RobinsCraftRoom.com

Garage Sale Finds

Aloha, all!

     I mentioned that last week I participated in a fund-raiser garage sale for my Family & Community Education (FCE) group.  I knew that, as soon as that was over, I'd have time to get back into my craft room.  And I could tell I was focusing on that as I kept seeing things for sale that gave me crafting ideas.  Take this little floral frame, for example.

     Of course those little ceramic roses on the frame reminded me of the Stampin' Up! Rosettes and Vintage Flower Adornments that are in the 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog.  And I do have a bunch (pun intended) of them still hanging around as we get close to the end of the catalog sales period.  While I hope that you might consider buying some, as a demonstrator I'll have to clear out my stash to make room for new products from the 2011 Summer Mini Catalog.

     Once I got home and started going through my supplies, I found that I had used up a lot of what I had purchased on various personal and class projects.  But I still had enough of a variety to create today's card.

     To make the frame, I cut an oval out of a Medium Window Sheet with the Sizzix Ovals Die, added some sticky strip all around the edges, and then placed the flowers on the sticky strip. Once I had my frame made, I had to decide what to put in it.  I started going through some family photos, but resizing and editing one of those was going to take some time, and I was anxious to see what the finished card would look like.  Then I remembered yet another Occasions Mini Catalog product, the Easter Blossoms Stamp Set.  And of course once that little girl's silhouette was in the frame, my creative brain jumped to the sheets of the Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper that I still have left! 

     To decorate a bit more, I added some leaves punched with the Two-Step Bird Punch, layered up some Baja Breeze, Pear Pizzazz and Always Artichoke Card Stock, texturized the Baja Breeze Layer with the Sizzix Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, added some Scallop Punched accents, and I was done!  Oh, and the greeting: The "Happy Easter" greeting is from the Stamp Set, Teeny Tiny Wishes. 

     The best part of making this card came while I was out on my lanai (porch) taking the photographs and my husband came out and said, "Wow, what a great card!" 

     So I'm having a happy day!  I hope you're able to get some crafting done and that someone close to you compliments your work, too!  And don't forget that you've got limited time to buy all these beautiful products from the 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog.  If you'd like me to help you out with some ideas, just give me a call (808.965.1391) or send me an e-mail!

     And here's the sketch for today's card.  For the Designer Series Paper layer, I just used a 5-1/4" wide x 2-1/2" h piece of Designer Series Paper and overlaid two 3/4" strips of card stock punched with the Scallop Edge Punch.  I offset the whole set of decorative layers up a bit to leave room for the greeting at the bottom.

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Easter Blossoms Once Again!

Aloha, all!

     Yesterday I shared a card made with the Stamp Set, Easter Blossoms.  It was a square card with square punched elements in each of the four corners of the card.  Today's card uses the same stamp set, designer series paper set (Springtime Vintage), and basic layout.  But it's a standard sized card that fits into an A2 size envelope. 

     While yesterday's card featured the Stampin' Up! Color Rose Red, today's card features another color in the Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper Set – Baja Breeze.  It's also convenient (and undoubtedly planned as they're all in the same mini catalog) that there is also a Baja Breeze Rose in the Vintage Flower Adornments.

     I also introduced another stamp set into the mix today – the grass from the Stamp Set, Inspired by Nature.  I could have used a bit more grass to hide these Easter Eggs, and you'll see in the second card below that I did just that the second time around.  To stamp the grass (which is a very large stamp!), you might want to use a Stamp-a-ma-jig to place the blades where you want them over your eggs.  After I stamped all the images on the front, I texturized that layer using the Sizzix Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder.

     There is a technique in this card that I've not shown off in a long while – Masking.  Of the three Easter Eggs shown, one is in the front and there is no ink from the two other eggs showing on it.  Here are the steps for doing that:

1. Stamp the image you want to be in the front on your card.
2. Stamp the image on a separate sheet of paper, cut it out, and place it over the stamped image on your card.
3. Stamp the other images overlapping the cut piece of paper.
4. Remove the piece of paper!

     I like to use the top part of a sticky note (such as a 3M Post-It Note) as my "separate sheet of paper" as it stays in place while I'm doing the overstamping.

     Here is the second card I made using the same layout.  To begin, it should be obvious that I used the wrong measurements for my central motif (the one with the stamped images and its mat).  But this still is a very nice card.  I mention this only to show that you don't have to be incredibly particular about your measurements – don't throw away a piece of card stock just because it's off 1/8" of an inch!  If it's really important for the current project to have an exact measurement (for example with a 3-D project that won't stay together if there's a wrong measurement) put it away for use in another project!

