Blog Candy Alert

Debbie over at Passion For Crafts is giving away blog candy again!

Go and check it out HERE!

Here is what she's offering:

Robin's Web Finds: Week of May 17, 2009

Hi All,

Enjoy this week's picks!

1. Mercy (Lord Have Mercy): Picnic Table Card, Boots Thank You Card, and Trendy Tree Flamingo Card

2. Dawn Easton (Treasure Oiler Designz): Trendy Trees Card

3. Renee (Stamping for Sanity): Double Slider Card and Botanical Blooms Card

4. Jenn Muraoka (Kiyomi Krafts): Dahlia Card

5. Theresa (Crafting the Web): Summer Sun Rose Card

6. Silke Ledlow (My Life): Thinking of You Card

7. Jen Tapler (JenTapler Designs): Wishful Elegance Card

Much shorter post this week. Thanks for stopping by!

Bella ATC Swap

Hi All,

So, here is my second ever ATC. It was for a Bella Swap over on SCS. I decided to use my Giftabella With Hat stamp from Stamping Bella.

My base is Pink Pirouette CS, then layered with polkadot DSP from SU's Bella Rose pack. I also used a Kiwi Kiss Strip from the same pack to go horizontally. The ribbon is the Ridinghood Red Taffeta, and the sentiment is also from Stamping Bella, punched out with my Word Window Punch on Kiwi Kiss CS.

Bella was stamped in Memento ink onto white CS, and coloured mostly with Copics, and a Ruby Red marker from SU.

We had to make 8 + 1 (8 samples for the swappers, and 1 for the hostess). I ran out of the red ribbon part way through, so I had to substitute my Kiwi Kiss ribbon on some swaps. I think it turned out alright though.

I can't wait to get them all back in the mail - I will take pictures and show everyone once they arrive!

Mother's Day Set, Part 2: The Card (Card #2)

Hi All,

Well, I am posting from New York City! I have been here since Thursday, and everything is going great! Well, not everything...we stood in line at the Empire State Building for about an hour and a half yesterday. Also, we stood in line at NBC Studios to try to get seats to see Jimmy Fallon - which we didn't get. Oh, well. Maybe we'll find an I-Hop to make it all better.

On to the project.

Once again, all the papers I used came from a Close To My Heart packet calld A Perfect Day. I used them again, so that the card would match the box in my previous post.

I used my Label Nestabilities to cut out the main panel, and the Ridinghood Red ribbon is from SU. The panel has brown ink smudged onto the outside egdes.

The stamps are from Verve again - this set is called Because of You.

I stamped a couple of the flowers from the set onto scraps, coloured them in, cut them out, and mounted them onto the base image with Dimensionals. To the centres, I also added some cute little half-back adhesive pearls that I got from Michael's.

Here is a shot of both projects together...I really like how they turned out! Now, I will fill the box with junk food, and give it to my Mom!

Hope you enjoyed, and thanks for stopping by!

Mother's Day Set, Part 1: The Box

Hi All,

I am still finishing off my Mother's day cards & gifts. I am especially proud of this set...I will show you the card in the next post, and then both together.

Once again, I opted to use Lauren Meader's From The Desk Of... Timeless Template, sold by Papertrey Ink.

For all of the CS and DSP, I used a paper packet from Close To My Heart called Perfect Day - I LOVE that one. The colours are right up my alley.

At the top, I scalloped the brown piece with a Martha Stewart edge punch, and for the main oval panel, I used my Oval Nestabilities.

I also used a Martha Stewart butterfly punch for the little one sitting inside the oval panel.

The stamp set is from Verve, and it's called Because of You. It's a fantastic Mother's Day set. I also used Liquid Pearls for the middles of the 3 small red flowers. The ribbon is from SU (retired).

Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!

Mother's Day Card 1

Hi All,



Well, it is time to start preparing and mailing Mother's Day cards, and the perfect stamp set was Because of You from Verve. It has some beautiful silhouette images, and the most perfect sentiments. Thanks to Julee Tilman over at Verve for designing a beautiful set!

