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Grandma's Christmas Gift

I  have been working on finishing up a photo book for my grandmother.  I put together lots of old family photos that my mother compiled for Grandma's  90th birthday, as well as new photos of the Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren.  I am using Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio software.  There is so much in this software.  It has photo editing and tons of Stampin' Up! stamp art work and Designer Series Paper.  Almost too much to choose from.  On my first attempt at this  project I added just about everything but the kitchen sink.  This time around I choose just a few colors and stamp brush sets, as well as a select few embellishments.  This is going to be the cover page.  It is my favorite of  the old black and white photos.  That is my Grandpa and Grandma. 

This is another page.  I used the same colors and stamp brush set as on the cover.  This is my Great-Grandparents on my mothers side.  You have to love that picture of Anne Gibson in all her finery, just come from Ireland.

Here is another page.  Grandma is the little flower girl on the right.  My finished book has 24 pages.

I really enjoy looking at these old photos.  I have to admit, at first I was reluctant to try the digital scrapbooking.  I wanted REAL paper, REAL textures.  I still do love all that!  And I still do make real pages, but digital scrapbooking has helped me to do bigger projects, and in a shorter amount of time.  You can add a stamp or delete a stamp with the click of a button.  And, I am going to  have the book professionally printed with a nice hard photo cover.  

Hope you got some inspriration from todays project. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Snow is coming!

Snow is going to get here soon, but not as soon as my son would like.  Every day he asks me if it will snow today.   The sky looked like it might snow today, but we just got rain.  Both my boys really like winter and enjoy making snowmen.  I have to admit that I do to!  I think I may actually invest in snow pants for myself this year!  They are sort of pricey for adults, but I think it will be worth it in the end. Anyway, onto the card!  I made this card for a challenge at www.splitcoaststampers.com .  The challenge was to make a card to fit the open end envelops from the catalog, these are long and skinny.  We were also supposed to find a card from the Stampin' Up! catalog to inspire us, but change it up a bit.  I chose the card at the top of page 37, and I changed the stamp set and trim.  To color the images, I used my Blender Pens.  Blender pens are great to color with, and you get subtle highlights that you just can't get with plain makers.  A blender pen is clear, and you dip the tip into your ink and color.  In between colors you clean you tip off by running it across a scrap piece of paper until the color runs clear again.

I added a bit of glitter for some sparkle!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Santa Claus is coming to town!

I took my two youngest to visit the mall Santa.  Zachary had been asking when he would get to go tell Santa what he wanted this year.  He is very concerned that Santa knows just the right toy that he wants.  Jillian was unsure about the whole thing. She did not talk to Santa at all, but later told me that she wants a cat.  Not sure about the whole cat thing right now, maybe once we're all done with potty training. 
This scrapbook page is 6 x 6 and it is part of my goal to make at least one 5 minute page a week.  I will still make more involved pages, and paper pages, but I want to make sure to make a quick and simple page every week to guarantee I don't get too far behind.  These images were part of  a free digital download from Stampin' Up! during national scrapbooking day!  Stampin' Up gave out 5 free downloads.  YEA!  They also come out with new downloads every Tuesday.  Stampin' Up! also hosts a website for all you digital scrapbookers!  The site is for customers and Stampin' Up! demonstrators, and it is full of tips and tricks, samples and ideas.  Here is the link: http://mydigitalstudio.net/
Thanks for stopping by!! Im off to make some pumpkin pie for tomorrow!  Have a great Thanksgiving!!

Masculine Card Swap

The demonstrator group that I belong to holds a monthly card swap.  I try to participate as much as I can, and this month I knew I just had to. The theme this month is masculine cards, and I have a hard time  making masculine cards.  We were allowed to  make masculine cards for any age group.  I was going to go with the easiest boy age for cards - baby boy.  I like to make cute cards and baby boy cards are no problem.  Then I thought that I should choose teen, since that is probably the hardest age.  So, to challenge myself I went with Teenage masculine as my theme.  I choose Basic Black and River Rock as my colors.  The stamp set is called Grunge Rock.  I bought this set a while back during a sale.  I thought it would be a good one to have since I have a son with an interest in rock bands, and several of his friends play guitar. I also thought I might use it for scrapbooking. 

