It’s boxing day today, and I decided to give my craft workshop a good clean and tidy up… after tonight’s dinner I took myself up to the top of the garden and decided i’d make some cards…

Supplies List :-

• American Crafts White Textured Cardstock … card size is 4.5″ x 4.5″
• Stampin Up En Francais wood block stamp
• Memories Angelic Pink Chalk Ink
• Bazzill Dotted Swiss Cardstock in Sunset Rose
• Nestabilities Labels 1 Set
• Stampin Up Out of the Box Stamp Set
• Copi Ciao Markers : RV10 Pale Pink, YG00 Mimosa Yellow, B60 Pale Blue Gray & GO00 Pale Green
• Images Stamped in Memento London Fog Dye Ink
• Making Memories Just Chillin Clear Stamp Set No. 31367 –  ”First Kiss”
• Uniball Signo Broad Opaque Pen.

OK, todays post is not for my regular readers, it is for their husbands, boyfriends and non crafty friends. It’s 3 days before Christmas and you are wondering what to get your crafty loved one. Here is a list, print it and take it to the craft store or if you have one your locally owned independent scrapbook/stamp/craft shop.

For Paper Crafters:

The one thing almost every crafty friend I have wants (if they don’t already have it) is a Cricut Expression. This is a digital die cutting machine that sells anywhere from $200-$500. You an even find these machines at walmart as well as the big craft stores. Call around and see who has them in stock and the best price. There are 2 smaller Cricut machines that are a bit cheaper but many folks who buy the smaller one want the larger one.

If they have a cricut take a peek on their computer and see if they have software to use it with. The cool thing about software is that they can get a lot more use out of there machines. I like Sure Cuts a Lot (SCAL) software because you can call your computer fonts with it and you can convert clip art to cut with it. It is $75 and you can order it and download it from the website instantly (not going to the store on December 22 is a good thing!) they will email you the activation code that will allow you to run it instantly. This is available for PC and MAC computers;) You can use this coupon code:8665847 to save 10% of SCAL right now!

Cricut Design Studio is good if she has a bunch of cartridges because you can only cut designs from the carts you have.

If she hates computers don’t bother with the software, get her a new cartridge instead (you may want to make a list of what she has and take it to the store so you don’t get a cart she already has) again call around to see if any stores has them on sale (AC moore has them for $45 this week in store.)

Cardstock: You can’t go wrong with cardstock for card makers or scrapbookers. I love Die cuts With a View, Bazzil, and Co’ordanations brands. You can find them at most craft stores and they are good quality.

Pattern Paper: this is tricky, stick with cardstock unless you know for sure what she likes ans does not have, if she frequents a scrapbook store call the owner, tell her how much you want to spend and ask her to fill a bag, trust me, she will know what to pick:)

For Jewelry makers you can visit a bead shop and pick out some fun beads, it is hard to go wrong! If you want to wow her get a fuseworks microwave bead kiln, call around to find this. Stained glass supply shops may have them or you can order them online (but you may not be able to get it by Christmas) these kilns run $80-$130 but are totally awesome! BTW you don’t have to use the glass made by that company, I get scraps from my local stained glass supplier that are cheap, beautiful and melt just fine;) The kit comes with some glass to get you started;)

Knitters love fun novelty yarns, a ball of funky yarn can go along way as a trim or a scarf, grab a few fun skeins of yarn to fill her stocking with.

Whatever the craft your lady enjoys she is going to love whatever you choose because it is so sweet of you to take th time to shop for crafts, big hugs to you, and have a merry christmas. If your crafty friend is a guy sorry about all the “shes” and “hers”, have fun shopping ant til next time happy crafting!

- Day 7 -

Being shut in because of a snow storm is one of the best reasons to have a coloring day!  We laid this brown paper across our dining table, cranked up some Laurie Berkner and scribbled away!

After we were finished, I decided to use this beautiful piece of art to make paper stockings!  I plan on filling them up with candy to give to nieces and nephews on Christmas!!  (Payback, mu-haha!)   I didn’t make them very big.. (about 6″ x 11″) so they would also look great filled with stuff for school friends; pencils, stickers, a pouch of hot chocolate and marshmallows, etc.        : ) Gift cards would fit nicely too!

