CC175: Just Because

Do Emily's Color Challenges ever scare you? LOL! This one scared me: Almost Wild Saffron (almost amethyst, wild wasabi and so saffron)
I decided to pull out my new Kitchen Sink Stamps Plaid Plus stamp set. I also grabbed the Other Important People set. It has some great "people" and sentiments.

So for this card - I decided that the black was necessary to make the colors just POP! I started with a black base and placed a Swiss Dots CB layer (white) atop it. Then I grabbed some white paper and the saffron ink pad. I was able to easily create this plaid paper with a little ink and some patience. You line the first image up... stamp and line up, stamp and line up...you get the idea. I used the thick line as my starting point. Then I used some wasabi ink and added the stars. Thought they looked cute on there. Some punched paper scraps of wasabi (textured) and amethyst with the scalloped punches in my stash. I put a layer of black, then stamped the sentiment "Just Because" (other important people) in amethyst ink. I placed that and some wasabi striped ribbon on the card and it is done. I like it.....what do you think? I hated the sentiment in amethyst - you couldn't see it - so I changed it to black ink and added some brads....now I like it!
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supplies:
stamps: Kitchen Sink Stamps {Plaid Plus, Other Important People}
ink: saffron, black, wasabi
paper: white, black, wasabi, amethyst
misc: punches, ribbon, cuttlebug (swissdots/epaperie), su brads

Design: Blog Banners

There have been so many items which I have been working on over the past few weeks. The demand for Blog Banners is overwhelming (as is the demand for watermarks and signatures). Thank you for your patience and your willingness to let me create your special design. Here are three that I finalized this week. Ida had a great matching watermark for her blog. This one is a recent favorite. I love the colors we put together:




And these little ladybugs - do you not just love them? I made them myself!



Di wanted a western theme - I made this paisley paper just for her!

There are so many in queue that I am working on! Please send me an email if you love these designs and want to see your blog banner FreckledANDfun!

FS71: Denidill (again)

{Friggin' Idiot! ~ Napoleon Dynomite}

That's me! Goofin around, not payin' attention. I featured Denise a month ago...here is another card...which I created tonight...then had to start from scratch. IMADORK!

The guava and the white base papers are corner rounded - I used two cuttlebug folders (swiss dots and floral fantasy) to create the background on the guava paper. I eliminated the flower and used layered stars instead. I used the Kitchen Sink Stamp Set playful stars with guava and blush ink, then trimmed them and layered them atop one another. The sentiment is from the three step hibiscus set. I used blush ink with the star on the background of the sentiment. The sentiment is stamped in guava. I used a scalloped square, then a trimmed square for the sentiment. I kept the pearls on the side. White sheer polkadot ribbon and guava ribbon complete the card. Sakura stardust on the layered stars, just a smidge here and there on the edges and details of the stars.
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Supplies:
paper: white, guava
ink: guava, blush
misc: cuttlebug (eclecticpaperie - swiss dots, floral fantasy), ribbon (starlitstudio & SU), sakura stardust, dimensionals.

FS75: Stephanie.hargis

I had another DUH! night. I looked in my pms, selected a card, made the changes, got ready to upload and DUH! I already used that FS. I don't know why I do that (believe me, it is not the first time). I will post that card later tonight....seriously, it is a nice card...I just cannot believe that I spent so much time on it, then had to go back to square one! Thank Goodness Todd is in bed! So, on to the next person on my list. Sheesh, IMADORK! Here is the featured stamper....Stephanie.hargis. I chose this card by Stephanie. I loved that she used a Riley. I chose a Sophie G! pirate (ARRRGH!). I love Sophie G. Pirate! I stamped her (using my new acrylic block on the circle technique). I colored her in with copics and then placed her on the scalloped pink circle. I dotted the circle with pink sakura stardust. I also used a smidge/smudge of white craft on the edges. The background of the kraft was stamped with versamark and a stamp from the Ahoy Matey (SU!) stamp set. The layer of blush is on the bottom, just below that, I sewed a zig zag stitch. That was a change, since Stephanie used the mat pack and paper piercer. I punched the ahoy matey sentiment with the small SU! oval punch and mounted it on dimensionals. I used pink ink on the sentiment and then edged it with white craft ink. I also edged the whole card with the white craft. Finally - BOW-A-LICIOUS pink bow! YOWZA! That is a Mayarts/starlitstudio purchase! Yummy, huh?

Check out Stephanie's gallery here.

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supplies:

stamp: Riley/Sophie G. Pirate, ahoy matey (SU)
paper: kraft, white, pretty in pink, blush blossom (SU)
ink: black, copics, pretty in pink, versamark, white craft
misc: ribbon, dimensionals, pink sakura, punches, sewing

Idea!!! Clear Blocks

I just {heart} Tarjay! I love that I can go in there and find ANYTHING that I need. I bet you could live in Target! Who was I having this conversation with? I cannot remember. I do remember that the only problem is there is no washer and dryer. You can pretty much take care of everything in the Tarjay though. Coffee pots (and I found this new YUMMY coffee creamer there - International delight White Chocolate Mocha).

I swear that Todd is addicted to S'mores! Everytime we go to the store he is buying marshmallows, graham crackers and hershey bars. The man is nuts for S'mores! NUTS! What could make S'mores even better? Chocolate Marshmallows! (bouncing).

We found chocolate marshmallows at the TARJAY! {nods!}

It's great to find a great thing, like S'mores and find something to make them even better {like chocolate marshmallows}!

Well, I think I found something like that in my stamp stash.
My good friend Mish is one of those people who inspires me to be a more efficient stamper. You have out your supplies - you might as well use them and be more efficient. So when I have to make a supply of cards, I turn to Mish's idea and mass produce with paper, ink, punches. Simplify and make an assembly line of things! Despite my investment in the nestabilities, I still use my punches on occasion, and for this project I could use the punch or the nestabilities.


Did you ever have a wood mounted image you want to use, but you fumble around trying to get it to line it up to fit within your punched image. I always had problems lining up the image. I would try and fumble around, circular filing most of my attempts. If I put the wood mounted image face up on my surface and place the paper down, I had trouble with shadowing and getting a nice clean image!

Edited to add:
Now I know that you can stamp the images first, then punch them out - but that slows me down when I am doing mass assembly. If there was a perfect way to stamp 10 images on a sheet of cardstock, then punch the giga circle punch out with the images perfectly aligned every time - I would do it. For mass assembly, this works better. So for those of you who have space perception issues like me, read on.... This is even more important for nesties owners who want to mass punch their paper. I found it tough to line up the nestie dies (I use a sizzix with my nesties). It always seems to shift the paper slightly and my pre-stamped image is offset! (that makes me :< sad)

One of the items which is now always in my stamping area is clear acrylic blocks. This morning, the lightbulb went off!!!!

I think I have an idea (bouncing)....

First - gather your supplies:
paper, ink, stamps (wood mounted), mono and a clear block.
I had this clear block from (Dah Dah DAH! The Tarjay dollar spot)

Punch out the circles in white cardstock....

Take your mono and place a little dab on the card

place your circle on a clear block

ink up your wood mounted image

place the inked image face up on your work surface

with the help of the clear block, you can easily place the paper
over the wood mounted image

gently press on your acrylic block. The hard surface gives you a nice firm even pressure for
a great clean stamped image

lift acrylic block off wood mounted image and you have a clean image
without shadows. The clear block holds your paper in place (with the mono), so there is no shifting or double imaging. Mass production is now simplified!

Finish your card

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supplies:
stamps: If the Halo Fits (SU), sentiment (fresh cuts)
ink: black, copics, chocolate chip, pixie pink
paper: white, designer paper (MME/WA)
misc: dimensionals, sakura stardust, ribbon (mayarts/starlistudio), punches (marvy)

Got Stamps Shirt!

This is for Margaret - who is offering up this t-shirt as blog candy on THE STAMP SOMETHING BLOG

I wore the "got stamps" shirt to Southern Cal Stamp Mania V!

I got it hereStop by The Stamp Something blog to get a chance to win blog candy!

Fifteen Wonderful Years

Fifteen long, wonderful years. We have had our share of amazing memories! Six children, many ups and downs, but so many wonderful years!

Fifteen years ago today, Todd and I got married. We were high school sweethearts. I knew when I met Todd that we would be together forever. Here is a snapshot from the reception at the hotel. We had a wonderful reception at The Desmond in Albany.
The day we got married, we were in the midst of a heat wave. It was 98* the day we got married. Super hot for Upstate NY. The day was a whirlwind of everything a girl could dream of. I still have the man of my dreams, but he has grown up (a little) to the man whom I adore!
Note the poofy sleeves that coordinate with my early 90s (reminents of big 80s) hair.

I made a little frame for him for his desk at work. I thought it would be nice - I love this set from Papertrey ink. It is such a perfect sentiment - Life is not measured by how many breaths you take, but by the moments that take our breath away. I did some more Zindorf brayering on this (same supplies as yesterday). I was drawn to this by my friend Michelle (MY) who showed me a few of her brayered creations. She warned me that once I start Zindorf brayering, I might not be able to stop! It is fun!

flowers arrived late this afternoon
He is such a romantic! There were 15 red roses.
I didn't expect anything. I better go take some more cold medicine, I am sure that there will be some snuggling tonight and I don't want to be all stuffy!