Friday's Blogger's Challenge

Here it is! We were challenged to use the layout on the top of page 92 of the Fall/Winter Collection. We didn't have to make it a pocket card and I wasn't going to. As a matter of fact, I was going to wimp out on this week altogether. Then, the other night just started and here are the results. I ended actually liking it! And it ended up being a pocket card after all.

The Boho West theme is definitely an influence for me this fall! I used a set from the Holiday catalog (which you can place orders from starting tomorrow!!!) called True Friend. I also used a new DSP (Designer Series Paper from that same mini catalog called Apple Cider. I LOVE the colors on that paper! When I first started stamping years ago, I thought I hated Really Rust....have you seen how much I use it now? I LOVE IT! Just proves that you should always keep your ideas open to change!

I'm also going to pre-prep a post...I am on Stamper's Showcase today!!! But, I'll save that card and post it tomorrow...I hope...from my parent's house. I'm going for a turbo visit!

Thanks for looking!

Want to win knitted dishcloths?

Well, I did. I like to wash dishes with knitted dishcloths. To enter the contest, I needed to leave a comment on this blog: http://teatimeramblings.blogspot.com/2007/08/knitted-give-way-contest-ii.html and then post a link on my own blog! If you don't have a blog, she is allowing you to still enter.



So check it out if you like knitted dishcloths!



Lisa

Kind

Thought I would share a "kind" card today! This card uses the new In Colors, Wild Wasabi and River Rock. The base of the top layer is whisper white. I stamped some images with River Rock. I then embossed images with clear embossing powder and sponged (or brayered...I can't remember) over it with River Rock. It was fun to make and I hope you like seeing it!

Lisa

A Card to share!

I will continue to share the card that I entered for the July contest for SU.

I used the same color combo as I did for one of my previous posts. I did this one first as a thought for the workshop and boy...am I glad I changed it! I liked the other one much better! But, I'll still share this one with you!

Thanks for looking!

Lisa

Joe Mauer!

Last Saturday night on our vacation, we were blessed with FREE tickets to the Twins game. With the winning tickets, we also got to watch the Twins (and the Rangers...) take batting practice right from the field on the Metrodome floor! It was really cool. The only autograph that we got was from former Twin and now radio broadcaster Jack Morris. He was really nice about it, too!

Here's Joe Mauer. He seems like such a sweet kid (and I mean kid...I'm old compared to him!) He made sure to sign autographs for all of the kids there...guess I don't look as young as I feel!

Lisa

Blogger's Challenge #9

Good morning! The challenge for this week was to get PUNCHY! So I did...overdid! The card base is Soft Sky. The flower is just one of the three punches from the Spring Bouquet punch (I saved the others for something, someday!) I placed the flowers on a piece of Blue Bayou cardstock and lined that with Blue Bayou Double stitched ribbon. Finished with a little stamping in Blue Bayou ink. The happy is from Happy Everything and the Birthday is from Fundamental Phrases. Thanks for looking and be sure to see all of the other Blogger's Challenge participants. Just click on the links on the sidebar of my blog! Happy Friday!

Lisa

More stamping for school...

I did more stamping for school today. I made another sign for a different bulletin board using Big Deal ABC and the new Star-Studded Season from the Holiday Mini catalog (you can start ordering on Sept. 1!!!!! There are so many good things in that little catty and remember that all of the sets are die-cut...that was really helpful cause I hadn't mounted it yet but without having to cut, I mounted it in a flash and stamped away! I also made WANTED posters to hang in the hallway by my room and then distressed them like I did the sign in my last post...but...I didn't take time to scan either of these creations! I am such a tease!

So, I'll share a card that I made for the July contest for SU. I didn't win but I'm still hoping to see one of them on the Stamper's Showcase...

I actually did this as a make and take for a workshop in July (hope you see this M.A.A.) The contest submission was for embossing. I used the pink passion craft ink to ink up the big U. Then, using the little flower stamp, I stamped off the ink from the stamp and then stamped onto the cardstock. Since I was using the craft inks, I sprinkled clear embossing powder over and heated it. The round tab punch is folded and embellished with silver brads to make it look like a clipboard (not my original idea but I can't remember who to give credit to...) The colors on this card are Wild Wasabi, Pink Passion and Barely Banana. I really liked that combo!

Thanks for looking! Friends have mentioned reading the blog so that makes me very happy!

Have a great night....

Lisa

This is what I'm stamping....

Well, it's back to school for teachers! Kids in our town have until after Labor Day. The western/boho hot trend isn't just limited to stamping, by the way! I found a whole bunch of western style decoratives to do up my classroom! I couldn't find just the right title for my front little bulletin board so while I was home for lunch today, I stamped this little sign using my Letterpress alphabet and the Wanted stamp set. It's stamped with Chocolate chip onto Creamy caramel cardstock. I then distressed the edges with the cutter kit and went crazy with direct to paper ink to give it that old worn out look! I know my students will like it...of course, they think that I can draw well, too and I know the truth about that!

