Rainy Day Creations

Isn’t she a cutie!  She and that sweet little heart are from Hero Arts’ Clear Design “Sweet Wonderful You” set.

The frog is from Hero Arts’ “Prince Charming” set and the sentiment if from their “Message Bubbles” set.  The girl and Inchies were colored with Copic Markers.  The paper pieced dress as well as the two paper pieced Inchies use Basic Grey’s “Olivia” designer paper.

The sentiment and dress were cut out and then popped up on foam tape. Tip: Only the lower half of the dress was raised to give it a little flair.

(Maybe someday one of my creations will be accepted for publication.  But if not, they’ll be content to live here.  lol)

Happy Crafting!

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Stamps: Hero Arts “Sweet Wonderful You”, “Prince Charming” and “Message Bubbles”

Papers: PTI “Select White” and “Pure Poppy”; Basic Grey “Olivia” Designer Paper

Inks: Memento “Tuxedo Black”; White Gel Pen; Copics:

Face/Skin:

Hair/Crown:

Frog:

Inchie Borders:

Hearts/Misc.:

Accessories: Inchies; Green Grosgrain Ribbon

Can’t believe that summer is almost over, and it’s time to start thinking “back to school”.  So today’s post is looking back to the August ‘07 Dirty Dozen Gallery at Splitcoaststampers to a couple of cards that I made.

The first is a backpack shaped card.

The backpack was cut from a standard 5-1/4″ x 4-1/2″ piece of brown card stock. It was then mounted on a white card base which was also cut to the backpack pattern. The straps in back were adhered between the brown and white card stock so as to not inhibit the opening and closing of the card itself. A sewing machine was used to pierce the paper and then a marker was used for the faux stitching.

Here are the measurements if you want to make your own template.

The second card is also a standard 5-1/4″ x 4-1/2″ size.

The vase is on one layer of foam tape. The sentiment is on two. The canopy is on three! I used the 1/16th” and 1/8th” hand held circle punches for the ‘locks’. The locker vents are hand drawn with a gel pen.

Thanks for dropping in today.  Hope you are enjoying the last few days of summer.

Happy Crafting!

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Backpack

Stamps: SU! “Sporting” and “Canvas Backgrounder”

Papers: SU! Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss, Chocolate Chip, Silver and Whisper White

Inks: SU! Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip Classic and Marker, Cranberry Crisp, Ruby Red Marker

Accessories: GG Ribbon, Silver Brads, 1/4″ Square Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Sewing Machine

Lockers

Stamps: SU! “Fabulous Flowers” and “Vases in Vogue”

Papers: SU! Going Gray, Basic Gray, Silver, Basic Black, Bravo Burgundy, Groovy Guava, WW, Apple Cider DP

Inks: SU! Going Gray, River Rock, Bravo Burgundy, Jet Black Stazon, Blush Blossom and Garden Green Markers

Accessories: GG Ribbon, Rhinestone Brads, Primas, Scalloped Scissors, Circle Punches, Gel Pens

“Share in Our Marriage Celebration of Love, Devotion and Family”

Isn’t that a wonderful sentiment for a wedding invitation!  One of my son’s best friends for many years is getting married, and I was asked to help design the wedding invitations.  The bride loved the tree from Stampin’ Up!’s “Season of Friendship”, and with a Fall wedding what could be better than that tree image with a smattering of autumn colored leaves.  Here is what we came up with.

Each leaf has been embossed with clear embossing powder.  What a special touch.  It added just the right amount of detail and style.

This was so fun!  Best wishes to the bride and groom for a long and happy life together!

Click to Enlarge

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Stamps: Stampin’ Up! “Season of Friendship”

Inks: Stampin’ Up! “Chocolate Chip”, “Ruby Red”, “Pumpkin Pie” and “Certainly Celery”; VersaMark

A few weeks ago Ellen Hutson had a summer promotion “Craft With Your Kids”.  And even though the promotion has ended, it’s still summer and I have another project to share that could keep those little kiddie hands busy and happy on a rainy summer day.  Of course at my house in the summertime its always a ‘rainy’ summer day..  even when the sun shines.

(Sorry.  Couldn’t resist!)

Blocks and Inchies!  Aren’t these adorable.  They are like over sized dice and could be a delightful travel game rolling the dice to see which items you have to find next along your journey.  There are lots of possibilities just depending on what images you choose for the blocks.

