Saturday, February 27, 2010

Hi Little Birdie!!!

Those of you that have followed my blog for a while know a few things about me:
1) I love birds and the outdoors
2) I love Kraft paper
3) My new fave color combo is Taken w/ Teal, So Saffron, and Old Olive!

Here I was able to merge of my loves into one card!!!
One thing I really like about this card is all of the texture I was able to incorporate. From the stamped woodgrain background (which ironically is the only thing that is stamped!), to the grosgrain ribbon, to the So Saffron oval, and even the branch and leaves....

This was my first effort using that spanking new XL Bird on a Branch punch (in that fab Occassions mini !!!) It took me quite a while to warm up to the bird, but I've seen amazing things done with it. While I love birds (outside) I find myself struggling using them on cards, etc. Not so much here! This guy is a beauty!

Let me know if you have any questions! I've got major restless leg syndrom going on right now, so I really must end this post. It's a joy I experience during pregnancy! Along with the carpal tunnel, the snoring, ahhh, the pleasures of the third trimester!!! I just have to keep telling myself, only 6 weeks to go.......

Thank you spring...

Today it's almost spring-like! The sun is shining, the snow is melting, and the air is warmer. My thermometer says 48 - but I think it's more like 30. The sun is just nice and warm! I am beginning to think that Spring is really going to make it here!
I kept this one real clean and simple again....I stamped the polka dots in So Saffron on So Saffron (from Polka Dot Basics, PTI), then die cut that shape with a nestie. The floral circle image is stamped with Old Olive ink on Old Olive cardstock, using one of the images from Circle Circus. I stamped this again on a patterned piece of paper from the Welcome Neighbor pattern pack and cut out on single little flower that got adhered over the top of it's counterpart on the Old Olive circle. (Did you know you can earn this FREE with a $50 purchase or with a qualifying workshop??? It's an awesome pack of paper btw!) I added a So Saffron button from the Button Latte collection. I think it was just the jazz this card needed.
I used my horizontal punch to punch slots in the die cut piece so I could slip the Old Olive ribbon thru - satin ribbon that is (my new fave! have you noticed?) I used the same punch to make a small slit in the crease of the card for the ribbon to wind all the way around....Nifty!
To complete the card, I stamped the Thank You sentiment in Melon Mambo to match the little flower. It tied the card all together just the way I imagined....I love whent that happens.
This was a quick one to put together!

Friday, February 26, 2010

Oh Spring, where are you???

I've noticed that the sun is staying high in the sky longer into the evening, and it's coming up a little bit earlier every morning....but I really want all of this snow to go AWAY! On Tuesday I had to call my husband and tell him that he needed to bring the tractor and blade back home, otherwise he wasn't going to make it up our lane, or I wasn't going to make it out! He kind of scoffed at me, but him and his brother went and got the tractor (which was being used on one of the other farms to load corn). He said that he barely got up our hill with his pickup (at 3 in the afternoon), and was airborn going over one of the drifts! I'm sure he loved it - he's a fan of Dukes of Hazard. He got back with the tractor around 5, and said he struggled getting up the lane then. Here's the kicker - it hadn't snowed a single flake - not ONE! The wind was so bad, it was blowing around what it could and had drifted us in. The next morning, I needed to get Will to preschool, and we had to wait for the lane to get opened up - so here's what we saw:
That poof is snow coming out of the snow blower. You can barely see the tractor to the right of the poof - that's our hill. The road looks pretty clear, but I assure you - where it curves (upper left in pic) there was a good size drift I had to go around.
I know I've posted some pics of this lonely little birdhouse before - I would say the drifts behind it are about 15+ feet now. There are some bushes behind them - you just wouldn't know it anymore! And that poor little evergreen in the foreground - well, it's 4 little brothers and sisters are buried for eternity!

So the pic above - while it might look like just a hill - it's not. See that little thing in the middle? Where the bright snow meets the shadowed snow? That's a platform bird feeder that is normally about 5 feet off the ground. It sits just a few feet away from that lonely birdhouse in the previous photo. SO - the day that all of this starts to melt....I think we'll have a lot of mud to contend with....but it'll all be good! And those poor soles on the East Coast think they have it bad - at least their snow melts fairly quickly. I've lived in Connecticut before, I've experience Noreasters - this has been one continuous Noreaster since Dec. 10th! Do not complain New Englanders - you've got it easy! I am glad that the sun has been shining at least!
Well, that's it for the latest weather.....here's what you really came to see!

This little card I dreamed up - literally! at about 3:24am this morning. I think I layed awake in bed for about an hour thinking of how I was going to work this one....I ALMOST got up at 4:15 when I was still awake and just put it together. But I didn't. (I'm pretty sure my body is starting to prepare me for getting up in the night with the baby!)
I offset the inside to mimic the outside.
I just love that saying....
OH - and here's the outside in it's entirety:

You could say it's VERY clean and simple! I like the fact that it sticks with basic stamping, and I colored with SU! markers (Cameo Coral, Old Olive and Close to Cocoa). The "LOVE is die cut with Nestabilities as is the Cameo Coral scalloped oval behind it. The ribbon is the snazzy satin ribbon in Old Olive - found in the current mini catalog. I've almost used an entire roll of this stuff, I just love it so much! Then I stamped the little heart in the corner for a touch of sweetness. The one thing I love about this card - it's a love card, but it's not Valentiney (yes, that is a word - I know Mr. Webster used it all the time!).
What do you think??? I love when you leave me comments, so feel free to do so!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Hey there cupcake...

Really super quick post today - anyone notice what my new fave color is to work with?? Taken with Teal. Have no fear - Kraft is still one of my all time faves, but I'm needing some brightness in my life!
I CASED this card from the Stampin' Success mag that demonstrators get, except, I did change it up quite a bit. Their sample wasn't a card, and the pattern was on top, and no scallop trim punching....so I mixed it up, and I like to do that when I CASE something. I want it to be my own still.
I did watercolor the wrapper of the cupcake - stamped on watercolor paper and used Stazon. And I actually broke out my aqua painters for this cutie. I'm not real skilled with the aqua painters, and need a lot of practice.

Aren't those little beads adorable?


Inside says: Hope your day is the sweetest ever! Happy Birthday!
Alright - must go!




Sunday, February 21, 2010

Hey Chickie....

Here's my little jump start on Easter! I saw the Fall-to Layout #79 on the Clean & Simple Stamping Blog, and instantly knew this little chickie needed to be center stage for this card! I love this layout - right up my alley!!!!
I did a little paper piecing for the egg, it's a wonderful way to use up some of those scrap pieces that I've got; all of which I used here are scraps from the Sweet Pea Collection. Have I mentioned what a great bargain that paper pad is? It's like getting 4 packs of DSP for slightly above the price of two. And the paper is so stinkin' cute, you just can't go wrong. Seriously people - you need this paper in your stash!
There's that little chickie - isn't she so cute??? Yes, this one is a she - hello - pink egg!!

And this chickie is clearly a boy!!!!
I made up several of these cards (selling on my Etsy shop!). They are not only clean and simple, they are quick and easy! Run the card front thru the Big Shot using the polka dot impressions folder, stamp the little chickie, color him/her in. I used watercolor crayons (of course!), stamp again on patterned paper and cut out the egg portion, adhere that to your colored little chick, and assemble the rest.....simple as that! AND - it's nice and springy.........
That's all folks!
Jen

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Making of a card...

Alrighty peeps - grab a cup of coffee, tea, or a soda....or heck, a glass of wine if you so choose!!! THis is a long post today, as I'm going to take you thru the making of a card! Pretty much step by step....
First off - I'm using some Whisper White Craft ink and the daisies from the Upsy Daisy stamp set. I'm needing quite a bit of spring in my life - it snowed all day today (AGAIN) and we're suppose to have even more Sunday and Monday. It's all a big joke anymore - I think we've surpassed 50 inches for the season! So - all you'll see from me from here on out are springy cards!!!
This stamp I ink up upside down. I think I get better coverage this way.

I stamped several pieces of Kraft paper at a time. It's much simpler to make several cards at a time than one at a time.

I'm using designer paper from the Sweet Pea Pattern Pack - here is the So Saffron polka dot, and I'm distressing the edges with So Saffron ink.

I drug my ink pad over the edges quite a bit so that the white wasn't so white.

Then, because I'm quite anal and picky - I use my grid paper to line up my paper when I adhere them together. I'm a firm believer that the grid paper is a true nessecity - and a bargain too. I use my grid paper until it's really dirtied up before I pitch it! My four year old uses it when he's glueing so he doesn't get glue all over my table. Makes a great coloring paper for him too!

See how easy it can be to line up your paper. Each piece of the paper used on this project was cut 1/2 inch smaller than the one it's layered on - making it quite easy to line up. Just go in 1/4" and up 1/4".

Then layer those onto your card front - So Saffron here.

I'm going to use the Vintage Labels set from the Sale-A-Bration catalog - one of those great sets that you can earn FREE!!! Just contact me and I'll hook you up! This is a great set - lots of charm.
I'm going to use the image that coordinates with the Curly Label punch. Again - grid paper. good. I line up the image with the paper - well, because I'm, you know, anal....I wouldn't necessarily need to line this one up since I'll be punching it out.
Then I press my clear block on top really good.
Here you can see that the edges of the stamp has clung to the block, however, the middle of the stamp hasn't clung. If I were to ink this up, I'd get ink on that spot that wasn't "suctioned" to the block, and I'd end up with ink on my project where I didn't want it.
So, be sure to squish that spot onto the block, and get it to cling - here you can see much better that it's good and stuck.
I stamp those in Taken w/ Teal on pieces of scrap paper. ( A great way to use up all of those scrappy pieces!)

Then I picked the Happy Birthday sentiment from the same set - and line it up on that wonderful grid paper! This is more crucial, since I'll be stamping that inside the frame.
This time I'm going to test stamp it back onto my grid paper. You can't always get that image sticker to line up perfectly with the stamp - so I want to test it before I stamp it on my project in case it's off a bit.
I stamped it onto my grid paper, and sure enough, it's off just a bit - see it???
I simply compensate by twisting my block just a bit helter skelter - like so:
And viola! It's near perfect! I know just the angle to turn it so that it's not crooked on my project.
So, I finish stamping all of my frames and punch them out.
Next, I cut lengths of ribbon that are about 4 1/2" long - long enough to peak out of both sides of my frame.
I took one end and snailed it to make a loop.
Then I grabbed my linen thread - which I LOVE! and the little teal buttons out of the Playground Button collection.
Threading the button from the back, I leave a large loop.
Take the loop around the back of the loop of the ribbon on pull tight on the thread.

Tie that in a knot, getting the ribbon to gather up a bit. At this point, don't worry too much about how your gather looks, you can fluff it up in a second.
Tie a bow in the thread and fussy up your ribbon. FYI - I think this is the only way I can tie an actual bow! With little thread - or shoe laces!
There - now I'm pretty well set to assemble the rest of my card.

Here's a detail shot for you to see!


And the final gem!

I really like this color combo - plus it's really a simple card. I'm glad I added that touch of Old Olive ribbon - it really adds some pizzaz!
Want this card - find it on my Etsy shop!

Friday, February 19, 2010

Back 2 normal????

...whatever that means!!! I don't know that normal exists on top of our hill here in Iowa~~~~ but, I DID finally have some stamping/creating time yesterday! It was a struggle this week as both boys didn't seem to want to nap this week at all.....and that is MY crafting time!!! I just need that release every day, and without it, I feel restless. So, when I got the chance to finally sit at my table, I almost didn't know what to do with myself.

Here was one project I did:
I love all of the great paper flowers I'm seeing every where. And since we were snowed in (once again) on Monday, and part of Tuesday - I was really in the mood for some flowers! These little cuties fit the bill too because they are nice and bright and cheerful! Rose Red, Old Olive and So Saffron - one of my fave color combos!
Some of those flowers I "sueded" - a technique we'll be learning in my Stamp Clubs next month! You can see it best in that Old Olive flower on the lower right.

The completed card is clean and simple - yet bright and perky! What do you think of it?? Want one of your own - they are on my Etsy shop!! Click the link on the right!
Be prepared - tomorrow's post is long -might as well grab a cup of coffee, tea or soda - whatever perks you up in the morning!!!
Jen