StamperJoyce's Creative Corner

Just Some Doodles

2011-12-03T23:15:00.002-05:00

I was cleaning out a closet the other day and ended up going through a bunch of my artwork from over the years. Here are photos of a few of my doodles from about (maybe) five or so years ago. Now you'll know why I stamp rather than draw, LOL!

In Search of My Muse: Six Cards

2011-11-27T03:55:00.008-05:00

You know how when you haven't stamped for awhile, it takes some time to get back into your groove? Well, that's what I've been working on for the last two weeks. Rather than bore you with a lot of blah blah blah, I'll just show you what I did in the order I did them...

Card 1:
Not sure why the above card is vertical, since it's supposed to be in landscape orientation (horizontal). Gotta love Blogger, sigh. Just lean your head to the left and you'll see the card correctly. :)

Oh, I forgot to mention, my idea was to work with just the 2011-2013 In Colors for this batch. I've gone now from loathing the colors to sort of liking them. Well, except for Wisteria Wonder, which has been a true love from the start. (You know me and purple!)

Card 2:

Card/Project 3:

(There's that orientation problem again! This time lean right and you'll see it correctly!)

Below is a tin of Hershey's Nuggets wrapped in DSP to match the card. I wrapped a ruffly ribbon around the tin and then added some cute little tags to jazz it up. The recipient was tickled pink!

Card 4:

The above card is stamped on Whisper White, but my lighting issues cause it to look like it's on Very Vanilla. Sorry 'bout that! Speaking of colors, I learned while making this card that the Fall Tim Holtz Distress Ink colors (Seedless Preserves, Ripe Persimmon, and Gathered Twigs) closely coordinate with Stampin' Up! colors of Perfect Plum, Only Orange (retired), and Soft Suede.

Card 5:
Life is hard enough most days, so I'm not much of a distressor in my stamping -- but I thought I'd give it a shot on this card! I ran a piece of DSP through the Big Shot with an embossing folder, then sanded the design even further so that it would stand out more. I also added some SU! Dazzling Details (like Stickles made with SU!'s Dazzling Diamonds glitter) in some sections of the embossed design, although it doesn't show up very well here.

And finally Card 6, my personal favorite:

Aww, nuts, this one's sideways, too! If you lean to the right you'll see it correctly.

So there ya have it, my first round of cards in ages! If you have questions about the colors, stamps used, or anything else, just leave a comment and I will respond. I won't be going into a lot of detail as to the "ingredients" of my cards like I have in the past anymore, since I'm pretty sure everyone just bleeps over the info anyway.

I can't wait to start on my next batch!!

Pretty Glue Holder

2011-11-27T03:36:00.006-05:00

My Tombow Multi glue was driving me crazy. Every time I set it back down on the worktable, the glue would go to the opposite end of the bottle and then the next time I wanted glue I'd have to wait or shake or both. No more! (Big grin!)

I ate some yogurt and used the container as my glue holder. Within two days, I was despising the yogurt container on my table -- what an eyesore! So, I dressed it up!

It's not an original idea, and I even got the template for the designer paper wrap online. Still, I'm proud of my quick fix as it's the only thing remotely stamping-related I got done for several months while my heel and legs were healing.

Paisley Petals Sympathy Cards

2011-07-18T18:37:00.005-04:00

Remind me to not stop stamping again for such a long time. I have to relearn how to stamp, where my stuff is, and how to blog! I also realized as I started to do this that I hadn't updated my watermarks to 2011 yet (and it's JULY!!). Now that that's done, hopefully I can get back into the groove of things.

Anyway, here are my first cards post-break. They're not stunning, I know, but I'm still proud of them just for having gotten my act together to make them! Both cards feature the Designer Series Paper called Paisley Petals on a base of Marina Mist, and the only ink used, for both stamping and sponging, is Early Espresso.

I used the Keytag punch (retired) for the sentiment on the first card, and raised it up on Stampin' Dimensionals. The ribbon is 1/8" taffeta in Marina Mist. Even with the "loud" DSP print, the card seemed a bit scarce -- until the Beautiful Wings embosslit and Basic Pearls came to my rescue.

I wanted the large sentiment from the Thanks for Caring stamp set to take center stage on the second card, and I think setting it off inside a 2 1/2" circle does just that. The decorative border was done using the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch. If I had to do this card all over again, I would heat emboss the sentiment to really make it stand out.

+ + + + + + + + + + + +

I did invest in a few supplies while I was on sabbatical, and one of my favorite items is the new Cupcake punch. Being the goof I am, I've had fun telling friends I made cupcakes -- only to show them a papercrafted version of the treat! (Bad Joyce!) Here are the first two I made:

Now that I've got the stamping bug again, the hardest part is going to be deciding what to do next! I have so many ideas! Stick with me, and I'm sure I'll have some COOL stuff to share!

Smiles,
Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce

She Lives!

2011-07-16T16:29:00.003-04:00

Yes, indeed, I am back from my 6 or 7 month sabbatical, and it feels great to be getting ink on my fingers again!! My first card is a simple sympathy card, and my second one (halfway done) is going in that direction as well. I need to dig out my camera to show the cards, but I just wanted to swing by and thank any of my readers who stayed with me while I was away. My goal is to make your sticking around worth the wait!!

Happy Dancing to be back,

Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce

Three More Anniversary Cards

2010-12-20T15:53:00.006-05:00

These three cards are the final ones in my friend Cathy's order of anniversary and sympathy cards. As much as I love stamping, I always breathe a sigh of relief when the last cards in an order are finished and delivered. As usual, Cathy was delighted with my cards, so that's a tremendous boost to my ego, lol.

Card 1

I love this card! I used my Framed Tulips embossing folder (in the upcoming Occasions Mini catalog) for the first time, my favorite ribbon of all time (now retired, sadly), and a sentiment I computer-generated using My Digital Studio.

Stamp set: Fifth Avenue Floral

Colors: Real Red, Garden Green, Whisper White

Big Shot: Little Leaves Sizzlet, Tulip Frame embossing folder

Punch: Extra Large Decorative Label

And: My Digital Studio, Real Red Polka Dotted ribbon, mini glue dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

Card 2

I love this card, too! It was super simple to make, and the hardest part was deciding which colors to use. I went with my friend Fonda's favorite color combination of pink and brown, and the rest "just happened."

Stamp sets: Elements of Style, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Colors: Early Espresso, Pink Pirouette

Big Shot: Top Note die

Punches: Modern Label, Word Window, 2 sizes of Circle Punches

And: Stampin' Dimensionals

Card 3

I love this card!! (Can you tell I'm very happy with yesterday's work?) I'm not sure if my favorite part is the simplicity of it, or the fact that I finally opened up my Smooch Spritz and fell in love with the product!

Stamp sets: I {Heart} Hearts, A Word for You

Colors: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White

Big Shot: Non-Stampin' Up! embossing folder

And: Gold Glow Smooch Spritz

Coming up next (well, maybe, but no guarantees!): A 4x6 Monthly Calendar for 2011!

Wishing you the best of this Holiday season, including

Peace,

Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce

Five Cards (Catching up on posting!)

2010-12-14T16:19:00.008-05:00

I've continued to work on sympathy and anniversary cards this last week, and just realized that I haven't been posting them -- so now it's catch-up time!

Card 1
Here's a simple sympathy card that I think looks very elegant...

Stamp Sets: Because I Care, Small Sayings (inside)
Colors: Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, retired mystery DSP
Punches: Extra Large Scalloped Oval, Large Oval
And: Stampin' Pastels, 5/8" satin ribbon, Basic Pearls, sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals

Card 2
I struggled with this card, but I think it turned out to be, well, "interesting"...

Stamp Sets: By Definition (taken from My Digital Studio), Word Play (inside)
Colors: Basic Grey, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, retired mystery DSP
Punches: Boho Blossoms, Decorative Label, non-SU! border punch
And: Sponge, Gelly Roll shimmer pen (non-SU!)

Cards 3 and 4
I saw this design somewhere awhile back and it stuck in my head, so I just HAD to CASE (Copy and Selectively Edit) it! Unfortunately, my CRS is acting up and I can't remember now who the original designer is. If it's you, speak up so that I can give you credit for this wonderful card design that works for any occasion!

Stamp Set: Warmest Regards
Colors: Shimmer White (card base), Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Not Quite Navy
Big Shot: Scallop Rectangle Clearlit, Beautiful Wings Embosslit

Stamp Set: Warmest Regards, A Word for You (inside the anniversary card)
Colors: Shimmer White (card base), Real Red, Night of Navy, Crushed Curry
Big Shot: Scallop Rectangle Clearlit, Beautiful Wings Embosslit

Card 5
Look, ma! No stamps! I did this card using the My Digital Studio software! The "DSP" is from Summertime Splendor, and the sentiment is just something I typed and applied a font to. I printed the DSP twice along with the sentiment on my home printer, and then I punched the sentiment and background to it with the Wide Oval punch. The ribbon is the real deal -- 1/2" Stitched Poly Ribbon in Concord Crush. The card base is real cardstock, too, also Concord Crush, to which I applied panels of the DSP. (I have since learned how to resize and better use DSP in My Digital Studio.)

I have three more anniversary cards to do to complete this order, and I hope to have them done before Saturday so I can give them to my friend then. So, as ever, stay tuned...

Warmly,
Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce

My First My Digital Studio Card!

2010-12-14T15:04:00.006-05:00

I am SO VERY excited!! I decided to take the plunge and purchase Stampin' Up!'s digital scrapbooking software called My Digital Studio. I'm not a scrapper, but I know it can be used for cards as well as online graphics such as blog headers and signatures, plus a whole slew of stuff I just haven't thought of yet!

Anyway, I expected a painful learning curve, but was pleasantly surprised (well, shocked) when I was able to make my first project, the card below, in less than 90 minutes after cracking open the software. Installation went smoothly, and the program is really easy to work with. I started out using a pre-designed 5 x 7 card template, but then altered it to suit the card recipient -- changed colors, moved some elements, added stuff, and so on. WAY COOL!

The top two pictures are how the card looked in My Digital Studio, and how the two card sides would have looked if I had had them professionally printed:

Time didn't allow for professional printing, though, so I used my ho-hum Dell 924 All-in-One printer and a piece of Whisper White cardstock. The colors are not true to Stampin' Up!'s palette, but they work for this particular project.

Notice something different between the pictures from My Digital Studio and the photos of the card off my printer? (Well, besides print quality?) I added BLING! Yup, I added black gemstones from the Holiday Mini to the front and inside of the card to jazz it up! The photos really don't do it justice.

Also, instead of printing double-sided to make a regular card, I printed the two panels separately and trimmed them down to size, then mounted them on a piece of Basic Black cardstock. For good measure, I distressed the edges of the black card base to give it a bit more of a grunge look to match the grungy spots I had designed into the card.

I am so eager to learn more about what My Digital Studio can do! So far it seems to me that Stampin' Up! has thought of everything! Tentatively, my next project will be a new header for this blog. Stay tuned... !

Walk in Peace,
Joyce Spear, a.k.a. StamperJoyce

Thoughts and Prayers

2010-12-04T17:46:00.006-05:00

I have an order for six anniversary cards and six sympathy cards, and I've been itching to pull out my Thoughts & Prayers wood mount stamp set from Stampin' Up! I decided that because I have so many cards to do (these in addition to other orders, plus my own holiday cards maybe), I'd keep the designs super simple. I've managed to come up with four cards in the last two days -- and the night is young! Here's what I've done so far...

Stamp set: Thoughts & Prayers

Colors: Night of Navy, Whisper White

Big Shot: Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder

And: 1/4" Night of Navy grosgrain ribbon

Stamp set: Thoughts & Prayers

Colors: Marina Mist (isn't it gorgeous? Well, my camera's giving me fits tonight, so trust me, it's gorgeous!), Whisper White

Big Shot: Oval Scallop Frame

And: Basic Pearls

Stamp sets: Thoughts & Prayers, A Word for You

Colors: Old Olive, Marina Mist, Real Red (great combination!!), Whisper White

Big Shot: Square Lattice embossing folder

Punch: Heart to Heart, retired corner punch that I don't remember the name of -- but I'll look it up if anyone really needs to know

And finally, my favorite so far...

Stamp sets: Thoughts & Prayers, A Word for You

Colors: Rose Red, Old Olive, Whisper White

And: Stampin' Write markers, Stampin' Dimensionals

For me, the best part of these cards is that they're coming together easily. My style is usually to anguish over what to do, colors to use, stamps to use, layout, embellishments, and so on until I make myself crazy. I've gone into a lower-key stamping mode somehow with these, though, and I think it's working for me!

So, I'm one-third done with this group of cards and hopeful I'll finish up within the next few days. Stay tuned for more card pictures!

Peace,

Joyce Spear, a.k.a. StamperJoyce

Day of Gratitude

2010-11-27T19:18:00.005-05:00

I had great ambitions to send out Thanksgiving cards this year, but life got in the way. I still managed to put together a set of four cards using the most gorgeous stamp set in Stampin' Up!'s Holiday Mini, Day of Gratitude. These stamps work wonderfully with the Autumn Spice specialty Designer Series Paper, which is actually textured heavy-weight cardstock.

I decided I wanted to work my cards around the largest stamp in the set, the medallion. I used the "rock and roll" technique on some of them, which means I inked up the rubber in a lighter color, then rocked and rolled the edges of the stamp in a darker color ink before huffing and stamping. I love how the medallion layers on itself, too. On one of the medallions I used a large white grommet to frame a specialty circle brad. On others, just a brad sets off the medallion design wonderfully. Oh heck, enough talk -- let's just look at the cards!

Stamp set: Day of Gratitude
DSP: Autumn Spice
Colors: More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Old Olive, Early Espresso, Whisper White
And: Punches, 1/8" Taffeta ribbon, large white grommet, specialty brads (some retired), paper snips for fussy cutting

Smiles,
Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce

ETA: My apologies for the photos being a bit blurry! I'll have my photographer (me) do a better job next time!

More Customized Birthday Cards

2010-11-09T16:12:00.006-05:00

More birthday cards! Gotta say I'm pretty proud of these two, especially the first one. I was asked to do a card with a Smallville theme, so I started out by finding some online photos to use. Once I printed them out, the card began to evolve -- size, colors, accessories all fell into place. (Don'tcha just love when that happens?)

The card is 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", a piece of Basic Black cardstock folded in half. I picked Bravo Burgundy and Perfect Plum as accent colors since they went so well with Clark's cape and the sky in the pictures. I ran the card base though my Big Shot using the Elegant Lines embossing folder, and WOW! it really made the card start to come to life! The fun sentiments are computer printed and nicely layered on both the front and inside. I used the Decorative Label punch from the Holiday Mini behind the ovals. (I love love love this punch!) As a final touch I added some Stampin' Up Basic Rhinestones for some classy bling!

The next card is for a soon-to-be 16 year old. I picked out a card I created some time ago and personalized it using die cut letters. (Man, I love my Big Shot!!)

Inside:

Envelope:

As pleased as I am with these cards, I'm looking forward to moving on to the next projects! I want to make thank you cards for someone who's been especially kind to me over the last few months; some butterfly birthday cards to go overseas to kids in the Compassion program; some more anniversary and sympathy cards; and, of course, holiday cards! Think I have enough to keep me busy? Looks like I have to give up my addiction to Facebook games!

Have you seen the fabulous Holiday mini catalog? If you don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator of your own and would like a hard copy of this publication, email me privately and I'll be sure to get one into your hands!

Wishing you delight in little things,
Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce

A Couple Birthday Cards

2010-10-20T12:43:00.005-04:00

My aide asked me to make cards for her two daughters celebrating their birthdays this month, so I rolled up my sleeves yesterday and had at it.

The first is a traditional birthday card, and the only suggestion I had to work with was that her favorite color is red. For some reason I was drawn to Riding Hood Red, which further led me to use some Candy Lane DSP (retired but still quite pretty!). I've been seeing this card layout around a lot lately, and thought I'd try my hand at it. The card turned out to have more layers than I've ever used: nine! I like how it turned out, though -- simple, but classy! I think the sentiment from the Well Scripted set was the perfect choice.

The second daughter's birthday is on the 31st, so she traditionally gets a Halloween themed birthday card. I started by running Basic Black cardstock through my Big Shot using Stampin' Up!'s Spider Web embossing folder. I then polished over the embossing first with some white Smooch, then used a dauber with the Frost White shimmer paint to give it a hazy, spooky effect. The rest of the card front came together using some Ghostly Greetings DSP (retired) in Only Orange, and a Kiwi Kiss scallop.

On the inside I put a panel of Kiwi Kiss, then merged sentiments from Haunted House and On Your Birthday. The skeleton is from the set Bats About You, and the grouping of three bats are eyelets from my stash. The colorful bats on the right are from SU!'s wonderful new Bat punch. I used a sponge to grunge the edges a bit:

And the envelope, complete with skeleton from the Scary Skeleton set:

*** Happy Birthday, Tiffany and Kimberly!! ***

Fun with Owls

2010-10-18T19:28:00.005-04:00

I'm smitten by the Two-Step Owl Extra Large punch new to this year's Idea Book & Catalog! It is SO much fun to play with, and I've barely scratched the surface of what can be done! I kept the owls on the following three cards pretty simple, but I've seen them made with their wings outstretched, in Bride and Groom outfits, in hats of all types, as silhouettes against a full moon -- and the pieces can be used to make ghosts, penguins, and flowers, too! The eyes can be done as I have by using the circles on the punch, or they can be two-layered, have eyelids, or even be done with googly eyes. What a hoot! (Sorry, couldn't resist the pun!)

Since the cards are pretty straightforward, I'll leave you with the ingredient list below. If you have any questions at all about the cards, please email or leave a comment and I will get back to you. Enjoy the cards!

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes, Confetti
Cardstock/Ink Colors: Pacific Point, Sahara Sand, Not Quite Navy, Night of Navy, Brocade Blue, Old Olive, Whisper White
DSP: Blueberry Crisp
Punches: Two-Step Owl, Two-Step Bird (for branches on the third card), Word Window, Modern Label, Decorative Label (from the Holiday Mini Catalog), Trio Flower
And: Basic Pearls, Victoria Crochet Trim, Stampin' Dimensionals (of course), Not Quite Navy brads, retired Pacific Point ribbon

A Birthday Card!

2010-10-01T13:06:00.005-04:00

I just finished (and mailed!) the first of a bunch of birthday cards I'll be making -- some of them over this coming weekend, I hope!

This card is for one of my dearest friends. Can you guess her favorite color? I broke into my new Cherry Cobbler cardstock and ink just for the occasion, and I have to say that I absolutely LOVE this shade of red! I have a feeling I'll be using a lot of it!

The card itself is pretty straight-forward. I pulled out my Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, and the rest of the card just sort of happened. The candles and flowers on the cake have Smooch Pearlized top coat on them to fancy them up a bit. The card inside is a bit different, but I had fun using my new uber-large scallop punch and the even bigger circle to make layers for both the inside sentiment and the signature section.

I'm counting on the recipient not checking my blog over the weekend, but just in case she stops by and gets a sneak peek at her card, I'll say HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CATHY!

Stamps: Happy Moments, Whimsical Words
Colors: Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point
Punches: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border, 2-1/2" Circle, 2-3/8 Scallop Circle
And: Smooch Pearlized Top Coat
(and yes, I CAN make a card without using Stampin' Dimensionals!)

Smiles,
Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce

Thank You's for the Moving Crew

2010-09-19T20:32:00.004-04:00

At long last I have finished the thank you cards that will be going out to the people who helped me move on July 31. I started the cards several weeks ago, but then life happened -- more sick time, couldn't find supplies, etc. I'm very proud of this set of ten cards, though, especially since no two are exactly alike. Most of my experimentation was on the Melon Mambo layer underneath the main image. I used a variety of embossing folders and texture plates to vary the look, and not a single one looked bad. Here are three of my favorite cards:

Stamp Set: Watercolor Trio
Colors: Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Whisper White
Punches: Large Oval, Scallop Oval, Scallop Trim Border
Big Shot: Square Lattice, Perfect Polka Dots, and Vintage Wallpaper embossing folders
And: Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Smooch Moonlight, Stampin' Dimensionals

I still have a bit of unpacking and a lot of organizing to do before I can really roll up my sleeves and dive into stamping, but it'll all come together in due time. I'm really excited about the new products in both the Idea Book & Catalog and the Holiday Mini, and I'm hoping to show you some great projects!

ETA: A link to the Holiday Mini catalog is on the sidebar to the right. If you haven't seen it yet, go take a look -- and prepare to drool! If you're not a demo or don't have a demo yet and need a hard copy of the Holiday Mini, leave me a note with your email in the comments section and I'll get back to you right away to get your address and get a Mini into your hands!

Last Two Cards before "The Big Move"

2010-07-25T15:26:00.006-04:00

I can't remember if I wrote here that I am moving...? I will be moving to the other side of town next Saturday -- and I can't wait!!!

Here are the last two cards I'll be making in this apartment. The first is a simple thank you card for a new customer who recently placed an order. I've been wanting to make a card using the Tropical Party stamp set and Island Oasis DSP, and this was the perfect opportunity!

Stamps: Tropical Party, Tiny Tags
DSP: Island Oasis
Colors: Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Rose Red
Punches: 2-3/8 Scallop Circle, Jewelry Tag
Big Shot: Square Lattice embossing folder
And: Sponges, Rose Red brad, Stampin' Dimensionals

My final card for the day is a last-minute sympathy card for the passing of an English Setter named Gus, requested by my friend Cathy. The flowers and front sentiment are from the (retired) Close as a Memory set, while the inside was simply printed from my computer. The little paw prints are from the set D is for Dog.

Stamps: Close as a Memory, D is for Dog
DSP: Autumn Traditions (retired)
Colors: Always Artichoke, Ruby Red, More Mustard, Basic Black
And: Always Artichoke brads

The next time I post, it will be from my new home in Hilliard, Ohio! YAY! Catch ya on the flip side!

Smiles,
Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce

Forty Bears for the Kids (at long last!)

2010-07-17T10:15:00.022-04:00

At long last, the final forty Build-a-Bear cards destined for the Las Vegas Ronald McDonald House are ready to go! The first ten were mailed last October, and if you'd like to take a peek at those cards, they are in this post.

To save your scrolling finger a bit of work, I've posted smaller pictures of each card. If you'd like to see details in a larger picture, just click on any of the photos.

The Build-a-Bears and their clothes and accessories were cut by Cynthia Ferenz at Stampin' Dragon -- and that alone was quite a project! I'd like to give a shout out to Cynthia for the donation of time and materials for this undertaking. Thanks, Cynthia! Without you I couldn't have done any of this!!

I had to rely on Cynthia for bear parts because I don't (yet) have the Build-a-Bear dies. I still got to use my Big Shot quite a bit, though, in the making of textured backgrounds, layers using the Top Note die, and lots of butterflies using the "Beautiful Wings" embosslit. The Build-a-Bear dies are shown on pages 216-217 of the current catalog. Beautiful Wings can be found on page 215. If you'd like to see all of the wonderful Big Shot stuff, check out pages 204-217. I can't say enough good things about this fabulous tool!

To keep myself from getting bored with the bears (forty is a lot, you know, even if they are cute!), I pulled out other stamps and accessories to make things more interesting. Here's a card with a background made using a Stampin' Up! wheel:

Of course I had to do a lot of paper piercing because... well, because it looks cool! ...

I discovered that border punches can be used to make nifty corners, too!

The vast majority of supplies used were from Stampin' Up! However, I couldn't resist adding a little bling here and there from my stash. I squealed with delight when I got my new SU! catalog because we now carry self-adhesive rhinestones and pearls (page 188)!

Here' s an oddball card. Most of the bear cards were made using colors in the Pawsitively Prints DSP and some retired DSP chosen by Cynthia. In a brief moment of ennui, I grabbed a piece of Kaleidoscope DSP and threw in some turquoise on this one:

... and here's some Rich Razzleberry thrown in for good measure:

Don'tcha just love the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder?

Here's one with some more detailed paper piercing...

I just realized that I didn't take any pictures of the insides of the cards. Most of them have coordinating decorations -- such as stars or hearts or butterflies -- on the inside to help make the messages the parents write for their kids there all the more special.

Is it even possible to do a project of this magnitude without throwing in some Stickles?

I experimented a bit with both natural hemp and twine for the shoelaces.

And that's the final bear waving goodbye! I think these bears are just as excited as I am about their upcoming trip to Sherrill Graff and the kids in the Las Vegas Ronald McDonald House!

I'd like to thank my friends in the Stampin' Up! Late Night Stampers Yahoo! group for all the support and encouragement they've given me on this project. I'd also like to acknowledge my dear friend Cathy for wanting "in" on this project and covering the postage for this final shipment!

Fifty Build-a-Bear cards later, I'm being asked if I'd do a project like this again. To be honest, I think I would consider making more bear cards in smaller batches... especially if I had the Build-a-Bear dies and had more freedom in my choice of cardstock and DSP colors.

I definitely plan on making more cards for the Ronald McDonald House kids, but I will most likely be supporting Children's Hospital here in Columbus, Ohio rather than the House in Las Vegas. Once I move and get settled into my new place, I'm hoping to have friends over to make cards for kids with me -- because stamping is so much more fun with others!

Have any questions about this Build-a-Bear project or cards for kids? Leave a comment and I'll be sure to get back to you!

And now, back to packing. Ugh!

Smiles,

Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce

Brace Yourself... !

2010-07-16T23:51:00.003-04:00

I just finished taking a whole lot of photos -- over 40, in fact. For those of you who have been following my blog for awhile, that number will resonate as familiar. Why? Because I took it upon myself last autumn to request Build-a-Bear pieces so I could make cards for kids staying at the Las Vegas Ronald McDonald House. I was blessed with enough bear bodies to make 50 cards, much to my surprise. I mailed off ten of the cards last October (read about it here) with the intent to finish up the remaining forty by the end of the year. Well, life happened. I got sick. I got called on to work on other projects. I got sick again. And more recently, I've been packing to move to a much better / safer / healthier / more pleasant place on the other side of town. The official moving date is July 31st.

Well, in the process of packing, the Build-a-Bear project resurfaced. My home health aide has challenged me to finish the cards and have them ready to mail before moving day... and I am so pleased to announce that the forty remaining cards are DONE!! (Hear the angels singing?) I plan to edit the photos tomorrow and start posting the pictures of the cards -- not necessarily because anyone is going to take the time to view all forty cards, but because someday I might want a reminder of what I can get done if I put my mind to it!

I don't plan on posting a lot of details because there are just too many details in these cards to list. I'll repeat this tomorrow, but if you have any questions at all about how any part of this project was done, I'll be happy to answer.

Meanwhile, I think I've earned a good night's sleep. Finally, after months of procrastination, I can sleep with a clear conscience! Hallelujah!

Burger King Birthday Card

2010-07-02T13:10:00.005-04:00

I was asked to make a birthday card for a young lady turning 20 this weekend who manages a Burger King restaurant. Here's what I came up with!

If you have any questions about how I made this card, leave a comment and I'll be happy to respond.

Smiles,
Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce

P.S. Christina, I hope your birthday weekend is a GREAT one! Happy Birthday!

50th Anniversary Card

2010-07-01T14:49:00.002-04:00

I was so pleased when a friend mentioned to me that her sister and husband would be celebrating their 50th anniversary today! She didn't have to ask me twice to make a special card for them!

I started out going for a vintage look, which is why I chose Crumb Cake to brayer over the Bride specialty paper, and then textured Soft Suede as a card base. Vintage Vogue seemed to be the perfect stamp set to work with, and I just love the script lettering in the Whimsical Words and Well Scripted stamp sets. I decided to stretch myself and make a square card to fit in a 5.5" square envelope, and my only "rule" was that the card would have to be pretty flat so it wouldn't get damaged in transit.

I chose Rose Red and Riding Hood Red for the flowers and flower centers, and decided to hold them together with Antique Gold brads. I cut out a handful of leaves stamped in Old Olive next. Using what I had cut out already, I played for quite awhile with the layout for the front of the card, but it just seemed too flat. I ran what I had in front of a friend who doubles as my second set of eyes, and she suggested I add blue to the mix -- and I was off and running! The rest of the card design came together quickly, even though all the cutting, layering, and glueing took quite awhile.

Shhhh, don't tell anyone, but I actually like the inside of the card better!

Stamps: Vintage Vogue, Whimsical Words, Well Scripted
Papers: Soft Suede textured cardstock, Bride specialty paper brayered with Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Other colors: Rose Red, Riding Hood Red, Ballet Blue, Old Olive
And: Antique Gold and Silver brads, Soft Suede polka-dotted grosgrain ribbon (reversed), "Hug" from the Occasions Mini, scalloped oval Nesties, Stampin' Dimensionals, Big Shot (for the "50" on the front)

HAPPY 50th ANNIVERSARY, BILL AND LOLA! Wishing you many more happy years together!

Smiles,
Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce
www.stamperjoyce.stampinup.net

Graduation Congratulations!

2010-06-13T14:41:00.005-04:00

I was thrilled to make a graduation card last week for a dear friend who has been diligently working towards her Ph.D.!! Now that DR. Katie has the card in hand, I can share it here.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't struggle with this one. When I finally agreed with myself to use her school colors, though, the rest of the card fell into place. I wanted to give Dr. Katie the ultimate gold star (remember getting those stars as a little kid?), and the Medallion stamp seemed perfect. I embossed it with a very juicy Versamark pad and Gold Fire Opal embossing powder onto Elegant Eggplant cardstock. No sooner did I finish that step than I wished I had used textured cardstock -- so I added my own look of texture with a stamp from Stampin' Up!'s Extreme Elements set.

I've had my eye on the Happy Grad single stamp and Go, Graduate stamp set in the Summer Mini since I first saw them, and was sitting here kicking myself for not getting them in time to make this card -- when suddenly I remembered that Stampin' Up! offers both of them as digital downloads! I dashed to the SU! website to download them, and then spent a nice hunk of time playing with the images to get them the sizes I wanted. (This process would have been faster if I owned SU!'s My Digital Studio program... but it's still on my wishlist!) When everything was the way I wanted it, I printed it onto Shimmer White cardstock for an added touch of sophistication.

I settled on the Happy Grad sentiment for the front of the card. I didn't want to totally cover the Medallion, but I also didn't want the sentiment so small it couldn't be read. I did a happy dance when I realized that since I was sending this card inside a package, an envelope would be optional! I could let the sentiment hang off the edge of the card! I really, really like this look!

Here you can get an idea of how glitzy the embossed Medallion is:

I decided the inside of the card should be a little more whimsical to reflect Dr. Katie's personality. I had fun using the spotlight technique to highlight the grad in tennis shoes:

Stamps: Extreme Elements, Medallion
Digital stamps: Go, Graduate (includes Happy Grad)
Colors: Elegant Eggplant
Punches: Ticket Corner, circle punches
And: Shimmer White cardstock, Gold Fire Opal embossing powder, Copic markers

I've probably been driving Dr. Katie crazy with all my gushing these past few weeks, but I really am so very proud of her! (Got that, Katie? Love you!)

Smiles,
Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce

Tart & Tangy Birthday Card

2010-06-10T22:48:00.005-04:00

My home health aide gave me the heads up that our produce guy at the local grocery store has a birthday next week, so I thought it fitting to pull out my Tart & Tangy set to make a card for him. He goes out of his way to help my aide pick out the very best produce for me, often bringing out new stuff from the back -- and I feel service like that should be acknowledged!

Stamp sets: Tart & Tangy, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, So Saffron
DSP: Island Oasis
Punches: Large Square, Small Square, Word Window, Modern Label
And: Old Olive satin ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Smiles,
Joyce Spear, a.k.a. StamperJoyce

ETA: I saw the little nick in the sentiment after I posted the card, and (of course) I redid the "Happy Birthday" label so it looks right.

