Debra Lois Designs

Shelby Waiting

2011-10-30T12:50:00.000-05:00

I did a paper page today for my online scrapbooking class.

Markers and Pencils

2011-08-14T18:40:00.000-05:00

I've recently had the opportunity to play with a couple new (to me) coloring mediums: Letraset Promarker alcohol markers and Koh-i-noor Woodless Colored Pencils. After using them both for a weekend, I've decided I like them both. I've done a couple projects in which I used both to compare.

Sorry this picture is sideways. Don't know how to change it with blogger.

The Promarkers I'm using come in a set of 5. This set is called "Autumn" and includes Burnt Orange, Cocktail Pink, Honeycomb, Tan and Pear Green and retails for about $13.00.

This is the first time I've used alcohol markers. (I never tried Copics because of the price. Eek!!!) When I learned about the Promarkers, I thought I'd try them. After using them, I understand why alcohol markers have become so popular. They lay down beautifully smooth, transparent color.

I used them on this card:

The colored pencils are nice in that you can blend them with a Versamarker or a blender pencil. They're not quite as smooth as the markers, but they're easy to use and certainly a bargain at about $20 for a set of 24.

I used brighter colors on this owl because I couldn't really match the marker colors. (This owl looks adorable in just about any colors, though.) After coloring, I blended with a Versamarker. It really blends the color well, but it smudges if you touch it before the Versamark dries. Maybe the heat gun would help?

Next I colored some leaves I printed on my computer. I colored them both. Can you guess which is which?

Both were easy to do and turned out pretty well. Have you guessed? The answer is...

The leaf on the left is done with colored pencils. I tried to use colors I could sorta match with the markers for comparison. I like that with colored pencils you can highlight by erasing color. I read a bit online about highlighting with the markers, so I need to practice that with the blender pen. It's challenging to do the shading with just the handful of colors I have. I recommend having a few shades of each color to work with.

Class day

2011-05-21T07:49:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to be teaching a Random Paper Journal class today! It'll be a lot of fun.

Here are my most recent scrap pages.

2011-05-19T11:43:00.000-05:00

I tried something a little different with this layout of Rosie. Oodles of white space.

An older self-portrait of Alex.

2011-05-17T12:04:00.000-05:00

Dayle is amazing. So inspiring.

I like to do crosswords sometimes when I'm watching TV at night.

This is a remake of a layout I did when I just started scrapbooking. It was our challenge today for LOAD. I really, really like how this turned out.

2011-05-15T10:16:00.000-05:00

My second ever paper layout. I was inspired by the LOAD scrappers to try it. Sorry the photo isn't the best, but I really like how the page turned out.

Another paper page! Our challenge was to try a color combination we haven't scrapped with before. I've never done a red, green and black layout. I took the colors from the patterned paper I wanted to use.

Back to Digi with day 13. The layout is made around the huge title. I love this piece of word art!

I chose folks that came to mind as I was doing the page. It's not a comprehensive list by any means, but these are people I really would like to meet. The template by Nanie's Designs made the layout easy to put together. This is one of my favorite layouts I've done.

More layouts plus a card

2011-05-11T17:13:00.000-05:00

I don't like this layout very much. I might redo it sometime.

The LOAD challenge today was to try a black and white layout. I had this photo of Rosie that I think is perfect in b&w. I kept the layout simple to keep the focus on the photo.

A paper layout! I used one of my favorite photos of Rosie and me together.


A card for the Splitcoaststampers sketch challenge.

Catching up

2011-05-08T18:35:00.000-05:00


Day 4 layout. I'm slowly coming to terms with my artistic messiness.

Day 5. I love this photo.

Day 6. My boy.

Day 7.

Day 8.

Day Three

2011-05-03T20:04:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy day, but I managed to get my scrapbook page for the day completed. It was kinda fun to scrap this memory. I always have a good time when Alex comes to visit.

10 Years

2011-05-02T19:12:00.000-05:00

I'll let this one speak for itself.

Layout A Day

2011-05-01T18:31:00.000-05:00

It's time again for Layout A Day. The whole month of May I'll be doing a scrapbook page every day. The plan is to reactivated my blog and share it with you.

