Four Ways Friday #18 - Pocket Silhouettes Stamp Set

Hi Everyone!  Thanks for your patience with Four Ways Friday!  I appreciate your stopping back by to see this week's Four Ways Friday using the Pocket Silhouettes stamp set.  This set has been around for a bit and I haven't tired of it at all!

Each of the cards I will be sharing with you is 3x3 in size.  For this card, I punched out a circle and used it as a mask as I stamped the image from Pocket Silhouettes in a circular pattern in Garden Green.  I then punched a circle from Tempting Turquoise and a scallop circle from More Mustard.  I used my scissors to cut petals into the More Mustard to create a flower and sponged the edges with More Mustard ink to give it some dimension.  The center was created by punching a circle out of Soft Suede and then using my piercing tool to make a bunch of holes in the circle.  I then sponged with Soft Suede ink.  The greeting is from Pocket Silhouettes as well, stamped onto Soft Suede with Soft Suede ink and then punched with the Modern Label punch.  A bit of linen thread finishes the look.

For this second 3x3 card, I also used a mask...but this time a reverse mask.  I punched a circle out of a piece of thin chipboard and then used that as a stencil.  I used a post-it note to create an additional mask so that I could sponge both the Bashful Blue sky and then turn the mask around and sponge the Garden Green grass.  The stamp-a-ma-jig was used to help me position the Pocket Silhouettes leaf image and then stamped in Basic Black.  The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.  I couldn't resist the urge to add a bit of dazzling diamonds to the leaves :)

For this card I decided to go formal.  I stamped the image from Pocket Silhouettes using Versamark ink and then heat embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder on a small piece of Whisper White card stock.  Three of the edges were rounded and then a hole was punched in the bottom right-hand corner using my crop-a-dile so that I could thread a piece of Crumb Cake taffeta ribbon through the hold and knot it.  The piece was then put on the base card using dimensionals.  The greeting is from Tiny Tags and was stamped in Soft Suede and then punched out using a 3/4" circle punch.  The edges of the circle were sponged with Soft Suede ink and applied to the layer using a dimensional.

I created this adorable little holder to hold the 3 cards and mini envelopes (it can accommodate 4 cards, but since it's Four Ways Friday and I already had 4 samples to show you, I decided not to go overboard :)  I used the Scallops #2 die in the Big Shot to create the background  Rose Red "flower" and used the Circles #2 die for the Whisper White circle.  I used a mask again to sponge the circle and added some glitter to the stamped flowers.  The greeting is from Tiny Tags.  I sponged the Crumb Cake folder with Crumb Cake ink and used Crumb Cake taffeta ribbon as my closure.  Here is the inside of the folder:

I hope you like it!  Let me know if you have any questions.  A video demonstrating how to make a few of the cards and the card holder may be on the way at the beginning of the week!  Have a great weekend!

Four Ways Friday on Saturday...

Hi!  Thanks for stopping by!  I am happy to say that I am home and exhausted!  My hope is that by tomorrow I will feel awake, alert, alive and enthusiastic and will get Four Ways Friday posted a day late.  Thanks so much for your patience!  Please stop back by for a visit :)

Four Ways Friday Coming Soon!

Today's Lesson While Wishing I Was In The Craft Room:  Some Things Don't Happen According To The Time Frame You Imagine

Alarm clocks going off at 4 a.m. in the hotel room next door to you...and off again...and again...every 15 minutes until Security can come and do something about it.  Meeting rooms that are freezing no matter how many calls you make to get the temperature adjusted.  Skies that open up and dump tons of rain that results in closed airports and canceled flights.  These are the events that were not happening according to my time frame over the last few days.  And so, like a domino effect, Four Ways Friday will not be here in the time frame I imagined.  I wonder if there is some reason behind all of this.  Some purpose or maybe a lesson I am supposed to learn.  I do realize that when I am tired I have a short fuse.  That I allow myself to get all worked up and that after awhile I calm back down.  Maybe part of the lesson is learning to not let it get me so worked up.  To allow myself to flow through the fact that some things in life...many things actually, won't happen according to the time frame that I imagine and instead will happen and unfold in exactly the right time.  Yes, today I am learning a lesson...I hope to be back in the craft room at the exact perfect time to bring you Four Ways Friday...and I'm secretly hoping it will be some time on Friday!!!! :)

Pocket Silhouettes Sympathy Card & Card Play Video!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sometimes The Impossible Is Exactly What We Need!

When was the last time you called something "impossible?"  Sometimes this word comes up when we think about taking time off or changing our work situation or just slowing down and changing our pace.  When this word comes up for you, it's a great sign that maybe you've hit upon something significant for yourself!  What are those things that you consider impossible and why?  Sometimes I tell myself it is impossible to be a full-time artist...and yet, when I start to examine that belief I begin to notice that there are tons of full-time artists out there who seem to be living that life just fine!  Maybe the issue isn't that it's impossible at all.  Maybe the real issue is my own belief in myself.  This is where I need to begin my journey into the impossible...and watch it turn into the possible!  How about you?

Today's card is a simple and peaceful sympathy card.  We learned this week that a family in our hometown lost their father.  He was 86 years old and lived a full and amazing life.  It seemed important to pause and make a handmade card to send to them.  Here is a video if you want to check out how the card was made.  I hope you like it and, most importantly, I hope it brings the family a moment of comfort.

Extreme Elements Ink Blot Technique & Card Play Video!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Clean Off Your Desk :)

Ok, maybe today's lesson is more for me than it is for you...at least you would know that if you could see my desk and my craft room right now!  What a mess!  I guess the good news is that the mess means that I've been busy and productive...although now the mess is getting in the way of my productivity!  So, it's time to set aside some time to clean things up a bit so that I can actually see the desktop :)  What do you need to clean today?

Today's card was a ton of fun to make!  I was thinking about monotype printing - something that I have recently gotten interested in - and I decided that I could play around with freezer paper and my reinkers to create a great ink blot background!  Here's a video to show you how I did it!  I hope you like it!

Lazuli Bunting 2-Step Bird Punch - Little Bird Note & Card Play Video!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Challenge Your Excuses!

It is so easy to come up with a list of excuses for why you can't do something.  I don't have time.  I don't have the energy.  What would people think?  Today I challenge you to challenge your excuses!  You have time - you just need to determine how you want to use it.  You have the energy if you make a commitment and start taking steps - any size steps - in the direction of your goal.  We can't control what other people think.  All we can control is what we think and today, I think I can!!!!!!!!  Now go for it!!!!

The Lazuli Bunting is cousin to the Lark Bunting, the state bird of Colorado.  Here in Denver I must admit that I have only ever seen a Lazuli Bunting once - I think they like the mountains more than the city :)  I guess I don't blame them :)  I decided to try to create a colorful Lazuli Bunting using my 2-Step Bird extra-large punch.  Here's a video to show you how I did it!  The finished card size is 3 1/2" x 3 1/2".  I hope you like it!

Artistic Etchings - Amour Love Note & Card Play Video!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  "Mantras you shouldn't say:  I don't know; I'm not ready; I can't do it."

Today's lesson came from the tea bag in my tea this weekend :)  I had a cup of Yogi tea for restless sleep and I had to smile when I saw the message on the tea tag!  Our self-talk can uplift us and it has the power to send us into a serious state of the doldrums.  Whenever I find my self-talk has turned to negative messages, I head on over to Louise Hay's website.  If you click on "Daily Affirmation" on her site, you can instill some positive energy into your self-talk every day of the week!  Make your mantra:  I do know!  I am ready!  I can do it!!!!!

Today's card was made with the Artistic Etchings stamp set.  I am loving this set!!!!  Check out my video to see how I made this 4x4 Amour love note!  I hope you like it!