Get Out Your Party Hat!

Another easy card!

First, I stamped the Hero Arts image and cut it out with postage stamp scissors. After mounting it on beige cardstock with SU dimensionals, I set it aside while I worked on the card itself with wavy scissors, a strip of patterned cardstock for the bottom and a piece of coordinating polka dot dp. A green button with a beige embroidery floss knot adds some detail.

After adhering the image to the card, I traced over it with a light brown marker pen and added some gems for bling--less than 10 minutes to complete...gotta love this Hero Arts birthday frames set!

Birthday Card for Someone Special

Don't you just love those cards that seem to "evolve" as you go along? This one started out with a leftover cuttlebug card and a scrap of black and red Basic Grey dp.

First, I split the dp (unevenly) so that the wide piece could hide some blank space along the fold and the narrow piece could go along the inside on the right. Next, I used some black embroidery floss along the edge of the dp. Then I found a red button in my stash with one large hole in the middle, into which I glued a black pearl. But then, what to do with all that blank space above...

Since Spring is here, with its promise of showy tulips and daffodils, I got out my Inkadinkado clear set of flowers and chose this showy tulip. I stamped it twice on red card stock so that I could pop out the foreground petals of the bloom with SU dimensionals.

After attaching it to the card, I did a little shading on the petals with a Versamark pen. To give it some "life" I added black Stickles and prisma glitter to the stamens. Done!

I just love it when a card comes together!

Mothers Class Does It Again!

This week, our class focused on House Mouse stamps. Although I had a wide variety of stamps, everyone seemed to choose the same ones. These little mice are just too cute!

Isn't it amazing how cards made with the same stamps can all turn out so different! Linda's card lies flat on the table because she chose to mount her image as a flap, like a mini-card on top of one piece, with the message underneath. The others stand up, some horizontal, some vertical. We had a lot of fun, and I'm sure the recipients of these adorable House Mouse cards will get a chuckle out of them.

One Last Easter Card

This one was for Evelyn, who has seen all my others. So I put this together just for her!




First, I stamped, heat-embossed, and colored the basket. Then, using my peg stamps from Rubber Stamp Tapestry, I "filled" the basket with leaves, ferns and flowers. Next, I added a tiny dragonfly enhanced with Stickles, and used a gray marker for a shadow and some dots around the image. Finally, a bow was attached with a glue dot.

After punching the notches on the corners, I taped the image on dark green Bazzill cardstock and mounted it to the card with SU dimensionals. All in all, an easy card to do--and fun!

Don't Throw Away Those FRAMES!

After using the die for another card, I was left with this outline. I got out my watercolor crayons and painted it to make a frame. After attaching it to the card with double-stick tape, I stamped the flowers and greeting. The flowers were painted with Twinkling H2O's, as are the dragonflies. (Unfortunately, the shimmer on their wings doesn't show up well here. Click on image for a better view.) The dragonflies are popped out with foam tape.

This is just one example of how to make use of leftovers from other projects!

Beautiful Butterflies!

Mothers class members made faux cloisonne butterfly cards this week, and they all turned out great!

(For instructions, see March 23, 2007 post--and don't forget to click on photo to see details.)

We decided to name them this time. One mother named her butterfly "Bob"... What can I say, they're an imaginative group...

Enjoy!

Keenagers Project

One of the reasons I haven't posted lately is because I've been spending hours and hours preparing for a special Easter project for the "Keenagers" (seniors) at my church. Since most of them are in their 70's and 80's, all non-stampers, I had to make up kits with everything pre-stamped, ready to assemble. Be sure to click on the photo to enlarge!

First, they put together a bag topper for Easter treats. They filled the bags with Easter grass, added the candy provided and sealed the zip-loc top. To make the cover, all they had to do was color in the image and tape down the paper strip and the scalloped oval.

Next, we did the purple card with the butterfly. Since the card was already folded and punched with my Fiskar's eyelet border, they basically just had to tape down the white strip, the butterfly and the inside greeting. This was the easiest project of the four.

Then we did the bunny card, which was a little more involved. They especially enjoyed using mini dots and pom poms for the bunny tail!

