Butterfly Bliss

I  LOVE butterflies!!  They are beautiful in nature. But I adore butterfly stamps and dies just as much as the real ones. Creating with them makes me sooo happy!  Both of these cards are heading out in the mail tomorrow, so I wanted to get them up here before they were gone forever.

I started this one by cutting little strips of paper in different widths, and then different lengths. Color was added to them using Distress Inks applied with a sponge. I used 2-inch wide Scor-Tape to hold the strips together, once I had them where I liked them. I dropped water onto the strips once they were adhered together, it gives it that fun washed out, grungey look. Then I decided where the strip piece was going to go on my card and stamped the dots from Gorgeous Grunge stamp set from Stampin' Up so they would be coming from behind the strips. I added my sentiment and then cut the Vivienne Butterfly from a Memory Box die to add on top of the strips.

This one was pretty fun to make. I was playing around with my Brusho powders. They are highly pigmented watercolor crystals and so much fun to play with. You can mix a tiny bit of powder with some water and use like normal watercolors. But I have normal watercolors to do that with. The fun part is  that you can drop these crystals/powder on your paper and either add water to the crystals (I usually spritz with a water bottle) or you can drop water onto your surface and sprinkle the crystals over the water drops. That's what I did on this card.  I used my water bottle and very slowly pulled the trigger...when I do this, the water sort of pools up at the end of the nozzle and then drops in a bigger drop of water. I had to do that several times to get enough spots. Then I just sprinkled my Brusho powders over them. Here's the hard part....I had to leave it alone and let it dry naturally!!  Yep, I had to walk away and let it do it's thing. The powder needs to sit in the water to dissolve. Each color is made up of several other colors, so the powder can look a little crazy in the jar. The teal color that I used on this butterfly actually looks green in the jar. When the water hits the crystals/powder you can kinda see all the colors that were combined to make the color you are using...I love that. When you sprinkle the Brusho on your paper and then spritz with water, you get all these cool variations of color...so fun!
Anyway, after I let the card dry, I could brush off the powder that landed on the dry spots of the card and not smear the spots that were made with the water.  I use watercolor paper to do this because of it's great absorbency...and hey...it's watercolor paper, and I was using watercolors. Ha!
I had added a little more water to one of my pieces of watercolor paper that I had sprinkled the Brusho powder to. The more water you add to the inks, the more "watercolory" they look.  When that was dry I used the Darla Butterfly die from Memory Box to cut my butterfly. I used Glossy Accents to adhere the butterfly to the card. (If I want to be certain something is going to stay put, I use Glossy Accents. So far, it's never let me down)

That's all I have for now. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask....that's how we learn...and knowledge is POWER!

Have a great week!

Therapy...

I was going to throw this up on Facebook today, and then realized that I have a very neglected blog that I have been wanting to start posting to more often. Hopefully more than once in 6 1/2 years. UGH! Can't believe it's been that long.

So, I had a very rewarding "therapy session" in my Creative Space this morning.

A few months ago, I had a day where I was certain my entire world was falling apart. There were things going through my head that were so very painful, I could barely stand it. I had to get them out.
I wrote them down in my art journal. In black Sharpie. It was not easy to write them, to have all that pain right there in front of me, staring me in the face.

I took an online art journaling class a while back, and one of the lessons was to scribble your deepest thoughts and feelings on your page. Get it out, let it go. Then cover it up with layers and color and creativity. That was my plan when I wrote in my art journal that day, with a black Sharpie marker.
I finally came back to it today, I was ready to take it on. Because in that few months, I have learned some things.

That day, I felt like my whole world was crashing around me. I have realized it really wasn't my whole world. It was only a part, a big part, but just one part. I had so many other things in my life, ones that I am so grateful for. I have 3 children that make my heart glow with pride just to know them and have them in my life. I have a job I really enjoy, work for a great company and with the best team of people I could imagine. I live in the Black Hills of South Dakota! I have wonderful friends, new and old and memories with them that I will hold dear the rest of my life. I have a cozy home that I love and recently, have a Creative Space that makes me so happy to be in. Those are just a few of the biggies.

The truth is, there are so many good things in my life. Yeah, this was crappy. Crappy stuff happens to all of us. The question is....what are we going to do with it?

I could have kept those thoughts, hung on to them, wishing that this wasn't happening to me. I've learned that when you keep hating what's happening and basically wishing it hadn't happened...it's on your mind constantly. Every still moment, it comes to haunt you...and hurt you, break your heart all over again. It's miserable. These days, I don't have time for misery. I have had my share through this life. I have done a fine job of wallowing in all that misery. For years and years and...years.

I have finally realized this is MY life. I am responsible for it. No one else can live it for me or make my decisions. No one else is responsible for my happiness. I get to CHOOSE. If I'm tired of the misery, I have to CHOOSE happiness. I can't stop crappy things from happening...it's part of life's roller coaster. But I can choose to either keep looking back at the crap and let it make me feel miserable, or I can choose to accept what's happened, look for the lesson and then turn around and move forward with that knowledge. Use it to make better choices, use it to make a better life. And cling to all the things I am so grateful for and bring me joy.

Why do we choose misery over joy? I don't have an answer for that. I did it for most of my life.  I know people tried telling me I could choose to be happy, that my happiness was my responsibility. I just couldn't "get it", it just didn't sink in. Yet, it is so simple. (Not to be confused with "easy", cause some days it's not easy.)

