simple dreams

A is for Adorable - Lis Inspired

Stamping with friends is SO much fun! Last night my buddy Lis came down and ate some yummy cake with me to celebrate my birthday Ü I've been telling myself this past week that with each year that passes I must be getting a little more "learned" - can't think of it as getting older - right?!? So instead of celebrating with a birthday card I thought I'd go back to the very beginning of days when babies are simply "adorable" and celebrate those days instead.

One of the huge benefits of stamping with my friend Lis is that she stamps differently than I do. She will create key elements for her cards, using the oh so clever techniques she has learned over the years. Some of the techniques she has shared with me are from the courses she has taken, others are just things that are trial and error. So I just started to "trial and error" with her Ü. Using many of the fabulous stamping products that are tucked away in my cabinets brings glee to my heart. I am quite tickled with the finished trials of today. At first I questioned them, but I create with an end picture in my mind. I created my elements wondering if they would be good enough and WOW - they all came together when the finishing touches were added.

I began with the letter "a". Lis was playing with her grungeboard and I was loving her results, but instead of grungeboard I had Cosmo Cricket chipboard Alphabuttons. We discussed the merits of these different materials. Lis had also created a piece using a chipboard button and it really intrigued me. So I started off on my little journey emulating and learning from what Lis had done. I painted the chipboard with a handy white Paint Dabber allowing it to dry. Then the Large Polka Dot backgrounder was stamped over the white background and embossed with clear embossing powder. After heat setting the powder I then rubbed a Lettuce Paint Dabber over the letter. This is when the trial and error part started for me - LOL! Timing is obviously of the essence with this technique. You are supposed to let it dry a little and then rub off the excess paint with a damp tissue or wipe. Well this little exercise happened a couple of times before I felt like the color and look of the letter was "good enough".

I couldn't leave well enough alone and so at this point I inked up the Paisley backgrounder with Silver Encore and stamped my letter, quickly realizing - oops I shouldn't have done that if I wanted to keep the polka dots exposed. I grabbed my heat gun and began heating it to see what effect this would have. Not liking where it was headed I grabbed a paper towel and quickly wiped the entire letter. This is when accidents can turn into beautiful discoveries. You can not see it in this picture, but the letter has an almost irridescent quality to it and woohoo - the polka dots were still in place. Yep, a happy mistake.

I then took my blending tool and added several different Distress Ink greens to the edges of the letter. I love the soft feel that this spongey tool gives to my projects. This was followed by edging the letters with a Silver Leafing Krylon pen. Yeah - I had one fabulous element for my card and a fun adventure and new discovery that I wonder if I'll ever be able to emulate again - LOL!

The next component was the brown piece of cardstock. It is also difficult to see the beauty of this piece, but here is a closeup to try and give you a better idea of what it looks like.

This piece was created by taking Vanilla Bean CS and stamping the Paisley backgrounder using a Perfect Medium ink pad. I could have used an embossing ink pad or Versa Mark pad, but this is the one that was convenient - LOL! Once again I used clear embossing powder and then heat set it. I followed this application by sponging over the top of it in a circular motion using Distress Peeled Paint and my blending tool. This helped bring my brown cardstock closer to the brown/greens that were in the decorative paper I had selected from the new Memory Box Sprout collection.

Last but certainly not least was the little Sweet Pea that would be the focal point of the card. I stamped it on Arturo using Palette Burnt Umber (this is a waterproof ink) and watercolored the image using a waterbrush and Lyra watercolor crayons.

A scalloped classic circle, a little more sponging, some piercing, brushed silver brads and some pink gingham ribbon and wheeew - I was finished. Woohoo - I made it all the way through - did you? LOL! I think it took longer for me to describe this process then it took for me to actually make the card Ü So my final thought for today is don't be afraid to experiment - sometimes you discover fabulous things by doing so!

Recess Time

The paper collection Recess, from Basic Grey, was getting completey overlooked by me. I had totally forgotten about it being I seem to be in a rut reaching for the light and bright colors instead. Well Jasper, or perhaps it was Buddy, (one of our cute little puppy threesomes) reminded me that this was a very delicious paper indeed - the corner seemed to be especially tasty. So the girls pulled it out of our supplies and brought it up to my table. I flipped through it and absolutely fell in love with the funky designs and earthy colors that are a part of this collection.

For some time now I have been meaning to decorate a little notebook for Katrina's teacher and this series of paper just screamed teacher to me. No wonder they named it Recess, LOL - it was a bit of a duh moment for me.

This is just one of those cute little notebooks you can purchase at Target. Hunting through Target for little office supplies and booklets was once one of my favorite things to do. It's a good thing that I have a little stash of stuff to work with at times like these when time no longer is a luxury Ü.

I adhered the striped Recess paper using my ATG gun. I then used the seed packet to create the little envelope on the front of the notebook and slipped one of the lined papers cut out as a tag into the little packet. Rather than embossing this little packet I just ran it through my Wizard using the "cut only" option so that the word "seeds" would not be visible. I adore the little curve in the top of this packet - with spring time right around the corner I think I will be using this little packet to perhaps house some real seeds. Can you imagine a garden journal with these little pockets tucked in to the pages?!!

One of the things that people always ponder is the layers of color that appear when using colored pencils. I took a quick picture of the range of Prismacolor (and Faber Castell, yep one lonely one) color pencils that I used on this little colored pencil jar. Beginning with a light color tone and adding layers of varying depth aids in creating the round shape of the pencils. To finish it off I used a layer of Glossy Accents on the jelly jar. I wish I could capture in this photo the incredible depth this adds to this little piece.

The tag was finished off with some of the coordinating Recess ribbon and a red brad that I added some R89 Copic marker to to make it work better with the Dymo Label. I had not yet tried my new little Around the Block labeller until today. I must say that I am VERY pleased with the results - I'm loving the clarity of this particular font and look forwards to trying the lowercase one at some point as well.

My plan is to have Katrina write a short note on the little tag. For once I am ready for teacher appreciatian!!! WOOHOO! Being that you don't have a little puppy reminding you that some of the best stuff you have may be stashed away I hope that this little project inspires you to pull out some of those goodies you may have completely forgotten about.

Monochromatic Bugs

As we go about making cards we sometimes get stuck in a rut. Being that many come to me for guidance in coloring most of my creations incorporate coloring to some degree, but I also enjoy stamping without doing any coloring at all. When I need a really quick card I go back to some very basic stamping techniques. The Lockhart Stamp Company images are ideal for coloring in, BUT they are also adorable just simply stamped on colored cardstock or patterned paper.

I thought about stamping each bug in black on the circles I had cut out using the smallest Nestability circle die. The more I thought about it the more I realized I wanted them to just be a subtle part of the card and not jump off of the paper as a black image would. The final destination I wanted your eye to settle on is the floral piece. Monochromatic stamping is subtle - select an ink color that is slightly darker than the color of cardstock you have selected and stamp your image in this tone on tone format.

It was quite easy to eyeball and stamp each bug in the coordinating ink color, but if you are afraid of missing and having to start over you can always pull out your Stamp-a-ma-jig. It is a tool I use often, but found unnecessary in creating this card. I then placed the circles back in the Nestability die and embossed the images. I find it easiest to cut, stamp, and then emboss.

I am loving my new CHF backgrounders! They are allowing me the freedom to be a "Stampy Stamper". This is a phrase that Mona Lisa coined and it describes me to a "T" - I love stamping and to have the freedom to create distinctive papers that coordinate has given me much pleasure Ü The scale of the Large Polka Dot backgrounder was perfect for this card.

One other design element that I thought about as I created this card was the repetitiion of the circles - it's a LOT of circles I used, but it was this repetition that I felt would bring a strong statement to this card! If I could nudge my focal line of circles over to the right about 1/8"-1/4" then my layout would make me much happier - yes, it's the perfectionist in me. I should have laid my circles down before applying adhesive - LOL!

To finish this card off I felt that the sentiment "It's the little things in life that matter most" would be perfect with all these little bugs. Try creating one of these tone on tone, circle cards and link me up girls - I'm still waiting to see what you are all creating!

Backgrounders - what makes them special?

It was with great interest that I learned the story of Cornish Heritage Farms (CHF) and the details regarding their backgrounders. My little discovery in backgrounder history started about a year ago. It has been an absolute privilege and delight to be able to work with and get to know Richard and Liz Pomeroy, the owners of this family owned business, over this past year. I am VERY much looking forward to meeting them at CHA in a couple of days! I hope that you enjoy the tale of the road to backgrounder discovery that I have followed.

I fell in love with background stamps as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. It was one of my passions to "collect" background stamps and use them to create distinctive papers and looks. I do believe that I owned almost every Stampin' Up! background available - LOL! One of the details that intrigued me greatly was the discovery that SonLight Impressions was the manufacturer of the first background stamps that Stampin' Up! carried. When Stampin' Up! grew they decided to open their own plant and manufacture their own backgrounds. DId you already know this? It was one of those "duh" moments for me - no wonder I loved the CHF backgrounders! Backgrounders were actually "the" first backgrounds created - LOL!

CHF purchased SonLight Impressions in 2005 and they have strived to provide their customers with well-made, high quality products at fantastic prices and with great service. There are little details that we as consumers don't really pay much attention to, but it is this attention to detail that makes a deep-etched red rubber stamp completely distinct from acrylic stamps or lesser quality rubber stamps.

So what makes this difference? It all begins with a metal master plate which is usually made by an engraving company. This is typically done with a chemical etching process - the deeper the etching the higher the rubber image will stand up away from it's background. This is where the "deep etched" part comes in to play. It costs more to make a deep etched master plate, but the difference truly shows in the detail. Cornish Heritage Farms uses this deep etch process to create their stamps.

Then the metal plate is used to make a matrix board. This is a negative plate of your images. There are different materials used to make these matrix boards - some withstand a little pressure and others withstand a lot. Well, CHF wants their images to stamp with precise detail and therefore they use the materials that will withstand a lot of pressure.

The rubber comes on big rolls. Guess what - there are different types of rubber. The denser the rubber, the better your stamped image detail will be. This of course costs more as well, but CHF continues with their pride in quality by selecting the densest rubber available. This rubber is cut to fit the plate size and put into a vulcanizer with the matrix board which has the stamp images impressed into it. Heat and pressure are applied. The greater the pressure, the greater the certainty that the rubber will get squeezed into each and every crevice of the matrix plate.

Therein lies the beauty of a red, rubber stamp - detail. Detail that will not be lost or damaged when the stamp is inked repeatedly or heat is applied for special background techniques.

I believe that Cornish Heritage Farms has achieved their mission and so it has been with great delight that I accepted their invitation to be a part of educating, selling and using backgrounders on a daily basis. Their new designs continue to be innovative and current - I am thrilled to be able to work with CHF!

Yesterday I shared the first of my new Lockhart image designs - today I wanted to share another new design and a different way to use your background stamps.

I began by coloring the image of the Leaves Backgrounder with Lyra Watercolor Crayons. Stampin' Up!s Watercolor Wonder Crayons are the exact same and I believe that Lyra probably makes them for Stampin' Up!

I then use a Mini Mister filled with water to lightly spritz the surface. The fine mist from this spritzer seems to be perfect for use in creating special effects when stamping. Next I placed my cardstock face down on to the colored stamp and rubbed my hand evenly over the entire surface. The look that results reminds me a little of those tie-dyed/marbled Easter eggs that Katrina likes Ü

This is where I decided to try something a little different - I wasn't certain if it would turn out, but I thought I will never know if I don't just try it. The jury was definitely still out once I had stamped the image, but after watercoloring in the cute little carrots and composing my card - I think I like it!

It is difficult to see in this photo, but the image from the background stamp is ever so light in behind the colored in pattern of the carrots. It really is ubber-cool in person!

Once again I selected an idea from Dave's book when composing this card - this one is from page 43. So many of you have purchased this wonderful book and I really want to help you put it to good use - thus the page references for you to be able to see his original idea and the twist I have used with his design. I am hoping to encourage you to begin looking at ideas you see in a new way.

Below is another sketch for you to try. Each of the little circles represents an embellishment, with the focal point layer separated by a small "gap".   

OK - so what is with the bright red lines on this sketch? I wanted to share with you how it is that I select the positioning of my focal point when designing a new layout. Many times I use the rule of thirds. Divide the project into thirds both vertically and horizontally with "X" marking the spot where you are trying to lead the viewer's eye. This is the approximate position that you should try to place your focal point image.

This will be my last creative post for a few days. I will try and find some time to log on from Anaheim. I have so many thoughts I have wanted to share with you regarding trends, what I think will be new, yada, yada, yada. Why is there just not enough time in the day (or night) to do all of these things? Here's to hoping for a few minutes here and there to bring you some of the fabulous creativity that will be my viewing pleasure over the next few days!

Lockhart Surprise Release Ü Somebunny Loves You!

It is with great excitement that I share this newest little release!!! Karen surprised me with some totally fun new spring stamps. These are over-the-top cute in my opinion and my day has been fun, fun, fun creating with them!

Being they just arrived on my doorstep yesterday and I didn't have the opportunity to create until today I am excited to share my first creation with you as I announce these new images. There are five new Itty Bitty's - just the perfect size for Inchies. Who can resist this cute little inch worm?

The additional two images that have been added to the Spring Collection are the two I elected to use in today's creations. Stay tuned for the other new card idea tomorrow. They just make me feel all happy and cheerful - LOL! These remind me a little of Easter Eggs Ü So I selected colors that I like to use when my girls dye eggs with me. I love the bright colors and polka dots!

Using Palette Noir ink I stamped on watercolor paper with Dottie Bunny and then used my Lyra crayons to watercolor the image. This sketch idea was spurred on by a layout that Dave used in his book, Card Design, which you can find on page 58. I have turned to this book time and time again for some simple inspiration. Each time I find something different that I can use as inspiration for a new layout or idea. This time I used his idea of layering colored squares. His were more random, being the stamp design he used was more random. I love to look at something and see if there is a "twist" to what has been done and then develop a new idea from that inspiration.

Today's idea was the card sketch. I know there are myriads out there for you to select from, but if you give this one a try I would enjoy it if you would post a link in the comment section below - I would LOVE to see what you create!

The Kim Hughes sentiment "Somebunny Loves You" turned this little creation into something that you could even use for a valentine! I adore Kim's handwriting and wish I could write even half as beautiful as she does. It is with great excitement that I look forwards to seeing Kim come Friday when I head to CHA!

A couple of dew drops and a little Spica sparkle and the project is complete. This funky color block twist is a true eye-popper!

Background Fun

I got quite the chuckle when I saw Debbie's post - her creation is OVER THE TOP beautiful. So why chuckle you ask - well I chuckle because she used the Bride and Groom. Over the weekend I had started the creating of the card for this post - guess which images I used? Yep, you've got it - the Bride and Groom - LOL! And yes, I was begging Karen Lockhart for this groom, so please buy it - LOL! I absolutely am thrilled with how well this couple fits together - they truly do compliment one another.

It's the season for wedding preparations. With all the summertime weddings coming up it is now, that many brides (and grooms) are working eagerly towards getting ready for their big day. So why not start thinking of how you will surprise them with something hand-made on their wedding day.

Weddings typically have a soft edge to them and so in thinking through this creation I felt that I wanted to use simple Pergamano techniques to create an ethereal feeling to the image. I began by stamping the groom using Palette New Canvas ink on the Parchment Paper. To get my placement exact on the bride I did the exact same thing as Debbie - I pulled out my Stamp-a-ma-jig. It is a tool I just can't live without being I always like to stamp with precision.

To bring out the softness of the white stamped image I used a combination of two different embossing stylus - both the fine stylus and extra small ball. Once the image is dry I flip it over on to the specially designed embossing pad and draw over the stamped outline using these fine-tipped stylus. Once completed I then colored the image on this side with Copic markers. Copics work SO well on Parchment paper - they truly allow you to get a watercolor like feel to your images.

When teaching stamping classes as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator there were two ink pads I always recommended to a beginning stamper - one was black and the other was VersaMark. The subtle watermark or color tone change that occurs on most cardstocks when you stamp an image using this particular ink pad is subtle, yet distinct. I would like to take this opportunity to let you know that Memory Box Cardstock is made completely different then cardstock that is colored all the way through and therefore VersaMark does NOT leave a watermark on Memory Box Notecards or Cardstock. So for this creation I used Certainly Celery cardstock from Stampin' Up!

As you can see from the finished creation inking the Scalloped Lace Backgrounder with VersaMark and stamping on cardstock leaves a beautiful, monochromatic impression.

This beautiful addition allowed me to create a simple card with a lot of WOW factor. The window was cut and embossed using a rectangular Nestability, and white pearls were affixed to help complete that "wedding-like" feeling.

Now for my storage tip Ü I have taken a few pictures to share how it is that I am storing my backgrounders. First I run the paper insert that comes with the backgrounder through my Xyron machine - laminating both sides of the insert.

I then remove the backing on the backgrounder and attach it to the back of this insert as shown below.

When I ink my stamp I just leave my backgrounder on this laminate covered piece and lay it face down on my work surface, tapping the ink pad evenly over the entire backgrounder.

Place your cardstock on your background in the desire location as shown below.

I then flip the scrap paper that I am working on over the top of this "sandwich", lightly holding the card in place.

Next I gently rub my hand over the entire surface. Lift and remove.

Look how beautiful and crisp the image is Ü Thank you to Julie Ebersole for the wonderful tip of using the scrap paper I am working with - no longer do I go running around looking for a scrap piece of typing paper when I am getting ready to use my backgrounds - LOL!

Being that I know others like to feel the stamp in their hand we do have an alternative for those who prefer this method. We have found a beautiful acrylic block that is just the right size for use with backgrounders and other large stamps.

Having the ruler grid allows me to easily line the stamp up perfectly. As well the finger grip positions make it more comfortable to use.

I have a rather small hand - 8" from tip of my thumb to the tip of my pinky when my hand is fully stretched open. I can still control these blocks due to the finger grips that are in place.

Another method for those who already own wood mounted backgrounds that have a decal in place on the front is to remove the backing on the Smart Cushion or EZmount stamps and temporarily affix it to the face of a wood mounted background. Once you have finished stamping clean the stamp, remove it and place it back on to your storage surface.

One last little bit of information that I would like to share in regards to storing Smart Cushion or EZ mount is extremely important.

Please Note: It is not recommended that you store any of your Smart Cushion/EZMount Stamps on Acetate Sheets. Acetate is made with chemicals that will react with the Smart Cushion/EZMount and any other cling cushion type product, making an almost permanent bond between it and the cling. Acetate products include transparencies and many binder inserts. Laminate sheeting is not supposed to have the same effects and therefore the reason I am really excited about being able to use my Xyron for this purpose.

Well, it is time to crawl into bed. I hope that you enjoy my version of the bride and groom as much as I have enjoyed Debbie's! Be certain to take a peek - her watercoloring is incredible! Thanks for stopping by and be certain to read my post of two days ago for a little surprise at the end - you have one more day Ü

Sittin' Comfy

I am loving your guesses, but so far no one has even come remotely close. The Heidi Swapp masks have been in my store for at least a month and I love my Distress Inks, but I hadn't thought about carrying those - hmmm, perhaps I should. But this is something I love even more than masks and ink Ü I have once again used this new product again tonight.

I have always been intrigued with adirondack chairs - they are so comfy looking and to sit in them with a glass of lemonade and a good book is a very relaxing thought.

I have been doing a little thinking about trends lately and was a little surprised to read that neon colors will be resurfacing again this year in a much bigger way. So I thought perhaps a bold "neon" colored chair might be appealing. Being that the Lockhart stamp has a very folk-like feeling to it I didn't want this chair to completely jump off the paper - I wanted it to look aged - distressed. I pondered for a bit as to how I might achieve that look.

I began by coloring the chair, flowers, pot, and grass with Copic markers. I started with intense, bright colors, but then I added a little pale olive to the neon blues I had colored the chair with just to add the feeling of rusticity. Next I created a reverse Eclipse mask as shown below. As you can see only the chair remains visible behind this mask. Everything else is covered. To cut out such fine detail I stamp my image on the Eclipse tape and then adhere it to my Magnetic Precision Mat and use my Retractable Blade Craft Knife  to cut the image out. This knife allows me to get in to the tiniest of places. Then using the Weathered Wood backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms I overstamped the chair using Antique LInen Distress Ink. This gave the chair a wonderful used feel.

Here is another view of the project in progress.

I felt at this point it was still a little stark and wanted to add color to the background. I used the other portion of the mask and placed it back over my chair and did a little airbrushing as shown below.

Airbrushing from the right side allowed me to control the spray so that it did not hit the flower pot, thus giving a brighter look to the lower right corner. I then removed this portion of the mask and using my Colorless Blender added clouds to the sky.

Just a few added touches of linen and thread brings that rustic feel back to this bold, bright card.

Keep those guesses coming girls - I can hardly wait to debut this new product on Monday!

