Clearly for Mother - GCA130 & LNS115

Hello all!!!  I have another Mother's day card to show you today.  As you know this is the theme for this week's GCA and for the Late Night Stampers group I belong to.

Actually, for me, this card turned out to be quite CAS!!  Doesn't happen very often, but I used the sketch from the Create with Connie and Mary blog that just said CAS to me.  And, I was able to use up some scraps that I had laying around!  Bonus!!!

The card base is Whisper White, layered with a piece of the Love Impressions textured dsp (still available in the Occasions mini).  The panel was cut at 3 3/4 x 5 to leave some of the card base showing.

For the main image I decided to open up, and use, the Beveled windowpanes I've had since the Occasions mini came out!!  I also used the stamp set, Clearly for You, which coordinates with the windowpanes.  Pretty in Pink satin wraps and holds the windowpane to the card.  These are tricky little things to play with, but I do like the end result!  I used a piece of Crumb Cake seam binding around the know and used a hat pin (non SU!, but we no longer carry these!) through the middle.

Not sure how well you can see in the photo, but I also used my Tea Stain distress ink around the edges and on the crown.

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

GCA #130 - Happy Mother's Day!!!

Hello all!!!  Finally, I have the never-ending wedding invites done!!!  I am so envious of those stampers who can do CAS to perfection!  I have another set to do later this year and I will definitely be doing them CAS!!!

While Easter is late this year, it seems that Mother's Day is EARLY!!  (We can never win can we??)  So, anything related to Mother's Day: cards, scrapbook pages, gifts or whatever are in order for this week. 

My sample for this week's GCA is also a combo with the Late Night Stampers weekly challenge of Mother's Day.  And, I was also asked to be the guest designer for April!  How cool is that??  Now I'm really nervous about posting my work!

The card today is really quite simple and easy.  The base is Very Vanilla textured (and leftover from the invites), the second panel is plain Very Vanilla and the punched scallops and circles are Peach Parfait textured.  The dsp is from Sweet & Sour.  The sketch is from Clean & Simple stamping - FTL134.

Upload your creation to either your blog or to an online gallery and post a link to your creation to this blog entry by April 9, 2011 at 12 midnight. I will choose the winner the next day. If you upload your card to SCS, PaperCraft Planet, Stampin' Addicts, Stampin' Connection (for SU! demos) or Stamp TV, please put GCA130 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 #128 - You Are In My Thoughts!

Hello all!!!  Another week has just flown by and it's Sunday once again.  Unless, you live under a rock, you know all about the massive earthquake and tsunami damage in Japan.  The more I look at the images coming from Japan and read the articles, the more I am grateful of where I live, but most importantly my heart just breaks for those who have lost their lives and the families left behind.

So, this week the focus is to create a card, or something, for someone you know, or don't know, and let them know that you are thinking of them.  It could be a Thinking of You, Sympathy, Get Well or just a general You're in My Thoughts.  Not only have the events in Japan occurred, but closer to home I have lost a dear co-worker and another co-worker fractured her pelvis while skiing.  So, I have cards to get done!  And I have had a couple of RAK requests come through my inbox that I need to get out.

Here's my sample.  Tried to keep it simple, but that doesn't always work for me!!!  I used the sketch from TechnoStamper's blog (AKA MaryJo), TSSC164.  I'm also using this for the Late Night Stamper's weekly challenge - to go green!

The thought here was to keep the colors somewhat subdued, yet still give the recipient a bright spot to their day.  The dsp is Greenhouse Gala, layered on a Very Vanilla card base.  The Top Note piece is cut from Old Olive, layered with Cajun Craze and then Very Vanilla.  The Cajun Craze layer was punched with the corner and border scallop trim punches.  Almost forgot how to do that I haven't done it in a while!!

The large butterfly was cut with the butterfly die in the cork and the smaller one is from the Beautiful Wings embosslit.  Layered those with an Old Olive button and Pumpkin Pie flower brad.  I took the prongs off the flower brad and used my hot glue gun to attach to the button.  The entire butterfly piece is up on dimensionals.  The sentiment is 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 March 19, 2011 at 12 midnight. I will choose the winner the next day. If you upload your card to SCS, PaperCraft Planet, Stampin' Addicts, Stampin' Connection (for SU! demos) or Stamp TV, please put GCA128 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 #97 - How Do You Dry Emboss?? And, Blog Candy!!!!

