I am the Sporadic Stamper

Mat Stack Madness

2012-02-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

Inspiration for the sentiments came from Amber at Damask Love.

Stamps: PTI Mat Stack 5 (+ other #(s) I can’t remember)
Paper: PTI
Ink: PTI Spring Moss, Berry Sorbet; SU! Soft Sky

Totally Rad… I Meant “Totally Mod”

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

Stamps: PTI Mod Squad
Ink: SU!
Paper: PTI SSW; SU!

Visiting/Re-Visiting Older Sets

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

Stamps: PTI
Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip; PTI
Paper: SU! Chocolate Chip; PTI

Everything’s Coming Up Rosie Posie

2012-02-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

I’m totally enamored with PTI’s Rosie Posie set. Idea for the “bags” came from Michelle Wooderson. I’m thrilled about PTI’s new packaging!

Used the rock-n-roll techniques on the flowers. I used 3 colors of ink on the flowers (2 on the leaves): light, midtone, & dark. I re-stamped some images repeatedly to get proper blending.

Stamps: PTI Rosie Posie, Honey Bees, Little Lady, Mega Mixed Messages, Polka Dot Basics, A Little Argyle; WMS (chevron)
Paper: PTI SSW, Summer Sunrise; SU!
Ink: PTI Summer Sunrise; SU!

Poppies

2012-02-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

All supplies PTI w/exception of: colored pencils & OMS; lightest blue Copic (B0001?); SU! Going Gray ink, Tempting Turquoise chalk; DMC embroidery floss

Don’t Worry, Bee Happy

2012-02-06T15:04:00.001-06:00

Hello! I’m studying for the bar exam at the end of this month. On my breaks, I’ve been stamping like mad. The stress must be generating creative energy.
I have way, way, way more to show then say so future posts will primarily be pictures and general supply lists. If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment and I’ll respond. Hopeful, this way, it will be quicker for me to post and I’ll end up posting more frequently.

All supplies PTI. So far, I’m very pleased with their new ink formula.

Backpack for Baby

2011-12-18T15:48:00.001-06:00

ETA: I used HP Iron-on Transfers for Colored fabrics. I have also used Avery Dark T-Shirt Transfers. I specifically use the transfers for dark t-shirts (regardless of the color of fabric I’m using) because the images are applied “face up” so I don’t have to worry about images being reversed. I die cut the shapes and then stamped them w/die ink. Permanent ink is not necessary because ink jet printer ink isn’t waterproof. It can be kind of tricky/tedious to separate the transfer from the backing. I used an exacto-type knife to very, very carefully start the separation process.
     A friend of the family recently had a baby boy. I decided to take the opportunity to make one of my favorite things, onesies! This time I made a now and later gift. I made 3 onesies for now and two more “grown up” t-shirts for later. A side note: the “jack” on the bag looks a little funny because of the bag’s texture (I think).
     For the name, I use PTI’s alphabet die and used a large solid stamp (the wool from PTI’s My Punny Valentine) to color the letters. In order to get good coverage, I had to stamp the letters twice.
     Here is the whole ensemble.

I got the backpack for $1 at Mike’s.

I bought the t-shirts and onesies at Wal-Mart. I washed them without any detergent or fabric softener and dried them without any drier sheets (per transfer paper instructions).

For the onesies, I used fabric glue to secure the ribbon to the giraffe’s neck. I used Fray Check on the ends of the ribbon to make sure they wouldn’t fray.

And here is everything in the backpack and ready to give.

Stamps: PTI Sweet Baby
Ink: Memento Lady Bug, Pear Tart, Tangelo, Danube Blue
Other: Unknown White ribbon; PTI alphabet dies and coordinating dies for Sweet Baby; Dark t-shirt transfer paper

Thanks for stopping by. I know it has been eons since I last posted, which brings me to my graceful out that there is a reason my blog is entitled as it is.

I hope you have a magnificent and magical holiday season!

WMS October Release-Day 4

2011-10-15T13:00:00.000-05:00

Hello and thank you for joining us for the release of Waltzingmouse Stamps October stamps sets. There a six sets available for purchase today (you can visit the store by clicking on the link above).

The Design Team is having our traditional blog waltz today. Claire’s blog lists the entire design team dance card so if you get lost along the way, visit her blog and she will get you back in step. We are showcasing two fabby treat sets, Candy Jar Christmas and Candy Jar Christmas Fillers. These sets are yummie all the way around!

I made some tags to adorn the holiday treats I will be making. Once again, I got carried away and only touched the very surface of the possibilities that these two sets offer.

I found this box at Michael’s.

I found this jar at Walmart. They had an assortment of sizes to choose from. I think it makes a cute countertop presentation. Shhhh! These cookies are not homemade. On my way home from the store I thought of a great idea for spicing up ginger snaps. Take vanilla icing and mix it with crushed starburst mints (red or green, possibly both combined). Then spread it between two ginger snaps (probably best if homemade). With a frosting mixture using the red and another frosting mixture using the green, I think they would make rather festive holiday treats!

Here is a picture of just a tag so you can see how I sandwiched the twill loop in between the two Nesties.

And a picture of a back of the tag. All the tags are the same except they each have a different circular saying in the middle. There are a total of four circle sayings so it worked out perfect. I’m thinking it would be best to use a Black medium tip Sharpie to fill out the To: and From: so that it stands apart from the circle sentiment.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Candy Jar Christmas, Candy Jar Christmas Fillers, Very Vintage Labels No. 2, Vintage Circles, Small
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; SU! Handsome Hunter, Cherry Cobbler
Ink: SU! Handsome Hunter, Cherry Cobbler
Other: Spellbinders Grand Calibur, Nestabilities;PTI Fresh Snow twill and satin ribbon

Your next dance partner is the one and only Laurie! You won’t want to miss her wonderful creation(s)!

Of course there is a PRIZE to be had! The prize is a WMS stamp set of choice. The winner is chosen from a random drawing of the comments left on one of the Design Team member’s blog. Commenters have until October 17th 11:59 PM, 5:5 9AM Central, 3:59 AM Pacific and 6:59 AM Eastern. The winner will be announced on Claire’s blog October 18th.

Thank you so much for joining the design team and me over the past few days. I really appreciate all the awesome comments! I thank you for taking the time to leave them. And that’s a wrap up on the October release. Now we’ll be looking to see what you’ll be creating!

WMS October Release-Day 3

2011-10-14T02:00:00.000-05:00

First off, a big thank you to all you ladies and the gent who’ve left me such wonderful comments. Today is the Day 3 of the Waltzingmouse Stamps October Release, the day before the release. Tomorrow, you will be able to purchase the sets we have been showing you, plus the two sets we will be highlighting tomorrow on the design team blog waltz. Stay tuned!

Today the design team is showcasing 2011 Holiday Ornaments and Santa’s Coming to Town. I apologize, I got so carried away with the ornaments that I forgot to budget time for Santa. I don’t want to end up on his naughty list. That’s for sure! So, I will definitely be making time for Santa in the very near future.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps 2011 Holiday Ornaments, Flourishes-Scallops and Dots, Seasons of Love-Tags, Very Vintage Christmas, Festive Foliage, Frame It, Say it Loud-Winter Holiday
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa, Cottage Ivy: SU! Cherry Cobbler, Going Gray, Elegant Eggplant, Soft Sky
Other: i-rock, Hot Rocks crystals; WRMK Corner Chomper

Lastly, I wanted to leave you with some of my tips about making paper bows:
For both kinds, you’ll want to use a light-weight paper (I used SU! Whisper White, which I think is the maximum thickness you’d want to use). Most DP would be perfect. Heavier-weight paper will crease instead of bend.
For the more complex bow, I used good ol’ glue to put it together, instead of staples or brads. I feel glue gave me more control in arranging the bow “petals.” Plus, there is less bulk. Then, instead of the measurements on the SCS tutorial, I used the following for the big bow: All strips were 3/4” wide, 8 @ 5 1/2,” 4 @ 4 1/2” and one at 3 1/2.”

And I’ve hoped you’ve come to expect it because there is so much more inspiration for you that is just a click away!

Anya Schrier
Becca Feeken
Belinda Chang Langner
Clare Buswell
Julia Aston
Jennifer Holmes
Kate Whelan
Kelly Schirmer
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynn Mercurio
Mona Pendleton
Niki Estes
Sandie Dunne
Tosha Leyendekker
Claire Brennan (Owner)

WMS October Release-Day 2

2011-10-13T02:00:00.000-05:00

It’s the 2nd day of the Waltzingmouse Stamps September release and I am now back on schedule. Today the design team is showcasing Nordic Winter. I call it the “sweater set.” This is my mostest favoritist set of the release. In trying to describe how much I love it, I say this: If I were stranded on a deserted island for a year and could only have one stamp set, this would be it. I haven’t even begun to touch the tip of the possibility iceberg with this set.

I like to make items that can be reused because then I feel spending a little extra time on them is worth it. For today, I chose to make a trio of gift boxes because I thought they would best highlight this awesome set. I used two different tutorials for the bows, which you can find here and here. I don’t ever think I want to buy a bag of smooshed holiday bows again. The ornament tag is a sneak peak of one of the sets we will be highlighting tomorrow.

And since pictures are worth a thousand words, here is a pictorial on how I got (or tried to get) my borders to line up on all four sides of the box (if it’s not, please let me know).

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Nordic Winter
Paper: PTI SS White (for boxes), SU! Whisper White (for ribbons and ornaments)
Ink: SU! Bordering Blue, Basic Gray

Are you as excited by this release as I am? If so, you’ll want to keep on clickin’ and just watch as your excitement continues to grow, grow, grow!

Anya Schrier
Becca Feeken
Belinda Chang Langner
Julia Aston
Jennifer Holmes
Kate Whelan
Kelly Schirmer
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynn Mercurio
Mona Pendleton
Niki Estes
Sandie Dunne
Tosha Leyendekker
Claire Brennan (Owner)

WMS October Release-Day 1

2011-10-12T02:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my second first day of an unexpected Waltzingmouse Stamps October release. I was a day ahead of myself an accidentally published this post yesterday. Whoops! So, I’ve taken this opportunity to add a few more pictures.

Wait until you feast your eyes on what Claire is releasing this month! I’ve had a hard time putting one set down in order to move on to the next. All the images conjure up so many great ideas.

Claire designed 6 sets for the upcoming holidays that were just too fabulous to wait until the scheduled November release. Now you will be able to get the sets with time to use them on your holiday projects. The sets will be available for purchase on Friday, October 14^th.

Today, the design team is showcasing Seasonal Remedies. The stamps coordinate with Spellbinder’s Nestabilities, likely ones you already own. The set is perfect for food and beverage type gifts, whether they be homemade or store bought.

My project is based on a Lauren Meader design that caught my eye a few years ago. I went out and bought the beverage cups but lacked the motivation to do anything with them… until I saw Seasonal Remedies and inspiration sprang forth. The cups were a lot easier for me than the cup holder. It’s probably because it was the first one I made and I had no idea what I was going to do. I used glue dots to attach the knotted ribbon and for some reason me and glue dots we just don’t get along. I’m going to go back and glue the ribbon on with good ol’ Elmer’s and then I will be satisfied. I like glue. It’s reliable. It takes awhile to dry on ribbon but it’s worth it. I will be making one more for the other two cups and am optimistic it all will go more smoothly. I stuffed my cups with two flavors of cocoa and a mini bottle of Baileys-yum yum yum. Overall, I think it is a fun and rather inexpensive little gift.

And the following two pictures are after I have re-glued my ribbon knots onto the cocoa clutch. It’s a subtle, but it makes all the difference in the world to me.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Seasonal Remedies, Very Vintage Christmas (flourishes on cocoa caddy), Holiday Labels No. 14 (frame around Pure Christmas Spirit image), Ovals-Classic Frames (frame around Goodwill image)
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; SU! Pool Party; PTI Lemon Tart
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; SU! Summer Sun
Other: Spellbinders Grand Cailbur, Nestabilities; i-rock, Hot Rocks crystals; Archer Farms beverage cups (purchased at Target, I’m not sure if they’re still available); SU! ribbon; Copics

I appreciate you stopping by (again) to take a look. I hope I’ve inspired you in some small way with any plans you’ve had for upcoming holiday gifts. Please be sure to check out the other DT ladies, creative genius awaits you!

Anya Schrier

Beeca Feeken

Julia Aston
Belinda Chang Langner

Jennifer Holmes

Kate Whelan (Me!)

Kelly Schirmer

Laurie Schmidlin

Lynn Mercurio

Mona Pendleton

Niki Estes
Sandie Dunne

Sarah Martina Parker

Tosha Leyendekker

Claire Brennan (Owner)

And in response to a post I made on the Waltzingmouse Forum. Here’s how I organize my WMS. I used foam board and a glue gun. I’m beginning to outgrow it now so I will have to think of ways to expand it to fit in the limited space available on my crafting tables.

Bits ‘n’ Pieces–Pumpkin

2011-09-21T07:30:00.000-05:00

Although my blog has been silent for most of the summer, there sure has been a lot going on behind the scenes. After my appendectomy at the end of June, I had a quiet recovery during July, with the exception of finding out I was being “displaced” (no worries here, this is a blessing). In August, I had far too much time on my hands to stir up plenty of domestic mischief. I managed to sprain my ankle doing yard work and to slice the skin off the back of three of my fingers (beware of kitchen mandolins), severing the tendon in one of them, which surgery wasn’t able to fix. I have a pin in my right middle finger to hold the tip of it straight.

Oh, and then there is my basement craft room! It is now a dry haven. The wall that was leaking has been rebuilt (it’s gorgeous) and the backyard has been completely re-graded and landscaped (love it). I painted my basement (I’d been holding off on this until the problem was fixed), cleaning the carpets and doing other minor fix ups. It’s turning out to be quite the pleasant space. This has led to me to re-paint the rest of my home.

So enough with the yada-yada…onto the card! The post is called Bits ‘n’ Pieces because, as a WMS fan would know, I have used several bits and pieces from many different Waltzingmouse Stamps sets. When Claire released Asian Gardens Additions, she mentioned using one of the lanterns as a pumpkin and this idea stuck with me because it was brilliant. The leaves are from Rescue Remedies. While I was playing around, I discovered the flower image from the Rescue Remedies set makes perfect wheels for a Cinderella-type carriage (bippity-boppity-boo)-more to come on this. I used the pumpkin top from Halloween Party, the flourishes are from Flourishes-Scallops and Dots and the border stamp and small snowflake/star are from Very Vintage Christmas. The sentiment comes from the Peace and Plenty set. I used the period/dot from Victorian Alphabet to soften the line between the border and the pumpkins.

Waltzingmouse Stamps sets used:

InLinkz.com

WMS September Release-Day 4

2011-09-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the day! The sets the design team has been showcasing over the last three days are available for purchase today! Golly, there has been an outpouring of creative inspiration from the design team ladies, don’t you agree? So many fantastic ideas to CASE and techniques to try.

So let’s get to waltzing. Claire’s blog is where the party starts. Julia Aston was your previous partner and Laurie Schmidlin is the next one up on your dance card.

And of course, there is a prize up for grabs! Someone will win a stamp set of her or his choice!! The winner will be chosen from a random drawing of the comments left on one of the Design Team member's blog. You have until September 21st 11:59 PM, 5:59 AM Central, 3:59 AM Pacific and 6:59 AM Eastern.

Today we are showing the winter version of A Cottage Home. It’s called A Christmas Cottage. This is my favorite set from the release. It just has oodles and oodles of potential. I have such a hard time making cards using only one set, but I did it with this card. I hand to slap my hand from adding the Santa in the sleigh image from Twas the night before Christmas…the size it just perfect to slip into the sky behind the house. It will make for a fun addition on future cards.

I used a combination of Copics and colored pencils with OMS. I found that the Copics are great to lay down a base color and the colored pencils work perfectly for the shadows/darker areas. It is easier for me to stay in the lines with colored pencils. And boy oh boy did I use Stickles. About three layers of the stuff (apply a coat wait till it’s dry and then apply another). I get a good chunky/dimensional coating using this process. I cut out the front entryway and popped it up with foam tape. Somehow, with all the supplies I have surrounding me I have to add a bit of bling or ribbon or both. My cards just don’t seem finished without it.

Thanks for joining me over the last few days and taking the time to comment on my projects. I look forward to visiting your blogs and seeing your creations!

WMS September Release-Day 3

2011-09-18T02:00:00.000-05:00

     I must thank you all again for your comments. I appreciate you taking the time to leave me words of inspiration! Well, tomorrow’s the day. The design team will have a blog waltz and the four amazing sets we’ve been previewing will be available to purchase!
     Today the Waltzingmouse Design Team is previewing Hocus Pocus. It is an awesome set that has fabulous sentiments and images that coordinate wonderfully with previously released WMS Halloween sets.
     My background uses previously released WMS sets. All other images, with the exception of the bat, are from Hocus Pocus. I hope my use of multiple sets shows you how well the new and “old” all work together.

This is one of the mega-sized dies from Spellbinders. It is part of a set especially designed for album making. I used it to create the intricate edges on my card. Exploring what Spellbinders dies one has can lead to a whole new way of using them, for edgers as an example. I need to remember this when I feel I’ve hit a layout rut. Of course, the Mischief Makers solve this problem on a weekly basis!

I appreciate you stoppin’ by for a peak of what’s in store for this month. But the fun certainly doesn’t stop here. The other design team members have fabulous peeks to share with you!

Anya Schrier
Belinda Chang Langner
Claire Brennan
Clare Buswell
Jennifer Holmes
Julia Aston
Kate Whelan (Mi, mi, mi, miiii)
Kelly Schirmer
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynn Mercurio
Niki Estes
Sandie Dunne
Sarah Martina Parker
Tosha Leyendekker

September Friends of WMS Blog Hop

2011-09-17T16:07:00.001-05:00

(Please scroll down to the next post for WMS September Release-Day 2 preview)

For the blog hop I’m sharing a sneak peek of tomorrow’s Waltzingmouse Stamps preview, Hocus Pocus. The set includes a fabulous cameo of Wanda, which I chose to feature on my tags. The ravens and the sentiment (love, love, love that font) are also from the Hocus Pocus set. Well, I’m off to put the finishing touches on tomorrow’s post.

I plan to hop tomorrow afternoon. I look forward to seeing all of your wonderful Halloween creations! Thanks for stoppin’ by!

WMS September Release-Day 2

2011-09-17T02:00:00.000-05:00

I thank you ladies for all of your wonderful comments yesterday. I appreciate all of the inspiration you sent me! So, here we are for day 2 of Waltzingmouse Stamps September release. Definitely worth the wait, don’t you agree? Did you check out Becca and Kelly’s debut? Totally awesome wasn’t it? They blew me away. Today, Clare is joining us so you know you’re in for a treat. Rock on WMS!!!
Today all of the design team ladies are previewing Say it Loud-Autumn/Winter. Awesome, huh? Well, that’s our Claire. She is right on target, even blindfolded and with her back to the target. There’s just no stopping her (thank goodness for us all)!! In addition to the sentiments from Say it Loud-Autumn/Winter, I used Frame It and Festive Foliage.

Oh yes, you know it. Of course, there is so much more to see so please continue on your journey and see all of the creative inspiration the rest of the design team is sharing today!

Anya Schrier
Becca Feekan
Claire Brennan
Clare Buswell
Jennifer Holmes
Julia Aston
Kate Whelan >URHere<
Kelly Schirmer
Laurie Schmidlin
Mona Pendleton
Niki Estes
Sandie Dunne
Sarah Martina Parker
Tosha Leyendekker

I’m sorry to say that I was confused yesterday. This isn’t a SOAP month so there is no CASE competition. However, there is still a reason to stay tuned! If you leave comments on the DT’s blog waltz posts on 9/19/11 you’ll be up for a chance to win a free stamp set of your choice!

WMS September Release-Day 1

2011-09-16T02:00:00.000-05:00

There’s a lot to share today, both eye candy and info wise. First off, welcome to day 1 of Waltzingmouse Stamps September release.

     There are three new design team members joining us today! Woohooo!!! These ladies are uber talented and so inspirational (they get one’s mojo flowing) and I am so pleased to have them join the team. I’m sure you’ll find them to be familiar faces. Please welcome Becca, Clare and Kelly!

     The stamps we will be showcasing over the next few days will be available for purchase on September 19th. Stay tuned because we all have a lot of lovelies to show you with the four sets that will be releasing this month. Plus, the CASE competition is on the 19th. Stay tuned for the deets, but as the name suggests, you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled for a design team member’s card that inspires you.

     Today the design team is showcasing A Cottage Home. I decided I wanted to make a crafty version of a “we’ve moved” announcement. It will be a set (wouldn’t ya know I ran out of Cherry Cobbler cardstock-humph!). All of the images, except the birds (Tiny Trees), the frame around the sentiment (Fancy Frames), and the address block image (Victorian Frippery) are from A Cottage Home.

Here’s what the back of the card looks like. This is another single-layer, non-fold card. Perfect for mailing.

Please check out what the other design team ladies have to offer. You will not be disappointed! Thanks for stopping by!

Anya Schrier
Becca Feekan
Claire Brennan
Jennifer Holmes
Julia Aston
Kate Whelan (That’s me and you’re here)
Kelly Schirmer
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynn Mercurio
Niki Estes
Sarah Martina Parker
Tosha Leyendekker

WMS August CASE Competition Winner

2011-08-11T18:11:00.001-05:00

The winner of the Waltzingmouse Stamps August CASE competition is Jeanne J. and this is her awesome CASE of Sarah’s card. Congrats Jeanne!! Your card is absolutely gorgeous *sigh*.

     Also, I want to spotlight those who CASE’d and improved upon my August SOAP cards. It made me feel great, so thanks ladies! I will have to CASE you CASE’ing me! I just love what you did. An awesome showing of creativity, to be sure.
     Deborah Frings-HERE and HERE
     Lori Techler
     Sue Plote
     Genevieve
     Cathy Weber
     Lynn Wild
     Laurie J.
     The next WMS CASE competition will take place in October so please stayed tuned!! Thanks for stopping in!

WMS August SOAP-Day 4

2011-08-04T02:00:00.000-05:00

     Thank you, ladies, for all of your inspiring comments. I hold them near and dear to my heart.

     I mentioned it before and now is the time for You, my friend, to get you crafty. WMS invites you to participate in a CASE (Copy and Share Everything) competition.

     What you need to do: Find a card or project from any of the design team’s posts over the past four days of the August parade; CASE that project using Waltzingmouse Stamp images and link it using the Inlinkz on Claire’s blog at http://waltzingmouse.blogspot.com/.
     At the end of the competition, one project will be randomly selected to be highlighted with a Parade of its own on several of the Design Team blogs.
    When you need to do it by: You have one week to complete and link your project. The competition will close at 8:00 AM Claire’s time on August 10th, which is 3 AM Eastern, 2 AM Central and Midnight, Pacific time. The winner will be announced on Claire’s blog on August 11th.

The WMS Design Team is on its last day of the Waltzingmouse Stamps Stamp of Approval Parade (SOAP). Today we all are rewinding to showcase Afternoon Tea. My card today is supposed to look like a hand-painted teakettle, fluid and far from perfect. I found when I lined all the layers up straight in preparation to assemble the card…(crickets)…boring! Was it hard for me to make sure everything, even the ribbon was a little off? A double heck yeah it was!! But hand-crafted isn’t always (and doesn’t always have to be) perfection.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Afternoon Tea, Cameo to Go (leaf/heart image), Cameo Creations (small leaf/heart cross), You’re Lovely (medium & small flower and flourish), Flourishes-Scallops & Dots
Ink: Pool Party, Island Indigo
Paper: SU! Very Vanilla, Pool Party, Island Indigo
Ribbon: PTI Vintage Cream saddle stitch
Other: Unknown White acrylic paint; toothpick (to make dots)

The end of the parade draws near. Please be sure to stay to the end and keep on clicking. There is a lot of inspiration yet to see!

Anya Schrier
Claire Brennan
Jennifer Holmes
Julia Aston
Kate Whelan (It’s me)
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynn Mercurio
Mona Pendleton
Sandie Dunne
Sarah Martina Parker
Tosha Leyendekker

WMS August SOAP-Day 3

2011-08-03T02:00:00.000-05:00

It’s day 3 of the Waltzingmouse Stamps Stamp of Approval Parade. Tomorrow is the final day and the official start of the CASE competition. Check back tomorrow for all of the deets.
Yep, you guessed it. I am continuing on with more backgrounds from sets released this past July. I’m running out of days and haven’t even used half of the released sets. Can’t help it, I was just really drawn to the cameos and ovals this month.

When I make a background:

I always experiment on scratch paper first. It’s how I come up with my ultimate design and avoid wasting cardstock. It also allows me to get a feel for how the stamps line up with each other, and to see what fits and what doesn’t.

I always make mistakes, but I try my best to incorporate the mistake into my design or hope I can cover it up in the finished layout. If not, I cut it out and try to salvage what remains. In art, a consistent wrong can become a right.

I never manage to get everything lined up straight, to heck with it; I try to cover it up the same way I do my mistakes. The beauty of the human eye is that it naturally compensates for unevenness. Of course, a discerning eye can always spot where I am off, but remember that most people aren’t looking for the mistakes, they’re looking at the beauty.

I used Text It and Cameos to Go for this background. I had an open space I wanted to fill and the little scrolled fan image from Vintage Labels 2 fit perfectly, both size and style wise. First, I stamped all the scrolled oval frames (starting in the center of the paper and working out), then I stamped the cameos. Next, I came back and filled in with the fan image. Lastly, I stamped a Text It image over everything.

For this background, I started by stamping the small heart/leaf cross from Cameo Creations in the (what I perceive to be and never is) center of my card. From there I used the coordinating oval from the same set and stamped all around the cross, coming back to alternate between the cross and the oval to complete the design. Then I came back and stamped the solid oval from Ovals-Classic Frames (check closely, it’s not lined up at all but it doesn’t really affect the overall image). Lastly, I stamped the couple over the solid oval. And there you have it! I am supposing visuals would be more helpful. I will try to do that in the future.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Text It, Cameo Creations,Cameo to Go, Vintage Labels 2 (small scroll fan), Sweethearts (large I Love You), Ovals-Classic Frames
Ink: SU! Peach Parfait, Soft Suede, Pool Party, Island Indigo
Paper: SU! Peach Parfait, Soft Suede, Pool Party, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade
Ribbon: PTI Hawaiian Shores grosgrain; Unknown Lucky Limeade look-alike grosgrain (better match IRL)
Other: i-rock Crystal Hot Rocks; Spellbinders Grand Calibur, Nestabilities

And please be sure to continue clicking on through the parade, there is a lot more design team eye candy to see!

Anya Schrier
Claire Brennan (Creative diva extraordinaire)
Jennifer Holmes
Julia Aston
Kate Whelan (Me)
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynn Mercurio
Mona Pendleton
Sarah Martina Parker
Tosha Leyendekker

WMS August SOAP-Day 2

2011-08-02T02:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome back for day 2 of the Waltzingmouse Stamps Stamp of Approval Parade. We are showcasing new ways to use the sets from the July release. On Day 4 we provide the details for the monthly CASE competition, so keep your eyes peeled for a design team member’s card that inspires you.

I’m focusing on all the ways to create fun and easy background papers with the sets from July’s release. Today, I came up with a fruity twist on vintage. I used my background papers to represent wallpaper and a chair rail…and there hangs the portrait. I just love these colors together. They’re just so fresh.

My background paper is made with the heart/leaf cross and circle cameo stamps from Ovals-Classic Frames.

I wanted the bottom wallpaper to have a smaller repeat to it so I used the same heart/leaf cross stamp and created the same pattern but instead of stamping the cameos in the middle I continued using the heart/leaf cross.

Claire’s sets are unique in that you will find the same elements in multiple sizes and shapes running through multiple sets. I can’t tell you how much I love that. It make her older and newer sets flow seamlessly together.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Ovals-Classic Frames, Cameo to Go
Ink: SU! Peach Parfait, Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, Pool Party (love the name of this one)
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream; SU! Peach Parfait, Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, Pool Party (love the name of this one)
Other: Spellbinders Grand Calibur, Nestabilities

And like any good parade we want you to keep marching on to see all of the inspiration that the design team has in store for you.

Anya Schrier
Claire Brennan
Jennifer Holmes
Julia Aston
Kate Whelan (Me!)
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynn Mercurio
Mona Pendleton
Sandie Dunne
Sarah Martina Parker
Tosha Leyendekker

WMS August SOAP-Day 1

2011-08-01T02:00:00.000-05:00

     Thank you! Thank you for joining us on day 1 of the Waltzingmouse Stamps Stamp of Approval Parade. The design team is highlighting new and different ways to use the stamps from last months release. The design team has four days of great ideas lined up for you. For the first three days, we’re using stamps from WMS July release and on day four we’re rewinding to re-showcase “Afternoon Tea.”
     For this month’s SOAP, I am focusing on backgrounds. Yes, you’ve probably noticed a lack of DP on this blog…and not because I don’t own any. For me, I feel it is just one to many things to throw into the mix…and maybe, just because, I’m an old-schooler.
     OK, I can’t lie. I’m feeling rather crafty with the pineapple image. It wasn’t anything I thought up before hand (which always seems to be the best, from past experience). Sometimes I can just remember the fab bits and bobbles Claire includes in a set and then the light bulb goes off.

     Here is the background I started with. I used the leaf image from Ovals-Classic Frames. My inspiration came from the brilliant card Joan made here. I then stamped an image from “Text It” to fill in the background. I have to give a big shout out and thank you to my step-mom. She gave half of her new SU! “In Color” paper and let me use her new in color stamp pads as well. Definitely helped with sparking my creativity.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Ovals-Classic Frames, Around Christmas (pinecone), Join Us, Text It, Vintage Labels 18
Ink: SU! Lucky Limeade, Chocolate Chip, Calypso Coral; Versamark
Paper: SU! Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
Ribbon: Unknown White
Other: Superior Filigree White embossing powder

Please hop on to see the wonderful inspiration that awaits you!!!

Anya Schrier
Claire Brennan
Jennifer Holmes
Julia Aston
Kate Whelan (Moi)
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynn Mercurio
Mona Pendleton
Sandie Dunne
Sarah Martina Parker
Tosha Leyendekker

Free Spirit-Boy “Girl Style”

2011-07-04T21:28:00.001-05:00

Aloha, here is the gift I started making for my niece a year ago. I was afraid if I waited any longer to finish them they might not fit. I went through a lot of trial and error using different embossing powders and inks until I came up with something that I thought looked decent. By the time I got the first shoe done, I didn’t want to look at fun foam for a real long time.

What I did was to stamp the hibiscus cluster from the Waltzingmouse Stamps set Free Spirit-Boy on fun foam using black pigment ink and embossing them with black embossing powder. The tip here is to use pigment ink that matches your embossing powder. I didn’t get very good results using Versamark.

Because I was putting the flowers on black flip flops, I colored the backs and sides of each piece with a Black Bic Sharpie. I think this step would have been unnecessary if I used white flip flops.

I colored the flowers with Copics and attached the crystals. All the pieces are arranged in the order they will be placed around the shoe’s band. I used 3 full flowers and 2 partial flowers. I embossed a total of 5 full flower trios.

I used caulk on the shoe I made last year and it held up well. I thought caulk was a good choice because it is waterproof and stays flexible. I don’t know what brand I used on the other shoe (it was something different), but today the caulk wasn’t working nearly as well. Not sure if it was the type of caulk or because I was in a rush but I ended up supplementing with super glue and it turned out to be easier and seemed to bond quite well. The super glue didn’t need the elaborate clothespin set up to keep everything in place like the caulk did while it dried.

An additional thought I had for this project would be to try it with white embossing powder on colored fun foam.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Free Spirit-Boy, Free Spirit-Sentiments, Bitty Banners
Ink: Memento; VersaMagic Midnight Black
Paper: PTI Kraft; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
Ribbon: PTI Summer Sunrise grosgrain
Other: i-rock Crystal Hot Rocks; Copics; Unknown gift bag; Ranger Black Super Fine Detail embossing powder; Unknown flip flops

Thanks for checking in and for a great July release. I am anxious to see what everyone makes with their new goodies! I will have to check in with my niece this summer to see how they have held up. I’d love to know if you decide to give the flip flops a try.

WMS July Release-Day 4

2011-07-01T13:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the day!! Woohooo!! Waltzingmouse Stamps is releasing 8 new sets today and the design team has been giving you plenty of eye candy highlighting all the sets over the past 4 days. And the eye candy continues today, so step in time with the design team’s blog waltz. You’ll want to start off at Claire’s blog. Thanks for following along with us.

My card today showcases Eat Cake. Yummm. The multi-layer cake comes in two sizes and I used the largest. There are plenty of decorations to choose from and I pretty much used them all. I didn’t use the background stamp, but boy is it a beauty. Other design team ladies have showcased it. I think it would look awesome paired with the tiara stamp from Dainty Doilies 2-Small. I kept my card real simple since my cake is a bit over the top-love it. The leaf comes from Earth Angel (an awesome set just for the fixings, not to mention the cute little angel and all her wings).

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Eat Cake (July ’11), Earth Angel
Ink: Memento
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
Ribbon: PTI
Other: Yellow Stickles

Your next dance partner is the fabulously creative and light on her toes Julia. Happy shopping!

WMS July Release-Day 3

2011-06-30T02:00:00.000-05:00

     Wow! It’s day 3 of the Waltzingmouse Stamps July release. Tomorrow’s the big day!! Big hugs and blessings for all your comments and get well wishes!
     There are eight sets releasing this month, so it is a bit of a challenge in itself to show you every set to it’s fullest…I’m sure that’s why Claire has such an awesome (and large) design team; everyone is sure to show you something different and cover all the bases.
     Today, I am showing you my most favorite set of this release, You’re Lovely. age style sentiment are all from the set.

For some reason the bottom corners photographed funky. IRL, the bottom corners are the exact same as the top. Not quite sure what photography trick was at work, but you get the gist. Here, everything but the sentiment is from You’re Lovely. The sentiment, you saw it yesterday (yes, I love it), is from Big Day Essentials. Once again, this is a flat panel card. The idea here is to run the silver cardstock through the printer for all the deets and then attach the decorative panels. I think this card could work for both a wedding or a prom. If used for a prom, it could be sent to a bunch of girlfriends for a “let’s get ready together” get-together.

This card also uses the You’re Lovely set, but the flowers are from the Eat Cake set, which I will be showing you tomorrow. That fabulous flourish is from the first of a series called Flourishes-Scallops & Dots. The oval shadow stamp from Ovals-Classic Frames is perfect to ground the image. I used Victorian Frippery for the border because it is the perfect vintage compliment.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Flourishes-Scallops & Dots (July ’11), Eat Cake (July ’11), You’re Lovely (July ’11), Victorian Frippery
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Pear Tart, London Fog
Paper: PTI Sweet Blush, Spring Moss, Silver Shimmer; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; SU! Basic Gray
Other: Copic markers, Spellbinders Grand Calibur and Fancy Tags die; i-rock Crystal Hot Rocks, WRMK Corner Chomper; Recollections adhesive faux pearls

To make sure you see all eight sets to their fullest, you will want to make sure to make the rounds to all the design teams’ blogs…

Anya Schrier
Belinda Chang Langner
Bonnie Sharp
Claire Brennan (She’s so fabbby!)
Jennifer Holmes
Julia Aston
Kate Whelan (You guessed it!)
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynn Mercurio
Mona Pendleton
Niki Estes
Sandie Dunne
Sarah Martina Parker
Tosha Leyendekker

WMS July Release-Day 2

2011-06-29T02:00:00.000-05:00

     Welcome back for day 2 of Waltzingmouse Stamps July release! Thank you oh so much for the comments. I always love to hear what you have to say!
     Today the WMS Design Team is showcasing two wedding-themed sentiments that are large and oh so lovely.
     I am continuing my post from yesterday and showing you the inside of the gift card holder. Today it is all about the sentiments and I just love how Claire made them so elegant. *sigh*

To finish off the front of the insert, I used the background stamp from Asian Gardens for a very simple border and it visually ties the insert and the outside of the card together.

The inside is a bit hard to see what I’ve done. The insert is three fold with one end glued onto the middle section. Before I glued it, I punched two small holes and cut a slit connecting them making the opening to insert the gift card.
I think these two sentiments are wedded bliss! They both come from the soon to be released set Big Day Additions.

