Happy New Year!

EDIT: Forgot to mention, this was part of the SCS156 Card Challenge!

I know this little martini glass is full of hearts and love... but hey, that's what I wish for you in 2008! This is one of IO's new stamps for Valentine's Day.

I stamped the "heart-tini" in Versafine black ink and then colored it with watercolor pencils. The fun thing about this card is the fact that I used the circle part as my actual card. See?


I just ran a folded piece through my Wizard with my Nestabilities Circle die (the largest in the small circles set). I kept the fold by just making sure the die didn't cover all of my paper. I used my scalloped circle die for the mat and I stamped one of my little cupcakes (you can barely see them but they are there on the red background piece of paper) with red ink all over. These are the same little cupcakes/candies that I used a few days ago for my "You Are Sweet" card. Fun! I added a little photo hinge before I assembled the card because I didn't want my circle card flying open. You might not also see the little bling in the stem of the glass. I added a red rhinestone --because you know I HAVE to have sparklies on my cards! That's pretty much it!

Happy New Year! We aren't doing anything huge here - just going over to a friends house to play games. It's actually a tradition that we have kept for probably 10 years! Our kids are all about the same age, so it is really nice.

Best to you in 2008!!!

Some Birdy.....

Hi all! If you saw yesterday's post, you saw my "by accident" card. Well, this card is the reason why I cut the heart out of the paper in the first place! This is, again, one of the new Valentine's Day stamps from Impression Obsession! Aren't the birdies cute???? Not to mention the fun saying courtesy of my DT bud, Penny! She came up with that one for the set!

I kind of labored over this card! I knew I wanted to make the heart the focal point. I originally did the heart just by embossing it on a white card. When I colored the birdies in the heart, it looked really stark. My DH actually looked at it and said -- that card isn't you at all. Funny, he knows what "me" is when it comes to cards!!! :-) So, I ran my card through again, this time cutting out the embossed heart. Then, I knew I had to use the scalloped Nestabilities to mat the heart on. After this, I was digging through an embellishment drawer and found this mini clothespin! After I put the ribbon on the card, it was a great way to add the sentiment! It wasn't my intention to use it... but when I saw it. How perfect! I added some 3mm rhinestones to the corner. And that, my friends, is it!

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!!

You Warm My Heart.....

Here's A Cuppa Love

I LOVE this little heart-filled coffee cup! It's one of the new images out from Impression Obsession! This card was actually an accident! I am a horrible "saver" when it comes to paper. The striped paper with the heart cut out was done from another card. (I'll post that card next!) I ran my heart Nestabilities through with this paper and this was what was left over. So was the white heart underneath. (Can you tell I got Nestabilities hearts for Christmas?????) Any who, they were just sitting on my book case with some other leftovers, and I said, "No way" that would be a cool card.... just like that! So, I pulled out this little coffee cup, stamped it with Versafine ink on a smaller circle pair and mounted it in the center of the larger heart with foam tape. I had colored with watercolor pencils and "glitterized" with Stickles. (My Stickles screamed at me to use them because I had been using my Copic Spicas too much!) The little tag with the sentinment is actually just a Sizzix die that I used. The sentinment is also a part of the new set. LOVE IT!!!!

Here's a close up...



That's it for now! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

I've been tagged!

I was tagged by Hope. With it, comes 7 interesting things about me.... (if you get bored after number one, I am sorry!!!) :-)
1.I won the neighborhood battle of Kareoke by singing Cindi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun! (Don't ask why... maybe too many beers!)
2. I have taught knitting classes (my second crafting passion)
3. I am the editor of a magazine and love to write!
4. I used to be a television news anchor
5. I've met/seen every living President of the United States - even gave President Clinton some bagels... wierd huh??
6. I am originally from Detroit
7. My family was on Trading Spaces family.


And... to share the wealth... I'm going to tag
Charlotte,Daniella , Bernadette,Debbie, Kelli , Laura, , Tina... AND... my mom... Pat!

Thanks for playing guys! It will be fun to read your answers!

Gina K's Sketch Challenge

Ok... I have to admit... don't gasp... plugging my ears just in case you scream... this is the first time I have ever done a sketch challenge!!!

Gina K. posted a challenge on her blog and I wanted to try. My card is a bit plain and now I see where I could have done a jazzier job, but, for a first attempt... he's a cute little guy! I found the honey comb paper a few days ago and knew I wanted to use that little bee guy to create a card. When I saw Gina's challenge, I thought, HHHHHhhhmm, maybe!

The bee was just stamped in Versafine black ink, colored with colored pencils and then glitterized (I am making that a word)the wings. I added ribbon and attached a hot fix heart nail head for much needed bling! That's it! You can check out other designs on splitcoast with the key word GKDS3!

I am escaping to the craft room this afternoon and will have some more new releases from Impression Obsession soon!

T.G.I.F!!!!

Soooooo Sweet...

Holy cow has it been a long time since I made a card! I can't tell you how good it felt just to sit in my stamp room, put on some tunes and create! I have so many cool new things to play with ---- I didn't know where to start!

Since this is something new.... it fits for Sharon Johnson's challenge... CHECK IT OUT HERE....
Now... to the card!
This saying and little candy is from a new set for Valentines day From Impression Obsession. I am not sure if they have been released yet or not. I am in LOVE with this little candy/cupcake (I don't really know what it is!). I looked at it forever just trying to dream up some fun things! I have a few more up my sleeve but here's one for now! It's really quite simple. I just stamped it three times on white card stock, colored with colored pencils, cut out and then added some sparkle with my Copic Spica glitter pens. The background paper is all by Denami which I think is just too fun!

Here's a close up of the candies/cupcakes....


Well, it's a quiet night here at the Koerber house... I am hoping to sneak back down to my little haven to create a few more cards!

Happy Thursday!

Hello All!

Just a little note to wish you a Merry, Merry Christmas! Hope you are enjoying time with family and friends! I am taking the next few days to just chill and enjoy! I will try to check in before the end of the year for at least ONE creation! Some boxes of fun stuff were delivered not too long ago (new Impression Obsession, new Hero Arts,and Spellbinders!) , so I hope you are ready for a quick transition to Valentine's Day!

SBS5 Sisters! I hoped to wish you all individually a Merry Christmas! BUT... that didn't happen! :-( Hope you have a blessed holiday!
ALL THE BEST!

In A Jiffy Hostess Gifts!

Need a gift in a hurry? This is one of my all time favorites. I'm sure you've seen this technique before but not a lot of people use the ink I use. I've also seen the tiles colored with permanent markers... but this way is sooooo easy!

I stamped a background stamp (Hero Arts) on the tile using Brilliance ink in Galaxy Gold. Then, I stamped over top the background with a fern leaf stamp (Hero Arts) using Brilliance Ivy. I baked the tile in the oven (350 degrees for 20 minutes) and then, when it was cool, I backed the tile with some cork that I affixed with Aileen's Tacky Glue. I have done this set with all different kinds of leaves. If you do it in an assembly line fashion, you can pump out 3 or 4 sets of 4 easily in a night!

The good news? I don't seal the tiles at all. Some say you have to in order to keep the tile from becoming stained. Well, I have tried to mess these tiles up!! I dumped red wine on it, mustard and more to see if they would stain without a sealer and they didn't. The awesome thing about using Brilliance is - if you mess up and want a "do-over" before you bake the tile, you can wipe off the ink with Windex and start again!

Happy Thursday!

p.s. My mom posted pics of her tiles a few days ago on her blog. Check out her version by clicking HERE!

KISS (Keep It Simple Silly) part 3!!

Need a card in a hurry and don't have a lot of time??? That's what these past few days have been all about! This last card uses some pink tags (Stampin' Up), some flowers, a button, coordinating ribbon, rhinestones, patterned paper, a saying and that's it!

I started by stamping each one of the little tags with a different background stamp using Versamark ink. I added some pink just with direct to paper on my black and white polka dot paper to give it some zip! I added the seize the daisy phrase (I made this stamp myself... so the maker is- ME!), placed the tags on my black and white card stock piece, embellished with some paper flowers, coordinating ribbon (Michael's), a button, and rhinestones, set this on my pink card front and done!

