by Susan Itell | Jul 2, 2015 | Watercoloring |
It is Thursday and that means it is the day of the Week for the Pals Paper Art challenge…now you could see from yesterday's cards…that there are a ton of talented stampers out there, so – how about it? Play along. Today is a color challenge and here is the palette we are working with today! Summer to the max.
I adore the boldness of these colors and at first glance I was going to do something very bold, perhaps a color block…then I thought about masking stripes. You see, it is super fun to look at something and then try to figure out how you want to go with it!
I love a card that has a bunch of "white space"….how about you? To me, white space really makes a clean and classic look.The inspiration for today's card came from a Hostess Stamp set that is a "keeper"…..
I decided to do some water-coloring…the fun and relaxing technique that you simply cannot mess up…just keep doing it – the more you do it, the more confident you will become. I was actually surprised that it turned out as well as I used our regular card stock.
I am LOVIN' the new heavy white paper and I used that as the base for the 4 1/2" square card. The may pice is the regular weight…
I also totally forgot to use Black Staz On….today I used the Memento (which is not waterproof) but it worked! I was careful not to have too much water on the aqua painter. With the Cucumber crush being sooooo bold….I barely touched the painter to get the most faint tint of green.
The embossing also adds a great touch, it literally only takes a second to run the stylus down the simply scored tool, but the end result is totally worth it!
I used scraps of dimensionals to lift up the flower…nothing is ever wasted with the stampin dimensionals! The "stamping vitamins" that we could never be without!
Let's touch on the sentiment…..great, clean, classic and the font – beautiful! I used the Night of Navy to not only stamp the sentiment but to mat it, uses the SPEED TOOLS…our Circle Punches….the 2" one is on the weekly deals….if you do not have it….HIT that button as it is a very versatile punch as it works with many sentiments.
The liner….from the In Color Envelope Liner Paper….(oops, I forgot to put that in the "scrolling store") – this is fabulous to work with and the value – WOW, how can you go wrong at the price of $6.00 for the pack!
Ta-da….thoughts? I think it is a pretty card and it really is super easy to "fussy cut" out the flower. Please do not stress over cutting things out – remember, use the "back" of your scissors…not the "tips" and also the BIG key is to use a great pair of scissors…like our paper snips (just hide them or your family members will take them)!
Please pop over to the Pals Paper Site and see what the other designers come up with and then…..go get inky! If you need help uploading, please feel free to email me and I will be glad to help you!
WOWZERS – you all LOVED the parade yesterday and tomorrow there will be more! Great news….my favorite "Sheep Herder" sent me the directions to make that adorable dog card…..I will attempt to make a dog for you and then blog about it so you can make a kennel yourself!
I am so thankful that you all gave sooooo much love and support to everyone with your comments. I did read them all and I have answered many….I will finish today – I am so blessed that you all are so sweet to leave so many comments!
I am SUPER HAPPY that the Regals and Neutrals Paper Stacks are order-able now and I am a busy bee trying to get the backlog of the product share out!
Thanks for always making me smile…..I appreciate you and value your time! Until tomorrow!
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by Susan Itell | Jun 24, 2015 | Watercoloring |
You all know that my "peeps" are my "Pride & Joys"…well after a very long journey with lots of tough decisions etc….our middle peep, James is coming back to our home area and has accepted a job!
After college he has worked in sales and it just simply was not the right fit for him. He is a super sweet young man…almost 25 and has soooo many gifts. Knowing that he was not happy with his career we encourage him to figure out what would make him happy…and after lots of soul searching he knew that he needed to be "hands on" making a difference.
He has accepted a job at a Boarding School as the assistant Development Director and he is thrilled to be able to put his creativity and "people" skills to great use! He will also be helping with coaching and there is no doubt that his positiveness with kids will be a win-win!
I love this quote…and I knew you would as well!
The timing for this is perfect and when we found out that I was having surgery we knew that this would be a huge help all around…James adores being outside and mowing fields is relaxing to him (p.s. – John is THRILLED) as the work here is endless….and you know what this means….WE WILL BE GAINING ANOTHER DOG….LEO! (what the heck…we have 5 – what's 1 more)
When the new catalog came out…I knew that this stamp set, You're Sublime, would be coming to Randall Lane. I think it is fun…it can go either way – for young or old….and when I saw this over the weekend, I knew that this would be a perfect card to have on James' pillow when he make the long trek home.
Here is a larger picture of the stamp set…I bet you can think of many different card and project ideas for these great stamps! Today I used the Aqua Painters and I just squeeze the ink pads to get a puddle of ink on the lid.
I probably snapped the pictures to soon as it wasn't quite dry…I am no expert (as you can see) but it is soooo much fun to use the Aqua Painters…just have fun…but I do recommend using Watercolor Paper when using this Aqua Painters.
We all know that "following your heart" is a hard thing to do at times…but I am super proud of James knowing in his heart that he needed to make a change. I bet he will "get it" why I put the thick bakers twine to the left with the knots…..do you get it? (think about it and at the end I will share with you why)
Quick…simple…fun….DONE! My kind of card. I wish I was mobile to have fresh cookies for him but he will totally understand and he will be a huge help to me. He does not start until July 1st so he has a week to take a deep breath!
I thought that you all would get a kick out of this picture below…I move out to the family room part of the day and here are my friends that are by my side all the time (sorry, the sofa looks a bit bleak without the pillows fluffed etc…but here are my friends…(dear Eddie…he's hanging in there….with his ball right at his side)
I love my little fur babies and Leo fits in like he has lived here his whole life! He comes complete with a HUGE bag of toys so that makes Eddie super happy and puts a special spring in his step.
There is only 1 week left to take advantage of the June special…please feel free to reach out to me to learn more. I would love to help you see that this really is a great opportunity for you – who does not like a sale.
Have a fabulous day…and did you figure it out about the knots on the bakers twine? I wanted it to resemble a rope with knots that you would "climb up"….James is an Eagle Scout and I bet when I ask him….why do you think I did that?….I bet he'll get it! He is climbing a ladder in life and I am super proud of him.
Until tomorrow….
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by Susan Itell | Mar 29, 2015 | Birthday, Super Easy, Watercoloring |
Let's have fun again seeing a stepped up version from yesterday's card but I must admit….I am saying YIKES – I hope that you like this as it is not the most glorious step up but if you had it in your hands….you would be smiling from ear to ear!
Before we get to the card today….I need to let you all know a secret…it's official –
I AM AN ADULT!
Are you saying WHAT?
Well…today is Hannah's 21st birthday...my red caboose is 21 so it is official…I am entering that phase of disbelief that everyone is "officially an adult" but I can say honestly, I am sooooo proud of all of my peeps! Age is one thing that never bothers me one bit…
Let's get to the card today and go over the slight differences but believe me, when you order the clear envelopes and send someone a card in them….you will quickly become the most talked about person as it is very special to get in the mail!
To me I am amazed at how they can be mailed, below in the photo you will see some tips but truly, this is so much fun. I have found that if I use stampin' dimensionals, it does go through fine with a single stamp but if you have embellishments like pearls, buttons etc…I would add extra postage.
Let's get to the picture of seeing them side by side. The biggest difference is that I changes the orientation of the card. I wanted you to see the beauty and fun with mailing a card in a clear envelope! (of course you could mail the card from yesterday as it is the same size)
Wouldn't you be smiling if you received this and saw that adorable cake looking at you when you opened your mailbox? Even though I do not have a fun liner for your envelope today, trust me – these clear envelopes will make you be the best card sender…EVER!
I also added the punched out circles…so easy and wowzers, so festive! I hope that these bring an instant smile to your face….see below my tips!
I know that when I received a card in a clear envelope I felt sooooo special…and we are all soooo special – so I say – order these gems! Trust me on this one, you will be the shining star!
I loved all of the comments yesterday and I will be that "turtle" and I am going to stick my neck out and attempt a video for you using the aqua painters for you this week. ( no judgments – I'll do it from my heart)
To me in many ways the aqua painters are very similar to me as heat embossing is….an instant WOW that will make you feel proud. It really is a great technique to do and I do hope that I can encourage you to try it!
I thank for you popping by today and I thank you for your on going support. This is the final days for Sale-a-bration so please make sure that you that you check your "basics" and things that you need to order and do it before the 31st so you can get a freebie!
