It's Official!!!

I officially have a new home!  My basement is finally finished (with the exception of the drop ceiling)!  I have had my big scrapper party for all my friends to come, see and enjoy all the new space, and now it is time to sit down and get serious about my favorite personal pastime - papercrafting.

Of course with graduation time here again, it was a perfect excuse to spend time in my new room.  Besides, my dear hubby doesn't want to (or won't) spend any more money on greeting cards considering how much money I spend on paper. ;D

Anyway, I made a cute little envelope card using my favorite retired Stampin' Up! products...

I generated this card using Brilliant Blue ink and cardstock, the Great Grads stamp set and the Hugs & Wishes stamp set.  I also used the All Stars Large Stampin' Wheel to complete the front of the card, as well as satin white ribbon.

Complete instructions:

Cut a piece of 6 3/4 in X 7 inch brilliant blue cardstock.  Either fold cardstock in half so that it measures 6 3/4 in X 3 1/2 in.  Cut a piece of 6 1/2 in. X 3 1/4 in. piece of white cardstock...this is the interior of the card.

Using the 1 3/4 in. circle punch, make a punch at the left side of the paper - this will be the front of the card. 

Using a stamp-ama-jig, or by eyeballing it, stamp the G image on white cardstock so that it is centered in the circle punch area. 

Open the brilliant blue cardstock, and lay it out flat on a piece of scrap paper.  Ink and roll the stars image across the card so that it spans the front of the card.  I actually started the image over the punched area, stamped it and re-inked the wheel and stamped the other side of the cardstock - opposite of the punch area....this way the image is crisp and consistent over the entire card.

Finally, wrap the satin ribbon around the longer portion of the card front, tie a bow and viola...you are done.

I hope you enjoy this card...it is very versatile for all school colors.

Thanks for looking - any and all comments are welcome! 

Happy crafting!   

Roseanne

Hoping for Spring?

I am unsure if I am actually hoping for spring or if I am just trying to find any excuse to make a brightly colored card...ha!ha!  Either way, I know that it has been awhile since I've posted.  In my defense, I am trying to finish my basement...and my new craft room.  I am very excited!!  The walls are painted and the wood laminate floor is in...just waiting on trim, the light and the drop ceiling to be put in place.  If all goes well, it will only be a few more weeks and I will be in business.

The card I am posting today will be sent to a friend that has a wonderfully spirited nature!  She is one of my favorite people to sit and have coffee with  ~ although I do enjoy the company of all my friends that I have coffee with, she and I just have it more often.

I used the giraffe image from Rubber Cottage Stamps.  I stamped the image in Stampin' Up Eggplant Envy on white cardstock.  I then restamped the image using Stampin' Up Tempting Turquoise, Eggplant Envy, and Melon Mambo markers to get the different colored spots.  I colored the eyes in using black ink, this made them really stand out!!

I cut the colorful image out and popped it up off of the original image using foam dots.  I also used an edge punch and distressed the edge of the white cardstock with Tempting Turquoise.  I stamped 'for you' with Melon Mambo ink.  The base of the card is in Tempting Turquoise and the giraffe image was mounted on Eggplant Envy cardstock.  I then added Tempting Turquoise ribbon and put stickles on the eyes to make them sparkle.

I absolutely love this image!!  The details used on the giraffe are breath taking and dramatic.  I don't know if you could find a better image of a giraffe!!   Rubber Cottage Stamps did a very nice job in creating this image!

Sorry for the long delays between posts.  I really hope you enjoy this card as much as I do and I really hope my friend is surprised when she sees it.

I hope to post again really soon!  As soon as my room is done I will be able to scratch my stamping itch a lot more often.  (It is very difficult to contain myself at times.)

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