Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year & January Bloghop!

Happy New Year!  It always seems to come too quickly.  I've barely (not even) recovered from the Christmas rush, and then it's January already!  I hope your holidays were wonderful and filled with food, friends, family and love.  I know mine were -- especially the food part, as in too much of it.


Since it's a new month, it's time for the Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  this month's fun stamp set is called Little Reminder.  You can buy it from January 1-31 for $17.95, OR you can get it for $5.00 with your $50 order.  If you've arrived here from {Teresa's Blog}, you've arrived at the right spot.


The BEST part about January, is that you can also take advantage of the Rock the Block promotion.  When you place a $25 order out of the current, Fall/Winter Idea Book, you get the FABULOUS Rock the Block Stamp Set and Cubes for just $15.00 (It's almost a $45 value!)  WOW!


This is the E-Sized (large) stamp set that you get with the Kit.  It also comes with 9 super cute 2x2x2 decoratable (is that a word?) paper cubes in a tray.  All for just $15 with your qualifying order (and it's easy to qualify!).


In case you haven't seen it yet, here's the Stamp of the Month set, Little Reminder:






I thought it would be fun to curve the words in the stamp set "Welcome Little One" and "Let's Celebrate."  I random stamped the images...


First I tried it with Sunny Yellow, Key Lime (too light to see) and Smoothie...




Didn't really like that.  Key Lime is too light, and the Sunny Yellow elephants are too bold.


Next I tried with with Amethyst, Lilac Mist, Key Lime (still too light), Sunkiss Yellow (better) and Blush.  I like this a lot better.




Still, it's a little dull.  I tried adding a Key Lime strip across the card (didn't like it because it blocked out my cute words and elephants).


I think I'm going to put a border around the edge -- so then I won't cover up my random stamping.




You can't really tell from the picture, but I colored the rhinestone sparkles with a Sharpie pen.  I know we sell colored sparkles, but I recently learned a tip from my upline.  You can take a Sharpie (or Copic marker) and (permanently) color rhinestones.  It won't work with a Close To My Heart marker, because they are water-based, but the Sharpie and Copic are alcohol-based inks, and will 'stick' to the gem.


Stamp Sets Used: Little Reminder (January Stamp of the Month S1201, $17.95 or $5 with a $50 order); Circle Together B1372 $9.95; Zoology B1391 $9.95
Colors Used:  Key Lime, Amethyst (the elephant), Lilac Mist, Blush, Sunkiss Yellow, Gypsy (for the center circle flowers).
Other:  1 1/4" and 1 1/2" circle punches,  Clear Sparkles, Colored Sharpie Markers


I know, I know, I used THREE stamp sets on this card -- but with the new lower prices on the stamp sets, it's still reasonable (plus, you get so many stamps in a stamp set!)




Don't forget, if you order the $25 in product from the Fall/Winter Idea Book, you will qualify for the $15 Rock the Block set...which comes to $40.  For just $10 more you can qualify for the Stamp of the Month for $5.  That's a savings of almost $43 if you get the Rock the Block and the Stamp of the Month.  I LOVE saving money!  (The Cube Set itself will retail for $15 starting February 1.)


For Christmas I asked for the Rainbow of Sharpies from Costco.  I got them (smile).  LOVE 'em!




For my second creation with this stamp set, I wanted to use the GIANT circle.  I have to tell you, I'm not crazy about it.  I'm thinking it might look good as the center of a flower....???  It's so freaking big!  (You know me, not a "big stamp image" buyer...love those little stamps!)


I used the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge to cut a really big (as big as it would make it on my 12x12 mat -- 5 1/2" card (finished size).  This is what I got:




Then I cut two 5 1/2" vellum "flowers" (I think they're actually scallop circles).  I folded them so they were folded on the petals and attached them to the card with puffy tape.  I cut every other fold, to make the petals.  Also, I sponged the edge of the petals with Smoothie Ink (with a Sponge Dauber).


I haven't decided how to mark the birth date yet -- rhinestone sparkle, stamp a star, stamp a circle, draw a circle...  Anyway, it was fun!  (And easy!!)...with my lovely new Cricut!  :)




Supplies Used:  Little Reminder (stamp of the month), Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge (Z1686, $99 for 1 cartridge (700 images, 3 coordinating stamp sets, 3 coordinating chipboard sets)


Thanks so much for stopping by to take a loop around the Blog Hop.  Now hop on over to {Judy's Blog} to see her wonderful creativity!


Have a Happy New Year!  See you soon.


Lisa

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

All Decked Out - Snowman!

I LOVE snow, snowmen and penguins (ask anyone who knows me).  I love this stamp set, All Decked Out (D1308).  It's got all the "fixin's" for a nice snowman.


Here's the tag I made to tie to a candy cane for my coworkers:


If I just stamped the pieces of this stamp set on a card, his face would look disjointed or weird, with the overlapping lines of the stamp images.  So instead of having a weird looking snowman, I used a technique called "Masking," so I could make it look like his scarf and hat were in front of his face.

According to "the Internet", "Masking" is "the technique of covering a stamped image so that other images may be placed partly over it without the overlapping area being visible. This technique will add depth and perspective to your art. It is a simple procedure, but it requires patience and careful cutting."

First I put the hat and scarf stamps on the same block.  (You'll have to make sure you leave enough room for the face.)  Looking back, I could even have put them a little closer together.