Masked Love

Surprises are coming and I am wondering if any of you might figure out what we will be adding to our line of products over the weekend based on what has been used in the project below! This is a brand new product for us and I am thrilled to be carrying this product! I can hardly wait to spill the beans, so stay tuned and hopefully before Monday I will be able to share our latest excitement with all of you Ü

I'll take one of the guesses out of the equation though - it's not the additional Copic markers we are all waiting for. I am hoping that these will arrive this next week as well, but I have been hoping that for a LONG time now and therefore I am no longer holding my breath for fear of fainting - LOL!

I also want to let you know that we are making progress on the Scalloped Heart Nestabilities. The design has been redone and sent off - Spellbinders is hoping to have them in within the next two weeks. We have sent out an email to all of our customers who have ordered this product through us - if you have not received an email from us please let us know ASAP - we hope we didn't miss any of you. We will be sending another email out shortly with how and when it is that we are going to get this new improved product to you Ü

Masking and airbrushing - what a cool combination this is! I have fallen in love with creating some of my own background papers by combining masking, airbrushing and stamping.

In creating this card I made a couple of discoveries that have nothing to do with masking though. The first is that the Urban Couture ribbon line looks fabulous with the Memory Box Enlighten paper series. Secondly, I discovered that it is fun to color over patterned paper with Copic markers. I stamped the Lock Heart on patterned paper so that it would tie the color scheme together, but realized that some of the detail disappeared in to the pattern. By highlighting the special features of the stamp with just a light touch of marker it emphasized them just enough to bring those details to the forefront. The little key is made by Jolee - I picked some up to put in the store, but of course they aren't up yet - LOL! Could I please have just a little more time in my day, so that I could get all these things done?

Of course I forgot to take pictures of the background as I created it and so I needed to recreate the key steps to share with you for the pictures below. For the card above I used the Newsprint alphabet and for the examples below I used the Damask mask.

The first thing I would like to remind you to do is to lightly tap your finger tips over the entire sticky surface of the mask before adhering it to your project. This is important being that the masks are SO sticky they might pull your paper surface off if you attach them directly to your project first. Be certain not to overdue this step though being you want it to still stick to your project.

Lightly stick the mask on to your paper by pressing it down gently all over. I then selected a pink Copic marker in a darker value of the pink color and airbrushed over the entire piece.

Upon completion remove the mask and adhere it back to it's "plastic-like" surface so that you can reuse it for your next project. Also don't try taking pictures with your right hand as you spray with your left simultaneously, or you will get a "hot-spot" like I did as shown above - LOL!

If you do not own an airbrush please do not hesitate to try this technique. Instead what you will do is select an ink pad that is a slightly darker value of the color of cardstock you have selected.

Then using the Ink Blending Tool pick up color from the ink pad and smudge and smooth it over the entire surface with a smooth motion. The results are slightly more mottled, but this is a fun effect as well.

I finished the project off by using the Spanish Script backgrounder from CHF, a little piercing, ribbon and accent paper. Another idea that you could spin off of this project would be to write out the sentiment "i heart u" (using the Lock Heart as the heart). What other ideas do you have that you would like to share?

Well put your thinking caps on and get ready - what do you think it is that I have fallen in love with this time? I can hardly wait to share our exciting news!

XO

"XO" - the universal sign for Hugs and Kisses. What could be more appropriate for Valentines then a play off of this favorite set of symbols?

To create the "letters" for these symbols I began with the "O". Using an old Stampin' Up! copper tag I removed the paper insert. Next the Folk Heart was stamped using Palette Burnt Umber. I selected this ink pad because it is waterproof and I really felt the "need" to watercolor - LOL! There are so many different mediums one can use to watercolor, but in this case I decided to us my Stampin' Up! Watercolor Wonder and Lyra Crayons. Using the small tip of the waterbrush allows me to pick the color up off the crayon itself and then fill in the little details on this stamp.

The letter "X" is from one of the We R Memory Keepers chipboard collections - these are an awesome value for the dollar. First I sanded the letter to remove the pattern it comes printed with. I then painted it with off white acrylic paint, let it dry and lightly sanded it again to create a more distressed look that would coordinate with the Basic Grey Blush papers I had selected. Judikins makes some fun background stamps and I used their Paisley to stamp the letter to coordinate with the overall look I was hoping to achieve.

The card base is a Memory Box Pink notecard with a scalloped accent cut from Vanilla Bean and a complimenting band from the Blush pad. The fibers are coordinating Basic Grey Blush fibers and the sparkley brads are from KI Memories.

Thanks for stopping by today and send some XO's this Valentine's season.

Stamp of the Month, January

I have been trying to get a jump-start on "things" in life, but it hasn't been working too well for me yet - LOL! In preparation for Valentine's I wanted to get going a couple of months early in hopes of being more ready for the "sweetest" day of the year this go round. I designed everything, made certain that I had everything necessary for the packet and then of course life got away again - so finally here are the directions for this months Stamp of the Month - "Tart of Hearts".

It all began with the image, ribbon and brads. A couple of months ago I discovered these yummalicious Bon Bon sugar coated brads and knew they were perfect for the "chocolatey feeling" that comes with Valentines. Next I found the soft pink (it may look white in the picture, but in real life it is the softest pink that coordinates perfectly with Cotton Candy) and red edged ribbon - my color scheme was determined Ü. These coordinated beautifully with Flirt 6x6 paper and Cotton Candy and Vanilla Bean Memory Box cardstock.

Coloring this month's image is super easy. Only four Copic colors were used - RV11, R29, E31 and E27. I began by coloring the image with the lightest colors - RV11 and E31. I then added red highlights (R29) to the upper left side of each heart.

Use a white "palette" to scribble R29 on to it. Pick the red up using Copic RV11 to blend the heart colors and add color to the background behind the hearts, the doily and the polka dots and stripes on the stand.

The chocolate highlights (E27) were added last. These were added by using the lighter color (E31) to pick up E27 from the palette and add shading to the image as shown in the first photo above. Red Glitter and Clear Glaze were added to the Hearts and stand for that little extra pizzaz.

In placing the image on the card front I left plenty of room for you to add a sentiment beneath the tart (I would stamp this in a rich Espresso color). "Be My Valentine" is the first idea that comes to mind, but "Thanks a Bunch", I Heart You, or "You're the Heart at the top of my Tart" could also be fun. You may even want to color one heart a different color and put something to the effect of "You are Special". How about cutting or punching out one of the little hearts and add a "Missing You" sentiment? What other ideas do you have for this little stack of hearts? I would love to hear them.

Inchie Pendant

My first Inchie!!! I am so excited to finally have made one and am able to share it with you :D You know how when you hear of a new idea how excited you get to try it out and put your own spin on it. Well, this little creation has been nestled in my brain for some time and tonight I finally had the opportunity to give it a whirl. I'm quite excited with how it turned out. What I also find so exciting is that I actually sat down and finished this project in a snap - WOWIE, that's a first in a long time - LOL!

I have been acquiring tools over the last few weeks to help make this an easier process and I hope to share those with you soon. Everything seems to take me forever, especially at this time of year - LOL!

To being with I have a possible recipient in mind for this little creation. I'm not certain yet whether she will like it and so I need to get some input from a few important people first. This wonderful lady loves birds and red - thus the beginnings of this creation. I began with an old book page. I stamped the Itty Bitty Birds on it using Adirondack Pitch Black Ink. I then colored the birds using Copics, Prismacolor Color Pencils and a Spica Glitter Pen. I made a 1" square template out of clear plastic to act as my positioning and tracing guide, so that I could get my little creation cut out in just the right spot. It is so helpful to have this little "tool" to help guide in "finding" your place on a stamped image. I will photograph it in the next project I create - I forgot this go round because I was having way too much fun. After tracing and cutting out my 1" square I adhered it to a 1" chipboard square using Matte Perfect Paper Adhesive. This adhesive is perfect for this job being it doesn't soak the paper. I'm guessing that most any white, clear drying glue would work well though. I then embellished the "nail heads" and sides with a gold leaf pen.

The base layer was created using another piece of chipboard, a Lettuce Dabber, Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Clear Embossing Powder, the Millinery Holiday Embellishment stamp and some gold Rub 'n Buff. My beading skills leave a lot to be desired, but it seems that the little "dangley" did work on the bottom.

In seeing this project in it's GIMUNGO size on the screen I am thinking that next time I might try sanding the text down a little first so that it isn't so dominant. What do you think???

So yet another way that you can share Inchies with your friends Ü They could use this as a pendant or hang it as an ornament on their Christmas tree. Maybe I'll give that one a try if I decide that this isn't quite the right gift after all. I hope you like this latest twist - there are many more ideas to come, so stay tuned and I'll try and "Inch" my way along being that slow and steady seems to be my way.

Tim's Tag Inspired

It's the talk of the town, or perhaps better said - the internet. Tim Holtz has a blog and he has WOW'ed us all with his amazing tags!!! Tim has always inspired me with his over the top creativity, so last night I finally had an opportunity to play with the myriad of toys that I have had sitting on my shelves since (embarrassed a little here) last MAY!!!

At CHA this summer I was a lucky girl - at the very end of the show, when most everyone had already gone, Tim was just finishing up his work at the Ranger booth. My good friend Mona Lisa introduced me to Tim and I had the opportunity to "quiz" him regarding the Ranger line of products and he demonstrated several of the techniques that he is well known for. We had a wonderful conversation and he made an incredible tag which I have in my collection of things I'll keep for a LONG time - LOL!

This little beauty shimmers and shines just like Tim's smile. I couldn't believe how nice he was after being "tormented" by all of us ladies, for all those days - LOL!

So in honor of Tim's tag challenges I decided to try and create one with an Ellen twist using the Lockhart Wreathe Angel. As you all know I love to airbrush and have had this idea in my brain for a LONG time - I wanted to try the Heidi Swapp Masks with the airbrush. Well the results are great - they can be repositioned and reused - a feature I do love. My only caution is that they are REALLY sticky. My first try out I stuck it to my tag and when I pulled it off along came the paper, sticking to the back of the mask. Well needless to say I decided to try something different with the next one and took my fingers and just patted all over the sticky backs to lessen the adhesive so that I could then remove it without pulling the paper off. I also did not press them down to my paper, but just laid them in place. They quickly adhere and that's when I sprayed.

The tag is a small manila one. I didn't have any of those lovely gimungo ones that Tim has. Can you believe that one? I guess it's time for another shopping trip Ü I positioned a couple of the leaves on the manila tag and then airbrushed using COPIC Sketch Marker Y63. I then spritzed with my special "Tim Concoction". I will share that below at the end of my post. After removing the masks I then very lightly airbrushed the entire tag once again just to add a hint of green to the leaf sections. I colored the angel with Prismacolor pencils and Copics after adding the embossed details to her dress. Copic Spica Glitter pen highlights were added to the ribbons and her hair. I used a Copic marker to change the color of the tag "circle".

