Want your Riley now?

Kristi from Hanna Stamps has released the Riley images early due to many requests, so head on over and pick up your Riley stamps tonight! There is a limited amount of the plane Riley available in the first run, so if he is on your wish list, now is the time to pick him up. All Riley images are available in red rubber mounted or unmounted options. Look for the Stamps and Unmounted Red Rubber options on the side bar of the Hanna website.

If you need a reminder of these cute Moose, check out my blog posting here:
The Moose Are Loose

She's also releasing the Hanna cleaning set early, so check out Domestic Goddess while you're there.

Happy Hanna Shopping!
V.~

Always

If you're coming to Stamp Nite Friday, this is another project for the evening. I try and incorporate a technique, a new product, and a template each month, some months are better than others, this month I accomplished that goal. Technique: embossing, Product: Felt Flowers, Template: Criss Cross Box.

This card incorporates clear embossing powder over craft ink on colored card stock. Not a huge technique by any means but a great application in so many ways. The *heart* and *always* are stamped on Groovy Guava in Chocolate Chip Craft ink and immediately dunked into Clear embossing powder and heat set. This year's Groovy Guava has not been the easiest of colors for me to work with, however, I love it paired with Vanilla and Chocolate, which is the color scheme here. The rest of the card is pretty self explanatory, create a custom background paper with stamps from the Always set using Blush Blossom, Groovy Guava, and Chocolate Chip, a bit of piercing, taffeta ribbon and copper brads and this alternative color valentine is finished.

Have a Terrific Tuesday!

V.~

Supplies: Stamps: SU! Always, Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip classic and craft, Blush Blossom, Groovy Guava, Paper: Groovy Guava, Chocolate, Vanilla, Accessories: Copper brads (retired), Taffeta ribbon, Mat Pak and piercing tool, Circle punches, Dimensionals

Flower Fusion

A project highlighting the new felt flowers SU! offers is in store for Friday and Stamp Nite. Stampin' Up! has a place on the demonstrator website that they call Workshop Wizard, it's a place where ideas may be found for workshops. Rarely do I use that portion of the site, but I enjoyed a layout very similar to this one that was displayed for June. I kept the overall size and layout the same, but pumped it up, as theirs was, well, pretty simple, even more so than this one.

Anyway, participants, on a first come first served basis, will choose one of these cards to create, in addition to the other projects I am offering. I've kept the inks the same on each card so that everyone at the table may create the card at the same time and not worry about double dipping; Versamark for the background stamping on each base, black and olive for the focal point.

These felt flowers are fun and a great way to add texture to a card or project. And you get oodles of them in a wonderful tin that can be altered when you are finished with them.

Happy Monday!

V.~


Supplies: Stamps: Stemming From, A Little Birthday Cheer, Ink: Versamark, Black, Olive, Paper: Old Olive, Rose Red, Black, White, SU! Designer Paper, Accessories: Flower Fusion, Mini brads, Ticket corner punch, Black grosgrain, Distressing tool, Dimensionals

Stamping, Stampingpam Style

As many of you know, Sunday (when I have the time) means the Featured Stamper Challenge over on SCS. This week is Stampingpam, a new gallery for me. There are so many stampers over there this challenge is a way to find new galleries courtesy of Bethie. Thanks Bethie!

Sometimes the card I choose I recreate very similarly, other times it starts that way and veers off; that's what happened today, I veered a bit from the original. I couldn't get the scallop and the ribbon placement from the original to feel right to me, so I omitted them, put the greeting in the lower right, and changing the stamp set and colors. I wanted the flower from SU!'s Stemming From to be in a vase like the inspiration card so I merely cut one from the patterned paper I was using and stamped the dots on it from one of the accessory stamps from the set. I've not used the Photo Corner punch in forever, but I like how it looks here, I've added a mini brad on the inside corner as it felt a bit nekkid.

8 more cards for my stash and another piece of patterned paper used up, thanks for looking!

V.~

Supplies: Stamps: SU! Stemming From, A Little Birthday Cheer, Ink: Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Paper: Blush Blossom, Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Designer paper (forgotten pattern), Accessories: Photo Corner Punch, Mini brad, Celery grosgrain, Distressing tool, Dimensionals

Sweet and Criss Crossed~

Stamp Nite is fast approaching. I like to be prepared well ahead of time, just in case the week gets chaotic before the actual event. So while the 1st is a ways off, I had time today to think about what we might do. I thought Nichole's Criss Cross Box was a fun project, add a matching card made with some cutting scraps from the box, and you've got a neat little Valentine gift for a co-worker, child, teacher, etc.

I've randomly stamped images from the SU! set Sweet Shapes all over a piece of Pretty in Pink card stock. After stamping, score the card stock as shown in the linked directions, make your cuts and put the box together. A simple red belly band and stamped scallop embellishment complete the box. Add a cello of Valentine treats topped off with ribbon and you're almost done! Now just make a sweet 3 x 3 card using the same supplies.

So, I went to Target today to pick up a prescription and went looking for Valentine candy, there is barely anything out on the shelves, narry a box of kids valentines to be seen either. So curious me asked where they were. They aren't being put out until the 1st....WHAT? Seems to me in years past the good were out, oh I don't know, October...JK, but way before the 1st of February.
I wonder what their thinking is? I was lucky to find these Valentine kisses, although come Stamp Nite the cellos may be filled with something else should I find what I was really on the hunt for.

Now I need to think of 2 more projects.....hmmmm.

V.~

Supplies: Stamps: SU! Sweet Shapes, Fundmental Phrases, Ink: Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Real Red, Craft White, Paper: Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Real Red, Whisper White, Accessories: Scallop, Oval, and Circle punches, Red Striped Grosgrain, Cello, Silver cording (retired), Dazzling Diamonds, 2 Way Glue, Scallop blade (Fiskars trimmer), Scor-Pal, Dimensionals

Jami's January Dirty Challenge

Jami loves her challenges, creating them, playing them, she's a challenge junkie! *wink* Challenges over on SCS are a wonderful way to learn different techniques, try a new layout, limit your supplies plus so much more. Anyway, last month Jami organized a Dirty Dozen Challenge using Elzybells images. It was so much fun, a Dirty Dozen challenge is now going to occur monthly for those who want to play.

The January challenge focus was:
Challenge Focus: Girls Young and Old (your main image must be or include a girl - think Bella, Ronnie, Hanna, Elzy, Rubber Romance, etc. etc.)

Required Element: Something *SWEET* - you may interpret that any way you like.

Restricted Element: NO standard A-2 cards (4.25 x 5.5). Any other card size or type of project is ok.


So yesterday I realized today was the 20th and the deadline for posting this month's challenge cards. So after making the cupcake card (see post below) I set out to figure out what to make for the DD challenge and this is what I came up with. Layout inspiration from PaperCrafts website and an open call for the JOCM they had last month. I realize that the instructions say that a girl must be the main focus, well.....guess I missed that when the instructions were buried underneath my mess, so Hanna is not the main event, but she's thinking SWEET SWEET SWEET, does that count? LOL

Click here to see all the other fun and fabulous creations for this challenge!

V.~

Supplies: Stamps: SU! Sweet Shapes, Perfect Package © Hanna Stamps, Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia, Paper: Neenah Solar White, Bazzill light pink, SU! Regal Rose, Pebbles Inc patterned paper, Accessories: Reinkers: Creamy Caramel, Regal Rose, Blush Blossom, Watercolor brush, American Crafts brads, May Arts ribbon, Nestabilities Circle dies, Dimensionals

Happy Birthday eP!

eP otherwise known as Eclectic Paperie is about to celebrate its 1st birthday! Joy and Daisy are friends of mine and always have the *goods* and are so great at enabling! *wink* Their service and products are impeccable and always served up with a SoCal smile! Please be sure to visit their site if you haven't had the opportunity.

Anyway, to celebrate, Taylor (tayloredexpressions) is hosting an eP challenge. You can read all about it here: A Cupcake Challenge

So, I decided to play along, how could I not? Rummaging through 100's upon 100's of stamps...I have no cupcakes. Not a one. Now I did order the exclusive cupcake set, Hey There Cupcake, made for eP by Stampendous, but it won't be here by the closing time of the challenge. So I ran down to Michaels and found a clear dollar set that had this cute little cupcake in it. PERFECT and only a buck!

