High Tide - Wow!

This weekend the weather was spectacular!!  I think we broke records both days with high's in the upper 70s.  I loved it.  I'm guessing this beautiful weather is south of us too.  Ashley is on her annual Rock Boat Cruise with her friends and I am sure they are having a great time.  This year, she is doing back to back cruises!  When they return next week, I think they have a day in Tampa before heading out on a Train (musical group) Cruise.  Oh to be young again!!

My daughter in law posted a wonderful picture of her youngest daughter on Facebook.  I just have to share with you!  She is dressed and ready to go to the Tim Tebow Foundation's Night to Shine Prom!  It is put on annually for special needs teenagers 14 and up.  It is hard to believe she is so grown up.  I have not seen Cassidy in about eight years and she is now 16!!  I know she had a blast!

My son with Cassidy

Every time I think I've found my favorite stamp set in the Occasions catalog, another one beckons me to it.  This time it is High Tide!  I absolutely love this stamp set!  I've had it for a couple of weeks and wasn't so sure I could do it justice.  See, I really like lighthouses.  I don't know what it is about them but I like to go off the beaten path to find an old lighthouse.  I've been to Cape Hatteras here in NC and also to Peggy's Cove Lighthouse in Nova Scotia just to name a couple.

This first card is my favorite I think.  A lot of sponging went into it!  First I made a mask for the sun and the lighthouse before I started adding color.  The colors that I used were Crushed Curry, Perfect Plum, Tangerine Tango.  For the water I sponged Marina Mist and added a little craft White for the ripples.  The lighthouse is stamped in Smoky Slate and Cherry Cobbler.  This is a two-step stamp.  I stamped the rocks with Smoky Slate.  Then I stamped them again with Versamark and heat embossed with clear embossing powder to give the illusion that the rocks were wet.  I also stamped them a third time with White just for some added dimension.

After looking at a lot of images of lighthouses, I discovered that most of them are white.  But that is the thing about stamping - you can make them any color you want!!  Below are some color combinations that I tried.

My next lighthouse card also had sponging - on the sky and the water.  I used the negative mask to sponge the sun.  It's hard to see, but I pulled some of the Crushed Curry down into the water to make a reflection.  The lighthouse was stamped in Smoky Slate and Cherry Cobbler but I added a little touch to this one.  I used an old Blender Pen and the craft White Refill ink to paint the white areas on the lighthouse.  Instead of rocks I stamped grass around the lighthouse.

This card is a lot like the last one except - NO sponging!  I used a piece of DSP from the Serene Scenery Stack (pg 174).  I love this paper.  This was going to be my card for Stamp Club this month but I have used up most of the DSP (which is very unusual for me!)  I painted the white areas with the white craft ink like I did in the card above.

This next card will be the card for Stamp Club this month.  No sponging - just stamping so it should be ok.

Another thing I love about this stamp set is the sentiments.  Make sure you check out this set in the Occasions catalog on page 25.  I'll have more High Tides to share with you later in the week that are water colored.  There are so many possibilities with this set!

Valentine Cards

Since it is almost Valentine's Day, thought I'd share a few of the cards I made for the occasion.  You have a couple of days to get your Valentine cards made.  I hope these will give you some inspiration!!

This first card I made using the Jars of Love stamp set, one of my favorites from the Annual Catalog.  I stamped the jars onto the DSP which is retired.  I think it was a Valentine pack from last year.  I punched little heart flowers with a small heart punch that is now retired also.  Pretty simple but different, don't you think?

This is my Valentine Grunge card.  I stamped the vertical lines in Smoky Slate from Gorgeous Grunge.  The little hearts scattered around are from Perpetual Birthday Calendar, which is a set I tend to use a lot for it's backgrounds.  You should check it out.  I stamped the hearts in Melon Mambo and Smoky Slate.  The "Love" heart is from last month's Paper Pumpkin kit.

This card was an easy one to make.  The DSP is a piece I found in my paper stash.  I die cut the heart and "love" from Sunshine Wishes Thinlits. I found a heart button in my button jar and thread the black thread through it and tied it around the white card.  Easy peasy!

I hope these cards are a help to you as you make your Valentines.

Tasty Treats - so many options!

