a book just for me!

so i keep making stuff, and loving it, and giving it away. the other day was really tough, i felt like crap, internally. you know those days you think you're not worth much? well, i had one of those. they seem to come more often the older i get. then something happened. i got a compliment. from a stranger! that meant it was unbiased and most likely, actually the truth! i decided to make myself a book to document these great little moments that seem to fade so quickly from the mind so that the next time i "have a bad day", i can pick up my book and remind myself that it's not that bad.

i got this little journal book from the $1 bin at michaels. i covered the front and back with this awesome pink and brown (LOVE IT!) paper from DCWV. leaves are from some flower arrangement that i took apart. i found other pinkish papers and ran them through my CB w/ my flower sizzix die for the flowers and topped it all off with that great big pink button. i threaded it with hemp twine to try to tie in the brown. the "j" is SU chipboard that i covered in some other pink paper and got some great ribbons to go around the top of it.

know what i love even more? the fact that my little book has a lower case "j". just the way i like my j's!

have a super night!

flower friend card

so i finally got out my new stamps (thanks SU!) and played for awhile. then i just kept playing, and playing, and, well, you get the idea.

i love this flower! i stamped it in stazon black (imagine that) and cut it out three times, and used the different layers.

recipe:
stamps- SU "time well spent", weathered, french script, and print pattern
paper- SU Mmoss & Wwhite
ink- stazon black, Mmoss, Ccelery, Oolive
accessories- color pencils, OMS, sakura gel & glitter pens, black diamond stickles

enjoy and have a great rest of the week!

thong & happy life

just a quick simple card using the new stamps that i got the other day.

CB is SU Oolive, patterned papers are DCWV. used SU scallop punch in Wwhite CS (used stickles on edges), marvy scallop punch w/ DCWV paper underneath.

isn't that sentiment just great? "i wish you a thong and happy life"?! stamps are 'custers last stamp'.

have a great rest of the week!

challenge from gabriela

okay. so every once in a while, you are hobby-ing along when the end result just amazes you. this is one of those times.

i was checking out some blogs and came across kathleen's, and she had made the cutest card for a challenge on another awesome ladies blog (Gabriela Arriaza). so i checked out the challenge, found out it's for candy (blog candy, which is almost as good, if not better, than regular candy!), and HAD to participate!

so the reason there's two pic's of the same card is the pic's just didn't do it justice! in the top photo, you can see how the glaze pen is sparkling, the dimension of the layers, and the metalics of the embossing.

in the second photo, you can see the cute beard (liquid applique) and the paper piercing on the scallop.

so the CB is SU Cchip, also used Wwhite and Bblue. patterned papers are DCWV. used silver brads, lots of punches, silver embossing powder, sakura gel pens, blender pens & SU ink, and my handy-dandy white gel pen. stamps are from SU "jolly holiday" set (winter mini '06-'07).

YEAHH!!! didn't it turn out SOOO cute?!? DH wasn't too excited, he just came back with, "so are you ready for bed yet?" and walked off. didn't hinder my excitement though, YEAH FOR CUTE SANTAS!

have a great night and happy monday!

remember when.....

so this last week i got to spend some time with my ever growing niece. she's walking around, making noises, recognizing faces, and getting big! since we live so far apart, i want to make sure that her mom (my little sis), records all those cute little things that come out of her mouth.

the journal is from SU, i painted w/ vanilla acrylic paint, then covered with DCWV designer papers (used rubber cement and clamped in place to dry). used misc. ribbons in coordinating colors. front 'memo' panel is from the SU set "office accoutrement" and is stamped in SU Eeggplant. used similar paper in my CB w/ sizzix flower die for flowers.

i was disappointed when she opened it. i had been waiting and watching so i could see her face and reaction when she saw it, and my littlest one side tracked me at just that moment. my all-time favorite part of giving gifts (especially handmade) is seeing the reaction to the gift on the face of the receiver, and i missed it in this occasion. oh well, she like it!

have a great night!

punch pals stamp-a-stack cards

i have my first holiday stamp-a-stack scheduled for this week. for this one, i'm going to be using punches, and what better set to go with punches? punch pals from SU!

all supplies for both cards are SU. papers are Bblue, black, and Wwhite. inks are Bblue and black stazon (i think i use stazon with everything!). used ink pad and blender pens to color the tree and penguin.

punches used were scallop, 1 1/4" and 1/2" circle, and both small and regular tag punches.

almost everything on both cards are popped up with dimensionals, i just love that look!

