Elements of Style Birthday

I just LOVE this Stampin' Up! "Elements of Style" set. I am aware that there are four more images to the set and one of these days soon I will play with them but for now I'm SO into this flower image. It just has WAY too many possibilities to it!!

The base of my card is Basic Black card stock. The next layer is Melon Mambo that was dry embossed using the "Square Lattice" embossing folder. I have so many things I want to make using that folder!! I just need more time in the day to do all the things I want. Too bad we have to sleep, huh? LOL

I colored in the larger flowers using a blender pen and Melon Mambo ink. The flower was done using Ballet Blue and a blender pen. The center of the flowers were colored in with the Crushed Curry marker. And the leaves were colored in with a blender pen and Old Olive ink. After I colored them in I went back over the darker areas with the Old Olive marker.

The "Happy Birthday" was done using the computer and then punched out using a 1-1/4" circle punch. I sponged the edges on the large flower piece and the Happy Birthday. I also used a Scalloped Circle punch on the Happy Birthday layer. I layered everything in black. It just seems to make the colors pop more!

I wouldn't describe this card as a quick card because the coloring did take a little while to do. Not a long time but nothing like just stamping and calling it done! Once in a while I just like to sit down and color! I think the next time I "sit down and color" I'm going to color around the whole image too with either a soft yellow or a light blue hue. And of course I'll share it with you, no matter how it turns out!!! You poor people get to see all the good, bad an ugly cards and items I make. I hold nothing back!! Just lets you now that we all make mistakes and it's ok!

Thank you SO much for visiting today!
Go create something,
Wanda

Awash With Flowers VERY Versatile Card

I am SO loving this Stampin' Up! "Awash With Flowers" stamp set. It will be available in the new catalog as a level three Hostess Set. I pre-ordered mine a while back but hadn't had time to play with it. So this week I put it together and have been having a little fun with it. I ordered the clear mount set. It's cheaper and easier for me to store. I'm running out of room in my workroom for more stamps.

The background is Old Olive decorative paper. I LOVE it that Stampin' Up! had put these colors in a variety pack, a variety of designs in the one color that is. A multicolored pack would be fun too but there is always a color that is not so popular to me and gets ignored. This way I pick out the color I like and I know I will use it and hopefully use it up!!! I'm still working on the "use it up" part!! But honestly I am hoarding less and less all the time!

I stamped my image with Crushed Curry stamped off once and then the edging of the flower was stamped with Crushed Curry. The stem was stamped using Old Olive. I sponged the edges with Old Olive and layered everything. It is a very quick and simple card to make. Though I did use the Stamp-a-ma-jig on the outline flower image. I wanted to get it as close to the inner design as I could without it being too far out of whack. I was happy the way it turned out.

I was thinking of putting some wording on it up near the flower head but I didn't want to take away from the image plus I liked the openness of that area. In not adding any wording I now made the card a very versatile one. It can be used for birthdays, get well, thinking of you, thank you and even a sympathy card. Just add your sentiments on the inside! It's a simple and sweet card to make!

Oops! I was mistaken and thank you all for refreshing my memory on this. The Awash With Flowers will be available for purchase in the new catalog!! Even better!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Just Buzzin' By Cards and Card Holder Weekend Project

My dear friend Sharon purchased the Stampin' Up! "Just Buzzin' By" stamp set and left it here for me to play with. And I played with it a little. I'm not done with this set yet!!! I have a few more ideas I want to try out before I give it back to her.

I first made the card with the little bee in the circle window. I used some retired decorative paper, More Mustard and white card stock. I tied a piece of More Mustard ribbon around it and I colored in the bee with a marker and blender pen. Isn't it just TOO cute!

Well, I just couldn't stop there. I made three more matching cards. I got out some envelopes and stamped a little bee on them too. And I even colored that bee too!!!

Then I decided to make a card holder for them. It just completed the set, didn't it? Not quite, I had to cut out one little bee and tape it to the flap of the card holder. now it was complete!!!

The pattern for the card holder is still available here. It's very easy to put together. What I like about it is that all of the edges are enclosed so no mater which way you turn the holder the cards are not going to fall out. The flap stays closed with a magnet and that gives the front a nice clean look. I LOVE making these card holders. I'm getting some together for the fall craft fair. I have LOTS of retired decorative papers that I will be able to use up for these!

I made cards and a card holder a while back. You can see it here.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Medallion Card

I can not believe how quickly this card went together! And what is great about this card is that it can be used for other occasions/events other than the "thank you" one I made.

I used the "Groom " decorative paper by Stampin' Up!

I used Basic Black ink on the Stampin' Up! "Medallion" image.

The "Scallop Edge" punch on the bottom of the "Groom" DP gave it a nice sweet edge. I tied a piece of ribbon around it before I taped it in place.

The "thank you" came from the "Holiday Blitz" set. A set I use a LOT and am hoping it's not on the retiring list next month! I hate it when stamp sets with LOTS of images in it retires. I think of all that time I spent mounting the images and then it's retired. It doesn't bother me as much with sets with 4 or even 6 images in them but when you get a set with at least a dozen or more images it does require some time to put it together. SO when those retire I'm not very happy! Anyway, I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that set. It could make stamping a bit difficult but you know me, I share the good, the bad and the ugly with you!!! Lucky you, huh? LOL

This card can be done in quite an array of colors too and it would still look great! Talk about versatile!

Ok, that's it for today. I'm finishing up a project that I will be sharing with you tomorrow!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Pocket Silhouettes Get Well Card

Some times it's difficult to figure out how to make a big card using such a little image. The Stampin' Up! "Pocket Silhouettes" set is a good example of that.

I used the "3-D Technique" on the image. I stamped it using Chocolate Chip ink first and then stamped it again using the White Craft ink pad. You are not going to believe this but when I stamped my first one I actually stamped the white perfectly on top of the Chocolate Chip. What are the odds of that? And if I wanted to do that I never would have been able to do it in a million years with out the help of a Stamp-a-ma-jig.

I also practiced with the Scallop Edge punch and got that piece almost perfect!! Practice does make perfect!! Or darn close to it!

