I'm a happy stamper!

Branch Out Thanksgiving Card

2010-12-23T17:45:00.000-08:00

I usually just go with a fall-themed card for Thanksgiving, and that was the case for this one, too. I love the way this stamp set allows you to color the leaves of the tree to suit your taste, the season, or both! I've seen this stamp set used to make trees that look like cherry blossoms, red buds, green leaves, or fall leaves as I have done here. CARD: More Mustard, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Old Olive. INK: Early Espresso, More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler. STAMPS: Branch Out, Happy Harmony. PUNCHES: 1-1/4" Square, Scallop Square, Scallop Trim Border. OTHER: Old Olive Grosgrain RibbonF, oam Mounting Tape (3M).

Toy Box Birthday Card

2010-12-23T17:03:00.000-08:00

I don't make or send many boys birthday cards, and when I it's time to make some more, I'm always at a loss as to which stamp set to use. The one I used here has been retired for quite a while, but I still love the images! I also have a tendency to gravitate toward primary or bright colors for boys' cards. I tried to branch out a little bit by using some colors together that are "outside of the box" for me. CARD: Ruby Red, Kraft (re-named Crumb Cake), Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Summer Sun. INK: Ruby Red, Old Olive, Bashful Blue. STAMPS: Toy Box (retired), Teeny Tiny Wishes. PUNCHES: 1 3/8" Square, 1/2" Circle (you didn't really think I'd cut out all those little baseballs, did you!?). OTHER: Button (not SU!) Hemp Twine (not SU!).

Reeds at Sunset

2010-06-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

I knew I needed a men's birthday card, and that I wanted to use the stamp set "Inspired by Nature". Not knowing exactly what I wanted to do, I turned to Splitcoaststampers.com for inspiration. I saw a really pretty card (link at the end of this post) that I used for my inspiration. The background on this card was made using a sponge and 5 colors--Really Rust, More Mustard, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, and Old Olive--blended together to achieve a sunset effect. The card that inspired me used the "Brayered Sky" technique, but I am brayer-challenged, so I resorted to a regular kitchen sponge dampened with water, and squeezed out really well. I began about an inch from the bottom with Certainly Celery, and added some Old Olive at the bottom. Then I moved up right above the Certainly Celery and added the So Saffron, More Mustard and Really Rust. CARD: So Saffron, Really Rust, Whisper White. INK: Really Rust, More Mustard, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Black Staz-On. STAMPS: Inspired by Nature, On Your Birthday. PUNCH: Key Tag. Card used for inspiration: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1702162?&cat=14651

Butterfly Card

2010-06-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

More retiring colors here! This one is intended to be a birthday card for ladies, but with no sentiment on the outside it can be whatever you want it to be! Again, I used inspiration from stamp club. The link to the inspiration will be at the end of this post. Kristin's card was intended to be a quick and simple card, so I'll be the first to admit that this is just a little more complicated. The main difference is that I added a black layer to compensate for the fact that my image didn't really have room for a third color. Anyway, here's what I used: CARD STOCK: Really Rust, Only Orange, Basic Black, YoYo Yellow, Whisper White. INK: Black Staz-On, Only Orange Stampin' Write Marker, YoYo Yellow Stampin' Write Marker. STAMPS: Clear Butterfly Stamps by Martha Stewart for EK Success (Walmart), Curvy Verses (inside sentiment, not shown). CUTTLEBUG FOLDER: Stylized Flowers. PUNCH: Pinking Hearts Border. OTHER: Black Check Ribbon (Michael's). The card that served as my inspiration: http://cottagestamping.blogspot.com/2010/06/shades-of-summer.html

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-20T18:16:00.000-07:00

I attend Stamp Club at my demonstrator's house once a month. It's a great GNO (girls' night out), and provides lots of inspiration and new ideas. This month Kristin taught us a technique called "Rock and Roll". I adapted the design a bit to make it more masculine. Instead of using the Rock and Roll technique, I used a sponge dauber to highlight the outline of the main image. Again, more colors that are going away with the SU! color change. CARD STOCK: Brilliant Blue, Going Gray, Sage Shadow, Whisper White. INK: Sage Shadow, Brillliant Blue. STAMPS: Stipple Shells, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Teeny Tiny Wishes. PUNCH: Modern Label. You can see the card I sued for inspiration at Kristin's blog here:http://cottagestamping.blogspot.com/2010/06/colors-of-sea.html

