November Card Swap, Card

Our November Card Swap theme direction was to create a card shape other than square. I'm not sure that I have ever made a non-square/rectangle card so this was certainly out of the box for me. Immediately my mind went to thinking of using die cuts & my Big Shot. But, ultimately I did not have a big enough die that would create a card to fit into a medium size envelope. So, I dusted off my cricut & inserted my "Wild Card" cartridge! Gotta love my cricut!! It saved the day!

Here is a picture of the group of cards I created. Using different card stock & ribbon colors was new for me too. I couldn't pick just one color to match the flowers so I chose four!

My card was created around the pansy flower. I wanted to try a technique to make a realistic pansy & this is what I came up with:

SU Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Old Olive, More Mustard, Almost Amethist, Shimmery White
SU textured impressions embossing folder
SU craft ink: Rich Razzleberry
SU organza ribbon
SU Stamp Set: Caring Thoughts
Cricut Wild Card Cartridge
Big Shot
SU Wide Oval Punch
SU Elegant Eggplant Write-Marker
SU Silver Brad

Taylor Twilight, Halloween Card

This card is for all my Twilight Fan Friends who prefer wolfs over vamps:


I had fun putting this one together for my Twilight buddy, Tricia!

Inside it reads: "You really honestly don't mind that I morph into a giant DOG!?"


This card is about as digital as I get, LOL...which as you can tell isn't much. I just grabbed the scarriest picture of Taylor online that I could find then did a search for cool sayings that I could use inside. And, of course I wrote out "Happy Halloween" inside too. I'm imagining a Vampy Team Edward "Bite Me" card for Valentine's day! That is more my speed- 'cause I love anything that sparkles!! LOL

Punched Flowers, Card

Hello! Today's card is the one I made for the October Card Swap group. The theme was to make your own handmade flowers. Immediatly my mind thought of the flower punches that I've been collecting through the years. This card is made of 2 different flower punches, cricut cut leaves (SU old olive)& SU bird punch branches (certainly celery). They are all layered in various heights.

I enjoyed the card design idea but when I started recreating 100+ layered flowers my mind went to a crazy place! LOL, but it was worth it in the end.

Thanks for visiting!

Halloween Card

Got a cute one for you today :)) This little precious girl is part of the Greeting Card Kids Vintage themed Stampin UP stamp set! I used one of the other stamps from this set earlier this month in a Christmas themed card. I'm not sure if I'm lovin' vitage style because of The Baby Gardner items that I make or if it is something I would have gravitated to on my own. Either way, it is a precious stamp set with a lot of options!



Also used to make this card is the SU spider web embossing folder! It is hard to make out because of all the layering going on. Hope you like and thanks for visiting my blog! Have a BLESSED day!

Halloween Flower, Card

This fall weather, that we are experiencing in GA, is just putting me in a crafty mood. I can't stop myself from making Halloween cards! But, I'm having FUN and that is what is all about, right?!

As you may know, I am in a monthly Card Swap group. And, our next card swap theme is "flowers". I already have my card swap card in the works (much different from this card). But, I am inspired to try my hand at making other type of flowers...build my flower repertoire! I found the inspiration for this card on split coast (of course). I added my flair to it making the papers Halloween themed. They are simple cards, but my focus was on making the flowers themselves.





The flower is made from the SU scallop circle punch. Punch two scallops & Score between each scallop. Cut one time along any score line --up to the center point but not through. Mountain, Valley fold & glue the two scallops together. Glue ontop of a circle punch & add your brad to hold it all together. I also included on my flowers black nylon tulle under the SU vintage brads (new, in the mini holiday catalog).

The first card uses SU card stock (pumpkin pie), SU stamp set (Holiday Best), SU craft ink (Very Vanilla), SU Scallop Circle Punch & SU dsp (Halloween 2009). The second card uses other 8.5x11 pp from various local stores.

That's it for now,
Thanks for visiting!

