View of the Seasons

I saw some images posted online with this really great die.   When I was at my local scrapbook store, Eclectica, the other day, I noticed they carried it and I couldn't resist.   It's the Small Madison Window die from Poppy Stamps.   This is my first product from this company and I have to say I'm very pleased. 

I partnered the die with a great classic Stampin' Up set that I picked up "gently used" called Changing Seasons.   I stamped using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with my Copic markers.   Add a few Stampin' Up Dimensionals and a corner rounder and voila.   It's simple, but I love the effect.   This was one of the card sets we included in my son's teacher's gift I posed about on Wednesday.   I think I'll have to make more of these just because....

Teacher's Appreciation Week - Part 2

If you didn't get to see Monday's post, take a minute and look back.

Here's the gift we put together for my son's teacher.  It's a recipe card box.  The box itself is by CTMH and I altered it using paper by 7 Gypsies.   The book sitting behind the recipe box was my inspiration.  It's a binder in which I keep my recipes and I had some matching recipe cards that I wanted to use for this project.  I added some ribbon and metal accents. I believe those metal accents are by EK Success, but it's been a while since I purchased those.  I don't store my supplies in their packaging.  

Here's a picture of the box filled with cards along with the recipe cards and dividers.  I made the dividers using red Stampin' Up card stock and labels punched from the 7 Gypsies cardstock using the Stampin' Up flower petals punch.   My son picked out all of greeting cards that filled up the rest of the box.

Here's a picture where you can see the inside of the box and the recipe cards along with the dividers.   I used Gaffer tape to reinforce the hinge.   The Gaffer tape is also from 7 Gypsies.  I used Mod Podge to adhere all of the paper to the box, but I only covered the back of the papers.   The outside of the box feels like paper and doesn't have a sheen.

Here's a close up of the inside.  I tried to finish off the box nicely on the inside too so it would be enjoyable all the way around.
 

Teacher's Appreciation Week - Part 1

Last week was Teacher's Appreciation Week at our school. When I taught card making classes at the school the week before, my daughter's teacher mentioned a gift of cards she once received and how she cherished them.   The hint was well received and we made her a gift of cards. 

I wish we would have had more time for my little 8 year old girl and I to collaborate or more cards.  Here are three cards that's the product of both of our efforts. Angeline stamped and colored these gorgeous images.  I finished them off into cards that we ended up including in the teacher's gift. The set is called Holiday Lineup by Stampin' Up.   I used some Stampin' Up designer series paper, Stampin' Up Cardstock and some printed scrapbook paper by K & Company for the rest of the card.   So these three cards were included in the tin and Angeline got to pick from the my stash to fill up the rest of the tin.

I also have to tell you a little story.   I have a very talented friend in Texas that's also a Stampin' Up demo, Joan Robertson.  She has a fantastic blog that you should check out. Clicky  We met through an online board called Scrapshare and I've had the pleasure of scrapping with her at retreats.   She had a little contest recently and the winner could pick from one of her retired stamp sets.   Well, I won and just knew Angeline would love this set.  Sure enough, she did.  She was giddy when it arrived and couldn't wait to stamp and color.   Thank you Joan for your generosity.

I picked up the tin from Hobby Lobby.  The top half of the tin was colored using alcohol inks by Ranger/Tim Holtz, The paper on the bottom half of the tin is Designer Series Paper from Stampin' Up.  The flowers are Prima and the brad in the middle of the flowers is by Stampin' Up.   I picked up the ribbon at a craft store and don't recall the brand.   I unpackage all my ribbon unless it's a larger roll like Stampin' Up.  The paper is applied with Mod Podge.  I added the ribbon using Scor Tape.  I'm loving Scor Tape.  It's a great product.  It really sticks and is so easy to use. The flower is held on with a combination of Scor Tape and Glossy Accents by Ranger/Tim Holtz used as an adhesive.

The divider cards that you can see in the first picture above were made from Crate Paper printed scrapbook paper, a corner rounder, and Stampin' Up's tag punch. 

Here's a close up of the tin. 

Check back to see what my son's teacher received.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all moms near and far including my mom and my mother-in-law.

The printed paper is by Stampin' Up.  I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder to emboss the banner.   The border punch is by EK Success.  the shape punches are all Stampin' Up.   And the greeting was created on my computer and printed. I used Stampin' Up Dimensionals to raise all of the punched elements.

Vintage Harley - MOJO238

I can't believe I finally managed to do another MOJO Monday card sketch.  With as busy as life gets for this working Mom, this seems to happen once in a blue moon.  I do want to take the time to do sketch and color challenges more frequently.  They're really fun.   Here's the card I came up with the MOJO238 sketch. 

