Sunday, May 31, 2015

You are My Sunshine

                                                                                 Happy Sunday!  Today's card features the Simon Says stamp June card kit and a quick and easy card technique. I used the Island Blue for my card base. The technique is called Fancy Fold Corner card.  I have a linked to the video that Dawn Griffith does for this card.  It really is a lot easier than I thought it would be I was a little nervous at first but it was easy peasy.  My card base is a standard A2 card.  Once the base is cut and scored, line the left side up with the 3" mark across the top of your trimmer.  Your trimmer guide should also have markers along the cutting guide.  I have the Fiskars trimmer with the wire guide.  On your cutting guide line it up at 2 1/2 and cut down to 4 7/8".  I know what you are thinking but it is super easy.  Once you have this cut, turn your card and line the side up with the 3" mark across the top of the trimmer and 3" on the cutting guide ruler.  Your previous cut should be lined up with the 3" mark on the guide.  Cut from 3" up to 5/8".  Once you have you cutting done, you can put the trimmer to the side.  Looking at your card, you want to to push on the cut corner and this is how you "flip" it.  You will want to adhere the corner down so the card doesn't continue to "flip" but be careful that you don't put adhesive in the opening on the inside of the card.  Once you have the corner glued down your 'square' on the front measures 3".  I cut my panels to 2 3/4  x 2 3/4 and the next panel is 2 1/2 x 2 1/2.  I used a piece of the Sunshine Yellow which is hard to see in the photo and the next panel is a piece of the Sunshine Doodlebug that comes in the kit.  For my image, I used another piece from the patterned paper.  It is the one that says "You are My Sunshine".  Once you cut it out it is 2 x 2  piece.  I took one the Sun epoxy sticker and put that in the corner of my image.  I used a piece of the rainbow washi tape along the score fold.  I stamped "you make me happy" in Memento Tuxedo black under the image and on the inside I stamped "wishing you lots of smiles".  The top picture shows what it looks like once you get it together.  The bottom photos is the card closed.  So that is the card for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  Come and create something with me.  Andi





Saturday, May 30, 2015

My Take on the May Paper Pumpkin


 Happy Saturday!  Today I did some projects using the May Paper Pumpkin.  The first picture is one where I made the bag that you were suppose to.  I didn't stamp the balloon strings but other than that I did exactly what the direction specified.  This is the only one where I "followed directions"  I used sketches for layout ideas but for the most part just created as I went.  In the second picture I used the balloon stamp that comes in the kit and the Island Indigo ink.  I drew the strings on with my Zig Writer.  I stamped one balloon full strength and then without re-inking the stamp, stamped again.  I used one of the banners that comes with the kit.  I used the ink and brushed it on the edges of the banner and then stamped the "celebrate" that comes with the stamps.  I trimmed around the negative space of the balloon to create a frame.  I adhered one of the panel pieces and turned the card so that the fold was on the side.  I adhered the banner across the stamps balloons on the circle that comes in the kit.  I adhered the frame down and added the circle to the balloon frame.  I didn't stamp anything on the inside so I could add a sentiment to the inside and makes this a congrats, birthday, or a good job card.  The next card I made so the fold was on the side as well.  I took one of bags that comes in the kit and cut the rounded flap off.  I wanted to mention that the bags in this kit are made with heavy duty card stock.  I still have several bags left that I could make into gift bags....anyway.  I adhered the the flap so that the flat side was against the fold of the card.  I trimmed off the extra that is there because the flap is larger than the card base.  I then took a couple pieces of the yellow tissue paper and trimmed it down so that I could use it to create a color
contrast as well as cover the "holes" in the flap piece.  I took my celebrate stamp and curved it so I could stamp it as close to the edge of the circle as possible.  I stamped it in Tangelo Twist.  I then edged the circle with the Island Indigo ink and then I stamped the balloon in the same ink in the center of the balloon, then proceeded to stamp off two more balloons.  I drew strings again with Zig Writer.  I had some issues with stamping the balloon so there is a mark in the balloon that shouldn't be there.  I added some clear Wink of Stella to the balloons and that helped some.  And finally my favorite one.  I used the base with the fold on the top.  I used the panel piece and adhered it down across the card.
Then I took another piece of the tissue paper and adhered it down to the card base.  I took one of the balloon pieces and attached it to the card with the included dimensionals.  The I took the celebrate stamp and the tissue paper and stamp in Tangelo Twist and created banners ends.  I used a dimensional and attached one of the banner ends to the center of the balloon.  Now because the balloon it self was on dimensionals I used two dimensionals stacked together and adhered the other end to the card base.  Everything I used to make these cards came from this month's kit except the Tangelo Twist and the Zig Writer.  However the Tangelo Twist is a stampin' spot from the November paper pumpkin kit.  I made the six card bases and have several sheets of tissue paper left and the bags so I can make more bags and of course I have the stamp set and the stampin spot so I can still use the images.  I will admit when I first started getting the kits I wasn't super impressed but now I look forward to that orange box in my mailbox because I realized that I don't have to make exactly what I am suppose to and I have found some amazing inspirations on Youtube.  One of my favorites is  Rachel Tessman, she usually does two videos of alternate projects including scrapbook layouts.  Thanks for stopping by.  Come and create something with me.  Andi

