A Cute Project

This is a cute project we did at a Stampin' Up! Demonstrators' retreat a couple years ago. There are 2 magnets cut with our Sizzix Dies and the chalk is attached to a Sponge Dauber covered with Designer Series Paper and a super mini magnet is then glued under the Victoria Lace Ribbon. After writing your message, you use the dauber to erase it for the next message. The entire piece is made with roof flashing, but be sure to get the type that is magnetic. Some of the materials used for roof flashing are stainless steel & aluminum and neither of those are magnetic. I'm not sure what material this actually is, but I was told it is roof flashing. There is a small piece of magnetic Decor Elements (retired) that was cut with the Top Note Sizzix Die and then embossed.

There is 1 1/2 Striped Ribbon (retired) along the bottom that is ruffled using Sticky Strip or Scor Tape and it was also used for the bow. There are 2 holes punched on the top corners where ribbon was threaded through to make the hanger. I think it is just too cute!

Happy Spring

I'm so glad the leaves are turning green again. I love spring--with all the flowers blooming, birds are more abundant & the temperature is just about perfect. I even like all the rain storms! It makes me want to get out in the garden to clean up the debris from winter, plant new things & get my hands dirty with the earthy smells of mud & mulch. I just don't like to think about what comes after---SUMMER--uhg, hot weather & I don't get along at all. I feel like the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz---I'm melting all the time. LOL So, I'll enjoy spring while I can and stay inside with the air conditioner all summer.

I've got some projects to share that I should have posted earlier, but first I want to share the Mother's Day card I designed for a workshop earlier this month. We used the stamp set Everything Eleanor. It's a terrific set with beautiful flowers, swirls & sentiments. The colors include Regal Rose (which retires at the end of May), So Saffron, Gumball Green & Primrose Petals. The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes. This is an absolutely MUST HAVE set. It has something for every holiday & event imaginable. If you can only buy one set right now, get this one!

This is a Z fold card. One of the Primrose Petals flowers on the front is stamped right onto the Whisper White CS. The other 2 are cut out and placed with Stampin' Dimensionals. All three have Basic Rhinestones in their centers. The Yellow flower was stamped with So Saffron and then colored in with a blender pen. We added accents to it with a More Mustard marker and Dazzling Diamonds. The flowers on the far right are stamped onto the inside piece of Whisper White & are accented with Dazzling Diamonds in their centers. The greeting is punched out & adhered with Stampin' Dimensionals. I think it turned out nicely. If I make it again, I might add another smaller flower with So Saffron just to even out the color scheme a little.


The next two projects are from my April club. We made 2 cards this month instead of 1 card & one 3D item. The cards were fairly easy & we finished club in record time. Linda was our hostess this month and she was able to order some nice products for free with her Hostess Dollars.

This card is made with Betsy's Blossoms and Teeny Tiny Wishes for the sentiment. I used the Rock n Roll technique for the flower with Daffodil Delight and Pumpkin Pie ink pads. ALWAYS REMEMBER use your lightest color first! If you make more than one at a time, be sure to clean your stamp in between. The leaves are Gumball Green--LOVE that color--and the bird was stamped with Tempting Turquoise and then fussy cut. It is attached with Stampin' Dimensionals and has a Basic Rhinestone for the eye. This card is also a Z fold, but going in a different direction--it folds down. To make it stand up once it's opened, I punched a tab with our retired Slit punch. If you don't have one of these, you can use a craft knife to cut a V on the back of the card (upper right of the Designer Series Paper/CS behind the Real Red CS). The notch will hold the card upright for display. It seems like a happy card to give to someone with a spring birthday & would also be good for a child's birthday.


This card is made with the stamp set Lacy & Lovely. It has beautiful doily shapes, the flower shown in Lucky Limeade and also has 3 greetings. We stamped the large doily shapes with Perfect Plum. The Lucky Limeade flowers were stamped on scrap Whisper White and then punched out with the 1" Circle Punch. They have Wisteria Wonder In Color brads in the centers and are attached to Lucky Limeade CS punched with the 1 1/4" Scallop Circle punch.The punched flowers are attached to the scalloped circles with Stampin' Dimensionals. I used Mono Adhesive glue to adhere them to the card. The greeting is stamped in Lucky Limeade. The stamped Whisper White is attached to a Perfect Plum CS layer and then Certainly Celery layer. Each layer is 1/4" smaller than the one behind it. The top folding card is Wisteria Wonder. It was an easy card to make but I think it has a pleasant, simple design. Oh, we did put some Dazzling Diamonds in the centers of the Perfect Plum doilies to give it a little bling. Inside the card is a Whisper White piece that is also stamped with one Perfect Plum Doily in the bottom left corner and a Lucky Limeade flower above & to the side of it. I hope you like these two card shares.

