Friday, January 31, 2014

Iron Man Birthday


Hello!

I hope you've all had a wonderful week!  It's been another cold week on the Canadian Praries; I keep hoping that the latest cold front will be the last but it just doesn't seem to happen!  Warm thoughts....warm thoughts...

Anyhow, onto today's card share!  As seems to be my common theme when I make a birthday card for a child I turned to my punches for this one.  My son and his little buddies are currently immersed in the world of Superhero's so I thought I would try my hand at making Iron Man; even though I personally have no clue what the heck Iron Man is or does...oh the world of living with boys LOL!

Although I did use a fair amount of punches to create this card I had to do quite a bit of free hand cutting as well to get some of the shapes just right.  I was really happy with the way the Champagne Glimmer paper added a little pizazz and the marker details make a flat shape look immensely detailed when its all said and done!  An added note: this card does not fit inside a standard size envelope.  The base is made standard but I wanted the effect of him jumping out of the card, hence its size.

Supplies:

Stamp sets: Make a Wish
Cardstock: Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Midnight Muse, Whisper White, Champagne Glimmer Paper 
Ink: Crushed Curry, Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black, Midnight Muse
Accessories: Oval Framelits, Modern Label punch, 1/2" Circle punch, 3/4" Circle punch, Extra Large Oval punch, Basic Black, Real Red, and Crushed Curry markers, Sponges, Tombow liquid adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals, Paper Snips

I thought I would share just one quick tip when working with the Glimmer Papers.  DO NOT use your punches with them!  The paper is much too thick and could destroy your punch.  To achieve the circle shapes I used in my card I first punched the circles from regular weight cardstock then traced them onto the backside of the Glimmer paper and cut them out.  The papers are perfectly safe to use with your Framelits however I suggest cutting from the backside of the paper to achieve clean cuts.

Have a wonderful weekend!
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Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Pinkie Pie Diorama Card


Good Day!

I have a unique card to share with you today called a Diorama.  It's made up of 4 layers, which gives you 4 more times the space to embellish!  And even though its slightly bulky once its completed it still folds down almost completely flat to fit inside an envelope!

Here's a view of what it looks like from the side...

And from the top...

Supplies:

Stamp Sets: Itty Bitty Banners
Cardstock:  Pear Pizazz, Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, Blushing Bride, Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Wisteria Wonder, Brights Designer Series Paper Stack, Subtles Designer Series Paper Stack, Misc Retired DSP
Ink: Strawberry Slush, Basic Black, Soft Sky
Punches: Word Window, Modern Label, Cupcake, Owl Builder, 1 1/4" Circle, Large Oval, Boho Blossoms, Banner, Pansy
Accessories: Strawberry Slush and Basic Black markers, White Chalk Marker, Tombow Adhesive

Because the theme for this birthday party was My Little Pony, I thought we'd give a gift in the same theme - and make sure it was handmade of course!  I found a great batch of patterns on Ravelry for all the My Little Ponies so I purchased Pinkie Pie and made myself a nice little weekend project!  I'm quite happy with the way she turned out and even though she is pink, my boys found her hard to part with LOL.  My oldest kept asking if I could make a blue one for him to keep!

That's all for today!  If you would like more information on creating the Diorama, please let me know and I'll try to do a picture tutorial.  I have a few other design ideas for cards like this that might be fun to share. Have a wonderful day!
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Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Winter Fog Video Tutorial


Hello!

I just finished uploading the video for the technique I showed in my A Walk in the Fog card post.  I hope you find it helpful in creating your winter scenes!  I've also shown how to draw the fence line in this video - I hope you'll see just how easy it is to sketch and draw additional images to your stamped images.  There is no need to feel intimated! 

I noticed during editing that at the beginning of the tutorial my camera gets a little shaky at times - it only lasts for a moment so please bear with me!  Oh, the joys of technology!  That having been said I have to give a HUGE shout out to the few ladies who noticed I'd misspelled a word in my new blog header and let me know!  THANK YOU - its amazing how you can proof read something dozens of times and still miss something so simple.  It was a quick and easy fix and I appreciate you being my "eyes in the sky" LOL :)

If you give this technique a try, I'd love to see your creations!  Feel free to email them to me - I always smile when I receive messages in my inbox from fellow stampers!

Have a wonderful remainder of the day!  Until next time...
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Monday, January 13, 2014

Blog Changes!

Hello!


I hope you all had a wonderful weekend; I know I sure did!  On Saturday my hubby took our boys ice fishing which treated me to a little alone time.  I got a little housework done and LOTS of stamping!  I even managed to film a couple of tutorial videos before being treated to a BBQ steak dinner!  Then on Sunday I celebrated my birthday the best way possible - with a card class (and some rather yummy Hungarian Walnut birthday cake baked courtesy of my Mom).

