Where even Design Scaredy Cats can have fun creating and learning new design techniques. Come look around, leave a comment and let me know what you think. I'm an Independent Stampin' Up Demonstrator and I love what I do. If you like to have fun, create or want to learn new techniques, stop in and have a look or drop me a comment. I'd love to hear from you!
Hey y'all. I hope those of you that live here in America had a wonderful 3 day holiday weekend. I worked most of it at my second job, but it sure was nice to get to sleep in, especially on a Monday! I also got to spend a lot of it with the babies which is always a plus. I also got a few minutes of downtime to play with this week's challenge. The Nacho's have a sketch for you this week and I'm excited to see what you create with it! Here's what I came up with-
I love being able to try new designs without any fuss or muss. I created this week's card with MDS and had fun playing. I created the banner previously, using a combination of punches, and then saved it for use later. How cool is it to be able to do that?!? So many options!!!
Here's the sketch we have for you this week-
So many options...What will you create? I can't wait to see it!
Here's some of the items I used to create this week's project
I also used the Eat, Drink, and Be Scary Stamp Set and Decorative Dots Overlay.
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Till Next Time-
Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.
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Hey y'all. Happy Sunday! Hope you're having a great weekend. I know it's after Halloween but I wanted to show you a card I made for my darling. He loves Halloween and I love making cards for him so it seemed to be a good excuse for getting creative, as if I really needed one. I really enjoyed making this card and I hope you enjoy it too! There's lots of pictures because there's a lot to it-
So FUN! I used the new Labels Card Framelets for this and it makes it so much fun! I used the new Photopolymer set Bite Me throughout the card. I also added some of our awesome Washi Tape and a little of our Witches Brew DSP. The web is stamped in Black Staz-On but the little spider is embossed in Black so he stands out a little bit more.
I extended the paper so there was an extra flap and the I put the DSP on the back of the flap so when it's closed you see the image above. When you first open the card though here's what it looks like-
Wait...It gets Better-
This is how it looks when it's open all the way. I love how easy it was for me to get my spiders at the bottom of the webbing with out photopolymer stamps. No Stamp-A-Ma-Jig needed even for someone as OCD as me! Wanna know what I love most about this card? The word "BOO"
I got out my Alphabet dies that I haven't used in a while and cut out the letters I needed from Summer Starfruit c/s. I used the web image and stamped it on my letters in VersaMark and then heat embossed it with Black Embossing powder. They are so cool when you see them with all the texture and the color contrast.
Well, that's all I have for you today. Even though it's after Halloween, I hope you enjoyed my card and I hope it inspires you to make something a little different from your regular cards. Have fun with some Washi Tape or Die-Cuts or embossing. If you have questions about this or any of my other projects, be sure to leave me comment below and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Till Next Time-
Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the Rain.
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Hey y'all. Happy Tuesday! I hope you're having a good week so far. It's Tuesday and I love Tuesday's because it means there's a new challenge with the Nacho's. This week it's a sketch challenge and I'm so excited to show you what I came up with. Here's this week's card (actually I have 2 cards for you today)-
I needed Halloween cards for my baby brothers, yep I said baby brothers. I'm not sure how much they really celebrate Halloween, but I'm pretty sure they enjoy candy and who doesn't enjoy a cute card?
Here's this week's sketch-
My circles were a lot smaller in my mind when I imagined this card. LOL- It is all about the inspiration though and the sketch did inspire my cards. I used our New Witches Brew DSP and the Happy Halloween Stamp Set. Here's a closer look at them individually-
I sure hope they like their cards. I know I had a lot of fun making them! Of course you know I made the insides pretty too, but I forgot to take pics before I wrote on them so no inside pics today.
Here's a sweet pic of my baby brothers and their Great Niece Nacho- Hahahahahaha it seems so funny to say that! You'll see what I mean-
That's Nacho with her Great Grandaddy Angel and her Great Uncles Ethan (l) and Eion (r)
That's all I have for you today. I hope you liked today cards and that it not only inspires you to play along with us this week, but to feel free to really play with the sketch. If you have questions about today's cards, feel free to leave me a message and I'll be sure to get back to you.
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. you are very appreciated! Till Next Time-
Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.
Hey y'all. Happy Tuesday! I hope you're having a good week so far and I'm so glad you took the time to stop by and see me today. :) It's Tuesday and you know I love them because I get to share a new challenge with you. This week's challenge, at Nacho Average Challenges, is a color challenge and even though I don't normally like those very much I was super excited about this week's combo. It's just in time for Halloween and I have a big team meeting coming up in 2 weeks and was looking for something to make. So if I'm ruing the surprise for any of you, sorry about that, just pretend to be surprised ok? I think this is also going to be my Halloween Treat for the people at work. Here's this week's project-
How cute is this!?! And you are not going to believe how Super-Simple it was to make. Can you guess the colors? They are perfect for Halloween projects! Make sure to read on for tips on how to make this.
