Category Archives: cards

Stepping up to a challenge

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I signed up for a “Wow” swap.  I should have known better.  A swap like that causes me to pull out all of the stops.  I drive myself crazy coming up with an idea, and then spend hours putting it together because in my wisdom I decided to cut out a zillion little pieces.  Of course, once I finish I think of dozens of additional little touches I should have added:

Double Pocket swap

I actually did most of the construction for this swap at Boy Scout camp last week.  My son’s troop needed some extra adult supervision during the day, and since they didn’t need me to do anything but be there in case of an emergency, I was pretty free.  I spread out my project on one of the big picnic tables at their campsite and cut, scored, stamped, trimmed and punched the day away.  The boys would come and go between activities and check out my progress.  Some of them were curious and a couple seemed entertained by this mom working away in their camp.  The site was so beautiful – and peaceful as long as they were away – that I really enjoyed myself.

Here’s another look at the card:

Double Pocket Swap opened

There’s a tutorial for this card at Splitcoast Stampers under Resources – look for the Diagonal Double Pocket card.

A Really Big Deal

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I have been cranking in the stamp room the past week or two.  I had a new catalog Open House last weekend, two classes this week, and a sack full of swaps to get ready for the Stampin’ Up! convention this week in Salt Lake City.  Imagine throngs of stampers, mostly women but accompanied by a few brave men, sharing inspiration, laughter, and swaps – for four days!  I leave tonight on the red-eye and I am pumped up.  Packed?  Well, no, not yet…

Kellie's fabulous card


Isn’t this fabulous??  My dear friend Kellie made it for me.  Since I’m not packed, you’ll have to forgive me but the list of supplies will have to be an addendum later on.

Owl Love You Forever

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Is it me, or has this whole stamping business gone to the birds?

Owl Love You Forever

  • Woodgrain, Cheep Talk and Whimsical Words (retired 2010 SAB) stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Crumb Cake (Kraft), Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip and  Shimmer White card stock
  • A scrap of retired Riding Hood Red Designer Series Prints Pattern paper
  • Crumb Cake and Chocolate Chip Classic ink pads
  • Two-Step Owl XL punch; Curly Label punch
  • Big Shot;  Scallop Circles #2 die;  Movers & Shapers Curly Label XL Bigz die
  • Crop-a-dile and Kraft taffeta ribbon (retired)

This Two-Step Owl punch is hilarious and addictive.  I sat in my craft room the other night with a basket full of scraps and started punching out bits and pieces.  This is something you could play with for a very long time, mixing and matching colors and crossing and uncrossing the eyes.  Oh, yeah – you better believe I played with those eyes!  (Note to self:  tweezers are required for those itty bitty eye-bubs that go in the middle.)  And it wasn’t until I got everything all put together that I realized you could use the bottom of the heart for a little beak.

The mat on the Curly Label punch is the piece that is cut out when you use the Movers & Shapers XL die with the Curly Label insert.  It works the same way with all the other magnetic inserts – isn’t that tricky?  I made the hole for the taffeta ribbon with the Crop-a-dile since my favorite double rectangle punch is now retired.  I am TRYING to be a good demo and use only current supplies, but I’m tellin’ you, it’s not easy!  Take that kraft ribbon as an example.   Stampin’ Up! is an awesome company and I’m thrilled with the Color Renovation and all the cool new goodies we’ve seen added to the catalog, but what was wrong with leaving us a little bit of Kraft Taffeta ribbon?   They could even re-name it Crumb Cake Taffeta Ribbon – that would be OK.  There’s a little stash in the ribbon drawer, so you may see it from time to time.

You’ll be seeing more of these owls, too.

Lots of Bitty Birds

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This was the set that made my eyes roll back in my head the first time I looked through the new 2010-2011 Stampin’ Up! Idea Book and Catalog.  I immediately thought of my friend Cheryl and her mud room.  She used to live 5 minutes from my house, but this past spring she moved 50 minutes away.  One of her projects in her new house was an entry room with a gorgeous saltillo tile floor and not much else.  She wanted to make it into the Bird Room, and she hostessed a pretty awesome workshop last spring so that she could earn the Level III Bird Cage Decor Elements Hostess gift.

