Theme Thursday (July 17, 2008)

When July rolls around I find myself cleaning out my craft room in anticipation of all the great stuff the new catalogue is going to bring. And, what did I find? More sets of precut card stock for a past class. You may remember the colours and such as I used them for a Theme Thursday a while back.

However, this time, I used all the same stamp set on each and every one - a new level 3 hostess set, Happiness Always.

I am in 7 organized swaps at Convention this year and needed to make thank you cards for each hostess - so here they are.

This was such a quick card to make! I used the same colours of ink as card stock - Almost Amethyst, Elegant Eggplant, Mellow Moss and Always Artichoke.

This card uses Always Artichoke cardstock, Bali Breeze designer paper, Rose Red and Regal Rose ink.

This card has a Very Vanilla base. It uses Le Jardin designer paper, Rhinestone brads and I also used the Fundamental Phrases stamp set. I used Really Rust and Tangerine Tango ink on the flower and Mellow Moss and Always Artichoke on the leaf.

I think this may be my fave of the set. I love its simplicity. The saying is stamped in Always Artichoke ink on River Rock cardstock and the flowers are stamped in Really Rust (and stamped off once) and the stem in Artichoke.

This was a little more of a challenge as I didn’t really want to use flowers and I was running out of my scraps! So, I decided that a little saying with some bold paper was just fine. I used a strip of Picnic designer paper on this example.

This card uses a Garden Green card base which I stamped with the outline butterfly. I used Fundamental Phrases again for the “thanks” and a strip of Picnic designer paper to the left. I used a zig zag like I did on yesterdays card to cover the seam.

So there you have it! A set of cards using scraps and minimal supplies and really only one stamp set! I encourage you to host a workshop when the new catalogue comes out - it is the only way to get this great set!

2S4Y #4 Challenge

I lurk.

I watch all sorts of blogs and their challenges until I finally get up the nerve to try one. Sometimes I try then and you never see them. Sometimes you do. Are you guys like that?

I’ve been watching 2 Sketches 4 You for quite some time now and I’ve done each and every sketch of theirs, however, this is the first I’m going to show you. Why? Sometimes I feel I don’t add enough bling, the colours arent’ right, whatever. The ladies who post to the site have such fantastic talent….

Anyhow, I did decide to post this one. Its simple and to the point but I love how it turned out and, to make it even better, this really took less than 10 minutes - okay, 15 minutes….

The card base for this project is Not Quite Navy (LOVE IT!). I decided I wanted to do very little stamping and use lots of designer paper. I decided to use the Spring Break designer paper as I love those big Not Quite Navy flowers.

This paper reminds me of the beach so I wanted the large middle piece that is supposed to go over each side to emulate waves. I know the sample showed a scallop but I wanted to do something different. So, I took a piece of scrap white cardstock and, using my 1 1/4″ square punch, made a zig-zag.

Behind that is a piece of Spring Break designer paper. I love the little dots and decided to punch a few out with my 1/8″ handheld punch. I put a bit of Pumpkin Pie and white cardstock behind some of the dots and others I left to show Not Quite Navy. I added a bit of Pumpkin Pie grosgrain to the top.

As I said earlier, I love the flowers in this pack of designer paper. So, I cut out the same flower in three different sizes and added them together with dimensionals to get a really neat flower which I adhered over the grosgrain.

Lastly, I stamped “wonderful” from Wonderful Favourites in Whisper White craft ink and added “friend” from the same set stamped in Not Quite Navy ink on some Old Olive cardstock which was layered in Pumpkin Pie.

Thanks for the great sketch, Laura! Go check out 2 Sketches 4 You and be inspired too!

A Little Holiday Cheer

I know, its a while till Christmas but I felt inspired to make a holiday card when I saw this week’s card sketch from Noella at Creatively Yours.

Also, I just recently got Punch Pals and really had to ink it up!

The base of the card is Garden Green and I made panels in Real Red, then Whisper White, then Garden Green. Yep, this baby is pretty heavy with layers.

I made smaller layers of Kraft cardstock and stamped them with the small snowflakes from Punch Pals in Whisper White Craft ink - I also sponged the edges of these pieces too.

Now, in keeping with the sketch and trying to use only one stamp set, I figured which images would look good in each spot. On top, I used the little presents and watercoloured them, punched them out with my 1″ punch and layered them on a Real Red designer label. I used my horizontal slot punch to make the side slits and threaded through some red gingham ribbon.

The next layer down has the salutation stamped in Black Craft Ink from All Holidays and three trees which I stamped on some Confetti White cardstock using my Jet Black StazOn ink and watercoloured. I used the masking technique on the trees.

The last layer uses the snowman, also stamped in Jet Black StazOn on Confetti white cardstock and I added a strip of Whisper White cardstock which I cut with my Cutter Kit on a curve. I added a little 2-way glue to the edge and some Dazzling Diamonds to mimic snow.

Great sketch, Noella, thanks!

Inspiration Challenge #5 - Complete

So this is my creation for the 5th Inspiration Challenge I do with Pam at Paper Askew Studio. You should go and check out what she’s done and also, go vote for her for Gallery Idol! She is one talented lady.

So, what did I do here? Well, I used up my scraps!

The card base is Going Gray is is layered with Basic Gray and Whisper White. I loved the lattice in the background of the inspiration picture (found here) but wanted it to be clean and simple at the same time. So all I did was take some scrap strips of the white cardstock and layered away!

I just got the Defining Alphabet and Define Your Life so I knew I wanted to use these on the card but I wanted to keep the clean and crisp feel. So, I just took a piece of white cardstock and layered it on some Basic Gray. I stamped ‘Kk’ and ‘kindness’ and added it to the right side of the card.