Only problem is that in the mix of all the goings on I haven't had a chance to edit the video I had hoped to share today.  Never fear though, I plan on working extra hard today on it so that I can share it with you tomorrow!

I do have something new to share today, even in spite of the video not being ready to go.  Did you notice on your arrival to this post that the blog got a little "face lift" over the weekend?  I have been itching for quite some time to update my blogs header but I just couldn't commit to a design that I liked.  I played around with a lot of different layouts, patterns, and colors but settled on this one because its just so me.  And, because we've just turned the calendar over to a New Year, it seemed the perfect opportunity for change. I've also updated my signature, as you'll see at the end of this post; along with my "Grab my Button" logo and the watermark that will appear on all future photos that I share.  I created everything entirely in My Digital Studio which is too fun for words - I have access to everything digital Stampin' Up! has to offer just with a few clicks of the mouse!

I hope you like the refresh of the blog!  I'd love to hear any feedback that you have!  Until next time...

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Friday, January 10, 2014

A Walk in the Fog with MDS

Hello!

I should have spent last night working on physical projects but in true procrastinator form I thought it would be best to update by Facebook Timeline Cover photo instead and play around with My Digital Studio.  I used my last card, A Walk in the Fog as inspiration.

To make the sky and ground lines appear darker to lighter I used a brayering technique I found on the My Digital Studio site, under Video's.  I then added a few scalloped circles to the bottom of the trees and adjusted the opacity on them to make it appear like fog was rolling in.  Adding the deer behind the trees was a finishing touch - and by layering him behind the scalloped circles he looks like he's engulfed in the fog too! Neat, right?

I used the same brayering technique in the cover I created for December, just this time using Midnight Muse instead of Baked Brown Sugar and Smoky Slate in the background.
That's all for today!  If you have any questions on either of these images, please feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer them!  If you haven't tried MDS yet and this has you curious to try the software, you can download 30 days for FREE by clicking on the link in the left hand sidebar.

Have a wonderful weekend!  I'll see you next week!
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Thursday, January 9, 2014

A Walk in the Fog


Hello!

The cold harsh weather has finally broken for us!  When I woke up this morning and looked out my window I thought to myself "It looks just like the card I made last night!"  Just like in the summer after a cool damp evening brings morning fog, winter does much the same thing.  A fine mist rolls along the ground and makes the interior parts of my side yard spectacular!  If I had been more on top of things I would have taken a picture of it as a comparison to my card - DOH!  Oh well, next time!

Anyhow, back to the card I'm featuring at this month's technique class.  I wanted to teach how to recreate the look of a winter's fog or mist.  It took a couple of attempts at my new "technique" to figure it out, but I think I got it.  I added the fence in front of the fogged images and kept it dark and true to color - if you've ever stood in fog or lifting mist you'll know that while things may be bright and clear in front of you everything becomes duller and faded the further away it gets.

Supplies:

Stamp sets: Lovely as a Tree, Hardwood, Walk in the Wild
Cardstock: Whisper White, Smoky Slate
Ink: Early Espresso, Basic Gray, Whisper White Craft
Accessories: Oval Framelits, White Stampin' Chalk Marker, Basic Gray Marker, Sponges, Stampin' Dimensionals

I plan to have a tutorial on this technique posted next week if you are interested in learning more.  To be sure you don't miss out you can subscribe to my blog and receive updates automatically.  Just enter your email address into the Follow by Email box in the right hand sidebar.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Until next time...
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Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Winter Centerpiece


Brrr...baby its cold outside!

I know that most of North America is in a current deep freeze and my complaining won't do anything about it but I just can't help it none the less.  Monday was the first day back to school after Christmas break but due to -50 C temps (that's -60 F), buses weren't running and unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at things), neither was my car LOL.  The freeze is supposed to break tomorrow and I'm crossing my fingers it does - a month of this is just too much!

In all these sub zero temps I just haven't felt that motivated to craft.  This last week a blanket, fire, and a movie or book just seemed like the right thing to do.  I have made myself a long list of to do's as far as stamping goes, now I just have to find the motivation to get them done!  I have a class this upcoming weekend so I think that preparing for it will light the spark again.  Until then I have this Winter Centerpiece project to share with you that I created quite some time ago for U Stamp with Dawn and Friends.

It's a great decor item to put out now that the Holiday's are over.  The sparkle of the snowflakes and gold curly cues gives a nod to winter yet at the same time the purple anemones and green hydrangeas promise that spring (might be) just around the corner.  Closer to spring the snowflakes can be taken out of the arrangement and easily replaced with bunnies for Easter, a small banner announcing Spring, simply or more ribbon to fill in the gaps.

