Photo Frame Note Pad - More

Well the craft fair is over, thank you to all who joined us!  It was a great weekend.  I have some more of the Photo Frame Note Pads to share with you today ....

Some I added bling, some butterflies, some birds.  They were all different in some way.  Our Grandson, James came by and I helped him pick out one for his pre-school teacher.  He chose the pink one from the last post.  The designer paper behind the frame is 4" x 6". 
Happy Stampin' ......

Photo Frame Note Pad #2

All set up for the Craft Fair and ready to go!  Another note pad to share with you today. 

Here is a closer look at how it stands.  Remember this is one of those plastic photo frames that are very cheap ....

More retired DSP (I think I have a "bit" to use up from past catalogues, LOL).  I added a cute pink and silver owl to this one to match the bling on the paper.  Then added some white branches for him to sit on.  The flower in the background kind of looks like a moon, don't you think?
More tomorrow, and when I get a chance I will give you some dimensions, supplies and a recipe.
Hope to see you at the craft fair at the Cup and Saucer Eatery, 4505 Victoria Quay, Port Alberni, BC.
Happy Stampin' ......

Photo Frame Note Pads

Whoo hooo I am ready for the craft fair on Saturday and Sunday.  Everything is made, and packaged, and priced, and packed!  I am feeling good, one day ahead of schedule.  Now I will share with you some of the items I made for the fair.
The first one is cased from a great note pad idea I got from my friend Elsie!  (Hi Elsie!!!)  Last year she kindly gave me one of these and I have it sitting beside by computer.  It's great when you have to jot something down real quick, there it is just waiting for you!

They are made using the plastic picture frames you can buy almost anywhere very cheap.  You slip a piece of designer paper where the picture should be, turn the frame around so the standy up part is on the top, put the note pad (sticky notes) on the bottom and add some embellishments!  Tomorrow I will share with you what they look like from a different angle.  Right now I am heading to bed (this is set to post early in the morning tomorrow).
The designer paper is retired and I used the Five Petal Flower punch and Little Leaves Die to create the floral embellie.
Thanks for your patience, see you soon. 

Language of Friendship

Back in January I posted THIS card that was a case from Chat W.  I never did get around to including it in a class before the stamp set - Punch Potpourri - retired.  Now that Language of Friendship is out (main catalogue, page 101, Wood Item 122750 - $19.95 or Clear Mount Item 122752 - $14.95) I remade the card using it.

I stuck to my original colour scheme of Marina Mist and Cajun Craze with Whisper White because I love how they go together.
Stamps:  Language of Love, Swirls & Curls Verses
Ink:  Cajun Craze, Old Olive, Marina Mist
Paper:  Marina Mist Patterns DSP
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Cajun Craze, Old Olive
Other:  Marina Mist Satin Ribbon (retired can use bashful blue instead), Bird Builder punch, Boho Blossom punch, Antique Brad
  Whisper White - 8.5 x 5.5
  Cajun Craze - 5-1/8 x 3-7/8
  Whisper White - 4.25 x 2.5
This stamp set - Language of Love - comes ready for punching.  It matches the Bird Builder punch (page 213, Item 117191 - $22.95) and the Boho Blossom punch (page 210, Item 119858 - $22.95).  The stamps even come in the formation you need to match the punch!  You can't get much easier than that.  I always order the Clear Mount stamps and once I get them ready to use, I cut them apart!  I know, GASP!!  But it allows me to stamp only the image I want when I want, or use the whole image together punch ready.  I will show you what I mean.  Here is my Language of Friendship stamp set and how I get it ready for me to use.
Here is the stamp set ....

As you can see, the flowers and the bird/wing/branch are all set up for the Bird Builder and Boho Blossom punches.  This is how I keep my stamps inside the case.

I always keep the entire rubber that comes with it so I know when I put away the set, that I have all the stamps.  This came from a hard learned lesson.  I have one stamp set - Tote-ally Tess - that I lost one of the stamp images from.  She has very small stamps that go with her, and I believe it got swept into the garbage along with some stuff from my craft table.







In this picture you can see how I cut apart the flower image into 3 pieces so I can stamp any of the images separately.  Because they are clear mount, I can place them all on an acrylic block and stamp them all at once then just punch them out with the Boho Blossom punch.








Here is the bird image and how I cut that one apart.

