Maybe I’m not cut out for Mojo…

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I dunno…I’m finding these Mojo sketches really challenging.  I guess that’s the idea, but sometimes it’s a little tough on my ego.

I confess, that’s Wild Wasasbi Designer Series Paper from a couple of years ago.  It’s true:  I hoard paper.  Scraps, sheets, even the odd package or two.  I’m trying to use it up, so when you see it, think creatively!

Mojo 106

Mojo 106

  • Barely Banana, Summer Sun, Very Vanilla, and Chocolate Chip cardstock; retired Wild Wasabi Designer Series Paper
  • Summer Sun, Wild Wasabi, and Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin’ Pads and Stampin’ Write Markers
  • Wings of Friendship and Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp sets
  • Champagne Mist shimmer paint
  • Clear Embossing powder, heat tool, Fire Rhinestone Circle brads, double rectangle punch
  • Big Shot and Scallop Circle #2 Bigz

Maybe I’ll give the Mojo another week.  Can’t hurt.

Stretching in new directions

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Trying something new is almost always a good thing.  (Let’s be reasonable here – some things should never be attempted – like the stuff with the caption “professional driver on closed course”.)  Sometimes the result isn’t what I expected, but in the process I invariably learn something.  It’s easy for me to continue doing the same thing – another time I’ll torment you with the trials and tribulations of growing out the haircut I’ve worn for oh, 30 years – but you shouldn’t have to do something the same way for 30 years before you try something new.

I’ve seen these Tri-fold (or shutter, or whatever-you-want-to-call-it) cards in a number of galleries and went looking for a starting point.  Bonnie at the Craftiblog posted a beautiful tutorial with a number of adaptations, and though I’m not sure she was the first to do so she has certainly done an outstanding job.  This format has infinite variations and goes together much more easily than you would imagine by looking at it.

Thoroughly Modern Tri Fold

Thoroughly Modern Tri Fold

I prepared this card for my hostess club last week.  When I showed them the sample of our project, I got the reaction I expected – half  “oooh, ahhh” and half  “you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me!”  The cardstock was cut and scored and they all had a little package of pieces.  By the end of the evening, the cards were all finished and everyone headed out to solicit their own “oooh, ahhh” reactions.

  • Sahara Sand 12×12 Textured cardstock; Whisper White, Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay and Rose Red cardstock; Thoroughly Modern Designer Series Paper (and yes, a teeny scrap of Cool Caribbean – my precious stash)
  • Bermuda Bay Classic Ink pad; Rose Red, Bermuda Bay, and Soft Suede Stampin’ Write Markers
  • All Holidays, Oval All, Wings of Friendship, and Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Sets
  • Big Shot, Daisies #2 Bigz Die, SU Little Leaves Sizzlet
  • Butterfly, Large Oval, 3/4″ circle (base for daisy), 1/2″ circle, Word Window and Modern Label punches
  • Build-a-brad, Aquapainter, Stampin’ Sponges, Pop-Up Glue dots, Bone folder

Try something new today!

I think I can…

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I love this little train.  Must be in my blood.  My dad has been a model railroader since he was a teenager.  Growing up, we never had a garage like all the other families in the neighborhood.  We had an HO scale model railroad.  The garage was enclosed and carpeted complete with stereo, phone service, and a workbench.  And we were NEVER allowed to call it cute.  It was True To Scale.  Lifelike.  Authentic.  On vacations, we would visit the places my dad’s layout represented in true-to-scale, lifelike authenticity.  One year, I noticed that the station on the layout at home didn’t look exactly like the real thing.  Not the first time I should have learned to keep my thoughts and observations to myself.

Anyway, I love trains.  This one seems like a little boy train and would be perfect for a baby card, but I was actually thinking more along the line of Little Engine That Could.  Not exactly true-to-scale and lifelike but absolutely authentic.

Happy Choo Choo

Happiness Train

  • Choo Choo and Hope Happens stamp sets; Right on Track wheel
  • Real Red, Old Olive, Brocade Blue and Basic Black Classic Ink pads and Stampin’ Write Markers
  • Real Red, Old Olive, Kraft, Whisper White and Naturals White cardstock
  • Brocade Blue 5/8″ grosgrain ribbon, Natural twine, and Playground Designer Buttons
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals and Pop-Up glue dots

And yes, my dad still runs trains.  The garage is still home to the HO layout, but there’s now a Garden Railway winding it’s way in and out of my mom’s beautiful flower beds.  Everyone in the family has a business along the railway, too.  You’ll know which one is mine.  Yep.  Anne’s Stampin’ Up!  Only brick and mortar  Stampin’ Up! business outside of Kanab, Utah.

Mokapu Beach September 25

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Kristina Werner posted  yesterday about things she loves. That got me thinking.

I love my morning walk. The sound and smell of the ocean wakes me up, and the constancy of the waves somehow assures me that all is right in the world. I know I’m blessed.

I don’t get it.

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Who makes up the Dormant List?  Some of the stamps that are on the dormant list break my heart.  How about Wonderful Watercolors?

Wonderful Watercolors 113688

Wonderful Watercolors 113688

This set has such a soft, soothing style that caused me to move towards a more vintage look.  I had a “dyed with tea” sort of theme going on in my head as I stamped and moved things around.  The card started looking a little dark, but when I created a background out of the stem image I was satisfied with the color balance.

Vintage Watercolors

Vintage Watercolors

  • Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede and Naturals Ivory cardstock
  • Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede, and Mellow Moss Classic Ink
  • Wonderful Watercolors and Sincere Salutations Stamp sets
  • Wide Oval and handheld rectangle (ret) punches, Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon
  • Aquapainter, Stamp-a-ma-jig and Stampin’ Sponges

You can link to the Dormant List from the sidebar of the blog or by just clicking here.  A word of warning though – the link to the Dormant List is a link to the general Stampin’ Up! customer website and not my Demonstrator Website.  They’re two different places.

Why you should invest in Ink Refills Part I

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Remember this card?  When I started stamping, I began by embossing the cupcakes with clear embossing powder over Chocolate Chip Classic ink with a little Versamark thrown in to make it sticky.  When I was finished with the heat tool, I looked at the image and thought it seemed a little, well, wimpy.  So I pulled out my Ink Refill and gave my Chocolate Chip ink pad a li’l nip.  Same process – Chocolate Chip Classic ink, Versamark, clear embossing powder and heat gun – and WOW.

Which one got the li'l nip? (Actual Unretouched Photo!!)

Which one got the li'l nip? (Actual Unretouched Photo!!)

Next time you sit down to stamp, take a look at your images.  It might be time to take your ink pads out for a drink!

My First Mojo

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Card challenges can be addicting.   They stretch you to try new techniques, layouts, and colors.  Sometimes they go together so easily that you are exhilarated.  Sometimes you push and pull and struggle and end up throwing the whole thing away (well, I do anyway.  It’s just paper.)

I’ve been following the Mojo Monday blog and challenges for a while but haven’t taken the leap.  This week I jumped – just couldn’t resist those scallops along the bottom.  The Mojo bloggers have such awesome samples that it’s a little tough to get started, but it was fun to play with this sketch.

Mojo Monday 105

Mojo Monday 105

  • Blush Blossom and Whisper White cardstock, retired Stampin’ Up! DSP
  • Cameo Coral, Kiwi Kiss Classic Ink
  • Champagne Mist shimmer paint and sponge daubers
  • Crazy for Cupcakes and Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Sets
  • Wide Oval, Scallop edge and 1/16″ circle punches
  • Riding Hood Red taffeta ribbon and Gold cord
  • Stamp-a-ma-jig, crewel needle, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I keep pulling out that darn Kiwi Kiss paper and ink.  I really loved last year’s In Color collection from Stampin’ Up! and I’m having a hard time letting go of it.  Eventually I’ll run out of scraps…but then there will be this year’s In Color collection to deal with.  If it’s not one challenge, it’s another!

Snow Globes

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Here on Maui, a Snow Globe is about as close to winter as we get.  Oh, once about every 10 years or so we get a dusting of snow at the top of Haleakala.  It looks really pretty against our beautiful blue sky, but it doesn’t last.  Honestly, if it gets down to 70° here at sea level, we’re all digging in our closets for our “mainland clothes”.

As a result, I don’t do a whole lotta snowman, snowflake, or wintery cards.  But when Crystal spotted the little snowmen in the snow globe on the back cover of the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Mini Catalog, we both fell in love.  How could you not love a snow globe card?

Shimmery Snow Globe Snowmen

Shimmery Snow Globe Snowmen

  • Bashful Blue, Whisper White and Soft Suede cardstock
  • Bashful Blue, Soft Suede and Basic Black Classic ink
  • Frost White Shimmer Paint and sponge daubers
  • The More the Merrier Level III Hostess set, Season of Joy, and Many Merry Messages stamp sets
  • Soft Suede Polka Dot grosgrain ribbon
  • Colored pencils
  • Card template

That card template is a Stampin’ Up! demo perk.  Our demo website has a library of ideas, patterns and templates to make us each look like a creative genius to our customers.  If you ‘d like your own copy of the template, leave me a comment and I’ll make sure you get one.     The template is now available HERE.  The card fits in a regular A2 envelope (the kind you use for a 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ card).

A cute little box

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Are you tired of seeing cards yet?  This is a simple project that makes a cute small gift.  The box is made from two Scallop Envelopes – exclusive Stampin’ Up! dies – and a couple of small rectangles to fill in the sides.  If you don’t have a Big Shot, you could…well, I just don’t see how you could make something this cute without a Big Shot!

Just for You tote 003_wmk_crop

The cards are 3 x 3 and very simple – stamp, mat and attach.  The box is quick too – attach the envelopes to each other across the bottom, add a couple of sides and voila!  Stamp a sentiment for the front, wrap the ribbon around and attach with a little sticky strip, glue or sew the button on and you’re done.  The envelopes are Stampin’ Up! mini square envelopes.

  • Choo Choo, Teeny Tiny Wishes and Branch Out stamp sets and Right on Track wheel
  • Real Red, So Saffron, and Brocade Blue Classic ink and Close to Cocoa ink cartridge
  • Real Red, So Saffron, Brocade Blue, and Basic Black Stampin’ Write Markers
  • Whisper White, Real Red, So Saffron and Brocade Blue cardstock
  • Big Shot and Scallop Envelope die
  • Oval and Scallop oval punches
  • Real Red narrow grosgrain ribbon, Playground Designer Buttons

Indispensible tools

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Sometimes the best tools are the ones you never see.  Oh, I love that Big Shot.  I love the shapes and letters and boxes.   I really love the textures it creates. But the tools that I love are the ones that make me look good.  Tools like the bone folder that give me smooth creases.   Tools like the piercing tool and template that give me nice, straight lines of evenly spaced holes.  Tools like the Stamp-a-ma-jig that enable me to put images and words (especially words!) right where I want them.  I especially love to pick out just a couple of words or a phrase to personalize my message and the only way to do that is with the SAMJ.   What’s even better, each of these tools can fill in for a number of outside-the-box purposes and none of them take up a whole lotta space.  So there’s my commercial for the un-sung heros of the Stamping Universe.

Embossed_Embrace_Life_crop

  • Embrace Life, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Best Wishes and Teeny Tiny Messages stamp sets
  • Pumpkin Pie, Dusty Durango and Mellow Moss Classic Ink
  • Very Vanilla, Dusty Durango, Mellow Moss, and Pumpkin Pie cardstock, So Saffron DSP (patterns have changed)
  • Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder and Big Shot
  • Piercing tool and template, Linen thread, Stamp a ma jig
  • Fresh Favorites Buttons, 1/2″ circle punch