From Club~~~

Hello again!  It's been a busy time.  First, we have been short handed at work, so my 30 hours weekly has been anything BUT 30 hours for a few months actually.  It was just recently complicated further by a co-worker moving out of state.  It takes FOREVER to hire someone so.......I have been working 35-40 hours for quite some time!

The granbaby (and his parents!) came for a week long visit and it was TERRIFIC!  And as you know, granbaby time trumps stamping time all the time!

So here is a card that we made at club in September!  I think it is the last unpublished photo I have so I better get crackin!

The layout if FLT93 over on the CAS blog.  I started with Espresso CS and moved on to Poppy Parade and Pear Pizazz.  I used the French Foliage SS, a favorite for fall!  The third ink color you see there is More Mustard.  The greeting is from Just Believe!

I will leave you with a shot of myself with two of my gorgeous daughters........we had some girl time out!  I am a blessed mama!

We went out for dessert at The Texas Road house!  Thanks for the fun times girls!

~~Blessings~~

Shelli

Oh Summer, where for art thou?

I never wish away summer, but I always wish away winter....so I am not really ready for fall yet because that means winter is right behind it.  Having lived most of my life in San Diego, I much prefer warm temperatures.  I think snow is wonderful and pretty, from inside the house or on TV.   I lived six years in the high altitudes and dealt with snow so much that I am "over" snow.  I like to say that snow and wind (we get a ton of wind here in my little valley) are 4 letter words.  Please don't say them.


I do, however, like to make fall cards!  I like the colors and the leaves and the calmness of them. I liked the card on SCS by picard76 a lot, so I came up with my own version.  The SS is french Foliage, and the colors for ink are Old Olive, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, and Chocolate Chip. I started with Very Vanilla CA.  The main focal point has a square of Mustard ink in it.  Wonder how I did that?  I took my square clear stamp block and applied ink directly to the block.  When pressed to the CS you get a look that is soft and almost fuzzy.  Then I added the leaves and so on.  


Happy Sunday, may you be blessed and loved!  

~~Blessings~~

Shelli

Fall is in the air~~

What a week it's been for me.  Sorry I haven't posted much, but then I suppose you're used to my random spurts of posting!


I CASed this one from SCS!  The three pieces of CS are Old Olive, More Mustard and Cajun Craze.  I ran them thru the Cuttlebug with an embossing folder to give them some dimension.  The leaves are stamped on the Very Vanilla CS in the same colors of ink plus Chocolate Chip.  I like the look of torn paper, so that what I did along the top!  Lastly I added some linen thread tied around the end of the Vanilla piece~~


That's about it, very simple and fast.  The finished card size is 5.5 x 3.5  A fun new size to work with!


Stamp Club today girls!  See ya later!

~~Blessings~~

Shelli

Reverse Masking!~~

 Hi there!  I have been playing with French Foliage this week as the fall temps have been showing themselves.  It seemed appropriate!


This technique warrants the blog post!


This is reverse masking!  I cut a 2.75 x 2.75 inch square from the center of a 4.25 x 5.5 piece of CS by first cutting a 2.75 inch square of CS.  Then I used an Exacto knife to cut around the square which I had adhered to a 4.25 x 5.5 piece of CS.( I did it that way to be sure that when I centered the square onto the card front I was stamping on, that it would be truly centered.)   I then placed a small amount of adhesive onto the mask to hold it in place, and laid it onto the Vanilla CS I would be stamping on.  Then I sponged, with Pumpkin Pie ink, into the square.  Then I added the leaves and dots and whatnot while the mask was still in place. When I removed the mask, I got the nice square full of images you see!  (clear as mud?)


There is Pumpkin Pie CS behind the main image, but it's the Pumpkin ink I don't care for.  It came out to orangy.  Maybe if I had used More Mustard.....anyway, the technique is cool!  Check out www.Splitcoaststampers.com for a tutorial!


More French Foliage cards to come!  Stamp a little today k?

~~Blessings~~

Shelli

Simple Fall~~

I must confess I CASed this card. It was so beautiful that I changed very little! Problem is, I made it weeks ago and now can't find it to thank the creator. :-)

I started with Chocolate Chip CS and I ran the front piece through the Cuttlebug with an old embossing die. To create the Olive square sponged area behind the leaf, I made what I call a "donut mask" where the empty "hole" to sponge is in the middle. What I mean is, I took a piece of CS about 4x4. I used scissors to cut a square the size I wanted out if the ,middle of that. The I held it still over the vanilla piece of CS and sponged Old Olive ink into the "hole" until I had the desired look. Capish? Then I stamped the leaf in Chocolate Chip.

I also created a liner for this card since writing on the dark card stock would be challenging. You can see the narrow strip of Olive I added to make it pretty!

This weekend I get some GranBaby time in San Diego! Yay! Can't wait! The lil guy is 8 months old now.....so precious! I plan to subject you to at least one photo next week!

Also, my annual Project Parade is less than two weeks away. I have lots to do yet, and I am super excited about it! I have 19 ladies coming (one spot still open....!) After that is over I will have lots of projects to share here. I try to keep it all a secret til they get here. I think it's more fun that way. I even asked them once if they wanted to know ahead or if they liked surprise. They chose surprise!

Try and have a super week. Bless someone with a hug and the mail!

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

French Foliage~~

It has been way to long since I have posted, but my mother always said "better late than never"! I'm pretty sure she meant that I should drive slow or something, but it works here too!

I have made this card before with a different stamp set. I can't find the post with it, so maybe I never did put it on the blog! Yippee! That means I have another card to add!

I started by cutting a piece of white CS that was just a bit smaller than what I wanted to work with. I then stamped the background images randomly all over it. Then I cut it into thirds (make sure you cut the first piece into a size that will divide evenly, like 3 inches) I then mounted it to another piece of CS behind. Tie the ribbon and add the sentiment! The card base is the lovely new Marina Mist! Ta da!

The French Foliage set is in the Holiday mini and is gorgeous! I also envision using Eggplant Envy, Old Olive and More Mustard with his set.....

Enjoy your weekend! Hug your kids~~~!

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli