April CCC Collection

Happy Birthday!.... to who??? Everyone! Cuz now I'll have plenty of birthday cards to choose from.. look at all the awesome Crazy Card Club entries for April..... and I love it when the inside is as cute as the outside.... yes that's meant for you Margy... adorable banner... and including your sewing talents no less!

This month I used one of the old Stampin' Up Simply Sent Kits

that I still had on hand... was saving it up cuz it's

absolutely one of my all time favorites..

comes with 12x12 card stock, Designer Series Paper

and a gob of stickers... the best part!

so I made a few different versions

April showers bring May flowers....

or in our case.. more CCC cards to follow

at the end of  May!!

Keep those cards and letters coming in!

Circle Shaped cards

Do you ever find yourself saying.. How'd she do that?????   well I sure do! But you won't have to ask on this one.... at least on how to make circle shaped cards!

You can do this technique with any large Framelit or Bigz die and the Big Shot die-cutting machine. I know this can look a little complicated, but it's actually pretty simple! Remember, I don't DO complicated!

These cards start by folding cardstock in half to form a card. The size of the card will depend on how large your Framelit or die is. Then run the card through the Big Shot with your Framelit (sample uses Circles Collection, the largest scalloped circle in the pack) with one edge of the Framelit hanging off the folded edge of the card. If you have the Magnetic Platform, it will really help you keep your Framelit in place as you crank the handle. If you don't have that in your collection yet, just keep an eye on it as it rolls to make sure it isn't shifting



By leaving it hanging over, it will not cut through the folded edge at that one little area, and you'll have a ready-made "hinge" for a card that opens like this:



You can put the bow on the outside of the card to kind of camouflage where the pattern of the scalloped edge is broken by the hinge area.



THAT was easy enough, right?

Told ya!

Punch your Heart out!

Well, not really.. wouldn't want you to do that... but you know what I mean! Punch Away is more like it... especially when making these cool cards created by Deb Valder, all done with punches.

The secret is to first be sure to find your center on the cardstock and begin laying your desired punch shape on the top row. Of course you'll have overlap, then you just trim off the excess to fit desired size.

 

Notice too how she used progressive colors on each card....

 

Stamps: Banner Greetings (hostess set 2013-2014 catalog)
Cardstock: Whisper White 4 1/4" x 11", Daffodil Delight 4" x 5 1/4", Basic Black 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and Whisper White 3 3/4" x 5", So Saffron, Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry
Ink: Black Stazon
Accessories: Hexagon Punch, Banner Framelits, 12" of Daffodil Delight Seam Binding

 

Stamps: Starburst Sayings
Cardstock: Whisper White 4 1/4" x 11",Pistachio Pudding, Wild Wasabi, Garden Green
Ink: Garden Green
Accessories: Mosaic Punch, Delicate Doilies Sizzlit, Starburst Framelit, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Wild Wasabi Stitched Ribbon

 

Stamps: Chalk Talk
Cardstock: Midnight Muse 4 1/4" x 11", Island Indigo 4" x 5 1/4", and Whisper White 3 3/4" x 5", Pool Party, Island Indigo and Midnight Muse
Ink: Midnight muse and Island Indigo
Accessories: 1" Square Punch, Chalk Talk Framelits, Circle Framelits, 1 1/4" Circle Punch

 

Stamps: Express Yourself (hostess set 2013-2014 catalog)
Cardstock: Whisper White 4 1/4" x 11", Basic Black 4" x 5 1/4", and Whisper White 3 3/4" x 5", Pink Pirouette, Strawberry Slush, Rose red
Ink: Black Stazon
Accessories: Petite Petals Punch, Itty Bitty Punch Pack (circle one used), Merry Mini's Punch Pack (for the leaves), Banner Framelits

Stamps: Friendship Preserves
Cardstock: Pistachio Pudding 4 1/4" x 11", Wild Wasabi 4" x 5 1/4", and Whisper White 3 1/2" x 4 3/4", Pistachio Pudding, Wild Wasabi, Garden Green
Ink: Garden Green
Accessories: Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Window Frames Collection Framelits, White Stitched Ribbon

 

 

So which is your favorite????

Beautiful Parrot

What a beautiful parrot, no?



Look at all those colors... those beautiful feathers, that elegant tail (bear with me, I am not a parrot aficionado, I am just trying to get you into the mood). And then, after you have admired it, look closer, closer, closer... stare at the picture until you realize that this isn't a parrot at all.... it's a woman meticulously made up to look like a bird!

The photo is the work of artist and former body painting champship Johannes Stoetter who spent four weeks planning this shoot, five hours setting it up, four hours painting the model, and another hour trying to find the pose that most resembled that of a real parrot.

The results is a beautiful and almost infuriating in its execution!

***********

Having problems seeing her?

The tail is her left leg

and her beak is her left hand with

her arm flung over her head!

Bye Baby Bunting!

Do you guys know that song?

 

Bye Baby Bunting,

Daddy's gone a hunting

To get a little rabbit skin

To wrap the baby bunting in!

 

I use to sing it all the time to my younger brothers and sister when they were growing up.. and when my own kids came along too! Then I realize how violent a song it really is.. kinda like Rock-a-bye-baby...