Lisa

Blogger's Challenge #8

I am typing this at least a week ahead of time...so far I should have been to Green Bay, specifically New Franken WI to see my in-laws! I love my in-laws! I should have over-hugged our three little nieces, Maggie, Leah and Elizabeth (once they remembered who we are...we only get to see them once a year.) and we've successfully been in our hotel in St. Paul and have relaxed there for a bit. I hope I've shopped at Shopko in Green Bay and the School House (an AWESOME teacher store in Green Bay.)

Oh...yeah...the challenge!

This week's challenge was to find an item to inspire us to create a card. Much to my husband's dismay, I'm going to share where I was inspired. The BATHROOM! It's not what you're thinking. This cup hold all of my brushes and tools for my make-up (do you think it's all natural that I look this good? tee hee!) So I spy these bright colors and ta-da! Here's the result...okay...two results!

The first card is done with the baby wipe technique. Now, my baby wipes are a little dry so the stripes fade just a bit. Once I finished the background, I couldn't get the image of Lifesaver's out of my mind, hence the stamping inspiration...Circle of Friendship!!!

So, if one card is good...why not two? The third card's stripes are done just using sponge daubers and the ink pads to ink the daubers. I like the solid look of this card. but also like the white space in the first card.

Thanks for looking! I'll be home soon...but be warned...teachers go back to school on the 21st so my posting may be hit and miss for a bit. I'm going to try to keep up but no promises!

Lisa

Blogger's Challenge #7

The challenge: Alter something. Guess what? I just had the night before Lisa posted the challenge so that's the one I'm going to share! It's an altoid shaped tin (although was never an original Altoid tin.) I made it in about 15 minutes. Sometimes, paper-crafting should be that simple! I covered the top and bottom with Blue Bayou DSP (Designer Series Paper). I used my Crop-A-Dile (did I tell you I LOVE that tool?) to punch two holes in the bottom. I tied Blue Bayou double-stitched ribbon in to make a handle. Then, using the Jumbo Outline Alphabet (my official favorite right now!) I stamped "treats" with BB ink on a piece of Whisper White cardstock. Then, I used a blender pen to "shadow" each letter with the ink in the top of the ink pad. The "old" corner rounder was used on the corners. (My new one just arrived!) I used only one of the three flowers in the Spring Flower Bouquet punch in both BB and WW and layered the two flowers. The 1/4 inch circle punch completed the center of the flowers. Now, I need to fill it up!

Be sure to check out the awesome, talented group of girls who are also Blogger's challenge members. The links to their pages are on the side of my blog!

We're leaving for WI to visit Steve's mom and dad in Green Bay (Go, Pack, GO!) so posting will probably cease. I'm going to type in a draft for next Friday's blogger's challenge but if I can't get to a computer, I'll have to post it when I return! See you later!

Lisa

Doodle fun and Get well wishes

I have been sharing some wonderful, happy stories from Convention. But, one really sad story is that a new friend, B, had to leave early as her daughter was/is extremely ill with Pneumonia was admitted into the hospital because she couldn't get enough air. Lisa got B a plane ticket while Marjie helped her pack. It's been about 2 weeks that Annika has been sick and she is still hospitalized.

Here's the card that will hopefully give her a smile for a just a bit.

I made the red circle with the Coluzzle and then used the slit punch to create the scallop. The dots around it are made with the Uniball Signo Gel Pen (it's the best money you'll spend with Stampin' Up...and don't get the cheapy ones at Target....I've tried those out and they are NOT as nice. I'm not saying this just because I sell SU...it's true!) The image is from the Double Line Doodles stamp set and is watercolored with the Aqua Painter.

The punched flowers are made with the Three for You punch box punch called Trio Flowers (The punch box is available for $45.95 and you get NINE stamps, three ink spots and the punch...PLUS this month, you get a set of notecards with the purchase of the punch box! See the SU homepage for more details http://www.stampinup.com/ )

Thanks for looking and add Annika to your prayer list!

Lisa

A Little Trick

One little trick that we learned at Convention was to trim stamped images of snowflakes using a Circle punch! How clever and quick. They demoed it with Snowflakes from the new Fall/Winter Collection. I don't own that set but I do have The Snowflake Spot. So, I tried it and it worked. Here's a picture of what images from that set work with which circle punches! Now, what other sets (other than Christmas) could I do this with? Oh, I love punching!

Lisa

Buca de Beppo Boo hoo...

