Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Perfectly Plum Lilacs


I think I can count on one hand the number of times I have used these plum colors. But when I saw the new In Color chart from SU, it paired these colors with the new Kiwi Kiss ...and I had to admit I thought it was pretty and I had this idea to color these lovely Lilacs from Flourishes and combine the colors together. I've had it colored for a couple of weeks, but was just waiting for the right sketch to use it. So the sketch challenge over at Splitcoast today was a good fit.
I made my own *background* papers on the two plums with stamps from the sets. I have to say that's one really nice thing about Flourishes sets, they give you a lot of nice variety in each set to use. This set alone has 13 stamps. The plum sections are also sponged on the edges to give it more definition too.
I colored my Pretties flowers with markers and gave it a pretty tailored bow.
Watercoloring is done with a mixture of reinkers, and Stampin Write Markers on watercolor paper. I've also added a few touches of glitter to give it some shimmer it shows a little bit better in the close up below, but in real life its really shimmery :)
Hope you're having a lovely day. It's nice a cool here today. I put on jeans! It's actually really a nice change in the weather for a few days. I love wearing jeans :) my wardrobe of choice! Good thing my job is a jeans kind of job!

Recipe: Stamps: Flourishes - Lilac Ink: Black Stazon, Perfect Plum Pale Plum, Kiwi Kiss Paper: Bella DSP, Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Kiwi Kiss, Watercolor Accessories: SW Markers, Piercer, Aqua Painter, Scallop Edge Punch, Dimensionals, Pretties Kit, Glue Dots, 2 Way Glue Pen, Glitter, White Taffeta Ribbon

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

So Much Fun! Club Projects

I taught my monthly stamp club at my place last night and it was so fun! You girls are great to create for and with! And the snacks were SO yummy too!


We did an All New SU! night with the new In Colors and new stamps.


Here are the 4 projects we did.





Bella's Box: This project is almost a complete case of my talented friend Laurie Schmidlin's Tutorial at SCS on a 3 x 3 box and matching cards. I only adjusted some DSP as I was getting down to my last bits in order to make the project work. I thought it was so darling and the girls loved it too. Seriously is that Kiwi Satin Ribbon not gorgeous???







Bella's 3 x 3 cards: Here we used Bella's blooms to make 3 note cards for the box. Simple yet adorable, it gave everyone a good chance to practise with the scallop edge punch on the DP.





Beautiful Borders: I hadn't used Tangerine Tango at all and then this idea popped into my head somwhat similar to the design I did yesterday with this set, but it has a different feel especially with the layered sentiment and the use of the Felt Fusion Too flowers (I'm so glad we have chocolate ones!). I really am liking how this set looks embossed. And it goes so nice with Floral Background too!

Here's a nice close-up of the embossing and sentiment detail. I really think I will get a lot of use out of this set.






Passionate Silhouettes: This was the showstopper for everyone. They loved the look of how this card came out. It takes some very patient cutting, but wow those colors! And I was the one who didn't like Baja Breeze at first I thought it was too *dusky*...but paired with the right colors...especially Basic Gray...WOW.






The grass is overstamped on the DP and I really like the addition of the glitter on the blooms (w/ a Two Way Glue pen). I think it really makes the card a bigger WOW!

Recipes:

Box & Cards: Stamps: Bella's Bloom Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Pink Pirhouette, Riding Hood Red Paper: Pink Pirhouette, Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss, Bella DSP, Whisper White Accessories: Large Oval Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Sticky Tape, Kiwi Satin Ribbon, Dimensionals, Pink Brads, 5/8 Striped Grosgrain Ribbon

Beautiful Borders: Stamps: Beautiful Borders, Floral Background Ink: VersaMark, Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip Paper: Tangerine Tango, Very Vanilla, Chocolate chip Accessories: Clear EP, Wide Grosgrain Ribbon, Felt Fusion Too, Desiger Label Punch, 3/8 Circle Punch, Oval Punch

Passionate Flowers: Stamps: Inspired By Nature Ink: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Basic Gray Paper: Not Quite Navy, Basic Gray, Urban Garden DSP, Whisper White Access: Glitter, 2 Way Glue Pen, Taffeta Ribbon, Key Tab Punch, Rectangle Slit Punch, Ice Rhinestone Brads

Monday, August 25, 2008

Toonie Tuesday...all SU!

