No Time To Stamp?

I’m just checking in to make sure you all know I haven’t deserted you — even though I haven’t had as much as usual to upload in the last few weeks.  It has been super busy getting ready for the show that I am doing, along with Jan Marie, for Flourishes this weekend in Sayner, WI — the Sayner Spring  Stampede – here we come!!!

I have prepped well over 200 cards, bagged them into kits, supervised the making of Flourishes very first on-the-road display (made by my son, Ben), made display boards for cards, sewn skirting and tablecloths, etc., etc., etc.  Jan Marie arrives here tomorrow (Thursday), we take off for Wisconsin on Friday morning, set up Friday afternoon, teach a class to 48 on Friday night, and the show is all day Saturday.  Then we head back here on Saturday night.  Needless to say, I think we will be tired by then!!!  Gee, I’m tired already and we haven’t even started.  We’ll try to get some pictures to share with you next week!

So, in light of all that, I’m doing an Oldies but Goodies post tonight.  This card was done about a year ago and it uses all SU product, but it still has that bit of simple elegance and the flourishy design that I so love!  Here it is:

All details of this card can be viewed on my SCS upload back in May, 2007.   The interesting detail here is all the piercing - I LOVE to pierce, and just didn’t feel like stopping — LOL!!!

For those of you who liked the SU Pomegranate and Chocolate ribbon that came out for a while the end of last  year — are you aware that this exact ribbon is made by May Arts and is available in a number of colors from Flourishes.  You can check it out here.  I LOVE this ribbon and I use it often in many different colors!!!  Just thought you might like to know!  And I see a Champagne color that I haven’t tried yet — hmmmm, we’ll have to do something about that!!!

Thanks so much for stopping in — and the Stamp Simply Challenge is still scheduled for Friday morning, as usual.  I’ll try to get a sample made, but if not, I am so thankful for my 6 fabulous team members providing samples each week — thank you girls!!!  And I won’t give you too many hints, other than to say that this is one of the ultra simple, anyone can do it, challenges!!!!  Talk to you soon!

Today did not go as planned, so I have nothing new to post; however, since I’m on this 10 minute card kick, thought I’d share a 10 Minute Oldie.  I can honestly say that I LOVE this card - it is SO super simple — I loved it the day I made it back in December, 2006 and I still love it as much today.  And, quite honestly, I thought I had shared this card here already, but in checking I can’t find it, so I sure hope I’m not doing a repeat!!!  Here it is:

I made this for a small 6 or 8 person local swap in December 2006, and that was back when SU still had the black organdy — LOL!!!  SOOOO glad I have since found the sheer black ribbon made by May Arts (available at Flourishes) – it is so much softer than this organdy was.  Like I’ve said before, I could put my sheer black ribbon on EVERY card I make — I truly do have to try to control myself — LOL!!

Anyway, you can read more about this card on my original SCS upload.

Thanks so much for stopping in again!  I am trying to come up with more 10 minute samples — it just didn’t work out today — tomorrow’s another day!!!  Also, remember our Friday Stamp Simply Challenge — it’s another super easy one!!!

Keyword ssnotime29 - 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. 

The challenge this week is to make a color blocked background for your card. I love the look of color blocking, always so neat and organized, but I often forget about doing it.  And if you are not familiar with color blocking, what I mean is exactly what the words imply — to make blocks of color and piece them together to make a background — kind of like piecing together a quilt.

FOR THIS CHALLENGE I want you to:

• Use at least 3 different blocks for your background, and you may use as many as you wish, but at least 3 blocks.  Use as many or few colors as you like.
• You may use anything you like — plain cardstock, cardstock you have stamped on, designer paper — whatever suits your fancy.
• You may mat your blocks with borders in between, or you may butt them up against each other.  You may have free-floating blocks.
• Use your own imagination — just have fun!!!
• Remember, there is NO WRONG WAY to do this challenge.  My challenges are not about rules, they are about creating and encouraging the creative process within  each of us — we all interpret and see things differently - and that’s the beauty of it all!!!

As always, try to stick with our overall theme of *stamping simply*.   Here are some samples:

Check out Julie Koerber’s sample. 

Check out Dee Jackson’s sample.  

Check out Tammy Hershberger’s sample. 

And my super simple sample is below.

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 we 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 an ultra simple color blocked sample.  I used 3 colors to create my blocks and mounted them on a black mat — can’t get any simpler!  I then tied on a ribbon and mounted a simple image on top with mounting tape — done!!!  All the color gives this simple card a little life and zip!!! Fun technique!!!  I used my Copics again to color this image — still practicing — I was hoping for more variation in color on the poppy, and though I used 3 different color markers — I didn’t get what I was after, but it still looks OK - and that’s what I am loving  with these markers — they allow someone who has been seriously coloring challenged all her life to color a simple image with presentable results!!!  Now THAT makes me happy!!!  Still learning — and it’s so much fun!!!

If you’d like to use my measurements for your color blocks, here they are:

• Card:  5 1/2 x 4 1/4
• Black Mat:  5 1/4 x 4
• Green:  5 1/8 x 1 3/8
• Yellow:  3 x 2 3/8
• Orange:  2 x 2 3/8

Supplies used:

• Stamps:  Bloomin’ Beautiful
• Paper:  Black, White, Green Galore, Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie
• Ink:  Brilliance Graphite Black, Copics to Color from Ellen Hutson
• Accessories:  Black Dotted Sheer Ribbon from Flourishes, Rectangle Nestabilities by Spellbinders available at Flourishes,  Mounting Tape

Copic colors used:

• Flower:  Y19, YR09, R14
• Leaves:  YG03, YG17
• Flower Center:  Black 100
• Shading:  C1, 0

A NOTE ABOUT RIBBON AT FLOURISHES:  I know many of you have been trying to find the black organdy ribbon at Flourishes and it hasn’t been there — please be assured they DO HAVE IT — they have just been super busy and didn’t get it on the site.  It should be posted on the site sometime today, so please check back!!!  They have the MOST GORGEOUS ribbons by May Arts — totally lucsious!!!  My FAVORITES!!!

Thanks much for stopping by — hope you can find some time to play this weekend, or any time at all!!!  Have a great weekend everyone!!!

A super quick post — I should be out the door!!!  I had this image colored last night, again experimenting with my new Copics, so when I saw Julia’s Ways to Use it Challenge at SCS to use rub-ons, I couldn’t resist.  I quicky did a few rub-ons, also used Roxie’s Sketch from SCS on Wednesday, and here we have it:

Used SU retired sets, Sun Ripened II and Happy Harmony — just trying to color different type of images with my Copics.  Paper is White, Elegant Eggplant and Pale Plum.  This is a small, 4.25″ square card.   Got to run!!! Thanks for looking!

We have a fun Stamp Simply Challenge lined up for tomorrow — anyone who owns cardstock can play!!!

Editing to Add Copic Colors and Chit Chat:

• Grapes:  V01, V15, V09, RV34
• Leaves:  YG03, YG17, YG63
• Branches:  E31, E09, E27, 100 (Black)
• Shadowing: C1-0 (Colorless Blender)

Several have asked for the colors, so here they are.  And I don’t mean, by any stretch of the imagination, to indicate that these color combos are perfect or work the best for the given image — I’m still trying to figure that all out.  I am just telling you what I used.  For instance, I meant to use 3 purple shades on my grapes.  When I was done, they just looked so *bland*, so then I added the RV (red/violet) shade, and it perked them up.  Someone with an art background can probably just look at the markers in the case and pull out what works well together, but I can’t — it’s a matter of trial and error at this point.  See below for some links to color combination charts.

Also on my stem, I couldn’t get that to look very good, so I just added some lines with the black marker and it helped a lot.  And there was a problem I had doing the thin vines  — there were areas there meant to be colored, very small areas — well, when I tried with one of the brown markers, I made a mess — the marker tip was too wide — way too wide!!!  So, I removed the color the best I could with my colorless blender (0), then I just filled in the vines with the very finest tip of my SU Journaler (black).  I’m sure there is a better way to do this, I just haven’t figured it out!!!  Also, I realize I do have a very heavy hand with my markers — I must learn to be lighter to the touch — but, it’s all fun, and so many little mistakes are *fixable*, and that’s a GOOD THING!!!

Once I’m talking, someone asked if I felt Copics were  a good choice for a novice – well, I’ve been around for a bit in terms of card making, but let me tell you, there is no one more novice than ME when it comes to coloring.  For all the years I’ve been stamping, I have colored very little, and what coloring I have done has been with a variety of mediums, never really finding anything that I clicked with.  I have kind of avoided coloring like the plague — LOL!!!  And I can honestly say, I am TOTALLY LOVING IT NOW!!!

I know there are some good color combination charts out there — I’m off to find some now — I’ll be back to provide links.  OK, here’s a couple:

Debbie Olson has her favorite combos listed on her sidebar, just scroll down a bit.