I hope you are enjoying all the blessings of the season. There's so much to do, but I am praying I can enjoy a bit of it before it's over. Wishing the same for you!!!

Happy Wednesday!

A Quiz and a KISS (Keep It Simple Silly-part 2)

Take The Christmas Quiz!
This quiz courtesy of the lovely "Aunt T." AKA Teresa Chapman!
Thought with Christmas a week away... we could all get a little more in the spirit! Want to take the quiz? Consider yourself "tagged!" Just write a comment with the link so everyone can check out your answers!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate (with a little Baileys is always nice!)
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa wraps!
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Colored lights - kids picked this year!
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No
5. When do you put up your decorations? The first weekend in December
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Brie baked in puff pastry with a Pecan Apricot glaze... YUM!
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? I always loved our family Christmas parties when my mom would have the whole family over. When I say "whole family" I mean whole family -aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents---the works! It usually ended up to be a part of 30-40 some people!
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What? There's no Santa?? :-)
9. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Colored lights, red glittery toule, fun ornaments created by the kids, and lots of red, and green bulbs in different shapes and sizes.
10. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Dread it. Why do I live in Montana??? Oh, that's right, I love the rivers and mountains.
11. Can you ice skate? It's been so long I can't remember!
12. Do you remember your favorite gift? My muscle car! It's a '77 black Corvette! Love it!
13. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Time with family and friends, baking, giving gifts!
14. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Almond Roca
15. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Going to Christmas eve mass, coming home to nothing but the lit tree and eating a light dinner next to the tree with my hubby and kids. No tv, no distractions, just us!
16. What tops your tree? A lit angel.
17. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? GIVING for sure! I love to spoil my family.
18. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Too many to pick from! I like White Christmas a ton.
19. Candy Canes-as decorations or to eat? To eat!

Now... for a card!

Here's part two of Keepin' It Simple!
I just took some 2 sided patterned paper, used my Marvy mega punch in a rectangle and punched out a hole in the lower right hand corner. From there, I assembled some larger paper flowers (can't remember brand!) and layered them with smaller flowers and bling so that they would show through the window. I cut a paper strip and assembled it on the front of my card with a ribbon slide made from my Quick Kutz ribbon die. That's it! I think finding the embellishments in a drawer would take longer than this card! I think it would be fun to make a whole bunch in coordinating colors as a set for a friend!

Off for now! Work awaits! :-)

Keep It Simple Silly.... part 1

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, this week will be full of N2U (new to you, old to me!) cards. Hope you don't mind! But.... in light of the busy time, I wanted to showcase a bunch of cards that are simple in design and pretty easy to create. Perfect for spur of the moment thank yous or birthdays or... whatever!

This one is one I did with one of my Spellbinders dies. It's called Daisy Delight. I just love flowers! I just ran some distressed pink paper through and cut two small flowers and one large one. I added some prima pink and Queen and company small white flowers to the center with some "bling." The leaves were done out of a brown striped paper that I also used for the base mat. I also raised the center leaf up with the help of some foam tape. Mat this onto a solid brown piece of cardstock, stick it on your brown strip mat and again on a pink textured cardstock card, add a bow and you're done!

Happy Monday!!!! I socked away a card for tomorrow that is just some prima flowers, an embellishment and some fun paper! So, check back!

Seize The Daisy!

My hubby and son went to sell Christmas trees for a service project and that left me and my daughter alone in the house! She napped. I played! This card was a ton of fun because I did something a tad different. We had some dry all tape laying around downstairs because of a recent renovation in our basement and I decided to play! If you look closely on the card, you can see the grid of white ink and the grid of brown ink. All I did was run the drywall tape (with light tack) along the sides of my paper and then I used a color duster to apply the ink. I used White Staz-On over the kraft colored paper and then I used Tea Dye Distress Ink on the lime green. I love the subtle effect. I took a picture just to show you what the tape looks like!

The stamped image is from the set Happy Harvest from Gina K. Designs. After I stamped the daisies a couple times, I just colored them using colored pencils. The "friendship" saying is actually from one of the verses in the set. I just decided to ink up only the word "friendship."
Fun stuff!
Hope you are having a great weekend!

