So todays featured stamper is "Starofmay" aka Kristina Werner. She is my paper-crafting idol (she does both layouts and cards) and her graphic artist's eye is do die for!!


I cased this card, and changed only a few details. To stamp this card I used a Technique Tuesday alpha, and stamped it in Lamp Black (Ranger) which, by the way, works AWESOMELY (it's a word) with Copic markers. I coloured in the overlapping areas with watercolour PENCILS, then blended it with a copic marker, I then coloured in the rest of the letters. I haven't tried the watercolour pencil/copic thing before, but am LOVING the results....

Supplies: Stamps: technique tuesday; Paper: bazzil, DCWV, papertrey; Ink: charcoal (versamagic), lamp black (ranger); Accessories: felt flower (AC), ribbon (WeR), copic markers, watercolor pencils

I have always loved the sketch challenge at SCS. For me, it's always the layout that gives me the hardest time. I can always come up with colours, patterned papers, stamps, etc., but it's the layout that I'll "hum and haw" about for hours sometimes. I would NEVER be a graphic artist, that's for sure. So playing the sketch challenge is somehow freeing for me. I get to think about other things.

I wanted to use a tree from the memory box clear set I have on loan from my LSS. The set is full of non-traditional trees and I love it. See my other post here for another time I used the set.

I began with the card base, which is, as usual, 5x5. The next two layers are 1/8 of an inch smaller. The middle square is cuttlebugged, and then ticket-corner punched. I stamped the tree first, then stamped the ornaments in different colours. The only colour you can't see is the Ballet Blue (Palette) and I have to say, I HATE that ink. I keep giving it a second chance to prove to me that it's a real colour, but it keeps letting me down. If it were the colour is says it should be, it would be pretty, but it's not. I love all of my other palette colours, but hate this one.. moving on.. I then punched the tree out with a marvy punch and adhered it to the card with foam squares. Now I'm off to bed. I have early morning choir rehearsal (7:00) and I need to be alert!!! "Night.

Check my SCS gallery for supplies. Thanx!

Tara, I know this will annoy you (posting on a Blog without a picture....) but I had to. This quiz was funny 'cause I always correct my best friend's grammar, and these are the exact things he messes up. Take it if you have a minute...

You Scored an A

You got 10/10 questions correct. It's pretty obvious that you don't make basic grammatical errors. If anything, you're annoyed when people make simple mistakes on their blogs. As far as people with bad grammar go, you know they're only human. And it's humanity and its current condition that truly disturb you sometimes.

I saw the colours for the colour combo challenge (River Rock, Chocolate Chip, and Really Rust) at SCS and I knew I wanted to play, but I've been feeling like all I do is cards lately, so I chose to alter a coffee bag I got from Papertreyink. I'm thinking this would be a perfect hostess gift. (Maybe for my Gramma at Thanksgiving dinner?!)

The "F" was originally River Rock, but it didn't stand out enough, so I airbrushed it with dark brown and black with Copic markers. I stamped "all" with Technique Tuesday stamps, and filled them in with a blender and versamagic ink. The rust-coloured heart in the corner was originally pink, but I airbrushed it with Copics again to be a rust colour. The large monogram was traced from a cardstock punch-out by Basic Grey. I didn't have any letters that matched this colour scheme, so I made my own.
I LOVE how this bag turned out. Thanx for looking!

Supplies:
Paper: River Rock, Chocolate Chip, KI Memories; Stamps: Technique Tuesday (small letters) Leafy Flourish (Inkadinkado); Ink: Jumbo Java (Versamagic); Chipboard heart (K&Co.), twine, Copic markers and airbrush system, coffee bag (Papertreyink).

SO.... I have the Copic airbrush system (compressor and all) on loan from my LSS where I teach, and I just HAD to play around... This airbrushing stuff takes some getting used to. Because I only have a couple of the original Copics for airbrushing, my other mission was to defy all odds and use some of my Ciao markers with the airbrushing, and guess what? It works! You have to hold the markers in place, but hey... I'll do whatever it takes.

This is for Beate's sketch found here. I kind of melded the flower and the sentiment so I hope she doesn't mind! ;)

Directions.. I stamped the Bella on papertrey white CS. I masked off her body and head (it makes a pretty funny looking image) and airbrushed the background. I cuttlebugged the two cardstock layers, and punched the corners. I then punched the corners of all the other layers and assembled the card. Before gluing down the cool caribbean CS, I wrapped the ribbon around the card-front, and attached the tag/flower with a jeweled brad. Measurements are: Brown: 5x5, Cool Caribbean: 4.75x4.75, patterned paper: 4x4, purely pom: 3.75x3.75, Bella: 3 5/8x2.

Supplies
Paper: Cool Caribbean, Purely Pomegranate (SU!), Java (Bazzil), SEI; Stamp: Bunchabella (Stamping Bella); Ink: Jumbo Java (Versamagic by Tsukeneko); Copic markers and airbrush system; Ribbon (American Crafts); Flower (Prima); Chipboard Tag (K&Co.).

CARD... not a skirt.. Me in a micro miniskirt would just be scary.. lol..

This is a challenge over at {Caardvarks} and I haven't done one with them, and this seemed fun! I chose this tiny little polar bear as my feature image. He's SO cute. I coloured him with Copic markers and added a little liquid applique for fun. The finished card measures 2.5x3.5, the size of an ATC.

Supplies:
Paper: Card (Amuse, trimmed to size), unknown patterned paper; Stamps: Polar bear (Memory Box), Sentiment (Inkadinkado); Ink: Noir Black (Palette); Copic markers, liquid applique.

This is for a submission call from Papercrafts magazine. I traced and then covered the chipboard file folder with KI paper. It was especially helpful that all the paper I used was double-sided, so I had a lot of different patterns to choose from, and they all coordinated! After gluing the paper to the chipboard with Zip-dry adhesive (LOVE it), I sanded the edges and inked with Jumbo Java ink. I traced the top flap of the file onto the green paper to make the sentiment pop. To add special interest to the cake, I used the paper-piecing technique, in which I stamped the cake on patterned paper, cut it out, and placed it on the cake stand. I used foam squares to pop it up. To finish off the card I tied ribbon around the circular patterned paper, adhered it to the card base, and glued the file folder to the card.

Supplies: Paper: All patterned paper by KI Memories, white cardstock by Papertreyink; Ink: Jumbo Java (Versamagic by Tsukineko); Stamps: Sentiment (Stampin' Up!), Cake & accessories (Technique Tuesday); Ribbon: American Crafts; Chipboard file folder (My Minds Eye).

This was my first full week of teaching... MAN am I tired!! Two mornings this week I was up at 5 am for choir rehearsals at 7 am.. Those are gonna take some getting used to! But I LOVE my students. For those of you who don't know me, I teach at a fine arts secondary school, and I'm spoiled rotten with the talent these kids have to offer. I'm loving life right now.

I made a card for today's Inspiration challenge.. This is the inspiration photo:
The first thing that caught my eye was the colour scheme, and it's a good one! I then started to think about how I could create the circle cut-outs and geometric lines, and I grabbed my giga and mega circle punches... This is what I came up with:
I added the brads as an afterthought because the card looked kinda flat, but it ended up looking really space-aged or something. lol... Thanx for looking, and have a great weekend!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzil, Basic Grey, Papertrey; Stamps: Papertrey (Beautiful Blooms); Ink: Vandyke Brown (Ranger Inks); Accessories: Copic markers, brads, Marvy punches, glitter pen (Sakura).

VSN (virtual stamp night) is something I look forward to on SCS. It's a bunch of challenges posted every hour over two nights, and you only have 45 minutes to complete your project. My participating in it has been waning over the few VSN's because I found that I would make a card for a challenge, and it would turn out ugly or impractical. So now I just pick and choose which challenge I want to do, do it in 45 minutes, and upload before the deadline (today at 3:oo EST). Here are my projects:

Details for all of these cards can be found at my SCS gallery here.

I think many of us "carders" started out as "scrappers" and I am finding that I have a lot of memories that have gone un-scrapped for too long. I started making cards and posting on SCS about 1 year ago, and I've missed scrap-booking, but at the same time, I've learned a gazillion new techniques and layout ideas from doing the card thang. I will always love making cards (I think MORE than scrapbooking), but you will see me posting a lot more layouts as I try to re-kindle my love of scrapping..

Here's a layout I did last night using Scenic Route paper and embellishments.

I started out doing a color challenge from Twopeas that said to use blue, green, and brown, but since the paper and accents were black instead of brown, I didn't end up doing the challenge correctly! oh well.. I got a l/o done at least!

I just wanted to share a little sump'n sump'n I've been working on for Precious Memories. It turned out really well and I hope the class is a hit.

It's a wine holder! It comes blank (white chipboard) and it's up to your heart's desire how you decorate it. I didn't go overboard with the bottle-holder part of it, but instead paid special attention to the tag. I love tags, I don't know what it is..

anyway... Here's a close-up of the tag. I used little Robin's Eggs with Simple Shine to make the concord grapes 3-D. The grapes are oval-shaped and the eggs are round, so they weren't a PERFECT match, but it turned out pretty well. I coloured the stamped image first with Copic markers, then applied the eggs.

If you want to make something like this for yourself, the wine holder is made by Creative Imaginations, and there are some directions on their web-site. You need two sheets of 12x12, and you basically glue two pieces of 7.5x12 cardstock and add a border (or ribbon, whatever) to the top/bottom because the container is actually 13" high. It's a really easy project, and a GREAT gift, I think. Have a nice day, and thanx for looking!

I made this for a class I'm teaching at Precious Memories that features Copic markers, and todays "Ways to Use it" challenge inspired me to make a card with a pocket. I LOVE how it turned out, and what's more fun than an interactive card??

I did a tent-topper layout (4.25x4.25) and instead of attaching a "tent-topper" I made the removable tag the topper element! I sewed the vellum to the top layer as a means of attaching it to the card and stamped on the vellum with Palette ink (heat set).

I used one of the new Hero Arts collage stamps for the sole purpose of learning how to use them!! I've looked at them many times not knowing what to do with them, so this was kind of my own personal experiment. I first stamped the image on plain white paper (Papertrey) and cut out the dove. I then stamped the image on patterned paper (Basic Grey) and shaded some areas with copic markers. I paper-pieced the dove, shaded it with a grey Copic marker, and that was it.

Supplies

Stamps: hero arts, inkadinkado

Paper: basic grey, bazzil

Ink: palette- noir

Accessories: copic markers, sewing machine, eyelet, ribbon

It's been a week of wonderful vacations, friends getting engaged, and starting my brand new job as a high school music teacher. Needless to say I've been busy, and this has been the first time I've sat at my craft table for over a week. I missed it!

I received my Papertreyink stamps today, and I just had to use them on this Colour Combo card.
I stamped the flowers in Brilliance black ink, heat set, coloured with Copics then die cut them with my cuttlebug. I created the background on the groovy guava CS using the "poppin' pastels" technique in which you stamp first in Versamark, then you rub over the stamped image with chalks using a cotton ball. I love this technique! It makes a water-marked image more prevalent if the versamark isn't showing up very well...

Supplies:

Stamps: papertrey (beautiful blooms)

Paper: SEI, groovy guava, always artichoke

Ink: brilliance black, versamark

Accessories: chalk, eyelets (WeR), ribbon, Cuttlebug, Copic markers

Techniques: poppin' pastels

I just wanted to let you all know (who are YOU anyway??) what I've been working on this past week. I was SO inspired by the design team at Papertreyink that I decided to design a class of Hallowe'en boxes and bags for Precious Memories.. These are only a few of the goodies we'll make, but I'm happy with how the class is shaping up. I LOVE Hallowe'en and so it makes me a very happy person to be able to do a class based on the very fun holiday..

Most of the stamps are by Inkadinkado and they're from their buy 2 get 1 free program (check your LSS to see if they have it)... The rubber was a *bit* hard to unmount (had to microwave it a bit hehehe) but I liked how the stamps stamped.. anyway! Take a closer look at the individual projects below.
I'm off for my summer vacation (I know, ONE weekend, big WOOP right?) but I have to be happy with it... See you next week and I hope you all have a great long weekend. P.S. Let me know who YOU ALL are! I would love to say hello and check out your blogs/galleries etc.. Ta-ta.

I acquired a couple of new sets at a garage sale this weekend, and I am SO happy I bought them! The sets are: Big Blooms, and So Many Sayings.
So Many Sayings originally came as three big stamps with all of the sayings smushed onto the blocks, but I took the plunge and cut them up and mounted them on EZ mount, and I love it! I stamped the sentiment first, then stamped the dotted line stamp on either side of it. So handy!

The techniques I attempted were embossing resist and versamark resist. The embossing kinda worked, but the versamark resist didn't work at all. It's supposed to be on glossy cardstock, so I guess that's why it flopped. Anyway... Here are the deets:

Supplies: Stamps - Big Blooms, So Many Sayings (SU!); Paper - Kraft, Brown (generic), patterned paper (DCWV); Ink - Versamark, Blue, White (versamagic), Noir Black (Palette); Ribbon (American Crafts), Staples (MM), Clear Embossing Powder.

Today is a good day for me! I realized a little while ago that aside from a stamp here or there, I don't have any birthday sets! (Gasp!)... So when I was at my LSS today I picked up this set from Technique Tuesday, and I {heart} it VERY much.

For the main image I stamped the layered cakes on papertrey white CS, then I stamped it again on my DCWV paper. I cut out the cakes and cake stand and popped them up with foam squares. (Paper piecing) I spelled "eat cake" with my Karen Foster Snap stamps (love those things). I used Beate's sketch for the layout and today's inspiration challenge for the colour choice.

I think I'm gonna have a *lot* of fun with this set. Yay!

Supplies: Stamps (Karen Foster, Technique Tuesday); Paper (DCWV, Papertrey, Bazzil); Ink (Versamagic Jumbo Java and Blue?, Palette Landscape); Marvy Punches, Sakura Glitter Pen.

I forget that negative space is an effective design element until I stumble upon it by accident. Don't you love it when that happens? I made this card for today's color challenge and I wasn't thinking about layout at all, just the colours (Soft Sky and Groovy Guava). I used one of my favourite stamp sets, Bodacious Bouquet to make the background on the guava paper using Palette ink (Haystack and New Canvas) and stamped the main flower image with a combination of Island (Fresh Ink) and Cloud White (Versamagic) because I don't have any of the SU! In Color inks... (I'm workin' on it though...)

I hope you all have a wonderful day and, because I don't say it enough, thank you SO MUCH for checkin' in on my blog. *Virtual Hugs* lol...

Supplies:
Paper- Groovy Guava (SU!), White (Papertrey), Patterned Paper (Paper Salon)
Ink- New Canvas, Haystack (Palette); Cloud White, Charcoal (Versamagic), Island (Fresh Ink)
Stamps- Bodacious Bouquet (SU!); sentiment (Amuse)
Accessories- Eyelets (WeR); Glitter (Glitter Ritz); Quick-e glue pen; Punches (Marvy)

It's not often that I make sympathy cards (luckily I don't have a lot of deaths in my life to remind me to do so), but I do plan on selling my cards soon and I need more sympathy cards to balance out my stock.

This is a tri-fold card, and the tutorial can be found here. The only change to the directions that I did (and that's cause I don't have the supplies) is instead of using a tab punch, I used a nickel, and traced around it where I wanted the tab, and cut it out with my exacto. Worked well, I think! The flourish for the butterflies is actually from a Christmas set just released by Inkadinkado, but I don't think it's Christmas-y at all! I love it as a flourish...

Supplies:

Stamps: My Sentiments Exactly, Amuse, Inkadinkado

Paper: MME

Ink: Palette (Noir Black), Ranger (Brushed Courduroy)

Accessories: Prima, brad, ribbon (may arts)

I think the Featured Stamper Challenge at SCS is my fav' challenge because 1) I get to see galleries I've never seen before, and 2) I get really inspired by cool layouts and new techniques! This week's FS is Mwohlers and here is her the post with the card I cased: Garden Silhouettes. What I loved about her card was how she stamped the image multiple times with different shades of the same colour. Since I'm in Christmas-mode, I thought I'd use a bunch of snowflakes for the focal image. I think it worked out well.. Thanx for looking!

Supplies:
Paper: Cardstock (Papertrey, Bazzil), Patterned Paper (Basic Grey); Ink: Versamagic, SU!, Palette; Stamps: Inkadinkado, Amuse, Hero Arts; Ribbon: AC; Snaps (WeR)

I have held on to this photo of Phoenix for a LONG time waiting for inspiration to come along... I saw in a recent edition of Scrapbooks Etc. a layout that used one of the new scalloped-edged papers from Autumn Leaves and I figured now was the time to use this pic. He was 4 months when this headshot was taken. I love looking at it. What a different time it was then.... Now he's an extremely active 5 year-old that is still quite cute, but looks NOTHING like he does here...

I know every mother (and family) thinks their baby is the cutest baby in the world, so I never thought much of it when my loved-ones encouraged me to get Phoenix an agent for movies/tv/print etc... After much pestering I caved in, and this was his first headshot. He went on a few auditions and did really well, but I couldn't keep up with the calls. The agency would call the night before an audition and I would have to be downtown Vancouver the next morning at 8:00 am regardless of what was going on in my life that day. (Like work or school etc...) Maybe if I move a little closer to the city I'll get him another agent, but I don't see that happening any time soon...

Now for the details of the page. I took out a piece of the scalloped Autumn Leaves paper, laid it over the back of my patterned paper, traced the outline and cut it out using an exacto. This way I can have that cool look with any paper I want. There are a lot of little embellishments on the page, but they're all pretty basic. I added a little hybrid element (probably not visible to you) on the page: the little blue journaling tabs have some digital brush elements on it downloaded from Two Peas, using PSE. Thanx for looking! If you have any questions about the other elements, just ask.

Supplies:
Paper: Imagination Project, Bazzil; Ink: Versamagic (Jumbo Java, Red Magic); Ribbon, Felt Flowers (AC); Plastic Letters (Maya Road); Ribbon Slider, Brads (Imaginisce); Chipboard, Transparent Flourish (MME); Tag (Cosmo Cricket).