To make these puppies, you’ll need paper with a good weight.  You can color it beforehand or decorate after you have the stocking together.. either way it will look great! Draw (or print) your pattern and trace, twice.  Cut them out and glue the outside edges together.  Once the glue is dry, punch holes along the outsides and stitch with yarn.  I looped mine in the top front corner so that the kiddies can hang it up.

“Silver bells, silver bells… It’s Christmas time in the city… ring-a-ling, hear them sing… soon it will be Christmas Day!”  - written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans

]]> http://angelareiss.com/2009/12/18/snow-snow-snow/ Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:52:04 +0000 angelareiss http://angelareiss.com/2009/12/18/snow-snow-snow/

- Day 8 -

Snow
It won’t be long before we’ll all be there with snow
Snow
I want to wash my hands, my face and hair with snow

Snow
I long to clear a path and lift a spade of snow
Snow
Oh, to see a great big man entirely made of snow

“Snow Ball Fight” artwork of our family was created for us by a good friend, Justin Stewart.  Fun, isn’t it? : )

Where it’s snowing
All winter through
That’s where I want to be
Snowball throwing
That’s what I’ll do
How I’m longing to ski
Through the snow-oh-oh-oh-oh

( …………………………………………. this thumb  ↑  belongs to my handsome son! )

Those glist’ning houses that seem to be built of snow
Snow
Oh, to see a mountain covered with a quilt of snow

What is Christmas with no snow
No white Christmas with no snow
Snow

I’ll soon be there with snow
I’ll wash my hair with snow
And with a spade of snow
I’ll build a man that’s made of snow
I’d love to stay up with you but I recommend a little shuteye
Go to sleep
And dream
Of snow

- from the movie White Christmas.  Words and Music by Irving  Berlin.  Sung by Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen

Keep Warm!

I made this little nugget purse for all my club members for Christmas.  It holds one small Hershey’s chocolate nugget.  Just a little Christmas “happy.”  I got the idea from a tutorial I found online.

The bookmarks (or large paperclips) I made with a flower punch, a smaller circle punch, and a fun collection of little mini my acrylix stamps.  I made these 2-sided, but on some of them I used my cuttlebug to emboss the back flower, and didn’t stamp on it.

- Day 13 -

Damon I decided before we started our Christmas shopping that we would spend less this year.  There were many reasons, but the forefront of them being… value.  Not value as in, the worth of the gift.  Value as in, they just didn’t add it to the lives of the people we gave them to.  They were usually worn, used, played with, etc.. a few times and then forgotten.  This doesn’t mean we are becoming Scrooge.  We love to give gifts.. but this year, we want to give something worthy of Christmas!

We watched this video in church today and I instantly knew I wanted to blog about it.  It is our sentiment exactly.  Buying fewer gifts. (and with that extra money, be able to help with things like Operation Life Tree at our church)  Giving more.  Devoting more time to family, friends and those in need.

In the spirit of spending less, I decided to start making gifts for a few friends this afternoon.  See.. happily giving. : )  I’m doing paper embroidery.  I only gave you a peek of what I am doing… I don’t want to spoil it!

The process is pretty simple.  Pick your paper.  It’s best if it has a good weight to it.  You don’t want anything too skimpy or it will tear when you pull your floss through.  Trace or draw your design on it.  I suggest you use a pencil, easier to erase if you need to.  Next, start pricking holes with a needle along the lines of your design.  If you have a mouse pad, place it underneath as you are pricking.  We don’t have one, so I had to hold my paper the whole time.. not a big deal, but it definitely hurt my fingers!  Make sure your holes are evenly spaced, or as close to even as you can get.  Once you have holes along your entire design, grab your floss (a blunt needle is fine for this part.. just make sure it’s the same size as the needle you used to make your holes)  I used DMC floss and pulled it apart so that I was using three strands instead of six.  The stitching.. ( I’m getting better!) is, in fact, a backstitch.  Don’t tie off the ends of your floss.  You want to tape them down.  If you tie them, it will give the paper a bumpy appearance.

“There has been only one Christmas – the rest are anniversaries.”  - W.J. Cameron

Click Logo Above to take you directly to the “SnS Scrappy Special”

ALL Cardstock

I created 3 differnt options that you can take a look at….

Option #1: I used the starfish and sand dollar layout.  The last layer of cardstock is a striking aqua blue and the middle layer is a light purple shimmer textured cardstock.  The Swarovski crystal Mickey Mouse head is place above all the wording on this invitation….

