Thanks... and Happy Gardening, Sue!

Hi, everyone!

Boy, it seems like forever since I've done a scrapbook page. Takes a pretty special occasion these days for me to do that! Turns out we have one of those occasions at work.  :)

Sue, a former manager of mine, is retiring after 25+ years of service to our company. So, one of my card-making friends -- and a member of Sue's team -- is putting together a scrapbook for her.

Mary Anne has prepared 6" by 8" pages of cardstock and kraft tags -- and supplied lots of papers and ephemera -- for friends and colleagues to create something special for Sue's book. My creation is shown below.

??? dp and blue cardstock (supplied by Mary Anne); idea-ology collage dp
Winnie and Walter big bold you sentiment heat embossed in Distress Ink walnut stain
??? flower stamps (a gift from a friend of a friend) heat embossed in DI walnut stain
Paper Smooches twine; Paper Studio tiny brads
flower pot: hand-crafted and sponged in DI vintage photo
handwritten note in DI fired brick on Crate Paper rose garden
EK hole punch; adhesives: Recollections foam squares and Glossy Accents

Thanks, Sue.... and happy gardening!

Ahhhh... Paradise Found

Hi, everyone.

Today's card was inspired by the current Cards in Envy Toes in the Sand challenge and a few Pinterest cards featuring this season's Stampin' Up! work of art stamp set.

various Distress Inks blended with Ranger tool on watercolor paper
sun and palm tree: SU work of art stamp set
sentiment: Lawn Fawn's life is good stamp set in DI walnut stain
Recollections foam adhesive squares; Ranger distress tool

This was actually attempt #2, and I'm pretty pleased with the result. Love the sun and "rays" melting into the sky. And, I'm pretty pleased with the palm tree.  :)

I used cut cardstock, one edge slightly rounded and the other edge a straight-line cut to create the shoreline and ocean horizon. I chose to keep the horizon a clean line, while rubbing in a downward motion to create the shoreline effect.

The palm tree leaves, trunk, and coconuts were stamped (using the SU work of art stamp set) on a separate piece of watercolor paper, fussy cut, and paper pieced. I cut small pieces from either side of the trunk to create a rougher-looking trunk.

This SU stamp set is FABULOUS -- just so amazingly versatile! I've used it for an abstract thank you card background, American flags, an artsy flower, and now this beach scene. Whoever designed this set is a genius. 

Parting Thoughts

Words 2 Scrap By is accepting cards for our From Darkness to Light education-related challenge. Cards can be linked up until August 21.

Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Three Cheers (aka cards) for OWH

Hi, everyone.

It's been a whirlwind of a week around here. My brother's family came in town to join in an 80th birthday celebration for Dad. Needless to say, a fabulous time was had by all! But, there was no activity in the menopause room. So, I have three OWH cards to share today.

Before that, a quick reminder about our Words 2 Scrap By challenge: Education is the movement from darkness to light. It's a crazy time with end-of-the-summer festivities and back-to-school preparations. But, if you can join us, we'd love for you to play along. You have until the 21st to link up a card or two.  :)

Now for today's main attractions...


Card 1: August ODBD challenge -- a card featuring a star

paper: Distress Ink core, watercolor, Recollections black, Crate Paper rose garden
Memory Box stencil in blended Distress Inks
Creative Memory circle cutting system
Marvy and Paper Shaper circle punches
Martha Stewart star punch, ??? border punch (for tiny stars)
computer-generated sentiment (Mistral font)
Tim Holtz/idea-ology star embellishment
adhesives: recollections foam squares, Glossy Accents

Really pleased with the look of this card, which features a technique learned in the Simon Says CREATE event.

Card 2: An Any Hero Card for the July 30 Midweek Throwdown

We R Memory Keepers red, white & blue; DI fired brick; Recollections white, black
digi sentiment from OWH's very own Paula (Thanks, Paula!)
OWH grab bag ribbons
Creative Memories oval cutting system; Recollections foam squares

I'm okay with the overall look -- really liking the black accents. But, still feel like the card needs a little something. Putting it aside for now and hoping for future inspiration. 


Card 3: An Any Hero card for the August 9 sketch

dp: Authentique pride; cardstock: DI core paper; Bazzill admiral; Crate Paper
Unity sentiment in DI walnut stain, inking in vintage photo
Cuttlebug embossing folder; Paper Smooches twine
Stampin' Up! banner die (and magnetic platform)
Creative Memories circle cutting system; Glossy Accents

Parting Thoughts

Still getting used to the OWH changes. Happy our troops will be home -- and like the Saturday posts. Just trying to get a feel for how many cards I should be making/sending.

It's a big week at work. More on that in a future post. Hope it's a good work week for all of you.

Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

wish big

Hi, everyone.

Today's card has two inspirations: this week's Shopping Our Stash splish-splash challenge and a posted card that was shared by a friend.

Stampin' Up! work of art images on watercolor paper; Paper Smooches sentiment
Distress Inks: scattered straw, spiced marmalade, bundled sage, mowed lawn walnut stain
Distress Ink core paper: walnut stain
Ranger water brush and mister; old toothbrush; Stampin' Up! brads

• All of the flower petals and leaves are stamped with the same stamp. I started by stamping 5 scattered straw petals in a circular arrangement on a sheet of watercolor paper. Then I stamped 5 spiced marmalade images, filling in the spaces between scattered straw petals. Next, I stamped in 3 leaves, followed by second generation spiced marmalade petals and the walnut stain flower center.
• After all the flower parts were stamped, I brushed the entire flower using a Ranger water brush.
• After the flower dried, I stamped the sentiment -- thinking the brown sentiment would lessen the strength of the flower center, which was far more prominent than I had hoped/planned.
• At this point, the flower center still seemed too prominent. So, I decided I wanted to spatter some brown paint. Just needed to figure out how to do that.
• I ended up rubbing an old toothbrush in walnut stain, misting the toothbrush, and then using my thumb to flick/spatter paint as strategically as possible.
• Then, I cut a 4.25" by 5.5" rectangle from the overall stamped composition -- and eventually trimmed the rectangle to allow for the walnut stain Distress Ink core paper.
• Finally a scored a 1/8" border around the edge of the watercolor paper and decided to place brads in the corner -- similar to a device that might be used to hang a painting.

So, I hope this card is a pleaser. If it goes to Operation Write Home, it will stay as is. If it goes to a friend, it will be sprayed with a little Shimmer.

Parting Thoughts

A quick reminder about the Words 2 Scrap By Education in the movement from dark to light challenge. This challenge is open until the 21st of the month. Hope you will all join us.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

30 Things I Love About You

Hi, everyone.

Tomorrow is a special day for our hubby, me, and our family. It marks my Dad's 80th birthday, our nephew's 13th birthday, and our 30th wedding anniversary. I posted Dad's card in an earlier post entitled Look, Dad. And, I will post my nephew's card in a later post. Today's post is for hubby.

The "card" shown below was one of our Tim Holtz CREATE projects. After choosing the wedding photo for the front cover, I decided to make this hubby's card. My thanks to CREATE amiga Sue for the card's theme: 30 Things I Love About You.  So, upon returning to home, I completed the card, including making the 30-things-tags that comprise the interior contents.  :)

Front cover -- completed during class

Interior Left and Center Flaps -- with tags peeking through
Decoration started in class, finished at home

30-Things Tags -- cut, stenciled, and written at home

You'll notice the tags are arranged in a random order. Even the numbering is rather random, with the longest "things" appearing in the back section and the shorter "things" appearing in the front. When I realized that the text was going to affect the placement, I stenciled numbers in a random order and then taped them in place -- in a little more linear arrangement than Tim probably would have chosen.  :)

Think hubby will be a little puzzled  by a vintage photo of an unknown bride and groom at the puzzle. Then again, he heard how the CREATE projects were like nothing I'd ever done before. 

Parting Thoughts

Here's hoping for another 30 wonderful years.

Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

many thanks

Hi, everyone.

The card below was inspired by this week's Shopping Our Stash Triple Threat challenge and a desire to thank a colleague at work for her many, many kindnesses.

SOS elements: flowers, rhinestones, spray mist, punched element
MME dp; SU blackberry bliss
Hero Arts sentiment, heat embossed in white SU embossing powder
Prima flowers with ImagineCrafts shimmer mist/spray
stash rhinestones (Hero Arts, Mark Richards)
Fiskars border punch, Creative Memories oval cutting system
adhesives: Recollections foam squares, Glossy Accents

A few of these stash items have a special place in my heart. The Prima flowers are a bittersweet memory, purchased at a going-out-of-business sale at an LSS. On a happier note, the sentiment stamp was one of many, many items recently given to me by a friend at work.

Parting Thoughts

A quick reminder that Words 2 Scrap By published our August challenge on Friday. Hope you will join us for our education/darkness-to-light challenge. 

Tomorrow is my Dad's 80th birthday.... and my brother and nephews are coming in today to join the celebration!  So, I'm going to wish you all happy scrappin' and sign off for today.

Thanks for stopping and enjoy the rest of your weekend.  :)

W2SB #8: The Movement from Darkness to Light

Hi, everyone!

When Bobbi suggested Allan Bloom's quote for this month's Words 2 Scrap By challenge, I had mixed feelings. As a professional educator, I LOVED the sentiment. As a crafter, I had no idea how to translate these words into a card.

My first thought led me to Internet searches for light bulb stamps, but I didn't find quite what I was looking for... even though I had no idea what that was.  :)

Then my thoughts went to Distress Inks. So, I tried to apply what Tim taught us in our CREATE classes. And, the card below was born.... following several practice blending attempts.  :)

Stampin' Up! Wildflower Meadow background punch in StazOn  ink on watercolor paper
Distress Inks (dusty concord, peacock feathers, scattered straw) blended with Ranger tool
Distress Ink core paper (mustard seed); Recollections black
computer-generated sentiment; Martha Stewart butterfly punches
Hero Arts/Mark Richards crystal gems colored with black Sharpie
3L black photo corners

My dearest friend in the world is beginning her 33rd year as a professional educator. Linda is now the high school principal at a K-12 all-in-one school in Northeast Ohio. So, this card is going to Linda to wish her all the best as she starts the 2014-2015 school year.

Parting Thoughts

Thanks for stopping by and happy scrappin'! Hope you will link up a card for this month's education-inspired W2SB words.