Four Ways Friday #27 - Tiny Tags Stamp Set

Welcome to another Four Ways Friday!  Today I'm using the Tiny Tags stamp set!

This stamp set is oh-so-perfect to use with the Simply Adorned jewelry!  I was inspired to make this necklace for a wonderful friend and the inspiration came from my cousin Brenda.  Brenda shared the idea with me - to make a mommy necklace - and the inspiration took off from there!  I used a few of the images and words from Tiny Tags to stamp on Very Vanilla card stock.  For the large charm I also used an embossing folder.  For the small round charms I used the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set to stamp the first initials of my friend's two children.  Here is the reverse side of the large charm...

Aren't those kids gorgeous!!!!!!  You can also see that I used the heart image from Tiny Tags on the back of the round initial charms.  I made the baubles with beads and wire and some small lobster clasps that I purchased at my local craft store.  I tied on a few pieces of chantilly ribbon and early espresso ribbon.  I love that you can change these charms out and place whatever you would like inside of them!

Here is another way to use the heart image from the Tiny Tags stamp set.  I stamped the image multiple times in Cherry Cobbler ink onto Whisper White card stock and then punched them out with my 1/2" circle punch.  I adhered them to 3/4" circles of Cherry Cobbler card stock and then used dimensionals to adhere them to the card base.  Finally, I stamped the word "love" in basic black ink.

I love to create stencils with my Big Shot!  For this card I ran a piece of card stock through the Big Shot with the Scallop Rectangle clearlit.  I then adhered this as a stencil to the card base using drafting tape (unlike masking tape, drafting tape easily lifts off of the card stock without tearing anything).  I used a sponge and sponged the stencil with Crumb Cake ink.  Then I took a few of the images from the Tiny Tags set and randomly stamped them using the same Crumb Cake ink.  I then removed the stencil and added some dazzling diamonds with my 2-way glue pen.  Finally, I stamped the dotted outline and the greeting onto Very Vanilla card stock and punched it out using the jewelry tag medium punch.  A piece of twine finishes the card.

This stamp set also provides an easy way to make simple Christmas cards!  I took a 1 1/2" circle punch and punched out a piece of card stock to use as a mask.  I placed it on the card base and then stamped the leafy image from the stamp set around the circle, multiple times and in multiple layers, using Garden Green ink.  You might choose to use different colors of green to create a different look.  I stamped the word "merry" from the set in the center of the wreath in Cherry Cobbler ink using my stamp-a-ma-jig.  I then attached a small knot of real red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon for the top of the wreath.  Finally, I added some dazzling diamonds and a bit of gold stickles to give the wreath some shimmer!  I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  (ps  I started my new challenge today...40 sit ups and 10 push ups in the morning!  Okay...so my sit-ups may look more like crunches right now and my push ups are on my knees, but at least I've begun!!!!!  Want to join in the fun????)

Timeless Type Monogram Notes

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Allow Your Body Time To Rest

The soreness is starting to fade a bit and I can feel myself wanting to run again.  However, all that I have read suggests taking a week off of running after completing a marathon.  I think I'm just dealing with a bit of fear right now - after all of the running I am afraid that if I stop I will not start again.  I'm afraid of the old adage, "a body at rest tends to stay at rest."  I don't want to fall back into old habits and, at the same time, I want to be sure to allow my body time to rest so that I don't injure myself.  So, to try to keep my body in motion I am starting a new challenge tomorrow - and I'm starting in a realistic way.  I'm calling it my 40/10 challenge - 40 sit ups and 10 push ups every day.  I think I can do it...and maybe I'll even be able to increase the amount after a little while - we'll see.  All I know is that I'm going to do my best to keep this body in motion!
Today's card is part of a set of 8 personalized note cards that I made for a friend for her birthday.  I used the scalloped rectangle sizzlit in the Big Shot and the Timeless Type sizzlits for the monogram.  The Friends 24-7 stamp set provided that great design on the background and on the envelope.  I also used the Wonderfully Worn background stamp to add a bit more interest...along with some sponging.  I created a faux button with card stock and the 1/2" circle punch and added a bit of twine.  I hope you like it!

I Did It!!!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  By Changing Yourself, You Change The World

I am home and I did it!!!!!!  (That's me with my hands up just before the start of the race).  8 months ago I decided on a goal - to run 26.2 miles on Halloween day in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC.  Now, here I am, sitting in Denver (with very sore legs I might add) and I accomplished that goal!  What an amazing feeling!  To know that 8 months ago I couldn't run a block.  And to know that 2 days ago, I ran 26.2 miles and finished the race.  It really is amazing what you can do when you decide to make a change.  It's amazing that by changing yourself, you change the world.

Define Your Life - Simple Gratitude Card

This is a quick and easy card that I made to say thank you to a friend for a wonderful birthday gift :)  I began with a basic Very Vanilla card and then added some flocked paper (this is not Stampin' Up! paper - it was actually part of the gift that my friend gave me so I felt I needed to use it on her thank you card :).  I used a piece of sticky strip across the top of the flocked paper and then folded and adhered the Very Vanilla satin ribbon as I went along.  The antique brad, attached with a glue dot, adds that vintage flair.  The greeting is from Define Your Life - stamped in Early Espresso ink onto Crumb Cake card stock and then punched out with the extra large Decorative Label punch.  I sponged the edges with Early Espresso ink and then added a few floral images from the Tiny Tags stamp set (some at full strength and some at half strength).  I hope you like it!!!!!  (p.s. I arranged for this post to appear automatically before I left for the marathon...I'm hoping that by the time you read this I will have made it to the finish line and will be on my way home, back to the craft room!).