A CLOSER LOOK

 Here's my desk blotter and most-used items surrounding it.  I recently came up with a way to maximize the stamping area with a very simple product by Crayola.  It's a sheet of thick frosted plastic I got at Hobby Lobby and cut to fit the blotter.  (Sorry, I forget what it's called.)  Underneath, I placed a sheet of SU grid paper which I use to line up my stamping or to center something on a card front.  What a help that is!  As you can see, I keep my Cuttlebug handy on the right since I use it often.

One of my most annoying problems was having to waste time looking for things that got buried under scraps, etc.  Clear acrylic handles were the items "lost" most often.  I used to store all my embossing folders and dies in the top drawer underneath the Cuttlebug; but I moved them elsewhere.  In the front of the drawer, a plastic container holds all my adhesives so that I can put them back as I use them--no more hunting for them on the table!  I just keep that drawer open whenever I'm working.  On the right side of the drawer is a container for my acrylic handles, which you can hardly see--proof of just how easy it is for one of them to "hide" on the table.  Behind those containers is a shallow one to hold incoming cards that need to be answered.

 Having a small space forces me to be more efficient and to purge my supplies often, so bigger is not always better!

DE TOWER DECLUTTERED!

 Compared to previous post, notice the absence of clutter on desk and table tops.  No more piles on the floor, either.  Plus I got all the work done in time to meet Jackie for lunch at Wegman's...

Hope this inspires YOU to start off the New Year with a more orderly creative space!

DECLUTTER DE TOWER!

 Was I busy this Christmas or what????

It's time to put the tower back together, but first I thought I'd give you a tour of the "before."  The first photo was taken from my desk chair toward the closet and Jenny's (my cat) chair.  In the foreground is the edge of my table with a pile of papers on the end.  Next is my desk with the monitor and keyboard.  The waste basket is pulled out from underneath the desk.  In front of it is a stack of 2 plastic containers filled with Christmas stamps, with even more on top.  Behind the waste basket is a box on the floor with a duplicate order that came in on Christmas Eve that I have to return -- like I needed the extra work!  To the right of that on the floor is a pack of printer paper, which belongs in the white cabinet currently blocked by two tote bags.  Behind the chair is the closet, which remained fairly neat, probably because everything I needed is pulled out!  This part of the room shouldn't take long to get back together.  The real challenge is my stamping table area.

The second photo shows my Cuttlebug still open from the last use.  Paper piles in several spots have to be sorted and put away, as well as some punches, stamps and inks.

But first, I need to go downstairs and have my coffee.  See you back here later for the "after" photos!

MODERN CHRISTMAS CRACKERS

I saw a video on YOUtube for making these Christmas Crackers with the Envelope Punch Board, and they couldn't have been easier!  Since our house is a contemporary, I decided to keep the ends pushed in instead of tying ribbons around the narrow parts as is usually done.   They each hold two Lindt truffles and will also serve as place cards for the table setting.  I thought I'd try the less traditional look for a change.

There were lots of versions of these on YOUtube, some large enough to use as small gift boxes.  (Just do a search for Envelope Punch Board.)

BIRTHDAY DEER

Click on the photo to see the glitter on the snow.  I used Star Dust Stickles, and it really glistens the way snow is supposed to!

The birch trees are from a new set I just got in the mail last week from Sweet 'n Sassy.  First I cut down the stamp so that I could use them separately or all together for whatever effect I'm after.  This one is the left 2/3 of the whole stamp.  The deer are from a Memory Box die, which also has another deer with antlers; but I thought these two were a better balance.  In fact, they show up a lot in the headlights around here ;)

The birthday greeting is from a Simon Says Stamp set, and I used Versafine Smokey Grey ink to keep it softer than it would be in black or dark brown.  The twine also came last week, and I love the silver thread running through it.  It's also a bit heavier than bakers twine.

Although it could be a nice Christmas card, this card will go to my son for his birthday on Jan. 8th.

WARMTH AND WONDER

I just love this Hostess Set from SU because it has everything you need for a card, including the inside and outside greetings.  I've already made several cards in different variations and colors, some with emphasis on the tree, some with the deer, and even a background panel with white snow flakes on kraft.

