Andrea's Stampin' Moments

Window Flowers

Flowers in my window sill....well that's what I would have if I had a window sill :) 

Like many of you who get the Splitcoaststampers weekly email, I loved the look of the Faux wood grain tutorial, and had to try it.  The card in the tutorial is simply gorgeous!

I mostly followed the tutorial but I don't have the Cuttlebug folder that was used, so I simply used my piercing mat and bone folder and made some wiggly lines on the reverse side of my cardstock.

The layout is for the current OCL sketch challenge on their forum which you can find here.

The gorgeous Tulips are from the Growing Gratitude set and have been stamped on Smooth White and coloured with Copics before cutting out.  The Designer Paper is from Upsy Daisy, and are among just a few I am slowly adding to the store - I hope to get this done sooner rather than later!  I added some 'too cute' buttons (Watermelon and Fiesta)  from the new range along the bottom to finish the sketch.

Enjoy the remainder of the weekend!

Hello!

Hello, it's been a little while!  I hope those of you who have school holidays at the moment are enjoying them before the children go back.  I know I love having them home, because I get to go to the pictures as well, so I am making the most of it before Nathan gets too old to have me come along like his brothers!

I have some exciting new stamps in the shop from Stampavie!  The designs I have are from the designer Rachelle Anne Miller, so take a look, they are so cute and have 10% off until the end of the weekend!

I have stamped the image with Palette Burnt Umber three times so that I could give it some dimension.  Coloured one completely with my Copics and cut it with Classic Rectangle Spellbinders, the flower on the next and the centre of the flower on the last and cut each of those out.  They have been adhered using dimensional foam.  With the main flower, and the shell I added some light touches of white gel pen just to highlight.

The sketch I have used is from Mojo Monday, so make sure check out some of the fabulous designs they have there!

Have a great day!

Monochromatic - Mojo 93

Two views of the one card!  Today was very cloudy so I've tried two angles to show you the colour of the card , albeit very few colours.

I was having a bit of a play today, and used one of my favourite techniques - Emboss Resist -  so using glossy white cardstock I pulled out my SU! Sahara Sand and ran the brayer over a piece of it.  I wanted the colour to show through.  I then stamped  an image from Inque Boutiques set " French Quarter" using Versamark ink, covered with clear embossing powder, and heat set.  Using Sahara Sand again, and my brayer I rolled the piece once more with ink, and cleaned the design up with a tissue, just to pick up any excess colour on the embossed image. IRL it looks just like old fashioned suede wallpaper!

The design was matted on to Vixen Cream cardstock and Java Bazzill.

The centre image was created with glossy cardstock once again.  I brayered with Sahara Sand and gently sanded in both directions.  Stamped the image with Palette Burnt Umber, brayered with Sahara Sand, sanded, then stamped the image once more.  There is a slight shadow of the main image because I haven't lined it up exactly, which actually works well :) !

I finished off with Kraft cardstock for the main card and some piercing and buttons from the new range.

Enjoy the remainder of the weekend.

Flower Garden

I decided on a very quick and classic card today so that I could announce the winner of the Ribbon Ring from the 'Freebie Friday' blog candy this month.  Rando.org kindly picked number 15.  Congratulations Mary!  Email me with your details!  Thank you to everyone who left a comment - I love to read them all!

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 15 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Todays card uses the beautiful textured cardstock Vixen Cream.  I've cut it to a square 14cm x 14cm card and used my square Spellbinders to emboss in the centre of the card.  This is the largest of the square Spellbinders, just to give you an idea of size.

The centre image is from OCL Growing Gratitude, and I have stamped it on some watercolour paper using Palette Burnt Umber, and watercoloured with crayons.  The image was then cut with the Spellbinders squares and embossed.  It's very hard to see in the photo, but the image has been raised with dimensional foam, and I have added some co-ordinating paper and cardstock to the inner panel, and the rhinestones are bright pink!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy stamping,

Memories..

Much like pen-pals once wrote to each other and became friends over great distances, today we have e-mail friends.

I 'met' a beautiful young lady over this incredible place called the blog world some 6 months ago, when I was looking for an artist to do some drawings for me.  Her blog 'Bella Sinclair' caught my eye, and she agreed to help me.

Through email I knew that she and her two daughters were about to make a huge move from Japan back to the U.S., so I kept an eye on her blog so as not to bother her with too many emails during this busy time.  On Thursday night I read the saddest news, of the sudden passing of her husband, and I cried.  Life does indeed throw some curve balls at times.

Through this medium we meet and relate with so many wonderful people, and I just wanted to thank all of you for popping in and having a chat.  I pray that she and her girls find strength in each other.....this card is for her.

I have Sandie to thank for this card, as she will often email me with links to the most beautiful inspirations.  This one came from here.

Don't forget to leave a comment on the post below for your chance to receive a sample pack of the new Ribbon Ring, and if you get a minute pop over and see the beautiful 'Bella' blog.  Have a wonderful Saturday.

Andrea

Freebie Friday - Ribbon Ring!

This Freebie Friday is now closed, but don't forget to join in next month!

The RibbonRing has been around for a little while, and I have looked at it and thought of how I could use it, and if it would suit my ribbon mess.  Well I won't have to wait much longer, because after a short 2 week break in the U.K. - yes my order went on a little holiday - it should be here today!  So for this Freebie Friday I will send one lucky person a trial size pack of 10 Standard rings and a 2" Ring.  Simply leave a comment on THIS post -even "Hi!" will do it - and it could be yours.  For everyone else they will be available HERE!

Happy Stamping,

Flowers...from me - SK062009

A very simple card today using a stamp set from PTI that I hadn't pulled out for a very long time!  This card was made using the sketch challenge from Paper Craft Planet for last Saturday, and I didn't vary it at all, if anything I simplified it, (I still have book work to do)!

The DSP, cardstock and buttons are from the new card kits I will have ready very soon, and because all the supplies are sitting on my desk they were very easy to reach for.

Don't forget to pop in tomorrow and across the weekend for this months Freebie Friday giveaway, for your chance to win! 

And check out the store for 20% discount on qualifying orders through to the end of June storewide!  (excludes Spellbinders not in stock)

Until tomorrow, happy stamping,

Fancy a Cupcake? - TECC73

I received an email last week from Sam at Ryemilan's Stamping and Scrapbooking about the PTI anniversary set that was due out, and do you know I had completely forgotten about it!  I received mine early last week, but hadn't had time to even take it out of it's box, but I knew there was a cupcake in amongst the stamps.  I've used it today for the TECC challenge.

The base of the cupcake was stamped with Palette Burnt Umber, on Smooth White Cardstock.  The frosted top of the cupcake was stamped with Versamark, Hot Set Powder was sprinkled over the top and heat set before I applied the Blue Ice Glitter, and then heat set again.  I then cut the frosting out and placed it over the cupcake so I could gauge exactly where to stamp the cherry.  I used Spellbinders Classic squares to cut the main image and scalloped border, then used dimensional foam to attach the frosting.  The little bright pink dots on the frosting are micro beads that I ordered in just to see what they were like, and I used Glossy Accents to adhere them and to brighten the cherry!

The sentiment is from the PTI set as well, and I don't think you can ever have too many different ways to say 'Happy Birthday', that way you will always find exactly the right one.  It was stamped in Taken with Teal from SU!, and I added some tiny 3mm rhinestones to finish the border.  All DSP is also from SU!

I hope your weekend was fantastic - I know mine went quicker than ever !  Have a great day,

Tall Wishes - Mojo 91

I had some spare time this afternoon to make a card for the Mojo Monday sketch for this week.

I started with some more new DSP, from Black Market Paper Society.  The sketch was a DL design which I don't do very often, but found the SU! set Stem Silhouettes suited perfectly.

I have stamped the image using Palette Burnt Umber and attached some micro buttons with Glossy Accents.  Over the main image I then stamped the Linen background - one of my favourites! - with So Saffron, and sponged the edges.

The little bow was made with 10mm double sided satin ribbon that I folded in half, and the larger is using the same ribbon and wrapped around the Bow Easy twice.

I'll be back again tomorrow - DH is out for the day - so I'll have time to play!

See you then,

Birthday Flowers - OCL03

The Our Craft Lounge forum which can be found here, has a monthly sketch challenge for us to join in with.  I'm a little behind the times because they are up to number 3 already, but better late than never, or so they say..

I have taken one of my favourite sets, Growing Gratitude, and stamped the image twice so that I could add some layers, on Smooth White cardstock using Palette Burnt Umber.  The image was then cut out with the Spellbinders Polka Dot Frame.  I added dimension with the extra cut out pieces - coloured with Copics - and using my marker I rounded the flower pot to give it a curved shape.....the Copics are just so versatile *wink*.

The Designer Paper is from Scribble Scrabble and is part of my new card kits that will be ready very soon!  I have loads of new DSP, and buttons!  Buttons are everywhere at the minute LOL.

You can just make out in this photo that I have ran my marker lightly around the edge of the white cardstock. IRL it just seems to take the edge off, and doesn't leave the white looking so stark against the DSP.

I broke out the sewing machine once again to do the zig-zag stitch, and pierced around the edge of the main card which is Bazzill Pomegranate.

Thanks for stopping by today and saying "Hi!".

Elephant Delights - TECC72

I didn't mean to take a few days off from posting, but once I started writing up the account books ready for the accountant, I just couldn't stop.  It's one of those jobs that each year I promise myself I will keep on top of, and each year I leave it to the last, although this year I still have two weeks to spare :).

Todays card uses the sketch challenge at Taylored Expressions, and I just had to pull out Lil' Pea-nut from OCL for this one, cause she's just so cute!

I've stamped her with Palette Burnt Umber on Smooth White Cardstock, and coloured with Copics.  The image has been cut out using Spellbinders Rectangle Classics in Pink Passion and Pumpkin Pie, and the large circle underneath using Spellbinders Petite Circles.

I was initially going to place three bows in Burnt Orange where I have the brads, but changed my mind, and settled on the one bow to the right and a small double bow in her hair.  Yes, I just had to use the Bow Easy!  If you haven't seen it in action check out this post.  The beautiful DSP is from SU!

Have a great day,

Brother's Birthday - Mojo 90

The Bow Easy's arrived today!  You can check them out here, and if you are only wanting the Bow Easy I have included an option with postage!  What do you do the minute you receive a new toy?? you use it, and I quickly cut a piece of ribbon and made a double bow just to be sure it's as easy as it looks...and it was!  Unfortuneately today I needed a card for one of my brother's, so not a bow in sight.

Today I used my JustRite stamps to make this card using the sketch from this week over at Mojo Monday.  I used a 1 5/8" border and stamper, and the Special Occasions and Small Letters Fonts for the round disc at the top, and a larger stamper for the word 'Brother' and the Special Occasions Font.  These were both stamped with Palette Burnt Umber ink, cut out with Spellbinders Circles and Tags, and then sponged lightly with SU! Really Rust. 

I took the plunge and pulled out my sewing machine today - I do have sewing to do, but I didn't quite get to that :)  I stitched with white cotton around the edge of the main card which is 14cm x 14cm Kraft, and then sponged lightly with Burnt Umber.  Then using brown cotton I stitched on the first layer in a zig-zag stitch, adhered the next, and used dimensional foam to raise both the star and tag.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Sparkly Cupcake!

Our eldest is at a friends party tonight, and I asked him to select the paper and stamp to suit the young girl.  This paper is from the card I made just the other day, and it was the one that caught his eye, so we went with it!  I've used this weekends sketch from Taylored Expressions, and if you get a chance check out her new releases, they are fantastic!

This cute little elephant is from the SU! set Celebrate Everyday.  I've stamped her with Palette Burnt Umber and coloured using Copics -yes, once again.  The little cupcake is from a Papertrey Ink set and I added some glitter glue for the icing.

The background I ran through a Cuttlebug folder and gave it a light sand to highlight the core.  These cute button are from the Clear Shapes collection - Cotton Candy Flowers.

The cardstock is Kraft and is a standard C6 card, and I've used Bazzill Java for the contrast.

Enjoy your evening, and stay warm!

Birthday Bright

I have three cards to make this weekend - not that that's a bad thing :) - so I thought I would make a start today while I happily watched my taped shows!

The first uses the sketch from Mojo Monday this week, and is for a birthday party our youngest is going to tomorrow.  There is very little stamping in this card, and so it came together very quickly.  The number '6' is from a Kitchen Sink Stamps set that I have, and I have a very similar set from gel-a-tins in the shop. 

I started with Bazzill cardstock Pomegranate Splash Smoothies and cut it to 14cm x 28cm, scored and foled it in half.  I team my 14cm square cards with the 15cm square envelopes that you can find here.

I wanted the card to be bright and went in search for something suitable for a boy.  You would think that someone with three boys would have more of a selection!  But I found this red and white polka dot piece in my 'Christmas' stash and the top is a favourite from SU!

I cut the star in Bazzill Linen Hillary using my Star Spellbinders (I think for the first time!), raised it with dimensional foam and adhered the stamped number '6'.  The circle was cut with Petite Circle Spellbinders and I included a button from the Creative Collection - Birthday Fun - which I attached using Glossy Accents.  The white circle has been embossed using a Cuttlebug folder.

I hope you have all had a wonderful week, and that the long weekend (here in Vic) is as well!

Thanks for stopping by,

Lazy Day Picnic

I love working with these Sarah Kay stamps, they are just so beautiful.   I put this card together late yesterday, (was out all day), and the same is happening today - no beds made :)

The flower is actually a little pinker than in the photo.  We've had rain - yah! - and the overcast conditions make it harder for my camera.

I've stamped the image with Palette Noir and coloured with Copics.  Added flowers and Dew Drops, and I was finished!

I am hoping all new stock will be arriving today, so fingers crossed!

Have a great day,