Last and smallest, but not least, they assembled the cross card. After wrapping the embroidery floss around the image and securing it on the back, they attached that piece with SU dimensionals to the darker cs and mounted it on the card. Earlier, Evelyn and I had made matching envelopes for the smaller size using our Envelopers.

There was lots of excitement in the room, especially with one woman who said in the beginning that she could never make these. I'm so glad we proved to her that she could!

Since this occurred on the same day as the Mothers classes, they were all happy to help. They jumped right in as leaders, and the older folks really enjoyed having younger moms there with them. All in all, the effort that went into making this a success was well worth it.

This whole event just goes to prove that stamping can also serve as a creative ministry! Every time we make a card and send it out to someone, it says "someone cares" enough to take the time to think about that person and express it in a personal way.

GOOD NEWS FROM PRAGUE!

We just heard from our favorite SIL that our new grandson was born just 2 hours ago! Through the marvels of internet technology, we already have pictures of mother and son. Welcome, Elliot!

Valentine from Across the Pond

Imagine my surprise when I went to the mailbox to find a Valentine all the way from England! It was from Germaine of her Stampilicious blog whom I "met" through the blogosphere.

The hearts are gold embossed, and the square in the center opens to reveal a little message. The gold twine is the perfect finishing touch.

Thanks Germaine--your card will remain on display in the Stamping Tower!

Cute as Can "Bee"

This adorable card is one of three done at Cyndy's workshop last week. I especially like the colors Cyndy chose.

First we stamped the images, then placed a circle template over the area we wanted to highlight. Using a paper piercer, we followed the edge of the circle to "frame" the image. Then we watercolored just the inside of the circle, mounted all the pieces to the card and added some Stickles on the bee's wings for bling.

Cute stamp set! (from Stampin' Up.)

New Watercolor Technique

This watercolor involved the use of regular watercolor paper, a water brush and dye inks. Although this card looks better IRL, I'm not entirely happy with the results. (Click on card for closer look at details.)

The stamps were from a clear set by Art Impressions. After watching the coordinating DVD and trying their method, it still needs some more experimenting to get it just right. I like the way the grass and the pot turned out (not the kind that is smoked--no pun intended!) but I think the flowers could have been done better. I'll have to try again soon...

To finish the card, I mounted the image on dark background paper, then on a pearlized designer paper, with gold stick-ons for bling.

Another Easy Card!

Here's a one-stamp card that was oh, so easy to do. After inking up the Hero Arts "Misty Garden" stamp I borrowed from Mary, I stamped it on white cardstock. Then I used chalk to color the flowers, tore the edges and mounted it on yellow designer paper, which I also tore. After mounting both on pale yellow cardstock, I adhered it to a white card.

For bling and extra interest, I used Stickles for the center of the purple flowers and light brown gems for the yellow flower centers; then added a square button on the lower right corner. It was so easy, I also did another card in pale purple.

With floral images like this, can Spring be far off???

Valentine Connection

Send me an email with your snail mail address, and I'll send you a "real" Valentine!

Thanks Jackie at Kreate With Me 2 for this wonderful idea. You can check out Jackie's blog using the link at right.

Stampscapes Fun

Yesterday, the 4 Tower regulars (Joan, Evelyn, Mary and I) spread out our "toys" on the dining room table and went at it. We were experimenting with Stampscapes images and had some good results. Here are two cards I completed, although I still have a lot to learn!

The chapel card was done using 6 stamps: chapel with trees, country path, tall grass, meadow grass, overhead branch and clouds. Dye ink was applied evenly beforehand on glossy cardstock with sponge daubers. For the grassy area, I used green pigment ink and removed some to lighten the pathway. I mounted it on the inside of a card with a small square "window" through which all you see is the steeple until you open it. After stamping a sentiment on the blue overlay, I mounted it on the card and added a blue button.

The cabin scape was made with 5 different stamps: cabin with trees, grass, pine tree, clouds, and birds. Ink was applied less evenly using a Colorbox stylus and dye inks. I mounted it on white cardstock with a kraft overlay and added a pine tree brad.

This was a lot of fun, especially with the four of us sharing ideas and oohs & aahs! ...not as difficult as it looks!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Someone recently sent me a list of quotes for encouragement, and this one was particularly thought provoking:

"SOME PEOPLE COMPLAIN THAT GOD PUTS THORNS ON ROSES, WHILE OTHERS PRAISE HIM FOR PUTTING ROSES ON THORNS." (Anonymous)

Which one are you???

My First Acetate Card

This is my first attempt at doing an acetate card, and I'm not sure I'd do it the same way again. I think I'd rather do it without the white card inside so that it has more of a "floating" effect. This set came from Hero Arts and included the white cards and envelopes, so I used them here. I'm looking forward to some more experimenting, though.

Meanwhile, I love the Cuttlebug butterfly with the pearls for the body. I've made several other cards using the 4 different butterfly folders, and they all came out simple and elegant. With CB backgrounds and a few gemstones, they were easy to do. More on both later...

And The Winner Is...

#11--"Homemaker"

Congratulations--you've won the blog candy!

Thank you all for your wonderful comments. Stop by again soon!

Another Happy Valentine

Here's a happy cat all decked out for Valentine's day:

This completes all the Valentines I'm sending out. Now I can concentrate on Spring birthdays and anniversaries.

Don't forget to check out the blog candy and challenge in the post below!

NEW YEAR BLOG CANDY CHALLENGE!

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:

Just scroll down through the cards I posted in 2008 and choose your favorite. Then leave a comment on this post telling me which one you selected. At 10 pm on January 15th, I will pick a random winner to send a special Valentine with the clear stamps shown here. Have fun!

Eyelet Lace Valentines

Thanks to a 50% off coupon for AC Moore, I shopped on New Year's Day and finally purchased a new Fiskar's edger punch. Although it doesn't show up in the photo, the punch also embosses between the cutouts and the edge. It was just right for these Valentines in combination with some two-sided designer paper from Stampin' Up on the tall one, and the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots on the horizontal card.

Enjoy!

NO RESOLUTIONS HERE!

I've never been one to make New Year's Resolutions--they only get broken the first week anyway...right??? Instead, here's what I've done every year:

For the month of January, I hibernate. Isn't that a great idea? This is when I catch up on all those indoor projects at home, take time to reflect on the things that are really important, keep warm by the fire, do some reading, prepare Bible Study lessons for the Spring semester, write letters, etc. Oh yes, and purge my stamping tower of unwanted/unused items to make room for more creativity in the coming year. To make the time for these things, I pull back on all my usual activities: Mothers Classes are delayed restarting until Feb., we use a 6-week Winterim at Bible Study (usually a tape series) to allow time to prepare for our more in-depth studies starting late Feb. to May; and, except for church, Bible Study and grocery shopping, I stay home most of the week all month. It really works for me as a way to recover from the busy-ness of the holidays and recharge my inner batteries.

Besides, I just HATE the cold...unless we get a few inches of powdery snow that allows me to go cross-country skiing. (After the first 10 minutes of that aerobic activity, I really warm up!)

Leave a comment and tell what you do in January to beat the cold!

Inking In the New Year!

Best wishes to all for a Happy and Healthy New Year!

I hope to share many new card designs with all of you in 2009! Please be sure to leave a comment whenever you visit--thanks!

Christmas Is Here!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Tree Trimming Time

I finally remembered to take a picture of our Christmas "Bird" Tree! After Christmas, instead of storing it in the attic or basement, we remove the icicles, unplug the lights and carry the whole tree into the living room where it resides for the rest of the year. Since it has no ornaments, the "natural" look fits right in with our country decor.

Notice the box Rick made for the base--it has an opening in the back so the cats can go in for a nap.

(Click to enlarge for a closer view of the birds and pine cones.)

Get Your Sun Glasses!

Winter has just begun in earnest with our latest snowfall, but I'm ready for some sun! This birthday card was very simple to make: just some plaid dp, a strip of coordinating yellow Bazill cardstock, a darker yellow ink and some gold brads. Orange crystals add a little extra bling to an already bright card...

January Birthday

This stamp from Verses Rubber Stamps (purchased at Michael's??) is the perfect saying for a January Birthday card! The dp is from the "Old World" mat stack by Die Cuts With a View. The round stamp is by SU and was from the special offer with a subscription to Country Living magazine. I like the versatility of the stamp since it could be used as a snowflake (in blue or white) or as a flower. Here I just picked up on the round shapes in the paper and buttons, matching the green, which is a little different shade from the Christmas greens I've been using. I like using just the tone on tone with white, and no ribbon.