     The second card has a bit more of the grass covering the eggs than the first, and I've used the Vanilla Rosettes from the Stampin' Up! 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog instead of the Vintage Flower Adornments.  It's definitely mailable using a standard A2 envelope, though you might still consider adding the extra 20¢ postage because of the thickness the flowers create.

     Here is today's sketch.  I hope you're starting your own Easter or Springtime cards and projects by now.  Hopefully it won't be too long and snow will give way to some simple April Showers for those May Flowers!  Have fun whatever you're doing this week!

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If it’s April is it Easter Yet?

Aloha,all!

     Very few people have been impressed with my research about how late Easter is this year (see my last post) and some have suggested that I stick to stamping (none of you, though; those people would be in my family!).  So stick to stamping I shall!

     I almost didn't post this card today because I'd promised cutesy later in the month.  But even this little bunny, from the Stamp Set, Forest Friends, while cute still has a bit of "pretty" in her.  Oh, yes, my Easter Bunnies are all ladies!  I just try to imagine any of the men in my life "hopping down the bunny trail" and my brain shouts, "No!"

     So here is my little lady and a greeting from the Stamp Set, All Holidays, stamped in Perfect Plum, layered with some Old Olive and some more perfect plum.  I adhered this group to a layer of Blushing Bride prints from the Designer Series Paper Stack that is a hostess gift this year.  I haven't used this nearly enough, and I'm leaving the pack out on my work table to see if I can't start pulling some papers out of it to show you how lovely it is.  The card front is also layered on Perfect Plum, with a card base of Old Olive.

     I've also not been using my 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon enough, either.  My ribbons are always out on my work table, so I'm not sure what the excuse is for that.  Maybe their size just intimidates me?  The Old Olive Striped Ribbon I've used here certainly doesn't overwhelm this card, though my initial thought was that it would.  To "tie" the bow, I used Mary Brown's bow instructions, with one of the Whisper White 5/8" Jumbo Designer Brads to hold it together.  I tried a couple of different ways to decorate that brad, but ended up simply stamping the butterfly image from the Stamp Set, Itty Bitty Bits and punched it out using one of the punches from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack.  I then adhered it to the brad using a Mini Glue Dot.

     This feels like a nice and airy card that I'll be happy to send off as an Easter Greeting this year!  It felt good to make it, too, which means I'm probably recovering from whatever bug has been keeping me down a bit this week.  Nothing serious, just a few aches and pains and wanting to sleep all the time.  It's a good thing as my monthly paper crafting class is tomorrow and I've got to get ready! 

     I hope you're ready for a relaxing weekend and will have some fun stamping – maybe even getting some of those Easter cards made!

     Here's the sketch for today's card.

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Isn’t It Easter Yet?

Aloha, all!

     These years when Easter is really, really late really, really throw me off!  This year Easter is so late that I'll be making Easter Cards and Mother's Day Cards at the same tim!.  Somehow that doesn't seem right.  It would be kind of like having Thanksgiving just two weeks before Christmas.  Well, maybe not that extreme.  But still. 

     Just to put my mind at ease that it will be awhile before Easter is this late again, I did a bit of research.  Did you know – that the last time Easter was on April 24th was in 1859?  The latest that Easter can be in our calendar is April 25th, and the last time that happened was in 1943, with the next time sneaking up on us in 2038.  Hmmm, wonder if I'll still be around then?  I definitely won't be seeing another April 24th Easter in my life time – that doesn't happen again until 2095!

     Whenever Easter happens, though, it's bound to be an occasion for cards that are either very pretty or very cute.  This week and next I'll share a couple of the "pretty" variety.  I'll try out "cute" a bit later (and I have plenty of time! – Oh, have I beaten that one to death yet?). 

     All of the products that I used to decorate this card can be found in Stampin' Up!'s 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog. My current favorite is the Easter Blossoms Stamp Set, which has that lovely blossom spray.  I stamped it with Always Artichoke Classic Ink and then colored it in with some Blushing Bride Stampin' Write Marker.  The darker pink color throughout this card, including the ribbon, card stock, stamped greeting and brads, is Rose Red.  But the blossoms seemed to need a lighter color to make them seem more delicate.  Both sheets of printed paper are from the Designer Series Paper Set, Springtime Vintage, and the background card stock is Always Artichoke.  As I frequently do with my cards, I tied it all together with a bit of ribbon, in this case some of Stampin' Up!'s Seam Binding.

     Now that you have a bit of information about our late Easter this year, I hope you take advantage of the extra time to make some extra Easter or Springtime cards!  If you'd like to start off with this card, here's the layout, complete with measurements.  Whatever you do, have fun with it!

