Irish Gnome?

Well now, I've heard of Darby O'Gill and all manner of "little people" in Irish Lore. But, my sweet little Irish grandpa never mentioned a gnome! This little guy just speaks to me. He looks like he's hoisting his glass and saying "Slainte".                                                                                                  

Recipe:

 Gnome Image:KLM Digital Designs

Greeting stamp: MFT- Uncorked Sentiments

Paper: Stampin'UP (retired)

Copic Markers

Ink: Tsukineko Brilliance Dew Drop, Thyme

Other: Hero Arts Sparkle Embossing Powder (on greeting and shamrock)

Paper Therapy

Thank goodness for the need to create!

This was truly perfect timing for a big project. I found out Friday that I will not be in the classroom next year. There have been serious changes in the school. A Reading Specialist position was added. That is where I will be going. Thank goodness I have a job still. This position will be under a microscope!

The vision is that all children will be reading at grade level. . . just a little pressure!  Better than the last time I left the classroom. That was an administrative jump that was not my idea!  Anyway,

I made this pile of thank you cards for a shower gift this week. My friend and I also made 70 cello bag toppers for the cookie favors.

    The card is made with an old SU set I don’t even own. Papers are Pretty in Pink, Basic Black, Whisper White and Georgia Pacific white CS for the base. I used the Cuttlebug Swiss Dot Embossing Folder and the Martha Stewart Lacy Heart Edge punch. The ovals are the small and medium oval punches from SU.  Such a nice way to celebrate the adoption of a beautiful little girl!

 

 

 

     Have a great Monday!

Limited Supplies 5 and last

This is the last of the cards. There still were a few scraps left for another day. Now I need to find a home for all these little cards!

Flight of the Butterfly, Little Hellos, Itty Bitty Buds, Short and sweet:SU

Flower Frenzy, PTI

Eyelet and scallop border punches, piercing tool, corner rounder, square punches

Limited Supplies 4

Sorry the first shot is so blah! Still using the same Soft Sky/ Blue Bayou / DSP scraps.

Flight of the Butterfly, Priceless, Itty Bitty Buds, Short and Sweet from SU

Flower Frenzy, PTI
Scallop square, border punch, piercing tool

Mojo

Finally got a chance to finish this card.

Thought I would make one that I could use for my granddaughter's birthday this weekend. This is the sketch from Mojo Monday 126. There is a large recipe as I used several sets and colors.

Paper: SU Rich Razzleberry, Rose Red,Pink Pirouette, DS, Whisper White

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Bashful Blue, Rose Red, Black marker Stamps: SU Think Happy Thoughts, Bugs and Kisses; PTI-Baby Button Bits Accessories: Organdy ribbon, scallop punch, paper piercer, buttons(PTI), glitter I sure hope the layout of this entry looks better once it's published. It's pretty bad on the screen right now! Stay tuned for another challenge in a little bit.

It's that time again!

Ah, yes. . . While all of you mom's out there in blog world, look forward to those nice mornings of stamping over coffee after the bus has picked up that last little kiddo, I have returned to the snatched coffee on the drive to school to greet those little guys at the classroom door.

Gone are the leisurely cups of coffee on the sunny porch. (I know, you're saying, "What sun?") I already miss those days of nothing but paper, stamps, glue and markers! Now I have to rob time from grading papers, cleaning house and grandchildren to stamp. Every day off I hope I can steal a minute or two to stamp, color or assemble something. I still need to use some of that time to sketch some images for KLM Digital Designs. The good news is that I am more comfortable with the curriculum after 2 years in one place. Thank

goodness! These little guys were made the week before school started. This size card is perfect to keep in my desk for quick notes. The boxed set is ideal as a small gift for a colleague. Stamps: PTI, Teacher's Apple ; SU, Fancy Flexible Phrases; Hero Arts, Thoughtful Messages.

Card Stock: SU. Patterned Paper: Michael's

Accessories: buttons, PTI ribbon, gingham ribbon, hemp twine, punches.

Box is made from scrap cardboard found in packages of DS papers and an overhead acetate sheet.

