Coffee and Mornings go together!

I don't know about you,but the saying on this card is so me!! I get up in the morning and one of the first things I do is turn on the Keurig.Gotta love how fast it is to get that cup of coffee.

Ok enough about the coffee and on to the card. I saw this technique yesterday and had to try it. It took alittle time to do it,but it was easy and I love the results. It was fun to do too. It actually took me longer to decide what image to stamp and color then it did to do the back ground.

So after deciding the image, stamping it and coloring it in, it was on to placement on the card. I had decided on putting twine on the card and it was just not going around it right. I ended up using a double sided tape runner and tape a piece of plain white copy paper and then lining up the twine very close to each other until I had the thickness I wanted. After that I trimmed the ends even and taped that onto the card. I added the flower and placed a pearl in the middle of it to match the tiny pearl in the middle of the flower on the cup.

I love trying different techniques and this is definitely one that I will be doing again.

Happy crafting,

Gail

Happy Easter

Here is another card that I made using the set Easter Blossoms. I also did the distressing on the card. With this card I did not add any ink to the edges like I did on the card in the last post. I think it gives a "softer" look to the distressing. It is amazing how just "roughing" up the edges abit adds so much to the look of a card.

I added some 1/2" seam binding to the front of the card. All I did to get it to look the way it does was to put some stick strip tape on the card where I wanted to place the seam binding and then just keep"folding"the seam binding loosely over the tape. It is another easy way to embellish your card and it will/can look different everytime you do it. There is not right or wrong way to make it look. Love that!!!

Now I will be off to the craft studio again to do some more work....or playing as my 6 and soon to be 8 year old boys tell me when I say I am "working".

Happy crafting,

Gail

Supplies for card:

Stamp set: Easter Blossoms

Card stock: Rose Red,CrumbCake,Very Vanilla

Ink: Crumb Cake,Baja Breeze

Accessories: Baja Breeze 1/2" Seam Binding,pearls

The Distressed look....

I am so loving the distressed look on cards!! This card was fun and easy to do. All the edges of all pieces of card stock on the card are distressed using my bone folder. Yes I said my bone folder. Some of you might already use it this way,but for those of you that don't should give it a try. Just take your card stock and rub the side edge of the bone folder on the sides of the card stock. It will "rough" it up a bit. The more/harder you rub the more distressed look you will get. I then took the card stock and rubbed the edges in Early Espresso ink to give it a more worn look. I took the piece of card stock that I stamped the image on and crumbled it up(after stamping on it). I then took a sponge and sponged Early Espresso ink over the "creases" of the card stock. I did the same for the tag. For the flowers I used a blender pen and SU! pastels. That gave the flowers the soft color I was looking for. Now if you read my last post I used the same stamp set and said that I had made a card using it that was for spring. The stamp set is Easter Blossoms and I said that you could use the set for other cards not just for Easter cards. This is just one example of that. You could always put a birthday,thank you,happy mothers day saying or anything else you want.

Hope you enjoyed the card and now I am going to go and play with some stamps!

Happy crafting,

Gail

Supplies for card:

Card stock: Pink Piroutte,Early Espresso, Very Vanilla Ink: Early Espresso Classic Ink Pad Twine Large and Extra Large Tag punches Pearls Pastels w/Blender pen

Frame with a border punch!

I went to regionals in Hartford Conn. on March 18th and had a blast. We got to see some of the new products coming out in the Summer mini that is out in May. We also got to see some new "tricks" with some items you might already own. One that I LOVE is making a frame using the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch.This is one of my favorite border punches and when I saw how you can use it to make a frame I was super excited!!! It is so easy to do and gives your card a great new look while also giving your punch a new purpose. If you don't already have this border punch you need to get it.

Here is the card I made using it.

I used the stamp set called Easter Blossoms in the Occasions mini. Love it....you can use it for spring time cards,birthday,thinking of you,etc. It is not just an Easter card stamp set.

The card stock I used was Very Vanilla and Baja Breeze. Ink was also Baja Breeze

You can see how I used the border punch to make the frame that the egg is framed out with.

I hope you like the card and it makes you think of ways you might be able to use the punches you already have. I know it has made me think!!

Happy crafting,

Gail

Where it gets done.

I don't have a new card to show today,but thought I would show where I sit do make my cards. I love seeing where everyone else makes theres and wanted to share my spot too!

This is actually a work area my husband built with a friend when they did my studio. It still needs to be painted/stained but is functional. The top is a homemade counter top made of furniture grade plywood and trim. I absolutely love it!! It is nice and big so I can spread out...as you can see in the photo.