Here's my weekly round of Toonie Tuesday...and I finally had a little time to do a little inking of some new SU rubbah!!!


Sample One: Beautiful Roses



I thought this new set *Eastern Influences* was just SO classy that I loved it right when I opened the catalogue. And because I love coloring I knew it was a nice combination of stamps for that purpose - or to use without coloring...or to emboss...the possibilities are endless. Emily's color challenge this week is Rose Red, Kraft and Basic Black and the rich boldness of it with the soft Kraft color had me thinking more Asian inspired too.


Here I stamped the birds on the background layer, and over-stamped the birds on the patterned layer. The main image is stamped with Stazon on Kraft, the leaves colored in with a white Prismacolor pencil. The Roses and buds are stamped on watercolor paper and then watercolored with SW markers, cut out and popped up on glue dots. I really love how it looks. Especially with the slight contrast of the white on the Kraft. Asian style to me has a lovely boxy feel so the sentiment is boxed and centered over the satin ribbon. Brads asymetrically placed for accent. Here's more of a close up of the main image.



Sample Two: Beautiful Borders Sympathy





It is difficult for me to write about why I made this card. On Monday I was at a funeral of the husband of one of our elementary school teachers. He passed away suddenly of a heart attack at age 48. He leaves behind two young daughters just older than our daughter. For me it struck so hard. This teacher is especially precious to us, she was our daughter's 5th grade teacher just two Fall's ago. She is an excellent educator, and the kind of teacher that came to our daughter's Christmas play that year at our church - just to show her support. She is also the teacher that walked with us through some tough times. During that year in school my husband was diagnosed with cancer and went through treatment. It hit our daughter really hard, and initally she didn't want anyone at school to know about it. This teacher in her caring way would always check on her and make a way for our daughter to have space and grace without others noticing, and she offered a safe place if our daughter needed to talk. She was really so important to us in the healing process...so to have this happen to her - to see her lose her husband - oh it hits hard for me and my prayers are with her, in the same way as she was there for us - we will now need to be there for her.


I wanted to make a very simple but elegant sympathy card. I loved this set in the catalogue because it is versatile and classic - yet has that simplicity. It has beautiful images and very usable sayings. The main image is clear embossed on Baja Breeze, popped up and layered on another piece of Baja Breeze. I find that the two layers of the same color gives it a pretty classic look. Then a layer of Vanilla with scallops and piercing.


The main card has a scalloped edge with a Vanilla strip and then the top half stamped with Floral background. A Vanilla taffeta ribbon and embossed sentiment and it is simply done. Here is a closeup that shows the embossing better.





Thanks for stopping by. I'll be back with more later this week as I have a workshop Tuesday and another card almost finished I'll show you when it's completed.


Recipe: Sample One: Stamps: Eastern Influences Ink: Black Stazon, Rose Red Paper: Rose Red, Basic Black, Kraft, Watercolor Paper, Rose Red DSP Prints Accessories: SW Markers, Aqua Pen, Glue Dots, Prismacolor Pencils, Black Brads, Pomegranate Satin Ribbon, Sponge.


Sample Two: Stamps: Floral Background, Beautiful Borders Ink: VersaMark, Baja Breeze Paper: Baja Breeze, Vanilla Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon, Piercer, Clear Embossing Powder

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Baby Gift Ensemble - The Lord is Gracious


Well this was down to the wire! I literally finished this baby gift with minutes to go before I had to shower (myself!)....and leave for the baby shower...a little too close for comfort for me.

This shower gift is for a special family to us, we have the husband's two teen sons in our youth ministry, he remarried 5 years ago to a great lady and they just had a baby girl this spring. They really longed for her sweet addition to their family. They are a couple that is very good to us and I wanted to make something special and memorable for the baby shower today.

So, I looked up her name *Jeanette* and it means *God is gracious*. I thought that was so fitting for her little life. And *Chloe* which means *Blooming*. So all of that shaped this project.

I wanted to give the feel to the frames of an heirloom quilt filled with different shades of pink. I'm in this whole quilting mindset because there's a seriously amazing quilting store in Canmore that has won awards for being one of the best in North America. I really admire quilting and quilters - it's such a stunning craft with such care and work placed into each project...I aspire to do that someday ...but I think I'll probably be paper crafting any quilting types of projects! But it's similar don't you think? The way paper and patterns are chosen like quilting fabric?