Monochromatic Gift Set

2010-06-20T17:55:00.001-07:00

Needless to say, when I heard that Stampin' Up! was changing their entire color pallet, I was slightly disturbed! Over the next few months I will be attempting to focus on some colors that will be retiring so I can justify the purchase of new colors! With that in mind, I chose to make a set of 12 of these cards to give away as a gift. Because this card was fast and easy to mass-produce, it would be an excellent choice for increasing your own stash, or giving away as a gift set. This design can easily be adapted to a more masculine card by changing the background stamp and using more tailored lines instead of scallops and bows. Any of the "Dynamic Duos" on the Color Coach would also work well depending on the intended recipient. This card might also look good with a monogram instead of a sentiment. Monogrammed stationery is always a thoughtful gift. All the cards in the set are exactly the same, except for the sentiment. The set includes three of each of the following sentiments: "Happy Birthday", "Thank You", "Thinking of You", and "With Sympathy". CARD STOCK: Sage Shadow, Handsome Hunter. INK: Handsome Hunter. STAMPS: Hand Stitched, Warmest Regards. PUNCHES: Scallop Trim Border, Scallop Oval. OTHER: Sage Shadow Grosgrain Ribbon, 3M Foam Mounting Tape (Walmart).

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well, by now everyone knows that Stampin' Up! has renovated their color line. As a result, a bunch of colors are going the way of the dinosaur! With that in mind, I want to use up some of those colors. So, here's what I did for my Mother's Day cards this year.
CARD STOCK: Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, Blush Blossom, Old Olive, Whisper White. INK: Ruby Red, Old Olive. STAMPS: Fine Lace, Fifth Avenue Floral, All-Year Cheer II, Fall Leaves (by Judi-Kins). OTHER: Nestabilities, Blender Pen. NOTE: I stamped the rose image with Ruby Red on Blush Blossom. I picked up a little Ruby Red ink with an old blender pen dipped in water, and ran it over the line art to give it a softer water-colored look. You may have to click on the picture to see what I'm talking about.

Life Happens!

2010-05-06T19:31:00.001-07:00

Until last week I hadn't done any stamping to speak of since my last post! How dreadful! The demands of family, home and job have prevented me. Because I have been so busy, I wasn't even able to send Easter cards this year. A big disappointment to me, since I consider it the most glorious of all holidays! I did, however make a couple of things in the last week, and promise to post them soon. Be watching for a set of 12 cards I made to give as a gift AND a sample of the 25 Mother's Day cards I just stuck in the mail yesterday. Until then, happy stamping!

Love of a Lifetime

2010-02-16T16:24:00.000-08:00

I made a pile of this design during the last snow storm to put in my box for anniversaries, and I'm just now getting around to posting it. I wanted quick and easy, and this certainly was. Again, I took the lazy route and let the patterned paper do most of the work for me. You could, of course, adapt this card by changing the patterned paper and color scheme, and changing the words. This layout might even look nice with a monogram instead of a sentiment!
PAPERS: So Saffron, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Bella Birds DSP. INK: Chocolate Chip. PUNCHES: Curly Label, Modern Label, Word Window. OTHER: Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Button (I purchased these at Walmart. They were on the button rack, and there were several different color packs available. Many of the colors coordinated with Stampin' Up!'s colors quite well, so I sorted them by color and put each color in a snack-sized zip-loc bag. Then I put them in the package with whichever color card stock they matched best.)