I had fun today playing with the Sale-a-Bration set, Tasty Trucks.  This set wasn't originally on my list but it grew on me.  It is a really cute stamp set!  Food trucks seem to be the "it" thing now-a-days. When Ashley was in Texas, there was a B-B-Q food truck not far from her and we enjoyed picking up some BBQ for lunch or dinner and taking it home to enjoy pool side.  Now that she is in Hawaii, there are shrimp trucks that are the "norm" there.

I still had the Love You Lots (hostess) set on my desk so decided to have a little fun with the trucks and the animals.  See, the frog is serving the elephant an ice cream cone!  I colored them with my Copic markers and did a little doodling on the sides.

This one is a taco truck - those are tacos waiting to be eaten in the window.  Again, I used copics to color the truck and found that they matched the Calypson Coral striped DSP.  I cut strips of Pacific Point for the sides of the DSP.  For this truck, I cut the window part on a scrap of white and used dimensionals to pop it up.  I also used the Owl Punch for the tires.  Love that sentiment - "Let's taco 'bout how awesome you are"

These next images are to show you different things you can do with this stamp set.  It doesn't have to have a food window!  I just masked the part where the window should be when I stamped it onto the white card stock.  I tried to duplicate the UPS symbol (not real well!) and the US Post Office logo.  These are just stamped on Whisper White card stock.  To use them, I will just fussy cut them and put them on a card.

This is one of the Shrimp Trucks in Oahu - the most famous one.  It is over on the North Shore.  Ashley and I had the shrimp plate when I was there this summer.  But, when we were there in December, the line was crazy long so we opted to eat at another shrimp truck and it was just as good!

If you are a fan of Hawaii 5-0, you might recognize this food truck.  It is the one they use on the TV show.  Now if I could just find it AND Steve McGarrett (heart throb) on my next trip to Hawaii!! Ashley has a neighbor who gets called occasionally to be an extra on the show.  I am hoping that will lead to something (for me!)

Hope you enjoyed my trucks today!!

Fantastic Birthday!

It's Super Bowl Sunday.  Sure wish my team was playing but hopefully, next year.  I'm pulling for Atlanta since I am just NOT a fan of Brady or Belichek!!  I'm watching the game now and it's half-time and Lady GaGa is performing!  I'd prefer a country singer at half time but I guess I got my fix watching Luke Bryan sing the National Anthem tonight!  I'm loving the score as of now!  (Sorry if you are a New England fan.)  So far, there have only been a couple of commercials that have stood out for me - one being the one with Terry Bradshaw in it.

I had fun today making this card.  It's a CASE from Pinterest (my favorite source for CASEing cards!)   I can't tell you how long it took me though!! I definitely wouldn't do many of them.  Of course, it took me a couple of tries.  I worked up from the bottom and when I stamped the lady bugs on my first try, I rocked my stamp plus had it too far down.  So, try again on a new slate.  The card is a big one and fits into a legal envelope.  

The stamp set is Crazy Cake and is in the Occasions Catalog.  I also used a hostess set that I love called "Love You Lots."  My Stamp-a-ma-jig was a big help getting the animals positioned the way I wanted them.  I also did a lot of masking - mostly just putting sticky notes over the sides of the cake layers when I was stamping the animals.  After I got the card stamped, I just did some doodling on the card.  The Crazy Cake stamp is a fun set.  It provides a great building block for cakes, backgrounds, and birthday celebrations.

Well, time to get back to the game.  Hoping for an Atlanta WIN!

Ombre Background

Happy February!  January sure flew by fast!  Of course, since I was gone the first two weeks, maybe that is why I think so.  Below are two calendars that I received for Christmas.  The top one was made by my sister, Marianne and the second one was made by my friend and neighbor, Gayle.  I love them both and love having my own calendars to look at.  I always make calendars for every one else and never for myself!

I attended the Newcomers Coffee today.  It was good to see everyone again.  I missed the January meeting and I usually go to the coffee's each month.  I am going to be the photographer again this year (last year though!) and I was busy today taking pictures of the new officer installation.  I finished the memory book for the outgoing president and got it back from the printer in time to give it to Sandy today.  I hope she will enjoy it!

I made a card this afternoon after seeing a video about ombre backgrounds by Jennifer McGuire.  I just had to try it before I forgot!

