SC152 And Hannah

So, last night after my blog post I did take a little detour and went to bed really satisfied with myself, my card? it just felt good to play for awhile and I liked what I came up with.

I have a friend that I had this card in mind for and actually took it to her this morning. She loved it.

I haven't done a sketch challenge in ages and have really missed them. The Hannah images are big enough I thought she'd work out nicely using SC152 and I was right. My card size is an A6 and I think the sketch challenges are made for the A2 size cards. I like the bigger palette to work with. I remember back to a time when I couldn't cover that much space! I can now...

I've worked on Christmas cards today and this batch of 40 is progressing nicely. I stopped and took a break when the kids got out of school. We visited our local scrapbook store, today was it's last day in operation. I'm sorry to say it's just a memory now. The town I live in is pretty small so supporting a scrapbook store didn't work out.

I did buy some georgous Basic Grey Stella Ruby paper for 75% off that will be fun to use for classes. I picked up some spools of ribbon and other odds and ends too. I spent my twenty bucks wisely! Supply List: Stamps by Hannah, Paper - White, Confetti White, Nut Brown, Stampin' Up! retired designer paper. Ink - Noir Black, Basic Brown, Accessories - Copic markers, Copic Spica glitter markers, Primas, Brad.

I've never done paper piecing before, it's really fun! Her dress and 2 of the bags are the Stampin' Up! retired designer paper. Funny how you keep something like that around for years not knowing what to use it for and then...

We are getting rain here this evening, it's a "winter" storm for us. The high tomorrow is supposed to be 61 degrees, brrrr. Sounds silly, I know.

Have a great weekend, I'll be back with you soon.

A friend wanted red, white and blue themed Christmas cards to go with her office and keep it simple was the last thing she said. Ah... me simple (grin), simple becomes difficult when you have to think about it! As far as I'm concerned anyway~

Simplicity is nice for mass production though and that's the next step with these. She's seen 'em, liked 'em, we corrected my spelling and I'm off to work again. Supply List: Stamps - Cornish Heritage Farms stamp of the month Nov., Inkadinkado Merry Christmas, Ink - Palette Noir, Paper - White, Navy, Red Light, Accessories - Spellbinders Scalloped Rectangle Die, Cuttlebug Swirl Embossing Folder, Copic Markers, Copic Spica Glitter Markers.

I've worked hard today! I think I'm going to take a little detour tonight and play with my new Hannah stamps that arrived in the mail today!! Oh boy!

A Mid Afternoon Blog Post~

Wow, I feel like it's been a long time since I've been here with you. I've been busy making Christmas cards and everything I'm working on you've seen before so I've just kept on working.

Today's card isn't a new one for me but it will be for you. I bought this "set" last year from Touche rubber stamps after Christmas and made up some cards. One of my girl friends saw the cards and wanted some for her Christmas cards so that's what I've been doing.

I'm waiting for the UPS man to deliver my Stampin' Up! order so I have the designer paper I need for the batch of cards I'm working on and I have about a half an hour before school is out so I thought I'd sneek on here real quick! I stamped the snowman with Stampin' Up! White Craft Ink and poured a mixture of White embossing powder and glitter on the image and heat embossed it. I didn't have Hologram Highlights embossing powder so I made my own.

The snowflakes and This Christmas verse are stamped in Night of Navy Classic Ink by Stampin' Up!, the card stock used is White, Navy and Sky Blue light from thepapermill.com. White grossgrain ribbon from Ribbons and Bows Oh My! Stamps used are Stampin' Up! Snow Flurries, all others by Touche rubber stamps.

Have a great day and happy stampin'

Folded Christmas Tree Tutorial

I'm back with the Folded Christmas tree tutorial. I've never done this before so I hope it all makes sense. The best way for me to learn how to do something is by someone showing me and you might be the same, so here goes! The supplies needed to make this project are very basic. A 12 x 12 sheet of designer paper, the single sided works best because the thinner the paper the easier it is to fold. Especially the smallest square! You'll need your paper trimmer, a bone folder helps and an adhesive of your choice.
The next step is to cut your squares. The first square is 3"x3", the second square is 2 1/2"x2 1/2", the third square is 2"x2", and the forth square is 1 1/2"x1 1/2".
Now we get to the folding part.
I've drawn pictures for you because it was hard to see the fold lines on my patterned paper.

The first in the series of pictures is folding your square in half and creasing it.

The next picture is folding your square in half again in the other direction and creasing it.

The next picture shows folding the square from corner to corner each way and creasing it.

The next step is to fold the square in half after you've done all that.

