Swapped Tag Book

Last month my swapping friend Kathleen, and I 

sent each other some misc craft stuff. In the kit there was

ribbon, lace, buttons, patterned paper, and other embellishments. 

We then had to make a tag book for each other using the things

we received along with any other items we wanted to add. 

This is the completed tag book that Kathleen made me. 

I love the holder she made for it!

I'll share some of the tags. This one has the Eiffel tower. How

perfect!

This one features a window with a die cut flower. 

Very pretty die cut ball gown. Can you see the little bird in the skirt? 

Another pretty one. This one has a die cut lace shoe at the bottom. 

Like how she combined a Paris/sewing theme. 

Look at all the lace, and pearls on this one. 

I'll be back tomorrow to share more photos of Kathleen's swap. 

Today going out with Betty. Taking her to brunch for her birthday then

we will be hitting an outside craft show. Should make for a fun afternoon. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Stamping Chateau Update

Hubby finished installing the shelves above my desk. 

So thrilled with it! 

Top row filled with more of my many Barbie dolls. 

On the lower shelve I have plenty of room to display my craft

projects, and things that my friends have given me. 

Closer view of my sewing nook. 

The clock has the word Paris under the twelve. 

Goes really well next to the curtains. 

Below that is a frame that holds a photo of the inside of Notre Dame.

This photos shows a better view of both shelves. They extend almost

as long as the wall. 

I love the ribbon rack that hubby added to the center lower shelve. 

I'm also happy about the cup hooks that were added. More space

for me to display things on. 

So now I'm calling the room finished. It is so nice in here I never

want to go to any other room in the house! 

Special thanks to all my friends who have contributed to my room. I'm 

sure they can see there gifts, and artwork displayed. 

Kathy, Kathleen, Lisa, Connie, Betty, Tony, Cheryl, Sarah, Jason, Joel, John, and Emily. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Paris Themed Note Cards from the Chateau

Now that my "stamping Chateau" is all up, and running

I wanted to make some note cards that I can send out with my swaps. 

The pattern paper I found at Catan's. It has a Paris theme which

is perfect! 

These cards are great for Mailable Monday as they have

little layering, and no bulky embellishments. 

Just very clean, simple, and I think elegant. 

Only made 12, but of course with the amount of swapping I do

I'm going to have to make some more! 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Acrylic Frame Note Holder

Now today's project is a blast from the past. 

Remember making post it note holders using a small

acrylic frame? 

The back of the frame that is meant to be the stand

for the photo is used to sit the holder on a desk. 

I needed a small pen to velcro to the holder. Off to my

local Staples to find these cute little Paper Mate pens. 

Only 3.59 for a package of 4. 

Got to visit with my friend Betty yesterday. Did some stamping. I'll

be back tomorrow to show you photos of the cards I made. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Large Seahorse Altered Clip

While I still had the Fishy Friends stamp set on my desk

I made a large altered paper clip. 

The seahorse was stamped, colored then cut out. 

I added some glossy accents to it, and while still wet sprinkled

it with fine glitter. 

Closer look at the seahorse. 

and still a little closer. Love how it turned out. 

I found the seahorse charms at Michael's. Also the little

blue beads. They made me think of ocean colors. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Pat Catan Haul

I had a good shopping day at Pat Catan's yesterday. 

Thanks to my friend Betty who "enabled" me to go there. 

While most of the store prices are still at 65% there are still

better deals to be had. 

Of the stuff I bought most of it was buy 4 at 50% off and get 5 free. 

For example. I bought 4 Tim Hotlz ink pads that were 5.99 each at half off 2.99, and

I got 5 inks for free. What a deal! I cornered the market on pearls and rhinestones

as they had the same offer on those. Darice embossing folders I paid .50 each for 4 and then

got another 5 for free. So it was a good shopping day. 

Not sure if I will go back or not when they drop the prices to 90% off. I'm 

thinking by that time there won't be much left that I would want. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Gillfriend Card using Fishy Friends

I found an old stamp set.

Cleaned off the vintage dust, and used it to make this

"gillfriend" card. 

Fish were colored using Prisma pencils. 

Greeting I made with my Dymo label maker. 

Don't know if it shows up to well, but I also scored

the white layer on the diagonal every 1/4 inch with my score board. 

In today's forecast if will be sunny, and thankfully dry!

Going to be a lovely day. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

The Swipe, and New Box for my Chateau

Betty came over to stamp with me on Tuesday. She surprised me

with this lovely Paris themed box for my new stamping room.

Thanks Betty. Love it! Going to use it to store completed greeting cards. 

These are cards I made that day. Don't know what the technique is called, but

I call it "the swipe". You first ink up a bold image stamp like normal. Then

before stamping on the cardstock you take a swipe with the ink pad on the inked

stamp. Gives it a different look when stamped on the card. Cool texture. 

Happy Summer Solstice, and happy birthday to my friend Kathy. Hope you 

have a wonderful day. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Altered Paper Clips and Display Book

This little book was made for a paper clip swap. 

You had to design altered paperclips, but you also had 

to make a book to display them in. 

Some of the inside pages. 

Big Dreamer is a magnetic clip. I added

a little star charm too dangle off the oval. 

Altered coffee themed clip. Pulled

out (and dusted off) some metal embellishments. You 

can see it on the side held in place with a brad. 

