No Time To Stamp?

Challenge #11 - Keyword ssnotime11 - There is no time limit. You can play this challenge and upload your project at Splitcoast and/or your Blog, anytime at all!  You can play as many times as you like!!!  The point is to keep it simple, quick and have fun!!!  Please link back here.

Today’s challenge is actually  more than stickers - it is to USE ANY PRE-PRINTED IMAGE as your main image.    You can NOT stamp your main image, though you may stamp backgrounds and/or sentiments if you wish.  Here are some things that would be great items to use as  your main image, but anything pre-printed goes:

Stickers, cut-outs from booklets made for that purpose, Cotton Scraps, any type of fabric, pictures cut from magazines or old books, parts taken from store-bought cards, rub-ons, chipboard type stickers — basically, any image you can just stick on without stamping — all in the spirit of creating a quick card!

Today’s challenge was inspired by SmilynStef.  She participated in a challenge from 2 weeks back, and the moment I saw her card I had a light bulb moment — it was the PERFECT challenge for this week!!!  She had used a sticker as her main image and her card was GORGEOUS!!!  You can check it out at SCS here or on her Blog here.  Thank you, Stef, for this great idea and gorgeous sample!!!

Remember when you upload to use the keyword above, followed by a comma.  Please come back here to post (as a comment) that you’ve played, and provide a link so I can check out your card right away. You can find all cards uploaded for this challenge by clicking Gallery Submissions Here.

Some wanting to play said they have never uploaded before.  If that’s you and you need help uploading,  just go to my Challenge No. 1 here.

Here’s my sample.  I used an image from a sheet of Cotton Scraps by Crafty Secrets.  I just LOVE the Cotton Scraps.  I was lucky enough to have a friend recently give me a few sheets — thanks much, JoAnn (sarahzoe)!!!  These Cotton Scraps are also available through Sweet Miss Daisy’s store, Sassy and Sweet Crafts.

I chose to go the easy route and did NO stamping on this card!!!  Now that’s a switch!!!  My Cotton Scrap was sewn onto a piece of blue cardstock cut just a tad bit larger than the cotton.  My sewing machine NEVER gives me problems but, of course, tonight it did — skipping stitches like crazy — probably needs a new needle — but I didn’t stress over it too much as I was going for a somewhat vintage look on the scrap anyway, so that’s just how it goes sometimes!!!  The Cotton Scrap panel is on mounting tape.  Everything else is just simply layered.  The striped panel is actually a card from Michael’s that I cut in 1/2 to use.  I wanted to use my Pretties Kit, but the stick pin in it was actually a bit too large for this image, so I resorted to my corsage pins from Michaels (in the bridal section).  They are a good inch short and a bit daintier, which worked better here.  I did use the pearl and spacer on it from the Pretties Kit, as well as the stopper on the bottom. The 1/2 pearls are also from the Pretties Kit, adhered with Crystal Effects.

• Stamps:  None
• Paper:  Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla, Card front from The Paper Company (Michaels)
• Ink:  None
• Accessories:  Cotton Scraps (Family), Blue Taffeta, Corsage Pin (Michaels), Pretties Kit, Crystal Effects, Distressing Tool on Cutter Kit, Mounting Tape, Mini Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Sewing Machine and Thread.

Hope you get a chance to play — this is another fun one!!!  And once again, thanks so much for stopping in!!!

I wasn’t planning to do any copper cards today, but once I saw the Ways to Use it Challenge at SCS, which was to use metallic paper, how could I not?  I only have one card today, but I’ll add it to the rest in my copper card series.

This card uses my favorite snowflake stamp in the retired set called Snowflakes by SU.  It is copper embossed.  My metallic paper comes into play on the round tab punched ornament topper and the strip of brushed copper metallic paper.  I think these few sheets of paper in this color scheme in the Fruitcake pack by Basic Grey are just the most perfect papers to pair with copper.  Not only is the color a good color, but the design in the print reminds me of the shapes and forms that appear when copper oxidizes.  Believe me — I KNOW!!!  I have a copper and slate tabletop fountain and I rarely clean it because I LOVE that greenish growth that appears — the colors and shapes just fascinate me — and it drives the rest of my family totally nuts because they view it as *dirty*.  I, however, view it as *beautiful*.  As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!!!