Bella Birds/Asian Artistry Women's Birthday Card

2010-02-10T14:11:00.000-08:00

Being snowed in for a couple days has given me the opportunity to increase my card stash! It also made me want to use some pretty spring-like colors, so I turned to SU!'s pretty DSP, Bella Birds. I'm not a big fan of the whole 'In Color' idea, primarily because I'm not into spending money on something that will be obsolete in just one year. So . . . I will frequently make do with a color that I already own if it is close enough to suit me. This card is an example of that. The Bella Birds DSP uses Pink Pirouette, which I believe was an In Color last year. Here I have used Blush Blossom card stock because it is close enough, at least for this application. I took my cues from the paper and decided to choose an Asian stamp. In keeping with the Asian theme, I kept the card very simple. The layout is inspired by FTL 70 on the Clean & Simple Stamping blog (http://cleanandsimplestamping.blogspot.com/2009/11/ftl-70.html). The only change I made was turning it vertically instead of horizontally.
PAPER: Blush Blossom, Whisper White, Bordering Blue, Bella Birds DSP. INK: Bordering Blue, Night of Navy. STAMPS: Asian Artistry, Well Scripted. OTHER: Navy Sheer Creations Ribbon (from Michael's).

In a pinch . . .

2010-02-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

OK, so I'm usually pretty good about making cards before I run out of something . . . usually. Well, this week I needed 3 men's birthday cards, but only had 2 on hand. What to do? Alter something already in the box! If you adhere the sentiment to the outside of a card and leave the inside blank, it's pretty easy to do this. This year I had a few extra Thanksgiving cards and stuck "Thank You" on the outside to use up the extra cards. Well, Monday I popped off "Thank You" and stuck on "Happy Birthday", and voila! A men's birthday card in a pinch!

Manchester Men's Birthday Card

2010-02-10T08:52:00.001-08:00

This was pretty quick to put together since I just modified a layout from the catty and let the DP and some punches do most of the work here! The layout is taken from page 139 of the SU! 2009-2010 IB&C. Since I needed a card for men, I toned down the "foof factor" by using masculine paper and leaving out some scallop edges. Instead of the scallop edges I just turned down the edge of the DP so you can see the coordinating pattern on the other side. I also thought the paper clip would add a little something, and went nicely with the spiral edge. Kinda gives it an "office" theme. Anyway, here's what I used: CARD STOCK/DP: Ivory (not SU!), Always Artichoke, Manchester DSP, Mellow Moss. INK: Always Artichoke. STAMPS: Sincere Salutations. PUNCHES: Spiral , Wide Oval, Scallop Oval, Large Oval. OTHER: Paper Piercer, Paper Clip (not SU!), Always Artichoke Grosgrain Ribbon, 3M Foam Mounting Tape (not SU!).

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

I just mailed my 2010 Valentine's Day cards, and I thought I'd share the design with you. I used the color combination from a card my demonstrator, Kristin, showed us how to make at our January Stamp Club Meeting. In shades of pink with a pop of red, it is a very "traditional" color combination for Valentine's Day. The layout is Mojo Monday Week 77, and was posted March 9, 2009. I really liked this layout because it gave me an opportunity to use some new toys . . . my Nestabilities! I've had my eye on these for some time, and am in the process of collecting the ones that I want. The cost of these turned me off at first, but I found a wonderful website, cutathome.com, that offers the basic shapes (circles, squares, ovals, rectangles) in discounted sets of four sets, AND they also offer a once-monthly 40% off coupon that is delivered to your e-mail inbox! When you combine the special price for a set of four sets with the 40% coupon, it cuts the price almost in half, making them an affordable addition to my growing collection of tools. CARD STOCK: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Real Red. INK: Real Red. STAMPS: Love You Much, Well Scripted. OTHER: Sponge Dauber, Full Heart Punch, Heart to Heart Punch, Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon, Classic Circle Nestabilities (not SU!), Classic Scallop Circle Nestabilities (not SU!), Swiss Dots Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (not SU!).

After Christmas Thank You Notes

2010-01-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

I know I'm not the only one who got inspiration from the beautiful card on page 26 of the SU! Holiday Mini Catalog (9/1/09 to 1/4/10). I knew that the snowflake motif would work well for thank you notes after Christmas. I looked up the supply list on the SU! website, printed it off, pulled out all the supplies, and came up with my own interpretation of the card. The thing I really liked about it was the color combination. I wanted to add just a little shimmer, so I used Lumiere for the smallest snowflakes in place of the white rub-ons that were seen in the catty. I shook up the Lumiere, took off the lid, and used a sponge dauber to "ink" the little snowflake stamp. The shimmer doesn't show up very well in the photograph, but in real life it is quite pretty. You may want to click on the picture to get a closer look. CARD STOCK AND PAPER: Kraft, Bella Bleu DSP, Bordering Blue, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White. INK AND PAINT: Versa Mark, Bordering Blue, Chocolate Chip, Lumiere (Light Body Acrylic in 568 Pearl White, pictured with card). STAMPS: The Snowflake Spot, Warmest Regards. PUNCHES: Large Oval, Scallop Oval, Scallop Edge, Corner Rounder (Creative Memories). OTHER: Chocolate Chip Ribbon.

