Paper Trufflez

I AM BRILLIANT!!!

Mmmmm. Yes.  Most definitely yes.  When a girl hasn't stamped just for the halibut in a few weeks, sometimes, she's just gotta do, what she's gotta do!

Today, I put something that's been rolling around in my head to paper, and, --totally nailed it on the first run!

Stamps:  Images by A Muse Artstamps
Paper:  Orange Kitchen Collection Paper  by A Muse
Ink:  Robin's Egg Pigment (Clearsnap), Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko)
Other:  Dymo Label Maker
•••

Why, yes, today I am indeed a clevaaaah girl!! (arms wrapped around self, chortling).  Isn't this just the cutest thing???

I took just a couple hours off during the weekend, to take the kids to see Iron Man  . . . O M G !!! Robert Downey, Jr. is a total hottie in this flick!  Eeegads, I haven't been to the movies since last July--really need to get out more often . . .

Anyway, this movie was totally worth full ticket price--can't wait to own it on DVD--Iron Man *must* be mine!!!    If you're a fan of Marvel comics, you'll love it!  Robert, Robert, Robert . . . I'm gonna need an appletini to douse these flames! Mercy!!!
 

OK (slapping self), enough fantasizing and back to the rubbah!

Stamps:  Frame image (from Bracket Frames Clear Set), polka dot "j" (Polka dot lowercase Clear Alpha Set)  by A Muse
Paper:  Madeira Lt. Green by A Muse
Paper Flowers:  Making Memories & Prima

•••

I also made a spiffy decorative liner using the new Madeira 8.5 x 11" paper for my Starbucks coffee mug! 
I wanted to embellish the center of the flower with these gaaaaaaw-jus Swaroski crystals Mona gave me, but, it wouldn't clear the insert chamber, so I had to remove it, and substituted a mini glue dot, and sprinkled some seafoam ultrafine glitter, so I could have a bit o' bling.  I'm not sure I really like the way I did the monogram, tho . . . the paper is *so* pretty all on its own, that I had a hard time covering it up with anything else . . . I may just re-do it, and showcase the paper all by it's beautimous onsie . . .  I've had that gol durn mug since last fall, waiting patiently for just the right paper . . .  So glad I did! 

It's awesome to now have some of my favorite patterns and colors of paper in full 8.5 x 11" sheets!  Yippeeeee!!!

Well, that's all I got for show and tell for the moment . . . Hope your Monday has been maaaahvelous, as opposed to manic!  *chuckle*

Check out: Guest Designer Stephanie Nishikawa-Yee

Link: A Muse News: Guest Designer Stephanie Nishikawa-Yee.

Stephanie owns The Paper Garden Boutique down in Sacramento--I was so tickled to meet her at CHA in Anaheim this year! She is SO SO NICE!!!  Like The QUEEN of Nice--that's how nice she is! 

If you also enjoy making non-card items with your stamps, you will find her creations absolutely enchanting--they are so simple, and yet so darn CUTE!

The A Muse Gerbera Daisy is one of my all-time favorites, and hers, too!  I absolutely love how she used it on that pocket party invitation!

You'll also enjoy seeing all the DARLING stuff she shares on her blog, too! 

Goin' "Ornamental" . . .

Image credits:  ElzybellsNA  Ink:  Brilliance Graphite Black (heat set);  Copic Markers:  Cadmium Red,  Honey, Toner Grey No. 5, Frost Blue;  Ribbons/Fibers:  Black Gingham, Silver Cord by May Arts; Other:  White Poms from craft store, Foam Mounting Tape, Watchmaker Tin (53 mm) from Lee Valley Tools

I just love this li'l guy!  I haven't made a holiday ornament in a loooooooong time, so it was *really* fun to make this for an ornament challenge among all the A Muse/Elzybells chick-lettes, "just for the halibut"! *grin*

I also love making ornaments out of these watchmaker tins!  Golly are these things ever useful!  I need to get more--I have an idea brewing in my head for something else that I could use them for--that would ORGANIZE some of the CHAOS known as:  The Royal VAULT (a.k.a. studio)!  *chortle*

BTW, thank you for the sweet comments that indicate a willingness to overlook the imperfections of the last creation I shared--you guys are so very nice!    I fuzzed. Quite warmly!  *chinkle*  Thank you.

