Altered Michael's Notebooks

I just love these little notebooks at the Michael's dollar bins. They are such a fun size to work with and they also fit nicely in your purse or tote.

The first time I redid one I didn't like how it looked. I had opened up the original one and traced the size. I scored it in the right places and cut the slits in the side for the pen. The problem was that after taping it together the notebook was a bit too bulky and didn't want to close. SO after I figured out what was wrong I had a change of plan.

I removed the pen (this one goes without saying!!!) then I opened up the notebook. I pulled hard to separate their glue job. Then I cut the note pad off but I left the original backing on it. I took my card stock and made sure it was the correct width. The lenght was more than what I needed but that was ok, it's better to have it too long than too short.

I scored it in all the right places (using the original piece as a pattern) and I cut the slits in with a craft knife. I glued it where the orignal one was glued. I added the pen to help hold it's shape and then I taped the note pad in place. And for the final thing I cut off the excess card stock with a scissors. It was now ready to decorate!!

Once I figured out what was wrong it went rather smoothly. The only thing I don't like about redoing these is you have to measure each one individually because they are not all the same width. The are close but it's not worth guessing. You don't want the notepad showing on the front. You could mass cut them but make sure you have some extra card stock on the front cover as well as well as the back cover and then you can just trim them with a scissor when you are done.

The stamp set used here is from the "Thoughts & Prayers" set by Stampin' Up! The words were typed on the computer and printed out using a size 14 bolded font. I used 3/4", 1" and 1-1/4" round punches for the circles.

I tried to use card stock that complimented the ink pens. Each design of notebook has a different color ink pen.

Aren't these fun to dress up?? You can even use something like this as a great opportunity to use up some of that decorative paper you are hoarding!!! Anyway, I thought it was a fun project!! I bought a bunch of them and I'm going to make them up to sell this fall at a big craft fair I'm going to be in!

Thanks SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

First Time in a LONG Time!!!

WOW, I can not believe I don't have a post for you today. I have several things in the works but nothing to show you today. But hang in there. The weekend is coming and I have some fun things for you to see!!!

I can't remember when I missed a day of posting. I think it was when I first started my blog WAY back in November of 2006!!! That's a shocker in itself.

But I promise you I will have something for you this weekend that will make up for today!!!

Thanks for your patience!
Wanda

Thoughts & Prayers Card

I needed a card and I thought I'd give the Stampin' Up! "Thoughts & Prayers" set a try. I hadn't used it yet and as excited as I was to play with it, I had to put it together. Fortunately all the new Stampin' Up! sets come die cut so all you do is remove the punched out image, take the backing off and stick it to the wood. Simple as that!!! No cutting at all!! Can't beat that deal!!! Well, I suppose if it came all put together, that would beat that deal but personally I would prefer to mount them because there are times I find that actually cutting the stamp in two allows me better use of it, especially if it's words or if the stamp and another element to it that isn't connected with the main image. I will attach it to the ends or sometimes the other side and on rare occasions I will cut a block and add it to the set and hope it all fits in the container!!!

Ok, onto this card.....
I decided to use up some more of my decorative papers. The paper here is "Persian Summer" by Stampin' Up! It's SO pretty and I REALLY was hoarding it.

I used markers to color in the flowers and leaves. It actually went pretty fast. The main color of the card is Bravo Burgundy. On the left side I added 5 clear dew drops. It just needed a little something over there and I didn't want it to be too distracting. The dew drops just seem to blend right in.

I do have one regret about the card though. I wish I would have used Very Vanilla card stock for the branch and flowers instead of Whisper White. But the sponging on the edges toned it down a bit. Oh and there is another regret. I wished I would have looked at my fingers for ink marks before I stamped the image. I didn't realize I got ink on my fingers when I stamped the words, of which are crooked even WITH the Stamp-a-ma-jig!!! I'm SO good at doing that. It's like the gravy thing at home. I can even make gravy in a jar come out lumpy!!!! LOL

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

New Sizzix Box

I had gotten the new Sizzix die from Stampin' Up! This box die is SO much fun!!! I think I'm going to wear this one out. Is that possible??? I'll let you know!!! LOL

I cut out my box using glossy card stock. It was SO cool. It scores and cuts at the same time. I just color, fold and tape/glue!!! Simple as that. See why I said I think I'm going to wear this die out????

Once I got the card stock cut I stamped my cute little jelly bean on it. That stamp is by PSX. I've had it for a LONG time and I dig it out every Easter to play with it. If you keep your stamps clean and conditioned (I use Stampin' Up!'s Stampin' Mist to condition mine) they will last a VERY long time. Not so much with the clear stamps though. They are not rubber, they are made of polymer and they will yellow and stiffen up in time. Though the rubber ones will get brittle in time if they are not conditioned.

Anyway, back to "MY" jelly bean box!!! I used black StazOn ink because it's on glossy card stock. When I got done stamping the jelly beans I colored them in with markers. Then I colored each jelly bean with a white crayon. After I was done with that I inked up my brayer with Almost Amethyst and went over the entire surface of the box until the color was well blended. I did wipe it off with a paper towel when I was done. The ink will bead up on the waxed/colored areas.

Then I took a 1-1/8" punch and made my window in the front of the box. I punched one square and them just moved it over and punched again and once more to get the window wide enough and fairly even.

I took a scrap piece of acetate and glued it inside the box over the opening. I poured some jelly beans in a food safe baggie and placed that inside the box. I closed the cover and added a ribbon. As simple as that!!!

I have LOTS of plans for this box!!! I hope I find the time to do them all!! LOL

Thanks SO much for stopping by,
Wanda

NOT Liking This One!!!

Boy, I REALLY struggled with this card. My plan was to do the three butterflies in a row like that. And to tell you the truth that is the only thing that I had planned that actually worked out on this card.

I did add a bit of glitter gel pen to the flowers on the butterfly to bring in some color to the drab card.

And to top it off, I didn't have any vanilla ribbon. Can you believe that??? Those who come here to stamp and read my blog will be shocked to read about the ribbon part!!! LOL

I am VERY disappointed in this card and after spending so much time on it I decided I had enough and just walked away. Sometimes it's just best to do that. There was no hope for this card at all. Ok, maybe there is but I just can't see it and I can't work with it anymore. WOW, I've never had "Stamper's Block" before!!! I hope it passes quickly!!! Maybe it will once I put that stamp set away!!! LOL I picked it up because I had been whining about all the new stuff coming out in the "Occasions" catalog and how much of it I REALLY wanted. There's SO many cute sets in it. I made a list and the total was enough to put me in shock. SO I am forced to take a serious look at my list and trim it down considerably!!! But in the meantime I thought I should use some of the sets I haven't even touched yet and this "Flight of the Butterfly" set by Stampin' Up! was one of them. SO I put it together and this is what I did with it. UGH!!! I think I may look on SplitCoastStampers for some inspiration with this set. There must have been a card somewhere that I saw that made me want to own this set!!! And I know it wasn't this card!!! LOL

Thanks for looking, hope it didn't strain your eyes!!! LOL
Wanda

Fun Foam Stamping Technique Page

I thought it was time for another "Technique Page. It's been a while since I posted one. This one is an oldie but a goodie. And with all the Fun Foam that is being used with the Sizzix dies there is LOTS of scraps to use for this technique!!! I had debated about doing this technique because it is SO old. But then I remembered that there are brand new stampers joining all the time and they need to know this technique too!!! SO here it is!!! Just a note before you read on. A "bulldog" paper fastener is one of those black ones with the silver wires on either side. They were very common last year being used for decorating and holding messages. It really doesn't matter what you use and if you are good with your embossing tool and can avoid chasing the foam around your work surface then you won't need anything at all. It's just for holding the foam in place, nothing more!!!! As for me, I'm a chaser. I tend to tilt my heat tool a bit too much and my item is airborne!!! LOL

Cut your Fun Foam the size of the wood the stamp is mounted on. Clip your foam to a firm surface. A couple of pieces of chipboard together will work just fine.

Have your stamp ready to pick up. Heat the Fun Foam until it curls. You will see it change texture a little. This is a good thing! Immediately press the stamp in the Fun Foam. You don’t need to hold it very long and you will press just a little bit firmer than you do when using ink. The image should be deep enough to see. Cut around the edges with a scissors and affix to your project.

You can ink up your stamp but keep in mind you will need a permanent ink as a water based ink will not dry on the foam.

Thanks SO much for visiting,
Wanda

Trendy Trees Thank You Card!

This is a very fun little stamp set by Stampin' Up! "Trendy Trees has several different tree shapes in it. I chose this one. Don't ask me what kind of tree it is, I don't know one tree from another other than I can tell you it's NOT a pine tree!!! It looks like one of those trees that you'll have to do a lot of raking in the fall with!!!! LOL

I saw a card similar to this on SplitCoastStamers. It's by sf9erfan. I thought it was a fun card. Simple yet elegant. She used some Hodgepodge Hardware on hers. I didn't. I opted to use the small slot punch. I also used the corner rounder on two of the corners of the image piece and the layer.

I did have to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the tress and the trunks.

I stamped the tree trunks first in Close to Cocoa. Then I stamped the tree part using Certainly Celery. There's not a lot of stamping on this card but it did take a little bit of time to line up the trees. I had found center and then I marked the top lightly with a pencil so I knew where to put the tree trunk. I wanted them to be pretty close to evenly spaced as I could. I think they turned out ok. I am use to more layers and more colors on a card so this one was a bit of a challenge for me!! But I do like it.

