A bit of early Holiday Cheer

This card was made using an old SU! Holiday Mini Bundle. I can't remember the name of the bundle off the top of my head, but as a fallen Stampin' Up! demonstrator I no longer feel obligated to be completely precise about the product name. :) Besides, it is no longer available so the name doesn't really matter. Anyway, I made this card as a hopeful for a masculine card occasion. Well, call it Christmas spirit or Holiday cheer, I found a use for it...I sent it to a person who I don't even know. This holiday season, this total stranger was diagnosed with CLL, an incurable form of cancer that a lot of older people succumb to. Prognosis can be good with proper treatment and follow-up care...but no one wants to find out about cancer during the holiday season ~ or at any other time of the year for that matter, but especially not for the holidays.

I was invited to take part in the card shower for this gentleman, and I gladly accepted ~ what kind hearted stamper could really say no...could you? Anyway, I also try to do the card showers I see in the weekly circular about people turning 90 or long blessed marriages...you know the ones I am talking about...the ones that make you go AWWEEE (how cute).

So here is another challenge for you...take part in a shower. I know it is off season but you never know when you hope for it to rain at your house.

Thanks for stopping and happy stamping!

Roseanne

(BTW...good luck with the Christmas cards).

Happy Autumn!

Today I am showing one of my Prickley Pear submissions. Again, I was not selected but I have learned a lot having tried. What did I learn? Well, if you don't try, then you know how that ends...also, I don't think I post enough and I don't take the time to craft enough either. So, 1) I will post more often (so check back regularly ;)), and 2) I will make time for my papercrafting!

This is a very easy card to make and it has a lot of WOW factor when its done! I started with a basic white base and added Early Esspresso, Bordering Blue (discontinued from SU!), and a piece of designer paper from the "granola" paper pad made by BasicGrey. I distressed each piece of paper separately to make sure I added enough diversity of dimension to each layer. I then stamped Autumn from the Season By Season stamp set by SU! using Early Espresso and distressed the white paper also. Finally I added a wide striped ribbon ~ also from SU! to finish it. Additional touches that could be adde are dark rhinestones to the blue flower or even glitter if you wanted to feminize the card just a little bit. I, myself, decided to just leave it.

Distressing is a very easy technique that adds dimension and 'age' to any project. Becareful though, it does tend to stain your fingers...but it washes off.

I hope you like this card as much as I do! As always, any and all comments are welcome.

Thanks for stopping and Happy Stamping.

Roseanne

I Got The News Today

Like I said earlier this week, I tried for my first design team...the Prickley Pear.  Although I didn't make it, I do appreciate being able to try.  If you have not yet tried for a DT and you think your work is good, be sure to put yourself out there.  Although I am a tad disappointed, I am all the better for the experience.

Anyway, I am posting one of my submissions today.  This was a Holiday card that I had made...I used Real Red, Old Olive, and Ivory cardstock from Stampin Up!  I stamped a snowflake image from SU! Snow Flurries in real red on real red, and I distressed everything in real red ink.  I also stamped 'Happy Holidays,' from the SU! Warmest Regards stamp set.  I used 1 3/4 in of Old Olive cardstock and layed over it with 1 1/2 inches of Dashing designer paper.  To finish it I wrapped it with a red eyelash yarn. 

This is definitely one of those cards that you could make within 5 minutes if you forgot that special someone at the Holidays and they sent you a card...don't ya just hate that! ;p

As always, thanks for looking and any & all comments are welcome...

Don't forget the mini-VSN on 10/15/10...very good theme!

Happy Stamping.

Roseanne

Continuing My Love For Fall!!!

Hey everyone! I recently submitted some work to a design team call...I will announce who it is when I find out if I am selected!! I am crossing my fingers and holding my breath! Wish me luck!

While I was working on submissions for my design team I started this card. I was in such a haste that I did not take the time to completely finish it, all I knew was that I could not submit it in the shape that was in...(it did not have the flowers on it). So luckily I had this laying around to finish...

This card I made using a piece of Crumb Cake as the base. I added strips of designer paper that I had laying around and distressed it with Ranger Vintage Photo distressing ink. I then added a strip of Espress Brown with Crumb Cake and distressed both. I stamped 'blessing' in distress ink also. I then added the gold rhinestones and gold tone cord. Finally, I stamped CTMH flowers with images from the 'Majestic' Stamp Collection of the American Crafts stamp set. I really like the final product!

I hope you like this card as much as I do! The lesson for me today is that even if you think it is a lost cause take the time to re-evaluate. I'm really glad I didn't pitch this card and took the time to finish it. Here is my challenge to all who are interested...look at something you thought didn't look right or is just partially finished and complete it. Our instincts naturally tell us when things need work and when things are finished. Take my challenge today! You will be surprised at the completed product.

Thanks for looking. As always, any and all comments are welcome. Happy papercrafting.

Roseanne

Fall is here and I am LOVING it!!!

If you are anywhere where there are changing of the seasons, you know exactly what I am talking about!!  It is slightly cooler, the wind has picked up a bit, and the leaves are just starting to show beautiful warm hues of red, orange, and yellow.  I absolutely love fall and autumn.  Come October, I will be completely intoxicated by the brisk morning air and the warm afternoons.  I cannot express how much I love this season!!

Today, the wind is a little too high for my 3 little kids to go out and play (without running fevers later in the day), so I pulled out all the stops and let them play with my Cuttlebug while I made a few autumn cards!

Today I also realized how much I enjoy using designer paper on cards.  When this technique first started I was appauled at the very idea that someone would actually rely on premade backgrounds, but now that I have been doing it for a little while, I find it very gratifying to see the finished card.

