Sunday, January 31, 2010

GCA #76 - Back to the Chalkboard!


Hello all!!! We have had some fabulously sunny, still cold, days here in Michigan!!! Makes you realize that at some point winter will come to an end!

Over on SCS yesterday, the mini VSN was opening. The theme for this VSN is the Winter Olympics. There were 7 challenges to get us warmed up for the main event in February. I've talked about VSN before on here and just how much fun it is. The challenges the hostesses come with are so fun and really can stretch you as a stamper.

So, that is where the challenge for this week comes in!! One of the challenges was to use the chalkboard technique on your card. I think I've done this technique once or twice, and forget how easy and fun it is. You also wind up with an amazing image. For a detailed tutorial, click on the highlighted word and it will take you to the tutorial by Beate Johns on SCS.

Basically, you use dark colored card stock like black, brown or even navy. You will also need a white craft (pigment) ink pad and pastels. Even if you have a small supply of these, you can still make this work! If you do not have any pastels there are some alternatives listed with the tutorial. You can use any type of image, solid or line, since you are adding color and not necessarily coloring "in".

Here's the how to:

1. Stamp your image using the white craft ink onto the dark card stock. In my sample I used black.

2. You do not need to heat set or wait for the craft ink to dry. Using a sponge dauber, q-tip or whatever you use to apply chalks, GENTLY dab the colors over your image. You don not want to swirl your dauber as it will smear the image.

3. Once you have all the areas covered with chalks, GENTLY wipe off the excess with a Swiffer cloth or paper towel. There is no need to seal this when you are done, unless you want too. My image is not sealed.

4. Finish your card!

My sample is claen and simple, which is so unlike me!! But, during VSN you only have 45 minutes to complete your card!! This card was actually made from all scraps! Love it when I can do that.

It starts with a base of Real Red and top-folded. The Whisper White Top Note die was originally a card itself, but I used the other side awhile ago. So this layer had the top edge trimmed a bit and this is how I liked it best on the card. I used the leaves from the bird/bamboo image in the Asian Artristry set around the edges in Kiwi Kiss.

The main image was stamped with Whisper White craft and stamped onto basic black. I used my chalks in Real Red and Old Olive to color it in. Backed it with a piece of Kiwi Kiss and paired it with the dragonfly stamped in black staz on onto Real Red.

I used the polka-dot red gg, turned over, alongwith the black gingham for the ribbon. Happy birthday was stamped in black staz on from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

Upload your creation to either your blog or to an online gallery and post a link to your creation to this blog entry by February 6, 2010 at 12 midnight. I will choose the winner the next day. If you upload your card to SCS, PaperCraft Planet, Stampin' Addicts or Stamp TV, please put GCA76 in your keywords. That way everyone can see all of the wonderful creations at once!

Even if you can't make the drawing deadline, PLEASE feel free to participate in the challenges and upload your creations at any time. I would love to see it! And yes, my challenge is open to everyone who visits, even if you live outside the US!

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

GCA #75 & Blog Candy Winner is...

... CATHY!!!!! Congrats to Cathy for being this weeks winner and lucky recipient of the blog candy offered. You can see her fabulous card here.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who played along this, or just stopped by to take a peek!!

Up Next: GCA #76 - Back to the Chalkboard!

Happy Stamping!!

~~~Ann~~~

Monday, January 25, 2010

Grrrr - It's Halloween!!


Hello all!!! So I know it's really NOT Halloween, but I completed this scrapbook page for the first Featured Stamper challenge on Stampin' Connection. This is a new site set up by Stampin' Up! for demos only!! It is soo cool to be able to connect with other demos you meet and see only at convention or just get to know new ones too!

Anyway, Mary Jo Price-Williams took the bull by the horns and started daily challenges on SC. She hosts the Featured Stamper challenge and the first stamper to be featured was Wendy Weixler!! She has an amazing gallery and is so full of talent.

I chose to case her Halloween scrapbook page she created with MDS.

My changes are:

* Changed to "regular" scrapbook page
* While I used her basic layout, I did change it up a bit
* Colors
* Not sure what size Wendy's is, but my page is 12 x 12

My base on here is the groom's dsp with the swirly design. I then used pieces of the Cast-A-Spell dsp and Night & Day dsp for my accents.

This is a picture of my son from 1992, when he went as Frankenstein. What a hoot!! I so remember getting him ready for this and he had a blast that night.

The letters were cute from the Timeless Type alpha and my Big Shot. Hence the title of the post!! That is all Frankenstein says, if I recall right!!

Happy Stamping!!

~~~Ann~~~

Sunday, January 24, 2010

GCA #75 - A Colorful Sketch & Blog Candy!!



Hello all!! Are you busy stamping this weekend or just busy with family/life work?? I spent all day yesterday co-hosting a stamp-a-stack and then went to my upline's Snowflake Social!! Talk about a long day and being tired!!

As I thought about what to do for the challenge this week, I was torn between doing a color combo and a sketch. So, to fix that problem, I decided to combine the challenges in one!

So, for this week we are doing the sketch as pictured above, but with a slight twist. In the sketch you see one circle has scallops, but that is not required if you chose to use just a regular circle. Your card must also incorporate the color scheme of white and ONE other color!! This can be any color you like, but only ONE other color that white! You may use various shades of the same color on your card too. Think monochromatic.

Now, if you decide to use an image that you watercolor, that can use the colors the image would need to bring it to life. But as for card stock and dsp, you can only use one color with the white. I know you can do it! And I had to make this just slightly challenging as I am also offering blog candy to whoever the winner is this week.

My choice of color was Melon Mambo. I used Shimmery White card stock as my base and built up from there. I tried to take myself out of my comfort zone with using white on white, but I'm not sure I went very far!!! The background panel was embossed with the new Polka Dots eb folder available in the Occasions mini and then highlighted with Melon Mambo ink.

For my scallop circle I used the scallop circles #2 in Shimmery White and then highlighted that with Melon Mambo. I used my Crop-A-Dile to make the holes in each of the scallops.

The stamp set I used is the delightful Charming set, which is still available!! I used the script stamp in Melon Mambo onto a piece of Melon Mambo and then overstamped the decorative stamps in Versamark and clear embossed. You can see a bit of that in the photo.

The flower branch was stamped first in Versamark, then in Melon Mambo and then clear embossed. Same with the sentiment. I used my Beautiful Wings butterfly embosslit for the butterflies, which I cut out of the Razzleberry Lemonade dsp. A piece of Pretty in Pink tafetta finishes the card!



So, in celebration of this being my 75th challenge, I am offering the following for blog candy:

* New and unmounted Botanical Blooms from SAB 2009
* New PTI clear stamp set, Borders and Corners (circles)
* 3 rolls of new ribbon, perfect for Valentine's cards and projects
* packet of pink buttons
* 3 pots of Twinkling H2O's: Siam White, Cherry Sorbet, Pink Anthurium
* tumbled tile decorated coaster
* 4 sheets of textured chipboard

So play along and have your chance to win this awesome blog candy package!!

Upload your creation to either your blog or to an online gallery and post a link to your creation to this blog entry by January 30, 2010 at 12 midnight. I will choose the winner the next day. If you upload your card to SCS, PaperCraft Planet, Stampin' Addicts or Stamp TV, please put GCA75 in your keywords. That way everyone can see all of the wonderful creations at once!

Even if you can't make the drawing deadline, PLEASE feel free to participate in the challenges and upload your creations at any time. I would love to see it! And yes, my challenge is open to everyone who visits, even if you live outside the US!

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

GCA #74 Winner is.....

....Hazel!!!! You can see her wonderfully inspired creation on her blog My Crafty Outlook.

Hazel please email me at pinkstamper06@yahoo.com with your address and I will get a stamping goodie package out to you!!

Thanks you to all who played along this week and to those who stopped by to say hi!!

Up Next: GCA #75 - A Colorful Sketch!!! (And, some blog candy!!!)

I'll all the details up later this afternoon. Need to lay down and try to get of my migraine!

Happy Stamping!!

~~~Ann~~~

Tuesday, January 19, 2010


Hello all!! Are you tired of Valentine's Day cards yet?? I like making these as they use some of my favorite colors!!

What an awesome pick for the Featured Stamper on SCS this week!! Anne, aka JDMommy is this week's pick by Beth!! She has an awesome and amazing gallery. And if you love red like she does, this is the gallery to look at!!

In honor of Anne, I went the route of using various shades of pinks, which are from the red family.

I chose her card here: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ga...;ppuser=136194

My changes:

* Colors, stamp set & theme
* Used die cut butterflies instead of stamped one
* Used the Top Note die to make a circle medallion
* Used felt flowers instead of a button for an accent
* Used the scallop trim punch

Happy Stamping!!

~~~Ann~~~

Monday, January 18, 2010

Inspired by a Funky Cake!!!


Hello all!! I belong to a Yahoo stamper's group called LateNightStampers. This group is open to demos and non-demos, so if you're interested check them out!!

Anywhoo, each we the design team brings us a new challenge. They mimic the challenges that are all over the web. This week the challenge is an inspiration one and the picture is of a funky cake!!!

Since I am still working on Valentine's, I made mine into a V-day card. I also used Mary Jo's weekly sketch105.

This card actually started with the leftover panel of Rose Red and Welcome Neighbor SAB dsp. From there I built it up with other pieces and dsp.

My card base is Regal Rose and is a top fold card. The dsp on the medium square panel is also from the SAB dsp. I then ran a strip of Regal Rose through my crimper and attached this with dimensionals. My bow was a frustrating work in progress!!! I seem to be bow challenge, but I wanted more than just a simple knot.

I used my scallop trim corner punch on the smaller square and it was the perfect size (2 1/8 x 2 1/8) to create my frame. Another piece of SAB dsp that panel was done.

The bird and leaves were punched with the new 2-step extra large bird punch available in the Occasions mini. Love this punch!! There are some many possibilities and color combos you do with this! The bird was punched with Choc Chip and his wing is a leftover piece of the dsp I used on the other panels. I used the small parts of my dimensionals under the wing and then the entire bird is popped up with dimensionals. The leaves are Old Olive.

My sentiment tab was punched with the Modern Label in So Saffron and the white with the Word Window and stamped in Rose Red from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

Sunday, January 17, 2010

GCA #74 - Be Inspired by Fabric!!


Hello all!!! For the challenge this week we are going to use the delightful creations by KaraMia Sofia. I found this wonderful shop on Etsy and is run by Joanne. Her talent in sewing is awesome, especially to me as I do not know how to sew!!! However, she uses a variety of fabric prints to create make-up bags, clutches for bridal parties and holders for cell phones, etc.

My sample is now up! Fell asleep last night with my grandson and slept all night!! Guess I was more tired than I thought!!! You can see my inspiration piece Gadget Pouch with all the fun colors in it, which is why I picked this one.

I used the new With All My Heart set from the Occasions mini. I ordered mine in the clear mount set and did it make it easier to "double stamp" the large flower. I also used the Mojo 121 sketch for my layout.

The colors I used on here are Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Pumpkin Pie, Shimmery White and the SAB dsp. I really like how well these colors go together.

On the dsp piece I spritzed Pumpkin Pie and Rose Red over it with my color spritzer to "cut down" on the glare from the white. I also used my Pumpkin Pie marker and spritzed it over the stamped panel.

My stamped panel was done using the largest flower and the smallest in this set. I tried to mimic the over-lapping color on the fabric by stamping the largest flower first in Pretty in Pink and then Regal Rose. I stamped off the Regal Rose once and then slightly twisted the stamp to create the over lap.

The medium flower was stamped in Rose Red on Pretty in Pink and I used one of the new Pretty in Pink epoxy brads in the center. These can also be found in the new Occasions mini. I used my gel pen for the dots on the scallops.

A piece of Rose Red gg around the tab panel and it's done. Not a very good bow, but it works.

The strip is up on dimensionals and the scallop circle image is up on double dimensionals.

Upload your creation to either your blog or to an online gallery and post a link to your creation to this blog entry by January 23, 2010 at 12 midnight. I will choose the winner the next day. If you upload your card to SCS, PaperCraft Planet, Stampin' Addicts or Stamp TV, please put GCA74 in your keywords. That way everyone can see all of the wonderful creations at once!

Even if you can't make the drawing deadline, PLEASE feel free to participate in the challenges and upload your creations at any time. I would love to see it! And yes, my challenge is open to everyone who visits, even if you live outside the US!

Happy Stamping!!!!

~~~Ann~~~

GCA #73 Winner is.....

.....Julie!!! You can see her fabulous card on her blog JJuli2's Crafty Space.

Julie please send me your address to pinkstamper06@yahoo.com and I will get you a stampin goodie package to you!!

Thanks to all who participated this week, or stopped and looked!

Up Next: GCA #74 - Be Inspired by Fabric!!

Happy Stamping!!!!

~~~Ann~~~

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

More love is in the air!!


Hello all!! Can you believe we just about half way through January already? Before we know it Valentine's Day will be here!!

I have another Valentine card to show you, right in line with this week's challenge!

I've wanted to try the Herringbone technique in the most recent Technique Junkies newsletter and I just hadn't made time. Well, the other day I was sitting at my table and got the bright idea of trying this technique using ribbon!! I plenty of ribbon scraps in bin, and so I went looking. I pulled out red, black and white ribbons and then just followed the directions.

I started out with a 4 1/2 x 5 1/2 piece of scrap card stock and covered thoroughly with double sided tape. At that point I just started laying out my ribbon scraps in the Herringbone pattern. Once I was done, I trimmed the edges and then cut the card stock piece down to the size I wanted. This is the largest piece. I was able to make three cards with the pieces I had. I'll post them this week too.

My card base is Shimmery White and I then used Real Red and Basic Black. The stamp set I used is Love You Much and the bird is punched using the new 2 step bird punch in the Occasions mini.

I used my distressor tool around the edges of the Basic Black panel, just to add some texture! Both the heart and bird are popped up with dimensionals. I also popped up the bird's wing. Lot's of dimension on this one!!

Happy Stamping!!

~~~Ann~~~

Sunday, January 10, 2010

GCA #73 - Love is in the Air!!


Hello all!!! So sorry for the last posts today, but the day just got away from me! Today was stamp club and my girls were just having too much fun!!!

The challenge for this week is, you guessed it, LOVE!!! Now at this time of year most of us think about Valentine's Day, but anytime is the right time for love! Right? (Isn't that a song??)

So, for this week create a card, scrapbook page, or any type of creation, with the emphasis on LOVE. Your card does not have to be specific to Valentine's Day, but feel free to show off your Valentine's!

My sample for this week is a Valentine's Day card, and actually one of the cards we did at stamp club today! Very quick and simple, yet the little touches pack a WOW! I used the Love You Much set and the new Very Vintage wheel from the Occasions mini. The Whisper White and Regal Rose pieces are punched with the new scallop trim border punch, which is available in the SAB mini. This punch is a must have, and you need the corner punch that goes with it!!

Just to add a little more texture to my card, I ran the Regal Rose piece through the crimper. The heart is popped up with dimensionals, as is the sentiment tab. A couple of buttons, and it's done! The dsp is from the SAB dsp pack. This is another awesome set of dsp!

Upload your creation to either your blog or to an online gallery and post a link to your creation to this blog entry by January 16, 2010 at 12 midnight. I will choose the winner the next day. If you upload your card to SCS, PaperCraft Planet, Stampin' Addicts or Stamp TV, please put GCA73 in your keywords. That way everyone can see all of the wonderful creations at once!

Even if you can't make the drawing deadline, PLEASE feel free to participate in the challenges and upload your creations at any time. I would love to see it! And yes, my challenge is open to everyone who visits, even if you live outside the US!

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

GCA #72 Winner is....

.....FibreJunky!!!! You can see the beautiful cards she created on her blog Ramblings of a Fibre Junky.

Please email me at pinkstamper06@yahoo.com with your address and I will put a stmapin goodie package out to you!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and to those who played along this week!! Have even more fun in 2010 playing with your new stampin goodies!!

Up Next: GCA #73 - Love is in the Air!

Happy Stamping!!!!

~~~Ann~~~

Saturday, January 9, 2010

More Christmas Gift Sets!


Hello all!! How is your New Year going so far? Mine has been filled with spending days with my grandsons and stamping/preparing for an upcoming stamp camp.

On the 2nd, my upline held her annual Christmas brunch for her team. We each bring a passing dish and make a gift for exchange. It is supposed to be around $5, but I think I went over!!

Actually, all these supplies I already had on hand and I used up some of my retired dsp and card stock.



The round box is a paper mache box which I covered using the Sweet Slumber dsp from last year. Using my Tombow glue I applied the dsp to the box. I had just enough dsp to wrap around the box and the ends met each other. The strips on the sides of the box are added to help disguise the seam I covered up!



I then filled the box with a set of 12 notecards which I've had forever! I stamped them with my Flower Fancy set, very simply, and used the Define Your Life set for the sentiment.



The desk calendar was made using a 4 x 6 acrylic frame and more scraps of the Sweet Slumber dsp. I recently was part of bulk buy for the mini calendars, and that is what I used on here. Some of the elements here are inside the frame and some are outside to create a 3-D effect. The butterflies are made with new Butterfly Embosslit in the Occasions mini.

I just love putting together gift sets like this, for any occasion! You can give an awesome gift to someone for very little cost, yet it looks like it cost a bundle!

Enjoy your Saturday!

Happy Stamping!!!!

~~~Ann~~~

Sunday, January 3, 2010

GCA #72 - It's a Brand New Year!!


Hello all!! I hope you are enjoying the beginnings of a fresh new year! As many do at this time, we look back to see where we've been and we look forward to where we are headed. Or would like to be headed!!! LOL! And, with Christmas just past, many of us have received new stampin goodies!!

The challenge for this week is to use any new item you have recently received, either as a Christmas present, or that you bought for yourself, to create a card, scrapbook page, or any type of creation. There is no special theme this week, just be sure to list what your new item is.

My sample for this week is using one of the new sets in the upcoming Occasions mini catalog. You can order from the mini beginning on January 5th.

The "Happy Birthday" greeting is from the Well Scripted set and I ordered the clear mount stamps that SU! is now carrying!!! These are not acrylic stamps, but the same red rubber SU! is known for, but now you can use clear blocks to stamp with!

My card uses the Night & Day dsp that is currently available in the Holiday mini until Monday!!! Even the printed window sheet comes in that pack.

My flowers were cut out with the Flower Folds die in fabric. I then layered them with a Fleurette and brad from the Stylized Silver Hodgepodge.

The sketch I used was Mary Jo Price Williams weekly sketch on her blog, Techno Stamper.

Upload your creation to either your blog or to an online gallery and post a link to your creation to this blog entry by January 9, 2010 at 12 midnight. I will choose the winner the next day. If you upload your card to SCS, PaperCraft Planet, Stampin' Addicts or Stamp TV, please put GCA72 in your keywords. That way everyone can see all of the wonderful creations at once!

Even if you can't make the drawing deadline, PLEASE feel free to participate in the challenges and upload your creations at any time. I would love to see it! And yes, my challenge is open to everyone who visits, even if you live outside the US!

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

GCA #71 Winner is...

....Leah!!! You can see wonderful card she created using background stamps one her blog Paper Blossoms. Leah please send me your address to pinkstamper06@yahoo.com and I will get a stampin goodie package out to you!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and played along.

Up next: GCA72 - It's a New Year!!

Happy Stamping!!

~~~Ann~~~

Friday, January 1, 2010

A Monkey New Year - 2010!


HAPPY NEW YEAR all!!!! I hope this finds you healthy and happy on this first day of 2010. How weird is that to say?

I created this card for two different challenges - LSC253 on SCS and LNS51 on the Late Night Stampers Yahoo Group I am in.

I used the soon-to-be released Fox and Friends, coming in the Occasions mini. You can purchase these starting on January 5th! And, I used the new clear mount stamps!!! I love these, as they help make placement soooo much easier!

When I ordered this set I knew I wanted to do the Warhol technique I learned from Technique Junkies, at least once! But I think I see more cards using this technique from this set. It really lends itself to this technique.

I stamped the monkey in black staz-on on 3 each of Certainly Celery and Barely Banana and then punched them out with the scallop square. Each of the squares were then mounted to a black square and placed on the card using dimensionals.

The challenge for LNS51 is to use brads, so I put a black brad in the corner of each square.

LNS253 is create a Happy - New - Year card, but not necessarily specific to the new year.

The happy part is to create a card in 15 minutes or less. When you stamp one image six times and punch it out, makes the card go very quickly!

The new part is my Fox & Friends set. First time it's seen ink.

The year part was to create a card for an annual event - I just stuck to the New Year theme.

And, the best part of all, is this card was put together using only scraps from stash.

I originally intended this to be a birthday card, but as I was looking through my Teeny Tiny Wishes set, I saw the "Happy New Year" and thought it worked better.

Especially with the font. I used the Modern Label and Word Window punch for the sentiment panel. A strip of black gingham finishes it off.

Happy Stamping!!!!

~~~Ann~~~