Funny thing is, I learned this lesson from the crap. Did the crap suck? Absolutely! But, without that crap, and that lesson. I would still be choosing to wallow in the misery.

We can learn something from everything that happens in our lives. The good, bad and ugly. There is something to be learned, about ourselves and this life we are living. We just have to look for it. Know it's there and find it. Use it. Every lesson is another tool to use to make tomorrow a better day.

There inevitably will be more crap in my future. But instead of dreading it (and bringing in more misery) I know that whatever it is, I will be just fine. Just like every crappy time I've made it through before. How many times did I go though something I thought was the worst thing I had ever been through? The pain, the misery...thought it would be the end of me and life would never be the same. Well, it never was the same. I found the lesson, I moved forward and life got better. Every. Single. Time. No more will I be fooled by all that "misery" talk. It's B.S. I have proved it time after time.

Some days, I feel so strong and certain I will be okay no matter what comes my way, I find myself getting a little too big for my britches, and I'm like some crazy from a Sci-fi movie that is up against a gigantic mutated insect, yelling "Oh yeah!? You want some of this?! Come and get it...give me your best shot!!"   Thankfully, I am able to come to my senses and grab me by the short hairs and drag me back to reality and ask myself..."Are you freaking crazy???!!! You don't invite that crap IN!"

But seriously, when I look at all of the knowledge that I have collected from all of those life lessons, things start looking clearer, When I see clearer, fear starts to fade. I have no idea what's around the corner, but I know I will be able to handle it, I will learn something new that will make life better and clearer still. (now watch me get hit by a stray meteor or something tonight...haha)

And, that is where this set of art journal pages came from.

Knowledge...even if it comes from pain is empowering and invigorating

I will continue to look for the lessons in the good and the bad. I plan on learning until the day I die. 

Hopefully I will be playing with paper and ink/paint until then, too. 

I know this got a little long, but hey...it's been over 6 years since I last posted! 

Love and Hugs to everyone,

StayC

Be Happy

I work at a gas station. I see lots of things and lots of people. Some things and/or people stick in your mind for a while, some you hope to forget as quickly as possible. But once in a while, you get inspired...someone or something leaves an impression. That happened to me today, and I really want to keep the memory and the message living for a little longer.

Today, a gentleman came into the store. We exchanged greetings and then he asked me if I was happy. Right out of the blue. I thought it was odd, but I really couldn't think of anything that I had to be unhappy about. So, I said "Yes". He perused the candy bar aisle a while, and then came to the counter with a candy bar and a York's Peppermint Patty. We talked about the price of candy bars and how crazy it's gotten. Then as he turned to leave he said, "this one's for you" and handed me the Peppermint Patty...and reminded me how important it is to be happy. He walked out the door, got in his pickup, and drove away.

It was small, this chance meeting. But a total stranger left me impressed, inspired and humbled. I stood there watching him drive away, wondering what his story was....how many others has he left with a candy bar and those words of wisdom to remember how important it is to be happy. I wondered if he had tons of money and just wanted to do a little something to share it, along with the "happy" message...or maybe he didn't have much money at all. Was he a preacher, a lawyer, a teacher or a plumber?

I don't know what his story was, probably never will...but what I do know is that he was right. It really is important to be happy. It's important to seek that happiness, and it's important to share it with others.

Thank you, whoever you are for sharing that moment with me. Thank you for giving me something visual to remind me of that message. I will most likely never see a York Peppermint Patty and not think of you or how important it is to be happy. Thank you for ending this year on such a "happy" note. :o)

A Touch of Color

For those of you that just want to know what I used to put this together, I will cut to the chase right away :o)

• Patterned Paper is from Die Cuts With a View
• Flourish is chipboard from Maya Road
• Butterfly cut with Cricut and Indie Art cartridge
• Black shape behind butterfly cut with Cricut and Wild Card cartridge
• Name cut with Cricut using Sure Cuts A Lot program and Oklahoma font
• Happy Happy Birthday stamp from Stamp Oasis
• Flourish stamps-most likely Inkadinkadoo-but not really sure.

Other items: Fired Brick and Black Soot Distress Inks, red eyelets and Dew Drops on Butterfly body.

Now, if you are interested in the story behind the card, read on. :o)

I made this card for a good friend of mine for her birthday. This idea rolled through my head about 3:00 A.M. one morning. I think it was after a bunch of us girls got together for "card club"(the Hallmark Knock-Offs...we are all card makers and get together to make cards once a month) and one of the cards we made had a great butterfly image cut out and then attached to the card right over a stamped flourish. I loved the look of it! So, at 3:00 A.M. I'm thinking about all my flourish stamps, and I have a lot...but then thought about some pre-cut chipboard flourishes I had in a tin from Maya Road. My brains started rattling around and wondering what kinds of papers could I use?? What do I have?

UP and out of bed and down to The Room I went. LOL! I found these great black and white patterned papers from Die Cuts With A View and thought they would be perfect. I gathered my paper and my chipboard flourish up, checked through my Cricut cartridges to see which butterfly I wanted to use and got everything ready to go. Aahhh, I could go back to bed and fall asleep peacefully.

The next morning (like "normal" morning for most) I got up and put the card together and really liked how it turned out. I just love that splash of red with all of the black and white.

I used the Fired Brick Distress ink to give color to the chipboard flourish. I just used the Tim Holtz blending tool to smoosh it onto the chipboard. It worked great. I used glue dots to hold all the "elements" on...but the papers were adhered with double sided tape, the Glue Glider Pro to be exact.

