Monthly Archives: October 2007

The Kitchen Sink…

Posted on October 26, 2007 | 10 comments

The Kitchen Sink is just NOT my favorite place to be. I’d much rather be playing with my kids or of course, stamping up a storm. 🙂 But I had this opportunity to review Kitchen Sink Stamps for an article for Craft Critique. I know. That’s two articles in less than a week…I’ve been a very busy girl! LOL But….I’ve been having so much fun, so it’s all good, right? My new Kitchen Sink Stamps were fabulous to work with. Love their style! I think I’m now addicted. I’ve included one of my designs below and the rest of my article is at Craft Critique. 🙂

Your Kindness Touched My Heart

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This is one of my favorite designs that I’ve created with these new kitchen Sink Stamps. Love the flourishes and swirls…this stamp is from the Thanks With Style set. I just had to try it out with a little style. 🙂 A little different from what I usually do but oh so fun in a funky way.

When I saw this stamp, I just had to pair it up with this gorgeous Romantica line paper by Prima. It has that same great look… a little elegant, a little grunge. Pulling the color combo from the paper, I used Real Red, Chocolate Chip and Bravo Burgundy. The heart image is actually two stamps which makes it very flexible to use. I was really pleased with the clean impression these clear stamps gave with dye ink, even on the first try. A little sponging around the layers added to the dimension and style of this design.

For my embellishments, I added a small red heart clip from Making Memories. These are so darling and come in all kinds of colors and themes. Three little pewter brads anchor the main image at the bottom right. For my sentiment, I used one of the coordinating sentiments from the same set. Love that font and there are so many great thank you sayings. I stitched it down with a little brown stitching. I kept this design simple because I didn’t want to take away from the beauty of the images, both stamped and paper. Have a wonderful Friday!

10 Comments

Posted in Card Designs, Craft Critique Project

Masquerade…

Posted on October 25, 2007 | 27 comments

I thought with Halloween just around the corner, it would be fun to have a little masquerade for our Way’s to Use It Challenge You can use any type of mask you wish…positive, negative, try some blocked collage like I did, even decorate a mask for decoration or Halloween. As long as you use some type of mask…it’s all good! If you’d like to play along…check out the challenge at WT137 LOL Now I have that Masquerade song from Phantom of the Opera running through my head! I hope it doesn’t stay all day!

Joy Christmas Ornament

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This technique just popped into my head last night before I fell asleep. I couldn’t wait to try out my new Snowflake Serenade set that arrived with yesterday’s mail. I was so busy trying to get this server connection fixed that I didn’t have time to use it. And so, I actually came up with this idea two years ago about this time. This is my new updated version with new stamps, new colors and different embellishments.

To create this design, you need a mask. I simply used a thin sheet of scrap paper and cut a circle out of it with my Coluzzle set. After laying it down on top of my white cardstock, I stamped my snowflakes with Almost Amethyst, Soft Sky and Bashful Blue. The Joy sentiment was then stamped with Purely Pomegrante. To give the ornament some depth, I sponged around the outsides of my circle mask. The closer you are the the edges, sponge it darker to make the circle look as if it is curving back.

Quick Tip: Use temporary adhesive to keep your mask in place. Post it Notes are great for small masks as well.

For the rest of my design, I decided to keep it very simple. I wanted this design fresh and crisp and the focal point to be on my stamped ornament. For the top of the ornament, I tied a little loop of silver cord and hid it behind the striped May Arts ribbon. The main card base of Soft Sky is stamped with snowflakes, tone on tone for a subtle look. My main image layer is matted with Almost Amethyst, Purely Pomegrante and more Whisper White. The top layer of Whisper White was free-style stitched with my sewing machine and to add the subtlest touch of texture, the other layer is distressed lightly with my Heidi Swapp edges distresser.

