Country Roads Stamping

Flat is Good

Well, there seems to be one problem with sending hand made cards through the mail - they tend to cost more due to their thickness - so you have to learn certain "tricks" to keep the postage down - i.e. - you don't add too many layers, not a lot of brads or other embellishments and very little ribbon.  So this card today is a little unusual because it really does have a lot of layers - well, it used to.

Now this isn't something that you do all the layers and then run it through the big shot - you have to do the layers simply, one at a time,  so that it is never thick.  Plus, stamping gives the image of depth and another layer - so it is a kind of "trickery" used to make it look like more layers.  I used the Medallion stamp for the background and stamped soft suede ink onto the Cajun Craze - you can see a little big of glimmer on this if you look closely - I wish I knew how to make the glimmer effect show up better.  looks great in real life just does not photograph well - I suppose if I had some high brow camera it would! 

Check out that neat looking zig zag strip - that is using the new die cut from the Holiday mini - I've always hated using rick rack (fabric kind) on my cards because it was hard to adhere - however, using a paper zig zag is a lot easier!  However, Stampin Up! now has the adhesive that we can put right on fabric or paper to make attaching things like this super easy!  Well, this card is nice and flat so no extra postage for it!  Thanks for stopping by!

Lovely as A Tree

Welcome back to another week!  I love taking the week-end off because it gives me and you a little break - then I actually got to play a little in my stamp room - little being the main word there. However, I have my posts all ready for the week - and I couldn't decide which to put up here first - so I am starting with my favorite!  I love this card - every time a new retiring list comes out I expect to see Lovely as A Tree on it - but it has not been on there yet - so this week-end I pulled it out and decided to use it again! 

Now I must tell you that even my husband likes this one!!!  I started with a chocolate chip base, then used white for the next layer - stamped the oak leaves in black and then ran it through the lattice embossing folder - then sponged old olive, dusty durango and just a hint of crushed curry over that.  Then I taped some scraps of dusty durango and black cardstock together and ran them through the lattice die cut - giving a rather unusual look for the lattice.  My tree I stamped in craft black and clear embossed and then watercolored with tangerine tango, daffodil delight and old olive - The reason I used different colors on the tree than for the sponging was to prove to myself that I'll be just fine without dusty durango or summer sun or really rust and crushed curry - I'll still have tangerine tango and daffodil delight.  So I'll be okay!!!This turned out much better than what I had expected.  I'm thinking that this lattice folder would work great to do the snakeskin technique with a little work - so I'll have to try that sometime. 

I also have to show you a funny guest we have here at our house.  We just opened the pool last week - we never open it until June because it is never warm enough - but it has certainly been warm enough the past few weeks!  While Steve was getting in the pool - I was taking pictures of his swimming buddy-

This little fella actually sat on the first rung of the ladder while Steve literally walked down the ladder into the pool - only after he swam a lap and disturbed the water did the frog hop out - we keep catching him and putting him in our little frog pond - but I guess he is insulted by the size of it - and keeps coming back to the big pool!  We already share the pool with half a dozen tree frogs - obviously our chemicals are not real strong ;)  Only tricky thing is remembering to check the skimmer every morning because sometimes he decides to sleep in that basket and if we turn on the pump - that will be it for him - gotta love these little guys - they sure keep you "hoppin"!  Have a great day and thanks to Kathy Seals for her comments - see that she is also a batty person!!! I knew there had to be another one out there somewhere!  Have a great Day!

Now, what day is it?

Oh my, I'll be lost all week as to what day it is!  Today should be Monday, but it is Tuesday - so I'll be scratching my head all week and then to make matters worse - we are in a different month!  Dear me. However, what a fabulous week-end!!! Wonderful weather - very precious little rain for us here in central West Virginia.  I got a lot done, as did my hubby,  I even have some stuff done for convention!  Woohoo!!  I'm prepping this page on Monday night - and the retiring list will come out after midnight - Utah time - so I am not staying up to await that event - I will attach it under a separate page - just click on the right where you see retiring list - will be easier for you to print off also to have for your perusal. 

I am ahead on my projects for the week and I do have to hold back because the normal reaction it to throw everything up here! Can't do that though - but I have one really cute project but I have to wait until I deliver it to the recipient - it is not actually a stampin Up! item - just something creative I saw in Iowa and I feel certain some of you are going to want to case it.  No hints - just wait.  Cathey B - I'm certain it will be something you will want to use for some of your friends!

