MONDAY GOODIES!

Good morning, everyone!

No cards this week. Bob got home Friday afternoon and as usual, we've been on the go. Today we are working on the filming corner.

I spent most of Thursday, Friday, Saturday watching all the amazing creators taking part in the Card Makers Success Summit at Stamp Me Some Love. The event is FREE unless you want to purchase the lifetime access. Trust me... if you think you're not going to be able to watch everything or want to go back at a later time and watch a video again, it is well worth the minimal price for the VIP.   Videos are only available for 24 hours without the pass! But here's the thing...   If you don't buy the pass the first time you click on the purchase link, the price goes up... so make your decision the first go round. You'll be glad you did. I think Brandi said there would be another the end of March as she has other stuff going on in July when she normally runs the next round.

Okay..  So no cards, but lots of video watching, downloading free tutorials and signing up for lots of emails I'll probably wind up dropping.

BUT... I did fall in love with a product that apparently has been around awhile.  I'm always late to the party LOL

Have you heard of STENCIL 360*?

I'm going to link you to Ardyth's video because I think it's one of the best. Justine Hovey also has a really good one, but here's Ardyth's:

You'll find the product on the Penguin Palace website. They are out of Canada. My starter kit, storage bag and one other stencil set should arrive Thursday or Friday. LOL

I'll be doing tutorials and plays in the near future. Keep in mind... whether you are a card maker, a scrapbooker or play with junk journaling.. THIS product has sooo many possibilities.

I also networked in the livestream chats quite a bit and had requests for tutorials using other products so I'll be busy this summer.

Okay... I'm recording a haul video this morning before we get started. I did a short Hobby Lobby trip on Saturday. When I went last week, not a lot of stuff had been marked down. Saturday was much more successful...

I was thrilled to find the teal wax melts for the glue gun. I want to make Thank You seals for my etsy gift packages. I also picked up charms for the mermaid journals, four wink of stella pens, a package of misters and four packages of different types coils for the cinch - 2 coil and 2 D style. The little blue crystal cup was from the Easter Spring Shop line. I'm going to use it to put my fine tip glue bottle in upside down when I'm working on a project. Then there's one other item up in the top right you can't see very well....

It is called a Glitter Vac from We R Memory Keepers. I saw one on the shelf for $15, but then looked behind and there was one for $10!!!  You recharge with a USB and use it to vacuum up all the little bits on your work desk. You can also run it across your keyboard.  I've been wanting one so grabbed this. I figure what I saved on the clearance more than paid for this new addition to my office... and it's teal!

okay... I'll be posting pics to my IG account for the #100dayproject. I have day 3, 4, 5 to post yet but thought I'd share them with you here. All about the studio progress...

The adhesives from off of one cart are all sorted and ready to go here:

I took all the punches off of this cart, sprayed it Teal and now I'll have all different styles of adhesives on hand next to my table. I've already put a liner in the middle tray and Bob trimmed down my stickles tray to fit in there. But since I'm not using the black carts anymore, the tray had been stored in, the tray had to be reconfigured to fit.

The punch cart is finished!

All of the punches I use most are on this cart. Most of the seasonal punches are in a rack on the end of my big work island.  I was even able to add the crocodiles and standard hole punches thanks to the clip on containers on the side. 

That's it for me. 

I'll be back Wednesday with our March Challenge chat and our stick samples on Thursday. Other than that, pretty quiet here this week as I have Bob home to help whip the studio into shape. 

Are you doing the #100dayproject?  Some have told me they were inspired to use the challenge to organize as I am doing. I'd love to hear what you're up to!

Creative Blessings!

~ Kelly

MIXED MEDIA MONDAY RETURNS! - Playing with Scraps

The above picture is a shot of what's left from all the cardmaking I've been doing the past couple of weeks. I don't throw anything away if I can get at least one more use out of it.

I saw the negative space in the punch remains and thought how great they'd look scattered around an art journal layout as stencils.

So here's what I came up with this week:

You'll see hints of color coming through the Sunflower Yellow base. That is where I test-sprayed the Light Blue.

Here's the layout:

I took another picture after I sprayed the Light Blue but the picture wasn't on my memory card. (the camera has been doing that a lot lately)

Far from finished. I want to work with the Pitt Pens or something a bit, but I have a base to work from. So next week I'll show progress, including having the negatives removed and a bit of pen work.

What do you think?  Do you use other things for stencils? Please leave a link in the comments so I can see what you're working on.

Creative Blessings!
Kelly

TEAPOT TUESDAY & TECHNIQUE - Symmetrical Sun

During VSN at Splitcoast Stampers, Challenge #2 was to focus on the Symmetrical part of the sun.. the repeating pattern of the rays coming from around the circle of the sun.

Another Christmas card idea came from me.. and was inspired by THIS card on Pinterest. The card was designed by Anne Marie Hile at Stampin' Anne

The repeating pattern behind the circle is the scallops! Above, you can see the items I used. The variegated blue ribbon was from my stash. I had enough to make 7 duplicate cards. The snowflake is a Martha Steward punch. I used Recollections cardstock. The patterned paper is Vintage Blue Snowflakes from Paper Studio.

That cute little snowman is from a set called Christmas Fun (SU- 1992). I cut him out with the #2 circle on the Spellbinders Circle set then coated him in Dimensional Glaze. The sentiment you'll see later is from the Christmas Greetings set (SU 2010)

Here you can see that I didn't quite cut out the snowflakes completely. I lopped of their heads. I started by centering one on the blue strip, then placed 2 on either side to for the snowflake border. Then the copped off section was covered with the ribbon.

Here's the finished card:

I was really happy with how this one turned out. I might have to adhere the snowman circles in place better before mailing. They want to curl up. But an easy fix.

Creative Blessings!

Kelly

Teapot Tuesday & Techniques - Christmas Wreath

After seeing someone make a wreath using this punch, I had to have it. So I bought one - about eight years ago! I've used it for other things... a sprig here and there in flower arrangements on cards. But never for what I bought it for... until Virtual Stamp Night last weekend on Splitcoast Stampers.  

Our theme was Here Comes the Sun. Our first challenge was to showcase a circle on the front of our card.  Before I go any further, let me explain that I usually try to use as many of the VSN challenges as possible to do my Christmas cards. Not participating last year is why I was scrambling in December to get cards done. Not this year!

A Wreath is a Circle so I thought this was the time to dive into the wreath made from this bough punch. My card made Favorite of the Week on Splitcoast. I think, partly, because everyone thought the card was complicated. From what I understand, people are gluing EACH INDIVDUAL bough into place. Um.. there is an easier way.

Step 1: Cut a circle base.

I used Circle #2 and #3 from the Spellbinders Circles. #3 cut the large base, then #2 cut the center out, leaving me a frame.  This is a great way to use up scraps!

Step 2: Punch out bunches of boughs in 2 different shades of green. This adds depth to your wreath, without having loads of layers. I punched about 100 from each shade while I was watching YouTube craft videos.

You will also see the glue I used. I bought this bottle at $ Tree:

Step 3: use a removable glue dot and adhere the frame to your craft mat. Then run a bead of glue on the perimeter  of the base. Then apply your first layer of boughs. I used 9-10. If I'd spread them out a bit farther, probably 12.

I suggest letting this set up just a bit before moving on to Step 4. You do not have to, but it does help prevent you pulling boughs back up with your slightly sticky fingers. 

Step 4: Apply dots of the glue in various places around the first layer. Then lay in your alternate shade of boughs. As you do, tuck them under each other and give them a slight press into the glue. The glue is going to dry clear so no worries.

Here you can see my glue dots ready for the next layer.

I set 6 frames out on my craft mat to production line the process:

When all was said and done, this is the card I finished with:

I uses Recollections cardstock in white and a grass green. The white mat is done with the Swirling Snow embossing folder (Darice) The bow is punched from glitter cardstock from SU using their Festive Wreath die. Since doing this card, I've gone back and added 3 dots of Red glitter stickles in a cluster at points around the wreath for berries as well as a dot at the base of each of those little 3-leaf points on the bracket of the sentiment to bring everything together. 

Next Thursday, Challenge #2 was all about Symmetry and replicating the sun's rays. 

Creative Blessings!

Kelly 

GET ORGANIZED CHALLENGE Continues

I'm pretty sure Bob will frown at me for posting this picture. But I am so proud of him. He spoils me rotten. Anything I say I need, he finds a way to make it happen. While I do not recall him promising the moon, he does try. 

In this picture, he is designing my punch storage. I had the idea to use this untapped 6' length on the back side of the work island. Hard to believe we built this almost 30 years ago and we never put any kind of finish on the back or ends.

A little wall board, some leftover trim from the room construction and we have a start.

Before I show you the next picture, let me say I do not have as many punches as some of you. Though I am building a stash for specific needs. 

With the exception of the 2 new We R Memory Keeper punches I just purchased, these are all of my paddle and Martha Steward punches. See.. I have room for more! 

We purchased this 3-rack shelf at menards in their closet organization department. The initial plan was to hang 2 of these on the long length of the work island but I forgot to account for that drop-down leaf. So We put one on the end cap to hold all of my SU punches as well as the ones that do not have a deep enough paddle to hang such as the EK Success ones you see in the 2nd basket. 

My challenge will come when I add more of the SU style punches. I might have to put all the minis from that bottom shelf in a bowl on my work table. But for now, everything is at my fingertips as, while I have that space in front of the window in the stamping area, I really prefer to stand when I work and the island is perfect to spread out and really get into a project. 

If you're wondering what happened to Week 2, I did begin sorting the embellishments and I'll show you those tomorrow. I'm spending this week trying to catch up on all of my blog posts. 

Creative Blessings!

Kelly

Magazine Monday!

I'm squeezing this in as we prepare to get on the road for 3 days in Nashville. Adrian turns 4 tomorrow! Hard to believe. So instead of a typical Magazine Monday, I'm showing off the Birthday Card I made for her as well as the cake.

When I was little, I remember getting a birthday card. I think there was a clown on it. But I remember him holding balloons. Each balloon had a slit in the center to form a pocket big enough to hold a coin. There were different sizes for quarters, dimes and nickles.

Since I was creating multiple pages to this card, I decided to update the technique a bit and use glue dots to place the Chuck E Cheese tokens on each balloon. They'll come off the token easy when we're ready to use them tomorrow. This kid loves to go to the 'mouse'!

I didn't have a mouse stamp but she also likes Pooh Bear and Pooh Bear loves balloons so I thought it was a good match.

I used 2 long cards and put them together to form a fold out. Then I dusted the pages with pastel inks. The 4 is heat embossed in multiple layers of Purple Scepter powder.

I started with one balloon on the front then added a balloon to each page until we got to a total of 4 on a page.

When I saw the cake, I knew it would be one I could create here in MO and transport easily to TN. Because of the 5 hour drive, I chose to leave it in the baking pan and only decorate the top.

I found this cake in the 2012 Wilton Year Book. They have a new product out called Sugar Sheets. You can PUNCH any shape from these thin sheets of sugar. They kind of remind me of the old flat pieces of bubble gum found in baseball card packages. The sheets are 8x11 and come in a wide variety of primary and pastel colors, white, black or colored alphabets, as well as designs like stripes, zebra and hearts. These had to have been created by a someone who scrapbooks... or at the very least pays attention to the crafting industry. Aside from the sheets, you can purchase a punch set and individual cutting inserts. There are 6 basic shapes, then hearts, circles, scalloped circle and star each come in 3 layering sizes. Add 6 different border punches and there is no end to what you can do with these. You can get an idea of what is available and what you can do with them HERE.

The only things I wish I'd done differently were purchase the alphabet sheet (I used my Fiskars ABC template and an Xacto knife) and not glittered the letters of her name as it doesn't allow them to stand out. But I was going for bling! LOL This was the first time playing with this technique. I'll definitely use it again but now when I can't find something to use my 40% on at Michaels or Hobby Lobby, I'll pick up a new punch... for cake decorating!

So I'm closing down and packing the truck. No TeaPot Tuesday or What's only my Work surface Wednesday. I'm going to be enjoying my family for a few days.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kelly