Constantly Stamping

Global Design Project #GDP174: Sketch Challenge

We have a great sketch challenge this week at Global Design Project. I love using sketches because it gives me direction if I don't have one. It also helps me break out of humdrum card design. I have been having a difficult time kick-starting my creative process after the holidays, so for this card I just sat and colored. I didn't even really know what I was working toward, other than the end result needed to use this sketch. Funny thing is, I usually stray quite far from the original sketch, but this time I was pretty much spot-on.

We are right in the middle of Sale-a-bration, so I used the Lovely Lattice stamp set (#149730). You can earn it for free with a $50 purchase (US). I stamped the design several times onto Thick Whisper White Cardstock with Memento Jet Black Ink and then colored the images with Stampin' Blends Markers. I used a color pallet of Calypso Coral, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, and Crumb Cake. As I was building the card, I added some Grapefruit Grove Gingham Gala DSP (#148554).

I also added some gold  foil accents by creating a frame to layer behind the oval using Stitched Label Framelits (#146828) and a sweet little bird from the Birds & Blooms Thinlits (#141477). This card ended up being so bright and cheery. This week promises to be one of the coldest of the year here in Nashville, so I must have been secretly hoping for a little spring.

I stamped the greeting from the Rooted in Nature stamp set (#146482) with Calypso Coral ink. Then, just for something different, I added some shading to the letters with a Light Calypso Coral Stampin' Blends Marker. Finally, I mounted everything on an Old Olive card layer and then onto a Mossy Meadow card base. I am a perfectionist and I didn't like the fact that the card base was slightly wider at the top and bottom, so I trimmed it down to 5 1/2" x 4 1/8". Nobody is gonna miss an 1/8" and it makes me much happier...LOL!

We would love to have you play along with us this week. Be sure to check out what the other talented designers/players have created for this fun challenge at the Global Design Project Challenge Blog.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR STAMPIN' UP! DEMONSTRATOR

If you are in the United States and need a demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here.

2011 Artisan Award-Winning Blog Hop - Day 10

Can you believe that we have made it all the way to the final day of our blog hop? I have to tell you that when we post our projects each day that we really don't know what the other Artisans are going to share. Yesterday I was totally blown away by every single project and I anticipate that today will be the same way. Sure, I saw them on display at convention, but not up close like this. AMAZING! I would like to take just a moment to say "thank you" to all of you who have left so many wonderful comments. Your words of encouragement have meant so much to me and I am certain that all the other Artisans feel exactly the same way. Our statement of the heart is, "To love what we do and share what we love as we help others enjoy creativity and worthwile accomplishments...in this we make a difference!"

Just like every other day for the past nine days, if you are blog hopping in order, then you should have just arrived from Heather Summers blog. Of course it doesn't matter what order you view the projects. So, are you ready to kick-off the final day of our blog hop? Let's do it!

 
This project is absolutely, positively, without a doubt, hands-down my very favorite Artisan Award entry. I can't even begin to tell you the amazing feeling I had as I was decorating this basket and making the goodies to go along with it.

I purchased the basket from the craft store, but it was oh so plain. I dressed up the lid with a wood sheet, lattice die, and the Big Shot. After I cut the wood, I thought how amazing it would be to stain it in three different colors. I carefully took each piece out and placed it so I could remember where it went when I needed it. I stained everything with stain markers and then put it all back together. Then the rest of the basket looked a little neglected, so I decided to stain the entire thing to match. It sat that way for several months. I knew full-well that it was going to be one of my 3D projects for the Artisan contest but I also knew it was going to need something else to make it a winner...but I wasn't sure exactly what. Enter the Spring Mini Catalog. Oh My Goodness! I immediately fell in love with the Springtime Vintage fabric and accessories. I made an elastic garter from some of the fabric to place around the basket. I had to remove the handle, attach the garter, and then re-attach the handle. I used hot glue to make sure that the garter stayed in place. I added a button, some stick pins, and some ribbon and the basket was finished.

Most people would have probably stopped there, but since I was determined that this was going to be my year to win, I pushed the boundaries even further. I decided to make some things to go with the basket. Every sewing basket needs a pin cushion, so I used some fabric from the same collection and the scallop circle die to make one. I also made a stick pin card to go along with it. I wasn't sure which one to include, so I did both. I figured, too much was better than not enough!

Well that's all. I am so sad that our blog hop has come to an end. It has been an amazing journey. Some of us are entending our hop one extra day and sharing our swaps from convention. So check back tomorrow to see those. The time has come to see what Sandra Farrell has to share with you today. As always, here's a little guide to help you along the way. And don't worry, these projects will remain on our blogs indefintely, so if you missed something or just want to refer back to a card, scrapbook page, or 3D project, they will be right here where you can find them. Right now the links to the blogs are generic and won't take you directly to the Artisan Award Blog Hop. You will have look in the archives on each blog under August 2011. In a few days I will try to go back and ammend the links so that they will take you to the final day of the hop.

1. Connie Collins (that's me)  
2. Sandra Farrell
3. Heidi King  
4. Heather Klump   
5. Cheryl LeFore   
6. Laura Mellinger
7. Jennifer Picard    
8. Heather Stevens       
9. Summer Stone    
10. Heather Summers   

Recipe: Springtime Vintage Designer Fabric; Springtime Vintage Big Designer Buttons; 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon-Rose Red; Big Shot Machine; Lattice Die; Perfect Wood Sheets; Polka Dots Embossing Folder; Card Stock: Rose Red, Certainly Celery; Linen Thread; Sweet Stitches Fabric Designer Brads; Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets. Other: Wooden Basket, Elastic, Wood Stain, Stick Pins (Dritz), Hot Glue Gun, Sewing Machine, Thread, Polyester Fiberfill.

2011 Artisan Award-Winning Blog Hop - Day 9

Can you believe that we are down to the final two days of our blog hop? I hope you are enjoying our projects as much as we are enjoying sharing them. If you are visiting all the blogs in order, then you should have just left the blog of the incredible Heather Summers. Be sure to visit everyone on the blog hop. There's a list at the end just in case you get lost. Dont' miss our big finale tomorrow. I have saved my VERY favorite project for the last day and here's my favorite scrapbook page!

 
I don't scrapbook much and when I do, I tend to make digital pages in MDS. But for the Artisan Award competiton I thought that I should show the judges that I know how to stamp and scrap the traditional way, too. This page has it all...stamping, heat embossing, dry embossing, die cutting, digital elements, Stampin' Around wheel, embellishments, sponging...you name it, I probably did it on this page. To make it even better, I absolutely love this picture of my great niece. She is incredibly photogenic and she knows how to work the carmera with those big brown eyes!

This page evolved over several weeks. I wouldn't even know where to begin because there is so much to tell. There is one thing that I really want to point out because I know you can't tell it from this picture. See that big red polka-dot bow on her head. I printed her picture twice, cut out the bow and popped it up with some dimensionals so that it looks like it is coming out of the photo. If you click on the picture and enlarge it, it is easier to see what I am talking about. To me, that was the perfect finish to my favorite page! Just one other thing...I wanted to use red polka-dotted ribbon for this page, but at the time SU didn't have any in the catalog...so I made my own. I sprayed a piece of satin ribbon with starch. After it dried, I ironed the ribbon and then used a wheel stamp and white craft ink to make my own custom ribbon. I keep tellin' ya, it's those little details that make all the difference in the world with the finished product!

That's all for today. Don't forget, tomorrow is the final day of our blog hop, so be sure to check back. Now it's time to see what Sandra Farrell has to share with you today. As always, here's a little guide to help you along the way.

1. Connie Collins (that's me)  
2. Sandra Farrell
3. Heidi King  
4. Heather Klump   
5. Cheryl LeFore   
6. Laura Mellinger
7. Jennifer Picard    
8. Heather Stevens       
9. Summer Stone    
10. Heather Summers   

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Pacific Point, Basic Black; Patterns DSP Stack-Brights-Old Olive, Pacific Point Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquois Pumpkin Pie; Stamp Set: Easter Beauty; VersaMark Pad; White Embossing Powder; Heat Tool; Big Shot Machine; Scallop Square Die; Timeless Type Medium Sizzlet Dies; Embossing Folders: Elegant Lines, Square Lattice, Finial Press, & Perfect Polka Dots; Spiral Border Punch; My Digital Studio: Thoughtful Overlays-Lines 5; Font: CK Ali’s Hand; 5/8"; Satin Ribbon-Real Red; Jumbo Stampin’ Around Handle; Pleasing Polka Dots Builder Wheel; Uninked Jumbo Cartridge; Builder Wheel Spindle & Spacers; Whisper White Craft Ink Pad & Refill; Clip Assortment; Dimensionals. Distressing Essentials Kit-Tea Stain Pad; Mini Glue Dots, Sticky Strip, Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue.

