Pines and Poinsettias Class set

Hi stampy peeps!  I wanted to take a moment to share with you some class projects I've designed using the Pines and Poinsettias stamp set.

This first card uses a sentiment from Four the Holidays and a hand assembled poinsettia using the 5 petal flower punch and a boho blossoms center.

This next one uses the sentiment and background scrolly piece from Pines and Poinsettias, combined with Dasher.  Isn't he just so adorable with the jingle bell and bakers twine?  (and yes, he actually jingles ;-)

This last one uses the pinecone stamp (colored directly onto the stamp with markers, and the little holly stamp as a random background.  See how well the stamp pairs with the Holly Berry Bouquet Designer paper?

With these three cards, I was able to use EVERY SINGLE STAMP in the set (which is actually a first for me, lol).  I'm quite tickled with the way all of them turned out, do you have a favorite?

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me  at Stampin' Up

Stamps: Dasher, Pines and Poinsettias
Paper: Very Vanilla, Rich Razzleberry, Wild Wasabi, Real Red, Early Espresso, Lucky Limeade, Cherry Cobbler, Naturals White, Whisper White
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Lucky Limeade, Rich Razzleberry, Real Red, Wild Wasabi, Early Espresso
Accessories: Mini Jingle Bells, Bakers Twine, Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, 2 3/8 Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/4 Circle Punch, 5 petal flower punch, Boho Blossoms, Scallop Trim Border punch, brads, Petals-a-plenty embossing folder

Handstamped Coasters

Hey there, Stampy peeps!  I wanted to take a quick reprieve from the Halloweening to show you some prototypes that I'm working on in preparation for some holiday sales.

These handstamped tile coasters will protect your furniture from cold and hot things (i've tested them out with sweaty drink glasses and hot mugs) and they are super simple to make!  All it takes is some 4x4 Travertine tiles, Staz-On ink in your favorite colors, Cork Sheets and your favorite stamp sets!  

Michey's Note:  These tiles are unglazed 4x4 Travertine from the tile aisle of Home Depot. They are grounded smooth on one side, but they are rough on the other (which is why i've covered the back with cork sheeting). My advice is to open up the box and go through each tile to make sure it meets your standards, sometimes you'll come across a tile with a pit on the top or a damaged edge.  In my area, a box of 9 of these tiles sells for just over $5.

The best part is that you don't even need to seal these - the Staz-On ink is impervious to whatever I decide to throw at it! I advise you to wash your tiles when you first get them home - that's to get rid of any lingering stone dust - and also make sure you let your tiles dry completely - overnight if you have to.  Any trace of water on them and your image will be hopelessly blurry (ask me how I know >.<)

Some of the sets i've used on these include Creative Elements, Field Flowers, Inspired by Nature, and My Friend. 

The cork sheets are cut down to size (you can just use regular scissors, your big shot,  or a sharp blade) and glued to the back of the tiles using Crystal Effects.

A project like this really shines with larger scaled stamps.  I've even pulled some of my favorite stamps out of retirement to come up with a few different designs. what do you think?

Thanks for taking a peek!

Michey

Falling for French Foliage

Here in Maryland, the leaves are starting to turn and there's a clean crispness in the air that just begs to be captured on paper. (Of course, this statement is on the heels of the nearly unheard of "Snow-tober" event we experienced yesterday... but we won't talk about that ;-)

Anywho, back to todays card! It uses the French Foliage stamp set in some deliciously yummy fall colors. The larger leaf was Rock 'n Rolled in Peach Parfait and Cherry Cobbler, while the smaller leaf was stamped in So Saffron (For more about the Rock and Roll technique, check out this card project from earlier this year). Sahara Sand was used to darken the edges, add waterspots and to accent with some collage script. Finally, Champagne Shimmer Paint was dabbed on using crumpled cellophane to add a network of shimmery veins across the whole panel.

A simple sentiment panel is brought to you by Thank you Kindly and a die-cut from Lots of Tags, again with some sahara sand distressing.

I wrestled with possibly adding some kind of ribbon or twine to this piece, but in the end, decided I wanted the beautiful leaves to take center stage... what do you think?

Thanks for taking a peek!

Michey

Michey's Note:  I am playing along with the Paper Players Challenge #70.  Their design team ALWAYS rocks my socks, so be sure to pay them a visit when you get the chance ;-)

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me at Stampin' Up

Stamps: French Foliage, Thank You Kindly
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Naturals White
Ink: Peach Parfait, Cherry Cobbler, So Saffron, Sahara Sand
Accessories: Lots of Tags Sizzlet, Big Shot, Champagne Shimmer Paint, Edge Distresser (from the Cutting Kit).

A Halloweeny Treat!

Hi Stampers!  I've been a flurry of activity for the last few months, although my blog doesn't *quite* show it... but I have TONS of creative stuff to show you, hopefully you'll find some sort of inspiration from it.

This first card is one of four from my October class series. Full disclosure here, I'm not much for Halloween.  It's not that I don't like the holiday itself - I do!  But, combine the fact that I don't have alot of "spooky" stamp sets with the fact that I don't usually do the whole treat bag or Halloween card thing,  and I was in a pickle!

Despite that, I still managed to squeeze out a Halloween card this year:

I have a heck of a time trying to come up with something that's cutesy, so my creative direction for this card was "gothic sophistication".  The Candelabra and sentiment are from the Dark and Dreary set, with an embossed, versamarked, and iridescent iced spiderweb textured accent.

Finally, the background is "prettied" up with my favorite-est flourish from the creative elements set.  (I seriously can't put this flourish back in its box... it's got a permanent place of honor on my stamping table) and then "dirtied" up with the Wonderfully Worn background stamp.

And so, with this card, I feel as if I've been promoted from Hallow-weeny to Hallow-queeny!  What do you think?

Thanks for taking a peek!

Michey

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me  at Stampin' Up

Stamps: Dark and Dreary, Wonderfully Worn, Creative Elements
Paper: Whisper White, Peach Parfait, Wisteria Wonder, Basic Black
Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Basic Black & Pumpkin Pie Markers, Versamark
Accessories: Pumpkin Pie 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Iridescent ice Embossing Powder, Decorative Label Punch, Spiderweb Embossing Folder, Big Shot

Buy 3 Get 1 Free - Patterned Paper Extravaganza!

I'm a self-proclaimed patterned paper junkie.  I have TONS already, but it never seems to be enough, lol.  Thankfully, for the entire month of August, when you buy 3 packs of Designer Series Paper, you'll get a 4th pack ABSOLUTELY FREE!  Mix and match for the combination that suits your fancy!

So, what will I be getting this month?  I've had my eye on quite a few DSP packs, but some of my favorites are Beau Chateau, Well Worn, Timeless Portrait, and Nautical Expedition (which goes away with the Summer Mini on August 31, so there's no better time to get it!)

Click here to see all the DSP packs that are eligible for this promotion, and happy shopping!

Michey

June Class Projects - Part 4 of 5

I love to keep a stash of general sentiment cards on hand- you know, the kind that you can use for just about any occaision, be it a Thank-you, Thinking of You, Birthday, or "just Because".

This next card fits the bill pretty well, I think:

I'll be the first person to admit that I'm not really one for fussy cutting.  However, a good pair of paper snips and a little bit of concentration, and this bloom from Fabulous Florets practically trimmed itself ;-)  It's amazing what a good pair of scissors can do!

The bloom was watercolored with a blender pen, and then coated with Versamark and Iridescent Ice before being blasted with a heat gun.  Everything else was relatively simple, but I love the different layers and textures on the finished piece!

Thanks for taking a peek!

Michey

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me  at Stampin' Up

Stamps: Fabulous Florets
Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Pear Pizzazz, watercoloring with Rich Razzlberry, Daffodil Delight, and Soft Suede, Versamark
Accessories: Rich Razzleberry Ribbon, Flower Garden Embossing Folder, Dazzling Diamonds

June Class Projects - Part 3 of 5

It's time to share another class project!  I wanted to include a masculine card this month because I had some new people to my class who didn't get a chance to make the Sail Away card back in May. And for those that didn't need another Fathers Day Card, I had Teeny Tiny Wishes at the ready for them to swap in a different sentiment.

Before I talk about this card specifically, allow me to provide you with a bit of background.  About 3 months ago, I took the plunge and unmounted my wheels.  Don't get me wrong, wheels are simple enough to use, but after I unmounted one, I just couldn't stop myself ;-)  I find I can be much more spontaneous with them this way (no need to prepare a special ink pad or anything) and since I don't really do anything in a 12 x 12 size, having them unmounted works for me.

So, this card is stamped with a flattened version of the Music Notes wheel.  The background and focal panel of the card is Crumb Cake  stamped in Versamark, the accent color is Always Artichoke and the patterned paper is First Edition DSP.  After-the-fact, I thought it would have been neat to distress the edges of the focal panel using the distressing tool from my Cutter Kit, but that's a technique that will have to wait until another class =)

If you'd like some more information on how to unmount your wheels, please leave me a little note in the comments - if there's enough interest, I may do a tutorial on this, but before I can, I need to order myself another wheel ^.^

Thanks for taking a peek!
Michey

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me  at Stampin' Up

Stamps: Music Notes Stamping Wheel, Tiny Tags, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Crumb Cake, Always Artichoke, First Edition DSP
Ink: Versamark, Always Artichoke
Accessories: Jewelry Tag Punch, Bakers Twine, Decorative label Punch

