used on this house is Stampin' Up, but most of it is retired because I just don't have a big need for Halloween stamps and like many of us, I'm trying to use up what I have, instead of just leaping to buy new. The great thing about Stampin' Up is that using their core colors, everything continues to match, season after season.

All the characters used around the house are from the retired set Booglie Eyes. Here the spider dangles from the eaves from some silver elastic cording (currently available).

I don't know why, but Frankenstein is climing the tree from Seasons of Happiness. I needed somewhere to put him, and he's too small to be behind the fence! :)

The roof is "shingled" with strips that were punched with the (currently available) scallop punch and then layered from the bottom of the roof to the peak. I actually did some of the copper embossing on the shingles with the Versamarker and its refill. I poured a little Versamark refill onto the marker's tip and then used the Spritzer like I would with a regular marker. Then I embossed over it just like you normally would. This isn't a tidy outcome, but that wasn't the point.

The chimney is embossed with Copper embossing powder and then sponged with black Stazon ink. Around the base are some Sunflower dew drops because I wanted a little visual interest up there.

The fenceline is a stamped image from, I think, Martha Stewart's line, but you could easily sketch it out and then cut it out. I stamped it in Chocolate Chip ink onto some retired SU designer paper, then before cutting it out, I layered it on a piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock so it would have more body to it and stand up better on its own. See below for tips on cutting out the fence using punches to get into the little spaces.

On the back of each fencing panel I mounted some More Mustard grasses.

The mummy was colored on the lines with Going Gray and Creamy Caramel markers and then the color was "smooshed" around using a blender pen.

Here is the stamp that I used three times for the fencing around the house.

Around the edges of each fence top, I used my 1/8" round punch so I didn't have to squeeze in there with my snips, and then in between the slats, I punched out what I could using my 1/4" square punch. Where the 1/4" wouldn't go, I punched there with my 1/8" round punch again, just to give my snips somewhere to get in there.

And, just for reference, here's the naked birdhouse before I got started. You can usually buy these at any craft store. Before you start, I like to take a permanent marker in a complimentary color and color all the edges of the house, this way if your paper is imperfectly applied, you don't see the gaps through to the plain birdhouse body.

This project took a while, and I recommend using a ruler or scrap paper to measure out your pieces so you don't waste paper trying to get things to fit. Any questions about how I did something, please feel free to ask!

Personalizing my iphone

2009-09-03T20:36:00.014-06:00

What can this little Decor Element flower do for my iphone's protective aluminum case? Lots! I had 3 of these Decor Elements flowers and I had my iphone on my stamp table - it's always within reach - and I thought I'd try them out on my case.

You'll see in the pictures below that I've used one flower as is, and then I've also punched and snipped pieces out of two more for some variety. I'm hopeful that these are sturdy enough, and sticky enough, to last for a while. I'll update it to let you know how it goes.

You could also purchase new, premade Decor Elements from the current catalog, and you can order them 24/7 online from my site. Below are a few options currently available, but remember, you can ALSO purchase sheets of Stampin' Up vinyl (in Dark Gray, White, Kraft and Chocolate) and run it through the Big Shot using any of the die cuts! (See page 158 of the current Idea Book & Catalog).

Sweet September Specials from Stampin' Up!

2009-09-02T12:16:00.022-06:00

The Stampin' Up! holiday mini is out now - and it's full of amazing goodies. To go with it SU! has released some awesome specials. Read on for details!

Sweet Rewards Promotion

Dates: September 1-November 30, 2009
Promotion Details:
We're excited to bring you this sweet deal for hostesses September through November:

Host a workshop totaling $250 or more and choose any one item* from the 2009 Holiday Mini Catalog for only $10! (*Offer excludes hostess sets and My Digital Studio.)

On October 1, when My Digital Studio is released to customers, this offer becomes even sweeter:

Host a workshop of at least $400 and get My Digital Studio for 50 percent off the retail price (retail price: $79.95; promotional price: $39.97)!

Keep in mind, the "sweet rewards" hostess offer is not eligible for online orders through my demonstrator website.

Through September 30, 2009 you can purchase the brand-new Decor Elements Growth Chart (only available through this month) and receive a FREE applicator tool ($1.95 value) with your purchase! This item CAN be purchased online NOW! Click through the link and then click on shop now.

This adorable Growth Chart is available in Taken with Teal, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip.

Camping Thanks

2009-08-31T22:01:00.009-06:00

This was a quick thank you for the neighbor who watched our dogs so we could go camping and boating this past weekend.

I sponged the background with bordering blue and cut out and mounted my trailer piece on dimensionals for some interest. I cut off all the wheels from the trailer's stamped image and replaced them with brads and black cutout circles mounted behind the large brads. On each "wheel" I dotted in circles of silver with my Zig Painty Pen.

The camping stamps are from the retired Stampin' Up set Happy Camper with the Kind Thanks from the current set Thank You Kindly.

I'm proud of this one ... but it's not really stamping.

2009-08-29T08:00:00.003-06:00

So this isn't stamping ... but it's made with all Stampin' Up supplies, except for the eye and scales. Does that count? The fish, a Rainbow Trout, was handpainted by me! I shocked myself by painting what I think is an accurate representation. I Googled "rainbow trout" and found a photo (here's my model). I sketched its shape in pencil onto Shimmery White cardstock, and then I started painting using an aqua painter and reinkers. I also colored with the markers on the fins and then "pulled" the color with the aqua painter. After painting, I glued the Shimmery White cardstock onto some thin chipboard to give it more stability. I then cut out the fish shape.

I wanted and needed a very fishy card for my husband's birthday (which is today) and we're going to the lake to camp and boat for the weekend which is where he'll get the gift from the extended family. We all chipped in, and he's getting a gift certificate for a guided day of fly fishing! I just know he's going to be so excited to go with an expert. He fishes already and has taken a class that expanded his skills, but I think it would be so awesome to be on-river with someone who can help you "in the moment" to get those techniques down.

After the fish was done and I had misted it with water and then spritzed it with the Chocolate Chip marker and Color Spritzer, I dabbed on some glue and then sprinkled the fish with some Martha Stewart "snow" flakes because in the right light, they're shiny like fish scales. I popped the fish up on dimensionals and mounted it to my card base.

Here is the finished card on top of the custom envelope I showed in an earlier post.

As a funny side note, you never know what in your arsenal can make for good craft. The eye is a large brad that I had in my stash, and when my white gel pen wouldn't stick to it, I used the white finger nail polish that I have for my french manicures - and it worked great! :)

Have a great weekend!

Need a custom envelope?

2009-08-27T22:07:00.001-06:00

These first steps show the custom envelope that I made to go with my husband's birthday card (which I'll show in a day or two after he gets it). This is a very easy project that gives that final special touch.

First I opened up a #10 (approx. 9" x 4") envelope carefully so I could use it as a template. If you want your envelope made out of 12x12 double-sided designer paper, you'd lay your opened envelope down diagonally with the corner you see at the bottom of the first picture in one corner of the designer paper.

Trace around the opened envelope with a pencil and cut the entire thing out. Score, moving from corner to corner on all 4 sides, then fold them inward.

Put glue on the short sides, looking at your original as needed to see where the original was glued into shape.

I just had to make two swipes of glue and my envelope was mostly ready! But ... I didn't like that argyle pattern inside, so I decided to line my flap with the leftovers of the 12x12 piece I started with.

I used a glue stick to cover the entire flap, laid the leftover piece over with the dotted side out (or argyle to argyle) and pressed the pieces together. Then I turned it over and trimmed around the edge of the flap using the already trimmed pieces as a guide. You can see below that the argyle is still visible, but only if you open the envelope and look inside.

See? Dotted inside and out. This paper is a retired paper from Stampin' Up. I can get you the name if you need it.

Next, instead of putting glue on the flap, I decided to put a magnetic snap (from Basic Gray). They come with adhesive already on the back, and they're quite strong. Hadn't used them before, but I really liked the way they worked.

Here are the snaps in their packaging.

Autumn gift (box)

2009-08-26T21:05:00.003-06:00

This box is just a little round gift box that I got at Target. It was back with the other gift wrap items, and I think it was only a dollar. It's a kraft colored box to start with and has light vertical striping. I wanted to do some watercoloring, so I pulled out the set Autumn Harvest and colored in a BUNCH of pumpkins and leaves. Then I cut them out and mounted them all around the outside of the box. I tucked in some hemp twine for "vines" and tacked it in place using Tombo Mono-multi Glue. I liked it for this project because the glue isn't shiny and dries completely clear. The dirt behind the pumpkins is Close to Cocoa (middle strip) and Chocolate Chip. They're all ripped along one edge and layered/sponged and speckled with the Color Spritzer and markers.

The brown ribbon in the photo above covers the seams of the paper pieces. I'm thinking of adding in a handle w/ jumbo eyelets using that same ribbon. What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

Butterfly bucket

2009-08-24T06:47:00.001-06:00

I found these little buckets at Target in the Dollar Spot last Easter-time, and I was super pleased and excited to see that they EXACTLY match the new Stampin' Up color, Melon Mambo.

On this project, this little letters use the Stampin' Up Billboard die and the U comes from the Serif Essentials alphabet dies. Both were run through my Big Shot. To get the patterned U, I cut out a piece of Old Olive patterned paper and a piece of the white chipboard from the back of a pack of patterned paper, both sized to 3" x 3". I glued them together using a glue stick before running it through the Big Shot and cutting it out so that when they came out they were already mounted together.

I used the Circle Scissors Plus to cut out the "lid's" circle so that it just fits within the handles. Then, I took a strip of Melon Mambo 1" wide and 11" long. I scored it at 1/4" (that's the lip you see in the picture above, under the lid). Along the 3/4" left, I snipped in at about every 1/2" so that it could make the curves (see below inside the lid). I glued them down, working my way around and snipping off the last extra inch that wasn't needed.

This card stands on its own!

2009-08-23T17:30:00.001-06:00

It looks unassuming in its envelope, but once it's opened, it's like its own little stand up party. :)

I was looking for a special pattern for a big birthday card. Because of her age, I won't say who I gave it too, but I really hope she liked it! The only thing that I didn't like about the final product was that it wasn't intuitive about needing to pull up on the ribbon to open the card. It was fine since I was there when she received the card, but if I made one to mail, I think I would have made a little "pull here" kind of tag.

The letters on this card are actually a Sizzix Naturally Serif Alphabet die that I ran through my Big Shot. I covered the letters in Dazzling Diamonds glitter for some shine.

I won't go through the steps of making this card when they've already posted a great tutorial on Splitcoast's site. My only suggestion in following her instructions is that my first version had too big a slot, and it wouldn't stand up. I definitely recommend trying one of these cards for yourself today!

Faux silk wrapped gift box

2009-08-22T16:58:00.006-06:00

This is an easy and quick way to wrap a plain, 2-piece white gift box. I used the new 2-step stamping set, Greenhouse Garden on some plain white tissue paper. This wasn't even new tissue paper and it doesn't need to be. Just stamp all over a piece that is big enough to cover your box top (or card front). I used two pieces so that I could layer them over each other. This gives you more of the look of handmade paper.

Once it's covered ... crumple it up into a ball, opening it and smoothing it a couple of times.

Cover the top of the box using a glue stick and then press the paper on top of it, smoothing out most of the wrinkles, but not trying to make it completely flat. Do the same on the sides, finally wrapping it over the edges and into the inside of the box. You can either leave the box's bottom plain white, or cover it using the same technique.

Wrap a coordinating ribbon around it, and you're set!

These robots like to party!

2009-07-24T07:45:00.002-06:00

I finally got some time to stamp again with my Lots of Bots stamps! I made two different layouts with some leftover designer series paper. I have a little DSP from the new catalog, but it's animal and floral print ... Plus, I wanted to use a more boyish color palette and this spoke to me.

Nothing fancy on these two. I colored in the robots with classic Stampin' Up ink using a blender pen on the robot on the left and a marker on the robot on the right (photo above). You can see more detail of each in the following photos. Below, you can see some of the faux stitching that I did using a Zig painty marker in silver, as well as the blue that I Color Spritzered (sure that's a common verb) on the main image and then softened by sponging over using the ink pad and a sponge - move your sponge in circles after dabbing on the ink pad for a softer look.

Here, the robot below was colored in, then I put Crystal Effects over top and once it was dry, I dotted in some accents with the silver Zig Painty pen again. Also, the blue "mat" you see under the striped paper ... that's not a real mat. That was added in with marker after everything was already layered. (You can click on the photo for a larger view.) After I'd finished the card, or so I thought, I didn't like that the white edges of the paper just sort of drifted into the Bashful Blue card base. This turned out to be a pretty good solution. I drew in the thin lines for a border with a Brocade Blue marker, then colored in next to the top layers with my Bashful Blue marker. What do you think of how that turned out??

The sentiment on both cards was punched out using Stampin' Up's smallest oval and the red underneath was punched with the next size up. Both robots have marker "shadows" under them to ground them.

Baby zoo CASE

2009-07-20T22:30:00.006-06:00

Stuck for inspiration, I turned to the internet. I found it on Ann Schach's site. She has many other super cute cards, too.

I just haven't had the time or energy to stamp lately and I needed to get set up for my last round of stamp club tomorrow night. I think we'll have a great time. We're going to make one card and then we'll take our tour through the new catalog together! It's always more fun to look at a new Stampin' Up catalog with friends. :)

I did change a couple of things. I added in the lion and owl and changed the sentiment up. The yellow piece below uses the new Modern Label punch. It's great for long sentiments, but I loved the use of it as an embellishment.

Thanks for stopping by and happy stamping!

2009-07-20T12:55:00.004-06:00

Deal of the Week #3

Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware (item 112454)

Our Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware adds class to any project. Get the set for just $18.99 - over 30% off the regular price ($29.95).

Available at this price July 20-26 ONLY. Visit my demonstrator website to buy.

Stampin' Up "Deal of the Week" #2

2009-07-07T12:38:00.003-06:00

Carry your Big Shot machine, cutting pads, and dies in stunning style. This black-and-white checked doctor’s bag makes storing and transporting your Big Shot machine easy and convenient. It has handles for carrying and a shoulder strap for when your hands are full of other crafting supplies.

30% OFF!!

Sizzix Big Shot Doctor's Bag (113474)
Regularly - $69.95
For one week only! - $49.99

Available online through my demonstrator website!

Girly birthday card

2009-07-05T22:55:00.006-06:00

ETA: Here's the picture of the card as it sat on my lap on the way to the party. I had to update this post to include this picture because it's colors are so true! :)

My sister-in-law had a birthday this past weekend and we were lucky enough to celebrate with her and a huge group of her friends.

I'd had the flower element on this piece sitting on my desk for a while now, and once I knew I needed a card for my SIL, I knew this was the embellishment for her!

The flower is made using the now-retired DSP, Raspberry Tart, and the Sizzix Daisies #2 Die. As a final topper, I put on some Dazzling Diamonds glitter and a rhinestone brad for the center. This DSP has the craziest pinks and greens, and I just loved it. I had some larger pieces of DSP left over that I used to make the layers on this card.

The stamp set is Absolutely Fabulous and I used its namesake stamp on this card.

Stampin' Up product - special sale!

2009-07-01T13:18:00.010-06:00

Through July, Stampin' Up is offering one product on special each week.

This week, the product of the week is
The Scallop Border Punch!!

On SALE this week only for $10.99
Scallop Edge Punch (112091) - Regularly $15.95

This offer is available July 1 - 6 and you can order through my demonstrator website!

Almost like a stampers birthday ...

2009-07-01T08:18:00.005-06:00

The new catalog is almost here! Today is the go-live date for the new annual Stampin' Up catalog. If you're interested in ordering a catalog for yourself, please send me an email. Or, you can order online through my site and see the new goodies that way! (Note: as of 8:15 a.m. MTN time, they were still updating the demonstrator sites like mine to contain all the new goodies - the good news is, you can shop day or night using this site!)

This cute little robot is from Lots of Bots, which is one of the sets that demonstrators were allowed to pre-order. Now granted, the designer series paper is a retired item, but soon we'll have access to a whole new supply of patterned, exclusively Stampin' Up, papers to play with.

This card is for one of our (many) special neighbors. We think he'll get a kick out of the "Happy Birthday, Human" greeting. :)

New Catalog COPY job

2009-06-30T05:55:00.006-06:00

I, like many other Stampin' Up customers and demonstrators have been WAITING for the new catalog. Well, one of the perks of being a demonstrator is that you get the catalog and a chance at some of the new sets before anyone else!

This card uses one of the new sets that I purchased entitled Autumn Days. I also got something else ... the new catalog FILLED with new ideas to use. The catalog isn't out publicly yet, but when you get yours, you can look at page 55, which has the card I copied. Hint: look for the lavender.

Flip flop inspiration

2009-06-29T07:14:00.004-06:00

I know that I love my flip flops and my card is inspired by Candice Aguilar as featured on the Papertrey site. I've had these little foam/paper flip flops from Michael's for at least a year ... and Candice's design inspired me to make my own version with (mostly) Stampin' Up supplies. I added a little ribbon embellishment on the side and I think it's ready to go!

A taste of summer

2009-06-28T07:00:00.003-06:00

I've seen several ideas like this one for making watermelon, so I don't have anyone specific to credit with this idea ... I cut out circles with my Circle Scissor Plus from Stampin' Up in sizes 1/4" different in diameter from Raspberry Tart designer paper. I taped the two layers together and cut them in half and then used the edge/end of a small oval punch to "bite out" of the watermelon slice. Added some black brad "seeds" and popped the whole thing up on dimensionals. The words are from the set Absolutely Fabulous and are stamped in black on Apricot cardstock, which is basically a lighter version of the Pumpkin Pie used as a mat above.

To tie in the black brads of the watermelon with the lighter Celery, I drew in spots of black as faux stitching on the orange and dots on the stamped polka dot background. This also ties together the words stamped in black.

Ladybug case

2009-06-27T07:22:00.004-06:00

Isn't she sweet?! She's made of punched paper (black pieces) and Stampin' Up's Petal Prints stamped images, with drawn dashed lines leading to black brad antennae. To make the black paper shine like the brads do on their own, I covered them in Crystal Effects. The words are from Stampin' Up's Stem Sayings.

I'm so sorry that I don't have the link for who I copied this card from! If you know, please let me know and I'll update it to include it! The "grass" was shaped with a scallop punch and black/white gingham ribbon was added over top. I tied the ribbon once and then tied small pieces of ribbon on either side of the original knot.

Ketto girl bookmark

2009-06-26T10:02:00.007-06:00

I don't actually know what I think of this piece, but thought I'd share it with you because I like the overall concept ... I was just playing around with scraps on my desk and worked up a new bookmark. This piece is about 8 1/4 x 2 1/4.

Before assembly, I printed out a quote about reading that I thought was perfect with my little winged Ketto stamp:

"From your parents you learn love and laughter and how to put one foot before the other. But when books are opened you discover you have wings."

-- Helen Hayes

Her wings are covered with a little glitter from a Spica glitter pen and the entire thing is "loosely" embossed. I didn't try to cover it fully with the embossing as I was just going for a fun look.

Happy birthday "owl-ways"

2009-06-25T09:07:00.001-06:00

This was my brother-in-law's birthday card. I merged two great retired sets to make it (Cause for Celebration - the cake; Love Owl-Ways - the Owl). The designer paper, Autumn Vine, is also retired. The card base is Sahara Sand.

For not TOO much glitter / girly-ness, I used a Sakura Gelly Roll glitter pen for the flames and frosting. I thought they were also a nice contrast to the courdoroy button. The eyes have Crystal Effects on them.

Following are pictures of the original stamps so you can get a look at what I did and didn't use from the two stamps.

I eliminated the words and hearts from the cake stamp and drew in the candles later. and I stamped only the owl and eliminated the heart, redrawing in the foot on the left on top of the cake.

AND - have you wondered where I've been? Partly it's the day job, and partly, I've been doing digital design work for customers. You can check out the latest projects on my design blog at http://stampingthroughthetulipsdesign.blogspot.com/. There are two posted right now that are brand-spankin' new, but there are at least three others in the works right now. I've set up some auto posts on THIS blog to tide you over for the next few days with a log jam of projects that have been done, but not posted yet. Thanks for stopping by!!

Boatloads of Love

2009-06-24T13:01:00.002-06:00

This was a club card from last month. We were focusing on watercoloring. I stamped and embossed the images so that all they had to do was paint in the lines. This is one that I painted - love the sunset look of this one!

Sorry for the phone postings, but I keep being so busy that when I'm home, I'm not focusing on my blog. Thanks for stopping in!!

No time to post lately!!

2009-06-11T08:58:00.000-06:00

I thought I should just go ahead and post this from my iPhone,
otherwise it'll never get up on the site!

This is where we are this morning

2009-05-23T08:02:00.001-06:00

We're out at the local reservoir this morning with our neighbors and
their boat. If it warms up, the guys may even go tubing. If it
doesn't, they've got their fishing gear, and I've got a book. :)

April (snow) showers bring flowers ... at least in the stamp room

2009-05-18T06:53:00.004-06:00

This card was a quickie for stamp club this month. I used 2 layers of white and 1 of vanilla cardstock for the petals and ran them through the Big Shot with the "Flower, Daisies #2" die. I alternated the colors and topped them with a 3/4" circle in summer sun and micro beads.

The stems/leaves are both Old Olive grosgrain ribbon and they're both "pinned" in place with mini glue dots. The glue dots allow for the bend of the stem. The Thank You is from the set A Note of Thanks. Finally, I put streaks of Crystal Effects on the petals for a little visual interest.

Stamping on the high seas

2009-05-16T06:55:00.000-06:00

This is the club card that we're making this month as a focus on watercoloring. It's also got some embossing in both black and silver. I used Watercolor Wonder Crayons and an Aqua Painter for the coloring. The paper that the image is on is Confetti Cream. The designer paper is Manchester.

Psst. If you're interested, this is the card before the update to a Father's Day card. Also known as the card BEFORE Ky's input. I love these cordouroy buttons, but I think it was actually a little babyish for this card. He also suggested the smoke clouds to add some weight in that upper corner.

Papers used are Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Manchester DSP, Confetti Cream. Embossed outline in black EP and watercolored using an AquaPainter and Watercolor Wonder Crayons. All supplies are from Stampin' Up!

Barbequed Birthday

2009-05-11T19:30:00.000-06:00

This weekend was ALSO my father-in-law's birthday. Ky asked for a card using this grill stamp, and then he wanted a cake on the grill. And, he wanted the cake to be on fire ... I couldn't bring myself to make the cake on fire, so he just got a sparkly candle instead. :)

The grill was embossed and Crystal Effects'd (sure, that's a word) to the hilt. It was a real pleasure to give the card to my FIL on Sunday and see his smile about it.

Stamps: BBQ (Creative Mode) and Cake (Stampin' Up's Voila set). Paper: Stampin' Up's Washington Apple.

It's for Ewe

2009-05-10T21:34:00.006-06:00

Yesterday I showed you my mom's Mother's Day card. Today I'm showing the card I gave my sister. Again, I tried to focus on her hobby. My sister is a knitter / yarn-fanatic. I couldn't exactly knit her a card (I'd need to know how to knit for that!!), so I gave her a little sheep to bear the message of the day.

The sheep is from the set Pun Fun. I colored it in, cut it out and covered it in fun flock (so she'd be wooly). I stamped it again on Baja Breeze cardstockand cut out the heart so it would pop out. The sheep's ears, hooves and nose and the heart are covered in Crystal Effects.

I made the sentiment on the computer and guessed at the color for the ink. I punched it out with a punch and then freehanded the brown oval under it.

With a tiny focal point like this, I felt like I had to up the layers for interest and I think it worked ... The designer paper is Manchester.

(Mostly) Quickie Quilt Card

2009-05-09T21:08:00.006-06:00

This is my mom's Mother's Day card. She's a super quilter, so I knew (hoped) she'd appreciate my nod to her craft. She also stamps with me, but I know her heart is truly with the quilting. :)

This is not a new idea, but I sure like how these littler squares look over top of the Big Shot Top Note diecut. I took a piece of celery cardstock, sized 5.5" x 4.25" and a bunch of 3/4" punched squares from Bella Rose designer series paper. I ran the celery cardstock through my Xyron machine (making the entire front of the piece sticky) and then started laying out the squares starting in the middle edge going toward the opposite side of the cardstock. I left a little space between each square like to define the squares a little bit.

I wanted the quilt to look a little more aged, so I sponged it with Creamy Caramel ink all over. It dirtied it up just enough. As a final touch, I did faux stitching with my Chocolate Chip marker on each square.

TIP: That little space between each square left some exposed sticky. When you don't want something sticky to be, well, sticky anymore, you can take your embossing buddy and rub it/pat it over the surface. That will deposit its powder on the adhesive and voila!

Finally, I used circle and scallop punches to round out (ha ha) the sentiment "button" element. I covered the top in Crystal Effects for a little more dimension and it was allowed to dry nice and shiny. (I was glad I put it into a plastic envelope for delivery because for some reason it stuck to the inside of the envelope - but we were able to very carefully pry it out.)

Quick Ivy Ketto post

2009-05-06T17:55:00.005-06:00

I know that I'm almost always a Stampin' Up girl (and most of this card is, too), but I got these new stamps and I've just been enjoying coloring them in. This stamp is Stamping Bella's Ivy from the Ketto line.

These papers are from the first card in the post immediately below. I had them as leftovers that didn't get made from the last stamp camp.

Crystal Effects on her hair (a girl likes to have shiny, healthy hair) and a little Sakura glitter pen on the leaves. White gel pen around the edges. Topped off with the flower brad (FROM Stampin' Up!).

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamp camp cards - revealed

2009-04-29T22:29:00.002-06:00

These were summery cards for stamp camp. I based my cards on the fact that Mother's Day is near, but I also knew that several of my attendees no longer have their own mother's to send cards to. So ... I aimed to make cards that would work if needed, but could work otherwise as well. I think that I succeeded.

For the first card we used the set Blooming with Love and the masking technique, we created a scene that I hope to see around my own yard soon - a wheelbarrow full of flowers, ready for planting. I just have to feel more certain that it's quit snowing! :) We colored in with Stampin' Up markers, layering one color over another, and in a few cases adding in the use of blender pens.

This next card was made with a dormant set, Inspired by Nature, for the grass, and Flight of the Butterfly and Define Your Life. The butterflies were stamped on the main card base (Stampin' Up's Confetti Cream), and also on another piece of vanilla cardstock and then cut out. They have dimensionals behind the wings, near the body, and the bodies are glued directly to the background piece with a dot of Crystal Effects.

And finally, I mostly cased myself on this sympathy card. The set is Thoughts and Prayers and the designer paper is Stampin' Up's Manchester pattern. The final element added to this card was Crystal Effects on the tree.

Thanks again to each of my stamping ladies who made time to come to camp this past weekend. You were all a delight, and it was so fun to sit to gether and create these goodies.

Sorry for the crazy exposure variations on these cards! I took them late tonight while watching the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs, and I just know that I won't retake the pictures, but I want to share them anyway.

Slight sidebar, here's a look at a paper-pieced card that I made for Jeanine two years ago. I traced everything on my light table and created the heaviest card ever. :) However, for Jeanine - a SUPER Nuggets fan - it was totally worth it.

Just one more snow pic...

2009-04-28T21:51:00.001-06:00

Trying this iPhone posting again with one more photo. This was our
front yard when we got home from work!

Snow day one week ago

2009-04-28T21:42:00.001-06:00

Ooh! This is my first iPhone post. Now I'll be able to share on the go ... :)

What can I say, it's been snowing ...

2009-04-28T21:34:00.004-06:00

Like I said, it's been snowing a lot around here lately, so I was more in a winter frame of mind. :) Just yesterday I had to go out and knock snow off the branches of our trees that had leafed out so the branches wouldn't get weighted down and break!

I also had gotten a new stamp from Stamping Bella that I wanted to color in and paper pierce. I thought I'd share a few versions of them below.

I made 10 (fairly) quick cards last night with my new Polly Packages stamp from Stamping Bella. The paper is Stampin' Up's "Dashing" paper from last year. The trees are from the current set Branch Out and Merry Christmas comes from the Many Merry Messages set.

Many, many staff appreciation cards ...

2009-04-24T06:34:00.000-06:00

These were custom-made for a local law firm (this is my second year making their staff appreciation cards). There are 26 in all and you can click on the pictures for a closeup. The papers used were Washington Apple (for the guys - Ky said I couldn't give them pink cards even if it was just because they'd match the other cards I'd made) and Raspberry Tart for the majority.

The printing was done on the computer, and inside says "Thank You" and includes the firm logo.

The picture immediately above is all 26 cards together. Thanks for stopping in!

Lulu Ketto - shhh ...

2009-04-23T06:23:00.000-06:00

Okay, so the stamp isn't Stampin' Up, but the paper is! I've seen these Ketto stamps on various blogs, and I just think they are super, super cute! I still had the Raspberry Tart designer paper out and she was colored in pinks and greens, so I had to put them together.

She was calling out for some sparkle, so I used my Sakura glitter gel pen to highlight some bits, and went around with some white gel pen stitching. The scallop punch was a final touch of girly.

If you like this cutie, there are others like her over at the Stampingbella site ...

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Thanks a latte!

2009-04-22T21:08:00.002-06:00

These were cards that I made for Ky to give his office staffers for Secretary's Day today. His job was to provide the Starbucks cards to go inside.

The paper is "Sweet Always" and the stamps are from the retired set "Like it a Latte." A little Liquid Applique for the foam, some glitter on the cups ... that's about it!

Sorry for the quickie post, but I'm wrapping up my prep work for this weekend's stamp camps and, well, I'm not done!!

A couple more cards by request

2009-04-17T06:25:00.002-06:00

These cards are for a special girl whose favorite color is orange and which need to convey a message from the heart. They're coming from a young man, so I couldn't go too frilly on them.

This is the simpler of the two with just some Sweet Always designer paper, the set A Happy Heart and some Crystal Effects.

The next card features the same set and papers with some Pumpkin Pie striped ribbon - no bow or knot included. :)

More Crystal Effects applied over the X, O, and heart images so they'd really stand out.

Well, we're off to a snowy, yucky-looking work day here in Denver, so I'd better go finish drying my hair, bundle up and head out! We need the moisture after a dry winter, so I'll try to appreciate it for what it is ... I just wish I was appreciating it from inside my stamp room, rather than at work.

Hope you're enjoying nice sun where you are for this Friday morning. :)

It's Elmo! But he's fast.

2009-04-15T06:37:00.004-06:00

This card was a special request. No stamping at all, just punches! The head is the Big Shot Bigz Scallop, nose and eyes are 1" circles with 1/2" black circles inside each eye. Dots of white in the iris, some Crystal Effects over that, a strip of ribbon, and he was done. He's mounted on a white card base for a message inside.

I think he turned out pretty cute! It's not an original idea of mine, but in case you hadn't seen Elmo created this way elsewhere, I thought I should share. :)

Hired thanks

2009-04-14T07:51:00.004-06:00

This is a repeat performance of cards that I made last year for a staff appreciation event at a local firm. These are my mockups for them to choose from. They're a little tricky to come up with because they need to be mostly gender-neutral.

Ky was very helpful in the design of these cards. I was running low on creativity (I have an ear ache and sinus infection, so my aching head is interfering), but he was able to give some really good ideas, including picking up some of my discarded elements and saying "What if you ..."

I know which one I hope they choose ... which do you think they should go with?

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T11:07:00.000-06:00

Sorry these weren't posted early enough for inspiration to you, but we had a jamb packed day yesterday, and I was wrapping these projects up at 1:30 this morning after we got home from watching the Colorado Mammoth Lacrosse game downtown with our friends/neighbors.

We're home from church, and brunch is baking, so I'm dropping by quickly with pictures of the projects that I made for my nieces and nephews. The bunny bag contains several little goodies (like new summer pjs, word puzzles, gel pens, etc.) for my littlest niece who will be at brunch, and then the cards are for the other kids who will be at supper at my inlaws. I have individual gift bags to go with the cards w/ just a simple monogram on the front on layered circles. I will try to add a picture so you can see those, too. But I have to go check the food.

I used the "Tea Party" designer paper from Stampin' Up and the set An Egg-cellent Easter. That striped ribbon is from the set "Sweet Shop" from a while ago (i.e., it's retired now).

The card above features paper-piecing for interest, and all the cards have dabs of Crystal Effects for highlights.

And then our little flower, Berkley. We bought this headband for god-daughter Audrey, but somehow Berkley ended up wearing it during Audrey's visit! She was just wearing it and looking around like, what? I'm cute, it's no big deal. :)

Have a blessed Easter!

Choosing colors of sympathy

2009-04-09T20:21:00.009-06:00

I needed to make a card for the family of a coworker who died recently. I chose my colors using this utility here: http://www.scraptitude.com/colorcombo/. I'm not faulting the color choosing utility ... but I don't know what to think of the combination either.

Edited to Add: The cardstock colors used are (in order from the card base on up): Basic Grey, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss , Going Gray, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White. In colors are Going Gray, Kiwi Kiss and Not Quite Navy. The flowers/leaves were covered in Crystal Effects and once dry, I dabbed on white "highlights" with my gel pen over the flower petals.

I was completely stumped on the colors. Now I've made this card, and I'm just not sure that I like the colors and how they turned out. Last night I thought I liked them, then I went to mail it and was uncertain. It shouldn't be this hard. :)

What do you think of the colors?

Welcome baby Trip

2009-04-08T05:08:00.000-06:00

I've been holding onto this post until I was sure the recipient had seen the card. I put it in with her stamp order and wasn't home when she picked it up - then I've been so busy I hadn't had time to check in until last night when I saw the new (again) mom at stamp club.

Apparently, when I made this card it was the week for using retired sets. It's nice to break them out again and put them to use! This card uses the set Bundle of Joy. This card is for my stamp club member's new baby boy. He's John the third, and one of the other club members even suggested the nickname "Trip" for him as the triple in line with the same name. Because the repetition of the name is important to his family, I thought I'd highlight his initials with a little III tacked on at the end.

I snuck in some ribbon for a little softness - it is for a baby after all! But then put some eyelets in each corner and a sweet little giraffe. For the giraffe's mane, I just snipped along it and then roughed it up a little so the pieces would stand up and add texture.

Finally, I covered the initials in Crystal Effects (those letters are from the set Headline Alphabet - also retired).

Little Trip came to visit us at stamp club last night for the first time and ooh is he ever CUTE! Little button nose, adorable fingers and toes, and he still is tiny enough that you pick him up and he just scrunches right up into a super cuddly little bundle. Who doesn't love having new babies to enjoy?

Quickie card

2009-04-02T05:14:00.000-06:00

This is a little card (3.5" x 4.5"), made with Stampin' Up set Refuge & Strength and a Verve Stamps Bible verse. The Designer Series Paper is an older design from Stampin' Up that I pulled out from my stash of older papers. I was trying to make bookmark multiples for Ky's upcoming retreat weekend, but this one turned out to be too involved and too big to work as a bookmark, which was my initial intent. However, I like the final piece as a little card to send out later.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great Thursday!

Praying for you

2009-03-31T05:49:00.003-06:00

This is a quick card that I put together using the set Thoughts and Prayers that I showed my mounting solution to in my last post.

I'll be making multiples of variations these for the church card ministry, so I needed them to be fairly simple and gender-neutral. I love the colors and patterns in this pack of paper - ETA - the name of the paper is SU's Bella Bleu. It has very calm colors with an upscale, decadent feeling.

The buttons are from Stampin' Up's Button Latte collection and they have paper "strings" in the button holes. The ends are tacked down on the back with a glue dot and then another dot to attach the button to the card front.

Thanks for stopping by!

From double-mounted to single

2009-03-30T04:34:00.001-06:00

This isn't to say that I'm not irritated that I had to spend additional money to have my stamps single-mounted, but since Stampin' Up has promised NOT to double-mount sets other than alphabets/numbers, I've decided to just move on and deal with it.

This post doesn't even have any stamping in it, other than what I stamped on the blocks. I stamped on the blocks to show the full-size image, because when SU double-mounts a set, they give you labels that are more what I'd consider to be indexes, rather than full-size, since both sides of the block are covered with a stamp, leaving no room for a full label. You can see these little labels at the top of the picture immediately below.
The photo above is the set as it's mounted single-sided. To have enough blocks to mount them, I resorted to hitting the clearance section at Michael's and the Dollar Tree's stamp section.

The cheapest, largest stamp that I found to plunder was marked down to $3.99. Considering that I thought it unlikely I'd use the set nearly as much with the double-mount setup, I think the $3.99 was worth it. If I'd looked longer/other places, I might have brought my price point down further, but was it worth it to waste gas/time on that? Didn't seem like it, so I bought my stamp, took it home and sanded the other stamp's image off the block and peeled the stamp off the other side. This left me with a great block, ready to mount to.

I got out my Stazon permanent ink, laid out the tree image,

inked up the rubber

and carefully pressed the new naked wood block onto it. I repeated this process with the branch stamp as well. Once they were stamped, I mounted them like I would normally. I did this with the rest of the set as well.

Some of the other stamps could just be separated out among the provided blocks by cutting them in half, and others were mounted onto other dismantled stamps that I'd bought previously at the Dollar Tree store.

I marked where the block should be cut, and Ky cut them apart on our chop saw. I sanded the edges with a sanding block which is a sand paper adhered to a sponge so that it can follow contours - I like them because they don't have to be plugged in and are very low tech and user friendly.

It's better that you not have to deal with purchased stamps this way, but if it will help you use your sets, do what you need to to make them work for you!

Quickie birthday card

2009-03-28T20:33:00.008-06:00

I showed you the card I had ready for my goddaughter's birthday, but when we bought the presents, they wrapped them for us, and they were done in primary colors. Hmmm ... that didn't go with my original pink/brown/orange color scheme.

Sooo, I whipped up a card for the new color scheme using Washington Apple designer series paper from Stampin' Up and paired it with the hostess set Window Dressing from last catalog.

The sentiment is from the set Big Birthday Candle, and it shows through using the Word Window Punch. I covered up the "to" from 'to you' with a little touch of ribbon because it just barely showed (and I didn't want it to).

The window is raised up on dimensionals and to make it look like it took longer, I added some layers and finished it up. Then I ran out the door to the party!!

Hope you're having a good weekend and spending time with those you love. :)

Wagon card

2009-03-25T18:46:00.001-06:00

This first photo has better color because I took it this morning in more natural light. It's the one you'll want to look at for the most true color representation. :)

I was blog hopping and saw this little Easter wagon. Unfortunately, I don't know who's special enough to get this, for the amount of time it took to make it! :) I'm wondering if I shouldn't frame it and enjoy it that way.

I used the set A Good Egg for the eggs and chicks. The paper is Delicate Dots (item #114674)- a free Sale-a-bration set w/ $50 purchase. It's a huge pack of paper for a freebie! You still have time to earn some of this paper for yourself through the end of March, but then it's gone! You can visit my demonstrator website to shop online day or night, and with $50 purchase you could pick this free paper up for yourself. Just click on shop now to enter your order.

Not sure why the color is so off between these two pictures taken at the same time with the same camera, but they allow you to see some of the egg detail anyway.

Here you can see one of the wheels and some of the glittered and punched details. The buttons are not Stampin' Up. I'm not sure where they're from ...

Thanks for looking!

Simple birthday card

2009-03-23T06:15:00.001-06:00

This card was paper-pieced using the set Simple Birthday Thanks. If you've seen it in the catalog, you'll recognize that it usually has a simple thank you note for kids' use in the middle of the cupcake base. When paper piecing, that part wasn't necessary. I colored the edges with markers so that I only go the outline to cut around. The designer paper used on this card is called Tea Party, and it has such wonderful springy colors.

I used my paper crimper on the base, added some glitter and Crystal Effects to the frosting and cherry and called it done!

The ribbon on this card is from the Sale-a-bration ribbon bundle (item 114618) and it is SUCH nice ribbon. You still have time to earn some yourself through the end of March, but then it's gone! You can visit my demonstrator website to shop online day or night, and with $50 purchase you could pick this ribbon up for yourself. Just click on shop now to enter your order.

Audrey's birthday card

2009-03-22T06:53:00.001-06:00

I posted the birthday invitations yesterday, and here's my version of the birthday card. I used a leftover turtle centerpiece and with a little more time for a one-on-one project, I was able to take it up a level.

On the dotted paper I put some Crystal Effects and when it dried, I put on a circle of white gel pen. The brads were inserted into a 1/4" circle of paper and then I put Crystal Effects over the pair to make it look more like a unified element.

You can click on any picture for a closer look. Thanks for coming to visit today!

Someone has a first birthday coming

2009-03-21T06:39:00.001-06:00

Our goddaughter is turning one at the end of this month. Here's a picture of her that I took while we were babysitting her recently. I touched it up a tiny bit, mostly for color, but her eyes are really that amazing!

Her mom was kind enough to let me help with her invitations. We wanted something that wasn't super girly, but which pointed out that it was a girl's birthday. We used the Sweet Always designer series paper which has some super cute polka dot paper with the unexpected color combination of orange and pink.

We made 20 copies, so we also kept it a simple card. We used the turtle from last year's Older & Wiser set, which was a hostess set from last year.

Just a couple pictures of the completed cards and envelopes.

Good thing it was just 20 because my table didn't have more room! They needed to be spread out like this to dry. Both the envelopes and cards had glitter on them that needed to dry.

Rats! In this picture you can't see that her shell is glittered! But they're cute as can be in person.

A couple new toys to play with

2009-03-20T22:49:00.012-06:00

One of the first things to catch my eye in the latest Stampin' Up catalog was the chocolate chip corduroy buttons! They're larger rib and they're plush. Really like them in person. I used a typical twine placement trick for me on this card. Wrap the twine around the paper four times in this case, take a separate piece of twine, maybe two inches long, knot it around the four pieces, round it through the button holes and knot it twice. This just makes the twine fall exactly where you want it, and you're not having to juggle bits, and it allowed me to add the button after the twine was on there and in place.

This scene was laid out using a new set, Scene in a Garden. I just love those little boots! A whole family-worth. :) I colored in the elements by layering color in using Stampin' Up's stamp 'n write markers, followed up a little bit by blending color with an aqua painter if/when color needed smoothing out. I brushed color over the base of the cardstock to tone down the color and finished it off with some color spritzed on.

I didn't like my addition of the green glitter after I'd added it - it was just too flashy. So to help it look a little more in place, I added a little more glitter and shine by using Crystal Effects on some elements and a forgotten tool, Sakura glitter pen on the pumpkins.

As always, go ahead and click on the pictures for a larger look at them. Have a great weekend, and thanks for stopping in!

Bunny brings Easter gifts

2009-03-13T22:27:00.014-06:00

There's just a little time to fit in some Easter card creation. I had such a good time coloring and paper piecing this bunny's dress and hair bow. Both were created out of Bella Rose designer series paper. All the coloring was done using Stampin' Up inks - in marker and inkpad form. The set is "An Egg-cellent Easter" and contains a couple bunnies in the Peter Rabbit style, meaning, they come in clothes. This card was another one done using only scraps that were precut, and in this case, bagged together from a previous project.

The ground/dirt was masked off and spritzed in layers of color (Caramel, Cocoa, Chocolate). I really like the dimension to this part of the card. Next came the sponging of the sky. I had already drawn in my horizon and grasses (stylings copied from Anna Wight's doodled grasses on this card). I don't have the original post address, but I just love how she grounds her animals by quickly sketching in some grass/ground.

I laid my main piece down on some scraps, and starting from the outside corners/edges, I sponged on color. This kept most of the color to the outside edges, highlighting the bunny with a whiter area. I started my hand in a circling motion before it got to the cardstock, and it gave a smoother finish.

Ky suggested that I add the bow to her head for some more girlyness and it really helped, but MAJOR kudos to Ky (again) because he suggested that she be trailing a little balloon behind her.

It just so happens that there's a stamp in the set that is PERFECT for a balloon. It's meant to be a hanging egg, I think, like when people blow out a shell and hang it from a branch for Easter decoration, but it sure works for a balloon, too!

Here's a picture of the whole set as shown in the upcoming mini catalog. I wouldn't usually show this, EXCEPT, if you're in the mood to start your Easter cards, you should know that you can purchase it before the mini catalog is even available in full.

View the PDF with pre-sale items, and feel free to contact me if you're wanting to order. Or, order online through my demonstrator website.

Chicken punchy

2009-03-12T05:32:00.002-06:00

I've been trying to get this post uploaded for days! And I still can't get the final picture up that I wanted, so you'll have to use a little imagination. This is mostly the card, all that's missing is the Crystal Effects that I finally put all over the egg for shine/dimension. And you can even see that in a close-up image below.

BEFORE (below):

AFTER (below):

I should have taken more similar photos of the before and after, but I didn't realize it was going to be an after until I'd sat with the card for a bit. The first version is fine. The chick on the card is modeled after the chicken in the "A Good Egg" set and the flowers and large egg shape are actually from that set. I stamped the big egg, masked it off so it wouldn't be stamped in, stamped my flowers, colored them in, and then layered over several colors using the Color Spritzer tool.

The bird's beak and top feathers are all made using the new Stampin' Up punch, Heart to Heart. I just punched them out of More Mustard cardstock and tucked a couple of the big hearts behind his head, using the smallest heart for his beak. Almost all layers are up on dimensionals. Finally, I put on some green glitter (from the Verve glitter set from Stampin' Up) on a few of the dots and all of the flower centers. This entire card was made using scraps! I had them left over from a stamp camp last fall. You can see the other card made with these papers here if you're so inclined.

My other project for the weekend (at least as far as stamping is concerned) was to reorganize my cardstock. It used to be in two drawers under and beside my desk, but when our home filing moved into a real cabinet that my husband was recycling from work, I decided to recycle the rattan filing for stamping. I made new label tabs using the pre-made labels offered through Stampin' Up in their big catalog. They're very cool, and even include the current "In Color" series of cardstock. They don't include labels for stock such as: Glossy White, Shimmery White, Kraft, Naturals (white or cream). But they do have one for all the cardstock in the neutral paper pack.

In those two empty drawers, I have decided to store my Janome sewing machine and my heat guns in one and in the other I have my paper towels, glass cleaner (I have a glass desktop that gets inky sometimes) and my Big Shot. Both the sewing machine and Big Shot used to just sit under my desk and it looked and felt super cluttered. Just by getting those out of sight, but near-at-hand, I have improved the look of my stamp room. And when it's neat and tidy in there, Ky even stops by to hang out sometimes. :)

In the pink

2009-03-03T05:28:00.001-07:00

This was just a quick, simple card based on the colors in this Raspberry Tart designer paper from Stampin' Up. Because the colors and patterns are all over the place in the paper, I kept it simple, using the set Blooming with Love and colored in with markers. I used more of the Raspberry Tart paper to line the envelope for another little touch.

The puckered ribbon was inspired by a post by Diana Gibbs on her blog. You just take hold of a center thread at one end of your ribbon and pull. If it won't pull easily, switch ends and try from the other side.

Finally, I covered the flowers and vases with Crystal Effects for shine.

A new bag for spring

2009-03-02T07:08:00.003-07:00

This project uses the Big Shot Top Note Bigz die and the new texture plates. I learned that you should cut out your Top Note pieces first, then run them through the texture plate "sandwich" one at a time. Although they fit side-by-side on the texture plate, they get squished out of the way and you end up about 1 1/2 textured. Before using the texture plate, spritz the cardstock with Alcohol so the stock has a little more "give" and accepts the texture more easily. (The alcohol tip isn't mine, but I love the idea of it because it won't stain and dries quickly so you can move on with your project).

This project had to be added to so I could be happy with it. It was simply too bright until I stippled on some blue for the sky. I had to mask the butterflies so they wouldn't be stippled also. I haven't used the stipple brushes much since being (brainwashed) inspired to purchase them after Stampin' Up convention.

I didn't want to stipple the orange cardstock, so I masked off the edges with some post-its. On a side-note, this picture reminds me of the time I got my hair highlighted and they pulled it through the little shower cap setup. Almost like the little bag looks a little embarassed. :)

Before the stippling, I also added a couple little flight trails in glitter coming off of both of the butterflies.

Here's how the bag looked before the blue was added. You can also see the little paper bag body in the picture. These are little goodie bags that I found at Target quite a while ago. I've also seen similar bags at Xpedx stores.

I'd also ordered new Filigree Brads with my last order, and wanted to give them a try. They are a really heavy-weight metal. Very sturdy! I used the large size on my project. The brads are separate, so you could also string ribbon through the flower center for another use.

I also felt pretty sneaky with my ribbon handle. This is likely not a new trick, but it was an ingenious moment for me. I love ribbon handles, but on some projects, a floppy ribbon handle just won't do. I cut a piece of coordinating cardstock 1/2" wide, layered the ribbon on top (used mini glue dots at either end of the cardstock), attached each handle end to the top of the bag and attached the Top Note pieces over that so no rough ends are showing.

I think this will also be a great pattern for some mini Easter treat bags. I'm looking forward to the spring weather staying around a while. We're already enjoying weather in the 60's this week!
Another sign of spring is our dog's haircut. I had to show this along with my changes to my card because as I was posting, I was thinking of what I saw as signs of spring. This is a big sign of spring for me (and probably for her, too). Once I think it's warm enough for her to get along with less hair, she heads to the groomers for an overhaul.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Just a little different, eh? I don't even think she looks like the same dog! Her recent haircut was extra exciting this spring because it was her first haircut since her ligament replacement surgery last summer, and the first time we really got to see her back leg without all that hair. Right after surgery, we worried because the muscles in the affected/repaired leg were atrophied a bit, but now, both legs look almost exactly the same which means her recovery is continuing to go well. It wouldn't take this long in a younger dog, but she's almost 10 years old, so the delay in healing/recovery isn't unexpected. :)

Two best friends

2009-02-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

These little guys showed up at my house this week. They have other buddies with them that I'll have to ink up soon because I think they're super cute. These pups are based on my friend Maggie's two dogs who are yellow and chocolate labs. They're the same stamp, stamped twice and cut out. The hydrant is also cut out and all are mounted on dimensionals, as are the torn pieces of brown cardstock in front of them.

The trees behind (from the set Branch Out) were stamped in Chocolate Chip and then loosely outlined with the Creamy Caramel marker for some definition. The dogs and hydrant were stamped in Sahara Sand where I was going to place the item, again for definition. Finally, the sky was lightly watercolored with Bordering Blue because the white cardstock was just TOO white. I love that the gray-blue color gives the card a little bit of a fall look with the bare trees.

Noses and eyes were colored in with a Chocolate Chip marker, and then the noses were touched with some Crystal Effects for shine - you want them to have a healthy look! :)

I'm off to Lynn's stamp party today! We're getting together with some of her friends and we'll make 3 cards together. We're using glitter, dimensionals, ribbon, watercoloring ... LOTS of good and fun stuff. A great way for a group of friends to spend some time together on a Saturday. I'm so looking forward to meeting everyone and getting some stamps inky.

Relaxing in the garden

2009-02-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have a weakness for tree sets, I think. This is a combination of "dry" stamping and watercoloring. I stamped some on the dry paper, spritzed it with water, markered on a little, then spritzed again with water and stamped from the ink pad onto the damp paper.

The little flowers are just dotted on with markers and then watercolored over top. I like where my little sentiment flag is, but really, it's serving to cover up a 'blurp' of color at the top of my little boots. Also, the tension was off on my sewing machine, but since this card is a little raggedy in nature, I just let it go and finished my path around.

The words used on this stamp came FREE with my qualifying purchase during Sale-a-bration. You can get free goodies, too, through Stampin' Up's promotion. Want to order through me? You can order online through my demonstrator website(http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/melissakulesa/), or if you have questions, please drop me a line. Hurry though, you only have through the end of March.

Copy-cat birds

2009-02-26T02:29:00.008-07:00

I'm showing you my "AFTER" card (above) and my "BEFORE" card (below).

I was fiddling with this card, trying to get it to look just right, and I wanted to include some grass, but thought it wouldn't match to have green where there wasn't green anywhere else on the card. But after I added it, I think it looks great. Before it was just too plain, and I was having trouble tying together the reds and oranges, but with the addition of the flowers, I got to add more red, and a little green which I felt gave me permission to add my green grass. I also doodled in a horizon line to ground my little birds, and now I'm super happy with my results.

I saw this card in blues and greens on Scrapnextra's blog. I don't have the paper she used. Hmph.

I was considering doing this card on the cheap (ha! cheep, cheep) for a workshop, meaning I needed to stretch my designer paper for a larger quantity of cards. If possible, because the designer paper comes in 12x12 sheets, I like to use even increments so that all the paper gets used as fully as possible, with minimal tiny scraps/waste and as many pieces as possible. So for this card, I split the papers I used. I used Riding Hood Red DSP Patterns paper in a 4x2 piece and Washington Apple paper in a 4x3 piece. There's a small overlap of the two behind the focal point, covered with some Tango Tangerine striped ribbon.

Just like in my inspiration piece, I stamped the birds twice. Once on the main piece of watercolor paper and another time on a scrap of watercolor paper. I colored in the "scrap" birds, cut out just their bodies and then popped them up on dimensionals over the plain bodies for some more interest.

Finally inked my skull

2009-02-25T03:14:00.001-07:00

Another VSN challenge card. Challenged to use a set you don't like, I knew I'd go for Just Jawing. I earned this set a couple months ago, and while I'd mounted it, I never expected to use it. Looking for a color inspiration, I saw the stitched Regal Rose ribbon, and I was off! I'm not sure you can see it in this picture, but the skull is mounted on dimensionals over the crossed bones behind. I watercolored the skull in pink for pop and so that I had the option of coloring in a little more dimension. This ribbon usually is also stitched across the top, but it was too wide for where I'd (ahem) slapped on my sentiment. A couple brads for a more industrial/heavier feel.

I'm really pleased with this card, because it came out much better than expected. I'm thinking I may make my neice's birthday card using this set. She'll be 12 this year, and I've been wondering what to do for her card.

Punchy puppy

2009-02-24T03:12:00.000-07:00

This is another VSN challenge w/ the 45 minute timeframe included. This was my first challenge card of the night, and I think it turned out fairly cute! The criteria for this card was to represent something you love. I'd seen a cute puppy done with punches on Mercedes' blog, so that was my inspiration because after my husband, my dogs are closest to my heart. You had to make a standard size card and include a large circle, large heart and a piece of paper/cardstock that was a 1/2" smaller than the card base.

To make my circles look purposeful, I used the dotted paper and punched out my sentiment using more circles. The heart is just hand drawn and then cut out. Over top of the heart I sponged on some chocolate ink, then covered it in Versamark ink and Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel. The embossing isn't a very smooth coverage, but I wanted it that way. It reminds me of a dog's wet nose. :) Finally, for a little detail, I added brads in the corner and a quick strip of wide ribbon for more texture.

Oh, Baby.

2009-02-23T03:15:00.002-07:00

I participated lightly in this weekend's VSN challenges on Splitcoast. These are challenges that anyone can participate in, but you have to follow the hostess' directions/criteria. For this one, quickly explained, you had to choose whether you would base your design on white, milk or dark chocolate, and then you had to use the prescribed color scheme that went with it. I chose the color scheme of chocolate, apricot and coral. I haven't gotten to use the set By Ones & By Twos that is now retired as much as I wanted to while it was current.

I wanted to soften the colors so I went with the watercoloring. Added a few layers of cardstock, and I'm overall pleased with this card. I think I could have worked it to where I loved it, but these challenges come with a 45 minute window for creation, and that's tough. I added a brad for the hanger to "hang" from and a couple strips of ribbon for more softness, and I had to call it good.

Stamp camp samples

2009-02-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend I held my stamp camps in two sessions and I got to hang out with several of my stampers. We made two birthday cards and a more general card. This first is a monochromatic card with Certainly Celery and Old Olive cardstocks and the set Pocket Silhouettes. I wanted to bulk up these little images by adding matting and layers behind the stamped images. This is a good way to make small images have more visual weight.

All the layers except the top two are flat, but the top images are popped up on dimensionals.

The next card uses Crazy for Cupcakes, crystal effects and glitter - a combination that is frankly adorable.

The following picture shows a close up of the glittered frosting and the cherries with the crystal effects on top! The polka dot paper is Stampin' Up's Candy Lane designer paper.

And finally, the last card was a quickie birthday card for the guys. I used the Word Window punch on the happy birthday and popped it up on dimensionals for a little more interest. With the striped Manchester designer paper, I didn't want things to be too busy.

Well that isn't fun either ...

2009-02-20T21:41:00.002-07:00

After my "goodbye, cruel world!" post, I realized I had some (what I feel are) super cute projects that I made for my stamp camp attendees this weekend. I will be posting those, probably tomorrow after the camps are over, but I guess what I would really like to encourage you to do is to make an effort to post on those posts that really jump out at you. Let the poster know that you're liking what you see. And I don't just mean on my posts. I know that it can be a pain in the butt to stop your browsing (I use and love Google Reader, too), but I think that most of us could also use some encouragement. When I see a project that I think is particularly above and beyond the ordinary, I like to stop, go to the actual blog and leave a note, and I'd encourage you to do so, too.

Thank you to those of you who took the time to comment, telling me not to stop blogging and that you enjoy my posts. Thank you also to my nearby friends and fellow stampers and relatives (Mom that means you) who tell me in person that you like my projects. I create for my own enjoyment and sanity, but TRULY appreciate hearing that you liked my projects, too.

Have questions on what I did or how I did it? Leave me a comment. I do love sharing my tips, advice and even my downfalls so you can learn from me, but I don't know what you need to hear. And if you comment on my blog, I always try to visit your blog for a look around and a comment or two. Let's bolster each other up. That's what stampers do!

Signing off

2009-02-16T15:31:00.006-07:00

I know that many of us are feeling like there isn't enough time for everything, and I'm kind of thinking that this blog is one of those things I'm going to phase out. Sometimes my sister comments, but other than that, it's radio silence.

I would like for this to be an unselfish process where I could just humbly post without caring what others think, but when you have a blog and there's never feedback, it really feels like you're just launching it into the ether. I'm looking forward to just creating to create.

It's been a pleasure, but I'm letting this go. Thank you, and good night.

Big Birthday Candle - first time inked!

2009-02-11T07:42:00.001-07:00

This is going to be one of the cards for my February stamp camps being held later this month. I tried to keep it completely monochromatic, but using just one color kept it looking boring! I'll have to keep trying for that single-color look. I think it would also help if I got myself up to my stamp room and actually created something on a regular basis. When I don't "practice" the ability kind of fades away.

Anyway, I like the final results, and that's what counts! The candles and flames are up on dimensionals, and under the glitter, there are even wicks made of linen thread. For a more masculine look, I think I'd leave the glitter off ...

Thanks for coming by! I'm so glad we're midway through the week. Can't wait for another weekend! :)

Decor element sign

2009-02-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

This is another try at the now new-ish decor elements from Stampin' Up. The sentiment was placed on top of the glass, while inside the frame I layered some designer paper and some cut out leaves (lower left corner) and finished it off with some photo corners in the (duh) corners.

This is the second time using this product, and they're SUPER easy to apply. I needed to move the topmost "season" down just a little so it wasn't half on the yellow and half on the brown (leaving it partly behind the frame). I just got out my Xacto knife, slipped it under the letters and lifted them up one-by-one. I had to move slowly, but it wasn't difficult.

When placed on the glass, they give the project a little more dimension than they might if I'd used die cut letters inside the frame. They even project a little shadow onto the papers inside the frame.

I take this sign to be intended as a Thanksgiving decoration, but because the colors aren't terribly autumnal, I think you could even do something like placing it near family photos ...

Signs of Change

2009-02-03T21:00:00.004-07:00

I am one to absolutely prowl the clearance racks/endcaps in stores, particularly craft stores. Often I don't even care what the actual item looks like, I care about the structure (and the reduced price!). This "relax" sign below is an example of this. Here in land-locked Colorado, there isn't a lot of beachiness happening, not a lot of nautical needs either. But, when I saw these signs posted for $1, I was compelled to buy a few ... ok, five.

I've only used one sign so far for a little Valentine sign. I covered it in kraft colored cardstock and then used some Bella Rose designer series Stampin' Up paper. The letters were punched out of light chipboard and DSP and I glued them together to give them just a little more bulk. The alphabet dies that I used are the Big Shot "Serif Essentials" sold through Stampin' Up. The stamps used are from the set "A Happy Heart" and the scallop punch is also a Stampin' Up goodie.

I am REALLY pleased with this cute little sign, especially for how quickly it came together! This is a project that could have lingered on with me just not finding the right combination of items. But not this time. I think I finished it in a short evening's span.

The ribbon is a combination of Stampin' Up and other scraps that I had handy. I punched through the metal sign to set a few corner eyelets making it look like the sign had been the way I had designed it for a long time.

Thanks for stopping by!

Candy results

2009-02-03T14:41:00.007-07:00

I appreciate you visiting my blog! The candy drawing was done just now and the candy winner was chosen!

The winner is Pat S.:

Can you use this post instead of my first one? I forgot to tell you who I love and why. It's the gals in my stamp club. Why? Because we all went to school together, and after many years going in different directions, we reunited and formed our stamp club...picking up friendships where we left off. Thanks. -- February 2, 2009 9:20 AM

Pat! Email me with your address of where to mail your goodies.

Oh yeah, I promised blog candy!

2009-01-31T23:38:00.006-07:00

Because I love stamping (and I assume some of you do, too, or you wouldn't keep visiting), I thought that love-inspired items would be a good pre-Valentine's day goodie bundle. Would you like to win the bundle below? If so, to enter the random drawing just leave me a comment about someone or something you love and why you can't help loving them/it by Monday night at midnight (mountain standard time) and I'll pick a random winner and announce it on Tuesday. We'll have to work fast after that for you to contact me and let me know where to send your prize (by priority mail) so you can make some cards before the big day!

I'm including some red buttons (some are heart shaped), red and pink and brown toned ribbons and a bunch of little stamps perfect for making some love notes. :)

Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to hearing from you! U.S. entries only please, simply because of the time frame!

Bargain Pencil Cup

2009-01-31T22:51:00.012-07:00

I found this container at a local store on clearance for $2. It was in the bathroom section, and I'm guessing it had a lower price because of a missing lid ... But at $2, it's still perfect for a pencil cup with a little help.

In this case, I covered the cup with the Chocolate and Old Olive rub ons (that I've been using on everything lately).

But if you pick up random cups like this, be sure to check the bottom for messages from the manufacturer. Rub on covered items can be hand washed, but apparently, this cup should NEVER come near food. Whoa.

I promise to post something made with stamps SOON. I've been working 10-12 hours lately at my day job, and I'm looking forward to stamping again. Enjoy your weekend!

Paper covered frame

2009-01-23T07:36:00.002-07:00

This is a $3 wooden frame that I got at Michael's and covered in Basic Grey designer paper. The opening is just under 3.25" x3.25".

To go with the rustic feel of the paper, I also added some linen twine over the existing "scratches" in the paper. I wrapped the twine all the way around the frame and also decoupaged the twine, going over it just like I did with the designer paper. That small touch really added a lot to the dimension of the project!

Thanks for looking and have a great weekend! And yes, the blog candy is still to come. I'm going to try to take pictures of the goodies up for grabs tonight and post this weekend.

Bag of Love

2009-01-23T07:18:00.002-07:00

This project uses the set "A Happy Heart" for the tissue paper stamping and the mini-card. The designer paper is from the Stampin' Up Bella Rose set of papers.

The bag is made from two 8"x8" square pieces of paper. On each side there is a jumbo eyelet with ribbon threaded through to make the handle. When I stamped the tissue, I only stamped around the four edges because once the paper is tucked in, that's all you'll see.

If you have any questions about this project, please let me know and I'd be happy to answer!