Stamping and Stuff

Help!

2011-09-29T12:46:00.003-04:00

This is the herb garden I inherited with the house. On the far left is basil. On the far right is sage. To the right of the sage are chives. My question is... what is between the chives and the basil (taller with 'flowers' on top). Are they scallions (green onions)?

Autumn Candles

2011-09-26T17:44:00.003-04:00

Can you stand another Pinterest-inspired post? When I saw this idea, I knew I had everything I needed to recreate it myself (courtesy of a 50lb bag of popcorn and a 25lb bag of red-beans from Sams, and canning jars by the dozen from yardsales!). I am hosting my gardening group on Saturday, so the plan is to have these burning on the deck table to keep away the bugs. Best of all, when the season is over, I can put the lids on and keep them for next year.

Thankful Tree

2011-09-24T12:02:00.005-04:00

I've recently discovered Pinterest. It's a dangerous time-eater. But oh, is it fun and inspiring! When my friend Anita back in IL pinned this idea, I knew I wanted to copy it. Trouble is, we don't have many big trees here so I didn't know what I'd do for branches. I decided to check the compost pile, where most of our clean-up from hurricane Irene ended up. Imagine my delight when I found the perfect branches from our Crepe Myrtle trees!

The girls and I punched some of my scrap paper, and we love the result. They couldn't wait to fill up the circles! After Thanksgiving, I'll use Christmas Themed papers and we can start all over. Then I'll do the same with floral/pink/yellow/blues for spring... and red, white, and blue for summer!

Incidentally, the card I made in my previous post? That was meant for the very same Anita. Unfortunately, she didn't receive it. I am thinking someone from the Post Office thought I was mailing her gift cards and decided to keep them for themselves. They weren't, they were just 'coupons' for Yankee Candle. But it ticks me off, anyway. I worked hard on that card, and I wanted Anita to have it. Boo.

A New Chapter

2011-09-08T16:11:00.003-04:00

Since I last posted, we moved from Illinois to Virginia, which was a 2.5 month process. As I write, most of the boxes are empty, but there is stuff everywhere (we have no basement here!) My craft room is a complete mess (even MORE so than usual). The day that we got internet hooked up in the new house, I found out that The Angel Company was hanging up its wings. I was sad. I've been an Angel for almost 7 years!

Being a natural optimist, I decided to look on the bright side... there are so many great stamp companies out there that I am now no longer limited (yeah, I know I could use others, and I did, but I always tried to spend my stamping money with TAC). One of the designers for TAC, Mabelle R.O., has an etsy shop where you can purchase some of her other cute images. She just announced that she'll be selling rubber stamps, as well!

Yesterday, I got some fall-themed Yankee Candle coupons in the mail and knew I needed to send them to a friend back in IL. I knew that Mabelle's cute pumpkin stamp would be perfect, and in a matter of minutes I threw together this, my first card in many many weeks. It felt good to be creating again. The sentiment is the second verse of "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and I added it in with Word (one of the things I like about digital images.) I colored it with my Copics and added some ribbon from my ridiculously large stash.

As they say here in the south, "Happy Fall, Y'all!"

Surprise!

2011-05-29T08:45:00.003-04:00

I am the guest designer today for TAC's "A Card a Day in the Month of May". (I thought it wasn't going to be posted til tomorrow, so I was surprised, too!!!!) For more info, go check it out HERE!

Packing for the summer!

2011-05-28T11:47:00.003-04:00

The movers will be here Wednesday. All of our stuff is going into storage, as we will be spending the summer living in hotels (and visiting family) until we can find and close on our first house! I have been busy preparing projects to keep me busy for the next few months... trying to get everything pre-cut and pre-stamped so I don't have to take a ton of stuff with me. I'll be finishing up Christmas Cards, trying some new sketches, and coloring a ton of images with my Copics that I can make into cards once we get settled.

The new catalogue from The Angel Company should be out sometime the end of June, so I'm getting excited about that. Last September, when I went to see Beth Moore, I felt really convicted that I needed to be using my cards to encourage others. I found it very interesting that Mischelle Smith, the founder of TAC, has also spoken of moving the company in that direction. As such, I can't wait to see the new sets. The "Final Farewell" list is extensive and they are all on sale. You can see them HERE if you're in the market for some real bargains.

And, just to pique your curiosity, I'll have a surprise to post on Monday!

I made a card!

