Cracked Glass Technique

Here is a demonstration of a fun technique, Cracked Glass. I have done this as a technique class and if you missed it or just need a refresher -check it out here.

Directions:

1) Stamp your image, and cut card stock to desired size.

2) Apply VersaMark ink to entire piece of card stock using a brayer or direct-to-paper technique.

3) Sprinkle Glassy Glaze Enamel Stampin' Emboss powder over entire piece of card stock. Tap off excess powder, and melt remaining powder using heat tool. If you're creating a small accent piece, use the tweezers from the Crafters' Tool Kit to hold your card stock.

4) For small images, sprinkle on additional powder while the image is still hot. For larger images, allow card stock to cool and apply more VersaMark ink before sprinkling more powder over the image. Repeat up to four times.

5) Put your card stock in the freezer for a minute or two to ensure the glaze has cooled completely.

6) Remove card stock from freezer, and bend back and forth until the enameled layer cracks. Continue bending different portions of the card stock until you've achieved the look you desire.

Wanted! A Scrapbook Page

This one speaks for itself. It has been said that "A picture is worth a thousand words," so what about a few pictures??!! What a cute and naughty dog! I am so glad they got the pictures of the mess to share with us!

It's A Boy hostess box

Don't you just love the feeling you get when you present someone with a handmade gift or card? I know it keeps me coming back to the drawing board for more. There is something special about making something you know people will appreciate. Todays blog feature is a little box that would be great as a hostess box or a gift card box or change it around and make it a bridal shower gift box. Really, the sky is the limit when it comes to creativity!

Instructions

1. Use the Little Letters box pattern from the Pattern Library. Enlarge pattern approximately 140% to equal 2-inch sides. Note: Cut off top flaps from pattern so that the box is open at the top when assembled.

2. Stamp “It’s a boy” in Bashful Blue ink on Bashful Blue textured card stock (8-1/2" x 3-1/2"). Assemble box.

3. Adhere strip of Certainly Celery textured card stock (9" x 1/2") around box.

4. Punch circle from Whisper White card stock (2" x 2") using 1-3/8" Circle punch. Stamp alphabet star image in Bashful Blue ink on Whisper White card stock; cut out. Adhere star to circle using Stampin’ Dimensionals. Adhere to front of box.

Birthday Wishes Card

Truly, I love glitter. Ask any of my stamping friends and they can attest. I even wear glitter on my skin every day. Some of my friends call me Judith Sparkles! So, this card is an eye catcher for me. It features a big letter B covered with glitter.

Instructions

1. Punch three circles from More Mustard card stock using 3/4" Circle punch; adhere to back of any Designer Series paper (2-3/4" x 2-1/4"). Stamp “Birthday wishes” in Old Olive ink on paper and adhere to Old Olive card.

2. Ink chipboard “B” with VersaMark ink and cover with Heat & Stick powder. Shake off excess powder and heat letter until powder becomes shiny liquid. Sprinkle Fine Cosmo Stampin’ Glitter over liquid; heat to set glitter. Adhere letter to card.

3. Adhere More Mustard button to chipboard letter.

My How Time Flys!

The summer season has just started and yet I am booking events already into August! Please see my calendar icon on the left of the screen to see what I have booked and what events you may want to RSVP for. Also, if you have any suggestions or ideas for an event, feel free to leave me a comment.

I am now planning my annual Christmas in July card making event. It is scheduled to be on July 18th at 10 AM and promises to be fun and inspirational! I always love this event and get out the Christmas music, snacks and fun! Truly, Christmas can be in our heart any time of the year! I hope you will plan to come and the crowds will be such that I have to offer a 2nd time or make it an all day affair! Attached is a Sneak Preview!

Meet Up Meeting

I just joined "Meet Up" this week and I am having a get together at Chick-Fil-A on Dallas Hwy in Marietta on Monday evening. We will be doing a nice watercolor card and I will be looking for more new friends to meet. The time will be 7 PM and feel free to drop by and make a FREE card with me! Note, these are not the cards we will make...just the cover photo from the latest "Stampin' Success" magazine demonstrators get each month.

Princess Party!!!

