In the Works...

On Hold

The flu has hit our household with a vengeance!  Over the weekend Eli sported a high fever, headache, aches & pains, terrible cough, and "fun" from both ends. I spent one entire night on the floor beside his bed... The little fella was so sick!!!

Now it's my turn and I feel awful!  Thought I could scoff down some aspirin and force myself slowly accomplish all the things on my "to do" list for the day, but it's just not going to happen.

That means the following things scheduled to happen at smARTworks today and tomorrow (March 31 and April 1) are on hold for 24-48 hours:

• Notification of smART Card Contest Winners
• Website Update
• smART Cookie Challenge
• Filling Orders

I apologize, but I have no choice.  Now back to bed I crawl...

Floral Tea

The challenge for today's smART Cookie Tea Party, comes by way of hostess, Heidi Kingery, of Sweet Somethings:

"Use flower rubber by smARTworks."

Since this is already one of my favorite things to do, it didn't really feel all that challenging to me, sooooo I went ahead and tacked on additional criteria "just for me" -- No black... ANYWHERE!

Now, some of you might not see this as much of a challenge either, but for me, this is, and forever will be painful... very painful... very, very painful... I LIKE the look of black ink, especially for sentiments... Almost can't bring myself to use anything else... So now I'd set myself up for some serious growth...  Here's the result:

My initial inspiration for this creation came from a card I saw awhile back on one of the die cutting websites... Their card had used real gingham ribbon for flower stems with die cut hearts as flowers. There weren't any leaves on their flower stems, and I can't remember if words were incorporated or not...but what had stuck in my mind were those ribbon stems... and the thought, "I think I can do that with rubber."

A secondary wave of inspiration came from one of the sample cards smART Cookie, Susan Liles, recently submitted... A color scheme of green - pink- white, which really impressed me... so fresh, so uplifting, so S-P-R-I-N-G!  I haven't been able to get it out of my mind.   

Okay, now for the nitty-gritty --

Please Note: Most stamping on this card was aided by use of the Stamp-a-ma-jig positioner.

Using Memories coral ink, I stamped and clear embossed the smaller bloom from Blossoms Lg. twice on a white panel with rounded corners.  Then I simultaneously cut two masks -- done by stamping an image once on a stack of post-its, and cutting several layers together -- and covered the flowers. 

Using Memories apple ink, and the gingham ribbon stamp from ACCENTS #7, I added the stems.  Since unmounted rubber is so flexible, I was able to arch the "ribbon" when mounting it to the acrylic, and thus, could achieve the curved image.

The masks were removed and the blossoms were colored in with marker.  In real life the color is more coral than true pink, but for whatever reason the scanner refused to differentiate...

Next came the sentiment from WD-106 LB Thoughts stamped in coral, the layered punches (PBMD2 and PBS2), and the sparkly green rhinestones (picked up years ago from some bargain bin -- a bazillion for less than a dollar).

The leaves along the flower stems were really an afterthought.  One of those, "Hmmmm... I wonder if..." ideas --
 
I stamped the ribbon image on white scrap and cut it out.  Then I stamped the reverse side.  To be more specific - I laid the stamp face up on my work table, inked it up, then guided the white side of the cut-out down onto the stamp... Worked like a charm!  Much, much easier than I initially anticipated!

Once the "ribbon" was dry, I cut it into three sections, and folded each section in half (a creased loop).  Each loop was then sized individually, with its loose ends were glued closed, then cut at approx. 45' angles. This created a miter effect where the leaves join the stem.

Finally, using just a tiny bit of tacky glue, the leaves were adhered to the card.

So there you have it -- my smART flowers, no black, tea card.  Wonder what floral wonders the other tea gals created???  To find out, let's take a peek at: 
Mama Dini's Stamperia
Dee's Studio
Tah Dah!
SusieStampALot

Warm and Happy

Here is another one of last Saturday's "Mad About Tea" cards:

It uses a single stamp set, Liz's Teapot, and deep rich colors... not my usual palette, and yet very warm and pleasing, which quite coincidentally, seems to match the sentiment.

This is how it all came together:

Both teapot and sentiment were stamped in Versafine Vintage Sepia ink then clear embossed with Transcendence powder on one of the prints from DCWV's Old World Stack.  This is textured stock so I initially questioned how well it would take the ink... but there was no problem at all.

