Wow Flowers Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Ride The Wave Of Inspiration!

I went to bed after checking what colors were in today's color challenge on SCS - basic gray, bravo burgundy, crushed curry and neutrals...with the extra challenge of adding text, other than a greeting, somewhere on your card.  I woke up knowing that I needed to use Wow Flowers.  I almost ran into the craft room to get started!  Half-way through I though "Wow!  This is sure ugly!"  But I kept going and I am so glad I did!  I am really pleased with the result.  How 'bout you?  Sometimes you just need to ride the wave of inspiration and see where it leads!

I began by stamping the "birthday wishes" greeting in basic gray on the basic gray card stock.  Then I went crazy stamping the geometric flower in crushed curry on very vanilla and then continued with the same stamp in bravo burgundy.  That panel and the center crushed curry circle are popped up on dimensionals.  I love that this card only uses one stamp set!  I hope you like it!  I got this stamp set as a FREEBIE with Sale-a-Bration!  Spend $50 in a product purchase and you can get it too!  Shop HERE now!

stamps:  Wow Flowers
card stock:  Very Vanilla, Basic Gray, Crushed Curry, Bravo Burgundy
ink:  Crushed Curry, Bravo Burgundy, Basic Gray
accessories: rhinestone brad, 1 3/4", 1 1/2", 1 1/4" circle punches

Scallop Circle Punch Flowers

Tonight's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Creativity Doesn't Punch A Clock!

I have noticed that the past few nights my creativity seems to get into full gear later and later in the evening.  Mind you, 9 p.m. is late in the evening for me...I've been known to be tucked in bed by then! :)  I can sit here and wish all I want that my creative juices would start flowing when I say so, but that just isn't how it works.  Your creativity doesn't punch a clock.  The muse will strike when it is ready - we just need to be listening.   We also need to continue to feed our muse - show her the beauty that surrounds us; make sure she is comfortable in her surroundings.  The more we take care of, as opposed to try to force our creative muse, the more she will visit us with her gifts!

This card began as a scallop circle punch experiment!  I punched some scallop circles out of designer paper (Sweet Pea and Welcome Neighbor designer paper).  I then cut into the scallops with my paper snips.  For the flower layer I cut in every 2 scallops and for the center I cut in on every scallop.  I then crumpled the circles and sponged them with Pretty In Pink classic ink.  I scrunched the centers a lot more that the outside petals - almost folding them in on one another.  I secured the centers to the flowers using a mini glue dot and adhered the flowers to the card using a combination of mini glue dots and dimensionals.  I hope you like them!

stamps:  Whimsical Words
card stock:  Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Sweet Pea and Welcome Neighbor designer paper
ink:  Bermuda Bay, Pretty In Pink
accessories: Big Shot, perfect polka dots embossing folder, pretties kit (half pearls), sponge

Inking Your Wheels!

OK, I admit it, I'm wheel crazy (and I don't mean that in the Elmer Fudd kind of way :)!  I am loving my I {Love} Love jumbo wheel!  It is so easy to use and looks fabulous!  This picture is of a bunch of candy dish bands that I made to give the ladies at my bank to put around their candy dishes!  There is a piece of Sticky Strip on the back of one end of the band so that they can wrap the band around the dish and adhere.  This also allows them to slip the band off after Valentine's Day and hold onto it for next year (if they want).  I used the jumbo wheel with Chocolate Chip ink to start and then distressed the edges of the paper with my distressing tool.  I then sponged Chocolate Chip ink on the edges.  I used one of my favorite Itty Bitty Background stamps to add more textured "dots" with Close To Cocoa ink.  The hearts were made by using heat and stick powder on a piece of kraft card stock.  I glittered a long piece of the paper and then punched out the hearts with 3 different heart punches.  The paper "curls" were made by twisting 1/4" wide pieces of kraft card stock around the handle of a paint brush.  Hope you like them!

TIP:  How To Ink Your Wheels

There are a few different ways you can ink your wheels.  You can purchase the cartridges for the wheel in a variety of colors.  Or, if the color you want does not come in a pre-inked cartridge, you can buy a "blank" cartridge and use reinkers to ink the cartridge and you are good to go.  My favorite technique for inking the wheels right now, however, is not bothering with a cartridge at all!  I just snap the wheel into the handle and then roll the wheel back and forth on the ink pad of my choice.  I roll it a number of times to ink it up and then roll onto paper.  Of course, I have to reink if I want to wheel again, but I don't mind this extra step!  If you are choosing to wheel a paper tablecloth or a long piece of paper you may want to use a cartridge so you don't have to keep reinking.  Shop HERE, 24/7 for ink, cartridges and wheels :)

Bucket Purse Challenge!

The "Try A New Technique" challenge on SCS was to make a bucket purse using this wonderful template from Mel McCarthy (thanks Mel!!!!).  I just had to stay awake to try this! I cut the template out of Kraft card stock and then wheeled it with the I {Love} Love jumbo wheel in Chocolate Chip. I punched the handles using my 1 1/2" circle punch.  I added some stamping with an Itty Bitty Background stamp to give this a vintage feel and then sponged a bunch of Chocolate Chip ink on every edge and nook and cranny! The heart was punched from Kraft card stock and then covered in red glitter (of course the glitter is now all over the craft room, the cat, the dog, and me!)! I filled the inside with crimped Rose Red and Real Red paper strips. Now I just need to fill it with candy! Hope you like it!

stamps:  I {Love} Love wheel, Itty Bitty Backgrounds
card stock:  Kraft, Real Red, Rose Red
ink:  Chocolate Chip
accessories: red ultrafine glitter, full heart punch, crimper, sponge, heat & stick powder, heat tool, 1 1/2" circle punch

Fox & Friends CAS Card

Tonight's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Reflect

I was speaking to a group of women last week and one of the topics we discussed was "self care."  One woman mentioned that on her drive home from work she asks herself the following questions:  "What did you do well today?"; "What did you learn today?"; "What are you grateful for?"; and "How can I be a great _____?"  I was impressed by the time she carved out every day to reflect on how she spent her day and how she might improve tomorrow.  When was the last time you stopped to reflect?  Now is a great time to start!

Tonight's card came together very quickly.  The clean and simple challenge on SCS was inspired by a simple sketch.  I have to admit that I laughed out loud when I stamped this card :)  Something about the "you, you, you" and those 3 owls tickled my funny bone :)  I actually used a 1 1/2" circle punch to cut a guide for stamping the 3 owls in a row (since I didn't trust myself to free-hand it).  The owls were stamped in 3 complimentary colors.  I created a faux bow for easy mailing.  (You can see my video on how to make this faux bow HERE!).  I had to add a little sparkle to the owls with dazzling diamonds.  I rounded two of the corners with my corner rounder.  Hope you like it :)

stamps:  Three Little Words, Fox & Friends
card stock:  Very Vanilla
ink:  Taken With Teal, Tempting Turquoise, Certainly Celery, Basic Black
accessories: dazzling diamonds, certainly celery 5/8" satin ribbon, corner rounder, stamp-a-ma-jig (1 1/2" circle punch for template)

Tiny Tag Flower

This card was very quick and easy!  The flower was made by stamping one of the floral branch images over and over in a circular pattern.  I just made sure that the end of the branch was in the middle every time I stamped so that the flowers were radiating out from the center.  I stamped the image with Pink Passion ink at full strength and half strength and then cut out the completed flower.  I then sponged the edges with Pink Passion ink.  Don't you just love that new Scallop Trim corner punch?!  It really adds an elegant touch!  I'm also wild about the corduroy buttons!  Hope you like it!

stamps:  Whimsical Words (Sale-a-Bration set), Tiny Tags
card stock:  Whisper White, Very Vanilla, Pink Passion
ink:  Pink Passion
accessories:  Scallop Trim border punch, corduroy button, sponge

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  As long as the candle is burning, it is still possible to mend

In the book "The Book of Jewish Values," Rabbi Joseph Telushkin tells a story of a sage, Rabbi Israel Salanter, who was spending the night at a shoemaker's home.  Late at night the rabbi went over to the man and said, "Look how late it is; your candle is about to go out.  Why are you still working?"  The shoemaker replied, "As long as the candle is burning, it is still possible to mend."  What will you mend today?  A relationship, your attitude, your daily work?  I just returned from a trip where I saw family that I had not seen in a very long time.  I am beginning to mend my family.

Today's inspiration challenge on SCS was to find inspiration at Espe.  This card was inspired by the following wallet on Espe .  It is the third one down on the left-hand side.  I stamped the image from Eastern Blooms in Ruby Red and cut it out.  I then added flowers from the trio punch and finished the flowers with some crystal effects.  I punched some flowers from the 5-petal flower and Boho Blossoms punch to build the "clasp."  I added a little "spritz" with the spritzer tool and some faux stitching with the paper piercing tool  Hope you like it!

stamps:  Eastern Blooms, Tiny Tags
card stock:  Very Vanilla, Sahara Sand, Ruby Red
ink:  Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip
accessories:  Crystal Effects, 5-petal flower punch, Trio flower punch, white gel pen, Boho Blossoms punch, spritzer tool, paper piercing tool

Words and Sword - So Powerful!

Today's Lesson From Far Away From The Craft Room:  Don't Use Your Words As Weapons

I realized today that "words" and "sword" use the exact same letters - just arranged in a different way.  I don't think this is a coincidence.  The power of words never ceases to amaze me.  It is incredible how a combination of seemingly innocent letters can cause such pleasure and such pain.  Be careful of your words.  Treat them with respect for they hold a lot of power.  I was blessed with words of support from my friend Judi today - her words encouraged and calmed me.  How can you use your words to comfort and heal today?  The words you speak to yourself are just as powerful.  What can you tell yourself, before you go to sleep tonight, that will serve to provide you with a peaceful night's sleep?  I wish you sweet dreams!

On The Road Again!

Today's Lesson From A Long Distance From The Craft Room (aka Ohio):  Speak From Your Heart

I am on the road again and will be doing a presentation tomorrow.  I really enjoy being in front of people (kind of funny since I am a bit of an introvert), but I still get a bit of the jitters and get concerned about whether or not people will enjoy the presentation and be able to take something away with them.  I'm always so conscious that people are sharing the precious minutes of their lives with me and are willing to spend some of those minutes listening to what I'm sharing (as you are now).  What a precious gift!  I am learning to realize that I don't need bells & whistles or gimmicks - what I need is to speak from my heart.  Tomorrow's talk is about managing transitions at work (which, of course, is equally applicable to our personal lives) and I am going to speak from my heart.  As all of us, I have gone through a lot of change - a lot of transition - and I imagine more is on the way...as it always is!  My hope is that by sharing my stories and my heart, I will connect with those who are sharing their time with me.  Wish me luck! :)

Ooh- and don't forget about the Blog Candy that Judi has on her blog!  Click HERE to sign up for her candy!

Shimmer Mist

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  "The only death you die is the one you die every day by not living."

This quote comes from the adventurer Norman Vaughan.  He became part of history as the chief dog driver on the first Byrd Antarctic Expedition in 1928-30.  To honor Norman for his contributions as chief dog driver, Admiral Byrd named a mountain after him. On December 16, 1994, three days shy of his 89th birthday, Norman fulfilled a lifelong dream. He climbed his namesake, Mount Vaughan, a 10,302' Antarctic peak. Now he plans on going back to celebrate his 100th birthday at the top!  If that's not living, I don't know what is!!!!  You can learn more about Norman Vaughan HERE.  What will you do today to live your life?

Today's challenge card on SCS was to find inspiration in the Echo designs.  This card was inspired by this beautiful bath collection.  I stamped the eastern blooms image in sahara sand on the very vanilla cs.  This card is filled with shimmer!  I sprayed the whisper white stamped panel with a mixture of alcohol and champagne shimmer mist paint and let it dry!  It really is fabulous in person!  Here's a close-up of the shimmered panel:

I added the butterflies and the greeting and popped up the panel on dimensionals.  Hope you like it!

stamp sets:  Eastern Blooms, Whimsical Words
card stock:  very vanilla, sahara sand
ink:  sahara sand, basic black
accessories:  alcohol, spray bottle, champagne shimmer mist paint, gold elastic cord, beautiful wings embosslit, big shot

Don't forget about the BLOG CANDY that Judi is giving away!  You can visit her blog HERE.

Palindrome Paper Piecing

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  It is better to remain silent and have people say, "I wonder what he's thinking," than to speak up and have people say, "I wonder why he spoke."

