Update, News and Candy

 "God's Blessing"

Yesterday I promised to share some exciting news not just for me, but exciting for you as well.  Let ma quickly share my news and then I can spend time on the fun stuff for YOU!

• There is a new digital stamp company called Digital Stamp Oasis that has the cutest squirrel stamps.  I purchased a few and a little while later Ellie had a call for starting a design team.  I figured I would give it a try and made this card.

Now you have to admit he is really cute.   I did not get picked for the design team, but I submitted the card to a digital magazine for publishing. Happily I was chosen for the April issue. So, after today  I will have to take him down for a month.  But I wanted to share my first published card with you :O)  

Inside of the card.

The magazine is Scrapbook News and Reviews and costs $4.99 a month or less if you purchase more than one month. You can find out more about it at the Scrapbook News and Reviews The Card Universe.    

• Also, a while back I told you I had been working on some video tutorials for a paper company. I am sure you guessed that it was Paper Temptress.  I made a nice desk set using the leather paper.   

Well, it is up on the new Paper Temptress blog.  You will have to scroll down a bit to see them, since more posts have been added since. Now...PLEASE...if you see them, be kind to me. These are the very first video tutorials I made. I had no idea what I was getting into, LOL.  Never did I realize that plopping my ruler down would be so loud, ha ha. And I talked way to much so the editing had to be done between words. 

I will be adding videos here soon. I have learned A LOT since these so hopefully they will be so much better.

OK...Quickly onto your fun stuff

• Patricia (THE Paper Temptress) is having a huge sale in April. The Leather Line that is shown in my videos will be 40% off!!!! WOW... Also, all of the Touch Papers: Velvet Touch, Suede Touch and Plastic Touch will be on sale for 30% off. 

If you are not sure you will like the papers, there is a link on the home page to request free samples! How nice is that. I told you Patricia was a sweet heart.

Just think of all the things you can make your mother for Mother's Day. AND, Father's Day is not to far away.  I will be sharing lots of projects this month to give you some ideas.

• Do you have any kids who love to create with you? Well, Patricia has decided to to have a monthly Guest Designer which she is going to call the Paper Prince/Princess. Isn't that the cutest name.  The very first Paper Princess will be sharing her creations during the month of April.

So if you have a child 18 or younger who would love to be a guest designer, check out the details on the home page of the Paper Temptress Store.

• Candy...YES...another Blog Candy. I am putting a bit of a Sandy Twist to it though.  I have almost reached a number of comments that is in a 50's increment. What does that mean??? Well, every 50th commenter will win a blog candy! I am going to wait for the next few comment that come in and end my count with the last two numbers being 50. At THAT point I will start the count. At the next increment of 50, I will email the next 50th to let them know they won my blog candy. 

I did not want to announce this when I was already at 50, so that it will be a total surprise. (no counting everyone, LOL) Each candy will consist of a project I made with the Paper Temptress paper as well as some yummy paper crafting toys.

Till tomorrow! Hugs, Sandy O

???Title???

Question.....did you ever have one of those days where your creativity has just fizzled? I am having one of those days! After taking a few days off, some due to a really mean little bug that creates the worst headache. Then a couple of days to clean up the house.

Finally, I sit down to post my latest project and .....title???????hmmmmmm, title?????? hmmmmm....UGGGG I can't think of a title {{{sniff}}} So...no title today, LOL

That is OK though, I still have a wonderful project to show you {{{GREAT BIG SMILEY GOES HERE}}}

   

This is a stationary holder I made using the Timeless Template called All Boxed Up created my Lauren Meader and is available through Papertrey Ink.

I used the White Gold cardstock from Paper Temptress. Stamping randomly using the flower stamp from the retired Stampin' Up set "God's Beauty" created a light famine pattern on the paper. I set it aside until the ink completely dried.  I did use my heat gun, but there were still spots where the ink was a bit wet.  Then I colored the the flowers in with my Copic markers.

   

In this close up you can see how pretty the White Gold paper is.  Also, how beautifully the shimmer comes right through the ink. No embellishment was needed. I did think about adding some faux flowers, but decided against it for 2 reasons.  The first is the chance they may fall off some day due to being handled so many times.  The second is that I could not find a flower pretty enough to go on the paper.  If you click on the photo you will get a better look at what I am trying to covey.

  

For the inside pockets I chose to use the Iridescent cardstock in Plasma Blue.  I finished off the box with some paper lace I made using my lace punch and some gorgeous ribbon I purchased at a local scrapbook store.

