I started by stamping the giraffe from the It’s the Thought Level 1 Hostess set on Whisper White card stock using black StazOn. I then colored it with Watercolor Wonder crayons.

To protect the image during all the emboss resisting I had planned,  I created a mask from scrap paper and an Oval Punch. The mask covers all of the card except the area around the giraffe. I then smooshed Versamark over the oval area, applied clear embossing powder and heated it up.

My next step was to apply VersaMark to the Woodgrain stamp,  stamp it on the card, and emboss using clear embossing powder. Before I did this, I should have created another mask using the Scallop Oval Punch, to protect the area around my white oval from the woodgrainy-ness, but I didn’t (see the wood grain in the yellow scallop oval? Ooops.) So…be sure to mask that area too.

I then applied Daffodil Delight ink all over the card using a Stamping Sponge. That left me with a yellow card with a white woodgrain pattern. I then created another mask, this time using the Scallop Oval punch and placed it so it surrounded the white oval. I clear embossed that area, and stamped and embossed the Woodgrain stamp a second time on the card.

After wiping the sweat off my brow from all of that heat embossing, I rubbed Pacific Point ink over the whole card. That created a greenish/blue card with areas of white and yellow wood grain. I then grabbed a paper towel and rubbed the card so that the ink came off of the embossed areas, brightening everything up.

Finally, I stamped the sentiment that goes with the giraffe on Ivory Naturals paper, cut it into a small rectangle and mounted it with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

I really love how this card came out and now I want to make a whole set of them using that same stamp set.

Recipe

• Stamps: It’s the Thought
• Ink/Coloring: Black StazOn, Versamark, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point, Watercolor Wonder Crayons
• Paper: Whisper White, Ivory Naturals
• Tools: 1-3/4″ x 7/8″ Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Blender Pens, Heat Tool, Stamping Sponges

Other than the solid card stock, gold brads, ribbon pretty much everything on this page is now retired product. The letters were cut using the Timeless Type and Billboard Dies. I jazzed up the paper pieced ornaments at the top using Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint (which is hard to see in this photo). I ruffled the ribbon by sewing a running stitch through it and then pushing the ribbon into ruffles. You can also do this by putting sticky strip down and ruffling it as you glue it down.

Recipe:

• Paper: Merry Moments DSP (retired), Brushed Gold, Old Olive, Real Red
• Embellishments: Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Playground Buttons (retired), Gold Brads, Masterpiece Ribbon Originals (retired), 5/8″ Old Olive Satin Ribbon
• Tools: Craft and Ribbon Sissors, Billboard Die, Timeless Type Die, Sponge Dauber, Paper Piercer

I purchased a wristlet pattern that looked pretty straightforward and then adapted it so that I could use the Scallop Envelope die for a front pocket and make the strap from SU! ribbon.

I used MDS to create a pattern that I then printed on my printer using printable fabric. I used Printed Treasures and was extremely happy with how the fabric turned out. It prints on 8 1/2 x 11″ sheets and the image quality is sharp and the colors true. I would definitely use this brand again.

The strap is made from ribbon from the Ribbon Originals Elementary collection (now retired). The pocket in the front was cut using the Scallop Envelop die. I used buttons from Fresh Favorites I (also retired) on the strap and the pocket.

For the zipper pull, made beads from Tea Party and Old Olive Patterns DSP by cutting a long thin triangle, applying Tombow Multi, and wrapping it around a toothpick. I then strung them on some jewelry wire and attached a Simply Adorned 6/8″ Square Charm. I then added a bit of the So Saffron ribbon from the Ribbon Originals Elementary collection.

This project was my first attempt at sewing anything on a sewing machine. That is not a skill that my mom passed down to me (instead I got lots of cooking lessons). I was really intimidated by it, but once I figured everything out I really had fun. As you will soon see I got sewing machine happy on one of my cards and scrapbook pages!

Last month I participated in a New Catalog swap that a fellow demonstrator organized for the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog. The swap I made uses a new Level 2 Hostess Set, Longfellows. It is the cutest collection of animals and phrases.

I loved this turtle and his shell reminded me of 70′s decor so I decided to use that as the inspiration for the color scheme:  Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight, Rich Razzleberry, Tangerine Tango, Old Olive and Crumb Cake. I hand cut out each of the spots for the shell (wow that was tedious, but looks great!) as well as the bits of paper for the background. All are glued on using Tombow Multi.

Continuing with my obsession with distressing things, I stamped the sentiment on crumb cake, tore the edges, wrinkled it up on my hand and inked it with Crumb Cake ink.

To focus attention on the turtle, I used an Old Olive 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon underneath, and dressed it up with a button I made using the Buttons #5 sizzlet and an Old Olive brad.

The bottom of the paper I punched with the Scallop Trim Border Punch and backed it with Daffodil Delight paper.

Recipe:

• Stamps: Longfellows (Level 2 Hostess set – contact me to find out how to earn this for free!)
• Paper: Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Tangerine Tango, Crumb Cake
• Ink: Basic Black, Crumb Cake
• Accesories/Tools: 1/4″ Old Olive Grosgrain ribbon, Brights Brads, Buttons #5 Sizzlit, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Stamping Sponges

I knew that I wanted to use Herbed Expressions for one of my entries, but was struggling for the right idea. Then one day in the powder room it hit me – to recreate the wall paper as a card.

