Quick and Easy Thank You

Good morning!  Hope you are well this morning.  How is the weather where you live?  

I needed a thank you card for someone I don't know very well.  Gushy was out, and this little guy just begged to be used.  How could I resist?  

So, here is another quick and easy card, with no lumpy embellishments. Just perfect for mailing.

I used patterned paper for the background.  I stamped the little guy (Thanks) and colored using copic markers.  I punched out the oval using a nestability die, and did the same for the scalloped oval.  I punched holes around the perimeter using a needle punch tool.  I used an Angel Company stamp to stamp Thank You on scrap red paper and used a black marker to make the dots between.  For some bling I added glitter glue to the flowers.

I was quite pleased with the outcome.

Hope you have a creative week!

Silhouette Lady

Good morning!  I hope you had a restful weekend.  I had some obligations to take care of, then I got some time to play.

I recently released some Silhouette Ladies, and today I would like to introduce you to one of them.  I had a lot of fun making this card, even though it's a very simple card.  I like simple, easy to mail cards, without a lot of lumpy, bumpy embellishments.  I save that for cards I can hand deliver.

Anyway, here we go...

I chose Silhouette Lady #13 for this card.  She's very lovely and I thought she would look pretty in pink. The scalloped rectangles were cut using Nestability dies.  I added a little glitter to the flower to give them some bling. The background cardstock is textured.

For this card you can use any sentiment you would like on the inside.

Head on over to My Paper Moon to see the rest of the Silhouette Ladies.

Have a great week!

New Issue of Rubber Stamp Madness

New issue due out soon.

Start a subscription to RubberStampMadness, the original stamping magazine. The Spring 2011 issue has stories on tags, tips on coloring photostamps, using watercolor crayons with alcohol inks, combining iris folding with stamping, domino jewelry and more. Check out the artwork on two themes: Bunnies and She Loves. . . . If you love to stamp, check out RubberStampMadness. http://www.rsmadness.com

I can't wait to get my issue....Happy Stamping.

Winter Tag and New Images

Good evening. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year celebration. We spent Christmas at my daughter's, and we spent New Years there playing with the grandkid's Wii.  I think my hubby may be contemplating getting one.

I loved seeing Tim Holtz's Christmas tags. Alas, I don't have access to all his stamps and supplies, but using what I already have, I made this:

I stippled the tag with a couple different colors of blue.  I stamped the trees with black ink but didn't like how it turned out, so I overstamped them with green ink.  I think they turned out okay.  I used a swirl stamp to put a few swirls on the tag just to take up the open space.  I have a stamp that I love that is very similar to one of Tim's that is soooo versatile.  It's the Spatter Background Stamp and it looks like this:

You can use it for snow (like I did), or to add texture to a background. I've used it for rain and sand, and you are only limited by your imagination.

I punched some snowflakes and added glitter glue to give them sparkle.  I love snowflakes and love to make winter cards using them.  We don't have real snowflakes in Florida...lol.

And for the bottom I ran a piece of blue cardstock through the cuttlebug with an embossing folder, then ran my dark blue inkpad over the piece to darken the raised pieces.  I tore the bottom for added interest.

I stamped the "dream" stamp onto cream cardstock, tore it out and aged the edges with a dark brown ink.

I enjoyed making the tag, and I was pleased with the way it turned out.

And now, since we are in a new year, I wanted to introduce some new stamps.

There are 16 individual silhouette stamps. These stamps are approximately 1-1/2 x 2 inches each and are $3.50 each. You can see them by going to My Paper Moon and click on What's New. To celebrate this new release, I will be selling them for 10% off for a short time.

Hope you have a great week!

Tuesday Tip Day - Versamark Pads

Good morning. Only a few more days until Christmas.  Have you gotten all your shopping done? I think I am as ready as I'll ever be. At least I hope so.  I'll probably still be remembering things I should have gotten or should have done, right up until Christmas.

I'm making some new goodies to eat this year, and if they turn out okay, I'll share the recipes with you here.

