Faux Designer Series Paper

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Wog A Little

I used to run...well, maybe you could call it jogging.  I actually ran a marathon for my 30th birthday.  Now, it seems, walking has been challenging enough!  However, this morning, I decided to "wog" - that's my word for a walk/jog.  I have to say, it felt GREAT!  The dog liked it too!  He looked at me as if to say, "Wow!  You're really picking up the pace this morning!"  Why not try a little wog in place of your walk.  It may be just the pick-me-up you need!

Today's challenge on SCS was to find inspiration at the Ginko Papers website.  This card was inspired by a great little mod pear mini bag.  I used my stamp-a-ma-jig and the pear from the Cheep Talk set to create some faux designer paper (measuring 2" x 5 1/2") that I attached to the inside edge of the card.  I used the sanded background stamp to give the so saffron card stock a little interest.  I layered a bunch of panels and popped them up on dimensionals.  I hope you like it!

Free Standing Pop-Up Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room: Remember What Happiness Is All About

In today's world of consumerism it can be hard to remember what happiness really is. Sometimes we feel that the next new home, or car, or craft supply will bring us happiness. But, alas, it is not the "thing" that brings us happiness. As Gandhi put it so perfectly, "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." It sounds so simple, and yet it takes a lifetime of practice!

The challenge on SCS was to make a free standing pop-up card.  You can learn how to make this card by watching this great video!  I decided to use Ghandi's quote for today's card. I am not going to mail this one. Instead I will keep it on my desk as a constant reminder! I hope you like it!

My First Quilted Flower!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  When You Want To Learn Something, The Perfect Teacher Will Appear!

I am sooooo excited!!!!  Yesterday, my friend Pam came over and gave me my first real lesson on my sewing machine!!!!  About a year ago I had tried the machine for the first time by following the instruction manual - I was able to pleat a piece of paper and then I put the cover back on the machine and hadn't tried it since.  I had been wanting to learn for awhile, but hadn't made much effort to find a teacher...and lo and behold, my teacher found me!  Pam was amazingly patient - she walked me through how to maintain the machine, how to thread the machine, how to thread a bobbin (I think that's what you call it) and then how to sew a straight line.  By the end of our lesson yesterday I had sewed around the first 2 layers of this flower!!!!  Today I went back to the machine and finished it off!

The flower was so easy to make...and I can say that since that was my first sewing project!  You do have to have some patience though - since the petals are curved.  Angie Juda has a great video explaining how to make the actual flowers using your Big Shot machine and a few dies.  I followed those directions for a bit and then went another direction.  I decided to put a corduroy button brad in the center.  I also did something different on the back.  At Leadership we were able to watch a demostration by Jill Olsen and she told us how she places a piece of felt on the back of her flowers so that she can use them for multiple purposes - slide them on barrettes or headbands, put a hair clip through them.  She even puts a safety pin on the front of her apron and then uses the hair clip, through the felt piece, to temporarily attach the flowers to her apron!  What a great idea!  So, I sewed a piece of black felt on the back like this:

I hope you like my first flower...although I'm sure no one can love it as much as I do :)  Let me know if you have any questions!

Lucky Leprechaun!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Take A Minute To Pause And Sit

My dog is the best meditator I have ever seen.  He can sit in the park and stare off into the distance for hours!  It is the epitomy of Zen!  Today I took a cue from him and decided to sit down on the park bench during our morning walk.  From that vantage point I could see the tops of the snow covered mountains.  We sat for awhile, Buddy and I, and just breathed in the scenery.  It brought me calm and peace and a wonderful way to start my day.

These "strips" are for the women at the bank.  I've decided to try to do a new "strip" for them each month so that they can wrap them around the candy dishes that sit on their desks.  This little leprechaun is a mix of a number of punch leprechauns that I discovered while searching the net.  If you haven't checked out Ellen Kemper's blog, you need to do so - she is a master with punch art...and quite funny too! :)  Part of my inspiration came from her adorable leprechaun!  Thanks Ellen!

Acetate Effects #4

Tonight's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Fall In Love With A Puppy!

Our friends adopted a new puppy from the shelter on Sunday and today we met her for the first time...What can I say?  I'm in love! :)  There's something about puppies that just puts a smile on my face and a whole lot of love in my heart!  Puppy therapy is the best!

Tonight's card is for tomorrow's sketch challenge on SCS - it was posted early so I got to play before heading off to bed!  It uses my new Acetate Effects technique!  (You can see the video HERE).  I stamped the butterfly image on a whisper white panel and adhered it behind the acetate.  I crimped all of the background panels.  I hope you like it!

Acetate Effects #3

I am having a lot of fun with this new technique, acetate effects, that I created today!  Here is the card I made from one of the panels that you will see in the Acetate Effects video!  You can watch the video on my blog or on my YouTube channel!  Hope you like it!

Video: Acetate Effects

Here's my new video on Acetate Effects!  Let me know what you think!  I would love to see what you create using this technique!  Have fun!

Acetate Effects #2

Here's another card using my Acetate Effects technique!  The acetate effects is on top of the pocket silhouette image.  Hope you like it!

New Technique - Acetate Effects

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room: Dream It...Then Do It!

I woke up this morning having had a series of dreams. I won't bore you with the ones about dropping grapefruits and dog walking (yes, bizarre), but the one that was very vivid was putting together some supplies in the craft room that I hadn't ever put together before.  So, when it came to making today's color challenge card on SCS, I decided to try my new technique!  It's not something I have seen anywhere else - although in the craft world I have a feeling someone has done it before - but it involves a combination of ink, crystal effects, acetate and lots of mushing! Next time you have a dream worth pursuing, don't just dream it, do it!

I am really enjoying the light and texture created by this new technique I dreamed of! I can already see more experimenting going on in the craft room...and maybe a video on its way! I hope you like it!!!!

Faux Nesties/Die Cuts

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Habits Are Die Hard!

All of those old Bruce Willis Die Hard movies were fun to watch and part of the fun was that no matter what came at Bruce he kept on going!  I'm in the process of trying to change some habits - habits that I feel aren't assisting me in my creative journey.  One of the things I'm trying to change is how I start my day.  Rather than jump on line and look at the devastation that has taken place in the world over night, I am trying to sit down and write in my journal.  I will get going pretty well for a few days and then, oops, there comes that old habit again!  Today I triumphed - my journal came first...we'll hope for the best tomorrow!

Today's card is for 2 challenges on SCS; the clean and simple challenge - to make a square card, and the new technique challenge - to make faux nesties.  I used my modern label punch to create the "nesties" feel.  I cut out squares of card stock and then placed the punch half-way into the square and punched all 4 sides.  I also used the end of the punch to punch the corners of the confetti card stock.  I hope you like it!

stamps: Elements of Style (coming soon in the Summer mini catalog)
card stock:  Bravo Burgundy, Confetti
ink:  bravo burgundy
accessories:  modern label punch, 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" circle punches, dimensionals

Versamark and Soot

Tonight I decided to try something new!  I had been wanting to try stamping with glossy paper and soot from a candle...and here are the results!  I was pretty pleased since it was my first time...not sure what I was more pleased with...the fact that I like how the card came out, or the fact that I managed to not light anything on fire while I was trying this technique!!!!  I think a video may be in order...as soon as I get all this black soot off my fingers and the craft table!

Four Square Birthday

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Don't Be So Straight!

I had a stamp-a-stack at my house today and one of the cards that we were doing was this one (although we were making it in blue instead of chocolate chip):

 

 The larger photo is what one of the 12-year-old attendees created when she stamped the dot, dot, dot stamp and saw that it was a bit crooked.  I LOVE what she did!!!!  I immediately took a picture and recognized that allowing yourself to not be so straight can yield beautiful results!  (I'm not suggesting we all be a little crooked...just not so straight :)  I hope you like it!