Artist Trading Card and Help for Nepal

So, I think I've mentioned before that I belong to a group who do a monthly mail in swap of Artist Trading Cards, the little 2.5 x 3.5 inch cards that are based on the calling cards of artists back in the early 1900s. This month, our theme was "Fruity", and, at first, I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do. I didn't think SU had any current fruit stamps, but then I saw Giggle Greetings and realized that it had a whole bowl of cherries image... and a great sentiment to go with it!

• I stamped the bowl of cherries with Memento Tuxedo Black and used my Cherry Cobbler and Daffodil Delight Blendies to colour in the image. I know I shouldn't be using them on my blog when you can't order them any more, but it's so hard to go back to the regular markers once you've used the Blendabilities. . . Sigh!
• I added some highlights on the cherries and on the bowl with my White Gel Pen. Then I got out the Crystal Effects and added some blobs onto the cherries in the bowl. This takes a couple of hours to completely dry, so you can't be in a hurry if you use this much on a project.
• In the meantime, I cut some 2-1/2 x 3-1/2 inch pieces of All Abloom Designer Series Paper Stack and carefully ripped them as shown above. Then I added some Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details to the little flower buds on the paper.
• After covering the ATC with Basic Black cardstock and adding the ripped piece of All Abloom cardstock to the top left side, I punched out the sentiments with the Modern Label Punch (*retiring) and added them to the base.
• I hand cut the cherry bowl and its shadow and mounted it with Stampin' Dimensionals and my ATC was finished. I can't wait to see what I get in return.

Sometimes life is just a bowl of cherries and sometimes it's just the pits! I'm sure that the people in Nepal would agree with that after the devastating earthquake that hit just last Saturday. Nepal is stunningly beautiful, but also one of the poorest countries in the world.

The 8.1 magnitude quake hit a wide area with massive destruction and authorities believe there will be over 10,000 fatalities. Thousands are homeless, and with the monsoon season coming in a few weeks, disease and lack of shelter could raise the toll drastically.

I've been wondering what we as a papercrafting community could do to help the efforts in terms of fundraising for aid to be sent. I'm sure many have already donated individually, as we have, to the cause.

What if we were to each hold an auction on our blogs? We could auction projects and then donate the proceeds to the Red Cross for use in Nepal, maybe using the hashtag #StampingforNepal. Tell me what you think of this idea or if you have a better one. I will post this in some other places as well. I would just feel better being able to contribute using my skills as a crafter to help in a meaningful way. Leave a comment if you agree.

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the Stampin' Up! products used to make this card today!

Product List

Giggle Greetings Wood Stamp Set [131062]	Giggle Greetings Clear Stamp Set [131065]	*All Abloom Designer Series Paper Stack [133703]	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	White Signo Uni-Ball Gel Pen [105021]	Crystal Effects [101055]	**Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Cherry Cobbler Assortment [130995]	**Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Daffodil Delight Assortment [139926]
Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details [125585]	Paper Snips Scissors [103579]	*Modern Label Punch [119849]	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]
SNAIL Permanent Adhesive [104332]

* Retiring June 2, 2015

**Discontinued, not available for order

Age Isn't Important for As You See It Challenges

Age isn't important....unless you're a cheese! Or a wine! While I agree with this statement, I don't think society does. Age creates a big divide between generations at times. I know I have been, in the past, somewhat judgemental about seniors. And I'm really sorry about that because I am becoming one myself. Why do we do that to people? Let preconceived ideas keep us from seeing someone as a human being first. But as a wise person once said,

                      

I was searching for ideas for As You See It Challenges #058, and I decided to go for humour. Part of my choice had to do with the Colour Swatch for Colour Throwdown this week as well. Check out both challenges:

The colour scheme is pretty unusual, and it made me think of cheese for some reason, hence the choice of images from the Giggle Greetings stamp set, which I haven't used for a long time. It is just a breath of fresh air to leave behind the autumn, Halloween and Christmas designs for a short time.

• I don't think I would have chosen this palette on my own, but it was interesting to try to work with.  I decided to use my Blendies on this image and it worked out well, considering that someone had not capped my Daffodil Delight Blendie (the lightest shade) properly and it had dried out. I experimented though.  I dipped the tip in some alcohol and was able to get a bit more ink out. Enough to finish this small image, but I think I will have to buy a new one.  I was hoping that the tips would soak up enough alcohol to get it working again, but no luck.  Maybe if I left it soaking longer?
• The DSP piece is from the Maritime collection, one of two in Real Red.  The grid design was more appropriate than the anchors!  
• I ran the Blushing Bride piece through the Big Shot with the Arrows Embossing Folder, but not before I inked up the inside top of the folder with some Blushing Bride ink straight from the pad.  That is what gives it that two-toned look.
• The Happy Birthday sentiment is from the Remembering Your Birthday stamp set and the font seemed to fit the style of the image above it.

