Dapper Dog Gets A New Job

On Tuesday I introduced you to Mr. Dapper Dog.  I truly love this guy.  He is so easy to make and just fun to look at too.  So I was at lunch with my husband and showed him a picture of this guy.  While he liked him a lot, he asked me if I could do another one and make him into a bbq chef.  After all, don't all dads bbq?  Well they do at my house.  Of course, I could not resist the challenge so I set out to make him once again.  Ready to see how it turned out?  Here we go!

I started this card with a base card of Real Red card stock cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  I added a piece of Basic Black measuring 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  I attached it using runner adhesive.  For the top layer, I bet you can tell what I did already but I will still write it.  I started with a piece of Whisper White measuring 4" x 5 1/4".  Using my pastels, I first chalked the sky and then the grass.  Working with chalk always relaxes me.  Once it was finished, I attached it using runner adhesive.

Since I gave you all the instructions for making him on Tuesday of this week, I am not going to bore you with those details again.  I will tell you how I made the hat.  I used a 1" square for the bottom part and the butterfly punch made the top.  I punched the butterfly out of Real Red and cut it in half.  I then placed the pieces behind the square and glued it with a liquid glue.  It is so sad that the butterfly punch is retired.  I will still use mine though.  

Again the bottom is the same as Tuesday's.  Only the apron was added.  Again the main part of the apron it the 1" square punch.  The ties are from the retired horizontal slot punch.  If you do not have one of these, a strip of card stock would work well too.  The spatula comes from my Cricut machine.  I used the Everyday Paper Doll cartridge for this one.  It is cut out of Brushed Silver card stock at adhered to the card with liquid glue.  I used a fine tip black marker and wrote the saying onto the apron.  

For the inside, I used a couple of stamps from the retired King of the Grill stamp set.  They were stamped using Real Red ink onto Whisper White card stock.  I used my paper trimmer to trim it out and brushed the edges with the red ink.  I layered it onto a piece of Basic Black card stock and attached it to the card using runner adhesive.  

Tomorrow is an important day as we welcome the new 2012 - 2013 Stampin' Up! catalog.  Visit my SU! site (link is on the side of my blog) and take a look at all the new goodies.  You can begin ordering item tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by to see me today.  I will look forward to seeing you tomorrow.  Until then, happy stamping!!

Here Comes the Judge

I thought I would stay with the Father's Day theme once again today.  I happen to be going through some unmounted stamps that I have when I came across the one I used today.  I immediately could see it on a card for a dad so I sat down and got right to work.  This set is a 2003 set from a company called My Heart Stamps for You.  The name of the set is Rubber Duckies.  This is one I picked up while attending a stamp convention.

Does the title of the blog make sense now?  I thought this entire set of ducks was so funny when I first saw them.  Maybe I will use another one later in the week to create another card.  For now, let's focus on this one shall we?  I started with a base card of Always Artichoke measuring 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  I added a layer of River Rock card stock measuring 4" x 5 1/4".  This is a color I always seem to forget about but it goes very nicely with the Artichoke.  I ran it through the big shot using the polka dots impression folder and then sponged the edges with Always Artichoke ink.  I adhered it to the base card with runner adhesive.  

I began my judge by stamping the image onto a piece of Whisper White card stock using VersaMark ink.  I sprinkled black embossing powder on it and heat embossed the image.  Once it cooled, I ran it through the big shot using the Labels Collection of framelits.  I found the size that fit around the image, put it through the machine to cut it out and I was ready to color.  I chose to use my colored pencils today.  I like the soft look they give the image.  Once the coloring was finished, I edged the frame with a sponge and Always Artichoke ink.  It is attached to the base card using runner adhesive.  

The greeting I chose to use for the front comes from the same stamp set as the image.  I stamped it onto Whisper White using VersaMark ink and heat embossed it with black embossing powder.  I cut the strip down and rounded the corners.  I then layered it onto a piece of Always Artichoke cut slightly larger than the saying and rounded those corners.  I used runner adhesive to layer this.  Once it was layered, I attached the entire greeting using dimensionals.  

I knew the saying I wanted to use for the inside but did not have it on a stamp.  So I started by stamping the Happy Father's Day from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set onto Whisper White using Always Artichoke ink.  I punched the saying out with the Modern Label punch.  I then sponged the edges with Always Artichoke ink.  I also punched a modern label out of River Rock, cut it in half and added it to the sides as a sort of frame with runner adhesive.  The only thing missing was the word "A".  To add it, I used my Always Artichoke marker and wrote it myself.  I then attached the saying to the card with runner adhesive.  

Tomorrow I will have another dad card so be sure to come back.  I am so glad you stopped by today.  I will see you all tomorrow!!  Happy stamping.  

A Daddy Day Dapper Dog

How's that for a mouthful?  I wasn't going for a tongue twister but I think I created one.  Oh well.  I think it's a great way to start the week!!

I hope all of you had a nice Memorial Day weekend.  I tried to do a little crafting and to get some rest.  I did not have much luck sleeping last week while my hubby was out of town so it was nice to have him home. 

Today's share is another card for dad.  June is really creeping up on us.  I know I better get prepared or I will not be ready for all the special days the month ahead holds.  Anyway, I saw the main figure on this card on Pintrest.  I really loved him when I saw him.  He was created by Cindy McGurk.  While hers was more of a birthday card, I chose to change mine up so that it would fit Father's Day.  So let's take a look at it.

 

He looks so dashing!  I started with a base card of Midnight Muse, one of the new in-colors, measuring 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" scored at 4 1/4".  I added a layer of Basic Black on top of that measuring 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  My final layer is a piece of Whisper White cut at 4" x 5 1/4".  Before attaching it to the card, I chalked the background with my pastels creating the sky and grass.  Then I could attach it to the black with runner adhesive.  Now let's move on to the star!!

 

We will work our way from the top down.  I made him a top hat out of Basic Black card stock.  I punched a 1 3/8" square and trimmed it to form the hat.  Next, I used Early Espresso and Crumb Cake card stock to start punching the parts of the dog.  The ears are the large oval punch.  For his head, I used a 1 3/4" circle punch while his jowls are the full heart punch turned upside down.  For the nose, I used the smallest heart on the heart to heart punch (this one retires on Thursday).  For the eyebrows, I used the retired horizontal slot punch.  You could make these using scraps that you have.  The eyes come from the owl builder punch.  I used my usual Whisper White and Basic Black for these.  I added a Gumball Green hat band to my top hat and added crystal effects to it to give it the shiny look you see.  I added white gel pen to the eyes and nose and used a fine tip black marker to draw the line and dots on the jowls.  The jowls are attached to the head with dimensionals.

 

For the main part of the body, I punched a wide oval and layered a large oval on top of it.   The arms of the dapper dog are the wide heart from the heart to heart punch, while the feet are 3/4" circles that were punched and flattened to make the paws.  I added the toes with fine tip black marker.  The tie was cut free hand from a retired designer series paper and the cane is just a scrap of black.  All parts of the dog were attached to each other and the card using a liquid glue, except for the jowls.  They were attached to the head and card with dimensionals.  

 

The inside greeting was made using 2 stamp sets.  The "d" comes from the retired set called Eight Great Greetings and is stamped in Midnight Muse ink.  The "Happy Father's Day" is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.  It is stamped using Gumball Green ink.  I cut this out using the big shot and the labels framelits collection.  Once it was cut out, I sponged the top half with Gumball green on the edges and the bottom half with Midnight Muse ink.  It is attached with runner adhesive.

I will tell you it was a lot of fun making this dog.  I am definitely going to do him again.  I will be back tomorrow with another share for all of you.  I hope you come by to visit.  Thanks for dropping in today.

 

 

Another Card For Dad

Happy Friday Everyone!!

Hard to believe we have reached the end of another week, and we are heading into a holiday weekend!!  Now if you think about it, in my life one daughter works for AAA which is open holidays and one works in retail which is open holidays.  My husband being a firefighter sometimes will be scheduled on holidays.  So really you would think I would not be excited about this.  However, at least my hubby is off this year so we get to spend some time together.  Due to that fact, I will not be posting on Monday.  I hope all of you will be too busy having fun to miss the post.  I will be back Tuesday though.  With that said, let's get on with the share of today.

  I wanted to continue with the theme of Father's Day.  Like I shared yesterday, I think masculine cards are the most difficult so if wanted to give you another idea.  So let me show you what I came up with to show.

 

I went with a dark color scheme.  For some reason those colors just seem manly to me.  I used Cherry Cobbler for the base card.  It is cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  Once it was scored and folded, I pulled out the retired stamp set called Voila to Go.  I took out the hot dog stamp and stamped it all over the front of the card with VersaMark ink.  I then heat embossed it with clear embossing powder.  

I took a piece of Basic Black card stock measuring 4" x 5 1/4" and ran it through my big shot using the Top Note die.  Once the shape was cut out, I ran it through again using the impression folder called Houndstooth.  I knew I wanted to use this vertically on the card so I added an antique looking brad and added one to each side.  It is adhered to the card using runner adhesive.  

 

For my image, I turned to the retired stamp set King of the Grill.  I remember when this set came out.  I thought it was perfect for many of the men in my life who want to be kings of the grill.  I started with a piece of Whisper White card stock.  I chalked a sky background over the entire piece.  I then used StazOn ink to stamp my image onto the piece.  I used my aqua painters and ink pads to watercolor the image and the ground.  This helped to make him stand out against the background.  Once it was dry,  I attached it the the top note using runner adhesive.  

 

You can really see the embossed hot dogs in this picture.  They really turned out nice.  The greeting for the front of the card is also from the King of the Grill stamp set.  I stamped it on Whisper White using Cherry Cobbler ink and punched it out with the word window punch.  I then sponged the edges of it with the Cherry ink.  I used a scrap of Basic Black to punch out a modern label.  I layered the saying onto it using runner adhesive and attached the greeting to the card using the same runner adhesive.

