World Alzheimer's Day

Today is World Alzheimer's Day and Cammie (she's over in my blog roll) has a PHENOMENAL blog candy going right now - it's bigger than any I've seen offered. You really have to see it to believe it - and trust me, you'll want to enter!

My grandmother has Dementia, which is pretty close to Alzheimer's. It's hard to handle - even from a distance (I live about a 14 hour drive away from my grandparents.) When I went to visit them in July - we were having a reunion - it was if the Grandma I had always known had disappeared. Thankfully she still has my grandfather to take care of her.

So I made a card for him in thanks for all he has to do.

I made a gatefold card with a piece of Pure Poppy cardstock from Papertrey. it's such a rich red - I'm in love. My main image is the oak tree from SU's Lovely as a Tree and the sentiment is from SU's Much Appreciated. The tree is stamped in PTI's Dark Chocolate and the sentiment is stamped in Pure Poppy. The tree is sponged with Pure Poppy and Dark Chocolate - the edges of the panel are sponged with Dark Chocolate as well.

The background is a stamped with SU's Print Pattern in Versamark and embossed with Winter White ep. I then sponged Tea Dye and Vintage Photo Distress Inks over the piece to enhance the pattern. The card is held closed by Basic Grey magnets.

Stamps: SU - Lovely as a Tree, Much Appreciated, Print Pattern. Paper: Very Vanilla, Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate. Ink: Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate, Versamark, Tea Dye Distress Ink, Vintage Photo Distress Ink. Accessories: sponge, brads, white ep, tacky tape, Basic Grey magnets.

The other card I'm showing today is for a friend of mine from church who just lost her husband. I just got Quilter's Sampler and Quilter's Sampler Sentiments from Papertrey earlier this week. I wanted to use this to make a card for her. The quilt blocks are stamped in Palette Noir and colored in with Prismacolor pencils and baby oil. I added some Frosted Lace Stickles to add some sparkle. The loops of ribbon are stapled onto the bottom layer behind the quilt. The sentiment is stamped in Lavender Moon ink.

Stamps: PTI - Quilter's Sampler and Quilter's Sampler Sentiments. Paper: Sweet Blush, Lavender Moon, Plum Pudding, Select White. Ink: Palette Noir, Lavender Moon. Accessories: stapler, prismacolor pencils, baby oil, dimensionals, ribbon, stickles.

Hoping for a smooth week ahead,

The 4th day in a row... well, kinda

Since it's almost midnight I guess I don't really have the right to say 4 in a row, but it's close.

Today's Ways to Use it challenge was about silhouettes.

As I was choosing the cardstock, I remembered one of the past color combinations. So I grabbed Orchid Opulence, Certainly Celery, and Pumpkin Pie.

One of my favorite solid image stamps is Happy Harmony by SU. I stamped it in Brilliance black to be a "traditional" silhouette. The sentiment is also from Happy Harmony and it was stamped in Pumpkin Pie ink. The panel and corresponding layer are punched out with Classic Oval Nestabilities. I sponged the edges of the image panel with Orchid Opulence ink.

Stamps: SU - Happy Harmony. Paper: Orchid Opulence, Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie cs and dp, Whisper White. Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Pumpkin Pie, Orchid Opulence. Accessories: brads, dimensionals, paper piercer, sponge, Classic Oval Nestabilities.

I'm so glad that the weekend is almost here. It's been a WEEK.

3 in a ROW?????

3 challenges in a row? That's a record for me - well, in the recent months at least.

Today's challenge was sketch challenge - a very pretty split background with a main image overlaying the background.

My base is PTI Plum Pudding. I took Lavender Moon cardstock and cut it to be 1/8" smaller than the base. I then cut it apart into sections and inked the edges with Lavender Moon Palette ink. The images in the background are stamped in Lavender Moon stamped off once so they're soft and imitate the main image.

My main image is the fluffy dandelion stamp from Gina K's Make a Wish set. It's stamped in PTI Plum Pudding. I adore this set - it's extremely versatile and I need to put it somewhere easily accessible so I use it more often. The sentiment comes from the same set and is also stamped in Plum Pudding.

I wanted to make the edges of my main image stand out more so I pulled out my Quick Stitch sewing machine (the little handheld one.) I need to work on my sewing.

The prima and rhinestone center were a last minute addition - the card was looking unbalanced and I needed something near the top to equalize the sentiment and the main image. Prima needs to get together with Stampin' Up and Papertrey to get some paper flowers made up in their colors. It would certainly make my life easier.

Stamps: Gina K - Make a Wish. Paper: PTI Select White, Plum Pudding, Lavender Moon. Ink: Plum Pudding, Lavender Moon. Accessories: prima, rhinestone, glue, dimensionals, sewing machine.

Wishing for the weekend to start now,

Again?

