EEK!

Oh my gosh it has been a long time since I have posted here.  I admit that for the past three weeks I haven't been doing much thanks to a broken collarbone, but prior to that there was no excuse except pure laziness.  For some reason taking pictures, processing them and uploading them here just became too time consuming....not sure why that is but that is all I can figure.  Since my crafting is still somewhat limited, but I can now at least operate a computer and type two handed I will dig back into the archives of this summers photos.  (I did at least take some pictures) and do some posting. 

Here are two cards I made using the same stamped image, water colored in different schemes.  I used Cuttlebugged embossed backgrounds in both as well as ribbons and brads.  Layouts for each card is similar.  Yet the cards are different.  So what I have here is almost identical elements but two different cards.  A fun exercise for me to do and also a lesson that you don't always need to reinvent the wheel to get a unique card. 

Not sure when I will get other cards done.  I have a special order I need to fill, but learned on Wednesday that card making is something that currently hurts my body to do.  Why does it seem to be an unwritten rule that what ever side you dominantly use is the side that you always injure????  Yes, being left handed it was my left collarbone I broke and my left arm that doesn't like a lot of movement.  Fortunately the special order is for a friend and I think she will understand if all 10 cards aren't delivered at once.  I can knit and crochet with better ease so will get some new things done in that arena.  So grateful I am not a one craft person or I would be a very sorry case right now!

MORE ALASKA STAMPS

Several months ago I posted some cards I had made with a stamp I purchased in Alaska. It was a Hummingbird stamp that has Native Alaskan artwork in it. You can see those cards here if you missed them and would like to see them. I had purchased three stamps from the same company Earth Art International. They are part of their Animal Spirit Stamp line.


I really like coloring in these images but it is very, very time consuming and I must be in the right frame of mind when I do so because it is very detailed coloring. Here are two more cards. This time using the Bear image.

These are quite large stamps so I am really challenged on how to use them on cards. But I do love them and hope to find many ways to use them both colored and mono tone. So far I have been trying to use color schemes that are found in traditional Native Alaskan art. These include primarily red, black, white and turquoise.

The third stamp that I have is a moose. Soon I will show some pictures of it. I do have some cards completed just need to edit them.

BACK TO STAMPING!

It was so nice to get back into the stamping room today. Doubly nice because not only did I stamp and create three cards, but I also did some cleaning and putting away of stuff that had been sitting out too long and the cards I made used images that I had stamped several weeks ago. (I don't know about you but for me it feels so good to finish up started projects!)

The images I had stamped were made using a stamp that I purchased on our trip to Alaska in May. I actually got three stamps but have only used this one so far. It is a hummingbird image filled in with symbols and designs used by Native American groups. I fell in over with their designs which were found all over Alaska on our journey. I also have a bear and a moose, filled in with designs in the same fashion as the hummingbird.

These stamps are from a line of stamps called Animal Spirit Stamps and they are put out by Earth Art International. The original artwork for these stamps was done by a Washington artist names Sue Coccia.

The first card I made is a very simple card that makes use of colors that are often found in the Native American artwork in Alaska: reds, black and turquoise. This is a very detailed stamp but it stamps wonderfully and clearly.




The second card still makes use of the image being stamped in black in a solid colored card stock but I moved away from using the traditional colors and pulled out my Nestabillities to add an addition point of interest on the card. One of the challenges of using these stamps for card making is that the stamps are rather large. So for this second card I cut out the hummingbird and placed it off center agianst a circle of lighter card stock. This is mounted on a scalloped circle that has been pierced in each scallop and all is then placed on a rectangle of designer paper. To me it almost looks as if the hummingbird is flying in front of the moon. I added the ribbon on the bottom to balance out the card.

It doesn't show in the pictures of the first to cards but on both of them I placed a tiny yellow Stickles dot for some sparkle on the eye.