  • Aviary and On a Pedestal stamp sets
  • Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Poppy Parade, and Whisper White card stock
  • Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Poppy Parade and Basic Grey Classic ink pads
  • Big Shot and Elegant Lines Textured Impressions Embossing Folder
  • Stamp-a-ma-jig, Stampin’ Dimensionals and Mini Library clips

I made a mask using a Post-It note of the bird with the shortest legs and the top part of the bird cage.  I stamped the bird first, then masked it and stamped the cage part.  I left the bird mask in place and added the mask for the cage before I stamped the stand.  The “legs” on that stand are really long!  I didn’t need such a tall bird cage.

That new Elegant Lines Embossing folder is really gorgeous.  I hated to cover it up with the image, but I’m not quite ready to post a card with nothing but a little embossing on it.  That’s Clean and Simple style to the extreme!  I’ll be honest, though, I think it would make a gorgeous card.  Well, you might have to give it a little sparkle with some Shimmer Paint.

Our new Color Families are helping me to see color in completely new ways.  Tempting Turquoise hasn’t been much of a favorite for me, but when I see it grouped with the other colors in the Brights Collection it inspires me.  It’s refreshing to see something familiar with new eyes, and I like the energy I’m experiencing when I look through our new Color Collection.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program…

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All that cat business is lots of fun, but there are cards to be made and seen!  Yesterday’s post about my goofball cat got picked up by Freshly Pressed, the front page of WordPress.com.  Captain Stupidhead is now a mini-celebrity and while I’m not making any promises, you may see a little more him from time to time.  As my daughter Sara said, “The internet has spoken. And it says that it loooooooves Pookie.”

Pookie did NOT help with this card, and that’s a good thing.  My stamping desk isn’t very big and it’s usually covered with ink pads.  No place for a cat.  However, it’s a great place for some colors that I loved and hoarded when they retired.  Wild Wasabi was an In Color selection in 2007 and Riding Hood Red was from 2008.  I kept a little folder with a few odd sheets of Wasabi, but I must confess that I have a substantial stash of Riding Hood Red.  It’s a deep, rich red that worked with so many colors and I am thrilled to have it back in the Stampin’ Up! Color Family:

Wild Wasabi and Riding Hood Red are back again

  • Awash with Flowers, Woodgrain and Because I Care (Hostess Level I) stamp sets
  • Wild Wasabi, Riding Hood Red, Soft Suede and Whisper White card stock
  • Wild Wasabi, Riding Hood Red and Soft Suede classic ink pads
  • Soft Suede Stampin’ Write marker and the Blender pen
  • Big Shot and Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing folder
  • Corner Rounder, Oval and Scallop Oval punches
  • Linen thread and Stampin’ Dimensionals

I used my Lazy Stampin’ Girl technique on the Two-Step Stampin’ part of the flower.  I inked the solid (flower petal) image with Riding Hood Red, then used a blender pen to remove the RHR ink from the little pod thingy at the base of the flower.  (OK, tell me, what would you YOU call it??  Sheesh.)  The Soft Suede Stampin’ Write marker adds that little change of color that makes a big difference – at least to me.

I’m lovin’ this new catalog and the return of some of my favorite colors, and I hope you are too.

Stamping with Markers

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Stampin’ Write markers are absolutely fabulous.  I love that they have a fine, journaling tip and a broad paintbrush tip.  I love the quality of the ink that gives such great saturation whether you’re applying ink to a stamp or coloring on paper.  And I really love that they coordinate with every single one of  the Stampin’ Up! exclusive colors!

The beautiful images in the Friends Never Fade stamp set were made for working with markers.  These bold flowers have just enough detail to create the perfect canvas for selectively applying ink with markers without being so detailed that a person could lose her mind in the process.  It might happen if  her mind was already wandering, but that’s a story no one wants to hear!

