Retirement Wishes...

I needed a card for someone retiring at the day job - you cannot go wrong with Snoopy!  I stamped the image with black Memento ink and colored with Copics.  I used the Candi dots for some accent on the teal strip - seemed to match pretty good with the car theme.

A quick card that fits the bill without too much time!

Thanks for coming by!

Jeannette

Copic Coloring Guide Level 3

The newest Copic Coloring Guide is in stock - this is the 3rd in the series.  It focuses on coloring skin and hair and includes a CD with tutorials.

Ready for purchase!

Jeannette

A Simple Holiday Card...

This is an easy card - great when you need to make a bunch and don't have a lot of time for intense coloring.  The image is from Northwoods Rubber Stamps and features some chickadees on a pine tree in the snow.  I colored the image with Copics after stamping it in Memento ink.  I cut out the image along the outer lines.  The green Bazzill cardstock is run through a Tim Holtz snowflake embossing folder.  I added a bow made from the brown/white swiss dots ribbon and attached that to the card.

Thanks for stopping by!
Jeannette

Fall Splendor with Flourishes

Wow!  I guess it has been forever since I posted!  Now that the wedding is over, hopefully I can get re-inspired and back to regular posting.

Seeing that we are into Fall - today's post is a wonderful Fall image from Flourishes.  Colored in a blue and brown theme with Copics, simply layered with some ribbon and an embossed cardstock layer, it is an effective, simple design.

Thanks for being patient and stopping by!

Jeannette

Wedding Time!

As some of you know - my niece is getting married this weekend (and that explains my absence from this blog and other store duties as we did all the wedding/reception stationery products).  But the big day is soon upon us and I actually finished the card and envelope with a couple days to spare!  Now I need to get back to creating class sample cards!

This was created with Verve stamps and dies (please don't come looking for them in the store because they do not wholesale).  But, there are others that you could create a similar look with!

Jeannette

A different approach to dies...

This card shows you something you can do with the "negative" piece of a die cut.  This is what we generally throw away!  Technically, it will work for any die cut, but the ones that have pieces fall out are certainly a little more tricky.  After removing the positive image, apply a piece of packing tape on the back side of the cardstock - so that the sticky side is coming through the die holes.  In this case, we are going to use 3 different colors of glitter, so I cut a mask of the die out of a scrap of release paper and cut it at the various places the color changes and then put them over the opening.  You remove a piece at a time and pour glitter over the opening - then brush off the excess.  In this example I started with the green.  Then I removed the mask for the pink flower and added pink glitter.  Once that was done, I removed the 2 little sections for the yellow and added yellow glitter.  After all the glitter has been applied, I place a piece of white bind or copy paper behind the piece (cut a little smaller than the cardstock).  This has the glitter against white and makes it pop a little, without adding any thickness.

Thanks for stopping by!
Jeannette

Bird on a Branch...

This is a wonderful image from Stampendous - sort of designed for the holidays, but it certainly could be used for other things.  Also wonderful for a non-Christmas specific holiday card.  If you look closely, there is "snow" on the branches.  I decided to keep it simple and color the bird as a bluebird and use a simple bow with ribbon as an adornment.

Thanks for coming by!
Jeannette

Marcie with Cat...

Any of you that know me, know I am a cat person.  No kidding, right?  So, I loved this image from La-La-Land - it's me (okay, a little thinner!).  I colored her with Copics - the most challenging part of this was creating the "tabby cat."  Tabbies are also my favorite - and I love gray tabbies - though they seem to be the hardest ones to find.  It can be difficult and I have developed my tabby-coloring skills over the years.  You almost need to make little scratchy triangles for the stripes.

Thanks for coming by!
Jeannette

Summer Flowers...

We're coming up on the end of the summer.  Time to squeeze in a couple more "summer theme" cards.  This is from a clear set called Summer Flowers.  It is a beautiful set and easy to color.  These are colored with Copic markers.  Then layered to black - just a thin layer.  It's hard to see in the photo, but I scored some lines on the white cardstock every 1/2-inch.  I used a yellow DP with a small white flower and some red accents.

A perfect summer card!

Thanks for stopping by!
Jeannette

Memory Box Floral Circle...