The counter top is built on top of two kitchen draw units that he found on clearance at Home Depot on one side(the side you are seeing) and on the other side there are four Ikea Trofast units that have there "cubbie draws" in it filled with tons of card/scrap booking supplies. On top of it I have all my current Stampin' Up! pads in the SU! ink pad holder that spins. On the wall is an old wooden cassette tape holder that I got at a yard sale years ago. My DH mounted it and trimmed it out on the wall. Above it he put in peg board so I can hang things and above that are small crates I got at Walmart that he also nailed to the wall and trimmed out. I have my new unmounted Stampin' Up! sets in them. They fit perfect and are easy to get to from where I am sitting. I will take a picture and post that another time.

I will take more pictures and share all the other parts of my new studio another day. I was hoping to wait until it is all painted and totally finished...BUT that may be awhile so I might have to show it before then.

Hope you like what you have seen so far....and here's to more in the future!

Happy crafting,

Gail

Another Owl Card

Here a is a card I made this past weekend. I used the extra large Owl Punch, and I have to say how much I love that little guy!! When I first saw the punch I thought it was cute but didn't think I would get it. I am sooo glad I did.

Another punch I used on this card is the Ribbon border punch. That is one that I love to use too. It is great to have when you want to add a piece of ribbon but might not have the color you want. You can grab a piece a card stock and make your own "piece of ribbon" from it. That is what I did on this card.

Supplies for the card were:

Chocolate Chip,Crumb Cake,Real Red,Marina Mist, Tangerine Tango & Very Vanilla card stock

Chocolate Chip ink for the saying

Extra Large Two step Owl punch,Modern Label Extra Large punch,Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border and Heart to Heart Extra Large Punch

Saying is the stamp from the Something to Celebrate Hostess level 2 set in the Occasions mini.

Square Lattice Embossing Folder with the Big Shot

Happy crafting,

Gail

Black Magic

I made the cards below using the technique called Black Magic. It is a fun technique and it gives you beautiful results. For those of you out there that like coloring with your (watercolor) pencils,this one is for you!

This Friday I am having a class on this technique. The ladies will be making the yellow card. Some of them have seen the card and as soon as they did one said I'll be at that class...and she will be!

Today I made the pink card. I wanted to show how you can use primarily one color for the flowers or you can use many colors. Although it is the same stamp, using the different colors and putting them side by side like in the picture I think you get such a different look.

For the yellow flower card I used So Saffron, Tangerine Tango and Black card stock. The ink was stazon black for the sentiment and White craft ink for the flowers. I heat set the flowers and then colored the image with my watercolor pencils.

Now for the multicolor flower card I used Pretty in Pink,Whisper White and Black card stock.The inks were the same as with the other card along with the watercolor pencils. I used the Square Lattice Embossing Folder and Pretty in Pink and Black grosgrain ribbon on the card also. I also used Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz on the black cs after I colored the flowers. You can see it better in the picture at the bottom. I wanted to add alittle something,but nothing too much or that would take away from the technique. The Smooch Spritz was just what it needed.

Hope you like the cards and give the Black Magic technique a try if you haven't already!

Happy crafting,

Gail

Inspiration from......

So where do you get your inspiration? What was the strangest place or thing it came from? I don't know that the inspiration for the card you are going to be seeing would be considered strange or not. I guess it would depend on where you get your inspiration from. The thing I got my inspiration from was my PJs. That's right. I was getting them out and all of a sudden a certain stamp set I own came to mind and I thought "wouldn't these colors look good with that set". I was finally able to get down to my craft room/studio last night and this is what I came up with.All supplies are from Stampin' Up! The stamp set is called Pocket Silhouettes. Card stock colors used are Pretty in Pink,Going Gray,Black,Rose Romance and Whisper White. Ink colors are Pretty in Pink(the light pink),Going Gray and Rose Romance. The ribbon is grosgrain Black and Pretty in Pink. It is alittle hard to see,but after I glue the black cs onto the whisper white cs I put them through my big shot with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. I love how it gives it that extra little something without having to add more to it.

I surprised myself on how I was able to make this card and it didn't take me all night to do it. The idea came pretty easy this time.....we'll see about the next one...LOL!

Happy crafting,
Gail

Whoo Whoo!!

These are few cards that I made using the Extra Large Owl Punch. I am having a class at my house in my "Craft Studio" the last weekend in March. I'm really excited about it and I have about 8 people coming between the 2 days so far. I absolutly love this punch. It is one that I was not going to get and then once again I saw some things made using it and thought I'd give it a try....so glad I did! When I showed some of my friends the cards they all said sign me up.

