Glittery birds

I made this card with the help of Donelda after she sent me a very similar card in May. Here is the link to her post about it. We used her bird & branch stamp from Memory Box & stamped it on acetate with Stazon. We let that dry, then attached a piece of Sookwang double sided tape to the back and peeled the backing off. With the sticky side up, we sprinkled different colours of Pearl Ex and some ultra fine glitter behind the image and rubbed it in with our fingers (they sure were sparkley!). I backed this piece on white, then on black to give it some pop and to match the black bird. The card base is Tempting Turquoise. I used my new Birds & Swirls Cuttlebug folder as it is very similar to this stamp. The sentiment is from Winged Things, an old SU set that I adore! THANKS DONELDA for helping me with this - it was a good excuse to get together!! :D

Neat fold card....my first picture tutorial!!!

I received a card like this in a recent SCS swap I was in, not sure the name of it, but it is like a slider card, so I recreated it. IF anyone knows the real name of the tutorial and who I can give credit to, please let me know!!!! I will try to give directions as best I can. It was hard to take a picture of it too, as it wouldn't stay closed properly. So, here is what it looks like from the front: Ok, so here goes! The first piece of cardstock is your base (mine is Always Artichoke). It is 11 x 5 1/2, score at 3 1/2 and 7". This picture shows how to fold the first piece. Panel 1 is in the front foreground.

The second piece, is also Always Artichoke and it is 6 1/4 x 5 1/2, score at 2". This second piece gets glued to the front panel with the 2" piece sticking out towards the middle panel of piece 1. (Are you with me so far?) I left it open a little so you could see where it is glued together. That front piece with 2 layers is now the FRONT of your card. The little 2" piece will be the little slider that moves when you open the card.

This is the card opened up flat, with the front on the far right side. I used my 1 1/4" punch and punched through the 2 layers on the front panel. (sorry it's blurry!) Then in the middle panel, I traced the hole so it would match up and punched another 1 1/4" hole. Here it is standing up, looking at the inside view of the card. Gosh, I hope this is making sense!!!

Here is a top view of how the card should be put together so it slides properly...the 2" piece will go between panel 2 & 3, so when you open the card, the 2" piece will slide in front of the middle panel hole.

Now for the stamping part! Decorate the front cover however you wish. I used my scallop punch and 1 1/4" punch to make the border around the front hole. I didn't decorate the middle hole but you could!

<-- I stamped the Hoppy Birthday on white then glued it ON the 2" piece. Then I cut a 2 1/4 square piece of paper and glued it on the BACK INSIDE of the card (panel 3) - you can kind of see the white CS in the top view photo above. I closed the card, stamped the frog THROUGH the hole so it was lined up properly, coloured him, and I was done! So, when the card is closed, you see the frog through the front hole. When you open the card, the 2" slider piece moves forward into the view of the 2nd hole you punched in the middle panel, covering up the frog.

IF anyone tries this, please let me know how the directions are, if I forgot anything, or if something is confusing! I didn't have a tutorial to follow, just the sample, which made it easier! Post a comment with a link to your card if you make one!! It is a really cool card, I love how it slides!!!

I hope you enjoyed my first photo tutorial & I hope it made sense!!!! Have fun with this card - it is perfect for those "little" stamps!!! You could always adapt the size of hole too, or make it a square, oval, etc.

Supplies:

cardstock: Always Artichoke, white, chocolate chip

ink: Always Artichoke, koh-i-noor pencils & gamsol

stamps: Simon Says Stamp (Frogs jumping for joy); Clear Dollar Stamps (pond accessories-sentiment); Linen background (SU)

accessories/tools: 1 1/4" punch (SU); ribbon (Michael's); scallop punch (SU); scor-pal;

GOOD NEWS!! and some new design team cards!

We've decided to keep the trailer and do some adaptations to it!! We are keeping the potty and the sink at the back, but we are going to pull out the furnace, fridge and stove and extend the bed out another foot or so, so we can get a regular mattress in there! We don't need those 3 things because we like to cook outside anyways, and we have an Xtreme cooler that keeps ice cold for 7 days! I'll keep ya updated on the progress of our little advanture!! Should be interesting since neither Tim or I have done anything like this!! LOL

Tomorrow is my last day with the kids - yipppeee! I will miss some of them, but I SO need a break! If I hear "Mrs. Sather" (in a whiny needy voice) one more time I might explode!!! LOL I'm kidding, I do love them all!

Ok, here are some more design team cards for Simon Says Stamp! This set is called Knock, Knock, Whoo's there? LOVE these owls! They were so fun to colour!! I used my new Koh-i-Noor woodless pencil crayons and gamsol, and it was awesome...like butter! I bought these at Gina K's store for $15.95....pretty good for 24 crayons....that won't keep breaking in the sharpener!!! Wheee!!!

This owl is the cutest I think! I wanted to make him soft so I blended the grey and black pencils. After, I thought I should have added some Fun flock to him....next one I will do that!!!It is made with black cardstock and bits of DP from my scrap bin! For this fuzzy guy, I used Sage Shadow, Purely Pomegranate, and Cutie Pie DP.

This one has Chocolate Chip base, then a brocade blue layer. I don't really like this card (although I love how the owl is so patchworky!).. I think it is missing something, but I don't know what! Any suggestions?? It opens at the top, so ribbon looked too busy, flowers looked dumb..... sort of at a loss on this one!!!! On the inside, it says "Whoo's there?"

I used some scrap DP for this one too, on a Chocolate Chip base. The ribbon is from Wal Mart and the blue brads are from Michael's.

Fabulous blog candy for some FAB stamps!

Starving Artistamps is giving away an AMAZING blog candy this week! They are giving away 3 SETS of their stamps - The Doodlefactory "Tropics" collection! They are SO cute! I just got the Tropics set, now I NEED the 2 sets of sentiments that go with it!! LOL

Here is the direct link to see the sets they have to give away! Check em out...sooo cute!!!

Camping fun!

Hey everyone! I was SO tired yesterday that I didn't get a chance to get my photos off my camera until now!! So, here are a few pics of our trip and of our trailer. Sad news though, we are going to sell the trailer because it is too heavy for my vehicle to pull. We thought it would be ok, but it was working extra hard and I don't want to replace the transmission on a fairly new vehicle. We will use the $ we make off the trailer for a good down payment on an ultra lite trailer that will be easy for my Santa Fe to pull!!

We went to a place called Red Lodge Provincial Park, and it is right along the Bow River - which had flooded two weeks ago. Some of the sites were still full of water which is probably why the mosquitoes were the size of dinousaurs! And man, were they hungry! Poor Brick had such a lumpy nose with bites - we really need to find some pet friendly repellant!! The river was high and dirty, but we did manage to find a spot for Brick to swim, even though I was up to my ankles in mud! YUCK! It was OK, but I still prefer going to the mountains - we always go to Kananaskis country (google it if you want to see GORGEOUS scenery!) but thought we'd try somewhere closer to home with the trailer for the first time! We had two YAPPY cocker spaniels beside us, that would not shut up, and 2 chirping chihuahua's across from us!!! ARGHHH!!!!! People didn't even know we had a dog because Brick is so quiet, he never barks!! I did get most of my book read and some colouring of images for some swaps I needed to finish! And yes, this is Brick's very own lawn chair!!! If we didn't take him one, he'd steal ours!!!

Here he is laying on MY lounger...little thief!!! Hard to kick him out when he looks so darn cute!!! Anyways, it was fun, despite having to clean out the trailer and get it ready to sell!! SAD!!! But maybe we can find one with a bed that we both fit on comfortably!! LOL

Busy, busy, busy!!!

Wow, the last 2 weeks have been crazy busy!! I forgot to update you all on my Farmer's Market experience since my BUST night! LOL The last 2 weeks have been pretty good, not great but better than nothing - at least I paid for the table and my gas out there!!! One of the ladies who has been a vendor for years told me not to get discouraged - the more people see me there, the more they will buy! So - we'll see! I can go this Thurs. then I can't make it for the next 3 Thursdays, as I'll be out of town!

Report cards are almost done - thank God!!! And only 8 teaching days until Summer Vacation!! WHEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! The kids are done on the 26th and teachers have to put half a day in on Friday..ugh!!! My students write Provincial Achievement exams this week too - and they are so wired and so NOT focused I worry they will do poorly!

Tim and I bought a trailer last weekend. It is a 1978 Travelaire, 14 foot little guy...so cute!! We love camping but hate packing up a tent! The trailer is small and light enough for my Santa Fe to pull it. We spent all day Sat. getting it cleaned, loaded and ready for this coming weekend. I am so excited, I can hardly wait!! Brick LOVES camping - he even has his own little bed beside ours! As soon as we get pictures of it, I will post them! And maybe on Monday I will post pics from our adventures!!! You'll probably get to see a lot of these as the summer goes on!!!

My girlfriends and I are going for dinner and a Pedicure on Wed. night! I can't wait! They both have kids, and are both pregnant, so it will be nice to hang out with them again & let the Daddies take care of the little ones!!

Well that is all I have to share with you tonight! Brick is scratching at the door to come in so I better let him in before he breaks down the door!! Have a great week everyone!!!!

You Rock!

This card was made using the set called "YOU ROCK" by Simon Says Stamp. It is a fun set, with a guitar, drum set, microphone, music notes, the saying and a trumpet. This card is actually going to the music teacher at my school as she is leaving us this year. I found the DP at my LSS on Wed. The card is larger (8 1/2 x 11 folded in half) so everyone in the school can sign it! I used elastic shimmery string, and kept it simple! The base is Elegant Eggplant and the other purple is Almost Amethyst (ink too!) If you have any music lovers or music fans, this stamp set is GREAT ! Check out the link to their store on the right!!!

This card cracks me up!! I put together two Simon Says Stamp sets (You Rock and Frogs jumping for joy) & made a shaker card (using the CD envelopes as in a previous post). I stamped the drums, then realized that they needed someone or "something" behind them playing them...so I grabbed this frog (who I think resembles my husband a great deal!!), masked the drums, stamped the frog, then drew in the drumsticks (and it was a good thing Tim was here, or else I would have put them in his hands wrong....who knew the fat part goes IN the hand??? LOL) Anyways, I added little music note confetti inside, coloured the frog and drums with gamsol and prismas; stamped the envelope with Sahara Sand, and the sentiment in Garden Green. The ribbon is a dark green too....didn't turn out so great in the pic! I adore this card - I hope you all do too!

Best cards of the day!!!

I received these 2 cards yesterday in the mail from my 2 favourite little boys!!! I sent them each a little stuffed Canadian Moose (I think it was a moose?!?!) and these are their thank you cards! Their Mom, Tracy, let them each use 7 dew drops that I had sent her...it was funny cuz I know how HARD it is to share your newest things!!!! THANKS TOMMY & MIKEY - you guys are the greatest!!!! You totally made my day!!!! Hope you had fun on your field trip - did you catch any frogs?

Wow, these stamps are SO FUN!!!

I just couldn't stop!!! Be prepared to be over run by FROGS!!!! Kelly, you must have been reading my mind, this card is for you!!! This was the first thought I had when I saw this stamp set....cartwheels!!!! Then, I turned it into a shaker card (the second pic shows it laying flat with the stars all askew!) The card base is Garden Green, and the ribbon is a mossy colour from Michael's. All the stamps are from Simon Says Stamp!

Here are the other cards I made - I'm telling you, I haven't been on a roll like this in a longggg time!!! These stamps just scream MOJO!!!! LOL This one is a 4x4 card on Brilliant Blue and Real Red. I used my Number Collage Cuttlebug folder on the red. The frog, again, doing a happy dance!!! LOL When I first saw this guy, I thought American Pride! I knew I had some fireworks paper somewhere so I dug it out and made a 4th of July card! The sentiment was made with Karen Foster snap stamps. I attached red, white and blue stars to the red strip and put stickles inside to make them blingy! Maybe not the best layout, but I wanted to show the fireworks and the frog...I tried cutting him out, but failed three times...LOL....a toeless frog is what we would have had!!!

For this next one, I made a bookmark, just for something different. I used this funky paper I had in my scrap bin...wish I knew where it was from, cuz I LOVE it!!! The background is Glorious Green. And now my favourite one of them all! This little dude is ADORABLE!!! The layout is SCS SC155, the paper is Chocolate Chip, and the DP is from SU, but I can't remember which one. I used dew drops and the sentiment from Mini Mates. I coloured him with gamsol and prismas.

Are you all FROGGED out yet?? LOL

Here it is.....my first Design Team card

Whooo, the pressure!!! LOL Here is my first Design Team card for Simon Says Stamp!!! You have GOT to check out their eBay store....honest to God, the BEST Customer Service on eBay. I have been shopping there for about 4 years now.....I'm sure I've spent an entire years salary there....LOL Can't resist, they have great prices, great selection and like I said, the BEST customer service!!! Tell Heidi I sent ya! ;-)

I seriously hope this card meets their expectations!!! But is this frog not THE cutest thing ever?!?!?! LOVE this set!! It is called Frogs Jumping for Joy....and so dang cute!!! Check out the belly button...LOL There are 19 sets in their exclusive line of Simon Says Stamp sets, made of high quality acrylic & they stamp soooo nice!! I had so much fun on Friday night with these guys! I actually coloured him with a Copic marker that Heidi sent me to try out! I'm not 100% sold on the markers (mainly for price), but they do colour nicely. I'd like to try a few shades of one colour and a blender, to see if they are really worth the moola!!!

I have 3 more of Simon Says Stamp sets on the way - I can't wait to see them, and play with them! I also have about 4 more ideas for this set, so I will post as soon as I get some finished!!! I'm hoping to get some stamping time tonight!!! Wheeeeeeee!!! This is so fun, and I'm SO honoured!!!
Paper: glorious green, purely pomegranate (SU); DP from Michael's (not sure the company name); Stamps: Frogs jumping for joy (Simon Says Stamp); accessories: purely pomegranate ribbon, googlie eyes, pop dots; Ink: glorious green