I'm looking forward to this weekend; I've made a holiday shopping date with my daughter.  We haven't spent much time together lately, just mother and daughter, talking . . .  being "girly", and whatnot . . . I can't wait to take in the sights and sounds, hustle and bustle of the season, with her . . . we'll lunch at Panera, of course, shopping bags all around us, sipping mochas out of those ginormous ceramic cups they have . . . if we're lucky, there might be a vacant booth near the fire . . . doesn't that sound lovely?  *happy*

Only 3 more sleeps . . .

I had a chance to chit chat quickly via email with Raya, owner of I'm Impressed, as I cut card stock like a maniac . . . she's so cute!  "Only 3 more sleeps!" she says!  I've never heard of counting down to something in quite that fashion, and I think it's the cutest way to think about it that I ever heard!

Here's a recent project I had fun making, that is totally and completely inspired by the most enchanting little boxes I'd seen at a stationary store:

I just love this floral image (and others like it) from the "Joys of Life" booklet by Crafty Secrets. They remind me of the vintage postcards I used to purchase in antique shops, when I couldn't afford much else--each one is such a beautiful little piece of art, UKWIM?

I found the plain white slider box (the large size box was used here; the small ones are like matchboxes) at Impress. And, the gaaaaaw-jus glitter used to accent the image is "White Gold" by Martha Stewart--it's the one glitter I've found that closely resembles real vintage GLASS glitter, and I love that it is not "definitely" gold in tone, nor "silver" in tone.

The scalloped bottom was done by tracing the box onto some textured ivory paper, and cutting a border with SU! retired scallop scissors.

I also acquire (and hoard, wretch that I am) seam binding ribbon--I just love how silky it is. Because it is so thin, it was perfect to use for creating the bow that slides the box from the casing, without adding extra bulk to the design.

Isn't it just romantic???  I think it would be a lovely way to present a piece of jewelry to a friend, don't you?!

Well, I must get back to preppin' . . . 3 more sleeps 'til A*Muse*A*Palooza's official kick off!  . . . Yea!  Oh, geeze, I just got goosebumps! *chuckle*

The Shelley Case

Link: Creative Imaginations.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting (online, not IRL) Cheryl Mezzetti , Design Team Coordinator for Creative Imaginations.  Creative Imaginations is a widely known scrapbooking company, with a wide variety of different lines and styles of scrapbook papers and embellishments.

One of the products I've always been fascinated by, is their Bare Elements line--fun, white, blank items that can be altered.  They're kind of a stamper's dream, because, due to being blank, the surface is directly conducive to stamping.

Curious to see what stampers would do with the Bare Elements line, CI sent products out to the Dirty Dozen.  I received a Shelley Case, plus the Narratives Line of papers designed by Karen Russell.  This line is kind of vintagey, and sophisticated, featuring ivory and black tones.

Here's what I ended up creating:

Shelley Case from the Bare Elements line, Narratives (Papers, Epoxy Stickers, Chipboard Embellishments) by Karen Russell, all for Creative Imaginations.   Stamp credits:  Fresh Bloom by Stampendous; smaller little splootchy center of a flower looking thing-a-ma-bob by Magenta; Staz-On Ink in Jet Black; Watercolor Crayons by SU!; Aqua Painter; Silk flowers from craft supply store.