2011 Artisan Award-Winning Blog Hop - Day 8

If you've been following along, then you know that we are down to our last three days of our blog hop. It has been so much fun sharing our projects with you. I saved my three favorite projects for the end. Just like every other day for the past several days, if you are blog hopping in order, then you should have just arrived from Heather Summers blog. Isn't Heather amazing? Now on to the hop. It really doesn't matter what order you view the projects, just as long as you make sure to visit everyone on the list.

 

 
Today I will show you my favorite card. Do you recognize this stamp?  What if I told you that it started out as a baby bottle? Yep, that's right! I am at the stage in my life where I don't attend a lot of baby showers, so it didn't phase me one little but to cut the top of that bottle right off...snip, snip! It all started because I had a mason jar filled with flowers sitting on my kitchen counter. I thought, wouldn't it be wonderful if I had a stamp of a jar that I could fill with flowers.

This card went through a lot of changes before it got to it's final phase. I designed the base of the card in MDS. Then it went from digital to hybrid. Then I decided that it should probably be a traditional card, so I totally re-made it from the ground up. I don't make many shabby cards, but as I was working on it, I decided that it definitely needed to have a vintage look to it. I am not going to lie and say that this card was easy. It definitely presented a few challenges. But in the end, it was worth every single second that I invested in it! There are lots of details that you don't want to miss. I love the way the seem binding ribbon makes such a fabulous vintage bow. I smeared distressing ink on it, sprayed it with some water, scrunched it up and let it dry.

That's all for today. Don't forget, we have two more days of award-winning projects to share, so be sure to check back. Now it's time to see what Sandra Farrell has to share with you today. As always, here's a little guide to help you along the way.

1. Connie Collins (that's me)  
2. Sandra Farrell
3. Heidi King  
4. Heather Klump   
5. Cheryl LeFore   
6. Laura Mellinger
7. Jennifer Picard    
8. Heather Stevens       
9. Summer Stone    
10. Heather Summers   

Card Stock: Baja Breeze, Old Olive, Very Vanilla; DSP: Springtime Vintage; Classic Ink Pads: Basic Black, Baja Breeze; Blender Pen; Stampin’ Write Markers: Certainly Celery, Old Olive; Jewelery Tag Medium Punch; Stamp Sets: Tag Alongs, Herb Expressions; Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Big Shot Machine; Tasteful Trims Bigz Die; Antique Brads; 1/2" Seam Binding-Very Vanilla; Stamping Sponge; Linen Thread;Mini Glue Dots; Distressing Essentials Kit-Tea Stain; Heat Tool.

2011 Artisan Award-Winning Blog Hop - Day 7

I can't believe we are down to our last four days. We are having so much fun sharing our projects with you. I hope we have inspired you to create something for yourself. Just like always, if you are blog hopping in order, then you should have just arrived from Heather Summers blog. Of course it doesn't matter what order you view the projects, just as long as you make sure to visit everyone on the list.

Most of my close friends/downline will tell you that my absolute favorite thing to make are 3D projects. I don't always share a lot of them on my blog because they typically take a lot more time and effort to create. They can also get to be a little expensive if you are making a home decor piece. This next project was definitely one that fits that catagory. Not only did I have to purchase the Decor Elements vinyl, canvas, and frame, it cost me quite a bit in postage to send it in when I was finished.

At first glance you may think "big deal, she used a decor elements piece to make a pretty picture". But what you may not realize is that the words and the needle are two different pieces that were not actually designed to work together. When I first saw this sentiment I felt like they had missed the mark. It just didn't make sense that they put a leaf cluster with a reference that was clearly related to fabric and sewing. Not that it isn't pretty, but just not the best it could be. I kept thinking that it needed to have something related to sewing. So I scoured the Decor Elements catalog and found the "N is for Needle" sentiment. That's when the wheels started to turn. There was no guarentee that both pieces would work together, but I just had to satisfy my curiosity.  Once my order arrived, I scanned them into my computer and manipulated the different elements until I found a way to put them together that worked perfectly. I had to move the leaves and put the lower piece of the needle a little lower.

I knew that I would only have one shot at putting this thing together because adhering vinyl to paper is a little tricky. I used a 12"x12" stretched canvas and decopodged a sheet of DSP to it. I did several coats to make sure I had good coverage. Next I added the vinyl, but when it was finished, it looked a bit off-centered and out of balance, so I decided to add a strip of DSP that had some stitching printed on it....perfect! Then I stamped the spools of thread onto some Crumb Cake card stock and cut them out. Finally, I added the buttons to complete the look.