 

For the inside greeting, I used another retired stamp set called Eight Great Greetings.  This is really a card that showcases a lot of retired stamps.  I stamped it on Whisper White with Cherry Cobbler ink and layered it onto a piece of Basic Black using runner adhesive.  I then attached the entire saying with runner adhesive to the card.

While you would have to use other stamps unless you happen to have these, I think this is a doable design for a card.  I may stick with this theme for some of next week but am not sure right now.  I will have to see what inspired me.  

Remember I will not be posting on Monday but will return Tuesday with something new to show you.  I wish you all a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  Please be safe this weekend.  I want to see all of you back here on Tuesday.  Thanks for stopping by today.  Happy Stamping!!

 

 

 

It's Almost Dad's Day

Why is it that every time I have to make masculine cards, I get stumped?  Making a card for any man seems almost impossible.  I say almost because I always seem to come up with something.  That frustration of finding the right idea is what I was dealing with today.  I decided that since June is only a week away, I had better get started working on some Father's Day cards.  I have one to share today and one for tomorrow.  So let's get started shall we?

 

I think a good name for this card is Tools and More Tools.  Now personally, I do not know how to use many of the tools out in my husband's shed.  He has a lot of tools let me tell you.  Yet somehow he always seems to need more.  I guess it is like my card making habit.  I always find something new that I want to get.  

I started with a base card of Garden Green measuring 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  Next I cut a piece of More Mustard card stock to be 4" x 5 1/4".  I ran it through my big shot using the Stripes impression folder.  I sponged the edges with More Mustard ink and even sponged the front of the piece a little.  I adhered it to the green base using runner adhesive.  

 

Next I took a piece of Basic Black card stock and ran it through the big shot to cut out the Top Note shape.  I used the same die and cut out a Basic Gray one too.  On the gray one, I followed the perforation  the is around the edge and cut it off.  Then I ran the top note through the big shot using an impression folder called Diamond Plate.  Once impressed, I layered it inside the black top note using runner adhesive and attached it to the mustard with runner adhesive too. 

Then came the tools.  I used a stamp set that is retiring at the end of May (next week) that is called Totally Tool.  I use this set a lot for men.  I stamped the little tools onto Whisper White card stock using StazOn ink.  I then colored them in using my colored pencils.  Then came the hard part.  I cut each one out including holes in the handles.  They are attached to the gray diamond plate using liquid glue.  

For the greeting, I used a stamp from a retired set called King of the Grill.  I stamped the message in Garden Green ink and punched it out with the modern label punch.  Next I sponged the edges with green ink and added a black brad to each side of the saying.  I adhered it to the card using dimensionals.

 

For my inside greeting I went back to the Totally Tool stamp set.  The tools are each attached to a saying so when I stamped them for the front I just ignored the sayings.  This one with the screwdriver is my favorite saying of the set so I chose it for the inside.  I stamped it using Garden Green ink and sponged the edges of it with the same.  I adhered it to a piece of Basic Black to highlight it.  I then attached the entire piece to the card using runner adhesive. 

Well that's it for today!  I hope you feel a little inspired.  Remember you can still order this set through next Thursday if you like it.  I will return tomorrow with another card for Father's Day.  I hope to see you all then.  Thanks for dropping by today!!

There's A Mouse In the House

Wow! We are at the middle of the week already!  I can hardly believe it.  It has been a busy week so I guess the time just seems to be flying by everyday.  My husband will be done with his class tomorrow and I can hardly wait to be able to spend an entire day with him. 

I am always looking for new ideas for my cards.  I am sure all of you are too.  When I find a card I really like, I tend to copy a picture of it and save it in a file of ideas to try.  That is where I found my inspiration for today's card.  It always amazes me how many ideas I have in my file.  A lot of them I collected over 2 years ago.  When my brother became ill and my life became caring for him and spending as much time with him as I could, I slowed down on my card making.  So these ideas really sat and were forgotten.  For me, opening this file is like opening a present.  I always find something new I wanted to try.  While the idea may be cased, I always try to change the color scheme of the card and believe it or not, I do not have every punch Stampin' Up! has ever made so I use different punches.    Some were retired before I became a demonstrator so I figure out what to use in the place of any retired ones which can sometimes alter the look of the card.  I happen to be looking through the card samples and found this little cutie.  I wanted to give her a try so I will let you decide if I did a good job or not.  Ready? 

 

Doesn't Disney make the cutest characters?  Minnie Mouse is one of the best and most recognizable characters out there.  I saw this card on Ellen Kemper's site a while ago.  However, she did not make it.  It was made by a woman named Anita (I do not know her last name) and was first posted on her daughter Lucia Dune's blog.  When I saw the face, I could not resist this one.  

I started with a base card of Daffodil Delight measuring 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  Minnie always has a sunny attitude so the color seemed to fit it.  I then rummaged through some retired designer paper that I had and found this beautiful Tempting Turquoise one with the dotted white circle on it.  I cut it to be 4" x 5 1/4".  I adhered it to the base card with runner adhesive.  Next I took another piece of Daffodil Delight and cut it to be 2" x 4".   I ran it through my big shot using the Finial Press impression folder.  I then attached it to the top of the designer paper.  I added white gel pen to the dots in the center of the flourishes. 

