Four Ways Friday #15 - Favorite Things Stamp Set

This week's Four Ways Friday focuses on the Favorite Things stamp set.

For this first card I stamped the "few of my favorite things" stamp onto Whisper White card stock with black ink.  I adhered it to Riding Hood Red card stock.  Riding Hood Red also serves as the base for this card.  I used the Spiral Border punch on a piece of Wild Wasabi card stock and added it as a layer on top of a piece of So Saffron card stock.   I stamped the journal block from the Favorite Things set onto the So Saffron card stock in So Saffron ink.  I stamped the letters "y," "o," and "u" from the Rough Type stamp set in Basic Black onto Crumb Cake (formerly Kraft) card stock and then punched the letters out with my 1/2" circle punch.  The letters were then popped up on dimensionals.  The arrow was punched using the This Way punch (retired) from Soft Suede and then popped up on dimensionals.  I coated the letters and the arrow with Crystal Effects (still one of my most favorite products!).  A piece of linen thread and a So Saffron button finish the look.

For this second card, I stamped the "For Today" stamp from the Favorite Things set onto Whisper White card stock in Rich Razzleberry.  I used an Always Artichoke marker to check the boxes and to hand write the world "always."  I adhered this to a piece of Rich Razzleberry card stock and used dimensionals to adhere it to the Whisper White card stock base.  A piece of Kraft taffeta ribbon was attached to the card using sticky strip - this enabled me to fold the ribbon back on itself in order to create the ruffle.  A button was threaded with linen thread and attached to the ribbon using a mini glue dot.  The "i love" was taken from a stamp in the Things I Love stamp set and stamped onto the card using Always Artichoke ink from a marker.  The letters for the word "you" were made using the Simple Letters alphabet in the Big Shot with Always Artichoke card stock.  Of course, I had to coat the letters with Crystal Effects :)  The hearts were added using the Heart to Heart punch with Rich Razzleberry card stock.

This set lends itself really well for use in scrapbooking!  Here I created a small 6x6 scrapbook page that is just waiting for the perfect picture!  The greeting was stamped in Rich Razzleberry onto Whisper White card stock and then mounted onto layers of Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive card stock.  A piece of Rich Razzleberry card stock was run through the Big Shot with the Scallop square die and then adhered behind a piece of Tangerine Tango card stock to create the frame for the photo.  A loop of striped Old Olive ribbon was added before adhering the element to the page.  Finally, the modern label stamp was stamped onto Whisper White using Tempting Turqoise ink, punched out using the Modern Label punch, and then adhered to the page using small silver brads.  The page itself is a piece of textured Tempting Turquoise card stock.

For this final project, I decided to make a small book where I can record a few of my favorite things!  I stamped the journal block image multiple times onto both So Saffron card stock and Wild Wasabi card stock.  I used Rich Razzleberry ink on the So Saffron card stock and Wild Wasabi ink on the Wild Wasabi card stock.  I cut the journal blocks out by hand and then punched arrows using the My Way punch out of Rose Red card stock.  You can't see the arrows in these photos - however, I did adhere an arrow to each of the pages in the upper left-hand corner - exactly over the arrow image that is a part of the stamp.  The front and back cover were cut from Rose Red card stock.  The front cover was sprayed with a mixture of shimmer paint and alcohol (this is a great and economical way to create your own Smooch Spritz - it lasts a long time!).  I then adhered a piece of striped Old Olive ribbon.  The "favorite things" stamp was colored using Rose Red and Wild Wasabi markers and then stamped onto Whisper White card stock and adhered to layers of Wild Wasabi and So Saffron card stock.  This piece was then adhered to the front of the book using dimensionals.  A button with a piece of linen thread was added using a mini glue dot.  The corners of the covers were rounded and then the crop-a-dile was used to punch a hole through the covers and the inside pages.  A 1" ring was placed through the holes to attach the book together and pieces of Rose Red and Whisper White 1/4" grosgrain ribbon were tied around the ring to complete the look.  If you don't have your Favorite Things stamp set yet, please feel free to shop HERE now!  See you next week for another Four Ways Friday - thanks for stopping by!

Post Card Stamping - Bugs & Kisses!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Learn About Other People's Lives - They Just Might Inspire You!

This past weekend we watched the movie Temple Grandin.  It is a true story about a woman with autism who overcomes obstacles to pursue her passion of helping animals.  It was amazing!  I love the message that Ms. Grandin kept repeating - "Nature can be cruel.  We don't have to be."  Temple Grandin continues to dedicate her life to trying to improve the well-being of animals - particularly cattle - even in places like slaughter houses and feed lots.  I was incredibly moved by her determination and the difference she is making.  It inspires me to consider how I can make a difference in my world - whether on a small scale or a grand scale.  Who have you met or read about lately who inspires you?  How might your story inspire someone else?

Today's post card also began with a Crumb Cake postcard and I used two rectangle masks for the "to" and "from" boxes.  I sponged the card with Soft Suede ink.  The ants and bugs and greeting were stamped in a variety of colors - Wild Wasabi, Pacific Point, Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, and Old Olive.  Of course, I had to add some 2-way glue and Dazzling Diamonds to give my worm some glitz!  I hope you like it! :)

Post Card Stamping - Friends 24/7

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  It's OK To Go Into Your Cave...As Long As You Come Out For Air Every Once In Awhile

I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to withdraw when I am going through difficult times.  I don't feel like socializing and I don't even feel like reaching out to friends.  For whatever reason, I find it easier to just be on my own and try to make it through my downer moods.  I've come to learn that going into my cave is ok...as long as I do come out for air...or a chat with a friend, every once in awhile.  If I don't come out for air I know that I can spend too much time in my cave.  Too much time feeling sorry for myself.  I can get trapped in negative thinking.  If I allow myself to reach out to a friend or family member it seems that they always have something positive to say - something that touches me and breaks me out of my downer mood.  So allow yourself to go into your cave if you need to...just remember that we all need a little air :)

This is the second post card in my series for my nieces.  I started with Crumb Cake card stock again and sprayed it with my shimmer paint/alcohol mixture to make it sparkle!  The bird was stamped in Rich Razzleberry and the decorative image was stamped in Baja Breeze.  The greeting was stamped with Chocolate Chip.  I even added a bit of sponging around the masked areas (I can't seem to remember which green color I used) to make the masked areas stand out a bit.  I hope you like it!  Postcards are such a quick and easy way to reach out to someone!

Post Card Stamping - Punched Posies

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  There Are Some Things You Are Just Meant To Do

What a crazy Sunday we had!  The neighbor's dogs got out and saw our cat in the driveway and decided to come running after her.  The poor thing was panicked!  She did what she knew to do (although I had never seen her do it).  She ran for the closest tree and started climbing!  Of course, the closest tree was a huge evergreen that doesn't have any branches until about 30 feet off the ground!  So, up went my gorgeous cat and I was a MESS!  I admit it - I called 911 and said something to the effect of "Two dogs just chased my cat up a tree will the fire department come?!"  The emergency responder quickly told me that the fire department does not do that :(  I was tempted to say something like, "But in every show I watched as a kid the fire departments helped cats out of trees!"  I bit my tongue.  Long story short, I did call animal control, which was closed, although there was someone there to talk to and she informed me that cats know what to do.  That they know how to get up into trees and they know how to get out of them - I just needed to be patient - it could take hours...or, as some internet sites indicated...it could take days!  Well, I'm glad to say it didn't take hours or days and the story has a happy ending.  She made it back out of the tree and we got through the trauma (I think she made it through better than I did).  What I did learn is that there are some things we are just meant to do.  For me it is creating.  For her, it is climbing back down out of trees :)

My nieces are in camp for the summer so I decided to stamp a series of post cards so that I can send them quick messages.  This is the first postcard.  I used Crumb Cake card stock and cut it down to allowable postcard size.  I then made two rectangular paper pieces that I temporarily adhered as masks to the front of the postcard.  I sprayed the card with my alcohol/shimmer paint mixture to make it sparkle.  Then I stamped some of the Punched Posies images with White craft ink and with Soft Suede.  I also added some hearts from the Hello Again stamp set in Rose Red.  I colored the middles of the flowers with my Rose Red marker and then added some stickles for some sparkle!  Hope you like it!