If I can figure it out, I will post the tutorials for these club projects under the Tutorials Tab. If they aren't posted within the next few days, email me and I'll send them to you.

Some tips to share:

1.) If you get Mono adhesive on your hands it is hard to get off, even with soap & water. BUT our Stampin' Mist works like a charm to get that goo off your fingers. Just spray it on, rub your hands together and then wipe off with a cloth or paper towel.

2.) When designing cards, scrapbook pages or anything else, divide the area into thirds--draw an imaginary tic tac toe grid--place your elements, stamped images or other items of interest where the lines intersect (or near where they intersect). This is known as the rule of thirds and is a basic strategy for art and design.

3.) When thinking about where to place your stamped images, ribbon, pieces of Designer Series Paper or other embellishments, avoid the horizonal and vertical centers of your projects. Though this isn't a hard & fast rule, it will usually help make your project more visually appealing.

4.) Studies have shown that odd numbers of items are visually more interesting. So, try to use one item as a focal point, 3 or 5 items as design accents. Of course, sometimes even numbers are necessary, but in general, stick with odd numbers to make your creations balanced and attractive.

5.) In one of my college classes we learned the acronym CRAP for designing. It stands for C--Contrast (colors, images, etc, must be very different), R--Repetition (repeat some things to give good flow), A--Alignment (keep things placed in some sort of order--a triangle, square, oval, etc. or keep similar things together & separate from other similar things) P--Proximity (how close things are to each other--some white/empty space is a good thing). This has helped me many times when designing cards. I hope it helps you too.

Enjoy spring wherever you are!

Club Projects for February 2013

I hope you are all doing well. If you're in the northeast & suffering from the massive snowfall, please know that you are in my prayers. I think how awful it is to be without power when it's so cold outside. Hopefully, the power companies will get things fixed quickly.

This winter has been so mild in Oklahoma that it really hasn't seemed like winter at all. Lately, I've noticed my daffodils are growing tall enough that soon I'm sure they'll have blooms. Of course, now that things are starting to get green again, the weatherman is forecasting a possibility of snow in the coming week. I just hope it doesn't hurt all my bulbs!

Because the weather has been so nice I created this Spring Treat Basket using the new Secret Garden stamp set & matching Framelits in the current Spring Mini catalog. Isn't this a TERRIFIC set! You can buy the Bundled set and save 15%. That's a great deal and believe me, I love a bargain as much as anyone else.

                                                                      

I used the Scallop Border Punch for the handle and then ran all of the Summer Starfruit pieces through the Big Shot with the Polka Dot Embossing Folder. The pink rose was colored with a Blender Pen & the Regal Rose Ink pad. I love how you can get so many color variations using this technique. I added Dazzling Diamonds to the flowers for a little bling.

The cute " Hello" greeting is from the Pretty Petities set and was punched using the Petite Curly Label punch. You can get either one FREE for a purchase of $50.00 during Sale-a-Bration. If you buy $100.00 in product, you can get BOTH for FREE!

The Designer Series Paper is from the Print Poetry pad. This 4 1/2  X 6 1/2  pad is full of BEAUTIFUL double-sided designer paper that adds so much to your cards & other stamped creations. I love that it has 4 pages of each desgin. If you'd like instructions for this project, email me and I'll be happy to send them to you.

The card below uses another Sale-a-Bration stamp set titled Feeling Sentimental. It has a rustic look that is perfect for a masculine card. The other images included in this set are a Ferris Wheel & an old fashioned Bicycle. The images have a lot of detail and are so versatile depending on the colors & layout you use for your projects. In club, we embossed the Phone Booth image with Early Expresso embossing powder & the Heat Tool.

The greeting was stamped with Chocolate Chip ink on Very Vanilla. I used the second to smallest Labels Collection Framelit for the pieces above & below the Very Vanilla. I cut it from the Crumb Cake layer on the card. Punching accent pieces from the center of layers that will be covered with other cardstock is an economical use of your cardstock.

For the ribbon accent, I tied a knot in the center of the ribbon and then threaded the ends through a hole made with the Crop-a-Dile. While the Basic Pearls on either side of the knot aren't "masculine" I don't think it will offend the guys.