Until next time, keep warm and snuggly!
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Friday, January 3, 2014

Nose Kisses



Happy Friday!

I am attempting to organize the photo files on my computer today.  I have the typical owner of a digital camera problem - I love taking pictures and even uploading them to the computer but that's where it ends. This year I've vowed to buy photo boxes and begin the printing and organizing process for ALL my photos. I think I'll even do a card/project photo box just as a quick reference point for myself.

Where am I going with this ramble you ask?  Well, in my organizing I realized I forgot to share this card I made for my Dad to give to my Mom for Christmas.  Keep in mind that although I've made it Christmas-y themed, Valentines day is just around the corner.  If you were lucky enough to purchase this set while it was available, I think a card like this would be great for a significant other or by adding a veil to the girl snowman (or is that snow-woman?? LOL) it could be a cute wedding card!  And if you weren't able to purchase this set, always remember the punch art option!!

Supplies:

Stamp sets: Snow Day (retired, Holiday catty), Endless Wishes
Cardstock: Blushing Bride, Soft Sky, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Real Red, Gumball Green, Basic Black, Smoky Slate, Winter Frost DSP
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Blushing Bride, Whisper White Craft
Accessories: Large Oval Punch, Owl Punch, 1 3/8" square punch, Word Window Punch, Triple Flower Punch (retired), Basic Gray marker, Dazzling Diamonds, Sponge Dauber, 2 way Glue pen, Tombow liquid glue, paper snips

The basic layout of the card is called a Gatefold.  If your interested in a step by step tutorial, you can find one at Splitcoast Stampers under their Tutorial section.  I modified mine quite a bit because I wanted it to be a standard size card when it was closed.  I also created a band to keep the card closed based on my finished cards measurements.  The rest of the card is fairly straight forward.  I stamped two of the snowman onto Crumb Cake using Whisper White Craft ink then added rosey cheeks with Blushing Bride ink and a sponge dauber.  Before cutting them out I stamped the arms in Chocolate Chip ink.  I stamped the carrot noses in Pumpkin Pie ink onto Whisper White cardstock, then cut out and attached to the head from behind with Tombow.  I laid the snowman on the card front and did a "dry" run to make sure the noses were kissing before I glued them into place.

The snowman's hat is made with a trimmed down Word Window punched from Basic Black and a 1 3/8" square punch also trimmed down.  I finished up with a small strip of Real Red, Gumball Green flower and red berries punched from the smallest circle in the Owl punch.

The girl's ear muff is made from the same flower as the hat in Blushing Bride cardstock.  I added a small circle from Crumb Cake into the center.  The band is just a small strip of paper glued behind the flower and up and behind the head for dimension.  I drew on both faces with a Basic Gray marker.  The Real Red hearts are punched from the heart found in the Owl punch.

Oh! I almost forgot to mention that the 2014 Occasions Catalogue offically went LIVE today!  You can click on the link in the left sidebar to check it out and start your wish list ;)  I have quite a few items to play with already - I'm loving the new Watercolor Wonder DSP.  In fact, I already featured it in my Wintery Birthday card I shared a couple of days ago.

Thanks for stopping by!  Until next time...
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Thursday, January 2, 2014

2013 Highlight Reel


Happy New Year!

For my first post of 2014 I thought I'd share a condensed version of some of your favorite cards and projects (and a couple of mine) from the last year.  It's kind of nice to take a little stroll down memory lane. I even stumbled on a few cards that I forgot I had even made!

If you missed any of these posts, click on the links below to check them out
1) Night Flutter
2) Secret Garden Easel
3) Lonely Phone Booth
4) Forest Dance
5) Mickey & Minnie Shoe Cards
6) Cinderella's Dressing Room
7) A Swing in the Sunset
8) Camo Tent Box
9) Watching Over
10) Minion Love
11) Silent Night

Without a doubt my blog has grown and changed direction over the course of the last few 12 months.  I added a Tutorial Store in May and am loving the challenge of coming up with new projects that I hope you'll enjoy and want to recreate for yourself.  I also started to make a few tutorial videos - the feedback has been great and after doing a few I have gained a little more confidence in myself and plan to continue making them!

And even though I've said it before I MUST say it again - I can't thank you all enough for the support you have given the blog!  I love that I have an opportunity to channel my creative juices but I love that I can share it with you all even more!  Your comments brighten my day and the relationships I've developed with fellow stampers is like no other.  I've now "met" tons of you from all over the globe without ever leaving my front step - and that's just too cool for words!

I'll be back to regular blogging next week.  My card room has been a little lonely over the holidays and I'm itching to break out my new stamp sets and papers from the Seasonal Catalogue that goes live tomorrow, January 3rd! I'm in flower heaven!!!

Until next time...
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