Rubber Room Stampin'

TIME TO "ROCK 'N' ROLL"

I promised I'd be back to share the "Rock 'n' Roll" technique with you.  So, go get out a round-ish stamp and come right back.  I'm going to use the medium flower from the Greenhouse Garden 2-step stamp set (p. 94, 113824, $25.95). 

You'll need two stamp pads, one a lighter color, the second, a darker color.  Ink up your stamp with the lighter color.  Then take it over to the darker stamp pad and just roll around gently on the outside edges of the image.  You're done.  Now stamp it on a piece of cardstock and you'll see that darker rim.  Isn't that cool?  And easy!?

 

 

You can also 'stamp off' your inked up image to get a light shade of your color:  ink up your stamp and then stamp it two or three times on scrap paper.   It will be several shades lighter than stamping directly from the stamp pad.  Now, roll your stamp on the stamp pad, just inking up the outer edges.  Finally, stamp it where you want on your finished (or practice) piece.  In the case of this stamp from the Greenhouse Garden 2-Step stamp set, I also stamped the detail image in the Mambo Melon ink and then stamped it on top of the rock-n-rolled image.  You can use your Stamp-a-ma-jig for perfect placement if you want.  I just 'wing' it so my placement is not perfect.

 

 

It's not perfect placement as I said, but.....it doesn't usually matter.  When it matters I definitely use my Stamp-a-ma-jig.  You can click here for a tutorial I did on this tool.

Let me know if you have any questions about rock-n-roll or the stamp-a-ma-jig.  I'll do my best to answer them.  

KATIE'S MAGAZINE FILE

I thought you'd like to see the Magazine/Card File I made for Katie as her Blog Candy prize:

It'll be going into the mail today, along with 8 hand made cards from my previous classes or events.  Katie can choose what she wants to call her file and then write it on the label.  I used the 2009-2010 In Color Soft Suede 12" x 12" Textured Cardstock to make the file.  The decorative band is from the Thoroughly Modern Designer Series Paper.  The file took around 10-15 minutes to make.  And yes, the first one did take considerably longer! 

Enjoy your file Katie.

While I was at it I also made this one which I'm going to use in the 3-D swap for the Sudsol group at SU! Convention in Salt Lake City next week.  Sudsol is a Stampin' Up! demonstrator-only online 'support group' where you can get tons of tips, guidance, and support.  If you'd like to check it out, and you're a demo, click on the blinkie on the left sidebar.

I also used the an In Color for this file:  Mambo Melon 12" x 12" Textured cardstock.  The decorative band, again, is made from the Thoroughly Modern Designer Series paper.  Isn't it amazing the totally different looks you can get with that one assortment of Designer Series Paper and the In Colors?

Can I help you with your magazine file?  Just let me know.  I can help you with ordering your 'ingredients' or you can order directly for yourself in my OnLine store on my Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Website.

Coming next:  Rock n Roll with your stamps.

DRUM ROLL FOR MY 'ROYAL TOUR' BLOG CANDY WINNER

First of all I must say THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR 'ROYAL BLOG TOUR' COMMENTS!  I can't tell you how wonderful -- and talented -- they all made me feel.  I'm glad so many of you loved the stamp set, Greenhouse Garden, that I used.  I was serious when I told you it was my 4th choice.  It seemed like it would be so much work with all of those individual flowers.  But it turned out, instead, to be so much fun.  It was fun seeing how each card evolved and then which card some liked best, as opposed to which card/s others liked best.  Many of your comments will be getting comments back from me because of questions asked or because of something in your comment that required a response.  It might be a day or two though.

Those of you who are demos and requested the Magazine File template and instructions: I will send them hopefully today.*  With guests arriving 'sometime' in the afternoon, I'm not sure when I'll get interrupted in all my to-do tasks.  Someone who's not a demo requested these instructions as well.  You'll be getting them too.  :)

Now, who will be receiving my freshly made Magazine File plus 8 handmade cards w/envelopes????  Well, it's

KATIE JOHNSON 

Congratulations Katie.  I will email you privately for your mailing address or go ahead and email it to me.  I used www.Random.org to randomly select Katie's number.

