BIG ROOM, TINY SPACE

All of my classes are held in my stamp room, and my family, friends, and customers never get to see what it looks like when I'm working in it.  I've had the discussion with friends and customers before about how they stamp and whether they clean as they go, and many of them have stated emphatically that they do NOT like working in a chaotic mess.  Hmmm . . . I haven't ever found any other way to create.  You may be wondering exactly where on this desk I can possibly work, and it just so happens that I laid a stamp case in the very spot where I've been creating for the past 24 hours . . . it's the stamp case by the trackball.  Speaking of trackball, if you happen to have a Microsoft trackball that you don't like or use, I will be glad to get it out of your way!  Microsoft no longer makes them, and I continuously keep my eyes peeled for one--just in case something happens to mine (or it gets lost in a mess).  As you can tell, I'm not a stickler for cleaning as I go.  As a matter of fact, I go from one thing to another so fast that I am always digging for something that was "just here."  I am quite a pro at balancing a paper cutter on my lap because that's usually the only space left for it!  Yes, I get "in the zone" when I create, and that "zone" may very well look like the pits of hell.  I have tried to force myself to be more tidy, but it just doesn't work for me.  When the desk gets this bad, I have to exit the zone and clean, which I will do tonight or tomorrow morning.  It will look so nice in here that I will hardly be able to wait to mess it all up again.  In case you're wondering, I don't really "like" this chaos, but it's obviously part of the creative process for me.  BTW, the rest of room doesn't look bad and, for some (very good) reason, I always stamp, create, and design in this corner.  Whew! 

SINCERELY SORRY

Doesn't she look sweet?  I'll bet she has a tissue in one of her pockets.

Stampin' Up! products used on this card include Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, So Saffron, and Basic Black card stock, 1/4" Old Olive grograin ribbon, Filigree and Flower brads, "In a Word" stamp set, Old Olive brads, and Oval punches.

ANOTHER "VINTAGE-Y" GRID

Never mind that this card has taken approximately 18 hours from start to finish--I think it's worth the investment of time.  I have had so much fun designing this one!  So you want to know all of the Stampin' Up! products featured on this card?

Card Stock:  Blush Blossom, Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Barely Banana, and Mellow Moss

Ink:  Blush Blossom, Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss, and Barely Banana

Stamp Sets:  Elements of Style, In a Word

Punches:  3/4" Square, Two-Step XL Bird, Boho Blossoms, Itty Bitty Shapes, 1/2" Circle

Sizzix Big Shot:  Beautiful Wings Embosslit, "Weave" texture plate, Scallop Square Bigz die

Accessories:  Mellow Moss Taffeta ribbon, Mini Vintage Tag, Itty Bitty Button, Flower brad, Simply Adorned 5/8" Square Charm, "Sending Love" Chocolate Chip Epoxy brad, Stampin' Dimensionals

A FUN FLOWER ARRANGEMENT

A couple of weeks ago, Renee and I set out on a mission--one which required experience that neither of us possessed.  We took with us what I would call a blank slate or, in other words, not one iota of a plan other than to purchase an assortment of flowers (no color in mind) and a vessel in which to arrange them (again, nothing in mind).  Our mother had requested a rather large floral arrangement for Mother's Day, and all we knew was that it needed to be pretty.  That would seem like an easy, open-ended request, but it was bit too open-ended for Renee and I.  Throw into the mix the fact that Renee and I are very different and like different things.  The only thing we agreed on was the store where our mission would begin.  We must have spent three hours in that store as we filled the shopping cart with an extreme variety of flowers of all colors.  Good Lord!  The employees probably wondered if we really planned to purchase all of those flowers and, if we didn't, would we dare put them back where we had found them.  After the cart was so full that we could no longer add more flowers, we found an empty aisle in which to lay them all out to make our final decisions, which included the color scheme.  So you're probably envisioning two flower arrangement amateurs, surrounded by a BUNCH of flowers, but you should also envision us as tired and hungry!  We began the selection process with the largest flowers and then "built" the arrangement from there.  Somewhere along the way, we decided that none of the containers we'd selected were "right," and we opted for the watering can which, by the way, I decorated with a vinyl silhouette of two little girls.  Both sides of the can were decorated since we weren't sure where the front of the arrangement would end up.  After much deliberation, our final selections were made, and we left the store. 

BTW, we did NOT return all of the unwanted flowers to the proper place.  Huge apologies to the craft store employees!!!!  Finally, back at my house, we set about arranging after looking at each other and asking, "Where do we start?"  We laughed a lot, cussed a little, and had so much fun.  We got a fair amount of exercise stepping back and walking around to look from another angle.  We even discussed how this arrangement would be transported and how I would keep the dust off of it for two weeks.  Yikes!  The last step was to find a place for the Cardinal.  Mother loves them, so we knew we'd have to find a place for it.  Assuming that she might want to do some re-arranging, we opted to not secure the bird with glue.  I delivered this arrangement to mother on Friday, where Renee and I removed the huge garbage bag that had protected it from dust.  It looked pretty good, and I got the impression that mother loved the flowers.  Of course, we couldn't identify some of them, but they're pretty!

VINTAGE MINI COLLAGE

There's a project pictured in Stampin' Up!'s Summer mini catalog (p. 28) that I really like, and I decided to create something similar.  I've mentioned before that I like grids, and this is a perfect example of "grid appeal."  Each 3/4" square has a life of its own.  Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include:  Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi, Kraft, Soft Suede, and Naturals Ivory card stock; 3/4" and Heart to Heart punches; Beautiful Wings Sizzlits and Top Note die; Bitty Buttons, Mini Vintage Tag, Linen Thread, Distressing Tool, Soft Suede dotted grosgrain ribbon, and Square Lattice embossing folder.  Stamp sets:  Elements of Style, In a Word, and Watercolor Trio.

OH, TO BE 15 AGAIN

My nephew had a birthday this week, and I finally got around to making a wallet-style card to hold the $$$ that I'll put inside.  That's what a 15 y/o wants, right?  Of course, Bryson would probably accept a monetary gift if it arrived on a smelly cat, but I wouldn't feel right sending it that way.  ;-)

"ELEMENTS OF STYLE"

This card reminds me of a vintage Toile fabric design . . . the combination of the image (from "Elements of Style" stamp set), "Square Lattice" embossed texture, and the Kraft card stock.   I had no idea how this card would end up, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Better still, I used one stamp set, one ink pad, two colors of card stock, the embossing folder, ribbon, and brads . . . a really quick card!

BUTTERFLY "PANSY" & BITTY BOX

You don't have to search too hard in stampin' land to see a lot of these pansies, so I decided today that I should try to make one.  Pansies are one of my favorite flowers, and I think this one looks quite realistic.  I used Stampin' Up!'s Butterfly Punch and Shimmery White card stock for the two butterflies, which were doused with water and then I used an Aqua Painter to drop Elegant Eggplant and Barely Banana ink onto the wet card stock.  I think that's known as the "Floating Re-Inker" technique, but I'm not sure.  Anyway, the water moves the ink around on the card stock.  Once the butterflies were dry, I used a bamboo skewer to curl the edges and a marker to draw the "veins" in the center of the flowers.  If you click on the photo, you'll be able to see more of the detail on this project.  Can you see how some of the "pansy" has a glittery wet look?  That is the shimmer in the card stock--it's gorgeous!!!  I used the Big Shot and the "Bitty Box & Envelope" die to cut the box, the "Little Leaves" Sizzlits die to cut the leaves, and the embossed card stock on top of the box was created from Stampin' Up!'s brand new "Square Lattice" embossing folder.  If you like to make small treat boxes and favors that are quick to cut, assemble, and decorate, you might want to consider purchasing the Bitty Box die!  Besides the box, the die also can cut an envelope, and the box will hold five or six mini cards and envelopes which are the perfect size to accompany a gift or to hold a special sentiment that you choose to hand-deliver.

"AWASH" WITH BLACK MAGIC

So this is not a good day for taking a picture of a glittery, shimmery card because the rain and clouds very much hinder the process!  Even so, isn't this a pretty card????  I totally LOVE it!!!!!!  The "Black Magic" technique is so perfect for Stampin' Up!'s "Awash with Flowers" two-step stamp set!   You wouldn't believe how quick this card was to make!  Other Stampin' Up! products used include Lavender Lace and Basic Black card stock, Stampin' Pastels, White Craft ink, "Teeny Tiny Wishes" stamp set, Filigree brads, Word Window punch, "Beautiful Wings" Embosslit, and shimmer mist created from Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint.  All of the light/white specks that you see are the glittery shimmer mist that I sprayed on the card.  Seriously . . . add this stamp set to your Wish List and look for it in Stampin' Up!'s new Idea Book & Catalog in July!  ETA:  This technique, which I have recently seen referred to as "Black Magic," is actually NOT Black Magic.  It's the Chalkboard technique!  I kept thinking and thinking that it wasn't quite Black Magic, but I couldn't put my finger on the correct name until I got settled and soaped in the tub last night.  With Black Magic, you normally use pencils to color the stamped image and then outline with a white gel pen.  So . . . I stand corrected. 

SEED PACKET CARD

The inspiration for this card came totally from another Stampin' Up! demonstrator, Judi Marshall.  I created my "seed packet" using Microsoft Publisher and then added the flowers to it.  To create the flowers, I used Judi's instructions and Stampin' Up!'s Butterfly punch, dampened the punched butterflies, crumpled them, unfolded them, and then folded them in half and shaped them into flowers.  I used the Big Shot and the "Little Leaves" Sizzlits die for the leafy stem, to which I adhered the flowers.  Other Stampin' Up! products used include So Saffron, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, and Certainly Celery card stock, Distressing Tool, grosgrain ribbon, Square Lattice embossing folder ("Summer" mini catalog), and Eyelet Border punch.