The Cherry Cobbler layer is dry embossed using the Argyle Embossing folder. It adds an extra WOW to any project if you use embossing & sponging techniques.

The Designer Series Paper to the right of the Phone Booth is from the Regals Designer Series paper package. This 12 X 12 pad includes 4 sheets of each color. There are 4 different designs (each sheet is double sided). The quality of Stampin' Up! Designer Series Paper is outstanding. The paper is thicker/heavier than most brands so it is perfect for all your papercrafting needs. It won't buckle when you use it for 3D projects, but it is easy to manipulate for various techniques that require that property. If you'd like the instructions for this project email me & I'll be happy to send them to you.

      

Here is another card using the Feeling Sentimental set. It changes the entire look of the stamp by using Bright colors. I think it would be a fun card for a teen or child.

I hope everyone is safe & warm. I will post more projects & cards as I get them made. Until next time--Keep Stampin'!



New Club Creations to Share

I quit making New Years resolutions a long time ago because I never seemed to keep them. The last one I made was "not to make any more New Years resolutions." I've kept that one for a long, long, time, but now I've broken that one too! I've been working on several ideas & have been making plans for the coming year. I've been working on several ideas & have been making plans for the coming year. I'm excited about the things I plan to do. I hope you are too and that you stick to your resolutions to make your life better, healthier or whatever you've chosen to change in your life.

Here are the projects my club gals from Paper Capers & the Inky Fingers made this month. I hope you enjoy looking & that they inspire you to get creative & stamp more often.

The first is a beautiful, vintage style Valentines card using the stamp set You Are Loved. It's in the Big Catalog. We embossed the greeting with Early Expresso powder & then cut it out using the Labels Collection Framelits. The side is dry embossed with the gorgeous Delicate Designs embossing folder. Everything is sponged with Soft Suede. The little green bow was made with the a collection from last years Sale-a-Bration catalog--I got some ink in that area and needed to cover it up. It just proves the saying that in stamping there are no mistakes, just opportunities for embellishment!

I added the incredibly beautiful 5/8" Flower Trim from the current Spring Mini. Isn't it delightful? The DSP is also from the Spring Mini Tea for Two Collection. This is a set of romantic & delicate quilt patterns. It offers so many possibilities for nostalgic cards.

The colors are Primrose Petals, Lucky Limeade, Sahara Sand and Very Vanilla. It's hard to see, but the tiny flowers on the scrollwork have Basic Pearls. I should have used the next larger size instead of the smallest ones. But I think it still looks nice.

Our next project is a treat box made with Raspberry Ripple, Pool Party and DSP from the More Amore collection. I used a heart from Hearts Collection Framelits in the Big Catalog to cut out the heart on the box first, then traced it onto the back side of the DSP and cut it out with the ruffled heart in the Hearts a Flutter Framelits set in the Spring Mini (I LOVE that set & the stamp set that matches it). If you buy the bundle, you save 15%. I always love a bargain.

I used the Hostess Set Mixed Medley from the Holiday Mini for part of the greeting. I love this adorable set and hope it will be added to the Big Catalog coming out in June 2013. It has several holdiay greetings & wreaths to match. 

I also used the "Happy Valentines Day" from Teeny Tiny Wishes--if you don't have that set, you are missing out on one of the best sets we carry. It has 24 stamps to cover every greeting you could ever need.   

The ribbon is ruffled Pool Party which runs through the sides of the box & up through the lid. The punched scalloped edge of the lid are accented with the White Gel pen which makes it really POP.

A piece of acetate is stamped with Stazon Black ink with a greeting from the Affection Collection stamp set. It fits so well with the overall design. You can see the detail in the close up below.

I tied the greeting on with red & white Bakers Twine. The Basic Rhinestones add some bling. Gotta love the Bling!

I hope you've enjoyed looking at the projects we made this month. If you live in the Oklahoma City area and are interested in joining one of my clubs or purchasing Stampin' Up! products (no matter where you are) please contact me. I'd love to help you get in touch with your creative side.

It's About Time

I can't believe I've let my blog go so long without a post. I'm sorry if you are a subscriber and are disappointed that you haven't had any new ideas from me. I have been working on several things. I'm not able to post the pics of them at the moment, but will do that tomorrow.

I was in a craft show last weekend and did fairly well. The main goal was to get more people interested in my classes and club. I had a good amount of sales and several people signed up for notifications for club and classes. I'm so happy.

I have a contract with another local boutique to provide several different stamped papercraft items. I hope they do well. I've already delivered a few items to the store and have had a call or two from customers who want to place orders.

