Inspiration Institute

Boutique Chic Me!

2010-07-24T21:08:00.001-07:00

Layout by Bren Yule
Can you guess the papers used here?

Amber's 6th Birthday Cards

2010-04-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

Amber's 6th birthday invitations utilized Top Stitch Paper, and Party Invitation and Cupcake Sprinkles stamp sets. The pattern is "Lower Layers" from Wishes which measures 8" x 3.5". I added three holes to the bottom left of the card for interest but didn't want to add anything to detract from the cupcake. And speaking of cupcake, it's raised with 3-D foam.

Amber's thank you card was inspired by a swap card I received (no signature). I added the cut out stamped items to the left of the card. The swirl, the flower center, and the "thank you" are
stamped in Vineyard Berry to bring out that color in the paper. The Topstitch Workshop on the Go stamp set and "Thank You" were used to finish up this card.

March SOTM Samples

2010-03-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

Here are two samples using "A Little Everything."

This first one is using Veranda paper. Notice the scalloped stamp on the left side of the cocoa paper? That's one of the stamps in the SOTM set, as well as the words. The flowers are from the Spring Blossom Just Blooms flowers. The large one is tulip. I love how it just jumps right out!

The card is Long Layers and is from Wishes. The card size is 3" x 6".

This second sample is called Always Right, is from Originals, and measures 5" x 7". Besides the SOTM, the second stamp set used is Cupcake Sprinkles. Here I cut a slit in the cupcake icing to make the candle look like it is coming out of the icing. :)

The cupcake is mounted using our foam tape. I cut out the word "CELEBRATE"(I'm kind of crazy that way). It would look just as nice if the word was mounted on cardstock and not cut out. It would save some time too. The final touch on this card is the tiny tab to the left. The word on it is "happy". It is left over from my March workshop.

Ordinary into Extraordinary

2010-02-24T22:07:00.001-08:00

This video will show you three techniques for adding depth and dimension to your projects using paper and ink.

Clothes Pin Paper Flower Gift Bag Clip

2010-02-23T21:24:00.000-08:00

I have been seeing this idea floating all around and I made my own version using our papers and embellishments!
I love topping a project with a tiny botton with matching floss!It’s easy peasy! Cover clothes pin with paper, make a paper flower and attach with liquid glass! A nice way to close up a gifty bag!

New Veranda Papers!!!

2009-12-31T10:52:00.000-08:00

Created by Bren Yule...I love this new paper!

Holiday Recipe Album

2009-12-12T09:29:00.001-08:00

Mini Pizza Box

2009-10-24T21:48:00.001-07:00

Inside, a set of 4 holiday stamps in it’s own little storage envelope!

Made with our new Jingle paper kit!

created by Bren Yule

Christmas is Coming!

2009-10-06T11:31:00.001-07:00

Here is a cute card I made using our new Jingle Creative Basics Papers!

created by bren yule

August Stamp of the Month

2009-08-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Me! (Me, Bren Yule, at age 11)

August 2009 SOTM

2009-08-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

It's your day is a delightful stamp set to work with. Here I've used Animal Cookies (Dutch blue, Sunflower, Tulip, Clover Meadow, and Desert Sand) paper to create the 8"x3.5" Top Band (from Wishes) card. The ricrac is stamped on in black. The cake was stamped and cut out, applied with mounting foam.

Another sample I made used colors from Jeanette Lynton's Color Me Monday. The colors used was Key Lime, Baby Pink, Hollyhock, and Grey Wool. I also used Grey Flannel to make Wishes' Inner Circle card (4.5" circle). Flourishes helped make this card, well, flourish. And clear sparkles made it shine. The edges around the "Party" were edge distressed and then inked with Key Lime.

Future Consultant in Training

2009-05-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Kennedy Rose is a great little helper. She helped me prepare my May newsletter by volunteering to be the display model for the catalog kickoff notice. She's 2 weeks old here.

World's Best Dad

2009-04-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

April's Stamp of the Month!

I stamped the images of the fish on the backside of the Moonstruck CS, dry embossed them, and then sanded the front side. I liked the subtle look of the fish in the background. Then, like a crazy gal, I cut out the fishing pole, basket, and lure. The lure is hooked on the sign and attached to the fishing pole with fishing wire. The paper is Stardust.

Special Cards Memory Keeper

2009-04-07T21:44:00.001-07:00

This box was inspired by Jeanette Lynton. Her blog entry showing a similar memory keeper had me drooling! This is my workshop for April but toned down so that my customers can afford it and complete it in two hours.

Unforgettable paper, Fancy Cuts (TM) Botanicals, dimensional elements, Just Bloom(TM) Big Pinks, and of course the My Creations(TM) memory keeper are part of the box.

Cupcake and Stardust

2009-04-07T21:28:00.000-07:00

Cupcakes are rather popular right now, so I incorporated them into birthday cards that were a little more masculine.

The single swirl is stamped in the background of "Celebrate" in Moonstruck, Bamboo, and Honey. The stamp is also used on the cupcake icing.

Stars in Honey were stamped on the Honey cardstock. Colonial White Ricrac separated the CS and B&T. The cupcake wrapper was stamped on the back of the Moonstruck Stars and cut out. The icing was cut out and adhered with half-height 3-D Foam Squares.

The lower card uses Liquid Applique for the icing. After it was heated, I stamped on it.

Scalloped stamp was used with Honey on the Honey CS on the left card. Sprinkles were colored with marker and huffed before stamping on the icing. Direct to Paper distressed the Topiary, Honey, and White Daisy CS. Topiary Marker filled in the white part of the wrapper.

Happy Birthday with multiple candles utilizes the flexiblity of the stamps. The image was curved before stamping. The candles were then glued behind and in front of the icing.

Simplicity says the last card. The dotted border was stamped on the backside of the Moonstruck strip and dry embossed. The strip was then turned over and sanded before stamping. The cherry on top was made with a Cranberry Bigger Brad and Cranberry Waxy Flax.

