The New Catalog Is Here!!!!

The new Stampin' Up! Catalog is here!!!!!  Wait 'til you see all the great new stamps, colors and accessories!!!!  Click HERE to shop now and to download a pdf of the catalog!!!!!

Sharing The Work Of Others!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Rejoice In The Creativity Of Others!

Today's card was sent to me by Sharri Alexander and I had to share it with you!!!!  (Thanks so much Sharri)!  I can't stop picking this card up and tilting it in every direction!!!!  It is coated with an amazing layer of smooch spritz and the card practically glows in my hands!  I feel so honored and such a sense of joy when others share their creativity with me - whether by sending me a handmade card, or working quietly and methodically during a workshop or stamp-a-stack.  Have you ever stopped in a park and watched an artist sketching?  Or maybe you have watched a chef cook a wonderful meal - fully involved in the masterpiece they were creating.  It could be a child building a sand castle at the beach or making a picture on the driveway with sidewalk chalk.  Or maybe it's the creative way a dog buries his bone in the yard - in the hopes that he will be the only one to find the secret hiding place.  Other creatures are expressing their creativity all around you - take notice...and rejoice! :)

I also have to share with you a few pages from the Sunny Day CD Envelope Scrapbook that Andrea Luisa Suarez made here the other day!  I am always blown away when I watch individuals take their supplies and get lost in their creative zone!  I think you'll love Andrea's take on the scrapbook!  Enjoy!

Gesso Background Paper - Artistic Etchings Sneak Peek!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Keep Going!

Part way through my run today I was having a debate in my mind of whether to stop altogether.  I felt like I was running through mud...well, I kind of was...and I was getting down about how slow my progress was.  The pull to head inside and call it a day was strong.  And, I decided not to give in.  Instead, I kept going and I am so glad that I did.  When you keep going you prove to yourself that you can move through your obstacles and make it to the other side!  When you keep pursuing something you love, you are sending a clear intention into the Universe that what you are doing matters and is worth doing.  In my experience, the Universe reacts accordingly.  So whatever it is that you are passionate about - whatever truly matters to you, Keep Going!

Today's card is a continuation of yesterday's experimenting with gesso!  This time I started with a piece of Sahara Sand card stock and used a plastic hotel key (like a credit card) to apply gesso to the card stock - it felt like I was stuccoing the card :)  Since I couldn't bare to wait for it to dry, I used my heat tool to hurry the process along :)  I sprayed the card with alcohol mixed with shimmer paint (smooch spritz will create the same effect) and then stamped the card with images from Charming and Artistic Etchings.  I stamped the images in Basic Gray at half strength.  The final touches were the Pretties Kit flowers and pearl, a greeting from Elements of Style and a bit of Hodgepodge Hardware.  I hope you like it!  Time is running out to pick up some of these great accessories that are being discontinued (like the Pretties Kit!)!  Hurry and shop HERE now!

Gesso Background Paper

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Focus For 15 Minutes

I woke up in a bad mood today.  My journal entry this morning began with the word "ARGHHH" in huge black letters!  I knew something had to change!  Part of my frustration was a bad dream.  But part of my frustration was also this growing feeling like I am the biggest scatterbrain on the planet!  Lately it feels like my thoughts jump from one to the next without a moment's notice.  My activities seem to follow that lead - I bounce around on the internet; start a task and interrupt myself a zillion times before coming back to it...you get the picture.  So today I decided I was tired of being frustrated - it was time for some action!  My action went something like this - I concluded that 15 minutes was a reasonable amount of time to require myself to focus on an activity.  So I set the timer on the stove for 15 minutes and spent 15 minutes cleaning the kitchen.  Then I set the timer for another 15 minutes and spent that time taking pictures for my instructions for my Sunny Day CD Envelope Scrapbook.  Then another 15 minutes on the clock to work on the instructions themselves.  I took it all in 15-minute chunks and I have to say I'm pleased with the results.  Maybe in a few days I can build up to 30 minutes!  Wish me luck!

I was inspired to start playing with gesso today!  The inspiration comes from a wonderful book called Collage Lab by Bee Shay.  I haven't even gotten far into the book and already she had me wanting to run into the craft room and break out the art supplies!  So, I applied gesso with a sponge to my new Artistic Etchings stamp image and stamped the gesso onto Sahara Sand card stock.  I let it dry and then sponged over the gesso with Soft Suede ink.  I then sprayed the background with a mixture of alcohol and shimmer paint.  I wish you could see this in person!  For the focal image I stamped the Eiffel Tower from Artistic Etchings onto watercolor paper and then sponged the paper with some Soft Suede ink.  I then stamped the greeting from Sincere Salutations at half strength.  Finally, I used my Soft Suede marker to color the word "thanks" and stamped onto Very Vanilla card stock and punched it out using the curly label punch.  I stamped a second Tower onto Very Vanilla card stock and used my hobby knife to cut it out and popped it up on dimensionals.  I hope you like it!  I am loving the gesso that is all over my fingers!  More gesso is definitely on the way!!!! :)

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  There Is Something To Be Said For Consistency

There are those restaurants that you go to because you always know that the service and food will be good, no matter when you go.  I'd like to believe that people view my blog and my workshops the same way - that as long as they show up, they will have a good time - they will enjoy what they discover.  In order for that to happen I need to be consistent - with my workshops, my posts, my creating.  The great thing about consistency is that it also pays me back!  By showing up every day at my blog, by being consistent with my visits to the craft room, by planning consistent workshops, I'm able to move forward in my creative journey.  There is something to be said for consistency!

