Peeking through the window on a Country Morning

A couple weeks ago I had a card class where we made 6 card--2 each of 3 different designs. One of the cards spotlighted a "new" technique for many of my customers. Watercoloring with Stampin' Up!'s Watercolor Wonder Crayons! I've had my watercolor crayons for awhile now, but for whatever reason hadn't showcased them at a class yet. Perhaps it was because I am not a watercoloring expert and the idea of teaching the technique sort of intimidated me. Somehow I got beyond that and started playing around with them. I have to say that using the watercolor crayons, Aqua Painters and our Watercolor Paper makes watercoloring a breeze! Here's my sample:

There are many ways to use the watercolor crayons, but the way I showed was by using them directly on the stamped image (using Staz-On ink). Draw fairly light lines of color along the edges of the objects you're coloring. Then take an Aqua Painter filled with water and simply blend the color towards the middle. The more you go over the crayon lines, the lighter the lines will become. If you feel it needs more color, you can always dip the aqua painter directly on the crayon and add more color that way.

Another technique that's featured on this card is the ruffled eyelet edging. Here's a close-up look at that:

Here are the steps to get that look: Punch the edge of a strip of card stock that is about twice as long as the layer you're planning to attach it to with the eyelet border punch. Take a bone folder and run it along both sides of the strip of paper, like you would to curl curly ribbon with scissors. This breaks the fibers of the card stock and makes the strip bendy. Then the fun begins! Simply bend the strip back and forth to make your ruffles. At my class, this is where I commented on the "art of being random". Hold your ruffled strip behind the layer you plan on attaching it to, to make sure you have it just like you want it. Then run a strip of Snail adhesive along the back of that layer and attach your eyelet ruffles, trimming excess. You'll then want to use Dimensional adhesive so that the ruffles don't get squished. I put a couple pieces right on the edge of the ruffle and then several more around the rest of the edges.

My friend, Genean, commented that this card looks like an old country farmhouse window and I think she's right. In case you were wondering, the stamped image I used was from the Country Morning hostess stamp set. If you're interested in trying some other "new" techniques, I have a Spring themed technique class coming up later this month--March 25 @ 7pm or March 26 @ noon. Check out the details on the Events Page of my website.

Happy Stampin!
Brenda Bromen

Lots to be Thankful for...

It's raining outside (with a rumbling of thunder in the distance)... a good day to snuggle up with a cup of coffee and listen to some holiday music... I'm thinking about doing that and then pulling out the stampin' supplies to get working on my Christmas cards. I've already stamped today... but that's not going to stop me! I had my Give Thanks Card Class this morning. Would you like to see the cards we made? Whether you do or not, here they are (cover your eyes if you don't want to see them): :)

This one may look familiar. I used the layout of another card I made for a class awhile back--changing up the colors and adding twine.

Supplies: Nature's Nest, Fundamental Phrases, Bermuda Bay Textured CS & ink, Soft Suede CS & ink, Naturals White CS, sponge, blender pen, tearing edge and dimensionals.

I dusted off a stamp set that I haven't used in awhile to make this card...
Supplies: Pick A Petal, Sincere Salutations, Basic Black CS & ink, Whisper White CS, Melon Mambo Ink, Crushed Curry Textured CS, grosgrain ribbon, piercing tool, mat pack & Hodgepodge Hardware (genuine brad).

Pick A Petal is such a fun and versatile set. If you have it, have you used it lately?

This last card is perfect for Thanksgiving! Gotta love the wheels!

Supplies: Best Wishes & More, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Bright Blessing Jumbo Wheel, Kraft CS, Always Artichoke CS & ink, More Mustard CS & ink, Ruby Rose CS & ink, jumbo handle & cartridge, Rich Regals & Earth Elements Brads, 1/16" hole punch and dimensionals.

So, with Thanksgiving less than a week away, I'll share some of the things that I am thankful for.

First and most importantly, I am thankful for my family (near and far). I wish we could all be together, but knowing we are together in spirit means the world to me. I pray for everyone to stay safe (especially my hubby who is in the Middle East) throughout the holidays. I am also thankful for my craft-abilities. I can't imagine my life without crafts--especially stampin' & knittin'! I have met so many wonderful people IRL and online because of my love of crafts. If you are reading this, I am thankful for you too--whether you are a customer, friend, fellow demonstrator, someone who just happened upon my blog... I want to say Thanks! Seeing my counter continue to raise lets me know you're out there and perhaps slightly interested in what I have to say and enjoy seeing my creations.

Well, I'm off to enjoy the gloomy weather in the comforts of my home (yup, thankful for that too!) ... stampin' and knittin' all the way!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Brenda

Before the Chaos Begins: A Couple Card Class Projects

Before the packers arrive and I am surrounded by boxes and the sound of tearing tape, here's one more happy stampin' blog post. I had a wonderful group of stampers (brand-spanking new & well-seasoned) over for a card class yesterday. Here are a couple of the projects I designed for them to make:

Stamp Sets: Circle Circus, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Accessories: Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Eyelet Border Punch, Oval Punches.
Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black, So Saffron, Very Vanilla



Stamp Sets: Nature's Nest, Fundamental Phrases
Accessories: Ticket Corner Punch, Antique Brads, 1/16" Handheld Circle Punch, Stampin' Sponge, Distressing Tool (cutter kit), Blender Pen, Stampin' Pastels, Sanding Block, Big Shot, Texturz Plate.
Colors: Soft Suede, Old Olive, Naturals Ivory.


It's always fun watching stampers (new & old) go to town on making the projects I've designed. During my classes, everyone is free to change up whatever they'd like. Some people are more comfortable making their cards exactly like the sample, while others use my ideas for a spring board to make new and totally personalized cards. Of course, there are always moments where creative alterations are necessary--like when an image doesn't get stamped completely, a hole gets punched in the wrong place OR when a step is completely missed. These are not mistakes, they are moments of God inspired creativity! I've had a few of those myself and I have to say that the card usually comes out even better than my original plan--like it was meant to be!

I hope it won't be long before I'm back to share more creative projects with y'all. For now, my card stock and inks are packed away and ready to be moved to our new house 4 blocks away.

Hope you're Happy Stampin!

Back to the "Bleach"!

Here are the cards we made at my Back to the "Bleach" Technique Class last week:

If you've never tried using bleach with your stamps, it's really not as scary as it sounds. You can create a stamp pad by pouring some bleach onto several layers of paper towels (on a plate or tray). After stamping, just clean your stamps as usual.

You can also use bleach like watercolors--with a paint brush or the tip of an Aquapainter. Just be careful with the bleach. It is very caustic, so if you put it in the reservoir of the Aquapainter, be sure to empty it as soon as you're finished using it. If you leave bleach in the reservoir, it will eat away at the sponge inside the Aquapainter (this is a tip from experience).

Here are some close ups of the cards:

The stars were stamped with bleach and the head of the eagle was colored in with bleach (heat embossing the image first).


We used the See You Around wheel rolled over the bleach "ink" pad to create the background.


The shells were stamped with bleach, let dry and then stamped over using Bordering Blue classic ink. The key to this technique is to let the bleach dry completely. If it's not dry, the bleach will effect the ink color--which is a whole new look.

As you can see from these cards, bleach reacts differently to different card stock colors. Bleach on the Pacific Point card stock left a greenish hue--similar to Kiwi Kiss. On Kraft, bleach created a So Saffron color. Give it a try and have fun seeing what colors emerge!

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Don't forget, TODAY IS THE LAST DAY to order the products on the Last Chance List. All of these card were made using retiring stamps. If you'd like to place an order, go to my website and SHOP NOW!

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Happy Stampin!

Seeing Spots No More...

At my stamp-a-stack card class this morning, we'll be making several cards using retiring stuff. Here's one of them:

Say good-bye to the following: Seeing Spots, Zoofari, Baja Breeze Double Striped Ribbon, Black Hemp Twine, Baja Breeze & Kiwi Kiss (card stock & ink).

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To create the spotted Kiwi Kiss layer, I ran the card stock through the Big Shot with the small dot patterned Texturz Plate, then I lightly sanded it using a sanding block held flat with the paper.

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Happy Stampin!

Farewell to the Rooster...

Gone will be the mornings of the Rustic Rooster crowing from my craft room... waking all the other stamps, mingling with the sheep from Pun Fun and the horse from Wanted. The Level 2 Hostess set will be retiring to greener pastures along with the other stamp sets of the Last Chance List.

Okay, I'll admit, I love this set and it won't really be leaving my stamp collection... the rooster will just take the long journey across to the other side of my craft room and will hang with the other sets of yesteryear. If you'd like a chance of earning your very own Rustic Rooster, give me a call and schedule your June workshop today!

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Happy Stampin!

