Rockin' Robin

I definitely seem to be stuck on the bird theme, don't I? This robin is actually made from a bluebird (smARTworks), but it's amazing what you can do with a little color!

After I colored the bird, I started sifting through my patterned papers. I was planning to use softer colors, but nothing looked quite right. I finally settled on these prints from DCWV (for my dislike of orange, I sure am using it a lot!). I matted the bird with some hot pink, but left very little showing. The final touch was some orange rick rack between the two patterns, and the robin is definitely rockin'!

Bird Friend

A friend of mine came over last night so we could stamp together, and she brought along a 6" pad of Periphery paper. I've been drooling over this stuff, but thus far have resisted actually purchasing any. But at least I got to play with it last night! When I saw the beautiful bird design, this quote (Sweet Grass) immediately came to mind. The hard part was using the quote without covering too much of the paper. My friend also had this beautiful vellum, but the words were hard to read once it was layered onto the print. I was debating what to do when I saw a piece of the backing from my glue dot roll laying on the table. Hmmm... what if I layered a bit of that under the vellum? It worked perfectly - the white color helped the words pop, yet didn't completely cover the design. I finished off the card with the striped paper (also from the Periphery pad), some swirly black ribbon, and a few Primas.

I *LOVE* this card, and honestly don't think I'll be able to part with it. In fact, I'm even toying with the idea of framing it. How cool would it look in a shadowbox?!? Might just have to take a stroll down that aisle next time I'm at the store...

Salt: God's Promises

I just became aware of the Salt site last week. The (then-current) challenge was to create something about God's Promises. I've had this little board book in my stash, and had been wanting to create something with scripture. What better focus than the Lord's promises? I only have two pages done, but I wanted to share.

Although I have a LOT of stamps, I don't own the entire Bible in rubber :) The longer passages were computer generated. The charm on the spine says "faith," and the circle charm at the bottom in the second photo says "peace." I have three more sets of pages to do, and I already have ideas - just need to get them done! Be sure to check out Salt - they put up a new challenge every other week, and just posted that the new theme is Joy. I'll definitely be playing along again (although I'll be keeping my project simpler!)

(images from My Heart Stamps For You, Biblical Impression, Sweet Grass, Stamp Francisco, See-Ds)

A Fun Diversion

So what scrapbooking item are you?

What scrapbooking item are you?

You are PAPER! You are an all natural basic person who likes to act as a foundation to others. You are willing to take a backseat in most of your relationships and let others take the spotlight, while you show your support and help them shine! Underneath it all, you are the one who makes it all happen. You are the focus and stability in any group, even if you are not the leader. Others look to you to set the pace and provide ideas for ways to get things done. But Paper Beware - sometimes you get a little edgy with the people who look to you for support and can give them some papercut remarks that can hurt their feelings. Remember to watch what you say, because you are best when leading by example.
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Enjoy the Journey

We've just returned from a mini-vacation; we rented a cabin at a nearby state park for a few days, and had a wonderful time. I made this card before we left, anticipating our "journey," but didn't get it posted.

I stamped the leaves (smARTworks, Leaves #1) in gold encore ink, then sprinkled on a variety of colored embossing powders. (Hint: next time you have a food sample with a little spoon, save the spoon for projects like this!) I layered some scraps of brown cardstock onto the artichoke base, and stamped the sentiment (To Life!) on mustard. I added a single copper brad for a bit more dimension, then adhered everything.

Hope you're enjoying whatever journey you're on today!!

Know When to say When

I know every stamper has those moments - a blast of inspiration when gazing at a neglected image. You frantically pull out inks and papers, visualizing the beautiful piece of artwork that you're about to create.

But the finished product looks nothing like what you had envisioned.

This card is one of those moments for me. The circle medallion is from a set of clear stamps (Carolee Creations) that had yet to see ink. I'm not quite sure why I thought it would be so brilliant to pair it with this paisley paper, but I persevered. Added some ribbon. Tried it with numerous bases - squares and rectangles, various shade of blues and browns, some stamped, some textured... Finally settled on this simple 5 inch square blue base. Still not too sure about it, but frankly I was sick of staring at the elements. Any thoughts?

(Patterned paper from Making Memories, ribbon from Oriental Trading, "thinking of you" from Wordsworth, ballet blue cardstock from SU)

May the Lord...

OK, let me just say that this card is going to a good friend. She is also a Christian, and we both know that the Lord does not treat His children this way. But the sentiment totally cracks me up!!

I'd been planning to make her a card with this phrase (Custer's Last Stamp), and when I saw this week's sketch challenge on SC, I figured that was a good starting point. I pulled out some TAC Geneveive paper, then finished it off with two Prima daisies and a rhinestone brad.