And, finally, I have been asked how I keep track of all of my stamp sets.  Well, when I get them in I assign a number to the stamp set - you can see this in the picture of the stamp set box above (well just barely).  In the top right hand corner there is a number (you can just see the bottom of it).  I use a label maker and mark the number on the front and side of each stamp set.  I get a photocopy of the stamp label and it goes into a book that has all the Stampin' Up! stamp sets I have ever owned in numerical order.  Each of the stamps gets a tiny number on it too so I know which stamp set it comes from just incase one gets misplaced, or I have lots of them out during a creating session!  Here is what the bird/wing/branch image looks like with the numbers on it.

This numbering system has saved my buns more than once when I have stray stamp sets.  Also, when someone asks me which set a particular image comes from, I can go to my book and tell them, and show them the rest of the images from that set.  Also, I take most of the sentiments out of each box and group them together - Birthday - Thank You - Love - Sympathy - etc.  Makes it easier to decide what sentiment image I want, and allows me to put the sets back together when they retire.
Yup, I am anal retentive that way, but the system works for me.  I also have an excel spreadsheet that lists all my stamp sets numerically so when I want a particular stamp set, and can't remember the number, I just search it out on my database, then go to my cupboard and voila, there it is!
Sorry to be so long winded today, but I needed to answer a few questions that have been floating around out there unanswered.
Happy Stampin' ....

Tempting Turquoise Birthday Card

Well I got to create a quick card for you today.  Here it is ....

Hmmm it seems my picture is not the greatest!  Must fix that.
I used the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch to create the 4 flowers that are peeping up in the middle of the card.  The lower part of Whisper White is embossed with one of the new Embossing Folders from the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalogue called "Stripes".  They also brought back the Tempting Turquoise 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon so I used some of that and some of the Whisper White too.
Stamps:  Swirls and Curls Verses (hostess set)
Ink:  Basic Black
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise
Other:  Stripes Embossing Folder, 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon - Tempting Turquoise and Whisper White, Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch.
Well I am going away again, and will not have internet access while I am away.  I hope to manage to keep up with emails tho.  So I won't be posting to my blog for a couple of weeks.  Sorry, but I promise when I get back I will get back to the posts and creations again.
Happy Stampin' and have a great summer .... ... .... ...

French Foliage Hello

I finally got some awesome time In My Craft Room to create a card.  I have been feeling withdrawal symptoms lately, LOL.
Here is the card I have for you today .....

I was doing the happy dance when I saw that this stamp set, French Foliage, was in the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalogue.  When it was in the mini I fell in love with this set, now I can continue to use it!  It is very versatile.  I cut 2 butterflies out using the Beautiful Butterflies die and Blushing Bride cardstock.  Then I spritzed them with Champagne Mist Shimmer Spritz and layered them.  Here's an upclose picture of the bling.....

I used the new Swirls & Curls Verses set from the Summer Mini catalogue (level 1 hostess set, but as of today you can purchase it with your Hostess Dollars for only $13.50 Wood or $10.00 Clear Mount.

I love the little bird on this stamp.
Stamps:  Swirls & Curls Verses, French Foliage
Ink:  Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Concord Crush
Cardstock:  Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White
Other:  Beautiful Butterflies Die, Basic Rhinestones, Movers & Shapers die, Scallop Oval punch
Thanks for visiting today, have a super day.  Happy Stampin' .....

The Open Sea Expedition - Masculine Birthday

The new Summer Mini from Stampin' Up! has some really, really awesome masculine stamps and designer papers.  I finally got around to mounting my new stamp sets and got right at making a card. 

I love how these stamp sets go together to create a really fun masculine birthday card.  It is hard to find stamps, DSP and ribbon that create a non-feminine feeling on a card.  These 3 items do that quite well, I think.
Stamps:  The Open Sea, Swirls and Curls Verses
Ink:  Not Quite Navy, Cherry Cobbler, Bashful Blue
Paper:  Nautical Expedition DSP
Cardstock:  Not Quite Navy, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Other:  Cherry Cobbler/White Baker's Twine
We have finally had a couple of days of spring like weather.  It has been a long time coming.  I keep seeing all the pictures from California of the flowers in bloom on other blogs, and when we were down there I got to see them in real life.  Now I hope our flowers will struggle through the cold winds and produce some blossoms.  Right now the Lilacs are in full bloom and while walking around our neighbourhood all you have to do is breath in as you walk by and the smells are so awesome.  Much, much nicer than the Skunk Cabbages that bloom in March!
Bye for now, Happy Stampin' . . . . . .