June Class Projects - Part 2 of 5

Summer is usually a big season for weddings around here, so as I was planning my June classes, I thought it would be appropriate to give my girls an opportunity to make a wedding-ish card:

The ultimate and timeless color combination for weddings, in my opinion, is cream and black so that's how I rolled with this piece.  I love the combination of the Elizabeth A La Carte stamp and the Elegant Lines embossing folder - I think they work together really well and the embossing adds just a hint of texture that pulls the whole card together beautifully. Remember, stamp first, and THEN emboss =)

The sentiment panel was simple enough, just 2 of my favorite punches, a stamp from Teeny Tiny Wishes, and some bling (In true Michey fashion, i gave folks a chance to swap out the sentiment for something else, and a few of them did - this card would make a fabulous Anniversary or an elegant birthday or graduation card as well!).

After all was said and done, I really think this card is my favorite from my entire June lineup.  I can totally see myself mass-producing this in diferent colors to suit different occasions - what do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

Michey

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me  at Stampin' Up

Stamps: Elizabeth, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Very Vanilla, Basic Black
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Scallop Oval Punch, Oval Punch, Basic Rhinestones, Elegant Lines Embossing Folder

Kicking It Up a Notch - An Old Favorite Revisited

You'll fondly recall this card I created back in May. I absolutely LOVE the way it turned out for the purposes of the classroom setting -- It was just a little bit techniquey with the watercoloring, and when all was said and done, it's probably one of my favorite class projects to date.

I really wanted to kick this up a notch to let my dad know that i'd go that extra mile for him, and so for fathers day this year, I dove deep into my stash of accessories and retired stamps looking for a few "upgrades".

I found what I was looking for in the form of my beloved Antique Crackle background stamp and my color spritzer.  The card base is Sahara Sand that's been Antique Crackled (I <3 <3 <3 this stamp, especially for masculine, grungy, and shabby cards), color spritzed, and sponged in Sahara Sand ink - LOVE the layered tone on tone effect this creates!

The Sail Away stamp is water-colored using Sahara Sand, Soft Suede and Bashful Blue, but its been color spritzed as well, again with Sahara Sand.  I chomped the corners and added my sentiment and Viola!  I did wrestle with trying to put some ribbon or twine on here, but I really don't think this card needs it.  I didn't want to cover up any of that gorgeous background anymore than I had to.

So, thanks for allowing me to revisit this old favorite!  I love repurposing and tweaking something I was totally happy with the first time around.  Maybe it's the perfectionist in me, but I feel there's always room for improvement, even if it's just a little touch. ;-)

Michey

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me  at Stampin' Up

Stamps: Sail Away, Hodgepodge Happiness, Antique Crackle (retired)
Paper: Sahara Sand, Not Quite Navy, Cherry Cobbler, Watercolor Paper
Ink: Staz-on Black, Sahara Sand, Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Decorative Label Punch, Blender Pen, Color Spritzer, paper Crimper

June Class Project - 1 of 5

*Tap tap* Is this thing still on? Yowza, the end-of-may/early June months have been CRRRRAZY busy for me, and unfortunately my spare time flew the coop >.< The good news is, I made sure to set aside some June class time, so here's the first post in a series of 5 showcasing those projects!

Summer always seems to kick off 2 things for me - weddings and expecting parents.  So, this months class syllabus featured a baby card, wedding card, and a masculine father's day'ish card, among others.

First up:

This card features the inlaid embossing technique to give it the feel of a Baby Quilt. Each student had a series of 9 pre-punched squares of Subtles DSP that they could arrange as they wanted to create a card fitting for either a baby boy, baby girl, or "unknown".

Once their quilt panel was taped down, it was run through the big shot using the Square Lattice embossing folder to texturize it and give it that "quilted" feel.  The baby carriage, from Fun and Fast Notes (which is retiring after this month), was blinged up with some Glitter.  And just in case someone had no use for a baby card, students were given the opportunity to swap in a different sentiment from the Swirls and Curls Verses hostess set and a different image from Fun and Fast Notes.  Rounding out this project is a cute little stamped tag from Tiny Tags and some Organza Ribbon.

Baby cards are particularly challenging for me, mostly because I just don't have a lot of baby-themed supplies.  Given that limitation, I think this card turned out great!  Whaddya think?

Thanks for taking a peek!
Michey

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me  at Stampin' Up

Stamps: Fun and Fast Notes, Swirls and Curls Verses, Tiny Tags
Paper: So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White
Ink: Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Organza Ribbon, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle punch, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter. Jewelry Tag Punch

Hooray, Blogger is back! (and Part 5/5 of May Class Projects)

Some of you may have noticed that Blogger went through a rough patch towards the end of last week.  This totally threw a kink in my plans to post this last project, but it's finally here!

This little card took FOREVA to design.  I knew I wanted it to be masculine so my ladies could have a card ready to rock for Father's Day in June, but up until the day before my class, I couldn't come up with anything to do this stamp justice.

So in a fit of panic and desperation, I started coloring, sponging and crimping and this is what I ended up with.  The stamped image is sponged and colored with Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake, and Sahara Sand.  Since creating this card, i've received my Color Spritzer tool, and if I could do it all again, i'd spritz up the card base to add interest to the background, but that's going to be a technique for another class =)

The "Ah-Ha!" moment on this card was when I realized I had no room for a sentiment on the front and I tucked the little "Just 4 you" from Hodgepodge Happiness on the side.  At that moment, this card lunged ahead to my favorite for the month, both because I thought it was kinda clever, and also because I always feel accomplished when I finish a "boy card" =)

You've now seen all my class projects for the month... which one is your favorite?

Thanks for stopping by!
Michey

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me  at Stampin' Up

Stamps: Sail Away, Hodgepodge Happiness
Paper: Sahara Sand, Not Quite Navy, Cherry Cobbler, Watercolor Paper
Ink: Staz-on Black, Watercoloring with Sahara Sand, Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Decorative Label Punch, Bakers Twine, Blender Pen

May Class Projects - Part 4 of 5

Here's another card I'm teaching to my girls in our class this month.

Now, this one was actually a special request from one of my students who saw the Build-a-Blossom stamp and Blossom Petals punch in the now-retired occasions mini catalog and really wanted to see how a project with it came together.

Stampin Up has already announced that the punch for this set will be carrying over, and I hope beyond hope that the coordinating stamp set will return as well, but despite it's current unavailability, I wanted to show my friend what all the fuss was about with this particular punch =)

In demonstrating this card, I provided an assortment of petal stamps from the Build-a-Blossom set pre-arranged on an acrylic block, and provided a few tips on how to easily position the stamps on the block so you know it will match up with the punch.  Then, I turned the ink and paper over to the girls and away they went! I encouraged them to use an assortment of petals in their projects, and they came up with some stunning combinations!  I LOVE when they personalize their projects and make them their own!

The leaves were also a fun little touch.  After punching them out, they were folded  in half along the length, and ran through the crimper to give them a variegated look.  that got quite a few squeals of delight from my attendees =)  Another neat trick uses the Framed Tulips Embossing folder, but instead of using it the "normal way", I turned it on its side so that it didn't frame out the full card front.  Instead, it provided a nice little top and bottom border effect for our 3d flower.

So, you've now seen 4 out of 5 cards for this month's class... what do you think so far?

Thanks for stopping by!
Michey

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me  at Stampin' Up

Stamps: Build-a-Blossom, Hello You
Paper: River Rock, Whisper White, Always Artichoke
Ink: peach parfait, Always Artichoke
Accessories: Build-a-blossom punch, Glimmer Brads, Framed Tulips Embossing Folder

May Class Projects - Part 3/5

Here's a look at another card my students are making as part of my May class.  You've already seen the butterfly friendship card I made using a set that is 30% of for the rest of this month, and you've also hopefully taken a look at the birthday card using Love Letter DSP.  Well, next up is.....

This was my first serious foray into 2 step stamping and HOLY COW, it couldnt have been easier! The stamping part of this card was a cinch - seriously!  We didn't even need to mess with a stamp-a-ma-jig to get the different layers lined up, it was just kinda eyeballed and voila, near perfect placement every time!

First, I stamped the main flower image repeatedly using So Saffron ink, then with the detail stamp, I inked it up using Rose Red ink, tilted the stamp 45 degrees-ish, lined up the edge of the rubber with the edge of the saffron stamped image, and just stamped. Perfect placement!

The rest of this card took a bit of work to design... I created this beautiful 2 step focal panel, but didn't leave a whole lot of room for "other stuff" so it took a bit of finagling to get "just right".    I find I do this alot, I spend a ton of time trying to figure out "what goes where" and it's honestly the most time consuming part of designing a card.  Am I the only person that obsesses about details like this? >.<

In the end, i'm happy with the way this turned out, and the 2-step stamping technique got alot of wows from my stampers (and from me!).

