Thinking Inking

Chipboard Coaster Calender

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One of my stamping buddies from SCS, Sharon Harnist, aka StamperSharon posted an adorable chipboard coaster calendar on Splitcoaststampers in mid-December--a definite wow project!  You can see Sharon's calendar creation here, and you can visit her new blog here.  My point: after a few weeks of futile resistance, I was assimilated by the chipboard coaster Borg last week--well, partially assimilated--thanks to Sharon.  I bought 100.  That's not bad; some people have 3000. . . (Aren't comparisons handy?)

About the same time my coasters arrived, my 6 x 6 pad of Basic Grey Blush Collection arrived from Jacksonbelle's e-Bay store too!  I adore those 6 x 6 Basic Grey pads; the proportions are just perfect for cardmakers. I am determined to make all of the calendar pages with this Blush Collection, so you'll just have to tolerate flowers in Winter. I am only half finished with my little calendar, but I figured that four months would be enough to give you the idea. Instead of having chipboard covers and card stock pages, I used all chipboard.  Instead of having thirteen pages, I have seven. My months are front and back in order to be a workable thickness. I punched holes with my Crop-a-dile--a great tool if you like eyelets and dislike noise.  Finally, the bits of bling are the Amuse twinkle stickers from Ellen Hutson's store. Life needs a little bling now and then, right?

Stamp sets used on these pages are all SU and include Big Pieces, Bodacious Blossoms, and Carte Postale. 

Edited to add: Several of you have asked where I got the chipboard coasters.  I have gotten them from both StarLitStudio's e-bay store, where they are packaged 10-20 to a pack,  and from a product split on SplitCoastStampers.  To find a large quantity on SplitCoastStampers, I just went to the forums and searched for "Heavyweight Chipboard Coasters."  If any of YOU have extra coasters or suggestions on where to get them, feel free to post in the comments section of this post.

Others have asked how to adhere paper to chipboard. I used Mod Podge. Xyron would work (but be tough to reposition if you didn't get it right the first time), or any good paper glue (like SU's Crystal Effects or Tombow Mono Multi) should work as well.  Another good question was where the calendar template came from.  If you click on StamperSharon's calendar in the first paragraph, she links to a printable calendar on SplitCoastStampers, posted by Suzyq01. I used that one, but I changed the font, and I printed it out at 75% because I wanted more space to decorate and a smaller calendar page. Hope this helps!

Monogrammed Carte Postale

Tonight I played with a simple monogram card. Background card stock is Elegant Eggplant on Very Vanilla. Main image is in Very Vanilla matted on Pale Plum. I used a Coluzzle oval and Coluzzle oval companion to cut the ovals. The only tricky part here was the mirrored bird. I had a scrap piece of cushioned rubber from a background stamp that I stamped the bird on, then stamped the scrap onto my card stock. It isn't quite as clear as the original, but it was close enough to work, especially after I stamped the original off a couple of times. I used a non-SU embossing powder in a pearlized eggplant color to emboss the French Flair background stamp, and I also embossed some gold brads with the same embossing powder.

So. . . what do you think of the cool watermark that Cindy Keery made for me? If you could use a watermark for your images, Cindy has a great eye for design and a quick turn-around time.  Check her out!

Best Fishes to You!

Of all of  the Sell-A-Bration sets, Very Punny is the least "me" set. It's not that I don't like it; it's just that I tend to spend more time trying to give a tiny image big impact than I normally would. Having said that, I have to say that I love this little goldfish!  (We are a five-fish family, three of which are goldfish. Only ours aren't cute and tiny like this guy any more.)

I wanted to use Whisper White card stock for the fish because it is such a bright white, but it isn't the best card stock for watercoloring.  I experimented with my SU markers and really liked the way they looked on this image; I started with Summer Sun on the top part of the fish, switched to Only Orange for the bottom half, then added a bit of Really Rust to the very bottom to give the fish depth and dimension.  To get rid of the layered look, I just used a lighter marker (like the Summer sun one) to blend colors together. That's it--how simple can you get?

Round punches are 1-3/8" circle (SU), 1-1/2" circle (Marvy), 2' circle (Marvy), and Marvy Mega Scalloped Circle punch. Stamped background is SU Dotted.  Card stock colors are Cool Caribbean, Taken with Teal, Pumpkin Pie, and Whisper White. Thanks for looking!

Still using up Scraps!

Several weeks ago I used this same sunflower image on a vertical card.  The night I stamped that image, I stamped and colored two of them, just in case I messed up with one. (Now are you beginning to see why I collect so many half-stamped scraps? If the first try works, I still have a desk full of back-up images!) This one was already matted, so all I had to do was to pull out my trusty color wheel and see which green coordinated with Mellow Moss best. Always Artichoke it was. Now you must admit that I have been trying not to use my Cuttlebug folders so much lately, but this little sunflower image was just wailing for a simple embossed background! Cuttlebug folder is Stylized Flowers, which I found at All That Scraps.  The sunflower image is from a current level two hostess set, Measure of a Life.

For the buckle, I cut a rectangle of card stock scrap that was stamped in Canvas, rounded its corners, then used the horizontal slot punch--the one that looks like a mini word window punch--to make a slot for my twill tape. I wrapped one end under and attached it with three aged copper brads. One more piece used from the stash--ahhhhh. . .

Playing with Plum

I must admit to be somewhat obsessed with the Leaves a la Carte wheel. (Actually, I also cleaned my desk, cleaned being a relative term, and I am trying to use the stamped scraps that are usable.  That means that you get eclecticism for a while!)  Background uses Leaves a la Carte jumbo wheel and Well-Worn Words. Flowers are from Happy Harmony, and "Merci" is from Carte Postale. I used my paper piercing tool liberally. (There's something mildly hypnotic about punching holes in card stock.  You're getting sleepy. . .)

So, how many stamped scraps did I use?  Both background layers as well as an already tied ribbon that I had pulled off of another project came from the pile on my desk. The only thing that I stamped tonight was the main image. I love getting scraps off of my desk!  Anyone want to come help me use up the rest of the pile?

So Very Cute

One of my cousins was recently blessed with a sweet baby girl; this card is for her. In trying to figure out how to use Big Blossom with So Very, the problem that I ran into was where to put the type.

Then it occurred to me that I could stamp the type on the background (wheeled with Hot to Dot), then stamp my flower and align the two layers of type.  It looks a bit odd from an angle, but when you look at it squarely, the layers match quite well.

My next problem was where to put a ribbon. The "so very" already created a strong horizontal line, something that I typically use ribbon for.  About the only place that I had left was to attach a bit of ribbon to the raised center of the flower. I made my own white brad with a JulieHRR trick--heating the brad with a heat tool while holding it with tweezers, then dipping it into white embossing powder. If the brad is hot enough, the EP should melt right on. If it is not completely melted, just give it one more shot with the heat tool. This is a simple card, but I think she'll like it!

Flowers for a Friend

Last night some friends and I made wallet cards with Carte Postale, thanks to directions graciously provided by both Sharon Bode, Shekinah on SCS, and Dawn Griffith of Dawn's Stamping Thoughts.  Thanks, ladies! (You really must see their beautiful creations!)  Today I pulled out the measurements again to try a wallet card with Delight in Life and So Very. I ended up using the three-pocket version, tweaking Shekinah's measurements just a little to give myself a bit more space at the bottom of a fold. Here is a printable file with links to both Dawn's and Sharon's wallet cards. Download wallet_cardsblog.doc

I used Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, and Confetti White card stocks. Images were painted with Watercolor Wonder Crayons and an aquapainter. In the interest of time, I used the Hot to Dot wheel rather than trying to line up the dot stamp that came with Delight in Life. On the inside I placed some encouraging verses for one of my friends. Words on the inside of the card are cut with the word window punch. Want to guess where I got leaves for the flowers?  I painted one flower in a certainly celery reinker, then cut it apart into five leaves, placing the center part that would look odd under the petals. This is not a difficult project, but the measuring, cutting, and scoring can be time consuming.  Hope you get a chance to try one, and thanks again to both Sharon and Dawn!

Sweet on U2

I'm still intrigued with this Loves Me paper and Flirty Ribbon! Card stock colors are Whisper White, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Cool Caribbean, Taken With Teal, and Chocolate Chip. I used the Sweet On You set as well as the Greetings from Polka Dots and Paisley (which will be in the Spring Mini catalog).

For the ribbon slide, I cut a rectangle of card stock, used the ticket punch to trim its edges, and used the tiny word window punch for the ribbon slots.  It's hard to see from the photo, but in the center of the pink heart is a turquoise Amuse Creative Candy Sticker in the shape of a rhinestone heart. (Yes, Ellen carries hearts and stars as well as round ones!) For the "happy" tab, I cut a rectangle of Pretty in Pink and used my small corner rounder on two edges to help it blend with all of the circles on the patterned paper.   This stamp set makes me happy!

Tagged Twice. . .

So, if I'm tagged twice, do the two tags negate one another?  Just in case they don't, maybe I'd just better answer before I get tagged again! I was tagged by Amy and Amanda. Thanks, ladies, I think. . . 

A - Available or Taken: Taken (for 11 years)

B - Best Friend:  Male: Rick        Females: Julie, Becky, Na

C -Cake or Pie: Depends: if the cake is really decadent, cake.  If not, pie. Ü

D - Drink of Choice:   Water

E - Essential item you use everyday: Computer. I'm pretty cranky when my ISP  or phone line is down. . .

F - Favorite Color: changes frequently! blues, greens, pinks, browns. . .

G - Gummy Bears or Worms: Haribo Gummy Bears (unless the worms are SOUR worms!)

H - Hometown: Central, SC

I - Indulgence: Snyder's Jalapeno Pretzel Bits

J - January or February: February, B's birth month!

K - Kids & Names: Benjamin, age 6

L - Life is incomplete without?: the people I love and the God Who blessed me with them

M - Marriage Date: July 1995

N - Number of Siblings: 1 sister, 12 years younger

O - Oranges or Apples: Oranges

P - Phobias or Fears: Snakes--hate 'em.

Q - Fave Quote: "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."    (I'm still thinking on this one.)

R - Reason to Smile: I'm alive, loved, and blessed! (It really doesn't get much better than that.)

S - Season: Fall--totally fabulous in "da U.P."

T - Tag 3 or 4 People: I think I'll tag Asela Hopkins, Joan Bardee, and Ellen Hutson. (Don't hate me--just don't do it if you don't want to.  No pressure whatsoever. [Yeah, right!])

U - Unknown fact about me:  I wouldn't know. (It is unknown, right?) ;-D 

V - Vegetable you don't like: Hmmmm, is seaweed a vegetable? I had a tough time with that recently because of the fishy taste.

W - Worst Habit: Staying up until 3am on said computer, or my messy workspace (I usually clean it when things start falling off my desk or I can't find something important.)

X - X-rays: Teeth, arms, ribs, sinuses, and the list goes on. (I was in a farm accident at age 11 and broke 10 bones.)

Y - Your Fave Food: warm chocolate chip cookies

Z - Zodiac Sign: I'm supposed to know this?   ;-)

There now, you all know way more than you wanted to. Have a lovely day!

Sweetheart o' Mine

Why on earth did I wait this long to get the Sweet on You set from the Winter Mini Catalog?  I love this small set! Because I mistakenly ordered this designer paper twice, I really need to use some of it .  I saw a card layout in one of the Papercrafts magazines that had a circle at the bottom, and I knew that I needed to use that sketch with this set. The word "heart" was colored with a marker and cut out with my word window punch. I stuffed it back in to trim one end since it was still a bit too long.  The white stitching inside the flowers is just freehanded with a Signo Glo white gel pen.

Besides the designer paper, I used Whisper White and Regal Rose. Teal velvet ribbon is also a Winter Mini Catalog product--isn't it fun?  I'm not sure that I needed it, but I added a bit of paper piercing as well. Sweet on You is definitely a keeper set!

Simply Delight in Life

I'm a bit out of  my element here; I was admiring Julie Ebersole's blog post a couple of days ago and saw her lovely card and cool sketch challenge.  I didn't completely follow it, but it's close! I centered my image rather than offsetting it, and I left off the ribbon. (The ribbon that I tried seemed to detract rather than enhance, so I stamped a narrow band with the dotted stamp instead.)

How about that cool square Fabriano card, eh?  I just got those today from Cindy, aka StarLitStudio's e-Bay store! I adore beautiful paper, and this is truly beautiful paper. The envelopes are also a nice texture for painting. Also, I don't know that you can see it well, but I dotted the "i" in "life" with some Amuse creative candy from Ellen Hutson's store. I just love those self-adhesive rhinestones; they find their way onto almost every card that I make these days! A sticky rhinestone is a perfect embellishment on a one-layer card where you don't really want to have the backs of brads showing.

I stamped the Delight in Life Flowers directly onto the card front using paper copies to mask where necessary. For the outside rounded-cornered square, I used the negative shape of a Cricut cut to lightly pencil in borders and watercolored from the outer edge of my borders toward the inside images. (I usually do that just the opposite, softening the outer edge and bleeding out to clean paper there, but I decided that I needed a hard boundary for my image so that I could emphasize the shapes that broke the square.) Finally, when I couldn't get my ribbon to suit me, I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to position the type where I had intended to put the ribbon. I don't get that SAMJ out often, but when I need it, I love it! Everyone who stamps regularly should have one of those  Thanks for issuing a challenge, Julie!

Sending You My Love

I submitted a couple of Valentines cards to a magazine several weeks ago, and this is the one that didn't make the cut.  That's okay; I needed some blog-fodder anyway!  Stamps are Wishing You (2006 SU Holiday Mini Catalog) Little Pieces, and Circle of Friendship. Background paper is Rebecca Designer paper. Ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  Hardware is Aged Copper Hardly Hardware. (YES!  A resounding blow for hardware hoarders everywhere. . .) The large heart is covered in Dazzling Diamond glitter. The small heart in the Circle of Friendship stamp is from Little Pieces, stamped in Regal Rose and punched out with a 1/2" circle punch. Thanks for looking!