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Posts Tagged ‘Rhinestone Brads’
Scrapping a Get Well Message
Aloha, all!
Last week I posted a scrap page featuring our lovely black cat, Cholla. I had it lying out on a table, and our house sitter noticed it and asked why I hadn't done something about our dog, Hoku. With all that's going on in our lives right now, creating a scrap page featuring the dog just wasn't anywhere on my priority list.
First, a brief aside about what's going on (and why I have a house sitter). My husband, Harry, has become very ill, and is a hospital on the island of O'ahu. We don't live on O'ahu, and that's made life somewhat difficult. Right now I'm back on our island – the Big Island of Hawaii – and crafting just wasn't in the picture when I returned home a few days ago. I had to get some business taken care of and pack for both me and my husband for a prolonged stay away from home.
As I spent some time talking with Harry on the phone the first few days I was back, it became apparent that he really missed his daily walks in his garden. And he'd asked me to pet the dog and scritch the cat for him a couple of times. I first thought that I'd go around the yard and take some pictures so he could see what was growing at the moment and maybe take some pictures of the pets. Pictures. Aha! Pictures go in a scrapbook, don't they?! And so I decided that I'd make him a scrapbook to have with him while he's awaiting surgery, which may not happen until next week.
This has given me the opportunity to use my craft room which I so thoroughly cleaned out last week (no, I didn't know I'd be gone for so long!) AND to focus on scrapbooking during National Scrapbooking month. The scrapbook was of the quick 6 x 6 kind, but I had fun as I did each 2-page spread thinking about the techniques I was using, and how I could share them with you. So, over the next few weeks, I'll be doing just that – sharing my scrapbook pages with you, of course with my thoughts about quick and easy techniques. The bottom line in all of this is that you should approach a scrapbooking project with the idea of having fun doing it. I've seen too many people struggle and freeze up when faced with a pile of photographs and a room full of paper and embellishments. That's OK if you're entering a contest. But, if you're like me and most scrapbookers, you just want to have a memory book that's fun to look at as time goes on. It's just not scary!
OK – so here's the first page to show off (though not the first page in the book). Of course, Harry misses his pets, and I did, indeed, have to make a page featuring Hoku the Dog, to go along with Cholla's page. The stamp set that I used for this page is D Is For Dog. Did you think I had C Is For Cat and not the dog's stamp set, too? Not hardly if I wanted to keep peace among the pets. Here's another copy of Cholla's page so you can see how these two pages go well together as a 2-page spread.
I had already made Cholla's page with the Melon Mambo, and somehow the pink wasn't going to work for Hoku the Dog. He's just not a pink person. But, even with the Soft Suede (an In Color that's going to be continuing as a standard color in the next Stampin' Up! Catalog!), I could tie the two pages together with lots of different techniques.
- I scored the card stock in the same pattern to texturize it.
- I stamped and cut out the bones from the D is for Dog set to match the fish from the C is for Cat set.
- I used Crushed Curry (sniff, going away) as the photo mats
- I used a square rhinestone brad for the dog's collar to go with the round one I used for the cat's
- I used 1/2" Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon on both pages.
The pictures are not the same size and the colors are not the same. But the two pages work just fine together!
I'm not sure how often I'll be able to post while I'm away from home. But the photos are all ready to show off. I just need to find some time for myself to write them up!
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers, and I hope to be back in my craft room before long.
Subscribe to the comments for this postIt’s April Already!!
Aloha, all!
Oh, my! I can't believe that March slipped away from me as fast as it did! I also can't believe that this week has flown by so quickly. Our son and his family are here for Spring Break, and we have been going a mile a minute. Today I was supposed to have some time for some scrapbooking with the boys (ages 7 and 9), but it looks like there will be outings again today. Then they leave (sniff!).
But just before they arrived here, I had a chance to play around in the craft room. I was supposed to be cleaning up – and actually I was! Part of that was putting my stash of Designer Series Paper away. I had four or five DSP packs out, and I couldn't find anything until I got all that 12" x 12" paper put away. While I was in the process of collecting and organizing, I also had to make a design for a "Chat and Challenge" I was hosting for one of my demo groups (SUDSOL.org). The light bulb went off and I started snipping strips of DSP to put into a quick design. This first card is made with strips of papers from the Designer Series Paper Set, Cottage Wall. I added a double bow of Whisper White and Old Olive 5/8" Satin Ribbon and "tied" it all up with a greeting from the very versatile stamp set, Teeny Tiny Wishes.
The next card I made with Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper. I also punched a Scallop Circle and some smaller circles out of the paper to make the faux flower in the upper left corner. I scrunched the paper up into tiny balls, reflattened them out, layered them up and put them together with a Rhinestone Brad in the center. For this card, I moved the strips off to the left side a bit and added some more rhinestone brads (I had to put the brads away, too, so why not use them in the process!?
Here's a sketch you can use to make a card out of Designer Series Papers that you might have lying around! I cut the strips in the following widths, from left to right: 3/4" – 3/4" – 1" – 3/4" – 1/2" – 1/2" – 3/4". I like the variety of widths scatter among all of them for the visual interest. The Cottage Wall card uses these measurements. I varied it a bit for the Razzleberry Lemonade card. Once you have your strips cut and arranged as you want them, use a small bit of transparent tape to anchor them together. Then measure your final arrangement and make a layer 1/8" to 1/2" larger in both height and width to mat it. The Cottage Wall card has a 1/2" larger mat, and the Razzleberry Lemonade has a 1/4" mat.
Discovering An Old Stamp Set
Aloha, all!
Sometimes I’m so intent on using the latest "thing" in stamping, that I forget all those stamp sets that I have that, while still current, have been around for quite awhile. Today I rediscovered one of these sets, and ended up making two cards for two entirely different purposes from it.
Today’s card was one commissioned by a friend who needed a quick, pretty, but large card as a get well card for a friend who had been taken seriously ill. She wanted lots of people to be able to sign it; but it wasn’t to be TOO big. So I settled on a 5" x 8" card, for which I have some envelopes in stock in the craft room.
The stamp set – the "old friend" of a stamp set – is Fun and Fast Notes. There are 8 different designs, and each has a greeting with it. I knew right from the start that I wouldn’t necessarily be using the greeting that came with each image with that particular image. So, when I mounted the stamps, I cut the greeting away from the image, and mounted the greeting on the SIDE of the same block on which I mounted the image. This way I could at least find the greeting if I needed it!
In the case of today’s card, the greeting that went with the image is actually the one that I used. But I used the greeting in a different spot, so the separation of the two worked out well in this case, too.
The background paper for the card is from the Designer Series Paper set, Cottage Wall, and includes Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence, Old Olive, and Whisper White. I colored in the teacup with the bouquet with the Razzleberry, Olive and Orchid colors. I made the two butterflies by first running the Orchid Opulence card stock through the Sizzix Big Shot with one of the Stampin’ Up! Backgrounds I texturz plates, and then with the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die. I decorated each with a few Ice Circle Rhinestone Brads (as I also did with the flowers in the Teacup). I added a bit of interest by using the Scallop Edge Punch on the Old Olive card stock behind the Whisper White layer, and I finally added a bow made with Whisper White Organza Ribbon.
I think this is a lovely card, if I say so myself (or, in today’s language, IMHO!)
While the stamp set was out, I was reminded of a sketch challenge that was currently being run on the SUDSOL website (a site for Stampin’ Up! demonstrators). I’ll share that card with you tomorrow!
Have fun stamping!
How Many Products in that Card?
Aloha, all!
Here I am back with my Big, Bold, Beautiful Bouquet and a recap of all the Stampin’ Up! products that went into it. As I told you a few days ago, I found far more than the 10 I promised!
- Stampin’ Up! Cherry Blossom Embosslit (blue flower on the right)
- Pacific Point Patterns Paper (blue flower on the right)
- 5/16" Neutrals Assortment Jumbo Brad (blue flower on the right)
- Stampin’ Up! Simple Flower Embosslit (red flower)
- Riding Hood Red Patterns Paper (red flower)
- 5/8" Neutrals Assortment Jumbo Brad (red flower)
- Flower Embosslit (blue flower on the left)
- Summer Sun Corduroy Button Brad (blue flower on the left)
- Stampin’ Up! Flower Burst Embosslit (yellow flower)
- Clear Rhinestore Brad (yellow flower)
- Circle Ice Rhinestone Brad (yellow flower)
- Circle Fire Rhinestone Brad (yellow flower)
- Summer Sun Card Stock (yellow flower)
- Sincere Salutations Stamp Set ("Thanks so much")
- Dream a Little Level 3 Hostess Stamp Set (flowers and leaves in background)
- Whisper White Card stock (main card front)
- Pacific Point Classic Ink Pad
- Garden Green Classic Ink Pad
- Riding Hood Red Classic Ink Pad
Hey, I’ve had fun with this card. And now I’m going to take a rest until next Monday when we have a big Stampin’ Up! Day! That’s the day that the Retired Stamp Set List comes out. I’ll be pouring over the list first thing and will get it out to you as soon as I can. I hope my favorite sets aren’t on the list!!!
And, if you want to order something now before the list comes out, there’s nothing and no one stopping you but yourself! Just call (808.854.6145) or e-mail me with any questions or with your order. Or order online any time you wish!
A Bit on the Fancy Side
Aloha, all!
Today I continue my effort to get my Christmas cards all done by the end of the week. However, I got a bit sidetracked by a friend’s request to make a card for her to give with a "Welcome Home" gift. Of course, it had to be made today! But I’m all about customer service, so today it was.
This also gave me the opportunity to use the beautiful stamp set, Snow Swirled (111690), which I’ve been wanting to use with some embossing since the day it arrived on my doorstep. This card is made with two different embossing powders. The tree is embossed using VersaMark ink (102283) and Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder (109029). The snowflakes in the background, both design also from the Snow Swirled set, are embossed using VersaMark and Clear Stampin’ Emboss Powder (109130). So I got to fire up the Heat Tool (100005) twice! I just love it when that embossing starts to show up on the card stock!
I finished off the top of the tree with a Rhinestone Brad from the Circle Fire collection (109110). The card stock that I used for this card is Riding Hood Red and Handsome Hunter (Hmmm. Seems like I used that fairy tale combination before!) Finally, I added a bit of Brushed Gold card stock behind the Riding Hood Red.
It’s still not too late to order supplies before Christmas and before the FREE SHIPPING offer expires! Just hop online and your supplies will be on YOUR doorstep before you know it!
A Trip to the Other Side (of the Snowflake!)
Aloha, from Robin’s Craft Room, where it’s just a gorgeous day in Hawai’i! No snowflakes here!
Well, that’s actually not true. There’s a snowflake right here in this blog post as there was in yesterday’s post. Today I’m showing off the other side of the snowflake ornament on which I started working yesterday.
And, yes, there are Little Felt Flurries (113697) on this side, too! The green print is on the other side of the blue Designer Series Paper that I showed yesterday.
I hope that you’ve noticed with all my postings about the Little Felt Flurries snowflakes, that there are tons of different designs! There are 23, in fact, with a great mix of 3 sizes and 3 colors in the package of 69 pieces. It’s almost as if there are no two alike, just like in real snowflake land!
To finish off the accents on this side, I added a Rhinestone Brad, but this time from the Circle Fire Collection (109110). I’ll bet by the time I’m finished with this year’s Christmas ornaments, I’ll have run out of the Rhinestone Brads! I’m not so sure about the felt snowflakes, though. The pile doesn’t seem to be diminishing at all!
My next project with felt won’t be with the Little Felt Flurries, though. Today I brought home a nice pile of felt from our local craft store, and I’m going to try out my Sizzix Snowflake die to make REALLY BIG felt flurries of my own!
Stay Tuned!!
Time for Christmas Ornaments!
Aloha, all! The computer in Robin’s Craft Room is back up and running! Hooray!! But having no access to a computer for a few days gave me more time to play with all my fun Stampin’ Up! Christmas "stuff." I’m still playing with the materials from the Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin’ Kit (114447 if you’d like to order it online). And my favorites continue to be the ornaments. Would you also be surprised that I added some Little Felt Flurries (113697) to my ornaments? Not if you’ve been reading my blog the last week or so!
I started with one of the chipboard snowflakes from the Country Living collection. Each of the chipboard pieces is die cut and comes with two pieces of die cut Designer Series Paper to match. The DSP pieces are double sided, so you can choose which color you’d like to use. With my ornament, I chose to use one color on one side of the snowflake and the second color on the other side.
In a few days, I hope to have a video showing how I attached the DSP to the chipboard. Meanwhile, let me just say that I really like using the Anywhere Glue Stick (104045), especially with detailed chipboard elements such as the snowflakes, because I can slide the DSP around a bit until I get it just where I want it.
To embellish this side of the ornament, I added a circle chipboard element (also from the Country Living set) and covered it with a contrasting piece of DSP. On top of that I layered two Little Felt Flurries, and added a Rhinestone Brad from the Circle Ice set (109111). Finally, I used the Crop-a-dile (108632) to punch a hole in the finished chipboard snowflake and attached some Silver Elastic Cord (109866) for hanging.
Tomorrow I’ll show off the other side (different colors, and I’ll leave you guessing as to whether I added some of the Little Felt Flurries!). Meanwhile, as always, you can shop Stampin’ Up! 24/7–or call (808.854.6145) or e-mail me if you have any questions or if you’d like me to place an order for you! It’s getting late in the season–got to get those ornaments started now!!
Country Living and Stampin’ Up!
Country Living is one of my favorite magazines, and I’m thrilled that they will be featuring Stampin’ Up! products once again in their 2008 Holiday Issue! As part of this Holiday 2008 partnership with Country Living, Stampin’ Up! is featuring a "Holiday Collection Stampin’ Kit" with everything you’ll need to recreate the decorations featured in the magazine. The item number, should you wish to order online, is 114447.
One part of the kit is a set of die-cut chipboard ornaments, with die-cut Designer Series Papers to match. I am already having fun putting some of the ornaments together, featuring the two cutest granddaughters in the entire world (I’m not biased or anything). For a little bling, I added Little Felt Flurries from the Holiday Mini-Catalog (113697) and the centers from two Rhinestone Brads (109110 for "Fire" and 109111 for "Ice").
Think these will be my favorite ornaments this year??? Well, maybe there will be FOUR ornaments that will be my favorites because Grandma loves her grandsons, too!!
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