This was the wisdom that Benjamin Disraeli, the nineteenth-century British prime minister shared with a new member of Parliament who had asked for his advice.  What if we only spoke when we had something to say that other people really needed to hear?  I have a feeling I would be much more quiet and my words much more meaningful.  How 'bout you?

The word "toot" immediately came to mind when I saw this palindrome challenge on SCS!  We had to make a card and include a palindrome - a word that is the same when read forward or backward.  I figured it would be better to make a card with a train with the word "toot" than to make one with a large bean and the same word! :)  lol!  I paper pieced the train using various punches and some simple cutting.  See if you can figure out which punches were used for the different parts of the train!  (hint:  I used the round tab punch for the silver "fender" on the front of the train).  The smoke was created by punching the scallop oval circle in a piece of scrap paper and using the hole it created as a stencil to sponge going gray ink.  The letters are rub-ons that I picked up at an office supply store.  The background paper is one of the pages in the Sweet Pea designer paper collection from SU!  Hope you like it!!!!

Cookies and Blog Candy!

I had hoped to bake these cookies yesterday, but I was off by a day!  I made these this morning!  Yummy!  I first saw mention of the recipe on Stephanie Severin's blog.  She found them on The Delicious Life.  The recipe made 38 cookies.  I experimented a little bit and added chocolate chips to 1/2 of the batter.  They are sweeter with the chips - it's like a completely different cookie.  I think I might stick with the original recipe next time...or try some pecans thrown in :)  I used sweetened coconut although I think you can use sweetened or unsweetened.  Talking about sweet, you need to check out the BLOG CANDY that Judi is giving away on her blog.  Here's the LINK so that you can post a comment and try to win!!!!!  I know I'm trying!  Hope your day is sweet!!!!

Video: Making A Faux Bow

Here is a quick video on how to make a faux bow!  These bows are wonderful to use on cards that you will be mailing since they lie flat!  Enjoy and let me know if you have any questions!  FYI, the ribbon I use in the video is Stampin' Up!'s 5/8" satin ribbon in real red.  It's in the Occasions Mini Catalog.  If you'd like to purchase the ribbon, please visit me online HERE.

Two-Step Bird Punch

I couldn't resist the urge to totally copy this wonderful swap that I received from Fran Trischetta at the Leadership Convention!  I didn't have the same designer paper she used, so I pulled out the Razzleberry Lemonade paper I did have and this card came together in a snap!  The wings of the birds are popped up on dimensionals.  Thanks Fran!!!!

stamps:  Well Scripted
card stock:  whisper white, rich razzleberry 
ink:  rich razzleberry
accessories:  two-step bird punch, white organza ribbon

Love Bandit

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Bake Something :)

I have been thinking about baking some coconut cookies for weeks now, but the thought has not turned into action.  Today, that's changing!  I'm headed to the kitchen and I'm going to bake those cookies (and likely eat some too!)!  I can't wait for the smell of those cookies to fill the house!  Instead of opening that package of pre-made baked goods, try your hand at baking something.  You will make the house smell delicious and you will likely make someone's day if you share the fruits of your labor!

I woke up wanting to use the Love Bandit stamp set and this was the perfect challenge for it!  I stamped the adorable raccoon on going gray cs, cut him out, and colored the heart with real red.  Of course I had to add some dazzling diamonds to make the heart sparkle ;)  The tree stump was stamped with chocolate chip onto creamy caramel cs and cut out.  The melon mambo background was run through the big shot with the perfect polka dots embossing folder.  Hope you like it!!!!

stamp set:  Love Bandit
card stock:  whisper white, melon mambo, chocolate chip, creamy caramel
ink:  chocolate chip, basic black, real red (marker)
accessories:  dazzling diamonds, chocolate chip satin ribbon, perfect polka dots embossing folder, big shot

Here is another version of the same card - just a bit simpler!  For this card I didn't do any cutting out.  I just stamped the tree stump and then stamped the owl on top of the stump.  The greeting is from the Tiny Tags stamp set.  I used markers to color the stamp so that I could have a multicolored greeting!  Hope you like it!!!!  I'll let my stamp-a-stack participants choose which version they would like to make.  Some people just cringe when a card involves cutting things out! :)

Occassions Mini Catalog and Sale-A-Bration Card

This card was made for today's sketch challenge on SCS.  I tried to use a bunch of my new supplies/tools from the Occassions mini catalog and my Sale-A-Bration freebies!  The Pretty In Pink card stock was run through the Big Shot with the Finnial Press embossing folder.  The adorable heart paper is from the Sale-A-Bration catalog - Welcome Neighbor.  The greeting is also from Sale-A-Bration - the Whimsical Words stamp set.  I stamped the greeting using basic gray.  I also used the same Welcome Neighbor paper and ran it through the Big Shot with the Beautiful Wings embosslit to create the butterflies - I had to glitz them up a bit with a little dazzling diamonds :)  The felt embellishment is from the Sweet Pea Stitched Felt - so adorable and easy to use!  If you're looking closely, you'll also notice the punched border from the Sale-A-Bration scallop trim border punch...can you tell I like earning free stuff?! :)  Hope you like it!  If you like it a lot and want to shop now for the supplies to make it, feel free to click HERE! :)

Send A Little LOVE Stamp-a-Stack - Sample #2

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  You Can Go From Blah To Ahhh In No Time!

I went to dinner last night with my neighbors.  We decided to try a new restaurant in the area and, I'm sorry to say, it was quite the disappointment.  To quote my neighbor about one of the dishes we tried, "That is the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted!"  You get the picture :)  We were going to stay for dessert when I remembered a crepe place that was around the corner.  I had never been there, but had heard great things about it.  So, I made the suggestion and off we went to try to turn our luck around!  Wow!  What an amazing place!!!!  If you are ever in Denver, you must go!  It's called Crepes & Crepes and it is in Cherry Creek.  We sat at the bar and watched them make crepe after crepe - delicious!  I had a crepe called the Heather - inspired by a customer who created the combination - a citron crepe with sugared cream cheese, brown sugar, and strawberries...ahhhhhhhh :)  So remember, if you're experiencing the blahs, don't worry!  You can go from Blah to Ahhhhhh in no time!

Today's card was inspired by a swap I received from Jackie Bultje when I was at Leadership Convention (thanks Jackie!).  I made a few changes and this is the result!  I am in love with our new 5/8" satin ribbon!!!!  Yummy!  I made a "faux bow" so that the card could go through the mail without a problem.  I'll try to post a video on how to make these easy, flat bows.  The greeting is from Happy Everything and the birds are from the hostess set The More The Merrier.  Our Sending Love specialty paper has glitter on one side of every sheet!  It adds just the perfect touch to this card!  I added some dazzling diamonds (as Jackie had done on her card) to the birds using my 2-way glue pen.  This is sample #2 for this weeks Stamp-a-Stack.  Hope you like it!

Send A Little LOVE Stamp-a-Stack - Sample #1

This is one of the cards we'll be making for the upcoming Send A Little Love Stamp-a-Stack.  The finished size is 5"x5".  I am loving the I {Love} Love jumbo wheel.  I forget how quick and easy it is to make a card using these wheels!  I love that you can use a cartridge or just roll the wheel on an ink pad to ink up the wheel.  I rolled the wheel down the right-hand side of the card.  The real red card stock was run through the Big Shot with the Finnial Press embossing folder (so elegant).  The heart is from the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set - I stamped it once on the white card stock and then a second time on another piece of white card stock so that I could cut out the 2nd image and pop it up on top of the first.  The greeting is from one of my favorite sets - Short & Sweet.  Hope you like it!

Three Column Blog...for people like me :)

I searched for a long time trying to find decent directions for how to convert my 2-column blog into a 3-column blog.  There are some instructions out there that didn't work well and I kept coming back to my 2 columns.  Today, however, I followed the instructions at Three Column Blogger and I did it!!!!!  The instructions are very easy to follow and I'm looking forward to learning more and making more updates to my blog!  Just thought I'd share in case you want to give 3 columns a try!  How do you like the new look?

Video: Assembling Your Cling Mount Stamps

I had a fun time assembling my new cling mount stamps and I thought I would share with you how to do it!  One more tip...you can easily slide the cover paper out of the dvd case if you open the case fully.  I slide this paper out and make a copy of it so that I can keep a notebook of all of the stamp sets that I have.  This notebook is an easy way to remember what images you have so you keep using them all!  Hope you enjoy the video.  Let me know if you have any questions!