 

Using the same ribbon, I created a clasp with some small magnets I found on Amazon.  They are the same as the Basic Grey 1/16" magnetic snaps, the difference being the price.  The Basic Grey 1/4 x 1/16" package of 20 runs between $5-6.00, which is .25-.30 per magnet. The Magcraft magnets 1/4 x 1/16"  tube of 100 is $8.99, which is only .09 per magnet AND with free shipping if your total purchase is $25 or more.  That is a huge price difference! I have tried both and I actually believe the Magcraft magnets a stronger. The down side is that the Magcraft magnets do not have a self adhesive side. This is easily remedied with any 2 sided tape or a glue dot.

I will be making the stationary to put in this folder shortly. When I do, I will be sure to post it for you to see.

TOMORROW, I have some very exciting things to share with you. A couple of things that are exciting to me that I want to share with you. AND...a couple of things that will be exciting to you that I want to tell you about.

See you then! Hugs, Sandy O

Playing With My New Toys!

I finally jumped onto the bandwagon and purchased some Copics! I was pretty happy with my Prisma markers, but they did not blend the way I wanted them to.  They also do not have a brush tip. I found a really good deal on eBay and took it.

After my first...YEAH they're in...rip open package and color....I realized that they are not magic "you can now color like a professional" markers.  There is defiantly a learning curve to them.  So where did I go...that's right...Google! HA!

I found a really great Copic tutorial blog called I like Makers , did a little reading and tried again, LOL. This time it was a bit better.  I am glad I like to learn new things, since there appears to be a lot that can be learned about coloring.  So funny, when I realized that a picture looked better with black outlines right about the time I started school, I thought I had arrived! I knew everything there was to know about coloring, and I was only 5 or 6!

How silly of me!!! So here is my first "Copic" card.

 

Dogwoods are my favorite tree. Our side yard is boarded with red twigged dogwoods bushes. There are about 20 of them.  Those have the tiny cluster flowers similar to the image on the square layer.  After they bloom the flowers turn to berries. Birds seem to come from near and far to feast on them.  How fun!!! On the corner we have a variegated dogwood tree. This has the larger flowers that are on the oval layer.  Soooo very pretty!

When Stampin' Up's 2009 Occasions Mini was posted on the demo site, and I saw "Soft Summer", I knew it would most defiantly be in my preorder. The sentiment is from the "Oval All" set that is also in the occasions mini along with the new scallop oval punch!!!

 

Look at that paper!!! It is my new favorite from Paper Temptress called Canvas Luster. Look at how the shimmer seems to blend into the ink, making the flowers shimmer beautifully! The texture is so yummy! I heat embossed my image with clear embossing powder and the heat did not effect the paper one tiny bit.  I personally find embossing with a clear powder to be the best way for "ME" not to smudge ink.  My impatience seems to get the best of me, even when I am certain I waited for the image to dry, LOL

Isn't this adorable. I really like how the large oval punch fits perfectly with the new scallop oval.  They match the Nestie die cuts perfectly.

For the inside I kept it simple.

Look at the sentiment stamped onto the Canvas Luster paper. The shimmer makes it look like a mirror! I found that to be quite interesting when I saw the photo. 

The recipe is in the card album.  

Not to bad for my first Copic card, LOL.  Looking at it now, I really think I should have added a little bit of sky behind the flowers on the oval layer, rather than just a little shading. next time, LOL

Have a great night, Hugs, Sandy O

Recipe Box

OK, am I the only one who planned on making a Christmas gift, bought all the supplies and then...BAM...Christmas was over? I have a sneaking suspicion that I am not, though most will not go on their blog confessing it for the whole world to read, LOL.

When I saw the recipe box on Nichole's' blog Capture the Moment, I knew I had to make one for Alicia and James (my daughter and SIL). They both love to cook so a recipe box is a gift they would both appreciate and use. But....It was never made.

About 6 weeks ago, Alicia was telling me that James wanted to buy a recipe box or binder to hold their growing pile of recipes! OH NO!!! I told her to hold off for a bit and I would finally make the one I was supposed to give them for Christmas.

 

Here it is, FINALLY!  I did not add embellishments since it is mostly for James and wanted to keep it on the masculine side.  Also, unless I would mod podge over them, they would get YUCKY, LOL, being in the kitchen.

The stamp set I used is "Sun Ripened II" a retired Stampin' Up set that I purchase just for this project (though I am certain I will find many other things to do with it, LOL) You see, they have a nice size counter in their kitchen where they keep a mini bar. On the wall in front of the counter and under the cabinets, they have a collage type of picture with wine, wine glasses, grapes and some other thing. It looks like an old advertisement and this image reminds me of the picture.

  This is a close up of the pattern paper I made for it.

I used the Kraft paper from Paper Temptress, which is a very heavy weight paper, perfect for a project like this.

I stamped the image randomly using Staz-on Royal Purple.

To color the images in, I wanted a soft vintage look. I chose the Stampin' Up colors Mellow Moss, Pale Plum and Close to Cocoa, pulled out the stamp pads, reinkers, paint brush and a tiny cup of water.

To get the vintage look on the Kraft paper: 1) add a drop of reinker onto the inside of the stamp pad cover.  2) dipping your brush in water and pulling a bit of the ink to the side, mix the water and ink until the color is well saturated. At first it may look like there is not enough color when applied to the image, but that is what you want. 3) color the image with the saturated ink, changing colors as needed. 4) As you paint, continue to mix the ink with water until your image(s) are complete. **there is a name for this technique, which I just can't seem to remember right now---but, the name is not as important as knowing how to do it, right?!

One of the funnest parts of this technique is watching the color appear as the water evaporates.  If you would like, you can even use a heat gun to quicken the process. You may find that the colors are not as dark as you would like, go ahead and apply an additional layer of saturated ink. One more plus about this technique is you don't have to worry about getting color outside the lines.  If you do, it just adds to the look!

   

Here is the top of the box. I wrapped a bit of hemp twine around the edge before using the mod podge to coat it. I think it gave it a more finished look. Additionally, mod podge gives it a wipe off surface, which is important in the kitchen!

 

Since the Papertrey Ink box is white, I wanted to paint it to match the paper.  First I used some tan acrylic paint. When that was dry, I used some craft ink spots and dabbed on some purple and green. I had to use what I have on hand, but would have preferred a more vintage/antique tone,  but these worked OK.  I then took my Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad in Antique Linen and just ran it over all the inks to tone them down a bit.  *** I will admit here that I was reaching for the Old Paper pad and did not realize it until I saw how "brown" the ink was! Oppps! Note to self, always check the cover to confirm color before preceding, LOL***

Here it is full of the recipe cards.  I used some scrap packaging cardboard to make the separators.  I made more of the pattern paper, but did not paint it.  I cut it to the size of the separators (I know there is an other name for them...if you know it, drop me a comment so I can stop thinking about it, LOL)  Anyway, I adhered the paper to the front after I attached the tabs that I made using my Stampin' Up Round Tab Punch.

I am going to end this post with a picture of my female chihuahua, Jazer.  This was her yesterday! She is laying in one of the little beds we have for the chihuahuas, which are right next to the heater.  I still had the heat on since it is still quite chilly in the mornings here, yet she still wraps herself up like a little burrito, LOL! If you click on  the photo, you will see a tiny bit of her tongue sticking out on the right.  She is so funny, this happens every time she is completely relaxed! See you Monday! Hugs, Sandy O

 

 

A New Litter

Do you have any pets? A dog, cat, goldfish or Llama? Most of our pets entered our lives as babies. Nothing is cuter than a baby animal. I was watching a show about blue whales on National Geographic 2 weeks ago and was surprised at how cute a baby blue whale is!

Even more exciting would be for our pet to have babies! None of my pets ever had litters...but....Once when I was baby sitting as a teen, the cat jumped onto the couch and began to give birth, right there! I was certain that the pain would cause her to bite me. Not only that, the couch was not made out of a wipe clean fabric.  I was in panic mode! Until the first little kitten appeared. Oh My Gosh! SO cute and ugly at the same time, LOL.

Animal parents love to show off the pictures of their babies as much as they show off photos of their own offspring. There is an abundance of baby animal videos all over the web, especially puppies. From personal blogs to You Tube, you can see anything from puppies nursing to panda bear babies scaring their mom by sneezing! Too FUNNY!!! And I know that I am not the only one who watches these more than once!

Well, I decided that I should make a card to congratulate new pet parents. Using the Dog Gone Stamp called Gabby and Zoey Bows I made this card:

 

Aren't they adorable! Imagine how cute they were as puppies! Awwwwww.......Tee he he I have them popped up on dimensionals sitting in the middle of a field. They are sooooo happy!

I do not have a stamp that says "Congratulations on your new litter", LOL So I made do with a simple "Congratulations".  How fun it would be for a new pet parent to receive a card like this!

I made the pattern paper by using the paw print and bone stamps from the retired Stampin' Up set called "Bow Wow". Such a totally cute set! Sometimes it is easier and faster to make my own patterned paper than it is to search through my papers for one with the perfect pattern and color. When I make my own paper, I can even add glitter, flock, embossing or anything else that might come to mind that would match the card/layout design.

It has been almost a week since I have been in my craft room! Boy...not only did I miss it, but I was so out of tune with my mojo! Lord willing that won't happen again, LOL.

Till Tomorrow...Hugs, Sandy O

Cute laser silver card

 

Are you among the stampers who are getting a bit tired of all the bird images that are floating around right now? From cute to so real looking it could be a photograph, there is no shortage of birds among us. I like a lot of the bird images, but there are plenty I could do without! When the Stampin' Up catalog came out last year, I thought I had seen enough circles to keep my head spinning for years to come, LOL So I really can relate to those of you who wold like to be birdless for a while.

I am saddened that SU has retired this set "Serene Spring". The image is cute, yet not cartoony, know what I mean? I adore coloring it, how could I not? It has both a bird and butterfly! If they had added a dragonfly, I don't know what I would have done. Perhaps have a brass replica made of it, LOL.

When I decided to try my hand at stamping on the laser silver luster card stock from yesterdays post, this is the image I wanted to use.

It stamped beautifully. The ink must be heat set, but after that you should have no smudging, as long as you are using a permanent ink such as staz-on. Coloring is a blast since the paper loves ink.  I really mean that it loves it, kind of like loving water after running around the block on a hot summer day. It just gulps it up! Therefore, if blending is you favorite part of coloring, you may not be thrilled with this particular property.

I wanted to show you pictures of the card from some different angles so you can see how the images appears slightly different each time.  To get a good look at it, you may need to click on the photos for a larger picture:

 

In this photo, being tilted toward the left, the sentiment appears to be forward of the image. The flowers seem to be between the sentiment and the flower pot, while the bird appears forward of the butterfly but behind the flowers. Did you get all that, LOL

 

Tilt it toward the right and the image appears to be set far to the back while the sentiment stands forward boldly.

Tilting the bottom back and looking down gives a slight impression of being water colored.

   

Close up you can see the color variations from adding one layer of blue to adding 2-3 layers. The ink does not spread, it is an additional layer of color. When the sentiment was stamped over the image, it did not blend with the other inks but actually became another layer. Gee, I hope that just made sense, LOL.

Isn't that neat! I am so looking forward to making more projects with this paper. It also comes in red, black and gold.

So what do you think of this paper? I just received an order with more of the silver, some black and some gold.  How FUN! I will be sure to share the projects as I play, lol.

Have a super day, HUGS, Sandy O

Short post but BEAUTIFUL invitation

I need to keep this rather short today. So lots of pictures and less talking, LOL.

I want to thank everyone who answered my question yesterday. It really made my day to read the different opinions. You readers are so great and I love hearing from you.

Today, I am going to show some pictures of a BEAUTIFUL invitation I made.  I saw this paper and it looked like it was made for creating a 25th Silver Anniversary Invitation.

Isn't that just so elegant. This paper, called Laser Silver Luster by Paper Temptress, matches perfectly with the Stampin' Up Silver Ribbon Slide and Whisper White Organza Ribbon.

You can see in this photo how the paper shimmers, which is why it goes so well with the classy ribbon and sliver embossed numbers.

I made this a tri-fold card. There is a pocket in the back which holds the RSVP.

Here are some photos that show the card details:

Here the top layer is open. The heart is adhered using dimensionals so that it fits through the window of the top layer.

   

This is the inside. I printed the information from my computer onto the heavy weight Bristol Vellum, also from Paper Temptress. After heat setting the ink, I was able to quickly cut it just smaller than the back panel. I used the Martha Stewart lace border punch for the the embossed paper around it.  These not only serve as decorative edges, but is what I used to adhere the vellum onto the card stock.

 

Here is a peek at the pocket in the back. The ribbon is what you pull to remove the RSVP and envelope.

 

I was able to print the RSVP on the back side of the Silver Luster paper, since it is smooth on the reverse side.  I thought it gave the RSVP a classy touch. The ribbon, RSVP and envelope are attached with a heart shaped clip.

Now, the invitation is for a mock party, LOL. I did joke with my kids that they were holding this party in September for our 25th anniversary.  Surprisingly, they actually wanted to do it.  I did tell them that I was just joshing and would want to wait for when Patrick returns from Iraq, if Peter has not been deployed by then.  I said we would have a party then, LOL. (Patrick is leaving May 1st for his pre-deployment training).

I must admit, this paper is absolutely one of the most beautiful ones I have ever seen. It actually reminds me of some books when I was little. On the front cover there were pictures made with a kind of plastic beady paper that made the image change when it was held in different directions or angles. I probably just dated myself, LOL, but those photos fascinated me.  I spent far to much time trying to figure out how it worked. This paper, though, is NOT plastic and beady, LOL. It is smooth to the touch and pleasant to work with.

Well...wait until I show you what this paper does when you put ink to it. I have the cutest card to show you tomorrow made from this elegant paper.  It really is a cute and fun card.

As always, you can click on the photos to see them larger. You can also find the card with the recipe in the Card album above.  For some reason it did not load to the top, so you just have to scroll down a tiny bit to find it :O)

Till then, have a super night! Hugs, Sandy O

Inky Impressions 1st Design Team Call

How exciting it is to see a new stamp company opening. With craft stores closing all around us, seeing one open is like stepping into spring after the long winter.

Inky Impressions will be opening their cyber door soon. I have only seen a few of their new images, and they are adorable.  You can see them for yourself here >>> Inky Impressions Rubber stamps <<<

As they prepare to open their door, they are seeking out a design team. I am trying out for one of the spots. WHY? well...

A) I really love the unique style of the images.  There are many "similar" images, lots of little girl images as a matter of fact. These images are different from any others I have seen and I really like them! Which would explain why I have not invested in the others as much as I liked them, they weren't exactly "it", LOL.

AND B) I truly love being part of a new company! The excitement is contagious and I adore sharing this energy and watch as it grows.

AND C) The little girl in me loves to color, teehehehe! The more I color, the more I learn about coloring. Each image has a challenge all it's own. Not only the image itself, but the background that the image is partnered with can affect how the shadows and highlights are going to be. The adult in me genuinely delights in this challenge.

So...the first of the 2 part process is to post 2 items which we have colored. These are the two projects I have chosen. Both images have been posted previously, so for a lot of you they are not new. But..........At the bottom I have a question for you!

"Seahorse" from my February 19th  post

"Bear With Heart Balloon" from my March 10th post

What do you think of my choices. If you were to choose the 2 items from my galleries to showcase my work for the design team call, would you choose these 2 or something else?

I am really interested in hearing what you think!

Hugs, Sandy O

Searching Saturday: Flowers

Do you like flowers? When I was younger, say in my 20's, I really did not much care about flowers and was certain I would never have a garden. Most flowers are in dirt and I HATED the feel of dirt/sand on my hand and especially under my finger nails! Flowers that were not in dirt were either 1) cut, in a vase looking rather unnatural and going to die anyway 2) plastic, ugly, in a vase looking very unnatural and had no scent 3) floating in mucky water. Yup, back then I saw not much in the way of flowers.

Though I still detest the feel of dirt, I have discovered that with good gardening gloves, it is not much of a problem. Now I have a few small gardens I play in. AND...... I most defiantly love flowers. I also love them in their natural setting, outside in the dirt. I am not even fond of flowering house plants. I will take a variegated ivy for my house any day! But like a bird in a cage looks out of place to me, so does a flower out of it's natural habitat.

So...do you like images of flowers? OH, I most certainly do. My favorite are of the individual flower up close, but any images will do for me.  The flowers, the plant, the garden, the field or mountain, it's all beautiful if there are flowers in it. Even a table with a vase of flowers I can enjoy if the flower is the main focus.

Soo...do you like rubber stamps of flowers? If so, do you like the real looking ones or the cartoon like ones? For me, I drool over the realistic flower images in rubber stamps. The acrylic stamps just do not get the details like the rubber does. When it comes to flowers, the more detail the better. Cartoon ones can be fun to color and are a must if combining with other cartoon like image. A cutesie image of a chipmunk would look rather silly on the same card as a detailed artistic image of a flower! So I do own both types and even some acrylic.

What I have begun to do is collect the beautiful images of flowers that are wood mounted rubber. Most are retired Stampin' Up, but a few are from other companies. I browse eBay and the buy/sell galleries for any reasonably priced retired beauty I have yet to acquire. If...by chance, there are new images in the new catalog, I will snatch them up.  For instance...did you see the incredible "Dear Friend" level 1 hostess set in the current catalog. OH MY....and it matches a retired set I purchased a while back, Flowers of Gratitude, like they were made for one another.

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"Dear Friend" flower stamp images

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Flowers of Gratitude" retired Stampin' Up set 

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I also have procured a set called "Flower of the Month" another retired SU set.

 

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"Flower of the Month" retired SU stamp set

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Do you see the difference between the first 2 sets and the 3rd set? You can click on the photos if you would like to see them a bit larger.

Here is another set that I was just blessed to get of Craig's List:

 

Well, actually, this is a set of 2. The flower shown here and a sentiment.

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"Just For You Series--Kindness Is..." flower from the retired SU set

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<<

Do you see it? Well, the Flower of the Month set has the name of the flower on the image! The rest do not! I could Google Sweet Pea or Aster, print out a few photos of each and off I would go to color my images. I suppose they are all common flowers that everyone knows, but not me. I figured out the rose and one other that I think is the flower that sings in Alice and Wonderland cartoon movie. The large one just above I was almost certain was an orchid. HA! (It is actually an Iris, which I found out after checking the many website I have bookmarked for this very purpose.)

Soooo...how could I color them? And even worse, how do I look them up to find out the colors that particular flower is known for? I have a few gardening books that I went to, but they can't have every flower in them, right?

What I did was I turned to Google, ahhhhh Google---what did I do with out you?---

Search wildflowers by color

Identify wildflowers

Search by scientific name...great photos

Search flower gallery

Search by type then scientific name, fantastic photos

Searchby scientific name--hundreds if not over a thousand types that when clicked have subtypes, most with photos

Search by scientific or common name as well as type, zone, color, flowering time and others. You do need to register to have access to the complete database, but registration is FREE. It is well worth the 3 minutes it take to register.

So, I hope this helps some of you as you attempt to recreate a realistic flower though paper and coloring mediums.

The final flower image says it is from a series, but I could not find any informtion about the others. If you know, please leave me a comment or send an email. I would soooo much appreciate it!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

See you Monday...Hugs, Sandy O

Sweet Hour Of Prayer

  

I have had the bind-it-all on my wish list for quite some time. For the past 2 Christmas's when my family asked what I wanted, I said " the bind-it-all"! the only difference between my answer was this past Christmas I said, "the BLUE bind-it-all", LOL.  Well, my wonderful family found other fantastic items to give me.

I really would have been thrilled with a hand written "I Love You Mom" on a napkin! They did find things that I had on my wish list just under the bind-it-all. How??? I don't really know since my list is in my head! I must be pretty transparent, LOL

I did end up purchasing one after the holidays since I did not want to wait another year, tee he he. I always told myself that the first thing I would make with it would be a prayer journal. Well...here it is, my prayer journal, the very first thing I made with my new blue bind-it-all!

The red cover is from a package of remnants I purchased at AC MOORE almost 2 years ago. I got a huge bag of chipboard remnants in all colors and shapes for $5. So these 2 pieces probably cost a whole .10 each!

The stamped image is the Mosaic Frame by Micheal Strong. Now, this link comes with a warning   If you do click on it, you will most likely see something you just have to have! I thought they were no my style, LOL....little did I know when I watched his videos.  He is fun to watch and one of the sweetest guys!

Anyway...I embossed it in gold on a sheet of Paper Temptress Plastic Feel paper. I am not sure about feeling like plastic. When I think of plastic, I think of Tupperware, LOL. This paper feels more like the moleskin fabric. So soft and smooth. Actually FUN to touch. The mat finish makes the embossing really stand out!

Here are my closer and closest photos, LOL

   

I  forgot to add that I lined the front and the back covers with the same plastic feel paper. Before I adhered the front cover liner, I attached a piece of gold silk ribbon to use as a book mark.  I am really happy how it came out.

Have a great Friday everyone! Hugs, Sandy O

 

Soccer Sketch and Paper Craft Planet

Have you been to Paper Craft Planet yet? It took me quite a while to warm up to it.  I would go to it and find it so confusing.  When seeking out what exactly it was, I would find that it was like Facebook, only for paper crafters.  Well, I have never been to Facebook, so this really did not help me at all. 

Finally I decided to ask the knowledgeable folks on Split Coast Stampers about it. The wonderful Gina K posted a perfect explanation of what it was and how to "use" it.  You can click HERE to read the thread if you have the same trouble I had or if you have never been to Paper Craft Planet (PCP) before.

Anyway...Dog Gone Stamps has a group on this forum. Every week there is a sketch challenge and this week I was able to play. You can see the DGS Sketch <<<here (until I can figure out how to add the sketches to my blog posts ***blush***)

Here is the card I made from the sketch.

 

Inside: Your Field or Mine?

The very first thing I thought of when seeing this soccer girl stamp (from Dog Gone Stamps) is to make a card saying that, LOL.

There are lots of companies that have groups now on Paper Craft Planet, so you may want to check it out. Maybe your favorite company is there.

OH...and finally got my albums updated, YEAHhhhh! It is so much more fun to cross things off a To Do List than it is to add them, LOL

See you tomorrow, hugs, Sandy O

 

First Rose Of Spring

Do you like making cards? My first dabble into paper crafting was a scrapbook page. Hmmmm....took me forever to make that page and all I did was put a layer of card stock under the photos and added some stickers, LOL. It is a page of our first child on her first day in the world. How appropriate for it to be my first scrapbook page,! Since then I have made maybe a dozen more layouts {{{hanging my head in shame}}} My love for paper crafts does not extend to scrap booking and I really don't know why. Maybe because they take me soooooo long, LOL

I love, love, love making cards and altered items, though.  All this to say that I found a wonderful new forum that the primary focus is to card making. YEAH!!! It is called "Card Universe" which is an extension of Scrapbook News and Reviews. Finally a forum for us card makers. It is set up much like Paper Craft Planet or, I am told, like Facebook. I just signed up  this morning and would love for you to jump in with me. Here is the link -->Card Universe<--

Moving onto the ROSE, LOL

On one of my favorite CD's, there is a song called "Last Rose Of Summer". When I hear it, I feel sad for the end of summer and all the flowers that fade away. So today....just days way from saying good by to cranky and pushy Mr Winter...I have the first Rose of Spring.

   

When I saw this new image from Cornish Heritage Farm, I HAD to get it, as it is different from his other images. I generally do not color my Thomas Kinkade images. They can be very intimidating, just look at the detail! I used my Prisma markers on this and was sad to find that my Prisma blender pen is gone.  I had checked every craft store I went to for one and FINALLY, at one store, I found one lonely marker waiting to be plucked up.  I can't seem to find it now :o( I haven't even used it yet. I will probably find it next year in that proverbial safe place.

I was not happy with the leaves, the colors did not blend as I wanted them to. Not having had the pleasure of ever having used the blender marker, I don't know if that would have helped.  So I found my next personal challenge, actually 2...find my marker and learn how to blend leaves, LOL

Here is a close up photo:

Isn't that a beautiful image? I love how the shimmer of the paper comes right through the color. No need to use items like pearl-ex to add shimmer, what a time saver! Bling without the work.

I added some dots of Crystal Effects to look like dew. I love roses in the morning. Well...I love roses all day, but the morning is my favorite time to enjoy them.

I am loving this Paper Temptress paper. I love it so much I want to share every single beautiful sheet with you. Even less blingy crafters like a bit of shimmer on their projects every now and then, right?

In this economy, quality paper means no need for the expensive accessories. Well...they are still fun, but you don't NEED them. One thing that drives me nuts is when I made a card and can't find an embellishment to go on it. And I do have a lot of embellishments floating around! Most cards don't seem complete without something to perk them up. But this paper is all I need to perk up a card. Not one thing I have made with this paper has been "flat" You know what I mean, not dimensionally, but visually flat.

These roses look stunning with the shimmer of the paper making the petals look like the real petals, all velvet like. The base paper brings out the color of the roses, nothing is flat or "competing" for attention. Everything compliments wonderfully with everything else.  All team players, LOL

Well...looks like my arm is feeling better, Tee he

Hugs, Sandy O

Pretty Card and a Quick Post

Close photo of card

Isn't this such a gorgeous image? I can't imagine how a card utilizing this image could be anything but pretty. This stamp is called Love Letter and is from Dog Gone Stamps 1920's line. 

With a name like Love Letter, how could I not use Valentine Colors! The pearls strands were purchased just over a year ago when I was making center pieces for my daughters wedding reception, then never used them. This card was the perfect reason to finally crack open the package.

I also had to use the simply stunning Paper Temptress Paper. I know I am sounding like a commercial right now....BUT....you just have to see why...When you click on the photos you will see what I am talking about. This little lady deserves the prettiest paper I have. After all, She has been waiting 90 years, LOL

    Closer photo of card

 

Closest photo of card

Ha Ha! I am REALLY tired today...I have been working on 2 video tutorials since I got up, as well as part of last night. I have never done one before and boy...did I learn A LOT...Like....my belly looks so much bigger from outside of me than from where I am standing, LOL and.... how to edit on the FLIP software...how long winded I am...well...you get the point. So...

the close, closer, closest theme sounded cute to me right now, Teehehehe

Here is one of the inside:

 

I will be putting this in my album tomorrow. At this moment my right arm is killing me. I think I clicked that poor mouse on the head 1,598,457 times in the last 2 days!

Just so you know...the paper I used are called:

Base: Iridescent Crayogen White Card stock

Large ovals and photo corners: Sparkle Vermilion text

Small ovals and image: Silk Silver Luster Text.

well, I am off to give my arm a rest.....Ummm.....I just looked at the clock {{{SNIFFFFFF}}} It's time to feed the dogs and make supper...a large frowny smiley goes right HERE!!!

HA! See you tomorrow, Hugs, Sandy O

My Hearts For You!

I want to thank everyone who has been visiting me as well as those who leave comments.  You so make my day!  I really love knowing that there are people out there in this humongous world who take time out of their day to visit me. Those who leave comment are such a joy to me. I love reading them, sometimes more than once, LOL. Soooo....a Great BIG Cyber Hug to you all!

How many of you like to shop the clearance section? I can see all the hands raised already, LOL.  It is our modern "hunting ground" and much safer than the old one.  No bright orange clothing needed, LOL, nor do we need to camouflage ourselves from the hunted. 

Sometimes the hunted will seem to jump out at you.  This seems to happen most often after a holiday, such as Easter and Christmas.  The most recent day that I was attached by the "hunted" (whom I think were actually doing the hunting!!!, which means I was the hunted) was February 15th.  I warn you now, it is one of the most dangerous days to go to the store.  Day old candy is abundant and ready to fall off the overloaded shelves and bins right into you cart, basket or at you very feet, tripping you until you pick it up.

As you have probably guessed, I forgot what day it was as I set out to pick up a few things at the grocery store.  If you knew me, you would know that I have gained a lot, and I mean A LOT {{{hanging my head in shame, LOL}}} in the past few years. Some of it due to my never ending desire for chocolate. Mmmmmmmm....I'll not go into the zillion other things that contributed to this blobby body of mine, suffice it to say....February 15th I should have been chained to the house, Tee he he.

I don't wait for 75% off, by then only black jelly beans are left, eeesh. I definitely am happy to buy chocolate at 50% off, especially if it is enclosed in a cute alterable package.  You see, then I get 2 things for the price of one...or in my mind, at 50% I get 4 things for the price of one since I have to get 2 at the 50% price!

Here is my payback to one of the day old items that jumped around in front of me until I picked up her and her boyfriend.

 

Actually, I don't think the plastic heart minds, LOL. This is such a cute bear image I got from Dog Gone Stamps.  It was the perfect image to use, especially with her balloon.  Since it originally came with chocolate, I dressed it in chocolate!

Here are a few more photos for you:

 How do you think it came out? What a wonderful gift for someone. It doesn't have to be Valentines day to let someone know you appreciate them, right! How about a teachers gift? Their love for teaching is truly a gift they give your child.

 

     Here is a peek at the inside of the cover. Isn't that the cutest paper clip? It is from Stampin' Ups new clip assortment.  Office supplies are one of my favorite things. I can walk around Staples or Office Depot forever, LOL. 

The smaller heart comes out so that you can write a message. How cute is that! You can write the teacher a little note about how thankful you are for the sweet love of teaching they have and how special they are to your child. Then simply slip it under the clip again.  So, actually this is a card, hmmmmm....a card with a gift. A brand new type of gift card, LOL  OK, OK, I am being silly. I didn't sleep much the past 2 day...my brain keeps thinking it is daytime...AND I am on my second huge cup of coffee. That is a bad combo, don't you think?

I have not doubt that you can think of plenty of times this would be a great gift or "picker upper" for someone. And...I know it is hard to think outside the heart, LOL, but you can fill it with just about anything, even a gift card held by a glue dot on the bottom, or, black jelly beans if that is what they like!

Because I only purchased 2 of these, I can't send you all one....SO.....this post is for you! Think of it as cyber candy (eye candy, LOL), no calories, no fat...Bwaa ha ha

As always, you can click on any of the photos to see them full size and the recipe will be in the altered media photo album.

Till tomorrow, Hugs, Sandy O