I have some other news as well. I have joined the design team for Creative Spirits. It's exciting to embark on this new adventure! CS is a fabulous store and I'm honored to be a part of the creative team.

He makes me smile

2010-10-05T20:02:00.000-05:00

This is one of my very favorite pages that I've done. I like the way all the pieces come together. It makes me happy.

I'm finishing up craft fair stuff, but took some time out to get a haircut and stamp awhile with a friend. It was wonderful to do her projects. One was a beautiful tunnel card with a thanksgiving theme. The other was a cute little mummy treat holder. It's fun to sometimes be the student. Especially when you have a fun friend to hang out with. Thank you, Cindy!

Local readers: Start going through your stash! The stamping and scrapbooking things you don't need could earn you some cash. November 6 is the Stamp and Scrap Rummage Sale in Saxon. You can sell your stuff and great deals on things you want to buy. Mark your calendar! I'll post more details when I have time. (Probably after Saturday.)

That Face

2010-10-04T20:37:00.000-05:00

Today's layout pretty much speaks for itself. I'm tuckered out. See you tomorrow.

2010-10-03T19:37:00.000-05:00

Our scrapbooking challenge today was to create a layout where the picture says it all and there's no journaling. No journaling??? Seriously??? So I chose a photo of Tim that captures who he is. Him with his little computer, sitting in the big blue chair. That's my Tim.

The rest of my day was spent doing craft fair preparations. I went through all my card baskets and made sure everything was priced. I reduced the prices on some I wanted to see go. I usually sell a lot of cards. I finished up 9 little gift bags and 2 card holding boxes. They're really cool - I'll try to remember to take pictures tomorrow. I decided to price my card/photo holders at $4.00 for all but the largest, which are $5.00.

I'm thinking I might charge $6.00 for the full size journals and $4.00 for the half-size. Folks can choose either personalizing the journal with a word/name or a beaded pen. Does that sound like too much or too little? I'm going to put the packaged journal sets on sale. They contain a comp book, hand-bound softcover journal prompt book and a beaded pen. I'll mark the full size down to $7.50 and the half at $5.50? This part is the most stressful!

Stay tuned for more craft fair craziness tomorrow. :)

2010-10-02T19:57:00.000-05:00

I think I'm crazy. Crazier than normal. The craft fair at Pumpkin Fest is next Saturday. I have a lot of stuff, as my scrap pages show, but there's still a lot to be done, including pricing, which is one of the hardest things for me. I have more projects to make. Beyond that, I have five various appointments, shopping and I am doing October's scrapbooking Lay Out a Day (LOAD) event.
I love LOAD because it gets me to scrap daily. But that usually means a few hours for each layout. Ah...it's a lot, but it's all good. All good stuff.

I hope you enjoy the scrap layout. I'll be sharing a lot of them throughout the month.

More holders

2010-09-27T07:49:00.001-05:00

I've been working on card holders. I got a bunch finished today. It's challenging to come up with 2-4 letter verbs!

I hope to have something fun for y'all tomorrow. Thanks for hanging in there with me until it all gets rolling again.

Lost weekend

2010-09-19T19:09:00.000-05:00

It was a bit of a lost weekend for me. I just did a small bit of crafting. I learned how to make a gift bag out of an envelope. Easy-peasy once I watched the video on the Hero Arts blog.

I played with some recycled paper bag envelopes I've had sitting around. (Side note: why does recycled paper cost more than the new stuff?) I did everything according to the video except for the closures. For the first bag, I punched two holes and threaded them with scrapper's floss. I added a couple felt leaves and tied on a button. It's pretty, but it's a permanent closure. Once the bag is opened, the leaves and button will be tossed aside.

For the other 2 bags, I thought about what else I could do. I continued my love affair with clothespins. I put an Christmas themed owl on a mini clothespin and added leaves and words. For the last one I threaded a snowflake button with white floss, glued it on the covered clothespin and tied a sentiment tag to it. The clips can be used after the bags have served their purpose.

I might bring some stuff out to the living room to work on while I sit by Rosie and watch TV. "Hoarding: Buried Alive" and "Freaky Eaters" are on the schedule for tonight. Do you work and watch TV at the same time?

Owl Cards

2010-09-12T22:43:00.000-05:00

I had a really nice day today. I've been home alone for a couple days and I got to do whatever I wanted. I napped, I read, I shopped for a few digital scrapbooking things, and I made a bunch of cards with owls.

This batch is made with Basic Grey's Sugar Rush paper pad. It's been in the studio awhile, and in my quest to use what I have, I decided it was perfect for this project. I like to mix a lot of patterned papers and paper pads make it ridiculously easy.

I punched the owl clothes out of various sheets and assembled them. Then I started to put cards together. I keep sheets of sketches around and sometimes use them as a starting point. My cards often end up different, and that's okay. That's what creativity is all about.

I decide what color and size a card is going to be. As far as size, I do a lot of 4.25 x 5.5" cards because they're standard and I can get two out of a sheet of cardstock. Lately I've gotten into 5" square cards. I did some of each for the owl cards.

Honestly, the rest of what I do is trial and error. I put papers together, hem and haw, throw them down and pick up others, cut or punch, look again, change my mind, try again, etc. I've always envied folks who have a clear idea of what they were going to make at the start. That is so much not me. It happens for me during the process, almost never before. For these cards I knew the focal point was my owl, so once I put together the structure and background, the card was nearly finished.

When I use a bunch of patterned paper, I don't use a lot of embellishments. Some of my owls have a bit of glitter on their hearts, but that's all. I think the greenery and tag sentiments were enough.

Whew! That was more than I thought I'd say. It's late and I'm tired, so I hope it makes sense. Feel free to leave any questions in the comments.

Owlie

2010-09-09T16:21:00.000-05:00

First, I must apologize for being away so long! I got caught up with Tim's departure, making and remaking samples for my upcoming class and getting ready for the fall craft fair season. Balance is a challenge for me. I dive into things and get absorbed with them while ignoring the rest of the things I need to do. Like blogging. Here's what I did last night and this morning.

I made the cutest little owls with the Stampin' Up punch. I made 25. And I want to make more so I can use them on cards, too. The Destination Truth marathon is still on...LOL! Somebody save me from myself!

Slow Sunday

2010-08-29T14:18:00.000-05:00

I took some time today to finish this scrap page from Friday. I must have started and tossed out 15 pages before I was happy with this version. I wish I had taken pictures of my niece. We were so engrossed in our project that I forgot the camera. I snapped a few in the afternoon with Cindy and Tamra.

There is something about a group of stampers getting together that creates energy and enthusiasm. And envy. LOL! I want Christmas stamps like Tamra's and Cindy's markers and paper. It's funny, because if you've ever seen my studio it looks like I already have it all. I don't. :) Anyway, just chatting and laughing and seeing other ideas makes me want to stay in my studio and continue. It reignites the creative fire that dwindles during long stretches of solitary art.

My readers: Do you get together and stamp with friends? Or are you on your own? Either way, what's good about your situation? What would you change? Please leave a comment with your thoughts.

Fun Friday

2010-08-27T19:03:00.000-05:00

I had a great day today! I made little notebooks with my niece this morning and stamped with a couple new friends in the afternoon. There's no better way to spend time.

Here are two of the three cards I made. The stamp is from Stampin' Up and papers from Basic Grey's Olivia pad.

That's it for now. Short and to the point. I'm going to scrap the pictures I took today. I could be back with that later, if all goes well. :)

A journey

2010-08-26T18:01:00.001-05:00

This page is from a hike I took with Tim in July. I remember this walk and remember how hard it was. We've since gone much further. It's getting easier with every pound lost.

I saw my nurse practitioner and the first thing she said when she came in was, "You've lost a ton of weight!" Not exactly tons, but 80 pounds from my highest. Eighty pounds. It's 2 bags of Rosie's food. I can hardly carry in one 40 pound bag, much less two. That's a lot! I feel different. The way I move feels different. It's easier to do everyday stuff like go upstairs to take a shower or pick things up off the floor. It's hard to explain what it's like. I feel freer. Pounds off my body and pounds off my spirit. My *being* is lighter. My attitude is brighter. I feel a new kind of hope for the future.

If my sister is reading this - Dayle, you are such an inspiration to me. I am amazed at what you've been able to do and I'm so proud of you! You ROCK! I think about your accomplishments and it makes me feel like *I* might be able to do it. I admire my ~~big~~ small older sister. :)

Enough of that. Those of you who read for the stamping and scrapbooking stuff, thanks for hanging in there with me. I'll be back to stamping tomorrow. A friend is coming over to stamp in the afternoon. I'll post some of our creations.

Closer to home

2010-08-24T14:26:00.000-05:00

What a beautiful day! I was supposed to have an appointment this afternoon, but it got rescheduled to next week. Tim and I decided to take a hike close to home. (Dang! I just saw a typo. Don't you hate it when that happens!) This time I took the little camera and got pictures. We live in a beautiful area.

Copper Falls State Park Page

2010-08-23T20:53:00.000-05:00

I'm still thinking a lot about our mini road trip to CFSP, so it seemed right to put the page together tonight. I used Tim's photos.

I made this page as a lesson from Jessica Sprague's Photoshop Friday series. Each lesson contains all the digital materials you need to make your page along with a video teaching you a specific thing. They are often on sale on Wednesday's for only $1. Jessica is an excellent teacher of all things digital and Photoshop. I highly recommend any of her classes. (No, I'm not a paid spokesperson. I just think she's fab.)

Bookmarks

2010-08-23T16:18:00.000-05:00

When my laptop got ill Friday, I had to do something to keep me from dwelling on it. I decided to make some bookmarks for the upcoming craft fair season. Last year I sold out of these at every show. The cats are new, though. I hope they're just as popular this year. I'm also planning to teach them in an upcoming class, so be on the lookout!

I've had a tough time being creative the last few days. There's a lot on my mind and I can't come to any sort of resolution in my head. Does that happen to you? When you're mentally and emotionally blocked you get creatively blocked as well? How do you deal with it?

Trimmer Review

2010-08-19T15:51:00.000-05:00

I'm always looking for the right paper trimmer. By "right," I mean the holy grail of trimmers. One that's *perfect.* Along the way, I've found some good ones, some bad, some just so-so. None have met all my high expectations. I recently purchased Fiskar's Premium Cut-line Trimmer because of glowing reviews on Scrapbook.com. Could this be the one?

The first feature to sing to me is the 6.25" base. It allows me to cut standard sized cards at 5.5" without pulling out the arm. When I do need the 15" arm, I can do so without the usual no-woman's-land gap between the cutter and arm. This one has continuous measuring. The marks on the base were printed from underneath to prevent them from wearing off. (Which happened to my old faithful trimmer.) The only problem is that the numbers aren't printed on the bottom right side of the base where I measure small pieces. I can count the markings, I just wish they had printed the numbers.

The trimmer is lightweight and it has a lock for the cutting rail making it easily portable. It also has a wire guide that lays next to the blade to make the cutting line visible. It's *almost* on the cut line. Really, REALLY close. So close it's almost there. But it's not there. It might not make a difference to most users. I'm a perfectionist. It made my layers off. With practice, however, I'll be able to compensate for it. It neatly cuts off tiny slices without fraying (with a new blade.)

The "I" blades are the same as most of the other Fiskar's trimmers, which makes them easy to find. The cartridge replacement area isn't so great. They pop in and out near the bottom. I've accidentally knocked them out of the trimmer several times already. I prefer it near the top like the old model. One other thing that bugs me - and this is strictly personal preference - is that the cutting rail lifts up to the right rather than the left. I find this awkward.

Pros:

wide cutting base
accurate underside markings
wire cutting guide
easily portability
continuous arm markings
easy to find blades
rail lock

Cons:

wire guide isn't 100% accurate
opens to the right
blade cartridge changing area in the wrong place
bottom right measurements lack numbers
only cuts one sheet of cardstock at a time

Overall, the pros outweigh the cons and it's a good trimmer for a reasonable price. I would give it an A-/B+. It's not perfect, but it's a welcome addition to my paper crafting tools.

