Happy New Year!

I hope all of you are busy celebrating the New Year in your favorite way as I type this. My favorite thing to do for New Years' is to go to bed at my normal bedtime and so I can get up early and craft all day. Guess that means I'd better type fast and get to bed!




I got a head start on my crafting day by making these two cards today. I belong to a group on SplitCoast Stampers called WishRAK that shares stamped images and other craft elements. WishRAK has a monthly card contest, these are my entries for December.

The first one entry was to use a favorite stamped image. I used an image from Stampin' Up's And Everything Nice, which retired last year. I really like this set, but was unable to get it when it was current, I really appreciate being able to get these images. I colored it with Watercolor Wonder Crayons, and covered the rain slicker, boots and coat with Crystal Effects, although you can't see it in the scan. The designer paper is from Fall Flowers, which is still available.

The second card was a sketch challenge. I like sketch challenges so much that I'm making a book of them for reference, they're great for me because I have a terrible time coming up with new arrangements of images and paper. It uses Punch Pals which is still available, and Dashing designer paper, which just retired. It's accented with glitter glue and snowflake brads that I received from my WishRAK Secret Santa.

One of my New Years' Resolutions is to post to my blog more often. It probably won't happen until after April 15th, but I plan to post at least three or four times a week then, and will aim for at least once a week until then. As a thank you to my few faithful readers for hanging in there even when I seldom post, I have a little contest. The first person to contact me with an order of $25 or more from the new catalog and mention this post will recieve their own copy of the catalog free. The new catalog will be visible on line beginning January 2nd. I only have one copy at the moment, but should have several more next week.

Again, happy, happy New Year! May you have a wonderful 2008!

Christmas Comes Early to Alberta

The new catalog doesn't become available for another three weeks, but the first copies were sighted today in Alberta, Canada. Some of the ladies who received their catalogs were generous enough to spend several hours sharing the high points of the new catalog. It's going to be a great one! There's a 6x6 pallet of prints designer paper in new colors, only available as a level 1 hostess set, and a beautiful large flower stamp. Several new sets to watercolor (yea!!!!). New sentiments and backgrounds. Striped ribbon. Chunky glitter. New glitter assortments. It's so exciting!

Sleigh Bells Ring...

I'm learning to watercolor, and I love it. When I had a chance to get this stamp from an online friend I grabbed it right away. I don't know how I missed it in the catalog. I'm really glad it isnt' retiring. It will take months of practice before I get an image that I'm really happy with. This will do for a start, though.

Ingredients: Cardstock: Brushed Gold, Garden Green, Watercolor Paper. Ink: Black Stazon, Garden Green. Stamps: Sleigh Bells Ring, Flannel Plaid Background. Accessories: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Aquapainter, Hodgepodge Hardware, Real Red grosgrain ribbon, Coluzzle cutting system and corner rounder punch. It's a very simple card, choosing the colors was the hardest part.

I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season. I'm having so much fun with my stamps and Christmas ideas. I may make Christmas cards all through 2008.

Jolliest Shaker

I decided to try something new to me today, a shaker card. Does the snowman look a little blurry? Like you're looking at it through an icy window, or maybe the snow is falling? Its microbeads, which do have other uses than beaded pens. Now that I've done this one I'm going to have to try some different shapes, too. There are several beautiful examples in the Splitcoast gallery if you want to see them.

This one is made with 2 1/2 x 3" pieces of Whisper White cardstock and 2 9/16 x 3 1/16" piece of Real Red. I used my paper cutter to cut a rectangle out of the center of the Real Red leaving a 5/16" border. I attached the acetate* to the Real Red frame with sticky tape, and put 1/4" foam strips (not SU, but available at any craft store) on the edges of the whisper white, sprinkled beads in the box formed by the foam strips and mounted the frame on tope of that. The hardest part is lining everything up, other than that its real simple.

This card uses - cardstock: Real Red, Glorious Green, Whisper White. Inks: Silver Encore, Basic Black. Accessories: 5/8" Real Red Grosgrain, acetate (window sheets, transparency sheets...), silver embossing powder, micro beads, markers, foam tape.

Have fun making your own!

*Stampin' Up! no longer carries acetate, but you can get it at an office supply store or craft store. Or if you know someone who's getting a new computer monitor you can recycle the piece put over the monitor to protect it from scratches, that's where I got this piece. Unfortunately, the monitor is at my work not my house.

I Ain't Afraid of No Ghost!

This is the next installment in my Secret Sister's Christmas present and a birthday card for a co-worker. The background is made using the Ghosting technique, a really simple one that gives great results. Stamp simple bold images with versamark on Whisper White cardstock, then brayer over it with classic ink. Then stamp some images in a coordinating color on top and you've got a great background. Make sure you use high quality white cardstock with a smooth finish (Stampin' Up's really is the best) and clean your brayer first. Aren't you ladies glad you get to learn from my mistakes?

For this card you need: Stamps: Fun and Fast Notes, Fabulous Flowers. Cardstock: Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Whisper White. Ink: Versamark, Pale Plum, Perfect Plum (stamped off once). Other: Black embossing powder, heat tool, white signo gel pen, flowers and rhinestone brads from the Pretties kit.

Apparently the whisper white and colored cardstock have different reflective properties because the ink on the white and the center cardstock are supposed to be the same color. Very interesting.

Can you help me?

I have a Christmas question. I want to get a movie for my sister-in-law, niece and nephew. My niece is 20, nephew is 17. I'd like it to be something all three of them can enjoy. My plan is to put it in a paint can with some hot chocolate and popcorn packets. I'm doing one for my sister, too, who is raising 3 small children, I got them "Happy Feet" and have collected a bunch of penguin images to decorage their paint can with. Please let me know if you have an idea for a good family movie for a family with older kids.

Lovely as Acetate and Tissue

Acetate and tissue is a very sticky, somewhat messy technique, and it takes some practice, but it turns out really pretty. You'll need a piece of acetate, a piece of white tissue, whisper white cardstock, Crystal Effects, reinkers and Stazon ink. Cut your tissue a little bigger than the finished piece, wad it up, then straighten it out and save for later - keep it pretty wrinkly. Cut your acetate to the desired size and stamp your image on it with Stazon, turn it over and apply Crystal Effects to the whole sheet and spread it evenly (I used my fingers). Dot a little reinker in the Crystal Effects and spread it around too. You can use more than one color, but don't use a lot. Too much ink will be too dark to see, and if you're using more than one color can quickly turn to mud. Once you have the colors the way you like them, put your tissue paper on top of the colored Crystal Effects and press it down so there are no air bubbles, leave the wrinkles in though. Set it aside to dry. I've used it after it sat for only an hour, but longer is better. Back the image with a Whisper White cardstock, if you put it on colored cardstock the colors in your image will change.

This card uses: Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, Soft Sky, River Rock. Ink: Black Stazon, Basic Black, River Rock. Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Hugs and Wishes, Weathered Background. Other: Crystal Effects, Wild Wasabi and Soft Sky reinkers, acetate, tissue.