Pawsitively Stamps

Work in progress

2010-09-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

It's been such a work in progress. Clearly I went the right direction when I chose a nursing career over computer programming, ya think? Slowly I will get there. The little engine that could .... I think I can, I think I can...

Perhaps I can persuade my brother to help out. Ya? Alright, it was worth a try. Truly, I'd be better off just posting in black and white- you'd see more posts :-).

Here's to you for checking in. I'll get the swing of this designer background yet. Then- cards, projects and the liking will be at your (and my) fingertips.

Until then. .... ... . happy crafting.

Does this blog still exist?

2010-05-31T07:48:00.000-07:00

Here it is, May 31, 2010. Has been an entire year that I've been away from my blog? Holy flying fish. I'm going to have to change that. First and foremost .... the new Stampin' Up 2010-2011 catalog should be in my hot little hands on Wednesday June 2nd. I can't post any electronic pics, but as soon as my pre-order arrives I'll be inking myself silly creating and posting. That's the only tease for now. Check back later in the week for pix and class schedule.

Be well, and happy crafting!

Stampin Up In Colors 2009/2010

2009-06-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

My favorite quick rubber stamp technique is Spotlight or Spotlighting. I used a few of the new "In Colors" from the 2009/2010 Stampin' Up catalog (soon to be released) for this sample.

The second technique used on this card is dyed ribbon. I *love* Stampin' Up's white Grosgrain Ribbon. With this ribbon and a little reinker/water combo you can have any color ribbon you want. Gotta love that! You can make your ribbon lighter, darker or anywhere in between. For this batch of ribbon I used 5 drops of melon mambo reinker to 20 drops of water. Nice! It's a nice way for me to know my ribbon matches without worry.

Recipe:
Stamps: Upsy Daisy
Ink: Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede
Paper: Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede

Technique: Spotlight, dyed ribbon

Happy stamping!

2009-04-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hey crafters!

Wednesday I was lucky enough to take the Copic certification class with Marianne, Cami, Tina and Wanda. How cool to spend the day with a bunch of crafty girls! We laughed, played and had oodles of fun. And I walked away with a Copic Certificate :-).

I soooooo hear the stamp room calling, but card making will have to wait another few days. We're off to camp for the weekend.

Happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Spring Summer 2009 IB&C casing continues...

2009-01-25T06:52:00.000-08:00

since I woke with an urge to stamp. It's early, the house is quiet, and I've yet to ingest my usual quantity (2 cups) of java. So- why not case from the new catalog? At least it's a great jump start.

On page 100 of the new catty it shows a beautiful rust card. Without pun, I'm trying to branch out of my usual color scheme (anything pastel) so it seems rather appropriate to use this card as my inspiration.

Recipe:
Stamps- Kind Thanks, Branch Out
Paper- Really Rust, Creamy Caramel, Confetti White, Night of Navy, Chocolate Chip
Ink- Basic Brown, Really Rust, More Mustard, Old Olive, Bashful Blue
Misc- Aqua painter, stamp-a-ma-jig, linen thread, *new* big brads, distressing tool

Some changes I made to the card included the tire swing complete with big eyelet and linen thread for the rope, some aqua painted ground cover, big brads instead of ribbon, different verse, distressing and a slightly different color scheme.

Hope you get some stampin' time today, I'm glad I did :-).
-Karan

2009-01-24T13:12:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday to Ralph! You wouldn't know it, but this card took a looooooong time this morning. Bling, brads, eyelets, it was all there. Then I realized who I was making the card for, our good friend Ralph. He's not flashy. He's not blingy. Fortunately, I used very little adhesive and was able to take it apart.

Take two, here it is. The background was done with resist emboss technique, then the martini glasses were colored in and embossed. Using my brayer I rolled bashful blue over the entire piece. Deciding it was a bit loud, I toned the entire piece down with a piece of confetti vellum. The finished result is nice and tame.

The top martini piece is inked with staz-on, colored, and finally embossed with versamark and UTEE.

Recipe:
Stamps- Cheers to You
Paper- Whisper White, Old Olive, Black, Misc. Vellum
Ink: Versamark pad and pen, classic Real Red, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Staz-On Black
Misc: Aqua Painter and Stamp-a-ma-jig.

The hidden part- I've decided that all cards I send out now will have a removable piece of card stock on the inside where I will write my note. The person receiving the card will have the option of removing this piece of paper and sending the card on to another recipient. I'm still not sure how I will pass this info on to the original recipient, or how I'll make sure then have an additional envelope... ideas anyone?

'nough said. Have a great day, I hope you get to create a little!

New Stamps are here!

2009-01-22T13:32:00.000-08:00

The new Spring/Summer 2009 catalog is here, and I'm in love. Love, love, love. New rubber arrived via Mr. Brown today and I've already completed a card with a new set Friends 24-7. When the new catty arrived I immediately fell for the sample cards on page 85. However, these are not sets that I have or ordered (yet) so I improvised and this case is what I came up with.

Recipe:
Stamps: Friends 24-7, En Francais, Sanded
Paper: Kraft, Confetti White, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Classic Basic Brown, Creamy Caramel, Always Artichoke, So Saffron, Craft Whisper White,
Misc: Aqua Painter, Tool Kit, Hodgepodge Hardware

The finished card is 3"x6" folded. I used craft white to pattern the saffron background paper to mimic the pattered paper used in the catalog sample.

Other adjustments to my version of this (85A) card include a stripe of saffron paper instead of saffron twill, different stamp sets, and finally I paper pierced the top and bottom chocolate chip pieces to bring a little more to the card.

Admittedly, it was quite fun to go stamp and not have to recreate the wheel. That's why the Stampin' Up IB&C is so great, right?

Enjoy and happy stamping!
Karan

From under the rock I've been livin'

2009-01-11T18:31:00.000-08:00

Where did the end of December go? And the first half of January? Who can remember, and really- does it matter?

Alive, not all that well, but here none the less. Better yet, I actually stamped today. Yep. I barely got a few holiday cards out (sorry if yours what not one of them). The only other stampin' I've done consisted of a card layout challenge by buddy Molly and I did way back mid December at her place in Portland.

I grabbed a quick photo, not so much for inspiration but for proof. I do remember how to ink a stamp, fancy that!

Well wishes to all for a fabulous start to 2009.

MIA

2008-12-02T21:25:00.000-08:00

Oh, missing in action again? Yep. Seems to be a pattern here, don'tcha think? Well, perhaps I'll upload pix of our current goings-on. WARNING: They are not stamp/scrap/craft related. DH has been working hard to rebuild our wrap around deck for the past couple of weeks, and we've had multiple "work parties" to help out. -Glad you're not a local friend, yes? I can confidently say "I can roof." Yes indeedy. As much as I detest heights, I spent this past Saturday up on the roof laying shingles, or whatever they call them. *Love* the nail-gun :-). Do they make they make one for adhesive???????

I don't know about you, but when life gets a little nutz, the first thing to go is crafting for me. With the deck remodel, company for the past two weeks, then T-day ... and T-day recovery, I have yet to have any reminiscent of an ink stain on my fingers for some time. I stepped foot in the stamp room early (3:30 a.m.) today to get some sticky stuff to be able to "start" a project during my work lunch break today, lol. Other than that, I merely check SU updates and hope things will settle soon, or DH will turn his head long enough for me to play/create a little ;-).

Hope to post some creative pix soon. I do have some rumblings of fun ideas in my head, hope the blossom soon.

Happy crafting!
Karan

2008-11-16T16:40:00.000-08:00

Rachel over at Inspirations by Rachel has awarded me with the Kreative Blogger Award. Thanks, Rachel :-). Go check her out - she truly is inspiring!

Rules for the Kreative Blogger Award are:
1.The winner may put the logo on their blog.
2. Put a link to the person that sent you the award.
3. Nominate 5 blogs.
4. Put links to their blogs.
5. Leave a message for your nominees.

My 5 nominees are:
1. Amber (Amber's Antics)
2. Gale (Stamps and Stitches)
3. Dannie (Dannie's Designs)
4. Aubrie (Paper and Ink)
5. Teresa (enjoy the va.sunshine)

Visit these creative gals, they're quite talented and inspiring!

Happy crafting,

Season's Greetings

2008-11-11T04:23:00.000-08:00

Really, I still know where the stamp room is.... it's the uploading pictures that slows me down. Really.

I can't get old olive out of my head. I don't know if it strikes you as a holiday color or not, but every card I've attempted (and yes, not shown) has included old olive somewhere.

This was inspired by a fellow stamper (who I absolutely can not remember). Sponging the edges took away some of that stark white I struggle with.

Happy Tuesday, now go make it a good day.

Happy stamping,

Ninety Nine Pictures

2008-10-27T05:16:00.001-07:00

It might appear to some that I've been out of the crafting loop this last week. Not so! I spent all of Thursday and most of Friday locked away in the stamp room. Believe me, all you'd have to do is look in the window to see what a mad woman I must have been, cutting, gluing, taping, layering, cropping, matting.... it's all a blur right now. However, I did manage to pull together 99 pictures (almost all of them are matted) in over 40 pages of layouts to put together what will always be known as "my first scrapbook." No you don't get to see it! Not yet.

Happy crafting!
Karan

Watercolor crayons

2008-10-21T04:08:00.000-07:00

Why I love watercolor crayons.... and Aqua Painters. Combined together with watercolor paper there is forgiveness beyond belief. You really can take off color if you've put too much on. I even accidentally got eggplant (the color) on one of the corners and you can barely tell which corner it was. Yeah!

Recipe: (100% Stampin' Up)
Stamps- Morning Soft, Sanded Background
CS- Watercolor paper, eggplant, lavender, olive and black
Ink: Staz On Black, Olive and Eggplant markers
Misc: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Pretties Kit, grosgrain ribbon
Technique: Watercolor

Happy stamping!

CC188

2008-10-15T05:12:00.000-07:00

It took me most of the day yesterday to procrastinate into not working on the scrapbook. I did however clean the house, clean the hot tub, load 382 songs into iTunes, and run into town for an emergency vet trip (thankful to report all is well currently.) I had every intention of ... oh well. If you've read any of my previous posts you already have a good idea that my favorite pass time is procrastination.

Upon returning home from the vet I realized my day was shot. Well, most of it. I went over to Splitcoast to get some inspiration for a quick birthday card. Love it! I went straight to Tuesday's color challenge CC188, picked one stamp set and went to work, having only 10 minutes to create. Down to the stamp room I flew in a hurray, brushing obstacles on my desk aside (we all do that, right?) I got down to business. Having slept on it, I think I would use different ribbon- it's a little too bold for the image, don'tcha think?

Stamps: Party Hearty
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Basic Black
Paper: Pretty in Pink, Basic Black, Whisper White
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Glimmer Mist, EP

Instead of inking the dots part of the cuttlebug folder, I inked the flat side with classic ink, which somehow made the white cs appear shimmery (don't ask me how). I rubbed the pretty in pink over the dots to make them stand out more. The main image is embossed and layered. I used the Glimmer Mist over the main image piece, which I don't think shows up here.

I think I'll revamp this card over the next couple of days to see what I can do with it. Input is always welcome.

Happy stamping!

My name is Karan and I don't know ...

2008-10-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

... how to scrapbook. There. I've come clean. Uh, am I suppose to feel better now? I don't. Though, now that I've said it, perhaps I'll move forward with my plans to change. Yep. I'm 40, married 5 years (this Oct. 25) and I'm determined to give DH a scrapbook for our anniversary. Don't worry, he never comes to the blog side. This first ever scrapbook is about change. Not any change, the change at Azalea Lane, 95060. No, nothing to do with 90210, there's a good 356 miles difference more or less. We're talking Santa Cruz, baby. Bonny Doon to be exact. This 30 year old house has seen some serious change in the last 4 years. Floors, walls, bathrooms, bedrooms, windows, doors, kitchen, closets ... did I leave anything out? Oh, the decks. That'll be a different (date tba) book, trust me on this!

So, with quivering knees (don't you dare laugh!) I'm taking on my challenge. I have 3 weeks. Well, as long as I can get it wrapped in time, technically I have 20 days and 1 hour to get it finished and wrapped. Heck, who cares about wrapping it? As long as it's done and maybe in some plain box to present it in, I'll be all good. My very good friend Kathy D. came over this weekend to kick me into gear. It worked. I have the first 5 pages of photos matted and ready to go. Which pushed me to get 68 more photos developed at Costco today, ready to pick up tomorrow after work. Ok, does everyone start with 179 photos for a scrapbook, or is it just me?

