Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Technique Tuesday

Today's technique is Pastel Embossing. This technique combines embossing and chalk pastels. It's pretty easy to do.

Ink stamp in VersaMark and stamp onto the cardstock. Pour white embossing powder over the stamped image and heat the image with a heat tool until fully melted. Once the image has cooled, use a blender pen to pick up the desired pastel colors. Apply directly to the embossed image. It’s best to start with the lightest color and work to the darkest. It’s easy to add more color and depth this way. Continue adding colors until you reach your desired look. Let the cardstock dry a few minutes before handling. Apply to card and finish card. Not much to it at all!

Happy stamping!!

Stamp Sets: Heartfelt Thanks, Wonderful Words, Floral Background
Cardstock: Pixie Pink, Old Olive, Black
Ink: Pixie Pink, Black
Accessories: Versamark, White Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Chalk Pastels

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Punches

I had the opportunity to attend my best friend and fellow demo, Darla Paugh's hostess club meeting. She started her first one Tuesday and we got to play with the punches.

These are just some of the stuff we made. She had about 8 items to make which included a coffee cup, frog, pumpkins, and apples that had been eaten. They were fun and cute! I didn't get to all of them so this is just what I made. There are so many things you can make with SU! punches. This is just a small portion.

If you want details on how these were made, contact me and I'll get them for you.

Happy stamping!!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Techniques Tuesday?

Well, I started this post yesterday and didn't get to finish it. So you're technique Tuesday is now Technique Wednesday this week.

Today's technique is dry debossing...not to confuse this with dry embossing. What's different about this is you do is just like you were going to dry emboss by laying your cardstock over the template and start tracing the open areas of your template with your stylus.

What you do next is ink up your background stamp. With the raised images facing down, stamp the background stamp over it. The ink won’t stay on your debossed image, leaving it the same color as the cardstock. At least that's what is suppose to happen. I did get a little ink on the debossed images. It's something different.

I hope that you will make plans to attend my World Card Making Day event, 10 cards for $10. I'll be teaming up with my friend and fellow demo, Sheri Scudder. You will stamp 2 cards of 5 different designs. The event is Saturday, October 4 at Sheri's house. Address and info is located on my SU! website. I hope to see you there!

Happy stamping!!

Stamp Set: Canvas Background, Seeing Spots
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Wild Wasabi
Accessories: 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Seeing Spots Brass Template, Wild Wasabi Striped Ribbon

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Another Embrace

I spent the majority of the evening last night getting my projects ready for tonight's techniques class. For the first time, I've got everything cut, packed and ready to go. I can actually go home and rest before my class tonight. I can't wait!!! I'm counting the hours until quitting time today!

After getting my projects done, I was able to do another card. Not much to this one. I've got one more to do than I will show you the completed the project. I also hope to work on some other projects plus go through all my retired stamp sets and purge those I'm not using anymore. I'll be selling those so be watching out for the next post that will hopefully have pictures.

Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope you find time to stamp something!

Happy stamping!!

Stamp Set: Embrace Life
Cardstock: Groovy Guava, Whisper White, Ginger Blossom DSP
Ink: Ruby Red, Black Stazon
Accessories: Aqua Painters, White Taffeta Ribbon

Embrace Life

Still working on my cards for my card box and here is another card I came up with.

It definitely needs some color added to it. I just wasn't in the creative mood last night and it was midnight when I finished this so I just put it together before I went to bed.

I've got two more cards to put together. Once I get those done, I'll show you them plus the box I made to put them in.

I hope to work on a couple of other projects this weekend so I'll have something new to share with you next week. I'll be busy tonight getting my projects ready for my techniques class tomorrow night. Nothing like waiting to the last minute!!

Happy stamping!!

Stamp Set: Embrace Life, Hugs & Wishes
Cardstock: Ruby Red, Whisper White, Ginger Blossom DSP
Ink: Black
Accessories: Groovy Guava Double-Stitched Ribbon

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Birthday Card

Sorry I didn't post yesterday's technique. I thought I had the card with me, and then later found out I didn't. Sorry! I'll make up for it by posting two techniques next Tuesday.