to make sure that she gets credit, i cased this second card (z fold) from palmettostate on SCS. you can see her card here.

have a great night! (christmas went well, by the way! now that she has her gift, i can post it! i guess i'll have two posts for today!)

glitter and scallops and stripes, oh my!

wanted to do some fun cards, love those scallop punches, and had some new glitter to try out. so here we are!

fish is a stamp that i bought at a stamp show from the "10 for $1" un-
mounted bucket, have never used. stamped him in SU ink, Bblue. went
over his fins w/ sakura glue pen, then added blue glitter.

paper is DCWV (stack 5), ribbon is $1 michaels ribbon. added black
sparkled "stickles" to the outter edge of the inner scallop.




paper for the penguin card is from DCWV "winter mat stack".
penguin is from "great impressions" and is stamped in stazon black. used liquid applique under him for the 'snow'. colored him w/ pastels & blender pens. used blue sakura gel pen around outter edges of inner scallop, and clear glitter stickles around outter edge of outter scallop. ribbon is another $1 michaels find.

simple & sweet! i've spent too much time playing... i have a stamp a stack next week that i have yet to prepare for! AHHH!

thanksgiving greetings

so i started this card with that "amuse" card in mind. you know the one w/ the light pink background, and they faux framed bunnies in the circles then brayered over in dark pink? but like most things that i use for inspiration, it came out almost completely different.

used coluzzle to make circles (both faux frame & stamping template for leaf placement). stamped leaf ("sarah beise" stamps) in SU inks (used Ccrisp, Ppie, Cchip, Ssun, and Oolive), colored w/ blender pens. used stipple brush w/ both Ssaffron & Oolive inks for background color. used sakura glitter pen on the leaf veins.

stamped "happy thanksgiving" (hero arts) in Cchip on Wwhite and ink distressed edges w/ Ssaffron then used stipple brush in it. got the leaf from the thrift store (nothing like getting a nice big bag of something you know you'll use some day, for only $0.69!). 'tied' it all together with hemp twine.

started out hoping it would be super cool, mid way through was disappointed, am mildly happy with the final piece. once again, though, it has filled a need.

happy thanksgiving!

what great paper!

paper for this is from the k & company "classic K mckenna mat pad". stamped flower vase (SU level 3 hostess set, "vases in vogue") in stazon black on a piece of scrap paper, colored w/ blender pen & pastels, then cut out and set aside. stamped flower in Oolive on Wwhite, and again in Ccrisp on a scrap paper, colored the flowers w/ pastels & blender pen, cut out flowers and used dimensionals to adhere to image on Wwhite. stamped table (denami design) in stazon black. used dimensionals to adhere vase.

to distress the Wwhite, i used lemon juice w/ a small paint brush on the edges of the CS then heated w/ heat gun.

i might have one more quick one in me for today, not quite sure. we just went and got our christmas tree today (we're celebrating saturday w/ my sister from hawaii and i refuse to have presents w/o a tree!) and the girls are just dying to get it decorated. won't get any stamping done tomorrow (turkey day), have to follow up on work friday, saturday is "christmas".... i might not give you anything else till next week!

well, hope you all have a great rest of the day and week!
happy thanksgiving!

simple stationary

for a christmas gift, i made a very simple, yet elegant stationary set using the SU set, "carte postal". i just love this set, it's so beautiful!

CB is Vvanilla, used Ccaramel for front panel. inks are Cchip and Oolive (stamped off first). that's pretty much it... i said it was simple!

have a great day!

cracked glass christmas card

i did this card for a workshop last week and forgot to add it here!

this is a very basic card that focuses on the "cracked glass" technique.

i used SU CS Ccrisp, Oolive, and Wwhite. inks are Oolive & Cchip. used scallop punch for sentiment. colored images w/ blender pen & pastels. added some dazzling diamonds to the snowmans hat, snow-
ball, and the ground under them. and now for the technique:

step 1: stamp your images, color if wanted.
step 2: using versamark pad, cover entire area with clear embossing ink (i used the direct to paper method -paper on table, ink pad upside down all over paper)
step 3: cover area w/ clear embossing powder and heat until melted. be very careful not to over heat!
step 4: repeat steps 2 & 3 three or four times, or until desired effect.
step 5: place project in freezer (not necessary, but it speeds up the cooling process) for about 5 minutes.
step 6: upon taking image out of freezer, bend & crack it!

well, if this isn't a technique that you've tried yet, give it a shot! i do not, however, recommend this at a workshop, the more people you have, the less likely you'll go home with any embossing powder left! i didn't!

have a great day!

super bella fun card (SCS SC150)

i got my first (and unfortunately, only) bella stamp a couple of weeks ago and haven't had a chance to play with it until now. thank god for vacations!!

started this for challenge 150 on SCS, it went a little ary though... and i kinda went a little "jennifer" on this card (i over-did it just a bit. some say that my cards look like parts of the craft store threw up all over them. i beg to differ.) i really like the funky-chunky layered look, coordinating papers, both card stock and patterned, and if it's a girly card, it's got to have flowers!

as with almost everything else, i ink distressed all papers. used my SU color spritzer tool on the card base. used cuttlebug swirl embossing folder on the striped paper then sanded. used watercolor pencils w/ blender pens on her. you can't see it very well, but used my sakura glitter pen on her cape and the "S" on her shirt.

well, think that's it for today; good thing there's tomorrow!
have a great night!

watery greetings

i've had all these fishy and ocean related un-mounted stamps for
what feels like ever, and this is the first i've used them. this is only a card front, knew i wasn't going to do anything with this, just wanted to do some playing around with the stamps and my new brayer.

this didn't turn out that cute, and it's totally not my style, but i enjoyed the process! used SU Wwhite CS and started with the dolphin and fish, then did the
wave. masked all the fish & the dolphin then used the stipple
brush w/ Bblue ink on top of CS. went to Ssage on top of wave,
then Tw/teal in middle of "ocean", and last but not least, went
with NQNavy on the floor.

colored the fish & dolphin w/ aqua painters & ink pads. used white gel pen to add some "foam" to the top of the wave and the little splashes around the bottom of the dolphin.

if anything, the end result reminded me that a hobby is not something you do to impress someone else, it is something you do to fill an inner need. my need has been filled... temporarily. =)

have a great rest of the week!

sisterhood of the blogging stampers- 2

a little 'getting to know you' fact. huh....

almost all my life i thought i was only good at two things, decorating cakes (not very good at it, but when you're horrible at everything else...) and wrapping presents (i LOVE to wrap presents!). then i met someone. she was a scrapbooker. and i was hooked! that was august 2006. i've been an SU demo since september 2006 and just keep loving every minute of it!

i learned to snowboard last winter, SUPER fun!! -except when i thought i broke my butt. i play softball and coach my daughters little league team. i try to work out twice per week with my mom, and once with my dad. i talk to both my best friends (both my sisters) at least three times per week, and if i don't, it's obviously their fault! =)

i manage a restaurant and have been working with food for over 13 years. i love food!

i've got two great little girls, they are such a kick to be around! between you and me, i am going to give them anti-aging medicine. anything to keep them little! i've been a wife for 3 years, i think. it all kinda runs together... we've been together for almost 10 years.

well, other than all that, i'm a pretty up-beat, energetic and hyper person! i get excited easily and love it when others are excited too!

coluzzle christmas card

isn't that little penguin just too cute? he's from the SU set "punch pals". that's a great set, by the way! this card was inspiration from markies mom
she has a great blog, LOTS of way cute stuff. if you haven't checked her out, it's a must to do so!

everything on this card is SU. it's not often that i do that anymore, but i'm looking for something to do for a stamp-a-stack in the next few weeks. CS is Wwhite, last years in color Ccrisp, and Oolive. inks are craft white, Oolive, and Ccrisp. used scallop punch and hemp twine. colored the penguin with blender pens & pastels. used dimensionals everywhere!


well, that's about it for tonight... i am on vacation though! that means that you just might get a few more projects in the next week or so! my little sis (*wink*) is coming to visit later this week so i have to get my stamping fix from the last few weeks caught up before then so i can give her my absolute undivided attention! unless she wants to make some holiday cards with me while she's here.....

have a great rest of the week!

faux frame technique / fall card

i just love this SU set "(trees three", from winter mini '06-'07) with this technique! thanksgiving is almost here and i need to get some cards in the mail (yeah, right -for those that know me well). all CS & inks are SU.

faux framing:

step 1: cut out desired frame (i used "coluzzle" oval template on a piece of scratch paper), remember, you don't want the cut out, you want the 'frame'.

step 2: use double stick tape to adhere 'frame' over card base. you can also use a couple of paper clips, one on each side.

step 3: start stamping! this is a great technique for snowflakes, trees & leaves, pictures of people or animals.

step 4: when finished stamping "inside the frame", take frame off card base and finish card. add embellishments, layers, whatever is missing!

have fun with this, i sure did! have a great week!

brayering technique / favorite snowflake card

i learned a new technique and had to try it out. this technique kinda combines emboss resist and layering using a brayer, i'll go into detail about this technique in just a minute. i found the snowflake stamps (cube stamp w/ 4 sides) for $1 at michaels. used SU Bblue, Wwhite, and Bblack CS, and SU Bblue & NQnavy inks. ribbon is also a $1 michaels find. so now on to this cool new technique..............


step one: heat emboss images (bold images are best, i used versamark ink and embossed w/ glassy powder).

step 2: ink your brayer w/ a the lightest color of ink that you want on your card and bray your cardstock. (wipe off excess ink with a tissue)

step 3: use a sticky note to cover portions of your paper (i used large circle punch w/ my sticky notes in 3 spots, and very small circle punch in 3 spots). if you don't have circle punches, the "coluzzle" system works well, too!

step 4: ink your brayer with a darker ink and bray your cardstock.

step 5: remove sticky notes and look what you've got!

*you can repeat steps three & four many times, progressing towards darker inks.

hope you all have a great week and give this new one a try! when you do try it, let me know how they turn out! have fun!

i've been tagged

i was tagged by laurie unger (visit her blog here)

Here we go....


1. If you could have 100.00 worth of scrapbook paper or assorted embellishments, which would you choose? embellishments! i always feel that pang of, "if i only had..."

2. If you had to choose between using only stamps or ribbons, which would you choose? stamps. definitely stamps.

3. If you knew how to do both awesome cards and layouts but could only do one for a whole year…which would you do? layouts. i have some serious catching up to do!

4. Would you rather own a scrap booking store or have your own scrapping room at home? well, how technical are we being? i would love my own room, but without the before mentioned $100 in embellishments, feel like i wouldn't be able to fill it. plus, if i had my own store, would i have to work it or pay someone to work it? becuase either way, it wouldn't make a profit with me taking stuff from it all the time.

5. What is your CURRENT card making or scrapping style? eclectic, shabby, i'm a firm believer of more is better!

Here are the rules…………..Please answer the questions on your blog and tag 5 more people to answer the same questions……….make sure you list on your blog who you are tagging….

laurie, i have no-one to tag!! so here's my answers, and i tag anyone who comments on this!

have a great week!

card candy (hostess gift)

have you seen all the hype of "card candy"? i have and i thought
i'd try my hand at it.

"card candy" is generally embellishments that are either almost or
fully card ready. i chose almost ready.

for my candy, i chose to use the SU set "it's snow time". i stamped
all images in stazon black so i could color them without the ink
bleeding on the images. i used three of every image and colored,
glittered, and roughly cut out for my hostess to use later.

to add to the amount of candy that i had so far, i used my SU
scallop circle punch to punch out some back grounds, and my SU
tag punch. for the tags, i used several different colors of SU CS and used crop-o-dile to punch hole in the top and kept them all together by stringing some hemp twine through them.

to house all the candy, i wen to the local $1 store and found this
little metal bucket that i covered in SU designer series paper
(using red strip tape). embellished the handles with SU ribbon,
and ran ribbon around the bottom of the pail also. i got out
all my left-overs and picked out christmasy colors to make a
paper salad out of to go into the bucket behind the candy.

my hostess loved it, it looks good, and now she's got a head start
on her christmas cards this year!

hope everyone has a great rest of the week! happy stamping!

happy birthday card

well, better late than never, right?! this is for my newest (the second and last) brother-in-law (his birthday was in mid-october. it wasn't bad enough that he's so new, none of us knew when his birthday was, but when i found out, i made and kept the card!).

this card is one of my newest favorites! <---i think i say this about 90% of the cards that i make. i can't help it, i finally have some self confidence in my hobby!

i'm really not sure quite how long this card took to make as it was one of those that i started, walked away from, came back to, left again, worked a bit on it, then had to go some where, then came back to it and finished it. kinda hard to guestimate the completion time of a project like this.

CB is WW, used SU solid CS and DCWV patterned paper (ran patterned stripe paper through cuttlebug w/ swirl dry embossing folder, then sanded). all paper is ink distressed (NQNavy). Cake is a cuttlebug die, star is from michaels, used oval scallop punches, and circle punch for corners. used lots & lots of dimensionals.

i'll mail it tomorrow... wait, i think i've said that before... man is my sister going to be upset! but then again, she is my sister. she should totally know from past experiences that it takes me FOREVER to mail cards out!

Have a great weekend!