 

None the less, when I saw this post it just reminded me of that song.... plus because Easter is over doesn't mean we can't keep making those adorable little bunnies... here's a great project for a baby gift box that Nikki Spencer had on her blog... she altered measurements on the caddy style box taken fro Dawn Olchefske's samples.

 

The measurements and score lines are in the picture below. It's held together with a fun fold and 2 mini glue dot's. She decorated the caddy with some punch art bunnies made with Pink Pirouette Cardstock.

To create the big bunny, she used 1" & 3/4" Circle punches for the body, Build a Blossom Punch for the ears, Trio Heart punch (retired) for the feet & the Itty Bitty flower Punch for the tail.
For the baby bunny, she used 3/4" & 1/2" Circle punches for the body, Flower Punch (retired) for the ears, Trio Heart Punch for the feet & Itty Bitty flower Punch for the tail.

Cardstock: 8.1/4" x 8.3/4"

Score along the 8.3/4" side @ 1.3/4"--3.1/2"--5.1/4"--7"

rotate & score @ 1.3/4" & 6.1/2"

 

 

Bye Baby Bunting!

Project Life

Get ready for a scrapbooking revolution with Project Life! It helps busy people (so basically all of us) document life using photos and journaling in a quick, simple, and fabulous way. We've partnered with Becky Higgins, creator of Project Life, to offer a complete line of elite products.

Becky explains, "It's called Project LIFE because it's about YOUR LIFE. Whatever your life is. Whatever your stage of life. Whatever your family circumstances. Whatever your lifestyle. Project Life is designed to help anyone and everyone get their pictures into a book."

 

Be sure to watch the YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8r2VmVJ2Zk 

 

 

Mosaic Images!

I've been wanting to make a Mosaic card.... thinking I'd just stamp an imagine on a rectangle and then chop it up and remount it on card stock... like a jigsaw puzzle. But then I saw these amazing Mosaic images....

What a fun way to add color to any image!

MOSAIC IMAGES

 

You can make this technique as intricate or

as easy as you wish simply by

1. adding more colors

2. creating more trimming

 

The card shown here uses the

SIMPLE STEMS

as well as the

SECRET GARDEN FRAMELITS

 

Here are the blooms which were created in the video...

 

 

These images were created using the

MIXED BUNCH

and the BLOSSOM PUNCH

 

Here's the video to watch....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fpjha4OiPY#t=293

 

Happy Stampin!

 

Retired List & FREE Shipping at Stampin' Up!

Stampin' Up Retired List of products is available today Monday April 21st! If there is anything you are thinking about getting now's the time!... and new this year: both stamps and accessories will be available only while supplies last. Check it out on SU website:  www.stampinup.com 

Remember too that means all the 2012-2014 In Color Products will retire too... but one retiring product is already sold out! The Raspberry Ripple Classic Stampin' Ink Refill (item 126852) is no longer available. 

 

Now the bonus is that you'll get FREE shipping on everything (not just retired items) this week only, April 21-25 so take advantage by ordering all your favorites right away!

Dates to Remember:

April 21 - Retired Lists posts

April 21-25 - FREE Shipping on ALL products

June 2 -  New 2014-2015 Catalog

June 4 - Last day to order from old catalog

June 7 - Open House at the Reed Ranch!

Reflecting on New Life

With all the fun and festivities we've had preparing for Easter and being excited that Spring is here... it is time to remember that it's a reflection of  New Life... not just in the seasonal bouquet of flowers and colors, but in the soul of the spirit because of the life Jesus gave up for us... for you.... for me.

Certainly we all can have the Faith to believe, 

accept the Grace God has given us, 

Rejoice in the miracle and truly you'll be 

Blessed with an Abundant Life!

Chalk Board Technique Instructions

Remember the Chalk Board Easter Easel card I made at my Stamp-a-Stack last weekend.... well here's the instructions on how to make it... thanks to Becky Inking in Idaho!!!

 Start with a piece of Basic Black cardstock cut 4-1/4" x 11'.  
Fold in half.  The first step is to make the legs.  Insert the open end of the 
cardstock into the paper cutter at the 1/2" mark and cut from 
the end of the card to the 1-1/2" line.  
Turn the cardstock over and repeat for the other leg.

Insert the cardstock into the paper cutter horizontally with 
the two cuts facing the left.  Line the cardstock up at 1-1/2" 
and cut from one leg to the other.

The left shows the cut lines with a white pencil outline, 

the right is what it looks like after you cut.

The Frame is made using the Woodgrain Background stamp, 

 Soft Suede cardstock cut 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" and a Soft Suede ink pad. 

Ink the stamp and stamp the cardstock.

Cut the cardstock into 1/2" strips.  

Cut two vertically FIRST, then two horizontally.

Chalkboard Technique

remember this is the part I skipped... on purpose!

but I must admit, it does make it look like a chalkboard!

Stamp the image in either Versamark or White Craft Pad.  

Sprinkle with White Embossing Powder and heat set with the Heat Tool.

 Using a white washcloth, pick up a little White Craft Ink 
and smear it in a circular motion over the embossed image.  
Start lightly and increase as you get comfortable.  
You want it to be nice and blotchy but not polka dotty.  
Keep moving all over the chalkboard.

and once more.. here's my versions:

Hippity Hop!