Here's another little bit of trivia. After I mailed this off, I found one of the buttons that had popped off. I was totally sick. I went back to look at the pictures to make sure it didn't leave a mark. Thankfully, all was well. But if I hadn't told you just now, you probably would have never guessed that had happened. Whew!

I've saved my favorites for last, so be sure to check back over the next three days because I will be sharing my favorite card, scrapbook page, and 3-D project. Now it's time to see what the talented Sandra Farrell has to share with you today. As always, here's a little guide to help you along the way.

1. Connie Collins (that's me)  
2. Sandra Farrell
3. Heidi King  
4. Heather Klump   
5. Cheryl LeFore   
6. Laura Mellinger
7. Jennifer Picard    
8. Heather Stevens       
9. Summer Stone    
10. Heather Summers   

Recipe for this project: Sweet Stitches DSP; Hem Your Blessing Small Decor Elements; N is for Needle Decor Elements, Sew Suite Stamp Set; Basic Black Ink Pad, Linen Thread, Asst. Buttons; Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie; Designer Buttons: Brights & Subtles; Other: Modge Podge Matte; Hot Glue Gun; Foam Brush; 12"x12" Canvas, 12"x12" Frame.

2011 Artisan Award-Winning Blog Hop - Day 6

Now that we are into the last half of the blog hop, the projects keep getting better and better. I have saved some of my favorites for the end. I was really pleased with all of my projects, but there were a few that just stood out above all of the others.

Just like before, if you are blog hopping in order, then you should have just arrived from Heather Summers blog. Of course it doesn't matter what order you view the projects. But whatever you do, don't miss a single blog because there are some amazingly talented women with some incredible projects to share. The one thing that I have found the most interesting about this blog hop is that I saw almost all of these projects on the boards at convention, yet I feel like I am seeing them for the very first time. The problem with seeing them on display is that they were several feet away and you really couldn't get up close and study each one to see why is was so wonderful. Many of them have intricate details that you just can't see from a distance. Some even have things going on inside that couldn't be seen at all.

With that being said, today's project is one of those that is difficult to see why it is special. This card almost didn't make the cut because I made it after I had chosen all of my projects and was packing up the box. My BFF, Nancy, had come over to check my projects. I asked her to bring some black card stock because I had run in the middle of a project. After we had finished looking over everything for the contest, I asked her if she wanted to see some of the new things I was working on. When I showed her this card (not quite finished, but almost) she flipped over it. She insisted that this needed to be one of the cards that I send with my Artisan entry, so we went back and eliminated a card and put this in it's place. Thanks Nancy!

I know that it is very difficult to see in this picture, but the bling-bling in the middle of that big red poppy is what totally makes this card a WOW. I covered a jumbo silver brad with rhinestones and the results were absolutely beautiful. It looked like an expensive button from the fabric store. I made the flower by cutting some Real Red card stock circles, spritzing them with water, scrunching them, letting them dry, and then spritzing the finished flower with some homemade shimmer mist. When I put the flower with the finished brad on black DSP, the result was amazing.

Most of you know what to do by now, but just in case you are new, it's time to see what Sandra Farrell has to share with you today. As always, here's a little guide to help you along the way.

1. Connie Collins (that's me)  
2. Sandra Farrell
3. Heidi King  
4. Heather Klump   
5. Cheryl LeFore   
6. Laura Mellinger
7. Jennifer Picard    
8. Heather Stevens       
9. Summer Stone    
10. Heather Summers   

Recipe for this project: Card Stock: Basic Black, Real Red; Patterns DSP Stack-Neutrals; Stamp Set: Hello, You; Big Shot Machine; Circles #2 Die; VersaMark Pad, White Embossing Powder; Heat Tool; Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker; Jumbo Brads; Basic Rhinestones; Frost White Shimmer Paint.

 

 

2011 Artisan Award-Winning Blog Hop - Day 5

It's day five of our blog hop. With today's project we have basically made it half way through. If you are following the loop, then you should have just arrived from Heather Summers' blog. Yesterday, Heather eluded to the fact that I am very organized. Funny thing is, I don't necessarily see that as one of my strongest personality traites. In reality, she is probably much more organized than me, but that girl is so crazy busy with her family and SU business, that I just couldn't ask her to do one more thing. With her leadership ability, she would have been the natural person to step up and take the lead with our blog hop, but since I have a few more hours to spare, I am a "few years" her senior, and I have some experience with blog hops, I volunteered to keep these ten talented women organized...at least for ten days. I make no promises after that!