I started with three 1″ square wood blocks, a dozen Inchies and several stamps from the Inkadinkadoo Clear Inchie Stamps Sets.

Rather than having all random images for each side of each block, I decided to have four themes with one image from that theme on each of the three blocks..

The blocks’ end edges were colored with Copic Markers, and three different patterned papers from Basic Grey’s “Max & Whiskers” 6 x 6 collection were chosen to decorate a couple of the sides.  They were cut into 7/8″ squares.

Prior to gluing, I laid out the papers and blocks to determine how I wanted each paper placed.

I adhered both the Inchies and the patterned paper with Mod Podge.

If kids are helping with this project, no coloring or easily colored images could be used.  Here are the finished blocks.

Just remember, the main thing is to have fun!

Happy crafting!

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Stamps: Inkadinkadoo “Cats Galore”, “Dog’s Life”, “Butterfly“, “Butterflies and Birds”, “Heart Full of Love”, “Special Friends”

Papers: Basic Grey “Max & Whiskers” 6 x 6 Patterned Paper

Inks: Memento “Tuxedo Black”; Copics:

Accessories: Inchie Art “Inchies”; 1″ Square Wood Blocks

It’s a Blog Parade, it’s over in the CLASSroom, and the theme is “Flowers”.  How fun is that!  Here is the card I made to play along.

The poppies were colored with Copics.  Enamel Accents were used to dot the centers of the two largest blooms which were cut out and popped up.

My card today also represents something near and dear to my heart.  My son, Jeff, whom I have spoken of before, will be graduating from dental school in the Spring.  Jeff is also in the Army National Guard and works on soldiers at an Army Processing Center to ensure that our soldiers have their dental needs taken care of before being deployed overseas.  One of his colleagues has opened a Veteran’s Dental Clinic as a memorial to his brother Sgt. Clint Ferrin who was killed by an IED on March 13th 2004 in Baghdad, Iraq.  The purpose of the Clinic is to help restore our veterans’ oral health free of charge.

Here is the story behind the Clinic:

“Sergeant First Class (SFC) Ferrin was an American hero. He served in Bosnia, West Africa, Afghanistan, and Iraq in the US Army 82nd Airborne Division as an Infantryman. During training SFC Ferrin had a front tooth knocked out. Frequent deployments, training and a lack of desire to take off work kept him from receiving the proper dental treatment. Two years after he lost his tooth he was given a removable partial denture with fake tooth. Clint was later killed by an IED on March 13th 2004 in Baghdad, Iraq. We know there are more of our servicemen and servicewomen who are like SFC Ferrin. Our clinic serves a variety of veterans.”

 Jeff (front left) with his fellow National Guard Dental Students

“One aspect of the clinic serves members of the National Guard. Unlike the active duty troops, they do not get 100% of dental treatment covered.  Most of those who join the Guard do so to help their struggling budgets. Thus, the lack of 100% coverage of dental insurance persuades many of them to avoid dental treatment overall. The qualifications that we give the National Guard Units when they refer soldiers is that they have no dental insurance, are experiencing financial difficulties, and have served in a combat zone or have a deployment date with their unit. The other groups of veterans that we are focusing on are those who are not currently in the service. We will serve those who were never called to be a combat zone. However, we will give priority to those who actually served in war zones in wars including World War II, Korean, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans.”

I have added a link to Sgt. Ferrin Veteran’s Memorial Dental Clinic in the sidebar here on my blog.  If you would like to donate to the clinic to help restore our veterans’ oral health, please know that 100% of donated money goes towards treating veterans.  0% goes to administration, 0% goes towards advertising and 0% goes towards the website.  The dentists (and dental students) all donate their time.  Even the University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine donates the space and equipment.  The main expense for the clinic is the lab work, and even that is done at cost.  So any donation goes a long way in helping our veterans.

The administration is still in the process of setting up PayPal donation capabilities so until that time all donations can be made by calling:

Donations: 702.774.2507
Information: 702.774.2460

Email: info@veteransdental.com

Address:
UNLV School of Dental Medicine
Attn: Veteran’s Dental Clinic
1101 Shadow Ln
Las Vegas, NV 89106

Hey, thanks for sticking with me today!  I do hope that you can have some fun and play along in the CLASSroom’s Blog Parade with Flowers.  If you do, be sure to visit this CLASSroom post and leave a link to your creation.

Happy Crafting!