Vintage Christmas, Card

Isn't she precious?! She is part of the SU stamp set called "Greeting Card Kids". A-dor-A-ble!!
Techniques...
Clear Embossing Powder, Snowflakes
there are three clear embossed snowflakes scattered on the card. It makes the snowflakes look like ice. And, it is very subtle. Adding a little brown chalk and ink over them makes them stand out a little bit more.
Water Color Paper
I just love how the SU water color paper soaks up the water & ink! This is my first time using SU WC paper and I'm quite impressed! It is worth the $$. On this card I water colored with ink off the lid of the ink pads (Old Olive, Real Red, Chocolate Chip & Baja Breeze)
Eyelet Border Punch & Paper Crimper
Mix the two together and turn any thick cardstock into pliable accents! This technique allowed me to pleat the green cardstock!

Got to use a few other NEW items from the Holiday Mini catalog:
SU DSP "Newspaper", Chantilly Crochet trim & Vintage Brads.

SU stamp sets: Greeting Card Kids, Northern Hearts, Bright Christmas & Confetti. Four stamp sets! LOL, yes, I went a little crazy but the new cling stamps make it EASY!

Have I mentioned how much I love the NEW SU Holiday Mini Catalog? OMG! I may end up with practically everything in it!

Order Stampin' Up on my NEW SU sponsored site

Well, I have GONE & DONE IT!! I am beyond thrilled that I FINALLY signed up to participate with the Stampin UP! Demonstrator website! I have pondered about signing up for over a year now. And, as Nike says, "Just do it"! So, I gone and did it!! :))

I will continue to update my craftyjulia.blogspot.com (here) as usual. The difference between it and my Stampin' Up! site is well, quite a lot...more on that later. However, my SU site is where you can purchase from me, online, 24-7! You can purchase from the SU FULL catalog, mini catalogs and CLEARANCE RACK!! Even I, as a demonstrator, have to go through my SU website to purchase the awesome deals in the clearance rack! And, currently there is a HUGE selection at 80% off! SU updates/changes the clearance rack on a monthly basis, so check it out frequently!!

So, where can you find my NEW SU deomonstrator website address?? LOL, check me out:
http://www.juliacmiller.stampinup.net

It is still kinda under construction, there's a lot for me to figure out. But, I hope you take a look!!

Vintage Snow Man, Card

OMG, OMG!! Yes, I am in LOVE with Vintage Christmas stamp sets! this one is SU, "Jolly Old St. Nick". And, it uses the coolest technique! Today's and tomorrow's card are the ones my NEW Stampin UP Hostess Club made in last nights class.
"Relief Stamping using an Embossing Folder"
I'm not sure if the picture is clearly showing how this technique works. However, I will do my best to describe what it is you may or may not be able to see, LOL. Using a brayer, cover the top of an embossing folder with ink. Slide your card stock in as usual, being careful not to scrape the cardstock against the ink. And, emboss. Once you emboss the paper, the embossed, raised images will be lighter & will just pop off the page! The card stock and ink are the same color. In this card I used SU Crumb Cake. And, it is best shown by looking at the snowman himself...The scarf, gloves, nose, buttons are the only parts colored in (on crumb cake paper, water colored with crumb cake ink). Notice how the snowman body appears to be white, or lighter in color! How cool! :))

Stamp sets: SU Jolly Old Saint Nick & Bright Christmas
Ink: Crumb Cake, Staz-on, brown, Classic stampin pad, chocolate chip
Paper: SU crumb cake
Accessories: SU Northern Flurries embossing folder, big shot, dazzling diamond glitter, brayer, aqua brush.

Haunted House, Halloween Card

This is the most I have ever used my Cricut on a card! So much fun! Lots of different cuts, distressing and gluing, but I am very pleased with the outcome!