Next I added dimension to the background paper by once again placing my masks on the Crimson paper. My secret to spraying in my craft area is this big box. I can tell you that my first spritz was not a pretty thing - LOL! I actually was holding my mini mister sideways and - a big OOPS! Needless to say I learned my lesson and now use a box instead.

Unfortunately you can not even begin to see the beauty of this paper. Talk about bling!!! I know that Glimmer Mist is the talk of the town and I am assuming that it is a "concoction" very similar to Tim's. What I love about Tim's recipe is that I have LOADS of product remaining to mix in other fun and funky ways, as well as a little pot of "bling" that still calls my name for other techniques I hope to share over time. (Or you can just stay tuned at Tim's blog - I'm guessing he will share all sorts of wonders with you all as well, being these products are his "babies"!)

So following is a simple "Tim Concoction". I use a clear mini mister so that I can see what is in each little spritzer. To this I add some color wash and Perfect Pearls. For this particular project I mixed Red Pepper Color Wash with Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls. Tim demonstrates on his blog how he has used a popsicle stick to add the Perfect Pearls to the bottle. I have a teeny, tiny spoon that I like to use. A little goes a long way. The result is oh SO Christmasy! I'm going to share a little secret with you regarding this month's Stamp of the Month project - I sprayed my flowers and background paper with this mixture too Ü The shimmer that these projects have just can't be captured with my elementary photography techniques.

A little piercing, some gold glass beads, a hammered brad (yet another cool Tim Technique and Tool), some Tarnished Gold Embossing Powder and my Tim inspired project is complete.

I hope that you have a relaxing weekend even though the holiday season is in full-swing. Take some time out to breath and create if possible and enjoy some wonderful Christmas music as you create. I have Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong playing in the background. Her voice is magical and just makes me feel warm inside.

ETA: I just wanted to take this opportunity to remind you all that once again Nichole is going to blow your socks off with her latest stamp sets - they unveil tonight. I would also like to thank Nichole for being such an absolute delight to work with!!! It is with sadness and yet a sigh of relief that I share with you that I will no longer be a part of PaperTrey's design team. As you all know my life has been VERY full this past year and it is becoming increasingly busier with each passing day. It is so important to try and maintain some sort of sanity and reduce the deadline stress load. It is so wonderful to have relationships with other women who do what I do and I look forwards to supporting Nichole and what it is that she does in the years ahead. Her talents never cease to amaze me. Thank you Nichole!

2 - Hip to be Square

It's funny how when I think those words I start humming the tune, but this has nothing to do with Huey Lewis' song "Hip to be Square". It has to do with "Inchies". I have learned that "Inchies" are hip right now, or they are becoming "hip" - so it IS "hip to be square."

Karen asked me one day, "Have you heard of Inchies?" I was totally confused - was she talking like inches in a foot, or inch worms, or... I replied - "ummm, no - I don't think so." So then she explained and my mind just went bouncy with ideas. Inchies - what are they?

Well they are just that, little 1"x1" squares. Create them...trade them...collect them.

They are a smaller version of ATC's I guess you might say. The fun thing is to see what can be done with such a little, teenie, tiny canvas. There is something about items that are gigantic or itty bitty - they seem to really grab your attention.

So Karen started creating "Inchies" and yep, they grabbed my attention. The picture you are viewing is huge compared to this little Inchie - but I thought I would share one of the many fabulous Inchies tonight that Karen has created. Over the next weeks and months we hope to share a lot more and have fun playing with these Itty Bitty canvases. These birds are from the new Lockhart images being released this Friday. They are the Itty Bitty Birds not the mongo sized ones that appear here - LOL!

The basics go as follows - Create them:

• begin with a 1" x 1" square (typically chipboard). You can use cardstock, fabric and I've even seen glass, metal and plastic. The only rule is that the surface needs to be 1"x1". I like chipboard being the depth of the chipboard makes these fun to hold in your hand and stablizes them making them a little more substantial.
• decorate your square using anything you like - you can stamp it, collage it, doodle or draw it, add words, texture, frames, epoxy tiles, decorative papers, old book pages, definitions, Diamond glaze or Crystal Effects, glitter, liquid applique, teeny tiny bellies such as pearls, tiny brads, buttons, pin heads, fibers - the list is endless - if you think of something cool - try it.
• put your initials someplace on the front of the inchie.
• optional: add a magnet to the back. Magnetic tape works great and if you want that powerful snap there are many awesome magnets on the market now, but please keep those away from small children. These little canvases are so bright, colorful and appealing to little hands and mouths alike.

Trade them:

• put together little swap groups, (or big swap groups if you are brave - LOL)
• make them at a baby shower to complete a little piece of artwork for the babies room,
• make a series of inchies to commemorate the birth of your child - make the number of inchies equal the length in inches your little one was at birth,
• make puzzle games to set on your coffee table,
• send them to a secret sister,
• what about an "inchilada party" come the new year when the doldrums set in,
• leave suggestions in the comments box if you have other fun ideas that you would like to share with the stamping world.

Collect them:

• start a little journal. When you receive an inchie immediately put a little number on the back and add it to your journal book. Use this number to remember who your inchie is from and when it was that you received it. If you are anything like me this is essential - I can't believe how easily I forget these days. EVERYTHING has to be written down - LOL!
• display them in a frame,
• or sit them on a scrabble tile tray,
• place them on a magnetic board
• if you are shabby choose a "shabby" old surface, if you are contemporary - keep it slick and clean. Get creative as to how you would like to view/display your inchies.

The first "How-To Inchie" I will present to you tonight is a very special inchie that was created by Karen.

I thank her from the bottom of my heart for "rescueing" me today. I knew I was in trouble last night when I just ached from head to toe from the coughing. After a quick visit to the doctor's office this morning it was confirmed - yep, bronchitis. So needless to say my creativity is more than zapped. Karen drove these over to me today so that I could take pictures of them and share them with you being that I just didn't have it in me to make anything inchie worthy today.

Just a brief synopsis of how Karen put this together. She began with the smooth white surface and drew the little trees in using the Copic Multiliner .03. This is the pen that she creates all of her rubber stamps with and thus the scale works beautifully with her images. Step two - shows the initial layer of color - this was added using Copic markers. Step three - more color is added using Prismacolor color pencils. This brings out the texture in the paper. Step four - Nicholas is added on a pop dot. Step five - bling it up baby - the remaining surface is covered in an ultrafine mix of glitters that just make it shimmer and shine.

Now this is the part where it gets awesome! Karen has made 30 of these for us to give away to the first 30 individuals who place an order for $30 or more of Lockhart Stamp Company images after they are released at Midnight on Thursday night/Friday morning. We are calling it our 30 for $30 giveaway. Unfortunately there is no way for us to let you know whether or not you will be the recipient of one of these goodies until your box arrives on your doorstep. I wish I could figure out a way to do this so that you would know immediately, but my mind is completely braindead at this point. Surprises are always fun though - right?!?

So place your order for at least $30 worth of Lockhart Stamps as soon as possible Thursday midnight/Friday morning after the new stamps appear on our website and if you are one of the first thirty then one of these special little treats will be yours.

I can envision these hanging as an ornament on a tree. Think of these in a cube/box format - over the top - WOW! Tomorrow I will be adding links to a few other galleries where some incredibly talented women will be putting Inchies on display - so keep coming back to find where those links lead Ü

I am also working on a post that will share a little more about who we are - yes, a little more about Karen Lockhart, the women behind the scenes (Beth, Malin and Malena) who help me right here each and every day, the incredible team of women who are our current business associates (Debbie, Michelle and Trudee), and then top it off by sharing our excitement as we announce two new colleagues that are going to assist us in sharing how to use the Lockhart Stamp Company images in innovative ways. So stay tuned for more exciting things to come!

Remember 1 inch + 1 inch = 1 inchie = fun! Watch out they will inch their way into your heart Ü

3 - Baby Love

Mark your calendars for this Friday, November 30 starting at 12:01 a.m. - you can visit our home page for more details about our upcoming Anniversary Sale.

We will once again keep the action flowing here on our blog and hope to announce some fun new ideas and special "gifts" to you over the next few days. Don't forget to leave a message on yesterday's post! The Nestabilitiy Scalloped Hearts are way cool and I want each and every one of you to have an opportunity to win them Ü There is more to come though :D

Before I begin I want to answer the question many of you have asked - why are there duplicate standard circles in the Complete Classic Circle and Complete Petite Circle sets? Well the answer to that is - the standard circle works with both sets. Some people prefer the Classic Scallop for the larger scallop - there are 22 bumps around the circumference. Others prefer the Petite Scallop which has 37 bumps and therefore a more delicate look. Being it is a better price to purchase all four dies that coordinate together we did not want to have either selection feel short changed if only purchasing one set. Now if you decide that you need both the Classic Scallops AND the Petite Scallops then please do not duplicate ordering Complete sets for both. Only order one complete set and then the Large and Small Scallops from the other set separately. You will note that in the Gotta Have It All it includes only one of the Standard Circle Large and Small dies. We tried to think of the best way to package these and this is what we were able to come up with. Hopefully this makes sense - again we did this in hopes of making certain that we gave you the best value available when purchasing either set.

Sometimes I amaze myself. As I was thinking about what I would do with the new Baby Bib that Karen designed it dawned on me that a petal card would be really sweet, and then, hey, why not use the Nestability Petite Scalloped Circle to make it?!? Woohoo - I can't believe how a brain works - I don't know where it came from, but I'm thrilled it came.

View - Front side closed. I thought about hanging a tag from the center, but... What do you think?

View - Back side closed. Do you like that twisty feel with the Dew Drop in the center?

View - Inside of announcement.

The wonderful thing about Memory Box cardstock is that it is double-sided. One side is white and the other has the most rich, beautiful color - therefore it was easy to make this candy-cane twisty color scheme (for this card I used Sugar Plum and Cotton Candy).

The first step is to cut and emboss four scalloped circles. In this case I used the largest petite scalloped circle die. In order for the candy-cane swirl to occur I embossed two with the color face down and two with the color face up. You will see why in just a moment.

Next you need to score your circles as shown below.

I used my new desktop size Mini Scor-It for this project. I must say that it is coming in handy to have this little scoring board right on my table - I don't even have to stand-up anymore - LOL! It is more transportable than the large one and still makes the same wonderful score line. The price point is also much easier for crafters to budget for (OK, budget - I guess that's a joke :D). If you already have a large Scor-It board there really is no need for a small one, unless you go out and about a lot or want it right on your work surface as you are making your card projects. I will still use my large board for many purposes, but this one has it's advantages at times.

