Dream Big, Baby

This is my masterpiece for today. I made if for my DH, while he was off taking his oral and practical exams for a Commercial Pilot Rating. It's been a long time coming - he's studied and flown for almost as many hours and I've spent stamping!!! I'm so proud of my man.

The plane is a retired set, By Air. I hand drew the outlines, cut out & embossed the prop, put glassy glaze on the little windows to make them pop out. Inside it says "live big."
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STAMP SETS: LOADS OF LOVE ACCESSORIES; BY AIR; THINK BIG; CARDSTOCK: SAHARA SAND, OLD OLIVE, BAHA BREEZE, WHISPER WHITE; INK: SAHARA SAND, BAJA BREEZE, SW MARKERS; ACCESSORIES: SCALLOP EDGE PUNCH, RED BRAD, SU RIBBON.

Princess Monkey

I am on such a shaker card kick!!! Made this gussied-up Sock Monkey for a friends DD's birthday. Pretty eyelashes, earrings, smiling cheeks, and bling on the crown - this monkey is kind of purty, don't you think?
************************************************************************************* STAMP SET: SOCK MONKEY & ACCESSORIES - CROWN IS FROM RET. UNFROGETTABLE; CARDSTOCK: REGAL ROSE, PINK PIROUETTE, BASIC BLACK, WHISPER WHITE; INK: BLACK STAZ-ON, GOING GREY, PRETTY IN PINK & YOYO YELLOW SW MARKERS; ACCESSORIES: FIRE SQUARE RHINESTONES, WIDE PINK PIROUETTE RIBBON, WHITE GEL PEN, TOP NOTE DIE, WHITE GEL PEN, RECLAIMED PLASTIC FOR WINDOW SHEET

Shake-it Bear

I wasn't going to post this ... because autumn colors and leaves are "out of season" and all ... but I couldn't help myself. It's my very latest & greatest. I'm on a shaker card kick after the Sock Monkey below. For the longest time, I avoided even trying shaker cards - they looked soooo complicated, but guess what?! They're not that tough after all! The hardest part of this one was creating the little leaves - they're stamped on shrinkey dink, colored, cut out, and baked. But, they're perfect, don't you think?

The inspiration here is my dad (Ted - aka T-Bear) who spent his weekend raking leaves with his kids and grandkids. I live too far away to have been there, so I suppose this is my way to participate vicariously.
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STAMP SET: UNDER THE STARS, AUTUMN HARVEST, CANVAS BG; CARDSTOCK: MORE MUSTARD, CLOSE TO COCOA, WHISPER WHITE; INK: MORE MUSTARD, CHOCOLATE CHIP; ACCESSORIES: WATERCOLOR PENCILS, RET. HARDWARE, DOUBLE STITCHED CHOCOLATE CHIP RIBBON, SHRINKEY DINK, AND THE WINDOW IS FROM A RECYCLED CLAMSHELL BOX!

HAPPY NEW YEAR ... of stampin!

Well - one of the most wonderful holiday seasons ever is over. I didn't mail as many hand-made cards (complete with adorable current family pictures) out as I wanted. But, I stamped my tush off and made some adorable gifts for family & friends. Even better, I was blessed with the wonderful, warm chaos of tons & tons of family - mom, dad, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, friends, dogs ... the works! I am so grateful for every minute of it!!!

But, it's over, and the New Year is here! Yippee!!! I've gotten a great start on a couple of my resolutions already! I worked out, called some friends I've mean to call, spent 1-on-1 time with my son, spent a morning stamping, and blogged a post! 2009 is lookin' good already!
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STAMP SET: SOCK MONKEY, CHEERS TO YOU, HOLIDAYS & WISHES: CARDSTOCK: BASIC BLACK, GOING GRAY, WHISPER WHITE; INK: STAZ ON BLACK AND PINK PASSION, PRETTY IN PINK, & SO SAFFRON SW MARKERS; ACCESSORIES: CHUNKY GLITTER, WHITE GEL PEN, RIBBON ORIGINALS (RET)

"But I'm not a Christmas Set!"

