stampersblog

A Little More Stamp Room

2012-02-15T14:22:13Z

Thanks for all the comments and emails about the paint job in my stamp room! I've had several questions and thought I'd answer them here. One question was asked by several people - how am I storing my paper?

This custom shelving use to hold my 12 x 12 and then I had plastic trays to hold 8.5 x 11 on top. I decided to change it up a bit and put my 8.5 x 11 on the shelves and my 12 x 12 in the 12 x 12 paper holders (#105528 - page 226 main catalog.) The In Colors are still in trays on the shelf next to the other paper. We'll see how I like it - it does open up the room more. My DSP is on another shelve in the same dividers - each pattern in it's own craft keeper.

I've sorted the papers by Pattern Packs, Current DSP and Mini Catalog -

Another question was about punches. My new style punches are now in a shelving unit above my card stock. (See first photo) The old style punches hang on the closet door in a Cropper Hopper punch holder - thingie that I think is no longer available.

And last, but not least, I had many questions about my ink pad/marker holders. You'll just have to be jealous because a friend custom built them for me - and they are awesome! I actually called him yesterday and told him that several of you want them and encouraged him to quit his day job and build ink pad holders! I'll let you know if he takes me up on this!

Oh yes, someone wanted to know about my ribbon holder. It's a cardboard tube cut and mounted like a gutter with a yardstick mounted below it. So if I didn't answer your question here, shoot me an email or leave a comment and I'll get back to you! Enjoy! Hugs, Fran

From This to That - Stamp Room

2012-02-14T14:31:09Z

While I'm featuring "re-do's" I thought it would only be right to show you the biggest "re-do" of all - my stamp room! So here's a before -

And here's a "after!"

No pictures or curtains up yet - I was lucky to get everything put back in the room! So what do you think? Enjoy! Hugs, Fran

Another Redo

2012-02-13T11:53:32Z

Usually I don't adhere things down until I'm absolutely sure I'm finished with a card or scrapbook page. Even then, I sometimes end up wanting to move things! But I'm taking advantage of my hastiness to show you another evolution. The card uses Mixed Bunch from Occasions Mini -

First card

So I decided it needed something so I stamped the Poppy Parade square and added some more paper piercing

Still not doing it for me - so I embossed the background

Supplies
Stamp Sets - Mixed Bunch, Delightful Dozen
card stock - Poppy Parade, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla
Ink - Poppy Parade, Baja Breeze
Etc - Mixed Bunch punch, Everyday Enchantment brad (SA, paper piercer, gel pen, Square Lattice embossing folder

There you go! Tomorrow I have a surprise for you - you just won't believe what I did! Enjoy - Hugs, Fran

A Soaring Redo

2012-02-11T13:04:20Z

Yesterday I made a card using Send Me Soaring from the Occasions Mini catalog. Cute - but something was missing.

And it was right there in the set - the clouds!

Supplies
Stamp Set - Send Me Soaring (Occasions Mini 2012)
card stock - Whisper White, Real Red, Old Olive DSP
Ink - Basic Black, Real Red, Bashful Blue
Etc - Cutter Kit, Word Window punch, Old Olive brad, Crystal Effects (inside the hearts!)

Looks better - do you agree? Enjoy! Hugs, Fran

Wisteria Birthday

2012-02-10T14:04:36Z

This is one of the cards that I gave my daughter for her birthday. She had a beautiful cake with big purple bow on it - and this was to go with that idea.

Stamp set - Apothecary Art
card stock - Wisteria Wonder, watercolor paper, Very Vanilla
Ink - Jet Black Stazon, Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade, Elegant Eggplant, crumb Cake
Etc - Victorian Lace, Very Vanilla satin ribbon, Framelits Label dies, Hat pin, Itty Bitty punch, Edgelit die, large pearls, aquapainter

Enjoy! Hugs, Fran

It's Elementary

2012-02-09T14:16:33Z

Sab has some great exclusive sets. One of them is Elementary Elegance - a set of 7! Here are a few of my takes on this set. Start with a masculine card -

Another box pleat -

Very girly -

These were all mock ups for a swap - simple cards to recreate! Enjoy - Hugs, Fran

Subject to Change

2012-02-07T14:01:52Z

At any minute. One question that I get asked a lot is "what is your favorite stamp set/color?" At the moment it's Fresh Vintage - which is a SAB set - and Cherry Cobbler. But I'm also "hung up" on Very Vanilla and Crumb Cake together. And these "favorites" change all the time - seriously - I change them constantly! So for the moment, here's a favorite cased from Chris Smith on the demonstrator site Stampin Connections. I used the layouts and colors and added details.

Supplies
Stamp Sets - Fresh Vintage, Elementary Elegance
card stock- Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake
Ink - Crumb Cake
Etc - Doily die, 2 1/2 circle punch, Elegant Lines embossing folder, Dazzling Details

Today my youngest turns 18! Very hard to believe. But then again, it is fun to watch them grow up! Enjoy - Hugs, Fran

A Mix of Mixed Bunch

2012-02-06T16:18:12Z

Here's a case of a card in Stampin Success demonstrator's magazine done two ways. Which one do you like best?

