Smile for Dynamic Duos!

Dynamic Duos always manages to challenge me with colours I don't normally use and, except for Christmas, I don't use Gumball Green very often. I had to smile because the Design Team chose Gumball Green (Does anyone else always end up typing "Bumball Green"?) for this week's challenge, but thankfully let us pick the second half of the Duo.

I checked the Colour Coach, which is normally very useful, but the colour trios suggested were all way too much for me.  Then, as I perused my stock of DSP, Modern Medley caught my eye!  Yes! Black and Gumball Green would work perfectly, and Very Vanilla as a neutral, because it's the background colour in all the Modern Medley designs.  Here's how it turned out, and it made me Smile!

• I love the bold font and the awesome medallion in the Happy Day Stamp Set!  It was perfect for this challenge because it takes up the empty space on the card, but it's so simple and clean-looking.
• I used up lots of Modern Medley scraps for the banners.  I die cut them using the two smallest Banners Framelits.  I added them to the front panel before adhering it to the card base.  Here's why. The large flags were all the same length, as were the small flags, but I wanted them different lengths.  I wasn't sure how I wanted them arranged until I played with it a bit, so I didn't have any idea how much to cut off each one.  Instead I arranged them until I was satisfied with how it looked, then I adhered them to the panel and trimmed the ends even with the edge of the panel. Easy peasy!

I'm so glad I challenged myself with this colour.  Next up:  Rich Razzleberry or Rose Red!

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

130294	130297	126926	121045	126840	101650
126861	101406	132173	103579

Learn Something New Every Day!

They can teach an old dog new tricks!  I learned something new yesterday.  I created a QR code for a packet of information that I was putting together for my business!  I filmed the video, edited it, loaded it on YouTube, then got the QR code for it!  I was inordinately proud of myself!  Really, it wasn't hard at all.  I'm used to filming and editing videos, so that wasn't new.  And getting a QR code for the video is simple once you know where to look.  But it does sound quite tech-y doesn't it? I've renamed myself Techno-nanny!

It's important to keep on learning.  It keeps your brain from atrophying.  And I have a fear of getting left behind in this world of technology, so I'm motivated.

I have a Valentine card for you today.  I love red and black together for Valentines.

• I'm putting the Cherry Cobbler to work today - cardstock, ribbon, ink.  I chose it instead of Real Red because the Seam Binding ribbon is not available in Real Red.  The polka dot DSP is from the Regals Collection Designer Series Paper Stack.
• I used the Positively Chevron background stamp with VersaMark ink to emboss the black panel with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder.
• The hearts are punched from Modern Medley paper with the Full Heart Punch.  The Red Glimmer Paper hearts are die cut with the Hearts Collection Framelits.

• The flowers are punched with the Petite Petals punch, the Boho Blossoms punch and the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack.
• The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes, and punched using the Word Window Punch.  The backing is the Modern Label Punch.  I haven't used that combination in a while!
• I coloured some Rhinestones with a red sharpie.  I can hardly wait to get our Blendabilities Markers because then we will be able to colour pearls and rhinestones with every colour the Blendabilities come in.  They are alcohol based, so will do that job for us.

So go out and learn something new today!  Leave me a comment to tell me what it was!

• Teeny Tiny Wishes Wood-mount Stamp Set
• Positively Chevron Wood-mount Stamp Set
• Red Glimmer Paper
• Regals Designer Series Paper Stack
• Modern Medley Designer Series Paper
• Basic Black 8-1/2X11 Card Stock
• Cherry Cobbler 8-1/2X11 Card Stock
• Very Vanilla 8-1/2X11 Card Stock
• Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad
• Jet Black StazOn Pad
• Cherry Cobbler 1/2 Inch Seam Binding Ribbon
• Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder
• Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents
• Full Heart Punch
• Petite Petals Punch
• Boho Blossoms Punch
• Punch Pack
• Hearts Collection Framelits Dies
• Word Window Punch
• Modern Label Punch

New Year's Card for Pals Paper Arts

Pals Paper Arts Challenge #185 has been out for a while, and as I was looking around for inspiration today, I found their sketch, and decided to make a New Year's card with it:


                                               
  It's a mixture of new and old products, but definitely on the glitzy side:

• I don't know if I'm breaking a cardinal rule of the Arts, but I'm mixing my metallics!  This card features gold and silver embossing powder, gold foil sheets, silver glimmer paper and gold sequins. I like the way it looks so, if it looks good, break all the rules!!!
• I decided New Year's was a good celebration to use up some of my Modern Medley designs that I tend to overlook.  Here I mixed a mosaic design with some variable width stripes.  I'm such a rebel today!

• Everyone watches the clock for midnight New Year's Eve, so I used the Clockworks stamp set for that great pocket watch.  I had to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig to center the clock face, but I had SUCH a hard time with it.  Part of the problem is that my Clockworks set is clear mount and that can pose a problem with two-step stamping, especially if you have to clean the stamp in between stamping the acetate of the Stamp-a-ma-jig and inking up in Versamark so you can add embossing powder.  The cleaning of the stamp moves it slightly on the clear mount block.  If I had it to do over, I would definitely get this set in wood mount, and that goes for any two-step stamping set.
• The sentiment is half of one of the Christmas Messages set stamps.  I carefully inked it up in Versamark ink as well and embossed it with gold embossing powder.  Don't forget to use your embossing buddy for these kinds of projects, so you don't get embossing powder where you don't want it.
• I used an old neglected friend, the Curly Label punch, for the sentiment and it was just the right look! Yay for old friends:  "Should Auld Acquaintance be forgot...."

What are your plans on New Year's Eve?  We are going with two other couples to see the Hobbit Part 2 and I am so excited about that.  Have I mentioned that I am a huge Tolkien fan?  And that the Lord of the Rings Trilogy is my favourite movie series ever?

 

Click on any of these products for a direct link to my Stampin' Up! On-Line Store!

• Clockworks Clear-Mount Stamp Set
• Clockworks
• Christmas Messages Wood-Mount Stamp Set
• Christmas Messages Clear-Mount Stamp Set
• Modern Medley Designer Series Paper
• Gold Foil Sheets
• Silver Glimmer Paper
• Basic Black 8-1/2X11 Card Stock
• Versamark Pad
• Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder
• Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder
• Embossing Buddy
• Stamp-A-Ma-Jig
• Heat Tool
• Curly Label Punch
• Gold Sequin Trim*

*Available starting Jan. 3, 2014 from the Occasions Catalogue.

Staples

We had a challenge to do at our Creative Escapes retreat last weekend and I was not into it at all.  It was a "How do you use it" challenge or something like that.  And the thing that we were supposed to showcase was ... staples. Hunh.  I've seen them used from time to time on other blogs, and I've never really liked them. I don't know why.  Maybe because they seem so random and out of place.  Kind of like the torn edges on washi tape.  But they are an element of grunge so I guessed I'd better get with the program.  I decided to go for the gusto and add some staples to my project.  Here it is:

• How did I do?  Random? Check. Shiny? Check. Out of place....well, no. Oddly they seemed to fit on this card. Weird.
• I did get some flak for the birds from the Modern Medley DSP.  They are meant to be silhouettes of flying doves.  Everyone else seemed to think they were crows, in which case the sentiment would be a plea! Then there was my hubby, who soothed my hurt feelings by saying, "No, dear, I don't think they're crows!"                                                                                                                       "Thanks, hon!"  I sighed with relief.                                                                                                     "No, actually, that looks more like a flock of seagulls!  Ha, ha, ha!"  Smack!
• As always, that burlap ribbon makes the card.  LOVE it!  And that little pop of Cherry Cobbler.  The Cherry Cobbler flag is embossed with the Pretty Print Embossing Folder.

• The sentiment is from the Calm Christmas stamp set, which does have a dove image in it, but a lot bigger than these pigeons.
• A little sponging just adds to the rustic look I was going for.  Soft Suede is always my ink of choice for sponging.

• The more I use framelits, the more I appreciate Apothecary Accents.  They give just the right touch for sentiments and labels.  Although there is just one size of each shape, you can matte them easily by die cutting a second in another colour, preferably darker and cutting it in half vertically.  I cut off the little knobs at the top so you don't see the separation where the cut is and then I glue each half extending beyond each end.  Ta da!

Okay, I've mastered staples!  Now, on to ripped washi tape.  Might have to grit my teeth for that one, though.

Here's a new promotion from Stampin' Up, in case you were getting bored:

Click on the photo above to find out the downloads on sale and the print products as well.

Stamps:  Calm Christmas (w132736; c132739)

Paper:  Modern Medley DSP (126926); Basic Black (121045), Crumb Cake (120953), Cherry Cobbler (119685) and Very Vanilla (101650) cardstock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pad in Soft Suede (126978) and Cherry Cobbler (126966)

Accessories:  1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon (132140); Staples (yeah!)

Tools:  Stapler; Apothecary Accents Framelits (127003); Pretty Print Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (132175); Big Shot (113439)

Apothecary Accents Framelits

Big Shot

1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon

Modern Medley Design Series Paper

Pretty Print Embossing Folder

Calm Christmas Embossing Folder

Winter Wreath

One of the first things to catch my eye in the catalogue when it came out in June, was the four gorgeous wreaths displayed on pages 184/185.  There is one for each season, and I am planning 4 classes based on them throughout the year.  We've done the fall wreath and it is a proud part of my decor this season.

But, on Wednesday, October 23, I am planning on holding a class to make this Winter Wreath:

I love the colours and choices of paper in this wreath.  The silver and soft sky just remind me of a serene winter's day.  I wish my photograph was better.  It was hard to get the photo of something this big without shadows.

