Birthday Card

I posted yesterday that I made my oldest daughter a birthday card. Before I download the photo, I just have to elaborate a bit on my late evening mission. The card has a birthday cake, I wanted to put some icing on it, some sparkle at least. Off to the near by Walmart, then decided I pretty much already knew what they had...nothing. That point came up again tonight, looking for magazines and a printer. But, I refuse to stray from the topic. I figured I would go to JoAnn's instead, knowing that they did at least have a small supply of embossing powders. As I headed that way, I passed by a Michael's and thought at least it would be something different to look at. My wallet has told me quite loudly that it was a big mistake. My supply boxes are just giddy with enjoyment.

I bought some punches that were on clearance, some new powders and inks to play with, didn't find the icing, but liked one powder so well that I bought it only to find out that I already had it at home. First reaction was to just take it back, it is called Winter Wonderland Opaque, it is white with silver mixed in. Then I thought about those Christmas cards I want to make, the trees with snow hanging on them, Santa's fur, ornaments, suddenly I am thinking I may be a leg up on the supply list. Any way, I have been totally unable to find an embossing pen, but did find a Versamark Pen. Understand that a scrapbook store I went in to, across town, had a girl working that wasn't to sure how to measure trim off and cut it. Should have been the first clue. She was wearing sweat pants with the legs pulled up mid calf. Like she was on the way to the gym. Should have been the second clue. But no...I think maybe her parents own the store so she must know a little something, by virtue of osmosis if nothing else. So I ask about an embossing pen. They don't have any, but any glue pen would work.

DO NOT USE GLUE TO EMBOSS. The heat makes the glue bubble. Take my word for this and save yourself some aggravation.

The Versamark pen worked great by the way. I highly recommend it as a way to add embossing medium in detailed spots that would just work to ink from the pad. I will be using it a lot more.

I honestly cannot wait to get started playing with my toys again. So many ideas are floating in my head. I thought that the Rock n Crop I am going to on Saturday started at 6 pm and went to midnight. I found out it starts at 10 am. Now, to figure out how to get away from the family that early. It's a challenge but I am up for it. Great thing is about this new crafting adventure is that I am getting so much great positive support. A great lady that I have know for a long time has been scrapping for some time. Even though she lives across the ocean she has been great for advice and suggestions. I also have the greatest staff of the greatest scrapbooking store there ever was. No teens in work out gear, all of these ladies are totally knowledgeable and love to help people make what they like. My daughter in Texas is very artistic, always has been. My youngest daughter is 12 and she has it going too. She has totally gotten obsessed with scrapbooking, not sure if she really likes or just wanting to do something with mom, but I can sure handle that too.

Okay, guess that is enough chit chat for the evening. Here is the birthday card.


I know, still have a ways to go but I really like the final result. The Happy Birthday stamp is from Stampin Up - the Voila set. The cake is die cut using Sizzix, and the candy is from a set of acrylic stickers. There is a story behind the candy, just leave it at that.
So, let me know what you think. Next project is to make a mother's day card for my mom. Will see how that goes.

Look What I Did

Okay, I know it isn't spectacular by any means, but hey, I am a beginner at this. Here are photos of the first two cards I made.

On this first card I used regular card stock, Sizzix Textured Impressions Embossing Folder - the set is called Dots & Flowers, I don't know where the rubber stamp butterfly is from, and the embossing ink is called Distress Embossing Ink, clear with some gold embossing powder. They are Ranger brand. I first stamped the image using brown ink, then inked the stamp, trying to get just the butterfly inked with the clear embossing ink. Now the tricky part that I am amazed I did, I stamped the image on top of the butterfly previously inked. Embossed just that. It came out pretty well. I don't have a heat embossing tool, couldn't find one under $30 offered close to the house so went the alternate route. Tried a blow dryer. It worked a little bit and had I not seen the demonstration video would have thought that it was finished. I however, remembered that my hubby had a heat gun in the garage, somewhere in his tools. He used for applying shrink fit film to the wings of his Radio Control planes when he was in to that. With in seconds that butterfly really popped. I know I will be playing with that again soon. Can't wait to get some of Stampin Up's embossing supplies.

I know it needs a little more bling, but I am just starting out and my supplies are a bit limited. I am so thankful that the lady at my local scrapbooking store was so willing to help me out this evening. They are in the middle of renovating, adding more space to the store for classes and crops, and she went in the back to find her supplies so she could demonstrate how to emboss. I ran across some packets of colored powder that I am sure is embossing powder that was gifted to me which got me wanting to try it out, knew I had to have something for it to stick to, so off I went to the scrapbook store.

Came home with my embossing clear ink pad...a black embossing ink pad, gold embossing powder (can't wait for the copper to come in) a Sizzix embossing folder (mentioned it earlier) a glue stamp pad that was in the clearance bin, two tubes of glitter to go with that, and paid for the beginning scrapbook class, there are three others signed up already so know it will take place this time, oh and signed up for an awesome crop night. They are having a rock n crop, listen to the oldies while you crop, dinner catered from a great restaurant, Italian food, and I saw the make and take project that was just awesome. Not sure what you would call it, but I just loved it. Not to bad on the pocket book either since the store is having 15% off total purchase this weekend.

On the other hand, last night I blew the budget. Bought a new cartridge for my Cricut, it is called Stretch Your Imagination and is just AWESOME. Can't wait to play with it some more tomorrow. I also bought a pound pack of scrap card stock, a scrapbook kit that includes just everything, some pastel colored paper, a big package of multi colors of card stock and some ink pens to place in the Cricut where the blade goes so that it draws the image instead of cutting it. I am thinking that it would be kind of neat to draw each image off, then mark it and put it in a notebook. I would know what I have and what it does in a glance.

Okay, now here is my second card I made tonight.

I really like this one alot. Pretty much used the same supplies, just added a bit to it. Had some flowers that I cut out with the Cricut when I first got it, so used those. I am drifting off as I type so it is time to get a bath and hit the bed.

Feel free to leave a comment.

It has arrived

My Stampin Up start up kit has arrived. I should have taken a photo of everything, but was so excited and so exhausted when I went through it that it just never entered my mind to do that. It is all a learning experience.

I was able to mix and match to a certain degree the stamps that would be in my kit, the inks, and some of the paper and such. I am well pleased with my choice of stamps, feeling that those sets will be used often. I tried to think ahead to what I would be doing with the stamps. I am so new to all of this that I was really not even sure what I would be stamping or how I would use them. I now know however that I made a few really stupid choices in the ink department. What was I thinking to not have at least one of the ink pads be black? And what on earth I thought I would do with Pixie Pink on the rolling wheel stamp? I am anything but a pink person, and my wheel design is called cheers, the bar variety, not at all pink. Oh well, live and learn. I can however see getting a different design wheel and using the pink for something with a baby girl theme.

So here is the saga of my mini journey last night as I started seeing and working with some of what I got in the kit.

I started with the set I wanted to use the most. But, before I could start, I gathered up some supplies to use. The sketchbook: I purchased this inexpensive spiral bound sketchbook at Walmart. I stamp an image of each of my stamps on a page, keeping sets together. I then write a little bit about the stamp, what color ink, and the date. It is very helpful to me, mainly because it is a true image of what the stamped result will look like. Especially when it comes to size. Stamp set: This stamp set is part of my start up kit as I said, so is from Stampin Up and is called From the Kitchen. Mainly meant for making recipe cards. Now, I don't particularly want to take the time to mass produce blank cards to fill in, but for a special request, a new bride, or something similar, this is the way to go to make it a little more special. Card stock: for this project I bought a package of blank 3 x 5 index cards from the dollar store. They are glossy on one side and not so much so on the other side. I stamped the glossy side. I was especially pleased to find that the stamp just fit the index card. I might even get some blank index cards that are a size larger. With the extra size, I could use the "from the kitchen of" stamp and the "Yum Factor" as well. The Yum factor design has 5 stars and you can fill in the amount of stars according to how well you like the dish.

I found out rather quickly, as in with the first attempt, that the normal stamping technique would not work. Trying to center that large stamp on top of the index card was just frustrating. First it would be crooked as in the photo, then it would all to one edge, loosing part of the image, or a double exposure effect when moving the stamp produced a second image, or parts of.

So, I put my thinking cap on a came up with an upside down style. I am sure every one has done this and is not anything new.
As you see in the photo, I inked the stamp, placed it design side up, positioned an index card on top, then pressed down using the package of index cards. I found that the package of invitations that came with my start up kits works a bit better for this purpose. The interesting thing about doing this is that the plastic wrap around the invitations or cards is a bit charged and the index card clings to the package which helped prevent the double stamp effect. Then it was just assembly line style production of the blank recipe cards.
In no time at all I had a small set of the cards as a result. There is a stamp for each type of recipe as well. For example, meats, desserts, breads and such. I think it may be nice to make a set of these cards for a whole meal, then put the cards in a decorative little container or box and give that to a new bride with some cookware. On occasion I take casseroles to various places, like a funeral, some one having surgery, a new birth, or such and this would be a nice way to leave the directions for heating. Beats that piece of masking tape that tells how long at what temp, that is if the tape stays adhered to the dish. If I can get myself organized, there will be a card printed out for each dish in the freezer and then one of the kids or hubby can just pull it out and heat on the those hectic days they need to eat before I can get home from work. That is the goal anyway, is also what led to my scrapbooking/stamping new adventure. I had a lot of fun with this set of stamps, and actually just barely touched the tip of the iceberg with it.

Now, it would have really been nice if some one had told me that these stamps come unmounted. The smaller sets it just wasn't an issue, the details are larger and there are fewer stamps.
But for the larger sets, all those pieces,it was a real chore. Especially for the sets like this one, "Define Your Life", the print is small and reading it backwards no less as you are looking at the reverse image, it was truly frustrating at times. Almost so much to the point as vowing to myself never to buy anything like this again. This is where the journal comes in handy, I can read the stamped image in the journal instead of struggling to see if there even is a stamp with the feeling I am wanting to relay to the recipient.

To get the stamp ready for use, you take one of the die cut stamps, remove it from the sheet, it really is quite easy as it just pretty much pops out. Then peel the paper off the foam backing and then stick the stamp to a piece of wood. I really would strongly recommend that you kind of go over the sizes of stamps and the sizes of the wood blocks before mounting. There are clear stickers that show the stamp's design or letter or such to stick over an end of the wood part to identify the stamp. There is also a sticker to put on the box that shows the name and item number of the stamp set as well.

Then it is all done and you are ready to stamp.

I thought I would show you a couple of pages from my journal as well so you could see how that looks.
I know that for me, it really does help to have a record of the image. It is easier than reading the small print to see what the text is saying, I can see how the image will look printed out as well. This helps with determining proper left to right alignment and in the case of the alphabet I got it shows that the letter does not stamp solid. Not a problem as it it just part of the design, but interesting to note in case I am going for a certain style look in the end.

Next, I am going to attempt to make some cards. I had not intended to this way, but have had a very close family friend pass away this past week and another dear friend is in her last days. Both were awesome women to know and touched my life greatly.

I welcome any comments you care to share about my post.