The Times, They are a-Changin'!

2010-06-01T13:31:00.005-04:00

Today begins an exciting time for fans of Stampin' Up! It's LAST CHANCE LIST time! Stamps, stamping accessories, and Definitely Decorative products will be retiring at the end of the month to make room for the brand new products that will be released when the new Idea Book & Catalog comes out on July 1st. Retiring stamps and Definitely Decorative items will be available through the end of the month, but the stamping Accessories will be sold on a first come, first served basis until product is depleted. This means that if you want things on these lists, especially accessories, NOW is the time to order! Check my sidebar to the right for links to these three Last Chance Lists. If you have any questions, please leave a comment or email me and I will get back to you pronto.

Oh, did I forget to mention that some of the Accessory items are being sold at a discount? *smile*

Why is there SO MUCH retiring? Much of it has to do with the Color Renovation that goes into effect July 1 with the new catalog. Stampin' Up! is retiring a slew of colors and introducing all new color collections made up of 5 brand new colors, a bunch of former In Colors, and some of the current colors. I am SO excited about this change, as the colors will be more current and the color combinations will be more eye-pleasing than ever!

Click here to see the new color collections:

Click below to see the colors that are being retired on June 30. If you want any products in these colors, now is the time to order as product is flying off the shelves at an unprecedented speed -- and once they're gone, they're gone.

As ever, if there's anything I can help you with as you sort through all the changes and explore what is available to you during this very special month, please let me know!

Last Sympathy Card for Awhile (I hope!)

2010-05-25T00:32:00.004-04:00

Here's the last sympathy card in a set of ten which was requested by my dear friend Cathy. I broke into some new toys to create this card, and it came together rather quickly.

Stamp Sets: Watercolor Trio, Close as a Memory
Colors: Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Whisper White
Punches: Designer Label, 1 1/4" Circle
Big Shot: Beautiful Wings embosslit, Square Lattice embossing folder
And: Sponge

Three More Sympathy Cards

2010-05-07T16:57:00.011-04:00

I made three more sympathy cards for my friend this week, and I have to say I'm pretty pleased with this batch.

DCBD #175
For one of my cards I used the sketch challenge over at Diva Coffee Break Designs. (Click if you'd like to see the sketch.)

Stamp set: Close as a Memory
Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, So Saffron, Whisper White
DSP: Lovely Flowers (current Level 3 hostess bundle)
Big Shot: Beautiful Wings embosslit, Nestibilities
And: Old Olive and So Saffron grosgrain ribbon

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Two-Step Bird Punch
I usually stick to Stampin' Up! products, but I couldn't resist experimenting with my Nestibilities dies in two of today's projects. The real highlight of this card, though, is the bird on a branch made with SU!'s Two-Step Bird Punch which I absolutely LOVE!

Stamp sets: Warmest Regards, Close as a Memory, Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel
Colors: So Saffron, Ballet Blue, Old Olive, Whisper White
Big Shot: Nestibilities
Punches: Two-Step Bird, Flower Trio, hand-held 1/8" circle punch
And: Old Olive Taffeta ribbon (I think)

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A "CASE"
What's a CASE? Well, it stands for "Copy and Selectively Edit" -- which is exactly what I did for this card. Some time ago I saved to my computer a card that I really like in hopes this day would come. Unfortunately, I am unable to read the watermark on the original picture, so all I can do is credit "Laura" with the basic design and color combination. I did use a different stamp set for the main image, though.

Stamp sets: Upsy Daisy, Brighter Tomorrow
Colors: Soft Suede, Elegant Eggplant, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
Big Shot: SU! Perfect Details embossing plate, SU! Perfect Polka Dots Texture Impressions embossing folder
Punch: Eyelet border
And: Polka-dotted Grosgrain ribbon (reverse side), Antique Gold brads, Stampin' Dimensionals

Not bad for a day's work, is it? :)

Missing You Card

2010-04-27T15:06:00.008-04:00

I'm mortified that it's been over a month since I've posted to this blog! Ack! I can't really say I have a good excuse, either. Yes, my health issues continue to slow me down, but the real culprit is Facebook games, to which I've gotten hopelessly addicted. I'm taking steps away from the games because I genuinely miss stamping, so I have high hopes that I'll find a healthy balance between stamping time and computer play time soon.

So, moving forward...

I was asked by my new nurse last week to custom make a "miss you" card for her sister several states away. I was inspired by a piece of Razzleberry Lemonade DSP that was sitting on my worktable, and the card came together quite easily from there. I love when that happens!

Below is a photo of the inside of the card before I added personalization -- a computer-generated sentiment that includes the recipient's name and a message. I found the RGB code for Rich Razzleberry and printed the inside message from my computer printer.

Stamp sets: Whimsical Words, Tiny Tags
Colors: Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Whisper White
DSP: Razzleberry Lemonade
Punches: Trio Flower, Scallop Trim Corner, Scallop Trim Border, Medium Jewelry Tag, Curly Label
Big Shot: Top Note die
And: Rich Razzleberry polka-dotted grosgrain ribbon, gold brads, Stampin' Dimensionals

Yeah, the sympathy cards I started on months ago are still at the top of my To Do list, along with adding finishing touches to the Build-a-Bears for the Las Vegas Ronald McDonald House. With the new Stampin' Up! Summer Mini catalog going public in a few days, I am highly motivated to meet my stamping commitments so I can move on to play with the ultra cool new toys coming out!! Hang on to your socks, people! You're gonna be dazzled!

Sympathy Card - First of Batch 2

2010-03-21T18:40:00.007-04:00

... and I have hopes this second batch of five cards will come together fairly quickly, as I've had so long to think about them!

Today I decide to try making a sympathy card using Stampin' Up!'s Sweet Pea stitched felt available in the current Occasions mini catalog. I think it turned out pretty well. I was going for something simple and heartfelt, and I think I hit the mark. The corners and edging are done with SU!'s Scallop Trim corner and border punches. The pink panel on both the front and inside was run through my Big Shot using one of the Texturz plates from the SU! Backgrounds 1 set. Colors are Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, and Chocolate Chip; and a bit of Rose Red in the felt. The sentiment on the front is from the Warmest Regards stamp set, and the inside sentiment is from Brighter Tomorrow. I used Tombow Mono Multi glue to adhere the felt, and I love that there's a strong bond without any paper buckling.

My goal is to finish this group of cards by the end of the week, maybe even sooner, so watch for more frequent posts! :)

Peace,
Joyce Spear, a.k.a. StamperJoyce
Stamper Joyce's Creative Corner

Sympathy Cards - Batch 1

2010-03-21T12:26:00.007-04:00

Here is half the order of sympathy cards for my friend, which I delivered last month. I'll be giving her the remaining five cards soon... ummm, which means I better make them! *grin*

Given how much time has elapsed since I made these cards, I'm just going to post the cards and trust that you'll let me know if you have any questions about them. I remembered to take pictures of the insides of the cards this time around, so that's why the photos are in groups of twos.

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Little Steps

2010-01-27T19:46:00.014-05:00

Clutter, clutter everywhere! Inside my head and all around me! I realized a week or two ago just how much all this is slowing me down, so I've been taking little steps this week to reclaim my space and attend to the details needed to reclaim my Self.

Today's focus was on making thank-you cards for people from whom I have recently (December and January) received blog candy. I don't really know what the protocol is on thanking the givers of blog candy, but it seems to me to be appropriate to send at least a hand-stamped card.

Here are two cards I made using the Simply Sent kit called Note of Thanks, which I received from Elizabeth Fortuna as candy along with a pack of love notes with envelopes.

Stamps: Note of Thanks
Colors: Melon Mambo, Whisper White
DSP: Melon Mambo Patterns DSP
Punches: Scalloped Oval, Oval
Big Shot: Beautiful Wings embosslit
And: Melon Mambo Polka Dotted grosgrain ribbon, white gel pen

Stamps: Note of Thanks
Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Crushed Curry
DSP: Rich Razzleberry Patterns DSP
Punches: Scalloped Oval, Oval, 1" Circle
Big Shot: Beautiful Wings embosslit
And: Melon Mambo Polka Dotted grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Pretties Kit

Kimberley Morris is the other generous soul I'm thanking for blog candy. She sent me two packages of felt snowflakes in two sizes, a stamp set, a punch that matches one of the stamps, and the Winter Bright Simply Scrapping kit plus directions on how to assemble a whole mess of cards using the kit. Pretty awesome!

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As I mentioned above, I've been really struggling with clutter lately. I live in an apartment that's too small for the amount of "stuff" I have -- or maybe I need to stop buying stamping supplies and invest in some decent storage solutions. My desperate hope is to be moving to a better apartment the first half of this year, though, so my plan is to see where I land first, then figure out how to organize the new space.

Meanwhile, my home health aide (Deborah) has graciously offered to help me start packing for the move as well as wage a war on the dust that's settled everywhere. This week we attacked my largest bookcase. All the books on the shelves were packed away into moving boxes and the bookcase got a thorough cleaning. Next we took 10-15 smaller boxes of stamps that have been sitting around waiting to be played with, and organized them onto the empty bookshelves. Here's Deborah with the freshly revamped bookcase:

As you might guess, getting rid of close to fifteen boxes piled up against walls and crammed into corners has greatly improved the appearance of my living space. Are these all my stamps? No. I'd say the bookcase currently houses about a third of my Stampin' Up! stamps, and (shhhhhh, don't tell anyone) I have boxes upon boxes of non-Stampin' Up! rubber tucked away as well. Let's not even get into paper, ink, tools, and embellishments! Ask me where anything is, however, and I can find it within a few minutes. Good thing I have a mind like a steel trap! (Yeah, right.) Until I move, what I have works for me -- and that's the important thing.

Here's another shot of the bookcase I'm oh-so-very proud of:

Down at the bottom is my set of Harry Potter books, just in case I decide I want to read someday!

ETA: Those black blobs you see in front of the stamps are my traditional-style Stampin' Up! punches! As you can imagine, I'm absolutely thrilled that they're now offering punches that close and lock for easier storage!

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Coming up (not forgotten!): Ten sympathy cards and forty Build-a-Bear cards

Happy Birthday, Deborah!

2010-01-21T23:45:00.003-05:00

Here's a card I put together for my home health aide. Deborah, if you're reading this: Happy Birthday!

Stamps: Circle Circus, Think Happy Thoughts
Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Dusty Durango
Punches: Scallop Trim Border, Scalloped Circle, 1-1/4" and 1-3/8" Circles, Boho Blossom, hand-held 1/8" circle punch
And: Gold brad, Stampin' Dimensionals

Five More Anniversary Cards

2010-01-16T21:19:00.012-05:00

I managed to put together five anniversary cards this afternoon to complete my friend's order. I just loved playing with my new toys and papers from the Occasions mini catalog!

Card 1:

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Real Red, Regal Rose
DSP: Sending Love
Punches: 1-3/4" Circle, Heart to Heart, Pinking Hearts Border, Modern Label, Scallop Border
Big Shot: Stampin' Up! Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslits Die, Texture Plate
And: Mistletoe ribbon (from the Holiday Mini), Stampin' Dimensionals

Card 2:

Stamp: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Old Olive, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Punch: Modern Label, Eyelet Border
Big Shot: Stampin' Up! Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Stampin' Up! Punch Windows
And: Sweet Pea Stitched Felt

Card 3:

Stamp: Great Greetings
Colors: Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
Punches: Scallop Trim Corner, Scallop Trim Border
Big Shot: Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslits Die
And: Paper Piercing Tools

Card 4:

Stamps: Vintage Vogue, Whimsical Words
Colors: Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, Rose Red, Old Olive
DSP: Thoroughly Modern
Punch: Wide Oval
And: Soft Suede Polka Dotted Grosgrain Ribbon, Antique Brass brads, Stampin' Dimensionals

Card 5:

Colors: Rose Red, Whisper White
Big Shot: Manhatten Flower embossing folder
And: Halfback pearls from the Pretties Kit, Whisper White Organza Ribbon

Not bad for a day's work, eh?

Coming up: Build-a-Bear cards!

More Anniversary Cards

2010-01-10T14:27:00.009-05:00

I did manage to complete four more anniversary cards for my friend by the time we met for lunch yesterday (at Red Lobster, yum!). Between car problems and a personal energy shortage which left me sleeping a lot last week, these four anniversary cards were created in a very short period of time and at the last minute. Nothing like a little adrenaline rush to make stamping more interesting!

Card 1:

Stamp: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Basic Gray, Basic Black, Whisper White
DSP: Night and Day (2009 Holiday Mini)
Punches: Modern Label, 1" Circle, Designer Label
Big Shot: Stampin' Up! Finial Press embossing Folder, Punch Windows die
And: Black grosgrain ribbon

Card 2:

Stamps: Love You Much, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White
DSP: Night and Day (2009 Holiday Mini)
Punches: Scallop Circle, Modern Label
Big Shot: Punch Windows die
And: Stampin' Write markers, Red Gingham ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Card 3:

Stamps: Great Greetings (retired)
Colors: Real Red, Whisper White
Big Shot: Elegant Bouquet embossing folder
And: Versamark ink, Gold embossing powder, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint mixed with alcohol and spritzed on both the card front and inside panel

Card 4:

Stamps: Flower Lines, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Old Olive, Melon Mambo, Basic Black, Whisper White
DSP: Lovely Flowers (Hostess Level 3)
Punches: Large Oval, Scalloped Oval, Scallop Border
And: Stampin' Write markers, Paper Piercing tools, Mistletoe ribbon (2009 Holiday Mini)

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The last time we went to lunch, my friend and I started a new tradition. Rather than me making, writing, and mailing a thank-you card to her after each of our get-togethers, I just give her an extra blank card that she can use herself. Here's what I chose for her from my stash this time:

Coming up, in no particular order: Five more anniversary cards, ten sympathy cards, and forty Build-a-Bear cards. All that should keep me out of trouble!

First Card of the Year: Vintage Vogue

2010-01-05T22:33:00.006-05:00

My first card of 2010 is an anniversary card, one of ten requested by my friend and adopted mom Cathy. My goal is to have a total of five done by Saturday when we meet for lunch.

Without further ado, here's the card:

I got to use a whole bunch of new toys in putting this one together! Most obvious is a new stamp set called Vintage Vogue. Don't you just LOVE those flowers? Just wait until you see the rest of the stamps in the set! This set will always be special to me now because it's the first Stampin' Up! set I own designed to be used with clear acrylic blocks instead of the traditional wood mounts. I'm hooked, as the clear-mount stamps are less expensive and so much easier to store. {Insert satisfied sigh here.}

The other new toy that I'm just WILD about is the Scallop Trim Corner Punch. Check out the corners on the Sahara Sand panel... is that classy or what? It gets better, too: There's a coordinating border punch available as one of many free Sell-a-Bration items! I placed an order bright and early this morning and will be eagerly awaiting the UPS guy ("Mr. Brown") to bring my box of goodies next week! I can't wait!!

Other new stuff (well, new to me) on this card include Thoroughly Modern Designer Series Paper and Vintage Brads. Also, while I usually use SNAIL adhesive for as much as possible, today I broke from my pattern and adhered my fussy-cutted flowers with glue dots to raise them up just a wee bit. One flower is raised higher using Stampin' Dimensionals.

Here's the inside:

Stamps: Vintage Vogue, Great Greetings
Colors: Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, Rose Red, Old Olive
DSP: Thoroughly Modern
Punches: Scallop Trim Corner, corner rounder
And: Vintage brads, Champagne Mist shimmer paint

The "Happy Anniversary" sentiment is from a long-retired SU! set named Great Greetings, circa 1992. It was one of the first sets I ever bought, and -- get this -- it's mounted on FOAM blocks! Stampin' Up!, you've come a long way!

December's One Card... and I'm back!

2010-01-03T15:28:00.004-05:00

December was a horrid month for me, but I think I have at least the health issues under control again. I'm INSISTING that 2010 be a better year!

I whipped up all of one card last month, and had to enlist the help of my home health aide to do it:

Stamp: Four the Holidays
Colors: Glorious Green, Real Red, Whisper White
Big Shot: Snowflake #2 die, Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder
And: Silver brad, 2 Mountain Dew cans

I need to jump back into stamping with both feet running as I already have sixty (yup, 60) cards on the agenda! I have orders for ten Anniversary cards, ten Sympathy cards, and then I am DETERMINED to finish up the forty cards for the Build-a-Bear project I started late last year. The bears are done and I just need to dream up some card fronts for them to live on; so I think (hope) that project will go quickly. Meanwhile, I am SO VERY excited about the new products coming out in the Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini and Sale-a-bration brochure!!! <-- not nearly enough exclamation points

To those of my readers who stayed with me during my one month absence, thank you for sticking around! I promise you'll be glad you did when you see the projects I have brewing for 2010!

Be Back Soon!

2009-12-15T17:27:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd take a minute to check in since I've been gone for awhile. I've been laying around nursing a messed-up back since the beginning of December -- taking painkillers and alternating between Icy Hot patches and my heating pad. Needless to say, this has really cut into my stamping time! More accurately, it actually hurts to stamp! I'll be seeing my doctor on this coming Saturday, and hopefully she'll be able to identify what's going on and offer a solution. Meanwhile, here I sit going through rubber withdrawal.

It feels like I've pulled a muscle, but I find it hard to believe that if this is the case, the muscle hasn't been able to heal yet, especially with all the bedrest I've been getting.

A shipment will be arriving from Stampin' Up! on Thursday, so I'm trying to loosen up my back today by pushing through the pain and stamping some images for a friend. It would be miserable to have new SU! toys and not be able to use them!

It looks like I'm going to miss the DCBD challenge for this week. I have forty Build-a-Bear cards to make, and I've volunteered to help out a fellow demo by making some cards for her as soon as I'm up and about. I have a gazillion Christmas cards made, but not a single one has been sent out yet. I'm frustrated, but I have to count on people's patience with me until I can get back into the swing of things.

So, have no fear! As Arnold would say, "I'll be back!"

DCBD Challenge #156

2009-12-05T23:53:00.002-05:00

The challenge this week over at Diva Coffee Break Designs is a color challenge: Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, Basic Grey, and Whisper White. Piece of cake!

Stamp sets: Patterned Pines, Holiday Collection
Colors: Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, Basic Grey, Whisper White
Punch: Jumbo Snowflake
Big Shot: Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder
And: Stampin' Write Markers, gemstones

Christmas Card Mix

2009-11-29T17:14:00.007-05:00

I made four cards this weekend -- a scrap card, a CASE, a soda pop can card, and a personal challenge card.

Scrap Card:
Stamp: Holiday Best
Colors: Real Red, Soft Suede, Whisper White
DSP: Christmas Cocoa
Punches: Wide Oval, Scalloped Circle, Scallop Border
And: Stampin' Write markers, Signo Gel Pen

I CASE'd the next card from Brenda Taylor (if I'm reading the watermark on the photo correctly). I just love how this card comes together with a perfect balance of elements, including flocked DSP and Mistletoe ribbon from the Holiday Mini. Brenda, if you're reading this, thank you for my favorite card (so far) of the season!

CASE'd Card:
Stamp: Delightful Decorations
Colors: Real Red, Whisper White
DSP: Christmas Cocoa
Punch: Ornament
And: Mistletoe ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, gemstone

I got the idea from Barb Mulliken to run a Diet Mountain Dew can through my Big Shot with the Snowflake #2 die. This simple card is for a fellow Dew lover... there's not a lot of detail, but I'm sure he'll love it.

Soda Pop Can Card:
Stamp: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Glorious Green, Real Red, Whisper White
Punch: Modern Label
Big Shot: Snowflake #2 die, Movers and Shapers Modern Label
And: Lots of glue dots

My last card for today is all the fault of Gretchen Barron -- and as I type this, she's probably oblivious to what she started! I read her post today about making Christmas cards in non-traditional colors, and since it's one of my favorite things to do (much to the exasperation of my friends!), and because she asked for other color combinations to try, I challenged Gretchen to make a holiday card using yellow, red, and orange. The more I thought about it, the more intrigued I became... and so I had to try it myself!

Challenge Card:
Stamp: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: YoYo Yellow, Only Orange, Real Red, Shimmery White
Punches: Ornament, Scallop Border, Word Window, Modern Label
Big Shot: Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder, Movers and Shapers Modern Label, Merry Details Sizzlet
And: Real Red 1" Double-stitched Grosgrain ribbon, Real Red brads, Stampin' Write markers, Stampin' Dimensionals

I'm not sure how many more Christmas/Holiday cards I'll be making, as I have more than enough for my own needs. I hoping to sell some, though, so maybe I'll just keep going while I'm in the groove!

DCBD Challenge #155

2009-11-26T02:01:00.003-05:00

What's DCBD? Well, it stands for Diva Coffee Break Designs, and it's a weekly (I think) challenge -- usually either a sketch or color challenge. Now that I'm not doing card swaps anymore, I figure participating in DCBD will be a good way to keep the ol' creative juices flowing.

Here are my cards for DCBD Challenge #155:

Stamps: Grateful Greetings
Colors: Real Red, Soft Suede, Whisper White
DSP: Christmas Cocoa
And: Gold brads

Go ahead and take a look at the DCBD blog -- and jump right in on a challenge if you think you're up to it!

The One That Got Away

2009-11-25T23:24:00.002-05:00

I was commissioned to make another pet sympathy card this week, and I must say I did a fine job! ... well, until it was time to remember to take a photo before sticking the card in an envelope and sending it on its merry way. They say the memory is the first thing to go, but -- what was I saying?

I used a piece of Shimmery White cardstock as the base, which made for a really classy looking card. The Elegant Bouquet embossing folder offset a picture of a dog dish with some roses in it, which I had layered on Handsome Hunter. I put the "With Sympathy" sentiment from Warmest Regards on the Modern Label punch and then layered that over a slightly larger Modern Label which I cut out using my Big Shot. Inside was a verse, computer printed on Shimmery White and layered on Handsome Hunter, to complete the card.

Here's wishing all my USA readers a very blessed Thanksgiving!

Peace,
Joyce Spear, a.k.a. StamperJoyce

More Christmas Cocoa

2009-11-24T02:56:00.002-05:00

It's rare that I set out to CASE (Copy And Selectively Edit) a card, but I was so taken with a card by Jill Hilliard, which you can see here, that I thought I'd give a shot at reproducing it.

Well, I mucked it up -- not once, but twice -- all because I was too lazy to get out my Stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp the sentiment straight. I had to jump through some hoops to save the cards, and here's what I ended up with:

I'm actually rather pleased with both of them, but that could be because I'm absolutely loving the Real Red/Soft Suede/Shimmery White color combination.

Stamps: Holiday Best, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Real Red, Soft Suede
Papers: Shimmery White cardstock, Christmas Cocoa Specialty DSP
Punches: Jumbo Snowflake, Wide Oval, Large Oval, Scalloped Oval
And: Red button from the Playground Designer Button set, Clear Rhinestone brads from the Pretties Kit, 1" Double-Stitched grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' Write markers

Merry Moments

2009-11-22T17:59:00.011-05:00

I made three more holiday cards over the weekend, all of them with the Merry Moments Designer Series Paper.

This first one is my favorite, probably because of its simplicity. The fir trees were made by punching out a strip of DSP with the Scallop Border punch, then using a square punch at an angle to create sections of the tree with 3, 4, and 5 scallops. Then the sections get layered, and a tree trunk gets added. Voila! Instant fir tree! If I do this again, I hope to remember to sponge the scallops so they're more defined.

Stamp set: Four the Holidays
Colors: Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Real Red
Papers: Merry Moments DSP, Shimmery White cardstock
And: Glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds glitter

ETA: I thought I may have seen the fir trees somewhere while "blurfing" (blog surfing). Luckily, Adela jogged my memory that she recently posted a tutorial, which you can see here. Thanks, Adela!

The other two cards I came up with are "okay," although they're growing on me the more I look at them.

Stamps: Warm Words, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Real Red
Papers: Merry Moments DSP, Whisper White cardstock
Punches: Jumbo Snowflake, Word Window, Large Oval, Scalloped Oval, 1-3/4" Circle, Round Tab, Ticket Corner
Big Shot: Snowflake from Merry Details Sizzlet
And: Chocolate Chip felt ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Clear gemstone brad (from the Pretties Kit), red gemstones (from my stash)

The More the Merrier

2009-11-20T22:59:00.003-05:00

Here's three cards I made today using the level 3 hostess set, The More the Merrier, along with some Christmas Cocoa DSP.

Stamps: The More the Merrier, Four the Holidays, Teeny Tiny Wishes
DSP: Christmas Cocoa Specialty
Colors: Soft Suede, Real Red, Shimmery White
And: Stampin' Write markers, Word Window and 1" Circle punches, Stampin' Dimensionals, 1" Double-Stitched Grosgrain ribbon, 3/4" Polka-Dot Grosgrain ribbon

Seven Holiday Cards with Shimmery White

2009-11-19T22:14:00.007-05:00

I felt ambitious today and came up with seven very different looking cards, all using Shimmery White cardstock which I dug out of my stash. (Why do I hoard the good stuff instead of using it?)

The only stamping on this first card is the sentiment, from Teeny Tiny Wishes. I ran a Night of Navy Top Note through my Big Shot with the Petals a Plenty embossing folder. I sponged the Shimmery White layer with Night of Navy to soften the look. The snowflakes are also die cuts, from the Snowflakes Set #2 Sizzlet 4-pack. Three half pearls from the Pretties kit complete the card.

I'm very pleased with this next card which uses the Gifts of Christmas set. I markered the stamp with Glorious Green, Real Red, YoYo Yellow, and Brilliant Blue. I layered the image on Brilliant Blue and used the Ticket Corner punch to fancy it up a bit more. The card base, which I ran through the Big Shot using a Texturz Plate, is Real Red with a scalloped panel of Glorious Green. The image panel is raised up on Stampin' Dimensionals.

I only had enough patience to marker the dove image once, so next I decided to emboss it in gold on the Shimmery White. I layered it on a piece of Brushed Gold cardstock on which I used the Scallop Border punch. The card base is Not Quite Navy, and I used the Petals a Plenty embossing folder to jazz it up. The final touch was to scallop the right edge of the card (where it opens) and then add some gold embossing. Pretty cool, eh?

I had embossed a second Gifts of Christmas dove image in gold, and decided to do something a little different with it: I trimmed the top close to the image, but left the bottom intact and just used a Corner Rounder punch to soften the look. I chose very non-traditional Christmas colors -- Lavendar Lace, Tempting Turquoise, and Pink Passion -- to finish the card. I used the Petals a Plenty embossing folder (can you tell I like this one?) on the Pink Passion panel. Three half pearls add a slight touch of elegance to this unusual card.

Next I grabbed the Dasher stamp and stamped three images in Rich Razzleberry highlighted with Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint. The first card has a Melon Mambo card base. I stamped Rich Razzleberry snowflakes (from Serene Snowflakes) the same way as Dasher. The Top Note panel is raised on Stampin' Dimensionals. The snowflake is from the Snowflake Set #2 Sizzlet 4-pack. A tied piece of polka-dotted Melon Mambo grosgrain ribbon and some strategically-placed gold brads complete the card.

My last two cards for the day are pretty simple. On the top one I ran a piece of DSP from the Lovely Flowers Bundle (Level 3 Hostess) through the Big Shot with a Texturz plate.

The striped DSP on the final card is from the Rich Razzleberry Patterns pack. The "Peace on Earth" sentiment is from Four the Holidays.

It's unusual for me to make this many cards in one sitting, but I sure earned a good night's sleep for my efforts!

Thank You!

2009-11-13T23:31:00.005-05:00

It's pushing midnight and I've been up since a little after 4 a.m. I was in bed before midnight last night, but after a little more than four hours of sleep, I jumped out of bed itching to stamp! Weird, huh? I finished these first two cards before 9 a.m., much to my astonishment.

Maybe I couldn't sleep because my conscience was bothering me. Yesterday I had opened up my Stamping Schedule, the spreadsheet where I keep track of all the swaps and card orders and projects I'm doing, to keep myself focused -- and realized that I had neglected to send a friend who takes me out to lunch periodically a Thank You card for our last outing. Oh, the shame! I plan to rectify the situation tomorrow when I see her again by giving her two blank Thank You cards that she can use herself... oh, and by apologizing profusely. I'm a bit of a stickler about thank-you's, as I know how much they mean to me; and I hate to leave anyone else feeling like I don't appreciate their efforts.

Stamp: Pun Fun
Colors: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White
DSP: Night and Day (the polka-dotted acetate), Christmas Cocoa DSP
And: Filigree Designer brad, Gold brads, White Taffeta ribbon, Full Heart punch, paper piercing tools

I still had energy to burn, so I went out with the help of my aide and got my haircut, stopped at Archivers, and treated myself to lunch from Steak n Shake. My butt was dragging when I got home, but then I got my second wind and made another card:

Stamps: For All You Do
Colors: Pretty in Pink, Old Olive,
DSP: Pawsitively Prints (a print from the Build-a-Bear project which jumped into my path as I was working)
And: Scallop Circle punch, Mistletoe ribbon (from the Holiday Mini), an Old Olive button I just happened to find laying around, Natural twine, Stampin' Dimensionals

It sure would be nice if I have the same energy level tomorrow as I did today!

Build-a-Bear Cards, Set 1

2009-11-12T22:47:00.006-05:00

I returned to the Build-a-Bear project this week, and put together the first ten cards to go to the Las Vegas Ronald McDonald House kids.

Stamp: "Thinking of You" from Trendy Trees
Colors: Pretty in Pink, Ballet Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Olive Green, So Saffron, Basic Black, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Really Red, Tangerine Tango
DSP: Pawsitively Prints
Punches: Scalloped Border, Boho Blossoms, Modern Label
Big Shot: Stampin' Up! Bear, Beary Essentials, Beary Girl, Beary Boy, Top Note, Sparkle
And: Gold brads, Pink Grosgrain ribbon, Flower Fusion, Natural Hemp, Natural Twine

I want to thank Cynthia Ferenz once again for taking the time to cut out all the bears and clothes and accessories -- that alone was a huge project! Thank you, Cynthia!!

Star Trek Birthday Card

2009-11-08T19:25:00.002-05:00

I was commissioned to make a birthday card for a friend's husband who is a Trekkie, and since his birthday is next weekend, I figured I'd better get the card made.

Since I can't stamp (more on that later), I had to rely on my computer and printer to Make It So. I decided on a Stampin' Up! Basic Black card base of 5-1/4" square, and layered the picture of the crew as well as the sentiment and inside saying on the colors Ruby Red, Certainly Celery, and Brocade Blue. I used the same colors to jazz up the envelope.

In case the birthday guy stops by to visit his card on my blog: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CALVIN!

Personal update:
I've spent most of the weekend in bed, partly dealing with emotional stuff, but more so because my gout is acting up -- and of all the places, in my right elbow! I tried to stamp, but I can't put any pressure on that joint. And stamping with my left hand was a disaster, lol! I have to use my left to eat because my right elbow won't bend far enough, and I have to blow my nose with one hand. My computer time is limited because when I sit at my desk I tend to lean on that arm. Sheesh! Remind me never to take my right elbow for granted again!

More Patterned Pines

2009-11-06T22:56:00.003-05:00

It's been a long, hard couple days, and I find myself seriously evaluating my place in the stamping community... in the Yahoo groups to which I belong, and even in the Stampin' Up! community. I've been working too hard; and while I don't expect any great rewards, I guess my expectation was to not get kicked in the teeth for the work I've done, much less for who I am and what I believe. Apparently my expectations are too high, as I find myself the victim of some hating, ignorance, and just plain stupidity as of late. I'm just weary of it all.

But you didn't come here to hear me whine, did you? Here's my cards for the day...

Stamps: Patterned Pines, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Taken with Teal, Sahara Sand, Whisper White
DSP: Holiday Lounge
And: Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, White Taffeta ribbon

A Couple Holiday Cards

2009-11-04T22:03:00.003-05:00

I took a break today from the not-so-fun (personal business) stuff I've been doing to make two cards.

Stamps: Patterned Pines
Colors: Taken with Teal, Sahara Sand
DSP: Holiday Lounge
And: Gold brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Circle punches

* * * * * * * * * *
Personal Update:
I've been in business mode the last few days, going through papers and making phone calls and doing what needs to be done to try and keep my housing and mental health care assistance. Tomorrow I meet with my case manager and some of the powers that be. I hope the outcome is positive, as I'm not dealing with the stress very well.

Update from Bear Central

2009-11-01T00:26:00.003-04:00

It's been a busy bear day! I was feeling yukky yesterday and didn't do much on the bears, so today I decided to work double-time to catch up -- and actually finished assembling all them!

First up, the last of the girl bears in skirts:

Next I did twelve boy bears. Twelve seemed like a good number since I had eleven sets of boy shoes and could get away with using blue shoes on one of the boy bears to make an even twelve. I'm not sure my fingers or my sanity would have taken much more. Notice the ties on the shoes? OMG, talk about detail work!

The last batch of bears could pass as boys or girls, depending on who's looking. I used the baseball caps that were on the boy die, but shoes from the main die, which I interpret to mean they could be for boys OR girls. Who cares? As long as they bring a smile to a kid's face, I'm happy.

I might take a break from this project tomorrow, just to give myself time to physically and mentally regroup before starting on the cards. I have a Netflix movie to watch and send back, and boring/obnoxious paperwork calling my name; so it'd be nice to get those out of the way. I have a hard week ahead filled with doctor and nurse appointments, some housing errands (to hopefully avert crisis!), bills to pay... you know: Life. I'm hoping my fifty furry friends will keep me grounded 'til next weekend, when I can (I hope) breath a sigh of relief.

Wishing us all peace and harmony in the days to come,
Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce

More Girl Build-a-Bears

2009-10-29T18:44:00.003-04:00

I accessorized ten more girl bears today! Aren't they fun?

I notice that I'm getting better at the assembly process as there are fewer glue trails to clean up.

I've fallen in love with these Build-a-Bear die cuts. I don't know if it's that the little girl in me remembers playing with paper dolls, or if it's how the bears come alive and develop personalities as the details are added, but I'm starting to really really want the dies. I don't know if I can afford them right now, though. Still, there's no guarantee that they'll be around after the Holiday Mini expires, so that adds a little pressure.

Here's a picture of "Bear Central." Notice the piles of bear clothing in front of my computer monitor? That's in addition to the shoes and cuffs that are on the paper plate. The boy and girl accessories are sorted into the plastic bags on the left. My glue holder is an incense burner. The bears spread out on the keyboard and desk are waiting for their glue to dry. Boy bears with just shirts and pants are piled on the left, and the girl bears with just tops and skirts are over on the right. Would you believe I cleaned my workdesk on Monday?

I'm calling it an early night as I've been drowsy all day and need to catch up on my sleep. My goal is to finish the girl bears tomorrow and then start on the boys -- or are they girls in pants, lol?

The Build-a-Bear Project

2009-10-28T20:54:00.003-04:00

I am having a BLAST with these Build-a-Bear die cuts! I've decided to keep a log of the project for prosperity -- ups and downs, ins and outs, and what I learn along the way.

I now have ten (all girls) of the fifty bears dressed and accessorized except for purses, which may or may not be added as I make the cards. I may add some hearts or flowers on shirts at card-making time, too, but for the most part, these gals are done.

Before I show the picture of the ten bears, I have to mention that I have three new best friends as the result of this project: Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue, my adhesive eraser, and a pair of reverse tweezers.

I'm a SNAIL (monoadhesive tape) girl most of the time, but I knew before I started that my SNAIL wouldn't serve me well in all the nooks and crannies on these bears. I started out with my two-way glue pen, but then remembered reading in a blog somewhere that the Tombow Multi was good for putzy work if applied in small quantities; so I gave it a try, and loved it! I found a little container to store it in while I'm working so that the glue all stays at the fine point end.

My adhesive eraser, not a stranger to me, but usually not used very often, is working its rubbery butt off for me as I learn exactly where to (and not to) put the glue. I also tend to slide pieces into place, leaving a trail of shiny glue behind -- but my good ol' eraser takes care of the unsightly glue.

And the tweezers? I have never used tweezers for a project, but the little cuffs on the shirts and sweaters/blazers were driving me INSANE! My fingers have never felt so gigantic and unruly! So I broke down and dragged out the tweezers and voila! my life has been made a lot easier. Yay!

Okay, enough blah blah blah. Here are the ten girl bears I've dressed up so far. Aren't they just the CUTEST??

It's after 9 p.m. as I write this, and I just realized I got so engrossed in the bears that I forgot about supper. I think I'll remedy that and then take a bear break until morning. My head is swimming with possibilities on how to dress up and use these bears, to the point where I think I might be a little obsessed. Perhaps it's time for a movie or some Pogo... but I'll be checking in again real soon!

Working on Cards for (RMH) Kids

2009-10-28T14:39:00.004-04:00

I haven't posted for a few days because I've been busy working on cards for the Ronald McDonald House kids.

I made a small batch of cards using the "I stink you're sweet!" stamp from the Pun Fun set -- not my greatest cards, but still cute. If you'd like to see them, give a holler.

My BIG project is making fifty Build-a-Bear cards for the kids! Cynthia Ferenz, a fellow member of the Late Night Stampers group, generously volunteered to cut out a bunch of Build-a-Bears from the dies being offered in the current Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog. To my astonishment, she went all out and sent me 50 bears and a huge assortment of clothes and accessories for the critters! I spent Monday evening assembling their little faces, and most of yesterday and today matching up shirts and pants or skirts and doing the glueing for those. Next I'll pick out sweaters, shoes, and boy and girl accessories and finish assembling the bears. And then... I plan to make 50 cards with them! It's a bigger project than I anticipated, but I am having a blast, plus I feel really good it's for a good cause.

Here's an up-to-the-minute photo of the bears:

Stay tuned for BPRs -- Bear Progress Reports!

Pinwheel Card and Shimmer Background Cards

2009-10-24T13:31:00.008-04:00

It's been a rough and wild week, but between dramatic episodes I gathered my wits by working on and off on these five cards.

I've been intrigued for some time now with Pinwheel Cards, thinking they were difficult to do. Barb Mullikin set me straight, though, with her wonderful tutorial. I used up some scraps on my desk and created the following:

Colors are Bermuda Bay, Rich Razzleberry, and Crushed Curry. The pinwheel is made from Rich Razzleberry Patterns DSP. The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes. I used a Texturz plate to get the checkerboard pattern on the Crushed Curry layer. In the center of the pinwheel is a Flower designer brad. As a final touch, I used Stampin' Dimensionals to pop up the pinwheel.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The rest of the cards in this post have backgrounds made with the scrap papers I used to blot up the spilled Champagne Mist shimmer paint I wrote about in the previous entry. Taking decent pictures of this stuff is like nailing jello to a tree, but I did the best I could.

Stamp Set: Warm Words
Colors: Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Punches: Eyelet border, Large Oval, Scalloped Oval
Big Shot: Snowflakes Set #2 Sizzlets 4-pack
And: Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Old Olive grosgrain ribbon

I used both the Rich Razzleberry and Chocolate Chip shimmer papers on this next card:

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Punches: Word Window, Modern Label
Big Shot: Snowflakes Set #2 Sizzlets 4-pack
And: Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, paper piercing tools

Here's another simple one:

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Punches: Large Oval, Scalloped Oval
Big Shot: Snowflakes Set #2 Sizzlets 4-pack
And: Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, paper piercing tools

And finally:

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
Punches: Word Window, Modern Label
Big Shot: Snowflake #2 Originals die
And: Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint

Wishes to all for a peaceful, harmonious weekend,
Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce

Shimmer Paint Adventures

2009-10-19T00:02:00.006-04:00

Today was interesting, not so much by design as by gravity. But more on that later...

I came up with two very similar cards this afternoon using Stampin' Up!'s Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint (available in the Holiday Mini Catalog). The main difference is that on one of these I stamped the snowflakes on the card base with Rich Razzleberry (second card below), and on the other I used the shimmer paint for the background snowflakes (first card). I was amazed at the difference the shimmer paint made!

I intentionally posted a less-than-perfect picture in the first photo so that you can see just how shimmery the shimmer paint is. To accomplish this look, I simply inked up my stamp with dye ink, then used a sponge dauber to pat a wee bit of the shimmer paint onto the stamp before stamping it on Whisper White. Is that cool, or what?

Stamp sets: Serene Snowflakes, Four the Holidays (on the inside)
Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulance
DSP: Rich Razzleberry Patterns
Big Shot: Texturz plate (on the Orchid Opulance layer)
And: Champagne Mist shimmer paint

* * * * * * * * * * *

And now, for today's adventure:

I may have created a new technique! It could be called "Painting by Gravity" or "Klutz Backgrounds" -- but it certainly wasn't intentional.

I was oh so very careful using my shimmer paint today. Really I was! It's such great stuff that I didn't want to waste a drop, so I was very carefully daubing out of the cover of the bottle with the bottle itself put safely out of the way. Or so I thought. I went to put the lid on the bottle after stamping the snowflakes when, to my horror, I dropped the opened bottle! I quickly put the bottle right side up so I wouldn't lose any more of the paint, and then sat there in shock for a few seconds. Instinctively I grabbed my bone folder and started scooping up as much paint as I could to put back into the bottle. (I still have 2/3rds of the bottle left, so I consider myself fortunate.)

Faced with a remaining puddle, I grabbed the nearest paper and started blotting up the paint. It happened to be a sheet of solid Rich Razzleberry DSP, and when I looked at the design the paint made on it, I thought to myself, "Hey, I may be on to something!" So I grabbed the nearest cardstock, Chocolate Chip, and blotted up the rest of the paint that hadn't dried yet.

I put the papers aside to dry while I cleaned up the rest of the mess. I must say, my grey sweatshirt is looking mighty glitzy tonight! Astonishingly, no paint hit my keyboard, my pile of DSP and cardstock, my camera, or the carpet. I took pictures of the dried papers from several angles, and below are two photos of each piece.

I have NO idea what I'll use these nifty papers for, but perhaps I'll find the right stamp down the road that just begs for something like what I have here.

I can't say that I'd recommend this new technique to anyone -- it aged me rapidly -- but I did my best to make lemonade out of lemons.

Just Messin' Around

2009-10-17T23:28:00.002-04:00

I had problems getting started today, and the result is that I ended up with a strange combination of projects.

First up we have a Christmas card. I used the Dasher stamp, as well as the Four the Holidays set, for the first time. New rubber... yummy! It all started with a little square of shimmery handpainted paper leftover from a previous project. I noticed Dasher would fit nicely on the scrap, and I just sort of built the card around the image. Notice I'm starting to remember to use the Texturz plates with my Big Shot? Colors are Lavendar Lace, Pixie Pink, Basic Black, and Whisper White. Both Dasher and the sentiment are embossed.

My attention was drifting back and forth between Spooky Slots on the Pogo game site and this next card. After I put it together and looked at it, I noticed a glaring problem with the mat under the turkey. Normally something like that would throw me into a tailspin, but today I left it alone with the feeling that I have bigger fish to fry. Anyway, the stamp is Gobble Gobble, colors are Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, and Chocolate Chip. Love the felt ribbon that I inherited recently (smile), and I think the button is just too cute. I used a Texturz plate on the Dusty Durango layer.

Now, I normally let projects make themselves -- I might have an idea or two before I start, but card design for me most of the time is an as-I-go sort of thing. Well, I saw a stairstep card somewhere today, and got a wild hair to make one of my own. I measured, scored, folded, measured and cut decorative layers, and -- BAM! I hit the wall. No ideas. Well, none that thrill me. So I decided to just call it a day and sleep on it. No telling what this lovely card base is going to be when it grows up.

----------

On a personal note, I'm feeling a bit better, both physically and emotionally. My usual support network of friends went MIA this week and my abandonment issues have been niggling at me -- but I've been totally touched by the support of my online stamping buddies and blog readers. All your kind words and well wishes have served to remind me that I will always have what I need; it just may look different than what I expect. Thank you all so much!

LNS Challege 41 featuring Autumn Days

2009-10-16T23:38:00.004-04:00

In a bold attempt to fight the blahs this evening, I put on my stampin' hat and took on Challenge 41 of the Stampin' Up! Late Night Stampers Yahoo! group. (Not a member? It's free and it's fun! Check out my sidebar link for more info.)

My challenge to myself: Use some clear buttons and linen thread from my stash, before they retire! (That's usually when I get most interested in something -- when I'm no longer able to order it. Sad, but true.)

I'm happy to report, mission accomplished! Challenge 41 is a sketch challenge, and I ended up turning the sketch on its side in order to accomodate the clear buttons, which were much larger than I remember them to be.

Stamps: Autumn Days, Stem Sayings
Designer Series Paper: Autumn Traditions
Colors: More Mustard, Always Artichoke, Elegant Eggplant, Ruby Red, Sahara Sand, (and Soft Suede in the the DSP)
And: Clear Square Buttons, Linen Thread

Honest truth, I feel a lot better having accomplished something! There must be magic in my stampin' hat!

Falling Leaves

2009-10-15T17:43:00.003-04:00

I switched gears from making Halloween cards to cards with an Autumn theme. I was going for a generically autumn feel rather than Thanksgiving-y, but I think the "Thankful Thoughts of You" sentiment could be taken either way.

This last card is a little bit different. I splurged and got some Sizzlets dies, one of which is the Flower Blossom. The only stamping on the card is the sentiment; everything else was done with punches or the Big Shot.

Supplies Used Today:
Stamp Sets - Falling Leaves, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Grateful Greetings
Colors - Dusty Durango, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Old Olive
Punches - Word Window, Oval, Scalloped Oval, small and large Squares, hand-held hole punch
Big Shot - Texturz Plates, Flower Blossom Sizzlet
And - In Color markers, In Color Polka Dotted Grosgrain ribbon, Crystal Effects

****************************

Personal stuff... (feel free to skip):

Today is the first day I've had in weeks all to myself -- no nurse, no aide, no visitors, no pressing personal business -- just peace and quiet and quality time with my stamps.

And then the phone rang. It was my case manager from my mental health agency, and she dropped a big bomb on me. Because I don't qualify for Medicaid and have only Medicare, I'm being dropped as a client due to budget cuts. In addition to losing both my case managers, this could result in me losing my Section 8 housing, my psychiatrist and access to my psych meds, and ... well, let's just say it gets real messy. I've been bawling my eyes out for an hour. I know it's fear that's taking hold, but at times like this it is really hard to trust the Universe and believe that I will have what I need.

Guess I will simply wait and see what happens, as there is nothing I can do today, right now. It's all out of my hands. And, worst case scenario, I've been homeless before and survived, so while what happens next may be inconvenient, it is not life-threatening.

I guess I better get in all the stamping I can before "things" start to happen... you know, enjoy my blessings while I have them.

Fun with All Hallow's Eve

2009-10-14T05:33:00.004-04:00

I slept all day yesterday because I wasn't feeling good (more on that after the stamping stuff), and so was up all night stamping while playing on Pogo games (another obsession of mine, lol). I wanted to make some quick Halloween cards for the Ronald McDonald House kids, and so decided to work with the tres cool All Hallow's Eve background-sized stamp and the Scary Skeleton set.

I received the Scary Skeleton set (which I won as blog candy from Rachel Brumley) yesterday afternoon, and I couldn't figure out why it looked so familiar to me until I grabbed All Hallow's Eve and saw that the images match! Look!

How cool is that?

The cards I made were super simple. I brayered from a multicolored ink pad onto the All Hallow's Eve stamp, stamped onto Whisper White, trimmed and sponged the edges, then layered the resulting images onto several shades of violet card bases (since I couldn't decide between Lavendar Lace, Lovely Lilac, or Elegant Eggplant). Next I made a couple more cards doing the same thing again, only with Basic Gray and Basic Black. I had intended to layer the "Goblin Greetings" from the Grateful Greetings set onto the front, but decided that it would block too many details of the neat picture, so I just quickly stamped it in a darker color over the picture so it would stand out a bit.

For the inside, I sponged the edges of a piece of Whisper White and stamped a couple images from the Scary Skeleton set.

I'm still toying with the idea of pulling out my Stampin' Pastels to color the witch green and add a few other spots of color... or maybe I'll do that next time around.

I still have a gazillion Halloween cards in my head that I want to make this year, but now that my sleep schedule is all messed up, I'm not sure if I'll get to them all in time for this week's mailing. We'll see.

I mentioned earlier that I haven't been feeling too great lately, probably the result of a change in how my diabetes is being treated. I recently switched from taking a large dose of insulin at bedtime to taking smaller shots before every meal. Well, in talking with my doctor on the phone this afternoon, she audibly GASP!ed when she realized that I had misunderstood her directions and had stopped taking the bedtime insulin. Her intent was for me to continue the bedtime shots and take the mealtime shots in addition to them. No wonder my blood sugars have been so high and I've been feeling so lousy! Armed with this bit of knowledge and a lot more insulin, I think I'll be feeling better within the next few days. Hooray!

Feeling better means more energy for stamping, so stay tuned to see what "stuff" I come up with later this week!

Zoofari Birthday

2009-10-12T20:47:00.004-04:00

Today I pulled together a set of cards for one of my friends. I was able to pull most of the cards from my stash to provide what she's looking for, but there was one card -- a young child's birthday -- that I decided to make special.

I just got my hands on the retired Zoofari set this week, and I thought it'd be fun to make a card using all the critters.

Stamps: Zoofari, Dot Greetings
Colors: Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, YoYo Yellow, Only Orange, Real Red, Orchid Opulance
Designer Series Paper: Kaleidoscope
And: Glitter glue

Tomorrow, if everything goes as anticipated, (what are the odds?), I'll be working on Halloween cards for the Ronald McDonald House kids.

Peace to you,
Joyce Spear, a.k.a. StamperJoyce

Inspired by Nature

2009-10-12T00:05:00.003-04:00

I can't believe I've had this stamp set since it came out, and this is the first time I've used it! I pulled it out because I was requested to make a birthday card for a friend for someone who likes silhouetted images. Stampin' Up! provides several sets that meet that criteria, but I was most eager to finally use the set Inspired by Nature. And what better birthday reminder than to "Live with Passion"?

The card is quite simple, but it's the coloring that makes it so striking. I used a piece of my handpainted paper (last month's obsession) and embossed the flowers and the sentiment using black craft ink and clear embossing powder. I layered the main image on black, and then layered all that on a card base of Blush Blossom.

I feel like life's been moving top speed for the last couple weeks, so I'm looking forward to a relatively quiet week with no doctor appointments, no pressing errands, and no visitors other than my home health aide and nurse. It's a good thing I have a bit of quiet because I've been feeling run down and frazzled. I'm hoping some quiet, some extra sleep, and some serious stamping will bring me back to my usual effervescent self.

Peace to you,
Joyce Spear, a.k.a. StamperJoyce

Roof Garden (Blast from the Past)

2009-10-05T22:31:00.008-04:00

My butt's been dragging in a major way thanks to the change I'm making to a new insulin regimen. I haven't been able to sleep well, but neither have I been able to focus to get much done. I was in the throes of frustration this afternoon when the mailman dropped off a couple packages for me, immediately improving my mood. One package was a share of the three AWESOME designer series papers in the current Holiday Mini catalog. Drool!! The other box contained two retired stamps sets (Alphabits and Zoofari) that I got at a price that made me smile... PLUS a kit based on the Roof Garden Accents and Elements from a previous catalog.

Yeah, yeah, I know... who gets excited about retired stuff? Well, ME! I ripped into the kit like a kid at Christmas -- ahhhh, Kiwi Kiss and Baja Breeze. Instantly I felt better. You know how that goes, don't you, when old friends come back and evoke that warm, cozy, familiar feeling? I made a gob of cards using Roof Garden back in Spring, so I knew I could whip through today's kit in no time and make some darn good cards, only this time using a stamp set I didn't have back then as well as some different accessories. I used the layouts shown in the kit as a starting point, but then strayed off the beaten path a bit.

Not Quite Navy and Basic Gray are colors that I tend to neglect, so today's exercise rekindled my interest in them, which I'm sure will show in the cards I make over the next few weeks.

I'm tired and I'm rambling. How about I just shut up and show you what I did?

Stamp Set: Heard from the Heart
Colors: Not Quite Navy, Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White
And: Roof Garden (retired), Scallop Border punch, Horizontal Slot punch*, Whisper White Taffeta ribbon, retired Baja Breeze and Kiwi Kiss ribbon, retired Kiwi Kiss button, current Whisper White Button Latte button

[*Hey, did you know that when you turn this punch around, it becomes a Vertical Slot punch? LOL]

And without further ado, the pretty pictures:

Here's hoping for a good night's sleep! Tomorrow's going to be another fun day, complete with a Depo-Provera shot and a mammogram. Woohoo.

Sympathy Cards

2009-10-04T08:16:00.010-04:00

I had a request this week to make some sympathy cards. Here's what I came up with yesterday afternoon.

This first one is my favorite -- but then I tend to be partial to purples. I used a piece of handpainted paper for the daisy background and the sentiment.

Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Canvas background
Colors: Lavendar Lace, Basic Black
And: Black Craft ink, clear embossing powder, brads
Handpainted paper: Reinkers, iridescent medium

* * * * * * * * * *

I struggled with the following card, but finally it came together once I added the Chocolate Chip panel and figured out what to do with the sentiment.

Stamps: Branch Out, Warmest Regards
Colors: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Lovely Flowers DSP
And: Modern Label punch, brads

* * * * * * * * * *

Here's a simple one. It was my first card of the afternoon, so I think of it as a warm-up card. :)

Stamps: Flower Lines, Warmest Regards
Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive
And: Ticket corner punch, Wide Oval punch, Slot punch, Whisper White Taffeta ribbon

* * * * * * * * * *

Here's another simple card, made with the sympathy set Close as a Memory. I'm not sure why the photo's wonky, but you get the idea.

Stamps: Close as a Memory
Colors: Pixie Pink, Garden Green
And: Big Shot, Texturz plate

* * * * * * * * * *

I used the Manhatten Flower embossing folder and my Big Shot to create this last card for the day.

Stamp: Warmest Regards
Colors: Riding Hood Red, Whisper White Craft ink
And: White wide organdy ribbon (retired), Flower brad

Mission: Accomplished!

2009-09-28T02:59:00.003-04:00

Hooray!! The set of ten birthday cards for men is DONE! Hallelujah! Not that I mind making them -- I just miss my flowers and bows and frilly stuff. :)

Card 1
Stamps: Wonderful You and coordinating Jumbo Stampin' Around (retired); Garden Greetings
Colors: Garden Green, Real Red, Elegant Eggplant, Pacific Point, Basic Black
And: Gold brads, Stampin' Dimensionals

Card 2
Stamps: Golden Oldies (retired)
Colors: Dusty Durango, Soft Suede, Basic Black
And: Stampin' Pastels, Paper piercing tools, hand-held hole punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, clear embossing powder

Mission: More "Guy" Birthday Cards

2009-09-27T22:27:00.003-04:00

I got one whopping card done today -- yeah, I'm underwhelmed. I decided to replace the Dusty Durango Medallion card from a couple posts ago, and instead add this one to the set of "man cards" I'm making.

Actually, this card was pretty easy. I just embossed the Medallion onto Night of Navy using VersaMark and silver embossing powder. As I was admiring the result, I bashed the heat gun nozzle into the edge of the medallion and smeared the silver, so that was my inspiration for cutting the Medallion panel around to a smaller size. I layered it onto Brushed Silver cardstock and a card base of Night of Navy. I tried a million different things in the center of the Medallion, but finally settled on a simple silver brad. The "Birthday Wishes" sentiment is from Garden Greetings, stamped in Night of Navy and shaped with the Modern Label punch. A bit of strategically placed paper piercing, and Voila'!

Mission: Men's Birthday Cards, continued

2009-09-27T05:08:00.002-04:00

After a loooong night's sleep, I woke up Saturday morning feeling a lot more like my usual happy self. I think sometimes the mind is more likely to keep cycling through negative thoughts when it's tired. While I am no longer a Christian, I do appreciate the kind words and prayers on my behalf.

I try to learn from all my experiences, including the unpleasant ones; and what I learned this time around was to keep my feedback to myself unless it is personally solicited by someone I already know and trust. I'll keep leaving encouraging comments on others' projects when something strikes me as exceptional, but otherwise I'll just keep my thoughts to myself. There will be less chance for hard feelings, and in the long run, doing so will save me time and energy that I can put into stamping.

And speaking of stamping, here are my Saturday cards. I pulled out my Circle Circus set for the first time and went to town! I chose to work with shades of blues and greens: Tempting Turquoise, Bermuda Bay, Brilliant Blue, and Ballet Blue. I pulled out my Boho Blossoms punch and Brilliant Blue brads to add a little something to the centers of the circles, hopefully without being too girly. The Happy Birthday circle is from the set Think Happy Thoughts.

I used a sentiment from Heard from the Heart on the second card, and added a Brilliant Blue Scalloped Circle to make the Happy Birthday circle stand out a bit.

This set of birthday cards for men is supposed to include ten cards. I've decided to leave out the Dusty Durango Medallion card from the last post -- I'm just not so sure it's a good card -- so now I have three to go. I'm hoping I can finish off this project today and start making another batch of Cards for the Kids.

Mission: Continued

2009-09-25T22:07:00.011-04:00

I try not to be a whiner, but today my heart is as heavy as lead -- so either indulge me as I blow off steam, or scroll down to look at the photos you came to see.

For one, I found out this week that my diabetes is to the point where I have to take insulin shots before every meal and every snack, and test my blood glucose levels at least five times a day from now on. My insulin expenses will be over $100 more than what I've been paying for my one-a-day shot, and with my fixed income I'm scared about my finances. As if all that isn't a kick in the teeth, I also got socked in the gut for trying to be helpful to someone in one of my Yahoo! groups, and for reasons unknown I'm finding it very hard to let go of the hurt. Ever have something bug you SO MUCH and you don't know why? Then you know what I mean.

Okay, enough indulgence. On with the show!

I've continued to work on the "guy" birthday cards anyway, although it seems like everything I've touched these last few days has turned to crud. I'm hoping I'm the only one who is less than impressed with these three cards, and that given how things are going perhaps I'm being too harsh on myself.

The following card looks nothing like it did in my head! The card base is Chocolate Chip, and on that is a panel of Dusty Durango on which the Medallion has been stamped in White Craft ink and embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. The big polka dots were made by a pencil eraser head and embossed to match the Medallion. I sponged some more Dusty Durango on the panel, and then in the center of the Medallion placed a white Jumbo Grommet with a Chocolate Chip corduroy button brad. I layered some Corner punches... and then decided to stop playing around before I REALLY mucked things up!

The remaining two cards are made with Elegant Eggplant, More Mustard, and Autumn Traditions DSP. The Trendy Trees were stamped in Always Artichoke and Soft Suede, and the sentiment in Elegant Eggplant. This first card is super simple in layout, with a single More Mustard grosgrain ribbon bow as the sole embellishment.

The second Autumn Traditions DSP card I made has the Trendy Tree in a circle of More Mustard and Scallop Circle of Elegant Eggplant, all of which is layered with Stampin' Dimensionals on the reverse side of a bit of Soft Suede polka-dotted grosgrain ribbon. I used the Modern Label punch on the sentiment and then layered it on a scrap of Elegant Eggplant. I stuck with a super simple layout on this card, too, because I really wanted to show off the DSP.

I'm going to bed early tonight in hopes that tomorrow will give me a lighter heart and a fresh start. I think for the remaining four "guy birthday" cards, I should work with blues instead of this autumny stuff... but we'll see what tomorrow brings.

P.S. Lookie! A new blog name and header! "Stamping for Sanity" is being used by someone else, so I've renamed my blog "StamperJoyce's Creative Corner." Back in 2007 when I chose my blog name, I used several search engines to check to see if "Stamping for Sanity" was already taken, but nothing came up. Nevertheless, someone WAS using the name, so I've been wanting to rename my blog for awhile now. "StamperJoyce's Creative Corner" is also the name of my store at www.shophandmade.com, so it all works out. I'm not sure about the blue cloudy sky as the photo background for the header, so I'll be experimenting with different pictures over time. Okay, raise your hand if you're glad to see the psychedelic banner I've had since early this year go away! :)

Mission: Birthday Cards for Men

2009-09-22T02:12:00.004-04:00

I've been a little sidetracked (or, I should say, more focused) on pulling together some Cards for Kids these last few days -- and since I used mostly non-current SU! stuff, I chose not to post them. If you really can't sleep at night knowing you've missed something I've created, email me and I'll send you photos privately.

My current mission is to make ten "guy" birthday cards this week at the request of a friend who, well, knows a lot of men. (Or maybe it's her husband who does!) So far, I've gotten three done.

For the first two, I used the Branch Out set, which I absolutely adore! I used a borrowed Top Note die with my Big Shot to create the panels for both the front and inside the card. After stamping the tree with Soft Suede, Certainly Celery, Kiwi Kiss, and Old Olive, I sponged the background with Bashful Blue and Certainly Celery. I layered the panel on a piece of Soft Suede Patterns Designer Paper, all on a Soft Suede card base. The festive little Happy Birthday circle is from the set Wow Flowers; I added a gold brad and popped it up on a Stampin' Dimensional. So easy!

I stamped with the same sets and colors in my second card, only this time adding some Crushed Curry Patterns DSP. The card seemed a bit flat, so I used the Rough Textures Jumbo wheel with Soft Suede ink to liven it up a bit. The sentiment was punched out with the Word Window punch.

I really like the Soft Suede color, but after two cards in a row I needed to switch gears -- so I pulled out some Burmuda Bay cardstock and Patterns DSP. The images in circles are from the Wow Flowers set, and the sentiment is from a retired hostess set, Live Like You Mean It. I threw in some polka-dotted grosgrain ribbon for a bit of interest. All the circles and the sentiment are adhered with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Three cards down, seven to go! Who knows what I'll dream up in my sleep tonight!

A Bermuda Bay Sort of Day

2009-09-14T20:27:00.005-04:00

What do today's two cards have in common? Bermuda Bay, handpainted papers, and embossed backgrounds created using my Big Shot!

I used the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder on this first card. I knew it would be pretty, but when it rolled out of my Big Shot, I couldn't help myself -- I squealed with delight! I especially love how it looks on the watercolored handpainted paper. I confess, I did futz with the ribbon a bit, trying to figure out the best way to add it without distracting from the embossing, until I had a V8 moment and just used a little strip of it. The "Thank You" sentiment is from the Oval All set, and it's layered with Stampin' Dimensionals inside a punched Scallop Oval. Once again, I'm astonished with how little it takes (sometimes) to make a WOW! card.

I especially like this holiday card created with the Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder from the Holiday Mini catalog. I kept this card simple, too, and just stamped an image from the Patterned Pines set on Whisper White, framed it, and mounted it on the handpainted paper background. Pretty cool, eh?

I wonder if I'm boring you to death with all these cards made with the Handpainted Paper technique. Tell you what, I'll make these two cards my last ones for awhile. I'm itching to start using some of Stampin' Up!'s fabulous Designer Series Paper, anyway!

Handpainted Paper Meets the Big Shot

2009-09-13T19:49:00.006-04:00

I had planned to use this weekend to play with the rest of my handpainted papers, but at the last minute I was given an opportunity to borrow some dies for the Big Shot, which kinda threw my plans off. But it's all good! I made a couple cards using the Big Shot along with the handpainted paper, and they turned out well.

I used the Top Note and Daisies #2 dies to create the following card. Colors are Lovely Lilac, Regal Rose, and Whisper White. I used the Modern Label punch for the sentiment, which is from Stampin' Up!'s One of a Kind set. I raised this sentiment up on Stampin' Dimensionals. So easy for such nifty results, huh?

Here are a couple shots of the card I made using the Snowflake die -- my photos just don't do the card justice! I used the Ticket Corner punch to add a little shape to the handpainted paper layer, and stamped the sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes in Craft Whisper White ink. So easy, yet so attractive... one of the many reasons why I love love love my Big Shot!

More Handpainted Paper Cards

2009-09-09T20:42:00.004-04:00

I made a couple more cards with my handpainted papers today. (See previous posts for more information on "handpainted papers.") They turned out GREAT!

Stamp Set: Upsy Daisy
Colors: Lavendar Lace, Pink Passion, Basic Black
And: Detail clear embossing powder

Stamp Set: Simple Friendship
Colors: Pink Passion, Summer Sun, Whisper White
And: Gold minibrads, Whisper White Taffeta ribbon

Help Me Help Ronald McDonald House Charities!

2009-09-08T19:30:00.001-04:00

ETA: I will be periodically moving this post up to the top in hopes of catching the interest of anyone in the Columbus, Ohio area that would be interested in making cards for the RMH kids with me. For more recent posts, please scroll down.

-------------------

Stampin' Up! demonstrators and bloggers from everywhere are teaming up with Sherrill Graff to help fill a desperate need for handmade cards and blankets for the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Most parents with sick children cannot afford to go to the gift shop to buy a gift for their child. Your cards would allow them to cheer up their children often during their stay. Most children are in ICU rooms, where flowers and balloons are not allowed – but cards are.

Please visit the blogs listed below for information on how we can help the Ronald McDonald Houses across the country.

Sugardoodle

RMHC – How you can help: 30 ways in 30 days

Sherrill’s Blog

We can all pitch in and do our part to help.

Here’s MY plan:

Contact me to set up a “play date” to make cards for the Ronald McDonald House here in Columbus, for Sherrill’s RMH in Nevada, or both. Unless you feel more comfortable using your own supplies, I will be happy to supply cardstock, ink, and stamps to be used in the making of these cards, as well as instructions / training in the event you are new to stamping. You can copy some cards I will have designed in advance, or you can come up with a card design of your own and stamp to your heart’s content. Have any stamps you don’t know what to do with? Bring them along and I’ll be glad to coach you with ideas on how to use your neglected rubber.

Not in the mood to make cards? We can decorate lunch bags! Ronald McDonald Houses make bagged meals available for the families of the sick children, and receiving them in a cheerfully decorated lunch bag can add such a bright spot to their difficult days.

If you’re seriously interested in doing either (or both) of these projects that are for such a worthy cause, please drop an email with your phone number and best time to reach you to stamperjoyce@aol.com. We’ll set up something that works with your schedule.

Many hands make light work, so consider bringing a friend along, too!

New Policy

2009-09-07T14:56:00.003-04:00

This blog was started as a sort of diary of my stamping projects, and the original intent was to have a place to show off my artwork to my personal friends who were interested without having to email pictures to everyone.

Then I realized that (hoping this doesn’t sound egotistical) my work also serves as an inspiration to my fellow Stampin’ Up! demonstrators, and so I started sharing my link with them. My projects have been made with mostly Stampin’ Up! materials, but I’ve also showcased some stamps and products from other vendors with the feeling that demos and their customers could apply the ideas to their own SU! projects, or at least enjoy the eye candy.

Due to a recent Stampin’ Up! policy change, I am having to choose between remaining a demonstrator and “doing my own thing” as I have been on my blog. It’s been a very (very!) hard decision, but I have decided to remain a demo and am making changes to my blog per SU!’s guidelines. You’ll notice first of all that my sidebar links to other stamp companies have been removed. Secondly, from this point forward, I will be posting only my projects that are made with 99% Stampin’ Up! products.

To my loyal friends, this means you will probably not be seeing all the cards I make. My plan is to use mostly SU! stuff for the duration of my demonstratorship – after all, Stampin’ Up! has the best products on the market and customer service that goes above and beyond – so that I can post most of my work here on this blog. On those rare occasions when I “need” to use a non-SU! stamp, I will simply not post the project. Please understand that, while I am currently a hobby demo and haven’t focused much on making product sales, I am still a representative of Stampin’ Up! in my words and actions. Also understand that I would really LIKE to become a selling demo, and so you may see more links to Stampin’ Up! catalogs and products. Stampin’ Up! isn’t just stamps and pretty paper anymore. We have a wonderful line of home decor products; and with the Holiday Mini catalog that is currently available, SU! is entering the jewelry and software markets as well. I honestly believe Stampin’ Up! has products for everyone, and I am eager to share more information about them with you. In the simplest of terms, the best support you can offer me with my art is to make a purchase.

To my fellow Stampin’ Up! demonstrators, this means you can feel comfortable coming here for inspiration knowing that you’ll see only projects made with 99% Stampin’ Up! products. I am continually gleaning ideas from your blogs, and I want to reciprocate with my own SU!-only ideas. If you have any suggestions on how I can make my blog better for you, please let me know.

To myself, this is a personal challenge. I represent one of the best companies on the planet, and yet my loyalty has been waffling. I have TONS of Stampin’ Up! stuff (much of it retired, unfortunately, but I’m working on that), so why not use it? It’s time to put my money where my mouth is! And who knows? Maybe this will lead to me turning my hobby demonstratorship into a viable business.

As I said before, this has been a very difficult decision; and these changes aren’t exactly coming easily to me. Some of you with whom I’ve spoken privately have expressed the feeling that the new SU! policy is too strict and that I should be able to blog about anything I’d like. Please understand that this is a business decision, and I feel Stampin’ Up! is well within their rights with these new guidelines. I think this new policy will be good for SU! as well as good for me.

If you have any question about this post or about Stampin’ Up! in general, please let me know. Meanwhile, sit back and enjoy the ride!

Delightful Decorations

2009-09-06T23:54:00.006-04:00

I was feeling under the weather and not so much like stamping when I realized this afternoon that I hadn't really tested out my new Stampin' Up! Ornament punch (always a good idea to do within 30 days of purchase), and that it's been a few days since I used my Big Shot -- so I whipped up this quick card in non-traditional Christmas colors to take care of both situations.

Stamps: Delightful Decorations, Grateful Greetings (inside sentiment)
Colors: Tempting Turquoise, Pink Passion
Big Shot: Perfect Details Texturz Plate
And: Ornament and Scalloped Border punches, Gold elastic cord, Stampin' Dimensionals

Iridescent Medallions

2009-09-05T23:21:00.011-04:00

The post is a continuation of the project I began on August 30th -- working with handpainted papers I made using a technique by Sherrill Graff and Shirley Munoz. The shimmer you see in the watercolored backgrounds was created using reinkers and iridescent medium, applying them with a stipple brush to saturated Whisper White cardstock.

I found myself a bit unnerved after the last card I made, so I took a few days off and did mundane things like pay bills and grocery shop. Whoopee. Oh, and I also had a birthday in there (September 1), so I was obligated to be taken to Red Lobster for lunch and forced to eat a birthday cake made especially for me. I know... rough, isn't it?

Anyway, after admiring my naked papers for a few days, I decided it was time to get back on the proverbial horse. I made four (yes, four!) cards using the Stampin' Up! Medallion stamped in black on the iridescent paper. Had I been thinking, I would have embossed them with black detail powder; but I will experiment with this at another time. By just stamping in black ink, the iridescence shines right through the medallion, which is a cool effect in itself.

The reinkers I used for this first card were Bermuda Bay with just a hint of Melon Mambo. I trimmed the paper down to A2 size and layered it on Basic Black cardstock after using the Ticket Corner punch to trim the corners. The "To My Friend" sentiment is a rub-on from SU!'s Lovely Lines (part of the Lovely Flowers Bundle being offered as a Level 3 hostess benefit), and I used the Small Oval punch to get it just the right size. The button is from Button Latte collection. That's a wee sliver of Basic Black cardstock in the center of the button.

Brilliant Blue, Tempting Turquoise, and (I think) Bermuda Bay reinkers were used on the background of this next card. In the center of the Medallion is a small flower and clear gemstone brad from the Pretties kit. The white rub-ons are from Eastern Elegance, a retired SU! package.

The background of this first Halloween card was made with Dusty Durango and Summer Sun reinkers. That's a clear gemstone brad from the Pretties kit in the center of the Medallion. "Goblin Greetings" is from the Grateful Greetings set featured in the current Holiday Mini, and I sponged some Basic Black around the edges to grunge it up a bit. I used a white gel pen to give the spider's eyes a freaky look.

This last card for today is similar to the previous one, except the spooky background was made with Lavendar Lace and, hmmmm, is that Bermuda Bay? reinkers. The sentiment is from the Holiday Best Level 1 Hostess set.

I have lots more of this paper, and I want to work with it while it's out on my desk and in my face. It would be a shame to tuck the rest of this stuff away and have it get lost in my stash, so I'm eager to see what else I can come up with!

Bad Card ... Fixed?

2009-08-31T22:56:00.007-04:00

Thanks to the outpouring of ideas on how to fix the damaged card from the previous post, I finally settled on a solution I can live with.

I tried several tactics (paper piercing, string of pearls, alcohol as an eraser, using my Stamp-a-ma-jig to place additional dotted curves as part of the design) before settling on trimming out the sliver of unwanted stamping and then adding a few more slivers to make it look planned. I backed the watercolored panel with Melon Mambo cardstock to match the eyelet border at the bottom and the NEW ribbon, and re-mounted the panel on Stampin' Dimensionals. Sigh. It took me more time to repair the damage than to make the card in the first place!

Many thanks to each and every one of you who offered suggestions, both as comments in the post below and in emails responding to my plea for ideas. I continue to be awed by the creativity of my peers!

Stamp Set: Always
Colors: Burmuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Basic Black
And: Iridescent Medium, stipple brushes, reinkers, grosgrain ribbon, Heart to Heart and Eyelet Border punches, paper snips, Stampin' Dimensionals, gravity

Good Card Gone Bad

2009-08-31T19:23:00.006-04:00

Perhaps you've heard the expression frequently used by stampers: "There are no mistakes, only more opportunities for embellishments." I'm a subscriber to that belief myself. Well, usually.

My disaster du jour may be an exception to this rule. I messed up BAD. As of this writing, my feeling is that this situation is pretty hopeless.

So there I was, cutting up a bit of Whisper White cardstock to decorate and put on the inside of this card, having already finished everything else to my satisfaction. This isn't just ANY card, mind you. This is a card made with the special paper I created yesterday; AND a contest candidate.

I'm working along happily, when suddenly there is a disturbance to my left. A stamp inked with black that I had put up on the ledge where my computer monitor is leapt (leaped?) from the ledge, obeying the laws of gravity. It fell, but not just anywhere, mind you. It landed in the worst possible place: On my nearly-finished card! and ink down!! WAAHHHH!!!

I quickly removed the offending stamp and did my best to dab off the ink while it was still wet. Alas, to no avail.

Here are the evil stamp and the messed-up card:

Here's a closer-up:

I've been sitting here a good 20 minutes staring at the damage and trying to figure out a "fix." Perhaps my brain is still in shock because nothing is coming to me.
Ideas, anyone?

Play Day

2009-08-30T18:03:00.011-04:00

Today I played. *smile* I don't have any finished cards to show you, but I would like you to see some amazing "handmade paper" I created. My plan is to incorporate these into cards within the next couple weeks.

It was hard to get good photos of my play results because what you see is affected by how the light hits it. If you look at them from one angle, they look like pretty watercolored backgrounds. When the light hits them just right, though, you can see some incredible shimmer.

Sherrill Graff and Shirley Munoz came up with this technique. Sherrill recently shared it with the Stampin' Up! Late Night Stampers group. (Are you a member yet? If not, why not?? You're missing out on a lot of good stuff!)

These papers were made using water, reinkers, and an iridescent medium similar to the Shimmer Paints found in the new Holiday Mini catalog.

Stay tuned to see what projects I create with these mini works of art! Even thought I have a few ideas rattling up there in my brain, even I can't say for sure what will happen next!

Big Shot Holiday Cards

2009-08-25T22:36:00.006-04:00

I issued a challenge to myself today to use some of the pieces recently created with the Big Shot in a couple holiday cards. I ended up with what I consider to be a weird combination of colors -- and yet I like them!

Card 1:
Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Ruby Red, Elegant Eggplant, Kraft
Big Shot: Snowflake #2 Originals Die, contraband embossing folder
Other: Distressing tool, sanding block, jewel-tone brad, non-SU! Happy Holidays stamp

Card 2:
Stamp Set: Delightful Decorations
Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Dusty Durango, Soft Suede, Confetti Kraft
Big Shot: Contraband embossing folder
Other: SU! Ornament punch, gold micro brads, Stampin' Dimensionals

Baby Birthday, Big Shot, and Alcohol Inks

2009-08-25T10:19:00.012-04:00

There's been lots going on here, stamping- and other-wise. Between maintenance issues on my current apartment and looking for a new one, I've been a bit stressed. How do I cope with stress? I stamp, of course!!

I keep a running list of swaps, birthdays, orders, and special projects so that I can stay on track and [hopefully] avoid any last-minute crunches. Next up on my list was a set of invitations to baby's first birthday party. I designed the card with lots of details, so it took me most of a day to get ten cards done; but I'm really pleased with how they turned out. Here's a pic of them all lined up on my worktable, waiting for the Stardust Stickles to dry:

Saturday was a fun day because my friend Rose Ann came over! She brought her Cuttlebug and Big Shot and alcohol inks and gesso... let's just say she taught me a LOT! I've got a pile of punched and embossed pieces that I can't WAIT to use on cards. The timing of her lessons on how to use the Big Shot was perfect, because look what arrived on Monday:

YeeHaw!!! I am now the proud owner of a BIG SHOT! The poor UPS guy nearly dropped the box when I squealed with excitement, lol.

I spent yesterday afternoon practicing, and now I have another big ol' pile of stuff to make cards out of. I didn't anticipate how addicting the Big Shot would be. I'm going to be hard pressed (ha! a Big Shot pun!) choosing between rubber stamps and dies and embossing plates when I place my personal orders with Stampin' Up! Oh well, it's a nice problem to have!

I had never used alcohol inks before, so I was tickled pink when Rose Ann showed up with hers and let me play with them for the first time. I'm duly impressed with them... gotta start saving my pennies so I can get some of my own. Here are two cards I made with the "experiments" I did on glossy cardstock:

Both the cat and the hummingbird are images from Michael Strong Rubber Stamps. The scalloped circles were cut and embossed with Spellbinders Nestibilities.

Next on my agenda: Who knows? I have some watercolor iridescent medium I want to use for a technique contest that ends next month... but then again, I want to play with gesso and try some of the techniques in this month's Technique Junkies newsletter... and I have a bunch of stamps from SU!'s new Holiday Mini catalog that haven't seen ink yet... and then there's this pile of embossed cardstock to play with... and a Big Shot to tinker with...

Stay tuned to see what I come up with next!

P.S. If you live in the Columbus, OH area, take a look at my previous post. I'm looking for hands to help me make cards for families staying at Ronald McDonald houses -- no experience necessary!

Kaleidoscope Cards

2009-08-19T19:52:00.008-04:00

I had a couple of pieces of ultra-cheery Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper that I've been eager to use, and these six cards are what transpired. I think they're pretty self-explanatory except for one thing: On all but one of the cards, I used Crystal Effects to "pop out" part of the DSP design, usually circles. You can see a little bit of the reflection of the dried CEs in the photos.

If you have any questions about these fun cards, leave a comment and I'll post an answer for you!

Supplies:
Stamp sets: Best Yet, Best Card Ever, Think Happy Thoughts, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, Only Orange, Pixie Pink
DSP: Kaleidoscope
SU! Punches: Scallop Circle, 1-1/4" Circle, 1-3/8" Circle, Word Window, Modern Label, Curly Label, Scallop Edge, Scallop Square
Other SU!: Crystal Effects, Stampin' Dimensionals, Tempting Turquoise brad, Green Galore brads, Fairy Tale ribbon (retired)
Other non-SU!: Fibers, ribbons, rick rack, brads, flowers, and self-adhesive crystals from stash, EK Dotted Wave border punch

Patchwork Cards

2009-08-19T17:11:00.005-04:00

These patchwork cards are CASEd from Penny Ginnery. The colors have been changed to protect the innocent. (Huh?)

Seriously, folks, this is as close as I will ever get to quilting. I tried it, and can now cross it off my list of things to do. It's actually a cool idea -- just not something that makes my heart sing to do, even though I really like how it looks.

Stamp set: Heard from the Heart
Colors: Riding Hood Red, Pirouette Pink, Whisper White
And: SU! designer buttons, SU! small Square punch, more chocolate than usual

Wow, I WON a Big Shot!!!

2009-08-14T21:43:00.013-04:00

Knock me over with a feather, folks! I have some AMAZING news! I've WON a Stampin' Up! Big Shot -- an awesome die-cutting and embossing machine, for those of you not yet in the know!!!

How incredible is that? And what did I have to do to win it? Well, I joined the Stampin' Up! Late Night Stampers Yahoo! group several months ago; and in the process of looking at members' blogs, I left comments -- something which I would have done anyway! Is that INCREDIBLE, or what?

The list mom, Sherrill Graff, is a leading SU! demo who firmly believes in encouraging her downline, fellow demonstrators, and stampers in general. She puts her money where her mouth is -- and often! -- by holding contests and giveaways which allow people to WIN product! She also hires people to make SU! sample cards and projects for her and pays them with stamps and supplies. I'm blown away almost daily with the number of opportunities she provides via the SU! LNS groups. (By the way, there's a demos-only group AND a group open to all.)

Not only does she support with merchandise, but she's an enthusiastic wealth of information on how to sell and recruit. Anyone interested in learning stamping techniques as well as more about the Stampin' Up! experience would benefit from the LNS group; and the ideas and encouragement she (and other demos at all levels of sales, including hobby demos) provides on the demos-only list are endless!

Yeah, I'm gushing, I admit it. But can you blame me? I mean, I WON A BIG SHOT!

ETA: I forgot to mention -- not only did I win the Big Shot, but Sherrill threw in a whole bunch of accessories, including pads, dies, and embossing plates. And, I ended up with a free Hostess stamp set to boot! WOW!!

ETA: I'm gonna be a Big Shot Hero, dies in my eyes... (you have GOT to check out this video!!)

Custom-Made Cards

2009-08-14T16:42:00.011-04:00

A friend of mine ordered ten cards last week, and I was happy to oblige. She asked for some general birthday, thank you, and thinking of you cards, plus two custom cards. I was able to easily pull eight cards out of my expansive stash that fit her requirements:

... and then began working on the two custom cards. One of her requests was for a "man card" for a relative who likes to hunt and fish. I don't have deer or realistic looking fish, but I told her I had a moose stamp. She laughed and told me I could use it. Here's how it turned out:

I used colored pencils with odorless mineral spirits to color the moose image, used a Sharpie to create a small black border, and used SU!'s Rough Texture wheel for the background. Inside I put a sentiment from one of the many birthday sets Stampin' Up! offers.

The next card was much more interesting to make, and I'm really proud of how it turned out. A friend of my friend recently added a new little puppy to her family, so she was hoping for a fitting card that would be personal. I started out with this card front:

... and put a little surprise on the inside:

It's perfect because the puppy is all black except for four white paws!

The puppy is made with all Stampin' Up! punches. Accessories included a white gel pen, some Crystal Effects for the shiny nose, and some googly eyes I had in my stash. (Thank goodness the puppy is a girl since all my googly eyes have eyelashes, lol!) Here's a close up:

Other supplies for the card include a Pink Pirouette card base, Bella Rose DSP, a computer-printed sentiment, my Eyelet Border punch, SU! felt flowers with white button brads, buttons with white scrappers floss, and white taffeta ribbon.

I'm really pleased with how quickly this order came together, and I think my friend will be very very happy. I think she knows I'm including her birthday card in the package, but I'll hold off posting it here until I'm sure she's gotten it.

Jessica Returns

2009-08-14T15:57:00.002-04:00

I sent this card out about ten days ago, so I'm guessing the recipient received it even though I've heard nothing. At any rate, I hope she was surprised.

Yup, it's Jessica from Hero Arts again. Dress print, panels, and flowers are from a DCWV Glitter Stack. It's a simple card, but still cute. (Or maybe I'm biased!)

Quick Card -- and a Mini Sermon

2009-08-12T09:43:00.011-04:00

Here's a card I made for a friend who got gypped out of her return card in a swap. This has been happening a lot to me lately, too -- I sign up for a one-on-one swap, dutifully send out my card, and then wait by the mailbox only to receive no card back in return. It's SUCH a disappointment!

Well, I can't send cards to myself to make myself feel better (just doesn't seem to work that way, lol), but in this situation I could "make it right" for my friend. :o)

Stamp set: Simple Friendship

Colors: Positively Pink, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White

And: Dotted Wave punch, sponge, chocolate

I have to step up on my soapbox for a minute and remind my fellow stampers: If you make a committment to send a card to someone, PLEASE follow through! (Conversely, if you're not sure if you can follow through, don't say YES to a swap. Or if something does come up that prevents you from following through on time, contact your partner to let them know!) Your actions, as well as any lack of action, makes an impact. There is so much negativity and disappointment in the air these days without you causing more hurt feelings. I learned from this project just how much one card makes a difference to someone when they're having a bad day. I encourage my stamping peers to make a POSITIVE difference in the world around them, even if it's just by following through on their committments!

Razzleberry Birthday

2009-08-08T16:07:00.011-04:00

I ran across this card by my upline's upline, Penny Ginnery, and just had to CASE it. I opted for different colors, though.

Try as I may, I can't get the shadows behind the three punches to show. I think my new camera is TOO good, LOL! At any rate, I do have the three curly squares raised up on Stampin' Dimensionals, and I think that's what "makes" the card.

Stamps: Birthdays Count (under $10!)

Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White

And: Rich Razzleberry Patterns DSP, Polka-dotted Grosgrain ribbon, Curly Label punch, Trio Flower punch, gold brads, White Craft ink, Stampin' Dimensionals, Chocolate

Monochromatic Medallion

2009-08-06T21:56:00.008-04:00

I made this 5-1/2" square card for the Late Night Stampers monochromatic challenge this week. Really, it's not as easy as it sounds!

Here's from a different angle so you can see the clear embossing better:

It came together kinda like this:

1. Stared at my packs of paper, piles of inkpads, boxes and boxes of stamp sets, and wondered for a good half hour what the heck I had gotten myself into.

2. Narrowed it down to something with the Medallion stamp and Rich Razzleberry.

3. Picked out four prints from the Rich Razzleberry Patterns Pack that don't have white in them. (I'm a purist when it comes to monochromaticity.) Had a brilliant idea of using a square of each print to create a larger background to stamp the Medallion on.

4. Changed my mind and picked out one print to stamp the Medallion on.

5. Cut a Rich Razzleberry card base just slightly smaller than 5-1/2" squared (so it would slide into the envelope easier).

6. Used the Eyelet Border punch along the open end of the card.

7. Using the hit-or-miss technique, trimmed a piece of patterned paper to fit in the allotted space on the cardfront.

8. Brayered the Medallion stamp with white craft ink, then sponged Rich Razzleberry onto the stamp. Stamped onto the patterned paper and embossed with clear detail EP.

9. Admired my work, then realized I didn't have a clue what I would do next. (...which is pretty much how all my cards start out, so it doesn't panic me).

10. Sponged some Rich Razzleberry polka-dotted ribbon so that the dots would no longer be glaring white. Added to the left side of the Medallion panel and fiddled with the tie for 10 minutes before throwing a hissy fit and deciding to lay the ribbon flat and just attach a separate bow with a glue dot.

11. Debated if I could pull off using an Ice Circle brad in the center of the Medallion. Decided to go for it. If I had to make the card over, I would opt for a small dyed "Pretties" flower instead. Hindsight is 20/20.

12. Decided I wanted the Medallion panel to not blend into the card base so much, and sponged the base with more Razzleberry to make it darker.

13. Decided I wanted even more contrast, so sponged the edges of the panel with Craft White and Razzleberry ink, then clear embossed it.

14. Finally attached the panel to the card base with some sticky strip. "Ain't no way that panel's going anywhere!"

15. Wished the eyelet border showed better, so put a strip of patterned paper on the inside to back it, then sponged a bit of Craft White and Razzleberry ink for more contrast.

16. Wondered what to do about a sentiment, and finally decided on "Just For You" from Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped onto a bit of Whisper White cardstock sponged lightly with Rich Razzleberry ink. Punched it with a 1-1/4" circle punch, layered it on a 1-3/8" circle of patterned paper, then layered on a Rich Razzleberry Scalloped Circle with pierced scallops. Added a smidge more paper piercing and attached the whole thing to the cardfront with a few Stampin' Dimensionals.

17. Wondered if I was done, but decided the upper right corner needed some paper piercing, too.

18. Took pictures for my blog and the contest entry, then realized I hadn't done anything with the inside. I decided to sponge a bit of Whisper White the size of the front panel and second-generation stamp just a portion of the Medallion on the left.

19. Decided to do the something similar with the envelope, only this time stamping the Medallion on the lower left corner.

20. Figured that life's too short to pull out the camera a second time, especially when it's bedtime, so reminded myself that my readers are intelligent and able to envision what I did with the inside and envelope if I wrote a description.

21. Wondered if anyone actually read every word of this description, lol.

I'm open to feedback on this one. I'll be honest, it's not one of my favorite cards, but I think it's passable. Your thoughts?

Christmas in July -- uhhh, August

2009-08-02T18:19:00.002-04:00

I've been in a festive mood the last couple days, so decided to participate in the Late Night Stampers Challenge #30: Christmas in July. The colors are sorta non-traditional (as in sorta greenish and sorta reddish), but I really like them.

Stamp set: Snow Swirled

Colors: Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Whisper White

Toys: Filigree brads, Polka-dotted Grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Border and 3/4" circle punches, paper piercing tools, Stampin' Dimensionals

A Few Cards...

2009-07-29T16:13:00.008-04:00

My mojo's been a little wonky the last few days, but I've had to forge ahead and make some cards anyway. Don't hurt yourself laughing, okay?

This first card I made today, and I guess it's not too bad. I was hoping for something with more POW, but ended up with a sweet little birthday card for my nurse.

Stamps: Birthdays Count, Always, Always in Bloom wheel
Colors: Bashful Blue, Brushed Silver
And: Silver Detail Embossing Powder, Scallop Border punch, small circle punch, white taffeta ribbon, sponge

The card below is one of the ugliest cards I've ever made -- definitely a case of a good idea gone bad. Maybe if I make the candle a pastel color, and print the "Look Who's Turning 1" in black... or maybe this should just end up in a circular file!

Stamps: Big Birthday Candle, Really Retro
Colors: All Wrong (I should stick with SU! products that I *know* will work together when my mojo's off!)

Hopefully your eyes aren't bleeding and you can look at the next one, which is a little better.

Stamps: Just B, Really Retro, Oval All, Three for You
Colors: Mauve Mist (a retired SU! color), Lavendar Lace
And: Paper from a DCWV Glitter Stack, Flower Trio punch, Oval and Scallop Oval punches, Star Dust Stickles, cool ribbon found on my worktable (smile), Stampin' Dimensionals

The two party invitations were choices I gave to my friend in Georgia (hi, Nikki!) for the upcoming first birthday party for her granddaughter (hugs to Samantha!). I had planned to give Nikki a couple more choices, especially since the one was such a dud; but she really like the purple one, so that's the one I'll be making multiples of. Gosh, how can Sam be a year old already? She was just born!

Wild Birthday Card

2009-07-29T02:50:00.001-04:00

My friend and stamping buddy Christina is having a birthday this week, (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRISTINA!), so that naturally calls for the making of a birthday card!

This is one of those cards that took on a mind of its own in the making. I started out with some paper from a DCWV Glitter Stack, and the card just sort of evolved into a multi-layered, colorful "thing." Although it's wilder than my usual style, I really like how it turned out.

Pet Sympathy Cards

2009-07-26T21:30:00.001-04:00

I was called on to make some pet sympathy cards recently. It's never fun, but I do my best to honor the pets and console their parents.

This first one is for the brother of one of my BFFs who had to say goodbye to his German Shepherd companion. I googled and found this picture online, printed it in black and white and colored it with chalks. The photo doesn't capture the rich colors you'd see in person.

The next two cards were made in honor of Steve the cat, and since I know and love Steve these cards were more difficult than usual.

More Autumn Days

2009-07-24T03:31:00.006-04:00

I recently stamped and markered a bunch of pheasants from SU!'s Autumn Days set which I was borrowing. I'll eventually get this wonderful set for myself, but today I was content to assemble the pieces I created while my NC friends were visiting.

Stamps: Autumn Days, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Warmest Regards

Colors: Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede, Ruby Red

Punches: Modern Label, Designer Label, Word Window, Ticket Corner, 1" Circle

And: Stampin' Dimensionals, Color Spritzer, In Color markers, grosgrain ribbon

StamperJoyce's Creative Corner

Just Some Doodles

In Search of My Muse: Six Cards

Pretty Glue Holder

Paisley Petals Sympathy Cards

She Lives!

Three More Anniversary Cards

Five Cards (Catching up on posting!)

My First *My Digital Studio* Card!

Thoughts and Prayers

Day of Gratitude

More Customized Birthday Cards

A Couple Birthday Cards

Fun with Owls

A Birthday Card!

Thank You's for the Moving Crew

Last Two Cards before "The Big Move"

Forty Bears for the Kids (at long last!)

Brace Yourself... !

Burger King Birthday Card

50th Anniversary Card

Graduation Congratulations!

Tart & Tangy Birthday Card

The Times, They are a-Changin'!

Last Sympathy Card for Awhile (I hope!)

Three More Sympathy Cards

Missing You Card

Sympathy Card - First of Batch 2

Sympathy Cards - Batch 1

Little Steps

Happy Birthday, Deborah!

Five More Anniversary Cards

More Anniversary Cards

First Card of the Year: Vintage Vogue

December's One Card... and I'm back!

Be Back Soon!

DCBD Challenge #156

Christmas Card Mix

DCBD Challenge #155

The One That Got Away

More Christmas Cocoa

Merry Moments

The More the Merrier

Seven Holiday Cards with Shimmery White

Thank You!

Build-a-Bear Cards, Set 1

Star Trek Birthday Card

More Patterned Pines

A Couple Holiday Cards

Update from Bear Central

More Girl Build-a-Bears

The Build-a-Bear Project

Working on Cards for (RMH) Kids

Pinwheel Card and Shimmer Background Cards

Shimmer Paint Adventures

Just Messin' Around

LNS Challege 41 featuring Autumn Days

Falling Leaves

Fun with All Hallow's Eve

Zoofari Birthday

Inspired by Nature

Roof Garden (Blast from the Past)

Sympathy Cards

Mission: Accomplished!

Mission: More "Guy" Birthday Cards

Mission: Men's Birthday Cards, continued

Mission: Continued

Mission: Birthday Cards for Men

A Bermuda Bay Sort of Day

Handpainted Paper Meets the Big Shot

More Handpainted Paper Cards

Help Me Help Ronald McDonald House Charities!

New Policy

Delightful Decorations

Iridescent Medallions

Bad Card ... Fixed?

Good Card Gone Bad

Play Day

Big Shot Holiday Cards

Baby Birthday, Big Shot, and Alcohol Inks

My First My Digital Studio Card!