Rainy Day Creations

Recently while reorganizing my stamp room I came across a darling little stamp set that Kittie Caracciolo (Kittie747) sent me some time ago.  I realized that I had never used it and knew that that had to be remedied immediately!

This fun Martha Stewart Picket Fence Edger Punch seemed a perfect place to start. After weaving the fence with some narrow stitched grosgrain ribbon, I scored two lines across the bottom and added a strip of dimensional tape before folding it over.  This gave a platform for adhesive to adhere it to the card while also popping it up!

The birdhouses were colored with Copics.  Two of them were also popped up on different thicknesses of dimensionals.

I love these precious little images.  Thank you so much Kittie for being so sweet and sending them to me!!  I can’t believe it has taken me this long to play with them.

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Check this out!  The ladies over at Stampin’ Sisters in Christ gave me this!  Isn’t is pretty!

Thanks so much!  I hope to be able to play in many more of their wonderful challenges.

Happy Crafting!

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Stamps: ‘Birdhouse Mini’; ‘Happy Birthday’ from www.savvystamps.com

Papers: Paper Loft DP ‘Mountain Meadow’; Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla

Inks: Memento ‘Tuxedo Black’; Copics:

Accessories: Martha Stewart ‘Picket Fence’ Edger Punch; Scalloped Edger Punch; Lace Ribbon; Stitched GG Ribbon; Prima; Brads; Spiral Clip

Today’s card is for Unity’s Bachelor Challenge #5.  The challenge was to use something on your card or project from around the house that you do not normally use on your paper crafting.  Well I chose some cute little seashells and used them with some of my new Unity Stamps!  Yup.. they arrived, and they are WONDERFUL!!

I used my Nestabilities to cut a 4-1/4″ square card into a shell shape to keep with the theme.  To get your card to sit straight after cutting, make sure that you cut it with two scallops across the bottom that are straight with the fold.

The shells are attached with little glue dots.  The boat and sails have been cut out and popped up with dimensionals.  Copics were used to color the boat and shell images.  A Copic Multiliner was used to draw fine lines between the stripes on the largest sail.

Aren’t these stamps the cutest!  They are from Unity’s Kit called “Beach Days & Sun Rays”.  Thank you, Unity, for sending me such a wonderful and fun assortment of stamps!

Happy Crafting (for sure!!)

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Stamps: Unity “Beach Days & Sun Rays”

Papers: DP K&Co. “Hannah Blue & Ivory; Very Vanilla and Taken with Teal

Inks: Memento “Tuxedo Black”; Taken with Teal; Copic Black Multiliner 0.1 and Copic Markers:

Accessories: Nestabilities; Seashells, Sheer Ribbon, Kaiser Pearl

Let’s start off with the Blog Candy winner!  Random.org has selected:

59. Mary B

“I love reading your blog and seeing your creations. Good luck in the future, and thanks for the chance to win your blog candy!”

I am very appreciative of all your comments of support.  One thing though… I never said that I wasn’t going to continue using SU!  lol  I am just dropping my demonstratorship.  I will admit that I’m having a bit of trouble being inspired by any of their images right now, but this too will pass.  So, the words of encouragement and support were very much appreciated!!  Life is good!  Mary I will be emailing you so that you can send me your set choice and your snail addy.  Congrats!!

Last week I played along in Unity’s Bachelor Bro Challenge #3 to use polka dots and plaids on a project.  Well I love Basic Grey’s June Bug collection, so I used that on my challenge card.  While putting it away… a second card happened!  How fun is that!  lol

The designer paper may be called “June Bug”, but it sure looked like it had Christmas possibilities.  Using some of the scrap and already cut pieces, Polka Dots & Plaid II came together.  I was wishing that I had some lace ribbon that suggested snowflakes, so decided to take a floral lace and clip off part of the design.  What was left? Snowflakes! (sorta)

The sentiment is from Cornish Heritage Farms Mona Lisa Moments “Christmas Expressions”.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day.  We are having lots of wind and rain here in Seattle.  Our power and internet has been in and out.  So I’m going to get this posted while I can!  lol

Happy Crafting!

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Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms Mona Lisa Moments “Christmas Expressions”

Papers: Basic Grey’s June Bug

Inks: Black Marker (colored directly onto the rubber stamp)

Accessories: Lace Ribbon, Dotted Ribbon, Snowflake Brad, Nestabilities

Tuesday was my twin granddaughters’ birthday.  It was so fun to have them and my newest granddaughter visit in August.  I received an email from my DDIL that the girls had a wonderful birthday but that their first day of Kindergarten was a bit of a disappointment.  For whatever reason, they were under the impression “that on their first day of Kindergarten they would leave knowing how to read”.  Too funny!

While they were here we did a couple of craft projects.  We played with this new SU! set, “Sweet Centers”.  So I thought it would be fun to make their birthday cards using it and the new little “Sweet Treat Cups”, too.

This is such a cute idea from SU!  And of course, whenever chocolate is involved, I’m there to give it a try!  The centers could be filled with other goodies such as crafting supplies… buttons, brads, eyelets, etc..  But, why would you?!?  LOL

One problem I ran into was that the weight distribution (top heavy) prevented the cards from standing up.  So to counter balance the sweet filled cups, I added a large heavy brad on the bottom inside of each card.  This did the trick and added another pretty element for the girls.