Hello all!!  Hope everyone is having a fabulous day!  Spent time with my grandsons this afternoon, developed a migraine, took a nap and now here I am!  Still working frantically on my convention swaps, but really now to have all the parts and pieces I need to take with me to finish in Salt Lake!  As my usual, I'll be working on them on the plane tomorrow night!  It sure does draw peoples attention though!

The GCA for this week is another easy, peasy one.  How do you dry emboss?  Do you use a Cuttlebug, Big Shot, Big Kick or Quick Kutz?  Or do you still like to do the stylus and stencil method?  Or have you developed your own way to dry emboss?  Whatever the method or manner you use to dry emboss with, the challenge is to have some type of dry embossing on your creation!

My card this week uses the Square Lattice eb folder and Big Shot from SU!  I love this folder and my Big Shot!!  I also made this card for the LNS weekly challenge 79, which is a sketch. 

I turned the sketch vertical since my card base, Whisper White, was already cut in the vertical way.  My top note layer was cut in Tangerine Tango and Whisper White, layered with Pear Pizazz and Greenhouse Gala dsp.  Love the bright, fun and sunny colors of this piece of the dsp.

To mimic the flowers on the dsp, I used the extra large fancy flower punch in So Saffron and Tangerine Tango, put them through the lattice eb folder and then curled up the edges.  Hard to see in the photo, but I also peeled the Tangerine petals apart some.  The entire flower is on a Daffodil Delight scallop circle, the new 2 3/8" one with dimensionals.  The sentiment is from the new hostess level 3 set, Occasional Quotes.  This is one set you need!!  It is stamped in Tangerine Tango and backed with So Saffron.  The petals/leaves are punched from the 2 step bird punch in Cert. Celery.  I used the branch and wing as leaves.

The strip under the top note layer is So Saffron with WW, after I ran it through the lattice eb folder.  I just love the look this folder gives to card stock.  3 silver 5/8' brads finish off the strip.  I used a piece of Old Olive satin to finish the card off with.  The top note panel is also up on 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 July 24, 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 GCA97 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!

And now for the blog candy!!!  Since I will be spending the upcoming week in Salt Lake city attending the annual Stampin' Up! convention, I am offering blog candy to pass on my excitement to you!  All you need to do to enter is either create a dry embossed card or leave me a comment!  I will draw the winner on Sunday, July 25th!  The blog candy includes, 5 sheets of chipboard letters/images, SU! jumbo wheel "Lot of Hearts", ribbon, Art from the Heart CD from convention 2007, several handmade cards, plus other items I can't remember!!


Happy Stamping!!!



~~~Ann~~~

An Inspired Thanks - LNS 78

Hello all!!!  I hope everyone was able to enjoy the Independence holiday with family and friends.  I spent the weekend with friends and time in my crafting haven!!  Trying, desperately, to get ready for convention - which only 16 days away!!!!!!

Anyway, this is one of the cards I created this weekend.  The challenge for this week on the Late Night Stampers group is an inspiration one and this is what I came up with.  The minute I saw the picture I thought of my Inspired by Nature set.  Took me a little longer to come up with the idea, but when I did it hit me quick and I HAD to put this together right then!!  Ever have those moments??

I'll start with the Bashful Blue background layer.  I attempted to try a technique which uses mesh bagging to create the texture.  I had a piece from utensils I bought and just found it today while cleaning!!  Anyway, I say attempted because it didn't turn out like I thought it would.  I used my brayer, a sponge, the ink pad and then a sponge dauber and just kind of rubbed it over the mesh.  The effect on here is fine, but I would have liked it slightly more detailed.  I did use Bashful Blue ink.

The main image panel was created using Pacific Point, Bashful Blue and Whisper White.  My thought/idea was to give the look of looking out of a window, but necessarily from an inside view.  Make sense?  Not sure I quite achieved that look, but I do love how this card turned out.

The grass was stamped on Whisper White in Wild Wasabi a couple of times, to create depth.  I then sponged Bashful Blue over, with a scalloped oval, to create sky and clouds.  The sun was actually a "boo-boo", but it turned out ok.  The window frame was created by punching four 1 1/4" squares and running it through the Lattice Square eb folder.

The cone flowers were colored with markers and stamped onto Whisper White.  I used Wild Wasabi, Daffodil Delight and Chocolate Chip.  LOVE that we now have markers to go with former/new In Colors!!!  I then cut them out and popped them up with dimensionals.  To create even more depth I purposely curved the stems out some and curled up some of the petals.  I then wove them through the linen thread, which is wound around the bottom.

My sentiment is stamped with the new Perfect Punches set, using the Round Tab image and the saying is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.  Both of these are done with Pacific Point ink.

The butterflies are cut from the Beautiful Wings embosslit in Pacific Point and Wild Wasabi.  The entire main image panel is popped up with more dimensionals.  To finish this off I used my distressor tool on the Pacific Point and Whisper White panel.  Reminds me of looking at a scene on the beach.

The inside was done with the leftover butterflies, stamped some more grass and layered Bashful Blue, Wild Wasabi dsp and Whisper White together.

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

Pre-Convention fun with Late Night Stampers!!!

Hello all!!! Many times you have heard me mention the Late Night Stampers group I belong to through Yahoo. Well, there is a non-demo side and a demos only side, and I belong to both!!

But this is all about the demos this time. Sherrill Graff, group mom and leader of the Late Night Stampers, hosts several Pre-Convention events the week of convention and throughout the week. Now, I have not attended any of these events, but I have heard they are FABULOUS and well worth the money. And, it's a great way to meet new friends and see old ones!

To find out all about the events keep reading and click on any of the active links and you will find out even more info!!

Going to Stampin' Up! Convention 2010 in Salt Lake City, Utah? ... think about this :)

Prizes, prizes, and more prizes!!!!

Late Night Stampers... WANTS YOU!!!

If you are going to Stampin' Up! Convention this year, 2010, consider going early. Join the Late Night Stampers -- which is FREE! -- and join us at the following pre-Convention events. Love them!

Learn more about joining HERE.
Plan to attend Stampin Up Convention 2010 with us on July 21-24, 2010 at Salt Lake City, Utah!

OUR LNS events start on Monday July 19th and end on Saturday July 24th with Patsy's WOW event after convention is over.

$180 gives you the "I want it all package" or you can pick from the events below

Send your payment to istmpnv@aol.com using pay pal or mail a check to:

Sherrill Graff
605 Kendrick Place
Boulder City NV 89005

if you are sending a check e-mail me and let me know so I can hold your spot.

Monday July 19th will be a 8:30 AM stamp camp 8 great projects $90 FULL
we supply everything except adhesive
Monday Stamp Camp projects are the same on both days

Monday 2 PM shoe box swap $35 OPEN
please bring a project to share with 6 people and a finished project to enter into the contest

Monday Night 7 PM WOW event by Tami $10 OPEN we need 3 more wow demonstrators to show their stuff. please e-mail istmpnv@aol.com ASAP
bring your camera and a note pad
the WOW demonstrations are different on both days.
all at the Radisson

Tuesday July 20th will be a 8:30 AM stamp camp 8 great projects $90 OPEN

followed by a Tuesday 2 PM shoe box swap $35 FULL
please bring a project to share with 6 people and a finished project to enter into the contest

then the Tuesday Night 7 PM Reunion party 3 fun projects$35 FULL
we supply everything except adhesive all at the Radisson

Wednesday July 21 Anything New Swap 75+1 at the Radisson behind Convention on sign in day

Wednesday Sign In Day 2pm-4pm Shoe Box Swap Hosted by Mary and Brenda $35 OPEN
please bring a project to share with 6 people and a finished project to enter into the contest
at the Radisson

then a Saturday July 24th 6 PM WOW event by Patsy $10 OPEN
bring your camera and a note pad
at the Radisson
the WOW demonstrations are different on both days.

All events have prizes and give-a-ways.
May God bless you and your family,
Sherrill Graff istmpnv@aol.com


Happy Stamping!!!!

~~~Ann~~~

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~~~

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~~~

Reese's Gratitude - LNS43

Hello all!!! Wanted to share another Late Night Stampers challenge card I did. The challenge last week was to be inspired by a piece of candy for your creation. I chose the Reese PB cup.

Actually, the card came together from scraps that were sitting on my table! I had started a previous card with the "cattails" from Inspired by Nature, but it wasn't working so I went to something else. This piece uses the Gesso Off technique which I learned from the Technique Junkies newsletter. This is a fun technique, but messy!!

The strip of Kraft with the Bright Blessings wheel is left over from a recent club meeting. I just cut out the words from the wheel I had in Old Olive.

Not sure how I feel about the butterfly, but it needed something and this is what I came up with.

Happy Stamping!!


~~~Ann~~~

A Fall Thank You

Hello all!!

I belong to a wonderful Yahoo group called, Stampin Up Late Night Stampers. Each week, the design team hosts a wonderful challenge and this week it was color combo of Old Olive, Ruby Red and Really Rust. Now I like Old Olive and Ruby Red together, but was a little unsure of the Really Rust. But, I do like how it turned out in the end.

For the large background panel I used a new technique from Technique Junkies, Crinkled BG. I used all three colors and stamped with wax paper onto my card stock. I used my tag punch on each of the corners and shaded with Old Olive and Ruby Red. Then I tried something I've been wanting to try, but just haven't made the time.

I swiped the edges of the panel with my Versamark ink pad, not really paying attention to where it was swiping, and then covered that with clear embossing powder. Not sure how much you can see in the photo, but it makes for nice framed look on the background piece and the main image panel.

I used the row of trees from Lovely as a Tree, inked in Old Olive and then I used my markers in Choc Chip, Ruby Red and Really Rust to add the color. The Ruby Red kind of overpowered the other colors.

The sentiment is from Fresh Cuts and I clear embossed the entire panel after stamping. The frame was cut with one of the dies from Lots of Tags and then I paper pierced the edges.

The flower/leaf design is made from the die Birds with Leaves. I used the pine cone from Lovely as a Tree for the center.

Lots of dimension on this card, as I added dimensionals under the main image panel, the flower/leaf design and on the sentiment panel.

The sketch is from Gretchen Barron at Inspiration in Action. She is a fellow LNS member and she now has her own week end sketch challenges she hosts. This is my first time to play, but I'll be back for more!

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

RAK's from Late Night Stampers

Hello all and Happy Tuesday!!

I belong to a Yahoo group called Late Night Stampers. Some are demos and some are not, but the most important thing is the friendships, laughter and sharing of ideas we give each other!! If you would like to be a part of this amazing group, click on the StampinUpLNStampers and see for yourself!!

Last week I received these two RAK's from LNS ladies!! I told you we had fun!!

The first is from Tammy Howell and comes all the way from North Carolina! Isn't is the sweetest?? And, she did the clean and simple look!! What a fabulous way to showcase the wonderful dsp SU! has!!

The second RAK comes from Mary Jo Price in New York!! I just love the Bella she used on here too!! I think it is the rubber stamping bella, but since I don't have any I'm not sure!! I love the colors she used and it inspires me to pull out the Brilliant Blue as I hardly use it!

If you have any cards "just sitting around", I encourage you to put them in the mail and help them to brighten someones day!!

Still no Malaki yet!! He is going to take his own sweet time I guess!!

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

Butterfly Healing - WT220, LSC22 & LNS 21!!

Hello all!!! Well, I haven't stamped in almost a week for a variety of reasons!! Last weekend I was busy taking advantage of the holiday weekend and four days off, painting in my apartment. That was all fine and dandy, until Monday morning when I bent over to pick something up off the floor, and there went my back!! Early in my nursing career, I injured my back while transferring a patient at the hospital, and every once in awhile it goes out! Usually with little to no warning, as it did this time!!

So, off to the doctor on Tuesday and the rest of the week off work! Sounds like a vacation right?? WRONG!!! I tried to stamp, thinking all I have to do is sit, but I didn't realize how much I twist and turn and reach and grab when stamping! So, three days this week have been spent either lying in bed or sitting with my feet up and taking the good drugs my doctor prescribed as ordered!!! I AM GOING STIR CRAZY!!!! I don't mind time at home, but I really am ready to get back to work.

Anyway, today I finally was able to stamp without causing unnecessary pain to myself, and I combined 3 challenges into one card! For me, I would also classify this as Clean and Simple!!

First off is the Late Night Stampers Yahoo group challenge of a summer theme. What says summer more than bright colors, flowers and butterflies?? The only stamping on here is the sentiment and you;ll see why in a sec!

The LSC this week is to focus on Patterned Paper!! Only the card base could be plain card stock, any other paper on here had to be patterned! My choice was the Tea Party dsp along with the Certainly Celery prints for my leaves. I used my Big Butterflies and Oval Scallop frame dies, the Birds & Blooms and Little Leaves sizzlets and the Simple Flower embosslit. And since we are to keep embellishments to a minimum, I used 3 buttons and some crochet thread. The main flower is up on double dimensionals and the rest are on single dimensionals.

The WT for this week is to use buttons!! I love using buttons and SU! has some fabulous ones to choose from. One here I used the Button Latte and Pretty in Pink buttons.

I am also sending this out to a fellow demo who recently lost her husband.

Please send a prayer up for son's girlfriend, Misty, who trying very hard to bring forth my grandson Malaki, who is being stubborn!!! (Just like his daddy!!)

Happy Stamping!!!!

~~~Ann~~~