The words are from the Stampin' Up! "Short and Sweet" set. The Trendy Trees set does come with a thank you but it read "thanks so much." I didn't want the word "thanks," I wanted a "thank you." Sometimes "thanks" is just not enough, if you know what I mean. It's hard to explain that one!! Anyway, it's what I wanted on the card and it's on the card!!!!! LOL

As with all of my photos, just click on it for a closer view.

Thanks SO much for stopping by,
Wanda

Bandana Technique Card

This was one of the cards we made on DIVA Day using the Bandana Technique. I had made a card earlier this year using that technique. Click here to view it. I am posting this one because it was done just a little bit differently than the one I did. There was less "doodling" on it which still made it look cute! Plus it was quicker to do too!!! Imagine that!!! LOL

It's a fun and quick technique to do. And not to mention the cool effect it gives a card. Especially a masculine card.

Thanks SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Wonderful Watercolors Thank You Card!

I just got this new Stampin' Up! set "Wonderful Watercolors" and I HAD to play with it. I thought I'd make a thank you card because I need a few of them this week.

As you know I have been doing the Wednesday Sketch Challenge on Split Coast Stampers every week or almost every week. I try not to miss one. And if I do I make sure I print out the layout. I keep them in an album. I don't have all the earlier layouts in the album but I'm working on getting them in there. But I do have the ones from when I started through this weeks one.

I found the layout that fit with the size of the flower in this set, it was #SC162. Now I do remember quite a while back making a card using this layout. Don't ask what card, I don't remember and I don't even know if I still have it, but I do have the layout!!!

I used Almost Amethyst and I found some Almost Amethyst decorative paper I had sitting around here and thought I'd run with that. I have a lot of decorative paper that I need to start using up!!!! And of course cards like this don't use much decorative paper. But on the brighter side of that, you can make more of the same card!!!

My "thank you" came from the Stampin' Up! set "Holiday Blitz." Another set I use a lot. I stamped the words using black StazOn and punched it out with the 1-1/4" punch. I punched out a 1-3/8" Always Amethyst circle and the black scallop behind it.

To color in the image I used the Lavender Lace marker because the Almost Amethyst one was just too light to see. I colored in the stems and leaves with the Certain Celery marker and I stamped the image on Whisper White card stock.

Then I inked up the outline image using Always Artichoke. I did use my Stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the outline on the image I had just stamped. I sponged the edges using Almost Amethyst ink and then taped all the layers together. It's a pretty easy card, just lots of layering!! But SO worth it!!

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

It's a Stretch Thank You Card!!

I just love this Stampin' Up! set "It's a Stretch!" There's 4 stamps in the set. There's a Christmas stocking, a cake on a stand, a tree in a stand and this vase. The vase is the only one I've used so far. I know, I know. I REALLY should try to use all the images in a set at least once!!! I have a lot of sets like that. And SO sad to say I have a few sets I haven't even used yet. But they are put together!!! Oh and there are a couple that aren't even put together. I just need to find some time to play with them all before they retire!!! Though the retired part hasn't stopped me yet!!! Maybe I should say "I need to play with them before "I" retire!!!" LOL

This card is for a very special friend of mine and I'm hoping she gets it before she reads about it on my blog!!! I mailed it out on Tuesday so I'm hoping that she already has it.

I had run across a partially started card using this wonderful "Candy Lane" decorative paper and I just knew who I was going to share my last bits of this paper with!!! I need to order more and of course I forgot to. UGH!!! Or did I? I'll know by the end of the week!!! But as memory serves me (like it really serves me, it's eluded me more and more lately!!!) I don't think I ordered any!!!

The "Thank You" is from one of my very favorite Stampin' Up! sets "Holiday Blitz."

It was a simple card to make. I colored in the flower with a blender pen and Riding Hood Red ink. The vase was colored in using Bashful Blue and the blender pen. The center of the flower is from the YoYo Yellow marker and the leaves are from the Mellow Moss marker. I sponged the edges with Riding Hood Red and it was ready to assemble.

Isn't it just a sweet looking card?? I'm sure she will LOVE it!! Sorry about the crooked photo. If you tilt your head to the left it doesn't look as bad!!! LOL Did you really do it???? LOL

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Wednesday Sketch Challenge at SplitCoastStampers

I REALLY thought this Sketch Challenge was a tough one. It was those two half circles that really threw me off. For me it was REALLY stepping outside the box!!!

I thought I'd make a birthday card because I can always use birthday cards!!!! Who can't??? I had gotten a package of decorative paper from Joann's called "Sweets." It's full of fun glittery papers!!! I just couldn't help myself and it was half off so........ enough said???? LOL

I used the Stampin' Up! set "Crazy for Cupcakes." I thought it would go so cute with the strawberries on the cupcakes. And what was really fun was the colors went well with the Stampin' Up! papers!!!! Such a deal, huh???