The colored accents on the teapot (spout, handle, base, lid) were done using a brown permanent marker (as in Sharpie).  It covered the print amazingly well!

The teapot's flower motif is another story -- Stamped and embossed on vellum which was then colored on the reverse side using markers.  It was then placed on a wide piece of double-stick tape (carpet tape from a dollar store to be exact), and cut out.  In essence, a vellum sticker was created... After the second liner was removed the "sticker" was adhered to the pot.  In real life the application takes on a seamless appearance.

The card's base is a Bazzill paper called Cool Cantaloupe.  I don't usually note the name of paper colors, but this one is really fresh, yet dreamy, and I was one sheet short for class purposes, so needed to know...

The bookplate frame around the sentiment, is from a large Ellison die which came with my Big Shot machine a couple of years ago.  BTW, I really like this machine because in addition to the ones manufactured by Ellison, it will cut ALL brands of dies (i.e. Sizzix, Cuttlebug, Quickutz, Nestibilities) effortlessly... you just have to concoct the right platform "sandwich."

The final touch for this card was the ribbon, which isn't even tied to the bookplate - just knotted and glued.  It started out a brown/white gingham, and with just a few strokes from a permanent marker, magically turned brown/cantaloupe... Okay, cantaloupe wasn't really the color of the marker, but it matches the cantaloupe cardstock so I've taken a little license...

A couple tips on customizing gingham ribbon -- colors can be deceptive, so make sure to test a scrap section first.  Also, make sure the ribbon is completely dry again before touching it to your project.  If time is of an essence, lay the colored ribbon between two layers of paper towel, and heat set using a dry iron.

Have a warm and happy day, and a great weekend, everyone!

NOTE:  There are only 9 days left of March's smART Madness a.k.a Spring Fever Special -- 35% off all in-stock rubber.  If you want to know whether or not something you'd like is still eligible, remember to check HERE because the now out-of-stock list continues to grow...   

More Tea???

No, it's not time for another smART Cookie tea party quite yet, but having taught the "Mad About Tea" class over the weekend, I thought I'd share one of the cards created in class:

It uses the teacup from ABC-From the Cupboard, and "Thinking of You" form WD-35 Semi Say #2, and is pretty straight forward -- Markers, cutting out, layering, punches, etc. At the same time, it's some of those "little details" that actually make the card special...

Using a Stamp-a-ma-jig positioner, the cup and saying were each stamped on the front of an A-2 white card.  A second cup was stamped and embossed on white scrap.  The "scrap cup" was then colored and cut out. 

The little flower punches (PBS5 and PBM2) and stems (hand-cut narrow strips of green stock for these) were then adhered to the card front.  Ahhhhh!  Now you see why we stamped that cup on the card...

The leaves (PBS4), however, were adhered to the back of the cut-out, and the cut-out was then foam-taped over the image on the card. You'll find doing it this way produces wonderful dimension!

All four card corners were rounded (a look I sorta like, sorta don't), and the tri-dot pyramids were added - Where did those come from???  From this border punch -- Uniform, clean-cut, and quick!  The adhesive???  One teeny dot of The Ultimate (tacky glue) applied with a toothpick.

Lastly, the finishing touches: Sparkling blue gel pen on the berries & dark flower petals, and tiny little rhinestones in the flower centers.  Bling-Bling Girl struck again!

Here is the "horizontal" version of the very same card -- Of the two, my favorite, but I trusted hubby's intuition for the class)...

Class participants actually put together three cards, so I still have more to "tea" to share, but will save it for another day... If time permits, maybe even tomorrow.

Spring Fever Update

The smART Madness a.k.a. Spring Fever Special -- 35% off on all in-stock rubber is still going strong. 

We started the month with all stamps/sets in stock, but now there are a few "holes."  Means those popular items are no longer eligible for the special... However, they will all be re-stocked at their regular prices by mid-April... 

If you want to check and see whether any of the items on your wish list are now out-of-stock, click HERE.  It might also be good to know that now through the end of March, the out-of-stock list will be updated each evening.

Should you find something that you really wanted is on the O.O.S list, here's an offer which just might lessen the disappointment.  When placing your Spring Fever order, you can opt to pre-pay the full price on any out-of-stock item, and I will then ship it free when it arrives in April.  Not the 35% off you were planning on, but then, still a savings...

Remember, lots and lots of rubber is still eligible for the "big" savings, and it's still first come, first served, so don't wait too long...

