Star Box

This is my very first star box....I could not believe how easy it is to make!! I made it with a gift tag on it so all it needs now is a present!!!

Snowman....

Another snowman image. I changed it up a bit. The other one I made for the store had some off color markers in it so I did another one with different color markers to see how it would turn out.
What cha think??

Winter Card

I hate winter....worse with every year. Probably because I am getting older and I just hate driving in it now. It was fun when I was younger....probably because I thought I was invincible and had no fears...now it is just a pain.
But, I still love to make wintery cards! So, I hope you enjoy this one!!
Sorry, they didn't turn out very well in the pics....the card stock is all shimmery and is VERY pretty in person!

Snowman

I love this card! This has to be one of my favorites, I think. I love these stamps, they are so cute and fun to color.

Poinsettas

This is something else I made for the LSS. This card was stamped on the entire card for the background. I made the stem from a branch cut out and the flowers are poinsettas. I just folded them to make them 3-d. The leaves were made from the same flowers. I just smooshed ink into them and cut them up.

Snowman card

I have been making samples for my LSS for her open house which is next weekend (October 24th and 25th). This is a snowman card I made....love the little snowman!! Colored him in with markers and stamped and heat embossed the words.

Frankie!!

This is a card I entered for a contest....I came in 3rd :( but that is better than not winning aything! I love this card!!

Christmas Card

More new Hero Arts stamps. I made the card from a Stampin' Up! exclusive Big Shot die and I made the mat from the Stampin' Up! scallop border punch. All 3 stamps are from Hero Arts.

Playing with my brayer

It's been awhile since I have had my brayer out so it is time I start using it again. Got some new Hero Arts stamps for this specific purpose so thought I would get back in the swing of rolling that brayer. I don't have it mounted and think I might add to it but this is the beginning.....

JustRite tags

Here are some tags I made with the JustRite Autumn Blessings set. I colored them in with Copic markers.

Clear Stamps FYI

Ok, this is an FYI that I received from someone who knows stamps. I am not going to mention names because I do not have the specifics of what she said.....I was busy creating cards. So, I can only say bits of what I heard her say and take from that what I heard....so you are not getting the complete explanation of what was said.

What I took home with me was this....not all clear stamps are created equally.

This was an FYI and we could do anything with this information that we wanted to do with it.
But, if you want to get a good clear stamp, I would recommend you make sure the stamp is made in the USA. Now, I cannot tell you every stamp NOT made in the USA is bad, but IN MY EXPERIENCE EVERY CLEAR STAMP I HAVE EVER PURCHASED NOT NOT MADE IN THE USA IS JUNK.
I have always got so frustrated with clear stamps....the ink always pooled up on the surfaced....no matter what I did. I tried priming them, sanding them, cleaning them...everything. The ink still pooled on the surface...I still got a mottled image when I stamped. I finally threw them aside and gave up on them.
Then I would buy a clear stamp, hold my breath, use it and it would be a perfect image!! I didn't get it. Same ink, same cardstock....what is the deal????
Now I get it.
The FYI.....Stamps outside of the USA are made of a different composition than the ones inside the USA are made of. This composition makes the ink pool on the surface of the stamp ....when we were told this, she actually told us what the stamps were made out of....sorry I was not listening better....wish I would have been, but, like I said, I was making cards :) I listened enough to hear her say some of the companies that make stamps within the USA and I know Technique Tuesday was one she said....and that was a stamp I had bought previously and thought hard about getting because I was making a card for my sister...a very important card..... I was very worried about the outcome......and it was beautiful! I was shocked at my stamped image!! Hero Arts clear stamps are gorgeous, too. And I have maybe one or two others that I like....I have very few.
However, I have many I hate..... When I got home from that class, the first thing I did was flip them over to see where they were made and every one of them were made outside of the USA!!!!!!!! I just stood there looking at them.
So, I am here to tell you.....all clear stamps are NOT created equally and I will now only buy USA made clear stamps (and I don't care how much I like them!). I am sorry to not give others a chance but stamps are too expensive to try out and be stuck with junk.....I have enough of those already.
I know there are probably ways to get around these problems, but I just want to grab my stamps and stamp. I don't want to prep or mess with my stamps to get them to stamp good images. I want to slap them on a block, ink them up and stamp my image! THAT is the way it is supposed to be!
Happy Stampin' !! And remember......this is just my opinion...... :)

Hero Arts FallColors Challenge

This is a wide open challenge!! We can do anything we want to do as long as we use a Hero Arts stamp and use one of 4 choices of cardstock colors they have listed on their blog!
Go HERE if you want to go to the Hero Arts blog and play along!
So, anyway, I wanted to do a Halloweenish card so I picked the green, purple, orange and black cardstocks to create with. I had fun with it! I finally got to use my core'dinations cardstock!!!! I used the black so when I sanded it, it was purple! I used my oval punches to make the pumpkins out of pumpkin pie cardstock. I inked the edges with pumpkin pie, too. The green cardstock is kiwi kiss from Stampin' Up! (retired, sorry...). I also used the branch punch from Martha Stewart and the stamps.....ahhhhhh, yes, the stamps...........
I have always hated clear stamps. But, I have quickly come to find out there really is a difference! I was given an FYI on clear stamps.....different post on this.....
I used Hero Arts "Happy Halloween" set for this card. I love the tiny spiders and webs!!! They can be used for so many things!!!! The faces on my pumpkins are stamps from Peachy Keen stamps.
Hope you like it!!!! I had fun creating it!!

Hero Arts Manweek Challenge

This is my attempt at the man card challenge . I always have a hard time with man cards. I never realize I don't have guy stamps until I am hit with a challenge, then I hit a wall.
So, anyway, here is my attempt at a man card. It is the same criteria....I had to use at least one Hero Arts stamp on my card. I used the "Woodgrain" design stamp for the background and I used a thank you stamp from the set "Thank You Sayings." I also used the Marth Stewart branch punch to make the bushes, some vintage brads and the Crop-A-Dile to round off the corners to make the banner on the front. The main card is made from some kraft card stock I bougth form Hobby Lobby. Enjoy!!

Hero Arts ColorIt Challenge

I made this card for a coloring challenge Hero Arts had. You could do anything you wanted to do as long as you use at least one of their stamps....that is always their rule. For the coloring challenge, we had to color....that simple. We could use anything....colored pencils, markers, crayons, anything we wanted. I actually colored with my Stampin' Up! watercolor markers. I used Hero Arts' new cling stamp called "Special Moments" and their design block stamp called "Antique Flower" for the background. After coloring it I brushed over it with a watery perfect pearls mixture. It really ran my watercolor markers but I liked it so I left it as is. The camera glared so the pic is not really good but the card is beautiful in person!
I also used Stampin' Up! Rich Razzleberry cardstock, Fiskars lace punch, Crop-a-dile 1/2" corner chomper,Ranger paint daubers in pearl, gold and silver, embossing powder, halfback pearls and some generic ribbon and string.

Stampin' Up!

Stampin' Up! has implemented a new policy for demos to sign as a demo agreement. We have to agree not to promote any other stamp companies or products electronically...meaning on our personal blogs. So, we cannot link to any other persons blog that sells other products. And I cannot tell you when I make a card that I bought something at Target or that I used Copic markers or Hero Arts stamps, etc....
I am saying this because I have not signed the agreement yet. I have until the end of September to sign the agreement. I am not sure I am going to do it. They are saying if I don't sign by the end of September, I won't be dropped as a demo, but I won't be allowed to place orders ????? (so I will be dropped as a demo).
I don't have a problem with not promoting other products at workshops at all, but my personal blog is mine. I don't even use it that often, but I do use other products. I am a hobby demo and now I feel they are infringing upon my hobby.....I don't know. I am going to give it some serious thought and in the meantime, I am going to blog away....so I hope you enjoy my creations!!

Jennifer McGuire class

The first pic is a given....Jennifer McGuire and I. She is so tiny and I am....wellll....not so tiny! But really, she is very tiny and VERY sweet!!!

The green, flower card is one of my favorites. I made a HUGE blunder on it but will not point it out to you. If you notice what it is, you notice it. It was too late to fix it once I caught it and I am not going to give it to anyone anyway. I never give my class cards away...EVER. It is still one of my favorites we made....if not my very favorite one!
Her little boy, Colin (I think he's 3) helped on this card. She had a video on her blog of him and his Daddy rounding the corners off of some cards for a class. She asked if anyone saw the video and I said I did (of course I did, I check her blog EVERY DAY...LOL) she said this was the card they were punching. He is the cutest little boy!!
Anyway, on to the card....she cut the edge off and we re-attached it to the edge. The flower stem is cut from the Silhouette, the loops are a Martha Stewart punch (love it!....and already bought it!!!) and the background stamp has a story of it's own. She found a letter her grandfather wrote to her grandmother. It was written in German. Her mother translated it and she said it was all very respectable. She took it to work (Hero Arts) and they made a stamp out of it....that is the background to this card!!! How cool is that??????? I think the proper name is Old Letter Writing.

My next favorite card is this blue and brown card. we used a cling stamp and perfect pearls on white cardstock. Stamped in versamark, dusted with perfect pearls and misted with water to set. Sanded the background a little to bring out some white in the cardstock and embellished. The 2nd pic is a close up so you can see the design of the stamped image and the 3rd pic is actually how the card opens. I really like this card, too. Very cool!!!!

Jennifer McGuire card class

These are the rest of the items we made at the card class...arent they GREAT!!?????!!!! She is so talented! We used many techniques with these...I will touch on them with each card.
top card: glossy card stock and alcohol inks were used to create the background. The cardstock was ran through a Cuttlebug and then the image was lightly sanded. The button is a clear button but touched on the back with alcohol ink to match the colors!
Tree card: colored pencils were used to color in the tree. The red dots were made by putting the tip of the red pencil down on the cardstock and spinning the cardstock to make perfect little circles! How nice is that!!
Butterfly card: (1st one) Hard to see it but the entire image glistens. We mixed perfect pearls in water in a mini mister and sprayed the stamp after inking it with distress inks. When it dried it is pearlized....VERY pretty!! The background is one stamp stamped with various colors at once. The ribbon is to die for!! I have to have some of it. It is made by Creative Impressions and it is silk ribbon!
Butterfly (2nd): This is heat embossed on sticky backed canvas (I already bought and received this....it is a must have). We frayed the edges, inked it with distress inks and then applied distress stickles on it (the little gold flecks). I love it! Oh, already bought the distress stickles, too.....they are really neat!!!!! Spread them on with your finger and let them dry, you see little flecks of color....they are soooooo cool!!!!
Treat bag: This is so cute. The branch is cut from a Silhouette (yes, now I want one of those...lol). The owl is actually a stamped image we cut out and used the reverse side...wings, too. (The image was stamped twice). I have to draw in his feet...keep forgetting that...lol. Poor owl!
Hope you enjoyed looking half as much as I enjoyed making!!!!!

lame, lame, lame...

I have been being very lame (lazy??) with my blog. I have been addicted to Facebook and have been spending waaaaaay too much time on there! I got hooked on Farmtown and that is not a good thing either....VERY addicting, but VERY fun!!
I have been around...went to a card class in Cincinnati with Jennifer McGuire...posted my cards on my FB, but will post them here as well...so, sorry for those of you who have already seen them...lol.
Went to Knoxville to see my grandbabies...they are getting sooo big! They are changing so much, I hate being so far away from them. Maybe someday....I have not given up hope...I never will (neither has Kevin, my husband). He just told me one of the guys he works with just got a good job in Knoxville so maybe he can help him get a job there! It's hope!! AND a sign that he really wants to go, too!!! That is a good thing. It will be hard to leave our families, but we can travel to see them, those babies cannot come up and see us. It is about a 7 hour drive so it's really not horrible.
I will get to posting pics of my class with Jennifer now....
....Sharon :)

Copic Creations Challenge

Here is my creation for the new Copic Creations challenge. The challenge is to make something clear or see-through, so I colored balloons. I think they turned out pretty good for my first try at them with my Copics.
Go HERE and check out the challenges for yourself and join in! There are new ones every 2 weeks. They have great sponsors for prizes, too! This week it's Gina K...check out their site HERE.
Come join the fun, but first, have a look at my creation!!

Copics certified

I am copics certified. I will have my official badge posted when I get it....it will take about 3 weeks. They give us time to practice and make good use of what we have learned. And there is so much! These markers are truly amazing. I never quite "got" what the big deal was but bought some to try and then got more to blend better to get the jist of it. So then I thought well if I am going to do this, I want to make some money and teach them. Now that I have taken the certification class and seen what all you can really do with them, I am truly amazed!!!
So, now I will get back to crafting and posting (as soon as I get my craft room back in order...), butnow that it is nicer out I can get the basement room back in shape again it will be very soon!!