You know what else today is? It would have been my Mom's 83 Birthday…how special is it that Hannah and my Mom share the same special day…we used to love to celebrate together…
The 3 of us have the same middle name…"Louise" – my Dad always said we are is (3) Louise's….and we loved just the 3 of us to do something special together. I know that in spirit my wonderful Mom is so proud of Hannah so Happy Birthday to 2 very special ladies!
You know what tomorrow is… I have a fun personal challenge for you!
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by Susan Itell | Mar 28, 2015 | Birthday, Super Easy, Watercoloring |
Wowzers, it's the weekend already and that means today is a Simple Saturday Card for you and please pop back tomorrow for Step it up Sunday where you can see the same (basically) card and then tomorrow I will "tweak" it a bit!
I do not think that there has ever been a hostess stamp that I have used more than this set and I adore the name, Time to Celebrate. (This will be one that once it retires, I will still keep it as the stamps and sentiments are so much fun.) If I were you, I would email me and let's make a plan for you to earn this! – It's a keeper!
Probably the #1 reason I love this stamp set is because so easy and fun to color without having to do a lot of thinking! Let's get to some fun pictures and scoop for today's card!
Today's card is in Pink Pirouette in a vertical fold and the 2 rectangles are the same size, 3 1/2" X 3" in Blushing Bride and Strawberry Slush. Just a quick off set does wonders in a jif but the real pop is the white dashes with the gel pen and the POP with the stampin' dimensionals.
Using the Aqua Painters is both fun and easy….just practice and practice and you will learn that the are fun. So many of you are intimidated by them – they really are a great tool and wow, so affordable for all that they can do, just squeeze your ink pad and go to town. NO RULES….just do it and have fun!
Last but you know me…I would never not have a fun and special envelope…this was a breeze as I pulled out the All Abloom Paper Stack and PRESTO – magic happened with the Envelope Liner Framelit!
Well…thoughts……now can't you see how easy this card comes together in a jif! You could easily change up colors and POOF – a new and different card – this is one of those "keepers"
Please feel free to email me or leave a comments….LET'S TALK ABOUT COMMENTS…you all made me smile so much with yesterdays comments – loved them! I am going to do another "Spring Cleaning Tips" for you next Friday!
You all know the scoop… the products I used today are scrolling below….feel free to shop away or also if I were you….HIT THAT CLEARANCE CORNER – there are some real keepers!
See you all tomorrow!
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by Susan Itell | Mar 8, 2015 | Easter, Super Easy, Watercoloring |
Happy “Step it up Sunday” For those of you that are new to my blog…welcome and I hope that you subscribe to my blog as I do blog daily (unless I decide to fall and break a bone) – just add your address on the right and you should be good to go! I have been trying to grow my Stampin' fun so please share my fun with your family and friends!
For the past month I have been doing a (2) day posting of the Saturday being a simple card (that's the style that makes me roll) and then on Sunday I show you the same card just "stepped up" a bit to give you an idea how a couple of tweeks here and there depending if you have the time can make a change to an already cute card!
Please click here to see yesterday's post…I adored the comments and I think that I am calling the cute little bunny "Sally" and if I were no so bow challenged, I should have attempted to put a bow on her!
Here are the 2 cards side by side….I think that they are both super cute and I would be proud to send either one out! Do you have a favorite? Please feel free to leave me a comment….I adore reading them! (click on the picture to make it larger so you can read it easier!)
Please refer back to yesterday's post for details as today I am going to shower you with super cute pictures and touch on the changes that I made.
You can see that the fringe scissors added a great touch. These are very inexpensive for a pair of fun scissors and true you might not use them a ton….but when you want to do something different – they are a keeper! I also like making confetti with them!
Hopefully the above picture will be helpful to you with the comments! Here you can see the angle of how I scored the DSP to create a bit of 3-D for the fence. I did carefully adhere it with green glue, just be patient letting it set up.
One thing that I did and I did not write in the comments…..after I adhered both sides of the "fence", I slid a couple of stampin' dimensionals to keep it from squishing (hope that this made sense) - See in the below picture.
Here is a good shot of the bow….adding just a touch of linen thread did the trick in my opinion to this simple bow of white bakers twine! A quick glue dot to the rescue was all that is needed!