Paisley Prayer

I pulled out another sheet of the vintage K&Co paper (used for the anniversary card) to make this one. I paired it with the lovely sentiment (Rosebud) and decided to use blue accents. I pulled out some wide blue organdy ribbon (retired SU), but it didn't look quite right. I hit it with my heat gun to get it to crinkle a bit, but got carried away in one area and actually burned a tiny hole. Hmmm... I kind like the effect! Well, I then melted the whole length for a lacey look - or perhaps just vintage moth-eaten :)

Name Games

Wanda tagged me with a fun name meme. I had done something quite similar last week on my other blog so just thought I'd paste that one.

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Lady Passat
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Coffee Shortbread
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) T Dan
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Green Dog
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Lynn Billings
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) Dantr
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) The burgundy diet coke
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Leonard Floyd
9. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Kay Lawrence
10. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) Natzel Nashville
11. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Christmas Hydrangea
12. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) Peach Jeansie
13. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Toast Dogwood
14. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”) The Stamping Lightning Tour

and lastly, my personal definition:

Trish -- [adjective]: Fuzzy to the touch 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

I'm not going to tag anyone, but please feel free to play along if you'd like!!

Dad Birthday

I'm a lousy daughter. My dad's birthday was yesterday - and it was a milestone one at that. Where's his card? Well, laying right here on the computer desk. Yep, I'm pretty good at cranking cards out but actually writing in them, addressing them, and turning them over to the P.O. is another matter. This past year I've been particularly bad - but I just know I'll be much better in '08!

Anyway, on to the card itself... I used some scraps that were in my "too nice to toss" stash. (And I feel compelled to add that the bottom panel isn't nearly as pink as it appears in the photo.) The little copper charm on the ric rac says "wish." The numbers were stamped with a Making Memories foam set using white acrylic paint (blended with a bit of reinker).

Here's wishing you a wonderful birthday, Dad. The wishes may not be timely, but are truly heartfelt...

Scrappy Anniversary Card

This card is all about beautifully patterned papers. These are all from a K&Co pad (Classic K) filled with vintage prints. I selected these three, then added the sentiment (Verses) with Jumbo Java versamagic ink. I love the saying - they have some great ones for anniversaries. The final touch was two primas, secured with a sparkling brad.

Quick but quite lovely!!

Circle Card

I'd been wanting to play with a round card for quite awhile, and the this week's bonus sketch on SCS was just the nudge I needed. I started out with this great BasicGrey paper - the design has rounded elements in it, so I thought it would work well. After playing with a number of different elements, I settled on using the chipboard frame (Cherry Arte). I stamped the words (Limited Edition Art Warehouse stamps - Danelle Johnson) and then circle punched them. I accented the frame with a bit of brown ric rac just to add a bit of texture, and then then finally added a bit of chocolate chip cardstock to the spine (embossed with the fiskars leather texture plate). The circular shape definitely took more effort than a standard card, but hopefully my hubby will appreciate it!!

For Your Pleasure

I pulled out my smARTworks Bluebird set again last night to make this toile-like design. I started out with some speckled ivory cardstock, but then swiped it heavily with moonlight white brilliance ink before stamping the flowers in Not Quite Navy (SU). I find that the white brilliance ink sort of "sucks in" some of the ink - softening the image and color without changing the tone. I then swiped on a bit more NQN ink with a sponge, then lightly sanded the panel. Next, I stamped the sentiment onto the same ivory cardstock, then punched it with a Marvy oval. I sponged on a bit more NQN around the edge, and also added two brads. I played around with the ribbon, and eventually settled on just criss crossing it across the card and mounting the oval on top. Much simpler than actually looping the ribbon around the brads! Lastly, I punched the corners with the eyelet-type punch, then mounted it to a NQN base. Simple card, and totally reminds me of a bedspread that was stored in the attic at my grandparents' farmhouse.

Fun with rubber

A post on GW got me reminiscing... How many of you have ever been to a RS convention, and gotten giddy over one of these piles? That, my friends, is stamp heaven. Haven't seen one in awhile, though. The picture above was from April, 2002, and the pile was courtesy of Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers.

Golden Leaves

Our temps were definitely feeling more fall-like last night, so I thought I'd share these two cards featuring the Leaves #1 Set from smARTworks (seen here). I started out with a fairly large piece of white glossy cardstock and stamped the leaves with gold brilliance ink. Next, I overstamped them with burgundy ink, and then sponged on burgundy and rust. The photos don't really do it justice, but I promise it's quite lovely.

This first card also uses the Blessings set (here). I first stamped the sentiment with the gold ink, but it didn't show up well enough. The handy, dandy stamp-a-ma-jig to the rescue! I lined it up just slightly to the left, then stamped again in black. Great effect! I also edged the main panel with a sliver of gold paper (taken from a wedding invitation envelope I had saved).

After I made the first card, I had a decent sized piece of the leaf print left, so I decided to make this second card. This time, I used Psalm 31:14-15 (here) It got a bit murky when I resized the photo, but it says, "But I have trusted in thee O Lord; I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thine hand." I layered the leaf square onto a piece of black. I punched the corners (retired SU southwest punch), then wrapped it with gold cord to frame it out. It's also popped up on foam dots for added dimension. In my recent sorting spree, I discovered some black foam dots that I had forgotten about, which worked beautifully for this project. White foam can be very distracting when layered between two dark colors...

Hope you all have a great day!!

Happy Day!

I thought I'd shake things up a bit with glitter and bright, happy colors!! The papers are all from DCWV Glitter Stack, and I arranged three patterns for the blocked background. I stamped the little bird (Studio G - the original stamp also includes the word "merci"), then added the words (PaperTrey). I added just a bit of color with my prismacolor pencils, then punched it out with a scallop oval. I then punched a larger scalloped oval from another one of the patterned papers, and it's all set! These glittery papers really are fun - lots of sparkle on the paper, but none in my eyebrows. Shiny, happy bliss!

Phew!!

Well, I've officially made it through the craft sale. Turns out there weren't many other sellers, so it sort of felt like the Trish show :) I had a number of people ask me if I was giving up stamping, and it was a bit embarassing to say that no, I had even more still at home! The funniest part of the day was when I was chatting with someone who had recently moved to the area from Jersey, and happened to see the notice for the sale in the newspaper. She was talking about how she hadn't been able to find other stampers in the area. Well, I asked where she lived and my jaw dropped when she named the next street over from us. How crazy that I drove 25 minutes to meet someone who lives around the corner! We'll definitely be getting together again!!

I ended up with three tables worth of stuff: I loaded the vast majority of it into a friend's minivan on Friday night and did initial set-up. I then came back home and sorted through even more, loaded it up into my station wagon, and then left the house at 6:30 Saturday morning to go finish setting up. I made several hundred dollars, and the remaining stuff all fit into our wagon (with the seats down, though!) I was hoping to clear more out space-wise, but it's a start! Several of the people wanted to buy even more, and have promised to give me a call in a few months. We'll see what happens...

So all in all, it was a good day. Tiring, but well worth the effort!! Would love to see this turn into an annual event...

Ooh, silk...

Thought I'd share another little goodie I uncovered in my quest for an organized stamp space. I had purchased these silk scarves for a class a couple years ago, but for various reasons it never actually happened. I stamped this one with Versamagic inks and the beautiful leaf images from smARTworks (heat set afterward). This is good quality silk, and it took the images beautifully. Obviously I could wear it, but I'm planning to use it on the back of my piano. I think it will be a nice seasonal touch!




In other news, the big sale is tomorrow! And this is what my back room looks like right now. Just need to finish pricing some of those stamp sets...

Live - Laugh - Love

As I've been sorting through my vast accumulation of supplies, I've uncovered a few "treasures." This clip frame was originally available from the Post Office, showcasing their dinosaur stamps for a rather pricey $9.95. Well, I stumbled upon it in the dollar aisle of our grocery store, and snapped up several. I've decided I truly don't need them all, but wanted to make at least 1 sample (just so prospective buyers see the potential!). I took it apart, and decided I'd reuse as much of the existing materials as possible. I flipped the front mat over, and covered it with black versamagic ink. I heat set, and then ran it through my Big Shot with the tiny mosaic cuttlebug texture folder. I had to run it through twice becuase of the size, but I think this particular pattern matched up pretty well. Now on to the actual images - I computer generated the text, then accented them images from Artifacts and Antique Collectibles. The hardest part was actually getting the spacing right on the words! It's simple, but I do really like the final result. Hmmm.... maybe I should keep all those frames after all :)

Orange Girls

Well, our computer is up and running again and those adorable little girls are back, too! I started out with the background piece (scraped oil technique with orange, yellow and light green) and was planning to layer it with stamped acetate. I played around with it, but just didn't care for the results so decided to pull out the dreaded orange (dried marigold distress ink - love how it looks just a teensy bit mottled). I then used a corner punch on the base piece, and then layered it onto a card base made from Bazzill (love that corduroy texture!) I stamped the sentiment, then used a pin to attach it. Finally, I added a bit of narrow ribbon on the spine and tied it off to make a tassel of sorts. Definitely unusual colors for me, but it was quite fun to do! (One Smile and Blessings, smARTworks)

In other news, I'm still sifting through my mountain of supplies, determining what to sell at the scrampers sale this weekend. Yesterday afternoon I sat on the back patio, flipping through books and magazines while the kids played. I jotted down some layout ideas, and added most of them to the sell pile. It feels really good to let go of this stuff - now here's hoping that someone else actually is willing to buy it!! :)