Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Be Inspired Challenge #11
Annnd now that I'm looking, mine is the same basic idea as Charmaine's! Good for me! haha!
I'm going to bed now, in my nice clean sheets- the one thing I got done today that was in my original plan!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
A sucker for a sale...
I started scrapping in 1996 or 97. I used to haunt scrapbook stores looking for anything 'perfect'. Since starting my Stampin' Up! business, I haven't even stepped into a store for scrapbook supplies!!! Except...that I found a nice 12x12 album for $4 at this same bookstore in February. And then yesterday I found a boy and a girl scrapbook kit- album, stickers, rhinestones, paper, etc- for $10 each, valued at $50. OK FINE, I'll get that too!!! I bought the kits for the albums, and its totally worth it. Oh, and the boy kit came with a sticker that said this: "Of all the animals the boy is the most unmanageable." Couldn't resist that one! But I haven't spent any money on "other guys" no matter how much I've liked them. I usually have great self-control with money and hardly ever spend it on ME. There's always too much the kids "need" and want for me to justify money for Mommy. And if I'm going to buy it, I may as well buy it from myself! Not only do I like the discount and the commission, but I only demo what I can sell, so why own other products if I can't demo it? So that is my reason. And HERE is my first non-SU purchased page since I started the biz. (I have made pages with non-SU products because I have a big box full of stuff over there from my pre-biz days.) I was really happy with this paper from the boy pack. I really don't like letter stickers, that was my biggest reason for buying ABC sets, I get sooo tired of accumulating "q" and whatever other not-used letters. But these worked great for this page. I used my retired Buckaroo Blue card stock for the photo mats! Its a darn close match! He likes the pages too, so yeay!
But you want to know what else happened with sales yesterday? At the beginning of April I signed up with Kidvantage at Sears because my son has torn thru 9 pairs of jeans this winter. Um, make that 10. Friday he ripped the knee on one of the jeans I bought THIS MONTH. So we went all the way to Sears to replace them. That's all we were doing. But....Burt noticed a major buy-one-get-one-free sale throughout a lot of the store.... I got 3 new shirts and 2 new pants!!! YEAY!!!! Burt doesn't agree with the "ignore mommy" money philosophy, but he has to convince me...that did it! Dang sales! I don't even want to think about how much extra we spent yesterday..............
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Weekend Sketch #45
I used Bordering Blue card stock for the base, and a big chunk of River Rock card stock. I put a strip of River Rock double stitched ribbon for the rectangle along the bottom, and I even used some of my very hoarded Hodgepodge Hardware! I stamped the image and the greeting in Close to Cocoa and added a bit of paper-piercing. I am happy with the result- what do you think?
Friday, April 25, 2008
The Process of a Glittery Page!
The instructions say to peel off the back part and firmly press it onto your project before adding glitter or beads. (I don’t have beads) I read something another person experienced that made sense to me...if you wait and add your glitter to your entire project, then everything ends up sparkly. So I added glitter FIRST. …annnd now I’m thinkin’ there’s a REASON they say peel off the back first! Otherwise you are wrestling with a double-sided-sticky-glittery mess that wants to stick to itself! It is VERY hard to put onto your project at this point...! HMM. I may end up with a love-hate relationship with these lovely sticky cuts letters… I’ll get back to you on that as I play more. I still really love the idea of them. I’ll just have to find a way to make them work for me. Maybe just on one-layer projects...
And the chunky glitter is actually "chunky". You can pick up each little sparkle by pressing your finger on it and put it back in the little cup! hardly a mess! Love that!!!
So here's my finished page. What do you think?
Recipe: Barely Banana 12x12 base, Hostess Prints DSP (pretty in pink), Berry Bliss DSP, Sticky Cuts, Chunky Sprinkles Glitter
Thursday, April 24, 2008
"Cards For Troops" Event!
Sunday, a woman at church asked if anyone would like to write to her son and his buddies who are serving in Iraq. Since then, I have organized a card-making event to do exactly that. Tomorrow I'm going to tape flyers to every door in this neighborhood and the next and hope for the best.
I'm going to charge $1 per card and have a variety of pre-cut cards ready to be stamped and assembled. The fee will help cover the supplies, provide envelopes and possibly postage costs. We'll make cards to write messages for the soldiers but we'll also make cards for them to send home to their families.
