Pen Pot!

I am sooo excited about how this turned out! I think it is so cute. I needed a hostess gift for my mom since she is putting our family up in Florida next week, and this is what I came up with (click on the images to get a larger view--there is a few details that are not visible in the thumbnail):

It is a pot to put pens in and the clips are to leave messages.
I started with a tin bucket from the floral department at Wal-Mart, I covered it with paper from KI memories. I used scallop scissors on the top edge of the base paper and a crimper on the accent strip. (the crimping allowed me to use a straight piece of paper but still hugged the angled sides of the bucket. There is tiny white rickrack along the bottom. The letters are the "Go Slim" font from Ellison Design for the Big Shot. I die cut "pens & etc." from SU!'s Old Olive paper.

Then I went crazy with the ribbon :D. There are all sorts of ribbon and other fibers on the handle. For some extra whimsy, there are punched flowers (SU!'s Spring Flower Punch) attached with wire springs on the handle.

The flower is made from Ellison Design's oval tag thin cut die, and the circle punches from SU!. The clothespins and flower are hot glued to wooden shish kabob skewers. There is about 1.5 cups of white beans in the bottom to anchor the skewers and pens and pencils.

VOILA! A hostess gift.

I just hope my mom has half as much fun receiving it as I did making it.
What do you think?

More Pearl Ex

Here is the final project from my January Stampin' Techniques Class. I thought this card could double as a "thinking of you" card or a Valentine.


The technique used is Melted Pearls. This technique is explained wonderfully in the resource section of SplitCoast Stampers. This particular card is on a close to cocoa base. The pink area is Recal rose, with the French Script background stamped on it in the same color. Then the heart and "LOVE" from All About "U" set is stamped with VersaMark and then the melted pearls technique is used. The melted pearls is also used on the Vanilla piece with a verse from Elegant Inspirations. The ticket punch is used on the Vanila piece , as well as the rose and Chocolate Chip mats.

It is another fairly simple card, but the Russet Pearl Ex really makes an impact and compliments the color scheme.

CASE in Point

When designing projects for my recent Pearl Ex class, I came across a card that was both a WOW and EASY. I need a simpler project to accompany the paper tole rose (very time consuming). This card made by cuccicoo1002 was the perfect card! HERE is the link to her card. Please check it out! And here is my card:


As you can see I changed VERY little. The label holder is a die cut from Ellison Design, cut with my Big Shot. The colors are Perfect Plum card base, Pale Plum in the label holder, and the Floral is stamped on Perfect Plum with VersaMark and has Gold Pearl Ex on it. One of my class members discovered on accident, that if you use more than one color of Pearl Ex it even looks better!! (like a silk jacquard print).

Please note, since this was such a blatant CASE (Copy And Share/Steal Everything) I did not post this to my gallery on SplitCoastStampers. What would be the point--we post to share ideas and Tracey had already posted a great card with this idea. I also asked her for permission to link to her card from here--some blog etiquette I have learned at SplitCoast.

Thank you Tracey for the inspiration and CASE-able card!!

Before and After

Lately, I have been suffering from "stamper's regret." I don't regret stamping, I just stamp something, and then think of several ways I could have done it better--after the project is complete.

Well, today's Sketch Challenge was a toughie for me. Many decisions, many little pieces, many frustrations. I made a card with "Like it a Latte" (LUV this set!!) and some patterned paper that I really like, too. But somehow I did not like the result. And it is the "before picture"



I did not think it was very balanced, visually. All of the color was on two pieces, and the focal image (coffee cup) was not very prominent. I posted it anyway.

After posting it on SCS I thought of some ways to improve it. Thankfully these were easy "fixes" that did not involve reworking the ENTIRE card. So that brings us to the "after":

It is not an "Extreme Makeover" but it is "kicked up a notch" (yes, I watch too much t.v.--this is why I stamp!) I added two hearts. One clear embossed on pixie pink paper, cut out and popped out on the coffee cup. The second is stamped off pixie pink (classic ink) on the main sentiment. I also added brown embroidery floss on the buttons--I tried to leave the holes naked--but I just couldn't do it. I believe these changes are enough change to make me go from a "that's nice" to a "hey, I like this."

What do you think? I think I am going to kick some other of my cards "up a notch". Just to see what I can do.

January Class Projects

In January my classes will be concentrating on Pearl Ex. It is a pigment powder, and it has a pearly/metalic/iridescent luster to it.

This first project is a petal card and it uses the MicroPearl Pearl Ex. The MicroPearl Pearl Ex is but into a misting bottle with hair spray. The front of the card as well as the pieces of the rose were all sprayed with this mixture.



Thanks for checking back here. I will post each of the other projects the next two days.
Feel free to post here with questions. I have not included a great deal of information since these are a part of a class.