Here's something else I did with this set. Since I've been doing some wedding samples and the bride wants bright, vibrant colors for her invites, I did a set with Mixed Bunch. Understand that there is no info on these - just the bases! Use your imagination

Enjoy! Hugs, Fran

Fresh Vintage pleat

2012-02-01T13:59:38Z

I tried pleating card stock to make an additional detail on this card. See what you think -

I used the smooth Very Vanilla card stock - but this set looks even better on textured Very Vanilla or Whisper White. It gives it a kind of cross stitched look. The pleats are okay - but not very stable. I used a 1/4 inch pleat - maybe try an 1/8 inch. (I'm my own critic today!)

Supplies
Stamp Sets - Fresh Vintage, Elementary Elegance
card stock - Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Everyday Enchantment DSP, In Colors Pattern Paper pack
Ink - Early Espresso
Stampin Write Markers - Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait
Etc - Framelits Label dies, Scallop Trim border punch, Simply Scored, Basic Pearls, Sticky Strip, Petals a Plenty embossing folder

Enjoy! Hugs, Fran

Blue Bird

2012-01-31T12:55:04Z

On a training video, SU showed a card using the new Heart Framelit dies. I cased it! I love cards with lots of "stuff" on them- and this one suits the bill!

Do you see the Dazzling Diamonds on the Calypso Coral card stock?

Supplies
Stamp Sets - Take it to the Heart, Loving Thoughts, En Fracaise
card stock- watercolor paper, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, Calypso Coral
Ink - Calypso Coral, Soft Sude, Lucky Limeade,Baja Breeze, Jet Black Stazon
Etc - Dazzling Diamonds, Baja Seam binding, Victorian Lace, Framelit Hearts die, Petals a Plenty and Square Lattice embossing folders, Basic pearls, Vintage Trinkets pin, aquapainter, Top Note die, Lace Ribbon Border punch, sponge dauber

Enjoy! Hugs, Fran

Love & Laughter

2012-01-30T12:54:27Z

Here's a card featuring Love and Laughter from the Occasions Mini. The dress was embossed with silver embossing powder and cut out. (That Brushed Silver is looking a bit blue in the photo!)

Supplies
Stamp Set - Love & Laughter (Occasions Mini), Together Forever (retired)
card stock - Whisper White, Real Red, Brushed Silver
Ink - Versamark
Etc - Petals a Plenty embossing folder, Silver embossing powder, Small heart punch, Ovals Big Shot die

Hope you have a great start to the week! I've got one home sick today - sigh..........Enjoy! Hugs, Fran

Sprinkled Expressions

2012-01-29T13:41:29Z

I cased this layout from someone on Stampin Connections - and now I can't find it (hate when I do that!) I changed the placement and kept the colors. Sprinkled Expressions is a SAB set - free with a $50 purchase!

Supplies
Stamp Set - Sprinkled Expressions
Card stock - Whisper White, Real Red
Ink - Real Red
Etc - Edglelit die and Adorning Accents embossing folder, Real Red satin ribbon, Basic Rhinestones

My lack of memory probably comes from cutting out 80 flip cards. I have weird measurements running through my brain. Go figure! Enjoy! Hugs, Fran

Party This Way

2012-01-27T15:06:09Z

There are several sets in the Sale a bration catalog from the Idea Book and Catalog - and you can get them free with a $50 product order! One of them is Party This Way - a favorite of mine! (You may hear this a few more times from me because several of my favorites made the SAB mini!) Here's a 3 x 6 using Party This Way -

I made a mask out of a Post It note and stamped the front of the card with lots of balloons. On a separate piece of Whisper White, I stamped more balloons and cut them out. Before I adhered them with Dimensionals, I drew the lines for the strings. Then I added a few popped up balloons.

Supplies
Stamp Set - Party This Way
card stock - Whisper White (!)
Ink - Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise, Pretty in Pink
Stampin Write Marker - Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight
Etc - 1/8 Daffodil Delight ribbon, spritzer

Enjoy! Hugs, Fran

Love You 24/7

2012-01-26T13:32:13Z

Here's a 3 x 6 Valentine using Pretty Postage. I love how these stamps work with the 1" square punch and the postage stamp punch - it just makes things so much easier. For this card I masked off the 24/7 with tape until the last heart - little tiny pieces of tape!

Supplies
Stamp Sets - Pretty Postage, p.s. I Love You
card stock - Whisper White, Real Red, Basic Black
Ink - Real Red, Basic Black
Etc - Pinking Hearts border punch, 1/8 Real Red ribbon, 1" and Postage Stamp punches

Enjoy! Hugs, Fran

You're a Hoot

2012-01-24T13:51:24Z

I saw these owls on Creating the Hive attributed to Kerry's Paper Crafts. They are created using the Big Shot Pillow Box die. Aren't they cute? I couldn't resist having them hold a paper chain of hearts!

I tried two different ways to do the "feathers" on the owls. The one of the left (Melon Mambo) uses the 3/4" circle punch to make the feathers. Each one is attached separately The one on the right (Pumpkin Pie) uses the Big Shot Tasteful Trim die. Can you see the difference?

.

Supplies
Stamp Set - Candy Conversation (Occasions Mini)
card stock - Melon Mambo/Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight
Stampin Write Markers - Indigo Island, Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight
Etc - Big Shot Pillow Box die, Tasteful Trim/3/4" circle punch, 1" and 3/4" circle punches, Trio Heart punch, Oval punch, Basic Rhinestones

So while I was playing around I decided to see if this little guy could be used as a party favor for my daughter's graduation this spring -

Enjoy! Hugs, Fran

The Gnome

2012-01-23T13:58:30Z

I have to admit it - I wasn't thrilled with the little gnome set. (Don't tell!) But I earned it for free and was bound and determined not to let it collect dust! And I was wrong! (Don't tell that either - especially to my kids!) It's darling! I am guilty of sometimes getting my mind set stuck somewhere it shouldn't be. So I challenged myself to create a card with the gnome and here it is -

The lantern and mushrooms are popped up to give dimension.

Supplies
Stamp Set - Gnome Sweet Gnome
card stock - Not Quite Navy, Cajun Craze, Old Olive, watercolor paper, Paisley Petals DSP
Ink - Jet Black Stazon, Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, More Mustard, Blush Blossom
Etc - Square Lattice embossing folder, Designer Label punch, Old Olive brad, Scallop Circles #2 die, Circle Cutter, 2 1/2 circle punch

Enjoy! Hugs, Fran

Upsy Daisy Flip

2012-01-21T13:08:51Z

I'm interrupting the sneak peeks to share a sample I did for a friend who's daughter is getting married this summer. She (the bride) wants a card for her "save the date" magnets. I have to say, I think these magnets are very cool - stick it on my refrigerator and then it's in front of me all the time and maybe I'll remember! She wanted lots of color and something fun so I made a flip-flop card. Her colors are red/turquoise - we're still working on those - so for the sample I used Cherry Cobbler and Baja Breeze.

Open it and the magnet will fit in the center-

(That last picture is kind of wonky!)

Supplies
Stamp Sets- Upsy Daisy, Together Forever (retired)
card stock - Cherry Cobbler, Baja Breeze, Rich Regals and Soft Subtles Patterns packs, Whisper White
Ink - Baja Breeze, Versamark
Etc- Daisy #2 die, Bird punch, Cherry Cobbler seam Binding, Hemp Twine, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, 3/4" circle punch, Black embossing powder

Once she makes some decisions, I'll share some of the other samples. Enjoy! Hugs, Fran

Soft and Fresh

2012-01-20T18:18:28Z

But it didn't photograph very well. This is a 3 x 6 card made with the upcoming Sale a bration set Fresh Vintage. I realized after I had made it that the embosslit is retired. I stamped the floral image in Whisper White and then stamped over it - slightly off (yes, I meant to do that) in Early Espresso. In real life, it's not so blurry - promise!

Supplies
Stamp Set - Fresh Vintage, Elementary Elegance (SAB sets)
card stock - Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla
Ink - Craft Whisper White, Early Espresso
Etc - Simple Flower embosslit (retired), 1/8 Very Vanilla taffeta,

It's funny how I look at the photo as I'm putting it up and start thinking about how I would change it! Enjoy - Hugs, Fran

Outlined Occasions

2012-01-19T13:49:10Z

I cased this card from Connie Babbert on the demonstrator website - Stampin Connections. I changed the color scheme- and that's about it!

Stamp set - Outlined Occasions (SA
card stock - Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Pretty in Pink, Delightful Daffodil
Ink - Basic Black
Stampin Write Marker - Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo
Etc - Fashionable Hearts embosslit (Occasions Mini), Melon Mambo wide stripe ribbon, Basic rhinestones, Striped embossing folder, Adorning Accents Labels die

Then I took the just the left over hearts from this card and created -

Stamp set - Outlined Occasions (SA
Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Pretty in Pink, Delightful Daffodil
Ink - Basic Black
Stampin Write Markers - Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Pretty in Pink, Delightful Daffodil
Etc - Fashionable Hearts embosslit, Basic Rhinestones

That's a lot of love - Enjoy! Hugs, Fran

My Pink Valentine

2012-01-18T14:05:19Z

One more card using Apothecary Art and the same layout that I seem to be stuck on right now. I promise to come up with another layout using this set! (My fingers are crossed, though!)

Stamp Sets - Apothecary Art, Sweet Cake
card stock - Blushing Bride, Regal Rose, watercolor paper
Ink - Jet Black Stazon, Blushing Bride, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery
Etc - Adorning Accents Edgelit die and embossing folder, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, Blushing Bride pleated ribbon, Victorian Lace, Very Vanilla seam binding, Hat pin, Small heart punch, Dazzling Details, Spritzer

Enjoy! Hugs, Fran