Doodles & More!

I got a comment asking... "What are Scribbles Doodle Templates?" Well... since I like to enable and share - here goes! I hope you can see in the picture, they are stencils. So, you can take a marker or fine tip pen and just... doodle! Down below you can see what the actual stencils look like! They are really hard to take a picture of! I can't wait to play! If you've used these templates and want to share cards you've made, send me an email with a link and I'll link up! Click HERE to see what Karen did with her templates! She used a ultra fine black Sharpie but... you could use your Copic Spica Glitter pens or gel pens. FUN STUFF! Thanks for sharing Karen!



Birthday Card For A Friend

I have a friend who has a birthday coming up and I definitely wanted to make something that fit her funky, spunky, colorful ways! I found this paper at the Dollar Tree of all places and knew it was perfect! I used one of my new sets from Gina K. Designs (Happy Harvest) and I stamped it four times, once on the white cardstock, once on a striped piece, once on a green piece and once on an orange polka dot piece. Then, I just cut and layered! I got the shape for the white and orange polka dot piece from one of my Wizard dies (Abstract). I stamped just the word "Happy" from the saying Happy Harvest and punched it out with one of my Stampin' Up punches. I punched the corners on the pink paper with my ticket corner punch from SU... added some bling to the saying.. and DONE!

In My Mailbox!

Well... today was a kick back, no creating, shopping, getting ready for Christmas kind of day. My DH took the day off and we went Christmas shopping... get this... without kids! It was a miracle what you can accomplish when you don't have a little one tugging at your leg saying, "Can we be done yet??????" It was relaxing. It was productive. It was nice.

What was also nice was the surprise waiting for me in my mailbox when I came home. While I didn't have time to create, my friend Karen did! Isn't this card neat?? Love the colors, love the stamp, love that it was created just for me!

Thanks Karen!! She also included goodies in the envie! Has anyone used the "Scribbles" stencils? They are so neat! They are little templates to help you do those cool doodle marks on cards with style! They are perfect for people like me who don't have the courage to free hand!

Hope you had a happy Thursday... until tomorrow!

Happy Lil Snow Guy!

Doesn't this little guy just warm your heart??? I am SUCH a sucker for snow people! He is the snow guy out of the Let It Snow set from Gina K. Designs.
Not much to this card - just some fun layering with my square scalloped set of Nestabilities! I cut out a snow mound from pearl paper, stamped and cut my snow guy and colored him. Added some sparkle to the polka dot paper with the help of my Spica Glitter Pens to look like snow falling and then matted him up! I had this "joy" embellishment for ages but never used it because it was navy blue. Well, thanks to some silver paint, it's not navy anymore! I glued it on, added some bling and.... VOILA... Happy Lil Snow Guy card!

Here's a close up for you! Hope you see the sparkle!

Hope you are having a good Tuesday!

To I.O. We Go!

Want a great deal on some fun stamps? I just found out Impression Obsession is having it's annual big, clean out the inventory sale. All Clearance Stamps are 50% off! Some of the cling stamps on red rubber are less than $2 a pop! Clear sets are $5 and $6! Can't beat that!!

One more fun tip! Want to know how to make one of those fancy schmancy bows perfect for gift wrap? Check out this link from Margie's Stamping Studio! I was surfing and found it and thought it was the coolest thing! Thought I'd share!!

Happy Tuesday!

Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers... 5!

Ok, just signed up for a fun little group! It's called the Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers. Eventually, there will be 30 of us that just chat, check in on eachother from time to time and offer fun and encouragement. There are still spaces in group 5 open, so if you want to hang out with me and have fun... SIGN UP! Just click HERE

I was supposed to leave a little fun fact about me. HHHHHhhhhhmmm. I've been stamping 7 years. I teach stamping classes at my LSS Stampressions! I have two awesome kids (Cal & Ellie)! I've been married 12 years. I live and love my town of Billings, Montana - it's a place full of big blue sky and surrounded by picturesque mountains! I just started blogging last May and love the people that stop by here and the friendships I have made in that short time.