My final card what the most fun but also the most work to make. For this card I stamped the image using Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white card stock and very carefully colored it in using my copic markers. I say carefully because the spaces to be colored where very, very tiny! Fortunately I have a good selection of the original Copics which have a fine tip nib. I took awhile (about 90 minutes) to color in the whole hummingbird. I don't think I will regularly be coloring in these images but I really do like the look of it. When the inner child needs to come out and color in a detailed way I will consider doing so again. As detailed as the coloring is the card needed something more and the brads worked well to balance out the "get well" sentiment. (The sentiment by the way is from Stamping Up's new set Teeny Tiny Wishes. I'm pretty sure this is a set I will pull out often. I also used it for the "Happy Birthday on the first card.)

So the above is the result of my day of stamping. I have lots of new sets to lay with and hopefully will get a few more things done tomorrow. Until then be good and have fun with life!

COLLAGE CARD

This is actually an older card that I made quite some time ago, but it's been hanging around in my photos for the web long enough and so I decided to feature it today.

This is a style card that I find very difficult to do. Especially to do well. It's a one dimensional and one media collage. I used all different line drawn stamps and randomly stamped the images around the water color paper. All the stamps I used are Stampin' Up and most if not all are retired ones. Then I added some color using my watercolor crayons and an aqua painter. I think I may have been a bit too heavy handed with the color and a simple wash of color would have been more effective.

The card needed some dimensional element it was just too flat so I wrapped some hemp twine around the watercolor paper (after roughing up the edges) and attached a tag by hanging it off the hemp with a piece of hodge podge hardware. and placed brads from the same hodge podge hardware set. This unit was then mounted on a black card base. When I use black card stock for card basis I often place a piece of white cardstock that is sponged in a coordinating color from the front of the card or basic grey ink. I always do this if I am selling the card. If I am making the card to use myself I use a white ink pen to write my message and sign the inside.

That's it for today. Tomorrow is a day off work and I am trying to decide how messy I want to get. GinaK's technique today on Stamp TV is the shaving cream technique. I've never tried this but just may give it a try....it can also be used to lay color down on fabric so I can get a two fer' if I master it.

Thanks for stopping by. Please come back again!

BLEACHING

If you are a member of GinaK's StampTV you may have seen this card already. If you are not a member you really should be! It's a wonderful place to learn new techniques and also to get to know some wonderful stampers.

This card is a result of a video GinaK did several weeks ago on how to use bleaching on your cards. She showed two different techniques and this is the one I have tried and really enjoy doing....fortunately I like the smell of bleach....if you don't this may not be a technique for you.

What I did was stamp the Iris image from GinaK's Elegant Flowers set using black craft ink from Stampin' Up. I then embossed the image with clear powder. You could use versa mark in and then emboss with black embossing powder, but I don't have much luck with black powder. Even with using an embossing buddy to reduce the static on my card stock I still get black speckles...so I prefer black ink and clear powder. In order to get the effect of bleaching you also want to stamp your image on colored card stock....NOT white!

I then painted inside the embossed lines using plain household bleach and a fine paint brush. I did not use an expensive brush in case the bleach would harm the bristles...it didn't but I was sure about whether it would or not. The cheap on worked fine and so this is probably what I will always use.

One of the neat things about bleaching is that you never really know what color your card stock will bleach to. And the bleaching is not always uniform throughout the image. I haven't tried another image but will. (My list of things I am going to do again is getting longer and longer!)

Above is a close up of my bleached Irises.

I finished off designing my card using my circle nesties and brushed gold cardstock, some fun ribbon, brads and digital background paper available from GinaK. The paper I printed out onto HP Brochure paper which is heavier weight than regular printer paper and smoother than regular card stock. It is not as smooth though as glossy card stock. Here is a picture of the finished card. The sentiment is also from the Elegant Flowers set.

Tomorrow I need to work on designing and making a card for a 50th anniversary party I am going to on Saturday. So I will probably work some more with my brushed gold card stock. Hopefully I will make it back to post a picture. If my mojo is missing I will show you the card I made for this last weeks Belli Challenge to use large brads or eyelets. Come to think of it tomorrow is Tuesday so I better get that posted here! Then next day there is a new Belli Challenge!