I used the Flourishing Phrases stamp set for the background stamp.  I stamped it with VersaMark ink; sprinkled Clear Embossing Powder all over and heat set it.  Next I took a large dauber and rubbed Watermelon Wonder ink all over the bottom of the card until I got it as dark as I wanted it.  I used a Blender Brush (like a big paintbrush) to get the lighter Watermelon ink on the rest of the card.  You could also use a sponge but just go lightly.  When you get the background the way you like it, take a clean cloth (or paper towel) and rub the ink off the Versa-marked background.  For "hello" I used a piece of thin white craft foam (from HL, M's, etc.).  First I adhered a piece of Stick It adhesive sheets (found them in my stash and I have never used them!) to both sides of the craft foam.  Take the protective cover off one side and adhere a piece of white card stock.  Die cut "hello" (SU Hello You thinlits) on the card stock side of the foam.  Before removing it from the negative, ink it with the Watermelon ink - darker on the bottom.  To get the sparkle, tap the VersaMark ink pad on the die cut, sprinkle Dazzling Diamonds embossing powder on and heat set.  (Or you can do like me - I forgot to do that step before adhering "hello" to the card.  So I used a VersaMark Pen and went over the die cut while on the card.  Then embossed and heat set.)  Stamp the sentiment (from Cottage Greetings) on a strip of white card stock, emboss with clear and heat set.  Rub your dauber with Watermelon ink over the strip.  The ombre panel is on a white card.  I daubed Watermelon ink all around the edges of the white card so it would all match!

Try it and see what you can do with this technique!

NC Demo Sale-a-Bration January Blog Hop

Creative minds have been at work here in North Carolina!  Welcome to our monthly Blog Hop. I hope you are getting lots of inspiration from the NC demos blog hop today.  Our theme this month is Sale-a-Bration, which means a FREE project for every $50 purchase from Stampin' Up.

I am sure as a paper crafter, you are probably aware of the popular new craze called adult coloring books.  The book publishing geniuses really hit the mark when they started offering coloring books for grown-ups.  A lot of us didn't even know how much we secretly missed them!   Not only is coloring super relaxing and fun, but it also takes us back to simpler times - when all we had to worry about was making sure we put our toys away.  As a child, coloring and paper dolls were my favorite things!  I didn't play with baby dolls or do sports, but give me a coloring book and I was happy.  It was so fun to get a new pack of crayons and try out all the colors - especially if you got the super big package!!  Fast forward to our new Sale-a-Bration catalog and guess what?!  Yes, a designer paper just begging to be colored.  It is Stampin' Up's! answer to this fun, out-of-the-blue craze.  The Inside the Lines Designer Series Paper leaves you with the opportunity to make the colors of each paper your own.  Think of all the ways you can use this paper!

I have chosen to highlight the Inside the Lines DSP for my projects.  There are so many choices when it comes to using this DSP.  Hopefully, you will enjoy what I have done with them.

I'm excited to share these cards with you.  Each card is colored using a different tool such as:  sponging, watercoloring, markers, and sponge daubers.  Each method provides a different look to the paper.  While the cards are different from each other, they are simple to make with only a few additional layers and embellishments.

For the first card, I cut a 3" x 5 1/4" strip of DSP and colored it using Stampin' Up markers.  I used the Swirly Scribbles Thinlits to cut the white card stock (4" x 5 1/4").  The middle piece was adhered on top of the DSP which was then adhered to my white card.  The two pieces on the left and right were popped up with dimensionals.  I stamped the sentiment from Thoughtful Banners and punched it out with the Duet Banner Punch.  The final step was to sprinkle silver sequins all over the card.

 My next method of coloring was with Copic Alcohol Markers.  I cut a flower out of the DSP and used the Watercolor Pencils to color the flower.  I popped the flower up with dimensionals.  I used my Two Way Glue Pen on the flower and sprinkled it with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.  The sentiments are all from Thoughtful Banners and each one is popped up.  Can't wait to send this to my daughter!

My next card is watercolored using the ink from the Peekaboo Peach and Wild Wasabi ink pads and my aqua pen.  As long as you don't get your aqua pen too wet, the paper won't buckle.  I did use a SU marker for the darker orange (Tangerine Tango).   The sentiment (from Layering Love) is stamped on a piece of Peekaboo Peach cut out with the Stitched Shapes Framelit.