Off for now!

A new look at a leaf....

I apparently undercounted my pile of Christmas cards and needed to make a few more in a hurry! Who knew I would look at the Happy Harvest little leaf in one of the Gina K. sets I just got and see a poinsettia. But, I did!!

Here's a photo of the leaf so you get my gist...


And, here's what I did with it!


I basically stamped a whole bunch of the leaves in a circle using Versamark ink and then embossed them in gold. I cut out the image and then stamped a few more of the gold embossed image on olive green card stock for the poinsettia's leaves. After layering and attaching to the card base, I used my "stamen" punch to punch a little center out in text weight gold paper. The little saying at the bottom is from another Gina K. Set (the one with the happy snow guy and the wintery house). It says "peace." I added a gold hot fix nail head on the side and DONE!

Here's a close up so you can see how the leaves are arranged...


Busy day for work... so off I go. Happy Monday!

Flowers for a friend!

This is one of those cards where the saying dictated the card. It says... "The harvest of friendship is blessed above all." Because it said harvest - I thought growth. Friendships grow just like a flower, don't they?? So, I took this stamp (Gina K. Designs) and I inked up only one flower in the pot, stamped it on a tag, inked up two flowers, stamped again on a tag, and then stamped the whole image. My thought was to show the flower growing in time.

I really love this little coneflower pot! I used chalk to add some "ummph" to the image and then colored it with watercolor pencils. Add some patterned paper with a sewn edge, some paper fasteners, some brads and some ribbon and you're done! I have a friend who is going through kind of a tough time right now, so creating this was kind of like wrapping up a warm fuzzy that I'll stick in the mail!

Have a good rest of the weekend!

Pay It Forward!!!

PAY IT FORWARD!

Bloggin' bud Jacki Jones posted a Pay It Forward on her blog and I bit! So, the first few people to leave a comment on my blog who want to join this "Pay It Forward" exchange are in! (Don't know how many "gifts" I'll give! The rules are - it has to be a handmade item. I don't know what the handmade gift will be yet.. but... I promise, a lot of thought and care will go into it and it will be on it's way sometime in the coming few weeks! All you have to do is pay it forward by making the same promise on your website or blog!

It will be fun to see how long we can keep this going! Jacki paid if forward from Trish and Trish paid it forward from Tah Dah! (Didn't know real name!) Let's spread a little hand crafted cheer! Please leave your email in the post so that I can get in contact with you.

I plan to post what Jacki sends me! So.... stay tuned!!!

2 posts... 1 day??? Are you serious?

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!


Since it is freezing out and I just don't want to step outside the door, I thought, what a better day to hole in and just.... STAMP! I have been dreaming up this card for days. Ever since my package from Gina K. Designs arrived! Do you ever do that? Just focus on a creation until your head feels like it's going to burst? Well, now you know my little secret. I do. I sketch. I pull papers. I think. I sketch some more. And, I pray that it will translate well. Sometimes what is in your head just doesn't work! Thankfully, this one did!

I used my Spellbinder Nestabilities (Small Classic Circle and Small Scallop) to create not only the hole in the front of my card but also the "frame" that I used around the hole. In between the frame and the card front, I inset some acetate that I had stamped with snowflakes using Staz On ink in white. I wanted the impression of a snowy window. I marked the inside with some pencil to figure out where my little snow house would go, stamped it in Versafine black and then colored it with my Prismacolor Colored Pencils. I just love how the white "pops!" Then, I went over the house, the door, and the trees with my Copic Spica Glitter Pens. I can't believe how these pens set off such a glittery glow! They rock!

Here's a close up to show the snowy window....


Here's the inside showing the really cute saying...


Well, it's still cold and I still have stamps. So, Lord only knows what will happen next!!!


Have a wonderful weekend!!

10 minute Card!

