ASB technique challenge #24 (faux framing)

so here's my card using "faux frame" technique for challenge #24 over at ASB (check out the how to here).

simple, cute, and i just love it!

used coluzzle oval system to cut frame out and made CB our of Wwhite CS.

used my SU "trees three" (winter mini '06-'07) for inside the frame. all inks are SU (Cchip, Mmoss, Ccelery, Oolive, Rred, Ssaffron. sentiment is also SU from the "warm words" set.

thanks for looking, have a great day!

ASB challenge # 85

happy new baby

WOW!!
this card came out incredible! i think this is def. my new fav.! you can see the sketch and challenge on "a shade of blue" here.

i got this new paper at joannes the last time i was there ("k & company") and have been wanting to use it for something just fabulous. well, it lives up to my meaning of the word!

so i used 3 pieces of the designer K & co. paper for the CB and under layers, used circle punch to do that cool inverted corner rounder punch (what's the technical name for that punch?), and used pewter brads in all four corners. distressed the edges just a bit with "old paper" distress ink. used SU "fun & fast notes" set. stamped carriage in black stazon and colored with ink & watercolor brush; pastels & blender pens; added some spots w/ white gel pen. pierced the edges of the scallops. used some ivory & light pink narrow organza under the center piece. everything is popped up with dimensionals, dimensionals, dimensionals.

i don't think i'll want to send this to anyone, at least not for awhile. i hav to show it off for a bit first!
hope you have a great night!

new stamps

in our quest for new tires today, i just HAD to stop by the stamp stores, you know, just to look =)
i got this cute fish & flower vine from a local store, "the scrappy stamper". fish is by vicki schreiner and flower is from great impressions (and i'm kicking myself for this one! great impressions has an outlet store where everything is 1/2 off, right here in town! and i didn't even check it first!!). anywho, the brown & blue paper is from a scrap pack that i got from wal*mart i think (paperbilities?).
i stamped the flowers onto white CS with versamark and heat embossed with moss green powder. when it had cooled, i used both watercolor crayons & pencils to draw around the flowers and then took my watercolor brush to it for blending. edges of blue & white are torn and rolled in, and you can't really see it that well, but there are black brads in the left corners of the white CS.
fish are stamped in black stazon on ivory CS and punched out w/ SU scallop punch. i used "old paper" distress ink on the paper to age it, then pierced the edges of the scallops.
fish are adhered w/dimensionals, so they kinda pop.

this was an interesting card to make.... as far as techniques go. it's definitely not one of my favorites or anything i'm proud of, but it was interesting to make.

black & white

quick cute card, just love black & white with a splash of color!

all papers and inks are SU. CB is black, Wwhite is also used. stamped images (pulled out all sorts of misc. flower stamps. some are SU, some michaels, some foam, some TAC) with versamark and heat embossed with detail black embossing powder. sentiment is from SU set "love matters" (winter mini '06-'07). flower is part of the silk bouquet that i bought and tore apart, put a black buton in the middle "threaded" with shards of Ppink CS. used corner rounder on all corners. added some doodling with white gel pen.

hope you have a great day! we're off to get new tires (had a flat on the way to work yesterday, and come to find out the spare was a bad tire that DH hadn't replaced yet! UGH!)

hearing aid battery tag

d'Ete started school today, going into the third grade! where has time gone? she recently got her hearing aid (2 weeks ago) and the Dr. recommended that we give a spare battery tester w/ some batteries to her teacher just in case. well, having seen the inside of some other teachers desks (don't ask, LOL!), i knew it would have to be something that stood out and wouldn't get lost amidst the turmoil. so here's what i came up with!

this is some heavy duty chipboard (when you gets packs of paper, you all save the "chipboard" from the back of the stack, right?) that i cut to size. i used some "unknown" paper w/ rubber cement to cover the board and clamped together until dry. when it was dry, i sanded the edges then ink distressed w/ SU Cchip ink. "d" is from SU set "big deal alphabet", i stamped it in Cchip & clear embossed. you can't really see it in the photo, but there is a pocket on the front. right under the hole (crop-o-dile) i notched out (circle punch) a spot for easy access to the tag that will go inside, adhered pocket w/ tacky tape.