For the cupcakes I used a blender pen and the Riding Hood Red ink pad for the cupcakes. The stand was colored in with the blender pen and Close to Cocoa ink. I added a bit of Certainly Celery under the stand area.

The scallop was fun to do. I used the large scallop in the Sizzix die cut. Then I put that scallop in another Sizzix die that had circles. I lined the circle up inside the scallop as much as I could and cut it out. Then I snipped on the inside of the scallop and straightened it out. Then I cut off pieces to fit on the quarter half circles in the sketch. It was the easiest time I ever had making a scallop.

The rest of the components of this card are from that single sheet of decorative paper. Right down to that cute scallop at the bottom that I cut out by hand following their lines. Good thing I didn't make the card the opposite direction, it was grueling enough cutting that much of it!!! LOL

Much to my surprise I can actually say that I enjoyed this sketch!!! If you have time give this sketch a try too!!

Thank you for visiting today,
Wanda

Cat Sympathy Card

If you follow Leslie's blog "Running With Scissors" you know that her post on February 7th let us all know that Marvin her cat had died. She would post little stores now and then about his adventures.

I made Leslie this card. I wanted to express my condolences. I had learned a lesson from Marvin that I think we all could take to heart. The photo you will see on the link is of Marvin with a skeleton leaf stuck on is nose I believe the original post was on January 14th titled "It Just Doesn't Matter." In her story Marvin had been outside on one of his cat adventures and came in the house with the leaf stuck to his nose. He didn't seem to care that it was there. As the title of her post stated, "it just doesn't matter." What is on the outside is and never will be as important as what is on the inside! It's a lesson we all can learn. When I read the post that Marvin had died I just cried. I don't really know Marvin, I've never seen him. I've just read a few posts about him from time to time. But being such a cat lover and having a cat that has a spirit much like Marvin it just hit me hard.

The cat image is from the "All in the Family" set by Stampin' Up! The words are from the Stampin' Up! set "Close as a Memory" and the paw print paper was designed by me!!

Good bye Marvin, you will be missed.


Thank you for visiting today,
Wanda

DIVA Day Swaps!

I am SO fortunate to be in with a group of VERY talented gals!!! The swaps are always fun and the cards swapped are always FABULOUS!!!

The theme for this swap was to use the Stampin' Up! (of course) "Love You Much" set to make anything but a Valentine's Day card with it. It's to show that the set can be used far beyond Valentine's Day.

I like finding sets that I can use for more than just one occasion. Some sets are just for a specific holiday or event and some of those sets can be used as elements in another type of card.

Here the cards cover a lot of events.

One of them is a new baby card,

one is a friendship card,

one is a birthday card,

two are wedding cards

and two are anniversary cards.

See how many occasions this set can be used for??? Ya gotta LOVE that!!! And didn't I tell you these are FABULOUS cards??? We make full cards, not just card fronts so we can use them if we need to!!! On the inside we put a post it with our name on it so we know who made which card and with no permanent names on the cards. Such a smart idea, huh???

Ugh!!! I tried several times to aline these cards. I messed around with the Html and had no luck trying to straighten them out. SO after a half hour I just gave up. Sorry for the messy layout but a WYSIWYG (WhatYouSeeIsWhatYouGet) is not always "what you see is what you get!!!" Fortunately I don't put a lot of cards on one post so you won't see a mess like this very often!!! SO sorry about it.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A Notebook for a Friend!

Here's a notebook I made for a friend. I cut up the last of my copier paper (20 pound) and made a few notebooks. I used Ballet Blue for the front and the back. The layer is the blue digi paper I made the same night I made the pink stuff I posted a photo of a couple of days ago.

The flower is from the Stampin' Up! Hostess set "Echo's of Kindness." Isn't it just a sweet set?? I sponged the edges with Ballet Blue and layered it on a piece of Ballet blue. I even colored the flowers in with a blender pen and Ballet Blue ink. See the theme here? LOL

The words were done using a rubber stamp I had made for me. I make a lot of notebooks and I really needed a stamp that I could use for these. I punched it with the oval punch and I layered it in guess what color???? Yup, Ballet Blue!!! LOL

These are fun notebooks to make!!! I wish I had more time to make more of them!!! They sell SO well for me at craft fairs.

My friend really liked the notebook! You can click on the photo to see the digi paper I made up close!

Thank you so much for visiting today,
Wanda

Blog Issues

I just realized I have NO posts on my blog. What on earth happened to them??? I have no idea and I'm hoping that Blogger gets this issue resolved soon.