 

Since Minnie is not my own original design, I am not going to list all the punches used to create her.  Instead I would recommend you visit Lucia's Blog.  Anita does a wonderful job of giving you instructions.  I only had to substitute one punch on this one.  The one she used for the black of the eyes is a retired one that I do not have.  I used the wide heart from the heart to heart punch.  I also chose to add pearls to Minnie's bow.  I just love her in polka dots!  The colors I used for her are Whisper White, Basic Black, Blushing Bride, Melon Mambo, and Regal Rose (tongue only).  She is attached to the card with dimensionals. 

 

The greeting comes from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.  I stamped it with Basic Black ink onto Whisper White card stock.  I highlighted the edges with black ink and then attached it to a Tempting Turquoise modern label.  I added a pink rhinestone to each end and attached it to the card using dimensionals.  

 

For the inside saying, I used a non-Stampin' Up! stamp.  It is stamped in Tempting Turquoise ink onto Whisper White,  I cut it out using the new Apothecary Accents framelits and my big shot.  I edged the sides with Tempting Turquoise ink.  I attached it to the card using runner adhesive.  Jewel tone stickers were added to the top and bottom of the saying.  I also colored in the stars with a Daffodil Delight marker.  I promise it is on the card straight.  I just did not hold the camera straight I guess.

Well that's it for today.  Please come back tomorrow and I will have another share for you.  Thanks for dropping by today.  Happy crafting!

Two By Two

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of Noah.  I have always enjoyed reading it.  It is where my love of rainbows comes from and the meaning of the rainbow as a symbol of God's promise has stayed with me all my life.  I also was always amazed that all those animals would board the ark two by two and co-habitate together for all that time.  The inspiration for my card today comes from this story.  I first saw one of these done by a demonstrator named Sharon White.  I have always wanted to make one and when I woke up today and was thinking about the story of Noah while in the shower, I decided to give it a try.  There are aspects of it I really like and aspects I would change.  I will go over all that as we look at the card.

 

This is the first ark I have made.  I do not know how Noah built his ark but I am sure his was much more impressive than mine.  Anyway, I started with a base card of Pumpkin Pie (5 1/2" x 8 1/2" , scored at 4 1/4").  Next comes a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Whisper White which has been chalked with pastels to resemble a sky.  I turned to the Pacific Point to make my water and used my Cricut machine along with the Life's A Beach cartridge to cut out the waves.  I cut various sizes so I could place some behind the ark and some in front of it.  I did not think about the fact that most of the waves would be hidden behind the ark.  Oh well.  I used my Plaintin SchoolBook cartridge to help me make the ark.  I used Early Espresso card stock to make the ark.  The first shape I cut was for the bottom of the boat.  I used an oval measuring 4 ".  I cut 5 of these and layered them one on top of the other.  I flattened the end to make them more like sides.  For the "house" of the ark, I cut a 3" square and for the roof, I used a 1 3/4" rectangle which I scored every 1/4".  To make the port holes, I punched 3/4" circles from Crumb Cake card stock and 1/2" circles from Basic Black.  The ark pieces and port holes were attached using liquid glue.  I added Stickles glitter glue dots to the waves in front for visual effect.

 

One thing I would change when making this card again is the color scheme for my giraffes.  I was truly not thinking when I was making them using Early Espresso card stock about how they would blend with the ark.  So next time, I would either use a different color for the giraffes or for the ark.  Besides the Espresso, I used So Saffron card stock.  I cut strips that are 3/4" wide and 2 1/2" long.  I added dots to the necks punched from the circle of the itty bitty punch pack.  The heads are wide ovals.  I punched one in Espresso and cut the ends off to make the muzzle.  The ears are the small heart punch cut in half.  For the antlers, I used my retired horizontal slot punch (scraps work just as well) and 1/4" circles punched with the hand punch.  For the eyes, I got the white part from the owl punch and the black from the 1/4" hand punch.  They do have manes on their necks but you cannot really see them since they blend in with the ark.  I used my scallop edge punch for these.  I made nostrils for my fine fellows using the 1/8" hand punch.  All parts of the giraffe were adhered together using a liquid glue.  The finished giraffes were attached to the ark with the same glue.  I added white gel to the eyes and antlers.  Black marker was added to the neck of both and to the female giraffe for eye lashes.

 

I just love my elephants.  They are made from Basic Gray card stock.  I used the 1 1/4" circle for the head.  I punched out a butterfly for each elephant, cut it in half and attached it for the ears.  The trunk is the large petals from the blossom builder punch.  The eyes are the same as the giraffes.  I adhered all pieces using the same liquid glue as before and also used it to attach the elephants to the card.  I added the white gel to the eyes and ears for these.  The mouths and wrinkles on the trunks were added with a fine tip black marker.  I also used it to add eye lashes to the female.  

Now I have a very sad photo to show you.  