Make These Great Halloween Treat Bags

How would you like to make six of these cute treat bags for some special trick or treaters in your family?  I have a class coming up on Thursday, October 23 to do just that.  There are 2 spots still open.  You can register for that class here.

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the products used to make this card today!

Product List

Giggle Greetings Wood-mount Stamp Set [131062]	Giggle Greetings Clear-mount Stamp Set [131065]	Remembering Your Birthday Wood-mount Stamp Set [131347]	Remembering Your Birthday Clear-mount Stamp Set [131350]	Maritime Designer Series Paper [133696]
Real Red 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [102482]	Blushing Bride 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131198]	So Saffron 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [105118]	Very Vanilla 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [101650]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]
Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Pad [131172]	Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Daffodil Delight Assortment [130998]	Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Skin Tone Assortment [129370]	Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Cherry Cobbler Assortment [130995]	Arrows Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [132187]
Labels Collection Framelits Dies [125598]	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine [113439]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]

Talk About Opposites!!! for The Paper Players

Yesterday, I started a grungy, one layer card and ended up with the total opposite - a classy, many layered card!! I set out to complete a project for The Paper Player's 200th Challenge! Because it's a Celebration Challenge, each Design Team Member has chosen her favourite Challenge from the past 200 and to enter we just need to pick the one we like the best out of the Design Team choices.

Well, I wanted to use my Stampin' Blendabilities markers but I didn't know if it would be rightfully called water colouring (for Jaydee's challenge) because they are alcohol based markers.

                                                         

 So then I thought I could do a One Layer Card (for Ann's challenge).  I got out my Giggle Greetings and decided to colour in one of those images.


                                          

The small image was okay at the bottom right but the rest of the card looked so empty!  I found a sentiment I could use, but the card still looked wrong, so I added some ink splotches from Gorgeous Grunge, and that seemed too much to me.  Here's how that one looked:

                                                                       Not lovin' it!

I decided to give up on that one (after colouring the bowl of cherries three times) and went to another challenge from the DT.  The one I chose was Anne Marie's:

                                                       

I figured, if I did a sketch challenge, that I could use the Stampin' Blendabilities all I wanted!  Prepare yourself for the exact opposite of the last card:

• This is a card of formal richness instead of informal grunge and humour.  But I'm happy with how it turned out and I got to use a whole raft of new products.
• Check out the Design Series Paper with the gold lace pattern.  It's perfect for this card and its part of the Gold Soiree collection Specialty DSP.  All the gold designs have a metallic sheen to them. So pretty!
• The stamp set is the Hostess Set, Bloom with Hope. The images are all beautiful floral designs just perfect for Blendabilities!  I loved colouring in this large flower with the Rich Razzleberry set and the Daffodil Delight set.

• The Circle Framelits die cut the flower and it's matte, which is from Rich Razzleberry cardstock.  The Floral Frames Framelits were used to die cut the floral shape on the Blackberry Bliss panel behind, instead of a rectangle in the sketch.
• I should mention that I mounted the DSP on the same size cardstock to give it some strength in order to support the heavy Gold Satin Ribbon that is wrapped around it.  This is a new type of ribbon in the new 2014/15 Annual Catalogue and it is as beautiful as satin and it has a heavier weight to it than the stitched satin ribbon or the seam binding ribbons.  Look at the sheen, though! Gorgeous!

Anyway, I had my "fun" today, although there was a fair amount of frustration thrown in.  I was finally able to produce something challenge-worthy!  I guess the motto would be, "If at first you don't succeed, try something completely different!"

Have you ever had to give up on one project and start something completely different?  Tell me about it in the comments below!  I'd love to hear from you!

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the products used to make this card today!

Product List

Giggle Greetings Wood-mount Stamp Set [131062]	Giggle Greetings Clear-mount Stamp Set [131065]	Kind Cozy Wood-mount Stamp Set [129123]	Kind Cozy Clear-mount Stamp Set [129126]	Gorgeous Grunge Wood-mount Stamp Set [130514]
Gorgeous Grunge Clear-mount Stamp Set [130517]	Bloom With Hope Wood Stamp Set [133949]	Bloom With Hope Clear Stamp Set [133952]	Gold Soiree Specialty Designer Series Paper [133697]	Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [100730]
Blackberry Bliss 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133675]	Rich Razzleberry 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [115316]	Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad [126966]	Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad [131175]	2013-2015 In Color Stampin' Write Markers [131260]
Cherry Cobbler Stampin Write Marker [119681]	Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad [126976]	Circles Collection Framelits Dies [130911]	Floral Frames Framelits Dies [127012]	Gold 5/8" Satin Ribbon [134547]
Big Shot Die-Cut Machine [113439]

Stampin' Blendabilites Markers: Cherry Cobbler, Coastal Cabana, Rich Razzleberry and Daffodil Delight Assortments * available to customers at the end of June or beginning of July.