Card holders

2010-08-16T16:44:00.000-05:00

These are the card holders I wrote about yesterday. They're made from the wood blocks that stamps come on. I like to reopurpose rather than throw them away. This is what I do:

Cover one side of the block with a scrap of patterned paper. My glue of choice is Tombow Mono Multi. It works for everything.
When the adhesive has dried, lightly sand the edges.
Add a word with stickers, die cuts or rub-ons.
Glue a small wood block to the back for stability. Let set.
Glue mini clothespin to block. Let set.

It's that easy! I usually do a bunch at a time, assembly line style. It goes quickly. They're a nice way to display cards.

I took a mini road trip today with Tim. We went to Copper Falls State Park in Mellon. It's only a 1/2 hour away, yet I've never been there. When we got there, we stopped at the first building to pay our park fee. A big sign said no dogs were allowed in most places in the park. Ack! Shelby was with us. So we asked where we could take her and were shown the trail that goes to Red Granite Falls. So that's where we went.

The sign said the trail loop was 2.5 miles. (See it at the bottom of the map.) That doesn't sound so far, does it? It wouldn't be if it wasn't so up and down! The first section had a lot of ups and downs, the middle section was up. up, up and the last section was a gradual decline. For the average visitor I'm sure it's no big deal. I, however, would have appreciated a sign at the start that said "Fat People - Are you sure you want to do this?"

It's a pretty walk through the woods. When I wasn't gasping for breath or swapping mosquitos, I enjoyed it. The forest on a sunny, 66 degree day is splendid. It should be breathtaking when the leaves turn color. I'd like to go back without a dog and see Copper Falls itself.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see much of Red Granite Falls, either. To really see them, you have to go down a steep area to the water's edge. I didn't think I could climb back up if I managed to go down there. I didn't take any pictures at all. I know...bad scrapbooker. I was never so happy to see a picnic table than at the end of the trail. I collapsed there while Tim took Shelby to the lake for a drink. We left from there.

I'm a bit stiff and sore, but not too much. I'm really glad we went. It was a challenge for me and I conquered it. :)

In one day

2010-08-15T19:45:00.000-05:00

It started simply. I was making card holders and needed little clothespins. There was a small package of them in the studio...somewhere. And there it began.

I looked on my work table, through drawers, in bins and baskets. I couldn't find them anywhere. It was driving me crazy. I didn't want to admit it, but they could be in the storage bins under my table. I reluctantly lifted the table cover and slid out the two BIG Rubbermaid containers that held random "stuff" I wanted to stow away when I was cleaning up this summer. I can do this, I thought. I pulled up a chair and got started.

I'll spare you the details, but 2 hours later the studio was a mess and I still didn't have my clothes pins. There was a paper trimmer, inside pages for mini scrapbooks I never made, picture frames, tons of paper scraps, notepads, abandoned projects and much, MUCH more. Those containers hold a lot.

Just as I was putting the last of the stuff away, I moved a bin that had been on top of the table...and there they were. Yeah. After a whole DAY of looking and putting everything away, they'd been on top of the table all along. Wasting a creative day for cleaning and organizing irritates me, but I do feel psychologically lighter with those containers unpacked.

I made my card holders. Pictures to come tomorrow when I can photograph in good light.

Class projects

2010-08-13T07:35:00.000-05:00

It's time for class! I'm excited to do this class because I *love* autumn so much. The colors, the light, the smells, the cool temperatures. We're getting an early start so that you have plenty of time to make seasonal cards. Join me on Wednesday. August 18, 1 - 3 PM at Creative Spirits in Ironwood, MI. Email me or call the store at 906-932-8442 to sign up.

Sweater Weather?

2010-08-09T15:57:00.000-05:00

It's hard to think about sweaters today. It's 10:00 AM and although the temperature isn't too high yet, there's 90% humidity. The a/c is on and I'll likely stay inside today and create.

I'm working on cards for my upcoming Fall Splendor class. Think leaves, starting with saturated color, then becoming soft and muted, a beautiful new chalk palette, watercolors, beautiful leaf ribbon...that's just so far! I still have more paper goodness to discover. Look for a sneak peak soon.

Everyone loves it

2010-08-08T12:58:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure I'll get anything creative done today, but I thought I'd share a recipe for Watermelon Salsa. Don't grimace until you try it! Everyone I've shared it with has loved it. In fact, I had to print out the recipe twice yesterday for family members.

Watermelon Salsa

Ingredients

2 cups seeded and coarsely chopped watermelon
2 tablespoons chopped onion
3 tablespoons seeded, chopped jalapeno
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt (plus you can add some minced garlic)

Directions
In a serving bowl, mix together the watermelon, onion, and chile pepper. Season with balsamic vinegar and garlic salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to blend flavors.

The nutrition information with the original recipe said it has 17 calories per serving. It makes eight 1/4 cup servings. Try it! It's delicious.

2010-08-07T19:05:00.000-05:00

What a lovely day today! The weather was beautiful. Family came to visit and we hung out and had a taco feast for lunch. Lots of talking and laughter.

Before they arrived, I managed to complete some cards. (Getting up at 5:45 am has an upside.) These are the last of the Oliver series. In all, I created 18 cards from that 6 x 6" paper pad. There's enough left over to do 2 or 3 more, plus something like bookmarks. Part of me wants to continue and use it all up, since I've never done that before, but I'm ready to move on and start working on my next class.

I layered a lot of papers for this card. It was based on a sketch that I modified, turning it on it's side. There are often several ways to use one sketch. I embossed the polka dot paper and adhered it to my card. I layered the side pieces without the black, but then I decided I really needed it, so I cut thin strips and glued them on. Then I decided to use the Daisy D rub-on tape. It pulled everything together. I stamped the HA words and cut them out. I matted them with 2 layers of the PP and adhered with pop-dots. At that point I spent about 20 minutes deciding which buttons I wanted to use. Red won.

I shamelessly CASED this card from a Card Creations magazine. Do you ever see a card and just have to make one? This was that kind of card for me. I stamped my sentiment and layered that red, so that it shows through when the top punched layer is adhered. Then I threaded a button, tied a bow and glued on the button. Done. Easy.

Here's another easy one. I stamped the words, layered the papers, adhered them to the card, added a punched heart with a button centered flower. You could recreate this card in 10 minutes.

I hope you enjoyed today's goodies.

Stephen King is my muse

2010-08-06T14:57:00.000-05:00

Well, not really my muse per se, but listening to Duma Key made me productive this morning. I'm about halfway through with it and I have to stay in here and work so I can keep listening!

I'm continuing with the Oliver series, but this morning made cards that are less masculine. The first, with this wonderful bird by The Angel Company, is simple, but speaks to me. I paper pieced the bird, added flowers with a button center and underlined it with a pierced row. It's easy to do that it with the Tim Holtz ruler. It has holes right in it so you can pierce a straight line easily.

For the second card, I got out my SU set again that I used a couple days ago. This time I used "LOVE" with a heart for the "v." The background is embossed with a new Cuttlebug embossing folder. (It comes in a set of four with pears, cherries, and a citrus fruit slice frame.) I had stamped "you're wonderful" in Versamark, but it didn't show up well and was too big for the design. You can't even see it now.

For the final card, I used a sticker that came free with a magazine. I matted it on black and cut it out. The background is embossed, then paper layers are added. I used pop-dots for the saying and added small rhinestones to the left layer.

I think I'll do one more day of Oliver. I still have paper to work with. What do you think? Are *you* liking this paper? I have it's companion pack, Olivia, on order from my awesome local stamp/scrap store. It's similar, I think, but with more feminine colors.

Tip of the day: Unless you like crowds and lines, not to mention empty shelves, avoid Wal-Mart on Friday and Saturday.

2010-08-05T14:20:00.000-05:00

I have a couple things to post today. First is a layout I did a couple weeks ago. Poor Shelby wanted to play with the striped critter and got sprayed. The tomato juice took away the worst of the odor, but a wee bit has lingered, especially with the hot, humid weather earlier in the week. I used a template by Jessica Sprague. I'm not sure what the other ingredients are. I'll try to keep better track of that that stuff from now on.

Next are two cards in the Oliver series. I've made 12 cards out of that 6 x 6 pack and still have plenty of paper to do more. Those packs can be quite economical when I USE them. The boy stamp is from The Angel Company and the words are Hero Arts. I think they could be used for boy birthdays, congratulations, thinking of you, adoption, graduation...lots of occasions. I won't add anything inside until the card is ready to be used.

One of those days

2010-08-04T11:22:00.000-05:00

I almost gave up today. The layout is a sketch from Splitcoaststampers. It looked easy, but when I paired it with Basic Grey Oliver paper I didn't know what do to for the focal point. I realized I don't have many guy and boy-ish stamps, stickers or rub-ons. Flipping through my stamps, I discovered this set from Stampin' Up that I'd purchased second hand last year and never used. I opened iTunes to listen to some music. I saw the new episode of the Paperclipping Roundtable was out and THAT gave me the whatever I needed to stay in the studio and keep working. (If you haven't heard PR, go take a listen. These folks ROCK! Lots of cool scrapbooking discussions.)

It's going to be another hot one today. I suppose I shouldn't complain too much - it's not nearly as bad here as the south. I'm just a northern girl and long stretches with humid temps above 80 make me crabby. I'm going out to lunch with Tim and running some errands today, but other than the essential I'll be here in the air conditioning. I'll stamp or scrap more later.

Bouquet

2010-08-02T20:36:00.000-05:00

I made a few of these flower pot cards today. Aren't they cute? I think I made 6 - they take awhile to complete, but it's worth the time and effort. They're great for many different occasions. You can find written and video directions at http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/flowerpotpocket/

In other news, I purchased my own domain name! It's so exciting in a geeky kind of way. LOL! :)

Lovin' Oliver

2010-08-01T15:18:00.000-05:00

I picked up Basic Grey's 6 x 6" Oliver paper pack at Creative Spirits when I was there last and I've been playing with it. It just screams guy cards with it's red, blues and greens. I kept it simple.

The first card still needs something. Words, most likely. Any suggestions?

The stamp on this last card is a bit difficult to read. It's much easier in person. The stamp says, "If you can walk, you can dance. If you can talk, you can sing."

I'm back!

2010-07-31T16:53:00.003-05:00

It's been a year. I gave up fighting with Blogger over photos and layout issues, but I'm going to give it another try. There's so much I wanted to share. A lot happens in a year's time!

First, I'd like to share a 1/2 book. I love making these. I can use up some of my small scraps.

Supplies:

Standard composition books cut in half. (I had it done at a chain office supply store.)
1 1/4” punched squares of patterned paper
Two 5 x 71/2” patterned papers for inside covers
2 x 5” lightweight plain or patterned paper for spine
Good quality glue sticks
Tombow Mono Multi Adhesive

Apply a heavy layer of glue stick to the bottom front of composition book for the first row, starting about 1/2 inches from binding. Add random patterned paper squares. Continue working up row by row until covered.
After allowing the glue time to set, cut off excess with a craft knife.
Adhere spine paper with Tombow adhesive and trim excess.
Adhere inside cover pieces and trim excess.
Decorate as desired. I like to just add words, but anything goes.
Optional: Decorate and add a binder clip as a closure.

Later today or tomorrow I will post cards made with new Basic Gray papers.

Too Long

2009-08-01T17:44:00.003-05:00

Today I have another card with the zoo critters. I'm smitten. :)

1. I cut the patterned pieces from Basic Grey's June Bug paper and adhered them to a 4 1/4" square white card.
2. I stamped and colored the giraffe with Prismacolor pencils, then layered it on black.
3. I threaded a red button with orange and stuck it to the felt flower with a glue dot. A second glue dot holds it to the image panel.
4. I adhered the image panel with pop dots.

Hint of the day: Most liquid glues seep through felt and leave a mess. Tape runners just pull up lint. The best adhesive I've found so far for felt is glue dots. Any other suggestions? Add a comment and let me know.

Sheepish

2009-07-31T15:23:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday! Today's card is full of new fun stuff. I used the sketch from Taylored Expressions. It's been awhile since I participated. It was a chance to play with new stuff.

I won an adorable clear stamp set from Rubber Soul. Excellent quality stamps! The paper is from the Lemonade 6 x 6" paper pad by Basic Grey. Isn't it pretty?

This card is simple. I stamped the sheep on patterned paper, a white scrap and a white 2" circle. I cut out the sheep and adhered on top of sheep image. Then I cut out the head and added it with a pop dot. I layered my pieces, added the ribbon and flower and adhered. It's too bad you can't really see the organza ribbon in the photo. It looks a lot better on the hard copy.