Today's card was inspired by a pre-sleep thought :)  I wondered what it would be like to try and dry emboss the top note shape.  So, I die cut the top note from chipboard and temporarily adhered it to the back of the front of my card and ran around the edge with my embossing stylus (I rubbed was paper over the front of the card first in order to allow the stylus to move more smoothly around the edge of the top note).  I then used the "negative" from the die cut to create a mask on the front of the card and stamped the Baroque Motifs image.  I am loving Early Espresso - it is such a rich brown!  I added a tiny bit of stickles to give the card a little sparkle.  Next time I'm going to try this technique with a chipboard that is a little thinner - it was hard to keep the card stock from creasing while using such a thick chipboard.  I hope you like it!!!!

Four Ways Friday #11 - Textured Impressions Embossing Folders

Welcome to another Four Ways Friday!  My focus this week is on the textured impressions embossing folders!  There are oodles and oodles of ways to use these folders.  Here I will show you four...well, maybe five :)

For this first project I pulled out that wonderful aluminum/silver duct tape that you can buy at the home improvement store!  It is great to emboss since it comes with adhesive already on the back.  I ran a piece of the tape through the Big Shot with the Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder.  I then adhered the embossed silver tape to a piece of card stock and punched it out with the Butterfly Extra-Large punch.  Don't throw the backing of the tape away!  Here I tore a piece of it and glued it onto the card as an added embellishment!  Don't you just love this new Marina Mist color!!!!  It's gorgeous in person!

Your embossing folders love to get inked up!  For this card I took the Finnial Press embossing folder and used a brayer with some Crumb Cake ink on it and rolled the ink onto the inside of the embossing folder (I rolled it onto the debossed side).  I then placed a piece of Sahara Sand card stock into the embossing folder and rolled it through the Big Shot.  The ink transfers onto the card stock!  You can use subtle or bold ink and card stock combinations for this technique and the embossing folder cleans up beautifully!  I added a few extra dots with my white gel pen.  The birds were punched using the Two-Step Bird punch and the hearts using the Heart To Heart punch with Rich Razzleberry card stock.  Of course I had to add a bit of Crystal Effects to the birds' wings and the hearts.  The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

This next technique came to me while I was falling asleep last night!  I cut a piece of watercolor paper and stamped all over it using various images and colors.  Then I spritzed the watercolor paper with a bunch of water and let the colors run together.  Due to my impatience when it comes to drying time, I used my heat tool to dry the paper :)  I then ran the watercolor paper through the Big Shot with the Finnial Press embossing folder.  I kept the paper on the embossing folder when I opened the folder up and then took a sanding block and sanded the high points of the design.  Sanding took some of the ink away and brought the white of the watercolor paper back to the surface.  I really like this look!  I added some ribbon and some embellishments from the Pretties Kit (which is retiring).  I had so much fun with this technique I decided to try a different color combination on a different card.  Here's what I came up with:

For this card I used the Petals-A-Plenty embossing folder and covered the watercolor paper with brown shades (Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake).  I followed the same steps as I did with the above card.  I know I'll be making more cards with this technique!

Don't forget to spread your wings when it comes to using your embossing folders!  You don't have to limit yourself to card stock!  For this final project I took a piece of copper craft metal and ran it through the Big Shot with the Two Tags die.  I then took the tag and ran it through the Big Shot again in the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder.  Finally, I added a jumbo eyelet with my Crop-a-dile and stamped the metal with Jet Black Staz On.  This tag will look gorgeous on a present and it becomes a keepsake as well!  How else can you use your embossing folders?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!  Thanks for stopping by for this week's Four Ways Friday.  If you'd like to purchase any of the embossing folders or other Stampin' Up! supplies used in this post, please visit my website HERE!

CD Envelope Scrapbook - A Look Inside #3

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Set A Goal

Whether it's training for a running race or posting to this blog, I am finding that I can motivate to do things a lot more easily if I set a goal for myself.  It would be so easy to just stay in bed in the morning if I wasn't training for a road race.  It would be easy to not create if I didn't have my daily blog commitment.  What goals can you set for yourself?  You'll be amazed at how motivating a goal can be!

These are the final pages in the CD Envelope scrapbook!  You'll notice a few more Big Shot dies popping up on the pages - the Scallop circles and the Flower...not to mention the movers and shapers label.  A few punches were also used - the large flower, modern label, curly label and round tab punches.  I also incorporated the Punched Posies hostess stamp set - I am loving these great bold flowers!  Now the big question is....what events am I going to scrapbook?! :)  I hope you've enjoyed this scrapbook project and I hope it inspires you to try one of your own!  The Simply Scrappin' kits are a great way to get started.  There are papers, stickers, die cuts...I am saving the stickers for my stamp-a-stack attendees...if there are some left over I'll be sure to embellish my pages even more!  Click HERE to shop for your Sunny Day or other Simply Scrappin' kit now!

