Card contest winner

Yesterday I had a great time at a local rubber stamp show; I watched demos, did a few make-and-take projects, spent plenty of money ... and won a card contest! This is the second time I've won the card contest at this particular stamp show (the first time was in 2012), and first prize is $100 to spend at any of the vendors at the show. Yippee!

I have to confess that both of the cards I made for the contest were a challenge. The theme for the contest on Saturday was "Hobo Joe" (Sunday's theme was "Masquerade"), and my first thought was "What?! How do I make a card about hobos?" I don't have any hobo-themed stamps, so I had no idea what I was going to do. The only thing I could think of was the kerchief pack tied on a stick (which I learned is called a bindle), but beyond that I was stuck. After a few Google image searches to get some ideas, I focused on the idea of riding the rails for my first card:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Wonderful Weaves, Hardwood, Love You S'More (Lawn Fawn), word stamp kit (Magnetic Poetry)
Paper: Whisper White, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede, Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi card stock; Newsprint Designer Series Paper (DSP)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Linen thread, Dimensionals, Mono Multi liquid glue

As I was looking over a sheet of Newsprint DSP, I discovered a few sections that looked like train schedules. I decided to cut out those sections, distress them a bit (by lightly rubbing them with Crumb Cake ink and curling up the corners) and create a scene that looked like the schedules were posted on a fence. To make the fence I stamped the Hardwood stamp on Soft Suede card stock using Chocolate Chip ink. I cut a little notch at each vertical line in the image to create the look of the separate boards in a fence. I adhered the fence to a Marina Mist card base and then added the pieces of DSP.

To make the bindle, I stamped an image from the Wonderful Weaves set on Whisper White card stock using Real Red ink. On the back of the image, I sketched an outline for the shape I wanted and cut it out. I used Chocolate Chip ink to add shadows and give the pouch some dimension, and then I tied a piece of linen thread around the top. I stamped and cut out the image of a stick (from the Lawn Fawn set Love You S'More) and glued it to the back of the pouch. I used Dimensionals to adhere the bindle to the card.

To finish the card, I added a few patches of grass (cut free-hand from Wild Wasabi card stock) and the words for the sentiment. I was pleased with how this card turned out, and I guess other people liked it, too, because this was the one that won the contest.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: World Map, Rough Edges Alphabet, Wanted
Paper: Bordering Blue, Real Red, Crumb Cake
Ink: Soft Suede, Bordering Blue, StazOn Cotton White
Accessories: Woodgrain and Square Lattice embossing folders, linen thread, medium metallic brads (Making Memories), corner rounder, sponge, Dimensionals

I decided to make the bindle the focal point for the second card, so I made it larger this time. I stamped a paisley pattern in white on Real Red card stock (I wish the white looked bolder) then embossed the card stock to create a textured, fabric look. I cut out the shape of the pouch and used Soft Suede ink to distress it. To make the stick, I drew the shape on a piece of Crumb Cake card stock, cut it out, embossed it with the Woodgrain embossing folder and sponged it with Soft Sued ink.

For the background of the card, I stamped the World Map stamp on Bordering Blue card stock using Bordering Blue ink. I rounded the bottom corners of the card, sponged Soft Suede ink around the edges and used Dimensionals to adhere the bindle to the card. I used a mini alphabet set to create my own sentiment and added a metallic brad in the upper right corner.

So, are you wondering what I bought with my winnings? Well, I had thought about it ahead of time and decided I really wanted to try the watercolor stamping technique by Art Impressions, so that's what I did. I was able to buy a starter kit, a bunch of markers, and four stamp sets, and I only spent a little of my own money after my prize winnings. I'm so excited to try out my new goodies!

Thanks for stopping by!

Simple washi tape card set

Recently a friend mentioned to me that she was almost out of the handmade cards I had given her. Well, we can't have that now, can we? So I sat down to make her a new set of cards as soon as I had a chance.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Just Sayin'
Paper: 110-lb white card stock (Recollections)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Word Bubbles Framelits dies, Retro Fresh washi tape, yellow chevron washi tape (unknown), Avocado washi tape (We R Memory Keepers), silver sequin trim, glue dots, Dimensionals

This friend doesn't do a lot of crafting herself, but she fell in love with washi tape last winter when I was helping her with a little holiday project, so I knew I needed to use plenty of washi tape on my card set. And when I came across a Halloween card designed by another Stampin' Up! demonstrator, I knew that would be the perfect layout. The full set includes eight cards, two of each design pictured.

I didn't measure the washi tape as I was tearing pieces, so the background for each card is just a little different. For the focal images I used the Just Sayin' stamp set and Word Bubbles Framelits dies, and I added three silver sequins to each card for a simple embellishment. To dress up the envelopes I placed a strip of the yellow washi tape along the bottom of each envelope. I even made a box and tag out of kraft card stock (and washi tape, of course) to package the cards, but unfortunately I didn't get a picture of those.

And that's it! A quick and easy way to use washi tape to make a fun set of cards. Thanks for stopping by!

A pair of Over the Rainbow cards

One of the stamp sets I was really excited about in the new Stampin' Up! catalog is Over the Rainbow. I love rainbows and rainbow colors and arranging things in rainbow order and anything else rainbow-y, so this set went right on my first order.

I had a chance to play with this new set last week, and here are the cards I created:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Over the Rainbow
Paper: 110-lb white card stock (Recollections)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Cucumber Crush, Tempting Turquoise, Pacific Point, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Chalk Talk Framelits dies, Decorative Dots embossing folder, Brights Sequin Assortment, Dimensionals, Glue Dots

I think this is such a cheerful-looking card; it would be the perfect way to encourage someone going through a tough time or just having a not-so-great day. I started by stamping the word "rainbow" on white card stock and then filled in the letters using the small "smudge" stamps in the set. I cut out the word by hand, which actually wasn't too bad since it's mostly straight lines. I made the clouds by embossing two die-cut word bubble shapes and adhered them to the ends of the "rainbow." I decided where I wanted to place the focal image (without adhering it), stamped the sun and sentiment, and then attached the rainbow to the card with Dimensionals. I added a few blue sequins to look like raindrops.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Over the Rainbow
Paper: Soft Sky, Whisper White card stock; gold paper (retired)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Smoky Slate
Accessories: 1-3/4" scallop circle punch, 1-1/2" circle punch, Chalk Talk Framelits dies, gold dot washi tape (Kamoi Kakoshi Co.), Bitty Buttons, gold thread, sponge, Dimensionals, Mono Multi liquid glue

This card just uses one stamp from the Over the Rainbow set: the sentiment. I love the fonts used in this set, and the sentiments are very different from others that I have, so it's a great addition to my collectoin. I think this card is pretty self-explanatory, so I'll just point out a few details:
- To make the sun I punched a scallop circle from gold paper and then punched it again, rotating the shape so the points for the second punch are in the middle of the scallops. (If you stick the scalloped circle on a self-stick note, you'll have a little handle so it's easier to make the second punch.) I also added a solid circle in the center. I used this technique on another recent card, and I love it.
- The clouds are lightly sponged with Smoky Slate ink to add a little dimension.
- I'd die-cut two clouds (which are really word bubble shapes), but I decided I wanted to have three clouds on the card. Solution? Cut one cloud in half and glue the pieces right to the edge of the card.

I'm looking forward to seeing what other designs I come up with for this set. Thanks for stopping by!

Garden in Bloom set sampler

One day last week I came home from work to find a box filled with Stampin' Up! goodies on my front porch. Yippee! One of the things I was excited to try out was the new Garden in Bloom stamp set. Originally I wasn't going to get this set because I have so, so many flower stamp sets. But I love flowers and flower stamp sets, so ... I caved.

I wanted to try out some different colors and layouts with the Garden in Bloom images, so I made a little set sampler: four one-layer cards that also use the sentiments from the set Four You and the Simply Scored tool.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Garden in Bloom, Four You
Paper: 110-lb white card stock (Recollections)
Ink: Hello Honey, Delightful Dijon, Pear Pizzazz, Mossy Meadow, Soft Suede
Accessories: Simply Scored tool, Vintage Photo Distressed Stickles (Ranger), gold sequin trim, Glue Dots

I think this card is my favorite of the four; I love this combination of colors. I added a little sparkle by applying some Stickles glitter glue to the middle of the flowers and adding three gold sequins. With the Simply Scored tool I made a debossed (indented) border on this card. I used the stylus to make a score line 1/4" from the edge all around the card, skipping over the parts where the stamped image crossed the score line.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Garden in Bloom, Four You
Paper: 110-lb white card stock (Recollections)
Ink: Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz, Baked Brown Sugar, Soft Suede
Accessories: Simply Scored tool, Blushing Bride sequin trim, Glue Dots

For this card I used the same flower as the first card, but without the outline part of the image. I also used the flower bud image to fill in the white space. (Both layers of the flower bud are stamped in Calypso Coral; the bottom layer is stamped on scratch paper first to get a lighter shade.) I added three Blushing Bride sequins around the sentiment and used the Simply Scored tool to add an embossed border 1/4" from the edge all around the card.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Garden in Bloom, Four You
Paper: 110-lb white card stock (Recollections)
Ink: Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Simply Scored tool, White Perfect Accents

