Today’s card is 4" x 8" finished size, starting with an 3.75" x8" piece of So Saffron Textured card stock adhered to a base of very vanilla 8" x 8" scored and folded in half lengthwise.  I used an edge distresser from our cutter kit and sanding block to distress the bottom edge of the so saffron cardstock before adhering to the vanilla card base.

I adhered a small strip of more mustard striped designer series paper above the bottom edge.

I cut 4 blocks of card stock sized 2" x 2": one old olive, one more mustard, and two very vanilla.  One the more mustard and the old olive blocks, I used one image each from the Pocket Silhouettes Stamp Set and stamped it in bleach onto the card stock.  Just hold it for a few seconds and watch the magic!  I wrapped a piece of more mustard 1/4" grosgrain ribbon around the more mustard card stock.  I used chocolate chip marker on the "friend" part of the sentiment stamp from the same set, on a scrap of very vanilla and cut out.  I adhered this with Stampin’ Dimensionals on top of the old olive block.

For the center block I used chocolate chip ink on a dauber around the edge of the block, and adhered to the card centering it between the othe two blocks.  On the 2nd piece of very vanilla, I stamped a third image from Pocket Silhouettes stamp set with close to cocoa. I stamped off once on a scrap piece of paper first, allowing for a more muted image.  I used the "thanks so much" sentiment stamp in close to cocoa off center from the main image, but overlapping the stems.  I cut out this image with the curly label punch, and adhered to bottom block of very vanilla with dimensionals.  I clipped an antique brass library clip to the top of the punched shape.

Thanks for looking! 

Technorati Tags: Bleach technique, Curley Label Punch, cutter kit, edge distresser, library clip embellishment, Pocket Silhouettes, sanding block

It’s not my original design, but it’s definitely the most beautiful card I think I’ve ever made!  It appears on the cover of our catalog, and I LOVE this card and had everything I needed to make it, accept I don’t own the All Scallops stamp set.  Well, I thought of a way to case the card and reproduce the scalloped edge with a chocolate chip marker and a hole punch. 

I have really found my preference for watercoloring.  I have used crayons, pencils with waterbrush, markers, and misting my stamped image with water, but I really like painting with our water brush and using my ink pads.  The brush pack comes in two sizes also, for smaller and larger line artwork.  I just find this technique quick, easy and no mess!  I also advise you to use our watercolor paper, which I used here and for the snowman in the last post.  However, you can also use our confetti white/cream papers too, because you need a thicker, fibrous and pourous paper that can accept the water without pilling  up.  Stamp your image in black or brown stazon, or craft ink and let it dry before you watercolor.  You can even  emboss the image with clear powder after you’ve stamped the image with colored craft ink and then watercolor it.

The base of the card is kraft card stock.  The two flower images and the birds come from a gorgeous stamp set, Eastern Influences, part of our style watch, stamped on watercolor paper.  The sentiment is from One of a Kind which is framed by Frames with a Flourish, stamped on confetti white card stock.  I REALLY love that stamp set, and its size of frames accommodate almost all sizes of sentiments.  It also has neat flourishes that you can use on top or bottom or both of any photo, frame, picture mat, or sentiment.  You’ll see an example of the flourish in my next post.

The color inks are the base colors of the Bella Rose Designer Series papers, which I used a small strip of the red damask under the kiwi kiss striped ribbon and a small square of the CC polka dot under the framed sentiment.  The inks are chocolate chip, riding hood red, and kiwi kiss.  I used a little bit of sahara sand and going gray on the birds.  I used our new scalloped edge punch for the bottom border of the card, and then used the chocolate chip marker to "dot" the scalloped edges; the large end for the large dots and small end for the smaller dots.  I punched 1/16" holes in the center of each larger brown dot at the "top" of each scallop.

All stamped images were cut out (tediously) and raised with dimensionals.  The end result is definitely worth the time! Even if you don’t find cutting stamped images out as relaxing as I do, you could stamp all of these images on a piece of watercolor paper, masking the largest flower before you stamp the frame, so it appears under the rose.

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: Bella Rose Designer Series Paper, Eastern Influences stamp set, Frames with a Flourish stamp set, One of a Kind stamp set, Punches, scalloped edge punch, waterbrush, watercoloring

Ok, I’d admit I’m getting a little carried away.   I just couldn’t help myself when the oh so loved man in brown arrived with three boxes yesterday.  My huge box  of new in-color ribbons and Designer Series Paper along with some more Stampin’ Up! Sizzix Bigz XL diecuts arrived at the same time as another box of sizzix dies.  This fry box was one of the new sizzix dies and not to be outdone, but I also received the chinese take out box die.  Geez, talking about all this is making me hungry! 

Here’s what I made with my Fry Box die:

Isn’t it just adorable?  I think so.  Very little stamping here, but I used Perfect Plum textured cardstock for the die cut fry box.  I used So Saffron, Perfect Plum, and Whisper White cardstock for the tag, which required a 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 1/2" circle punch, and the scalloped circle punch.  The stamp in the center is the small flower from Think Happy Thoughts as well as the sentiment "friendship".  I used glitter for the center, and white taffeta ribbon to tie around the box.  The two circles punched are popped up on dimensionals as is the scalloped circle over the ribbon.

You gotta come play with all my new dies!  I’m in the process of creating a Sizzix Saturday Club.   We’ll get together and die cut shapes with the Big Shot machine, and we’ll make a couple of projects that I’ll design and provide the materials for you.

Make sure you check back to find it on the schedule, but for September, it will be the 3rd Saturday, Sept.  20 from 11am - 1pm. 

gotta fly….

Technorati Tags: Big Shot, bigz xl dies, fry box die cut, scalloped circle tag, sizzix, Think Happy Thoughts stamp set

Today’s card is from the stamp set, Window Dressing, page 22 of the new Fall/Winter 2008 Stampin’ Up! Idea Book and Catalog.  Actually, it is a level 3 hostess benefit set that you could obtain absolutely free with a qualifying hostess party.  I made this card today as part of my ongoing challenge for my 2008 New year goals to make everything that appears in the new catalog.  You may have seen my first post, Live with Passion, showcasing the Inspired by Nature stamp set. 

As my friend Shelley would say, "Anywhoo," I made this card last night and I loved this set immediately.  I have something similiar from another company that makes gates, windows, barn doors, and has children’s front and back sides.  This set is not as interactive as the one I just mentioned, but reminds me so much of it, and I’ve thought about chopping the cat’s head off and stamping it without it’s face on, and coloring it solid so it would look like the back of its head, and that it’s looking OUT the window instead.  That’ll be another post, on a day I’m feeling like beheading someone!  Nobody comes to mind at the moment, but all I can say is THANK GOODNESS the kids go back to school next week!    But, I digress…

I used the Polka Dot background stampset with white craft ink on Baja Breeze (new in color) cardstock.  I cut a mat from chocolate chip cardstock, and wet the top and right side, and rolled it with my fingers like making snakes with Play Doh.  I stamped the main window dressing image with brown staz-on, but you could use black, onto confetti white cardstock.  Just so you know, that’s why you see little blobs of colors or flecks on my card (it’s not ink), because the cardstock comes that way and it’s in the Naturals collection.  I use confetti cardstock and this method specifically when I’m going to watercolor an image.  I could also use our SU watercolor paper, however, it comes precut into a smaller size, and therefore, isn’t big enough for an image this size.  The confetti cardstock is a little more fibrous and thicker and holds up well.  So, the stazon keeps the image/ink from smearing when you apply the waterbrush and ink when you water color.  I used creamy caramel for the cat, baja breeze for the cat, and a much more watered version for the window panes, and used chocolate chip for the frame.  I finished with kiwi kiss (new in color), sahara sand in the window panes.  I glued pink pirouette cardstock onto the chipboard heart from Onboard Essentials chipboard collection.  Lastly, a slight variation on the ribbon since I haven’t received my latest order yet which has all the in-color striped ribbons in it, I used chocolate chip tafetta.

I really love watercoloring because it’s easier than it looks, you can add color dimension and shadows, and most of all it gives you permission to color outside the lines.  It doesn’t have to be perfect and in fact, it looks better when it’s not!

The window dressing set comes with 10 stamp sets, which you can see below.

You can catch other watercolored projects via my posts like this, or attend one of my stamp camp classes, or you can host a party at your home or mine if you feel you don’t have the room!  No worries, just add friends and waterbrushes and you have a party!  And maybe, if you set your goals up front, you can also get your hands on this awesome 10 piece window dressing set and some other free products of your choice!

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: confetti white, level 3 Hostess stamp set, On Board Essentials, Polka Dot Background Stamp, Stampin' Up! In Colors 2008, Stazon, watercoloring, white craft ink, Window Dressing