here's the inside tag. used textured ivory CS and ink distressed w/ SU Cchip around the edges. wrote on tag w/ SU Cchip marker (back has contact info on it). i gathered up a bit of ribbons that were either pink or brown (or both) and using tacky tape across the back top, put layer after layer of different ribbons. when i had it the way i liked it, i stapled it on the front twice.







finished product! tag fit nicely into pocket, looks great! the hole in the chipboard was used to "hang", "thread" whatever you'd like to call it, the battery tester through.






so DH looks at it and says, "it's a little fancy, don't you think?"
boy did i love hearing the teachers & their aids compliment me on it when we dropped her off with it this morning! and the deep sighs and the look on his face..... ahhh, priceless!

cased card

well, i cased this card from ash @ ashleyscreativecorner (see her card here) and just love how it came out. i got the new SU set "fun & fast notes" when the new catty came out and couldn't wait to use them. i think they've been out of their drawer once, and that was just to sit on my desk for awhile so i could contemplate using them (only used once, i think).
card base is SU Bblue, background papers are from the "unknown" stack. used $1 michaels ribbon around card (both blue & brown). stamped image in stazon black onto SU Vvanilla and colored w/ SU watercolor pencils & blender pens. punched out w/ marvy scalloped ovals and decorated the edges of the vanilla oval w/ sakura gelly pen, and the edges of the Bblue w/ white gel pen.
thanks ash for the inspiration, hope you all have a wonderful day!
i'm off to work!

WOW!!

i have realized that some of us have it, others really have to try to half-way get it (i would fall into the second category). i have recently come across two ladies who have it, i mean SERIOUSLY have it! and they make it look so easy, too! these women have the most beautiful cards, they are so creative and ...well, i am just in awe of their work. a huge thanks to both of them for sharing with all of us the beauty of paper and creativity!

you have to check out these ladies blogs, you won't be sorry!

stampin with markies mom

ashleys creative corner

iris birthday

this is another stamp that came in that great box from my aunt. such character in it!
i stamped it in black stazon onto textured ivory cardstock and colored with my SU water color pencils. used blender pens to blend colors (this is a technique that i have never tried before and REALLY enjoyed! the colors really pop and look so good! they blend really well!). when it was all colored, i tore out the image and crumpled it all up. used SU Cchip to distress the edges w/ a sponge then adhered to card base (SU Mmoss). used silver hodgepodge w/ "happy" (SU retured hostess set), put "birthday" (same stamp) on bottom, ink used was SU Chip.

it is missing something..... what do you recommend?

my take on a "chunky" card

this card has been sitting on my craft table for at least 4 days. i have moved stuff around, held different ribbon up, got out several sheets of papers, then today it just clicked.
card base is black (SU), paper is from whimsy collection (TAC). ribbon & lace are both cheap-o finds from misc. thrift stores. leaves are from fake flower bouquets that i also got at the thrift store (great find! take apart all of the flowers in the bouquet and use on your cards!). i made the flowers (also using TAC papers) with my brand new sizzix die, "flower layers #3". ---that's definately the best thing about the cuttlebug, you can use different machines dies with it! both dies & brass dry embossing templates! for more info on using the cuttlebug with non-cuttlebug stuff, click here.
ANYWHO... i used my SU corner rounder punch (take off the base) for the scalloped edges, then ink distressed the edges with black ink & a sponge.
hope you like, have a great day!

home tweet home

my aunt came up from portland this week with some gifts for me. my other aunt used to be a demo for stampin' up! (back in '88) and gave all of her stamps away when she quit. well, my aunt still has a HUGE box of stamps and decided to give them to me.
this stamp is from '85 bu SU. i stamped it in black stazon and colored it several different ways. i used water color pencils w/ water color brushes and with my SU aquapainters; used pastels w/ blender pens; used water color brush w/ ink pads. after it was colored, i tore out the image and ink distressed w/ SU Cchip and sponge.
background is from my "i have no idea where it came from" stack and i used my script embossing folder w/ my cuttlebug, then sanded and adhered to card base.
it needed something else so i used hemp twine on the side and silk flowers w/ sanded pewter brad in the center. this is not usually what i'm into, but i really like the way it turned out.
enjoy and have a super day!

foundation cards

i actually didn't make these cards, well, not these specific cards.
my mother works for the local college foundation and they have
decided to "invest" in stamps & supplies to be able to send hand-
made cards to those who donate money to the foundation yearly.

they liked the cards right out of the SU catty, so we cased those.
everything but the wide ribbon on top card is SU (that ribbon is
from joann's, i had my ever-so-handy husband so it down the
middle so we could cut & pull the threads to "bunch" it up as needed.

stamp set is "heartfelt thanks", and colors used (both ink & papers)
were perfect & pale plum; always artichoke; mellow moss; so saffron;
very vanilla; and ivory.

i was able to teach the ladies several different techniques for their cards. they learned how to use the SU color spritzer; the crop-o-dile; wheels; 2 step stampin'; paper piercing; ink & paper distressing (imagine that, i taught them distressing!); and some other little cheats to save time, product & money.

home-made ribbon box

-Started the box with a "back-to-school" shoe box (they do come in handy for more than just shoe storage!). i picked the longest box (more spools fit inside), and one that has a lid that is attatched at the back (it flips up).



-since the box is so long, regular 12x12 paper wouldn't cover it. my big 'ol book of retired wallpaper from the local home improvement store really came to the rescue!







-i did squares for the sides (both top/lid & bottom) first. i used rubber cement both on the box & on the paper. to ensure that the thick paper was sticking to the box, i used my small clamps to hold paper in place while cement dried (got them4 for $1 at the local home improvement store).







-for the front & back, i used my tacky tape around the edges, rubber cement all over inside the tape and on the box. pictured here, you can see the tacky tape before and after i took off the backing (red is the backing, clear is just the tape).





-here, the wall paper is clamped to the front of the box, just to make sure that it sticks.





-i picked a similar design for the top & front top lid. i used my stazon black pad to stamp "ribbons" in paper using SU headline and big deal alphabet sets.




-for the front lid, i used both tacky tape & rubber cement on both the box & paper. clamps were used to keep paper to box while cement hardened.




-i used a ruler to map out holes in two lines, across the front of the box. i used my paper piercer to make the holes.
-to make the holes large enough for the ribbon to go through, i used a generic plastic bone folder that i found somewhere. this bone folder is like a regular bone folder on one side, on the other it's curved and got a point. it gets as wide as a ball point pen about 1 inch in.





-beginning to put spools into the box, threading the ribbons through the holes.









-final look of the ribbon box.





-in use, in it's "place".

this was a fun project, although i still have ribbon without a home (i also have 2 of the SU ribbon keepers that are full!), but there's no where left to put another box!

cased card

i found this card in the gallery on SCS. tggrfriend did a better job on hers (i just love the colors!), but i loved the card design and had to try it on for size. you can view her card here.

i am happy with how this turned out, i just wish i wouldn't have touched it so soon, i got ink on my fingers and didn't realize it until i had touched the card in different spots. oh well.

all paper (BBlue, CChip), ink (craft white), and stamps ("delight in life" -sell'a'bration 2007) are SU. ribbon is michaels or wal*mart. used white gel pen for touch-ups around the scallops. paper pierced the top & bottom.

this is definitely one that looks better IRL.

simple flower tag card

(
went through my drawer of cards that were ready to be made (due to me being over prepared for workshops), and decided to do something with the paper i had ready. since i just got (FINALLY!) the script background stamp and wanted to use that, i saw a perfect opportunity.

i'm not quite sure if i like it or not, it seems to be missing something.

stamps used are SU "in full bloom" and "french script". paper is SU old olive, so saffron, and very vanilla. water colored the flower using watercolor brush and old olive & cranberry crisp ink pads. ink distressed (imagine that!) the tag and under-layer. used small circle punch on blue, adhered to card, then used my crop-o-dile to punch a hole in it for the tag.

new punches!!

i just got my scallop punch! i just got my scallop punch! i just got my scallop punch! i just got my scallop punch! i just got my scallop punch! i just got my scallop punch! i just got my scallop punch! i just got my scallop punch! i just got my scallop punch! i just got my scallop punch! i just got my scallop punch! i just got my scallop punch! i just got my scallop punch! i just got my scallop punch! i just got my scallop punch! i just got my scallop punch!

and i'm too tired to use it. can you say "i'm disappointed in you jennifer!"? i knew you could... in the back of my tired mind, i'm saying the same thing.

