Watercolor birthday bear

I having my technique Thursday class tonight, I had request for water coloring.

I also needed a birthday card for my party tomorrow- so this fit the bill, now I just need to get a present for him to bring.

I used watercolor paper, stamped the bear from "under the stars" set in jet black stazon. This technique uses markers and aquapainter. It's one of my favorite- you scribble marker on the stamp case and pick up the color off case with aquapainter.

Mother's day gifts

My son's teacher asked if I could come up with some Mother's day gifts for kids to make. As there are 27- 9 year old kids and me- I wanted to keep it fairly simple. We decided on post-it note holder for the refrigerator.

These are my samples I came up with, I just stuck a post it note on it as a holder. Hopefully it will be appreciated more than a macaroni necklace. But Mom's love whatever their kids make!

Back from vacation, need to catch up

Hi all! If you can't tell from photo, we went to Universal studios last week. Great to get away to fun warm sunny place, spend time with family and don't have to do any chores. We had a blast, this is us on the hulk ride. Bad thing about being away you got to catch up on all the chores you weren't doing and can we talk about the laundry?????

Anyways, still catching up today and hope to get around to all my blogging sisters to see what you have been up to as I did not go anywhere near a computer!

Step into Spring

Here is another layout using simply scrappin kit "Sunshine Garden". I also used my butterfly die for big shot. This is from one of our first nice days so I took the boys for hike with my good friend Michele. (DH was at fantasy baseball draft)

Sunshine Garden Easter

This is a layout I did for this Easter using Sunshine Garden simply scrappin kit. I have a club meeting on next Monday. I used the wide oval punch for eggs out of dsp and then good egg stamp set. Unfortunately my boys are getting older and I did not get as many photos of their egg hunt. If you have older boys, maybe you can relate. Our hunt was more like a wrestle for eggs and jumping on each other to get the egg from who ever got it first. The "what would Jesus do?" didn't work. At least, I got the photo when the egg went tumbling to ground and the spilled M & M's everywhere.

Branch out of shoebox

Do you ever have a set you want, but just don't have it yet?

For me, it is branch out. I got to use it at a shoebox swap. If you never have done a shoebox swap-so much fun everyone preps enough cards for people there- just stamp, assemble and socialize. Then you go home with all these great cards!

Leah designed this card. Well of course, I am one of those stampers once I use a set, I have to have it. However, this one stills remains on my wish list. Maybe next month, funds have been going to replace paper and consumable supplies lately. But I love it!

What is on your wish list?

matchbox and punches

I finally got to use my matchbox die for my big shot. I was doing a birthday party for Lizzy and wanted to give her a little gift. The box looks a little wonky because th stamp is a little bigger than the depth of box- but I made it fit.

I got the idea from Heather,
I have been taking the simply punches classes on line with her, but she actually posted this idea to her blog. I just changed it up and used dazzling diamonds vs. beads as I did not have any and did not use the scallop- just kept the cupcake as is.

Weekend Sketch 77

This is for this weekend sketch challenge 77 hosted by Lori this week.

I also combined it for SBS 24 challenge, which was Earth day. You had to reduce, reuse, recycle what you have. I dug through my stash of retired dsp and came up with the swirls from Boho blend simply scrappin kit. I then used old "in colors"- soft sky and blue bayou. I was out of river rock so I used Sahara sand. I even had some twill lying around do I used that.

The stamp sets are seaside and define your life. I roughed up edges with my 5 in 1 tool and used round tab punch and library clip to complete!

punched flowerpot

This was try a new technique last week- make a flowerpot card. This was originally Stephanie's idea and has a great tutorial on her site to make flowerpot base. I saw Jenn D's- I had to case her use of organic outline stamp set for the base. It is a much neglected stamp set as I haven't figured out how to use it much. If you go to her site it also links to Stephanie's tutorial.

I also, just got my new sizzilet flower die- so used that and 5 flower punch in celery for my leaves.

here's the inside!

Butterflies are the bomb!

I finally got a chance to play with some new stuff and I used SCS sketch challenge 224 to do it!

This is my new beautiful butterflies die for the big shot! Hardly any stamping beside ovals all from Occasion mini. The designer paper is "bella birds" and I finally broke open the package, it is gorgeous and lent itself to carry design without much stamping. I used to half back pearls from the pretties kit and some paper piercing below butterfly. The final touch was using ticket corner punch.

Occasion mini swaps

I have been busy working on some class samples and other preparation work for upcoming classes and birthday party. I am also running an invitation swap for our local demo group and have been working on coming up with design for that. So, I don't have anything to show new to show you yet. I am hoping to do card sketch challenge today- I so want to use some of my new toys!

Anyways, I have some more swaps from Occasion mini to share.

Soft Summer set is by Kelly Spivey. I love the use of grommet with ribbon tied in opening and use of eyelet border punch.

Versatile Verses-done by Laura Jean Howard, I like the use of the button and shadowing effect with flowers. Also uses the scallop oval punch available in mini catalog.

Matchbox messages- sorry no name of this swap. Tough to see on scan, but she used the window sheet over the top of main image, and textured bigshot plate to make polka dot background on whisper white.

Don't forget April Special- spend $40 out of Occasion mini and get anything on page 208 in IB& C (under $10 page) for FREE.

Time to stamp, do a challenge!

Yesterday was gorgeous, sunny and in the 60's. I spent day cleaning and today rain and snow flurries-what was I thinking.

Well thankfully, I got my chores done yesterday and I said, "I have time to do some stamping." I also wanted to make some baby thank you cards for my personal trainer who is having his first baby in about 10 days. So, I went to weekend sketch which Laurie, is
hosting this week. Stamp sets are Nursery Necessities and Fresh cuts. I think if I was not mass producing these, I would have matted both designer papers.

Here is another version I did, just using a strip of prints pack regal rose and eyelet border punch.

I had to change out my coluzzel blade, thankfully I had stocked up before they were discontinued by SU. I felt like Elaine from Seinfeld-"sponge worthy"- but it was coluzzel worthy as I needed a circle for sketch. I might have to eventually breakdown and get new circle scissor plus!

Easter wishes while Spring cleaning

I have a ton of cleaning to get done before Easter happens at my house this weekend. So no stamping for me :{

But I had to send out some Easter cards yesterday and found this in my stash! (notice the thyme stitched ribbon and old retired dsp?)

Anyways, this uses loads of love stamp set- one of my favs, but sadly neglected for newer stamps. It is a great one to water color, stamp on solid paper for paper piecing or just color with markers. I got this one in my starter kit when I signed up to be a demo. I tucked in a bunny rabbit from a tags set with craft blade through window.

I still have a bunch of challenges I wanted to try this week- best intentions... maybe tomorrow if I get all my cleaning done! If I did not spend so much on stamps and paper I probably could afford someone to clean my house so I could stamp more!!!

fifth ave floral folio

I made a bunch of folios for gifts over weekend. This one was a super quick one using Fifth avenue floral stamp set stamped in kiwi kiss, chocolate chip & baja breeze classic ink, baja breeze cardstock then I used urban oasis dsp for front of folio. I used my oval for all stamp set out of Occasion mini with the scallop and large oval punches.

Quick birthday cards

I had a birthday card organizer class on Monday, along with that they also made some quick (under 10 minute cards). So here is a quick post to show you some quick cards:

1) using Manhattan flower embossing folder- love it, looks great with vellum.
(2) and (3) were stamped with stazon and then just colored in with SU markers.

Easter Challenge

SBS 24 challenge this week was to do Easter cards, good thing because I needed make some to send out this week.

I also combined it with the SCS color challenge from last Tuesday- pirouette pink, riding hood red and chocolate chip.

I used a hostess set from last Fall-Winter catalog that has never seen ink. I stamped it in chocolate chip craft ink and then added clear embossing powder and heated. I used markers, and aqua painter to blend and then sponged some bashful blue ink for sky background! I kept layout really simple too!

Best kind of mail

I have been busy working on some class prep work and making some stationary gifts for CCD teachers, my boss who is moving on to another location and another teacher for Lego club.

However, yesterday I got swap mail- so much fun to see all these new creations. I thought I would share with you as these are all new stamps for occasion mini.

This one is "Wagon full of fun" by Heidi Baks. It is a pull toy or slider card and see the grass she created?

This shows "choo choo" set and "right on track wheel". I don't have a name on it, but love how she did background and made puff of smoke with new scallop oval punch. The trains are popped up on dimensionals too.

This is my Favorite!!! I love anything beach or sea. This is "just beachy" set by Sarah Wills. Tough to see from scan, but she used a window sheet to create "aquarium"

Par-fect post

The Occasion mini started yesterday. I made this card for a swap I did with some demos on SCS. As it is postal now, I figured it was okay to post. Excuse the wonky warpy look- I was short on time so I just scanned it.

I had one of those lightbulb moments when I realized I could use a golf tee as an embellishment, but since it is bumpy it does not lay flat to scan very well.

card recipe:

cs: choc chip, sage shadow, very vanilla, always artichoke and to the nines dsp

ink: stazone black, sage shadow (sponged on embossed panel), choc chip

access: golf tee, scalloped oval punch, large oval punch, 5 in 1 tool, choc chip 1/4 grosgrain ribbon, big shot textured plates

stamp: and many mower (p 20 occasion mini- item # 113724)

technique: watercoloring with markers and aquapainter