So, that's 3 cards down, 2 to go!
Thanks for taking a peek!
Michey

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me  at Stampin' Up

Stamps: Greenhouse Garden, Three Little Words (sentiment)
Paper: Whisper White, So Saffron, Rose Red, Subtles patterned paper pack
Ink: So Saffron, Rose Red
Accessories: Scallop Oval Punch, Oval Punch, Square Lattice Embossing Folder,  5/8" Organza Ribbon

May Class Projects - Part 2/5

This Black, White, and Red Birthday card, you may recall, was born from a fit of inspiration while designing a project for my May classes.  Well, now it's time to share with you the project that started it all:

I'm totally enamored with cards that have an "unconventional" opening like this one.  The inside sentiment helps to embellish the outside card front, which is a fun twist.

After all was said and done with creating this card, I realized there was ALMOST NO STAMPING ON IT! O_o     In the end, the finished project is stylish, kinda vintage, and above all EASY, so even with minimal stamping, I still file this under a successful class project that's easily duplicted and for all levels of stampers and cardmakers.  I love cards like this where the Designer Series Paper does all the work =)

Thanks for looking!
Michey

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me  at Stampin' Up

Stamps: Something to Celebrate
Paper: Very Vanilla, Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Love Letter DSP
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain

May Class Projects - Part 1 of 5

These next few posts will be devoted to highlighting my class projects for the month of May.  My first class was held on Sunday, May 1, and there will be a repeat performance on Sunday, May 15, so if you're in the Washington DC Metro Area and would like to participate, please let me know!

This first card uses a set that's one of many on sale for a whopping 30% off this month in honor of National Scrapbooking Month.

The butterfly and sentiment are both from Simple Friendship and are stamped in Crumb Cake and Baja Breeze using the Rock and Roll technique.  To do this technique, you completely ink up a stamp (in this case, I started out with Crumb Cake) and then before stamping, you take your inked stamp and ink up the edges in a second color - I used baja breeze.

I have to say, during my class on Sunday, more than 1 person was skeptical about whether the Rock and Roll technique would really work based on my description, and I was SOOOO tickled to hear the ooooohs and aaaaahs after they had finished stamping their perfect two-toned butterfly ;-) This is a super easy technique for all levels of stampers, so I encourage you to give it a try!

The rest of this card is pretty straightforward - Elegant Lines embossing folder, an antique brad, and baja breeze seam binding.

I'm so jazzed that this stamp set is 30% off this month. I really feel like it's one of those hidden gems that doesn't get alot of attention nowadays, but this set is so elegant and classy that it deserves its time in the spotlight =)

Thanks for taking a peek!

Michey 

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me  at Stampin' Up

Stamps: Simple Friendship
Paper: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Whisper White
Ink: Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Elegant Lines Embossing Folder, Antique Brads, Baja Breeze Seam Binding

National Scrapbooking Month!

Happy Friday, everyone!  I'm super excited  to share our newest promotion for the month of May, which just happens to be National Scrapbooking Month.  Yes, I know it's still April, but it's ALWAYS a good time to scrapbook, amirite?

Starting today, and throughout the entire month of May, you'll recieve 30% off selected stamp sets and digital download bundles.  I am SOO psyched to see the sets that are on sale... here's some of my favorites:

Simple Friendship:

Simple Friendship

I already own this set and can tell you, the butterfly is my go-to butterfly stamp.  I also adore the handscripted "True Friend" sentiment... it's hard to find sentiments in this style of font - believe me, i've tried! My May series of classes will be featuring a card using this very stamp set, so stay tuned for that reveal next week!  Purchase this wood-mount set for $18.17 (regular price: $25.95).

Word Play:

Word Play

I've wanted this set since it first came out, but I had a hard time squeezing it into my budget. Now that it's 30% off, IT WILL BE MINE!  Purchase the wood-mount set for $29.37 (Regular price: $41.95) or the clear-mount set for $20.27 (Regular price: $28.95).

Printed Petals:

Printed Petals

I seriously can't get enough of flowers (that's a no-brainer and is obvious by looking at my portfolio of projects ;-).  The only thing I like more than flowers is flowers with coordinating punches!  As such, this set is a must-have in my book. Purchase the wood-mount set for $13.97 (Regular price: $19.95) or the clear-mount set for $10.47 (Regular price: $14.95).

Party Hearty

Party Hearty

This birthday set has it all!  Fun hats, cupcakes, great sentiments and a little coordinating tag - if you need a birthday set to suit a wide age-range, this set is for you!  Purchase the wood-mount set for $18.87 (Regular price: $26.95).

Grunge Rock

Grunge Rock

Grunge is in, especially in the world of scrapbooking. This set will help you "rock-on" with a great background, fun wordy accents, and of course, A GUITAR! Purchase the wood-mount set for $14.67 (Regular price: $20.95) or the clear-mount set for $11.17 (Regular price: $15.95).

Animal Stories

Animal Stories

What baby or child layout wouldn't be complete without fun animals?  Stamp them in pastel colors for a nursery theme, or more vibrant hues for kids and toddlers.  So cute!
Purchase the wood-mount set for $11.17 (Regular price: $15.95).

Sweet Shop Alphabet (lowercase)

Sweet Shoppe Lowercase Alphabet

Here's a fun, clean and curly alphabet to accent your pages. Use a Stamp-a-ma-jig to help you with positioning of your individual letters, but even if your letters are a bit askew, this alphabet will look great! Purchase the wood-mount set for $22.37 (Regular price: $31.95) or the clear-mount set for $16.77 (Regular price: $23.95).

There's also a bunch of digital download sets for sale at fantastic prices, but more on that in another post.

Happy Stamping!!! (and scrapping ;-).
Michey

Black and White and Red All Over

It's been awhile since I've made a card that's just for me.  I've been spending so much time planning projects for my girls that I haven't really had time to craft "just for me", you know?

Well, in the midst of designing a project for my May classes, I was struck with inspiration!  So I ask you, what's black and white and red all over?  (Hint, it's not a newspaper and it's not a skunk in a blender...)

My inspiration for this piece started when I broke open my Love Letter DSP in the process of planning a May class project (those of you that are signed up will see what that's all about on May 1 ;-)

I fashioned the flower embellishment using a technique I picked up at the Baltimore Regional last fall using 1 1/4" striped grosgrain (this one is in Riding Hood Red from the clearance rack and is an absolute STEAL at only $1.99 per roll), layered with Victoria Ribbon using the same technique.  After each layer was sewn and gathered together individually, they were both fastened together with an Antique Brad.

Here's a closeup :

For the background, I pulled out my beloved and retired French Script background stamp (for a currently-available alternative, check out En Francais.)  I stamped the background in Versamark and Chalked it with my Stampin Pastels in Very Vanilla - to see this better, click on the first picture to enlarge the photo to see more detail.

This card also uses my oh-so-favorite Cherry blossoms from the Easter Blossoms set in the occasions mini.  April is the last month of the Occasions mini, so if you don't get this stamp set now, you may never have another opportunity.

Anywho, toss in a mishmash of a few of my favorite reds (Riding Hood Red cardstock, Poppy Parade Marker and Cherry Cobbler ink for the sentiment), and some Basic Pearls and this card is done!

I'm finding it's really a challenge striking a balance between the business side of crafting and the personal side of it.  I'm really happy I took some time out from the planning and kitting to make this card that is so very "Michey".  Looking at it makes me smile and serves as a little reminder to not forget the "me time".

Thanks for looking!
Michey


Details:  
Products available for purchase from me from Stampin Up

Stamps: Easter Blossoms, Something to Celebrate, French Script (retired)
Paper: Love Letter DSP, Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Very Vanilla
Ink: Versamark, Basic Black, Poppy Parade Marker, Cherry Cobbler (sentiment)
Accessories: Stampin Pastels, 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain in Riding Hood Red, Victoria Crochet Trim, Antique Brads.

Butterfly Easel Card Tutorial

Many of you asked "How'd she do dat?" when I first showed you the butterfly easel card last week.  Well, here's a tutorial I whipped together that will show you how simple this is and will encourage you to pull out that Beautiful Butterfly Bigz die and give it a shot!  (as in Big Shot ;-)

First off, here's the finished card. This tutorial will only cover how to make the easel part of the card... you'll then have a blank canvas to embellish and decorate it as you please ;-)

To start, you'll need 2 pieces of cardstock -  i'm using So Saffron.

One piece should measure 3.5" x 6" and one should measure 3.5" x 3". These measurements are just a little bit on the generous side, once you get the hang of cutting them out, you can trim them to be just a bit smaller to save on your precious cardstock.

Take your 3.5" x 3" piece and run it through the bigshot using the Beautiful Butterfly Bigz Die. You'll be cutting out the larger of the two whole butterflies. Set this whole butterfly aside.

Take your 3.5"x 6" piece and score it at the 3" mark. Fold on the score line and what you'll have is a double layer 3.5" x 3" piece with a fold at the top. This fold will eventually be your "hinge" for the easel card base (more on that later).

I've done some creative photoshopping here to show you how to cut out the next piece. The red outline in the photo above illustrates the cutmarks of the die. Position your folded piece of cardstock so that the fold is just below the top of the wings. This will ensure that when you cut your two layers of cardstock, they will still be joined together along the fold line, forming a hinge.

After you have run this through the bigshot, notice that you have 2 diecut layers with a "hinge" at the top joining them together. Neat, eh? Don't worry that the tips of this little guy's wings have been "flattened". When all is said and done, his flattened wings will be hidden from view ;-)

Unfold your little twin butterflies so they lay flat. In this photo, i've put a dotted line to illustrate the fold line that is already there.

