How To Loose Your Mojo In 4 Hours Or Less

WARNING: Picture heavy.

I am sure there are many recipes for this, but I came up with one all my own :o)

1. Pick your paper, a brand new die, basic embellishments and perfect image the day before. Make sure the die fits the size card. Spritz the flat non-shimmer paper with the Angel glitter spray so it shines like the other paper and let it dry over night.

2. Cute die shape. Making sure it comes out just about perfect the first time. (make sure to notice all the holes that DON"T need to be nudged out, this is important for the finale step) Realize that you cut it in the wrong color.

3. Cut the die with the correct paper. Work on this for 20 or so minutes because this time it will not cut well for some reason. Finally try a metal shim to help it along. This WILL work.

4. In the process of accomplishing step 3, you MUST warp both the metal shim and brand new die.

5. Attempt to attach die cut and realize that although it fits the bottom layer, it definitely will not fit on top of the other layers.

6. Find another new die and image that fits inside and with the paper.

7. Stamp image a MINIMUM of 3 times all of which are not correct. This step works perfectly when the first time the complete image does not stamp, the second image gets a black mark and the third time is to close to the edge of the paper to fit inside the die.

8. Decide that it is better to cut the die first and then add the image, cut the die, making sure it cuts perfectly in one try. Remove die and find out that ink got on the die when placing it on top of one of the previous images.

9. Cut out 2 more times after cleaning the die. Look at it on the pattern paper and decide to use an oval underneath to see the design better. You will NOT find an oval die that fits, so you must settle for the best you can find.

10. Start making the front of the card to encourage yourself. But do remember not to attach the image before coloring.

11. FINAL STEP: Decide it is best to clear off desk and put some items away before trying to color image. NOW is when you see why the die would not cut correctly the second time. All the tiny "holes" that popped out easily on the wrong color paper got stuck in the tiny holes of the die and you did not remove them before trying to cut again. Spend at least 30 minutes poking them out, which is very difficult because the paper is really stuck in the holes from forcing the 2nd cut to work.

***NOTE: It is very important to use a fine sewing needle for the last step so that you can make sure to poke your fingers several times as you try to force the paper out of the die.

Now if you followed these directions properly, your head is now spinning and your back is sore from bending over your die cutting machine to long. Soooo...you decide to do something that is absolutely fool proof and you have never messed up before: take a nap.

Today, the mailman is in the neighborhood much later than usual and all 3 of your dogs bark the whole time until the sound his jeep fades away (this will take exactly 22 minutes). At this point you finally doze off and the phone rings. It is your husband who called to say he is coming home early, which happens as often as Easter falls on a Monday. NOW, at this point, you have failed at your fool proof napping!

NEXT DAY (the good one): Slept well...get up at 4:30 with hubbie...daughter calls to say the grandson is sick, can you babysit for 11 hours today...tell her of course you can...grumble words you can't type into you blog on the way to the shower...have extra time so take photos of yesterday's accomplishments since it will be the only thing that can possibly be posted on your blog for the next couple of days...Now it's late...rush out the door...start to silently daydream about a 2 year old who is not sick to his stomach and naps all day...see flashing blue lights in your rear view mirror...speeding...licence and registration please...finally dig out registration and hand over your "I have to keep this photo hidden" licence...wait...he starts back to the car as you prepare your self for the dreaded word "ticket"...suddenly the words "just a warning hits your ears...YEAH!!! Thank you, thank you!!! IT IS GOING TO BE A GOOD DAY!
 
I hope you have a great day too!!!
HUGS, Sandy O

More Quick Cards

Here are the other 3 simple cards I made the other day. This first one I used the polished stone technique, with Time Holtz distress ink and applicator. I wonder why I don't do this technique more often since it is so easy and comes out pretty. You can find a tutorial here. The butterfly is from Kitchen Sink Stamps.

