Sunday, July 25, 2010

Last Two Cards before "The Big Move"

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

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Forty Bears for the Kids (at long last!)

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


Friday, July 16, 2010

Brace Yourself... !

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!

Friday, July 2, 2010

Burger King Birthday Card

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!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

50th Anniversary Card

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