Having one granddaughter and now a grandson (2 weeks old) I have gotten back into the "kid" crafts...not that I ever really got out seeing as I am really just a kid at heart. Anyway, I made this about a month ago and never posted it. I used the Bella Rose and Raspberry Tart Designer Papers and created a fun little party for some 6-10 year old girls. I really like the way it came out and then imagine my surprise when the new catalog came out!! Oops, a catalog spoiler! This party has a crown, a star wand, a pinwheel, a bottle of bubbles, a notepad and pen and a sour cream container!

For more information, or a closer look at any item, just leave me a comment and I will be glad to respond as quickly as I can.

Just Beachy

Maybe I should say...Life is a Beach! I love the beach! I love the sand, the sun, the waves, the birds, the heat, scuba diving etc... I find that I feel closest to the Lord when I am communing with Him on the seashore. I don't know how a person could not feel Him there! I truly get energized at the beach. I just got home from there a week ago and I am feeling myself dragging already!

So, I love this card. The colors are from the retiring In Colors: Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango and Whisper White. The Stamp sets used are: Just Beachy and Define Your Life. If you have ever seen me dive in my Dive Goddess skins you would understand better why I love this one. I am always the "unique" diver on the boat! Enjoy!

Saying Farewell

The time is quickly approaching...the end of the sales of some of our beloved stamp sets and accessories. June 30th is a week a way and that will mark the end of many stamp sets that we have longed for and just not gotten around to buying.

The card I am featuring today is from the Bella Blossoms stamp set. It has been on the dormant list and will be retiring June 30th. It is a beautifully simple stamp set and I love the card shown here. The colors used are Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Whisper White and Night Of Navy. There is some embossing as well as scallops on the card.

Remember, you can place an order with me anytime, 24-7 by clicking here! I hope to visit with you soon.

Happy Father's Day

Any man can be a Father, but it takes a special person to be called Dad.

The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.
Having been raised by her father, William Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.
In 1926, a National Father's Day Committee was formed in New York City. Father's Day was recognized by a Joint Resolution of Congress in 1956. In 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June. So Father's Day was born in memory and gratitude by a daughter who thought that her father and all good fathers should be honored with a special day just like we honor our mothers on Mother's Day.

What Makes A Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,

The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a summer sun,

The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,

The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages,

The power of the eagle's flight,

The joy of a morning in spring,

The faith of a mustard seed,

The patience of eternity,

The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities,

When there was nothing more to add,

He knew His masterpiece was complete,

And so, He called it ... Dad

Author is unknown

Drying the Dishes in Style

How about these beautiful kitchen dish towels? Who would have ever thought that style and dishes could go together so well?! These towels were made easily using the Stampin' Up! Big Shot. Here are all the details...and it is not even hard!

Accessories
Button Bouquet
Sizzix Big Shot for Stampin' Up!
Build a Flower Bigz Die
Top Note Bigz Die
Fabric
Embroidery thread
Sewing machine and thread

Instructions
Cut flower and top note from fabric of choice using Big Shot machine and Top Note and Build a Flower dies.
Sew Top Note to towel using sewing machine and thread. Sew flower on top of top note using sewing machine and thread.
Sew button to towel using embroidery thread.

Under the Stars

Here is another card done using the great summer stamp set called Under the Stars. This card is made so cute using circles to draw your attention to the fun skeeter and bug spray. The background paper is Good Morning Sunshine and the colors are Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Really Rust and Very Vanilla. Kind of makes me want to go camping!

S'Mores Treat Bag

Stamps-Under the Stars stamp set
Paper-Real Red card stock, Whisper White card stock, Creamy Caramel textured card stock
Ink-Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad, Creamy Caramel Classic Stampin' Pad, Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad, So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad
Accessories-Large flat cellophane bags, Linen thread, Stampin' Dimensionals, Blender pens, &
Stamping sponges

Instructions-
Stamp raccoon image in Basic Black ink, mosquito image in Creamy Caramel ink, and "Grrreat!" in Real Red ink on Whisper White card stock bag topper.
Adhere strip of Real Red card stock to bag topper.
Stamp two stars in So Saffron ink on Whisper White card stock. Cut out and adhere to Whisper White card stock using Stampin' Dimensionals.
Use a printer to print the words "Camping" and "treats" on Creamy Caramel textured card stock. Cut out in shape of sign. Color edges of sign in Creamy Caramel ink using stamping sponges. Adhere to bag topper.
Stamp s'more image in Creamy Caramel ink on Whisper White card stock. Watercolor image in Creamy Caramel ink using blender pen. Cut out and adhere to sign on bag topper.
Tie linen thread around bag topper.