This next card is just a print I have in my digital files. I really like the colors.  I added some shimmer on the flower centers with my Sakura glitter pen. It looks pretty with the shimmer, adding just that needed touch. I didn't add a photo of it so that the post would not be to long, lol.

For this final card I just let the paper do the work. It has so much embossing and glitter already on it. I would not want to cover this paper anyway so it was good to use it for this type of card.

Have a great day!!!!

Hugs,

Tea Mouse

What a funny place for a cute little mouse to hang out. Looks like he wants to be friends and since he is so adorable, I don't mind at all. This image, called Teapot Pippin, is from Digital Delights.

I must say that I had a hard time with this image. Not sure why since it is such an adorable one and is very versatile. It was one of those week where no matter what I did it just did not turn out good. Those times can be so discouraging. I thought that turning to one of my favorite techniques would help me to feel better. This paper piercing pattern reminded me of the steam that comes from a cup of nice hot tea.

He is actually 5 layers, another of my favorite techniques, paper tole. I also ran the ears and center of the teapot through my finger nails to bend the paper, giving it even more dimension.

I kept the card simple. It really did not seem to need much else. I went back and forth between using stickles or rhinestones. I chose the rhinestones, LOL The inside is really simple so I did not even bother to photograph it. All I did was add a layer of the pattern paper with a layer of Stampin' Up Peach Blossom.

Here is a close up of the stamp so you can see the details on the teapot. Don't you just love the strip made out of hearts and diamonds?

Well, this is a quick post, LOL. Don't forget about the Digital Tuesday Challenge this week. And stop by tomorrow to find out what the Sew Many Cards Challenge is for the upcoming week, how fun it is. AND...the Freebie Friday. Truly, I can hardly wait for you to see it. So adorable!

Also, I would love for you to become a Follower! So click that button and confirm. I so look forward to seeing the blogs of my followers and leaving them a comment. How fun it is to see such a variety of styles and projects. The creativity is fantastic.

See you tomorrow :o)

Paper Peircing and Paper Tole

I love watching my grandson Camden. It does, though, make it a little more difficult to write a post. Looks like I will have to get better at make shorter ones, LOL

Today, I would like to show you a really pretty butterfly card I made using the paper piercing and paper tole techniques.

This butterfly is 5 layers, which were all cut out by hand. Card Stitching has die cut sheets which are really fun and easy as well as the 3D cut out sheets. You can create a quick, yet stunning project with the die cut sheets. They are especially great for a beginner since it helps to see how the layers are made. OH, and they have some new Sarah Kay ones too!

I did the paper piercing on vellum to give a lacey look. To be honest, I am not sure what the difference between paper piercing and paper pricking is. Here are 2 articles and a tutorial to read about them. Paper Pricking...Paper Piercing

The paper piercing pattern is from Fred She Said. You can find this exact pattern here. This pattern is one of the Freebies that she offers. Perfect for trying her products and if you are new to this type of paper piercing.

Here is the complete card front which is embellished with some ribbon and Swarovski Crystals.

I used the same paper piercing pattern on the inside as well as a Jolee charm on top of a sheer flower.

On the bottom I added the same ribbon I have on the front as well as a sentiment which says:

"Every day holds the possibility of a miracle"

I hope this encourages you to try paper piercing. It is so much fun!

Hugs, Sandy O

Comments from before moving to blogger

OH MY GOSH ... this is just STUNNING!! I have several of these 3d sheets in a box ... thanks for the inspiration to get back to them!! BEAUTIFUL card my friend!!! Posted by: Darlene (akronstamperdpk) April 07, 2010 at 07:57 AM HOLY BUTTERFLY!! Sandy, that is STUNNING! Posted by: sarah coyle April 06, 2010 at 10:09 AM

Paper Tole Bunnies

I have a super quick post today, but quite a few pictures, since I am sitting my grandson. As a three month old, he will only occupy himself for so long, LOL.

I made this card for 7 challenges! WOW, that is truly a record for me. With each photo I will post which challenge that aspect of the card is for.