Well…there you go my friends! I hope that you have enjoyed these 2 cards and I hope that I have inspired you! All of the products are below and remember for every order in increments of $50.00, you get to pick a freebie!
I hope that you pop back tomorrow for my Monday personal challenge…you could win a pack of Stampin' Dimensionals…you're going to love what I am blogging about – FAST – FUN – PRACTICAL – and oh so much fun to put together!
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by Susan Itell | Mar 7, 2015 | Easter, Super Easy, Watercoloring |
Hippity-Hoppity…it's Saturday and that means it's another week to show you a CAS (Clean And Simple) card that takes minutes to make and then pop back tomorrow to see the same card…just "stepped" up a bit!
Todays card is a Note Card Size on Crumb Cake – to me, these are a fabulous bang for your buck as you will receive 20 cards and matching envelopes for just $5.95. They also come in white this way and trust me, my shelf is never empty of these – they truly are my quick and easy go to!
Do you remember that I could not go to Leadership? Well…Stampin' Up! was WONDERFUL to share the event Live Stream and you betcha that I was behind my computer the whole time being the biggest sponge I could be.
I was clicking away with my I Phone when I saw cards demonstrated that I knew were "keepers and just plain adorable" – this is one that flashed across the computer screen and I knew that I would be attempting to make it!
Doesn't these little critters make you smile, appropriately called Cheerful Critters. I have had so much fun creating projects with them (I still have some more up my sleeve next week so please pop back) The thing that I like about them is the fact that they are not limited to Easter…remember, I used them at Valentines…I also did a "way to go" card….this is one great stamp set for both the "young" and "mature"!
Do you remember what was before Blendabilities? Good old water-coloring! I did a card earlier this week with water-coloring and I had to laugh….there were comments all over the place with likes and dislikes of doing this method!
I personally find it to bring out an "Inner Picasso" that is in me as I am about the worst in Art. (I think that this is another reason that I love Stampin' Up!)
I can remember in school that I dreaded going to art class as my "people" always looked "stick people", my "buildings" were "boxes"…and "landscapes"…were "a line of green and a line of blue" = grass and sky!
The must have tools for water-coloring are the watercolor paper and the Aqua Painters!
Next thing you need is patience and practice! I find that when I 1st started to water color that my brush was not "wet" enough and what happened was lines all over the place and I thought one of my sons pre-school students did it – then once I became brave and really, really had the tip of the brush wet…I liked the results! (I like to squeeze the ink pad to get a bit on the top)
I am still not the best but I am always happy with working with this method. I hope that you give it a try and also feel free to email me if you need help!
Let's touch on this paper…this is something that I was not a fan of when the catalog came out but once I was making my paper swatches (and YES, I will do that again with the new catalog in June) I really, really liked it – actually I think it is a fantastic pack.
I think what POPPED out to my eyes when I saw it in the catalog was the papers that looks like pictures….that is just not my style but the flip sides are incredible papers! Lots of luscious plaids and handsome papers.
Last but not least – a bot of simple bling….a sweet little heart with a bakers twine bow added a sweet touch to this gem of a card! A quick liner from the Subtles DSP Collection was the icing on the cake!
OOPS….I forgot to mention about the sentiment! Silly Susan! It is from the fabulous set, And Many More and you know how I feel about sentiment sets…..they are always a KEEPER. I love them as they always "fit the bill" for a quick "filler" like I used it today!
Speaking about KEEPERS, my Stamp of the Month Kit for March is a keeper…in my opinion, it is a FABULOUS Sentiment set and the cards that I came up with are right up my alley….clean, classic, duplicable and FUN! You will make 8 cards plus get the 4 samples from me! Please do not wait to sign up as it is almost full!
As the saying goes…that's all folks! Sorry for the long post, tomorrow's will not be as long as it will be the same but "stepped up" just a bit! (I think you will smile)Please feel free to email me if you need anything!
We only have about 3 weeks left for Sale-a-bration…now is the perfect time to stock up on basics, get some goodies from the Occasions Catalog…remember, for every $50,00 you spend…you can pick a FREEBIE! YIPPEE!
Thanks for your Saturday morning with me – hopefully you enjoyed this post and it will put you in the mood for Spring! Below you can see all of the goodies I used for this sweet card!
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