Let's go shopping!

I have had a few different bella stamps on my wish list for quite a while now and finally bought some. I tried to get versatile ones so that I'll be sure to use them.

Meet emmybella!


I used sketch challenge SC167 from Splitcoaststampers.

The paper is from Target's $1 spot! I bought it only because of this shoe paper! I loved it at first sight! There were 6 different, coordinating papers in the package. I figured that the paper would be cheap-o and thin, but I was quite pleasantly surprised to find the paper to be even sturdier than most of my scrapbook papers. Not as thick as cardstock, but not flimsy like the cheap paper I bought at JoAnn's last time we had a scrapbook weekend in Dallas.

I chose my papers first and then colored emmybella. I used my copics but didn't do any shading. I am still learning how to use them, so I didn't want to mess up. She's a skinny little image and there's not much room for error, either. I need to get a skin-colored marker so I can color her skin, but I didn't want her to look like she had used the spray and tan, so I left her snow white for now.

I used a needle and my paper-piercing template from SU! and I was very pleased with the triangles in the left corners of the image and the card. I just didn't realize that I hadn't adhered those corners down before I took this picture. Oh, well.


I used foam dots to pop up her shopping bags. They popped up a little more than I meant, but she probably just found a good sale! Then I popped up the entire matted image using foam dots also.

The Happy Birthday sentiment is from a tiny Studio g stamp set.

She looks like she's had a successful birthday shopping trip, don't you think?

Look, Ma, I can tie my shoes!

Russell is amazingly motivated and once he decides he wants to do something, there is no stopping him. He was that way when he learned to ride his bike and, here recently, when he learned to tie his shoes.

I had kind of an idea of how I wanted this page to look, but I probably should have done the title differently, or at least somewhere else. It looks like it's falling off the page... Oh, well.


I used a stencil for the letters of the title. See, you don't need a die cut machine, if you're willing to sit and cut out the letters. I'm a little weird and I enjoy the tedious work of cutting out the letters with my little manicure scissors. I bought the stencils from Michael's (probably on sale because I rarely pay full price for anything!) and I love them! There is a letter stencil and a shadow stencil. I love shadows for my letters since I always use busy patterned papers.

I used Stampin' Up!'s notebook paper punch for the pictures on the right to give them the feel of being a roll of film. I took pictures of him step by step and wanted to just scrapbook them in order. I love the way it turned out.

I also punched a small piece of scrap paper on the bottom left and laced it up with some string that came with a cheap-o kite last year. The kite has since been tossed, but the string is useful for so many things!

I usually mat all my pictures, again, because I use busy patterned papers, but I need to step out of my "scrapping comfort zone" and do things differently sometimes... Sometime... Maybe later... :-)

I splurged...

...and I'm so glad I did!

I discovered that our local stamp store, BStamps & Stuff, sells scor-pals. I did not know she carried them. And, it was the same price as you can get it online--minus the shipping! So, I made a spontaneous decision to get it. I can't wait to play with it!

There are so many tutorials on Splitcoaststampers on different fun 3D projects. Some of them I am able to make without a scor-pal, just by using my 12" paper trimmer. But, on some of the more complex projects, like the meander book, I can try and try and it just doesn't work out. And, the ones that do work can be more time-consuming and difficult without the ease of the scor-pal. I'll be sure to show the fruits of my labor!

A Pirate's Life for Me

I finally got my order in from Stampin' Up! the other day and I sat down right away and made this card. I had had it in my mind for weeks while I waited for the stamps. We will be mailing it out this afternoon to Slade's nephew, Mitchell. He's turning 12. I hope this card doesn't seem too youngish to him.




I used Stampin' Up!'s Ahoy, Matey set. I love this set! I used Memories black ink, but even when I heat set it, it still blurs when I use my copic markers. So, I'll have to get a better dye ink pad. I put the gold brads in the corner because it reminded me of a pirate's gold booty. The "Arrr!" was printed on the computer. It says "Arrr!" because, arrrgh, I'm late! Hopefully he won't hold it against us. *grin*

"You're out of this world" Card

I found a bunch of Studio G stamp sets on eBay and was so excited as I won them for cheap, cheap, cheap. I must not have read the auctions very closely, however, because they got here a few days ago and they are small, small, small.

Some are really just too small to be a main image on a card, but some, like this rocket, I decided would work.

I stamped the main image in ColorBox black ink and colored it with Copics markers. Then I cut it out with my itty bitty scissors (aka fingernail scissors--my best friend when cutting out scrapbook title letters). I stamped the image again and used a foam dot to pop the rocket up. The saying says "You're out of this world", but it isn't very dark. Note to self: Don't use ColorBox ink pad again.

Congratulations Card

This Saturday is our local scrapbook store's garage sale. Anyone can bring their new or used crafting items and the store will sell them for you. You get store credit for the amount you sell.

I was going through my paper this morning (actually, I started going through it a week ago and have finally finished...well, given up...) and found a stack that I got from JoAnn's last time we were in Dallas for our Ladies' Scrapbooking Weekend.

I liked the paper pack because the papers had a distressed look and because there were some papers with big, funky flowers. I didn't really look closely at the other papers or at the fact that you get about 10 of each print. I know I say you can't have too much paper, but that's just a lot of paper!

So, I decided to try to use some and if I just couldn't get it to "click", then I would send it to the garage sale!

So, here's what I came up with. This is a "Congratulations" card that would work for a marriage, new job, new house. Probably not a new baby because of the flowers, but, hey, a new "bloom" is something to celebrate, too.

I stamped the bouquet image (which I got for $1 at Michael's!) in Memories Black ink and heat set it. I don't know if I needed to heat set it, but I've had a hard time finding a good ink here in town that works with my Copics markers, so I did it just for good measure. Then I colored it.

Now, if I had been thinking, I would have found my papers to use first and then coordinated the colors in my image to the papers. But, I was just playing around with the markers and, therefore, colored the image first. So, I tried a weird color combination for the rest of the card.

Surprisingly, I was very pleased with how it turned out!

First attempt at cards...

I tried my hand at some cards, after being inspired and motivated over and over by the fun and amazing cards I see online. Here is my first feeble attempt...

I used watercolor pencils on the image, but didn't have the right blender/aqua pen... Oops...




That card was going to be for the birthday of a very sweet 90-year old friend, but Slade said it didn't really fit.

So, I came up with this one. Slade still hesitated, but didn't give it a "no". I was out of stamps, so I would've used it anyway. :-) I really need to build up my stamp supply. You can never have too many stamps, I say.




Both cards are based on sketches from different blogs I stalk and there are other cards made using the same sketches over at Splitcoaststampers. Someday, I'll remember to save the blog where I find the sketch, but I'm still learning...