Create a new score line as indicated in the photo, which happens to be at the 1" mark. Be sure to only score one of the two twin butterflies, we want to leave one nice and flat.

Now it's time to tape this little guy up! You'll only be applying adhesive below your score line (see photo for details). Once you've decorated your "whole" butterfly that you've previously set aside, you can then line him up ontop of his glued brother and fasten them together.

(This next part is the hardest to describe, so hopefully looking at a photo of the finished product will be enough >.<) To finish off your easel and make it "stand up", fold along your score lines. You want to make sure you are folding away from the decorated butterfly front that you attached in the previous step. You'll know you've folded it correctly if by looking at your folded piece from the side, you see a triangle. Here's a photo of the side view of my finished piece. This should give you an idea of how the score lines work:

You might have to mush down on all your score lines with a bone folder to keep him from opening up on you, but by and large he'll stand on his own two feet wings! Voilà! You've created your easel!  

And, here's the finished piece once again!

I hope you found this tutorial helpful!  I'll include my supply list below on how I got this all decorated up, but if you have any question, just let me know.

Thanks for reading!
Michey

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me  at Stampin' Up

Stamps: Just Believe, Punch Potpourri, French Script (retired)
Paper: So Saffron, Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry
Ink: So Saffron, Pear Pizzaaz, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Beautiful Butterflies Die, Boho Blossoms Punch, Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents

Blog Candy Winner!

Thanks to everyone for your constructive feedback about how you like to find your way around blogs and websites!  You all gave me so wonderful things to dwell on, and you even confirmed a suspicion or two I already had, so I'd say this blog candy was definitely worth it!

The randomly chosen winner of the Ice Cream Parlor blog candy is.....

Eileen!

Congratulations!  Eileen, please email me at michey1st@gmail.com  with your address and I'll put your goodies in the mail for you early next week.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and HAPPY FRIDAY!

Michey

Raising Kindness and Blog Candy Reminder

Ever since Bronwyn Eastley's Butterfly Easel Card, fluttered its way into my life, I knew I had to make one of my very own.

Michey's Note:  I've gotten a ton of questions about how I made this, so I'll be posting a tutorial for how I did the easel part of this card over the weekend so please check back for more details.

I wish I could say this little fella just kinda "happened" but I've actually been thinking about him for the better part of 2 weeks ^.^  His body, cut from multiple layers of the Beautiful Butterly Bigz die, came together last week, more like a "proof of concept" and "can I do it?" sort of deal, and once I got him all cut, folded, and, um, butterflied, he sat on my studio table pretty much nekkid for more than a week.

Don't worry, he didn't catch a cold or anything, and he didn't have any ribbon on him, so the cats pretty much left him alone ;-)  He's finally dressed now, thanks to that delectable flourish and appropriate sentiment from the Vintage Vogue stamp set and he even made some friends with the gang from the Beautiful Butterflies Embosslit.

This little card fits nicely in SU's Mini Square Envelopes, but I kinda think these would be cute as Placecard Holders for a fancy shmancy dinner, or even as a little thank-you gift to a hostess.

Finally, a little bit of administrative stuff: don't forget to leave me your feedback on this post for a chance to win some Retired Ice Cream Parlor Paper, Ribbons and Buttons! I read each and every one of your comments, over and over again and they always make me smile =)

Thanks for fluttering by!!
Michey

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me  at Stampin' Up

Stamps: Vintage Vogue
Paper: Riding Hood Red, Whisper White
Ink: Versamark, Basic Gray
Accessories: Beautiful Butterflies Die, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, White Embossing Powder, Jewelry Tag Punch

Ice Cream Parlor Blog Candy for Your Thoughts

Happy Monday, Papery Peeps!  I have to admit, I'm not really feeling like setting foot in my studio *quite* yet.  I'm enjoying a few days away from my craft room after the flurry of crafty fun I experienced over the weekend.  Do you guys ever go through periods of downtime like that?

Don't get me wrong, I have a fun little idea percolating in the back of my mind, I just wasn't *quite* ready to settle down and start working on it, you know?

Anywho, the upshot of all this free time is that:

1. I don't really have anything new and crafty to share (boo!), 
2. I do have a new facebook fan page (yay!), feel free to click *like* over there in the left column =) and...
3. I do have a question for all you loyal followers and commenters for a chance to win some blog candy (DOUBLE YAY!).

Loyal Followers:  Michey, get to the question already, we want CANDY!
Michey: Ok ok, geez, you guys mean business! ;-) So...

When you browse around on the blogosphere, how do you navigate around when you arrive at someone's blog?  Do you use the long list of links that they may have along the sidebar, do you jump around the related posts to see what other projects they've worked on? What do you find works best for you?