This card started out with sponging the background in Broken China and Tumbled Glass Distress inks.  Next I inked up the tree in Versafine Olympia Green and stamped off before stamping the main tree on the card.  Then without reinking, I stamped the tree a second and third time (very faint here.)  The snowflake was inked with Broken China and stamped off before adding to the card.  The tree ornaments were stamped with Encore Champagne Metallic ink.

The reindeer was stamped in dark brown twice:  once on the card base and once on a scrap of white.  After adding the light green overlay, I cut the deer out (minus the antlers) and mounted it over the first one with a piece of  foam tape.  After applying Tombow Mono glue to the greeting , I was able to slide it in place underneath the deer legs to finish the card.

The inside greeting from the same set is stamped in the dark brown.  This set made it soooo easy!

TIP:  Since this is a wood mounted set, I came up with a way to center the ornaments perfectly on the tree.  I turned the ornament stamp upside down on the tree and marked on the side of the wood mount with a pencil line exactly where the tree trunk is.  Now I can line up the dots every time!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

EXCERCISE FOR AGING STAMPERS

Now that I'm starting to feel my age more and more these days, I don't have the energy (physical or mental) that I used to. (forget about tennis!)  However, I now appreciate participating in the "sport" of stamping.  I get my exercise stretching to reach something that falls on the floor, aerobics jumping out of my chair to get a stamp set from across the room and muscle-building applying pressure on a stamp or cranking out a die cut on my Cuttlebug.

Praise God for a sense of humor!

BIRTHDAY COFFEE

The UPS man arrived today with my precious SU order--YAY!  After sorting all the guest orders and bagging them, I ran upstairs with my new toys and started making some cards.

This one combines the Perfect Blend and Endless Wishes sets...hello Scrap Drawer!  After stamping the cup on a piece of light green, I stamped the lid portion on white and the collar on light brown using Smokey Gray Versafine ink.  For the greeting, I curved the polymer stamps to line up with the curve of the cup and stamped the top part in black and the larger word in light brown.

Since the card is a side fold, I ran the front through the Cuttlebug to emboss the birthday greetings.  Then I added a piece of brown textured cs from my Scrap Drawer, already zig-zag cut on the right side, after wrapping some natural hemp around the top.

Once I add the inside greeting, this should make a nice masculine birthday card!

THANKSGIVING CARD

Using a long-retired SU set, "Bountiful Blessings", this is the card I came up with for the members of the Mothers Class this year.  Rather than color in the image, I decided to keep it simple and rustic looking.  After tearing the edges, I sponged brown ink on the sides, then added some black sponging just on the very edges over the brown to give it a little more definition.

For embellishment, I used 2 pearls and a gem in the lower right corner.  Inside, I first stamped the wheat sheaf of the set in brown, then stamped "bountiful blessings..." in black over it.  The embossing folder on the front gave it a bit more texture.

I am so thankful for the members of my Mothers Class.  They truly are an inspiration and make Wednesdays the highlight of my week.

SIMPLE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT

For the next Mothers Class, we'll be making these Christmas ornament cards--soooo easy!

After punching out a circle of dsp,  add a gem in the center and set aside.  Next, take a piece of white cardstock cut to
3 3/4"x5" and stamp the greeting on the bottom in an ink to match the cardstock base (SU Choc. Chip in this case.)  Then attach a piece of red metallic cord on the top of the card, taping it securely on the back.  Use a dimensional to attach it on the front underneath where the ornament will go.  Then add the  ornament on top of the dimensional.

The "pine branches" are done with a Martha Stewart fern punch and glued into place with TomBow mono glue.  A bow is added for the finishing touch with a glue dot.

Although you could use red or green cs for the base, I thought this dark brown made it a little richer looking and a bit more unusual--who would have thought!

WHITE HOLLY BERRIES

I just HAD to CASE this card shown HERE!  (10/29/13 post)

Holly trees do have red berries, but the white looks so much better here.  It's ok to be creative, right?

First, I ran the Penny Black holly die through the Cuttlebug using Pear Pizzaz cs.  Then I sponged the ends of the leaves with Color Box Olive Pastel chalk ink.  Using the same ink, I sponged the left third of a textured white panel and tied the natural hemp around it.