Like I said yesterday, I think this holder could be tweaked to become an easy wedding invitation. There is room for a reply envelope and the slot could hold the RSVP and reception info instead of a gift card. My goal is to try to make this into a template and post for you all to use. Wish me luck!!!

Next up, a “save the date” card. Actually, it is not a card in the sense that you open it up; it’s just one panel. I designed it so that it could be run through a printer (before the embellishments are added) to add the names of the parties and the date. A magnet could be added to the back so it can be hung on the recipient’s fridge. The hearts are from the previously released set Sweethearts. It makes an awesome compliment to this month’s release…think Valentine’s and then some. I will play with the combo more for August’s SOAP.
The rests of the sets are from this months release. The large oval and matching border are from Ovals-Classic Frames. The silhouettes are from Cameo Creations, The sentiment comes from Big Day Essentials

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Asian Gardens, Sweethearts, Big Day Additions (July ’11), Big Day Essentials (July '11), Ovals-Classic Frames (July ’11), Cameo Creations (July ’11)
Ink: SU! River Rock, Real Red; Ranger Antique Linen; VersaMagic Midnight Black
Paper: PTI Aqua Mist; SU! Very Vanilla, River Rock, Real Red; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
Ribbon: Unknown lace
Other: Recollections adhesive faux pearls

My friends, creative genius is just a click away…

Anya Schrier
Belinda Chang Langner
Bonnie Sharp
Claire Brennan (She’s so fabby)
Jennifer Holmes
Julia Aston
Kate Whelan (U R here)
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynn Mercurio
Mona Pendleton
Niki Estes
Sandie Dunne
Sarah Martina Parker
Tosha Leyendekker

WMS July Release-Day 1

2011-06-28T02:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome, welcome, welcome! Welcome to the first day of Waltzingmouse Stamps July release!!! Things are pretty romantic this month... oh la la!! I was ready for some Nestie-friendly oval stamps and if you’re like me, well, then this release will have you especially excited! Wooohooo!
I opted for a clean and simple romantic look because my “shabby chic” always seems to turn into “shabby chit”. Leaving paper “plain” is a real hard thing for me to do. I am on the fence about all of that plain Aqua Mist just glaring at me, but I keep telling myself that I am going for the “understated elegance” look and I keep slapping my hand hand as it tries to grab a stamp.

I copied the template for this gift card holder from one I received for my birthday. I think it could do double duty as a wedding invitation with some minor tweaks. I used stamps that we are showcasing tomorrow on the inside, so there is a bit of a surprise element here…I will show you the inside of the holder and what the insert looks like (think BIG) tomorrow. The July release sets I used are Oval-Classic Frames for the oval leaf border and Cameo Creations for the couple. I used the background stamp from Asian Gardens for the belly band because it is elegant with a natural feel.

The cameo of the young girl, the frame and the sentiment are from soon to be released (July 1st) Cameo to Go set. The scalloped border stamp (i.e., half an oval) is from this month’s release Ovals-Classic Frames.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Asian Gardens, Cameo to Go (July ‘11 release), Cameo Creations (July ‘11 release), Ovals-Classic Frames (July ‘11 release)
Ink: SU! Blushing Bride, River Rock, Crumb Cake; Ranger Antique Linen
Paper: SU! Whisper White, Very Vanilla, Blushing Bride, River Rock; PTI Aqua Mist; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
Other: Spellbinders Grand Calibur, Nestabilities; Recollections adhesive faux pearls

On a personal note, I had a surprise appendectomy last Tuesday and am finally feeling back to myself. Hopefully, I have had the last of a wet basement (it flooded again while I was in the hospital). The landscapers, and potentially a carpenter, are working to resolve the problem once and for all. I couldn’t be more ecstatic to have a dry stamping room!!!

Please keep on clickin’ because the rest of the design team ladies have creations to share that I know you won’t want to miss!

Anya Schrier
Belinda Chang Langner
Bonnie Sharp
Claire Brennan (Ms. Brennan, if you’re Janet Jackson)
Jennifer Holmes
Julia Aston
Kate Whelan (That’s me!)
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynn Mercurio
Mona Pendleton
Niki Estes
Sandie Dunne
Sarah Martina Parker
Tosha Leyendekker

Spring Sunset

2011-06-13T20:01:00.001-05:00

I am blogging from my deck tonight. I thought the following card was appropriate because it was inspired by a sunset I watched twinkle and glimmer through the new spring leaves while sitting on my deck a few weeks back. Now I find I am inundated with swarms of mosquitoes. I’ll have to find a remedy for that because deck blogging is so much better than in the creepy crawly basement blogging!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Tiny Trees, Victorian Alphabet (period), Asian Gardens, Asian Gardens Additions, Free Spirit-Boy
Ink: SU! Early Espresso, Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Pink Pirouette; Memento; Versamark
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
Ribbon: Unknown
Other: Silver embossing powder

Unfortunately, the mosquitoes have won and I am forced to head back indoors. Thanks for poppin’ by for a look!

WMS June SOAP-Day 4

2011-06-04T02:00:00.001-05:00

Whoops! I had an exhausting day and almost pulled a Rip Van Winkle, but I awoke in the nick of time! Today is the day the design team is rewinding to showcase an oldie but goodie, Free Spirit-Boy.
I know, I have had way too much fun with these die-cut bags, but with their being only $1 for 12 of them it turned out to be a win-win situation! I think today’s bags would work great to hold a gift card or small treat for a little guy.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Free Spirit-Boy, Free Spirit Sentiments, Bitty Banners, Very Vintage Labels No. 3
Ink: Memento
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Dollar store die-cut bags
Other: Spellbinders Calibur & Nestabilities

Thank you all for following along with us! I appreciate your comments so much and have enjoyed reading them. They brighten my day!

Now, the deets on the CASE (copy and share everything) competition!
Find a card or project from any of the projects posted over the past few days by the WMS Design Team, CASE that project using Waltzingmouse Stamp images, and link it using the Inlinkz on Claire’s blog at http://waltzingmouse.blogspot.com/. At the end of the competition, one project will be randomly selected to be highlighted with a Parade of its own on several of the Design Team blogs.
You have one week to complete and link your project as the competition will close on June 10th at 8:00 AM Claire’s time, which is 3 AM Eastern, 2 AM Central and Midnight, Pacific time. The winner will be announced on Claire’s blog on June 11th.

It’s time to check out more of the creativity the design team ladies have to share so keep on clickin’! :)

Anya Schrier
Belinda Chang Langner
Bonnie Sharp
Carly Robertson
Claire Brennan (The one who makes it all possible)
Jennifer Holmes
Julia Aston
Kate Whelan (You are here)
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynn Mercurio
Mona Pendleton
Niki Estes
Sandie Dunne
Sarah Martina Parker
Tosha Leyendekker

WMS June SOAP-Day 3

2011-06-03T02:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome back and thanks for joining us for day 3 of the Waltzingmouse Stamp of Approval Parade. The design team is offering up more creative ways to use the stamps from the May release. I am sharing a quick set of five mini thank you note cards tucked in a matching bag (two of the five are in the bag). It will make a nice hostess gift. The cards should work perfect for a quick note of thanks.
Tomorrow the design team will be showcasing Free Spirit-Boy. We will also be providing more details on the June CASE competition, so keep your eyes peeled for a design team member’s card that inspires you!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Dainty Doilies 2-Small, Dainty Doilies-Large (sentiments), Very Vintage Christmas
Ink: SU! Real Red
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Dollar store die cut box
Ribbon: PTI Pure Poppy

You’ll want to keep on clickin’. The rest of the gals have tons more inspiration to share with you!

Anya Schrier
Bonnie Sharp
Carly Robertson
Claire Brennan
Jennifer Holmes
Julia Aston
Kate Whelan (You are here)
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynn Mercurio
Mona Pendleton
Niki Estes
Sandie Dunne
Sarah Martina Parker
Tosha Leyendekker

WMS June SOAP-Day 2

2011-06-02T02:00:00.000-05:00

Howdy!! Today is the second day of Waltzingmouse Stamps June Stamp of Approval Parade. I call today’s post “Rhinestone Cowgirl,” woohooo! I was going for a bandana/Western theme. I got a bit carried away on the card’s bandana background. I was intending to go for a more CAS background, but I got carried away (with all the bits and pieces in WMS sets it’s way too easy to get carried away). I will have to give CAS another shot! ;)

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Gingham & Co., Dainty Doilies-Large, Free Spirit-Boy, Back in the Saddle, Faux Fun Circles (small flower), Vintage Alphabet (period), Victorian Frippery, Vintage Banners (small star), other misc. WMS sets
Ink: Memento Lady Bud, Tuxedo Black; PTI Fresh Snow; SU! Real Red
Paper: PTI Pure Poppy; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Unknown dollar store die cut bag
Ribbon: PTI True Black saddle stitch; Unknown black gingham
Other: Spellbinders Nestabilities, Grand Calibur; i-rock Crystal Hot Rocks; Copic marker

Please be sure to see what the rest of the design team has whipped up!

Anya Schrier
Belinda Chang Langner
Bonnie Sharp
Carly Robertson
Claire Brennan
Jennifer Holmes
Julia Aston
Kate Whelan
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynn Mercurio
Mona Pendleton
Niki Estes
Sandie Dunne
Sarah Martina Parker
Tosha Leyendekker

WMS June SOAP-Day 1

2011-06-01T02:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first day of Waltzingmouse Stamps (WMS) June Stamp of Approval Parade (SOAP)! The WMS Design Team is showcasing the stamps from the May release over the next three days (June 1-3). On June 4th, we rewind it back a bit to highlight an older stamp set and details will be provided on the June SOAP CASE competition.
I was in Wal-Mart when I saw the traditional picnic print tablecloths on display. Gingham & Co. was just the ticket to create the background for summer BBQ invites (I had July 4th in mind for us in the U.S.). I used the small flower from Faux Fun Circles to complete the tablecloth design. I thought using red would be perfect, since it is the “standard” tablecloth color, but I like the blue background best.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Gingham & Co., Faux Fun Circles, Join Us, Bitty Banners, Vintage Banners (small star),Vintage Alphabet, Very Vintage Labels Nos. 2, 3 & 4
Ink: Memento Danube Blue, Lady Bug
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
Ribbon: Unknown Red & Blue gingham
Other: Spellbinders Nestabilities, Grand Calibur

More design team inspiration is only a “click” away!!

Anya Schrier
Belinda Chang Langner
Bonnie Sharp
Carly Robertson
Claire Brennan (The one and only!)
Jennifer Holmes
Julia Aston
Kate Whelan (Me!)
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynn Mercurio
Mona Pendleton
Niki Estes
Sandie Dunne
Sarah Martina Parker
Tosha Leyendekker

Belated H2ndB WMS!

2011-05-23T15:44:00.001-05:00

Dear me! It had been a bit of a sudden whirlwind. I was to start my bar prep course and I had been trying to finish up a little of little odds-n-ends until I discovered I overlooked the biggest odd-n-end of all. My bar app!!! I missed the deadline. No exceptions are made. I will have to wait until the next exam at the end of February. I was lucky enough that I can switch my bar prep course from summer to winter. I just made the deadline on the cheap side. I had to FedEx 32 pounds of books back for 2nd day delivery. Had it been next day the cost would have been somewhere between $300-$600. Hopefully, there is a lesson learned here. I am still trying to wrap my head around it all. On top of it, there is water seeping into my basement craft room from all the rain we’ve had.

I want to wish Claire and Waltzingmouse Stamps a belated Happy 2nd Birthday!!! I am so honored to be a part of the WMS Design Team. Claire’s creativity is unparalleled, she always manages to come up with the most versatile and unique designs. WMS just keeps getting better and better! Way to go Claire on a rockin’ 2 years!

The £200 (approx $324USD) of WMS goodies went to the very lucky Deb C of the blog Tinkering with Ink : Engineering Creativity. Yay Deb!

My card today isn’t a birthday card, but a redo. I just didn’t like how the first one turned out, so much so, I decided to redo it.

For the redo, I ripped of the vellum and decided instead to try and cut the vellum with a Nestie. It worked great and so did the SU! ink. I got great ink coverage with one try. I think the shape of Labels No. 5 Nestie along with the WMS Very Vintage Labels No. 5 stamp make the card.

I didn’t like how the ink I originally used wouldn’t give a good impression on the vellum. I stamped it three times and this was the best impression I could get. It just doesn’t pack the punch like the redo. And I think the shape of the vellum, although true to the sketch, didn’t accent the background or the sentiment the way the Labels No. 5 does.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Very Vintage Labels No. 5, Victorian Frippery, Words of Wisdom
Ink (redo): SU! Early Espresso, Baja Breeze; PTI Fresh Snow
Paper: SU! Aqua Mist; Unknown vellum
Ribbon: PTI Fresh Snow velvet
Other: Spellbinders Labels No. 5 Nestibilities, Grand Calibur; PTI Aqua Mist button

Well, I think my craft room carpeting might be dry enough to move things back in. I am preparing for the June WMS Stamp of Approval Parade (SOAP). Be sure to check out Claire’s and the design teams’ blogs on June 1st for fun and fresh new ways to use you May release goodies!

Blessing and Faith to you and thanks for stoppin’ by!

WMS May Release Wrap Up

2011-05-03T22:04:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much for all of your wonderful comments that you left on my blog this release!!! WOW! My blog has been smokin’ from all the activity!

     The winner of the free Waltzingmouse Stamps set of choice is Shirley N. for the comment she left on my blog! Thanks Shirley and CONGRATS!!

     Next up is the napkin test challenge. I stamped plain napkins for the release with Memento ink, which I heat set with my embossing heat gun. For deets, see this post. I had concerns about what would happen when the napkins were used and many of you were curious as well. So here are the results. I was surprised the napkins held up as well as they did. I finally ended up pouring water on the napkin because it was holding up so well.

A bit of a snafu… When stamping monograms it’s important to make sure one gets the initials correct. How do I know? Well, I learned the hard way. If your initials are SCD and/or your first and last initials are SD and your husband’s are DC and you would like me to send you the corresponding cards, etc. (items in first five pictures) from Day 2 of the Waltzingmouse Stamps May release, the first person to leave a comment expressing interests gets them.

Lastly, I contacted Tsukeniko. I’ve finally come to the realization that Memento inks are the best on the market, especially for acrylic stamps. I’ve had a hard time converting to this mindset because of the lack of muted colors, matching paper, ribbon, etc. What won me over is that Memento inks cover splendidly on whatever type of paper you might be using, whether it’s PTI’s Stamper Select White or paper you pick up at Wal-Mart. For me, I like that great results are a no brainer. Just ink up your stamp and have at it. This is just my opinion…Tsukeniko has no idea who I am or what I am up to. The response I received is that, YES, more colors of Memento ink are on their way. Because of the devastating effect of the earthquake, the release date is unknown at this time. Definitely something to look forward to!

Thanks ladies, my first Waltzingmouse Stamps release was a BLAST!!!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Dainty Doilies-Large, Say it Loud, Gingham & Co., Very Vintage Christmas
Ink: Memento
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

WMS May Release Blog Waltz

2011-05-01T13:00:00.000-05:00

     Today is the day and now is the time for the Waltzingmouse Stamps May release and the Design Team’s Blog Waltz!!
    If you have arrived here from Laurie's blog, then you are right in step. If you just happened to cha-cha onto my blog, you may want to start at Claire’s blog. She has a complete list of the Blog Waltz order, in case you get lost dancing to the tune of your own drum.
     Leave a comment for a chance to WIN!!! Leaving a comment on today’s DT blog posts will enter you into the drawing for a stamp set of your choice. You have until 11:59 pm Eastern, 10:59 pm Central and 8:59 pm Pacific time on May 2 to comment. You don’t have to, but commenting on each and every blog will increase your chances of winning.

The first card I am showing you is my favorite of today’s bunch. It has a picnic tablecloth kind of feel to it. The sentiment is from WMS Say it Loud. I used the largest of the three gingham designs from Gingham and Co. for the background. The doilies are all from Dainty Doilies-Large set.

Here, I used WMS Dainty Doilies 2-Small for the background, Say it Loud for the sentiment and the line border is from Very Vintage Christmas.

This next card was the prototype for yesterday’s cards. I used WMS Dainty Doilies-Large and Say it Loud.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Gingham & Co., Dainty Doilies-large, Dainty Doilies 2-Small, Say it Loud, Very Vintage Christmas
Ink: Memento
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest White; Unknown vellum
Ribbon: Unknown Black gingham
Other: Spellbinders Grand Calibur, Nestabilities; i-rock Crystal Hot Rocks; WRMK Corner Chomper; Copics (to color Crystal Hot Rocks)

Your next dancing partner is the lovely and talented Julia! I hear she is a light on her feet and a real twinkle toes! Oh, she creates fabulous cards too!!!!!:) And that is a wrap up for this month’s release. I can hardly wait to see all the creations YOU make with the new sets! I appreciate all of you visits and am especially thankful for your comments!! Happy shopping!

WMS May Release–Day 3

2011-04-30T03:00:00.000-05:00

     Welcome back for the third day of Waltzingmouse Stamps May release! Tomorrow’s the big day so please be sure to waltz along with the Design Team before the official release. All of your comments have really got me pumped! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your comments!
     Please be sure to visit Claire’s blog and check out the posts from the first two days because there are BIG prizes to be had; you don’t want to miss out!!
     Today the WMS Design Team is featuring Dainty Doilies-Large and Dainty Doilies 2-Small. I used Dainty Doilies-Large and I am also peeking “the quiet side” of Say it Loud for my sentiments (thanks to Anya for the inspiration).
     I felt like I was channeling “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” when I was stamping my backgrounds. I wanted to keep the sentiments small to show off as much of the backgrounds as possible. It provided the perfect opportunity to match the small sentiments from Say it Loud with the smaller very vintage Labels stamps.
     Onto the cards!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Dainty Doilies-Large (available 5/1/11), Say it Loud (available 5/1/11), and Very Vintage Labels No. 3, 4, & 5
Ink: Memento
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; PTI SSW (for the Nesties)
Ribbon: Unknown White
Other: Spellbinders Grand Calibur and Nesties

Please be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team’s posts. There is certainly a lot of doily eye candy to be had!!

Anya Schrier

Belinda Chang Langner

Kate Whelan (Me!)

Sandie Dunne

Sarah Martina Parker

Tosha Leyendekker

WMS May Release–Day 2

2011-04-29T03:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you all so much for your comments on my Day 1 post! I read them throughout the day and they really made me smile, so thank you! “Join Us” is the Waltzingmouse Stamps set that the Design Team is previewing today. This is the set that I could not put down (as evidenced by the longest post in my blog history). And for those of you, like me, who might not be an “us” but a “me”… no worries-Claire’s gotcha covered! The set covers nearly every type of celebration and the options with mixing and matching between sets that you might already own make for infinite possibilities.
I love monograms and I think the Join Us set is perfectly complimented by the WMS Victorian Alphabet.

For the casual summer get together…

How did I do the napkins? Super simple. I used dye ink (Memento) and stamped 4-5 napkins at a time. I laid the napkins on the floor and then dried them using my heat gun. Drying within minutes after stamping prevented the ink from bleeding. Because I used dye ink, I figure if the napkin gets wet the colors will likely will bleed, but I figure it’s ok for cocktail napkins because most people don’t really use them (if plate and coasters are provided).

For Thanksgiving…

For Christmas…(easily changeable for any winter celebration)
I used the small gingham print from Gingham & Co. for the background. I used a small circle Nestie to emboss inside the wreath. It really adds a classy touch.

Babies-For a boy…
Here I did not ink the star in the wreath (seen above) so that I could substitute the cute baby pins included in the set instead.

For a girl…

More possibilities I would like to try include onsies, cloth napkins, and flour sack dish towels.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Join Us, Gingham & Co. Victorian Alphabet, Very Vintage Christmas, Free Spirit-Sentiments, Nutcracker Sweet
Ink: Memento; SU! Pretty in Pink
Paper: PTI SS White, Vintage Cream
Ribbon: PTI Spring Rain gingham
Other: WRMK Corner Chomper; Spellbinders Grand Calibur, Nestabilities

Sorry, I didn’t mean to be a release hog, I just lost my self control! Please be sure to check in on all the design team’s blogs but words of warning-be prepared to be blown away!! Thank you for joining us!

WMS May Release–Day 1

2011-04-28T03:00:00.002-05:00

Wooohooo! Thanks for joining me on my first Waltzingmouse Stamps countdown. The WMS Design Team has a ton of inspiration to share with you over the next three days that lead up to the release and the Blog Waltz on May 1st (prizes are to be had-stay tuned)! Keep you eyes on WMS…you won’t be disappointed!
Today I am showing you the “non-gingham” part of the soon to be released set of Gingham & Co. The stamp is a great polka dot background builder. Stamp size is no limit because you can match all sides of the stamp to create any size you want. Plus, I am giving you a few peeks of what is to come over the next few days.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Gingham & Co., Dainty Doilies 2-Small, Dainty Doilies-Large, Roses in Bloom, Spring Baskets, Say it Loud, Very Vintage Christmas
Ink: Memento Dandelion, Cantaloupe, Tangelo, Bamboo Leaves
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
Other: Copics, i-rock Crystal Hot Rocks, WRMK Corner Chomper

Tip: You can see the difference in images between a “juicy” and “please re-ink me” pad. The green pad needs to be re-inked and gives a more distressed imprint while the orange pad has given a solid imprint. Ink and re-ink to your personal preference!

Anya Schrier

Belinda Chang Langner

Bonnie Sharp

Carly Robertson

Claire Brennan

Jennifer Holmes

Julia Aston

Kate Whelan

Laurie Schmidlin

Lynn Mercurio

Mona Pendleton

Niki Estes

Sandie Dunne

Sarah Martina Parker

Tosha Leyendekker

I appreciate you stopping by today! Please be sure to visit the other design team member’s blogs to see all of the amazing creativity on display today!

Vernal & Autumnal–Tiny Trees Style

2011-04-25T03:00:00.000-05:00

Today is a tribute to two out of my 3 1/2 seasons (I can only love about 1/2 of winter). Tiny trees is definitely a set with unlimited seasonal options. I have made several different seasonal cards with the set and I still haven’t even used half of the set. One thing I have found is that SU! inks seem to work best on super smooth papers like SU! Whisper White and Very Vanilla.

I got a bit carried away with building this tree. It overgrew its trunk so I had to extend the trunk below the sentiment to keep it balanced. The ribbon border? Well, that covers up the faux stitching border that went awry.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Tiny Trees, Frame It, Off Beat Backgrounds, Victorian Alphabet (period), Spring Baskets
Ink: SU!
Paper: SU!; PTI SS White (base card)
Ribbon: PTI Dark Chocolate twill; Unknown Copic-colored thin white ribbon; Unknown White crochet thread
Other: PTI Buttoned Up #1 die

Wishing you glorious spring wishes with many thanks that fall is far in the future. Thanks for springin’ by!

Little Frieda’s Flower

2011-04-24T19:02:00.001-05:00

Happy Easter! I have been cooking up a storm this weekend. I made a great egg bake, which I highly recommend. You can find the recipe here.
Today’s card is pretty basic because I wanted to keep the focus on this super cute little girl, Frieda. Frieda is the star of the show at The Craft’s Meow. She’s just so darn cute!

Stamps: The Craft’s Meow Little Frieda’s Flower
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: PTI SS White, Lemon Tart, Aqua Mist
Other: Copic markers

Thanks for hoppin’ by! Makes sure to check out the sneaky peeks on Claire’s blog. The WMS May countdown starts on April 28!!!!

Never Say Never

2011-04-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

Today’s card came into being based on a background I made while messing around to see what kind of design I could come up with. It turned out to be a bright, cheery and motivating kind of card perfect for a guy.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Free Spirit – Boy, Very Vintage Labels No. 5, Words of Wisdom
Ink: SU! Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, Tempting Turquoise
Paper: SU! Pacific Point, Whisper White
Ribbon: Unknown turquoise
Other: Spellbinders Nestabilities, i-rock Glam Rocks – Mirror

Thanks for stopping by and have an uplifting day!

Gee Thanks!

2011-04-18T13:37:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all of my wonderful commenters and followers. I appreciate y’all!! Somehow the 17th got away from me and I missed the Waltz. Guess I better put that date on my calendar. I look forward to stopping by and seeing what you have made.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Bitty Banners, Way Out West (large star), Very Vintage Labels No. 2, Vintage Banners (small star), Musical Backgrounds, Very Vintage Christmas
Ink: Memento London Fog, Rhubarb Stalk; SU! Basic Gray
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream
Ribbon: PTI Vintage Cream grosgrain
Other: WRMK Corner Chomper; Spellbinders Grand Calibur, Nestabilities

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Very Vintage Labels No. 2, Bitty Banners, Back in the Saddle, Way Out West (large star), Vintage Banners (small star), Musical Backgrounds, Very Vintage Christmas
Ink: SU! Bordering Blue, Basic Gray; Memento Rhubarb Stalk, Tuxedo Black
Paper: SU! Bordering Blue; PTI Vintage Cream
Ribbon: PTI Rustic Cream Button Twine
Other: Spellbinders Grand Calibur, Nestabilities

Gee, thanks for stoppin’ by!

It’s an Eggstra Special Day!!!

2011-04-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

Today is day 4 of the April Waltzingmouse Stamp of approval Parade (a/k/a SOAP)! Some of you may have already anticipated this (dear, lovely Stella), but today is my first post as a Waltzingmouse Stamps Design Team member!!! YAY!! Joining with me today are Niki and Tosha! I couldn’t be more honored or excited!!! Claire and the rest of the gals are some of the most talented women from around the globe! I have always found them to be a source of awe and inspiration! (P.S. I will be at work when this posts and will be updating my blog with the Design Team links later today. I didn’t want to jump the gun and spoil everyone’s surprise.)
For my card today, I did a bit of traditional and non-traditional masking. I don’t like to cut masks, so when I do I cut them out of a lightweight cardstock rather than normal printer paper or post-its. This way, I can use the mask more than once without fear of bleed-throughs. My “non-traditional” masking comes from the way I removed the basket handle. I stamped the body of the basket as close to the edge of my stamp pad as possible. Then, I used a wet wipe to remove the bit of ink that got on the handle. I removed some of the basket in order to make sure I removed all of the handle because I knew I could draw/trace it in later.

     I cut out the large egg group and glued it onto the main image and then drew/extended the top line of the basket onto the eggs. This way it looks like the eggs are inside the basket as opposed to the straight edge left by the paper when I glued it on. It’s a small touch that visually completes the image (and hopefully distracts from the messy “o” in the sentiment…I hate when I have fuzz attached to my stamps that I don’t know about until it’s too late!!!).

     And now (drumroll please), the biggest surprise is that it’s time for you to get your craftiness on and participate in a CASE (Copy and Share Everything) competition. All you need to do is find a card or project from any of the projects posted over the past few days by the WMS Design Team, CASE the project using Waltzingmouse Stamp images, and link it using the Inlinkz on Claire’s blog at http://waltzingmouse.blogspot.com/. At the end of the competition, one project will be randomly selected and highlighted with a Parade of its own on several of the Design Team blogs. We all hope this competition inspires your creativity.
     Please note, you have one week to complete and link your project. The competition closes at 8:00 AM Claire’s time on April 10th, 3 AM Eastern, 2 AM Central, and 12 AM Pacific time. The winner will be announced on Claire’s blog on April 11th.

Please be sure to continue on to the rest on the DT's wonderful creations!

Anya Schrier

Belinda Chang Langner

Bonnie Sharp

Claire Brennan

Jennifer Holmes

Julia Aston

Kate Whelan

Laurie Schmidlin

Lynn Mercurio

Mona Pendleton

Niki Estes

Sandie Dunne

Sarah Martina Parker

Tosha Leyendekker

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Spring Baskets
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: PTI SS White, Hibiscus Burst
Ribbon: PTI Hibiscus Burst grosgrain
Other: Nestabilities; Copics; Prismacolor colored pencils; Odorless mineral spirits; Copic Multiliner SP 0.05

We hope that y’all enjoyed the first Waltzingmouse Stamp of Approval Parade; highlighting last month’s sets and the classic Spring Baskets set.

What a Day!

2011-04-03T02:30:00.000-05:00

I can’t tell you how much I love the new Waltzingmouse Stamps Back in the Saddle and Way out West sets, and I’m not even country folk…but, hey, there’s no need to be! ;)

I think this card’s sentiment makes it very versatile. It could be used for a birthday, graduation, possibly even a Western-style wedding. Apparently, I had a bit of trouble getting the black mat cut straight. ;)

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Back in the Saddle, Way out West, Bitty Banners, Earth Angel (small star), Vintage Banners
Ink: SU! Ridinghood Red, Sahara Sand; Memento Tuxedo Black; Ranger Distress Antique Linen
Paper: SU! Ridinghood Red, Basic Black; PTI Vintage Cream
Other: Nestabilities

On this next card, I used a watercolor pen to go over the lines of the mountains to give them a softer look. I watercolored on some Marigold Morning near the skyline to soften the transition to the cream paper. I also used the pen to make the foreground look like it was covered in mist. Super simple and quick ways to add some visual interest.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Way out West, Back in the Saddle, Vintage Alphabet (period), Wanda’s Pantry (lizard)
Ink: SU! Soft Suede, More Mustard, Bravo Burgundy, Cajun Craze; Memento Tuxedo Black; Ranger Distress Antique Linen
Paper: SU! Soft Suede, Cajun Craze; PTI Vintage Cream
Other: SU! linen thread (braided), word window punch

Wishing you happy trails on your journeys today! Thanks for stoppin’ by!

Way Out West

2011-04-02T16:17:00.000-05:00

     Where the wild things are and the only thing to guide him is the evening star. He’s the roughest, toughest man I know and his name is Cowboy Joe.
     He always sings ragtime music but the Western folks all know…
     Whatta they know?
     That he’s a high falutin’, rootin’ tootin’ son-of-a-gun from Arizona (shout out to Mona!)
     Ragtime cowboy (jazz hands Belinda!), talk about your cowboy….
     Ragtag time Cowboy Jooooe! Yeah! (more jazz hands)

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Back in the Saddle, Earth Angel (small star), Free Spirit – Boy (small concentric circle), Way out West
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; SU! Soft Suede, Ridinghood Red, Sahara Sand; Ranger Distress Inks Antique Linen
Paper: SU! Soft Suede; PTI Vintage Cream; Unknown vellum
Other: Nestabilities

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Back in the Saddle, Earth Angel (small star), Way out West, Very Vintage Christmas, Victorian Alphabet (small dot)
Ink: SU! Sahara Sand, Soft Suede; Memento Tuxedo Black, Back Magic; Ranger Distress Antique Linen
Paper: SU! Soft Suede; PTI Vintage Cream

Yee haw, baby! Ya better round up the posse because there’s a new sheriff in town! :)

Party on Dude

2011-04-01T17:10:00.001-05:00

I thought the guitar stamp from WMS set Back in the Saddle could transition into a rockin’ acoustic guitar with the help of a few other WMS sets! My original intent was to create a teen guy card…I should have had the foresight that a rainbow background is more teen girl so that is what the card evolved into. Then I thought, ok, camouflage colors should be pretty dude-like and thus, the idea for the second card was born. I guess I had to get the “girl” out of my system before I could start thinkin’ like a “dude”…ummmhmmm! I’ll probably give ‘em to my stepmom to give to my teenage niece and nephew for their birthdays.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Back in the Saddle, Earth Angel (heart), Midnight Feast, Free Spirit – Sentiments, Holiday Labels No. 14, Vintage Banners (3 small stars), Musical Backgrounds
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Lady Bug, Tangelo, Dandelion, Pear Tart, Bahama Blue, Grape Jelly
Paper: PTI SS White
Ribbon: PTI Fresh Snow twill

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Back in the Saddle, Earth Angel (heart), Midnight Feast, Free Spirit – Sentiments, Vintage Banners (3 small stars), Off Beat Backgrounds, Bitty Banners, Very Vintage Christmas
Ink: SU! Always Artichoke, Old Olive, Sahara Sand, River Rock; Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream; SU! River Rock
Other: i-rock Glam Rocks - Mirror

Tip: SU! inks can be stamped over immediately (e.g., the stars on the guitar), but I found that with Memento inks, the base ink has to dry fully before stamping on top of it or else the two stamped images bleed together and the second image ends up disappearing.

And always remember to never get to old to keep on rockin’ in the free world! Have a kick-bootie Friday!

Bunny in Egg

2011-03-27T09:01:00.001-05:00

Because I have been so into circle cards lately, I decided to try to make a “sugar egg.” For me, there is something fascinating about looking into sugar eggs. I tried to capture the tunnel-like effect in my card by shading around the edges of the bunny, and the “egg” itself is popped up on foam tape. I drew in the grass to give the bunny somewhere to sit.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Li’l Buddies, Faux Fun Circles
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; SU! Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Barely Banana, Wild Wasabi
Paper: PTI SS White
Ribbon: Unknown White
Other: Nestabilities; Cotton Candy and Frosted Lace Stickles; Copics; Sakura Micron 005 Black marker

Thanks for hippity-hoppin’ by on your blogging trail!

WMS Friends March Blog Waltz

2011-03-17T03:00:00.000-05:00

Mmmmmm! Cupcakes!! Jennifer Holmes’ post was my inspiration. My post is half St. Patrick’s Day and half post-Valentine’s Day (still playing catch-up). Once I started stamping these cupcakes, I just couldn’t get enough! The cupcakes in this set are just like the ones that I would want to eat…I love frosting!! Mmmmmm!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Frame It, Pic-Nic Patterns, Off Beat Backgrounds, Sweethearts, Earth Angel (heart)
Ink: SU! Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, Marigold Morning, Soft Suede, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Rose Red
Paper: SU! Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose; PTI SS White
Other: Peeled Paint Distress and Cotton Candy Stickles; Fiskars Treading Water border punch; Copics

Happy St. Patricks Day to you all and thanks for waltzin’ by!

Graduation 2011

2011-03-16T07:30:00.000-05:00

I just love this wreath with the ribbon. When I started out, I had no intention of making a graduation card. I was going to make a monogrammed note card but when I saw the cap in the WMS free Spirit–Boy set I thought I would play around with it. This is what I came up with. I think it is a clean and classy graduation card. School colors could easily be substituted. I opted to use the lower case “l” instead of the “1” because there were two of those in the Victorian Alphabet set… and nobody knows except you and me! Now I am ahead of the game, if I happen to know someone who is graduating this Spring!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Free Spirit – Boy, Off Beat Backgrounds, Very Vintage Christmas, Fancy Phrases, Nutcracker Sweet, Victorian Alphabet
Ink: SU! Pear Pizzazz, Concord Crush; Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: SU! Very Vanilla, Pear Pizzazz; PTI Vintage Cream
Other: Nestabilities; WRMK Corner Chomper

See you tomorrow on the Waltzingmouse Blog Waltz! Thanks for stoppin’ by!

Delightful Doilies

2011-03-15T07:30:00.000-05:00

I was on the fence about the Delightful doilies set, but my hesitation was unfounded. The set has so many possibilities that don’t all scream “doilies.” There are a lot of fun design elements in this set to play with.

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Delightful Doilies, Polka Dot Basics, Fillable Frames #4, Everyday Treats
Ink: SU! Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum
Paper: SU! Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant; PTI SS White
Ribbon: PTI Plum Pudding saddle stitch, Unknown White
Other: Copics; i-rock Crystal Hot Rocks; EK Success 1 3/4” circle punch; PTI Doily Details Collection die

Have a delightful day and thanks for stopping by!

WMSC #38

2011-03-14T19:03:00.001-05:00

My very first circle card! It was a lot of fun to make-I’m not sure what took me so long. I felt like I have been in a layout rut, so what better solution that to try a Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge!
Now, I think I want to get into a circle card rut!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Spring Baskets, Off Beat Backgrounds, Pic-Nic Patterns
Ink: SU! Marigold Morning; Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: PTI SS White, Harvest Gold, Lemon Tart
Ribbon: Unknown White
Other: Copics; Nestabilites

Wishing you a spring in your step! Thanks for stoppin’ by!

PTI’s Make It Monday #2: Vellum Sentiment Strip

2011-03-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

Ok, so this is a bit more than a strip. I forget how much fun vellum can be and SU!’s ink works marvelously on it, which of course, adds to the fun. I stamped PTI’s BB Retro background in Tempting Turquoise, let it dry, flipped the vellum over and then stamped the flourish and sentiment in Marina Mist. Once everything was dry, I added two score lines and then the rhinestones and stickles. I think it turned out to be a bright and cheery card.

