ALLENTOWN STAMP SHOW

I just got in from the Stamp Show in Pennsylvania where Joan, Evelyn, Mary and I spent almost the whole day and spent our whole budget too (and then some!) My feet are killing me, but it was worth it. I got lots of new paper, a few new stamps, and tons of new ideas.

The Paper Cut had a make-and-take using their acetate and cardstock. The deer on this card is actually a photo that was printed on the acetate and mounted between black and tan cardstocks. I stamped the quote with gold metallic ink and assembled with brads and double-stick tape. Easy!

Last of the Dark Cardstocks...

...now that Spring is here! I just ordered assorted packets of cardstock from SU with lots of pastels and look forward to using them for flower themed cards over the next few months.






Meanwhile, I used the last few dark green cards with flowers as a hint of what's to come.






First, there's another fern card from the preparations for my workshop. I like the way it came out, but thought it may have too many steps for a class. (See posts below.)

The rose card was done with 2 stamps I bought used from a Silver Stamper friend, and I just love them both. The rose leaves look very realistic, and I anticipate using them often. I sponged the edges of the white cardstock to soften it. The rose was done with watercolor crayons directly on the stamp, then a spritz of water to give it a watercolor look. The crystal center added a little bling. I'll use the card to thank my friend for making such a nice pair of stamps available.

I'M BACK! (Finally...)

My computer went down (again!)this week, so I haven't been able to post. That doesn't mean I haven't been busy creating, though!

First, I put together a bunch of cards/kits for my workshop next Saturday. I'm calling it "Six on Saturday" for $10, which just covers my cost. I try to keep it affordable and fun. My idea for this one is to use The Enveloper to make 2 of the envelopes, one out of each 12x12" dp sheet. It'll be like a One Sheet Wonder, but since a large portion will go for an envelope, they'll just get 3 out of each sheet. Everyone will start off with a sheet of a fern design, but get a choice of designs for the next set. For those of you who'd like to follow, here's how it works:

1. Cut an 8x8" square for the first envelope. This will leave you with 2 strips: one that's 4x8" and one that's 4x12". Use the 8x8" to make an envelope with The Enveloper.

2. Cut the 4x8" strip in half to make 2 squares 4x4" to line the flaps of two standard white A2 envelopes.

3. Cut the 4x12" strip into 3 pieces as desired to use on the card fronts.

Shown are the 3 cards made from the fern design, which I hope will be simple enough for everyone to complete. One is vertical, one horizontal and the 3rd (shown on top)is a long top fold card.

Be sure to check out the next 2 posts from today!

Happy Bird-Day

Here's a super easy card to make, with a matching envelope! I think it speaks for itself...

Technique Tuesday Tile Card

Tuesday night at Cyndy's house, we made three cards using three techniques. One was with a Spirelli "flower", one using folds and tags, and this one using a faux tile technique. Here's the procedure:

1. Stamp an image on white cardstock and color it in. We used a blender pen and inks to keep the colors subtle.

2. Cut the card stock into 4 vertical strips, spaced unevenly. Then take each strip and cut it across at random intervals in such a way that when you put them together, they give a "brick" effect. The trick here is to cut them one strip at a time and place them on the cardstock (in this case Navy) BEFORE they get mixed up!

3. Sponge the edges of each piece, one at a time. When you finish all of them, begin pasting or taping them to the darker cardstock, also one at a time.

4. Tie matching ribbon around the image and mount to a card.

Very time consuming, a little bit tedious, but soooo worth it!

Rubber Stamp Tapestry Creation

After receiving my newest RST peg stamp set, I made this card using colors that would mimic the underlying designer paper. I'm really pleased with the results!

I'm also pleased that after purchasing a new basket to hold all the cards I've made that are ready to go at a moment's notice, I discovered that I had a stash of over 35 cards! So I guess it really pays to keep them all in one place. The basket is a white oblong with hoops for handles at each end and is just the right width to hold cards standing upright...plus it goes with the decor in my stamping tower. Thank you Michael's for the 50% off coupon!

Red Poppy

After making several cards using the hydrangea vase stamp, I turned to the poppy in the Bloomin' Beautiful SU set. This one reminds me of all the wild poppies that grow in Tuscany and is a pleasure to use. After embossing with black, the blossom and leaves were painted with Twinkling H2O's. A metallic gold pen added detail at the center of the flower.

The bee in the same set is also quite nice when popped out. Enjoy!

Two Cards Posted, Same Night

Here's another card made with the same stamp set (see card below.) Isn't it amazing how two cards using the same stamps can look so different! The top and bottom of the vase are embellished with a gold metallic ink pen, the flower centers with silver. The dots around the outside are done with a black felt tip pen.