Even though I'm still not convinced about Summer Starfruit on its own, put it with certain colors and it's amazing!
I got to use my New Envelope Punch Board and I have to say I'm in LOVE!!! I literally made the envelope for this in about a minute. It uses a 5x5 piece of cardstock and you start at 2 inches for your first score. This size envelope is perfect for gift cards too, but unless it's a Serious amount on the gift card, I'm going to be just as happy with some Chocolate. I will say that I made a few of these before I decided on the final one above.
Here's the first one-
Cute, but it still needed a little something. So after a few tries with different embossing folders and glitters I ended up with the Polka Dot EF. It gave it a little something without being too much. I put the envelope folded up in the EF and ran it through my Big-Shot and it embossed everything. I was afraid it wouldn't work but it did. Make sure that you stamp and glitter your images first though or you won't get good coverage when you stamp. The spiders are from the new PhotoPolymer set Bite Me. Love that Name! I stamped them with VersaMark and then used our Heat and Stick powder and new Black glitter. The Striped paper is from our New Halloween Witches Brew DSP and it's Tombowed on to my envelope. I colored the Trick or Treat tag from Tags 4 You in with my Stampin' Write Markers and punched it out with my new Label Bracket Punch and popped it up with a Dimensional. I got the stamp set Free at Convention and it has 5 stamps that you can use from Fall through Valentine's Day.
Well that's all I have for you today, I sure hope you liked today's project and I hope it inspires you to play along with the Nacho's and to get busy on your gift holders for the upcoming holidays. If you have any questions about today's project, be sure to leave me a message below and I'll be sure to get back to you.
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated. Till Next Time-
Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.
Hey y'all, Happy Saturday! I hope your having a Great weekend. Did you know today is World CardMaking Day? How fabulous is it that there's a whole day dedicated to CardMaking!?! I had a few scraps lying out after making a project earlier and decided to see what I could come up with. I'm pretty excited with the results-
What do you think? I just realized that my "random" stamping of the splatter doesn't really look all that random. AUGH!!! That's why I don't like random stamping. They are at least turned in all sort of different angles but somehow they ended up being in 3 rows across and down. *SMH* Oh well, I still like it. I used Summer Starfruit for the base and it's 3 1/4 x 3 1/4. I colored the sentiment from Tags 4 You with my Stampin' Write Markers and then punched it out with the coordinating Bracket Label Punch. I love this new stamp set and the fact that I got it for FREE at convention makes me like it even more. :) I used a couple of Dimensionals to attach it to the card base. The splatters are from the new PhotoPolymer set Bite Me (Love that name) and the DSP is our new Halloween set called Witches Brew. I was going for a Clean and Simple card and believe it or not, for me this fits the bill.
Here's a look at the inside-
These 2 stamps are from our New Halloween Set called Halloween Hello. It has lots of cute images and is just FUN.
Did you notice the Chevrons going down the side of my card? They are all the rage now and I had my new Chevron punch sitting out and it just wanted some attention so I decided to have a little fun with it. I used it to punch some chevrons out of a scrap piece of DSP. I thought it would make a cute addition. What do you think? Now many of you know I'm a little OCD when it comes to my paper crafting, hence the name of the blog. Now, I have to tell you that if I had tried to just stick those little pieces onto my card front it would have made me nuts trying to get them just right. But I have a TIP for you- Take the piece you punched your little chevrons from and line it up on your cardstock like so-
Then all you have to do is apply your adhesive, Tombow for me, and then place them in the punched out areas. Perfect alignment every time! Then you just lift your guide away and Aha! Perfect and no muss, no fuss, no anxiety. Love It! Here's another look-
Well, that's all I have for you tonight. I hope you like it and I hope it inspires you to try something new. Did you know that SU is having a contest for World CardMaking Day? There's still time to play along. You can email your card made with SU products to wcmd2013@stampinup.com or you can upload it to Instagram with the following -Mention SU by typing @stampinup and use the hashtag #wcmd2013 in the description. They're giving away lots of prizes, so come on and get your card making supplies out and join in the fun. As always if you have questions about today's card or any of my others, make sure to leave me comment below and I'll be sure to get back to you.
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to visit my little corner of the world. you are very appreciated! Till Next Time-
Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.
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Hey y'all. Happy Thursday! Just one more day until the weekend. Woo-Hoo! Hope your week is an Amazing one.
First off let me say thanks for bearing with me yesterday as I missed posting and simply joined Tuesday's card up to a new post. I had already planned to do that, but I had also planned on giving you a new post. For those of you that follow me, I had a family emergency yesterday and just wanted to give you an update. My daughter is almost 5 months pregnant and started throwing up & having right lower abdominal pain Tuesday night. After spending 10 hours in the E.R. getting 2 Ultra-sounds and another 2 hours on the ward awaiting an MRI we found out 3 things. 1- We're really thankful that her husbands in the military and she is receiving Military Medical Care, 2- She's having a baby girl, Tooey (Baby 2.0) is now Princess Tooey, and 3- She had appendicitis. So, after a very long day, she went to surgery at 5pm and I am happy to announce both of my princesses are doing well. I'm forgiven for not posting, right? :)
Here's what I had planned on posting. It's also a Blog Hop so make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of this post to see everyone's creations and to join in the fun-
Halloween Treat Bag featuring
Watercolored and Brayered Greeting Card Kids Stamp Set.