Leftover Scraps = Paper Weaving

With all I had going on last week, I waited until the night before my hubby's birthday to make his card. My craft desk was overflowing with scraps from various projects I've done over the last few days... well, maybe more like months. It's called creative chaos! Among the layers of scraps, I found some leftover strips from a pack of Walk in the Park designer paper. On one side they were floral and sort of girly, but flipping them over I found funky designs that would be perfect for a guy's card. I also found some strips of Kiwi Kiss and Baja Breeze card stock... so the weaving began!

You may wonder what a fru-fru umbrella drink has to do with my hubby. Well, this was the closest thing I had to a margarita stamp. You see, it's been a year long quest of his to make the perfect margarita. Coincidence or not, this quest started soon after our move to Texas. Yes, Tex-Mex and Margaritas go hand in hand. If you need a little proof, here's a picture my hubby "secretly" took yesterday (with MY new camera, I might add) of all the ingredients he has so carefully gathered:

I have to admit, of all the margaritas I've sampled over the last year, the one he made yesterday has to be the best so far!

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MAY SPECIAL

Don't forget about the Buy 3, Get 1 FREE special on Designer Series Paper and Textured Card Stock--feel free to mix and match! Shop online or give me a call... but don't wait, this sale ends on May 31.

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Happy Stampin!

Mission "Emboss"ible Projects

Here are a couple of projects we made at the Mission "Emboss"ible classes I held last week.

The chipboard heart was embossed several times. First it was inked with Rose Red craft ink, sprinkled with Iridescent Ice embossing powder and heat set. Then Versamark Ink was applied and it was embossed with clear embossing powder (at least twice), to create a smooth look. A tip for heat embossing small items, attach it temporarily to a scrap piece of cardboard to use as a handle to keep your hands at a safe distance from the heat tool.

Here's a closer look:

The rose from the Fifth Avenue Floral set was stamped onto Shimmery White card stock using Basic Black craft ink and embossed with clear powder. The technique for adding the color is called Reinker Spread and was demoed at a Stampin' Up! regional seminar by Connie Ingram. It involves 3 colors of reinkers, an aqua painter, and spray bottle of water. You really need to see this one in person to appreciate how shimmery and gorgeous the colors are!

You may have also noticed that I used the Manhattan Flower Textured Impressions Die on the Kiwi Kiss background.

MY SCRAPBOOKING GOAL UPDATE: I don't want to make excuses for not having a layout to share with you from this last week... but... things came up. My sweet hubby's birthday is today and I spent several days making him a hat (while he wasn't looking). After seeing this hat and recalling that we live in Texas, you may wonder "What the...?"

Well, he's been watching Out of the Wild: Alaska on The Discovery Channel and he was inspired! LOL! Actually, we are also going on a trip to Alaska this summer and he felt he just HAD to have a flap hat! So I dug through my yarn stash and knit him one! I certainly hope the temps aren't cold enough for him to really need it while we're there. Although, I think it brings out the blue in his eyes. Love ya, Hon! :)

Back to my excuses... err, I mean non-excuses for not having a layout to share with you... I was also busy making 4 dry erase message boards for my son's Sunday School teachers:

AND, my calendar was also full of social events, a vet appointment and classes. I did "scrapbook" in the technical sense of the word when I prepped for a class that I have coming up on Monday--making a paper sack mini album. Unfortunately, I can't share a picture of that project since it will be a gift (in the near future) for a special someone who reads my blog. :)

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I promise, I will be Happy Scrappin' in the coming week... I hope you will be too!

Special Tri-Fold Card

Wow! I can't believe it's been over a week since I last blogged! I guess I've been busier than usual. I want to share one of the projects we made at my card class last Monday.

Here's a side view:

And an inside view:

As you can see, there are 2 different pieces of card stock making up the tri-fold card base. The bottom (Riding Hood Red) piece measures 5 1/2" x 6 1/2" and is scored 2 1/4" from the shorter edge. The Very Vanilla layer measures 5" x 8 1/2" and is scored 1 1/2" & 5 1/2" from the shorter edge. Then you lay the Very Vanilla layer inside the Riding Hood Red layer with the shorter flaps together. The larger flap of the Very Vanilla layer is punched with the Eyelet Border Punch.

The oval stamp is from the Oval All set in the Occasions Mini Catalog and is punched out with the Large Oval Punch and layered with a Scallop Oval Punch (which is also available in the mini).
Happy Stampin!