Please be patient, I have to!!! LOL
Wanda

Birds & Branches Box

Our DIVA group was given these boxes and the challenge was to decorate them. My plan was to make it into a stationary box. I was going to make matching cards and envelopes but I ran out of time. We only had a couple of months to do this!!! But the "Birds & Branches" die cut wasn't in the catalog a couple of months ago!!!!

I did glue the pieces on using "Rolling Ball" 2 in 1 glue pen by Sailor. It writes like an ink pen but glue comes out instead of ink. You can really glue the fine lines of the branches without any glue spilling over the edges.

It was quite a fun challenge and it was even more fun to see what others did with their boxes. We have such a talented group of gals. DIVA Day last Sunday was SO much fun. Sue has projects for us to do and dinner too!!! I always look forward to DIVA Day!! Sometimes it's the only time we in the group get to see each other too. It's rare we see each other outside the group and that's too bad. They are such a great bunch of gals.

Thanks SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Trash to Treasure Valentine's Day Gift!!

When the budget doesn't allow for much you can resort to your recycling bin for some fun "things." Things you can now look at in a different light!!!

This is a short can that had sliced water chestnuts in. You can also find this size cans with sliced black olive, diced black olives and even mushrooms. I'm sure there are other food items in the grocery store using this size can.

I did use a Pampered Chef can opener. I believe they are called a Euro can opener. I am betting because they were first used in Europe. They cut along the side of the can and not the top. I find it more sanitary, the lid doesn't fall into my canned food, it just comes right off the top with a nice thick edge that doesn't cut you!!!

I usually rinse them out and run them through the dishwasher if I'm going to be using it for crafting of any type.

I took a scrap piece of my homemade decorative paper and glued it around the can with the Stampin' Up! Anywhere Glue Stick. I LOVE that glue stick for adhering paper to metals!!! It the best I've found for this purpose.

I filled the can with candies and "glued" it on with Crystal Effects. I was using Super Glue but I kept getting it on my fingers. I was able to avoid that by putting a bit of double sided tape on the center of the can lid. I'd add the glue to the rim of the can and then pick the lid up with my finger stuck to that tape I added. I'd push the lid on and set a large punch on top of it to weight it down. While the glue was setting I would do my punches and stamping for the top of the lid.

For the top of this lid I used some words I printed out on the computer, a scrap piece of Pretty in Pink card stock and a scrap piece of Regal Rose card stock. I taped the back of it and stuck it in place on top of the can lid.

I tied a bow around the can and it was done. It's a VERY quick project to do and depending on what you put inside the can, it's a pretty inexpensive one to do too!!!

You give this to that someone special and they can open it with any type of can opener, even a Euro one!!! Aren't they just adorable???

Thanks SO much for visiting today!
Wanda

My Swap Card!

This is the card I decided I would use for the swap this past Sunday. The theme of the swap was to make a card using the "Love You Much" bundle. But there was a catch!!! You were to make a non-Valentine's Day card with it. This shows that you can use this set way beyond Valentine's Day. This set has lots of events you can use it for which makes purchasing this set a wise investment!!! I find it to be among my favorite stamp sets. Not only am I ready for Valentine's Day but I can use this theme for a wedding card, an anniversary card or just a little "love note" to DH!!!

This was a very fun card to make. I LOVE the Stampin' up! "En Francais" background stamp on this card. My first run of this card there were no birds in the upper right corner. I kept looking at the card and feeling that something was missing. I had to be careful what I added to the card too because I NEEDED to use ALL Stampin' Up! products on it. I couldn't add a bow because I already had a knot there. I couldn't add a circle layered scallop because of the scalloped edge. I thought about another punched out heart and I ended up with the birds. But first I stamped them in black. Oh my was that ever UUUUUUGLY!! I thought I would give it one more try in Riding Hood red ink SO I cleaned off the stamp and got out the Riding Hood red ink and stamped it on the Pink Pirouette card stock. And then I actuall liked it.

The hearts on the bottom are punched out and a piece of Riding Hood red card stock was added behind it. Don't ask why I did it that way. Maybe it was easier than taping on a bunch of hearts in Riding Hood Red. Either way I had to punch but punching the pink I didn't have to do much gluing except for a bit behind the punched out hearts to hold the card stock in place.

I REALLY like the ribbon on this card too. It added a lot to the card, including extra postage to mail it!!! LOL

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Wednesday Sketch Challenge at SplitCoastStampers

My son's girlfriend's birthday is coming up and I needed to make a card for her today. I will be brining our gift to her to our son's place tonight and I hadn't gotten around to making a card yet. Fortunately it was Wednesday and that means it's Sketch Challenge day over at SplitCoastStampers. I really hate to miss the Sketch Challenge. I've been doing them for a couple of years now (I think it's been that long). I started doing them when they were at #126. I've missed a few in there now and then but not too many!!! It's just fun to play with different layouts.

