No Time To Stamp?

Today I needed an Autumn Thank You note to send to some friends who did us a kindness.  The WSC102 Sketch this week was perfect for what I had in mind.  You can see the sketch here on Beate’s Blog.  Scroll down to Oct. 16th.  For some reason I couldn’t get it to direct link to that post.  Here’s my card:

Image and Sentiment is from Autumn Blesssings by JustRite and my DP is Cast-A-Spell by SU — LOVE that DP and even though I’m done with Halloween cards I find many sheets in that pack to be very well suited to Autumn cards.  My ribbon is MOSS 100% Silk by May Arts that I carry.  The MOSS silk is a wonderful match to SU’s Old Olive cardstock and DP’s.  Please note, I also have an Olive Silk, but the MOSS is the better match to SU’s Old Olive.  The bow was made on the Bow Easy.  Petite Oval Nestabilites were used to cut my image and sentiment (shown below) and my corner die cut is a Cuttlebug Corner Die.

Editing to add:  My 100% Silk Ribbon by May Arts is tied in my favorite fun and flirty fashion, made with the Bow Easy.  You can read this post to see how it is done.

What a FUN image to color with my Copics!  And check out my Autumn Blessings Sentiment.  It was cut with a Petite Oval Nesties and just tucked behind the image oval — super easy.  BUT, on the oval border for this set, the Autumn Blessings sentiments that go around the border are NOT centered so as to give you the proper shaped curve to use the alone.  I tried to show you here in photos:

This is how I put my outer border in my 2 1/4″ x 3 1/6″ Oval Stamper that it is made to fit, BUT it’s not quite in the way it was intended.   See how I’ve centered the Autumn Blessings on the top?  I actually have to put the border in the stamper about an 1/8th of a turn off from how it was intended to get it centered on top, making it fit nicely into my Nesties.  Below is how the border is made and how you’d typically snap it into the stamper:

I know this photo is bad and it’s hard to see, but can you see how the Autumn Blessings that is inked is off to the right?  If you snapped this ring into the stamper in it’s original shape, that’s how the Autumn Blessings would be — not an ideal shape. By snapping it like shown in the first photo, you get a nicer curve if you want to use it alone as a sentiment as I have done in this card.  Also, when doing this, ink JUST the portion of the ring you want inked.  I always use VersaFine Ink for sentiments and it’s very easy to ink only a portion of the ring with the raised pad in the Versa Fine inks.

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Shopping:

The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store carries the following items to created this project:

Autumn Blessings Set used on the 2 1/4 x 3 1/16″ Oval Stamper by JustRite

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink (image) and VersaFine Onyx Black Ink (sentiment)

Moss 100% Silk Ribbon in 1.25″ and 1/4″ by May Arts and the Bow Easy

Petite Oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders and the Scor-It

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Thanks much for stopping in today!!! Truly do appreciate your visits and comments.  I have many more projects I need to get done this week, many with clean and simple in mind (out of necessity — LOL), so hope you can check back in!  Thanks so much and hope to see you soon!!!

A clean and simple gift card holder that is masculine, seasonal (autumn) and personalized with the recipients initials.  I used a collection of varying stamps on this simple little project, but they all blended wonderfully.  Here it is:

Leaf image is from A Year of Leaves by Melanie Muenchinger for Gina K. Designs (copic colored).  A great set for year round use!  Initials done with 60 Pt Font contained in the 1 3/16″ Wood Stamper with Bonus 60 pt Font and Damask Borders by JustRite.  Paper (Autumn Traditions DP), hardware and inside sentiment are all by SU.  I used a strip of White 5/8″ Double Sided Suede. I love this suede on guy cards.  It adds the ribbon touch we love, but without the fru-fru that guys don’t particularly love — LOL!!  The touchy-feeliness of this suede is wonderful and is very suited to an autumn card!  I want to add that I don’t typically like to cut my ribbon at the edge of the card — I prefer to wrap it around; however, with this suede ribbon, it cuts beautifully with no fraying or ravelling, so I did adhere it to the card front only and cut the sides — works GREAT with this suede ribbon.  It is all held closed with a self-adhesive Velcro Dot.  Here’s the inside:

Can you see the closure?  It’s my favorite self-adhesive Velcro Dots, and I just added them in 3 colors to Page 3 of my store.  I usually try to make my cards so all the hardware backs are hidden between layers, but on a CAS card sometimes that harder to do, and it’s OK if they show - especially on guys cards — LOL — they don’t care!  This has a nice little pocket to tuck in some cash, a check or gift card!

