Botanical Gazette Suite

I've said it before, but one of the things I love about the current mini catalogue (OCCASIONS MINI CATALOGUE LINK) is how the catty is divided up into suites. The Botanical Gazette Suite has become one of my favourites! We used the Nature Walk stamp set, as well as Botanical Gazette designer paper to make this card on Monday night at my Stampers Club.


We also used... the Paper Crimper!! I highlight this because it has been so long since I pulled it out. But this week I saw on someone's blog where they challenged paper crafters to use this tool again. And it is so FUN to use!! If you have one, I want to extend the challenge to you - use the tools you have bought! Look around your craft room. Do you see something you bought and haven't used? Why not make it a goal for April (that's tomorrow... can you believe it?!) to use the tools and supplies you have purchased. If you forget why you bought something, or don't know how to use it, then feel free to leave a question or a comment on here and I'd be happy to help you find a project to go with your supplies!! I encourage customers and friends that if they are going to buy something (especially in the case of embellishments) to USE THEM!!! They sure look pretty in jars and on shelves, but they look even better on a card or scrapbook page! And the purpose is to create something with them... not to just look at them! Have fun and happy stamping!! I would love to know if you took my challenge, and what you created!

Monkeys Monkeys Everywhere!!

Here are the cards we made last night using Sock Monkey. Also, E with her striped monkey, and the authentic, handmade monkey my mom made when I was a girl. Time to make the boys some sock monkeys, I think! They are feeling a little left out!!!

We used Jolly Holiday paper to piece the monkey together. I love it when you can use something for more than its original planned use: Christmas paper doesn't always have to look Christmasy!

Monkey Business

Tonight is my monthly stampers club... we will be playing with a stamp set called Sock Monkey. When I was little, my mom made me a sock monkey, and I know lots of people that could tell stories of playing with their special sock monkeys. A few years ago, they became the rage again, and you could find them on quilts, in scrapbooks, stuffies mass produced and lining the shelves. I love the little guys! And I love it that there is a sock monkey stamp set.

Tomorrow, I will blog about the cards we make tonight, but for now, check out this vintage article that my mom gave me. I wish the year and newspaper source had been written on the paper, but it wasn't. However, the original is yellow enough to prove that it is a few decades old. I scanned it and whitened it up for here.

Looks easy enough to make, eh? I think after I stamp monkeys tonight, I'm going to want to make the actual thing, too!!

Another Club Card

Here is the second card we did on Monday night. I love this paper, Love Letter, and this card is perfect for Valentine's, or for a number of other occasions just by changing the sentiment.




All of the items used on this card are from the Idea Book & Catalogue. I got a chance to use my brand new punch... 119275 Dotted Scallop Ribbon punch.

Club Night will now be MONDAYS

I decided to switch my Stampers club get togethers to Mondays because there were several people that had schedule conflicts... seems like Tuesdays are the popular day this year for people to plan things! And I thought I was being so clever by avoiding Wednesdays and Fridays!

If you are interested in joining, and the last Monday of each month, starting January 31st (unless it's a holiday, then we'll go the Monday before that one) works for you. Please let me know and I will save one of the last couple spots for YOU!

If you are unfamiliar with Stampers Clubs and have questions about how this works, ask away!

Stampers Club!!

I am so excited to be offering Stampers Clubs again.
We will meet on the last Tuesday of each month, starting this month. If you are interested, please let me know and I will give you all the details!

A few pages to share....

I have had a series of scrapbook classes this fall, and I know I haven't shown all the pages from those classes.

Fall Glory... Here are the October pages we did. The title is made with my Simple Letters set of dies for my Big Shot. The film strip technique is created using the Spiral punch.



Here is one that I showed in a workshop in November, and also did it with my Beyond the Basics club. The ornaments are created with the Vintage Ornament stencils from the Decor Elements brochure.


And finally, the pages we made in my December scrapbooking class. Try flipping one page or the other in a layout to create a completely new look for your next layout. This was not the original plan that I had in mind when I came up with this page, but before I added my title I kept flipping the pages until I was happy with the way it looked. I plan to put a few photos from our family Christmas party last Saturday (see previous post) on these pages. Handy to have a few already made up and then I can just add photos!!

Lovely Lattice

Many years ago... even before I was a Demo... I learned this lattice technique and have kind of forgotten about it. I came across the instructions for it the other day, and thought it would make a great club project.