Enjoy!

Snowstorm Stamping Again

A huge snowstorm has been predicted for tomorrow and Sunday, so I plan to spend hours in my stamping tower "playing" with all my stamping toys in the afternoon. First, I'm going to finish cleaning, gift wrapping and baking some Christmas treats.

Diet? What diet???

Cat-lover to Cat-lover

Here's a Christmas card I made for a friend who loves cats. First I taped the green cardstock to a white card, then added the double-sided designer paper below it. (dp by K&Co.) I then stamped the cat (Repeat Impressions stamp) on white and punched it out with the giga-punch, using the same punch for the striped side of the dp. The striped paper at the bottom is actually a strip on the inside of the card after using scalloped scissors to trim a half inch off the top layer.

The cat image is painted with watercolor crayons and mounted over the striped oval, then attached to the card. Buttons and bows complete the red and green theme, with a red gem (Hero Arts) for a little bling in the center of the pillow.

Another easy card!

Tip: When folding a card the long way, be sure to use a scoring tool. Because the grain goes the other way, it will leave wrinkles or a rough edge along the fold, if done by hand.

SLICE IS HERE!

My new Slice die cutter arrived, and I finally had some time to play with it today during the snow/sleet that kept us from getting to church. My first project was this Christmas card using the alphabet and a tag design that came with the machine.

After attaching the embroidery floss to what is now an "ornament," I turned it under the background paper, secured it on the back and taped the bg paper to the card. Next I popped out the letters and added a snowflake to the top of the "J" with dimensionals. For a little "bling" I placed a large pearl in the snowflake center and three tiny ones in the lower right corner. (...difficult to see on the scanner, but more noticeable if you click on the image...)

The Slice took a little getting used to, but it's fun!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Blessings to all my stamping friends. We have a lot to be thankful for!

Christmas Plaid

Here's a card made with a stamp set and some scraps left over from last year. First, I stamped the holly image on a piece of white cardstock, colored it and splattered it with a green "blow pen." Then I sponged the edges with dark green ink, glued on a bow of red metallic cord, placed dimensionals on the back and put it aside.

Next, I taped a piece of red and green plaid to the cardstock on the left side. After placing the image over the card, I added 3 red gems to the bottom right corner. The word "blessings" is stamped in black to the right of the image; but next time, I would use white or silver so it shows up more.

Finally, the sentiment inside is stamped in dark green on a piece of white paper.

Easy Cuttlebug Card

This couldn't have been easier! Just taped the cuttlebug Holly image to the card, added red "berries" and attached the tag with a piece of ribbon. I saved on ribbon by punching a hole through the card on the right side only. After stamping a sentiment inside, I was done!

Over 100 Christmas Cards...

...ready to go! With a wide variety of designs, I'm finally finished with my creations and all I have to do now is address the envelopes.

This one was done using a Stampin' Up stamp set, red and green markers, a black "gem" for the eye and a red button with green embroidery floss. The bottom leaves were stamped twice without reinking, then mounted on a green Hero Arts card. After coloring the cardinal and leaves, the image was cut out and mounted with foam mounting tape.

Now all I have to do is clean my house!

SAD NEWS

No time for stamping:

On Wed., November 5, my mom passed away after a stroke that left her unconscious for a week. She was 88. This Saturday will be her memorial service, so I will be at my sister's to help with the preparations.

Although it is a sad time, we are all grateful for her long life. She was always cheerful and ready to have fun, even through all her health problems over the past two or three years. It's a real blessing that my children and grandchildren got to know and love her, too.

She will be missed...

