Paper Tole Technique

Today's challenge was to use the paper tole technique for giving a two-dimensional card a sense of three dimensions. It was most definitely a challenge, but I loved it. My main attraction to it is that it requires cutting and lots of it. I love to cut!

I took one of my photos (below) a bit off-center so the layers of the image could be seen. From head-on (above), it takes on a much different feel. Although I was nervous about the delicate nature of the candles on the cake image, I really like how this turned out. That one candle just will not behave!

Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2

Paper: Bazzill cardstock, SU! Bashful Blue (I think... it was in with my scraps and I'm not 100% sure), SU! Ultrasmooth white

Stamps: SU! Sweet Treats and Sassy Sayings II

Coloring media: SU! Basic Black ink, SU! Watercolor Pencils, Aquapainter, Jelly Roll glitter pen (Sakura)

Embellishments: SU! Dimensionals, Fun Expressions velvet ribbon (Oriental Trading), Thickers Pajamas felt stickers (American Crafts)

Weekend Sketch Challenge

Well, I finally got to squeeze in a Beate Weekend Sketch Challenge (#41)! Woo hoo! What looks like it should have taken no time at all took a bit longer, but I love this card.

Actually, you could say this is also a combination of Friday's Limited Supply Challenge and the Weekend Sketch. I was really noticing how much I bought and have not used. For example, the Heidi Swapp Bling frame. Now, I have two boys. To my knowledge, I don't think my scrapbooking will involve too much bling for them. But I just had to have these circles!

Then, I was talking with Karen, who told me about NOT buying anything at Coach this weekend. While I picked myself up off of the floor, I realized the significance of the moment is something only a fellow girl would understand.

I have had the stamp set It's A Girl Thing for forever, and I have barely touched it. Today was its day.

Now, here's the {gasp} part. The background is not DSP. It's part of a silk blouse. Yeah, you heard me. I loved that blouse, but the stitching on the back didn't like that I had to pick up a squirmy two year old. Last Easter, it ripped {gasp again!}, of course in a public place, and I was so sad. It was so cozy! I loved the colors, too.

So, instead of sending it off to the trash or Goodwill in case some seamstress wanted to have at it, I decided to use it in my cards. It's something I loved... and I'll send that off to my amigas. Turning crap into chocolate where ever I go. :)

Size: 3 5/8 x 4 inches
Paper: SU! Basic Black, Eggplant Envy, Ultrasmooth White, and Orchid Opulence
Stamps: SU! It's a Girl Thing
Background: Talbots Silk Blouse
Bling: Heidi Swapp Frames

Featured Stamper

The SCS Featured Stamper (#60) for this week goes by Scrapnextras (aka Laura). Her gallery is awesome and her blog is really instructive. Definitely a community player.

In homage to the work of the weekly featured stampers, we are asked to CASE one of her (or his) works. I chose for my CASE a card Laura completed for a Limited Supply Challenge back in August (before I was a "playah"). Her creation is on the left. I love how she photographs her cards, and this one stands atop a matching envelope. Awesome! Her specs can be found here. I love the color blocking she did on this one.

I decided to try to stick to the challenge as well as CASE Laura's card, so you see my creation on the right. The challenge had the following parameters:

Choose a stamp that hasn't seen ink for a while: Happy Snoopy (changed from hers)

Chose an old sketch: #38 (same as hers)

Chose an old color combo: #33 (changed from hers: Chocolate Chip, Blush Blossom, and Certainly Celery)

1 or 2 Embellishments: Ribbon (handled the same, but I used Chocolate Chip twill)

Any tools: Cricut (Alphalicious) for the scallop, 2"circle punch, and paper trimmer (a bit different)

Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches

Paper: Bazzill textured cardstock, SU! Prints DSP (Certainly Celery), SU! Blush Blossom, SU! Ultrasmooth White

Stamps: Happy Snoopy (Stampabilities), You Make Me Happy (SU!; texture on BB cardstock), Smile (SU!)

Inks and such: SU! Chocolate Chip, SU! Watercolor Pencils, SU! Basic Black, SU! Blush Blossom, Aquapainter

Ribbon: SU! Chocolate Chip twill

Home Challenged

Today's SCS Challenge (which I started YESTERDAY, by the way) involved finding something inspiring in our own homes. I started my quest hours ago, found my inspiration piece, and began a card... kept trying to fix the card... just hated it... started over. I happed to love the one I ended up with, but I hate how long it took me to get there. So, the sentiment is ao appropriate for this endeavor.

My inspiration was Ignatius' comforter, shown here. That Martha Stewart! Ignatius had bugged me for a Bed-in-a-Bag for months for his loft bed. When we finally went, we saw this pattern, which I found to be awesome. At KMart! Unbelievable. I loved this for inspiration because of the many color choices and it was like one big piece of DSP.

I knew right away I wanted to use the Blue Bayou Prints DSP with the paisley print. I also knew I wanted a mixture of browns. After that, experimentation began. I had a cute card started with rub-ons and primas (there are tiny flower-like designs in his comforter), but I cut that card down to almost nothing trying to fix some boo-boos. This card flowed "like buttah." When I found the bling to go with it, I knew it was going to be good.

Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches

Paper: Bazzill textured cardstock, SU! Blue Bayou Prints DSP

Stamps: SU! Full of Life, Papertrey Everyday Blessings

Bling: Gemstones (Paper Studio)

Ink: SU! Buckaroo Blue and Chocolate Chip

Ribbon: Sheer white

And another...

Well, I got so excited with my last one (see below) that I forgot the part indicating that we should use flowers. So, here is a submission that follows all the rules.

It helped that I actually had some of my supplies categorized, and "flowers" is, indeed, a category. I purchased these Petal Pebbles by Petals & Possibilities when a stamp store in town was going out of business. I seem to be the queen of impulse sale buying. At the time, I really saw potential, then I forgot I had them. The circular embellishments are self-adhesive. The tag came with the envelope. I must say, it came with sheer yellow ribbon, but that ribbon was in bad shape, so I swapped it out for some velvet yellow. Again, I headed for the letters stickers. A shout out to Kristina Werner, whose Make-a-Card Monday (video linked) a couple weeks back reminded me that sometimes your sentiment can just say, "Hey!"

At first, I thought it would turn out pretty tacky, but actually, I think I can see myself sending this out.

Size: 4 1/4 x 7 3/4 inches

Paper: SU! Night of Navy, Yo Yo "Randy Jackson" Yellow, and Baroque Burgundy

Embellishments: Petal Pebbles (Petals & Possibilities), Fun Expressions Ribbon (Oriental Trading)

Letter Stickers: Granny's Kitchen (SEI)

Seventy-Six Cents... That's Why

Today's creation was inspired by the SCS Limited Supply Challenge entitled "Why, oh why..." We were to take a supply that we were either given (by a well-intentioned buddy) and never used, or we bought because we HAD to have it, only for it to sit on our shelves. I decided on the latter, as I wouldn't want to make anyone feel bad.

I chose what I lovingly call one of my "Impulse Buys." It was seventy-six cents. It had potential. It would be great for quick cards. It was in a clearance box with several of its identical twins and some cousins. It was... Fast Cards: Xenon by Scrapworks. I thought, at the very least, I could use some elements of it. But, being a brainwashed card "purist," I could NEVER use it in its entirety to make a card. That was a type of crafter's blasphemy.

So, today, I used this to create an anniversary card for my niece (who has since made me a great aunt... gasp! But she also made my brother a GRANDFATHER...which I relish in rubbing in) as she will celebrate her third wedding anniversary. Now that I feel the compulsion to run and check for gray hair, I better wrap this up. I did enjoy making this card, and I really dig the matching envelope. I even used some of the periphery of the punch out for matting purposes (oooh, alliteration... for the word lovers out there). Had to use some Thickers (talk about over buying... yeesh!) to make this card complete.

Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches

Paper and Envelope: Scrapworks Fast Cards: Xenon

Lettering: Daiquiri White Vinyl Thickers (American Crafts)

Brad: Spare Parts

More from the Spritz Challenge

I wanted to make a thank-you card for a person who gave me a ton of 3T and 4T clothes her son no longer needed. I opened the tubs she had them in, and they were TERRIFIC clothes. They were in great shape and name brands (I rarely buy name brands on my own). His closet is now full of seemingly "new" stuff! Wohoo!

I thought I would complete an additional submission for today's SCS Challenge. I used the Misting with Markers technique with this card. I first colored a stamp from SU! Mostly Flowers hostess set (retired 2007) with my SU! Certainly Celery Marker. I colored in certain spots in SU! Always Artichoke. Then, with a very light spritz, I sprayed the colored rubber with water. Trust me, I screwed this up a few times. VERY LIGHT SPRITZING!

When it worked, I got a great, abstract feel. Then, I followed a similar procedure with the SU! So Many Scallops image. I decided that some blue was in order, so I used some textured blue Bazzill cardstock. I also matted with SU! Prints DSP in Certainly Celery. My main sentiment, from SU! Phrases for a Friend, is stamped in SU! white craft ink.

My embellishments included grosgrain "leaves" attached with staples and a Bazzill corduroy button brad (Who's Got the Button?). I accented the card with dots that went around the corner in the upper left and lower right, for balance. The card measures 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 (folded) inches and is mounted on Papertrey Ink white cardstock. Thanks for looking!

Fun with SCS Peeps

Today was a special day. Some of us from Central IL got together and stamped today's SCS challenge (to spritz something in some way... in honor of April showers). I got to meet Stampin' Annie at Karen's house. Here are some pics, plus my card that was for my brother's birthday. I used Memories Mists on the frog, lily pad, candles, and some of the mats. However, I saw a naughty sentiment at Karen's house that suits him much better, so keep your eyes peeled to this space if you like humor that's a little... off.

Anne's Card

Karen's Card (which is going gangbustas on SCS!)

My shirt says, "It's all fun and games until someone loses an eyelet." I purchased this at CKC in KC. Fun morning!

Sketchy and a Challenge

Today's SCS Sketch Challenge is shown to the left. Whew, it took a lot of thinking. I knew I wanted to use the Baroque Motifs background stamp. After that, the decisions took a lot of hmmmmmm moments.

I decided I wanted to try the "out of the box" technique, as Roxie used in her card and suggested for this challenge. What I learned is that cutting around very thin, tiny elements is a bad idea... hence some parts of the BM stamp are missing in action. I considered stamping below it, but changed my mind a couple times and finally had to say "enough!" I do really like how it turned out, though. I used my Fiskars Fingertip Cutting Blade (shout out to Karen!), and I love how the dsp peeks through at certain places. I just couldn't bear to cover anything with ribbon, so I am thinking the brads were enough embellishment.

Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches
Stamps: SU! Baroque Motifs and Sincere Salutations
Paper: Bazzill textured cardstock, SU! Baroque Backgrounds, Terra Cotta Paisley (Creative Imaginations), Tuscany (Provo Craft)
Brads: Spare Parts
Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip (clear heat embossed)

Living on the Limb

Well, it's obvious... I love Papertrey Ink's Out on a Limb. It's official. It's ridiculous how much I reach for it.

Today's SCS Color Challenge was to use Basic Gray, Soft Sky, and Whisper White. I really got this stuck in my head, and I felt I had to get it out of my head to get a decent night's sleep. And I LOVE IT, I must say. It was simple and it looks fantastic. Just makes me long for spring to REALLY arrive.

Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches
Paper: Bazzill textured cardstock, SU! Ultrasmooth White (yes, it has been that long since I have bought white cardstock from SU!), SU! Soft Sky
Stamps: Out on a Limb (Papertrey Ink), Time for You (SU!)
Coloring Media: SU! Basic Gray, Close to Cocoa, Soft Sky, SU! Watercolor Pencils, Aquapainter
Embellishments: Gray brads (Spare Parts)

Flap Fold Card - TLC 161

I am pretty excited to have been asked by ShowMeStamper (aka Beth) on Splitcoast Stampers to be a guest hostess for the Try a Technique Challenge, TLC 161. I have been completing the challenges over the last few months, and I am a little addicted. I saw this technique through the Scor-Pal February "webzine," and I thought it was simple, yet unique. Rose Ann Reynolds created a great tutorial, and, with Scor-Pal's permission, I am simply linking to her excellent work rather than reinventing the wheel. Since she used magnet snaps from Basic Grey, and I could not find any around here to save my life, I thought I would offer challenge-seekers several options for closing their cards. From left to right:

-Card trial #1: I threaded SU! Basic Gray taffeta ribbon through the back of my medallion and tied a bow on the side.
-Card trial #2: I used a small piece of Velcro to adhere the flap.
-Card trial #3 (my favorite one): I used sheer ribbon and SU! Chocolate Chip twill to secure the flap.

The insides of the cards are just as interesting as the outsides, so I photographed them here.

-Card trial #1: I layered three of the colors I found on the designer paper used on the front.
-Card trial #2: I used a piece of designer paper with more texture than image.
-Card trial #3: I used Ultrasmooth Vanilla and SU! Chocolate Chip ink on the Baroque Motifs background stamp. See why this one is my favorite?!

More specs for the cards:

All flaps cut using Cutter Bee Circle Scissor Plus (and Band Aids)

Card #1
Size: 3 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches
Paper: SU! Creamy Caramel, SU! Basic Gray, SU! So Saffron, The Paper Studio Rust/Mint Small Flowers, SU! Gable Green
Ribbon: SU! Basic Gray taffeta

Card #2
Size: 3 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches (scored this one a little off)
Paper: SU! Night of Navy, The Paper Studio Country Collection
Stamp: SU! For a Friend
Embellishments: Brads (Spare Parts)
Ink/Coloring media: SU! Craft White, Honey Amber and Lemondrop LuminArte paints, SU! Crystal Effects
Closure: Velcro

Card #3
Size: 3 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches
Paper: Bazzill (base),SU! Ultrasmooth Vanilla, Terra Cotta Paisley (Creative Imaginations)
Ribbon: Sheer white and SU! Chocolate Chip twill
Punch: 3/8 inch square (Family Treasures)
Stamp: SU! Baroque Motifs
Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip

Something Blingy

Today's Featured Stamper on SCS is Pickletree, aka Amy Sheffer. It was truly difficult to select a card to CASE, as she has many outstanding selections. I chose to imitate her Sparkly Mojo submission.

Well, now you know I had to break out the Chunky Sprinkles! This card is for my hairdresser, who just got engaged. She also loves to stamp, so I think she'll really appreciate this.

Be sure to take a peek at the Try a Technique forum tomorrow. The hostess is none other than... ME! Stampissues!

Size: 6 x 6 inches
Paper: Bazill Bling, SU! Basic Gray, SU! Going Gray, The Paper Company
Ribbon: Wide sheer ribbon, SU! Basic Gray Taffeta
Sentiment: Hero Arts
Embellishments: SU! Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, SU! Chunky Sprinkles, SU! chipboard, Pretties set(brad), SU! Dimensionals

What an Honor!

What a great way to start my Saturday. I looked on my blog, and SmilinStef honored me on her blog with a You Make My Day Award! I am honored, especially since I love Stef's stuff.

Seaside Inspiration

I was going to bed when today's inspiration, well, inspired me. The bracelet pictured was to be used as our inspiration. There are so many things one could find in this for inspiration. The silver really struck me as something I had to include. I recalled purchasing some little seaside embellishments a few years back, and I think they worked perfectly in this card.

The sentiment by Helen Keller is from Out on a Limb (Papertrey Ink). If it is too small to read, it says (left to right), "Every day is a gift. The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."

I used some left over painted cardstock from yesterday's challenge to give a seaside feel.

NOW I can go to bed!! :)

Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches

Paper: SU! Basic Gray, Sahara Sand, and Basic Black (painted with Making Memories acrylic - Lagoon)

Sentiment: Out on a Limb (Papertrey Ink)

Ribbon: Sheer white and SU! Basic Gray taffeta

Embellishments: Silver brads, In the Depths buttons (Jesse James & Co., Inc.)

Always Basic

This week, I have been working on a scrapbook for a friend, so I have slowed a bit on the challenges. Today, since I love the limited supplies challenge on SCS, I am back!

We were supposed to limit the stamps and the paper to be of the same line. I think I did so for the most part. We were supposed to think back to the day when we had very limited supplies and show what could be done with them.

I just mounted my new Always set by SU!, so I figured, why not? I remember the best and earliest tool I bought to stretch my supplies was the Stamp-a-ma-jig by Stampin' Up! A friend of my used to call it the "Stampenator." The concept is BRILLIANT. You can basically take any sentiment stamp and use any part of it that works. Unless you are SUPER careless, you will stamp your image wherever you need it... no guessing and checking. I think my early love of this tool led to my current fixation with acrylics. The best power for a stamper is to be able to really see where the stamped images will go.

I used the ever-so-popular and beautiful bird from the Always set, as well as the sentiment. The sentiment came as one stamp in two lines. Using my Chocolate Chip marker and Stamp-a-ma-jig, I placed the sentiment where it was most effective and split up the two lines.

I also used another technique that stretches supplies. I had seen this on a Craft TV Weekly webisode by Michael Strong called "Divide and Conquer." I painted black cardstock with Lagoon scrapbook color by Making Memories. Then, I used my trusty Scor-Pal to "divide and conquer." I sanded the score lines so the black showed through in a bit of an antique way.

The matting is the same sheet of double-sided paper, another great thing top buy to stretch your supplies. This paper is from Afternoon Tea by Stampin' Up! I mounted the images on True Thyme SU! cardstock, and surrounded the images with punches.

Size: 4 1/4 x 5 7/8 inches

Try A New Technique: Negative Cuttlebug

I have to just say it... I adore this card. I started with very little in the idea of a "sketch," and it just ended up looking awesome. We were presented with today's SCS challenge, incorporating inking Cuttlebug templates. Love the technique. I sponged the part of the template with the Cuttlebug logo in SU! Basic Gray. Then, I embossed on SU! Sahara Sand. From there, I decided that it would look better if I had a finer cut around these elements than a square would give me... at first I thought, "This is a BAD idea." Then, I fell in love with them. I used the SU! Theater Ribbon pack for the background ribbon (you can't tie this particular ribbon very well, so it worked fabulously here). I mounted all of these on a panel of Sahara Sand inked with Basic Gray. I used the Build-A-Brads (SU!) with Brocade Background DSP (SU!). The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Everyday Blessings set, which is quickly becoming one of my most used sets. This fit because a friend of mine is joining the Catholic Church Saturday night, and I will give him this with his gift. The corner elements are from that same set. Finally.... GRUNGEBOARD! Gotta love Tim Holtz. I inked the hinge with Gold and Copper Encore Metallic ink... must admit, it's still wet. It might be dry by Saturday (I went overboard). You can also use these as actual hinges, but I was not sure how I wanted to do that with this card. I wrapped the hinge around the back so you still get to see it when the card is open.

Well, I guess I just gave all the specs, except it is a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch card. Did I mention I love it?!

Featured Stamper 58

Well, I must say that her card was nicer than my card, but I chose to CASE this nonetheless. I may try another of her cards later today, but this was the first I came up with.

Who is she? The Featured Stamper for this week, codename BeckyTE on Splitcoast. She has some gorgeous work in her gallery. Check it out, if you get a chance.

She had a beautiful background stamp. I used my own writing. I wish I would have gone with smaller script, but live and learn, ya know?

Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches

Paper: Bazzill, Ultrasmooth White (SU!), Close to Cocoa (SU!), Basic Gray (SU!), Afternoon Tea Designer Series Paper (SU!)

Stamps: Pick a Petal

Coloring media: Stampin' Pastels, Chocolate Chip (SU!), Garden Green (SU!), Wild Wasabi (SU!), Black (Zig)

Ribbon: Chocolate Chip and Mellow Moss Taffeta

IC119 - For the Hyperactive in You

Well, I had to laugh when I saw today's inspiration piece. You couldn't get a piece farther away from my style if you tried. Therefore, it was, as it is intended to be... a challenge!

I waited for a while for inspiration today, and found it, of all places, at "the Meijer." The sentiment was on sale, and all I could think of was how busy the inspiration piece was. So, here is what I was inspired to create. My goal: to make it alarmingly busy. Did I succeed? You be the judge!

Size: 4 1/8 x 5 1/2 inches

Paper: White cardstock (Papertrey), Surprise Confetti (ki memories), SU! Ballet Blue

Ribbon: Grosgrain red, sheer blue, etc. - various scraps I had

Sentiment: Dawn Houser (Inkadinkado 107)

Ink: SU! Real Red, Really Rust, and Ballet Blue

The Freedom of Simplicity

I think my favorite challenge is the Limited Supplies challenge. By no means do I have "limited supplies," so it is pretty funny that this one would draw me so regularly. I love how it forces us all to be very basic and intentional in our design. Today's challenge was called "Tool Free." We were pretty much avoiding, well, tools! We could not use any specialized tools, like Cuttlebug, punches, Crop-a-dile, paper piercers, embossing, etc.

This allowed me to enter in to the wonderful land of stickers. Specifically, my Little Reminders stickers from Stampin' Up! I fell in love with these in last year's spring mini-catalog, bought them, and then have not used them until now. Stickers are so under-rated. I think they look great with the Afternoon Tea DSP (which I LOVE!) I just bought. I think the paper looks great with SU! Sahara Sand.

The sentiment, from Papertrey's Out on a Limb, says, "To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world. -Josephine Billings."

Size: 4 x 5 1/2 inches

Paper: SU! Afternoon Tea and Sahara Sand

Stamps: Out on a Limb (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: SU! Bashful Blue

Stickers: Little Reminders Accents and Elements (SU!)

Ways to Use Designer Series Paper

Yesterday's SCS Ways to Use It Challenge asked crafters to use DSP and not much else. That was, indeed, challenging. If we used white or another neutral, we were encouraged to have a stamped pattern on it.

I like how my card came out. I love the Blue Bayou Prints DSP. I mixed Blou Bayou wit Sahara Sand, and I really like the results.

Size: 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches
Paper: SU! Blue Bayou, Sahara Sand, Ultrasmooth White, and Blue Bayou Prints DSP
Stamps: Limitless Labels (Papertrey)
Embellishments: Target
Ink: SU! Blue Bayou and Sahara Sand

Sympathy Card for Color Challenge

After a REALLY stressful day at work, I decided that craft time is a necessity for me today. So, I explain to my DH that I need to go do the SCS challenge. He then mentions that he needs a sympathy card for his boss, whose father-in-law died. So, my crafting is welcome in the house tonight on many levels.

The color challenge for today was to use Basic Black, Basic Gray, and Purely Pomegranate in the card. I was excited that my recent order from Oriental Trading just came. I ordered some of their velvet ribbon, and their Fun Expressions! Fall Velvet ribbon had a Purely Pomegranate feel to it. I love how it looks on this card. I also got to use my new Out on a Limb set from Papertrey Ink. Love it. Wish the card was a happier one.

Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches

Paper: White (Papertrey), SU! Purely Pomegranate (embossed with Fiskars Leaves texture plate), Basic Gray, and Basic Black

Inks: SU! Purely Pomegranate, Chocolate Chip, and Basic Black

Stamps: Papertrey Out on a Limb and Everyday Blessings

Ribbon: Fun Expression Fall Velvet Ribbon (Oriental Trading)

Faux Cloisonne

I must say, the word "cloisonne" has always been synonymous with "must be tricky" to me. However, this was not the case with today's SCS Technique Challenge.

The hardest part of this was finding a magazine picture that coordinated with any sketchy stamps I had. I realized that I do not have many sketchy stamps, so I returned to one of my first SU! sets: Season's Sketches. I love this gift stamp because it doesn't need to be saved for Christmas. I found my magazine design in the January 2008 edition of Real Simple magazine. It was actually a pillow.

The card size is a bit weird. I scored it wrong, and decided to go with the flow, which is why it doesn't fold all the way down. I made it work, though!

Size: 3 1/4 x 7 inches (scored at 2 1/4 inches on the 5 1/2 inch width)

Paper: SU! Not Quite Navy, Ultrasmooth White, and Certainly Celery

Ink: SU! Night of Navy, white gel pen, and Versa Mark marker

Embossing Powder: SU! Gold Glory

Ribbon: some generic gold Christmas cord

Stamps: SU! Season's Sketches and Sincere Salutations

Technique: Faux Cloisonne

Framed by Featured Stamper!

This week's Featured Stamper on Splitcoast goes by the codename ParisOtremba. Check out her gallery if you have a moment. Some good designs there.

I decided to CASE a fairly simple card of hers. I liked the way she used the square punches to make her frames. I needed a masculine birthday card, and the colors I chose fit the bill. I really like how this turned out. Definitely inspired by the technique, but not simply duplicating the original card.

Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches

Stamps: SU! What Could Be Better? and Sassy Sayings II

Paper: SU! Ultrasmooth White and Sahara Sand, Bazzill textured black

Inks: SU! Almost Artichoke and Basic Black

Embellishments: Brads (Spare Parts), SU! Dimensionals, Scor-Pal

Luck o' the Irish to Ya

Yesterday's SCS Inspiration Challenge was fun. I just bought a new iPhone, and I spent most of the day messing with that, hence my crazy, late night posting of this.

Our inspiration was the quilt below. Its specs are found through Advanced Embroidery Designs. I loved the circular embroidered shamrock patterns, so I tried to focus on that and the "quilt feel." If you click on the picture of my card, you will be able to see more of the texturizing I used. Also, I decided to braid some grosgrain. I wasn't in the mood for your plain ol' ribbon. I do love the green and white combo of the quilt and of my card. Thanks for looking.

Size: 6 x 6 inches

Paper: White cardstock, SU! Green Galore and Glorious Green, most punched with a cm square punch

Embellishments: Grosgrain ribbon (white and white dyed with Glorious Green) in a braid

Stamp: Good Luck (Kolette Hall)

Use the Computer!

Today's SCS challenge was for us to use our trusty computers while paper crafting. I was diggin' it, as I am just getting that "urge" to look in to digital scrapbooking.

I made my card for my teaching partner. Today, our district notified teachers of RIFs (Reduction In Force). Basically, if you don't have tenure (4 good years in the district), you are fair game. Usually, we hear a lot of buzz before RIFs. Today caught many of us by surprise. My partner, plus several other fantastic teachers, were given RIF notice today. They basically are not being offered a job for next year (at this point) due to low enrollment. My partner is, right now, sole breadwinner for her family (three kids). She was devastated, and I was speechless and broken-hearted. So, this card is for her. I hope in some way it helps. I just don't know what else to do.

Going back to the challenge... the paper used is printed from Shabby Princess Designs. Isn't it lovely? And better yet, it was a free download! Crazy! This is their "Festival" line.

Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches
Paper: Shabby Princess Designs Festival Floral and Stripes, SU! Buckaroo Blue, Old Olive, Groovy Guava, and Ultrasmooth Vanilla
Stamp: Everyday Blessings (Papertrey Ink)
Ribbon: SU! Theater Collection (Old Olive Vanilla Elastic with Gather)
Embellishments: Thickers Sweater Felt Stickers

A RAK to my Homies

You know, I should just make this card for a half a dozen people...

The last few months have been challenging to say the least. However, I have the best friends on the planet. They have been the shelter through more than life's little "storms." More like typhoons. So, here's to my homies... all those great people with whom I work and play who cared so very much about my well-being while I was worrying so much about my kids.

This card was inspired by Beate's weekend sketch for this week as well as the SCS Color Challenge for today.

Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches

Paper: SU! So Saffron, SU! Prints Designer Series Paper (Certainly Celery), SU! Wild Wasabi

Stamps: SU! Blooming with Happiness

Ink/Pastels: SU! Wild Wasabi, Going Gray, Purely Pomegranate, and Rose Red (Pastel)

Embellishment: Wide sheer cream ribbon

De-Boss Technique

Today's SCS Technique Challenge involved a technique I had not tried before. It is coined "de-bossing," and the gallery has some lovely examples of this. LindaB, the hostess, provided this tutorial for us, and away we went!

I had a hard time choosing my images. However, after a gray, drizzly, cold, winter day, I decided to make a card to remind myself that spring will come, as it does every year.

With this technique, I found that I had a few challenges... probably specific to my "craft limitations," if you catch my drift.

1. Initially, there was a lot of smearing on the vellum. I had to stamp off before this would stop.
2. It takes VERY LITTLE pressure for this technique to work. It is VERY EASY to press through the vellum.
3. Darker marker hues work best.
4. The ink color lightens when de-bossed. I went over it at certain places.

Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches
Paper: SU! Garden Green, Bazzill textured, white vellum
Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip, Garden Green, and Bliss Blue
Stamps: What Could Be Better? (SU!), Bold Basics (SU!), Essential Sentiments (MFT)
Embellishments: Brads (Spare Parts), Ribbon (Offray)

How can it be?

I blinked my eyes, and Max is now three. Although many, many things have gone on throughout his infant/toddler years... enough to age me about 10 years... still, it seems like time has flown. This card, also CASED from the Featured Stamper this week, is chaotic and busy... which is odd for me but PERFECT for my son. After I colorized my scrapbook paper (ahem, Karen...), I found a few wilder print purchases. Fun for a three year old, eh?

The sentiment stamp is colored in CM gold gel pen, but, next to the red, it took on almost an olive color. So I outlined the letters in Not Quite Navy, which does not work super well on gold gel pen. But... he's three... I am thinking he won't be giving this an artistic critique.

Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches
Paper: SU! Not Quite Navy, Surprise Hoopla (K I Memories), SU! Soft Sky, SU! Ultrasmooth White
Stamps: SU! Vivid Greetings and All About Occasions
Ink: SU! Real Red, Barely Banana, Only Orange (pastels, too), Not Quite Navy
Punches: 2" circle (Fiskars), Corner Rounder (EK Success)
Ribbon: Scraps

Featured Stamper #56

This week's featured stamper has quite an extensive gallery. She goes by Petal Pusher on Splitcoast.

I decided to CASE her CASE. I guess this would be Case Squared? Anyway, loved her CASE (and the original), and I tried my own.

I have to throw a shout out for the Stampin' Up! Rub-Ons. These things are the easiest rub-ons I have ever used. Even the tiniest, most intricate parts (which I normally had a tendency to screw up bigtime) go on quickly and easily. Really great product.

Size: 5 x 4 7/8 inches

Paper: Bazzill textured cardstock, SU! Basic Gray, SU! Ultrasmooth White

Stamp: SU! Shapes and Shadows

Ink: SU! Basic Gray and Night of Navy

Sentiment: SU! Love and Happiness Rub-Ons

Embellishments: SU! Basic Gray taffeta ribbon, Spare Parts white brads, SU! Dimensionals

Illinois Inspiration Room

Well, how do you like that? This week's inspiration room is found in nearby New Salem, Illinois. I drew my inspiration for SCS Inspiration Challenge 117 from the server along the wall. Its granite top and white, wanes-coating-like door were a great contrast. So, I went to work.

I had some marbled paper left over from a previous technique challenge, so I thought that was one less thing to worry about making. I made some score lines on white cardstock to simulate the lines on the door. I really wish I would have had the new Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware in the SU! Occasions Mini Catalog, as it could have tied in perfectly. However, my ol' Hodgepodge Hardware works just fine.

In the end, I love the result. I chose a darker blue, so as not to mute the effect of the "faux granite."

Size: 5 x 5 inches

Paper: Bazzill textured cardstock, white cardstock, faux marbelized glossy cardstock

Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip

Ribbon: Bobbin Ribbon

Stamp: SU! Party Punch

Metal embellishments: SU! Hodgepodge Hardware