I'm working on a redo of my happy little blogging home (yeah, I know, I really only *started* blogging and already I want to improve things... I can't help it, it's in my nature! >.<), and I want to focus my efforts on creating something that is pleasing for you to look at, but also pleasing for you to use, so I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts!  Now's your chance to tell me how you *really* feel ;-)

There *may* even be a little blog candy for one lucky commenter, but you didn't hear that from me...

As luck would have it, I have a 6x6 pack of Ice Cream Parlor paper, ribbons, and buttons that is burning a hole in my pocket, so one lucky commenter will get to take it off my hands! If you missed this cute set during Sale-a-Bration, now's your chance to see what all the fuss was about!

Just leave a comment on this post (hopefully answering my blog-browsing question, but if you'd rather just chat about random things, that's fine too ;-) between now and Thursday at 5 PM to be entered for a chance to win.

Anywho, hope you all had a creative day!  I certainly did, but it wasn't with paper or ink ;-)

Thanks for taking the time to share your blog travelling experiences with me!

michey

Class Recap and Lessons Learned: Part 2

Yesterday I teased you all with 2 of the cards we made in my April 2 class.  Well, now that it's April 3, how appropriate that I show you the other three? ;-)

I first designed this card without the butterflies, and it made me go "meh".  THANK GOODNESS my Beautiful Wings Embosslit arrived in time, because once I added the butterflies and the pearl centers (there's another little butterfly hanging out on the inside of the card as well), my heart went pitterpatter ;-)  At that point, I knew this card was class-worthy.

This card showcases the big shot.  Thanks to the Top Note die and the Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder, It came together super fast and with a minimum of effort.  It's hard to tell but the Top Note piece has been glittered up with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz (although in hindsight, I probably won't be using that again in a class setting - see below for some lessons learned).

Here's the token Easter card of the day.  I did give people the choice of instead using the "Sending Springtime Smiles" sentiment from the Easter Blossoms set, but by and large, everyone went with Easter.  This card also features the Dotted Scallop Border Punch, which i'll touch on in a bit.

Lessons Learned

Now that my first class is under my belt, here's a few little tidbits I walked away with.

1. Border Patrol -  Border punches in a classroom setting can be problematic.  I think next time, I'll either use ribbon or just straight strips of cardstock.  Trying to teach folks the ins and outs of lining up the border punch while 94824983 other things were going on was kinda tough.

2. Save the Smooches for another day - I mean smooch spritz!  What were you thinking?!? ;-)  The smoooch spritz caused the whisper white cardstock to buckle while it was still wet.  As I was making the sample card, I blasted it with a heat gun to speed things along, but I didn't want to bombard folks with too many tools, so I kept the heat gun holstered.  This caused people to have to wait for their smooch spritz to dry, which slowed them down.  I think next time, I'll just use Shimmer paper instead.

3. Block Party - Note to self: GET MORE ACRYLIC BLOCKS!  I've transitioned to mostly clear-mount stamps, which works GREAT for me, but for my classes, it means constantly switching out stamps.  The few wood sets that I do have were a godsend yesterday, but moving forward, I need to stock up on certain sizes of Acrylic Blocks.

4. Keep it Simple, Stampers - Its hard - I mean REALLY hard, for me to put myself in the shoes of a new stamper.  Stuff that comes second nature to me after doing this for so long is completely foreign to a novice papercrafter.  I do think some of the projects I did were a bit challenging for the new girls, but they did wonderfully, so in the end it's all good.  I think next time I'm going to give the new girls an earlier start, or possibly their own class entirely, so I can give them individualized attention.

5. Don't sweat the small stuff - No amount of planning and forethought is enough to make sure every teeny tiny detail is accounted for, so don't stress about it.  I totally forgot to do the giveaway I had planned - there was just too much going on - and my camera sat forgotten in the corner the whole time. Meh!  In the end, I had fun, and my girls did too, so perhaps we'll do a giveaway next time, with photos to prove it ;-)

DETAILS - Products are available for purchase from me  at Stampin' Up

Just for You

Stamps: Afterthoughts
Paper: River Rock, Always Artichoke, Rose Red, Springtime Vintage DSP
Ink: River Rock, Rose Red
Accessories: Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Basic Pearls

Happy Birthday

Stamps - Perfect Punches

Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White

Ink: Rich Razzleberry

Accessories: Rich Razzleberry 1/8" taffeta ribbon, Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder, Decorative Label Punch, 2 x 1 3/8 Oval Punch, Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz

Happy Easter

Stamps - Easter Blossoms

Paper: Baja Breeze, Springtime Vintage DSP, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla

Ink: Stazon Jet Black

Accessories: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch