Just Cards

I am starting a new class this month. It's called "Just Cards". During this class we will be making five cards. The card shown today is a sneak peek of one of the projects. The featured technique for this card is watercoloring using reinkers.

The fee for this class is $15.

Here's all the "deets":

Date: Sunday, May 4th

Time: 2:00pm

Place: Patti's Stamping Studio, Chaska, MN

Kindly RSVP by Friday, May 2nd if you plan on attending so I can have everything prepared for you!!!

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping everyone!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Can you believe that it's the last day of April? Where did this month go?


I will post a project later today. I have been extremely busy working on my newsletter. Have you signed up for my newsletter yet? What? You didn't know I had a newsletter? Well, you just need to click on the sign up for my newsletter on the right side of my blog.


Each week you will get a new color combination to play with, an amazing project of the week with full instructions, tips and techniques and notices of any new specials going on (including new clubs, ribbon shares, etc....).


I hope you sign up and start enjoying all the stamping tidbits today!!!

Stampin' Up! Announcements Galore

Whew!! What a week for Stampin' Up! announcements!! Good thing they are both FANTASTIC announcements!!!

Announcement #1
Stampin' Up! now accepts credit cards (Mastercard, Visa, Discover) as payment for your catalog orders. It would be my pleasure to accept your order if you are ready to do so.

Announcement #2
The Occasions Mini Catalog has been extended through June 30th. You all know how much I LOVE this mini catalog!!! If you do not have your own personal copy of this adorable little mini catalog, click HERE to view it online.

If you have any questions about any of these announcements or anything else stamping related, feel free to send me an email at plchesky@comcast.net!!! I'm here to help!!!

P.S. Still snowing.....UGH!!!!

Today It's Your Birthday......

It's My Birthday Too, Yeah!! Well, technically, it's not my birthday, but that song is seriously STUCK in my head!!!

I NEEDED to post a bright card today because we woke up to snow. Yup, you heard me right. THIS IS OFFICIALLY RIDICULOUS!!!! My pool gets opened next week for goodness sake!!!

The humongoid garage sale is going well. It officially starts today, but we held it yesterday too. I sold most of my scrapbooking stuff (you know, the pre-SU stuff). I have tons of retired Stampin' Up! stamp sets for sale too. I also have my class schedule and many samples out hoping to find some new souls who haven't become addicted to the art of rubberstamping yet!!

So, on to this pretty of a card (I am watching Pirates of the Caribbean as I type this...so there might be a bit of pirate talk in here). The base card is made of Pink Passion cardstock and measures 4.25" x 4.25". I stamped the base card with my Canvas background stamp using Pink Passion ink. The next layer is Only Orange stamped with Polka Dot and heavily sponged with Only Orange. The focal image (from Fun and Fast Notes) is stamped on Shimmery White using Black StazOn ink. I watercolored using my aquapainter and ink from the inside of my inkpad lids.

All cards need some kind of "oomph". My "oomph" came from a double layer of the Photo Corner punch and a Green Galore button in the lower right corner.

Let's hope this card is bright enough to melt away this snow!!!

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Cutie Patootie

My parents' neighbors just had their first baby this past weekend. What a perfect occasion to try out one of these baby onesie cards!!! I found the pattern on Lauren Meader's blog. The directions can be found HERE.

Now, I do have to admit I made this card from memory. So my dimensions are a little different than hers. My stamping studio is in the basement. Yes, I was too lazy to go upstairs to my laptop to get the "deets".

I also realized that I only own retired baby sets!!! That is totally unacceptable for this demonstrator!! LOL!!!

Well, I guess I better get to work preparing for the big garage sale this Saturday. If you live near the Chaska area, the annual Jonathan Association garage sale is taking place this Saturday. Hundreds of garage sales all on the same day!!! I will have my retired stamp sets for sale too!!!

Until tomorrow.....Happy Stamping everyone!!

recipe

stamps: Baby Firsts, All Year Cheer II

paper: Whisper White, Bashful Blue

ink: Black StazOn, Bashful Blue

accessories: Cropodile, silver eyelets, Stampin' Write markers, aquapainter, 1 3/8" circle punch, Scallop Circle punch

Membership Has Its Privileges

What credit card commercial was that for? American Express, I think!!!

Anyway, this is the project my Stamp Club members made this month. Isn't it adorable (if I do say so myself)?

It's an altered Band Aid Tin. The tin is covered with the yummy Summer Picnic designer series paper. Have you played with this stuff yet? It is GORGEOUS!!!

The Pumpkin Pie flower is from the die cut Blooms set. I used a white scalloped flower rub on from the Summer Day rub on set. The center of the flower is made with my very loved Circle of Friendship stamp set. I stamped the "Rubber Stamper" sentiment twice...once on Bashful Blue and once on Real Red. I punched the Bashful Blue with the 1" circle punch, and the Real Red with the 1/2" circle punch. Prior to adhering the flower to the tin, I wrapped the tin with some of the Old Olive Polytwill ribbon (oh, SU please carry this stuff over to the new catty). All of these items (minus Circle of Friendship) can be found in the Occasions Mini Catalog.

The final touch on the tin was adding Real Red ribbon along the top and bottom edges of the tin. Some ribbon was added to the handle to make it even more cute!!!

My club members loved this project. It was cute listening to all their ideas of how they were going to use the tin.

I am currently setting up a second club. If you are interested, email me for more details!!!

It looks like another lovely day here in the Twin Cities!!!! I plan on enjoying every minute of it!!

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping everyone!!

Finally....I Can Post Pictures Again

There are a few stamp sets that make you fall in love with stamping right away. This stamp set, Blossoms Abound, is one of those stamp sets. I love to show this stamp set to my customers who are new at stamping. They feel like an artist right away!!!


As this is a two step stamp set, both the lilacs and the leaves are formed using two different stamps. The trick to two step stamping is stamping with the more solid stamp in the lighter color (in this case Almost Amethyst) and then adding the darker color with the second stamp (in this case Elegant Eggplant). You can also achieve two step stamping with one ink color. This is how I created the leaves. For the lighter color, I stamped off once (stamp on scrap paper before stamping on your focal image) using Always Artichoke ink. I then followed up with the second stamp using full strength Always Artichoke.


The base card is Elegant Eggplant. The focal image is sponged with Elegant Eggplant ink and matted on a 1/8" larger piece of Almost Amethyst. I added some Eggplant narrow grosgrain ribbon, photo corners punched from Elegant Eggplant and some pearls from the Pretties kit.


It's a very easy card to make, but it looks like you spent a lot of time creating it for someone special. I just love when things come together like that!!


Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping everyone!!

For You....My Friend

I have this gorgeous card to show you.....BUT Blogger (my blog service) is not allowing me to upload photos. I keep getting funky error messages!! AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!


So, how's your day going?

A Simple Wish

It's Spring, but there are still so many people who are feeling under the weather. This has definitely been a flu season for the books, huh?

I think a "Get Well Soon" card makes almost anyone feel a tad bit better. This one was SO easy to make!!!

I stuck to my monochromatic color theme (using Rose Red and Regal Rose). The Rose Red base card is stamped with my Stitched background stamp in Rose Red ink.

The focal image (from Fun and Fast Notes stamp set) is colored using markers (scribbled on stamp set case) and blender pens. Have you ever tried this technique? It's nice when you want a subtler look than coloring on the cardstock with the markers full strength!!

I scalloped the bottom edge using my Corner Rounder punch. I added a 1" strip of Regal Rose on the inside of the card to make the scalloping "pop".

It's dark and dreary here today in MN. If it brightens up a little, I will take a picture of last night's Stamp Club project and post later on today!!!

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping everyone!!!

"Lookie What I Found" Card

Of course, you know what a "Lookie What I Found" card is. You know, it's the card that is created when you are trying to clean your stamp area. The cleaning never really happens because you have to play, right? This card is created with items that were lying around from my cutting for my Stamp Club tonight.

The Bashful Blue base card measures 4.25" x 4.25". I heavily sponged the edges with Bashful Blue ink. The incredible patterned paper comes from the Summer Picnic designer series paper (found in the Occasions mini catalog). There is not one ugly design in this pack!! It's all gorgeous!!!

The patterned paper is matted on a strip of Pumpkin Pie. The flower is a die cut from the blooms pack found in the Occasions mini. In addition to being die cut, it is also made of the fabulous textured cardstock. If you haven't played with the textured cardstock yet, I encourage you to order some. It's THAT nice!!

The center of the flower (stamped with Pumpkin Pie ink on Whisper White cardstock) is the dotted circle from the Petals and Paisley stamp set. I punched it out with the 1" circle punch and then matted it on a 1 1/4" Bashful Blue circle punch out. Using Crystal Effects, I put a clear button on top and mounted it on the flower.

I used my Old Olive wide grosgrain ribbon to make a stem and leaves.

The "For You" sentiment comes from the One of a Kind stamp set. I used my white gel pen to highlight the center of the flower.

Well, it's time to start dinner and put the finishing touches on the stamp area before my Stamp Club girls arrive. I will post the project they made in the morning. I hope they love it as much as I do!!

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping everyone!!!

What I Miss About Maui!!!

I just love this picture!! It reminds me how we used to wake up in the morning (albeit VERY early in the morning). We would wake up to the sound of the surf pounding the shoreline. You can see how misty it is in the morning. By 10am, the day was as clear as could be!! We would open the doors of the lanai and watch for the humpback whales!! Yup, this is what we would see from our condo. Cool, huh?

Although this picture is of a single humpback, we would often see a mama and her calf. The humpbacks go to Maui to mate or give birth to their calves.

Although I am happy to be home, I really do miss watching the antics of the whales!!! I've been working on some Maui scrapbook pages!! Now, I need to print off my pics at Target before I can show them all to you!!!

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Can You Name that Tone?

Monochromatic cards are the theme for my Stamp Camp this month. The official theme is "Name That Tone".

This masculine beauty is one of the cards we will be making at this fun and exciting stamp camp taking place this Friday at 7pm.

If you live close to Chaska, MN, send me an email. I'd love to sign you up for this class!!!

It's finally feeling like Spring here, but it is VERY windy!!! I will definitely take the wind over the subzero temps. LOL!!!

Sorry for the quick post, but I have a lot going on this week.

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping everyone!!!

recipe:

stamp sets: A Light Unto My Path, Circle of Friendship

paper: Close to Cocoa, Kraft, Chocolate Chip

ink: Close to Cocoa

accessories: Vintage Brads, circle punches (1" and 1 1/4"), Designer Label Punch, Choc Chip wide grosgrain ribbon, sponges, dimensionals

Life is Crazy

I think it's hard to get back into life's normal routine after returning from vacation. Whew! I am still trying to adjust from the five hour time difference. I've been dragging my tush all week.


Anyway, DD and her Hip Hop team performed early this morning at the Mall of America to support the Fraser Walk and Stroll for Autism. Even with some musical technical difficulties, the girls did an awesome job.


If you are interested in learning more about Fraser, here is a link!!


I have some projects to post later on all related to this month's stamp camp.


Now it's off to a birthday party.....


Until later....Happy Stamping everyone!!!

I Feel Like I am a Teacher Again

When I saw this week's Color Challenge on Splitcoast I had a flashback to my substitute teaching days. Whoa! These colors remind me of the ones the kids would pick at the elementary school. This week's colors are Real Red, Night of Navy and Glorius Green.

The next challenge was finding a stamp set bold enough to hold up to these colors. I haven't played with Pick a Petal in a LONG time!!! I have to admit that I was tempted to make a baseball guy card, but I resisted!!

I knew I had to make a large square card due to the size of the flower petals. This Night of Navy card measures 5" x 5". I stamped my Tres Chic background stamp using Night of Navy ink. Since I have the Glorius Green border on the right side of the card, I didn't need to worry about the background stamp not covering the entire card.

The petals are stamped in Real Red ink on Whisper White cardstock. After allowing the ink to dry (Real Red always seems to stay wet longer than other ink colors), I cut out each of the petals leaving a small white border.

The Glorius Green border is scalloped using my Corner Rounder punch. I also handcut a stem using some Glorius Green scraps.

