Wild Rose Stamper

Sweet Peas

It seems like I've been on a big paper buying kick, lately!  (I'm not exactly sure why, since I like making my own backgrounds with stamps.)  Pretty paper is just too hard to resist, especially when it comes in a gorgeous box and I have a 40% off coupon!  Michaels has two different boxes full of 150 K&Co. papers.  I got the romantic one (I think it was called) and the other had more contemporary-style patterns.

Tall skinny images can be a little challenging for me, so when I see a card that has a great layout for such an image, I make sure to save it.  I found this card on Splitcoaststampers by Doodledop and knew it would be perfect!  Actually, this card started with a gorgeous iris image that I was watercoloring for my cousin, Rebekah's birthday, since the iris is her fave flower.  Unfortunately, just before it was almost done, I botched it up and couldn't do another, since I don't own the stamp.  So I hope Becky likes sweet peas!  ;)

All the shading around the flower is done with chalks and various sized sponges.  That square thing in the lower right corner is actually a silver brad with an "R" for Rebekah!  I just couldn't get a great photo of it.

Thanks for visiting!

Materials:
Stamps: Penny Black
Paper: Sage Shadow, ivory, K&Co designer paper
Ink: Antique Linen Distress ink, Sage Shadow, Mellow Moss, Lovely Lilac, Lavender Lace markers
Accessories: SU! chalks, Basic Grey chipboard, Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch, lace, ribbon, Sewing machine, Prima flowers, brad

Caroling Mice

Aren't they the sweetest!  I was inspired to post this card by the Moxie Fab holiday card-making challenge.  The snowflakes, a la Anna Wight, are covered in two kinds of glitter.  They're messy, but I know I'll be making more of them because they look so cool!

I've been ruthlessly sorting out my stamping magazines and I have about 20 Somerset Studio magazines that I'm willing to part with (it was a difficult decision and I'm actually still keeping 30!)  Please email me if you're interested and we can discuss shipping and all that good stuff.  Each magazine is $4 and all are in good, used condition from a non-smoker's home.  Or make me an offer!

Somerset Studio issues for sale (click here to see photos of the covers and sneak peeks of what's inside):
Mar/Apr 1997
May/Jun 1997
Mar/Apr 1998
Jul/Aug 1998
Sep/Oct 1998
Sep/Oct 1999
Mar/Apr 2000
Jul/Aug 2000
Jul/Aug 2001
May/Jun 2003
Jul/Aug 2003
Sept/Oct 2003
Nov/Dec 2003
Jan/Feb 2004
Mar/Apr 2004
May/Jun 2004
Sept/Aug 2004
Nov/Dec 2004
Jan/Feb 2005

Have a great day!

Materials:
Stamps: Penny Black clear Christmas set
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Cranberry Crisp, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Melissa Frances dp
Accessories: SU ribbon, Marvy Snowflake punches, Martha Stewart twig punch, rhinestone sticker, Martha Stewart doily lace border punch, white Liquid Applique, Nestabilities, buttons, Copic markers, glitter

Lilies of the Valley

This card has a lot of steps to it!  I stamped the image twice on Certainly Celery card stock, the second time on just a scrap. I colored in the leaves of both stamped images with my Copics, and the flowers of just the first with the white gel pen.  Then I cut out just the bottom leaves of the scrap piece.  I stamped the lilies image again on cream cardstock and traced over the lines of the sign with my Copic gold glitter pen and then shaded a little with yellow chalks.  The leaves were also colored in, even though they would eventually be covered up.  I cut out just the bottom part of the image that included the "happiness" sign and the bottom two leaves.  This was then layered over my main image, then, over that, I layered the Certainly Celery scrap leaves with double-stick foam tape.  All this was to not only achieve dimension, but it also allowed me to have a cream colored sign without it looking weird.  Clear as mud?

Everthing else was pretty basic.  The main panel was layered to a cream panel that I sponged with Antique Linen Distress ink and trimmed with the Flourish punch.  I love how it reminds me of a Victorian calling card.

I made this card for my mom for her birthday, as Lilies of the Valley are May's birth flower, and she said it was her favorite card I'd ever made!  You just never know what someone is going to like!  But, it made all the hard work I'd put into this card worth it.  :)

Thanks for visiting!

Materials:
Stamps: Anna Griffin's Language of Flowers by All Night Media
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
Paper: Certainly Celery, Neenah Solar White Classic Crest, cream
Accessories: Copics, White Gel pen, silk flower, adhesive half pearls, chalks, lace, gold cord, Martha Stewart Flourish border punch, Tim Holtz Distress ink Linen, Cuttlebug embossing folder Textile, Prismacolor colored pencils

Hoppy Easter Bunny

 
The bunnies from this stamp set, from Stampin' Up's new Occasions Mini catalog, remind me of the vintage Victorian rabbits you see on postcards from the turn of the last century.  To give this card more of a vintage look, I inked the edges of the papers with my Creamy Caramel ink pad.

A tip for getting a perfect "V" or dovetail on a strip of paper, use the corner of your square punch.  Just turn the punch over and slide the tail of the strip in the corner of the punch, making sure it's centered.

Kelly Lunceford has a great tutorial on making paper accordion flowers on her blog, Flutterby Atomicbutterfly.  I had a terrible time finding double-sided tape that would hold my flower in place and it still could pop loose at any time!  My red-liner tape from Michaels just wasn't doing the job, nor were my "Zots" which are glue dots made by Therm O Web which I've never thought were very strong.  I heard that Scor-tape is pretty strong so I'll try that.  I need a tape that practically rips your skin off if you touch it!

Thanks for visiting!

Copic Markers:
R20
C-1
B000
BG10
V12
G000
blender 0

Materials:
Stamps: An Egg-cellent Easter
Ink: Creamy Caramel, Brilliance Graphite Black
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Bella Rose dp, Neenah Solar White Classic Crest
Accessories: 1 1/4 square punch, Button Bouquet, Copic markers, Martha Stewart fence punch, Nestabilities Classic and Scallop rectangles, pink crochet thread