I had an idea to make a Haunted House Halloween Card and pulled out my Cartridges to search for a house. I found one in the "Wild Card" cartridge! And, tricked it up with Halloween colors. Also, I used the "Paper Doll Dress Up" Cart to add a ghost at the door & a fence on the back of the card. I'm lovn' the im Holtz brick embossing folder ...used it on this card to add the brick texture to the front of the house. When you open up the card you would find a black embossed chandelier hanging from the ceiling!

EEEKKKK!!! Halloween is quickly approaching! I still have a few more cards to make. Ghostly Goblins, am I glad I started making Halloween Cards back in early September!

Even the back yard is spooky cool :)


Boo Y'all!!

Magnet, Card

I've been hard at work, for several months, putting this months card swap card together. I had such a great time with the "Baby" theme! The idea was cardlifted from someone on split coast stampers. As soon as I saw it I KNEW it was THE card for this extra special card swap.

After some trial and error I found magnets that would hold up the pebble & a picture on the refrigerator. Thus, the card is a sentiment & gift all-in-one! The new Mommy can take off the magnets and use the little animals to post pictures on their refrigerators! Isn't it so cute?!


Each of the little baubles have (Basic Grey) paper thin magnets on the back. When removed the matching image remains.


Remember when cloud pattern paper was all the rage and could be found in any scrapbook store?? Not any more! At least, not in my neck of the woods! Luckily I remembered I had a SU 6x6 page (in my stash) that would work. But, it certainly wasn't big enough to make 12+ cards from. So, I used special inject color safe paper, scanned the little 6x6 paper and WAA-La! The PERFECT paper for the card! It was so easy and I couldn't help but consider the possibilities of digital scrapbooking or card making...still not convinced about going digital, but it made me think!!

I found the pebbles at Hobby Lobby in their wedding area- and, chose the medium sized rock. It is flat on the bottom, perfect for a magnet!!

Also, I would be remiss to not mention that I actually pulled out my sewing machine for this card! I stitched lines around the edges of the cloud paper. And, I did not want to make this card specific for either sex so I did my best to make it unisex! (The little ribbon on the corsage pin is pink on one side and blue on the other.)

Thanks for visiting! I can't wait to show these to my card group!! I hope the ugly bubble envelope does not distract from the cuteness of the card. Congratulations to Tracey & her husband on the (soon to be) new arrival! I can't wait to meet him!

Another Halloween Card

Have you ever used Staz-on Glue Pad? I have a few times but have not had great luck with it. I noticed it in my stash & thought I would give it another shot. I just don't think it holds glitter/flocking, etc very well. I used it on this card on the chandelier and black glitter. After it dried I noticed the glitter was rubbing off easily so I sprayed it with art fixative- which does wonders! It smells but after awhile the stench dissipates and the glitter sticks even when you rub it hard! I even loaded the stamp directly with the glue refill! Still didn't work as I think a "glue" pad should!

Once again, I tied the black mesh with the ribbon & used the MS bat punch. The bats didn't show up as well as I wanted so I colored them in with a glitter pen.

And, I used the glitter pen to doodle inside the card and ontop of the cat. Also, do you notice the eyes on the cat? LOL, I really like the movable eyes- especially for Halloween cards/images!!

BOO!, Halloween Card

Still playing around with Halloween Card designs, trying to find the one I want to recreate for my SU Club group!

My poor little cricut just sits unused on my desk. Day after day I look at it, every once in awhile I'll dust her off. But, today I actually let her get some exercise! Even though it was just to cut three little letters- atleast she got some fresh air!

The picture doesn't really show the black mesh tied into the stripe ribbon- maybe a A closer look will show it better...love the look of the mesh!

Also, last year I picked up the Martha Stewarts Bat paper edge punch and I just adore it! I'm getting a lot of use out of it this time of the year :))

Thanks for visiting!

Witch'n You, Halloween Card

Witches Feet
I've had this stamp for several years now and this is the first time that I've used it! LOL, I still think it is adorable. But, I just didn't know what to do with it. So, I just made a row of witches feet. The last one is stickled.

