Unraveling the twine

Posted on September 27, 2010 by mauistamper

It’s Day Three of the RemARKable Holiday Madness blog tour and I think it’s about time I started moving through the holidays, don’t you? I’m still living large with my Attitude of Gratitude, so it makes sense for me to share a couple of thankful-type cards with you.

This card makes me feel really, really happy. I’m happy with the colors, I’m happy with the fuzzy ends of the hemp twine, I’m happy with that gorgeous brad, and I’m just flat out happy with the way it looks:

Paisley Prints and So Many Thanks stamp sets
Very Vanilla, Cajun Craze, Chocolate Chip, Peach Parfait and So Saffron card stock
Cajun Craze, Chocolate Chip, Peach Parfait and So Saffron Classic ink pads
Cajun Craze and Peach Parfait Stampin’ Write markers
Big Shot and Lattice Impressions Folder
Hemp Twine and Antique brad

I love all these textures! Of all the different elements in a card I think it’s texture that gives the most interest. There are so many ways to add dimension and I think I’ve hit a mother lode of them here: the twine, the multiple colors, the Big Shot texture, the torn edges, and the brad.

Oh, that brad!! I put a hole in the Very Vanilla panel and tied the twine through the hole and around the card. Then I had the brilliant idea (if I do say so myself) of putting that brad through the hole, but the ends of the twine looked funny…kind of stiff…and, well, moustachey. I started to fiddle with them and they began to unravel, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Versamark goodness

Posted on September 5, 2010 by mauistamper

I was going back through some old posts and discovered to my great chagrin that I had repeated a post. Auwe! And no, I’m not going to tell you which one it was. As we used to taunt each other when I was a kid (back in the day before there was dirt) “That’s for me to know and for you to find out!”

On the flip side, I discovered that I hadn’t posted everything I’d intended. This should give you a little insight into the moderately organized chaos that is my life. I really work hard at being organized, but I’m far from perfect.

Paisley Prints and So Many Thanks stamp sets
Soft Suede, Whisper White, Peach Parfait, Pear Pizazz and Pretty in Pink card stock
Versamark ink pad; Soft Suede classic in pad
Heart, Jewelry tag and Bitty punches
Piercing tool, template and mat
Linen Thread; Pearl jewels

Sometimes I forget how easy it is to work with the Versamark pad. When I first started stamping, it was my best friend in the world – any color, any time. Now I take it for granted unless I want to emboss something and need that sticky Versa-Goodness.

Don’t miss that little sticky pearl on the Bitty Bit. Those sheets of pearls and rhinestones last so long I think they’re doing the “socks in the laundry” trick. Every time I go to get another one it looks like they’ve invited friends over. Maybe I need to put up a video camera in the craft room….oooh, there’s a scary thought!

Embarassing the kids from 2,440 miles away

Posted on July 29, 2010 by mauistamper

You know that feeling when you’re on information overload and your brain is bouncing ideas and pictures and emotions around the inside of your head like countless superballs ricocheting around? That’s what my head has been like this week. It’s an exciting, crazy, even frightening place…but of course the inside of my head is almost always in one of those states. Having all three co-existing at once is…well…exciting, crazy and even frightening!

Convention was an amazing, inspiring and highly memorable experience on many levels. Personally, I had a wonderful time meeting so many other talented demonstrators and spending time with my friend Robbie. You learn a great deal about someone when you travel with her. We laughed and explored and learned and celebrated and ate and drank and fell into bed exhausted every night, only to jump up early the next day in order to do it all over again. I took her on some mis-guided adventures – she kindly referred to them as “walkabouts” – and we made the best of a miserable airline delay on the way home. Better than that, we found our alter-egos. Yes, we were children of the 70’s and the Stampin’ Up! Flower Power party was one groovy blast from the past. I even managed to embarass my son from 2,440 miles away.

Every day there was new inspiration. Our fellow demonstrators submitted astonishing artwork for display, the Stampin’ Up! Creative Genius department had ideas that knocked our socks off, and we swapped with some of the most talented and innovative paper-crafters in the world. That’s a lot of inspiration! I’m hoping to share with you some of the incredible swaps I received at convention, but I won’t publish them here until I have the permission of the artist. In the meantime, I can share with you some of the Make-and-Takes we did at convention. Our M&T session wasn’t until the morning of the third day of convention, and by then you’d better believe my hands were itchin’ to stamp!

This uses the single stamp So Many Thanks with Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight and Real Red cardstock and ink. The little package tied with ribbon is an envelop for a 6×6 card folded in half and made into a portfolio for the cards. Quick and easy and very cute…this is a project I’ll do again with a variety of colors. Wouldn’t you like to be my hostess and receive a hostess gift like this? Call me and we can make it happen!