Since today is Sunday, I thought I would show you a page that has a deeper spiritual meaning than meets the eye. If you have followed my blog for a while, you probably already know that I am a Christian. I try not to be in your face with it all the time, but I hope that it shows in the things I say and do. I know that I am not perfect (I am far from it), but I know that my sins are forgiven through my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As I was working on my entries for the Artisan Award, I took the time to pray over each project and ask the Lord to guide me so that He would be glorified. During this time period, I was also attending a ladies Bible study. One of the things they suggested was that we print a Bible verse on a post-it, stick it places where we would see it, and be encouraged and to hopefully memorize the verse. Honestly, memorization isn't exactly the easiest thing for me, but I found this to be very helpful. So, since I design on the computer almost every day, I decided to choose a verse each week and print it on post-it notes not only for myself, but for everyone in the group. I'll show you how to do that later on (after the blog hop), but it is very easy to do. When I was working on this page of my beautiful great niece, I kept feeling compelled to add a Bible verse to the page. Since there wasn't a stamp that said what I wanted to say, I decided to create my own in My Digital Studio. I have to admit that I was a little scared about how it would be received, but I prayed that God would give me the boldness to take the risk and do something that I have never seen done in the Artisan Awards before. I had to totally step out in faith that it was the right thing to do.

 
I know that I haven't really told you much about how I created the page itself, but basically it made it in My Digital Studio, printed it, and added some traditional elements like resin flowers and ribbon to complete the look. Sometimes I like to trim my digital pages down a little and mount them on card stock. I think it gives them a more traditional feel and a little more stability when adding things like ribbon and other embellishments. 

That's all for today. Don't forget, we have five more days of award-winning projects to share, so be sure to check back every day this week. Now it's time to see what Sandra Farrell has to share with you today. As always, here's a little guide to help you along the way.

1. Connie Collins (that's me)  
2. Sandra Farrell
3. Heidi King  
4. Heather Klump   
5. Cheryl LeFore   
6. Laura Mellinger
7. Jennifer Picard    
8. Heather Stevens       
9. Summer Stone    
10. Heather Summers   

Oops, I almost forgot the recipe for this project. Digital Elements: My Digital Studio; Springtime Vintage DSP, Easter Blossoms-Branch SBS; First Edition-Butterfly SBS; Fonts: Zapf Calligraphic BT, Bickman Script Pro Regular, CK Ali’s Hand. Traditional Elements: Not Quite Navy 12”x12” Cardstock; Patterns DSP Stack-Brights-Old Olive; Big Shot Machine; Little Leaves Sizzlits Die; 1/2” Seam Binding Ribbon-Baja Breeze; Heat Gun; Vintage Flower Adornments.

2011 Artisan Award-Winning Blog Hop - Day 4

I can't believe that we are already on day four of our blog hop. I hope you have enjoyed seeing our projects and we welcome your encouraging comments. If you are visiting all the blogs in order, then you should have just arrived from Heather Summers' blog. Heather is just the sweetest person and she totally amazes me with her creativity...as do all of this year's Artisans. 

It's back to cards for today's post. For this card I used a stamp that is traditionally viewed as leaves or something like a fern. I was thinking, "why does it have to only be leaves, couldn't it be a flower like gladiolias?"

 
To color this image I stamped in Basic Black ink and colored it in sections with a Daffodil Delight marker. Before the ink had too long to dry I collected ink in the lids of my ink pads and used a blender pen to add some shading. You have to work fairly quickly and carefully so that you don't overwork the cardstock. Some of the flowers are stamped directly on the background and some are fussy cut and applied over top. It's difficult to tell in this picture, but some of the flowers actually look like they are coming off the page.

RECIPE: Card Stock: Poppy Parade, Whisper White, Basic Black; Patterns DSP-Brights; Stamp Sets: Growing Green, Hello You; Blender Pen; Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Write Marker; Classic Pads: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Poppy Parade; Mini Glue Dots; Designer Buttons-Brights; 1/2” Stitched-Poly Ribbon-Poppy Parade; Linen Thread, Big Shot Machine, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder.

Now it's time to hop on over to visit the talented Sandra Farrell. I wonder what amazing project she has for us today? If you get lost, here's a little guide to help you along the way.

1. Connie Collins (that's me)  
2. Sandra Farrell
3. Heidi King  
4. Heather Klump   
5. Cheryl LeFore   
6. Laura Mellinger
7. Jennifer Picard    
8. Heather Stevens       
9. Summer Stone    
10. Heather Summers