The Ups and Downs of Life

After an extended visit and having such a wonderful time at Disney World with our whole family, Laura and family returned to Prague. The very next morning, I got a call from my sister that my mom was in the hospital and would have to go to a nursing home from there. So without even having a chance to clean up or do the laundry, I had to repack warmer clothes and head out to Long Island to help. She had been hospitalized with uncontrollable coughing due to some fluid in her left lung. While we waited for her to recover, my sister and I started the Medicaid application process with a voluminous amount of xeroxing records to attach. We spent 3 1/2 hrs. using 2 copy machines at my sister's office to get it all done--what a job! Mom was recovering nicely and all set to enter the nursing home the next morning. Then things changed literally overnight. She had a stroke (as far as the drs. can tell) and as of today is still unconcious with a respirator and all sorts of tubes and wires attached. The drs. are optimistic that she will recover enough to go to the nursing home, but at 88 yrs. old nothing is certain.

Needless to say, I have done no stamping in the last month and a half. I just wanted to let my blogging friends know why I haven't posted for such a long time. It may still be awhile...

HAD A WONDERFUL TIME!

Disney World was great--we just got back yesterday! Unfortunately, one of my souvenirs is a full blown head cold (miserable) so it will be a few days before I get back to stamping. Check back again soon...

ON VACATION...

We'll soon be off to a much-needed vacation at Disney World. Meanwhile, I'm playing catch-up here and will post when I get the chance to stamp again!

SOCK MONKEY

This is the sock monkey I remember from my teen years! Did you have one too?

Anna Wight Does It Again!

This new "Give Thanks" set from Whipper Snapper Designs is just right for autumn and Thanksgiving cards that are simple to do. This one was done with Versamark and chalks for a soft, colorful look. Mounting the image on two sides of one sheet of designer paper from K and Company finishes it off.

Thank you Anna for yet another beautiful design!

(Looks better IRL--scanner made it look washed out.)

Another Thankyou Card

Using my Cuttlebug, some metallic paper and some crystals, I'm ready to respond to the many birthday cards I've been receiving. Whether you use the full folder image or just a partial piece, this CB design gives you a lot of options. One of the other cards I made uses the bottom half of the embossed piece on a horizontal card for a different effect. Either way, it makes for a look that is simple, yet elegant.

Mothers Class

Mothers Class went very well today. Everyone loved making the cards and are looking forward to the next class. It's always fun when you get a chance to introduce the art of stamping to someone new, which was the case for a few of the moms. They were happy to hear that by the end of the semester, they'll have made a dozen Christmas cards!

(See Mothers Class Design post below.)

Technique Tuesday Thankyou Card

This card was made at Cyndy's Technique Tuesday class, which was actually held on Tuesday --imagine that!

Anyway, this one is very easy to make. Starting on the yellow cs, we stamped the trees, then masked them, randomly stamped the leaves and sponged white ink around them. Using the reverse mask, we sponged green and orange over the trees. After stamping "thanks", we used the ticket punch on the corners, mounted it on orange cs and then mounted it on green cs. For the button, we backed it with yellow cs, knotted a piece of twine through the holes, then mounted it on an orange circle. The edge of the circle was roughed with our fingers.

Since I've been getting a lot of birthday cards from my Silver Stamper friends, I'll be using this as a thankyou for one of them.

Thank You Card

Here's a simple card I made with Evelyn today, using her "Gratitude" stamp. After cutting it out with the scallop punch, it was mounted on a piece of metallic paper that I ran through the Cuttlebug. The "black" strip is actually a piece of shiny metallic purple paper that looks black only on the scanner. With a purple crystal gem added to the letter G, it was done...another easy card...

Mothers Class Design

Here's the first card for opening day of the Mothers Class at my church on Monday, the 15th. It's a top fold, with a scalloped edge on the bottom of the top flap. Although they look purplish here, the flowers are a soft pink to match the lighter color in the dp (looks better IRL.)

I plan to teach the class how to cover a slide frame, giving them the choice of which side of the dp to use. The flip side is used for the bottom and background of the white piece with the greeting. Embroidery floss is used around the white cardstock and just tied in a knot. The crystals are Hero Arts--one large for the center of the punched flower and two small as accents on the white.

Although there are several different steps (and skills) involved, this is really easy to do in a class setting. I hope the moms enjoy this one!

Tropical Storm Hannah

Rainy days make such good stamping weather! I was able to spend my whole day yesterday in the Tower getting ahead on my Christmas cards, thanks to TS Hannah.