Summer Cookout Kit

Stampin' Up! has again partnered with Country Living for another wonderful product...the Country Living Summer Cookout Kit. It is so cute, I can hardly await for mine to arrive and to start playing with it and have a family cookout! You can order here at my website. The cost is only $24.95 for so much fun!

The exclusive Country Living Summer Cookout Kit includes the following products:
8 die-cut table tents (2 each of 4 colors)
Die-cut components, bamboo skewers, and envelopes to create 8 shish kabob invitations
12 die-cut coasters (3 each of 4 colors)
16 die-cut tags (4 each of 4 colors)
24 12" x 12" printed food wrapper sheets (12 each of 2 colors)
4 printed recipe cards
5 yards linen thread
Ruby Red Classic Stampin' Spot
Night of Navy Classic Stampin' Spot
Dig In stamp set (item number 116700)

Natures Wonder Tile

This is the tile I recently made with my Technique club. I used a tumbled tile readily found at your local home improvement store. I then brushed off the dust and used my versamark to stamp the image. I colored where I had stamped using the pastels. After getting it just the way I wanted, I took it outside for a quick and light matte sealer spray. Add the cork to the bottom to protect your furniture and you now have a great coaster for your cold summer drinks.

A Little Love Booklet

This is a little booklet that can be made for a special treat for any occasion. There is a page in the middle that can have little coupons for your children to redeem...like good for one pillow fight or maybe good for one day in the sprinklers. The stamp set is Love You Much and I colored each letter using the markers. As you can see, I got a little blob in the upper left corner so this is just a keeper not a give away. But, you get the idea. I tied it together with the white grosgrain ribbon. I love the bold bright colors and what kid could resist them either?

One of a Kind

This card was made using the set One of a Kind as seen on page 113 in the current catalog. I love using black for cards, it is so striking. I layered the pretty in pink next, then regal rose and a piece of designer paper in the pretty in pink pack. The glower is stamped 3 times one the different colors and layered together using dimensionals (pop dots). I used the ticket punch on the four corners and then sponged a little black around the edges of the sage shadow. A little ribbon and brads and sentiment finishes the card nicely.

Photo Book Front

Today I will be travelling home from St. Lucia. I am just going to quickly show the front cover of yesterdays post. I used the stamp set, Enjoy Every Moment and the colors Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery and Whisper White. I added the little brads to hold it all together. This is not the one I gave to the other grandmother, I remade it with blues.

Last Day of Diving St. Lucia

Today was our last day to dive in St. Lucia. We have to have at least 24 hours of no diving before we fly out or risk decompression illness...no thanks! We had 2 more great dives today although my computer started flaking out on the last dive. I will post a couple more photos and then we will be packing up to fly home tomorrow. I hope these photos have not bored you and I will get back to my regular blogging next week.

This first photo is looking out from our balcony this afternoon. We got a gorgeous rainbow after the brief rainshower.

The second is my husband and my dive buddy. We are at the stern of the big shipwreck here in St. Lucia.

Check out these wonderful bloggers!

This is a list of some wonderful bloggers in one of the groups I am a member of...LNS Stampers. Take the time to click on them for some wonderful inspiration!

1.Gretchen Barron gbarron56@comcast.net http://gretchenbarron.typepad.com/

2. Barbara Dondero barbaradondero@gmail.com http://barbsstampingspot.blogspot.com/

3.Tammy Fite stampinmama@comcast.net http://www.stampwithtammy.com/

4. Judy Jackson JudyStamper@verizon.net

5. Mary Brown mary@stampercamper.com http://stampercamper.com/

6.Sarah Wills sarahwills@austin.rr.com http://sarahsinkspot.blogspot.com/

7.Selene Kempton e.selene@verizon.net http://stampinfunwithselene.blogspot.com/

8.Virginia Killmore vkillmore@gmail.com http://virginias-website.blogspot.com/

9. Elizabeth Sloman sloman4100@bellsouth.net http://www.mamastamper.com/

10.Marisol Gutierrez atouchof_sol@yahoo.com http://atouchofsol.blogspot.com/

11. Dawn Bullock Dbullock28@comcast.net http://www.stampincreations.blogspot.com/

12.Sandi MacIver sandi_maciver@comcast.net http://www.sandimaciver.com/sandi_maciver/

