Superglew!

Wax Paper Embossing Folder Resist

2012-01-25T22:23:00.000-06:00

Here is a quick tutorial for the Wax Paper Embossing Folder Resist technique that my Stamp Club practiced last weekend. At each meeting, we make several projects, including a 6" x 6" page with technique directions and an example.

The sample above uses Melon Mambo and Pretty in Pink. I chose Concord Crush and Wisteria Wonder for the tutorial example.

1. Place a piece of wax paper inside your Embossing Folder. (For both my projects, I used the very popular Vintage Wallpaper folder.) Make the Big Shot sandwich (platform tab 1 + cutting plate + folder (with wax paper) + cutting plate), and run through the BS.

2. Place the wax paper between two pieces of Glossy White cs (glossy side facing the wax paper). Using plain paper to protect your iron, heat the cs and embossed wax paper. This will transfer wax in the pattern of the embossed design to the Glossy cs. (Experiment to find the right heat setting and time. Too little will not transfer the design; too much will transfer all of the wax.)

3. Use Stampin' Sponges to add Classic ink to the Glossy cs. If using more than one color, work from light to dark. (For the sample above, I used both light and dark inks on the lighter squares, and only the darker ink on the darker squares. In this example, I used either light or dark, but did not mix.)

4. Trim your Glossy cs to the size and shape you want and finish your project.

The images and sentiments on this card are from the Love & Sympathy stamp set.

I hope you'll give this technique a whirl. I love the way the colors pop out when I'm adding the ink to the embossed image. The effect is especially dramatic with deep, rich colors. Enjoy your stamping time!

Wax Paper Valentines

2012-01-24T19:56:00.000-06:00

I'll post a tutorial soon of the Wax Paper Embossing Folder Resist technique that my Stamp Club learned last weekend. I can't think of a better use for your iron!

Here are two Valentines I made with some scraps that were left over. I designed the card with the Easel fold, which has a unique look but is really very straightforward (not much harder than a regular fold-in-half card, really).

For this first card, I used squares of the Glossy card stock that I had doctored up with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, wax paper, ironing and sponging. I used two squares that are inked with Melon Mambo Classic Ink and two that have Pretty in Pink. The Full Heart Punch of Whisper White card stock with a sentiment from Grateful Greetings stamped in Melon Mambo ink completes the focal point and message. I added a little extra bling by dabbing the stamp with Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint before stamping.

Here's the card I made to take as my sample. Since I was concerned about running out of Glossy card stock, I used an odd-shaped piece and cut it into strips instead of squares. I like this look, too! I curled the edges with my Bone Folder, and secured the strips with Mini Glue Dots to make sure they weren't going anywhere. The heart on this card is punched from Shimmery White card stock, and the sentiment is pretty hard to see, because I stamped only with the Shimmer Paint. (It is better IRL.)

I hope you'll be inspired to make some of your own Valentines this year. If you see some products you like, please let me know, and I can help you order online or can place an order for you. Happy Stamping!

Garden Trio

2012-01-21T22:36:00.001-06:00

Stamp Club this afternoon was really fun! Thanks, Brenda, for your heated floors and the addictive "Peanut Butter Blast." Did you know that there are over 70 Chex Mix recipes?

We learned the wax paper emboss resist technique today, but I'll post that later.

Here is one of the cards we made. It features Stampin' Up!'s From the Garden designer series paper. I was feeling the blue-green color combination, so we highlighted Pacific Point and Wild Wasabi, with splashes of Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo and Tangerine Tango.

(Not sure why my image is sideways...Sorry about that!)

I stole the layout for this card from the Idea Book & Catalog. Check out the sample for Sincere Salutations, and you'll be able to see that I simplified the design, and changed the colors and embellishments slightly.

The Wild Wasabi panel is textured with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder in the Big Shot. We also used the BS and Circles die to cut the large circles for the flower. We made "petals" by making small cuts all around the edge with the ever-faithful Paper Snips.

With all this texture and depth, I recommend using Sticky Strip, Mini Glue Dots and Stampin' Dimensionals to put this card together. The white card liner features a sentiment (from Sincere Salutations) stamped in Pacific Point as well as a trio of punched dsp squares. For an added touch, line your envelope with some dsp, too!

Don't forget that Sale-A-Bration starts on Tuesday (January 24-March 31, 2012). Now's your chance to earn FREE product with $50 purchase, or even more when you host a qualifying workshop. I have a few available dates, so contact me if you're interested in some free stuff!

Happy Stamping!

Polynesian

2012-01-08T14:37:00.001-06:00

When I delivered these cards today, Janet described the look as "Polynesian." I hadn't thought of that, but I do think it fits.

The color combination is form the Well Worn designer series paper from Stampin' Up!. I added More Mustard and So Saffron to the Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake and Cajun Craze. I copied the layout from some cards I made a while back, but for this rendition I went a lot fancier, adding the punched, creased, sponged and glittered flowers in place of a flat image panel. Each flower center has a secret, too: a tiny dot of Crystal Effects.

All the stamps I used for these cards are from retired sets. The flower is from Polka Dot Punches (an old Sale-a-Bration set). The stamps in this set each coordinate with a punch (this is the 5-Petal Flower Punch). For the sentiment, I used two different stamps from All Year Cheer I. I love how big and bold these sentiments are.

Don't forget that Stampin' Up!'s biggest event of the year begins on January 24: Sale-A-Bration! There are free product offers and incentives if you are interested in signing up to be your very own SU! demo! I would love to have you as part of my "downline." Contact me if you have questions or if you think you might like to host a workshop during Sale-A-Bration. It is a great time to earn lots of fun freebies.

(P.S. In case you are wondering, the grey fluffy thing behind my cards is Spalding the cat. He's always mugging for the camera.)

Color Challenge

2012-01-06T23:16:00.000-06:00

Not that I haven't been stamping, but I've had a hard time following through with photographing and posting my cards. Tonight I'm feeling creative and energetic, and managed to finish the job. Yea, me!

I found this color challenge (Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Basic Grey) at Splitcoaststampers. I wasn't too jazzed about it at first, but I really like how my cards turned out.

I used the rock-n-roll technique (inked with Lucky Limeade and then rolled in Island Indigo)for the flower image from Close as a Memory. The white mat is embossed with a Texturz plate and then sponged with both colors. I used the Color Spritzer Tool with my Pear Pizzazz marker to add a little dimension to the image panel.

On the inside, I stamped the curlicue image from Baroque Motifs in Lucky Limeade, and then added the Mother Teresa quote from Butterfly of Happiness.

Old and New

2011-11-12T11:15:00.001-06:00

I still have quite a supply of "old" card stock hiding in my file drawer, and I draw on it when I make cards to donate. I needed to make a few small sets of cards quickly this weekend, so out came the retired colors!

Here I mixed old card stock (Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Mellow Moss and Cameo Coral) with current shapes and styles. I used Blender Pens to watercolor the (retired) Hostess Set image stamped with Basic Brown on a circle I die-cut with my Big Shot and the #2 Circles die. The Top Note die is a quick way to infuse a little interest in the mat, too.

I used another Top Note die-cut on the inside, and stamped it with the elegant sentiment from Wellness Wishes ("Praying for you during your illness"). The other stamps in that set are more light-hearted, including a feverish puppy and a Band-Aid with a sad face. It is nice to have a mix of styles in one set.

A second set of four cards used more retired colors paired with a current stamp set (Thanks for Caring). While the sentiments in this set are designed for use with sympathy cards, they work well for general "thinking of you" type cards as well.

On the inside of these cards I used the longer sentiment from the set, "May you find peace and comfort in this difficult time and know that you are loved." One hidden feature of this set is that it doesn't use "I" in the sentiments. I am often making cards to be sent from a group (our church), so all my "I" sentiments just don't quite fit. This set is right on the mark.

Faux Cloisonne Thanksgiving

2011-10-22T21:06:00.002-05:00

Time to make some Thanksgiving cards! I pulled out an old stamp set (Tags & More) today, and paired it with current colors and designer papers.

Check out SU!'s Holiday Mini catalog--page 16--to see the inspiration for my layout. Following this design took me out of my comfort zone a bit. I wouldn't have used the Soft Suede panel on top of the same color base without a contrasting mat unless I had seen it done successfully, but I like it.

The main focus of my card is the gold-embossed leaves: I used the Faux Cloisonne technique. I stamped the leaf image onto a magazine page using VersaMark ink, and then embossed with gold ep. Cutting out the leaves was the most time-consuming part of making these cards, but my trusty Paper Snips was more than up to the task.

For the main panel, I layered a few strips and a 3 3/4" square of Well Worn paper on Soft Suede card stock, and popped that whole piece up with Stampin' Dimensionals. Mini Glue Dots were perfect for adhering the cut-out leaves, keeping them secure while allowing the edges to curl up slightly for dimension. I added a loop of 1/4" Basic Black grosgrain around the panel, too.

When I use dark card stock for my card base, I usually line the card with a light piece of card stock. For this set of cards, I cut pieces of Very Vanilla, stamped with leaves in both Cajun Craze and Soft Suede inks, and also added a Thanksgiving sentiment (from another retired set) in Cajun Craze.

One of my favorite ways to dress up a card is to add a liner to the envelope. I had just enough of the paper I used on the front of the cards to line all eight envelopes with the same pattern. Stamping one Cajun Craze leaf on the front of the envelopes was my final touch.

Thanksgiving is a perfect time to remember those in our lives for whom we are thankful. Why not make a few handmade cards to send off? Happy stamping!

A Silhouette Trio

2011-10-21T15:11:00.000-05:00

Part Two of my six-card set was this group of cards made using the Plaid Silhouette technique.

Similar in versatility to the Rock and Roll technique I posted last week, Plaid Silhouette extends the range of your bold-image stamps. I love the combination of this technique with the elephant stamp from Animal Stories.

Here is a close-up of the card with a Rose Red base.

Again, I kept both the layout and stamping simple.

The Plaid Silhouette technique uses three ink colors. Here I selected So Saffron (light) and Rose Red and Old Olive (darker). After inking the stamp with the light ink, turn the stamp over and press the edge of one of the darker ink pads on the stamp to make a series of lines. Turn the stamp 90 degrees to make crossing lines. Repeat with another dark ink pad.

If you haven't tried this one, you should. You'll love the look you get.

An Old Favorite: Rock and Roll

2011-10-18T22:40:00.000-05:00

I made a quick set of six cards last weekend. To save time and also make good use of some of my plentiful designer papers, I limited my stamping to one image. The rest of the detail of the card design is built right into this nifty (retired) patterned paper from Stampin' Up!.

I picked three of the colors from this paper to carry through in the cards: Old Olive, So Saffron and Rose Red. Each color served as one card base, and then I used two of the colors in the stamped owl images on each card.

Here is a close-up of the card with the Old Olive base.

After choosing the part of the design I wanted for the scenery/background, I stamped three owl images from Animal Stories. I used the Rock and Roll technique to add both Old Olive and So Saffron ink to the stamped image. It's simple. Ink the stamp with So Saffron ink. Roll the stamp on the Old Olive pad, so that the edges pick up the darker ink, but the center retains the lighter ink color. You can see that I used progressively more of the darker ink with each image I stamped.

Try this technique with some of your bold-image stamps for a fun new look!

The Perfect Sentiment

2011-10-11T19:59:00.000-05:00

Sometimes things just work out right. A mere two days after I received the new Ronald McDonald House Charities benefit stamp set, Turtle & Co., I was called on to make a card for a church member who had foot surgery. Not only are the images in this set cute and upbeat, but one of the sentiments is "hope you're back on your feet soon!"

For this card, I combined a layered look with a CAS style, giving the card a rich yet simple feel. I like it!

The Wisteria Wonder ruffled ribbon paired with Real Red card stock and ink helped to carry the cheery theme, too. I added a touch of texture with the small polka dot Texturz plate, and used a Blender Pen to add color from my ink pads to the turtle.

With the Real Red card base, I needed to line the inside, giving me a perfect excuse to add this cute little snail in Real Red ink. As a former Life Science teacher, I can't help but chuckle as I pair the word "feet" with a smiling, one-footed gastropod.

Cherishing Beau Chateau

2011-10-06T21:41:00.000-05:00

The colors in the Beau Chateau dsp are real winners for me: Soft Suede, Pink Pirouette, Marina Mist...so peaceful!

This card is for an anniversary. I'm hoping the brown and blue accents balance out the pink card base, for a gender-even effect. I inked the Medallion stamp with Soft Suede Classic ink, and then added VersaMark before stamping directly onto the dsp and embossing with clear ep. There is a halfback pearl in the center.

I trimmed the sheet with a printed frame to fit the inside, and stamped the sentiment with Soft Suede ink.

Sunny Birthday

2011-10-04T21:29:00.000-05:00

I'll admit to being somewhat confused by the new Blogger interface. I guess the more birthdays I have, the more new things I'll have to try to figure out.

My birthday is this week, and my present to myself is to spend some quality time with my stamps and ink! I made this card on commission. It is a riff on a card in the 2011-2012 IBC, and it is also a slight variation of one of the projects my Club ladies completed at our September meeting.

Who doesn't love the Upsy Daisy stamp set? I paired it here with the Beyond the Garden dsp, and chose Tangerine Tango for the focal image--orange in honor of Fall. For a bit of class, I used two halfback pearls on the small green panel.

The inside features another big piece of the dsp, and a reprise of the daisy image, too (this time in Daffodil Delight). When I designed this card, I thought maybe it was too spring-like, but our weather here in Minnesota is in the 80s and sunny all week long, so I guess it fits!

I hope you like this card enough to give it a try yourself!

Dusty Blue Tag

2011-09-02T16:48:00.000-05:00

The Dusty Blues VSN Challenge was to use a blue, ivory and brown color combination.

I ran my Naturals Ivory card stock base through the Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. (I love the deep impression you get with these folders!) To add some depth, I sponged Baja Breeze ink across the top, so that the embossed image is colored, but the debossed portion remains mostly white.

The stamped image is from a retired set I've had for quite a while. I still like the quirky images/sentiments in So Cool for a youthful feel on my cards and scrapbook pages. Here I used Baja Breeze card stock with Early Espresso ink, and cut the tag out freehand with my Paper Snips. The edges are sponged lightly with the Baja Breeze, too.

To attach the tag to the card front, I punched a small hole and threaded the Linen Thread through there before warapping it around the card front and tying off in a bow.

I think the "randomness" of the design is accentuated by the halfback pearls, which also add a needed feminine touch.

Upsy Daisy Card with Stamp-a-ma-jig Tutorial

2011-09-01T23:17:00.000-05:00

I stumbled across some retired red Hemp Twine while looking for supplies to complete some challenges for the August 2011 Virtual Stamp Night at Splitcoaststampers.com. I made this very simple card for the challenge to use a cowboy rope.

Here I satmped the flower image from Upsy Daisy in Cajun Craze ink onto Very Vanilla card stock.

To correctly position the sentiment, I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig (samj). It's easy!

1) Align the plastic sheet in the corner of the T-square. Stamp the desired image on the plastic sheet with the stamp block flush along both sides of the T.

2) Position the plastic sheet on top of your card stock, right where you want your stamped image to end up. Place the T-square on the same corner as it was when you stamped onto the plastic.

3) Remove the plastic sheet, but leave the T-square in place. Ink up your stamp, and stamp the image, making sure the sides of the stamp block are flush (just like when you stamped on the plastic sheet).

That's it! My words ofen end up crooked if I try to eyeball this stamp, so I'm glad I have this simple tool to help me out.

I finished my card by layering the image panel onto a piece of Well Worn dsp and a So Saffron card base. The image panel is popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals, and the twine runs around that panel a few times before I tied it in a simple square knot. Of course, I had to add some Early Espresso sponging around the edge the image panel. My fingers got pretty messy today!

Blue Bandana

2011-08-29T22:49:00.002-05:00

The second challenge I completed for the August 2011 Virtual Stamp Night at Splitcoaststampers.com was Dusty Trails. We were challenged to use a bandana print technique as well as paper piecing to create a card.

You can check out the gallery for this awesome challenge here. I strayed a bit from the beaten track, and used the theme as my guide, rather than going for a truly authentic bandana look.

Here I stamped the Medallion image with Not Quite Navy Craft ink directly onto this piece of Well Worn dsp, then embossed with clear ep to help the image pop off of the background.

I incorporated paper piecing by using the retired SU! stamp set Polka Dot Punches. This fits in pretty well with the bandana look, I think. I stamped the flower image in Cajun Craze ink onto another piece of the Well Worn dsp, then punched out with the coordinating 5 Petal Flower Punch.

To finish the card, I creased the petals a bit with my Bone Folder and added an Antique Brad to the center of one. I distressed the edges of the Well Worn dsp and sponged Cajun Craze, Soft Suede and a bit of Not Quite Navy inks on the edges and over the Medallion image.

Hope you like what I came up with. Give it a try!

Faux Leather (Masking Tape) Technique

2011-08-29T22:04:00.003-05:00

I was inspired by the video tutorial on Splitcoaststampers.com by Beate Johns for the Faux Leather technique using masking tape. This past weekend was another SCS Virtual Stamp Night (VSN) set of challenges. The theme was Rodeo.

I didn't think I would get a chance to play at all, since I had to work on Saturday at the Great Minnesota Get Together. This afternoon, though, I pulled out some of my toys and managed to complete 5 of the challenges! It helps that there is a 45 minute time limit, but I was way under that for almost all of my cards. I think I used the full 45 minutes for this Dragon Skin card, though.

I used my newest stamp set, Dinoroar, which I got for my youngest. I think it is pretty cute! (Even if this image is of a flying reptile, not technically a dinosaur.)
I also took advantage of the current (until Wednesday 8/31) offer from SU! of buy 3, get 1 free on Designer Series Paper. I used the Well Worn dsp on this card and also on several others I made today.

Here's a quick tutorial for this method of Faux Leather.

1) Cover a piece of card stock (doesn't matter what color) with small pieces of masking tape. Try to cover any straight edges with a ripped piece.

2) Add a dark brown (here Early Espresso) ink to the torn edges of tape by rubbing a sponge across the surface.

3) Sponge a lighter shade (here Soft Suede) over the top (don't rub) to add color to the centers of the tape pieces.

4) Cover the sheet with clear embossing powder and heat set. (I noticed that some of my tape pieces curled up during the heating process, but I could easily push them back down when the piece had cooled.)

5) Finish the project! I ran my faux leather piece throught the Big Shot with the Top Note die to make the background for the pteranodon. He's stamped with Cajun Craze ink on Very Vanilla card stock. I used my Paper Snips to cut him out, and sponged the edge with Soft Suede ink.

There is more sponging around the edge of the dsp background (from Well Worn), and the card base is Cajun Craze. On the inside, I stamped the T. rex and a bit of the grass.

I'm planning on featuring this technique at the September meeting of my Techniques Club. Contact me if you are interested in joining. We have room for you!

Sunset on the Farm

2011-08-23T20:08:00.002-05:00

Anyone who has stamped with me knows that I love sponging. It is easy, fast and cheap. It also gets your fingers dirty.

These cards use both the Farm Life stamp set from Stampin' Up! and also a John Deere tractor stamp I have from a different manufacturer.

Colors are Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Wild Wasabi and Very Vanilla. I also added Daffodil Delight, So Saffron and Elegant Eggplant inks. Both images are embossed with black ep.

Embrace Life

2011-08-16T16:38:00.004-05:00

A tried and true stamp set: Embrace Life. I used it a few weeks ago to make some Get Well type cards for my parents to use. I took the colors from the CreativeCrew Challenge over on Splitcoaststampers.

Here I've used the poppy image with Baja Breeze, So Saffron and Poppy Parade. I ran the card stock mat through my Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. Don't you love the deeply embossed image?

The image is stamped with Basic Black and colored with a Stampin' Write Marker (Poppy Parade) and a Blender Pen (with a So Saffron pad). I used my (retired) Coluzzle to cut the circles. SU! has a neat new tool, the Circle Scissors Plus, that allows you to create a mat of just about any size you want. With my old tool, I'm limited to 1/4 inch.

I went to town on the inside with the stamping and coloring. That was fun! Also, I had to pull out my Stampin' Sponges to soften the edge of my circle.

The sentiment is from With Love & Caring.

This second card used the bamboo image from Embrace Life as well as the sentiment from that set. The Spotlight Technique is a quick way to add some color and dimension.

I used the Square Lattice embossing folder for the texture on the Poppy Parade accent here. I find that the card stock shortens up slightly when using the embossing folders, so I trimmed this piece to match the card front length exactly after running it through the Big Shot.

Birthday Buddies

2011-08-09T00:29:00.007-05:00

I made a few birthday cards with this fun new stamp set, Barnyard Buddies.

Here I stamped the tractor image in four different ink colors (Soft Suede, Night of Navy, Poppy Parade and Pear Pizzazz). I popped each 1 1/2" square up for dimension, and also added scored lines behind the images. The greeting is from the retired Wow Flowers set, and is attached to the card front with Linen Thread and a Mini Library Clip.

I went moved to a circle design on the second card. The pig is stamped in Soft Suede ink, and I layered the 1 1/4" Circle Punch over the Scallop Circle (that's Night of Navy again--SU!'s darkest blue). The Very Vanilla circle behind the image is the largest circle from the Circles 2 Die. I used the Color Spritzer Tool to add some Pear Pizzazz splash. The Poppy Parade accent strip is dry embossed with a Texturz Plate and my Big Shot.

I kept the circle theme going on the inside of the card. Poppy Parade is a good barn color, I think.

The images in this set are a nice combination of realistic but cute. I think I will have a lot of fun using this set to make cards and scrapbook pages for many different occasions.

I earned both the Barnyard Buddies and Love & Sympathy stamp sets free when I hosted my own Club meeting in July. Stampin' Up!'s new Hostess Rewards allow you to "spend" your rewards on any products, including exclusive Hostess-only stamp sets. To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd like the new system, but I have to say I'm pretty happy with how it has worked out for me so far.

If you would like the chance to earn some free stamps, card stock, inks or embellishments, let me know! We can set up a low-key Workshop in your home.

Inside Out Joseph's Coat Take 2

2011-08-09T00:04:00.004-05:00

I wanted to give the Inside Out Joseph's Coat technique another try. We learned this technique at the July meeting of my Stamp Club.

Stamp a detailed background stamp on neutral card stock using either Basic Black or StazOn black ink. Here I've stamped En Francais in Basic Black Classic Ink. Sponge up to three Classic ink colors over the background stamp. Cover the whole piece of card stock. This project has Pink Pirouette, So Saffron and my new favorite color Wisteria Wonder.

Clear emboss a solid image stamp over the card stock. I got my Hostess Rewards today, and that meant two new stamp sets to play with. This pretty flower image is from the new sympathy set, Love & Sympathy.

Bray the entire piece of card stock with a dark Classic ink color. I used Concord Crush.

Use a very slightly damp paper towel to remove the ink from the embossed portions of your panel. The dark ink should rub off easily, revealing both the bright colors and the detailed background image underneath.

Finish your card!

The new year of Stamp Club will start in September. We still have room for two or three more stampers. Please contact me if you are interested; I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have!

Sew Suite

2011-08-02T07:43:00.002-05:00

Last night I pulled out my Sew Suite stamp set and the Sweet Stitches dsp, and made a set of cards. I wanted a design that was both uncluttered and quick, and I'm happy with the result.

The first card features the dress form stamp. With the clear mount stamps, it is really easy to center the image on the card stock, and I had no trouble placing the sentiment just where I wanted it.

For a quick variation, I turned the Very Vanilla image panel to accommodate the slightly longer "congratulations" sentiment.

On the inside I used the "If at first you DO succeed, try not to look astonished" stamp from Full of Life. You never know when someone will do something great, and it is good to be prepared.

Stampin' Up! has a big variety of double sided designer papers, and they're all on sale in August. Buy 3, get one free. You can browse and order through my website.

Thanks for checking out my blog, and happy stamping!

July Technique Club

2011-07-26T08:42:00.004-05:00

My group met last night, despite the heat, and enjoyed each other's company while learning a new technique and making several different cards. We have a relaxed and enjoyable group of stampers, and we would love to welcome you to our bi-monthly meetings. Our new year of Stamp Club starts up soon! Let me know if you have questions or would like to join.

Here's a quick post with some cards we made. Our focus was two-fold: lots of Big Shot practice and the Joseph's Coat Inside Out technique.

This is a form of emboss-resist: using clear heat embossing to mask portions of the card stock. Here I used Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze, Pacific Point and Basic Black inks; clear ep; Herb Expressions and Medallion stamp sets; Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder; and the Pinking Hearts border punch.

A pretty simple card features a stamp set from the new IBC: Not So Seriously.

We used markers and/or blender pens and ink pads to color the image. I trimmed the image freehand with the Paper Snips, adhered it to a backing of Concord Crush, and trimmed again to create a mat.

A Quick Tango

2011-06-01T07:17:00.004-05:00

As promised, here are three more card designs in a monochromatic, uncomplicated style. This go 'round, I used the C is for Cat stamp set and Tangerine Tango.

This is the simplest of the group. I used a simple Basic Gray card stock triangle for a background, and added two little concentric circles of paper piercing (from a Classy Brass template) on my image panel. The only other detail is the Paws wheel which I rolled on the inside edge of the card in Tangerine Tango ink.

One of my favorite looks is a quilt-style card, and I used some inchies and Linen Thread to produce that look here. Making the design was pretty quick, but it did take me a little while to tie all those knots. Good thing I wasn't trying to make a real quilt, I guess. I hope this card will warm someone's heart, even if it isn't cozy enough to keep a chill off.

I took alternate stamped inchie panels and arranged them for this standard card. Some sponging adds depth, and I like the look of the Scallop Border Punch.

Hope you like this set--Stamp On!

Razzleberry Friends

2011-05-31T21:10:00.002-05:00

Over Memorial Day weekend, our family spent some relaxing time at the Lake. I brought a few--just a few!--stamping supplies with me, and worked on developing my monochromatic style.

I'm pretty sure I promised someone (besides Mary--see earlier posts) a set of handmade cards. Now, if I can just remember whom to send them to...

All three of these desings are very simple, and none uses any fancy or time-consuming techniques. My colors are Rich Razzleberry (sorry that my images have such a brown tint, it is really more of a purplish berry color), Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla.

For the first card, I used a Rich Razzleberry base, and put the fold on the left side. I like to do this sometimes for a "landscape" style layout, because then the card will sit up a bit longer before the fibers tire and the card slumps. The cute little tree image is from Forest Friends, and the sentiment is from Best Yet (retired). The Scallop Border Punch is a fast and easy way to create a bit of dimension to the mat.

I wanted to really focus on a CAS style for these next two designs, and starting with a Very Vanilla card base helps. Simple image panels and mats, embellished only with paper piercing and some fibers, allowed me to finish these cards in a very short time and with a minimum of clutter on my work surface.

I left the insides of both cards blank, but couldn't resist using the sentiment from the Happy Together stamp set on my owl-and-bunny card.

I hope you enjoy these cards, and maybe you will find some inspiration here, too! Check back soon for another set of monochromatic cards featuring Tangerine Tango.

Blue Birds

2011-05-26T12:01:00.002-05:00

Some tricks I use to streamline my card-making are to copy layouts, re-use my own designs, stick with a defined color combination and focus on one or just a few stamp sets.

I copied this design from a card I found at Splitcoast. I wanted it to be both quick to make as well as very mailable, so I eliminated embellishments. To give the card dimension, I relied on sponging, a few layers (not raised, though), and paper piercing.

Here's a sympathy card. I like to keep these simple, and in muted colors. Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla fit the bill nicely. The layout is another one I found online. This is the second card I've made with this format. As you can see, both the color combination and stamp set are repeated from the card shown above.

The Easel Card is a tried-and-true fold for me, and it is easily dressed up by using the Top Note die. Linen Thread keeps the card upright for display.

Just one panel with a few stamped images and some sponging makes this card super fast to assemble as well as flat for mailing. The Linen Thread embellishment gives the design a bit of pizzazz without making the design over-the-top or too feminine.

I love that I can pull out a few of my tools, a few colors of card stock and ink, and come up with a set of cards like this in a short time. It's a great way to relax, and it makes a useful and heartfelt gift.

Thanks for looking, and I hope you like the cards!

A Spotlight for Mary

2011-05-25T00:17:00.003-05:00

A friend offered to give a handmade gift, with some "pay it forward" stipulations, so I am making a gift of handmade cards for another friend. I'll share some of them here.

This Paris-themed card was inspired by the VSN challenge to use the Spotlighting Technique. This is a favorite technique of mine, because it is a super simple and quick way to put a new twist on an old image.

Here I've stamped the Eiffel Tower (from Artistic Etchings) in VersaMark ink, and embossed with white ep on Chocolate Chip card stock. I stamped the image a second time using Pink Pirouette on Whisper White, punched out with the 1 1/4" Circle Punch, sponged with Chocolate Chip and then popped up with a Stampin' Dimensional.

The background panel has several images from the same set in various inks: Chocolate Chip, Daffodil Delight and Pink Pirouette. More sponging there, too, of course.

I saw another card this weekend online that had the panels tilted, and I remembered how fun that is to do, so I used that idea on this card as well. The brown ribbon is from a gift box, and the white is SU!'s Satin Ribbon.

Stay tuned! I'll post more of this collection soon. Thanks for checking out my blog!

May VSN (eta: "I won!")

2011-05-22T12:20:00.003-05:00

I won't have much time for recreational stamping this weekend, but I will squeeze in a few cards for the May 2011 VSN: Pirate theme!

One time-saver for me this weekend will be to use the leftovers from my LNFI-benefit Stamp-a-Stack I held at Ann's house on Tuesday evening. I prepped 10 sets of card stock for each of 4 different cards. Since we had 8 ladies attend, I have a few cards all ready to go.

Of course, I want to change things up a bit, so these cards are sometimes substantially different from the cards we made on Tuesday. I'm using the same dimensions for the most part, as well as sticking with the color combinations.

For all three cards here I used Salut a toi, the French version of Hello Again. I earned this set free during this year's Sale-a-Bration promotion. It is cute and simple.

For this first card, I changed the original image (I had used Upsy Daisy) and added Linen Thread, but left everything else the same. This color combination and layout really work for me.

Here I changed both image and layout a bit. This CAS card uses "inchies" mounted on 1 1/4" scallop squares for a trio of images. The spunky Daffodil Delight Pom Pom Trim is attached with Crystal Effects.

Finally, this Side Step card is a little simpler that the original one I made last week, and it has a more upbeat feel. I kept the sponging and pearls, but added stamped and matted panels to the side steps this time. I like it equally as much as my original.

* I won! I love it when my card is chosen for the VSN Honors Gallery. Yippee! My Side Step card was chosen this time around, for the "ARRR" challenge (Regal Rose, Rose Red, Repeated image, Recycled elements, Row of pearls).

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-05T21:08:00.006-05:00

Here at Ruttger's I've had a quiet room to myself in the evenings. Of course, I've put my time to good use!

I thought a Mother's Day card or two would be a fine choice for my evening's activities, so I pulled up the tutorial for the Side Step Card over at Splitcoaststampers.com, and got down to business. This card looks very complex, but is surprisingly quick to make.

I made my own background using the small flower image from Belles attentions (French language Because I Care Hostess Set), stamped and sponged with Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose and Crumb Cake.

The hydrangea blossom is inked with Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz markers, and sponged with Pink Pirouette and Crumb Cake. I'm continually impressed with my Paper Snips--I couldn't have trimmed this image with just any scissors.

The Scallop Trim Border Punch and a grouping of Basic Jewels pearls helps make my Side Step card extra special.

The second card I made tonight is super simple, and I was really just CASEing myself here. Everything is pretty self-explanatory.

My favorite part about the design of this card is that no measurements are needed for the panels--just eyeball it and cut! A close second in the fun department is using the Color Spritzer Tool to add some dimension.

A happy Mother's Day to all my friends, and especially to those of you who are moms. Also a big thanks to my friends and co-workers Pam and Michelle for playing with me tonight! It is always more fun to stamp together.

Two for One

2011-05-04T22:52:00.003-05:00

You know how I love a challenge, and stamping challenges are some of the best.

Here's one that is always fun: choose a layout and make two different cards. I made two simple birthday cards using a pretty basic layout. One is "feminine" and the other, "masculine." I was inspired by the CreativeCrew monthly challenge for SU Demonstrators over at splitcoaststampers.

For both cards, I used a stamp set that is a favorite with me and many of my stamping friends: Upsy Daisy. The bold image works really nicely for two-tone stamping like I've done here, and is perfect for several fun techniques such as Emboss-Resist and Faux Dry Embossing.

The sentiment is from the current Hostess Set Something to Celebrate. I selected the clear mount option when I earned this set, and that ws perfect for what I wanted to do here. Even though the words are in one line on the stamp, it was a snap to align them with "Birthday!" under "Happy" because of the clear mount feature.

These cards use Baja Breeze/Old Olive or Regal Rose/Certainly Celery card stock and ink, and both have Encore Silver ink and Very Vanilla and Basic Black card stock. As an accent on the masculine card, I used Linen Thread, and on the feminine card, Old Olive 1/4" tafetta ribbon.

I punched the sentiment panels (after stamping) with the Scallop Oval Punch. The mats are actually two Scallop Ovals together behind the sentiment.

Of course, I added some sponging to my image and sentiment panels. I love sponging!

I've got openings for Workshops in May and June, and I'd love to come make some fabulous cards with you and your friends. Contact me to book your Workshop, and don't forget that May is National Scrapbook Month, so SU has some fun specials running. Check out www.stampinup.com for details.

More Thanks

2011-04-26T22:47:00.003-05:00

When I sat down to write and send my Thank You cards earlier this week, I realized I was one card short! Tonight I took a break from my studying and pulled out another old favorite stamp set, Pun Fun.

The card with the cow ("Like no udder") will go to the woman from MDA who helped us learn about organic farming. She owns and operates a small organic dairy!

Colors are Pretty in Pink and Wild Wasabi card stock with Elegant Eggplant and Soft Suede markers.

I used the other card bases I had left over from last month's Stamp Club meeting to make some cards with this cute little pig from the same set. One card has SU halfback pearls, the other has recycled rhinestones.

I used my paper piercing tool and mat pack to add some accents to the Wild Wasabi mats (it is hard to see in the photo). The ribbon is the soft and supple Satin ribbon from SU.

Bright Thanks

2011-04-25T09:23:00.003-05:00

Quick and easy, CAS cards I made and sent to state employees who presented at the workshop I coordinated in April.

I love the bright colors! Melon Mambo, Dafodil Delight and Tangerine Tango are offset by Old Olive and Crumb Cake. I used the bright designer buttons and some Real Red grosgrain ribbon for accents, too.

The stamp is an oldie, but a goodie: Big Blossom.

Inspiration and Punch Challenges

2011-04-13T18:27:00.003-05:00

Don't you just love the excitement of opening that box and pulling out some new goodies to play with? I know I do! Last week, I got two new products for my stamping pleasure: Sweet Stitches paper, an energetic new sewing-themed dsp, and the Big Sweet Stitches Designer Buttons (both from the Occasions Mini Catalog).

These products are a fantastic example of how easy it is for us to coordinate projects using Stampin' Up! materials. Paper, card stock, buttons and ink in this card feature SU!'s exclusive colors Chocolate Chip, Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango and Daffodil Delight, among others. I also love how the images in the Sew Suite stamp set coordinate so perfectly with the Sweet Stitches dsp.

I created this card to meet the specifications for two challenges at Splitcoaststampers.com: the Clean and Simple (CAS) challenge for April 11, which was an inspiration challenge, and the Creative Crew SU! Demo Challenge for April to use some of our versatile punches in our design.

Our CAS challenge hostess wanted cards inspired by an ad for infant bibs, so I used the Small Tag punch with the Sweet Stitches paper to mimic the layout of the ad. The card base is Melon Mambo, with a panel of Whisper White on which I stamped a collage of images from the Sew Suite stamp set (I have the clear mount style). I used Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight and Chocolate Chip inks.

What new toys will you play with next?

Ink, Spray, SmashTutorial

2011-04-02T08:22:00.006-05:00

The Ink, Spray, Smash Technique not only has a memorable name, it also produces a unique, groovy background. I've tried the technique a couple of times, and now I'm ready to share it with you!

Here is the card I made this weekend. I decided to use a nice big piece of the smashed background to show off the colors. I followed the color combination for the SCS Color Challenge for this past week, using Certainly Celery and Baja Breeze. I had to sub Pacific Point ink for Marina Mist, but stuck with Marina Mist card stock.

The first step is to cut Glossy White card stock to a workable size. For this project, the pieces are 3 3/4" x 5"; I've used pieces as small as 3" x 3". I wanted to cover the card front with the pattern, but still leave room to mat or frame the panel if I wanted.

Use your Classic Ink Refills for this technique. Start with a light color, and put at least 4 drops right on one of the Glossy card stock pieces. Depending on the size of your panel, you may want more or less ink. Also take into consideration how many times you will want to "smash" another piece on top: the more times you "smash," the more diluted your ink will get, and the more subdued your design.

Add up to 3 drops of a lighter ink.

If you are using 3 ink colors, add 1 or 2 drops of the darkest ink. (Note: it is pretty easy to let the dark color overwhelm the lighter colors, so go heavy on the light colors and easy on the dark inks.)

Now comes the fun (messy) part! Use a small misting bottle to SPRAY BOTH your base piece (that you just inked up) AND another piece of Glossy card stock with water.

Then SMASH! the clean piece on top of the inked piece. The ink will seep out the edges, so this part is a bit messy (but fun).

Peel the top piece back, set aside to dry, and keep going as many times as you want. (Remember, the more ink you put on, the longer your color will last.)

I wanted to use my background for some Easter cards, so I added a butterfly image from the Time Well Spent stamp set (I got this set free a few years back, and it is fabulous), and included the Easter Wishes sentiment from my new clear-mount Hostess stamp set Something to Celebrate.

I dressed up the butterfly by adding tiny drops of Crystal Effects to his wings. CE is a fabulous adhesive, and if you are patient, it also gives you the cool "dew-drop" look you can see here. I'll be honest: I had to do this part right before I went to bed, so I wouldn't stick my finger in it while it dried. Then in the morning, with a little ribbon and the sentiment, my card is finished!

Thanks so much to the folks over at Splitcoaststampers for helping me learn this technique. I modeled my tutorial on theirs. Also, my favorite 10 year old, HF, helped me with the photos for this post.

Bargello

2011-04-01T00:20:00.002-05:00

I just had to try out the Bargello Technique featured this week on Splitcoaststampers. I always have a lot of very nice designer series papers, just waiting for me to find a good use for them! This is an excellent technique for me!

For this card, I used the retired Stampin' Up! dsp, Le Jardin. The colors in these papers are So Saffron, Always Artichoke and Bashful Blue. To start the technique, you cut several strips of the different patterns. Each strip is 3/4" wide and about 5 1/2" long. Line them up on a piece of plain card stock (I used Whisper White) and adhere (I used the 2-Way Glue Pen).

Next, cut strips of varying widths, across the grain of the original strips.

Offset the strips, so that the different patterns don't quite line up. Play around with the patterns until you find the look that is right for your project. At this point, you can either adhere the strips to another piece of card stock, or--like I did here--use Sticky Strip to hold them together.

After trimming the piece, I peeled off the red backing on the Sticky Strip and mounted the design on another piece of dsp. You could mount directly onto your card base, or onto a different mat, too. Another idea is to use a die to cut your Bargello piece in a particular shape. (I want to try this with the both the Top Note and with Butterflies Dies.)

As they say on SCS, finish your card! I stamped the flower image from Embrace Life in So Saffron with the bamboo leaves in Artichoke, rounded the corners and sponged with Artichoke and Bashful Blue inks. The Whisper White Satin Ribbon makes a nice square knot, and is balanced by a corner embellishment of 5 halfback pearls.

I hope you'll give this one a try. It will certainly be a featured technique for my Stamp Club to work on in the coming year.

Ruffled Ribbon

2011-03-30T20:54:00.002-05:00

My new Whisper White Satin Ribbon from Stampin' Up! is so easy to work with, I wanted to try the Ruffled Ribbon Technique that was featured on Splitcoaststampers last week.

This technique produces an elegant border for your focal image, and is very simple. All you need is ribbon and Sticky Strip! Simply fold the ribbon and press it onto the adhesive on the back of your panel. The Satin Ribbon is very supple, so it is easy to create gentle folds.

The stamp featured here is from Salut a toi (French version of Hello There), which I earned FREE with an order of $50 during Sale-A-Bration. This fabulous annual offer ends tomorrow (3/31). I stamped the flower image with Pretty in Pink on Glossy White card stock, and then punched it out with the Scallop Oval Punch and sponged the edges a bit.

That beautiful, deep blue is Pacific Point. (There is a bit of Baja Breeze mixed in as well.)

In addition to the ribbon embellishment, I added two halfback pearls from the Basic Jewels.

You might notice that the fold on this card looks a bit different--it is a Buckle Fold card. It looks pretty nifty, but is actually one of the easiest folds to master. The only special tool you use for this is a slot-type punch. Here I used the Slot Punch several times to created a longer opening, but the Word Window Punch is your best bet for this task.

I created the marbled background panel using the Ink, Spray, Smash Technique, which is messy but fun. I'll post another card using this technique and include the instructions in that post.

I'm gearing up for my Workshops in April and May, so please let me know if you are interested in earning some FREE product! I'd love to come stamp with you.

Reflection Technique

2011-03-18T23:19:00.003-05:00

My, it has been a long time since I've gotten a chance to sit down and blog.

I wanted to share an example of the Reflection Technique, which I'll be using at the March meeting of my Techniques Club next Friday. (We have room at the stamping table, so let me know if you are interested.)

I've tried this technique before, but was always hampered by the need for an acetate sheet. Now that SU! has the clear-mount stamps, I thought I'd give this fun technique a shot with the acrylic blocks. It works!

I love techniques that help us expand the ways we can use tools we already have, and this one is great for that. To make my card, I used just one stamp (the cat from C is for Cat), one acrylic block and aquapainters, in addition to card stock and inks.

Using the aquapainters and different ink colors to create the scene can give a whole new look to a familiar image. I love it!

We're in the last two weeks of Sale-A-Bration, Stampin' Up!'s biggest promotion of the year. If you're interested in earning some free product with an order of $50 or more, let me know. There are some really nice stamp sets available this year. It is also a great time to start your own business as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator. SAB ends March 31.

Creative Crew Debut

2011-01-08T16:37:00.004-06:00

There is a whole new Challenge horizon over at Splitcoaststampers.com. I pulled out my stamps, card stock and ink this weekend and played along.

Here are the four Creative Crew challenge categories for January:

Catalog Focus * Spring Showcase using any Spring Occasions/SAB product

DSP/Color Focus * Love Letter DSP or color combo of: B. Black, V. Vanilla, Riding Hood Red

Holiday/Seasonal Focus * Show me your SU! Heart - punch, sizzlets/dies, stamp sets, Mover & Shaper heart, etc. Wow us with hearts.

ScrapBook Inspiration Focus * What I Love About You – spouses, children, pets, parents, friends, ice cream, stamps, etc – something you love and why.

I managed to make time for three of the challenges, and here they are.

For the challenge to use NEW products:

I have 2 new stamp sets from the Occasions Mini Catalog, and I am very happy with both of them. This bookmark card uses the Take a Spin set. The next card also uses a new set.

Here's the color challenge: Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla and Basic Black.

The stamp set here is called Sew Suite. I am going to have a great time making cards for all of my friends and family who love to sew! (We got our 13 year old a sewing machine for Christmas, and she has started creating.)

Finally, a challenge to use hearts.

I used both the J'aime les coeurs stamp set as well as the Full Heart Punch for this card. (Sorry that this is sideways!)

Will you play with me? Please do, and I'd love to see your creations.

Need some of these cool new products? Let's schedule a Workshop duirng Sale-A-Bration! You and your guests will earn FREE stuff!

Wacky Color Challenge

2010-12-06T22:56:00.003-06:00

This is a pretty cool color combination that was part of the WICKED Challenges in the Demo forums at Splitcoaststampers.

I made several projects using Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry and Pear Pizzazz. Nice! The Pear Pizzazz is a nice calming touch to balance the deep tones of the Rich Razzleberry and the brightness of the Tempting Turquoise.

Here I decided to keep it pretty simple, and just wove a background with a few strips of card stock. I used the Scallop Square and Scallop Oval Punches to create the sentimet panel. This card was quick and easy to make, and I really like having a "different" look.

This second card is more traditional, and I actually used some stamping in the design! The snowflake images are from the Snow Swirled stamp set. I stamped them with all three of the colors, and also did some "stamping off" or "shadow stamping." Restamping the image without reinking it first gives a gradual decrease in the intensity of the color. (Just make sure that you haven't stamped the image partly off the card stock. If you try to restamp then, you'll be able to see the line where the card stock edge hit the stamp.)

I've been making a lot of Christmas cards lately, but mostly not for me! Will any of my friends and relatives receive a card from us this year? I certainly hope so, but I won't be holding my breath.

Have you made some fun cards this season? Send me an image, and I'll post it here!

Pre-Ordering

2010-12-01T23:11:00.002-06:00

One of the fun aspects of having my own Stampin' Up! Demonstratorship is getting a sneak peek at the new products before they are available to everyone.

Right now, Demos can place "pre-orders" for stamp sets, Designer Papers and accessories that are featured in the upcoming Sale-A-Bration and Occasions Mini Catalogs.

