Cyber Monday Sale

Good morning, stampers!  Today at My Paper Moon spend $50 and get a $25 grab bag free! The value of the stamps in the grab bag are way over $25, so you are getting a really great deal. Just mention Cyber Monday or Free Grab Bag in the comment section at checkout, and make sure you've spent $50 before shipping and sales tax (if applicable). That's all there is to it. 

Happy Shopping

__________________

Want to earn free stamps?

I was just notified by Rubber Stamp Madness magazine that their summer issue will have a theme called "Self Portraits".  We have a great selection of stamps that would fit this theme at My Paper Moon. If you submit a card or other stamped item using stamps from My Paper Moon (including My Paper Moon stamps, the Moe Wubba Classic Collection, or Stampsations Stamps - all lines that belong to My Paper Moon), and it's chosen for publication, I will give you a gift certificate for $25.00 to shop at My Paper Moon. Stamps used must be primarily from My Paper Moon.  Their submission guidelines are at  http://rsmadness.com/submissions.html. To be considered in the summer issue, stamp art needs to be postmarked by December 10, 2012.

So what are you waiting for?

Eggshell Mosaic Cards

Good morning!

I recently spotted a technique over at Split Coast Stampers using eggshells.  If you knew me, you would know that if it's a weird technique, I'm all over it.  So I began saving eggshells. Here is the link to the tutorial: Splitcoast Eggshell Mosaic Tutorial

To preserve the eggshells, you have to clean them with bleach or antibacterial soap, and remove the inside membrane (makes them stick easier).  So I did all that, then let them dry really well, and put them in a baggy and put them away for a bit.  I wanted to make sure they weren't going to decay or become rotten after I used them. And I tried to keep them as intact as I could.

I had brown eggshells, and white eggshells, so I made 2 cards.

using brown eggshells

using white eggshells

You basically glue them onto a die cut shape and let dry. Then you put a layer of sealer over them. I used Mod Podge.  Then you spritz them with water and drop drops of alcohol ink and let it run. You can trim off any eggshells that stick over the edge after the sealer has dried.

On the bottom card I also spritzed it with some blue reinker in water so the white parts weren't so stark white.  I added some mats and flowers and viola, a pretty card.

Get crafty!

Last Halloween - at least for now...

Hope you have been enjoying my posts.

This is the last Halloween card....at least for now.

The outside of the card folds in towards the middle, and has a sugar skull and creepy images stamped on the orange cardstock.  The inside is where it gets interesting.

When you open the card, the left and right sides are patterned paper to cover the orange cardstock. I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder to make the haunted house. I embossed the haunted house folder on the blue cardstock, then embossed it again on black cardstock.  I used a bronze marker to color the fences and the posts on the top of the house (blue cardstock). I also cut out the moon and put some yellowish cardstock behind the blue to show through. And a black marker to color the bats.

 Then I cut out the house from the black cardstock, and using an X-acto knife cut out the window and put green cardstock behind it. I colored the rest of the windows black, then used glossy accents to make the "glass".  I sprayed Goosebumps spray over the whole black house to give it texture.

Then I stamped the $1 "Happy Halloween" sentiment and adhere it to the bottom.  I made some similar cards last year, but I have new people to send them to this year.

Hope you enjoy these cards as much as I enjoy making them.

Do something crafty!

More Halloween

Ah, I'm in the Halloween mood now. I bought some spooky stuff to put in my yard, and I've made another card.

This one is for my granddaughter, Rachel.  Rachel used to spend her afternoon after school at my scrapbook store and has become quite the artist.

Anyway, this is another of the $1 stamps from JoAnn's.  I like sugar skulls, and Rachel does too.  She's also a Batman girl.  She loves anything Batman.

More polka dots, and small spiders this time.  Also, a star brad to add a little interest.

I hope you get to make something beautiful today.

Halloween Time

Not only do I like Fall/Autumn, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.  I like to dress up in costume to give out candy.  I've done it for as long as I remember. Some years my hubby dresses up in costume, too, and we have even won prizes for best costumes.  I'm thinking about what I am going to be this year. Maybe a black widow.  I might even post pictures.

So, it's time to make those Halloween cards for some of my favorite people.  I picked up some $1 stamps at JoAnn's a few weeks ago, and decided to give them a try.

This card is for my granddaughter, Emilie.

The ribbon was also in the dollar bin, and is self adhesive. There were 3 or 4 foot long strips in the package. I stamped the spiders on the orange cardstock, as well as white cardstock. I colored them, cut the bodies out and adhered them to the stamped orange cardstock.  I made big black polka dots with a marker, then put some black glitter glue over them. And the googly eyes just made me giggle.