I used the new "Square Lattice" embossing folder on the layers of this card. I like the texture it makes, it's so different than any others I've seen.

The words were done on the computer. I'm still working off a sheet of them I printed out.

The looks of this card has a masculine touch to it. Add some ribbon, bows and buttons and it will have a more feminine touch. It's a very versatile card. It could be used as a birthday card, thinking of you card, thank you card and even a sympathy card.

It was a pretty quick card to make too if you don't get the images perfectly stamped twice on there!!! Embossing folders add a lot of texture to a background so you don't need to stamp on it which makes making the card go quicker too. And it was a VERY fun card to make too!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Awash With Flowers

I struggled a bit with the Sketch Challenge today. I just didn't know where to go with it. I had been looking at samples of cards using the Stampin' Up! "Awash With Flowers." I looked at the shelf were my set sat, still with the rubber band around it from the factory!!! SO I took it off the shelf and thought and thought and thought of how I was going to use this set with this layout and this is what I came up with.

Now cutting out lots of flowers is not my idea of fun but it sure does make a difference on a card, doesn't it?

I stamped the flowers with VersaMark on watercolor paper. I heat embossed it in black. Then I colored them in with the Watercolor Wonder crayons and the Aqua Painter. I don't use my Aqua Painter much at all. Good thing I filled it with distilled water. Had there been tap water sitting in there for that long it probably would have stunk by now. YUCK!!

I highly recommend cutting out the flowers first and then coloring them. The color does transfer onto your fingers and ges repositoned on the flower in places you don't want.

The "happy birthay" is from the "All Holidays" set. One I use quite often! I also used the new "Square Lattice" texture plate. It's among my favorite texture plates!!

I used some Dimensionals under most of the flowers and set them in place on top of a piece of watercolor paper that was washed with Old Olive and Ballet Blue.

It's ready to go out in the mail tomorrow! And I'm caught up with May birthdays. Good thing too, it's almost the end of the month!!!

If you have time give this sketch a try. See what you can come up with. I print the layouts out and put them in an album. Yup, I've got 282 of them in my album!!! I'll never run out of ideas for layouts!

This card can be used for other occasions than just a birthday card. It would make a very pretty get well card and even a nice anniversary card.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Wedding Card. Katie Did It!!!

Katie did it!

A while back I had made a card I saw at the Stamp Share I had attended. It's such a fun card to make and even just to see. I LOVE the punched hearts idea and then working them into a bride and groom theme.

Katie did her in the colors that are being used in an upcoming wedding she is invited to.

I never thought to make the card using the wedding party colors. I was still in awe of the first one I had seen and copied and never thought to venture out of that little box!! There's a whole world of color out there, isn't there? LOL

I really like how her card turned out too. The silver behind the hearts really makes them pop. And in adding color like she did the little flower on the bride heart shows up much better as does the bow on the grooms heart. Just too cute! Thank you SO much Katie for letting me share your creation with everyone! I just LOVE it!

Thank you for visiting today,
Wanda

Echo's of Kindness Card

I have told you many times that I stamp among some talented gals! Here is a card that Sandi made using the Stampin' Up! "Echo's of Kindness" set. It's a set that I REALLY like but have not used much at all. Hmmm, sounds like most of my sets! SO sad.

This card opens at the right but the layout is such that it could open from the bottom or even from the right side.

I LOVE the black card base and layers. That's SO me when I make cards, especially ones for the SplitCoastChallenge every Wednesday.

Personally I would not have tackled a card like this. Way too much cutting close to the flower for me. Sandi did such a fabulous job keeping it even all around the flower. We won't talk about what it would look like had I cut around the flower. Do you think that is why she didn't ask me to cut her flower out? LOL

This card has such a spring look to it. It's got a warm happy feeling associated with it as well.

The "Scallop Trim" corner punch was used on the flower layer and the "Scallop Trim" edge punch was used on the long center strip. That is a punch I just love using but am SO particular when it comes to getting both sides exactly perfect. And I'm not all that great at that either. It's evident by the lack of cards on my blog with it on them!!! I know, I should use it more and work with it and soon they will be perfect! Practice makes perfect, right? Hope so!!!

This is also a very versatile card. It would work for a Birthday, Get Well, Thinking of You and Mother's Day. Anyone would be happy to receive a card like this. Great job on it Sandi and thank you for letting me share it with everyone!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Thoughts of Father Birthday Card

Here is a quick card the ever so talented Sandi made. I love the monochromatic look.

I'm not sure what stamp was used on the background but it is very effective. I need to ask what sets were used before I let these gals go home!! That background creates a nice antiquated look.

The car was embossed using black embossing powder. I like the look of it. The car was layered on top of a piece of the "Groom" decorative paper. It gave the card a bit more depth.

Isn't this a wonderful masculine card? Thank you Sandi for letting me share this with the world!

Thank you for visiting today,
Wanda

Bundle of Joy Baby Card

The Stampin' Up! "Bundle of Joy" set is a retired set that I am having trouble letting go of. Fortunately for me this is a card a fabulous stamper Peggy made. I won't be getting to this set in my list for a few weeks. I did look on my index of stamp sets and it is on the first shelf of stamps I'm working my way through. *sighs* It's one that I will have to give SERIOUS thought to before I decide to keep it or sell it.

Anyway, back to Peggy's card. The wording is a fabric sticker layered on top of a piece of Pretty in Pink scallop punched card stock.

A ribbon is tied around a piece of Chocolate Chip card stock and the scalloped word piece is taped in place on top of that.

The Chocolate Chip piece is taped in place and the giraffe from the "Bundle of Joy" set is stamped above that. It's a simple but adorable card. I absolutely LOVE that giraffe!!! Probably another reason why I'm wanting to keep the set. But time will tell with that one!

If you need a quick baby card, this is the way to go. If you don't have those adorable fabric stickers you can use your computer to print out the word. Punch them out and affix them to the punched scallop. As simple as that and it would still be a quick card!