Sharon Harnist has a nice sampling of her favorites with visuals.

Hope these help and, once again, thanks for stopping in!!!

OK, I did it!!!  I colored an image with Copics all by myself  (well, kind of!!!) and I think it turned out OK — I must learn to not scrutinize each little petal and just look at the finished product as a whole — I have a lot to learn and a long way to go, but at least I’m on my way!!!   Again, my coloring, blending and shadowing is far from perfect, but, as a whole, I think it’s OK, so here it is:

When I say I did it all by myself, well — that is somewhat of an inaccurate statement.  Debbie Olson guided me, each step of the way.  She had another great tutorial on coloring with Copics on her Blog the other day, so I printed it out and followed her instructions as best I could.  I chose this image from SU’s Bloomin’ Beautiful because it was as close as I had to the image Debbie used.  I even tried to use the same colors she did, but she has a lot more of the markers than I do, so I had to make substitutions, but I’m pleased with how the colors came.  I do think I need to concentrate next time on blending them together a bit better.  Here’s the colors I used:

• Flowers:  R20, RV11, RV34
• Leaves:  G40, YG03, YG63
• Pot:  YR21, YR24, YR14
• Shadow:  C1, 0

I got my Copics from Ellen Hutson.  There are so many sets offered, it’s a bit mind-boggling when you don’t know what you need or want!  It took me a bit to figure out that set 12A and set 12B combined are the same as set 24A.  Likewise, set 12C and 12D combined are the same as set 24B.  I actually had to print out the charts and compare and mark off the colors to figure that out — LOL!!!!  Once I figured that out, it narrowed it down for me a bit.  I’m just offering that info in case someone out there is searching and might be as totally confused as I was!

OK, now back to the rest of my card — it’s a simple one.  After coloring my image I cut and embossed it with a rectangle Nestability by Spellbinders, then cut the scallop to frame with the Scallop Nesabilities as well.  The black organdy ribbon I used is something I just ordered from Flourishes.  I LOVE black organdy and have finally used up my stash of SU retired organdy and what rolls I had purchased locally.  I can not believe the difference in this organdy — it is so soft and fine — it works up so easily and doesn’t have a mind of it’s own like my others did – just love it!!!  It’s made by May Arts.  I’m so glad I ordered several colors!!!  Can’t wait to use the chocolate!!!  Oh, I also used a new  pen, Inkssentials Opaque White Pen, to dot the centers of my flowers — adding those white dots to the centers makes an amazing difference in the overall appearance — it just makes the entire arrangement POP!!!  These pens are a new item just in at Flourishes as well — they are GREAT.  The ink flowed so easily and generously!!!

• Stamps:  Bloomin’ Beautiful and Sinere Salutations
• Paper:  Pretty in Pink, Black, White, Pretty in Pink Prints DP
• Ink:  Brilliance Graphite Black
• Accessories:  Large Oval Punch, Organdy, Nestabilities, Inkssentials White Opaque Pen, Mini Glue Dot, Dimensionals, Mounting Tape

I guess that’s it for tonight!!! Thank you, Debbie, for that great tutorial!!!  Hope you are all having a great week!!!  I plan to be doing more Copic colored images for a while here to practice until I feel more comfortable — so please bear with me as I learn!!!  Thanks much for stopping in!!!

This will be an Oldies but Goodies post today — which I did not plan on doing, but I have a little story to tell which involves this card, so here we go –

We all love surprises now, don’t we?  Well, I got an email from a good SCS friend yesterday, congratulating me on my card on the first page of the current issue of CardMaker (May 2008).  Well, that was certainly a surprise as I didn’t think I had submitted any cards to that magazine.  So, the investigation begins — LOL!!!  I still haven’t seen the magazine, only a scan of it, but yes, my card is definitely there, page 1 on the inside cover, as big as life, the only card on the page.  Come to find out it is an ad for Prism Paper — gee, I felt totally honored!!!  And they staged it all so nice — a great photo!!!  That was a card I made about a year ago using all Prismatics Papers and SU’s Doodle This set.  Prism actually had my card as I sent it to them, thanking them for their gorgeous line of paper.  Little did I know it would surface a year later in a magazine ad!  I am honored that they liked it enough to use it!!!   THANK YOU PRISM!!!   And the moral of this story — once you mail out a card, you NEVER know where it’s going to end up — LOL!!!! 

