"As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness,
you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you"

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Friday, May 30, 2008

Kristina's Color Inspiration #10

Inspiration photo

Here is my card for the color challenge that Kristina presented. This one was a little challenging fir me this time. I couldn't settle on what stamp set to use, how I wanted to arrange the colors etc. I knew I wanted to make a square card from the start. Once I picked the background paper from "Fall Flowers" (Stampin'Up) I was on a roll. I wanted to use the "Rock and Roll" technique to incorporate two colors of ink nicely and I had use a similar combo in the past and has great success. I {heart} this technique! I really wanted to use "Crystal Effects" on the card to make the "Rock and Roll" POP! I use the "Slit" punch to make the yellow scallops and trimmed the white card stock to frame the scallop. I also use my "Crop-A-Dile" to make the perfect holes for the brads and the fact that it was late last night and "Crop-A-Dile" is silent.


Hope you enjoy! 

If you look closely at the photos you can see I highlighted the flowers with "Crystal Effects". I also highlighted a few words from the sentiment and greenery on the card. 

Link to KRISTINA's color challenge if you want to play along.


Stamp Recipe:
all products "Stampin'UP" unless otherwise written.
Stamps: "Baroque Motifs", "Stem Silhouettes", Full of Life"
Ink: "Old Olive", Not Quite Navy", 
Card Stock: "Whisper White, "Old Olive, "So Saffron", Not Quite Navy", Bashful Blue".
Pattern Paper: "Fall Flowers"
Ribbon: "Old Olive" 
Supplies and Tools "Stampin'Dimensionals", "Crystal Effects" Silver Brads
 ATG tape gun, Crop-A-Dile, Paper trimmer, paper snips, Bone Folder
...........................................................................

Thursday, May 29, 2008

BIC #15 card /Spring Card


This is the card I made for "Beate's" card challenge. Check out the picture with the envelope for the true colors. This photo is not loading right.
Just a hint of red look at the models shoes..



side view of the folds that make it springy.


The finished card will fit in a "Stampin'Up" medium envelope. 
I first saw this card at my "Stampin Up" group meeting and had to make one it's so fun and full of life. The receiver will defiantly remember the card and the friend who made the card. 
I adjusted my card measurments to 4.25 x 9.75 and made the same score marks to fit standard envelope.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Garden Collage

This set is a old but favorite. I love pictorial stamps the make me feel so artistic. When all we have to do is water color and wall - ah!  I know you might be thinking? Again with the in-colors. You are just going to have to put up with it until there all gone. I will be ordering more on my next demo order.(he he) I am off to Ikea today to buy grown up toys...  Ya Ikea!! it's only about 12 mins away...


stamp recipe:
stamp set: "Garden collage" (retired Stampin'Up)
Paper: Stampin'Up - "Soft Sly, River Rock, Watercolor paper"
Ink: Stampin'Up - Stazon black, To water color I use ink pads, "River Rock, Soft Sky, So Saffron, Going Gray, Close to Cocoa"
Ribbon: Stampin'Up Silver cord(Retired), Twill tape, 
embellishments : Crystal brads- "making memories" 
other: paper embossed with "Cuttle Bug Embossing Folder" White acrylic paint brushed on embossing.
Adhesive: "Scotch ATG gun

Monday, May 26, 2008

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! I hope you all had a great 3 day weekend. We had a great one. I went to a Stampin'Up group meeting and meet so many great women. I can't wait to hang out with them again at convention. My up-line Linda Hansen is a main demonstrator trainer she will be teaching classes and presenting this year. My 2nd up-line Pam Morgan is also presenting so watch out for these great ladies they are so amazing and the nicest people you could ever know. I have to say I am so excited to go to convention!!!

This weekend we had a boys state soccer play off (Wone first in state for 4A), Girls USYA cup game (1st place their team is off to Hawaii) congrats to Bryce and Myriah on great games..(nephew and neice). Eagle Scout court of honors for nephews. Congrats Bryce and Thayne. That night we also had a highschool graduation celebration for Myriah.. Off to Collage.. You GO Girl!! We got to have grandma stay at our house the whole time. That's pretty cool because we don't get to see her much she moved to Colorado. We even got to have Aunt Analee from Alaska stay at our house for a couple of nights so what does all that mean.. Quilt shopping of course we usually go buy fabric we don't need. (hee hee) It also means we have game nights and lots of good food. We had a "Scrabble" show down so sorry Cassie, Analee is a "Scrabble" savant. We also taught them "Killer Bunnies" . Memorial day we usually get most of our garden in but the rain put a huge damper on that. The kids played games instead and then played with friends. Daddy took grandma to visit her mom and sister and then lunch and the airport. We both baby sat our oldest while he re-wrote a school paper ALL DAY!!! I spent time in studio making cards and watching movies. It's been a while I really enjoyed it. I will post a new card in the morning.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Grid Technique


This is the card I took to my Stampin'Up group meeting.  This card combines so many of my favorite things.. Craft cardstock, "Baroque Motifs", " Always" stamp sets, IN -COLORS, Background stamps, Brown ink, punches, RIBBON, And my favorite tool my PAPER TRIMMER.


Which color is your favorite? (leave me a comment) I love them all. I love how different color invokes such different feelings.  This is also so pretty in Purely Pomegranate.


 I had so much fun with this technique it is the kind of card that looks like it might take a while but in fact it really takes no time at all. I would rate this card very easy. A couple of weeks ago I taught this card to a card group of mine and they did fabulious. I will be making this card with the rest of my groups. If you are in one of my stamp groups get excited it's such a fun card to make. I have to toot my own horn for just a minute.. This card won 1st place at our larger stampin'Up group meeting.. How cool is that!!! (I won 3 ink pads thanks Pam) I was so excite about winning how flatering to be vote 1st by your peers.. If you would like to make one for yourself you can find it on Beate's website.

link to Beate's technique on Splitcoaststampers.

http://splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/grid_technique


Thanks to the very talented Beate she is a true artist.

Stamp Recipe:
paper- craft, Blue Bayou, Wild Wasabi, Pumpkin Pie and Whisper White.
Ink - Close to Cocoa, Wild Wasabi, Blue Bayou, Pumpkin Pie.
Stamp Sets: "Always", Baroque Motifs", "Linen" background stamp.
Ribbon - Stampin'Up Double stitched ribbon and Striped grosgrain ribbon
Punches - "Designer Label", Circle punch, Large Oval 
Tools - Paper trimmer and Paper scorer, Adhesive, Scissors

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Time Well Spent

Zachy is at his last day of pre-school for the year :(  I relish the whole two hours I have with no one else home but me.. I usually read my e-mail, eat breakfast and get ready for the day.  If I am getting ready for a class I can be found at the computer or in my studio/stamp/scrapbook/my own space room in the basement with a classic movie I have seen so many times  that it's like singing along to your favorite song. I don't really even watch it I just like having the company. I watched "The Holiday" with Cameron Diaz, Jack Black, Jude Law and Kate Winslet  for the 300th time while I made this card. 


I found this really cute card idea on Dawn Griffiths blog. This is a card I made for a card exchange I have in my neighborhood. I had to crank out 10 of these in less that 2 hours. In the end my sweetheart helped me finish putting them together.. HOw cUte is hE!!!!! It was brand new technique I had never done. It's called. "Faux designer paper or faux paper tearing technique. It's really fast and fun. I demonstrated this at my last 2 clubs and it went over well. I will be showing the rest of my stamp club girls how to do this technique as well. Have I ever told you that I will cry the day we can't buy the current in-colors. I think I will have to have a memorial for them on my blog. I LOVE!!!!! the current in-colors.

Stamp recipe: 
stamps: Time Well Spent
Ink: Purely Pomegranate , Groovy Guava , Black Staz-on
marker: Black "Stampin' Write" marker
Card Stock:  Groovy Guava, Whisper White, 
Ribbon: Purely Pomegranate
Tools used: Stamp-a-ma-jig, sponge daubers, stampin' dimensionals, Snail Adhesive
all products from stampin'Up unless other wise noted.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Quick cards

I was looking for ideas for a club on quick cards. I though Who doesn't have precious scraps of paper that you just can't bare to through away. I have loads. Who also wants a quick way to color images. While I was combing through my Stampin'Up catalog for inspiration I found a card template that I adapted and this is what I came up with..(above cards) I new I wanted to use the stamp set "Pun Fun" because I had ordered it not that long ago and had not used it yet. A fast and easy way to color the image you stamped is to watercolor. I watercolored the penguin with my Aqua Painters you could chalk or use markers as well. If you don't have all the products you would like to own improvise.. I used the ink pad to color the image I just pressed the lid on the ink pad and used the aqua painter to pick up the ink. Some of my favorite colors aren't made in marker or chalk it is easy to create solutions to get what you need. If you want to make a marker of your favorite color drop a few drops of ink re-fill on the tip of a blender pen and you have a matching marking. You will have to re-apply when the color runs out. You can also mix chalk and watercolor wonder crayons to match colors you need. Then color on image. I think my favorite way to color is using ink it is so easy. You can also watercolor using the watercolor crayons of course draw on the image then soften the look with a aqua painter brush. If you haven't ever drawn straight onto a rubber stamp you need to just crayon over the image and then sprayed with water it gives it a soft effect give it a try. You can draw on the lid of the tin the crayons came in and then with your aqua pen pick up the color and paint. And don't forget the watercolor pencils. Color the image and then blend with aqua Painter.


On my second card I used a jumbo wheel. Sometimes I find it faster to make my own pattern paper than search for the perfect match. Now you will always have your own custom pattern paper. (Lot of Dots) rolled through "Versa Mark" ink it's a great way to give cardstock a little pop without dominating the card. I think it frames the element on top on the paper nicely. You know when you make a card and there is just something missing next time give "Versa Mark" and a background image a try. Next I stamped the same image twice once in "Soft Sky" the second in "Wild Wasabi" I punched the blue out in the one inch circle punch then the blue in 1 1/4 inch circle. I used a rhinestone brad with the blue image and layer on the green with a "Stampin Dimensionals" and glued it to the scallop then the card. What could be faster that using a rub-on.  Finish by adding a cardstock scrap and ribbon and done.

I have really enjoyed making  small cards they are fast and so much fun. They are great to have on hand. They can be as casual as adding on top of a plate of cookies or as formal a atop a wedding gift.  Have fun a make a few fast mini cards and use all the scraps of paper you have been saving..

Stamp Recipe:
Stamps: "Pun Fun" , "True Friend", Jumbo Wheel "Lots of Dots"
Ink: Real Red, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, Pumpkin Pie Versamark, 
Card Stock: Chocolate chip, Wild Wasabi, Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, Real Red
Patter Paper: East Coast Prep
Ribbon: Stampin' Up
Brad: Making Memories

Diaper Wipe Technique

I used this technique during "Sale-A-Bration". I had so much fun learning and teaching this technique. I love finding ways to use basic products that you already have and creating magic out of them. To do this technique you need glossy white paper regular paper just absorbs all the ink and won't let the ink float on top of the paper. All the girls had fun at our workshops and clubs. This was a great way to introduce our "Hodge Podge Hardware" I love to give cards a focal point even if it's just small. Ribbon slides are a fun way to add elegance to a small card.


stamp recipe:
Stamps: "Always"
Ink: Versamark, 
Ink refills: Purely Pomegranate, Groovy Guava, Blue, Bayou, Soft Sky.
Paper: Purely Pomegranate, Black, Glossy white.
Ribbon: Purely Pomegranate double stitched.
Hardware: Hodgepodge Hardware - Styled Silver ribbon slide.
Embossing powder: Ultra fine Black
tools used: Baby wipes, Heat embossing gun, snail adhesive.

Coaster Calendar

I made this little coaster calendar after seeing a calendar Beate had on her blog. I down loaded the calendar template from "Red Castle" and covered two coaster from Chilies (just ask the waiter for a couple). I love the color combination of Pumpkin Pie and Pomegranate. I added a little old Olive just to make it pop. I LOVE the "Flower Fusion" flowers from Stampin'Up I have a hard time sharing. If you want to order a tin of your own give me a call. The Flowers are made of felt they hold there shape great and have holes already punched. I hope they add them to the new catalog in August. I know the colors will be different because of the In-color Purely  Pomergranare. RATS!!!


Calendar link:  
http://www.redcastle.com/software/fw/printcal.htm


Making your goal!

For some reason I have to force my self to make masculine cards. I bought this stamp set with the "goal" in mind to make cards for all the soccer players that I love. That does include girls as well. I thought that a spinner card would be fun to make at a work shop because the movement of the card would add a little whimsy! It turned out kind of fun. A really fast and easy card.. Who doesn't need a boy or neutral card to have on hand.



 I thought I might even attempt a graduation card for my niece who plays soccer for her high school. She is also on competition teams and was in the Olympic Development Program. You could say soccer runs through her blood.  She is also graduating with a soccer scholership to Pepperdine. If it doesn't work out I will make her a pack of thank you cards I am sure she will need a few. (Way to make you goal Myriah!!!! Congratulation on your graduation...



Tuesday, May 13, 2008

What kinda of Jane Austin girl are you?

I found this great quiz from a friends blog it made me really think. I thought that I would relate with Elizabeth Bennet the most but alas I don't have a crazy mother or crazy younger sisters. Just a few Mr Collins's in my life. my quiz tells me that I am most like:

I am Elinor Dashwood!


Take the Quiz here!



At least I am a dependable person who loves deeply and not a completely irrational fool. Take the quiz it really fun it makes you think.

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