This is my favorite quick and easy Gift Card Holder template and I’ve used it dozens of times.  I originally got the measurements from an SCS challenge years ago.  Start with a 1/2 sheet of paper - 8.5 x 5.5 - and using my Scor-It I scored in 2″ from one short edge and 2.5″ in from the other short short edge.  When folded, the 2.5″ flap is the top while the 2″ flap is the pocket (adhere on the sides with red sticky tape).  Then just decorate away.  This is a GREAT little template that comes in so handy time and time again.

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The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store carries the following items used on this project:

1 3/16″ Wood Stamper with Bonus 60 pt Font and Damask Borders by JustRite

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink (image) and VersaFine Onyx Black Ink (sentiment)

5/8″ Double Sided Suede Ribbon by May Arts

Self-Adhesive Velcro Dots

Scor-It

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Thanks much for stopping in today.  I have one more masculine gift card holder to make in the next day or two and it will be for Pastor Appreciation Month.   I really should make a few masculine birthday cards as well - this just may be a masculine week here on my blog — time will tell!!!  We have some gorgeous sunshine and pleasant temps today — hope you are enjoying pleasant days as well!!!  See you soon!

It’s the first of the month again, so that means another fun Flower Soft Blog Hop! Our challenge this month was to create a Halloween themed project using our favorite Flower Soft. Well, my card is more fall or autumn than it is Halloween, so in keeping with the spirit of things, I went with an orange and black color scheme!!! Take a look:

Fun card to make! The white die cut accents pop off the black and the Copic colored JustRite image is accented with just a tiny bit of Flower Soft on the leaves — and oh my — how the addition of that tiny bit of Flower Soft just made the image pop and come to life — amazing. Here’s a close up of it:

Can you see just a tiny bit of Flower Soft on the leaf centers? I applied my Flower Soft Glue to the tiny leaves with the tip of a paper piercer and it worked great. In retrospect I wish I had taken a *before* picture without the Flower Soft so you could compare — it really adds so much. We were asked to use our favorite Flower Soft color — well, my favorite changes depending on the type of project I’m doing. Today I just had to use the Autumn Mix Flower Soft – love it for autumn themed cards. The colors are just lovely and work so well with  fall type images. 

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Stamps: Autumn Blessings by JustRite

Paper: SU Black, White, Pumpkin Pie, Cast A Spell DP

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

Accessories: Autumn Mix Flower Soft, Flower Soft Glue, Petite Oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders, Martha Stewart Fence Punch, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder and Corner Dies, SU Corner Rounder, Xyron X

Shopping:

Flower Soft for all Flower Soft products as well as those used today, linked above.

Stamp Simply Ribbon Store carries these items used on today’s project: Autumn Blessings Set, 2 1/4 x 3 1/16″ Oval Stamper, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink (not yet shown, but I have it),  Classic Oval Nestabilities, Scor-It

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Now, check out the Flower Soft Blog and the links below from the rest of the team to see som FAB projects and get inspired.  And as an added bonus we have a Guest Designer this month, too – welcome, Jeanne! 

Jeanne

Jennifer Buck

Deb Saaranen

Charmaine Ikach

AJ Otto

Thanks much for stopping in!  I’ll be back later tonight with our weekly Stamp Simply Challenge, so hope to see you then! Thanks much!!!  Have a great day!

Rich Autumn Leaves- To me the colors of autumn are rich and earthy.  Today we will create a project with leaves, and remember we’re easy, so if you don’t have actual leaf images, trees, flowers with leaves, acorns, pinecones, etc. are all OK.  But the added element is to make the project rich in color and texture by adding sponging to create that richness and depth of color.   I can’t wait to see your gorgeously rich creations today!

Keyword ssnotime106 - There is no time limit. You can play this challenge and upload your project at Splitcoast and/or your Blog, anytime at all. You (and that means anyone and everyone, blogger or not!) can play as many times as you like!!! The point is to keep it simple, quick and have fun!!! Please link back here.

Check out the great samples for the Stamp Simply Challenge today on the blogs of these fabulous designers:

• Charlene, September Guest Designer
• Janine 
• Jennifer 
• Julie 
• AJ
• Tammy took the night off due to other committments!
• Deb
• Barbara
• Jenny

Please bear with us all as we each upload and link on Thursday night.  Everyone should be up and set by Friday morning.

You may see all SCS Gallery Submissions here.

