Happy New Year!

Belated holiday greetings to those of you who are still checking in here. :-) It's been a busy holiday season, but a fun one. I wanted to share one of the versions of my holiday cards for 2009. I made these in various colors, keeping the same general theme.


This one happens to be the light green. I used pre-folded, textured cards by DCWV, embossed the trees across the bottom, adding some sparkle to them with Copic Spica glitter pens. The sentiment is by Hero Arts. The die cuts were made using Martha Stewart punches.

Happy New Year, everyone!

one pass, two cards embellished

These are a couple of cards that were fairly quick and easy to make. I used the Cuttlebug Damask Frame A2 die to cut some patterned Die Cuts With a View card stock. I think this was from the Taj Mahal collection.


I adhered some of the die cuts to the front of this card, backing the opening of the damask design with white card stock that I'd embossed using the A2 embossing folder that made up the other half of the Damask Frame combo. The sentiment is by Hero Arts.


Here you can see that I embossed the entire card front using the A2 embossing folder, or at least as much of the card front that I could fit into the folder. I scored some lines near the top fold using my Scor-It. I didn't like the blank space that had been left up there. This time I used the 'negative' of that die cut over some white card stock. The images are by Technique Tuesday and stamped using Memento dye inks.

I wasn't sure if I'd use the die part of this combo very often, but now that I've given it a try, I'm starting to see more possibilities, not to mention that I was able to get a fair amount of mileage from a single pass through the die cut machine.

three more cards using Thanks edge punch

I made an informal challenge to myself this weekend to come up with more ways to use the Martha Stewart Thanks edge punch. I came up with a few more ideas.

Here are three more cards....


For this card I punched along the edges of a strip of card stock and embossed Cuttlebug images between. I mounted that strip on a card front that I embossed using the C'bug Stylized Flowers A2 embossing folder. I accented the card with a bit of bling and some colorful hemp fibers.


This card was made from a base of gray Bazzill card stock that I embossed using the C'bug Thanks embossing folder. This time I used the Thanks edge punch by punching two different colors of card stock and then offsetting them just a bit to get sort of a drop shadow effect. I then embossed those two layers using one of the Sizzix thank you textured impressions embossing folders.


The photo above just shows what I meant by the drop shadow effect.


And finally, this is a flip card that I made using the Thanks edge punch and Taj Mahal decorative card stock by DCWV. The lantern image is by Inkadinkado and stamped using Brilliance Graphite Black ink.


That's the view from the front as the card is opened.


This is a view of the back as the center panel begins to flip around.


And this is a closer view of the back panel. The sentiment says, "You brighten my day" and is by Hero Arts.

So there you have three more cards that illustrate how this new Thanks edge punch by Martha Stewart can be used. :-) Have I enabled you enough yet? ;-)

my new Cuttlebug embossing folders are here!

I knew that the new folders that I'd ordered were on the way, but I didn't dream that they could possibly arrive so soon! Imagine that thrill of hearing the dog bark and seeing the Big Brown Truck out front! Yes! The box was imprinted with the HSN logo! Hey, it was a deal that I couldn't pass up, eh?

They arrived in a fairly small box with these 11 folders each wrapped in its own plastic sleeve. I like that there wasn't a lot of extra waste, though I usually do manage to put the backings to good use.

Here's another look at them. Just had to look up all their names so I could label each one.

This card was debossed with the new Moroccan Screen embossing folder then inked with Memento Dandelion ink. Just as a side note, this folder debosses rather than embosses if you place it inside the folder with the Cuttlebug logo facing the front. I then embossed with the Owl Flourish folder--double 'bossing--and accented it with Memento inks and added the die cut sentiment, also by Cuttlebug. The decorative scoring on the card front was made using the Scor-It.

I've always liked the look of embossing on decorative card stock and papers. This is some DCWV Taj Mahal card stock that I embossed using the new C'bug Victoria folder. I accented the embossing with white craft ink. The sentiment is by Hero Arts. The flowers are Primas and the decorative pearls are by Kaisercraft.

This is the Celtic Knot embossing folder that I used on some polished stone card stock. I accented the embossing with Memento ink. This is one of the folders that is supposedly only available if the new folders are purchased as a set. I think the other is the Harlequin design. The stamps used are by Scottish Borders Stamping. The die cut was made using a Spellbinders scalloped circle Nestabilities die and the accent scores near the sentiment were made using the Scor-It.

