Die Cut Fabric Sign

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  You Are An Artist!

There is a mystique associated with certain words and the word "ARTIST" is as "mystiquey" a word as I know!  Why is it so much easier to call oneself a "crafter" or a "hobbyist?"  When it comes to calling myself an "artist," I start to sweat!  Who me?  An ARTIST?!  And yet this is a word, an identity, that I want to own.  I want to try being an "artist" on for size and walk around to see if I can get comfortable with this identity.  It's not that I don't want to be a crafter or a hobbyist...I just don't want to call myself the "C" word or the "H" word if why I'm doing so is because I feel "less than" or "not good enough."  So today, I am an artist...and so are you!

I had a lot of fun playing with fabric to make this adorable DREAM sign.  It's amazing how you can use the Big Shot to die cut letters and shapes and put them together to make signs, purses, quilts...the possibilities are endless!!!!!  I hope you like this first sign...I have a feeling there will be many more to come!!!!  After all...that is what being an artist is all about :)

Four Ways Friday #2

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Enjoy A Massage

It had been ages since I had my last massage so yesterday turned out to be a real treat!  I was given a gift certificate for a 90-minute massage and I must say it was the perfect gift.  How often do we stop and allow ourselves to be pampered?  I kept telling myself I would get a massage "some day," but with the pace of life, my "some day" kept getting put off.  Until I received my gift.  My hope is that this will start a new healthy habit - one of treating my body as well as it treats me everyday!

Today's Four Ways Friday focuses on the Friends 24-7 stamp set.  I really love this set!!!!  For my first card I used the popping pastels technique.  I stamped the image in versamark and then pounced on the images using sponge daubers and my chalk pastels.  I added a little spritz with the spritzer tool.  Another great technique that I used on this card was running my white organza ribbon across my Cameo Coral ink pad numerous times in order to get Cameo Coral ribbon!  What a great way to get ribbon of whatever color you need!

This second card came together quickly!  I stamped the image on the base layer of the card.  One trick I used was to ink up the image and then spray it lightly with water before stamping.  I love the watercolor effect this creates.  I did the same for the image I stamped on the Confetti card stock.  I used my bone folder to break down the fibers in the card stock and peeled back the corners and one full layer of the Bravo Burgundy card stock for a sueded effect.  A few brads and the greeting complete the look.

The third card uses the same watercolor effect technique.  I stamped the image multiple times, using this technique of spraying water onto the stamp after inking it and then stamping onto the card.  I punched 5 flowers from the 5-petal flower punch and used my bone folder to loosen the fibers and then I scrunched and crunched until I liked how the flower looked.  A touch of ribbon and a rhinestone brad add a little elegance.

For the fourth card I decided to create a flower by stamping the image multiple times - each time creating a 90 degree angle from the stamped image that came before.  In this way I created a flower with 4 petals and then created a center for the flower using the scallop circle punch and the 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" circle punches.  A corduroy button brad in the corner along with some spritzer tool spattered color complete the card.

I hope you are inspired to use your Friends 24/7 stamp set in new and exciting ways!  I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you are enjoying Four Ways Fridays and if you would like to see this feature continued every Friday.  Also, if there is a stamp set you would like to see featured in a future Four Ways Friday, just let me know!  I'll do my best to respond to what you'd like to see!  Are you wishing you had the Friends 24/7 stamp set?  Feel free to click HERE to shop now! :)

Two-Step Into Spring Promotion

The Two-Step Into Spring Promotion begins today and runs through the month of April!  Here are the details:
Hostesses
Host a $350 workshop and receive the brand-new Two-Step Awash with Flowers stamp set FREE!

Item	Description
117062	Awash with Flowers (wood-mount)
120549	Awash with Flowers (clear-mount)

Customers
Two-Step into spring with a sneak peek from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog! Be the first to add the Awash with Flowers stamp set to your collection.

Item	Description	Price
117062	Awash with Flowers (wood-mount)	$39.95
120549	Awash with Flowers (clear-mount)	$27.95

Plus, purchase spring-themed Two-Step Stampin' sets at 20 percent off the retail price--no additional purchase necessary! Qualifying stamp sets are listed below:

Item	Page	Description	Discount Price
113824	94	Greenhouse Garden	$20.76
113734	98	Fifth Avenue Floral	$19.96
111578	101	Flower Fancy	$29.56
113258	112	Trendy Trees	$14.36

Things to Remember

• The Awash with Flowers stamp set is a sneak peek from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog and will not be available again until the release of the new Idea Book & Catalog.