The stamp set we used was "Thoughts and Prayers" and we used Heat and Stick powder and glitter on the words. It looks hard to read here, but in real life it is better!




Here is the pattern and instructions... if you print this out on 8 1/2 X 11 then you will get the right size for your template. (There is not a name on this sheet, so I don't even know who to credit this technique to, but it is a great one... and easy to do, too!)

Poppin' Pastels

When I signed up to be a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator close to 5 years ago, the pastels were one of the things in my starter kit. I love my pastels, but I go in spurts of using them. But they are really a great value because you get all 48 regular SU! colours, and with a set of blender pens, you can colour in your projects to match your paper, and accessories, even if you don't have all the markers or ink colours. Pastels can also be used dry, and the set comes with little applicators, but you can also use regular Q-tips.

But, another fun thing to do with your pastels is a technique called "Poppin' Pastels." You just stamp your image in Versamark and then with a sponge or other applicator and watch the image appear before your eyes!! The images on the red paper below have been stamped in Versamark as well, and they just give a watermark effect.... Versamark is a pretty cool product, too!

Here is a sample of this... one of my card club projects from last week.

Valentine's Card

I don't know about you, but I am ready to move onto Spring! But no such luck... we are experiencing yet another downfall of snow, and the Valley is white again. Pretty, but that's it!

So, here's a Valentine's card that I made with my Stamper's Club last Wednesday. We used the Valentine's bundle, which is on sale until the end of January, at 20% off... and the yellow in the letters was achieved with the Bleaching technique.

My helper strikes again!

Last night I had my Stamper's Club and here is one of the cards we made... It is the Bright Bulbs wheel, and then coloured with markers, filled in with Crystal Effects, and finally sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds.

Moments before my club members arrived, with all my stuff set out on the tables, ready to go, I left the room to get ready myself. I thought all the kids were in the playroom playing, and Steve was close by, as well..... BUT..... one little "helper" snuck out to mommy's very tempting class supplies, and thinking I set this all up for HER, Elise nicely completed my card. So, who wants to get this one for Christmas? She has such an attraction to my Stampin' Up! markers... some kids get cars for their 16th birthdays, I think I will get Elise a set of SU! markers :) When I walked into the room again, she was sitting at the table, red marker in hand, looked up at me and said, "I coloured this for YOU mom!!!!" Wow, thanks Elise...

Better IRL... (in real life)

This is the second card we made last night at my Stamper's Club. I think it is a good example of how things can look better in real life. This was a hard one to take a photo of. One of my club members requested we play with glitter this month, and I was happy to please! This card uses chipboard frames which have been covered in Heat and Stick powder and then glitter. As well as on the bottom, we covered 2 lines of sticky strip in chunky glitter. The images on the card have been heat embossed in silver, and there is a piece of silver cord finishing it all off. It is pretty sparkly, but most people said they liked it! In Steve's words, "It's very Christmas!" He also said it wasn't "too Las Vegas" when I asked him if it was over the top! On the inside of the card we put white pieces so it is easier to write your message.

Fall Pages

Just wanted to share a new layout I did for my Scrapbook Club. The pictures are from Sept. 2007, on the 19th anniversary of my husband's car accident. It truly is a Season of Thanks every September 23rd when we celebrate his health. I have just printed these pics from my computer, and I will order the "real" copies through Snapfish this week, and then put them on there for a better quality finish.

Club Pages

Here are the pages that we did at my scrapbooking club on Friday night. Pretty simple, but I liked this colour combo. We added some hodgepodge hardware and the title was "a few of my favourite things." The scalloped edge is created by punching out 12 1" circles and attaching them behind the title strip. The journaling box is from the Sweet Celebrations stamp set.

Club Pages

Here is the layout we did this month with my scrapbook clubs. I am going to put a picture of myself either stamping or scrapbooking on the photo space on the first page. It is always great to get a little me time, or time out from the day-to-day.. whether in retreat, or relaxation form, we all benefit from rest, and activities that help us feel refreshed...

So, what is your activity? Reading, sports, crafting? I'd love to hear how you spend your "Me Time!" The pics on the right hand page show me at the beach in White Rock; playing the piano on my 27th birthday at Fort Langley; and of course.... the results of a pedicure that Leanne treated me to a few days before Elise was born! (notice the tanlines on my feet :)


The main colour is Almost Amethyst, and the accent colours are Certainly Celery, black and vellum. It is a double embossed project, simply meaning that there is heat embossing as well as dry embossing on these pages.

