Brayer

I had the opportunity yesterday to take a beginning brayer class. I've played with the brayer before but that was it....just playing. It was so great to learn from Sharon Field.

I'm looking forward to her advance brayer class next week. So this is my first sample following her tips. I have to keep practicing to get the right pressure and rolling fast off the cardstock then moving onto it.

Stamp set: Lovely as a Tree, and In Wilderness
Colors: Pacific Point, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Bashful Blue

Make sure you come back tomorrow. I'll be in a Blog Hop with the VC Rockers. Theme this time is punches. Will be cool!!!!

Stamping Trails
Karen

Step Box

I took a class yesterday with one of the VC Rockers Debbie. She showed us how to make this cute 4 step box. Not to hard to make. Its made using designer paper. Here I used Paisley Petals.

Hardest part was folding up those little Origami Boxes. I was able to find a link on the web that helped me out with those you can view it here
Boxes for the inside were made using 6x6, but you can use the same pattern to make any size box. Just make sure you start out with a square.

I decorated the lid using Tangerine Tango small circle scallop punch, and Always Artichoke with the large circle scallop punch.

Stamping Trails
Karen

Techo Challenge

Well it has been since forever that I joined in on Mary Jo's Lunchtime sketch challenge. Thought it was about time I did. You can see her blog and other great sketches here

Cardstock used: Bravo Burgundy, Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Paisley Petals designer paper
Tags till Christmas, Word stamp from Pennant Parade
Access: Color Spritzer tool (forgot I even owned one), Bravo Burgundy marker, vanilla shimmer Smooch Spritz, Always Artichoke seam binding, brads, crafter's tool kit, pop dots.

I haven't used the spritzer tool in a month of Sundays (my mom's expression) so I enjoyed playing with that again. Want the Shimmery white cardstock? Just buy the vanilla shimmer Smooch Spritz. Turns white cardstock into shimmery white. Pretty cool. Special thanks to my upline Lori for sending me one!

Stamping Trails
Karen

Snowflake Die Card, Step it Up

I have an Open House coming up soon, so I was thinking up some easy Christmas cards to make, but I also wanted to show how simple it is to step the cards up a notch.

The first card is very easy. Medallion background stamp inked with Night of Navy and stamped on Marina Mist. Layered on Whisper White. Snow flake cut from Snowflake die #2 using Whisper White. Word stamp "Merry" is from Pennant Parade stamp set.

For the second card. I started with a piece of window sheet. On that I added a few random drops of Marina Mist, Not Quite Navy, and Bashful Blue reinker. I also add a little bit of Frost White shimmer paint. Using a wadded up plastic lunch bag I pounced around on the window sheet to mix it a bit. Next I put a piece of Glossy White cardstock glossy side down on the window sheet and just pressed. Peeled it off and let dry. After cardstock was dry cut with the Snowflake die.

This time Medallion background was stamped on Night of Navy, layered on Whisper White then layered on base card Marina Mist. I added a filigree to the center of the flake to attach it. Also used the word window punch to add the word "Merry".
To make the Night of Navy layer pop I sponged around the edge with Whisper White ink.

Great thing about using the reinkers on the window sheet after pulling off the glossy cardstock you can put down another sheet and get another imprint. I actually got 4 sheets of glossy done with one window sheet. The color will fade a bit with each piece of glossy, but you'll have some great background paper to use. Would be great to use the finished glossy with punches as well.

Stamping Trails
Karen

Fabric Art

Being a StampinUp! demo we receive an awesome monthly magazine called Stampin' Success. One of the things in the July issue was a pin cushion. It was made using the scallop square Big Shot die. Well I didn't have that die but I did have the large scallop circle die. So I cut two pieces of Sweet Stitches fabric and hand stitched them together leaving an opening for the stuffing to be added. Then I made two smaller yo yo's to go on top.

I suppose I could have stopped with the yo yo's but I had to add more. I cut a Tempting Turquoise piece of cardstock using Designer Label punch. To that I added two small tags using the tag punch with Tiny Tags stamp set. Added a small pin and brad to finish it off.

The cookout we had yesterday with the family was nice. We did however have a party crasher. Georgia came to feast in the garden. Don't ask me why I named the deer Georgia but that's what I've been calling her since she has been visiting us. Of course grandma Gibson, Sarah, and Skip's youngest sister Lisa were thrilled to see her. Lisa walked right out and talked to her. I enjoy Georgia, but I'll have to have a girl talk with her as she ate one of my pepper plants. Bad, bad girl!!!!

Stamping Trails
Karen

Card Holder/Note Holder

I made this cute little holders for my desk yesterday. The So Saffron one is large enough to hold A2 cards. The 3x3 size is perfect to hold small notebooks and post it notes. Paisley Petals designer paper was used to wrap around the bottom of the holders. Cherry Cobbler ribbon was wrapped around the paper.

I have to say I really like the new Textured Impressions designer frames. This was first time I used one. I really like the the large oval punch fits perfectly in the center of the oval frame.

Here you can see the side view of both holders.

Full house later today. Sarah and her boyfriend Jason are coming over for a cookout. Also Skip's sister Lisa, and Mom Kate. Should be a good afternoon.

Stamping Trails
Karen

Up, Up and Away!

I CASED this card from the 2011-2012 StampinUp catalog. Of course I changed it up as I didn't have the things shown on the card. I free handed the hot air balloons. On the Baja Breeze one I stamped the background and map from the Open Sea stamp set with Not Quite Navy. Also sponged around the balloon with the same color. Baskets for both balloons were also free handed on Baja Breeze cardstock using Basic Gray marker. Tag in the background is the large tag from the Two Tags Big Shot die. On it I sponged Baja Breeze using a wavy cut post it note. I wanted it to look more like clouds. Smaller balloon was cut from Cajun Craze. Pennants from Pennants on Parade stamp set. They were cut from Not Quite Navy and More Mustard cardstock. Base card Basic Gray, layer Baja Breeze.

Hope you enjoy today's card. Perfect card for a guy, and I'm always looking to make more of those.

Stamping Trails
Karen