The 1986 card that inspired my LOVE for papercrafting!

This card was given to me in about 1986 by my sister.  I don’t recall what circumstances led her to rubber stamping  but I clearly remember when I saw this adorable card I was really impressed.  The first time I went to visit her after receiving this card she shared with me her small shoe box sized collection of paper crafting supplies.  I am giggling, as she will too when she reads this, because … well…. her supply has definitely grown! She showed me her few stamps and we had a blast making cards.  I especially remember using glittered embossing powder that we heat set using the toaster! heehee Good times!

 This blog post is inspired by my friend, Carole.  She participated in the latest WOYWW (What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday) challenge and gave us a glimpse into her crafting studio.  It was the first time I had heard about the challenge and really enjoyed seeing this part of her home and I enjoyed seeing her chickens too! See her post HERE.  Carole posed the question: “How do you store your stamps”.  So, as promised, here is a long story of how I store, and index, my stamps : )

After my initial introduction into rubber stamping I collected a few supplies along the way but the availability of great papercrafting supplies was definitely not the same then as it is now.  By 1998 I had my own shoe boxed size collection.  It was that year that I was introduced to a group of ladies who were using products from The Angel Company.  The Angel Company offered the first rubber stamps I had ever seen that were not mounted to wood.  After purchase of their stamps you would cut the stamps out and then apply a Tacky Glue to the back of the red sponge. 

After the Tacky Glue dried the stamps would “cling”  to clear acrylic blocks for  use.  Once you were done using the stamp you would remove it from the clear block and store it in a CD case.  Because I had a mere dozen stamps I immediately “un-mounted” all of my rubber stamps – a method I still practice today. 

Soon after I started buying stamps from The Angel Company they improved their product - Oh Happy Day!!  Stamps still came mounted on red or blue rubber and some cutting out was required but the horrible messy part of applying the glue was eliminated as the backing of the new improved stamps was a gray foam with a cling surface for easy use with a clear acrylic block.  

  I was hooked on un-mounted stamping for the ease of storage!  I store most of my rubber stamps in a CD holder that fits comfortably on my desk.

It has a built in turn table so it spins easily.  It is approximately 16" high and  11" across with four columns that hold 112 CD cases.  Last year I had two of these on my desk and was needing a THIRD one! so I decided to do some downsizing.  Now I am  now only using one - which is already getting stuffed full and I'm thinking I need to pull my second carousel back out again pretty soon!  : )  As you can see it is nothing fancy. It is a working tool so it is a bit beaten and worn but it works!!

There are two exceptions to this storage method in my craft room.   

1. My House Mouse & Hopper stamps still have the wood attached and are presently stored in a tote.  I simply can’t bring myself to un-mount these stamps because the image on the wood is colored so nicely.  These stamps are like little works of art, as far as I am concerned : ) I often  “decorate” my crafting space by displaying these stamps on my shelves. 

2. Close to My Heart (CTMH) stamps.  These images are so well packaged and so smartly done I see no need to change up what they have already perfected.  All of my CTMH stamps are stored in a storage tote.

This leads me to a suggestion for Carole and anyone else who has their stamps stored in more than one location - an index book.  This book is a three-ring binder.

It is not fancy.  I have stamped images of the stamps I own on white pieces of paper or I have scanned the sheets that come with clear stamps or scanned the back of the House Mouse Stamp but no matter how I do it I get an impression of each and every image I own into this stamp index. 

Under each stamp set or specific image I record where the stamp is so that I can easily find the image. In the cases of the stamps in the CD cases – each CD case is marked with a number. 

I have tried to categorize the pages in my book ie: "people" stamps, Floral stamps, juvenile stamps, House Mouse stamps etc. and near the back of my index I have sentiment only stamps.  This works for me : )

Now that Digi images are becoming a big part of my card making I have now added digis to my index.  Under each digi image is the location on my computer where they are stored. : )  So when I’m looking for a butterfly, for instance, I can easily see all the stamps and digis I own that include a butterfly by paging through my index.  

 ** just a note**  I know un-mounting is not for everyone and that un-mounting ALL my stamps worked because I started doing it when I didn’t have very many stamps.  I still do it because I simply do not buy that many wood mounted stamps anymore.  But just in case anyone is interested  I would like to share here that although The Angel Company is no longer in business you can still get the cling foam for unmounting your stamps from Red Rubber Designs.

I hope this long post has been helpful!  Please let  me know if you have any questions.  I’d love to help.  Please join the fun that Julia at Stamping Ground is serving up with her WOYWW challenges. It is really fun looking at where our friends in the blogging world get inky! : )  

Have a great day!

Patti

Heartfelt Sympathy

A talented friend in the paper craft community buried her Mom this week.  My heart goes out to her and her family.