Stardust March workshop

2009-04-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

These are from my March workshop. We used Stardust papers, honey and moonstruck cs and inks, along with the colonial white rickrack. The cards were all made (including 90% of the bases) from the scraps left over from the layout. My customers were thrilled when they saw how much you still do with what's left over. That had been a concern of some of them about using the how to books, but I definately had a few more believers after this workshop. I will for sure be using my scraps for a display each month now to show what can be done.

You can't see it very well in the pictures but I used our markers to show how easy it is to quickly highlight the stamped images (some of mine don't like full coloring) and also used liquid glass on the glass bubbles of the space ships which turned out really well.

magnet board

2009-02-25T20:21:00.001-08:00

This magnet board was from my Feb. workshop and my customers loved how quick, easy, and inexpensive they were to make. I bought the black cookie sheets from the $ Tree. We used tape runner to adhere the paper to the cookie sheet.

The magnets I used Glass bobbles from Walmart, and using liquid glass we adhered b&t, then the magnet to the pebbles. You can't see from the picture but we also glued ribbon around the sides of the magnet as they were thicker magnets. It worked perfect the thicker magnets are stronger and the ribbon gave such a finished look.

"Butterfly Wings" March Stamp of the Month

2009-02-23T16:39:00.000-08:00

Earn this Close to my Heart Stamp of the Month FREE!

Cupcake Giftcard Holder!

2009-02-22T18:37:00.000-08:00

Are these not the cutest little cupcakes you’ve ever seen??? Just pull up on the cherries to reveal the hidden gift card. WARNING: Do not eat (the hot glue is a gagger). Karen, Caroline and I had such a fun late night moment…here are the fruits of our labor…
Cupcakes created with our new Daydream papers, Just Blooms Big Pinks, Chocolate Cardstock and assorted Ribbons. The Cherry is a painted and glittered bead topped with a REAL cherry stem. Good enought to eat! (but don’t go there)
Inspired by kindred spirits, Linda Albrecht and Tresa Black

Feb SOTM card

2009-01-27T20:41:00.000-08:00

I used daydreamer paper for the background, white cs, creme brule cs for the larger scalloped square and to stamp the egg onto, and a different piece of daydreamer b&t for the smaller scalloped square. The egg was stamped with versa mark ink and embossed with white powder. I also used our legacy pens to dot the white cs and draw around the other images to tie them all to the main b&t paper. The antique white rick rac was sponged with creme brule ink. The different layers are raised using pop up foam squares.

Imagine layout - Monologue w/Aspen

2009-01-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

This is the layout my class did this month. We're doing a layout a month using the monthly word puzzles and simple layouts. The purpose for them is to have a finished album at the end of the year. I kept embellishments to a minimum because I wanted to show them that you can make pretty pages simply and quickly and that not every layout needs to be lavishly decorated.

We used Aspen paper, Colonial White CS for the bases, and Creme Brule CS . We stamped the 2009 onto the reverse side of the plaid paper with Twilight ink, and they loved the textured effect it gave.

Clear buttons were decorated with Liquid glass and coordinating B & T papers, then tied with Black Hemp.

I printed my photos in black and white to show them what a simple change to pictures can really add a big punch to the layout.

Eggs can be Strawberries! Feb Stamp of the Month!

2009-01-23T23:46:00.000-08:00

Strawberry Card by Bren Yule
February Stamp of the Month D1340 Easter Eggs
D1303 Classmate Alphabet
X7108B Daydream Paper Pack
Z2106 Blush Ink Pad
Z2105 Black Ink Pad
Z679 Liquid Glass
Z1293 Delta Ceramcoat Magnolia White Paint
(It’s in the distressing kit)
Mix Liquid Glass & Paint together for “Chocolate”
Z1299 Distressing Kit (Paint tray, mixing sticks and paint)
Z1304 Just Blooms Autumn Leaves (Cut for stems)
Z1148 Pretty Pins
Z1138 Blush Collection Ribbon Rounds
Bren.myctmh.com

Little mailbox using Whoops a Daisy and March 09 SOTM

2009-01-21T11:25:00.000-08:00

I bought these mailboxes at the Target dollar bin and am using them for an upcoming workshop.

On the textured cardstock I random stamped with the March SOTM butterflies. I also stamped with pencil erasers to make the circles match the Whoops a Daisy polkadots from the front of the box.

I used our write and rub pen along with prisma glitter on the front and back doors of the box, as well as on the little butterfly on the flag arm.

November SOTM

2008-11-11T20:35:00.000-08:00

My sample features the Expressives (tm) Font CD volume II -- "Shiver". I also used Liquid Applique and colored it after heating with a Bamboo marker.

The scarf and hat colors are Bamboo, Twilight, and Outdoor Denim, and are popped up (as is the nose). Our blending pen was used to highlight the right side of the snowman. And, finally, Liquid Glass was used to highlight the word "melt."

If I were to do this again, I'd put the words down below the background and textured paper, which is Aspen. :)

Technique: Sponging Paper Edges

2008-10-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

This week I decided to try using the Cermacoat paint with re-inker. I had created fellow consultant Antoinette Herrin's 50 card class using Aspen paper and also using Floral Tapestry. While I liked the easy of the workshop, I wasn't thrilled with the starkness of the white background. I did learn that the stamped image is also an important (besides the paper) for the cards to look great without a lot of fuss. Enter the technique of the week.

I added a lot of Outdoor Denim Re-inker to the Cermacoat paint. I didn't add enough to get the paint to get really dark. Then I started applying it with a sponge. After a few cards, I thought, "Why not try a paint brush?" I took out the fanned brush and added more strokes to the inside of the cards.

All in all, the technique was easy. I would go back and add a little more pizazz to the cards themselves. Here the paint was added to the edges and to the middle of the card.

I added some paint brush strokes -- just the tips--to the white of this card. The stamp here is November's Stamp of the Month, All Decked Out. Markers of Bamboo and Outdoor Denim were used for the top hat.

Here I added more strokes from the paint brush.

Just around the edges on this card.

Lastly, I added some sponging to the white of this card. I added some more to the bottom right corner to add some interest. One thing for sure is that you can't really shade paint.

Magic Moments Layout

2008-10-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

I've rotated the left page to accommodate a horizontal picture, and I've eliminated one strip. I didn't want my pictures to small enough to crop to 4"x3", so I cropped them all to be 4"x4". I've used Simple Pleasures Paper pack which utilizes Cocoa, Desert Sand, Bamboo, and Twilight colors. The fonts used were Extreme, Giggle, Tiny Typewriter, and Classmate. :)

creepy cobweb card

2008-10-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

I know this doesn't fit this week's challenge, but this is my new workshop card and I was pretty pleased with it. I used the Creepy Cobweb Stamps, enchanted paper, black, sunflower, and autumn terracotta inks. I sponge blended Sunflower and autumn terracotta inks onto the diamensional flower then stamped the web image. For a 3-D effect I stamped the web image first directly onto the card then lined up the dimensional piece over top of it. When I stamped the spider with the web string I curved the stamp on the block, which is a technique I really wanted to show my customers.

October SOTM with Magic Moments Paper

2008-10-11T12:46:00.001-07:00

This was my SOTM Swap, along with using it for a gathering make and take. I used Magic Moments Paper, Colonial White CS, Z2130 Indian Corn Blue Ink, and gold brads. I loved being able to show my customers that you can create the cards out of one sheet of B & T by using the reverse side, especially now that its designed too. You can't tell maybe from the picture, but I only cut slits in the stamped image and used it like a ribbon slide.

Pansy Purple, Sunflower, Black Color Challenge

2008-10-09T13:51:00.001-07:00

This is our 3rd annual Halloween block party's invitation. The Enchanted Paper makes this come together in a snap. The stamp sets are Hallow-Scream (words) and retiring Happy Haunting.

The ink is Pansy Purple for the words and Black for the spider and web. I used a black pen to attach the spider to the web.

Finished card size is 4"x4".

Annotations -- October SOTM

2008-10-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

I made this Pocket Greeting Tag (tm) 8"x3.5" card without the fold. I figure the person would write the note on the pull-out tag!

I thought I was being original by cutting the top off the tag stamp. However, when I later looked at the samples in the back of the book, I found that I wasn't original. Oh, well.

The paper was Magic Moments (I love this paper!) and Chocolate Textured CS, with a little Sunflower CS. The inks are Hollyhock, Chocolate, Sunflower, and Indian Corn Blue.

The "thank you" frame is 3-D set upon Sunflower CS corner rounded to. I put B&T behind and threaded basic floss through the button on the tag. I used a hollow concho for the hole up above. And finally, a pewter photo clip holds hollyhock twill ribbon. :)

October Stamp of the Month

2008-10-03T13:14:00.001-07:00

I will be honest.... when I first saw this stamp of the month, I wasn't all that excited about it. Thankfully I'm in a monthly swap and I had to pull it out and work with it and now I absolutely love it!!

You can't tell in the picture, but I used the dotted line stamp to create a background on the hollyhock band.

The frame in I used would be perfect for a Christmas ornament!! It is symmetrical so you can stamp two and glue them back to back. Add a cute photo and you are done!!!

This is definately a must have set. I have another card I made, but apparently it missed the photo session. I'll try to post it this weekend.

Enjoy!
Dawn

Catching Up...

2008-10-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

Ooops, busy month! Still getting used to bike commuting. I'm loving it, but it takes longer and then I'm wiped out at night and I keep forgetting to take pictures so now I'm catching up on all the challenges for September...and hopefully I'll get back on track for October...

For those of you who purchased the September SOTM, here's another sample for you.

Color challenge: We used the new colors this month. I say we, but technically I did nothing...hahaha... But in the interest of fulfilling my obligation to the design team I did beg my good friend Candace to allow me to post her cards. I loaned her my stamp pads for a workshop and she made me copies of the cards they did. AND they were the same colors as the color challenge. How cool is that?

I did the layout challenge, but I took pictures with my phone and they didn't come out so hot. I think my camera is on it's last legs so hopefully I can get this figured out...

Stay tuned. I have my October SOTM to post in a minute!
Dawn

September's Card Workshop

2008-09-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

Call me crazy, but this month we made two sets of cards. I should have had my guests make two of the same cards...instead we used two different papers. I had the Caprice paper cut before I received our new paper. I love our new paper, so our second set was with Magic Moments. I had a feeling that my guests weren't going to finish everything because the workshop was cutting intensive. Therefore, each guest went home with the Caprice papers and stamped images with instructions of finishing. Two of the cards were inspired by Starr Nelson and the others by corporate.

Life's creation card

2008-09-15T21:48:00.001-07:00

I made this card using our newest colors and stampsets premiering at convention.

D1304 Life's Creation
Tulip
Sorbet
Juniper (marker)
Popdots and brads

I made the stamped image by stamping the image once, then reinking rotating 180 degrees and stamping again. You'll notice the middle shape fits perfectly overtop of itself on the second stamped image.

Grateful

2008-09-06T21:41:00.001-07:00

Here's another color combo for the Treasure Life stamp set. I'll be doing this card and my previous card at my workshop coming up.

September's SOTM

2008-09-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

This is a card we did at my workshop this month using Caprice. We rolled the Honey ink with Chocolate before stamping. It was a huge hit with my customers.

Treasure Life

2008-09-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

Here's my take on the stamp set. I've seen so many great entries on blogs across the blog world. This set is so versitile and can be used in a variety of different color combinations. I love it! Mine is with the More to Adore paper. The message is from the Follow Your Dreams set. Thanks for looking.

Yvonne Wickenkamp

2008-09-02T22:52:00.000-07:00

Sept SOM Money Card
D1306 Treasure Life
Originals Card Confidence Program-
Scalloped Money Holder pg.58
1388 Colonial White Cardstock
1245 Olive Cardstock
1246 Hollyhock Cardstock
Z2128 Hollyhock Ink Pad
Z2237 Olive Ink Pad
Z2235 New England Ivy Ink Pd
Z2204 Barn Red Ink Pad
Z2110 Buttercup Ink Pad
Z2124 Grey Flannel Ink Pad
Z808 Winter Organdy Ribbon Rounds
Z1294 Sanding Kit
Z1050 Scallop Scissors
Z2128 Hollyhock Ink Pad
Z2137 Olive Ink Pad
Z2235 New England Ivy Ink Pad
Z2204 Barn Red Ink Pad
Z2110 Buttercup Ink Pad
Z2124 Grey Flannel Ink Pad
Z808 Winter Organdy Ribbon Rounds
Z1294 Sanding Kit
Z1050 Scallop Scissors
Z374 Coluzzle & Cutting System
Hole punches in various sizes
by Bren Yule bren.myctmh.com

2008-09-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

Time to share my offering for the September SOTM. This features papers from the brand new Notebook collection and uses Desert Sand ink, a bit of twill ribbon, and a tiny Just Blooms paper flower. I just love the fact that we can choose either side of the new paper and still have a fabulous pattern!