Paper Tole is making the same image 2 or more times, cutting out sections from all but one layer. Then using the sections you cut to POP over the top layer. Clear??? For example the butterfly on the right is 3 layers. The bottom layer is the complete butterfly. The second layer is the right wings only adhered with demensionals. The third layer is the top right wing only, also adhered with dimensionals.

I hope that makes sense to you. Paper Tole was one of my favorite techniques before I new the name for it. The cutting and coloring is quite relaxing for me. Well...that is if my doxie doesn't start barking out to the blue and I end up cutting off something I did not plan to!

This image was a difficult one for me to work with. It is from the retired Stampin' Up set called The Gifts Of Spring. It is detailed enough so that the bunnies were hard to cut out. If you have never made a paper tole before, it would be best to use a simpler image, such as the ones I used here, to practice.

Stampin' Sisters In Christ Challenge

Drunken Stampers

Animals. Aren't bunnies the cutest of them. I would not mind owning one, but I am not sure they should be penned up. Plus, I have a doxie that would love such a fun squeaky chew toy :o(

The sponsor for this challenge is a new stamp store called 2 Cute Rubber Stamps. As the name suggests, she carries rubber stamps as well as digitals. I so much wanted to use one of the cutest images of hers called Sting Ray Kids since I already own it. I just was not sure if a sting ray would be considered an animal.

Pile It On

Easter. The sight of hibernating animals coming out of their dens reminds me of the new life Christ gave us as he rose from the grave Easter morning.

Corrosive Challenge

The Splitcoast Stampers Challenge for Monday (TLC266), which is try a new technique, was called Inside Out. The challenge was to decorate the inside also.

If you have been following my blog, you will know that this is something I started to do recently. What perfect timing for this challenge.

Splitcoast Stamps TLC266 challenge

Pastels. I used purple and pink pastels for this card.

The Pink Elephant

I also wanted to show you that I stamped the image as a watermark where the writing would go.

The complete front of the card was made using the sketch from Crazy 4 Challenges for their C4C30 challenge.

You can see the sketch by following the link above.

By following the links above, you may find some fun challenge sites that are new to you. How fun!

Perfect timing, Camden is just starting to stir :o)

Hugs, Sandy O

Comments from before moving to blogger

Wow, you're something of an expert at this technique! Very nicely done! Posted by: CuddlyBunny April 05, 2010 at 11:53 AM How beautiful is this.Thanks for playing with us at Corrosive Challenges Posted by: Joan Ottevanger April 02, 2010 at 12:14 PM WOW! Beautiful job with this paper tole technique!! Love those bunnies and your whole card, inside and out is so PRETTY! Great job! Thanks for playing along with us at Stampin Sisters in Christ challenges *Ü* Posted by: kristine April 01, 2010 at 11:43 AM Your card is very pretty, love the image! Hugs Silke Posted by: Silli April 01, 2010 at 06:48 AM This is just beautiful Sandy. I have this set too, love those bunnies but haven't used them in a while. I keep forgetting about my rubber stamps. Posted by: Ellie March 31, 2010 at 09:23 PM nice card. cute bunnies Posted by: Yogi March 31, 2010 at 10:01 AM This is gorgeous and just perfectly done! Thank you so much for livin' it up with the Drunken Stampers! Posted by: Linda Elle March 30, 2010 at 11:17 PM Beautiful card and you definitely nailed tole on your card ! Thank you for joining us on Drunken Stampers this week ! Posted by: Donna C March 30, 2010 at 08:27 PM What a beautiful card. I love those bunnies.Thanks for joining us at Pile It On. Posted by: Audrey March 30, 2010 at 06:44 PM adorable..just love the bunnies!! tfs in the DS's 3-challenge..lovves ya Posted by: Gail March 30, 2010 at 03:20 PM

Just For The Girls

Yesterday I showed you a card I made just for the boys. Today I have a card just for the girls.
Isn't she precious. Her name is  Beauty, which is a perfect name for her. She is among the new images from Wink Wink Ink . With the purchase, you receive 3 files each for 3 images, the horse, wings and a horn. With the 3, you can mix and match to make many different images out of one purchase! I say among because Melanie is turning out new images faster than I can make cards!
Here I merged the wing twice to give the look of her just landing, kicking up a bit of the glitter dust with her front paws. I added glitter by applying my glue pen to areas I wanted the glitter. This works wonderfully to add glitter or embossing powder to a digital image.

TIPS: I have a couple of tips to offer when applying glitter/embossing powder this way. First, only do small areas at a time so the glue does not start to dry. For this card, I did the  mane, wing, tail, feet and ground all separate. Second, I found that when rubbing the glue pen back and forth over the ink, the glue will start removing the ink. It is best to just go over the area once if possible.
I added these tiny...actually, itty bitty star shaped gems also, to dress her up a bit. She is a girlie girl after all, LOL

She has a sweet little charm friend I added to the bottom with some really pretty shimmering cord. I wish I could remember where I purchased it. It is so pretty, I would love to get more. Do you have anything like that? It is a sad case isn't it!
The paper is from Paper Temptress. If you have not seen her paper yet, you certainly are missing out on some of the most beautiful paper I have seen. So many shimmery, sparkly, metallic lines of paper. If you are not so much into bling...she has plenty for you too.



 I kept the inside simple. The sentiment says "May all your wishes come true". Doesn't that go perfect with the image!
I am using this card for once challenge. One Stop Craft Challenge this week is to "let it shine". You still have time to join the fun, just click on the link and you will be brought right to this weeks challenge. Good luck!
Hugs, Sandy O



Comments from before moving to Blogger This is wonderful. Thanks for joining in with this weeks oscc. Hugs Shelley xx Posted by: Shelley | March 26, 2010 at 05:14 PM wow that is just amazing! love the bling!! I really liked the man card too!! I check your blog every time i see you updated...sorry I don't always post a comment...your work is great and I look forward to seeing the new stuff you do!! Posted by: sarah coyle | March 25, 2010 at 05:44 PM This is gorgeous! What a pretty image and it looks wonderful with all the glitter. Thanks for joining us at the OSCC. Sharon xx Posted by: Sharon | March 25, 2010 at 04:01 PM Wow this is gorgeous!!! As for the top note die piercing pattern I use Photoshop. All I do is highlight the pattern with the lasso tool, copy and paste. When I print it out it's already perfectly sized. If you need help just let me know. Posted by: Shelly | March 25, 2010 at 03:58 PM

Origami

I have a new technique that I am learning, though it is so old I am not sure if the origins for it are even known, LOL. I have always been interested in how origami was done. I have tried and tried to follow written directions for it to no avail. They are the most confusing instructions I have ever tried to follow.

When My Creative Classroom advertised a class for origami, I signed up right away. I have taken some fun classes from them before and really liked them. My hope was to "see" the technique, but not on Youtube where I find the videos often do not have the clearity or close up shots I need in order to "see" what they are doing. After seeing, practicing a few times and comparing them to the written directions, perhaps the directions will make more sense to me.

Of course, like every class, they started with a very simple fold...YEAH!!! I can tell you that it is so much easier to understand when you are seeing a person fold those small squares, circles, ovals, etc

Here is the card made with the first fold we learned. You can click on either photo to get a good look at the fold.

 

This next card used a scalloped oval rather than a square that was used in the previous card. I am not sure why, but the oval did not line up well. With the final 2 folds, one side ended up larger than the other, LOL.  Perhaps I will try it with a plain oval next time.

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

Gosh, I love learning something new, don't you. This weeks fold will make a nice frame and I have already picked out the stamp I would like to use. Hopefully my paper order will arrive so I can print it out. If not, I have an actual rubber stamp image I have chosen, LOL

If you like learning new crafting techniques, you may enjoy the online classes that My Creative Classroom offers. Not only do they offer card classes, but they offer classes on scrapbooking, Cricut, Bind-it-all, Altering Media, Jewelry Making and more, including some photography classes.