I can't say that I would have purchased all of these at the regular price, but for what amounted to just a bit more than $3 per folder, including shipping and handling, it seemed worth it to go for the bundle. These were delivered very quickly, too! Kudos to HSN for that. I was very pleasantly surprised. :-)

feeling green - DCM

This week's challenge on Daring Cardmakers is feeling green. Here's the scoop from Jozza:

The dare is feeling green. I want to see lots of green on your cards in any shade you like. You could even do a double dare and make a green themed get well card. It's up to you.

Here's my card....


I like to think that this card is doubly green because I used a patterned card stock from DCWV's Green Stack (Hooray for recycled papers!) as well as the shades of green from the dare. The stamped images are by Penny Black and stamped and colored with Memento inks. I cut out some of the stamped petals and popped them out a bit to add some dimension. The border was embossed using a Cuttlebug embossing border folder.

challenge triple play

I've combined two challenges in one card before, so this time I wanted to see if I could incorporate three challenges in one. Here are the ones that I chose:

From daring cardmakers: I dare you to make an Oriental themed card which doesn’t use Red or Black.

From the Cuttlebug Challenge blog: ....this week's Cuttlebug Be inspired #17 is "LOVE".

And finally, I chose to use a card layout from Mojo Monday.

Here's the card....


I used patterned card stock from the DCWV Far East collection. Wouldn't you know it--the flowers look almost reddish there, but they're more brownish-orange in real life. The borders were punched with the Martha Stewart Lattice Arch punch. The stamped images are by InkaStamps and stamped using Memento Potters Clay dye ink. The hearts are Spellbinders Nestabilities die cuts. The subtle texture of two of the panels was made using the Floral Screen A2 Cuttlebug embossing folder. Finally I added some Mizuhiki cord embellishment.

Seems that I've been making much simpler cards lately. It was fun to make one that used more layers and more elements.

"tweet" - Patterned Paper Passion - DCM

It's been ages since I've participated in the daring cardmakers challenge. I decided it was time to get back into it. This week's challenge is patterned paper passion, and the details are as follows: I want to see 3 different patterned papers on your card. And to be extra daring, why not see if you can use 3 different lines of paper!

Okay! Here's my card:


The patterned papers that I used are by Me and My Big Ideas--the big background, Basic Grey Boxer--the green swirly layer, and Die Cuts with a View Green Stack--birds and branches. The stamped images are by Hero Arts and stamped using Memento dye inks. The decorative border of the green layer was made using the Fiskars Effervescence border punch, and I used the plain and scalloped circles Nestabilities dies by Spellbinders to make the top of the card. The partial Nesties technique let me cut out just part of the circle at the top fold so that it would stick out.

I wouldn't have tried this dare on my own, but it was fun to find out that three patterned papers, all by different companies, can really come together and look nice on one card.

still more textured impressions cards

Whew! It's been one of those weeks! I've been wanting so badly to make some cards, but most of what I made I didn't really like for one reason or another. Nothing seemed to work. I hate it when my muse deserts me! It came back today though--probably didn't care for the snow and sleet outside. LOL! Snow day here, so lots of uninterrupted time to craft--loved it!

Here are a couple of cards that I made using the Sizzix textured impressions folders....


This first card was made using the A2 embossing folder from one of the Happy Birthday sets. If you look at the design of this folder, it's actually supposed to be an invitation with Who, What, When Where etc embossed on the front. At this point, I can't see needing that sort of thing for my card-making, but I did like the rest of the design. I did a bit of creative altering and now have a nice blank space instead, where I stamped the large Inkadinkado sentiment. I added some Distress Stickle sparkles and some rhinestone bling and voila! A birthday card rather than an invite.


For this card I used the medium size textured impression folder from one of the Thank You sets on Core'dinations card stock which I'd cut using a scalloped rectangle Nestabilities die by Spellbinders. I sanded the embossing and accented it a bit with some Memento dye inks. The patterned card stock is by Die Cuts with a View and the decorative edges and corners were made using the Martha Stewart scallop dot edge punch. I then added some clear rhinestones as accents.

Okay. I'll save some of the other cards that I've made for some other posts. :-)

another offset Cuttled card

For this card I used a technique that I described the other day, offset Cuttling. This time instead of accenting with ink after making my first pass, I distressed the embossing by sanding.


The white areas are the result of sanding my Die Cuts with a View cardstock after embossing it with the Leafy Branch A2 Cuttlebug embossing folder. I then ran the cardstock through again, accenting that embossing with Rich Cocoa Memento dye ink. The sentiment is a Cuttlebug diecut. The bird shape was made using a Martha Stewart punch.

playing at cards with playing cards

Oh, that dollar spot in Target can certainly have fun stuff for altering and crafting! Recently I found some small shaped playing cards with wintry themes. Here are a couple of cards that I made using a couple of the playing cards from the deck that I bought.


The deck that I picked up had a snowman image on it. I embossed it with the Cuttlebug Snow Dots folder, then mounted that on a white cardstock layer embossed using the C'bug Snowflakes folder, then I attached that to a red shimmer-finish paper that I offset Cuttled using the Diamonds in the Rough folder. I used a Tonic ticket punch to cut the corners. The sentiment is a Snag 'Em stamp by Imaginisce. I embellished with Ranger's Liquid Pearls.


I used another playing card to create this card. This time I embossed it with the Diamonds in the Rough and mounted it on glittery DCWV cardstock that I'd cut and embossed in one pass using one of the curved rectangle Mega-Nestabilities dies by Spellbinders. The patterned cardstock is also by Die Cuts with a View. I stamped the sentiment using Archival black ink, and oh, how appropriate that sentiment has been these last couple of days, by the way! Finally I added the faux snow from Cornish Heritage Farms.

Hope everyone is staying warm!

fun with some new stuff

Just because I haven't had time to craft or post as often lately doesn't mean that I don't manage to squeeze in time to shop a bit while I'm out and about. Amazing how that works. ;-)

Here's a card that I made using some new items. I went ahead and left it a bit dark because the glittery background showed up a bit better. In real life this is a much brighter card.

The glittery cardstock is by Die Cuts with a View, so you have an idea of the weight of that layer. The decorative border was made using a Martha Stewart border edge punch, Embossed Snowflake. I had no trouble punching the design. The embossing isn't all that crisp, but it's definitely there. I cut the circles using the Martha Stewart circle cutter that I talked a bit about a few posts ago. The stamped images are by JustRite and were stamped using Memento dye ink.

I also found more of the latest border punch releases by Martha Stewart. Stay tuned. I'll be using them and posting cards as time permits. Got a busy weekend ahead though, so we'll see. :-)

I'm back!

First of all, sorry to have gone missing. Life got busy. My muse deserted me. I've also found myself getting caught up in the soap opera that is the American political season. But I'm back now. I'm hoping that my muse will stick around for a bit, and I wanted to post this card in thanks to those of you who manage to remain readers and followers of this blog, even when I take some unscheduled time-outs. :-)

By the way, that card was made using a Cuttlebug embossing folder, my Scor-It, Memento dye inks, an Autumn Leaves Stampology clear stamp, DCWV cardstock, and the Martha Stewart circle cutter.

I wanted to talk a bit about the Martha Stewart circle cutter. Until I bought this at Michael's a few weeks ago, using that handy dandy 50% off coupon, I'd been using punches or dies to cut out circles. I have a Fiskars circle cutter, and it's okay, but I wasn't thrilled with it. So, for a less than $10 investment, I figured that I'd give this one a go. I'd heard positive things about it, so this wasn't a completely impulsive buy, though I've been known to make some of those. LOL!


This is what you get when you buy the circle cutter--the clear plastic plate with the holes held by that white plastic ring and the tool that holds the swiveling blade. If you've ever played with a Spirograph, this is what this tool reminds me of. You place the blade in the hole of your choice, stabilize that outer ring atop your paper or cardstock, then move the blade in a circle. The clear plastic part moves freely inside the ring as you move the cutter. Once you've arrived back at your starting point, you have your circle cut out.


