I Love Paris

As you all know by now, I have taken on a Paris theme to my new stamp room and as a result I have collected or been gifted several Paris items. This Paris stamp is one of my favorites because of it's size. It covers almost the entire card. With all the Paris paraphernalia, maybe I will feel like I really know Paris if I ever get there. (My spell check isn't working, so please fogive any mispellings)

This stamp is from Stampendous and it is called "I love Paris". I used Stampin' Up (SU) River Rock, Vintage Violet (retired) for the flowers and Perfect Plum. The image was stamped with Vintage Violet. I ran the Perfect Plum panel through the Cuttlebug using the SU Square Lattice embossing folder. The stamped image actually has flowers under the flowers I made. To make the flowers I used a Marth Stewert (MS) Hydreanga punch and layered the petals. I used two of the larger and one small petal for the large flowers and then just two small petals for the small ones. I put a rhinestone in the center of all of them. The leaves were made using The MS Frond Medium punch on SU Certainly Celery and the other larger single leaves were cut free hand out of SU River Rock (I know I surprised myself with how well they turned out because I don't consider myself to be a master of scissors). I created a vein in them with the smaller end of an embossing stylus tool and using the larger end I rubbed them while on a sponge mat until they curled a bit. This helps to give the project dimension. You may think something that is 3D creates the dimention and you are correct, but it is also texture as I did with the larger leaves and the Square Lattice background.

The image below gives you a better picture of the flowers and the leaves. I wish I had corrected the color of the top image so you could see the true color as in the image below.

Well as Michigander's we missed the big winter storm of 2012. They were predicting 6-10 inches in our area and we only got 2. There are areas around the bottom of all the trees that are still bare. It still amazes me how riled up the weather forcasters can get everone and still be wrong. I believe it is the only job where you can make so many mistakes and still keep your job.

I want to thank all of you who have left such nice comments about my new stamp room. I better think about building a new house for all of you who said they want to come and live with me.The number of visits to my blog has skyrocketed. I was floored when I recently found a picture of my room on Pinterest. Someone had pinned it as a room in her dream house and I was told there was a picture of my paper cabinet posted but I haven't seen that one yet. I am flattered beyond belief and happy that so many of you are enjoying the pictures and that I have inspired you to get organized. I always thought of myself as a somewhat organinzed person, but you all have put me on a pedestal. I was hesitant at first to upload the images because I didn't want it to look like I was bragging or rubbing it in anyone's face. I truely know how fortunate I am and I certainly don't take it for granted. I have been waiting a very long time for a long time for a room like this and I am very appreciative every time I step foot in it. I am overwhelmed with joy that my intentions of sharing some storage ideas is what it has been all about. I just wish I had received the last drawer front and mounted it before I had posted the pictures. I never believed it would have gone so viral. Thanks again and I hope to keep inspriring you either with your creativity or your organizational and decorating skills.

~Have fun and enjoy!

Elegant Frame

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentines day. I came home from work to roses and "Skinny Cow" chocolates. Those little morsels are pieces from heaven. Oh, the roses were beautiful also.

As I was sitting in my studio savoring my chocolates, I looked around I came to the conclusion that if I was fortunate enough to have such a beautiful space, I should be creating better projects. So here it is. I spent a bit more time on this card than I normally do and it shows. I was getting tired of my cards looking the same. An image, a bow and some bling weren't cutting it anymore. Not to say I won't go back to that style, but I knew I needed to punch it up a bit to keep my creativity alive. You can click on the picture to enlarge it and there is a close up picture of the flowers below.

This card creates a frame around the image. I used the SU stamp set Organic Grace and stamped it in SU Certainly Celery and Vintage Violet (disc. color). This was mounted to the smallest die in the Spellbinders Grand Label Four. I then used a MS Deco Fan corner and edge punch on a 3.25" x 5" piece of white card stock. Using the Spellbinders Label Four, I created a window in the white card stock and also on a piece of SU Wisteria Wonder. These two pieces were mounted over the image with pop dots to create the frame.

The flowers were created with EK Success Daisy punch and a SU three flower punch from a kit that was called Punch Artwork. They no longer carry it but there are several other small flower punches like it. I punched two larger and one smaller Daisy and one use just one of the flowers from the SU punch. In the picture below you can see the single leftover flowers I used as fillers. I alternated SU Almost Amethyst and Wisteria Wonder for more depth to the flower and then added a pearl. **Here is a tip for you- When you are trying to get a pearl in the center of your flower without having the hole end up on top, I put my pearl bead on a needle or something pointed and then just lay it down. This way the holes will always be on the sides where you wont see them.