This layout would work for just about any occasion by changing the sentiment. In fact, it would make a quick and easy card set by doing a group of cards with a variety of colors and/or sentiments. For a simple embellishment I added the new White Perfect Accents as the flower centers. For the border on this card, I made the score line across the top of the card and then partially down each side, stopping about 1-1/2" from the bottom of the card.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Garden in Bloom, Four You
Paper: 110-lb white card stock (Recollections)
Ink: Hello Honey, Calypso Coral, Marina Mist, Baked Brown Sugar, Soft Suede
Accessories: Simply Scored Tool, pearls

For something other than flowers, I used the butterfly image to make this birthday card. I stamped the first layer of the butterflies in Hello Honey, Calypso Coral, and Marina Mist. Then I stamped the darker layer in Baked Brown Sugar and the outline in Soft Suede for each one. A couple of pearls, a sentiment, and an embossed border are the finishing touches.

Thanks for stopping by!

Garden update: One month

This year I decided to take pictures of our garden each month and write a brief update for my blog. My plan is to do the update on the 13th of each month, since I wrote my original garden post on May 13, 2015. So far I'm right on track. Here are the June pictures:

A view of the whole garden. Most of the herbs are coming up in the pots; the dill, in the reddish pot, is definitely in the lead.

There are several blossoms on the zucchini plants.

The cucumbers are growing slowly but surely. I know once they get going they'll be crazy, so I'm okay with the slow start. We've been giving them a little help by guiding them toward the trellis.

The kale (left) and lettuce are going strong. We've already harvested lettuce twice. We just pull off a few of the outside (bottom) leaves from each plant when we want some for salads or sandwiches. (You can tell we need to do some more weeding here. It's a really tricky area because it's kind of blocked in on all sides: the rhubarb on the right, trellis in front, bean towers on the left, and the garden fence in the back. We'll have to keep that in mind for next year.)

The beans are starting to vine up the towers. We only had about nine sprouts come up from the first planting, so a couple of weeks ago we planted more seeds, and now I think we have close to twenty.




The pepper plants are getting buds/flowers. We have one plant each of red, yellow, and green bell peppers. I also planted a red pepper seed pod that was starting to sprout. Unfortunately, I pulled the leaves when I was over-zealously weeding one day. Bummer. I'm not sure if that one will come back or not.

Here is the back of the garden (from left to right): pepper cages, poles for the peas, carrots, and watermelon. We are having no luck with the peas, and we've planted seeds twice. We might try one more time just for the heck of it. The carrots are starting to sprout (see photo below), but the watermelon hasn't gotten much bigger. We've had a lot of rain over the past month, which is great, but I think the watermelon would prefer the weather to be a little warmer and drier.

Here are the carrots. I'm glad they finally started coming up; every time I went out to pull weeds I was sure that I was probably pulling out the carrots. Now it's easier to tell what's weeds and what's baby carrots.



The three tomato plants have grown quite a bit -- two of them have blossoms -- but the eggplant is taking its time. We also had a garden surprise when two stalks of asparagus came up between the tomato cages. The first one didn't last very long, but the second one, which is really skinny, just kept growing until it was taller than the tomato cages and then it went to seed. It's the feathery-looking stalk on the left side of the photo.

We even have one tomato already growing! This is an Indigo Rose tomato plant.

The broccoli (top) and Brussels sprouts (bottom) are coming along, too. I'm especially amazed with the broccoli, because last year the rabbits feasted on our broccoli; as soon as a leaf appeared, it was gobbled up. But with the fence up this year, we haven't had any problems with the rabbits. We do have an adorable baby bunny who likes to hang out in our backyard, but he seems perfectly content eating grass and weeds, which is fine by me.

The strawberries are getting big, too, and we have one berry so far. These plants are an everbearing variety, rather than June-bearing, so we should get strawberries all summer rather than just one early crop. That is, of course, if we can get to the berries before the birds and squirrels.

This picture and the next one are from our flower bed by the alley. (You can see it in the picture above with the twisty poles and the watermelon.) This plant is milkweed, and there are actually several of them in the flower bed. It came up by itself after we pulled out the black plastic-y ground covering, and we weren't sure what it was at first. We had bought a few milkweed seedlings, but they haven't really flourished, so we were excited when we finally realized that's what this was.

The sunflowers are coming up, along with a number of other flowers -- we scattered lots of different flower seeds over the flower bed. The sunflowers are a mammoth variety, so they can grow up to 12 feet tall. I'm curious to see how tall ours will actually get.

When we look at the garden every day, it doesn't seem like it's changed much. But when you compare these photos to the ones in my first garden post, you can see there's an amazing difference. I wonder how much the garden will change during the next month. Thanks for stopping by!