Anyway....The frames are designed to be hung together vertically in a line. There's sort of what I call a *mixed media* feel to the project combining different textures and design elements. The first frame is little Jeanette's name meaning.



I mixed a number of current and retired SU papers on a base of Prism Papers (it has really lovely texture on one side and they have a gorgeous range of colors). For embellishment I used piercing, gel pen, scallops, gingham ribbon, new SU felt flowers (yum!), rub ons, and this way cute sheep is paper pieced and is from The Saltbox Studio. Wording is combined stamp (Rough Edges) and hand writing. Frame is from Ikea.

Middle Frame is Jeanette's name and birthdate.







It is actually a bit lighter in color in real life, but the contrast on my editing software looks washed out if I leave it lighter. Here I've mixed in some Anna Griffin papers, gel pen *stitches*, some felt flowers and rub ons (there is a rub-on on the outside of the frame here as well for some dimension).


And finally a verse I chose and wrote out for Jeanette:




It reads *He has made his wonders to be remembered...the LORD is gracious and compassionate* Psalm 111:4. I kept humming that the worship song The Lord is gracious and compassionate....slow to anger and rich in love* which is from Psalm 145 the entire time I made the project, but I liked how this verse combined the idea that little Jeanette's life is one of the wonders He has made to be remembered, and His graciousness (as she is named), and compassion is real for her life. Similar embellishments here rub-ons, stitching, felt flowers, gingham ribbon, you can see how *repeated themes and embellishments* really do make an ensemble go together. It doesn't have to be all matchy-matchy, each piece has it's own uniqueness, but together the tied in elements make it all work.



Here is the card I made too:


I actually cased myself on this one! See HERE, as I was by this time SO late on time. Here the lambs are just jumping right out of the room :) The are paper pieced with the new SU Bella papers, and on Pink Pirhouette (which was stamped with some stars and moon from the set). Felt flowers, gingham and taffeta ribbon along with some scallops and piercing, brads and it's an adorable card don't you think? I especially love the sentiment (so CUTE!). Everyone at the shower loved it all. We had just had to mention what we were passionate about as we were introducing ourselves to each other at the shower before she opened gifts...I had said *I'm passionate about creating*....so everyone sort of understood what I meant when she opened the gift.



I love how it all turned out, but what made me most happy was that it meant something special to her.






Recipe: Stamps: Saltbox Studio - Shabby Sheep, Typeset Alphabet, Rough Edges Alphabet. Paper: Anna Griffin DSP, Bella DSP, Berry Bliss DSP, Spring Fling DSP, Retired SU DSP, Whisper White, Pink Pirhouette, Prism Papers Baby Pink Medium, Iced Pink, Frosted Pink, Razzleberry Light Ink: Black Stazon, Pink Pirhouette, Pretty in Pink Accessories: SU Rub-ons Eastern Elegance, SW Markers, White Gel Pen, Piercing Kit, Scallop Edge Punch, Felt Fusion Too, White Taffeta Ribbon, Pink Gingham Ribbon, Brads, Dimensionals, Square Punch, Tag Punch

Friday, August 22, 2008

Mountain Coffee Thank You Set


Today is a day full of projects for me. I have a number of thank you items to make, a baby shower gift to complete, and cupcakes to bake for our family party for our 5 year old. We'll see how much I can get done in one day....I always think I can complete more than I usually am able to, nothing has gone like I thought it would this morning! A slow computer, programs not working, a call from my sister-in-law in the States.... Yikes still so much to do!

Here's one of the projects already complete. A family in our church has been so helpful to us these past few months so this is a thank you for them. In April of this year my husband was playing church league softball, and doing a routine play when his quadricep muscle tore off of his knee, it meant hospital time, surgery and 8 weeks with no weight on his right leg. Never underestimate your right leg! He couldn't drive for 8 weeks, couldn't even lift his leg on his own for a number of weeks, so a lot of family *stuff* fell to me. As our lawn grew higher and higher that spring I knew I *could* cut it myself, but with 3 kids and all the other stuff I was doing it was just another thing on the list. People began coming to help us with the lawn, but this one family just kept coming even without asking and also took care of it while we were on vacation. A very kind blessing.

So, we found this great coffee in Canmore called Kicking Horse, Three Sisters Blend (like the Three Sisters Mountains in Canmore). Cool packaging hey?