Now with that teaser, on to the card for today.

I actually saw something very similar to this somewhere and for the life of me I can't remember where it was - don't know if it was a magazine or a blog - wherever It was I used it as a springboard to copy the idea, and I say copy quite loosely as you'd never recognize this from the original card.   

This stamped image is from Watercolor Trio.  I've been using this a bunch over the past couple of days - so you will see a lot of it around here.  I stamped the hmmm, I guess we'll call it flower- like image in versamark and then clear embossed - then I stamped the french word background in soft suede and then sponged on some old olive.  Everything else is pretty basic - used the dotted swiss folder of ours for the card front and the large scallops at the bottom of the stamped piece is simply 1 inch circles punched out of old olive cardstock.   Ofcourse I used crushed curry because it is going away - I have lots of it to use up before it goes!  Be sure to check out the retiring list and see what is going, going gone!  Enjoy the day back at work!!

Tulips Recycled

Well, the little box that I did last week - I took out all the candies that were inside it and took off the tulips - I then just laid them in a pile - and then I actually looked where they landed - on top of another card - so I simply recycled the tulips onto another card base in the same colors and here we have recycling at its best - using it on cards! I even made a matching envelope, which you can see lying there on the left.

 
So let's see what the ingredients are - the Bird Punch (for the tulips) The scalloped circle punch and 1 3/8 circle punch and the scalopped edge punch.  The cardstock I used was Always Artichoke for the base, then Regal Rose for the next layer, which has also been embossed using the polka dot embossing folder.  Once again pulled out the Tea Party designer paper for an added bit of kick and So Saffron cardstock to pop it off the pink a little.  I used the gel pen to bring it all together.  Another card that scream Spring again.  All of these colors are a big step away from my favorite colors and I'm using so much pink that this should take me way into the summer on Pink usage!!! Can you tell me what is missing on this card?  Enjoy the day!   

Flower Folds Die Cut

Well, another unusual post this morning.  I really will get back to cards - I have several made up but there have been all these other items to think about for gift giving!  While at convention, Shelli Gardner, the Co-founder and CEO of Stampin UP! demonstrated this really cute brooch made from our Flower Folds Die cut - on page 201 of the catalog.  I thought they would be easy to do, which they were and if you are a fabric collector - you may already have some great fabrics at the house to use.

I used lightweight cotton because I was wanting specific designs, one is apples, the other two are Christmas fabrics.  Because I used the cotton, I backed these with fusible webbing, interfacing, whatever you call it (sorry Janet) you have the general idea - my Fabrics came from a local quilt shop in Adamston, Classic Quilt Shop.  Janet went through and helped me get my fabrics for my Build a Bear bags and these pins. 

These were just run through the Sizzix using the die cut and then I layered them on top of each other, took a needle and thread and attached the button to hold everything together.  I added a pin back onto the back of the fabric.  If I had any upholstery fabric - I think it would work well - would be stiffer and hold up better.  So Another gift idea -

Well, today I will load up the car with all these goodies for the Jubilee - seems like a lot more work for no more than it looks like!!!!  So don't forget the Jacksons's Mill Jubilee - opens Friday at Noon and runs thru Sunday.  Look for Country Road Stampers, down near Harrison Cottage.  There will be four of us working the show - taking turns so no one has to do it all.  Off to work and thanks for stopping by.

One more note I keep forgetting - I will be drawing for the door prizes that I promised at the end of the summer - over the week-end - I have this huge bag of door prize tickets that have accummulated from June, July and August - I will send an email out and post on here next week the winners.  I have the prizes all here - so just a matter of sitting down and drawing the tickets. 

Something a Little Different

While working in the stamp room last night I saw this little canvas bag laying on the table - all that blank space to work with.  In my stamp room right now, Blank space is at a high premium, so the bag stuck out like a sore thumb.  I got to thinking about what I could do with it - I had already used several to make for Build a Bear bags so I needed something different.  Then I thought that I needed something to carry my swaps for Founders Circle in - over 100 swaps (ackkkkk) so I would need something good to place them in and I should definitely have something cute - so the work began.

I had received a stamp set that had been out on loan and was getting ready to work with it over the week-end for a scrapbooking page, but decided it should be used on this bag instead.

This little bag is what I ended up with and do you have any idea how difficult it is to photograph an Empty canvas bag?!!! 