 I wanted a sort of grungy look, so I inked up my paper by rubbing it directly on the ink pad.  I then took my middle layer and sprayed it with water and rolled it up into a ball.   I used the harlequin background stamp to ink up the background in a tone on tone effect that didn't show up well in my photos.  I also added some dimension by stamping other images in versamark ink and embossing with clear embossing powder.   I stamped the guitar in Basic Black ink onto River Rock card stock, and cut them out.  I stuck the guitar on with a dimensional so it stands a bit off the paper.

There are 8 participants in the swap, so that was a lot of cutting.  I once was in a swap with 30 people, and the card I came up with had embossing and cutting and layers and ribbon.  I really loved the card so I decided to stick with it, but wow that was a lot to do!  30 cards is not bad, but 30 of the same card with multiple steps, a bit crazy :) 
I hope you liked today's project!  I'll most likely be in full Christmas mode after today! 
Thanks for stopping by!!

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Today only, the new Simply Scored Board is on Sale 20% off!

I am getting the ribbon bundle and the On Your Birthday stamp set.  Its a pricey set thats been on my wish list for a few years! Today its 50% off! There are some great digital downloads too!

Call me if you have any questions!

Attention Stampin' Up! shoppers!  Starting Monday the 21st, running through Wednesday the 30th, Stampin' Up! is having an ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA!  And on Monday only, two items will be at an additional savings!  Sale orders can be placed right from my online store, or I can place them for you if you have any trouble.  This is all the info I have right now.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions!! 

Blessing Mix

It is that time of year when we think about all we are grateful for.  Not only what we are grateful for, but who.  I was given this Blessing Mix a few Years back, not exactly sure if it was one or two years ago, by another stamper friend of mine (thanks Linda).  I have changed up the stamp set and embellishments a bit to make it fit the stamps that I have, but it is pretty much the same as hers.  I started by making a box out of the Fancy Favor box die and my Big Shot die cutter.  I then stamped my leaves randomly around the box.  The set I used is called French Foliage.  I used a technique called the Rock and Roll technique.  In this technique, you first stamp you image in one color ink, then roll the edges of the image in another color ink.  This is a great way to add more dimension to your stamped images, and its perfect for leaves.  








After I put my box together, I filled it with the items mentioned in the saying.  The Blessing Mix saying goes like this:   The bugles are a symbol of the cornucopia, a horn of plenty.  The pretzels represent arms folded in thanks and prayer.  The candy corn reminds us that during the first winter,the pilgrims were allowed only five kernels of corn per day because food was scarce. The fruit is a reminder that Thanksgiving is the celebration of the harvest.  The peanuts represent seeds, the potential of the bounteous harvest of the next season if they are planted and well tended.   There are probably a few other versions out there.  This one uses a bugle shaped corn chip type snack that was somewhat hard to find.  If you cant find it near you, you could search for another saying that doesn't use bugles.  I used sugared orange slices as my fruit.  I tied up my bag in a More Mustard scalloped ribbon, and added a few more stamped leaves that I cut out as further embellishment.  On the first box I made, I added the saying on a panel on the front of the box.  I later decided that the saying covered the leaves too much, so on the second box I added the saying as a tag. 

These boxes will be going out to some of the people I am thankful for. 

This is the version the children in my church class will make to give to someone special to them. They are 4 and 5, so I don't quite trust them with my stamps and ink :)

I hope you liked today's project.  If you have any questions please feel free to email, I am happy to help.  All products used are available from me, from Stampin' Up!

A Beautiful Fall Day!