I just want to shout out a Thank You to Lori from card club for the inspiration for this card!! If it weren't for her great butterfly card, this would have never kept me up at night! LOL! I love the inspiration I get from others, and our little group of gals are a great place to find it...thanks to all of you for always sharing such wonderful ideas...and great desserts. :o)

Cherry Pie Challenge

Remember the new Cherry Pie Art Stamps I got for my birthday from my friend Bibi? You can see the sheet/plate of rubber HERE. I also got a few more of the phrases that they made because I just love how artsy they look.

Bibi also had this set of stamps and she challenged me to make a card with them using a card sketch from the June issue of Page Maps. This is the sketch we decided on. (she made me choose, and she agreed :o)

This is the front of Bibi's card. I loved the colors she used. They aren't colors I ever think to use together. I know red and green are opposite each other on the color wheel and so are complimentary colors...but...when I go to use them, I always think Christmas.

This card doesn't look Christmasy to me at all. The colors are very comfy together and I love them! The red is more of a raspberry color and the green is an olive green. They really do compliment each other! She is such a genius.

Bibi went above and beyond and did an awesome job of making the inside just as fun as the outside. I love all the color and texture she used!

She even decorated the BACK! I have done insides a time or two...but never the back...how fun is that?!

I love her signature...and if you click on the photo, you can see the inky little fingertips on the hand. So creative! I love that it's 1/1 and she even has the date. Beebs didn't leave off one detail on this one.

Here is my challenge card. I thought it was interesting that our color choices were so similar. We hadn't discussed anything outside of the card sketch and the stamp set because we wanted to see each other's take on it. But we have a lot of crazy similarities like that, it's fun, and it's what makes us such great friends.

I used rust card stock and Pesto Adirondak ink on my card. Did a little smooshing as you can see. :o) I had some ribbon, even some ric rac I could have used above and below the sentiment...but that seemed a little dull...so I tore strips and sent them through the Cuttlebug with an embossing folder, and used brads to hold them on. I altered the image I used on the top of the tag by tearing a piece of paper and lining the edges of the tag with the torn parts and then stamped the woman's head upside down, in between the torn edges of the paper. So this isn't a full image. I just wanted that great pattern from her hair.

I think I may have done something on the inside of the card, but didn't think to take a picture of it before I sent the card off.

This challenge was fun, and we plan to do it again. We'll keep you posted!

Distressed Tags from SD class

I had the very good fortune to be in Rapid City, SD the very same weekend Altered Art & Scrap Playground was having this great class teaching how to make Christmas tags Tim Holtz style!

I had lots of fun and learned a lot. Thanks Cathy for having the class and thanks Ricky for being such a fun teacher! These tags were made with Ranger's Distress inks, Tim Holtz stamps, and Ranger's Inkssentials blending tool and some water.

This was my first experience using the blending tool. I have been smooshing my ink with Ranger's Cut 'n Dry felt pads. The blending tool (aka the smoosher) has a foam applicator and I really like the way it blends ink.

I also really love Tim Holtz's stamps. They are just awesome!

We did 4 tags in the class and then ran out of time...but we had 10 tags to play with. So when I had a chance at home, I played some more. LOOOVE making these tags!! I didn't want to get too carried away and have too many Christmas tags, so I pulled out my two latest stamp purchases...Birds Galore and Antique Floral (which I think is going to be an all time favorite). Both are The Paper Studio from Hobby Lobby.

Here are the fronts. I did a lot of smooshing and spritzing on these. Lots of fun to make. I had a "happy accident" on the orange one. I wanted to make the "ghost" images we made in class using just a touch of embossing ink on our stamp and then spritzing with water. I didn't have such great luck with the embossing ink. I think I was a little heavy handed with the ink and it kept me from getting very good results. So, I tried it with just water, no embossing ink. It too much water and my leaf impression looked a little more like a puddle. I wanted more definition, so I inked it up with Walnut Stain Distress Ink, stamped off on a scrap and then lined it up with the white puddle on my tag and re-stamped it. (One of the reasons I ADORE clear stamps!) I loved the way it turned out. I actually loved the way they all turned out. You should be able to click on the photos and get a better view of them.

Here are the backs. Can you see the white stamped images on the one on the left? That is stamping with water. You really have to be careful not to get too much water, or you will end up with a puddle. What I found to work really well for me was to spritz water on my non-stick craft sheet (also from Ranger) and pretend it was an ink pad, tapping my stamp into the water droplets. I would stamp it off on a paper scrap before I would stamp it on my inked tag.

I really, really do love this look. The ghostly images along with tons of smooshing and aging the edges are just my style and so much fun to do!

If I were stranded on a deserted island.....

On a rubber stamping email list I am on, RST! (Rubber Stamping Together) we have discussed what 3 stamping things we would take or would have to have. While making these cards, I realized how very versatile and amazing 3 of my tools are. I realized with my Ranger Distress Inks, Cuttlebug and Cricut I could make tons of great stuff. I am pretty sure they would be the first things that go with me!

I really loved the colors from the star card in my last post, but I didn't have any more of that background paper. I decided to try and recreate it with my Distress Inks. I used Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, and Fired Brick..and I smooshed. :o) I actually started with a piece of colored card stock, it was a darker gold color. I smooshed the Mustard seed first...pretty random and using a Cut 'n Dry felt pad (Ranger). Then I added the Spiced Marmalade, also very random, then topped it off with the Fired Brick. Some people may get hung up on trying to make those colors look perfect, I know I used to. But the key is to just smoosh...don't worry about what it looks like right now...once you add stamps and/or embossing, they will blend those sharp edges and make the colors flow. I was amazed at how I was able to recreate that background so easily. That would be one reason why they are in my top 3. The other reasons are because they can be used with embossing powders, they blend amazingly, they do great and wondrous things when water is added to them (you will see in another post coming soon) and I love the way they can bring out the dry embossing from an embossing folder or age the edges of a piece so wonderfully.
Once I made the background, I used the Leafy Branch embossing folder to emboss. (I love leaves!) I grabbed my Walnut Stain and Black Soot Distressing inks to make the embossing pop and age the edges. I am still in love with my new Cherry Pie stamps so I used that for the phrase. I matted everything with black. Then I was stuck. I couldn't decide if I wanted to embellish it with the Dew Drops or with this great leaf from the Graphically Speaking Cricut cartridge.

Since I had such a hard time deciding, I decided to do both!

I did the dew drops on the first one and then added the black leaf on the other. I had purchased a set of pretty bird stamps at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago, and decided that would be a great match with the Leafy Branch for the second card. The stamp is from the Birds Galore set from The Paper Studio. Of course I had to age all the edges because I love that look.

I love all the space on the first one, but think that bird is a better fit with the Leafy Branch. I also think I would want to make that bird piece a little smaller and then see if I could fit the Dew Drops in somewhere just for a punch of fun.

I love creating with my Distress Inks, Cricut and Cuttlebug. The possibilities are just endless!

It started innocently enough...

...with a purchase from HSN (Home Shopping Network).

11 brand new embossing folders for my Cuttlebug. They looked so fun! I took them to The Room and started to crank each one out with a piece of solid blue card stock. Yes, they looked cool...but some seemed to beg for a little pizazz. My trusty box of backgrounds was nearby, so I pulled what I thought was a major wreck of a background (too much red and not very good blending of colors) and ran it through the star embossing folder.

I fell in love instantly!

But I wanted my stars to stand out a little more, so I grabbed for my Distress Inks. Walnut Stain is the one I decided on first. I used a felt Cut 'n Dray pad (I cut them in squares about 1.5 x 1.5 inches) to just skim the tops of the embossed stars. I added a little extra color around the edges. I wanted just a bit more definition, so I added some Black Soot Distress Ink just around the edges. I really loved how it turned out...I actually squealed when I finished with the background.

I loved the stars, and wanted to do something fun with the background. I added a fun star image from the Indie Art Cricut cartridge for embellishment. I used another piece of that same background paper to cut the star and then used the shadow feature to cut the black matted layer. I also had just received some great stamps for my birthday from my friend Bibi in Norway...from Cherry Pie Art Stamps (Thanks Bibi!!) and I just love how they do their words and phrases. The "believe" phrase seemed to fit perfectly.

I really love how the card turned out...those colors and the way it is aged around the edges are just yummy to me. It makes my muse say "aaahhhhh". :o)

Waiting for Spring

Yes, still waiting for spring. One of the signs I rely on to tell me it's really spring is the first sighting of the Goldfinch. I just love those little guys. They are so bright and cheery, and their happy little chirping puts a smile on my face every time.
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SPRING!!!!
Okay, I will calm down now....and try to patiently wait.

In my wait for spring, I decided to do an American Goldfinch card. I love the stamp, it's from Northwood's Rubber Stamps. I used another technique from my all time favorite TJN (Technique Junkies Newsletter). This technique is the Marker Wash from the October 2007 issue.
I did use watercolor paper as they state in the instructions, and have found that the results are much better when you do. The water is able to float around better and give you awesome results, I think, anyway.
I basically just scribbled brown marker around the edges of the card, then loosely colored the bird and the tree branch. I then spritz it with water and hit it with my heat gun to speed up the process and to keep the edges distinct where the water pooled.

I have been admiring a lot of the paper piecing I have been seeing online, and decided to give it a try on this card. So I stamped a couple more goldfinches, colored them and cut them out...definitely time consuming...but I feel it was worth it. Then I used pop dots to put space between each layer.
Here is a close up of the layers. It's a little fuzzy...but you get the idea of the dimension.
I was going to layer this on a lighter brown card base..to match the edges, but DH thought it got lost in all the brown..so he suggested the orange card base....YAY hubby! It definitely made the goldfinch stand out like I wanted.

Cricut fun

Here are some butterfly embellishments I made from a sheet of Basic Grey paper (Jade Pattern from the Motifica collection). I used the BUTTERFLIES font from dafont.com (uppercase "B") to cut the butterflies, using the Sure Cuts A Lot program with my Cricut. This butterfly has no body, just wings, so it is really versatile and you can use it with just about anything...and create your own body, too!
I have had this Basic Grey paper for so long...and that really was one of my least favorite sheets in that collection...until I made butterflies out of it, that is. I LOVE the way that paper looks when it is cut out. I used it for butterflies, a ric-rac type border and I cut my name out (letters welded together using the Sure Cuts A Lot program) then made a shadow for it in a dark teal color. So much fun to play that way!
I had to think of something to use for a body for these fun wings. I remembered making paper beads a long while ago, and thought they would be a great shape for a butterfly body. So, I cut out some extra long triangles of the same great paper, rolled them up...long end to short end. I stuck a bamboo skewer into the rolled up paper and rolled it over my Versamark Watermark pad a few times to get it full of ink. Then my plastic container of Clear UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel)came out and I dipped the inked up roll into the powder and embossed it. I did that 2-3 times to get it nice and thick. I wanted it glossy and I wanted it sturdy. I let it cool, and there was my body. I found a few different colors of copper wire, and grabbed some plain cream colored beads from my stash for the heads and put them together with glue dots.
I really like the way they turned out, and am certain I will be starting to use my "oh so very horded patterned paper" a whole lot more now that I see what it looks like when it has been through the Cricut!

