Flower Pot - April Stamp of the Month

It's time once again for another fabulous CTMH consultant blog hop. We're hopping today with ideas for the April Stamp of the Month set, Flower Pot. If you came here from Brenda's Keepsakes With Heart blog, you're on the right track!

This set of 16 stamps is a lot of fun and easy to color. To see the full stamp set, you can click here (beginning April 1st) to visit my website. I chose to make a card again this month. I recently chaired a floral show event for my local Woman's Club, and I need several thank you cards to send out to everyone who helped me make it a success. This card easily fits the bill as it's very quickly repeatable, able to made assembly-line style, and has some easy "wow" factor!


My card is note card size (4.25" x 5.5"). I first cut a white CS panel 4" x 5.25" and embossed it using my emboss omit technique. I covered this technique in a recent post; you can click here to open the post in a new window so you can view it at your leisure.

In the circle, I stamped my single flower pot image using Brown Staz-on ink. I colored the pot using my waterbrush and a Sorbet ink pad. I gave the pot a shadow using my waterbrush and a Grey Wool ink pad. Next, I sponged the background of the circle using sponge daubers, Lilac Mist for the sky, and Juniper for the ground. On a scrap of White CS, I stamped my flower image in Brown Staz-on. I colored it using my waterbrush and a Tulip ink pad. I then went back over the very center of each flower with my Tulip marker. I cut out the flower image and adhered it to my panel using dimensional foam adhesive.

My sentiment is stamped in Brown Staz-On on Sorbet CS and matted on Tulip CS. I used the Chocolate ribbon round and adhered it to my embossed panel using Glue Dots, then layered my sentiment on top. The entire white panel was then adhered to my Tulip card base. I'll add a white liner inside for my note to the recipients.

Now, if you're ready, move on to the next stop on the hop, Deb Young's Scrapbook Czar.

Emboss Omit Technique

Now that I finally have my access to Blogger back (after almost 2 days), I wanted to share a great technique I finally figured out. I recently saw a couple of cards where an embossed "frame" is made around your image without needing to layer. The image to the right is what the completed panel looks like. I have a completed card, but I'm saving it for next week's CTMH stamp of the month blog hop. Come back on April 1st to see the completed card I made!

For this technique you will need the following items:

• Die-cutter or giant punch in your choice of shapes (I used my Cricut for this sample)
• Chipboard (or a cereal box)
• Temporary adhesive
  
• Embossing folder of your choice
• Die-cutting/embossing machine
• Cardstock (I used White)

The first step is creating our chipboard "shim" in the shape we want. I cut my chipboard down to 4" x 5.25", the actual size of the embossed area on my folder. I cut two pieces since I used thin chipboard, and after cutting adhered them together. In my example, I used my Cricut and Design Studio with the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge to cut a 2.5" circle (at real dial size), at X coordinate .75 and Y coordinate .75. This will put my frame in the center of the panel, and equal distance from the top of the panel.

You will use temporary adhesive to attach the chipboard shim to the outside of the embossing folder. Be sure to view it from the inside of the folder to make sure you have it over the embossing area of the folder.

Next cut your cardstock down to 4" x 5.25" and place it in the embossing folder. Make sure it's aligned properly so the entire piece gets embossed.

You will need to figure out the correct "sandwich" for your cutting/embossing machine. For my Big Kick, and the chipboard I used, I used the platform with all tabs and only one cutting plate. Yours will vary depending on your machine, chipboard, etc.

I hope you have fun with this technique! I haven't tried anything more than simple shapes yet, so I'm not sure how intricate you can get with this technique. I'd love to see what you do with this! Feel free to post your link in your comments so we can see your projects as well.

Don't forget to come back on April 1st to see a card I made with this technique!

Just Because...

Are you an avid cardmaker? Or maybe a scrapbooker who avoids making cards like the plague? In either case, I think you will love this, "just because"...

I finally tried my hand at one of the card workshops in Close To My Heart's Wishes card confidence program book. This particular workshop, "just because", uses only 2 pieces of patterned paper, 4 sheets of CS (in 3 colors), and 20 notecard size (4.25" x 5.5") card bases. Embellishments are your choice. I chose to use papers from the Veranda paper pack from CTMH, along with the A Tweet stamp set (only $7.95!!), 4 colors of stamp pads, Cocoa grosgrain ribbon, Copper brads, and clear Sparkles.