 

You see, I made my sets of animals before attaching any of them to the ark.  I wanted to have 3 types on it so I made the polar bears.  But when I started placing the animals, I realized they would not all fit.  So the little polar bears were left off the ark.  So sad.  I think I will see if I can make my animals a little smaller next time so that I can fit more animals.  I really hated to leave any off.  

Well that's it for today.  I hope you all have a wonderful day and spend some time doing something you love.  I will be back tomorrow with another share.  Thanks for stopping by today.

 

A New Punch Animal For Me

Happy Monday Everyone!!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  Mine was busy helping my hubby get ready to be away from home.  I am not looking forward to this week because my wonderful husband is taking a class and will gone for part of the week.  I miss him tremendously when he is not here.  So I plan to spend lots of time in my craft room being creative in the hopes it will help the time go by quickly. 

As I went into my craft room the other day to make a card to share with you, I asked my youngest daughter what she thought I should make.  Without missing a beat she replied "a turtle".  Now she is a huge turtle fan.  We use to buy lots of items with a turtle theme on them as well as cute stuffed turtles.  I don't know why she loves them so much but she does.  Anyway, I thought why not give it a try.  I had never made a punch art turtle and lots of ideas came rushing into my head as to how to make it.  Of course, I made him and I think he turned out really well.  Let's see what you think.

 

As always, let's start with the base card.  I chose to use the new Gumball Green card stock for the base.  I know it is hard to see in the photo.  I cut it to be 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  For the next layer, I added a piece of Basic Black measuring 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  I attached it using runner adhesive.  I then took a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Whisper White card stock and chalked a sky background on it using my pastels.  I then attached it to the black with runner adhesive.  

I decided I wanted my turtle to be at the beach, so I took a piece of Crumb Cake card stock and stamped little dots all over it using on of the stamps from the Confetti stamp set.  I stamped them using Chocolate Chip ink.  I then tore a strip off and attached it with runner adhesive to the sky.  I added Dazzling Diamond dots to the sand as well as to the edge of it.  I turned to my helpful Cricut Machine to make the waves.  I used a cartridge called Life's A Beach and some Island Indigo card stock to make these.  I attached the waves just under the edge of the sand with a liquid adhesive.  I then added adhesive to the top of the waves using a glue pen so I could put Dazzling Diamond glitter on them too.

 

For my greeting, I used a retired stamp set called Happy Greetings.  I stamped the words directly onto the card stock using Island Indigo ink.  You can see the sparkling waves in this picture as well as the sky.

 

Finally it is time to talk about the turtle.  I started by punching a 2 1/2" circle out of Gumball Green.  I cut the bottom to be flat and tapered the sides in to make the shell.  Next, I took out my scraps of Wild Wasabi card stock since this is the color that creates the majority of the turtle parts.  I punched a 1 3/8" circle for the head; a word window for the neck; four 3/4" circles for the feet - trim the bottoms flat; 1/2" circles for the spots; and I punched a half of a 3/4" circle at the edge of the card stock then punched the 1" circle over it to make the tail.  You can shape the end of the tail to look how you would like it to.  I attached all parts of the turtle together using a liquid glue.  When I glued the spots onto the shell, I trimmed off any then hung over the edge.  I then add a lime colored Stickles glitter glue around the spots.  I used my owl builder punch for the eye.  Once it was attached I add white gel pen to it as well as to each spot on the shell.  I drew the toes and mouth on using a fine tip black marker.  He is attached to the card using dimensionals.  For my first punch art turtle, I feel really proud of how he turned out.  

 

For my inside greeting, I turned once again to the retired Happy Greetings stamp set.  I stamped this using Island Indigo ink onto Whisper White card stock.  It is cut out using one of the 4 frames from the new Apothecary Accents framelits and my big shot.  I inked the edges with Island Indigo ink and attached it to the card using runner adhesive. 

I hope you are inspired to try something new today.  Punch art is so much fun.  I hope you enjoyed seeing my turtle.  Please come back tomorrow to see what I make next.  Thanks for dropping by today.   

 

 

 

Baby Raccoon

Happy Friday Everyone!!

I hope your week has been a good one.  I was so happy to have time to spend with some of the new SU! products in the new catalog.  I always enjoy playing with them and finding ways to use them.  I was also excited this week to get a couple of window panes replaces that were in need of replacement.  Now I have clean new windows to look out into the world.  Of course with the rising temperatures here in Phoenix, we tend to keep the blinds and curtains closed to help cool the house.  It is funny how some years it seems to get hot early on and other years it seems to wait for a while which is always nice.  This year is going to be a hot one!

As you know from past blogs like yesterday's, my niece is pregnant.  This will be her first child and she is having a little boy.  We have lots of girls in our family so the coming of a boy is so exciting to everyone.  Anyway, my daughter and I were talking the other day and she happened to see the little raccoon I used for a Mother's Day card.  She thought this little guy would look fabulous on a baby card.  I accepted the creative challenge to do this and set off to work.  I love this little guy so the challenge was a fun one.  Let me show you the card I came up with which is also boy oriented.

 

Here he is!!  I just think he has the sweetest little face around.  I started with a base card of the new in-color called Midnight Muse cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  This is the only new color I used on this card, but it is not the only new item!!!   For the layer on top of it, I took a piece of Whisper White card stock and cut it to be 4" x 5 1/4".  I then punched out 1/2", 3/4" and 1" circles from Bashful Blue and Marina Mist card stock.  I randomly placed the circles onto the white, attached them with runner adhesive and trimmed off any excess that hung over the edges.  Once that was complete, I ran it through the big shot using the Tiny Stars impression folder.  For the final layer, I used a new set of framelits which will be available on June 1st in the new catalog.  They are called Apothecary Accents.  There are various shapes and sized in this set of 4 frames.  I chose this one for its size mainly.  Anyway, I used the big shot to cut it out of Bashful Blue card stock.  I inked the edges with Midnight Muse ink and ran it through the big shot again using the impression folder called Spots & Dots.  All these elements were attached using runner adhesive.

 

I learned to make this guy from Debbie Henderson at her blog.  I have connected you right to the raccoon so you can get the instructions.  I have made this guy holding a bouquet of flowers and this time gave him a baby bottle to hold.  I used Basic Gray, Whisper White, Basic Black and Pink Pirouette card stock for his colors.  For the baby bottle, I used Bashful Blue, Marina Mist and Blushing Bride (which is retiring) card stock.  I cut the parts of the bottle out using my Cricut machine and the New Arrival cartridge.  I glued him together using liquid glue, attached the bottle with glue dots and attached the finished raccoon with dimensionals.  

 

For the greeting, I used my Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.  I stamped the greeting in Midnight Muse ink onto Whisper White card stock and cut it out with my big shot and another new framelits set called Bitty Banners.  This set will also be available on June 1st in the new catalog.  There are 3 frames in this set and they are so cute!!  I edged the greeting using Marina Mist ink.  It is attached to the card using dimensionals.

 

For the inside of the card, I wanted to be sure to carry the baby theme.  So I started by stamping a saying from the Word Play stamp set using Midnight Muse ink onto Whisper White card stock.  Once again, I used the new Apothecary Accents framelits set and my big shot to cut it out. I did edge this one with the Bashful Blue ink but it is so light is really does not show up in the photo.  I attached it using runner adhesive.  I then turned once again to my Cricut and the New Arrival cartridge and cut our 2 booties using Bashful Blue card stock and cut the bow out of Shimmer White card stock.  I attached the bow and booties using liquid glue.  I added some stickles glitter glue to the booties and a light blue rhinestone to the center of the bow.  Make sure the glitter glue dries completely before you close the card or you can do what I did and glitter and dry before attaching the booties to the card.  

That brings us to the close of another week.  I wish you all a wonderful weekend and will see you all again on Monday!!  Be safe and have some fun.  Thanks for dropping by today!!

 

It's Reveal Day!

Alright.  I know I promised I would play with more new items this week and share what I made with you.  However, if you remember last week I shared with you the piles of pieces I had been working on to put baby shower cards together for my niece.  I promised once I got them to her and she mailed them out I would share the finished product with you.  Well that day has arrived so we while you won't be seeing any of the new items, you will get to see the cutest shower card around.  Ready?

 

Here are the finished piles of the cards and the envelopes!!  They turned out really cute.  I added an owl stamp to the outside of the envelope in order to carry the theme onto it.  

 

Now I will break down the parts of the card for you.  The theme for the shower is a picnic theme and she is having a little boy!  So I started with a base card of Real Red cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  I added a layer of Whisper White which I chalked a sky background on using my pastels.  Finally to finish the front background, I tore strips of Garden Green and added them for the grass.  I added some Dazzling Diamond glitter to the edge of the grass to make it stand out.  All the layers were adhered using runner adhesive.

 

The greeting I chose to use for this card comes from a retired Stampin' Up! stamp set called Occasional Quotes.  I truly love this saying.  I happen to believe that babies are miracles from above and this saying rings very true to me.  I stamped it using Real Red ink onto Whisper White card stock, punched it out with a 1 3/4" circle punch and adhered it to the card using runner adhesive.  

 

To make the umbrella, I turned to my Cricut machine and used a cartridge called New Arrival.  I went to my local craft store and found the cutest gingham paper in red and white to go along with a picnic theme.  I used it to cut out the umbrella and the bow on the umbrella.  For my umbrella handle, I used Brushed Silver card stock.  Using my Plaintin SchoolBook alphabet cartridge, I cut out the letter "J".  I tucked the hook of the "J" into the grass to hide it.  I used a liquid glue to adhere the handle, the bow and the umbrella itself.  I then added pearls to the top of the umbrella, the edges of it and the center of the bow.  The pearl on the top is larger than the others.  They are self adhesive so they were easy to attach.  

 

Last but now least is the little owl himself.  Obviously, I used the owl builder punch to make this cute little guy.  All pieces are pretty self explanatory.  The ties on the diaper are the little hearts.  The beak is also a heart.  For the pacifier, I started with a little heart in Bashful Blue.  I then punched a 3/8" circle which is the circle punch from the itty bitty punch pack.  Using a 1/8" hand punch, I punched a circle out of the center of this to create the pacifier handle.  The colors I used one the owl are Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Basic Black and Tangerine Tango.  I added white gel pen to the eyes to highlight them.  

I am happy to say my niece was very pleased with these.  She is decorating the baby room using owls so this carried her theme onto the cards.  I was so happy I could do that for her.  Leave me a comment and let me know what you think of these.

Tomorrow, I have another baby card inspired by my daughter.  I will use some of the new catalog items.  I hope you come back to see it.  Thanks so much for dropping by today.

 

 

New Colors!!!!

Well today is the day.  Today you will get to see the new in-colors coming out in the 2012-2012 Stampin' Up! catalog.  In-Colors stay around for 2 years.  So in the new catty, you will still be able to order the 5 that were introduced last year for one more year.  The one I will show you today will be introduced this year and available until the 2014-2015 catalog comes out.  Anyway, I sat down today and made a card using the new in-colors so you could take a look at them.  Are you ready?  Here we go!

 

My base card for this one is not a new color.  It is Very Vanilla card stock measuring 5 1/2" x 8 1/2".  I scored it at 4 1/4".  The layer on top of it is one of the new in-colors.  It is called Midnight Muse.  It is a beautiful dark blue.  I love the richness of it.  I cut this piece to be 4" x 5 1/4".  I ran it through my big shot machine using an impression folder called D'Vine Swirl.  I spritzed it with a champagne glitter spray and attached it to the base card with runner adhesive.  Next I ran another piece of the vanilla through my big shot using the Doily large sizzlit die.  I attached it to my card with liquid glue.  

The butterflies are cut with the big shot using an embosslit which cuts and embosses the card stock.  This embosslit is called Beautiful Wings.  I used 2 more of the new in-colors to make these.  The colors are Primrose Petals and Summer Starfruit.  The leaves behind the flower are also from a sizzlit die called Little Leaves.  I chose the 4th new in-color called Gumdrop Green to make these.  The butterflies are attached with glue dots.  I added Dazzling Diamond glitter to them.

 

In this close up of the flower, you can see the Summer Starfruit and Gumdrop Green colors really well.  I punched 2 of the Blossom flowers out.  The first punched blossom is the bottom flower is from the 5th and final in-color being introduced this year, Raspberry Ripple.  To create the top flower, I took a piece of Very Vanilla and punched my second blossom.  I them took the Raspberry Ripple and Gumdrop Green ink and sponged it onto the flower.  I let it dry for a minute and then added VersaMark ink to the top of this by stamping with the pad itself all over the flower.  I then heat embossed it using clear embossing powder.  I layered the 2 together using glue dots and attached it to the center of the doily with glue dots.  Next I added a yellow glitter to the center with liquid glue to add some dazzle. 

 

The greeting comes from the stamp set Curly Cute.  I stamped it using Midnight Muse ink and sponged the edges with the same ink.  I rounded the corners of the greeting using the corner rounder punch prior to sponging.  It is attached using glue dots.

Well what do you think of the new colors?  I love them all.  I will try to use something else new for tomorrow's card.  I think I will stick to the new colors also.  

I do appreciate you stopping by today.  Please come back by tomorrow and see what I have for you next.  Happy crafting to you all!!

Feeling Under the Weather?

I finally got to open my Stampin' Up! boxes and go through some of the new items coming out in the catalog.  I also got to see the new catalog!!  It is filled with really neat stuff.  My wish list will be so long!!  I love the new in-colors.  They are absolutely beautiful. 

While I did get to open my boxes, I did not get to play with my stuff.  You see the charities group contacted me again in need of 2 get well cards.  Now my husband still does not have his so I hope I am not just spinning my wheels by doing these.  However, since my husband is the president of the charity and is the one requesting the cards, I am sure the recipients will receive them.  So I realized I had not designed one for them and could not decide what I wanted to do.  Well my husband remembered the card I made with the sick dog on the front and thought it would work for them.  That is what I did today - made sick dogs.  Let me show you.

 

This little guy may look familiar.  I have shared a card with him on it before.  You can search through the get well cards to find him and get the instructions on how to make him.  I believe I learned to make him from Ellen Kemper.  The main difference between these cards and the original is the designer paper used for the bed and pillow.  They all came from the same designer series paper pack from Stampin' Up!.  It is a retired dsp and I do not recall the name, but it is perfect for men.  I hope to see another pack that is man oriented to have variety to use.  

 

Here is the first little guy up close.  I just want to hug him to make him feel better.  

 

Here is the second puppy.  Again, I know a hug would help him too.  

I know this is probably not what you thought I would do for today but when the charity calls, I answer.  Anyway, I really hope to play with some of the new products for tomorrow.  I will share whatever I do with you.  So please, please, please come back and see me.  Thanks for stopping by today!  Happy crafting!

 

 

My Mother's Day

Hi Everyone!!

