Monthly Archives: May 2007

This is my first tutorial and the beginning of my fresh start on my Stampin’ Up! business. Today’s tutorial was inspired the the Monday Try a New Technique Challenge on Splitcoast Stampers.com. This is my card for the challenge and I’ll show the steps below. You can use any bold image stamp and any kind of ink pad you wish.

Supplies needed: Whisper White cardstock, Square Punch, Spectrum Ink pad or any ink pad of your choice, stamps of your choice, water bottle, brads, stampin dimensionals, 1/16th hole punch, bone folder

Step 1- spray a light mist on the cardstock base

2. Ink up the stamp (bold image works best) then stamp onto the wet cardstock, in the upper center.

Your image will be slightly (or greatly) smeared and ink will run. Let it dry (or use a heat tool to speed up drying process!)

3. Cut a second piece of Whisper White cardstock to 4″x5.25″. Punch a window with your square punch- about 1″ from the sides and top.

4. Stamp your sentiments under the window

5. Punch holes with the 1/16th hole punch and attach brads.

6. Place the dimensionals over the brad prongs to keep them from moving as well as to lift the top layer off the base.

There you have it! Simple and fun to do!!! Please just ask if you have a question- I may have forgotten a key step!?!?! Hee hee!

Thursday night, during dinner with my sister & her husband, and my husband, I realized I needed to make some changes in my business. It’s been a long time coming actually. I really enjoy the planning stages of classes and coming up with projects for my customers, who are really more like friends. I love it when they order stuff and I love getting it to them because of all the fun stuff they’ll be doing with it!!! But, at this dinner I mentioned, my husband was trying to nail down a date for a camping trip with Wally & Deb and I had a stamping event almost every date that came up. It’s consumed my life!!

This morning I realized my business could be what I want it to be- my friends would get my discount. I’d get their stuff. We’d stamp together. I’d teach them one on one if they wanted. They can do catalog parties to get hostess benefits. I’d still do an occasional class, like my Christmas Card Stamp a Stack. But I wouldn’t have regular classes or clubs.

I think Keith is happy with that decision. I’ll also have more time to do stuff for myself- like make up cards in bulk to sell, and scrapbooking that I never get to do anymore! I also hope to make cards on commission. I feel very relieved and happy. I hope my customers are happy too and help me maintain my minimums!

Last night while working my shift, the Tuesday color

challenge was posted EARLY! It was hard to sit at work and think about work, and do my job while realizing i could be at home stamping! I got home around 7am and briefly contemplated going out to my studio… but if i don’t get into bed and asleep before 8am, my sleep pattern is screwed up even more than graves already does, so i did the responsible thing and went to bed!

HOWEVER! As i drifted off… this idea formulated. I am so glad Keith is late getting home- i dashed to stamp this right after my shower. I got the Color challenge colors messed up tho…. Today was Vintage Violet, Certainly Celery and Old Olive and i used Always Artichoke instead of Celery. I am not too happy with my stamping- not “perfect” enough so i’ll re-do it later. Probably the next version will have Celery instead of Artichoke too!

 

Monday’s Techique Challenge

was Crayon Resist, and i can never resist that, ar ar ar! This card was pretty easy and my sewing machine even cooperated for me. I used Almost Amethyst for the base, stamped Linen and French Script on the background with the AA ink.
For the main image, I used Lovely Lilac and Artichoke markers and stamped onto glossy cardstock. I stamped the sentiment in white craft ink and embossed with white embossing powder. Highlighted the flowers with white crayon, then sponged Amethyst and Lilac ink around the image, keeping it lighter around the flowers. To line up the brads, i used the paper piercing tool.

Finally, this card was one I’ve been trying to do for a long time- I had seen some great resist landscapes in the SCS Gallery and bought Lovely As A Tree set specifically because of those! I am teaching an emboss class next month, so I’ll work on perfecting this one for that class.

First, the moon was stamped with craft white on glossy cardstock. The image didn’t get inked fully, but that turned out great! It has a “man in the moon” now! To make the slope, i tore a piece of scratch paper and laid it across the bottom edge. I stamped the trees in blk stazon, re-inking every 3rd time. Colored the ground in Sahara Sand with a sponge, then highlited the snow and tree with white crayon. I brayered with the smooth roller over the entire image in Not Quite Navy until I was happy with the intensity. I then re-stamped the trees again in blk stazon. The card base is just Not Quite Navy with white craft ink on the edges.

SCS challenges ROCK! :D