Folds & Tears!

I am SO into folding my card stock in half and decorating away. I need to step outside of my comfort zone now and then and try different things!!! Here I did fold the card stock in half but I also gave it another little fold and then tore the card stock. I don't tear card stock half as much as I use to do.

To do this fold I cut my card stock (Rich Razzleberry - again!!! LOL) in half on the shorter side. Cutting it at 4-1/4". I scored that cut piece at 5-1/2" and then I slid it down a bit on the scoring mat and scored it again at 8-3/4". I then tore that flap in half, sort of. You don't want it to be perfect so just tear and guide it a little to keep it fairly straight.

I used the Daisy Dash wheel (finally). I'm such a collector of wheels and there are a few I have not used and this happened to be one of them. But not anymore!!! I covered a piece of card stock measuring 3" x 4" with the daisys and dashes!!! This piece is taped on under the flap and centered along the side and bottom edges. Before you tape it you need to punch out the slots for the ribbon with the Double Rectangle punch. Tape the white wheeled piece in place and punch out the slots that show through from that white piece. Once you do that you can either tie the bow on or you can tape the flap and then tie the bow. For mine I just tied the bow. I didn't think it needed to be taped. Once the bow was tied on the flap was never going to open!!! I suppose the edges could curl but they shouldn't curl much if at all so I'm just going with the bow!!!

For the 4" x 5-1/4" inside white piece I struggled with it. First I used the wheel and thought I would do the background just like the flap. I did but I had the "stripes" going the wrong way. SO I cut another piece of card stock and got them to go the right direction. I set it in place and heard myself say a big "YUCK!!!" Then I thought it has to be lighter so I inked off on the wheel and wheeled on the design. I set it on the card and once again I heard myself say a big "YUCK!!!" What to do, what to do???? Why can't it be just white??? It really should not have much design on it, especially if you want to write on it!!! So just white it was. Well, that was just TOO bright so I sponged the edges and it was enough. SO since I sponged the edges on that piece I needed to sponge the edges on the front piece. I removed it and sponged the edges and was careful about lining up the holes when I set it back in place. Such a struggle for a "simple" looking card!!! LOL

I used the "enjoy" from the Stampin' Up! "Enjoy Every Moment" set. This part was actually the easier part of the card. Maybe not so much easier as it was less trouble for me to do!!! Gosh!!! After I got it all stamped, sponged and layered I thought the center of the "o" needed something. I took out the "Trio Flower" punch and punched out a single flower. I pierced the center and added a pink rhinestone brad and it was just what the card needed. Just a touch of bling!!!

The card needed just one more thing!!! I know, when do you say enough is enough??? I thought the inside could use a little something so I took floewr from the "Enjoy Every Moment" set and stamped it in the inside on the bottom right corner. And I finally called it done. But was it really??? Not according to my friend Ann. The envelope needs to be stamped, right Ann??? She stamps on her envelopes all of the time and they are wonderful and when I send out cards I never stamp on my envelopes. I'm just to into making the card I forget about the envelope. I did to that once and then when I finally wanted to use the card I had no idea where I put the envelopes!!! SO Ann, sorry but I won't be stamping an envelope for this one today!!! LOL

So here it is, all done and ready to go in the mail!!! Now that I know what I'm doing here I think this would be a pretty quick card to make. Too bad the flowers from the wheel didn't show up better. But you can see them a little and they do go with the flower inside the "o".

Now I'm off to clean up my work tables so I can pull out the majority of my retired stamp sets and get them priced for the Retirement Party on the 10th of July. After that party then the remainder of the stamp sets will be put in my web store. You may want to take a look over there now. I had entered for me quite a few single stamps from various companies. Most of those stamps are new!!!

Thank you for muddling through with me on this one!! Happy Stamping,
Wanda

A New Photo!

Here is another photo of the "Razzlebox" that I posted yesterday. It seems that when I take photos of my boxes I take them head on and you can't tell it's really a box. It could be a piece of decorated card stock for all you know!!! But really, it was a box and here is the proof!!! Taking the picture this way gives it a whole new and even better look!!!

Maybe someday I'll take that free class on how to use my camera and maybe I'll get some tips on how to take better photos!! But for now you just have to suffer along with me!!! LOL

Pretty cute box, huh? I just LOVE that die cut!!!

Razzle Box! Weekend Project

This was a very fun box to make. A friend of mine is such a coffee lover and when I was shopping at the dollar store I found this box of Nescafe Taster's Choice coffee packets. They are like the ones you add to your bottled water but a bit longer. And because they were a bit longer I had to fold down the tops of them to get them to fit in the box. 7 packets came in the box but I was only able to fit 4 in the box I made. I used some decorative paper from the Stampin' Up! Razzleberry Lemonade package. I am REALLY loving that paper and it's on my list to re-purchase when it's available!!!

I ran the paper through the Big Shot using the "Bag with Scallops" die cut. I've used that die cut SO much I'm shocked at how sharp it still is!!! After I glued it together I set it aside to dry. I went to my computer to type up the wording. I use to use these words when I was into crafting and was making wall plaques. The plaque was in the shape of an old coffee pot and I would stitch the words on and add real coffee beans and measuring spoon full of coffee beans to the front. It was SO cute and I use to sell a LOT of them!! Anyway, I'd always liked the wording and when I saw that coffee in the store those words came to mind and then I HAD to buy that coffee because I knew what I wanted to do with it!!! Shocking part here is that I remembered what I wanted to do with it!!! LOL

I printed the words out on white card stock and then cut it. I layered a scrap piece of Rich Razzleberry card stock to the back of it. I was going to tape it shut when I realized the scallop looked too plain. What to do, what to do?? I remembered seeing a flower from the Pretties Kit being used under the scallop but sad to say I don't remember where I saw that. I did like the effect it gave. It did look much better against the colors I saw than it does here. But it's still cute here! It's SO girly like!!! I added a rhinestone brad to the scallop and was about to tape it shut when I realized that rhinestone was not quite enough either. SO I picked up a piece of the Rich Razzleberry card stock and poked a hole in it. Then I centered that hole in the 3/4" circle punch and punched it out. I pushed the brad through the hole and then into the scallop flap. I liked the effect and I taped the flap shut. I was going to use velcro but the flower made the flap stick up a bit as it was and velcro would have made it worse. I did use a glue dot and many times with those if you open things slowly it will not rip the paper. But it is better than gluing it!!!

Don't you just LOVE this paper???

This was such a fun and VERY quick project to make too and I know my friend is going to LOVE it!!! This item can be used for so many things, Stamp camp, make & takes, hostess gifts, customer appreciation gifts, open house gifts, friendship gifts, the list goes on and on!!!

Click here for more weekend projects, there's over 70 of them to see!!! It will take you a weekend to see them all!!! LOL

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

What Does This Card Say to You WINNER!!!

I did forget to draw a name for the winner of the card on the "What Does This Card Say to You" post! A drawing was held for those who posted a comment to that post telling me what that card said to them. To me it looked more like a sympathy card. Though it can be used for a lot of occasions.

