2007 November »

Just Stampin'

Nov 262007

Good Monday morning! My house is finally back to normal after the long Holiday weekend. Lance is finally back at work and Mallory is back at school. I didn’t realize how much I enjoy my quiet days during the week until they were all home at once. Don’t get me wrong, I love when everyone is together, but I also love the “ME” time I have during the days.

Yesterday afternoon, after Mallory had left and football was on the television, I headed in to stamp. I’ve had these adorable little tins from Gina K. Designs for weeks now and I’ve been wanting to do something with them. How nice it was to work on a project just for the heck of it.

To coordinate the set, I used BasicGrey Fruitcake paper and some new May Arts Ribbon that I just got from Jacksonbelle Embellishments.

I used the Punchy Words from Gina K. Designs for the card, coloring the stamp with Old Olive and Ruby Red makers. The edges of all the paper were sponged with distress ink. Ranger Liquid Pearls were added to each scallop, just because I wanted, and each layer of the sentiment is raised on mounting tape. My first instinct was to add antique copper brads (my favorite), but then realized that in order for the card to match the tin, I needed silver.

I cut strips of the Fruitcake paper. The bottom strip is 1″ wide and the strip around the lid is 5/8″ wide. The edges were sponged with the distress ink. The strips were then wrapped and fastened around the tin. I fastened the ribbon on the back of the tin with a little piece of double-stick tape and then tied off on the front in a bow. The sentiment on the top is from the Festive Labels set.

Stamps: Punchy Words and Festive Labels from Gina K. Designs

Paper: SU Ruby Red and Old Olive, BasicGrey Fruitcake

Ink: SU Ruby Red and Old Olive, Tim Holtz Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink

Accessories: May Arts Ribbon, Brads, Ranger Liquid Pearls, Various Punches, Mounting Tape, Sponge Dauber, Alterable Silver Tin from Gina K. Designs

JBWW Challenge - Sketch #4

Christmas, Copic Markers, Holidays, JBWW Challenges, Rubbernecker, Sewing/Stitching, Techniques 15 Responses »

Nov 252007

Good Morning! I hope y’all have had a nice holiday weekend. Let’s get right to the JBWW Challenge today. Last week we had a request for a sketch. So, since it is my week to host the challenge, I came up with a sketch for you. Please remember to post a link of your finished card here or on Jeanne’s blog, Inky Paws, and if you upload to your SCS Gallery, please use keyword JBWW.

I’ve posted a sample below. If you are a Splitcoast Fan Club Member, you will be able to see the first card that I did with this sketch here. I thought it would be fun to try this sketch again, and to see what your interpretations would be.

I decided to use a stamp from Rubbernecker today. We have anticipated the opening of Rubbernecker’s new site all weekend, and are just as anxious for the site to open as you are. The Design Team has been waiting in the wings and are so anxious to show you what they’ve been working on. The image was stamped on Georgia Pacific white cardstock and colored with Copic Markers. It’s very hard to tell the photo, but the stars on the ladies scarf, the dots on her hat and the man’s bow tie and buttons are colored with a gold Spica maker. The snowflakes have been highlighted with a Sakura Stardust pen. The edges of the image and the sentiment were sponged with Old Paper distress ink and then highlighted with Walnut Stain distress ink. The edges of the background panels, BasicGrey Figgy, were sponged with the Walnut Stain distress ink and then sewn to a panel of River Rock. The circle was cut out using a Coluzzle and the edges were distressed. To make the edges curl more, I sprayed with paper with water, and then took my scissors to scrape along the edges. Before the edges dried, I curled the distressed area with my fingers, working the paper in toward the middle. Once the circle was completely dry, the edges were sponged with Walnut Stain distress in. This panel was then sewn to the background panel. Once I had finished assembling the card, I added Tulip White Puffy Paint for the snow, and used my heat gun to make it puff up.

Stamps: K-1210 Snow People and Holiday Greeting Sentiment by Rubbernecker Stamps

Paper: Georgia Pacific White, River Rock, Artichoke, BasicGrey Figgy

Ink: Adirondack Espresso, Tim Holtz Ranger Old Paper and Walnut Stain Distress Inks

Accessories: Copic Markers, Sewing Machine, Gold Spica Marker, Sakura Stardust Pen, Coluzzle, Single Stitched Ribbon, Sponge Dauber, Mounting Tape, Tulip White Puffy Paint, Heat Gun

Winter Flakes!

Challenges, Christmas, Holidays, Stampin' UP! 9 Responses »

Nov 232007

I was going to say good morning, but I just realized it’s already afternoon. Happy Friday instead! I hope everyone had a fulFILLING Thanksgiving and have plenty of leftovers for the rest of the weekend. I do! We ended up throwing a quick meal together but still ended up with way too much food – that the fun part – it’s all about the food!

Last night while cruising and chatting on Splitcoast, I noticed that Jen had already posted today’s Limited Supply Challenge. Well I went to check it out, debated about making a card last night or this morning instead. I had a little time, wasn’t sleepy yet, and decided to go ahead and make my challenge card. I got it all done, was getting ready to take my picture and went back and read the instructions for the limited supplies. Hmmpf – I had added one too many embellishments. One embellishment allowed – I had ribbon and brads. I asked in the thread about it and received a message back from Jen – layers okay, punches okay (one specialized tool of choice), but ribbon and brads no. One more thing – it’s all about neutrals with just a pop of color.