I did it again: another challenge card made, photographed and uploaded on the same day.

I'm proud of myself. I think I've figured out how to fit stamping into my schedule again.

Today's color challenge was Riding Hood Red (I used Real Red), Always Artichoke, and Basic Gray. I made one of my favorite "not what the stamps are really meant for" images. The stamps are Papertrey's Sweet Love - the solid and outline hearts. I love turning them into flowers - by putting the points of the hearts together. I created some leaves by putting the tops of the hearts together. I cut them out and folded them slightly to create some dimension. The background it's on is sponged with Basic Gray ink.

Stamps: Papertrey - Sweet Love. Paper: Real Red, Always Artichoke, Basic Gray, Select White. Ink: Basic Gray, Always Artichoke, Real Red. Accessories: bone folder, dimensionals, ticket corner punch, brads, ribbon, clip, cuttlebug, Spots n Dots embossing folder.


OH, I needed to decompress after work today. I don't need more excitement for the week. Really. I'll probably explode - or go crazy. We had a kindergartner break her arm after school (it was obvious it was broken) and since I was the lead teacher there at the time, I got to be in the middle of the action. It wasn't as dramatic as I'm probably making it sound like, but I had a lot going through my head this afternoon.

Is it the weekend yet?

A Card, Picture, and Post all in the same day

and it's a SCS CHALLENGE! My schedule is turned around today because I went to a Non-Violent Crisis Prevention program put on by the ISD all day. Very interesting and I now know how to restrain kids properly if necessary.

But since it was an 8-4 deal, I don't have to work until 6 like normal, so I got to play earlier. :)

Ahhh... the things we do for art. I'm not talking about the program I was at, I'm talking about the fact that I am covered in glitter. Courtesy of the Technique Lover's Challenge on Splitcoast - Glittered Backgrounds.

The heat and stick powder didn't really stick well to my background - which means I got a sketchy Damask in Smoked Quartz glitter a la Martha Stewart. It looks quite rustic though.

My main image is stamped in Chocolate Chip and Creamy Caramel ink.

Stamps: Flourishes - Damask, SU - Like it a Latte. Paper: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Very Vanilla. Ink: Versamark, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel. Accessories: heat and stick powder, Martha Stewart glitter, ribbon, dimensionals.

Yay for a day of no rain and an email that my Papertrey package has shipped though it doesn't contain any of the new releases,

Christmas Cards #... Darn, I Lost Count

I've been playing around with Christmas card designs for the last week and I've officially lost count.

Here are the 2 cards that I didn't take pictures of yesterday because of the dark. It's still raining, but there was enough light to take pictures - and for the pictures to turn out pretty well.

I wanted a card that leaned toward the masculine end of stamping. Something that was simple and not too fussy to make in bulk. Since I'm working a lot more than I was last year, I need something that can be cut and assembled relatively quickly. The tree is stamped in Burnt Umber Palette Ink and then watercolored with Old Olive ink - which warped the paper slightly. I think I'm going to make a change over to chalk pastels which should color nicely and not warp the paper.

Stamps: SU - Lovely as a Tree, PTI - Take a Bough. Paper: Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Olive Press dp. Ink: Old Olive, Burnt Umber Palette. Accessories: brad, aquapainter, dimensionals.

I was trying to think of other stamps that would make Christmas cards - when I remembered Baby It's Cold Outside by MFT stamps. I'm also in a very monochromatic mood, so the entire card is Rose Red. The image was stamped in Palette Noir ink and colored in with Prismacolor pencils and blended with baby oil. The snow, skirt, scarf and snowman are all shimmery with Oyster Twinkling H2Os - now that I figured out how use them successfully, I'm in love. The ribbon is woven through holes punched with a Martha Stewart ribbon punch.

Stamps: MFT - Baby It's Cold Outside. Paper: Select White, Rose Red cs and dp. Ink: Palette Noir, Rose Red. Accessories: Prismacolor Pencils, Baby Oil, Twinkling H2Os, ribbon punch, organdy ribbon, tacky tape.

I've also been playing around with my Christmatini card - and trying to figure out how to stop the marker from smearing when I put the Twinkling H2Os on. After deciding that I needed to use a non-waterbased marker, and questioning if I wanted to buy a red Copic marker JUST for this, I remembered that Sharpie markers are alcohol based. The red Sharpie works fabulously and after I changed the color of the Twinkling H2Os, I'm getting the look I wanted.

Hoping the rain ends soon,

Christmas Card #3 - revised

The laundry's almost done, I did my shopping and I made 3 cards.

It's been a good day - although rainy.

With the rain, it's been pretty dark this afternoon and I try to use as much indirect natural lighting as possible when I take my pictures. So, I only have 1 card to show off right now. Hopefully it's not raining so hard tomorrow.