Stamped 6 times, 3 on white, 3 on assorted SU! cardstocks, a bit of punching and paper piecing, Stickles, brads, and May Arts ribbon and this fun eP birthday card is ready for the eP challenge.
Finished card is 3.25" x 6.5"

Happy Birthday, Joy and Daisy and eP! May you have continued success and happiness~ Love ya!

V.~

Supplies: Stamps: Michaels clear $1 stamp, A Muse sentiment, Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia, Paper: Neenah Solar White, Bazzill light pink, SU! Barely Banana, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, SU! Loves Me DP (retired), Accessories: May Arts striped grosgrain and red mini brads from StarlitStudio, SU! Bashful Blue mini eyelets, Word Window punch, Stickles, Dimensionals

The Moose Are Loose!

Well, almost anyway! Riley the Moose is a new image that will debut on the Hanna Stamps Website on February 1st. As you can see the Riley images are wood mount stamps while the Hanna line is clear and unmounted.

Last night I made this coordinated set using each of the new images. As I've talked about before, when I make a set, I have something that unifies the set. Here it is the layout. Simplicity in its paper and embellishment choices and showcasing the images are what I was shooting for last night.

All images are stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and watercolored in with reinkers and a watercolor brush. Crystal Effects are applied on each card to add a bit of depth and texture.
The papers are assorted - some SU!, some Bazzill, and Neenah Classic Crest Natural White for the base and images. Mini brads were selected to coordinate with each image, a couple of staples (I know you either love them or can't stand them!) and assorted sentiments from my shelves round out this set.

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

V.~

Supplies: Stamps: Riley © Hanna Stamps, SU!, Papertreyink, Ink: Versafine,ColorBox Fluid, Chalk, SU! Classic Ink, Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Natural White, SU!, Bazzill, Accessories: Mini Brads from StarlitStudio, Staples, MM Distressing tool, Dimensionals

Celebrate You, Featured Stamper Style

It's Sunday, not just any old Sunday...it's my youngest son's 10th birthday today. We've been celebrating one way or another since Friday night. Tonight caps off the celebration with a make your own pizza party.

In the meantime, he's building yet more Lego sets, football is on, and I squeezed in a Featured Stamper Challenge. And no, this is not his card. His card used the moose from Moose You with a party hat on his head, the little tear colored in. I so wish SU! would have left that moose tear free, he would have been so much more versatile.

Okay, back to this card. Keeping this short and sweet as I want to get back to the game...

Here is the card I used as inspiration: Garden Hat Pin
Well, I don't own any hat pins, but I enjoyed the layout so I made my version in a fun, summery color card. I used 2 of my brand spankin' new SU! sets: Stemming From and A little Birthday Cheer to create 8 simple cards, one more sheet of patterned paper down!

Colors are: Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery, and Pomegranate. Wintergreen DP. Pomegranate ribbon, Mat Pack, Distressing tool and Dimensionals make up the Accessory portion of the card.

Happy Sunday!

V.~

Elvis, TK Style~

Here's a monochromatic card using Graceland's 50th Anniversary stamp by Thomas Kinkade, and available through Cornish Heritage Farms.

Card details are:
Graceland 50th Anniversary Edition is stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Neenah Classic Crest Solar White card stock. Matted on Black Brushed Cotton by The Paper Company and edge distressed. 4 mini brads anchor each corner. Broad Stripes backgrounder by CHF has been stamped in Versamark and clear embossed onto Ice Blue Cool Metallic cardstock by The Paper Company and attached to card base. It's very subtle but provides an elegant background for the Graceland image. Sentiment is stamped in Versafine Black Onyx, clear embossed, and attached to card with dimensional foam. Striped ribbon is wrapped around card and threaded through a small punched hole before securing with a knot.

V.~
Stamps by CHF : TK - 116T Graceland 50th Anniversary, TK - 716D Always On My Mind, SL - 3147WUM Broad Stripe
Ink: Versafine ink available through CHF and many retail locations.
Paper and Accessories: Neenah card stock may be found at many online sources and storefront locations. I purchase mine at Paper Plus. Other supplies for this card may be found at Michaels Arts & Craft Stores

A wee project

I thought I'd share a link to a wee project I did some time ago and submitted to Paper Crafts magazine. This was my first submission to their magazine and boy was I surprised with an email asking me to send them the card for publication. Anywhooo, it's in the Valentine edition on sale now and is an online project. Here's the link to the online project:

http://www.papercraftsmag.com/projects/project.ihtml?content_id=1795

It's a diminutive card, a tad larger than the usual 3 x 3 that you see me do around here, measuring 3 x 3.5 inches per their recipe directions.

On another note, as many of you already know I have a profound respect for teachers and everything they do. Today my respect for Junior High or Middle School teachers, whichever you prefer to call them, rose tremendously. As many of you also know I volunteer many hours each month with an art program that our school is involved in - today, I was the docent in the 8th grade classes at our school. I was the instructor for 3 back to back classes teaching the color wheel and mixing primary, secondary, and tertiary colors to 30 plus kids per class. I generally have classes that are grades K - 5, this was my first venture into the Junior High arena. Kudos to all you brave Junior High teachers!

V.~

A Perfect Summer Day

In the middle of January! Here is another preview of today's release of brand new Thomas Kinkade stamps by Cornish Heritage Farms.

Here's the recipe for those who want the details:
A Perfect Summer Day is stamped with Versafine Olympia Green onto Kraft cardstock by The Paper Company and trimmed down to size. Image is lightly tinted in a few select areas with Prismacolor colored pencils. Image is then matted on Squareweave Chocolate by The Paper Company and the edges are distressed. Hemp is blanket stitched to upper portion of image panel. Edges of image panel are sponged with Ranger Vintage Photo ink, including the hemp stitching. Create card base with Kraft cardstock and spatter brown speckles of ink refill using an old paint brush. Edge card with Ranger Distress Antique Linen and Vintage Photo inks. Stamp sentiment in lower right corner using Vintage Photo ink. Adhere image panel to card using dimensional foam. Add 3 antique brads to left side of card and slightly tap brad tops with hammer to distress.

Have a perfect day!

V.~
Stamps by CHF: TK - 114T A Perfect Summer Day, TK - 716D Always on my Mind
Ink: Versafine Olympia Green and Ranger Distress inks available through CHF and many retail locations.
Paper and Accessories for this card may be found at Michaels Arts & Craft Stores.

Thomas Kinkade and The Open Gate

It's just about time for the newest release of Thomas Kinkade stamps coming on January 9th to Cornish Heritage Farms, so how's about a little peek at one of the cards I created using The Open Gate.

The Open Gate image is stamped in Versafine Vintage Sepia on Neenah Classic Crest Natural White, lightly edged with VersaMagic Pixie Pink Dew Drop ink and layered on Tinted Dawn Basic Cardstock by The Paper Company. The pillars of the stamped image are accented with Glossy Accent by Ranger Inks. 4 pink brads anchor the corners. Image is matted with dimensional foam on Squareweave Chocolate cardstock by The Paper Company. Stamp Geometric Flowers II backgrounder with Versamark onto a piece of Peppermint Color Connect Texture cardstock by The Paper Company and adhere to Tinted Dawn card base. Attach Offray Rose embellishments with glue dots where the 2 cardstocks meet. Stamp sentiment in lower right with Versafine Vintage Sepia.

Tomorrow I'll share another one, a rustic interpretation of A Perfect Summer Day, lightly colored, too!

V.~

Supplies: Stamps by CHF: TK - 115T The Open Gate, TK - 715D Follow Your Bliss, CHF - Geometric Flowers II Backgrounder SL - 3149WUM
Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia and Versamark , VersaMagic Dew Drop Pixie Dust
Paper and Accessories: Neenah Classic Crest Natural White, All other papers were purchased at Michaels Arts & Crafts. Brads from StarLitStudio, Roses by Offray, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

QUICK TY cards ~

My son, Brett, has been involved with a 4th grade fund raising project for the San Miguel Mission Restoration Fund. What started as a class project collecting pop tops to recycle, turned into him speaking at his grandpa's Kiwanis group. As a result, there have been a series of donations made to this project, both from Kiwanis itself, and individual members.