Not long ago I purchased floral pins at HL, for another card that I've been working on for almost a month! But, I digress- back to THIS card... I colored the peal pin top with stayz-on marker so it would match the card.

Spooky Chandlier, Halloween Card

Spooky Chandlier

Even tho it is just the beginning of September, Halloween is just around the corner. I've started making one design of a Halloween card, in search of a design I like so much that I will want to duplicate. I am almost embarrassed to admit that I've been at my craft table making Halloween cards so early! But, I fear if I don't get a head start on them I will find myself inside Hallmark purchasing store bought...and, THAT, my friends, is NOT what my goal is this year :)

I am quite proud of myself for this card because I feel I successfully designed with pattern paper and not my usual colored card stock! I really like this card, the stamp, the SU pp...but, I'm back to the drawing board for a new different design.

Celebrate Fresh Cuts, Card

Another Fresh Cuts stamp set card! It's so much fun to make so many different styles of cards from one stamp set! Parts of the image are colored with prism art color pencils. A set of pencils I've had since I was 16 years old! they still work! LOL. I can't even remember the last time I colored an image with regular color pencils and not with watercolors or chalks! I'm reaching deep into my scrap closet! Also, the image is stamped with Sahara Sands ink from SU. I love how soft it looks- the color just pops out!

Book Inpsired, Card

Last but not least, my final book club inspired card:


I punched 6 squares out of the book page and chalked red, blue, yellow. Set them down like a quilt. I made the flowers months ago when I was playing with different techniques...they seem perfect for this country inspired card! A few buttons, a couple of pearls & old fashion doodling went a long way to making this card so pretty! :))

Thanks for visiting! Have a great day!!

Book Pages, Card

Welcome Back!

I've noticed a trend in color combo's. Seems like I'm seeing a lot of purple and green. And, I am just attracted to the combo! It seems fresh and different! This card is the second of three cards where I used the left over pages from my altered book.


I cut a page into one inch strips. When gluing them down I didn't want the strips I wanted them to line up uneven so they looked like strips and not like a single blocked rectangle. Once The strips were glued down I thought they needed color! The papers were calling out to me to add CHALK! Of course! LOL, then I thought why not mask the SU punched bird! The card came alive! The birdy told me it need to sing, so I drew in glittery notes! LOL, it was a fun card to make! And, I'm inspired to try out different tones of purple and green together! This tone looks a little fall and I'm wanting a summer/springy feel next time!

Dry Embossing, Card

Hello and good morning! I've been busy trying to organize my time so that I can get back to the hobbies that I enjoy so much. Even though some cards take an hour from start to finish it leaves a happy residue on my soul that carries me through my day! Life has a way of pulling each of us in different directions. Getting my "to do" list done can be daunting and depressing. So I decided to sprinkle my different crafts through out my day(when possible). It seems to be working so far! I feel my MO-JO creeping back in! Yea!!

My first Book Club book has come to a close. I had so much fun meeting with friends to discuss and commiserate! I was the first to pick the book and I chose a self help book "Women Food and god" by Geneen Roth. I have read the book over 5 times and listened to the audio book about 3 times. And, I still feel like I need to read it again and again to get the whole message. I am excited to hear what the next book is going to be, I hope it is a bit lighter in material :)

Because of the Book Club I got inspired again to pick up my altered book and create a few pages. Those pages are still in the works so I 'll have to show the outcome later. But, I made a couple of cards from the left over pages that I tore out of my altered art book. This is the first of three posts where I share what I created from book pages!

I have been altering the book, for the last 4 years, named "Miss Julia Takes Over". I picked it because of my name being in the title! LOL, Inside of each of these cards I punched my name out of the pages and glued it inside the cards! I hope the recipients get a little surprise & giggle from it!

