Running With Scissors…

Hello, friends!  I was a little scarce online this weekend but less time on the computer allowed me time to clean and decorate the house and get a little Christmas shopping done.  Lights are twinkling inside and out and there’s presents waiting to be wrapped.  There’s also a present sitting under the tree for me.  Hmmmm…I wonder what it is?  My husband seemed pretty proud of himself when he toted it home.  I know what I hope it is…it’s about the right size…he shouldn’t have spent all that money, though…well, maybe he didn’t.  Oh, the suspense is killing me! 

In spite of all these Christmas activities I don’t have a Christmas card for you today.  Instead, I have a birthday card.

The folks at work have enjoyed the convenience of my portable card-shop-in-a-basket but I’m afraid it’s become woefully understocked.  I spent a little time last week stamping and coloring a few images so they’d be ready to turn into the bright, fun, sparkly birthday cards that everyone seems to love.  I didn’t figure I’d be using this cupcake for one of my Stella cards but it’s that time of the week again already.  So…Stella made her first cupcake card.

There’s nothing new here–I used the SU! set, Treat Yourself, that’s retired and the All About Birthdays wheel that’s on its way out.  Gee, they don’t last long, do they?  They still serve me well, though.  I made a very simple layout and used this particular piece of Stella Ruby paper because it’s rather colorful.  I used the 1/4″ square punch to make notches for the ribbon and the “HB” has a page pebble over it.  The cupcake’s frosting is dotted with Cinnamon Stickles and the candle flame is sparkled with Crystal Stickles.

I like to keep these cards-for-the-basket lightweight and without too much bulk.  I’ve made of point of learning how to reset and use the postage scale in our mailroom so my coworkers won’t have to concern themselves with these things.  If I do sell a heavier card I’ll always weigh it first and mark it as requiring 58 cents postage, etc.  Even with the inside sentiment panel lined with Whisper White and a protective sheet of cardstock placed over the card front, this card will not require extra postage.  Because of the protective sheet, the toothy card-eating machine at the post office won’t realize what a tasty little morsel just slipped through its grasp.  Score one for the stampers.

I will be posting more this week so I hope you’ll come back.  I know everyone’s pretty busy right now…  Stay well and enjoy your holiday activities!

Stamps:  Treat Yourself, All About Birthdays jumbo wheel, It’s Your Birthday

Paper:  Barely Banana, Creamy Caramel, Whisper White, BasicGrey Stella Ruby designer paper

Ink:  Basic Black, Summer Sun, Creamy Caramel, markers for coloring

Accessories:  Taupe grosgrain ribbon, Caramel gingham ribbon, page pebble, eyelets, 1/4″ square punch, slot punch, large oval punch, Scotch brand dimensional mounting tape

When I think of Stella Ruby I think of the pretty papers in the collection but, as you can see, I didn’t use any of them on this card.  A friend asked me for a masculine birthday card and, of course, I don’t have any that I’ve made ”just because”, so I tried to put a quick one together and combine it with my Ruby Tuesday post.  It’s not as much fun as the pretty cards but, darn it, we all need a guy card once in a while, don’t we?  She wondered if I had anything “sort of beachy” and this SU! retired Stipple Shells set is still one of my no frills favorites.

All of the images are embossed and color was applied with sponge daubers.  The background is a piece of Stella Ruby wheeled with By The Sea in Close to Cocoa.  I’d rather have done more with the layout and layering but I had to keep it lightweight.  Sometimes I get to fussing too much with a card and it takes me forever.  I really had to hurry with this so I told myself to just start sticking the pieces on there and see what happens.  Well, there’s a reason why I don’t like to do that — it never seems to come out quite right.  This one will have to do, though, because I’m out of time!  I’ll try to do something prettier the next time I stamp.  See you soon…  Happy Ruby Tuesday!

Stamps:  Stipple Shells, Riveting, By The Sea

Paper:  Close to Cocoa, Groovy Guava, Very Vanilla, BasicGrey Stella Ruby designer paper

Ink:  Close to Cocoa, Blush Blossom, Pretty in Pink, Barely Banana, Groovy Guava, Versamark

Accessories:  Offray trim, copper snaps, rust and brown embossing powders, 1 1/4″ and 5/8″ circle punches, Scotch brand dimensional mounting tape

I almost feel like I cheated on this Ruby Tuesday card because there’s not much Stella showing on it.  I wanted to step away from the Christmas cards for a moment and use my Fancy Pants From The Garden set.  I had the notion I could use the sage and saffron papers from the collection but once I stamped this image in Sage Shadow it looked so delicate and wispy, all the Stella Ruby papers seemed too heavy for it.  I was feeling Banana and Blush and sweetness and light.  I’d been fooled by the bold black image on the acetate sheet when I should have known better.  I’ve been surprised before by how color can change the character of a stamped image.

This is a rather large stamp, too.  I started out with a 4 1/4″ square image panel, thinking to mount it on a 5 1/4″ square card, but that left even less room for Stella and no room at all for the white organdy and blush taffeta ribbon I was determined to use.  I also immediately saw a Banana on white Floral background with this and…oh, geeze…this was getting further from Stella by the minute.  She is, however, a gracious lady and agreed to step quietly to the background just this once.  I couldn’t have done it without her, though.  There’s just enough sage with yellow highlights in this richly colored piece of Stella to save this card from pale oblivion.

This card measures 5″ by 7″ which seems huge to me but it’s actually the size of most cards you buy.  Buy?  Did I just say “cards you buy”?  Did you just feel a chill?  The white in the background is SU!’s textured cardstock, which I love.  The image is stamped on Whisper White and the swirls were outlined with my Blush Blossom marker.  I used a sponge dauber to add a little Barely Banana shading around the swirls.  The flower buds are colored with Barely Banana and Blush Blossom, some shading added with Really Rust and blended with the Blush Blossom marker.  It’s hard to make out all the detail in the photo but I think you can see some of the shading.  These little Primas are the same size and shape as the flowers that are part of the image so I thought they’d be a fun touch for a little dimension.  I dotted the centers with pink Ranger Liquid Pearls.  The panel was finished by sponging Blush Blossom around the edges.

The Circle of Friendship accent was stamped in Versamark and embossed with sage EP.  I cut around it with small scallop scissors and mounted it on a circle of the same Barely Banana Floral that’s in the background.  I was hoping to balance the design by bringing the background color to the fore and echoing the scallops and flower shape in the eyelets.

Well, this was fun for a change.  I’ve got more Christmas cards planned but I’d like to throw something like this into the mix once in a while, too.  I get to missing my flower cards this time of year…sigh…  Happy Ruby Tuesday!

Stamps:  From the Garden, Circle of Friendship, Floral

Paper:  Blush Blossom, textured white, Whisper White

Ink:  Blush Blossom, Sage Shadow, Barely Banana, markers

Accessories:  Ribbon, liquid pearls, 1 3/8″ circle punch, eyelets, Primas, scallop scissors, Scotch brand dimensional mounting tape

I was pretty sure if Stella could do Halloween, she could do Christmas, too.  I’ll be darned if she didn’t!  Stella can do anything in her own Stella kind of way.

This is another one of those old stamps I had at work and colored on my break.  No fancy shading, just plain old streaky marker coloring.  The stamp is a Running Rhino & Co. design for Uptown Rubber Stamps.  I have no idea if it’s still for sale anywhere but I sure do love the image.  This is exactly how it was colored on the label.  I didn’t have any particular plan for it until I realized these are Stella colors.  I ran one piece of Stella through the Cuttlebug to make the snowflakes and layered two others with some Martha Stewart twill.  The tab is made with the key tag punch.

So there you go — Stella Does Christmas!  I’m sorry I have to rush off now.  No time to linger today but maybe I can visit longer next time.  Take care and have a wonderful Ruby Tuesday!