• Stamps:  Snowflakes (retired) by SU
• Paper:  Whisper White, Not Quite Navy (it looks dark in photo), Brushed Metallic Copper, Fruitcake DP by Basic Grey
• Ink:  Versa Mark
• Accessories:  Copper Embossing Powder, Ribbon, Brads, Copper Leaf Pen (to coat brads that were the wrong color),  2 1/2 and 3″ Marvy Punches, Round Tab Punch, Crafter’s Tool Kit, Cuttlebug, Snowflakes Embossing Folder, Dimensionals

Sorry I didn’t get ribbon tying photos last night.  We had our Hostess Club Christmas party.  We ate too much and our project was too time consuming, but a good time was had by all.  I made Chicken Wings, which are super simple and super good.  Everyone wanted the recipe, so I’ll share it here — it’s quick and great for get-togethers at this time of year.

Chicken Wings - frozen in bags - 5 - 8# (thawed).  Marinate them for 24 hours in:

• 1 cup Soy Sauce
• 1 cup Lemon Juice
• 1 cup Oil

The ingredients want to separate, so mix it up once in a while.  Drain.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour (or less if done sooner)  in a single layer, uncovered,  on a cookie sheet with sides.   Transfer to crock pot for easy serving or a pot luck dish.  Everyone is guaranteed to love them!!!

Thanks much for looking!!!  I have a fun challenge for tomorrow morning — hope you can check back.  More of you played last weeks challenge than any other — thanks much!!!  Remember, you can go back and play any of them at any time!!! 

I get asked all the time about tying bows/knots, and since I’ve had several requests again yesterday, I will very quickly and briefly address it here.

Val (Stampin’ Gal Val, 11Valerie11) has produced a very short, sweet and concise video on tying an attractive knot.  Basically, it is left over right, right over left, but watching her do it is worth a million words.  Here is her Ribbon Tying Video if you haven’t seen it yet.

I use a lot of much wider ribbon, and to save ribbon and, in my opinion, to make it a bit easier to tie with my clumsy fingers, I often (depends on card stlye) do NOT wrap the ribbon around the card, although it would appear so when done.  I tie my ribbon in my hands, completely loose and away from the card.  When I get my knot how I want it, I then attach it to the card.  This gives me the ability to pull the knot from behind as well as from the front, to get the knot just right.  And using wider ribbon, if the knot isn’t just right, it is much more noticeable than on narrow ribbon.  And I know this makes no sense when you can’t see it — but I can’t photo myself doing this.  I do have ladies coming tonight, so maybe someone will be patient and take a few pictures of me tying a ribbon.  If so, I’ll get it written up and posted in the next day or so.

So, I know what I just said was no help, but trusting you will take a minute to watch Val’s video, which IS very helpful!!!  Thanks, Val!!!

Editing:  Val just let me know about another ribbon tying video (an actual bow) done by Talyor VanBruggen (tayloredexpressions) on her Blog.  It’s a cute little bow done *bunny ears* style.  Here’s the link to Taylor’s Video – but now I couldn’t seem to link that post directly — this link goes to her tutorials page, so just scroll down a bit, and you’ll see some other neat tutorials along the way!!!  Thanks, Taylor!!!

This is a Christmas Gift Tag I made today, using the colors from the Color Challenge at SCS - Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery and Going Gray.  I have always loved Bashful and Celery together, and with the addition of the Gray, I think it is a very striking combo!!!  Takes it from cute to classy!!!

The large flourish (don’t you just love it!) is from Flourished Elements by Flourishes.  The small flourish in the hardware frame is from the same set, while the white tag is from a set called Rejoice, also by Flourishes.  Once again, a pretty straight forward and simple project that doesn’t need much explanation (but then again, most of my work is that way!!!)  Here’s the list of supplies:

• Stamps:  Flourished Elements and Rejoice by Flourishes
• Paper:  Going Gray, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
• Ink:  Versa Fine Onyx Black and Bashful Blue
• Accessories:  Ribbons (all SU but the fiber), Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware, Deco Corner Punch (All Night Media), 1/4″ punch.

 Again, thanks much for looking!!!

This is installment #2 on my copper card series.  All the cards in my copper series are super simple layouts and designs that can easily be adapted to any images.  The are all quick cards to make with sharp, crisp lines and not a lot of detail work.  In case you missed it, here is my first set of copper cards.  That link will also tell you about these bookends made of solid copper from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

These simple cards really don’t need a lot of explaining.   In creating simple, quick designs, I love to use large images.  All images used on this set of cards is from Flourished Christmas by Flourishes.   I also love the brushed copper metallic paper run though the Cuttlebug with the textile folder!  Here’s the list of supplies used on this entire set of 3 cards:

• Stamps:  Flourished Christmas by Flourishes
• Paper:  Sage Shadow, Forest Foliage (retired), Very Vanilla, Brushed Copper Metallic, Fruitcake Designer Paper by Basic Grey
• Ink:  Versa Mark
• Accessories:  Copper Embossing Powder, Copper Brads, Copper Cording (retired), Ticket Corner Punch, 1 1/4″ and 1 3/8″ Round Punches, Mounting Tape, Dimensionals, Cuttlebug and Textile Embossing Folder

Just love this deer image with his flourishy antlers!!!

For this card I ran the Forest Foliage through the Cuttlebug and wrapped the bottom with copper cording.  I really love the texure the Cuttlebug embossing adds!

That’s it for today!  I have a few other projects to work on before I get back to my copper series.   Thanks much for stopping in — have a great day — schools are closed here today due to blowing snow and wind!!!

This is only the beginning of a larger project.  I am making cards to give to my sister who, along with her husband, own and operate a business in the copper industry.  The area in which we live is well known for its history of rich copper.  Though there is still an ample supply of copper in the earth beneath us, it is no longer mined due to the high cost of getting it out.  My brother-in-law is a geologist and my sister is a gemologist and they are involved in many different, and very interesting, aspects of the gem and mineral world.  The copper bookends shown above are one of many things they produce out of our native copper.  And since I was making her some *copper cards*, I just wanted you to see these unique bookends.  If you are interested in learning more about our local, mineral rich history or in seeing more of what they produce (they also specialize in Michigan greenstone and Petoskey stone), you may click on  Keweenaw Gem and Gift .

All the cards in this set of three use the same supplies:

• Stamps:  Rejoice by Flourishes
• Paper:  Sage Shadow, Very Vanilla, Brushed Copper Metallic, Fruitcake Designer Paper by Basic Grey
• Ink:  Versa Mark
• Accessories:  Copper Embossing Powder, Copper Brads, 1 1/4″ and 1 3/8″ Circle Punches, Crafter’s Tool Kit, Dimensionals, Cuttlebug, Textile Embossing Folder

I absolutely love copper, and I especially love that shade of green it turns when it oxidizes.  I thought the shade of green in the Fruitcake DP was just perfect, and with its snowflake pattern there was no doubt!!!  (Oh, don’t be misled - those bookends will NOT turn green — LOL — they are highly polished and coated — the ones you see above are probably 10 years old and look just like they did the day I got them!)

I love this “Joy to the World” copper embossed and I love the Brushed Copper Metallic paper run through the Cuttlebug with this folder — I think the style of the sentiment and the embossing compliment each other very well.

Well, that’s it for tonight — I’ll have many more uploads of copper cards coming over the next week or so, among the other things I upload, so thanks much for looking and please stop in again!!!  Much appreciated!!!

Challenge #10 - Keyword ssnotime10 - There is no time limit. You can play this challenge and upload your project at Splitcoast and/or your Blog, anytime at all!  You can play as many times as you like!!!  The point is to keep it simple, quick and have fun!!!  Please link back here.

Today’s challenge is to use Designer Paper.  Nothing is quicker than putting a card together with designer paper, and at this time of year, we all need quick, so pull out that paper and USE it!!!  You are only allowed a sentiment stamp, NO OTHER STAMPED IMAGES ALLOWED!!!  You can use anything else you want in terms of tools or embellies, and you can use as many sentiments (words) as you like.  The idea is to let your designer paper do your work for you!!!

 Click here to see another card I recently uploaded which falls into this category.

Remember when you upload to use the keyword above, followed by a comma.  Please come back here to post (as a comment) that you’ve played, and provide a link so I can check out your card right away. You can find all cards uploaded for this challenge by clicking Gallery Submissions Here.

Some wanting to play said they have never uploaded before.  If that’s you and you need help uploading,  just go to my Challenge No. 1 and instructions are there.

Both cards I made as samples use Fruitcake DP by Basic Grey, sentiments from O Christmas Tree by Flourishes, along with SU Basic Black and Very Vanilla.  Both are super simple layouts.  This card has machine stitching, but that’s because I really wanted to play Julia’s challenge of yesterday (WT141 at SCS) to add sewing to your card.  I didn’t have time to do many cards, so I doubled up - and that’s OK!  You could also faux stitch around this card, or just omit the stitching all together. You can see how quick this card would be to put together or to mass produce.

Here’s another simple layout.  There really isn’t much to say about either of these cards as they are so simple and self-explanatory.  Even the sentiment  panel on this one is super simple — just what we need at this time of year.  I know everyone thinks of that cute tree when they hear  O Christmas Tree — some call it a Charlie Brown tree, others call it a feather tree — in any event, that set has many sentiments in it as well, making it a super versatile set for this time of year.  Again, both sentiments I used were from O Christmas Tree by Flourishes.

Well, that’s it for today — hope you get a chance to dig out all your fun DP’s and USE them.  OH, speaking of which, think about this — seriously — how often have you EVER started a pack of DP and used it completely — that’s HARD to do — agree?  So, don’t hoard, USE!!!  Have fun — I’m anxious to see what you all come up with!!!

Thanks for checking in!!!  Have a great Thanksgiving weekend!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

Hope you all have a Blessed Day, giving thanks for how Blessed we all truly are!!!

This is a super quick card I did, using Rejoice from Flourishes and Fruitcake DP by Basic Grey.  I used the sketch from today’s SC at SCS — love this easy, quick-to-put-together layout!!!  This is a card I can easily see myself mass producing!

I love the rich look of this card, without much effort!!!  This is a testament to what I always say — you don’t have to DO much if you USE nice things — so true!!!  The Rejoice Stamp set and black velvet ribbon are from Flourishes and I got the 12 x 12 pad of Fruitcake DP by Basic Grey from Lindsey at Jacksonbelle Embellishments.  I’ve linked both her Blog (if you want some eye candy, go there) as well as her ebay store. Flourishes and Jacksonbelle both provide super quick service, so if you’re in need of supplies for Christmas cards, it’s not a bit too late!!!

This card is merely layered DP, one stamped, large sentiment from Rejoice, and the small tag, which was a punch out from the DP package — how quick and easy.  I added the ribbons and brads and away we go — done in a snap!!!

• Stamps:  Rejoice by Flourishes
• Paper:  Sage Shadow, Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Fruitcake DP by Basic Grey
• Ink:  Black Stazon
• Accessories:  Velvet, Gingham, Brads

Thanks much for looking — I so appreciate it!!!

Well, after seeing all of the adorable Elzybell cards  yesterday, I just had to make at least one thing out of each Elzy I had, so here it is — a card with a  coordinating bookmark in a sleeve — I only have 3 Elzy images and one sentiment — so now they’ve all been inked!!

The card uses DP on the lower portion and white on top.  There is black velvet ribbon on the seam joining the two, but you can barely see it, as it is pretty well covered up with my taffeta bows — oh well, I know it’s there!  The image was stamped, colored and then circle punched out.  This image is rectangular in shape, and the little black snowflakes were also left in a rectangular pattern, which just didn’t look right on the round punchout, so I just drew in more little black snowflakes to match with the fine tip of my marker — you can’t even tell!!!  I then sponged the edges, mounted on a scallop, added the white gel pen dots and mounted it onto the card.  Added a ticket corner punched sentiment on the bottom, with brads, and done!!!  I love the little pink bows on the side on this — they just look so cute and girlie!!!

Here’s the bookmark out of the sleeve - cute, huh?  I just can’t stop making these silly little bookmarks and sleeves — they are so quick and fun to do!!!  And it’s just nice to have a little something extra to give along with the card.  Click here to see the instructions on how to make the sleeves.  This one is wider than the one in the tutorial — you just have to adjust the measurements depending on how wide/long you make your bookmark.  And the bookmark is rather self-explanatory, I think.  The oval top is adhered to the bookmark with double sided tape, ribbon run through the top — the ribbon reminds me of Elzy’s hair!!! 

• Stamps:  Elzybells, distributed by A Muse:  Ice Skater, Winter Girl, Sentiment.  Snowflake is from Perfect Presentation by SU.
• Paper:  Pretty in Pink, Basic Black, Whisper White, DP is from an old Spring Stack DCWV.
• Ink:  Black Stazon.  Reinkers in Pretty in Pink, Blush Blossom.  Marker in Going Gray, Basic Black.  Signo White Gel Pen.  Sakura Stardust Silver Gelly Roll Pen.
• Accessories:  Marvy Oval, Round and Scallop Punches, 1/4″ punch, Ticket Corner Punch, Corner Rounder, Ribbons, Brads, Sponge, Mounting Tape, Pop Dots, Mini Glue Dots, Red Sticky Tape.

That’s it for today, and that’s it for my Elzy’s for a bit — on to something else tomorrow!!!  Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!  Thanks much for looking!!!