After stamping "Christmas Blessings" with Versafine Olympia Green ink, I mounted the panel on the card front with dimensionals.  TomBow mono glue was used on the left end of the branch and three leaves to hold it in place.  I slid the branch under the hemp, leaving the rest of the leaves and branch free so that it gives some dimension to the card.   After adding tiny pearls for the berries, the card was done.  This, by the way, took very little time to make--which means I'll be making more!

Thanks, Birgit, for such a wonderful design!

NEW TOY, OLD TECHNIQUE

The new die that I ordered from Penny Black came the other day, and I finally got a chance to try it out today!
This is the design I came up with for Mothers Class next week.

Using scraps from our previous Christmas bargello card, we'll snip them and place them on a piece of cardstock that was run through the Xyron machine.  Leaving spaces between the pieces, we'll add gold embossing powder on the remaining glue and heat.  After trimming and mounting the mosaic piece to the upper left of the card, we'll color the holly sprig and gently glue it to the card, add the tag and gold or red twine bow.

UPDATE ON JACKIE:  She should be home this weekend, thankfully, and plans to be in class next week.  Meanwhile, one of the other moms was in the hospital with an obstruction--what are the odds of two from the same class being in the hospital with the same problem at the same time.  Her issue resolved itself without any drastic measures, however; and she was released on Tuesday and in class yesterday.  Thanks for all of the prayer support that I'm sure helped in their recovery!

Birthday Card for a Good Friend

This was a fun card to make, and it didn't take very long.  I made it a folio card that "hinges" on the left.  The stamp is from a SU set, "Have a Seat."  Since my friend has this kind of furniture in her house, I thought it was just right.

The sun was very strong today, so this card photographed  a lot brighter than in real life.  It was fun making the cushion and pillows out of scrap dsp.  Inside it reads "The most valuable antiques are old friends."  I added that the older the antique, the more valuable.  We've been friends for over 30 years.

SIMPLE SATURDAY #31

BARGELLO CHRISTMAS CARDS...

...TWO FOR ONE!

Next Wednesday, the Mothers Class will be revisiting the Bargello technique which they learned last year and requested that we do again.  (See Splitcoast Stampers for this technique.)

After cutting all the pieces and mounting them on a piece of white cardstock, we'll run it through the Cuttlebug with the Christmas Tree die.  Using the negative space shown on this first card, we'll cut some trees from Pear Pizzaz cs to place in the opening.  Students will have the choice of taping it to lie flat or using dimensionals to raise it above the background.  After gluing sequins, a star and the greeting to the front of the card, we'll go to the second card.

Using the tree that was cut out of the Bargello panel, we'll then make a horizontal card.  (The red background is a richer shade of cardstock than it looks here.)  After attaching the star and a lime green gem, the tree and greeting will be mounted with dimensionals.  This one should take no time at all to complete!

I just love the way this came together so that none of the bargello panel was wasted.

SPECIAL NOTE:  Jackie will be missing some classes because of being in the hospital.  Instead of heading for a trip to Oregon to see her new grandchild as planned, she had to have emergency surgery to remove a blockage in her intestines.  She was in a lot of pain and is still recovering.  We're hoping she'll be out of  ICU soon.  Please keep her in your prayers.

FUN HALLOWEEN CARD

Here's the card we'll be doing at Mothers Class today--too cute!

The Candy Monster is from a set I just received in the mail from Taylored Expressions, along with some orange candy dots.  The matching die made this card super easy to do.  The small details are colored in with Gelly Roll glitter pens.  Jackie is bringing her large googlie eyes to class--they'll look much better than the small one I had on hand.

The polka dot dsp behind the circle opening is from a 12 x 12 K & Co. pad I picked up last year.  (Unfortunately, it looks washed out in this photo.)  It is mounted on the inside of the card to show through the die-cut circle behind the one-eyed monster.  I attachd him to the card front with a piece of foam tape below the opening.  Notice his green teeth, probably rotten from eating too much candy *lol*!

Should be a fun class!