I won't be giving you the recipe for this one, because I want you to come to my class.  It is a product based class and with your registration fee you will get a package of Modern Medley Designer Series Paper, a package of Silver Glimmer Paper, 2 sheets of Soft Sky designs from the Subtles Collection Designer Series Paper Stacks and 5 sheets of Soft Sky cardstock, plus the wreath form and some embellishments. You keep what you don't use. See you then!  Here's a link where you can register.

If you're travelling home after the long weekend today, travel safely!

Three Dog Night

"Jeremiah was a bull frog!  Was a good friend of mine.  Never understood a single word he said, but I helped him drink his wine.  And he always had some mighty fine wine."

Does anyone remember those lyrics?  It is a song by a group called "Three Dog Night".  The song is titled "Joy to the World".  I think of it whenever I see that Christmas sentiment, Joy to the World, because at a church I used to attend every Christmas Eve (because our church didn't have a Christmas Eve service)  they used to sing the Three Dog Night version and it used to bug me big time.  It just didn't seem appropriate to me, given the other lyrics of the song.  It just wasn't Christmassy to me.

But this card is Christmassy, from the music to the ornament to the sentiment, I think it's a unique but very seasonal card.

• Because music is a big part of my Christmas, I love having a music score on my Christmas cards.
• I like the Basic Black, Very Vanilla and Cherry Cobbler (with just a dash of Old Olive and Chocolate Chip thrown in) colour palette.
• I used the Apothecary Accents framelit to die cut the sentiment, which is from the Joy to the World Stamp Set.  I cut two more of the same shape from Basic Black cardstock to create the matte for the shape.  I cut one in half lengthwise (after cutting off the knobs at each end) and glued each side on the side of the sentiment shape but extending about 1/8".  I cut the other in half widthwise and added it to the left and right side of the shape, again extending it about 1/8".

• The Christmas ornament is stamped with an image from the Christmas Collectibles stamp set in Cherry Cobbler and punched out with the Christmas Ornament Punch.
• I stamped the fir bough from the Special Season stamp set, first in Old Olive and then in Chocolate Chip.  I hand cut the pine cones and adhered them to the fir bough before using a glue dot to adhere the whole thing to the top of the ornament.

At my September Technique Nights we are focusing on the Holiday Mini Catalogue and this is one of the cards we will be making.  Come on out, either Wednesday or Thursday evening, Sept. 4th or 5th!  We'd love to stamp with you.

Stamps:  Joy to the World (w131796; c131799); Christmas Collectibles (w131772; c131775); Special Season (w131766; c131769)

Paper:  Modern Medley Design Series Paper (126926); Basic Black (121045) and Very Vanilla (101650) cardstock

Ink:  StazOn Jet Black (101406); Classic Stampin' Pads in Cherry Cobbler (126966), Old Olive (126953) and Chocolate Chip (102128)

Accessories:  1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon in Cherry Cobbler (120992); Regals Collection Candy Dots (130932)

Tools:  Apothecary Accents Framelits (127003); Christmas Ornament Punch (132152)

Apothecary Accents Framelits

Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon

Christmas Collectibles Stamp Set

Christmas Ornament Punch

Joy to the World Stamp Set

Regals Collection Candy Dots\

Modern Medley DSP

I've been very busy in my craft room this week, trying to prepare for several classes in case I get the call that my daughter is in labour and I have to leave to be with her and her hubby in Vancouver.  I have two classes this weekend and two during the week, one of which my downline will cover if I have to go!  Yay, Rebecca!










The card I want to show you today is for my All Occasion Stamper's Dozen, which takes place Saturday afternoon from 1 - 4 pm.  Guests will stamp 12 cards, 3 each of four designs, so the cards have to be fairly easy to do quickly.  Simple doesn't mean unattractive though.  This is meant to be a masculine design which was the first comment my hubby made when I showed him the card, so I guess it was achieved!

• Ever since I first laid eyes on the Modern Medley Designer Series Paper, all designs in Basic Black and Very Vanilla,  I've been dying to use it, and this was my first card with it. You've got to check out all the designs.
• The Congratulations stamp from Layered Labels Stamp Set was the perfect one to use for this All Occasion card.  And the fact that it coordinates with the Apothecary Accents Framelits is a BIG bonus!
• The black label is cut from Basic Black cardstock with another of the Apothecary Accents Framelits and the Brushed Gold cardstock is cut using the third smallest oval from the Ovals Collection Framelits.  All were easy to cut using the new Magnetic Platform for my Big Shot.

If I can get it together I will try to post a new video tutorial this weekend.  That's if I'm not cuddling my new grandbaby by then!

Stamps:  Layered Labels (w132028; c127072)
Paper:  Brushed Gold cardstock (102935); Modern Medley DSP (126926); Very Vanilla (101650) and Basic Black (121045) cardstock
Ink:  StazOn Jet Black (101406)
Tools:  Apothecary Accents Framelits (127003); Ovals Collection Framelits (129381)

Apothecary Accents Framelits

Big Shot

Magnetic Platform for the Big Shot

Ovals Collection Framelits

Layered Labels Stamp Set

Modern Medley DSP