I think she'll like the card.

Hope you have a crafty day.

Another autumn card

Did I tell you how much I like autumn and autumn leaves?

This was another experiment, using a stamp set from The Angel Company. This is my favorite fall set. I just love this leaf. I think you can click on the picture and get a larger version of the card.

I basically did it the same as I did the card in the previous post: I stamped the handwriting stamp on the glossy cardstock  with Versamark and let dry. This acted as a resist. I used blended alcohol ink and let the Versamark handwriting show through.  Then I stamped the leaves.  Not all of the resist showed up, so I spritzed with alcohol, which gave it the spotted look.  Then I "painted the leaves with various colors of alcohol inks (some were Ranger and some were Copic refills).  When they were dry I covered them with Ranger Glossy Accents, and while that was still wet, I sprinkled (very sparingly) some copper/gold/orange glitter.  When it was dry, I used a leftover piece of brown cardstock (I made it to look like woodgrain) and stamped the ":fall is best of all" sentiment.  I used a marker to make little "nails". Lots of texture in this card also.  And I like the fact that it's one layer but looks like more.

I was pleased with the way it came out.  

I hope you get to be crafty today.  :-)

I love Autumn

I love autumn.  There is just something about that time of year. The cooler mornings, the leaves changing colors.  I just love it.  Of course, in Florida, we don't have the crispness of the air like in, say, New England, but you can still smell the "newness" of the air. It's not so humid, it's not so hot. And you know it's just a matter of time before the weather gets cool enough to turn off the A/C and open the windows and let the cool breeze blow through the house. Mmmmmm....I love autumn.

And autumn leaves.  Here is a small stamp I got from The Angel Company several years ago.  I like the smallness, since you can use it so many ways.

(The scan is crooked, not the card.)  Anyway. the background for the leaf was made by stamping the handwriting stamp on glossy cardstock with Versamark. I dried it with my heat gun, then used alcohol inks to color the cardstock. I like the way the Versamark resisted the alcohol ink.  Then I stamped the little leaf, and "painted" it with alcohol ink and blending solution.  I layered that on a piece of brown cardstock that I had run through an embossing folder in my Cuttlebug, then used a dark brown ink to  highlight the raised parts.  Then I layered in on another piece of brown cardstock, and onto a piece of patterned paper.  I added the pearls to give it a little interest. Lots of textures going on here, but it was a fun card to make. And easy, really.

What is your favorite season of the year?

I hope you have a crafty day...

Travel Triptych

Good morning.  Before I get back to my Christmas cards, I want to share another triptych I made.  This one is also ATC sized.

(click for larger view)

This ATC triptych was made using stamps from The Angel Company.  I love the little "scrabble" tile letters.  I wish TAC was still in business.  I loved their stamps.  

Anyway, this one is for my travel friends.  I used crackle glaze on the "travel" letters and also the labels on each panel.  It was colored with copic markers.

And here is the back:

(click for larger view)

I believe these stamps are 7 Gypsies.

Hope you have enjoyed. Now it's back to making Christmas cards for me.

Floral Triptych

Hello!  It's been a bit since I last posted, but I've been rather busy.  It's the time of year to make Christmas cards, but I wanted to take a break from that.

I love ATCs.  To me, they are the perfect sized canvas to work with.  And they are much easier to store than regular cards.  I do make regular A2 sized cards on occasion, but I'm addicted to the ATCs.  So, today I am sharing the triptych I made of some flower stamps and punches. Each of the panels is ATC sized (3-1/2 x 2-1/2), but they are folded so that they are in a Z shape, and will sit nicely on my desk.  So the entire panel is 7-1/2" x 3-1/2".

(click for a larger image)

This would be the front. of the panel.  Since it's folded, it's easy to make each panel have a different background without too much masking. The round letters that spell "flower" are stamped, punched out and then layered with crystal lacquer. They are from EK Success.  The flower stamps are from The Angel Company.

And here is the back:

(click for larger image)

It looks pretty sitting on my desk at work, since you can see the front and back.  And it reminds me that at some point I CAN go home and play.

Making this one has given me an idea to make some for some people I have working relationships with.  I can tailor them to suit their interests, and they will look nice on their desks, too.  ;-)

I hope I have inspired you today. 

Using Markers For Backgrounds

Good morning!  Hope you are having a great day.

My friend, Shelly, asked about using Marvy markers in different ways.  So, I sat down and tried some different things, and following are the results of my "experimentation".