Using the Magnetic Precision Mat made it so easy to center the scallops and align the circles.

Attach a glue dot to the lower right hand corner and then lay down your next circle.

Note how the circles are aligning, forming a square on the score lines. Add another glue dot as shown. These glue dots keep your work from shifting on you, yet they still allow for some movement to square up your project.

I turned my circles as I was working because I am SO right-handed. This picture shows how I am alternating colors. The embossing is face down - it really adds a funky twist to the completed project.

This next step can be a little tricky. Note the corner with the glue dot - you now need to tuck that corner in UNDER the white circle to complete your pin wheel look. Square everything up and then press down on the glue dots to hold your circles in place.

To complete the project I cut a square nestability out of the Cotton Candy stamping the latest Lockhart Baby Bib image (these will be available come Friday - be certain to stop by our store for our Anniversary Sale!). Adhere this piece firmly in place - this will keep those circles from slipping. The announcement is printed on Vellum Cardstock using  2 Peas Heart's Delight font. My favorite way to adhere vellum to a project is by running it through the Xyron. NO adhesive shows through whatsoever! I love how the bib peaks through from behind the vellum. Again I thought about adding a little color to the bib, but went with simplicity instead.

Last but not least was the addition of the little "flower brads". I made these by using a couple of tiny Making Memories button brads, glue dots, Prima flowers, more glue dots and then Dew Drops. The pink Dew Drops are in the Island Blossom collection. It is so fun to see these catching on and to see what you are all doing with them. Post a comment in the area below and link back to your creations if you have the time. It would be fun to share what you have done with these little finds!

Finally a simple white shimmery cord was then wrapped circle eight style around the brads to close this little announcement. This same technique would also make awesome wedding announcements. I hope that you enjoy this little spontaneous creation and the use of the scallops to create a petal card :D See you tomorrow!

4 - Charmed, I'm sure Ü

Remember when wine glass charms became all the rage. Well there is still something about them that I adore. Perhaps it's the small, cuteness factor, or perhaps it's actually the functionality of them. In thinking about projects for the upcoming Lockhart stamp release I knew that I had to use these Itty Bitty Grapes to make one wee charm. Then the question was what to package them in. I have had these tins sitting on my shelves for some time now and have never gotten around to using them, so I figured there is no time like the "present" - LOL! Man does my head do strange things to my writing skills when stuffed to the gills - I am just so not funny - ha! ha!

OK - so I had a dickens of a time getting a decent photo of this little ensemble!!! The glass, the sparkles, the see through container lid - well needless to say I just couldn't get one with all in focus in the time I had alloted myself to complete this project, but isn't it just charming??? teehee

I began by stamping on the lid of the round magnetic container. Yep, you heard me correctly - this little container has a magnetic backing and comes with a little divider in it that I just pulled out for today's project. You can store bellies in it, or whatever. I thought wouldn't it be perfect to keep your charms within arms reach attached to your fridge door?!?

I began by placing a lid topped with paper under the clear surface of the container lid to support the acetate window. I then inked my stamp with Palette Noir ink. I love how Palette ink will stick to most anything - glass, plastic, wood, you name it. I then picked the lid up and colored the image from the back side using Copic markers. By coloring on the back side it doesn't mess with the ink of the stamped image. Tricky, nicky :D To color this image I used colors R27, R89, YG03, G85 and G99 (in these colors are hints of good things yet to come - don't go looking for all the colors we girls have been using just yet, but they will be here soon. Did you hear that Copic? :D) When coloring on acetate, glass, acrylics or any other see-through material you will find that the darker colors work much better. Experiment and see what it is that appeals to you.

Then I blinged the tin by adding oodles of Fresh Grass and Hydrangea Dew Drops. Inside I punched a piece of glittery felt and attached to the bottom of the container.

One can not have a charm container without charms, so I proceeded to pull out an old favorite. With Lucky Squirrel shrink plastic you need to sand it in opposite directions and preferably on both sides. If you only sand one side then it may curl back on itself and stick. For these little projects I just use scraps that I have dropped back in my shrink plastic folder - quick and easy! Once again I stamped on translucent shrink plastic using Palette Noir ink. I did it twice because I wanted to experiment with Copic markers as well as use my old stand-by, Prismacolor Color Pencils.

This is the part that I find REALLY confusing - I thought for certain I would have a muddied ink mess when I used the Copics to color in the grapes. As you can see for yourself they are just fine. It could be that I heat set the ink after stamping on the shrink plastic from afar so as to not "shrink the plastic", or perhaps it could be that I did stay within the lines for the most part. I did get daring on the leaves and curly-q though and they seem to be just fine. I have not been able to take a decent picture of these charms now that they have been shrunk. The big difference in appearance is that the Copic charm has a glossy sheen to it, whereas the Prismacolor one is matte. I was tickled with this concept being that now you have a choice, depending on the look you prefer.

After you finish coloring use a 1/8" Fiskars hand punch to punch a circle up by the curly-q. Then cut out your charm as shown below. The addition of this circle allows you to easily attach a jump ring to your completed charm.

As I heat the plastic I use my paper piercer to hold it in place. Otherwise I end up on my knees under my table looking for my long lost itty bitty beauty. Pictured is the matte charm - it was just a little easier to capture in a photograph.

Now on to some fun! I noticed today that all of a sudden my views jumped way up and thought to myself, I'm thinking that some blog candy might just be what they are looking for Ü... So I would love for you to post one thing about this year that has been special in your life, oh yeah - you can tell me how fabulous my project is as well - LOL! On Friday, November 30th I will then use the Random Number Generator to select a winner. So would you like to know what you can receive? The winner of this post will receive these. Yes, that's right - I "heart" you all!

P.S. The Nestabilities have arrived :D :D :D - here's to hoping that we have enough to last through the weekend!

5 - Sniffles, Sneezes and Coughing, oh my

Here we go Ü Tonight begins the countdown to our One Year Anniversary sale. So with that I would like to share that for three days, November 30th through December 2nd, we will have a storewide sale of 15% off everything in the store.

This time round the sale will be first come, first serve. If we run out of an item we will not be putting it up for preorder. There are two reasons for this. First is because I know how disappointed you would all be if you do not receive that special item in time for the holiday season and unfortunately I think we will probably run out of some items. I just have no idea when those products will become available again. I have tried so hard to be certain that we are well supplied, but it seems almost impossible to predict. We have our Nestabilities arriving this week, but unfortunately what we have arriving is what we will have until sometime towards the-end of December. Spellbinders has more on order, but unfortunately they will more than likely not be here in time for the holiday season. Then there is Copic - we are still waiting, patiently (and sometimes not so patiently - LOL) waiting for the new Stampin' Up! coordinating color sets, as well as the glitter pens and current colors. If by some miracle they arrive we will put them up, but I'm not crossing my fingers at this point. There is just no telling when the Copic products will arrive and if they will arrive. I try so hard to "know" and yet there just are no good answers.

The second reason for not doing preorders is because it was a true nightmare for us on this end the last time round Ü Trying to stay on top of the preorders during the last sale was a true test of perserverance and organization. At times I really wondered if I would loose my sanity - LOL! I thank you in advance for your understanding and I hope that I was able to make a fairly good estimate as to what we need in our warehouse and that we won't run out of anything.

So now for the fun stuff!

Tonight's project wasn't the one I was going to start with, but this cold that set in on Thanksgiving has really hit hard. I just couldn't help myself being that I believe I have used an entire box of tissues already and so tonight I present one of the images and sayings that Karen has added to her line this season. Being that cold season is upon us the timing of these images could not be more perfect - ha! ha!

The little tissue box comes with the tissues drawn in place, but I just slit the top and inserted some real tissues for "effect". I then added the sentiment - it just cracks me up!

As you can see I have highlighted my personal predicaments with Twinkle Stickers - I am both sneezie AND wheezie - thank goodness I'm not queezie - LOL!

To kick off the countdown I thought I would share how I create boxes for "custom" sized products, in this case the cute little tissues. I begin by measuring the item I want to enclose - the tissues were 2 1/4" wide x 4 1/4" long x 7/8" high.

Next I take an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of cardstock and start scoring. Perhaps I am rather odd in that I don't figure this all out on paper first, but I just visualize how it is that the item will fit inside the box and begin. I have posted the picture below so that you can see how easy it is to create your score lines in the correct position if you use the centering ruler on the Scor-It board.

I have added little black lines to the score lines so that they show up a little better. The diagram below will hopefully help make this a little easier to understand as well.

I begin on the right side of the paper and score my lines moving from right to left. The first 1/2" is what you will always need to use to have a surface to adhere your box shape together. Next comes the height of the object you are making the container for. I always make it slightly bigger than the starting size - for example my tissues were 7/8" so I rounded up to 1". By aligning my first score line with the 1" mark on the Scor-It board you will be in just the right spot - score your line. The next measurement is the width of the object - the tissues were 2 1/4", again I rounded up this time to 2 1/2". Move your paper over so the score line now lines up with the 2 1/2" mark and score again. Repeat the height and width one more time and you have completely surrounded your object. Cut off the remaining paper along the final score line.

Next you need to make the height work. For the flaps I decided on 3/4" to tuck in on the ends. So I began with the 3/4" tuck-in, then added the 1" for the height of the tissues. Then comes the length of the item. In this case the tissues were 4 1/4" and so I rounded up to 4 1/2". Another 1" for the tissue height and another 3/4" flap and you have the correct amount of paper for your project.

The measurements need to be slightly larger than the actual product size so that it is not difficult to fit your gift in to the box upon completion.

Next I cut off the excess paper. Using my magnetic placement mat, metal edged ruler and retractable blade cutting knife I remove the "corners" leaving only the body and flaps.

One tip I have is to cut just inside of the score line, rather than in the center of the score line. This will help your box fit together better. I used a corner rounder to clip the flaps. Stamped and embossed the Millinery Ribbon, Rose then pierced on either side.

Red liner tape is the absolute best for holding boxes together. Attach the tape to the flap and secure the box. Spiffy it up with a little ribbon and you have the best looking tissues in town :D

I hope that this little project can be used by many of you to create gift boxes this holiday season and that not too many of them will enclose tissues Ü!

Cornet Creations

Working together with Karen Lockhart is in one word - FUN!!! It never ceases to amaze me when she shows up with some new "item" that we can think about using in a different way. Karen is so incredibly creative and resourceful. Her work is absolutely meticulous and when we team up, well... it is so much "fun".

It was a couple of weeks ago when Karen came to my home and shared her knowledge as to how to correctly cover these cornets. We went through the covering of one - she did the hard part (at least that is how I had perceived it in my mind beforehand) and I took the pictures - LOL! Well guess what - it wasn't hard at all!!! Karen has created the perfect template for both the interior and the exterior of these "cones" and she walked me (and now us, because I have put together a "tutorial" based on her direction to include in the kit) through the exact steps that she follows when covering them. Here is our very first creation, the Noel Cornet Kit.

This kit comes with all the "odd pieces" that you will need to create six (6) of these beautiful cornets! It includes step by step instructions, as well as the inner and outer templates for covering the cornets.

These will make BEAUTIFUL additions to any Christmas Tree, Garland, Chairback, Doorknob - I can hardly wait to hear your thoughts as to where you might locate something like this in your homes. You could also use it as a hostess gift during the holiday season or gives these as gifts to family and friends.

For the picture I filled it with some lovely potpourri that I have. It even has little pears, fruit slices and berries in it and it smells OH SO GOOD! Other possibilities for fillings could be small candies or cookies, or greens and berries - again it is limited only by our own imaginations.

I thank Karen for sharing her creativity with me, with us! On her website she has shared other projects that she has created using the cornets. Below is one of the projects that she has created - she includes brief directions for it here. Those are Dew Drops adding the sparkle and shine. This twill is what Karen used for the band and the crown. Can't you just see one of the Nestability Stars atop this cute little tree?

So let's get creative girls!!! Create something new and different - be certain to post a link below to your projects so that all can see your gorgeous creations - I can hardly wait for what you all have in store Ü

Scarecrow Silhouette

Growing up on a farm in Alberta we experienced some of the most incredible sunsets. We never did have a scarecrow quite as "good-looking" as the one in the Lockhart Stamp Company collection, but this image just struck a chord within me when I saw a card that jumped off the screen. It is not often that I have time to puruse the wonderful gallery over at Splitcoaststampers, but I am so thrilled to have found this beautiful card created by Zindorf. You really must go and take a peak at her entire gallery - I love the bold colors and striking presentations she has used in her pieces of art.

The open prairies afforded some of the most remarkable scenes, including the geese flying past the evening sun - these sights will permanently be ingrained in my memory. I hope you enjoy my version of Zindorf's spectacular sunset.

I created a circular eclipse mask and placed it on Sweet Corn cardstock (I just love the names of the Memory Box papers, but they make me hungry - LOL!) At this point I needed to make a decision. I toyed with using my airbrush being that it would be SO quick and easy, but decided to go with the traditional brayer method being that I REALLY wanted that "rolled", layered look that only a brayer provides.

As you can see I utilized my teeny, tiny brayer along with numerous Adirondack colors and a sponge to create this scene. Locate your mask where you want your sun to be and brayer on your colors starting with the lightest at the bottom and working to the darkest at the top. Remove your mask and sponge the sun tapering out your colors towards the bottom, right edge as shown.

Stamp the scarecrow image in black and then color in the image with a black marker. I have found that the Copic Multiliner Brush Pens are awesome little tools. They allow you to letter in a calligraphy type style, as well as color in small scale images like the one above. The tip allowed for awesome control - I was thrilled with how easy it was to color in such a detailed image. I then used a white gel pen to add the highlights to the image.

I then created a frame out of Spooky cardstock. Following is a quick tip on how it is that I position my Nestability die to ensure proper placement when I cut windows. Being that I have access to loads of magnetic placement mats I decided to try something different with one. When using the Wizard to cut, one must always use the white spacer plate, so I cut a magnetic placement mat the same size as the white spacer plate and adhered the two together. This gives me a nice sturdy magnetic mat that I can then position over my sandwich with ease.

Using Tombow Temporary adhesive I place my cardstock on my thick white cutting mat. I then lay my Nestability die face down (rough side or cutting side down) on the paper exactly where I want my window.  Being that the nestability die will "snap" up to join with the magnet you must CAREFULLY come straight down over your project so that you won't mess up the position of the die. Then comes your last thick white mat. Run through your Wizard and voila you have a perfectly placed window. Ü

Last but not least I added a simple embellishment - Flame Dew Drops. If you haven't discovered these little gems yet don't delay. They are flying out the doors - I do believe I may have another preorder in my store soon - LOL! These are so easy to apply - for this card I used mini glue dots, but you could also use a myriad of other adhesives to adhere these lightweight little treasures in place.

I would like to challenge you to create a "Zindorf" sunset and please post a comment to her gallery if you are inspired as well. Don't forget to enjoy the fall beauty that is so short lived!

Fall is in the Air

It seems that at times life takes one step forwards and then two backwards. It was certainly one of those "backwards" weeks for me. Unfortunately it was a little more than two steps yet again. I feel badly for my DH being that now he is once again the chief cook and bottle washer at our house. It was just one of those "Oh no!!!" moments when my foot took an impact squarely on that broken bone. Fortunately it is only a 2-4 week set-back, but I am once again supposed to rest the bone for at least two weeks, icing, yada, yada. This happened on Tuesday and I'm finally able to laugh about it just a little and also wonder how on earth these things happen - LOL!

Yesterday was World Cardmaking Day and I know that festivities abounded everywhere. I sincerely hope that you all had a blast and I apologize for not being here to party with you all! I am doing my best to follow doctor's orders and remain off my feet as much as possible. I want to avoid surgery at all costs. I can promise you this though - when my life finally get's turned around I will definitely throw a huge celebration party here!!!

Fall is in the air here in Seattle. In fact it has been pouring on a daily basis. The month of September had 4X it's normal rainfall - uggh! Every year during the fall/Thanksgiving season it becomes important to have hostess gifts ready to go at a moments notice. This little votive holder creates a soothing, warm ambience to any setting - be it a powder bath, a countertop or a coffeetable. It will help melt away those rainy blues.

To create it is simple. I found these votives at Michael's and purchased a bunch of them perhaps a year or so ago, so I'm not certain if they will still have the same type in stock. Stamp the Two Acorns on a stripe of parchment paper or vellum using Palette Noir Ink. Color in the image on the opposite side using Copic markers. Unfortunately I do not have a step by step of the coloring process on this project being it was created several months ago. I also did not write down which colors I used - sorry about that, but you can see a step by step tutorial put together by Karen Lockhart using Prismacolor color pencils.

To add definition to the acorns I used the Sakura Clear Glaze Pen. Using sticky strip up the back side I adhered the vellum to the votive and then added the burgundy and mustard grosgrain to the base to finish it off.

I thought I'd leave you with a picture of it all lit up. It is so soft and pretty, with the scent of vanilla now wafting through the air on this cold, rainy night.

2007 Limited Edition and Other Surprises

There are a few of you who have noticed a little surprise that was snuck in to our online store. Some of you have already been purchasing this darling little image that Karen has just released. For those of you who are not familiar with the Lockhart Stamp Company line of images I am going to share the story behind the Limited Edition pieces.

Karen began her stamp company the end of the year 2005. I believe at that time she had something like 13-15 stamps. She decided that each year she would release an image that would be limited to 250 pieces. She selected a theme that is so very charming and began with a celebration from their lives - the arrival of her little grandson Nicholas.

The first image released was "The Flurries". Unfortunately there are none to be had at this point and I refuse to sell mine - LOL! If you are lucky to find one you will want to snap it up. In fact the most recent sale we noted was someone selling it for $20. Who would have thought that one little stamp could become so valuable?!?

Sorry for the not so perfect picture, but I took my boot (cast) off and it is a royal pain to get it back on to go and find a better picture. So instead I am sharing this one which was easy to attach. Here we have Grandma and Grandpa Flurry with baby Nicholas.

Last year Nicholas was a year old and like all little children loved being tossed in the air. So "Nicholas and Daddy" came about. If you think that you would like to purchase this Limited Edition stamp you should probably do so as soon as possible because once my inventory is gone, they are completely gone.

This year Nicholas, now two, has gotten to know his grandma and grandpa a whole lot better and I do believe that he is the light of their lives. Karen shared a story with me just recently that gives me the giggles. Nicholas came to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa and upon arrival was thrilled to see "Big Daddy". Karen was then wondering what she was going to be called and had her fingers crossed that she would not be called "BIG Mama" - LOL! Thankfully Nicholas is wise for his age and began calling her "Nanna" instead. What a relief for Karen! But we continue to giggle about it each time we talk about Nicholas. We are being treated this year to "Grandma and Grandpa with Nicholas" - I am so delighted with this sweet image!

What could be more fitting for this occasion then a little pocket card to record some of Nicholas favorite holiday memories? The inspiration for this design came from my friend Kendra. Today Kendra shared a picture of one of her creations and I just loved the layout - thank you Kendra for inspiring me! Please stop by her blog and check out her WAY cool creation!

Being that I love an old-fashioned Christmas style I decided to go with the new Cosmo Cricket papers that have been sitting here beckoning me from afar. I know that the Lockhart image is pretty "crisp" in nature and so I began with a color palette that would bring it into a realm that would coordinate with the Cosmo Cricket papers and in addition figured out a way that I could then age the whole creation, hopefully without muddying it too much.

I took a picture of my work in progress to share some of my coloring technique. First I lay down the lightest color. I then scribble some of the coordinating colors on a piece of plastic (or in this case my acrylic block being it was right there - LOL!) Next I use the light colored marker to pick the dark color up off the block and add shading to the image I am coloring. Once I have the color added to the image I then scribble off any excess dark color until the marker is once again "clean", as you can see by the example in the lower right hand corner of this picture.

I created a mask (Debbie has done a WONDERFUL job of explaining how to do this at her blog here) and airbrushed the sky with the blue-green color (BG72 - this is a color I hope to add to my store soon being that I have decided I just can't live without it - LOL!) from the trees and then added some E31 to age the appearance. I removed the mask and as you can see it still was a little too white! So I airbrushed additional E31 over the entire image, leaving the faces and bodies of the snowmen a little lighter.

In the image above please take note of the tree on the far left. As you can see it is brighter then the other trees and not nearly as well blended. Many times rather then using the blender pen to bring the colors together I will select one of the markers from the lightest color set to bring all the colors together. In this instance I selected E00 being that the colors in the Cosmo Cricket papers are not a true bright value. The addition of the E00 over top the BG72 and BG72 combined with E29 bring all the color tones together to work beautifully with the papers. 

As you can see in the image above I used my colorless blender pen to then remove some of the caramel from just the bodies of the snowmen to add a little contrast to the snowmen themselves - this helps make them pop just a little more. Sneaking out from behind you will notice this awesome  "Ribbon of Lights". These were also stamped on white cardstock, colored with Copics and airbrushed with E31 to age the strip and allow it to blend with the papers. Airbrushing is so quick and easy and it is quite simple to learn to control the amount of color that goes on to the paper.