I used a Penny Black stamp I had. I thought this little guy was SO cute. I will be cleaning house here in the next few days and this stamp plus others will be found in my store. I just have too many and I need the space.

The striped paper is a piece of the decorative paper I made that I had left over from the altered gum package I posted yesterday. It was such fun paper to make!!!

The words here were printed out on the oomputer onto Whisper White card stock. Any other white card stock didn't give me a crips look like this does. I printed out a full sheet of them (18) so I'm set with birthday greetings for a while. As long as I remember where I left the pieces!!!

On the Pretty in Pink background piece I used the Stampin' Up! "Cupcakes" wheel and Pretty in Pink ink. I sponges all the edges on every piece in Pretty in Pink. I added a few pearl Dew Drops and it ws done!!!

This layout was a lot of fun to play with!!!

If you have the time go to SplitCoastStampers and give this sketch a try!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

It WAS Just a Gum Wrapper!!!

I needed a little box for a bracelet I made for Sue but I didn't have one on hand. I thought I'd dig for one when I got back from shopping but as I popped the last piece of gum in my mouth I thought I would alter the gum box! I wanted to use some decorative paper from the "Candy Lane" package by Stampin' Up! But the pink pieces I had left were too small.

I thought, "it can't be that difficult to make a piece of decorative paper now can it??" I opened up my old Print Artist program and started playing with the lines. And this is what I came up with. It took a little while to do but once I got going on it, it was just a matter of duplicating and pasting. I used the RBG color codes for the Stampin' Up! colors Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink and Regal Rose. I have seen several RBG charts with the Stampin' Up! color codes and each one of them has numbers just a little off from the other. I figured these were close enough. They did after all go well with the card stock. Though I didn't use any card stock for the package part. But I did for the birthday card. I made sure I saved this paper to my desk top so I can use it again.

Then I figured I had plenty of time, the sun wasn't quite rising yet!!! So I thought I would do the same style in Bashful Blue, Ballet Blue and Old Olive. I'll show that one to you another day. I printed it out on 28 pound copier paper but I need to get some 32 pound copier paper. The gum wrapper did show through the paper a little. I think the 32 pound paper will be thick enough to cover it better. And the heavier the pound of paper the more expensive it is too!!! I need to do a bit of shopping around before I purchase!!!

I also did the pink stripes vertically too. The first pink ones I did horizontally.

Inside the little box is a bracelet I made for Sue. I forgot to take a photo of it!!!

The little cupcake in the center of the card is from the Stampin' Up! set "Holiday Blitz." I just love that set, it's SO full of fun stamps that pretty much cover the year of events!!! Click on the photo (or any of my other photos) to see a close up. The digi paper looks much better in person. From here you can not see the white stripes in it. But it does show up if you click on it. I have LOTS of plans for this paper!!! As long as there is Pink Pirouette card stock to play with!!! LOL

Thanks every so much for visiting today,
Wanda

Jelly Bean Bubbles?

I am SO into recycling things at least once. Here I have a bottle that was from my favorite coffee flavoring. Vanilla. Yup, plain old vanilla!!! But it's my favorite in coffee!!!

Anyway, I liked the bottle plus the label was very easy to remove. Gotta LOVE that!!! I ran it in the dishwasher. Somehow I believe that it cleans it much better. I don't want to know if I'm wrong about that!!! LOL

I filled it with a package of pink, white and red jelly beans. It didn't quite fill it up all the way but that's ok. The gal I'm giving it to will love it anyway!!

I kept the decorating simple. I took a scrap piece of the Stampin' Up! "Candy Lane" decorative paper and glued it on with the Stampin' Up! Anywhere Glue Stick. I LOVE that glue stick. It sticks to glass SO well. I put a rubber band around the paper until the glue set.

While that was drying I stamped the large heart out using the Stampin' Up! set "Love You Much." I used Riding Hood Red ink and I cut it out. Then I colored in the one flower using the Pretty in Pink marker. I used the glue stick and glued it in place too. Using a rubber band to hold it until it dried.

While that was drying I used the 3 hearts stamp and stamped them using Riding Hood Red ink and Regal Rose card stock. I glued them in place and used the rubber band to hold them until the glue dried.

The little red heart on top of the largest heart was set in place using a Dimensional. I thought it looked great with the jelly beans!!! My friend is going to LOVE it!!!

It was a fun gift to make and was not very expensive!! At times we need to be thrifty. Recycling really helps with that!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Elegant Thank You!

I LOVE this little "Thank You" stamp. It's by Stampin' Up! and it is sold individually!!! I LOVED that idea too!!! The flower came from the Stampin' Up! "Flower Fancy" set.

This was a pretty quick card to make too. I stamped the flower on the Almost Amethyst card stock using Almost Amethyst ink. Then I cut the black layer and then the white layer to fit.