I did this project for my September Team Swap. The bag itself is like this one that I did earlier this season. The focal panel though is CASE'd from the Fantabulous (why yes, that really is a word and the correct usage of it) Michelle Zindorf. I changed mine just a little to make it my own, but here's the original. I started with a base of Lucky Limeade and made my sweet little bag. It's just the right size for a small gift or treat for someone special. The panel was adhered with Dimensionals and I used a piece of Ruffled Limeade Ribbon to hold it closed.
Here's a closer look-
Oh! How precious is she!?! I used my Blender Pens and Classic Ink Pads on Watercolor Paper to design this little darling. I then fussy cut and adhered her to my brayered and sponged background.
I used the flourishes from Everything Eleanor like the inspiration piece but changed the position a little and then added 3-D pumpkins instead of stamped ones-
I love making punch-are pumpkins this time of year. They're just so easy and so sweet.
Well, that's all I have for you for this post. Don't forget to scroll to the bottom to see all of the fabulous entries in this week's Great Pumpkin Blog Hop. It's the last week, so why not join us too! You can join by clicking on the link at the bottom of my post. Terry at Goin' Over The Edge has hosted us for 13 weeks now and it's been a blast! There's still time to join in and guess what? Terry's giving away a $50.00 Stampin' Up gift certificate to one of the entries from the 13 weeks. How Amazing is she!?! Pretty Darn, is my answer to that question. Anyways- make sure to check out all the fun and be sure to come back often to see the new entries.
I hope you liked today's project. I love hearing from you, so if you liked it or have any questions, I hope you'll leave me a message below. I read all of your comments and they really do make my day! If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's project, I've put the buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too!
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Till Next Time-
Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.
Please also Remember that October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month- Love Does NOT Hurt!
Be Safe,
Shan
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Hey y'all. Happy Humpday! I hope you're having a great week so far. It's not been the best week for me, what with my honey moving cross-country, but I'm getting through. It's a good thing I have this blog and have to create or I fear I would be sitting on the couch or worse yet huddled under the covers. I did get some good news today though, I've been offered a new job and I accepted it. I start back in a Federal Position on November 1st. Yea! I also got confirmation about a Vendor Fair this Saturday. It's my first one so I'm very excited. I'm really trying to be my normal happy self. I figure I'll just Fake it till I Make it. I just hope it doesn't take a year to "make" it. :)
You know what else makes me happy today? It's Wednesday and that means it's time for another edition of The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop! Woo-Hoo! Next week is the last week, but that means there's still time for you to play along. Terry over at Going' Over The Edge is our Hostess with the Most-est (Boy that sounds a lot better than it looks in print!) and she is drawing one name for a $50.00 SU Gift Certificate at the end of the Hop. How Fabulous is that? Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of my blog for the Hop. You can see all the entries from there and you can even enter you're own creation there as well. Don't forget to check back throughout the week to see all the wonderful entries.
I found a new Challenge site this week as I was going through my RSS, and I thought I'd give it a try. It's CAS(e) This Sketch and since C&S is so hard for me I figured I can never have enough inspiration in that Department. :) I hope you'll check them out when you get a chance.
Here's what I came up with-
Halloween Card featuring
Googly Ghouls Stamp Set & Owl Punch
Wow! This is so far from my normal, it's really hard for me to believe I did it. Not sure what I think, how 'bout you? It's not my favorite of the season, but I think it's growing on me. I started with a base of basic Black c/s and added a layer of Basic Gray which I adhered with Tombow. My border was created with the Large Scallop Edgelet. My sentiment was stamped in VersaMark and then Heat Embossed with Iridescent Ice for a subtle but shimmery look. This strip was then also adhered with Tombow. I've seen these cute little ghosts for years and finally got my Owl Builder Punch so I thought I'd make one too. Sometimes I'm soooo late to the party, you know what I mean? I punched him out of Whisper White c/s, added a little Dazzling Details to make him Shimmer, added some googly eyes and he was finished. I think he's kinda cute, and not at all scary. I used two Dimensionals to make him float above the sentiment border.
Here's the sketch I was working with-
I think it's pretty close. I hope the ladies over at CTS think so too. Here's a closer look at my sweet, little, non-scary, friend-
I'm pretty happy with how he's floating above the "boooo" and all the shimmer. Hard to go wrong with that.
Here's the inside-
I stamped Boooo across the bottom in VersaMark and embossed it again with Iridescent Ice. The Happy Halloween is from Teeny Tiny Wishes and is stamped in Black Staz-On. I kept it pretty simple to go with the overall theme of the card. What do you think? Do we like it?
That's all I have for you today. I hope you liked it and I hope Terry and the team over at CTS liked it too. I love hearing from you, so if you liked today's card or have questions about it, I hope you'll leave me a message below. I read all of them and they really do make my day! If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, I've put those buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :) Don't forget to scroll all the way down to the Blog Hop.
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Till Next Time-
Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to destroy. It's not about Waiting for the storm to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.
Please also Remember that October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month- Love Does Not Hurt!
Be Safe,
Shan
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Hey y'all. Happy Humpday! I hope you're having a great week so far. Sorry I've been MIA the alst 2 days. I enjoyed my Monday off and yesterday was crazy hectic. I may try and post again today if time allows. Anywho, I hope you had a safe and restful long weekend and the good news is ... there's just 2 more days until the next one! I love short weeks!!!
Know what else I'm loving? The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop. Yep, it's week 11 already, just 2 more weeks to go. My blog-pal Terry over at Goin' Over The Edge is hosting this fun Hop. Make sure you read all the way to the end of today's post. All of the entries will be listed below my name and you can check them all out from there. Not only that, but you can even enter your creation from there too. Thanks Terry! :) Terry's even giving a $50.00 SU gift certificate to one of the entrants at the end of the 13 week hop. Come on and join in the fun with us.
Know what else I'm loving and I'm sad will be leaving us soon? My friends the Googly Ghouls. Today's card features them. I know you're surprised that I chose to use them, right? Lol. They're just sooo darn cute. Love 'em! Here's today's card-
Halloween Card featuring
Googly Ghouls, Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP and
Wicked Web E.F.
Can I just say, I love this card. It reminds me of an old Black & White film. I don't know how but my stoopid B.B. even made me happy with the picture. Some how it ended up giving the pics a soft, muted, feel almost like you're seeing it through some fog or something. YEA!!! :) I used my new web e.f. for the first time and embossed a piece of the Herringbone DSP from the Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP Collection. I then lightly sanded over the top to expose the white core of the paper and make it look like the white web was in front of the paper. My sweet little friends were stamped in Black Staz-On onto Naturals White c/s. This paper pick came about not as a intended design element, but because it's what I had out and I didn't feel like going back down to the studio to get something else. Love how that works out sometimes.Those images were then punched out with my 1 1/4 square punch and sponged with Wisteria Wonder. W.W. paired with Basic Gray is one of my new favorite combinations. These were adhered with Dimensionals to pieces of Basic Black c/s that I punched out with my Scalloped Square punch, and then Tombowed down to the DSP layer. A piece of our new striped ribbon threaded through our new ribbon slides and the front of my card was almost done. I debated using my googly eyes, they're just so much fun. In the end I simply used two for the sentiment. I simply couldn't not use them.
I changed it up just a little. I hope the ladies don't mind. If you haven't checked the Nacho's site out yet, it's a must see. They are my new favorite challenge site and I haven't missed a challenge since they started. Make sure to swing by, just after you're finished here.
Here's the inside of today's card-
I kept it simple here. Just the sentiment and the sweet little spider (how often do you hear that?) stamped in Black Staz-On and some W.W. sponging and my card was done. I think Tink is feeling a little neglected lately but I love how this card felt without all the bling. (how often do you hear that?)
That's all I have for you today. I hope you liked it and I hope my friends Terry and the DT over at NAC liked it too. Don't forget to check out the Blog Hop below. If you liked today's card or have questions I hope you'll leave me a message below. I love hearing from you and I read all of them. They really do make my day! If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, I've put those buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. you are very appreciated! Till next time-
Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.
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Hey y'all. Happy Humpday! I hope you're week is great so far. The day started out pretty yucky here in the DMV but it's supposed to get up to 80 today so you know I'm a happy girl! I hope it's fabulous wherever you might be.
Wanna know why Wednesday's are now one of my favorite days? It's The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop Day. Woo-Hoo! Terry over at Goin' Over The Edge is hosting this fun event , but only for 3 more weeks. Have you played along with us yet? If you haven't, come on! It's a fun way to see lots of creative ideas and if that's not enough incentive, Terry is drawing someone's name at the end of the 13 weeks and that lucky person will get $50.00 worth of Stampin' Up supplies! How fabulous is that!?! Fun, Ideas, And Supplies...Oh My! Thanks Terry!!! Don't forget to read all the way to the end of today's post. The link will be at the bottom below my name. You can see all the blogs from there and you can even link up your creation there too.
Here's my card for this weeks hop-
Halloween Card featuring
Toxic Treats and Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP
There's lots of layers here but it's still a pretty simple card. I started with a base of Basic Gray c/s. My sentiment was stamped and embossed in Tangerine Tango on a scrap on Very Vanilla c/s. This was then layered onto 2 different pieces of DSP from the Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP Collection. I used the Corner Rounder Punch and Scalloped Border Punch to add a little interest to these layers. All three layers were lightly sponged with Basic Gray with the top and bottom layers being adhered with Dimensionals.
My next layer is Basic Gray c/s that I ran through my Chevron Embossing Folder. You can see it a little better in the next photo, but the black color is sooooo sparkly. You've probably seen this all over bloglandia but it's my first time to show it to you. I inked up my e.f. (on the side with the SU logo) with my Brayer and Versamark ink and then ran it through the Big Shot. Once it came out the debossed area's had Versamark on them and were ready for some shine. I mixed my own Embossing Powder by mixing SU Black E.P. and Iridescent Ice in an empty Embossing Powder container. It didn't look pretty, (a salt and peppery gray), but I had faith...This was added to my embossed card layer and set with my heat tool. WOW! What an Amazing effect. I topped this with a piece of our new Twill Ribbon. It's stamped with the "Trick or Treat" sentiment from the Toxic Treats set in Black Staz-On. I cut two strips one about 5" and one about 3 1/2. The longer piece is secured on the back of the layer with Snail. The smaller piece was tied in a knot after stamping it as well. Some Linen Thread was used to cinch in the middle of the ribbon and to secure the knot. I also used one Mini-Glue Dot to help secure the knot. This layer was then adhered with Dimensionals.
Here's a closer look at that-
Here's a few tips for doing this technique-
1- Use your embossing buddy! I forgot about it the first time, so needless to say there was a second time.
2- Rub the embossing buddy over your fingers too. This will help to prevent fingerprint marks.
3- This embossing folder causes deep impressions and will alter the size of your c/s. How do I know. Well, this layer wasn't supposed to be a layer. I originally ran just the card front through but it changed the dimensions of the front enough that I couldn't use it unless I went back and trimmed the sides down. Make your layer a little bigger than needed, if it's still too big you can just trim it to your needs.
Here's the inside-
Inside of Halloween Card featuring
Toxic Treats Stamp Set
I kept it really simple here and just stamped both images in Basic Gray. Because I felt the card could be used as a "masculine" card I didn't add any shimmer or shine and to be honest, I still think it looks nice.
That's all I have for you today. I hope you liked it and I hope you join us on The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop, just below. If you liked today's card or have questions, I hope you'll take just a moment to leave me a message below. I read all of your comments and they really do make my day! If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, I've put those buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Till next time-
Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.
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Hey y'all. Happy Humpday! Woo-Hoo, just 2 more days until the weeked. *HappyDance* You know what else is great about Wednesdays? (at least for a few more weeks) It's time for The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop! YEA!!!!! I don't know about you, but I'm sooo enjoying making a new card each week for this fun hop and really enjoying seeing everyone's fun and creative cards and projects. Don't forget to scroll all the way to the bottom of my page to see everyone's entry in this week's hop.
I had a lot of fun making today's card. I did a technique that I haven't shown here before. Always fun. :) Here's today's card-
Halloween Card featuring
Googly Ghouls Stamp Set and
Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP
Isn't it fun? My little friends are just "hanging out"and "dropping by" to say Boo, which of course just means Hi! in Ghoul-Speak. You did know that, right? Oh, of course you did!
I started with a base of Tangerine Tango cut at 4 1/4 x 8 1/2 and scored at 4 1/4 to make a square card. I then took a 4 x 4 piece of Basic Black c/s and ran it through my Big Shot with my Chevron E.F. for a little texture. I used chipboard for the first time on a card and since it was so elevated off the card, that's where I got my inspiration for my little friends. I ran the chipboard through my Big Shot with my new alphabet die. I finally had an excuse to use it and can't wait to use it even more. Even though it's a little expensive, I know I'm going to get plenty of use out of it. How about getting it for half-price? If you have a $450 stampcamp, home party or personal order you can choose this as your half-priced item. That's what I did. Love, Love, L.O.V.E. half-price. If you're interested in getting free and half-priced merchandise, let me know. I'd love to help you get everything on your wishlist.
Once I had my chipboard cut out, I used Tombow to adhere my DSP from the Howlstooth and Scaringbone collection.My sanding block was used to smooth the edges and make sure everything was attached well. You can see the white along the outside of the letters where I sanded them. They were then attached with more Tombow to my embossed B.B. layer.
Here's a closer look-
How sweet are my ghoulish little friends, just hanging out waiting to say Hi to you? Sooo cute. I tell you, I just want to put them all in my pocket and carry them around! I stamped them all in Black Staz-On, colored them and then cut them out. My little Mummy's bandages are colored in with Sahara Sand Classic Ink and a blender pen. He's attached with a combination of Dimensionals and Tombow to make it look like he's swinging from the bottom of the "B" and waving Hi!. Such a friendly little fella. Frankie was given a Wild Wasabi shirt and Certainly Celery face & hands. I stamped him twice, adhered one behind the "O" with Tombow, and then cut his face out of the second one and adhered it with Dimensionals so it looks like his face is leaning out in front of the "O". My little dangly dude is hanging from a piece of Calypso Coral Baker's Twine that I simply knotted in a loop around the top of the letter. A few Dimensional pieces not only secures the Baker's Twine, but makes it look like he's just hanging around. A few googly eyes complete the front. Don't you just want to go and "hang out" with them? You know you want to and, even better, you know you're going to have fun!