Here is a card I thought could work both ways. I used Not Quite Navy for the base and wheeled Matey's Map in Chocolate Chip ink on Sahara Sand card stock. I colored it with my watercolor pencils- no blending, just coloring. Then I used Sahara Sand and my Word Window punch for the greeting, which I stamped in Not Quite Navy. I think its a good masculine card for them to send AND receive! Here's hoping for a great turn-out!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Punch Class Details (LONG!)
The Apple and Purse post is here. For the Apple card, I used the Round Tab Punch and Very Vanilla card stock to make the apple cores. I used the 1 3/8 inch circle punch on the Real Red and Certainly Celery tab-punched pieces to make the top and bottom of the cores. We used the tiny flower from Priceless for the seed part, stamped in Basic Black. The cores were mounted on black card stock, which was wrapped with Real Red grosgrain ribbon. That was mounted on a piece of Vanilla card stock, and we stamped the Canvas background stamp on that in Red. All of THAT was mounted on a Real Red base! For the Purse card I used River Rock for the base with a layer of Whisper White card stock. We sponged Pretty in Pink ink on the edges of the white. The purse was made of River Rock and Pretty in Pink card stock with the 1 3/8 inch square punch, 1 3/8 inch circle punch and 1 1/4 inch circle punches. We stamped the River Rock pieces with the Canvas background stamp using Pretty in Pink ink, which made for a subtle woven look. Then we added a small piece of River Rock double-stitched grosgrain ribbon and a Fire Square Rhinestone brad. I stamped "sparkle" from the Warm Words set.
The Film-Strip card is found here. I used More Mustard for the card base, then a strip of black card stock. To make the film look, we used the Spiral Punch. Then we stamped animals from Wild About You in So Saffron, Ballet Blue, More Mustard and Wild Wasabi and punched them out with the 1 3/8 inch circle punch! So easy!
Here is the Space card! This one was a big hit! I did the card base using Bordering Blue, with a square of Basic Black. Then the planets were punched from Barely Banana, Ruby Red, Gable Green and Bordering Blue. I used the 1 3/8 inch circle punch, the 1 1/4 inch circle punch, the 3/4 inch circle punch and the Large Oval punch! Then we stamped over the planets using the speckly stamp from Itty Bitty Backgrounds, and added the cool rocket from Pun Fun to the side!
I just posted the Frog card but here is the fast link. This one has an Apricot Appeal base, and a rectangle of Bashful Blue wrapped with White grosgrain ribbon. The frog and lily pad is punched from Wild Wasabi. I used the Large Oval, Small Oval, 1 3/8 inch circle, 1/2 inch circle, 1/4 inch circle and Horizontal Slot punches. I used my Always Artichoke marker, Wild Wasabi and Bashful Blue inks!
Now for the new stuff!
This flower card has a Close to Cocoa base, a Not Quite Navy front and the petals are More Mustard and the center is Close to Cocoa. I used the Small and Large Oval punches and that 1 3/8 inch circle. We swiped the edges of the petals in Close to Cocoa to make them more defined, added two silver brads and stamped the center with that same stamp from Itty Bitty Backgrounds. This Butterfly card uses a So Saffron Base and a square of Bashful Blue. The butterflies are punched with the Word Window punch using the Saffron Prints paper. The bodies of the butterflies are the Horizontal Slot punch with Certainly Celery Card stock. Then we used the Celery marker to add the antennae, and Celery ink for the Happy stamp. Finally this Ladybug card! A Rose Red base with a Whisper White front and a piece of Black Gingham Ribbon around the edge. I punched Rose Red and Basic Black circles in the following sizes: 1 3/8 inch circle, 1 1/4 inch circle, 3/4 inch circle, 1/2 inch circle, 1/4 inch circle. We used a pen to add the dots. I don't have a greeting on here yet, but I'm sure I'll add one and send it to someone!