FINALLY!!!!

I finally put her on a card!! Was going to enter her on the copics challenge to try to win some Magnolia stamps but saw the deadline too late....DARN IT!!! Anyway...here she is!

Blog candy again

ok, Victoria Case is the designer of the stamp set being given away (and then sold) on Susana's site (http://heartsandhugz.blogspot.com/). Victoria is also giving away a set of the stamps on her blog. They each are giving puzzles pieces of the stamps to guess what the stamps are. All you have to do is leave a comment and a link back from your blog to enter to win....easy peasy!!!!! Victoria's designs are SUPER cute!!! Go HERE to check out her blog and see what she has to offer with all of her designs!! But hurry this candy offer expires on Friday (on both blogs!!)

Blog candy alert!

Check out Susana's blog HERE. She has got an awesome blog and she is also giving away some really cool blog candy, but it is actually a surprise but I know they will be really awesome!!! I hope I win, but jump over and take a chance to win!!

Blog Candy

You have to go Check out Steph's Blog!! She not only has some wonderful creations to look at but due to her celebration of her 10,000th blog hit she is giving away some awesome blog candy that you DO NOT WANT TO MISS!! I am not going to tell you what it is, but trust me when I tell you....you will not want to miss this one!!!!!!
Go HERE and check out the post that tells you about her blog candy and then check out her blog while you are there.
AND...good luck (but I hope I win....lmbo).

Whiff Of Joy

If you have never looked into the Whiff Of Joy stamps you have got to go have a look at them! I love them!! They are soooo cute. I want them all..they are currently having a blog candy give-a-way of the summer stamp kit designed by Elisabeth Bell (I love her!!).
Anyway, I could go on and on, but click HERE to go to the Whiff Of Joy website to read all about the summer stamp kit preorder.....this is the only way you can get the whole kit.....if you do not preorder, you have to but the stamps one at a time so preorder now to get them all!!!!
(and, no, I do not get commission or any kick-backs from WOJ of any kind for this, I just love their designs!!)

Yet another Copic try

I am still trying with my copics. I still don't have all the colors I need for the skin tones so I am trying to make do with what I have. Should have made the hat a different color.....but I wanted to try my hand with the flowers....I think they turned out pretty cute and they are super easy!!

Another copic coloring

Here is somthing else I colored with my copics....this is on SU whisper white cardstock

Copic difference on cardstocks

They say copic markers look different on whatever cardstock you use and that you should use the cardstock that you are going to use with your projects as your color chart cardstock (the one that you actually color in with your markers) click
HERE for a color chart.
Anyway, I have only ever used Stampin' Up! Whisper White since I am a Stampin' Up! demo. Well, I keep hearing that PapertreyInk paper is so much better with copic markers so I bought some...and guess what?? My markers are a different color on that cardstock!! Not a lot, but a little....enough that I can tell! They also feel different since SU cardstock is so smooth, and I do think they blended better on PTI cardstock. Now I have not colored an image on my new cardstock yet, but many have and they all cannot be wrong! I am giving you some samples of what I did with the 2 different cardstocks...hope you can tell the difference on here. SU cardstock is on the right in all samples. (Sorry the one is blurry)

Copic Colored

OK, so this is my first image other than a flower that I have colored with Copic markers. I am trying really hard to get the whole Copic thing. I love the blendability of these markers and I am going to get certified so I can teach classes so I have to practice, practice, practice!!
So, what do you think of my girl?? She is not on a card yet, I just got done coloring her in...

Under Construction....

I am working on my blogs to figure out what will be the easiest way to keep up with all of them and to let you enjoy everything without having to go here and there and jump from one blog to another. So, I am working to link them together (I have figured out the links on the top...see??!!!!) and not break up my creations and have them spread out all over the place. Please be patient with me...once I get it all figured out and up to par...I will be posting my creations....and more videos again (I want my videos to all be in one place so I have to create a new blog for them to make them be on a new page....not as easy as I thought it should be but I will get it...)
Thanks for your patience and hang in there...I am working on it.
....Sharon :)