A friend came over today and brought some Flower Soft.  I stamped and colored the bench scene TRY-FOLD card and thought I would add a bit of fluff to the flowers for added dimension. I put some green Meadow in the flower pot, some blue in the hanging basket and a little bit of pink in the flower pot.  I love it.  I had already stamped and colored this TRY-FOLD autumn card from ART IMPRESSIONS but it needed just a little something.  I used the SPRING(yes spring not fall) colors of Flower Soft and put some on the two trees in the background.  Then I added just a tiny bit under the wheels on the wagon and some near the bottom of the pumpkins.  It really finished the card off. 

StampScrapArtTour in Westminster, MD

        A friend and I traveled over 2 hours to a stamp show in Westminster, MD on Saturday.  It was a great show!  If you ever get a chance to go to it, do it. One of the stamps I bought was from TOO MUCH FUN RUBBER STAMPS.  It is a HOODIE.  It ends up being a gate fold card.  I was thinking it would make a great card for guys or teenagers.  A gift card will fit nicely inside, too. 
         I stamped onto decorative paper, cut out and folded it.  I cut away the zipper and stamped just the zipper part onto a plain decorative paper.  Then I cut out the zipper leaving a bit on the left side to glue under the left side of the hoodie.  It makes it look a bit more realistic that way.  I am going to buy some camouflage decorative paper to make some for the guys that hunt.  The finished size is about 4" x 4 1/2".  The stamp is quite large and since I didn't buy the acrylic block to mount it to, I inked the stamp, laid it down on the decorative paper and ran a jar candle over it.  That worked quite well.  I got that tip from THE FUGAL STAMPER.  She has all kinds of great ideas. 

My Cat Book cut with Cricut Expressions

This was designed in Design Studio and then cut out with my Cricut Expressions.

Some stamping while he slept....

This shows how I put the book together

I still have more photos to add to it.

Digital Scrapbooking Have you tried it yet?

It isn't just for scrapping though.  I like to use it for card making also.  I am just starting using a new to me product - My Memories.  If you would like to purchase the software and get a $10 coupon, just use STMMMS19845  at the below link.




<a href="http://www.mymemories.com/digital_scrapbooking_software"><img src="http://www.mymemories.com/images/stm/Funnest-500x120.jpg" alt="" height="120" width="500" border="0" /></a>

Wonderful new Art Impressions stamps! CHA released!

The angels are 9.50 each.  The sayings are 5.00 each.

How about 17.00 for each set Feathers or Furries!  These will make nice additions to your Try Fold cards.

How about a card holder or to tuck a bill or two into.  19.50 for each set.  The bra saying is BRA-VO!

 The old lady's saying is Thought you could use some retail therapy! The Cupcake saying is A special treat for someone so sweet.  Thank-you!  I bet these give you all kinds of ideas!

Just 10.50 each set. 

Santa and penguins - 10.50  Santa and sack - 9.50  Snowman and penguins - 9.50 and Joy Penguins is 9.00

Sets to make trifold cards just 19.50 each set.

Each set comes with complete instruction on how to make the trifold cards with these stamps.

I can't wait to get mine!

Each set is 12.50.  I know I want a few of these for cards for friends! 

Sailboats and water coloring Cards.

I borrowed this stamp from a friend and water colored with with INKTENSE watercolor pencils.  I just bought them and love them for their bright colors.  It gave me an excuse to use of some of my scrap papers, too.

3 Tips

1. Over the years I have saved lots of clear plastic boxes, such as the ones from SU.  Doing my yearly January organizing I decided to use some of these boxes to organize.  When the phone rings I like to keep my hands busy.  That is what SPEAKER phone is for, isn't it?  My favorite card to make is a Stair Step or a Side Step card.  These take lots of images that have to be cut out.  So I am sorting thru my images that I have cut and putting "like ones" into these boxes.  I stamp a lot of these images but also cut them out from decorative paper stacks. 
2. My favorite scissors to use to cut these are my Fiskar's 6" spring loaded ones.  They are sharp and get into corners easily.  One trick that I learned a long time ago is to turn your paper instead of your scissors.  It just takes a little practice and you will be very happy with the results. 
3.  It you want a little dimension to your layers think about using a dot or line of hot glue.  It also creates less bulk when mailing  a layered card.

I have been stamping and cutting out a lot of images for my cards.  I use them either for STAIR STEP CARDS or PAPER PIECING.  I tried stamping on sticker paper just now and like the idea.  Once I cut out the image the backing is already sticky so I only have to stick it onto my card.  YEAH!