This morning is so cool here. It totally feels like winter is not so far away. I love Autumn but I love to see the first snowflakes fall too. Change is good, right!? Wishing you a fabulous day and happy masking! And oh…stop by later. I’m going to try and create a tutorial for you and tomorrow… fun designs from the kitchen sink. 😉

27 Comments

Posted in Card Designs, Challenges, Holiday

A Baby Shower Design…

Posted on October 24, 2007 | 12 comments

So frustrating isn’t it?!! When your server goes down! Yikes…another server glitch and another 18 hours without internet is not fun! A couple weeks ago it was the modem and this time the server itself. Which has kind of sent a deadline or two of mine into a bit of a tailspin. LOL Well…I wasn’t laughing last night to be sure. AND I wasted THREE hours on the phone this morning waiting for someone other than an automated computer voice to speak to me. I just couldn’t believe how hard it was to get a human being on the phone line. And so, I’m glad to be back and am busy running around regrouping and switching things around. It’s all good now though. 🙂

Guava Baby Shower Design

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I created this design weeks ago but for some strange reason, haven’t managed to get it uploaded yet and so, today seemed like a fabulous time. When I started this design, I decided it would be fun to take the Groovy Guava cardstock and ink and try it out for a less traditional baby design look. I really like it and isn’t it a fun change from the pink and blue? This design uses the It’s Shower Time stamp set from My Favorite Things. I love that umbrella and all the little goodies that go with it. For this design, I decided to try popping out my umbrella a little to give it some dimension. First it was stamped onto Groovy Guava cardstock and then scored and lightly bent into shape along the lines were the spines would be. Under the middle of the umbrella, I added a pop dot to keep it out and adhered the umbrella to the cardstock along the bottom curve of the design. The little scrap of white ribbon is tied and knotted and adhered with a little glue dot.

For my background, I quickly stamped baby randomly over the cardstock and then added my stamped striped panel. To stripe this panel I used the Behind the Scenes stamp set and repeatedly stamped it. It was really easy to line up the stripes with the clear polymer stamp. I’d also been wanting to try out my new ruffled May Arts ribbon and slid it around the card front and adhered it under the scalloped circle. Isn’t it pretty? I love it so much I had to go back and buy all the colors! 🙂

Check it out… Trudee has some fabulous goodies on her blog, Follow Your Bliss. Make sure you take the time to check it out!

Supply list:

Cardstock: Groovy Guava, whisper white – Stampin Up

Stamps: It’s Shower Time, Behind the Scenes – My Favorite Things stamps

Ink: Groovy Guava, black, Close to Cocoa – Stampin Up

Other: circle punches – EK Success, large circle and scalloped circle punches – Marvy Uchida, ribbon – May Arts, sewing machine

12 Comments

Posted in Card Designs

Icy Reindeer…

Posted on October 23, 2007 | 30 comments

I hope you are not getting tired of this reindeer stamp because I just couldn’t resist using him again for today’s Color Challenge…Purely Pomegranate, Soft Sky and Basic Grey. I thought it would so well for a unique holiday look and doesn’t his nose look darling? 🙂 More about that later. This reindeer comes from The Flourished Christmas set from Flourishes and is so popular that it is out of stock. Don’t worry though…new stock will be arriving this week in plenty of time for your Christmas designs. If you’d like to play along with this great color challenge…check out the link here.

Reindeer Joy

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For this design, I fell back on a basic design layout I like to use…actually I think it was this past week’s sketch challenge. My reindeer stamp was inked with Versamark and then embossed with silver embossing powder. To add a little depth and substance to him, I colored him in lightly with my lightest gray Copic Marker. To add a little glitz and make this card more festive, I used my glue pen to add dots of glue and then sprinkled them with dazzling diamonds glitter. The sentiment is stamped in Purely Pomegrantate and I added other small accents of this color with dotted ribbon from Michael’s and a mat around my image layer. The little blue clip that holds on the ribbon is from the Making Memories Cheeky Collection.

Quick Tip: Now to make my reindeer nose…I guess he must be a very elegant grown-up Rudolf 😉 I searched and searched for a red rhinestone in my stash. I simply must have one…but well, I just couldn’t find one! And so, what to do?! I was terribly excited to think of my new Copics and airbrush system…would it work? Yay! A quick spray of a Pomegranate colored marker and Rudolf had a matching nose.

The rest of my design is pretty self-explanatory. I just love this Charbon paper by Stampin Up and when the challenge was to use Basic Grey…well, I wasn’t long in pulling it out.