To complete the "coloring" of the image I added some 2-way Glue and Hero Arts Prismaglitter, Spica clear glitter pen, and Sakura Clear Glaze pen on the lights. Again the paper and ribbons are all from the Cosmo Cricket "Be Good" collection - I adore this collection and hope to have some awesome things to share with you soon :D

So the "surprises" I was referring to in the title above are a wonderful new collection from Karen Lockhart called the Millinery series. To allow you a comparison of sizes I have taken a picture of the collection and shown it here below. Each of these was colored by Karen herself.

Hopefully the combination of these pictures along with the one above that shows the Ribbon of Lights "in action" will allow you to get a feel for how these would fit on a card front. Each "ribbon" is 5 1/4" in length and approximately 1/2" high. With time you will see these ribbons and embellishments come to life in some other fun creations. I'm taking it one day at a time around here and trying so hard to get as much done as possible.

Thanks for stopping by to share in my excitement - sorry there was no fun build-up this time for these latest releases. I just couldn't pull it off this time round. Maybe my next celebration will be when I am up and around again.

So go and get your "Nanna and Big Daddy with Nicholas" stamp as soon as possible being that my guess is that this year they are going to fly out the doors. Have a wonderful weekend!

Stamp of the Month, August

In creating this month's Stamp of the Month Packet I once again wanted to bring you a project that you could utilize for your upcoming Christmas cards, as well as use the Angel in other ways. Therefore I picked the Harvest angel and paired it up with colors that would say Christmas instead of Autumn.

I know that in the past you have found the color progressions to come in handy and so once again I snapped photos as I colored in the image. I will admit that these are not the best photos. It's funny how the awkward angle makes a difference, but hopefully it allows you to see how the colors were laid down on the image to create the shading.

The first colors I used were Cream, Chartreuse and Scarlet Red.

The next layer included Sand, Limepeel and Crimson Lake.

The last layer of colors included Goldenrod, Dark Green and Crimson Red.

By continuing to layer the colors, leaving some lighter spots to "round" out the angel I tried to make her colors coordinate with the beautiful Dill and Crimson papers that I had selected to include in this months kit.

As a finishing touch I mounted the angel on the crimson paper and mounted this on the Elegant Holiday paper. To show off the beautiful two-sided feature of these papers I curled the layers back ever so slightly to reveal the crimson underside. Mounting this on the dill note card and adding that final layer of piercing makes this layout just a little different. To pierce I resorted to my old faithful SU piercing template. That tool has been indispensable when it comes to my cardmaking. Below is a close-up view of the pattern that I used on the crimson paper - adding the antique copper brads gives it the finishing touch.

I hope that you enjoy this month's kit and that you get 10 more cards made for your Christmas assortment!

(3) Harvest Autumn Menu

I was beginning to wonder if I was going to make it today - LOL! But here I am :D I love to utilize my stamps in unusual ways - not just for cardmaking. It has been some time since I have done a special meal. Now that I'm a working girl there just doesn't seem to be that extra time that these types of occasions need, but I love to cook a nice meal and present it in a "lovely" way when I get the opportunity. Yep, a little bit of Martha wore off on me - LOL!

This is another one of the beautiful Autumn images that is going to be part of the Lockhart Stamp Company release this Friday - it is called Harvest Basket! With this menu card I should have started my planning stages much earlier. It was an afterthought to put it in the frame and thus the tight corners, but I thought it might help you visualize using it in a different way if I posted a picture like this.

There is one element in this project that I would like to point out to you. The first being the "recessed" embossing on the scalloped oval. I am so in love with these shapes and the embossing. If you notice the angel I made a few days ago you will see the inset of this same shape. What I have been doing is making "two for one" project preperations. I don't like to throw away even the tiniest of papers and so I have been planning to use both pieces of my cutouts. I highly recommend it :D

I would also like to thank the Spellbinders Design Team for heading over here to my blog - helping to answer the questions that have been raised. They have worked with the Wizard for several years and so they are knowledgeable and able to answer the questions that are presented. So if you have asked a question I would like to suggest that you return to that post and read through some of their answers and suggestions.

One question that I would like to answer is in regards to the white spacer plates. I will try and update the information on my site before Friday, but I wanted to let you know that these plates are made out of a very hard material (some type of plastic). They are approximately 1/8" thick x 4 1/4" x 6". Two come in a package and I continually flip mine so that I don't get a really warped one. Having these available has made it so much simplier for me then when I was constantly looking for just the right number and thickness of chipboard pieces.

Oops - I just noticed another question that many of you might find the answer helpful. In designing these punches we decided to make two separate scalloped shapes. Some people like a more "delicate" look to their work, others a more "classic". If you make a comparison to what it is that you already own you can determine which will better suit your style. Count the "bumps" on your current scallops and then make your decision accordingly. The Petite Scallop Circle has a total of 37 "bumps" on it whereas the Classic Scallop Circle only has 22 "bumps". The circle is currently the only new Nestability shape that has both the Classic and Petite options.  Please note that we have designed the "Basic Shaped" circles (no bumps on these) so that they coordinate with both the Spellbinders Classic Circles and Petite Circles. Therefore if you decide you just have to have both scalloped circle sets, you will only need to purchase one set of the Standard Circles, Large and Small. Please let me know if this is clear as mud or whether you need more information. Again my worker bees and I are taking pictures, editting, blah, blah, blah and hope to be prepared for Friday the 13th Ü

Spellbinders will be using their patented technology to continue to bring you more of the shapes that you desire. We are working hard at it, but time only allows for so much - LOL!

Thank you for stopping in to visit today! The clock is ticking - I must run and get more pictures uploaded :D

(4) Enjoy

What can be more enjoyable then a cup of hot chocolate or a cappucino topped with "fluffed", steamed milk? This new Itty Bitty Hot Chocolate was just asking for a nice, whipped topping of Liquid Pearls sprinkled with actual hot chocolate mix.

I think I would like to be sipping one right now as I post this entry, but alas time is ticking and I still have quite the list ahead of me tonight Ü

I can not tell you how thrilled I am with your response!!! THANK YOU so much! Your emails and messages have truly made my day!!! Seeing a vision finally come together makes me feel so incredibly blessed - to be involved with a small, family owned business is a true pleasure!

Tonight's inspiration is short and "sweet" - ha, ha - no pun intended (OK, OK - pun intended :D) Creating a simple card that just hollers - "Hello, here I am!" is so incredibly easy with these new shaped dies. I was hoping to be able to address the other shapes tonight, but wouldn't you know it my day has been filled to overflowing with just answering questions that are currently out there. I promise much more information is yet to come.

I plan on sharing how it is that I utilize the Wizard machine being that some have a hard time working with it. I will readily admit that I did too. The reason for that is I have had two thumb surgeries on my left hand suffering permanent damage to a nerve. Well being blonde and all, I didn't realize that there were other ways to use the machine, other then the way it is presented on the video - LOL! Stacey was able to share in seconds a whole different way to use the Wizard and I am officially hooked. No more goofing around with trying to figure out my own sandwiches - they have done all the hard work for us already Ü

I will be sharing step-by-step photos with you to show how it is that I have been able to accomodate my slight handicap. It has made all the difference in the world to me. This machine is truly Universal - left handed individuals can utilize it as easily as those who are right handed. I have much more to share on this matter, but as with all things I believe in educating first and then allowing you to make your decisions as to whether or not this is the tool for you. I will try and do my best to share the information I have learned with all of you.

Please be patient with me over the next few days, my to do list is very, very, very long :D Again remember that you will be able to start visiting the blogs of Debbie, Trudee, and Michelle as of tomorrow and watching for inspiration they provide. Visit the Spellbinders website and become familiar with their patented process as well as the design gallery they have set up just for you! It truly is a system that is going to revolutionize the card making and scrapbook industry. The versatility has me SO jazzed. I am making coasters, and hopefully felt stockings, and... please wish me luck in creating all the things that are rocketing through this head of mine in the next few days! I am also working on my Paper Trey Ink designs - Nichole's upcoming release is also fantastic - the ingenuity of her line always intrigues me and allows me to explore a whole different side of my creative spirit.

Watch for a second post shortly that will hopefully invigorate your day :D

Meeting Spellbinders and (5) SHAPED CARDS!!!

Where to begin?!?! I guess to begin at the very beginning would make the most sense, but first I would like to thank the Caron's, the owners of Spellbinders, for their belief in me and allowing me the opportunity to work with them on such a fabulous project!!! THANK YOU Stacey and Jeff!

It all started with this shaped card – do you remember this one? Well my desire to explore and create is always getting me in trouble – LOL! I truly loved the idea of creating shaped cards, and tags, and... without having to wield my trusty decorative edge scissors. It seemed that each time I would shoot for precision I would end up having to repeat the task endlessly. Then I learned that I could use the Create-a-cut, but that still wasn't the resolution to my problem being that these are difficult to locate.

I became familiar with the Spellbinders product in the oddest way. My brain was trying to explode the uses of the Cuttlebug I had just purchased. For some strange reason I seemed to remember something about a Wizard. I didn’t really know what it was or how it was utilized, but I went out in search of and purchased the Wizard Charm Embossing Kit from my LSS. With this kit I hit on the most fantastic of ways to use the Cuttlebug. To be able to use the Cuttlebug with texture plates, brass stencils, and whatever other “find” I could think of that was thin enough to run through it, was my goal. Little did I know that Spellbinders was already doing all those things already!!! Yep, a truly blonde moment once again.

It was at Winter CHA that I went over to introduce myself to Jeff Caron, the owner of Spellbinders to ask him about the current supply of Wizard Charm Embossing Kits. Being that I couldn’t keep them in supply I was wondering if he had noticed a difference in their business after the discovery I had made. It was a busy show and life continued. I would blog and also wonder aloud at the inability to get the scalloped punches, as well as ponder the reason for not having dies that would take their place. I would talk about the Cuttlebug, yada, yada, yada. I would break B plate after B plate with my experimentation, but I kept right on with my experimental adventure just purchasing new plates with each adventure – LOL!

I then received a phone call from Stacey and Jeff – they wondered why I didn’t like the Wizard. Well it was simple, it was not that I didn’t like it – I just knew nothing about it. That was the very beginning of this adventure of ours. To make a long story short we have worked together now for months, coming up with a product line that we believe will be integral in everyday creating. I would ask questions and then Jeff would patiently answer them. It was not until I was actually in Arizona did I truly begin to comprehend the beauty of the Wizard machine itself. I knew what the dies could do being that I had been playing with them, but I just couldn’t get a handle on how to use the Wizard itself... until then. I will share this story in another post being that I REALLY want to get on with the dies – what they do, how big they are, what machines they work in, etc.