I LOVE our monthly stamping. It's a fun time and I get to stamp among some very talented gals. Plus it's just fun chatting with them and catching up. I look forward to it every month and when it's done it's kind of a sad feeling around here. They leave me with a clean workroom that I spend the next month messing up before I have to pick it all up again for them to come over. And believe me, they would fall over if they saw how messy I could get both tables plus the ledges and all three of the counters!!!! I think they would also fall over if they knew where I put the mess before they come to stamp!!! LOL

Isn't Peggy's card adorable?

Thanks SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Fun & Fast Notes Birthday Rocket Card

I saw a card like this done by Lori. I'm not clear on her website but on her photo it read "image by Starving Artstamps.com. Hers had the moon and on the moon was a creature and the words that went across the top read "wish you were here." I had copied this card a long time ago and was always meaning to make one like it. I didn't have a creature for the moon but I did have a rocket ship and I did have a star punch and this is what I came up with.

The base layer of the card is Bashful Blue. I layered a piece of Ballet Blue on top of it. I cut a circle for the moon and then I cut that circle in half. I punched holes in it to represent craters. On Lori's card she didn't have as many craters. I got a bit carried away but I wasn't into copying her card exactly.

After punching the holes in the half circle I set it in place on top of the other half using Dimensionals.

The rocket ship is from the Stampin' Up! "Fun & Fast Notes" set. I cut it out and colored it in using markers. I set it in place on top of the moon using Dimensionals.

I stamped the words on. They came from the "Eat Cake" set. And I punched out 5 stars and taped them in place. I overlapped a few and trimmed the edges.

I like how this card turned out too. It's the moon that is the cute part to me. I liked it on Lori's card and I like it on this one! This was a fun and easy card to make. And this card could be used not only for a birthday card but also for an invitation to the birthday party!!!

Isn't it adorable? As with all of my photos on this blog, click on them to see a closer view.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Go, Graduate Graduation Card

The graduation open houses are just starting to arrive. SO I thought I would make a card for each one as they come in. I'm not thrilled with this card though. I shouldn't have colored the gowns all the way up. Once I got it put together on the card I noticed how doing that made it look out of place. Oh well, a lesson learned for the next card I need to make.

I just LOVE this set. I had never purchased a graduation set from Stampin' Up! before. I am not sure why. But this one was just too cute to pass up. I absolutely LOVE that row of feet.

The cute owl came in the set too. I am going to take the card and color in the owl with Creamy Caramel or maybe Going Gray and a blender pen. It's got to be a soft color but the main things for me is it's got to be a color. It looks to blah just plain. And I need to finish coloring in the cap too. I guess I thought it was the top of the owls head. Oh my, I'm still laughing here. What an odd shaped head that would be!!! I must be too tired! So not only do I need to color the owl in but the cap too. I'll do the cap first so I will know it's NOT the owls head!! I don't believe the things I do (or see) anymore!! Silly me! And while I'm at it, I think I'll color in the diploma too. How could I forget to do all that coloring? Too much going on right now. Hopefully this weekend will bring with it some time to just kick back and relax! Sounds good to me.

This card was easy enough to make. The school colors are blue and white. Though I wasn't sure if it was a darker blue or the lighter one. When I went to that school (back in the dark ages!) the blue was light. I checked on the school's web site but it didn't show anything with their colors or logo, it just said the school colors are "blue and white. So blue and white it is. Do you think the person receiving it is going to care if the colors are wrong? I don't think so. He's going to get so many other graduation cards that aren't his school colors so I think this one will squeak by!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Wednesday Sketch Challenge

This weeks Sketch Challenge at SplitCoastStampers was a fun one. It had a few layers but yet a pretty simple card. And I kept it simple too. I needed to make an anniversary card that has to go through the mail so I kept it free of ribbons, buttons, bows, etc. I did add a couple of dimensionals under the oval wording but that goes through the mail just fine.

The image I used is from the Stampin' Up! "Bloomin' Beauty" set. The words are from the "Teeny Tiny Wishes" set and the image behind the flower is from the "Extreme Elements" set. I wanted that set just for that one stamp. Though now that I look at the other images I can see myself using them on other cards. REALLY!! LOL

The background on my card was done using the "Dotted Swiss" embossing folder. I LOVE embossing folders. Isn't it great how it can add SO much to a background and you don't even have to stamp? I sponged the edges on all of my pieces in Pretty in Pink, including the little Pretty in Pink piece (#3). It just framed the edges a bit more when I do that, well I think it does anyway!

I used the Oval Scalloped punch to layer the oval punched words.

I colored in the flower using a blender pen and then went back on the flower with the marker and darkened some areas. The center of the flower was colored in using Barely Banana. The leaves and stem were colored in using the Mello Moss marker.

And the image behind the flower was done using Barely Banana ink and the large stamp from the "Extreme Elements" set. I masked the flower and then stamped the image over it. I did have to color in the area by each side of the stem and around the leaves. Not all areas get covered when you mask images. Many times I will cut my mask a bit smaller than I need so the stamping over the top of it covers better. But this time I didn't do that. The mask was already in the stamp case so I went with it and put it back when I was done!

I do like the soft subtle look of this card and I REALLY like the layout. It was a very fun sketch this week. If you have time play with the layout. I printed it out and it will be trimmed and placed in an album I have that is FULL of these sketches. I LOVE having this album. I open it up a lot! When ever I need to make a card and I know what image I am going to use I just page through it until I find one that the image fits into. And I now have 281 to pick from!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Elements of Style Birthday Card

This is the first time I got to play with the new Stampin' Up! "Elements of Style" stamp set. Ok, it's obvious I didn't play with the whole set, I just played with one piece of it. The set contains 5 pieces and I am planning on making another card using more from that set.

On my card I use VersaMark on the stamp. I set my card stock on the image and pressed down on it with my fingers to get the image to stamp evenly over the entire piece.

I took out my chalks, a medium I rarely use and I used a cotton swab and added my color. The big mistake on my card was that I should have done the center of the flowers first so the yellow wouldn't have any pink in it. But I couldn't see the center of the flowers to do that. Once I found a few flowers it got easier. You really have to have good lighting to see where the VersaMark images are.