Friends Never Fade

  • Friends Never Fade and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp sets
  • Vintage Vogue wheel
  • Very Vanilla, So Saffron and Chery Cobbler card stock
  • Old Olive and Tangerine Tango Classic ink pads
  • Chery Cobbler, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango and So Saffron Stampin’ Write markers
  • Kiwi Kiss patterns Designer Series Paper (retired)
  • So Saffron grosgrain ribbon  (Daffodil Delight is now available!)
  • Round tab punch
  • Blender Pen
  • So Saffron brads (Daffodil Delight is now available!)
  • Piercing tool, template and mat; straight edge (ruler)

Here are a couple of tips to make your Marker-to-Stamp technique pop:

  1. Ink the stamp with your primary color, then use a Blender pen to selectively remove ink you want to replace
  2. Begin with light colors, then add progressively dark colors.  This helps to avoid discoloring your markers if a light colored marker comes in contact with darker ink.
  3. Use the side of the brush end of your Stampin’  Write marker to add the ink, and use a gentle hand to avoid crushing the brush tip.
  4. Add a little texture by loading extra ink on a few points – notice the Old Olive leaves
  5. “Huff” on your stamp before applying it to paper to re-moisten all ink

As long as we’re in the helpful hint department, take a good look at those brads.  Nice and straight and evenly spaced, aren’t they?  The secret is the Piercing tool, template and mat.  I couldn’t begin to make a straight line of brads without them.

Have some fun with your markers!

Happy Birthday, U.S.A!

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We’ve celebrated some wonderful July 4ths – the year we were in Washington, DC was exceptional – but this year we’ll be home on Maui.  My husband’s brother and his family will be here as well, and we’re planning a day of good food (always!) and watching some fireworks.  It’s a holiday that is well suited to sharing with family and friends, taking some time to be grateful for the freedom and privilege of being an American and for the many men and women who have dedicated their lives to defending our country.

A Star Spangled Banner

  • So Many Stars Builder Wheel
  • Real Red Classic ink pad
  • Real Red, Night of Navy and Whisper White card stock
  • Star punch; Uniball Signo Gel pen
  • Linen thread; Brocade Blue button (Marina Mist now available!)

There’s a little trick to getting a straight line when you use only one of the little skinny Builder Wheels.  You need a training wheel…seriously.  I’m right handed, so the wheel I want to use goes on the left side of the spindle when the Stampin’ Around handle is applied to the paper.  Next to that wheel I put a spacer, and on the opposite end I put another Builder Wheel – any will do because you’re not going to ink it up.  Now instead of one skinny wheel, you have the equivalent of a “dualie” and your wheel will roll along quite steadily.   Although I have a Real Red jumbo ink cartridge, I used the stamp pad so that I could ink up only the So Many Stars wheel and run it along a strip of Whisper White card stock (doesn’t everyone have heaps of those skinny strips, or am I the only person who saves them?)  Trim to 1/2 inch and you have stripes!

That’s gel pen around the star.  I considered hand-cutting a white paper star just a little bigger than the punch but the pen was so much easier.  I’m a lazy girl at heart!

Happy Fourth of July!

Lovin’ our In Colors

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True confession time…I beg, borrow and steal a lot of my ideas.  Today’s card was inspired by THIS card posted on the Stampin’ Addicts website.  I played with it and to continue in the true confessions theme, I’m not convinced that I like this version.  However, I definitely like our new In Color selection.  Poppy Parade is that perfect Red Hot Red color , Concord Crush is a deep indigo purple, Peach Parfait is a soft but saturated orange, Pear Pizzazz is a gorgeous spring green, and Blushing Bride….well, what can I say about a color called Blushing Bride?  It’s soft and not too pinky and very, very feminine.  Laurie’s card used all 5 colors and I borrowed her concept to accomplish the same result:

Hearts In Color

  • I {Heart} Hearts and Bella Toile stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Concord Crush, Poppy Parade, Blushing Bride, Peach Parfait and Pear Pizzazz card stock
  • Poppy Parade and Concord Crush Stampin’ Write Markers
  • Uniball Signo White Gel Pen; Tombo adhesive
  • Full Heart and Heart to Heart punches

The I {Heart} Hearts stamp set from the Occasions Mini catalog has made it into the new 2010-2011 Stampin’ Up! Idea Book and catalog.  This set was selected for the Haitian Refugee Relief program through Stampin’ Up! and raised well over $20,000 for the American Red Cross.    Although the fundraising effort is complete, you can still purchase the stamp set as well as the coordinating Full Heart and Heart to Heart punches to make your own “heart-felt” greetings (Get it??  I crack myself up!)

Personally, I think Bella Toile is a bit of an overkill on this card and I’m going to make another using Woodgrain to see if I like it.  Stay tuned.

Happy New Year, Stampin’ Up!

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After working with the new Stampin’ Up! Color Families for a few days, I’ve discovered something:  I like them all.  Prior to the Color Renovation, I almost never used any of the Bold Brights colors with the exception of Real Red.   Our new Brights collection has such gorgeous shades that I think it’s my favorite collection now!

The brand new 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog is available in full glory today and I am thrilled with all the goodies that are available.  In addition to all of the new colors we have available, there are great new accessories and stamps.  I’ve had a really tough time choosing what to get first!

As demonstrators we had the option of purchasing (instead of earning) one Level III Hostess set.  Every year, I struggle with this choice.  Delay my gratification and earn the stamps for free, or pay the money and get them now?  Do you know me?  Yeah, I spent the money!

Four Pretty Packages

  • Playful Pieces (Level III Hostess) and All Holidays stamp sets
  • Rich Razzleberry, Tangerine Tango and Whisper White card stock
  • Rich Razzleberry, Tangerine Tango, Melon Mambo and Marina Mist Classic ink pads
  • Whisper White craft ink pad
  • Melon Mambo polka dot grosgrain ribbon (retired)

I hope you’ll forgive me for using that retired Melon Mambo ribbon.  #1, I have at least half a roll of it left over and #2, I don’t have any of the new ribbons – yet – and I NEEDED ribbon!  This hostess set has a little bit of everything and the pieces are designed to be versatile and flexible.  It can be yours for free when your workshop reaches $500 in sales, and trust me, with this catalog that will be an easy thing to accomplish.  Send me an email – I’d love to help you earn these stamps!

Hydrangea Garden

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There’s a part of me that would really love to be a gardener.  The textures and colors of a well designed and maintained garden are so pleasing and soothing, and I especially enjoy seeing the colorful profusion of late spring through summer flowers.  It’s that well-maintained part that causes me problems.  My back and knees scream if I spend too long in the flower beds or behind a shovel.

Fortunately, stamped gardens don’t give me those kinds of problems (I have yet to require a shovel in my craft room, although I can’t say it will never happen.)  The beauty of stamped gardens is that they flourish in any kind of soil or climate.  Hydrangeas don’t thrive here at sea level on the dry side of the island, but they seem to be very happy upstairs on my desk:

Thankful for Hydrangeas

  • Because I Care (hostess) stamp set; Cornelli lace wheel
  • Marina Mist, Certainly Celery, Perfect Plum and Whisper White card stock
  • Marina Mist, Certainly Celery, and Perfect Plum Classic ink pads
  • Scallop Trim border punch; hand-held rectangle punch (retired)
  • Bashful Blue 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon

Now, I know you’re thinking that I cheated and used the retired Pale Plum Classic ink pad but you would be mistaken, my friends!  That pale hydrangea was stamped off a second time after I inked up the first image and stamped it.  I did the same with the Marina Mist and Certainly Celery flowers, and I could have gone on forever.

I did cheat a little with the rectangle punch and the Bashful Blue ribbon.  That punch is an old favorite and I just can’t get rid of it – I like the rectangular shape for feeding ribbon.  The ribbon…well, what’s a girl to do while she’s waiting for brand new 2010-2011 Stampin’ Up! Idea Book and Catalog goodies to arrive?  A girl’s gotta craft with whatever she can find.  I am in a world of hurt looking for accessories that work with all of my new colors.  Soon…soon.