FLOWER SOFT

A few weeks ago I purchased a new product to use in my cards making adventures: Flower Soft. I've only used it a few times bur am enjoying it when I do. This card was so quick and simple its almost a shame to even show you. But, sometimes we need quick cards because they need to get in the mail ASAP and there is not a lot of time for design thought.

The only stamping on this card is the sentiment "Praying for You". The tree branches are on designer paper. By themselves the branches were pretty boring. Outside my window is a beautiful ornamental cherry tree. At the time I was needing to make this card that tree was just beginning to come into bloom. It reminded me of a card I saw at Queen's Ink, a local stamp store, which is where I found my flower soft. I also got the paper there.

The flower soft is put on the branches in little tufts that look like clumps of cherry blossoms. It also takes a rather mundane looking card and gives it a bit of zip. Add some layers, moss green satin ribbon, and some lovely little self adhesive pearls and voila a lovely card ready to send to someone who needs a lift and a friend.

CHECK IT OUT!

The Belli Challenge #61 that is.......Its April Fools Day today and in honor of that the challenge is to make a humorous card. Also as I said last night I am their Guest Designer for the week and I am honored with this designation......I hope that doesn't have any April Fools significance.....??? Also part of the Belli Challenges is to use what we have and often to unearth and use what we haven't used in a while.

Humorous cards maybe easier for some than others.....I found myself in the others category. The question became what is humor on a card? I knew there are lots of "lie down and roll on the floor laughing" humorous stamp images out, but alas I don't own any of those stamps......so I needed to take what I had and make it humorous. I think I got to cute not so sure about humorous...... You be the judge!

I have two cards. The first is a Birthday party in the making.....



I love my little SockMonkey from Stampin' Up.....he's as humorous as I get....but once again I think hes more cute really than humorous....He is joined by a few other of his Stampin' Up friends one from A Little Bird Told Me and the snake from Zoofari. They all got together, donned their party hats and are ready to wish someone a Happy Birthday!

I colored my images with Copics and "fluffed" up the little bird using my new Flower Soft kit. Sock money is wearing a brown marbled skin, but everything else is colored. There was a lot of fussy cutting of images on this card and also a bit of Stickle sparkle that didn't photograph well.

My second card is for all you BoaBabes out there.........

Once again I think the card is cute It will bring a smile to your face not a roll on the floor laugh..........

The stamp set I used hasn't been off my shelf in ages, but is one of my favorites....Hats Off a retired set by Stampin' Up I love giving this Babe a real boa!!!! This one was made by using some fibres stripped from a length of brown fuzzy yarn. She's also sporting pearls and a ruby ring......

I love the edge punch I used here. It was a yardsale find! Why people would want to give up some lovelies like this I'll never know but I'm glad they do! It obviously didn't show up nicely when it was white against while so I placed a narrow strip of black card stock behind it to pop out the detail of the punch.

So there you have it. Now its your turn.....try your hand at a humorous card and then head over to the Creative Belli Challenge Blog and link it up using Mr Linky! Come back to the Creative Belli Challenge and one day you to might have the honor and the thrill to be a Guest Designer!

Have a wonderful stampin' day!

SIMPLY A FISHY CARD!

Just a simple card tonight. I've been working on reorganizing my stamp room and in so doing am uncovering some older well loved stamp sets that have not been used in quite some time. Fishy Friends is one of these sets. It is a retired Stampin' Up set. I have lots and lots of retired Stampin' Up sets. Some people are better at getting rid of their retired sets....personally I have separation anxiety just thinking about it doing so!

I wanted to use the set and I wanted a simple yet cute card. This is what I came up with. I choose the colors because the reminded me of underwater colors. All the images were stamped in plain black and all are layered on navy card stock. I didn't want boring so I added the navy strips punch with the word punch from SU and to one added five golden yellow brads and to the other the "miss you" sentiment embossed in white and two lavender brads. These strips are also raised on dimensionals to give some added interest.

That's it for my easy card tonight. Tomorrow morning I will post my Belli Challenge cards for this week. I am this weeks guest designer and am so honored to be so! Come back and see what I came up with for this weeks challenge and it was a challenge for me!

EYELET AND FLOWERS

I wanted to work some more with the paper eyelet edging again so yesterday I pulled it out.

This card looks so much prettier on real life. I am not seeming to get the correct colors with my current camera.....The pinks show up correctly but the cards stock base reads way to gray! It should be Bordering Blue which is a light blue with gray tones, but is definitely blue. The gray cast here I think makes it look dirty which trust me it is not.

I places a strip of Rose Red behind the eyelet to make the holes stand out. The flower was created by layering two Prima flowers with a yellow brad.

I colored the one flower on the left with my copics and then put a touch if icicle stickles on the bud for some sparkle.

That's my card for today.......I haven't done the Belli Challenge for the week yet. That's on tomorrows stamp list. I need to make a bookmark for it. Also tomorrow I will hopefully get to the new Copic Colour Challenge. My brain just wasn't up to a challenge today. And right now I am dealing with some aching teeth after a visit to the dentist and after 4 Advil I think I just need to go to bed!

ANOTHER COPIC COLOUR CHALLENGE #5

This weeks Copic Colour Challenge was to be inspired by a card from Charmed Cards and Crafts a company in the UK. To see the card go to the Copic Colour Challenge Blog. We could use any color copics as long as our coloring method was copics.


My card is a loose representation of the inspiration card. I used the idea of vertical panels and also really liked the blue at the top. I simulated it by using mulberry paper and tearing one edge of it. The stamp set I used was a new one by Stampin' Up Just Buzzin' By. The images were stamped in Memento's Tuxedo Black. I colored them in using the following Copic colors:

Y11, Y15,YR09, R09, R37, G17, BV31, E21 and Black which is 100.

Each of the three panels is sponged on the edge with a different color of classic ink. The colors I used were also suggested to me by the inspiration card.

So that's it for this weeks Copic Colour Challenge..........I still have a few other challenges to do this weekend if I can manage to get off the computer, get my grocery shopping for the week done and come up with some ideas.

ANOTHER QUILT CARD

I did get my Belli Challenge card done tonight, but haven't had a chance to photograph it yet so I will post it tomorrow. Instead today I am reaching back into my photo file for another of my quilt cards I made. I found a scrap of designer paper in my pile....we all have piles of scraps don't we???? I hope I'm not the only one. Anyway this scrap was perfectly spaced to fit under a row of the quilt blocks stamped side by side on a strip of vellum paper.

The old olive scalloped strip underneath the quilt blocks was made using my scallop border punch and then paper pierced. Add a couple of flowers stacked an attached with a brad and a few other images and a note card is born.

The quilt block images are from Papertrey and the "Note for You" and sewing machine are from Stampin' Up sets.

Tomorrow not only will I photograph and post my Belli Challenge, but I also hope to figure out a card design for the Copic Colour Challenge. I tried it tonight, but nothing worked........maybe after a good night sleep my mind will be better challenged.....so till tomorrow.....pleasant dreams. It's way past my bed time and I am off to crawl in.

TIME FOR ANOTHER CHALLENGE!

This time my challenge card is for a Copics Colour Challenge. This is with a group of copics lovers and learners most of whom are participating in Korin's Copic Marker club. I am by no means a copic colouring expert....I'm not even totally sure I even have reached the novice stage yet. I still tend to want to use them like any other marker, which is to say I just don't get the blending stuff yet. BUT I am determined to learn......


I used Sweet 'n Sassy's Bee Happy stamp set for this card. I stamped the images using Memento's Tuxedo Black ink. The card stock colors I used are from Stampin' Up...Pretty in Pink and Garden Green.

The colors of the Copics I used were: Y63 and 67, Y 15 and 38, R 02 and RV11 and 13.

NO TIME TO STAMP BUT A CARD NON THE LESS!

I knew that the rest of this week was going to be way to busy to do any stamping or card making and it was. BUT I do have a few cards from my past card making sessions I have kept on file to share with you during busy times like these.

This card is one of those. I made it with items from my SCS Flybaby Winter Craft Kit. It was a fairly simple card to make since the stars are part of the designer paper. The only stamping was the sentiment which I stamped with Black craft ink and then embossed with clear embossing powder. Ribbon and three chocolate brads and it is all mounted on Chocolate chip card base. Very quick and very easy.

A SHEET LOAD OF CARDS!

Today was a day full of card designing and then cutting and preparations for a big card making workshop at my church tomorrow morning. We will be making cards that will be sent to Cards For Heros. At this time I am expecting 10 women and we will be working for two hours making cards. Most of these women have little if any experience making cards so I decided the best bet was to design a batch of cards and then do all the gathering of materials for them and do the cutting of the elements. So today I came up with 5 designs for the Heros and 2 card designs for Valentine cards. (Since tomorrow is Valentine's Day I said that anyone coming to help could make a Valentine Card to take home and give to a special person in their life!)

Very early on in my planning I decided that I would use some card sketches I have been collecting. The first place to go to find a design was my stand-by favorite site for making multiple cards of the same design: SHEET LOAD OF CARDS! They make it so easy because not only do they give you the sketch, but a materials needed list and a cutting chart. So the first card I am showcasing here used the sketch from the February 2009 Sheetload E-Zine. I doubled their "recipe" and now have 15 cards ready to be made plus the sample I put together. Here is the card........

It's on a white card base and all the card stock and papers are retired SU products. I know the card stock colors are True Thyme and Cinnamon Crisp, both 2006-07 In Colors. The designer papers I think were from a Simply Scrapping kit but I'm not sure. The stamps are from SU and Inkadoo. (The Inkadoo stamp is the scroll image in the corners.) I'm pretty sure both of the SU stamps are retired ones. I colored the flowers with BIC markers. I let people use a lot of my stuff, but my COPICS and SU markers are not included in my generosity; so they get to use my Sharpies and BIC markers tomorrow.

They also will be able to use my plain old colored pencils tomorrow and those are what I used on the second card.
This card is all Stampin' Up products. It is a mix of current and retired. Though the only things current are the Summer Sun and Garden Green card stocks and the brads. Both stamps I used are retired. The main image is from Nice and Easy Notes and the background is Print Pattern. I know both those names because they are both among my all time favorites.

Tomorrow I will show you the two Valentine's Cards I designed for them. They are both quite simple, but each use the wonderful handmade papers I have. So please come on back........thanks for visiting now!

A SWEET TREAT VALENTINE CHALLENGE

Thanks to a FLYing and crafting buddy Teressa I found out about a fun challenge on the Paper, Pads and Pictures BLOG. I figured if I could bake a cake and come up with a card; I could make three Valentine wishes and come up with a card. It turned out to be more of a challenge than I thought it would. Here were the rules......

"In honor of Valentine's Day, I am putting together this "Sweet Treat" Challenge. Everyone has a Valentine's wish list. For this challenge we will for once and for all get those items we have been wishing for all these years. Here is my wish list:

Heart Shaped Box of Chocolates
Diamonds
Pearls
Rubies
Perfume
Romantic Dinner with that Special Someone
Cruise
Day at a Spa
Latest and Greatest Camera
Emeralds
New Craft Workspace
Bottle of Dom Perignon
Shopping Spree
Luxury Car
Sapphires

Here are the rules for the challenge:
1. Players should pick at least 3 items from the above list and post it to PCP or leave a comment here with you selected wish list no later than 11:00pm EST Friday February 6th. You may "wish" for as many items as you like!
2. On Saturday February 7th, I will post what the "wish list" items equal in supplies.
3. Your challenge will be to craft a card or scrapbook page using EACH item from your wish list and ONLY those items. There are a few freebies listed below.
4. Post your completed project on the PCP site or a comment here with link to your blog with the item no later than 11:00pm EST on Friday February 13th.
5. On Saturday February 14th there will be a random drawing from all the entries for a "Sweet Treat" goodie bag! My cat, Carlie, has promised to help me with the drawing to make sure it is kept fair. :o) I will post the winner both here and on PCP that day.
6. The following items are freebies for the project
a. white CS and 1 additional color of CS
b. black ink and/or black marker
c. 1 stamp
7. A special twist to the challenge...everyone MUST use a piece of ribbon somewhere on the project."

I chose:

1. a cruise
2. A day at a spa
3. A new craft workspace

So When the translation into card making supplies was given I had to use:

1. Cruise.....Glitter or Bling
2. Day at the Spa.....Paper Distressing
3. New Craft Workspace.....Stitching either hand or machine
   

And the ribbon, white card stock and one other color CS, one stamp, and black ink. YIKES!
I am a stickler to rules of a challenge and I was determined to use nothing more. Also in my small little mind, distressing and glitter and bling just didn't work together. It was time to stretch my conservative ways.

Here is what I came up with..........

I surprised myself! I love this card. Partly because I love this stamp image. I chose it for this card for a number of reasons. I think it works well being stamped in black, it is one stamp that includes image and words, it lends itself to distressing, and I could use glitter on the wings of the dragon fly. I wasn't happy with just the white and one other color card stock. The card was looking blah and so I choose to add a splash of bold color in the ribbon. My stitching was done by hand with black embroidery floss.

So that's it: The results of my three special Valentine wishes. If I can't have the actual wishes at least I have a pretty card.

All the materials I used are from Stampin' Up and as seems usual lately everything is retired except the Whisper White card stock. Part of me felt bad about using all SU items for a challenge posted by a Close to My Heart demonstrator, but I don't have anything from CTMH at least not yet.....who knows about the future!

NEW STYLE CARD

Here is another of the cards that I made when I got together with some stamping friends a couple of weekends ago. It may not be a new style card to some of you, but I have never seen one like it before. I think it is a really neat design and plan to use it in some of my own designs at some point in the future.

It is the normal A2 size card, 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 but the way it opens makes it very different. I need to sit down with a ruler and record the measurements needed for the cut card stock and patterned paper.

From looking at the closed card it is not immediately evident how the card opens and where the message would be written. There is actually a type of double door opening. The two butterflies on the left were stamped on white cardstock and cut out. They are attached with dimensionals and actually act as a closure for one of the door flaps which is the panel with the brown butterfly on it. This panel itself holds closed the second door flap which is the one with the green patterned paper on it. I don't know if my description makes any sence so the next photo is of the card opened.

The location for writing your message is the bottom half of the top closure. The one with the brown butterfly on it. I have never done a step by step tutorial before. This may be the card that actually gets me to take the time and photos of the process and do one.

I'm not making any promises, but if any card would get me to do so this will be the one. I really do like it and it is a fun card to make. One thing for sure is it won't happen this week though so don't hold your breath.

SUMMER IS OVER BUT NOT THE CRAFT KIT!

Two more cards using uo scraps from my Summer Craft Kit. I really like my crativeness with using scraps in this first card. It is on Night of Navy card stock. For one of my other crds I had punched out three squares. It wasn't intentional but I punched them out in a row with relatively even spacing between the punches. As I was going to throw away the strip from which I had mad the punches I was struck by how it looked somewhat like a film strip piece. Which got me to wondering if I could use it in a card design with something featured in each of the three punched out holes.

Well this is the card I came up with. Maybe not a perfectly designed card, but it certainly meets my grandmothers invoction of "waste not want not..."

The second card also makes use of scraps that were left from my use of the kit. I was able to punch out enough squared to come up with this design. I was also able to put to use a left over pearl embellishment and a bit of ribbon. Once again I used my awesome scalloped boarder punch. I really really don't know how I lived without this tool. IF you don't have one it is a must have!!!!!

So summer is now officially over. What will the fall bring? I guess we will wait and see. I am hoping more stamping, some scrapbooking and of course some sewing....what would life be without creative outlets and pursuits?

STAMPIN' SUNDAY

Last Sunday I went to the home of a fellow SU demo along with several others. We are part of the same downline group but haven't been together in quite some time since our "fearless" leader has moved to Florida. As part of the gathering we had a shoebox swap.

These are two of the projects we did. The pink is the one I designed. It is actually a design based on the July Sheet Load of Cards design. I love Sheet Load of Cards and for putting together a shoebox swap it's perfect. They've provided all the measurements for you. Just need to gather the supplies and cut........

I did a lot of embossing on this card. I just love to emboss.....The medallion in the circle is embossed with silver powder on silver ink. The sentiment is embossed with clear powder over Tempting Turquoise craft ink. The most fun though was the scalloped strip was stamped with Versamark ink and then embossed with clear powder. I did it on the newBaja Breeze paper and then sponged over the whole strip with Pacific Point ink. Then I took a tissue and buffed off the ink that was on top of the embossed part of the image. The ink will not stick to the embossing it just rubs right off.

I used the new scalloped boarder punch on the two sides of the strip. This is so much easier and nicer than using the corner rounder punch without the guide. I absolutely love it!
These are the projects that one of the other gals designed for us to make. They are a card on the left and a post it note holder on the right. All new In Cololrs here--Pacific Point and Kiwi Kiss. I'm loving these colors. I am amazed when the first pictures of them came out that I didn't like them. They are all awesome!The fun thing about the card project here is we got to play with the Big Shot which is a new SU product that will be available I think September 2. IT is a die cutting machine. I doubt I will get one becasue I already have a Cuttlebug. I will be getting some of the dies though to use with my bug! I love them...sign what don't I love. We also used the new stamp set, Pocket Silhouettes. It's a really neat set and you know what from now through September 30 you can get it and other great new sets for 15% off. Isn't that awesome! Interested??? Ask your Stampin' Up Demonstrator. If you don't have a SU demonstrator ask me! Feel free to also ask about the Big Shot and cutting dies.

Tomorrow I'll shar with you a few more of the projects we made last Sunday.

WHAT'S BLACK AND WHITE AND RED?

This is one of the cards that I made for the VSN on SCS last weekend. I forget now what the title of this challenge was but we were to use some sort on newsprint in it.

I have a retired set from SU that is vintage writing implements. I can't remember the name of it right now, but will find out. I really like the set and it just seemed perfect for this challenge. So I hunted through the stacks of stamp boxes and found it. Then I did a Google search for vintage newspapers that could be printed on my home computer. I choose one and printed it onto white card stock. I've always liked the black, white and red color combo so decided to use that color recipe as it seemed to go well with the newsprint and it would provide a contemporary touch to an otherwise vintage card. I've also thought I needed to work with some chip board so did so inking it with Real Red craft inks. Thisis what I came up with for the challenge.

I like using newsprint so much I thought I would try another one using same stamp set and still focusing on the black, white and red color scheme. This was my second creation. You can't tell by this scan, but I even gold embossed the nib of the pen.

I still have some of the printed card stcok and will be working on another card or two with is. Maybe for those I will work with a different color scheme. Though I REALLY DO like the black, white and red. Maybe I'll try black white and yellow.

Oh and before you think I forgot to go back and check the name of the stamp set is Letters From Friends.

KINDRED SPIRITS CELEBRATE!

Todays cards are two of the ones I made using a craft kit put together by Diane, a fellow FLYBaby Stamper.

I may have mentioned before that I've thoroughly enjoyed this kit. But I didn't when I first started. I thought the colors were just to bright for me. I didn't have a clue what I was going to make with it, but then one day I just jumped in and started using it and it was not long before I was in love. Now that I have created a multitude of cards, 1 altered Comp book, 1 altered picture frame, 1 coaster album, and 1 cute little paper purse everything is used and there is nothing left but a very small pile of scraps of patterned paper. And I am so sad.

So I think there has been a lesson learned here. Never ever assume that something you do not like is unusable. Give it a chance. Let it speak to you. You may just be surprised what it says!

The card with the green squares is one of the last ones I made. That why it has lots of little pieces. Sorry the picture is a bit fuzzy and not exposed to well. My camera was not behaving well. But that will not be a problem any longer I got a new one. If you want to see what I got you will need to visit my companion BLOG "Life Out My Window." I have a lot of learning to do on how to fully use it, but the basics are pretty easy!