Option #2: 

For this one I used almost the same cardstock color scheme…the only difference is that the bottom layer of cardstock is slightly darker in color and more blue than the previous and also this one has shimmer sheen to it where the first one was a matte cardstock.  I used the starfish layout  and placed the Swarovski crystal Mickey head accent above your names.  I also used the font that you had mentioned that you liked and accented the names in a sea foam green color….

Option #3:

Here is the same starfish layout as the previous one.  For this one I decided to try a sand colored pattern paper for the middle layer and I used the shimmer lavender for the bottom layer.  The same font was used for this one but instead I accented your names in lavender. 

Types of Embossing

Dry embossing is when a crafter uses a light box to trace images from a brass template onto paper with the use of a stylus.  When you see a card with a raised image which is concave on the opposite side of the image, that is dry embossing.

Wet embossing is when a crafter stamps an image with very wet craft/embossing ink.  A powdered plastic substance (embossing powder)  is sprinkled over the image and a heating tool is used to melt the powder to create a 3-dimensional outline of the stamped image.

Embossing Paste

Embossing paste is…well, paste.  If you were a young child in the sixties and seventies, you probably remember sitting in your elementary classroom being seduced by a big plastic jar of white paste.  The paste would have that unique smell that wasn’t in the least bit edible, but at some point you might’ve been tempted to stick your wooden stick into the gooey mix and take a little lick….

Oops!  That was my memory.

Anyway, embossing paste is not much different from regular old paste.  The difference is found in the color and possibilities of effects.  Embossing paste comes in clear, white, gold, silver, and various other colors (red, green, etc.).  With a few materials and some patience, embossing paste can take your card making adventures to a different level.

To create an image using embossing paste, you will need the paste, a spreading tool, cardstock, a template, paper, removable tape, and a cup of water.

For my example I used a brass template that is used for dry embossing using a light box.  Tape the template onto the cardstock to minimize unnecessary movement of the template and create a tight seal of the template onto the cardstock.

Now with the spreading tool, spread the paste onto the template.  Spread evenly in one direction to make sure the paste covers all parts of the image.  Spread thick to get good coverage.

Next scrape the excess paste off the spreading tool into the paste jar.  With the clean tool, scrape the excess paste off the template.  Notice the scratches on my tree template.  That was caused by using another brass template.  That gem of advice created perfectly even images, but it damaged my template with scratches.  I advise against using any metal objects for this step.  Stick with plastic tools.

Gently lift the template from the cardstock.

For this example I used gold embossing paste which dries in an hour to a glossy golden color.  To add a little more dimension to this project, I sprinkled glitter over the wet paste.

The final product is glossy with a little bit of glitter.  The paste adds dimension and pop to any craft project you may be working on.  The last image was made using silver embossing paste.

Supplies List :-

• 1 x Small notepad
• Cosmo Cricket Nutmeg 6 x 6 Paper Pad – wavy trees
• Dark Brown Cardstock
• Basic Grey Nook and Pantry adhesive letters
• Stampin Up Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon
• Cuttlebug
• Nestabilities Labels 1 set
• Dimensional Adhesives from SU

Supplies List :-

• 1 x small notepad
• Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly 6×6 Patterned Paper
• Making Memories Glittered Letters
• Silver Satin 15mm Ribbon
• Stampin Up Scalloped Edge Circle Punch
• Heart is Cosmo Cricket Nutmeg Stickers
• Clear white ultra fine glitter
• Zig Glue Pen

Supplies List :-

• 1 x Small Notepad
• Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly 6 x 6 Patterned Paper – Stripes
• yellow and light blue cardstock are soft subtles from Stampin Up
• Cuttlebug
• Nestabilities Labels 1
• 3 x buttons
• Making Memories Glitter Letters.

 I am loving how this is turning out….too cute!! 

 I added some red/oranges to the female cardinal. and also changed the rose on the bottom left hand corner and on the response card.  Also, overall the images on this invitation have better coloring than the last version I created…I thought that it was a bit washed out overall…this one the graphics are a touch brighter and slightly bolder…what are your thoughts?…do you like this coloring better?

 Also, I kept the red and white middle layer since you mentioned you liked that.  For the back layer of cardstock I used the blue shimmer textured cardstock that was used on the very first sample that I sent you in the mail….which blue cardstock do you prefer?

 I used the “dark blue matte textured” cardstock for the middle layer instead of the pink like we discussed.  The size of the invitation is 6 3/4 x 4 3/4….I made it slightly smaller than the 5”x7” invitation that I originally sent you…does that size work for you? 

 What do you think?

- Day 22 -

Last year for Christmas I decided to put together a treasure hunt for the two older kids.  It was sooo much fun!  I hid twelve clues for each of them around the house and handed them their first one in a card.  You should have seen them trying to figure out what they were!  Haha!  Once they realized they were clues… they jumped up, eyes sparkling with excitement, and dashed away.  The memory of their faces… the eagerness, the bewilderment, the moment they put the pieces together… made me want to do it again this year!  Instead of buying cards for the hunt, I decided to make them this time. Circle clues. : )

I made snowflakes last year… with every intention of hanging them up around the house.  Never happened.  Oh well!  I’m using them now!

I sprayed adhesive on the front of the snowflake (that would be the side without pencil marks) and sprinkled them with glitter.  While they dried, I grabbed a margarita glass and traced 10 circles onto blue cardstock.  Cut those out and then sprayed adhesive on the back of the snowflakes and pressed them to the circles.  I could make them a bit more fancy, but I want to put most of my effort into the clues.  The great thing about these… they can be repurposed.  Cover them with contact paper and use them as holiday coasters!  They don’t however, make a very good flying disc. ; )

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time”.  -Laura Ingalls Wilder

Supplies List for all cards :-

• Stampin Up Cardstock (various colours)
• Technique Tuesday Thank You Stamp
• Sassafras Lass Blossoms
• Cosmo Cricket Nutmeg 6×6 papers
• Uniball White opaque pen broad
• Prima e-line gems and pearls
• Stampin up dimensional adhesive & stick2 3d glue dots, double sided tape
• Memories Chalk Inks

Welcome to the beginning of the end of the year! Christmas is coming. And I’m finally ready to admit it. I’ve pulled out the music. I’ve started the cookie baking. But I really need to start thinking about gifts. This year will need to be creative. Sentimental. Not costly. And I’ve got the perfect idea to start us off.

A couple years ago, a friend told me about these scrapbook things. Homemade photo albums basically. They turn out to be really thoughtful gifts to give to friends and family. A few of you have asked me for directions. So here it is. Merry Christmas. The gift of instruction. Passed from friend to friend. What should we call them? We thought “Phocordians” was a good name. And not just because this word makes us laugh. It fits. You know, because they’re photo albums and accordions put together.  It’s a very simple design that I’m happy to pass along to you.

The materials:

• Glue (make sure it’s the scrapbooking kind so it doesn’t eat your pictures)
• Double-sided tape (I prefer Scotch. Cheap brands don’t cut it. Remind me to tell you the story…)
• A cutter (You can use something like the gray one above, or plain old scissors will do.)
• 2 feet of ribbon
• 2 7X7 inch pieces of light cardboard
• 6 12×12 pages of scrapbooking paper (4 for the inside, 2 for the covers)
• 3 12×12 sheets of cardstock (the thicker construction paper)

Let’s begin. Ahem.

Grab your two 7×7 pieces of light cardboard and select two sheets of 12×12 scrapbooking paper. These will be the covers of your “phocordian,” so choose wisely. Or go crazy. No matter. Wrap both pieces of cardboard with the paper as if you were wrapping a present. It’s good practice for Christmas. I typically stink at this step, but it doesn’t matter too much. Tape each side down toward the middle.

When you’re finished, you should have two covers that look something like this.

Select one of the covers to be the bottom, grab some double-sided tape, and stick the ribbon in the middle of the cardboard. Be very particular about getting the ribbon directly in the middle. Nobody likes one side longer than the other. Set the covers aside for later.

Next we’ll do some cutting. The remaining 4 12×12 sheets of scrapbooking paper will need to be cut down to 5.5 inch squares. I usually do this by trimming the edges down to 11×11 and then cutting it directly down the center, both ways. Once you have 4 squares from each sheet, take two of the squares from each paper and cut them diagonally down the center (as shown above).

If you’ve done it right, you should have 2 5.5 inch squares and 4 triangles of each paper. For this project, select one really awesome square and 3 super great triangles of each paper. Set aside to let rise. Now comes the difficult part. This is where I lose most of you. That’s right, we’re going to fold. Don’t panic.