Above, I used a SU Sizzix embossing folder and glittered the center of each flower. Tore the edge and under the tear punched the SU bird punch. I have been using my chalks a lot lately! Here I colored the bird with the SU chalks to add that little extra something! I love how it came out! The page map/ card map was inspired by a recent class I went to. It's really interesting to use card maps because things can come out so differently- but similarly!

I hope you like it and thanks for visiting!!

Inspirational Reminder, plaque

Last night was the final meet up for the Little Book Club that I am in. I so much enjoyed participating through the adventure of reading and discussing our first book together! I selected our first book and I did my best to lead us on a two month journey through the Oprah recommended self help book "Women, Food and god" written by Geneen Roth.

Over the course of preparing to lead the discussion, I read the book five times and listened to the audio book 3 times! I could not find any discussion questions online, so I had to make my own up!! Not an easy task. At times I felt overwhelmed and unworthy to be leading the group. But, I am so glad that I did! Our little group got closer as we dug into the meat of the theme. We laughed, we drank tea, we ate great food, we had wonderful conversation & learned a lot more about ourselves and each other! I am so lucky to have such great friends willing to work through it all with me.

I wanted to give the book club members a momento to take with them to remind them of the heart of the message. I'm sure you are not surprised that I grabbed some card stock, embellishments and got crafty with it!

Here's a picture of the three together...There is a front and a back. Each side with quotes and inspirational reminders. Each one is decorated a little differently but they are very similar.


Love U
On this side I took the liberty to take a quote (from pg 168) to make it suit my needs. It says: "My Little Cream Puff, If love could speak to you about food, it would say... "Eat when you are hungry, sweetheart, because if you don't you won't enjoy the taste of food" why should you do anything you don't enjoy? "Eat what your body wants, darling, otherwise you won't feel so well" Why should you walk around feeling tired or depressed from what you put into your mouth? "Stop eating when you've had enough, otherwise you will be uncomfortable" Why spend one minute in discomfort?"


Eating Guidelines
On this side I printed the eating guidelines as described in the back of the book (on pg 211). I figured if we were going to do this we would need to remember what we were supposed to be doing! It can be easy to forget, especially in the heat of the obsession! I added a Heidi Swapp butterfly to remind them to fly and make changes. And, each one has a different motivational bottle cap in the butterfly center. This bottle cap says "precious" and the other ones say : "Love & Cherish" & "Love".


I hope the Little Book Club enjoyed our first book, or at the very least enjoyed our fellowship! Personally, I am glad to put it down and move onto the next book; I can't wait to find out what the next selection will be!!

Summer Favorites, cosmetics

Lately I've been addicted to watching YOU TUBE videos from self described "makeup gurus". Using their example I am dedicating this post to my "Summer Favorites" list. When you find a beauty product that works for you - you want to tell the world and if you are a makeup junkie like me you understand what I'm talking about!!

The products listed in this post are products that I have used almost every day through out the summer. They show up on my crafty blog site because (for anyone who knows me)-Knows makeup, cosmetics, beauty, is a hobby of mine! I love to read about them and trying them!!

QVC is a huge infomercial for me, I even TIVO cosmetic shows! It has introduced to me all kinds of lines I would never have tried! LOL, this is no secret! My husband has seen my hobby turn into an obsession! Luckily Matt sees the joy I get playing with makeup/cosmetics & he sees it as another way to spoil me!!

I've purchased these products either at QVC, Sephora, the MAC counter or at Ulta! They know me by name! LOL

On with my Summer 2010 Product Favorites!!

Philsophy Firming Body Emulsions
This comes in a variety of fragrances. Currently I'm using The Amazing Grace scent. However, it comes in "Pure" which is fragrance free- the best choice if you want plan to wear a different perfume. The emulsion truly absorbs into your skin and leaves a shiny (but non-sticky) appearance to the skin! Some moisturizers sit ontop of the skin but this one does not! Also, with other brands I feel like I can't put enough of it on my skin to finally feel moisturized but with this one- a little goes a LOOONG way!!


MAC Prep + Prime Lash
At some point in my thirty's ALL mascaras gave me racoon eyes! In the process of searching for a mascara that did not melt off my lashes I collected a stash of mascara (from all price ranges). Water-proof to long wear nothing worked!! Until I purchased a kit from MAC that had this prep & prime it in! OMG, now I can wear ANY mascara with out fear of black eyes! I'm finally working my way through my mascara stash! This stuff is great!


Bare Escentuals- Rare Minerals Blemish Therapy
Even in my late 30's I'm struggling with the occassional flair up. I'm used to applying skin drying lotions on top of break outs. So, when my sister suggested this powder I was very skeptical. BUT, OMG! OMG! The angels are singing! As long as the powder is applied before the pimple flairs it is as good as gone. If, by chance it flairs before applying the powder, it still works but slower...it certainly stops the redness!


BareMinerals Buxom Lip Gloss
Saying I'm addicted to this product is an understatement! Something about the pepperminty medicating tingly feeling makes my lips happy! The minty feeling lasts a very refreshing long time! And, the gloss does not create that stringy- I accidentally put too much on look. It comes in various colors and I'm in the process of collecting them all! The colors may look bright or dark in the tube but once applied they give a subtle color! Yummy!



Anastasia Matte "Camille" Highlighter
I apply this under my brow arch and in the nose corner of my eyes- oooh so pretty! I like it because shimmer under the brow is not always the look I'm going for- this is an opaque matte skin pink tone. Apply from stick then smooch with your fingers to blend. An eye lift in a pencil!


Ojon Volatilizing Hydrating thickening Spray
This stuff gives my limp, thin hair a voluminous bounce! It gives me the appearance of thicker hair! LOVES it!!


No list is complete with out mentioning a dud! Oh, and I have one for you! I'm somewhat of an expert with acne medications- I know the ones that work well, just okay and the don't waste your money on ones!

When I heard about this thing I dragged my husband around town looking for a place to purchase it. $40 later I ran home to try it out. Unfortunately, the technology just doesn't work on my type of acne- the directions say not to use on white head pimples- but, now I'm left wondering aren't most pimples going to create a white head??? Believe me, I know the difference- I've had years of experience!~And, why do I want to use this on black head pimples because those dry and can be removed easily with exfoliants...using this loser of a product turned my pimples into thick, hard masses on my face that didn't go away for 3+ weeks! I'd rather have the pimple and let it run it's course than have a huge bump on my face for over a month! The ONLY plus is there was NO redness! URGH, waste of money:
Zeno, Hot Spot blemish Clearing Device
Two thumbs DOWN- If I had more thumbs it would receive a lower score.

Strawberry Vinegar

Months ago, I took a community class about growing herbs and infusing vinegars. One of the recipes shared in class was this Strawberry Vinegar. Being labeled as "easy" it was the first one that I have since attempted to make. It smells like heaven in a jar! We are coming to the end of the strawberry season so I need to make another batch before the prices at the market sky-rocket!

I've made this vinegar one other time before and I learned that I my taste buds dance when the vinegar is infused 3 or more times. The more infusions, the sweeter the smell (and taste)! Isn't the color beautiful?


The vinegar can be used in soups, meat marinades, etc. But, my favorite is to use it on green salads. As a dressing- mix with oil OR add a little yogurt to make it a creamy (I like vanilla yogurt) salad dressing.

To make this vinegar, simply clean your strawberries and remove the tops. Put them in your jar and cover them with vinegar (I used apple cider). Before putting on the lid (if it is metal) cover the top with plastic wrap and then secure the lid. Vinegars will corrode metal- and that's not good especially around food items! Put the jar in a dark cool spot and forget about it! Once a week, for the next 3+ weeks shake it and forget about it! When the strawberries start to disintegrate remove them and strain the liquid. Start over! And, do it as many times as you like! As long as the strawberries are covered in the liquid the vinegar remains safe because it naturally prevents any bacteria/mold from growing! And, if you need to add extra vinegar to your jar to cover the new batch of strawberries simply pour fresh vinegar in to top it off.

Also, as a side note, when straining the vinegar I cover my strainer holes with a couple of layers of paper towels and let the liquid drip through to another container. And, repeat until the vinegar is clear. Very easy!

It's delicious, so give it a try!

Pocket Easel, Card

Always on the look out for a different card shape, I came across another option for an "Easel Card". The card that inspired me was too small to mail...but, it had a twist on the easel card I made a few posts ago~ a POCKET easel card!! Inspired, excited & tickled pink I sat at my craft table and worked the card stock until I came up with the dimensions that would allow the Pocket Easel Card to fit into an average size envelope, perfect for mailing. Ultimately, this is what I eventually came up with (for the second card project at my card club group):


It is a pocket, Easel Card! It stands up on it's own. And, is created out of one 12x12 piece of card stock.




Here's the basic instructions.
1. Score a piece of 5-1/2 x 12 card stock at 2, 4, 8, & 10 inches. Fold Score Lines.

2. Fold edges under the center part of the card base and stamp image with Rich Razzleberry ink & sentiment. Punch top with the circle punch. Glue the back edges together. Set aside.

3. Stamp sentiment & swirls, with Rich Razzleberry ink, on the very vanilla card stock (size is 3-1/11x5-1/5). Matt on top of Rich Razzleberry (size 3-1/4x5-1/2).

4. Stamp small flower with Versa Mark on front of the card five times. Using your chalk applicator rub versa mark image with Rich Razzleberry Chalk. Stamp one time on the inside piece & cover with chalk.

5. Slide the center piece into the card and mark the center with a pencil. Pull out and punch a hole with your hand held hole punch.

6. Thread satin ribbon through the hole. Tie gold cord around satin ribbon. Trim ribbon and cording.

7. Apply bling to the center of the chalked flowers.

Live Laugh Love, Card

Hello & Thank you for visiting my blog! Life has been keeping me very busy this summer. The only opportunity I have had to sit at my craft table was at the end of July when I started creating for my final SU Club Class.

I have enjoyed getting to know all the girls in my club class and will miss their smiles & craftiness! Just like most crafters, I had been stuck in a rut of using the same supplies and techniques over and over again. The club class made me think out side of the box; I did lots of research and browsing ideas, magazines, websites, etc. in an attempt to create cards/ projects that the club would have fun making.

When I first started scrapbooking I adored using my chalks. But, somewhere along the way my chalk sets got pushed back in my closet and forgotten about. Until recently, I found my love for these versatile (sometimes messy) coloring tools. It appears to me that a lot of different stamping companies seem to be offering silhouette style stamp images. I've played around with different ways to utilize these styles of images but I really enjoyed this technique the best. Take a looky:


The card uses three different Stampin' Up stamp sets (Dreams du Jour, Fresh Cuts, On your Birthday). And, a lot of heat embossing- something I really do not do often.

After Heat embossing the Fresh Cuts image (on shimmery White Card Stock) I took my chalk sets and Q-tips and got to coloring in the white space. I really like using the shimmery white card stock under stamped images because the shimmer shows up under the coloring! A neat, glimmery affect with out a lot of work! Also, I would like to note that the butterfly is from the Dreams Du Jour set and is pop dotted on top of the silhouette image.

