Ya Learn Something New Everyday...

I haven't been writing this blog very long, I started it over the Christmas break 3 1/2 months ago. I make a New Year's resolution each year, and this year I decided to improve my computer skills and thought writing a blog about what I love to do would be a way I could teach myself at my own pace. I learned something new today. Blogspot has recently changed their blog format,which upset my tea kettle, but it actually helped me explore 'buttons' that I would otherwise be a bit nervous to press! My daughter keeps telling me the only way to learn is to 'press stuff and see what happens'. So I did.
I checked my blog statistics while exploring today and discovered to my total surprise that my little card making blog is being read by people all over the world! This may not be a big surprise to some of you more computer savvy types, but I am amazed! I sit in my little craft room typing my blog entries in with one arthritic finger, and somehow thought that the World Wide Web would just absorb what I do like liquid into a sponge. Just imagine my surprise to discover that card making is alive and well in New Zealand, and people are reading my blog in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Alaska....Wow. Hello everybody.

Good-bye Butterfly Punch...

Stampin' Up! is about to release their new 2012-13 catalogue and I just found out the Butterfly Punch and matching stamp sets are retiring. Even though I no longer sell Stampin' Up!, I do love and use their products, and am sad to see the butterfly leave. I haven't used my SU! butterfly 'stuff' lately, so today I dug it all out and made a Flight of the Butterfly Punch and stamp set card. I used my new wildflower stamp set from Hero Arts for the background and stamped it in Old Olive on matching paper. Butterflies are Melon Mambo. It is such a beautiful sunny day out that I photographed the card outside in the backyard. My neighbour, who was cutting the grass looked a little bewildered at what I was doing, but they all know I am a little odd!
Now I am anxiously awaiting my new catalogue! When it arrives I am going to make a cup of tea, not peaking,  go sit in my lounge chair, oogle over every page and write a big wish list!

Just 'Bee - Cause'...

My two girls are home from university for the summer, and our house has come to life! It was so quiet around here, and it's so nice to have my family together again! I saw this stamp while rifling through my collection today and the three bees reminded me of 'me and my girls', and it inspired me to make this card.
The stamp is called, "Just Bee-Cause", by Stampendopus, I think! I have a bad habit of throwing packaging away before I read what's in it! I posted yesterday that I was experimenting with Tombow markers, and used the same technique to color these bees. It definitely takes some practice and I am not an expert by any means, but I am learning!
I decided to start including a photo of the materials I use to make my card projects. I have received a few e-mails inquiring what product or die I used to make something, and by that time, it's long gone! Both the card and the idea! So Happy Tuesday, just Bee -Cause...

Watercolor Roses

Just a quick post tonight. I've playing with a new coloring technique. I colored these roses with Tombow markers and a blending pen. The stamp is called "Ranunculus" by Stampendous. Rather than color directly with the marker, I colored a swatch of marker on a glass plate, then picked up the ink with a blending pen. I haven't got too many markers in my collection yet, so I added Distress inks to the palette as well.
I tested several card stocks and chose 120lb watercolor paper as it stood up to repeated strokes without pulling and peeling. Definitely use Stazon ink to stamp the image as it is solvent based and won't bleed when the blending pen touches it. Of course everything is better with Stickles!

That Suits Me Just Fine!

Father's Day is almost upon us and I thought this card 'suited' the occasion! Sorry, but I just couldn't help myself! This executive attire was created from Night of Navy by Stampin' Up! and the crisp white and red gingham shirt was made by stamping white card stock with red ink using Hero Arts Large Plaid background stamp. The tie and handkie are 5/8" wide satin ribbon. Card making for men can be a challenge, and if you're weary of fishing, trucks and sports, why not dress up this Father's Day! This couture design is a Jackie Topa original, jackietopa.typepad.com, with a few Jen Wong genuine additions. I know one Dad who'll be glad to receive this card for Father's Day, it will 'suit' him just fine!

A Scrapping we will go...

I had the most wonderful day yesterday! I went to my first official 'Scrapbooking Event'! I am an avid card maker and paper crafter, but have been hesitant to delve into scrapping, until now. My friend and fellow card maker, (Hi Debbie!) invited me to attend a day of scrapbooking at a local community centre where a group of scrappers gathered for a 12 hour long day of creating memories. I don't know why I've never taken the plunge, but I think maybe I was feeling a bit overhwhelmed as to where to start. I have several boxes full of photos and memorbilia and making a decision as to what to scrap was just too big. I'm a Libra and it's in my nature to weigh decisions out, endlessly, but yesterday helped a lot. Seeing the other ladies busily working away, chatting, cropping, arranging and gluing made it look so easy.
I have to confess that I took cards to work on instead of scrapbooking yesterday, but I will be ready for next time! I will be digging into some long closed boxes of stuff to extract some photos and I have already planned my first project.
When I got home last night, I was so inspired that I did some computer research on the topic and found this video which moved me to tears. I thought I would share it with you, it's absolutely beautiful! The video is called, "Make a Wish - An Interactive Scrapbook", by thestampgoddess, also known as, Tresa Black, http://fabulouslyartsy.weebly.com/about.html. Simply amazing.

Mini Flowerful 2 Easel Card

This beautiful stamp is called Mini Flowerful 2, by Outlines Rubber Stamps. I happen to own a couple versions of this stamp in a few different sizes, this is the smalll one. I actually designed this card this past fall for a class I did on coloring with odorless solvent. I thought I had already posted it, but after looking through my archive and not finding it, I realized I forgot to add it to my blog. I was tidying up today and found the sample I made and thought it was pretty enough to be changed into a weding-ish card, a theme which has been on my mind of late. I stamped the image twice onto watercolor paper, colored with Prismascolor pencil crayons and blended with a cardboard blending stub and odorless solvent. The butterfly is done the same way, just heavier on the pencil crayon! FYI, it's a butterfly from an old Martha Stewart set I've had forever and use often. The verse is from Stampin' Up! Flight of the Butterfly. Coloring with odorless solvent is one of my fav coloring techniques. It works with inexpensive pencil crayons like Crayolas, and the solvent is available at fine art suppliers and papercrafting stores and is also very inexpensive. The solvent 'velvetizes' the pencil crayon and makes blending a snap. If you haven't tried this technique, I highly recommend it. I have a $10.00 'test it out once' rule. If it's under 10 bucks and I think it's worth trying, I will. I tried this method and really like it and have shown it to many card makers who also think it's pretty cool!