Now on to today's tips:  Using your Versamark Pads

• Use for adding discreet journaling lines to your scrapbooking.  The Versamark ink is sticky when you first apply it, but it dries like regular ink and loses it's stickiness. It's acid-free so it's safe for your scrapbook pages, and it works on all colored card stock.
• Use it in place of embossing ink.  Just stamp and emboss with colored or clear embossing powder.
• Use it for shadowing. This is a technique that works well with kaleidacolor pads and word stamps, but actually any type ink or stamp will work. Stamp the image with Versamark. Then stamp directly over it with your other colored ink. Because you seldom will be exact in the placement of the second stamping, you will make a shadow that gives a 3-D effect.  You can embellish on this by embossing with a transparent embossing powder. Metallic ink pads also give a stunning effect.
• You can use your Versamark pad to make a watermark.  This is great for tone on tone backgrounds. It will deepen the shade of colored paper wherever you stamp.  So, for every color of paper you own, you now have a complementary color of ink. 
• You can do the Poppin' Pastels technique. There are two ways to accomplish this effect on light colored card stock.
• Apply chalks to the area to be stamped, then stamp with Versamark and allow to dry (or use your heat tool to dry your paper faster). Then gently rub with a clean cotton ball.  You could emboss with clear embossing powder while the stamped image is still wet, and the image will jump out at you.
• Stamp first with Versamark, then rub the chalk gently over the stamped area and watch the image magically appear.
• You can do the Reverse Pastels technique. This time you will use brightly colored chalk to cover dark card stock. Then stamp with Versamark over the chalked area.  The ink will pull out the color of the paper from beneath the chalk. I like to emboss with clear embossing powder while the ink is still wet.  Be sure to clean your stamp before re-inking it, as the chalk you removed is now on the stamp, and you will dirty your Versamark pad.
• The Brayer Resist technique can be done with Versamark.  Stamp your image(s) onto glossy white card stock, using Versamark ink. Gently wipe away the ink using a lotion free tissue, wiping in a small circular motion. Ink up your brayer and roll it over the paper. Wherever the Versamark was stamped, the paper will resist the colored ink from your brayer. 
• Embossing on Glass - Use an anti-static bag on your glass to remove any static electricity. Use the Versamark to stamp an image onto a glass container. Emboss with detail gold or silver embossing powder. Fill your glass container with candy and tie a ribbon on it. Makes a great gift for a hostess.

I hope you get to try some of these tips. Leave a comment and tell us how it worked out for you, or, if you have other tips for using a Versamark pad, please share them with us.

I hope you have a very merry Christmas!

Tuesday Tip Day - More Fiber Fun

WOW!! Less than 2 weeks til Christmas.  The time has snuck up on me, and I'm not ready.  Are you ready?  I did manage to get all my Christmas cards done, but I haven't finished my Christmas shopping.  Yikes, I'd better get a move on.

This blog is posted several different places, so not all the comments show up here. It's also linked to my Facebook page, and of course, the comments there don't show up here.  If you want to friend me on Facebook, please make sure you put blog in the comment section so I'll know where you found me.

Now, let's get some more fiber tips!  Some of these may also be used for scrapbooking. I like that you can use fibers in multiple places.

You can use fibers to:

• Map out your vacation route with fiber threaded through eyelets (great scrapbook page)
• Spell out the greeting, using fibers to stitch out the letters
• Make a frame around a stamped image.
• Use as laces on paper pieced shoes (great for paper pieced sneakers)
• Use fibers to tie 2 or more elements together
• Scarf on a stamped or paper pieced snowman
• Create bows
• Fringe on animals
• Build a water/mountain outline
• Attach a tail to a kit
• Use for seaweed
• Make clotheslines for hanging small clothes with tiny pins.
• Stitching a template design
• To hang or attach buttons or charms
• Use to hang signs from buttons, brads or eyelets

Can you think of other uses for fibers?  Please leave a comment and let us know.

I don't know if I will get to post again before Christmas, but I'll try.  If not, have a great Christmas.

Hugs,

Tuesday Tip Day

Good morning!  It's been awhile since I've posted, I know, but life has been busy.

Thanksgiving was a great success this year.  We didn't cook, we went out to a restaurant with a Thanksgiving buffet and enjoyed our meal immensely. Scott roasted a small turkey breast so we would have "leftovers" for sandwiches, and I bought a couple of pies, and we were good to go. And the best part was, we didn't have to spend 2 days cooking and all the mess to be cleaned up.  And we had turkey, ham, prime rib and baked stuffed sole, so the family members who really don't care for turkey were in heaven. Hope yours was fantastic, too.

I thought today I would give you some tips for using those fibers that you have left over from when fibers were all the rage. If you are like me, you still have lots left. Let's use them up.  Here are some ways to do that:

• Weave through mesh
• Create trees or grass
• Make hair or other features on paper dolls
• Use as a string for balloon diecuts or stamped balloons
• Tie through the hole on a tag
• Create a spider web
• Use as decorations on a Christmas tree
• Use as decorations on an Easter Egg
• Use as a blanket stitch around a border or mat
• Make tassels
• As needlepoint stitches on your page or card
• As an enhancement to die cuts
• Use to hang mini tags
• Use as an accent on Serendipity Squares
• As embroidery stitching
• Attach to a brad and use as a yoyo
• Use for wrapping presents
• Wind fibers tightly together to form the center of a flower

Can you think of other uses for fibers?  Please add a comment. We will keep adding to the list.

Have a great week and I hope you get to do something crafty.