WORLD CARD-MAKING DAY COMES TO A CLOSE

We enjoyed another sunny Indian Summer day today, so I was outdoors for quite a bit.  I did manage to make three new cards for pastor, though.  This is one of them.

It won't be long before all the leaves are off the trees and the days grow colder.  That's the best time to stamp.  Christmas cards, here I come...

I hope you all had a creative day today in honor of World Card-making Day!

GUESS WHO'LL BE GETTING THIS ONE!

Although the design is simple enough, the creative process took well over an hour.  I was experimenting with the stained glass look, but it didn't come out the way I'd hoped.  (I'll give it another try later this week.)

After gold embossing the leaves on vellum and coloring the back with markers, my first attempts at finding an adhesive that didn't rub off is what took all the time.  I finally ran the bottom leaf through my Xyron Label Maker, but I wanted the top one to be a little looser.  Nothing else worked, until I tried my TomBow Mono Glue down the center of the leaf.  The acorn was done on cardstock, so it was easily adhered with a dimensional.

Please click on the image and take a closer look!

HAPPY STAMPERS!

 Today at Mothers Class, I not only remembered to bring my camera; but I also remembered to USE IT!






Evelyn donated her card to the package I made up for the pastor.  I had only three, so hers was the fourth.  Thanks, Evelyn!

Jackie gave the camera a big smile, while Bambi finished working on hers in the background.

Kim's card came out great!

Each stamper used a different Bible verse for her card, so it was a nice variety.

Finally, the class worked on their Christmas cards.  Nicole is on the left.  Although she arrived late, she caught up quickly and finished all three of her cards.  (We do two of the Christmas cards each week so that everyone has a nice stash by December.)


If you click on the photos, you'll see why they're called the Advanced Class!

MOTHERS CLASS CHRISTMAS CARD

This should be an easy card to do in class.  First, we'll stamp the image in Versamark and gold emboss it.  Then with just red and green markers, we'll color in the word and the holly leaves, mount it on a green panel and attach it to the card base with dimensionals.

This is the original card I came up with but later modified it a bit to improve the scale.  The card base is a side fold, and the stamped panel is cut smaller.  I also rounded the bottom right corners of all three layers instead of using the diagonal strips.  One strand of red embroidery floss is wrapped around the left side of the top panel with a small bow at the top, allowing the image to stand out more. 

For the inside, we'll be stamping "Wishing you all the blessings of this happy, holy season."

Mothers Class Cards

This Christmas card is a great way to use up some scraps.  Using a hexagon die, I brought a batch of pre-cut hexagons to class for this simple card..  I got the idea from Kim Singdahlson's blog, September 8th post.  Be sure to visit her HERE!

The Fall card was very easy to duplicate also.  The leaves were inked on a Kaleidacolor pad, fussy cut and mounted on the card front with ds tape.  Twine was wrapped around the panel before mounting to the card.


TIP:  When wrapping twine or ribbon around a panel, start with a small piece of ds tape on the back to hold it in place while you tie it on the front.  Most of the time, it will be looser on the front than you'd like.  Just turn it over, snip the twine or ribbon and tape it down again with regular Scotch tape.  Then adhere the panel to the card.  Easy!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

When I walked into the dining room earlier, something caught my eye.  It was Jenny!  She had climbed into the gift bag on a chair and was quite happy with herself. 

BACK FROM MY BIRTHDAY TRIP

Just got back this morning from an overnight birthday trip with Rick to Mystic Seaport in Connecticut.  The weather was just perfect for walking around outside and watching the sailboats go by.  Our room at the Steamboat Inn was delightful, except that the bed was a bit scary being 4 feet high!  Dinner at the local pub down the street was wonderful.  We even got home in time this morning to get all the garbage out for pickup as the truck was making its way toward our street.  Even though we were only gone a total of 30 hrs., the cats were delighted to see us back so they could go out.

I'm looking forward to getting some cards done later on today before "Stamping Withdrawal" sets in!

FINALLY BACK IN THE TOWER!

To bring you up to date, here's what's been happening since my last post:

First, I was able to "erase" the damage to my car on my own with a spray bottle of Orange Blast and a paper towel.  All that's left is a tiny scratch or two that need some touch-up paint.  This is after 2 estimates of $1200 and $1400 from the collision repair shops--what a rip-off.  No wonder our insurance rates are so high.  I also saved the $500 we would have had to pay as our deductible--that's a LOT of stamps!