But first back to the beginning of this post - SHAPED CARDS! These new dies will do precisely that!!!

Tonight's reveal of the latest Lockhart Stamp Company images being released THIS Friday was created using several dies from the Scalloped Squares and Coordinated Basic Squares set. The finished size of this little jewel is 3 3/4"w x 4"h.

Yes, that is a little window in the front of the card with the scalloped frame edging it. Have you ever struggled with a project and not been able to have your punch reach deep enough in to your project to place that circle, square, oval or rectangle precisely where you want it? No worries any longer! You can place these dies wherever you would like on your card front and not have a "square" left surrounding where the die sat while you ran it through your machine. I hope to find time tomorrow to post how it is that I created this project. The pictures are all taken - just the tutorial needs to be written.

I am going to break this up into numerous posts being that I think you might find it helpful when returning for future information or how to's. Besides it is now ll:00 pm and I still don't have all my entries composed - LOL! I guess we'll see how far I can get tonight :D

So let the adventure begin! Let's learn more about the new Spellbinders Patented Technology: NESTABILITIES!

(6) Angelic Beauty

Last holiday season Karen introduced four exquisite angels - tonight I am thrilled to share one of her newest additions to the Angel collection titled, "Harvest Angel". This angelic beauty can serve so many different purposes - some examples for its' use could be sympathy, Christmas, or a guardian angel.

Being that the title of this beauty is Harvest Angel I choose to color it utilizing fall colors. To color this image I used a combination of Copic Markers and Prismacolor color pencils. I plan on sharing more information about the combination of these two fine art tools, but being that our day was spent at the Woodland Park Zoo my time was rather limited in creating this evening. Therefore this is yet another quick post to share a little inspiration.

I have been receiving all kinds of questions about the beautiful scalloped shapes I have utilized the last three days. Let me just say that I hope to try and answer a ton of your questions about these fabulous shapes tomorrow (insert big wink). So for this evening take a close look at the composition of this beautiful angelic card and know that many of your questions will be answered at midnight tomorrow night (this being said as I grin from ear to ear :D).

I just have to quickly share this photo I took out our van window as we were crossing over the I-90 floating bridge. Looking out over Lake Washington the view of Mt. Rainier was spectacular! The beauty of this region is unsurpassed on days like today.

Now on to the challenge I talked about last night. I thought that it would be fun to have you post a link to one of your creations utilizing a Lockhart Stamp Company image. Please create your card using one of the card layouts I have presented since July 1st. That gives you nine (9) layout ideas to select from. You can upload to your blog, Splitcoaststampers, a public photo album or even email a picture to me to participate in this special drawing. Either post a link in the comments section below or send an email to [email protected] and I will add the link to the comments listing. On July 13th I will then select a random number from all those who have joined in this challenge and one participant will be the lucky winner of a fabulous prize (which will be talked about further tomorrow evening :D!) So get your thinking caps on and start creating pronto!

Thank you in advance for joining in the fun - I think it will be well worth your efforts :D See you tomorrow!

(7) North Woods Santa

There is one week remaining until the debut of the Lockhart Stamp Company July release! I only have two more days until my big announcement!!! WOW does time go by fast! Paper Trey projects are due, family is still here and I'm just scrambling - so please excuse my less then thorough posts. I hope you enjoy these little "nuggets" of inspiration.

With every new release it is difficult to pick a favorite image, but tonight's selection ranks among the highest for me this time round. The detail is FABULOUS! I love the stick frame and the Folk Art feel of this woodsy Santa. I have never seen an image that even remotely resembles the feel of this Santa!

This image reminds me of Karen's home at Christmas time. The decorations that she has collected over the years are so charming! Coloring this image was so relaxing and enjoyable - that is until I miscalculated the cut and had to do it a second time - LOL! I must admit though that my coloring the second time round improved - so perhaps that miscut was meant to be :D. Practice makes perfect - right?!?

I then gave it the feeling of a large postage stamp by mounting it on the scalloped background. A quick strip of embossed Dill paper, a few brass brads and this card was complete. I could have added a lot more detail such as the extra element of numbers and a cancelled postmark, but then once again I would have lost this fun little guy in the midst of all the "stuff". Yeah - that's the ticket - it couldn't possibly be that perhaps I'm tired and just need to rest - LOL!

Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for a little challenge I plan on posting tomorrow!

(8) Sunflowers in Summer

Sunflowers - the sunny appearance they bring to both inside and outside our homes makes them a favorite flower for many. Their cheerful colors just make me smile. I am thrilled to share this adorable watering can arrangement of sunflowers created by Karen Lockhart of the Lockhart Stamp Company with you.  Once again I used Prismacolor color pencils to adorn this image, followed by a little hint of gold shimmer on strategic spots.

Being that I wanted the image to remain a strong focal point, keeping a fairly simple appearance to the remainder of the card I went back to my favorite scoring and piercing technique to add texture to the face. I also wanted to show how you can jazz up a simple envelope using this same process.

Last but not least - I've been given the go ahead. This Monday, July 9th I will be sharing what it is that I have been working on!!! I am so excited I can hardly wait. I truly believe that the product that I am going to share with you is going to revolutionize the crafting world. IT'S THAT COOL!!! So stay tuned and at the stroke of midnight Pacific Daylight Time I plan to have my blog post ready to share this exciting news with all of you - Yippie!!!

(9) Celebrate

It seems that all celebrations in America include food - LOL! In celebrating today we are not having hot dogs and hamburgers, but this did seem to be a card that would be perfect for inviting guests to a Fourth of July celebration.

To make this card I stamped some brand new Itty Bitty images (Hamburger, Hot Dog and Ice Cream Cone) on Parchment Craft paper, then colored on the back side using COPIC markers (I truly wish I could speed up the process of getting these in my store because they totally rock!). Typically I like to then flip the image and show the front side, but in this case I loved how it looked on the "wrong" side and so I mounted it with the back side (or wrong side - LOL) facing outwards. Pictured below is how I pieced the card together. I used two note cards and cut them in order to allow the white to be behind the image, allowing the colors to pop forwards more.

Layers are as follows:

• Holly Berry note card cut off 1 3/4" from front edge
• Sapphire note card cut off 2 1/4" from front edge
• Parchment paper - 1 1/2" w strip
• Neenah Classic Crest, Solar White - 3/4" w strip, cut edge with decorative scissors

I hope that you had a wonderful celebration. See you tomorrow with more sneak peaks :D

(10) Happy Fourth of July

Lighthouses - why do we love them so much? Is it the sense of peace, protection, and assurance that someone is looking out for us?

This is the Striped Light House from the new release. I love the simple lines and subtle detail - it makes it so easy to color! I had fun experimenting with my COPIC markers and airbrush. Some of the favorite photos I have taken have been of the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean. I'm just not an early bird on vacation and thus I can't say that I know what the sun looks like rising over the water, but I hope to enjoy that view over the Atlantic Ocean come August. Then perhaps I'll be able to better depict the sky - LOL!

This was my first real attempt at using the airbrush and I'm pretty happy with the results. I masked the lower portion of the image off using Eclipse Tape and created the sky using a combination of yellows, pinks and blues. Moving from yellow at the center, to pink and then blue the airbrush lends a misty feeling to the sky.

It was also the first time that I tried to give texture to my project using the Colorless Blender and a mixture of colors. By pushing the tip of the COPIC marker in to the colored surface you can create little pools of color. At first I was hesitant to try this, worried that I would damage the tip of the marker, but needless to say when I say Marianne beat her markers up and they were so resilient I decided to give it a try. These markers are indestructable compared to the other markers I have worked with previously. The tip remains firm and tight after my experimentation - WOOHOO! I must say that it was a fun experiment and I hope to finesse it and then share how to create some of the awesome textures that these markers and the Colorless Blender solution offer. For now you get to see my first experiment - LOL! We all must start someplace - right?!?

The scored design on this card is exactly the way that Karen presented this image. Being that it just shouted "awesome" to me - I decided to use the scored detail to add just that little extra touch of texture to my project as well.

Our guests have arrived and we are going to celebrate together tomorrow, but I hope to be back again late tomorrow night to provide another peak into the new images that are coming :D Happy Fourth of July - I hope it is filled with a sense of peace and contentment!!!

(11) Meet the Flurries

One of the images that is special to me is the first Limited Edition stamp from the Lockhart Stamp Company called "The Flurries". It is special being that to me it speaks of the beginning of a wonderful relationship, with an extremely talented and generous lady. It will always remain in my collection of stamps!

Each of Karen's Limited Edition stamps is hand colored (by Karen), signed and numbered. There are only 250 and the first one pictured below is completely sold out. I can't get anymore - insert big droopy eyes. I can tell you that these little snow globes are starting to increase in value. I heard recently that the 2005 edition sold for $20.00.

Well "The Flurries" had a baby boy and his name was Nicholas. So last year the 2006 Limited Edition stamp was "Nicholas and Daddy". I know that those who love the sweet nature of these images will want to purchase the remaining 2006 image while they are still available.

This year... hee, hee - you didn't think I would tell you did you?  Unfortunately you are just going to have to wait until August - I'm not spilling the beans early. But it does bring me to my little sneak peak for the night. This whole Flurry dialogue is not without purpose :D

Well Nicholas is now an "itty bitty" two year old and he is cute as a button. Yes, he is real - he is Karen's darling little grandson. The stories Karen shares just make me smile and laugh - what a little charmer he is!!! Being that you all responded and loved Karen's Itty Bitty creations (man do I need to work on that page of my webstore - they look enormous when viewed on screen - LOL! Truly they are itty bitty :D) from her Spring release we are getting more - WOOHOO! Look who we have now!

Please meet Mama Flurry, Papa Flurry, and Nicholas Flurry. They are indeed all "Itty Bitty" with Nicholas measuring in at about 7/8" in height :D They are all individually mounted and so you will be able to pick and choose which little snowmen appeal to you, but I was captured by this little card that Karen created using three of the new little Snowmen. Being that Karen makes these cards by the 100's the design is kept simple. Each card that is sent out to the stores who order the Lockhart Stamp Company products is handcolored by Karen - seeing these colored helps those of us who purchase the images . I have learned to color at the level I am at now by studying Karen's cards!

Another feature I would like to draw your attention to is the card front itself. I find it extremely appealing how she shortens the card front on one edge and layers a strip of coordinating patterned paper on the back side to enhance the look. In this case the paper is from the Homespun collection. A little goes a long way when utilized in this manner and can add immediate impact to your cards.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to shed a little more light on what is coming with a new image and project tomorrow.