I knew it would have a very natural, earthy feel to it, so I used Naturals Ivory paper. I stamped each image twice and colored using Watercolor Wonder Crayons. I then distressed each piece using Creamy Caramel Classic Ink so that they’d look like aged pieces of paper. I then glued them to the card base, and trimmed the overhanging edges off.

I popped up the sentiment with Stampin’ Dimensionals and put some brads in each corner (the photo makes the brads stand out much more than do in person).

The sentiment wasn’t standing out all that well, so I brought focus to it by wrapping linen thread around the card in a fan-like manner. The thread helps to draw the eye away from the rest of the card and down to the sentiment.

I just adore this card. Boy I miss it. I’m going to have to make a bunch for myself at some point this summer.

Recipe

• Stamps: Herb Expressions
• Paper: Naturals Ivory
• Ink/Coloring: StazOn, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Creamy Caramel Classic Ink (retired)
• Accessories: Earth Elements Brads (retired), Linen Thread
• Tools: Stamping Sponges, Paper Piercer, AquaPainters

Sarah’s post about art being a sanctuary really hit home for me, because I’ve been on a creative tear all month. I’ve posted a lot on this blog…and that is only the tip of the iceburg of projects I’ve got going now. What I realized after reading Sarah’s post is the extent to which I’ve been using stamping as a stress reliever.

My full-time job has been very hectic and stressful. I work in the solar industry – business is booming and we are doing at least 2-3x the amount of business as previous years. Fantastic right? Well, yeah, but we are doing it with the same number of people, and I’m feeling a bit worse for wear.

What has saved me is going home, pulling out some stamps and paper and playing around. Or getting some wood, fabric, and a staple gun and creating a cool side table for the living room. Or putting together a new storage unit for my burgeoning stamp collection. All of these have kept me from getting stuck in my own head and stewing about the stresses of work.

One of the things Sarah talks about is appreciating yourself. Here are my self-appreciations for this month:

1. I appreciate that I was able to keep a calm head at work by focusing on crafting at home.
2. I appreciate that crafting on a daily basis has made me more creative in all aspects of my life
3. I appreciate that I found the time to finish and submit a fab project for one of the monthly SU! Demo art contests.
4. I appreciate how being an SU! Demo has allowed me to stay close to two of my good friends from college who live far away (my uplines Jess and Amy).
5. I appreciate how crafting connected me to an online community that is vibrant and supportive.

Wishing you lots of creative mojo!

One of my favorite things to make during the summer is Gazpacho, so I thought that a recipe scrapbook page would be a great way to capture my CSA experience.

This page is made mostly from paper and embellishments from the soon to be retired Write Stuff Specialty paper. The letters on the left are cut using the Billboard die, and the letters for the title are cut using the Timeless Type dies. The “g” in gazpacho is from On Board Lots of Letters and was covered in Really Rust textured cardstock.

The ribbon is Crushed Curry 5/8″ Polka Dot Grosgrain, shaped into ripples. I played around with a couple different ways of shaping the ribbon – I sewed it into pleats, put a running stitch through and squished it, and finally settled on using Sticky Strip to glue it into small ripples.

Same bling as last time…shimmery linen thread, shimmery ducks on the onesie, shimmery label with rhinestones on it.

I made a few additions…the hanger is now all wire, I added a ribbon to step it up a bit more, and I dressed up the inside of the card as well. Here are a side view that shows the dimension to the card and an inside view that shows the sentiment:

Recipe

• Stamps: Baby Tees Jumbo Wheel, Short and Sweet, Occasional Quotes
• Ink: Basic Black
• Paper: Naturals Ivory, Pear Pizzaz, Peach Parfait, So Saffron
• Accessories: Fire Circle Brads, Linen Thread, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, jewelry wire
• Tools: Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Scallop Trim Corner Punch, Matchbox Die

The inspiration for the background came while I was at a panel discussion for my full time job. The hotel room where the event was being held had a brocade-like print wallpaper that had light vertical stripes on it. I quickly jotted down the idea and tried it out that night. I first tried it with white and vanilla craft inks, but the look wasn’t quite right. So then I tried the Champagne Mist shimmer paint and it was perfect!

To make the stripes look nice, I used my Hobby Blade to cut a rectangle into a beat-up presentation cover I “rescued” from work. I then positioned it over the cardstock and applied the paint using a sponge dauber.

The landscape was painted on Watercolor paper using Watercolor Wonder Crayons and the Eiffel tower was stamped on Brushed Silver card stock with StazOn.

The window frame was made from Kraft (now Crumb Cake) cardstock that I stamped with the Woodgrain stamp and then colored using Creamy Caramel Classic Ink applied with a Stamping Sponge. I then cut it off and then attached using dimensionals.

The frame with the sentiment is from the Hodgepodge Hardware in Styled Vanilla. For the insert, I stamped the flourish stamp in Chic Boutique in Versamark and then gold embossed. I then stamped the sentiment in Old Olive.

The frame is attached with Old Olive 5/8″ Satin Ribbon that is tied with some Linen Thread that has had Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint applied to it.

Recipe:

• Stamps: Chic Boutique, Woodgrain
• Ink/Coloring: Black Stazon, Old Olive, Versamark, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Chocolate Chip Classic Ink, Creamy Caramel Classic Ink
• Paper: Storybook Specialty, Watercolor Paper, Very Vanilla, Kraft (now Crumb Cake), Brushed Silver
• Accessories: Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware, Linen Thread, Gold Embossing Powder, 5/8″ Old Olive Satin Ribbon

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