This one was done with one of the clear sets I got from Hero Arts. I stamped it in dark green, then colored the pine cones with 2 shades of brown and added a speck of white ink on the tips of the cones. The inside is stamped with a nice bold "merry Christmas" that was included in the set.

As of this morning, I have 76 Christmas cards done--only 24 left to go! Then I can concentrate full time on the cards and kits I've designed for the Mothers Class this semester at our church. (See "Ready for Fall" below.)

Pocket Silhouette Thankyou

Here's another card using one of the 5 new sets I just got from Stampin' Up, "Pocket Silhouettes." I've made one card using each of the 4 main images in the set, all using this cardstock and dark green ink. Some have button embellishments, some with embroidery floss, etc. This one has twine and a ripped edge on the bottom, which I curled slightly with my fingers.

Three more new sets to play with as soon as I get caught up...

First Christmas Card Ready

Here's the first Christmas card I've made so far with one of the new SU sets for this year. The image is so simple, I didn't want to overwhelm it with a lot of color or embellishments. First it was stamped on off-white cardstock with Versafine Olympia Green ink. The light blue sky was dabbed on with a tissue, the church colored with markers, and a piece of torn white cardstock was added to the bottom for "snow."

The sheer ribbon has a little shimmer to it for a subtle bling.

Somehow, the steeple and treetops remind me of the spires of Prague (where my daughter and her family live.) Overall, the image has a serenity to it. For those of you in the Deep South or West, I hope you've had the opportunity to experience the hush of fresh-fallen snow, which I think this image captures...

Ready for Fall!

I've been busy getting all the designs ready for the Fall Semester at Bible Study. This year, I decided to try something new: an "After School Activity" for those who want to make holiday cards. As soon as Bible Study is over, I will demo that week's card for 15-20 minutes before offering kits to take home and make. The images will be pre-stamped for them to color and mount on the card. I've kept them as simple as possible, as seen in this first card for Sept. 16th. (The same cards will be done in the Mothers Class at church, except that they'll stamp and assemble them there.)

Each kit will contain all the pieces (and envies) for 2 cards, at a charge of only $1 to cover the cost of materials. There are 3 autumn designs, 1 Halloween, 1 Thanksgiving and 6 Christmas cards, for a total of 11 designs.

Inkadinka-dude!

Yesterday, I had a 40% off coupon for AC Moore that I just HAD to use; so I bought a packet of Inkadinkadoo clear birthday stamps and made this card. The eyes, which have adorable lashes, were in my stash from ages ago. I used a yellow watercolor pencil and green Twinkling H2O for the Gecko body. Another easy card!

Meanwhile, my Hero Arts Christmas order came in today; so I'll be playing tonight and hopefully posting some new Christmas cards later...

(Click on card to see the eyelashes.)

Technique Tuesday on Monday Class

Last night was Cyndy's monthly technique class rescheduled from last Tuesday. She always comes up with great "recipes" for us to try, and these are no exception.

The first was the hardest, but a lot of fun. I think it would be easier to stamp the smaller squares separately after cutting them. Otherwise, it was pretty straightforward. Cyndy chose really nice colors to use.

The middle card features a fancy folded card using the retired set "Carte Postal." The double-sided dp has "bonjour" on the reverse side in keeping with the French words and images. I chose "Mon Amie" to give to my friend, Lucienne, the "Queen of France" as her friends call her. We thought it appropriate to use this set with Mary, whose husband works for the post office.

The third was a brayered process and the easiest to do. It is embellished with white gel pen and glitter "snow."

(Click on the photo for a better view.)

Old Supplies, New Card

Here's another Christmas card made with last year's leftovers, a new stamp set and my favorite Martha Stewart punch. Most of my Christmas cards will not have coordinated envelopes due to the high number (100) but this is one exception. The Swiss Dots strip is actually the reverse of a yellow piece of cardstock that I ran through the Cuttlebug awhile back. The "i" in Christmas is dotted with a tiny crystal.

Meanwhile, my SU order from the new catalog should be here soon! Here's what I ordered:

A Wish for Peace
Christ Is Born
Sock Monkey
Pocket Silhouettes
Heard from the Heart
Riding Hood Red cardstock
and matching Designer Series Papers

Ooooh, the anticipation...

