"Edgar Allan Crow"

Now that school is back in session, my son and I have resumed our evenings of reading together. His first assigned book of the year is Bunnicula Meets Edgar Allan Crow by James Howe. It is part of the very popular and oh so funny Bunnicula series and is full of wonderful puns and word play. Coincidentally, around the same time as we started reading this book, I saw this deliciously eerie Stampendous stamp at my local JoAnn’s. It reminded me so much of an early chapter in the book, I had to buy it and I am so glad I did. The detail on this stamp is amazing! I LOVE it! Creating this card was so easy because of this fabulous image, just stamp, emboss and ink and it’s done. By the way, if you are looking for an excellent black embossing powder, I highly recommend Midnight Black by Stampendous. It melts nicely and creates a terrific shine.

Thanks for visiting!
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

Stampendous Supplies:
Crowscape CRR131
Midnight Black Embossing Powder

Other Supplies:
Ranger Distress Ink in Stormy Sky, Pumice Stone, Scattered Straw
Versamark Watermark Ink
Cardstock (unknown)

Card Notes:
Create an A2 card base from gray card stock; cut an image panel slightly smaller on white card stock.

Stamp the image on the white panel using Versamark ink; sprinkle with Midnight Black embossing powder, melt with heat tool.

To create the moon, attach a small die cut circle to be used as a mask; make sure to use repositionable adhesive.

Using an ink blending tool, ink around the circle with Scattered Straw Distress Ink.

When pleased with the results remove the circle mask and ink the rest of the image with Pumice Stone and Stormy Sky Distress Inks.

Distress edges of panel and adhere to the card base.

Go Bucks!

Football season is fast approaching. Considering everything that has recently happened with the Buckeyes, this is going to be a tough one but as always, the fans are rallying. When I saw this very cute Fluffles stamp made by Stampendous I knew it was perfect for a little tailgating table topper. And yes, if you really had to, you could change the colors. Fluffles would look cute even in blue & maze. The footballs are from a Stampendous set called For Him. It’s a great set for masculine birthdays or Father’s Day cards. Combined, these stamps are perfect for all of your football season needs: party invitations, cards, table toppers…

Go Bucks & thanks for visiting!

Stampendous Supplies:

Cling Fluffles Football CRV233
For Him SSC135

Other Supplies:

Dies: Spellbinders Labels Three; QuicKutz Buckeye
Stickers: Sportssolution Ohio State border stickers
Paper: Copic X-Press It Blending Card; Cardstock (unknown)
Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Forest Moss & Peeled Paint Distress Ink
Copic Markers

Card Notes:

Create a side-step card using black cardstock (see directions below).

Cut & emboss a panel using Copic X-Press It Blending Card & Spellbinders die.

Stamp Fluffles image on panel & color; Trim ‘O’ sticker & adhere to helmet.

Stamp 3 footballs on scrap of X-Press It Blending Card & color; Fussy-cut footballs.

Cut buckeyes and leaves several times on various cardstock (green for leaves, 2 shades of brown for nuts); assemble & ink edges of leaves with Distress Ink.

Create sentiment by trimming a border sticker & placing it on 2 mats.

Assemble card.

Side Step Card Instructions:

Start with a piece of cardstock 5.5” x 8.5”.

Place cardstock vertically in the paper trimmer at the 3” mark; Make a cut starting 1” from the bottom edge of the paper and stopping at the 6.5” mark. This cut divides the card into two sections (2.5” & 3” sections) & makes the tall vertical panel on the left side of the card.

Score the 2.5” section at 4.25”. This makes the top fold of this card.

Score the 3” section at the 1”, 2”, 3.25”, 4.5” & 6.5” marks. Please note, these score marks will be perpendicular to the cut. Start measuring all of the score marks from the side where the cut was started (1” from the edge).

Make a series of folds, starting with the 4.25” score line on the tall, vertical side of the card. On the right hand side of card, starting with the first score mark, make a mountain fold. Continue folding the score marks by alternating folds. The second should be valley folded, the third mountain… Crease all folds with a bone folder. The side step card is ready to decorate.

Gift of Joy

This beautiful Stampendous Blossom Spray stamp reminds me of my next door neighbor’s garden. Jann’s garden is one of the nicest I have ever seen with walkways and benches, constant color and beauty. I know it gives her great joy working in her flower beds. I also know it gives everyone who passes by joy just by soaking in its beauty. And then they get to my house. A flat of dead geraniums still sits dry and crunchy on my stoop, all of my good intentions of planting gone. My garden is sad. My roses have black spot, my hydrangeas never bloomed. Whether it was the heat or the rain or the blues, I just haven’t felt like gardening this year. The amazing thing about it is I am not only blessed with my neighbor’s beautiful garden, I am blessed with a beautiful neighbor. Jann always comments on how pretty my lone blooming flower is and she is sincere. She always knows when I’m blue and invites me out for coffee (I think she can gage how I’m feeling based on my flower beds). She is the most warm-hearted person I know, always putting others first. She exudes beauty. I made this card for Jann as a way of saying thanks for caring and being my neighbor.

Thanks for visiting!

Stampendous Supplies:
Cling Blossom Spray CRP136
Garden Beauty SSC1113 (sentiment)

Other Supplies:
Ribbon: May Arts EA14
Ink: Ranger Archival Jet Black; Ranger Distress Ink in Bundled Sage, Peeled Paint, Tattered Rose, Worn Lipstick, Mustard Seed
Paper: Canson Watercolor; cardstock (unknown)
Miscellaneous: Perfect Pearls Mist in Perfect Pearls; Copic Marker BV000; Inkssentials Craft Sheet; Tsukineko Fantastix Coloring Tool

Card Notes:
Create a card base by scoring a 9” x 8” piece of white cardstock. Card dimensions should be 9” x 4”.
Cut both a mat and image panel to fit the card base.
Stamp the Blossom Spray stamp several times on the panel using Archival Jet Black ink.
Create a paint palette by stamping the distress ink pads directly onto a craft sheet, leaving space between each color.
Spritz Perfect Pearls Mist directly over each of your stamped colors.
Using a coloring tool, pick up color from the craft sheet and color the blossom image. Set aside to dry.
Stamp the sentiment in Archival Jet Black ink.
“Color” the ribbon with the Copic marker, let try, and then create a bow.
Assemble the card.


I entered this card in the current CAS-ual Fridays Challenge.

Freaky

Stampendous recently added new holiday stamps to their online store. Have you seen them yet? It’s ok. I won’t be offended. Stop reading this and go check them out. They are amazing. As soon as I saw these adorable yet mischievous pumpkins, I knew I had to have them. Even their names are cute: Pumpkinstein, Count Jack and my favorite…Mumpkin. The mailman hadn’t left my cul-de-sac and I was ripping open my Stampendous package. Shortly thereafter I came up with this card and I must say I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Credit needs to be given to my son. While I was coloring, he walked by and in a voice only a 9 year old boy could have, he said “FREAKY.” This triggered an idea. I jumped up and started rummaging soon to find a set of Stampendous Class a Peel stickers. Did you know Class a Peels make fabulous masks? The adhesive on them is magical, they really do stay put but are easy to peel up and reposition. Because they are a sticker, you can rub an ink blending tool over them to create custom backgrounds. Please check out the inside of my card and you’ll see the masked impressions of the words freaky, scary & spooky.

I think I’ll send this card to Operation Write Home. Their deadline for Halloween Cards is September 16th. If you are interested in learning more about this great charity please click the badge on the right of my post. But remember, when sending cards to our troops, absolutely no glitter. If you are in the Columbus area, newly re-opened Scrapbook Art will be holding an Operation Write Home card making gathering on Sunday August 21st from 1:30-4:00. For more information, please contact Scrapbook Art at: scrapbookart@insight.rr.com

Stampendous Products:
Cling Count Jack CRH279 (image)
Cling Mumpkin CRH280 (image)
Cling Pumpkinstein CRV223 (image)
Costume Kids SSC263 (sentiment on inside of card)
Class a Peel Scary Spiders Black AC1038K (as a mask & sentiment on front of card)

Other Products:
Copics: E53/E55/E57/E59/YR000/YR12/YR14/YR16/YR18/YG11/YG91/YG97/BV000/
BV01/BV04/BV08/N0/N2
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Archival Jet Black, Ranger Pumice Stone Distress
Paper: Echo Park the Apothecary Emporium patterned paper, Copic X-Press It Blending Card, cardstock unknown
Miscellaneous: Glossy Accents; Tonic Distress Tool; Ranger Ink Blending Tool

Card Notes:

1. Create a card base using an 11” x 4.25” piece of white cardstock. Cut two mats to be mounted on the card base, one from green cardstock and the other from patterned paper.
2. Cut X-Press It Blending Card to a 4” x 3” panel. Stamp two of the images on the panel using Memento ink. Color images.
3. Using the blending tool, ink the edges of the mats and the front panel with Pumice Stone ink. Distress the image panel further by using a distressing tool along all sides.
4. Assemble the front of the card by adhering everything to the card base.
5. To create the inside of the card, cut another mat from the patterned paper and another panel from X-Press It Blending Card.
6. Stamp remaining image on the panel and color using Copics.
7. Select desired images from the Class a Peel sticker sheet (I used the three sentiments) and place them on the inside image panel.
8. Gently ink over the stickers using the blending tool and Pumice Stone ink. Also, ink the edges of this panel and the mat.
9. Carefully peel off the stickers and set aside. Do Not discard.
10. Stamp the sentiment using Ranger Archival Jet Black Ink. Distress the panel further by using a distressing tool.
11. Assemble the inside of the card.
12. Place one of the used Class a Peel stickers on the card front.


Thanks for visiting!

Stay Cool

Has it been hot where you are? It's been really hot in Columbus, so much so that I saw someone tonight on TV wishing for snow. I'm not going that far but I am trying to stay cool. That's why on Saturday, I dragged my two boys to the Newport Aquarium in Newport, Kentucky. If you haven't been there, it is absolutely worth your while to go (and this is coming from someone who lives less than a mile from Jack Hannah's World Famous Columbus Zoo - we have nothing like it). The Newport is fabulous. They have everything from standard aquarium-type fish to sea otters to a very cool octopus exhibit. My son's favorite animal is the penguin so I thought what a perfect way to stay cool...we'll go visit the penguins. The Newport has an absolutely marvelous penguin exhibit that houses 5 different types of penguins including the newly added Macaroni penguin. Alas, 6000 (5873 to be exact) of our closest friends had the same idea. We spent a few minutes with the penguins and then left.

When I came home, all I wanted to do was color. While looking for inspiration I came across the current Lawnscaping Challenge & knew it was the perfect way to depict our day at the Aquarium. The current challenge is called stamp a scene. Just click on the link if you want to play along but hurry, I think it ends tomorrow.



As for my scene, you guessed it, it's the penguin exhibit at the Newport. Five different types of penguins rollicking in the cool water, having fun. The center penguin on the inner tube had orange raffia head feathers inspired by the Macaroni penguin. My husband convinced me I should take them off.



Many Lawn Fawn stamp sets were used to create this scene:
Critters in the Snow (the penguins)
Cruising Through Life (the pinwheels & the pinwheel poles, stamped end-to-end to hold the banner)
Bannerific (the banner)
Swimsuit Season (the splash & the inner tube - sorry I cut off the horse's head:-))
Critters in the Sea (the wave)
Jessie's ABCs (the sentiment)

Add a little fussy-cutting, some Copic coloring & a bit of Rock Candy Distress Stickles and you have the perfect scene.

Stay Cool & Good Night!

Thank You!

Today's card was made using stamps from a few different manufacturers. I usually don't mix & match (kinda for the same reason you should never invite both sets of in-laws to a function) but everyone played nice and it all turned out great in the end.

The notebook paper stamp is from a My Favorite Things set & the sentiment is a Stampendous stamp. All the rest (the teacher, her chalkboard, pail of goodies & apple) is a By LORI Designs digistamp. By LORI Designs is a relatively new find for me but I must say the moment I found this company, I fell in love! The images are adorable & perfect for coloring. By LORI Designs makes it so easy to download & open that you can print & color images within minutes of purchasing them. There is a wide variety of characters & themes so there is sure to be something for everyone. Another plus is the most fabulous card examples. The website is packed with inspiration...Did I mention I love this company?

The particular image I used for this card belongs to the Sugar Sticks line & is called "Teacher & Accessories." My son has some truly incredible teachers that I wanted to make special cards for, to let them know we really appreciate all that they do for us. Hopefully, they will like their cards.

If you are looking for something to color today, check out By LORI Designs. You'll fall in love too.



Thanks for visiting!

Poppy Bottles

I made this card for Jennifer McGuire & Kristina Werner's Online Summer Card Camp but never got it posted. Are any of you participating? It's been great fun. I just wish I had had more time to camp & play. Maybe if we all band together, we can talk them into 'a kids are back in school, now we can camp' camp:-)

For this card, I used two of my favorite Stampendous go-to stamps: Dream Text (R105) & Poppy Bottles Perfectly Clear Stamp Set (SSC1092). This poppy set is so versatile. I adore the long poppy stems in their bottles & the cute, 'handwritten' sayings. These sentiments are the perfect size to stamp on a tiny tag & then tie around one of the stems. The set even includes a solid poppy bloom if you prefer to stamp in the color instead of using markers or pencils. Speaking of pencils, that's what I used to color my poppies. I then accented them with a little Glossy Accents. It is hard to see in the picture but I stamped the entire front panel with the Dream Text. The colored pencils acted as a resist. With a button, some twine & a little scoring on the card base the card is done.

Thanks for visiting!