A lot was involved in this card.  I was determined to make a masculine card and use embossed metal.   I picked up some Quickutz metal sheets that have an adhesive layer on the back.  I ran it through a Cuttlebug embossing folder and inked it up using Tim Holtz/Ranger Alcohol Inks and Versa Magic Liquid Chalk.   I rubbed some of the extra off of the raised portion using some Alcohol Blending Solution (Tim Holtz/Ranger product) and a simple white eraser.

The alternating squares (or circles rather) were made using several punches and Stampin' Up Cardstock.   I used Creative Memories star punches, a Creative Memories circle punch, and a 1 1/8" EK Success circle punch.  I added a little subtle shading to the yellow Cajun Craze (retired SU color) stars and the Always Artichoke green circles using Stampin' Up dye ink and those wonderful artist sponges that Stampin' Up also sells.

The accent image is stamped using this great vintage motorcycle stamp by Bombshell Stamps and colored with Copics.  I stamped using Tuxedo Black Mememto Ink.  The orange shading on the circle is done with Dusty Durango SU dye ink (retired color).  I added additional circles of Night of Navy cardstock and a silver circle cut out of the same metal I used for the squares.   The tags were cut using an original Sizzix die.  The brad is by Karen Foster.  The ribbon, card base, and greeting stamps are all Stampin' Up. 

Here's the cards sketch from MOJO Monday - Sketch MOJO238

Triple Layer Flower Cards

It's been incredibly busy for me and my blog feels neglected.   Here are some cards from my archives that I made last Fall.  I just had to had that flower stamp when Stampin Up came out with it.  I love how you can use the punches to quickly create a three layered look (or more).

Other than a couple of ribbon scraps and a couple of Cuttlebug Embossing folders, all supplies and tools are Stampin' Up

Here are some close ups.  I stamped the inside of the cards too. 

Tag: Wonderfully Wonky Birthday Cake

This is for a swap on Scrapshare.  The group is to make 7 and I chose a birthday theme.   I started with this great cake die from Quickutz and it reminded me of some of Tim Burton's movies.  I used that as inspiration for the background.   I created the frame using Make the Cut (MTC) software and cut it with my KNK Zing.  This one took me a while to get done, but I love the results.  

The printed papers are from Basic Grey's Green at Heart collection.  The cake stand is made out of this glossy pearl paper that I picked up at the art department.  The black cardstock is by American Crafts.  Every single colored piece is inked with Tim Holtz / Ranger Distress Inks.  It's very subtle inking but just enough shading to give the pieces some dimension and life.

I used a lot of bling and glitter on these.  The Quickutz die has a lot of voids in great patterns.  I took advantage of those voids and either added bling or glitter.   The glittered is applied by running a backing paper through the Xyron face up and then applying very fine craft glitter. 

Here's the entire grouping.   I love this look.  I made 7 for the swap and a few extra for cards. 

The swap called for the back to be finished too.   I used a 6x6 background stamp by Impression Obsession on the back of the scrap piece from cutting the green frame on the front of the tag.   I stamped using Stampin Up's Lucky Limeade Classic Ink and sponged the outsides with the same ink. 

I couldn't resist this shot as I finally compiled all the birthday cakes.  

Love Tag

This is another tag for a swap hosted by JenniferD on Scrapshare.   The swap is for a single embellished large tag.   The theme for this group was to add a quote or sentiment.   I wanted to do a white on white tag and found a great stamp for it.

The stamp is a clear stamp by Fiskars.  I used Memento ink.  the papers are Very Vanilla and Close to Cocoa by Stampin up and some beige shimmer paper that I picked up in the art department at the craft store.   Dies used include Spellbinders and Quickuts for the swirls.   The accents include Ribbon by Stampin' Up, Prima flowers, Stampin' Up brads, and pearl accents.  Lastly, I used a Tim Hotz/Sizzix embossing folder for the textured back ground.

Here are a couple of close ups of the tag that show the dimension.   Behind each shape cut there is a close to cocoa layer popped up with Stampin' Up Dimensionals.   It looks like a shaddow in the picture, but if you look closely you can see the bottom layer is actually another layer of cardstock.   The ribbon is sandwiched between the embossed vanilla layer and the cocoa backing layer.

The swap group is a "make four".   Each tag turned out a bit different.   Here they all are.

And here's a close up of all four tags.  You can see the cocoa backing layer a bit better in this shot.