Here is a close up of the paper bead, you can see all the great colors from the paper showing through. I am happy with the way all the colors pull together for the body and the wings.

I don't know what I am going to do with these butterflies yet. Part of me wants to make a framed name for The Room (my stamp/scrap room) using the name I cut from the same paper. But I also found a half finished scrapbook page of my Senior pictures from high school...and it is in similar colors and I have fall leaves everywhere..which is perfect because I loooove leaves, and I looooove butterflies. I just can't decide yet. But, in the mean time, I do enjoy looking at the butterflies on my work table for now.

Snow Birds

The color combination on this card was actually inspired by a co-workers new Columbia jacket. It was a teal/aqua color and chocolate brown. I just loved the way the colors seemed to compliment each other. So, I set out to recreate it. I found card stock that was as close as possible...and although this looks more blue than tealish..it is a little different in real life...less blue than it looks here.

I have been playing with this border punch for a while and have come to really love the look of it. That was sitting out on the table, so I played with it..and punched the edges of the teal/blue/aqua card stock. I'm not sure how I came to pick the cute little snow birds. I have always loved that stamp but, to date had not done anything with it that I thought really showcased the stamp. I think the biggest reason I picked it was because it filled so much of the open space of the teal...and I didn't have to figure out what else to add to it to fill in that space. I stamped the birdies in Timber Brown StazOn ink. I then used my Heidi Swapp edge distresser (looks like a pink Pac Man) on the long edges of the chocolate brown card stock...layered it all..and my card was done. I really like this card....because it is simple...because the colors compliment each other so well, and because it really gives a lot of attention to a favorite stamp. Hope you like it, too. :o)

Zen meets Cricut

This card is a mix of all kinds of things. The "H" and "B" were stamped..a great set of alphabet stamps from Just Jhone. They are large alphabets that are an open line image. I am into Zentangles which is a form of doodling, so I filled in the letters with some zen-doodling. I had just got my Cricut and had to play with it. The "appy" and "irthday" are from the Opposites Attract cartridge. I was also on the Triple Play (technique from TJN) card kick when I made this. I had some trouble trying to fit the HB on the flap I would normally have on a triple play card...so I had to improvise. So I kept the dimensions for the size of the card...and then remembered a great idea that I learned from a stamping friend Denise Krueger. She makes the most amazing cards and uses a single sheet of card stock as the base, just a tad larger than the card, then adheres the folded card to the base. It's a really fun look, and it worked perfectly for this card....and it still fit into a business sized envelope.
Jhone (from Just Jhone...now unfortunately closed) was the recipient of this card. It was destined to be hers, since it was her alphabet stamp set I used and we are Zentangle buddies...and it was her Birthday last month!

My first Wall Art

I saw this saying and have wanted it up on my bedroom wall just above our bed for a long time now. Well, since I now have a Cricut, and downloaded the Sure Cuts A Lot program...I decided to take the project on myself.
I used Scriptina font for the word "together". I don't know what the font was that I used for the rest of the words, just picked something fairly plain. "IS A" is a smaller font size and non-bold. "WONDERFUL PLACE TO BE" was larger and in bold. The leaf accents are from a dingbat font called Florals 2 that I downloaded from dafont.com . I put this all together in Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL). I didn't have the 12 x 24 mat...so I put the letters together so I could fit everything on three 12 x 12 mats and cut them out. I also didn't have the special release paper to put the words up on the wall, so I improvised. I used blue painters tape. I put the tape on a piece of foam board, sticky side up...and lined my letters up along the bottom edge of the tape (letters were backing side up). It was a great way to line up the letters. I should have maybe stuck that painters tape on my shirt a time or two, because it was a bit stickier than I had expected. But it worked fairly well. I did have to remake the the "S" in IS and the "N" in WONDERFUL because my tape stuck a little too well....but the really cool thing is that I was able to go make them quick and finish the project. I have no idea what I would have done if I would have purchased the words and ruined them putting them up. I think having the Cricut is going to be lots of fun!

Here is a shot with part of the bed in it...it is centered above the headboard.

This was really fun to do...and pretty easy, too. I think I will be doing more of this!!

I have a Cricut!!

I am now the proud owner of the Cricut Expression. It was my Valentine's Day gift from my hubby. I have had a great time with it so far...and I just decorated it with some left-overs from my first try at wall art. These are the inside of the leaves that decorate the phrase I put up on our bedroom wall. I kinda liked the way the insides looked...and I love leaves...so I popped them onto the Cricut, I thought they looked cool on it...so they will stay. :o)

