« November 2008 | Main | January 2009 »
I have been having so much fun with my kiddos and hubby this last week -0 sorry I have neglected my blog. Eric is taking off this next whole week too - so I might not be in my studio this week much either! We will have to see. On to the sketch!
Be sure to leave a linky to your creation! I will post mine tomorrow and include this same linky for you to add yours.
We are off to lunch with all the Scott's! Have a great day!
Here is the card for yesterdays sketch - keep it simple!
Like what you see? Click these links to shop my secure TAC website
Stamps: Family Forever and Ordinary Greetings stamp sets from The Angel Company
Ink: Bella Rose and Charcoal Palette Ink
Papers: White Cardstock and Pink 1 Matchmaker Cardstock
Accessories: Circle punch, pop dot and Ribbon
Be sure that if your order totals $30 or more you E-mail me the order so I can include a FREE stamp as a gift with your purchase!
Remember to add a linky here to your creation - it will also show up on the original post with the sketch when you do!
And if you do not have a linky - then check out these ones to be inspired!
So today Eric and I will be doing some last minute shopping and wrapping - hopefully we can get that far as to wrap some of the stuff up today! Usually we do most if not all our wrapping Christmas Eve after the kids go to bed. I know! It is actually because we do not have any where to keep the presents in our tiny little abode - so we keep them in Eric's office at work and in the trunk of his car.
I finally gave up on the picture yesterday. I was SO frustrated - especially after the hour or so I spent editing and tweaking it just right. I finally got it uploaded and guess what? It said "Pick up not available at your location" WHAT??? I know I have picked up pictures at our Walgreens before. Oh well! I will just scrap a few - I really liked them! I sent my cards without a picture - big deal. Oh ya - did I tell you my printer started jamming too?? yep!
Well have a Blessed Holiday! I might be back on here between now and friday but i dunno. I have to get some things ready for my Oz-some Angels Christmas party - so I might be too busy with Top Secret projects... Oh ya - to all my Firstline Angels - your Christmas Cards or going to be late! As a matter of fact I am not going to send them until January so that I can include a little goodie for all of you! Start the year off right...
Internet issues SUCK!!! There I said it - do I feel better?? Not really! My internet connection seems to only be able to stay connected for seconds at a time it seems - which is making things like uploading our family Christmas picture for printing and blogging VERY difficult! I think I will shut off my computer when I am done with this post!
Before I do though I must share todays sketch. I was designing my Sensational SIx Idea SHeets for December and I came up with this little ditty. It is super simple - especially if you have a circle punch! Love the simple one! SO here it is: (cross your fingers people!)
Be sure to share your linky here so we can all see what you do with it! I will include this same linky in my post with my card tomorrow - so you only have to add it once. Also - be sure you link directly to the post that contains the card for THIS sketch! I have noticed a few linkies that go to pages that have nothing even close.
I hope to be able to upload some of the pics i got yetserday after pulling teeth it seems to get everyone together for long enough to snap a few pictures. Laney and Logan were being SO silly and were full of energy of course since it is freaking sub zero outside! I have all my Christmas cards signed and in envelopes - ready to go without their Christmas picture. Boo hoo!!! I wanted to include this photo collage - but i cannot get Walgreens phot to say I can pick them up in the store! ARGH!!! I am going to try walmart - even though I SO do not want to make myself or my hubby go in that God forsaken place today or tomorrow!
It turned out pretty dark - but i did some vintage filter on it - from Maggie Holmes which is just AWESOME if you have photoshop. I am however about to give up totally - give me about 2 more minutes and I swear I am going to JUMP! I just adore the one of Laney and logan that is bigger. They wer tickling each other and trying to get in front of one another in the picture. It was pretty funny - but alos hard to reign them in for the "real" shots. What a pair.
Well I better get off here before I lose this whole post - I have to figure out just what I want to do today! :-)
What is a Wrap Flap card? Well it is one of my latest creations of course! I was playing with my Scor-pal again - you are gonna love this one!
Like what you see? Click these links to shop my secure TAC website
Stamps: Simply Christmas and Holiday Cheer stamp sets from The Angel Company
Ink: Burnt Umber Palette Ink, VersaMark Watermark Ink
Papers: White, Kraft and Brown Cardstock, Robins Egg 3 Matchmaker Cardstock
Accessories: Scor-pal, Metallic Perfect Pearls, Amelia Ribbon, Scallop Scissors, Copper Hardware Assortment and Paper Corrugator
Be sure that if your order totals $30 or more you E-mail me the order so I can include a FREE stamp as a gift with your purchase!
This was a a genius moment I think in my studio. You know the times when you are down to the wire and you just come up with something really neat? Well this was one for me IMHO. I made this card for my stamping night out last week - or was it the week before? Sheesh December is just FLYING by! Anywho...
