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Tuesday, October 4, 2016

I'm Back

Whew,,,when I decide to take a break...I really take a break!  Sorry about that.  I haven't been as active in my card making lately.  Some other life events have been going on that have shifted my focus a bit, but I wanted to pop in and say hello to all and share a card that I made for a leadership swap I was in recently.  The theme is Halloween, and I decided to go all out!  I hope you like it.


I will list all the details on supplies I used below.  I am still open for business if you'd like to make a purchase!

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Watercoloring

Happy Sunday!  I love trying all these techniques and compositions that are not just stamping on paper or die cuts.  They have their place too, but I feel more like me when I am feeling artistic in my creations.  I think I need to buy some canvases and do these techniques in a more permanent way than on a card.  But anyway, I wanted to show you my attempts at some watercoloring with Stampin' Up inks and water color paper.

This was my first attempt.  I wish I had made the background a little lighter because I think the contrast isn't as good as it could have been.  But it's still pretty to me and has a lovely monochromatic theme.  I wish I had heat embossed white for the sentiment too.  Woulda, shoulda, coulda....


On my 2nd attempt, I got a little more aggressive adding depth and texture to my creation.  I layered the ink on, stamped my image in Archival Black ink, embossed the filigree and added my highlighting (with a much more delicate hand) using a small brush dipped in household bleach.  I also splattered bleach all over the project to give it more texture.  I took the new Burlap Ribbon and frayed one end of it to give it even some more interest.


What do you think?  I will attach my supply list for this card, below.



Saturday, June 18, 2016

Aurora Borealis Sky Technique

I wanted to give a try at a really beautiful technique I saw recently.  I didn't know exactly how it was created, but I thought I would try layering colors from light to dark to get that beautiful northern lights look.  My first attempt looks a little more like an alien abduction, but it's cool too.


So, on the 2nd try I wanted to go with some different colors added in to give the illusion of colors streaking across the sky.  I think it's pretty fun!  What do you think?


I started by using Shimmery White card stock and lightly sponging in Sky Blue, and then layering in Marina Mist, Dapper Denim and Night of Navy.  I also added in a Archival Black to deepen the shadows.  The stamp set I used was Lovely as a Tree, and also a couple sentiments from the Rose Wonder Stamp set.  In a way, I wanted to not have any sentiment on these cards, but the more I looked at it, the more I loved the technique, but also thought it was a bit blank.  Sometimes it's hard to know when to stop.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Vintage Masculine

Today I decided to try my hand at a greeting that is a bit more masculine.  I saw this technique last winter, and although I tried it, I wasn't as impressed with my results as I could have been, so I chucked them away and gave up on the technique.  I am still not totally convinced that I couldn't have done better, but in the end, I am liking the results enough, that I thought I would share.  If you want to see a variety of cards using this technique by others here is a Pinterest Link.


The basics of this technique are to ink directly onto the, "Woodland" textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  And after adding the background inking you want, stamp the image directly on the folder as well.  Then, when you run your card stock through the Big Shot, it leaves your image behind the raised impression.

(One of my co-workers is undergoing some pretty extensive health issues and is going to be away for the next few months, recovering, so my team and I are going to send him this card after we've all signed it.)
I had some difficulty in getting the background inks to not be too dark and as you can see the, the vintage cars did not stamp very clearly.  This was frustrating for me, I would have liked finer, more detailed lines,  but after I messed around, adding some ink with my watercolor pen, and allowing it to be a bit grungy, I decided the look was pretty cool.



This card will be for my dad for Father's Day.  We used to have an old broken down vintage in our garage when I was growing up.  Dad was always going to refinish it and get it running again, but sadly it turned into an old rusty pile of metal.  I believe Dad gave it to someone else, and I hope they've been able to get it back to it's glory days...or...at least running!
1925 Star Model F5   I'm not sure if this is the correct model, but it is the year and make of  my dad's car. His didn't even look this good...so you can imagine!!

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Under the Lilac Tree

Hello Again!  Happy Tuesday.  I wanted to share with you a card I made over the weekend.  I took some inspiration from Pinterest, from a card that was similar in some ways, but I wanted mine to have a more vintage look.  I am calling this one, Under the Lilac Tree, from a book I read by Louisa May Alcott, when I was just a young girl.  I am using the "Sitting Here" stamp set again, and this time pairing it up with "Sheltering Tree".  I wanted to give the impression of lilacs overhead by using a little Wisteria Wonder ink, and mixing it in with Old Olive and Pear Pizzazz Inks.  I find that I get a lot of satisfaction from creating cards that are a little more artistic than just simple inking on paper, although, that definitely has its place too.

A fun trick I learned at On Stage, that you can do with photopolymer stamps, is if a verse needs to take a different direction than straight across, you can flex the stamp on the acrylic block, as in this case, a curve above the back of the swing.  Pretty clever, wouldn't you say?



A little secret I will share on the goof ups a person can experience while card making.  I had carefully colored the images in with inks and blender pens to accomplish the coloring I did, set both aside, and then bit into a ripe red cherry.  Cherry juice squirted all over my nice, clean and colored image.  Yikes!  I had spent quite some time making that second card, so you will notice the pot of flowers is attached to the inside of the card....strategically covering that mishap.  It's not so bad!


I used so many different colors of inks to do my coloring, that I am not even sure I can remember them all to list them below.  However, the wooden swing and basket were colored in Crumb Cake and then shaded more with Early Espresso inks.  I find that adding a little dab to an acrylic block, makes a nice palette I can dip my blender pen in.  Works like a charm.

Another effect, that unfortunately, didn't come through in the photograph is, I cut out the pillow images and laid them face down on a foam mat.  I then burnished the back of the image with my stylus, and it broke down the fibers in the paper and rounded them out so they looked a bit like a puffy pillow.  Pretty cool technique, and then there is so much more dimension and texture to the card.

I'd like your opinions on my cards.  Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!

Monday, June 13, 2016

Swimming with the Fishies

With it being so close to summer, and also feeling a bit like summer, I thought we'd take a visit to the seashore with the new "Seaside Shore" stamp set and "By the Shore" Designer Series Paper.  And how better than with a shaker card?  These are so fun.  I used 2 of our new In Colors, Peekaboo Peach and Dapper Denim to set the color scheme, and picked green and blue sequins out of the Brights Sequin Assortment.  I used the Hooray stamp from the new stamp set "Perfectly Wrapped".


I live in Boise, Idaho, now, but the majority of my family still live on the Oregon Coast.  It's lovely there, and "home" to me, so whenever I get the chance to make something beachy, it makes me feel happy.  There's everything to love about this stamp set too, as you can clearly see, and with the coordinating Designer Series Paper it is so adorable.  I will be making more projects from this set!



Don't the sequins look a bit like bubbles?

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Paper Pumpkin Super Special Deal!

Hi Everyone!  Paper Pumpkin has a sweet deal for new Paper Pumpkin Subscribers.  Want to try out this fantastic Subscription from Stampin' Up!?  Check out the story below:

Details
  • The price of the kit ($5 USD)
  • This offer is open to first-time subscribers only. Discount applies to one kit for June 2016. After the first month, the price for the subscription will return to $19.95 USD/$26.95 CAD.
  • Offer starts on Thursday, June 9 at 5:00 PM (MT) and ends Friday, June 10 at 11:50 PM (MT).
  • Available for month-to-month subscriptions, not prepaid subscriptions.
Click HERE to order

PP_One Day Deal_Demo Header 

Want to know more about Paper Pumpkin?  Watch these super cool videos!!




Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Another Color Challenge

Here is another color challenge.  The theme was to use one of the new In Colors and match it up with one of the old In Colors.  So, I choose Flirty Flamingo and Tip Taupe Taupe.  What do you think?  The stamp set is a favorite of mine, Awesomely Artistic.  The stamps are so beautiful.  This time when I made my card layers, I opted to distress the edges of the paper a bit and add some sponging around the edges.  It's so fun!



I pulled linen thread through the vintage button for a completely different effect.


Here is a close up of one of the dragonflies.  You may  notice there is a bit of sparkle on it and that was created by mixing in a container equal parts of clear embossing powder and dazzling diamonds glitter.  


I am quite pleased with these two colors together.  What do you think?