Side View

Interior View

The paper you see on the body was first cut to fit the outside of the case (it took two pieces, that had to be joined together to span around the entire case), and then stamped and watercolored while flat.  I simply couldn't resist stamping on this paper, and loved how it provided such a nice back-drop to the stamped images!  Each piece was measured, and then cut, and run through a Xyron to apply adhesive and then all applied to the case.  I prefer Xyron adhesive for such projects because it has no odor, not messy, and I'm too impatient for Mod Podge or other wet glues to dry anyway. . . particularly when working on a project until 1:30 am . . . (insert rolling eyeballs)

I'm an instant-gratification creature--and due to that, cards are typically my favorite thing to do.  But, every once in a while, a 3D project is extremely gratifying, as it pushes me outside my comfort zone, and, I must confess that this was an extremely fun project to do.  Ya' know it:  I be bouncin', bay-beeeeee!!! LOL!  I definitely see more Bare Elements projects in my future. *wink*!  You gotta check out their purses, and all the other *FUN* stuff--holy mackerol!

If you're interested in the projects the other girls did, please check out the gallery at the site, linked above--they created a fun gallery just for the Splitcoaststampers Design Team to share what they've done with Bare Elements!  I also highly recommend doing a gallery search (try key words Bare Elements or Creative Imaginations) on Splitcoast because there are a number of Bare Elements projects in there not only by the Dirty Dozen, but also by community members who've already discovered this fun line of blank stampables!

So . . . what are the two things about the Narratives papers especially that delight me?  I'm sure you have already guessed . . . *wink*!

Wishing ya'all a stamp-happy weekend! *grin*

Mother's Day approaches . . .

Stamps--Kitchen Classics Set , Ephemera Booklets, Card Stock Stickers, Wooden File Folder Album by Crafty Secrets (online retail source: Sassy & Sweet); Colorbox Fluid chalk Ink in Creamy Brown and Chestnut Roan; Palette Ink in Noir by Stewart Superior; Colored Pencils; Ribbon by May Arts

Mother's Day will be upon us before we know it, and here's a fun gift you could make for yours, or even your grandmother!  Heritage recipe albums are surging in popularity, and people can't seem to get enough of products that feature warm, homespun imagery.   This was a fun project I designed for the Crafty Secrets displays at CHA in Anaheim!

I left the wood raw, altho it could certainly be primed with paint.  Using my Xyron made it easy to apply the patterned paper onto wooden covers, and where the paper wasn't wide enough to cover the whole thing,  I simply applied another piece of paper, in this case, the red plaid, to cover the remainder.  I love the way these colors contrast and set each other off.  The beauty of using this paper is that it looks like you painted the surface, and crackled it, but nothing could have been easier or less mess!

After applying the papers, I used a sanding block to buff down any overhang flush with the edges, and then I chalked the edges to age it.  I had a great time stamping images from the Kitchen Classics set onto vanilla card stock, coloring, and cutting them out, and then pulling stickers and cutting various pieces from the patterned paper pads and booklets that all went with the cooking/recipe theme.

These wooden file folder albums are quite charming, and feature tabbed manila pages so you can partition off each section of your recipe book.  The back cover is covered with the same papers for continuity.

Because of my mother, I'm actually a pretty good cook (nowhere near as good as she is--she's phenomenal!).  However, I don't actually "enjoy" cooking. Serious!  I am the Queen of Convenience Food Cooking, workship The Crock Pot, and always keep raw meat in the house, wooing the Grill Master from his cave with an assortment of nifty BBQ gadgets . . . heck, I'm even desperate enough to lunge for dish duty, in exchange for meal preparation!  I don't care how delicious your dish is; if the recipe has more than 6 ingredients, I don't want it! 

I just wanna know when dinner hour is . . .  Heh, heh, heh!  *wink*

Christmas Ephemera

Reproduction Vintage Ephemera by Crafty Secrets, Seasonal Booklet

I have always loved ephemera and vintage "scrap", and collected quite a bit of it for a while.  The nostalgia of it just tugs at my heart.  I would haunt antique shoppes, looking for little things I could use to decorate our tiny house, and, because we didn't have a lot of money, about the only treasures I could afford were postcards, delicately embroidered hankies, table linens, tea cups, chenille beadspreads and other smallish things.  I'm laughing now, because this was over 20 years ago, and prior to when "shabby chic" became all the rage in home decor; I was doing it because all we could afford were second hand furnishings and whatnot.

When the girls (Mona Lisa and EllenH) and I stumbled across the Crafty Secrets booth at CKC in Bellevue back in early November, I just kinda stood there with my mouth hanging open at their displays, awash in a sea of memories.  To this day, I still have the vintage postcards I had framed or tucked into mirror frames I had white washed and decoupaged . . . and I still pull out the 1930's/1940's table cloths in the summer time, although they've become pretty well worn along the edges over the years and quite faded . . .

I'm waxing on a bit,  I realize, but I really couldn't help myself.  In as much as I love contemporary chic things and retro things, I also love vintage things simply for the sheer nostalgia of them--simpler times, and all that . . . (smiling, and sighing)

"Happy Winter" and "Snowflake Trio" by A Muse Art Stamps; Palette Hybrid Ink in Burnt Umber; Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink in Alabaster; Inkjet Transparency by HammerMill; Kraft Card Stock by Stampin' Up!; Brown Gingham by May Arts; Antique Copper Mini Brads by Creative Impressions; Tiny Tags Sizzlit Die by Sizzix; Jump Ring (for securing tag to ribbon)

My kids didn't like this li'l snow guy, but I think he's kinda cute!  I thought it would be fun to cut some transparency in a larger panel, and DTP the chalk ink to the edges of the "toothy" side, and then overstamp with the snowflakes.  Flipping it over protects the stamping quite well, and enables the shiny side to be faced out.  I didn't want to spend too much time thinking about how to secure the transparency in some fancy way, so I just did it with mini brads, which I liked for their warm coppery look.  I sponged the edges of the card with more chalk ink--a technique I picked up from good buddy, and very talented stamper, Pinefeather!

Tiny Star hand-held punch by McGill; Hodge Podge Hardware buckle by Stampin' Up!; Fabriano Mediovalis Reply Card from StarLitStudio; Real Red Card Stock by Stampin' Up!;  Bright Gold Brushed Metallic Card stock by Cardenon StarDreams (?) from Paper Zone; Velvet Ribbon by May Arts from StarLitStudio

I adore vintage Santa images.  I have vintage Santa stamps, postcards, reproduction postcards, etc.  They just make me happy!  No stamps were used on this card design, but I will probably stamp a sentiment on the inside.  I thought this one turned out so sophisticated and  "boutique" and it made me bounce!

"Peace" from Everyday Flexible Phrases stamp set by Stampin' Up!; Metallic Mini Star Confetti from party store; 2" square Antique Copper Memory Frame, and 2" square glass pieces by Ranker Ink; Rayon Variegated Ribbon* by 7 Gypsies.

I love rayon seam binding ribbon--Martha Stewart uses it quite often in her crafty projects.  It's just so nice, and, best of all, it's actually very easy to stamp on! I love it for that!  The above ribbon was a gift given me a long time ago, and at the time made by 7 Gypsies, but I don't see it any more on their web site.  I would bet there are some places online where you can get similar ribbon, so do a "google" and see what turns up.  I buy scads of it, whenever I stumble across it when out shopping because I just love it so much.

Ellen had given me some of these Memory Frames to play with, so I decided to try an ornament with this sweet little reproduction image of an angel.  She's so tenderly holding the little birds and their nest in her hands . . . The other side features an image of Santa, with a crown of holly, and a little girl with her arms about him--very joyous!  I must get more of these Memory Frames--they are too easy and fun to work with!

I've made similar pieces with 1 x 3" microscope slides for years--jewelry pieces, actually, and a local shoppe asked if I would consider selling them . . . I've thought about it, but, until I learn to solder properly, like my buddy Cindy, I don't think I'm quite ready for that . . .

Even if vintage isn't YOUR style, I hope you'll find a smidge of inspiration, or have learned something new, somehow among these creations I've shared today.  I had a ball creating them, and walkin' down memory lane as I played . . . (grin!)