Constantly Stamping

Hanna Stamps...it's a TEEN thing!

I don't normally purchase stamps from companies other than Stampin' Up! but a few weeks ago I won a $50 gift certificate from Hanna Stamps, so naturally I had to get a few of their sets and make some cards. I fell in love with this cute set called "Read My T". Since the folks at Hanna Stamps were so generous, I decided to make a few cards and share them with you.

I have a friend who struggles daily with her strong-willed teenage daughter. I just know that her daughter would love a t-shirt like this. My parents would have had an absolute fit if I had ever wanted to wear a shirt with a skull and crossbones on it. I think I would have a fit if I had a child who wanted to wear a shirt like this. I just can't imagine...but I guess it's just a shirt and you still gotta love your kids no matter what they choose to wear...LOL!

This card is my entry into the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge this week. My image was a little longer than the sketch, so I had to move it over a little to the left to make the sketch work.

All the paper is SU but that is about where it ends...my apologies to those of you who check out my blog for the SU only stuff because this definitely doesn't fit into that category.

My card base is the standard 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" in Riding Hood Red. Layered on next is a piece of textured Baja Breeze CS. The striped paper is Sweet Slumber Specialty DSP and the dotted swiss (bottom left) and T-shirt are Rockabilly Speciality DSP. I didn't have a Copic maker that matched the Baja Breeze, so I stamped my image on textured Baja Breeze CS and paper pieced her jeans.

The image is stamped on Whisper White CS with Brilliance Graphite Black ink. I used the following Copic markers.

Skin: E00 (Skin White); Eye Shadow: Baja Breeze Ink Pad and Blender Pen; Cheeks: R27 (Cadimum Red) & lots of colorless blender; Hair: E37 (Sepia) & E49 (Dark Bark); Hair Ribbons & Bracelets: R29 (Lipstick Red); Belt: E37 (Sepia); T-shirt & Jeans Shading: C1 (Cool Gray); Outline of Image: C1 (Cool Gray).

Have a Wonderful Day! Connie

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #15

We have spent most of the weekend painting my hubbie's home office. It really looks nice, but I have one more wall to finish. The paint color is Dried Basil but it looks alot like Mellow Moss. I decided to take a short break and play along with Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. I love Karen's sketches because for the most part they are not too complicated. You can see Karen's card here.

I love the combo of pale blue and black, so for this card I used a 5-1/4" square base made with Baja Breeze Textured CS. I then layered a piece of 5" square Basic Black CS. Cutting the strips was a little tricky. I cut a piece of Parisian Breeze Speciality Paper 4 3/4" tall and then cut each piece 1-1/8" wide being careful to keep them in order so that when I applied them to the card you see the over pattern. I love that effect. Then I applied each strip with Dotto Repositional Adhesive just in case I needed to make any adjustments. I tied on a piece of Black Gingham ribbon. The focal point of the card is from the level 2 hostess set "Echoes of Kindness" stamped in Basic Black ink on Whisper White CS. I used the Sizzix Scallop Oval die to cut my oval and layers. (Don't confuse this with the oval in the catalog.) This one is a smaller one that I purchased at Joann's ETC. I colored the image with my blender pen and Baja Breeze ink that I collected in the lid of my ink pad.

Branch Out with Pink Blossoms

I made this card a few weeks ago when all the trees here in Nashville started blooming with their beautiful white and pink flowers. It is difficult to see in the picture, but each flower is punched with a tiny flower punch that I purchased at Hobby Lobby. I dotted the center of each flower with my white Signo uni-ball gel pen, then added Dazzling Diamonds to each for a beautiful effect.

There are some things on this card that are retired or non-SU, but for the most part you can get a similar look by using your imagination and substituting. For example, the greeting is from an old hostess set, but you can easily replace it with the new Oval All set.

RECIPE
Stamp Sets: Branch Out, Best Yet
Card Stock: Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirourette, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink (flowers)
DSP: Bella Birds
Ink: Chocolate Chip Classic
Other: Chocolate Chip 5/8" Grosbrain Ribbon, Pink Gingham (retired), pearls (Pretties Kit), 1 1/4 & 1 3/8" Circle Punchs, Ticket Corner Punch

Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #83

I woke up this morning only to find a sweet little robin building its nest on the sill right outside the window beside my desk. It was so fun to watch as it carefully placed each little twig and then used its body to form the perfect place to lay eggs. I really got me in the mood to pull out my chipboard and play.

I decided to play along this week with the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge. Here is their sketch and my version of it.

I really like the way this card turned out. It is so bright and cheerful. (I don't normally use such bright colors.) If you haven't tried the On Board So Tweet chipboard yet, then you are missing some of the cutest chipboard around. I just love all the images. This card is a little larger than I normal for a square card. In order to fit everything in, I had to make the card base 5-1/2" x 5-1/2". If you don't want to make your card this large, you can scale it down by using the smaller chipboard birdie that is also in the kit.