Here's the inside-
Inside of Halloween Card featuring
Googly Ghouls Stamp Set
My sentiment is stamped in Black Staz-On as is my sweet little witchy girl. Look at that smile. She just wants to play and she even brought another friend along with her. I used Wild Wasabi, Tangerine Tango and Perfect Plum to add a little color to her outfit. Tink dropped by to play a little and to make her party outfit a little more festive.
What do you think? Isn't it cute? I really love the effect adding the chipboard made. Of course, you would expect to pay a little more postage if you made a card like this. Or you could just hand deliver it and see the smile you get. Instant Gratification. Yea!!!
Here's what you'll need for today's technique- Chipboard (You can use regular chipboard or if you're looking for a "lighter" alternative, try using the backer board that comes in your DSP packs. It works great and won't add as much weight.), Die (I used the new Sizzix Alphabet die in the big catalog), Die Cutting Machine (I used my Big Shot), DSP to cover your cut-outs and Tombow to adhere it with.
Here's what you do- This is soooo stinkin' easy you're not going to believe it!
1- Choose your design, letters, image (whatever you choose) that you want to cut out and run it through your die-cutting machine. I cut out a "B" & 2 "O's"
2- Choose your DSP. Cut the same items with your die and machine, this time using your DSP instead of chipboard. Save yourself some time and do this instead of attaching DSP to your cutouts and then trimming the excess away. I just realized, as I was writing today's post, that I could have used my die to cut the letters out of my DSP. Geesh! The time that would have saved me. Like I said, this was my first time to make something like this. Ok, it was the first time I did it at home. I did 1 letter in my techniques class about two months ago along with other pre-cut chipboard pieces and all I remembered was applying the DSP to pre-cut pieces and trimming and sanding. *SMH* Sometimes 29 is a looooot older than it seems. :)
3- If you're using a pre-cut piece of chip board, attach your DSP with Tombow and then trim the excess away.
4- Using your sanding block, stroke in a downward motion to get off any excess paper and to make sure the paper is molded well to the chipboard. Don't sand "back & forth". This will lift the edges of your paper off your chipboard.
5- Adhere your finished pieces to your card/project. I used more Tombow, but depending on the piece and whether or not you were looking for elevation, you could also use Dimensionals.
6- Complete your project and smile when you see what you've created. Smile even bigger when you think of the joy it will bring it's recipient. Man, that part just never gets old!!!
Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you liked my card and this week's technique. Hopefully it inspires you to try something new. While you're being so inspired, why not create something and add it to this week's hop. Terry at Going' Over the Edge is hosting this fun hop and she's even offering a $50 SU gift certificate to one lucky participant. Thanks, Terry! You can check out everyone's entries at the bottom of my page. Just click on their name and you'll go straight to their page. You can even enter your fabulous creation directly from the link here on my page. Pretty cool, huh?
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. you are very appreciated! If you liked today's card or have questions about it, I hope you'll take a moment to leave me a message below. I read them all and they really do make my day. If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, I've put the buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :) Till next time-
Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.
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Hey y'all. Happy Humpday! I hope you're having a great week so far. The best part? Only 2 days left till the weekend. Woo-Hoo! :)
Have you seen the Great Pumpkin Blog Hop yet? No, not with Charlie, Snoopy, and the gang. The one with all the really cute Halloween cards and projects. Hard to believe, but it's on it's sixth Amazing week. You'll be able to see all the cute ideas in one convenient spot, at the bottom of this post. You'll be able to click on their picture and be whisked magically (haha) to their site to find out all about their Fabulosity. Why yes, that is a real word and once you see all the cool cards/projects, you'll believe it. :)
I went retro this week and used an idea from last Halloween. This treat holder was just sooo cute. I've been meaning to use it more this year and have just been finding other cute ideas so it kinda got pushed to the background. This weekend I got busy designing and brought back not only the purse but my 3 Cute Dudes as well. Here's today's project-
Halloween Purse Treat Holder featuring
Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP and Punch Art Ghosts
Isn't it cute? And how sweet is my Ghostly Trio, my little 3G's. Let me tell you, no one would be afraid to take this little treat holder. No sir-ree! These come together so quick, you won't even believe it. I think I'm going to make a bunch for an October Craft Fair. They're just the right size to put some candy in or a little non-edible treat like a lip-gloss/chap-stick.
