{capture the moment}

An itchy situation...

You will never believe what has happened to me! I developed a reaction to poison ivy on my right index finger on Friday after picking blackberries in our yard.  Now it has spread to my eyelids, cheeks, neck and arms.  I finally broke down and went to the doctor this morning and got a shot and some prescriptions.  He says it should be gone in 2-3 days.  The original location of the rash on my index finger has doubled, and now I can hardly fit my finger through the handle of my paper snips!  Geeez!  Talk about bad luck!  I suppose this will be something I can look back at later and laugh at!

Stamp It! Cards

Stamp It! Cards has arrived!  If you haven't picked up your copy of this fabulous issue, run to your local craft or book store (heck, I've even seen it at the grocery store) and devour all the yummy projects within it's pages!  (You can also order it directly from the link above.)  I think this is my favorite issue of the year.  It has a whopping 189 projects and only costs $6 (US).  I am just so darn passionate about stamping, it is great to see what others have done and what techniques are hot.  I like to scope out new stamps that I *HAVE* to own along with keeping my eye out for stamping friends, such as "The Lisa's" (a.k.a. Lisa Johnson & Lisa Strahl), Kim Kesti, Teri Anderson, Sue Neal, Sande Krieger, Alice Golden, Sarah Vrolyk, Wendy Johnson, Valerie Pingree and Ellen Hutson! Hey girls! (insert me waving!)

One of my favorite projects that I created for this issue is on page 76.  It uses the beautiful Victorian Pattern Backgrounder from CHF.  I heat embossed the pattern with chocolate brown powder.  I then watercolored with my ink refills.  I just LOVE watercoloring over heat-embossed images.  The color literally falls into place.  It takes all the guesswork out of the process and makes it fun!  As a finishing touch I stamped the congratulations sentiment in teal ink.  I faux stitched around the tag as well.  A coordinating teal prima with a brown polka dot epoxy brad was the finishing touch.  (for detailed instructions & supply list, refer to the magazine) Try watercoloring with a heat embossed image today if you haven't tried this technique before.  Post a link to your result here.  I would love to see what you come up with!

Gone but not forgotten...

I know.  I've been MIA for a few days now.  I've been working on several projects for the Dec/Jan issue of Paper Crafts!  (Yes we work that far in advance.  Have you ever tried to get in the Christmas spirit when it's 90-degrees outside?!?!?)  And on top of that, we have BIG things coming on July 15th with Papertrey Ink!  I am just dying to let you all in on what we're doing!  I suppose I could give you a hint... Can you say FIVE stamp sets!  Yes, all in one release, and all MUST have basics.  A girl's got to have the basics, right?!?!?

In the meantime, since I can't post any of the projects I have been working on, I thought I would give YOU the opportunity to share your creativity.  Post a link in the comments section to your latest Papertrey project.  I would love to see what you have come up with... especially for Text Boxed!

Honorable Mention

Trudee Sauer... COME ON DOWN! She has been named Guest Star Stamper this month for her CLEVER use of Little Lady!  I remember the first time I saw her project, I just about fell out of my chair (yeah, it's that good!)  If you haven't seen the fun tulips she created you can go here.  Her step by step tutorial can be found here.  Congratulations, Trudee!

So, from the HUNDREDS of submissions received, I believe I got the message loud and clear that you LOVE Little Lady!  It was seriously a DIFFICULT task to pick just ONE winner! That being said, I had a few favorites that I felt needed some recognition!  So without further ado, here are the Honorable Mentions!

This cute project was created by Geny Cassady.  She used the solid ladybug wings and a few bits and pieces from Green Thumb to create cherries.  (We received a couple projects that used this creative idea, but Geny's design really utilized them best!) I really liked her design and use of pattern in relation to the cherries as well.  Well done.

Lisa Bukata was able to turn little lady into a bumble bee using Faux Ribbon and a little masking.  I love how bright and cheery the color combination is!  I really appreciate how clean & simple it is as well.

Kat Jarosinski made the most BEAUTIFUL iridescent ice wings with vellum to layer over the spotted body of her little ladies.  I just love how pretty this is and the concept could be used with any color combination.

Tami McBeain chose an adorable color combination of baby pink and brown.  I really loved how the ladybug's paths cross over seamlessly onto the brown strip at the bottom of the card.  Plus, this is just a beautiful photo!

Julie Campbell turned Little Lady into a fish!  No joke!  At first I was scratching my head, but she has a wonderful tutorial on how to create this fun little guy (and it is much easier than you would think!).

Chris Houchins saw a lucky clover when she looked at the ladybug's solid wings.  She also incorporated Faux Ribbon into her design.

We got lots of submissions that turned Little Lady into some sort of flower.  Erika Hall created my favorite version.  I loved her use of color and the overall design was just top notch. The little ladybug sitting on the flower is just to adorable as well!