I actually got a chance to do some stamping last night. I'm trying to use up some of my old designer paper so I played with the Ginger Blossom paper and Embrace Life stamp set. I'm working on a card box (which I will show you later) but here is one of the cards that will be going into it. I'm working on about 3 more to go in the box. I hope to get them done tonight.

I also had a chance to work on another project but I've got to get pictures of it and download them. Once I get that done, I will share with you. I think you are going to love it!!

I've also got to get ready for my techniques class this Friday evening. I've got the projects designed in my mind...I've just got to get them done now.

Coming up is National Cardmaking Day! I bet you didn't know such a day existed!! On Saturday, October 4th, I will be teaming up with a fellow demo, Sheri, and we will be hosting a 10 for $10 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at her home. You will make 2 cards of 5 designs. You may even donate a card or two to the Ronald McDonald house in Dallas. This will be a come and go event, and I hope you make plans to join us. It will be a fun time! For address info, check out my website.

Happy stamping!!

Stamp Set: Embrace Life, Hugs & Wishes
Cardstock: River Rock, Ruby Red, Whisper White, Ginger Blossom DSP
Ink: Black Stazon, Ruby Red
Accessories: Groovy Guava Double-Stitched Ribbon, Pop-Up Glue Dots, Aqua Painters

Monday, September 15, 2008

Flower for All Seasons

Well, I worked on my swap card a little this weekend. I didn't have enough ribbon to finish them with a knot so I had to come up with something different to do. Although I like the look of this, I don't love it. I think it needs something else but I'm done playing with it. I did do a little sponging on the edges on the blue piece even though you can't really see it. I'm glad this is done. It was only 62 cards but it was very time consuming.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow for Technique Tuesday.

Happy stamping!!

Stamp Set: A Flower for All Seasons, Happy Everything
Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Brocade Blue, Confetti White
Ink: Brocade Blue, Black Stazon, Watercolor Crayons
Accessories: Watercolor Crayons, Aqua Painter, Chocolate Chip 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, Large and Small Oval Punch, Dimensionals

Friday, September 12, 2008

Lovely As A Tree

Well, I didn't get a chance to work on my swap card last night. I played with another card design.

I always have a hard time with masculine cards. The only thing I don't like about it is the color. I think it needs another color in there besides the browns. Masculine cards are always hard for me because I tend to say with the neutral colors. I'm a simple stamper but I think this is too simple. I think it needs something else.

I didn't put any type of greeting so this is ready to go for any event. I bought my hodgepodge hardware before they were discontinued. Now I've got to use them up.

Hope you all don't get too much rain this weekend. Stay inside and do some stamping. I know I will!

Happy stamping!!

Stamp Set: Lovely As A Tree
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Very Vanilla
Ink: Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware

Thursday, September 11, 2008

A Flower for All Seasons

I purchased a new set from the catalog recently and decided to play with it. I bought this set for another swap I'm participating in. It reminds me of the set in last year's catalog, A Tree for All Seasons. I'm liking this new set a lot.

This is one design I came up with. I think it needs something so I'm working on another design. I'll show that one tomorrow. Of course when I picked this set I didn't think about all the coloring I would have to do. I have to do 62 cards!! I'm watercoloring these so it's taking some time. I hope to have them finished tonight. Wish me luck!

I also added some crystal effects on the flowers and on the pot to make it look like dew. This was a suggestion from Darla. I don't know if you can see it in the photo or not but it's there.

I hope you enjoy the card share today. I always enjoy sharing them with you. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy stamping!!

Stamp Set: A Flower for All Seasons
Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Brocade Blue, Confetti White

Ink: Black Stazon
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain, Aqua Painters, Watercolor Crayons, Crystal Effects

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Lovely As A Tree

One of the hardest type of cards to design are masculine cards. At least they are for me. Finding the right colors isn't too bad. It's when it comes to embellishments, I tend to question whether or not ribbon is good on a card or not. I need to start using buttons and brads. You can never go wrong with those type of embellishments.

To help me with more masculine designs, I joined a swap. Here is the card I came up with. I'm not too sure about the ribbon but it helps having the hemp in there.

I was going to do something with the trees but the technique I was going to do on it didn't come out too good. I didn't want to waste all the pieces I cut out for the swap. It's not the best but I think it came out pretty good.

I hope you enjoy today's card share, and I hope you come back tomorrow.

Happy stamping!!!

Stamp Sets: Lovely As A Tree, Happy Everything, Canvas
Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Summer Sun, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Ink: Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Black
Accessories: Chocolate Chip 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Linen Thread

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

WE'RE LIVE!!!

Good afternoon ladies!!

I don't have anything to share for Technique Tuesday but did want to let you know that the online ordering is now officially up!

What does this mean? Well, if you would like to order Stampin' Up! products and you don't have a demonstrator to order through, you can now order through me and it will be shipped directly to you. You can go to my website and in the upper right hand corner is a "Shop Now" button. All you have to do is set up your account and you can shop online. And if you order through a demonstrator online and your order is a minimum hostess order ($150) you will still get the hostess benefits! You could gather orders from your friends and get the benefits too.

Say you're up late at night and looking through the catalog and you realize that you need to order some product to make cards, scrapbooking pages, decor elements, Big Shot...anything and you need to get them sooner than later you can now order it all online and it will show up on YOUR DOORSTEP.

Also, there's a prompt to ask you who you're demonstrator is and if I'm your demonstrator or you don't have a demonstrator and you select me, you'll be helping me too! So, take a look at the site and if you have any questions please feel free to email me, and I'll be happy to help you out.

I'll be back tomorrow! Happy stamping!!

Friday, September 5, 2008

Heartfelt Thanks

Today's card share is a very simple one. Sometimes I can get caught up in the embellishments and forget sometimes a simple card is just as pretty.

I used colors that I don't use much. I thought it came together really well. This uses the stamp set Heartfelt Thanks. This has been in the catalog for some time, and I really thought it would retire this catalog year. Well, at least it will be around until the end of the year.

Have a good weekend, and I hope you will find time to stamp something.

Happy stamping!!

Stamp Set: Heartfelt Thanks
Cardstock: Barely Banana, Mellow Moss, Lovely Lilac, Whisper White
Ink: Certainly Celery, Mellow Moss, Lovely Lilac, Lavender Lace markers

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Card Organizer

I had a chance to participate in a craft swap Friday night. So, of course, I waited until the last minute to think of something to make. I always have a hard time coming up with something to make. I remembered that I had seen this card organizer on several blogs. This was very easy to make. There are many different versions.

What I did with these was take 6 sheets of 2 sided designer paper. This paper was in our last mini. I scored them at 4 inches and folded those. Then I folded the sheets in half. This is how I got the pockets. I then glued the calendars on to the pockets. I got the calendars from splitcoast. For the front and back covers, I cut 2 pieces just slightly larger than the pockets. (I don't remember what I cut them too.) I then glued them to chipboard to make them sturdier. I then used my crop-a-dile to punch holes and then I added brads to the front cover only. I inserted a key ring and added ribbons. There are so many ways to put these together.

What I like about this is that the calendars are not month dates but just dates so this is good for as long as it lasts.

I hope you enjoyed the project for today. It was an easy one. Thanks for stopping by!

Happy stamping!!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Technique Tuesday

OK stampers! It has been awhile since I last posted anything. Sorry for that!

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend. I did. It was nice to sleep in and not have to about work. Anyway...enough small talk...on to our technique.

Today's technique is cracked glass. It is very hard to see in this but the image is suppose to look like cracked glass. It doesn't require a lot of work but there are a lot of steps involved so you can check out a tutorial at the splitcoaststampers website. The tutorial calls for use of the glassy glaze embossing powder. If you don't have that one, you can use clear embossing powder which is what I did. I think I would have gotten a better effect using the glassy glaze. Oh well...live and learn.

Stamp Set: Embrace Life
Cardstock: River Rock, Ruby Red, Very Vanilla, Ginger Blossom DSP
Ink: Black Stazon, River Rock, Ruby Red
Accessories: Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon, Blender Pens, Clear Embossing Powder

Come back tomorrow because I have a really cute project to share.

Happy stamping!