I wanted to create a card that had a flap that wrapped around to "close" the card. I also wanted to offset the opening of the card. What I discovered is that if you just skooch your card piece over on your Scor-pal you can achieve this with ease! SO just lay your card on your Scor-pal like this:
You will score at 4 1/4 and 8 1/2 - which will give you technically a gatefold card - but this one is offset.
I like it! Now I wanted to make sure that these two pieces actually overlapped and not just butt up to each other. SO I added a decorative strip to the left (bigger) side by simply attaching a strip of CS to the back side (inside of the card) like this:
Here is the view from front - I just cut along the edge with my Scallop scissors:
And now it looks like this when the card is closed:
Next I made up my flap to wrap around the card. I took a 1x 8 1/2 inch strip of Kraft cardstock and ran it through my Corrugator so that when it gets put in and out of the closure it will not look damaged. I also used my old style corner rounder and rounded 2 of the corners of the strip for a more finished look.
My flap is going to wrap around to the back side of my card, and I wanted to ensure that the decorative edge always stays on top when the card is closed so I secured the right side of the card (smaller) side down permanently with an eyelet. You can see hat I also ran my ink pad across the top of the strip to make the corrugation stand out more and tie the whole card together. Like so:
Now I wanted my flap to secure the card closed so I popped the image up with pop dots on the top and bottom of the image - leaving the middle open and lifted up for my flap to fit under. Like this:
$
then just position that on top of the flap:
Now that is the mechanical part of the card, do you not LOVE the snowflakes on there? I used the Perfect pearls and my Versamark pad to achieve this look. I wanted very subtle flakes behind my Reindeer. I stamped the flakes first with Versamark ink onto my white piece.
I know you can't see it but trust me it is there! You can really tell when I do the next step. Then I used the brush that come with the perfect pearls to spread the powder around over top of the wet ink - which makes it stick! (by the way it works MUCH better than the trophy ink pad that comes with the set of Perfect Pearls - just throw that sucker away k?)
You just keep brushing over and over without getting more pearls and you end up with this:
After I had them all covered as I wanted I then stamped my Reindeer with Burnt Umber right on top. I also added a little Grey Tombow marker around him for added depth - you may be able to see it in the second pic.
I also repeated the snowflake technique on the right (smaller) side of the front of the card also.
So there you have it - an all new card you can make in a flash using that priceless Scor-pal! If you have not gotten one yet you surely have it on your Christmas Wish List right? Don't forget you can always have a FUNshop and get one for half price -OR you can join my Sensational Six Club for next year (or anytime!) and you will get a half price item when it is your turn to be Hostess! You can e-mail me anytime to join this club.
The kids had such a blast yesterday afterschool playing in the snow. They are both SO lucky to have gotten hand me down ski pants! Laney needs a pair of better gloves that will keep her hands dry - but they are all set to play in the snow. I am sure they will want to again today. It is funny to me though that just the addition of that powdery white stuff and they are miraculously able to play outside together just the two of them! Little miracles I tell ya. It is a little warmer today so I will try to sneak some pictures of them in action.
I think my DH is going to be working late tonight helping a friend - so maybe I will finally be able to wrap up some other things I have been working on in the studio! One of these days I want to make some cookies with the kids too!
I am telling you for me this is the way to go! Just enough inspiration, but not too much that I cannot think on my own!
Like what you see? Click these links to shop my secure TAC website
Stamps: Hello Snow Stamp from The Angel Company
Ink: Noir and Burnt Umber Palette Ink
Papers: Ivory cardstock and Reece Collection Pattern Paper and Reece Cardstock
Accessories: Pop Dots, Prisma Colored Pencil
Be sure that if your order totals $30 or more you E-mail me the order so I can include a FREE stamp as a gift with your purchase!
Go ahead add your own linky so we can all check it out! ( I added the same linky to this post and the sketch post so if you add it in one it will show up on both pages - GENIUS!)
Actually more like DUH - but I know you all understand right?
This morning we got dumped on snow wise. Wow! The kids are really excited of course - me? Not so much! I did go out for the last of this years Tuesday Morning Bible Study. I am going to have to find something GOOD for the next 5 weeks as we will not be meeting. We met at "Early Edition" for breakfast - YUMMY! About half way there I was thinking "WHY am I driving in this?????" Well I made it there and back - and am actually even skipping going to stamping tonight! I know I am a wuss. (is that how you spell that?)
So back to the stamping table for me this afternoon. Yesterday, not so much! I did make 2 cards but i have just been hurting in the back regions and it really makes me not want to be in my studio. SO I have an hour left before I have to go and get the kiddos (although I know they would just LOVE to walk home in the snow - it is only like 14 degrees though!)
Get to stamping!
I know it is not really a new year yet - but since last week wrapped up my 52 sketches, it is a new year of Sketches at the Oz-somestamps blog! SO with sketch 53 we are off and running...