One Sheet Wonder Tote & Cards Gift Set

2010-01-02T16:22:00.000-08:00

This is a set of cards I made for my mom. The ginkgo leaf image was one from a a four-leaf stamp set that my mom and dad brought back as a souvenir for me. A "One Sheet Wonder" (OSW) is something you can make using just one sheet of 12x12 patterned paper. In this case, I made my own patterned paper using ivory card stock, the ginkgo leaf stamp, and two different colors of ink. The Tote & Cards OSW was designed by SU! demonstrator, Stephanie Carroll. I found it on SplitCoastStampers.com. If you aren't familiar with that website it is definitely one you want to at least check out! Tutorials, member galleries, and an awesome weekly newsletter called The Weekly Inkling that they'll deliver to your e-mail address! CARD STOCK: Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla. STAMPS: Sincere Salutations, Real Leaves (Hero Arts). INK: Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke. OTHER: Small and Large Tag Punches, Ticket Corner Punch, Mellow Moss Gingham Ribbon, Mini-Brads, Round Paperclips (not SU!), Brass Paperclips (not SU!). Now, I'm not sure if this link will get YOU to the right page, because you may not have access to it unless you set up a user account at SplitCoastStampers, BUT . . . here is a link to the page that has an attached file with the instructions for the OSW Tote and Cards Set. The title of the file is "Au Chocolat Tote and Cards OSW".
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243314

My Stampin' Space: The Washer!?!

2009-12-31T16:57:00.000-08:00

It may sound a little strange, but I use the tops of my washer AND my dryer for extra work space--especially for cutting with the paper trimmers and working with the Cuttlebug. When I get ready to begin a new project, I usually have my inspiration on hand (here the SU! Holiday Mini Catalog and the list of materials that was used for the card I was "casing"). I pull out all of the papers, ink, and stamps I plan to use, then get to work cutting out pieces. Remember, I usually make a whole batch of cards (8-12) at a time, so once I have a design I cut all the pieces out at the washer and dryer, and then do all the stamping at my desk. Last of all, I put all the cards together assembly-line fashion. So now the nickle tour is over! If you have any questions, ask away!

Stampin' Space: The Utility Sink

2009-12-31T16:52:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you . . . it is REALLY convenient to have a sink in your stamping area. Aside from a place to wash hands and clean things, it also helps to contain some of the more messy projects . . . shaving cream . . . color spritzer . . . glitter . . . embossing powder . . . you get the idea! If you're holding over the big sink while you work on those kinds of projects, clean-up is a snap! Just rinse out the sink and you're done. Am I spoiled, or what?!

My Stampin' Space: Desk

2009-12-31T16:43:00.001-08:00

It doesn't matter how much desk space I have. It's never enough! Of course, my SU! IB&C is on the desk. The basket holds instructions for some things I want to try soon, and a few items to be altered to give as gifts. There's a fluorescent lighting fixture mounted to the wall right above the workspace, and scissors are hanging on the wall, too. There are some canning jars holding colored pencils, scissors, tools, and writing instruments, a scented candle, a few CDs, and a CD player and headphones. My favorite paper trimmer is on the desk right on top of my paper pad. The paper pad makes clean up really easy! When I'm done with a project there are snips and scraps and all kinds of little pieces of trash. I just sweep it all in a little pile, roll up the top sheet, tear it off and pop it in the trash. On the right of the desk is my SU! Stampin' Scrub and a small bottle of Stampin' Mist (love that stuff!). The drawer on the left contains hand-held punches, rulers, crop-a-dile, and blades for my paper trimmers. The drawer on the right contains a stapler, tape dispenser, and a bunch of those cute little stamps that you use on the back of your cards.