The workshop makes 20 cards, 2 each of ten designs, so I only took a picture of ten. Following is my favorite card in the set.
I have to say that the stamp set really makes this card shine. In the past, I might have been intimidated by such a large area to stamp in. But this set makes it so easy to make a little "scene" on the panel. And the clear stamps make it so easy to make that bird multi-colored! I stamped the entire image in Creme Brulee, then inked up just the top of the bird in Juniper and stamped again, then inked up just the bottom of the bird with Cocoa and stamped again. And since the image is so basic, it's very forgiving. If your stamping is slightly off due to glare, etc., it's not noticable. The eye is added with a Cocoa marker.

Just Cardstock? You Bet!

Here's one of the first Disney layouts I completed way back when. I thought I would share today how you can make a fun & interesting layout with NO patterned paper. What prompted this was the color scheme I wanted to use for these Daisy Duck pictures. I didn't have any patterned paper in this color combo, but I had plenty of cardstock along with stamps and ink. For most layouts, I probably wouldn't have used all of these techniques together, but for meeting a Disney character it was perfect!


For the striped paper, I just cut strips of my colored cardstock in various widths, ran it through my Xyron, and adhered it to a sheet of white CS. For the circle pattern, I did the same thing with random sized punched circles. For the tone on tone papers, I just chose a fun stamp for each pattern and ink that matched my CS. I cut the "autograph" and title using my Cricut and the Mickey and Friends cartridge. I added various paper flowers, buttons, brads, and adhesive rhinestone flowers for accents, and I was done.

This layout went together very quickly. It may take you a while the first time you use one of these techniques to make your own patterns, but you will quickly get the hang of it. It's a great way to use the colors you want when they just don't match anything already in your stash. Plus it's a great way to use your scraps. I had this done in WAY less than the time it would have taken to go to the nearest store, and I saved whatever money I would have spent while I was there!

Recipe page - 6x6

I realized today that it's been far too long since I've posted! I have a few too many things going on right now to make something new that I can show to the "general public", but I thought I'd share this fun recipe layout I did a while back.

The Design
This page is actually 7x6, because it was being bound into a book, but the design is 6x6 and if I were putting this in my album with protectors it would be cut down to 6x6. Unfortunately, the pattern paper is no longer available, but a similar look can be achieved with any "non-Christmas-y" Christmas papers. In fact, THESE are pretty similar.

I used my Cricut and the Happily Ever After cartridge to make the border design and the apple on the recipe card. (They're part of the Snow White section.) The Friendship Alphabet Small stamps, cardstocks, large brads, ribbon, and sparkles (flower centers) are from Close To My Heart. I used a Quickie Glue Pen to assemble the die-cut layers.

The Recipe
This is one of my favorite recipes; I barely even need to look at it anymore! It's an "old neighbor lady" recipe: Mrs. Bohm is no relation, and I don't even remember her. But her recipe will live on in my scrapbook forever; in fact, I think I need to make a companion page about the origin of this recipe. We actually call it "Mrs. Bohm's Apple Crunch", not just Apple Crunch. At any rate, as long as you're not one of those people who needs exactness in your recipes, you'll likely never return to plain old apple crisp again. Here's the actual recipe, the way I have it copied down:

(Oh, and I 1 1/2 times this for a 9x13 pan - you double the topping, which is excellent!)

Peel and slice apples into a buttered 9x9 pan. Cover with about 3/4 C. sugar and sprinkle with cinnamon to taste. Also dots of butter. (I use about 1/4 cup.)
Then mix:
1 C. flour
1 C. sugar
1 egg
3/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

Pour over apples and bake at 350 degrees until bubbly, about 1 hour.

It's On!

I've confirmed a location for my National Scrapbook Day crop. We're on for May 1, 2010 at the Wilton Community Building in Manhattan, IL. Approximately 14 miles from I-80, 15 miles from I-55, and 9 miles from I-57 makes this an easy-access location! (You can Google Map the address 14367-14401 W Joliet Rd Manhattan, IL 60442 for directions from your location.)

This is a great building for this type of event. It's an old one-room school, so we have one large room, full kitchen, 2 bathrooms, and even a stage. Make sure you email me to get on my mailing list for the crop so you stay up to date on details!

We're cropping for 12 hours, 10a.m. - 10p.m. (or so). Your $30 registration includes meals, goody bags, and prize drawing, plus no more than 2 people per table. All proceeds after expenses will be donated to Operation Smile! Throughout the world, Operation Smile volunteers repair childhood facial deformities while building public and private partnerships that advocate for sustainable healthcare systems for children and families.

I will of course have CTMH inks and stamps available for use, as well as a Cricut and a Cricut Expression, a Sizzix big kick with embossing folders and some dies, and an assortment of punches and tools.

Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so remember to get on my mailing list ASAP to receive registration information. I will be looking for additional sponsors right away, so if you know of any companies wanting to donate in exchange for advertising let me know!

Hope to see you there...