The Butterfly Experiment

Here are some of the results of my butterfly experiment:

Click on the picture to read the tiny print and see how these butterflies were made.

A Work of Butterfly Art!

True Friend Butterfly 6x6 page
Originally uploaded by bbstampin

Have I mentioned that True Friends is one of my favorite stamp sets? Well, here's another project I made using it. This 6 x 6 scrapbook page is a project we did at a workshop the other day. Aside from True Friends, we also used a stamp from Yummy (a Sale-A-Bration set) on the bottom edge of the Top Note. If you don't know, this stamp also has "a little something for you" above the swirls. We used a Rose Red marker to ink just the swirls to create a border for a picture that will be added later.

The process of coming up with the perfect butterfly was like a mini science experiment. At first I tried the rock-n-rock technique on regular Whisper White card stock--which was nice enough, but lacked a little something (no pun intended). I also tried coloring the entire stamp with markers, stamping on various types of card stock, spraying the stamp after doing the rock-n-roll technique, etc.

And after many other variation, I ultimately inked the butterfly in Pink Pirouette ink, used a sponge dauber with Rose Red ink around the edges to add dimension to the wings, colored the body using an Old Olive marker and, finally, I spritzed the stamp with a little water and stamped it onto WATERCOLOR PAPER. I have to tell you, the watercolor paper made all the difference in the world! When I stamped the water spritzed image onto regular card stock, the colors blended into a mucky mess. But on the watercolor paper, it's like a work of art!

Go ahead, give it a try! ...and you'll be Happy Stampin!

Occasions Mini Sneak Peek

With Easter just around the corner (April 12), but the Occasions Mini not going live until April 1, Stampin' Up! is letting customers place orders for the Easter themed sets in the mini brochure starting TODAY! That way you can get a head start on your Easter cards and gift projects ASAP! Here's one of the projects pictured in the mini:

Click HERE for the 3 pages from the mini you can order from NOW! When you've decided which stamps you'd like to order, give me a call or SHOP NOW on my website! If you've placed an order with me recently, you should be receiving your very own hard copy of the brochure by April 1.

Happy Stampin!

Brenda

Blast Off with Punches!

Here's a quick and easy card using several punches: 1 3/8" square, word window and both star punches. It's a fun way to use up scraps of card stock you may have left over from other projects.

Stamp Sets: Pun Fun & Family Phrases

The rocket is watercolored using an aqua painter and ink pads. This is another project that I used only In-Colors on: Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, Pacific Point Tangerine Tango & Kiwi Kiss.

Happy Stampin!

Quilt Quips Quard

One of the other crafty hobbies that I enjoy is quilting. Since becoming a demo almost 2 years ago, I haven't done a whole lot of quilting... in fact, thinking back, my last quilt project was probably completed around the time I became a demo! Maybe this card could be considered "quilting"... since it uses the adorable new Quilt Quips stamp set.

I love all of the clever saying that come with this set. Check out the entire 8-piece set (click on it to get a closer look):

To cut the blocks out, I used the 1-1/4" square punch. It leaves a nice border, so when you watercolor the blocks, they pop off the card! For this card, I used 5 of the 6 in-colors: Tangerine Tango, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point and Riding Hood Red along with Naturals White and Basic Black. The watercoloring was done with blender pens and ink pads.

I'm hoping this stamp set will motivate me to pull out my fabrics again and get stitching.

Happy Stampin!

There's nothing like a box of chocolates...

I found the cutest little box idea on splitcoaststampers.com. They call it Ghirardelli® Box, but I ended up putting miniature Hershey bars in it sideways. Either way, you will have to use your imagination to picture the chocolates in the box. I took several pictures before I filled the box with chocolates and then gave it away to my special crafty friend, Genean before I took another picture of it. Here it is:

And again open:

Don't those chocolates look irresistible?! ;)

And a close-up side view:

Check out the secret of how the box stays closed--the circle is attached with 2 dimensionals towards the bottom, leaving a gap at the top for the flap to tuck into. Click HERE for the SCS tutorial.

Happy Stampin!

Getting "Rustic" with Rustic Rooster

If you like the rustic, distressed look, then the Level 2 Hostess set, Rustic Rooster is for you! Here's a card I made using this wonderful set:

It's a very basic card layout, but I used many rustic techniques to add to the rustic-ness of the rooster: tearing the bottom edge of the red layer, distressing the edges of several of the layers with the distressing tool from the Cutter Kit (item# 106958) and then sponging the edges to add to the dirty rustic look. To add texture, I also ran the red layer through the Big Shot with the diamond pattern from the Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plates kit (item# 114512). I softly ran the sponge (with Chocolate Chip Ink) over the top and that added shadowing to the edges of the raised embossed areas to create even more dimension. Of course, the "non-precise" watercoloring I did with the Blender Pens (item# 102845) on the rooster was also intentional... to add to his "rustic" look. ;-)

Happy Rustic Stampin!