So I dug out my paper and found that Pacific Point was the perfect match. Sharon Johnson over at No Time to Stamp runs a Stamp Simply challenge each week and this weeks challenge is to use your basic stamp as focal image and background. This is a set from Flourishes designed by Sharon...and I've NEVER had a chance to use...so though it's not a perfect one stamp in the image and backgroud...the flourish I used in the coffee set is used as the background in the tag and card.

Here on the tag I used the flourish on the paper pieced cup and background, added pretty new paper from SU called Urban Garden, used my new large oval punch, pretty ribbon and it's a pretty but simple tag for the coffee. Sentiment is hand written with a white gel pen.

I really like how the card turned out. Lime green really is my favourite color, and I like the color contrasts and classy simplicity to the card. Cup and saucer are paper pieced and popped up, ribbon is from my local stamp store but by the yard so I'm not sure of the manufacturer, some scallops and simple brads and sentiment...a simple but lovely Bold Coffee Card.

Thanks for stopping by, hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with more pictures of my other projects that I (hopefully :) ) completed!

Recipe: Stamps: Flourishes - Coffee Time, Sentiment from Siberian Iris; Paper: Pacific Point, Urban Garden DSP, Basic Black; Ink: Black Stazon, Pacific Point; Accessories: Ribbon (by the yard), Black Brads, Scallop Edge Punch, Large Oval Punch, White Gel Pen, Dimensionals.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

DD/DDA August Challenge - What's In a Number?


Here we are at the 20th of August, can you believe it? Well, it's time for another Dirty Dozen Girl and Alumni Challenge. This months' Dirty Dozen Challenge was issued to us from Jen Del Munro to create a Birthday card but without the word Birthday and using numbers. I really wasn't sure that I'd even be able to get the challenge done, but it's my brother's birthday on Sunday (can you guess how old he'll be????) so it fit well with the challenge. Come on over and check out what all the other Dirty Girls have created HERE: or by searching DCB808 over at Splitcoaststampers.

I was racking my brain trying to figure out how I'd use numbers since I have no chipboard numbers, didn't think I had any stamped numbers....and then I remembered this old SU DSP and my old Bold Alpha numbers, so I hunted them down and then chose my color palette from there. Retired True Thyme, Vanilla, and Bravo Burgundy.

I chose the rounded square shape based on the sentiment stamp, (card is 5.5 x 5.5) and added Crystal Effects to the DSP to make the numbers pop. The ribbon gave me the dotted theme and piercing and the brads pulled it together.



Recipe: Stamps: Lovely Labels, Bold Alphabet Numbers Paper: True Thyme, Very Vanilla, Bravo Burgundy, retired DSP Ink: Vanilla Craft, Bravo Burgundy, True Thyme Accessories: Corner Rounder Punch, Piercer, Dimensionals, Vintage Brads, Prep School Ribbon Originals, Crystal Effects, Rectangle punch

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Back for Toonie Tuesday!

Well, after 2 and a half weeks away, we're back from vacation, it was a wonderful time away as a family. And after almost 3 weeks without stamping....I'm back with another Toonie Tuesday for you!

Today it's all Stampin' Up! for you, I returned home to my lonely SU catalogues that had been patiently waiting for me all this time! It's always a happy day with a new catalogue to peruse through! And, I checked the color challenge from Emily over at Splitcoast today and it was some warm feeling colors (Ruby Red, Blush Blossom, and Close to Cocoa), so I wanted to create some pretty watercolored images. Honestly I was just in withdrawal from coloring.


Sample One Bunny Basket



Here is a sample from one of the level 2 Hostess sets from this fall's catalogue. I like it for it's sweetness and because it is so great for watercoloring. With a really detailed image like this one I like to watercolor with markers and an aqua painter, that way you can really get into the tiny details without too much bleeding of your color.

While this isn't a tutorial ...here's the progression of how the image is colored....


Above I've just added the first layer of color to the bunny in Blush Blossom and the first layer of Close to Cocoa on the basket. You can see - to start with I leave lots of white space to give it highlight and then blend in later. You just can't add white with watercolor afterwards! And the best contrast in color is created with white space. If you can see it...I color the parts of the basket weave in opposite directions (horizontally and vertically) and also blend in those directions to give the feeling of dimension to the basket weave.

Here I'm almost done my coloring and have given in multiple layers of soft blending from my Stampin' Write marker; softly blending with a damp aqua painter (not too much water on the brush so you don't bleed your image too much) On the grass blades I simply colored them in with the fine tip of my SW marker and then only blended the leaves slightly - not the grass so you keep the sharp edge. See the soft shadow of Close to Cocoa under the basket to ground your image and create the shadow for the basket?


And above you can see the final product close up. I added a second flower popped up (like a sample in the new catalogue page 21 top sample). I added some great designer paper and gave it some *Sweet Bella* feel scallops with my new scallop edge punch. I colored the caramel gingham ribbon with my markers to match my colors so there's very little hint of gingham. I really never use buttons, and I know they're really in style again so as accent I threw them in there. Sweet don't you think?

Recipe: Stamps: Serene Spring, Canvas Background Ink: Brown Stazon Paper: Close to Cocoa, Ruby Red Textured, Ginger Blossom DSP, Petal Patch DSP, Watercolor Paper Accessories: Neutral Buttons, Gingham Ribbon, Dimensionals, SW Markers, Aqua Painter, Scallop Edge Punch


Sample Two Asian Blooms


I LOVED the idea of combining the blossoms onto the *sprig* from Embrace Life (see page 91 sample of the new catalogue). Here I wanted to create a very simply Asian feel to the card. Clean lines, minimalist feel. (I'm not very good at minimal though! :) )

The blooms were all colored on watercolor paper, then I cut them out and popped up the flowers onto the sprig. I also added some blush blossom shadow with my marker around the entire image, it's very subtle and may not be visible, but it's just the right addition of color and shade to give it some pop.


There is a matching scallop on the sentiment layer that isn't as visible from this angle but I matched it up to the scallop on the Ruby Red designer paper layer.

Well, that's it for now. My new SU order should be arriving this week (yippee!)....but I also return back to work this week after the summer away with my kids. So...hopefully you'll be seeing me later this week with some more great things.

Recipe: Stamps: Embrace Life, So Many Sayings Ink: Brown Stazon, Ruby Red, Blush Blossom Paper: Ruby Red, Blush Blossom, Ginger Blossom DSP, Watercolor, Close to Cocoa Accessories: Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Aqua Painter, SW Markers, Scallop Edge Punch, Vintage Brads, Chocolate Taffeta Ribbon

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Would you Like to Wake up to This Each Morning?

I know I do!  This is our view each morning we wake up from our window.  We're here in Canmore, Alberta on vacation.   These magnificent mountains are called the Three Sisters and are literally right out in front of us in the valley.  We have a panoramic view of the Rocky Mountains all around us.  

It is so stunningly beautiful.  Vast, wide open, peaceful, stunning beauty. 
 I always say that I feel God's presence the most in the mountains.  Everything in my life becomes clearer, and more in perspective.   All the clutter of my life that accumulates over the year all seems to melt away in my time here in the mountains.  One of my favourite verses from Psalms is Psalm 121:1 "I lift my eyes up to the mountains, where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth".  There is something about the mountains that refocuses my life on how majestic my Maker is and His depth of love for me.  

I hope you are encouraged today by that truth.  You are LOVED by this Creator!  Whether you are experiencing the mountain tops...or the storms like below..."The Lord Himself watches over you!  The Lord is your shade at your right hand" (Ps 121:5) 


We're here all week, I'll probably show you some more pictures this week of our time in the mountains, we hike and bike here and experience a lot of great things - which in itself is a great thing since my husband tore his quad muscle off his knee and had surgery just 3 months ago.  We're really grateful he can even hike at all!

But after all this... we'll get back to cards!  


Friday, August 1, 2008

Vacation!

Well...I can celebrate! My husband is home after having taken a group of our HS students to Mexico City on a two week mission trip - and it was amazing, and they are changed people because of it (but I'm glad they are home, it's not easy being a single parent! And we missed him!).

So, tonight we are trying very hard to get packed up to go away as a family - many it's 10:30 and I have so much packing still to do! So, I'll be off for the next little while with my family.

A week at a family camp in beautiful British Columbia ...on a beach...in the middle of fruit country....think cherries...peaches...apricots off the tree. Yum.

And then some time in my favourite place in the world....Canmore, Alberta enjoying the Rocky Mountains. What could be more inspiring than that? I know it is the place I feel God's presence in the deepest ways, and I carry it with me all year long.

We have needed the rest and I am grateful for the opportunity to have it. I may do a little posting while we're gone when I have access...but for now I pray you have some rest for your soul these last few weeks of summer. See you soon!