I finished the coloring and trimmed the image down to fit on the card. Then I got my trusty sheet of printed "Happy Birthday" words out and used it on the card. Like I said yesterday, I'm just lazy. And no, I still have not taken a sheet of card stock and stamped "Happy Birthday" all over it. I didn't have any spare time. I will do it the next time I make a birthday card and have time to do it.

This card turned out rather pretty. Click on the photo to see a closer view. You'll be able to see how soft the chalks look on it.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Fun & Fast Notes Birthday Card

I had just a little piece of my One Sheet Wonder left so I thought I would use it to make a birthday card. I didn't have a plan for this card when I started it and I had no idea what set I was going to use either. SO I thought I would just look through the book I keep the images of the sets I own and see what I could find.

The Stampin' Up! "Fun & Fast Notes" had a cute birthday cake in it so I went with that one.

It was easy enough to figure out what to do with the background. I took Pale Plum card stock to match and compliment the flowers on the One Sheet Wonder part. Then I took a piece of Mellow Moss and ran it through my Big Kick with the new "Square Lattice" embossing folder. I just LOVE this folder. It works SO well with masculine cards too!

Before I taped the One Sheet Wonder piece in place I taped the ribbon around it. After I set it in place I added a little piece of ribbon for the bow. I LOVE doing my bows like that because it allows me to move it to one side or the other. I can center it perfectly if I want! Gotta LOVE that!

I colored in the cake image and layered it on top of a piece of Pale Plum. I taped it in place and that was it. It was a very quick card to make. Those One Sheet Wonder pieces help making a card not only pretty but quick too!

When I had first set the One Sheet Wonder piece on the card stock I was thinking about using the "Happy Birthday" words I printed out on the computer. The image I used had the words on it. But those other words are something I fall back on when I'm doing cards and it just dawned on me why. It's because I'm lazy!!! I printed out a sheet of them to use when I need. SO I thought I would take a birthday words stamp and stamp a bunch of them on some card stock so I have it on hand. I don't like getting out a word stamp and then having to clean the StazOn off it. It's easier to punch out one of the printed ones. SO next time I make a birthday card I'm going to stamp a bunch of words on the card stock so I can use them as I need them. We'll see how that goes. It will be a good test to see if I really am lazy or if it's something else!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

One Sheet Wonder Technique

Yes, this One Sheet Wonder is actually a technique. I had seen it done MANY years ago and it is still popular. Well, most of the techniques are still popular they just don't get used a lot.

For this technique you pick your images and stamp them all over an 8-1/2" x 11" piece of card stock. Add the colors you like and cover the entire page. It kind of looks like a big old mess but when it's cut and used on your cards or projects it really is very pretty.

You can plan out the page if you like to see what size pieces you want out of it or you can just cut and use it as you go. That is what I do. I have no idea what I want for a card until I'm ready to sit down and make it so cutting it like you would the decorative paper is the easiest way to go.

I cut pieces off mine and made a couple of cards last week. I will hang on to what is left of the sheet and use it for future cards. Probably near future cards, I still have more birthday cards to make!! I'm SO far behind on my cards this month! And don't tell hubby but I'm a month and a half behind on the bookkeeping too!!! Shhhhh. I HATE bookkeeping as much as I hate putting my stamping stuff away before moving on to another project!!! LOL

Have fun with these One Sheet Wonders. They make very nice background papers and a sheet can go a long way depending on how big the pieces are you use!

This will be added to the 4th set of Technique pages. Can you believe I got two pages done in less than 7 days? Shocker, huh???

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Another card using a One Sheet Wonder piece. Tomorrow, for those of you who don't know what a One Sheet Wonder Sheet is, I will show you tomorrow.

The little squares here on this card are from the One Sheet Wonder Sheet. The words are from the VERY fun "All Holidays" set. I have gotten SO much use out of that set! I stamped the words in Perfect Plum.

I used the new "Square Lattice" embossing folder. it's got such a cool look to it and if you turn the embossed card stock over it has an entirely different look to it. This kind of reminds me of paper towels! I am anxious to try out some other fun things with this folder. And of course I will share them with you!

I sponged the edges of the word piece and the embossed piece using Pale Plum. I thoughe the Perfect Plum would be a bit too dark and would get lost in the Pale Plum card stock layer behind it.

It's such a vintage looking card, isn't it. Though when you mix the right purples and greens together you get a vintage look.

I have 4 more birthday cards yet to make plus an anniversary card. Then I'm sure I will be swamped next month with graduation cards. But that's ok, Stampin' Up! came out with a brand new graduation set called "Go Graduate." And yes, I did buy it. I didn't own a graduation set before. And this one is just TOO darn cute!! I will have some fun making cards with it but I do need to research some of the schools in the areas to know what their colors are.

I think my friend will love this birthday card. I was happy with the way it turned out.

Thanks SO much for visiting today.
Be sure to stop by tomorrow to see how that One Sheet Wonder is done. You will LOVE it!
Wanda

Blog Candy!

For the handful of you who read the entire post on Monday the time has come to draw a name for this wonderful "Vintage Vogue" set. As you can see if you go back and look at the Blog Candy post I did on Monday, the only ones who entered were those who actually did read through the whole post to know the Blog Candy was there!!!

I counted the number of comments and I had hubby go online to the Random Number Generator and hit the button to see who gets the blog candy. He took a screen shot of the # and emailed it to me. SO a BIG congratulations to winner #9!

"Anonymous said...
9. Like usual, I love your birthday card. One of my favorite songs is "Have I told you lately that I love you", with "Save the last dance for me" almost tied!!!! JoanMN " Joan, please email me with your snail mail address and I'll get this set sent off to you.

Please email me with your snail mail address and I will get the set out in the mail to you. These thinner sets are SO nice to mail!!

