Stamp Simply Time!!!

Get ready for Challenge #24! This week's Stamp Simply Challenge is all about purses--stamped purses, 3-D purses, it can be anything "purse" related! Head on over to Sharon's place for the details-- just click HERE. You can upload your project at Splitcoast and/or your Blog, anytime at all- just post a link on Sharon's blog so we can all see what you've cooked up!!

Here's what I came up with! I wanted to make a card holder that I could put a smaller size card or gift card down inside. You might look at this and think - fussy. But read on and you'll see, if you know how to fold a piece of paper--- you can do this!I started with an 8 by 8-1/2" piece of paper folded so that my folded piece was 8-1/2" by 4". Then, I just stuck my paper into my paper cutter to angle my edge. Don't shriek. I didn't measure! Gasp! But, if you like that feeling of knowing that everything is just right, simply measure in 3/4 of an inch to an inch in on each side at the top. Then, you have a perfect line from that point down to to the corner to line up and get it straight.
This is what it looks like folded.....
From there, it's time to embellish! I used my sewing machine to sew up the sides and to give it a little flair. I used strips of paper down the center and my slit punch from Stampin' Up to create my scallops on both sides of my center piece of patterned paper. The little tag is just one from my mini-tags dies from Cuttlebug. The stamp "Just For You" is a small Hero stamp. I added some adhesive backed pearls on my scallops and then I did something fun. I had extra of this patterned paper and I just cut out the flower and used a mini-glue dot to attach it to the front of my "purse." I think that's what made this fun! I attached my satin ribbon "handles" with pink mini brads and then took a strip of pearl paper and paper pierced it to look like a faux top stitching. It was fun putting all the little details into this. I want to save this for my niece and use it as a gift card holder!


Happy Friday! Thanks Sharon for another GREAT challenge!!!

Almost Forgot!

I almost forgot!!! My bud Jacki over at the Card Castle is having a card contest. I just happened to enter and would love it if you headed on over to vote. Now, don't take this as a suggestion to vote for me --- vote for the card you like best! There are some great entries! I also happen to love Jacki's site and think everyone should visit her every now and then! She's a sweetie!

So, click HERE to check it all out! Voting ends at midnight tonight!

Removed!

MMMMmmmm Chocolate!

Ok, I took a bit of creative license with this one! I took this darling bunny sitting on an egg (click HERE to see original image) and I chomped it's ears off! When I saw the saying "mmmm Chocholate" in Asela Hopkin's new line for Cornish Heritage Farms, I couldn't help but think of a chocolate bunny. The next step was just stamping partial images and adding "bite marks!" LOL!

I colored these little guys using watercolor pencils and a blender pen. The circles and scalloped circles were done with my Nestabilities (seems like I use them for EVERYTHING now!) The paper is Lasting Impressions. A few weeks ago, my bud Janine talked about the Decorative Accents that she found at Michaels that look just like Dew Drops. Well, not too long ago, they restocked my store and I found them!! So, that is what I used on my little words tag.

Hope your having a fab week!! See ya tomorrow!

Hey Chickie!

Hi all! Thanks for the comments about yesterday's tutorial! I didn't tell you this yesterday, but to make sure that the directions were easy enough to follow - I actually sat my hubby down and made him do it! His folds were kinda crooked, but he did it! Man, that guy must love me!! LOL!

Yesterday I showed you one of Asela Hopkin's new stamps for Easter that is sold through Cornish Heritage Farms. Well, I decided, it was too cute of an image not to be able to use year round! So, here's what I came up with. Take out the Easter saying and add "Hey Chickie," then, only ink up the chick - not the egg - and you have a fun card to say "hey" to your girlfriends!

To make the card, I just stamped the chick in permanent black ink, colored with watercolor pencils and cut the shape out (both scalloped and regular circle) with my Nestabilities. And, the sky was added with some dots done in sky blue ink just by tapping off the color all around the chick. Now that I look at the little guy, I also outlined one side of him with a really light blue Tombow marker to make him "pop" a bit.

Here's a close up....
Now, all I am going to say about tomorrow's post is this - it just might make you hungry!! :-)

Have a good one!!

A card... and a tutorial!

Happy Monday!
A little more than a week ago, my bloggin' bud Asela Hopkins dropped a surprise in the mail just for me! It was her Easter collection from Cornish Heritage Farms with all those darling bunnies and chicks! I was stunned. I told her it felt like Christmas all over again! So, in honor of her gift and awesome new stamps, I'm going to give you a card a day this week showcasing her great stamps! Let's face it -with Easter coming early this year- now is the time for Easter cards! THANKS ASELA! You truly are just one big sweet heart.

This first card is using the stamp Chick N' Egg
I just stamped it on a white rectangle that I cut out with one of my rectangle classic Nestability dies, colored it with colored pencils, added some Stickles to the dots and lines on the egg, matted it onto a scalloped rectangle Nestie, added some ribbon and mounted this all on a Lasting Impressions paper card base. The saying, Happy Easter, is also a part of her new line. Love that script!

Here's a close up of that cute little chickie!!

So, looking at this stamp, you think -- that's just an Easter image. WELL - think again! Tomorrow, I'll show you how you can use this very stamp ALL YEAR ROUND!

Now, the tutorial....
Ok... better have time for the rest of this post!! :-) Also, I would suggest practicing as we go along so that you can see each step and how it works. I tried, really hard to do this via video but for some reason, it would NOT upload. If those of you who have done video have any pointers---I would love it! My file was an AVI file. Is that wrong??

If, after reading this and looking at the pictures, you have questions - on my profile is my link to email. Feel free to email! OR, email me for my address and you can drop a SASE in the mail and I'll shoot you back the written directions I have.

With those things out of the way, here we go! You need an 8-1/2" by 11 piece of paper. Following my little dot marks, you want to create two valley folds both widthwise and lengthwise.

Now, you want to fold the piece lengthwise on both sides to the center fold.Next, you want to fold each corner in so that the edge will line up with the widthwise center fold.
After you have done this on all four corners, this is what it will look like....
Now, this next part becomes a little more complicated. This is where the diagonal folds come into play. After you fold both sides lengthwise to the center, you are going to fold just part of the diagonal down to the center fold. I know this sounds confusing, but hopefully the picture spells it out.

Now, do this on the other side as well.
Then, the top part that is just flying in the air right now will be folded down to the center widthwise fold like this...
If you turn this over, you'll see you kind of have wings hanging off the edge....
You are going to want to fold those little triangles in to the front like this. Here's one side...
Here's what it looks like with both sides folded in...
See that little flap of extra paper at the top right between my index and middle fingers? You will fold this down over your triangle folds. This is really what helps secure your card box.

Here's what it looks like folded..

Now, it's time to do all of this all over again on the other side.... A refresher....
Now fold back the other side...
Fold the top flap down making sure to line up the creases with the edges of both sides of your card...
Now, fold back your little triangular flaps...
Lastly, fold the excess paper back to secure your card/box...
And... VOILA... you have your card box!!!
Now, you are probably thinking, what's up with all these folds showing? I don't like that! Well, mat some coordinating paper over top. Mat a square to cover the folds on the bottom of your box. Use strips of paper in a coordinating color for the "flaps" that open your card/box. Didn't see my original post with my sample? Click HERE...

Hope you enjoyed this! If you do a sample with this idea, I would love it if you linked back here for the directions and then-- of course-- I would LOVE it if you shared what you did! This is what makes sharing so fun!

Have a fab day! See ya tomorrow!

Challenge Card!

Ok, I admit it - I like to stretch people to think out of the box! So, last week when I had my "Girls Night Out" class and we made "girlie" cards --- I put a whole bunch of card elements into a bag and said - Ok, make something with it!