Grab your 3 pieces of cardstock. Don’t worry. Each piece is folded the same way. First, fold the paper in half (hotdog style, although both ways is hotdog style with a square).

Turn it sideways and fold it again down the center.  Important: the fold must be bending inward and up, as shown above.

Here it is. The hard part. Turn the paper upside down so that the folds bend toward the table. Fold again into a triangle against the grain of the other folds. You’ll only do one triangle fold. Whew! Is that confusing? It’s hard to explain.

If everything goes well, the paper will fold into itself as shown above. An easy way to make it fold correctly is to put your fingers on the fold lines where you bent the triangle and squeeze.

When all is said and done, you should have three cardstocks that look like this. Smooth on the top, folded in the center.

And now it’s time for gluing. Arrange the cardstock as shown above. The squares will fit nicely on top of each other. You should have 3 points on top and 3 points on bottom. Glue the middle cardstock to the two other cardstocks.

You are ready to paste the triangles and squares to the cardstock. Arrange it in any way you’d like. There is no particular rules about this. Except that I have rules for myself about which colors can go where. But you don’t have to do it. I give you full creative license.

Once you’re finished gluing, it will look something like this. See how nice a border the cardstock created behind your squares and triangles? This is your platform for photos. When everything is dry, you can write and color and paste your photos in here. But we’re not done.

When it’s dry, it will fold like it did before. Except this time there are three parts instead of one. The pretty squares and triangles should be on the inside of your fold. From here, we’ll add the covers.

Tape the outer edges of the cardstock with double-sided tape.

Center the cardstock on the middle of the bottom cover. It should fit like stuffing in an oreo. Repeat this step with the top cover. Tape the top of the cardstock, and center the front cover.

It looks like this.

And it opens. As long as the ribbon is not tied.

And reveals the accordion center. Where you will put your photos. Or let somebody else do that part for you. And you’re done! Congratulations. You’ve scrapbooked. Once you’ve done 70 of these puppies, it should take you about 20 minutes to do the whole process. I’m assuming it’s around $10 tops for all the materials (including glue, ribbon, and tape). That’s a pretty cheap gift, right? But not cheap looking. And that’s the distinction. This is love. Phocordian style.

I’m happy to clarify any steps that have caused you pain. Happy scrapping. Happy early Christmas.

And welcome to the season of Christmas posts.

Welcome to the beginning of the end of the year! I’m sure you are now at least thinking of the gifts you’ll be gifting, right? No? If you’re like me—well-meaning but low on cash—you’ve got to get creative. And you have to start early. I’ve learned to be very good at last minute, crafty ideas. A couple years ago, a friend told me about these scrapbook things. In case you couldn’t tell from the picture, it’s a homemade photo album. They turn out to be really thoughtful gifts to give to friends and family.

A few of you have asked me for directions. So here it is. Merry Christmas. The gift of instruction. What should we call them? We thought “Phocordians” was a good name. You know, because they’re photo albums and accordions put together.  It’s a very simple design that I’m happy to pass along to you.

The materials:

• Glue (make sure it’s the scrapbooking kind so it doesn’t eat your pictures)
• double sided tape (I prefer Scotch. Cheap brands don’t cut it. Remind me to tell you the story…)
• A cutter (You can use something like the gray one above, or plain old scissors will do.)
• 2 feet of ribbon
• 2 7X7 inch pieces of light cardboard
• 6 12×12 pages of scrapbooking paper (4 for the inside, 2 for the covers)
• 3 12×12 sheets of cardstock (the thicker construction paper)

Let’s begin. Ahem.

Grab your two 7×7 pieces of light cardboard and select two sheets of 12×12 scrapbooking paper. These will be the covers of your “phocordian,” so choose wisely. Or go crazy. No matter. Wrap both pieces of cardboard with the paper as if you were wrapping a present. It’s good practice for Christmas. I typically stink at this step, but it doesn’t matter too much. Tape each side down toward the middle.

When you’re finished, you should have two covers that look something like this.

Select one of the covers to be the bottom, grab some double sided tape, and stick the ribbon in the middle of the cardboard. Be very particular about getting the ribbon directly in the middle. Nobody likes one side longer than the other. Ahem. Set the covers aside for later.