Convention was a blast. I learned so much and made so many great projects at the Late Night Stampers Pre-Convention events. I will definitely join them next year. One really neat project was a smaller pocket folder which holds several beautiful backgrounds for Stampin' Up!'s Simply Adorned necklace line. They are just gorgeous. One in particular was a feather embossed with white EP and colored with our Watercolor Pencils. It is so pretty that I'm going to buy a Simply Adorned Charm to wear.

I had a workshop about a month ago and did well. The ladies are all very nice and get together weekly to craft. They do all kinds of different things, but they love card making especially, I may be doing some more classes for them in the future.

I'm planning on a Christmas Projects class in mid November. We'll make 4 different projects especially for the holidays. More info will be coming, so check back in a week or so.

Hope everyone has a blessed day. Here are a couple of pictures from Convention.

    



Boy, have I been busy!

Happy Saturday. I've been so busy this week. I had to take my mom to radiation 3 days in a row for about 2 1/2 each day. That is rigorous and tiring--for both of us. I did get some of my swaps done while waiting for her. At home I've been working on swaps too. I plan to make about 250 items for Convention. Most will be card swaps, but I also plan to make 3D items and I'm in several different events that require me to make stuff to share.

 Last night when I was working on my swaps I discovered something neat. I stamped the star shaped flower from Flower Fest and punched it out. After looking at it for a minute I thought, "Why not?" and used the Boho Blossom punch to punch out the centers. It looks like a completely new stamped flower. What do you think?

 

I'm finally able to access the pictures on my camera thanks to DH. Here are the word plaques I made for my friend, Celia a few weeks ago. I think they turned out nice. She likes them a lot. Sorry the pictures aren't the best quality.



    

And finally, here is the graduation present I made for my son's girlfriend, Lexi. She is in Army bootcamp now. She says she loves it. She signed up for the National Guard, but likes it so much that she wants to be full time active duty.   

Hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with stamping fun.                                                                             

Stampin' Retreat

Good day everyone,

Our local group of demonstrators, INK Demos, is having a retreat this weekend. It starts Friday evening and goes through Saturday late afternoon. We are doing a shoebox swap and a regular swap of 18 + 1. I made these little gift card holders for my swap. Inside is a folded envelope that forms two pockets. One pocket is for a gift card, the other is for the note card below. I saw these online at Chicken Scratch's blog and thought they were so cute. She used "Happy Together", but since it's retiring, I couldn't use it. Anyway, I thought it was something different.

The retreat is titled "Surprise and Delight" so there are going to be surprises for all of us. Thanks so much to Jann, Leslie, Margaret & Connie for putting this get away together. It will be so nice to have my own hotel room and get away from housework for a day. I'm looking forward to all the stamping and gabbing that we girls are so good at. We are even supposed to stamp together in our PJs. Of course, I do that at home all the time. My husband doesn't understand why a bunch of grown women want to get together in their nightgowns. Oh well, men don't understand a lot of what we women do. They are easier to figure out I think. What do you think? Are men easier to understand than women? Is it easier to figure out what motivates them?

 

Now that the retired list is out, I've finally decided what I want to do for my Convention swaps. No peeking! I'll share them later. I have a bunch to make. I'm doing about 150 just for myself to swap. Then I have 3 shoebox swaps to do, a gift swap, a 3D swap and another swap with the INK Demos. I'm going to be one busy girl for the next 3 weeks. In addition to all that, I have to take my mom for radiation treatments for 3 days next week--she has lung cancer. Also, on Monday, I'm having the nerves in my lower back burned to try to relieve the horrific pain I suffer daily. Please pray that it works for me.

My closest friend, Celia, has 3 huge bulletin boards in her kitchen that are full of pictures. She wanted to put something decorative above them, so I made these placards for her. She was very happy. I used the retired Creamy Carmel because it's very close to one of the walls in her kitchen.

Sorry it's so blurry. I took it with my cell phone and it doesn't have the best camera around. I used the large serif alphabet dies and covered the letters with Red Riding Hood DSP. Made little flowers from Basic Black & Creamy Carmel (to cover my screw ups LOL) and mounted them as shown. I'm really happy with the way the project turned out.

Thanks for looking. Have a blessed day.

Stamped Tiles

Greetings
Here are the tiles I made for the craft show last week. I'm very happy with how they turned out. I stamped them with craft ink and then baked them at 350 for 30 minutes. To be sure the design wouldn't fade I sprayed them with clear sealer. These are also going to the boutique.

Hope you enjoy them.