Happy Crafting, everyone!!

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Stamps: SU! “Sweet Centers”, “Look Who’s Turning” and “Alphabet Attitude Numbers” (retired)

Papers: SU! Cameo Coral and Whisper White; DCWV Glitter Mat Stack and Scalloped Cardstock Stack

Inks: SU! Cameo Coral, Chocolate Chip and Creamy Caramel

Accessories: SU! Twill Ribbon, Sweet Treat Cups and 1-3/4″ Circle Punch; K&Co. Fancy Brads; Rhinestones; M&M’s

Here are a couple of wedding cards that I made recently.  And as I often do, I used a portion of the wedding invitation as designer paper on the first one.

On the second card, I took my cue from the colors in the invitation and casual lifestyle of the bride and groom.  Fun wedding… jeans were not only acceptable attire, they were encouraged!

The small fleurette was colored with Copic markers.

Both of these cards were made a couple of weeks ago.  I haven’t been stamping this week because I have been wonderfully busy!  My twin granddaughters are visiting and today we had a spa experience called “Sips and Sparkles”.  As a mother of 4 boys, this grandma has been waiting her whole life for just such a day!!

Choosing Nail Polish Colors

Nails Dry While Enjoying a Bubbling Foot Soak Before Pedicure

Lemonade Break Before Having Hair Done

Ready to Go Shopping!

I am SO enjoying summer. 

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Card 1

Stamps: SU! Love Matters

Papers: SU! Very Vanilla and Soft Suede; Wedding Invitation

Inks: Versamark

Accessories: SU! Crystal Clear Embossing Powder, Stitched River Rock GG Ribbon; Martha Stewart Edger Punch; Kaiser Flat Back Pearls; Satin Roses

Card 2

Stamps: SU! Warm Words

Papers: SU! Whisper White and Not Quite Navy

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

Accessories: SU! Fleurettes, Brad, Fiskar’s Border Punch, Cuttlebug, Swiss Dot Embossing Folder

Some new Stampin’ Up! products arrived this week!  Of course, I had to play!

This is the new set called “Delightful Decorations”.  There is an ornament punch, too, which makes it so easy and so fun to decorate!  I also used the new Sizzlits Merry Details die for the snowflakes.  The DSP is also in the new SU! Holiday Mini Catalog available September 1st.

Since it’s still August, I thought it might be fun to see if I could turn this Christmas set into something that could be used right now.

So I made a flower with one of the ornament stamps!  Too fun!  I sponged around the “petals” using the punched out area to mask the outer border.  (When stamping the ornament I also used the rock n’ roll technique to further emphasize the border.)

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All products used on both cards are Stampin’ Up! only.

Merry Christmas Card

Stamps: Delightful Decorations, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Papers: Very Vanilla, Taken with Teal, DSP Autumn Meadows

Inks: Taken with Teal, Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose

Accessories: Ornament Punch, Photo Corners Punch, Sizzlits Merry Details, Silver Elastic Cord, GG Ribbon

Sunflower Card

Stamps: Delightful Decorations, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Itty Bitty Backgrounds

Papers: So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Mellow Moss, DSP Autumn Meadows

Inks: So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Mellow Moss

Accessories: Ornament Punch, Scalloped Circle Punch, 1-3/8″ Circle Punch, 1″ Circle Punch, Paper Piercer and Template, Corduroy Button (Kraft), 1-1/4″ Wide GG Ribbon Striped

It’s time for another party over on Splitcoaststampers (SCS) as they celebrate the birthday of the Dirty Dozen.  It’s called “Dare To Get Dirty ‘09″, and Dirty Girls both past and present are inviting you to play along in 8 challenges per day for 3 days!  Yup… there are 24 challenges total!  It started yesterday and continues today and tomorrow.  So if you haven’t joined in the fun yet, you can check it all out HERE on SCS.  (Although you will be able to see the DTGD09 gallery, you will need to be a member of the Fan Club to see the challenges and upload into the DTGD09 gallery.)

I was so honored when Laurie Schmidlin (Lauraly) asked me to make a sample for her DTGD09 challenge today, and here it is.

I had so much fun playing with this acetate.  It was a challenge to try and figure out how to suspend it without having any of the “support” system showing.  This is what I came up with.

Pop dots or dimensionals were placed under the ric rak to offer support along the entire side.

The sentiment is also giving support to the acetate.

Now working with acetate or clear card stock was NOT what Laurie’s challenge was all about.  Why not hop on over to SCS to see her challenge.  Then play along!

Oh!!  And tomorrow I get to host a challenge.  Sure hope you’ll join me, too, at 9AM PST.

Happy Crafting! 

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Stamps: SU! “Extreme Surfboard” and “So Cool”

Papers: SU! Whisper White, Summer Sun, Apricot Appeal and Ballet Blue; Acetate

Inks: Jet Black Stazon; Copic Marker B26

Accessories: Rik Rak; Stickles; Kaiser Rhinestones; Nestabilities Circle Dies, Cuttlebug

This card is for the Inspiration Challenge #189 over on Splitcoaststampers.  I got my inspiration from this photo.  I thought the model looked like a tree the way she was posing!

