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Posts Tagged ‘Rich Razzleberry’
It’s Diva Time Again!
Aloha, all!
I am so enjoying being on the Diva's Coffee Break Design Team! I have found myself making cards that are SO different from what I might usually make. For one thing, I really do have to make a card look like I paid attention to the sketch. In some challenges, I take a lot of liberty with the sketches because I feel that they're really there to stimulate my design thought process. I hope that you'll feel this same way when YOU make your own card for the Diva's Weekly Challenge (yes, that's what I'd like you to do – make a card that's inspired by the challenge and post a link to it on the Diva's web site!)
This week's challenge was a sketch. I have to tell you that this was a sketch I really had a tough time getting my brain around. I didn't just want to cut rectangles of paper and plop them on a card. But what to do? I thought you might be interested in the steps that this card took.
- I decided that I wanted to use some of the Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack because I could use it in at least two of the layers without the card getting too "busy."
- I decided on the colors: Daffodil Delight and Rich Razzleberry.
- I wanted to use a new stamp set that I hadn't used before. I found the Friends Never Fade stamp set in its original package. OK, had to stop to get the stamps all set up and ready for stamping.
- I envisioned stamping the stamp that you see in my sample on the top horizontal piece, which I decided would be one of the pieces of the Daffodil Delight patterns papers. Problems: (1) the stamp doesn't stamp well on that kind of printed paper; and (2) to make that stamp fit would have meant making that horizontal layer a lot bigger than I wanted it. It was at this point that I turned the design 90 degrees. Problem (2) solved, but there was still the matter of what to stamp on. OK, Whisper White it was.
- But the white flower really wasn't the effect that I wanted. So I went digging through my waste basket and dug out one of the images I'd stamped on the Daffodil paper. I cut out the flower and adhered it to the image stamped on the Whisper White. Nice!
- When I started laying out the sections of the card, I realized that no matter how I laid them out, I was going to have some Razzleberry layered on Razzleberry. I didn't like the look. Needing another color, I found the Pear Pizzazz out on my work table from another project (you might recognize it from Monday's project?)
- Now we're cooking! Got everything laid out, and it was STILL too plain. Aha! What about some scalloped edging. Now, there are only a few greeting card sized measurements that work well to use both the Scallop Trim Corner Punch and the Scallop Trim Edge Punch. Unfortunately, none of my current layout elements were that size. So I resized the Daffodil layer and punched it – one layer done!
- I laid everything out again and figured out how I was going to layer up the Pear Pizzazz and Daffodil for the central motif. But now those three pieces of Razzleberry card stock in the background looked so, well, plain. That's when I realized that the 5/8" strips were the same width as 5/8" Rich Razzleberry Satin Ribbon.
- Now I was on a roll and found some Razzleberry brads to finish it off and DONE!!!
Something else that I did as I was going along was to cut out the Razzleberry Designer Paper that's in the background so that it was symmetrical both vertically and horizontally. I really think that taking the time to do something like that really adds some "class" to a project. Especially when you're making a special card, it's well worth the effort and just the teensy bit of possibly wasted paper.
Have fun stamping – and don't be afraid to be creative!
Subscribe to the comments for this postLearning the “Vintage” Look
Aloha, all!
As you can probably tell, I tend towards the kinds of designs that have clean lines and some symmetry. I like to have neat edges and have papers and ribbons and such lying nice and flat on the card or scrapbook page. But I've noticed in many of my craft magazines as well as in Stampin' Up!'s publications and samples, the "old," "vintage" look has become very popular. I'm sure there's some psychology in that as we go through some economic and environmental hard times. But regardless of the underlying cause, I'm really going to work to try to learn how to take what I'm most comfortable with and turn it into a more vintage look.
Today's project is my first try at this in a side-by-side manner. Let me back up a bit and say that I really like making covers for my 5" x 8" lined note pads and I've had instructions for making this posted here almost since I began my blog. It just looks so, well, plain, to have the pads just sitting around with bare paper on them! And my favorite theme to use for note pad covers is the musical "note." For awhile, Stampin' Up! had a wheel with whimsical musical notes on it, and there was a great stamp that said, "Just A Note." Perfect for that. Well, this year, there's a new wheel with musical notes, but they've done themselves one better and have a great set of printed Designer Series Paper that has musical notes on it. It's one of the sheets in the Newsprint Designer Series Paper set. Hooray, I have my theme again! And here are the two projects that I've made with this idea of trying out a Vintage Look when my first instinct is to make something with nice, neat, straight lines.
My first try with the new papers is on the left, and the second one, with a bit of stepped up Vintage look, is on the right. Both of these projects use basically the same products: Newsprint Designer Paper, Lovely Letters Alphabet, Rich Razzleberry Patterns Paper, Rich Razzleberry Card Stock, a Border Punch, and some Stampin' Up! Ribbon.