Reinforcements have arrived

Does this look like play time or what!   My friend confirmed that I could sit and make cards with only my pre-stamped images and scraps until the end of time. She came over the other night about 7:45 and we stamped until midnight. We were able to complete 25 cards. Sadly, the dent in the scrap pile is still minimal. I guess I will have to keep at it until I can see a difference. Some of these cards came out so good. Simple always looks good. I'll post some periodically under Hero cards. Thanks for stopping by.

Paint chips???

  Have you ever just loved a color combination on those paint store  samples. Admit it! Every once in a while I'll pick up a few to play with. Actually the darker green ones I was contemplating for my house. (excuse 1) Look how nicely they act as backgrounds! All other papers are Stampin'UP! , as well as stamps, ink and ribbons. The Noble Deer was done using the waxed paper resist technique on glossy paper. Neat effect. These cards are part of a package I am getting ready for CFH.  Thanks for looking.

Card Inspiration Scrapping

This was a fun project. I really liked the card design and thought it would make a cool

   layout for a scrapbook page. I know . . . . me, a scrapbook page? Surprise! I have so many pictures, if I was to scrap them all, I wouldn't have enough walls for the bookshelves necessary to hold them all. Anyway, this color and stamp set just reminded me of my little flutterby, Karah. Wasn't she a pretty baby? She looks exactly

like her mama did. All materials Stampin'UP!                     

Lovely Tree

 

 

 

 

This is an old card that was in my folder hiding. It was very easy to make. The hardest part  was getting the scrap measurements equal. The image was colored with markers.  You could get the same effect using a multi-colored pad. I wanted certain colors and the trunk to be brown  all the way through. The base card is Kraft paper and the strips match the ink colors: rust, mustard, olive and chocolate chip. I punched 1/16" holes at each "seam " and tied it with a bit of hemp twine.

 

The stamped image is from Lovely as a Tree, one of my most favorites.

   All materials are Stampin'UP!          Markers: Olive, garden green, rust, mustard, chocolate chip.

Fun Kid's Project

 

My apologies for the lousy photos, but I couldn't wait to share!  These are so cute and fast. They are magnets

. We are making these in school for Mother's Day. I used a Georgia Pacific White CS from WalMart and an inexpensive set of school grade colored pencils . You would not believe how smoothly the  color went on this paper. The red square in the photo is a magnetized label that is 2x2. My husband brought home a bag full of these when the company discontinued using them and threw them in the trash. (Dumpster Diving!)  There is a slick plastic surface (red) on the magnet. . I used the Tombow glue and spread it on thinly with the wide tip.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      It worked like a charm! When

dry I covered them with a coat of  Modge Podge to protect them a little. I stamped 85 pieces  for the kids to color, and completed 9 , from start to finish in an hour and a half!  Hope the kids have as much fun as I did!

Oldies but Goodies

I still love the old techniques best.

This is simply stamped and stamped off on either side. Then, using a torn post a note, I masked the bottom and sponged in a couple layers of ground. The sky is also sponged using saffron and rose.  The bottom paper is a paint sample but it is textured like suede. I can't remember where it came from. The base  color is saffron and is sponged in the rose very lightly. A little ribbon and it's done. I added a little bit of glaze pen over the tree in the foreground as I wanted to give it a bit more importance.

Not Missing in Action

 

Contrary to popular opinion I have not fallen off the planet. I have just had to place my energies and time in other places of late. I would love to say that one of those places is stamping but I can't. Last week was the first time I was able to put ink to paper (that wasn't red ink and a grade) in a long time. Kate was here last week and we spent a little time playing. It was so nice to just stamp for no particular reason. I really have to do more to update my sample file. After the last few retirements my sample binder was decimated! This will be my first step.  All SU products, punches and Kraft taffeta ribbon.

Occasions Promotion

 

Occasions Mini Catalog

There are some really nice stamps in this mini and a great scalloped oval to go with the wide oval in the new catalog.

Merry Christmas Challenge #61

Hi Y'all, 

Got a chance to play a little this weekend at my daughter's. She had already chosen the challenge and was crackin' the whip! This is Beate Johns' Weekend challenge #61. I must admit I have a really difficult with anything that uses circles. I'm not quite sure why this is. It just never quite pleases me when it is done. I tried this layout with the horizontal orientation and that was a disaster! This one was the only one I really liked. I wish there was a way to show the effects of dazzling diamonds on this. The berries just glisten. It adds so much to the card. 

All products are Stampin'UP!

Stamp set: A Cardinal Christmas

Paper and Inks: Baroque burgundy, Whisper White, artichoke, Moss ink (marker)

This is a photo I took this weekend while walking with my grandson. We were exploring and went to the river to look at the pretty reflections in the water. I got some really pretty foliage shots this weekend. We are a little past peak, but NH is pretty much at peak. The colors along the highway are gorgeous. Naturally you can't stop to appreciate them.






We went for a ride late last Saturday, just before sunset. This is in North Clarendon facing Killington. Some view! Just as I finished shooting this several flocks of Canada Geese settled in the corn field to the right of the tree in the foreground. We sat there and  watched them break formation and land. You could hear  them coming before you could see them. I love geese! Why don't I have any geese stamps?

Hmmmm. . .I feel some research coming on.

Enjoy the season!

Scrapbook installation 2

Well, it is taking at least one day to do each child. I'm a SLOW scrapper with lots of other chores to do in between.

Grand child 2. He is some kind of a character and that makes it so much fun to scrap him! He has the most expressive face, as you can see on the angel page. That was fun to do. I'm not sure it shows but I used vellum to make the wings and halo then embossed them using iridescent EP (SU!).  

All of the papers used for his pages are SU! papers with the exception  of the dots and the little stripes on the next page. These are little pieces I had in my stash (mountain) of scraps. 

I love the shot of him sitting in his shorts. He is SO fair. This was on his third birthday. It was very hot and we had gelled the poor kid's hair! What a sport. It was supposed to be more of a mohawk, but became a mass of curls!

 Notice the leap picture? He's playing Buzz Lightyear. Fine. . . as long as the coffee table is the only thing he is leaping off!

The book is done and delivered to the great-grandparents. I'll post the last pages of the new baby tomorrow. 

Have a wonderful evening.

Old challenge and new PTI

Well now, senioritis had arrived in a big way! I thought I would be smart and print out lists of some of the SCS color and sketch challenges to go to NH. I had them there and made this first card, but did I write down the sketch? No. I think the color challenge is CC169 and the sketch is SC183. Anyway, it is one of the first scenic images I did with WC Crayons. I'm not sure it is the effect I was looking for. I needed more control than the aqua painter would give and I didn't like the way they worked with the blender pen. I'm still learning!

Recipe: Stamps: SU Canvas, Stampendous Poppies

Paper: Whisper White, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Real Red

Ink: same as papers plus black

Accessories: WC Crayons, Ribbon, Pima flower, brads, Millennium fine point pen for the outer doodled frame.

This is the latest PaperTrey challenge. I got this set and promptly loaned it to Kate and never used it myself. I used the color challenge CC171.

It seemed to lend itself well to the mailboxes.

Inside it reads. . . "Hope you feel up to getting the mail soon!"

Recipe: PTI Mailbox Greetings; SU! Canvas

Paper: SU! Kraft, Black, Soft Sky

Ink: SU! real red, celery, versamark, soft sky, going grey, black, cocoa and chocolate chip

Accessories: blender pen, sponge, ribbon, button,

Sakura black glaze pen

Today I need to finish my mother's brag book of the great grands so she can take it with her on vacation. I almost never scrapbook! This will be interesting. . . will share some of it later.

Have a great day.

Another batch

Here it is!  This is the one I lost on yesterday's post. Never did find it. Probably floating in cyber space somewhere! Do all the dots do funny things to your eyes?  I didn't think of that when I started punching all those spots. I was getting sick of the same old shapes. I just finished a lesson on geometry and the rhombus came to mind. ( Geometry in  grade 1? Go figure.) Then  I decided to make the giraffe "out of the box".

Kind of fun. I added a little hair to the critter with my cocoa pen, punched the spots away with hand held punches, rimmed them with a Sakura iridescent pen and popped it up on the rose layer. Papers and ink are Apricot and Regal rose with a swipe of bashful blue shading on the white. The ribbon was white grosgrain until I used my markers on it. 

Monochromatic (sort of) was the idea for this. I'm am still limiting 

myself to what I can use. I am finding it so much easier to create  as the images are already done and I don't have to agonize over what set to use! No choices on paper either, only the scrap box. I am having a field day with the DP paper. I have so much and rarely use it. Not any more. This is the saffron DSP, mustard accents, banana ribbon, a teeny little crystal from Hero Arts. The coloring was done with water color crayons and blender pen. These are really growing on me. "Friend" is from the Beautiful Blooms set at Paper Trey Ink

Oh, I feel like I'm entering the big time! I finally used my Nesties and my cuttlebug. They were burried in a drawer. I really think limiting myself is turning into a good thing!

This is a  Lochhart stamp from Ellen Hutson. I used the WC Crayons again and an aqua painter this time. Cut and embossed the layers with my one and only set of Nestabilities ( for now ). Layered them all with dimensionals. Papers are River Rock ( get it now w

hile still available), bashful blue and artichoke. I used the SU small oval punch and the designer lable punch. The ribbon was ivory and I added the green and blue marker. 

The message is from PTI. It is their Mixed Blessings set.

Well, "Cookie" is here and wants to dance. Good exercise, right?

Have a great night.

More as promised

Isn't this the cutest! I made this at my daughter's and can't remember the name of the set, but I think it is from Stampendous. It is a clear set and the top of the baby's head is missing. The rest of the set gives you all kinds of head coverings for the child. Lots of animals and a hat or two. 

This will be for my best friend's grandaughter. When she was a babe I gave her a bunny that goes with her everywhere, still. Couldn't resist this for her. I brayered the background grading from banana to pretty in pink.

Then stamped on the little packages in the next darkest shade ( saffron and regal rose). The flowers were stamped in a lighter shade and then I drew over them with the clear Sakura glaze pen. I didn't have the right ribbon so I used this satin with grades of pink and took my yellow marker and ran it down the white side. Came out perfect. I used WC Crayons and a blender on the baby and sponged on the yellow and green background. 

This one was one of those cards I needed to make from an image

 that was finished and all the scraps I could use. I used WC 

Crayons and blender to color this hostess set. Layered it on DSP

Guava then built the accent under it with scraps. The punched accent  is the scallop punch. I punched the holes with a 1/16" hand punch. Circle of Friendship was stamped on bashful blue then punched with the 1 3/8" punch then center punched with the 3/4".

I used a 1/2" punch to add the guava center. I made the matching ribbon using white grosgrain and my markers. Try it, you will love it! Just keep the marker moving.

This guy has to be my favorite. He was as easy as pie to do. I stamped him on the white then colored the stamp with the chocolate mane and mustard face and stamped it again. Cut the head out. I punched a 1/8" hole in the center of the bottom lion (square) head. I put a brad through this from the back. The head of the brad is behind the white square and the prongs are on the front. I used tiny pieces of sticky strip on the prongs and wrapped them around so they would stay on. Then positioned the lion's head on these. I layered the rest of the colored squares but found I needed to cut away a bit so the brad head was exposed through all layers and moved freely. Finally I mounted the squares using dimensionals. The head tips and will spin if manipulated.

The dots are the black Sakura glaze pen. 

Now somewhere I have lost my last card! I am such a tech moron. Will find it and post it later.

Have a great evening.

Day to Play!

Well now this has been a fun day. Hubby is golfing and after the weeding and sweeping and laundry, I did nothing but play!

This card is for my grandson who is nearly 3 and nearly potty trained. 

He loves to get mail so I thought I'd send this. I had not touched this set. My intent was to use it for scrapbooking but there are just so many hours in a day. 

I am trying to use some of the papers that I have in my scrap pile. So far I have not had to cut into a new piece of paper. 

This one is for the little "peanut". She is only 3 months but how can

grandma send a card to the "big boy" and not to the  little "peanut"!

Stamps: Wild About You

Paper and inks: SU Whisper White, Brilliant Blue, So Saffron

Chocolate chip, Pretty in pink, retired DP

*** Fun trick - I didn't have ribbon I liked for the pink card. I used my 

markers and drew lines on white grosgrain ribbon. Just keep the motion smooth, don't stop or you'll have a blob.

This one is just for fun. I used the Cuttlebug for the background.

This is the cutest croc/gator if there is such a thing. The expression 

is perfect. Again, I used my markers to make my own striped ribbon.

Papers and ink: Green Galore, Celery, Whisper White, Navy

The corners of the navy layer were punched out to expose the green  behind. I didn't want to introduce a new color and had no hardware handy in green.

Will post the rest of the cards I did with this set later.

Have a great evening.