So, I spent Sunday afternoon walking in Downtown Denver. My plane was supposed to leave at 6:45, so get to the airport by 4-4:30...what to do for the first part of the day? I asked for a late check out (thank you for that suggestion, Lisa!) and hung out there for a little while longer. Then, at about 1:00, I decided to venture out for a little lunch. I wanted a little-out of the way, unique experience. I studied the downtown Denver guide and picked out an Italian place off the main road. I thought I had found a treasure. I truly enjoyed every bit of my dinner and even took a picture of it...

I walked back to the hotel to get my bags out of storage and wait for the shuttle to the airport. I ran into some session 2 girls and shared with them this wonderful eating experience and that I highly suggest they try it out! One of the girls said, "Oh I've been to one of those." I asked if it was in Denver...oh no...they are EVERYWHERE! Humbled, I share my pictures with you! The worst part? After gastric bypass, I can only eat a really small amount...most of this was left on the plate!

Lisa

Another Coaster Box

I don't think I shared my other coaster box that I made before convention. The first box was for Lisa S., my awesome upline and friend (have I mentioned how awesome she is? I've gotten many emails from people telling me how lucky am I to have her for an upline...I agree!)

This box was for my first night in Denver hostess, Margie S. She graciously filled her house with us crazy demos. She and her husband have three great kids who gave up their rooms to let us old stampers sleep in their beds. The kids slept in the living and we didn't hear a peep out of 'em, even when we were gigglin' in the kitchen! I made the box as a hostess thank you gift for letting me, a complete stranger, stay in her home.

I filled the coaster boxes with a bag of Widman's chocolate, made locally. It's not the famous Whitman's chocolate...it's Widman's. I think their specialty is Chocolate-covered Potato Chips...does it get better than that? Chocolate and potato chips...yummo!

Blogger's Challenge #6

This card took on a life of its own. We saw a lot of "Boho West" themed projects at convention so this emerged from everything I saw, I guess! I started out with Really Rust and Blue Bayou as my color choices...where's the blue? Never happened! Once I made the smaller flower (the center of the really big flower...that's a jumbo eyelet with a matching brad in the center...it fits perfectly and adds a little something, I think.) I pulled out the Round Up Simply Scrappin' Kit (SSK). I used one piece of the DSP (Designer Series Paper) from the SSK and used both sides. I also used one strip of the die-cut adhesive strips to make the design on the bottom. Trimtastic stamp set made yet another appearance as I used Craft Really Rust and clear embossing powder to make the strip of boho "ribbon". I added brads and a piece of Kraft Taffeta ribbon. The rest, I think, is explanatory. Our challenge was to use the layout on page 165 of the Fall Winter Collection. Don't forget to click on the links on the sidebar of my blog to see some other awesome cards using this same layout! It's so awesome to see the variety of ideas on just one layout!

Lisa

Card Recipe:

Sets: Wanted, Trimtastic

Ink: Really Rust Classic, Really Rust and Very Vanilla Craft

Cardstock: Really Rust, Sage Shadow, Very Vanilla Textured

Other: Simply Scrappin' Kit Round Up, Pewter Jumbo eyelet, Pewter brads, Clear embossing powder, Kraft Taffeta Ribbon, Paper Piercer, lots of glue dots!, Scallop Circle Punch, On Board Blossoms and Basics

Minneapolis 35W Bridge

I need to begin my entry today with a request for prayers for those involved in the tragedy on the 35W bridge in Minneapolis yesterday. What a horrific thing! I was peacefully mounting stamp sets and listening to the Twins game on TV when they broke in with the news. They proceeded with the game which made total sense...25,000 plus people were at the game already...why release them and create a larger traffic mess? I'm sure that I've taken that bridge many times while I lived in St. Paul attending college. We have family in the area and we are assuming that all is well since we haven't heard otherwise.

I will also post another pic from convention. I've mentioned it (only a hundred times) that I was randomly selected to be a make and take helper at convention! It was an awesome experience that I would do again in a heartbeat. I was able to work directly with these two lovely young ladies, Angie Backman (on my left) and Stephanie Johnston (on my right). They are have dream jobs, as far as I'm concerned! They get to design for Stampin' Up! Here's a picture of me with the "Dream Team"! Their presentation to the general session was FANTABULOUS! Plus, they are genuinely nice girls!

My card on display at Convention

Here's a picture of me pointing to my card on the display boards at convention. It was the only one that I found. I had sent it in for the faux stitching challenge.

Dream Big was the theme of Convention 2007 and there was time for photo ops on Award Night. Here is Rhonda, Jeannette and I looking pretty darn good, I think!

Here's a picture that I took on Sunday while exploring downtown Denver. Everyone in my group had left already so I just walked up and down the 16th Street Mall. It's so cool...you can either walk or take a free shuttle up and down. There are a large variety of stores. I even found a couple of places to buy my dh some tobacco for his pipe smoking times.

Anyway, this isn't your typical statue. It's a real person, of course, dressed as a statue. The second picture shows what her sign says.