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Here's my first try at this with my traditional clean-cut look. Can you tell I took this photo during the sunset last night? Love the lighting! Anyway, I made some nice clean cuts here, and used plain Very Vanilla card stock on which to stamp the letters. The border punch is the Scallop Edge Border Punch, and the letters are nicely lined up with some Stampin' Dimensionals popping them up over some 1/4" Rich Razzleberry Grosgrain Ribbon. The letters are cut into 1-1/8" squares and I punched the mats with the 1-1/4" Square Punch.
Now let's check out the Vintage look:
To begin, I roughed up the edges of both pieces of Designer Series paper – the Newsprint as well as the Rich Razzleberry Patterns. Then I sponged Rich Razzleberry ink from a Classic Stampin' Pad all over both pieces of paper. Instead of using the Scallop Edge Border Punch, I used the Eyelet Border Punch. The letters are the same color and size as in the plain card, but I used some more of the Newsprint Designer Paper on which to stamp them. Then, instead of some plain grosgrain ribbon (think clean lines) I used Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon which I first ruffled by pulling a center thread through it and then mussed up a bit by applying some Rich Razzleberry Ink with a sponge. Finally I applied the letters NOT in a straight line (straight lines were not allowed in this project, well, except for the note pad itself). Angled up a bit they seem to fit more with the vintage look.
What do you think? Which do you like? If I get at least 10 comments about this post by July 24th, I'll pick one commenter who can choose one of these note pads for a gift! Check back here next week to see who wins the note pad!
A Gorgeous New Hostess Set!
Aloha, all!
Among stamps sets that do not get a lot of attention are those that you can get FOR FREE for hostessing a workshop. If you hostess a workshop of $300 or more (think 6 people ordering just $50 worth of products!), you get to select a Level 2 Hostess set (along with other FREE products).
One of this year's Level 2 Hostess sets uses one of my favorite techniques, 2-Step Stampin'. It's called Fast and Fabulous and rightly so! You can get this Fabulous watercolor look as fast as stamping twice. The outline image is one stamp and the "watercolor" fill in color is another stamp.
To make this floral image I used Rich Razzleberry and one of this year's new In Colors, Pear Pizzazz (boy, there are a LOT of zzzzzs in those names!). I applied ink to the outline stamp using a Classic Stampin' Pad and then used Stampin' Write Markers to color in the petals and leaves of the fill stamp. Presto (no, FAST!) a fabulous look. I finished off the stamped layer with a greeting from the continuing Stamp Set, All Holidays, and a separate little flower that I cut out to overlap the Pear Pizzazz edge. I texturized the card front with the Perfect Polka Dots Sizzix Embossing Folder, and added a little insert punched with the Scallop Edge punch to accent the Pear Pizzazz ink in the stamped image. Cool, huh? And simple. It took me no time at all to make with all the wonderful tools that Stampin' Up! has available!
Here's the layout for this card – and don't forget you can get that stamp set (with a bunch more images, too!) for hostessing just a $300 workshop!
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Fun With Flowers!
Aloha, all!
I'm sure that you've noticed a brand new promotion from Stampin' Up! that I've put over on the right under my "Specials" tag. It's the opportunity to purchase one of Stampin' Up!'s newest stamp sets, Awash With Flowers. Or get it FOR FREE with a $350 Hostess Workshop! This is a stamp set with a dozen and a half images to help you create some of the most wonderful Two-Step Stampin' images that I've seen in a long time! Click here for a picture of the stamps available with this set. You can purchase the set with both the wood mounts or for use with Stampin' Up!'s clear acrylic blocks. And here are all the details about the promotion.
If you've been around my Craft Room or reading my blog for long, you know that Two-Step Stampin' is one of my favorite – and easiest! – techniques from Stampin' Up! With this technique, you stamp one stamp that has a solid design with a light or medium color; then you stamp with a darker color on top of it a second stamp that has an outline that complements the first stamp. Up until now, the best way to make a fun two-step design was by using the Stamp-a-ma-jig (or any kind of stamp aligner – but the SAMJ is my favorite!). Now, however, with the advent of the Stampin' Up! Clear Mount Rubber Stamps, it's even easier to two-step on paper (we're not talking the dance floor at this moment).
Once this new stamp was released, I could hardly wait to get my hands on it. Then life got in the way and I've not been stamping much in the past few weeks. But today I had a bit of free time and off I went to grab the new stamp set. My time was limited (got to add in the blog time of course) so this was a quick (not dirty) one. What made this particular design easy was the absolutely fabulous paper that my friend and March hostess, Dana, gave me. She had a terrific workshop last month and was able to choose one of the Level 3 Hostess Sets for her efforts. The set she chose was the Lovely Flowers Bundle. I had been drooling over the papers in this bundle for months. Sigh – and she had it for her very own stash. And – wonderful friend that she is – she offered me a sampling of her great prize. Wow! How could I refuse!!!???