This clip is a bit wider, and shorter. Added

some beads to dangle at the bottom. 

Hope my swap partner enjoys it. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Stamping Chateau Part 4

A room with a view. Now that is what I was wishing for! 

My old room though I loved it, and did a lot of crafting there

didn't have a window, so for 25 years I've been looking at peg board. 

This is the window of the Stamping Chateau. What a big difference!

I'm finding myself looking out the window often! That is

our neighbors house across the street. So pretty! Everything

is so green now, well how could it not be as we have been getting lots of rain!

Can't wait till winter so I can watch the snow fall while I'm crafting. Won't that be cozy! 

Here is the display that I made to hold some of the swaps I receive. 

Had hubby drill some holes in a wooden hanger. Next I tied some

jute, and used mini clothes pins to hold up the art. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Photos of the Stamping Chateau Part 3

So what happened to the closet door? 

You may be asking yourself this question while looking at this photo. 

Well there is a simple answer. Hubby couldn't get the door back on. 

The new carpet we had ordered has a double pad as I wanted the carpet thick, and

wonderful to walk on. The louver closet door never really worked right 

ever since we have lived in this house ( 25 years now!) So as 

the Queen of Hearts said "off with her head"....the door in my case. 

I wasn't sure that I was going to be happy without a door. Lets face it

when the doors are gone you kinda have to keep the area clean or

it just looks like mess cat lives in the house. I will say

that it is easy to get into the area when I want something. So lets

just say I have a love/hate thing going on with the closet. 

Thanks to my hubby I have nice large shelves. He even painted the

support beams with the Blue Lagoon spray paint I selected. I was

going to paint the metal louver door with that. What a wonderful pop of color that

would have been! 

I found the I love Paris bags at Marc's the other day. 

I thought they were perfect to keep some ribbon, and misc things

in. Nice way to make the bottom of the closet look tidy. 

Since the top shelve is really to high for me to reach I filled

it with some of the many Barbie dolls I have in the collection. 

Those dolls are 5 rows deep if you can believe that! 

I also have some nice Paris themed boxes that I have been collecting. 

They look really good on the shelves. 

and of course there are handmade things on display. The

K on the left was made by my friend Kym. The doll photo album

was made by my friend Kathleen, and I made the France themed clipboard. 

and just L@@K! at all those rubber stamps! 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Photos of the Stamping Chateau Part 2

Back with more photos of the stamping chateau. 

My library files found a home next to the closet. Found

the Paris artwork at Pat Catan's 

The Eiffel tower glass container was a great find at Marc's for

only .99 cents I filled it with some loose wooden block stamps. 

I think it works really well. I was going to put a candle in the glass, but

then decided it made better sense to fill with stamps. 

Inside view of some of the baskets that are sitting on the 

rolling carts. 

These two are holding some more loose stamps. 

The desk is already in use as you can see. I have another

rolling workstation next to it. That cart is holding the

die cutting machines. 

Hubby will be making me a few more shelves to go over my desk. 

I need a place to display some things. 

On the other side of the desk will be my sewing area. Waiting for John to

come over on Sunday to help me with that. 

Back with more photos tomorrow. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Photos of the Stamping Chateau Part 1

I'm all moved in to the new Stamping Chateau! 

So glad the move is over! 

Big thanks to my family for making it all happen! 

There are still a few little things that need to get organized, and

a few more little shelves to be added, but I'm so happy with it! 

This is the back wall of the room. All my rolling carts fit under the Barbie 

display shelves. Love the baskets on top of the carts! Got them for a good

price at Pat Catan's. 

The filing cabinet I went back and forth on. Wasn't sure I really

wanted one, but as it turns out it holds all my 8 x 11 cardstock and my punches. 

Second drawer holding the cardstock in hanging files. 

Top drawer has the punches. I was really worried about where I was

going to store these as they use to hang in two plastic shoe holders on the wall

in the old room. Since I didn't want to do that in the new room they found a home in the

filing cabinet. 

The bottom two drawers are holding my fabric. 

I'll be back tomorrow to share some more photos of the new "chateau"! 

Stamping trails

Karen 

June Artist Trading Cards

Here are my June artist trading cards. 

I made two different designs. The

woman's t-shirt reads "I am not a morning person"

I can relate to that! 

and here is the second design. Both of which are from the same stamp set. 

Now I don't understand "Slay All Day" Must be a new saying. 

The only reference to slay that I know of is from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. 

Buffy was always running around to slay all the vampires in Sunnydale. 

At any rate these artist trading cards might be the last thing I will

make from my old stamping ground. All my craft stuff is split

between the new room, and the old. Hard to find anything! 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Graphic 45 Tag Made by Melissa

This pretty, and fun Graphic 45 tag was made by Melissa. 

Recently we were partners for a Graphic 45 skinny. 

Melissa got a little carried away with the size, but I love it! 

Just makes me ready for Summer! The little girl is so cute! 

Melissa also sent me some wonderful extras to use in my crafting. 

Big thanks Melissa! 

The closet for my new stamping chateau was finished this morning. 

I've already starting filling it up. Now that didn't take long! 

The complete move won't be done till this Sunday. Have to wait

for the kids to be able to come help. Can't wait! 

Stamping trails
Karen