I am so proud of him for speaking at one of their meetings. My shy almost 10 year old standing at the podium telling a group of older gentlemen about the program; I was beaming the whole time!

Anyway, for obvious reasons, thank you cards need to be sent. Coming from an almost ten year old (Jan 13th is his birthday) to a group of men, I didn't want to make the cards too extravagant or time consuming. Instead, I turned to the patterned paper drawer (down one more sheet, YEAH! see post below for my excitement for this!) add a simple ribbon, a big thanks stamp, a few piercings, and they are signed, sealed, and waiting on the mail box for today's mail pick up.

Stay tuned, Thomas Kinkade images are coming soon!

V.~

Supplies: Stamps: Green Grass Stamps, Ink: Versamagic Spanish Olive, Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Naturals White, Crate Paper Kate Collection, Accessories: May Arts striped grosgrain, Mat Pak and Piercing tool

Priceless times 10~

It's Sunday morning and while the rest of the family was asleep, I decided to play in SCS's Featured Stamper Challenge. This is one challenge I generally have time each week to play and it's fun to take a card made by someone else and tweak it a bit, which is the object of the challenge. This week the FS is Nancy Riley, you'll find her gallery here.

I selected this card and changed up more than the 2 required by the rules of the game, but kept the card true to its inspiration. The things I changed are:
1. The patterned paper
2. Punched out circles instead of hand cut - hey, I was making 10 cards!
3. Added the white layer and distressed it.
4. Changed the ribbon type and made it a top fold card.

It takes just a bit longer to make 10 of the same card than 1, and that is something I am going to try and incorporate more often. That way I have cards on hand to send out when the need arises or to have available when someone drops by, or calls, and wants to see what I have on hand or have me put together a gift for them.

The reasoning behind 10 of this card, that is exactly the number of strips I was able to get from one piece of the patterned paper. Speaking of patterned paper, and this is so hard for me, I am putting myself on a patterned paper diet until I use up the papers I have here. What good are they sitting in a drawer? Not much. And there is no more room to add anything new, so unless I get *gifted* with paper, I will be using what I have. Can you say discipline?!

And talking about discipline, or forgetfulness, to make this card I just unwrapped my Basic Grey pad and paper...I've had it for months! Why did I wait so long, this is a wonderful alternative to black and I will be using it more often!

One last thing, why oh why can't SU! have silver brads like the ones pictured here? This is what silver brads should be, not the dull, pewter looking things that they try to call silver. These wonderful brads were gifted to me by Cindy Lyles ( I just {heart} her so much!) and are available in her ebay store : StarLitStudio. Stop by, her inventory (mmm ribbon!) is wonderful and her service, exceptional!


Happy Sunday!

V.~

Supplies: Stamps: SU! Priceless, Hugs & Wishes, Much Appreciated, Ink: SU! Basic Grey, Soft Sky, Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, SU! Soft Sky, Basic Grey, Wintergreen DP, Accessories: Striped ribbon by Dots, Dashes and Checks from Michaels, Silver brads by StarlitStudio, 1/ 1/4 circle punch, Distressing tool, Dimensionals

Falling for You!

Ever had a card stuck in your head that you just had to create and let it escape? That's what we have here. When I received the Valentine sets from All That Scraps and saw this cute image of Lucky laying on the floor, I immediately saw a parachuting Lucky.

Tonight, even though I am still tired from the prep and completion of a last minute Stamp Nite I decided it was time to get this card out of my head and onto some paper.

It's a pretty straight forward card as far as stamping goes, so I won't go into specific details other than to say Lucky is stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and colored in with a reinker (Creamy Caramel) and a watercolor brush. His nose and the two hearts have been accented with Crystal Effects. The polka dotted parachute was made by cutting a circle into the patterned paper with a Nestabilitie circle die and cutting it down with a scallop blade in my ancient Fiskars rotary trimmer. A couple eyelets and white floss and a parachute is born. Sentiment is computer generated and punched with SU!'s Word Window Punch. Patterned paper is by Piggy Tales, Ribbon is a delectable Two - Tone May Arts ribbon with a hint of shimmer in it - boy is it luscious! In addition to the Little Bits set Love Ya' Much, both the patterned paper and ribbon are available at All that Scraps.

V.~

Stamps: Love Ya' Much © C.C. Designs, Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Lipstick Red, Paper: SU! Regal Rose, Real Red, Whisper White, Patterned Paper: little boy (polka dots) and black sheep (stripe) from the ba ba black sheep collection by piggy tales, Accessories: Nestabilitie Circle die, Scallop blade (Fiskars trimmer), Red mini eyelets, White floss, Crystal Effects, May Arts Two Tone Ribbon, SU! Word Window Punch, Dimensional foam

January Stamp Nite Projects

Talk about time crunches! I figured that the first week of the New Year many of my regular Stamp Nite friends would be too busy, too tuckered out, too whatever to want to get together and play on the 4th. I was wrong. After sending out a last minute Lucy email on the 1st, a good number want to play. I was under the gun to come up with projects in just a couple of days.

These are the projects I came up with, 3 cards and an explosion box. For the upper picture, I've used SU!'s Time Well Spent set, a set that was a gift for all SU! demonstrators. I've paired it up with Porcelain Prints designer papers. The flowers are stamped on designer paper, cut out, and accented with a white gel pen. A rhinestone brads centers the larger flower on the left. The smaller card, which is 4.25 square, has a gift card holder adhered inside . Click on Lisa's name for a wonderful tutorial by Lisa Somerville.

The Loves ya' set is a card and an explosion box. Yes, it's using last year's valentine papers, but I have loads of it, and need to use my stash up, plus I have nothing that screams valentine right now. I've paired it with the SU! set Priceless. The card uses shadow stamping on the base and features 2 tags. If you are a demonstrator you might recognize this layout from Stampin' Success. The explosion box features the same papers, wide satin ribbon, and a scallop tag. Directions for the explosion box may be found here. Please note I did make a measurement change on the lid. For me the one in the tutorial crumpled the box a bit, so I changed the measurement to 4 5/8" square, scoring each side at 1", then followed the rest of the SCS instructions.

I am looking forward to tomorrow now that all the planning and cutting is done! I have never planned so late in the game, I am usually all ready a week before!

Have a wonderful evening! Thanks for stopping by.

V.~

All supplies are SU! except striped grosgrain ribbon by May Arts.

Hanna's Sassy Do!

Another preview of the new Hanna Valentine set, officially called Sweet Celebrations, that will be debuting January 4th at Hanna Stamps. Hanna has a sassy new do, but never fear, her long locks are not gone, they will be back soon!

Most of the card is self explanatory, but a quick recap is:
Hanna is stamped on Neenah Solar White cardstock with Versafine Onyx Black. Her dress is paper pieced, as is her purse. Purse is accented with Crystal Effects and raised on a small piece of dimensional foam. Her hair and skin are colored with lid ink and a watercolor brush, lips with a marker and accented with Crystal Effects. Finished image is matted on Chocolate Chip and again on Mellow Moss. 4 pink brads are added to the image panel. Patterned paper, a scallop peek a boo, ribbon and a button finish out the card base. Hey girlfriend, from the set Things Hanna Would Say, is stamped in pink.

I've been working on samples for other soon to be released sets, and for Stamp Nite that is happening on Friday, so I should have plenty to share in the next few days.

Until then....Happy Days!

V.~

Supplies: Stamps: Sweet Celebrations, Things Hanna Would Say © Hanna Stamps, Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, SU! Pretty in Pink, Blush Blossom, Creamy Caramel (reinker), Paper: Neenah Solar White, SU! Pretty in Pink, Mellow Moss, Chocolate Chip, Pebbleinc Patterned Paper, Accessories: May Arts satin ribbon, Pink button, Crystal Effects, Pink mini brads, Scallop blade (Fiskars cutter), Dimensionals