Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween!!

BOO! Happy Halloween everybody!
I have two Halloween cards to share with you today, both using Cajun Craze, Old Olive, Basic Black, Whisper White, Basic Gray, and Frightful Sight DSP.
To add a little Halloween bling, I colored the largest size of the Basic Rhinestones with a black Sharpie® marker.
Stamp sets: Out on a Limb, Grateful Greetings
Technique: masking (to make the moon)
Click here to see how to make the Basic Gray shape behind the punched sentiment.


Stamp sets: Warmest of Wishes - hostess, Grateful Greetings (inside the peek-a-boo window)
Punches: 1-3/4" Circle, Owl Builder
Bigz Die: Peekaboo Frames

I have some more Halloween projects on my Facebook Page.
Have fun tonight... May you receive lots of treats and no tricks :)

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Sunday, October 30, 2011

my first video tutorial

At my last Technique Tuesday class, I had the pleasure of sharing fun cards with different folds. I used to shy away from making these somewhat "fussy" cards, but now that I have the Simply Scored, it's such a breeze. While making the cards is tons of fun, sharing is even better. So I tried my hand at making a video tutorial... my first ever!!
You get a little break when you try something for the first time, right??! I will appreciate that break, as I noticed I said "bone folder" about a billion times  :)
This is the Halloween card from my Fun Folds class... a Diamond Fold card.
The base of the card (before all the scoring and folding) is a 4" x 12" piece of Frightful Sight DSP. The larger square from the Scallop Squares Duo die fits perfectly over the diamond center.
This is what the card looks like when you open it... so cute! I used Basic Black and Cajun Craze markers to ink the image from the Scaredy Cat stamp set.
I used the Scallop Edge Border punch to add detail to Basic Black card stock. I also added a square of Whisper White card stock to the inside so I could stamp my greeting from the Grateful Greetings stamp set.

Soooooo.... here's my video tutorial on how to make the Diamond Fold card. Thanks for watching!


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Saturday, October 29, 2011

Digital Project

Today I had fun helping a family friend work on a "scrapbook page." She had an old photograph, that will be added to a quilt as a wedding gift for her niece. I created this "page" that will be printed or transferred onto fabric that will be one of the quilt squares.
I love finding new ways to use My Digital Studio  :)
Mark your calendars, and join Stampin' Up! at www.MyDigitalStudio.net as we celebrate Digital Scrapbooking Day with a four-day online event, November 4-7. There will be project ideas and FREE digital downloads - YAY!!

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Sweet Centers Halloween

I have to admit that I don't use the Sweet Centers stamp set as much as I'd like. It does take a little bit more time to make a card with this set, and time is something I wish I had more of. So I was really happy the other day when I had a few extra minutes to make a Halloween card with this set. In case you have ever wondered how to use this stamp set and the Circle Treat Cups, I took a few pictures as I was working.
This is the finished card, which measures 5" x 3-1/2". I took my color cues from the candy corn - Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, and Whisper White - and added Wisteria Wonder and Basic Black for contrast. So, here's how it all came together...
I inked my stamp in Wisteria Wonder, and then colored the spider image and smaller words with a Basic Black marker before stamping onto Whisper White card stock. I punched out the center image with the 1-1/4" Circle punch. Then, I punched out the remaining center with the 1-3/4" circle punch, and discarded that "ring." After trimming the outside image with my Snips, I attached it to a 3" x 2-3/4" layer of Pumpkin Pie card stock. Lining up the 1-3/4" Circle punch over the hole, I punched through the Pumpkin Pie card stock. I layered the "eek" sentiment onto Basic Black punched with the 1-3/8" Circle punch, and set my two pieces off to the side.
Using the focal point image as a guide for the placement of the treat cup, I punched my card base with the 1-3/4" Circle Punch. Then I filled a Circle Treat Cup with candy corn, removed the backing, and adhered a layer of heavy duty aluminum foil that I punched with the 2-1/2" Circle Punch.
To make it easier to line up the card base and the treat cup, I pressed my finger (gently) along the inside rim to indent the foil. Then I used Sticky Strip to attach the treat cup to the card base.
The treat cup is attached to the front of the card; I kept the treat cup on the desk and placed the card over it. This is the inside view of the card. It will be very easy to get the candy out  :)
Next, I worked on the front of the card. I tied on the ribbon first, then attached the focal point using dimensionals. To finish the card, I attached a Mini Brad to the sentiment and adhered that to my card using a dimensional.
So, here's the finished card again...
I hope you think it's as cute as I do :) Luckily there's a stamp in this set to make your Circle Treat Cup look like an ornament, so I get to make some Christmas cards with Sweet Centers... just as soon as I find another extra minute ;)