I had some black and white patterened paper, so I decided to color it with my markers.  I like this idea...you can use a specific color palette to match your artwork.  I also tried spritzing it with water, which blends the colors if you'd like to blend. This also looks awesome using alcohol markers, which you can blend.

The next piece was fun to do.  I scribbled with my markers on a piece of acetate, then spritzed with water and then put white cardstock down.  I used a lot of colors, just to see the effect, which I like. 

The following card uses the rest of the piece of cardstock for a background for the card.  I liked this technique, too.

I think it would make a fun background for embossing folders, subway art, or graffiti or celebrations.

The next piece was made by heat embossing regular white cardstock with swirls, using white or clear embossing powder. Then I again scribbled on acetate, spritzed with water, and lay the cardstock in it to absorb the water.  Then just wipe the embossed area with a tissue or paper towel to remove any color from the embossing.

The following piece was done the same way, only I used glossy cardstock. To remove the embossing, you could iron the piece after coloring, kind of like faux batik.  Just make sure you use plenty of plain paper over the image to absorb the melted embossing.

The next piece also uses glossy cardstock, but I used versamark to stamp the swirl, then let it dry. I did not heat emboss it.  But again, I scribbled on acetate, then spritzed with water and put the cardstock in it.

I know there are a ton of techniques out there to use your Marvy/Tombow markers with, but it was fun doing these experiments.  If you have other techniques using markers, please leave a message in the comment section so I can try them out.

Have a crafty day...

Techniques Revisited - Part 5 (Shaving Cream)

Good morning!

One of my favorite techniques uses shaving cream.

It's very easy to do and can make your paper smell yummy!

I use a disposable dish for this.

• I squirt a layer of shaving cream into the dish. You need a dish large enough to put your paper in without bending it. 
• Then I put a few drops of re-inkers on top of the shaving cream and swirl it around a bit.  Don't swirl too much or the colors will get muddy.  In the above example I used a gray, a coral and a gold.  
• Lay your cardstock face down onto the shaving cream.  Pull it up and you can either wipe away or shaving cream concoction or you can put another piece of cardstock face down on the first.  At any rate, pull them apart and remove the shaving cream.  I use a spatula for this.  
• You can add re-inkers and do more, but eventually the shaving cream will get too muddy to use.  At that time, you can dispose of it and use other colors.

Then I stamped the swirls and bird on the paper and cut it out.  


Hope you have enjoyed this stroll down memory lane.  Let me know what other techniques you would like to see, or other things in your stash that you haven't used in awhile.


Have a colorful day...

Techniques Revisited - Part 4 (Spirelli)

Good morning!

Today I want to share a lovely pendant/ornament I received with you.  It's the Spirelli technique. Makes you think of a spirograph doesn't it?

My friend Carol sent me this lovely piece:

This technique works well with any scalloped shape (and is a good way to use up some of those fibers in your stash).  

• I start with a piece of double sided tape on the back of my shape.  
• I lay the end piece of the thread onto the tape and bring up through one of the indentions.  
• Then take the thread down one of the scallops indentions. The look of the finished piece will change, depending on the spacing of your threads.  You can make a tight pattern with a lot of inner space (for stamping), or you can make a smaller pattern (or even no spacing at all if you put your thread straight across).
• Bring your thread back up in the next indention and continue with an over/under pattern until you are completely back around the piece.  
• The above piece goes through every indention twice to make the pattern.

My friend used a metallic thread and used a metal button for the center.

Other uses for those fibers you've been saving:

• Use instead of ribbon when wrapping presents.
• Use to make animal fur for stamped images
• Hair on your stamped people
• Use to make borders on your scrapbook pages (or cards)
• Use them to "hang" charms or embellishments
• Use them for "fence" wire.

Come on, let's add to this list...Just leave a comment and tell me what your favorite use for fibers are. Then pull them out and use them.

Put some color in your day.

Techniques Revisited - Part 3 (Bingo Markers)

Good morning!

Today, I want to show you how to use bingo markers to make a background.

I basically did this like the fossil stone technique.  

• I dabbed the bingo markers on the inside of a page protector.  
• Then I spritzed with a little water and smooshed it together to blend the colors.  
• Then I opened the page protector and put two pieces of glossy cardstock (backs together) inside and closed the page protector.  
• I smooshed it with my fingers and pulled the page protector open and removed the cardstock. 
• I let dry (it will lighten a bit), and cut into the background shape. 

 I love the look of this.  Fossil stone is one of my favorite techniques.  


For those of you who don't know what bingo markers are, they are the liquid dabbers you buy at the store to mark your bingo numbers.  The other technique using them on this blog is called Bingo Blast.  You can search for that.

Have a colorful day...

Techniques Revisited - Part 2 (Holeless Marbles)

Good morning!  Today we will use those little holeless marbles you have in your stash.

I used the holeless marbles on the tree.  If you click the picture, you will get a better look. I colored the tree and cut it out, then I used double-sided red-liner tape on the tree.  I removed the liner, then poured the clear holeless marbles on the tree.  I used a brayer to make sure they were adhered securely.

Easy peasy!

Hope you have a colorful day.

Techniques Revisited - Part 1 (Lace)

We have been having a discussion on the Stamptalk Yahoo Group about old techniques and using up our stash, so I decided to do a few old techniques.

Today's post uses lace and glitter.

The background behind the woman is made with a lace background.  Remember that?  The technique is simple but stunning.

• I bought some half sheet labels, which give you two backgrounds per sheet. Just peel the liner off and lay down your piece of lace.  Make sure the lace is adhered really well.  
• Pour your first color of glitter on the sheet. I usually lay a piece of copy paper over it at this point and brayer it to make sure the glitter adheres really well. Put that color of glitter back in the jar. 
• Pull the lace off and put your 2nd color of glitter down.  Again put the copy paper over it and brayer. Put the 2nd color of glitter back in your jar.  
• Your background is now ready.  If you die cut a circle, square, oval, etc., you will be able to use the negative space, too. And you can use the lace over and over.

Here are some examples of glitter backgrounds made using this technique and different kinds of lace. 

Hope you have fun with your supplies and this technique.

Stippled Envelopes

As promised, here are some stippled envelopes.

I used a lot of different colors on this envelope. I added pieces of sticky notes to the address areas to keep them white.  I used a light hand so that if I want to add some stamped images (collage style), they will still be visible.

I love the colors on this envelope.  I stippled the envelope first, then stamped the leaves.  The stippled background made them easier to blend when I used my markers to color them in.  Makes for a very festive fall envelope.  You can add bits of glitter to the leaves for some sparkle if you wish, but I kind of like them plain.

Hope you have enjoyed seeing my stippling efforts.  Add some color to your day...

Stippling

Good morning!

Recently on one of the Yahoo Groups I belong to, someone mentioned stippling.  I had forgotten about that technique, and I love the look of it, And it just so happened that I had embossed a piece of white cardstock with a cuttlebug embossing folder that had gotten a smudge on it.  Not one to throw away a perfectly good piece of cardstock, I decided to stipple it to cover the smudge.

Here are the results:

After it was stippled, I used permanent markers to color in the raised parts.  I think it turned out very nicely, and I will be able to use it as a background for a card.  That's better than throwing it away because it had a small blue smudge on it.

In the next post I'll share some stippled envelopes.

Add some color to your world today...

Negative Shapes

Good morning!  Hope you enjoyed your holiday yesterday.  I know I did.  I'm just counting down the days until I get a week off for vacation. I don't have any plans to go any where, but it will be nice just to be able to have the time off.

Connie, who has Midwest Stampers, issued a challenge to use the negative shapes from punches in your art. You know what I mean - not the punched piece, but the piece that's left.

Anyway, here is one of my entries:

The white cardstock is what was left when I punched out the fern. I made a border using my Scor-It, then layered it onto a piece of glossy cardstock that I had made using the fossil stone technique. Stamped "thinking of you" (stamp by The Angel Company), added a little bling and I was done.  The picture isn't real sharp, but you get the idea.

Add a little color to your day!

Envelope Art

I love to stamp!  I should belong to a 12-step program for stampers.  Seriously, I just love to stamp. I like to try out new techniques, and I've been known to take a technique and tweak it and come up with something completely different.  And I'm not afraid to get my hands messy.  :-)

So, not only do I make cards (and candles, etc.), I also stamp on my envelopes sometimes.  Today I would like to share a couple that I made this weekend.

The first one uses pastel ink and shadow stamps. I stamped the front as well as the back of the envelope. The colors here don't do the envelope justice, it's very pretty in person.

Stamp credits: Butterfly-unknown, Daisy-TAC, Sparkles-My Paper Moon, 

Shadow Stamps - Hero Arts and My Paper Moon

 This envelope is a little bolder. Again, I stamped the front and back of the envelope. I used a shadow stamp for the addresses.

Stamp credits: Writing - A Stamp In The Hand, Palm Trees - My Paper Moon and Stampa Rosa, 

Wish - Cat's Life Press, Shell stamps - unknown, Shadow Stamp - My Paper Moon

I hope you put a little bit of color into your day.

Have a Safe and Happy 4th of July.