CD Envelope Scrapbook - A Look Inside #2

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Don't Let Your List Drag You Down

When I get home from a trip I am usually really exhausted - mentally and physically.  If I know anything about myself it is that I need to give myself time to recharge my batteries and, when I don't, my body will protest and force me to recharge whether I like it or not!  I find that at times I can let my "to do" list drag me down.  I have an on-going list of people I need to call, emails I need to send, errands I need to run.  It can be so easy to get myself in quite the funk - feeling like I just want to rest and, at the same time, feeling guilty that I am not getting back to people as quickly as I would like.  If you are one of these people, I am sorry.  I have not yet mastered the ability to do it all in the time that I have when "doing it all" also means taking care of myself and recharging.  What I am learning is that there is no point letting my list drag me down.  I need to accept that I can only do what I can do and hope that that is enough for those around me.  I am doing the best that I can.

I wanted to share a few more of inside pages from the CD Envelope scrapbook that we will be making at this month's stamp-a-stack.  It's hard to see, but there is a little 3x3 envelope on the top page that opens up - too cute! :)  You may notice a few Big Shot dies were used on these pages - the scallop square and top note fit perfectly!  I also used the great journaling block image from the My Favorite Things stamp set - it coordinates perfectly with the My Way arrow punch!  Stop back by tomorrow and I'll share the remaining pages of the book.  I hope you like it!!!!

CD Envelope Scrapbook - A Look Inside

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Give Your Body What It Needs

Running has become quite the journey for me.  I have been keeping a bit of a journal to document how my body feels during and after my runs.  It amazes me what your body tries to tell you - if only you'll listen :)  A week ago I went for a long run and felt terrible afterwards.  My body went on strike!  I was sick for an entire day after that run.  I mentioned this to a friend who is a trainer at a gym and he said that my body was probably trying to tell me it needed fuel.  I usually run first thing in the morning - so, in effect, I am running when my body has been fasting all night while I've been sleeping.  I usually don't eat anything before heading out the door.  This weekend that changed.  I decided, instead, to eat some oatmeal and peanut butter before heading out.  Wow!  What a difference some fuel can make!  Listen to your body - it is trying to tell you exactly what you need!

Here are the beginning pages of the CD Envelope scrapbook that we'll be making at this month's stamp-a-stack!  I am loving these vibrant colors!  I snuck in some So Tweet on board chipboard.  I covered some of the pieces with paper and sponged the legs with Early Espresso ink (loving this new color!).  It's a bit difficult to see, but these CD envelopes have great little pockets to insert pages in and slide things out of!  I'll share a few more pages with you tomorrow!  Hope you like it!

CD Envelope Scrapbook

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Face The White Space

I began making this little scrapbook from the inside out.  For some reason, the white cover terrified me!  Okay, maybe "terrified" is a strong word, but I admit it, I was scared!  After all, the insides were hidden inside of the book.  But the cover?  That's something everyone would see.  So I delayed.  I waited.  Finally, I faced the white space.  Or, maybe more accurately, the white space faced me.  By the time I got to the cover I could already feel the ideas coming to me.  Don't be scared - face the white space - it will become exactly what it is meant to be!

I decided to change things up for this month's stamp-a-stack.  Instead of doing the usual cards, we are going to be making this adorable CD literature folder scrapbook!  This was my first scrapbook ever, so I'm pretty pleased with the results.  It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be.  Over the next few days I'll be sharing the internal pages with you - maybe a few a day so I can share them all with you this week!  I used the Sunny Day Simply Scrappin' kit (it's retiring, so don't miss out on your chance to get one!) and the Cheep Talk stamp set.  I love these cheerful, bright colors - perfect for Summer!  I hope you like it!  If you want to order your Sunny Day Simply Scrappin' kit, click HERE now!

Four Ways Friday #10 - Circles #2 Die

This week's Four Ways Friday uses the Circles #2 die for the Big Shot!  It is amazing how many different materials these dies can cut through - here I show you four!

The Circles #2 die is great to use for hair accessories!  I just ran some regular craft felt through the Big Shot with the Circles #2 die to make the circles.  I then stacked them one on top of the other - a bit off-center.  I used a bit of brown embroidery floss to stitch them together in the middle making an "x."  I then used a needle and regular thread to stitch them to an everyday pony tail holder.  So easy!

I was so excited when I received my Punched Posies hostess set from the Summer Mini catalog!  This set is adorable!  It also happens to coordinate incredibly well with the Circles #2 die.  For this project I used the die to cut through fun foam sheets in pink, orange and green.  I punched and cut images from the Punched Posies set and layered them onto the foam circles.  The foam circles add great dimension and texture to the card!

Did you know your Bigz dies can cut through craft foil?!  I decorated this frame by cutting through gold, silver and copper craft foil with the die!  I layered the circles and punched through the metal with my crop-a-dile.  Decorative brads complete the centers.  I used silver wire to attach all of the flowers to the wire mesh grid at the bottom of the frame.  Now I need to find the perfect picture to put in the frame!

OK, I admit it...for this last project I got a little corny :)  I saw a similar circle caterpillar on the PaperSource website and couldn't get it out of my mind!  I used the largest circle size on the Circles #2 die and ran Whisper White card stock through the Big Shot with the die.  If you really want this caterpillar to stand on his own, you might want to use chipboard to create him.  I used brads to attach the circles to one another and stamped the body with images from Wow Flowers. Since this card is connected with brads you can compress the card into a smaller size for mailing.  Googley eyes, a mouth, and antennae complete the look :)  Hope you have a fabulous and creative weekend!!!!!

