INKY JANE

Card Patterns Sketch 151

2012-02-10T08:56:00.000-08:00

Over at Card patterns (http://cardpatterns.blogspot.com/) here is Sketch 151 for this week:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LzfgsZWpWGw/TyrBWCRFRBI/AAAAAAAABpg/KdoF8IEduNo/s1600/Sketch151.jpg

And here is my card for the challenge:

I liked the idea of the basic sketch, so I went with that. I have had these Autumn Leaves flourish clear stamps forever and was going to give them away because I never use them, when this sketch idea turned up. The stamps matched perfectly! You never know what you might need out of your stash! That's why you need a stash! I stamped the flourish onto a Bazzill shaped card (actually half of a 6" x 12" scallop shape) with olive Clearsnap Fluid Chalk ink. I then went over the inking with an Atyou Spica glitter pen in olive. I added the saying (Hero Arts) with Memento Tuxedo Black and then went over that with the black Atyou spica glitter pen. I mounted it to a yellow-ish green panel and then onto a green square white card. The ribbon at the top is crinkle ribbon from Creative Imaginations and I tied the charm with a bit of May Arts natural twine. The final step was to color some pearls (Hero Arts) with a green Copic marker. I had to use a really dark green to get the color to show. Even though this card is simple, I think it is perfectly elegant as a sympathy card.

Valentine Party!

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

I made this fun page at Stamp Antonio Art's Artist Night Out last night. Each Wednesday evening the store allows people to gather there in their art room and work on projects. I packed like I was going to a weeklong scrapbook retreat, but you never know what you might need! This is the project that I ended up with last evening. I first took a blank white 12" x 12" smooth cardstock (I like to make my own designs for the backgrounds) and planned my layout. I placed paper doilies on the white card in strategic places and then spritzed the entire background through the doilies with some red glimmermist and Pralines n Cream Smooch Spritz (one of my favorites!). If I had packed removeable adhesive, I would have used it to keep the doilies in place--they tended to flutter a little so I didn't get sharp images but instead ended up with a "hint" of doily. That was ok, because you can see all the stuff I piled on top of the background. The most interesting part of this layout are the metallic foil red hearts. I have collected Valentine decorations through the years, and I pulled these from my stash. To let you know how old these are, the package had a price tag from Winn's! Those of you not from San Antonio have to know that this store went out of business like 20 years ago! I ran the red foil hearts through a Tim Holtz Valentine texture fade to give them some interest. After putting everything together on the page, I finally added some actual doily pieces for a finished look. I really liked how this page screams "Valentine" because the event it depicts shows a dinner party my friend Jeannette and her mom Lucille gave last Valentine's for some of my closest and dearest friends Susan, Sally, and Linda. I really love these ladies! I wanted that love to leap out from my page! When I got home last night I put some finishing touches that I felt the page needed--I sanded the too glossy manufactured Valentine in the center and the foil hearts, and I added some liquid applique in hot pink to the dog's hair bow. Happy Valentine's Day, my friends!

Valentine ATC

2012-02-07T07:09:00.000-08:00

This is a little Valentine ATC I made for our ATC swap at Stamp Antonio Arts. I had bought tons of red and purple grosgrain ribbon for the mailbox project, so I wanted to use it on other Valentine projects. The theme was "dangling" so i attached a beaded fringe. The beads made into the heart are just glued on with Diamond Glaze, not sewn. I like the frothy, layered look of this ATC. I cut the words from a discarded book I use for artwork. Each card says something different.

Follow Your Heart

2012-02-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

For this challenge I used Outlines large layering heart stamp I696. I stamped it with black Memento ink and colored it with Copic markers. I then layered it onto an A2 size card with some purple cardstock. I used the KandiKane hotfix tool to add rose and purple gemstones around the heart. The roses embellishment is purchased, but was perfect for this card. The bottom border is Outlines stamp E686 stamped in Colorbox purple pigment ink.

You can see the challenge here: http://networkedblogs.com/tkn5m?ref=nf

Shopping Spree!

2012-02-03T10:06:00.000-08:00

Today was the "soft" opening of the new Joann's store at Bandera and 1604 in San Antonio. I, along with many others, have really been looking forward to this store opening. First of all, it is only a couple of miles from my house in a location I visit all the time. If I ever run out of adhesive, this store will be really handy! So, did I buy adhesive today? Not on your life! Today was a fun day. I met and saw many friends and acquaintances, crafters all, and it was fabulous looking at all the newly stocked shelves, pushing a brand new shiny shopping cart, with so many helpful employees around. The picture above shows all stuff I came home with, to augment my already bountiful stash. I got colorful craft felt, buttons, and silk flowers for my flower pins, and stuff for a St. Patrick's Day party I am planning. I was inspired by the pictures of the beautiful DCWV booth at CHA to get the peacock paper pad--totally useless for stamping but great for crafting. I got pink ribbons and vellum, both of which I found I was totally out of. I found some pretty tiny silk flowers which will look fabulous on some cards I am currently creating. I got some thick black craft foam, to make some shadowbox look projects. The tiny short sequin pins are for decorating the insides of the Valentine box you saw in a previous post--it will be fabulous! I got a Spellbinder's oval die to match my Spellbinder's scallop oval. Also, I got a graduated set of heart cookie cutters so I can make my filled cut out heart sugar cookies successfully! I got the set of round birdie stickers because they fit my style and were only $1. And I have wanted to try the Tack 'n Peel for some time--I am hoping that will help the cling stamps I own that never seem to cling. The products were great, but seeing all the super people I know was the icing on the cake! The hardest part was having to get up early for the 9 a.m. opening!

An old toy re-discovered

2012-02-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

Today my friend Alice and I played in my craft room. She brought the idea for this card that features use of a tool I had forgotten I owned! (Now, don't tell me you haven't done that!) It is the Making Memories Tag maker. First, we rounded the edges of a Hero Arts notecard and I stamped a Hero Arts lace background in Memento Rosebud ink to add a little interest to the background. The heart is cut from grungepaper and then covered with scrapbook paper (Echo Park). I then added a ribbon diagonally. I stamped the sentiment (Hero Arts) with Memento Rosebud ink on pink card and used the template from the Tagmaker set to cut the tag. I used the tool to insert the paper into the metal tag frame, pressed, and voila! I had a very cute tag to add to my card. One thing I added--the metal tag frame seemed to have a little dent in the side, so I used my Tim Holtz texture hammer to add dents all over it! This added a little character to my tag. A few colored pearl gems and my card was finished! Thanks, Alice, for a fun day and a great idea for a card!

Card Patterns Sketch 150

2012-01-28T13:10:00.001-08:00

Here is my entry for the Card Patterns Sketch Challenge #150. Supplies as follows:
Patterned Paper: Hobby Lobby The Paper Studio
Maroon Cardstock: Stampin' Up
Stamp and Heart Rhinestones: Hero Arts
Stamping Ink: Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk
Embossing Folder: Tim Holtz for Sizzix
Ribbon: Unknown

I think this card qualifies for CAS status! I would like to try inking the heart with a glimmery ink like Brilliance to jazz up the heart. Here is the link to the challenge sketch at the Card Patterns website: http://cardpatterns.blogspot.com/2012/01/sketch-150.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FaYJY+%28CardPatterns%29

Here are the same materials making a portrait oriented card. I changed the stamp to one from Impression Obsession and heat embossed in gold. I had selected this image for the first card, but it was too large. I also added a die cut heart mounted on chipboard for the central image.

Hybrid Card

2012-01-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

This little card is very simple to make. I took the idea from a Hero Arts file (you can see the original card here: http://www.heroarts.com/cardmaking/cardIdea.cfm?cardID=4273&catID=6) and altered it by using a clip art frame rather than a stamped frame, which I didn't have. The clip art I found just by using a search on my Microsoft Word clip art feature, so I assume it is freeware. I printed out two copies and sized them for my card. One I used as a backdrop on the card--the other I stamped with Hero Arts Magical Stamp in Yellow Citrus chalk ink by Clearsnap. I then cut out the interior of the stamped image, omitting any black lines, and adhered it to the frame on the card. The rest of the card are Hero Arts hearts stamped with black dye ink onto various printed papers and popped up onto the background. Very simple! I also found a pretty pink paper with a delicate background. My plan is to print frames onto this background paper, cut out the interiors, and use it as a backdrop for the hearts, rather than stamping the background.

Crazy Quilt Card

2012-01-23T19:41:00.000-08:00

I have to say I am crazy about crazy quilts! I love all the velvet and satin mix and match dressed up with ribbon and decorative stitching. I hoped to re-create that look with this card. The easiest thing to do when making a card like this is to cut a background or template that is the exact size of the layer you want to attach to your card, then arrange your elements to fit that template. I am a firm believer in the "whack and sew" method so this card illustrates the "whack and paste" method! I just kept moving papers around until I liked the look and then adhered them in place until the background template was covered. I could then trim around the edges to the exact size I needed. I think this combination of Anna Griffin papers was perfect. I added a little stamping to the bottom of the card and then used a translucent ribbon to make a sheer veil for the sentiment. I actually did some machine sewing on this card, but you could achieve the same look using faux stitching with a fine line pen.

Altered Valentine Candy Box

2012-01-21T09:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday a few friends and I got together to make this cute little altered Valentine Heart Box. I have been saving these candy boxes for years. Every year my husband and I buy each other a box of chocolates like this. Of course, I eat most of the chocolate! My favorite is Russell Stover. The actual sample you see in the picture above I created a few years ago, and I decided it was the perfect time to play with the candy boxes. After having a delicious lunch of salad and heart shaped desserts, we used a variety of papers--the old Anna Griffin roses and cherubs are perfect, although we used some other light pinks as well, and stamping to decorate the heart shaped tops of the boxes. I have been collecting Valentine stamps for years, and a couple of the ladies brought their favorite Valentine stamps, too. We brightened up the stamping with colored pencils and made ribbon embellished hearts to decorate the tops of the boxes. Our sugar fix kept us going, and the results were lovely. I hope everyone gets to finish the insides of the boxes as well. I have a few new ideas for embellishing the inside with ribbon decorated styrofoam balls substituting for the chocolate. I think they will look as delicious as the chocolate candy tastes!

Here is a list of a few of the stamps you see on this box. Some are surely discontinued but may likely be found on e-bay. A note here: If you find a stamp you love, buy it! Like that beautiful dress in the store, it will be gone if you come back later to get it!
Inkadinkado damask heart: 96127
Inkadinkado love heart: 96126
Impression Obsession Hydrangea Ribbon by Alesa Baker: E6006
Hampton Art Chocolat: 1955
DeNami swans: no number
Hero Arts Heart Flower blossoms: f4489
Hero Arts Valentine ribbon set: LL075

Little Cupid Tag

2012-01-17T17:44:00.000-08:00

Last week I had fun with a friend making cute little flowers from Sticky Back Canvas. I got the idea for this tag from the Ranger Ink Project files--my flowers turned out a little small so I had to use a #5 tag rather than a #8. We cut the flowers from the canvas using a Sizzix 3D flower die, then inked them with various colors of Distress Ink. I used Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord, Worn Lipstick, and maybe Spun Sugar. After we inked the canvas with the ink via the distressing tool, we spritzed with water. Wow! These inks, like Tim says, are totally reactive with water. When the water hit the ink, pow, pow, pow, the ink just "exploded" on the canvas and became very vibrant. We let the canvas dry, and then rolled the flowers, like for the pinecone die. I don't think I could buy a prettier flower, except for maybe a real rose!

Ellen Hutson LLC Hero Arts Clear Take 'n Make

2012-01-15T20:58:00.000-08:00

This clear set from Hero Arts is called "Love Flourish", CL162. I heat embossed one of the swirls with clear ink and clear powder on a white tag, then sponged Worn Lipstick ink over the tag. Look how the swirl pops! I then die cut a heart from the bottom of the tag and inserted another swirl, actually stamped with Stazon on acetate and put it behind the die cut heart. Stazon ink is great for stamping on plastic or glass. I then stamped "love" from the set with Stazon all over a piece of acetate the size of the tag and adhered it to the front of the tag with a Tim Holtz plaque. The tag was made into a little "tag card" with a Sizzix embossed piece of black cardstock painted with Smooch paint. I finally added a little chipboard heart die cut and covered with Basic Grey paper and stamped with the swirl. Thanks for looking!

Thank You Kristina Werner

2012-01-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

I saw a fabulous card by Kristina Werner on her Make a Card Monday--you can see the original post here: http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/?cat=11
Anyway, she used a letter stamp. I tried to make her card, but since I didn't have a solid letter stamp like she used, I had a lot of trouble. I tried several pattern letter stamps, but they just weren't the same--so I changed stamps. I used a solid heart from Rubber Stampede. I used Colorbox Fluid Chalk ink in Warm Violet. This ink is similar to a pigment ink, but it dries a little faster. One of the advantages of this ink is that you can stamp it once to get a full color image, then you can stamp again without re-inking to get a "shadow" image. You can totally see the effect on the sample. These inks are beautiful and they also usually clean up with just a baby wipe. They do tend to stain stamps, however, especially clear stamps. Oh, back to the card--I used an "I like" altered from an older Hero Arts clear set--remember the Clear Design letter stamps they had a few years ago? I altered it by cutting off the "u" at the end of the phrase and just using the "I like". Since I didn't have a letter "u" I liked, I just die cut the letters "you" from an older QuicKutz set I had. I think it works! Thank you, Kristina Werner, for this idea!

I'm making Valentines!

2012-01-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

I remembered an idea I got a long time ago from Hero Arts about using a set of their heart stamps that I had bought. I really liked the idea, and the original is still up on the Hero Arts website. You can see the original idea here: http://www.heroarts.com/cardmaking/cardIdea.cfm?cardID=498&catID=6
I modified the idea by adding an additional image and clipping it on with a heart shaped paper clip. But the main thing is I had an e=mail from a stamping buddy who was asking me about the different inks I used, and I thought that I might begin a series of articles on my blog talking about some of my favorite inks. This particular card is made with Clearsnap Colorbox pigment inks, some of my favorite inks. I own a lot of shades, and I recently invested in re-inkers for all of my colors. The pads will last a lifetime if cared for and the re-inkers are a good idea to extend the life of the inkpad. This ink was perfect for the stamps I used for this card, mainly because the inks are thick and rich, giving good coverage to the massive rubber on each stamp. I used Thistle, Rosebud, Magenta, and Orchid on this card, each color corresponding to one of the stamps in the set. That way, I didn't have to clean my stamps between use, just using the one color per stamp and leaving them face up while I worked on the set of cards. When I did finish all my cards, the ink cleans easily off the stamps with baby wipes or even just a wet paper towel. The important thing to remember, however, is that these pigment inks must be heat set or embossed. I did not want to emboss, so after I finished stamping each card, I just held my heat gun over the inks for a minute or so until they had "set" or completely dried. I could also have just let them sit overnight to completely dry. Because this Clearsnap Colorbox pigment ink is so heavy and rich, it does need extra drying time, so it is not a good choice if you want "instant dry". These pigment inks are lightfast, colorfast, and archival so you can be assured they will stay vibrant for many years and are even safe for scrapbooking and other archival purposes. Pigment inks are usually marketed with clear tops, and "WYSIWYG" regarding color. In other words, the color you see through the clear top of the ink pad is the color that will land on your stamping project. Pigment inks, unlike dye inks, stay on top of the surface of the paper, unlike dye inks which bleed into the paper. That's what makes the color so rich and beautiful and also why you must heat set them or let them dry thoroughly.

Cute little Valentine mailbox

2012-01-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

This cute little Valentine mailbox was fun to make. I used Anna Griffin paper and some decorative flowers. The mailbox is more than 12" around so I had to join two sheets of identical paper. Please, no remarks about my stripes not lining up! I think it gives it "character"! Any little mistakes along the flag pivot are covered up by the flowers! I used a large xyron to adhere the patterned paper around the body of the mailbox (measure twice, cut once!) and used Perfect Paper Adhesive to attach paper to the mailbox door. I did not sand anything! The Perfect Paper Adhesive adhered the best. The xyron wants to lift up along the bottom of the mailbox. Thank you, Charlie, for the wonderful little mailbox you gave me last year! It served as my "model".

Embellished Hearts

2012-01-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

Look at these cute hearts! I have always enjoyed embellishing die cut hearts for Valentine's Day, but I really like these! I found the idea on the Hero Arts blog in the Flicker files and altered the idea to suit my style. They were so fun to make! Basically I stamped heart and/or pattern images, almost all Hero Arts, and then cut various size circles with my punches. I then applied the circles to a heart die cut, raising some of the images up and overlapping them. I then added various embellishments like brads, flowers and glitter flourishes. You can see the original card on the Hero blog flicker group here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinsue/6631599399/in/pool-647078@N25/

Hello There!

2012-01-03T18:14:00.000-08:00

With a little help from Hero Arts I have a cute little Hello! for you. The lace circle with journaling lines is from CL553 Hello There clear set. I stamped it twice, once onto a mocha layering paper and then onto some pink Bazzill cardstock, both with Versamark and heat embossed with white embossing powder. The journaling center was punched from the pink cardstock and then centered on top of the image stamped on the mocha paper. I stamped the sentiment with an old SU ink called Caramel (do they still make that--it's like one of my favorite inks)and then placed over the decorative circle with pop dots. I used a selection of flowers with Viva Decor pearl centers as accents. I'm really liking this pink/brown color combo!

Holly Tag

2011-12-31T18:10:00.000-08:00

My last blog entry of 2011! OMG the year is coming to a close! I hope you are enjoying your New Year's Eve festivities. I am laid up at home with the remnants of a cold and finishing up some UFO's. Like this tag. I finally got the stamp I wanted for the sentiment and got busy with it. I notice that I was supposed to use some other stamps from this set on the background, but didn't have it at the time. But there's always tomorrow! Even if it is next year! BTW the glassine paper holly leaves were very interesting to make--check out Tim Holtz blog tag 7 2011 for the directions. I think I learned something new with each tag I made from the series this year. I still have to finish Tag 1--haven't quite mastered those pine cones yet. Now I want to make them into roses for Valentines Day. i wish you a happy and prosperous new year!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! This greeting card was fun to make. I used a digital image of a baby on a moon, some fancy pearly paper, and some chipboard glitter flourishes I have had forever. The tag is cut from black cardstock spritzed with turquoise Perfect Pearl Spritz by Ranger. The greeting and year are silver embossed Hero Arts images. I have lots of fun activities planned for the coming year, and I hope you do, too. Plus I have been busy cleaning out closets and the kitchen pantry--I guess that's part of January--getting things ready for the coming months. I organized and packed away all the Christmas decorations, and selected a few for give away/garage sale. I found a few treasures--my old barbie doll from the early sixties, some children's books I could never part with. And a lot of stuff that makes me think--"Whatever did I buy that for!! Oh, well, I'm sure I'll end up with lots more "treasures" like that in the coming years! Hey junk man! It's time to visit my house!