2011-05-06T14:42:00.003-04:00

... for the first time in months! I've been crazy busy with all that an upcoming move entails. As excited as I am to get back to the east coast, this is going to be the hardest move so far. I'm leaving behind some wonderful friends who I will miss dearly. Several of them belong to my bookclub, so when I saw this set from My Favorite Things, I knew I had to have it! The paper was actually a steal from the new "Tuesday Morning" store that opened here... $1.99 for a pack of 25 and it's double-sided!

I do have a lot of projects to take with me to a 10-hour crafting day I'm going to tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have more to show you soon, including the monogrammed teacher gift sets that I'm making with the $1 Just Right set I found at the first yard sale of the season! :-)

Final Farewells

2011-04-18T17:13:00.002-04:00

Here's a list of the retiring stamp sets. If you order ASAP, they are 45% off!!!

Canning

2011-04-08T21:47:00.001-04:00

I haven't been doing a lot of stamping lately. I've been being creative in the kitchen and canning, instead. These mystery tools were in the canning pot I bought last year at a yardsale. Do you know what they are? I haven't a clue!

Pillowcase Dress

2011-01-08T19:58:00.002-05:00

I've been wanting to try making one of these for a long time. I bought the pillowcase at the thrift store for 78 cents... and I'm ashamed to admit how long it took me to sew the bias tape and top hem. It's been SO long since I actually sewed anything at all I couldn't get my machine to work right :-( But, I'll try more. I have some really cute pillow cases that will make adorable dresses (or heck, even night gowns!)

Baby Thank Yous

2010-10-23T11:19:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine is expecting a girl in December and registered at Target. As I was admiring the crib set she chose, it occurred to me that it looked a lot like scrapbook paper. You can see the set here and be sure to check out all 5 of the images! My mind started racing. So, with a little cutting and pasting with the images from the website, I made my own 'paper' which I then turned into these adorable thank you notes. I cut 1.25" squares, then glued them to a square backing. I stamped some faux stitches and then ran it through the Cuttlebug to 'quilt' it. (Click on the picture for a close-up). I made a dozen of them in front of the tv last night and will work on more tonight. The best part about these is that I used scraps of paper and ribbon that I had on hand, so I didn't need to buy a thing. I think she's going to love them, and I may just have to do this for EVERY baby gift from here on out!!!

Simple and Elegant

2010-10-20T22:39:00.003-04:00

It's so hard to get a good picture of this card, so you'll have to trust me that it's absolutely darling in real life! I made a ton of these since they were so easy, and I used up a bunch of the gemstones that I've been hoarding. I totally stole the idea from this card.

Birthday Invites

2010-10-10T20:44:00.004-04:00

How is it possible that Abby is going to be turning 7? Time has truly flown. I am NOT one of those parents who goes all out for parties. We have a simple little gathering with a few of her close friends... this year, there will be a maximum of 7 kids (including her and Jojo) and I'm calling it a 'crafting' party. I bought some ornament kits at a yard sale in the spring that we'll use, and she also wanted to make some cards (Can Do!), so it should be pretty easy.

I only needed to make 4 invitations (two of the guests are twins) which hardly seemed worthwhile. I came up with this design and made 8 of them, so now I have 4 extras that will be used as birthday cards in the future. I colored with Copics but didn't mess with shading because lets face it, the kids aren't going to notice. (That and I have trouble shading the dress in this image because it's such a large expanse!) Of course I had to add some Stickles and CB embossing!

Orange!

2010-10-01T21:20:00.003-04:00

It's been awhile since I participated in a challenge over at Copic Creations, but this week the theme was orange and I wanted to get my creative mojo back so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

I posted a similar card awhile back, but I really wanted to bring more color to the image, and I knew orange would really make him pop. There's a new "Rolling By" set featuring the same adorable kids in the newly released Fall Supplement. I just can't get enough of them!

Fall Supplement is Online!

2010-10-01T11:42:00.001-04:00

I'm so thrilled! You can view the publication HERE. I am in love with the realistic stamps and MUST have the Christmas Reindeer set!

Beth Moore!

2010-09-22T16:04:00.004-04:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to go see Beth Moore live this past weekend with several MOPS Moms and it was such a great experience. She spoke on Proverbs 31:26, so I decided to make some cards to send out to the amazing women I attended with. As soon as I saw this card I knew I was on to something. I changed up the colors and made it my own, and I LOVE how it turned out. I did the wording on the computer using the Fling Font (which was used on the Living Proof Live brochure) and added some Crystal Effects on the butterfly. And of course I had to use my Cuttlebug to emboss the swirls.

