26 November 2007

Grumpabella: Better Not Pout!



OMGosh, ya'll, I completely crack myself up! I'm likely the only one who thinks this card is hilarious.

I found these holiday rub-ons at Big Lots and KNEW I had to use Grumpabella. Only problem was she was ordered but not yet here ... I have waited for WEEKS for her to arrive, just to get this card out of my head.

But here she is: my first Bella card ever!

LOVE the Dashing Paper, and I dressed her in a coordinating robe of paper pieced Dashing as well (see closeup pic). Also, as always, I must stamp the envelope and circle punch the flap whenever possible.



Stamps: Grumpabella, Riveting (retired)
CS: white, Real Red, Old Olive, Dashing DP
Ink: Stazon Jet Black, Red (for envelope), Markers: Red, Celery, Olive, Blush
Other: wide red grosgrain ribbon, ticket corner punch, 1 1/4" circle punch (for envelope flap), Making Memories rub-on sentiment

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22 November 2007

Lovely Linen

I just got the Linen background stamp, and while it doesn't photograph all that well, it sure looks great. I've stamped it on just about every layer of CS, but you can only see the creamy caramel on white in the pics. It adds yummy texture to the entire card.

I'm going to use these as Thank You cards for some family members after the Thanksgiving weekend we're spending with them. I also used my new photo corner punch; that certainly simplifies the process, I'm glad I got it!






Stamp Sets: Linen, Print Pattern, Lovely as a Tree, Small Script (retired)
CS: White, Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Bravo Burgundy, Mellow Moss
Ink: Artichoke, Creamy Caramel, Versamark, Chocolate Chip marker
Other: vintage bronze brads, copper brads, photo corner punch, mat pack (paper piercing)

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Jumbo Snow Wheel

I couldn't resist the jumbo wheel from the holiday mini - I'm a jumbo wheel fanatic. I have the SU wheel guide, and this is the only wheel I had to break it out for. I'm usually a decent eyeball-it kind of wheeler, but since this one had words and I wanted them ever-so-straight, I used the wheel guide.

You can't see it well, but the white snowflakes also have iridescent EP embossed on them for some bling, too. I like the combo of subtle colors with lots of sparkle. And, of course, I stamped the envelopes to match:




Stamp Sets: Snowflakes (retired), Jumbo Snow Wheel (holiday mini 2007)
CS: Night of Navy, Bravo Burgundy
Ink: White Craft, Versamark, Navy (on envelope)
Other: Iridescent Ice EP, ticket corner punch, nonSU snowman ribbon

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20 November 2007

My Stamping Space

I enjoy looking at everyone else's stamping spaces, so I thought I'd finally share mine. I used to have the whole basement to myself and, while it sounds ideal, it was a nightmare in retrospect. If any object could live on a horizontal surface, it did. Stacks of stuff I never put away. And I ended up stamping on the floor a lot. Or the surface of my guillotine cutter, because it was the only free space on a 6-foot table. It was ridiculous.

I am a stamping slob.

So. 
Last year we finished off half of the basement for my husband's home office, and built into that room a VERY large closet for me. One that would force me to clean up after every project, basically, with a folding table I put out and fold up after each stamping session. Sounds awful? It works perfectly for me. The doors are purchased but not hung yet, so it's an open closet at this point.

Here's a full frontal view.
The permanent table is not where I stamp, but where my trimmers & cardstock live. At the back left are 2 hanging file crates with cardstock. Underneath the table are rolling drawer carts (2 deep, there's one behind them) where my stamps, gift supplies (raw materials like empty jars, blank candles, composition notebooks, etc), and current projects live. See the ATG gun peeking out from on top of one of them? LOVE that thing!

At the back wall are my DZyntec (sp?) ink/marker/dauber holders. I have 5 of them, one for each SU color group. I have all inks and markers, but still working on reinkers/daubers/sponges for each color. They don't make these holders anymore, but when they were going out of business the enablers at SCS whipped us all into an ordering frenzy. I do love them, though. Under the ink holders are my beloved Tilt Bins (more detailed pics of those in a minute).