Here's a look at what was in the bag....
I had a scalloped rectangle, a regular rectangle that could fit inside, a 1-1/4" circle, a 1"circle, a 5-1/4 by 4" pink piece, a 5 by 3-3/4" polka dot piece, 4 - 1" strips of white, two triangular shapes and a white card base. Some of it was kind of predictable --- the strips of paper and the triangles were not! I also threw in some polka dot and yellow sheer ribbon just for kicks. They could add ANYTHING they wanted but they had to use everything. Well, some grumbled and I saw some "NO WAY!" looks on a few faces so I conceded that they didn't have to use the strips if they didn't to. Funny ladies!! :-) All of the cards were really, really neat. Each one was different and very original. After they were done, I gave them a blank piece of paper and told them to vote for their fave---and they couldn't vote for their own!

Here was my card. I admit, it isn't fair because I kind of sketched it out before I made it knowing that I wanted to throw in a few curves.....
Once all was said and done... they voted... and ANNE was the winner!! Here was her card!

She ended up using the triangles as a very tight mat under her scalloped rectangle. I love how she used the mat as a kind of pocket for the circle tags! Isn't that a fun idea??? Sorry about the size of these photos. I forgot my camera that night and my friend emailed me these shots. I think when they were emailed - they lost a bit of resolution because they were sent as a slide show. No biggie though - you get the gist!!

Well, I am working on tomorrow's tutorial and hoping it all turns out!!!
See ya then!

It's Friday... So Sharon's At It Again!

I love Sharon Johnson's Stamp Simply Challenges. I look forward to Friday because I know she'll have something that will get me thinking! This Friday's theme is FLOURISHES. You had to use some "flourishy" element on your card! You could stamp it, or in my case--stamp it and rub it on! She even said you could doodle it on if you like!

The rub ons are from Fancy Pants and the other stamp that I stamped using Versamark ink is actually a dollar type stamp from Target. I use it a lot because I love it. The little saying, "Inspire" is from Impression Obsession. I also attached some hot fix nail heads in two of the corners to add my bling!

I am really excited to team up with Sharon for her Stamp Simply challenges-- you can read about it HERE! She's one sweet and very talented lady! So, on Friday mornings you can stop by her place, and then come by and see my spin on her fun!

TGIF!!!

Directions.....

Ok, I am loving your comments about my card/box. So, in appreciation, I am going to really, really try to post something Monday with directions on how to make it. I think photos might work better? Or would you like a drawing? Let me know!!! Thanks again guys - you're the best!

Is it a card... or a box? Or both??

This is one of those retro card designs. I have NO idea where I learned to make this little box but I stumbled upon some scribbled out directions when I was cleaning out some drawers in my stamp room! It's a card that, when you open it, actually opens up to be a kind of 3-dimensional box. It's pretty cool. It's one of those that you just keep opening it and shutting it saying..."oooOOOooo." I know. It doesn't take much to appease me.

I wish I could tell you how to make it verbally. It is a creation with 100 folds! I am going to try to plot out the directions on my Adobe Elements to see if I can share.

The stamps I used are a part of the new stamp set from Gina K. called Baskets of Happiness. I just love these little flowers. They look so delicate. The coloring was done with marl paper and watercolor markers. It was a technique my friend Phyl demoed last weekend and I am still playing. While I still prefer watercolor paper, this is a fun substitute for cards on the fly.

Here's a close up.... I used both Marvy and Tombow markers for this in shades of purple, green, gray brown and sepia (mostly for the background)


This saying is actually all one and it reads... "It takes a long time to grow an old friend!" I thought it would be fun if the saying was revealed when you opened the box. What better gift to give a friend than flowers she can grow and think of your friendship as they bud and blossom. Ok, am I getting sappy here? Maybe. Especially since I picked "Forget-Me-Nots" as the flower! Here's a shot of the box opening up to reveal not just the saying but the seeds too! Those are my little girl's hands in the shot. She was so excited to be my hand model!! :-)
Hope you all had a wonderful Wednesday and are having a good week!
Until tomorrow....

Stamp Simply

Fridays mean Sharon Johnson's Stamp Simply challenge and other than saying TGIF, I love checking out her site to see what kind of creativity she has cooked up. I love her challenges because she doesn't say... "Make a card just like this..." She says, when you make a card, use this element. A few weeks ago, she said simply "use pretties." That could be anything! You should see all the creative things people come up with! So, this card today is my delayed reaction response to her challenge. Life has just been like that lately!

For this card I used a flower stamp from Penny Black that I just inked up with markers and stamped it along the bottom of my white card stock piece. I used a dot type peg stamp from Stamps By Judith for my "sky." This was kind of fun. I inked up the dots and then just kept tapping until the ink was so faint you could barely see it. Inked up the stamp and did it all over again until my sky was colored shades of blue. It's a faint way to add a bit of color. The sentiment is from a clear Stampendous set that features all different Bible verses. This is only the second time I have used this set and the first time I used this sentiment - but for this card, It was really needed. You see, I plan to send this one to a friend who just found out her mother has stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Man, that's tough. Words are hard to come by in that kind of situation, but the Lord never fails. So, that's why I thought this verse could bring some comfort.

Here's a close up....


On a much brighter note, I hope you are all happy, well and enjoying your week!

Until tomorrow......

p.s. My friend Jacki at the Card Castle is having a leap year challenge that will end, well, at the end of this month! Find the oldest stamp you have and let her know just how long you have been holding on to a never before used stamp. AND, make a creation with it! I've been told by Jacki that this contest is two fold and the bigger prize will go to the people who enter creations. So, head on over to her castle and check out the details! I am entering this card since I used a stamp I had been holding on to for a LONG time. But, I told her I would dig out one that I have had since the beginning of time and try to come up with something else!! This should be fun. I hope it's not awful! You know how trends in stamping images change!!

My take on the challenge!

You know what I learned today? Don't challenge others and post a sketch when you don't have an idea first. Man, that was like child birth! I ripped and cut and wondered when this card was going to come together. Some cards are just like that!


This little birdie is from a Stampin' Up set called Nature's Wonders. Do you want to know what is sad? I have never used this little guy. He is too cute for words and he's been stuffed in a box for well over a year. Probably well over two years! Poor guy. I wanted to make him a robin because, like most of you, I am searching for a little spring time! I need it! SOON! The paper is K & Company paper and the shapes were done with my rectangle Nesties and scalloped Nesties. The image was done with the same technique that Phyl demoed yesterday - with the watercolor on marl paper. It was a fun paper to play with and it's pretty forgiving. Like watercolor paper, if you color outside the lines, you can dab up excess color no problem just by dabbing on a little water to the area. LOVE that!

Another cool thing is, I wanted to use the words that are a part of this stamp set but, I didn't want to mask for the bird and I didn't obviously want words to be going through the bird. So, I took tea dye ink (Tim Holtz Distress Ink) and inked up my stamp. Then, I took a paper towel and wiped just the center of the stamp to remove the ink. I can see really doing this on larger images. I think I am going to experiment more with this for sure!

Here's a close up of the birdie...
I am sure there are some bird enthusiasts out there that might take issue with the way I colored my robin here. It wasn't until just before this post that I searched out what a robin really looked like. I didn't realize his head was darker than the body part. Oh well! I still think he's a cutie!!!

Off to fix dinner and chill! Hope you are enjoying your Sunday!

Edited To Add: Since I had never used this guy and have had him since 2004, "a little birdie" suggested I enter it into my friend's Leap Year card challenge over at Jacki Jones place. If you want to check her challenge out--Click HERE

Card From A Friend & A Sketch!

Today my daughter and I went to a great demo at my LSS. My friend Phyl was demoing something that apparently has been around for quite a while, but none of us stampers here had ever laid hands on it! It's called MARL paper and it is a paper that allows you to really color like watercolor on the paper without using paints but instead using markers. The way she explained it was the markers "float" on the paper's surface allowing you to draw the color out. This paper also prevents lines from forming - you know, the lines you normally see when you color with regular water based markers on regular paper. I haven't tried it yet, but luckily my daughter won the demo card! The image was stamped with black permanent ink and then watercolored with Tombow markers and blending with an aquaflow brush. Click HERE if you want to see more of her creations!


Here's a close up....