My Stampin' Space: 3D Sample Projects

2009-12-31T16:33:00.000-08:00

The cabinet above my desk houses lots of miscellaneous craft stuff . . . non-SU! papers, retired SU! stuff, embellishments, envelopes, embossing supplies, heat gun, glue gun, adhesives, ink refills, markers, watercolors, tools, etc. I took a picture of the inside of it, but we're not gonna go there . . . it just isn't "pretty"! On top of the cabinet I store 3D Sample Projects from parties and clubs that I've attended. I really like to be able to look at an example AND the directions when I make something 3D. Don't you? My first two "books" are also hiding up there behind the projects on the right.

My Stampin' Space: Paper and More!

2009-12-31T07:08:00.000-08:00

I bought these sorters from Sam's a couple years ago. I have labeled the left edge of each bin with the SU! color that goes inside. Each bin contains 8 1/2 X 11 card stock along with any matching scraps, buttons, markers, ink, ribbon, etc. that I have in that color. Sometimes I can slice the top of the cellophane wrapper that the card stock comes in and store everything right in the package. That way when I'm working on a project I have all the goodies in that color in one place and have it out all at once. Sometimes just seeing what you have inspires you to use it! This is NOT the most efficient use of the space--a filing cabinet would store the paper in much less space--but I really like being able to grab everything in a color by pulling out just one little package. The sorters are stacked so that I have 6 columns of 12 bins (not all are shown in the previous post). The column on the far left houses my old SU! IB&C collection (all the way back to 2000, I think!), watercolor paper, mulberry paper, metallics, and miscellaneous non-SU! papers. The next 5 columns are organized by the SU! color families: Soft Subtles, Rich Regals, Earth Elements, Bold Brights, and Neutrals.

My Stampin' Space: Punches

2009-12-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

There's a little alcove under the stairwell that I use to store punches, papers and gadgets. On the wall I have my punches resting on cafe curtain rods. These rods are expandable from 24-40 inches or something like that, but I have them at the shortest length so that they won't sag under the weight of the punches. This was pretty easy to do--I actually did it myself! Where the screws needed to go to mount the brackets I tapped holes with an awl. I tapped drywall anchors into the holes using a hammer, then mounted the brackets using the provided screws. I mounted the rods about 6 inches apart. I have the punches loosely categorized by shape--circles, squares, ovals, and so on--so they are easier to find. I'm learning that storing things vertically instead of horizontally--especially using once-empty wall space--tends to be very efficient! All the black punches were purchased from Stampin' Up! The white and pastel green border punches are by Martha Stewart and were purchased at Micheal's and Walmart. PS: you can click on any picture to look at it "close up". :)

My Stampin' Space: The Stamp Shelf

2009-12-30T19:45:00.000-08:00

See the door on the left? That's the doorway I was coming into when I snapped the "Introduction" picture. I've closed the door, and I'm showing you the shelf that is usually behind the opened door! Quite frankly, I have a hard time parting with stamps! I mean, I bought them because I loved them, and somehow the idea of selling any of them seems like selling one of my own children! And I've been at this for about ten years now! Hence, I find myself with two dilemmas: (1) I'm running out of storage space. I do have room to put one more shelf in my shelving unit--IF I turn my boxes on their sides instead of standing them on end and readjust the existing shelves. I'll need to do this soon. (2) I'm having a little difficulty remembering exactly what I own! I have grand intentions of making a notebook with a page for each stamp set organized in the categories they would have appeared under in the catalog. I'd also like to create an alphabetical list of all the words, phrases, and sentiments I have cross-referenced to the stamp set they are in. I have no idea when I'll ever get around to this mammoth project, but the idea has been kicking around in my head for a while now. My shelves are loosely organized like this: on top of the unit are sets containing words, phrases, and sentiments, along with a couple non-SU! sets and a few odds and ends; the top shelf contains background stamps on the left, my "book" on the right, and behind it begins the rest of my collection, alphabetized by the name of the set.