I wrapped a length of Real Red wide grosgrain ribbon and tied into a simple knot. The sentiment is from one of my favorite stamp sets: Circle of Friendship. I stamped the "note of thanks" stamp on both a scrap of Whisper White and Real Red using Night of Navy ink. I punched the white with my 1" circle punch and the center of the Real Red using my 1/2" circle punch. Everything is adhered to a piece of Real Red punched with the Designer Label punch. I used my white gel pen to add some dot work to make the sentiment stand out from the rest of the card.

Whew! This card is finished!! What a relief!!!

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping everyone!

Favorite Color Combo

I love purple. It's so soothing!!! I even convinced DH to paint the powder room a pale soothing plum color. He loves the way it looks!!

One of my favorite purple combos is: Elegant Eggplant, Pale Plum and River Rock.

The base card is Elegant Eggplant. I used my Corner Rounder punch to make the scalloped edge on the bottom of the card. To make the scallops stand out, I put a 1/2" strip on the bottom edge on the inside of the card.

The Pale Plum layer is stamped using various stamps from my One of a Kind stamp set in Elegant Eggplant ink. I highlighted one of the large flowers by stamping it once on a scrap of Perfect Plum (cutting out the entire flower) and also on a scrap of Pale Plum (cutting just the center flower). I assembled the different layers of flowers and attached to the card. The Pale Plum layer is matted on a layer of River Rock.

I tied a length of Vanilla wide grosgrain ribbon into a simple knot.

The sentiment is stamped on a scrap of River Rock and punched with my Designer Label punch. The edges are sponged with some Elegant Eggplant ink. I also added some dots to highlight the sentiment.

As a final touch I added some Liquid Pearls to each of the scallops, the centers of the flowers and in the center of the small flower on the sentiment.

It is such an elegant card!!!

I think tomorrow calls for some "cute". Stay tuned!!!

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping everyone!!

Shiny, Happy Apples

I actually made this card before I left for Hawaii, but DH already packed the card reader in his laptop bag. So, no upload.

As you can see, I bought a new card reader (thank you Target) so I can share my projects with all my wonderful readers.

Anyway, I couldn't get a great picture of how shiny and delicious these apples look. I think if you click on the photo you can zoom in for a better view.

I stamped the bucket of apples (from the Give Thanks stamp set) using my Black StazOn ink on watercolor paper. I used my markers and aquapainter to color in the image. All you need to do is start with the lightest color first and then add the darker colors.

For the apples I used So Saffron, Ruby Red and just a touch of Bravo Burgandy. The key to this technique is lots of blending!!!

The bucket is just using Going gray. Concentrate your color on the left side of the bucket and the edges to get the right amount of highlights.

The leaves are just Certainly Celery.

The focal image is mounted on an Old Olive mat that is slightly longer on the bottom edge. I used my mat pack and my piercing tool to add some visual interest to the bottom edge. I then used my Crystal Effects to make the apples nice and shiny!!! They look so amazing in person!!

The base card is more Mustard sponged and stamped (using Sanded BG stamp) using Close to Cocoa ink. The patterned paper is from the Summer Picnic DSP pack in the Occasions Mini Catalog. This paper is gorgeous. I LOVE all the patterns in this pack!!! There's not a bad apple in the bunch!!! I know...I know....stick to stamping rather than humor!! I did sponge the edges with Close to Cocoa ink to flow with the rest of the card. The patterned paper is mounted on some Close to Cocoa cardstock.

I left room for a sentiment in the bottom right corner. I would use my oval punches for this. It will set off the card nicely.

On a personal note, I am still trying to get my body clock straightened out. Ugh!!! The five hour time difference (and lack of sleep on the 8 hour flight home) is really doing a number on me!!

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping!!!

Did You Think I Fell Off the Planet?

I know it's been over a week since I last posted, but DH took me on a second honeymoon to Maui. Oh, we had the best time!!! The weather was fabulous, and we really needed the time to get back into "couple" mode rather than "mommy and daddy" mode.

The best part of the trip was watching the humpback whales from our lanai. How exciting to see a mama whale teaching and protecting her calf!!! We even went on a whale watch cruise to see them up close and personal. It gave me chills!!!

Of course, I have tons of pictures to share, but DH has my card reader. I need to run to Target to pick up a new card reader so I can post my Maui pictures and some new stamping projects!!!

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping....and thanks for sticking with me!!!!

{hugs}