Black and White Birthday

     Whew! Hang on to your hats, this is going to be a long post for me.  I have run across some great websites that I want to share with you.  I'll post my pix first and then tell you about my new finds.
     I made this card for my nephew Caleb, who just turned 20.  The years are passing by way too fast.  I really enjoyed making this card and it is the first  time in a long time where I really felt my creative juices flowing freely.  The past few months have been difficult for me.  It seems I have been struggling with my creativity and I think it shows in my cards.  They just haven't been up to par for me. However, this card I really, really like.  The pictures are never as good as the real thing, but hopefully, you will  get a feel for it.  The first pic is the outside; the second is the inside.

See what I mean about my creative juices flowing?  I even made a great inside.  I'm not very good at that.  But this could almost be another outside!  Woohoo!
Card Recipe:
Stamps:  Uncharted Territory, God's Blessings (sentiment)
Paper:     Old SU DSP, B&W
Ink:          Black
Other:     Scalloped oval punch, Decorative Label Punch,
              In Stitches EF (by Craft Concepts)
     If you look really close, you'll see that the white background is embossed.  It is a new folder I bought called In Stitches by Craft Concepts.  I purchased it from a website I discovered that is awesome for embossing folders.  They have brands I have never heard of before. They are a company out of Rhode Island called  Crop Stop.  You can find it HERE.
They even have embossing folders that are made for the European Market.  I think I have bought at least 12 of them.  I really, really like them!  I think you will too.  AND...... they also have storage sleeves for your cards.  They look like clear sheet protectors only with pockets.  The 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 or A2 sheet holds four cards per sheet.  They also make a 5 x 7 sheet that holds 2 cards.  They may even have other sizes.  Just check out their storage sleeve sections and you will see ALL KINDS of awesome things. 
     The next website I want to  share with you is the Stampin Place, which you can find HERE.  For those of you who are unmounting your wooden stamps, they have some great cling vinyl.  And it really works.  It comes in a pkg of five - 9x12 sheets.  (I glue it to the grey part of the stamp with a wonderful glue I found described next.)
    I also found another website to buy glue that you can use up under the vinyl or use on the stamp itself that will act as an adhesive.  Here's what I mean by that.  When I heat up my wooden block stamp, I remove the label as well as the rubber stamp.  I then immediately reapply the label to the grey side of the stamp.  Just like you would if these were the cling stamps from SU.  I then applied the Sailor 2in1 glue.  (It has a tip that looks like a magic marker). I only apply a small amount and swish it across the stamp.  You then let it dry.  Once dry, it will have somewhat of a tacky feel and it will adhere to your clear blocks. Wallah.  you don't even need the cling vinyl.  So now you have options.  Personally, I prefer the sailor 2in1 glue over the vinyl.  It means less work.  However, they both work wonderful.  You can find their website HERE  On the left hand side click on supplies and then click on Adhesives and tapes. 

Whew!  Finally, I'm done.  I hope you will like some of these websites and that some of their stock will find its way into your craft inventory!

Blessings,

Terri

Floral birthday SC323

There is a stamp site called Tapestry Stamp Techniques that uses multiple small stamps to create background floral arrangements.  I fell in love with them and unfortunately for my bank account, I had to buy a few.  The only stamps I had from Stampin' Up that I thought would even come close to creating this style is the Baby Blossoms stamp set.  I also used SplitCoast Sketch #323 for the design. Here is my card.

Here is my recipe:

Stamps:  Baby Blossoms, Well Scripted

Ink:          Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue

Paper:     Paisley Petals DSP, white, Bashful Blue

Other:     Scalloped edge punch, bashful blue ribbon, pearls

                Oval spellbinder nestabilities

Technique Tips:
  -  I colored inside the oval using my sponge dauber.  To leave the outside white, I left my nestie on the cut out and sponged around the nestie.  This left the "white" layer.  You may have to look closer to see it.
  - The Paisley Petals DSP is a sneak peek at the 2011-2012 big catalog.  You can order this paper along with a new set called Four Frames beginning  April 1 .  Here is a better sneak peek. (They are little blurry.  Not sure why, sorry!)
 

Four Frames Stamp Set

W: item 123440 | $20.95
C: item 123442 | $15.95

 

Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper
item 122367 | $9.95

Visit my Stampin' Up website, click on shop now and add these two items to your Stampin' Up collection on 1 April.

Blessings,

Terri

Another St. Patty's Day Card

Sorry, I've been behind on my posts.  Here is one of the cards I made at my Stamp Club meeting. 

This was easy and simple to make! Here's the recipe:

Stamps:  So Happy For You (SAB), Lucky Shamrock (Occs. Mini)

Ink:      Garden Green, Pear Pizzaz

Paper:   Garden Green, Pear Pizzaz

Other:   Pear Pizzaz ribbon, Polka Dot EF, scallop border punch 

Blessings,

Terri

SC 322

This sketch is actually last week's.  A new SC sketch came out yesterday, which I haven't even looked at it.  Whew!  They seem to be coming faster and faster.  Here is my submission:

Here is the recipe:

  Stamp:  Blessed Mother (from the spring mini)

  Paper:   Springtime Vintage DSP (also from the spring mini)

               Old Olive, Rose Red, B&W

  Other:   Vintage flowers (Spring mini too!)

I'm not really sure how I feel about this flower.  I think it's one of the harder ones to watercolor.  There are a lot of dark lines in the stamp, so unless you use very light colors, I think everything will tend to be on the darker side.  I don't know.  I'm not sure if I'll use this again. I think I bought the set specifically for the sentiment in the stamp set.  Sometimes, I wish you could buy these alacarte.  I think I would be happier.

Oh well.  It is what it is :)))))

I went to my Rapid Stamper's Club meeting this past Tuesday, so I have four new cards I'll be posting.  I'll see you then!

Blessings,
Terri

Happy St. Patrick's Day SC321

 Edit 3/8/11:  I forgot to let you know how I made the clover in the first square.  I used SU's small heart punch (Item #11793) and punched out three hearts.  I just made a small cut out for the stem!  Thanks!

Hi everyone.  I thought I would try my hand at a challenge, which I haven't done in a while.  This is Splitcoast's Challenge No. 321 (you can find it HERE).  Since St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner, I thought I would use that theme for my submission.  Here is my card.

This time, I even worked on the inside. Woohoo!  Here is my recipe:

Stamps: Blessed Mother, Circle Circus, Irish Blessing

Ink:       Old Olive

Paper:    Old Olive, B&W

Other:    Square, scallop punches, Old Olive Ribbon

              (one small M's stamp  it's the small clover)

 Considering I don't believe in luck, but rather God's divine plan, I didn't want to use anything about luck.  That's when I thought about using part of the stamp from Blessed Mother.  I took my Old Olive marker and colored only the words I Am Blessed.  It worked like a charm (no pun intended)
I also chose two of the stamps from Circle Circus because I thought they looked somewhat Celtic?  What do you think?
Choosing the Irish Blessing for my background stamp was a very, very, sentimental choice for me.  The college choir I used to sing in sang this blessing song to end the concert.  In case you don't know it, it goes like this (these are the words we used in the song):

May the road rise to meet you, 

May the wind be at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

May the rains fall softly on your fields,

And until we meet again,

Until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His Hand.

Amen

Until we meet again.........

Terri

Baptism Card for Gianna

Sunday, February 13, was the baptism of my great niece, Gianna.   And, unfortunately, due to my illness, it was the first day I felt like making a card.  I had to call my niece and let her know that it would be in the mail soon!  Being sick for so long had its drawbacks when it came to being able to make cards. Whew, glad I am better. Here is Gianna's card:

Here is my  recipe:

  Stamps:  Refuge and Strength, Vintage Vogue

  Paper:    Pretty in Pink, Patterns Love DSP, white

  Ink:        Pretty in Pink

  Other:    Pretty in Pink ribbon, 

               Oval and scalloped oval Spellbinders

              MS punch, SU Finial Press EBF

Technique Tips:

 - I only embossed the top half of the card.  The design of the embossing folder allowed me to place only half the card inside the folder. 
 - I stamped the vines from Vintage Vogue over the cross.  I ended up using the same color for the cross and the vines.  They did show up over the cross.  I had tried to use a darker color, but it didn't turn out as well.
 - I also sponged around the oval with Pretty in Pink
 Here is the inside:

Recipe:

  Paper:  Pretty in Pink, Patterns Love DSP, white

   Other:  MS punch, computer

         (I used my computer and printed out the verse)

I actually cased this saying from someone else.  I'm sorry I don't know who to give credit for it.  I had actually saved the image and there was no name on it.  But whoever originally supplied the verse, I thank you.

I hope you like the card.  I enjoyed making it.  I hope to have maybe at least one more card this week.  We'll see.  I don't have a lot of time to get ready for my trip.  Another down fall of being sick for so long.  Anyway, that's it for me right now!

Blessings,

Terri

Happy Valentine's Day

Hello everyone and happy Valentine's Day.  I have to tell you that I have been sick for the past two weeks with a wicked upper respiratory infection.  I have been totally out  of commission.  Needless to say, no cards were made. Argh!!  I didn't even have the strength to mail out the Valentine's cards I already had made.  I guess I'll have to use them next year!  But, I have today to finish showing what I made.  Here they are and in no particular order:
This is one I cased from Bon2Stamp, SCS user name.

 This is an original by me:

 This one I also cased.  I don't have a name I can share with you.

 This is another original by me.

 This is also an original.  We made these at our Stamp club

Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Blessings,

Terri