April Stamp Club

This week is my Stamp Club week - we moved it a week after we normally have it because of spring break.  Many of the gals were visiting family last week.   I am concentrating on retired stamp this month.  Here are the cards we will be making:

I think everyone will miss the Owl Punch!  I know I will.  So I thought I'd dress my owls up ready for the beach .... or maybe they'll go with me to Hawaii!  I'm sure Ashley wouldn't mind having them visit for a few days.  the "happy birthday" sentiment is from Watercolor Words - a good selection of sentiments plus I love the font!  The DSP is from Party Animal in the Occasions catalog.

My next card uses Grateful Bunch and the coordinating Blossom Punch which punches 3 flowers at once.  I love the convenience of using a punch.  Don't get me wrong - I like the thinlits too but at Club, it is much easier to just pass the punch around instead of waiting in line for the Big Shot and thinlits.  I love this color combination of Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla and Blushing Bride.  I think this is the first time I used the lace trim stamp from the set!

This card is my favorite this month!  For the small panel, I sponged Pool Party at the top and Crumb Cake at the bottom, blending the two together in the middle.  Then I used Gorgeous Grunge (oh, how I will miss this stamp set!!!) and stamped it is Versamark ink in the middle.  I heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  Does it give you the impression of the frothy white of the waves?  The background of the main card is made with the Marbeling Technique - using shaving cream!  I have not done this technique in probably 10 years so decided to revisit it and teach it to my club gals.  I stamped the starfish (Picture Perfect stamp set) with Crushed Curry and Soft Suede ink onto Crumb Cake card stock.  After adhering it with dimensionals, I painted clear Wink of Stella on it.

Last but not least is our May calendar page.  I actually copied this from a calendar page my sister made for me!  Made it a little easier.  I stamped the set from Flourishing Phrases with VersaMark onto Vanilla card stock and heat embossed it with Copper powder.  The stamp set is not retiring but the card stock and ribbon I used are retired.

Hexagon Embossing Folder

This weekend, I played around with the new thick embossing folder - Hexagons Dynamic Textured Impressions Folder (pg 46, Occasions catalog.)  If you are like most, you have a hard time making masculine cards.  Well, this first card does it.  It is a technique that one of NC demos has been doing and I thought I'd give it a try.  I did mine a bit differently than she does though.

I took a piece of Aluminum Foil and rubbed some Staz-On ink all over it.  Next, I adhered the piece of Aluminum Foil to black cardstock and ran it through the embossing folder.  Next step was to rub VersaMark on the Foil and sprinkle on some embossing powder - whatever color you desire!  I decided on copper.  There is such a glare on the piece, it is hard to see it well but I hope you get the idea.  Next I adhered the panel to a piece of Basic Gray cardstock that I had stamped with one of the grunge stamps from Touches of Textures (in Basic Gray ink.)  I adhered the whole piece to black cardstock.  I stamped the sentiment (retired) in Versa-Mark and embossed it with copper also onto black cardstock.  Don't forget to rub the piece first with the Embossing Buddy!  I mounted the sentiment piece onto Basic Gray and used dimensionals to pop it up.

My next card is a bit simpler!  I rubbed Early Espresso ink onto the embossing folder and embossed a piece of Tip Top Taupe.  The Espresso ink goes into the crevices of the embossing folder giving the illusion of chicken wire!  I stamped the chick with Staz-On ink and used the watercolor pencils to color him (on shimmery paper).  Everything is matted onto red cardstock.

Hope you enjoy these cards and will make some of your own!

Background Techniques

At the Charlotte Quarterly, we did a Technique Swap.  Not many people signed up for it so I didn't have to do many to swap.  I really like the Bokeh Technique and that is what I decided to do.

 

 

Here are the other techniques that I swapped for: 

 

This next one - Salt Resist - is one I haven't tried.

There was also a Background class offered Friday morning.  I didn't take it but here are the unique backgrounds they completed using hot glue!!

We have had snow, ice, thundersnow, freezing rain .... you name it - if it's cold, we've had it the past few days.  It started after midnight Thursday.  I think we got a layer of ice; then snow; then more ice.  I have just stayed nice and warm inside working on a digital scrapbook and I finished it!!  The temps got above freezing today so a little melting has started.  But, our neighborhood has not been touched so I won't be driving in it for a while.  School was canceled Friday and has already been canceled for Monday - as well as my bridge game.  I like these kind of snowy days.  I can always find something to do but Sonny gets a little stir crazy!  He went out today and cleared a path in the driveway.  Then he drove my car and his truck up the driveway and I think he drove his truck to the post office just to see how the roads were. 