Scrapbook Club

Last night was my scrapbooking club. Here are the pages we made... we used Ginger Blossoms designer paper and two new sets from the Spring/Summer Collections: Celebrate Everything and Embrace Life.

One of these days I will have to show you the last few layouts with pictures!!!

Here's the scrapmap
and again in black and white, in case you ever want to try it in a different colour scheme... then the colour won't distract you!
And the finished pages (without pics... but I think I have some in mind that will work well!)

Scrapbook Club pages

Here is the layout we did for December with my scrapbooking clubs... I used the song Once Upon a December as my inspiration! See if you can find some of the aspects of the song in the layout..... hint - there are no dancing bears or horses on this page, you have to think more abstract than that!!!

If you want to watch the music video by Deana Carter, Click on the song title below, and then hit "click here to watch video"

Once Upon a December

Dancing bears,
Painted wings
Things I almost remember
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December

Someone holds me safe and warm
Horses prance through a silver storm
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...

Far away, long ago
Glowing dim as an ember,
Things my heart used to know,
Once upon a December

Someone holds me safe and warm
Horses prance through a silver storm
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...

Far away, long ago
Glowing dim as an ember,
Things my heart used to know,
Things it yearns to remember...

And a song someone sings
Once upon a December

November Scrapbook Club pages

(completed layout below)

For this page we used a layout that fits well with up to 8 pictures. To create the background paper we used the jumbo wheel "See You Around" and white craft ink. We used the Define your Life set, so there were 26 possibilities for a title! I gave 2 colour scheme choices, and I think that the club members evenly chose the 2 different combos.

IDEAS:
Try some metal embellishments to make parts of the page "pop!" The photo corners punch is a great way to add a little detail around your page. With the film strip element of the page, (created with the spiral punch) you can insert photos that are in succession, or all on the same theme. I imagine the first steps of a baby learning to walk, or a couple walking in the distance, with each photo showing them a little bit further away.

Another product we used was the tearing strip. A metal ruler with 2 sizes of tearing patterns on them provides a way for precision tearing. I have seen this in the SU! catalogue for the last 3 1/2 years and never bought it because I felt like I could tear just fine... but it is GREAT! I love the precision you get with this ruler, yet it still is a natural tear. But you don't get wasted paper because the tear looks like it's supposed to the FIRST time you tear it!! Fun.

TAKING PHOTOS:
Try to be creative with your photos... for children, get down on their level, or take pics of them while you are lying down so you are looking up to them. For animals, try taking pictures of just the face, or the paws. Take 3-4 pictures of a similar shot, only slightly different (4 expressions on the same face, the same tree in all four seasons, from the same angle, etc). Or how about having the foreground item in focus while the background is out of focus. (check your camera for some cool features it may be able to do). Also, you can manipulate digital photos in computer programs such as Photoshop, or for a free download, try Picasa2 (my favourite!!). Above all, just have fun, and take LOTS of pictures! It was a life saver for me when we got a digital camera, because now I can take 100 pictures in one day with no guilt! But even with film camera you can do neat things with your pics, and enlarge, or crop them when they are developed to get just the right pictures for your page. For some creative photo ideas, or to have portraits taken, check out the Revival Arts Blog... I love going there for inspiration!

Fall Scrapbook Club Layout

Tonight was my second scrapbooking club night. I couldn't show the pages until both groups had finished them. We did a Fall themed double layout, and we used the Autumn Fest stamp set. To colour the leaves we used the Earth Elements Watercolour Wonder Crayons and a water spray bottle. The lettering is done with Chocolate Chip Craft ink. now all I need to do is get my kids out in the changing colours to take some pictures!

The quote on the second page is printed on Vellum paper and it says:

Winter is an etching, Spring a watercolor,
Summer an oil painting and Autumn a mosaic of them all.
- Stanley Horowitz

Scrappin' Clubs this month

Here is the double layout that we did at my Scrappin' Clubs this month. The clubs were on Monday and Friday, and both clubs did the same pages. We used Always Artichoke for the background 12X12 pieces, and the Groovy Guava and River Rock for the other colours. The theme was "These Hands of mine" and the layout is one by Becky Higgins in Creating Keepsakes (Feb. 2005 issue).

Click on picture to enlarge