Because I LOVE this card layout, I thought, why not share it and issue a weekend challenge for those who need a little something to jump start their creativity? If you do use this sketch, let me know by leaving a comment and linking up to it on your blog or gallery! Thanks Phyl for the inspiration! It was a great demo!

SKETCH CHALLENGE


My daughter's new word is fabulous... so, have a FABULOUS weekend. I am in my craft room today so I'll be back tomorrow with one of my own creations!

Flowers for you...

Hi y'all! Happy Friday. I am sooooooo ready for a relaxing weekend! How about you? This card I'm sharing today is one I did for the Gina K. Designs Challenges last weekend for her release party. To be honest with you, I'm not all that sure about my card. Colors wrong? Paper wrong? It just doesn't "sing" for me. I know what I was going for! I used my distress pad (Tea Dye) and just rubbed it all over the paper before stamping my image and coloring it with watercolor pencils. I was going for a rustic, almost "dirty"look like this little card escaped and rolled around in the garden. :-) Wierd, I know! The layout was thanks to Erika Martin and it's really unique. I used my Nesties to cut the circle and then just layered it all up. I did sew a zig zag around the circle. Stamped my sentiment and cut it out using a 1" circle punch which I then cut in half and layered under my ribbon. That's it!

Well, I have a list a mile long of things on my to do list! Hope you have a wonderful day! The sun in shining here which is sooooo nice. Hope it is where you are too!

p.s. Edited To Add: Today Nina of the Queen Kat Royal Court dubbed me a "Card Making Princess!"

Do I get a crown??? :-) Very cool!! Thanks Nina!! Wait 'til I tell my family they must now address me as "Princess!" hee hee!

The dirty truth!

Warning: The first part of this post is a dirty shame. It is not for the faint of heart and might just terrify small children........




Over the past few months, I have gotten QUITE a bit of grief over my stamp room pics and how clean my space is. I'm sure it's all in good fun. I even had a lady (very sweet woman) at Jo Ann's say, "I just can't believe how clean your stamp room is!" Another, actually called it disgusting! Yes. Disgusting! Well, these photos should tell you the dirty truth about me. When I am on a crafting binge as I call it. You can't find a darn thing. My son has affectionately called it the tornado room at times because it looks like an F5 hit---only in that 8 by 10 foot space! Look closely in the pics and you'll see piles of stamps, markers, yesterday's diet coke, punches, paper scraps, ribbon on the floor, sewing machine just lying about, no place to sit, boxes stacked. Ok, now do you believe me that I am not a neat freak!!!! :-)

Here's some more proof!!!


Ok... moving on. I have to say a huge thanks to my bud Janine who honored me with the "This Blog Is Rated E for Excellent!" You're the best! If you haven't checked out her blog, you should. She always has the greatest ideas and she is off the charts thoughtful. Janine, I think you deserve the award--right back at ya! So consider yourself re-awarded!! (Someone beat me to the punch!)



I have to say, I have had such a blast these last few months getting to know the people that stop here daily. You all bring smiles to my life! I might create another award for that and start handing it out! :-)

A Little Sweetness For Valentine's Day!

Now.. for a creation! I made this little cupcake cup using the Cricut (tags, bags, and boxes cartridge, nut cup container) and then embellishing it with my Wizard circles and scallops. The stamps are from a Hero Arts clear set called "Cupcakes" and I colored them with watercolor pencils and added bunches of Stickles glitter in red and crystal colors. I used the Cricut at my LSS but I would love to know what you think about this machine. Do you love it? Can't live with out it? Like it just so-so? Fill me in. I really liked this cartridge and am toying with the idea of adding it to my craft room. It will never replace my Wizard, but, might be fun every now and then!

Well my friends, have a wonderful Thursday!
Happy Valentine's Day!

P.S. Edited to Add: Get this - my bloggin' bud Asela created some special images just for today that you can print and play with. They are DARLING! How incredibly thoughtful is that? I told her, isn't it just my luck that my printer ink is out???? I guess I really needed to go to the store anyway! Check out the images HERE.