I know some would shudder at the thought of me cutting up pix, but I am. For those of you said shudderers (sp?) if you've seen the old stained glass windows we removed, would you not agree that a meer 1 1/4" square punch of each said window would not be more than sufficient to replacate the hee-bee-gee-bees those windows represent? Really?

Movin' on. I've chose an 8" x 8" album, of course made from scratch. Thanks to my recently purchased Bind It All, I'll have fun binding it in some uniquely Karan way.

So, stay tuned to see future presentations of my first ever scrapbook. It should prove to be very intersting, I guarantee!

Stamping Top 50

2008-10-04T07:44:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure if I should laugh or not. If you scroll way down to the bottom left of my blog you'll see the "Stamping Top 50" symbol. I have been amazed from the beginning of placing that logo in my blog- how in the world can I be #163? DH has been impressed by this fact which he infrequently asks about. Not only how could I be #163, but how could I always stay at 163? So, out of the blue today I went searching the Stamping Top 50 site. I'm not 163, nor am I 263. As a matter of fact, I don't rank in the top 500! ROTFLMBO. Seriously.

So I ask you, do you have this banner/logo on your site? Is it accurate? Has it ever changed? Yes, I'm going to remove it in a few days.... after I can lend some chuckles to others.

Is this a good marketing technique, or misleading? After all, what are they going to do, create a "You're not in the top 500" badge? Hmmm.... I think I could photoshop one of those babies up in a heartbeat. There might be some legality issues I should think about.

Enough with the numbers. I'm going to go play- after all it IS World Card Making Day!

Happy stamping :-).

eta: After moving on to other projects, and posting this little fact, I now see my ranking is in the 800's .... That seems a little more realistic. But, why did it change today? Lol.

5 Minute Man Card

2008-09-25T04:55:00.000-07:00

In the oodles and oodles of cards that are taking over the stamp room there is not 1 card I consider a "man card." While in the midst of attempting to clean up yesterday, DH came in and asked for a Thank You card for a client of his. So much for cleaning. I rummaged through mounds of cards. Nope, huh-uh, not that one, too girly, no, no, no ....... ugh! Those comments were from me, not DH. He would have been happy with anything. If only I could adopt that attitude, I would not own the mound of cards referred to earlier. Finally we both settled on one card, he liked it more than me. Hmmmpfhh. As he walked away to mail it, I decided I needed to make a quick man card. Looking around I realized I must own almost every flower stamp made. I settled on Fresh Cuts because the Thank You stamp seems a little more elegant than most. Here's what I ended up with. Simple. This was a 5 minute card. I never produce a card in 5 minutes. Ever.

My tricks:
Focus- I was focused on making a man card.
Distraction- I was (glady) distracting myself from cleaning.
In the process of cleaning, I found an envy complete with all the parts here (minus the ribbon/brads) already precut/prescored left over from a class 2 weeks ago. I could either put it all away or making something quick. Quick worked.

Recipe:
Stamps- Fresh Cuts, Sanded BG, Print Patter (retired) BG
Cardstock- Caramel, Teal, Craft
Ink: Basic Brown, Teal, Red, Celery, Caramel
Misc: Brads, Grosgrain ribbon, Dimensionals, Distressing tool

Alright, now back to cleaning. The carpet cleaners will be here in 3 hours and I have a mess of stuff still on the stamp room floor!

Happy stamping,
Karan

House of cards

2008-09-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

I might just be the slowest stamper ever. Or, to put a positive spin on it, the best card making procrastinator. :-). I received an order for cards about 3 .... or 4 .... or maybe 5 months ago. Here they are, complete at last. All 64 of them.

It's not as bad as it sounds. This order is for Christmas gifts, technically not needed for what, another 3 months? Fortunate for me, this customer (and very good friend) knows me, and plans much better than I do. Thus the early order for something needed by the holidays. These various cards have been inspired by many layouts from various publications as well as samples in the 2008 Fall/Winter Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog.

Not pictured is the pile of extras I made for future card sets to sell. Of course, will I ever actually sell them? It's not that I can't part with them. Believe me, with piles of cards laying around, it would be awesome to get some sold to free up some stamp room space. I simply can't set prices to my cards. Does anyone else have this problem? Seriously? I value my work, and always peruse store bought cards to check out their pricing. It seems as though the cheapest price for anything handmade with only 1-2 layers is at least $3.50, and upwards of $6. Most of my cards have a minimum of 3 layers, not to mention ribbon and embellishments.

Enough pondering. I'm off to prep for Saturday's Christmas Card class. Are you registered yet? Contact me via email now to register.

Happy crafting,
Karan

Order Stampin' Up online

2008-09-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

You read right. As of earlier this afternoon you can now make your Stampin' Up purchase right online. Simply click on the shop now button of my demonstrator business website here. I'll always gladly place your order the way you always have, or you can shop anytime day or night right at the click of a button. You'll notice at the top right corner a button indicating "shop now." From there you will be able to create a profile and place your order.

I'm always here for any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

Happy stamping,
Karan

Stampin' Up TEASER ALERT!

2008-09-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yikes! I don't usually shout here, but this is so exciting that I had to. I know a secret, I know a secret. Hee... hee.... can't you just picture me skippin' around as if I'm ten years old with the biggest well kept secret, ever?

Why don't you go check out the Stampin' Up! website a little later today. Maybe then you'll know my secret.

Have a fun day!
Karan

Focus

2008-08-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

Do you have a hard time finishing that last bit of a project? Do you need a push in the right direction? Me, too! Stamp class is tomorrow and I have all but one kit together. How in the world do other demonstrators get class together up to 4 times a month (or more!) And they work full time jobs! Holy guacamole. My hat is off to all of you. Lol... what in the world am I here posting instead of finishing that last little bit. What holds me back? Maybe this will explain it...

She looks innocent, doesn't she? I think not. She decided I needed to play. I needed to play. The battle ensued. Out came The Claw, her favorite.

Sufficient time has been whittled away. I'm off to focus.
Happy stampin',
Karan

Inspired by a Sock Monkey

2008-08-18T17:52:00.000-07:00

The scraps have been flying, inking, stamping, cutting, embellishing. You name it. Convention 2008 (Stampin' Up!) has inspired my stamping creativity. Ok, that and I've been doin' a whole lot of casing lately. CASE as in Copy And Share (with) Everyone. So I shall.

This is a modified case from a fellow stamper, creator, and lover of chocolate. Ah, the love of chocolate. Anyhoo... her name is Jan and she is flying pigs amazing. You can find her and my inspiration here at Stamps, Paper, Scissors. I stock her blog when I can. After you see her
creations, just remember who sent you there, ok? So give this card a try, case Jan's or mine, or get creative and modified it a bit. Send a link to your rendition and I'll post it here.

Recipe:
Stamps: Sock Monkey
CS: Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, Bashful Blue, Whisper White
Ink: Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, Black Staz On
Misc: Grosgrain Ribbon (dyed to Pacific Point), eyelets, brads, Crop-A-Dile, sponge, glue, dazzling diamonds, watercolor brush

I can see using this layout again, how fun is it? Seriously. I love using punches in ways that you wouldn't normally think of. So, should this be a card (or something similar) that we do in my upcoming class? That's right, card class is around the corner. If you haven't already, sign up now! I'll be posting more cards that will be presented to make in class. :-).

As always, happy stamping!
Karan

What happened to Stampin' Up! convention posts?

2008-08-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

Oops! Yeah, my bad. You see, I was having so much fun making swaps each night (late each night) that I completely goofed on actually posting what was happening at convention.

The bottom line... it was loads of fun. This was my first convention in the 3 years I've been a Stampin' Up! demo. Wowza. Mind you, I go to semi-local RS conventions all the time. But Stampin' Up! convention is like no other. Imagine ~6000 demonstrators gathering in one spot all for the love of rubber. I spent 2+ hours in line for Momento Mall the first day with my good buddy and fellow demo, Kathy D. Neither of us had swaps to share, but it really didn't matter. We had so much fun watching others swap, checking out other demo's swaps, and meeting wonderful people. I even got to hook up with my upline Sherry and my sideline Judy (and many other great folks in my demo family!) Although I missed the last day of general session (where a UPS truck drove onto stage and men in brown jumped out and hand delivered a rubber stamp set to each demo in the audience!), I am so happy to be fortunate enough to attend this year's SU convention. Really!

My goal each night was to make 10 cards to swap the following day. Kathy helped me each night (and laughed at me, rightfully so) while the card stock was flying, ribbon tied, eyelets set... you get the idea. Good thing I brought my card making supplies. I was able to take new sets we received in our goodie bag and use them for swaps.

Moving along, here's one of the cards I made for class at the end of August. If you haven't signed up yet, do so ASAP. Space is limited and I want to make sure you get your spot.

Recipe:
Stamps: Happiness Always, Sanded BG
Paper: Mellow Moss, Apricot Appeal, Black, White
Ink: Mellow Moss, Basic Black, Apricot Appeal
Accessories: Silver Eyelets, Ribbon, Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds, Crop-A-Dile

I will try to post a few more samples of cards before class (August 30th at The Crafter's Studio.) Call or email to reserve your spot. *Ask about my bring a friend special discount!* Also note- sentiments on most card can be changed to meet your needs. Although I show samples of certain sentiments, you will have others to choose from. This is a way I can help you individualize cards for your current needs. :-).

Happy stamping!

Karan

Holy Carp!

2008-07-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

Has it been long since I've posted? Sheesh! What rock have I been under? Well, I know the name of the rock, but it's really not important. The GOOD thing is that I'm still here, still stampin' (first time in over a month!), and creatin' like mad. Why? Well, it's called a deadline. Yep. I'm sure plenty of you have heard of it. I'm going to my first Stampin' Up convention tomorrow and I've got not one, or two ... but 4 swaps to bring with me. That's not including anything I want to swap in the general sense. The swaps I'm responsible for are ones I signed up for months ago. True to my form (clearly have not finished many chapters in GTD) I am last minute crafting like a mad woman (insert mad (woman) scientist pict. here) to get my obligations done. Yep. This a.m. I realized that I had signed up for FOUR not TWO organized swaps. Oh carp is right. It's not such a bad thing, since I do fairly well under extreme stress. Thus I might actually be the nurse you want at the bedside in your moment of distress. Possibly. I digress. Anyhoo- I'm really down in the stamp room creating and not up here blogging (What would GTD author have to say about this?)

As I mentioned, I realized a few hours ago that I really did have more swaps to create than what I could recollect (can I take that to court?) So, moving along in swaps I thought I'd whip out my chalkboard technique swap. Yep, should be simple. No, I haven't tried it before. But how hard could craft ink and chalk be? Seriously. Well, it turns out, in my picky little world, it's very challenging. Not so clean as I'd have thought. After a struggle, some food, some chocolate, and a heartfelt chat with my creative guru (DH- he's a whiz at figuring things out), I went back to the stamping board to redo an hour's worth of work. That's when I picked up my handy dandy white gel pen. Oh, yeah baby. That's what I'm talking about. (Sorry, the chocolate is kicking in right about now.)

Not perfect in any way, but I'm much happier with this card than the many prototypes. Although the bg looks rather stark (I'm patiently waiting for the new SU catty to find out all the new *current* background stamps I will soon have at my disposal) I decided the focus was on the technique and not the background. And, since time is of essence (what in the world am I doing blogging now?) I decided stark would be appropriate. Enjoy.

Don't forget to stay tuned. I'll be posting around the clock at convention. My clock, that is. So early in the a.m. and late at night I'll be delivering up to date info on the haps of the new catty and convention chatter.

Happy stampin'!
Karan

Stampin' Up! Retired List

2008-06-16T06:01:00.000-07:00

The newest retired list is out from Stampin' Up! If you want to place an order - email me today! Remember, you can now pay for your stampin' fix via credit card :-).

Happy stamping,
Karan

Martin Fire

2008-06-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

Whew. It's been a long couple of days here in Bonny Doon. I don't even know how much I want to blog about. This picture is what the sky looked like off of my deck about 1 hour into the Martin Fire that started Wednesday, June 11th. Over the next 2 hours the sky darkened intensely with smoke- a picture that will be forever in my head.

The fire started just after 3 p.m. By 5 p.m. most of my neighbors had voluntarily evacuated. A few of us stayed around until 6:30 a.m. Thursday morning when the sheriff came knocking on doors telling us we had to go.

Fast forward a few days- Joe is home from NC to help, we are back home with the kitties, and are working our way through putting things back in order. Since I didn't pack much- there's not much of that to do. This is one emotional rollercoaster

This is one of those events that I'll chalk up to life experience. Thanks to Bonny Doon Fire Department, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the numerous volunteers. You did an amazing job!!!! My heart goes out to the folks that were not as fortunate as me.

Thanks to everyone for the positive thoughts and love sent our way. I can't tell you how much it meant to me. Although Joe (DH) was not here at first, I certainly was not alone.

:-).
Karan

You want MY picture, right?

2008-06-08T15:42:00.000-07:00

Abbey decided it was much more important for me to take her picture today instead of the newly created card. I obliged, since she is missing her papa and really needs a little more tlc. Or does she think I'm the one who desires more attention?

Being true to her feline self, Abbey bored of me rather quickly and I took the opportunity to capture what I set out to photograph.

Today's card was inspired by the Designer Series Paper currently offered through Stampin' Up! Pretty in Pink is not a color I grab for often, however this does use up one more piece of the paper that multiplies in the stamp room when I'm not looking.

Recipe:

Stamps: Polka Dots and Paisleys, So Many Scallops
Paper: Pretty in Pink DSP, Basic Black, Whisper White
Inks: Pretty in Pink, Basic Black, Whsiper White
Misc: Ribbons, Buttons, Crop-A-Dile, Paper Piercer

You can't see details here, I realize that. The button on the center of the scallop fits perfectly inside the "sweet of you" sentiment that is inked in black here. Since the large black circle seemed so bare I decided to set the depth of my Crop-A-Dile and punched holes between each of the scallops. The scallops are also cut between each other and folded up for more dimension. I used the paper piercer to poke holes in each scallop as well. Really, it looks much nicer IRL. Really!

Now, to pass 11 more days 'til I see DH again. Ugh. It's worse than waiting for Christmas as a kid. *Big sigh* All is well, and life IS good. Of course, it'll be that much better when DH is home ;-). Enough sap.

Happy stampin'!

Simply Said BRAK

2008-06-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

This is the most recent BRAK (Birthday Random Act of Kindness) card I'm about to send out.

Recipe
Stamps: Stampin' Up! Simply Said, For a Friend. Posh Impressions Wild Grass, JudiKins Sky
Paper: Misc. Costco- close to Orchid Opulence, Yoyo Yellow, Whisper White
Inks: Yoyo Yellow, Orchid Opulence, Brilliant Blue, Glorious Green, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, StazOn Black
Misc.: Sponging, Ribbons, Slit Punch, Post-Its for layering, Sakuro Gelly Glaze and Glitter Pen

*****
I'd rather be stampin' than doing chores. So I present today's creation. This card is much different than any I've done in recent years. For starters the dimensions are 3" x 6" when folded. Also I've stepped way out of my color comfort zone, in many ways! Pink (to me) and yellow together? And blue? My trusted color wheel told me it was ok.

Now, once upon a time (in a far off stamp room...) I use to create scenic cards. *All* of my cards contained scenes. Since meeting up with SU! I have changed my focus. Of course, it all still revolves around some form of cuteness. As much as I use to think my style is not cute, I'm no longer in denial. It's a fact. Cute stamps draw me to them. Especially if those cute stamps have anything to do with cats, flowers, or martini's. My (stamp) drawers are filled with cat stamps (and flowers, .... and martini's.) Lol.... Do you ever see me post cards with cats in them? Martini's? The flowers call to me in a way I can't explain. Cats and Martini's draw me to them as well, just in another form ;-). Maybe I need to make one more card today ... cats or martini's- that's the question. Reality is ringing in my ear in the form of the dryer signal loudly proclaiming it's finished. The next card will have to wait for another day.

Enjoy, and as always- Happy Stamping,

As clean as it gets

2008-05-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

Let me make a disclaimer first. A couple of disclaimers.
1) I am not a photographer.
2) I have yet to learn how to make fancy borders around my pix and not scrunch them all together.
3) Yes, I have a lot of stamps. And paper. And punches. And.

As my MIL put it today "Oh dear, you must have at least $10,ooo dollars in here (stamp room). This is where I probably (or at least should have) turned beet red. Nope. I've been at it for 22 years now, and a quick calculations tells me that's ..... $454/year ($37.88/month). Saying her figure is accurate. If you ask me, that's not so shabby! I could spend a lot more on therapy. Right? Who's with me here???

Ah, all is well. I've come to the conclusion that I purposely keep my stamp room in disarray to ward of on-lookers and would-be judges. After all, if my room is "too messy to show" I don't go through possible ridicule at my hobby (ok, obession!) I KNOW I spend money on stamps and stuff. I'm OK with that. Will I ever use it all? Probably not. But it sure is fun having all these goodies at my finger-tips just waiting to be played with.

Now off to clutter up this place, it's too clean.

Happy crafting!

Messy

2008-05-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's what my stamp room looks like right now. Ugh! I can't bear to be in there (thus no card to upload with this post.) I did get some neat new baskets to help in the organizational process. And, I am motivated to tidy up since I'll be having stamp class next weekend. Yikes! So what am I doing? What my good friend Molly would tell me- procrastinating! Clearly I have not read much of David Allen's "Getting Things Done" yet. It is on the list of things to do.

Now to the main reason of this cardless post. I'm going public! I'll be teaching my first public stamping class at The Crafter's Studio August 30th. We'll be making cards, lots of cards. For seasoned stampers you'll be able to complete all 10 cards. Beginning stampers will be able to finish at least 5. I'll also have a 3D project for anyone who finishes early.

To register contact me via email or phone. Check out the calender below for more details.
Happy crafting!

Preview for Fall/Winter IBC-

2008-05-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peak at my first card using the new stamp set Fresh Cut Stamp (available for special order June 1st-June 30th.) *Love* the flowers- along with the elegant font- sweet!

Recipe:
Cardstock: Mellow Moss, Apricot Appeal, Basic Black, White
Ink: Bashful Blue, Lavendar Lace, Versamark, StazOn Black,
Extras: Paper Piercing, paper piecing, direct to paper, ribbon layering, sponging.

***Don't forget to check out the calendar for dates of upcoming classes. May 31st we will focus on rub-ons. If you haven't signed up yet- hurry! You must pre-register for this class (3 days left) for supplies to be ordered. Cut off date to register will be May 23, 2008. ***

Off to bed- will try to post some more samples of the Fresh Cut set later this week.

Happy stamping!

Color deficient ramblings

2008-05-01T13:00:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, I openly joke about being color blind. It's not a big deal to me since it isn't something that I chose, or something that I've ever missed. "My colors" have always been the same. I've never seen your colors. Gee, I don't even know if your colors exist, lol.

I was surfing around the web today (working, really!) and ran across a neat site that others- colorful people- would enjoy. People like to play the "What color is this?" game with me once they learn about my deficient rods and cones. Why don't you go see what I see? And, yes. All those pictures pretty much look exactly the same to me.

Here is where you can see what your website looks to me. This can be a valuable tool to some of you webmasters. Let me tell you, more than a couple sites I've been to are more than challenging to read. Color Vision Testing has a lot of useful links and tests.

Happy day,

2008-04-27T07:39:00.001-07:00

Do you ever get toys, um... tools, and they sit? And sit? And ...? I'm going through that right now (and have been for many years!) I received my new Nestabilities from Ellen last week and they are still in the package! I've been wanting those dies for months now, and I finally broke down and got them. However, it hasn't been quite the right time to "play" yet. I just finished class yesterday (very fun- thanks Kathy D. and Marjory!) Stamp time last week revolved around that. Today is a garden day, so stampin's out. Besides- the sun is so bright and cheery it really doesn't seem right to spend 2 consecutive spring filled days inside-even for stamps. Perhaps later this week. Or some stamp therapy after work one night???

After playing with my watermark (again)- I thought I'd see if it all tied in. Here are the results:

Joe (dh) picked this card to send to his mom for her birthday earlier this month. Sometimes it's nice to have someone else pick out a card, kwim? I tend to be a bit hyper-critical of myself- so other input is always welcome - even constructive input!

I'll see what I can do to get my nestabilities out and active- look for results later this week. Maybe they'll get some use at my next class :-).

Happy Stamping!

Playing with acetate

2008-04-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at an acetate card, and the main card for today's card class. It's a pretty simple card, the hardest part is knowing which layer to adhere first. I like the ribbon on the side- no bows, nothin' fancy. I might change the blue eyelet to a white brad for some additional pop. We'll see what the girls come up with.

Recipe:
Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Be Happy
Card stock: Acetate, Bashful Blue, Mellow Moss, Black and White
Ink: White Staz-On, Bashful Blue (classic)
Accessories: Button, eyelet, misc. ribbon, thread, glue dots (many of them!)
Tools: Crop-a-dile and circle punches

Alright, now as promised .... the news.

The craft studio's closing! Yep, you read right. The craft studio you've come to know and love will be shuttin' down. May 10th will be my last class there and I'll be packing up May 11th. Ack!? Not at all. Read on.

This change is leading the way for me to walk into a better and brighter open door. I'll be back in (a different) craft space this August -location will be announced when things are more dialed. Classes will continue 1-2 times a month. With this change I'll be raising class prices (starting in August)- I'm not sure how much yet. I hate to do it, but need to cover costs. When I look around at class prices over the hill the going rate is about $25-$35 for a 4 card class. I'm not going to cut back on projects- I might even add to the number of cards we do (currently 5). My love is to stamp, and to teach. My goals will remain to keep it fun, keep it changing, and keep it reasonable!

For those of you that can't wait until August, I'll still do at least 1 class a month at my house. Also, if you are interested in having a stamping party at your place- just let me know. I'm pretty portable and would be happy to have class in your house.

Thanks to everyone for your continued support. I can only hope it's been as fun for you as it has been for me!

Happy day!

Spring colors...

2008-04-25T13:01:00.001-07:00

I love spring colors- those soft subtle colors in yellows, oranges, greens ... truly this must be my favorite time of year. Perhaps this is why my stamping juice is flowing freely today. I've already finished packing up my class for tomorrow (for those that don't know me- I'm usually up EARLY the morning of class doing last minute stuff.) Could I be turning over a new leaf? A non-procrastinating leaf? Yeah, I doubt that.

This spring box was inspired by a project on the demo side of the Stampin' Up! website. I don't usually get into a project this fast- but this was too fun to pass up, and I LOVE to create boxes and bags.

Recipe:
Card stock: Whisper White, Misc. Imagination Project (Sonia)
Ink: Old Olive
Misc: Rhinestone Brads, Eyelets, misc. ribbon
Tools: Paper cutter/scorer, Crop-a-dile, ticket punch

Cut designer paper (two sided is best) to 5" x 12"
Score horizontally at 4", 5.5", 9.5" and 11".
Score vertically at 3" and 4.5"
Lay the card stock horizontally with the first 4" x 5.5" at the left.

Panel 1 = 4" wide x 3" height
Panel 2 = 1.5" wide x 4.5" height
Panel 3 = 4" wide x 5" height
Panel 4 = 1.5" wide x 4.5 height
Panel 5 = .5" wide x 3" height

On any edges that remain on the bottom (the parts that fold up into the box) I used my ticket punch to make everything clean. I used glue to adhere the whole thing together, but I'm sure you red-liner tape would be my #1 choice.

***Some day I'll be less technically challenged and figure out had to add a diagram. Not today-though.

If you have any questions just send me an email-

Oh! Did I mention my big news? Nope, I didn't. I'll start with it only affects the people that take class from me locally. Check back tomorrow for the details... (what a tease!)

Happy day!

Some of my favorite colors...

2008-04-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

Stampin' Up! calls most of these colors "Soft Subtles." I call them fantabulous. Here's this morning's procrastination ...err.. art. Yep, should be doing 73 other things, but I'd rather play (i.e. stamp!) I was wondering around and found a color challenge using Caramel, Moss, Coral and my all time favorite color- Apricot.

Recipe as follows:
Stamps: Stampin' Up! Year after Year, Friend by Definition
Cardstock: Apricot Appeal, Mellow Moss, Cameo Coral, Creamy Caramel
Ink: Black Craft, Moss, Apricot, Coral
Misc: Brads, Crystal Effects, Misc Michael's ribbon, Moss ribbon
Techniques: Embossing, Paper Piercing, Distressing

Now, off to get some chores done...

Happy Day!

Card Tins

2008-03-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

They're like a 3-D card- and so many possibilities. I finally figured out how I like the lid to be inside and out. On the outside of this tin I used craft ink, and helped the drying process along by using my trusty heat gun. After letting it and me rest a while I decided to mod podge over it. Yeah! Works like a charm. You see, mod podge and I aren't the best of friends. I'd sooner glue my fingers together than get it on the actual intended work surface. How in the world did I make it out of kindergarten??? Ha! None the less, here's one of my finished tins. All supplies are from Stampin' Up! One more piece of 12" x 12" down, 3127 left to use.

Do you notice how low those eyelets are in the tin? That's thanks to my nifty Big Bite Crop-A-Dile II from We R Memory Keepers. I bought it a while ago and have been a bit intimidated by it's size. No worries, though. Once I punched a few holes (and yes, it's like buttah going through these tins!) and set a few eyelets- it's like it's suppose to fit in my hand just so. The weight is no big deal, either. I'm in love and doin' the happy dance!

I'm off to finish dinner and work out my stampin' and crafting schedule for the next couple of months.

Happy day!

Focal Spotlighting

2008-03-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

The technique focus at last weekend's stamp class was focal spotlight. It's a quick and fun card that really pops. The supplies used for this card are (all Stampin' Up!®):

Stamps: Morning Soft, Sprinkles
Paper: Bordering Blue, Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
Ink: Staz On Brown, Regal Rose, Green Galore, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Versamark
Misc: Pink Gingham ribbon, clear button, various circle punches, distressing tool.

Now, I'm off to continue the cleaning of the stamp room. Oh, it's ugly. How can one person have sooooooo much paper? (Forget the fact that the stamps out number the paper!)

Happy day.

Shop! ...???

2008-03-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

So many folks have asked if I sell cards. I do, I do! My (on-line) store is in the works. As soon as I fix the photo bugs you'll be able to see what's for sale. You'll be able to view single cards first, then packs of multiples will be available shortly after.

It's not that I don't want to fix the store bugs right now. I'd much rather play around some more right here. Unfortunately (or is it?) our accountant is expecting Joe and I this afternoon. Yup. It's that time of the year. I've been dragging my feet getting my business receipts in order which is why our taxes aren't done yet. I'm happy to report I am finished and ready to take everything to the accountant. Yeah! No more procrastination. Oh, except for all of the other stuff I was suppose to accomplish this morning. That's ok, this is a huge task off my plate. I can peacefully move on to prepping for Saturday's class (I did mention I am a procrastinator, didn't I?). So much for prepping tonight's dinner... perhaps it will be take out after all :-).

Happy day.

As vacation nears the end ...

2008-03-06T08:29:00.000-08:00

I feel fresh and rejuvenated. We've rested, soaked up sun (all the while using at least SPF 15), played on lava "beaches", snorkeled , walked (got it about 15-20 miles), ate wonderfully fresh fish, and of course sampled most of the island's Mai-Tai recipes. After all, there were many folks on the mainland requested we do just that.

Today is a day of travel, tomorrow we'll all be back with you - working away. Fortunately for me, working tomorrow will consist of getting class ready for this Saturday's focal spotlight class. (Yeah- stamping!) Haven't signed up? Give me a call or drop me an email. I'll check my messages tomorrow and let you know if I have space.

Happy day, happy stamping!

Greetings from Hawaii!

2008-03-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

Ahhh.... the weather is warmed by a beaming sun, the ocean is calmly waving 30 feet outside our condo door, the most spectacular sunset since our arrival on the island is about to form, and we are happy and healthy. Did I mention we're celebrating Siena's 6th birthday? Yeah, and Happy Birthday to Siena! (pic to follow!)

I did get a chance to visit Kona Scrapbooks while we were here. Of course I happened upon a stamp that needed to come back to Cali with me- a dragonfly by Inkadinkadoo. I'm a sucker for dragonflies! I want to ink this baby up asap when I get home. Oops! I think I owe someone a buck and a beer, lol.

Don't forget to check out my google calendar for class listings. I have class this Saturday that has a few seats left.

Happy Stamping!

Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini

2008-03-01T09:28:00.000-08:00

The NEW 2008 Stampin' Up!® Occasions Mini is here! This mini isn't limited to just stamps- there's rub-on stickers, SILVER Hodgepodge Hardware (oh- this has been a hope of mine for a long time now!), chunky glitter, twill ribbon, Designer Series Paper, Die Cut Blooms with rub-ons to match!

I can't wait to get some samples up on-line to share. Of course, that'll have to wait until I'm back from vacation. Enjoy the links :-). Aloha from Hawaii and Happy Stamping!

I'm still here!

2008-02-03T16:21:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Long time, no post. I've been busy working on new projects for upcoming classes- and it's been a blast! Classes in February and March include: Lots of card classes (birthday, thank you, everyday) as well as Recipe Tins, Mosaic Stepping Stones, Tile Coasters, Card Boxes and more! Email me for class info or check out the schedule on my Google calendar. I'd love to have you join a class, whether you are a beginner or advanced. I work hard to bring new ideas and techniques to each class. Check back soon for pix of upcoming classes!

On a field trip today...

2007-11-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

Joe and I are off to Berkeley today to check out a few places, one of which is Scrapbook Territory. I'm hoping to find some neat Christmas/Holiday paper to play with this weekend at the craft studio's open house this Sunday 11/11/07.

Call or email to get directions to the studio. I'll have a station set up for a card make and take- free! The station will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There'll be some goodies to munch on, and a new class schedule.

See you Sunday!

Tea Bag Holder

2007-11-05T10:57:00.000-08:00

Since my creativity hasn't been flowing, it was helpful to be forced into stamping recently for a swap I'm in. The swap is for tea bag holders. They'll be perfect to stuff in a stocking, and were quite simple to make. For those not keen on tea, how about using a little square of chocolate instead?

Dimensions for this holder are 3.25" x 9.75" with score marks at 3.25" and 6.5". I cut slits on each score half way up to thread the ribbon through.

Change up the size and you could use these as a gift card holders. Hmmm... maybe I have to play/work some more.

...off to prep for a holiday greeting card class coming up at the end of the week.

Happy day.

Where does time go?

2007-11-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

As you can see I've been MIA for the month of October. I've been getting ready for the holiday season with many new ideas up my sleeve. One of those ideas really needs to be credited to Janie over at Hands on Crafts with Jane Ann. She's taken our advertising to a new level. You'll get to read all about it next week in the the Metro Santa Cruz.

Upcoming classes should be posted by weeks end. If anyone is having trouble using the Google Calendar, please email me so I can fix any bugs.

I have some new stamps that are dying to be inked :-).

Happy day.

ETA: don't be lookin' in the Metro for me, I'm not there!

It's time for the Rubberama!

2007-09-29T06:59:00.000-07:00

I've been up since my husband got up at 4:00a.m. to see what the "weird" sound was coming from the kitchen this morning. It was the coffee pot I programmed yesterday to fuel me for the day ahead.

That's right folks, the Fall Rubberama is in my neck of the woods. Woo-hoo! Yes, I will be one of the first ones there. When the rubber house o' worship comes to town all else in my world stops. For a while, anyway. Being the rubber geek that I am, my ensemble is already laid out. It's the same at every convention. There must be other attendees that know (and point at) me by my outfit. I don my white long sleeved Stampa Barbara shirt, (one of the two days a year I still allow myself to wear it) my most comfortable (whatever fits at the time) jeans, comfy shoes, (today it will be Uggs) and my Blue Jansport backpack. For those of you that want to relate- I must look like the ultimate trekie (sp?) at one of their conventions. I should be a bit embarrassed, but I'm not. For the few of you that have ever tried to attend one of these events with me- your sittin' back laughing right now, aren't you? It's ok to admit it.

You can check out details of the event here: San Jose Rubberama. If you should happen to run into me, please do not get your feelings hurt. I'm not there to socialize- I must scour the premises for new and exciting goodies- be that rubber or new techniques. After all, this is now what is known as a "Business trip." Ha! That's right IRS- I'm keepin recepits, I'm logging miles. This is all in the name of business- Pawsitively Stamps, that is.

Other news of the day: My cards, cards, cards class is happening tonight at 5pm at the craft studio in Santa Cruz. It's almost a full class- yeah!

If I'm not too tired tonight I'll post some of my new finds.

Happy Day!

Mosaic Stepping Stone

2007-09-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

One must know me to understand that "You Suck!" is one of my highest compliments. Really, it is. That's what I had to say to my very good friend Cathy Bortolin (hey, Cathy- is it o.k. if I use your name???) when she was done with her very *first* stepping stone at class last week. Since Cathy's was so awesome I asked if I could picture it here. Too cool, eh?

Woohoo, Cathy! Great eye for design, layout and color.

The story of my life...

2007-09-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

As if you want to know the story of my life. Let's suffice to say this card says so much about me. I'm very late getting a few birthday cards out in the mail. No, it doesn't make much sense since I LOVE to stamp. However, I've come to realize my strong sense of procrastination takes precidence over much of the on-goings in my life. As early back as I can remember I achieved great things when I was propelled by time constraints due to my ability to procrastinate until the very last minute. One would think I like stress. I don't. Really.

Enough rambling. (Again, I'm procrastinating.) I must get these cards out in the mail before they are one more day late. Happy day.

2007-09-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

Must ... have ... sleep.

2007-09-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, so what does sleep have to do with stamping you ask? Well, last night it had a lot to do with it, or rather it had a lot to do with the *lack* of it.

Last night's class was on Tile Coasters. Easy shmeezy (do not look that word up until I have a moment to add it in Wikipedia ... Anyhoo- the coasters looked great, everyone had their own unique style. Mulligans (thank you Earen) were had by a few folks. Ha... ha. It's always fun to watch fellow stampers. Did we all think we should be perfect on the first stamp? Really? It's taken me years to get that it's quite alright to get a little messy. That's the beauty in stamping. Nobody ever knows what you started out to create except you. Truly, we are our own worse critic. True, it's not always easy to fudge things on a tile coaster, but there's always another tile to ink.

Rambling, am I? That's PROOF of lack o' sleep. That's where I started with this whole post, right?

Let me simply say, last night was my last class scheduled on a day that I already work 10 hours. Ugh. What was I thinking?

Class update!

2007-09-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

My class schedule is getting updated. Check out Google calendar for the most current class listings. If you'd like to be notified when I update my class calendar, send me an email to be put on the list.

If I can ever figure out where to better put this little link, you'll find it moved. Until then, I'll make this post one you can refer back to rather easily.

Now, I'm off to make some tile coasters.*If* I stay on task, those coasters will be posted for all to see a little later today.

Happy Day!

Dream Pillow

2007-08-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

This morning I attended Janie's Dream Pillow class. I actually sewed my very own dream pillow despite the fact that I haven't touched a sewing machine since 197*. Wow, it really was that long ago.

Of course I stamped on my pillow :-). Inside is a pouch of lavender as well as the essential oils Benzoin, Bergamot and Lavender (again). Together they are meant to help comfort, bring self acceptance and joy, as well as balance my mind .... yeah I need all of those!

According to what Janie taught me, I should tuck this little pillow inside my big pillow and let the essential oils and botanicals work their magic (ok, I added the work their magic part...). I'm going to go put my pillow away for a peaceful sleep tonight. I'll report back tomorrow to let you know. For those of you that don't know me, keep in mind that my sleep is much less than ideal at this point. I'm not expecting a miracle overnight.

First class pictures

2007-08-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

Alrighty! As promised, here are a pictures of a few of the cards we made in the first two classes. These are the first pics added, so I'm hoping they look o.k.

Ingredients for the first cards shown:
Bud Basics stamp set, Basics Outline Jumbo Wheel
Absolutely Apricot, Basic Black, Whisper White, Shimmery White cardstock
Irridescent Ice EP, Mellow Moss Grosgrain ribbon, Silver Eyelets, Crop-A-Dile, Mini Glue-Dots.

This second card shows more of the cards created stamping on acetate and tissue with Reinkers, water coloring with Aqua Painters, and using some of the new Stampin' Up!© Linen Print Designer Paper.

Check out my Stampin' Up! website to see upcoming classes.

Don't forget to check out my inspiration for starting classes- Jane Ann (aka Janie) over at Hands On Crafts with Jane Ann. She's teaching a wide variety of classes. Her first one is creating Dream Pillows. Yeah! If you know me at all you know my Dream Pillow will be invaluable. I'll post a pic of my pillow after class.

Happy Crafting!

It happened!

2007-08-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. We all did it, really. I'm proud to announce we've had four fun stamping classes in the new studio. There was a wide range of stamping experience present with fun had by all. The groups stamped on acetate using tissue and reinkers, water colored, embossed, embellished, tied, laughed and had a great time.

Check back in the next couple of days and I'll have some pictures of our cards and projects as well as dates for upcoming classes at the studio that will include Janie's classes (more about that later as well.)

Thanks to everyone who showed great talent and support during our first classes at the new studio, and thank you for checking out what's happening.
:-).
Karan

In the beginning...

2007-04-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

Splitcoast Blog Group

2005-11-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Big wave to my Splitcoaststampers Blogger Group friends! For those of you who frequent my blog and want some awesome inspiration, go over to my left side bar and scroll down to SCS Blog Group and visit some fellow stampin'/craftin' friends. I'm inspired by them, and I'm sure you will be.