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It’s Easter Season – Part III: Back to Basics

Aloha, all!

When I joined Stampin’ Up! as a demonstrator, one of the sets that I was encouraged to feature is the one called, "Loads of Love."  OK–I could relate to that, as I’d recently lived in rural New Mexico where pickup trucks were the norm.  And I’d recently moved to rural Hawaii, where pickups are the norm.  So why not?  BUT I would rather have not, as I’ve never owned a pickup.  Nonetheless, this set, as well as "Loads of Love Accessories," has really grown on me.  For one thing, I love to do watercolors, and this set is definitely a watercolor fill-in type of set.

I’m not sure how much longer this set has as far as its Stampin’ Up! life.  But it’s definitely in the current catalog, and it definitely has an Easter accessory.  So here that pickup truck is again!!

This time I used Classic Stampin’ Pads and an aquapainter to color in the truck and accessories on Stampin’ Up! watercolor paper.  As always, I started with light colors and moved up to dark.  For the hubcaps of the tires, I used the new 3/16" Jumbo Brads, in the silver color.  And, of course, the driver is a read head, as am I! 

Big excitement is that I’m going to demo this very card at a workshop at the end of the month!  If you have any suggestions for how I could change the card to make it a bit more exciting, feel free to chime in!

Robin

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It’s Easter Seasion – Part II

Aloha, all!

Once I got started on Easter cards with the swap that I showed off here on Monday, I just couldn’t stop.  I had to go find out what else I had in the way of Easter stamps that I could use for greeting cards.

Sock Monkey to the rescue!!  OF COURSE SOCK MONKEY would show up!  I  had decided at the beginning of the Stampin’ Up! year in August 2008 that I would send a Sock Monkey to my grandchildren through this year.  Easter is no exception.  That Sock Monkey Accessories stamp set has just the CUTEST BUNNY EARS!

But this all started up at the same time that I finally received my very own personal set of the Circle Scissors Plus and Glass Mat.  OK, how do I do the Sock Monkey and the Circle Scissors Plus fit together?  Well, by putting that Monkey in a Circle, of course!!  What I did here was cut the stamped image out with the Circle Scissors.  Then I cut a small strip of a circle with which to outline the image, and then I mounted all on one of the Stampin’ Up! Carousel Notes.  He’s finished off with some of the Designer Series Paper from "Walk In the Park" which will be features in the Occasions Mini Catalog which will debut on April 1, 2009.

Do those circles make everything pop or what!?  Want a demonstration?  Just call (808.854.6145) or e-mail me (robin@robinscraftroom.com) and we’ll get something set up right away!!

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It’s Easter Season–Part I

Aloha, all!

My first taste of Easter Season was in a recent swap in which I participated.  The swap was run by an online group called SUDSOL (are you a Stampin’ Up! Demo?  This is the group for you–just click on the button bottom right).  This was a real swap with real paper and ink and glue, not just a photo on a website!  I got it sent off to the swap coordinator this afternoon, and I should have my swaps back from the group by the end of next week, and I hope to be able to share a couple of them with you.

For now, here is the card that I made for the swap.  The theme of the swap was the new Occasions Mini Catalog, from which you can already order the Easter-related stamps.  And this card shows off one of those stamps:  the "Egg Hunt" wheel!  Also featured in this card are two products that you’ll be able to order beginning April 1st:  The new Designer Series Paper called, "Walk in the Park," and the new AWESOME punch, Oval Scallop.  This should complete the set of scallop punches that Stampin’ Up! has planned for the year (I don’t know that for a fact, but I’m having a hard time coming up with other shapes that might be features besides the square, round and oval–rectangle?  triangle?  trapezoid?  Hmmm.  None of those seem to me to fit with what’s happening right now in the way of stamping and punching.  But one never knows!)

The colors in this card are Cameo Coral, Apricot Appeal and Certainly Celery,  I just love Apricot Appeal because there are ribbons and brads that go with it, and it satisfies my personal "need" for something yellow-ish to add to my projects.  Yes, you can still earn that wonderful roll of So Saffron Ribbon from Sale-A-Bration.  But it will disappear from the catalogs once Sale-A-Bration is over at the end of March (want more information?  Just contact me and I’l help!)

Of course, once I got going on one Easter card, I had to go into my stash of stamps and try some others.  Later in the week I’ll be going back to some oldies-but-goodies and getting you some more Easter cards to copy!

Oh, and I used the Sizzix Texturz plates, Stampin’ Up! Backgrounds I to texturinze the So Saffron Card stock and the DSP.  Can’t leave that out!!

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