Tag Archives: Woodgrain

A Home for the Birds

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If you’ve followed me for any time at all, you likely have guessed that I love birds. Their songs wake me in the morning and draw me outside during the day.   In the middle of a walk or hike I’ve been known to stop in order to peer into the trees at the sound of a new voice.  It  shouldn’t be a terrible surprise to learn that I’ve been playing around with the idea of a bird house:

Maui Stamper Home for the BirdsThis is my first attempt but I can assure you it’s not my last – I have a lot of ideas in my head!  I wanted to see what worked in terms of construction techniques and proportions.  I’m not sure I would make another bird house this large, but then again, I surprise myself sometimes 🙂

Maui Stamper Home for the BirdsI used both the Woodgrain Background stamp and the Wood grain TIEF to create, well, wood grain (um, I think that’s a giant DUH.)  I used the stamp on the walls of the house, but for the roof I wanted more texture.  The Texture Boutique Embossing Machine made short work of adding wood grain texture to my card stock.  (I’m sorry to say that this product was available for a limited time, and will not be available again until June 1.)  A little sponging helps that texture stand out even more, and also adds dimension to corners and openings.

Maui Stamper Home for the BirdsI added a few of the tiniest butterflies from the Beautiful Wings Embosslit to the front, and rolled up a sliver of card stock to create a perch at the front door.  (The photo above is just crooked enough to make me a little dizzy!)

Maui Stamper Home for the BirdsI was going for a “climbing vine” look on this side, and if you are an imaginative sort of person perhaps that’s the look you’ll see.

There will be more bird houses!  I’ve got a lot of ideas and a few adjustments to try.  I would LOVE your constructive feedback and suggestions, so comment away!

 

 

Takin’ a break from holidays

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Feels as though I’ve been crafting in orange-and-black, red-and-green for DAYS.  I needed a change of palette!

Maui Stamper Lovely As A Tree Mojo311

  • Lovely as a Tree, Woodgrain and Express Yourself (hostess) stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Soft Sky, Gumball Green, Baked Brown Sugar and Marina Mist card stock
  • Baked Brown Sugar, So Saffron, Soft Sky and Marina Mist FFIP
  • Baked Brown Sugar and Gumball Green Stampin’ Write markers
  • 2 1/2 inch circle punch
  • Sponge Daubers
  • Soft Sky Seam Binding
  • Distressing tool

Love that distressing tool.  I call it the shredder.  Most of the FFIP were just a source of ink for the daubers, and I markered the trees.

Maui Stamper Lovely As A Tree Mojo311I used this week’s Mojo Monday sketch – Mojo311 – as the basis for this card.  Tomorrow it will be back to designing for classes, clubs and events – but tonight it was nice to take a little break.

Songbirds and Smooch Spritz

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I have to admit – this card doesn’t look like the card in my head.  Unfortunately, the one in my head refuses to present itself on paper right now.  Perhaps you’ll have an idea that will help me put that right!

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Simply Sketched Songbird

  • Simply Sketched (hostess) and Woodgrain stamp sets
  • Soft Suede FFIP
  • Baked Brown Sugar, Pear Pizazz and So Saffron Stampin’ Write markers
  • Very Vanilla, Pear Pizazz, Baked Brown Sugar and Crumb Cake card stock
  • Vanilla Smooch Spritz
  • Natural Ribbon trim
  • Vintage Trinkets
  • Linen thread (I panic if I don’t have at least 2 extra packages of this at all times!)
  • Daffodil Delight Seam Binding
  • Big Shot, Ovals Framelits and Lattice TIEF
  • Designer Naturals Buttons
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals

Vanilla Smooch Spritz is my new BFF.  I am having serious withdrawals from a certain sparkley spray That Shall Not Be Named.  There are some products I find it difficult to let go of when they retire.  Oh well.  This too shall pass.  Vanilla Smooch Spritz it is.

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Simply Sketched SongbirdLove this texture!!!  My whole purpose in making this card was to use these three products together.

Did you notice that I used a So Saffron marker but Daffodil Delight Ribbon.  As much as we all pride ourselves on how perfectly Stampin’ Up! matches colors, sometimes it doesn’t have to be perfect.  (SHOCKING.  I KNOW.)  Ribbon is a “perfectly” good example of that.

Well.  That was a pathetic attempt at I-don’t-know-what.  I think that’s a sign we’re done here.

 

One more Manly Card

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Earlier in May I hosted a Manly Card class.  I don’t know about you, but cards you can send to a man, or for men to send to other men, are the most challenging for me to design.  I want to add ribbon, or sparkle, or at least a little button.  The cards in this class had none of that (well, one of them used that fabulous Natural Trim ribbon, but it’s practically rope.)

This is card No. 5:

Maui Stamper Manly Card Class Feeling Sentimental

  • Woodgrain, Feeling Sentimental (SAB) and Itty Bitty Banners stamp sets
  • Very Vanilla, Island Indigo and Riding Hood Red card stock
  • More Mustard, Riding Hood Red and Island Indigo FFIP
  • Fanfare DSP
  • Bitty Banners Framelits
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals

This is a super simple layout but it’s a great way to feature textures and colors without getting too busy.  While the Fanfare DSP has some very feminine paperes, many of them work surprisingly well on a masculine card.

 

A little Core’dination

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I realize I’m a Stampin’ Up! dork.  Someone asked me today to imagine how I would respond to something if I weren’t a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator and I couldn’t do it.  Couldn’t imagine NOT being a demo.  Couldn’t imagine NOT having access to the SU website, NOT going to convention and all the other great events, not being part of the “demonstrator club”.  So it should come as no surprise What So Ever that I am doing the Happy Dance about yet another new Holiday catalog product!

  • Gently Falling and Kindness Matters stamp sets
  • Very Vanilla, More Mustard and Cajun Craze card stock
  • Early Espresso Core’dination card stock
  • Early Espresso, Canjun Craze and More Mustard Classic ink pads
  • Big Shot
  • Woodgrain TIEF
  • Window Frames Framelits
  • Regals Designer Buttons
  • Linen Thread
  • Stampin’ Sandin’ System

Oh my goodness.  LOVE this Core’dinations paper!!   LOVE that Woodgrain TIEF!!  Love the Stampin’ Sandin’ System!!  (OK, maybe I don’t love the name, but the product – yeah, baby!)  And if Stampin’ Up! ever retires the Linen Thread, I will buy up every last package in the warehouse.

The Core’dinations paper does amazing things with a TIEF.  It’s thicker than regular cardstock and has a tone-on-tone interior.  Run it through the Big Shot and you’ll see the core peep through, but hit it with that new sanding block and fabulous things take place.  This is not your grandmother’s sanding block, crafters; this is a sanding block on steroids!  And the sandy goodness attaches with velcro so you can switch out the yucky old paper for fresh, growly, chew-up-that-core’dinations paper!

Are you a Stampin’ Up! dork?  Isn’t it time you gave yourself the gift of becoming a demonstrator?  $99 for $125 worth of product PLUS a heap of business supplies…you’re worth it!   Visit www.AnneMatasci.StampinUp.net to learn all about it.

Sunset sail

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I’m sorry that this single sailboat stamp retired.  I love the image, and it lends itself to a lot of fun techniques.  There must be a few of you who bought it and are still looking for ways to use it, right?

Sunset sail

  • A Note of Thanks, Wonderfully Worn, Woodgrain (ret) and Sail Away (ret) stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Pear Pizazz and Not Quite Navy card stock
  • Pear Pizazz, Soft Suede and Not Quite Navy Classic ink pads
  • Not Quite Navy, Rich Razzleberry, Calypso Coral, More Mustard and So Saffron Classic ink pads (sunset)
  • Stampin’ Sponges
  • Big Shot and 3 inch circle Originals die

The sunset is just Stampin’ Sponges tapped on the Classic ink pad and dragged across the cardstock circle.  I stamped the sailboat image first, created my background, and then stamped the sailboat again on a scrap of Whisper White and cut out the sails.  It was easier to piece them than to try to mask them and keep them in place with all of that dragging!

Wow cards: Tre

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This final WOW card is based on a swap I received from Sacha Wilson at convention:

Bird house card

  • Woodgrain and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp sets
  • River Rock, Soft Suede, Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke, Basic Black and Pumpkin Pie card stock
  • River Rock and Soft Suede classic ink pads
  • XL 2 Step Bird, Medium Jewelry Tag, Bitty Flower, Wide oval and Scallop Border Trim punches
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals and Mini Glue dots
  • Stampin’ Sponges and Rhinestone jewels
  • Basic Black and Riding Hood Red Stampin’ Write markers
  • Unibal Signo White Gel pen
  • Riding Hood Red taffeta ribbon

We all got a little giddy with this card.  Cheryl said she was going to make this for her Christmas card, but Robbie and I convinced her that she should just make two – one for each of us.  We all started telling stories about the cards we had made that nearly drove us insane…Denny had us all cracking up about the Santa card with the bazillion little HAND CUT pieces.  What on earth makes us think we want to make dozens of cards like that?  I’ve done it too!

How could you not love this little bird at Christmas??

Bird house bird

Not gonna do it.  Nope.  Cheryl, I’m passing on the torch.

A Paper Carrot for Peter

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I’ve been on a basket theme lately.  There was the basket class, and the basket club, and a few other baskets that I did just for fun.  Here’s one from the class:

  • Teeny Tiny Wishes, Woodgrain and Forest Friends stamp sets
  • Pumpkin Pie, Peach Parfait, Early Espresso and Whisper White card stock
  • Play Date and Ice Cream Parlor (SAB) Designer Series Papers
  • Pumpkin Pie and Early Espresso Classic ink pads; Versamark ink pad
  • 1 1/4, 1 3/8, 1 3/4 inch circle punches; 2 1/2 inch scallop circle punch
  • Crop-a-dile and Pear Pizazz Seam Binding
  • Embossing powder and heat tool; Pearl Jewels; Stampin’ Sponge
  • Big Shot and Petal Cone Bigz die

I’m still on my “carrot” kick, and I’ll confess I had a lot of fun with this project.  I thought the Woodgrain background stamp was perfect for carrot texture.

Looks like I need to find some tangerine Jelly Bellies to put in a cello bag and tuck into the cone.  Actually, I need to bring Jelly Bellies into my house about as much as I need the proverbial hole in my head.  I’m a nibbler, and little candies like Jelly Bellies or Dove Chocolate eggs (Dark Chocolate, please) or little snack size ANYTHINGS are my downfall.  I’ve actually purchased some Easter candy, but it’s well hidden.  I purchased it because when you live on a small island if you see something you want you’d better buy it Now.  Heaven forbid we arrive at Easter and the only things left on Mr. Safeway’s shelves are the yucky kind of jelly beans and Peeps.

Speaking of Peeps…I don’t eat them, my kids don’t eat them, but I generally buy a package for each kid and put them in their baskets just to be silly.  About 5 years ago, I took a group of high-school aged Girl Scouts to camp and at the last minute threw in a couple of boxes of Peeps with the marshmellows for our campfire.  Honestly, you have never seen anything so strange as a roasted Peep – except perhaps for the look on Cheryl’s face when she decided to eat one.  (I have no idea what posessed her to attempt such a thing.)  According to Cheryl, not only are roasted Peeps vile, but they do this kind of foaming thing.  I wouldn’t know.

Honestly…I’d better quit now.  Such a ridiculous story, and I haven’t even gotten to the part about the Roasted-Peep contest at my son’s birthday party.

 

 

 

Keeping it simple for the guys

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When I think of masculine cards, I think simple.  I’m not saying men are simple; rather, they appreciate simplicity.  Perhaps there would be an exception for home theater systems, but when it comes to cards I think we’re safe with a pared down style:

Masculine birthday woodgrain

  • Punch Bunch (Sale-a-bration) and Woodgrain stamp sets
  • Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso card stock
  • A scrap of Early Espresso Designer Series Paper
  • Early Espresso and Cherry Cobbler Classic ink pads
  • Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding
  • Scallop Square punch and Stampin’ Dimensionals

If you look closely, you can see I used the ink pad directly on the Espresso card stock to create a little visual texture.  An embossing folder and the Big Shot would create a stronger contrast, but I was striving for super-simple on this card and I think I found it.  It took longer to cut the paper than it did to put the card together!

Builder Dan pulled up this afternoon and I just about fainted.  I have been putting things back where they belong and cleaning up like a mad woman for the past few days and I told him he couldn’t run his big saw-dusty-saw in my driveway ANY MORE.  He just laughed.  He was stopping by to see how things were looking and to drop off some paperwork.  Truth be told, I missed those three guys yesterday morning – you could set your watch by them.   It’s ok, though – I’ll cope.

 

 

Not quite pink and red

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It feels like it’s been such a long time since I’ve had inky fingers!  I have a couple of projects on the desktop that I can’t share quite yet, but here’s a quick and easy Valentine with a different color palette:

  • Cute by the Inch and Woodgrain stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Chocolate Chip and Poppy Parade card stock
  • Baja Breeze and Poppy Parade Classic ink pads
  • Baja Breeze Seam Binding
  • Basic Rhinestone jewels and Stamp-a-ma-jig

Will you forgive me for being so fussy as to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig with Clear Mount stamps?  I am picky, picky, picky about squares being lined up.  I eyeballed the positioning twice and threw the results in the trash twice.  Other than getting my squares in a row, this is a very simple card for Valentine’s Day or just to say I love you.

There’s a Whisper White panel on the inside.  You can write on Poppy Parade with a dark pen or marker, but I like the clean look that the white panel adds.  It has absolutely nothing to do with my vision.  Really.

I got a new Point-and-Shoot camera for Christmas, but as you can see, my photos aren’t much better.  Operator error, or perhaps just Operator Learning Curve.  So much to do and just not enough time in which to get it done!!  I shall persevere, I promise – I like taking photos too much.

Perhaps I’ll practice on Captain Stupidhead.