Lastly, I had to add a flower detail but again, I wanted it small and clean. What better than a little bouquet?

I punched out a 1 1/4″ circle as the base for my bouquet and added flowers punched with the Three For You flower punch. In this case I used Lovely Lilac designer paper and Elegant Eggplant cardstock. I added a few narrow strips of Old Olive cardstock for stems and tied them with a piece of Basic Gray taffeta ribbon.

I love this card - it is crisp, clean, fresh and DONE!

Thanks for a great challenge Pam and have a great day, everyone!

Featured Stamper Challenge

Well, today we find ourselves kid-less as they are with my parents so I found some time to do a little stampin’ before we head out for a nice big walk.

I looked over to SCS at today’s Featured Stamper Challenge and I loved Stephanie’s gallery so much that I had to play!

Here is the link to original card and here is my creation:

The card base is Old Olive and is layered with a piece of Blue Bayou designer paper.

The next layer is Chocolate Chip and is layered with Old Olive prints designer paper. I put three Not Quite Navy brads in the lower right. I used my Mat Pack to get them just right.

The little hippo from Pun Fun is stamped with Jet Black StazOn ink onto Confetti white is is coloured with various reinkers and my aquapainter. It is layered on Not Quite Navy.

To finish it off, I tied on some twill tape.

I really like this layout and colour combo, I think I’ll be using it again.

Thanks for the inspiration, Stephanie!

Theme Thursday - REALLY LATE!

I know, I know - it’s not Thursday. Not even close, really. But, these projects are worth the wait. Sure, I could have waited until next Thursday but why? I’m dying to show these off!

I’ve been trying to get all my swaps and other things done for Convention really early this year and I can officially say I’m done! 368 swaps and some great roommate and downline gifts later and here I sit.

So, for this week’s Theme Thursday, I’m going to show you what I made for myself, my Convention roommate and my three downline members who are going to SLC as well…..

Great you say, but what are they? Well, they are Convention Planners! I got the idea and lots of help from Sharon Bridwell at The Roaming Stamper (thanks Sharon!) What is really cool about these is they are made from project folders! Now, I decided to adhere the back accordian folds together and this may not have been right, but I did it!

What do they look like inside? I’ll show you! But first, let’s take a closer look at the outside of the first two I made.

The one on the left is the very first one I tried. I made this for my Convention roommate, Melissa. Since I’ll be giving this to her before we go, I’m not worried about having it on my blog now. The one to the right is mine!

Melissa’s uses Picnic Designer series paper, die cut blooms and the Big Deal Alphabet and Numbers. Mine on the right uses Spring Break Designer series paper, Big Deal Numbers, die cut blooms and Fundamental Phrases. Okay, here is what they look like on the inside:

Edit: Thank you to Carole who pointed out that I can’t spell receipts. Now, I could have tried the “no, thats the way you spell it in Canada” card but I won’t ’cause you don’t. I’ll try to fix them or just leave them as my friends would totally love to get something from me with a mistake (cause they think I don’t make enough of them….).

You can see that I varied the designs of paper and made cut little paper clips to match each section. It was such fun to make but I realized that unless I came up with some sort of assembly line process, I’d be making these until the cows come home. So I streamlined and decided to do the same on the outside of the next three but make the insides different. The following three will be given to my downline:

The planner on the far left uses Le Jardin designer series paper, the middle uses Western Sky and the far right uses East Coast Prep. And on the inside:

They look like this!

These were super fun to make and I can see a holiday planner class in my future…..thanks again Sharon!

Inspiration Challenge #5

Well it’s the 12th (almost) and I’m ready to post the great inspiration piece for Colour Inspiration Challenge #5 that I do mid-month with Pam at Paper Askew Studio.

Pam took this shot in her backyard as the inspiration for this month’s challenge:

I’ll be posting my creation on July 15th and encourage you to try your hand at this challenge - there are so many textures and colours to pull from this piece.

Oh, okay, twist my arm….I’d love to offer some sort of prize for the card that inspires me….sure!

Comment to this posting by midnight PST on July 16th to have your entry considered and a link posted!

Faux Tearing Tutorial

Quite a few weeks back I posted a card that featured faux tearing and promised to put up a tutorial - well, here it is!

And, as a reminder, this is the card that inspired it all! Enjoy!

A Tip for Tuesday - when trash isn’t trash!

I’m cheap. I think I’ve said that before. Some would say thrifty or reasonable, I’d say cheap.

So, when I have little ribbon scraps, I keep them. Recently I’ve been keeping them in a little jar but its hard to get my hand in there to get those little scraps at the bottom and so I have to dump it out and make a mess….its just all too hard for me. Really, I’m not high maintenance…..

Anyhow, I was cleaning up a closet and found this empty container that I’d had bought large alligator clips in:

So what did I do with it? I couldn’t just put it on my desk and leave it like that, so I decorated it to look like so:

I used a strip of Picnic Designer paper and some 5/8″ Old Olive grosgrain. I added on some die cut blooms, felt flowers and rhinestone brads.

I am so much happier with this arrangement! It totally works better and it looks great!

Stamp-A-Stack…to go!

I was asked by a great group of ladies to plan a Stamp-A-Stack class for their weekend getaway. I don’t usually like to send my stamping goodies away but this a group of ladies I completely trust. I had a relatively short amount of time to plan so some of these cards are very heavily inspired by others that I’d seen.

How do I do a class like this? Well, its simple. Clear storage totes - they really are a girl’s best friend. And, if there is too much to fit in a tote, it is just too complicated for a Stamp-A-Stack card! Each participant made 3 of each design for a total of 15 cards.

I used the following sets on these creations: Lovely as a Tree, Sincere Salutations, Pun Fun, Blossoms Abound, Three For You Punch Box Set, Wanted.