Anniversary - Two-Step Bird and Burst

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  There Are Moments When It Is Important To Stop What You Are Doing

I went for a run this morning.  It felt great - it was hot - it was one of those runs where everything just seems to be working in harmony.  I had planned to continue running my full run - all the way back to the house.  However, as I approached the park not far from my house, I saw my friend and his dog in the park.  The thought went through my mind to just wave and continue running.  Instead I stopped.  My friend has been dealing with an illness for quite some time and I hadn't seen him in awhile.  Connecting with him and hearing how he was doing - even talking about running shoes and the weather - was more important than continuing my run at that moment.  Sometimes we can be so focused on what we are doing - or so dead set on getting something done, that we miss those moments when it is important to stop what we are doing and connect with someone else.

Today's card is for a friend - she and her husband are celebrating their wedding anniversary :)  I sprayed some pieces of Very Vanilla card stock with a mixture of shimmer paint and alcohol.  Our new Smooch Spritz is another alternative - it comes ready to use in a mister!  I ran the Very Vanilla through the big shot with the flower burst sizzlit and punched a bunch of flowers using my flower trio punch (this is retiring...don't miss your chance to get one while they last!).  I also punched the bird and branches using the two-step bird punch.  The Crumb Cake card stock (formerly known as Kraft) was stamped using Early Espresso ink with the Bella Toile background stamp and the Very Vintage wheel.  I also spritzed a little using the spritzer tool.  The Soft Suede card stock panel was run through a textured impressions embossing folder.  Next, stamped the greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes and punched it out with my modern label punch.  Finally, I added a little bit of diamond stickles for a little added sparkle.  I hope you like it!

It's The Thought - Giraffe Humor :)

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Be Punny!!!!!!!!

I just had to do it!  This stamp cried out for being turned into this card!  I just couldn't help myself :)  Hopefully this card is making you smile as much as I am right now :)  Too funny...I mean...punny :)  What stamps do you have that lend themselves well to being turned into puns?  If you find some that make you laugh - please be sure to share!!!!!!!!  We could all use a little pun every once in awhile :)  Smile :)

It's The Thought - Turtles

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Start Where You Left Off

Don't get me wrong - I'm not afraid of new beginnings and sometimes new beginnings are the place to start...and, I also believe, that sometimes starting where you left off is another way to move forward - to learn something new.  I left off in the craft room the other day with a layout similar to this one (with those adorable crabs).  So, when I entered the craft room today, I decided to begin my journey where I had left off and to see where the road would take me.  Here's the end result!

I added some background stamping with the Define Your Life stamp set (a huge favorite of mine).  I stamped in Barely Banana ink onto Barely Banana card stock (will be sad to see Barely Banana retire at the end of the month..sniffle, sniffle).  I took the adorable hostess set, It's The Thought, and went crazy with these turtles!  I decided they couldn't make the journey alone - they needed to be together :)  So I used my stamp-a-ma-jig and piled those turtles one on top of the other :)  I colored them with markers and added some dazzling diamonds to make them sparkle!  The round tab punch added a nice touch with the word "journey" stamped in Old Olive ink.  Finally, the gorgeous striped ribbon...watch for this one in more colors with the new catalog in July!  Yeah!!!!!  I hope you like it...now, where did you leave off before coming to see my blog?  That might be a good place to start :)

It's The Thought...More Crabs!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Find Your Island In Time

The craft room is more than a place for me.  It is magic - when I create, time stands still.  Worries seem to fade from my mind.  My heartbeat calms and my body relaxes.  Just writing about it makes me breathe more deeply.  For each of us, there is a place of "magic" - do you know where your "magic" lives?  Maybe it's in a warm bath, or on a mountaintop, or on a golf course.  Maybe it's watching your child sleep or taking your dog for a walk.  Wherever it is, it is your own special island - the place you can go to wind down and reconnect with yourself.  If you haven't been there in awhile, now is a wonderful time to visit!

I just can't get enough of this adorable crab!  He makes me smile every time I stamp him (especially when I don't ink up his frown and give him a smile instead) :)  I stamped the Pink Pirouette background with the Itty Bitty Backgrounds stamp in Pink Pirouette ink.  The greeting was stamped in Rose Red and the crabs were stamped by inking the parts of the stamp I wanted with Basic Black and then hand drawing the smiles :)  I used my 2-way glue pen with some dazzling diamonds for some bling!  The ribbon was attached with a bit of snail and I added a brad for a quick embellishment.  I hope you like it!

Four Ways Friday #9 - Contempo Alphabet

Thanks for your patience in awaiting this week's Four Ways Friday!  This Four Ways Friday focuses on how to use your alphabet sets!  It was hard to not turn this into an Eight Ways Friday since there are so many ways to use your letters!  I used the Contempo Alphabet set, but you could use these ideas for any alphabet set that you have.

Alphabet sets lend themselves perfectly to making anything with a monogram!  For this first project I decided to make a monogrammed card.  I first stamped the floral image from the Charming stamp set at 1/3 strength in Ruby Red ink onto Very Vanilla card stock and followed that by stamping the "M" in full strength right over it.  I punched it out and layered it onto the scallop circle punch and a larger circle that I cut from my Big Shot and the Circles #2 die.  Of course, I sponged the edges of both the circle and the card.  I stamped the floral image on the card at both 1/3 and 1/2 strength to create the floral background.  The Very Vanilla satin ribbon finishes the look.