Oval Butterfly

I found this technique at the Stamper's Quest Magazine
It still makes me laugh when I look at it. (you can see the original inspiration card if you click the link for the e-zine above). I really loved the look of the technique and I just got the Inspired By Nature stamp set from Stampin' Up and I wanted to use the grass instead of flowers. The original plan was to mask the grass and stamp a lions face so it looked like it was peaking through the grass. I found a roll of Magic Mask that hadn't been used in a long time...cut out a rectangle the size of my card and then used my Creative Memories oval cutter to cut the oval out of the center. That was the mask for my oval. Well, I sponged my ink around the edges, stamped my grass... the lion face just didn't work like I had planned. It was a little too big for the oval and the grass...and it was looking off to one side. So, I spent the evening looking at the card...trying to figure out what would be the best thing to fill that space...words? a bird? a bug? Ahhhh....a butterfly! I stamped and colored the butterfly, then stamped it and colored it again to cut out for dimension. I was pretty satisfied with the card...proud of my choice to fill that space. It had been a while since I had seen the original card that had inspired me...I remembered the oval and flowers...but not the butterfly. I really thought that was my own genius to add the butterfly. Well...I was in for a surprise when I went back a while later and saw that butterfly on the original! LOL! I still like the card...even if it isn't as "original" as I thought it was. It's a great technique and really fun to do. I think I would like to try making a mask from some of my Nestabilities. I gotta make a list of things I want to do!!

You really should check out the Stamper's Quest Magazine....lots of inspiration there!

Fairy Dance - More Triple Play

Here is the last Triple Play I made using the chocolate brown 12 x 12 scrapbook paper. I used the same blue patterned paper as the last one and Timber Brown StazOn ink for all the stamping. The Fairy is from Enchanted Ink, Swirls are clear stamps from Inkadinkado, and the saying is actually the green rubber from Appalachian rubber stamps that I thought the saying came from on the last card. I was wrong. I don't know where that other saying is from. (the o wind, o mighty wind). If you happen to recognise it, let me know, I'd love to have the correct credit given for it.
And here is a close up of the fairy.

Wind...am I crazy??

I know, the subject matter does really does challenge my sanity...but I have had this phrase forever. It's green rubber from Appalachian Rubber Stamps...bought it well over 10 years ago..and this is the very first time I have ever used it.

This card started with the color combination. I really loved the tealish blue patterned paper that came from a big paper pack from Hobby Lobby. I loved the way it looked with the dark brown paper. I went through my verse/phrase stamps and found this one (believe me...I live in North Dakota...I am NOT a big fan of the wind...but the phrase somehow makes it seem romantic in a way....okay...okay...bring on the straight jacket)Anyway...I bought these great swirly leaves and trees clear stamps from Inkadinkadoo...and they seem to be perfect with that phrase and it all seems to go so well with the Triple Play technique...had to use up another of that brown from the Coffee card below...and Ta Da...this is what resulted.

This is what it looks like inside. I used some cardstock scraps to line the bottom of the box in a coordinating color. I also figured out how to fold a dollar bill into a bow tie today! I added a snowflake brad to that bottom piece so it would hold the bill in place.

Pop Up Gift box

I can't believe it has been over a month since I have had time to do anything creative!!

Well, now I am working fast and furious to finish up a bunch of these pop up gift boxes to put money in for all our nieces and nephews.

All the paper is from Basic Grey Figgy Pudding Collection. I used 12x12 paper, cut it down to 8.5x11. I used the 1 inch strip from the 11" side for the band that holds the box closed. (all of the paper is double sided) I used the 3.5" strip to make embellishments on the band, and make little gift tags for the boxes.

I have a lot of the snowflake lever punches, and used them to make embellishments on the bands as well.

This one is my favorite so far. I love the colors.

Downhill

Remember my very first post? I had started a card, playing with my new color cored cardstock from Coredinations, but hadn't finished it.

Well, it's done! I added this cute little skiing snowman from Northwoods that I colored with watercolor pencils and a water brush. I cut out the snowman and put pop dots on his back side. I added some torn white paper in layers for snow...and it's finished. It only took me a couple of months. tee hee.

I am supposed to be working on Thanksgiving cards this weekend, but all this blustery, wintery weather has got me in the mood for snowy cards.

Wishing you...snowflakes

Last one for the night. (I think) ;o)

This was just too easy and I love the look A LOT.

First of all, have I told you all how much I love my Cuttlebug?? I do...and you just can't beat the dry embossing. The other thing I really love is the Cut 'n Dry felt pads from Ranger. I don't use anything else any more when I am adding color to the edge of a card or just grunging it up a bit. I also used it to add a touch of color to the raised parts of the dry embossing and it worked beautifully. I cut my felt into 1.25 inch squares, then just drag or tap them on my ink pads. I like the small square size because it gives me more control, and I can use a real light touch or get rough if I need to for the look I want. Love, love, love them!

That snowflake on the top of the card is a button. I found these wonderful flat back buttons at Wal Mart a few weeks ago. They had them in white and silver, and each bag has two sizes. They seem to be perfect for adding just a touch more dimension to the card. I love the soft colors.

I seem to be using lots of snowflakes today. I guess I really don't mind snow, as long as it is outside and I am inside..and WARM! LOL

sage flowers

This card just happened.

The flower images here, by Close To My Heart, are what I originally wanted to put on the first card when the color combination was sage and navy. I didn't really like the way that looked together. The sage layer with the rope border punch was just me playing around, but I loved the way it looked. So, while I had all the pieces just hangin' around my table...they ended up coming together in a card! It's so much fun when that happens! The colors in real life are just so striking together, they really pop and look great together.

Here is the second card made with one of the medallion parts. The navy blue center that the snowflake is attached to is the center that was cut out of the 2.25 inch medallion I tried this morning.
I stamped the background on this one, and used white embellishments instead of silver. Still using the Denim Adirondack ink and added to the edges. I am loving the look of that Denim ink on the edges.
The "Wishing you..." stamp is from Close to my Heart and inside it says "a Merry little Christmas". Both stamped in the Denim Adirondack ink.
Okay...off to play some more!