Next we’ll do some cutting. The remaining 4 12×12 sheets of scrapbooking paper will need to be cut down to 5.5 inch squares. I usually do this by trimming the edges down to 11×11 and then cutting it directly down the center, both ways. Once you have 4 squares from each sheet, take two of the squares from each paper and cut them diagonally down the center (as shown above).

If you’ve done it right, you should have 2 5.5 inch squares and 4 triangles of each paper. For this project, select one really awesome square and 3 super great triangles of each paper. Set aside to let rise. Now comes the difficult part. This is where I lose most of you. That’s right, we’re going to fold. Don’t panic.

Grab your 3 pieces of cardstock. Don’t worry. Each piece is folded the same way. First, fold the paper in half (hotdog style, although both ways is hotdog style with a square).

Turn it sideways and fold it again down the center.  Important: the fold must be bending inward and up, as shown above.

Here it is. The hard part. Turn the paper upside down so that the folds bend toward the table. Fold again into a triangle against the grain of the other folds. You’ll only do one triangle fold. Whew! Is that confusing? It’s hard to explain.

If everything goes well, the paper will fold into itself as shown above. An easy way to make it fold correctly is to put your fingers on the fold lines where you bent the triangle and squeeze.

When all is said and done, you should have three cardstocks that look like this. Smooth on the top, folded in the center.

And now it’s time for gluing. Arrange the cardstock as shown above. The squares will fit nicely on top of each other. You should have 3 points on top and 3 points on bottom. Glue the middle cardstock to the two other cardstocks.

You are ready to paste the triangles and squares to the cardstock. Arrange it in any way you’d like. There is no particular rules about this. Except that I have rules for myself about which colors can go where. But you don’t have to do it. I give you full creative license.

Once you’re finished gluing, it will look something like this. See how nice a border the cardstock created behind your squares and triangles? This is your platform for photos. When everything is dry, you can write and color and paste your photos in here. But we’re not done. When it’s dry, it will fold like it did before. Except this time there are three parts instead of one. The pretty squares and triangles should be on the inside of your fold. From here, we’ll add the covers.

Tape the outer edges of the cardstock with double sided tape.

Center the cardstock on the middle of the bottom cover. It should fit like stuffing in an oreo. Repeat this step with the top cover. Tape the top of the cardstock, and center the front cover.

It looks like this.

And it opens. As long as the ribbon is not tied.

And reveals the accordion center. Where you will put your photos. Or let somebody else do that part for you. And you’re done! Congratulations. You’ve scrapbooked. Once you’ve done 70 of these puppies, it should take you about 20 minutes to do the whole process. I’m assuming it’s around $10 tops for all the materials (including glue, ribbon, and tape). That’s a pretty cheap gift, right? But not cheap looking. And that’s the distinction. This is love. Phocordian style.

I’m happy to clarify any steps that have caused you pain. Happy scrapping. Happy early Christmas.

Click Logo Above to take you directly to the “SnS Scrappy Special”

Bazzill
Core’dinations

Veckans erbjudande v49:

Cardstock!
20% rabatt på cardstock.

Passa på att fylla på förrådet till slutspurten på julkortstillverkningen.

Välkommen in på Pyssloteket!

So this is the last card that I did for the realtor.  I wanted to keep it pretty simple as I’m not sure what style she wants.  So I used my Cricut to cut out the top note die cut and then stamped and embossed on cream cardstock  the Home and Stories stamp from Unity Stamp Company.  I punched holes all along the black shadow piece and then just adhered it to some cream cardstock. Some black bling under the sentiment finishes it off.  Nothing fancy but I think it turned out well.  Hopefully she does too. 

I ordered some sticker sets in just to give them a whirl, and today I managed to get a play around with them..

Here are 3 Mini Cards all in neutral tones, quite quick to make and I had loads of fun making them

You’re the cats meow supplies list :

• American Crafts Cardstock in Sand and Vanilla
• Design House “pure cats” Stickers from Acard4U
• Technique Tuesday Clear Stamps – Dog & Pony Sentiments
• Prima E-Line Gems
• Stampin Up Dimentional Adhesive & Double Sided Tape.
• Uniball SignoOpaque White Pen – Broad

Scruffy Dog Supplies List :-

• American Crafts Cardstock in Sand and Vanilla
• Design House “a ride in the country” Stickers from Acard4U
• Bazzill Kraft Cardstock
• Fiskars Treading Water Border Punch
• 2 x Woodware Buttons from the Coffee & Cream Set
• Bazzill In Stitchz Vanilla Floss

Had a Ruff Day Westie Card Supplies : -

• American Crafts Cardstock in Sand and Vanilla
• Design House “pure westies” Stickers from Acard4U
• Bazzill Kraft Cardstock
• Fiskars Treading Water Border Punch
• Stampin Up Scalloped Circle Punch
• Technique Tuesday Clear Stamps – Dog & Pony Sentiments

I’m in the mood for lovely crafty things so I thought I’d share some cute bits and pieces I’m pining over.