Stamps:  Uptown Rubber Stamps Tree Dance

Paper:  Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Whisper White, BasicGrey Stella Ruby designer paper

Ink:  Basic Black, More Mustard, various markers for coloring

Accessories:  Martha Stewart twill, Making Memories brads, key tag punch, Snowflake Cuttlebug embossing folder, Scotch brand dimensional mounting tape

Hello, again, for another Ruby Tuesday!  I know, I know — does this paper never end?  Trust me, we’re getting there, and when we do, we’ll go out with a bang.  I’ll be planning a celebration…

I’ve stocked my cupboard at work with a few items from my stamp room — Basic Black and Basic Brown ink pads and quarter sheets of Whisper White and Very Vanilla cardstock, for instance.  I also carried in a selection of older, non-SU! stamps figuring I could bear to be without them at home since they’ve sat, for the most part, untouched since 2004.  That’s when I met SU!.  It’s only been recently that I’ve ventured beyond the SU! boundaries once again.

This autumn wreath by PSX is a timeless image and one worth hanging onto, I think.  The intricacy of its design makes the coloring of it a time-consuming proposition.  Each morning and afternoon break that wasn’t otherwise claimed was spent adding little bits of color and shading to the wreath with the SU! water based markers I’ve taken to carrying in my bag.  There was no hurry because, what the heck, I had nowhere to go other than back to work and I can’t think of a more enjoyable way to spend my breaks.  By the end of the week it was ready to bring home for the finishing touches.

I used a sponge tipped applicator to shade around the image with SU! chalk in Perfect Plum. The Hero Arts sentiment was stamped in Ruby Red.  The last step, and one that was vital to the final outcome, was to spray the finished piece with matte sealer.  The sealer has the effect of melding the different coloring mediums and intensifying the color.  I hope you’ll try it sometime so you can see for yourself.  I gave this four light coats with a few minutes drying time between each coat.

This large image is mounted on a 5 1/4″ square card, using Chocolate Chip and Summer Sun cardstocks as well as some of the wonderful SU! textured cardstock that I keep forgetting to use.  This piece is Ruby Red.  Sometimes texture is a nice substitute for pattern and with this busy image it seemed like a good way to go.  The designer paper is, of course, BasicGrey Stella Ruby.

I hope this finds you well on Ruby Tuesday!  Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Stamps:  PSX autumn wreath, Hero Arts sentiment

Paper:  Chocolate Chip, Summer Sun, Ruby Red textured, Very Vanilla, BasicGrey Stella Ruby designer paper

Ink:  Basic Brown, Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip (for sponging around the edges), various markers for coloring

Accessories:  Ribbon, hardware, Stampin’ Pastels soft chalk, spray matte sealer, Scotch brand dimensional mounting tape

It’s not my intention to skimp on my Ruby Tuesday card but sometimes it’s necessary to attempt an appealing card that can be finished in a minute (or ten).  With a bagful of these quote cards I’m determined to use and paper too pretty to cover up I decided to bring the two together again and satisfy the “quick card” requirement at the same time.

To tell you the truth, composition is one of my favorite aspects of the whole stamping process, which is why I enjoy cardmaking more than altering objects.  It’s like working with a miniature canvas on which the art in your mind’s eye is revealed, while at the same time decorating the room in which the art will be displayed.  I didn’t indulge much in the decoration of this card.  Rather, the art here is mostly prefabricated and it’s displayed in a sparsely decorated room but this simple message will be sent with no less sincerity than one arranged on a more intricate layout.

I cut quite a bit off the edges of the sentiment card and still had space to stamp those pretty leaves from SU!’s Wild Rose set.  It was just enough to settle it comfortably into its surroundings and allow me the satisfaction of having added my own decorative touch to this room.  Sometimes you just have to keep it simple or not do it at all (perish the thought).

I’m wishing you a very nice Tuesday and I hope you encounter many wonderful smiles.  Keep an eye out for them!  Sparse details are listed below.

Stamps:  Wild Rose

Paper:  Always Artichoke, Regal Rose, Rose Red, BasicGrey Stella Ruby designer paper

Ink:  Always Artichoke

Accessories:  Offray sheer ribbon, brads, Scotch brand dimensional mounting tape

This isn’t my usual type of Ruby Tuesday card, I know, but I need some Halloween cards for the few people I send them to every year.  I thought there must be some way I could get Halloween out of Stella Ruby and these pieces seemed to work just fine.  Actually, I was surprised to find that Stella has a downright sinister side to her personality.  Scared me a little.  So I put a friendly Jill-O-Lantern on her and she didn’t look quite so forbidding.

I used a combination of older CTMH and Hero Arts stamps to put this card together.  It’s been a while since I bought any new Halloween stamps so I’m afraid my Halloween cards may look a little dated.  I do enjoy the challenge of bringing out the old stamps and trying to get a new look out of them, though.

After I stamped this pumpkin I realized its face is completely smooth and unlined.  It must be a very young pumpkin.  I chose these stamps just so I could use my new black Stickles on the hat.  I didn’t think to glitter up the face until I saw these on Sophia Landry’s blog, Moonlight Inker.  How could I not be inspired by her adorable card?  Thanks, Sophia!  I’ll be sending this to a friend who not only loves glitter but could use a little sparkle in her days right about now.  Just in case you’d like to be enabled, I got my BasicGrey Stella Ruby designer paper and both of the Stickles at Jacksonbelle Embellishments.  What a fun place to shop!  Thanks, Lindsey!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and I’ll see you again soon!

Stamps:  CTMH pumpkin, hat, spider & web, Hero Arts greeting and zig zag

Paper:  Basic Black, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, BasicGrey Stella Ruby DP

Ink:  Basic Black, Color Box Fluid Chalk Ink–Tangerine, Going Gray

Accessories:  Ribbon, brads, raffia, Stickles, Scotch brand dimensional mounting tape

Well, here we are back at Ruby Tuesday again already.  Gee, what happened to all the other days?  Oh, yes…I was in *Portland* with some of the most wonderful, lovable, sweet, kind, good hearted and fun folks I’ve ever had the pleasure of calling “friends”!  Some I’d met before and some I was meeting for the first time but it’s amazing to me how familiar everyone seemed.  We spent our days and evenings hurrying from one event to the next – just too much activity to tell about — but we topped off each day with a little “giggle time” in the designated party room — good times!

I came home, sleep deprived but happy, and after I got my second wind I figured I’d better get Ruby Tuesday done before I collapsed for the day.  On each of the tables in our rooms at the Marriott there sat these little “smoke free” notices with the most lovely botanical image in Bravo Burgundy on a white background.  I’d love to have that image in a stamp but this was as close as I could come to the feel of it — not the same at all, just inspired, and, of course, my card required Stella Ruby’s assistance.  This is two images from Stampin’ Up!’s Stem Silhouettes with some Blush Blossom swirls from both Priceless and Season of Joy.  I outlined the stems with the fine tip of my Blush Blossom marker and, even though it’s not very obvious, it added a more dimensional look to the image.  I imagine you can see my new favorite plaything, Stickles, sparkling its little heart out, too.  I debated whether I should add them…seriously, I’ll try not to overshare my new Stickles passion but they’re just so darn pretty.

I wheeled one of the Stella Ruby layers with So Swirly in Groovy Guava and added a touch of Soft Sky cardstock for a little more color.  That about sums it up.

Before I list the recipe I’ll share one photo of my friends in Portland.  Julie HRR is missing from this picture because she wasn’t at Regionals but she was very much a part of our group.  I’d like to include everyone and I’ll get more photos posted eventually, but I’m running out of time right now.  Many thanks to everyone for the happy birthday wishes you sent my way!  After such a great time with all these fabulous friends I wish all the more that I could meet each of you in person.  By the way, that’s me in the front row in the brown sweater, looking in the wrong direction and trying not to smile too big because I’ve still got those darn braces on my teeth.