For those of you who didn't win, you're all still winners if you're willing to put out a little effort.  I'm going to link you to the instructions for the Magazine File so you can make as many as you want!  I really love making and sharing this card holder and I want you to be able to WOW your friends with a lovely gift or desk accessory.  So, please click on this link and it'll take you back a few months to my first experience making these files.  There is a photo tutorial that will walk you through the process.  I also have a Word Doc that has a diagram which I just could not figure out how to create and post back in March.  Actually I still can't figure out how to post a pdf.  (True confessions!)  If you email me (button above in left sidebar) I will send it as an attachment.  

*The link above is exactly the one I would be sending the Stampin' Up! Demonstrators who left comments on my blog and requested the instructions.  So, click on the link above and you'll be good to go.  And ask and I'll send the Word Doc diagram.

Thank you all for visiting My Country Loft Blog during the last three days.  (My Country Loft, by the way, is the room over our garage---used to be a bedroom for boy and friends who played guitar too loud for Mom and Dad.  Boy went to college, graduated and eventually got married--Mom got a stamp room!!!)  I'll be back tomorrow to show you some ROCK 'n' ROLL.

Take care.........

ROYAL BLOG TOUR

Welcome to the Crushed CurryTour. If thou art just beginning the tour, thee will be better served by beginning thy travels at the home Castle. Thee may reach it from here simply by clicking on my CROWN!

Welcome to the Crushed Curry Path of the Royal Blog Tour.
Ye are currently at Castle Number 20.

I'm so happy to be back on the ROYAL BLOG TOUR!  This time 'round we're featuring the new sets in Stampin' Up!'s 2009-2010 (Full Year) Idea Book & Catalog.  I selected to use the Greenhouse Garden stamp set (p. 94, 113824, $25.95, 10 pieces).  My first, second and third choices were gone but I'm really glad to have used this set.  It challenged me and forced me to really think and create.  That's why I love participating in this tour.

Why not start out with a Christmas card!?  I really wanted to use one of the new dies for the Big Shot Die-Cut Machine---the lovely Stampin' Up! exclusive Lattice Die (p. 198, 115958). 

 

Ingredients for the card above:

Stamp Sets:  Greenhouse Garden, Christmas Classics

Cardstock:  Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Merry Moments Designer Series Paper

Ink:  Old Olive, Real Red, Ruby Red

Accessories:  Big Shot Die-Cut Machine, Movers & Shapers Curly Label die & SU! Magnetic Movers & Shapers die, Modern Label punch, SNAIL adhesive, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Dimensionals, Stampin' Sponge

 

I had to do something different with these Two-Step Stampin' flowers so decided to try the "One Sheet Wonder" Technique.  Rather than covering an entire sheet of cardstock with random stamping I just covered a smaller piece and used it as 'background' paper.

Ingredients for the card above:

Stamp Sets:  Greenhouse Garden, Lovely as a Tree, Sincere Salutations

Cardstock:  Old Olive, Summer Sun, Whisper White

Ink:  Apricot Appeal, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun

Accessories: Punches: Wide Oval & Scallop Oval; Old Olive 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' Sponge, Dimensionals

For this next item, I decided it was time to use the Bigz XL Die, Box with Scallops, that's been gathering dust on my shelf.  Are you ever afraid to use your dies for the first time?  Well, I am.  This one is really a piece of cake!  Just follow the folds, apply some sticky tape and you're done.  For fun, I did a little Rock 'n' Roll technique.  I'll show you how after the Royal Blog Tour is over.

 

Ingredients for the box above:

Stamp Sets:  Greenhouse Garden, All Holidays

Cardstock:  Dusty Durango Textured 12 x 12, Crushed Curry, Whisper White

Ink:  Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango

Accessories:  Punches:  1-3/8" Circle, Scallop Circle, Modern Label; Big Shot Die-Cut Machine, Bigz XL Die: Bag with Scallops (114519), Linen thread, Crushed Curry 1/2" Polka-Dot Ribbon, Dimensionals

My final card is just plain fun and was inspired by Jackie Bolhuis from Michigan.  I pulled out another previously unused die for this card:  the Oval Scallop Frame.

