"KINDA ECLECTIC" THANK YOU CARD

I don't believe I've shared this card yet, but I apologize if I have.  The truth is . . . my stampin' time (and attention to my blog) has taken a back seat to trying to sell a TRUCKLOAD of retired stamp sets.  If there's anything you're looking for or if you just want to help a girl free up some much-needed space in her stamp room, then PLEASE click on the first photo in the right sidebar to see a partial list of what's for sale.  Several of the stamp sets on that list have sold, and there are some other stamp sets and assorted items that haven't been added to the list--yet.  Be sure to check back in a few days for the updated list.

But about the card.  I've mentioned that I love Stampin' Up!'s Kinda Eclectic stamp set, and don't you love it, too, when you look at this card?  Imagine how superdeeduper easy it was to make!  I kinda cheated, though, because I already had the flower colored and cut out.  I figure if I'm going to spend the time enjoying coloring with the Stampin' Blendabilities Markers, I might as well color several images and have them ready to use.  ;-)  This card also features sequins.  There's been a little rage for sequins for a while and, if I'm being honest, I haven't ever understood it.  I think they look pretty on cards, and Stampin' Up!'s In Color sequins are gorgeous; however, I still feel clumsy when I take the lid off the container and spend a little time chasing the fly-aways.  One of them recently traveled into my living room.  Sneaky little defector!  I'm not ready to give up on sequins--I just need to work with them some more and learn a few tricks. 

FLORAL TOTE BAG & CARD - BONUS CRAFT PROJECT CENTRAL PROJECT

Need a beautiful way to present a special gift to someone awesome? Use this fun flower decked tote bag to hold your gifts and complete the set with the matching card. The finished tote is 9” long, 3” wide, and 9” deep so it can hold several small gifts or one larger one.

This lovely project was designed by Amanda and is the August Bonus Project at Craft Project Central.  Qualifying for the bonus tutorial is easy . . . just subscribe to two or more months in a row, put the Craft Project Central badge on your blog, or refer a friend to the site.  When your friend subscribes, just let us know!

KINDA ECLECTIC FOR "MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

I'm really liking Stampin' Up!'s Kinda Eclectic stamp set, and I used two of the images to create this very quick, very simple card.  Notice that pretty embossed frame?  To create it, I used one of the Fun Frames embossing folders.  Products featured on this card include:

Card Stock:  Daffodil Delight, Mossy Meadow, Whisper White

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Mossy Meadow, Daffodil Delight

Stamp Sets:  Kinda Eclectic, A Dozen Thoughts

Sizzix:  Fun Frames embossing folder

Accessories:  Rhinestone jewels

SUMMER PARTY BANNER & CARD

This banner and matching card set is great for any summer party!  Perfectly fun and bright, it will bring smiles and festivity to any gathering!  Use the project instructions and change the colors for any party theme, birthdays, showers and any holiday!  

This lovely and useful project was designed by Heidi King, and her awesome tutorial is available at Craft Project Central.  

SECRET GIFT BOX & CARD

Make this gift box with secret boxes inside for anyone for any occasion. It can hold embellishments, jewelry, and/or candy. It also looks great on a desk holding office supplies. It is very easy to make, and you don’t need a lot of craft supplies. You can leave it simple or add different embellishments to suit your style. Great for a stamp camp, or as a class project.

Isn't this a pretty project?  It was designed by Monika Davis, and her tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central.  

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Today's MISM project features one of Stampin' Up!'s new hostess sets, Life's Adventure, Stampin' Blendabilities Markers (Pumpkin Pie and Night of Navy), and a cute, cute, cute embossing folder--Cloudy Day--that can still be purchased from the Clearance Rack.  I stamped the image using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, colored it with the Blendabilities markers, and then cut it with the 2-1/2" Circle punch.  I used the fifth largest circle from the Circles Collection Framelits to cut a piece of Marina Mist card stock to use as a mat for my stamped layer.  And there you have it . . . a quick and easy card for MISM!

HIDEAWAY CUPCAKE CONTAINER

This little ‘Hideaway’ Cupcake Container is a festive way to wrap a birthday gift for someone special. Or, how about just filling it with some yummy little treats? Whatever you choose to put inside, the recipient will surely be delighted with the container. The quick and clean card, with the coordinating envelope, will be sure to please as well!

This clever little project was designed by Julie Beltramo, and her tutorial is available at Craft Project Central.

MASCULINE CARD SET

Sometimes you just need a card or two, appropriate for a man, and sometimes you need something appropriate to give to a man to use. This set is intended as a gift for a man and was kept simple and non-frilly as a man would like best.  In addition, the project includes a matching paper weight!

This great masculine card set was designed by Judi, and her complete tutorial is available at Craft Project Central.

REGINA'S PENFANGLED, ZENTANGLED CREATION

Who knew that one day in the future my kind of mindless pen doodling would be a trendy form of art with which I could create a card?  For quite some time, I have subscribed to a web site that sends me (what at times seems like too many) emails with links to learn to draw new tangles.  I hardly ever open those emails, but I know that a proper tangle begins with a string and doodling is hardly a foreign concept to me.  I can't remember a time when I sat in a class without doodling, and to this day I reach for pen and paper when I get on the phone--not because I might need to write something down, but because my right hand needs to write random words from the conversation (upside-down, sideways, squiggly) and then be drawn and decorated.  And the margin isn't supposed to stay white, right?  Seriously.  There have been times when I've ended a telephone conversation and remembered something that I need to remember, but trying to find my little note about it on the paper I was "working on" during the conversation can be quite tricky.  All this to say that the card I'm sharing today features zentangles.  They are far from perfect, and I'd be lying if I claimed to have not gone temporarily blind after all of that pen work.  Good Lord, I thought my eyes would never focus again.  Every little line and dot is oh, so very close to the paper.  Ha!  I really, really enjoyed working on the tangles for this card that I made for my mother.  The dress was cut from a retired-too-soon Stampin' Up! dress form die, and you can actually see the starting string that I drew to divide my tangle sections.  Other Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include Daffodil Delight seam binding, heart punch, rhinestone jewel, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, and Basic Black card stock, and sentiment from the brand new, coming soon Good Greetings stamp set.  This is definitely not my last zentangle project, but I need to be sure and do my tanglin' before the wee morning hours.

PERSONALIZED LOBSTER NOTE CARD SET

This boxed set of lobster-themed nautical note cards just screams summertime at the beach. The note cards are easily accessible in their handy box and can be personalized with almost any name. The set includes a matching card for easy gift giving.

This clever card set was designed by Yapha Mason, and her tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central.

TAP, TAP, TAP FOR "MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

It makes me feel older than I think it should that I can remember pecking away on a manual typewriter.  I can still remember the day when I was having to choose two electives for the coming school year, and there just didn't seem to be any good choices--nothing interested me.  I was dramatically mortified (interesting choice of words . . . read on) when my mother wrote "Typing I" on the form, and she wrote it in ink.  Argh!!!!!  When I first walked into the classroom, it was noticeable that the manual typewriters were on one side of the room, and the preferred electrics on the other side.  It didn't really matter which machine was on the desk in front of me because we would be switching desks during the year so that each student had their fair share of opportunity using both manual and electric typewriters.  The teacher for the class (the principal's wife) was an intimidating soul in that she didn't smile too often and could purse her lips . . . well, they stayed pursed a lot.  She talked through pursed lips, she frowned through pursed lips, and she even smiled through them on rare occasions.  Quite often, the class would be subjected to timed typing, and guess who many, many, many times came in first--on electric OR manual machines?  That's right.  Me.  For two years (yes, I took the second typing class and Office Occupations), I could count on at least one A to show up on report cards.  It turned out that my mother's choice was a perfect fit for me, one that I had not yet discovered and one that marked the path for my future.  Not that secretarial and administrative careers are the stuff that big dreams are made of, but learning to type definitely kept me from a job that involved running an industrial machine or perhaps becoming a Funeral Director (yes, that was a serious contender).  So . . . when I turned a page in Stampin' Up!'s current catalog and saw the Tap Tap Tap stamp set, I thought that it would be a fun one for me.  Today's MISM project features this fun set, along with a couple of images (chevron and splotchy square) from the really fun Work of Art set.  Other Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include a heart-shaped sequin, linen thread, and Hello Honey card stock and ink.  Have a happy day and a happy week!