And here’s what I created for today:

An autumn card, rich in texture and color, with NO ribbon — wonders NEVER cease!  The Antique Gold Silk actually went very nicely with this paper, and I did debate the issue, but decided to forego the ribbon today as I thought this card stood very well on its own and I really wanted the focus on the image/leaf.  A simple style I use so often, with my *piping*.  Although my focal image is clean, my edges are all sponged as well as the leaf.

The image is from Autumn Blessings by JustRite, Copic colored, cut with Petite Oval Nesties.  I like using the Petites as it allows me room on the side for *something* — usually pearls, but today brass brads.  I’ve been making these same leaves each autumn for years.  The punch is by McGill and it’s quite old.  I drew in the vein lines with a pen and sponged the leaf and edges in Soft Suede by SU.  The leaf was punched from the goldish paper in the DP pack, Autumn Traditions by SU.  I tied a bit of 100% Jute String on the leaf stem, and that was ribbon enough for this card.  The focal image and leaf are mounted on Dimensionals.

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Shopping:

The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store carries the following items to make this card:

Autumn Blessings Set and the 2 1/4 x 3 1/16″ Oval Stamper by JustRite.

Petite Oval Nestabilites by Spellbinders and Scor-It Score Board

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink (not shown in store yet, but I have it available)

100% Jute String by MayArts.

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Thanks much for stopping in.  I hope we have inspired you today to create some beautiful, rich and earthy projects this week.  Sponging is a wonderful compliment to autumn creations!  Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.  I plan to be back tomorrow with a card for a fun sketch challenge — hope you can check it out!!!  Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!! See you soon!!!

Yes!  It is today, and I am fashionably late!!!  But on with the show — this Blog Hop our challenge was to use the Autumn Mix Flower Soft — well, how appropriate!  I decided to use one of the Flower Soft Toppers and gussy it up with the Autumn Mix.  Take a look:

This Wishing Well Topper just called for Autumn colors.  And each time I use my Flower Soft, I am just amazed, over and over again, how quickly it adds so MUCH to a project — they just seem to come to life right before my eyes in a matter of seconds — truly amazing!!!  These toppers are large.  You either need to make a large card or cut the topper down.  My card is 5.25″ x 7.75″.  I like large, so I’m in good shape there!  My DP is from SU, Autumn Traditions, and I love it!  It’s a good match to the Autumn Flower Soft, all of which called for my Rust 100% Silk Ribbon — things were clickin’ in the matchy/matchy department today — LOL!! 

I just wanted to try to get a closer view for you to see — wish you could touch it and see it IRL — so much texture and dimension is added.  When I do a larger surface like this, I like to squirt out a blob of the Flower Soft glue and then pick it up with a toothpick.  I just dab my toothpick around very quickly and then sprinkle on my Flower Soft.  It doesn’t take much glue at all and it sticks on really, really tight!!!  Once its on, it’s on!!!

And, of course, I have to show you my bow! Done on the Bow Easy.  And this Rust Silk is appearing darker in the photo that it is IRL. Sorry about that.  My curled tails are tacked in place with a dab of Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Glue.

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Stamps:  Season by Season by SU (probably retired)

Paper:  White and SU DSP Autumn Traditions.  Flower Soft Card Toppers.

Ink:  Versa Fine Onyx Black

Accessories:  Flower Soft Autumn Mix, Rust Silk Ribbon, Bow Easy, Scor-It, Petite Oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders, Flower Soft Glue, Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Glue.

Shopping:

Flower Soft for the entire line of product. Individual products linked above.

Stamp Simply Ribbon Store for the following items used on this card:

100% Silk Ribbon by May Arts and the Bow Easy

Petite Circle Nestabilities

Scor-It

VersaFine Onyx Black Ink

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Check out all the other projects by these DT members:

Jennifer Buck

Deb Saaranen
Charmaine Ikach
Niki Estes
Carole Burrage
AJ Otto

…and head on over to the Flower Soft blog to check out the give away. You have the chance to win your own Autumn mix!

Thanks much for stopping in today!  Truly do appreciate it.  Hope you are enjoying the lovely weather we are having today — sunny and 75 — just perfect!  See you soon!

I was so pleased to be able to play with a new Gina K set this week. Melanie Muenchinger’s newest set “A Year of Leaves“ is now available for purchase! (You can see the full set under “What’s New!” at Gina K Designs.) This is a year round set including an assortment of leaves and nature images with coordinating quotes and greetings to suit any occasion.  A FUN set with tons of versatility!!!   Take a look at my first card with it:

Clean and simple with the focus on those beautiful leaves!  This is a single leaf image.  I first stamped the leaf on the left, masked it, and then stamped the right leaf.   This set is filled with beautiful leaf images of all shapes and types and lovely sentiments that carry you throughout the year. I’m really loving it so far and can’t wait to play some more!!!  My card is large, 5.25 x 7.75″ high.  I’m really enjoying this larger size of late — it gives me plenty of room to use larger images with wide ribbon and still have some white space for a clean and fresh look.

My image is Copic colored.  There are so many fun leaf  images in this set to color!  My ribbon is Moss Silk and the bow is done on the Bow Easy.  This post tells you how I do this type of ribbon treatment – fun and easy!  My sentiment is mounted up on dimensionals and my fun fall buttons are from Basic Grey, Sugared.  I had so much fun making this card and am anxious to share more with you from this set later in the week!!!

You can see more samples today using “A Year of Leaves” on Melanie’s blog, and from the lovely and talented  Laurie Schmidlin and Geri Utterback!  Be sure to check out their creations!

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Stamps:  A Year of Leaves, Gina K Designs

Paper:  White, SU Bravo Burgundy, Old Olive

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black for the image; Versa Fine Onyx Black for the sentiment.  Copics to color.

Accessories:  May Arts 1.25″ and 1/4″ Moss Silk Ribbon, Bow Easy, Ivory Jute String, Basic Grey Sugared Buttons, Classic Rectangle and Long Rectangle Nestabilities by Spellbinders, Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Adhesives and Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Glue.

Shopping:

Gina K Designs for A Year of Leaves by Melanie Muenchinger

Stamp Simply Ribbon Store for the following items used to make this card:

Versa Fine Onyx Black Ink

100% Silk Ribbon (Moss), Jute String (Ivory), and Bow Easy

Basic Grey Buttons (Sugared)

Scor-It

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If you are looking for my Friday Stamp Simply Challenge, it is one post down.  Thanks so much for stopping in again.  Hope you have a chance to check out the other designers linked above and get some beautiful, autumn inspiration in the process!  Have a wonderful weekend!!!

I need a masculine birthday card for tomorrow and this is a really quick, simple design, but I like it!!! The black strip was shaped on the end by inserting it into SU’s photo corner punch.

Stamps: SU God Bless and It’s Your Birthday (inside sentiment)

Paper: Marigold Morning, Really Rust, Black, K & C DP

Ink: Versa Fine Onyx Black

Accessories: Vintage Brads, Photo Corner Punch, Mounting Tape

It’s really late — talk to you all tomorrow!!! Thanks for taking a peek!!!! Much appreciated!!!

Keyword ssnotime59 -There is no time limit. You can play this challenge and upload yourproject at Splitcoastand/or your Blog, anytime at all! You (and that means anyone and everyone, blogger or not!)can play as many times as you like!!! The point is to keep it simple, quick and have fun!!! Please link back here.

For todays challenge we are going to Button up for Winter!I don’t know about most of you, but where I live there are a lot of things that need to be done before winter hits, and that’s what we’re doing with our cards today — buttoning up for winter — BUT, it is still fall, not winter, so today’s challenge is to make a fall card and incorporate a button on it — that’s it – oh, I’m seeing lots of cozy, warm, homey cards in my mind, but I can’t WAIT to see how you all interpret this challenge!!! Remember to try to keep it simple, quick and most importantly, HAVE FUN!!! (Oh, and a button can be real, faux, sticker, stamped — whatever, we’re easy!)

Please bear with us as we are all uploading this evening -all samples should be here and up by morning.

Check out Darlene Pavlicks sample here.

Check out Julie Koerberssample here.

Check out Dee Jacksons samplehere.

Check out Jennifer Bucks sample here.

Check out Janine Orchards sample here.

Check out Tammy Hershbergerssample here.

Check out Becky Oehlerssample here.

You can see all Gallery Submissions here.

Are those great samples or what!!!! Thank you girls!!! Much appreciated!!!

Heres myproject for todays challenge:

Kind of different colors for autumn, but I like it! I used the last piece of the One Sheet Wonder I did a month or so ago using First Fruits by Papertrey Ink and a retired SU Spectrum pad called Late November. A pretty simple and straight forward card. I used a little leaf stamp in First Fruits to stamp a background and I used SU’s Aida Cloth for the background on the Eggplant and I sponged all edges. Buttons are sewn on. They are from Wal-Mart. I recently stocked up on Wal-Mart buttons. They have little bags in tons of color schemes and they are really inexpensive. I can usually find colors to match what I need. Works for me!!!

Stamps: First Fruits by Papertrey Ink, Aida Cloth by SU

Paper: SU: Very Vanilla, Pale Plum, Elegant Eggplant

Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black, SU retired Spectrum in Late November, SU retired Marigold Morning, SU Pale Plum and Elegant Eggplant.

Accessories: May Arts Ribbon, Wal-Mart Buttons, Thread, Sponges.

Thanks so much again for stopping in! Hope you can play sometime if you are so inclined. I do have a request for prayers and cards– please check it out. Hope you all have a wonderful fall weekend!!! See you soon!

Today’s Sketch Challenge at SCS was perfect to use up another piece of the One Sheet Wonder I made a few days ago, using the leaf image from First Fruits by Papertrey Ink. I kept the sketch in tact, but added a few pieces. Here is my card:

Thankful ….. for you. I love the various words included in this set. To the sketch I added the …..for you strip, the sentiment oval and the leaf. I also added a bit of red for a change up from the previous cards done. You can see the OSW here, and more cards done with it here.

Stamps: First Fruits by PTI; Cheesecloth by SU.

Paper: SU: Very Vanilla, Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive, More Mustard. Prism: Blush Red Dark.

Ink: SU: Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive, retired Spectrum Late November. Versa Fine Onyx Black.

Accessories: Petite Oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders, Piercer and Mat Pack, Vintage Brads by SU, Leaf from Michaels, Sponges.

I’ve had so much fun with this old Spectrum pad that I just orderd 2 more that I hope to use on holiday cards — can’t wait for them to come! Also, I had a little shopping spree at Jacksonbelle Embellishments. I was lucky enough to be the 3rd place winner in the Inka Contest Lindsey was running last month. Huge Congrats to the 1st and 2nd place winners — Heather Lee Reppen and Cindy Haffner. You can see all 3 cards here. Thank you so much, Lindsey!!! And guess what, Lindsey is giving away BLOG CANDY right now, so check it out here. And what did I order from Jacksonbelle Embellishments? A couple packs of Christmas papers, a Basic Grey Christmas stamp set and some Christmas chipboard — can’t WAIT to get it!!!

Thank you all so much for stopping in. My company is now gone, but I managed to get a really bad cold in the process, so I guess there isn’t much I CAN do, except REST at my STAMP TABLE — LOL!!! Truly, that is just what I plan to do!!! Again, many thanks for stopping in!!!

It’s a busy weekend with a niece’s wedding, so I thought I’d prepare this post of oldies but goodies — well, not so sure they’re all good, but they are all old– LOL!!! Andthey bring back memories for me. These were all made in the fall of 2006 with SU stamps. I was trying out different coloring techniques, none of which succeeded or stuck — LOL!!! These days I am loving my Copics and trying to make an honest effort with them, unlike my earlier attempts as you’ll see below! And I will say, I LOVED Marigold Morning then and I STILL love it today, just wish I had some of that paper. It’s too bad that when a really great color appears in the In Colors that it is just automatically retired at years end– such a bummer — oh well, here’s my oldies:

This is probably the all time favorite autumn card I have ever made. Don’t know why I like it so much, I just do!!!

This is the first ATC I ever made. It was for a swap that Jen del Muro was running. I was pleased with it. Actually, I’ve only made one since. It is more romantic/vintage and is in the Dirty Dozen Gallery at SCS.

I made this for my DH’s 50th birthday. It was my one and only attempt with Prismacolor Pencils and Gamsol. We didn’t seem to get along so well and I never tried again — LOL!!!

Same image again. I do love these fruit stamps and will never part with them. This was a pretty dismal attempt at water coloring — another technique I avoid as much as possible– LOL!!!!

This was a birthday card for our pastor who is an avid pheasant hunter. This is one of my very rare attempts to chalk an image — and it’s no wonder why I don’t try this more often — LOL!!! But actually, I really DID like the look of this card IRL, it just didn’t photo well (sure, you’re thinking — LOL)!!!

I made this card for our neighbor boy when he got the news that a leg tumor was NOT cancerous — yes, REJOICE!!! This was an SCS challenge to try out stipple brushes. Another thing I’ve probably never done again!!!

Gee, what a walk down memory lane. And now I’ve got myself wondering — with all these thingsI’m notparticularily crazy about doing, I wonder what it is that IDOdohere every day — LOL!!! I’ll have to think about that one!!! And I also find it interesting to note that though these cards are only 2 years old, I did not use ONE piece of DP on any of them — hmmmm — how times have changed!!!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend. I should be back and have a post of a new project by Monday!!! Thanks for walking down memory lane with me — what a hoot!!!