Sunday (the 8th) we were able to get to church, and I'm so glad we didn't miss it.  We usually go to the early service, so we don't often get to hear the choir.  They sang four times during the early service, which was just beautiful; and the sermon was outstanding.  It felt really good to be back after missing 4 in a row because of my fall and being on vacation.

Speaking of vacation, here are a couple of pictures:  The first sunrise from our bedroom windows and the pool the next day.  The house was very comfortable for all 10 of us, and we already reserved it again for next year!

Back at home, we are having a new heating and A/C system installed, so the house was "invaded" by workmen for the week.  We still have one more installation to go, and then we can get back to normal.  

BUT, the "fun" really started Thursday night with a line of violent storms that came through and knocked out power for two days.  Thankfully, the generator enabled the workmen that were here to keep going the next day.  We had heat overnight on Friday, and we could see a huge improvement over the old system!  Saturday we still ran the generator (on and off) all day, but went to our daughter's house for a hot dinner and some laughs.  By the time we got home, the power had come back on.  Yesterday was bright and sunny in the 70's with no wind, so I was able to sit on the deck with the Sunday Times crossword and enjoy the weather one more day before it gets too cold.

Stamping has resumed, so check out my next post! (below)

FOUR MORE PASTOR CARDS

Autumn is in the air, as you can see by these designs.  (Please click to enlarge!)

The green one was pretty straight forward and took very little time to make.  The red leaf one was also quick to do, using a piece of dsp from my stash.  The other two took a lot longer.

The "faith" card started out with the letters mounted individually over the leaf pattern on another card front; but I couldn't get it to work.  After scrapping the original card I intended, I came up with this one using the negative strip and a piece of neutral background paper with a lined texture to it.  The orange leaf is from a set with the matching dies by Papertrey Ink.  After using some matching embroidery floss to highlight the verse,  I like how it turned out.

The striped cardfront was even more of a design challenge, but I also like the way it finally turned out after fussing with it for over an hour.  The verse on that card was curled to give it some depth, attached with ds tape on the left side only.

Thanks for stopping by!

BACK FROM VACATION...

...AND STILL CATCHING UP...

We had a wonderful time at the beach house we rented on the Outer Banks of NC for the week of Aug. 25.  All ten of us went; and the grandkids had a ball going from surf to pool to hot tub and back again each day!  Can't wait to do it again next year.

Meanwhile, after resting on Labor Day from the 9-hour drive, I drove the 100 miles (each way) to visit my 96-year old Dad who is still doing amazingly well.  Unfortunately, I had a minor accident on the way home from there, so I've been busy getting repair estimates for the scrapes on my car.  No injuries, thankfully.

Stop by later for vacation pictures!  Hope to be stamping again soon...

GETTING READY FOR A NEW YEAR OF CLASSES

I thought it might be fun to start off a new year of Moms Club with a One Sheet Wonder project using some 12" x 12" double-sided autumn cardstock from my stash.  The first step will be cutting up the sheet according to the pattern I came up with for their projects.  Then we'll use the Cuttlebug to die cut some leaves and make a few cards there.  Should be fun!

I'll try to remember to take photos of their accomplishments when we start!  It probably won't be until the 11th or 18th of September.

NEW SNOWFLAKE DIE

Don't you just love the dies that are coming out now?  This snowflake is so delicate, yet easily released from the Memory Box die.

I started out with a piece of white cs which I watercolored with 3 Distress Inks (Pumice Stone, Broken China and Tumbled Glass.)  I used the pine sprig stamp from the SU Autumn Days set and the sentiment from the ODBD Cardinal Ornament set.

With such a delicate snowflake, I kept the card as CAS as possible.  After assembling this one, I made a second card using the negative cutout and scrap of dsp.




Enjoy!

FALLing Is In??

One of my fellow Silver Stampers (a club for stampaholics over 50) also had a nasty fall, so I made this card to cheer her up.  Inside it will read, "...but not my favorite activity!"