Friday, June 3, 2016

Love a Color Challenge

Happy Friday.  I took yesterday off to let the new catalog absorb a bit.  It's so fun, isn't it?  Have you seen anything you absolutely love?  What are your favorites?  I went a bit overboard, I must confess, when I placed my order.  But, a benefit to joining is you do get a discount on the products.  And don't forget, if you join in June, you also get two additional stamp sets of your choice.  (I'd choose the 2 most expensive ones, personally)  :)  So, with that bounty on it's way to me now, I am going to have lots and lots of things to share with you!  Exciting.... :)

I joined a color challenge this week.  The challenge was to use Flirty Flamingo, Sweet Sugarplum and Rich Razzleberry.  (Other than the flamingo part, that actually sounds like a yummy combination).

Here is what I created!


I actually struggled a bit with this one.  I started out with 3 flowers, then it was 2 flowers, then finally I decided 1 flower and some leaves.  Then, what about the background?  I am pretty pleased with the way it came out though.  I really love the Timeless Textures stamp set.  I think it is a must have set.  Even though it doesn't photograph well, I added some of the clear Wink of Stella pen to the flower and leaves to add some sparkle.  Love that stuff!

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

It's Here!!!! 2016-2017 Annual Catalog

It's finally here and ready to be drooled over!  
Stampin' Up! 2016-2017 Annual Catalog!  YAY!!


Let me know if you'd like to get your hands on the real thing and I can mail it out to you. ($2 plus priority shipping)  However, you can also download a pdf of the entire catalog right HERE so you can start your shopping now!

I could post pictures of the inside, but honestly...just go download that pdf...what are you waiting for??  I'll wait here for you.  :)

************************************************************************

Welcome back.  So, what did you think?  While I have you here, let me tell you about some pretty awesome promotions in June to launch the new catalog:

1.  Every order that is $350.00 or more, will receive an additional $35.00 in Stampin' Rewards!  That's in addition to the 12% extra you receive for placing an order that is over $300.00.  See how the fun keeps adding up?  That's a lot of extra free stuff of your choosing.  You could even ask some friends to order with you, to reach that level.  Either way, the rewards are yours! ( And don't forget, with any order at $150 or more, qualifies you for 10% of your order in free stuff!)



2.  Should you opt to take the plunge and become a part of my team, you will get to pick out 2 additional stamp sets for FREE.  Yes, you will be able to choose $125.00 worth of product, plus 2 extra stamp sets of your choosing, and that's all for only $99.00, free shipping, and some added business supplies.  But, that's not all, they will also add in a free Paper Pumpkin kit!
  And then, you are part of a very awesome group of friends that take their stamping pretty serious.  Seriously fun!  You will also get to join the most phenomenal team as my special guest, where you will see and learn so many cool and inspiring techniques.  (not to mention a discount!)


And now...the winner of the Pedal Pusher Stamp set as mentioned yesterday is:
Adrianne Simpson

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

The Last Day...And what? Another giveaway?

It's arrived.  The last day to order from the 2015-2016 Stampin' Up! annual catalog and Occasions Catalog.  I am going to miss a lot of things that will no longer be available...and to share in that, I thought I would share with you a stamp set that was available, only for a limited time.  I made this card, and even demonstrated it at a stampin' party, but never before shared on my blog.  The stamp set was called, Pedal Pusher, and was one of the Sale-a-bration sets.  Since I happened to order a 2nd one, I thought I would give that one away!  Leave a comment here, or at my facebook page, and you are entered.  If you place an order through my site tonight, May 31, 2016, I am sending you out a special something extra.



This stamp set is photo-polymer and works with acrylic blocks for stamping the images.  As you can see, the images stamp strong and clear with sharp images.

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am that tomorrow we all get to order from the new 2016-2017 annual catalog!  I am very happy to get to share with you many fun products...starting tomorrow!  Please come back!  And remember to comment here today, so you can have this lovely set.  It really was my favorite from the Sale-a-bration catalogs.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

More Butterflies!

