Four Ways Friday #98 - Pleasant Poppies Background Stamp

When I saw the Pleasant Poppies background stamp in the catalog I immediately knew we were meant to be together! :)  Of course, once the stamp arrived, I wasn't sure what to do with it.  I figured that using the stamp for Four Ways Friday would be great motivation to get it inked up and stamped!

Let's start simple, simple, simple!  For this first card I just inked up the stamp with Basic Black ink and stamped it onto a Whisper White card base.  Next, with the help of the stamp-a-ma-jig, I stamped the greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes with Basic Black ink vertically along one of the stems.  I love the graphic look of this card.

It's hard to believe it's already August and that 2013 is around the corner.  I have had some events come up that I needed to mark on a 2013 calendar and, since I didn't have a 2013 calendar yet, I decided to make one! :)  Yes, I still love keeping a paper calendar because I love being able to glance at an entire month at a time to see what is coming up.  I printed off a calendar on my computer - using iCal on my Mac - and printing 2 months per page.  I then cut the pages in half and had a stack that looked like this:

I used a prong fastener to mark the holes on the left-hand side of the pages.  I then cut the front and back covers from Crumb Cake card stock.  I actually glued 2 pieces of card stock together for both the front and back covers in order to make the calendar sturdy enough to withstand a year of handling.  I used Versamark to stamp the poppies on the cover and then heat embossed using clear embossing powder.  The numbers were die cut from some mat board that I had, using the Typeset Alphabet in the Big Shot.  I also used the Chevron embossing folder to create a Baja Breeze panel to decorate the front cover.  A ribbon slide, Baja Breeze seam binding and a scallop-edge piece of First Edition designer paper added the finishing touches.

I kept embossing for this third project.  I used Versamark and Basic Black ink to stamp the image onto watercolor paper.  I then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  Next I took my Aqua painter and a few of my ink pads and began water coloring the flowers and stems.  I used Tangerine Tango, Riding Hood Red, Garden Green and Always Artichoke.  The Tangerine Tango card base was run through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  The watercolor panel was layered onto Basic Black card stock before being adhered to the card.  Finally, I stamped the greeting from Lovely Little Labels onto watercolor paper and punched it out with an oval punch.  I layered that onto a partially punched curly label punch.

Remember to look at your stamps in different ways.  I realized that the stems on the flowers created a really cool pattern so I decided to just stamp the stems in multiple colors (Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, and Tempting Turquoise).  I then attached the stamped pieces to a Whisper White card base.  The greeting was stamped onto Whisper White using Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive markers.  I layered the greeting onto a piece of Old Olive card stock that I had paper pierced.  Finally I added a Rich Razzleberry button which I threaded with a piece of Old Olive card stock.
I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday!!!!  Have a beautiful, creative weekend!!!!!

Throwback Thursday: Big Pieces Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Just Keep Stamping!!!!

Is this card crazy or what?!?!  I pulled out the Big Pieces stamp set for Throwback Thursday and began stamping the different images with a variety of ink colors.  If you look at the background closely you'll see traces of Summer Starfruit, Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral Island Indigo and Rose Red!  I began stamping and then didn't like what I was seeing so I kept stamping and stamping and stamping until somehow I had something that I thought might work as a background!  I figured I needed to tame things a little bit by adding some solid pieces of color in the form of punched circles and a few strips of solid card stock.  The sentiment is from Wacky Wishes (which is a current Hostess set in the catalog!).  Sometimes you gotta just keep stamping!!!!!

Out On A Whim Wednesday: Wood Burned Sign

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Tomorrow is a new day.  You shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.  -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I was leafing through the Oprah Magazine the other day and came across this quote and it immediately gave me a sense of calm.  It can be so easy to carry one day's woes into the next day and this is a reminder that each day we can start anew.  I want to create another gratitude journal (I write in my gratitude journal every evening) and put this quote on the cover.  This would be a wonderful thought to go to sleep with every night :)
Today's Out On A Whim Wednesday project is a sign that I created quite awhile ago.  I was playing around with my wood-burning tool and created a series of signs that I have hanging on my craft room door.  After doing the wood burning I went back and colored the images with colored pencils.  These signs always make me smile.  One says "Be Yourself" and another says, "Express Yourself."  If you haven't tried wood burning, you might want to give it a try!  It's a fun way to take scrap wood and make it into something special :)

Beautiful Wings Mixed Bunch Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Pause And Observe

Buddy continues to teach me lessons every day...if I pay attention :)  Today on our walk he would be trotting along and then suddenly stop - still as a statue - and just observe.  Sometimes he would slightly turn his head.  You could tell his senses were all on high alert - watching for the slightest movement; sniffing for the slightest odor (of rabbit!!!!).  His actions, or non-action, reminded me once again that we all need to pause and observe.  To stop what we are doing and take it what surrounds us.  By pausing and observing, Buddy and I become aware of the songs of birds, the slightest movement in the brush of a bunny eating grass, the rustle of the leaves.  All of these are things I would miss if I did not pause and observe.  That Buddy is one wise canine :)
Today's card brings me peace just by looking at it.  I love the softness of Pool Party - so gentle.  (I was inspired by p. 149 of the Idea Book & Catalog).  I embossed the card base with the striped embossing folder.  I stamped one of the flowers from Mixed Bunch using Pool Party on Pool Party card stock.  The butterfly was created using the Beautiful Wings embosslit.  I sponged the edges and added some adhesive pearls.  A piece of organza ribbon adds a finishing touch.  I hope you like it!

Burlap Fun Flowers Box: Published In PaperCrafts Magazine!!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  I LOVE Page 44!!!!!

I was sooooo excited to receive an envelope in the mail that contained the new September/October 2012 issue of PaperCrafts Magazine!!!!

I was even more excited to see page 44...because look what was there!!!!!!

Yiiipppppeeeee!!!!!  When your project gets accepted for publication, you are never quite sure if it will end up in the magazine or on-line...or on what page...or how it will look.  I was SO HAPPY when I started leafing through the magazine (okay, devouring the magazine) and found my box on p.44...and it even has a "bonus idea!"  Yes, I love page 44!!!!
The box was fun to make using the Fun Flowers die in the Big Shot.  I used burlap as well as denim fabric from an old pair of jeans :)  I love upcycling loved jeans into new creations!  An antique brad decorates the center of the flower.  I added a tag with a greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes and tied it to the seam binding with Early Espresso baker's twine.  I hope you enjoy page 44 as much as I do!  And, if you want to see your projects in print, try submitting your projects to PaperCrafts Magazine!!!!  You never know what might happen!!!!!