The Last of the Loser Projects

It's ridiculous that I've neglected this poor blog for two months, but even worse that I STILL haven't posted all of my non-award winning projects.  So, this is it...the last two cards.  It may have been a long wait, but I did save the best for last.  I honestly can't decide which I like better.

The first one is a diorama card.  I actually won a contest last year making a similar card, and the folks at SU! told me they love diorama cards.  I figured that this would be a good bet :)  It's kind of hard to see, but I dry embossed the top layer, then stamped the middle layer with a stamp that matched the embossing plate.  The pearls are from the Pretties Kit.  I love this card.  How did I not win this contest!? :)

And I love this one, too.  If these colors don't scream April, then I don't know what would.  This card is just so me.  That's a coke can that I dry embossed, then pierced holes into with my paper piercing tool.  I attached some buttons from Button Latte with the Linen Thread.  I used the same thread to wrap around the large flower piece below.  I meticulously colored each of those flowers by using the Stampin' Write markers right on the rubber of the stamp.  I'm sad that this card is somewhere in Utah instead of here in my possession.  These two were hard to part with.  

 

Now, my lack of artistry may very well have been the reason that I didn't win this contest.  But I found out today that there is a very good chance that I was disqualified based on some silly rule that I thought I had clarified with the powers that be.  So I think I'll just tell myself that THAT was the reason I didn't get a pile of cash and a $500 SU! shopping spree.  I'm not entering this year.  Preparing for this contest took a lot out of me, and when I wasn't even named as a finalist, I was pretty disappointed.  Stamping for other people has taken some of the fun out of stamping for me, so I decided not to enter this year.  But maybe I'll give it another try again next year.

Magnetic Build-a-Bear

Here's the girl Build-a-Bear set that I made for my craft show. Each set contains one bear and two outfits (with shoes and accessories.) They are so fun, and kids LOVE them! If you're interested in ordering a set, just let me know. Cost is $7.50 per set, and the front of the case can be personalized with a name.

And the front of the boy set....

Another Deal of the Week!

This weeks deals:

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Special Price
114348	179	Basic Jumbo grommets	$6.95	$4.49
109857	179	Mini Library clips	$12.95	$8.99
112571	179	Circle Designer brads	$5.95	$3.99
112581	179	1/2" Library clips	$6.95	$3.99

Give me a call if you'd like to order any of these great deals!

Pretties Monogram Card

This is another card I submitted.  It's hard to see, but I used the stained glass technique on the little S circle in the middle of the flower.  I used pastels and a sponge dauber to color the flower from the pretties kit, and also on the edges of the little circle, the green paper, and the yellow paper.  Also hard to see is the textured chocolate chip circle...I did that with my Big Shot and texturz plate.  Again, it's a simple card, but I like it, especially the colors.

Ingredients:  Stamps~Lovely Letters Alphabet set; Ink~Chocolate Chip craft ink; Paper~Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, More Mustard and Very Vanilla card stock, Juntos DSP; Accessories~Pretties Kit, metallic eyelets, Big Shot, sponge dauber, Stampin' Pastels, Crafter's Tool Kit, Glassy Glaze embossing powder, heat tool, VersaMark ink pad

Deal of the Week is Back!

Once again, Stampin' Up! is offering a Deal of the Week...only it's better than that...it's DEALS of the Week!  This week, three fabulous Big Shot dies are being offered at a crazy discount:

  

Deals of the Week

Item	Description	Special Price
115961	Perfect Setting Bigz XL die	$25.99
114515	Flower Burst Embosslits die	$5.99
116760	Pop-Up Three Tier Cake Bigz XL die	$25.49

If you'd like to take advantage of this week's deals, be sure to call me, or hop on over to my website to place your order!

September Club Projects...Finally

 

I love this page.  It's so simple, but I love leaves and I love the colors.  I cut out the leaves using my Big Shot and the Leaves #2 die.  Then I ran them through the Big Shot again using the Perfect Details Texturz Plate.  Check out the close up picture to see the texture on the leaves.  The rest of the ingredients:  Stamps~Schoolbook Serif Alphabet; Ink~Old Olive classic ink pad; Paper~Dusty Durango, Soft Suede, More Mustard, Old Olive, Kraft and Whisper White card stock; Accessories~Big Shot, Leaves #2 die, Perfect Details Texturz Plate.

This card uses a technique that's shown in the catalog on page 52.  It uses Watercolor Wonder crayons on Twill Tape.  It also gave me a chance to use the Thoughts & Prayers stamp set, which is so pretty.   Here's what else I used:  Stamps~Thoughts & Prayers; Paper~Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy and Very Vanilla card stock; Accessories~Rich Regals Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Twill Tape, Scallop Circle Punch, Small Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimentionals, Sticky Strip

Now for Some Stuff I Like

Still losers, but winners in my eyes.  I loved the cards that I submitted.  I tried to use techniques and items that I don't normally use, which is part of the reason I'm proud of these. 

The first one is my Christmas card from last year.  I used Old Olive cardstock for the card itself.  The tree (and everything else) is from the Snow Swirled stamp set.  I love that set!  I used Old Olive and Real Red markers to color directly on the stamp, then stamped it on Whisper White cardstock.  The "star" at the top is the little snowflake from the set, stamped in silver.  It's nearly impossible to see, but I edged the white cardstock with a sponge dauber rubbed in the Old Olive pastel.  That piece is then mounted on Read Red cardstock and Brushed Silver cardstock.  I also stamped random snowflakes on the Old Olive card front with VersaMark.  The white snowflakes you see are stamped randomly (well, not randomly, but it's supposed to look that way!) on a clear window sheet with white Stazon ink.  I punched two holes at the top, through the window sheet and OO card, then threaded Read Red 5/8" grosgrain ribbon through them for the bow.  I really liked this card, which is why I decided to include it in my submissions, rather than reinvent the wheel.  Again, simple, but with a wow factor.

This card is another favorite.  OK, they are all favorites.  I used the now discontinued Doodle This stamp set for this card, along with the coordinating Doodle jumbo wheel.  I stamped it onto watercolor paper with Chocolate Chip craft ink, then embossed it with clear embossing powder.  Then, using Watercolor Wonder crayons and my aquapainter, I watercolored the flower and stem.   There is a jumbo eyelet in the center of the flower, and behind that, a little 1/2" circle of More Mustard card stock.  I used my Big Shot and Top Note die to cut out the white and More Mustard layers.  There is also MM pastel dabbed onto the watercolor paper around the edges.  The Old Olive strip was punched with the scallop edge punch, and is stamped using the wheel (above) and VersaMark ink.  The other card stock colors are Chocolate Chip and Elegant Eggplant.  Ribbon is 5/8" OO grosgrain.  This was the first card I made for this contest, and was so happy with the way it turned out.  It's a fairly large card...roughly 6"x6".  A fun size to try.