RECIPE
Stamps: Great Friend
Card Stock: Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Pacific Point, Whisper White
DSP: Good Morning Sunshine
Ink: Pacific Point Classic, Close to Cocoa Craft
Other: Pacific Point Corduroy Button, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, So Saffron Ribbon

Another Kind of Quilt Card

I have had this unfinished card sitting on my stamping desk for over a month...and I finally got a little bit of inspiration on how to finish it. I can't take credit for the design of this card. I have seen it several times on Splitcoast. I think the original design idea came from Diana Gibbs. You can see her tutorial here.

RECIPE
Stamps: Great Friend
Card Stock: Brocade Blue, Sahara Sand, Certainly Celery, Whisper White.
DSP: Darling Dots
Ink: Brocade Blue
Other: Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/7" Circle Punch, SU Little Leaves Sizzlet, Ribbon

Bella Rose Dress Box

The other day I needed a quick and easy bridal shower gift for my friend's daughter. It needed to be extra special, because I have worked with and been good friends with her mother for many years.

I decided to pull out one of these cute little boxes that I bought at The Dollar Tree for $1. They were very  ordinary, but with a little bit of beautiful Bella Rose paper applied to the front and back and a pretty tulle bow, it turned out to be adorable.

I stamped a tag with the Oval All stamp sent (Occasions Mini Catalog) and punched it out with the Tag Punch. I punched a second layer of Riding Hood Red CS with the Large Tag Punch and layered the two together. I happened to have a flower laying on my stamping desk that I punched with the SU Birds & Blooms Sizzlet die. I attached a little pearl and tied it on with some silver twine. I added some $$$ before assembling the box and it was ready to hand deliver to the soon-to-be bride.

Darling Dots

I hope you had a wonderful and blessed Easter weekend.

I want to share with you a card that I made a few weeks ago for Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. I got caught up sharing ideas for Easter and Spring and thought I would save this card to share later. My dad's birthday is this week and this is the card that I am sending him. It is so challenging for me to make good masculine cards. This one is what I would call gender neutral :) even though it uses Rose Red...he, he! I don't think it will really matter to my dad...for him is truly is the thought that counts.

Recipe
Stamps: Darling Dots, Fun & Fast Notes
Card Stock: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip Classic Pad
Stampin' Write Markers: Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, Only Orange
Designer Series Paper: Sweet Always
Accessories: Word Window Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Scallop Punch, Circle Punches, Brown Glitter.

Note of Thanks Mini Note Kit

This cute and very simple thank you note is made from the "Note of Thanks" mini note kit found on page 208 of the Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book and catalog. At only $9.95 it's a great deal. You receive a double-mounted stamp, a Chocolate Chip Ink Spot, and four Whisper White Note Cards with matching envelopes. But if you place a $40 order from the new Occasions Mini Catalog you can choose this or one of several other stamps for free.* See details at the end of this post.

I wanted to show you just how versatile this little kit can be, so here are some samples of what you can do with just a few additional items. This is the note card in the kit with just some 5/8" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon tied on. It is absolutely adorable but simple as can be.


Here, I covered the front of the note card with Parisian Breeze Specialty Paper. I stamped the sentiment on Whisper White CS and punched it out with a 1 3/8" Circle Punch and layered it on Chocolate Chip CS punched with the Circle Scallop Punch.







This card also uses Parisian Breeze Specialty Paper. I omitted the flower and used the large oval and the scallop oval punches. I added a bow with some 1/4" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon. So easy...so fast...so pretty!

*Here are the details on the
Get Connected Promotion

April 1-30, 2009

Customers
Spend $40 on Occasions Mini Catalog products and choose any one item from the "Under $10" page in the Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalog for free.

Hostesses
Hold a workshop of $150 or more and choose any one item from the "Under $10" page in the Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalog for free. For every $150 spent at the workshop, the hostess will receive another "Under $10" item.

Quick Easter Treat

I have been a little under the weather for the past few days and just haven't felt like doing anything...including stamping (GASP)...so I dug out a photo that I took last year of some quick and easy Easter treats that I made for my son's homeschool co-op class. I used Wilton 12" disposable icing bags and filled them with colorful M&M's candy.  I just stamped a tag using the cute little chick from "A Good Egg" and I was finished. You can whip up a bunch of these in almost no time at all.

(TIP:If you trim 2" from the top of the bag, then you still have a nice size treat bag, but don't use so much candy.)

Metalized Mylar Tape Box

If you remember from my post from a few weeks ago, The Tape Depot sent me several types of their tape as a "thank you" gift for making the tape dispenser video.

I finally found some time to play around with the 3/8" metalized mylar tape. I made this adorable box lid by alternating strips of red and silver tape onto plain white card stock. Then I trimmed off the excess tape and made a box lid by using the new Ultimate Crafter's Companion's box making template. I embossed the scalloped edge and then trimmed around the scallops freehand with scissors.

The box base is made from Stampin' Up! Basic Black card stock. I stamped the sentiment from the "Yummy" Sale-a-bration set in Basic Black Ink and punched it out with my SU large oval punch. I mounted on Basic Black CS punch out with the new scalloped oval punch in the new Occasions Mini Catalog. I used some 1" black grosgrain that I purchased in the fabric dept. at my local Hobby Lobby store in Hermitage, TN.

I will just tell you that the photos of this box just don't do it justice. It is absolutely beautiful.