Wishing you joy!

30 Comments

Posted in Card Designs, Challenges, Holiday

Basic Grey Chipboard Album…

Posted on October 23, 2007 | 22 comments

I just love chipboard and these brad new Basic Grey chipboard albums are super cool and so much fun to use. I love the size. I love the cool shapes. Mini albums make perfect gifts and are just a little bigger than card size. This makes them super quick to finish and easy to design with for card makers. When I saw these albums a Basic Grey, I couldn’t wait to order them all. Craft Critique had a fabulous week of different chipboard reviews and I just knew I had to review Basic Grey. My project below is part of that article.

Life’s Good Basic Grey Chipboard Album

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For this design I use the Basic Grey Bracket Mini Album and covered it with some paper from the Periphery 6×6 paper pad. I just love how these papers are the perfect size and scale and one package will easily cover an album, all with coordinating paper. As I was reviewing other Basic Grey Chipboard as well, I used a circle element from their Chipboard Numbers set and the “L” (stands for love, laugh, life) is from the larger monogram chipboard set.

Because the article was on Basic Grey chipboard, I decided to pull out my Basic Grey rub-on transfers as well. Stamps would work equally as well. I’m sorry I just can’t remember exactly which rub-on packages I used…I have quite a collection. 🙂 I just love how easy they are to apply and their ornate look. I started off using the Life’s Good rub-on for the center of the design. I would have loved a rub-on or stamp that said blessed as that is really what I’m going to use this little album for. To record my blessings…God has been very good to me. Pics of my husband, children and family, after all, when all is said and done, isn’t that the most important? I’m really excited about finishing up this little scrapbooking project. 🙂

A few final notes on this project… the beautiful flower are soft felt Primas…I just love the texture in real life! In their centers are Making Memories gem stickers “clear”. On this projects I also used differenet ways to finish each of the three chipboard pieces… album is covered with patterned paper, circle element is sponged with Blue Bayou Ink, and the L is covered with patterned paper and then sponged with ink. All Basic Grey chipboard, my Prima felt flowers, May Arts ribbons as well as  the  Basic Grey paper and rub-ons were purchsed from Jacksonbelle Embellishments. 🙂

Wishing you a fabulous day! Make sure you take time to count your blessings! 🙂

 Don’t Miss… stopping by Paper Cuts blog by Michele Boyer. I guarentee you’ll be glad you did! 😉

Supply List:

Patterned Paper: 6×6 paper pad Periphery – Basic Grey

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Other: Scalloped Chipboard albums, Chipboard numbers, Chipboard monograms large – Basic Grey, ribbon – May Arts, Clear Rhinestone stickers – Making Memories, felt flowers – Prima Marketing, Wholy Cow black rub-on Transfers (Roses, Sentiments, and others) – Basic Grey

22 Comments

Posted in Craft Critique Project, Papercraft projects

A Challenge with Anna

Posted on October 22, 2007 | 14 comments

My friend Anna Wight e-mailed me a few weeks ago asked if I’d like to a do a little challenge with her. I didn’t have to think about it long, well ya…. how super fun! Anna totally rocks with her fabulous designs and I’m sure you know, Anna has a whole line of stamps she has designed for Whipper Snapper. Anna is also known as Sweet Miss Daisy on Splitcoaststampers and I had the pleasure of being on the Dirty Dozen design team for quite a few months with her. We actually had so much fun with this, Anna and I are going to do it again…hopefully on a regular schedule. 🙂 And so for our first challenge together we decided on a color challenge. I always love a color challenge and this time is no exception. Anna suggested Sage Shadow, Really Rust and a neutral…well, I snuck in two I guess…chocolate chip and Very Vanilla so I hope she’ll forgive me. 😉 Make sure you check out Anna’s design on her blog… Sweet and Sassy Notes.

A Precious Gift

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When Anna suggested the color challenge, I went up to my stamping desk to pull out the colors and to give it some thought. Sitting there in the open, was my Cosmo Cricket patterned paper and wow…the color combo worked perfectly. I couldn’t wait to get started on my design. Actually…this is the second version of it. Sigh….I had it all made and just had to adhere the image panel over the rest of the card design. I needed some Very Vanilla cardstock from my demo but this morning…when I went to put it all together…Yikes! Someone had been playing in my stuff and while I could find the image, the rest of the design was nowhere to be found. And so…I quickly whipped together a simpler version of my background design and here we are! LOL

This design is quite simple in layout and so I’ll just tell you about the main image panel…I love this Stampin Up Fabulous Flowers set…I’d use it all the time if I had more time! 🙂 I decided to go with a light floral look to mimic the ivory flowers in background paper. Using my white kraft ink I stamped the flower four times and then brushed my white ink directly onto the edges. After it was well dried, I used my Itty Bitty Backgrounds stamp to add a little textured look and then stamped my sentiment at the bottom left corner.

My cardbase is simple…a 5.25″ square card from Sage Shadow, layered with chocolate chip cardstock and then my Cosmo Cricker paper. A little stitching and then distressing of the edges with my finger adds to the look. For my embellishments…a Prima flower set with a Making Memories pearl sticker and a brand new Fancy Pants Harvest pin that I picked up at my local scrapbook store. I just had to add one more little piece of hardware. I’d been wishing for some of the We R Memory Keepers hardware since it was released a year ago. I was so excited when Diane ordered some in especially for me… I LOVE it! 🙂

Supply List:

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Sage Shadow, Real Rust

Patterned Paper: Autumn from Gretel Collection – Cosmo Cricket

Stamps: Fabulous Flowers, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Refuge and Strength

Ink: Black, Really Rust, White Craft – Stampin Up

Other: sewing machine, clip- We R Memory Keepers, Prima Flower, Harvest Pin – Fancy Pants Designs, Pearl Sticker – Making Memories

14 Comments

Posted in Card Designs, Challenges

Simply Sunday…As simple as you want it…

Posted on October 21, 2007 | 13 comments

EAch Saturday I usually do a Simply Saturday design but this week, because I had a Basic Grey Chipboard article…which was in essence a VERY long {C’est Bon} article 😉 ) I decided to switch my days around. 🙂 Today I’m sharing a simple Thomas Kindkade stamp design that was originally created for another Craft Critique article a few weeks ago.

This design is very simple and very easy to create. I just love these Thomas Kinkade stamps from Cornish Heritage Farms and simple or with lots of coloring, they are always stunning. I recently heard it commented on a forum how that some stampers were afraid to try them out because of the complexity of their image. If you do wish to color, yes, you can take as much time as you wish with them but….don’t be afraid to use them for simple designs as well. It is so easy to create a beautiful monochromatic design with them!

Monochromatic Foxglove Cottage

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This Foxglove Cottage stamp is one of my favorites to date! I just love it! To keep this design simple, I quickly inked it up with a little Blue Bayou ink from Stampin Up and stamped it. This design is so pretty, it really didn’t need any coloring but I added a little yellow light glow from the windows by lightly applying some chalk after the ink was well dry. To give it a little bit of a frame look, the edges were sponged with Close to Cocoa ink. The design was then matted with white cardstock and adhere to a Blue Bayou cardstock base.

Quick Tip: When inking and stamping a large stamp block, make sure it is well and evenly inked. Keeping the block rubber side up, lay your cardstock on top and apply even pressure over the entire surface to get a good impression. You can use your hand or a clean brayer . Be careful not to move the cardstock and to lift straight up to avoid smearing.

In keeping with my simple design and to keep the focus on the gorgeous stamp, I chose to add a pure white hydrangea flower from Prima Marketing and set it with a designer eyelet from We R Memory Keepers. These eylets are so pretty and are easy to set with a Crop-a-dile. For my last little touch, a tiny addition of stitching on the top right hand corner of my design. It is almost like a little photo corner idea to balance the design and add one of my favorite touches. 🙂

Hope your day is simply wonderful! And don’t be afraid to keep it simple sometimes! Life is crazy enough as it is! 🙂

13 Comments

Posted in Card Designs, Cornish Heritage Farms, Craft Critique Project