 

Ingredients for the card above:

Stamp Sets:  Greenhouse Garden, FYI

Cardstock:  Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper, Soft Suede, Whisper White

Ink:  Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede

Accessories:  Big Shot Die-Cut Machine, Bigz XL Die: Frame Oval Scallop Die (114521), SU! Little Leaves (114511), Punches:  Scallop Edge & Modern Label; Paper Piercing Tool, Crushed Curry 1/2" Polka-Dot Ribbon, Gold Brads, Dimensionals, SNAIL Adhesive

How about some BLOG CANDY?  Leave a comment below and you'll be in the random drawing for a regular-card-sized Magazine File, complete with 8 cards/envelopes, all hand crafted and stamped by m-o-i.  Here's a peak at an older one I made.  The Blog Candy file will be freshly made using a new Designer Series Paper and In-Color cardstock.  Non-SU! Demonstrators only please.   Demos:  I will send you a template and instructions for making your own if you're interested.  :)  Winner will be selected on July 29th and will be notified by email.  (I had said the 27th originally but --- the tour isn't even over by then!  Sorry for any confusion I might have caused you earlier tourists! )  Please leave your email address in your comment or send it to me privately by using the 'email me' button on the upper left side bar of my blog.  

I hope you've enjoyed your time here in My Country Loft.  And be sure to bookmark this page, or subscribe to my blog feed, if you'd like to find me easily after the tour.  This is fun and I look forward to seeing you again.  ;)  

Thou journey on this path has ended. We princesses hope Melon Mambo Castles were to thou liking. When thee clicks the Next Glass Slipper, thy coach will return thee to the Royal Blog Tour Home Castle. There thee will find three paths that lead to additional castles. More clues can be found at these castles, so look carefully. Recall all thee hath learned, and remember thee hath been given three days in which to return the clues to the Royal Blog Tour High Queen. Only when thee hath returned all 20 clues to her will she command the Castle Scribe to record thy name. Thou name must be inscribed in the record in order for thee to receive a chance at the Big Shot Die Cut Machine. We wish thee a fair wind!

SUMMER FUN DEAL OF THE WEEK #4 July 21-27--Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware

Here's the deal for week 4:  VANILLA HODGEPODGE HARDWARE.  I'll be placing an order on Sunday evening, so if you want, I can add your order to it to save on shipping costs--provided of course you're in my area!  :)  Otherwise, I'd be very happy to help you place your order or you can place your order yourself via my Stampin' Up! website's OnLine Store.

 
This is item # 112454, page 178 of the current Idea Book & Catalog.  Regular price is $29.95 but you can purchase this Hardware Kit for $18.95 until Monday, July 27th, at 8.50 a.m. (Pacific Time).

There is one more Deal of the Week which I will be sending to you next Monday, July 27th.

Have a great end of the week and weekend.  We'll be hosting a family campout in our own backyard!

12 X 12 CALENDAR PAGES FOR BABY'S FIRST YEAR

Last weekend my daughter hosted a 'calendar shower' for her college roommate who is expecting her second child in August.  Sex unknown.  Some participants had never stamped, some were old pros.  I took a Paper Holder full of retired Simply Scrappin' Kits plus the new Moments & Memories Simply Scrappin' Kit.  I also took a Paper Holder full of retired Designer Series Paper and a pile of Stampin Up!'s 12 x 12 cardstock in all colors.  I also gathered up my Rub-On collection that I had pretty much been hoarding.  As guests arrived they signed their name next to the month they wanted to create (so 2 people weren't working on the same month) and then they explored the options.  I also brought my Big Shot and a bunch of dies including the Go Go Boots Alphabet, the stamp pads in their Color Caddy, markers.........  You get the idea:  my entire stamp room practically.  :)

Before the guests arrived, I made the 12 x 12 sample shown on the front of the Moments & Memories SS Kit (and called it April's page) to show them that the samples in the Kits were there for their convenience if they didn't have a clue where to begin.  Our calendar will begin with August since that's the baby's "due month".  Simply scrap your page, attach it to the calendar, and then make a title for your month.  It was great fun.  And here are the pages:

 

This photo of these good looking women will be printed to a 5 x 7 and placed on the cover as a memento of the creators.  They also all wrote a short note to Linda and Zach.

Top to bottom, left to right: Blythe, Leslie, Lauryn, Sarah, Andrea, Landen, Jennifer, Tanja, Linda and Sari.

Linda's August page.  She's the mom-to-be.

Sari's September page---Sari has never scrapbooked or stamped before!  Not bad huh?

 
Andrea's October page.  She's a veteran scrapper.

Tanja's November page.  She loved the Big Shot!  She's also a stampin' newbie.

Jennifer's December page.  I don't think she'd stamped before.

Sarah's January page.  We made Sarah's wedding invitations in 2000.

Lauren's February page.  She's 9 years old.

Blythe's April page---straight off of the sample page as I mentioned above.

9 year old Lauryn's May page--her second page!

Sari, the newbie's, second page: June

Leslie's July page.

I wish Stampin' Up! still carried this 12 x12 calendar because it's so convenient and the paper quality is top notch.  Luckily I was able to find one when I searched for one in my Sudsol group of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators.  Sudsol is a marvelous source for tips and most anything else you need that's stampin' related.

Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with a few more ideas.  We're going camping, as a large family on Thursday--Sunday, and I have my 2-1/2 year old granddaughter with me for the rest of the week.  She requires a lot of attention.  :)  But she's sooooo much fun!  We're enjoying our time together.

Be sure to check back on Sunday, the 26th, when I'm a part of the Royal Blog Tour.  I'll have four samples from the Greenhouse Garden stamp set to share with you.

STAMPIN' AT THE LIBRARY--IN MI WUK VILLAGE, CA 7-16-09

Woohoo!  We're able to have our regualr monthly Stampin' for Adults in the (former) Mi Wuk Library.  Today we're calling the building the Mi Wuk Community Center and Lending Library, now affectionately nicknamed Library in the Woods.  Due to California and Tuolumne county budgeting our library was axed from existence--but due to our community it was pretty much functioning as always in just over a month of knowing it would close.  It's still opened 9 HOURS per week!  What a community we have to even pull these few hours off.  Thanks to everyone who JUMPED to keep it alive.

Off of my soap box now and on to the cards we made at our July gathering.  One of my favorite new stamps from the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog is the Medallion Background stamp.  I just love it!

Here our first card, based on one in near the front of the new catalog:

This card (above) features a technique called Poppin' Pastels.  Stamp the image in VersaMark, here on Sahara Sand cardstock.  Then, with a cotton ball and Stampin' Pastels (Old Olive), rub over the image and watch the color and image pop out.  The center was rubbed using the Whisper White pastel.  Add a bit of bling with the Square Rhinestone Brads (Ice) and you're good to go.  The greeting here was stamped with Rich Razzleberry Class Ink and is from the Sincere Salutations stamp set.

Card #2 was suggested, by Stampin' Up! as a workshop card in April.  I loved the simplicity and charm of it (another favorite set) so it was chosen as our second card.  Sometimes, when I'm short on time or energy, I'll go Stampin' Up!'s Demonstrator website and check out the samples that they've prepared for use in workshops.  Saves me a lot of headache and stress.

 

I just love the Cheep Talk stamp set.  Those birds just have to make you smile.  The flowers on the lower half of the card front were stamped in VersaMark.  The heart was also stamped with VersaMark, on Real Red cardstock.  Then it was sprinkled with Clear Embossing Powder and heated till it popped up nice and shiny.  The heart then had to be cut out and placed above the stem/leaves with a Dimensional. 

Ingredients:

Stamp Set: Cheep Talk

Cardstock:  Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Retired Designer Series Paper (Rock-a-Billy I think---I'm away from home and don't have access to the Spring Summer 2009 Catalog)

Ink: Pacific Point*, Kiwi Kiss*, VersaMark, Pumpkin Pie marker     *both retired In-Colors from 2008-09, sorry

Accessories:  Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Dimensionals

TIP:  I inked up the bird with Pacific Point Classic Ink, then removed the ink from the legs and beak with a cotton tipped applicator dampened with a bit of Stampin' Mist.  Then I applied Pumpkin Pie, with the marker, to the legs and beak.

If you'd like to order any of the ingredients for these two cards, OR, if you have any how-to questions about them, just send me an email or make a comment at the end of this post and I'll be glad to help you.

See you tomorrow with some 12 x 12 Calendar layouts we made on Sunday for a dear friend's baby shower. 