Front row, left to right:  Bev (Texasgrammy), Sharon (Stampersharon), Me, Lisa (Onestampinmama), Leann (Elyoho), Joy (Joyofstamping), Emily (Waterpixie)

Back row, left to right:  Beate, Jami, Jess (Newtnewt), Lori (Stampmomma), Cambria, Jenn (Jbalcer)

What a line up!  Thanks for visiting!  Now for the card details…

Stamps:  Stem Silhouettes, Priceless, Season of Joy, So Swirly

Paper:  Bravo Burgundy, Soft Sky, Whisper White, BasicGrey Stella Ruby DP

Ink:  Bravo Burgundy, Blush Blossom, Groovy Guava

Accessories:  Crystal Stickles, ribbon, Scotch brand dimensional mounting tape

Stella’s back and she’s dressed herself in chocolate and tattered sage.  I’m sorry I missed Ruby Tuesday last week, not that you were waiting on pins and needles, but I’m committed to this weekly project and I felt remiss in letting it go.  This week Stella and I got together on Sunday evening so we’d be ready for Tuesday.

This card came together a little more quickly than usual because I worked out this sketch on my computer a while back — just fooling around seeing if my software would allow such a thing.  I don’t have the nifty program that people use for presenting their sketches but it worked for my purposes.  I’m not sure what program is used for those cool sketches.  Can anyone tell me, please?  It looks like fun!  I usually work sketches out in my head or push papers around on my table until something comes together.  Sometimes the scraps I pull out help determine the layout.  I’ve tried drawing sketches but that rarely works for me.  Anyway, I’m not sure how great this is but it certainly was easy, quick and not the least bit messy to lay it out on the computer then set it aside till I was ready to use it.  I’ve got another one worked out, saved and ready to go.  I like the idea of stockpiling sketches so when I select a stamp image or set I can say to myself, “Hey!  I’ve got just the sketch for this!”  Fun!

Can you see the sparkle on the seed pods?  I just got my first Stickles from Jacksonbelle Embellishments.  Lindsey has lots of colors and probably different ones from time to time.  I used Crystal on this card.  It’s a good multi-purpose clear glitter.  I have a bottle of black Stickles waiting its turn, too.  I’ve used old fashioned glitter glue before and it works beautifully but I like the skinny little nozzle on the Stickles bottles.  I shouldn’t ramble on about Stickles, which probably everyone on Earth has used before me, but I was just so excited about how easy it is to apply and how neatly it stays on.  You do have to give it some drying time, though.  I have a feeling I’ll be adding a little sparkle to lots of my cards from now on!

Just to finish up quickly here — I colored the image with SU! markers and stamped Sage Shadow Linen on the one panel that the sentiment rests on.  The ribbon is SU!’s taffeta, truly my new favorite ribbon.  I’d love to have all the colors but I’m not sure where I’d fit them in my newly reconfigured ribbon storage, darn it!  Time for me to go now.  The rest of the details are listed below.  As always, have a wonderful and happy Ruby Tuesday!

Stamps:  Oh, So Lovely, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Linen, Happy Harmony (sentiment, retired)

Paper:  Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, BasicGrey Stella Ruby designer paper

Ink:  Timber Brown Stazon, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa (for the sponging and Itty Bitty), markers in Pretty in Pink, Sage Shadow, Mellow Moss and Sahara Sand

Accessories:  Ribbon, brads, Crystal Stickles, Scotch brand dimensional mounting tape

…due to time constraints.  I’ll stamp again as soon as possible.  I’m so sorry to miss a week with Stella Ruby but I know you understand.  I have a feeling that if I get any stamping done in the next few days I’ll be running very fast with my scissors.  I’ll try, though.  Thank you for being patient with me!