I hope you have a terrific week. Hugs, Sandy O

Comments from before moving to blogger These are gorgeous Sandy! Love the elegance! Posted by: Ellie | March 16, 2010 at 11:33 PM

Paper Stitching and Paper Piercing/Pricking

I was up to some challenges this week so I searched though all my bookmarked challenge sites. It really is quite interesting to see all the unique challenges as well as the paper crafters take on them. Among all the unique challenges, I did find 5 challenges that I could use just one card for.

Here are the challenges I am using this card for:

Pile it on: One color and a neutral

Crazy 4 challenges: Paper piercing

One stop craft challenge: Sew simple

Stampin' B's designs: Spring or Easter

Splitcoast stampers: Ways to use it challenge WT261, to use something that is new to you

Here is the complete card:

The piercing pattern is from Fred She Said and the butterfly pattern is from Stitching Cards. Combined they really look stunning. To compliment the sheen of the embroidery floss, I used Paper Temptress White Diamond (you will find this under the "drop dead gorgeous" category) and Mountain Rose Glimmer paper. I love how the Mountain Rose peeks just a bit through the paper piercing.

For my something new that I needed to use for the Splitcoast Stamper challenge, I used the Stampin' Up Beautiful Wings embosslit die. This fantastic die has been on back order and I finally received mine this week! I absolutely love it!

 
 

Once run through my big shot I was able to layer 3 of the smallest butterflies for a pretty embellishment inside the card.

I hope this week has encouraged you to try something new or to think a bit outside your comfort zone. It took me a while, but I am loving all these new techniques, projects and site that I have been sharing with you. I know you will love the new, too!

Hugs, Sandy O
 

 

Comments from before moving to Blogger Wow, very pretty!!! Thanks so much for playing along with PIO. Trish Posted by: Trish | March 18, 2010 at 03:05 PM Absolutely beautiful! Thanks for playing with the Stampin B's! Posted by: vicki dutcher | March 16, 2010 at 10:00 PM Very pretty! And thank you for your comment on my blog. The image I used from Mo's is called Angel Michael. If you do even a general search on the web site for her stuff and type in 'angel' it should pop up on the page. HTH. Have a great Sunday!!! Posted by: peggysue | March 14, 2010 at 05:46 PM Wow! Beyond gorgeous!!! Posted by: lisa808 | March 13, 2010 at 10:13 AM So absolutely beautiful! Love the pretty, soft colors :) Thanks for piling it on with us! Posted by: Andrea M | March 12, 2010 at 09:05 PM Your blog is very inspiring. Your butterfly card you posted on SplitCoastStamper is amazing. Thank you for directing me here. ~Just Jo Posted by: Just Jo | March 12, 2010 at 04:58 PM

New Digital Images!

Digital Stamp Oasis will be releasing 3 new adorable images toward the end of this week. Today I am giving you a peek at two of these image.

Here is a close up of the 2 images merged to make one scene.  You can find a tutorial on how to work with digital images with Paint Shop Pro here. I used my Photoshop Elements software for which you can find a tutorial for merging images in my post here.

But fret not, if you do not have Paint Shop or Photoshop, there is a free editing software called GIMP. I used GIMP before receiving photoshop for Christmas a couple of years ago. There is a little bit of a learning curve, but tutorials are available. Here are some links for you:

GIMP site with download

GIMP tutorials

You may be wondering what exactly are the 2 images. Well, the first image is the child dressed as the Easter Bunny with the cute little rabbit spying on him.  The second image is the child dressed up as a bumble bee with the little bee wondering if they belong to the same nest.

This is my competed card. Don't they look adorable on their egg hunt.  These images are certainly the cutest when they are separate so they do not need to be merged. Digital images are so much fun to manipulate with the proper software that I just could not help myself :o)

I added the little dragonfly to use up some of the white space that was left after cutting the panel out. Another reason was to add some of the lavendar color to the outside of the card because...the paper I used to finish the inside has just a tiny bit thrown in it.