The snowflake card. After I created the first card, I sat down with a pad of graph paper and really started thinking about what I wanted it to look like. I'm thrilled with how this turned out.

Stamps: Snowflake Serenade. Paper: Soft Sky, Select White. Ink: Soft Sky. Accessories: Scalloped Square Nestability die, white organdy ribbon, paper piercer, sponge, dimensionals, snowflake ornament.

Wishing for sunny skies,

Christmas card #4

I am so glad the week is over. It's been long and crazy. It's also really interesting when you hear a boy say, "Miss Sara, I was hatching my egg..." (He was sitting on a basketball and someone took it away to play with it.)

So I have another Christmas card to show, with help from the SCS Sketch Challenge 193 and Kwerner's Color Combo #22 of Bravo Burgundy, Rose Red, Regal Rose, Soft Sky, and Whisper White. Kwerner's blog is in my blog roll, if you're interested in looking.

Stamps: PTI - Take a Bough. Paper: Select White, Bravo Burgundy, Soft Sky, Regal Rose, Rose Red. Ink: Regal Rose, Soft Sky, Rose Red, Bravo Burgundy. Accessories: ribbon, dimensionals, tacky tape, Burgundy and Crystal Stickles.

Hoping for a weekend that isn't completely filled with laundry,

Christmas card #3

This card's been on my mind since I started thinking about Christmas cards last week. I remembered buying as many of these snowflake ornaments as I could last year when they went on clearance (I got them at 75% off) and wanted to use them on my cards this year.

It's definitely a rough draft of a card. Things are going to change - I just needed to see it in real life.

The layout is going to change and I need to "fancy" it up (maybe add ribbon, etc). The color's probably going to be a different blue.
Stamps: None. Paper: Select White, Baja Breeze. Ink: None. Accessories: dimensionals, snowflake ornament.

Hope everyone's enjoying their day!

2 Christmas cards

Or prototypes more specifically. I'm trying to be a good stamper and get my ideas solidified before it's too late and I have to *gasp* BUY cards.

I was talking with my best friend about unusual color combos for Christmas cards and yellow and green came up as a possibility. I pulled out the one image I'm positive I want to use - the Christmatini stamp that I bought from Stamping Bella. I made the card, thought about it for a moment and decided against it. It just didn't look right.

Stamps: Stamping Bella - Christmatini, PTI - Snowflake Serenade. Paper: So Saffron, Spring Moss, Select White. Ink: Palette Noir, Spring Moss, So Saffron. Accessories: Argyle Cuttlebug folder, Twinkling H2Os, dimensionals, aquapainter.

After thinking about the first card, I realized that it needs a stronger color than just pale yellow and green. Red works. I switched around the layout and made the CB'd background only about half the card. It's still not quite where I want it to be, but it's definitely closer.


Stamps: Stamping Bella - Christmatini, PTI - Snowflake Serenade. Paper: Real Red, Select White. Ink: Palette Noir, Real Red. Accessories: Argyle Cuttlebug folder, Twinking H2Os, Aquapainter, Corner rounder punch, dimensionals, Burgundy and Crystal Stickles.

That's as far as I've gotten with my Christmas card creation ideas.

Wishing everyone stamping success,

The Search Begins...

I have a card to share - it's one I made right after VSN but never got around to taking a picture or uploading.

I've really enjoyed the look of sewing on cards, but I didn't like the price of sewing machines. The cheapest I could find for a regular machine was around $100 and let's face it, if you've seen any pictures of my table in the Dungeon, I don't have room for a full size sewing machine. I found a Singer Sew Quick (a hand-held sewing machine) for $15 in a store and figured I'd give it a go.

It's easy to use and only does a straight stitch. The downsides that I can see are:
1) if you're left handed, you might have trouble because it's designed to be held in your right hand with your left hand holding and guiding the material and
2) the way the presser foot is designed - it holds down the material really well and I've had the problem of trying to get paper out, I inadvertently push the needle back into the paper.

Stamps: Out on a Limb, Out on a Limb Additions, Out on a Limb Sentiments. Paper: Tangerine Tango, Only Orange, Creamy Caramel, Very Vanilla. Ink: Creamy Caramel, Only Orange. Accessories: dimensionals, Sew Quick.

Now, onto my search. I need to find my Christmas card designs - I'm so behind where I was last year. I want one of my cards to be just red and white, another to be yellow and green (I'm different), and I have an idea for another card's image. I made a card last night in yellow and green, but I'm thinking that it would work better as my red and white card.

Wishing everyone a great week,

The first days of school

Are insane.

That's where I've disappeared to - first week of school insanity.

I'm hoping to get back into some semblance of a routine that involves stamps and ink soon.

Help, my life's taken over and I want my stamping time back!