Little Ray of Sunshine

I pulled out one of the multiple Club Scrap boxes I have in my house and was pleasantly surprised to see that it actually had a Club Scrap kit in it.  You just never know what else I've stashed in those boxes.  I keep trying to downsize them but they are so sturdy, and handy, and useful! 

The Fine Print: All parts from a really old kit called Solstice.  Charles says hi, get off the computer and pet me.

A Dapper Man

I am thinking that this may be the card I'll have my stamping pals make this week.  I rather like it  I really adore this stamp even though it is part of a Father's Day set and I have no daddy to send a card to.  And the cats aren't really into sending a card to my hubby, although the kittens have both tried their hand (paw?) at stamping, having walked though an inkpad.

Here is a math problem for you.  Not only is it a math problem, it is a math WORD problem.  I'm sorry to do this to you but my math abilities aren't up to it.  I used to own two Tim Holtz rulers.  One was in my travel bag and one was on my desk (1+1=2).  However, I broke the one in my travel bag because it stuck out and got caught on something (2-1=1).  I had to shuffle the one remaining ruler between my bag and my desk all the time and that caused me to whine because there was a reason I had two of them in the first place.  Then my hubby took pity on my and bought me a new Tim Holtz ruler (1+1=2, right?).  So how come I only have ONE Tim Holtz ruler now?  Apparently I now live in some alternate universe where 1+1=1 because I am still shuffling one ruler back and forth between my new travel bag (bigger to accommodate rulers) and my desk.

Either that or my hubby just lovingly wrapped up the ruler I already owned and gave it to me as a gift as part of some diabolical plan.  If so, it has worked for several months but now I'm on to him.

The Fine Print: Can you say 'gas lamping' kids?  I knew you could!  Dapper man stamp by A Muse Studio from the "Father's Day" set, card stock wasabi petite polka dot and plain, onxy, and silver brads.

Happy Spring

I thought I should play with the A Muse Studio spotlight stamps some more.  I need to come up with a project for my stamping pals for when we meet next week.  I came up with this card but I'm not sure this is what we're going to do.

I really want to do something with the cute bunny from the Color Me Happy set but I am lacking ideas for that.  I know that set isn't in the spotlight, but that's okay.  I thought it would be nice to make cards based on what's on sale, but I don't have to. I have a whole weekend to come up with something so we'll see what we end up with.

By the way, my diabolical plan worked.  I knew as soon as I bought new black photo corners the ones I had but could not find would turn up.  Sure enough!  Not only did the ones I couldn't find show back up, but I found another stash I did not even know I had.  I guess I'd better come up with some card designs using black photo corners now.

The Fine Print: Stamps used-Mod Backgrounds 1, Charming Gardeners, Papillon, and Color Me Happy (greeting); card stock used-buttercups, sugar, and cocoa; inks used-cocoa, grass, and Memento black; other items-Copic markers and French roast pearls.

A Good Book

I just finished a really good book.  I love to read really good books, but they are hard to follow up.  You know that the odds are not forever in your favor and whatever you decide to read next is going to pale in comparison.

The Fine Print: All stamps and papers by Club Scrap "Bookshelves" collection.

Birthday Party Revisited

If you read my post last week about my stamp club's birthday party then you'll know what these cards are all about.  They were an easy project that could be duplicated for 50 people and as a bonus showed folks a way to use up scraps.

As much work as it is I love doing make and takes for people.  For one thing I know how much I love to do them so I like to give that to people.  Plus so many of my fellow crafters are collectors only who rarely ever make anything.   This gives them the chance to actually create and maybe they'll go home and start using some of those supplies they are hoarding.

One of the other things I like about make and takes is seeing what people end up making.  This one was especially fun because there was such a wide variety of paper strips to chose from as well as an array of greetings.  Every single card made had its own unique flavor to it. 

Most of the ladies did the exact same design as I did and that's fine.  There were a few rebels who struck out on their own, mostly by adding more strips of paper.  Others changed how the bottom of each strip was cut.  Instead of an inverted V, they did an angle or a point.  There were other ladies who wanted to follow my sample cards to the letter.  They looked for the exact same strips of paper I used (and they were there to be had).  Some wanted to know the exact measurement each strip of paper hung down and where the exact placement of the greeting should be.  Others yet wanted to know how many times around I wrapped the twine. That is what is so fun about crafting.  We each have our own approach to projects.

The Fine Print: Greeting stamp by A Muse Studio, paper strips from Basic Grey, and twine from May Arts.

Spotlight Time

I haven't used my blog to pimp out the A Muse Studio spotlight items in awhile so it is about high time I do it.  Every month a|s puts 5 stamps sets and a special paper pack sampler on sale.  The paper pack is always a scrumptious selection of great colors that go together and this month's is extra awesome.

I love the colors in it and I'm glad they bundled them together because I don't know that I would have put them together myself.  The stamps sets they chose this time are no slouch either.  Hand Scripted with all the great greetings has proven to be a very popular set.  I love that they have similar butterflies facing in opposite directions in the Papillon set.  How many times have you come up with the perfect card design only to have your butterfly facing the wrong way?!   I for one am glad I had choices otherwise my card would have looked silly.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these stamps or the Spring Fling cardstock pack, you can do so by ordering off my website HERE or contacting me directly.

The Fine Print:  Stamp used-Hand Scripted, Charming Gardeners, and Papillon; card stock used-grass and sugar; other supplies-Bermuda ribbon, Spellbinders Labels 8 die (a|s sells this) and Copic markers.

Return of Clean and Simple

It's that time!  Indeedy pie, we are at the mid-way challenge of the latest (and greatest) A Muse Studio challenge.   In case you weren't paying attention, this time around the challenge is to make a card that is clean and simple.  That means filled with wide open spaces and limited layers and embellishments.

I know!  I know!  It makes me twitchy just thinking of it!  But if I can do it, you can do it!

Here is my first Clean and Simple card.  Some folks might say that cutting out the zig zags is not simple, but it is! You just snip at an angle one way they turn back around and snip at the other angle the other way.  Easy peasy!  After seeing this post I'm thinking that all 4 corners need to be rounded and not just the top.

This second card is one of my favorite sympathy card designs.  I added a strip of chevron paper behind it for a little oomph, but it does just fine without it too.

So those are my cards, why don't you make a CAS card and join in our challenge too?  There is a fabulous die set being given out to one lucky winner!

The Fine Print: Top card-Stamps and die from "Squeeze the Day," cardstock used orange and black chevron, inks used orange and Memento black.  Bottom card-Stamps from "Friend to Friend" and "Essential Sentiments," die from Butterfly Trio, cardstock used mermaid, mermaid chevron print, and sugar, inks used mermaid and Memento black, other items onyx pearls.