The torn strip is from a pad of Core-dinations in Distress colors by Tim Holtz and Ranger.  The core is kraft, which shows up when you tear it.  I'm going to get a lot of use from this pad!

No more "fall" cards, though... I hope...

Christmas Angel

Sometimes simple is best, which is what I thought for this card.  After clear embossing the angel on white textured cs, I sponged some Distress Inks over it and spritzed with water.  To keep it simple, I wound a silver cord around the panel twice with no bow or knot, then made the musical tag shown with a silver "pearl" on the end.  After adding three more tiny pearls on the right bottom, the card was done.

Inside will read "Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King."

(Click to enlarge for a better view of the texture.)

HAPPY TO BE STAMPING AGAIN!

The pain in my back has lessened enough for me to sit in my chair and stamp awhile--yay!  I'm so thankful that nothing is broken, although I'm still very sore.  Rick says I probably have an internal bruise.

Although I worked on a Christmas card today and cleaned up my table (again!) I thought I'd post this one which I finished last week just before my fall.  It will go with three others to my pastor.

The card is textured cs and is a pale green.  The dark layer under the white watercolor paper is a scrap of Soft Suede, which goes just perfectly with the tree trunk which I colored with a brown marker after stamping it.

ABSENTEE STAMPER

Thanks to a nasty fall in my bathroom, I'm too sore to be sitting up for very long and stamping. I slipped on the wet tile and hit my back on the tub as I crashed to the floor. Thankfully, nothing is broken; and once the swelling goes down in a few more days, I should be back online. Meanwhile, I managed to stamp a few images on white cs to color in for some Christmas cards. I used another new stamp I had purchased at the stamp show last Spring and have colored them in while recuperating on the couch. At least I'm getting something done! I still haven't come up with a design for the image, though. When I do, you'll be the first to know!

SUMMER CARD CAMP WEEK 3/DAY 4

 Our challenge for this class was to try a different technique or look.  Since I usually don't do a lot of layering or edging, I decided to try the vintage look by distressing the panel and sponging the edges.  I meant to crinkle the paper before sponging, but forgot--that's how new this style is for me!  The same color combo of 2 shades of brown, aqua, and 2 shades of purple have become easier to use.

Following one of the sketches for this week helped me break out of my usual pattern.  There are also a lot more layers on this card, thanks to my scrap drawer.  I even dug out my button maker for this one, too.

I like how this turned out and will probably try to incorporate more of these techniques and styles in future cards!  (Once in awhile...)

A LITTLE BOLDER

Now that I'm getting used to this color combo, I'm finding more ways to use it.  Using two shades of purple and a darker turquoise on the kraft card base works very nicely I think.

The jute matches the card base, and the white flower centers match the white embossing for the greeting.  This was a very simple card to assemble, thanks to the die cuts!

Summer Card Camp/Week 3, Day 3

I'm finally liking the color combo for this week.  This card went very fast, mainly because of the die cuts I used.

First, I stamped the flower in purple and put the turquoise centers in.  Then I sponged 2 shades of purple and some turquoise on a scrap of white cs and die cut the butterfly; then I die cut the black overlay.  After adding the purple embroidery floss to the panel, I attached it to the card with ds tape.

Next, I white embossed the greeting on the turquoise banner and added it to the card; then I a attached the butterfly with foam tape.

I'm much happier with this card than the previous one.  I just wish it would have photographed better!

Card Camp Week 3/Day 2

The color combo for this week is two shades of purple, two shades of brown and turquoise--not a favorite combination for me.  However, it does make me stretch!  This card features a new stamp set from Paper Trey Ink which arrived here yesterday.  I also ordered the matching dies, so of course I'll never need another floral set (HA!)

I started by stamping in white ink on Crumb Cake cs, then overstamping the blossoms in purple.  After stamping the inner lines of the flowers, I highlighted the centers with a light turquoise marker.  The sentiment is from the same set, and I stamped it in Wisteria chalk ink.

Once I established the colors needed for this challenge, I added the dots around the leaves and stems with a Picket Fence Distress ink marker.  One word of caution:  when you first apply the pen to the paper, it looks blank for a minute or so until the white appears.  At first I thought it was out of ink; but it just takes time to show up.