First, these adorable little buttons.

*link*

Then…ohohoh, these journal tags are just the cutest!

*link*

…and these stickers…

*link*

…and…Bazzill embossed cardstock *swoon*

*yummy*

…and finally…a Tim Holtz Grungeboard book to decorate

*link*

I promise that my next post wont be so self indulgent…but oh, isnt it all so pretty!

Love Ele ~X~

Paper Trey Ink Stampers Select

Gina K.'s Pure Luxury Base Weight

• Price- Let’s face it, in today’s economy, price MATTERS. Gina K’s Pure Luxury Base Weight comes to 28 cents per sheet whereas Papertrey Ink’s Stampers Select comes to 15 cents per sheet. Who wins this round? PTI
• Colorability- Both papers take Copics and other wet mediums well. However, the color does not bleed through Gina K.’s Pure Luxury Base Weight, which is important for one layer cards. I found that color blends and erases better on Gina K.’s Pure Luxury as well. Who wins this round? Gina K.’s Pure Luxury Base Weight
• Texture- Gina K.’s Pure Luxury Base Weight has a very smooth texture and a bit of a glossiness to it, whereas PTI’s Stampers Select has a coarser texture with a Matte Finish. Both cardstocks take to rubber stamps, but Gina K.’s Pure Luxury does not like Acrylic Stamps. I’ve found that because of the smooth and glossy texture, the stamp impression is more blurred. You’re stamping a slick textured stamp on a slick textured surface, so the stamp tends to slide a little. PTI’s Stampers Select has a bit of tooth to it, making it easier to stamp with Acrylic Stamps. HOWEVER, this makes sense, as Gina K.’s Stamps are all Unmounted Rubber and PTI’s Stamps are acrylic. Who wins this round? PTI due to it’s versatility.
• Scoring- Don’t you hate it when you score some cardstocks and they crack at the score line? Gina K. Pure Luxury Base Weight does crack when scored, however you can get around that if you score it a specific way! YES, there is a specific way… If you have a Scor-pal or a Scor-it Board, score the card base down the center and fold it so that the impression of score is on the inside. Instead of folding the card base in half after scoring it down the center, flip it over, so that the impression is facing you, and fold. I discovered this after many cracked cards! Papertrey Ink’s Stampers Select does not crack. Who wins this round? PTI, due to it’s simplicity.
• Cutting/trimming- For those of us that enjoy, layering and cutting images, this is a very important subject. I’ve found that Papertrey Ink’s Stampers Select shreds with detail cutting, with an exacto knife and with scissors. Gina K.’s Pure Luxury Base Weight does not. Who wins this round? Gina K.’s Pure Luxury Base Weight.

WHO WINS ALL IN ALL?

Well, it depends on what kind of card maker you are! If you prefer rubber stamping, go with the Gina K. If you enjoy acrylic stamping, go with the PTI. It is my belief that Gina K. cardstock is meant for colorists. You can color and cut it easily. PTI is a little bit more versatile, but lacks the ease of trimming. I have both cardstocks in my stash and each serves it’s different purpose!!!

STAY TUNED for a comparison between PTI’s Stampers Select and Gina K.’s Pure Luxury Layering Weight (80 lbs.)!

]]> http://shanonmedley.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/meredith-cardinals-white-roses-and-blue-hydrangeas/ Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:47:15 +0000 shanonmedley http://shanonmedley.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/meredith-cardinals-white-roses-and-blue-hydrangeas/

I am so pleased with how this turned out!…I just love the cardinals…too cute!!! 

For this one I tried a patterned red and white dots for the middle layer…

Here is another option where I used a white shimmer textured paper for the middle layer.  I also made the middle layer on this one slightly larger than the previous one.