Running With Scissors…

I originally posted this in the Splitcoast Color Challenge since Emily had posted it early enough to help me decide how I would finish this card.  The idea was to use pink with any neutrals and maybe it’s a stretch, but green feels like a neutral to me.  It’s considered a neutral in the garden.  I’ve since removed any reference to it, though.  I decided the green was too much of a stretch, even though Emily was very gracious about it!

I had another stamp in mind to use tonight, but because of the Color Challenge I went in this direction instead, inspired by a bottle of conditioner I’ve been looking at in the shower every morning.  It’s funny where we get our ideas, isn’t it?  It’s the pretty pink and green leaves that I was admiring on the bottle.  I just started stamping the Best Blossoms leaves in Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery on a scrap of Very Vanilla, then added the sentiment in Chocolate Chip.  I sponged the edges with pink, distressed, and then smudged a little Creamy Caramel on the distressed edges.  Everything else evolved around that.  I matted the leaf panel on Certainly Celery, stamped in Old Olive with the flowers from the same set.  That panel was then matted onto a narrow border of Vanilla to keep it from melting into the background.  All the edges of everything are sponged with Creamy Caramel.  I added the clip with the pink organdy ribbon and copper cord, then set all that aside while I put the background pieces together.

Gosh, I sure covered up a lot of that paper, didn’t I?  I tried to allow a smidgen of pink to show at the top of the card.  There’s a layer of Close to Cocoa Linen on Vanilla in there, too.  I stamped the flowers on it in pink, again mostly covered by the main image.  The card base is Chocolate Chip with a layer of Old Olive under the Stella Ruby. 

Thank you so much for visiting with me and Stella today!  I hope your Tuesday is a good one!

I know, I’m not in the mood for Christmas cards, either!  I guess that’s why I always wait until the last minute to get these 2007 Challenge cards done.  There’s actually more involved here than I planned at first, with all the Cuttlebugging, layering, punching, ribbon tying, sponging, embossing and coloring of the stamped image.  I also lined and stamped the insides and made coordinating envelopes with the Bold Snowflakes wheel.  I’m happy to say that I’m now well acquainted with my Cuttlebug, not to mention I’ve got ten more Christmas cards done.

The card laying in the foreground shows some of the sparkle of the Stardust embossing powder on Night of Navy Craft ink.  After I stamped, embossed and colored the images I punched them with the small tag punch, glued them on Real Red cardstock and punched with the large tag punch.  So handy!  I added tabs (Word Window punch) with silver brads, and the tags were then layered onto Holiday Thyme paper with Night of Navy sponged around the edges.  The Olive border is Holiday Thyme paper, too, layered onto Night of Navy cardstock and tied with red gingham ribbon.

Well, that’s it for this month’s Christmas cards.  I’ve got two months left in this challenge since I committed myself to ten cards a month for six months.  You can sign up any time, if you’re interested–just follow the link which I included in the first paragraph of this post.  I hope you all had a nice weekend!  It’s back to work for me now (insert sad face here).

You know Rose Ann, don’t you?  She posted this card recently on her blog, Paper Delightz, and when I left a comment about how much I loved it little did I know that it would wind up in my mailbox!  Thank you, Rose Ann!  Isn’t it just pure delight?  I love how she combined this piece of Petals & Paisley paper with the punched flowers, the scallops and the Cuttlebugged background.  I have this fun embossing folder, but I’ve been so lax about using my Cuttlebug.  I’ll have to do something about that.

Rose Ann has posted several more great designs since this card, so it’s worth the trip to hop on over there and take a look.  She’s an awesome stamper as well as a very nice person.  She found my blog when I first started it and she’s been supportive and kind right from the beginning.  I love RAKs and this one sure made my day!

Oh, dear, I’ve been tagged a couple more times (that I know of)–something different on this go around:

Kirsten over at Confessions of a Naptime Stamper says I’m supposed to list 10 wierd things about myself.

Paula at Love Blooms in Me says to simply tell you 7 things about myself.