Now, you will fold it to look like the first triangle shape pictured by pushing the top left and right outside corners toward the bottom center. You'll end up with a triangle, a puffy triangle.
Next you'll take the top section of this triange and fold it in to meet the center scored line and do the same with the opposite front side so it looks like the one in the center of the picture above.
You now have a "tree part". Fold the other 3 squares just like the first one and you can build your tree from the bottom up by stacking them one on top of the next, largest to smallest. Stick your tree together with the adhesive of your choice. I used a scrap of brown paper for the trunk of my tree, you can see my finished tree card pictured below.

The first Stampin' Up! background stamp I ever saw was Holiday Print, I loved it! It took me a long time to buy it and I haven't used it much. Retired as it is... The tree is from our tutorial of course, the star on top is from a package of star shaped sequins I have and I added "Christmas Stickles" to it because I was curious to see what it would look like. The Merry Christmas stamp is from Inkadinkado, my papers are White, Garden Green, Nut Brown, ThePaperMill.com Red Light and the patterned paper is by Frances Meyer. I had to unfold part of the tree to find that out!
Now... how about if you try the tree folding tutorial you post a comment with a link in my comments section so I can see yours too. Audience participation time!
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday, we had dinner out on the patio. If you know me you know I don't want to clean off my kitchen table! My kitchen is my stamping room. Besides, we're in Arizona and the high was in the 80's yesterday. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving too!

Amazing!

That's what I'm thinking about you today! Wow, my blog is in it's 6th month with this being my one hundred fifty first post and I'm just over 7000 visitors. It just amazes me that people check out what I'm doing, the comments are pretty cool too!

I made something with a friend of mine yesterday that he posted on his blog and linked to mine today, it's a fund raising poster for a mission trip he takes to Myanmar every year. And then of course I get to make his Scrap Books of the trips. It's almost as good a being there! You can check out his blog HERE. I have a card for you today that I made last year. My upline asked me if I'd make the pattern for her and I kept forgetting and finally got that done and delivered to her yesterday too. We learned how to fold these Christmas trees last year when Paula visited us.

I thought it might be neat to do a tutorial on this if anyone was interested. Leave me a comment and let me know.

And... I'm done with those 200 Christmas cards I've been working on, they are 'outta here and I'm so glad! I have more Christmas cards to make and there will be a good variety from here on in I'm happy to say!

Here's Sprinkle Again! Been Good?

Sorry I've been missing, life seems to be in fast forward again and I think I'm trying to come down with something too. Which of course is terrible timing since I'm cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner and have about 10 people invited to join us. It will all work out the way it's supposed to I'm sure.

I posted this same card on November 3rd with the Christmas tree from Stampin' Up! Season Of Joy as the focal image. I started thinking about it and thought Sprinkle from The Cat's Pajama's would be perfect for this "sketch" so I changed my card. I used my Copic markers and Copic Spica Glitter markers to color the image. You can see the details for the entire card in the previous post if you'd like by clicking the date above.

I also wanted to say my friend really liked the altered band aid box, I gave it to her Friday evening.

Have a great Thanksgiving if I don't get back here before then!

Continued...

I've been working on a Christmas card order for the last two days and desparately needed to make something "new".

I decided I should finish the altered band aid box and had some idea of what I wanted to do next. I pulled out my boxes of stamps that have friendship verses and bible verses in them and went to work.

I cut several small cards to fit in the box and rounded the corners then I stamped a friendship verse on one side in Basic Brown and a bible verse that fit the sentiment on the other side. That was easier to do than I thought it might be.

Next I used the swirl from Season Of Joy and stamped it on each card using Brilliance Pearlescent Jade ink, then again with Creamy Carmel and the flower from Seeing Spots in Cranberry Crisp.

I was going for an aged look so I pulled out my Stampin' Up! Linen background stamp and inked it up with Sahara Sand and stamped each of the cards front and back. I next took a sponge and Creamy Carmel ink pad and sponged around the edges of each card front and back. Ah, now we're gettin' there!

Next I scored a couple scraps of Confetti Tan, Jade, and Nut Brown card stock and punched them with the Stampin' Up! Round Tab punch and attached them randomly to the tops of my finished cards. I really like the way this project turned out and I can't wait to give it to my friend!

Happy stampin'!

Do you ever wonder if ???

Hi, my name's Jan and have this "thing" about boxes... I attend Celebrate Recovery every Friday night at our church, maybe I should start staying for the small group meetings and talk about this. My Mom saved boxes too so maybe it's a heriditary disorder? The boxes she saved seemed different though, hers were bigger and more practicle, you know, not the band aid boxes. Oh my, yes she did! They were made out of metal, or was that me? Or do you think it's more like this~ You know you're a stamper when... empty containers catch your eye and right away your mind goes to work altering them and making them into something fun!