My Stampin' Space: Introduction

2009-12-30T19:15:00.000-08:00

I had my Stampin' Space all cleaned up and ready for my next project, so I thought I'd give you the nickle tour while it was presentable! A few years ago my dear husband, Mark, finished what was once a dark, dreary, cobwebby, cinder block and 2X4-walled, concrete-floored part of the basement that housed my laundry area and make-shift Stampin' Space. The result is what I'm about to show you here! I'm proud of the job my DH did, and really pleased to have a bright, cheerful, useful area that houses not only my Stampin' Space, but also my laundry area and freezer. Mark finished most of the walls with drywall (painted a yellowish white called "Soft White") and did one wall with white paneling that has a bead-board look. He installed a drop ceiling, fluorescent ceiling lights, and stock cabinetry. The floor is painted with this nifty epoxy stuff that makes it look kind of like old-fashioned linoleum--perfect for a basement floor! Painting the floor was quite the process: etch, rinse, dry, paint, and and finally sprinkle on the flecks. The flecks were like multi-colored paint flakes in a shaker container exactly like what Parmesan cheese comes in! Once the area was ready to go, I hit my local Walmart for the towel bar, towels, clock, and throw rugs. Wonderful! This photo is the view you get when you walk in the door. Future posts will take you clockwise around the room and will give a little more detail. Probably more detail than you want! :)

Christmas gift for a letter-writing college student

2009-12-24T13:44:00.001-08:00

One of my daughter's dearest friends, Carol, loves to write cards and letters. When she went away to college, I made her some monogrammed stationery in her favorite color. She really seemed to enjoy it, so I decided to make her another little gift set. This time, instead of using her favorite color, I used her school colors--navy and gray. What looks like DSP is actually just plain white card stock with the initials of her school--UMW--alternating in the school colors. I did this on the computer, and printed it on a color laser printer. I also used the computer to make the words, "A NOTE FROM . . . " Sometimes a conglomeration of ideas comes together to make one good element, and this homemade DSP is a fine example. About three years ago I saw a card on a blog that had a Bible verse repeated to make a background. Around the same time, my son had a teacher who was an avid Virginia Tech fan. I needed to come up with a nice Christmas gift for her and figured a teacher can always use thank you notes! Right? So I made some VT DSP and made her a set of 20 thank you notes. I'm recycling the general idea and adapting it to Chloe's friend, Carol. I hope she likes it! CARD STOCK: Whisper White, Night of Navy and Going Gray (retired, not shown--I made some in Night of Navy and some in Going Gray). PUNCHES: Large Oval and Scallop Oval.

What's in the box? Wedding

2009-12-21T13:49:00.000-08:00

The pictures really don't do this one justice. It's been a while since I made this one, but if I remember correctly the idea for this card came from a tutorial on the SplitCoastStampers website. The "card" is made using transparency. The lace background is stamped on the front with white Staz On ink. What appears to be the bottom layer (Pale Plum) is actually on the inside right of the card and has the verse on it. What appears to be the middle layer (Perfect Plum) is actually on the inside left of the card with the wedding bells stamped on it. What appears to be the top layer (Whisper White) is the only part of the card that is attached to the outside! The challenge in making this card was lining up the parts so that when the card is closed the layers are even. CARD STOCK/PAPER: Transparency, Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Whisper White. INK: Staz On White, Pale Plum, Perfect Plum. STAMPS: Fine Lace, God Bless II, Sketch An Event, Trimtastic.

What's in the box? Thanks

2009-12-01T18:24:00.000-08:00

I made up a pile of these when I designed them. I made them with different sentiments with the intention of giving them away in sets as gifts, but I liked them so much I hated to give them away. Is that selfish, or what?! The inspiration for this was, oddly enough, some Christmas wrapping paper that we used last year. I loved the color scheme, and easily translated it to SU! colors. Does anyone else out there think in SU! colors? ;)
CARD STOCK: Ruby Red, Certainly Celery, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip.
INK: Certainly Celery, Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip.
STAMPS: Painted Posies, Springtime Stems, Sincere Salutations.
OTHER: Textile Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (not SU!), Martha Stewart Lace Edge Punch (not SU!).

What's in the box? Anniversary

2009-12-01T18:12:00.001-08:00

I will begin this post by admitting that this is NOT one of my favorite designs. I used a layout I saw in the Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog. I like the layout fine--it's the colors I'm not too keen on. I wanted to use shades of purple, and it just didn't zing me. Anyway . . . here's the scoop:

CARD STOCK: Lovely Lilac, Summer Sun, Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant.