I stamped the words in the middle and set it aside to dry. While it was drying I stamped the flower and punched it out using the 1-1/4" circle punch. Then I punched out an Almost Amethyst circle using the 1-3/8" punch and the scallop was punched out using Basic Black. I don't have the new circle cutter yet so I'm still using punches.

I tied some satin ribbon around the front panel of the card and trimmed the edges. See, not a whole lot to making this card. I mailed one off the other day and much to my surprise it cost more to send. Not just the 43 cents and the 17 cents extra. That is for thickness. It was 62 cents to mail this because it is non-machinable. WOW!!! All of those other cards I sent out must have arrived with a 2 cent collection or they squeaked by!!!

Lucky you, a card to view and a little information on mailing cards!!! LOL

Thank you ever so much for visiting today,
Wanda

Swapping, Swapping, Swapping!

I'm trying to work on a card for an upcoming swap. I came up with this one but it's not really doing it for me. The pink background may need some dotted swiss texturing or a light background stamp. It just looks TOO plain and empty. I think that is what I'm not liking about it. But if I use the dotted swiss texture then the words will look funny and I don't want them on a layer because the hearts are on a layer. SO I guess I just solved my choice problem, it's a stamped background. But what???

To make this card I used Pink Pirouette and Whisper White card stock. I used Riding Hood Red ink and the Riding Hood Red ribbon. I added a few Dimensionals and a few dots with the white gel pen on the scallops. There is not much to this card and maybe that is some of the problem I am having with it????

I will try to rework it and see what else I can come up with!!

Thanks for your patience with me on this one!!
Wanda

Old World Meets New Technology!

Origami is a very ancient form of paper folding. It's been around longer than me and that's OLD!!! LOL Origami has found it's way into the stamping world on many occasions. Mostly in box form and this post is no different. I have chosen a rectangular box to fit with the Sizzix Bag with Scallops die cut.

I used a piece of decorative paper cut 6" x 12". I cut that 6" side down to 3". I ran one of the 3" x 12" pieces through the Big Shot and folded on the score lines. I set this piece aside and I cut a piece off the remaining piece 3" x 3-3/4". I opened up a link and I followed how to fold it. It is VERY easy to fold. The clip isn't very long so I recommend you watch it first and then replay it and fold along with the clip. Remember, the color you want on the outside is the color you have facing away from you when you start.

I taped my box in place inside the bag. I marked the inside with a pencil so I knew where to tape. I couldn't tape the box because it was not firm enough to hold on to while I taped so I found it easier to just tape the insides of the bag. I set the box on the bottom of the bag and lifted one side up at a time and pressed the box in place on the tape. I folded the flap over and was in awe at how cute that little band around the box looked inside the bag. Isn't it cute????

I added a little pre-wrapped chocolate covered heart to the box and folded the bag shut. I clipped it shut for photoing. I am not sure how I want to decorate the outside yet.

There are more ways to use this die cut. Just click here to see them all. Plus there is a shaker box in there because the lable is "Sizzix" and that happened to be one too!!! It's cute but it's not made with the Bag with Scallop die cut. There are 5 other ways to use this die cut. This one makes 6! Do the math, this die is well worth the money with as many things as you can do with it. I am impressed!!!

As with all of my photos, just click on them for a much closer view. Don't look TOO close, I do make mistakes!!! LOL

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Technique Page Bubble Background

Here's a fun technique that reminded me of when I was a child. It was the straw and blowing bubbles thing that brought back that childhood memory

Use a container that is large enough to hold the piece of card stock you are working with. Fill the container 3/4 full of tap water.

Add some ink to the water until desired color is reached.

Take the straw and blow bubbles in the water until the container is covered with bubbles.

Take your card stock and press it into the bubbles but not the water. Lift up and scrape off on the side of the container to remove bubbles. The ink on the bubbles has left it’s mark on your card stock. You can heat set to speed up drying time.

I think this technique would be fun if you were making bath items to give as gifts or to sell. The bubbles just seem to go with the theme, doesn't it??

This is the second page in this third set!!! I have a couple more brand new and useful techniques to share exclusively with you here. They won't appear anywhere else first but here!!! Lucky you, huh??? LOL

Click here to view the other 41 pages!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting,
Wanda

Wednesday Sketch Challenge at SplitCoastStampers

I was SO into Valentine's Day cards and gifty things plus a swap I've got coming up on Sunday and a box challenge along with a few other things that I forgot about the Wednesday Sketch Challenge at SplitCoastStampers. I heard the chime telling me that I had email and I didn't look right away. When I got around to it I was glad I didn't look because I would not have finished what I was doing so I could play with the sketch!!! LOL

I was putting away some stuff and I also found some stuff I didn't know I had. I have a LOT of that kind of stuff here!!! It's SO sad!