Hostess Promotion:

• You must place your order on a workshop, customer, or demonstrator order to qualify. Online orders are not eligible for this part of the promotion.
• There is a limit of one free Awash with Flowers stamp set per workshop; the reward is for reaching the $350 workshop level, and is not incremental.
• Qualifying hostesses may choose either the wood-mount or clear-mount set. Please note: Clear-mount blocks are not included with the clear-mount set (blocks C and H are recommended this set).

Customer Promotion:

• You may place your order on any order type (customer, demonstrator, workshop, or online).
• There are no limits, and there is no minimum purchase to qualify for the 20 percent off.
• The 20 percent off discount does not apply to the Awash with Flowers stamp set.

Click HERE to shop now or contact me to set up a workshop!

Metal Die Cutting

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Move Outside Your Comfort Zone!

I took my permission to make a mess seriously the other day and I have the inked up fingers and cuts to prove it!  I decided to have a little fun with my Big Shot and some metal flashing from the home improvement store.  Metal is quite a bit different from paper and I knew this meant moving outside my comfort zone...literally...die cut flashing is sharp!  I highly recommend wearing gloves if you're going to make a mess with metal!  I used alcohol inks to die the metal, but the dies I used were all Stampin' Up! exclusives!  I used the flower folds and the daisies #2 die.  Now I'm thinking of the artwork that I'm going to create that will incorporate these flowers...I sense more messes ahead!!!

Clear Embossed Stencil

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  It's OK To Make A Mess!

I keep telling myself that it's OK to make a mess and I'm waiting to accept that message with the energy of a child!!!!  I seem to look at the piles or messes I make in the craft room with a bit of disdain - like it's something I'm not supposed to do.  This attitude, I feel, is holding me back.  I remember as a child, the idea of making a mess was a joy!  Mud pies and puddles to jump in were the BEST!  I want to tap into that again - wish me luck making a mess!!!!!

Today's card was a ton of fun to make!  I began by sponging my stencil with versamark ink on whisper white card stock and then clear embossed.  I used my brayer to brayer on basic gray ink.  I touched up the brayering with some basic gray sponging.  The flower is 5 scallop circle punches that I sponged with bermuda bay and basic gray and then scrunched, crunched and softened with a bone folder and my fingers.  The center is a build-a-brad with an image from tiny tags stamped in basic gray onto so saffron and and then punched with a 3/4" circle punch.  I hope you like it!  There is only 1 day left of Sale-A-Bration!  Don't miss out!  Shop HERE now!

Beautiful Butterflies

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Strive For What You Believe You Cannot Do!

Almost 14 years ago, I ran a marathon.  Talk about a feeling of accomplishment!  I had never been a big runner, but one day I woke up and decided to set a marathon as my goal...and I did it!  Now, 14 years later, running a marathon feels like something totally out of reach.  Prior to March 6th, I hadn't run, wogged, jogged or did much of anything exercise-related in AGES!  My standby excuse here in Denver is that it's because of the altitude :)  Well, on March 6th, I got out of bed, went for my morning walk with Buddy and decided to wog instead (my word for a jog that looks a bit more like a walk with a little umph)!  I have not looked back since that morning and Buddy and I have continued to wog since then.  I actually jogged 4 miles the other day!  So now, I'm striving for what I would have believed a month ago I was not capable of doing.  I have looked at marathons in the fall and am setting my sights on a return to the Marine Corps Marathon in October!!!!!  I'm going to try to not get too excited...I had tried, after the last marathon, to train for another and ended up with an unrelated injury that made me hang up my running shoes for awhile.  I am praying for health as I start out on this new journey towards who I once was and who I want to be!  Wish me luck!!!!

Today's card began with sponging some butterfly silhouettes.  I used the background scrap as a stencil after running some chipboard through my Beautiful Butterflies die in the Big Shot.  I then stamped images from the Flight of the Butterfly stamp set with Blush Blossom and Crushed Curry.  I also stamped a Whimsical Words greeting onto the background with Crushed Curry stamped off once.  The greeting was stamped full-strength onto Whisper White card stock and then sponged around the edges.  I love the Ballet Blue butterfly (he is 2 layers - chipboard then the card stock) with the Crushed Curry embossed butterfly from my Beautiful Wings embosslit.  A dash of Dazzling Diamonds finished the look.  I hope you like it!  Don't forget, only a few days left until Sale-A-Bration ends on March 31st!  You still have time to place an order and get all of the great Sale-A-Bration benefits!  Click HERE to shop now!