lattice die – Northwest Stamper

A Rainbow of Thanks

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but while a lot of the country is seeming sunny and warm, Seattle has been getting strange bouts of hail and snow. Rain, i would understand in Seattle in March, but snow?? Weird. Anyway, I needed to put together some thank you cards for some recent orders and I guess I was thinking bright and sunny because this is what came out:

Aren’t they so cheerful?!

I grabbed my square punch, some scraps, and my always by my side Big Shot and pulled these together. I glued the colored squares in a row to some scrap white paper before running them through my Big Shot with the Lattice embossing folder. then just glue to your card front, add a stamped image and some ribbon and you have a bright sun-shiny card!

Don’t forget! This stamp set – Outlined Occasions – is only available for another week as part of Sale-a-Bration. You can get it free with your $50 order and it is a totally fun set to have since it is perfect for coloring in to match the rest of your card.

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Rainbow Thanks Card Recipe:

Stamps: Outlined Occasions
Ink: Basic Black classic, Real Red marker, Peach Parfait marker, Daffodil Delight marker, Pear Pizzazz marker, Marina Mist marker, Concord Crush marker, Perfect Plum marker
Paper: Crumb Cake cardstock, Whisper White cs, Real Red cs, Peach Parfait cs, Daffodil Delight cs, Pear Pizzazz cs, Marina Mist cs, Concord Crush cs, Perfect Plum cs
Accessories: Pear Pizzazz 1/2” Poly Stitched ribbon, Big Shot, Lattice Embossing folder

March 24, 2012

A Little Watercoloring with On The Grow

I decided to participate in another challenge with week – again with the Late Night Stamper group. This week was challenge #133 and you were to create a thinking of you card that has blue on it. Seemed easy enough and so I grabbed my poor neglected On The Grow stamp set from the summer mini and got to work.

When I saw this stamp set, it screamed,”Watercolor me!”. So, I thought I would try to get a little artsy with my card and pulled out the watercoloring paper, my aqua pen, and some inks and got to work.

A few watercoloring tips:

If you are going to use a lot of colors, make sure you use watercolor paper. Because you will be going over the same area lots of times with a wet pen, most cardstocks and paper like Whisper White will start warping or pilling up on you. Watercoloring paper is more fiberous and can absorb the water without a problem giving you a really nice image.
Use Staz-on ink for best results for your outlined image. Staz-on won’t bleed as you go over the same area with a wet brush multiple times. Stampin’ Up’s Basic Black and Basic Grey are water-resistant so they will work too for your watercoloring projects but your best bet would be to use Staz-on
If you want a really precise placement of color – grab your blender pen. It uses an alcohol-base to pick up and place your color and the tip is firmer so you can be exact with placement and you won’t get extra liquid.
If you want to be more artsy – grab your aqua pen. It is a refillable pen that just contains water with a more flexible-brushlike tip. When you color, you can squeeze a little and make the pen more wet letting you color spread a little more or just get a more damp and traditional watercolor look.

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Thinking of You Watercolored card recipe:
Stamps: From the Garden
Ink: Stazon Black, Island Indigo, Baja Breeze, Blushing Bride, Perfect Plum, Pear Pizazz, Crumb Cake
Paper: Baja Breeze cardstock, Marina Mist cs, Soft Suede cs, Watercolor paper
Accessories: BigShot die cutting machine, Lattice embossing folder, Paper piercer, Neutrals 5/8” brads, Aqua Pen, Stampin’ Dimensionals

August 14, 2011

Happy Birthday to Mom!

I had to put up a post today because it is a special day, it’s my mom’s birthday!

I just got back from a weeklong visit with her and my Dad, which was a lot of fun. Nicholas got his first walk in snow and my mom got a ton of time to play grandma (which since we currently live two states apart, that is a valuable commodity). And can you tell he loves being with his Grandma too?

My mom is a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator and super crafter (you should see some of her cross-stich pieces and quilts!) So, we spent the last week crafting but I didn’t want to make a card for her when she was sitting across the table from me, so I put together something after I got home with her in mind. Its not your typical card layout but I just had too much to say. Smile

Want to share the birthday love? Stop by my mom’s blog and wish her a happy birthday. She has no idea I’m posting this but I know it would bring a smile to her face.

Thanks for sharing my cheer and stopping by today!

Wonderful Mother Recipe:
Stamps: Wonderful Favorites, Baroque Motifs, Beary Best Friends
Ink: Soft Suede, Bravo Burgundy, Melon Mambo, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Not Quite Navy
Paper: Soft Suede CS, Groovy Guava CS, Crumb Cake CS, Rich Razzleberry CS, Barely Banana CS, Whisper White CS
Accessories: Lattice Embossing Folder, Bright Delights rub-ons, Scallop Oval punch, Small Oval punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Neutrals buttons (retired), Pretty in Pink corduroy buttons, gold Smooch spritz, Sponges, Stampin’ Dimensionals

March 4, 2011

Baby brag book and photo frame

My friend Sue was so excited to share the news of her new baby granddaughter born a couple weeks ago. This is her second grandbaby and it was her daughter who gave birth and everytime I talked with her you could hear the excitement and pride in her voice. So, I had to make her a couple gifts to have some personalized spaces to show off her family.

First was a brag book to carry in her purse. I bought one of those slim photo books from Target and pulled out the boring papers that served as the front and back covers. I then created new custom inserts using mostly paper and embellishments that would be slim (so the inserts would actually fit in the plastic sleeves for the front/back covers. i used the Rough Type Alphabet (so sad it is retiring at the end of the month!) to create the front label and layered that on some punched cardstock and then Pink Pirouette that had been texturized using the Square Lattice folder in the big shot. The back cover I added some pearls to the Butterfly to add a bit of bling wthout making the page too thick. Finally, I used sticky strip to add some ribbon to the spine to add a simple finishing touch that wouldn’t get ripped off if she tossed this into her purse.

I have to say, the trick for picking up the adhesive back pearls using your paper piercer works super well! It makes it really easy if you use the pointy tip of your piercer to get under the glue on the page and then the pearl sticks to the point until you place it down on your image.

The second thing I made her was a magnetized photo frame. This used a photo mat that had been pulled out of a Costco photo frame. i then added DSP and embellishments to the frame to personalize it. I then cut some thin chipboard and used sticky strip on three sides of the chipboard to adhere it to the back of the frame. Finally, I cut some magnet pieces (I am so excited about the new magnet sheets for the BigShot, i may have to make some more projects in the future with this!) and glued the magnets to the back of the frame and it is ready for a photo and to be placed on the fridge.

Brag Book Recipe:
Stamps: Rough Type Alphabet, Occasional Quotes
Ink; Rose Red, Chocolate Chip
Paper; Basic Black CS, Rose Red CS, Pink Pirouette CS, Whisper White CS, Lavender Lace CS
Accessories: Scallop Edge Trim punch, small heart punch, rose red marker, chocolate chip marker, two way glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Crystal Effects, Grey Satin ribbon, 1 3/4” circle punch, Extra large scallop circle punch, lattice die, rose red 1/4” ribbon

August 15, 2010

Stampin’ Up! Convention 2010 – Swaps, Shelli, and my new goal

I really do have way too many pictures to share from convention, but I wanted to share a few more with you.

On the last day, mom and I were able to meet the celebrity of the hour – Shelli Gardner, co-founder and CEO of Stampin’ Up! I hadn’t realized that she had been spending almost all of the lunch break for 3 days sitting and taking pictures with one demonstrator after another. Of course she was very sweet and was happy to chat with everyone who met her.

Like I said before, convention is not only a time for fun, friends, and fabulous ideas, but it is also a motivational time for me. With a new baby and moving earlier this year, I’ve been slow to get moving on getting my Stampin’ Up! business rolling. However, with the enthusiasm of convention and the announcement of a new awesome incentive trip – I’ve decided my goal is to work towards Disneyworld 2012. That means I’ll be working on scheduling workshops and building my team over the next year. Its an exciting time for me and I’d love to share that excitement with you.

Oh, and I have to give a shout out to my dad as well. He came along to Salt Lake City and ended up helping carry our Memento Mall haul and babysitting Nicholas for my make and take sessions. Thanks Dad! You’re the best!