Anyway, I thought I'd venture out of the Valentine mode and into March. Hubby has an aunt (his godmother) who has a birthday on St. Patrick's Day. So I thought this year I would make her a card that fit the day. I usually make her a "regular" birthday card. But since I had this paper and these buttons I thought I would use them!!

The stamp is a clear stamp by Inkadinkado. I don't use clear stamps very often. It's not that I don't like them, I just don't use them. I have a nice collection of them too!!! Though I do find it difficult to remove them from the plastic. I'm SO afraid I'm going to rip it. But so far I so good!!! I would get more use out of them if I were using them like they were designed. I mean using them to see where to place the image. I just stamped a single image on a piece of card stock. I didn't need to stamp something close to it. Now that is where clear comes in handy.

I just thought this little turtle was cute. I liked the wording and I knew I'd be coloring him in using greens and that is what the card needed!!! I'm sure she'll like the card!!!

Thanks SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Another Thank You Card!

I wanted to play with the new Embosslits dies. And what a perfect time to do it too. I wanted to make a sweet and simple thank you card and it's exactly what I did!!!

I used Whisper White and YoYo Yellow card stock. The "thank you" is from the new Stampin' Up! "Elegant Thank You" set. It is very elegant indeed!! I LOVE the image!!

I punched out two flowers and put them together with a little bit of tape to hold them. I added the rhinestone brad to the center and that was it.

The band was made using the "Itty Bitty Backgrounds" set and black ink. I sponged the edges using YoYo Yellow and added some ribbon and taped it onto the card. The scallops were made using a corner rounder. I wanted a bigger scallop than the one the new scallop punch makes.

I REALLY like the Embosslits and I want to play with a few more of them. The are SO fun because they not only cut out the image but they emboss the edges too!!! It gives the cut piece dimension. I thought about sponging the edges of the flower but the embossing part stood out enough that I didn't need to.

Isn't it a fun card??? Plus it was fun to make and I'm sure my friend will like it!!! It's another sweet friend. Actually I think all of the friends I have are sweet!!! I'm SO blessed!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Another Item Using the Sizzix Scalloped Bag Die

Here is another project I did using the Sizzix Scallop Bag die. I took a piece of decorative paper and just ran it through the machine. I did cut the paper down to 3" x 12". Though you can use a piece of regular card stock for this. The die is just under 11" so it will work just fine.

After getting the piece cut I scored it. I measured in from the straight end 5-1/2" and I scored it. Then I moved the paper in until it measured 8-3/4" from the straight end and I scored it there.

Between the two scores is where I took the bottle cap and traced it onto the paper. Then I found a punch that fit close enough to that circle. If you find the circle is just a touch too tight you can repunch a little sliver off and it shouldn't show.

I folded in the score marks and then set it in place on the bottle. I didn't decorate it because this is not what I am using the bottle for. Plus it allows you to be creative. And you can show me what you make with it!!!

You can fold up the long straight piece and make a pocket for your business card or something else to go with the theme you are working with.

This is the 5th item I have made using the Sizzix "Bag with Scallops" die. Figure out the price of that die and divide it by 5 and you are getting 5 different uses for it for a small price for each!!! Such a deal, huh???

If you want to see the other items I made using this die just click here.

Thank you SO very much for visiting today,
Wanda

Another Fun Bag Using the SIzzix Bag With Scallop Die

Here's a fun and quick way to make those open sided bags for your candies. This is unbelievably quick. I LOVE giving those open sided bags as gifts and I also love making them with bath salts in them. Well, now I can make them SO much quicker!!! Imagine the time I will save!!!

I took a piece of decorative paper and cut it 3" wide. It needs to be at least 11" long. I ran it through the machine and folded the scores that the die created.

I filled my baggie with Red Hots. Please be sure to use baggies that are meant for foods. It really does make a difference. The ones that are made to hold food are clean and have been inspected. I don't know if the plastic on them is different or not. There is SO much talk about how plastic in contact with foods is not good for you because of the plastic emitting some type of chemical. Anyway, I put the candy in the baggie and I actually stapled it to the inside of the bag along the straight edge. Then I folded the top over and decorated it.

To keep it closed I was going to tape it but thought that wasn't such a good idea. I may have done that had I put a window in the front. But since I didn't I opted to use some thin magnets. One went under the scalloped flap and the other went on the outside of the front panel. The flap hides it until it's opened. I was going to put it on the inside of the package but the thin magnets I have weren't strong enough to hold through the paper like that. But for display purposes it worked just fine.

I have one more project you can make using that very same "Bag with Scallop" die. I'm sure there are more ways to use it and if you know of one you can let me know and I'll give it a try and post it on my blog!!!

If you want to see the other items I made using this die just click here.

For those of you who are demonstrators, it's always nice to show how you can get more than just one use out of an item you are promoting.

Thank you very much for visiting my blog today,
Wanda