Got the Catalog--Woohoo!

Now I'm just waiting for my order to come in, hopefully before the end of this week. I'll post some cards as soon as I get my hands on the new stamp sets--especially the Christmas ones!

See ya then!

While I'm Waiting for the New SU Catalog...

The new Stampin'Up catalog is taking so long, I've resorted to borrowing old sets and going back to leftover designer paper from last year. When you need to make 100 cards by Thanksgiving weekend, you need to jump start in July.


The first card uses a piece of black and white dp from a pack of Christmas designs I bought a year or two ago. The poinsettia stamp is from a set I borrowed from Mary this week. I used a Fiskars corner punch to highlight the burgundy paper on the bottom of the inside. Silver rhinestone stickers from Michael's add bling. I also used black Stickles for the flower center.

The next two cards feature designs I came up with using the new CB border folders.

The tan card features the dotted border which I criss-crossed and mimicked with the red twine. The polkadot paper also carries the theme. The gold beads in the flower center on the burgundy card are also from Michael's.

All the cardstock is from a package I bought several weeks ago on sale at Michael's. It has 50 sheets, which translates into 100 cards.

Since I'm working with scraps and leftovers, all the cards so far are one of a kind. Not bad, actually; but it's slow going. I'm looking forward to settling down to one design just as soon as I get my hands on a SU catalog!!!

Meanwhile, Back to Summer:

Here's a card using leftover scraps from my scrap drawer--once again, it pays to keep some handy! I even had some leftover purple-tinted gems to dress it up.

Variation on a Theme

Here's the same card recipe as the previous post in a different color scheme. I used the holly and berry peg stamps in place of the pine and pine cones, metallic gold paper in place of the brown and a different designer paper. Isn't it amazing how a change of color can make such a difference!!

Notice how the large button has the words "twenty-five" printed on it. How appropriate is that! (Unfortunately, it's the only like it in the whole assortment.)

I've done 10 of this design--90 cards to go--and working on a new design for the next batch of 10, so stay tuned!

1Down, 99 to go!

Christmas is coming! I'm late getting started this year because the SU catalog won't be coming out until Aug. 11; so in the meantime, I got started using my new Hero Arts postage set and my old Rubber Stamp Tapestry peg stamps for the pine and pine cones. This took awhile (too long for 100 cards) so I'll be switching to a simpler design later, say Aug. 12th??

Thank you, Anna Wight!

Just made my first card with my new Whipper Snapper Designs set, and I love what you can do with this one. The flowers and butterfly were painted with Twinkling H2O's. The leaves were stamped with Memories dye ink, Soft Leaf. I used gold Tw.H2O to highlight around the flowers to give them a sunny glow.

Looking for Depth...

...of color, that is. Even though I usually like to use pastel colors for summer, this poppy gave me the chance to make a summer card that has a little more punch, colorwise. Plus it brings back memories of the bright red poppies I saw growing wild in Tuscany.

(All stamps were from the Bloomin' Beautiful set by Stampin' Up with Icicle Stickles added to the bee's wings. Flower and leaves were painted with Twinkling H2O's.)

IT'S BEEN AWHILE

Now that we're getting a break from the heat and humidity, the Stamping Tower is comfortable for stamping again. (Even though we have central air, it doesn't keep up with the sun beating in the window upstairs on really hot days.)

Anyway, this card features some squares: the dp, the buttons and the brad. The flower was stamped twice so I could cut out the blossom portion and pop it out. The petals were watercolored with two shades of yellow/gold, with a little more contrast than shown here in the photo.

Speaking of dp, I love the Sizzix "Little Sizzles" pads of dp with matching cardstock sheets. Easy to coordinate, and takes up less storage space than full sheets. They have them at Michaels.

Stay cool!

New Hero Arts Stamp

Today, I took out my pad of "real" watercolor paper and tried out my new Hero Arts stamp. Using my watercolor crayons and an aqua painter brush (my favorite coloring medium) I chose to make this a vase of Peace roses. I started with yellow, then edged the petals with pink; next came the leaves in two tones of green.

...not sure if I like the bow where it is, or the rounded corners. What do you think?

P.S. I removed the floss and just re-mounted the bow in the same spot. It looks much better!