I just got some new stamps in from Art Impressions and of course I have to try them out.  I am taking a large sheet of Bristol Board paper (art section of AC Moore's) and stamping as many as I can get onto one sheet.  Then I can color them with my watercolor pencils while I am on the phone or "watching" tv.  I will use a damp #3 watercolor paint brush later.  Since I am not using very much water the Bristol Board paper doesn't warp or buckle.  The Bristol Board paper is very smooth unlike watercolor paper so it stamps nicely. 
The above image is one sheet of stamps.  Sorry  the scan didn't do them justice.  I will watercolor these before I cut them out.  Then I will use them on cards.  I have some stockings to hang on the fireplace for a Christmas card.  I stamped them on decorative paper and cut them out.  The stocking stamp (3 stockings) is also from Art Impressions.

This is a pop up card I just made for a friends birthday using new stamps from Art Impressions.  It starts out flat coming out of the envelope. You pull on the front and the owl pops up.  The greeting then shows where you pulled it out.  The images and sayings are all from Art Impressions.

Cute and fun new card techniques using Art Impressions rubber stamps

I saw this technique on YouTube and just knew I had to try it.  It is easy and fun to do.  I bet you can't make just one!!! 

Supplies

Cut one sheet of heavy card stock 7x5 for the front.  You either want to color this, dry emboss it or use a decorative card stock (one that won't detract from your scene inside).  Or you can adhere decorative paper to the front.  

Cut one sheet of heavy card stock 7x5 for the back,  This can be plain card stock

Die to cut out a "window" on the front piece.  Or manually cut a hole about 3x4" in the center of the front.

Scraps of heavy card stock for two tabs

Score and fold at the 1" mark in from each end

Score and fold at the 1 1/2" mark in from each end

You should have a 4" by 5" space in the center of each.

Decorate this 4 x 5 area on the back piece.  I water colored the Snowy Tree and the Little Lambs from Art Impressions onto watercolor paper and adhered to the 4 x 5" spot.

Position your die in the 4 x 5" center part of the front piece.  I used a Nestabilities die to cut out an opening and ran it thru my Cuttlebug.

Cut two tabs out of scraps of the heavy card stock.  About 1" x 2" each.  These tabs will seem like they are moving.  So think of something interesting to put on them.

Stamp two images onto the tabs or stamp and cut out two images and adhere to the ends of the tabs.  That is what I did.  I stamped and water colored two birds from Art Impressions.  Then I water colored the tabs to match the sky on the background and glued the birds to the ends.  I trimmed my tabs to 1/2" x 2".  Then after gluing the birds onto the tabs I trimmed around the birds so not as much blue showed on the tabs. 

Using a temporary adhesive, place the tabs on the 1" x 5" areas on each side.  Position them where they show the background best and glue the ends of the tabs WITHOUT the images to the 1x5 edges.  If you are putting a word or saying on the back and want to cover up that saying by these two tabs, position them accordingly so when you pull the sides the word will show.  In my case, I wanted them up in the sky but at different levels not to cover the star or the lambs.

Glue or use a Red Line tape along the outside of the two back edges (1x5").  Be sure to tape over the tabs to catch them in with the heavy duty tape. 

Carefully place the front piece over the back piece and press down. 

When you pull back and forth on the two side pieces it will look as though your images on the tabs are moving.  How fun is that? 

I love this cute purse pattern and it makes up quick.  Those are actually pleats.  I used the same black fabric that I did on the handle of the purse for the inside of the pleats.  It has a snap closure and two pockets inside.

I have been busy sewing some American Girl doll clothes.  Here is a peak at what I have finished.  I am going to be taking these over to A UNIQUE HOUSE to sell, where I have a booth.  It is in King George, Virginia.

I really enjoy making this size doll clothes and there are so many different patterns for the American Girl Doll.  The doll in the photo is not an authentic American Girl Doll but rather one I purchased from A.C. Moore's Art and Craft store.  She has a vinyl head and cloth body.

New Owl Stamps from Art Impressions

Sale price - $18.00 unmounted

Sale price - $6.00 unmounted

Please contact me, Phyllis, at phyllis610@yahoo.com for ordering at the sale price.  Thank-you.

Martha Stewart's Stamp around the Page set

       A friend gave me this neat gift for Christmas.  We just got together yesterday and exchanged gifts.  I will say your measurements have to be really good both in cutting and lining up your stamps.  But it sure gives a WOW factor.  I am using it to make cards but doing it on a 12 x 12 scrapbook page would be terrific.  You have to work in 2" increments starting at 4".  So it can be square or rectangular.  6x6" or 6x8", etc.  These are some examples that I have played around with so far.  The first image shows combining two stamps to make one pretty card layer. If you look closely at the brown design you will see that it didn't match up exactly.  This is where I might have not cut perfectly.  I say this because it is only on the lower side. 
       You stamp with the corner stamps first on all 4 corners.  Then exchange stamps for the matching border one.  Line up the corner designs on the template and stamp the border in between.  The directions are very good you just need to do it once or twice to get the hang of it.  Now I can't wait to put something in the center of these and see how they make into a card.