I stamped the silhouette flower image in River Rock ink, then stamped the sentiment in Close to Cocoa Craft ink, and embossed with Clear EP. I coloured the little flower in with a Pumpkin marker.

The main panels were punched out with Nestabilities, and sponged with Brown Craft ink around the edges.

The DP is from the retired Apple Cider pack from SU.

I tied River Rock ribbon around the card, and the butterflies were done with a Martha Stewart punch. Love that thing!

Thanks for stopping by!

Robin's Web Finds: Week of May 3, 2009

Hi All,

Here are my picks from the last week! Enjoy!

1. Chat (Me, My Stamps, and I): Sweet Stems Coasters

2. Charmaine (Oodabug Alley): Salty Kisses Card

3. Kelly Lunceford (Flutter by atomicbutterfly): Little Cutie Card

4. Julee Tilman (Poetic Artistry): Mother's Day Card

5. Janelle (Rain Puddles Designs): Flower Pot Card

6. Renee (Stamping For Sanity): KETTO Gift Card Set

7. Jody Morrow (Confessions of a Ribbon Addict): Kind Words Card

8. Silke Ledlow (My Life): Mother's Day Challenge Cards

9. Suzanne Dean (Scrap Bitz): Chloe Fairy Card

10. Amy Celona (Ustamp4fun.com): Paper Pin Technique Video

11. Connie (Constantly Stamping): Echoes of Kindness Card

12. Kirsten (Kirsten's Stampin Korner): Watercolour Rose Card

It was definitely a shorter one this week...hope you enjoyed, and thanks for stopping by!

Father's Day gift idea

Hi All!

Well, if you haven't been over to Papertrey Ink's Timeless Templates page, you must go! I have purchased a few of these templates now, and they are just fantastic! They are so easy to put together, and they are only $5 each - but you can use them over and over because you are downloading the file to your computer!

I decided to make this little "box", which is the From The Desk Of template. I see sooooo many uses for this.

I know Father's Day is a little ways off, but I thought I would get started anyway. I like them so much, I might make more for some other occasions coming up too!

My main box is made with Kraft CS, and I decorated it with some retired DSP from SU. I thought the argyle was manly, so why not?

I used some retired True Thyme ribbon from a couple years ago (still trying to get rid of that stuff), and some black Foam Thickers from American Crafts for the letters.

Now, what to put in it? I might go to Bulk Barn and buy some of his favourite treats, and fill the box with those, but that won't be until much closer to the date.

Here is the moment where you all feel sorry for me. All I try to do on the weekend is take some decent pictures using the natural sunlight. Sheesh!

SU Promotions this month - very exciting!

Hi All,

I am excited to show you the promotions for May, which happens to be National Scrapbooking Month! We have 3 deals to celebrate! All of the offers are valid from May 1 - 31, so get your orders in! You can also see the details on the Stampin' Up! website.

1. Designer Papers

- Purchase 3 packs of Designer Series Paper, and receive one pack for free! There are so many glorious designs, I don't know how you will choose.

- A great idea is to split it with a friend, so you each get 2 packs - at a discount!

2. Starter Kit

- Become a Demonstrator for only $99 with the limited time Scrapbook Starter Kit!

3. Alphabet Set

- Buy the new Jumble Alphabet Stamp set --a sneak peek from the upcoming 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalogue--at 20% off!

- Regular Price: $57.95, sale price for the month of May: $46.36!

Take a gander at these deals, and e-mail me at barwench3@hotmail.com to take advantage of them, or go to my sidebar to place an online order on my SU website.

Thanks for stopping by!

A New Blog, And She's Giving Blog Candy!

Hi All,

I just checked out Debbie Doncaster's blog, and since it's her Blogaversary, she's giving some great stuff away! You have to take a look! This picture is from her blog - just click on it to go to her link!

Thanks for stopping by!

