Stamp Some Smiles

Watercolor Roses

You can watercolor on ALL STAMPIN' UP! PAPER, but I prefer two kinds, Watercolor paper and Shimmery White Cardstock. 

Regular Card Stock:   keep your aqua painter on the dry side, or better yet ... use a blender pen and ink from the lid and color little spaces at a time. If you rub too much it will "pill".

Naturals Cardstock:  Again, keep your aqua painter on the dry side, or use blender pen, this holds up better than white or vanilla.

Shimmery Cardstock - this paper has a shinny finish.  This allows a little more time to play with the ink.  You can wet this paper more, but do not completely saturate it.  A light spray and a damp aqua painter work well.  You probably have twice as much time to play with this paper before it starts to ball or pill up.  I love the fleck in the background of finished products using this paper.

Watercolor Paper.  You can do anything to this paper.  Get it as wet as you like, add ink, remove ink.  It is my favorite paper to use in class because students  get most play time and the best results.  If you use craft ink and heat emboss the image, it is very easy to water color....it keeps the sections from running.  I like to use stazon with this paper as well.

The originator of the technique I will be using is Crystal French. The actual technique name is "Reinker Spread". Connie Ingram (upline of Crystal's) demoed it at the Seattle Regional and the rest as they say is history.  You can see beautiful watercolor roses poppin' up and blooming all over the internet now!

Here is a sneak peek of a small part of one of the cards we will be making at stamp camp:

 

Watercolor crayons, watercolor pencils, reinkers, ink from the lid of the inkpad, aquapainters, paint brushes, blender pens, there are so many ways to enjoy watercoloring with Stampin' Up! products. 

Can you guess which stamp set this is?  How about what kind of paper I used?  There will be more to see later this month...so keep your eye peeled to see if your guess was right.  This watercolor rose technique was demonstrated at a Stampin' Up! Regional Conference.  I can't wait to share it with you!  Hope to see you at my May Stamp camp on 5/16, email me to let me know you are coming so I can have a kit made up for you!

Picture the possibilities!

For many people, scrapbooking has played an important role in their lives. It may have started with something simple: the first time they placed a sticker on a piece of paper or picked up a camera.  But no matter what brought you to scrapbooking, all scrapbookers have something in common with Stampin' Up! demonstrators: they love to create.

During the month of May, we are celebrating National Scrapbooking Month. This is an opportunity for you...whether you are an avid scrapbookers or even brand-new to the hobby, to let Stampin' Up! inspire your creativity. Starting with  the amazing offers Stampin' Up! has in store for you throughout the month of May.

 

The Scrapbooking Promotion has two exciting parts:

1. Buy three packs of Designer Series paper (including our Specialty Designer Series paper) or 12" x 12" textured card stock, and get one FREE!

Click on this Flyer to picture the possibilities!

2. Buy a sneak peek stamp set from the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog--Jumble Alphabet (set of 52; double-mounted)--at a 20 percent discount.  Stampin’ Up! has a new alphabet set–Jumble Alphabet–that they’ve released just in time for National Scrapbooking Month!  It will be featured in the new Idea Book & Catalog that will be released July 1, 2009.  But you can buy it now and IT’S ON SALE FOR 20% OFF!

  Click here

Item #	Description	Regular Price	Sale Price
115199	Jumble Alphabet stamp set	$43.95	$35.16

Email me with any questions, I would be happy to help you!

 

Fun and Friendship at Class

I love classes.  They are limited in size so that I have time to spend with each person.  We fit at one table, and get to spread out and have some messy fun...which is so nice for everyone....I can be close to my friends and I get to really give instructions and teach... which is fun for me.  This class was no exception, it was so much fun to have that time together.  The purses came out great, and so did the cards. I got some great photos of the girls, and Jake was right there with us so I snapped him too.  He is such a ladies man!  His eyes came out yellow because it was night time and the light is so bad, I just am not good at taking indoor pictures at night.  I tried to use the red eye reducer but it is for red eye ... not yellow eye...LOL!  Here is a link to the gallery, enjoy the pictures.  I hope to get to spend time with YOU at my next class!  April's Class and MORE class photos

 

 

 

 

 

There is a grain in my paper

While getting ready for stamp camp last week I was cutting the card base and then I scored the base to make it easy to fold.  This is something I have done a million times and never really thought about.  Except this time the colored cardstock I was scoring was splitting...I guess that is a good way of saying it, where I had scored the paper was opening like a crack on a cake.  Hmmm, it made me wonder.  Why am I having trouble with this.  I picked up a full sheet and bent it, it wasn't cooperating and kind of buckled a bit...weird....I kind of bent it back and forth and that is when I noticed that one way was definitely easier than the other.  Today whey I was checking out the Stampin' Up! site I found an article explaining why!  Card stock and paper have a natural grain. Just like wood, the fibers in the paper lay in a certain direction. When you fold paper and card stock with the grain you’ll get a better, cleaner fold (your card stock won’t crack at the folds).

 

So how do you know which way the paper’s grain is going? Try this trick!

 

FOLDING WITH THE GRAIN
1. Gently bend a piece of card
stock or Designer Series
paper horizontally.

2. Open the bend, and bend the
card stock vertically.
One direction should feel easier to bend
than the other. If you fold in the direction of
resistance, you’ll be folding against the grain
and get a rougher fold. When you fold with
the grain of the paper, folding will be easier,
and you’ll notice a smoother fold

 

Folded against the grain

 

 

 

Folded with the grainYou can really see and feel the difference in real life, these pictures don't show it too well, but this has really helped me and I hope it helps you too!

Has it been that long?

I have had such a busy week and when I looked back over my blog and noticed when the last time I posted was...I said to myself "has it been that long?"  Wow, I don't know how that happened!  I will share my stamp camp projects with you to make up for not posting for a while, here you go:

  I ended up changing this card with the butterfly, I will post an update tomorrow. It was such a fun day, I love my stampin' friends, they always make me laugh.  There was lots to share during "show/swap/and share"...Dianne showed photos of her amazing "brass rail" that she embossed using her bigshot, and the beautiful decore elements tree she has up on her wall...and Bette share the projects she made at the button farm getaway weekend...wow!  The swaps were awesome as usual...and I showed the cards we will be making at my class this  Friday night, told them about the Stampin' Up! Special this month and told them about a class in May for scrapbooking.  I will be sharing those with you too, but I really wanted you to see what we had made at April's Stamp Camp, hope you can join us in May!

Stampin' Up! Round Picture Album

Wanna' make this adorable round scrap album?  Isn't it just the cutest thing ever?  You could recreate this album with any of the Simply Scrappin' Kits...it's so easy!   Here is a complete supply list and instructions for this project.

Stamps Warm Words (set of 8; 115108; $25.95) Paper Whisper White textured card stock: (10) 6" x 6" Petal Party Simply Scrappin' On Board Book Basics Long Board On Board Timeless Type Ink Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad VersaMark pad Accessories White Stampin' Emboss powder Pumpkin Pie 1/4" grosgrain ribbon Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon Mini Library clips Stampin' Dimensionals Circle Scissor Plus Crafters' Tool Kit Sanding blocks Sizzix Big Shot Clear Circle Bigz die

Instructions

1. Cut seven circles from On Board Book Basics using Big Shot machine and Clear Circle die.
2. Adhere back of each circle to Old Olive ribbon.
3. Cut seven circles from Whisper White textured card stock using Big Shot machine and Clear Circle die. Adhere each circle to backs of chipboard circles over ribbon.
4. Cut one circle each from Old Olive, So Saffron, and Pumpkin Pie card stock, and Pixie Pink Designer Series paper, and cut two circles from Whisper White textured card stock.
5. Pierce holes around edge of Old Olive circle using paper-piercing tool from Crafters' Tool Kit. Adhere small heart to owl die cut using Stampin' Dimensionals. Adhere owl to So Saffron flower using Stampin' Dimensionals. Adhere layered die cuts to Old Olive circle using Stampin' Dimensionals. Adhere card stock to first chipboard circle.
6. Cut photo into a circle using Circle Scissor Plus. Cut ring from Whisper White textured card stock using Circle Scissor Plus. Adhere photo and ring to So Saffron circle, and adhere to second chipboard circle.
7. Stamp "Adorable" in Old Olive ink on Whisper White circle. Adhere flower and three circle die cuts to circle using Stampin' Dimensionals. Adhere Whisper White circle to third chipboard circle.
8. Adhere Whisper White textured card stock to chipboard "M" and smooth edges using sanding blocks. Tie Pumpkin Pie ribbon in a knot and adhere to letter. Attach Mini Library clip to letter, and adhere letter to Pixie Pink Designer Series paper using Stampin' Dimensionals. Print name on Whisper White textured card stock (print white with Olive background), and cut out. Adhere name to circle using Stampin' Dimensionals, and adhere paper circle to fourth chipboard circle.
9. Stamp "Giggle" in VersaMark ink on Pumpkin Pie circle. Cover with White Stampin' Emboss powder and heat emboss. Adhere flower and leaf die cuts to circle using Stampin' Dimensionals. Adhere Pumpkin Pie circle to fifth chipboard circle.
10. Cut second photo into a circle using Circle Scissor Plus, and adhere to second Whisper White circle. Adhere Whisper White circle to sixth chipboard circle.
11. Print journaling in a circle on Whisper White textured card stock (print white with Olive background). Cut out using Sizzix Big Shot and Clear Circle die, and adhere to last chipboard circle.

Matchbox Drawer, oh so pretty

I hope everyone had a wonderful and peaceful Easter.  My Easter was actually too quiet!  We didn't go anywhere, or see anyone, and two of our three kids were working when we had dinner.  I worked hard at the church going up and down flights of steps over and over bringing things out and then back in for the Easter Egg Hunt.  It was a great success and the weather, while COLD and Windy, was at least SUNNY...no rain is always a good thing.  I did get to enjoy the service today, as there was no Sunday School, and it was a nice treat to have Rob with me.

When I got home I worked on my Stamp Camp stuff for next week, I am so excited...the girls are going to have a great time.

There are so many things I love about the Occasions Mini.  I mentioned that I got to Use some of the new Dies for the big shot when I was at the meeting at Jan's.  We aren't making this at stamp camp, but I got to play with it, don't you LOVE what I made?

I made a little set of Drawers to put pretty little embellishments in!  It is so sweet isn't it?  Don't you just love my vanilla draw pulls?  I Just stacked three matchboxes and wrapped it in Designer Paper...so easy.  Here are some ideas from Stampin' Up!

 

 

 

 

What great party favor boxes, fast and easy and you can use it in so many ways and color combo's.  I LOVE IT!!!  Hope you do too.

NSR, Family Fun

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=21402&id=1324394224&l=ed18dcc6c7

I uploaded some pics of our family fun night, after eating dinner together (rare occassion with my scedule, Bobby's work schedule, and Mat having a job too)

It was so nice to sit with everyone and visit.  Sarah was over (Bobby's girlfriend) and she joined us and colored eggs afterwards.  We missed Amber this year,(Mat's girlfriend)  she is away due to her grandfather's passing.  It was a nice night and the "kids" were all silly as usual, I am so glad they still enjoy this tradition.  We love anything artistic here.   Don't forget you can add rub on's to your eggs to pretty them up or try adding some sparkle with Dazzling Diamonds!

 

April Jake Watch report, Jake smiles

Okay, don't think I am crazy for saying this, but Jake smiles.  He does!  When I get home he is so happy to see me that he SMILES, look:

Okay, not the best photo I know, but the little corners of his mouth, his eyes, he smiles...at least I think so. tee heee heee.

Here is another photo of my boy:

 

Isn't he silly?  If you give him a denta bone or any kind of treat stick he will walk all around the house with it sticking out of his mouth and whine...that is all, just walk around and whine.  Then he will finally find a place he thinks he can bury it.  Usually by the front door by a sneaker or a towel and then he covers it.  He keeps going back to check it and sometimes will move it two or three times.  Then he will finally sit down and enjoy it.  This process takes about an hour.  How silly is that?  In this photo he has his "helicopter" tail motion going on.  It wags in a circle, so I know that even though he is whining he is happy.  I am not sure why he does this, but it is his routine and who am I to question it ... right?  I walk with him every day and on the weekend we go to the dog park.  He is finally getting a bit brave and has almost made a friend two or three times.  The hyper puppies freak him out!  LOL  Poor sweet Jake, at least he isn't shakin' Jake any more. 

That is the latest Jake watch...if he could he would lick you to say THANK YOU for stopping by!

 

Thank You Card

Stamps Great Friend stamp set Paper Baja Breeze card stock Kiwi Kiss card stock Whisper White card stock Ink Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad Baja Breeze Classic Stampin' Pad Kiwi Kiss Classic Stampin' Pad Accessories Summer Love Rub-Ons Stampin' Dimensionals

Instructions

1. Apply flower Rub-On to Baja Breeze card stock using wooden stick included with Rub-Ons assortment. Adhere to Kiwi Kiss card.
2. Stamp "Thank you" in Basic Gray ink on Whisper White card stock. Apply leaf Rub-On to Whisper White card stock. Adhere to card.
3. Stamp butterfly image in Baja Breeze ink on separate Whisper White card stock. Trim closely. Adhere to card using Stampin' Dimensionals.
4. Repeat step 3 using Basic Gray ink and Kiwi Kiss ink.

First ride on my Hubby's 1958 Harley FLH

Don't have a clue what FLH stands for....flat head?  That would be my guess.  Why would "flat head" be appealing?  If someone ever called me a flat head I certainly wouldn't take it as a compliment.  Maybe that isn't what it stands for, maybe it stands for Fabulous lookin' Harley.  I like that much better, don't you?  Hey, I am a girl, we look at things different.  Here is a look I am sure you will get a kick out of.     

It's Rob and me, this was my first "bike" ride in 22 years, and I LOVED it!  This church lady hasn't out grown that excited feeling of riding down the road behind my baby.  Wind whipping past, and I mean whipping!  It was windy yesterday.  It felt good, free, young...(you know, those things that I am not anymore.) When we were finished riding we came home and I felt so much better then I did when we left.  Then we took my Jake for a walk, yes he totally is my Jake.  Do you know that he still mopes around and won't play until I come home.  So silly.  I will take a photo of him and share it with a JAKE WATCH report tomorrow. Jake was a big help in cheering me up too.  Although I was still sad, and probably will be for a while, it was quite the distraction!   Here is a cute card I made for Rob on his birthday, March 3rd.

cute huh?

Post Script: Rob tells me his bike is a shovel head, thus my idea of FLH standing for flathead is very wrong.  I have heard "flathead" somewhere, but it doesn't fit with this bike.  He mentions something about "Big Twin with Big Forks", um.... nuff said!

Never too old

Here are some scrapbook pages I did when I was at Jan's retreat.  I wrote on one of the pages "you are never too old" talking about how fun it is to color eggs, it is something I don't think I will ever grow too old to do.  My kids love it too, all three of them ... from 13 right on up to 21.  Unfortunately, There are many things you are never too old for.  One of them is disappointment.  Even the best plans sometimes crumble, or have a glitch, causing sadness and disappointment. That is what I am today, sad and disappointed.  I thought I would be taking pictures today of our annual Easter Egg hunt/ Coloring session but it was canceled quite unexpectedly. 

So now I sit with baskets and baskets of filled plastic eggs that are much more cheery than my mood and hurt in my heart knowing that I can't get this time back, precious memories were missed.  My kids, my neices and nephews are all getting older so quickly.  We really don't have any "little ones" anymore.  Here is how "big" everyone was last year:

        

I am so glad that I was able to share these with you today, and this is just one more reason I love to scrapbook.  Look at those faces, such concentration, and happiness, frozen in time.  Little notes on the page that bring back the memories of that day.  No matter how old I get, or what life throws my way, I will have these books to look back on.  Happily so will my children and their families.  We can all look back and remember how much fun all of those silly little things were and how much we all enjoyed them.

Another thing you are never too old for, getting back on a bike.  I am going for my first bike ride in about 22 years.  By bike, I mean Harley.  Yes I will wear a helmet, no...it isn't what I planned to do with my day...but it will do.  Rob isn't nervous at all, I have a huge headache...I am sure this will cure it...right?

Have you seen this commercial? "When I grow up I want to be an old woman"

I saw this on t.v. the other night, and I loved it!  I can just picture me and my stampin' friends laughing and stamping and having a great time...when I grow up I want to be an old woman!   And wear a hat just like this:

 

 

Don't forget to get your mammograms ladies!

Bag with Scallops

"Bag With Scallops", no...I am not talking about a seafood shopping trip....I am talking about a new Big shot die project!  At my Demo meeting on Monday Heather brought supplies for us to make the Big Shot bag with scallops (Thanks Heather!) and it is by far one of the easiest things I have ever put together.  It went together so quickly and effortlessly and yet is a big WOW to receive.  This adorable little bag with it's sweet top can be made with any type of designer paper or cardstock, in any color that you need.  It is great for a gift card, a bunch of candies, a gift certificate, or filled with embellishments for fun paper projects.  I think I am going to give those fuzzy little Easter chicks and some chocolate eggs in mine.   Here it is:

open

and closed.  The contrast of colors when you use the two sided designer paper, this one is Raspberry Tart, gives it such pop, I love it!  You could use this just the way it is or bump it up with ribbons, a stamped image, a button, or more.  You could even punch a large circle or oval in the front, attach acetate to the inside and then the pretty candies and goodies would show through!  The possibilities are endless!  Great for any occasion, just change the paper.  I love my Stampin' Up! Big shot because it has TWO rollers.  One on the bottom and one on the top, which makes running the dies a breeze.  I am so glad I got to try this one, it may be on my next wish list!