Snowflake Medallion

Here's my first creation with this really fun technique.

This is the 3 inch square punched with the rope border punch by Fiskars. The medallion is a deep navy blue. I really liked the navy blue on the sage green that I had together when I was figuring out the square size, an had plans to use some sort of flower in the center of the medallion. I just couldn't get that to work in my head....and I kept hearing my mind whisper "snowflakes". So I grabbed my beautiful snowflake stamps from Stubby Stampers. I love my snowflakes from stubby. I used Denim Adirondack ink to stamp the snowflake and to pull ink in around the edges. I needed to find another color to keep things exciting on this card between the blue and white...and the inspiration for that came from my friend Bibi in Norway. She sent me the most amazing Christmas card...back in June, I think. Bibi used this same color combination...white, navy blue and turquoise/teal. I love the way the colors pop, and make the white seem so cool, crisp and clean. I added the silver brads because they seemed to give it an even more "icy" feel, and the dry embossed snowflakes make it even crisper.

Snow Day!!

I know it's been a really long time since I've posted anything. Life, love, kids, work...they just all take a lot of time and attention. I'm not complaining, I enjoy all of them most of the time, but some days it can be overwhelming and I don't get the chance to create like I would like. (I'm sure there are plenty of you out there that understand that completely)

But...today is a SNOW DAY for me! Most of the state is covered in blowing snow, so I get to stay home and play.

A few days ago someone from a rubberstamping list I am on (YAY RST!) posted this technique from SplitCoastStampers.

I'm a gadget girl....love to have lots of toys. And ever since I saw that technique, I have been trying to figure out how to get my hands on that scallop punch. Money is so very tight and I really can't justify another purchase. Well, the light came on at 4:36 AM this morning! I remembered the Fiskars Rope border punch I had...and started to wonder what that would look like for this technique. The idea rattled around in my head until I couldn't take it anymore and had to run to the stamp room. I didn't want to take the time to boot up my computer to get the dimensions...so I just winged it. I grabbed a long chunk of navy blue from the scrap bin. Then I measured the punch...it was exactly 2 inches wide. I cut a 2.25 inch square, a 2.5 inch square, and still had some navy blue left over, so was able to make a 3 inch square.

The top one here is the 2.25 inch square. As you can see, it was a bit too small. But I kinda like the pieces it made. Same with the 2.5 inch square. The top one has a great little frame with a bit of fun punched in the corners, the second one gives you a perfect 2.5 inch frame. The stuff that falls out of the middle looks like it could be a fun layer on cards, too...or you can turn them a bit and put them inside of the frame. Lots of different options, I think.

The bottom one, the 3 inch square is the one that worked like it was supposed to. I can't wait to make something out of it!

I'm so happy it's a snow day!! I'll be posting later to let you know what the day produced.

First Snow

For all of you that are enjoying warm temperatures and sunshine.....ENJOY! This is what we woke up to this morning in SW North Dakota.

Although it is pretty to look at, it is a bit disheartening to know winter has already shown it's blustery face here in the Dakota's. I better prepare myself for a loooong winter! LOL!

Tissue box

Okay, last one today. I really, really loved the look of the trio of brown acrylic paints on the cardboard. It's just so rustic and old looking. This is a tissue box I painted. I am not certain where I got the tissue box covers from. I do know I bought a bunch of them. Good thing...cuz I had to make one for my stamp room and one for my bedroom. This is the one for our bedroom. The one I made for my stamp room had to have those black swirls stamped on it.

I ended up using that combination of brown acrylic paints to paint the bottom of the album box, 2 tissue boxes and I grabbed a small bare cardboard box that I had some jumbo copper paper clips in, and painted that, too!
I think I will be using this for home decor a lot. We live in the country and everything in our house is rustic...leaves, leather, wood, pine cones (can you see the pine cones in the fabric of the chair behind the tissue box?)...so this seems to fit in perfectly.

Here is a close up of the front panel of what will be the photo album. This isn't completed yet. The plan is to add a picture of our house to this panel and then add the word "HOME" with chipboard die cut letters. Pictures of our family will go on the inside and the pictures that my son took will be on the outside. You will have to wait a bit for the inside...I'm still not done with that part yet.

The album that goes into the box is 6 panels that fold together. This is the back of the album. I painted it brown, using the brown oxide acrylic paint. I just love the way the texture just comes popping out when you add the acrylic paint to the cardboard! I stamped the swirls in black Staz On and added some more splatters.

TIP: when splattering...maybe cover up the rest of your work area or move away...I kinda speckled everything around me...my cell phone now has some amazing black spatters...those look kinda fun..think I will keep them. :o)

Photo Album in a box

I admit, I love to smoosh. I love to smoosh ink, paint..whatever will smoosh and add fabulous color to something. This is a result of some smooshing.

I have been wanting to make a photo album for my oldest son. He moved 850 miles away to a big city to start his own life, leaving life out in the country behind. Before he left he had taken an afternoon to take pictures of the badlands we live in, but didn't get them unloaded from my camera before he left. So, the album is going to be a HOME album, including the pictures he took of the area.

