Monday, August 17, 2015

Online Card Classes Homework

I am slowly working my way through the library at OnlineCardClasses.com.  This week I am enrolled in Clean and Simple One Layer Cards 3.  Lauren Bassen showed an awesome plaid making technique, and I just had to try it.  Especially since I already had all the materials on hand, including the same stamp set she used!

Here's my card:


It really was a simple, if somewhat time consuming, technique.  I love that you end up with a one layer card!  I used brighter colors than she did, and used Distress inks where she used PaperTrey Ink inks.

Supplies used:

The Paper Studio heavy weight white card stock
Post It tape (to mask off the stripes)
Distress Inks
Memento Tuxedo Black ink
SSS Hello You stamp set

Thanks for looking!

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Wishing you a Day that Sparkles

More of my Stampaway haul.  These stamps are from 3 Birds Designs.


The stamps were $5 on a clearance table!  And how cute is she?  This is also my first attempt at creating a scene for a character.  I think the clouds are awesome.  I used a mix of Spectrum Noir and Copic markers, too.  I think the Copics blend a little easier, but really I would say the pens are about equal.  The biggest difference is that the Copic Sketch marker has a brush tip where SN has a bullet tip.

So what's this about Copics, you might ask?  Well, about 3 dozen of my SN have dried out and I don't have a place to store the refills. Since you can't buy single SN markers, I replaced them with Copics.  I kept the SN markers themselves, hopefully, once the house sells and I move I can have a place for the refills.  Plus Michael's had a great sale on them- buy three and get 20% off plus I had a coupon for 40% off a whole purchase one weekend.  So, I got about 50 pens over about a 5-day period.  Yikes, I am a collector if nothing else!

Supplies used:

3 Birds Designs stamps
Memento Teal Zeal and Tuxedo Black inks
Distress inks: Tumbled Glass and Shabby Shutters
Inky Antics cloud stencil
Spectrum Noir and Copic markers

Thanks for looking!

Stampaway Haul

OK, here's a card made with a couple items I picked up at Stampaway:


I got the Tim Holtz/ Sizzix thinlets not knowing how I would use them, just knowing that they looked pretty cool and that I didn't already have something like them.  It turns out they make great backgrounds!  I got the Our Daily Bread stamp set at Stampaway because it coordinates with my Spellbinders Labels 18 and I love stamps that coordinate with dies.

Supplies used:

Sizzix Thinlets 660220 (Mixed Media)
ODB Bird and Butterfly Labels stamp set
Stampin Up Butterfly Basics stamp set (sentiment)
SSS Willow ink
Spellbinders Labels 18 die
ribbon from Michael's
The Paper studio white heavy weight card stock
Green cardstock from July Stamps of Life kit

Thanks for looking!

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Stampaway USA 2015

OK so I can't wait to tell ya'll what I did this weekend.  I got to go to Stampaway USA!   It was  a three hour drive to Cincinnati to get there, but boy was it worth it.  I don't have a LSS other than Michael's and Hobby Lobby, so I do a lot of ordering online.  What's so wrong with Michael's and Hobby Lobby?  Well, they carry just a little bit of a lot of different things.  Like one or two stamp sets from a handful of the major manufacturers.  Hobby Lobby doesn't even have that; they have more scrap booking and multimedia type stuff.  Anyway- I already own all the stamps that both stores have to offer that I want, and neither one gets a lot of new stuff in- just more of the same stuff.

Anyway.  Stampaway was GREAT!  I spent a few dollars (lol) but I won't need any new stuff for a while.  Seeing all the samples and being able to choose the corresponding stamps and dies in person rather than online was so much fun.  And look who I saw there:



Yep, Tim Holtz was there demonstrating his products and techniques!  Woo hoo!  I would have bought one of his books and asked for an autograph, but he was MOBBED with people lol.

I went to the Ranger booth, of course, and spent way too much money there, of course!  I also visited Our Daily Bread, which had some great deals I just couldn't pass up and they had such beautiful product it was easy to hand over the cash lol.  Simon Says Stamp was there, and I had to visit them in person since I shop there so much online.  Oh! And Art Impressions!  I was able to find some stamps that had been sold out online!  Yay! And then I found a new-to-me stamp company: Creative Visions , and they had the cutest "sassy girl" stamps.  Check it out:



(Supplies used:  CV Stray Eyebrows stamp set, and patterned paper and card stock from the June Stamps of Life kit.  And Copic Markers.  More on that later.)

So after about four hours of non-stop stampy shopping, I was pooped out and headed back home just in time for dinner.

*Satisfied sigh* it was a good day.


This time it really is Christmas Card catch up!

Not ketchup.  Catch up.  I said I was gonna do this the other day and kinda didn't do it.  So... the cards I've made recently:


Yeah, this one doesn't photograph well.  IRL it's pretty.  Anyhoo.

Supplies used:
Our Daily Bread His Birth stamp set
Delicata silver ink
Stampendous silver tinsel embossing powder
Stampendous clear embossing powder
Silver ribbon from stash
Bazzill dark blue and vellum card stock
The Paper Studio white heavy weight card stock

Next up:


OK, I should mention that I just upgraded to Windows 10, and now I don't know how to rotate my photos lol.

Supplies used:
Sizzix Jingle Cutout card die
Recollections card stock
BoBunny Altitude patterned paper
Sequins

Here's another card:


I CASE'd this card from one I saw on Pinterest, but I lost the original pin so I can't credit the designer.  I hate it when I do that!

Supplies used:

Recollections green card stock
Lifestyle Crafts embossing folder
The Paper Studio heavy weight white card stock
American Crafts ribbon
Verve Pinecone Christmas stamp set
Memento inks: Rich Cocoa, Lady Bug, Pear Tart, and Cottage Ivy

This is one of my new favorites:


Really simple and sweet!

Supplies used:

The Paper Studio white heavy weight card stock
Penny Black stamp
Spectrum Noir markers
Recollections red card stock
Recollections red baker's twine

And this card, which isn't actually a Christmas card.  Unless you plan on vacationing on a tropical island for Christmas, in which case it's a great Christmas card.


Supplies used:

The Paper Studio heavy weight white card stock
Recollections blue card stock
Magenta stamp
Spectrum Noir markers

Happy Sunday, and thanks for looking!

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Christmas Card Catch-Up

I've made a few cards that I haven't been able to post.  My internet here isn't all that high-speed; I'm doing good just to have enough bandwidth to watch a video on one device, forget about using the Cloud to move photos!

I was inspired by this card I saw linked over at Just Right Stampers.  So, here is my take on it, using a few different supplies:


I love the color palette!  I wish my reindeer were a little larger, though.

Supplies used:
Paper Studio heavyweight white and black card stock
Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Distress inks: Milled Lavender and Tumbled Glass
Versamark ink
Stampendous clear embossing powder
Simon Says Stamp stitched rectangle and circle dies
Spellbinders A2 Matting Basics A die
Verve Unto Us stamp set
Verve Reindeer Fun die set
Stampin' Up Snow Swirled stamp set

Thanks for looking!  I'll post more of the cards I've done recently soon.