The winner is Susie and here is her comment:

I thought of it as a card that would be for someone who needed to know you cared for them - like giving someone that's hurting a pretty bouquet of flowers and a hug.

Susie, please email me with your snail mail address and I will get this card off in the mail to you. It was a lot of fun seeing what others thought the card was saying to them. I am going to have to do that again. You did enjoy it, didn't you??? Wouldn't it be fun to do that once or twice a month??

Thank you all for playing along,
Wanda

Golden Razzleberry!!!

I just LOVE black and a burgundy together and this new Rich Razzleberry card stock is close enough to a burgundy and it works well with the black card stock!!!

This card can be used for many occasions. Birthday, Thinking of You, Get Well, Friendship, Mother's Day and even a Wedding card!!!

I used the retired Stampin' Up! "Live Your Dream" set. It's one of those sets I didn't get to play with much. And it's also one of those sets I'm not ready to let go of yet either!!! I need to play with it more so I can feel ok about letting it go! But for now it's still a part of my stock!!!

The cute little butterflies were in the set too. I embossed them and the flower image using VersaMark and gold embossing powder. I wish I would have used the Embossing Buddy before I stamped the image using the VersaMark. Then I wouldn't have these little bits of gold dotted on the card!

I had cut my Rich Razzleberry card stock in half on the 8-1/2" side. I cut a quarter piece of black card stock. I tore the Rich Razzleberry at the top part of the card and then punched the slots in it for the ribbon. I set the black piece of card stock behind the flap I created and traced the slots so I could get them to line up. After punching the black ones out I taped it in place under the flap. I had this wonderful gold and burgundy ribbon on hand and it went close enough with the Rich Razzleberry card stock!!! Lucky me!!

I layered the flower on top of a scrap piece of the Rich Razzleberry. Yup, I've used that card stock enough that I actually had a scrap piece!!! I taped it in place in the center of the black area. And viola, the card was done. It was actually a quick card to make too! Gotta LOVE those!! I know I do!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A Case of CASING!!!

I just couldn't help myself. I saw this card on Deann's blog De Stampin' Corner and I knew I just had to make it. It caught my eye. It is so clean looking, something that I like in a card.

I did change mine a bit. I did not add the organza ribbon, I changed the wording and added a scallop layer with the oval. I also layered the white background. Deann's card was all white.

It was a fun card to make and I have a special friend I am mailing this off to in the morning. I know this card will make her feel better.

For this card I used the Stampin' Up! "God's Blessings". It's a level one hostess set. The wording is from the retired "Friend to Friend" set. I don't give up my word sets quite as easily as I do the image sets. And I was glad I had this set because I couldn't find another set that had the "thinking of you" in a small enough font to fit inside the oval. I feel that you can never have enough word sets!!! I like to make cards blank and add words later to fit the reason I'm sending out the card. That is why I LOVE versatile sets. This "Gods Blessings" set is a very versatile one. I will be sad to see it go. And I will be sad to see the Pink Pirouette card stock go too! It was such a pretty color. But the new colors are fun too! The background was created using a Cuttlebug folder. They are SO fun to play with!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Just Beachy Birthday!

I needed a quick birthday card today for my nephew. I thought I would be caught up on my cards but my week got away from me. Too much beading. I will show you in a couple of days my new bracelet!!! It's SO pretty!!! I love the sparkle of the beads!!!

Anyway, I needed a quick card and I had some "stuff" sitting out so I grabbed the "Just Beachy" set, the "Birthday's Count" set and the "Razzleberry Lemonade" decorative paper. I was surprised when I was looking through it that I could make this piece work for a masculine card!!! So I cut the orange piece and set it on the black background. Now what to do on the decorative paper??? I like the fish so I thought I would punch them out and I was going to use the scallop punch but I wanted to keep it totally masculine. I stamped three fish and punched them out using the 1-1/4" punch. Then I colored them in with a blender pen and marker. I colored in the whole fish with the blender pen and a color. I then took that same color and did the highlights on the fish. I layered them on a 1-3/8" punched out black circle. I set them in place on the front of the card. I had them in a long row but didn't like that so I thought I would scatter them. Then I needed to find something to fill in those big orange gaps. "Happy Birthday" was just not enough. I needed one more word to go on the card to fill it in and complete it. Well, "Happy Happy Birthday" came to mind and then it went on the paper!!! I didn't use anything to line it up, I just eyed it and it worked!!! LOL It was a very quick card to make. Really!!!! I think my nephew will like it. He's such a fisherman!! And I did get it done on time!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Web Store Update

I have some more items in my web store. Most of the stamps I have put in there are unused. I have a lot more to add too. Just need to find time to do all this "stuff." It's slow going but it's going!!

The web store figures out the postage for you, it's very simple to use. The store has some little issue going on right now but you can still view the items. When you click on the link you'll seen an "oops" thing. Just click on "All Items" on the left just under the header and it will open up into the store. I reported this issue but it hasn't been resolved yet.

Thank you,
Wanda

What Does This Card Say to You?

What does this card really say to you??? This is a new Stampin' Up! level 3 set "Kind & Caring Thoughts." It's a VERY versatile set. It has "Thinking of You, Best Wishes and Thanks SO much words plus other wording for the inside of the card that go with those sentiments. I think this is one of those "Must Have" sets!!! It is not only great for those three themes mentioned above but it would also be nice for a Sympathy card and Mother's Day card too!! You wouldn't even need the words for that, you could just write something on the inside or find some words from another set. I have LOTS of ideas for this set and I probably should put them down on card stock before I forget. Plus it would motivate me to use every stamp in the set. Probably not all of the inside word stamps but most of them!! But the main images are ones I would play with right away!!! I love this leafy looking vine/stem image and this pretty little flower that is in there too. I'm sure you'll be seeing them here soon!!!

SO, what does this card say to you??? Let me know what you think it says. Leave your comment here and I will have a random drawing and the winner will receive this card. I'm not posting this drawing in the title of this blog, it is for those of you who read through this entire post!!! It's the only way to find out there is a drawing!!! SO sneaky, I know!!! LOL

Just tell me what your first thought of what you would use this card for when you saw the card. I will draw a name on Saturday!!! Please leave your comment to this post only!

To make this card I used a half sheet of Basic Black card stock. Then I cut a piece of decorative paper from the new Razzleberry Lemonade package. I stamped the large flower image from the "Kind & Caring" set. I used VersaMark and clear embossing powder. Then I sponged in Razzleberry ink over the embossed area. Every time I had to ink up my sponge I started sponging it over the center part of the flower. That is how it got to be so dark around it. I didn't want to add fresh ink to light areas, it would leave a spot that would be too dark to blend in. After I was done sponging I took a paper towel and wiped off the embossed area. Ink beads up on embossing and you don't want to be picking it up on your fingers and smearing it on the rest of the card. After I finished with that I took out my out my Nestabilities, the oval and the scalloped ovals and ran them through the Sizzix Big Shot. I tied on a piece of white ribbon and then affixed the ovals. It really is a very simple card to make and even simpler to win it!!! *winks*

So leave me a comment and be entered in the drawing for this card!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Blog Candy Winner!