The inside of the card:

Paris, Acrylic & Brushes

Over a year ago, my sister requested that I paint a Paris themed picture for my niece Maggie's bedroom. It has been decades since I've picked up a paint brush and put it to canvas. All my old insecurities about my artistic abilities flooded my mind. Several months passed before I got the nerve up to begin sketching. After discussing in further detail, with my sister, what she was looking for, we both agreed a mixed media style piece would be well suited...and, I figured that would take away some of my self imposed pressure to make it so perfectly! 1 year and a few months and this is what I finally settled with:

Even looking at it completed I notice things I wish I had done differently. But, I just don't think I could have done it any better. It is what it is and I must get it to my niece before she no longer needs/wants it :)
TOP

Bottom

I enjoyed the process of designing and painting it. However, through it all I think I found out that I much prefer drawing with pencils rather than painting. However, I found the entire process to be quite therapeutic. Maybe it would have been easier to do if I had a better understanding of Paris or an emotional tie to what I was creating. All in all I am pleased and I hope my niece is too.

June SU Club Projects

I had fun putting together my June SU Hostess club techniques and cards! Mostly I enjoyed learning something new and thinking outside of the box! :) Stampn' can get stale if you always do the same styles over and over so I'm attempting to freshen up my craft.

As I have shared before, I get tired of the same ole same ole card shape. Lately I have noticed the Easel Card Design floating around the Internet spheres. So, I decided to give it a shot. And, while I was at it I combined the easel card shape with one of my June technique cards. Also, SU has changed their color collections and to my excitement one of the colors was an "IN Color" a few years ago. And, I had tons of it left - "Pacific Point". I used that color in this card design.

Easel Cards stand up on their own so the recipient can view the front of the card and the inside sentiment at the same time. Here's a side view:


I've seen people use all kinds of embellishments inside the card to make it stand up...flowers, bling, punches etc... using a button seemed easy enough :) to get the idea across.

The front of the card highlights the "Chalkboard Pastel" Technique. Easy and fun to do. I like pulling out my rarely used chalks! Simply stamp your image (silhouettes works best but two-step stamp sets work well too!)on dark cs and apply pastel chalks on top.

Side by side...to get the dark rich colors (like the card on the left) stamp the image one at a time and apply chalks to the wet ink. To get a softer look stamp all the images, let them dry and then apply chalks. I used Q-tips to apply the chalks.


The second card I made for the June Hostess Club uses the "Black Magic Technique"! The interesting name of the technique caught my eye. It is similar to the above Pastel Chalk technique but this one uses watercolor pencils to color in the image.

Stamp your image on dark card stock. Let the ink dry. Then color over the white space with watercolor pencils. Press hard to get a vibrant look! Once done, highlight areas with your white signo gell pen. Cool, Huh?! :)


Thanks for visiting!

Watercolor with re-inkers, Card Part B

This post is the second post in a two part series about Re-inker Watercolor Roses Part B is all about the technique and how I arrived at the Part A monthly card swap card.

Almost a year ago, I came across a technique using re-inkers to watercolor the Stampn' UP Manhattan Flowers set. The technique created these beautiful, realistic roses! OMG, I filed it away knowing that one day I would have the perfect opportunity to play with the technique.

Manhattan Flower SU set & matching SU cuttlebug folder have both been amongst my top 5 favorite sets from SU! They are simply elegant and oh so versatile!

How to:
1.) Stamp image with White Craft Ink or Stayz-on White.
2.) Emboss with Clear embossing powder
3.) Spray image with lots of water. Make sure you have enough water that it pools on the image.
4.) Using re-inkers of your choice, dip Aqua brush into color then touch the pooled water...add as much color as you like.
5.) pick up piece and swirl around colors, tilt forward over papertowels to get off excess water.
6.) dry standing up. Cut out.


All Stacked up & waiting to dry...I found out that by drying the cards at a tilt would pool the water at the edges and once dry creating an interesting color affect.



Card One~ So elegant, almost wedding-ish. But, my goal was not to make a wedding card, but rather to highlight the roses in an elegant way. So, I tried a different layout (see card #2)



Card Two~ I liked this card so much I decided to tweak it and make it the card I would reproduce 11 times for my monthly card group.