That's what happened to me this morning after I used the last band aid in this box. I was about to throw it away and thought gee, wow, I could... hmmm, oh ya that would be cool. I gotta go do that!

I knew I had one more sheet of Basic Grey Blush and some scraps from the companion papers and that's what my mind had wrapped around the box. I used my ScorIt to score the paper to go around every corner for a nice fit. I like the "belly band" look so I had to add one and some dotted organdy ribbon in chocolate. I absoulutely love my All Holiday's stamp set by Stampin' Up! and this stamp was the main selling point to me so I used it. And, it had to have a flower so I pulled out my flowers and layered several together and found a cute brad to hold it all together.

I just realized I missed an opportunity to use my Build A Brad by Stampin' Up!, oops. Next time?

I have a friend in mind to give this to, I think she's having a moment and needs a lift. My plan today was to print out neat quotes and bible verses to encourage her, decorate them and fill it up. When I started that part my printer wasn't working the way it usually does, guess who's out of black ink? One of life's minor difficulties when you live out in the middle of NO WHERE! I promptly ordered some from Sam's Club and got a shipment confirmation a little while ago. I'll be back in business soon.

Check out that naked band aid box! Just think, it could be in the garbage right now waiting for the trash man to come by tomorrow.

I spent some time outside today too. The weather is beautiful right now and my trees need to be trimmed so I worked on that for awhile too. Back to stamping for me now!

Have a great day!

All Occasion Treat Box

As promised, one of Paula's All Occasion Treat Boxes finished! I made this one, the kids are in bed and their treat boxes went with them. That's a good thing, it means they liked them.

It was a beautiful day here after the rain last night. I don't have much to tell about as I've been cleaning and making Christmas cards today.

A very enjoyable day, hope yours is too!

Making All Occasion Treat Boxes

Today's pictures are of my kids making Paula's All Occasion Treat Boxes. Could this be a tutorial? Probably not today but who knows about the future? Michael and Jenny spent the weekend with their grandparents, when they returned home today of course they noticed our kitchen table littered with boxes and purses and stuff I'd made and they loved them. After dinner we got busy and made a couple.

Would you look at that cat keeping an eye on what's going on! I didn't notice her until I saw the picture on my computer screen.

This was their first experience setting eyelets and they did really well for being six and seven years old. Funny how we take so many things for granted. Mikey started out using the hammer left handed, scissors too. Once he discovered he's actually right handed the tools worked great!
You won't believe what they said to me when I told them I'd show them how to set eyelets! Oh Mom, we already know how to do that, we've watched you... Future crafters here we come!
Michael is pulling the ribbon through the eyelets and tying the ribbon in knots to finish the sides. The knot tying was tricky for him but with practice he did real well.
The last picture is of Jenny, she's putting her eyelets in the paper. She let her brother go first so when it was her turn she already knew what to do. Hmmm, sounds a bit like her mother!

Would you believe I couldn't get one more picture to download? I guess you'll have to stop back tomorrow to see a finished treat box. I didn't get a descent picture of the kids with theirs but I did get a good picture of one "holding still".

I remember being a little girl and my Mom teaching me how to sew. She'd be right there with me pinning and having me sew. We spent countless hours together making things, she was an awesome seamstress. We'd even get together at her house after I was grown up and sew together. She's gone now but each time I sew and make clothes or something fun for my kids I remember her and I'm always blessed by what she taught me and the hours of pleasure that gift still brings to me.

We are getting a gentle rain right now. This is what we've been waiting for to cool our weather down, it was supposed to be 93 for a high today. Yippee! I planted my winter grass not too long ago and this rain will bring it in for me.

Have a great day!

What a fun day we've had!!

Are you ready for some pictures today?! I hope so... Remember that Shop Till U Drop event I was supposed to be at today? Uhh, I had a better offer and changed my plans! I got a phone call from one of my Stampin' Up! demonstrator friends telling me we were invited to Camille's house Saturday, Paula was coming to visit! Cool, I'm in! Paula is a Stampin' Up! demonstrator from California who vacations in Lake Havasu for about 10 days each year and when she's here she invites us to spend a day with her. It's too fun! The first picture of is of me starting our first project. It's an All Occasion Treat Box, Paula loves to make boxes and taught us to make several today.

I'm sitting there looking confused because Judy (my upline and dear friend) had handed me her cutter and it was like trying to use something totally foriegn that I'd never seen before. I'm used to the big guillotine cutter at home and this was one of those that the blade slides back and forth to cut and is about 5 inches wide. Ah, what do I do with this?!

This next picture is Paula showing Dagmar and Camille how to make something with one of the Stampin' Up! punches.

We were all totally involved absorbing and learning everything Paula had to show us. I can't believe we spent 6 hours together, it went so fast. Whew, Creative overload! This little purse is one of the projects we made with Paula today. It uses a 12 x 12 sheet of double sided designer paper. She told us she found it on Jenn Diercks blog.
I wanted to show all the angles of the purse, it will make a cute gift bag for little things.
It's decorative and functional! I wish you could see more of the paper inside, the other side of this paper is really pretty. Oh well, the paper is called Spring Flowers and is retired. I haven't bought any paper in the new almost old now catalog yet because I feel "designer paper challenged". After today I think I can do this!

Been Good?

This is a card I made Tuesday after the class I taught, I had a couple of "kits" left over so I decided to play a little. I think Sprinkle the cat is so cute!

I spent a few hours today out getting Christmas card orders after our Thursday morning Women's Bible Study. I made it home just in time to meet the kids after school and get to work!

Supply List: Stamps - The Cat's Pajama's, Paper - Forest Light, Forest Dark, White, Stampin' Up! Dashing designer paper, Ink - Palette Noir, Real Red, Accessories - Red Grossgrain ribbon, Spellbinders Scalloped Rectangle, Copic and Copic Spica glitter markers.

Oh! I have a question from Diane in my comments I need to answer:

Did you ever come across snowmobiles or 4 wheeler stamps,I would really like to get some but I've never seen any. If so,please let me know where,thanks.

I think I saw them in the Close To My Heart catalog. You'll need to call or e mail your CTMH consultant and see what she has for you. (Are Stampin' Up! demonstrator's supposed to say stuff like that?!) Off to Stampin' Up! jail I go.

Have a great day!

This is a Christmas card I made yesterday afternoon. I'd never tried Liquid Applique before, fun stuff!

I have an order for some Thank You cards from an auto care business and this one specializes in Jeep's, I was quick to notice that and thought, Cool! I have the perfect Christmas stamp for you!

I colored the image with my Copic markers and used Liquid Applique for the snow. My cardstock is Forest Dark and Red Light, patterned paper is Stampin' Up! Dashing designer paper. I bet you aren't surprised about that! The Merry Christmas sentiment is from Stampin' Up! Season of Joy, I masked off the dots under it so I wouldn't get ink on them and the book plate is a Sizzix die, a couple of red brads and I was done.

I'm very pleased with the way it turned out and can even claim it as SCS Sketch Challenge 147!

Stampin' Up! Dashing Designer Paper & Season Of Joy

It's been a busy day here. I was able to go to Lake Havasu with girl friends today and do "quickie cards" at the LSS, stop by and see a man about a card making job, get home with time to spare before the kids were out of school and actually do a little real "work" too.

I don't have a completed project to show you today so I thought this card from Beate's weekend sketch challenge would be nice to share. My challenge cards are usually late but that's okay...

I'm still finding ways to use the Dashing Designer paper from Stampin' Up! along with the Season Of Joy stamp set. I really like this stamp set for some reason! I've used every stamp in it but one so far. I also used Circle of Friendship for the sentiment on this card.

Gotta go prep for a class in the morning! I hope you have a great day!

'Tis The Season... C.A.S.E.ing and the Internet~

I tried to do a blog post the other night and couldn't upload my photos, I wasn't too upset by it, I just went back to what I was doing instead... making cards. =) Everything seems to be working fine this morning!

I've been busy working on Christmas card orders. Above is a picture of my kitchen table with 100 cards in the process for my card making job for Lane's Align and Auto Care. There are some others behind it I'm working on getting ready for a Shop Till U Drop event in Lake Havasu City at Calvary Baptist Church this Saturday from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and I'm also teaching some classes at home on Tuesday mornings so I need to keep up with that too! Pictured above is Lane's Christmas card this year. I'm half way there with this order! The main image stamp I used here is made by Stampendous and the bible verse is made by Biblical Impressions.

I used Stampin' Up! glossy card stock and brayered bliss blue onto it before I stamped the 3 Kings image in Palette Noir. The light blue card stock is made by thepapermill.com and is called Ocean Blue Light and the base of the card is Via Vellum Black. I needed to find 1000 mini brads for this project and as you can see I was successful! The price was decent too, thank heaven!

My last card today is a CASE, I was blog browsing yesterday morning and saw this on Jana Weaver's blog and thought WOW! that's georgous. So before I did anything else I had to make one too. If you click on Jana's name it will take you to her blog so you can see the original.

I have another idea I can't wait to try with this card sketch and the same paper. I'll post it when I've gotten it done!! I forgot to mention this is a sketch by Julee Tillman over at Poetic Artistry, she calls them Mojo Monday and this is week 9's.

I've been playing with the Stampin' Up! Dashing designer papers and I'm determinded to use the whole package. Maybe a few more if I get in on Stampin' Up!s buy 3 get 1 free promotion on their designer papers.