I would love for you to take a stab at the sketch and post a linky below so we can all check out your creation.
Don't let that circle box you in - it can be a circle, oval or even something cut out.
And yes - we did officially get our Christmas stuff down from the attic yesterday. The funny thing is I did not even TOUCH a thing in my studio to enable the process! I know I am a slacker!
Actually I spent all day Saturday at a wrestling tournament that DJ was in. His first one this season - and it was not pretty. Poor guy - I really admire his tenacity and determination even when he just keeps getting pinned! That is what happens when you are a sophmore wrestling for the varsity team though! You go up against the Seniors and Juniors who kick your BUTT! When he is a Senior though they better look out! It is super funny that on the way home from the tourney he said "I want to gain 100lbs by my senior year." Completely serious. I was like - Uh sorry babe, not gonna happen unless you start getting steroid injections! He is such a string bean!
Today - LOTS of stamping in the studio for me. Yes I am going to do it all day if possible. I suppose I will break to go pick up the kiddos at school since the high today is only supposed to be 14! Yowzers! This morning it was 3. Lucky me, DJ's ride to jazz band was sick so I had to go out in it too!
This week is going to be a fun one - I am looking forward to an all day crop on Saturday - not sure what time we will get tostart yet but hopefully early!
I mentioned this box last week - and hoped that I would have had time to get it on the blog over the weekend - what was I thinking? :-) Well here it is now I guess! I did nto sizes and pattern all from scratch - I am sure I am not the first to come up with a box like this but maybe I put a few tips and tricks that you may not have seen or thought of that would make it easier. I also like doing things this way (otherwise known as MY WAY!) because then it helps me and hopefully YOU see that you can take this same project and make it whatever size you want! You do not have to make it this size you can change it up and make it shorter for coupons, pictures or even ticket stubs!
SO here is the box...
Here it is open:
And here is the inside:
It is amazingly simple - although it looks hard huh! If you break it down to the right pieces then they are pretty easy. In fact while I was writing this i got it into my head that I may have seen something similar to this some where so I went a looking. It is so funny that a friend of mine has done some similar too - check them out! That might have been where my inspiration came from actually! She says that there will be a tutorial for a smaller version in the upcoming Scor-pal Magazine - so I will not be doing a tutorial until after that if we need one. Since I have no idea how she did hers I will wait and see and if I did something drastically different then I will do one up.
But for now just the details:
I used 2 12x12 pieces of cardstock for this box and only added 2 8 1/2 x 11 sheets for the accents and for the tabs to be punched from.
I cut the first piece of 12x12 in half at 6". One will be the sides and bottom of the box (scored at 4 3/4 from both ends) and the other half will be the lid which is added onto the back of the box so that it is a "flip top lid" very similar to how the PIzza box lid works. (score at 1" from every side then cut 2 corners off) The second sheet of 12x12 will be cut into 6 4x6 pieces - 4 of which will be the divider pieces and the other 2 are the accordians for the sides. (scored at 1 inch then flipped over and scored at the 1/2 inch marks for a better accordian fold)
The 2 1/2 inch Band that goes around the outside helps to keep it all a little more sturdy. It is actually 2 pieces of 8 1/2 x 2 cardstock. (it is scored at 6 and 8 1/2 and then overlapped so you do not see the "end" of either piece.)
If you have any questions just holler!
I have to run my kiddos to the dentist today - fun fun!
It is SO SO SO SO SO freaking COLD outside! We had to get up way early this morning and head into town for the Optimist Breakfast at 6:30AM. It was 11 degrees. WOWZERS! SO this todays card for the sketch this week is very fitting!
Like what you see? Click these links to shop my secure TAC website
Stamps: Mountain Scenery from The Angel Company
Ink: Prussian Blue Palette Ink
Papers: Ivory, Navy and Brown Cardstock
Accessories: Silver Organza Ribbon, Scor-pal, Corrugator, Crystal Stickles, Super Jumbo Scallop Circle Punch
Be sure that if your order totals $30 or more you E-mail me the order so I can include a FREE stamp as a gift with your purchase!
I went over all the image with my Crystal Stickles so it looks like a very icy scene. Very fitting for today's anniversary of the 2007 Ice Storm here in Kansas. Eric and I were in the Caribbean this time last year! Also on the navy strip I scored 2 lines just to add a little textrue and interest. The words are from a Hostess set you can choose for FREE with your hostess benefits when you have a FUNshop or book party - or place a $100 order! I ran the Scallop circle thru the corrugator for more texture and lift to the sentiment.