Here's a closer look at my pale little sweeties-
Punch Art Ghosts
Know what you need to make this closure? I used my Decorative Label Punch and H&S DSP for the flap and my Small Oval Punch and Small Scalloped Circle Punch. (The one in the Big Catalog not the new smaller one in the mini) Punch out 3 Small ovals from Whisper White c/s and then insert the end into your Small Scalloped Circle Punch and give a little snip and Poof! Sweet little ghosts. You know it's not often in this big ole stamping community that you get to say you had an original idea, but these little guys...All Mine! I sponged the edges, lightly, in Basic Grey and then added a little Two-Way Glue Pen and Dazzling Diamonds to the edges. I didn't get all of it brushed out from the center but it's ok. I think it just adds to their cuteness. I layered them and adhered them to my piece of Wisteria Wonder that I had punched with my Small Scalloped Circle Punch. The edges were lightly sponged with Wisteria Wonder and a little sparkly love added. This was attached to the flap with a Dimensional. I used a thin Velcro dot under the flap to keep my purse securely closed. We don't want our treats falling out. :)
Here's a peek at the inside-
Sorry, No Chocolaty goodness to show you but it will hold a individual Reeses' Cup or other snack-sized treats.
Here's a look from the side-
I can't wait to make some more of these and surprise my friends with them! Just in case this project is new to you here's the video. I didn't make it. It's by France Martin aka Frenchie. Enjoy!
That's all I have for you today. I hope you liked my newest 3-G purse/treat holder. Don't forget to check out all of the cool cards/projects on The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop. They'll be beneath my name.I love hearing from you so if you have comments or questions about today's project I hope you'll take a minute and leave me a little blog love. I read all my comments and they really do make my day! If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's project I've put those buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)
I got a nice invite to link up with the Fab REAL Housewives of Riverton and their fun party. Thanks ladies! There's lots of cool stuff going on over there so stop by when you get a chance. Better yet, Link up and join the fun! :)
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Till next time-
Remember-Life is
often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not
about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.
*Don't forget
to check outthis postfor
my Blog-Versary - Give-Away. It will be open until Midnight August 23, 2012.*
Hey y'all. Happy Humpday. :) That always makes me giggle. It always makes me think of how we learned to spell Mississippi. ( You know I just spelled it that way in my head to spell it correctly, Right?) I know, I'm such a kid. Anyways, my work-week is half-way done, I hope yours is too.
I know it's a little earlier than normal for my EWT, but I've got another Halloween card for you today that I want to put on The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop so I figured "Why wait". I made this a few weeks back and just haven't gotten around to posting it yet. I'm trying to only do one Halloween and Christmas/Holiday type card each per week. Of course that's in addition to my Challenge Cards and EWT's, and C&S, and Masculine, oh and let's not forget MDS...There's just not enough days in the week!!! Lol! Here's today's card-
What do you think? I'm so happy with how it turned out. It's actually a pretty C&S card, at least as far as layout goes. As far as details and time involved...not so much.
I started with a base of Wisteria Wonder. It's hard to tell in the picture, but there are some areas on this DSP where the grey plaid appears a little purple, like Wisteria Wonder, so I thought I'd use it. I layered it with a piece of Very Vanilla that I sponged with W.W. and adhered with Tombow. For the central panel I used another layer of W.W. and topped it with some Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP. I sponged both pieces and then I adhered them with Tombow. I took my White Organza Ribbon (2 pieces) and sponged it with W.W. until I got the color I liked, a soft purpley-grey. I wrapped one piece over the top of both layers and secured it beneath with SNAIL. I then made a bow with the second piece and adhered it with a Mini-Glue Dot. This whole panel was then secured with Dimensionals.
My focal point took a little more time.
I wanted my figures to being flying off into a night sky so I needed to try and get some colored layers going on. I sponged a sky recently, but wanted to try something different. I brayered Wisteria Wonder and Perfect Plum to get the color you see. (Tutorial to follow.) Once I felt happy with the coloring I let it dry. Your colors will lighten up and appear more blended once they dry. Since I didn't want the words from this particular stamp, just the image I had to ink this up with my SU markers. However, I wanted to emboss it so it would stand out a little more so, using my SAMJ, I inked up and stamped first in Classic Black, then again with my VersaMarker. I added clear embossing powder since I was out of black and using my heat tool set it. It's so pretty and glossy in person. I used my Labels Framelets (2nd smallest) and my Big Shot to cut out the image. This was then also adhered with Dimensionals.
Here's the inside-
I decided to have it open up, book-style for a little change.
Inside of Halloween Card featuring
Toxic Treats Stamp Set
I stamped the sentiment from the same set in Elegant Eggplant. I used my SU markers to ink the cauldron and bubbles using E.E. and Lucky Limeade. A little Dazzling Diamonds makes the perfect accent for the bubbles rising from the top, don't you think?
Now for your EWT- Here's what you'll need-
A Brayer, Ink Pads (I used Stampin Up), Card Stock and Grid paper or other paper to cover your surface as you brayer.
Disclaimer- This is a technique that takes time to master and I have definitely not mastered it completely. I recommend you do a You-Tube or Google search to view some videos on it. Michelle Zindorf is Amazing and France Martin also does some nice brayering including videos. My instruction if of the most basic type on this particular technique. I've include two videos at the the end of this to help get you started.
Here's what you'll do-
1- Ink your brayer well by rolling it across your ink pad. Make sure you roll it firmly in One Direction Only. If you roll it back and forth you will only get one portion of your brayer sufficiently inked.
2- Once your brayer is inked completely, roll just the very edge, both of them, (at an angle) on your grid/scrap paper. This will help you to avoid getting harsh lines of color from the edges on your project.
3- Roll your color on. Different people do this different ways and I think it kind of depends on the look you are going for. Some people start in the center and roll to the edges from there, leaving a more concentrated color in the center. Some start off the paper and roll across. This is the technique I used. I found I had a more even coverage this way.
4- Layer your colors, lightest to darkest and always remember to you can always add color to make your project darker, but you can't take it away once it's there.
5- Once you feel you have the colors and shading that you want, let it dry so you can see the final coloring. It will appear different once everything has dried. It won't take long at all to dry. The colors will soften up, so if you have any areas you are afraid are too harsh, go on to another part of your project, let it dry and then check it out before tossing it. :)
6- Stamp or embellish as desired for your finished project.
7- Smile when you see your completed project and smile even more when you think about the smile it will bring to someones face. :) (I always love that part the most!)
Here's a few videos I found for you-
That's all I have for you today. The Great Pumpkin Blog-Hop is at the bottom of this post. Don't forget to check it out and play along. You can see all the entries from my site. Don't forget to check out my Blog-Versary page and leave me a comment to be entered in to my Free Give-Away.
I hope you liked today's card/technique and I hope it inspires you to try something new today. As always if you try this technique I'd love to see what you come up with. Let me know and I will be glad to feature it here. I love hearing from you, so if you have comments or questions about today's card/technique I hope you'll leave me a message. I read all of my comments and they really do make my day! If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card I've put the buttons here on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! I hope you'll come back soon. I've got a card & matching 3-D project still to come this week.
Till next time-
Remember-Life is
often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not
about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.
Pin It ***Edited 9/12/12* I'm entering this in The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop for my stamping BFF April who doesn't have a blog yet (she knows I'm doing it). She does really fabulous cards and projects and I'm hoping she'll start her own blog soon but she's a little shy about it. I'm hoping you'll let her know how much you like her card by leaving her a little blog-love in the comment section below. Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom to see/go to all of the cards on the hop before you leave. It's also a great time to leave some love for my friend April. Thanks, hope to see you back real soon! :)
Hey y'all. Happy Humpday! I hope you're having an amazing week.
I have a Special Treat for you today. I'm not showcasing one of my cards today. Nope, I'm sharing one of the cutest cards I've seen in a long time. My stamping BFF April made it for our team swap this past weekend. It made me laugh right away, and if you know the week I'd had up to that point you would realize that was a pretty big feat. I know you're going to love it! Here it is-
Halloween card featuring
Perfectly Preserved and Googly Ghouls
How Stinkin' Cute is this!?!?!? I kept thinking of reasons why I needed that Perfectly Preserved Bundle with the stamp set and the Framelets while at the same time asking myself "Do I really need more from the holiday catalog?" Well let me just tell you, that while I may have been on the fence, this card sent me right over to the other side. This set is coming to the design studio for sure.
I'm not sure but it looks like Tangerine Tango for the base topped with a piece of Basic Black that was run through the Big Shot with the new Lacy Brocade E.F. The striped DSP is from the Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP Collection and what a great collection. I know I'm going to be using it for lots of masculine cards as well as throughout the Halloween season. April used her new Windows Framelets to cut out the shape. The banner was stamped with the sentiment from Googly Ghouls (such a cute name) and cut out using the Bitty Banners Framelets. Rhinestones were added for a little bit of bling.
How 'bout a closer look-
I swear, he's so cute I just want to put him in my pocket and carry him around. Now that he's in the jar, it's just perfect! I'm not sure if the images are stamped in Classic Black or Staz-On. My guess is Staz-On. A few swipes with the new Silver Dazzle Marker adds a little something-something to the little cutie's rags. And how sweet is his one little googly eye? I swear he's either going in my pocket or one of my Coach bags so I can have him near to make me smile! Forget Pocket Pets, Pocket Mummies are def the next big thing! A little Crystal Effects makes sure his jar is all clear and shiny so he can see the world when I take him out of my pocket and a sweet little scalloped-polka-dot topper helps to keep him secure.
Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you liked April's fantabulous card. I keep trying to get her to start a blog with all of her cute creations but she's not quite on board yet. It would be great if you could leave here a little love here, in the comments and I'll make sure she gets to see them. I know she wouldn't mind if you CASE her either just be sure to give her a little love there too.
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! I hope you'll come back soon. Tomorrow is a very special day here, hope you'll make it back by. Till next time-
Remember-Life is
often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not
about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.
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