In the meantime, I just finished watching the Broncos beat New England (did my heart good to see Tom Brady's sad face!) and I am pulling for the Panthers to beat Arizona.  I usually pull for Arizona .... but not against the Steelers or the Panthers!  I think Carolina can beat Denver in the Super Bowl!

For All Things with a Technique

Well, I guess you know what I was doing today (besides cleaning bathrooms - ugh!)  I decided I needed a new blog header and since it is approaching fall, decided on a fall theme.  Although the weather is not quite fall-like yet!  Just heard the weather forecast and it is to be in the 90s for the next few days with a few afternoon thundershowers thrown in.  That will make Ashley happy.  Last week when we were having wonderful lower temps, she was hoping by the time she arrived, we would be hot again.  Well, it will be so she will be happy.  Although you would think someone coming here from Texas where it's over 100 every day, would be hoping for the cooler weather.  Not my girl - she thrives on the heat!

I did have time today to work on my final shoebox card for this weekend.  I can't share it with you until next week but I do have a fall card to share.  I bought the For All Things stamp set at convention.  I love the watercolor look to the stamps.  I think fall is my favorite time of the year - maybe because my birthday is in the fall (although I don't think I am going to have any more birthdays unless I can count backwards!)

I used a technique that we learned at convention on this card.  I tapped my Soft Suede ink pad all over the raised portion of the Honeycomb Embossing Folder.  Next I put my Very Vanilla card stock inside the folder and closed it.  Then just using my hand, I rubbed over the folder, transferring the ink to my card. Make sure to use caution closing and opening the folder so you do not smear the ink.  It makes a faint pattern - some areas darker than others.

I stamped everything directly on the card using Soft Suede, Tangelo Twist, Hello Honey and Soft Suede.  I scattered a few sequins on (using glue dots) and tied a Mellow Moss ribbon.

To see other cards using thiis technique, check out the Stampin' Up Blog HERE.

Drier Sheets

I had my Stamping Club last Thursday and was busy preparing for it.  My Tuesday group meets this week.  Those dates threw me off!  My clubs meet on the 3rd Tuesday & 3rd Thursday.  Well, this month (and next), the 3rd Thursday comes before the 3rd Tuesday!  We did two cards together and then I had optional cards for them to choose from.

I taught the Drier Sheet Technique and they loved it!  Half of the group did the card using Lovely As A Tree and the other half did the card using Easy Events.

• Using White Craft Ink, stamp a small leaf background all over Night of Navy card.  Set aside to DRY!
• Using Labels Die and the Big Shot, cut out Labels in Cherry Cobbler, Night of Navy and the SU Adhesive Sheets.
• Stamp birds from Easy Events onto white card stock and color with markers.
• Using Labels Die, cut out the white bird label.
• Adhere SU Adhesive Sheet  on TOP of the stamped image.
• Peel off the top protective sheet & adhere a USED drier sheet on top.  Trim the edges. 
•  Pour glitter on top of the drier sheet using your fingers to rub it in.
• Stamp sentiment on white scrap and punch out with Oval Punch.  Adhere red rhinestone.

This card uses the same technique.  The colors I used are River Rock and Night of Navy.

 I realized today that I never posted my Stamping Queens Sketch on Wednesday.  It's funny - I wrote a post with the intention of posting the card.  I was watching TV at the time and I guess I got distracted because I now see that I posted one of the cards for Stamp Club!!  See - I tell you, I'm losing it!!  


I used My Digital Studio to create this card.  But, you could make it without MDS.  It uses the DSP and one of the stamps from Saleabration, Everyday Enchantment and  Fresh Vintage.  I used Calypso Coral card stock for the base.

 Here is another card using Fresh Vintage.  This is a very simple card to make:

It is a white on white card.  I used my Corner Rounder Punch on the top layer.  The flower is stamped in Cherry Cobbler.  The trim on the bottom is stamped and embossed in Gold.  A great sympathy card or you could change the colors and ribbon and make it bright and colorful for a birthday or other occasion.

 I

Magic Birthday Card

I made this card last week for a friend's birthday.  I don't know what the technique is called and I can't find the website that I got the directions!!

This is the front of the card.  I used Creative Elements stamp set (one of my favorites!!).  The colors I used are Pink Pirouette and Regal Rose.  So you can see the flower through the circle when the card is closed.

Here is the card open - now you see "Birthday Greetings" through the hole.  It's magic!!

Here is what it looks like as you are opening the card.  The "birthday greetings" slides into place over the flower!

You make two folded cards and adhere them together.  The dimensions of the two are:  5 1/2" x 11" (scored at 3 1/2" and 7") and #2 is 6 1/8" x 5 1/2" (scored at 4 1/4".)  If I can find the video that I watched to make it, I'll post it later.  I first saw the card on Splitcoast and followed a link.  I thought it was on Dawn's blog but I can't find it now!

EDITED TO ADD:   (I FOUND THE LINK!! - Check  HERE)

I really liked how the card turned out and I hope Brenda does too.

Today was a good day for football!  My Steelers and the Panthers both won today.  Marianne joined us at Big Al's to watch the game.  It was pretty much a blow out - Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 35-7!  Ashley was pretty bummed out today.  She is taking a two week Army career course and thought they would be done by noon so she could get home and watch the game.  Several of her friends were coming over who are in town taking the course also.  She had already told them that her big TV would be on the Steeler game but that she had a couple of other tv's in the bedrooms they were welcome to watch other games on.  Well, she called me about 11 am and was still in class and it looked like she was going to be there until 3:00.  She has Direct TV and I was able to go on the internet and log into her account and set the Record button for her!  Isn't modern technology great??!!!  Well, when she got home to watch the game, she was able to watch it until the middle of the 3rd quarter. The score was such a blow out that the station changed the game to another one!!  Glad that didn't happen at our house - afraid Sonny would throw a brick through the tv.  On second thought, maybe that would be a good thing since I have been bugging him for a while to get a new tv!!  Hmmmm ....

Techniques for You

Did you miss me?

Things have been pretty crazy here lately.  My mom has been sick all week.  We think it is her sciatica nerve tht is getting the best of her.  She is bothered periodically with back problems.   She was on hydrocodien for pain as needed but this week, it was not doing the job.  So, I took her to the doctor on Wednesday for a pain shot and x-rays.  My sister called me on Thursday and said the shot didn't ease the pain either.  So, the doctor gave her a prescription of oxycotin.  It also isn't working like I think it should. The x-rays just show arthritis.  Thursday night Marianne and I went to a Pampered Chef party.  After it was over, we got a call from Angela (my sister) that Mom was in a lot of pain.  So my friend, Kathy who was a nurse, went with me to mom's.  We were able to get her up and into an office chair so we could wheel her into the bathroom and then put her in bed.  We girls have been taking turns staying with mom and getting her to the doctor.  Angela lives with her so she has night duty.  Marianne stayed with her this weekend while Angela was working.  Mom is going in for an MRI on Tuesday.  Once we get the results, we'll decide what to do - continue going to her dr. who is great but is just an family practice doc or try a chiropractor.  I would like to get her off all those meds.  They are not fixing the problem - only masking it.  I'm hoping we can convine her to do some good back stretches and exercises to prevent future outbreaks.  I have had sciatica pain before and I know how bad it hurts.  Luckily, I can tell when my I have sat too long without good support and make an effort to get a step ahead before the pain hits me by doing stretching, exercises, and stand to do my work instead of sitting.

I was happy today that our Steelers played so well and got the win!  I thought the Panthers were going to pull a win off as well, but it wasn't meant to be.  Cam Newton has been a good pick for Carolina but if you live here, you might be getting sick of hearing his name!

I have some techniques to share with you today.  I did a technique swap at Quarterly last week and got some good ones.  Everyone put their techniques - examples and "how to" - on a 6x6 card.

Bleach/Chalk Technique

Embossed Embedded Image

Markers on a Roll

Faux Mother of Pearl

Top Note Square

Iris Folding

Butterfly Pansy

Emerging Color

A Birthday Shout Out and my swaps

First off I want to give a shout out to my friend, Margaret.  Today is her birthday.  I couldn't send her a card because they are en route from their home in Colorado back to Texas.  They have their mail forwarded to Colorado and I figured my card would get caught in the forwarding and who knows when she would receive it.  Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

By the time you see this, I should be at the Quarterly meeting in Greensboro.  So I can go ahead and show you a couple of the swaps I am taking.