After attaching the ribbon and scalloped circle, I added a tiny velcro closure underneath to keep the card from popping open. The inside is stamped with the flowers and leaves to frame the words "Happy Birthday." This stamp set is so versatile!

Matchbook Card

This was such fun! I used my new Rubber Stamp Tapestry set that just came in the mail for the vase and flowers. Before attaching the oval to the card, I stamped one of the SU "Definitely Decorative Ferns" twice--once in sage ink and again in Versamark. It will be mailed to someone special in another envelope made with The Enveloper, shown beneath the card.

After scanning, I decided to attach a photo anchor with a brad to secure the bottom flap.

Card on Card

Here's a card I CASED from another Silver Stamper. The little card on the front says "Thinking of You" under the flap. I sent it to let someone know she was missed at Bible Study. Inside is just a note. Isn't it a shame that hand-written notes are such a rarity these days? The card front made use of some scraps I kept from a class I went to over a month ago. Turquoise crystals embellish the floral designs... The fern, stamped with VersaMark, is from the SU Touch of Nature set.

TAGGED AGAIN--This time by Rochelle!

Here are 7 things about me never before revealed online:

1. I believe that what you DO isn't as important as what you ARE.

2. If I could live anywhere in the world, I would choose Tuscany--as long as I could still have all my friends and family nearby (and my stamping supplies, of course!)

3. I'm a Nascar fan and my favorite driver is Dale Jarrett, with Tony Stewart as my second favorite.

4. I've watched every episode of Murder She Wrote at least twice (but still forget who did it!)

5. My favorite month is October because of the mild weather and all the wonderful colors of Fall.

6. When I was a teenager, my family used to take our cabin boat up the Hudson River from Long Island, through the locks and canals, all the way to Lake Champlain and Canada.

7. I usually finish the Sunday Times Crossword by Sunday night.

It's your turn to reveal something of yourselves, whether you're tagged or not!

One Last Easter Card

I love the looks of this card, but not the way it's behaving. Because I water-colored the image (probably with too wet a brush,) it warped the paper; and now it just won't lie flat no matter what I do. I finally resorted to attaching it with brads so that it doesn't come apart completely. Sometimes you just can't win!

The designer paper is from a 6" pad of Basic Grey Lilykate, which works really well with the image and colors I used. Yellow Stickles are used for the flower centers.

Have a blessed and meaningful Easter. He is risen indeed--HALLELUJAH!

Hero Arts Owl

Here's a simple card using stamps from Hero Arts. The owl's eyes are enhanced with tiny "rain dots" that almost make him look like he's wearing contacts! (Click on card for detail.)

The branch was stamped with Versamark on both the cardstock and the scalloped oval, then chalk was applied on the oval. A brown marker was used for the dots on each of the scallops, then the oval was taped over the corresponding piece of the branch. Each of the two ovals are mounted slightly off center for balance.

Enjoy!

One of a Kind

The beauty of designing and making our own cards is that each one truly is one of a kind. Here's one I put together at Evelyn's house yesterday, using her Martha Stewart punch for bordering. I'm lovin' that lacy punch, but it's very hard to use. Anybody else have that problem?

Diamonds Cuttlebug

Here's a card made with the diamonds CB folder and coordinating cutting die. I love the nice clean lines of the various shapes. Of course, with my warped sense of humor, the inside reads "Obviously." stamped on another beige diamond. I added a Happy Birthday underneath, with a personal note. It will be sent to someone with an equally warped sense of humor...

I've Been Tagged--Again!

Thanks to Nancy Grant at Inkcicles. Here goes:

1. What were you doing 10 years ago? If I only had a memory...

2. What were you doing 1 year ago? Last year, both my parents (in their late 80's) were having health issues, and I was going back and forth to my sister's house on Long Island to help out. My mom was in the hospital, then my Dad, then both at the same time, then both recuperating at home. Thankfully, they're both doing well now.

3. Name your five favorite snacks: That's easy! Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, hot chocolate, chocolate ice cream and chocolate covered raisins!

4. Name five things you would do if you were a millionaire: Actually, I don't think I'd do anything different than I do now, except that when we travel, we would go first class! I've always enjoyed sharing my blessings with others, so it would be nice to have more to give.

5. Name five things you enjoy doing: Leading Bible studies, stamping, doing crosswords out in the sunshine on the deck, traveling, and watching TV with my favorite cat on my lap.

