Wildflower Masked Background

Bring on Spring, I say! In the meantime, I'd love to show you how to create some beautiful floral backgrounds. I'm using Lisa Johnson's new Life stamp set which is full of floral silhouettes.

I'm going to show you how to do some masking, which means you cover up an area so that no ink gets underneath it. I'm using Eclipse Masking Tape which is THE perfect product for all your masking. It's sticky but repositionable so that you can use the mask over and over, or until you wear your mask out. And it's very thin paper so when you stamp over the mask, there are no shadow lines, it's all very crisp. You can find it at Eclectic Paperie or Ellen Hutson, LLC...links at the left under the shopping category.

Okay, to start out I stamped a floral silhouette onto my masking tape and then cut out that shape with some fine tip scissors. For this mask, I didn't worry about getting exactly around all the leaves precisely. You'd be forever and day doing that!
For my stamping surface, I used a 1/4 sheet of Shimmer White Cardstock. I layed my floral mask down and used a finger dabber sponge and Plum Pudding ink to gently rub over the mask. It helps to dab some of the color off onto scratch paper to remove the darkest of the ink from the sponge. You can also use small pieces of sponge if you don't have the finger dabbers.

I then set my mask aside and stamped the same floral silhouette stamp onto my Shimmer White Cardstock using Ripe Avocado ink. Random stamping here.

Then I reached for the lavendar looking silhouette stamp and stamped some more images using Plum Pudding. My background is getting pretty now.

Then I used some Lemon Tart ink to stamp yet another floral silhouette image over my background paper. The yellow is a complimentary color to purple on the color wheel. What does that mean?.....it means that colors opposite on the color wheel look good together. It's art talk and it makes your projects just pop off the page. Just do it, trust me. My background is pretty much complete at this point.

Now for a little twist. A few summers ago, my sister and I pressed some flowers from her flower beds. I have lots of CD tins full of pressed wildflowers so I was excited to get them out again. I dug around carefully and found some actual lavender and some other purple flowers to use. I made a simple card using Kraft cardstock for the base card and sentiment, inking all the edges with Fresh Snow ink. I raised my sentiment portion off the base card using pop dots so that the floral stems could be hidden underneath. I adhered the real flowers to the card using Zip Dry glue..any clear, tacky glue will work. The sentiment is just of the many thoughtful verses that coordinate with the word Life. You will love them all, Lisa did a great job putting together the elements of this set. I finished off the card front with a Vintage New Leaf Button and a snipped of Lavender Moon twill ribbon.
Isn't it beautiful? I've gazed at it by my computer all day! I must make more because this one's heading off to someone who will have a special place for it I know. Check out the photo below by zooming in...you can get a glimpse of how the Shimmer Cardstock looks. It's so much shimmery in real life.
And below is the inside of the card. I repeated some of the floral silhouette images along with the word enjoy to tie in with the outside of the card.
I hope I have inspired you to try some new backgrounds for your cards. Stay tuned to the blogaroonie because I've got another tutorial for how I did THIS BACKGROUND coming up soon. Thanks for visiting today!

Glittered Scalloped Embellishments

Oh boy, was Papertrey's release a fun one this month! I can't wait for you to see my cards today as I just love Melissa's new set called Wishing You. Did you get some fun goodies...tell me what was your favorite this month!!

Have you noticed all the scallop embellishments and border punches lately? I see them everywhere on cards and scrapbook pages. I really love the look of the 12" x 12" scalloped paper, especially the glittery ones...but at $2 bucks a sheet or more, it can get pricey. Especially when what you really want is that outside scalloped border. Well, let's just create our own glittery, scalloped embellishments. All you have to do is cut white cardstock into strips and use your border punch to make the scallops. This particular border punch is by Fiskars and it cuts out the circles as it punches the scallops. I found mine at my local scrapbook store. Next, all you have to do is press the scalloped portion into a glue pad...I love to use The Essential Glue Pad. It comes with the glue refill bottle and it's important to refill your pad a little each time you use it. You get maximum stickiness that way. Then just use a piece of scrap paper and dump some glitter over the glued scallops. I used Martha Stewart glitter here, available at Walmart or Michael's.

I just love this card layout which I saw in the current Stampin' Up! catalog. I used strips of Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday paper, my glittered embellishments and some Vintage Buttons tied up with thin twine.

My Happy Easter sentiment was stamped with the Simple Alphabet set and cut and embossed wtih a Spellbinders Scalloped Die Nestabilities Template. The fun tulips are from one of my new favorite sets called Wishing You. I can tell it's going to be my go to set for Springy cards. The base cards are from Kraft cardstock, inked with Fresh Snow ink using Polka Dot Basics. The tulip layer has machine stitching around the outside top layer.

And here's a similar version of the cards, using different a Sweet Blush cardstock base and a different pattern of the Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday patterned paper. I MUST go add this sketch to my idea book, it's a keeper.

Tip: I used Scor-Tape (available at Papertrey) to secure down my glittered scalloped strip and the patterned paper strip.

Easter Tree

Happy Saturday everyone! We're officially on Spring Break and I'm looking forward to having no where to go and all day to get there! I love that saying, don't you? My family is out on a short drive looking for turkeys...the season is coming soon. I'm so glad to have my hubby home for the weekend. He's been working like a dog and he deserves some time off!! So today I have a short post for you and then I'm enjoying my weekend with my family.
Easter will be here soon and I love to send out cards and have a little stash for my mom to pick from too, so little by little I'm making a few cards. Today I used Pine's set called Beyond Basic Borders to create an Easter tree of springy colors. I accented my card with an Easter sentiment from the Tags for Spring set, a scallop from Beyond Basic Borders and *just for you* sentiment from the Around and About set. I also used some Plum Pudding Swiss Dot and Aqua Mist Twill ribbon and a button from my stash.

I hope you all have a great weekend everyone! Take some time to spend with your loved ones and just enjoy your moments together. I've got some fun projects happening in my stamp room.....just one of those weekends where you stroll into your stamp room and dabble a little here and there. Fun stuff!!

Also, be sure to check out the Papertrey forum tonight for the March Release countdown party. I'll pop in to say hi and see what everyone is up to! 9pm Central Time!!

Celebrating Mothers

EDIT: The trimmer I use is a Tonic Studios 12" trimmer. It's the kind that has the arm that comes down that is one giant blade. Very safe as the blade is not sharp like a knife....no sharpening or changing blades EVER. I love it!! A friend gave me mine so I don't have a source, but I'm sure if you google it you can find one. I also have a smaller sized Fiskars trimmer of this kind that I got at WalMart...but I'm finding that I don't use that much except to trim photos.

This is my dear mom. Her name is Marie. The one photo is when she was a young woman and the others are from my wedding day. My mom looked so pretty that day in her suit and heels and earrings. My mom has endured a lot of hardships over the years...reoccuring mouth cancer that she almost didn't survive, the death of a dear son and her mom within a year's time, siblings of mine that have put her through the worst of times....yet she is always Mom. Always there for her children no matter how much pain they cause her, always there for me all those years ago when she was grieving for her lost son...wondering where she went wrong when my siblings were in trouble. But the one thing about my mom is that she has endured it all and has never turned her back against any of us kids. She's always been there for us through thick and thin.Nichole's group post challenge came at just the right time! Mother's Day will be right around the corner and the Papertrey girls are cookin' up some great gifts for all the wonderful mothers in your family. For my mom and myself, beautiful pots of flowers are always what we exchange. Then each time we visit each other over the summer, we look at each others flowers..pick off the dead leaves....she'll tell me mine need water...the fun lasts all summer long.

Well this Mother's Day, my mom is getting an extra special treat. I'm making her one of my notebooks that she loves so much along with a matching card.and gift sack. I used Nichole's beatiful new Mother set and Melissa's oh so cute Wishing You set. You can check Nichole's blog for sneak peeks of the sets being released March 15th. First comes the notebook. I used a 5" x 8" lined note pad, covered with cardstock. I stamped the flourished Mother stamp along with MY, then added some beautiful tulips and a chipboard letter.

I also used Pine's Journaling Lines stamp set and a Spellbinders Labels 1 Die Template to make a list of words that describe my mom. I finished off the note book with some machine stitching, Bitty Dots patterned paper, Cosmo Cricket's Girl Friday patterned paper, Vintage Buttons and some velvet ric rac.