I'm sure picking a favorite song for you was as difficult as me picking a favorite movie. I have a room full of movies. When I quit smoking over 9 years ago I started spending the money on movies. I have TONS of movies and I watch them over and over. By the time you get through one shelf of them I could actually start over and watch them all again. It takes me a while to get through them. I don't watch movies every day/night. And there are some I will actually watch a couple of times in a row because I just LOVE the movie or I just don't get it and I think watching it again will help me. I even have a couple I still don't understand and I will watch them again too with hopes of "getting" it!!! LOL

Thanks to all of you who did read through the email and congratulations to Joan! You can thank hubby for his magic button pushing! LOL
Wanda

Cupcakes Anyone? Weekend Project

Don't be silly, I'm not making cupcakes for you!!! I made these for this fall's craft fair. I'm slowly filling up my box of stuff for the craft fair. I try to do something for it each week. If there is anything left at the end of the craft fair then I will sell it in my store. SO if you really have your heart set on a cupcake you'll have to check the web store. I may even put a couple of them in there before the craft fair. I suppose if I sell everything before the craft fair I can just go there and help my sister out. That would be an ok thing too, wouldn't it? LOL

These were easy and sort of fun to make. I say sort of because it involves a needle and thread. Not a passion of mine! Click on the photo for a closer look.

Materials for these cupcakes:
Metal Condiment Cups
Felt
Fiberfill
Needle
Thread
Decorative Paper
Ribbon
Decorations for the tops
Glue Sticks
Glue Gun
Crystal Effects
Tacky Glue
Snail Tape
Colored head pin

I made a circle out of copier paper as a pattern and cut them out for the top of the cup cake. I stitched around the edges of the circle (the part I didn't like doing) and I stuffed it with fiberfill. Then I gathered it tightly and tied it off. Now I had LOTS of problems there because apparently after 20 years a spool of thread is not as strong as it use to be! My thread would break now and then. UGH! Once I got it tied off I stuck it inside the cup with hot glue. Careful not to burn yourself on the cup. Once that hot glue gets in there the cup heats up and it's easy to get burnt. I just did one after the other so I didn't touch the cups much at all and by the time I got back to the first one it was cool enough to handle. Then I had made a pattern for the outside of the cup. Another not so fun part. It is very difficult (for me) to make a pattern for something that is round and tapered at the same time. But I manages! I cut them out and ran tape down the center. Then I ran Crystal Effects around the tape. And finally I added the tacky glue. I used the glue because I wanted the paper to stick quickly. Crystal Effects will make it hold well but it takes a while to dry so I had to do something so I could move to the next one quicker. Glue was the best way to do that. I ran some tape on a strip of ribbon and set it in place just under the lip of the cup. I added some Stampin' Up! "Sweet Pea" felt flowers to the cup cakes. I had also added some felt dots I had punched out. I glued the flowers on top in place and the little dots are held on using a colored head pin. I saw these on someone's blog and I forgot to write down who made them. I printed out the photo and logged off. If you know who did these please let me know so I can give them credit. I know theirs are larger than the ones I did but they do look a lot alike. I tried to Google "Felt Cupcakes" and was surprised at what was out there under that search. But it didn't yield the name I was searching for.

Basically they were fun. I especially LOVED the end when I got to add the flowers and dots. It was the best!! Won't these make great gifts? You could even hold a class on making these. These are such cute pin cushions!!!

Did you notice I didn't whine about the computer today? It was the wireless mouse having issues. I did a midnight run to Wal-Mart and picked up a new mouse, plugged it in and was trying to catch up on what I needed to. Computers!!! So helpful and yet SO frustrating!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Wednesday Sketch Challenge

I honestly didn't think I was going to have time to play with this week's Sketch Challenge at SplitCoastStampers. But I managed to sneak some time in. It's just not the same if I don't get to play. I've been doing it for a couple of years or so now and I rarely miss a week. I printed out the sketch and thought I was going to have to leave it at that. Just add the sketch to my album of sketches and move on. But I was able to play after dinner. And this playing created an even bigger mess in my workroom. I have got to put stuff away! I'm such a messy stamper.

Anyway, this sketch was fun though I didn't stick with it to the end. I just couldn't find anything that would work in that #5 spot that wouldn't cover the tree up too much. I was going to redo the tree and stamp it as close to the bottom as possible but I liked how it turned out and didn't want to make it again. SO I just decided to do what I needed to do there and call it done. Had that been the focal point of the card it would have been easier to do that square. But I just couldn't make it easy tonight!

I colored the tree in with a Sage Shadow marker and a blender pen. I also used the blender pen to color in the tree trunk and grass. For the sky I just sponged in some Bashful Blue. I sponged it right over the tree. I sponged the edges. When sponging I like to create a "glow" on the piece. To achieve this I sponge the edges and I also sponge the corners. I don't just sponge to the corner and turn and sponge the next edge. I acutally sponge the corner as though it were it's own edge. If that makes sense. Sponging the corner creates more of a circle on the edging and it gives the illusion of glowing.

This sketch was right up my alley too. It has LOTS of layers. You know me and layers!!

I did like the sketch and I do like how my card turned out. My friend's husband is dying and I knew I would be needing a masculine sympathy card in a few days. SO this sketch fit well with the image I wanted to use. And I just LOVE the "To the Nines" decorative paper by Stampin' Up! Oh and don't forget the "Lovely as a Tree" set. It's been around for a while and I am hoping it remains in the next catalog. It's such a wonderful set and it covers a lot of events and holidays.

Thank you SO much for visiting today!
I'm off to clean up my messy workroom. Anyone what to help? LOL
Wanda

Technique Tuesday

Well, it's Tuesday and I just happen to have a technique ready for you! I'm trying really hard this year to get these techniques done quicker. I know many of you use them in your classes. It's usually a couple of months after the technique pages are complete that it comes out in the web store on CD. Later this week set 3 should be available on CD. But onto set 4 pages!

This is another form of leather. Or should I say "Faux Leather?" It's called "Faux Leather II." Yes, there is more than one way to make "Faux Leather!"

This technique is easy to do but a bit messy. You need craft inks and because they take longer to dry you can manipulate the colors. And sometimes in doing that you get very inky fingers (as you will with this technique). I do like the looks of it when it is done and I think it can really enhance a masculine card.

I used the new Stampin' Up! "Motorcycle" stamp for this card. I just stamped it in Chocolate Chip ink, sponged the edges and layered it with Chocolate Chip card stock. It was a very simple card to make and it has a VERY masculine look to it. It can be used as a Father's Day card as well.

