Running With Scissors…

There have been a lot of questions regarding my new blog location as to how, exactly, one goes about subscribing.  There’s a “subscribe” button in the navigation bar along the blog header which may be causing some confusion.  Frankly, I’ve clicked on it and I’m not quite sure what its function is.  It opens the blog in a reader format, but I don’t see an option for subscribing.  Since I don’t entirely understand it, I’m going to leave it there for the time being.

So here’s the straight scoop on subscribing, for those of you who may still be wondering:

• See the photo of me in the upper right corner.  Beneath that photo is a link that says “Subscribe to Running With Scissors… “.  Click to open a window which includes a “Subscribe now!” box.
• Within that box are a number of options for subscribing through a web-based reader, such as Google or Yahoo.  There is also a link which says “Get Running With Scissors… delivered by email“.  Click on that link to open the Feedburner subscription form.  You’ll type your  email address in one field, and in another field you’ll type the letters it gives you to prove you’re a real person.  Then click “Complete subscription request”.
• You’ll receive an email asking you to do one more click to further verify that you’re a real person.  You’ll then start receiving emails when I post.

Thanks so much!  I hope this helps.  Have a good day!

 –  Leslie

I have officially moved to my new TypePad blog.  Hopefully, one of these days the rest of this blog will go with me.

You can find me –> here.

Thank you!

  –  Leslie

Hello, friends!  I’m testing out TypePad for a possible blog switchover.  I don’t know if it will be better or worse, but I sure do like all of its features.  My post that was supposed to happen here on Saturday didn’t happen… and it’s not the first time.  If I can do something to make my blogging experience more comfortable and less worrisome, I feel I should take advantage of it.

I’m not really certain if my new blog is working correctly yet.  So…  I have a favor to ask:  If you have a moment, will you please drop in to my > new location< and leave a comment so I’ll know it worked?  If you can’t reach the blog or something else goes wrong, I’d sure appreciate it if you’d come back to this post and tell me about it.

I know I should be able to export this blog to its new home, but I followed all the rules and only a few files transferred over.  Why some and not others?  I sure don’t know.  I hope I’ll someday be able to accomplish that task successfully.  For now, the new blog’s content is a little skimpy, and I sincerely regret that.  It’s still under construction, too, as far as the design, blogroll, etc. goes.  Honestly, I’m a little nervous.

I’m sorry to put you to any additional trouble, but I’m afraid you’ll need to subscribe to the new blog, if you so desire.  Thank you so much for your patience and understanding.  I’ll await your replies…  Have a wonderful day!

The last new Flourishes set to be previewed this week is Lace Edges.  Well, hold me back — it’s a beauty!  The set gives you a variety of lace edges and bits of trim to enhance your card designs. 

Today I used one of the “bits of trim” which can be stamped as a single accent, or stamped repeatedly to make a border or, as in this case, a circle.  Aligned very easily on this Spellbinders Labels One Nestie, it forms a perfect circle.  The circle is so perfect, in fact, I was tempted to stamp the sentiment directly inside it, but I’m a layering kind of gal… maybe next time.

I chose to stamp the lace in black on white because the design is so exquisite, I wanted you to be sure and get a good look at it.  The detail is incredible on each of the stamps in this set.  Oh, my, such elegant cards!

If you’d like a chance to win Lace Edges, please visit the Flourishes Newsletter today.  You’ll find details about the release party there, as well.

Visit the team and treat your eyes to more lacy and lovely creations:  Christine, Cindy, Julie, Latisha, and Stacy

Thank you so much for dropping in.  I’ll have one more card to share tomorrow, along with a full reveal of all the new sets.  This has been so much fun!  Take care, and have a wonderful weekend!  

Stamps:  Lace Edges, Many Sentiments  Paper:  Basic Black, Flourishes Classic White, Pink Passion  Ink:  Adirondack Pitch Black  Accessories:  Ribbon, rhinestones, Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Circle Nesties and Labels One Nesties,  Cuttlebug Floral Fantasy embosing folder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Tag Lines is a sentiment set which will be released by Flourishes this Friday night after the party on Splitcoaststampers.  These sentiments were designed specifically to fit inside the Spellbinders Fancy Tags (which, alas, I don’t have, but hope to get my hands on ASAP).  All details about the party and how you can win Tag Lines or all four new release sets can be found on Flourishes’ Newsletter.

I had quite a bit of fun creating this Valentine set, selecting several of the Tag Lines sentiments that remind me of the phrases found on conversation hearts.  I combined them with the locket which is part of the Angelic Love set previewed yesterday.

I wanted to make a circle card, but without the flat upper edge fold, so I made a circular card base and adhered the scalloped circle over that.  The card is 4″ in diameter and fits in the small square envelopes from Flourishes.  Do you see the tiny x’s and o’s that follow the scalloped edge?  That’s one of the small stamps in Angelic Love which I curved and stamped repeatedly.

Tag Lines and those little x’s and o’s are stamped inside, as well.

The match box treats are so fun and easy to make.  Each contains a Hershey’s Miniature, covered in matching paper.

I’m excited for you to see what the rest of the team is sharing today, so be sure and visit:  Christine, Cindy, Julie, Latisha, and Stacy 

There’s more to come tomorrow with a set that’s sure to show up on many of my cards in the future.  I hope you’ll have time to stop by!  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Tag Lines, Angelic Love  Paper:  Flourishes Classic Ivory, Mambo Melon, SU! Razzleberry Lemonade designer paper  Ink:  Mambo Melon, Memento Rich Cocoa, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, rhinestones, Spellbinders scalloped and classic circle Nestabilities

I’m delighted to share this most pretty little angel with you today as we begin the previews of Flourishes’ January releases.  The name of this set is Angelic Love.  It’s a small set with beautiful sentiments and pretty images and I’ve been having myself quite an enjoyable time creating with it.

Although I used a very soft and subtle ink color, you probably also notice the Clouds background on the image panel.  It’s another new release this month, and by far the best clouds background I’ve ever come across.

My angel is watercolored, cut out, and popped up on foam mounting tape to float freely on her own special little cloud in Heaven.  After I gave her wings some gray shading, I painted over them with Angel Wings Shimmerz, then added Stickles glitter for good measure.  The photo below shows more detail, including the Valentine sentiment on the angel’s flowing ribbon.  There are a number of tiny sentiments to fit in that space — tiny, but they stamp with amazing clarity.

Be sure to stop by the Newsletter to read more details about these stamps, and for a one day opportunity to win them.  See the pre-release challenge for an opportunity to win all four sets being released this month.  Please do visit the rest of the team, as well.  You’ll find something different and inspiring at each stop:  Christine, Cindy, Julie, Latisha, and Stacy 

I hope you’ll return tomorrow for the next preview.  There are few things I enjoy more than new stamps!  Have a wonderful day!

Stamps:  Angelic Love, Clouds  Paper:  Textured white (something old from Wal-Mart), Soft Sky, Flourishes Classic White, watercolor  Ink:  Palette Umber, Soft Sky, Bayou Blue, various SU! inks for watercoloring, Shimmerz Angel Wings paint  Accessories:  Ribbon, pearls, Spellbinders Foliage Frame Frameabilities, Stickles glitter, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

This is a rather bold look for Stella — just trying something different.  Frankly, I needed a quick card at the end of the weekend, and where I might have inserted a colored image within the black and copper frame (which may have softened the look), I opted for a simple stamped sentiment instead.

The layout and frame were made ahead, as are most of my upcoming Stella cards — just trying to use up the paper once and for all (BasicGrey Stella Ruby designer paper), though I’m sure I’ll feel a sense of loss when Stella’s gone.  She’s been with me for so long.

All the “parts” I used for this card are listed in the recipe, below.  I must hurry off, as Wally needs some play time.  Lots more coming this week!  Happy Ruby Tuesday!

Stamps:  Many Sentiments (Flourishes)  Paper:  Basic Black, copper brushed metallic, BasicGrey Stella Ruby designer paper  Ink:  Palette Noir  Accessories:  Ribbon, copper cord, Hero Arts flower, Flourishes Finishing Touches copper floral embellishment, brads, Spellbinders Classic Frame Frameabilities and Oval Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

This is going to be a busy week on the blog… much more than my usual.  Today is Card #2 with my Set of the Month, tomorrow Ruby Tuesday, and Wednesday through Saturday I’ll be sharing Flourishes previews.  Needless to say, I’ve been doing a lot of stamping!

I’ve devoted every Monday in January to this Impression Obsession set called Gardening.  It’s new to me, but has probably been around for a while.  The full set can be seen here.  The piercing around the circle would have been stitching had I not run out of bobbin thread before it was finished.  Gee, it was going so well, too.  Coloring was done with Copics.

Since I’ll be doing so much typing this week I’m going to keep my posts brief and hope, for the most part, you simply enjoy looking.  With that I’ll wish you a happy Monday, and maybe we can meet here again tomorrow!

Stamps:  Gardening (Impression Obsession), All Year Cheer sentiment (Stampin’ Up!)  Paper:  Textured white, Apricot Appeal, BasicGrey Urban Prairie designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Pumpkin Pie, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Offray ribbon, Prima flowers, 5/8″ circle punch, Martha Stewart border punch, Spellbinders circle Nestabilities, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Well, here we are again at Flourishes’ Pre-Release Challenge, a forerunner to next week’s previews of the new stamp sets!  January’s challenge is all about love, love, love.  It makes us happy, silly, sweet, shy.  It breaks our hearts and makes the world go ’round.  It’s a many-splendored thing.  When you prepare for this challenge, think about all the different kinds of love — a mother’s love, puppy love, love in bloom, love of a lifetime.  For more details about the challenge, please see the Flourishes Newsletter –> here.  You could possibly win four new stamp sets!

I was thinking never-ending, romantic, love of a lifetime kind of love when I made my card.  It’s most definitely a Valentine.  I found just about everything I needed in the I Love Roses set, including “Happy Valentine’s Day” for the inside.  On the white panel I added those pretty Ornamental Elements swirls that I love so much.  I made the book of love with Spellbinders Labels Seven Nestabilities.  A little simple trimming was necessary to achieve the desired size of the panels:

• Cut and emboss the red book cover from the largest die in the set.  Trim off embossed edge, then emboss the entire shape with an embossing folder to give it some texture.  I used a Cuttlebug and my Provo-Craft Mesh folder.
• Cut and emboss two white panels from the next-to-the-largest die.  Trim off the embossed edge of one.  This will be the top pages on which you will stamp.
• Trim the other white shape just enough to make the pages meet in the center, as though bound like the pages of a book.
• After stamping and coloring, score the top white pages down the center and curve them around your finger to give them a little lift.  Place a narrow strip of foam mounting tape vertically down the center of each page to hold it in place.
• Add a bookmark and adhere pages to book cover.

Let’s go take a look at some more lovely creations by the equally lovely Flourishes gals:   Christine, Cindy, Latisha, and Stacy 

Have fun with the challenge!  Thanks so much for stopping by today.  Happy Friday to all!

Stamps:  I Love Roses, Ornamental Elements  Paper:  Real Red, Flourishes Classic White  Ink:  Real Red, Memento Tuxedo Black, Adirondack Pitch Black  Accessories:  Offray ribbon, Stunning Slide (Flourishes Finishing Touches), red rhinestones, black photo corners, Cuttlebug Mesh embossing folder, Spellbinders Labels Seven Nestabilities, Scotch brand foam mounting tape, heart punch 

Some of you remember my Ruby Tuesday posts.  This post probably explains it best, so I won’t repeat myself, but I will mention that Ruby Tuesdays were all about the BasicGrey Stella Ruby designer paper collection.  Where did Stella go?  Well, let’s just say she’s been resting.

During my stamp room clean out last week I sorted my designer papers.  Perhaps it’s going too far to say I “sorted” them.  It would be more fitting to say I “weeded” them, specifically my Stampin’ Up! papers.  Not picking on Stampin’ Up! or anything, but I had so many papers from a dozen collections, and no hope in the real world of ever using all of them.  So, one by one, I sorted them into piles, throwing out the scraps, keeping the full sheets I’m more likely to use, and bagging up the others to give away.  I was as ruthless as when I sorted the stamps (see yesterday’s post).

And then there was Stella.  Stella Ruby.  On the top shelf in her seat of honor above all the other designer papers.

Well, I sat right down and started making Stella layouts.  I had nine cards in various stages of completion before you could say “Ruby Tuesday”.  Among the scraps was this stamped panel, so it became my first card.  Now, Stella can be much prettier than this, it’s true, but there’s something about this card I really like.  It’s earthy, simple, clean, and it feels good in my hand.  The leaves are a stamp from Rubbernecker.  If I could find the stamp on their site, I would provide a link, but I’ve looked to no avail.  I stamped it once in Chocolate, then stamped it again, slightly offset, without reinking, to create the shadow effect.

I put the card together and then remembered I wanted to add brads to the main image panel.  Too late for brads, and pearls or rhinestones would have been too fancy.  So… those squares which appear to be brads are actually Page Pebbles – clear epoxy stickers which I stuck on Chocolate cardstock, then trimmed around and glued to the panel.  Anything self-adhesive is great for these afterthoughts or goofs, which is why I love my pearls and rhinestone so much.

Here’s a peek at Stella waiting to happen, complete with sticky notes with design ideas (just a peek):

The thing about making the layouts first (see this post), is once I’ve got the layout made, the rest of the card is a cinch.  It’s the layouts that take me forever.  However, if I’m making a layout with no particular image in mind, it goes together very quickly.  Then, suddenly, I know exactly the image I want to use on the card and I have to stop myself from finishing it then and there.  Many of these layouts-in-waiting have the images already stamped and ready to color, and some have actually been completed (when I couldn’t stop myself).  I’m ready for several more Ruby Tuesdays.

And so these SU! papers remain (these and many more).  We won’t even talk about all the 6×6 pads and the non-SU! 12×12’s.  Heaven help me!  I need to get a grip!  But won’t it be fun making all those layouts and coloring images for them?  I think so!

Thanks so much for sitting with me today while I do all the talking.  Feel free to jump in any time.  I love to hear (read) what you have to say.  It’s most enjoyable to kick back on a work night and read your side of the conversation.  Stella will be with us again next Tuesday.  Let’s see…what shall she stamp next…?  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Rubbernecker leaves, sentiment from SU! Vases in Vogue  Paper:  Bazzill chocolate, SU! textured Old Olive, Flourishes Classic Ivory, BasicGrey Stella Ruby designer paper  Ink:  Chocolate Chip  Accessories:  Twill ribbon, Page Pebbles, 3/4″ and 1″ circle punches, Scotch brand foam mounting tape