I'm off to snuggle up with my advance copies and pick a few fun new items to play with. Stay tuned for projects made with the new products!

Want to earn some SAB products free? Remember, every $50 spent during Sale-A-Bration (starts Jan 5, 2011) earns you one free SAB item. There are additional Hostess Benefits available, too. I have a few dates open for Workshops in January and February, so contact me soon to schedule your date.

2010-11-22T15:16:00.001-06:00

Stampin' Up!'s 2010 Online Spectacular is here. Great deals on lots of items 30-50% off. This week only.

Style

2010-11-19T07:20:00.005-06:00

I'm so thankful for all the inspiration for card making I get from my friends and customers. I can't even begin to quantify the skills I've learned and styles I've adopted in my paper crafting over the last five or six years.

What my dad says about pie-making also holds true for card-making: "You need more practice." He's always willing to taste-test, of course! In this busy time of year, I encourage you to find your inspiration from those around you, and let your style show.

The CAS ("clean and simple") style sounds easy, but can sometimes be a bit tricky to execute. I'm pretty happy with my result here.

Remember, Stampin' Up!'s Simply Amazing Starter Kit offer runs through the end of November. When you hold just one, $300 workshop in your first three months, you will earn back your entire investment! Read about Stampin' Up! Opportunities or contact me directly. I'd love to help you start your own Stampin' Up! business.

Thanks for looking, and I hope you find time to play with your style this holiday season!

Amy King's Sugar Cookies

2010-11-18T20:31:00.003-06:00

Best. Cookies. Ever.

Amy King's sugar cookies know no equal. They are to other rolled cookies what recipe anglefood is to other cakes--lighter, more delicious and perfectly tender.

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together.
Chill for two hours.

Roll out dough to make thin cookies and cut into desired shapes.
Sprinkle sugar over tops of cookies.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 350 - 375 degrees, 8-10 minutes.

Mix It Up for the Holidays

2010-11-18T19:44:00.003-06:00

I used some of the VSN challenges from this past weekend to help give me that little push I needed to design a few Thanksgiving and Christmas cards. In the last few years, I've really enjoyed having a lot of different designs in the holiday season. This way, I can pick the card that fits each recipient.

Twill Bow Thanksgiving

This traditionally colored card incorporates some fun techniques as well as a nice soft bow made from Twill Tape and Linen Thread. I used sponging and distressing on the image panel, and also used the scoring blade on my Paper Cutter to give it a tiled look. Scoring is a super easy way to add some texture to your cards.

Speaking of texture, check out the Early Espresso panel behind the main image. Thanks to my awesome Stamp Club, I was able to earn the Big Shot for Stampin' Up! die cut machine FREE last year. And I love using it for die cuts and dry embossing. This card features the Square Lattice embossing folder.

I moved away from gourds, turkeys or a cornucopia and chose leaf, bird and blossom images instead.

I took a break from traditional holiday colors for these next two cards.

Navy Medallion

For the Blue and White color challenge, I made a super-quick, elegant card. With a Night of Navy card base and the ever-popular Medallion stamp in Navy ink, I only needed to add the Scallop Circle punched accent, and the card was complete.

Snowy Farm

Another challenge took an "opposite day" view of a color challenge: we were to make a Christmas card, but weren't allowed to use either red or green!

I decided to use this peaceful farm scene from the Farm Life stamp set, and make it snowy. I had a fun time using 2-Way Glue and Dazzling Diamonds glitter to light up the landscape.

The Cajun Craze card stock mat lends some warmth to the design, and in keeping with the "opposite" color theme, I chose Crumb Cake card stock for the image panel, and matted it with Very Vanilla.

I hope you've got your holiday mojo going. I'd love to help you find the right colors, images and accessories for your upcoming projects. Thanks for checking out my blog!

Simply Amazing Starter Kit Offer

2010-11-15T17:28:00.004-06:00

Holy moly! If you have ever considered joining Stampin' Up!, now is the best time I've ever seen in my almost 6 years as a Demonstrator. The Starter Kit, which includes all the products and supplies you need to get your business rolling, is on sale for only $87.50 until November 30.

If you have an Idea Book & Catalog, check out the customizable kit on page 8. Or, view the Simply Amazing recruiting promotion online.

This 50% off deal is good for the Standard Starter Kit OR the Digital + Kit, which includes products you can use to showcase both traditional papercrafting as well as Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio software.

I am excited about talking with you about this amazing offer, so please contact me at superglewsu@gmail.com. We can set up a short meeting to answer any questions you might have about how to make the most of this opportunity.

VSN Again!

2010-11-13T15:01:00.004-06:00

This is a great weekend for Virtual Stamp Night! Check out all of the "On Cloud Nine" challenges at www.splitcoaststampers.com.

I had a busy and super-productive morning. Each VSN Challenge has a 45 minute time limit, and I came in under the wire on all of them. (A few times I had to stop and reach a picture book or feed someone, but it's all good.)

I stuck with a color combination from an old SU! designer paper set I have some remnants of for three of my cards: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie and Bashful Blue with Whisper White and Basic Black for neutrals.

Here is Janet's Turkey:

Janet wanted a special card for the young men next door. I made this little guy (who really says "Happy Bird-day") into a turkey. Hee, hee. After stamping him with Basic Black on Whisper White, I cut him out (trimming his tail feathers and lopping off his party hat). For his fancy new turkey tail, I simply used Sticky Strip to attach a fan of dsp strips. His Pilgrim hat is a piece of Basic Black cs that I cut freehand with my awesome SU! Paper Snips.

On the inside of the Turkey card, I used a stamp from the Greatful Greetings sentiment set, and stamped it in three different colors of ink. (Not the best image, sorry.)

Challenge C was a really fun one: we were supposed to make a card with a theme of "hope," use silver in some way, and also line the inside of the card. Here is my Hope Daisy:

On the inside, I echoed the Upsy Daisy motif, and offset the sentiment slightly. I like it, and hope you do, too.

I made this card for another "silver lining" challenge. For NOV10VSNE, the challenge was to use silver and line art or silver and stitching. I decided to go with all three: silver ink, line art image and faux stitching.

I hope you like these cards, and I encourage you to check out the challenges. It is so fun to play along, and really gets the creative juices flowing.

Artist Guild Christmas Card

2010-11-11T22:19:00.004-06:00

Our Church Artist Guild will make this card to send at Christmas to our elderly, out-of-town and shut-in members.

This is the fourth year we've used the Holy Triptych stamp set from Stampin' Up! to make our card. For 2010 we are pairing the rich new red, Cherry Cobbler, with an old standby, Certainly Celery. We've got a hint of Basic Black and are using Very Vanilla to keep the effect mellow, yet crisp.

Would you like to help us assemble these cards? Join us at St. Anthony Park United Methodist Church (Como Avenue and Hillside in St. Paul) on Friday November 19, 7:00 PM. We will have all necessary supplies and instructions.

Veteran's Day Stamping Playgroup

2010-11-11T21:43:00.003-06:00

It was just like old times at my house this morning! Back before I worked full time, I hosted Stamping Playgroup about once a month. For State employees, November 11 is a Holiday, so I wanted to make the most of my day off.

In honor of Veteran's Day, I asked everyone to help create and send cards to Operation Write Home. Marilyn, Silva and I all designed cards, and others also helped assemble. I'll be sending the package of 28 cards and envelopes off tomorrow. Thanks so much for helping with this effort.

Here are some of our creations:

Blue You, by Silva

Stars for You, by Marilyn

Miss You, by Sarah

In addition to making these cards for active military personnel, we all worked on other projects, browsed the catalog, chatted, enjoyed coffee, tea, scones and pumpkin bars...All in all, a fantastic morning. Thank you, my friends!

Veteran's Day Stamping

2010-10-29T08:31:00.002-05:00

Please let me know if you can join me for stamping and scones on Thursday November 11--Veteran's Day!

We'll meet at my house (contact me if you need directions) from 9:30-noon for stamping, sipping, snacking and schmoozing. Please bring a few cards to donate to a package in honor of the brave men and women who have served or are serving in our Armed Forces. Marilyn and I are exploring options--there are many--for where to donate our cards.

Please bring your own consumable crafting products (adhesives, card stock). Everyone is welcome to select from my--may I say?--WIDE variety of stamps and inks. Little ones are also welcome, but please plan on supervising your own small person. My house is marginally baby-proofed.

SAPUMC Artist Guild

2010-10-23T22:25:00.002-05:00

Silva and I had a fun time today, womaning the Artist Guild card sales table at the St. Anthony Park United Methodist Church Fall Festival. We made over $25 while doing a relaxed but steady business. Thanks to all who stopped by and who bought cards! We'll use the procedes to purchase the card stock, embellishments and adhesives to make Christmas cards.

Here's a card I threw together from a few extra pieces of card stock I had at the table with me!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-22T15:25:00.003-05:00

Clever use of the Top Note die converted scraps of Perfect Plum and Old Olive into a frame of sorts for the cat image from C is for Cat.

Letting 2-way glue dry (until no longer blue) on a punched mask (1 1/4" Circle) and then sponging is my favorite way to make a spooky sky. Here I used Pumpkin Pie (to match the card base) as well as Perfect Plum and Old Olive to create the mood.

I made four of these, and they'll be for sale at the SAPUMC Fall Festival tomorrow! I think I'll make some more for my own use.

NOEL

2010-10-21T08:10:00.004-05:00

At the risk of ruining the surprise, I'm now posting the third project that my Techniques Club will complete one week from tonight. This is also a Christmas card--I really need to get working on my stash if I plan to have any to send out this season!

I just had to find a way to use the Jolly Holiday double-sided Designer Series Paper that is in SU!'s 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog. I love the vintage-y colors (Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Very Vanilla) and the crisp, bold patterns. I'm always thinking ahead, and had ordered some of tne new narrow tafetta ribbon (Old Olive--I love these coordinating products) a few months ago. I just knew I'd need it for this project, right? ;)

Even though this card looks pretty complicated, using the Tag and Small Tag punches to create the "ornaments" on the front took hardly any time. I simply used Mini Glue Dots to adhere the ribbon ends behind the dsp panel, and there are my ornaments!

Here's the inside:

More dsp in here (I hope you can see it)! Plus, I used another of my punches, the Spiral Punch, just to add some charachter. Since this card was a bit of a diversion from my normal style, I offset the mat behind my sentiment panel (also stamped with a tag-shaped image from the Grateful Greetings stamp set), rather than having the mat show evenly on all sides.

One final note: Inspired by Marilyn, I folded the striped dsp on the card front over the fold, so that it shows evenly on both front and back. That's the great thing about stamping with friends!

Are you inspired to make your own Christmas cards? I'd love to help you earn some FREE product! Let's set up a workshop date--drop me a line.

Plaid Silhouette Hearts

2010-10-18T19:41:00.003-05:00

The Plaid Silhouette technique that I'll be using for the October meeting of my Technique Club has become one of my favorite ways to use bold images. I love the cool, multicolored effect that gives so much texture, and the technique is also very forgiving.

For this Joy Fold card, I paired a card base of Wild Wasabi with a Cajun Craze inner card and Very Vanilla for the inside liner.

To stamp the heart images (from J'taime stamp set, clear mount), I used Daffodil Delight, More Mustard, Cajun Craze and Wild Wasabi Classic Ink pads. I was going for the look of a pile of leaves in Fall. For these hearts, I used my Paper Snips to trim each "leaf." There is another heart in this set that fits to the Full Heart Punch from Stampin' Up!, if you're looking for a quicker option.

I would love to demonstrate this technique for you at a workshop sometime soon!

VSN Mini

2010-10-17T22:06:00.005-05:00

Thanks to Trina, I was able to participate in one of the challenges for this weekend's Virtual Stamp Night over on Splitcoast Stampers.

The theme is "Cloud Nine." This challenge was to use the Spotlight Technique, like a ray of sunshine peeking through the clouds illuminating a bit of the world.

I need to start thinking about Christmas cards, and my Technique Club meeting is coming up NEXT week (thanks for helping me out with my calendar, Ann), so I killed three birds with one stone.

This card uses the Snow Swirled stamp set. I wanted a crisp, elegant look, so chose Real Red, Basic Gray and Concord Crush (such a rich In Color), and paired them with Whisper White card stock. I kept all the lines clean, punched the edge with the Scallop Trim Border Punch and then added a Whisper White panel to the inside to show off the lacy border a bit more.

The trick to stamping this card is using the Stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the images. If you have the stamp set in the clear-mount option, you could probably get by easily without the SAMJ.

With the VSN challenges, you are limited to 45 minutes to complete each card. I took about an hour to make this card and cut all the pieces for my Club ladies (I made 9 copies).

In Search of ...

2010-10-11T22:20:00.002-05:00

... a Hostess:

Someone who wants to enjoy time with friends, relax and create, and earn FREE stuff!

I have two dates open in October, and would love to bring some stamping fun to your house on either Thursday evening October 21 or anytime on Saturday October 23.

If you're interested in a traditional Workshop, invite 6-12 people for an introduction to Stampin' Up!'s high quality products, complete with hands-on projects as well as demonstrations. An total order of just $150 qualifies for the reduced s/h rate and earns the Hostess one Hostess-only stamp set (or paper pack) plus $15 in catalog merchandise. A 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog is yours free for hosting ($9.95 value).

Want to try something a little different? Contact me for details on a Stamp-a-Stack or Technique Night.

Act 2

2010-10-04T20:25:00.002-05:00

I am excited to be at the start of an exciting journey in my Stampin' Up! Demonstrator career. I've been invited to join the Recruit Crew (Act 2), and I'm pretty excited about having some strong guidance from the parent company for building my business.

Now's a great time to join Stampin' Up!, and I would love the opportunity to discuss the benefits and challenges of having your own Demonstratorship with you. Please contact me if you would like to learn about what it takes to be a Stampin' Up! Demo.

More Quilt Cards

2010-09-27T20:48:00.008-05:00

I've been having a great time making some cards on commission, inspired by some really amazing quilts. I didn't do much stamping on these cards, but rather let the colors, patterns and textures stand on their own.

Here are some samples of what I've come up with. I won't give all the details here, but would be happy to answer any questions about the cards.

Quilt Square: Close to Cocoa, Rose Red, Early Espresso card stock; Garden Green, Regal Rose dsp; Big Shot, Birds & Blossoms Sizzlits, Texturz Plates.

Tiled Image: Real Red, Basic Black, Very Vanilla card stock; Real Red 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon; Best Blossoms stamp set (retired); Real Red, Always Artichoke, Close to Cocoa Classic Inks.

Top Note Quilt: Garden Green, Rose Red, Close to Cocoa, Whsiper White card stock; Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Top Note Die.

Here's the inside:

Christmas in September

2010-09-20T18:28:00.003-05:00

I'm getting a start on my Christmas card designs; here is the first one. The stamp set is one I got last year, but it is still current: Snow Swirled. In addition to the images seen, there is one more, larger, snowflake and two Christmas-y sayings.

Don't you love these retro colors? Card base is Marina Mist, and I've added Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso along with Shimmery White as my neutral. To give the snowflakes an extra sparkle, I stamped them in Whisper White Craft Ink, coated with Heat-n-Stick Powder, heated with my embossing tool, then added Dazzling Diamonds glitter and heated once more.