I bet you thought I forgot to announce the Blog Candy winner!!! Well, I did remember it once today but I didn't get on my computer. I'm SO frustrated with this computer. It's a Compaq laptop. I get no warning noise when the battery runs low, not even a flash of the screen. The screen goes black. Then you plug it in. Now you'd think the screen would come back and you could resume on AC. Nope. You have to reboot the whole system to get it back. Oh but that's not the worst of it. When it finally comes back on it's in Classic Mode. Classic Mode is the screen with the HUGE icons. And because it's so huge some of my other icons are now buried below the screen line so you can't see them. I have to go into Control Panel and click on the screen resolution so I can move it back to the highest resolution. Now here is where there should be something to click on to make this default. GRRRR. It's SO frustrating. I don't know if this is part of the ongoing list of VISTA issues or not. I don't like going on the computer when I have to use this one. And the design in it has a bit of a flaw too. The mouse (which is centered below the keyboard is almost flush with the part where your palms rest on so your the palm part of your thumb will brush against it and the next thing you know your cursor is somewhere else on your screen. Anyway, I'm online, I've got the computer running and charging and I used the random number generator and got a winner of the stamp set plus other "stuff" I've gathered along the way!!!

The winner is Joyce Spear and here is her comment:

"I am most definitely a card maker, as I've never even attempted a scrapbook page! (Not sure if that's wisdom or cowardice, lol!)I love visiting your blog daily... great ideas! Thank you so much!"

Do you think we'll ever convert her to scrapbooking??? Will I convert?? I did take my scrapbook out the other day and looked at the blank pages. I haven't clue what I want to do with it yet but I have a feeling that once I figure it out I won't want to stop!!!

Anyway, Joyce please email me with your snail mail and I will get the package mailed off to you.

Thank you all for playing along. There's more blog candy coming in a couple of weeks so stay tuned!!!

Wanda

Wednesday Sketch Challenge

This weeks sketch challenge at SplitCoastStampers was VERY fun!!! And easy too. Though I had to make it a bit more difficult by cutting out the cute duck from the Stampin' Up! "Wagon Full of Fun" set. It's too bad it won't be in the new catalog. It's such a cute set.

I used up some of my decorative paper. Some retired stuff. It's from the Delicate Dots package. I still have some more left but hey, I actually have been using it!!!! I know shocker. I'm trying SO hard NOT to hoard the paper!! Use it, use it, use it!!!! I didn't use much but at least I did use it!!

I colored in my duck using a blender pen and markers. Blending is still at the top of my favorite techniques!! For the oval shadow I punched out the oval using a piece of scrap card stock and then I sponged the Bashful Blue color in. Being it was more of a "comical" duck and not a realistic one I thought an oval would be better than a contoured shadow. And it was easier too!!!

This card was actually pretty quick to make too. Yes, it took a few minutes to cut the duck out and to color it but the whole card took less than a half hour!!! Not bad for a card with that many pieces.

The words in the corners were from some left over scrapbooking package. It had some other baby words in it. They are like buttons but have no holes. There was adhesive on the back of them which made it easy to affix too. I was going to use double-sided tape and hope it would hold it but after seeing that it had it's own adhesive I figured it would stick better. So far so good, both are still stuck on the card!!!

It was a lot of fun to make this care. If you have time play with this sketch. You don't need to be a part of the SplitCoast community to make a card using this sketch. I LOVE trying different sketches. Well, as long as they are not the 4" x 4" square ones. Those are a big challenge for me and I don't really like making them because I don't have envelopes for them. It's not fun making a card you know you don't have any envelopes for!!! And I really don't plan on getting any either. But lately at SplitCoast when they have a square card they also have the sketch in a regular size too. It's so nice of them not to torture me!!! LOL

Have some fun with this sketch, it's SO worth it!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Altered Address Book! Weekend Project!

Gotta love those quick "Weekend Projects." For more "Weekend Projects" click here, you'll find over 70 of them. Enough to keep you busy for a while!!! LOL

While I was digging through my stash of "stuff" I ran across a couple of address books I had bought. Don't ask me when I bought them, I have no idea. I just know it's been about a year that they have been stashed away in the box I found them in! And it's about time I alter them! Oh and what a perfect time to do it too, with all the new papers and colors!!! I'm loving these new Stampin' Up! papers. The paper here came from the Razzleberry Lemonade pack. Pretty, isn't it?

First I opened up my word processing program and typed in the "Address Book" words. I set it up on the paper where I thought it should be and then did a test print on white copier paper. I set the paper against the book and saw that I was way off. After a bit of tweaking I got the words where I wanted them and I ran my cut decorative paper though the printer. I measured my paper using the book as my guide. I wanted it the exact size and it's the easiest way to do that.

After printing I realized I had cut the paper too short so it wouldn't go all the way around the book. Oh and I cut it on both pieces so both books were short!! GRRRR. Measure twice cut once. I've heard that many times before, except for today!!! LOL Anyway, I was able to hide the mistake by cutting the paper down so that it would cover the front and the back and I got to use my black Duck Tape again (yes, it's called Duck Tape and not Duct!!). I added the tape to the seam of the book. With the black wording the tape fit on the book just fine.

I stamped the bird on a branch image from the "Asian Artistry" set. It's such a fun and pretty set. I used the new "in color" markers and colored directly on the rubber. I am SO thrilled every time I see those markers. It's SO wonderful that the new colors come in markers now!!! It sure makes my day every time I play with them!!!!

I stamped the image on white card stock. I had taken a make-up sponge wedge and sponged the edges. I had ran across some of those too and am trying to use them up!!! I do like the soft look they give the edges. Different sponges give you different effects when you do the edges with them. Experiment a bit with them and see for yourself. Sometimes I like the softer look of the make-up sponge but most of the time I prefer the regular sponges.

I layered the image on black card stock and taped it in place. All in all it was a fun project to do. It was a bit tricky on the back with the elastic but all I did there was to make a couple of slits in the paper before I taped it down. I just slipped the elastic in at one corner and worked my way around the entire piece of paper. It's something you really can't do all at once unless you tape as you go. And of course I didn't think of that until I was all done setting it in place!!! Silly me!!! LOL

I took a photo of the address book with the elastic on and now I wish I would have moved the words over. Oh well!! The original book was done like that so I didn't even give that a second though. Lesson learned here!!!

Have fun altering items, it's basically easy to do and always fun!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today, Wanda

Technique Page Time!

I thought it was time I added another technique page to the agenda. I haven't posted one for a couple of weeks. I was going to try to do one once a week. I have of them to make. This one will make #9 in the third set of 20 pages. Almost half way there! I do have some extra packages of sets 1 and set 2. If you are interested in them please email me. You can also go to my webstore and purchase these pages on CD to use for technique page books for classes! It's a great way to bring in some new and fun things for your customers to attend, do and have for themselves!!!

This technique is called "Faux Buttons." It's pretty simple to do too! You just stamp an image on card stock. Punch it out with a shape you want to use as a button. Sponge the edges and emboss it using clear embossing powder. Add a piece of hemp or thread, tie it and it's ready for your card or scrapbook page!!! Not much simpler than that!!! This can also be done using Crystal Effects but you need to let it dry overnight. I didn't and don't have the patience for something like that. The only drawback of using embossing powder is it could crack. I made mine a bit too thick and it did crack but all I did to fix it was to reheat it. And that happened after I had it affixed to the black layered squares!! But reheating it melted the crack and you would never know!!! I used foam tape to affix the button to the card stock. The hemp in back made it stick up a bit too much for mono adhesive to hold it in place. It needed something to raise it up a bit and the foam tape was what it needed!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today, Wanda

Sharing Your Sorrow Sympathy Card

I really don't like making these cards. No, not the card itself but the "theme." And it seems I only make them when I need them and I find it very difficult. I should make up a few of them to have on had and then it may be less difficult. And isn't it one of those "Murphy's Law" type things??? If I have a bunch of sympathy cards I won't have any need for them????? Hey, that's worth a try!!!

I have two other cards I still need to make for this month and once again I'm caught up with cards!!! Everything else in my life is behind schedule but the cards!!! Well, at least it's something!!! LOL

I am actually a little late in getting this card made and sent off too. I keep losing the notes I write. Are cats vindictive creatures??? One of the cats was having some behavioral issues so I shut it in the guest room for a week. Not to worry the cat got LOTS of attention. That is where the computer is so I was in there a lot. Plus I had to go in there to clean the litter box and make sure there was food and water. And little Boo insists on coming in there and visiting or she invites herself to a sleepover. LOL She's such a character. Anyway, when we got back last week from our overnighter I realized I wrongly accused the one cat. SO now the cat who is having the issues is now in the guest room and of course Boo LOVES to have a "girls night out" with her. LOL In fact she is in the room right now!!!And this late in the evening she will probably find a comfortable spot on the soft blanket I have on the bed and spend the night!! So my question is in regards to the cat who was wrongfully accused. Stuff is missing and he's a smart cat . . . . . do you think he is messing with me? LOL

But now that I remembered to make this card I will get it off in the mail tomorrow and one less thing on my list to tend to!

To make this card I used Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Certainly Celery and Close to Cocoa ink. I ran the Close to Cocoa and Certainly Celery through the Dotted Swiss Cuttlebug folder. I didn't measure the width of the Certainly Celery piece, it was a piece of long scrap I had and it worked!!!

I stamped the words in Chocolate Chip ink. I used the larger oval punch, punched it out and then sponged the edges in Certainly Celery. I punched out a Chocolate Chip scallop and layered them together.

Now here's a trick I use when I did the tree. I stamped the whole image in Certainly Celery and then took the Chocolate Chip marker and colored in the trunk and branches. It sure was a lot easier than coloring the leaves one at a time!!! This works as long as the darker marker is dark enough to absorb the lighter color and still stay not only solid but remain as dark as it is intended to be. Chocolate Chip works perfectly for doing this!!!

The tree image is from the Stampin' Up! "Thoughts and Prayers" set. I just LOVE that set. And I'm SO happy it's in the new catalog!!!

Now to get this post published and get the card addressed and ready to go out in the mail tomorrow morning. Then I'm headed for my beads. I'm working on a really fun and pretty bracelet and I'll show it to you later in the week!!! I went to a fun beading night at the local bead store. I will also be teaching there in July and August!!! That will be a lot of fun. I haven't taught there since last fall.

Don't forget about the blog candy!!! The random drawing is on Tuesday evening!

Thank you SO much for visiting today, Wanda

It's Time For Some Blog Candy!!!

As I was cleaning up a stack of notes I ran across one that was to remind me I needed to do some blog candy for the 700,000+ hits. It's about time I get around to it. I'm close to 800,000 hits so I'd better get a move on!!!

Here are some fun Clear Stamps by Scrappy Cat. This set is called "Teen Scene." It has a retail value of $14.00 It's of course brand new and waiting just for you!!!

I know you're asking yourself "How do I get this set?" Well, as usual you must answer some silly little question that is rambling around in my brain. LOL And this time the question is:

Are you a scrapbooker or a card maker? You can even be both! At this moment I am a card maker but I have stepped outside my comfort zone and have purchased a scrapbook album!!! I have gone as far as opening it up and looking inside at all the shiny blank pages!!! It's a step. Granted it isn't a big one but this is a HUGE challenge for me. Wish me luck on it!!! LOL

I will draw a name on Tuesday evening June 23, 2009. Please only enter once and do not include an email address. Enter on this post only. You must check back on Wednesday to see if you have won!! As usual I collect other fun stamping and scrapbooking items that I add to the package before it's mailed. I never disclose what else comes in the envelope but I do know no one has been disappointed yet!!

SO what is it? Cards, scrapbooking or both? Oh possible even neither, just someone who loves to look at blogs!!! I don't want to not include those of you who love to read blogs!! Anyone may enter!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today and good luck to you!
Wanda

A VERY Bright Birthday Card!!!

This new decorative paper pack has some bright and sort of wild color sheets in it. I just LOVE it!!! I am really liking this dotted ribbon too!!! It did help tone down the "wildness" of the color and design of this paper!!

The cute cupcake images are from the Level 3 "The More the Merrier" Hostess set. It was SO cute and I couldn't pass it up in my pre-order. There's more cute images in that set that I'm sure I will be sharing with you too!

When I colored in the cupcakes I thought I would be fun to go a little wild myself!!! And I did!!! The are very bright and colorful too!!! But it does give you a happy feeling when you look at it doesn't it? Well, it does scream something!!! LOL

It as fun to just go wild and having fun is what it's all about, isn't it?

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Top Note Notebook!

Here's a fun notebook I made using the Top Note die cut. And again I was playing with the new stuff!!! The image is from the level 2 hostess set "Asian Artistry" and the words are from the new "Teeny Tiny Wishes" set. That set has 24 phrases in it that fit SO nicely in the Word Window punch!!! Gotta LOVE that!!!

I stamped the image using VersaMark and then I colored it in using chalks. I stamped the words in suing the Rich Razzleberry ink. I sponged the edges of the white with the Rich Razzleberry ink too.

The inside of the notebook was made using index cards. I just cut them with the Top Note die and punched the holes in them using the RubiCoil punch machine. I was going to make the top solid Razzleberry but I couldn't get the holes lined up right so I had to cut it down and layer it on.

Another fun project!!! I love the look of the chalked image, it's so soft and subtle.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Wednesday Sketch Challenge

You know how much I LOVE to do the Wednesday Sketch Challenge!!! And I was fortunate enough to have some time to do this week's challenge. It was a VERY fun layout. I also used a new stamp set too. It's the level 3 hostess set "The More the Merrier" by Stampin' Up! The minute I saw this set I knew I had to have it because of the snowmen. I'm such a sucker for snowmen! These little guys are SO cute. I'm going to work them into our Christmas card this year. And since I got the stamp set SO early I really should start making my cards. I would REALLY like to be done with them before fall. Wouldn't that be nice??? This layout is pretty easy to work with too and the card (without the pearl snowflake button) isn't very bulky at all. I still have some compressed foam "stuff" we used between our existing floor and the new flooring in our kitchen. I cut some snowflakes out of it last year and they turned out pretty cool. I'm sure I will be keeping you posted on my Christmas card choices as the weeks go by and I finally make my decision.

SO to make this card I ran a piece of white card stock through the Snowflakes Cuttlebug folder. I cut the layers out and taped them on the snowflake paper. For the snowmen I cut the card stock the size of the wooden block and then stamped the image using black StazOn ink. I needed to use that ink because I was going to be using the blender pen and I didn't want the ink to smear. I colored in the snowmen using a blender pen and markers. I sponged the edges using Bashful Blue. I used a dauber sponge for that instead of the regular yellow-orange sponges. I wanted a softer looking edge. A make-up sponge would have given me the same effect too but I didn't have any nearby so I used what was in front of me!!! I'm SO lazy!!! LOL

I felt that the bottom right corner needed something and as I was looking for a snowflake brad I ran across these cute buttons and I cut the shank off the back of it and affixed it to the card stock using Crystal Effects. I LOVE that stuff. It sticks a lot of things to each other!!! And that is pretty much all there is to the card. Pretty simple and really not that many pieces to it!!!

If you have the time try making a card using this layout. I don't usually measure the pieces I just take my card stock and set it over the image (I do print out the sketches) and I used my finger nail to mark the card stock. Then I head on over to the paper cutter and cut the pieces out. I add 1/8" for the black layers. And the white snowflake embossed piece is cut 1/8" smaller than the black card base. All the layers on my card are 1/8" bigger than the image or the card stock they are under.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Simply Quick Cards

While visiting Dawn's website Do Stamping with Dawn I saw some cards she had done using the new in colors. SO once again I found myself gravitating back to the Rich Razzleberry paper. It's just SO darn pretty!!!

I didn't have the wheel she used so I dug out one I thought was appropriate and ran with it. My wheel wasn't a wide jumbo one, it was the regular size one so I wheeled the image on twice. I was shocked to see I actually got it on straight and without a wheel guide!!! And the first time too, no redoing it this time!!! See . . . . . shocker!!! LOL

There are ribbons to match the new in colors and I am thrilled about that too. I only ordered one spool in my pre-order. I would have loved to have gotten them all but my budget wouldn't allow me. I'm SO glad I picked this color since it seems that I am loving it the most!!!

I played with the new label punch too! I didn't have the larger one that is in the new Sizzix set. I wasn't going to buy that set but it has now gone on my wish list.

Now to do this card I just cut the card stock on the 8-1/2" side. I folded it in half. Then I cut a piece of white card stock and wheeled the image on (twice). Then I set the white piece on my card to see if I needed to trim it a bit and it looked fine so I taped it in place. I then tied the ribbon on. I just LOVE that cute ribbon!!! I punched out the label and the words were done using the new "Teeny Tiny Wishes" set and the Word Window punch. And seriously that is all there is to this card. I love the simplicity of it!!! And when they are simple, elegant and quick they are even more fun to make!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Asian Artistry Notebooks

I just LOVE making these little notebooks. They measure 2-1/2" x 2-1/2". They are perfect for the purse!! I sell a lot of these at craft fairs. I'm hoping to have a bunch made for this falls craft fair.

For my notebooks I used the "Asian Artistry" dragon fly stamp by Stampin' Up! My challenge is to use all the images in that set and so far so good!!! I have two stamps left, one image stamp and one word stamp. I should be able to combine the two and my challenge has been met (first time in very LONG time!!!).

These little notebooks are fun to make because they allow me to use the smaller stamps. And of course I had to use the new in colors, Rich Razzleberry, Bermuda Bay and Dusty Durango. The first notebook I did was the Razzleberry one, then the Bermuda Bay one and when I got to the Dusty Durango one I decided that the Razzleberry was no longer my favorite color in this new group, it's now the Dusty Durango!!! LOL Who knows what my new favorite color will be tomorrow?? LOL The more I play with these the more I like them. Not that I didn't like them from the very beginning but I tend to favor a color. Or two!! LOL

To make these notebooks I cut my card stock and my copier paper 2-1/2" x 2-1/2". The white piece on top with the image on it was cut 2" x 1-7/8" I couldn't make it perfectly square because of the coil. Cutting it square made it look like it wasn't centered. I stamped the image in the same color as the card stock. Then I stamped the dotted image from the "Itty Bitty Backgrounds" set. It was stamped using VersaMark and I embossed it in gold. Then I sponged in the edges. I got most of the ink off the sponge and rubbed a little bit of color on the dragonfly. As simple as that!!! Now if I'm going to sell them I have to add the Stampin' Up! copy right stamp on the backs.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Asian Artistry Notebook Weekend Project!

There's nothing more fun to do with a notebook than to alter it!!! I LOVE altering notebooks. I ran across one I had picked up at Michael's. They seem to have these in their dollar spot all the time. What is on the front is of no interest to me when I purchase them. All I care about is that it has an ink pen with it!!!

This notebook is FULL of fun "new stuff" by Stampin' Up! The background paper is from the new decorative paper pack "Razzleberry Lemonade."

To stamp my image I usually take the entire stamp to the paper cutter. I measure the block and cut my card stock that size. Most of the time it is accurate enough! The image is from the new level 2 hostess set "Asian Artistry." I'm working my way through the whole set. I have SO many sets that I have only used one or two items in it. I'm going to try harder with this new catalog to get to use all the images in each set I buy!!!

I even got to play with the new matching markers!!! That was such a brilliant thing Stampin' Up! did. No more blender pen and washed out colors. Nice and solid right from the marker!!! Such a deal!!! I used the new markers to color in the image. I used the Bermuda Bay for the leaves and the Crushing Curry on the bird. Once it was stamped I took the writing end of the marker and drew in a little Dusty Durango on the beak and I used the Soft Suede on the eye and to outline the wings, tail feathers, legs and just a bit under the belly.

I sponged the edges using the Rich Razzleberry ink pad. I layered it on top of a piece of Rich Razzleberry card stock. That is one of the prettiest colors I've seen in a long time. I got a feeling I will be ordering a LOT more of that color in the next year!!!

And for a final touch I added 3 pearls from the Pretties kit. And it was ready to tape together.

To cover the notebook I just set the notebook on top of the decorative paper and marked it with a pencil and headed on over to the paper cutter and cut what I needed. If you are going to alter a lot of these notebooks you will want to do the decorative paper individually. Every notebook is not cut exactly the same.

These are fun things to do for a Make & Take or great Hostess or Customer Appreciation gifts. The sell at craft fairs and are a great Stamp Camp item to do! They are just a lot of fun!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

THE New Stuff!!!

I missed the Wednesday Sketch Challenge. Hubby and I went on an overnighter to Sleepy Eye. We went to see the Jeffer's Petroglyphs. It was extremely fascinating. The only bad part of the trip was the Petroglyps were all there really was to see. There was not a lot to do there. We did drive to New Ulm to have dinner oh and we stopped at this Wal-Mart store to pick up a game to play to occupy our time that evening. This Wal-Mart was UNREAL. It was not a not a Super Store, it was a Super Mart. The place had 4 doors to it!!! The left end had a liquor store, the 2nd section had the grocery store (HUGE) the 3rd section had the usual "Wal-Mart" stuff and the other end was the garden center. I took a photo of it, actually it was 2 photos because I couldn't get it all in on one picture!!! I was amazed at how big it was. Oh and I spotted a Dollar Tree there and hubby being the SUPER nice guy that he is stopped there for me!!! It was ok, not as big as out Dollar Tree here but I managed to find a few things to buy!!! LOL It was a nice short getaway!!! Hubby was between releases at work so he was able to take a bit of time away. The weather here was still cool enough for me to go outside!!! LOL Which was good because there was a bit of hiking up a trail to see the carvings.

Ok, onto my post!!! My Stampin' Up! pre-order items came today!!!! Of course I had to order the "in colors" kit! But I did not use any of them in this card. And NO, I'm not saving or hoarding them for the future!!! LOL I was just TOO anxious to play with this fun Level 2 Hostess set I ordered. I thought it was such a pretty and versatile set. And the flower fit SO well in the sketch focal area! Oh and yes, I did actually cut that flower out. UGH!!! It took a while to do but it was SO worth it!!!

Oh and the markers also come in the in colors now, how cool is that??? I was SO thrilled when I saw that!!

I started my card out with Basic Black for the main part of the card. Then I set a layer of white on top. The white had been sent through the Cuttlebug "Dotted Swiss" folder. Then the strip layer went on. The decorative paper there is from Stampin' Up!'s "Tea Party" package. I just LOVE that paper. The purple on the very top layer is also from that pack of decorative paper. The green squares are don using Certainly Celery.

To do these sketches I usually just measure the printed out sketch. It prints out exact size so it's easy to get measurements. Sometimes I just hold my card stock to the sketch and use my fingernail to make a little mark on it and then head on over to the paper cutter and cut it to the nearest whole line on the cutter. I do that because it makes it easier to cut the black layers for under it.

Like I mentioned, the flower was cut out. I had stamped it using black StazOn. I cut it out and then I colored it in. I was going to color first but I opted to wait and do that because the last time I colored with a blender pen and then cut the image out the ink smeared. SO to avoid that from happening again I decided to just cut and then color and I was very pleased with the results. The image stayed clean! I used Pretty in Pink for the flower, Barely Banana for the inside of the flower and Certainly Celery for the leaves and stems.

I glued the flower in place in the focal area. I have this wonderful glue pen. It's got a tip on it like a ballpoint pen. They are by the Sailor Corporation. And it's a 2 in 1 pen meaning that if you use it right away it will stick permanently but if you wait then it will be a removable adhesive. Oh and it's got a blue tint to it to know if it's still wet and is in a permanent state. If it is clear that means the glue has dried enough and you will be able to reposition the piece. Well, I really didn't want to have to reposition this piece. I had a feeling I had to get it right the first time because if I were to move it the fine stems would tear. I set the flower in place but was a bit too far to the left and the leaf stick a bit over the decorative paper. But that's ok, it still looks fine there, just not perfectly on the DP like I really wanted.

If you have time I highly recommend you give this sketch or one of the other 231 sketches a try!!! They are SO much fun!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Fun Notebooks!

I still have notebooks left and one was sitting out on my worktable. I gave it some thought and figured I would see what I could come up with on the spur of the moment. I glanced over at a stack of stamp sets I don't have cataloged yet and saw the Stampin' Up! "Branch Out" set. I have played with it before but not quite enough to set it aside and move on!!! I want to play with it enough that when it retires I will not feel so bad about seeing it go. I've had too many sets I didn't play with enough and the next thing you know they are retired. I know that doesn't mean that after the retired date they won't ink up anymore!!! And there are some that I hang on to. Actually a lot more than just "some!"

These little composition notebooks are a lot of fun to alter! And this tree fit perfectly on it too!!!

I did use a retired stamp on this notebook. It was the "Canvas" background stamp. I love that stamp to give my pieces an aged look. I stamped that in Creamy Carmel, I had stamped it off first than stamped the background on my piece of card stock. I then added the tree followed by the swing. The swing required me to get out my Stamp-a-ma-jig!!! Ever since Sue showed me how to use it I have used it a lot!!!

For the leaves in the tree I used Certainly Celery and Garden Green. They seemed to go well together. It gave it a fresh look, not quite like spring because of the darker green but not a summer look either. I added some Pretty in Pink and Lavender Lace butterflies. I sponged the edges with a makeup sponge. Those fine foam sponges sponge a lot different than the round foam ones do.

I found a piece of brown velvet paper and used it on the spine of the notebook. I forgot I had this paper stuff. It has such a fun soft feel to it. This really was a quick notebook to cover. I have more to do at a later date. Maybe when the new catalog comes out I will find something fun in there to don the cover of a notebook or two!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A Fishy Card!

As you can see I'm still playing with the Stampin' Up! "Just Beachy" set!!! It's just got SO many fun images in it!!! I hope it will be in the new catalog!!

While I was shopping at Lowe's the other day I always look in the paint department. I'm still on the search for a color for the guest bedroom. I'm not sure what color I want it to be yet. First I have to paint the ceiling. I know what color that has to be. I just don't have the time right now to do it. Which is ok because once that is done then the walls will need to be painted and like I said, I don't have the time for that right now!! But I always like to look at the paint samples to see if a color will jump out at me. I figure when I see the color I will know. No color has really popped out at me yet. Maybe once the ceiling is done and I shop more seriously it will happen. Who knows? But when I was at Lowe's the other day I must have been in a green mood because I brought home 4 samples all in the green tones. The one sample I used here matched the Always Artichoke card stock enough to use it on a card!!! I don't usually do paint chip cards but this idea just popped into my head when I set the sample on the wall in the bedroom!! I took the sample off the wall and took it to my workroom to stamp on it!!! And of course the "Just Beachy" set came to mind!!

I like this little fish the best of all. I think because it's got a seriously scary look to it compared to the other fish in the set!!! This little guy looks like he means business!!!

The "Happy Birthday" is from the Stampin' Up! "Viola" set. I'm SO glad they didn't retire that one. There's a few things I still want to make with it before I say good bye to it.

The background of the card, on the white card stock is stamped with those cute sandals. I used Always Artichoke ink and stamped off once. I sponged the edges on the white pieces with Always Artichoke. When I had finished putting the circles together and set in place I thought it needed a bit of "something" else. The "Happy Birthday" was not big enough to fill in the whole area. I was going to just add some paper piercing on the circle but I thought it could use a little more, something with some texture to it. And the brads came to mind. Fortunately I had some Always Artichoke ones left!!! They were enough to fill in the area with out making it look like you were trying to fill in the area!!! LOL

This would make a great masculine card for birthdays or even Father's Day (changing the wording of course). It would make a great fishing invitation too!!! Isn't it a fun card?