I really like this stamp. Hubby and I ran across a photo of his father on a motorcycle and I thought this stamp would be fun to play with on a scrapbook page using that photo. Maybe stamping maltiple images of it for the background using a light color ink. Not sure but when I get the time to work on that page I know I will be using this stamp.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Vintage Vogue Birthday Card

I am shocked at how many birthday cards I need this month! And I am also shocked at how far behind I am at making them!!! LOL

I LOVE this "Vintage Vogue" set. And I just found out last week that it is still available and it will be in the new catalog!! So if you didn't get yours in the last mini catalog it is still available!

I also used the "Thoughts & Prayers" set on this card too. Just to show you that it is not just a sympathy set. The "Vintage Vogue" is in the background. I did the "One Sheet Wonder" technique, which I will explain tomorrow. I wanted to post this card for a friend who is celebrating her birthday this month and I also want to post the "Vintage Vogue" clear mount set in celebration of my blog reaching One MILLION Hits! Can you believe it? It would have been cool to have logged on and see it at 1,000,000 but seeing over that mark is great too.

I'm SO frustrated here trying to type up this post. My computer (which is not very old but it's got VISTA on it) is acting up again. It acts like something is running in the background and it won't let me type more than a couple letters at a time before it waits for something. The hard drive is working away on something and that is what is slowing it all down. It's very aggravating. Anyway, enough about my ranting.

Let's get on with the celebrating. I am not posting the blog candy in a separate post like I did in the past. I am blending it in with a "normal" post. It's a test to see if the post actually is read to the end or if you just look at the pictures! LOL

Now when I post blog candy I usually ask you to answer a question. And of course this one will not be any different! I'll keep it simple this time!! What's your favorite song? I will do a random drawing using the Random Number Generator to pick the winner so when you leave your comment on this post only please put the next consecutive number in front of it to make counting for me much easier. I will draw a name on Friday May 15th.

5-11-10 Well, the number thing isn't working out because of the moderation of the comments. I can't turn that off so I'll just count as I have done in the past. SO just leave your comment and I will count the entries by hand. Thanks SO much for trying! The drawing will be held at noon on the 15th. I always forget some details!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Something a Little DIfferent

Happy Mother's Day to you all!

I took a break from stamping today and thought I would play with beads. Beading is another addiction I have and LOVE every minute of it. Well, almost every minute. When the thread gets a knot it's not fun but other than that I really enjoy it. It is extremely relaxing and fun too!

This bracelet is called Serpentine Lace. I didn't design it but I do SO love making it. It is a bit tricky to start out but after a few of the bends in it, it's not bad. It's SO pretty. I have made this design before. I did one with red/garnet fire-polished beads in the middle part and one with cobalt blue round beads in the middle. To get a closer view of this bracelet just click on the photo.

This one will be going in my web store later in the week. I need to get the specs of it entered along with the shipping weight so the store can figure out the postage. Nothing is ever easy, is it.

Anyway, I had a lot of fun making this bracelet and I do plan on making a few more before I get tired of the pattern and try out a new one. I have a lot of bracelets in other styles on hand and will be starting to put them in the store too. I mean, how many can you keep for yourself? I have one I wear all the time and it goes with everything I wear. I'll wear it until it falls off and I lose it! But then again, I'll just make another one because I really like it!

Thanks SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Julia/Julie Stamp Set Challenge 2

Ok, I pulled the next set off the shelf and sat down to play. Now this is a set I did use a lot when it was available for purchase. I kept it because I made a lot of little notebooks with it. I have sat here and thought about if I was going to keep it or sell it. It was a very tough decision to make and I have decided it will be sold too.

For those of you who don't know what the Julie/Julia Stamp Set Challenge is you can go here and read about it. I have made a label for this challenge so in the future you can click on the Julia/Julie label and see all the posts for this adventure!

This little notebook was very fun to make. I love making notebooks and to play with this set again was fun. I mean fun to the point to where I thought I may keep the set!!! The goal in this challenge is not only to go through all of my stamp sets but to remove the ones I no longer want so I can make room for the ones in stacks awaiting a better place to be displayed! Anyway, this little notebook will be included with the stamp set. I will be filling out the information for the web store so it should be in there after this entry is posted. There will be no photo with it right away. It takes a day or two for the web master to get that in the store. But all the info is there and a photo (the same one that will appear in the store) so you can see all the images in the set.

I also made a card with the set. The card will not be included. It went out in the mail on Friday morning. Along with a bit of home that it gets to it's destination on Saturday. But a belated Mother's Day card is better than not getting one at all, right? Now there isn't a lot of thrill to the card. I kept it plain and simple. In real life it has a nice elegant look to it. Sweet and to the point. Plus the writing on the inside would compensate for anything on the outside!

For the coloring on both items I just used markers, no blender pens. Plain and simple. Just stamp and color. I love simple!

This little notebook measures 2-1/8" x 3". Isn't it just sweet? Don't agree with me too much, I may decide to keep the set!!! NOOOOO, don't keep the set! LOL

Be sure to check the web store for this set. It's called "Doodle That" by Stampin' Up!

Thank you SO much for visiting today, Wanda

Watercolor Trio Get Well Card

It seems that I am using this image for get well card. Hmmm. My neighbor had surgery today and I thought I would make her a get well card. I was looking through my newer stamp sets and this one caught my eye. SO I made the card and as I am typing in the title, the exact title pops up. That tells me I named this post the same as a past post but this card has a different layout and probably different colors too.

I like how this card turned out. I opted to use the other side of the decorative paper this time. I still had some sitting out from yesterdays card so I thought I would use it. Imagine that, stuff still sitting out from the day (week) before!!!

The image is from the Stampin' Up! "Watercolor Trio" set. It's a fun set. I LOVE using the direct to rubber technique. I colored directly on the rubber with markers. I think the next time I use that image I will try the watercolor crayons and use the fine misting bottle on it to give it even more of a watercolor look.

The words were done on the computer and punched out with the 1-1/4" circle punch. That was layered on top of the scallop circle punch piece using Rich Razzleberry card stock.