September SOTM

2008-09-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

The Treasure Life stamp set is really nice to work with. Here I've used it with colors Buttercup, Olive, a little New England Ivy (stripes) and Autumn Terracotta. This 5"x7" Family of Five (tm) sports a Buttercup spiral clip that has been bent in the bottom right corner.

Sorbet, Tulip, Creme Brulee Color Combination

2008-08-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

These are 3 of 4 new colors coming out in September. The only one missing is Juniper. The stamp set Feathery Flakes, also coming in September, was also used. The Sorbet paper was scored 1/2" apart and then sanded. The 8"x3.5" card base, the Creme Brulee 1/2" piece, the white center, and the Sorbet paper were all sponged with Sorbet ink. 3-D Foam makes the center flake pop out, and bigger brads were added to the bottom to round out the look.

Today's Date

2008-08-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

August's stamp of the month has something to offer every month of the year! This example uses the Sarsaparilla paper packet, Barn Red and Indian Corn Blue inks, and Black Hemp. When you give this card away, you can circle the special day!

Kissed Wrapped and Tied

2008-07-27T09:30:00.001-07:00

This Wrapped and Tied (tm) 4.75"x3" card was really fun to make! I used the stamp sets Happy Birthday (words), Birthday Bash (balloon), and Spot on Backgrounds (background and kissed image on the balloon). The colors are Sping Iris, Lilac Mist, Vanilla Cream, and Desert Sand (on the balloon).

Kissing was achieved by stamping off the balloon in Spring Iris and then kissing the background stamp that had been inked with Desert Sand. Before I stamped the image on paper, I then rolled the balloon back in Spring Iris to get more color around the edges of the balloon. I stamped this twice, once on extra cardstock (to cut out image of balloon) and once on the matted cardstock. Next, I cut out the balloon and string. The balloon has 3-D foam to bring it out.

Finally, the card was finished off with natural hemp glued with liquid glass at the top of the Spring Iris background cardstock.

Imagine: Small Packages

2008-07-20T17:08:00.000-07:00

This layout is from Imagine (pages 74-75). The right page foot and handprint had been nine 3"x3" pictures. The papers are from Whoops-a-Daisy and colors are Hydrangea and Watermelon.

Red, White, and Blue Color Challenge

2008-07-13T23:54:00.001-07:00

Thanks to our Blue Ribbon paper packet, the colors are already done. I've done quite a bit with this same pattern yet different papers for this card.

These colors are Colonial White, Cranberry, Indian Corn Blue, and Outdoor denim. The stamp set is Angel Whisper. The Big Brad is Outdoor Denim which is in the middle of the raised flower.

The Flower is inked with Cranberry and rolled with Barn Red. "Scatter sunshine" is inked in Indian Corn Blue.

These next two cards use Holiday Red, Star Spangled Blue, and White Daisy. Same card different colors. I used strips of cardstock for the upper pattern. And for the ribbon I used white ric-rac.

And, while I've been working with the Angel's Whisper and Original's Spotlight pattern, I've also done this card using Paper Garden and Floral Tapestry paper. All different in looks due to colors, all the same pattern and stamping!

July SOTM -- Life's a Jungle

2008-07-03T15:14:00.001-07:00

I did two versions of this card. This top card is the one I did for the swap. That one used fun flock for the mane that I dyed with Autumn Terracotta reinker (has to be done ahead of time for the fun flock to dry). I used Chocolate Waxy Flax for the accents on the side of the word and lion (I would have liked to use Natural Hemp but I didn't have enough for all of them). The edges were sponged with Autumn Terracotta ink, and the paper was Boom-di-Ada.

For this bottom card I used sassy strand for the mane and the the accent around "No Lion". The mane mainly consists of Goldrush from the Autumn Garden Collection and a few strands of Honey from the Winter Cozy Collection. The grass is the alligator's back. I used the Earth Tone Pencils to color the leaves and the lion.

Beauty in Reflection from Cherish

2008-06-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

I thought I picked the pictures from pages 48-49 of Imagine. But imagine my surprise when I closed the book and it was Cherish! So I moved forward with the layout I was prepared for...Beauty In Reflection. I rotated each page by 90 degrees to accommodate my pictures.

The recipe called for 2 B&T papers but I didn't have any that fit the bill. I took a third cardstock and made it into B&T. I used our mat and stylus and scored a line every 1/2", then sanded the lines to have them show more. Finally I took our stipple brush and stippled the strips.

With the Breeze paper I took the matching ink pad and rubbed the paper all over. It gave the paper a muddled look. The clear buttons reminded me of bubbles (Lindsey's theme was Ariel). The really B&T paper came from Majestic Blue paper packet. The font was CTMH Girlfriend that I printed out on vellum paper.

June SOM

2008-06-29T10:31:00.001-07:00

July Stamp of the Month -Gail

2008-06-27T22:12:00.000-07:00

Gail created this card...very nice job.

July Stamp of the Month -Aisha

2008-06-27T22:08:00.001-07:00

Used the file folder coluzzle, boom-di- ada paper, hemp cord, spiral clip and chocolate ribbon. Stamped images then colored them in with chalk. I love to color!

The Leader of the Pack...

2008-06-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm supposed to be the ring leader here. The one that sets the example. The one that does all the challenges... sadly I had to take a break because life was busy and I've struggled to get back on track... but I'm coming back now and I'm ready to go.

I took my picture with my cell phone, but at least I did it!!! Our group has new challenges and we're ready to go in July. I'm posting a little early just to get the show on the road!!

Here's my July Stamp of the Month submission.

Stamp set: D1285 Life's a Jungle (14 images/sayings) and oh so stinkin cute!! I think it's my favorite from this catalog.

I used the Boom-Di-Ada paper pack and colored the elephant with Hollyhock Ink. To color the elephant, I stamped the image and created a stencil by cutting the image out with a craft knife. Then I sponged the elephant with hollyhock ink.

Enjoy!

June Stamp of the Month

2008-06-20T13:24:00.001-07:00

Just playing around with a color challenge and used our June Stamp of the Month. The colors I used are topiary and buttercup. The background is from the spot on backgrounds. I stamped it in white daisy and then embossed it in white. I embossed the flowers in white on white cardstock and sponged the color in with sponge daubers. The base cardstock is some old, old Close to My Heart craft paper that we used to carry. I think it was called Husk. I wish we still carried it! I used some tiny strips of topiary and buttercup to make a faux ribbon. I paper pierced it and then used a white gel pen to make it look like stitching.

Thanks for looking,

Yvonne Wickenkamp

Whoops a Daisy and Decorative Dainties

2008-06-17T04:23:00.000-07:00

This super simple card showcases the beauty of chalk popping and the ease with which layering can add so much to your creation. With the border prints featured on the Whoops a Daisy paper, you can create different looks with each card you make.

June SOTM-True Fit Folio 6x6 Mini Album

2008-06-17T04:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun project made from a True Fit Folio. Inside, there is a single 6x6 memory protector and with that and the additional surfaces, you have plenty of room for pictures and journaling! This one has been created using the June SOTM-With Love and Whoops a Daisy papers. In addition, the background of the front flap is stamped tone on tone with Hydrangea and one of the images from the Decorative Dainties set. It then features doodling in white! The vase is tricolor thanks to making your own "inkpad" with reinkers and a piece of felt. The crushed paper flowers and stamped Just Blooms add dimension. Fun, fun, fun!

Layout: Supporting Cast

2008-06-16T08:44:00.001-07:00

This layout was done for a recent workshop. I thought my daughter's birthday party worked well with this layout. Her theme was unicorn so I made cupcakes and each year we take a picture with a stuffed animal lamb to mark their growth. The colors are Hydrangea and Watermelon. The paper is Whoops a Daisy. And the stamp set is June's stamp of the month, "With Love." The layout comes from Imagine.

Color Challenge

2008-06-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

I thought this one would be easy but it wasn't. The colors were chosen by randomly flipping through the color combination book. The winning combination was Sunny Yellow, Holiday Red, Orange and Watermelon.

Monogram "L" starts off this "Love it" Corner Charm card. The "L" ties in nicely with the Giggles font for the rest of the words. Angel Whisper was used for the rest of the stamping. Black Waxy Flax adds a little more whimsy as does the thin black line around each of the cardstocks.

June SOTM

2008-06-05T15:01:00.001-07:00

This June SOTM, With Love, is from the Originals Program and is called "button down". The finished size is 4.75" x 3". It uses the Whoops-a-Daisy paper packet and colors (ocean, watermelon, and hydrangea). White Daisy Sassy Strand is used to separate the B&T paper from the stamped area, and clear buttons and Spring buttons go down the right side. Sparkles in the center of the flowers round out this summery card!

Firecracker Template

2008-05-31T11:14:00.001-07:00

I drew up this design on paper, transferred it to chipboard (to save for the future), and then traced it to cardstocks. I used Outdoor Denim CS as the base, Honey, Orange, and Cranberry markers for the sparks, Natural Hemp for the wick, and glitter for the center. I then used Playful Flourishes and White Daisy on the base of the firecracker. Nice and simple. The firecracker is about 6" x 3".

I used the same template as above but stepped it up. The finished card is 5"x7" and the firecracker opens. The flame is the same, blending pen with Honey, Orange, and Cranberry Markers on Honey Textured CS. I then crinkled some velum paper and colored that with Cranberry and Orange marker. I topped that off with some glitter. The Cranberry and White Daisy strips are sanded, as is the Outdoor Denim CS base. Natural Hemp tied around the base with a Clear Inspiration Dangle hanging from the hemp. The base of the card is Outdoor Denim, White Daisy, and Cranberry CS. The Cranberry was stamped with It's A Party and Cranberry, Outdoor Denim, White Daisy, and Honey (difficult to see) Ink.

Imagine: Stars Above Layout

2008-05-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

This is the paper and layout for the WOTG. I rotated the right layout to suit my needs. In doing so, I needed to move the elements around a little, but that's the beauty and versatility of the layouts in Imagine! The paper is Whoops-a-Daisy. The stamps include Rustic Alphabet and June's SOTM, With Love. I haven't journalled yet, but this is a family trip to Maui to celebrate my sister's cancer remission! The year was 2001.

Key Lime, Dutch Blue, and Smokey Plum Colors

2008-05-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

I know I'm ahead of schedule by using the June SOTM but too bad. ;) The vase is Smokey Plum as are the words. The vased flowers are Dutch Blue as is the background paper. And then the Key Lime is stamped tone on tone for the card base. I used the VersaMat to create the lines on the Dutch Blue paper and then went back with a sponge to highlight them more. This Side Focus(tm) is 6" x 6".

Love this May Stamp of the Month!

2008-05-09T22:40:00.000-07:00

May SOM-Heartfelt Hello

2008-05-09T19:33:00.001-07:00

Supplies:

May SOM: Say It In Style

Stamp Set: August Word Puzzle

Blue Ribbon Paper Pack

Black & Honey Ink & Sponges for Distressing

Indian Corn Blue for flip flops

Prisma Glitter

Glue Pen

Foam Squares

By Lori Olive

May SOTM

2008-05-05T16:32:00.001-07:00

This month we used Lazy Says of Summer Paper Packet for the color scheme. Besides the wonderful Say in Style SOTM I used Angel Whisper for the curved saying below my daughters picture. The photo itself has been mounted on 3-D foam to pop out a little more. I also sanded the backround (I probably could have done more). The brads are silver, and this layout is wrap around.

Modified Silhouette Cards

2008-04-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

Bren showed her workshop on her website which uses the Silhouette Card pack with black My Accents and ribbon round. I've taken her workshop and re-worked it with the Boom-Di-Ada paper and ric-rac ribbon. The ink colors are Hollyhock and Barn Red. My Accents are also Hollyhock.

