Four Ways Friday #52 - Pennant Parade SNEAK PEEK!

Wow!  It's amazing to think that I have been doing Four Ways Friday for 52 weeks!!!!  That's a big milestone for me!  I hope you've enjoyed Four Ways Friday as much as I have :)  This week's Four Ways is all about the new Pennant Parade stamp set!  I had a ton of fun coming up with ideas for how to use this adorable new set!

The idea for this first card came to me in the shower!  I seem to get ideas when I am totally relaxed - either on my morning walks or in the shower :)  I used one of the pennant stamps to create the "arms" of this star.  I stamped them with Riding Hood Red and Night Of Navy ink and cut them out and then scored them down the middle.  They were adhered to the card with glue.  I made the paper rosette by cutting strips of designer paper 3/4" x 6" each and then scoring them each 1/4" and then gluing the ends together before using hot glue to form the rosette circle.  I adhered the rosette to the card with pop-up glue dots.  A rhinestone brad finishes the center.  The small star stamp from the Pennant Parade set was perfect for this card!  I die cut the "4" using my Simple Numbers dies and the Big Shot.  The July is from the Full Calendar stamp set and the "happy" from Fabulous Phrases.  Finally, I sponged the edges of the Natural Ivory card base with Night of Navy ink.

This second card uses the pennants in a much more "traditional" way.  I stamped the pennant onto Pink Pirouette card stock with Basic Black ink and cut them out (I don't have the pennant punch yet, but I have a feeling I'll be ordering it!).  I then stamped the letters from the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers set in Chocolate Chip ink onto Baja Breeze card stock and punched them out with the 1/2" circle punch.  They were popped up using dimensionals.  The "hello" was stamped in Chocolate Chip and the card stock was cut to make a mini banner.  I adhered the crochet thread to the Natural Ivory card base and then adhered the pennants.  The bunny from Forest Friends was stamped using Chocolate Chip as well and then I used my sewing machine to stitch around the edges of this simple card.

Don't forget that you can cut up the triangle shape of the pennants to make other shapes!  Here I turned a pennant into the bottom of a cupcake and used the scallop circle punch to create the top of the cupcake.  I frosted the cupcake with faux frosting made of styrofoam (you can see my video on how to make this faux frosting HERE).  The background was stamped in Regal Rose using the A to Z stamp.  The "wish big" from the Pennant Parade set was stamped using Tempting Turquoise.

Of course, I couldn't waste the little piece I cut off of the pennant!  I decided it looked like an ice cream cone!  I created the scoop of ice cream using the scallop oval punch and the 3/4" circle punch.  I added sprinkles (tiny "waste" from my small hole punch) and covered them with crystal effects.  The greeting on the decorative label is a combination of two stamps from the Fabulous Phrases stamp set stamped with Melon Mambo.
I hope you've enjoyed this Sneak Peek at this adorable new Pennant Parade stamp set!  Thank you so much for stopping by and celebrating my 52nd Four Ways Friday with me! :)  I hope you have a wonderful and creative weekend!!!!!

Upsy Daisy 3x3 Stenciled Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Be Inspired By The Color That Surrounds You!

I went to the Denver Botanic Gardens today and was awe-struck by how gorgeous nature is!  The colors and textures, the types and varieties - just stunning.  I came home and all I wanted to do was try to replicate the bursts of color that I saw in the gardens.  Here is one scene that inspired me:

I used Melon Mambo, Pear Pizazz, Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive to try to capture some of the color.  I sprayed the Pear Pizazz with mixtures of water and ink and frost white shimmer paint.  I sewed the panel to give it the texture of vines.  I sprayed the vintage stencil using Elegant Eggplant ink mixed with water.  The greeting was created using the ornament punch (I cut the top off of the ornament) and used the greeting from Upsy Daisy stamped with Rich Razzleberry.  I sponged the edges, added some rhinestones and popped it up on the card with dimensionals.  I hope you like it!  Here is another picture from the Gardens - maybe it will inspire you!  Isn't nature AMAZING?!?!

Artistic Etchings Altered CD

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  How About Signing Up For An Art Class?

I took what I consider to be a big step today.  I signed up for a 3-hour workshop on book binding!  I am really excited about it!  Somehow I had myself convinced that I could teach myself all I needed to know by reading books, watching videos, and experimenting.  I guess if that was my only option it would suffice.  However, what I realize I'm missing is the human interaction and the ability to have a teacher with me, watching me along the way, helping me in the moment.  I can't even remember when the last time was that I signed up for a workshop/class.  Now it is something I am committing to.  I'll let you know how it goes!  If it goes well, you will likely see some hand bound books in the not-too-distant future :)  What have you been yearning to learn?  Can you take one small step in that direction?  It might just be doing a search for classes in your area or asking artists in your life if they have taken a class on that subject.  Moving in the direction of your goal will take you closer to it! :)
Today's project is an altered CD.  I actually collect quite a few CDs in my work life.  I do a lot of training and I always have a disk with the presentation on it - just in case something crazy happens with the version on my laptop computer!  After the training concludes, the CD is no longer needed.  So, rather than throw it away, I save it and then give it a makeover! :)  Here I used designer paper with gel medium to cover the entire CD.  I embellished it with some paper flowers I made using my scallop circle punch.  (You can see a video of how to make these flowers HERE).  I heat embossed the Eiffel Tower image from Artistic Etchings using black embossing powder and then mounted it on black card stock and cut it out.  I added a bit of Melon Mambo pom-pom trim.  The letters are a combination of alphabet sets - one current one being the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set.  I used my crop-o-dile to create a hole at the top of the CD and then added a large eyelet and striped ribbon for hanging.  I hope you like it! :)

O Canada Scrap Rubber and Punch Art Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Use Your Rubber Scraps!!!!!

If you have ever bought Stampin' Up! stamps, you know that they are die cut from a larger sheet of rubber.  They used to not be die cut and you would have to cut them out yourself.  Now the process is a lot simpler - the hard work is done for you :)  There is still left over "scrap" rubber from these die cut sets and I have a habit of saving the scraps.  Why?  Well, do you see the maple leaf image on this card????  I created it using a piece of scrap rubber, a sketch of a maple leaf, my craft & rubber scissors, and a wood block from the craft store!  What can you make from your scraps????

This card won an Honorable Mention in Stampin' Up!s July contest!  I was so excited!!!!!  It is featured on the demonstrator portion of the Stampin' Up! website in the on-line extras for the Stampin' Success magazine.  The theme of the contest was Land That I Love and I made both a U.S. card and a Canada card to submit for the contest.  When I thought about making this card an image of the mounted police immediately came into my head!  Must have been those cartoons I watched as a child :)  I decided there had to be a way to make the Canadian Mountie using punches.  Here is a close up:

I used the round tab punch for his shirt and the ornament punch for his pants :)  His hat is a portion from a modern label punch....his nose is too!  His arms were made from an oval punch.  He was a ton of fun to make!  The background of the Crumb Cake card was stamped with the Wood Grain background stamp.  The letters are from the Timeless Type alphabet run through the Big Shot and then coated with Crystal Effects.  I made the maple leaf from a piece of scrap rubber and then stamped it onto Whisper White card stock, cut it out, and popped it up with dimensionals.  I hope you like it!!!!

America The Beautiful Broadsheet Alphabet Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  It Is Amazing What Can Happen From A Passing Glance!

There are times when you just need to step away from you art.  You get to a place where you are unsure what your next move is.  You hesitate because you just don't know what to do.  It is at these times that I allow myself to walk away and do something else or I turn to another piece of art that I am working on.  I keep the original piece nearby so that I can keep glancing at it.  Sometimes I'll walk out of the craft room and every time I walk by the doorway I will give the art piece a passing glance.  It is these brief glances that keep my subconscious in "create mode."  Then, at a moment when I least expect it, it seems an idea will pop into my head for what the next step is!  Sometimes you just need to step away and then keep glancing.  It is amazing what can happen from a passing glance!
I had submitted this card for a Stampin' Up! contest focusing on the Land That I Love.  It didn't win...although it was a real winner to me :)  Tomorrow I will share the other card I submitted for which I received an Honorable Mention and won a free stamp set!  Yeah!!!!!!  I had a ton of fun making this card and it seems very appropriate as we near the 4th of July.  I masked off the Night Of Navy section and inked it up.  I then used the direct to paper method to create the flag stripes with my Real Red ink pad.  The stars are from the Extreme Elements stamp set and were heat embossed with white embossing powder.  The letters are from the Broadsheet Alphabet stamp set and they were stamped in alternating colors, cut out and then embellished with champagne glass glitter.  I added some twine and a tiny library clip as well :)  I hope you like it!

Happy Father's Day!!!!!

Happy Father's Day to all of the fathers out there!!!!  May your day be sweet and filled with love!!!!!!