The colors on this card look a little stronger in real life, but I think it would be much better on a darker Kraft cs.

 Since this card was too pale for me, however, I cut it down and remounted it on an Early Espresso z-card.

Before attaching the front panel, I ran the left side of the "z" through a Cuttlebug folder for added interest.  I also edged the sides of the panel with my turquoise marker.  (Part of the problem with this card is the camera shot itself.  It's not this pale IRL.)

If you click on the photos to enlarge, you can see the details and colors much better.

Happy Shaker Card

One of the nice things about signing up for Summer Card Camp is that you can go back to catch up if you miss a class or two.  During Week 1, I didn't miss a day; but last week I had a hard time keeping up because of the oppressive heat wave.  So here's the shaker card I would have done for Week 2, Day 3.

Using an oval shaker from Impression Obsession really makes it easy.  All I did was add some beads and sequins for the shaker, with a scrap piece of dsp for the background.  The rest is pretty straightforward.

TIP:  Before adding the shaker contents, use an embossing buddy or brush to eliminate static.

Summer Card Camp/Week 2, Day 5

There's a lot going on here, thanks to our classes this week:  the color combo, the fancy fold and overlap, the ink carving and the base.

Starting with the blue flowers, I inked them on a blue Kaleidacolor pad so that the centers would be light and the edges dark.  Then I "carved" the ink to create the white lines radiating from the center. (Sorry, you have to take the class to find out how...)  I used Versamark ink on green cs for the leaves.  The greeting is from my pre-stamped folder, and was just the right color for this week's assignment.

Next, I chose the dsp from a pad of recycled paper by DCWV.  Using the red for a background on the top part, I also cut out two of the circles for the flower centers.  After assembling the upper part of the card, I cut a strip for the bottom which included the cute little beaver and snail.  The red bird was cut out separately and attached above the greeting.

As you can see in the next photo, I added a stem and flower that would show up on the inside.  When all was done, I mounted the card on a gray base.  Lots of new ideas were used on this one fun card!

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN

Our challenge in the Summer Card Class was to take a Christmas stamp and make a non-Christmas card.  I thought the SU Cardinal stamp would do the trick!

First, I masked off the word "cardinal" along the bottom of the stamp and used Versafine Smoky Gray ink.  Following a bird book that I keep in the Tower for coloring birds accurately, I used colored pencils and the color palette for this week.

This "Z-fold" card will make a nice masculine birthday card for someone this summer!


(Click on image to enlarge.)

Summer Card Camp Week 2/day 1

This turned out OK, but getting there was NOT half the fun!

Every time I try to use my Distress Inks and craft sheet to do a watercolor effect, it fizzles.  Haven't figured out why yet!  After toying with this card for about an hour (it was 95 degrees outside anyway) I finally finished with a card I like.

It was so easy at first when I cut out the scalloped card shape with my Nestabilities die, then die cut the dsp with a circle.  I chose not to cut it straight at the top so that it would emphasize the complete circle.

Next I got out my craft sheet, Distress Inks and watercolor paper; and then the fun began.  I clear embossed the butterflies; but when I tried to apply the ink, somehow it didn't take as well as it did in the class video.  Had I done the embossed resist on regular cs and sponged the ink, it would have been fine.  Rather than scrap it, I decided to cover it as much as possible.  The Sizzlet butterflies served my purpose perfectly.

Instead of using vellum, I stamped the greeting on a scrap of Very Vanilla cs, cut it narrow and added the dots with a brown Distress Ink marker to coordinate with the dots in the dsp.  After adding gems on the bodies, I'm now happy with the results.  Whew!

Summer Birthday Card

The weather is supposed to be in the 90's all this week, so I guess I'll be stamping more than usual!

This card doesn't photograph well and is a little more vibrant than it looks here.  The butterfly has Swiss Dot vellum underneath the black wings.  The leaves were stamped in Versamark and chalked with 3 shades of green.  I used the matching embroidery floss on the side and Mowed Lawn Distress Ink for the greeting.

The butterfly body has a line of black gems which give it a little bit of sparkle.

Hope you're all staying cool!