Well, I am nearing the end of Christmas Card season and this weekend the mail man will start taking them away! This one is one of those super dooper quickies thanks to some embossing powder, bling and stickers! I love Penny Black's Christmas sticker collection. This one was actually on a roll that I had from last year! I used a Penny Black holly vine stamp and stamped it all over the base with Versamark Ink. I stamped a strip and embossed and edged it with gold. Stamped the saying in the lower right corner and embossed it in gold, mounted the sticker on gold Stardream paper and cut along the tag line leaving about 1/4" of the gold showing. I matted it onto my card with the help of some foam tape and then added some crystals in an amber color for bling! If this card took me 10 minutes that would be saying something!

Well, off for now. I have a million of work related things to do today...shouldn't even really be blogging!!! :-) Shhhhhh! Don't tell! Thank goodness I am my own boss and work at home!!! :-)

TGIF!

More Freebie Cards!

If you saw my bee card a day or so ago, you know that I made it from the freebies that Gina K. delivered when I ordered a stamp set. Fun stuff! Who knew??? Well, these little mice were also in the little bag of "free rubber!" I thought kisses. I thought mistletoe. BUT, I didn't have a mistletoe stamp! So, I dug around to see what I could come up with and saw this punch.


So, instead of stamping, I punched it out of a post in note on both sides of the paper so I would have my image facing in opposite directions and then dabbed some ink through the punched hole with the help of a stencil brush. I love how it turned out! I added the berries on the mistletoe with the help of some rhinestones, punched a hole above it, strung some ribbon through, tied a bow and that part was done! The saying was one I just did on my computer because I didn't have anything remotely close in my stamp room! The shadow is one of those great Amuse stamps. And, last, BUT definitely not least are the mice! I just colored them with marker, and added some glitz with my Copic Spica Glitter Pens.

This really makes me laugh! I REALLY need to use the stamps I actually ordered!

Until Tomorrow!

Mom's 2 cents!

I hope you don't get bored with my mother and I's antics, but... let's just say we have fun. She saw my post and bit back! Writing:

"Dearest Julie....
I've been " outed", ouch that sounds pretty harsh. Of course I know where you got all your creativity from! But, I think you are now stealing strength from my flow power and I can't think of good stuff cause you are robbing my genes!!!"

Gotta love her! :-)

Cracking UP!!!!

For those of you that stop by regularly, you probably know my mom is "The Rubbermaid!" I have a link to her blog on the left side here. Well, every now and then she likes to brighten my day and leave a nice little comment about a card or two. THANKS MOM! Well, this last comment had me laughing pretty hard. She writes,

"Love your little bee card but then I love them all. Where did you get all your creativity? Perhaps you started crafting as a child. Pat"

MOM! Are you fishing for compliments here??? :-) You KNOW I learned everything crafty from you! And this, "perhaps you started crafting as a child?????" Hysterical. Thanks for making me laugh!!!!! Sorry dear lady, you've been outed! Feel free to sign "Mom" to your comments! :-)

Ok - Bee Nice!

I say that because I am sure, and rightly so, some might roll their eyes at a VALENTINE'S DAY card before Christmas! But, you have to understand. I couldn't resist! A week ago, I finally submitted to my huge temptation to buy a few sets from Gina K. Designs. Well, the package arrived yesterday----AND--- in addition to chocolate. Yes. Chocolate. There was "extra rubber!" Who knew she spoils her customers like that?!?!?! Well, this little bee was one of the "extras" and when I saw him, an idea popped in my head. You know stampin' sistahs, you have to take those opportunities when the ideas come! So, I made this little guy and fell in love!
Here's A Close Up


I wanted to show a close up, in hopes that the sparkle might show! I used my new Copic Spica Glitter Pens! Love those things!!!

You should know --in the box were the stamps I actually ordered and I promise, they are a winter/Christmas theme.... so... that will be up next! That is, if the ideas come! :-)

Until tomorrow!

Painting With Pearl Ex

Hi All!
This weekend has been full of decking the halls. So, let's just say, I've had other creative outlets! :-)

This card is one that I created to look like Christmas berries, but it is a technique that, if other colors would have been chosen, could have been "painted" to look like fall leaves, buds on spring trees... you get my drift!

Basically, what I did was stamp my berries and leaves (Stampendous) in Versamark ink and then, using a soft, fine tip brush, I "painted" the powder on the leaves using Spring Green and Interference Green Pearl Ex. I dabbed Russet on the berries and some Antique Bronze on the actual twig parts of the image. I love using this technique because you can layer the colors and really get a ton of metallic depth in the image. After you are done brushing on the color, you just use a cotton square or even one of those dry Swiffer cloths to burnish the color and get rid of the extra powder.

Well, decorating beckons! Hope you are all enjoying the weekend!

O2M, N2U

Ok, that would mean "Old To Me, New To You!" I have been overworked these last few days and creating has been out of the question! I did find some cards, however, that I thought featured a fun/cool technique that I did awhile back--- so it's show and tell time!



These cards were made by stamping the image on a dark colored card stock and embossing them with gold or copper embossing powder. I colored/higlighted parts of the image with a white colored pencil. Basically, I scribbled the color on. I didn't want to color the whole image, just areas that I thought might be light reflective. Then.... I colored over top with regular colored pencils. The result? It can make anyone look like an artist! You get highlights and shadows with very little work! I have to say that you'll get the best results when you use a pencil like Prismacolor. These pencils have a wax base and are highly blendable! Love my Prismas! Just in case you wondered, all the stamps I used for this technique were from Magenta.

Here are a few more examples!





Happy Thursday!!! :-)

The Clear Answer!

Ok, Donna emailed and posted a comment yesterday saying she heard that Staz-On and Palette Hybrids were ok. Well, I emailed Stewart Superior - one of the largest manufacturers of clear polymer stamps and here's what the company had to say. I am so glad I emailed! The company really set the record straight!!!

The Response
Hi Julie,

Thank you for contacting us regarding your question on inks and clear stamps.

There are several types of clear stamps out there - vinyl, silicone and photopolymer. Photopolymer is the top of the line material - as it provides the best ink transfer and image quality and durability. That is the material we use for manufacturing clear stamps.

So I can give you the details on inks for photopolymer but I don't have much data on the silicone or vinyl since we don't work with those materials.

First off, you have absolutely no worries with using Palette Hybrids. The hybrids are the latest in ink technology where they provide the same features as a solvent ink without the problems. The Palette Hybrids work on all surfaces but must be heat set on glossy surfaces and fabrics. They do this while also being non-solvent, non-hazardous, non-flammable, fade-resistant and archival. The hybrids can be used on any stamp rubber or clear and you never have to worry about them damaging the stamp.

Staz-On is a solvent based ink. It's toxic and flammable and dries out quickly. You may use solvent based inks on a clear stamp if you clean the ink off immediately. You do not want to use a solvent based cleaner on clear stamps. The best cleaner on the market for all stamps clear or rubber is Ultra Clean. Solvent will attack the photopolymer if left in contact with it for an extended period.

So to sum up - you can use solvent based inks - if you clean them immediately. And you must not use a solvent based cleaner. Ultra Clean is the cleaner to use. However, you get the same benefits of solvent ink - with the Palette Hybrids without the problems, and you have a much larger color selection.

Memories and the Palette Hybrids work magnificently with both clear and rubber stamps and you have the benefit of knowing that they won't harm your stamps. If you use another inpad and you're unsure if it's solvent or not - then just be sure to clean it quickly after use.

Hope this helps and feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.

Best regards,

Andre Cox
Marketing Director
Stewart Superior Corp.

Clear Stamps & Ink Questions!

Got a comment from Kerry and a few emails asking about my comment re: Ancient Page and polymer/clear stamps.Well, Kerry, (& the rest of you gals), you really don't want to use any solvent based ink on clear stamps. In the words of the gentleman who makes stamps for Stewart Superior, "It breaks down the polymer and turns them to goo over time!" So, that means no Ancient Page, no Staz-On, or any other permanent solvent based ink. (That also means watch out for solvent based stamp cleaners!) Dye based inks (pad or markers) are perfect. Pigment inks are okay if they are wiped off the polymer quickly. On top of the solvent based inks being bad for clear stamps, they stain! Before I did research on the topic, I did use Ancient Page on one of my clear stamps and now that clear stamp is literally black - not see through black-- just plain coal black! It totally defeats the purpose of having a clear stamp! So... hope that answered the questions for you all. Thankfully, I got the chance to talk to all the makers of these stamps when I did a piece with Roberta Wax for Rubber Stamper magazine on the topic. It was really eye opening!