I am messing around in the My Digital Studio software today.  My Digital Studio is software from Stampin' Up! that creates scrapbook pages, photobooks, individual pages, digital books and more.  I am trying to get bettter acquainted with all of the elements and tools and just the sheer quantity of options that the program comes with.  I was making pages that were taking me hours and then I decided to take a break from that and see if I could make a page in less than 5 minutes.  This is what I came up with.  I think it turned out pretty cute!  I think I was over thinking what I was working on before.  I am attempting a large project for my Grandmother.  It will be a full book, about 24 pages, full of pictures of her life from a very young girl.  My mom scanned the pictures a few years ago for her 90th birthday and they played on a digital frame during the party.  I thought my grandma would like a book that she could flip through.  Hopefully I can get it finished in a week, so that I can send it off to be printed!  I'll show you the results soon, I hope!
Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Punch Art

I have really been using my punches these last few months.  I admit that punches are my weakness, as soon as Stampin' Up! comes out with a new one, I have to have it.  The Angel is made the same way as the Angel from Saturdays post ( http://bethrush-bethspapercuts.blogspot.com/2011/11/punch-art-angel.html     ).  The Baby Jesus is made from several oval punches, including the XL Oval for the manger, the Scallop Oval for the hay, and the Large Oval for the blanket.  Below is a detail photo of how I made the blanket.

I sponged the edges of the blanket pieces so that the layers would show up better.  I made a halo for the Baby Jesus by making a really small piece of the Word Window punch.  The Christmas tree is made from the Petite Pennants Builder punch.   

close up of punches

I hope you like todays project!  Remember, all supplies I use are Stampin' Up!  Contact me if you have any questions, or would like to purchase some Great Stampin' Up! supplies!!

Punch art Angel

A fellow demonstrator was looking for a punch art angel, so I started looking too.  I had recently noticed a few made with butterfly wings, so I decided to make a version of this myself.  I'm not sure who thought of butterfly wings for angel wings, but I think it was a great idea!  For  my angel, I used vellum card stock, punched out with the butterfly punch, and then embossed in the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder.  I've taken a picture of all the little pieces I used to make up the angel.    In addition to the butterfly punch for the wings,  I used the small oval for the halo, the 3/4 inch circle for the head and hair, the petite pennants builder for the body, and the smallest heart from the heart to heart punch for the praying hands.  To make the hair, I punched a circle and then used the same punch to make small cuts for hair.  I think this will be a great little treat for the kids in my class at church. I didn't really want to give them a santa or grinch candy bar like a made a few weeks back, ( http://bethrush-bethspapercuts.blogspot.com/2011/10/more-candy-wrappers.html) so I was going to make them some snowmen candybars, but the angel will work much better!

I hope you liked the project! Thanks for stopping by!

A new fold

I am back to trying out a few challenges.  This card was for the Creative Crew Challenges on www.splitcoaststampers.com .  The challenge called for a quarter fold card, using the sketch below. I have never tried a quarter fold card before, so I thought I would give it a try.  The card base is two pieces of card stock, one 4 1/4 by 11 and the other 5 1/2 by 8 1/2.  On the 4 1/4 by 11 piece of paper, score at 2 3/4 and 8 1/4.  On the 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 piece, score at 2 1/8 and 6 3/8.  Layer them so that the flaps fold like the top of a box.

 Once you've got all your pieces,, you can decorate it any way you like.  I was in a Christmas mood. The sentiment stamps are from the Petite Pairs stamp set, which is a must have in my opinion.
I added some decoration to the inside of the card too.

If you would like to check out the creative crew gallery, or participate in the challenges, follow this link: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/creative-crew-challenge-forum-f309/november-2011-creative-play-along-challenges-t541282.html

Fall Leaves

It is so cold outside right now!  I know that snow is just around the corner.  But, for today, the sun is shinning on my sugar maple outside, and it still has most of its beautiful fall colored leaves.  My husband Ben picked this tree because it is just lovely in the fall.  When we bought this house there was a big elm tree, huge actually.  It had to come down sadly, so we were told to pick out a new tree.  The sugar maple was the prettiest, but it is a slow grower!  The pear tree in the front is still green, it tends to hold its leaves longer than the others around, and the bushes are bright red.  The ground is speckled with color.  I decided to make a card that reflects the look of the ground.  I am making a "Thinking of You" card for someone recouping in the hospital.  The card has many layers, like the ground covered in leaves outside.  I started by stamping leaves from the set "French Foliage" onto Vellum card stock.  I used More Mustard, Riding Hood Red, and Always Artichoke.  I should have switched the red and yellow leaves, as my tiny leaves outside are red and the sugar maple is yellow.  I have been told I over think things :)   After I stamped my leaves, I stamped the Confetti card stock base underneath.  I used the clear stamp block to make a River Rock rectangle that will highlight my sentiment.  I then stamped the French script in Soft Suede.

