Grunge Rock Swap Card

Here is the promised pic of my most recent swap card. I love this set! My son is a future rock star, you know, so I had to have it. It's called Grunge Rock. You can order it here. It is available in clear mount and traditional wood mount. Be sure to choose me as your demo so you can get the preferred pricing.

I used the harlequin pattern Texturz Plate from Backgrounds 1 on the Basic Black cardstock. The other colors are Baja Breeze and my favorite, Cherry Cobbler! There is a grunge-y harlequin stamp on the bottom left and behind the circles, but it's hard to see in the picture.

Happy Stamping!

VC Blog Hop #4!

Welcome to my blog! After Loni's fine Beginning Blogger class, I finally have my blog on its way to looking the way I would like. At least the width is finally right!

If you have been hopping along, you should have arrived from Marisol's site, A Touch of Sol. If not, you can start at the beginning here.

This time around, I have a Decor Elements project for you. I decorated a mailbox for my sister-in-law. I like it!

Materials:
Decor Elements Flower Garden (Small)
Chocolate DE Sheets
Alphabet Simple & Numbers Big Shot dies
Bone Folder or DE Applicator (I have one, but can't find it! LOL It is easier to use than a bone folder for this).
Metal mailbox from a home improvement store

Directions:

1. Clean and dry the mailbox.
2. Cut pieces from DE Flower Garden
3. Rub each piece with DE Applicator per directions





4. Using blue painter's tape, position your pieces as desired.








5. Flip images up one at a time using the painter's tape as a "hinge," and slowly remove backing paper. If while you are removing the backing paper, some images do not stick to the transfer paper (on front of image) replace the backing paper and rub again with DE Applicator or bone folder. Once the image is fully stuck to the transfer paper, slowly flip the image back down into place. Rub with applicator or bone folder to adhere.









6. Mulit-colored images come in separate pieces. This makes for easier positioning and customization.
















7. I cut out the numbers and letters using the Big Shot and Bigz dies. Remember to place the DE sheets face down so that your letters are not backwards!









8. Lining up the letters was a bit tricky. I'm sure there is an easier way, but I always find the hard way first. I peeled back the backing paper and laid out the letters using the grid from another transfer sheet. Then I replaced the backing, rubbed with the DE applicator, and positioned the words one at a time on the mailbox.

SU! includes directions with their DE sheets (they come in lots of colors!) so read them carefully before you start your project.




Here we have the finished product! The word "sibley" is a little crooked, but it's not too bad.











I added a little on the back, as well.








That's it! I hope you enjoyed this project. Don't be afraid to try Decor Elements!

Thanks for visiting my blog. I just might have some Blog Candy for a few of my VC friends who leave comments.

The next stop on the VC Blog Hop is Angela's site, Scrappin' for Sanity. Enjoy!

Shari

Fun with New Colors

Don't you just LOVE the new Stampin' Up! Core Colors? My favorite is Cherry Cobbler. It is such a rich, gorgeous shade of red. I just made this new blog header on My Digital Studio using Cherry Cobbler, Baja Breeze and Basic Black. (If you already own MDS, you can get the new color updates FREE! Just click here). I love this color combo. It is on our fabulous new Color Coach. You can order your own Color Coach here or just email me!

I used this same color combo on a swap recently. I will post the card here in a few days. We have to wait to post our swaps until they are returned! Don't want to spoil the fun, you know.

What are your favorite new Core Colors? I'll have some Blog Candy for the first five responses from any of my customers. (Plus one more for a VC buddy!).

Shari

Nostalgia Stamp-a-Stack

Here are the five cards for the Nostalgia Stamp-a-Stack on Sunday, August 29th at 2PM. Why is it nostalgic? Because we're using retired card stock colors and some retired stamps, too. Cards are $1 each, including the envelope. Just let me know how many of each you'd like to make. So we're all on the same page, let's call them (from top left) Purple Flower card, Rust Flower card, Deer card, Rainbow card, Teal Flower card. You can click on the picture to see it larger.

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: The first three people to sign up for this class and choose 15 or more cards will get two cards free!

Also on this day, I am holding a Rubber Rummage Sale! I will be selling lots of retired stamp sets, as well as some retired card stock and accessories. Prices will start at $5 for accessories, and just coins for single sheets of card stock. Sales runs from 2-5PM.

August Birthday Card Bonanza

Here is this month's card for Birthday Card Bonanza. Greeting can be changed to fit your needs. Join us on Friday, August 6th at 7PM. Cost is $1 per card, as always. Just let me know how many you'd like to make.

Stay after class for Stamp Night!

VC Blog Hop #2!

Welcome to my blog! And to some of you, welcome back! We can again use retiring goodies for this VC Blog Hop, so I am. Of course, I cannot let another hop go by without some piratey goodies! I have made a star explosion card for your viewing pleasure. (Ye scurvy dogs!)

I started with a 3.5" square of Whisper White CS. I stamped it with our Pirate Time set, which you can only order until June 30th! Perfect for your favorite pirate! I used Real Red, Going Grey, Sahara Sand, and Soft Suede. I sponged the edges, as well. You will need to stamp five squares, both sides.







This piece is not stamped so that you can see the score lines easier. You need to score vertically and horizontally at the center (here at 1 3/4"). Then FLIP THE PIECE OVER and score diagonally, but just once, as shown.










Fold the score lines inward, making this cup-like piece:


You will repeat this with the remaining four squares.

Now you need to add adhesive. When the above cup-like piece is closed shut, you will have an un-scored square showing on either side. Run some SNAIL around the edges of one square, then do the same on a second piece of stamped, scored CS. Match up those two squares and press together to stick them tightly. Repeat with remaining three pieces.




Once you have the five pieces together, DO NOT ADHERE the ends together, unless you do not want to be able to close this card.

Now you need two small 1 3/4" squares of Whisper White CS. Stamp these as you did the larger pieces, but just on one side. Set aside.

Adhere two twill tape pieces to both ends of your card. Mine are each about 4" long. Adhere your 1 3/4" squares over the ends on the card to cover them.

When tied closed, your card will look like this:



When tied open it will look like a star:




I hope you liked this project! It is a classic, but a fun one to come back to from time to time. I especially like this one with Christmas stamps and some Real Red grosgrain ribbon. Give it a try!

Now it's time to hop along to someone Barb Furlong's blog, The Love of Stamping. If you would like to start from the beginning, just head to the VC Rocks Blog.

See you next time!
Shari

VC Blog Hop!

Welcome to my pitiful blog! If someone could explain to me how to make my own stuff on the sides of the pages, I would love that!

This is my first Blog Hop, and it is the first Annual Blog Hop for VC Rocks! VC is a super-fun group of stampers and SU! addicts. I have so much fun all summer in our virtual hotel, doing swaps, taking classes online, and so much more!

I have been so impressed by all the different punched bouquets out there, that I decided to make one of my own with daisies and black-eyed Susans. For our first VC Blog Hop, we are featuring retiring colors and/or Summer Mini products. I am using both!




Materials:

Cardstock: Creamy Caramel, Summer Sun, Yo-Yo Yellow, Green Galore, Gable Green (all retiring), Chocolate Chip, Whisper White.
Ink: Going Gray (retiring) and Chocolate Chip used for sponging and inside greeting.
Ribbon: Wide Chocolate Chip Grosgrain
Punches: 5-Petal Flower, 3/4" Circle, XL 2-Step Bird, Scallop Edge
Big Shot: Square Lattice embossing folder (Summer Mini), Little Leaves Sizzlit, Birds and Blooms Sizzlit 4-Pack
Adhesives: SNAIL, Sticky Strip, Stampin' Dimensionals

Directions:

I made this up as I went along. I started with the flower pot, made from Creamy Caramel CS, 11" x 4.25"

1. Score at 5.5"
2. Fold in half, and measure about 1/2" in from the folded corner on both sides, and make a small mark with a pencil.
3. Cut straight from the open corner to the mark you made on both sides. This gives the pot the tapered look.
4. Punch Scallop Edge punch on both open ends.
5. Fold ends about 1" down and crease with bone folder to create lip of flower pot.
6. Sponge all edges with Chocolate Chip classic ink.
7. Use two small pieces of Sticky Strip to keep the pot closed. Put them inside the lip of the pot vertically, close to the edge to be sure you have room for your card to move up and down. You can also use some Sticky Strip to keep the lip of the pot down. Set pot aside.
8. Punch daisies and black-eyed Susans from Whisper White and Summer Sun card stock. Two punches for each flower.
9. Sponge one of each pair of white flowers very lightly with Going Gray classic ink. Do the same with the Summer Sun flowers with Chocolate Chip.
10. Mount the sponged pieces behind the clean ones. This implies shadow and gives definition to the petals.
11. Run Yo-Yo Yellow and Chocolate Chip cardstock thru the Big Shot in the Square Lattice embossing folder.
12. Punch circles out of the textured pieces with the 3/4" Circle punch. Adhere to flowers.
13. Punch the branch and wing from the XL Bird punch with Green Galore and Gable Green. I did two of each color.
14. Run some more Gable Green and Green Galore thru the Big Shot using the Little Leaves Sizzlit die. I used just one of each color. I also have a couple of the larger leaf from Birds & Blooms, but you don't need to do that.

Now we need to make the pull-out card. My inside card is 5.25 x 3. You might need a different size, because you'll cut it to fit your pot so that your flowers are positioned correctly when the card is in the pot.

15. After making your inside card piece, plan where you will adhere your flowers and leaves. Put three flowers on the edge of the pot, up high enough that you can see your scalloped edge, and three on top of the pull-out card. Be sure that they will sit the way you want BEFORE you adhere. I used a Dimensional on the center flowers.
16. Cut a pieces of Whisper White CS to go on the pull-out for your greeting. Mine is 3.25" x 2.5" and I would like it better if I had mounted it on some Chocolate Chip! So you do that. ;o)
17. Stamp your greeting in Chocolate Chip.
18. Adhere Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain ribbon to the pot, and you're done!

So... you likely arrived here from Stampin' Stace. Your next hop will take you to Maddiebug Designs. If you'd like to start the Blog Hop from the beginning, start here: www.vcrocks.blogspot.com

I will have blog candy!!! Oooooooooo what will it be???