My Tim Tags continued

2011-12-23T22:11:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the snowman tag from the 2011 Tim tags. I just love how this one looks so romantic and frothy!Everything came out perfect--from the "baked" stain inside the crackle paint (love this technique--I want to use it on the gingerbread man) to the "package" die cut plastic snow border edged with white paint, to the gleam of Glossy Accents inside the die cut "25". Plus, we had a lot of fun making it. Living in San Antonio, I like to think of the romantic side of snow--the white fluffiness of it. I know if I had to live with it all winter I probably would have a different point of view!
I never really finished Tag # 1 but hope to work on it tomorrow in the peace of Christmas Eve. We have started Tag 7 but I need to get that "Merry Christmas" stamp--it is perfect for Tag 7. All this tag making has made my craft room rather messy so I had to vacuum tonight to even walk through! It's amazing how stuff that has a home gets just tossed about. I never seem to have even a square foot of work space!

Christmas cards

2011-12-14T10:01:00.000-08:00

Busy making Christmas cards I have three different designs. Which one will you get? One design, the one shown in this post, is just for mailing--very flat design--the post office gets enough money, anyway, right? This design uses Magenta papers and Peel offs, as well as some Stampendous peel offs. I added lots of glitter and sparkle paint, to match the saying inside the card. The second design has a ribbon bow which will be too bulky for mailing. The third design--well, let's just say it's "busy" with embellishments (I'm thinking jingle bells here). Oh, no, better get busy addressing envelopes!

My first Tag of Christmas

2011-12-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

Charlotte, Barb and I got together and made the second of the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas. Among the three of us, we had most of the supplies to do one just like Tim's (well almost). We did not have natural Stickyback canvas so we used the white and distressed it with Antique Linen Stain. Also we did not have Tim's holly stamp so we used one by Hero Arts that worked great. And I bet you can't even tell we did not have the Seasonal Kraft Resist. We used the original Kraft Resist and heat embossed the holly and the the text Christmas Carols (thank you Donna!). It worked out fine--we just had to make sure not to touch the embossing when we dried elements with the heat tool. I am very pleased with my lovely little tag. I want to make dozens of them! Next week we are going to do Tag One.

Christmas Tree

2011-12-08T17:47:00.000-08:00

I had to make an unexpected trip to Salado today--got to go to Stamp Salado (bought some yummy stuff) and then went to a decorator store next to it called Henfeathers(?). Here I saw this decorated Christmas tree:

My sister had mentioned the tree at lunch (Adela's,in a white house on Main Steet, really good food, service, and ambience) especially because she is intrested in making the faux paper chain that decorates the tree. The chains are made of fabric, and I think the fabric is covering some stiffening backing, like buckram. Each link in the chain is an absolute perfect circle, with no lumps or buckles, life fabric usually does. I see a project--a tree decorated with scraps of elegant fabric made into "paper" chains. How many times do we see paper emulating fabric? This is a new twist--fabric emulating paper!

ATC Trade

2011-12-06T19:35:00.000-08:00

A rather blurrrrrrrr!!!***y} picture of my ATC for the trade tonight. When will I ever learn to use this camera! I have to say I like the verbiage best--It reads: "Harken! The bird of night calls forth the darkness and yea dismisses it as the new day approaches. Oh ye spirits who dwell in the light—beware the call of the bird" Despite the corny presentation, I love the idea of the owl calling forth the darkness. I love to lay awake at night listening to the call of the owls and being awakened by them in the near early morning. It's as if they are announcing the arrival and departure of the magical world of the dark. Sensible people say there is nothing there in the dark that is not there in the day--but who of us is sensible when the lights go out and you can't turn them back on? Oh, back to the ATC--the chalk resist method on glossy paper lights up the stars in the night sky. The owl is heat embossed with Stampendous Mahogany tinsel embossing powder.

Starting Fresh

2011-12-03T06:48:00.000-08:00

It's raining outside, and it seems it's raining in my soul as well. Not an icky, depressing rain, but an all washed off and ready to start fresh sort of rain. I love the sound of gentle rain coming down the gutters and sprinkling against the house. As the rain falls, I work on my projects--you may recognize the project from a class I did some time ago:

The sentiment says "Let's get together" and that's the message I'd like to send to you. I treasure each of my stamping and scrapping friends and I want to keep you close. We will get together and work on projects and laugh and visit. I realize I need to get together with lots of you so I have made multiple cards:

Post a comment with your contact information, or e-mail me privately, and I would love to send you one of these cards with maybe a special invitation. I hope to hear from you soon!

Hero Arts club at Stamp Antonio Arts

2011-11-16T13:17:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is our November meeting at Stamp Antonio Arts and Fall is in the air! We will be making these three autumn themed cards. Thank you, Hero Arts, for most of the ideas! We are using Tim Holtz Distressed Inks in Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard, Peeled Paint, Vintage Photo, and Barn Door. Also, lots of pearlized water or Perfect Pearl mist. You will need some markers, too--copic or watercolor, or maybe pencil if you prefer. We hope to see you there!

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-11-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

Texas Pride Chipboard book

2011-11-07T08:06:00.000-08:00

And you thought it was going to say "Tagalicious Tuesday!" This coming Saturday I will be presenting this red, white, and blue "Texas Pride" chipboard book which participants can fill with their own Texas pride pictures. The theme I chose for my book was "Family Reunion" and it shows pictures of my husband's parent's 50th wedding anniversary. (and you thought that was supposed to be gold and white!--This is Texas, remember!) Other themes for the book could be: Texas travel/vacation, summer fun, backyard barbeque, visit to the Alamo, etc. Once the pictures are set against the Bobunny Liberty themed papers, Texas themed stamping and red, white and blue embellishments fill the top-hinged book. You will have to come by the store to see the actual pages! I had a lot of fun (and some angst with the journaling--that always happens with family stuff) filling this album. Texas Pride!

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-10-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

This week at Stamp Antonio we are celebrating Halloween! We are going to be your Halloween Central for decorating and paper crafts! This is the black cat tag we are making tomorrow for Tagalicious Tuesday. Harlequin paper from Canvas Corp, a Tim Holtz black cat, Basic Grey letter stickers, and a bit of lace I've dyed with Distress Ink. Very spooky! Below, here's my presentation of the Witch tag from the Tim Holtz blog. Instead of Grungepaper, I used a Memory Box Halloween word stamp heat embossed on kraft paper. The witch came out fabulously sparkly with Forever Green Perfect Pearl mist, and the little Halloween charms make the tag!

New Hero Arts at Stamp Antonio!

2011-10-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

Plus, we got lots of notecards for holiday cardmaking, and the large flower (you know, the one we use for the vellum flower) back in. More new, including Christmas, is on the way!

Hero Arts club meeting this week!

2011-10-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is our Hero Arts club meeting at Stamp Antonio Arts. Here are the cards I will be presenting. Peeled Paint is a must for this class! Several of these ideas came from the Hero Arts classes I took this past weekend in Houston at the Collins trade show. Thank you, Shari Carroll and Jennifer Maguire! I really enjoyed the classes and learned some new techniques which I hope to pass on in the Hero class tomorrow. I had a great time at the show and got some fantastic ideas for future classes. It was super of Carol and Amy to make sure that all of our employees got to go. I have tons of pictures to share. Okay, back to the Hero Arts club meeting tomorrow--I hope you don't mind--I skipped Halloween and Thanksgiving and went straight to the winter holidays. The cards are generic enough, however, that they could be adapted to other holidays/events. Please bring: detail scissors, adhesive, a foam applicator tool with foam if you have it, and Peeled Paint Distress Ink (if you have it.) I am sure you will enjoy the projects!

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-10-10T17:29:00.000-07:00

This little tag card is an idea given to me by Rosemarie, who wanted to do a tag in honor of breast cancer survivors. I think it came out rather pretty. I used one of the silhouette girls from Hero Arts for the stamped image. This paper is one of my favorites, the chiffon and light aqua from a discontinued line by Luxe called "Cashmere Sweater". The paper has large circles of light aqua on an ivory background on one side, and I die cut the ovals for the silhouette from those circles. The adage ticket is of course Tim Holtz. The focus for the class will be the embossed "wallpaper" background, using Tattered Rose embossing powder by Tim Holtz for Ranger.

Childhood scenes have a way of staying in your mind, and often they are not remembered the way they actually are. This tag is reminiscent of my Great Aunt Addie's front room, which was neither decorated in shades of aqua or teal nor did it have a chandelier, yet in some way these new images from Hero Arts reminded me of that scene. I think I am remembering tone and texture, rather than actual artifacts. I remember she kept lovely romantic pictures above the piano and graceful antimacassars on the upholstered furniture. She and my other aunts would crochet these by the hour. I call this tag "Addie's parlour" in her honor. Of course, participants in the tag class will be able to add their own pictures. Who doesn't have an Aunt Addie?

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-10-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hello, Doll! This tag card is a rough copy of a card I made several years ago. I love sewing ephemera and paper dolls and this card is a perfect blend. Yes, the participants will be doing a little sewing (at least a button--everyone can do that, right?) I think this little paper doll would like to dance right off the page!

Yes, we have been having a lot of "bright days" in South Texas this year! I wanted to some "embossing scenes" and this one feels right to me. (after more than just a few failed attempts!) I used Zing metallic embossing powders to make the grass and sky. A texture embossed Colorcore distressed card extends the sky, with Stickles in Icicle making those hot rays of the sun!

Card Factory

2011-09-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

These are the cards we are making for Card Factory on Saturday (Is that tomorrow?) Very late this month with the samples. I had a creative streak this morning and was able to finish them up! The ideas have been rolling around in my head for a while. Amy asked me to use the Zoology papers, thus the circle card (Inside it can say "I love you just the way you are!). Also the brayering with the Big and Juicy pads and I thought--we'll do a woven strip card! I had been wanting to do a card with the large flower from Hero Arts. I don't think you can tell in this picture, but I used some vintage glass glitter in the center of the flower. Very sparkly!
The Halloween window card is inspired by Shari Carroll's window card--hers has a large butterfly and a spring like scene--I did Halloween! The red stripe card I made a long time ago and it has been waiting to show up in Card Factory! I love that stripe and dot paper! Anyway, join us tomorrow if you like--10:30 at Stamp Antonio. Bring adhesive and scissors and you will have a lot of fun. See you then!

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-09-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

Paris! City of lights, fashion, excitement, romance! That's what I wanted to convey in this sweet little tag. The tag itself is actually a stamped image of a Hero Arts collage stamp, which I collected a few years ago. At first, I wanted to highlight the Eiffel Tower image with a stamped domino. I had made a domino with an Eiffel tower image some weeks ago in a class with Ginny. However, the domino seemed to make the image "top heavy", so my next thought was to use a Tim Holtz clock face image. Not having one of a size to fit the clock face on the stamp, I decided that the inks themselves were enough of an embellishment, especially since the paper image the tag was going to be mounted on was delicate in color and design. The Eiffel tower charm was the perfect accent!

This tag has a little booklet at the bottom, patterned after the little Halloween booklet Lisa did for the new Hero Arts and Sizzix dies. I used Spellbinder's dies instead, and Graphic 45 images.

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-09-12T22:26:00.000-07:00

This is my neice, Stephanie, who is a star! Well, she is a star in our family, and now she is the star of this card! It looks in the picture like she has star freckles, but that is the glitter on her picture! I am experimenting with this shabby chic style, which I really like. I figure imitation is the highest form of flattery, so I took my idea from a magazine. But whoa, my card doesn't look at all like the original--so I guess I didn't do too good of a job of imitating, did I?

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-09-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

This is one section of the cute little tag book we are making tomorrow at Stamp Antonio. The book will have three pocket page sections and chipboard covers. I decorated mine with Graphic 45 Wizard of Oz papers, to house my Wizard of Oz tags. Thank you, Peg, for bringing the Sizzix tag booklet die we are using in our brand new Grand Mark Accucut machine. What fun!

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-08-27T17:29:00.000-07:00

C is for Cat! I knew I wanted to make a tag with this adorable new Graphic 45 paper featuring school! I paired the papers with a Magenta Cat of the Month (This is Kashmir Katten--have I shared his story with you?). The large letter stamp is Technique Tuesday--I have had them for years and rarely use them, but they are fabulous for scrapbooking. I think the schoolchildren heard about Kashmir from one of his famous sea voyages--I am sure he made the news and more than one little school boy most likely wants to run away to sea with him (at least that might sound better than sitting in a chair all day learning his abc's!

This sweet little tag was inspired by the bead stamp from Deadbeat. It screams "flapper!" to me. The photograph is of my Great Aunt Elizabeth--always full of life and ready to go dancing! This card would be fabulous for a birthday or celebration of any kind. The sentiment could just as well say "Enjoy!" or "Ooh la la!" or "Celebrate!" (all of course in my stamp collection in various renditions). I printed her photograph on Tim Holtz' glassine paper and then carried the glassine over to the border of the card. I love how the glossy finish of the glassine adds to the sparkle of the embossing powder. The embossing powder (Extreme Peacock and Pastel from Judikins) makes the magic on this card.

Tags Tuesday

2011-08-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

I have had the idea for this fun little tag for some time. I have been wanting to use this little wheel from Deadbeat Stamps, and when I read the post from Jenni Bowlin on how to use the Smooch spritz with paper tubes, I knew what I wanted to do! The Basic Grey paper was the icing on the cake! (Or at least the last step on the tag!) I added the penguin for whimsy (sp??) but I really wanted to use the Judikins sock monkey! Remember the old Hero Arts round sequins? They would be perfect on this tag. Oh, check out Lisa Spangler's new blog post--the link she gives to the antique quilt patterned masking tape contains a picture of a tag with round circles made from tiny microbeads--tres cool!

This is the last in the Wizard of Oz series of tags we have been doing. It is called, of course, "Over the Rainbow". Ver simple, an alcohol inked rainbow with collage elements. I don't think you can tell, but the Graphic 45 Dorothy is dimensionalized (now I am making up words!) with foam tape. The little star charm came from a jewelry store that was located next to Stamp Antonio and we got some great deals on charms when the jewelry store closed. Now all Dorothy needs is a wand!

Hero Arts Club

2011-08-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

I hope you decide to join us at our monthly Hero Arts Club at Stamp Antonio this Thursday or Friday. We have a request to do projects "with one stamp". So I am going to show various techniques to use large background stamps. I made the cards in the picture above today to show the techniques. The stamp used was "Large Lotus Blossom". I used Ranger Perfect Pearl Mists, heat embossing, adding glitz with Stickles and Spica glitter pens and dressed up a couple of the cards with little flowers. Basically I will take participants on a little journey of techniques. It's fun to sit down with one stamp and see what you can create! The stamp begins to take on a "character" with various quirks and possiblities, and I find I begin to appreciate the stamp more the more I work with it. Hey, maybe "less is more" is really true. Up til now I have been going with "She who dies with the most stamps wins!" Now for the real test--I am going to repeat the techniques with a different stamp and see what happens!

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-08-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

This picture above was the tag card we did in last Tagalicious Tuesday. Inspired by an article in Scrap and Stamp Arts, I decided to make custom buttons, some foam, some made of chipboard with Diamond Glaze. The button die border is from Memory Box. Now this picture below, is what Stephanie made, inspired by my design. I love how she took my tag and made it her personal creation. She colored the buttons differently and added threads to the die cut. Also, she chose not to make the tag card, but just a stand alone tag. Kudos to Stephanie! I love it when participants in my classes take the designs a step further!

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-07-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

I wanted to capture the look of straw on this very simple tag. So I used a Tim Holtz stamp of lines to simulate the "straws", stamped and embossed. Then I went over the embossed image with butterscotch paint dabber--it was the perfect color! The Graphic 45 scarecrow image "makes" the tag--very little else was needed--an appropriate sentiment, a couple of crows here and there, and some raffia to get us in the mood of the cornfield. If I only had a brain!

I made a bird on this tag, but I can see other stencil ideas coupled with various "label" words. I used the mini label die from Tim Holtz as well as a Memory Box border die. I plan on using stickles on the SING, but I will put them on before I go to bed (whenever that will be!) The medallion at the tag top is Deadbeat stamped and embossed with blue Zing embossing powder.

July Hero Arts Club Meeting at Stamp Antonio Arts

2011-07-20T13:45:00.001-07:00

Do these cards look familiar? That's because I pulled the ideas off the Hero Arts blog. This Thursday and Friday is Stamp Antonio's Hero Arts Club and our theme is Beach Party. I thought I'd share a little of what's been going on the Hero blog. Join us if you can--lots of fun and cardmaking.

Deadbeat Cowgirl Book

2011-07-17T08:36:00.001-07:00

This is a photo of one of the five pages in the star book I presented yesterday at Stamp Antonio. The book was frankly copied from a sample at the store, I presume made by Mark Jetton, who owns Deadbeat Stamps. We had a nice cozy group of ladies who colored the cowgirl images with Copic markers or Prismacolors and then who put the book together. I used BoBunny papers for the pink scalloped inserts. A nice touch, not shown here, are the copper colored heat embossed edges of the book, an idea given to me by Gail and Ginny who had taken Carrie Avery's class and had learned the technique there. The embossed edges are really a touch of class to the book, and I hope to upload an image soon of those edges. We never stop learning!

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-07-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

Flowers, flowers, and more flowers! This little flower is made using the Tim Holtz Tattered Floral die from text paper, and I backed it with a tiny Memory Box die cut from purple cardstock. I then added stems and leaves with a glitter technique. But the fun of this card is the background, a tecnique I borrowed from Shari Carroll from Hero Arts. You could use any clear stamp (must be a clear stamp!) I used a damask from one of the Hero Arts clear sets. Very fun! This tag is white embossed, but I think I want to do some with clear embossing and then iron off the embossing powder. I liked the white on this tag because it seems to say "shabby chic", which by the way I hope never goes out of style. The stamp at the side of the card is from a Dylusions set which I love. It is distributed by Ranger Industries.

Ding Dong the Wicked Witch! I used shades of green and purple to capture just the right touch of evil in this poisonous little tag! All hail Graphic 45 and Tim Holtz for the eeriness displayed! Very fun!

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-07-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

This little tag is called "The Road to Oz". I will have to pre-paste all the tags this evening with the "yellow brick road", but I think decorating the road will be fun. I did get carried away with the glitter at the top, but I like the overall design. The tag features two Tim Holtz dies--the pennants and the town. I also made a little shaker element from glass slides. I saved two pieces of the precious poppies paper (how's that for alliteration!) just to use on this tag. Hopefully Stamp Antonio will re-order this paper for anyone who didn't get any so far. I had wanted to use it in Card Factory, but it sold out! I hope participants will choose to alter the tag to suit themselves--I have several options planned regarding color and decor.

This tag is per special request from Alice. She saw the lovely sample someone left at the store--(I still don't know who)--but I would like to thank whoever it is. It is done in lovely shades of Dried Marigold, Dusty Concord, and Victorian Velvet, which show up beautifully around the white embossed flourish. I set it into an embossed Color Core background and added a Hero Arts stamp and postmark. Very lovely! Plus, this idea could be done in so many different colors! I spent the whole afternoon experimenting.

July Card Factory

2011-06-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

Here (finally!) are the cards I will be presenting at Stamp Antonio this Saturday. I decided to use tons of die cuts--Tim Holtz and Memory Box. I guess I'm going to need that steel plate to cut the Memory Box dies from the Vagabond--I had to use the Cuttlebug and a shim. Can you tell we are doing a summer theme?! I hope you are having a good summer--I am, but it is just really hot here. I am ready for a summer rain storm! Carolyn is back at work, so I can stay home and play today. I hope you like the cards--join us if you like, Saturday, July 2 at 10:30. Call 210-764-7900 to sign up.

2011-06-28T14:16:00.001-07:00

I am working on my sample now!

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-06-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

This is the second in our series of "Wizard of Oz" tags--the Ruby Slippers. The stamp is from Great Impressions, and the paper of course from Graphic 45. I used the Rosette medallion die cut from Tim Holtz, along with Perfect Pearls Mist, Barn Door and Stormy Sky Distress Inks. Ranger embossing powder and red Stickles complete the look.

The last patriotic tag we did was so well received I decided to try it again, this time using glitters. We learned a glitter technique at Stamp Antonio presented by Angela Finet, and this tag card will be a little "refresher course". I originally wanted to do a floral theme but couldn't get the right sizes of punches or dies, so I went with this star theme. The stars are Martha Stewart's Punch All Over the Page. The card really shines with Ranger embossing glitter on the Hero Arts stars in the background. Happy 4th of July!

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-06-21T18:19:00.000-07:00

This is our tag card from Tagalicious Tuesday this week. I used Aged Mahogany to color the tag and then put it through the Tim Holtz collage embossing folder. Too bad this Botanica Bella has been discontinued--I will have to go on a search to get some more--it is one of my favorite Graphic 45 lines. And the old "page pebbles" I bought years ago have "aged" to a lovely shade of yellowish-brown to add an antique look to the stamped image, also now discontinued--one of Paige Nerrie's stamps for Stampington. I am so glad to have bought these stamps years ago. The leaf border, however, is brand new--one of my new favorites--the Dylusions line from Ranger. It is reminiscent of some Stampotique stamps I got years ago--fits right in with the line. I think I chose the text paper to complement the text "leaves" in this stamp!

I guess this tag will be one of series! I have had a request to continue a group of tags using the new Graphic 45 line of Wizard of Oz papers. Next week: Ruby slippers! (I hope!)

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-06-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

Flag Day, June 14--Join us at Stamp Antonio to make this patriotic red white and blue tag.

Here's the tag card: a cute flamingo in a tropical setting. Welcome vacation!

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-06-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

Fly, you little bird! I saw this technique presented this past Saturday at Stamp Antonio by B & J. I wasn't actually in the class, but I saw what people had done, and I wanted to try it. So this is what I came up with. I used a Judikins iridescent embossing powder and a crackle stamp from who knows where, but the brush background oval is B & J. All else is of course, Tim Holtz!

Pretty flowers! These Hero Arts flowers (and the card really is better in real life--remember, I am extremely camera-challenged!) are embellished with Tim Holtz inks and black Flower Soft. And it really does not come off! The little bird (birds again!) is painted with Crackle Paint and then anointed with a coating of Distress Stickles. Makes me want to do the hula! (I know--a scary thought!)

I hope you can join us at Tagalicious Tuesday--lots of fun and good people! And I promise a handout with better pictures!

Card Factory

2011-06-04T05:31:00.000-07:00

Card Factory today at Stamp Antonio! I wanted to do some "masculine" cards for this session, seeing how Father's Day is right around the corner. Also some kid stuff--however, I see you could use the jet layout with another stamp and you could have a different theme. And the western card has a feminine side to it! So I guess I didn't pull off masculine quite so well after all! The dog card is my favorite. That's how my Gracie looks when she knows we are going somewhere without her! I did use too much "takes too long to dry stuff", like Stickles and Diamond Glaze, on these cards, but the bling really adds to the cards. This is really a "put together" class, since we have to be packed up and out by 1 p.m. so the next class can start, so the only thing really difficult will be how to get the Crackle paint into everyone's hands! Yes, that's the new, I should say, "old" jalopy from Tim Holtz resting on that Graphic 45 paper. I also die-cut some from cream paper and people can ink them and stamp them. Very fun! This summer I will have to think of all the places that "old jalopy" can go: to the beach, to the park, to Aunt Hattie's 50th wedding anniversary.....time to go!

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-05-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

This tag I guess qualifies for "steampunk" as a theme--I liked the quote (from Tim Holtz stamp set) and I think the images illustrate. I like to think of the Tennyson poem "Flower in a Crannied Wall" as I am adding images of all the metal and "confining" materials that structure our world. In this tag neither the bird nor the flowers can be confined, as our spirits and dreams cannot be confined. However, our physical world is dependent on technology and therefore, gears and metal and enclosures must exist as a substrate for building toward our dreams and hopes, which always remain spiritual and heaven-reaching.

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-05-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

I kind of like this little tag, after all the trouble it caused me (sigh!). You can see the little squares still trying to lift up, even after I've adhered them twice with two different adhesives. That's the Distress Crackle paint, rock candy. It does give a really nice shimmery look, though. I made the inchies with Hero Arts set Antique Engravings, some Marvy ink and a text stamp from Hero. I then carried out the "square" idea by using the Japanese newspaper print paper, which I embellished further with tiny punched squares of inchies I didn't use on the tag--who would have thought that inchies could be used as a "parent" sheet!
The other tag for Tagalicious Tuesday will have to wait to be posted when I get a better picture--too many shiny objects (it's crowns, and I used every shiny thing I could find in my craft room!)

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-05-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hello, friend! I thought I'd share some pretty flowers on a tag with you today! Now where did you see something like this, I wonder? Yes, check the back cover of the Hero Arts 2011 Spring catalog and you will see my inspiration for this project. Simple stamping with Clearsnap chalk inks (except for the lime--my chalk lime "died" so I used pigment lime instead.) I love this shabby chic look! The paper is from the "Sweet Threads" paper pad from Basic Grey. Participants in the tag class will choose a paper from the collection to use for the background and the "applique" flower. So many to choose from! And they all look like antique fabric!

This tag features fairies, the second fairy card in our tag card series. This tag was achieved with multiple steps, beginning with inking and misting, then adding a laminate transfer of a Graphic 45 postcard, and it goes from there! The glass slide uses the "ghosting" technique with Ranger archival ink. The side stamping on the card uses Psychedelic embossing powder from Judikins, which really shines on the black pigment ink. And thank you, Ruth, for the lovely ribbon embellishment! It is perfect for this tag.

2011-05-06T05:43:00.000-07:00

I love inchies! Well, these are actually 1 1/4" square, because they fit the card better. But still, they are fun! I got the idea for this card after making the little bird tag card, in the post below. I am presenting this card at Card Factory this Saturday at Stamp Antonio, along with some others. I really like the look of colored pencil on kraft paper, and I hope each participant will embellish her "inchies" in her own personal manner.
It is of course better always to use a punch for repeated shapes, so they are all perfect, but I knew I would wear out my punch for this many squares (24 signed up for class!) So instead, I wore out my arm using my Cutterpede! Actually, I did break a punch trying to punch the square out of heavy corrugated paper. Look closely and you can see some of the squares are made from the new Tim Holtz Kraft Resist paper. I am really liking this paper! I am looking forward to class--I hope everyone has a good time. I know I will!

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-05-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

I call this tag "Memory Garden". The background is the stamp "kissing" method using a solid flower stamp. I wanted this to be a Mother's Day tag so I incorporated a picture of me and my mom (many years ago of course!) into a fragment charm. (Do they still make these?) I also used a bit of tissue tape, a flower punch, and some old, old buttons. I kind of like, how about you?

2011-04-30T17:33:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know I have a little parakeet named Billie the Bird. I thought of Billie when making this tag. She always likes to peck at things in her "home", i.e., her bird cage. She likes to "arrange" things her way, and she squawks if you come too close too abruptly to her cage. She likes seeds and shiny hardware. She can ring her little bell forever, and we have a clip at the top of the cage (to hang things from) that she constantly moves back and forth. I wanted this tag to suggest Billie's home--the little hanging framed embellishment, the fibers and threads she likes to shred, the seeds she enjoys. I also wanted to draw a stark contrast between the soft, natural materials and the hardware of her metal cage. Whatever comprises her nest, it is home to her.

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-04-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

This card is about what we have way too much of here in South Texas--Sunshine! I couldn't resist these cute flipflops and flowers from Hero Arts. The flower brad at top is covered in Raspberry alcohol ink from Ranger, and the bright yellow, green, and magenta inks are from Clearsnap. The background uses a Fluid Chalk ink resist technique.

This tag idea is "borrowed" from the Ranger blog--see www.rangerink.com and click on "blog". I used a smaller tag that would fit on a card and smaller flower stamps from Hero Arts. This tag uses a clear resist technique with Tim Holtz Distress Inks and Ranger Resist pad. I finished out the card with some Tim Holtz Kraft Resist paper and extended the use of the Fiskar's threading water punch.

2011-04-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! I spent a lovely afternoon with my family at my mother's house--we had great food and conversation. I made a few dishes myself, including the hot cross buns pictured. I love Easter traditions and cooking traditional foods. As I am preparing, I am thinking of Easters past and loved ones that have celebrated the traditions through the years. I hope you had a happy Easter and were able to celebrate with special people.

2011-04-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

35 flower pins! That's how many flower pins I made for this last week's Hero Art's club meeting. I used the flower stamp "Many Petals" and stamped the image using Versacraft or Versafine onto printed fabric, heat setting the stamping with an iron. I then laid the stamping onto a backing of craft felt and stitched around the perimeter of the flower. I cut out the flower, leaving a little around the edge and then cut a hole in the center, stuffed the petals, and then stitched up the hole, embellishing with other flowers and buttons. Each one was different! I then made each flower into a pin by hot glueing a pin back to each. Thank you, Sally Traidman, for the directions for these flowers, on the Hero blog. I think everyone really liked the flowers. I know they were tons of fun to make, and I will make a few more for those who did not get one.

Tagalicious Tuesday: Fiesta Tags!

2011-04-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

It's fiesta time here in San Antonio and we are celebrating tomorrow at Stamp Antonio by making a couple of Fiesta themed tags, both very colorful and sparkly. This first one has a Holly Berry House butterfly stamped on a colorful background and colored with gel pens. I then added a separate butterfly colored with the new colors of glitter glue from Ranger. To make the tag card, I stamped a Hero Arts flower border onto iridescent cardstock with Colorbox Archival Plum dye ink. The paper tape border has plum Ranger alcohol ink on it.

This tag is colored with Lumiere paint and then some handmade paper added to the left side. I stamped a Hero Arts flower on the right side of the painted tag (Brilliance ink will stamp on acrylic paint.) I then addded a tissue tape flower, colored with Purple Twilight alcohol ink from Ranger and embellished with glitter glue from Ranger and sparklies.

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-04-04T18:44:00.001-07:00

I really don't know why my pictures are so fuzzy, unless it's the glimmer sprays I have been using. This tag uses the new Distess Stains coupled with some Perfect Pearls mists. I originally envisioned a beautiful lady or child coming out of the flower, but I didn't really have an image I wanted to use. The dragonfly (Mostly Animals) didn't look right coming out of the flower, so I put him on the flower. He is really beautiful in person, with turquoise Perfect Pearls Mist peeking out of the Weather Vane embossing powder. I also used the Mists to color the butterflies (Hero Arts) on the side of the card. I just spritzed onto my craft mat and then applied the mist with a paintbrush. The tag itself is cut from the new Kraft Resist paper from Tim Holtz.

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-03-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

This card shows the shabby chic technique. You can't touch it here, but the embossing is very pronounced. I felt the tag alone carried the card, so I just attached it to some pretty Fiskars paper I had from a long ago project. The strip at the bottom is the new Kraft Glassine paper from Tim Holtz--I just pleated it along the lower edge. The stamp is from Stampington, but you could use an old photo of an aged relative instead.

This was a fun little card I made from some Hero Arts oriental paper I had in a drawer. I like the flower stamp, also Hero Arts, because it complements the paper. The little girl is watercolored with Distress inks and her hair given more defintion with a marker. The really fun part of the card is the mizuhiki clamshell knot embellishment--these are so easy and fun to make!

2011-03-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

This card is a replica of a design I saw in a magazine called Paper Creations. When I was designing cards for the Hero Arts Club featuring reverse stamps, I luckily happened across an article featuring this card and several other cards using Hero Arts reverse stamps. I owned this flower stamp, so I set about re-creating this card. Once I figured out the measurements, the execution was simple--the image is stamped on Basic Grey woodgrain red paper with white pigment ink and then heat embossed. The paper it is stamped on lends color to the image, like the duck card I presented previously, but very striking because of the size of the open space in the stamped image. And then the image is just layered with white, red, and black to make a very dramatic card. One thing I had never thought of doing--only the bottom half of the white mat is embossed with the raindrop Cuttlebug folder, and then the red ribbon separates that area from the top unembossed area, which can then be stamped! Very clever! Thank you, Paper Creations, for a lovely card idea!

Lucky Duck

2011-03-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

I bought this cute duck stamp (Hero Arts) last year and am determined to use it in as many ways as possible! Here I stamped it with Versamark ink (any pigment ink would work) and heat embossed it with Stampendous opaque white powder onto a piece of Basic Grey Life of the Party cardstock. I then matted the image in brown, added a sentiment from Hero Arts and put the matted piece onto a panel of more of the Life of the Party cardstock.

2011-03-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

This was a fun little card I made using an older Hero arts "reverse" stamp. I first stamped the heart with Creamy Brown Clearsnap chalk ink onto a white panel, as shown. Next I stamped the same heart using Versamark (any pigment ink would work) onto two squares of Basic Grey Life of the Party 6" x 6" paper pad and onto one white square. Emboss each of these separate squares with Ranger Metallic Red embossing powder, place them on the front panel, and you have a fun fun card!

Can't resist it! Or can I?

2011-03-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

This little bird (Hero Arts stamp) was one of the more popular at our Hero Arts club meeting this week. I embossed it in Clearsnap evergreen pigment ink and with clear powder, then watercolored it using Scattered Straw, Vintage Photo, and Bundled Sage Distress Inks. A little ribbon and a white flower complete the picture.

2011-03-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

Since we are looking at "reverse" stamps in Hero Arts Club this month, I thought I might share this card we made in Card Factory last spring. The peacock is a Hero Arts cling "reverse" stamp. I inked the stamp with shades of blue and green Clearsnap pigment inks using their ink blending handle and sponges, and then stamped on white card. I love how the white of the paper makes the peacock really pop. After I stamped the image, I used a scallop square die to cut the image and layer it onto a larger white scallop square and over a piece of Webster's Pages vellum. The white crinkle ribbon is from Creative Impressions, and the surrounding white flowers are from Hero Arts and Bazzill.

2011-03-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

I decided to upload this collage I made a year or so ago. I guess the thought of spring brought it to mind. The picture of me is from an Easter day a long time ago. I collaged it with Jenni Bowlin elements--bingo cards, chipboard buttons, and specialty papers. I used my quilting iron to add melted wax to tie elements together, and the wax color is from melted crayon. I like to imagine my memories melding together like maybe wax melts in a candle, moving liquid-like through my mind, but then solidifying--always there ready to be awakened by a spark.

2011-03-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

This tag card uses an image transfer of scrapbook paper onto Stickyback canvas. Consequently, the transferred image is lighter than the original image. I backed the transferred canvas wtih black card to make it stand out. I did this process only to show the technique--I think using the actual paper would be much more effective on the card. It does have an interesting texture, however. I am going to put Diamond Glaze on my little circle punches--I like this Fibermark paper punched---very cool how the pieces just fit together like a puzzle. I wish I had colored the gear embellishment with alcohol ink first--it wouldn't have appeared so washed out against the transfer. I think this card could be used for a "I'm late..I'm late.." for a belated birthday card.

I have wanted to use my Clearsnap foil for a long time--I just never liked the adhesive transfer choices that were available. So I made my own adhesive image--using sticker paper and a xyron (if you are coming to Tagalicious Tuesday tomorrow I'll show you how I did it!) I tried running red line tape through my Cuttlebug with the Tim Holtz letter die--it did not cut cleanly. I bet the Vagabond would have worked to make a better cut. The only thing is--that tape is so sticky I kept getting stuck to it and couldn't get loose! However, I was successful finally in the process I chose, and I really like how the letters pop with the gold foil. Now I know how I can make whatever image I want for foiling and not depend on manufacturer's whimsy! Oh, the paper you ask? The cut-outs are from Graphic 45 new Cirque paper--tres chic, no? The background of the tag is doctored up aged mahogany distress ink.

Steph's Card

2011-03-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

Okay, ignore the fuzziness of the photography! I edited the picture to get a sharper image, but the colors came out all wrong--so I will stick with this one. This is a little card I made for my niece Stephanie's baby shower this weekend. She is expecting her first child, a boy, in May, and she is the first of her generation in our family to have a child. We are very excited! She likes vintage style, so I chose the same Jenni Bowlin paper I used on her shower invitations (did I show you that one?). I used a Martha Stewart punch for the border and stamped the little onesies in various colors of chalk ink, using the kissing and smooching technique (I will never look at a bold image the same way again!) to make patterns like cloth on the onesie. I got the clothesline inspiration from an older Hero Arts stamp (you can't see the stamping--it's covered up by the clothesline!) Inside the card the greeting reads "Just for You". Now I just need to go shopping for the onesies for a gift!

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-03-07T18:10:00.000-08:00

Here are the two tags I will be presenting tomorrow at Tagalicious Tuesday at Stamp Antonio. I kept with a masculine theme, as requested, although I think these would be suitable for anyone. Some of the products used include a key die from Tim Holtz, re-inkers for the Distress Inks, Judikins Rustique Antique Iron embossing powder, and gold Perfect Pearls. I love the look of the "inky" butterfly (Tim Holtz Urban Chic). I also had fun with inking the key tag--thank you Stephanie for directing me to the Tim Holtz video showing his new Distress Stains. I did not have them to use, but he gave me an idea about using the re-inkers to get a rich look to inking the tag. Hopefully the Distress Stains will be available soon.

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-02-27T06:25:00.000-08:00

I like the delicate coloring on this spring-like tag. The techniques are actually studies in texture. The background has resist stamping as well as embossing. The fluffy paper adds to the texture. The center of the large flower is deep thermal embossed with a swathe of pearlescent alcohol ink over the top. For fun I added the little circular tag at the top, which I made from scrapbooking paper.

This tag was inspired by the beautiful tag Alice showed me made from Martha Stewart All Over the Page punch. She had done a card using a heart and beads. I chose the butterfly and beaded the body. Buttonhole twist makes the antennae, but they are hard to distinguish from the stamped foliage in this picture. I used alcohol ink on acetate behind the butterfly, added an alcohol inked fragment charm and continued the Martha Stewart theme with the punched border.

Tagalicious Tuesday Card Tags

2011-02-21T18:42:00.000-08:00

I knew I wanted to use blue paper from Nikki Sivils, and it went perfectly with the Jenni Bowlin red! I had been playing around with blue and red and this just came together. It's mostly inked using the Florets mask from Tim Holtz, dressed up with tattered florals and pearls. How perfectly shabby chic! I tore my craft room apart looking for stamps that would "go with". I think they turned out OK!

Look closely and you will see the Tim Holtz Umbrella Man! I thought this card might be used for sympathy or encouragement. Again, Nikki Sivils paper with blue inks and paints.

Tag-a-licious Tag Card Tuesday

2011-02-14T18:46:00.000-08:00

I really like how this tag card came out. The parakeet stamp is one of my favorites (Magenta) of course because I have a parakeet! But my Billie is blue, I made this one green and yellow. The fun technique on this card is making paint from Perfect Pearls.

This tag card is much prettier in person. The fiber flower is just hinted at in this picture. I guess I had too much glare from my camera. I just ironed the flower onto the tag, but I can see I am going to have to put some adhesive. It is trying to lift off. The paper is Graphic 45.

Tag-a-licious Tuesday

2011-02-07T19:08:00.000-08:00

I wanted to do two techniques: First a tape transfer, and I wanted to use embossing powder as a resist. This tag does both. I found the black and white dance image in an old magazine, and it was perfect for this tag. The tattoo heart was perfect to add "fireworks" with gel pens and spica gliter pens.

I have fallen in love with candy hearts! Not to eat, of course, but because they have such yummy colors. I used some transparencies to jazz up this tag which uses the candy heart clip art published by Gecko Galz. I love re-using packaging, and this little window from the candy heart box worked perfectly.

First Drafts

2011-02-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

Above is a picture of two cards I thought I was doing in Card Factory yesterday. The telephone card is a Hero Arts card idea, and I liked it well enough. However, I thought it needed a little pizzazz, so when the Memory Box distressed dots in vanilla bean came our way, I re-did the card using the dots for the background. Stay tuned--I'll post a picture of the final product soon. The card on the left I completed some time ago, but again, I never really liked the card, whether it's colors or style or whatever. So I re-made that one as well, but skipped the donuts--(I should always skip donuts!) Stay tuned, and I'll show you what happened.

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-01-30T19:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, so you can't see much from this picture! I need to quit taking pictures at night with the flash! It is an alcohol ink monoprint background on glossy paper, to which I have added collage elements at the bottom and then covered all with an embossed transparency showing "Postcard", from Tim Holtz of course. It is rather interesting in person. I'm hoping if you click on it to get a larger view the details will appear.

This is a very simple Vintage Valentine clip art image enhanced with gold embossing, copper glimmer mist, a decorated facet and some lace. Again, the sparkle gets in the way of the flash.

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-01-24T14:45:00.000-08:00

This tag looks washed out in this picture. It is actually vintage style with lots of sparkle. The center pink heart (I call this tag Floating Hearts) is painted with Worn Lipstick crackle paint. The background has a shimmer with Smooch Spray in Pralines n Cream.

I call this tag The Love House. I used the Tim Holtz texture hammer to add texture to the silver tape that segments the tag. The flash on the camera made the texture look sparkly!

2011-01-17T15:45:00.000-08:00

Here are the projects we are making this Thursday and Friday for Hero Arts Club at Stamp Antonio. Don't you love all these yummy colors! And who doesn't like cupcakes and balloons? Our theme is Happy Birthday, because our Hero Arts club is one year old this month! If you haven't signed up, you surely want to do so. I hear someone is bringing a special treat.. I wonder what it could be?! Here's a hint--it tastes good, it's pretty, and it's pictured on some of these cards! Oh, and I need to tell you, I executed all of these cards from files on the Hero Arts website. Most of the stamps are still available, and some are in our workroom. Some of the coloring is done with Tombow markers and a Dove blender, some is done with pencil, and some are colored with beautiful pigment stamp ink from Colorbox.

Tags for Tuesday

2011-01-16T15:55:00.000-08:00

Tagalicious Tuesday

2011-01-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

These are the two tags I will be presenting at Stamp Antonio tomorrow Jan. 11. I used some die cuts and the new Memory Box papers we got in. The tag on the right has mostly Tim Holtz elements, while the tag on the left features mostly Hero Arts. I love the layered look of the pink tag. It starts with Cranberry colorwash overstamped with a Hero Arts flourish stamp in Stazon white, then is overlaid with a vellum flourish die cut and then stamped pattern tissue. The mica piece is stamped "friend" but it doesn't show up in the picture. I sewed the lace and ribbon at the bottom by hand, but pre-made the elements for the class since the sewing was really difficult--I had to go through layers of lace, then the ribbon, and it is adhered with red line tape plus the tag layer. Never doing this again!

New Tags for the New Year

2011-01-02T13:55:00.000-08:00

These are the two tags we will be making on Tagalicious Tuesday Jan 4 at Stamp Antonio. They both fit the theme of "winter", and I hope this doesn't come as too big of a surprise to our tag makers. I just can't do Valentines yet. The following Tuesdays will all be Valentine tags, I promise. I have used both Tim Holtz tree dies and coupled them with winter imagery for this Tuesday's session. Lots of stickles!

Tag-a-licious Tuesday

2010-12-09T19:03:00.000-08:00

Here is the second set of Tag-a-licious Tuesday projects. The designs are from Tim Holtz' 12 Tags of Christmas. They are tons of fun and incorporate lots of techniques. I have looked for supplies everywhere, so the retail merchants are really cashing in on these tag materials! I didn't have the Stamper's Anonymous stamps Tim used on the red tag, so I substituted Hero Arts stamps. Also, I don't have multiples of the number sets, so I cut numbers from light weight metal and then treated them to the steps Tim lists in his project. Last Tag-a-licious Tuesday was so fun we are repeating it at Stamp Antonio this Saturday. I love making these! Oh, the seam binding ribbons are called Hug Snug and it's from Lawrence Schiff ribbon company. Seam binding is hard to find these days has become a luxury item! These are a perfect substitute for the "trimmings" used by Tim Holtz.

Tag, You're It!

2010-11-22T17:51:00.000-08:00

We made these cute little tags at our November Hero Arts Club at Stamp Antonio! Come join us in December. Hero Arts Club meets Thursday, Dec. 16, 1-3 p.m; Friday, Dec. 17, 6-8 p.m. For those unable to come to the full event, Saturday Dec. 18 we will host make and takes featuring the new 201l Hero Arts stamps. Come and have fun!

Autumn Wreath

2010-11-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

I have been admiring all the wreaths created by the talented Hero Arts Artists using this wreath stamp--Lisa Spangler did a luscious pink and white confection, the I saw Shari Carroll did a very fun Halloween wreath. I really wanted to make that Halloween wreath, bought all the supplies, but that never happened. So I decided to make an autumn wreath using this leaf ribbon and some striped autumn colored ribbon. The leaves (from a Hero Arts set) are colored with pencil and the acorn has a glitter "helmet". This is of course the year of the acorn here in San Antonio. While we have many oak trees in my yard and neighborhood, never have we seen so many acorns, of all shapes and sizes. The squirrels are regularly scheduling parties on my roof to celebrate their abundance! So of course, an acorn on my wreath is de rigeur, even though I do not have a current acorn stamp! This one is from Stamp in the Hand, and inks up nicely, even with dye inks. I tried out my new Stampendous clear bark embossing powder, and was amazed to find out it really is "clear brown". I used it with Versamark for the card, but found when a brown pigment is used underneath the powder, the image is much darker--more the color of the ink than the powder.

Southwest cards from Outlines stamps

2010-10-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures of the cards I am presenting at a class at Stamp Antonio on Tuesday, Nov. 9 from 10:30 -12:30. We will be using two Outlines stamps: I1060 and H1061. They are both Southwest Collage stamps, and I used only a portion of each collage. Each stamp has innumerable possibilities of combinations for collage orientation. Here is the link to the stamps: http://www.outlinesrubberstamp.com/ecom/products.cfm?catID=162&maincatID
You can see where I got my ideas from! Stamp Antonio will have the stamps available the day of the class. Of course, while the Basic Grey paper is fabulous, I had to change papers for my cards. I also used fibers I got from Stitches from the Heart. These cards are really fun to make, and I hope I can make some additional cards from the stamps to show on the day of the class.

Note Card Set

2010-10-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

I just finished this beautiful notecard set as a sample for our October Hero Arts club meeting at Stamp Antonio. I got the idea from an out of print book featuring PSX stamps. Each card features a stamped vellum overlay and the card holder is folded corrugated cardstock held together with ribbon. These stamps are all from Hero Arts--wood -mount "Real Blossom" K5414 and the clear stamp set "Just Find Me" CL 434. I love the beautiful script of the sentiments on that set. I used Pink Pizazz and Lavender Ancient Page inks on the vellum. You can see the lavender ribbon on the original notecard I made, but I ran out of lavender ribbon and had to use a silver one on the remaining cards. This set would make a lovely gift and could be adapted to any occasion. Our monthly theme for October is "Botanical" and I made several examples using other flower/plant stamps from Hero Arts using not only Ancient Page dye ink but also chalk inks and Tombow markers. I hope you will be able to come to the event this coming Thursday or Friday, where you, too, can create this lovely set. See you there!

Retro Witch

2010-10-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

Check out this cool tag I made at Totally Tim Tags today! This is Carrie's design, but my witch! (Well, with a little help from Tim Holtz!) We did a Studio Canvas transfer--I used the stripe paper. I stamped some spiral circles around the edge of the tag before laying down the striped transferred canvas. I spread some gesso onto the central part of another piece of studio canvas, let it dry, inked the edges with green Shabby Shutters and Peeled Paint, then stamped the witch from the Tim Holtz Retro Halloween stamp set. You can't really see it in the picture, but I painted the witch's face with pigment inks and added definition to her hair with a black fabric pen. What a way to start thinking about Halloween!

Dancing Skeletons

2010-10-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

This fun little card is the "take home" card from my Card Factory class this morning. The little dancing skeletons (Deadbeat Designs) are heat embossed with white ink and white powder on BoBunny dot paper. The little pumpkins they are juggling are from an Inkadinkado stamp, stamped in orange on black paper and heat embossed with Judikins orange sparkle powder. The top of the card is a 2" strip of BoBunny orange dot paper, stamped with a Hero Arts circle border stamp in black and decorated with dots of Stickles and the new Ranger Enamel accents in both black and white. I love how the new Enamel accents come out slick as glass, and easy to apply, just like Glossy Accents. I added a strip of Bazzill black pom pom ribbon at the top. Stamp Antonio promises to get pom pom ribbon in green and white as well. I hope the participants in Card Factory enjoyed putting this card together as much as I enjoyed designing it! It's that time of the year when we all find ourselves "dancing as fast as we can" as fall marches toward Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and before we know it, Christmas is almost upon us! I hope more treats than tricks come your way as you fill your autumn days with family and fellowship.

It finally feels like fall!

2010-09-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

Autumn is my favorite time of the year! I love the crispness of the cooler air, the feel of wearing sweaters, the colors of the changing season. This morning on my walk, I could definitely feel the change in the air as I quickened my pace due to the cooler temperature. The card pictured above displays those wonderful fall colors, and is just one of the cards I will be presenting at Card Factory at Stamp Antonio this Saturday. A little bit of marker color, a little bit of heat embossing with various leaf colored powders, and a little bit of colorful paper all tied together with a smooth overlay of vellum--this card whispers "fall!"

My Tiny Space

2010-09-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

What you are seeing in the picture above is the tiny little space in which I usually do my stamping in my craft room. I cleared the space off today so I could actually work on some cards. It had been filled with a Cuttlebug (see the embossed kraft paper) and littered with tons of stuff I needed to put somewhere. Actually my space, when cleared off, is very use-able and cozy. I sit in a large overstuffed easy chair pulled up to the desk. My large cutter is in another area of the room, so I have to get up for that, but I'm a jack rabbit by nature. (My dog gets very mad at this--she wants me to stay put so she can nap!) Close by, as you can see in the photo, I have most of the things I need handy--colored pencils and jewels are in the green topped bins, pens, glitter markers, and Stickles are in some of the open containers, as well as glues and small tools. I keep my very large wood block Hero stamps at the ready for backgrounds. Not shown in the photo are tons of papers on a rack, a turntable of supplies, and a tiered basket of stuff, just above my workspace. Also, not shown, is a tray of three small metal flowerpots to the right of my workspace which house scissors and other tools. Very handy. The card I am working on at present is another of the Asian Art cards from our Hero Club meeting at Stamp Antonio. I had a few leftover supplies so I am making "copy cats" of the original card that I will be able to use later. I stamped the circle image in Versafine black and heat set it so the Copics I am going to use will not smear. Where are the Copic markers you might ask? They are handy in a bin just under my workspace..I just reach down and pick it up! Always at hand! And what makes this space extra special? My Ott light! I can't work without it! There are some things that are present that I hardly ever use..my original Sizzix die cutter and the pasta machine, but they have been there so long and are so heavy I am not going to move them! They often just get draped with clutter until it's time to pick up again!

Asian Art Fun

2010-09-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

Last week we had our Hero Arts Club meeting at Stamp Antonio--Asian Art Fun Night! This cute little card was very fun (although it has some intricate cutting!) I stamped the lanterns from Hero Arts CL373 Good Fortune set onto various colors of vellum. When you stamp on vellum you have to use a dye ink that will dry on vellum, and give it time to dry. Stamping off once onto scratch paper before stamping on the vellum will reduce drying time. Lanterns must be dry before cutting out, or the images will smear. After cutting out the lanterns, I cut small holes with a 1/16" hole punch in the top of each and strung them along a line of mizuhiki paper cord. If you put a glue dot at the top of each lantern after arranging them along the cord, they will stick nicely to the card. The glue dots do not show very much behind the colored vellum. I also used a glue dot at the bottom of each lantern to hold a bit of floss. I folded the six strand DMC floss a few times, attached it to the lantern, fluffed it out with a pin or the tip of my scissors, and then snipped it off to the length I wanted. I really like using a piece of ribbon, cord, or floss that is big enough to hold onto, and then cut it to the size I want after I arrange it. The card above has a strip of Hero Arts washi paper at the top, and I added a sentiment and the "lucky cat" at the bottom. The cat is colored with Tombow markers (yes, I still use them!) so the colors won't show through to the inside of the card. I really like how this card turned out. The only thing I would change is I wanted to use dimensional adhesive so the lanterns would "pop" from the back of the card. I just didn't know how to do this without the adhesive showing through the transparency of the vellum. I thought about dimensional pop dots, but they are so large. Any ideas?

Post - It Note holder

2010-07-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

This is the cute project we did in Hero Arts Club at Stamp Antonio Arts this past week. The idea came from a book I had by Marie Browning on bookmaking (a book I love, by the way!). Here is what you need to make the booklet:

2        4 1/2" pieces of lightweight cardstock or
                       paper for covers
1        3" paper or cardstock for inside front cover
2        3 1/8" pieces of lightweight chipboard
                        (You can use the chipboard from cereal boxes!)
1        3 1/2" x 1 3/4" ultrasuede or suede paper for spine
1        3" square post it note package

            And you need a gluestick and some white glue. Here's what to do:
                       1. Decorate your 4 1/2" pieces of paper for your covers, remembering that only the center 3"
                                         will show.
                       2. Decorate your paper for the inside cover as well.
                       3. Center your chipboard squares onto the backs of your decorated covers, glue down with
                                          gluestick. Miter the corners and fold in the sides. Glue down securely.
                       4. Attach the suede strip to the edges of each covered piece with a white glue, not a
                                          gluestick. I used Tombow Mono Multi but any white glue with a fine line
                                          applicator will work.
                                          Use only a tiny bead of glue. Hold or press the glued area for a few minutes
                                          until  it sets. After the spine edges are completely dry, cut off the excess spine
                                          ends so it is flush with the covers.
                       5. Cover the inside front cover with your decorated paper. Lay (or glue, if you prefer) the
                                           post it notes to the back inside cover.
                       6. Add whatever decorations you want. I used a piece of ribbon and an extra stamped
                                           piece on the sample shown. The stamp used for the sample is Hero Arts
                                           Delicate Blossoms CL449. I colored it with Copic markers.

Hero Arts at Stamp Antonio

2010-07-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the Hero Arts stamp wall at Stamp Antonio. No samples up yet! They're still all in my car--hope to get some up this week. The new location looks fabulous! Thank you, all who came to see us this past Saturday at our Amuseapalooza. Geeta was great, as usual! Thank you, Geeta, for this picture! I hope many of you will come to our Hero Arts club meeting this Thursday and Friday. We are playing with incorporating office supplies in our stamping! Stamp Antonio's new phone number: 210-764-7900. New address: 5139 North Loop 1604 West, #108.

Glitter and shine

2010-07-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

This card was done with one Hero Arts stamp. I placed a piece of patterned paper from Creative Imaginations onto a coral colored card, then overlayed an acetate card. I stamped the Hero Arts Floral scallop with black Stazon on the acetate over the printed paper, then colored the backside with gel pens and Ranger Fruit Punch stickles. I also stamped the edges of the acetate with random images from the stamp, masking as necessary to get just the flowers, not any of the border edges, and again colored with gel pens and stickles. I imagine the little bird (cut out from the paper) would like to get into this juicy, sparkly looking bramble!

Acetate Window cards

2010-07-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

I have really enjoyed playing with acetate/transparencies lately. Here are two cards I worked up to show what can be done with acetate. The designs are not mine, however, They come from a book called Clear and Classy Cards from Design Originals featuring work by Sally Traidman and others. The card on the left uses confetti inside the window to create a see-through birthday candle. I used a Sharpie to color the designs on the acetate window--a copic was not strong enough to do this. The card on the right features a window "pocket" as the lower part of the card. I added tiny punched flowers as the confetti as well as some larger punched flowers. The larger flowers you can see through the window pocket are not in the pocket at all. They are attached to the back inside of the card. You are looking at them through the see-through window. Thank you, Design Originals, for these fun ideas! All stamps by Hero Arts.

Sunday scrappin'

2010-06-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

No, not scrapbooking--scrappin! I determined that at least once a week I need to play with my "leftover" stash, which is now quite considerable in quantity! The first picture above shows some inchies I made with a stamped, embossed Kokopelli image I found. I made a background for the Kokopelli with some printed vellum and painted the edges with gold Lumiere paint. The second is a card I made entirely from leftovers I found from past projects, jazzing it up a bit with some gold hole-less beads and some pressed real flowers. The stamped flowers were the first piece I picked up from my stash--a repeatedly stamped Hero Arts flower showing how chalk ink gets lighter as you stamp it without re-inking. The bottom striped pieced is Magenta scrabook paper, stamped with a Hero Arts greeting. I rough cut the zig-zag edging. The side scrap is stamped with Hero Arts grid in Ranger Adirondack cranberry ink, zig-zagged the edges, and added tiny little flowers I cut from another scrapbook paper piece. I then added the gold beads with diamond glaze to the centers.