The first one is the general Holiday swap card.  I can't believe how long it took me to put this card together!  I don't usually pick a swap card with so many bits and pieces.  What was I thinking!  But the effort was worth it I think.  My snowman turned out so cute!

 I punched all the pieces out for the snowman and put him together while watching TV.  But when I started assembling the card, he was too tall!  So I had to make some adjustments - cut his hat down a bit and cut his bottom a bit (wish I could do that with mine!)  The punches I used are:

Body:  2 1/2" circle punch, 1 3/4" circle punch
Head:  Ornament Punch
Hands:  Snowflake Punch
Eyes & Cheeks:  Owl Punch
Nose:  hand cut
Scarf, hat band:  Label Punch
Hat:  Tag Punch
Heart on hatband:  3 Hearts Punch

Of course the stocking in his hand is stamped with the Stitched Stockings stamp from the mini and punched out with the Stocking Punch (so easy!!).  It is so easy to punch out the toe, heel, and top trim with the punch and stamp.  SU has grouped them together so it is just stamp and one punch to get all three .... easy, peasy!  I used a white gel pen to accent the hat, eyes and do the mouth.  The bottom snow is hand torn white cardstock, sponged with Bashful Blue and glittered.  The Bashful Blue background was run through the Big Shot with the new Snowflake embossing folder (mini catalog).  The DSP is from the In Color Stack - Poppy Parade.

We are also doing a technique 6x6 card swap.  I received a great card at Convention that used a new technique (to me anyway).  It is called Iced Crystals.  So that is what I did.  Can't wait to do a card with this technique.  I think it would look great for a Halloween card background.  What do you think?

It's hard to get a good picture due to the glare of the crystals.

I have a couple more to share with you but I haven't snapped the pictures yet so I will try and share them tomorrow.

Have a great weekend!

Heat Embossing on Dry Embossing

Yesterday, I did some challenge cards.  I used to do challenges faithfully on Splitcoast  - mostly color and sketch challenges.  But on Monday's the challenge is "Try a new Technique" so I did.  This technique is called Heat Embossing on Dry Embossing.  Here are the steps:

• Dry emboss your cardstock with an embossing folder.
• Run an embossing buddy over the dry embossed cardstock before applying the ink.
• Ink up your brayer with Versamark and run it across the raised area of the dry embossed cardstock using a real soft touch...you only want the ink on the raised part.
• Apply the embossing powder, shake off the excess, remove stray embossing powder with a small brush, and emboss with a heat tool.

 For this one, I stamped on the Whisper White cardstock with my new Cover A Card stamp called Criss Cross in blue ink and did the embossing on top of that.  Then I embossed with white embossing powder.  The yellow centers are made with a yellow Pearl Pen.  How do you like that bow?  Made with my bow maker!!

close up of embossed flowers (used Elegant Bouquet folder)

This card I made for my sister, Angela's, birthday which was today.  We took her out to dinner at Chilli's tonight to celebrate.  I can remember when she was born and what a cute little kid she was with her curly hair.  We are 10 1/2 years apart!

The embossing folder is a Cuttlebug Happy Birthday folder.  The cupcake die is from Sizzix and the saying is from a retired SU set called Goody Goody.

Summer On A Tropical Island

This is part of my organization this week.  I know a person or two who will roll their eyes (yes, you Marianne!) but  they  make sponging so much easier!  The pieces of sponge I had been using were just a guess as to what color they were.  So, there were times I was getting purple in my pink sponging and black in my navy.  I've been wanting to make these sponges for several months.  I just took the round sponge and cut it into 6 pieces.  Then punch a tab out of colored cardstock and staple it to the sponge piece.  I store them in a plastic container that used to hold my DMC yard when I did cross-stitch.

Here's my daubers.   I  need to get some clean daubers and keep them uncontaminated too.  I bought this plastic holder last year at CKC.

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So, here is the picture I did today using my nice clean sponges!  It's a CASE from Michelle Zindorf - but sponging instead of brayering.  The recipe is below the card.

Cardstock:  Whisper White, More Mustard, Basic Black, Taken With Teal

Ink:  Tempting Turq., Ballet Blue, Bashful Blue for sky and water / More Mustard & Creamy Caramel for sand

I stamped the tree and palm leaves (from the Summer Mini) in Basic Black.  I made the island using the corner of my black pad.  I stamped "summer" (from an old wheel that I had cut apart) on half of a Top Note die.