This is a peek at the underside of the circle cutter. There are four foam pads like the one I have pointed out in the above photo--they're positioned at different points around the ring. They do a nice job of holding the ring in place, as well as holding the paper in place. I've also shown how the tool opens up and provides a place to store the two spare blades that come with the cutter. The other plastic piece that you see is the cover that protects the blade.


This is a close up view of the blade and the plastic plate with all of the measurements. You can cut circles anywhere from 1" to 5 1/2" in diameter. The holes go up in increments of 1/16", so it's easy to cut a circle that will suit your needs. Unlike a Spirograph, the holes in the plastic have slots cut into them. I think you can make that out in the photo. That slot accommodates the blade which is like a flat arrow point and keeps it in place as you move the tool. You simply move the tool in a circle. The swiveling action of the blade keeps it facing the right direction to cut properly.

Now I've found that there is a little play of the clear plate inside the ring. It has to be able to move inside that ring, but sometimes the blade would not end up where it should have when I finished making my circuit. The simple solution was to make sure that the clear plate was nice and snug against the ring at the point where I placed the blade to start cutting. Since you apply some pressure against the ring as you move the tool, that assures that the blade will end up at the same point where it was when you started.

So, that's a quickie review of the Martha Stewart circle cutter. I like it and would recommend it, especially if you can get a good price when it's on sale or buy it with a coupon.

Ahhh, it's good to be back! :-)

A better alternative - Icky Sticky Stuff Remover

Not too long ago, I mentioned a discussion on a stamping forum which started me thinking about possible alternatives to the odorless mineral spirits like Gamsol that are typically used for the Magic Colored Pencil technique. These chemicals are not without their hazards, particularly under conditions of prolonged exposure or for individuals with health issues. I didn't care for the alternative of using baby oil. I'd found that Goo Gone worked, but I mentioned that it still carried warnings similar to that of the odorless mineral spirits, i.e. use in well-ventilated areas. The Mess-free pen was convenient and cut down considerably on the smell, but certainly Goo Gone isn't specifically formulated for artist use, a drawback for some folks.

Today I was doing my grocery shopping and made a discovery as I pushed my cart down the aisle with household cleaners. On the shelf next to the Goo Gone was another product--this one called Icky Sticky Stuff Remover, made by the same folks (Orange-Sol) who make De-Solv-It citrus-based cleaners. What struck me about this was that the label clearly said that it would remove crayon and wax, among other things--this was good because it needs to be able to break down the wax to move the colored pencil pigments; it could be used on skin and hair--usually citrus oil-based solvents carry a warning to avoid exposure to skin because of hypersensitivity reactions; it has no harmful vapors--WOO HOO! for that; and it was artist formula--excellent. Here's a link to the Material Safety Data Sheet for Icky Sticky Stuff Remover (now a.k.a. ISSR on this blog anyway--I have to abbreviate this! LOL!). It's always good to read some of this info for yourself.

So this product sounded like it had potential, but would it work on Prismacolor colored pencils? See what you think.


This is a quickie card that I made this afternoon to try this out. I stamped the flower images by Hero Arts using Archival black ink on a Cuttlebug tag die cut. I then colored the images with my Prismacolor colored pencils and blended the colors using the ISSR and a stump. I added the fibers, layered it on purple DCWV cardstock that I embellished using a Fiskars corner edger then attached it to the cardfront. I stamped the Hero Arts sentiment and added some decorative score lines using my Scor-It.

As of now, the Icky Sticky Stuff Remover is my magic colored pencil technique "solvent" of choice. It's biodegradable and more environmentally friendly than Gamsol or Sansodor, has no vapors, is formulated for use in arts and crafts, and from what I've read is a much safer alternative to mineral spirits, plus it works. It also cost only $2.99 USD for the 4 oz bottle and is available here in the US, which is more than I can say for some of the other alternatives out there that I would have liked to try. Now I just need to find a way to replace this spray top with a regular screw top lid or dauber top. :-)

Pretty Pastels - DCM

I'm catching up midweek again. For the daring cardmakers challenge, the theme is pretty pastels. I like it! Spring feels like it's on its way, so this is good timing.


The stamped images are by My Favorite Things and colored with colored pencils. I used Fiskars Celestial corner edger scissors on the pink DCWV cardstock layer. I embellished with some bling and added the flower for even more of a spring-time feel.

Impulse buy

I'll admit it. Back in the fall when I was preordering Cuttlebug embossing folders, I gave in to impulse buying and added the Shell Collage embossing folder to my cart with the rest--well, the rest of the new releases other than the Numbers one, since I knew that I probably wouldn't use that one often. I'm still trying to figure out how best to use this Shell Collage folder though. I'm happier with this card than with my first attempt, but I'm still not convinced that this was a great buy for me.


I used a neat deep blue Ruche crepe cardstock for the shell image background. You can just make out some of the intrinsic texture. Then I used the Mesh folder on the purple DCWV cardstock. I inked both with chalk inks to accent the embossing. The sentiment is by Hero Arts. I also added some embossed lines to the cardfront using my Scor-It. As far as impulse buys, at least this folder wasn't a big investment.

Are we having fun yet? Or You Ain't the (EM)boss of Me - dcm

I know I am! I tried something different today. On the Gingerwood stamping forum, Friday is tip day. A couple of weeks ago, one of Susan's tips had to do with using a Cricut machine to make embossing folders. Well, I don't have a Cricut, but I do have a Big Shot and plenty of dies that can cut chipboard, so I gave this a try. I went for simple. I took some chipboard and cut a strip of it large enough to accommodate a word. I went for "fun". I then cut out another piece of chipboard that was twice as tall as my piece. I scored it and folded it in half. That would become my embossing folder. Now it was time to make the positive and negative designs. I used my Stencil alphabars and my Big Shot and cut out the word "fun" from my original strip of chipboard. I glued the outside of the letters to one half of my folder, then keeping the pieces of the letters in place, I applied a small amount of glue to each piece and closed the folder, pressing both sides firmly together. I waited just a bit and then opened up the folder. This is how it turned out.


But how did it work, you're now wondering, eh? It worked quite well.


I tried some text weight paper to start off. I got a nice impression! I accented it with some ink, punched around it using a mega scalloped oval punch, layered it onto a giga scalloped oval of Luxury Stack DCWV cardstock, embellished with an altered paperclip, layered all of that on still more DCWV cardstock, and mounted everything on a card made from Bohemian Chic American Traditions paper. I think this technique opens up a world of possibilities!

I just realized that this card works for this week's daring cardmaker's challenge, which has to do with embossing! It was a do-it-yourself emboss, but it fits the criteria. :-)

The eyes have it! - Wednesday Stamper

Here is my entry for this week's Wednesday Stamper theme, The Eyes Have It!


This is a booklet that I put together using my Bind It All machine and 1/4" white binding coil. These are chipboard covers covered with DCWV textured cardstock. The covers and inside pages were cut using a Sizzix diamond shaped die. The paisley is a die cut by Spellbinders. The stamped image is by Paper Impressions. The flowers are Primas.

End of the year wrap up - Crafting

Wow, it feels like I've done a lot more this year with my crafting than I have in past years. One of the fun things that got its start this year was this blog. Maybe that's why I feel like I've accomplished more. Anyway, I thought I'd recap some of the fun stamping items that I've come across and used this year. These are the items that I found myself pulling out again and again when I'd sit down at my craft table.

Papers: Georgia Pacific white cardstock is one of my staples. So is Bazzill cardstock, which I have in many sizes and colors. Wouldn't dream of making cards without it. I've also come to love DCWV's Far East and Old World patterned, textured papers. The heavier weight is really great. I've also built up a nice stash of papers from kits. That's next. Read on.

Kits: The two that I've tried and that I really like, especially being a card-maker more than a scrapper, are Self-Addressed and Simply Cardstock.

Inks: My most used inks this year have been the Versafine for anything non-glossy, particularly the Black Onyx. My faves for non-porous surfaces have been the Palette hybrid inks, though the Brilliance line still got a good work out when I wanted a more glittery look. Chalk inks, Colorbox or Versamagic, were also pulled out often. My dye inks and distress inks took a back seat this year. Stewart Superior India Ink is still my first choice when I want a permanent, very black ink. I use my Versamark pad quite often. The latest to be added to my arsenal is the Castaway ink pad, for a bleached look. I need to find more time to play with that one.

Stamp cleaner: Hands down, the one I like best now is Stewart Superior's Ultra Clean Stamp Cleaner. This and Kiss Off will take most any stubborn inks off of rubber stamps. It's still best to just clean off a stamp right away after using it, but those cleaners are great for when that just doesn't happen.

Stamps: I've made a bigger move toward going unmounted. When I buy stamps now, I look primarily for unmounteds. They're cheaper, and they take up so much less room. I've come to like the clear acrylics. They're still not my faves, but of these I wouldn't give up some of the new ones from Autumn Leaves that I've acquired, particularly the Rhonna Farrer line of swirls and flourishes. Love those! Oh, but now that I think about it, I also want to mention some of the fun Lockhart wood-mounted veggie couture stamps. Those are so much fun! I'll buy those mounted. I just like them, plus when I buy them from my LSS--the owner is smart enough to keep those in stock--I feel like I'm helping out her business.

Adhesives: I've mentioned this before, but my ATG has been one of my best investments. I won't go on and on about it. I've done that here already, but it's worth mentioning again. Can't beat it for sticking stuff down and the price can't be beat either. I like the Tombow Multi-purpose glue (the green one) for when I want to use a wet glue. For vellum, the Glue Dots sheets for vellum have been as close to invisible as I've found. And of course for those times when I want dimension, I'll use craft glue dots and the like. I still pull out my Xyron when I need to cover larger areas. Oh! Almost forgot. I also really like Sakura's Quickie glue pen. This one has me using glitter again.

Paper cutter: Tonic cutters. I have the 12" and the 6" and they do everything I need them to do. They cut nice and straight and will shave off the tiniest amount of paper.

Eyelet Setter: Cropadile. Yes, it has a limited reach, but for me that doesn't matter. I've used more eyelets than ever because it's so easy to use them now. Great for punching holes in stuff, too.

Die cutter: My Big Shot has gotten lots of use. I wrote all about this here recently, too. I use this and my Sidekick primarily. These two get the job done for me. Add in the multipurpose platform and the Big Impressions texture kit and I've been in heaven. I can even use my dusty Fiskars texture plates now!

Dies and embossing: I use the Big Shot for most all of my embossing now. I love the BossKut address card die in particular. The new Cuttlebug embossing folders are WONDERFUL! My other faves are any of the cut 'n' emboss dies, whether they're by Ellison, or the ones made for use in the Wizard, or some of the QK or Zipemate products. They're all such fun!

Coloring: Prismacolor pencils--both the colored pencils and watercolor pencils, Sakura's Glaze and Souffle pens, Signo's white uniball for a true white, Zig fine points for when I need to write in a nice thin black, the Sakura Stardust pen for adding a light sparkle without color, Stickles for when I want more sparkle and color, and I'Kandee's pearlescent chalks for when I want a lighter touch. Oh, and I can't leave out Twinkling H2O's.

Font Manager: The Font Thing! My comments on this are in the archives as well, so 'nuff said.

Other miscellaneous: These are a few other tools that I wouldn't want to do without.

• bone folder
• Scor-It, love those straight scores and they're true scores, too
  
• a GOOD waterbrush, like Niji, that has a valve to keep the water from running out
  
• Heat It heat gun, heats up quickly but doesn't blow everything around, quiet too
• an adhesive eraser for getting rid of those little goo balls on the edges of layers
• Carl corner rounder
• Marvy giga scalloped punches, any shape
• stippling brushes for doing DTP
  

New techniques: Well, maybe not techniques so much, but this is the year that I tried and understood the whole addiction to making ATC's. I learned to love altering rolodex cards. I made my first star booklet card. I learned a scribble technique, tried my hand at Asian and vintage, faux stitching, and I made some mini-envelopes for extra postage when participating in swaps.

SWAPS! YES! How could I forget?! Aside from blogging, that's the other biggie for me this year as far as crafting! This is the first year that I've actively participated in swaps. This is the main reason that I've done so much more crafting this year. DUH! moment! ;-) That's been the best! I've had to stretch creatively and I've seen so many new techniques by taking part in these. I didn't have as much time to submit cards to magazines this year, but the swapping more than made up for that. Maybe I'll try for a better balance this coming year. :-)

Have a Happy 2007 everyone!