TIME FOR A TIP

As I was creating my cards for the Royal Blog Tour * I'm participating in next week, I was having a tough time getting a 'too small' piece of cardstock into my punch.  An AHA moment!  I can share one of my favorite tips. 

Sometimes it's appropriate to stamp a word on your cardstock and then punch it out.  And sometimes that little scrap of paper you've used is just too small to manipulate in the punch.  So........take a scrap, something like the size of a popsicle stick, and adhere the tip of the scrap the one of the edges of the paper you want to punch out.

Then, using the 'popsicle stick' as a quide, slide it into the punch and position it where you want.  By the way, that punched piece of Old Olive cardstock is not a part of the project.  It was just on the table when I took the photo.

Anyway, that's the trick.  Remember to use it when you're in the predicament I was in.  It really gives you a feeling of power!  :)  I learned that trick at Stampin' Up!'s Annual Convention last year.

* If you scroll down a bit on the Royal Blog Tour blog, you'll come across my bio---as a Princess!  Or you can just click here to go directly to it.

Be back soon.

QUILTING WITH DESIGNER SERIES PAPER

Yes, that's exactly what I mean......quilting with Designer Series Paper!  It's fun and the results are amazing.  I am participating in a swap that requires what I'm sharing today.  When I get the swap "cards" back I'll have one of each of the Designer Series Papers and one of each color of the Patterns DSP. 

You have to be a bit methodical when creating your quilt.  In my case, I prepped for 19 'quilts'.  I used the Thoroughly Modern DSP and I punched out 19 of each of the patterns using Stampin' Up!'s 1-1/4 inch square punch.  First I planned a color pattern, trying not to group like colors or patterns close together.  Ultimately I was going to cut this quilt out using the Bigz Top Note Die and the Big Shot Die Cut Machine.  So, I layered the little squares on a 5-1/2" x 4-1/2"  piece of Whisper White cardstock.

I found it best to use Stampin' Up!'s Anywhere Glue Stick (104045) to adhere the pieces to the cardstock. 

Here's the Big Shot Die Cut Machine, this one made by Sizzix exclusively for Stampin' Up!, and the Bigz Top Note Die.

Lay your prepared cardstock VERY CAREFULLY on the die, ensuring that both the top point and bottom point are covered with the printed paper. 

Roll the die through the Big Shot and here's what you have:



And here are all nineteen of them! 

My little pile has been mailed to our 'swap master' in Ohio and I'll be getting the whole shebang back around the 1st of August.  If I weren't going to use them as samples of our Designer Series Paper, I would use these Top Note pieces as a card embellishment.  Do you think I have an extra to create a sample right now?  Of course not.  When I catch up with myself I'll make one and show you what a fun embellishment it would be on a card......or on a scrapbook page.

Try one for yourself because it's really fun!

WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

Blythe Blythe where have you been?  I've been to London to visit the Queen.

No, not true.  I've been to Columbus Ohio to visit family and to enjoy the wedding of my cousin.  And of course I got zero stamping done while gone.  I even took 3 projects to work on , carried them on board planes and..........you're right, didn't touch them. 

However I did take, by request, the medium size Thoughts & Prayers Décor Elements tree for my cousin to place in their fairly newly redecorated bedroom.  And it looks just perfect.  Ta da......

We squeezed the installation of the tree between the Girls Night Out Thursday evening just after we (my sister and I) arrived from California and the Friday night Rehearsal dinner.  The Bride gave each of her 'worker bees' an itinerary for the days/hours preceding the wedding so we popped the tree time in an open space.

Is there a place in your home needing just that elegant pop?  I can help you get your own.  I'll be sending pictures in the coming days of 2 more installations, one a medium sized tree placed in an office/stamping area and the second, a small tree, placed in my friend's kitchen area.  Send me an email or go to my online shopping place on my Stampin' Up! website for yours.

I'm glad to be home.  I 'visited' 5 airports trying to get home yesterday, one of the perks of flying stand-by.  I left my cousin's home at 4.15 a.m. and arrived in San Francisco at 4.30 p.m., including a 3-hour time change.  Did I get near you????  Columbus.  Chicago.  Des Moines.  Denver.  San Francisco.

Have a great day.  :)