In trying to imitate the speckled design on the shirt, I colored directly with markers, lightly spritzed with water and then stamped.  This is another one of my favorite techniques.

I think the end result looks like a water colored time-consuming  process.  But, in fact, it took only seconds.  Really!  No fussing about with it.  The faster the colors are applied, the better it seems to look to me!

I love ribbon (who doesn’t!) so decided to put on three different ones that matched this beautiful new “Nouveau Chic” Designer Series Paper from Stampin’ Up!.  (And speaking of love… this paper is incredibly GORGEOUS… oh my!!)  The ribbon does not lay flat its entire length.  But rather, for some variation, has a little hill just above the button.

This sentiment is one of my all time favorites.  It is stamped on vellum and adhered to the card under the faux stitching which helps hide any tape that might show through.

Have a wonderful weekend and…  Happy Crafting!!

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All products used on this card are made by Stampin’ Up!.

Stamps: “Le Jardin Botanique”

Papers: Basic Gray, Very Vanilla, “Nouveau Chic” DSP, Vellum

Inks: Markers: Basic Black, Sage Shadow, Handsome Hunter

Accessories: Sage Shadow GG Ribbon from the Ribbon Originals “District” Collection, Basic Gray 3/8″ Taffeta Ribbon, Apricot 1/4″ GG Ribbon, Basic Gray Corduroy Button, Black Hemp Twine, Photo Corners Punch, Paper Piercing Tool and Template

Stampin’ Up! has a beautiful new embossing folder.  I love it!

To get a distressed look on the raised portions of the embossing I have, in the past, either sponged the ink on or just applied the ink directly from the ink pad.  This worked okay but some ink still managed to find its way onto the areas that had not been embossed.  Recently I tried inking up my mirror image stamp and running that over the embossing.  It worked like a charm!!  I was so excited.  Because the rubber is hard and flat the stamp touches only the raised portions of the card stock.  NO ink is able to escape the embossing!

Here is another card using a Cuttlebug embossing folder.

See!!  Absolutely no ink anywhere except on the embossing!

Perhaps everyone already knew about this technique?  But I was so excited about it that I had to share it anyway.  LOL

Happy Crafting!

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Pink Butterfly Card:

Stamps: SU! “Flight of the Butterfly”; Rubber Stampede Mirror Image Stamp

Papers: SU! Whisper White, Basic Black; “Razzleberry Lemonade” DSP

Inks: SU! White Craft, Rose Red Classic, Basic Black Marker; ClearStar Glitter Pen; Black Gel Pen

Accessories: May Arts Ribbon; Kaiser Rhinestones; SU! Hemp Twine, Piercing Tool and Template, Butterfly Punch, Photo Corners Punch, “Elegant Borders” Embossing Folder

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Green Argyle Card:

Stamps: SU! “On Your Birthday”; Rubber Stampede Mirror Image Stamp

Papers: SU! Always Artichoke, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla

Inks: SU! Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery; White Gel Pen

Accessories: SU! GG Ribbon, Piercing Tool and Template, Always Artichoke Eyelets; Cuttlebug “Argyle” Embossing Folder; Primas; Stickles

Each week Libby’s Little Addiction has a challenge called “Courtney’s Closet” where we are shown an outfit of her daughter’s and are to make an inspired card or project from it.  When I saw the darling little dress today I knew the exact set to use..  It is a new SU! set called “Greenhouse Garden”.  In fact my card today is a Stampin’ Up! Only (SUO) card meaning all products used are made by SU!.  I’ve been having SO MUCH FUN with my new toys!!  The bird is from the hostess set “Wings of Friendship”, and the sentiment is from the Spanish version of “Teeny Tiny Wishes” called “Deseos pequenitos”.

(Translation:  Get well soon.)

Here is a closeup of the bird.  The rubber image was first colored with SU! markers and then stamped.  This was so quick and easy.  I used my Basic Black marker to color in the eye after the image was stamped.

Faux stitching is a favorite technique of mine.  There are two different ways to achieve a stitched look.  One is to first pierce the card and then draw lines between the holes as is done across the top on the front of the card.  The lines were drawn with my Basic Black marker.

Since the card base is black, a white piece of card stock was added to the inside of the card for a written message.  The faux stitching here is done with the marker only.

I love Fridays!  Hope you have a great day and a wonderful weekend.  Happy Crafting!

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(Card was made with all SU! products.)

Stamps: Greenhouse Garden, Wings of Friendship, Deseos pequenitos

Papers: Whisper White, Regal Rose, Basic Black

Inks: Classic Pads: So Saffron, More Mustard, Bordering Blue, Not Quite Navy, Regal Rose and Rose Red; Markers: More Mustard, Not Quite Navy, Rose Red and Basic Black

Accessories: Regal Rose 5/8″ and B/W Striped 1-1/4″ GG Ribbons, White Brad, Eyelet Border Punch, Piercing Tool and Template