I loaded them all onto a base of Soft Suede card stock.  I wanted the vellum layer to be free flowing, so I attached it by punching a hold through the layers, and tying them together with a knot of Hemp Twine. 

                                                                             In the picture of the knot you can see a close-up of the leaves.  I made them two toned in color like natural leaves.  I did this by first stamping in the Always Artichoke ink, then rolling the edges in some Riding Hood Red ink.  

See how the vellum flutters?  So pretty!   I am going to use this card for a challenge over at SUO Challenges.  The Challenge was to make a "thinking of you" type card, with a specific person in mind.  They asked the question, how do you start to make a card with the person in mind?  I was thinking of this person in the hospital, happily out of the cold, but missing some of the pretty fall colors.  Follow this link and check out the Challenge: http://suochallenges.com/?p=941 

Thank you for stopping by!

Turkey Time

Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  I thought I would use some of my left over candy bars to make some Thanksgiving treats.  I may use them for the kids teachers. The turkeys are made from the Stampin' Up! Owl Punch.  This is such a fun punch! I've seen owls, turkeys, ghosts, almost too many things to name, made from this punch.  The Feathers are also punches.  I can't decide which way I like to make the turkey's feathers.  Last year I made the turkey like you see on the left, using the scallop circle to make the feathers.  I recently saw a few online that used the 5 petal flower punch instead.  I think I'm going to stick to the scallop circle, its easier to line up. 

This picture shows a close up on all the little parts that come together to turn the owl punch into a turkey.  I used the heart that comes with the punch to make the beak, and I cut out an extra foot to make the turkey's waddle.  I think that waddle is the correct word for that thing that hangs off the turkeys face, but if not, let me know :)   The colors I used are More Mustard, Cajun Craze and Chocolate Chip.  The "Happy Thanksgiving" stamp is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set. 

This is the box I made last year.  It used the "box #2" die for the box.   Thanks for stopping by!    

Denim and Kraft

I really like the new Denim Ribbon.  Its a great addition to my ribbon collection, and works perfectly with Kraft (now called Crumb Cake) paper, my all time favorite paper for card bases.  Today's project was for a challenge over at SUO (Stampin' Up! Only) Challenges.  This is a blog that sponsors Stampin' Up Challenges for both Stampin' Up! Demonstrators and Customers.  I have just recently learned of this blog and I really like it, it is a great source of inspiration.  The challenge this week was Thinking of You, I acidentaly made a thank you, so I'll make a different one for the Challenge :).  This time of year there are so many people to thank, especially after Christmas.  I thought I would make a Snowflake card to reflect the winter season, but I didn't want to use Christmas colors since I would most likely use this card after Christmas.  I started with a base of Crumb cake, and cut another piece 1/2 inch smaller than the base.  I randomly stamped snowflakes from the set "Snow Swirled".  I like to keep my "Random" somewhat orderly, for example, I use one color for each size, and try not to stamp too many, so that it is not too cluttered.   I assigned the largest stamp White Craft ink, the middle size, Night of Navy, and the smallest snowflake gets Crumb Cake.   I then used a sponge to add White Craft ink on the edges of the paper.  It sort of looks like a frosty window.  

I then wrapped the paper in the Denim Ribbon, and tied a knot.  I then added the top piece to the base with dimensionals, so that it stands off the base just a little.  Next I made my tag.  I used the two sizes of Tag Punches, but I added a notch to the bottoms.  One way I make my notches is to find the center of your paper, then mark it with a pencil, going as high as you want your notch to go.  Once you've made your mark, you can just snip from the corner up to the top of your pencil mark.

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you found some inspiration today!