"Anything but..." Tea Party

This week's tea party hostess, Susan Liles, of Susiestampalot's blogspot, threw out this challenge:

Stamp anything except a card.

Wow! ANYthing???

I was tempted to stamp a "tattoo" on Mr. Eli, take a picture, and say, "There!"  But whenever I go to the flippant side of life, even a little bit, it always comes back to haunt me... Besides, Mr. Eli has enough "cleverly cool" ideas on his own.

In the hopes of taking a more serious approach, I put on my thinking cap and got to work -- A domino necklace?  Naw, expected.  A laminated bookmark?  Nope, too much like a card.  A tin?  Good idea, but with all the irons in my fire, a little too messy.  Hmmmm....

Then over the weekend, I was quickie shopping through the local Dollar Tree when I spied a cute, little, hard covered, spiral-bound notebook.

Now, I happen to be a notebook freak, so I just had to stop, and take a better look... Hey not bad!  "Square" is different, and I actually LIKE the basic cover and the inside paper (rare for me to like both)... and don't I already have some brown/blue spotted ribbon???  Oh, yeah baby, this was it! 

The only things I didn't like about it were the bon bon box motif (I think that's what you call it) in the front cover's lower, right corner, and the nasty bar code imprinted on the back cover... Yuck!

THAT's where the stamping, and a little paper magic came into play...

I chose one of the pooches from the ABC-Dog Daze set because I already had him cut out, and I chose the "happy memory" saying from WD-39 Friends Listen because I wanted a one-liner which could fit on the notebook's pink strip.

The pooch got colored and embellished (embroidery thread bow and teeny heart i.d. tag from a Fiskars hand punch), and the saying got stamped and embossed directly onto the notebook's cover.  Due to a slight warping, it was difficult to stamp with even pressure, but since I bought only the one notebook, a single try was all I had... Good enough!

Next came that brown/blue spotted ribbon, applied with permanent double-stick tape, the layered scalloped circle punches (by Punch Bunch), and the punched flowers (PBMD2, PBS2, and PBS5).  I couldn't decide exactly how I wanted to order the three colors, so I actually punched one of each size from each color, and played mix it - match it... Yes, friends, sometimes I annoy myself!

I wanted the notebook to remain very functional, so I opted not to add too much bulk with brads or to tie ribbon along the spiral binding.

For the back, I covered that hideous, bar code imprint with a small library pocket, and fitted the pocket with a double-sided tag.  I figure if given as a gift, this would make a nice place to write a special message.  It would also make a good place to index the contents of the notebook, or record a few dates, etc. 

As you can see, the tag was embellished with some more spotted ribbon, and the pocket with one more punched flower.  Again, I tried to keep things as flat as possible.

In addition to Susan L., smART Cookies attending the "Anything but..." tea party are:  Donna, Dina, and Heidi.  I have no idea what each of them decided to stamp, but it certainly will be fun to take a look...

Please Note:  Trish's father-in-law passed away unexpectedly Monday night, so please be in prayer for her and hers while they are faced with this time of sadness.

Tagged

This was one of the greetings in my mailbox when I opened up shop this morning:

"Hello, Pretty Lady!  THIS IS A TOAST ... TO US. FOR THE MEN WHO HAVE US, THE LOSERS WHO HAD US, AND THE LUCKY PEOPLE WHO WILL MEET US!! You have been tagged. You have been considered one of the 10 prettiest ladies with a warm loving heart on my friends list. Once you have been tagged, you have to tag 10 pretty ladies."

Hmmmm... all the pretty stamping ladies with warm and loving hearts I'd like to tag have either been tagged already, or don't have stamping blogs, so I think I'll just thank Jacki J. at The Card Castle for the compliment, and post a really purple card in her honor...

Cardworks:
Stamps: FL-15 Grow, and WD-15 Gratitude
Bazzill Cardstock
Fluid Chalk Inks on vellum (pastel lime, yellow citrus, wisteria, and blue iris)
Double stick adhesive was applied to the backside of the entire vellum panel.
Border Punch by All Night Media
Small Heart Punch by ???

One Lump Or Two?

It's sort of ironic that my last blog entry touted my custom blocks while unbeknown to me, a recent custom block customer had posted less than rave reviews about my block service on one of the popular stamping forums... Ouch!  Sure wish she had contacted me instead of the world... I had absolutely no idea there was a problem, and really thought everything had gone along exactly as was outlined on the invoice.