13.Stephanie Sullins stephenandsteph@earthlink.net http://owlwhimsy.blogspot.com/

14.Susan Shields blestmomof6@cox.net http://createdwithlovebysusan.blogspot.com/

15. Rebekah "Becky" Jensen becky@stampthat.com http://www.stampthat.com/

16. Heidi Michel heartfeltblessings@gmail.com http://www.heartfeltblessings.blogspot.com/

17. Barb Slaughter stamper0910@yahoo.com

18. Lisa Milliron

uniquedesignsbylisa@windstream.net http://www.uniquedesignsbylisa.typepad.com/

19 Connie Babbert iluvstamping@columbus.rr.com http://inkspiredtreasures.com/

20 Nancy Dawson nancy@centralva.net http://creativewishes.blogspot.com/

21 Bethany Keeney bethanykeeney@hotmail.com http://keeneyfarm.blogspot.com/

22 Kirsten Brown stampinsilly@gmail.com http://imstampinsilly.blogspot.com/

23. Mary Jo Price-Williams technostamper@roadrunner.com http://technostamper.blogspot.com/

24. Elizabeth Hurst stampwithelizabeth@gmail.com http://www.animalscraps.blogspot.com/

Photo Book

Here is a quick and handy little project that I am going to show you today. This is a photo book made using the clear envelopes that Stampin' Up! sells. The envelopes are braded into the book and you can add photos and slip it into your purse without too much bulk. This makes a great grandma brag book. In fact, I made a little boy one for the other grandmother. Today I am showing the inside of the book, tomorrow it will be the front cover. Hey, I have to do something to keep you coming back for more.

Another view from down under in St. Lucia

Scroll down to see me under the sea!

Hi, the internet was down yesterday in St. Lucia so I did not get to post any photos from our diving. We saw 2 octopi, some more sea turtles, a great wreck and some crystal clear blue water. All in all, I would have to call this dive trip great! The only drawback is that we only get to dive twice a day! We are accustomed to eating, sleeping and diving daily on our trips. We have been under water as much as 25 hours in a weeks time! Any who...here are some photos. I hope you enjoy! BTW, you can really see the Lord's handiwork under the sea!

Gum Holder Treat

Here is the promised photo of the opened gum holder. I used the flower stamp all over so there would be color on the inside as well. I used the word window punch to make a slot for the gum. It makes just a nice little thinking of you note for a co-worker or friend. Maybe even the mail carrier.

Gum Holder

This is a little gum holder that I made for a little gift at school. I needed something that I could make inexpensively for a lot of folks. This was what I chose this time. I stamped the little birds from the Love You Much set using the Pacific Point. The fowers are from the retiring set Happy Heart Day. It is closed with a little dot of velcro. When you open it...well, I will show the open version tomorrow.

Pirates of the Caribbean

I got a pretty good photo of the "Black Pearl" today in St. Lucia. They offer a sunset cruise nightly but were close to us today on our way to dive near the Grand Pitons...yes, Pitons. As in not as grand as the Tetons but a close second. Today we saw 2 turtles and a 6-7 foot wide stingray. I also saw a large scorpion fish and some wonderful underwater topography. As promised, here is the photo of the Black Pearl. Enjoy! Talk to you tomorrow.

Technique Time

As you may or may not know, I have been doing a technique class every month for the last couple of years. We are finishing the alphabet now and we just did the letter T. T is for Tiles. In this technique we did a domino, a tumbled tile and a Trivet. What a lot of fun we had with this one. Today I am going to show the domino that we made into a magnet. I used the butterfly from the hostess level 1 set called God's Beauty. Email me if you want more details, or come to my technique make-up class and learn to do it yourself!

Sunny St. Lucia

Well, we arrived safely on Saturday evening to our hotel in St. Lucia. The island is beautiful and lush and green and the water is blue-green. Our hotel does not have a/c so we are enjoying the fresh air as much as possible. We are on a relaxed schedule, diving daily starts at 10 a.m. and they provide lunch on the boat. We saw some great turtles, eels and other neat fishes in the sea. I am posting one picture today and will try to post one daily. The hotel where we are staying is in the bay where they filmed the original Dr. Doolittle with Rex Harrison and the ship from the Priates of the Caribbean is floating around near us daily. I will try to get a photo of it as soon as I am in range. Today I am posting a great sea turtle picture. Enjoy!

New Grandson!

I am writing to you from St. Lucia tonight. I was able to get an email connection so I wanted to post a photo of our new grandson, baby Logan, born on June 5th. He is perfect in every way! Of course, I am just a little biased.

An Oldie but Goodie!

Please indulge me again, I used some retired paper to make this card. The idea is basic though, and any designer paper could be substituted for a fun look. The card uses no stamp sets. The flowers are Blooms from the Die Cuts shown on page 181 in the current catalog. The sentiment is a Rub On sold on pages 172 and 173. This is a quick and simple card that I think really pops!

Sock Monkey

Did you ever have one of those sock monkey's as a child. I have always loved old things and I am loving the revival of the sock monkey. I always wanted my own monkey. I thought it would be fun to play with. Thank goodness I outgrew that thought. But I never outgrew the love for the sock monkey. This card was made using the stamp set called of all things...Sock Monkey. It is just so cute I will let it speak for itself.

Friends 24/7 Inside Look

I am posting the inside of yesterday's card today. I was inspired to make this card when a friend sent me one like it a few years ago. Being a pack rat who cannot throw away handmade cards, I pulled it out, measured cut and well...here it is. Enjoy!



BTW, we are on our way to St. Lucia for a week of diving and vacation. I have posted ahead, so be patient if I don't respond for a week or so!

Saying Goodbye

Well, June 1st was the official announcement of the Last Chance list from Stampin' Up! this round. I am really going to miss some of those stamp sets and colors. I am especially going to miss this designer paper...Raspberry Tart. I love the rich colors of that paper. Oh well, I am sure some more great stuff will be coming!

Here is a card I made for a contest that did not win. I used the In Color Kiwi Kiss, Rose Red and Whisper White plus the Raspberry Tart designer paper. The bird was stamped using the set Friends 24-7. Love that set!

As a side note, I am saying Hello to my new grandson today. He is scheduled to arrive around 8:30 this morning. If you will indulge me, I will post a picture soon as I can.

Bookmarks for Summer Reading

We always make 2 projects at our monthly Stamp Club meeting. The first was the bear card that you saw yesterday. The next was this great bookmark. We used the Very Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware, Very Vanilla cardstock, Pacific Point striped ribbon and the Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon. The D was made using the alphabet set called Lovely Letters. We used the ink refills from Pacific Point and Kiwi Kiss to color the stamp itself and stamped away. Stampin' Up! has a punch that matched the metal perfectly and so we punched our stamped image and put it all together.

I am meeting with my bookclub gals tonight and we are discussing "The Shack." It is a very interesting read and I would recommend it if you are into reading. Any way, I am making one of these for each of the ladies in my group. I hope they like them.

Stamp Club Project 1

Last night I had my regular Stamp Club meeting and we made 2 projects. The first one was this great masculine card that would be appropriate for Father's Day, birthdays, or just for fun! Sometimes I send my hubby a card to his office just to brighten his day...and it works!

Anyway, we used Sage Shadow, Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip and To The Nines Designer Paper. This designer paper is so yummy, it is more like cardstock than paper and it is textured. You can see it makes a great card. I used 3 stamp sets for the card. The bear was stamped with the set Under the Stars, his sign was stamped with One of a Kind, and the sentiment was stamped with Short and Sweet (a retiring set). We used different punches and voila! A simple manly man card.

Animal Crackers

Check out this cute card from the Stampin' Up! vault of cute ideas. This card features the set Animal Crackers. I just love the simple look of this card.

As a side note, I am having a lot of trouble with the squirrels in the backyard eating my birdseed and tearing up my flowers. I am posting this card to try to get over my evil urges against squirrels! Any help welcomed.

Last Chance Stamp List

Stampin' Up! has just posted the Last Chance stamp and accessory list formerly called the Retirement List. These stamp sets and accessories will be gone by June 30th. Some of the accessories have been known to sell out fast and never be available again. So, what are you waiting for? Click over here to view the last chance list and make your selections. Then click over here and make your order and have it shipped directly to you.

This year, Stampin' Up! will automatically "turn off" any item that sells out. If you really want it...order soon. Be on the look out for my BIG Retirement Party to be posted here soon!