A Wishy-Washi Thank-You :) / NAC #55

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Hey y'all. Happy Tuesday! I hope you're having a good week! I have a bright a sunny card for you today.

I don't know where you are, but not only has it been a little overcast here in the DMV, but yesterday we had a very sad day with the mass shooting at the Navy Yard. So even though this card was made a few weeks back for a different occasion, it really fits for today's post. By the way, if you get a moment and you believe in the power of prayer or at least the power of goodwill, if you get a chance to send some good thoughts and positive energy to the families of those that lost love ones up here and those who will be struggling to go to work now due to this tragedy, I'm sure it would be much appreciated by all.

Do you ever find it funny how you get inspiration for your cards or projects? This week at Nacho Average Challenges  we have a sketch challenge, and as soon as I saw this week's sketch I knew what I wanted to use right off the bat. YEA!!! I just didn't know how I was going to get there? *Facepalm* But I persevered and I'm so excited with the end result. Here's what I came up with-

Can I just tell you that I did a little happy dance when I finished with this card? Yep! *HappyDance* 

Ok- that was after I conceded that I wasn't going to be able to easily add the gift card under the embossed framelet piece. But really, it didn't take me long to give that little bit up, then I danced around. I originally wanted to lift the flap up and have the gift card underneath, but in the end it wouldn't have laid nice enough so I'm happier with it like this. Many of you know I'm trying to sell my house. Well, I have some really good neighbors that built their house at the same time that I did 11 years ago. While I've been a single mom, the husband has often helped to shovel my sidewalk in the winter or mow my yard in the summer. I would go out to do it and just find it already done. So I got them a Gift card so they can go out to a nice dinner. They have a sweet little girl that I've watched grow up, and there's enough on the card for her to go too, but I'll offer to watch her so they can have a date night.

Here's the sketch we were using-

Sorry about the blurry photo, somehow I think I missed the newest upload. :(

When I first saw this sketch I knew I wanted to use Washi tape. Isn't funny how that works? Not DSP, not ribbons or embellishments, Washi right off the bat. Then I just had to figure out the rest of it. I have to say it actually came together pretty quick especially since my stamp room is in the closet.  I used my Gingham Garden Washi and DSP in addition to my Perfect PolkaDots and Plenty of Petals Embossing Folders. I created the whole card sitting on the floor of one of my spare bedrooms in about 30 minutes. LOVE when that happens. Normally I have a pretty inside to show you but I forgot to get pictures. More pretty washi inside though.  

Well that's all I have for you today. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope it brings a little sunshine and cheer into your day. What I really hope though is that it makes you want to pull out your supplies and play along with us Nachos. We can't wait to see what you come up with! If you have questions about today's card, or just want to give me a little digital love, feel free to leave me a message below and I'll be sure to get back to you. Your comments make my day!

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.

Be Safe-

Shan

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Flying Into The Night / End of the Week Technique #44 - Brayering / The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop

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*Don't forget to check out this post for 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-

Clean & Simple Halloween Card featuring
Toxic Treats, Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP

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.

Be Safe,

Shan

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Just Because You're Toxic Doesn't Mean You Can't Be Cute...

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Hey y'all. Happy Friday to you! I hope you're having a great day and that your week to this point has been fabulous. :) It's stormy and gloomy here in the DMV which kinda fits my mood. My grandmother died yesterday and though we hadn't been close in the past few years, she gave me lifetime of wonderful memories to remember her by. If you get a chance today, I hope you'll take the time to tell those you love just how precious they are to you. We never know if we'll get the chance to tell them later.

So let's have something a little more fun now. I'm loving the Toxic Treats Stamp Set and the Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP. In fact I've made 3 cards with it just this week. So nothing really over-the-top with today's card but I think it's still cute and could be used for anyone. It's actually a C&S design but could I just leave it at that? You know I couldn't. Lol!

Here's today's card-

Halloween Card featuring
Toxic Treats Stamp Set and Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP

You're in shock right!?! Pretty simple by my standards, huh. What can I say it happens sometimes. I started with a base of Basic Black square of 4 1/4. I'll give the dimensions for the entire card at the end of this post for those of you who are measurement challenged like myself. For my Very Vanilla layer I sponged the edges with Basic Gray. I wanted a shadow and to give the illusion of depth without using Dimensionals. This layer was Tombowed to the base. I love this fun Tangerine Tango (or maybe it's Pumpkin Pie not really sure but it sure is cute!) & Very Vanilla Polka Dot DSP. I adhered it to the B.B. mat with, you guessed it, Tombow and then adhered that panel with Dimensionals. Before I adhered it though I added a piece of Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon and just stuck the ends under the B.B. mat with some SNAIL. Remember, I do like SNAIL for adhering ribbon. Works great! I cut another length and made my little ruffled bow and adhered that with a Mini-Glue Dot. 

For my focal point, I colored the stamp with my Basic Gray Stampin Write Marker so I could get just the image and not the writing and stamped it onto a scrap of V.V. c/s. I used my 2nd smallest Labels Framelet to cut it out. A little sponging with some more Basic Grey (Hmmmm, I think that's the only color that both words don't start with the same letter. You know Raspberry Ripple, Elegant Eggplant, Tempting Turquoise etc. and then Basic Gray. I guess it sounds better than Garden Variety Gray or Grim Grey. hahaha just a small laugh, but I still made myself laugh. It's ok you can laugh along with me. I prefer that thought than you laughing at me. (:  ) I made a B.B. mat by cutting out two more labels of the same size and cutting them to form the mat. The three labels were all adhered to each other with Tombow and then adhered with Dimensionals. I stacked two Dimensionals at the bottom because of the added height.

This was actually Round 2 for this card. I tried to make it really C&S and it initially didn't have the labels mat-

Although I sponged the edges to add that illusion of depth it just wasn't doing it for me. It was ok, but I just wasn't happy with it. Recently I posted about how I sometimes add a lot of layers/elements and then have to pull a Coco Channel and remove something. Well, this time I definitely needed to add something. I think the small mat made all the difference in the world. Would love to hear what you think.

Here's the sketch I used. I should have posted this yesterday so I could enter it in the challenge but totally forgot. *Fail*-

I think I did the sketch justice, don't you?

Here's the inside-

Inside of Halloween Card featuring
Toxic Treats Stamp Set

Sorry about how dim the pictures are today. Not sure what happened. It couldn't possible be my Cruddy B.B. :) The image and sentiment are from the same stamp set.

Because you know I had to have something pretty for the inside too-

I inked the Cauldron in Basic Grey and the bubbles in Lucky Limeade and let Tink have just a wee-bit of fun. See ...Toxic but Cute.

Here's the measurements for today's card-
Basic Black- 4 1/4 x 8 1/2 scored at 4 1/4
Very Vanilla- 4 1/8 x 4 1/8
Basic Black- 3 1/2 x 2 1/4
DSP- 3 3/8 x 2 1/8

That's all I have for you today. I hope you liked it! I love hearing from you, so if you have thoughts or questions about today's card I hope you'll take just a minute and leave me a comment. I read all of them and they really 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! :)

Oh and before I go, can I just say I'm so glad it's Football Season again! Woot!!!! Way to go New England on your win last night over the Saints.

I wish you an Amazing weekend filled with lots of time for Family, Friends and of course for creativity. I hope to see you back real soon for all new cards and projects.

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.

Be Safe,

Shan

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2 Challenges in 1 and A Sneak Preview

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Hey y'all. Happy Humpday! I hope you're having a fabulous day and an amazing week. I've go two cards to post before they close, one at midnight and one first thing in the morning so I'm actually going to do 2 posts today. This is #1.

So, Nacho Average Challenge is a new challenge site and I entered their 1st challenge, a sketch challenge, last week. Their plan is to alternate between sketch and color challenges. I think I've only done one color challenge on here in the last year, because as a general rule, I'm really just not that creative. There's just too many possibilities...all the potential combinations....AUGH!!! Which is why it's so funny that I have 3 cards and 2 color challenges to show you today.

You know by now, that I show the good with the bad here and I'm pretty honest with y'all about my shortcomings and faults. Color challenges and me....well, I'm pretty inept at them, really just too many possibilities, so I just don't do them. Yeah, yeah, Scaredy Cat and all that. I'm working on it.... Well, I saw the challenge colors yesterday and decided I would just have to give it a try. What's the worst that could happen? I'd have a sucky card to show you, so you know my cards don't always turn out. (As if you didn't already know that! LOL) On the walk to the slug-line, I started thinking of the stamp sets I had at home, and which ones could I possibly use with this color combination. Believe it or not I had two different stamp sets and two different card ideas come to mind. *Score!*

Here's the first one-

Happy Birthday Card featuring
Apothecary Art

Here's the Color Challenge (if I put the images of the sketches/color chart first then that's the image that shows up in my rolling top-ten list)

Wow! I wasn't sure about these colors outside of a fall/autumn type card and there was already one of those in the DT cards. Normally I wouldn't look at the DT samples first, but I was afraid I might need some inspiration. Good thing too, or I might have used my Gently Falling set and looked like a copy-cat!

I'd been wanting to use this image from the Apothecary Art set as it hadn't yet seen any ink. How sad is that? So I inked it up with Black Staz-On and stamped it onto a piece of Whisper White c/s. I ran this through my Big Shot with the corresponding Labels Framelet. I used my Blender Pens and Classic Ink Pads in the challenge colors to color in the image. It's a little hard to see at first glance but the inside portion of the flowers are in More Mustard. Do you know, I think this is the first time, I've used my M.M. products. I had to open the paper and the pad I know had never been used. I don't even think I've used the marker. Hard to believe how light the Riding Hood Red can appear. I love how using the blender pen you can make the colors almost a "wash" and then go back and layer in more to add depth and intensity. I wanted to add a little ribbon and as Riding Hood Red was all I had (from Christmas Cards last year) guess what I chose. I opted to put it across the center of the focal point instead of a sentiment.

Here's a close-up-

I decided to use Lucky Limeade as a mat. My original idea was to make two and cut them down so I'd a have just a small mat, you know like we do with labels but, silly me, I cut out two of the next larger size instead of the same size. I decided to just go with it and for a little added something-something I ran it through my Big-Shot with the Perfect Polka-Dots E.F. Now why I didn't think to just put the smaller framelets on the larger ones and cut them out is beyond me. Who know!?! As a stand-alone mat I was happy with how it looked so I decided to go with it. If I had it to do over again I would try it with the smaller mat. In fact I may still try that at home. That just left the More Mustard. What to do, what to do? Think, Think, Think, (you know what to do here (:  ) I decided to keep it simple with just the card base and no additional layers so I ran it through my Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper E.F. I then sponged it with M.M classic ink to bring out the detail.

For the inside, I used the sentiment that came in this case and the other floral image as well.

I stamped the sentiment in Soft Suede as I thought Basic Black might be a little strong. The floral image is actually from the journaling stamp that comes with this set. I masked off everything except the floral image and then inked it up with Black Staz-On.

Sorry, about the lighting. Not sure why the flash didn't go off. I used the same colors and blender pens to color in both stamped images and then let Tink have just a little bit of fun.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. With the exception of trying a smaller mat, I think it's o.k.  Now the challenge doesn't end until midnight Saturday so why am in such a rush to post today? Well, as I was mounting the focal image on my card front it struck me that it would fit in the Stamping 411 challenge too. Yes, I know I've already entered that one, but it never hurts to enter twice. : D In case you missed that sketch yesterday, here it is again-

Remember when I said I had two sets come to mind yesterday as I was brainstorming on the way to the slug-line? Well, I made a second card last night for this color challenge. It's actually my favorite of the two, but I'll do the complete post either later this week, maybe Friday or on Monday.

Here's a preview-

So excited about how this one turned out!!!!

Don't forget to stop by Stamping 411 and Nacho Average Challenge. There's still time for you to play along.

Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you liked my stab at this challenge, and if not I hope you can at least appreciate the challenge it was for me and commiserate with me. :) I hope it inspires you to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day and stopping by today. You are so appreciated!!! If you liked today's card and have a moment to drop me a line, I'd love to hear from you. Your comments make my day! I read all of them and try to respond to them as well. If you liked today's card, or any here, and would like to +1 or Pin it, I've put the buttons here 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.

Be Safe,
Shan

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End of the Week Technique #35 - Brayered and Embossed Checkered Background

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Hey y'all. It's Friday! (Oh Noes! I just said that to my self and now that awful "It's Friday" song is swimming around my head on auto-repeat! Help, someone quick...ear-worm!!!! AUGH ):  ) Oh well, I hope your week's been great and I haven't just shared my ear-worm with you. LOL :)

I have a really simple technique for you today. It can go from a simple background to a Wow focal point, depending on your color combinations and other card elements. I probably see this technique once a month or so during my blog reads. I first tried it last fall, with my upline Robin, I think it was at a team meeting, on a holiday card. I thought I'd try it today on a fun, bright, baby card.

Here's today's card-

Brayered and Embossed Checkered Background Baby Card
with Easy Events Stamp Set

I showed this to a friend the other day and she just loved it. I started with a base of Certainly Celery. Next came my checkered background using Certainly Celery and Daffodil Delight. I knotted a piece of our new stitched ribbon in Daffodil Delight and secured the ends under the card with a little SNAIL. My sweet little ducky is popped up with dimensionals. So quick and easy!

Here's what you need for this technique- Brayer, Big Shot, Stripes Embossing Folder, Ink Pads (I used two colors but you can also use just one color for a more tone-on-tone look) and of course cardstock, your choice of colors, I used Whisper White.

Here are the steps-

1- Pick out your colors. I chose two, but like I said you could choose one and it would still give a nice effect. (I'll try to do this soon and post it.)

2- Ink up your brayer with the first color and roll it on the inside cover of your Stripes Embossing Folder (this is the side that has "Sizzix" written on it. Make sure that you have even coverage on all of the raised portions.

3- Position your c/s, wherever makes you happy in the folder. (I lined mine up with the top and side so everything my lines would be straight, but then you all know I'm a "little OCD" hahaha) Carefully Close it and run it through your Big-Shot. Remove your c/s. 

4- Re-ink your folder. If you're going to use the same color, go ahead and re-ink your brayer. If you're changing colors, rinse your brayer and embossing folder, tap water is fine, until the water runs clear. This won't take long. Dry both well, then re-ink your brayer with your new color and ink the folder again.

5- Turn your c/s 90 degrees (1/4 turn), position your c/s and run it through again. You will now have the checkered, or plaid look you see above. Because I used such a large piece of c/s it didn't get colored completely when I ran it through, so I just inked it up again and moved my c/s up making sure to line up with the previously embossed areas so my spacing stayed even.

6- Enjoy your new background or accent piece. Smile when you think of the joy and smiles it will bring to the face of your card's recipient. (Always the best part for me!)

***TIP*** You may want to try running a piece of your c/s dry through your Big Shot with this embossing folder first. You may need to adjust which platform level you use on with your machine. I did this with one tab down. If you look real close, you can see a little "wrinkling, for lack of a better word" in some of the white spaces. I think my machine is a little tight. Everyone's is different. Next time I will do it with no tabs. It's still a beautiful card, but the OCD in me wants it perfect of course. :)

Here's my sweet little ducky-

Easy Events Duck and Labels Framelet

How Stinkin' Cute is he?!? Love him. I stamped him in Staz-On  on a scrap of Whisper White c/s. If you look closely you can see the sentiment below him. I had actually intended for it to be seen, but my water turned out darker than I had planned. *blush* *SMH* Don't you love it when people post things that aren't "perfect" and then admit it?!? I know I sure do.  I used my second smallest Labels Framelet to cut him out. He fit perfectly. It makes me so happy when things work like that. I used my Blener Pends and Classic Ink Pads  to color. Here's what I used- So Saffron, Daffodil Delight, and Tangerine Tango for my little cutie-pie. Certainly Celery and Baja Breeze for the umbrella, Baja Breeze and Marina Mist for the hat and Marina Mist for the water. Once I had the water colored in though I realized I had made a little "Ooopsie" or as we like to say "I had created a design opportunity." What to do, what to do? Yep, I channeled my inner Pooh Bear. Think...Think...Think and not my inner Eyeore (Oh, Bother!) I had a lightbulb moment, love when those happen. Let Tink come out to play. Well I did and I think the results are fabulous. You can still make out the "for baby" if you look close, otherwise it just looks like extra shading in the water. "Thanks Tink!" 

Here's the inside-

The sentiment is from Petite Pairs. Seriously, if you only get one sentiment set, get this one. I use it all the time. I think it's probably one of my best stamp purchases. I actually mounted them both on the same block and stamped just one time. ***TIP***  If you do this, please make sure to do a test stamp on your grid paper (or other scrap paper) to ensure everything is lined up just like you want it. I got lucky and had it right the first time. Yea, Shan! My precious little froggy is from last year's Ronald McDonald set. It's retired now, but it wasn't when I made the card. I colored him in with Wild Wasabi, that was an In-Color when I first did Stampin' Up years ago. A little love from Tink and he's so handsome you just know he's really a prince.  If these two cute little fellas don't make you smile, well then I'm just at a loss.

So what do you think? I hope you liked today's card and I hope it inspires you to try something new. If you liked today's card and would like to +1 or Pin it, I've put the buttons on my sidebar for your convenience. Your comments always make me smile, so feel free to let me know what you think. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

That's all I have for you today and for this week. I hope you'll come back and see me soon.
Thanks for stopping by. You are so appreciated. Till next time-

Wishing you a weekend filled with Family, Friends and of course lots of time for creativity.

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storm to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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A Quick and Easy Thank-You

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Hey y'all. Happy Friday! I hope you have had an Amazing week and are looking forward to an even better weekend. I've got one last card for you this week, I hope you're going to like it.

A while back, I said I was going to try and do more Clean and Simple type cards. The goal was to do one a week and I've been getting some done but they sure are hard for me. :) hey're just way outside my comfort zone. Today's card is more of a Quick and Easy than Clean and Simple. I call it that because it has just a little-bit more going on with it than your regular Clean and Simple card. At least I think it does. You be the judge-

Here's today's card-

Quick and Easy Thank-You featuring Easy Events Stamp Set

I started with a base of Garden Green c/s, which I actually had to open up for this card. Such a pretty color, but it sure doesn't get used much. Now with the cute Gumball Green, who knows when it will get used again. LOL.

Next I ran a piece of Whisper White c.s through my Big-Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder for a little added detail. I topped this layer with a piece of Daffodil Delight Seam Binding that I secured under the W.W. c/s with a little SNAIL. Love me some SNAIL... (for securing ribbon, HAHAHA)...bet you never thought you'd hear me say that did you!?! I added a sweet little double bow to this that I secured with a Mini-Glue Dot.  I then adhered this layer to my base with Tombow.

My focal point was actually inspired by our new catalog. In the accessories section they have a container with framelets that have a little heart punched out of them with DSP showing from underneath. I decided to step it up a little by making the DSP layer a mat as well. To do this I colored my flowers from the Easy Event Stamp set with my Stampin Write Markers in Garden Green and More Mustard. I positioned my #2 (next to the smallest) Label Framelet over this so there was extra space to the left where I would punch my flower. (I used an old retired punch, but the flower in the Bitty Punch Pack or Boho Blossoms would work just as well.)

Here's where I tell you to do as I say and not as I do-

****Punch your design first and then attach your DSP to the back. Don't attach your DSP and then punch through both.*****

I didn't think about this (it was at the end of about 2 1/2 hours of stamping after a full day at work) and had to punch through both layers. Even though the DSP is thin it was still a little tough to punch. It actually almost tore the W.W. piece since it was so close to the edge. Thankfully, it still looks good enough to give or sell, but I don't recommend you do it that way. I made the DSP mat by cutting two DSP labels and then cutting them both in half (opposite ways) to form the mat. I adhered this over my Seam Binding with some leftover dimensional pieces. For me this extra punching and matting is what moved it from a C&S to a Q&E card, but I may be a little weird like that.

Here's the inside-

For the inside I inked up the sentiment portion of the stamp in Basic Black with my markers and stamped. I then inked up a single flower from the image on the front of the card with my markers and stamped it. I let Tink come out and play to give my flower and leaves a little sparkle and my card was done.

The most time consuming part of the card was the stamping. I'm really happy with how this card turned out. What do you think? I hope it will make someone's day just a little brighter.

Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you liked today's card and I hope it inspires you to make something just a little outside your norm. If you liked it I would love to hear from you! Also if you liked today's card and would like to +1 or Pin it, I've put the buttons on my sidebar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

Don't forget to check out the RETIRED LISTS in my ONLINE STORE. The Accessories are going quickly and they are While Supplies Last ONLY! You're favorite Retiring Stamps will only be around until the end of this month.

I hope to see you back here soon for all new projects. I wish you a fabulous weekend filled with Family, Friends and of course, plenty of time for creativity.

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.


Be Safe,
Shan

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End of the Week Technique #29 - Spotlighting / A "Magnificent" Packed for Mom Card & A Nod To Christian Louboutin

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Hey y'all. Happy Thursday! I hope you're having a great week. Just one more day to go till the weekend. Woo-Hoo! It's an overcast, blustery kind of day here in the DMV, but the birds that live on the window-sill beneath my office AC unit are chirping away, so I guess the day's not too bad. Bless their hearts! They keep yelling at Mother Nature that it's supposed to be Spring. LOL!

You know our Occasions Mini Catalog retires in just a few days. It's hard to believe we're almost done with this Fabulous catalog. I think I've bought more from this catalog than any other Mini ever. :) We have no idea what items, if any, will carry over to the new annual catalog that comes out June 1st. Don't wait too long to get your favorites from this catalog before they're gone forever.

I finally inked up my Packed for Mother card the night before last, now I've just got to get the Dad and party ones inked up before next week. No pressure there. (: I think this stamp would be great not just for Mom, but for your favorite girlfriends and even stylists too.

I had fun doing this card and it's the first time I've ever used this technique. It's sooo Quick and Easy! and I think perfect for this set of stamps.

Here's today's card-

Packed for Mom Spotlight Technique Card

Although this a pretty Clean & Simple card element wise- I would definitely classify it as more of a Quick and Easy due to the extra elements.

I started with a base of Basic Black c/s. To that I added a piece of Whisper White c/s and stamped part of the sentiment "Magnificent"  from the Perfect Words set in Basic Black. I then ran this through the Big Shot using my Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder. So glad this made the cut and didn't wind up on the retired list! *WHEW* 

Then it was time for my EWT. While you could certainly color in all the images or even a select few, I chose to just pick one and "spotlight" it. 

Here's what you do-

1 - Stamp your whole image once for your focal point's background and then stamp it again to get your "spotlighted" item.

2 - Use a punch big enough to surround your chosen item and punch it out

3 - Pick a larger punch and punch out a piece of complimentary colored c/s 

4 - Color in or accent your "spotlighted" item in whichever way you choose

5 - Mount your two punched items together and then attach them to your initial stamped image covering that image with your punched images

6 - Think about the smiles your new card will bring to someones face and the joy it will bring to their day, and then smile yourself :)

See I told you it was sooo Quick and Easy!

While I'm not a total Girlie-Girl, I love me some nice shoes (And if I can swing it a matching bag. Of course Amazing bags are great on their own too!) My favorite Wish-List designer...Christian Louboutin. AMAZING! Nothing like seeing those Signature Red Soles to make my heart beat just a little faster. Oh who am I kidding? It sends my heart into overdrive. These were the first pair that I fell in love with-

Christian Louboutin Helmut Black Patent Pumps

However with a price tag of almost $600.00, they've been just a wish list item. (however while looking for this pick I found a CL Canada site with them on sale for $125.00 *Happy Dance*) There's just something so sexy about the cut-out instep and that pointed toe....Oh and let's not forget those Red Soles...*Sigh*

Sorry, I had to stop to wipe the drool before it got in the keyboard :)

These shoes were the inspiration for my card and the spotlight. Here's a close-up of my framelet and stamped image-

 I stamped my image in Black Staz-On on a scrap of WW c/s. I used Staz-On just because I feel that especially with smaller images it gives a crisper "black" color to your images. I ran this through my Big Shot with my second smallest framelet. It fits just right. I then cut out two more framelets with this same die from Basic Black scraps. I cut them so I could layer them behind my WW piece to give just a small background frame. While you could certainly use the next size-up framelet for a nice border, I felt it would be to big to work with this card.

Next came the actual Spotlight- I used my Basic Black Stampin Write Marker to color in the shoes. I used a Real Red marker to show that un-mistakable Red Sole. I didn't have any Crystal Effects to make the shoes shine like the Black Patent ones in the picture so I settled on Dazzling Details to give a little glittery shine... kind of like these-

So Pretty

I used my 1" Circle Punch to punch my image out and then used my 1 1/4" Circle Punch to make A Real Red mat. I used dimensionals to make it stand out and positioned it so the images aligned. (see the curling iron)

Here's a closer look at the spotlight-

I wrapped a piece of Riding Hood Red ribbon around my WW layer and adhered it to the back of my card with some SNAIL. Next came a bow that I adhered with a Mini-Glue Dot. Even though it's not the same color red, I think it coordinates close enough. I attached my focal point to the front of the card over my ribbon with dimensionals and my front was done. The hardest part of this whole card was not smearing my Dazzling Details. :)

Here's a peek at the inside-

I used the rest of the sentiment from the front of the card and added the image of the cute little purse from the front. Since the next sized punch I had was to big to make a small mat I used my Real Red Classic Ink pad and a sponge to go around the edges. This also had the added benefit of not adding extra bulk to the inside of my card. I used Soft Suede ink with my blender pens and my Real Red Marker to partially color in the image.

Well, that's my card for today. I hope you liked it and I hope it inspires you to try something new today. If you liked it, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :)

I hope to see you back here soon for another card/project.


Don't forget to check out my ONLINE STORE for all the RETIRING PRODUCTS and Occasions Mini Catalog. The accessories are WHILE SUPPLIES LAST ONLY, and they're going fast.



Till next time-

Remember- Life isn't about Waiting for the storm to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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Finally! Apothecary Art and Label Framelets... :)

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Hey y'all. Happy Tuesday! I hope your week is off to a great start. We're back to freeze warnings and waking up to frost on cars here in the DMV. I wish the weather would just make up it's mind and decide to stay warm! Hopefully it won't be long. I have a card today with flowers, so it's springy on my blog at least.

I don't know about you, but I got my framelets when they were first offered to demonstrators months ago. I used the heck out of my Hearts framelets for Valentine's Day and kept meaning to use the Labels on a traditional card and somehow it just didn't happen. (I did use them once as a cover for a pocket card and once as a treat holder though, so at least they weren't totally un-loved) Same thing with my Apothecary Art set. So pretty, and yet so totally unused until just a few weeks ago when I was getting projects prepped for my 2 weeks off from stamping.

Now I can say...Finally, a card featuring my Apothecary Art set and my Label Framelets! WOO-HOO! I wish I had more projects but hey at least they are finally getting used together.

Here's today's card-

I've seen lots of cards featuring this set, some even using this color combination, but I just find it so elegant and soothing.

I started with a base of Soft Suede. I really wish I could tell you which pink I used for the next layer, but I don't have my card with me and we have so many pinks. AUGH!!! *headdesk* Likely it's either , Pretty in Pink or Blushing Bride. So Sorry. Next I stamped my image in Soft Suede and used my Blender Pends to color in the leaves and flowers. I used a couple of different colors on each to try and give some extra depth and dimension to my image. I stamped the sentiment in Soft Suede from the same set, flagged both ends and then used the edge of my paper snips to give the banner a little wave to it, although it's hard to see in this picture. Some Soft Suede sponging on all the layers and dimensionals and my card front was done.

Here's the inside-

I used a sentiment from one of my favorite sets, Petite Pairs on a Very Vanilla background and sponged the edges with Soft Suede. I also put a little something pretty in too, because you know I love that touch on my cards.

Here's a closer look-

Do you recognize the stamp? Its from the same set...it's part of the little oval that says "For You". I colored this portion of the stamp with my Stampin Write Markers and stamped it in the corner. I just love how it turned out with the curved edge and all.

 Looking at my card now I think the only thing I would have really changed about it is I would have added embossing to my pink layer, maybe with the Perfect Polka Dots EF, or the Vintage Wallpaper EF. What do you think? Oh well, it's an excuse to use this set again and try another combination. :)

Well, that's my card for today. What do you think? I hope you liked it and I hope you won't leave your set as un-loved and un-used as I did.

If you liked today's card, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked it, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :)

I hope you'll come back tomorrow, I have another cute project for you.

Till next time-

Remember- Life isn't about Waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan Pin It