Here’s my SCS upload of that card — which surely looks like a sorry photo compared to the one Prism took, but here it is:

All the details on this card can be seen on my SCS upload.

And just a brief word about the Prism paper — the paper I have is 12 x 12 Prismatics.  It is smooth on one side and textured on the other — look closely at my photo above and you can see the texture (both in the card and in the paper used as a backdrop).  I LOVE that texture — I’ve used it often and especially love it when doing 3-D items like purses, totes, bags, etc.  I has such a nice leathery appearance when used in that fashion, especially with a little bit of sponging — it looks so leather-like — love it!!!  I also really love their line of colors — especially the soft pastel shades they have — they are just so soft and luscious.  I can ALWAYS find just the right shade in my Prismatics drawer.  I also love the rich, deep browns they have — just some of my favorites — but they have just a ton of colors, so there is something to please everyone!!!   Here’s the link to Prism Papers if you’d like to check them out yourself.   Now I believe their site is a wholesale site and you may have to do a Google Search to find a retailer for the Prism Papers.

That’s it for now — I’m still struggling to keep my head above water in my stamp room cleaning project.  The new counter/cabinet is installed, I got the painting done that I needed to — now just to deal with the mess — slow and steady, wins the race — or so they say — LOL!!! Thanks much for stopping in!!! Hope you all have a great week!!!

This is a masculine sympathy card.  I incorporated it into Julia’s Challenge at SCS today to either make or incorporate a tag into your project.  The main sentiment circle is a tag.  A combination of 3 SU sets were used, all retired.  Here it is:

This card is 8.5 x 4″ and fits in a business sized envelope.  The base is Barely Banana, the image is watercolored with refills and an Aquapainter  The sentiment tag is Pop Dotted up.  There is a twine run through eyelets on the decorative dividing bar.  I wanted to make a sympathy card that was not dark and drab but that had some brightness/life to it.  And I always like this sentiment from All I Have Seen for sympathy cards.

• Stamps:  Calms Seas, All I Have Seen, Peace and Comfort (inside), all retired.  With Sympathy by Stampendous.
• Paper:  Barely Banana, Black, Watercolor.
• Ink:  Versa Fine Onyx Black, vavious reinkers to watercolor.
• Accessories:  Aquapainter, Eyelets, Cropadile, 2″ Circle Punch, Twine, Red Sticky Tape, Pop Dots.

Thanks much for looking!!!  My Stamp Simply Challenge will be up in the morning — hope you can play!!!

OK, this is the LAST of the cherries, I promise!!! This project just got away from me and took on a life of it’s own, but I’m done now — out of cherry paper — LOL!!!

This never started as a gift set, but just kind of evolved as I couldn’t quit playing with the cherry paper (Summer Picnic by SU). The stamp used is from Tart and Tangy by SU.

The card, which has a pocket inside to hold a recipe, was made about a month ago for a swap and details, with template, can be seen here.

The recipe box was uploaded a few days ago and can be seen, with template, here.

The gift bag is an 8 x 10 handled bag from Wal-Mart, just decorated to match the above.

The jar is cookie mix decorated with my last few inches of red ribbon and the last of my cherry DP.  Typically when I do a jar, I like to wrap the paper entirely around the jar.  Well, even though my paper was 12″, it wouldn’t quite make it around this jar — bummer — short by about 1/4″.  So it doesn’t wrap all the way around — I just made it to go around 1/2 the jar and taped it on well with my ever so trusty Carpet Tape, seen here.

That’s it for now — no more cherries!!!!  I hope to do and upload another project later today.  Thank you so much for stopping in!

This is unreal!!!  If you signed up for the Scor-Pal I have posted as Blog Candy — well, your chance to win just doubled!!!!  Diana Crick, inventor of the Scor-Pal, has decided to throw a ”Deluxe Scor-Pal Package”  into the ring since interest seems to be so high.  The “Deluxe Scor-Pal Package” consists of one Scor-Pal, a Scor-Tote, extra Scor-Tool and a roll of 1/4″ Scor-Tape.  How cool is that!!!

So on Monday night, March 17, at midnight Eastern time,   I will be having the random number generator select 2 numbers.  The first number to pop up will receive the Scor-Pal I originally listed (the original Blog Candy), and the second number selected will receive the “Deluxe Scor-Pal Package” that Diana has just donated.  So, in this case, the 2nd prize is actually the larger prize — but that’s OK — it’s still a win/win situation for 2 people!!!

VERY IMPORTANT:  All sign ups for both Blog Candies are still at my original post HERE.  Only 1 entry per person.  If you signed up before, you now have a chance to win either prize — do not sign up again.  One entry per person.  If you have not signed up and you’d like to, click HERE and sign up at the original post.

COMMENTS ON THIS POST ARE NOT IN THE BLOG CANDY DRAWING!!!

OK, now that the excitement is over, I’d like to share a fun little project with you I did this evening, using the Scor-Pal.    This is a little gift — it’s a recipe box with 12 index cards inside on which recipes can be written, using the new SU set called Tart and Tangy and their new Summer Picnic Designer Paper.  Fun!!!  Here it is:

Isn’t it cute — love this paper!  This is a simple box base, no top. It is made to easily house standard 4 x 6 recipe cards.  The Real Red box is covered with the Summer Picnic DP and decorated with a ribbon and tag made from Tart and Tangy. The *Recipes* label was computer generated.  The recipe cards are fun and so quick!  I corner rounded the tops on a standard 4 x  6 index card.  I then cut strips of coordinating DP 1 1/4″ x 6″ each, corner rounded the top two corners on each and adhered them to the index card.  I then added a Round Tab punched tab on top and I was done.  Oh, those tabs were stapled on — quick and easy!!!

• Cut  your cardstock 10 1/4 x 7 1/2 inches. 
• With the short side up against the ruler edge on top, move the left edge of the paper out to the 1/4″ mark on the ruler, then score at 3 and 5.
• Turn your paper so the long end is up against the ruler edge on top, and score at 2.
• Slide the paper to the right so the right edge is up against the rail at 12, and score at 10.
• Cut on the score lines as shown in the photo, trimming a bit away on the center tab to allow the box to fold easily.

Such a quick project!!! I’m sure you’d have fun with it!!  Here is the supply list:

• Stamps:  Tart and Tangy
• Paper:  Real Red, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Summer Picnic Designer Paper
• Ink:  None, but markers in Real Red and Old Olive.
• Accessories:  Ribbon, Corner Rounder, Round Tab Punch, 1 1/4″ and 1 3/8″ Round Punches, Cropadile, Eyelet, Crafter’s Tool Kit, Staples, Computer Generated Sentiment

Remember, a comment here DOES NOT sign you up for blog candy, you must go to the orignal post HERE

Thanks so much for stopping in!!!  Hope you all have a great weekend!!!

Before I start, I have a Blog Candy post just below this one and sign ups are running until midnight on Monday — so please sign up if you haven’t — it’s a great prize!!! 

Keyword ssnotime26 - 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. 

The challenge this week is to pierce your paper.  That’s it, no other rules.  Any kind of piercing goes — simple lines, pierced scallops, fancy piercing with templates, anything at all  — just poke some holes in your paper and have fun!!!  You could even pierce with your sewing machine!!!  Personally, I love to pierce — it’s so much fun and adds such interest.  If you don’t have a piercer, try a T-pin, or even a larger safety pin — it’s fun!!!  Try to remember our overall theme, and keep it simple!!!

Julie Koerber’s sample is on her blog here and it includes a fabulous tutorial. Be sure to check it out!

And I’m so thrilled Dee Jackson is joining us in making samples as well, known over at SCS as stampincuziluv2.  She does gorgeous work!!!   Thanks so much, Dee!!! So happy to have you joining us!!!  Dee’s sample is on her blog here and  you won’t believe the design she pierced without a template — very creative!!!  Check it out!!!

And my super simple sample is below.

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.

Really, really simple was all I had in me tonight, so I pulled out a pretty new image from SU, quickly colored it with ink refills and a blender pen.  The DP is retired SU, not sure of the name — maybe Holiday Harmony???  The ribbon is retired SU as well.  The set, Bloomin’ Beautiful, is in the current Occasions Mini — gorgeous set!!!  Using my mat pack, I did some super simple piercing around the perimeter of the framed image.  So simple to do, and it adds so much interest.

• Stamps:  Bloomin’ Beautiful, Itty Bitty Backgrounds
• Paper:  Blush Blossom, Purely Pomegranate Textured, Watercolor, retired SU DP
• Ink:  Black Stazon, reinkiners to color
• Accessories:  Ribbon, Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, 1 1/4 and 1 3/8″ punches, Paper Piercer and Mat Pack, Pop Dots

This is an easy one - hope you can find some time to play this weekend!!! Have a great one and thanks so much for stopping in — pleaese remember my post just below is still acitive and it’s BLOG CANDY — have you signed up???