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!

Show Us Your Verve Contest

Hi All,

I noticed an upcoming deadline for a Verve Challenge, so I thought I might try to SQUEEEEZE in a card!

I used the stamp set Beautiful Kindness for the butterfly (see the Verve Store to purchase), and the Serenity set for the 3 leaf squares.

I used the Walk in the Park DSP from SU, and the colours of ink and cardstock are Basic Grey, Baja Breeze, Cameo Coral, and Whisper White.

I added Liquid Pearls to the butterfly, and propped it up onto Dimensionals.

I used my 1 1/4" Square punch and Scallop Square punch for the panels on the left.

Hope you like it, and thanks for stopping by!

Woo hoo! I (Mojo) made it!

Alright, well, remember THIS CARD that I submitted for the Mojo Monday challenge last week? Well, I was picked in the Top 7! *squeal* So, I will get to choose a free stamp set from Verve Stamps. Oh, what to pick...

Head on over to the Mojo Monday blog to take a look at the Top 20 picks - they are so lovely!

Thanks Julee!

Fifth Avenue Floral Class

Add a touch of elegance and class to your gifts this year with this gorgeous Fifth Avenue Floral card set! The card set includes four trendy card designs packaged in a unique window box.

Date: Sunday, May 24, 2009

Time: 12 pm

Cost: $25 CAD

Location: Brampton, Ontario (you can e-mail me if you don't know my usual location)

Please email me to sign up for this class: barwench3@hotmail.com

Supplies

• Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Thank You Kindly

• Ink: Basic Gray, Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze Classic ink

• Paper: Urban Oasis DP, Whisper White, Kraft, Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss 8 ½” x 11” CS, Medium Whisper White Envelopes

• Accessories: Sticky Strip, Snail adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Kraft Taffeta Ribbon, Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon, Kraft Corduroy Buttons, Linen Thread, Window Sheet (also called acetate sheet or transparency), paper snips, wide oval punch, paper piercer and foam mat, large oval punch, bone folder, Stamp-a-ma-jig, blender pens, Stampin’ Scrub, Stampin’ Mist, Paper Trimmer and scoring blade, pencil and ruler, hobby blade and craft mat.

- If you are in my area and would like to pick up your supplies for the Class-to-go, please e-mail me and I will send you a PayPal invoice that excludes shipping!

- If you place a $50 Stampin' Up! order with me (before taxes and shipping), I will send you the instructions for free! To place an order online, please see my sidebar at the top!

**These classes are not available for purchase to other Stampin' Up! demonstrators. If you are a demonstrator and are interested in this class, please email me at barwench3@hotmail.com directly.

Robin's Web Finds, Week of April 12, 2009

Sorry everyone, I am a little late this week (usually I post this on Sundays). Here we go:

1. Michelle Zindorf (Freedom in Creating): Colourful Pots Card with Tutorial

2. Julee Tilman (Poetic Artistry): Mojo Tuesday Card and Hybrid Gift Set

3. Kimmie (Kraftin' Kimmie's Korner): Miss Anya Card

4. Jessica Rone (Can You Say Addicted to Stamps?): Eastern Challenge Card

5. Cindy Lawrence (The Creative Closet): Scene in a Garden Card

6. Danielle Lounds (Fat Cat Stamper): So Blue For You Card

7. Nancy Riley (iStamp): Love Medallion Card and KWerner Challenge 49 Card

8. Chat (Me, My Stamps, and I): Manhattan For You Card and Time to Bloom Set

9. Suzy (papermonkey.org): Easter Bunny Tilda Card

10. Amy Rohl (Ink About Me): Easter Bunny Card

11. Jeanne Streiff (Inky Paws): Dragon Card

12. Renee (Stamping For Sanity): Thanks Card and Welcome Little One Card

13. Silke Ledlow (My Life): Sketch and Inspiration Challenge Cards

14. Kelly Lunceford (Flutter by atomic butterfly): From the Desk Of...Box

15. Mercy (Lord Have Mercy): Ahoy Matey Card

16. Jodi Collins (Stamping A Latte): Birthday Sketch Card

17. Shannan Teubner (Pink Tulle With Featehrs & Sequins): Ivy KETTO

18. Theresa (Crafting the Web): Butterfly Wishes Card

Hope you are inspired!
Thanks for stopping by!

KWerner's CI Challenge #49

OK, so I am posting multiple times in one day...I had a lot to show. I participated in Kristina Werner's 49th colour Challenge, and you can find that post HERE. The colours are what we will call...not up my alley:

Anyway, I hmmmed and hawed for a while, then decided to give it a try.

I used the stamp set A Flower for All Seasons - can't go wrong with that bad boy.

I stamped three of the images, watercoloured them, and punched them out with my 1 1/4" Circle Punch. I layered them on a 1 3/8" black circle, and then those were layered onto Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss, and Pacific Point pieces punched with my Curly Label Punch.

The sentiment is from Verve, which I got for free when I ordered from their new releases in March!

The ribbon is the Satin Kiwi Kiss ribbon from SU.

Hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for stopping by!

My First ATC (Artist Trading Card)!

Hi All,

I entered into another swap for the monh of May for ATC's! I have never done an ATC before, so if you have never heard of that, please see the tutorial on SplitCoast HERE. Basically, they are VERY small cards (2 1/2" x 3 1/2"), and they do not open like a greeting card (they are just one-sided, like a baseball card).

I entered one for KETTOs, and one for Bella stamps. Both are sold at Stamping Bella, and you can see my sidebar for the link. If you want to join the swap, see THIS forum. You have to make 9 of the same cards (and 1 for yourself, if you want), and they are due by May 30.

Here is my KETTO card:

Now, just imagine trying to get embellishments and details onto a piece of cardstock that small. It's not easy!


Here is a close-up. I used the oh-so-adorable Wasabi KETTO. I stamped her in Memento ink, and coloured her with Copics.





My colours of CS areTangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip, and So Saffron. The white CS I used is from Papertrey Ink - it is thicker. The So Saffron piece is punched with a Martha Stewart edge punch - LOVE those!



I used the striped Tangerine Tango ribbon from SU, and the buttons from the Latte pack.



I also paper pierced the outside of the white layer.


I thought I would take another picture with something beside it, so that you can put the size in the right frame of reference. So, here it is next to an SU punch on its side.

Hope you liked it, and thanks for stopping by!

Flamingo KETTO card

Hi All,

I had this image coloured for a while, just sitting on my table, so I decided to put it onto a card.

I stamped Margarita KETTO with Memento ink and coloured her with my Copics.

She was then layered onto Tempting Turquoise CS.

The card base is Ridinghood Red, then a piece of Tempting Turquoise, then a piece of Whisper White.

I wrapped a piece of Ridinghood Red Taffeta ribbon around that, and attached it with a Filigree brad from SU. The sentiment is a rub-on.

The flowers are cut out from the Pink Flamingo DSP.

Hope you enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!

Another try at the Mojo Monday challenge

Hi All,

I liked the sketch so much, that I decided to make another card with it!

I decided to base my colours on the lovely Slumber Party specialty DSP from SU. Along with the DSP, I used CS in colours Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip.

The ribbon is the So Saffron grosgrain from the SAB catty last month.

My image is the Cheerleader Anya from the Greeting Farm (see my sidebar for the link). I stamped her with Memento ink and coloured her with Copic markers.

The flower is from the SU Pretties Kit and was stained with So Saffron ink, and I put the rhinestone brad in the centre.

I used some blue Dew Drops at the bottom.

Hope you like it, and thanks for stopping by!