Have a creative weekend!

Purse Mate

2009-07-21T10:02:00.010-05:00

I have a simple project I used for Creative Spirits' 4th Anniversary sale. If you missed the sale, you missed a good one. I stocked up on cardstock. It seems to disappear so quickly in my studio. Is it like the clothes dryer stealing socks? My paper trimmer consumes any paper left on or near it while I sleep? But I digress.

I call the matchbook thingy a "Purse Mate." It's perfect to have in your purse when you want to jot a quick note.

1. Score a 3 1/8 x 8" piece of cardstock at 3 1/8 and 6 3/4".
2. Punch a border on the short end.
3. Decorate front. I cut out an owl and glued it to the cool patterned paper from The Green Stack 70% Recycled Paper by DCWV. It's 72 sheets of 4 1/2 x 6 1/2" patterned cardstock. Perfect for cardmakers! The design is flat - no added bling or buttons or anything - because I don't want it to get caught up on the crazy stuff we ladies keep in our purses. :)
4. Staple middle bottom.
5. Fill with about 15 sheets of Post-It notes. It's easy to refill at any time.

(Note: I deleted the former post with this project due to formatting issues.)

Invisible woman

2009-07-17T08:06:00.002-05:00

Did you think I disappeared? No, I'm out here. It's just been a crazy week. Creative Spirits is having their anniversary event this weekend. I'll be there at the make 'n take table all day today and tomorrow. It means I had to design 6 projects over the course of 5 days - a real challenge for me. I also had a 3 hour class on Tuesday AND my niece had open heart surgery.

I'll be back with projects and pictures this weekend. Happy stamping!!!

I have no hair left!!!

2009-07-09T11:07:00.002-05:00

I left the last post in its Blogger state in the hopes that someone will take pity on me and tell me what's wrong. You should be seeing several additional pictures and written instructions. Yesterday it took me 3 HOURS to post what I did! What am I doing wrong???

Blog Candy

2009-07-06T12:52:00.002-05:00

As a celebration of my new blog, I'd like to give away prizes. The first 3 people who comment on my blog will receive a bag of 10 layered paper flowers and enough punch outs to make 10 more of your own. How does that sound? (US readers only, folks.)

Leave a comment at the bottom of this post telling me what you would like to see in my blog.

Standing card

2009-07-06T09:34:00.002-05:00

Today I have a standing card to show you from the new technique challenge at SCS. It's a very simple card that folds flat in a standard envelope, but, when opened, stands on its own. The original design and instructions by Penny Wessenour can be found here.

All the papers for this card came from my scrap bin. The bottomless, never ending scrap bin. LOL! Why is it so much easier to cut into pieces than a 12 x 12 sheet of patterned paper? I'm trying to get over that.

I added a layered paper flower to this project. When I'm making them, I try to put together the weirdest, ugliest colors and patterns together. They always turn out to be the coolest. Individually, none of these papers would work with each other. It's like magic.

Flower Fun

2009-07-05T11:08:00.022-05:00

I've been obsessively making layered paper flowers. Last night I did 22 while watching (I use that term loosely) TV. Not much good stuff on last night. So I kept busy punching and spritzing and crumpling. Once you start, It's hard to stop. They're so cute! Here are a few things I made with them:

I've put together a wee tutorial about making them.

You'll need:
* 4 circles, one each of 2, 1.5, 1 and 3/4" with contrasting colors and patterns
* water spritzer
* liquid glue
* button
* floss (I use Scrapper's Floss)
* mini glue dots

1. With scissors, cut a flower shape out of the largest circle. Be careful not to cut too much off.

2. Lightly spritz circle and scrunch up. The water will make it a lot easier to crumple the paper, and it helps to hold the shape later on. Just take care not to get your paper so wet that it tears. Repeat with each circle.

3. When thoroughly dry, glue circles together in the center only.

4. Thread button. Use glue dots to adhere to flower.

Work In Progress

2009-04-07T21:29:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my new home on the web! I'm in the middle of getting everything set up. My grand debut will occur within a few days. Please check back! It'll be worth it.