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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

September à la card

Every month I look forward to getting my Stampin' Success in the mail. Stampin' Success is a monthly magazine from Stampin' Up! exclusively for demonstrators. It's full of great project ideas & samples, business tips, product & technique instructions, and demonstrator recognition. Each issue has a card template (or two), for one (or two) of the cards featured in an article. And each month I challenge my team to make a card using the à la card template. Then we have a little "show and tell" time to start our meeting... you're never too old for "show and tell, right???
The September à la card proved to be a bit of a stumper, as it was a rather unique design with three larger elements on the front. (The sample card from the article had die cut letters for the word "boo.") So here's my take on the September à la card template:
The leaf and acorn images are from the Gently Falling stamp set; the sentiment is from Grateful Greetings. The More Mustard card stock has a top fold, and the folded card base measures 5-1/4" square. The 4-1/2" square layer of Pool Party textured card stock is crumpled and distressed, spritzed with my Soft Suede marker, and lightly sponged in Soft Suede ink.
Leaf on the left: I inked the solid image in River Rock, then I used a sponge dauber to apply random spots of Soft Suede ink before stamping onto Very Vanilla card stock. It's very subtle, but I think it adds depth. I stamped the outline image in Soft Suede.
Middle leaf: The solid image is inked in More Mustard, but stamped off one time before stamping onto the Very Vanilla card stock. The outline image is in Soft Suede.
Leaf on the right: I inked the solid image in Pool Party and very lightly stamped off first. The outline image is in Soft Suede.
Acorn: I used More Mustard and Soft Suede markers to ink the solid image, and very lightly stamped off first.
All of the images got a light spritz with the Color Spritzer Tool & my Soft Suede marker AND several spritzes of my rubbing alcohol / Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint mixture. Oh, how I wish the camera could capture the beauty of this shimmer.
Tip: the beautiful 2-step images in Gently Falling will not line up exactly - very close, but not precise. When you want to snip out the images, follow the lines of the outline image and you will have great results.

Stampin' Success is just one of the MANY perks of joining the Stampin' Up! family. There are still a few days left to join and get a FREE Big Shot. Click here for details on this promotion, watch a short clip, and to learn more about Stampin' Up!. You can even join my team right from my website. If you already have some of the goodies in the Starter Kit, you can swap for a different item - it's super easy to change when you sign up online. Click here to watch some short clips showing you projects you can make with your new Starter Kit.
If you have any questions, just email me (stamp_pad@wi.rr.com).

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Friday, October 21, 2011

October Team Meeting

I really enjoy getting together once a month with "my girls." It's great to catch up, share creative ideas and projects, and have some "grown-up" time. At the end of each meeting, I have a project or two for everyone to stamp. This month we made two cards using the Gently Falling stamp set.
The River Rock card stock base has a light spritzing with the Color Spritzer Tool and a Soft Suede marker. The solid leaf image is inked in More Mustard and "stamped off" before stamping onto the Very Vanilla card stock. I used Soft Suede ink to stamp the outline image, as well as to sponge around the edges after punching the leaf out with the 2-1/2" Circle punch. The Color Spritzer Tool and a Pool Party marker add a nice little detail to the focal point.
I spritzed the Pear Pizzazz card stock with my mixture of rubbing alcohol and Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint. The strip of Spice Cake DSP is sponged with Soft Suede ink. Each solid leaf image is inked in Pear Pizzazz and "stamped off" before stamping onto Very Vanilla card stock. I stamped the outline image in Soft Suede ink, and then used my Paper Snips to cut out each leaf. I used dimensionals to adhere the leaves to the Soft Suede card stock pieces punched with the Postage Stamp punch.

Now is a GREAT time to join my team! Stampin Up! is offering a FREE Big Shot (or $100 in free product) for demonstrators who join in October. This is IN ADDITION to the fabulous Starter Kit. Holy cow!!! I would love to answer any questions you may have about starting your own business as a demonstrator or what it means to be a Hobby demonstrator. Just think... having amazing projects and ideas right at your fingertips, and getting a discount on your favorite crafting supplies  :)
Feel free to email me any questions you may have (stamp_pad@wi.rr.com).
Click here to learn more about this amazing promotion.
Well, I'm off to finish getting ready for Kim's workshop tomorrow. I can't wait to stamp with my new friends!

