A Couple of Things

Lauren, my step-daughter, called me last night to tell me how much her teacher enjoyed her note card gift set. Lauren was so proud because Mrs. Gist thought she had purchased them until Lauren told her that she had made them. It made my day that she called me to thank me for helping her!! I love you, Lauren!


This card was made for the color challenge on SCS this week. The floral background stamp is from Stampabilities and was stamped on Whisper White CS with Basic Black classic ink. The main image is from "She's All That" (in the Occassions Mini Catalog to be released on March 1st) and was stamped with Basic Black craft ink and heat embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. I pierced the corners and matted it on Basic Black CS before adding it to my base of River Rock CS.












Well, this just turned out way too cute! I wasn't sure what I'd come up with or how complicated it would be, but it wasn't hard at all. This is a tiny little milk carton, made from an 8 1/2" X 11" sheet of Pretty In Pink CS, and it measures 4 3/4" tall and 2 1/4" wide. The "happy" tag is from "Polka Dots & Paisleys" and the butterfly is from the hostess set called "Time Well Spent". I added Dazzling Diamonds (go figure) to the butterfly before adding her to the front of the carton. I'm not sure I like the bow on the top, so I may have to revise that later. This MIGHT turn up at a future PMS... we'll see. I'm working on some other clever ideas, so I'll just have to see what turns out the best.


















Toodles!

Who Knew PMS Was So Much Fun??

We had a GREAT time with PMS again this month. We made eight all-occasion greeting cards similar to these two using the "Fun & Fast Notes" stamp set. The images were stamped with Jet Black StazOn and then we water colored them with classic inks, Aqua painter, and/or blender pens.






















Our next project was a gift tote and monogrammed note cards. I had seen the idea for these cards somewhere before, although I don't remember exactly where. I love the way these sets turned out. They were relatively simple and quick to put together.


























My step-daughter, Lauren, was able to spend some time stamping with the ladies this month. She just turned 10 last month and is VERY artsy-fartsy. She had a good time stamping with us. She's a sassy little thang, too, so she fit right in with the rest of us! The tote and cards below are the ones she made for her fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Gist, who is retiring this year. I had run completely out of Chocolate Chip and Soft Sky cardstock by the time I knew Lauren would be stamping with us, so hers was made with Purely Pomegranate and Pretty In Pink. I think it looks absolutely SMASHING!























I feel like I cheated making this card. The color challenge on SCS, this week, is River Rock, Basic Black, and Whisper White. The new "Essence of Love" stamp set came to mind immediately when I started thinking about those colors together. That set will be available on March 1st in the new Occasions Mini Catalog. Both images were stamped with Basic Black craft ink and then heat embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. A piece of black organdy ribbon was tied across the Whisper White piece. It turned out to be a very elegant card and took about five minutes to put together.









I made a trip to see my brother and his family last night. This is Miss Emily, my niece who was born on October 31st. She's SO sweet... like that's not obvious! She's spoiled rotten, too, so I have a feeling she's going to be a little stinker! What an angel, though... don't you think?

TTFN!

Orchid Celery Pie & PMS

That's what I'm naming this week's color challenge on Splitcoast Stampers. The challenge was to use Orchid Opulence, Certainly Celery, and Pumpkin Pie together. These are not colors I would normally think to put together, which is why the challenges are so good for me. They force me to be more creative than I would be any other day. So... here's the recipe for this card. The base is Orchid Opulence. Certainly Celery is layered over the base with the swirl from "Baroque Motifs" stamped in Certainly Celery classic ink. The next layer is Pumpkin Pie and it's stamped with the definition stamp from "Bloomin' Beautiful" (available March 1st) in Pumpkin Pie classic ink. I tied a dark purple organdy ribbon (probably from Michael's or Hobby Lobby) around the bottom of this layer. The top layer is Very Vanilla with the single flower stamped from "Bloomin' Beautiful" in Jet Black StazOn. The flower was then watercolored with Orchid Opulence, Certainly Celery, and Pumpkin Pie classic inks and an Aqua Painter. The stamen is done in Pumpkin Pie, although it's hard to tell from this photo, and then I used a glue pen to add Dazzling Diamonds. The bumble bee is also from the "Bloomin' Beautiful" set and was stamped on Very Vanilla CS with Jet Black StazOn. It was watercolored with watercolor pencils and an Aqua Painter. I HAD to have a little more bling, so I used the glue pen and Dazzling Diamonds on his wings and then adhered him with Stampin' Dimensionals. I really wasn't crazy about this color combo, at first, but I really like the way this card turned out.

In case you hadn't heard, it's that time of month again! Join me on Saturday, February 23rd from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM for "PMS at Jen's". This is some PMS you'll love... trust me! We'll be making Pretty Monogrammed Sets that you can give as a gift or keep for yourself. You'll make 10 cards with envelopes and a pretty box to keep them in. We'll also be making a set of eight all-occassion cards to help you build up your card stash. Come join the fun on February 23rd from 2-5 pm. The cost is $20 and covers the cost of all supplies for the projects we'll be making. That's 18 cards and a gift box. WOW! Payment is expected in advance since seating is limited. I'll also be drawing for door prizes again this month. The cost of the class covers the cost of the materials (excluding stamp sets) used for the projects. If you are unable to attend, I will be happy to mail the materials to you for $20 plus postage. You WILL be included in the drawings for door prizes if you purchase the kit but are unable to attend. If you attended PMS last month, you know that I write up detailed instructions on how to complete the projects. I will also include a list of stamp sets and other accessories used with the instructions. It'll be the most fun you've ever had with PMS!! Happy stamping and I hope to see you on Saturday!!

Rubber Stamp Warning!!

A recent study indicated that rubber stamps and embossing powders give off certain pheromones that actually hypnotize women and cause them to purchase unreasonable amounts.

When stored in large quantities in enclosed spaces ,the pheromones ( Rubber ) cause memory loss and induce the nesting syndrome (similar to the one squirrels have before the onset of winter i.e. storing food ), therefore perpetuating their species.

Sound tests have also revealed that the rubber emits a very high pitched sound, heard only by a select few, a breed of women known as " Rubber Stampers ". When played backwards on an LP , the sounds are heard as chants, " buy me, stamp me. emboss me ".

Studies have also indicated that aliens have inhabitated the earth, helping to spread the effects that these Stamps have on the human population.

It's also been experienced that these same pheromones cause a pathological need to hide these Stamp purchases when taken home (or at least blend them into the existing stash ), and when asked by asignificant other if the stamp is new , the reply is:"I've had it for a while."

I Love My Days Off!!

Nope... I didn't have to work today, so I've been playing! WOO-HOO!! This card is made using the "Special Delivery Girl" Simply Scrappin' paper. The stamp set used is a new one that will be available March 1st and it's called "By Ones & By Twos". It has several stamps for twins, but my favorite is the sentiment stamped on the bottom of this card. The sentiment reads "adoption is when a child grew in its mommy's heart instead of her tummy."

After punching the stars out and adhering the small one to the top of the larger one, I used my glue pen to go around the edges and then added some Dazzling Diamonds glitter. I took a close-up of the star because it didn't look like the glitter showed up very well in the first photo. I LOVE this card, and don't have a soul to send it to. That means someone I know is going to have to adopt a baby girl so I can use this card!! :)











This card is a CASE of one that Beate created. She's never created a card I didn't absolutely love! This is also a new stamp set that will be available March 1st and it's called "She's All That". SUPER fun set!!

Oh!! The ice finally melted late last week. I took several pictures of the "glass trees" while they were around. If you'd like to see them, you can view them here: Ice Storm 2008 Pictures.

Well, I'm off to go see what else I can come up with. I hope you're all enjoying your day as much as I am!! TTFN!

Ice, Ice Baby!

About 5:30 this morning we started getting a mixture of rain and sleet. The temperature was in the low twenties so, needless to say, it started freezing and is starting to remind me of last year's ice storm. These pictures were taken just a few minutes ago on our back patio. While I was standing out there taking these, I heard the crack of limbs breaking and saw a couple of them falling. Fortunately, the wind is not too bad. Our street was a solid sheet of ice by 7 am and my car was frozen shut, so I called my supervisor. She said not to worry about trying to come in unless the conditions improved throughout the day. Our local forecasters have been advising everyone to stay at home unless you just ABSOLUTELY have to get out. I only live about three and a half miles from work, but getting the car de-iced and out to the main road would probably be a challenge right now. I think I'll stay put for a while. I just hope it stops raining and that the temperatures come up enough to start thawing some of the trees. The last I heard, it was 28 degrees so we're getting closer.




















Since I've been home all morning, I thought I'd participate in Beate's weekend sketch challenge again. I used the 'Embrace Life' stamp set with cardstock in Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, and Very Vanilla. I also used the Ginger Blossom DSP. Ribbon is from the 'Sherbet' Ribbon Originals pack. The small flowers were made by distressing cardstock and then punching the flowers with the 'Three For You' punch. To distress your cardstock, just keep wadding the cardstock up until it breaks down and you can seperate it by peeling the layers apart. I adhered the flowers to the card front using small Zots. The stamped image actually consists of two stamps - the large flower in the middle and then a branch with blossoms on it. I stamped the large flower first and then masked it (Stamp the image on a Post-It Note and cut it out. Lay the Post-It image over the top of the image stamped on cardstock. Stamp the branch so that part of the image is stamped on the Post-It Note and part of it on the cardstock. When you remove the Post-It Note, it will look like the branches are behind the flowers.) The stamped image was watercolored with SU classic inks in Cameo Coral and Ruby Red and an Aqua Painter. I used an Old Olive marker to trace the branches and give them a little extra "pop". After I finished watercoloring the image, I used a glue pen to add Dazzling Diamonds to parts of the main image for some added bling. I LOVE bling and really like the way my card turned out. Thanks again, Beate, for these wondeful challenges!! It really does help spark creativity!

Another weekend has come and gone...

I hope you all had a good weekend! It was COLD here today, but COLD to me is anything less than 65 degrees. Actually, I don't think it made it out of the 30's today, so it was SUPER-DUPER COLD!! I can't decide if I admire my family in Iowa or just think they're plain crazy!! :) ...Maybe a little of both!