 

You can click on the pictures to get a nice clear image. The colors remind me so much of spring and newly bloomed flowers. I can hardly wait!

Hugs, Sandy O

 

Comments from before moving to blogger This is lovely. Its totally creative. Posted by: become taller | March 11, 2010 at 11:00 AM OMG Sandy, this is fantastic. You did a great job merging them, I haven't taken the time yet to learn that. This is just so cute! Love your coloring too, the grass looks so realistic. Oh, and I do actually have the images up for sale now

Faux Nestie and a Mini Photoshop Elements 6 Tutorial

It has been a while since I entered a challenge. I was entering one every day, it seemed, for a couple of weeks, then I started to miss just creating on my own. I tend to be an all or nothing girl, LOL, I dive in full force or don't bother, ha ha ha, moderation being something I am still working on.

Two days ago, I checked out this weeks Splitcoast Stampers "Try a New Technique" challenge. This happens to be my favorite type of challenge since it leaves just about every aspect of creativity open.

This weeks challenge (#262) is to make a shaped layer without using nestabilities. Hmmm...I decided to use a....yup, you guessed it...paper piercing frame from Fred She Said. I wanted to use one of the new digital stamps, Lily of the Valley, but did not want to have to cut it out and attach it to the inside of the frame. This causes the edges to show and I did not want to deal with that. The idea of merging the 2 images in my Photoshop Elements software came to mind, though I had only done it once before. 

Here is the finished image and card I made with it:

As you can see, the image looks so much neater than cutting and attaching to the center of the frame.

Here is what I did using Photoshop Elements 6:

1. Open both files into Photoshop Elements. I used the jpg. image not the png. image, so you should be able to do this with digital stamps that do not come with a png. You would use these same steps if both images are png. (transparent)

2. Make sure the image you want to merge (what will be your TOP layer), for me the lily of the valley, is in the edit screen.

3. Go to "image" on your tool bar, click on "mode" in the drop down menu and make sure it is in "RGB Color".

4. If your bottom layer is white also you can skip steps 5-8, if it is transparent (a png. file with the background being a bunch of black and white squares) continue to next step.

5. Remove top layer and put the bottom layer in the edit screen.

6. Drag the top layer onto the bottom layer

7. Go to ""layer" on the menu bar and in the drop down menu click "simplify layer".

8. Using the magic wand tool on your top layer (for me it is in the menu on the left of the sceen) click on a section of white, then click delete on your keyboard. The black and white boxes should begin to show in place of the white, this tells you that the section is now transparent. Continue deleting the white until they are all transparent. You may find it helpful to enlarge the image to get to smaller sections.

9. To resize the top layer, go to "image" on the menu bar, click on "resize", then select "scale". You can now resize as needed.

10. Under "layer" on the menu bar, click "merge visible". Save file.

It really is easy once you have done it once or twice. If you have ANY questions, just leave a comment or email me. I will do my best to answer it for you.

 If you are using a paper piercing layer, the pattern (black dots) will show on the right side. I found that if I pierced the size of the dot, I could put a dot of my white gel pen on the hole and it masks the black. I tried it on a few of the piercing on this card, but ran out of time. The look a bit dark without the white, but in real life the black does not appear, just the holes look dark.

Here is the inside of the card. I hope this little tutorial helps you. Merging and resize are a couple of the wonderful thing you can do with digital stamps, which will take your creativity to a new level :o)
Hugs, Sandy O

 

Comments from before moving to Blogger this is just beautiful!! i love looking at all your small details! Posted by: sarah coyle | March 05, 2010 at 06:58 AM Hi, Sandy! You are a girl after my own heart- moderation isn't my thing either! LOL Love your project! Everything about it is just GORGEOUS! ;o) Posted by: Melanie Montes de Oca | March 04, 2010 at 12:44 PM