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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Fall Mini Album

It's no secret I am not crazy about Fall... to me it's dreary, and just means winter is right around the corner. That being said, I LOVE Fall craft projects. I really like the colors used in Fall projects, and this year I have taken my color cues from Stampin' Up!'s Spice Cake Designer Series Paper. The colors in this DSP are Soft Suede, More Mustard, Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz, River Rock, and Very Vanilla. I love how I can make a ton of projects, and everything just coordinates!
This mini album is just like the one those lucky-duck demonstrators made on the Alaskan Cruise. They made a stinkin' cute mini album using the Sweets for the Sweet stamp set. Sometimes it's just fun to make a cute mini album for a single holiday or event :)
I thought a Fall-themed mini album would be nice for Thanksgiving. Dinner guests could each take a card and write a few things they are thankful for. Then you could add small photos or a family-favorite recipe. Cute, cute! Each of my Scrapbook Club members got to make this album at our October crop night. I'm so glad they liked it as much as I do!!
This is the front of the album, which is held closed by the "belly-band" of Pool Party card stock. This mini album uses one 12" x 12"sheet of More Mustard Textured card stock. The finished size of the album measures 3" x 4".
I can not get enough of the Gently Falling stamp set!! I highly recommend choosing this set in clear-mount. It's so easy to line up the outline image over your stamped solid image! As I've worked with this set, most of the time I "stamp off" the solid image before stamping onto my card stock. After stamping the images, I spritzed the Very Vanilla card stock lightly with my Color Spritzer Tool and a River Rock marker. Then (even though it's almost impossible to see in the photos) I spritzed the card stock with my mixture of rubbing alcohol and Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint.
The album opens to reveal eight little pockets, ready for you to add photos and journaling. I really like how this turned out, and I will definitely have to make a Christmas mini album.

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Monday, October 17, 2011

Color Inspiration

Today's card has a story behind it...
The colors I used are Pear Pizzazz, Soft Suede, and Tangerine Tango. I was inspired to work with this color combination by a floral designer's Facebook post this morning about the trendy colors in fashion this coming spring. If you read my blog, you know how much I love playing around with color combinations. (If you are new to my blog, click on the Color Coach link at the end of this post in "Labels" to see a TON of color combinations.) So when I read the post, I just had to make something using some of the colors.
I figured that because the color inspiration came from a floral designer, it made sense to use a floral image for the focal point  :)
I stamped the large floral image from the Just Believe stamp set in Pear Pizzazz ink onto Very Vanilla card stock. Then, I "colored" over each flower with the VersaMarkerand heat embossed using Tangerine Tango embossing powder. The edges of the Very Vanilla and Pear Pizzazz card stock are sponged with Soft Suede ink. The sentiment - also from Just Believe - is stamped in Tangerine Tango ink onto Very Vanilla card stock, punched out with the Decorative Label punch, and sponged with Soft Suede ink. I used the Decorative Label and 2-1/2" Circle punches to create the Soft Suede layer behind the sentiment. (Click here to see how to make this shape.) The card base needed one more thing... so I grabbed my handy Color Spritzer Tool and a Soft Suede marker. Perfect!
Color inspiration can come from anywhere... a cereal box, sweater, floral arrangement... What are some of your favorite color combinations, and interesting inspirations?

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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Village of Spooky - the details :)