You can also use your alphabet letters to create great backgrounds for your cards and paper projects.  Who doesn't love receiving hugs and kisses?! :)  I stamped the "x" and "o" stamp numerous times in Pink Pirouette all over the card.  The edges were sponged with Chocolate Chip.  I sponged the chipboard frame with Chocolate Chip ink as well.  The heart was punched using the Full Heart punch.  I punched both a piece of card stock and a piece of sticky sheet.  I sprinkled chunky glitter and fine glitter over the heart to make it sparkly!  Using the Sticky Sheets is a great way to adhere glitter without making a huge glue mess!  I adhered a piece of sticky strip directly to the card and ruffled the organza ribbon by adhering it down to the sticky strip.  Finally the tag was made using the Tiny Tag punch along with the Tiny Tags stamp set and attaching it with linen thread.

This clean and oh-so-simple card is another demonstration of an easy way to use your alphabet letters to spell words.  If you look closely you'll notice I used the Contempo Alphabet set to spell "oops" and also used the Rough Type set to spell "belated!"  This card is simply stamp, paper and ink...with a few punched shapes and dimensionals thrown in!  I LOVE the Happy Everything stamp set and am sad that it will be retiring at the end of the month :(  Don't forget to get the set for yourself or a friend while supplies last!

As you know, I've been traveling quite a bit lately, so I decided to make my last project something I can use on the road!  A great way to use your alphabet sets is to incorporate them into other word/greeting stamps.  I took the journey image from the In A Word stamp set and decided to highlight the "J" by using the "j" from the Contempo Alphabet stamp set, punching it out and adhering it to the beginning of the word.  The Kraft card stock was stamped with images from the Sentimental Journey stamp set, using Soft Suede ink at 1/3 strength (I stamped the image twice on a scrap piece of paper before stamping it onto my tag).  I also cut out words from an old book - I thought they worked really well with this theme.  On the back of the tag I stamped the compass image a number of times and then used the Soft Suede marker to write my contact information.  I ran the tag through a laminating machine.

I hope you like these fun projects!  How else can you use your alphabet sets?  I already have more ideas...maybe we'll have to revisit alphabets in a future Four Ways Friday! :)

Four Ways Friday...still on its way!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sometimes You've Gotta Do What You've Gotta Do!

I remember a little notepad I had when I was younger.  I don't remember where I got it, but I definitely remember the image and the saying at the top.  There was a little cartoon guy who was being squeezed and squished by a clamp/vice that was around him - both on his head and his feet.  His expression was priceless - his face all mushed and sweat coming off his forehead.  And then the saying, "Oy the pressure!!!!"  Too funny...and sometimes it is exactly how we feel.  This blog can make me feel that way sometimes - I so want to connect with all of you even if sometimes I don't even know if you are there.  I feel a responsibility to you and to your creativity.  I also feel a responsibility to myself and sometimes those 2 things come into conflict with one another.  Maybe "conflict" is a strong word - sometimes I so want to get my posts done and my samples posted and, at the same time, sometimes all I want to do is sit in the yard and stare at the seedlings that are starting to sprout in the garden...especially when I have been traveling and am worn out.  Ahh, the ultimate question - how to take care of yourself, while at the same time taking care of and looking after others.  The best answer I've been able to find so far is "sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do" to take care of yourself - if not, you can't be there for others and, even worse, you start to resent them even though the choices are yours to make.  So, this morning, I have done what I had to do - I rested, went for a run and decided to write to you to let you know that Four Ways Friday is going to be here later today.  However, this morning, I just had to do what I had to do :)  Hope to see you later today!

Four Ways Friday...coming later today!

I'll be back a little later today with Four Ways Friday!  See you soon!

Slide Jewelry - Side 2

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sit And Eat

It is far too easy to eat on the run these days.  You look at the car next to you and the person driving is munching on some fast food snack.  You walk through an airport and people are walking, eating and talking all at the same time!  Today, as I sat outside on the patio and ate breakfast with friends and family, I realized how pleasant it is to sit down and eat.  To stop all other activity and focus on nourishing your body and giving your mind a rest.  If you're eating while reading this, that doesn't count!  Turn away from the computer and head for the kitchen, dining room or patio table, and enjoy the taste of what you are eating.  I'll be here when you get back :)

Today I wanted to share side 2 of my soldered slide jewelry.  My mind is racing with all of the collage ideas I can make with this technique!  If you aren't into soldering that is GREAT - you can create the same effect with Stampin' Up's! wonderful Simply Adorned jewelry line!  You can create a small collage to wear for every day of the week!  To see the line and purchase some of these great jewelry items, shop HERE now! :)

Soldering Slide Jewelry

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Patience Is Definitely A Virtue! :)

I have been reading an incredibly inspiring craft book by Giuseppina Cirincione called Collage Lost and Found.  She is so talented and provides step-by-step instructions for making some great projects.  Of course I fell in love with a project that involved having to solder - something I hadn't done before.  What did I learn?  That patience is definitely a virtue!  Trying to solder something well on my first try was a bit optimistic...although the good thing is that solder melts when heated, so you can go back over mistakes and try to correct them.  I thought I would share with you the first soldered creation I made - this is one side of the pendant.  I'll show you the other side tomorrow :)  I hope you like it - I used a variety of stamps, papers, ephemera, fibers...see if you can tell which Stampin' Up! products I used :)

Four Ways Friday #8 - It's The Thought

Today's Four Ways Friday uses the adorable crab stamp from the It's The Thought hostess stamp set in the Summer Mini Catalog.  I'm in love with this cute little crab!!!!

