Advanced Techniques!

Hi! :) Are you enjoying your spring? It's been in the 70s here the last few days, and EVERYTHING is blooming - our first tulip is about to burst forth! :D However, today the weather is supposed to be in the 40s. We'll see if things bloom, or huddle in their buds for a while. :)

Last night was the Advanced Techniques class; everything was from TECHNIQUE JUNKIES - be sure and tell Pat I sent you! :)

This first one is called "Block Collage". Colors we used are Whisper White, Mellow Moss, and Always Artichoke. (Sound familiar? :D) I didn't collage as much on this sample as I should have, but I did it better when I taught it, I promise. :D

Yup, that's the Level 2 hostess-only set RUSTIC ROOSTER. And do you see his tail??? I didn't notice until I had the WHOLE card done!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had the back paper from a dimensional stuck on the stamp! I laughed so hard....

This second one is called "Mono Masking", and is really similar to the other one. I chose greens again without even thinking about it! This time, they're Certainly Celery, Green Galore (the centers of the flower), and Glorious Green - and Whisper White, of course. :) The flower is from SWEET STEMS, and the other two are from BOHO BACKGROUNDS.

We concentrated on techniques you can do with things you HAVE - mostly stamps, ink and card stock. With or without a financial crunch at home, it never hurts to be able to have a couple of techniques like this under your belt. :)

OK. That's it for today! Tomorrow you'll get the other two cards. (Have you ever noticed I save my favorites for last? It's the way I pretty much do everything. :D)

Have a WONDERFUL day, dear friend. I'm so glad you come back and visit me. And I HOPE I inspire you to STAMP! Now, go bless someone by giving them what you've created! :)

Projects from the Open House

Good Monday Morning! I hope you had a great weekend, and got lots of rest - or, if you're like ME, got everything done you needed to!!!!! Whew, was I busy!

<------- This is the card that we made on Saturday morning at my New Idea Book & Catalog Kickoff. The base card stock is Groovy Guava, as is the ink on the medallion. The flowered designer series paper is from the BALI BREEZE collection. The strip of card stock is Tempting Turquoise, embossed with the Crop-A-Dile. The medallion is stamped with the A BEAUTIFUL LIFE stamp set, as is the inside. Then, it's punched out with the scallop punch and stuck onto a post-it note, which was punched AGAIN with the scallop punch, rotated just enough so that the "valley" of each scallop on the punch would disect the "mountain" of the scallop on the white punch. :) Easier to show than to tell, but that's all there is to it! The medallion is on a Dimensional. We took a Cameo Coral Stampin' Write Marker and colored in JUST the "friend" part of the "friendship" stamp from WONDERFUL WORDS.

What do you think? :)

This is the second project. --------------------->

It's a mini photo album; inside are five clear envelopes, stuck together and adhered to the inside of the Basic Gray card stock. The front is stamped with a flower from the Level 3 hostess set, TIME WELL SPENT, in Purely Pomegranate. Purely Pomegranate and Whisper White card stock, both notched with the ticket corner punch, make the front plate for the larger saying from the stamp and some little flowers from it, too.

The "binding" is done with jumbo eyelets and Purely Pomegranate double-stitched ribbon.

This project got lots of rave reviews! :) It makes easy gifts, table favors, or even easy inserts into your 12x12 scrapbook to hold more photos.

So, what do you think of this one???? I'd love to hear from you! :) What are YOU making? I hope you're taking the time to STAMP something!!!!!!!! :)

Last night was Advanced Technique Night!

We had a good turnout last night - six, which is just about all I can handle at one class where we walk through the projects together.

This is the easiest one we did, Modern Grid, which I learned from Pat Huntoon at Technique Junkies. She ABSOLUTELY rocks, is SO talented - as is all her design team - and is one of the nicest people I've "met" online.

The colors of ink are Close to Cocoa and Pumpkin Pie; card stock is Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, and Kraft - oh, and a little Very Vanilla thrown in. :)

The next class is Thursday, a 10/10/10 - all Christmas! The design work is done, and all I have left to do is the cutting. There are some beautiful, simple cards - I can't wait to show you after the class!

Well, it's time to get busy some more. :) Don't forget to take the time to STAMP something - then bless someone with it!!!!

Did someone say SIP???

I promised you more from this weekend. :D So, here you go. It's ALL paper, ink, and stamps! And I did it in three colors, so you could see the difference. :) This one is Whisper White, stamped with Bashfult Blue, then stamped with Brilliant Blue for the "Priceless". The butterfly was also stamped with Brilliant Blue and then cut out. The wings and antennae are bent slightly, and the body is the only thing glued down - so, when the scanner cover's not crushing it, there's some dimension. :D

This one, on the left, is done the EXACT same way, using Almost Amethyst and Lovely Lilac.

And this final one, on the right, is done exactly the same, with Certainly Celery and Glorious Green. Ang brought three ink pads - Almost Amethyst, Bashful Blue, and Certainly Celery - and her Bold Bright Stampin' Write markers.

So, what do you think??? Of course, I can see where some GLITTER (Hi, Amy!) would come in beautifully on the butterfly's wings, if you wanted to amp it up JUST a little bit. :D But I PROMISED myself to try SIPping a little bit! :D

There. You got THREE samples, to make up for yesterday. :D Is that good?

Time for me to hit the hay - it's been a LONG day today! I hope you have a WONDERFUL Thursday - and take the time to what??? That's RIGHT! :D STAMP SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!