For my next card, I only used a small strip of the DSP (2" x 4") which was colored with Copic markers.  I used a lot of glue dots to hold down the pleated Sweet Sugarplum ribbon.  (You can find this ribbon on page 21 of the Occasions catalog.  It is the Succulent Garden Combo Pack.)   The sentiment is from Heartfelt Sympathy (pg 51 of annual catalog.)

For this card, I used the wonderful Watercolor Pencils found in the Occasions Catalog.  Sales for these pencils have exceeded Stampin' Up's forecast and are continuing to sell strong.  Because of the cost incurred in back orders, Stampin' Up has made the decision to place the pencils in not-orderable status as of last Thursday (1/26).  The estimated availability for them is Feb. 13.

I scribbled the pencils on the paper and then used my Wink of Stella to blend the colors.  You could also use an aqua pen (but not real wet) or a blender pen.  I have tried all three but I think I prefer the Wink of Stella (clear)!

My final card is super simple.  I used a sponge dauber and just daubed the Sweet Sugarplum ink randomly on some of the flowers.  I colored the leaves with the Watercolor Pencil also, blending it with my blender pen.  The circle is die cut from Stitched Shapes framelit.  I also die cut the flower from the Sunshine Wishes framelits.  This is a great set of framelits to have - check it out on page 194 of the annual catalog.  Not only do you get this flower but also the little butterfly, a heart and four sentiments (hope, love, congrats and sunshine).

I hope you enjoyed my take on the Inside the Lines Designer Paper and you are inspired to create your own cards using this paper.

Hop on along now to the next stop on the Blog Hop -

Tamra Davis -

Jo Anne Hewins

Michelle Irinyl

Tracie Evans Langley

Sharon Maranich   (you are here)

Laurie Meier

Hey Chick - Valentine

Happy Saturday!  I wanted to share another card we made last week at Stamp Club.  This is a cute Valentine card but you could also make it into a birthday card as several of my stamping friends did.  I used the darling chick from the Sale-a-Bration catalog - Hey Chick!  I just think he (or she) is adorable!!

I stamped the chick with Black Archival ink since I was planning on watercoloring and didn't want the colors to bleed.  I used the new watercolor pencils to color the chick.  The little hearts are from the Jar of Love set and the heart balloons are from Balloon Builders.  This proved a good lesson on masking.  We used a sticky note to mask the middle balloon after it had been stamped with Sweet Sugarplum ink and stamped the two balloons on either side.  I used a Sharpie Marker to draw in the balloon strings.

We are headed out this evening to watch the Charlotte Checkers hockey game.  This is the first time we've seen them play this year.  It's a fun outing.  We are going to try out the restaurant in the Bojangles Coliseum.  When Sonny and I were dating, one of favorite date nights was to watch the Checkers vs. the Greensboro Generals.  At the time, we both lived in Greensboro (where we met) and so we were pulling for the Generals.  There was always a fight that broke out between the two teams on the ice.  They were natural enemies I think!!  You know, a hockey game is not a good one unless there's a fight or two!

Make sure to check back tomorrow evening for the NC Demos Blog Hop.  We will be featuring products from Sale-a-Bration.  I will show you fun ways to use the Inside the Lines Designer Paper.

Paper Pumpkin Valentines

I have had a very productive two days!  I have been making cards!  I know that sounds strange because you probably think that is nothing new.  But, I have been in a card making slump for several months.  With the holidays, I was so busy with other things that I just didn't enjoy making the few Christmas cards that I made (which wasn't much!)  But yesterday and today, I had nothing on my schedule but "ME" time and I took advantage.  I've made about 15 cards in two days!  While I was on a roll yesterday, my mom called and asked if I would make 8 valentines for her for the shut-in's at her church.  Sure!  I don't have many Valentine stamps so I started going through what I did have and found several stamps and framelits that would work for Valentines.  Plus, I just received my January Paper Pumpkin which had Valentine stamps and materials to make little goodie bags.  I didn't want to make the goodie bags - leaving that for Marianne to make for mom using her Paper Pumpkin.  (Mom planned on asking Marianne to also make 8 cards for her.)