I used the "Dotted Swiss" embossing folder for the background and I sponged the edges using Rich Razzleberry ink. It was a very easy card to make and it didn't take very long at all. Now I need to get it in an addressed envelope and get it to the post office!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Messages for Mom Mother's Day Card

It just dawned on me that this coming Sunday is Mother's Day. (I'm a little slow). I had every intention of making a card last month using the Stampin' Up! "Messages for Mom" set but I didn't. I was just too busy with tons of other things going on. But at least I got it made a few days in advance so I don't have to scramble to make one up.

This set was in the last "Occasions" mini catalog. I bought it but didn't use it. I've seen so many pretty cards done using the swirly flower image in the set. I think that was probably why I bought the set! LOL Anyway, I did use it now but not the flower image. I will be using that sometime in the "Julia/Julie" challenge. When I am done with it, it will go back on the shelf, a shelf that is across the room from the shelf I'm starting the challenge on. By the time I get to this set I will know if it's retired or not!

This was a pretty quick card to make, including the cute flower. I made it using the 3 flowers die and tissue paper. I don't know how many layers of tissue paper I used but I did want the flower pretty thick. SplitCoastStampers had a tutorial on tissue paper flowers and a die cut. They were using Nestabilities. I don't have Nestabilities in flower form but I did have these dies so I ran with it and I do like how it turned out. I sponged the edges with Rich Razzleberry and put them together with a jumbo brad. I stuck it to the card with a pop up glue dot. It seemed like it was the only thing that would hold the prongs to the brad and the paper. It feels like it's on there pretty good. It should last until Sunday! LOL I could have made the flower fluffier by separating more of the tissue papers but I didn't. I was happy with what I ended up with. Isn't it sweet?

The decorative paper I used here is "Cottage Wall." I layerd it on Rich Razzleberry card stock. The main part of the card is Pale Plum. It just made such a pretty color combination.

SO, I have my Mother's Day card done. Now I need to make 4 birthday cards, one get well card and maybe another Mother's Day card for a friend (if I have time before Sunday).

Thanks SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Wednesday Sketch Challenge

This weeks card layout (Sketch Challenge) over at SplitCoastStampers was a fun one. It was simple and allowed me to use smaller images. I could have used this on the "Happy Winter" set I stamped from yesterday!!

I really did enjoy this layout but I wished I had used a different image for the focal part. The original card was done using the "Trendy Tree" set and I think I just may have to copy that card. It was just too stunning.

This sketch was easy to follow, it only had a few pieces to it. I kept my background white and clean looking. I did try colored paper but it made the layers look horrible.

What was fun with this decorative paper was I could turn it over to see if I wanted the layers swapped. And I did just that. Behind the flowers I originally had the darker paper and it didn't look right so I was able to quickly change it. I didn't add any words to the front of the card so it can be used for quite a number of occasions. And this month I need several birthday cards an anniversary card and of course a Mother's Day card. I'd better get cracking on a few of these, the dates I need them are quickly approaching.


Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Julia/Julie Stamp Set Challenge 1

Ok, I headed on over to my bookshelf that holds 3/4 of my stamp sets. I have a smaller one that holds the rest on and a shelf on the wall that now holds my clear mount stamps. They are all over the room!!!

SO I pick up the first stamp in the stack and it's the "Happy Winter" one. A retired set that I decided I would be selling. I went to the web store to enter in the information and I didn't know my password so I had it sent to me and I'm still waiting on that. I'll be talking to the webmaster tomorrow and get it straightened out so the set will be in the store. It's easier to sell it through the store because it figures out the postage by reading your mailing address. It's just SO slick (when I can get into it).

In the meantime I will share with you the card I made, which will be going with the stamp set in the mail!!!

I surprised myself on this one. I actually used every stamp in the set. That was not my intention when I started the card but I was glad I was able to do that.

The base of my card is made using Always Artichoke. Inside I added a piece of white card stock. On the front I have a piece of retired decorative paper from the "Summer Picnic" package. I still have a few pieces of that fun paper left. I'm sure I'll be finding other things to do with it. Hmmmm, maybe my next challenge should be to use the retired papers in all of my cards and get it used up! Do you ever use up all of your decorative papers??

I had stamped the tree on the bottom left of the card and that made the top so empty looking so I took the Snowflake punch and some white card stock and added a snowflake to that area. It's just what that space needed. I used a light blue rhinestone in the center of the snowflake. The card needed a little bling!

The set has some fun little snowflakes so I stamped them above and around the snowman. I also stamped them in the area inside the card that you see when the card is closed. If you click on the photo you will see that in more detail.

I colored in the scarf, buttons and added a bit of Bashful Blue to the words and that was pretty much it. It was actually a pretty quick card to make. This is a set I had used quite a bit when I got it and then other winter/snowmen sets have come along and I have ignored this one. As I was looking at the card this horrible thought came to mind. "Maybe I should just keep the set." I'm such a snowman lover. But it really is time to say goodbye to it. It it's posted in the web store now. There is no photo posted there yet but the description and other details are all set up. Here is the link to the web store. You can always get to it too by looking to the right of the blog in the side bar, it's the first item listed.

Tomorrow is the Sketch Challenge at SplitCoastStampers. I may use the next set on the shelf but I'm leaning towards one of the newer sets in the mini catalog for that. I do need to keep a variety or I could loose interest in the project!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Fun with Folds

Here is a card that is a lot of fun to do. Not only does the front white angled piece open but so does the yellow piece it reveals. Denise had made this card and she used the "Colored Mist" technique. This technique makes your paper look like it's made of fine silk!

All I had left was the photo of this card, I don't have the actual card in front of me to tell you what all was used on here as far as colors go. I'm guessing the background was Soft Suede. The next layer on top of that is Whisper White that was run through the "Dotted Swiss" embossing folder and Sizzix machine. The flower was from a punch. It was crinkled up, straightened out and then sprayed with the "Colored Mist" and set aside to dry before it was set in place on the card. And the yellow piece looks like it's Barely Banana card stock.

The assembly of the card is pretty simple. After you cut your background piece the white piece is cut 1/4" less on two edges after it was embossed and folded in half. The yellow piece was done the same except for the embossing.