When you first look at this card, you think "Gads, who would want to cut that out?"  No one!  However, one of the best things about wafer dies, is having some that are designed to cut out a specific stamp!  Such is the case with this image.  This is a very detailed Memory Box stamp - I applied Tombow markers direct to the rubber, lightly misted and stamped on natural cardstock.  Then I cut it out with the matching die.  This is a very simple card, yet the complexity of the cut-out wreath makes it more intriguing.

Thanks for checking out the blog today!
Jeannette

More Cupcakes...

I guess I am just in a cupcake kinda mood.  This is the same cupcake image we used a while back - done in a chocolate kind of mode.  The image was stamped and colored with Copics.  To get the dotted background, I took several Copics and made dots over the cardstock - concentrating them more for the darker areas (and adding some darker colors).  This is a little different shaped card - where the cupcakes are on a circle and the folded card is only about 3" wide.  I added some pink/brown dotted ribbon for trim, keeping with the chocolate theme!

Summer in winding down - enjoy what is left of it!
Jeannette

Thinking of You...

Here's a fun card that you could easily switch out another sentiment and make the same card.  The hydrangea image is a Flourishes design, and it is a clear image, so you know exactly where you are placing the design.  I started by cutting out the circle, then stamping pieces of the hydrangea image several times around it.  Colored with Copic markers and layered up with some fun ribbons and trims.

Thanks for coming by!
Jeannette

Marcie with Tulip...

I like doing paper piecing on an image where you can create an interesting pattern on part of an image that you could not simply do with markers or pencils.  Clothing is obviously the most obvious choice and giving a dress a patterned look can be quite striking.  You just need to like cutting things out for this technique!  So, I stamped and colored Marcie with Copics, then stamped the image again on a small-print DP and cut the dress out.  I like to use Ranger's Glossy Accents to attach small pieces like this - you just need to ensure that you put the glue line a little back from the edge - this allows the glue to spread out without oozing out the sides.  Glossy Accents does dry with a a shine, so if you get some on the outside, you can see the adhesive.

The circle behind Marcie is cut out with a Spellbinders circle die then embossing with an embossing folder.  I added a little happy birthday sentiment - cut out with a circle punch.

Enjoy your day!
Jeannette

Hope...

For this card, I started with some Memory Box stamps.  But first I had to create the background.  I took a piece of watercolor paper and spritzed it with water to get it wet.  Then I took various colors of Twinkling H2Os and applied them with a brush - the water made them move around.  The trick is to not put on too many Twinks.  Then I dried it with a heat gun - which makes the Twinks sparkle.  Now you can stamp the Memory Box hope stamp, then cut out.  When the ink was completely dry, I took a little pink Twink and carefully painted the flowers on the branch - you have to be careful, as you don't want to go over the black lines of the image, as Twinks are somewhat opaque and you lose the details. Then I stamped the butterfly on orange cardstock, cut it out and attached to the front of the card.  Done!

Thanks for stopping by!
Jeannette

Humphrey has some flowers...

Wow!  Where did that week go?  I even have a lot to post - the days just keep slipping away.  Kinda like the daylight.  Have you noticed the reduction in daylight hours lately?  I much prefer it when it goes the other way!

Okay, back to the card.  This is a Humphrey image from Crafter's Companion.  I do like these little elephants - very British and fun to color.  I stamped him on Copic cardstock and colored with Copic markers.  Sometimes I color him a shade or 2 lighter of gray, but decided to try a few darker shades.  these stamps come totally unmounted, so I was able to cut the words apart, allowing me to put them in 2 lines, vice one, and fitting perfectly in the square.  I added a ribbon bow tied around the edge and then layered to some new Pebbles DP and some Bazzill.

I hope you're enjoying your day!
Jeannette

It's a Cupcake Kind of Day!

Honestly, when is is NOT a good day for a cupcake?  Okay, weigh in day at Weight Watchers, I hear ya!  Maybe AFTER the weigh in - then you have a whole week to burn it off!  HA!

Okay, back to the card.  This is a great cupcake image from Impression Obsession.  Colored with Copics and layered up with some pink and green - PERFECT cupcake colors! 

So, enjoy your day - and if it is going lousy - get a cupcake!
Jeannette

A Birthday Card for Dog Lovers...