Now I have two cards. I have the one I made last night (more is more) and the one I made this morning. I’m gonna show you my actual challenge card first:

The background is made with the swirl from Baroque Motifs and different snowflakes from Snow Burst. Using different colors of neutral inks and some creative off stamping and over stamping, I mixed the two sets to create the background. For the image layer, I stamped the snowflakes and used punches to create the different layers and the holes in the scallops. The sentiment is from a set that I found at Hobby Lobby last year. I choose Very Vanilla and River Rock as my neutrals and Purely Pomegranate for my little pop of color.

Stamps: SU Baroque Motifs and Snow Burst, Unknown from Hobby Lobby

Paper: SU Very Vanilla and River Rock

Ink: SU Purely Pomegranate and River Rock, Tim Holtz Vintage Photo and Antique Linen Distress Inks

Accessories: Uchida Punches, Large Oval Punch, Push Pin, River Rock and Purely Pomegranate Ribbon, Sponge Dauber, Mounting Tape

Here is my first card I made with the brads (before I read the details of the challenge in their entirety). I guess I have a less is less and more and more card today!

Got Snow?

Challenges, Christmas, Gina K. Designs, Holidays, Sewing/Stitching, Techniques, Watercolor 5 Responses »

Nov 222007

As it has turned out, we are home today. We decided last night after watching the Weather Channel that we may want to shop just in case. Luckily we were able to find a fresh turkey breast and some other trimmings. This morning around 6:00 a.m., we made the decision to stay home. The weather in the Chicago region was not conducive for us traveling up I-65 and then turning around and coming home tonight. I made early morning phone calls and my mother and my aunt are now coming for dinner. I feel so much better knowing they will be with us this Holiday.

The turkey breast is in the oven now and I had an opportunity to check on Julia’s Ways to Use it Challenge on Splitcoast. It is such a fun one and heaven knows is right up my alley – stitching! Machine stitching, faux stitching, stitching stamps, stitching rub-ons, hand stitching…anything goes. I decided today that I could use one of the newer releases from Gina K. Designs – Got Snow.

The image was stamped on watercolor paper and then colored with Tim Holtz Distress Ink reinkers. The background paper, BasicGrey Dasher, is machine stitched to a layer of cardstock to match the card base. The edges of the image and the background were sponged in Vintage Photo Distress Ink. To create some added dimension to the image, I applied a small amount of Liquid Applique around the sled and the trees.

Stamps: Got Snow from Gina K. Designs

Paper: Watercolor, SU Old Olive and Soft Sky, BasicGrey Dasher

Ink: Palette Noir Black, Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink

Accessories: Sewing Machine, Distress Ink Reinkers, Liquid Applique, May Arts Ribbon, Watercolor Brush, Mounting Tape, Brads

I hope each and everyone of you have a wonderful holiday!

Sketch Challenge Day!

Challenges, Christmas, Holidays 9 Responses »

Nov 212007

Happy Wednesday! The day before Thanksgiving and for those of you cooking, I’m sure you’re busy making all those pies and other goodies! At this point, we are traveling to my in-laws. However, if the weather turns worse in the Chicago area and there is snow, we’ll end up staying home. It’s 4-hour drive for us north – and you can never tell how the weather is going to change. We’ll make our decision either late tonight or on in the morning. We may be running to the store tonight trying to find a turkey breast to throw in the oven.

It took me all day yesterday to pick up DD#2. What should have been a 3-hour drive turned into 5 on the way up. I was trying a new route that we’ve found to avoid the Indy traffic on 465. Well, there was a detour that took me out of the way 50 miles. Then when I got to campus, I got lost trying to find the cross-street to take me in. I was in my daughters backdoor and ended up driving around town for another 30 minutes. To make matters worse, we went back the same way to get home, missed the turn and ended up on the top side of going back toward Indy. Yeah, well we took another shortcut, which really was easier in the first place and I was still able to avoid rush hour on 465. But, I left here at 11:30 a.m. yesterday and got home at 8:45 p.m. Long Day! At this point, I would be so thrilled if she would take her car back with her! She says the winters are too bad and she could just imagine what it would be like if she went to her car and it wouldn’t start. She does have a point – little too much drama for me! Her dad can make the trip next time –

When I finally got out of bed this morning, I checked in on the Splitcoast Sketch Challenge. I was just too tired last night to stay up and wait on it. Roxie gave us a simple sketch, but what I had in mind really wasn’t all that simple in the end.

When I was in Texas, I stamped the Thomas Kinkead image at Jenn’s house on some beautiful glimmer paper that she had. I can’t remember the name of it now, but it is so soft and silky to the touch – and it actually glimmers! When I saw the sketch, I was sure I could make one of these images work. I trimmed the image down and did a very light wash of Antique Linen distress ink over the entire image. The glimmer still shows through, but in the photo it is very hard to see. I then sponged the edges a tad bit darker with the distress ink. To make the background panel, I stamped SU’s Linen BG also in Antique Linen and then sponged those edges. The sentiment (from Glad Tidings by Lizzie Anne Designs) was stamped in Espresso on some of the scrap from the background panel and raised on mounting tape. I so wanted this to look like an old aged photo and with the church in the image, it reminded me of on of my favorite songs, Peace in the Valley.

Stamps: The Forest Chapel – Thomas Kinkead Series by Cornish Heritage Farms, Glad Tidings by Lizzie Anne Designs, SU Linen

Paper: SU Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla, Shimmer Paper unknown

Ink: Tim Holtz Antique Linen and Adirondack Espresso

Accessories: Watercolor Brush, Sponge Dauber, Brads, Ribbon, Large Oval Punch, Scissors for Distressing