My technique classes did this card at their classes this past month. A pretty simple background technique with lots of wow! I think it looks best when done with more of an open type stamp…something that allows the darker color to pop through…like on this lacy snowflake from Winter Post Stamp Set! I used White embossing powder, but you could use clear or even Iridescent Ice for a more subtle look.
The strip of designer paper is from Ski Slope in the mini catalog. I still LOVE that paper! I’ve used up all this stripe, I think. The set, Winter Post, is one of my favorites, as you can tell by the number of times I posted cards done with it! I stamped the skaters in Basic Brown and used my Blender Pen to color in their clothes with Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss and Riding Hood Red. The Santa Post medallion is in that same set, however I punched out just the 1" circle, instead of using the entire image. This card really came together quickly! It is not too late to order your supplies to make your Christmas cards! Just give me a call for some personal help with your order, or use the fast and quick Online Ordering Shop Now button on my website!
Sorry I didn’t post earlier…I’ve been fighting a headache all day. It comes and goes. Probably weather related as it is supposed to get COLD this weekend…they are saying the "S" word. NOOOOOOOOOOOO! I’m not ready!
I made this card a couple weeks ago and was going to use it for one of my Technique Classes. I ended up doing something else, but you may see this technique, Spectrum Roll, at a future class…just not the card! I think it looks really cool and very vibrant! Spectrum Roll is a August 2005 Technique Junkies Newsletter technique. I really can’t believe it has been that long since I first learned this technique! Oh my… Colors I used were Glorious Green and Not Quite Navy. I also used the new Designer Label punch and On Your Birthday set.
Don’t forget…tomorrow is Blogger’s Challenge day. I’m better get working on my project!
Sorry I’ve been MIA for a couple days. Monday and Tuesday I spent all my free time prepping for my Technique Class last night. It went well…I think they enjoyed the techniques and cards we did. The techniques must have been easier last night, because most were done within a couple hours! I’ll have to make them a little tougher next time. lol!
Watercolor Roll (Technique Junkies Newsletter, June 2006 issue) was one of the background techniques we made last night. I try to make up a few variations of the technique so they can see how changing colors can make the technique look entirely different. This soft pink and yellow was one of the extras, so I converted it into a card this morning. I thought I’d use the other side of Eastern Blooms…the softer side…it is such a pretty set. We received it free in our goodie bag for attending Convention and used it in our Make & Takes there!
For the rest of the card, I overstamped the flower with Pink Pirouette over the Watercolor Roll background and layered it onto Cameo Coral. Then I stamped the flower again on Very Vanilla with Cameo Coral ink and cut it out. I stamped the flower with Mellow Moss and cut out just two of the "leaves" to tuck behind the blossom. I placed one of the large Pretties Kit half pearls in the center. Tied the 5/8 wide Vanilla ribbon around it and mounted it all on Pink Pirouette cardstock…one of the new In-Colors! I’m pretty happy with how it turned out!
I featured Eastern Blooms in my September Card Kit. You get four sample ideas for using this set when you purchase the Card Kit, plus all the materials to make 12 cards. Check it out!
I’ve been busy pulling things together of our Demo Roundup meeting today. Several of us that went to Convention are hosting the meeting for our downline to show what we learned. We will be doing several Make & Takes. I was really happy with how mine turned out. You’ll see it in a couple days…I want to keep it a surprise for the group!
Here is a card we did at my New Catalog Stamp Camp. I think Inspired by Nature is one of the best sets in the new catalog! I was happy we got it free in our Convention bag! I also LOVE the colors in the Hawaii Papaya Designer Paper…especially this check pattern!
I used a variation of the Pencil over Ink technique from February 2005 Technique Junkies Newsletter to do the shading on the flowers…it makes such a BIG difference! And note, the new Curly Label stamp set and punch! I punched two holes towards the top of the label so I could tie the ribbon on top of it. The new In Color Stripe ribbons are awesome, too…they have a great "hand" to them, easy to tie and love that wide size.
Hope you are having a great weekend. I’m excited to see my demo friends today. It is amazing the people that Stampin’ Up! has brought into my life and I’m blessed to know them!
Here is my cat, Bleach, sitting in the window! Really! It does look like her!
When I saw this set, I thought it would be perfect for the Faux Brick technique from Technique Junkies Newsletter’s last issue, June/July 2008. So I tried to replicate how a house would look…the bottom is brick and the top (using the Twill stamp) is wood siding. Fun! The brick color is Creamy Caramel with Basic Gray speckles in it.
The base card is our new Bali Breeze cardstock. The window I stamped in Basic Gray and used my watercolors to color. The shutters I cut from Creamy Caramel and used the crimper..then rubbed Basic Gray over the ridges. I stamped the cat on Basic Gray, used the speckles stamp and cut out and placed her in the window. The Kraft taffeta ribbon hides the seam between the "Faux Brick" and the Basic Gray "siding".
I’m anxiously waiting for my new catalog order to arrive tomorrow. I already told the UPS guy today that he’d be back tomorrow with TWO boxes for me! He said "that doesn’t surprise me!" Hmmm, wonder if he has several SU demos on his route?
I’m slowly crossing off all the "to do" items on my list. Oops…forgot about dinner. Maybe I can convince my hubby to take me out tonight! Have a great evening!
Some time ago, I received an awesome Votive Card swap from Katrina Merryman with my PSCubed group. She and I have never met, but have known each other online for probably 5 years. THIS convention I FINALLY got to meet Katrina in person! Oh what fun! We had sent each other photos of ourselves in case we would run into each other. I was leaving a restaurant and saw a gal that looked like the photo. I asked her if she was Kat and introduced myself. She SQUEALED and we started hugging! So much fun to meet up with her! Unfortunately we didn’t get a lot of time to talk, but I did run into her many times during the Convention. It is great to put a face with a name.
Pat over at Technique Junkies featured Katrina’s Votive Card in this month’s August/September 2008 Newsletter. If you don’t subscribe, this card ALONE is worth the subscription price! Pat over at Technique Junkies also has a preorder of her 6th year CD going on! Make sure you check it out…it has over 85 techniques on it!
I made up a couple samples for the Newsletter, but this one I made up for a couple swap friends. I think I already mentioned my Fab 4 Swap group, Mary, Liz and Julie. This was the 3D item I made for them! I included a little battery operated tealight that flickers thru the vellum when it is turned on.
The base of this Votive Card is Riding Hood Red cardstock and I used layers of different Bella Rose designer papers to decorate the outside of each panel. I stamped the butterflies with Basic Brown ink on the vellum.
I did use a couple punches, the 5 Petal Punch, Scallop Circle Punch and a new designer button to decorate the front. I was happy that the gingham ribbons didn’t retire, their narrow width makes it easy to feed thru the button holes. Inside I stamped the Dreams Image from Dreams du Jour with Basic Brown, colored it with my blender pen and the ink pads and layered it on two Round Tab punches to make a circle out of the Chocolate Chip cardstock. I finished with a few Ruby Red mini brads and cut out a small Butterfly for the back. I love how these turned out!
The background on this card I used Sparkle Paper - an adhesive backed cardstock with hologram front. It comes in a silverish color, but I learned how to transform it with a June/July 2008 Technique Junkies Newsletter technique called Sparkle Paper! The camera cannot capture the brilliance of this background paper! It is truly gorgeous in person.
Since the background is so dominant on this card, I choose to just do a simple focal point. I stamped the Ginormous Flower twice with Summer Sun on Whisper White and cut them out. I folded the petals backwards to give them some dimension. The center I placed a HUGE rhinestone brad that I’ve had in my stash! I used Pomegranate Double Stitched ribbon and matted the Sparkle Paper on Basic Black with a Purely Pomegranate base card.
I’m off to Convention in the morning. I am busily working on getting some posts timed to show during the week I’m gone. So, check back to see my Swap Cards and 3D items I’m taking with me! I can hardly wait to get that new catalog in my hands! Woohoo! It’s here…only one more sleep until I go!
I love this Lovely As A Tree stamp set…one of those go-to sets when you need something quick and you know it will come out the way you intend it to. SO glad it didn’t retire. I made this card with Mary during another of our challenge sessions. As it has been over a month ago (and I have trouble remembering last week!), I can’t remember exactly what the parameters of the challenge were, but I do remember we needed to use some type of grid scoring and used a sketch. I used the Reverse Grid from the August/September 2006 issue of Technique Junkies Newsletter.
Colors I used were Blue Bayou, Night of Navy, Soft Sky and Always Artichoke…great masculine colors, I think! I used the Tag Corner punch to make the tag and natural Hemp for the tie. Note the detail of the piercing in the lower left corner. I also used 6 brads on this card! Wow…I never use that many brads! Life is from Enjoy Every Moment stamp set and stamped in Whisper White Craft on the Night of Navy cardstock.
I’m doing quite well on my swap cards. At least I’m feeling comfortable with the remaining time and how much I have to do right now. Tomorrow I hope to knock out some of the 3D projects and roommate gifts I need to finish. I have the prototypes done. Just need to cut cardstock and make them. Yeah!
I used this set, Fabulous Flowers, for my Fabulous upline, Candy, who had a birthday yesterday! She is the sweetest, most generous gal…love her! Her favorite color is BLUE, so you know I had to make her a blue card, right? I knew she’d love the Faux Denim background technique on this one. Yes, I learned this technique on Technique Junkies! (December 2007) And, remember my "starts" basket? Yep….I pulled ALL these elements out of that basket! (I’m patting myself on the back…lol!)
I started with a piece of Faux Denim and stamped the swirl from Baroque Motifs with Night of Navy for a subtle look and used the Ticket Corner punch on each end. Then cut out the large flower stamped with Bashful Blue Craft ink on Whisper White. Then cut out the center of a flower stamped with Night of Navy Craft on Whisper White. Since I had some extra of that flower, I cut out a portion of it and tucked it behind the Bashful Blue one. Then I tied some Bashful Blue Taffeta Ribbon around the denim layer and the Celebrate tag from the Oval Punch. (Fundamental Phrases). It is hard to see, but in the center are 3 small clear rhinestone brads. The large flower is popped up with dimensionals. That’s it!
Today I’m having several fellow demo friends come over so we can work on our swap cards for Convention! Yeah! I’m in pretty good shape, and today should wrap up a couple of my organized swaps. Still need to figure out on what to do for my Shoebox swap…yikes!
No real surprises, except maybe the Eyelets. I knew most of the designer paper would go since it had In-Colors in it…same as with the Scrappin Kits! If you want anything, email me ASAP and I’ll try to get it for you.
I’ve been very BUSY working on my organized swaps for Convention. I’m doing pretty well, though…I blocked out all week to have time to work on them. A few other demos are coming over on Wednesday to work on theirs, too! It will be fun to have company while I’m busy plugging away!
This card is one that my Techniques Class learned last time. It is called Faux Brick and from the April/May 2008 Technique Junkies Newsletter. I love how you can change the brick colors and make it look completely different. This card I used Ruby Red and Chocolate Chip inks on Confetti Cream cardstock. I punched the 5 petal Flower from Blue Bayou, Cameo Coral and Summer Sun, and the leaves from Handsome Hunter. I used the BoHo punch for the center with mini brads in them. Celebrate is from the Labelicious set. Funny, I kind of overlooked that stamp in that set at first, but now I use it a lot!
In the midst of trying to get all my swaps ready, we had a minor crisis in the basement. My Studio is down there in the finished part, but I noticed that the seams in the concrete on the unfinished side looked damp. We put the de-humidifier down there and ran it for a few days, but it really didn’t help much, except to make the air feel dryer. We contributed it to the HOT outside and the very cool temperature inside. But, as I was walking from the family room side to my Studio, I noticed a small puddle of water on the carpet. I bent down…oh my!!! An area about 1 foot round was completely soaked! I called my husband and he came home from work. Turns out, the Sump Pump had froze up! Once he got it running again, the water just GUSHED out of the pipes! I’m thankful that we discovered it while we were in town and got it fixed before we had damage. I was able to dry up the water in the carpet with the Carpet Shampoo machine. Whew! Now I just have a fan running on it to dry it completely.
I am a stay-at-home wife with two grown boys. Several years ago, I decided I needed something fun in my life after quitting my corporate job of 22 years. I attended a Stampin' Up! workshop, came home with three cards and anxiously waited for my order to arrive. I signed up to sell a couple months later, and just had my six year Stampin' Up! anniversary in May! I love being part of something that sparks my creativity and hear people comment, "you MADE this?" I also enjoy sharing that passion with others in my classes!