This first card uses the stamp and a 1 1/2" circle punch to create the letter "O" in the word "sorry."  I stamped the crab in Jet Black Staz-On onto Whisper White card stock and colored him using markers and a blender pen.  The letters were cut from Real Red card stock using the simple alphabet dies and the Big Shot.  Notice the net pattern on the Blush Blossom background?  I wrapped rubberbands around my brayer and brayered the background with Blush Blossom ink.  The sand dunes were torn from Sahara Sand card stock.  I used my 2-Way glue pen to attach some sand that I had dyed with Close to Cocoa reinker (check out my video on how to dye sand - it's a lot of fun)!

For this second card I stamped the YoYo Yellow card with the "hello" stamp from the Hello Again stamp set.  I used the spritzer tool to add some interest to the background.  The black card stock was punched using the spiral punch to make it look like a film strip.  The Whisper White card stock was stamped with the crab image and then punched out using my 1 1/4" square punch.  I colored the crabs using my blender pen and ink from my stamp pads.  Isn't this crab adorable?!  Did you notice that he's smiling instead of frowning?  In order to do that, I used my marker to ink up the stamp and did not ink the frown.  Instead, I stamped the crab without a mouth and drew in the smiley face afterwards :)

For the third card I decided to stamp the crab onto Real Red card stock and cut him out using a hobby blade.  I punched a heart from the Heart To Heart punch and was able to put it into the crab's claw by creating a small slit with the hobby blade.  The sand dunes were torn from Sahara Sand card stock and I sponged the edges slightly with Chocolate Chip ink.  The greeting is from the Whimsical Words stamp set and was stamped onto designer series paper (from Sale-a-bration) and then punched out with a circle punch.  I sponged the edges of the circle lightly to add some dimension.  Have I mentioned how much I love this cute little crab?!

Last but not least, this fourth card uses a mirror image technique.  I stamped the crab once and then rotated the paper upside down and stamped the crab again.  Instead of making a mirror image I overlapped the claws a tiny bit so it looked like the crabs were holding "hands."  I used the 2-Way glue pen to add dazzling diamonds to the crabs and once again drew in smiles in place of the frowns.  The greeting is from the Happy Everything stamp set.  I hope you like it!!!!!  If you want to place an order to earn this wonderful hostess stamp set, feel free to shop HERE now!

Summer Mini Stamp-a-Stack Card #4: Elements Of Style

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Plant A Seed And Watch It Grow!

We finally planted seeds in the garden last Friday.  Of course, since then, I have been running out to the garden every day to check out the dirt and to try to catch a glimpse of the slightest hint of green!  What an amazing feeling to see those first tiny green leaves pop out of the brown dirt!!!!!  It's amazing!!!!  Yes, I know it's just a tiny sprout, but it's our sprout!!!!!  :)  I don't think I will ever stop being amazed by the miracle of gardening!  If you have never planted a seed, today would be a great day to give it a try.  Who knows what will grow! :)

This was the fourth card for my Summer Mini stamp-a-stack.  I stamped the floral image from Elements of Style onto Very Vanilla card stock in Soft Suede.  I used the Soft Suede marker in the spritzer tool to add the faint dots to the background and to the focal image.  The central image is from the Vintage Vogue stamp set.  The floral image was also stamped in Rose Red onto the Rose Red card stock and the edges of the Rose Red panel were inked as well.  A touch of Very Vanilla satin ribbon with a modern label punch and a brad finish the look.  I hope you like it!  Now go plant a seed :)

A Twist On A Card: Sweet Scoops

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Try It With A Twist!

No, it's not Groundhog Day and you are not seeing double :)  I had to share today's card as it was a real revelation to me!  The card I shared yesterday was one of my stamp-a-stack cards.  One of my attendees was a young girl named Kelsey.  Kelsey likes to use the stamp-a-stack card as inspiration and then let her creativity add to the card.  I had to smile when I saw her take this Sweet Scoops card and turn it on its side and then place the greeting at an angle!  I immediately asked her permission to copy what she had done (and I added to it by putting dazzling diamonds on the sprinkles and crystal effects on the cherries).  Thanks Kelsey! :)  This was such an eye-opening card for me - an inspiration to get away from my straight lines and symmetrical cards and play around with my layouts.  Sometimes you just need to try it with a twist! :)

Last Chance Lists!

The Last Chance Lists are here!  Now through June 30th you can purchase these retiring stamp sets!  Discontinued accessories are on a first come, first served basis!  Hurry while supplies last!  To download the lists, click HERE and click on "promotions."  Happy shopping!  If you have an interest in joining my team, there is a wonderful $99 mini start kit available this month!  Feel free to contact me for details!  This is a great opportunity to get the new colors early along with the opportunity to purchase sneak peek stamp sets!

Summer Mini Stamp-a-Stack Card #3: Sweet Scoops

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Detours Can Hold Surprises!

I was recently in Amsterdam...well, at least I was supposed to be landing in Amsterdam, but due to volcanic ash, we had to land in Brussels instead.  The detour made me a bit nervous since I was traveling alone and did not have a good sense of European geography!  However, once we landed I was able to get my bearings and hopped a train...make that 3 trains, to get to my destination in The Netherlands.  The detour was wonderful!  First I met a lovely man from Los Angeles who was on his way to Eindhoven to visit his sick mother.  He had no idea how to navigate the train system, so I ended up helping him!  Second, the scenery was just gorgeous!  The highlight was passing by a large brown field...in the middle was a blue recliner chair with a man napping in it and a dog splayed out at his feet!  Yes, in the middle of a field!  Amazing!  Sometimes detours can hold wonderful surprises!