Well, let’s see…I ought to be able to come up with at least 7 things, but I don’t know how wierd they’ll be.  Maybe I’ll fall somewhere in between:

1.  I’m !% years old and I have a mouth full of braces.  They’re due to come off around October and I’m heading straight to the popcorn and caramels!

2.  Okay, this sounds a little odd:  When I was a young girl, drying dishes in my Mom’s kitchen, I always felt irrationally sorry for the last piece of silverware to be put away–like it was the last kid picked for the team, you know.  So I always dried the last few pieces in one bunch and dropped them in the drawer all at the same time.  Boy, that does sound a little wierd, doesn’t it?  I’d forgotten about that.  Will you still come back and visit me, now?

 3.  I just got done counting them–I have 13 stamp sets that have never had even one stamp in the set inked yet.  That’s just the SU! sets–there’s actually more that I didn’t count.  Maybe I should make that a personal challenge. 

4.  My husband is the great love of my life.  Come what may, there will never be another.  No need.  I’ve been very lucky.

5.  I admire people who are brave enough to publicly share their personal struggles and inner turmoils, knowing others will benefit from the sharing.  Thank goodness for them.

6.  I read more before I started stamping.  I also used to clean house more, be more organized, sew, remember to feed the cat…you get the picture.

7.  I love to be outside around the grand things of nature–huge vistas; deep, starry skies; thundering ocean waves.  It helps scale down my worries and put my place on earth in a whole different perspective.  Swap deadlines and job stress, for instance, feel a lot less significant in those settings.

Well, that’s 7 things–probably enough.  Now I’ll tag 7 stampers from my blogroll:

Kim @ Inked.  She’s my sister-in-law and downline.  A relatively new stamper and doing an awesome job as a stamper and Stampin’ Up! demonstrator.

Libby @ Libby’s Little Addiction.  I love her enthusiasm (and her flower photos)!

Vicki @ Summerthyme Studio.  She’s been doing some pretty cool stuff over there.  Be sure and check all the way through to some of her older posts, too. 

Cambria @ Stamp a Little Love Baby.  My friend and upline.  She’s a trendsetter and stamping diva.  Always coming up with a great idea!

Tracy @ Inky Dreamz.  She’s got some sweet stuff over there.  I see she’s been recently tagged, but I’ll tag her anyway.

Lindsey @ Embellished.  I’m sure she’s been tagged 100 times, but I love her to pieces and she’s got some more blog candy coming up pretty soon that you won’t want to miss!

Amy @ Prairie Paper & Ink.  As if you haven’t visted her blog before!  She’s already been tagged so I don’t expect her to go again, but I love her question and answer thing she’s got going on.

Honestly, every blog on my blogroll is super and I visit them almost daily.  Most have already been tagged.  It’s hard to pick out just seven!  There’s a plethora of other great blogs I’m discovering as I go along and I add them to my list as time allows.  Enjoy!

Here’s three 4 1/4″ square cards, each using a different sheet of the SU! Petals and Paisley double sided designer paper.  The layers are the same sheet of paper, just alternated sides.  Two of the cards feature the Doodle Alphabet and the middle card features a flower from Doodle That.  The cardstock colors are Pretty in Pink, Cool Caribbean, Regal Rose, So Saffron, and Certainly Celery.  Each has a paper covered slide mount forming a frame for the main image.  For anyone who hasn’t tried covering a slide mount before, I’ve shared easy instructions below:

1.        2. 

1.  Cut a piece of designer paper slightly larger than your slide mount.  Adhere slide mount to the back side of the paper and trim snugly around the edges.

2.  Sand the edges, if necessary, to smooth out any uneven or rough spots.  I use fine grain sand paper, but a sanding block or emery board will work, too.

3.        4. 

3.  Lay the slide mount paper side down and cut an X through the frame.

4.  Fold the paper flaps from the front to the back and adhere flat to the back of the slide mount.  Trim off any overhang.

Now you’ve got a cute little frame and all you need is an image or greeting for the inside!  I hope you enjoy!

