Septembers Class Projects

The first project we did last night was this film strip card. This is a great "technique" for both cards and scrappages! Think of all those silly little pictures you take of your children, now you can use them in this way and be able to show more than a few without overwhelming your page. Of course, I didn't come up with this idea on my own. In fact, this card was inspired by Julia (the Queen of vintage!) here. This card is simpler than hers, but I wanted to focus on the faux filmstrip and not overwhelm on little details. I have found that if you keep it simple the novice stampers will not feel as overwhelmed and the more advanced stampers will be able to run with it. So I try to find one element to focus on for each project I teach.

For this card I used Choco Chip for the base and Apple Cider Designer Paper for two of the layers. I just LOVE the double sided papers! They just seem to simplify pulling elements together on your projects! I used the ticket corner punch on the DP layers and sponged the edges of those layers as well. Then I used my SU distresser and distressed the edges. The faux filmstrip layer is just a 5 x 2 3/8" basic black that I used the Spiral punch on each side. I used the 1 3/8" square punch to punch out the flowers and mounted them to the black. I found it much easier to do it this way than try to punch three squares perfectly straight (remember testing post, I'm a bit of a perfectionist!)

Card Recipe: Stamps: True Friend, Baroque Motifs; Ink: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, CRAFT Chocolate Chip (stamped flowers); Paper: Chocolate Chip, Basic Black, River Rock, Apple Cider DP, Accessories: Ticket corner punch, Spiral punch, sponge, Distress tool.

For the second project I showcased Faux Brads. I had been reading about faux brads on one of my yahoo groups, (Technique Junkies to be exact) but just wasn't interested too much. I am sorry that I don't remember the name of the person that shared this version of faux brads as I deleted the email. After all, real brads are soooo easy! Why fake it??? *eyeroll*

This is why! See that blank space to the left of the sentiment? It just looks off balance to me. By this time I had all the layers securely adhered down and trust me there would be no pulling these layers apart! So what is a gal to do??? Yes, you're right, faux brads to the rescue!


Here is the finished card:

So what do you think? Do the faux brads truly finish off this card?

Another reason to use faux brads is to cut down on the thickness of the card. With the new postal regulations those little backs on the brads can add to the thickness. I just paid an extra 17 cents today to mail a card to my brother because of the brads I had used. Oh well, he's worth it! ;)

Deets on this card: I used Linen b/g to add texture to the top portion of the base layer. I used the cool Boho Friend wheel with VersaMark for the background on the Wild Wasabi layer. The I stamped the flower from True friend and punched with the 1 1/4" circle punch, punched 1 3/8" of Basic Black and adhered together. Used a 1/16th" to add the (real) brad, then layered that to a scallop punched layer. I used two mini dots to attached the flower to the card because I was overlapping uneven layers (blue & green). I stamped the sentiment and attached the blue layer to the black layer then attached both to the green layer.

Okay on to the good details! How did I do those faux brads? I used my eyelet template from my Crafter's Tool Kit and placed on my card to see where I wanted my brads to be. I used the brush tip of my SU marker to color in the circles where I wanted my faux brads. Then without moving my template I used Crystal Effects (CE) to dab onto the circles. Gently remove the template and let the CE dry really well. (I let the card sit overnight before I scanned it.) Don't use too much CE or it will look a little goofy. I think I actually used a little too much. Also, clean up your template right away, CE is water soluble and will clean up easily, but you don't want to wait too long!

Stamps: True Friend, Linen; Ink: VersaMark, Ballet Blue, Night Of Navy Marker, CRAFT Basic Black; Paper: Ballet Blue, Wild Wasabi, Basic Black; Accessories: PUNCHES: 1 1/4", 1 3/8", 1/16" Scallop Circle, Crafter's Tool Kit, Crystal Effects, BB Brad.

ETA: Oops! I forgot to share where the inspiration for this card came from! PageMaps has a section now for cards. This layout is from one of their CardMaps, (bottom row, second from right.) What a great place for some quick inspiration!

Silly Personality Tests

Well Allison is always finding these cute tests. You get to find out about yourself after answering about 10 questions! LOL! Anyway, I thought these two were interesting.

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Okay, so let me see if I got this right; I lead by example and morals are important to me (as I am a bit of a perfectionist) I put the needs of others ahead of myself. Hmmmm, does this sound like a mother to you???? :D

Okay, I will post the projects I taught at my class tonight tomorrow. I'm tuckered out right now.

GinaK Special

I'm going to go outside of my normal comfort zone and tell you what I think about Gina K. and her store, Stamping Freak. I think everyone has heard of GinaK by now, but if you haven't please check out her webstore, (is that a real word yet??)

Gina K is one of the most giving people I have ever "met" (okay, we've just met online!) She is donating 10% of purchases today to the September 11, 2001 Children's Fund. She even has some specials listed for today only! (ahh-hummm, those scallop oval doodles are pretty cool so I finally bought the set today!)

It amazes me that she can and is donating on top of donating! What do I mean? She is donating $7-8 from each set of Stamps for a Cause (to their respective causes) then another 10% t0 the Children's Fund. As I was mulling all this over (and surfing her webstore for what I couldn't live without and could justify to DH) the Scripture kept running through my head, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13.) In our present day here in America unless you are serving in the military or in a profession such as police or fireman you probably aren't in a position to drastically lay down your life on a regular basis. I believe that Gina has found a way to lay down her life, that is her financial life for others. Yes, she is selflessly giving more to help others in need. Please check out her store and help her make even more of a difference today!

Thank you Gina for all that you do!

I am going to try to find something special to do today to commemorate 9-11 in my own special way. Perhaps I can go through that box of cards that I have "on stand-by" that I never seem to use because I have to make something fresh and new for whatever it is that I need a card for, and send out some RAKs. They won't know it today, but in a few days I will (hopefully) have brightened someone's day!

True Cider Friend

Well, I had to come up with some name for this posting so I guess that will work! ;) Now that my son has started back at pre-school, hopefully I'll be able to get into a rhythm and have some more time for stamping! I forgot to grab the camera as he got on the preK bus today! *sigh*

I was playing with the new set True Friend from the Holiday Mini and this is what I came up with. I was inspired by this Christmas card by Paula. It was really a pretty simple card to put together. Believe it or not I didn't try to line up the wheeled background so it was pretty cool that it turned out like it did! I thought I'd send this to my "little" brother (Wade) serving in South Korea right now. Hmmmm, I do "owe" him a birthday card still! ;)

Stamps: True Friend, Boho Friends wheel; Ink: VersaMark (wheel), Sahara Sand; Paper: River Rock, Really Rust, Cider Designer Paper; Accessories: Antique brads, Horizontal punch, 1/16" hole punch, Corner rounder & Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon.