Lego man thanks

I told you I could not find a Lego stamp anywhere so I carved one- yes- from an eraser- remember potato carving, eraser carving? Before rubber stamps were so popular when I could not find an image I used to carve it- pencil erasers in shape of little stars, hearts, flowers. Thank goodness for artist so I don't have to do this. I saw an image kind of like this on line that someone was selling but could not find it when I went to buy it so what was I to do? Bring out my old linoleum carving tools. Yep, I kept them. That's why my room is bursting at the seams. This is the final product but I wanted to show you the process.

This was an earlier version because I always try to do one layer but it doesn't always work out. I made the border using a Sizzix embossing folder- I think it is one of Tim Holtz' -that I thought looked Lego-ish and selective embossing technique using a template I made with 2 pieces of chipboard with the window in the center that I cut out to fit the picture I wanted. Sentiment is one from a set from a $1 stamps from M*chaels.

I drew the figure in pencil onto the eraser and then rough cut it- this is what it looked like initially.

Then I cleaned up the parts that still stamped that I did not want. Getting better.

I tried some color combos - Tyler told me to use these colors- very 'Lego'

Each minifigure comes with a wrapper and a folded peice of paper inside with all the lego figures in the series printed on it. I was able to cut out the Lego symbol and paste it over the body to make it more "official".

I want to make a Lego block stamp but that is a bit harder-making perfect circles- I will try this weekend maybe.

This is what happens when you have 3 boys in tow......I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Lynda

Tyler's 10th birthday party favors

I love my kids when they tell me 9PM the night before school that they need special treats for the class because it's their birthday- I had made up the birthday party favors and was planning for the party this weekend and had not thought to do something for the class- so this is what we made. Ran to the store - thank God they are open 24 hours now- made 36 chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting- all homemade mind you- given all these allergies in school, you have to know exactly what you are sending off. Sprinkles and a toothpick with Airplane from PTI Valentine treats and Tyler Rocks- that's what he wanted it to say- from Simple Alphabet also from PTI stamped on copy paper and adhered to the toothpick using sticky tape. I kept the back side of the tape unpeeled so it would not be sticky and it worked great, colored in green and orange like he wanted and cute little treats made in 3 hours.

He wanted to give out lego minifigures for his birthday treats so we got Lego- I mean building block- candy- some little doodad toys, erasers and we made these bags using SU Fancy Favor Die- I swear I use this everytime- it is just a perfect size for party favors. stamped his name- premade somewhere- sentiment also from simple alphabet from PTI. I wanted a Lego stamp but could not find one ANYWHERE so I used Calvin and Hobbs dancing on the back from Stamp Happy that I got eons ago. It is just so Tyler.

Best Medicine

I have a weakness for this little girl- stamp by Heather Ellis for MFT - had the little girl with a bear for a while and just got the nurse one and thought I would pair it up.

Base card is real red with a piece of SU DSP. Stamped the sentiment on the bottom in black and wrapped real red satin ribbon as shown before adhering it down.

I stamped the 2 girls onto whisper white and colored it in using my cop*c markers. I also die cut the armchair- from cottage cuts die that I bought from a LSS from an old SU DSP (from sale-a-bration eons ago that I have 5 extra packs). Accented the creases with blue marker to create shade and mounted it with dimensionals to make it more 3D.

In the stamp the girl with the bear is actually standing but I cut her knees off and scalloped the skirt to make it look like she is sitting and added extra dimensionals to make her knee s pop up more under the bear whose legs ar -sorta- fold forward. Hard to see her but I hope you ge the idea. Just round off her knees at the top and you can make any standing figure sit!

Enjoy!
Lynda

Growing Green

A little play on Growing Green stamp in pear pizazz- I thought green was appropriate color for the card- I stamped the sentiment- retired SU- and used the decorative label punch to punch it out and used 2 pear pizzazz labels punched to make the layer behind it to match- a little technique Makani brought back to my attention- used 1/2 inch stitched poly ribbon in pear pizazz - put the ends behind the label for a clean look and mount the sentiment using dimensionals- I ltried couple of different positions but I like the off to the right best- I think- a little less formal maybe. Easy peasy cards that you can whip out in no time using any stamp for background and a central sentiment. I'll have to play with some variation using different colors and stamps.

Lynda

Happy Easter from Mercedes

I opened my mail up and found this wonderful surprise from my most talented friend Mercedes for Easter and I thought I would share it with you. She is an amazing artiste and Stampin Up would be foolish not to recognize her.

The face is the upside down ornament punch and the ears are from the oval punches.

She shares her technique in a tutorial on 4-9-11.

Check out her blog at http://mercedesweber.blogspot.com/

Happy Easter to you all!

Lynda

Easter Blossoms silhouette

I was not sure how I liked this girl from this set- the silhouette is pretty but I wasn't sure how I wanted to use her. A simple monochromatic approach seemed best but I didn't want anything with too sharp a contrast and crumb cake on vanilla seemed to suit my taste. Then I saw the CC319 challenge on SCS- Concord Ivory Cake- pair it up with concord? I had not thought of that one- I was working on the CAS 115 challenge on a real simple cardsketch that I loved with the button and tucked under ribbon detail so I just combined the two and whipped this up.

Base card is concord crush, with crumbcake embossed with the polka dot on top and square lattice on the bottom to give 2 different textures, added the crumbcake seam binding ribbon with the fold detail that I wanted to use. Die cut Frame, oval scallop with very vanilly CS and just use the oval - stamped the silhouette in crumbcake and sentiment in concord. Stamped the egg with concord on vanilla CS and cut it out and attached with a dimensional and literally a 10 minute card from thought to picture!

Lynda

Easter Blossom Kimono

One of the reasons I wanted the Easter blossom set was because I wanted to do this. I have a few other ideas how to use this set still, all very Asian I am afraid.

I die cut the kimono and used my airbrush to color it in -using Cop*cs markers R20 and 24 onto SU shimmer CS to make a grade which is really pretty in person. Stamped the Easter blossom with black and used markers to color it in but decided it was too dark so used a Stazon white marker to color the flowers to make it pop out. I also used my Gold Lame Smooch-it looks like nailpolish but has a fine point foam tip that allows for great control without any mess. all my smooch are now sitting on my valuable desktop space- I used it over the collar area and used it to go over the branches and edges of the kimono to add that subtle shine. I used the square lattice EF for emboss just the half of the whisper white CS. Layere it over poppy CS. I attached the kimono using dimensionals and a teensy strip I had left over of a yuzen chiogami that kind of went with it. clean and simple!

Happy weekend!

Lynda

Folded flowers

I have such a hard time with "just playing." Mem*ries Live On, one of my LSS near me have a make and take on fridays that I happened upon and this night they had whole bunch of dies, papers and inks to play with. Holly told me to go to town and PLAY.....and I froze.

But I did fall in love with the paper rosette dies from Sizzix Tim H*ltz alteration lines. We've all seen them before and made them with the scallop punches but I hated to score all those lines and here it goes so fast because it is all prescored- I made all 3 of these in less than 5 minutes! But what to do with them? The papers they had were craft and plum colors so I used these colors to work off it and make a card. Rich Razzleberry matched perfectly.

I used the fall set embossing folder from sizzix to emboss the card base. I did not want to use the pumpkins on the bottom so I just wanted to emboss the top but the new embossing folders are a tad too long to put it sideways into my bigshot so - GASP!- I cut the ends off the folders where the image stopped and ya know what? it worked fine. (somebody needs to have a talk with these Sizzix designers - what were they thinking? ) It added just a touch of interest to the background without detracting from the folded flowers.

Added piece of textured gold cardstock for the strip on the bottom and for the scallopped round piece under the big flower button too. Stamped the sentiment form Something to Celebrate from SU occasion mini hostess set. Cut and trimmed a piece of leftover gold paper with a scallop scissors (remember those?) to make the stems.

I used the linen thread to sew up the center of the Vintage buttons from PTI- The photo does not do the colors justice but it does all work well in real life.

Holly, this one is dedicated to you!

Lynda

Easter Blossoms with an Asian twist

I tried to resist it- I really did. I looked at it and really loved parts of this stamp set but was not sure about others and thought I would do without it but it kept calling to me and calling to me and I finally gave in. I am sure many of you know that feeling. I thought the branch would lend itself to a lovely Asian background and thought it would make for a nice arrangement.

The base is bridal bliss CS with a layer of basic black on top of that. I used architectural accent #2 from Sizzix to diecut the corner pieces from the black CS before I mounted it on- waste not want not!- then added a layer of crumbcake embossed with square lattice.

I inked the branches using a small stampin spot to be able to only ink the parts I wanted. ( You could use a marker) Make sure it is thoroughly dry before inking it with a bridal bliss so it does not run. I punched the 4 sided flower from itty bitty shapes punch set and added a pearl in the center in those and some of the stamped flowers as well.

The vase is the ornament punch turned upside down and trimmed in basic black. I brushed it with Illuminate top coat Smooch which makes it look like shimmer paper. so pretty.... I added a teeny piece of yuzen chiogami with a pink tone so I used it to accent the vase and a pretty little card with an Asian flare. it would make a loverly Mother's day card I thought.

Lynda

Presents for my sister Chris

My sister asked me for some notepads for BFF messages- so I made matching ones that 2 BFF could share- this one used some matching DSP in lavendar - I was requested to make something purple. I know my sister reads this blog and I am only a few weeks late for her birthday present so I wanted her to know that it is coming! I used the dotted ribbon punch for the center strip and used the retired felt flowers to accent. It is really sweet in person.

This is a cleaner more modern version in turquoise- with pattern pack DSP using some of the new Designer big buttons- love them! I left the front otherwise blank in case she wanted to stamp something like BFF or name of person or whatever! This is one I made especially for her. She is a designer for a clothing company and I thought this would be kind of fun for her. Used the Sweet Stitches DSP wit pompom trim and and fabric designer brad.

I am a big hoarder of pretty buttons and trims but my little sis is worth breaking out the pretty brads. I love you Sis! Happy belated birthday! I swear your package is in the mail!

Lynda