"FLOWER PATCH" CARDS & BOX

This cute little card box will hold several 3” cards and envelopes!  These cards are nice to have on hand and are perfect to tuck into a gift.  This project also makes a great gift, class idea or easy project to put together to sell at a craft show.

This colorful set was designed by Laurie, and her tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central.

"SUN-RIPENED II" DAZZLING DIAMONDS TECHNIQUE & BLENDABILITIES

I recently pulled a lot of retired stamp sets from boxes and shelves, and I couldn't resist inking this one (Sun-Ripened II) and coloring with Stampin' Up!'s Stampin' Blendabilities Markers.  After the images were colored, I thought they deserved some extra WOW--a little Dazzling Diamond technique.  I inked the card stock with VersaMark, sprinkled it with Iridescent Ice embossing powder, and used the heat tool to set.  Other Stampin' Products featured on these cards include Hardwood stamp set, Alphabet rotary stamp, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Mossy Meadow ink, and the following card stock:  Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Mossy Meadow, Daffodil Delight, and Rich Razzleberry.

 

Sun-Ripened II stamp set has been removed from my stack(s) of stamps for sale.  I don't know if this style is just not trendy enough for the stampin' world, but it certainly appeals to me.

SUMMER TEA TRAY

Create a lovely summer tea tray for your front porch.  You can easily switch the designer series paper and stamped images in the tray for a fresh look for any season, and the coasters are so simple to make that you’ll want a set for every occasion.  Complete the ensemble with a darling Simply Pressed clay box for candy, sugar or flowers.

What a pretty idea for a tray!  This ensemble was designed by Buffy Cooper, and her tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central.

CREATING PRETTY CARDS - SKETCH CHALLENGE #37

If you visit my blog often, then you know that Craft Project Central has a new sketch each month and YOU are invited (encouraged, really) to accept the challenge to create and share a card.  For every 10 cards that are shared HERE, there will be a lucky winner of a FREE one-month subscription to the awesome tutorials on the site.  I had a lot of fun with this month's sketch (photo below), which was designed by Heidi King:

My card features the following Stampin' Up! products:

Stamp Sets:  Four Frames, Bloom with Hope

Card Stock:  Naturals Ivory, Pear Pizzazz, Rich Razzleberry

Ink:  Memento Black, Stampin' Blendabilities Markers (Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Delight)

Sizzix:  Chevron embossing folder

Punches:  Decorative Label

Accessories:  Linen thread, Tea Lace paper doily, Stampin' Dimensionals, Typeset DSP

Why don't you create a card, too?  Don't forget to share your creation HERE, and you might end up being the winner of the FREE one-month subscription to Craft Project Central.

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY" AND A WINNER!

Today's MISM project features a brand new stamp set . . . Choose Happiness, which I think has a nice collection of images that would work nicely for collage art and mixed media projects.  I have to admit that I have had mixed emotions with this set.  When I first saw it, I thought I had to have it but, once it arrived, I thought that maybe the eclectic mix of images may be a bit too far-reaching because my mind was blank.  Sometimes it's best to just sit down and start inking the images, and that's exactly what I did.  Believe it or not, this is the first card that I've made with this stamp set, and it was the first time that I inked the images.  No lie.  I didn't even have a trash can full of failed attempts!  I guess that goes to show that the images are easy to use, and it seemed that whatever my card "needed" was right there in that one stamp case.  Other Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include Early Espresso and Naturals Ivory card stock, Vintage button, linen thread, and rhinestone jewels.  I used Stampin' Blendabilities Markers (Old Olive) to color the leaves, and the flower was stamped with Blackberry Bliss ink and then highlighted with color by using an Aqua Painter.  A smidgen of Hello Honey ink was worked into the center of the flower.

