SHIMMER ROSE

Another example of painting in the design using re-inkers and Smooch shimmer spray, after clear embossing the image. The green strip was inked, dry embossed, inked again and sanded.

All supplies used are Stampin' Up!

Have a good Sunday and thanks for looking.

MAGENTA CHRISTMAS

For this card I pulled out my Magenta stamps and decided on this one because it had nice spaces in it for colouring. I stamped the single image three times across and trimmed the cardstock. I used re-inkers and a paint brush to colour in the ornaments but instead of using water to dilute the inks, I used Smooch vanilla shimmer. On my palette (acrylic block) I put the drops of ink and a spritz of Smooch- dipped my brush into the ink, then the Smooch. If I wanted deeper colour, I used less Smooch and so on. I hope you can see the beautiful shimmer. The center ornament has a thin layer of Crystal Effects to give it more detail.

Can you guess what I received yesterday?  YES! My camera!

Have a super beautiful day!

A PUNCH PLACE

So many of you like the punch art that shows up in my work room now and again. As you know, none of the designs are my own. I find them all over the 'net. Today, I'm sharing a website that has tons of punch art. Some are paid tutorials but she also has a long list of freebies. Go here and enjoy- then create!
PUNCH ART TUTORIALS

If you make something, email me and I'll try to post it here.

Have a great and creative day!

What Happens in Vegas Doesn't Always Stay in Vegas

I have a story for you today.
Last Tuesday, around supper time, good friends D&D and DH & I arrived in Las Vegas. So warm and not a snowflake anywhere!
By Wednesday noon, I was reporting my purse as missing or stolen. How'd that happen?
 We'd been out walking and looky-loo-ing, and stopped for a brief rest in the Planet Hollywood lounge area. (the bar was closed, we just wanted some chairs for a minute) We got up to go check out more of Miracle Mile Shops and I filled my hands up with M&M Factory shopping bags and didn't realize I didn't have my purse. By the time I got back to where we'd been sitting, maybe 3 minutes later, it was gone. I couldn't call myself 'stupid' enough.

Now here's the thing- every other trip we've taken, I've stripped down my wallet of everything I wouldn't need. We use DH's credit card and carry our passports, so I need very little with me.  This trip, I didn't do that- changed purses but not my wallet.

About 30 miniutes later we are back in our room and trying to get my Visa card cancelled. Not as easy as you might think. The number given by the bank wouldn't go through from Vegas. Anyway, by the time we got it done, less than 2 hours from the time it disappeared, there had been five charges made on my card. There are steps to take for this but my point is, had I had the actual number on the back of my card, we may have gotten through sooner and cancelled the card quicker, possibly preventing any charges on it. I plan to put a copy of the numbers with my passport once the new one arrives.

The other thing I learned, was to pack a different type of purse. I bought a new one that has a long shoulder strap and goes over my head and across my chest. I never put it down  when we were out. This will be my travelling purse. Just a note, don't wear button down shirts with a purse strap across your chest- the strap tends to push your button through the buttonhole without you knowing it. Just ask me how I know.

A wonderful Metro police officer found my purse on the strip and delievered it to our hotel. Our show tickets were in it but not much else. The ticket office had already given us a paper to still get into the two shows we'd bought but it was much nicer having the actual tickets. Very nice of the officer to go out of his way to deliver the purse anyway.

So, not even 24 hours into our little vacation, we had an event that could have ruined our trip. We came away with lessons learned, but we never lost the important things. No one was hurt, the things lost could be replaced and it's always fun to travel with friends. We had a blast in Vegas and look forward to going back. However, I will have my travelling purse with only the minimum that I need iin it. That applies to all our future trips.

By the way, my camera was in there too. No photos for a bit.

I hope you can benefit from this story. If you already have your numbers somewhere safe and always strip down your wallet, and have a purse (or whatever you use) that you won't easily set down, than you are likely to never know that sick feeling that comes from losing your 'stuff'. I hope you never do know it.

I'd like to think that the person who picked up my purse and used my credit card, REALLY needed it, but somehow I doubt it.

Nice to come home to lovely sunshine but it'll be so nice when the snow goes away. :)

Have an amazing day. I'll have something to share with you soon- maybe even tomorrow.

AN OLD FAVOURITE

The card isn't old but the technique is. It's called Retiform and if you type that into Google or look on Splitcoast, you'll find tutorials and beautiful samples. Every one looks different.

Give it a try- I think you'll like it.

Have a great weekend!

SCRAP-CYCLING

Scrap-cycling-  my word for using scraps and recycling. In this case, the 16x16 base is a canvas that had a wine photo on it and was sitting in a clearance bin. It had to come home with me. I decoupaged black tissue paper to the whole thing, purposely leaving small wrinkles in it. Then, I pulled out my drawer filled with leftover technique samples and used my 1 1/4" square punch to make all same size squares. I used my 3/4" square punch on the smaller pieces and that used up the samples quite well. I have other plans for those smaller squares.

Here's a closer look at the canvas.

I attached the squares with a small piece of double-sided tape so I can easily switch them out if I want to. They aren't perfectly lined up so as to not be too rigid but that may change if I decide to attach it all permanently.  This is just a beginning idea with lots of potential. I'd bet you could build on this idea easily.
Go for it!

TOTALLY TEXTURED

There is absolutely no stamping on this card. My Big Shot machine got some use as did my eyelet border punch and my heart punch. Easy peasy folks!

TO FLASH OR NOT TO FLASH

Quite often, I can't decide if the photo looks best with or without the flash. It depends on the time of day, if the sun is shining and if it's a light or dark card.  The next photo will show with the flash. I want to tell you about the glitter hearts too.

I was at the Thrift Store yesterday and came across the pastel pink glitter. I decided then to make pink glitter paper. I love the red glitter paper that Stampin; Up! has available right now and thought pink would be nice to have as well. The best part- it doesn't shed glitter everywhere!

 Here's what I did-

^ applied a 4x8 piece of adhesive sheet to the pink side of a sheet of pink paper- not cardstock

^ removed the release paper and shook the pink glitter all over the exposed adhesive     

^ tapped off excess glitter, then covered with the release sheet and pressed down the glitter 

^ tapped off the excess glitter again, then brushed on an even layer of gloss mod podge

Once dry, it glitters beautifully, is lightweight and punches easily.  Once the mess from making the sheet is cleaned up, there is no more glitter mess while using the paper.  

Give it a try- make your own glitter paper. Any sealer will work, it doesn't have to be mod podge brand, but it should be glossy finish.

Have fun!

BIRTHDAY BOY

Now that he has received it I can show you my son's birthday card. See the "checkerplate"?  ( I think that's what it is called) It's made from a pop can. Cut out and embossed with the Big Shot. Great look!

It's the weekend. I hope you have lots of creative play time and lots of R&R. For some of us, that would be the same thing  :)

Thank you for coming by.

SCRAPPY SAMPLE

The purpose of this card si to show you a stamp I made from rubber scrap. After pushing out the die cut stamps there is a frame of rubber left behind. I found pieces to cut new stamps from, using the Big dies and my Big Shot machine. I have some other stamps to show you as well.

As you can see, not all the stamps are fully whole. The flower on the top right mounted on wood, and circle on the acrylic block and the flower I used on the card above. They work well stamped just off the edge.  You can see on the small paper sample how they look inked up and stamped.

You could use the stamp with the dies, to compliment each other. I should have included the die cuts on my sample card....maybe next time.

Have fun with your scraps. This only the beginning of things you can do with them.