Friday, May 29, 2015

Blitsy Haul

So today I decide to share some stamps I picked up from blitsy.com.  I had never visited this site before and I heard from someone on one of the blogs I follow talking about it so I checked it out.  I found these awesome sentiment stamps.  I honestly don't know what I will use with a couple of them but they made me laugh.  The other nice thing about this site is you can use Michaels and Hobby Lobby coupons and they already provide them for you.  I think my favorite one so far is the one that says "All I heard was I swear it will be funny....and then we were in jail"  I definitely will be checking this site out more.  They have pretty much a little bit of everything.  Thanks for stopping by and come
 and create something with me.  Andi



Thursday, May 28, 2015

Sometimes You Just Have to Go with It.

Before I get to today's card, I wanted to share a funny story with you.  I was preparing my card for today's post and I wanted to use this week's Mojo Monday sketch.  I cut the card base and was just finishing up the shaker part of the card when I realized that I had adhered my shaker window on the card but my card base was upside down.  Oy!  What a day but I liked the card so I am posting it anyway.  I used the Simon Says Stamp June card kit again.  I cut the base from the Schoolhouse Red.  I used a sheet of the patterned paper with the Popsicles.  The base is cut at 3.5 x 11 and scored at 5.5.  My Popsicle piece is 3 1/4 x 5 1/4.  I used a left over piece of the teal pattern paper which I the width of the pattern piece.  I created the the double end banner piece out of another leftover piece of the Sunshine Yellow.  I cut two of the "smile" pieces and adhered them together and covered them with Daffodil Delight ink.  My shaker frame is from Stampin' UP!  My sequins are all Doodlebug and I picked colors close to my papers.  Then because I did like that the frame showed, I took some lime green doodle twine and wrapped it around the circle.  All in all it is still cute, just a little wrong.  My sister wants to give it to her friend so we will see.  I got my May Paper Pumpkin so I will be sharing projects using that as well.  Thanks for stopping by.  Come and create something with me.  Andi

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

You Make Me Smile



 Happy Wednesday!  Today's card features the products from the June Simon Says Stamp card kit.  We have been experiencing a LARGE amount of rain lately.  So I haven't seen the sun much lately so I was wanting something bright.  I used the Sunshine Yellow card stock.  I cut it at 4 1/4 and then scored it at 5.5.  I cut the "smile" from white card stock twice and used my Ranger Multi-Matte medium to adhere them together.  I used this specifically because it will dry clear.  Once I had them together, I took my Daffodil Delight Light blend-ability and colored my die cut.  Then I topped it with clear Wink of Stella.  Now I didn't allow enough time to  dry between layers so there isn't as much glitteryness (made up word..lol) as there normally is.  I stamped the sun in Daffodil Delight and then stamped the sunglasses in black.  I think that is so stinking cute.  I covered both of those in Wink of Stella.  I wasn't really sure what I was going to get when I started but I took three of the patterned papers and cut 1/2 strips and then cut them in half and made banner ends.  One of the reasons I love Doodlebug Designs paper is because it is easy to match it other paper products.  They are normally very complimentary papers.  I used a solid teal color, a yellow with
 small dots, and a floral piece.  I layered them all together with the floral piece on the bottome and popped the sun up with 1/4" pop dots.  I stamped the "You make me" from the set in black and trimmed it down and made banner ends on both sides.  I attached my Smile circle under the banners again with the multi matte medium.  I used a small rhinestone that I also colored with my Daffodil Delight pen.  I popped my "you make me" banner at the top of the circle.  I looked at my card and thought I need something else.  I have a lot of Doodlebug products so I found my spring Doodletwines.  I picked the teal/white to compliment the one banner.  I wrapped it around my card three

times...why three..no idea.  I had originally tried to put it at the top of the card but the rounded corners made it look weird so I cut the twine off and re-positioned it to the center of the card.  As a final touch I added a small bow with the same twine, I also used two of the flower stickers.  This card just makes me smile...pun intended.  Thanks for stopping by and come and create something with me.  Andi

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Simon Says Stamp June Card Kit

 Today's post I am sharing with you my Simon Says Stamp June 2015 Card kit.    I purchase this kit because I loved the smile die cut that comes in the kit and was excited that it featured Doodlebug Designs patterned paper and accessories.  The kit is $29.95 plus shipping and handling.  If you subscribe, I believe the kit is slightly less expensive and is delivered automatically.  In this month's kit, you receive the "Happy & Smile" stamp set, an entire roll of rainbow washi tape, epoxy stickers, five sheets of card stock (8.5 x 11) and the 6 x 6 partial pad of Doodlebug Designs patterned paper called Sunkissed.  I didn't count but I think you get 12 sheets of the patterned paper and it is double
 sided.  You also get an inspiration sheet with six different ideas for cards to make with this kit.  One of my favorite things when you order these kits, they send a small sucker in the box.  Just makes me smile every time.  This is only my second card kit through Simon but so far I am loving this one.  The card stock is nice and thick and you receive vibrant colors---Sunshine Yellow, Island Blue, Green Leaf, Schoolhouse Red, and a sheet of white.  I will have a card for you tomorrow that I made using the kit.  If you are looking for a kit to purchase that gives you a stamp set you can keep using after your kit is gone, this is a great place to start.  You can also purchase the stamps and papers separately on the
Simon website.  Thanks for stopping by, come and create something with me.  Andi


Monday, May 25, 2015

Memorial Day 2015


Happy Memorial Day.  If you have served our country either by giving service or as a spouse or child of a military person--thank you.  All of my uncles, my grandfather, and brother served our country so we are a proud military family.  Today's card isn't really patriotic but it is kind of a thank you card.  This card uses the Lotus Blossom set from Sale a bration.  My card base is whisper white and is a normal A2 size card.  I stamped everything directly onto the card base.  I used Melon Mambo for the blooms.  I did the generation stamping by stamping off twice for the first bloom, stamping off once for the second one layer and then not stamping off at all for that last blossom.  I didn't like that I seem to have lost the definition of the blooms so I stamped again with Rich Razzleberry to bring the definition back.  The stems are stamped in Mossy Meadow.  The sentiment is from the set and is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black.  I used some sequins that I got in one of my paper pumpkin kits.  Not sure which one but I think it was the November 2014.  I had to cover a ink mistake so I thought why not add some sparkle.  I will need to practice more with other colors as well but like it more than when I first finished it. Thank you for stopping by.  Come and create something with me.  Andi.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Simply Amazing


Today's card is pretty simple.  I used the Painted Petals set from Stampin' UP!  I stamped the flowers with Strawberry Slush.  To get the lighter color I did some stamping off.  I stamped the leaves in Wild Wasabi.  I rounded the corners with my We R Memory Keepers corner rounder and I stamped one of the sentiments from this set, "You are amazingly Amazing" in Memento Tuxedo Black.  I put a rhinestone at the end of amazingly as well in the center of some of the flowers.  I cut a pink pirouette card base, I cut it at 4 1/4 and scored it at 5 1/2 and round the corners.  I used my Scotch Foam tape to mount the white piece on the base.  I thought it needed just a little more so I had some pink washi tape in my stash so I did two lines of washi tape and I thought that gave it a little more interest.  I struggled a little bit using this set.  I have heard people say on different blogs and videos that you should use a stamping mat with the photo polymer sets.  I will say on this set that it didn't stamp to my liking until I found my mat and then it stamped better for me.  That is my card for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  Come and create something with me.

Andi

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Sweetbriar Rose

 Please don't look at the mess around my card.  I really need to take twenty minutes to clean my table but I digress.  Today's image is another one that I colored using the Zig Clean Brush Markers and my clear Wink of Stella pen.  The image is the Sweetbriar Rose from Stampin UP!.  I wasn't sure about the color of the flowers when I first colored them but a couple days removed I like the contrast.  I fussy cut my image and took my Copic brush marker to color the edges in black.  There are a couple of spots that were extremely  hard to reach with the scissors but for the most part I got the image cut out to my satisfaction.
I used 1/4 inch pop dots to mount the image. On some of the skinner parts of the image I had to cut the pop dot in half.  I used Daffodil Delight as the base color for the flower.  I like the way this color compliments the image.  The Daffodil Delight is framed with Coastal Cabana.  My card base is whisper white.  It started as a normal A2 card but I needed to trim it down a little bit so that the image didn't appeared dwarfed by the white.  My sentiment is "you warm my heart" from Sheltering Tree.  I stamped it on whisper white with Memento Tuxedo Black.  I created a little tail and then I created smaller color layers that repeats the colors from the image frame.  I also put some small rhinestones on my flag with the sentiment. That is today's card.  Thanks for stopping by.  Come and create something with me.

Andi

Friday, May 22, 2015

Sparkle Bloom

 Hello, I am posting machine this week.  A friend of mine explained how that schedule feature works and so I can post more frequently.  I hope you are as excited as I am about that.  Today's project features a flower called Fresh Bloom by Stampendous.  This is one of the things I colored using my new Zig Clean Brush markers.  I used the Pink and Pale Pink which as 40 and 41. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I used my Wink of Stella Clear Glitter pen rather than a water brush for my coloring.  I fussy cut this flower out and then I used one of my Copic Brush Markers to to color the edges of the flower.  The card base is Bermuda Bay.  I stamped the "just because" sentiment from the A Dozen Thoughts set by Stampin' UP! I used the Transparent Perle Pen to put six dots along the bottom but I realized that you can't really see them in the picture.  The top picture I took so you could see the amazing sparkle you get from using your Wink of Stella pen.  The sentiment is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black on whisper white card stock.  I used 1/4 pop dots to attach the flower the the end of the white piece.  I also used my We R Memory Keepers corner rounder.  I love how the pink sparkle works with the Bermuda Bay.  I kept the card pretty simple because the pink sparkle packs such a big punch.  I really like these markers and have some ideas for future projects.  That is the card for today.
Thank you for stopping by.  Come and create something with me.

Andi

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Wink Watercoloring

 One of the blogs and youtube channels that I stalk is Jennifer McGuire.  The other day she posted videos show casing these new watercolor markers.  What makes these marker unique is that fact that they have a real brush tip so it is sturdier than normal markers.  I purchased my set from Voice of Japan via Amazon.  I got the set of 24 but you can also purchase them individually.  I wanted to experiment with these markers so I did a quick color.  The image I used is from Stampin' UP!, Sweetbriar Rose.  I used my Wink of Stella clear glitter pen to my coloring.  I tried to get photos to show the great sparkle you get from using the Wink of Stella pen but it is
hard to capture that but if you watch Jennifer's video, she does an image using the Wink of Stella pen and you can see the fabulous sparkle.  I am going to play a little bit more before I post another card using these markers just so I can get a little better at it.  The colors I used on my flowers and leaves were Pale and Light Green, Light Violet and Violet, Bright Yellow, and Brown.  These blend so beautifully with the Wink of Stella so I am anxious to use just regular water and a brush with them. I will definitely be using these again to create images but for my first attempt I really like how everything turned out.  See the photos below for my colored image.  Thanks for stopping by.  Come and create with me.

Andi.









Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Using Up my Salebration Goodies

Recently, I had a friend that moved to Las Vegas or actually moved back to Vegas and I wanted to send her some cards that she can send to friends and family.  I cased a card that my upline Dawn Griffith did.   I followed most of her same steps.  If you watch her video, you will see that she did a black mat for the white inside of the card.  I didn't do that.  I also made my cards top fold rather than side fold cards.  On the card in the bottom photo, I took my Sakura Stardust pen and colored some of the leaves.  One of the things Dawn says in the video is how great this designer paper looks under the vellum.  In these photos my card bases are Bermuda Bay and the image is mounted on a sheet of Coastal Cabana. I used
the designer series paper Best Ever from this year's Salebration as well as the ribbon is from the Best Ever accessory pack.  I embossed the white layer with the Spring Flowers embossing folder.  The sentiments on these cards are from the Painted Petals stamp set.  I stamped those in Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  The cards came together quickly.  I did all my cutting first so I had piles of card stock everywhere. I did all my embossing and then started assembling the cards.  This special vellum is nice because you don't have to worry seeing the adhesive like you sometimes do on regular vellum.  The other cards in the group were made from Daffodil Delight, Calyspo Coral, and Coastal Cabana.  I put the present in the mail today so she will be getting them soon.  Come back tomorrow as I debut my newest purchase, the Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens.  I have watched a couple videos on using these pens so I am excited to use them.  Thanks for stopping by.

Come and create something with me.

Andi

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Sheltered

I made this card for a friend that recently moved away.  I love this stamp set.  I stamped the base of the tree in Baked Brown Sugar,  I stamped the leaves in Mossy Meadow.  I stamped once full strength, then I turned the stamp slightly and stamped again and then I turned the stamp again and stamped a third time.  I did not re-ink in between stampings.  One thing to note, Stampin UP! changed their stamp pads so now they stay super wet.  I would suggest on the new style pads, tapping your stamp on pad rather than pushing the pad onto the stamp, things I learn the hard way.  I stamped the little grass stamp using Grass Green by Gina K Designs. I had to add a "tab" to the side of the card because I wasn't paying attention and my sentiment was too long for the piece of whisper white that I stamped the main image on (time for bed I think).  I matted the main image with daffodil delight.  My card base is Coastal Cabana.  I used the white/silver twine from my November Paper Pumpkin which I wrapped around three times.  The buttons are from the Best Ever accessory kit that was available during Sale-a-bration this year.  On the smaller buttons I put a medium rhinestone in the center.  I stamped my sentiments in Baked Brown Sugar, the inside sentiment is from the same set, it is the "you warm my heart". In addition, to this card I made a set of 8 cards to send to my friend.  I will be posting these once I mailed the cards to her.  Thank you for stopping by.

Come and create something with me.

Andi.