I found this album in a box kit that I had purchased from Oriental Trading a while back, and decided to use that for the album. This is the box. The bottom was a smooshing good time to make!! I used burnt umber acrylic paint from two different companies...one was much darker, and lighter brown color (brown oxide, I think) I gave a good squirt of each on my nonstick craft sheet and I started smooshing the ink around with an inch wide paint brush. The colors blended and the more I worked it, the more texture it would seem to get. When I was done it almost had the look of rusted metal or worn leather. I fell in love with the way it looked!

The cover was painted with a beige acrylic paint, but I dipped my brush into the brown mess I had left from painting the bottom to give it more color and depth. I then used the burnt umber to go around the edges of the cover...then black...then stamped swirls with black Staz On and then added some water to the black paint blob on my nonstick sheet and flicked my brush around to add the splatters. I really love how this turned out, I sure hope my 20 year old big boy will love it a little, too.

Scary Soot

Oh, making this card brought back memories! Back in 1997, when we finally got on-line and I was able to join a few rubberstamping e-mail lists, I was in heaven. I remember soot stamping was the first technique I had ever learned on-line and I was sooooo excited!! I shared it with every one I knew. Everyone thought I was a little over the edge with all this stamping stuff and that is how I got my old nickname "BasketCase".

It was a blast doing the soot stamping again tonight. I used glossy card stock for the tree and the saying. I just lightly swiped the Happy Haunting through the flame for a real wispy look. The ghost is a die cut from matte cardstock and that got pulled through the flame lightly as well.

I have no idea where the bare trees stamp is from, I do know I really like it though. The Happy Haunting is from Northwoods .

Fall Felt Leaves

I just found this card in my stash and figured it was fitting to add here since it is that time of year. I think I started out just playing with some color card stock and ended up cutting it up for the squares that the leaves are on. The leaves I bought at Target in the $1 bin (I love those bins!!) I seldom use that punch that is used on the green card stock, but when I do, it always impresses me!

Tribute to Judith

Judith was a bold, vibrant, fun loving and life loving woman.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Judith in person. But I had the privilege of getting to know her on a rubber stamping e-mail list, RST! (Rubber Stamping Together!). Judith faced more trials in life and overcame more hurdles than any one I have ever known. And she did it all with flash, flair and a smile.

I may never have met her face to face, but I learned so much from our "Miss Scarlett". I learned to really take a look at who and what is most important to me, and give them the time and attention they deserve. I learned you CAN laugh in the face of adversity...that you can almost always find the humor in a situation, even if the rest of the world can't see it at the moment. I learned laughter IS the best medicine. I learned ATTITUDE is everything. I AM A BETTER PERSON BECAUSE OF JUDITH.

This card was created because Judith seemed to be lingering in the back of my mind. I had made this background from a leftover piece of plastic wrap from the cling and scrunch technique (June/July 2007 TJN). I was looking for a phrase to put on the background and this one from Ann-ticipations kept popping out at me...and reminding me of Judith...and the whispery look of the background reminded me of a memory, so the card was begging to be made in memory of Judith...and her favorite color was pink.

So here's to you, Judith. You may not be walking the earth any longer, but you left so much of you behind that will carry on in so many of us...you left footprints in our hearts...and we are forever changed...the world is forever changed.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Happy Haunting

This was inspired by Shelly Hickox and a "Western Bandanna" card she did. I've been very intrigued by the Bandanna technique since I love to doodle. I was also intrigued by the wrinkle free distressing she had talked about, and I adore that look and the colors.

The distressing takes some time...but the results are so worth it. But I liked the background so much I couldn't bring myself to "Bandanna" it with the white pen!

I loved the colors, and thought a bare tree would look good with them. So I made another background, a little lighter than the last and made a card out of it.

I used carpet tape to put this card together. It's pretty heavy duty. And of course, as I was trying so hard to put the background on the black card base...painstakingly trying to make sure it was straight...and wouldn't ya know....it's crooked! Then when I was putting the orange mat on the tree piece....and this part seems pretty fool proof because I use the Perfect Layers ruler thingies from Stampin' Up. But for some reason the left side of the orange cardstock cut EXTREMELY crooked. I have no idea how it could even happen. And since all the very many layers of this card are held together with a foot of carpet tape...I couldn't pull it apart and redo it without wrecking it. So, this card is a little wonky...but I really like the colors! I really like the wrinkle free distressing too, and think I will be doing more of it.

I'd love to give you details on the stamps I used...but most of them are all some old UnMounted stamps I had in my binder and have no idea where they came from. The only ones I am sure of are the swirls or flourishes...they are clear stamps from Autumn Leaves.

ZenDoodle

I never thought I was a doodler.
I used to try, and it would look terribly unappealing...and eventually gave up. That was until a stamping friend of mine, Darla Doodles, started talking about ZENTANGLES I liked what I saw and was really curious.
So, I put the Zentangle Kit on my wish list for Christmas last year, and it's all history now.
I love to doodle, I love the way it looks, I love that it is quick, easy and non-messy. And, I really like to make cards from them.
I still seem to take some really bad pictures, so these seem to be a bit blurry, but I hope you get the idea.

These first two I did while I work. I spend 8 hours a day on the phone. I have a bit of free time between calls and while on hold....so I Zentangle/Doodle. I didn't happen to have my Zentangle pens with me, so I grabbed a couple of Sharpie markers that were handy and started doodling on the pad of scratch paper on my desk. I decided to tear the edges and outline them with the marker. I really liked how they turned out, so I brought them home and decided to make cards out of them.

This one I drew right onto the colored card stock. I really like the black and green together. Adding that little bit of aqua matting really made it pop.