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Archive for January, 2010:
A Challenge for YOU!
Aloha, all!
Just a quick note today to make an announcement – I’d like to FEATURE YOUR CARDS on my blog! Have you used one of my templates, either from recent posts or from any of my tutorials? If so, just e-mail me a picture and I’ll be glad to post it here for my blog followers to ooh and aah over! And believe me, they will. I know that I look at some of my cards and think, "Oh, that’s just an ordinary card." But they I get a compliment out of the blue and remember that everyone is different. I may have made the same basic card several times, but there are those of you out there in blog land who’ve never made a card like that! We all love any ideas that we can get our hands on. Of course, there are those that make us want to drop everything and go create. I find those to be rarer. But I learn something new from EVERY card I see (well, unless it’s a totally complete copy of another card – and that really doesn’t happen that much). When I hold a class, even when I cut papers ahead of time and put the same inks and embellishments out for everyone, every card ends up being different – and interesting!
So e-mail me a photo (or photos) of your creations, and I’ll showcase them here!
So now I realize I can’t just put out a pictureless blog post! So here’s an idea of how I worked with a card that ended up having two slightly different looks. I’m still not sure which one I like best, but both make me think a bit as I look at them.
Here’s the first card. The paper is from the Designer Series Paper set, Razzleberry Lemonade. I really enjoy looking at the paper. But I have found it hard to use much as a background because there’s just so much color and design in it – everything else is overwhelmed – including that blank piece of Melon Mambo Card Stock! Hmmm. But now that I look at it again, maybe it’s not so bad….
On to the modified version. I slipped in another strip from the background paper. What do you think?
Subscribe to the comments for this postA Few Card Sketches
Aloha, all!
Whenever I do a class that involves a particular card layout, I try to make a sketch for the class participants. Sometimes I just give them a picture of the card on which we’re working. But I also include the dimensions so they can go to their own craft rooms and make other cards using those same dimensions.
Yesterday I shared the sketch with dimensions of the card I featured. For today, I’ll share some other sketches. I’m going to try to do that more often in both my blog posts and my newsletters so that you can have a blank slate to use even if you don’t have all the cool Stampin’ Up! products that I used to make mine. Of course, I’m ready and able to help you purchase any of the products I use. I only use CURRENT Stampin’ Up! products, so you can be assured that you can order (or at least earn) anything I share here.
This sketch is the one for the Birthday Card I showed off in one of my watercolor posts earlier this week. Just imagine your own stamped image on the top layer of the squares, and your own border punch and embellishments to top it off!
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This is the sketch for the first watercolor card from earlier in the week, featuring Flower Fancy and Sincere Salutations. There’s a much larger area to show off stamps, texture and embellishments on the top layer of this card.
Did I Mention I {Heart} Watercolor?
Aloha, all! No, I didn’t use the new stamp set, I {Heart} Hearts, in my watercolor class! But now that I think about it, I believe I shall have to watercolor a Valentine while there’s still some time!
But I did demonstrate one more card using one of my "old" favorite sets, Flower Fancy. A few days I showed off a Get Well Card using this set and some watercoloring. Today’s card is a card for any occasion: Get Well, Birthday, or even just "Thinking of You." Stamp a greeting from my other "old" favorite set, Sincere Salutations, and you’ve got yourself a complete card!
While I used quite a few different colors on the earlier Flower Fancy card, for this card I stuck with a bright pink that’s very nicely accented by some Melon Mambo 1/2" Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon and a couple of Fire Square Rhinestone Brads. I layered up some Crushed Curry and Melon Mambo card stock, and made the basic card using Confetti Cream card stock, which I think nicely accents the off-white of the Watercolor Paper. (Question: why do they call the heavy stuff "paper" and the lighter stuff "card stock." Just rambling.)
When I sent my newsletter out this week, I was still feeling pretty achy, and I managed to make a couple of typos, including one in the "sketch" of the card that was the main part of the tutorial. That’s what comes of not being able to sit for long enough to proofread properly! Anyway, I thought I’d use a blog post to make the correction. That got me to thinking (a dangerous occupation for me right now). As long as I had dimensions already made for my class participants, why not share them with you as I post my cards?