STAMPS: Congrats

OTHER: Tearing Edge, Heart to Heart Punch, Spots & Dots Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (not SU!), Elegant Eggplant Ribbon, 3M foam mounting tape (not SU!).

What's in the box? Boys' Birthday

2009-11-29T11:55:00.001-08:00

For some reason it's always a struggle for me to come up with cards for boys. I tend to gravitate toward primary colors when I do them. I liked the simplicity of these images, and thought they would look good in bright colors. I'm also usually pretty cautious about embellishments on boys' cards because I don't want them to end up looking too frilly! The nice thing about the ribbon at the bottom of this card is that it has no knots or bows to make it look "girlie"--thanks to a Martha Stewart border punch.
CARD STOCK: Real Red, Glorious Green, Brilliant Blue, Only Orange, Summer Sun.
INK: Glorious Green, Brilliant Blue, Real Red, Only Orange.
STAMPS: Darling Dots, On Your Birthday.
OTHER: Happy Birthday Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (not SU!), Small Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, 1 3/8 Square Punch, 1 1/4 Square Punch, Martha Stewart Border Punch (not SU!), White Grograin Ribbon.

What's in the box? Girls' Birthday

2009-11-29T11:39:00.000-08:00

When I looked through my book I saw that this one is nearly a year old! I must not know many *little* girls these days. Everyone is growing up on me! :) I have a serious bent toward corny puns, so I loved the "hoppy birthday" sentiment!

CARD STOCK: Pixie Pink, So Saffron, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White.

INK: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, StazOn Jet Black (I prefer this when water coloring an image)

STAMPS: Unfrogettable, Lily Pad (Wheel)

OTHER: Scallop Edge Punch, Yellow Ribbon (not SU!), Ticket Corner Punch, Gold Mini-Brads, Aqua Painter, 3M Foam Mounting Tape (not SU!)

What's in the box? Women's Birthday

2009-11-28T21:11:00.000-08:00

I knew I wanted to use my latest acquisition--the stamp set Herb Expressions, so this card began with the stamp I wanted to use. Knowing that Thyme has a pale purple flower, I chose a pretty striped paper from the Tea Party DSP pack. The layout is from the Mojo Monday blog, MOJO114.
CARD STOCK/PAPER: Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst, Watercolor paper (not SU!), Tea Party DSP.
INK/MARKERS: Basic Gray, Almost Amethyst Stampin' Write Marker, Certainly Celery Stampin' Write Marker.
OTHER: Eyelet border punch, Certainly Celery ribbon
STAMPS: Herb Expressions, Perfect Pairs

What's in the box? Men's Birthday

2009-11-28T20:23:00.000-08:00

I guess I'll begin my blog by showing you what's currently in my card box! I can tell it's going to take a little practice to take good pictures, so please bear with me! Uh, no pun intended!

CARD STOCK/PAPER: Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, More Mustard

INK: Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive

STAMPS: Lovely as a Tree, Wildlife Reserve, On Your Birthday, Wood Grain

OTHER: Modern Label Punch. The first time I saw that punch I thought it would make for some great "hinges"!

How I stamp

2009-11-28T09:12:00.000-08:00

I don't stamp VERY often . . . so don't be surprised if there are several weeks between posts. I recently counted, and it looks like I make about 18 designs a year. I use rubber stamps mostly to create greeting cards. I store my cards in a box with dividers labeled as follows: Men's Birthday, Women's Birthday, Boy's Birthday, Girl's Birthday, Wedding, Anniversary, New Baby, Thanks, Get Well, Sympathy, Thinking of You, Blank Notes, and Holidays. When I stamp it's usually because I'm running low on a particular kind of card. Let's say I'm out of something. I'll look around for some inspiration . . . layouts, color combinations, a particular stamp set that I want to use, etc. Once I come up with a design, I'll stamp between 8-12 cards all the same, saving one to keep in my "book" (a photo album with samples of each of my cards). The rest go in the box under the appropriate category. So there you have it!

I think I can!

2009-11-28T09:08:00.000-08:00

A dear friend told me that if SHE can do this, I can, too! Well, here goes. I hope to use this blog to let my friends and fellow stampers see what's going on in my little workshop!