Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Garden Note for You
Monday, March 30, 2009
A Re-Make and Take
This was the original design from Stampin' Up! Pretty, but to me...still needing something.
So, at home I created this one:
See the difference a few layers and some accents make? I colored in the confetti piece with my SW Markers, blending a little with my Aqua Painter (because it's confetti white not watercolor paper it doesn't "move" as well). Then I added some sponging for depth and some pretty piercing, and an additional layer. I changed up the main card by adding a Not Quite Navy main card, adding sponging, some piercing, brads, some different designer paper and ribbon and the sponged sentiment with a popped up flower. Still a simple card, but with so much more pizzazz don't you think?
Well, the germy bug has caught up with me now...hopefully it's a short one, I'm pooped! Where's a nurse when you need one! :)
Recipe: Stamps: Soft Summer, Oval All; Ink: Black Stazon, Old Olive; Paper: Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, Confetti White, Bella Rose DSP, Chocolate Chip; Accessories: Valet Ribbon Originals, Scalloped Oval Punch, Oval Punch, Library Clip, Eyelet Punch, Sponge, Piercer, EE Brads, Dimensionals, SW Markers.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Ruffled and Inspired Tulips
I've watercolored them, trimmed them out and placed them on a stamped nestability rectangle, which I also sponged. I really love this paper too, it's K & Co Que Sera Sera....it has such a great collage feel with fantastic colors.
And look at this amazing ribbon! It's SILK...new from Flourishes. It ties just amazingly
And here's my two sickies at work today on cards. I generally let my kids stamp with me, but just on scrap paper, today we made full cards together. You should have seen the joy in their eyes to use REAL cardstock. I was watching our little one as he was looking at his completed card - and he didn't see me watching him...but he had this look of absolute delight and pride in his work. Oh it just made my heart dance. It reminded me again, that yes when they stamp with me, I really don't get much done, because I'm helping them...but oh how good it makes them feel!
You can see they're both not feeling well, they're not quite themselves...but they are sure precious!
Thanks for stopping by today!
Recipe: Stamps: Flourishes - Thank You; Ink: Black Stazon, Certainly Celery, Tangerine Tango; Paper: Tangerine Tango, Whisper White, Certainly Celery, K & Co Que Sera Sera, Watercolor; Accessories: Big Shot, Nestabilities, Sponge, K & Co Gems, Ticket Corner Punch, Flourishes Silk Ribbon, Dimensionals, Piercer, Scallop Edge Punch
Flourishes Friday - Simple Elegance
I pulled out this pretty set Chairs for You and inked the beautiful plant in an elegant urn and watercolored it, also adding a little bit of shadow with my C1 Copic. I used my Labels Nestabilities to create all the shapes, just cutting the gray piece in half to extend beyond the main image. A little Texturz embossing gives it some old world character.
I've tied a great big organdy bow...and I can't stop myself I had to give it an elegant cream satin Ribbon Rose. (Tutorial here)
Come see what all the wonderful Flourishes girls have in store for you today by checking out the Newsletter, and their individual blogs:
Cindy Lawrence
Faith Hofrichter
Latisha Yoast
Laura Fredrickson
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan and Julie Koerber
Recipe: Stamps: Flourishes - Chairs for You; Ink: Black Stazon; Paper: Very Vanilla, Basic Gray, Kiwi Kiss, Watercolor; Accessories: Flourishes Organdy and Satin Ribbon, Big Shot, Texturz Plate, Lables Nestability, Silver Brads, Ticket Corner Punch, Dimensionals
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Fabulous Friends Challenge & Ribbon Rose Tutorial
Well, we decided to do the same! We kept out one of the Make and Takes...I only stamped the image there (we could choose if we wanted to use that image or a different one), and we're all uploading them today. The rules were that you had to use everything that was supplied...but you could add anything. It was a pretty clean and simple make and take, so of COURSE I added :)
That day we saw a great WOW demo by an Alberta Rising Star Demonstrator Dorothy Seatter (it really brought the whole room to gasp WOW!) ...she had seen a Ribbon Rose tutorial on a blog from someone in the US...she thought it was someone called imasillystamper, but despite all of Dawn, Laura and my looking, we can't find her or her blog...so remember this didn't originate with me...and if you know the original source let me know
...ETA I've found her! Or at least she found me! Kirsten Brown was the source for this woman at Regionals. Her blog is imstampsilly.blogspot.com...and her tutorial link is here! Thanks so much Kirsten!
So I thought I'd give you a little Tutorial on it...then after I'll explain more about the card. Ok...keep in mind that I've been painting for 3 days...and my hands look terrible! Even with using nail polish remover - I can't get some of the primer off! Instructions below each picture.
Here's the ribbon, she said about 6 inches minimum, this one is about 12 inches long.
At the center point fold over as shown above.
ETA...some people are telling me they are getting lost from the above picture to the next picture....I'll try and describe it because I don't have another picture. The ribbon in the above picture that is on top, coming toward you now will be folded underneath and away from you over the right pointing ribbon at 90 degrees - leaving the tail end of the (formerly down) ribbon pointing up. Then the right side ribbon will fold underneath (away from you) ending up with the tail pointing left......does this help? This gets you to the next picture...
Then, continue taking each tail, fold backwards behind each tail of ribbon, criss-cross at 90 degree angles.
Fold till you have almost the entire ribbon in a square shape. Then carefully grab the back of the ribbon (the short pieces with the tails hanging) and turn upside down.
Holding onto the tail ends firmly let the folded pieces drop away from you (sorry that one picture was blurry...it's really hard to do the ribbon at the same time as taking pictures! lol!)
Still holding firmly to one of the ends (top ribbon above picture) , begin pulling the other loose end (lower end ribbon in above picture) - gathering up the ribbon in folds (like rose petals).
Isn't it COOOOOL???? (this was when everyone went WOW!). She said it works with any type of ribbon. I've tried Satin (which looks unbelievable), and I've tried grosgrain, taffeta and organdy. All perfection. I don't know if velvet would work - haven't tried yet!
Alright - to adhere...quickly fold the rose upside down and run a tiny bit of Tombow Snail under the loose end attaching it to the rose. Then I added dimensionals on the back to attach to the card. Trim the ends and you have a beautiful rose, with leaves! I think it's stunning!
.........Alright back to the card - I did run the watercolor piece through the Big Shot with the Top Note Die - but I used the reverse end, only hanging the top portion (about 3/4 inch) of the watercolored piece over the die (the rest of the watercoloring hanging out). This created that pretty shaped effect and I just added the cut piece on top.
I also added the sentiment flower popped up (don't you think it matches well?).
OK...be SURE to check out Dawn and Laura's Fabulous Friend creations! This was fun girls!
Recipe: Stamps: Soft Summer, Bella Toile Background, Oval All; Ink: Black Stazon, Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red; Paper: Confetti Cream, Chocolate Chip, Walk in the Park DSP, Watercolor Paper, Ruby Red; Accessories: Aqua Painter, Reinkers, Big Shot, Top Note, Piercer, Grosgrain Ribbon, Scalloped Oval Punch, Oval Punch, Dimensionals, Large Brads, Sponge.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A Baby Ensemble - From the Heart
Because this is their first child, I wanted to do something special for them. I had offered to make Birth Announcements, but my sister-in-law wisely said, she'd never get them sent, but "would I make Thank You cards?" You BET. Since they wouldn't tell us what they were happening - despite all my best hinting...I had to start them before Adeline was born. I decided to go off the colors for her baby quilt and room accessories that my Mom was making. My sister-in law found these fabulous fabrics, and my mom expertly put them together (it's gorgeous - my mom is SO talented). Anyway...this was part of the quilt as it was coming together (I still hope to get a photo with it all on the crib).
See the colors of green and grey and cream? And the pretty damask feel. It's really gorgeous. I love that it's such a non-traditional baby style and color. It really has a Kiwi Kiss look in real life.
So I put together 52 of these cards, with matching envelopes....2 varieties one vertical and one horizontal.
There were a lots of steps to these, and 3 different stamp sets. Puns from the Past, the small Thank You set, and Friends 24-7.
I used the damask stamp from Friends 24-7 to create a background on the Kiwi Kiss in Basic Grey and Kiwi.
The main damask is stamped in Kiwi on Very Vanilla and cut out. I added the sentiment overtop on cardstock vellum stamped in Basic Grey...then the little baby buggy as accent in a circle on each. Brads help hold it together. Then on the Top Note piece, I ran the Very Vanilla inside section through the Damask Texturz Plate. It's so very classy.
Here's a closeup of one (I wish the Texture would show up here on the vanilla...)
And this is the other card, you can see a bit more of the texture here. And sheesh look at that ribbon...I did fix the ends before I gave it to them!
Well, that wasn't it, I decided a couple of weeks before she was due that I should knit a baby blanket for them. Now, just so you know....I'm not an expert knitter, more like a novice, but I really wanted to do it. So I found some gorgeous Bamboo yarn, it's amazing, so incredibly soft, with a really nice sheen to it.
Then my niece decided to arrive 2 weeks early! So I knit like crazy for the next 2 weeks, plus trying to get the cards done. Adeline and her parents received it all right around her actual due date. Very basic, just straight knitting in stripes to match her quilt.
I'm also throwing them a baby shower in the end of April....I'l have some more goodies to show you then!
Recipe: Stamps: Friends 24-7, Puns from the Past, Thank You; Ink: Basic Grey, Kiwi Kiss; Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Basic Grey, Very Vanilla, Cardstock Vellum, Kiwi Kiss Patterns DSP ; Accessories: Silver Brads, Oval Punch, Circle Punch, Big Shot, Damask Texturz Plate; Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon, Top Note, Scissors, Piercer.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
A Spring Bouquet
Sunday, March 22, 2009
SU Regionals
We found out about - and laughed about each other's stamp quirks....like that Dawn can't spend more than 30 minutes on a card...and that Laura might not have chosen her colors in 30 minutes :) ...and me? ha ha...well they laughed that I had to trim my already die cut stamps (hey I don't like edges!). It was really fun and I feel really blessed to know these girls they are warm and fun and generous. And I feel blessed to have stamped along side of them!
Dawn and I ...
A fun day...and now I'm home today with a feverish boy....I am also super behind on commenting on blogs and challenges...so please bear with me! I appreciate all of you who come over here and say hi....and I'll catch up soon! I've been working behind the scenes on finishing up my niece's baby blanket and 52 baby Thank You's for them (I'll show you the fruits of my labour this week), and I'm getting ready to paint my bathroom this week too!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Easter Projects
I've cut the banner out with my SU Big Shot, and used chipboard letters, Craft Ink and Irridescent Ice to make them shine, or added Jenni Bowlin papers to accent them. Each piece of the banner has a watercolored daffodil on it as a symbol of hope.
The Flourishes blog has closeups of the banner as well if you'd like to check it out! Have a great day...I'm enjoying the day with my Dirty Dozen friends at the SU regionals! Yippee!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Spring Fever!
I have two great things to show you today...a Dirty Dozen Challenge and a Flourishes Friday Focus, as well as some FUN news at the end...
Dirty Dozen Flashback....have you ever gone back to look at some of your original cards? Well this month the Dirty Girls have! We're doing a fantastic challenge....CASE-ing ourselves! I'm my own Featured Stamper! Our challenge is to go back to one of our oldest cards in our gallery and CASE it...changing three elements. And no restrictions this month. What I love about this challenge is that it shows - everyone starts somewhere! We all grow as stampers!
Here's my original card from June of 2007...
It was a sketch challenge card, the 3rd card I ever made on SCS! ...now keep in mind I had stamped about 3 years before I was brave enough to post on SCS...so I actually still really like this card. I like the monochromatic feel and the pop of burgundy...I will always love Baroque Motifs as a set too. And here's my case:
I kept the basic layout and monochromatic theme, but I did change the set and colors, added a couple of layers, including DP that had been overstamped on, changed how I did the ribbon and added a Sizzlits Tag sentiment.
And for the Friday Focus Card for Flourishes...the wonderful Leslie Miller wants to show you how to showcase your Designer Papers! Combining the designs of decorative paper is a challenge that many stampers often have. How do you do it successfully? This week on the Flourishes Newsletter, Leslie will help us to see the patterns in decorative paper in a whole new and artistic way!
Here is my sample for today
I've combined four different Basic Grey - Urban Prairie papers on this card to give it a very spring feel. The largest pattern on the main card base, moving down in pattern sizes in smaller sections. I think this gives it more balance. I added a cute awning over my daffodils and chicks. My husband said it looks like a little window. The daffodils and chicks were watercolored and some popped up, and I used various sizes of Nestabilities for shape interest.
Here's the other Fabulous Flourishes DT Girls playing today!
Cindy Lawrence
Faith Hofrichter
Latisha Yoast
Laura Fredrickson
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Julie Koerber
Guess what my fun news is???? Tomorrow I get to meet my first Dirty Dozen friends in REAL LIFE! Laura Fredrickson, Dawn Easton and I are headed to the SU Regionals tomorrow! I'm SO excited! These are great girls, and I believe we are the only Alberta girls chosen to be on the Dirty Dozen so far...and we all served together! I feel very blessed! So if you're headed to the Edmonton Regionals, please pop over to our table and say HI! I'd love to meet more of you in real life!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Choo Choo Celebrate
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Sunshine!
Thanks for popping over today!
Recipe: Stamps: Just Beachy, Lazy Days Wheel; Ink: Black Stazon, Basic Black, Riding Hood Red, Summer Sun; Paper: Riding Hood Red, Summer Sun, Basic Black, Kraft, RHR Patterns DSP; Accessories: SW Markers, 1/4 circle punch, Black Brads, Dimensionals, RHR Striped Ribbon, Sponge
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Twins Faith
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Time for Our Creative Corner!
Kim Teasdale, the OCC hostess this month asked me to be a Guest Designer today, and I was so glad to join in! These are some fabulous women! But THEN she told me the rules...it's a Limited Supply Challenge...
You may use a maximum of three layers of paper including the layer that your stamped image is on (you can add textures, masking or anything that floats your boat to make your card interesting as long as there are no more that 3 layers of paper including your card base).
Sentiments are optional
Only 1 kind of embellishment (buttons OR brads OR Ribbon)
I told her she might just kill me...only 3 layers! ACK!
So, our youngest had (another) boy birthday party to go to and I had these brand new SU stamps (released in the Spring Mini next month!) that were calling to me.
These little fish just CRACK ME UP! I mean every time I look at them I smile. Especially that crazed toothy one in the bottom right. I cut this focal layer out with my Nestie shape, embossed it and then sponged it to give it the *feeling* of another layer, and also the feeling of water. The fish are colored with copics.
On the patterned paper layer I cut out scalloped circles with my Big Shot and Scalloped Circles die and layed it underneath (ok....this technically might LOOK like two layers, but it is cut out of one piece....so I'm going with it :) ) I dry embossed these and pierced circles and added gel pen highlights...to feel like bubbles.
And then on the background or main card layer I embossed large dots with my Texturz plate and then ran my sanding block over top of the dots to lighten them up a bit, but it also gave each dot a really cool almost sueded texture to them. My one embellie is the new Corduroy brads - fantastic texture! So fun. :)
Thanks girls for allowing me to join in! Be sure to check out all the other OCC girls designs too!
Recipe: Stamps: SU - Cute Converse, Just Beachy; Ink: Pacific Point, Palette Noir; Paper: Pacific Point, Muirsfield DSP, Gina K Pure Luxury; Accessories: Big Shot, Nestabilities, Texturz Plate, Scalloped Circle Bigz Die, Piercer, Dotted Embossing/Piercing Template, Piercer, Baja Breeze Corduroy Brads, Copics, White Gel Pen, Sponge.
Friday, March 13, 2009
A Sweet Release
Makes for a pretty set!
This next card was used by my Mom with a present for her new Grandaughter (yes that sweet niece again! )...the pinks are so suiting for a new baby girl don't you think?
This card actually began as a disaster. I had the whole image cut out so beautifully with my Nestie...colored it in painstakingly with my copics and then I must have had ink on my hand and I smudged part of it!!!! UGH. So, I decided to punch that colored piece into a large oval, recolor a larger piece and then put them together as a spotlight/highlight...then I added a layer of cardstock vellum overtop and the sentiment and it gave it a pretty effect.
I used a lot of scalloped edges along the bottom and lots of ribbon to make it very frilly and girly.
And here are the pictures of all three newly released stamp sets:
LOVELY! And, if you make a purchase at Flourishes, and I've inspired you, if you remember to add my name and initial christine0 at checkout in the promo code box I'd appreciate it!