Stamps: PTI Star Prints, Background Basics: Retro, Polka Dot Basics II, Fancy Flourishes, Big & Bold Wishes
Ink: SU! Marigold Morning, Tangerine Tango, Tempting Turquoise, Marina Mist
Paper: PTI Harvest Gold; SU! Marigold Morning; Unknown vellum
Other: i-rock Crystal Hot Rocks; Turquoise, Yellow and Orange Peel Stickles; Copics; Unknown vellum tape; WRMK Corner Chomper; Martha Stewart Score Board

My big wish for you is that you have a brilliant day! Thanks for stoppin’ by!

L’il Buddies–Bees

2011-03-12T14:47:00.001-06:00

I have had a hard time putting down the L’il Buddies set. There are so many fun things to do with the images and so many different ways to use them. All of the animals and insects in the set are just so CUTE!! For the next two cards, I used the bees from L’il Buddies and Spring Baskets. Once again, the cards are clean and simple and pretty self-explanatory. I drew in the dots -“flight path”- to tie the images together and create a sense of movement. I drew pencil lines very lightly and then added the dots. I gave the dots time to dry (to avoid smearing) and then went back and erased the pencil lines. I just love these bees!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps L’il Buddies, Frame It, Spring Baskets
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; SU! Real Red, Tangerine Tango
Paper: SU! Real Red, Tangerine Tango; PTI SS White
Other: Copics, Sakura Micron 005 pen

Have a Bee-utiful day! Thanks for stopping by!

L’il Buddies - Lambchop

2011-03-08T21:45:00.001-06:00

More WMS L’il Buddies cards today…and it doesn’t end here. Once I started, I had to force myself to stop. There are so many fun things you can do with these images and sentiments.

For this card, I drew in the grass to “ground” the lamb (oops, that sounded bad…IOW, give him a “place” so he doesn’t appear to be floating in air).

On this card, I drew in the lamb’s mouth so that it would look like she was eating the wee clover leaf. I added some Stickles to the one clover leaf to add some sparkle and make it stand out a bit more. I am hoping I used the “i’m in clover” sentiment correctly because I am not 100% familiar with the saying. I think that the way I have used it sounds convincing…at least to me!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps L’il Buddies, Celtic Heritage (shamrocks), Sweethearts (“with”), Frame It
Ink: SU! Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery; Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: PTI SS White; SU! Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery
Other: Peeled Paint Distressed Stickles; Copics; Sakura Pigma Micron 005 pen

Have a wonderful day… with no mint jelly in sight!
(Sorry, I just couldn’t resist!)

L’il Buddies - Chick

2011-03-06T18:13:00.001-06:00

I can tell Spring is on its way (even though it’s snowing outside right now). It’s lighter in the morning and the birds have started to sing again. Spring is all about cute baby animals, so I decided to play with my Waltzingmouse Stamps L’il Buddies set. I made a trio of clean and simple cards featuring two of the little chicks.

On this card, I stamped the crumbs multiple times and I turned the stamp each time so that the crumbs didn’t have an obvious repeat pattern.

For this card, I masked the chick-in-egg and then stamped the pile of eggs from WMS Spring Baskets two times, being mindful of the stamped frame.

On this next card, I decided to add a few free-hand touches to the plain egg from WMS Spring Baskets. Unfortunately, the pen I used has a tendency to smear. I am thinking I may have to look into Copic’s drawing pens.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Frame It, L’il Buddies, Spring Baskets
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU! Marina Mist, Crushed Curry, Bashful Blue
Paper: SU! Marina Mist, Crushed Curry, Bashful Blue; PTI SS White
Other: Copics, Sakura Micron 005 pen

Keep that spring in your step and thanks for stopping by!

A WMS Christmas Twofer

2011-03-04T13:30:00.000-06:00

It’s a sporadic second post for today. I thought I would continue the theme of WMS Christmas cards that I made this past holiday season. I think this card turned out rather bright and cheery…and merry too! For the little holly leaf I used the maple leaf from WMS Tiny Trees. I used a white gel pen to draw the leaf veins and then I smudged them a bit to soften the look. For some depth/interest/variation, I stamped over one of the three small berries a second time with the period/small dot from WMS Vintage Alphabet.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Victorian Alphabet, Tiny Trees, Seasons of Love – Tags, Oven fresh Gingerbread Joy, Faux Fun Circles
Ink: SU! Poppy Parade, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Sahara Sand
Paper: SU! Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White
Ribbon: Unknown – from my stash
Other: Nestabilities; Unknown silver pop can tab-like thing

Ho, ho, ho! Thanks for stoppin’ by…again!

A Memo from Santa

2011-03-04T07:30:00.000-06:00

This past Christmas, I wanted to design some stationery for Santa. I call the background paper on the top of the card “A Memo from Santa” because it looks like candy cane paper clips! The idea for the focal point came from Joan B.

Stamps: WMS Half Baked Gingerbread Joy, Oven Fresh Gingerbread Joy
Ink: SU! Early Espresso, Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede, Poppy Parade, Real Red
Paper: SU! Poppy Parade, Whisper White, Soft Suede
Ribbon: PTI Fresh Snow twill
Other: Nestabilities

Thanks for stoppin’ by!

Asian Gardens Trio

2011-03-02T07:30:00.000-06:00

I am featuring a trio of cards made with Waltzingmouse Stamps. I really love the way these cards turned out. It seemed like forever before I was able to pick up and get creative with these sets, even though I loved all the possibilities of them at first sight. For me, I think it has a lot to do with ink. To me, ink is as fundamental as the stamps. I had been under the impression that dye inks didn’t mix well with acrylic stamps. Anya Schrier proved me wrong. I invested in Stampin’ Up! inks and I couldn’t be happier. The range of colors that are ready when I am, inspires me. I discovered that I prefer dye inks with clear stamps. I feel that the combination allows me maximum control over stamp placement. Plus, it is so easy to clean the stamps with unscented baby wipes. (FYI… cleaning stamps was a MAJOR downer for me with pigment inks.) I am still not pleased that SU! retires their colors, but I am learning to live with and accommodate the fact; maybe it’s not all bad… with a bit of preparation. I like to focus on the stamps and my design; I don’t like to worry about matching paper with inks. This is something I look for when making an investment in paper and/or inks, and I am glad to see that other companies are beginning to see the value in the combination.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Asian Gardens and Asian Gardens Additions
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz, Poppy Parade, Going Gray, Sahara Sand, Early Espresso, Melon Mambo, Bordering Blue (Oh, how I love this color)
Paper: SU! Whisper White, Poppy Parade, Rich Razzleberry, Pear Pizzazz
Ribbon: PTI Vintage Cream grosgrain, Fresh Snow grosgrain
Other: Nestabilities, EK Success corner rounder

If you made it this far, thank you for hearing me out out! Have a fabulously awesome day! I appreciate you stopping by!!

PTI’s Make It Monday #1: Go-To Sentiment Cards

2011-03-01T07:30:00.000-06:00

I found PTI’s Make It Monday series rather inspiring. I made this pair of birthday cards and also a pair of similar thank you cards, which still need a finishing touch. I will post those later this week.

The story behind the next card is that I had a smudge on the bottom border. I am a messy stamper and am lucky to make a card that doesn’t have a smudge on it somewhere. Originally, the card had the same striped border as the one above. I thought adding to the border would distract from the smudge, but instead it drew more attention to it. On top of it, I grabbed the wrong green ink. So I decided to add a bow to hide the smudge... and soften the border. I am happy with the results.

Stamps: PTI Giga Guidelines, Background Basics: Retro, Borders & Corners {Rectangle}, Faux Ribbon, Mat Stack 1, Mat Stack 3, Birthday basics and numerous others
Ink: SU! Sahara Sand, Concord Crush, Old Olive, Always Artichoke (by mistake)
Paper: SU! Very Vanilla, Sahara Sand, Old Olive, Concord Crush
Ribbon: Unknown
Button(s): PTI
Other: PTI Mat Stack 1 & 3 dies; WRMK corner chomper; Fiskars Treading Water border punch; i-rock Mirror Glam Rocks

Thanks for stopping by!

Everyday Button Bits + Button Boutique

2011-02-26T13:00:00.001-06:00

     I suppose my blog should be titled “The Sporadic Blogger” because I stamp nearly every day. I graduated from law school in January and plan on taking the bar exam the end of July. My craft room is in the basement and it’s prone to flooding and insects. I finally have had time to thoroughly clean, disinfect, reassemble and reorganize my craft room. I am just puttering around with some finishing touches and then I should have everything under control…for now.
     I have a ton of cards made and photographed and a bunch of cards almost completed. I hope to start posting again in a timely fashion so that I can share them with you.
     I have been waiting for a set like PTI’s Button Boutique ever since they came out with their “button bits” sets and so far the two sets I have used have worked fabulously together. I couldn’t wait to share, so here are some images that haven’t made it onto cards yet. It’s the perfect way to have a mailable card using buttons! The idea to use shading to make the buttons look more realistic came from Debbie Olson – sheer genius!

Stamps: PTI Button Boutique, Everyday Button Bits, All About You, Vintage Labels; WMS Very Vintage Labels No. 2
Ink: SU! Not Quite Navy, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Tangerine Tango, Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Wild Wasabi, Perfect Plum
Paper: PTI SS White; SU! Not Quite Navy, Melon Mambo, Wild Wasabi
Other: i-rock rhinestones, Copics, Nestabilities

Thanks for checking in and have a fabulous Saturday!

WMSC #27 - Glad You’re in My Corner

2010-12-18T17:23:00.001-06:00

I am late once again posting my take on last week’s WM Sketch Challenge. I decided it was time to bow up a button Maile Belles style because I had some of PTI’s silk ribbon on hand and this week’s challenge called for a button. I like how it turned out.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Victorian Frippery, Afternoon Tea Sentiments, Rescue Remedies Additions, Very Vintage Labels No. 2
Ink: SU! Real Red, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight
Paper: SU! Daffodil Delight; Unknown White
Ribbon: SU! Pacific Point; PTI White silk
Button: PTI Pure Poppy
Other: Copic marker

Glad you stopped by my corner of blogland today!

WMSC #23

2010-11-15T18:41:00.001-06:00

It has been a long time since I participated in a Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge (WMSC). As I have said before, I love these challenges because I do not have to make a physical sketch of the sketch and I love that! The challenges are easy, peasy to remember! I just cannot do fussy layouts... Fussy stamping?
Well, that’s a whole different story !! Stamping can never (ok, almost never) be too fussy or intricate for me. I just love to see how stamps can work together to create an intricate pattern – although sometimes, I do go overboard. I just love how Claire’s stamps sets have so many bits and baubles that coordinate with each other.

Stamps: WMS Victorian Frippery, Fancy Phrases, Holiday Labels No. 14, Off Beat Backgrounds, Victorian Alphabet (small/wee dot), Very Vintage Labels No. 2, Text-It
Ink: SU! Mauve Mist, Perfect Plum, Going Gray
Paper: SU! Whisper White; Unknown vellum
Other: Unknown rhinestones

Have a simply maaarvelous day, daaaarlings! Thanks for stopping by!!!!

A Week of WMS Christmas-Day 7

2010-11-14T07:30:00.000-06:00

Stamps: WMS Tiny Trees, Text-It, Nutcracker Sweet, Very Vintage Labels No. 1
Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip; PTI Fresh Snow; Memento Tuxedo Black; VersaMagic Red Magic
Paper: PTI pure Poppy, Spring Rain, Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Soft Stone
Ribbon: PTI Pure Poppy grosgrain, True Black gingham; Unknown red & white stripe
Button: PTI
Other: Nestabilities, Stickles, crochet thread, Fiskars Treading Water punch, Cuttlebug Swiss Dot folder, PTI Guidelines impression plate

A Week of WMS Christmas–Day 6

2010-11-13T07:30:00.000-06:00

A repeat of the box I made yesterday. The stamped pattern is an amped-up version from Day 4’s post. These gift bags are a lot of fun to make. I just cut a 4 1/2” square, scored it1” in all the way around to make a box that it 1” high with a length & width of 2 1/2”. I stamped a 12x12” piece of paper (Colorbok), cut it in half (6x12”) and glued it around the outside of the box. I attached the grosgrain ribbon with double-stick tape.