Here is what I came up with:

Not only did I use things from January's Paper Pumpkin but I also pulled the gray DSP from the December kit.  See?  You can do alternative things with Paper Pumpkin.  The December kit creates a photo/memory book with patterned paper, window sheets, stickers, washi tape and for the first time, a rotary stamp and black journaling pen.  I decided I didn't need a photo book so I created the cards above.  I am going to make a few cards and other items with the supplies I still have left.  From the January Paper Pumpkin, I used the gold heart stickers, the vellum banner, the gold thread and the "love" heart which was stamped onto a white heart that was included.  I punched the small pink hearts using the Owl punch.

The Paper Pumpkin kit is on sale through March.  Now during Sale-a-Bration is a great time to take advantage of the sale.

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This offer will end on March 31, 2016 at 11:50 PM (MT).

Stamp Club Dragonfly

This is one of the cards we made last week at Stamp Club.  I made it very easy and then at the last minute, decided to add another element to it.

Here are the "deets" -

 

Supplies:

•  Stamps:  Dragonfly Dreams
•  Ink:  Pear Pizazz, Soft Sky, Night of Navy, Whisper White
•  Cardstock:  Pear Pizazz, Dapper Denim

Accessories:   

l    Dapper Denim ribbon, Clear Wink of Stella

Instructions:

• ·        Stamp dots with Soft Sky ink at top left of white card
• ·        Stamp Dragonfly wings with Pear Pizazz (STAMP OFF FIRST)
• ·        Stamp Dragonfly body over the wings with Night of Navy ink.
• ·        Stamp sentiment on bottom right of white card.
• ·        Tie bow and wrap Denim ribbon around white card between sentiment & dragonfly.
• ·        Adhere to Dapper Denim cardstock.
• ·        Adhere to Pear Pizazz card.
• ·        Apply Wink of Stella on wings.

So the final touch that was an option was to die cut the dragonfly from the framelit using Dapper Denim card stock (or stamp on white card stock w/Dapper Denim ink) and adhere the cut out dragonfly on top.

I am really enjoying using Dragonfly Dreams in different ways and I hope you will too!

Stamp Club January Calendar

I think I should leave a sticky note at the top of my blog saying "sorry - I've been busy."  I have been snowed under (not really snow) and neglected posting to my blog on a regular basis.  I am the photographer for the Newcomers group which means I take pictures all year of events going on and at the end of the year, I put together a memory book for our president.  Well, I've been busy trying to finish up the book.  I finally finished yesterday and sent it to the printer.  Now, hoping it will be back in time to present it at our next meeting but I have my doubts. 

Last week was Stamp Club.  I am doing something a little different this year.  One of the gals from my Club (and my neighbor) gave me a calendar in a shadowbox frame for Christmas.  She bought the frame at Hobby Lobby.  I just love it!

So I decided that each month in Stamp Club, we would do a calendar page.  The gals can use the calendar this year and at the end of the year, they can just add the 2018 months and give it away as a gift to a friend.  This is the page we did this month.  The snowman is not Stampin' Up.  Believe it or not, I do not have a Stampin' Up snowman!!  Everyone had a different background snowflake piece of DSP.  We framed the snowman and calendar with Emerald Envy card stock.

Speaking of calendars, this is one Marianne gave me for Christmas.  It is hard to see in the picture, but she used glitter on the ground beneath the Lovely As A Trees.  It is so sparkly!!

Don't forget about Sale-A-Bration.  If you have been thinking about subscribing to Paper Pumpkin, now is the time.  Not only is the price reduced, but with a 3 month subscription, you will get a FREE item!! 

3-Month Prepaid Subscription (137859) $59 $55 USD/$79 $74 CAD Save on a
3-month prepaid subscription and instantly qualify for a FREE Sale-A-Bration item!

12-Month Prepaid Subscription (137861) $215 USD/$295 CAD Take it to the next level with a 12-month prepaid subscription. Save over $2/month with the everyday awesome price, earn Stampin’ Rewards, and get 4 FREE Sale-A-Bration items!

I'll be at Buffalo Wild Wings later today cheering on the Steelers.  If they win today, we are Super Bowl bound!  Unfortunately, our opponent is the New England Patriots.  I am a little nervous!  We are definitely the underdog in this race.