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3/31/2012

Class Day

Good evening. Spent most of the day in class up at Scrapbook Creations in Spartanburg, having fun with Ms. Bonnie McLain (http://www.lovelightandpeacebonnie.blogspot.com/) in a wonderful class, White on White. She had such fantastically beautiful samples that it was difficult to choose just one card to decide to make. There were 5 students, and none of us finished our cards..(Not that the techniques were so difficult, but we were having a lot of fun, asking questions, and being slowwww!) I'll post my card when I finally get it finished. Bonnie is a great teacher, and for anyone in the Spartanburg or nearby area, I can heartily recommend the class. She also will have kits available for those who like the cards, but are not in this area to be able to take her class. We were too busy to stop & eat in the neat cafe in the store, so that will let you know how hard we worked! (But again, it was fun. Lots of techniques new to me). Bonnie has a sample posted on her blog, so check it out. Our area had a bit of "weather" today, but nothing dreadful. We have a lot to be thankful for, in being spared all the disasterous things that have happened in other locations in our country. So have a Blessed Sunday, and I'll try to post a card tomorrow.

3/30/2012

Easter cross card

Hello. We've had a beautiful morning, but as of the moment, our skies are darkening somewhat, perhaps for a thunderstorm that has been predicted. I have 2 cards to share today, hope you will enjoy them. Both were created with Spellbinders crosses and Heartfelt window dies. I used one of the new M-Bossibilities (Regal) on the background paper before adhering the window & cross. In the process, I managed to trash my old Cuttlebug. I have one of the newer Bugs, but don't like it as well. A family 'fix-it person' is looking at the old Bug to see if it can be salvaged. (But I have my doubts...just hoping real hard!). I didn't have the new M-Boss folder sandwiched properly, so it's my fault that the Bug popped a cork. Or rather - a gear. So if you have any of those, read the instructions more carefully than I did.

3/29/2012

Ritz Glitter Cherry Bowl

Happy Thursday Afternoon and thanks for surfing in. I have another Ritz Glitter technique card from the class I took a few weeks ago. This technique uses Sookwang tape (double sided-very sticky- tape). An Elizabeth Craft Outline sticker is transferred using this tape; then different sections of the outline sticker will be removed - a bit of a tedious process sometimes - and some Ritz Glitter is sprinkled over that area.

3/28/2012

Ritz Glitter

Ritz Glitter Card
Good afternoon. Here is a card that was made in a class given a few weeks ago, up at a lovely stamp/scrapbook store in Spartanburg, called Scrapbook Creations. Several friends and I took the class. Here is one of the cards I made using the Ritz Glitter technique, which was so much fun! In this particular card, we used the outline from an Elizabeth Craft Outline Sticker, then dusted the glitter as different elements of the sticker were removed per color, & then 'burnished' (rubbed very hard with your finger to bring up a glow, also makes the glitter adhere well, not rub off). The flower petals & leaves were gently shaded with copic markers over top of the white glitter. Pearl embellishments were added rather than coloring that section of the petal. Images were diecut with spellbinders. I can't remember the various colors used, as we received a  class kit, then chose our glitter & copic markers  from different selections that were provided for our use. There are several very good Youtube videos on this technique (search Ritz Glitter), but even after seeing the videos, I found it much more understandable in the class. Hope you enjoy the card.

3/27/2012

Miscellaneous

Purple Plum Tree
Thrift(Phlox) on low retaining wall


Our puny little redbud tree




verbena in mailbox bed
I was just outside taking some pictures of the beautiful blooming things around in our yard. Thought I'd share some of the pictures here. There is quite a bit of pruning work & yard work to get done, but I'd rather be making cards & playing on the computer! Hope you will enjoy the pictures.

Verbena by the front steps

Truck Birthday Card

Good Morning...and once more Upstate SC has a beautiful day. A little breezy, but sunny. I have a post of DH's birthday card that I've been working on. The stamp is from Mark's Finest Papers, BigBoy Toys, and I used a Speedball Stamp Press to get a sharp image, as this was a clear stamp. The die was Spellbinders Label Nine (#5), and the sentiment was MSE My Sentiments Exactly, cut out with S/Binders Ribbon Tag Trio. I used Copics to color it (sorry, I just pick colors that I think will create the effect I have in my mind, and I don't write them down as I should).I distressed the outer edges with TH Distress ink, antique linen and tea dye.