The paper in the background motif of this card is the Lovely Flowers designer series paper that is part of the bundle. I carried the Melon Mambo (Hooray! This color will be in the permanent Stampin' Up! Color Collection starting in July!), Old Olive and Crushed Curry colors from the Designer Series Papers into the stamps, and the Rich Razzleberry color (another color that will be in the permanent Stampin' Up! collection starting in July!) into the mats for both the paper and the stamped image rectangles.
The mother's day greeting is from the stamp set, Well Scripted, that is featured in the Stampin' Up! 2010 Occasions Mini Catalog. I punched it with the Scallop Oval Punch and matted that with a piece of Rich Razzleberry Card Stock punched with the Sizzix Movers and Shapers Die from the Stampin' Up! Punch Windows set. The final touch was a bit of glitz from the Circle Fire Rhinestone Brads in the upper left corner of the card.
What a fun card this was to make! Now I just have to figure out which "Wonderful Mother" will get this card for Mother's Day this year! Or I may have to make some duplicates?
Here's a sketch for the card elements. Even if you don't have this stamp set, this is a fun outline for how to use some Designer Series Paper as a small backdrop for a beautiful stamped image!
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!
Another Challenge–Kid Stuff!
Aloha, all!
A challenge on one of my discussion boards this week was to take any sample from the Stampin’ Up! 2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalog and change it to be a "kid-friendly" card. I tried to think of something that I had in my stamp stash that would make my grandkids smile (well, the little one is probably a bit too young for that–but there are 3 other older kids!). One stamp set that really makes ME smile is Just Buzzin By, so I zoomed in on that set. Then I started looking for a card in the catalog to CASE (various translations, but I use "Copy And Share with Everyone"). We had to change a couple of things about the original. I managed to change just about everything; but I still think that the idea is the same.
This is the card that I made for the challenge.
And here is the card from the catalog (page 126). Can you see the resemblance? Think two rows of 3 circles; ribbon, and polka dot at that! Greeting undernearth. Hey, how close can you be???
For my card, I used one of our 2009-2010 In Colors, Crushed Curry (every time I hear that, I crave Curried Chicken!) and Rich Razzleberry (mmmmm, berry pie for dessert!) with some Very Vanilla (oooh, ice cream on that pie!).
Hey, any time that you need a fix of food with your crafts, just think of me and Stampin’ Up! I can make it happen
A Challenge Card: A note of sympathy
Aloha, all!
You might recall that, a couple of weeks ago, we had a going away party for my friend, Billie, and her husband. I made a gigantic card for the whole FCE (Family and Community Education) group to sign–all 27 of us on one card!
Today I found out that Billie’s mother just passed away. How wonderful that Billie was able to be there with her. I have been trying to figure out what card to make her, and then I stumbled onto the Stamping 411 challenge today. I knew right away what I was going to do for the card, and here it is.
The bird on the bamboo branch is from the Level 2 Hostess set, Asian Artistry, and the saying is from the stamp set, Thoughts and Prayers. I used a Circle Ice Rhinestone Brad with a Filigree Brad for the corner accent. The colors of paper are Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, and Rich Razzleberry. The bird/bamboo is stamped using Stazon Jet Black Ink on Watercolor Paper, and I watercolored the bird with Rich Razzleberry and an Aqua Painter.
I think it’s such a good feeling to be able to go to my own craft room and make up a card like this, rather than going into a cold drug store to pick something out of a pile that’s already been picked through!
On My Way to Salt Lake City!
Aloha, all!
Today’s the day I leave for the Stampin’ Up! Convention. I’m really looking forward to this trip as this year I have some inkling of what will be going on. Last year I was a bit nervous since I’d never been to this kind of convention. I’d been to large craft group conventions, but never something of this size. When I used to travel to "Spirit of Cross Stitch" conventions back east back years ago (another lifetime?!) there would be hundred of crazy stitchers. In Salt Lake, there are THOUSANDS of crazy Stampers! The other part of this convention is that a good percentage of us are Stamping Business Owners. Back in the days of cross stitch conventions, we were all "just" hobbyists.
Part of the convention this year is the opportunity for us demonstrators to share projects with some specific guidelines with the Marketing Resource Center booth. The projects just might be displayed at convention! I can’t pass up that opportunity.
The category I’ve been focusing on this past week is that showing off the Sizzix Movers and Shapers Dies. I’d already done some of these cards back during the Fourth of July season (I’ll re-share those with you later). But I wanted something new, and tried out the idea yesterday. This is a very simple card, but it shows off one of the techniques you can use with the Movers and Shapers dies–cutting one over the other.