sooooo, look for some upcoming, super cool, absolutely fabulous cards coming soon that somehow, someway, involve the scallop punch!

missin' my sisters....

i got the cutest card the other day from my sister in california. she had hand-drawn a chicken (it kinda looked like it was a chicken) on the front. inside the card, she told me to appreciate all of her hard work on coloring in the chicken (my sister just turned 27). so i thought i'd send her a cute little monkey (or is it a cat?) card. then i decided that both my sisters are silly and deserved little monkey (or cat) cards.
stamp is from SU, "you're neat"; card base is white cs; used cheapo cs for the pink & purple; used SU choc. chip for the torn layer underneath. background on white cs is spritzed with my SU markers & the color spritzing tool. used SU flower fest punch, crop-o-dile, and silver brads for decoration. ribbon (both) is $1 michaels specials. you can't really see it, but i mixed clear embossing powder with glitter (pink on one, lavender on the other) for the windmills.

if you don't have any sisters, i recommend you get some. they're the best friends you could ever ask for!

OMG! what a great deal!

so just in case you haven't heard, here is the latest and greatest deal for signing up to be a SU demo.

yep! a full set (your choice) of ink pads!

almost makes me wish i would have waited to sign up!

this is such a great deal!

soooooo, if you've been waiting for the right moment to get your starter kit, i think this might be it. wait for it..... yep! it is! get ahold of me to take advantage of this great offer before september 30th!

new stamps!

cased this card, well kinda. the card that i was casing had eyelets, ribbon, was sideways, under paper wasn't patterned and torn... it just kinda changed as i was going.
stamps used are from one of the new SU hostess sets, "vases in vogue". used pastels & blender pens to color the flowers and vases. background paper is from that stack of 'i dunno' stuff.
just wanted to play around with my new stamps!
hope you have a great day!

for girls, the hair is where it's at

i started this page about a week ago. then i put it down. every time i walked into the den i would glance at it, move some stuff around, put new paper under the pictures, then walk away again. it just wasn't "right". you know?! i know it must happen like that with others, it can't just be me!
any ways, i am pleased with the finished product (it looks even better without the date in bright yellow in the bottom right corner!). almost all items used are SU. background papers are from the winter mini (valentine paper); stamps are from the SU sets "office accoutrement", "big deal alpha.", "headline alpha.", and "genuine article". used choc. chip ink pad & marker for all stamps, journaling, and distressing. under paper is SU choc. chip, tempting turquoise, and pretty in pink, ribbon is also SU in same colors.
the more i look at this page, the more i think that it should have been about her forced smile, that is older but the same in every photograph. but, you know us girls. it's always all about the hair!

stayed up late last night....

so i got my new TAC catalog from laurie
and am impressed with the card examples in it.
since i haven't done much (of ANYTHING, it feels like), i went to town on casing some cards out of the catty (don't worry, i'll have a "SU" night in the future).

this top card is my favorite. i got the kiss stamp at the stamp show we went to in the spring (unmounted cheap rubber... could it get any better?); inked with versamark and silver embossed the kiss, ivory embossed the "paper" on top of kiss; card base is white CS; paper is from my "who knows" pile; ribbon is $1 michaels. this is one of the easier cards, it turned out sooo cute!


this one turned out ok... not TOO thrilled with it. argyle background stamp is SU, all papers are SU; flower stamps are from those little $1 clear michaels sets; inked stamps with SU inks then colored some in with sakura gel pens; i have no idea where i got the rhinestone, but i figured i bought them over a year ago and haven't used one. it was high time to get them out. ribbon is actually from my husbands sewing stash, he calls it 'bias tape'. is that right? no matter, it suited my needs at the time. used my sakura glitter pen to add some sparkle to some of the flowers (can't really tell).

this is another really cute and simple card. when i saw this in the catty, i figured i had this paper (thanks to laurie), i might as well make this card! super simple, super quick, super cute. card base is white, black & turquiose are SU, patterned paper is TAC; ribbon is $1 michaels; flower is from the stash that i found in a bread bag at the local thrift store; generic black button. i paper pierced the bottom left corner (it just needed something more), then added two silver brads and called it DONE!

well, like i said, i will have a SU night soon. i'm working on a scrap page right now, so we'll see. i prob. won't even get my page done for a few days! off to work, have a great one!