3/24/2012

Velveteen Technique

Good Morning. Hope it's lovely where you are. After a gloomy day yesterday, we have some bright sunshine, but clouds are hovering so there's a possibility we may get some thunderstorms later. Since I didn't post yesterday, I have a card to post today. I must give all credit to Sue, of http://suesinkyfingers.blogspot.com/. I had seen this Velveteen technique demonstrated over on Hero Arts blog, but when I saw Sue use the Hero Arts 3 Ferns using the technique, I thought "Aha, I have that stamp!".

3/22/2012

Bloggers helping out...

Good evening. No card today, but I did go to a stamping group and started working on a birthday card for DH. Enjoyed being with some lovely card makers. I have been able to revert back to the old dashboard look, thanks to some helpful emails from Bloggers Di and Sandra. Still trying to remove myself as a follower from my own blog, but so far, have not found the right tool to do it! Blogger Di has been very kind to take the time to offer some help, but unfortunately, I haven't gotten it fixed yet! (probably Operator Error on my part). So I just show up as a follower...how silly! Our weather today was not quite as pretty as past days. It was rainy, overcast, some dark skies. Our area apparently got some cooling rain showers while I was out with my stamping friends. I worked at cleaning up some mess in the stamping area when I got home, got tired, came upstairs and took a nap. So anytime I get a nap in the afternoon, it's a Good Thing! (credit to Martha Stewart for the quote!) Have a pleasant evening.

3/21/2012

Distressed Background

Good evening after a perfectly lovely sunny SC kind of day. I noticed that our pink thrift (you may refer to it as phlox) is starting to bloom. I'll have to post some pictures, as it is so pretty when it starts to cascade over our retaining walls at the driveway. After wondering when our little lilac bush was going to bloom, I looked out this morning, and saw it was covered with lavendar blossoms.

3/20/2012

(More) Blog frustration

More blog frustration...somehow I've added myself as a follower. Can't figure out how to delete 'THAT' follower. Contacted Blogger so I hope they have some good instructions. Read thru the blogger help stuff, didn't see anything helpful either. A more experienced blogger friend tried to help me get this removed. Results were not effective! I tried removing the Followers gadget, adding it back. When I add the gadget back, there are the 3 followers. EERK. Anybody know how to fix this boo-boo???? Thanks!

Rose Medallion - Get Well - Footsteps


Good morning. I worked on some cards yesterday, so here is one that I finished. I have 2 elderly friends (in their 90's...one in New England, one in California) who have had a little rough sailing last week. Here is a card for one of them. The image of the rose was stamped on an MS label that I got from Michael's at Christmas for another purpose. Decided it would work fine with the image (don't remember the stamp company). Colored the rose with copics. The flourish is a Cheery Lynn die, and the backround lace is a SU lace ribbon die, which I think is quite pretty. It doesn't show well in the scan, but in real life, is quite effective. The ribbon threaded through the openings is some that came from my sewing room. Pale green pearls were Reflections. The embossed background is a Sizzix folder. It's a very simple card, but I was pleased with it. Inside I used the Footsteps in the Sand sentiment stamp, stamped with Momento Ivy Green. Hope you like it.

3/18/2012

Spring's Blooming Tree

Happy Glorious Sunday. Another warm day. The grass appears to be greening up, many things are blooming. I am looking at a beautiful tree in my neighbor's yard..not sure what kind it is, but it surely is pretty. There's a not-so-pretty woodpile covered at the base, and a car with a cover on it, also not very appealing. I tried to use my rusty photo-shop-editing skills to brush those out. Here's a picture of the tree. I'll try to get one of our little redbud tree that seems to have burst forth in blossom over-night. Enjoy your day, whatever you are doing.

3/17/2012

LSS - Road Trip

Had a lovely afternoon up at Scrapbook Creations in Spartanburg. That is the nicest shop, everyone is so friendly, and there is a great little cafe in the store. A shopper can have a delicous coffee treat,( hot or cold), custom-flavor ice cream, good soups & sandwiches. Got some papers for a class with Miss Bonnie McLain(http://www.lovelightandpeacebonnie.blogspot.com/2012/03/white-on-white-class-posted.html - White on White, Mar 31), and some other goodies.

3/16/2012

Leprechaun card - Art Impressions Stamp

We have another super beautiful sunny & warm day in our area. At the moment, we are playing the 'hunt the lost wallet' game at our house. DH has - yet once again - lost his wallet, or thinks he has. So..do we call all the credit card companies...or keep hunting in the car & in the house? Last place he had it was last evening in a grocery store, so of course we have checked with the store, got the cashier whose name was on the receipt. She said she would have noticed if he left it at her register. He doesn't think it dropped out of his pocket (it's a front pocket wallet) in the parking lot. So...
Anyway, here's a card I did for DH last year for St. Pat's day. It is the cutest stamp, from Art Impressions  (http://www.artimpressions.com/Product.asp?Sku=M1608&ProductName=Giant+Leprechaun). Much cuter (in my opinion) than the one they had this year.  My scan is not doing justice to the coloring. Used copics to color the image, a Cuttlebug Emb Folder, and MS punches, along with a Spellbinder die to cut out & emboss the image. Hope you like it.

3/14/2012

PSX Pink Rose Birthday Card

Yet another beautiful Upstate SC day...sun is shining, and the temp must be in the low 80's. It's very warm. Just had a nice Arby's roast beef for lunch, and now it's naptime. (The joys of being retired! Never thought I would make it!). But before the nap, I thought I'd do a post, and upload an older card image that I have made. The rose is a PSX stamp colored with copics, background airbrushed with ?BG0000, mats are by spellbinder, papers from stash, and the trims are from supplies I had on hand. Hope it's lovely where you are this afternoon, and that you are enjoying whatever it is that is happening for your afternoon. Many Blessings.

3/13/2012

Cardinals

More blog construction...tried to change my email from a hotmail account to my other account, now I can't sign in to work on designing! Good grief. Anyway, I can post from my regular account so here goes. We had a dreary morning, but this afternoon, Mr. Sun showed up, and it is quite warm in our area. Here is an old card I made some time ago, but I found the scan I had done, so I'll post this while I troubleshoot repairing what I just hosed up. The stamp is an Our Daily Bread Design bundle, (http://ourdailybreaddesigns.com/Hewatchesme.html )and those who know me, know that I love cardinals. I used copics to color, the DP is from some discontinued Basic Grey, I believe it was Figgy Pudding, and one side is big colored circles (probably a Christmas print). I loved the soft distressed blue on the opposite side, thought it looked wel with the cardinal image. The paper lace is from a MS punch. Hope you will enjoy this card. Dies are Spellbinders ovals, scalloped oval mat. Have a great day.

3/12/2012

St. Patrick's Day

Julie's St. Patrick's Day card-2012
Today was definitely not so gorgeous as yesterday. It was gloomy with dark, lowering clouds hanging around most of the day. We spent the morning, early afternoon running errands..always such fun. Thought I would share another St. Pat's card I received from a dear niece who enjoys cardmaking along with her other crafts. We surely enjoyed the card and that she thought of us.

3/11/2012

More Blog Construction

Some friends came by and we tweaked this little blog with a few changes. Somehow I've changed something so I can't get to the Dashboard, but am now going to something called "Blogger" instead of what I had been seeing. Don't know what I changed, don't know how to get back to the old menus! Gosh, this process is frustrating, but also fun. Thanks to my friends for helping! Appreciate it. What a gorgeous Sunday we were blessed to have today. Hope it was this nice where you were.

Here is a card I made using a free Waltzing Mouse Stamp digi
(http://www.waltzingmousestamps.com/collections/freebies.) I was pleased with the way the design turned out. Colored with copics, used an MS shamrock punch, and the design papers, brads were something I found in my stash. I'll try to do better with keeping track of copic colors used and papers. Thanks for looking in.

St. Patrick's Day Card

Another beautiful SC day, with sunshine & blue skies, trees blooming. Our tulips are up, no blooms yet, saw a couple of hyacinths with blossoms, daffodils are a splash of yellow. Thought I would share a lovely St. Paddy's card I received from Miss Candee of http://cardcornerbycandee.blogspot.com/ . We met via the internet when I found her blog. She's a talented retiree who relocated from NY to NC, and has just finished a custom designed craft room in her new home. Hope you enjoy seeing this card with as much delight as I had in receiving it! (I told you I had some talented buddies! I learn from all of them!)
Candee's St. Patrick's Day Card
Have a great Sunday. Don't forget to change the clocks for DST.

3/10/2012

Retirement card

Here is a card that I made for a friend who plans to retire at the end of March. Hope you will enjoy it as much as I did in making it. The image is from Mark's Finest Papers, and I used a stamp press from Bonnie's Best Tools to get a good sharp image. The scene was colored with Copics (sorry don't remember what colors...I'm new at this!) and I used mirror paper from Marcos Papers (I think), glitter paper (H/Lobby) and some dark blue paper that had been embossed with the Cuttlebug twigs embossing folder.
Retirement scheduled for 3/31/12

Blog Development

Lovely Saturday here in the Upstate SC. A little progress on the blog design. Learned a little about how to edit. Trying to add some blogs that I follow. More learning on the curve! Work in progress.

3/07/2012

Blog Learning Curve....

Trying to set up a new blog. New experiences are good for the brain...also frustrating!