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Stamps: Hero Arts “Poppy Background” and Cornish Heritage Farms “We Remember”

Papers: Neenah “Solar White” Cardstock

Inks: Memento “Tuxedo Black”; Archival “Jet Black”; Copics:

Accessories: Ranger Enamel Accents; GG Ribbon

It’s Dare to Get Dirty Week at Splitcoaststampers (SCS)!  If you’re a Fan Club Member, this is your chance to play along with Dirty Girls, past and present, in a ton of fun challenges.  We’d love to have you join us!  There are 33 challenges to choose from.  Play one or play them all!  (And if you’re not a Fan Club Member, this is the perfect time to become one!)

I’m so happy to be hosting one of these challenges today.  Here is the card I created to serve as a sample for it.  You can find my challenge on SCS here.

I love the stamps from this Flourishes “Summer Botanicals” set.  The image was made by coloring directly onto the stamp with water based markers and then lightly spritzing the stamp with water before stamping.  The image was lightly filled in here and there with a few Copic Markers.  Flower Soft was added to the herb’s blossoms.  After cutting out the flower pot and part of the plant, the flower pot was shaped/rounded and adhered with foam tape.  It was placed on the back in the middle of the bend to give the flower pot some dimension.

The second card was made as a sample for Dawn Burnworth’s (flowergal36) DTGD Challenge.  Here is Dawn’s challenge.

The butterfly image is from Hero Arts “Antique Engraving”.  Coloring was done with Copic Markers, and Stickles was added to the butterfly bodies for some sparkle.

For anyone interested, I have made a template for this 4-1/4″ x 4-1/4″ butterfly card.  If it is saved and then opened and printed as a jpg from Adobe Photoshop, I believe it will print to that size.

rainydaycreationsbutterflytemplate.jpg

Hope that you can join in on the DTGD fun over at Splitcoaststampers.  Happy Crafting!

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Herb Card

Stamps: Flourishes Summer Botanicals

Papers: PapertreyInk Vintage Cream, Spring Moss and Ocean Tides; SU! Really Rust; Basic Grey Oliver Designer Paper

Inks: SU! Markers Pretty in Pink, Really Rust, Old Olive and Always Artichoke; Copics:

Accessories: Flower Soft Raspberry Fizz and Glue; SU! Photo Corners Punch and Hemp Twine

Butterfly Card

Stamps: Hero Arts Antique Engraving ; Savvy Stamps Happy Birthday

Papers: PapertreyInk Select White, Aqua Mist and True Black

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black; SU! Basic Black Marker; White Gel Pen; Copics:

Accessories: Prima Say It in Pearls with Flowers; May Arts Black Silk Ribbon; Ranger Stickles

By now most of you have probably heard that Cornish Heritage Farms is closing up shop.  So today I’m over in the CLASSroom with a couple of cards using some of the CHF stamps that as of this typing are still available in Ellen’s Store.  And they are on sale at 50% off the original price!  Hope you can stop on by.

Happy Crafting!

Hmmm…  When it comes to submitting cards to a certain paper crafting magazine for possible publication, it is becoming obvious that someone is clueless as to what it is that that paper crafting magazine is looking for!

Anyway on a completely unrelated story *wink*wink*, I thought I would share a couple of random cards today.  No particular reason why except that they just happen to be laying around… you know… with no particular purpose.  Okay, okay.  Yeah a couple more rejects!  LOL!!

The lace on the house is hand crocheted antique lace that Sharon Johnson’s grandmother made.  Sharon (notimetostamp) sent me a box of such treasures a couple of years ago.  She is so amazing!

On this second card, the tag is separate and removable from the vellum pocket.

I’ve been busy this week getting ready for Splitcoaststampers upcoming Dare to Get Dirty week!  Hope you can join in on any or all of the fun challenges that SCS’s Dirty Girls past and present have been planning.  Read all about it here.  (Pssst…  I’ll be hosting a sketch challenge on Monday, July 19th.  Hope you’ll join me.  I promise not to reject a single creation!)

Happy Crafting!