Yesterday, I made a little trip to Branson. One of my favorite stores, called "Unique Impressions" was having a 50% off sale on some of their items. I bought a few sale items and I bought a few non-sale items. It was all I could do to tear myself away from the store when I did. While I was there, I discovered some stamps by a company called "Northwoods Rubber Stamps, Inc." I don't think I had ever seen their stamps before, but I fell in love with them as soon as I saw them (that figures... since they weren't on sale). The detail in their images is just unbelievable and the card samples I saw just seemed to be alive. I only bought one of their stamps because I wanted to play with it a little to see if I could make the image come to life like the samples I'd seen.
This card was made using that stamp. The stamp measures 4 3/4"h X 4"w, so the image fits beautifully on a full-sized card. I stamped it with Basic Black craft ink on Stampin' Up! watercolor paper and then heat embossed it using clear detail embossing powder. Then the time consuming part...
I watercolored the image using Twinkling H2O watercolors. Then I used my glue pen to add Dazzling Diamonds glitter to all the tulips. Once everything was dry, I mounted my watercolor paper on a card base of Ballet Blue. The pictures really don't do this card justice. It is absolutely gorgeous in real life! I'm looking forward to my next Northwoods stamp.



This is a stamp that WAS in the 50% off sale. It's a "Great Impressions" stamp. I used Bashful Blue and Basic Black cardstock on this card. The card base is Basic Black and the Bashful Blue layer on top of that was embossed using my brand-spankin' new Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder. The image was stamped with Whisper White craft ink on Basic Black cardstock and was heat embossed with white detail embossing powder. I colored the car and the cats with my Stampin' Up! metallic pencils. I REALLY like the way those pencils look on the black cardstock. I just wish there were more colors. The "Happy Valentine's Day" image is from the 'Holidays & Wishes' stamp set and the ribbon is the black grosgrain ribbon from SU.

I spent today stamping, cleaning, reading, and shopping (the boring, necessary household stuff at Sam's). It was a relaxing day. I'm still looking forward to the day when I'm independently wealthy so I can stay home and create things ALL the time! Hope you enjoyed your weekend as much as I enjoyed mine!! TTFN and happy stamping!

Our Stamps Are Here!! Our Stamps Are Here!!

Did you hear that, ladies? Our stamps are here! The UPS guy left a nice, hefty package on my front porch today and I've got everything bagged up and ready to go. I just love the smell of new rubbah, don't you?

I haven't been much in the mood to stamp this week. No... I'm not sick. I just haven't been feeling very creative. After unpacking the order today, though, I started to get the itch again and this is what I came up with. I was trying to combine this week's color challenge (Ballet Blue, Real Red, and Apricot Appeal) with the sketch challenge and I just couldn't get those colors to work with that sketch, so this is what I came up with instead.
The balloons were stamped on Whisper White with Ballet Blue, Real Read, and Apricot Appeal classic ink. I cut them out "freehand" (this word is in quotation marks because we had a little misunderstanding with it at last month's PMS, so now it's just a little joke) with my paper snips. All three balloons, which are from the 'Birthday Whimsy' set, are mounted on Stampin' Dimensionals. The monkey is from the 'Zoofari' set and is stamped in Basic Black ink on Whisper White cardstock and mounted on Stampin' Dimensionals. I colored him with Close to Cocoa ink and a blender pen and cut him out "freehand" with my paper snips. I tied crochet thread around each balloon and tied the other end to the monkey's tail. The 'happy birthday' and '...and many more!' stamps are also from the 'Birthday Whimsy' set. They are stamped in Ballet Blue on Whisper White cardstock. I inked the edges of the cardstock with Ballet Blue before adhering the images to my card. The '...and many more!' image is mounted on Stampin' Dimensionals.

Tomorrow, I'm headed south to Branson. One of my favorite little stores is having a sale and I need to go see if they have something I don't. I'll probably make a stop at a few stores at the Tanger Outlet while I'm there, too. I'd hate to miss a sale somewhere!

Hope you all have a great weekend! I'm hoping I'll still be feeling creative on Sunday and can get some new things posted. TTFN!

The Weekend Is Almost Over...

...and I'm not ready to go back to work, but that's no different than any other Sunday evening! This card was created in response to Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge. I had a lot of fun with this sketch and really like the way my card turned out. I used the "Simply Scrappin' Special Delivery Girl" paper along with Apricot Appeal, Groovy Guava, and River Rock cardstock. After stamping the images from "Nursery Necessities" I covered them in Versamark ink and then in Irridescent Ice embossing powder. I heat set the entire image so they all sparkle even though you can't see it in the photo. The three pewter brads are mounted in cardstock that was cut with a 1/2" circle punch. The images, brads, and photo corner are all mounted on Stampin' Dimensionals. I've been having another creative block, so the sketch challenges are always helpful. I think I might try this same sketch again, but not tonight... laundry, trash, and preparing for the coming week are calling my name, so I'll have to pack up the fun for tonight! TTFN!!