I am going camping for the Memorial Day Weekend with my family, so won't post anything tomorrow or Monday, but I will try to be back on Tuesday.  And lest we forget....Tuesday is the very last day to order anything retiring from our 2015-2016 catalog.  And then....we can start celebrating with our brand new catalog on Wednesday.  I have my list all ready...well, that's not completely true, because I have changed it so many times!  I will provide a link to the new catalog on Wednesday as well, so you can view it via pdf file.  Of course, if you'd like an actual catalog, contact me and I can send you one.  I will only charge you my cost, plus shipping and handling, priority mail.  And, unfortunately, I can only ship within the United States.

So, I don't have a new project, but I do have additional cards like the one I shared yesterday with slight variations in colors.  I used Blushing Bride, the new Emerald Envy and Sweet Sugarplum.


So now, I am back to my 1st attempt at fishing.  Everyone at work was laughing at me for never having fished before.  Honestly, it's never been something I've been particularly interested in....but it's fun to try new things.  It can't always be butterflies and pearls,  Right?

Friday, May 27, 2016

Happy Friday and a Little Thank you!

Today I will announce the winner of the new set of Stampin' Write Markers.  But, first I wanted to share a card I made this morning that I absolutely love.  I wish I could say this was my original idea, but I copied it from another person whose cards are so pretty and she does wonderful tutorials that inspire me to try a little harder to make my projects special too. So credit goes to Areli!  :)

This card showcases the new In color, Peek-a-boo Peach.  I combined this with the color Sahara Sand and Very Vanilla Card stock.  As you can see, there were a lot of layering of textures with the same color.  I can't wait to make this same card in other colors.





And now, as I mentioned yesterday, I took everyone's name and numbered their entries from 1-44.  If there was a double post in the same day, I only counted it once, to keep things fair.  If you didn't win this time, please come back, and soon, because as promised, there will be more fun giveaways coming up.  I love to share and give to those that take the time to come and visit me at this blog.  So I am happy to announce the winner, as chosen by Random Generator is:
Mary Cox


I truly want to thank everyone that participated in my giveaway.  I realize I had some that came every single day and left a comment and that means so much to me that you took the time out of your day to do this.



Thursday, May 26, 2016

And the winner is....

Going to be revealed tomorrow!

Yes, yes, I know.  That was sort of tricky, but I am writing this on the evening of the 26th, and I want to count any last minute entries up until  Midnight tonight.  This will give me a day to pull up a random generator and make it all fair.  Just, for integrity sake, I counted entries in the order the comments were added to my blog.  I also counted Facebook comments on my group page.  If you are on facebook, and would like to be added to my facebook group, please join us at: Shelley Bean

So, in the meantime, I thought I would share a fun 3-D project featuring the Baker's Box Thinlit Dies.  I love this die set.  To start with, it makes an adorable little box that reminds me of a little milk carton from my elementary school days.  But second, look at all the accessory pieces come with it.

 For my creation today, I used the scalloped circle and made a window in my box with a window sheet screen.  I used some of the new designer series papers (available June 1st). The flower is from the die set Rose Garden.  This paper has some matching washi tape that I used to stripe the banner.



So, lest I forget to mention, once again....time is running out to order items that will not be available after May 31st.  Here again, are the links to those retiring products in a format that makes them easy to view.  Check the list and make sure you don't miss anything you will wish you had once it's no longer available.




Wednesday, May 25, 2016

More Swirly Bird Stamps---Last Day to Enter the Drawing!

Here it is...May 25th.  That means, it's the last day to enter in my drawing for the FREE set of Stampin' Write Markers.  (retail price is $15.00)  Leave a comment today and you get TWO entries into the drawing as a bonus.  May 25th is/was my sweet mother's birthday, so the extra entry is from her.  Of course, if you missed a day between now and May 14th, feel free to go back and give yourself an extra advantage.


Today, I wanted to share with you another card I made with the soon available Swirly Bird Stamp Set.  This is what the set looks like:
Here is the post where I shared another card made with this set earlier.  Swirly Bird

And here are a couple thank you cards I made this morning before work.  I used the new paper, Flirty Flamingo, gold foil paper and gold heat embossing,  I think the colors look wonderful together.  And how about the new rouched ribbon?  This will also be available in all the new color choices.  I love the way this ribbon looks and the texture it adds.  I also wanted you to be aware how perfectly the paper, ribbon and the  Stampin' Write marker pictured above match each other.  The papers, inks, pens, ribbons...all match so well and the pigments are true.  It really helps to create that put together look that makes our cards and projects so special.


Here is a slight variation to the same idea, only I ruffled the rouched ribbon just a little bit to give it a little something different.



Please leave a comment on today's posts.....and get an extra entry point in the drawing,  That's 2 for the effort of 1!  :)  And just for your information...I have a lot of items tucked away in my stash to use as upcoming blog giveaways.  Please come back and visit often so you don't miss out on these special opportunities.

Also, please remember....next Tuesday is the absolute last day you can order from the retired items list, the occasions catalog and the 2015 catalog.  If you were interested in a bundle that was offered for 15% off, or a special set that is going away...perhaps even the retiring 2014-2016 in colors...(I will so miss Lost Lagoon)...this is your very last day to order them.  If I can help in any way, or answer any questions, don't hesitate to email me.  Additionally, if I can be your Stampin' Up! demonstrator, I would be honored to fill that role.  If you are able to make an order of $150 or more, you will be able to order extra items for free!  (There is an amazing opportunity in June...but more about that later...)

I will announce our winner tomorrow...stay tuned.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Oh Happy Day~ Card Kit

With only 1 more day left in the opportunity to enter into my giveaway, I thought I would share with you a special item that will become available June 1st.  The Oh Happy Day Card Kit was available for pre-order only for the demonstrators that attended On Stage this past April.  I haven't always been a fan of card kits, I must confess, I like building cards from the bottom up with materials I have on hand, but these little kits are pretty fun.  This particular one reminds me a little bit of the Valentine's cards we used to give and get when I was a child.  But this is that for big girls!  :)

I decided to make a video to share with you that features this kit.  Enjoy, :)



Here is a sample of some of the cards I created.  The kit makes 20 different and individual cards.  No two are the same.




There is only 1 more day....get your comment in to enter.  Remember, you can go back all the way to the 14th of May to add entries by simply leaving a comment.  I am happy to send one lucky winner a brand new set of the In-Color Stampin' Write markers.


Monday, May 23, 2016

Moroccan Nights - New Stamp Set

As we are winding down to the final days of our drawing, I thought I would share with you another new stamp set that will be available June 1st!  Moroccan Nights!  And not only this stamp set is new, but also the fantastic Copper Embossing Powder!



The large medallion is quite lovely, with it's intricate pattern, and don't you think the embossing really captures the detail so well?  I used Night of Navy and Basic Black for my base paper colors.  You might notice a little sliver of a super special copper embossed paper peeking out behind as well, and that is from one of the new Designer Series Paper packs called, Affectionately Yours.


On the inside of the card, I displayed the other stamps available in this collection.  Can you think of some fun ideas for this set?


 Only a few more days left to enter into my drawing for a free, fun set of the new In-Color Stampin' Write Markers.  If you have never used these pens before, they are very special with their dual-tipped ends; a fine line and a brush tip.  They also match perfectly with the coordinating paper and ink pads in the same color.


Sunday, May 22, 2016

Let's Talk Paper Pumpkin

Paper Pumpkin is a crafting subscription kit that is mailed out directly to your home.  For only around $20 a month, you will receive everything you need to complete a project.  And when I say, a project, it can be anything from cards to gift packaging to a 3-D project.  Every month it's something different and every month it's a surprise when it arrives in your mailbox.  I thought I would share the Paper Pumpkin I received in April and how I completed it.


This cute little wreath came as a complete project to make from start to finish.  It went together in about 30 minutes and when completed, I still was left with a stamp set and a little ink square.  In addition to this project, a 2nd stamp collection was included as a bonus, and I made this delightful birthday card.  If you are interested in signing up for this fun subscription, Please follow this link


Here are some examples of previous Paper Pumpkin kits that have arrived in my mail box.  I think you could agree this is a very fun way to grow your stamp collections and inks while learning step by step along the way.  There is even a fun YouTube channel that has tutorials on each kit.  Also, there are 1000's of other tutorials from Paper Pumpkin users that have redefined how they choose to create with their kits.  Check it out:  Paper Pumpkin YouTube Channel


Past Kits