Alli Miles used one of my favorite color combinations, turquoise & black.  She used brads in each of the ladybug's spots (I LOVE the dimension that this added!).  And she stamped the lady bug directly onto a black spot in her patterned paper, talk about easy and no layering!  I just love this card!   

And last (but not least!) are these super cute flip flops created by Sharon Harnist!  I just love the colors and the ribbon wrapping.  How cute would these be made for the special little girl in your life?!?!

The next contest begins NOW!  We will be accepting submissions that utilize Text Boxed until July 13th, so put your thinking caps on and discover some creative ways to use this set!  Here are a few hints that could help you to be the next Guest Star Stamper!

-photo quality counts.  No matter how good the project, we don't want to feature a photo that is out of focus or has bad lighting in our gallery.

-keep the focus on the key stamp set.  Even if you made THE cutest card from Butterfly Kisses, the current contest if  for projects that exemplify Text Boxed.  Keep that in mind when you are developing your project.

-extra points for being clever.  I like to see a fresh vantage point.  It doesn't have to be anything huge, just some little characteristic that makes your project unique and different from the others.

-the more Papertrey, the better.  I have to admit, if an entry uses patterned paper that they created with our images, it draws a little more attention from me than those that use other manufacturer's paper.  I'm not saying that you CAN'T use designer papers, but rather that it gives you a little bit of an advantage if you create your own.

-Use a Papertrey sentiment stamp.  We have SO many sentiments available, I prefer projects that use one of our sentiment stamps rather than one from another company.

I look forward to seeing all of your wonderful submissions!

1

Tonight is the night we've all been waiting for!  The BIG reveal will happen at midnight EST at Papertrey's website.  I have to say that this particular new release is one of my personal favorites thus far.  I have wanted reverse images like this for years and it is so exciting to have been able to bring my vision to a reality.  This set has been such a joy to play with, and I know there are just so many other inventive, creative uses that YOU will come up with once you receive your own.

This unique project I created uses a technique I like to call "Double Vision Vellum Window".

1. Stamp reverse dandelion image onto vellum.  (A darker, richer ink would be best.)

2. Flip vellum over, with reverse dandelion image side down.  (You will still be able to see the reverse image, just a more muted version.)  Stamp non-reverse dandelion at the edge of the reverse image.  The result is that extra dandelion appears to be a shade darker, when in reality it is just on the opposite side of the vellum.

3. Draw a stem extending from the dandelion with pencil.  Pierce holes the length of the stem.  Use an anywhere hole punch to add holes to the centers of all three flowers.

I added a few finishing touches...
-pierced the stems for the other two flowers as well.
-cut a few leaves from green cardstock to help unify all three flowers.
-cut a window in the front of my orange card and adhered the floral vellum accent to the back.
-trimmed a white frame slightly smaller than the window in the orange card base to adhere to the inside of the cover, covering up the adhesive of the vellum AND adding a nice detail visible from the front.
-the thanks sentiment was matted with green cardstock and trimmed with scalloped scissors.

Just wait until you see all of the BEAUTIFUL projects the design team has come up with for this set.  You will just be oozing with creativity after perusing all the new gallery pages!  And don't forget, we will also be announcing the latest Guest Star Stamper!  I look forward to seeing you all tonight!

Ink: Pumpkin Pie & Old Olive Classic Inks SU!
Stamps: Papertrey Ink
Paper: green & orange cardstocks from Bazzill, confetti white from SU!
Other: peach brads from Chatterbox, scalloped scissors from Paper Studio, small oval punch SU!

2

Only 2 days to go until the reveal of Papertrey's latest release!  I am really looking forward to seeing what all of YOU create with this set once you receive it.  It has SO many possibilities and inspires lots of PLAY!

Speaking of playing, I was playing around with this spiral flower reverse image from the yet-to-be-released set.  I looked at the "blockish" nature of the stamp and thought to create a faux spectrum pad look.  Meanwhile, at the same time I knocked out three cards all at once!

1. Stamp reverse spiral floral image in three different shades of pink.

2. Cut all three out along their outlines.  You want to make sure that you cut right on the lines, so as all three images come out exactly the same size.  My preferred method for something this precise is to use a clear ruler and craft knife.

3.  Stack all three cut out images on top of each other.  Using the ruler and craft knife, cut the blocks into thirds at the same time.  Not only does cutting them simultaneously save effort, but it also ensures that they are all cut  at the exact same increments.

4. Mix & match the block pieces and reassemble onto white cardstock blocks.  If you use ALL the pieces, you will end up with focal points for THREE cards, with no more effort than it was to create one!

5. To create my sentiment accent, I wanted to find a punch or die to perfectly coordinate with the size of "smile" (one of twelve words in this set).  Here is a quick little tip that I love doing with clear stamps.  Just apply your stamp to the "outline" on the top of your punch or die cut.  You will be able to tell instantly as to whether or not it will be a perfect fit.

Here is my finished project. The background is stamped with a matching non-reversed spiral flower. I then just matted some ribbon with white cardstock and trimmed the edges with scalloped scissors.   

I added Heidi Swapp flower jewels to the centers of the flowers.  LOVE those! Think of how fun it would be to make this exact card in other colors.  Just pull three shades of your favorite color from your ink pad rack for your stamping, pick your darkest color to use as your cardstock base to set off the focal point.  I would love to see what you come up with!

Ink: Rose Red, Regal Rose & Cameo Coral Classic Pads SU!
Stamps: Papertrey Ink
Paper: Rose Red cardstock from SU!
Other: Pink polka dot ribbon from American Crafts via Hobby Lobby only, tab punch from SU!, scalloped scissors from Paper Studio, Flower Jewels from Heidi Swapp.

3

As I said yesterday, I just LOVE all the techniques that become available with reverse images.  Today's project uses a technique I like to call Perfect Pearls Pull-off.

1. Stamp reverse floral image with Versamark, apply Perfect Pearls (or pigment powder of your choice) and brush away excess.

2. Ink swirl stamp from Butterfly Kisses (or other stamp of your choice) with Versamark and stamp onto "Pearlized" floral image.  When you lift up the stamp, you will lift off the powder with it.  Repeat this process until the swirl pattern covers the floral image, making sure to clean the powder from your stamp each time.  Spray a sealant (such as spray varnish or even hairspray) after you have completed this accent.

3. There is a frame stamp included in the upcoming Papertrey set that is just slightly larger than the reverse images.  I stamped this along with polka dots onto my card front using Versamark.  I brushed on the Perfect Pearls, removed the excess and sprayed it with sealant.

4.  I then assembled my card.  The floral accent was adhered with dimensional and a few silver embellishments were added as a finishing touch.  Notice also that I turned the focal point horizontally.  You can do this with all five reverse images in this set, therefore have more options in your designs.  This Perfect Pearls Pull-off technique is so fun!  And a great way to use neglected background stamps as well.  Here is a link to the Ranger tips & techniques sheet for other cool ways to utilize Perfect Pearls.

Ink: Versamark
Stamps: flower & swirl from Papertrey Ink, polka dots from Technique Tuesday
Paper: Old Olive & Cool Caribbean cardstock from SU!
Other: silver flower & brad from Nunn Designs, Girl Talk chram from Lasting Impressions, Turquoise Perfect Pearls from Ranger.

4

One thing I love about reverse images is the plethora of techniques that become available to use in conjunction with them.  One of my favorites is emboss resist. 

First I stamped french script onto my cardstock.  I then stamped my reverse fern image with Versamark and heat embossed with clear powder.

I then sponged olive ink over the image, allowing it to feather softly around the edges.  I made sure to "polish" the embossed area when I was done, making sure the excess ink was wiped away. 

This is such a fun technique that can be done with any of the five reverse images in the Papertrey set that will be released on Thursday.  A few of you have asked if a special sized block will be needed.  The large reverse images in this set measure 1.25 x 3 inches, so check through your stash and see if you have a block large enough.  If not, the largest block included in Papertrey's set of three will do just the trick.

Ink: Old Olive Dye ink from SU!, Versamark
Stamps: Papertrey, Script stamp from Hero Arts
Paper: confetti white from SU!, green from Bazzill
Other: Word Window punch from SU!, butto from DCWV, sewing maching

5

Another countdown has begun!  This NEW set from Papertrey is very different from previous releases.  It features reverse images, and is one of the first to do so with clear stamps. And don't forget to make a note in your weekly planner that this set goes live Thursday night (midnight EST)!

Today's project uses some fun star images.  Stars are all the rage right now, so I designed two basic symmetrical stars that can be used individually.  Then there is the reverse star block.  The two seperate stars can nest perfectly in the negative "star-shaped" space.

I decided to challenge myself and use one of my supplies that had been neglected for years.  After digging around, I stumbled onto my gold embossing powder.  I'm not a big fan of gold and don't use it often because of this.  I decided to play around and make that gold embossing powder something I loved!   I paired it with some warm, rich chocolate brown cardstock (Bazzill) along with cream for my neutral.  While I was going through my embellishments, I found this gold star charm, and I knew it would be he perfect finishing touch. 

I created the "star" trail on my background by drawing a free form path with pencil.  I stamped and embossed all the stars randomly and then added a few twinkle stickers.  I think all the elements combined to leave a magical, sparkly effect.

To create the loop for my star, I used the gold cord from Stampin' Up!  I started by punching a 1/16th inch hole in my star block.  I threaded the cord through to the front of the block and added the charm.  To make it easier to tie, I wrapped the cord around a pencil and tied a nice tight knot.  I then trimmed the ends and removed the pencil.  Viola, a perfect little loop!  I slid the knot to the back of my project as well, to give it an even cleaner look.

By the way, I edited my last post with some details about how the project was created.  If you were wondering about how it was done, be sure to check it out.

Take note...

The countdown for Papertrey's June 15th release begins tomorrow!  Be sure to stop by and see what's new!