I'm not sure what set the "Thank you" is from, which tells you that I don't own that set!

It's a fun folded card. Almost like getting a present. You open it with great anticipation and find you have another part to open. I just thought it was a cute card and a fun way to open it.

Thank you Denise for sharing this card with me and everyone else out there!


Tomorrow I am going to start my Julia/Julie stamping "thing." My plan is to go through all the Stampin' Up! stamp sets on my seven shelves and make a card or gift item using each set as I systematically work my way from the top shelf across and all the way down! For those of you who did not see the movie "Julia & Julie," it's about a gal Julie who cooks her way through the Julia Child "The Joy of Cooking" cookbook. She sets her goal to do all the recipes in 365 days and blogs about it. Well, I am not going to be setting a goal to go through all of these stamps in 365 days. I will still be doing projects and other things that I will be posting as I go. My "goal" is to get through all the stamp sets and get rid of the ones I no longer use. I will be posting those that are for sale on the blog and a link to the website for easy purchasing (it figures out shipping and all that stuff - SO simple). SO tomorrow will be the first set in the stack. Whatever theme it is, I will be making a card so don't be shocked if you see cards from holiday's past or ones coming up but are a ways away! I think it will be a fun adventure and a great self-challenge! I look forward to playing with some of these sets again and I will also look forward to letting some of them go as well. Scanning over the shelves and doing a rough count it would take me over a year to go through them all. I am excluding word sets, just image sets. The word sets I hang on to because you never know when those come in handy! Wish me luck on this adventure!

And on another fun note. My blog will be reaching the on million hit mark in less than 3000 hits. More than likely sometime this week. I will be giving away some fun blog candy. One of the items will be the "Vintage Vogue" clear mount set from the spring mini catalog that expired at the end of April. It will be fun to see who wins that and all the other things I tend to stuff in the envelope before it gets mailed! SO stay tuned!

Thank you for visiting today,
Wanda

The Other Half of the Scrapbook Page

Here is the other half of the side by side scrapbook page. You see how the picture layered areas are the same size (or very close to it) and positioned in the same spots as the opposite page. It's a mirror image of the other page. They look neater in scrapbooks when you do it that way. Though whatever way you put pages in your book is great as far as I am concerned. At least they are getting in the albums!!

Here is the page I had done at the last DIVA Day event I attended. If you look at yesterday's post and today's post you can see how much they are alike. Just the photos and names have changed.

These two cats are a riot together. K.C. is the gray one, a male cat and Boo is the typical striped tabby, a female. They are 3 years apart and are best friends. They play together a lot and lay together a lot. Boo is usually the one to instigate the playing.

The photo of them with their heads together is one that I caught by sheer luck. They are actually laying on my lap while I was reclining and I happened to have had the camera on the end table. Don't ask why, I never leave it there. I just kept taking pictures and looking to see what I got in the photo area and I continued to take pictures for about 3 minutes. The flash helped them keep their eyes shut and, at this point, pretend they were sleeping. But when I finished with the photo shoot they did go back to sleep.

Isn't that just the sweetest photo. I was told by SO many people to send it to the newspaper under the "pet of the week" category. I may do that some day!

If you click on the picture, look at the top right one on the page. They were "playing" on the chair in the dining room and you can see Boo's little tongue sticking out. He must have tasted delicious!!!! LOL Oh and on the other one on the top Boo has her arm on his shoulder. She's such a riot. These two cats really bring a lot of joy and laughter to our home.

And one word you can not say in our house is "brush." You'd better be ready to brush them, especially Boo. She won't wait for the brush to make contact. Before you know it she's on her back feet and meeting the brush with the top of her head. And the tail shakes like it's electrified!! LOL

I have LOTS more photos on a million other topics to scrapbook. I may try to do at least one a month! It's a good goal to set, it's doable! And even if I only get one set of pages done a month at least it's one more set than I would have had if I didn't try at all!!!

Thank you for visiting today,
Wanda

Scrapbooking! REALLY!!!

Yup, I have done another scrapbook page. I'm on a roll now. There may be no stopping me! I wish! I'm still trying to break into scrapbooking. I have TONS of photos to scrap but I just need that nudge to get me seriously into it. I thought doing a page of my cats might help but it didn't.

A while back at Sue's DIVA Day event I did a scrapbook page and wanted to make a side by side page for my album. It took this long to get around to it. I've had the photos and they layout sitting in an envelope for a VERY long time. When I make the pages I do love doing the side by side pages. They mirror each other in layout form which I think makes a very neat and sharp looking album.

I had read once that you don't need to scrap in chronological order. I was SO thrilled to read that. I think it would get a bit boring doing the pages like that. SO I just took what I wanted to do and ran with that. I do like my pages but I think it's because I like the photo content!!!

This is Millie. I got her in December of 1999. She was born on October 26th. She is a beautiful Ragga Muffin cat. She is a bit of a touchy cat though. She was traumatized at the vet's office and has never recovered. She is fine around us but when anyone comes over she runs and hides. That's ok too, who wants all that hair on their clothes? She does love to be pet but her favorite thing is to lay on her back and wiggle around. Thus creating knots in her hair. UGH. I cut them out in big chunks but because of the length of her hair you can't even tell. She's such a hairy cat!

Anyway, on my page I used the Stampin' Up! "C is for Cat" set. It was one of the first sets I bought when the catalog came out! Me and cats!!! I buy lots of "cat" stuff! I used Garden Green for the background and layers. Very Vanilla is the main color on the top layer. I used a border punch and a strip of Very Vanilla stamped with cat paw prints on it. It's too bad most of it is hidden behind the photos. I stamped some fish at the top of the page using Sahara Sand ink. And I stamped a few fish and cut them out. I also stamped a cat and cut it out too. That was a bit more difficult to do because of the whiskers but I managed and it turned out ok.

I have one of the other two cats I will share with you tomorrow and you can see what I mean by back to back.

It looks like in about a week my blog will be reaching the One Million Hits mark!!!! How cool is that? I have some fun blog candy ready to celebrate this milestone and I'll be posting that in about a week!!! This is SO exciting!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda