In the Works...

Glue Gone

Hostess of smART Cookie Tea Party #14, Donna Duquette, started off by asking the team, "What if you ran out of glue?  Could you still make a card?"

Her questions were followed up with this party's challenge:

Make a card with no adhesive.  That's right...no glue, no tape, no paste.

Now I'm a layering kinda gal, who practically wears her ATG tape gun in a holster on the hip.  I'm also terribly fond of tacky glue, permanent gluestick, and glue dots.  I immediately started to panic...

Then I remembered brads... eyelets... stitching...etc.  Lots of possibilities... Whew!  The panic subsided.

Of course, the only problem with all the possibilities I could think of, was how unappealing the backsides look on the inside of the card... It's a personal preference thing, but I've tried to leave the backs of the like exposed, and I just can't do it -- I ALWAYS adhere an insert over what I consider "the yuk."

Wanting to stick to the rules ~ha ha, and unable to overcome my "yuk" aversion, I opted to bypass the entire dilemma by making a simple one-layer card:

With Mother's Day right around the corner, and my stamping playtime extremely limited this week, I also decided to accomplish two things at once -- meet the challenge while making a card for my mom.

First, I chose images from ABC-Have a Heart, ABC-TT #6, and MD-03 Basket.

Next, I chose the cardstock... Since most single layer cards are white, I decided to try something different, and selected a light yellow. 

Why light yellow?   Because I wanted a color which would compliment the other colors I planned to add, and figured even if the yellow base altered the applied colors, the outcome would still be palatable -- pink might be more coral, blue more aqua, etc. I'd never done it before, but I was pretty sure it would work...

I cut the cardstock lengthwise, made a top-folded card, and rounded the bottom two corners.

The images were then stamped in Versafine black and clear embossed with Transcendence powder.

For adding color, I started with pastel shades of pink, green, and blue markers, then using a waterbrush, gradually added darker shades of the same colors, and touches of Twinkling H2Os. (Confidentially, I choose the wrong color pink in the Twinks, which made the heart flowers too dark... This overpowered the blue of the bow, so I had to add a darker shade to that... I liked things better, lighter, but when one can't leave well enough alone, that's what happens.  Besides, with my mom's very limited vision, the darker colors are probably better for her.)

The final steps were wrapping a length of 5/8" black, satin ribbon around the folded edge of card, and knotting it in front, and applying two layers of dimensional glaze to the heart flowers.

Challenge met.  Mother's Day card complete. 

Wonder what Donna, Dina, Trish, and Heidi did with their glue gone?  You can check them out with me, then try the challenge yourself.  It's actually sort of fun.

Thanks for stopping by,

Susan T.

P.S.  In case you're wondering, my theory about coloring over the yellow base proved correct... When I added the pastel shades of marker, there were slight changes in the applied colors, but as soon as the darker shades were added, it didn't seem to make much difference... the darker colors prevailed.

An ATC To Share

This sweet ATC accompanied an equally sweet thank you note I recently received from smART customer, Pam Rogers. 

Pam doesn't even own a computer, but she still moderates an international ATC swappers group of about fifty members.  A rather impressive undertaking, don't you think?!?

On this particular 2.5" x 3.5" canvas, Pam used smART images from WD-210 Flower Girl.  She stamped and overstamped the flower image in colored ink across decorative print paper, then stamped the girl in black, colored with pencils, cut out, and mounted, flat, over the floral background.  Lastly, Pam embellished her "smARTworks' Smile" ATC with gold Class A'peels stickers by Stampendous.  Very, very nice.

Even though I've never designed an ATC of my own, receiving this one was thrilling... and I must admit, where there was little to no interest before, now the ATC concept sort of intrigues me...

I can imagine how much fun "swapping" must be, and can actually picture having an entire basket of these mini marvels in my possession, and looking through them over and over again... Fun, fun, fun, indeed!

Thanks, Pam, you made my day, and opened my eyes to another stamping venue.

Susan T.

May Day Announcements

The smART website has been updated for May.

This is the smART card project of the month. Even though it uses only one stamp set, WD-58 Friendly Hello, and some very simple stamping, I was very happy with the results...

What I like best, is how well the quarter-inch, spring green, satin ribbon works as a flower stem.  For the month of May, the materials list, and a detailed "how to" can be found HERE.

In addition to the regular monthly Spotlight Special, and Overstock Central sales, all border stamp sets are 35% off their regular prices.

By way of other news, two items:

1. While messing about with the Feedblitz settings, I inadvertently "disconnected" this blog's subscriber's list from the service, and I can't seem to "reattach" it.  I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and ask those of you who kept track of "In the Works..." via Feedblitz to find another way of checking in.  I've heard that Google Reader works well.  I, myself, simply keep a list of blogs I enjoy in my ISP's My Favorite Places folder, and check in periodically.
2. Citing personal reasons, smART Cookie, Susan Liles, has resigned from smARTworks' design team.

Happy May to you,

Susan T.

Above Ground

• I've discovered it takes a certain type of humor to appreciate this Irish proverb, which I've paired with one of the naturals from FL-08 Bluet.  If you don't like it, I'm sorry.  For me, however, some days,  I feel as if being "above ground" is one of the few things I have going for me.  This happens to be one of those days...  It started out all wrong, and has progressed in that vein.
• First day back to school, and no sandwich bread in the freezer (not due to poor planning, just an oversight).
• Because I was so sure there was one more loaf of "that" bread, and had to prove what I could not, the old-fashioned, long-cooking oatmeal got a late start. (Oh, we were out of cold cereal due to very poor planning.)
• Then the newly turned eighteen year old came home from an early morning gym session, buffer than life, and decided he had the option to disregard his bathroom time slot... Note:  Even princesses do not take as long getting ready to greet their general public as eighteen year old "I am the world," stud muffins do... Need I say more?
• Hubby, running late, and we know why, headed off to work, only to return within minutes and announce, "My truck won't start.  Won't even turn over."
• Hubby now has the car I rarely NEED on any given day, but guess what today was?!?  Yup, I have a Pioneer Girls function to attend this evening, and NEED to take along an age appropriate gift... I also needed to pick up sandwich bread and cold cereal.
• Next, Eli, completely ready, and watching out the window, missed the bus because for whatever crazy reason, we could not get the door to unlatch.
• Being I was without the car, Eli and I had to run cross-country to a house on an adjacent road where he could catch "Jerri" on the "back-by."  I, by the way, having just washed my hair, was wearing a towel turban and no make-up, and being very afraid the driver wouldn't see us in the fog, started flailing my arms around like a lunatic as soon as I saw "yellow."  The entire bus load of kids gawked at me as if they had front row seats at a freak show.  Childishly, I wanted to stick my tongue out at them, but contained myself, and blew Eli a kiss instead... Thankfully, he still claims me as his, no matter what.
• After getting back home, and changing out of my drenched sneakers and soaked socks,~yuk! I accidentally tipped over an uncovered jelly jar.
• Although the jar didn't break, the entire contents of a half jar of "costs-an-arm and-a-leg," fruit-only jelly, plopped out onto the floor -- Not that one needs jelly if one doesn't have bread, but our dog only walked over and sniffed.  I told her it was "Mmmmm, mmm, good," but she wouldn't even try it, so I had to clean it up.
• Then I went to e-mail my promised, but late May/June class write-ups to Stamp 'n Scrap, where I teach, and realized I never cleared my chosen dates with hubby before he left for work. 
• Simultaneously, I started with terrible cramps, and wondered if I could possibly be coming down with something...
• Turned out to be just my monthly "something." Still, I can tell it's going to be one of those difficult first days, and I have about fifty trips to make up and down the stairs (laundry up the wazoo, and an over-school-vacation organizing project to finish).

Being only ten o'clock I don't even dare think about the rest of the day... but I have prayed,

Please, God, just get me through, help me find the good in the bad, see your provision and care in all things, and keep me thankful to be above ground...Oh, and thank you for blessing me with a quirky sense of humor.  I think you must have known with my life, I was going to need it.

The cardworks are once again, very basic -- Flower image: Misted direct-to-rubber Lyra crayons stamped on edge-torn watercolor paper. Panel then spattered with Ranger's Vintage Photo Distress Ink. When dry, saying overstamped in Versafine Onyx Black, and panel layered on black to a Bazzill card.

All for now,

Susan T.

Old and New

This card teams an old image from WD-142 Lilac Blessing with a new saying from WD-216 Thankful.  It was designed as a "thank you" for Jacki Jones, the person actually quoted...

It happened like this...

Several months ago, while visiting Jacki's blog, The Card Castle, I read these nine words in one of Jacki's posts. 

If you ask me now what the post was about, I can't really remember, but her conclusion of the situation was, "Never underestimate your small part in someone else's blessing."  The words stuck with me like a glue dot on the fingernail. 

I had never thought about being blessed in these terms before, but I couldn't get over how true the saying rang...

I thought of the times someone chose to do something for me, seemingly insignificant to them, while at that very moment, it was just what I needed, and blessed me greatly... 

Conversely, I wondered how many times I had neglected to do something for someone else because I second guessed my initial impulse by thinking the deed too small or insignificant (or "stupid)?  If I'm honest, I'd have to say lots of times...

Anyway, Jacki's quote started me looking at "blessings" with different eyes.  The more I thought about what she'd said, the more I began to internalize its meaning.  I no longer think there is anything too little to do for someone. 

After all, a smile, a kind or encouraging word, or even just the simplest of cards... Certainly God has sometimes used these things to bless me, so why shouldn't I let Him use the same things from me to bless someone else?  There isn't anything too small.  These days, if the idea crosses my mind, I commit my actions to the Lord, and try to follow through.

Of course, you must all know by now that I love rubberized word/quotes, so when prepping time for the new release came came along, these nine words had to be part of it... Seems a really nice way to let someone know the little thing they did meant a great deal.

As for the cardworks -- Basic, basic, basic... Stamped in black and clear embossed.  Colored with markers and Layered.  You can't really see it, but the black strip was embossed with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dot folder, and the lilacs were "stickled" in Lavender.

Susan T.
 

My First Trio

I did it!  I trimmed up DK-16 Daisy Trio #2, and gave Dina's Trio Stamping tutorial a whirl...

The technique I followed was not only easy, it was fun, and the way the image materialized as I added each layer was... well, sort of magical.   

I really wasn't expecting a masterpiece my first time through, and had actually used paper from my scrap bin, but I was extremely happy with the results, and was able to use my very first Trio attempt to complete this card:

The most difficult part for me was choosing the colors.  I don't have any of the Versamagic inks Dina seems to favor, but I do have Fluid Chalks, so that's where I started.  My palette was as follows: Yellow Citrus, Tangerine, Lime Pastel, and Burnt Sienna.  I also used Colorbox pigment inks in Marigold and Moss Green.   

I think this particular Trio is probably the most difficult one to ink because everything is "connected."   Still,  it wasn't too bad... The ink pads were in the form of cat's eyes, so I was able to apply the ink directly to the rubber quite easily.  I worked from light to dark, and got as close to the connected areas as possible.  Then I used a cotton swab to pounce the ink onto the smaller areas (i.e. upper stem and flower center).

When I decided to turn the completed Trio into a card, I was envisioning something much different than what I've posted, but I forgot about the inky swab on my work surface, and somehow managed to lay my finished piece face down, on top of it... Ugh! Unwanted tangerine ink right where it shouldn't be!  How to fix?  I used the darker Burnt Sienna, and stamped one of the sayings from WD-194 Worries over the boo-boo...

The rest of the card followed from there... Nothing complicated -- layering, gingham ribbon customized with a permanent marker, and an embossed accent strip (Cuttlebug's Divine Swirl used in an Ellison Big Shot).

Now, I won't use the word "addicted" quite yet, but I really can't wait to give each of the other Trios a try...

All for now,

Susan T.

Sneak Peek

Tomorrow's the big day!  No, I don't mean tax day... I mean the official release date for the new smART images!

The catalogs, both on-line and print, have already been updated, but tomorrow, the rubber will be ready!  Of course I'm prejudiced, but I think there's a lot of good stuff.

Take this card by smART Cookie, Dina Kowal, for instance... stamped with the new DK-14 Rose Trio #2 and DK-15 Stem Duo sets of rubber... Yummy!

Dina has designed seven additional sets of Trios -- sort of like duos, but with an added layer, and since she's had her set of demo rubber for over a week, has already started playing.  Her work is knock your socks off gorgeous!

I'm sure at some point Dina, herself will post this card at the Stamperia, so I'm not going to give it's details here.  I only wanted you to see some of what's on the horizon.

If you're afraid you might not be able to get your Trios to look this fabulous?  Don't worry... Dina has also been working on an easy-to-follow tutorial which I'll be posting on the smART website within the next couple of weeks...

As I read through the copy Dina sent me, all I could think was, "I can't WAIT to try this!  It sounds goof-proof!"

Oh, and by the way, Dina presently has a little Trios Contest going on over at her blog, so you might just want to take a look and enter for your chance to win...

Completely giddy from the smell of new rubber,

Susan T.

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.

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 ???