With my July 1st blog post, I offered a FREE one-month Craft Project Central subscription to one lucky winner.  The winner was to be chosen by random.org from those who left a comment HERE, and that lucky winner is #15 . . . KELI GALVIN who left this comment - "Regina, I have looked at your item’s and you are a very talented woman. Kudo’s to you for you great idea’s."  Congratulations, Keli!!  Please contact me at randari at hotmail dot com so that we can get your free subscription started.  Many thanks to those who took a moment to leave a comment.  I really appreciate your kind words!

"SEA STREET" NAUTICAL PARTY ENSEMBLE

This Nautical Party ensemble is perfect for a boy's birthday, 4th of July party, or summer BBQ.  It starts with an invitation to the party, next is an adorable sailboat favor, cupcake topper and garland to add extra sparkle, and then a Thank You card to tell everyone you enjoyed their company and cannot wait to see them again.  Finally, for that special birthday someone, there is a triple easel birthday card.

This festive ensemble was designed by Carol Lovenstein, and you can find her complete tutorial at Craft Project Central.

SUMMER WREATH

My mother recently asked me to make a wreath for an interior door at my grandmother's house, and this is what I came up with.  After wrapping the form with burlap, I used hot glue to adhere all of the flowers, leaves, and the watering can, which were cut with my Silhouette.  It's such a simple wreath, but all that was needed was a splash of color for the door at the end of the hall.

"BLOOM WITH HOPE" ALTERED CAN SET

This Bloom With Hope Altered Can Set is a pretty way to brighten up a room in your home or brighten up someone’s day!  This set features an altered can, coordinating votive light, and a matching card for gift giving.  Place some bath salts in the altered can and use the set as a gift or to create a spa-like feel in your bathroom!

What a pretty ensemble this is!  I especially love the Typeset designer paper.  This ensemble was designed by Michelle Wecksler, and her tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central.

CHEVRON BAG OF GROCERIES

I know that Father's Day has come and gone, but I wanted to share this fun little bag-o-groceries card.  My grandmother requested a Father's Day card to give to my dad and, since he delivers a lot of groceries to her house, this seemed like a fitting design.  So the "bag" would open like a card, I made a thin slice along the right edge of the bag, and I lined the inside (front and back) with Crumb Cake card stock to make it more sturdy.  A pocket was created from Crumb Cake card stock and adhered inside the card to hold some money from my grandmother.  The groceries image was found online, and I printed two of them (one was flipped) to cut out and adhere back to back so the groceries would look pretty on the front and inside of the card.  Pretty cool, huh?

MY JULY PROJECT FOR CRAFT PROJECT CENTRAL

Today begins a new session of awesome project tutorials at Craft Project Central, and I'm especially pleased to present the ensemble that I designed.  Following is the introduction that I wrote for my project:  Create three gift packages that feature a double-prong clip covered with 3/8” Stitched Satin ribbon.  You’ll enjoy making the adornments and, best of all, you can make several to have on hand when needed.  They lend a perfect finishing touch to just about any gift.

As you can see from the photo, two of the projects feature an adornment made from ribbon, but all three projects call for a clip that has been covered (to make it pretty) with Stampin' Up!'s brand new 3/8" Stitched Satin ribbon.  Once you see my easy instructions for covering the clip and how the projects are made, you'll be wanting to make a bunch of these adornments to have on hand!  Be sure to visit Craft Project Central and get your July subscription started.  I will be giving a FREE subscription to one lucky person with my Make-It-Snappy-Monday blog post on Monday, July 7th.  To be entered in the drawing, click HERE and leave a comment on the post that features my project.  That's all you have to do!