Since I had my stamps out.....

I decided to do an other quick one.  Thinking spring here.....  Stamps are all from Art Impressions. 

Playing with stamps today

I decided to try to make a scene with some Art Impressions tiny bear stamps.  My husband hunts, so I am always looking for cards to make for him with hunting as a theme.  Plus we both love the outdoors, wildlife, hiking and National Parks through out our beautiful America.  I am pretty pleased with how it turned out except the water in the back will overflow.  I should have drawn a straight line for the water and filled in below it.  I will remember that next time.  I know to do it when I have the water meeting the sky at the horizon.  Tsk. Tsk.  Just plain wasn't thinking. 

Art Impressions MOUTHFULS stamp sets

Booklet with a mouthful of ideas.  $1.

Holiday Accessories $15.95

Pudgy Cat set $15.95

Spring time frog set $15.95

Partying Mouse set $15.95

Sweet Bunny set $15.95

Busy Dog set $15.95

Smiling Snowman set $15.95

Can't you just see how much fun these are to play with.  There are so many ways to make each card different with all the accessories for just $15.95 a set.  There is a holiday accessory set that will work for the above stamp sets, too.

I purchased a 18"x24 watercolor pad

This of course is way too large to do a watercolor picture, for me that is.  I have been busy cutting up the pages into workable sizes.  I cut out some fancy shapes with my Cricut and also with my Cuttlebug and label Nestabilities.  I make a lot of flower images with watercolors and Art Impressions stamps so I cut out some butterfly shapes with the Cricut.  Then I cut a shadow of the same image and will layer these two onto a card front.  I have a barn stamp from AI and am thinking of cutting out a barn with my Cricut, then stamping the farm scene onto it.  I am thinking these will make for a very unique card. 

Tips for getting your Christmas cards done for 2011

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.  While on the phone I cut the images 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.
4. The year is just starting so now is the time to start making your Christmas cards for next year.  I make about 90 cards to send out.  So divide 12 (months) into 90 so it looks like I need to make a bout 8 a month.  I put on my calendar (yahoo calendar works for me as it gives me a reminder) on the 25th (for Christmas but any date will work) to make 8 cards.  Of course I know this date every month, so I start earlier most months.  I love making cards when I have the time, not when I am rushed.  It would be a chore to make so many cards if I waited until fall to make them.  This way I can make each one and enjoy it.  It is my hobby so I get to do what I really like doing every month.  Sometimes I make more than 8 some months I make less but it all evens out.  Oh, I do not make everyone the same card.  Each one is different to some degree.  Most cards I made for 2010 were water colored images stamped from Art Impressions (http://www.artimpressions.com).  I like using vinyl stickers from Jerry (http://www.imacrs.com/stick-new.htm) on them also.

My order came in today from

Art Impressions (AI). I was doing the happy dance.  For about an hour I was busy doing the behind the scenes things.  I checked to see if anything was missing from the order.  I separated the items I have orders for.  Then I put price labels on everything, double checking to make sure the prices are right.  The packaging on the stamps are bright and clear as to what is inside each package.  Oh, and I pulled my own items out of course.  I am planning on taking everything over to A UNIQUE HOUSE tomorrow to set up a display.  AI also included some advertising posters showing some of the new items.  I did get a chance to go thru the catalog that was in my order.  WOW, what a lot of neat stamps.  Of course that made me start an other order to AI. 

Getting things ready for a sale tomorrow at A UNIQUE HOUSE, King George, VA

I finished the dollhouse I have been working on.  It is a small 4 room house that I did up thinking a little girl would love it.  Of course it is PINK.  I stained all the floors and scored them to look like hard wood floors.  I wallpapered all the walls in various patterns of doll house wallpapers.  The outside is pink with white trim.  It looks so pretty.  I priced and put into clear sleeves a lot of cards that I have been making.  I wish I had a Christmasy box for them to sit in but for now a clear shoe box will have to do.  The most amazing thing I have been working on and finished is a Christmas living room scene.  It is on a board with no walls.  I put a spiral staircase as the focal point.  I stained the staircase and cut white card stock for the risers.  Very striking with a white Christmas tree under the staircase.  Next to it is a fireplace with a Christmas mantel swag on the front.  There are boxes of toys and wrapped presents under the tree, too.  A rocking chair sits off to the side with a teddy bear on the seat and cloth folded across the back that looks like a quilt.  If you peek behind the tree and stairs you see a rocking horse waiting for a child to come down on Christmas morning.  I had too much fun putting the scene all together.