This stamp set is Season of Friendship and ofcourse I love the trees - I used craft ink and I might try in the future to use acrylic inks on a sponge - to see if it would make the colors a little brighter.  My craft pads were good and inky but canvas absorbs.  After I finished the trees - I decided I needed some bling at the top - so I grabbed my new in color ribbons and a few corduroy buttons - all added with the aid of my Crop a dile - man that thing can punch holes through just about anything.  Now I have a cool bag to put my swaps in - if I could just get the swaps done!  That will be this week-end.  Since I rarely plan events on holiday week-ends figuring that is a time for families, I usually use it to get things done around the house or caught up with stamping.  This week-end I'll try to combine both and do a little of each. 

That's it for today - still have several things to put up here - yeah!!!  Must stamp inside greetings in cards today and pack them to take - got most of the items ready to decorate the table with yesterday.  Off to work - have a great day and enjoy this fabulous weather!!!

Working Fast & Furiously

Well, I'm trying to finish up the items I have done for the Stonewall Jackson Jubilee in Jane Lew over the week-end - there are four of us participating so that eases the responsibility some.  I've never tried anything like this before so don't know that I will want to make it a habit - it is a lot of time and work to get things ready and then man the booth and then wonder if anyone actually wants anything you've slaved over anyway!! Today and tomorrow will be spent putting all the finishing touches on the items and then decorating the table. 

Since I've been doing that I am going to show you one of the things I've worked on that I really like - I made some trivets using stamps - I've done the coffee cup trivets and I have several of those ready but these are for pots and pans - like a hot pad.  I'm thinking that these looked kind of nice sitting right on my counter where I photographed them!!

These tiles can be purchased at Home Supply stores like Lowes and Home Depot.  Then I used craft inks or Stayz On Ink to stamp them, depending on the design I was using.  I still bake mine because I used the craft ink - I just feel safer if I bake that ink in - then poly urethane it for a little bit of shine and further protection.  This one really does fit in well with my new kitchen look.

This tile uses a retired set, which the one above did as well.  I don't own  this set myself but my mother does so I borrowed it from her.  I don't know if I actually want to sit some hot pan on these or not ;)  I'll be posting some of the other items later this week and then some of the additional cards - so nice to have things made up ahead - also been working on the stamp camp cards for September.  then the really big thing is Christmas Cards - I've finally got all that figured out and will be releasing that information to my customers today.  There have been a lot of people asking about that. 

Off to get some work done and a little exercise.  So nice outside to be working out!!! Have a great day and thanks for checking in!

End of the week

WEll, finally to the end of the week- I cannot wait to be able to sleep in tomorrow - my son in law jokes that "sleeping in" at our house means 6 a.m. - and even that will be wonderful.  It has been a long 3 weeks of running at top speed.  Yesterday's 1,2,3 class was good.  These are a fun thing to do.  A nice break for the ladies that participate and easier for me as I don't have as much stuff to lug around.  I'll post those cards for Saturday morning.  However, I have something different for today's post.

Now what do you suppose this is?  Something really cheap that now looks chic!  I used the Autumn Days dsp and the corduroy button for a fastener and I covered the craziest thing -

 

A Paper Lunch Bag!!!

I saw this on Becky Jones blog, a blog that I hit quite frequently - she has lots of good ideas.  So I needed a gift bag - this one sure fit that need.  Super easy - I'm thinking this will be a great thing to add to my Holiday Favor class  - the favors will fit perfectly in this bag so no one will loose them and have somewhere to store them also.  I'm hoping to use this one for my SAM for the small gift I have for her to give at convention. 

Ofcourse I had to pull out the big shot to do the leaves - just wouldn't be complete without figuring something to use the big shot with!  I'll be offering another deal in August on the Big Shot - so if you've been thinking of purchasing one - August is the month to do so! 

Then a fun picture - my daughter sent our pictures from the 4 wheeling trip of last week.  Since she is the professional - her pictures are much better than anything I can put up here.  This one should make you smile - I guess we should act our age - but we were having a lot of fun driving down that small stream!  Check out my crazy husband with his hat on backwards!  That was to keep it from catching in the wind as we were flying down that stream. 

No egg report yet - I'll let you know - looks like Sondra didn't win this one.  Thanks for stopping by.

Leaving fall behind

Alright - for the more observant - there is a title today!  My mind simply went blank for one yesterday!  Who would have thought anyone would notice?  And I'll leave fall behind - well sort of - I still hung on to the colors!  I've messed with this card for over an hour - finally just gave up - this is not a creative morning.  Some days you have it and some days you don't - today the mojo is no where to be found.  Just great - I have a day off and I Must work on convention swaps today - and no mojo.  could be a tricky day.  Here's the card.

I've adjusted this several times and I'm not happy with what I'm posting, which means I'll still be working on this later today until I get the look I was wanting.  I had this great idea as I drifted off to sleep last night - it is totally gone now - I'm going to put a little note pad by my bed because I've been told to do that for years - just seemed crazy - but now it seems like a good idea!  '

I saw this technique while blog hopping - It isn't exactly new - just going by a different name - I believe this is Faux torn vellum now.  I used a piece of whisper white cardstock and tore another piece of cardstock and laid it down over the white - then I sponged and stamped the images to keep them within the tear lines - giving a soft line - ofcourse I covered most of that line up so you can't see that.  I used the soft suede ribbon but wish I had something in the green or ruby red to coordinate - it would have looked better.  I used the new En Francais background stamp - finally gave up and purchased it - I have missed using french script  since it retired.  Then added the images from Pocket silhouettes.  The greeting is once again from the hostess set.  I wanted to leave more of the background visible so that messed up with the images I wanted to use on the front!  Well, it is public now so it will have to do! 

The other picture I wanted to add was this one from the trail ride on Saturday.

Take note of this swinging bridge - A couple of years ago in the late spring my husband's aunt died and was buried on the other side of this river - the only way to get her there was either across the river in a boat - or wagon pulled by a tractor (which was how her husband had preceded her) or riding atop a 4 wheeler.  The 4 wheeler route was what she ended up with - I wish I had taken pictures - I have never in my life seen a 4 wheeler pull a casket across a swinging bridge - craziest thing ever - we all had to follow along, ofcourse, and then hike back about a l/2 mile to the cemetary.  I had started across with my mother in law but she decided she didn't want to try the bridge - can't say that I blame her - so I ended up riding over with the two funeral home employees.  I'm glad I was there that day because it was definitely a memorable experience.  That's all the interesting tidbits for today - however, I do want you to start thinking - chickens are due to start laying anytime now - give me a guess on what day you think that we will find the first egg in the chicken house.  We got them the 2nd week of March - for those that are big google searchers.  They are Plymouth Barred Rocks if that helps - although I don't think it makes any difference in the breed.  Give me your specific date guess and I'll keep that here until the first egg arrives!

Good Day to all.  Trying to figure out what card to put on here today and really wanted to put the 1,2,3 card that I will be using today but I just hate to release those until I actually make them.  So, sorry ladies, for those of you that thought you would get a sneak peek.  I wanted to make a basic fall card and pulled out one of my old favorites that stayed in the catalog - Autumn Harvest. 

Istarted out with Pumpkin Pie cardstock for the base of the card, then added the new Halloween designer paper - since it already had purple and black in it - was a natural to pull those colors as the backing.  Now the big mistake I made was to stamp this on something other than water color paper - you will note that the large pumpkin looks uneven in color - that's because there was a "bump" and it scanned closer - if that makes sense, making it appear a little darker than everywhere else - In real life you don't notice that and the bump will soften.  The next time

I'll remember to pick up the water color paper instead.  I masked the pumpkins and gourds so they would appear to be sitting together and the greeting is from one of the new hostess sets - really like that hostess set - I'm going to have to try some stamping with the flower from that set also.  That pumpkin is now going to drive me crazy.  Then the other card I want to put up on here is one I received from Terri, who regularly comments on here - she knew we would be going on a picnic last week or at least she hoped we'd take a break and do so.

Wow!  anyone have trouble seeing this?  I clicked on full size instead of medium - so the ants are going to be in your face!  Great way to start off the morning!  My daughter was impressed with the inside because Terri cut out a picnic basket - I'm not going to risk trying that because this scanner and I are obviously having some problems this morning - I'm going to have to "work" with it.  Now I do believe I am going to ask Terri a few questions, because there are no Stampin UP! stamps used on this card at all.  It isn't like she doesn't have any SU! stamps - I know she has lots of them.  So she's into Rubber Adultery too!!! 

I'm going to refrain from adding that picture that I mentioned yesterday simply because these are not working well here on this computer/scanner - must be the heavy fog here cutting into the signal.  So I'll post that tomorrow.  Have a great day today - feels like fall and it is only July.