This is the tallest house at 9-1/2" tall. It's painted with one thin coat of gray acrylic paint. When the paint was dry, I used the flat stamp and Charcoal Ink Spot  (from the Distressing Essentials Kit) to add another layer of color.
I stamped the Good Grid background stamp on the front of the house three times. I didn't want it to stamp "clean" though, so after I inked the stamp in Basic Gray ink, I used a Sponge Dauber to remove some of the ink from the outside edge and some places in the middle.
To create the roof shingles, I used the 1/2" Circle Punch to punch out around 20 each of Old Olive and Cajun Craze card stock, Basic Black Textured card stock, Frightful Sight DSP, and Basic Black DSP from the Patterns DSP Stack (Neutrals Collection). I used Mini Glue Dots® to adhere the circles to the house, starting at the bottom and overlapping the circles a little as I worked towards the top.
I punched three pieces of Frightful Sight DSP with the Petite Pennants Punch, and cut two rectangles (3/8" wide) to make the "BOO" banner. I used my Snips to trim one end of each of the rectangles, and the Paper-Piercing Tool to poke holes at one end of each piece. To add color to the White Baker's Twine, I ran a length of it along a Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad. The letters from the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set are stamped in Basic Black on Old Olive card stock, then punched out using the one of the punches in the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack.
I used Basic Black Craft Ink and Black Stampin' Emboss® Powder to stamp the spiders from the Scaredy Cat stamp set. It does take longer for the embossing powder to melt on the wood surface than it does on card stock, and the powder does not melt evenly (some "stripes" in the wood took quite a while) so keep a close eye on your project.
I applied Old Olive ink directly to a 3-3/4" x 1-1/4" piece of Wood Sheet. A Metallic Brad creates the door handle.
To create the window, I stamped the spider web image from the Spooky Bingo Bits stamp set in Staz-On® ink onto Vellum card stock, and punched that out with the 1" Circle Punch. To make the frame, I punched Basic Black card stock with the 3/4" Circle Punch, and then centered the 1" Circle Punch around the hole to punch a "ring."
The mustached Jack-o-lanterns from the Out on a Limb stamp set are the perfect finishing touch. I stamped them in Basic Black onto Cajun Craze card stock, snipped them out, and attached them to the house using Dimensionals.


This house is almost 8" tall, and is painted with one thin coat of green acrylic paint. (I had to mix two shades of green to get the shade of olive that I wanted.) When the paint was dry, I used the flat stamp and Mahogany Ink Spot to add another layer of color.
Cajun Craze ink is applied directly to a piece of Wood Sheet cut to 1-1/2" x 2-3/4". The hinges are Mini Library Clips with the "prongs" cut off after clipping them to the door. The door is attached with Sticky Strip. After attaching the door, I used Multipurpose Liquid Glue to adhere a pin from Vintage Trinkets to create a door handle.
The "spooky" sentiment from the Wicked Cool stamp set is stamped in Basic Black onto Basic Gray card stock. I sponged Cajun Craze ink around the edges, snipped banner tips into one end, folded the card stock, and attached a Basic Black Brad. The banner is attached to the house with Dimensionals.
The bats from the Wicked Cool stamp set are heat embossed on one side using Basic Black Craft ink and Black Stampin' Emboss® Powder. The roof is a 7-1/2" x 1-5/8" strip of Frightful Sight DSP. It is simply glued to the top of the house with Multipurpose Liquid Glue.
The medallion is so easy to make! Just use the new Simply Scored to score a 1" x 12" strip of DSP every 1/4". Then accordion fold the strip. I cut one 1/4" section off from one end and glued the ends together with Multipurpose Liquid Glue. I like to punch out a circle base and use a good amount of Multipurpose Liquid Glue to attach the medallion. The center of the medallion is made from three layers of Basic Black Textured card stock punched with the Doily Triple Layer Punch. A gorgeous brad from the Antique Brads is through two layers. Those two layers are attached to the bottom layer with Dimensionals, and the bottom layer is attached to the medallion with Multipurpose Liquid Glue.


 The smallest house is almost 6" tall. I mixed two colors of acrylic paint to get the "cajun" shade I wanted. When it was dry, I used the flat stamp and Mahogany Ink Spot to add another layer of color.
The Wood Sheet door measures 1-1/2" x 2-1/2" and is "colored" with Basic Gray ink. I used Mini Library Clips again to make door hinges, and a Bitty Button makes the door handle.
The bats from the Out on a Limb stamp set are heat embossed under the Wood Sheet planter box. The flowers are punched from Basic Black Textured card stock. After attaching them to the house with Mini Glue Dots®, I used Moonlight Smooch® Pearlized Accent Ink to create the flower centers.
The roof is a 1-7/16" x 5" strip of Frightful Sight DSP, adhered to the house with Multipurpose Liquid Glue. Three layers of Old Olive Textured card stock punched with the Doily Triple Layer Punch, as well as a 1/2" circle punched from Cajun Craze card stock and a Bitty flower shape punched from Basic Black Textured card stock create the accent on the roof.

While it did take a lot of supplies to make these houses, it was so much fun to do. I am so glad I had a chance to make this into a class! Now, should I try my hand at some Christmas houses???   ;)

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