I hope you all had a nice Mother's Day.  I had a terrific weekend.  My youngest had to work on Mother's Day so I spent Saturday with her.  We had a lot of fun.  She bought a curly fry maker a few weeks ago and had never tried to use it so we decided we would try and see what would happen.  Well, not only did it cut the potatoes into cute curls, the fries were delicious.  We ordered pizza and spent a fun evening watching some of our favorite shows together.

On Sunday, my oldest daughter came over and spent some time with me.  It was so fun to visit with her.  She is a busy bee and I don't get to see her enough.  My husband smoked a beef brisket for my dinner.  Now I will admit I did help cook.  I made a potato salad and cheesy garlic bread.  The entire meal was yummy and the company was even better.

Now with all of that going on, I did not take time to craft.  I was having too much fun and did not want to stop.  So needless to say, I do not have a card to share with you.  Even more surprising is the fact that some of my new catalog preorder was delivered by the UPS man last Thursday and I have not even had time to open the boxes!!  I have a lot of catching up to do this week.  However, I will share with you what I received this weekend.

I have always been a huge Disney film fan.  I try not to miss any of the new animated films that come out.  I absolute favorite film is Beauty and the Beast.  My girls have been wonderful about getting me items over the years that are from the movie.  Well, last year I saw the movie Tangled, you know the story of Rapunzel.  Well I told my girls that this movie was so good it is my 2nd favorite film.  It just captivated me.  I loved the characters and the storyline.  So for my Mother's Day gift this year, here is what I received:

Here is my handmade card drawn by my youngest.

 

 

I received 2 dolls to add to my Barbie collection too.  All in all I could not have asked for a better Mother's Day weekend.  Now I will get back to work and get my creative ideas flowing.  I will return tomorrow with a project to share with you.  Thanks for stopping by today.  

More Rosettes!!

Praise the Lord I actually sat down and was creative today!!  After the problems with my elbow and the catch up cleaning marathon including laundry, I was beginning to doubt that I would ever have time this week.  So imagine my thrill when I awoke this morning and was inspired to make a card.  Woo hoo!! 

While my husband went to physical therapy for this ankle Tuesday, I went to one of my favorite craft stores.  Have you ever noticed it is easier to shop without your husband at a craft store?  When I go with him, I tend to get just what I need and leave.  But this day, I got to look all around the store and actually found a die for my big shot that I had been wanting to get.  If you are a Stampin' Up! customer or fan, you probably have seen the die they carry to make the beautiful rosette flowers.  I bought it as soon as it came out.  It really works well to make any size you need depending on the size of paper you use.  Now I love the fact that it both cuts and embosses the strip making it easy to fold the petals and make the flower.  So it is understandable that when I saw another big designer was working with Sizzix on another die to make these, I was truly interested.  The designer is Tim Holtz and the collection is called Alterations.  The die I purchases is a decorative strip called Mini Paper Rosettes.  Let me show you the card and you will be able to see the 2 sizes of rosettes it cuts out.

 

The base card for this one is Marina Mist card stock.  I cut it to be 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  I took a sponge and my Marina Mist ink and smudged it a little on the front.  It doesn't show up in the photo but it is there.  Next, I took a piece of Very Vanilla and using the 2nd largest label from the Framelits Label Collection, I cut this label out.  I sponged the edges using the Marina Mist ink and ran it through the big shot again using the Finial Press impression folder.  I attached this to the card using runner adhesive.  I added some Stickles glitter glue dots around the edges of the base card as well as on the vanilla label for added color.  The name of the shade of Stickles is Broken China.

 

Here is a close up of the large rosette.  It measures approximately 2 1/4".  This die cuts the strip of paper you will used for the flower as well as the medallion centers for the flowers, 1 large and 1 small.  Use the large one for this rosette.  I used a retired designer series paper called Blueberry Crisp to make these.  The fold lines are perforated making it easy to accordion fold them.  Glue the ends together using a strong liquid glue to make your circle and you will be ready to make the rosette.  For the back piece to glue the rosette to, I used a 1" circle for the large rosette.  You will not be seeing this piece since it will attach to the card.  I adhered the rosette to the circle and the medallion using a liquid glue.  You will need to apply pressure for a few minutes but it dries rather fast.  For the center, I added some antique looking pearls I picked up while I was out.  I attached this to the card using dimensionals.

 

Here is a close up of the small rosette.  It measures approximately 1 1/2".  I used the same dsp and put it together the same was as the large one.  For the backing of this one, I used a 3/4" circle.  The die cuts out a large and small medallion so for this one use the smaller one.  I added a single pearl here as it really did not need more.  These are attached to the card using glue dots.  

I left the inside of this one blank.  With no greeting on the outside, you can use it for any occasion or to just drop a note to a friend.  

Well that brings us to the close of another week.  I am truly hoping for a better week next week.  I am also excited as I will share with you the new "in colors" coming out in the 2012 - 2013 Stampin' Up! catalog.  If you would like to buy one of these, please send me an email and I will be sure to add you to my list.  

Have a wonderful weekend and spend lots of time with your Mom.  Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms out there.  I will be back on Monday.  See you then.  Thanks for stopping by today.