2009 October » fresh & fun

Acetate and Tissue Revisisted - Gina's Reindeer

Gina K., Nestabilities, Video Tutorial 15 Responses »

Oct 142009

Gina’s latest released stamps are amazing. They came to my house the same day I tried to come up with a nice sample for the Acetate and Tissue tutorial. That was the very first tutorial I ever wrote and it needed overhauling BAD! I knew right away that I wanted to use the gorgeous Reindeer from Gina’s Holiday Cheer TV kit.

The card base was cut with the Clear Scallop Square Die from Stampin’ Up! out of Gina K’s Pure Luxury Black cardstock. Now that is thick cardstock for a base! The Very Vanilla square measures 3 7/8″. The 7Gypsies and My Mind’s Eye papers are 3 5/8″ wide. They were stitched to the Vanilla layer. White May Arts Silk Ribbon was tied around the middle where the two papers meet.

For the main panel I stamped the Reindeer in Stazon on Acetate, added Crystal Effect to the backside and used Bashful Blue reinker to add color. Dazzling Diamond Glitter was sprinkled over it before adding the tissue. I stamped the tree line from the same set in Old Olive on Very Vanilla and placed my Acetate/Tissue layer over it. Once it was dried, I cut the layers with Label Three Nestabilities. It was layered on the next size label cut out of black cardstock.

The sentiment is from the second set of Gina K’s Holiday Cheer TV kit. It was stamped in Vintage Photo Distress Ink, cut out with the large oval punch, sponged around the edges and layered on a scallop oval black punch-out. I finished the card up with some blue Kaiser Rhinestones.

Video for visual learner:

Make sure to check out today’s tutorial. Anna-Marie Still is sharing a cute peeps holder.

WCMD Challenge - Verve: Saluting my home country

Big Shot, Challenge, Nestabilities, Verve Stamps, Video Tutorial 9 Responses »

Oct 132009

For WCMD Verve challenged us to pick colors from a flag and create a card with that. Of course I had to pick Germany (Black, Red and Gold/Yellow). I knew I had a video for the Watercolor Wash Tutorial coming up, so I thought I try using it for my sample.

I cut out Watercolor paper with Spellbinder Label Four Nestabilities and stamped the flower silhouette from Verve’s Because of you in Black Craft ink. I embossed it twice with Clear Embossing powder. I guess I should have used the Embossing buddy, because you can see the stray powder. Although I think it gives it a nice look. I went over the image with 7Gypsies ColorWash Scarlet and Ochre to create the background. The watercolor paper was layered on a bigger black label.

The card base is a 5″ x 10″ piece of Scarlet Core’dination cardstock folded in half. The Whisper White cardstock layer was cut with Stampin’ Up!’s Clear Scallop Square Die. The 3 5/8″ Fancy Pants All Fall Patterned Paper was stitched to a 1/4″ bigger piece of Basic Black cardstock. Gorgeous Burgundy Silk May Arts Ribbon was died around the lower part of those layers before the main image was adhered.

The sentiment is also from Because of you. It was stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento ink and cut out with Spellbinder Tag Nestabilities. I left the tag on and airbrushed the center with Copic Markers. A Prima Flower with a 5/16″ black brad in it’s center finishes off the card front.

Here is a video for the visual learner:

Cracked and Dirty

Crafty Secrets, Nestabilities 11 Responses »

Oct 122009

I loved WCMD this year. It reminded me of some of the older stamp sets I had neglected. One of them it Crafty Secret’s gorgeous French Mail set. I wanted to create another sample for my Colorwash tutorial. For this card, I stamped the Eiffeltower in Black Craft ink on Watercolor paper, embossed it with Clear Embossing Powder and used the Ochre and Midnight Walnut Colorwash from 7Gypsies. Next I stamped En Francais Background over it with Vintage Photo Distress ink. Before spreading Crackle Effect all over the image, I sanded the paper to make the white core show through again.

The card base is a 4 1/8″ x 8 1/4″ piece of Creamy Caramel cardstock folded in half. It was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder (I wish those would have names written on them) and sponged with Vintage Photo Distress ink. The natural white cardstock square measures 3 5/8″ and was distressed and lightly sponged. The My Mind’s Eye Street Market patterned paper measures 3 3/8″, was sanded and sponged. Both layers were stitched together.

The Cream Satin Ribbon from May Arts was folded and tied together with an Artichoke Button and some crochet floss. The photo corner was also Creamy Caramel cardstock, embossed with the embossing folder, sponged with Vintage Photo ink and toppped with three Artichoke brads.

The sentiment is also from French Mail. It was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink on Natural White cardstock, punched out with the small oval punch, sponged and stamped with two smaller stamps from the same set. It was layered in a black scrap piece and cut out again. The Prima flower was sponged and a Recollections brad was added in it’s center.

I sponged the inside of the card and added stamped images around the edges. The 3 3/8″ Natural White cardstock was distressed, and sponged. I added some Ochre Colorwash into a Mini Mister and sprayed it on to the cardstock. A 1 1/8″ x 3 3/8″ strip from the Street Market paper was distressed and sponged. The strip was stitched to the cardstock and stamped a few more images to the layer. To finish it off I added another Prima flower with Recollection Brad.

Tutorial on SCS -Fabric on Card

Big Shot, Copics, Creatopia, Nestabilities, Unity Stamps, Video Tutorial 15 Responses »

Oct 112009

Today’s tutorial is part of the Product Review for the Xyron Creatopia. Make sure to check it out. It is one cool tool. The favorite feature for most reviewers was the Fabric Adhesive Cartridge. Ashley Newell wrote the tutorial about Adhering Fabric to chipboard and created the cutest sample.

For my fabric sample I stamped this cute girl from Unity’s September Kit of the Month kit in Black Memento ink on thicker natural looking muslin. I ran it through the Creatopia, cut it out with Oval Nestabilities and sponged the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The fabric was taped on a slightly bigger oval in Basic Black ink and the edges were stitched. The little girl was colored in with Copic Markers (G82, G85, E 41, E 43, R27, R29, YR04, YR07, YR09).

The card base was cut out of Basic Black cardstock with the Clear Scallop Die from Big Shot. The next layer is a 3 3/4″ Kraft cardstock square that had been sponged with Vintage Distress ink. The polka dotted layer is fabric. It was adhered to a piece of cardstock, cut down to 3 1/2″, sponged and then stitched to the Kraft cardstock layer. Pumpkin striped grosgrain ribbon was tied around the fabric/kraft layer and buttons were sewn on with Linen Thread.

The measurements of the inside layers mirror the ones on the card front. The fabric strip measures 7/8″ x 3 1/2″. It was sponged and stitched to the main layer. The sentiment is also from Unity’s September Kit of the month stamp set. A Pumpkin Corduroy button as sewn onto a Prima Flower with Linen Thread.

Here is a video for the visual learner:

WCMD Challenge Crafty Secrets - Singing Sparrows

Challenge, Crafty Secrets 11 Responses »

Oct 102009

Here is my entry for Crafty Secrets WCMD challenge. I love the image of the birds.

The card base is black cardstock cut with the Clear Scallop Square Big Shot Die. The Whisper White square is 3 7/8″ and was alyered with two pieces of OffBeat BasicGrey paper. I machine stitched the layers to the White square and added three Celery brads on the top right. Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon was tied around the layers.

I stamped the Birds from Crafty Secret Stamp set Bird Notes in Tuxedo Black Ink on Gina K’s Pure Luxury White Cardstock and colored them in with Copic Markers (E 25, E27, E34, Y17, Y26, YG03, YG25). I cut the image out with Spellbinders Label Four Nestabilities, left the die on and airbrushed the image with Copic Marker BG27.

The sentiment is from the same set, was stamped in Tuxedo Black on Gina’s white cardstock, cut it out with Circle Nestabilities, airbrushed the center and layered it on a slightly bigger black scallop circle.

Inside the card I added another 3 7/8″ Whisper White square and taped a 1 1/8″ x 3 7/8″ strip of Offbeat BasicGrey paper. The edges were stitched and distressed and Celery brads were added.

Crayon Resist Revisited

Borderabilities and Pendants, Challenge, Copics, Nestabilities, Tutorials, Unity Stamps, Video Tutorial 10 Responses »

Oct 092009

I wrote the first SCS tutorials back in 2003, can you believe it? Well…they look like it. So I am trying to slowly but surely to redo them.

Here is my new take on the Crayon Resist technique. For this sample I stamped the image in Tuxedo Black Ink, then colored it with Copic Markers (YG23, YG25, YR65, YR68). Then white Crayon was added over the colored image and a bit to the side of it.

The card base is a 4 1/4″ x 11″ piece of Aruba Core’dinations Cardstock folded in half. Next a 3 1/2″ x 4 5/8″ piece of 7Gypsies Capri Patterned Paper was taped on a 3 3/4″ x 4 7/8″ piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock. Both layers were stitched together (yes, I love that I have my sewing machine out of the basement, in my stamp area now).

The 1 5/8″ x 3 1/2″ piece of Kiwi Kiss cardstock was stamped with Floral Edge in Shabby Shutter Distress ink. The edges were distressed and sponged. A 1″ x 3 1/2″ strip of Chocolate Chip cardstock was cut and embossed with Eyelet Borderabilities, taped underneath the Kiwi Layer and stitched to it. White Organdy Ribbon from SU was tied to the right edge. A Prima Flower was taped over the ribbon with dimensionals. It has a Recollection brad in it’s center.

The main image is from Unity’s Gratitude = Joy stamp set. It was stamped and colored, then cut out with Label Four Nestabilities. It was layered on a size bigger label cut out of Chocolate Chip. That layer had been embossed with a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder and sponged with Vintage Photo Distress ink. The sentiment is also from Gratitude = Joy. It was stamped in Tuxedo Black Ink, punched out with the 1″ circle punch, sponged with Shabby Shutter Distress ink, layered on a 1 1/4″ Chocolate Chip circle and the edges were paper pierced.

Here is a video for the visual learner:

Have a wonderful weekend! We are having friends visiting from Illinois. It will be great!

Hugs and smiles

Weekend Sketch Challenge #101

weekend sketch challenge 13 Responses »

Oct 092009

Here is the sketch for this weekend:

To participate in the challenge, make a card with this layout and upload it either to your blog, or to an online gallery.
If you upload your card on SCS, put WSC101 (NO SPACE INBETWEEN WSC AND 101) in the keyword section. That way we can look at all of them at once! Add a link to your card to either Mr. Linky, or as a comment to this thread so I can go and check it out.

To see samples made with this sketch now, check out the blogs of

Cambria Turnbow

Charmaine Ikach

Jenn Balcer

Laurie Schmidlin

MaryJo Albright

Sharon Harnist

Have fun creating! I can’t wait to see what you come up with.

SCS submissions

Mambo Smile

Creatopia, Nestabilities, Tutorials, Verve Stamps, Video Tutorial 9 Responses »

Oct 082009

My Bermuda Bay card base measures 4 1/4″ x 8 1/2″ . It was dry embossed and cut with the Xyron Creatopia. A piece of Thoroughly Modern designer paper was taped to the top and sanded. White May Arts Satin Ribbon was tied around it.

The image is from Verve’s stamp set Abundant Blessings. It was stamped with Melon Mambo ink, cut out with Circle Nestabilities and first layered on a slightly bigger Chocolate chip circle, then on a Whisper White Scallop Circle. Another piece of Thoroughly Modern Designer Paper was taped to the inside of the card front.

To see the Creatopia cutting and dry embossing, check this video:

I shot this video before receiving a second wheel guide from Xyron. The second wheel guide helps cutting paper straighter.

Blog Candy for a Cause

Chitter Chatter 1 Response »

Oct 072009

Nikki Schmaltz contacted me and asked me if I could help draw attention to her donation/blog candy. I told her I would be more then happy to as long as she writes it. I am horrible with writing up big posts. So here is her post:

Hi! My name is Nikki Schmaltz. I am currently holding a Blog Candy for a Cause event on my blog. I am celebrating my first year of blogging with some blog candy, but I am also trying to help someone in need of a little good in her life. Priscilla is a special person I “met” through stamping. She was recently diagnosed with cancer and then lost her job and health insurance. My goal is to raise ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS to go towards her medical bills. I am asking for individuals to donate a minimum of $5 towards Priscilla’s Medical Fund to be entered into a VERY LARGE blog candy giveaway. You can read more about My Blog Candy for a Cause HERE.

I am also offering a challenge in honor of Priscilla by making a card the Make a Child Smile foundation. I have an additional prize for this challenge as well. Are you up for the challenge? You can view all the details HERE.

I want to extend a very special thank you to Beate for helping me to spread the word about something that is very close to my heart. Thank you Beate for being so generous!