I was in the need for a quick birthday card this weekend and pulled out a cute stamp from Whippersnapper Designs - a cute little hound dog with a hat!  Perfect for the lady dog-lover.  Colored the image with Copic markers and used the EL pawprint border punch for some more dog-themed trim!  I used a Sizzix 3-dot embossing folder on the upper half of the brown cardstock layer and added a quick birthday sentiment and some ribbon and viola!  A card is born!

Thanks for checking out the blog today!
Jeannette

Another Beach Card...

Today's post features Magnolia's "Edwin in Miami" image - I LOVE beach images!  Edwin is colored with Copics, then cut out with a Spellbinders oval die, then layered to an oval scallop.  I chose a nice diagonal stripe paper - I also love stripes (in paper and cats!).  I did a little trimming with some coordinating colors and some twill tape.  I decided to make it a birthday card by stamping a little happy birthday image and punching it out with a circle punch.

If it is hot and sticky where you are - take it easy and stay cool.
Jeannette

August Calendar Cat!

They like to call these the "Dog Days of Summer", but there are no dogs here.  Only Dora trying to catch up on her email and enjoy a morning cup of coffee!  This one is a very simple layout.  I took some DP and border punched it with an EK punch, then added the picture below and the calendar to the upper half.

Stay cool this weekend!
Jeannette

The Taste of Summer...

Seeing that summer is more than half over (hard to believe, I know), I figured it was time for some sumertime treats!  And, the best summertime treat - ice cream!  This is an Impression Obsession image that was stamped on the Copic Express-It cardstock and colored with Copic markers.  The image was cut out and added to a lot of layering with some ribbon for trim.

Enjoy your day!
Jeannette

Path to the Beach...

Living in a seacoast area, I am always drawn to nice nautical scene stamps.  Gary Robertson images from Impression Obsession are always one that catch my eyes.  They also usually ake good guy cards - and who can complain about that!

This image was stamped with black Versafine ink and then colored with watercolor pencils and a Dove blender pen.  I decided to keep it simple and do a simple layer of brown cardstock, and a brock polka dot bow.

Sorry I have been som bad about posting.  After spending an extra night in Chicago, I had to catch up at the day job, finish a wedding invite order and make a bunch of class samples for upcoming classes.  Phew!

Thanks for your patience!
Jeannette

What weather can do...

We are still hanging out in Chicago.  The above picture of last night's radar pretty much sums it up.  Just as the storms were clearing out on the east coast, they were starting to fire up out here.  The weather was severe enough that no flight could land and some were diverted to Wisconsin.  Our flight got cancelled last night, but they have kept the plane and crew here in Chicago and we will be leaving late this morning.  We had a fun night in a Motel 6 about 5 miles from here.  But, we are safe, a little tired and just ready to come home.

More regular programming later, when I am more awake!
Jeannette

Nothing like a weather delay....

Here we sit in Chicago waiting to fly home.  Bad weather on the eats coast. The picture above prtty much depicts the issue.  Our plane is coming from NYC and it is pretty nasty there.  Our flight is delayed over 4 hours. Yippee!  It was a good show - LOTS of new product will be heading to NH very soon!

Jeannette

Have a Fabulous Birthday!

Penny Black has several clear sets featuring these funky girls that make perfect cards for the 20 and 30-somethings.  That is sometimes a more challenging age group and you can have some fun with these stamps.  For this card, I stamped and cut out the image (the hardest part of the whole card) and colored her with Copic markers.  The background is a BoBunny doble-dot cardstock, cut from a Spellbinders large scallop die. I then took the next largest die and cut it from a white glitter cardstock, to give it a little bling!  We all like bling!  I stamped a balloon image partially on the double-dot background, then stamped the balloon on white cardstock and cut it out, colored it with purple Copics and attached it to the card.  The words are stamped on a purple Bazzill, then cut out with an oval Spellbinders die and then layered to an oval scalloped die.  Lastly I added a little Crystal Stickles to the image for more sparkle.  Just a fun card that will surely bring a smile to someone celebrating a birthday!

Thanks for checking the blog today - come back later for some pictures from the show!
Jeannette

Greetings from Chicago!

Hello from the summer CHA show in Chicago.  The show officially opens on Tuesday, but we have been here for some pre-show festivties and education.

On Saturday, we went to "The Weber Grill" restaurant in Schaumburg, IL.  It is an amazing place where everything is cooked on Weber grills.  This is the jumbo grill that is outside the restaurant for decoration.

Here's a shot from inside where you can see the flaming grill on the right.  I wish there was one of these restaurants in New England!  It is a fun experience.

For those of you that pre-ordered Spellbinders dies, I placed my order last night - before the official show even opens.  We have been told that they should be shipping by August 15th.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check back for show updates and regular programming.

Jeannette

Tilda on the Lookout...

I used the "Tilda Offshore" image from the Summer Memories collection to create this fun card.  Tilda is looking off into the distance with a pair of binoculars - dressed in blue and red with a nautical hat, she looks quite official.  She is stamped with Memento ink and colored with Copic markers.  Then cut out and positioned to sit on a ribbon across the card.  I used Spellbinders dies for the various die cuts and a Martha Stewart "punch around the page" to cut out the light blue cardstock before layering to a navy blue card.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.
Jeannette

New Tim Holtz Items from Sizzix...

Here are some of the new Tim Holtz products being offered by Sizzix to be debuted at the upcoming CHA show. 

Thanks for coming by today!

Jeannette

Happy 4th of July!


I hope everyone here in the U.S. is enjoying the July 4th holiday - it started with some heavy rain showers here this morning, then the sun came out and turned the air into a sauna!  It was HOT!

To celebrate the holiday, we have the July calendar cat - Bucle!  She is in the spirit laying on a rocking chair with a patriotic blanket behind her!  This is actually a US Equestrian Team blanket that I picked up at the Olympic games in 1996 in Atlanta (talk about hot!).  It is draped over a rocking chair and Bucle made the perfect July picture for the calendar.

I started with a red cardstock background and added some blue and white stripes, then some yellow stars for accent.

Jeannette

Marcie the Mermaid...


Not sure how hot it is where you are, but it is toasty here in the Northeast - the heat is on!  There is an airshow in town this weekend and the Blue Angels have been screaming across the skies for 2 days practicing.

So, Marcie here is staying cool, being a mermaid - which is about the best option there is right now - hang out in the water!  This is another circle easel card - made with a classic scallop Spellbinders die.  These cards are no more difficult than a classic easel card, but look very impressive because they are circular.  Marcie is colored with Copics and the background layer is embossed with a Cuttlebug swirl embossing folder.  I added little "pearl" accents with a Viva Pearl Pen.

Thanks for stopping by today and stay cool!
Jeannette

Another Brick in the Wall...

This is a card we made in our June Technique Junkies class.  This is what I call the "Brick Wall Technique" and it is made by creating a faux brick wall.  I distressed the edges of the "bricks," which gave it a more realistic look.  This is a fun technique - not something you would want to make a lot of, but it does create a fun look.

Jeannette

Spellbinders Blog Frenzy - Final Day!

This is it - the last day of the blog frenzy to showcase some of the new products being released by Spellbinders this summer.  Remember that you can save 10% off Stamped Designs price for the products previewed here if you place your pre-order by July 13th.

So, let's get to the final products!  Five die sets to show you today...

Starting out with 2 "accent and motif sets" - the first one Asian and the second one Venetian...

And ending with a fancy circles Grand die set...

Thanks for stopping by and following us through this 8-day sneak peak party!

Jeannette

Spellbinders Blog Frenzy Day #7 - Post #2

Here we will check out the second grouping of 5 dies being released today...

These are all shape dies, starting with a manly theme...

Then a country canning theme...

Next a pinwheel set...

Then one called Up, Up and Away...

And finally some keyboard icons...

Remember that you get 10% off Stamped Designs price if you pre-order any of the new releases being showcased on the blog - you have until July 13th to get me your order.

Thanks for visiting.

Jeannette

Spellbinders Blog Frenzy - Day #7 Part 1

There are 10 new products being released today, so this is a 2-part post...  This is part #1.

Starting with a couple for Halloween - first a tombstone nestie, followed by a spiderweb and spider shaped die...

Next we have a new dual embossing folder - perfect for some guy cards - or an outdoorsy-hiking theme...

Then another expandable die - a fancy lattice...

And finally another Labels die - Labels 26

Make sure you check out post #2 for today.  Thanks for coming by!
Jeannette