I lost my Mom over 17 years ago and I miss her very much. Mom was an amazing cheerleader for the good things that any of us were doing.  A day doesn't go by that I don't  wish I could share my neckStyles™ scarf business with her. I know she would have been very supportive. : )  It means so much to know your parents are proud of you.  I try very hard to communicate my love and support with my children and grandchildren.  We only have one another for such a short time.

Hug a loved one today!! and if you don't have one near... hug a stranger : ) they might need it even more!

I selected SU's Pink Pirouette for my card.  I layered a white piece of paper on the top and embossed it with the SU Mosaic folder.  My image is an old TAC stamp.  The sentiment is a clear stamp from MSE!

I added some dimension with Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel.  Simply cover your entire finished design with Versamark Ink an then apply the UTEE and carefully heat set the enamel just enough to melt it while not melting it too much.  I wanted water drop looking texture.  for a more complete instruction of how this neat product looks check out this post HERE

Thank you for looking and please be sure to take advantage of the FREE card give-away I am offering.  See the details in THIS post : ) 

Patti

January Birthday

Background paper by Heidi Grace was embossed with the Cuttlebug "Happy Birthday" embossing folder.

 Our friends at House Mouse & Friends have posted a challenge to create a card using Silver or Gold.  I wanted to join the fun but after scouring my supplies I found I had almost none of either silver or gold!  So I had to get a bit creative!! : ) One of the things I especially enjoy about "challenges" is how they force me to move - at least a little out of my norm.

 Here I stamped my image in black Staz on ink and then created a mask for Amanda (that is actually the mouse's name! LOL I didn't name her heehee) using Masking Magic by Therm O Web. This is one of my favorite products because it is so easy to use and provides perfect  masking every time!!.

Covering only the mouse with the mask I then inked up my stamp with another of my favorite products - Versamark ink!.  I stamped right over the first image only a teensy bit to the left so that some black ink would show through underneath ensuring that the umbrella and confetti were nicely highlighted .  Are you hanging in there with me? LOL cuz here comes the SILVER! I then applied silver embossing powder and set it with my heat gun.

Wanting to focus on the silver in the card I applied only a very light amount of coloring to the image using some colored pencils and chalk and attached it to my card.

I used a silver embossed velum as an accent on the card as well as three tiny bits of scrap ribbon I had in my stash. This card is for a special friend with a January birthday! I hope she looks at it and says something like: "WOW a Silver CARD!" heehee

I love the House Mouse line of stamps! and I enjoy the challenges at the House Mouse & Friends Challenge blog.  Please scamper on over and see the many silver and gold creations from these talented folks.

1/10/14 I have been invited to join a fun challenge with the gals at Gruffies & Guests. Please see this sweet blog here: and join the fun with Shaz and her friends! : )

I would also like to invite you to win a FREE card that I am giving away on January 10th. Take a look at my original post HERE for details! : ) 

Have a wonderful day!

Patti

A little bit of color!

I wanted to work with some color on this cold WHITE winter day : ) So I created my weekly card for the Mojo Monday sketch : ) 

Enter your own card in this fUn! challenge. This week you could even win a pRiZe!!

This one is for my SIL who has a birthday coming up near the end of January.  I'm giggling because I didn't attach the little sentiment "Surprise!" before I took my pictures.  Maybe my brain was frozen LOL

The image is from my "Stampin Sistah" Em! This is in her Bella series. See all the amazing rubber stamps at Stamping Bella.

All papers from Stampin Up!

Be sure to enter my contest for a FREE card give-away drawing on January 10th.  Click here for details.

Thank you for looking! Have a great day : )

Patti

Wind Chill factor is -36 degrees!

And that is not as bad as it was this morning! Actual temperatures are below zero right now in the double digits and so... we stay home and dream of warmer days ahead.

Here is a card that I created for one of my sisters.  I think this little digi image from Sassy Cheryl's digital Stamps  looks like my little sister did when she was a girl.  I can imagine her day dreaming in the grass : ) thinking about what she would like to be when she grows up!   She couldn't do this today because I think they got a snow dump of about 12" yesterday! LOL but I am guessing she is dreaming of warmer days today too.

My design was from an old Mojo Monday sketch. I used the Cloud Embossing folder as well as some designer papers from Stampin Up!

While I was working on this card I got a sweet e-mail from my SIL, Donna relating a beautiful story of how she has recently been able to touch the lives of some young girls through the AWANA bible program at her church.  I quickly decided  to duplicate my sister's card and make one for Donna too : )  Donna has brown hair so I colored the little girl's hair brown.  I also did something a bit different - I printed the digi image on a piece of the patterned paper I used so that I could cut out a portion for the girl's shirt.

"A Penny for Your Thoughts" digi from Sassy Cheryl's

 Because I didn't want to miss any of the detail in the puppy's fur I actually included the dog in my cut out.  I colored right over the patterned paper so one would never know the puppy was printed! heehee

Thinking of my sisters : ) today!

Thought bubble was computer generated. Sentiment from TAC

I hope that you are able to stay warm in your part of this beautiful world!!

(((Hugs)))
Patti

p.s. I am giving away a free card on January 10th!! please see the details here : )

Card GIVE-AWAY! win this card

And the Winner is...

KT Fit Kitty from KT Designs


Please send me your address via e-mail and I will send your card to you : )
 
Thank you everyone who played along! Be sure to watch for my free card give-away in February coming soon : )

Patti

p.s. I am so sorry it took me so long to post the winner.  I will do better next month! *wink*


Happy New Year!!

Beginning with THIS CARD!! 

I will be giving away one handcrafted card per month to friends and followers!  All you must do to have a chance to win is "follow" my blog and leave a comment on this post and you will be entered in the drawing for this card.   International friends are welcome!!  A-2 size cards will not come with an envelope but if the card is any other size I will also include the envelope.  The drawing for this 6 x 6" card will be January 10, 2014. I will announce the winner on my blog so don't forget to check back on January 10th to see if you are the winner of my first give-away!!

The design for my card was inspired by the amazing gals at Mojo Monday - my CONTINUAL inspiration and mojo exerciser!! 

I knew right away that I wanted to use this sweet digi from Sassy Cheryl's Digital Stamps and that I wanted to do a spotlight technique with this design.  You know what they say about great ideas being in the mind.... once I got started I quickly threw the idea out! and tried to do something else altogether.  I guess I am stubborn because I just couldn't let it go! LOL  Originally, in place of the dark blue background, I had a light snowy background so that - coupled with the uncolored portion of the image was too much white space.  I grabbed this blue paper and things began to look better to me. : )  

To spotlight just the snowman portion of the image I colored it with watercolor pencils and Stampin Up markers.  I Added some bling bling with a Stardust Gelly Roll pen and the sprayed my fav! glitter spray all over it.  

Papers are from the "Sent with Love" Designer papers by Stampin Up. Sentiment "A Round Array" also from Stampin Up

I then put the whole thing together and was pleased as punch! : ) I hope you like it too.

Please leave a comment and follow my blog for a chance to win this silly little card.

Thank for looking!

Have a wonderful and hApPy NeW yEaR!!!

Patti

A girl can never have too many purses!

Especially when they are THIS cute!  

Here are some Dooney & Bourke inspired Handbags designed by Becky Roberts that I created for a few special gals on my gift giving list. 

These amazing little cuties measure about 6" high x 5.5" wide and 2" deep inside. 

KI Memories, Inc. Over the Rainbow Collections.  I do not have the pattern name on this paper.

I made five little gift card enclosures (3.5 x 2.5") to go inside each purse.   Unfortunately I erased all the individual pictures of the gift card enclosures for each purse before I had downloaded them to my computer! So all I have are a tiny sampling of what they look like but you will get the idea : )

Bo Bunny paper from their "Back to Basic" series

 

 

This wonderful downloadable pattern:  "Tres Chic Handbags" was created by Becky Roberts and is available for only $3.95 through her website.  It has been good for hours - and I do mean hours!! of fun!!

These purses inspired the sweetest ooohs and ahhhs! you could hope for when giving a gift of love.  So fun!! so sweet!! 

The small 3.5 x 2.5" cards with envelopes fit really nice but you could add all sorts of treats to your handbag in any theme.

I searched high and low for some little buckles and was excited to come across these by Tim Holtz. My engineer husband told me AFTER I had completed all and mailed some of my purses that I positioned the buckle upside down LOL Dooney & Bourke will frown! but alas I never got one complaint! heehee I will take the time to change that up on my next round of bags! : )

I also added a magnetic closure from Basic Grey behind each buckle so that the flap closes nicely.  I failed to get a picture of that so just follow the link above to the product I used.

Be sure to take a look at the rest of the purses I have created (so far!)  - pictured below and then blurf on over to Becky's blog and purchase the pattern to make your own! : ) I would really love it if you would send me a link to yours! It would be fun to see what you create.

Thank you for looking!  

Patti

Love this paper! This is some new paper I found at my LSS. "Collectable" paper designed by Jen Allyson for "My Mind's eye"

In searching for the perfect paper with a small print I had to go to my "scrap" bin sometimes.  Unfortunately that means that I do not have the name of the paper in every case.  I wanted so badly to use this one because the outside print was small and perfect and the inside had a big and bold floral print.  I think it is neat when the inside of the purse looks as cute as the outside! So sorry I don't have the paper name for this one.

Bo Bunny's Back to Basic Paper

"Collectable" paper designed by Jen Allyson for "My Mind's eye"

KaiserCraft paper's December 25th Collection "Noel"

Christmas Thanks

Here is one of the thank you cards I created using a digi image from Sassy Cheryl's Digital Stamps.

Papers are all from Stampin Up "Snow Festival" designer papers

Isn't she simply adorable!! My design was inspired from the wonderful gals at Mojo Monday!  For the heart on the lower left side of the card I tried a couple of different things because I didn't want the heart to cover her cute little ice skates! What I ended up doing is cutting a heart from a clear acetate and then embossing it with a snowflake Cuttlebug embossing folder.  I attached my heart with a zig zag stitch on the sewing machine : ) I can't seem to get away from that beloved tool! heehee  I then added a little white bow and a button.

Inside I applied a die cut sentiment from Cuttlebug .

Please be sure to check out the wonderful cards that were created by women all over the world because of the inspiration of the folks at Mojo Monday!!

I may never eat sugar again!

What is is about the holidays?  I seem to loose my sense of reasoning where the sweet stuff comes in. LOL Thank goodness THAT is over for another year.  It seems if I'm not eating it - I'm struggling to resist the urge - heehee.  Here is a darling little digi image from A Day for Daisies.  She looks like she might just give in to the urge!

 "all you need" sentiment by CTMH CC1014

This sentiment was computer generated

I hope you enjoyed a SWEET celebration!... now back to the treadmill! : p

Have a wonderful day! Thank you for stopping by.

Patti

Merry Christmas!

From our house to yours!

Patti

Baby it's cold outside!!

I mean really really cold!! : )  I actually love winter but not everyone in my life shares the feeling.  I have a very good friend, almost like a Mom, whose heart is in Florida! and who especially dislikes the winter here in Wisconsin.  I created this special Christmas card for her. 

Lattice die cut by Stampin Up highlighted with little clear rhinestones

I wanted to simulate a scene outside a window.  The inside of the card has an image of children making a snowman.  I layered the image on top of a background of embossed snowflakes.

Silhouette image from Close to my Heart. Sentiment from Stampin Up

I first cut a square using a square die from Spellbiners and then sandwiched the lattice between the card front and a piece of acetate to create my window.

I'm having way too much fun with the glitter spray I found at Wal-Mart so everything that is not nailed down is getting hauled out onto the back patio to be sprayed!  It is a beautiful snowy look but it is not making the task of photograping my cards any easier.... heehee

I finished off the card front with a bright red ribbon and a white foam snowflake.  As is becoming my favorite color combo of the season I tied two little bows using bakers twine.

It's Christmas Eve and I pray that all the travelers are safely at their destinations and that each heart is filled with the Love and Hope that only knowing Jesus brings!

Merry Christmas!

Patti

Thinking of You

This is the third card I created using Bo Bunny's Woodland Winter paper series.

Besides the Bo Bunny papers I used the "Snowflakes" embossing folder by Cuttlebug.  I used a die cut from Spellbinders for the frame of my sentiment called "Fancy Ribbon Threader".

"thinking of you" sentiment is from Stampin Up from their Teeny Tiny Wishes set

Thank you for looking!

Patti

Woodland Winter

Here are three cards I created using Bo Bunny's Woodland Winter paper. I really love this paper and after I bought it I realized it works really well for masculine cards.  I created this one for my brother.

Snow globe image and snowman image are from Peachy Keen Stamps

 He once told me that he saves all the cards I make. : ) I never forget that when making a card for him.

One more card - using the same Bo Bunny papers.

Die cut shapes are by Spellbinders. Sentiment from The Angel Company

 

Thank you for looking!

Patti

Laugh until your heart overflows!

Stamped image and sentiment are from CTMH C1468 Winter Joy.

 I've been creating Christmas Cards this week for my friends and family and this is one of my favorites!  I love this sentiment and the children at play! It brings back memories of sledding at the golf course with my sisters and brother.

I wanted to add a little color to the silhouette image so I double stamped the image.  The first time using some aqua blue ink and then I stamped over the colored image with Staz On Jet Black ink purposely stamping off center - just a bit.  Because I created a multiple number of these cards I sometimes got "too good" LOL and stamped my black too close to the blue - when that happened I inked up a Stampin Up blender pen with the blue ink and added back some of the shadow to get the look I wanted.  Here is a closer picture that I darkened a bit so that you could clearly see my shadow:

I hope your holidays are filled with wonderful memories new and old.

Thank you for looking!

Patti

Warm Wishes - Embossed Wreath

Have you ever noticed that embossing is present on pretty much every card I create? I just love the look! I love the... professional touch that embossing gives any card.

Here is a simple card created using a Cuttlebug embossing folder by Provo Craft.  I used an exacto knife to cut out the petals of the poinsettia on the wreath then glued a colored (glittered) paper behind the wreath before attaching it to my white cardstock.  Nothing fancy but oh so elegant!

Thank you for looking.  Have a wonderful day!

Patti