Here, then, is the sketch for today’s card. Note that the small squares are so EASY because they use PUNCHES!!
Tomorrow I’ll share some more sketches from recent cards.
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A Little More Watercolor
Aloha, all!
I’m still trying to get back into my routine after being a bit "out of it" for awhile. I’m still not 100%, but it’s driving me crazy not being able to do what I want to do when I want to do it and for however long I want to stick with it! Did you get all that?
When I taught my watercolor class last week, I couldn’t just do one project. And while I could sit and paint designs from Flower Fancy for a long time (and I’ll share another with you tomorrow) I needed to use something else that required a bit of a different technique. This card uses one of the stamp sets from the 2010 Sale-A-Bration Catalog, Happy Moments. While that stack of gifts would stand very nicely by itself, stamped on some colorful paper, I thought some watercolor might help it stand out in a different way. For the bottom two boxes, the technique was to have a darker color around the perimeter of each box, with the fill a lighter color, to give the boxes some depth and even what looks like a bit of shine. The top box has its own "shine" courtesy of a few dabs of Crystal Effects. It’s been dry enough here in East Hawaii the past few weeks that the Crystal Effects dries much more quickly than it usually does here.
There are two more brand new products feature on this card. The Scallop Trim Border Punch is one that you can get FOR FREE as part of this year’s Sale-A-Bration. You may already know the routine – purchase $50 worth of Stampin’ Up! products on one order and you get to pick something FREE from among dozens of current Stampin’ Up! products, many of which you can ONLY GET during Sale-A-Bration. While this punch will be around after Sale-A-Bration, my thinking is why not get it for free while the getting is good?!
Finally, another delightful "find" from the 2010 Occasions Mini Catalog is the Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper Stack. As I mentioned yesterday, I was reluctant to purchase the Sweet Pea Stitched Felt, but now I can’t imagine why – it’s so versatile. It’s the same with the Designer Series Paper Stack. What stood out in the catalog (for me at least) was all those pictures of trees that really don’t "fit" here in Hawaii. But I talked myself into buying the paper and let me tell you I will be using it all – and probably not use a tree ever. There are so many gorgeous geometrical designs,using eight colors (according to Stampin’ Up! – a lot more than that according to what I’ve been using!) I used Pumpkin Pie as an accent color, and Pumpkin Pie is one of the colors mentioned by Stampin’ Up! as being featured in this paper set. But I also used Tempting Turquoise on this card, and it seems to me to be a great "match" for this particular paper. Sure, I could have used Taken With Teal, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as bright and cheery, IMHO!
Tomorrow a bit more watercolor, then back to some Valentine Cards!
Just Hanging in There?
Aloha, all!
Oh, my, it’s been awhile since I’ve taken the time to sit and chat. The problem has been in the sitting, as my back has really been giving me a hard time over the past couple of weeks. So it’s been hard to keep my focus and do everything that I’m used to doing. But I’ve been hanging in there.
For one thing, I’ve been able to spend some time in my craft room because I do most of my papercrafting standing up. That has nothing to do with my back; it’s just the way I like to work. I may have to analyze that one day. But for today, I’m going to take some time to try to catch you all up on what I’ve been doing.
To begin, I have a friend – Marcia – who has also been under the weather. So a get well card is definitely in order. Getting that designed and made fit right into a watercolor class that I presented last week. For that class, we used Stampin’ Up!’s Watercolor Pencils. These are one of the hidden gems in the Stampin’ Up! catalog. I’ve taken art lessons on and off for the last 20 years or so, and watercolor is the medium in which I work most of the time these days. So taking a wet brush in hand is just a delight, especially when I can use Stampin’ Up! products.
There are quite a few Stampin’ Up! products in this card, some old and some brand new. You’ll probably recognize the "old" stamp sets, Flower Fancy and Sincere Salutations. It seems to be that I’ve been using these sets since I became a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator. And I never time of them. They’re comfortable old standby stamp sets that I can turn to for every need.
What I didn’t expect was how well they coordinated with one of Stampin’ Up!’s newest product lines, felt embellishments. You may remember the Felt Flurries of Christmas 2008. The newest felt line, Sweet Pea Stitched Felt, has so much more to offer!. I have to tell you that I couldn’t quite get myself to but any when we available to preorder from the 2010 Occasions Mini Catalog. But Stampin’ Up! gave me these free when I received my My Digital Studio certification. Can’t have something lying around and not using it, can I?!
When I get myself back to where I’m comfortable staying in one position for any length of time, I’ll prepare some kind of a tutorial on the use of the watercolor pencils. For now, I think I’ll take a break and go walk around a bit.
Yes, This IS Stampin’ Up!
Aloha, all!
What fun my neighbor, Deme, and I had this week! Well, I had the fun, Deme did the work.
You see, there was this bag that I’d seen made using the Stampin’ Up! Exclusive Sizzix Die, Scallop Square. And I was just dying to make one. Only problem is that, since I’ve moved to Hawaii, I no longer have a sewing machine. We moved here with very little in the way of possessions. That’s a long story, but a good one. We did the ultimate in downsizing! A story for another day for sure.
But here I was with the Stampin’ Up! die and people all over the internet showing off these wonderful bags/purses made using the Scallop Square Die to make the squares for the projects. And I had the die and I even had the fabric (courtesy of a long ago birthday gift from my friend, Janet, who’s in Maryland). AND my neighbor, Deme, had the sewing machine. We did a little bit of bargaining, and, in a win-win situation, I ended up with the bag to show off!.
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Is this not the cat’s meow???!!! Beautiful watercolor greens and blues and a bit of retired Stampin’ Up! Ribbon and a button from Deme’s collection. I am definitely showing this off all over the place!
So–are you the quilter or seamstress??? If so, I have got to tell you that the Stampin’ Up! Sizzix dies are to (well) die for! They cut fabric superbly and in large multiples! Think 8 squares cut with the turn of a handle! This bag took 36 squares (for the inside as well as the outside) so that was just 5 turns of that Sizzix Big Shot handle! A bit of cotton batting, some ribbon, some thread, a sewing machine (I still do not have one, but I’m thinking it’s not that far away) and, Voila! You’ve got yourself the perfect accessory for any outfit in your closet!
Oh, and there’s more! I’ve got another die that makes just the cutest project (check it out later this week)! Sigh. Wish I hadn’t committed to that Watercolor class this week. Um, no, I don’t; I’m having a lot of fun with that, too.
Oh, with Stampin’ Up! there’s just too much fun to have with too much stuff in too little time!
Congratulations, Karen!
Aloha, all!
I know my manners aren’t very correct in a Victorian sense. But I had to make a quick card for a member of one of my clubs who was married on Christmas Day. The good news was that no one batted an eyelash when they saw the greeting on this card (you’re not supposed to "congratulate" a bride!). So I guess I’m off the hook from being embarrassed by my lack of etiquette! Nonetheless, I am happy that this card turned out so beautifully.
And I’m thrilled that Karen is so happy! She’s always so upbeat, and to see her even more upbeat at this month’s club meeting was just a delight! So – Congratulations on being so happy! And Best Wishes for your future and continued happiness!
For this card, I used Brushed Gold Card Stock for the background and to mat the top Whisper White layer (embossed with one of the designs from the Stampin’ Up! Backgrounds I Sizzix Texturz Plates) and the greeting layer. For the larger white layer, I used one of the papers from the Bride Specialty Paper, which I punched with the new Scallop Trim Border Punch (which you can get FOR FREE in this season’s Sale-A-Bration catalog!)
I used Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder to emboss the Congratulations Stamp from the new set, Well Scripted, which can be found in the 2010 Occasions Mini Catalog (click to the right to see a copy of the catalog). I tied everything up with some of the luscious Whisper White 5/8" Satin Ribbon.
I think this looks VERY bridal!
Just a Bit More!
Aloha, all!
Yesterday we looked at two different versions of the same basic card. Today we’ll look at the final card I decided to make with this design. The operative word with this card is "texture."
Aha, you thought I’d say "bling"! But bling is texture. And so is texture made by using some of the Sizzix Texturz Plates offered by Stampin’ Up!
This is the same basic design as yesterday’s card. But here’s the Texture!
- I added Heat and Stick Powder and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to both images stamped to be used with the Heart to Heart Punch.
- I texturized both pieces of the Real Red Card Stock with one of the Sizzix Texturz Plates from the set, Stampin’ Up! Backgrounds I.
- I added three red brads from the Circle Fire Rhinestone Brads set, two on either side of the greeting from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set, and one on the Pretty in Pink stamped image from I {Heart} Hearts.
- Finally, instead of the 1/4" Pretty in Pink Grosgrain Ribbon with the knot, I added the Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon and tied it in a bow.
These three cards have the same basic design. But the last one has a lot more that’s special about it!
Yes, I made a bunch of the other two cards. But I made only one of this card. And it’s going to be sent out to a very special person–YOU!!! All you have to do is be the first person who e-mails me a request for this card, and it’s going to be YOURS!!!
Kick it Up a Notch!
Aloha, all!
Yesterday was a "stamp-a-stack" session in Robin’s Craft Room. The whole premise behind "stamp-a-stack" is that you can get a lot of cards done in a short time period. The idea is to have cards for the special holiday and not have to stress over them! So last week and this week, we completed a stack of Valentine’s Day cards done so we’d have a bunch to send out. We got ten done last week, and ten more done this week.
Now, that’s not 10 different cards. But I did have 2 different cards for the group to make, with each person making 5 of each. So the boredom level stayed reasonable. Actually, last week, Lucy managed to get creative with the small number of elements I had cut and ready for her, and she had quite a few different designs. See, creativity abounds even when you’re trying to keep things on simple! That’s what Stampin’ Up!’s all about, after all–being creative!
This week I decided to go ahead with the two set designs, but to give each person a bit more material just in case they had time be be creative – and wanted to be creative. This first card is a fun, although fairly simple, card. I promised that this week I’d use punches. This card uses three of them: The Full Heart Punch, the Heart to Heart Punch, and the Modern Label Punch. We used the Full Heart Punch to make a window in the Real Red Card stock that was adhered with Stampin’ Dimensionals and "looked" through to the glittery paper from the Sending Love Designer Series Paper. We used the Heart to Heart punch to punch images we had stamped using Real Red Classic Ink with one of the stamps from the set, Love You Much. Those are the hearts on the right edge of the Full Heart Punched window. Finally, we used the Modern Label PUnch at the bottom as a window through to some Very Vanilla card stock stamped with a greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes.
Top it off with some 1/4" Pretty In Pink grosgrain ribbon, attach it to a Pretty In Pink greeting card, and you have a Valentine’s Card. And it’s quick!
But then I was thinking that maybe the ladies would like a bit more. So I included some extra Very Vanilla Card stock and had the new Clear Mount Rubber Stamp Set, I {Heart} Hearts, available if they wanted to use it. With this, some of us stamped an image with some Pretty in Pink Classic Ink, and punched it out with the Heart to Heart punch. So there are some extra hearts to kick the card up a notch and balance everything out a bit. Nice!
Tomorrow, I’m going to add even some more to this card to make the card that I’m going to send out to a very special person! It might even be YOU!!
What I Like About Stampin’ Up!’s Clear Mount Rubber Stamps
Aloha, all!
In a couple of discussions over the last few days, I’ve found myself repeating my reasons for being crazy about the new Clear Mount Rubber Stamps. So herewith my list! If you have anything to add, just let me know!
- I can see what I’m doing through the acrylic blocks
- I can see the label image through the acrylic blocks
- The stamps themselves aren’t acrylic – they’re the same wonderful Stampin’ Up! rubber!
- I can put several stamps on one block to stamp a grouped image
- The Stampin’ Up! acrylic blocks have a wonderful groove around all four sides which make handling them super easy
- The stamp cases are so thin!
- When the stamp cases are lined up on the shelf, not only can I see the name of the stamp set, I can see copies of the images on the spine. No more having to pull each set out to see what’s in it!
- Even the smallest of stamps stay put in place inside the stamp case. So I can see right away which stamp I want to pick up.
- It’s so much easier making sure that I have the label on right side up (you don’t even want to know how many labels I’ve had to rip off wood blocks because I got them on backwards!)
- Did I mention that I can see what I’m doing through those acrylic blocks?
If you’re in my area of Hawaii’s Big Island, come on over and I’ll show you how wonderful they are. If you’re not, you can watch my video on how to set them up!
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