When you are stamping on paint chips you do need to be careful. Stamp on it like you would stamp on the glossy card stock. These paint chips are smooth and you can smudge the image. I also used black StazOn ink. I wasn't sure if the regular black ink would dry or not and with only one chance at it I didn't want to take any chances!

These types of cards (on paint chips) are quick cards to make!!! Gotta LOVE that!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Salty Sandals!!! Weekend Project

Here is another "Weekend Project" that won't take you all weekend to do unless you are making TONS of them!!! These are so fun and quick you may want to make TONS of them!! I find they make great little fun "girly" gifts. Who doesn't like a reason to soak in a nice hot tub for a while???

I used the Stampin' Up! Box #2 Die. This is one of those dies that I sure do get a lot of use out of. I am hoping they come out with one that opens from the side instead of the top. That way I can have the window at the top and it will display bon bons or whatever!!

This was a fun project for me to do because bath stuff is right up my alley!! The simple bath salt recipe can be found here. I like to use this recipe because I usually have the "stuff" in the house to make it!!! Mix them up and set them aside in a container with a lid. You don't want dust in it. Plus you want to contain the fragrance.

Then I cut out my box. I did have to cut out the window with an X-acto blade. I wasn't able to use a punch to do it because of the top and bottom being designed the way they were. Not that there is anything wrong with their design, it just isn't meant for what I wanted to do with it.

After I got it cut out I used the Stampin' Up! "See You Around" jumbo wheel. I stamped it in Bashful Blue ink on Bashful Blue card stock. Then I took the white gel pen and filled in some of the open circles. I just wanted the box to have a bit more color and "depth."

I glued the window in before I glued the side flap to the box. I used a clothespin to hold the flap in place to dry. While the glue was drying I stamped the sandals using the stamp from "Just Beachy" set. Aren't they just adorable??? I colored the flower in using YoYo Yellow and the straps and edges were colored in using Bashful Blue. I glued them in place as you see in the photo.

I then took 2" x 3" zip baggies and filled them with the bath salts. The box holds 3 of them. I took 1/4" white grosgrain ribbon and tied it around the box. It wasn't enough, the box looked like it needed just a little something more. SO I got out the flower punch and punched 3 flowers using white card stock. I took the end of the gel pen and pressed the flowers onto a piece of 1/4" thick Fun Foam. Then I colored the edges with the YoYo Yellow marker and I made a dot of yellow in the center. I drew some lines on the flower to show petals. It was easy to see those "lines" because the paper crinkled just right when I pressed it in the Fun Foam with the gel pen. I glued the flowers on the upper right corner and It brightened up the box and left it with a more completed look. Now it is ready for gift giving. These would make a great Stamp Camp project, Hostess Gift, Customer Appreciation Gift, Make N Take and Slumber Party Projects/Gifts.

If you are going to make these to sell you will need to use the Stampin' Up! copyright stamp on the box (probably on the bottom). And you will need to type up the ingredients and instructions. Be sure to include something about not intended for children under 5.

Isn't it a fun project? You can be SO creative with these things!!! I'd LOVE to see what you do with them!!

Thanks SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

My Sister's Anniversary Card

Next week is my sister's wedding anniversary and I thought I should make her a card. I had a card in mind but it didn't quite turn out the way I wanted it to. The rings look a bit silly to me. In my mind it had a very elegant look.

She likes the Brilliant Blue so I went with that card stock. The words were done on the computer. I didn't have a "Happy Anniversary" stamp that would fit in the oval. I printed out a full page of them so I can use them on future cards.

I'll put a nice gift certificate inside and it will distract from the outside of the card!!!! LOL

I used a Cuttlebug folder for the dry embossing on the white. I like the looks of this one for wedding and anniversary cards.

The more I looked at this card as I was typing up this post I decided to redo it. I just did NOT like those rings.

SO I went with Bravo Burgundy because I had wide ribbon to match. The only Brilliant Blue ribbon I had was the 1/4" stuff and that was just TOO thin.

Now you tell me, don't you like it much better without the rings??? That big bow seemed to be a bit more elegant looking than two gold tone rings.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Sharing Something Silly!!

The other day I had been shopping for something for my poor splitting fingernails. I saw the French manicure polish and thought I would give it a try. And believe me I did give it a try. Many tires!!! I just couldn't get those tapes to stick well enough to not let the white polish bleed under it. SO after I went through almost all of the tapes I was desperate. I gave it some thought and decided I was not going to go to the store and buy a package of the tapes for $5.00. I thought that there has to be something around here I can use.

White mailing labels came to mind. SO I got out my Stampin' Up! punches and found one that had the right arch to it. It was the 1-1/4" one. I punched out a few strips with it and applied it to my nails. OMG, it worked SO much better than the store ones. I was worried that it wouldn't come off the nail without leaving residue behind but they came off cleanly!!! I was thrilled. Do you know how many nails one sheet of address labels will do??? Over 50 depending on how thick you punch them. I made mine a bit thicker (wider) than the original ones. That way I could slap on the white polish and not be so restricted to space as with the store ones. Now don't look at my cuticles. It's my nails that I need to tend to right now, the cuticles will come later when the nails are repaired and healthy! Oh and I found a cute sticky flower for the nail. I had it in a drawer that I was going to use someday on my nails. Well, someday came!!! LOL They almost look natural!!! I had plenty of practice with those strips!!! LOL

SO, now you know what I do with my spare time!!! LOL

Just another use for the Stampin' Up! punches!!!

Have a great day and be resourceful!!
Wanda

Another Butterfly!

I ran across this stamped image I had done a month or so ago. It was just sitting around waiting for me to figure out what to do with it. It was made using the stamp from the Stampin' Up! "Thoughts & Prayers" set. I thought it would be fun to work in the new butterfly punch with this image. I was going to add it where the "thank you" is but after setting it there I realized that was a BAD choice!!! Trust me on that one it looked REALLY dumb just sitting there!!! LOL

First I will tell you how I did this fun muted image. I stamped the image on white card stock using the VersaMark pad. Then I took a Q-Tip and tapped in the colors. I used Garden Green and Regal Rose chalks here. Nothing more than that. After you get the image colored you just take a paper towel and gently rub the excess off. Click on the photo to see the image enlarged. You will see the marks on the white from rubbing off the excess chalk. You can remove most of that by using an art gum (kneadable) eraser. I like to stretch it a bit and warm it up. Then I form it into a cone so I can get into those tighter areas. I will probably use the eraser on this card before I send it off. But for now I left it so you can see that smudging it like that is not the end of the world. It still looks nice with it on there. It gives the image a muted look. Erasing that gives it a cleaner look. It's your choice on what you would like to do with it when you are done using the paper towel on it. Oh and be careful not to rest your hand on the chalked area while you are working on it. You will smudge it a lot more than you want plus you will carry the chalk on your hand to the next area you move your hand to. So you are not only dealing with smudges but shadows from where your hand touched last.

The "Thank You" was done using a custom stamp I had made. I used the oval punches for my layering there.

I ran the Regal Rose background piece through the Dotted Swiss Cuttlebug folder. One of my favorite folders in the world to use!!!

Now onto the cute butterfly. This punch has two different styles of butterflies. Actually it has 3. There is a tiny one too that I have not played with yet. Though I think the body part will be WAY too big for that little butterfly. I think it would be fun to put all 3 of them on a card. I'll have to give that one some thought. For this butterfly I punched the larger wings out of Pink Pirouette and Pretty in Pink. I sponged the edges in Pretty in Pink and after I taped them together I added some white gel pen dots!! And then the body which I punched out of Chocolate Chip. I did punch a 1/2" circle and used it as a base to tape the wings to while I was putting it all together. I did have to trim the circle after I set the large wings in place. It showed past the head of the butterfly. It was easy enough to trim, I just had to snip a wedge out of it. To affix it I just taped the circle base to the ribbon I added and it was done. I like this butterfly much better than the other one. Oh and the other one was put on upside down!!! It was difficult for me to tell which end was up on that one. This one was much easier to tell!!! Plus I like the upper part of the wings on this one. I think this punch was not only a fun investment but a good one too!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A New Toy!

I totally forgot I had ordered this cute butterfly punch. There was a box in the mailbox today and I just thought it was something that hubby had ordered. I set it on the counter and just a while ago I looked at the box and the rest of the mail and I saw that it was for me. I had mixed emotions about the box then. I wanted to be discrete about it, I didn't want hubby to know I purchased yet another item that won't fit in my workroom!!! LOL

I opened the box and saw the punch and headed right to my workroom. Which was a good thing because I hadn't posted anything yet today. I was SO busy with "spring" house stuff that I totally forgot about my blog!!! I am exhausted from all the things I'd been doing today. First I watered my flowers. I HATE outdoor work but the temps were not bad but it was windy and I got a pretty good misting from the sprayer.

I took the windows out in the kitchen and cleaned them and the screen. Those windows are not easy to get out and require a knee on the counter for leverage. I don't like having the windows out because I have this vision of a bird flying in my house and then bird poop everywhere while the cats chase it around the room. Doors open all over the place for the bird to escape the instead of the bird leaving the cats do. Such an imagination!!! LOL

I had to clean the blinds too. SO that meant taking the valance down. I got it down and the blinds went in the bath tub. I soak them in Avon bubble bath. I have done that for YEARS and it cleans them SO well. I hang them on the window over the tub, it has a crank handle and the blinds hang there so I can rinse them off and let them dry there for a bit while I finish cleaning and putting the window back together.

Well, in cleaning those blinds I notice that the bathroom blinds were actually "dirty." We have had some pretty windy days and there was actually fine black dirt in my bathtub from it blowing in. We usually leave that window open all the time (until the air conditioning comes on). SO I soaked those blinds in the bubble bath.

Then I had to take the top glass from the security door and put the screen in. But the screen needed to be washed so I had to clean that first. Well, while looking at the door I thought today was just as good a day as any to start painting that door. It is black and the house trim is dark brown. We had purchased some dark brown Rustolium for that door a couple of months ago. SO I had to clean the door and sand a few rusty spots first. The door was much harder to clean than I had anticipated. It has a design in the bars and I had to get in there with a scrubby brush. UGH. I got it all clean and let it dry. In the meantime I removed the top glass and was going to put the screen in but realized I couldn't because I would probably get paint on it and I really did need to paint both sides of that door. I got the top part of the door done. Well, not completely, just the scrolling part and the bars on the door. I didn't do the outside, it is something that has to be done all at once. No top half or bottom half there, the metal is smooth and one long stretch there. It's that design in the bars that takes so long to do and I still have the bottom half left to do! UGH. That job was a lot more work and time consuming than I thought it would be.

Then the next thing I know hubby is home. I still had blinds in the bathtub and we had to go pick up my car which had to go back to the shop because the new breaks made a new noise. Hubby said, "apparently they thought we said change the grinding noise to a clunking noise instead." And charged us $630 for a new noise!!! LOL

We got back home and I had to make dinner. Blinds still in the tub. SO while that was cooking I finished cleaning the blinds and as soon as I get this posted (they should be dry by now) I will be hanging them back up!! I'm exhausted!!

Now let me get back to the fun part here. This cute butterfly. It's a punch that has it all. There are a couple of different style wings, small circles and the body. I punched out a set using Pirouette Pink and Pretty in Pink card stock. The body was cut out using Chocolate Chip card stock. I sponged the wings with Pretty in Pink. The top wings were curled a bit using the edge of the scissors. I added some white dots using my gel pen and I taped it all together.

The tree is from the Stampin' Up! "Thoughts & Prayers" set. I stamped the tree in Certainly Celery and then took the Chocolate Chip marker and colored in the trunk and branches. The tiny flowers are from the "A Beautiful Thing" set. I used the Sizzix Scalloped Oval die for the frame around the tree. And the frame was made using a piece of decorative paper from the "Bella Birds" package. The butterfly punch is by the McGill company. I'll show you other butterflies more once I play with this one more!!!

I am going to have a LOT of fun with this butterfly!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Relax & Enjoy! Weekend Project

Here's a fun and quick gift to make and it won't take you the whole weekend to do it either!!!

To make the box I used the Sizzix die cut Box #2. This is one of my most favorite die cuts. I get a LOT of use out of this one and I'm sure when it comes time for Christmas gift wrapping I will be cranking out a few more of these boxes!!! My bracelets will fit nicely in them, plus homemade candies (I plan on making a window in the box for them!!!) and other candies!! It will be a LOT of fun to do and quick too!!!

Ok, onto my project. I cut the box using Lavender Lace card stock. Then I took the Stampin' Up! "Whimsy" jumbo wheel and wheeled on Lavender Lace ink. I used the "Enjoy" from the "Enjoy Every Moment" stamp set and again I used Lavender Lace ink. It was easy to stamp the words on because the wooden block was SO close to the size of the side of the box!!! I didn't have to eye it much at all. Gotta LOVE that!!!

For the little round "relax and" I did that on the computer and punched it out using a 1/2" circle punch. I sponged the edges and taped it in place in the center of the "O". I added the fun bath bag and closed the flap. I tied a ribbon around it and it was ready to go. Oh, if you are planning on making these to sell you will need to not only add the Stampin' Up! copyright stamp but also you will need to add the ingredients and use directions. I would place them on the bottom of the box. It will give that closure flap a bit more stability.

I had purchased these fun bath bags. The outside of the bag feels like paper but I think it is made of some type of soap. It dissolves in the tub along with the contents. How cool is that???

These make quick gifts and maybe a fun thing for the teens to do as a project for their sleepover!

Such a fun project and a great gift!!!

Thanks SO much for visiting today,
Wanda