So there is my class!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Be Inspired Challenge #10
Monday, April 21, 2008
Final Punch Sneak Peek!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Good Thoughts
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Baby Boy Card
Thursday, April 17, 2008
a Wedding and a Baby
Here is what I thought was an elegant idea for a wedding card. I used Bravo Burgundy card stock for the base, Chocolate Chip card stock mats and Very Vanilla card stock for the images. I stamped the flower from More Petal Prints (retired!) in Burgundy ink and then the phrase from Word on Word (also retired!) in Chocolate Chip ink. I added some retired Burgundy organdy ribbon and two silver brads. I think the 'white space' in the top corner is ok left as is... Here's a sweet little baby card. I THINK the invitation indicates its for a baby boy (doesn't tell us, just the way they made the invite...), so I went with a boyish-neutral color scheme. I used Mellow Moss card stock for the base and the mat of the main image. I put on a strip of Barely Banana card stock to break it up. I used the retired hostess set Event Full for the main image. I think that sweet pea stamp is so cute. Anyway, I stamped it with Always Artichoke ink and then sponged Mellow Moss ink over it, diagonally. Then I stuck on a clear round button for a baby touch. Very sweet.
Monday, April 14, 2008
New Sneak Peek & a Re-post!
This card I know I've shown already, but there's the greeting I wanted to use. Isn't it perfect? It was also perfect for my sister's birthday. Now that she's received it, I can say tell you! She's a very sparkly person and it just looked like HER. But after a West Wing marathon last night (all done!...sniff...I thought it would take about this long) and a very busy week ahead of me, I am going to bed early now! Should have lots of fun things to post in the coming days...
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Happy Happy Weekend Sketch #43
Little Miss-Chievous
I do have more pages to post and I even participated in Beate's challenge late last night, but I don't know when I'll get to photo any of them to post... sigh...
Friday, April 11, 2008
Christmas Page
For this page, the base is a 12x12 sheet of Confetti White card stock, a long strip of Handsome Hunter card stock and then I matted the photos with Real Red card stock. I stamped a cute little accent using the retired Merry Little Christmas set, and colored it with the Watercolor Pencils. I stamped the title with the Taffy Alphabet and Handsome Hunter ink. I added some Real Red buttons and Real Red grosgrain ribbon to finish it off.
More pages coming! I am lovin' this!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
New page!
She told me last weekend that she liked pink and brown together (very trendy) so I went with that. I mounted the whole page on a sheet of Close to Cocoa paper. When I do this, I often cut out the center to be used elsewhere, in this case, on the bottom of the photo mat! It saves me paper and bulk- yeay! I used a sheet of Whisper White for the main part. The photo is mounted on Pixie Pink and then Cocoa card stock. I stamped the title with my Taffy Alphabet in Chocolate Chip ink because I thought it was stronger. I added some of that lovely Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon with a new ribbon slide from the Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware in the mini catalog. I stamped the little hearts from Merci in Pixie Pink to define my sentences in the journaling. I stamped the flowers from Merci in Pixie Pink and stamped the bee in Chocolate Chip, but colored him with So Saffron and a Blender Pen. I cut him out and mounted him on top of the flowers...shown here: Then the bee is stuck on with a Dimensional. I think she'll like the page...
I'll have more pages tomorrow! I got a few things done today!!!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
A double inspiration card!
I used So Saffron for the card base, and cut it the long way for the "tent" style card. A thin layer of Pumpkin Pie card stock (which I was thrilled to discover I had - I thought I was out, thank goodness for scraps!) and then the focal point is Whisper White card stock. I stamped the flowers from Priceless in Brocade Blue first, then "THUMPED" my Night of Navy marker randomly on that. So here's how it looks! I did the same technique and same colors on the words, and then added three Fire Square Rhinestone Brads. A yellow, an orange and a big yellow one. Looks pretty nice, if I do say so myself!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
"Pretty Amazing"
Monday, April 7, 2008
Back to Scrapping!
I had these progressive pictures of Sienna from I think two summers ago, so I used them. I did circles in three sizes, instead of the flowers on the inspiration piece. I'll add the 'recipe' later. Right now I have to go pick up Hunter and we have quite a day full of errands!
** Adding recipe for page:
I used a base of a 12x12 sheet of Pretty in Pink card stock. The title is done on a strip of Certainly Celery card stock. I used Tempting Turquoise and Lavender Lace for mats, punched circles from those, Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery card stocks as well as the now retired Petals & Paisley designer paper. Punch sizes are 1 3/8 circle, 1 1/4 circle and 1/2 inch circle. Title is stamped in my new Taffy Alphabet and there is a thin strip from the DP as well. I added a swirl clip from my Hodgepodge Hardware and two pink brads from the Soft Subtles set.