This fold was supposed to be a Joy Fold card, but I didn't really do it right. I think the front panels are supposed to overlap as well as have the panel to hold the card closed.

Are you thinking about Christmas cards yet? I'd love to hook you up with some excellent products; just let me know!

Balloon Bunch

2010-09-12T15:42:00.002-05:00

I tried out the color combination for last week a second time--and this time I used the right colors!

This Balloon Bunch, a birthday card for a 6 year old boy, combines three of Stampin' Up!'s In Colors: Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz and Peach Parfait. I used the Enjoy Every Moment stamp set for the polka dot image and the jumbo "enjoy" sentiment on the card front. The balloons are stamped with an image from the retired Birthday Whimsy set. I also used the birthday cake + candles image and the "happy birthday" sentiment from that stamp set on the interior of the card.

Card base is standard-size Crumb Cake (formerly Kraft), and I added a matching envelope. The Whisper White panel is cut just 1/8" smaller in each dimension (4 1/8" x 5 3/8"). To create the bunch of balloons, I stamped six balloons on Whisper White, cut them out, and arranged them on the card front. Then I carefully picked them up one at a time to stick them together. I tied a short piece of Linen Thread to each balloon, and tied the strings together to form a bunch. I used an old spiral from the Hodgepodge Hardware kit to anchor the strings in the center of the O. Mini Glue Dots and Stampin' Dimensionals helped me hold everything together.

I know it looks like a lot of work, cutting out all of those balloons. But with the Paper Snips, it really isn't hard. Of course, I had Catherine's help, too.

Elements of Style

2010-09-11T15:44:00.004-05:00

I am so happy with my Elements of Style clear mount stamp set. I really like everything about it: great images, versatile sentiments, clear mount option. Here are some cards I made Friday night with some of the new In Colors.

Here was a failed attempt at a color combination challenge over at SCS. Failed only because I used the wrong color (Blushing Bride instead of Peach Parfait.) Oh, well. I like the result, though.

I have a new way that I'm creating the curved torn edge like you see here. Maybe everyone else always does it this way, but I just figured out that if you cut with a scissors on the curve and then distress it, it is easier to get a smooth curve.

For this weeks Workshop Wow Demo Challenge, I made these two cards, inspired by a sugar cookie! I needed to make a CAS card, use punches or dies and keep it mostly vanilla or white. I kept with the color combination I was using for the first card (again with the Blushing Bride instead of Peach Parfait). On this card I also used my color spritzer tool, which is perfect for using my In Colors Stampin' Write Markers.

For the second card, I decided to add a couple of more punches and use the spotlighting technique. I'm not that thrilled with the way the coloring turned out using the Markers, but I guess I just need more practice! That's always fun.

I hope you like these cards, and I'd love to hear your comments.

Project Home

2010-09-08T22:32:00.002-05:00

What is it about stamping? Everyone loves it, or so it seems. Tonight I spent the evening at our church, where we are hosting Project Home for the month of September. While our congregation has been involved for many years, this is only the second year that our building has been needed as an overflow site.

Tonight we had 19 guests: moms, dads, kids. We took digital photos and made a quick run to get prints made. Then we helped the guests make envelope scrapbooks to hold the photos.

This project is super-simple, and it is a hard one to mess up. All you need is 3 envelopes, some card stock, adhesive and embellishments of your choice. Here's what you do.

1) Open the flaps of the envelopes and adhere the bottom front edge of one to the flap of another. Do this twice, and you should have a string of 3 pockets that you can fold together.

2) Cut 3 card stock pieces (5 1/2" x 4 1/4") to serve as the backing for your photos. If you like, you can attack a brad or ribbon pull on the long side.

3) Crop your photos so they'll fit on the 3 pieces of card stock. Make them no larger than 5 1/4" x 4" for best results. If they are smaller, that's OK--just add some journalling or embellishments in the margins.

4) Decorate the exterior of the envelopes if you'd like. DSP is a simple choice. Stampin' Up!'s envelopes are a good quality paper, and also take ink well, so you can easily stamp right on the envelopes, too.

5) If you're feeling adventrous, add a length of ribbon (adhered with Sticky Strip) to tie the booklet shut.

This project is a great one for kids and grown-ups alike, and is a quick gift idea for that person who has everything.

A Froggie Sketch

2010-09-06T14:49:00.003-05:00

When I am looking for some quick inspiration for my card-making, I almost always turn to the Splicoast Challenges Forum. Most of the cards I post here on my blog have their roots in either the Weekly Demo Challenges or the open forum challenges.

A favorite of mine is the weekly Sketch Challenge. It is so inspiring to see how different stampers take the same layout and tweak it to fit thier individual styles and materials. Some of the sketches are pretty complex, but most of them are fairly easy to duplicate. Also, the challenge hostess always posts a diagram and includes measurements for her sample. What a great service!

Last week's Sketch Challenge looked like a good candidate for me to use with my Hoppy for You stamp set. As you probably know, I really like monochromatic color combinations, so I had fun using 3 different shades of green (Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery and Old Olive) for this creation.

To make the frog leap out at us, I folded a little strip of card stock into a "W" shape, and adhered it with Mini Glue Dots. The only other embellishment I included was some paper piercing around the smallest square.

Thanks for checking out my blog; I'd love to hear where you are getting your inspiration!

Fair VSN Fun

2010-08-31T21:11:00.004-05:00

Last weekend was "Summertime in the Land that I Love" VSN over on Splitcoast. Working Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Great Minnesota Get-Together didn't leave me much time or energy to participate, but I did manage to upload cards for 2 of the challenges.

The very first challenge was to make a card inspired by a food that reminds you of summer. There were a lot of lemonades, strawberries, watermelons and burgers. I decided it had to be something ... ON A STICK!

Here is a link to my Pronto Pup card.

Our new computer doesn't talk to our scanner right now, so I'm unable to upload the image directly here. I'll work on getting that ironed out.

Plaid Silhouette

2010-08-21T23:35:00.004-05:00

Here is another super-easy technique that gives new life to your old stamps: the Plaid Silhouette Technique.

I used colors from Stampin' Up!'s new Brights Collection (So Saffron, Melon Mambo and Old Olive) along with some Shimmery White card stock to create these Tent Topper cards.

The Plaid Silhouette Technique will be the focus of my Technique Club's October meeting. We are currently looking for one more member to bring our group to six. Let me know if you have questions or would like to visit and try us out.

Double Dip!

2010-08-15T00:08:00.001-05:00

Isn't this a fun color combination? Bashful Blue (an old standby), Concord Crush and Pear Pizzazz (two of the new In Colors). I was inspired to try this after seeing a card using this combo over at splitcoaststampers.com.

The stamp set featured here is the French language Hostess Set Belles attentions. I love that Stampin' Up! offers so many sets in both French and Spanish now.

If you like this set, I'd love to help you get it FREE by hosting a Workshop in September or October!

Some other tools I used on this card are the Big Shot and Top Note die, Scallop Trim Border Punch and Color Spritzer Tool. This was a fast-fast card to make, and I was able to turn out the double dip in just about 30 minutes.

I'd love to hear your comments or questions!

Inspiration and Ministry

2010-08-14T21:05:00.003-05:00

While Matt attended a midnight movie with a friend last night, I stayed home and stamped!

One thing I really enjoy about paper crafting is the opportunity for relaxation and meditation when I make cards for a friend who is in need of a lift. If you have heard of the "Prayer Shawl" idea, this is--for me--similar. I love to customize my cards, and while I created these cards last night, I thought about and prayed for my friends.

Here is a very simple card using just one layer of card stock and a flat piece of ribbon (no knot or bow). While the ribbon and Ruby Red card stock are both retired products, the Herb Expressions stamp set is current, and new to me. Thanks to all of my fabulous customers, Club members and Hostesses for your continued business in 2009 I was able to earn this stamp set free!

Here is another card using the same basic color scheme and layout, but this time I added a lot of dimension with three additional layers, distressing, a big bow in the ribbon, sponging and a punched border. Even with all of that added detail, this was still a pretty quick card to make.

I think this is my favorite card of the four I created with the Ruby Red/Very Vanilla theme last night. Here I added some other retired products: Cameo Coral Classic Ink, Best Blossoms and Whimsical Words stamp sets. My inspiration for both this card and the final one was a challenge to make a monochromatic card with a 'splash' of a contrasting color. I 'splashed' my creations with Old Olive Classic Ink.

If you've been following my blog posts, you might recognize the layout and style of this fourth card from my 'quilting' spree at the beginning of July. I liked those cards so much, I was thrilled with an opportunity to switch up a few things and reprise my Brights quilt card in shades of red with a splash of green. Another change I made to the card this time around was to use my new Square Lattice Embossing Folder. Man, do I love that tool! If you are looking for a nice deep impression for a card front, the Folders are the way to go.

I'd love to hear what you think of my set of cards, and would also be pleased to answer any questions you might have. Thanks for checking out my blog! Now go stamp.

August Technique Club

2010-08-12T23:33:00.003-05:00

It's been too long! I didn't stamp at all while I was on vacation last week--I swam and read and relaxed. This week has been filled with catch-up, and tonight I got back together with my top-notch Technique Club ladies, and we had a grand old time.

I posted the Faux Tin Ceiling card a while back, and we learned that technique tonight. If you are thinking of trying this technique out, here are a couple of things to keep in mind: it is pretty easy, but it does use a lot of silver embossing powder. We made a total of 9 projects tonight using this technique, and pretty much used up a container of ep.

Here is another card we made tonight, though everyone's card was a bit different. The base is Tempting Turquoise, "ribbon" is Daffodil Delight card stock (the Textured Impressions Square Lattice Embossing Folder gives it the deep relief), mat is Rich Razzleberry (3 1/4" square), and the stamped panels are Whisper White (a 3" square piece cut up).

We each used different images for the panels, drawing from Belles attentions Hostess Stamp Set (here), Herb Expressions, and Elements of Style.

It was so much fun to get together and create with my Club again. It seems likes it has been ages! I'm looking forward to another night of productivity next week Friday (August 20), when the SAPUMC Artist Guild meets to flex our stamping muscles and turn out a few cards for our Card Ministry. Everyone is welcome at our meeting, so contact me if you're interested!

LNFI Card Stock Donation

2010-07-29T22:38:00.002-05:00

L'etoile du Nord French Immersion School--part of the St. Paul public schools--is the public elementary school where our kids have attended. Jane is a 2009 graduate, Ellie will be in 5th grade coming up this Fall, and Catherine will most likely matriculate in the Fall of 2011.

With public school funding cuts, it seems the supply lists grow every year. This year I noticed that the 5th grade "appreciated but not required" section includes Card Stock--Any Color!

Anyone who would like to contribute to the card stock stock can do so through me, and for every 5 packs ordered ($6.95 per pack, 24 sheets), I'll donate 1 pack.

I'll put the order in on August 13, so please let me know before then if you'd like to take part. Payment ($8.23 total) can be made to me in the form of cash/check/CC. Check out the fantastic color selection at www.stampinup.com.

Shabbycat

2010-07-19T23:08:00.004-05:00

I tried my hand at the "shabby chic" style tonight. It is a bit of a stretch for me, but I think I am happy with the result.

One thing I enjoy about card making is that I can spend some time thinking of my friends while I design and create cards for them. Anyone who has had a pet knows how important they are as companions, entertainers and comforters. I'll send this card to a friend whose cat had surgery a little while ago.

The card layout is from the Clean and Simple Challenge 76 over on splitcoaststampers.com. Toni (ravengirl) provided the original, and we were to make a card following her sketch. This, my second submission, is far more complex than my original version, but it still was fairly quick to make.

The card base (Creamy Caramel) is 4 1/4" square. Close to Cocoa mat is 4 1/8", and Naturals Ivory image panel is 4" square.

I used the Rock and Roll technique with Crumb Cake and then Close to Cocoa inks to stamp the cat. The "C" stamp is also in Crumb Cake. Both those images are from SU!'s "C is for Cat" stamp set. I returned to Rock and Roll--this time with Bashful Blue and Close to Cocoa--to stamp the heart image (from a long-retired SU! set, Mon Ami).

The heart was trimmed using my Paper Snips, which also works great on ribbon (such as this Bashful Blue grosgrain). I created the paper lace from a strip of Creamy Caramel card stock punched along one edge with the Scallop Trim Border Punch. I used the scoring blade on my paper cutter to make the folds.

I distressed the edges of the image panel, the cut out heart and the paper lace, and then sponged with Creamy Caramel and Close to Cocoa inks.

I stuck the whole thing together using SNAIL and Mini Glue Dots. I wished I knew how to sew, because I think some stitching along the top edge of the paper lace would have been the perfect touch.

I love playing with different styles, and here is my original card for this sketch challenge. Very different results from the same starting point, as you can see.

I designed this card to use up some more of my surplus retired card stock colors. The Gable Green, Apricot Appeal and Pale Plum have all been put out to pasture by Stampin' Up!.

Can you see what's missing from this card? Not clean, crisp lines and a fabulously easy flower accent, that's for sure!

Dry Embossing

2010-07-14T19:45:00.002-05:00

You may have heard me rave on about my Big Shot (or "BS" as I affectionately call it), and here is just one more reason to love it: Embossing Folders! SU!'s Embossing Folders make it super easy to dry emboss the entire card front--no more, no less. I think it's a great look.

This simple card relies on texture for most of the interest factor. The card base (Marina Mist) is embossed with my new Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, and the Wild Wasabi panel is embossed using one of the SU! Texturz plates.

Both the image (stamped in Cherry Cobbler ink on card stock of the same color) and the sentiment are from the Herb Expressions stamp set. I've had my eye on this set since it arrived in the 2009-2010 IBC, and got it in the mail today as part of my Sale-A-Bration Demonstrator rewards.

If you've ever thought about joining my Stampin' Up! team, now is a great time. Give me a call, and I'm happy to answer any questions you might have about the Starter Kit, Demonstrator Support, Demonstrator Business Web Site--the whole nine yards. No pressure, I assure you! I do this because I really do enjoy it, and if it is for you, I encourage you to give it a try!

Simple Cards for Simple Pleasures

2010-07-13T22:08:00.003-05:00

I've been reminded in several ways over the past week what an important role pets can play in our lives. One reminder was from my friend Cav, who hosts a weekly card making challenge for Stampin' Up! Demonstrators over at my favorite on-line destination, Splitcoaststampers.

This week, Cav asked us to make cards that reminded us of beloved pets. I jumped at the chance to use my stamp sets "D is for Dog" and "C is for Cat" from Stampin' Up!. Even though I don't have (and haven't ever had) a dog, I find I pull that set out as often as I do the cat set. Dogs, it seems, are popular amongst my friends and relations.

These cards are super-simple: each successive piece of card stock is cut just 1/4" smaller that the one underneath, and all are adhered using SNAIL adhesive. No fancy trimming, and I even skipped putting on any embellishments. (I actually really wanted to put a little rhinestone on the kitty's collar, but didn't have any.)

Colors are Chocolate Chip, More Mustard (dog), Tangerine Tango (cat), and Very Vanilla. To finish the cards off before sending, I'll attach another piece of Vanilla on the inside with a stamped sentiment, and maybe a paw print or dog bone, too.