This card is the first of hopefully many creations this fall!  I used vanilla, espresso, and cranberry cardstock from SU!.  I also used an adhesive mat sheet from Rhonna Farrer.  I distressed all the edges with espresso ink and stamped my greeting using the Holiday Best stamp set from SU!.  The ribbon is also from a retired package from SU!.

I hope this inspires not only those who already love the season, but also the summer lovers that are disappointed that the season is over. In any case, enjoy the weather and let the beauty of it all shine through in your creativity!!

As always, any and all comments are welcome and thanks for stopping by!!

Roseanne

My Salute to National Scrapbook Day - Just a few days late...

Today I am posting my creation that I had started on May 1st - National Scrapbook Day, but since I had such horrible scrappers block, I finished on Sunday the 2nd.  I figured that since this is a month long celebration, I could post it anyway.

I really couldn't believe how hard it was for me to finish this 8 x 8 page for Adalyn's little personal album, but admittedly, I have not been scrapping as much as I would like to.  Trying to fit in a full days work, on top of running 3 to 4 (or more/less) per week, and cleaning the house and raising the kids...no one ever said it would be this busy! 

As you can see, this is relatively a simple page.  The background paper is SU! green galore.  I used the lots of dots jumbo wheel to run as the background.  I used a frilly frame from the SU! Gallery stamp set.  I stamped it with pixie pink ink onto pink passion paper.  I also stamped 'small wonder' from the SU! Whimsical Words using gable green ink onto whisper white paper.  I matted Adalyn's picture on white, and then on pixie pink paper.  The flourishes are from the retired SU! Doodle This  stamp set.  I stamped the flourish with a glue pad and used a very pale pink glitter - just to get the bling factor in....I can't resist the glitter - she is a girl and I like to make her girly!  For the finishing touches, I journaled with SU! gable green stamp n write markers and added brads above and below the picture.

Unfortunately, I was not able to make a Mother's Day Card before the holiday, but I do plan to finish that within the next few days and send it out.  I didn't forget to call mom though, I really hope she is okay with receiving her card late.  To leave you with a challenge seems to be an ongoing theme for me lately, so I will continue it with this...send a handmade card - even if it is late!  It is better to receive it late than to think you have been forgotten, right?!

I hope this Mother's Day brings sunshine and happiness to all!!  Thanks for looking!  Any and all comments are welcome.

As Always,

Roseanne

I've been working all day...

As I stated earlier today, I wanted to post with some new techniques...The card that I am posting tonight has a whole slew of 'em.

This card I made using stamps from Lost Coast Designs (http://www.lost-coast-designs.com/), and STUDIO 490, paper from SU!

I first used Rangers Distress inks to color the background of the tag.  I spritzed it (which you can't see very well) with Perfect Gold Perfect pearls and heat set it with an heating tool.  This gives the tag a pearlized look with streaks of gold through it.  I then stamped the speckles using Archival ink in 'coffee bean color'.  If your stamp the background using a lighter color (such as browns) it makes black images really pop!!  I then stamped my images in Jet Black ink (also Archival),  to make the images really pop, it used glossy accents to the jet black images and let it dry.

To pick up the gold throughout, I edged the lovely lilac paper with an Adirondack Metallics Acrylic Paint Dabber.

I don't know what I will do with this card (it is larger than usual), so for now, it will sit in my box of completed items.  I am just really glad that I completed it!

To add to the challenge posted earlier - try a new technique and take the time to complete it.  You will feel very accomplished, creative, and hopefully fulfilled.

Until next time...and as always, all comments are welcome.

Hugs - Roseanne

Holy Cow!!!

First of all, I would like to thank any and all persons who have looked at my blog.  I didn't even realize that I would connect to people in places like European Union, or Vermont, or even in Florida...mainly because I don't know many people outside of Iowa, Michigan, or Minnesota.  So even if you don't leave a comment, I really get tickled to see that you all are stopping by!!!

In my last post I promised to post more often.  I'm sorry that I broke that promise, but I would like to renew it.  I will not only post more often, but as my title states, I will share techniques with you that you are going to be simply wowed by!!  I get alot of great technique ideas through sites such as 'www.splitcoaststampers.com,' 'www.stampinaddicts.com,' and from google searches!  I assure you that I will be more vocal and contributive to this blog and I hope that you come away from this page with some new knowledge and excitement about papercrafting.  By the way, if you are unfamiliar with Split Coast Stampers, the site offers forums about all sorts of topics, and galleries using just about all products that are out there.  If you feel that you are in a rut, try doing one of the challenges they post online and post your creative work!!

I did have a 'celebrity moment' recently - just to share my excitement a little...when I went to convention in Madison, WI, I took a Rangers Distress ink class with the lovely and super talented WENDY VEACH.  If you don't know her, she is the creative designer of the STUDIO 490 rubber stamps and she sells all of Tim Holtz line from Ranger.  As I was talking with her at a small convention/stamp show in Rockford, IL I casually mentioned that I had taken a class in Madison and wanted more clarification regarding her book 'make art, studio 490 style II' - SHE REMEMBERED ME!!!  I was so shocked I was actually speechless.  Since she was so gracious to admit she remembered me I thought I would plug her on my blog today and just say that her eclectic style and creativity is truely amazing and wonderful...if you have picked up this small book of hers I would recommend it, she shows you step by step how to make several of her projects, including a gorgeous rose made from grundge board.  On top of all that, included in the little book are tips on what works and what doesn't...

I have been busy creating - unfortunately, I have been giving the cards away without taking pictures of them first - sorry!! But I will post soon - my gears are already spinning and trying to perfect some techniques.

My challenge for you is to try a new technique!! If for no other reason, than for yourself.  If you feel that you don't want to post on a website, please send it to me!  - roseanne_ricke@hotmail.com I would love to see your creativity!! Until next time!