Did you hear trhe exciting TAC news??? Well you probably have but I am going to tell you anyway! They Announced yesterday(or the day before it has been a week I tell ya!) that they will be returning to the once a year Catalog format - also to include 100% sized images of all their stamp sets in the catalog! YIPEE! No more guessing as to what size that stamp will be when you receive it. They will also be beefing up the supplements to be a "Magalogue" - a magazine sized and styled catalog! Does that not sound so exciting! Our first Magalogue will be released Februaryt 1st. It will have ALL NEW stamp sets (none of the ones in the current catalog) and I am pretty sure that it will include NEW hostess sets and Gift with Purchase stamps too! Papers and accessories are possible to appear as well. I know I will want to have my own party at the very beginning of February to get all those goodies for myself - and you should too!
We still have tons of great specials going on - the Buy One Get One Free Paper special is my FAV! I ordered a bunch of stuff to play with over Christmas break. I hope my order comes today!
I am in the studio today - still need to clean up to get the decorations out of the attic! I think I will have mutiny if I do not get that done today. SO I better get off here and get to work! I am definetly taking anap this afternoon though too...5AM came WAY too quick! I am not used to getting up that early!
Monday again - the weekend went SO fastToday I have to clean up my studio enough to be able to get a ladder in and up into the attic to get all things Christmas down from up there. Good thing DJ is able to make that journey up and hand things down to me - otherwise we would have to just leave all out Christmas things up year round and dusting would be way too complicated!
So today is sketch day! This is the last of the sketches that are included in my 52 weeks of card sketches pdf that includes 52 sketches and their corresponding inspiration card. I am offering the file for $5 - you can download immediately after paypal is received! Just e-mail me if you would like to receive this inspiring file.
On to the sketch!
If you get a chance to play with the sketch and you post it - be sure to add a linky below so we can all check it out!
After I get things cleaned up in here I will be stamping like a fool! I have Idea sheets to make and I still need to put together that box I promised last week! Maybe I will get to the tutorial too. I better get to work - I also have to do my weekly home blessing (in other words vacuum and clean the toilet!) AND I have a bunch of jewelry to post in my etsy shop so I have pics to make and descriptions to write! Busy Busy!
This Months Oz-some card kit uses a set out of the Fall Supplement that I fell in LOVE with! :-) Seriously it is a really cute set - especially if you just PLAY with it like I got to do yesterday with this kit and the idea sheets. Here is one of the cards I made with the contents of the December kit (for which you will receive an idea sheet when you purchase a kit)
December Oz-some Card Kit:
T3025 Love Blooms
12 Pre-cut cards in Brown, Kraft, Ivory and Pink 3
B211 Mimi Ribbon
4 idea sheets
$26
Without stamp set $15
I used Pixie Dust, Jumbo Java and Tea Leaves VersaMagic Ink for all the cards - I really like that little trio of colors together! In fact on one of the cards I left off the Tea Leaves and I do not like it as much as the others. It adds a nice little contrast.
Just e-mail me if you would like to purchase a kit - With all the specials running right now you can add on some papers from the Buy One Get One special, the Vintage or new winter sets. It is a great time to spl;urge and spoil yourself!
Last night was Stamping Night Out - oh what FUN! Those girls really are the highlight of EVERY week for me. I cherish our friendships and seriously do not know what I would do without their professional counseling efforts! Thanks ladies! I made up the coolest box for my demo - and gave it away of course! Ya and I didn't even get a picture of it! SO I need to make up another today and get a picture of it to post with a step by step for it. The girls asked me if I used directions from someone - and no I did not. I made it up from scratch with just 2 pieces of 12x12 cardstock. I have seen boxes like it in stores and have made other versions myself from enveleopes before. But having a Scor-pal made this SO much easier - I just had to give it a try. You will have to check back on monday to see if I do actually get the stinking thing made and posted.
Today I am playing with my wishblade - cutting out some word books. Fun stuff I tell you! It really would make things easier if I used it more than every few months! I am still not able to load a DXF though - which is really frustrating me as I wanted to help another friend make some really adorable baby books out of cute animal shapes that I scanned in. If you are interested in a word book of your own - They are $1 per letter - and I can cut them out of White, Brown, Scarlet, or Kraft Cardstock. Depending on how long your word is letter wise - that determines how tall your book can be. I can only cut 12" long so if you have more than 7 letters your book will be less than 5.5 inches tall.
Tonight we have a Jazz band concert for my oldest DJ - They do such a neat job with the concerts that I really enjoy them. They serve desert and punch and have it in a dimly lit room with candles etc. I never thought I owuld enjoy jazz music but I do! Now mind you I do not come home and listen to it all day or anything - but I am not miserable at the concerts at least!
Tomorrow is a BIG craft fair in Abilene. I am excited to be going to have a booth - in conjuntion with some of my girls - Seleise, Dona, Debi and Vicki. They are doing all things paper and crafty and I will be set up with my button jewelry along side of my mentor Julie! I am excited to work alongside her - and also to see how people like our pieces. We have been doing some really cute stuff! I will be listing more in my etsy shop after this show - and I will let you know when I do.