Robin's Web Finds: Week of April 26, 2009

OK, so I completely skipped last week. We were in Montreal on the weekend, and then I wasn't able to get to it the rest of the week. So, here are this week's picks:


1. Kelly Lunceford (Flutter by atomicbutterfly): Friend Box and All Star Card


2. Theresa (Crafting the Web): Remember Dad Card and Wee Tees Card


3. Amy Rohl (Ink About Me): From the Desk Of...


4. Connie Collins (Constantly Stamping): Quilt Card


5. Dawn (Dawn's Stamping Thoughts): Mirror Card


6. Dawn Easton (Treasure Oiler Designs): Ladybug Card


7. Vicki Garrett (Summerthyme Studio): Pucker Up Card


8. Kirsty (Kirsty's Card N Scrap Web Blog): Roses Card


9. Silke Ledlow (My Life): Tea for Two Card and Sweet Violets Card


10. Suzanne Dean (Scrap Bitz): Tilda with Lilacs Card & Bookmark


11. Renee (Stamping For Sanity): Great Friend Card and Trendy Trees Card


12. Cindy Lawrence (The Creaive Closet): Basket and Blooms Bin and Violets Card


13. Kirsten (Kirsten's Stamping Korner): Thank You Oval Card


14. Shannan Teubner (Pink Tulle with Feathers and Sequins): Kenya KETTO Card and Birthday Wishes Card


15. Julee Tilman (Poetic Artistry): Thinking of You Card


16. Danielle Lounds (Fat Cat Stamper): Crimped Envelope Card


17. Nancy Morgan (Paper Smiles): Fifth Avenue Card


18. Chat (Me, My Stamps, and I): Fabulous Friend Card


19. Mercy (Lord Have Mercy): Fintastic Card and Forever Young Card and Get Well Soon Card


Thanks for stopping by!

Oval All CASE

Hi All,



This is the final card from my class this month. I wanted to showcase the Oval All stamp set, Scallop Oval Punh, and the Walk In The ark DSP, all from the Occasions Mini. So, I found THIS card on Beate's blog, and thought it would be good one - nice & cheerful.

The base is Basic Black, then layered with the Walk In The Park DSP, the a Whisper White strip, punched with the Scallop Edge Punch. I wrapped the Bashful Blue Striped Grosgrain ribbon around that layer.

The next panel has a Basic Black piece, then a Whisper White layer, then another piece from the Walk In The Park DSP. I punched 3 black flowers out with my Trio Flower Punch, and pierced them with Vintage brads.

Finally, I stamped one of the stamps from Oval All in Basic Black, and coloured it with my Aqua Painter and ink pad lids. I stamped another one on a scrap, coloured in the big flower, cut it out, and stuck it lightly onto the main oval. Then, I stuck that onto a black scalloped oval. I pierced it, and put a Rhinestone brad in the centre.

Thanks for stopping by!

Zindorf Dedication Week: Card 4 (last one)

Hi All,



This is the final card that I CASE'd from Michelle Zindorf - she is a complete wonder! Once again, I have simplified the card quite a bit, just to make it easier for my class. Her original card is HERE.

I started with a Very Vanilla piece of CS, and I cut a circle out of a Post-It, and stuck it to the paper (will be the sun).


I brayered the entire piece with Apricot Appeal, then stamped the horse from the set Wanted in Black ink. That particular stamp is slightly distressed-looking, so it's not a solid imprint, so I coloured it in with a black marker.

Then, I sponged More Mustard ink with a "Left-to-Right" swiping motion, then did the same with the Really Rust ink. Finally, I added a very small amount of Basic Black in the same manner.


I covered the sky on a diagonal with a Post-It, and sponged Basic Black ink to form the ground at the bottom. I sponged a bit of Black below the horse, so it would look like he was kicking up dust.


Finally, I stamped the sentiment Wanted in White Craft ink at the bottom.


That was mounted onto a Basic Black square, then onto a More Mustard layer, then onto a Basic Black base.


Thanks for stopping by!

Zindorf Dedication Week: Card 3

Hi All,


Here is the next card I CASE'd from Michelle Zindorf. Her original is HERE.

The orange flowers are made with the Botanical Blooms set (from SAB this year), with Black and Tangerine Tango ink, and they were embossed with Clear EP.

I brayered So Saffron ink at the botton of the Whisper White panel. Then, I brayered Pale Plum ink at the top. Then, I ripped a Post-It, and layered it across the panel on a diagonal, and sponged Baja Breeze ink below it (to make the mountains). Then, I moved the Post-It down a notch, and sponged with Basic Black (another mountain layer).

I sponged some Chocolate Chip ink in the lower left corner, where the flowers are, and stamped the tree from Thoughts & Prayers in Basic Black ink.


That was layered onto a Tangerine Tango piece of CS, and a Basic Black piece of CS, then onto the Baja Breeze base.


I used the Photo Corner Punch with Black CS, and Silver brads.

Thanks for stopping by!

Zindorf Dedication Week: Card 2

Hi All,

Here is another CASE from the Zindorf blog. You can find her original work HERE.

I used the set Bloomin' Beautiful (which I love), and the So Swirly Jumbo Wheel. The main panel is Whisper White CS. The flower pot was stamped, coloured, then embossed with my Versamarker and Clear EP.

The word Bloom was stamped with Versamark, then into Kiwi Kiss ink, then onto the CS, and embossed with clear EP.

The wheel was then rolled across the middle of the CS with Ballet Blue ink (the embossed images resist the ink, thus named the Emboss Resist Technique).

I brayered the lower right, and the upper left corners with Ballet Blue ink, and then brayered some Night of Navy ink not quite as far. This created a gradual colour change. Some Night of Navy ink was also sponged underneath the pot to create a shadow.

This was layered onto a Whisper White panel, then onto a Lavendar panel, then onto a Sahara Sand base. I sponged a couple of layers with the Not Quite Navy ink as well. The 2 top layers were punched with the Ticket Corner Punch, then there are Rich Regal brads in each corner.

Thanks for stopping by!

Zindorf Dedication Week: Card 1

Hi All,

I decided to do a brayer/sponging class this month, because a lot of my ladies are pretty intimidated by the brayer. So, where better to find the ideas for the projects, but Michelle Zindorf's blog. I chose a select few cards that I thought we could do, and I definitely made them a bit simpler. The first card I borrowed is HERE.




I used the set Echoes of Kindness (Hostess Level 2 set) for the flowers, and Lovely As A Tree.

The flowers were stamped with Versafine ink, and embossed with Clear EP. They were then coloured in with markers, then covered with the Versamarker, and embossed with Clear EP again.

Then, I sponged More Mustard on the bottom half of the card, then Handsome Hunter in the bottom left corner.

I brayered Bashful Blue ink onto the top half of the card, and then Not Quite Navy ink (not fully covering the Bashful Blue). I then stamped the tree in black ink, coloured the trunk with a Sahara Sand marker, and sponged Handsome Hunter on the leaves. It was layered onto a Pacific Point piece of CS, and onto a white base.

Check out Michelle's tutorial on her blog! She is brilliant with her brayer!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Manhattan Impressions

Hi All,

I thought I would show a very simple card I made with the Manhattan die! It really is a stunning product, and there are so many things you can do with it. Here, I have just done the easiest, simplest thing with it. We will be making this at my class tomorrow, so that everyone can have some exposure to it.

I didn't want to put any layers or lots of embellishments, so that the embossed image would be the focus. The CS is Pink Pirouette, and I used the sentiment from Together Forever in Chocolate Chip ink. The ribbon is the Chocolate Chip Poly Twill (from a past mini catty).

For those of you that haven't seen the actual folder yet, I thought I would show that as well. It is about the size of a standard card:

Thanks for stopping by!

Verve Challenge Cards

OK, well, guess what...it's raining today, which means not a good opportunity for pictures. I think it's a sign, so I'm just going to post the ones I have.

Verve released some new stamps on Friday, and they were having a competition this week to win free stamps. Let me tell you - it is my lucky month, because I won one of the grand prizes: all of the stamps they just released on Friday! Woo hoo! I can't tell you how happy it made me! We had to make 4 cards, according to specifications set out by Julee from Verve. Here we go.

First Card: VSAPR1

This was a sketch challenge, so we just had to follow the layout she gave us. I found this one quite difficult for some reason.

I used Fifth Avenue Floral and Sincere Salutations from SU. The flower was stamped in Versafine Black ink and embossed with Clear EP. I coloured it in with my Copics, cut it out, and mounted it onto the square with foam squares.

The sentiment is done with my Circle Nestabilities, and the square and circle panels are sponged with Baja Breeze ink.

The DSP is from the Urban Oasis pack (LOVE IT), and the black strip is punched with a Martha Stewart edge punch.

Second Card: VSAPR2

The second card is a sketch challenge as well. I used my Slumber Party Specialty DSP as the basis for the colours.

I made the scallop medallion with my Scallop Edge Punch from SU, using the tutorial HERE.

The stamp set is Upsy Daisy, and the words are from Define Your Life. The white buttons are from the Button Latte pack...the rest is history.

Third Card: VSAPR3

The third card, I have already published on here, so I won't go into the details again. Just thought I would show it with the other cards : )

Fourth Card: VSAPR4

The final card was a colour challege: soft blue, soft yellow, and soft brown. So, I took out my Delicate Dots DSP (from Sale-A-Bration this year), and paired it with some Close to Cocoa CS for the layers.

The stamp is Agnes KETTO from Stamping Bella (see my sidebar for the link). I stamped her onto SU Watercolour Paper in Staz On Jet Black ink, and watercoloured her with my Aqua Painter and SU markers. She was cut out with Nestabilities and my Big Shot.

The ribbon is a retired Wide Organdy, and the butterflies are punched with a Martha Stewart punch. The outside is also paper pierced with my piercer and Mat Pack.

I got the layout for this card from Mercy's blog. Check out THIS post.

Phew! Thanks for stopping by!

P.S. My Web Finds for this week will have to wait until tomorrow (2 days late! Yikes!).

Another Verve Challenge Card

Well, you will be seeing several of these cards coming up in the next couple of days because of the big release party this week. Please check out the Verve Store to make purchases (and they will be having a new release party starting this Friday night in the Verve forum on SCS). I am going to try to take better pictures this weekend in the daytime. I took the pictures originally at night because I was rushing to meet this Friday's deadline.

For this card, I decided to use the set Floral Symphony - what a great name! I paired it with one of Julee's sketch challenges over on SCS.

The DSP is from the Hawaii Papaya pack from SU. I am loving my designer papers lately! The CS colours are Whisper White and Chocolate Chip. The sentiment is a rub-on from SU, and the ribbon is the Tangerine Tango, and I used a Chocolate Chip Corduroy button.

I stamped the image in Memento ink, and coloured with my Copics. I stamped the flowers on another scrap of white, coloured them, cut them out, and mounted them on Dimensionals for a POP. You can't really see it in these pics, but I will try to remedy that soon.

Anyway, I hope you like it, and thanks for stopping by!

April 2009 Release Week - Card 1

Hi All,

This post is for another Verve Challenge. You have a chance to win stamps that they are releasing on Friday!

Once again, I used the set called Beautiful Kindness for the butterfly and sentiment. It seems I'm getting quite a bit of use out of that one.

I used the Urban Garden DSP from SU, and all of the layers are done with Kiwi Kiss CS. The lace edge at the top is done with a Martha Stewart edge punch, and sponged with Kiwi Kiss ink.

I used my Word Window punch and silver brads at the side of the square panel.

The circle was done with my Nestabilities, and I sponged Kiwi Kiss ink on both the square and circle panels.

This was a difficult sketch for me...I felt like I couldn't balance things out but, I tried my best!

Thanks for stopping by!