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!

Madison Convention 2009 was AWESOME!!

As I promised, I will be posting some ideas and cards that I learned or made at the 'One of a Kind' stampers convention in Madison WI, this past weekend.

While I was there, I took a Rangers distress ink class and learned some really cool background creating techniques as well as other techniques to get the best look for each project.  I will be posting more later - and for the local crowd I will be looking you up to teach you what I learned!  Very awesome stuff for those adventurous types!

I am at a point where my motivation and interest are at their peaks, so what out - I will be calling all who want to learn very soon!!

Oddly enough,  the first card that I am posting uses the Medallion Stamp from Stampin' Up!  (Oddly enough because I used the Medallion on my last post...it is truely an awesome background stamp!) 

For the card that I am posting, Soft Suede cardstock is the base, with Bermuda Bay, and Ivory cs as accents to the project.  The first thing to do is stamp the Ivory cs with a text or Script background stamp using Soft Suede classic ink.  Using a sponge and starting with Pumpkin Pie classic ink, rub the Pumpkin Pie classic ink onto 2 - 3 different areas of the Ivory cs leaving areas in between each of the Pumpkin Pie spots.  Next, repeat the rubbing with Melon Mambo classic ink, also leaving areas or spaces between the different colors.  Finally fill in the empty spaces with Bermuda Bay classic ink - mix some Bermuda Bay with the other two colors (around the edges of the already created spots) - this mixes the colors and makes green/blue and purple areas giving it a 'tye-dye' effect. 

Rub over the created image with your embossing buddy and ink up the Medallion bg stamp with versa mark ink.  Stamp the image in the bottom left corner - or where ever you would like, then coat with and tap off Clear Embossing powder.  Heat the clear embossing powder (essentially embossing the image), let cool a little bit then rub Bermuda Bay over the embossed image.  The Bermuda Bay ink really lets the image pop!!! 

Using the SU! Scallop Oval punch, punch a piece of Melon Mambo cs.  Emboss 'Just for You'  from the 'Oval All' stamp set from SU!, and punch out using the small SU! Oval punch.  Adhere as shown, adding dimensionals the back of the scalloped sentiment image to let it stand out.

Very easy techniques - totally awesome/impressive card!! 

Masculine Birthdays are soo easy!!

My little brother just turned 35 and he is one of my biggest fans, so I have to make him a card - no matter what - every year.  He is one of those types of people that are in your corner sparring you on to do the best you can do all the time - love him for that and love his support too.  So, this is the card I made for him.

I stamped the Medallion background stamp in tempting turquoise on tempting turquoise cs, added a touch of soft suede and whisper white cs with the 'happy birthday' sentiment in tempting turquoise as well.  The sentiment is from the Warm Regards stamp set.

It was super easy to make and I think its very stunning.

Thanks for looking.

All comments are welcome, and please stop back again.

Roseanne

Pink Showers!

I know it is fall, but with a baby shower for my cousin to go to tomorrow I had to make a card - of course I did!!!  And what better way to celebrate a baby girl than to shower her in pink!  

 I made this trifold money card using Whisper White cs as the base.  Since it is a money card that I wanted to put into a money envie, the dimensions of the card are 3 X 6 3/4.  I cut the ww cs 9 X 6 3/4 and then scored the 9 inch side at 3 inches and at 6 inches.  As you see, because I made so many mistakes (which I will discuss in a sec), this card is just shy of the full 9 inches, but thats okay - because even demonstrators make mistakes...so rather than waste more cardstock, I just finally inovated and made the card with a slightly problematic cut.  I used Regal Rose cs for the top and the inner message portion.  I then rolled the 'Lots of Dots' Stampin' Around jumbo wheel in regal rose ink onto the regal rose cs, and might I say, I think I may need the wheel guide because getting that lined correctly was a chore within itself.  

I punched the oval shape (with the SU! large oval punch) onto the white cs and overlapped the regal rose cs and punched the large oval window through the regal rose cs so that the 2 windows would line up. 

The tricky part (as always) was stamping the image through the window so that it was PERFECT.  So, guess what...I busted out my Stamp-a-majig.  I have a tendency to repeatedly beat myself up doing free hand stamping - and failing- before I get out this wonderful invention.  If only I could learn from my mistakes and just bring it out right away - but apparently that is like a man stopping to ask directions.  lol.  Anyway, I used the 'Little Bundle of Joy' stamp from the (again retired) SU! 'Punches Three' set.  To glitz up the card just a little bit, I applied diamond dust to the buggy of the image.  I then topped off the front of the card with 5/8" regal rose grosgrain ribbon.

In the center of the card, I used regal rose cardstock again and punched a slightly widened gift card slot using the SU! word window punch.  To do this, punch the word window at one end of the cardstock and then just slightly extend the window and punch again to get a longer window to fit the gift card.  Very easy technique!  The 'congratulations' sentiment was from the long since retired 'Warmest Regards' SU! set - which I still use very regularly...you just can't get enough sentiments!

So here is my newest creation.  I really hope to start using some of the new stamp sets, but with so many retire sets in my stock pile - that I can't seem to part with - I just keep going back to the ones I like the best.  I really do need to branch out...maybe next time.

Any and all comments are welcome.  Thanks so much for looking and happy crafting everybody!!

I took my challenge seriously!!

So, I decided to take my own challenge seriously and I made this card for a friend of mine that I have not spoken too for awhile - simply because we are both so busy.  I pulled a lot of things out of retirement to create this, but I am proud to say that although the color scheme is CASED, the cards design is an original!  I used the retired stamp set Easy Elegance for the flower - the blossom is inked in real red and the green is in garden green.  The image is stamped on SU! Shimmery White cardstock.  I stamped 'friend' using the Noteworthy stamp set, also retired.  The card is made with texturized basic gray cardstock and I used a retired basic gray designer series paper.  Finally, I added a 1/2 inch real red grosgrain ribbon - hopefully to pull it all together.  How did I do? 

As always, all comments are welcome and encouraged!  Thanks for looking and stop back soon!

Roseanne