All this blogging must really be subconscious procrastination of my endless list of projects, including: our own family Christmas Cards (to make, address, write in, take pictures for, and mail), gifts, thank you notes, club projects, etc. But, what the heck ... I want to post a few non-Christmas-sets. I just love when I learn how to use a stamp set in an "out-of-the-clamshell-case" kind of way. This is a case of a card by detour3 on scs. There is a gold embossed sentiment inside.
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STAMP SET: DOODLE THIS; INK: VERSAMARK; CARDSTOCK: HANDSOME HUNTER, REAL RED, BRUSHED GOLD; ACCESSORIES: CORNER NOTCH PUNCH, GOLD EP, BRADS.

Christmas Card*inal, Take 4

This was our Stamp Club project from last night ... and my last take on a Cardinal Christmas for a while. I've been truly inspired by this set, and have used it SO MUCH. It's one of those absolute classics for me - I hope it makes it into the new catalog! For this technique, stamp the holly image in VersaMark on a Pacific Point panel, dust with Winter White Embossing Powder, and use the heating tool to set the embossing powder. Then, appy VersaMark over the entire panel, and emboss with Irridescent Ice Embossing Powder. It's so beautiful & shimmery in real life!**************************************
STAMP SET: A CARDINAL CHRISTMAS; INK: VERSAMARK, BAJA BREEZE; CARDSTOCK: BAJA BREEZE, PACIFIC POINT, WHISPER & SHIMMERY WHITE; ACCESSORIES: TICKET CORNER PUNCH, VINTAGE BRADS, JOIN THE CHEER DECORATIVE STRIP DIE

Christmas Card*inal, Take 3

Here's a suprisingly lovely no-layer card. The reverse masking technique and tear of the right-hand edge give it dimension that belies the fact that there are no layers to this card. I threw a bunch of these together for a door prize.

For the reverse masking, make a mask by cutting an oval out of the center of a card-front sized piece of scrap cardstock. Place this mask on your cardfront, and hold in place while you sponge Old Olive onto the card. Keeping the mask in place, stamp an image - I used the holly stamp and kept the Old Olive color light by stamping off once onto scrap, then stamping inside the oval. Then, just remove the mask, and stamp a focal image in a darker color on top.
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STAMP SET: A CARDINAL CHRISTMAS
CARDSTOCK: NATURAL WHITE
INK: OLD OLIVE, BASIC BLACK
ACCESSORIES: OLD OLIVE POLYTWILL RIBBON

Christmas Card*inal, Take 2

I really LOVE this card. I can't put my finger on it, but it's lovely, classy, and simple!! It's a CASE of a KristaTracy card I saw on scs. I used Real Red, double stitched Chocolate Chip ribbon and a Botique button. The Top Note Die for my SU Big Shot cuts this lovely Kraft panel in no time!!!
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STAMP SET: A CARDINAL CHRISTMAS
CARDSTOCK: REAL RED, KRAFT
INK: REAL RED & CHOCOLATE CHIP CLASSIC
ACCESSORIES: TOP NOTE DIE, DOUBLE STITCHED CHOCOLATE CHIP RIBBON, BUTTON BOTIQUE

Christmas Card*inal, Take 1

Thanksgiving is over, and Christmastime is officially here!!! But I know I'd better get a move-on with my projects. My usual crafting time has been drastically cut back this year. My son's 8th birthday (& party) is coming up next week, we're having a SIL and her 3 kids stay in town for over a week, my Stamp Club to prepare for, family Christmas Pictures to take & develop, and 40 cards to stamp and send. Plus, there's the decorating, wrapping & mailing of gifts. Yikes.

But I'm still not set on a design. Here's Take 1 - a Free Standing Pop Up Card, and I've wanted to try one forever, but it looked too complicated. Guess what?! It's really VERY simple, thanks to this splitcoaststampers tutorial . I've used my favorite set from the Holiday Mini - A Cardinal Christmas - and a Faux Stained Glass Technique.
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STAMP SET: A CARDINAL CHRISTMAS
CARDSTOCK: OLD OLIVE, BASIC BLACK, WHISPER WHITE, VELLUM CARDSTOCK
INK: OLD OLIVE, CHOCOLATE CHIP, REAL RED, SO SAFFRON SW MARKERS
ACCESSORIES: OLD OLIVE WIDE GROSGRAIN RIBBON, BLACK HEMP TWINE, BLACK DETAIL EMBOSSING POWDER, HEAT TOOL, STICKY STRIP

Elf Packaging

There are genius stampers out there ... with artistic eyes that can look at the Bag on a Box pattern below ... and translate it into the most adorable Santa, Mrs. Claus, and Elf bags. I am not one of those genius ladies ... though I can do a pretty good CASE! I saw these by Patti Lee on splitcoaststampers.com & added real Hodgepodge buckles, Pretties pearls & Boquet buttons. TFS, PattiLee!***************CARDSTOCK: REAL RED, BASIC BLACK, OLD OLIVE, TEXTURED WHISPER WHITE; ACCESSORIES: SCALLOP EDGE, ROUND TAB & SCALLOP CIRCLE PUNCH, KIWI KISS RIBBON, BUTTON BOQUET, BUILD-A-BRAD, PRETTIES KIT

Bag on a Box

Hello, again! I'm back! Here's one of my Stamp Club projects from last week - it's an adorable Bag on a Box Gift Bag. The tutorial came from splitcoaststampers.com resource forum. This is just a simple, easy and FAST project ... and what a way to package your gifts this season.
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CARDSTOCK: REAL RED, BAJA BREEZE, CHOCOLATE CHIP DSDP; ACCESSORIES: BAJA BREEZE STRIPED RIBBON, ROUND TAB PUNCH, SCALLOP EDGE PUNCH, BUILD A BRAD, SNOW FLURRIES, GEL PEN, AND LOTS OF STICKY STRIP!

Mini-Man in Summer Sun

Well, this has to be one of my absolute favorite projects! This is my son, Ranger, dressed as a Lego mini-man.

I color matched the little plastic guy to our exclusive colors and Summer Sun is the perfect mini-figure shade!! The head is a recycled toy packaging, lined with Summer Sun 12" x 12" textured cardstock. I cut out the glasses with my SU Hobby Blade, and put a panel of Whisper White behind the glasses, with holes punched with my 1 3/8" Circle Punch. His hands were free cut, laminated, and then I used coordinating Summer Sun brads to secure elastic to the cardstock. This lazer is Basic Grey!

We all had such fun with this costume - I love my SU! and my adorable mini-man!

MEMORIES (of all sizes) BEGIN WITH THIS

YIPPEE! After long last, I've got an official Crop Night! I've found a small group of fun, friendly girls, and we got together at the neighborhood clubhouse to scrapbook.

I demonstrated a 6" x 6" scrapbook page, and let the other croppers make one of their own. The Bonus Layout on the Demo Website was perfect for these pictures of my happy Reesie-Pie and his favorite pool noodle.

I love putting on events like this, because it challenges me to create - to complete pages & preserve these beautiful memories piling up so fast.

I wanted to take the original page into larger sized layouts. Here, I added pictures of Rylee and Ranger, more rub-ons, chipboard dates and what I think is an awesome circle collage at the bottom - see the textured cardstock, covered chipboard, Build-a-Brad tops, and crystal effects dots.

Next, up to a 12" x 12" layout. Another picture - this time all 3 of my little darlings in the pool together, swimming with those famous noodles. I added Pacific Point stitched ribbon, another half circle, and a few more of my Crystal Effects droplets.

I can't tell which one is my favorite - but I can say I've gotten 3 pages done even BEFORE the crop starts, and I'm pretty happy about that!

STAMP CLUB - August

I'll admit, I hadn't stamped too much since coming home from Convention. We had family trips, appointments, and the back-to-school chaos. There's nothing like an upcoming Stamp Club meeting to get me motivated again.

Here are our stamp club projects - are they gorgeous? The bookmark was a convention project - I just changed up the colors and Designer Papers. The card is a case of the Embrace Life card on page 91 of the Fall/Winter 08 catty - down to the bleaching technique behind the main image. Bleaching our heavywieght cardstock brings a different look to different colors: Blush Blossoms turns white: Sage Shadow turns a perfect vanilla; and apparently Not Quite Navy turns grey! It's a fun technique to experiment with.
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STAMP SET: EASTERN BLOOMS, CARDSTOCK: NOT QUITE NAVY, BASIC GREY, KIWI KISS, WHISPER WHITE; INK: BASIC GREY, KIWI KISS, BAJA BREEZE; ACCESSORIES: BASIC GRAY TAFFETA RIBBON, BUTTON BOUQUET, CRYSTAL EFFECTS

New Catty Glee

Well, I know I've been quiet lately. Don't want to bore you all with my trips, travels, turmoils. Just now getting around to posting some of my convention pictures. Here's my mom and I, pouring over the beautiful, brand-new Catalog. See how happy it makes us?!