6. Name five things you would never wear again: Size 12 slacks (not that I wouldn't like to!) spike heels, bell bottoms, maternity clothes or eye shadow.

7. Name your five favorite toys: my computer, my digital camera, TIVO, the Tassimo machine, and my rug shampooer.

Five people I'm tagging: there goes that memory thing again...

BACK TO BASICS

Today, I just felt like doing something simple; so this is what I came up with. Getting out the light box and dry embossing with a stylus can be so relaxing--and it makes a card look fresh and bright. It looks better IRL!

HERE'S A TIP:

Ever have a card that came out so great you didn't want to part with it? By scanning all my cards and keeping them in a ring binder, I can keep track of what I've made (whether they were great or not) and to whom I sent it, along with the date it was mailed. This also keeps me from sending the same card to someone another time.

One Stamp Challenge

Isn't it amazing how one floral stamp can do so much! I stamped the flower on green Bazzill cardstock with black ink, then stamped it again on white cardstock. Green chalking highlights the leaves, shades of pink highlight the blossom, with brown chalk for the flower center. The blossom was cut out and attached to the card over the floral image. Add two buttons, a bow and a sentiment-- done!

Paper Piecing

Here's another version of the Hero Arts lily stamp I've been using for my Easter cards. This time I used paper piecing for the bloom, with a coordinating envelope. The image is mounted on metallic green paper with matching brads. Enjoy!

A Bear Visit

Another bear came by for a snack in our yard, right outside our window. Check out the video on my Fox Mountain blog (see list on right.)

Hero Arts for Easter Cards

I'm just lovin' these beautiful new stamps, especially the Flourish Lily! The petals were water colored to coordinate with background papers, with Stickles for the centers. Enjoy!

Hero Arts Stamps Have Arrived!

Butterflies and balloons--perfect together! More scraps utilized for the butterflies and balloon image, as well as the plaid dp. For the envelope, a 4" square makes the matching liner. (Bottom butterfly looks pale because it's stamped in yellow to match color in plaid.)

One More Scrap Card

Here's a birthday cupcake card done with metallic silver scraps for the border, cupcake cup and punched flower. What fun to use up the scraps that keep filling up my scrap drawer!

The cupcake is a Hero Arts wood mounted stamp. The flower on top is from the Hero Arts clear stamp set for birthdays, dusted with crystal glitter. Inside will say "Seize the Cupcake" from the same clear set.

Scrap Paper Card

While Joan and Evelyn were here today, I decided to make a card using some scraps and Evelyn's Fiskars Border Punch. The embossed square was done with a Cuttlebug small folder and mounted on scrap cardstock that just happened to match one of the colors in the rose dp beneath. The rope border punch lets another strip of the rose paper show through. This would have made a nice Valentine card, but instead will be used for a Summer birthday.

The Party's Over...

...and my house is so clean, I won't have to do a thing for weeks! (LOL)

Since Monday is a holiday, Evelyn and Joan will be here to stamp instead of on Wednesday. Meanwhile, check out the post of the Fox Mountain blog and I'll see you back here on Monday night with our latest Cuttlebug creations!

Time Out for a Party

Every February, I host a February Blues Bash to chase away the winter doldrums. This year will be the tenth one! I had to postpone it a day because of all the ice and frozen slush in our driveway, but 18 of my friends will be here. Instead of stamping, there will be a hot luncheon, games to play and lots of laughs.

Check out the Fox Mountain blog (at right) for further details tomorrow night!

Since you asked...

...The Enveloper is a neat little tool that makes envelope-making quick and easy. It consists of a plastic board with ridges at the right places and a plastic embossing tool. The instructions that come with it are easy to follow. Frantic Stamper has it for $24.99 and mine arrived within a few days of ordering. Hint: I attached the embossing tool to the base with a piece of velcro so it wouldn't get lost.

Can't wait to see all those fancy envies on your blogs!

TWO SUNNY CARDS FOR THE MIDDLE OF WINTER...

Now that I have the Cuttlebug and the Enveloper, I'm making fast use of both! The yellow card was done by punching out and repositioning 2 of the circles from the CB embossed piece. The ribbon I had on hand matches perfectly, and the small stamp fit the hole just right. Things don't always work out that well.

The blue card was done with a brass embossing template. I tried putting it through the CB, but couldn't get a clear image with it, even though I used the "sandwich" recommended on SCS; so I wound up doing it with my light box. (If anyone knows a better way to do this on the CB, please leave a comment!) For the cloud, I used the same template, moving it up to make a narrower cloud shape. The blue CB swirls are suggestive of the wind, I think. "A sunny hello" was stamped on white, mounted on yellow cs and edged with yellow Stickles.

What fun to be able to play with new toys!

Sour Cream Containers

No sour cream here--just chocolates inside, along with a proverb from a container of "Proverbs to Go" from Target! It was fun making these, and it didn't take long to make a variety of 20 for my February Blues Bash coming up on Friday. These will make nice favors! (For more on the Blues Bash, click link on right for Fox Mountain.)

HOW 'BOUT THOSE GIANTS!!!

They won the Super Bowl! What an unbelievable game! I have to admit, though--I cheated: I was praying for them...

Back from Florida!

Had a wonderful time of R and R with my sister and her friend, Sheila. We even got to the Metro Miami Zoo on a quiet Monday with no crowds. As you can see by the photos, it was picture-perfect weather!

Thankfully for all of us, especially a curious little white egret, the tigers had just been fed! The big cats are my personal favorite, and this zoo had a white tiger (shown) along with several of the orange Bengals. I also enjoyed seeing a Koala, the elephants, lions and some very delicate looking antelopes that were super slim (an inspiration???)

After a turbulent flight home, I'm looking forward to posting some Valentines--as soon as I get the house clean again!!

OFF TO FLORIDA!

Looking forward to spending some time in the warmth and sunshine of the East Coast of Florida for a few days with my sister. See you when I get back! Meanwhile, be sure to cast your vote at right...

IF IT'S WEDNESDAY, WE MUST BE STAMPING--Part 1

Mary brought the Enveloper to play with today. Here is the group of cards I made, with a few more of them highlighted in Part 2 below. Click on them for further detail.

The grape card is embellished with a flat button I've had in my stash for years. Just proves you never know when you might "need" something! It was perfect for the colors in the paper.

For the celebrate card, I chose the candles to coordinate with the stripes in the envelope paper.

MARY'S NEW TOY: THE ENVELOPER, Part 2

...WHAT FUN! Mary, Joan and Evelyn were here today for our introduction to the Enveloper which makes envelopes in a jiffy. We pulled out our stash of double-sided designer paper, and before you knew it, I had 6 envelopes with leftover pieces to use on the cards. Here are a few of my favorites.

The yellow tulips are highlighted with yellow stickles.

Since I wanted to show as much of the floral image on the brown dp, I settled for a smaller design off to the side. The circle "tag" is embellished with a pearl and mounted over sheer ribbon.

The second brown card looks similar, but is really quite different. Mounted horizontally, I pulled out the beige in the dp for my lily blossoms and the heart button on the right.

We can't wait to see what Mary brings next time!

THE GIANTS WON!

They're off to the Super Bowl after defeating Green Bay 23-20 in overtime!!

Just thought I'd mention it...

MOTHERS CLASS INVITATION

This crazy cat is purple and yellow--the purrfect??? invite to launch the Mothers Class Bible study for 2008! If you got an invitation like this one, wouldn't you want to come?

One Sheet Wonder

Yesterday, Joan, Evelyn and I worked on OSW's in the newly reorganized stamping tower (see posts below). It was such a delightfully sunny day, we worked from 10-3 on our new creations from the samples shown here. I'm so blessed to have such good friends and a cheery place to share ideas with them!

CLEVER CARD HOLDER

Here's the card holder my DH made for me, as shown originally on the Carol Duval Show and mentioned in the posts below. It's made from a yellow slinky and I use it constantly! As I make birthday and other cards, I write the date in the upper right-hand corner where the stamp will cover it later. Stored in chronological order between the Slinky spaces, they're ready to mail on time!

REORGANIZED AT LAST--Part 1!

Here's the New Look! I found white cabinets on sale, (just what I wanted!) to store everything within arm's reach of my chair in a way that made everything accessible and neat (not leaning as it appears in the photo!) If you checked out the old arrangement (see Dec. 27 post) you can see that I reversed the room so that these storage units are on the wall where the table used to be.

Behind the cabinet doors are most of my mounted stamps. Now I can keep the blinds open (or up) during the afternoon when the sun shines in without it damaging the rubber. The rest of them are stored in the 2-drawer unit under the window. The unmounteds are stored elsewhere in the room.

I enjoy having my computer handy, with the printer to the right of my desk, adjacent to the closet doors. My tiny Dell speakers have a full sound, allowing me to listen to a variety of radio stations streaming on the internet. On Sundays, I enjoy listening to classical music from Seattle; nights I often tune in to Delilah's "sappy love songs" as she calls them.

Across from my desk is a 3-drawer wooden dresser which houses my TAC unmounted stamp sets, 12x12 designer papers and a bottom drawer full of scrapbook pages and photos. On top sits my cutter and the special card holder my DH made. Above that is a shelf my husband also made and mounted for me to display my cards before I use them. The horizontal cards hang on the string beneath the shelf, with the vertical ones above. The door at left leads to the hallway.

(Continued below...)

REORGANIZED AT LAST--Part 2!

Don't you just love a rainbow of color??? I store my paper on a paper rack I bought (used) for only $25 at the Rag Shop going-out-of-business sale last Fall. By keeping it in the closet with the doors closed most of the day, the paper is protected from fading. Notice the cubbies underneath, which I purchased at Walmart awhile back and use for storing odds and ends like zip-loc bags, light bulbs, baskets of photos, etc.

My table is positioned in such a way that I can see out the windows to my right or out the door down to the foyer and a view of the driveway to my left. There's plenty of room for guests! Under the window, my DH mounted a wire grid to keep my scissors and heat gun handy. Behind me are the white cabinets and drawers I purchased last week at Target. To keep the tablecloth out of the way (it's a flannel lined plastic) I secured it underneath with velcro tabs.

The hardest part of this whole project was sorting and purging through all the "stuff" that had accumulated over the years. Thanks for looking!

REORGANIZATION ALMOST COMPLETE

I've been working hard on my stamping room redo, and it's almost complete. My plastic carts have been emptied and the contents moved into new storage units. The carts will be given to my stamping buddies to use until it's their turn to outgrow them!

Two goals have been accomplished so far: to make my limited space look neater; and to store stamps behind closed doors, safe from damaging sunlight. In the process, I've purged a lot of unused stamps and supplies to pass on to others, ridding the room of a lot of clutter. Most-often-used items will be within reach from my chair, with less-used items stored away but still easily accessible. One major challenge was the addition to the room of my desk and computer, reducing stamping space even more.

As soon as I have everything back together, I'll be posting pictures. Meanwhile, January is traditionally "hibernation month" for me when I stay home more and catch up on things. So I haven't been stamping as much lately, allowing time to recharge my creativity after the busy-ness of the holidays.

Thanks for visiting--I always enjoy all your comments. Check back here soon for the results of my reorganization efforts!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Off to a running start in 2008! Here's a super-easy card made with one stamp and one color. The balloons were punched from scraps of silver paper with embroidery floss attached on the back and popped out with mounting tape. This will be the first card mailed in the New Year.

Meanwhile, I'm still working on reorganizing my stamping space; and I'm halfway there. There's still time to leave a comment with ideas for storage and other helps. As soon as it's done, I'll post photos!

Best wishes to all of you who have visited my blog -- have a creative New Year!

HELP WANTED!

I am beginning to outgrow the space in my stamping tower and would like some suggestions on how I could make it better. For pictures of my space, use the link for Fox Mountain and open the archives for November 2005.

Thanks for the help!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Wishing all of you all of the best of Christmas blessings. See you back here in the New Year!

I've Been Tagged!

Here are 7 things about me that you might not know:

1. I love chocolate (who doesn't?)

2. My favorite color is yellow, and I hate pink.

3. I love cats--we have three of them.

4. I enjoy traveling and hope to get back to Italy some day soon for a third visit.

5. I love to drive--anywhere, even in New York City.

6. I host a February Blues Bash with a different theme each year.

7. I hate to exercise, but do it anyway.

Did I mention that I also enjoy being concise? Here are the 5 people I'm tagging:

Amy G.
Rochelle
Dawn
Lauren
Dee J.

INSPIRATION CARD

A friend gave me a beautiful box of licorice, and it inspired me to make this card. Thanks Jane! Of course, being a cat lover, I used my SU Cool Cat set and dove into my stash of Basic Grey dp for the background.

(The licorice is delicious!)

Home from Prague...

...with a bad case of stamping withdrawal! Can't wait to get back to my stamps and inks, but first I need to recover from jet lag.

Stop by again soon!

OFF TO PRAGUE!

I won't be posting again for awhile; but I did mail all my Christmas cards today! Snail mail is still good for something...

HAPPY STAMPING!

One Bright Star

here's a card I made with a friend who brought her stamp to the Tower. Sorry, I can't tell you what company makes it. We stamped out several on white glossy cardstock with dark blue ink and added a Mrs. Grossman's crystal in the main star. The image was mounted on dark blue, then onto a metallic blue and then on the dark blue card. The greeting inside was stamped on white paper over a light blue gleaming star and reads, "Beneath the silent beauty of one bright star, the light of the world is born."

Thanks to Evelyn for such a wonderful design idea!