Don't you wish you were in that blue water or on that island in some exotic locale???  We can dream can't we!  One of my stamp club gals came to my house yesterday straight from a trip to Hawaii!  Lucky Dog!  She flew in at 8:30 a.m. and came to my house about 1 pm after no sleep.  That is dedication!!

That Old Black Magic

I've been working on mastering the Black Magic Technique today.  I am going to be demonstrating this technique in May at the NC Stampin' Up Quarterly meeting in Kernersville.  I also did this card for a color challenge at Picture Perfect Creations using Elegant Eggplant, Pretty in Pink and So Saffron.

I used the stamp set Wings of Friendship.  Here's how to do the Black Magic Technique:

• 
  
  Stamp a solid stamp in White Craft Ink onto a dark cardstock.  I used Black but you could also use Basic Gray, Night of Navy, Elegant Eggplant, Chocolate Chip .... 
• Let the ink dry or speed it along with your heat gun.
• Color the images with pencils - prismacolors, watercolors, metallic - OR watercolor crayons.  I used a combination of them on my image.
• After coloring, I squirted a little white reinker out and using my Aquapainter, I added white accents along one side of the flowers, bird, etc.  On the other side, I used my White Gel Pen to add more accents.

To finish the piece, I used my White Gel Pen all along the black piece; punched out a corner and did the white gel pen on it.  I stamped the bird's wing again with the white craft ink, cut it out and popped it up.  Then I sprayed the piece with a mixture of alcohol and Shimmer paint to make it sparkle.  I backed the piece on So Saffron.  The card base is Pretty In Pink although the colors did show up too great.

Hope you like it and try one of your own.

Monday Mailer Technique

I received my Monday Mailer yesterday and it was so cool, I had to try the technique.  Of course, it is a Zindorf technique .... she always does the greatest cards!

So, here is the card I received:

And here is the card that I made:

Isn't it cool??

If you want to try this technique, click HERE.

We went to Concord Mills today and while Sonny was browsing in Bass Pro Shop, I wandered around in AC Moore.  I haven't been to AC Moore since it moved out of Concord Mills and was quite impressed.  They have done a good job in stocking their paper craft area and have Sizzix Dies, Nesties, Cuttlebug, 7 Gypsies brand and others.  If you're in the area, check it out.

Folded Paper Frame for my Monday Mailer

For my Monday Mailer card this week, I did a Folded Paper Frame.  I got the tutorial from Splitcoast.  It took me a couple of tries since I kept cutting the paper to the wrong size and couldn't figure out why it wasn't working!  Duhhhh!!  Anyway, if you cut your paper correctly, it is pretty easy!!  Here is my card:

 

I used Crushed Curry and Rose Red cardstock.  The DSP is from the Occasions Mini Catalog - Sweet Pea.  There is some gorgeous paper in that book!  I had held off ordering it because I though it was a little pricey, but actually it is a whole book of 12 x 12 paper - 2 each of 24 double-sided designs.  (Again, I didn't read all the fine print - I thought it was a 6x6 pack of paper!)  I used the stamp set, Great Friend and embossed the butterfly.  The scallop punch that I used is from the Saleabration catalog (FREE)!!  

If you want directions on this card, to HERE and follow the directions.

Weather update - we only got rain last night!  But, it sure was cold today .... again!!  Tomorrow is supposed to be in the low 40's but warming up by the end of the week to the 50's!!!  Maybe Spring is around the corner.

Inking a folder and going to the movies!

Here's a video  from Gina K. on inking a Cuttlebug folder.  I sometimes have to review these techniques so I thought you might like to also!

It's been raining all day and cold!!  I don't think it got about 45 degrees today.  And, I heard it snowed again in Dallas - none here in San Antonio though!  But tomorrow is supposed to get up to 60 and Thursday to 70!!  Gotta love it!

We took advantage of the dreary day and went to the movies when Ashley got off work.  We saw It's Complicated.  It was just good entertainment.  Sonny went with us and had a few laughs although, truthfully, it was more of a chick flick!  With Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin in a romantic triangle, you really don't know who Streep will end up with in the end.  Alec Baldwin has a "full moon" scene that is hilarious!!