Busy making more cards... post on that topic coming!!!

You Know You're In Trouble When......

This isn't a Jeff Foxworthy joke... You know you're in trouble WHEN Christmas decorations start sprouting up and you have no where near enough Christmas cards to send. This is where you plug your ears to prevent hearing me scream.

Ok, it's safe now.


I managed to create this little simple snow guy during my 4-year-old's nap today! It was a quick card that, if need be, could be made en masse - in a hurry. The snow guy is from a clear set from Inkadinkado. I stamped him using a black Versafine ink pad. I had no idea until recently that you could use this ink on clear stamps. It creates an awesome permanent image that works really well for coloring with clear stamps. Ancient page is my fave for red rubber but we all know what happens when that ink touches polymer---NOT GOOD! I colored the snow guy with watercolor pencils, added some pizazz with my new Copic Spica Glitter Pens on his buttons and hat(totally cool pens that are by far the best glitter pens my hands have ever touched! I wish you could see the sparkle--it didn't photograph well!). I matted the snow guy on red card stock, added some bling and a bow and voila... nearly done! The card was accented with the snowflake in this set by stamping it with Versamark ink.

Yeah! Only a few dozen more to go! Egg Nog anyone?

Just in CASE you wondered!!!

Ok, this is a story about a CASE-ing project gone awry. I have loved a card that my stampin' sister Penny did a while back and thought I would try to recreate it in my own little way. You can check out Penny's card here! If you click on the link, you can see why I would want to create something like this! If you look at my card, you can see how my A.D.D. brain works. If you don't see my train of thought with this one, don't worry, I don't even understand my train of thought most of the time!



Since I didn't want to emboss, I pulled out my Brilliance ink pads in Sky Blue and Platinum Planet and stamped all the snowflakes (Inkdadinkado) all over the light blue mat. After I stamped it, I thought, Ok, that didn't look like Penny's. It's actually kind of ugly. What now? I thought, maybe if I stamp that little snowflake, punch it out and add some bling, maybe that will be better. Should I mat it on the snowflake mat piece? NO! ICK! ERASE! EJECT! Ok. What now? I thought, Maybe I should punch out another larger circle from the stamped snowflake piece and mat this little snowflake on top? When I tried that, it was terrible--BUT-- out of the corner of my eye, I spotted that mat piece again and said, Hhhhmmmm. What if? Ok, now you can probably follow the card from here! Aren't happy accidents grand? Although, many of you reading this probably never have happy accidents. Your creations are done with purpose and beauty 100% of the time. Right? :-)

Off for now... Happy Monday!

More "Trash" Cards!

Ok, now I am laughing. Let's talk trash! Seriously, If you missed Friday's post. These cards were created with "leftovers" from a friend who was making a Christmas scrap book for her friend. They sat in one of my paper drawers for more than a year until I said, "you have got to do something with those or throw them out!" Here are the other two creations I came up with!

Happy Sunday!

One woman's trash is another woman's challenge!

Last year at this time, I went to a crop with a friend. She was on this power scrapping trip and had plans to whip through an entire scrapbook for a friend in a night! She almost made it! Anyway, before she settled in, she bought this major stack of holiday paper that came with some tags and embellishments. She looked at me, knowing I am not a scrapper but a card maker and said, "Could you use these?" You have to know---I am not a "throw away" person. I like to see the potential in everything. So, I said, "I'll take them!" At the time, I thought, maybe pigs will fly and I will use these. Maybe. You never know! Anyway, I was unpacking some things into my stamp room and found these four pages of "Maybes." With all the challenges on line, I decided to challenge myself. Go ahead, I said. Make some cards. No, make 5 cards. 1 card would be easy. 2 cards would still be easy. Three, a little more challenging. Don't stop at 4... make 5. So, I did. Here are a few! I'll share the rest tomorrow!!!! I had a blast. You know what though? While sitting and making these, I never did see a pig fly!

Cards 1, 2 & 3..... More to come later!



Happy weekend!