Tangerine Tango, in which I stamped the cat image and "C", and makes the middle layer on the cat card, is I think my all-time favorite Stampin' Up! color. It was an In Color from a few years back, and is one of the colors that have been re-introduced as part of the Color Renovation. I am really excited about this!!! If you haven't checked out the new color families (Brights, Subtles, Regals and Neutrals), hop on over to www.stampinup.com and take a look-see. With the fab new Color Coach, it is going to be easy-peasy to make solid color choices every day.

Thanks for visiting my blog! I'd love to hear what you think of these or any of the cards I've posted. If you would like me to feature a particular technique, style, color or image, let me know, and I'll see what I can do!

Faux Tin Ceiling

2010-07-08T22:58:00.004-05:00

I was so excited this afternoon when I got home from work and saw a nice package waiting for me! Sure enough, it was my New Color Kit (6 Classic Ink Pads and a selection of card stock), the Belles attentions Hostess Stamp Set (clear mount), the Artistic Etchings Stamp Set (Paris theme, and I got this one in clear, too), and the 5 new In Color Stampin' Write Markers.

I had to pull out some of my new gear and do a bit of stamping, of course, and here is what I came up with.

I wanted also to finish up the WICKED challenges from Splitcoaststampers. The final challenge for July was to use Diana Gibbs' Faux Tin Ceiling Technique. You will love this. I am planning on featuring this card at the August meeting of my Techniques Club.

If you'd like to try out the Club (and make this very cool card along with a few other fun projects), please contact me. We still have room for at least one more member, and we'd love to have you join us--either as a member or as a visitor.

WICKED Quilt Cards

2010-07-03T10:58:00.004-05:00

I must be on vacation. Jane and I stayed up late last night watching "Raiders of the Lost Ark" while I stamped. I got up this morning and did some more therapy.

I am still working on producing cards for Susie Nelson's WICKED Challenges over at splitcoaststampers.com: the Demo Side. This was actually Challenge "A", and I loved it so much I had to make three!

Here are my productions:

Brights Quilt

For this card, I wanted to use one of my favorite stamp sets: Bugs & Kisses. Even though the images (and especially the sentiments) are on the cute side, I think that using them with these rich colors really helps them "grow up".

1) Card base is Rich Razzleberry (standard size); Top Note die-cut is Old Olive, and I ran it through the BS a second time to add the swiss dot embossing with the SU! Texturz Plates. Spritz the card stock lightly with water first to get a deeper impression. Basic Black square is 3 1/8".

2) To make the quilt, I first stamped the ladybug and ant images on Naturals Ivory card stock, then cut several 1" squares. I picked the ones I liked best, and adhered them to the Basic Black mat with 2-Way Glue. I cut two 1" squares of Rich Razzleberry, and then used my paper cutter to slice them in half diagonally. To do this, I simply place the square with points on the blade trough, lower the guide with the blade in the center of the square and cut in both directions. That keeps the corners from getting crunched up. I added an Old Olive button with some Linen Thread for a homey look.

3) You know how much I like the Rock and Roll Technique, and I used a variation of it here. I scraped the dragonfly image over my Old Olive pad, trying to get ink mostly on the center of the image. Then I did the same with the Rich Razzleberry pad, but aiming for the edges of the image. I like the result! I used my Paper Snips to cut this guy out, and adhered him to the corner of my card with a Stampin' Dimensional.

Subtles Quilt

The quilt I made representing SU!'s Subtles Color Family was really simple to put together. I created my own background paper by stamping images from the Simply Said stamp set using Rose Red, Pink Pirouette and Pretty in Pink inks. I think the rest is pretty straightforward. Hope you like it!

Regals Quilt

This is actually the first of these three Quilt Cards that I made.

1) Standard size card base is Elegant Eggplant; More Mustard panel is just slightly smaller (4 1/8" x 5 3/8"); Very Vanilla image panel began life as a 3" x 4" rectangle.

2) To create my quilt squares, I stamped Upsy Daisy (love this stamp set!) using More Mustard (twice) and Elegant Eggplant (centered). If I did it again, I would "stamp off" the Eggplant image, so that it would look a bit more purple. It looks almost black, unless you get it in a very good light.

3) Assembling my card was fun! I knew I wouldn't be able to get all the squares lined up perfectly, so I built some wiggle room into my design: distressing the edges! I ran my fingernail over the edges of all the squares before adhering them with either 2-Way Glue or a Stampin' Dimensional. I also crumpled and distressed the edges of the More Mustard mat. For the sentiment panel, I not only distressed the edges, but I also sponged some Elegant Eggplant ink to help it stand out from the background.

Thanks for checking out my cards. I encourage you to try this fun technique either with stamped images like I've done here, or using designer paper. That's the easy way to go, of course. SU! has a lot of great selections of DSP in the just-released 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog.

You can check out all the new products, including Color Renovation "New Color Kits" online at www.stampinup.com. Order online, but remember to select me as your Demonstrator to get "preferred pricing."

Please don't hesitate to contact me with any and all of your paper crafting questions. I'm here to help! Thanks for your continued support; my customers are the BEST!

WICKED Challenge

2010-07-02T23:26:00.003-05:00

I love participating in the monthly WICKED Demo-only Challenges over at Splitcoaststampers.com. This month's featured WICKED stamper is Susie Nelson. She has become a good on-line friend to me in the last couple of years. She is always ready with a kind word and thoughtful comment. Of course, she is a WICKEDly talented paper crafter, too!

One of her challenges for the month was to take a card we'd made and "re-do yourself." I have been wanting to try out SU!'s new "Vintage" color combination that is in the new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog: Riding Hood Red, Basic Black and Very Vanilla.

Here's the card after the "re-do":

Sorry that my scan is a bit washed out. The Very Vanilla panel on the left-hand side has been dry-embossed with the SU! Texturz Plates.

Hopefully, this link will work if you'd like to see the card I copied.

Thanks, Mom!

2010-06-29T23:31:00.003-05:00

Grandma took the big girls to the MN History Center today--maybe their favorite spot. Of course, there is also lunch (and snack) at the fab Cafe Minnesota. They all had a great time.

Love this color combination (from SCS Clean and Simple Challenge): Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie and Bashful Blue.

I pulled out a few stamp sets I haven't used for a while: Simply Said and En Ovale. Both of these sets are in the current IBC and also in the new 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog that goes LIVE on Thursday at noon!

I will be placing an order in the first part of July, so if there is something you really need out of the new catalog (some of the new core colors, perhaps? or a great new kid-themed stamp set?), please let me know!

Purple Rose

2010-06-28T19:36:00.003-05:00

Here's a birthday card for one of the "Red Hat Ladies." Of course, there was no getting away from the red-and-purple theme, and SU!'s Real Red, Lovely Lilac and Orchid Opulence filled the bill nicely, I think.

Card base is Lovely Lilac, and I added some background stamping in the same shade ink. I also included a white panel on the inside for the message. I stamped a "happy birthday" sentiment in Lilac ink, and sponged Real Red around the edges of the panel.

The Real Red mat on the front of the card measures 3 3/4" x 5", and the image panel is only slightly smaller (3 1/2" x 4 3/4"). I popped the whole thing up using Stampin' Dimensionals, and then ran the 5/8" Real Red Grosgrain ribbon behind the panel before tying the square knot.

I just had to get one more "postable" card out of this gorgeous stamp set--it is retiring this week! You can check out the whole list of "last chance" items at www.stampinup.com.

Top Note Quilt

2010-06-25T10:12:00.003-05:00

This is a card I made for the weekly Demonstratable Cards challenge over on SCS: The Demo Side. Hee, hee!

What a fun and easy use for the Top Note die and my Big Shot. Also, if you're like me, and can't seem to find enough uses for ALL of the designer series paper that comes in the SU packs, this is a great way to put those scraps to a beautiful use.

Really, it's as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Cut (or punch) some squares of dsp. I used some of my retiring Tall Tales paper, and made 1 1/4" squares. The style looks good with inchies, too. You need enough squares to cover a 4" x 5" piece of card stock. The total number of squares will vary, depending on how big they are, obviously. Do the math. I used 2-Way Glue to attach them to my card stock.

2. Put the assembled quilt piece face-down on your Top Note die, and run it through your Big Shot. If you don't have a Big Shot, buy one through me: you won't regret it. Ha, ha. Actually, I'd be happy to let you stop on by sometime and try it out--give me a call!

3. Finish your card. For my card, I used a Barely Banana card base, and added a Brilliant Blue Top Note behind my quilted Top Note for a little bit of depth. The quilted piece is popped up with Dimensionals.

Really, it is just that simple. Hope you like it, and I hope to hear from you soon. You know I love stamping and I love my friends, and I especially love stamping with my friends.

Technique Club Year 5

2010-06-18T22:31:00.003-05:00

Welcome Ann, Carol, Marilyn, Silva and Trina to Year 5 of my Techniques Stamp Club! Thanks, ladies (and especially to charter members Carol and Marilyn) for signing on for another year of stamping and learning.

We met tonight (at my mom's!) for our kick-off meeting, and set our meeting months for August and October of 2010, and January, February, April and June of 2011. We do still have room for at least one more member, so please contact me if you are interested in more information.

Here is a card I made tonight, from some scraps I had lying around. These are retiring colors (Ballet Blue, Cameo Coral and Ruby Red). Stampin' Up!'s new Idea Book and Catalog comes out July 1, with new colors, accessories and, of course, great stamp sets.

To make this card, I used a pre-cut card base of Brocade Blue, which is oriented with the fold on the left side (rather than up top as usual). I cut a piece of Cameo Coral card stock to 5 1/4" x 4", and stamped the swirl image from Baroque Motifs with Ruby Red ink. That panel is adhered to the card front with SNAIL adhesive.

The main image panel is a scrap of Naturals Ivory cs. I'm not sure of the exact dimensions. I spritzed it a bit and ran it through my Big Shot then sponged Cameo Coral ink over the whole panel to bring out the design. Around the edges I sponged Ruby Red ink. I formed the piece into panels by cutting 1 1/4" off of each long edge. What was leftover became the middle panel. No measuring--perfect!

I decided I needed a bit of blue on top to balance the design, so I pulled out another scrap and stamped and sponged that piece with Ballet Blue.

Remember, retiring stamp sets, ink/card stock colors and accessories are available only through June 30, so please let me know if you "need" anything before it is gone.

Sympathy

2010-06-14T10:41:00.002-05:00

June is winding down, and that means our Last Chance is coming to an end as well.

While I'm excited about the new stamp sets, accessories and colors in Stampin' Up!'s 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog (live July 1!), I will surely miss some of my "old favorite" stamp sets.

"Close as a Memory" has served me well for several years. The versatile watercolor-style image lends itself to monochromatic stamping (as in this example), coloring with markers, embossing--you name it!

If there are any "must-haves" on the list, please let me know. Or, you can order direct through the SU website. Don't forget to select me as your Demonstrator to lock in "preferred pricing."

Also, anyone interested in joining my Technique Club, please join us this coming Friday evening, June 18, 7:00-8:30 PM at my house. At this organizational meeting, we'll make a 6" x 6" Technique page and set our meeting dates for the upcoming year. Hope to hear from you!

Heading Southwest

2010-06-04T22:40:00.002-05:00

I made some really neat cards this week, but didn't have the energy to scan and post them. That is kind of sad, isn't it?

Why am I so tired? I guess because I've been stressing about a trip I'm going on starting tomorrow. I'll be in Albuquerque, NM for 5 days for the NEHA (National Environmental Health Association) Conference. Thanks to my supervisors for selecting me as one of only two representatives from the Environmental Health Section at MDH to attend.

Here are a couple of highlights:

Silva stopped by this morning for Stamping Playgroup, and brought with her the products she earned at her Club meeting last month. We enjoyed the "Smooch Spritz," but the big winner for both of us was the Presto Patterns Specialty Paper. It works like the Emboss Resist technique, and reveals a pre-printed design when you brayer ink over it. A cool look with very little effort!

Everyone is going to want to have the Elements of Style stamp set (either the new clear mount or traditional wood mount)to play with. It is so elegant and versatile. We love it.

The Punched Poesies Hostess stamp set (Level 2) is an amazing incentive for hostesses. When your workshop reaches just $300, you can choose this diverse collection of images as part of your rewards. The Summer Mini Catalog is current through August 31.

I'm looking to schedule just one or two workshops this summer, so if you are interested, please contact me, and we can find a date that will work.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-08T21:07:00.003-05:00

One of the many advantages of living close to family is that you don't have to worry about getting things (like Mother's Day cards, for example) done and in the mail in time to arrive by or before "the day." I made cards for my mom and my mother in law this afternoon.

This scene features the "Brayered Sky" technique, and I used both my brayer and Stampin' Write Markers to create the unique background.

1. Card base is Sage Shadow (standard size). Basic Black mat is 3 7/8" x 5 3/8". I like to use Glossy White with my brayer; the main image panel measures 4" x 5 1/3".

2. To create the multi-colored background, I used lots of different Stampin' Write Markers directly on my brayer. You'll see Soft Suede, More Mustard, Bermuda Bay, Old Olive and Yoyo Yellow, to name a few. After inking horizontal and vertical lines, I huffed on the brayer, and then started rolling. The more you roll, the more the colors blend. In my finished product, you still get the general feel of the original markings. I actually did a second layer of ink, with some less intense colors, to fill in behind some of the areas.

3. That fabulously elegant rose branch is from Elements of Style stamp set, out of Stampin' Up!'s new Summer Mini Catalog. I got the clear mount set, which costs a bit less. To mount the largest stamp, I purchased the Clear Block "E."

If you'd like to try your hand at this card, please join us on Friday May 21 for my Technique Club meeting. Just let me know that you're interested, and I'll forward the details.

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Snapespiration

2010-04-28T18:03:00.004-05:00

My fine friend, Cav, over on the "Demo Side" at www.splitcoaststampers.com, organizes the weekly Demonstratable Cards Challenge. Within her guidelines, we are to create and upload cards that would be easy to use in a workshop.

Last week, another gal and I engaged in a short, on-line discussion about the Harry Potter stories, in particular touching on the character Snape. I suggested we have a "Snapespiration Challenge," and--here it is!

I think I'll use a similar design for my May Technique Club meeting, adapting it to be a Father's Day design. (When I showed it to Matt, he commented that it looked like a tie.)

1. Card base is Handsome Hunter (one of the many retiring colors); standard 1/4" reduction for the Basic Black layer (4" x 5 1/4").

2. To make the white "lapels", I started with Glossy White sized 1/4" smaller than the black (3 3/4" x 5"), and used my Cutter to mark a point 1" in from each edge on one short side. On the other short side, I marked 1 1/2" in from the edges, then aligned the card stock so that the two points formed my cut line.

3. The swirl from Baroque Motifs (golly, I really use this stamp set a lot!!!) is stamped on the Glossy White with Handsome Hunter Classic ink. I used the Encore Silver to stamp the "Ss" image ("Severus Snape", you know) on the black piece.

4. Part of Cav's challenge was to incorporate a stone ("Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"), so I placed a Rhinestone Square Brad from the Fire collection at the top center.

Can you see the Snapespiration in my card? Thanks for taking a look.

Thanks, Eddo

2010-04-20T22:16:00.004-05:00

I was surprised and delighted on Sunday morning, when, as I made my way out of the worship service to fulfill my Sunday School "Shepherd" duty, my young friend Eddo relieved me of my duty. What a blessing!