It’s Ruby Tuesday again, my day with Stella — BasicGrey Stella Ruby paper.  Actually, it’s Monday night where I am, but I don’t want to wait until morning to post this in case I oversleep again.  I’ve created a new category called “Ruby Tuesday” so you can go there to see all the Stella Ruby items if you’d like.  With the addition of this card there’s all of three projects in there now.  I added My Mom’s Buttons (altered oatmeal box) since I used Stella Ruby paper on it, even though I didn’t post it on a Tuesday.  I foresee many projects being added to that category; I’ve barely made a dent in this 12 x 12 paper pack!  This could go on forever! 

This paper is certainly making me look at some older sets.  I used Stampin’ Up!’s Stippled Stencils on this card, along with “my friend” from the newer Blossoms Abound.  I’m fond of the vintage look and Stella Ruby is so beautifully vintage, even though she can take on other looks as well.  I’ll have to do some experimenting, but right now I’m enjoying vintage on Tuesdays.

Somehow I saw coral in this paper.  I’m not so sure about that now, but I believe I like these colors which I’ve never teamed up before — Cameo Coral, Not Quite Navy and Bravo Burgundy.  I did Coral on Coral with the TP Technique and smudged some Close to Cocoa here and there.  The organdy ribbon was curled with my heat gun — just apply heat to the ribbon in the same manner as embossing and watch it curl.  I love the look!  Organdy ribbons will react differently to this process but I’ve found that the SU! ribbon can really take the heat.  It’s best to experiment a little.  I tie the ribbon on the card before I curl it.  The heat may warp the card ever so slightly but, just as with embossing, it will relax as it cools.

I’m loving Tuesdays now and I hope you’re enjoying them, too.  Gosh, what shall I do next Tuesday, I wonder…?

When I first started taking digital photos of my projects, as opposed to scanning them, I would hurry home on my lunch hour to photograph them in the natural light of my kitchen window.  This wasn’t always satisfactory in the dark days of winter.  I wondered how others were managing the bright, attractive photos I admired in their galleries.  Does everyone have Ott lights?  I asked my friend, Linda (SCS labullard), what she was using for her photos and she told me about these lightbulbs.  I’m eternally grateful to her.  I’m often the last person to learn of these things, but I thought I’d share this information with any of you who may not be familiar with this inexpensive alternative to Ott lights.

I use these bulbs in two lamps when I take my photographs, ideally one at the side of the project and one a little more in front, but slightly further away than the lamp at the side.  I take the photograph from the side opposite the lamp so I get a good shot of the shadow cast by anything dimensional.  The lamp that’s positioned at the side will help produce the shadow and the lamp at the front will help brighten the subject and keep the shadow from being too exaggerated.  I’m not a photography expert and I’m often still frustrated and disappointed with the quality of my photos, but I’ve been much happier since I started using these lightbulbs.  You can get them just about anywhere–I got these at a local hardware store.  If I remember correctly, they were about $5 or $6 each.  I hope this helps someone who’s been wondering like I was.  Now, back to stamping!

When I posted my Flower Spots card Denise asked how I manage to cut a straight line with decorative edge scissors.  I’ve been asked that question often enough to make me think it might be nice to illustrate the answer here with this card.   It was also just a darn good excuse to stamp!  Thanks, Denise!

I had some SU! double sided designer papers out, working on my hostess club project (which I’ll post later), and I was having so much fun with them I decided to dig deeper into the pile until I unearthed this Four Seasons paper that I’d just about forgotten.  The main body of this design is the flip side of the striped border along the bottom edge.  I chose Bashful Blue and Creamy Caramel cardstock to coordinate.  The sentiment, stamped in Bravo Burgundy, is one of four stamps in the That’s Nice set from the current SU! mini catalog.  The flower is from Simply Said.  I inked it with Bashful Blue and outlined it with the Brocade Blue marker, stamped it on Very Vanilla and used both of my large SU! circle punches and a brad to turn it into a simple accent piece.  The ribbon is SU!’s burgundy grosgrain. 

Now, about those scallops…the piece shown in this picture is the flip side of the border that’s on the bottom edge of the card.  When I use my decorative edge scissors I make sure I always have a line to use as a guide.  In this case I placed my clear ruler near the paper’s edge and drew a line.  Most decorative edge scissors require about 1/8″ space for the cut.  I keep my eye on the peak of the scissor’s design and line the peak up with my guide (the pencil line).   That’s all there is to it!

On this card I then glued the designer paper to the Bashful Blue cardstock and used the scallops I’d already cut as my guide to trim the blue edge.  The guide could also be another layer of paper adhered to the piece you wish to scallop.  Any guide or point of reference will work as long as you keep your eye on the peak of the design and touch the peak to the guide as you cut.

Now, I’m hitting the hay for a good night’s sleep!  I’ll be up early to prepare for my hostess club party.  As usual, I’ve left way too much for the last minute.  Have a wonderful Sunday!

Yes, my wish came true–a beautiful, sunny day!

I managed to plant all the flowers I purchased yesterday, a lot more than the three gerberas shown in this first photo.  See the coffee filters in the bottom of the pots?  I use the coffee filters to prevent the dirt from falling out the hole in the bottom of the pot.  Water can drain, but no dirt washes out onto the patio.

The second photo is my favorite spot to spend a Spring afternoon.  When I’m done gardening for the day I like to sit here with a cool drink and a good book, but I usually wind up drifting off to the sounds of the garden and our suburban forest.  Today an owl was hooting in the tree tops all day long.  From a distance it sounded a bit like a dove cooing, but when it flew by screeching there was no doubt it was an owl.  One rainy evening an owl came to perch in the low branches above our garden shed.  His hoots were as loud and as resonant as those of the howler monkeys I’ve heard on TV and he was so huge I was afraid for our cat, Marvin, when he headed out in that direction.  Do owls eat cats?  I didn’t want to find out the hard way so I called Marvin back inside.

The third and last photo is a willow leaf maple.  Isn’t it gorgeous?  I was planting impatiens in a large pot that sits in its shade, but I had to take a moment to appreciate its beauty.  Would you say that’s Cranberry Crisp?  Or Ruby Red?  There’s no doubt about the Garden Green and Bashful Blue in the background.  Hmmmm…color challenge?  Nature does take liberties…

The forecast says rain tomorrow, so I feel lucky to have enjoyed this day outside.  I won’t mind the rain because I need to prepare a project for a party on Sunday, get my hair cut and do a little housework.

I’m happy to share my time in the garden with you, but I know you’re here for the stamping so I hope to have a project for you tomorrow.  Denise asked a question in her comment on my Flower Spots card regarding the use of scallop scissors so I’ll try to address that tomorrow, too.  It’ll require a photo to illustrate the “technique”.  Here’s wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Hello, again!  So far, so good–a post every day this week.  I’ll definitely be slowing down when I go back to work next week, but this has been fun!

I didn’t have much time to stamp today with so much running around to do.  Along with everything else I wound up standing out in the rain selecting annuals for my flower pots.  This was supposed to be my Spring gardening vacation, but so far it’s been drizzly and chilly most days.

This was a fairly quick card, thanks to my scrap drawer.  The Seeing Spots circles were already stamped in Really Rust and cut out with scallop scissors.  It was just an idea I was playing with but didn’t have a plan for actually using them.  They were the start of my color combo which was finalized when I pulled this Rustic Retreat ribbon from the drawer.  So, out came the Always Artichoke and Really Rust for the card base and first layer.  The scrap drawer yielded some coordinating strips I could piece together, lucky me.  I didn’t even cut them except to fit across the card.  By this time I knew how I was going to arrange the circles and the ribbon, but I wanted a lighter layer to make everything pop.  So, without overthinking it like I usually do, I stamped Canvas in Creamy Caramel on Naturals White.  The Little Pieces flowers in Arthchoke and Rust made a fun border top and bottom and tied in with the focal images.  All in a Row and the Queen and Company brad dressed up the plain Caramel strip and added a little more balance.  The sentiment is from All Year Cheer I.  Everything except the brad is a Stampin’ Up! product.

I don’t usually think of these fun-type images in terms of earthy colors, but I love the way these colors and stamps look together!  What a nice surprise!  Don’t you just love it when that happens?  Now, to settle down for a quiet evening.  I’m hoping for a sunny day tomorrow so I can weed and plant flowers.  Wish me luck!  I hope you have a good day, too!