Saturday, August 30, 2008

Tote-ally Spa-riffic, Just Rite Style!

Our two daughters have recently moved out on their own. Finances are tight for them and with the holidays approaching we have discussed making little gifts they could give friends, coworkers, etc. Recently, I acquired a bag of Bath and Body items. The items are hotel sizes and consist of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion! What a bag of treasure! I made two samples. Simple is key, since they too will be making totes. There is enough product to make ten! Hooray! I started by measuring the height of the bottles. I cut my Papertreyink clear box to that measurement. My selected dp is Basic Grey Eva. After deciding how much dp I wanted to show in front and back, I measured, cut and scored. A gift card could easily slide into the back, don't you think? I then used my JUST RITE wooden stamper along with the small letter set to create my words. SU markers were used on the stamp to get as close to the paper colors as I could manage! I stamped two of each and used circle punches to add color around the monogram letters for the centers. Papertreyink spring moss ribbon with SU hodgepodge slides does the trick for the tote handles. Small circles punched out of scrap pieces of dp for bottle tops, I didn't want to waste a bit. And again, easy and doable for my girls! Don't know if the girls will find Tote-ally Spa-riffic too corny or not! This Mom never knows! However, with JUST RITE products, it is easy enough to change and spell any message or sentiment you want! Gotta LOVE that! I am going to enter this into the Just Rite Stamping Champion contest for this week, even though the pictures are not the best! I apologize for the glare on the bottles and clear boxes! I took so many pictures and none turned out very well! I NEED to take a class! I have a card that is featured on the JUST RITE blog for one of this weeks picks for their Stamping Champion contest! Voting is still going on until Monday night! Fellow Flourishes DT friend, Julie Koerber is featured too! GO, check it out and enter, the prizes are fabulous!
There you have it! I have another item almost completed to share! Since we have been thinking Christmas gifts, this next creation could very well be used for gift giving! Hope you are having a great weekend! Take good care and I'll be back soon!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Halloween Brew Just Rite!

Halloween treats to place on desks of ladies I work with. What a great alternative to candy. Just Rite products allow you to create any message, name, sentiment you desire! So, how about a tea bag, with a cinnamon stick to stir in the brew?
The tea bags are Earl Grey and come unwrapped in a canister. I placed them individually in small cello bags purchased years ago at clear bags.com. Memento Rich Cocoa ink for stamping, along with the Kaiser Pearls make this a snap to complete!Two large scallops of Basic Grey Ambrosia dp are folded over at varying heights and stapled onto the folded bag. The stamped circle covers the staple.
A super quick, fun idea to give your friends some Halloween brew! The Just Rite blog will give you info about their Champion contest! Go on and check it out! There is loads of inspiration waiting for you!
Have a wonderful Wednesday! I have yet to get to my office today. Hopefully I will get caught up this week! Ugh, the realtor is coming over again and the house is a disaster. When will these people realize I NEED to stamp. LOL Take good care and make your day a great one!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Summer on the Patio, Clearly!

OK, this is my last clear card stock creation for a while! I am just loving this this crystal clear card stock with the new releases though! I cut and scored my piece to create a box, but without a back! The white stamped card stock completes the box back. I wanted a window look to this card, so hence the valance! Using the threading water punch for edging, and Sugared Basic Grey DP to coordinate with the Copic colored images! I had a super hard time getting a good photo, with the glare and shadows! Sorry!

Close up view of coloring! Another perk with FLOURISHES new release, SUMMER ON THE PATIO, is you get the small chair in two positions! One facing left and one facing right for easy stamping! The creation had too much empty space at the bottom so I added sheer ribbon from Michaels, a button from my button jar, created a tag, and cut out a copic colored topiary from FLOURISHES Siberian Iris stamp set.

This concludes my clear card stock creations this week! LOL, I hope you have enjoyed them and be sure to keep checking out all the other design team creations with FLOURISHES products!

Julie, Leslie, Susan, Faith, Linda, Sharon, Nancy.

THANKS so much for celebrating with me this week! I love working with FLOURISHES clear stamps and products and hope you have enjoyed these creations! More to come! Take good care, I'll be back on Monday!

Have a blessed weekend!

Friday, August 15, 2008

Sweet Lemons on the Patio and CPS!

Lemons, oh how sweet! From FLOURISHES new release, Summer on the Patio set. This is a wonderful image that comes in two sizes to accommodate the patio table that is included in the set. This and my previous post are but two of the many patio accessories that enable you to create a superb patio scene. Practicing with my Copic markers again! The bowl or basket was a hard one!. Let alone trying to make the three look relatively alike! I love the vibrancy of the lemons though! Using clear card stock, this time I stamped a little flourish image from the FLOURISHES set, Siberian Iris. The sentiment is from the FLOURISHES set, Sweet Treats. I did not write down copic colors, once I get more efficient with them I will start writing colors down and showing you how I am achieving my final result! For the white swirl I used my new white opaque StazOn.
When using clear card stock, in order for adhesives not to show, planning how the card elements will be assembled is important. The white lemon image square is adhered on the outside of the clear card. The yellow square you see edging the white square is adhered on the inside front directly behind the white square. I applied one small piece of adhesive on the Boxer Basic Grey DP to hold the dp piece on the inside back. One the outside back I added a scalloped circle with two lemonade glasses to cover the adhesive! The sentiment strip has running adhesive all along it's length, which helps hold the dp in place too! This pic helps you see more of the inside view of the card. I love this Basic Grey DP. The yellow dew drops add just a bit of pizazz without taking away from the image. The card layout is my interpretation of the CardPositioning systems layout challenge this week! If you like layout challenges check it out! I made this card for Latisha! I don't know if she visits here or not, but she is hostessing a FLOURISHES swap over on the SCS FLOURISHES member forum. I am including this card in my swaps as a thank you to her for all the organization and hard work it takes to conduct a card swap! A shout out THANK YOU to Latisha! Hope you have been enjoying the creations highlighting FLOURISHES new releases! Check out the other fabulous design team members blogs to see what they have been up to! Julie, Susan, Leslie, Faith, Linda, Nancy, Sharon.
Check back this weekend! I have yet another clearly amazing card to show you! Until then, take good care!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Clearly Copics Out On the Patio

Today's challenge over on SCS is Crazy for Copics. Well, I can use all the practice I can get! I love the markers, but to be honest, it is hit and miss right now when I use them. I am getting better and do love how this turned out though. I used an image from SUMMER ON THE PATIO, a new release from FLOURISHES. Designer paper and white stampers select is from PAPERTREYink. Yellow papers are Prism, Sunflowers light and medium. Memento Black Tuxedo ink is used along with various Copic Markers. Sorry, I did not write down colors. Inside view to show you card stock placement on front and back of this crystal clear card stock base. Where I stategically placed my adhesives is behind this layering so it will not show when card is complete! The clear card stock is so so nice, heavy but yet as it's described, crystal clear. Love the simple photo corner and sugared embellishment to tie the colors of the flowers and dp together.
Thank you so very much for the kind comments and congrats on my recent FLOURISHES guest designer spot! My heart is warmed and I hope you know I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to write them! You will want to stop back tomorrow for a clearly (hint) terrific creation! See you then!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Celebrate with Flourishes

YES! It's time to CELEBRATE! I will be a guest designer for Flourishes for the next three months! I LOVE their incredible stamps and know you will to!
Flourishes is releasing 3 new sets today and here are three creations using one of the sets called, SUMMER BOTANICALS. By the creations here you can see the many looks achieved from one stamp! The above card measures 3 7/8 x 8 1/2 inches, perfect fit for a business envelope. I inked my stamp by dabbing the ink pad directly on my stamp. Colors used on all creations are ColorBox Chalk inks: Pink Pastel, Warm Red, Lime, and Olive Pastel. On the above card I stamped twice before re inking stamp. The sentiment Celebrate is from one of the other new release sets! Machine stitching, adhesive pearls, and the super cool large button add pizazz to the stamped image! Gotta love that!

A single stamped image provides a stunning look for this card. Cut out with a rectangle nestie and layered on olive green card stock embossed with the swiss dot cuttlebug folder, then mounted on a rose red card stock piece embossed with a scor pal is color perfect.

Bloom is stamped with StazOn on clear card stock and cut with a cuttlebug tag die. The tag is positioned to have bloom read off the end of the flower stem. The stem and flower are outlined with a light gray copic marker. Label is attached with green ribbon from Michael's Dollar bin and gorgeous pink sheer found at FLOURISHES.

I love the clear tag with the sentiment! It adds so much to the overall design and is so easy to accomplish!

The same image, with a dramatically different look! Shabby, but oh so nice! I wrinkled the image piece of card stock. Added some Tim Holtz distress tattered rose ink. Got out the MM distress tool and went to town on the Basic Grey DP and card stock edges.

Some french knots, and hand stitching with embroidery floss is wonderful for this look. And notice the dimension on the stem and leaves? This is a FANTASTIC new product called FLOWER SOFT. It is acid free and comes so compact when you open it multiplies like no tomorrow! Colors galore and it will last you forever! Apply with a tack glue, I used Aleene's Flower Soft high Tack PVA glue. So little is needed for a WOW impact. Take a look at the demo here using this new Flower Soft Product!

To finish the card I added dew drops in each corner. A piece of sheer pink ribbon along with a tied piece of embroidery floss.

Take a look at the other FLOURISH design team members to see what they have been up to! Their creations are spectacular! Jan Marie, Sharon, Nancy, Julie, Susan, Leslie, Faith, and Linda.

Thanks for stopping by and celebrating with me! Tomorrow will bring another creation with a new FLOURISH set! Take good care and see you soon!

Monday, August 4, 2008

Lake Superior, as far as the eye can see

Here, my husband is taking it all in! He is standing on the shoreline of Lake Superior from our recent trip to Michigan's upper peninsula. I won't post all the pictures, however I do want to show you Lake Michigan and Lake Huron throughout the next few days too. The weather was perfect! And the food was delicious! Hubby golfed while I got to spend time with gals from the first Upper Peninsula SCS gathering. AND let me tell you I came home with some spectacular creations, saw a Cricut in operation, but most of all I arrived home with new friends, special people who have now touched my life in such a positive and heartfelt way. I was privileged to finally meet Sharon Johnson in real life! She is just as sweet as you would imagine! Thank you, my friend for a great visit! Right before I left on vacation, I was blessed to receive this gold card award from two of my friends, Julie Koerber and Donna Baker. Thank you to both of these super talented ladies. I am honored and blessed to call you friends! Donna has been recently selected as a guest designer and a team designer and her work is rocking, go check Donna's blog out. Julie is in the final phase of the Papercrafts Gallery Idol competition. Her card is stunning! Go show Julie some voting love here. Her work is so very deserving of this award. The rules of this award are:1. Only 5 people allowed. 2. 4 have to be dedicated followers of your blog 3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and live in another part of the world. 4. You must link back to whoever gave you the award. Here's my five! 1. Linsey Rickett: I met Linsey while serving as a guest designer for GinaK designs. She is one of the sweetest gals I know and graciously gives encouragement and uplifts stampers like no other! 2. Sharon Johnson: Sharon is one of the most talented stampers I have grown to love! Her work is magnificent and she shares her talent with all of us! Thank you, Sharon! 3. Niki Estes: I met Niki through Papertreyink. She recently was selected by Nichole to serve on Papertreyink's design team. And when you visit her blog you will see why, Niki's work is perfection! 4. Lynn Mecurio: I first became familiar with Lynn from Papertreyink as well. Lynn is one of the sweetest gals you will meet. She has a wealth of information on her blog and spreads her warmth to so many. 5. Joan Fricker: I just met Joan this past weekend! She resides in Indiana, and while I know this is not a different country, I am taking the liberty and using another state! Oh my gosh, Joan is fantastic! She has a small business that sells stamping items! She transported her Cricut for all of us to use at the SCS gathering. I just fell in love with Joan's personality and contagious smile. There you have it! I have birthday RAKs and a couple of blog candy's I have recently won to get pictures taken of and will share those soon. So, I leave for now with a couple more pictures from our vacation! I tried yesterday to post pictures but blogger wouldn't let me! All is well now! Take good care and thanks so much for stopping by! View from balcony the first night of vacation. This is Lake Huron. The island in the distance is Mackinac Island. We left the slider door open all night to hear the gentle water waves! Splendid, I tell ya, just splendid! The boardwalk after dinner in St. Ignace, our first stop of the trip. It was a bit cloudy here, but the temperature was perfect and by the time we got back to the motel, I snapped the picture above of the sun beginning to set. See you soon! Barb