Something New to Try

Good Morning! I managed to sneak in the TLC today from SCS before I head out to spend the morning with a friend. The Technique today is to 'double emboss'. You pass your cardstock through any embossing folder (I used Perfect Polka Dots) and then you brayer versamark ink over the raised parts and put embossing powder over the top. I used White EP. Looks cool, doesn't it! Bev Gerard has a video if you'd like to see how to do it. You can find it linked on today's TLC on SCS.

Here's a close up of the birthday cakes!


Recipe
Stamps : Birthday Bakery
Cardstock : Crumb Cake, Pink Pirouette, Watercolour Paper
Ink : StazOn
Accessories : Big Shot, Polka Dot EF, White EP, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Aquapainter & WWCrayons, Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon

Sunday Featured Stamper

I love to find time on a Sunday to take part in the SCS 'Featured Stamper' Challenge. This week it's someone called Tillymint from Australia. I chose this card to CASE. I changed the stamp sets and colours but kept the main layout.

Here's a peek into the inside of the card!

And finally, here's a close-up.

Recipe
Stamp Sets : Morning Cup, Silhouette Sentiments
Ink : StazOn Black, Basic Black
Cardstock : Marina Mist, Baja Breeze, So Saffron, Watercolour, Whisper White
Accessories : Aquapainter & Watercolour Wonder Crayons, 1/2 Pearls, 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Jewellery Tag Punch, Linen Thread, Perfect Polka Dots EF, Big Shot, Tasteful Trim Die

A Kick Start with a Sketch

Morning everyone! Ever need something to kick start your creativity? Why not try the sketch challenge every Wednesday on SCS? I wasn't feeling stampy today (I know, shock!) but I looked at the sketch, browsed my stamps and hey presto, I managed a card! It was quick too.

Here's a close-up ... I stamped the heart in Versamark and then embossed with white EP.


Recipe
Stamps : Punch Potpourri, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock : Crumb Cake, Pink Pirouette, Shimmery White, Patterns Pack "Neutrals"
Ink : Versamark, Crumb Cake
Accessories : White EP, dimensionals, Victoria Lace Ribbon, Pinking Hearts Border Punch

A quick Gift Card Holder

Happy Monday! I needed a quick and easy gift card holder for my friend Sue. It's her birthday tomorrow so we're meeting up with our other friend, Elaine for lunch today! And I'm late, haven't showered yet or got my slap on! (slap=makeup).

Anyway, here you go :

Recipe
Stamps : Just for You, Printed Petals and Petite Petals (wheel)
Cardstock : Shimmery White, Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzazz
Ink : Pear Pizzazz, Poppy Parade
Accessories : Poppy Parade Ribbon

Bendy Fold Card

I wanted to show you another 'bendy fold' card! It was one of the Club projects on Friday. I added some DSP to the layers which makes it a lot more sturdy and popped out the birds and cages from 'Aviary'. I really like the way this turned out. There are more bendy fold cards from Understand Blue (Lydia), Jenn Nahrstadt and my good friends Patty Bombyk and Jill Salminen if you're interested in seeing more ~ it's a very versatile pattern. If you make one, be sure to let me know so I can link to your blog!

Recipe
Stamps : Aviary, Something to Celebrate
Cardstock : Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze, Sunny Garden DSP
Ink : Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, Regal Rose, Perfect Plum
Accessories : Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon, Scallop Oval and Oval Punches, Bendy Fold Card Tutorial!

January Club

Here are the 3 projects for tonight's Club. Thank goodness for Leadership to bring lots of wonderful inspiration :) And, look, there's another bendy fold card which are popping up all over the place. How fun is that?!

Fancy Fold Card Class

Friday 28th January, 7pm, my house ~ Fancy Fold Card Class! Here are the cards we'll be making. You will take home your samples and directions AND I'll be giving away a FREE "Awash with Flowers" clear stamp set! Yes, if your name gets pulled out of the hat, it's yours to take home! $12/person. If you'd like to attend, please e:mail me at ladyandthestamp@gmail.com.

A Sketch and a Bird

Morning everyone. I have a busy, busy day today. I am hoping to get over to Macomb for lunch at Red Robin with my SCS MI Mingle buddies, but I have a TON of planning to do so I need to get into gear if I want to make it. It's an hour drive each way so that's a huge chunk out of the day. I don't want to miss my friends though .... what's a girl to do?

Today's sketch on splitcoast is a good one! I turned it on its side to come up with this.

Here's a close up of my watercolouring. I really need to keep practicing, it's quite difficult to make it look good!

Recipe
Stamps : Nature Walk
Cardstock : River Rock, Watercolour Paper, Chcoolate Chip, Botanical Gazette and Newsprint DSP
Ink : Stazon Black, Crumb Cake and River Rock for sponging
Accessories : Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon, Sponge, Aquapainters, Watercolour Wonder Crayons

Baja Breeze, Pear Pizzazz, Bravo Burgundy ~ today's colour challenge colours! I'm not sure this card really works ~ I think it's because the main image is small compared to the DSP which is a larger, more sprawling design, but I'm going to post it anyway :)

Here's a close-up of the main image ... I think I should have added some champagne shimmer paint (which is something we did with this image at Leadership) but I'm not going to rephotograph now ... lazy, I know!

Recipe
Stamps : Clearly For You
Cardstock : Naturals Ivory, Bravo Burgundy, Springtime Vintage
Ink : Bravo Burgundy, Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze
Accessories : Victorian Lace, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizzazz Ribbons, Word Window Punch, Linen Thread, Scallop Border Punch, 1/2 Pearl, Sponge

Silhouette Technique

Good Morning! Today's TLC on Splitcoast is to make a project using silhouettes. I took inspiration from Shelli Gardner's card she demonstrated at Leadership last week (yes, she's a fabulous stamper!). Here's Shelli's card.

And here's my take on her sample. I changed it up a little bit, but it still has a similar feel.

Shelli's tip to 'distress' the seam binding ribbon was to spritz it with water, then scrunch it in your hand. It works beautifully! Here are some close-ups.

Recipe
Stamps : Easter Blossoms
Cardstock : Crumb Cake, Springtime Vintage DSP
Ink : Versamark
Accessories : Clear EP, Heat Gun, Scallop Edge Punch, Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon, Vanilla Rosettes

Greetings From Leadership 2011

Hi everyone! I am in Nashville with my 2 dear friends, Debra and Dawn Marie. We are having a B-L-A-S-T here at Leadership. I won't go all wordy on you, but thought you might like to see of the display boards, and some of our purchases from Memento Mall.

I'll post more pics as I take them. Just wanted you to know that we're STAMPING tonight so that is going to be a blast. They're giving us the set "Clearly You" along with project supplies. I'll take some pics of my girlfriends in action and post them here.

Colour Challenge

I have NO business stamping today ... I have 2 demo friends arriving this afternoon so we can all go to Stampin' Up Leadership in Nashville ~ I have a list as long as your arm to get through so it's rather indulgent to sit here and do the CC today. But I'm a grown up and I can do whatever I want (I used to say to my mum all the time, "when I'm a grown up, I can do whatever I want" ~ I actually thought I could spend my entire adult life watching cartoons whilst eating choccie biscuits .... wait, isn't that what I actually DO do? Best not answer that!!!).

So, the colours are : Melon Mambo, Cherry Cobbler and Pretty in Pink. I would never put Melon Mambo with Cherry Cobbler .... I mean EVER ... but you know what? It's not bad, is it? Ha!

I chose to use the new set, Clearly For You along with one of the beveled window panes. I'm going to have a lot of fun with them :) I took a couple of close-ups so you can see how those window panes look ... difficult to shoot though, sorry about that. They cause a lot of distortion with camera lighting. Anyway, you get the idea!

I'll take lots of pics at Leadership and blog from our hotel. I can't wait!!!

Recipe
Stamps : Clearly for You, Fabulous Phrases
Ink : Black StazOn, Cherry Cobbler
Cardstock : Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Melon Mambo
Accessories : Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon, linen thread, 1/2 Pearls, Word Window and Modern Label Punches, Big Shot & Embossing Folder, Beveled Window Pane

... and it's MONDAY again! Why do the weekends go so fast? Job #1 for today was to take part in the Technique Lover's Challenge, or TLC. Holly gave us a great one today, choose a technique from the past year, a colour challenge from the past year and a sketch challenge from the past year. I chose : TLC263 "Vintage", CC294 :Baja Breeze, Blushing Bride, Crumb Cake and SC301. I love how this turned out!

Here are some close-ups:



Recipe
Stamps : Baby Blossoms, Fabulous Phrases
Cardstock : Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Springtime Vintage DSP
Ink : Baja Breeze, Blushing Bride, Certainly Celery
Accessories : Scallop Edge Punch, Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon, Victoria Lace Ribbon, Vintage Flower Adornment, sponge

Featured Stamper and the new Fun Flowers Die

I missed a post yesterday, otherwise it would have been one each day for a whole week! Sarah and I took Becky back to Western Michigan University which took most of the day. Sad to see Becky go back after a lovely visit ... but they do say that all good things come to an end. Got some fab photos of the 2 girls too. Love this one!

And here's the card I made today for the Featured Stamper Challenge, "UK Jem" was the star today ~ boy, she has a fantastic gallery on SCS.

The flower is the new Big Shot Die in the Occasions Mini called 'Fun Flowers' ... it's a really good one, very versatile. Here's a close-up.

Recipe
Stamps : Fabulous Phrases (friend)
Cardstock : Blushing Bride, Whisper White
Ink : Blushing Bride
Accessories : Fun Flowers Big Shot Die, Big Shot, 1/2 Pearl, various Embossing Folders