The leaves were created out of SU Certainly Celery and River Rock using MS Branches Fir and Spellbinders On the Vine Border die. I used an embossing tool to crease in the lines on the leaves. You don't need the exact same punches as I used, and the layers don't need to be the same style. Just make sure the sizes gradually decrease.

I brought this card and few more that you will be seeing over the next few posts into work the other day. The Cardiologist that works in my department asked me how long it took me to make this card. I told him it probably took me an hour but most of that was thinking what I wanted to use. He said he was going to ask me to make him 200 cards. I hope he didn't think they would all be like this. I know his daughter is getting married in August and if he wants me to make 200 of anything he better ask fast.

~Have fun and enjoy!



 

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day! I call this a perfect holiday because it includes chocolate and love. I still do treat myself to a bit of chocolate every now and then. The sugar free is ok but nothing like the real thing. I made my cards and sent boxes out to the kids. I sent my daughter a bag of Michigan Cherry coffee and when the package was all taped up it still smelt so strong of the lovely aroma. The postal service is going to love me.
I am still making an effort to create cards with new items that I haven't used yet. This stamp is from KaiserCraft called Lady Jude. She has been sitting on the shelf for quite some time now and it was time to give her a try. I love her vintage look but I wasn't quite happy with the amount of black the stamp creates. I guess the way to get around it would be to use markers and outline her hands and face with black and the dress with the color of choice. I might try that next time. I colored her with RV 17 Copic marker to match the SU Melon Mambo card stock that I embossed with Tim Holtz's Regal Flourish embossing folder. The diamond designer paper is the Laundry Line from My Minds Eye and the floral is from Prima's Madeline. I used the sentiment stamp from SU's Clearly for You stamp set and punched it out with the SU Curley Label punch. I colored the pearls with the same RV 17 Copic marker. I thought I would try something different with my bow so I didn't include any tails. I just left the tails long and wrapped them around the back of the card.

If you have this stamp, don't give up on her. I certainly love her too much to do that to her. Sometimes we just need to play around with something before we get it right. Always try to use your stamps with a different technique if you don't like the way it turned out the first time. You never know, you might have given up on a beautiful stamp before trying it again.

It is cold and snowy here in Michigan. I think it is a good day to stay in my PJs and make a big batch of chili. I had the most perfect morning today. I sat at the kitchen island in the quiet and stillness of early morning with a candle burning, a good cup of flavored coffee and my iPad. I could see the snow blowing over the back yard and hear the wind howling every now and then. It was rather cozy, but I had a hard time keeping my mind from imagining myself basking in the Florida sun. I have to learn how to enjoy things as they really are. There is always something good in the moment even if it is 20 degrees and 5 inches of new snow. I know my friend Carol is probably having a hard time believing that now that she is in 80 degree weather. Keep laughing Carol, Port Huron misses you.

~Have fun and enjoy!

Using something new

I wanted to thank all of you for the lovely comments about my new room. I hope you can take away a few ideas for your own stamping space. I must have looked at 100 or more pictures before I knew what I wanted, so in giving back, I shared my space with all of you.

For today's card, my assignment was to use some products that I have had for awhile but were still sitting on the shelf. I used some of my favorite card stock which is from Stampin' Up. I like it's thickness but mostly I love their colors. This card was made with Crumb Cake, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Cream and a tiny piece of Old Olive. The artichoke panel was embossed with the "Branches with Leaves" folder from Sizzix and the cherry cobbler shape is embossed with Tim Holtz's "Regal Flourish" folder and then die cut with Label 20 from Spellbinder's . The branches were sanded lightly for texture and dimension. I was actually surprised with myself that I haven't used this stamp set before now, because it was one I yearned over for along time. It is Established Elegance from Stampin' Up. There are 10 luscious stamps in this set and I had to hold myself back from trying to use all of them on this one card. The dress form and other designs were stamped on a cream panel and then embossed with one of the Textured Impression Embossing Folder called Designer Frames from Stampin' Up. I cut out around the embossed edge which created a cute frame and then rubbed some Antique Linen Distress ink on the edges. The rhinestones are a pretty champagne color that are from Michaels.

Wow, so we are into February already. Valentine's Day is just around the corner so I better start thinking of something lovey dovey to make. I will have to sit and think about that one. Trying to come up with something different for 26 years, gets challenging.

I hope all of you are getting through the winter blahs. So far we have been pretty lucky with our weather. I think we have only had snow on the ground for 3 days at the longest and then it melts. We have had more rain than snow, and for Michigan that is unheard of.

~Have fun and enjoy!