Brenda

Valentine's Projects

Here are some of the project we made at my Valentine Sampler Class last week (you'll notice they are all using the Love You Much stamp set and Candy Lane Designer Series Paper):

Other Supplies: White Taffeta Ribbon, Pillow Box Die, Big Shot, Sticky Strip

Other Supplies: Heart to Heart Punch, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, 2-Way Glue Pen

Other Supplies: Blender Pen, Wide Oval Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon, Clear Rhinestone Brad, Stylus

If you've browsed the Spring-Summer 09 idea book & catalog, this heart shaped box might look familiar. A similar one is featured on page 56. For my version, I substituted a different stamp set and colors, but used the same box design and layout.

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When looking for ideas, don't forget that browsing the pages of the IB&C is a great way to find a wealth of creative inspiration and hundreds of project ideas. If you don't have a copy, it's your lucky day! Place an order through my website and you will receive a free copy of the Spring-Summer 09 IB&C... not to mention Sale-A-Bration sets and hostess benefits if your order meets the requirements. There is no minimum purchase requirement to receive your free catalog. This offer is only available while the limited supply of free catalogs last--so be sure to place your order soon!

Happy Stampin!

Fruity Cheers!

Fruity Cheers card
Originally uploaded by bbstampin

Yikes! I can't believe it's been so long since I posted a project! I guess I've been preoccupied with the excitement of a new catalog coming out in the very near future. If you don't know what I'm talking about, the Spring-Summer 09 Idea Book & Catalog will be released on January 19. Demonstrators who went to the Stampin' Up! Leadership conference (that's going on as I type this) received the first copies on Wednesday and a few demos in Canada received them on Thursday... and, well... I've been glued to their blogs! LOL! I'm hoping my boxes of catties arrive sometime next week... so I can drool over my own!

Since we are still in the shadow of New Years Eve and all (hopefully you've recovered from your celebration), I felt sharing a "cheers" card would be in order. This card was made using the Cheers to You stamp set (appropriately named) and the coordinating wheel, Cheers. I also used the Top Note die. If you're wondering "Hey, that doesn't look quite right!", I created a smaller version by cutting off about an inch from each end and sliding those end pieces together. The ribbon covers up the seam.

Anyone interested in coming over for a fruity drink with me?

Happy Stampin!

Merry Christmas... and Valentine's Day too!

I know, I know... it's Christmas Eve and you're probably not thinking about Valentine's Day yet... but it's just around the corner. If you're browsing my blog, you probably have some crafting interest and therefore, Valentine crafting is in the horizon! I just received my Valentine Special "Love You Much" bundle and thought I'd share my first project with you:

The card is about 3x2 (3x4 folded in half) and fits in an envelope made with the SU! exclusive Scallop Envelope Bigz Die. The bundle comes with the Love You Much stamp set, Candy Lane DSP and Heart to Heart punch--all new items from the upcoming Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog and only available now by ordering the bundle special for 20% off the regular retail price of $51.85--ON SALE FOR $41.48! Because of the popularity with this bundle, orders must be placed directly with me until Stampin' Up! can get caught up with filling backorders. So, if you're interested in taking advantage of this special, feel free to email or call me.

I hope you and your family have a joyous Christmas and blessed New Year!

Brenda

Happy Veteran's Day

In honor of Veteran's Day, I want to share my favorite patriotic card:

I used The Free & the Brave and Starstruck stamp sets. The Free & the Brave (item #110982, $19.95) is not in the current catalog, but is on the dormant list--which means you can still order it. I love that set!

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An embellishment that I used on this card that I always forget about is the Build-A-Brad (the star on the lower left corner). These are so neat because you can add whatever image you want to your cards in a 3-D embellishment using these brads. It comes with the base of the brad, where you attach your image punched out with the 1/2" circle punch (using your desired adhesive--I used Crystal Effects), then you add the clear shiny sticker over the top and attach it to your project as you would a regular brad. Click on the picture for a closer look.

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If you have any questions about the other products or techniques used on this card, feel free to ask.

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Happy Stampin!