The saying on the tags "GREAT job" and "TRUE friend" are from May's SOTM. The word "friend" and the flower on that card's tag is from the Friendship Puzzle stamp set.

I used the Playful and Rustic font. I think the new Building Block and Hodge Podge fonts (pg 84-85) would work well here too for a more polished look. But I don't own it...

Sponged Heat Embossing

2008-04-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

I embossed the balloons in White Daisy on the card base. I then went over each one with ink making sure that I went off of the balloon into the surrounding areas. The ink doesn't sit on top of the embossing but settles into the nooks and crannies of the image.

The colors I used are Ocean, Breeze, and Sweet Leaf. The card is 6"x6" Tied Frame (Originals Program 2). I did move the ribbon (white daisy) from the top of the card to the bottom of the focal point. The stamp set is Birthday Bash.

Sweet Symphony Layout

2008-04-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

These pages were done for my sister's daughter. The colors are Star Spangled Blue and Sunny Yellow with a touch of Pansy Purple (the flowers). The top image is the right page. Both pages have been rotated 90 degrees. The larger photo mats were water wrinkled and then ironed and sanded. My Accents White Daisy and Buttercup (small brad in puple flower), Bigger Brads, and Just Blooms also accent the pages.

Taffy, Crystal Blue, and Key Lime Color Combo

2008-04-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, the colors didn't come out very well (it looks good in real life).

I stamped with Playful Flourish in Crystal Blue and Key Lime (didn't show up at all) on the Taffy textured cardstock. The textured cardstock then got a swiping directly with Taffy ink along the edges as well as the center (I rubbed in circles). The Crystal Blue and Key Lime mats and card base also got DTP with the Taffy ink. The Flower Garden Dimensional Element was inked with Taffy and then stamped with the Playful Flourish in Crystal Blue. Finally, Key Lime ribbon is tied behind the mats.

April SOTM

2008-04-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

This Side Note (TM) card used the It's a Guy Thing Paper. The cocoa ribbon is embossed with white. Ink was Cocoa for the words as well as the sponging done around the whole card. Copper brags finish off the ribbon.

April Stamp of the Month

2008-04-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

I love this cute set...here we are using the same paper set, but look at all the new ideas!

Dawn/Gail April SOTM Express Postage

2008-04-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks, I'm a little behind on posting, but here are mine and Gail's April stamp of the month cards... Although the colors didn't turn out that great in the photo, we both used the It's a Guy Thing paper pack.

Pocket card by Dawn Heuft. The tag pulls out so that you can attach a gift card.

Friendship card by Gail Vought

Wedding Layout-Double Take (Imagine)

2008-03-31T18:33:00.000-07:00

Papers: Silhouette & Vellum

Layout: Pages 102-103 Imagine

Flowers: Silk from Michael's

Ribbon: ?? & Black Brads

Being Goofy Layout

2008-03-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

Inspiration-Layout from: Imagine-Pages 90-91

Fonts: Cricut-Mickey and All Mixed Up & Minnie on journaling
Paper: retired B and T: Flower Power & watermelon b and t
CS: Black, Dutch Blue, Watermelon, Sunny Yellow (textured)
Embellishments: Mickey and making memories flower brads

Overhauling Layout

2008-03-31T17:40:00.000-07:00

Left side: 1a-title topper-subtle (reflections)
Right Side: 3a-Side Bar Original (reflections)
Stamp Sets:
Friendship Word Puzzle
Cobblestone Alphabet

CS:
New England Ivy
Colonial White

CS and Ink:
Dessert Sand, Cocoa and Chocolate

B and T from another company & tools from Jolees.

Trying Out Turkey Layout

2008-03-31T17:32:00.000-07:00

Left-Rise N Shine (Cherish-109)

Right-Echoes (Cherish-41)

Colors Used:

New England Ivy CS

Enchanted B & T- Garden Green

All edges inked with New England Ivy

Stamp Sets:

D1258 Friendship Word Puzzle

C1290 Memory Labels

April SOM Samples

2008-03-31T15:10:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get back in the creation saddle. I really like this set. Enjoy! I will have some layouts to post in a bit as well.

Smiles,

Lori

December 2007 6"x6" Layout

2008-03-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

This is one of my sample submissions for teaching at this year's convention. I submitted to teach Heat Embossing. So what's so special about this sample? Well, besides the subject matter, I made my own Sunny Yellow Accents. How I did that was by inking the accents with our VersaMark Ink Pad. Then I covered them with Sunny Yellow Embossing Powder and heated them (I used tweezers to hold the items still). The spiral clip had been Heavenly Blue, and I don't remember the color of the brads.

The next thing I did for this layout was sponge distress with the VersaMark Ink on the Star Spangled Blue and the Black cardstock. On the Star Spangled Blue, I used clear embossing powder while I used black on the black. Both added texture to the cardstock without adding color. Finally, I sponged the edges of the torn vellum mat, once again with VersaMark Ink, and used black embossing powder.

I think simple but not plain... :)

P.S. Oh yeah, and I did correct the date on the sample I sent in.

March SOM

2008-03-29T22:17:00.000-07:00

Scrapbook in a Box-CARDS

2008-03-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

Thought you would enjoy seeing samples of these cards that are such fun to make and a little something special. The center portion that is tied shut opens just like a Scrapbook in a Box to reveal 5 surfaces on which you can put sentiments or pictures. The focal point pieces on the front of the "scrapbook" are done with D1270 March Word Puzzle. Colors are Twilight, Sweet Leaf, and Chocolate. For the "bloom" on the righthand card, I stamped first in Twilight and then slightly off the first image in Sweet Leaf. Direct to paper technique in a crisscross pattern was used for the border of the "scrapbook" as well as the very outside border. Enjoy!

Chalking Away

2008-03-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

My favorite chalking technique utilizes our chalks (of course chalks) and VersaMark stamp pad. I stamp the image in the VersaMark pad and then use the chalks to color the image. As you can see, you are not limited to one color. For these two cards, I did everything the same but played with the way I chalked the words. The one on the left I chalked the whole word in the same color. I chalked "for" and "you" in sweet leaf to emphasis those words. The one on the right I chalked the words two toned, the top blue and the bottom green.