I cannot take credit for today's card.  At the same time, I am not sure who to give credit to!  My cousin shared this card with me and said that she had gotten it from somewhere else!  So, if this card looks like your creation, please let me know!  I would love to give you credit!  I used the Sweet Scoops stamp set and YoYo Yellow, Orchid Opulence and Pink Passion ink.  I covered the sprinkles with some dazzling diamonds.  Hope you like it!  Speaking of surprises, the retiring list comes out today!  I will try to be sure to post it for you so you can start shopping HERE! :)

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Just a quick post to apologize for not having a card to share with you today.  I will also likely not be able to post Four Ways Friday as I have family visiting and have been quite distracted!  I plan to be back in full swing by Monday...maybe sooner...  Hope you have a fabulous weekend wherever you are!

Summer Mini Stamp-a-Stack Card #2: Pretties Kit

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Some Lessons You Just Need To Keep Learning!

Take a time out.  Enjoy some down time.  Pause and breathe.  This lesson seems to be one I need to keep learning over and over again.  I enjoy my quiet time and I realize when I don't nourish my soul with downtime I begin to feel frazzled, distressed, scattered and down right yucky!  I need to make my solo time (maybe that should be spelled "soul-o" time) a priority each and every day in order to maintain the level of peace I wish to have on my journey.  Some lessons you just need to keep learning...hopefully this one will become a natural part of my daily life soon.

This card is the second card for my upcoming Summer Mini Stamp-a-Stack.  I used the largest flower from the pretties kit and some Staz-on ink and stamped an image from the Elements of Style stamp set onto the flower.  Some silver card stock punched with the 1 1/4" circle punch and a 1" circle punch of the greeting decorate the center of the flower.  I also stamped the greeting in Staz-on so that I could cover it with Crystal Effects :)  The embossed background was created by running the Baja Breeze card stock through the Big Shot with the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder.  I hope you like it!

Summer Mini Stamp-a-Stack - Card #1: Motorcycle Journey

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Nature Has A Funny Way Of Breaking What Does Not Bend

Today's lesson comes from lyrics by the singer/songwriter Jewel.  I reflect on these particular lyrics a lot.  Today there was incredible wind here in Colorado and a number of trees came down due to the strong force of the wind.  It always amazes me how many trees are able to withstand the force - the push and pull.  They remain standing because they can sway - because they are flexible in the face of all of that force.  We can learn from those trees - to bend a bit when life is pushing us in a direction and we don't want to go; to stretch and flex when we exercise hard; to sway so as not to take the brunt of what someone is throwing at us.  Today I wish you flexibility - the ability to bend, not break, under pressure.

Today's card is for my upcoming Summer Mini Stamp-a-Stack.  I love the motorcycle stamp - it is incredibly versatile and a great image for making both masculine and feminine cards.  The Sentimental Journey stamp set is a great compliment.  This card could be used for a birthday, father's day, or wishing someone a successful journey as they embark on a trip, a new job, or pursuit of their passion.  I sprayed the Kraft card stock with a mixture of alcohol and Chocolate Chip reinker that I keep in a small spray bottle.  I also stippled a bit of Chocolate Chip ink on the background using a stencil brush.  The motorcycle image was stamped with Versamark and then heat embossed with white embossing powder.  I tore the edges of the Night Of Navy card stock.  The Red Riding Hood panel was stamped with words from the Sentimental Journey stamp set in Riding Hood Red ink.  The compass was stamped in Close To Cocoa and punched out with the 1" circle punch.  Finally, the greeting flag was created by stamping "journey" in Chocolate Chip ink on Very Vanilla card stock and sponging the edges.   I hope you like it!

Four Ways Friday #7 - Rub Ons!

Ahh the best laid plans!  Sorry it has taken me a few more days than expected to post last week's Four Ways Friday...hopefully you'll feel it was worth the wait! :)

This week's Four Ways Friday features Rub Ons!!!!  How many ways can you use your rub ons?  Here are Four Ways I used mine!

For this first project I decided to use rub ons on glass!  They work great (although you don't want to wash the jar once the rub ons are in place).  If you make a mistake when you are putting on the rub ons, no problem!  You can always scrape them off and apply a new one!  I also love to cut up my rub ons so that I can use specific words as opposed to the entire phrase or greeting.  I took the word "sweet" from a "sweet new baby" greeting.

This butterfly card uses rub ons in their traditional manner.  I placed the rub on on a piece of Almost Amethyst card stock and created a flag to attach to the card.  I made this small butterfly card with the butterfly die in my Big Shot - just crease a piece of Whisper White card stock and be sure to place the crease just inside of the edge of the die cut outline in order to create the card v. cutting out the full shape.  I used black craft ink and clear embossing powder to emboss the background from the Charming stamp set.  I outlined the edge of the card with my versamark marker and then embossed the edge with gold embossing powder.  The butterfly was colored with ink and sponge daubers.  The center of the butterfly was made with a piece of wire and gold beads along with some of the crystals from the Pretties Kit.