Then I stamped the hat and scarf on my piece of White Daisy card stock.  And again on two Post-It Notes.  I trimmed the Post-Its so that they would cover only the stamped images.  


Next, I placed the Post-Its ON TOP of the stamped images on the White Daisy Card Stock

Then I stamped the face circle ON TOP of the Post-Its.


So now, it looks like this:
Then, when you lift off the Post-Its, it looks like this -- like his face is BEHIND the hat and scarf.  Pretty cool, huh!

Then you can stamp his little face on him.  (There are several faces and face parts to choose from in this set.)


After coloring his scarf, hat and nose and sponging the edges, it's time for glitter!!
Oops, actually, I should have stamped the sentiments first before glittering.  I always glitter last.  Otherwise it can get messed up if it's still wet.  I used Stardust on the tassel.


And Silver on the scarf.  I thought the glitter added a lot (doesn't it always?)

Here's the finished tag.  









Last November, I also made this snowman card using this same stamp set, shaving cream, some blue reinkers and a clear card.  This card involved cutting the snowman out. 

Here's the full post.




I know it's might be a little late for Christmas cards, but it's not too late for new years cards (well, maybe it's a little late for them, too)...snow/winter cards?? It's all good!  One year, one of my friends made a pop-up Groundhog Day (Feb. 2) card.  SO clever!  You can always get this stamp set for next year.  It will definitely be available through July, but I don't know about next fall...

BUT you can always use the Masking Technique for flowers, trees, anything you want to have "behind" something else.

Supplies Used:  All Decked Out (D1308, $17.95); Moonstruck Ink; White Daisy Card Stock; Markers:  Sweet Leaf, Twilight, Sunset; Round Sponge; Glitz Gel:  Silver, Stardust; Tag the Occasion (B1362, $9.95); December 25th (C1469, $13.95)








Monday, December 12, 2011

I love Studio J!

OK, I hate to admit it...I'm not much of a scrapbooker.  I like taking pictures, and I like sticking papers together, but I have a hard time starting and finishing a layout.  That's why I like Studio J - Close To My Heart's answer to Digital Scrapbooking.  I can make a layout in 30 minutes (or less)...a 'layout' is TWO pages!  and I didn't even have to mess up my dining room table (oops - it's already messy up from the last card making session!)

I made 18 pages (that's 9 two-page layouts) yesterday.  SO fun!  Here's a couple of them...

WAIT - want to hear the best part?  For my 18 pages it cost me $45.50 (plus tax) (and that's BEFORE my consultant discount, so it was even cheaper than that!)  AND, I got free shipping because I have a Studio J membership.  Memberships get you 1/2 priced layouts, free shipping once a month and free page protectors. WOOOOOOOO!!  Interested?  Click here for more information...or you can email me.




I loved that I could pick papers (even retired ones) that matched my super bright pink shirts (yes, I have many, as you can see in the photos).  These are pics from this summer's Close To My Heart convention at Disneyland.  We had so much fun!




I like that I can change paper packs, layout styles and dress it up or down as I like.  (I'm a plain kind of gal...but if you want fancy, they have that, too!)  The faux stickers and embellishments are SUPER cute!  I was even able to convert text boxes to photo boxes (also, not a big journaler).  I used 3 different paper packs on my 3 layouts that I made about Convention.  That may be a decision I may regret later, but I figured I could show off more papers that way!

You should try Studio J -- it's free to try!  You only buy if you like your layout.  No upfront costs!  Check it out HERE.

Try it, you'll like it!!  Let me know what you think!

Lisa



Monday, December 5, 2011

Faux Pinwheel Card

When I saw this card style, I thought, wow, that's cool!  It looks like a pinwheel, sort of, and it also looks like you have to cut your papers to fit into the pinwheel.  It really is so much easier than that!






To make the "pinwheel":
Cut four 1 1/4" square Outdoor Denim pieces
Then cut four 1 1/4" x 2 1/2" pieces of Lucky paper
Cut one 2 1/2" square Indian Corn Blue (or any color card stock; you will be covering it up)



Fold the four Lucky papers in half:




Glue the folded papers onto the Indian Corn Blue card stock so that all the openings of the small papers and facing the same direction (clockwise).  If you did it right, when it's open it looks like this:


Close the squares up:


Take the Outdoor Denim squares and tuck (and glue) one inside each open fold (with the corner in the center of the "pinwheel").  Repeat with all 4 Outdoor Denim squares.  This makes the pinwheel effect.






After you've finished placing/gluing all 4 Outdoor Denim squares, you can put a brad in the center of your "faux pinwheel."  I like the bigger brads (like the Filigree Charms or (the larger) Designer Brads).  The proportion is better.  Try to get your blue squares to line up to look like a large square, also.




Its a nice card, because it's not girly (like most of my cards).  The pewter finish of the brad ties it together, although I think the Antique Copper would work nicely with this paper, too.


I used the (old) thinner Background & Texture (B&T) paper, but I think it would work fine with the new heavier cardstock weight.


Supplies Used:
Card Chatter - Birthday
Lucky Paper Pack
Outdoor Denim, Colonial White Card Stock (included in pack)
Indian Corn Blue Card Stock (you can use any color, it will be covered up)
Outdoor Denim Stamp Pad
Filigree Charms