The flower on the white is also chalked. When you stamp the image, it will have a sheen to it so you can make out the image to know where to chalk. For the leaves, I first stamped and chalked the solid image, then I stamped and chalked the lined inner image. That method worked much better than stamping both images and then chalking the image (the inner line didn't show up).

The colors are Sweet Leaf (flower mat), Crystal Blue (card base and background stamped image), and Dutch Blue (strip). The matted flower image is raised on 3-D form and our antique copper brads are in each of the corners. The matted flower and strip cardstock are edge distressed. The stamp set I used is "Thoughts of You."

Reflections Title Topper

2008-03-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

This Title Topper is Photos. I used the Enchanted papers and ink. The bottom left picture was supposed to be 4"x4" but too much would have been cut, so I cut the picture a little larger. I didn't have to adjust the size of the B&T paper though!

I hand wrote the journalling under the title from Happy Haunting (D1180). The date font is Charm Lowercase (C1265).

The photo corners are embossed black on black to give it interest. And I added the three black bigger brads to the bottom right to offset the black above.

The lower picture is my family's best friends. The two older girls are the same age as my girls. Supergirl is our neighbor who is also Amber's age.

I'm feeling a little green....

2008-03-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm not feeling "icky" green... I'm feeling happy, it's almost St. Patty's green. The kind that plans for yummy corned beef for dinner. And while our friends from other parts of the country/world would never say that San Diego is "green," those of us who live here are enjoying all the green hills and beautful flowers.

I used Clover Meadow patterned paper, Clover Meadow cardstock, Clover Meadow Sassy Strands and yes Clover Meadow ink. Stamps are from the March word puzzle.

Technique: I used the white daisy marker to do a little outlining on the images to make them pop a little.

Dawn

Green for Patty's Day

2008-03-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by Heather Plotzke's swap card. She used the hearts from the All My Love set. So, I used the same set but smaller hearts to create the clovers. I used a marker for the stems. The small clover is made from solid heart next to the "love you." I cut the heart away from the words.

The colors are Sweet Leaf and Ponderosa Pine on white cardstock. I wasn't sure which combination I'd like better, dark on light or light on dark, so I did both. Each presents itself differently. I also accented them slightly differently. On the dark background (right card) I sanded the Pine and added our new antique copper brads in the upper left corner. For the light card (left one) I added glitter to the inside of the shamrock. Both cards are Angle Over and measure 4.75" x 3." The dark background's tail is not tucked in to show off the full view.

MARCH Triangle Down

2008-03-04T07:41:00.000-08:00

This month's SOTM was really fun for me. Triangle Down is a 8"x3.5" card that I changed to be 4"x6". It's just meater and "Happy Mother's Day" fit. I stamped the butterfly on vellum with Chocolate ink and heat embossed clear powder to keep the Chocolate showing. I then colored it with Sweet Leaf, Buttercup, and Twilight, cut it out and glued it onto the front. The flowers were stamped in Chocolate and colored with the three colors mentioned above again. The lighter shades of Buttercup (the medium sized flowers) was obtained by squeezing the ink pad and picking up the color with a blending pen (it may be difficult to see here, but trust me). I also employed this technique for the small flowers using Twilight (again trust me). The card was finished off with sponging Chocolate around the whole thing and each component. There are gold brads in the striped band to keep you eyes up high.

Products used:

Simple Beauty Stamp Set

Good Times Paper Packet

Chocolate, Buttercup, Twilight, Sweet Leaf Markers

Chocoltate, Buttercup, Twilight Ink Pads

Vellum Paper

Clear Embossing Powder and Craft Heater

Gold Brads

Sponge

March SOTM-Linda T.

2008-03-02T09:14:00.000-08:00

Here's the first of 2 SOTM contributions...Enjoy!

All supplies used are CTMH
Stamps
D1261 Simple Beauty
D1187 For Every Occasion
Inks
Chocolate and Twilight
Paper
Good Times Paper Pack
Other
Watercolor Pencils
Waterbrush
Gold Brads
Liquid Glass
Prisma Glitter

March Design Team News.....

2008-03-01T20:21:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's March already.... Here's what you can look forward to from the Design Team this month
Week 1 - March Stamp of the Month - D1261 Simple Beauty
Week 2 - Think Green for St. Patty's Day.
Week 3 - Title Topper from the new book Reflections
Week 4 - Let there be Chalk....

And here is my March SOTM submission.

All supplies are Close To My Heart
Paper: Good Times Paper Pack
Markers: Buttercup and Twilight
Stamp pads: black and sweet leaf (used watercolor brush to pick up color and paint the stem because I didn't have a sweet leaf marker.)
My Accents: Garden Green (brad)
Ribbon: Chocolate grosgrain

Watercolor Pencils - Dawn

2008-03-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

I used the pastel watercolor pencils to color in the little flower from the Flower Child set. After I colored in the image, I used a blending pen to go over the watercolor pencils. It's a subtle effect and it's hard to see it in the photo, but it just kind of blended all the lines from the coloring in and made it smoother.

I'm having "technical" difficulties getting the beautiful pastels in the paper to show up... in real life it's pretty cute.

All supplies are Close To My Heart
Pastel watercolor pencils
Blending Pen
Key Lime Ink
Paper Garden paper pack.

"Watercolor" Pencil/Colored Pencils

2008-02-29T23:55:00.000-08:00

I don't own the watercolor pencils so I used the coloring pencils instead. I first stamped the image in Archival Ink because I'd be going over the image with the blending pen and I didn't want the image to smear. I used the Primary and Pastel sets and I used the blending pen. I learned many years ago at convention to pick 3 colors within the same family. The lightest shade is the base coat, a little darker goes on next and covers the majority of the base coat. The darkest coat adds the shading for the image. In my sample, I colored in small swirls throughout each layer. After I was happy with the shading, I used the blending pen to go over the image, smoothing out and further blending the pencil marks. I think the same procedure could be used for the watercolor pencils.

Also to note: I added a Baby Pink spiral clip to the card. I don't own the Baby Pink Accents so I made this one using VersaMark ink and Baby Pink Embossing Powder (one of my embossing tricks I submitted).

Enjoy this 8"x3.5" Puzzle Backround card!

Fab Fifteen Layout from CHERISH

2008-02-20T17:32:00.001-08:00

This is a two page layout I did for my oldest sister for Christmas. Yes, the paper is old as are the pictures. Since the pictures were at most 3.5"x5" I had more borders. The bottom image is the right page layout rotated counterclockwise 90 degrees. The journalling strips are blank for my sister to fill in.

Feb SOM Purse

2008-02-17T17:25:00.000-08:00

Endless Love Purse
By Bren Yule #1164
Bren@myctmh.com
D1260 Endless Love Feb SOM
X7090B Silhouette Paper Pack
Z1035 Black Ribbon Collection
Z1033 Big Just Blooms
Z819 Med Window Charms
Z371 Coluzzle Circle
Z368 Coluzzle Mat
Z369 Coluzzle Knife
1512 Bonding Memories Glue
1514 Tombow Tape Runner
1772 Glue Dots
Z679 Liquid Glass as Adhesive

Blush and Chocolate Challenge

2008-02-15T06:41:00.000-08:00

Some of you have seen this card in an alternate color combo and can now enjoy it in Blush and Chocolate! Again, I used liquid glass and glitter on the swirls of both the larger and smaller hearts. This features, of course, the More to Adore paper.

Feb. SOTM Cards

2008-02-15T06:34:00.001-08:00

Am finally finding time to scan and post! I've decided to post 3 cards just because I can. To put some focus on the Totally Textured campaign, I used some Crystal Blue textured cardstock, sanded on all 3 cards. Two of the cards also feature liquid glass and glitter...I guess it's been one of my things lately! Note that on the vertically oriented card, I added dots of liquid glass/glitter along the bottom strip of cardstock. Enjoy!

More to Adore Pixie Pocket

2008-02-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

Although this was not planned, I used the Level One More to Adore paper too! Great minds think alike eh Yvonne?

I created a Pixie Pocket based on the directions on splitcoast stampers. Since I only needed a 7x7, I used some of the extra pieces to create bag toppers and cards. Sadly my other pictures didn't turn out very well. I'll try to take them again before the week is up.

Dawn

Nugget Boxes

2008-02-11T15:33:00.001-08:00

These boxes were made out of Level One More to Adore. I used the level one because it's preprinted cardstock so it's more sturdy. They were super fun to make. If you want the pattern there are several here. It takes odd measurements like 3/8 etc. but if you take your time on the first one you'll have it. I did have the cardstock all measured and scored for my workshop girls. I also gave them a copy of the pattern and they all felt like they could make another without help.

Yvonne Wickenkamp

Color Challenge - Blush/Chocolate/Baby Pink

2008-02-10T23:26:00.001-08:00

Level 1 paper used here to create the layered look. I made this card with a group of Brownies who were 8 and 9 years old. The chocolate heart is on 3-D foam. All My Love stamp set was used.

It just so happened that my girls' school Valentine's Day treat matched the color challenge (yea for me)! I was going to show this at the mega meeting but I'm happy to share here. As many of you know, the Nugget boxes are really big right now. I got the template to make this 2 piece box and top (which I modified) from splitcoaststampers.com. I used the More to Adore Level 1 bulk layout for the lid. And I used blush cardstock for the box. Printed the saying out on Avery 5160 labels printing in chocolate and hollyhock. Then I stamped the heart from All My Love in Baby Pink (over hollyhock) and Blush (over chocolate). I used a mini glue dot to adhere the opening flap of the lid and our bonding glue for the back.

February SOTM

2008-02-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

I added the black square before I coluzzled out through the 3 layers. I did my best to stamp the image in the middle of the circle (I didn't want to have to measure). Even those that didn't end up exactly in the middle looked okay to me -- kind of like rays are brighter on one side. The small flowers down below are stamped. All paper is from the Silouette Paper Packet. This card is 4.25" x 6".

Modge Podge Girl Scout Book

2008-02-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make a durable book that will be able to last several years, so I modge podged both sides of the paper. I added some glittery modge podge to "GIRL SCOUT" and over the words "Daisy," "Brownie," and "Junior." Paper is from Good Times with inks to match.

February Stamp of the Month Cards

2008-02-06T11:54:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in posting these. We went to the Close To My Heart Regional Celebration in Las Vegas last weekend. I guess it was all too much for me because I've been home in bed ever since. :-) I did find the energy to take pictures of our cards so here they are.....

The top card is by little ole me - Dawn and the bottom card is by my good friend Gail. I used the papers from the Silhouette Creative Basics kit and Gail used the papers in the Silhouette Level 2 kit.

Enjoy!

Memory Book

2008-01-30T12:27:00.000-08:00

For a workshop this weekend I'm having the ladies cover some albums that I found in the Dollar Spot at Target. I used Modge Podge on the paper to make it adhere. Then we'll stamp the pages to match. This little book could be just about anything you'd want it to be. I took 2007 and divided it into segments...vacation, foster kids, big events like the adoption of our kids, etc. Each page has a tab. I went through my year of photos on disk and picked out ones that depicted the events. I printed them in wallet size and scrapped the year in this little book. Those that know me know that I have a very hard time finding time to do lots of scrapbooking (probably the 5 kids I have LOL). This sort of recapped the year and I feel like I've gotten something done :0)

I will be posting all of the pages on my blog by tomorrow morning. Check it out.

Thanks for looking,

Yvonne Wickenkamp

Dawn's Cherish Layout

2008-01-20T10:51:00.000-08:00

I almost didn't get these posted in time! Here are my layouts for this week's challenge. I used the X7070b Simple Pleasures paper pack and d1227 Legendary Moments stamp set. I distressed with cocoa and desert sand and stamped with bamboo ink.

Nate & Kate Imagine Layout

2008-01-19T19:59:00.000-08:00

Here is my layout from Imagine page 64 & 65...I'm here in Hawaii with limited photos to work with, but wanted to meet my challenge! hope you like it!!!! Oh...it is so beautiful here!!!
Mahalo, Bren