For this third project I satisfied my curiosity of wondering what would happen if I put Crystal Effects over a rub on!  It works!  You can make great embellishments this way!  I punched out a piece of Pumpkin Pie card stock with my Modern Label punch and then added the rub on and covered the whole piece with Crystal Effects.  It is popped up on the card with dimensionals.  The background is an image from the Short & Sweet stamp set stamped in Versamark.  The little boy is from the Very Thankful stamp set.  I stamped him twice and cut out the heart from one of the images.  I colored him and the heart with markers and popped the heart up on a dimensional and covered it with Crystal Effects.  The finished card size is 3x3.

For this fourth and final project I decided to use rub ons on a window sheet/transparency.  Once again I made a uniquely-shaped card by creasing a piece of Kraft card stock and running it through the Big Shot with my Scallop Square die.  I placed the crease about half-way up the die to create the card and also die cut the piece of window sheet at the same time.  I stamped the motorcycle on the underside of the transparency using black Staz-on ink (this is why the motorcycle is facing toward the left) and then applied the rub on to the front side of the window sheet.  I stamped the Kraft card stock with an Itty Bitty Background stamp in Soft Suede ink.  The eyelets were used to attach the window sheet to the Kraft card.  A piece of Whisper White card stock was attached underneath the window sheet to create some interest and to highlight the rub on.  Finally a small tag was created using the Tiny Tags stamp set and the tag punch and attached with a small piece of linen thread.

What other ways do you use your rub ons?  I'd love to hear your ideas!  See you later this week for another Four Ways Friday! :)

Four Ways Friday...coming later today!

Hi everyone!  I hope you are having a wonderful Friday!  I just arrived back home from Amsterdam last night and, although I had hoped to have been awake enough to work on Four Ways Friday...I was wrong :(  So, my plan is to work on it today and post it for you later today - please check back later and thanks for your visit!!!!!

Emboss Resist - Of The Earth

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Round And Round She Goes...Where She Stops, Nobody Knows!

This card was definitely created in stages!  I almost abandoned it numerous times, but I decided to keep going - to allow the process to unfold - all the while hoping that where I would end up would be a place I could smile about :)  And so it is :)  Sometimes you just have to go round and round with it and see where you stop!

I'm not sure I can even recount all of the steps I took to get to this card...it went something like this...stamped A to Z on Very Vanilla card stock; stamped bird image in Versamark and then heat embossed with white embossing powder.  Took multiple sponges and colors and went wild sponging over everything!  Then I stamped the greeting in black on the background.  Then came the flowers stamped in Versamark and then heat embossed with white embossing powder.  Then the butterfly image - more Versamark and white embossing powder...and then a bit more sponging.  Then the greeting stamped on a piece of Very Vanilla card stock and cut into bite-size pieces and adhered to the card.  The 2-Step Bird Punch was next - sponged with Rich Razzleberry, of course :)  And then some distressing of the edges before putting the entire card together.  Phew!  Quite the journey :)  I hope you enjoyed the trip! :)  Speaking of trips, I will likely not be posting tomorrow (Thursday), but my hope is to be back in time for Four Ways Friday...see you then!

Smootch Spritz and Stencils

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Our Education In Creation Is Never-Ending

I sometimes volunteer at a Boys & Girls Club, helping children experience creating art!  It is a joy and an energizer for me!  As I watch the children create and reflect on my own experiences with creating art, I realize that our personal school of art is never-ending.  Every day you sit down to create or think about creating you are moving further into your birthright as a creative being.  There are new thoughts to express and new ways to express them.  Dig deep, there is still so much to learn!

For today's card I combined the Mostly Vintage decor stencil with some Vanilla Shimmer smooch spritz.  If you look closely you can see the outline of the stencil!  It is wonderfully sparkly in person!  I then stamped some of the flowers from Vintage Vogue around the edges in Whisper White craft ink.  And yes, I used my heat tool to dry things since I am a bit impatient ;)  I built the flower with elements from the Pretties Kit...but look closely...I also embossed on some white grosgrain ribbon.  I stamped the floral image in Versamark onto the ribbon and then embossed using silver embossing powder!  I stamped the greeting on Whisper White card stock and added some dazzling diamonds along the edges.  A few half-pearls finish the look.  I hope you like it!

Book Frame #2 - Stampin' Up! Style!

 

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  The thoughts we choose to think are the tools we use to paint the canvas of our lives. - Louise Hay

As artists we have a lot of tools at our disposal - paint and brushes, ink and stamps.  Sometimes we forget that one of the most powerful tools we have are our thoughts.  As Louise Hay points out in her book The Power Is Within You, the thoughts we choose to think are the tools we use to paint the canvas of our lives.  What type of painting are you creating with your thoughts today?  Become aware of your internal babble.  Listen for that self-criticism that creeps into your inner voice.  Today, try to replace that criticism with praise.  Affirm who you are and the place you hold in your life today.  Choose to paint a beautiful picture on the canvas of your life!

Today's project is a belated gift I made for my mom for Mother's Day.  Why is it I can't make a gift on time?! :)  I used my jumbo wheel to decorate this book.  The pages are sealed together with gel medium.  I sprayed some smootch spritz on the blue cover of the book - if you look closely you can see it sparkling!  The letters were cut from different thicknesses of chipboard with dies and the Big Shot.  The letters were "colored" with classic ink and then covered with Crystal Effects for that glossy look!  A rub on (see it?  it's the word "your") and some buttons adorn the spine.  Finally, I stamped "love" and a flower image from the Tiny Tags set on a piece of Very Vanilla card stock and placed it in a Hodgepodge Hardware frame.  I hope you like it and I hope my mom does too :)