Stamps: WMS Very Vintage Christmas, Seasons of Love – Tags, Compliments of the Season, Secret Set (still on loan),Vintage Circles, Small
Ink: SU! Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip
Paper: PTI Lemon Tart; Colorbok
Ribbon: PTI Terracotta Tile grosgrain; Unknown brown gingham
Button: PTI
Other: Stickles Cinnamon, X-Mas Red; Nestabilities; crochet thread

Thanks for stopping by!

A Week of WMS Christmas–Day 5

2010-11-12T07:30:00.001-06:00

And on with the countdown! Today is a gift bag that I have wanted to try ever since I found the tutorial by Diana Gibbs. Di’s blog is always a worth while read. I didn’t adhere to the instructions exactly, I changed the measurements. I am very happy with the results. Great for packaging home-made caramels or even a gift card.

Stamps: WMS Very Vintage Christmas, Seasons of Love – Tags, Nutcracker Sweet, Vintage Labels No. 3, Vintage Circles, Small
Ink: SU! Not Quite Navy, Bordering Blue
Paper: PTI SSW; Colorbok
Ribbon: PTI Enchanted Evening Swiss dot satin & saddle-stitch
Other: Nestabilities

My wish for you today is to keep your mojo risin’, which made me remember that Mr. Mojo Risin’ is an anagram for Jim Morison’s alter ego.

A Week of WMS Christmas–Day 4

2010-11-11T07:30:00.000-06:00

I continue on in my week-long count down of Waltzingmouse Stamps Christmas cards and such. A gracious shout out to Maile Belles and her fabulous bow tying tutorial. For me, it’s the little tips and tricks that make all the difference. Thanks to all you bloggers who share these gems! A big thanks for the wonderful comments. I really, really appreciate them! They always brighten my day!

Stamps: WMS Musical Backgrounds, Holiday Labels No. 14, Compliments of the Season, Very Vintage Christmas, Seasons of Love – Tags, Secret Set (Mrs. Claus let me borrow it)
Ink: PTI Fresh Snow, Ocean Tides; SU! Chocolate Chip
Paper: PTI Kraft, SSW, Simply Chartreuse, Scarlett Jewel
Ribbon: PTI Ocean Tides Swiss dot satin & grosgrain, Dark Chocolate Swiss dot satin,
Button: PTI
Other: Silver Stickles; SU! linen thread; PTI Favor It Box 1 die, Nestabilities

Soon snow will be glistening in the lane. I think we are possibly in for some snow here by the end of this week!

Keep stampin’ and stay creative! Thanks for stopping by!

A Week of WMS Christmas–Day 3

2010-11-10T07:53:00.000-06:00

I am continuing on in a week of more cards and less chit-chat.

Stamps: WMS Tiny Trees, Text-It, Very Vintage Labels No. 1, Nutcracker Sweet
Ink: PTI Fresh Snow; Memento Tuxedo Black; VersaMagic Red Magic
Paper: PTI Ocean Tides, Soft Stone
Ribbon: PTI True Black gingham ribbon
Button: PTI Ocean Tides
Other: Stickles; Nestabilities; crochet thread; Fiskars Treading Water punch

Have a bright and sunshiny day! Thanks for stopping by!

A Week of WMS Christmas–Day 2

2010-11-09T07:30:00.000-06:00

Stamps: WMS Musical Backgrounds, Big Blooms – Poinsettias, Compliments of the Season, Very Vintage Label No. 10, Very Vintage Labels No. 14, Very Vintage Circles, Small
Ink: PTI Scarlett Jewel; Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: PTI SSW, Scarlet Jewel
Ribbon: PTI Scarlett Jewel
Other: Ranger Glossy Accents, Kaiser Craft rhinestones

A Week of WMS Christmas–Day 1

2010-11-08T07:30:00.000-06:00

I have made enough projects, using sets primarily from October’s WMS release, that I can post something new every day for a week, so I decided to have my own countdown of sorts.

Stamps: WMS Musical Backgrounds, Seasons of Love – Tags, Very Vintage Christmas, Very Vintage Label No. 2, Very Vintage Labels No. 4
Ink: PTI Ocean Tides; SU! Chocolate Chip; Ranger Distress Ink Antique Linen
Paper: PTI Ocean Tides, Vintage Cream, Simply Chartreuse, Scarlet Jewel
Ribbon: PTI Ocean Tides
Other: Silver Stickles, Nestabilities

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous day!

The Sweet Life

2010-10-12T07:30:00.000-05:00

Today I am showcasing cards using a very fun Flourishes set called “Summer on the Patio.” The checkered background is stamped with WMS’ Off Beat Backgrounds. I was going with a French bistro theme. I used a combination of colored pencils with odorless mineral spirits and Copic markers. It’s not too obvious in the pictures but I used Glossy Accents on the ice cubes.

I colored the gingham ribbon with a yellow Copic marker.

The purse was cut using the Tags, Bags, Boxes & More cartridge. The sentiment on the tag is from Flourishes’ Cherries and peaches stamp set.

Have a fruitful day! Thanks for stopping by!

Haute Horror Trio

2010-10-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

Up today is the last installment in the “Haute Horror” trio. You can see my other two posts here and here. I used the Tags, Bags, Boxes & More cartridge to cut out the popcorn box. I covered the bats in Black Diamond Stickles. Once that was dry, I covered them with Glossy Accents. I also used Glossy Accents on the orange circles. I stamped the black satin ribbon with PTI’s Fresh Snow ink. I used WMS’ Midnight Feast, Wanda’s Pantry, and Afternoon Tea Sentiments (scrolls).

Here they are in all their gaudy glory!

Have a spooktacular day! Thanks for flying by!

Haute Horror Creepy Clutch

2010-10-10T09:45:00.001-05:00

The Cricut was chirping and I heeded its call! I used the Tags, Bags, Boxes & More cartridge. I felt the need to continue on in my “haute horror” theme. I am having way to much fun with the rhinestones. “Put the heat gun down and step away from the craft table.” I made this purse for a very cute neighbor girl. She likes purses… or at least she used to a few months ago. I used WMS’ Midnight Feast.

Here’s a close-up of Wendy the witch. I covered her in Black Diamond Stickles. I also put some Glossy Accents on her apron. This was my third attempt at the Wendy the witch medallion. At first, I had her covered in glossy accents with nary an air bubble. The I got too anxious and tried to move her before she was dry and cracked her in several places. It wasn’t the look I was going for. I let my second attempt dry at an angle and let’s just say the glossy accents ran into some very unattractive blobs. For my third attempt I opted for the bare minimum.

Now, I hope your day today is all treats and no tricks! (I got that a little backwards on a previous post)

Friend, I’m Here for You

2010-10-07T07:30:00.000-05:00

Today’s card is rustic and nature-inspired and would work well for a female or a male. I used PTI’s Leaf Prints, Flutterby Friend (sentiment) and Guide Lines. I used PTI’s new Guide Lines texture plate. I am still trying to tweak the Cuttlebug “sandwich” to get the best impression. I think it needs to be a bit thinner than the sandwich used for Nestabilities in order to prevent the plate’s other side from shadowing impressing. The ink I used is SU!’s Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss and Old Olive. The twine and button are PTI. The Kraft and Vintage Cream cardstock is PTI and the Mellow Moss cardstock is SU!.

From one friend to another, have a fantastic day!

Thankful for You

2010-10-06T07:30:00.000-05:00

This card turned out to be super bright and cheery. It uses one of my favorite ink combinations: SU!’s Positively Pink, Green Galore, Only Orange and Real Red. The stamp sets I used are PTI’s Turning a New Leaf, Beautiful Blooms II, and Friendship Jar Fall Fillers. The buttons are PTI and the ribbon I found at Mike’s. I just adore the little tags from the Friendship Jar sets. The tags are the perfect size. Borrowing on an idea from Lisa Johnson, I made some cute magnets out of the tags that I will show in a future post.

I hope your day is super bright and cheery!

Haute Horror or Gaudy Ghoulishness

2010-10-05T19:30:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not this was supposed to be my attempt at a more masculine Halloween treat bag. A cajillion years ago, I bought some die cut boxes. It was so long ago that die cuts could only be gotten through your LSS. I traced one of the boxes onto black paper and cut it out… I think I hear my Cricut chirping my name!!!! I made my own mock bakers twine. I just colored with a Copic on crochet thread at (somewhat) even intervals. In my book (and as my dad would say), it is GEFGW, a/k/a good enough for government work. Moving on to the ribbon, I stamped the ribbon which black pigment ink. Pigment ink, unlike dye ink, won’t bleed on ribbon. The turning point of the card was when I put the rhinestones on the flourishes. I couldn’t stop myself, there was no turning back. So rhinestones ended up on the ribbon and the tag and thusly haute horror was born. I decided I had better jazz up the bats so I liberally applied Black Diamond Stickles. I used Waltzingmouse Stamps. The sets are Midnight Feast, Wanda’s Pantry, Very Vintage Labels No. 4 and very Vintage Labels #5.

May your day be filled with all tricks and no treats!!!

A Year In Flowers: September and October

2010-10-05T16:49:00.001-05:00

Today I am continuing on with my Flourishes’ Year In Flower Series. You can see my previous entries here, here, and here. These card are a wee bit different from the first four in the set because I ran out of my PTI Vintage Cream twill ribbon. There will be two more cards with the same type of ribbon and then I will change it up a bit on the next four cards. The wavy border at the bottom of the cards was created with an EK Success punch.

And to leave you with a past quote from a local Wendy’s restaurant sign, “Wishing you chili days and frosty nights.”

A Year In Flowers: August & May

2010-10-04T07:30:00.000-05:00

Today is a continuation of my A Year In Flowers twelve-month set. You can see my previous posts here and here. I am using Flourishes’ A Year In Flowers stamp sets. There are three stamp sets in the series. Currently, I only have six out of the twelve cards done. I better get crackin’ on the rest. I can’t give a half-year in flowers set as a gift. The recipient will surely know something is missing! :)

Wishing you a glorious fall day!

A Year In Flowers: June & July

2010-10-03T07:30:00.000-05:00

I LOVE to color flowers. Here are the first few cards of my complete twelve-month set. I am using Flourishes’ A Year In Flowers sets. I think the cards will be nice for the recipient to use for birthdays or weddings in the corresponding month. (Super secret bizarre fact about me: I don’t send out cards to people. (GASP) I mainly give them as gifts) I posted my prototypes a few days back, here. What did my prototypes teach me? Well, for me, I find it easiest to color my background first. Then I do not have to worry about accidentally blending the image colors into the background. I used colored pencils with odorless mineral spirits. The paper and ribbon are PTI. I used an EK Success punch for the bottom border.

Have lovely, lovely day!

Zoom Zoom Rocket Man

2010-10-02T10:36:00.001-05:00

Cheers to Elton John! This card measures 3 3/4 x 8 3/4. I have a lot of envelopes that fit is size card laying around so when I saw the WMS Design Team gals were making cards this size I thought it was the perfect opportunity for me to start using up my envelopes. The set I used for both cards I am sharing today is WMS’ Half Pint Heros. The name is as cute as the actual set!! CUTE! The rocket ship is cut out and attached with dimensional tape and I used acetate to cover the window opening. I think kids like cards that have something going on, I know I did.

Inside: BIRTHDAY!

Shiny! I used PTI’s silver paper. The paper took ink (Palette Noir) and colored pencils amazingly well. I started off using aluminum foil. It stamped ok but was to flimsy to cut out. I thought it would give the rocket ship a real cute retro 50s look. I decided I should have glued the aluminum foil to cardstock before cutting. I may try to tackle it again in the future. Both the PTI paper and aluminum foil would also look cute on the submarine included in this set. The rocket ship would have looked nicer if I embossed it but, between you and me, I find it messy and putzy. I really try to avoid it at all costs. I feel the same way about glitter, but I broke down and used it on this card. When I was little, I always liked birthday cards that had glitter on them. I am thinkin’ I might add glossy accents to the lights on the rocket.

My next card would be appropriate for a lil’ dude or an ol’ dude! It is a super basic card but I wanted the cuteness and coloring to take center stage!

Inside: I zoomed right past your birthday! Sorry, I forgot. Happy Belated Birthday! (computer generated)

Hope you have a day that is out of this world and traffic-free! Thanks for stopping by!!