I also covered the inside of my notepad with a snippet of Bitty Dots patterned paper to cover the top notebook binding.

Here's my matching card with more paper pieced tulips. I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this tulip set paired up with the sentiments from the Mother set.

It's so fun to mix and match the sentiments and stamped images together to bring together one great focal point.

The inside of my card is just as detailed as the outside. I chose this inside sentiment that is part of the Mother set because it really rings true to me. You never ever know the kind of love you can give until you have a child. It's a special love, different from what you feel for a spouse or other loved ones. Mom's give it unconditionally....cuz that's what moms do.

Now if I know my mom, she'll say this...."Ohhhh, it's just to pretty to use." Then she'll open it and put it back in the packaging. That's why I used a Large Glassine Sack with a simple ribbon embellishment tied on.....Mom can keep her notebook in the wrapping, remove it to look at it, and then replace it until she's ready to use it. Which may be never. She just likes to look at my pretties and sit them on her table.

That's okay because I know she loves everything I make for her and she'll think of me when she looks at it. I hope you are inspired to make something for the great moms in your life.

Nichole has outdone herself again, creating a special download that features all of our projects and instructions...check out her blog to see more. And be sure to check out the other PTI girls' blogs for more inspiring ideas. I can't wait to see what they've created:

Niki Estes
Lisa Johnson
Lauren Meader
Nichole Heady
Geny Cassady
Dawn McVey
Becky Oehlers
Melissa Phillips
Heather Nichols
Debbie Olson
Betsy Veldman

Bookworm Bookmarks

Another edit: The notebooks I used are typically called junior notepads. They are lined and measure 5" x 8". There are lots and lots of brands of these and you can find them at Walmart, Target, and any office supply stores, etc.

Edit: Some Q and A: I get my wooden clothespins at the Dollar Tree stores. I haven't seen this type at Walmart, etc....sometimes I'll find a bag at a garage sale too. And someone asked how I keep the brands of the ribbons straight once I put them on the clothespins....answer: I don't...I either remember or I just don't worry about it since I don't do many publications. If I can't remember, I just source it as my *stash*. :)

How 'bout we continue our library theme today? I've decided to add a little section to my stash that includes bookmarks because they're so fun to make. Plus the girls always love it when they see I've made new book marks! These little gems measure 1-1/2" x 5-1/2" and they are so cute and springy!
I chose to use Karen Lockhart's little Itty Bitty Inchie worm stamp to go along with my bookworm/library theme. They stamp perfectly onto Spellbinders 1" squares and scalloped squares. I colored my Inch Worms in with Copic markers that match the cute My Mind's Eye patterned paper. The word *read* is stamped with Studio G letter stamps I found at my local scrapbook store. The ribbon is Sweet Blush and Spring Moss from Papertrey, stitched back and forth three times (what I call my messy stitches).

I can't wait for my friend Lori to see my new bookmarks. I sometimes cut up sheets of 12" x 12" cardstock into simple bookmarks for her library stash. The kids love to have new ones from time to time. Okay, I'm inspired to sew up some cute book bags or something now! Maybe the girls and I will whip up something over Spring Break. Have a great day everyone....and thank you for always leaving such nice comments, you really warm my heart with all your kind words.

Someone asked about the ink I use: I stamp all my images with Palette Black Noir ink, found at Papertrey Ink. I don't heat set it...just stamp and color.

Librarian Notebooks

Edit: Watch this Get Out Your Colors video......be inspired! Link HERE.

My friend Lori became the high school librarian this year. She had been teaching history classes but finally got her degree in Library Whatever (Library Science???....sorry Lori, I can't think of your degree) and a new position came open at our high school. She is SO good, she's got these high schoolers reading all the time. I can hardly believe some of the kids that I see reading now. And she's very good at organizing and displaying books by certain themes and making them look very enticing. She's still trying to get me to read the Edward vampire books but I haven't quite caved yet. Anyway, I wanted to give a shout out to all you librarians. Reading is such a great thing, the stories will take you away to anywhere you want to go. You guys have great jobs!! Well onto my post for today. Lori is meeting up soon over Spring Break with some of her librarian friends. They're all to bring one gift item and stuff it in a gift sack. Then each friend gets a goody bag full of sweet surprises. Lori had me make these little notebooks for her gifts. You know they will be one of a kind...well actually 5 of a kind.

I bought this cute librarian stamp from Stamping Bella just to make creations for Lori. I knew she would love it because Lori's not your frumpy type of librarian. She's cool and hip and wears fun glasses, etc. She wanted some fresh, fun colors for her notebooks so I chose some October Afternoon patterned paper that had greens and blues. I colored my Bella librarians in with Copic markers, using the Copic Colorless blender to wash out the shirt and jeans for a faded look.

For some fun embellishments, I used some May Arts fuzzy ric rac ribbon, some Michael's dollar bin ribbon, buttons and felt flowers from my stash. These notebooks are junior size notebooks (like 5 x 8) that you can find in any office supply section. I took them to my local printer (try Kinko's) and had them cut them in half. I simply folded my solid colored card stock around the notebook...measurements are hard to give because each brand of notebooks varies slightly, it's best to measure and score each notebook individually once they are cut. The height is typically 8" high but the spine and width of the cut notebooks can vary. I make these notebooks ALL the time and the recipients always love them!

You can view more of my mini notebooks HERE.....and HERE......and HERE.

Damask Designs Wedding Cards

One more set of simple wedding cards to round up the week of wedding inspiration. Today I used my sweet friend Dawn McVey's Damask Designs set along with sentiments from Heartfelt Basics. I stamped a damask image and sentiment with Dark Chocolate ink onto Stamper's Select white card stock, layered it onto Dark Chocolate card stock and then tied it up with some Martha Stewart Cloud ribbon (from Michael's). Let me just focus on Papertrey's Stamper's Select White card stock......it's fabulous.......and it's a very thick card stock that takes ink well, and you can easily use it for your base card. It stands up well and is not flimsy at all. I always keep a stack handy for all my stamping and coloring.

I added some brown, shiny sequins under the sentiment for some wedding bling bling. I love the sentiments from the Heartfelt Basics set because you can mix and match the words that complete the sentiment phrases...this one is just perfect for weddings!

I finished off the insides of my cards too with some of the October Afternoon scraps and more sentiments from Simple Little Things (last year's PTI anniversary set..now retired but oh so useful). I think the *now and forever* really tie into the wedding them.

I hope you've enjoyed my wedding card samples. All this stamping for weddings and I only kept one or two for own stash. Looks like I'll have to visit the wedding cards again soon....but for now it's time to move on to something new. Stay tuned for something new and exciting next post! Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Just Rite Wedding Cards

Edit: Tracey has this dilemma: I have just invested my life savings in Nestabilities and can't quite seem to get the deep embossing that you get. Do you have a secret? I use the Cuttlebug is it possible my sandwich is not right or maybe the cardstock?

Here's the sandwich you need to use with your Cuttlebug, Tracey(from bottom to top). You'll get deeply embossed dies:

For cutting: A plate, C plate, die (cutting edge up), cardstock, B plate....run through machine.

For embossing: A plate, 3 pieces cardstock (I use Papertrey thickness cut to the size of 3 A2 cards), B plate, die (cutting edge up) with cut cardstock die inside, tan Spellbinders mat, B plate..run through machine.

More wedding cards comin' right up! I've been labeling all my wedding cards posts with *Wedding*. So if you ever need ideas for a specific type of card, simply go to the Labels link at the left and it will list all of my categories. Inspiration at your fingertips. Today I'm using some stamps from the Just Rite set called Weddings Ensemble. There are 6 border images and 6 center images to mix and match for all your wedding needs. For my base card, I used some beautiful Webster's Pages card stock along with some embossed papers that were in my stash. I used Papertrey ribbons and some pearls to finish off the simple cards.

For the main images, I stamped my images and then cut and embossed them using Spellbinder's Circle Nestabilities Die Templates. To add a little color, I used my Copic Airbrush System while the dies were still in place.

Tip: To keep the Nestabilities in perfect place while running through your cutting machine, simply adhere a little piece of clear tape over the edge of the die and your paper. This will secure your die to your card stock and will prevent any slipping.