Now on alittle side note....I said I am having the class in my "Craft Studio", I really call it my craft room.My husband refers to it as the "Craft Studio" because of everything in it and he did alot of the work with just him and a friend. I guess it really is more than just a room. There are new kitchen cabinets,handmade custom wooden counter tops, he came up with the design of hanging my ribbons and punches and many other things in the room. I have not taken pictures to post since nothing is either stained or painted yet. Still have to figure out what colors to stain/paint everything. Maybe I will take pictures and post before that all gets done(who knows how long it will be until it DOES get done...LOL). Maybe you guys can help suggest some color combos to stain/paint too!!!

Happy crafting,

Gail

Buzz Buzz.......

Here is another card that I used with a stamp set that I have had for sometime now and I think I have only used it once. It is called Just Buzzin' By. Another set that reminds me that spring is (hopefully) just around the corner.

I found this style card on another site(Patti Bennett's) and knew I wanted to try it. It is fun and different. It ties closed so the card will stay closed when it is given. Although I really do like the look, I think I am going to work on another way to keep it closed and see how it works. See you have to make sure you have enough ribbon to tie it with a nice bow. On this card my ribbon was a tad bit short so the bow is not exactly like I would like it to be. I wasn't going to waste the card or ruin it trying to take it apart and redo the ribbon(besides I hate to waste the ribbon too)so that is why the bow is the way it is. I will let you know if I come up with another idea on closing the card that I like and works well.

The card stock I used is Very Vanilla and Chocolate Chip, the ribbon is Vanilla grosgrain.

Any questions on the card just let me know......

Happy crafting,

Gail

One and many more to come...

Here is s card I made using the stamp set called Season of Friendship. I really wasn't quite sure what I was going for when I started the card, and half way through I almost gave up. I decided not to and I am (pretty) happy with how the card came out.

I have said to myself that I either have to start using all the stamps I have or let them go. So with that being said I went to my many stamp sets that day and picked this set to work with. I am going to try and do that each week so you never know what set you might see being used. I am going to try and keep it to current sets, BUT......if you checked out my previous post you saw how many sets I have,so there may(oh heck there will) be times that you will see a card that is a retired set. I will let you know if that is the case. I can't let them go unloved just because they are retired right? LOL

Happy crafting,

Gail

How many do you have?

So awhile back on SCS there was a question asked about how many Stampin' Up! stamps do you own. There were alot of answers from "a few" to a number amount and then there was the old "too many to count". Well I am in the "too many to count" group. I suppose I COULD count them all, but I am afraid to really know how many sets I really do have. LOL

I have been a demonstrator with Stampin" Up! for over 10 years now. I started out as just a hobby demo. and now I am trying to make a go of it in the business way. My boys are getting older now so it is a little easier to focus on it as a business and not just a hobby. I have not gotten rid of even one stamp set that I have purchased from SU! (except if it was a double) in all the 10 years. Now that's alot of stamps!!! I took a picture so you can see what I mean. They are all in an old Thomas the Tank Engine display shelf that my DH bought from a store that was going out of business many years ago. It was used for my boys Thomas toys,but now that they are getting older and it is a good piece of "furniture" that can handle all the weight of all those stamps it was moved in to my craft studio we have been doing. I plan on covering the Thomas pictures with some scrap booking paper or wood trim. The front edges were train tracks and we covered them with some wood trim. It is a work in progress....as is the entire room still.

All the shelves but the top one have a back row of stamps and another row in front of them. The top row of stamps are all the stamps in the longer stamp containers. I have red dots on retired ones and need to add alot more red dots. What I need to do is put them in some sort of order and number them or something. It drives me crazy when I can't find the set I want!

Well I hope you enjoyed the picture. Maybe I will count them and everyone can guess as to how many they think are there. I might even have to give a set away to the person who comes the closet....what do you think? Some haven't even been put together yet!!!

Happy crafting,

Gail

Having fun playing with......

My new cupcake stamp set and matching punch. I wanted to get both the stamp set and the punch when I saw it in the Occassions mini and saw some of the cards other ladies have made. I am soo happy that I did get it. I am planning on having a class where you will go home with both stamp set and punch at the end of the class, along of course with some hand made cards! Here is one of the cards I have made and will post more as I make them. I will also post details on when the class will be and the cost of it.

I have a class already planned and set for the end of this month(March) using the Owl punch. Another FUN punch to own!! Love mine. Will post pictures of the cards using it in another post alittle later.

Happy crafting,

Gail