I made him a card; here it is.

As you know, Stampin' Up! is retiring a lot of colors, and I am working on using up most of my stock, to make room for the exciting new selections that are coming on July 1. This card uses only retiring card stock, as well as an old Sale-A-Bration stamp set (Very Punny) that I've kept because I think it is really cute. Here are some details for this card.

1. Card base is Brocade Blue, but is a bit smaller than standard size. Why? Because, for some reason, I had a piece of card stock that was 7 1/2" x 5 1/2". I had scored it at 4 1/2" before I realized, and--instead of wasting it--I decided to make some adjustments to the design. I added a strip of Close to Cocoa card stock, punched with the Scallop Trim Border Punch to the edge.
2. On the front, I stamped "thank you" from the Enjoy Every Moment stamp set with VersaMark ink, and embossed with Gold embossing powder. (I should have used my Stamp-a-ma-jig. Oops! But will a 13 year old boy really care? I think not.)
3. The focal image on the front is a Creamy Caramel mat beneath a Close to Cocoa panel that I put through the Big Shot with a Texturz plate. I am really loving that machine! Adding the texture or the die-cut elements to my projects gives me a little thrill every time. I stamped and embossed the pig on Naturals Ivory, cut her out with my Paper Snips, and popped her up with a Stampin' Dimensional.
4. For the inside of the card, I stamped the entire "tickled pink" image (including the words) on a piece of Naturals Ivory, and then added a Faux Cloisonne pig on top with a Dimensional.

I hope you'll try this cool technique. I'd love to hear about your experiences, or help you figure out how to get more enjoyment out of your paper crafting. Please leave a comment!

SU! Color Renovation

2010-04-17T23:13:00.002-05:00

Do you have a favorite Stampin' Up! color? Maybe there is a color you've always wished SU! had in their collection? Or is there one of the retired In Colors you cried over when the year was up?

Well, get ready for some exciting changes to the Stampin' Up! color palette! Beginning with the new catalog release on July 1, 2010, SU! will have a very different look: lots of current "core colors" are retiring, there are five brand-new colors(*), and a lot of favorite In Colors(**) are returning!

Here are the new color collections:

Brights Collection

Regal Rose
Melon Mambo**
Rich Razzleberry**
Pacific Point**
Tempting Turquoise
Old Olive
Daffodil Delight*
Pumpkin Pie
Tangerine Tango**
Real Red

Neutrals Collection

River Rock**
Chocolate Chip
Soft Suede**
Early Espresso*
Crumb Cake (formerly "Kraft")
Sahara Sand
Very Vanilla
Whisper White
Basic Gray
Basic Black

Regals Collection

Elegant Eggplant
Night of Navy
Not Quite Navy
Always Artichoke
Garden Green
More Mustard
Cajun Craze*
Riding Hood Red**
Cherry Cobbler*
Bravo Burgundy

Subtles Collection

Pink Pirouette**
Pretty in Pink
Rose Red
Perfect Plum
Marina Mist*
Bashful Blue
Baja Breeze
Wild Wasabi**
Certainly Celery
So Saffron

So, what does this mean to you? It means now is a great time to order some ink refills for those favorite colors that might be retiring. It means you need to do some extra stamping with the retiring colors: you need to have as much data as possible in order to make the best decision about what colors of card stock you really need before June 30, right?

Most of all, though, it means you can start dreaming about playing with the vibrant new color combinations we'll have at our fingertips starting July 1!

Sea Foam "Thinking of You" and Special Celebration Offer

2010-04-02T23:28:00.005-05:00

I had a fun evening with my neighbor and good friend, Chris. Sharing some time together is very renewing for me, and having stamping be part of our camaraderie is great fun.

"THINKING OF YOU" CARD

We had a message today that a long-time family friend, and very special friend of my mother in law, got some bad health news this week. I made this card with her in mind.

1. Card base is Sage Shadow (standard size); Whisper White (4 3/4" square); Top Note is Gable Green.

2. I sponged the edges of the Whisper White square with both Gable Green and Sage Shadow. The Sage is heavier on the edges, the Gable more toward the center.

3. I ran the Gable Green cs through my Big Shot with the SU! Texturz plate "Flourish" before cutting it with the Top Note die. This panel is also sponged, but only with Sage Shadow. Notice that, in addition to sponging the edges of the Top Note, I also added some sponging to the textured portion, just to help give the piece a bit more texture.

4. The sentiment is stamped with Sage Shadow ink on Whisper White, punched out with SU!'s Scallop Oval Punch, and then sponged with both Gable Green (center) and Sage Shadow (edges). This piece is popped up with a Stampin' Dimensional.

5. The flowers are stamped in Sage Shadow on Whisper White, cut out with my Paper Snips, and then sponged all over with Gable Green, and Sage Shadow at the very edges.

6. Of course, you'll notice that the main flower used the Faux Cloisonne' Technique that I described in my last post. (You recognize the wacky color scheme, too, I hope!)

7. Lastly, the embellishment is simply a coil of Linen Thread, stuck to the back of the flower with a Mini Glue Dot. I had planned on cutting the strands to let them all hang down at various lengths, but I liked the look as it was, so left it coiled.

I would love to hear what you think, so please leave a comment!

SPECIAL OFFER!

I can hardly believe that I've been with Stampin' Up! for FIVE WHOLE YEARS! In celebration, I'm offering a 5% DISCOUNT on all orders placed through me (sorry, can't do it for customer-submitted online orders) THROUGH APRIL 15. Contact me with an order or for details!

It is because of my GREAT FRIENDS AND CUTSTOMERS, as well as the support of my FAMILY that I've been able to make my hobby into a business. THANKS!!!

SCS Milwaukee Swap #3

2010-04-01T21:47:00.004-05:00

Here's my last Swap card for the Stampin' Up! Milwaukee Regional that is coming up on April 9/10. Since I can't make it to the event, I'm mailing my cards to my friend Jana in Duluth, and she'll be nice enough to swap them out for me. I'm excited to see what everyone else came up with.

(The scanned image isn't the greatest, sorry. I'm still working on how to get the right contrast with cards that have this much white.)

The technique I used on this project is called Faux Cloisonne'. It is gold embossing on top of a glossy photo, such as you find on a calendar or magazine. I've been wanting to use Faux Cloisonne' for a while, and just this week got a fresh container of Gold Embossing Powder from the UPS guy, so I was ready to roll.

Today, I searched through some old Nature Conservancy mags I had saved for this technique and found a photo of a coral reef on a seamount. I made a super-bold color choice; I have to admit that I was a bit worried, but I think it worked out. I pulled the crazy color combination (Sage Shadow and Gable Green, if you can believe it!)straight from the corals, sea water and fish!

1. Card base is Whisper White (standard size); Gable Green panel (at back) is 4" x 2 1/2"; Sage Shadow (really!) panel is 2" x 3 1/2"; Basic Black piece is 1 3/8" square.

2. The Whisper White image panels are all 1/8" smaller in each dimension than their mats (3 7/8" x 2 3/8";1 7/8" x 3 3/8"; 1 1/2" square).

3. This is my first time using this cute stamp set Happy Together, which I earned during Sale-A-Bration. Stems are stamped with Gable Green, flowers with both Gable Green and Sage Shadow, three little chicks with Sage Shadow.

4. For Mama Bird, I used the Rock-and-Roll Technique. Ink her up with Gable Green, roll the stamp on the Sage Shadow pad, then stamp! (It is important to clean the stamp before repeating the technique. Otherwise you'll get Sage on your Gable, which is not as good as chocolate in your peanut butter.)

5. The Faux Cloisonne' Technique looks really cool, but is actually super easy. (Those are the best techniques, in my book.) I just used the flower image (it is important to use a line-art image), stamped it with VersaMark ink, and then heat set the Gold Embossing Powder. Stampin' Up!'s Paper Snips work great for doing some accurate and neat cutting to produce the accents for this card. I popped those to blossoms (and Mama Bird) up with Stampin' Dimensionals.

The only caution I have for this technique is that with the glossy image, it is easy to let the stamp slip a bit; you need to be pretty careful. Also, it is good to use the Embossing Buddy before stamping with VersaMark to keep the excess Embossing Powder from sticking to other areas of the paper.

This was a fun and easy project: even with so much cutting, the embossing, and careful assembly, I was able to get the whole set that I needed for my swaps done without burning the midnight oil.

Do you recognize the layout? Check out my earlier post, 'cause I did a bit of recycling!

I'd love to hear what you think, and I hope you'll try this easy way to add some texture to your projects.

SCS Milwaukee Swap #2

2010-03-29T22:56:00.003-05:00

I'm making good progress on my SCS swaps for Stampin' Up!'s upcoming Milwaukee Regional Seminar. Here is my second card.

1. Confetti White card base is standard size; Night of Navy strip is 5 1/2" x 1 1/2"; Brocade Blue strip is 5 1/2" x 1".

2. I used my grid paper to help me line up SU!'s Medallion stamp(Who doesn't love this versatile image?), which I'd inked with my Night of Navy Classic pad. That's the only stamping on the card, though I could add a sentiment to the inside later.

3. For the central accent, I used my just-arrived-today Sizzlits die and my Big Shot. Boy, am I enjoying my new tool. The two smaller scallop circles are cut with the Big Shot, and I used the Scallop Circle Punch for the Confetti White circle. The flower is held together with a brad from the Rich Regals assortment.

A fun feature of the Big Shot is that you can easily position the paper to cut just the portion of the die you want. For example, both the scallop circles are on the same die, but I was able to cut just the one I wanted each time, thereby saving a bit of card stock.

I'd like to give credit to the SCS Challenge forums for the basic layout. When I was cruising around, I found Sketch Challenge 268 (SC268), and thought it would work nicely for incorporating the Medallion image.

Thanks for checking out my blog, and stay tuned for the final installment of the SCS Milwaukee Swap Series!

SCS Milwaukee Swap #1

2010-03-28T16:21:00.003-05:00

I'm a bit bummed that I won't be able to attend Stampin' Up!'s Milwaukee Regional event next month, especially because my experience at last year's Minneapolis Regional really exceeded my expectations. Stampin' Up! does a great job with creating inspiring and supportive resources for their Demonstrators.

Anyway, I am participating in a card swap hosted by my friend Jana from Duluth. Swaps are a fun way to get new ideas and to see some products you may not have yourself, in action.

I thought I'd post my swaps here, along with instructions. Hope you enjoy seeing what I've come up with!

1. Card base (5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4") is Cameo Coral. I cut the Watercolor Paper in quarters (1 7/8" x 2 1/2"), so that I could make four cards from each sheet. The Pumpkin Pie mat is just slightly bigger than the image panel (2 1/8" x 2 5/8"); the Basic Black mat has the same increase in the long dimension, and an extra 1/4" in the short dimension (2 1/2" x 2 3/4"), to allow for the Scallop Trim Border Punch.

2. Purrfect! image from Pun Fun is embossed with VersaMark and black embossing powder. I used Pumpkin Pie, Cameo Coral and Bordering Blue Classic Ink Pads to add color to this little guy with my Aquapainter. Just squeeze the pad while closed, and some ink is transferred to the lid: there's your palette! If you haven't tried SU!'s Aquapainters for watercoloring, you're really missing something, I must say.

3. I used the spunky Paws Stampin' Around Wheel with Cameo Coral ink to make some tracks on both the left side of the card front and also on the right side of the interior. You might be able to see the paw prints peeking through the punched trim. To get my wheeled image straight, I just used my grid paper. Stampin' Up! also has a nifty Wheel Guide that really helps not only with driving straight, but also with keeping an even pressure on your wheel.

4. One last detail I decided to add (especially since I only needed six cards for the swap) was the Fire Rhinestone Brad. I got these specialty brads when they were on sale last summer, and have really enjoyed using them on occasion to add a little bling to my creations. I positioned the brad using the Paper Piercing Tool and the Mat Pack.

Hope you like my card! (And I especially hope my fellow swap group members like it.) Stay tuned for more; I'm in three swap groups, so I plan to post all of them right here on my little blog.

A Fun Sketch

2010-03-21T23:35:00.003-05:00

Over at SCS, my friend susie nelson showed me a card she made using a fun little sketch (SC268). I had a great time putting together this adaptation of her card.

Want to play along? Here's what you'll need:

1) Card base is Creamy Caramel cs, as is the mat for the tall image. I also used Close to Cocoa cs for the mat behind the swirl stamp. The square image is matted with Garden Green. All other pieces of card stock are Very Vanilla.

2) I used my new favorite toy--Sizzix Big Shot for Stampin' Up!--and the SU Texturz plates for the dry embossing on the large VV panel. I added color around the edge by sponging with both Creamy Caramel and Close to Cocoa Classic inks.

3) The swirl from Baroque Motifs and daisies from Upsy Daisy are both stamped in Old Olive Classic ink, with more Old Olive sponged around the edges.

4) It was fun to pull out my Heat Tool, VersaMark ink and Gold Embossing Powder to create the main (albeit smallest) focal image for the card. The sponging there is Close to Cocoa.

5) Check out the Masterpiece Ribbon Originals pack to find this fancy ribbon. Sometimes I like to conserve and fasten the ends of ribbon behind a panel on the front of the card, but here I just went whole hog and wrapped this beautiful design all the way around the card front. For that reason, I cut my card base sideways (cut at 4 1/4" and scored at 5 1/2").

Hope you like my card! Please leave a comment, and of course let me know if you "need" any stamping supplies! Remember, Sale-A-Bration runs through the end of this month--that's FREE stuff with every $50 purchase (plus extended Hostess Benefits, too).

Olympic VSN Silver Medalist

2010-03-11T22:45:00.004-06:00

Yea! I'm so happy to tell you that one of the cards I made for the recent Virtual Stamp Night (VSN) on Splitcoast was a winner. The card (see previous post), using the Rolling Marble Technique, was a "Silver Medalist" for the curling-themed challenge.

The Rolling Marble technique is easy and fun, and it is a great alternative to stamping or dsp for making a unique background.

For my card, I used a nice bright color combination: Yoyo Yellow, Orchid Opulence and Rich Razzleberry. I layered the marbled and stamped Glossy White piece on yellow, and put the whole shebang on an Orchid card base.

The stamping for this card was super-simple: just the Medallion stamped in Orchid on top of the marbled bg.

I'm quite proud that my card was chosen as a winner, but I'm even more excited that I saw cards from Trina (mnfroggie) and her mom, Jackie (m&msgradma) on the podium, too! There is a sub-thread in the VSN forum where all of the winners are listed. Check them out for some great inspiration!

Virtual Stamp Night

2010-02-27T15:32:00.005-06:00

I've blogged before about the great supportive website, www.splitcoaststampers.com. This weekend is Virtual Stamp Night--Olympics! I'm pretty busy, but am finding a chance here and there to complete a few of the challenges.

If you've never played in a VSN before, I encourage you to try it out. The idea is simple: every hour, a new challenge is posted, complete the challenge in 45 minutes (no official "start time"), and then post your entries by the date/time specified. Usually, that's 10:00 PM ET on the Sunday night.

These challenges are great fun, and are a super way to help you focus on getting the job done. You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish in less than an hour!

Here's a card I made this afternoon for a challenge with a "Curling" theme. It uses the Rolling Marble Technique and SU!'s Medallion stamp.

The Grateful Giraffe card with one of my favorite color combinations (Always Artichoke, So Saffron and Elegant Eggplant) was for a sketch challenge. Can you see the inukshuk?

I earned the "Animal Stories" stamp set FREE with a $50 order earlier this month. There are so many options for Sale-A-Bration freebies this year. And, speaking of SAB, I notice that the other two stamp sets on this card ("Define Your Life" and "Defining Alphabet") are both sets I earned as a Demonstrator from sales and recruiting during 2009 SAB. I'd love to answer your questions about what it's like to be a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator--now is a great time to join!

The blue sky and white snow of a clear, cold winter day is the inspiration for this color challenge. I made this sympathy card to send to the family of a church member who passed away this week.

The "Close as a Memory" stamp set seems to look good in whatever color I decide to use that day. Today it was three shades of blue: Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue and Night of Nave.

Stampin' Up! Supports TCGIS!

2010-02-10T22:40:00.002-06:00

I am PROUD to be an Independent Demonstrator for Stampin' Up!, a company which puts people first in many ways. Check out the Twin Cities German Immersion School's Maskenball Silent Auction website (http://tcgispto.org/maskenball2010/auction/index.php?item=068) and see the generous basket of stampin' goodies donated by Stampin' Up!

Since these products are discontinued, you won't be able to order them, so this is a great chance to get some great products--stamp sets, papers, inks, embellishments... There is an estimated $350 of product offered! Bid now!

Thanks to Heidi Z.for letting me know about this great way that SU! is supporting our local community.

Interested in joining my small and easy-going team of demonstrators? It is Sale-A-Bration season at SU!, and it is the best time of year to join. Contact me for details; I'd love to answer your questions.

Scones!

2010-02-04T22:32:00.003-06:00

I've promised the recipe, and here it is at last. Giving credit where credit is due, I'd like to note that this recipe is adapted from "Joy of Cooking."

Classic Cream Scones

Pre-heat oven to 400F.

Stir together in a medium bowl with a fork:
2 C all-purpose flour (option: substitute 1/2 C whole wheat flour for some of the white flour)
1/3 C granulated sugar (this can be reduced to 1/4 C)
1/2 t salt
2 t baking powder

Add 1/2 C of fruit, nuts or chocolate if desired. (Currants, mini chocolate chips, dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, orange zest ...).

Pour most of a pint of whipping cream into bowl, and stir with fork until moistened.

Scoop batter onto baking sheet (I use my Pampered Chef Large Scoop), sprinkle with crystal sugar if desired. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack or serve warm.

I've served these scones and Banana Chocolate Chip muffins at many a Morning Stampers Meeting, to critical acclaim. I'd love to hear your snack tales!

Ghosted Pour Toi, Merci!

2010-01-23T20:39:00.003-06:00

If you haven't tried the Ghosting Technique, rustle up a Rubber Brayer, Glossy White Card Stock, VersaMark and Classic Inks, and get to work! This is one of the easiest and most "magical" stamping techniques I've tried.

Catherine (4yo) and I had a blast this afternoon whipping up a dozen of these for Mme Bissoy to send to volunteer Science Fair Judges. Catherine loved doing the magic roller part, and did a great job.

1) Card base is standard-size (8 1/2" x 5 1/2", socred at 4 1/4") of Stampin' Up!'s Close to Cocoa cs. I rolled the bottom half with Chocolate Chip ink on my "Rough Texture" Jumbo Wheel.

2) The main image panel is a 3 1/4" x 4" piece of Glossy White cs, stamped with the leaf and flower images from "Best Wishes & More" in VersaMark ink. Catherine and I added Barely Banana, Ruby Red and Close to Cocoa inks (in that order) with our Rubber Brayer. See how the stamped images look kind of "ghostly?" It's just like magic! I really wanted to use my new Corner Punch that can be found in SU!'s current Occassions Mini Catalog. There is a coordinating straight-edge punch, too, that you can choose for FREE during Sale-A-Bration with any $50 order. This panel is mounted on Ruby Red (3 1/2" x 4 1/4").

3) The sentiment (from "En Ovale," the French counterpart of "Oval All") is stamped with Chocolate Chip on Glossy White, and punched out with the Scallop Oval Punch. I love these stamps that coordinate with the various punches! Backing the sentiment is a Scallop Square of Chocolate Chip.

If you'd like to volunteer to be a Science Fair Judge, contact your local Elementary, Middle or High School. Kind-hearted community members are always needed to provide thoughtful, constructive feedback to our nation's budding scientists.

Easy Easel!

2010-01-21T22:59:00.002-06:00

The featured technique at Splitcoast (http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/) last week was an Easel Card. I modified the design a bit and came up with a layout I've fallen in love with!

I like this layout so much that I've made three cards at home with the same pattern. Plus, on Monday our Artist Guild at church used the layout to make 25 Birthday cards. We tailored the color combinations to coordinate with the four seasons. All of the designs turned out great. We're excited to be able to provide high-quality, hand-made cards to members of our congregation who have earned a special Birthday visit. An added bonus of the cards for this year is that they stand up nicely with the help of a couple of folds and a carefully placed brad.

Here's how:

1) Cut card stock for card base (Bordering Blue) to 4 1/4 " x 11". (This is oppposite of a "normal" card base.) Score the card base at 5 1/2". Turn in over and score from the back side at 2 3/4". Fold the card in half, and then fold the extra flap back up so that the edge meets the top fold.

2) I've used a mat here of Rich Razzleberry textured card stock. This isn't necessary (and we didn't use a mat for our Artist Guild Birthday cards), but it does add a nice touch. The mat is 4" x 5 1/4", and my image panel (Naturals Ivory) is just a bit smaller at 3 3/4" x 5". (If you eliminate the mat, just make the image panel the larger size.)

3) For this card, I've used Stampin' Up!'s A Rose is a Rose stamp set. The roses are 2-step stamps: you superimpose 2 different stamps, with different inks. I used combination of yellows (Barely Banana and So Saffron) and purples (Orchid Opulence and Rich Razzleberry) for the roses, as well as Bordering Blue for some other accents. I use two tricks to help me stamp these elegant blooms. First, I always use my Stamp-a-ma-jig stamp positioner. Works like a charm! Second, I have written right on my wood blocks the words "light" and "dark" so that I remember which images to stamp in which inks.

4) My favorite part of this layout is the stack of squares on the right hand side. I stamped the images on one piece of card stock, punched them out with my 1 1/4" Square, and popped them up on Scallop Square punch-outs of the coordinating colors. (I snuck a Scallop Square out of the Rich Razzleberry mat before I adhered the image panel to it.)

5) One final detail: I used my new fun toy, the Color Spritzer Tool, with the Rich Razzleberry Stampin' Write Marker to make those cool little sprays of RR ink.

6) The brad placement is right in the center of the back panel of the card. I used my Grid Paper to help center it. I found that I needed to put the brad in a bit more loosely than I usually do, in order to allow it to stand up a bit more and catch the bottom edge of the image and hold it upright.

This is sure a fun card to make, and I hope my Technique Club ladies enjoy playing with this design Friday evening!

Thanks for looking, and I'd love to hear your comments.

Happy 13th!

2010-01-17T20:25:00.003-06:00

We are now the parents of an official teenager!

I made a CAS (Clean and Simple) card for Janie this year, and I really like it. I hope you do, too. CAS cards are a fun and easy avenue if you need a quick card. For example, if it is 11 PM and your eldest daughter's birthday is the next day.

I chose the color scheme straight from Stampin' Up!'s DSP "Tall Tales" (Ballet Blue, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, So Saffron). DSP is a great tool for cutting down on the time you need to invest in your card project. For this layout I simply selected a couple of the quail (I'm pretty sure it isn't "quails") and then positioned my sentiment around their cute little heads.

I thought this sentiment (from Stampin' Up!'s "Hope Happens" stamp set) was a great one for a young woman: It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. This is the only stamping I did on the front of the card. I did add another sentment on the inside. It reads, "laughter joy happiness bliss delight Wishing you all this ... and more!" Those two stamps are part of the "Best Wishes & More" stamp set.

Happy Birthday, Janie!

Emerging Colors

2010-01-02T23:44:00.003-06:00

I got an order for some custom-made cards today, and got right to work. (The first one card has to be mailed in a few days in order to arrive on time to the birthday girl!). Making cards for certain people I have in mind is a very rewarding part of my "job" as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

For this card, I wanted to use the Emerging Colors technique. I've used it once or twice before, but it is always a challenge: finding the right images, colors that coordinate but don't overpower, getting the placement right. I hope you'll agree that I worked it out all right for this card.

Here's the drill:

1. Stamp bold-image stamps in 2 different color ink. For this card I used the cherry image with Rose Red Classic Ink and the candle image with Regal Rose Classic Ink. Both stamps are from SU!'s "On a Pedestal" stamp set.

2. Stamp over the top of your images with VersaMark ink, and emboss with clear embossing powder. I used SU!'s really fabulous "Medallion" stamp. This stamp is very versatile; looks great in so many different situations.

3. Finally, use a brayer to add ink over the top. On this card I used Pretty in Pink Classic Ink.

An optional 4th step adds one more layer of stamping over the top. By doing this, you can cover up some of the images in the first layer. I decided to skip this step tonight.

To finish my card, I matted the image panel on Going Gray, and then tied some luscious 1" Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon (Regal Rose) around the whole card front.

Because this card is for a very special person, I decided to add a bit of Wow! to the inside, too!

1. On a piece of Naturals Ivory (4" x 5 1/4"), I stamped the Medallion again with Pretty in Pink. I deliberately used minimal ink and light pressure to create a watermark effect.

2. The components from the "On a Pedestal" stamp set are stamped in Regal Rose and Rose Red on Natruals Ivory, and then cut out and popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Hope you like this card! I encourage you to give the Emerging Colors Technique a try. It is a bit challenging, but when you get it right, the result is very satisfying.

Accordion Card

2010-01-01T22:02:00.005-06:00

Welcome 2010!

I have spent more time sending cards than making them the past few weeks, but last night I found some time to complete a WICKED challenge for December on the "demo side" of the Splitcoaststampers website.

If you are looking for a great resource for stamping ideas, check out www.splitcoaststampers.com! This fab site has everything you need to keep the ideas coming. I like completing the challenges--both those just for SU! demos and the weekly challenges on the main board.

This accordion card is one that I'll feature at my January 2010 Stamp Club meeting.

I will post some basic measurements here, and then I'll also post the link to Patti Lee's blog where she has all the details and fab photos of her work in progress. Thanks to Patti for the great direction and inspiration!!!

For the outside of the card:

1. The standard card base here is Whisper White (8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored at 4 1/4". I stamped flower images from Petal Pizazz in SU!'s Classic Pixie Pink (large blossom) and Pink Passion (small blossom).

2. The sentiment on the front of the card is stamped in Pink Passion. I've double-matted it with both Whisper White and Pixie Pink card stock, and popped the whole thing up on Stampin' Dimensionals. These are 1/4" mats, and the panel for this particular sentiment I cut at 2 1/2" square.

My sentiment is from SU!'s Hope Happens stamp set. I just got this one, and really like all the sentiments. I think it will be a favorite of mine!

Now, the inside:

1. The Pixie Pink card stock is 8" x 4", and then scored at 3", 3 1/2", 4", 4 1/2" and 5". (The score at 4" is the center, and then there should be 2 parallel scores on either side of the center.) Fold this part like an accordion.

2. The pop-up parts of the card (in my card, the punched-out flowers) are mounted on 3/4" wide strips of card stock. These vary in length (1 1/2", 2", 2 1/2") and are kind of stacked along the various folds in the center of the card. If you get a chance to check out Patti's blog, you'll see that she used acetate to mount her fun little images. Using acetate really makes it look like your images are just floating there--very cool!

4. I used flower images from Petal Pizazz to make my bouquet, and punched them out with the 1 1/4" Circle and 5-Petal Flower Punches.

Here's the link to Patti Lee's blog with more information: http://creationsbypatti.blogspot.com/2009/12/wicked-challenge-1-floating-snowflakes.html.

Hope you get a chance to try this fun card out! I'd love to hear your comments, too. Happy stamping!

More Christmas Cards

2009-12-15T19:44:00.002-06:00

After weeks of computer problems, things are finally running more smoothly here, and I'm able to scan and post a few more Christmas cards. I hope you will enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed making them!

I used SU!'s new Patterned Pines hostess stamp set for both these cards, plus the Grateful Greetings set and a retired Jumbo wheel for the second one.

This blue card is a prototype of a card I'll be featuring at my January Technique Club; it uses the Ghosting Technique. Ghosting is a fun, neat and easy technique that produces a result similar to but slightly less dramatic than Emboss Resist.
Here are the specifics for this card, though I've left off dimensions, because those aren't really too important here.

1) Card base is Bashful Blue, as is the 1" Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon. The dark panel is from SU!'s Rich Regals family: Night of Navy. I've blended these two Classic inks on the snowflake image panel as well.
2) The small snowflake image panel is Glossy White card stock. This is important for this technique. To make the snowflakes stand out on the blue background, simply stamp the images first using VersaMark ink. The VersaMark is a clear, sticky ink, and will resist picking up the Classic, colored inks you put on over it.
3) Add color to your stamped image panel either of two ways: sponge the ink on AND/OR use your brayer to add and blend the inks.
4) Finally, use a tissue to wipe excess ink off of the Glossy card stock. Your VersaMark images will show up "ghostly" behind the colors you added over the top.

This second card was even easier than the first to whip together. The only tricky part here really was using the Sticky Strip to attach the Rose Red Double Stitched Ribbon to the Always Artichoke strip.

I once again owe thanks to Trina for the inspiration for these cards! Both cards are modeled after cards she designed for a Christmas card SAS in November.

Wow! Online Extravaganza

2009-11-23T20:31:00.004-06:00

I just checked out the Stampin' Up! website (http://www.stampinup.com/us/enu/default.asp) and was wowed by the deals there. Punches 30% off and other products up to 50% off through November 30.

These specials are for on-line orders as well as orders placed through me. There are some really great bundles offered, so please check out the deals!

Technique Club

2009-11-22T20:04:00.003-06:00

I'm excited to welcome a new member to my Techniques Stamping Club. Holly will be joining us in January. That brings our membership up to 8 stampers (plus me). It is a fun and laid-back group that I am proud to be associated with. Thanks, Ladies! And special thanks to Trina for bringing Holly to us.

The stamping technique we'll be featuring at our January meeting is Ghosting, sometimes known as VersaMark Resist. As you can tell from its names, this technique uses VersaMark Ink to produce a shadowy effect.

Here is an example of a Christmas card I made last year using the Ghosting Technique.

This card has a couple of special features. Firstly, though it is hard to see in the scanned image, it is a "Tent-Topper" card. All this means is that the actual card base is smaller than normal. If you look closely, you can see that the image panel actually extends above the fold of the card.

Another somewhat unusual aspect of this card is that the main image is on Glossy card stock. When using a brayer to apply ink (as we do with this technique), Glossy is the way to go.

The third thing I really enjoyed when making this card was the doodling around the edge. Those are just freehand dots with a white gel pen. I always feel adventurous when I doodle.

I'd love to hear from you if you'd like to participate in a Stamp Club. I'm quite flexible, and love the opportunities my Stampin' Up! business affords me to meet and relax with lots of interesting and fun people.