In case you're wondering... A custom block begins process once payment, not order, has been received.  It then takes 2-3 business days (Mon-Sat) to complete, and is mailed out on the first business day (pending postal holidays) after being finished.  Should anything other than stated cause a delay, I most assuredly contact the customer.  Orders going out via USPS Priority mail receive confirmation of shipping, but unless requested, those going via USPS First Class, usually do not. 

I take my service very seriously, so those posts hurt my feelings... I can only ask God to help me forgive, whimper a little while requesting a tougher hide, and go on.

Which brings me to this card:

Earlier this week, I was using the ABC-Tea Square set to make a sample card for my "Mad About Tea" class.  I had everything colored, cut out, sized, and all ready to assemble when there on the side of this sugar bowl I noticed a nasty, pink smear. Arrrrgh!... I knew I had dropped my pink marker, but hadn't realized there'd been "damage."

Amid many a groan I tossed the now "ruined" sugar bowl aside... Re-stamped, re-embossed, re-colored, re-cut, etc. and finished the class card.

Of course, re-stamping the sugar bowl had given me an extra teacup.  I colored it, cut it out, and without much thought, tossed it aside.  Believe it or not, it landed on top of the sugar bowl, and just happened to cover up the boo-boo...  Woo Hoo!   Pondering the possibilities, I thought of the very applicable "Life is as sweet as you make it," saying from the WD-177 Sweet Pleasures set, and tah dah! 

Yup, tea, life, or even card-making might seem less than perfect at times.  That's when continuing to enjoy it really depends on if and how you sweeten it... You can take it straight up, grimace and feel all is lost... or you can add a little sugar, smile, and keep sipping...  The main thing to remember is, sometimes instead of one lump, you'll have to add two.

Tailor-made

I'm sure most of you know by now that smARTworks handcrafts The Clear Thing - premium 3/4" acrylic mounting blocks.  We have an assortment of fairly common in-stock sizes, including several sets.  We also make custom-sized blocks. 

As I said, not news... But here's something I find rather curious...  Weeks may go by, or even months, with no "custom activity," then BAM!  Several orders all at the same time... With no real pattern, I can't much figure this out, and in the scope of things it matters little, but all the same, it's has been a repeated "coincidence" ever since the acrylic portion of the smART business was purchased back in 2006.

For instance, here are a couple of the custom blocks I've handcrafted over the last couple of days...

I know, I know, the photo isn't very appealing -- I tried to capture the true "gorgeousness" of the finished blocks while they were yet unwrapped, but all I kept picking up was my own reflection... Refusing to flirt with disaster, I wrapped my finished works of art, and captured them that way.

What I want you to note, really, are the sizes: A 6-inch square (going off to Alabama), and a 2.5 x 8-inch block (now on its way to Wisconsin).  By the way, the 2.5 x 8 was the second custom block of this particular size requested within the span of a week.  The first one had already made it's way to Indiana.  Hmmmm???  But, mine is not to question, only to lovingly craft...

Back to the sizes -- They may not sound "big," or look large on screen, but if you map them out on paper, or take a piece of copy paper and cut out the dimensions, you'll see they really are sizable... NOT something you'll find in any craft store.

Now a question:  Do you ever wish you had a certain size block, but have yet to find it?  Have you scoured local and on-line shops to no avail?  Have you convinced yourself to settle for what's "out there?"  If so, here's a better alternative: 

Send an e-mail of your dream dimensions to smARTworks, and ask for a quote...

It doesn't cost anything to ask, and who knows???  You might just decide to treat yourself, and end up with one of the highest quality, tailor-made blocks in the world. 

Delirious

Does this look as if Spring is only a mere 20 days away?!?

It does, however explain my severe case of "spring fever." 

Now, before smARTworks, my favorite cure for this kind of delirium used to be treating myself to a few new rubber stamps, but these days, since I'm no longer buying rubber from other companies, I've found the next best cure is to keep busy filling orders... Hence, this super March special being launched at smARTworks today:

smART Madness a.k.a. Spring Fever Sale
ALL in-stock rubber is 35% off regular prices

I figure this way, in the event you come down with "the fever," I can help provide your "cure," while you help provide mine...

Note:  Currently all images are in-stock, but some are in very limited quantities.  Means first come, first served.