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Reject Random Card #1

Stamps: Hero Arts “A Simple House” and “Mi Casa”

Papers: PapertreyInk “Vintage Cream”, SU! “Handsome Hunter”, Graphic 45 Designer Paper “On the Boardwalk”

Inks: SU! “Handsome Hunter”, “Ruby Red” and “Creamy Caramel”

Accessories: Tim Holtz Grungeboard Keys; Rhinestones; Organdy Ribbon, Elastic Cording, Antique Hand Crocheted Lace

Reject Random Card #2

Stamps: Hero Arts “Stencil Art” and “Hello Birdie”

Papers: PapertreyInk “Select White”, “True Black” and “Pure Poppy”

Inks: Memento “Tuxedo Black”

Accessories: Martha Stewart Edger Punch; Kaiser Flatback Pearl; Brads; Gingham Ribbons; Silk Flower

Today’s card was made for a couple of different challenges.  A sweet blogging friend, Elena, has begun a new monthly challenge on her blog The Red Haired Girl.  This month’s challenge was to use “Funky Patterns”.  Being a complete patterned paper junkie, I had hundreds of choices to choose from.  (Actually, this is not an exaggeration!!)

However, I settled on these two designs from Basic Grey’s “Max and Whiskers” designer paper pack.

This set “Cats Galore” from Inkadinkadoo, has a particular image that looks a lot like the old tomcat with whom I grew up.  Wilbur and I were roughly the same age.  He lived a pretty long life for a cat and was around until I was a senior in high school.

The other challenge is the “Inchie Card Sketch #8″ and can be found over on the Inchie Inkling.  After making the card, I’m not so sure I really followed the sketch completely.  Here’s hoping the sketch police don’t find me!  hehe

Happy Crafting!

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Stamps: Inkadinkadoo “Cats Galore”

Papers: Memory Box “Water”; PaperTreyInk “True Black”; Basic Grey “Max & Whiskers” 6 x 6 Designer Paper Pack

Inks: Memento “Tuxedo Black”; Copics:

Accessories: Inchie Arts Inchies; SU! Buttons; SU! Photo Corners Punch; Puffed Floral Ribbon

Ellen Hutson, LLC is saying goodbye to Cornish Heritage Farms with a HUGE sale.  All CHF inventory is 40% off!  If you’ve been wanting some CHF stamps, NOW is the time to head on over there while supplies last.

My first card today is for this week’s Sketch Challenge #288 over on Splitcoaststampers.  I used CHF’s “The Ranch” to make the scene.

Not sure what this cowboy is doing… rounding up stray sprockets I guess.  But it all seemed kinda guy-ish, so I went for it!  hehe

A few months ago I made my first attempt at submitting to a paper crafts magazine for publication with a couple of cards.  Well neither card was accepted, but I still thought I would share them here on my blog the rejects that they are!  LOL!!

The Lined Paper Backgrounder stamp used on the first card was from Cornish Heritage Farms.  (I went to link it to Ellen’s store and it’s already gone!)

Some of the fish were popped up on foam tape, and all the fish are behind some clear cardstock.

The second card used a CHF scrapblock called “Vintage Text” stamped over the embossed leaves.

This post shows how I made the embossed leaves background.

Hope everyone has a great day.  Thanks for dropping by today.

Happy Crafting!

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The Ranch Card:

Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms “The Ranch” and “Everyday Petites”

Papers: Neenah “Classic Cream”; Memory Box “Blue Poppy” and “Vanilla Bean”; Graphic 45 “A Proper Gentleman”; Basic Grey “Basics Kraft”

Inks: Memento “Tuxedo Black”; Copics:

Accessories: Circle Nestabilities; Tim Holtz idea-ology “Sprocket Gears”; Linen Thread

Back to School Card:

Stamps: Rosie’s Roadshow “Flo”; Hero Arts “September” and “Woodgrain”; Cornish Heritage Farms “Lined Paper Backgrounder”

Papers: Papertrey Ink “Select White”, “Vintage Cream” and”Pure Poppy”; Crystal Clear Cardstock

Inks: Memento “Tuxedo Black”; Copics:

Accessories: Circle Nestabilities; Screw Brads; McGill Pine Punch; Painted Wooden Apple; Twine

Autumn Card:

Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms “Vintage Scrapblock”; Inkadinkadoo “Trees& Leaves”; Flourishes “Autumn”

Papers: Papertrey Ink “Vintage Cream” and “True Black”; Graphic 45 “A Proper Gentleman”

Inks: Memento “Tuxedo Black” and “Rich Cocoa”; SU! “Old Olive”; Serenade “Red Shades”

Accessories: Cuttlebug “Leaves” Die; Ellen Hutson Craft-a-board; Button; Silk Ribbon; SU! Scalloped Punch