Okay, now here you're looking to the right of my Center Stage, with tons of those stacking drawers and my New And Improved punch holders (details on that below). The drawers hold loose, small stamps, scissors, pieces of stamped art I need to complete, adhesives, eyelets/brads, tools (bone folder, mat pack, brayer, eyelet setters), applicators (aquapainters, sponges, blender pens), and my wheels/cartridges. Let me just give a big shout-out right here to the Wondrous thing called the Label Maker: one of those things I thought was frivolous and now cannot AT ALL live without.


To the left of Center Stage, you see my folding table that I actually stamp on (leaning against the door frame), shelves on the wall hold ribbon scraps (in jars), xyrons, pearlex spray, CE, color wheel, and -on 2nd shelf- my embossing powders and glitter in gladware. LOVE this idea, as the powder pal trays and I did not get along.  I keep each color housed in its own container (nicely LABELED, of course) with its own plastic spoon. Pull out what I need, spoon the EP on the project over the container, and there's NO cleanup.




Here are the beloved Tilt Bins that I saw in another SU demo's stamping room at an NC SU demos quarterly meeting years ago in Greensboro, I think it was. The larger ones house both completed cards (LABELED by occasion) and larger scraps (LABELED by color family). The wee bins on top house smaller scraps by color family. Let me assure you, I ran RIGHT OUT after that meeting to the nearest Home Depot to find them. Actually found the small bins there, but had to order the larger ones online.


To the left of the Tilt Bins are my stacked SU ribbon holders. I really like them for what I need right now. Had I a zillion dollars, I would have bought the Craft Locker ribbon storage, but it works for me (I do have the Craft Locker Wheel and Handle locker on order, though!)


Here's my SupaCool punch 'rack'. I bought pre-cut dowel rods in an assortment pack at Walmart, came home and grabbed my husband's bullet level, and coffee mug hooks. In about 20 minutes, I hung these up, and wahoo! - punches all in a row. I LOVE it.

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Thanks with a Side(kick) of Wasabi

Finally had a minute to use my new Wasabi CS & ribbon, and the Sidekick Sayings stamp set. I love seeing textures on cards, but have to remember to put it into practice on my own cards - it doesn't come naturally to me. I always think it's going to be more effort than it actually turns out to be. I just got the Linen background, which will help a bunch with that on future cards.







Stamp Sets: Sidekick Sayings (hostess), Paisley Print & Canvas background stamps
CS: Rose Red, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip ink & marker, White
Ink: Rose Red, Wasabi, Basic Brown
Other: Wasabi double-stitched ribbon, ticket corner punch, ribbon buckle (nonSU), aquapainter for highlighting flower & words in rose red ink, paper piercing template for faux stitching

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19 November 2007

Bundle Up a/k/a Farewell Cranberry Crisp

I used up the last of my retired Cranberry Crisp cardstock on these fun cards. Embossed all the accessories in white, and then cut out to pop up on the cards. Really was easy to make, just a bit time consuming on the cutting, but it went quicker than I anticipated. I like them a lot:









Stamp Sets: Bundle Up, Merry (both retired)
CS: Cranberry Crisp (retired), Holiday Thyme DP (retired), Old Olive
Ink: Versamark
Other: Tag Corner Punch, Horizontal Slot Punch, White EP, Cranberry Stitched Ribbon (ret.), pop up glue dots

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18 November 2007

Late Halloween

I'm always behind on this holiday, so I made a stash for next year. Finally ordered Carved & Candlelit after wanting it for a few years! I love to stamp matching envelopes, too.


Stamps: Carved and Candlelit
CS: white & black
Ink: basic black
Other: 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" square punches, Halloween ribbon from Walmart, popup glue dot for middle face, 1 1/4" circle punch for envelope flap


This was just a whim. The Frankenstein was on the spool of Halloween ribbon I used for the last project. When the ribbon was out, I cut him out of the chipboard spool and mounted him on this weird orange scrap I'd saved from punching tags for my kids' Halloween treats. Pretty fun for an impulse card:

Stamps: Canvas, Just Jeans (retired), Karen Foster mini snap stamps (for "boo")
CS: only orange, white, black, orchid opulence
Ink: lovely lilac, orchid
Other: chipboard Frankie, popup glue dot, certainly celery brad


This was the first card I made, trying the jack faces in white, before I finalized the top cards.

Stamp Set: Carved and Candlelit, Karen Foster snap stamps (mini, casual font)
CS: white & black
Ink: basic black, craft white
Other: Halloween ribbon from Walmart, pop up glue dots

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