To get this effect, I placed the Heart shape from the Stampin’ Up Punch Windows set towards one side of the card front and ran the card stock through the Sizzix Big Shot. Then I repositioned the Heart shape and ran the card through again, being sure to line up the edges of the card so they wouldn’t get cut again.
For the inside of the card, I punched hearts, using the Full Heart Punch, from two different sheets from the Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper. Note that, when I punch on DSP I try to see if there’s a pattern I can create with the punch. So it wasn’t an accident that the flower in the lighter color punched heart is pretty well centered, wtih the other accents forming a symetrical pattern.
I lined them up with the windows I’d punched in the front of the card. In the center of each heart is a Square Ice Rhinestone brad (yup, I bought them when they were on sale! I clipped the "wings" of the brads and affixed them to the DSP with mini glue dots (I had to stack two in order to make them adhere securely).
The card stock for the card is Melon Mambo, with some Rich Razzleberry 1/2" Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon. The "Best Wishes" is from the Level 2 Hostess set, Kind and Carying Thoughts. It’s a great set, and all you have to do is have a $300 workshop to qualify to get this stamp set for FREE!
On the inside of the card, I layered yet another sheet of the Razzleberry Lemonade DSP before I adhered the hearts through the window. The greeting on the inside is also from the set, Kind and Caring Thoughts.
Now I’m going to try to "kick it up a notch!" with a bit of fussiness. If it works, I’ll share it with you later this week.
Happy 90th Birthday, Marian!
Aloha, all!
I’ve been busy this week getting ready for my trip to the Stampin’ Up! Convention is Salt Lake City next week. I’ve not planned a lot of swapping, but I have been working on projects to submit to the Marketing booth once I get there. Next week I’ll share some of those projects with you. 
But for today, I’d like to share a project whose design puzzled me a bit, but which I finally figured out. I couldn’t believe it was as simple as it turned out to be.
The card is 5-1/2" square, and features the new Stampin’ Up! In Colors and the new Designer Series Paper, Razzleberry Lemonade. The body of the card uses Rich Razzleberry card stock, and the Razzleberry Lemonade DSP is mounted on a square of Crushed Curry card stock. The card stock is also featured on the band punched with the Eyelet Border Punch.
I stamped the "9" and "0" with stamps from the Taffy Numbers stamp set using Rich Razzleberry ink on Crushed Curry. I punched the numbers with the Curly Label punch, and matted that with card stock cut with the Sizzix Movers and Shapers Stampin’ Up! Punch Windows die.
I tied it all up with Whisper White Organza Ribbon.
Most important–I made this card for our friend, Marian, who turns 90 this month! She’s going to have several birthday parties, none of which we’ll be able to attend, unfortunately. They’re in Minnesota and we’re in Hawaii. We’ve made that trip once this year, and a second time would be just too much traveling for this summer. Harry still hasn’t recovered from being ill on the last trip!
Tomorrow–the inside of the card and how I resolved my problem!!!
Our Split Coast Stampers Name Tags
Aloha, all!
If you’re enjoying making cards, gifts, and scrapbooks in today’s internet-connected world, you’ll want to check out the website, Split Coast Stampers. There are galleries, forums, and advertisements of all kinds–even some Stampin’ Up! ads these days! Lots of resources for designs, tutorials, and templates, too.
My sister-in-law, Deb, who is also my Stampin’ Up! downline, and I are going to the Stampin’ Up! convention next week. And one of our planned activities is the Split Coast Stampers Dinner the night before the convention starts. This year there is a "standard" Split Coast Stampers (or SCSers, as we call ourselves) name tag. What we’ve all done is to make our own name tags using the materials that we choose, but keeping the whole idea intact.
Today the count-down begins for me. One week and I’ll be on a red-eye flight toSalt Lake City–and to the craziness that you might imagine will happen with thousands of stampers in one place! Believe me, I will NOT be at the doors of the convention center when they open on any given day. At my age, I’d be trampled!!
Oh–and the names on the name tags. They are our SCS "names." Mine is my original stamping name from years ago (and you can still find me by e-mailing robin@robinstamps.com, believe it or not!). Deb’s derives from my niece’s screen names in various places. Joey’s a horse–and a gorgeous one at that!
The three colors are all 2009 In Colors: Rich Razzleberry is the background; the SCS lettering is on Bermuda Bay card stock punched with the Scallop Oval Punch; and our names are printed on Crushed Curry. It’s all tied together with some Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon.
And the "marks" on the background paper–are in the paper. It’s one of the "Naturals" papers from Stampin’ Up! I thought I’d grabbed some Whisper White cardstock for the photo, then wondered what all the "dust" was about. I kind of like it!
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