Get 'em before they are gone!

2010-09-19T17:24:00.002-04:00

Page Number/Item Number/Set Name/Sale Price

7 T3138 Spring Things $ 9.07
8 T2937 More All Season Stamps $12.57
9 T3214 Snowflake Backgrounder $ 6.27
9 T3213 Build-A-Bird $15.37
12 T2926 Autumn Swirls $15.37
12 T3192 Tree Owls $ 9.07
13 T2632 Pick of the Patch $ 9.07
13 T3106 Apple Girls $ 9.07
14 T3078 Nuts About You $12.57
16 T3178 Hedgehog Halloween $12.57
Pg Code Description Reduced
Price
17 T3107 Spooky Girls $ 9.07
17 T3179 Spooky Boys $ 9.07
18 T3081 Spookalicious $12.57
18 T3191 Fun Skulls $12.57
19 T3009 Glitter Goblins $15.37
24 T2976 Homespun Holiday $15.37
29 T3187 More Hotel Signs $15.37
30 T3190 Squirrely Girl $12.57
32 T886 Silhouette Nativity $15.37
33 T3045 Holiday Collages $15.37
35 T2518 Little Penguins $ 6.27
35 T2589 Christmas Minis $ 6.27
37 T3199 Peace on Earth $12.57
38 R3037 Holiday Cheer $16.77
39 T2707 In The Snow $15.37
41 T3202 The Coolest $15.37
42 T3200 All Things Christmas $12.57
44 T3195 Party Animals $ 9.07
44 T3194 Open Presents $ 9.07
45 T3215 I Heart You $15.37

So easy, even a 6 year old can do it!

2010-09-15T20:48:00.004-04:00

Abby decided she wanted to make a card for her friend Bella, who has been in the hospital for several weeks. I showed her some of the card kits I'd made up for last months class, and she loved the flower. Everything was precut, but she chose her colors and glued everything down. She even wrote the inside all by herself. I guess her early training paid off! :-)

2010-09-15T20:41:00.002-04:00

I decided to ink up another new set this afternoon. The top card was a simple one I threw together as a sample for my MIL to take home with her. The bottom one, which I love, was inspired by this card at SCS. The hardest part was getting the math right with the measurements, but now that that's done, I'm totally going to make a bunch of these!

Stamping with the MIL

2010-09-11T22:44:00.004-04:00

So my mother-in-law has retired now and decided she wants to start stamping. I ordered a couple of basic stamp sets for her and the UPS man delivered them yesterday right after the in-laws arrived! We spent last night playing and these are the results. I can't decide which is my favorite, the stars or the blue flower. I am absolutely loving the Linear Sentiments set because it's so good for so many types of cards. Birthday, Baby, Get Well, Anniversary/Wedding, Get Well, Just Because... you name it! I also love the Sunflowers Set. I used colored pencils here, but I think next time I'll use Copics for better blending.

Sympathy

2010-09-08T00:15:00.002-04:00

I needed a Sympathy card this past week for a friend who very unexpectedly lost her mom. I have been saying for months that I need to make some Sympathy cards to have on hand, but alas... it hasn't happened. So I typed up my favorite poem (it's been in my Bible since I lost my grandmother in 1984), cut it out with my Nesties, and added some paper from the stash. Simple but effective.

Peachy Keen

2010-09-03T19:50:00.003-04:00

In my attempt to clean out our three freezers before Uncle Sam tells us it's time to move again, I found a bag of frozen peaches and decided to try my hand at making jam. I used THIS recipe and it was so easy and tasty. So when a friend invited us over for a bbq on Sunday, I knew just what I'd use for my hostess gift. I used one of my new sets from MFT (it's wonderful because you can fill the basket with peaches, apples, strawberries, or tomatoes!) and then decorated the mason jar to match. And then, of course, I ran out and bought 3 more cases of jars so that I can make more to have on hand for those times when I need a little gift but don't have the time to go buy something!

I FINALLY WON!!!!

2010-08-19T19:25:00.001-04:00

Every month, TAC has contests for the demonstrators. One of the categories is always "Terrific Trio" and the rule is that you have to make 3 different cards using only 2 stamp sets.

After 6 years of entering off and on, I FINALLY won. And I get to choose $100 worth of TAC products as my prize. WOO HOO! To say I was excited would be an understatement!

You can see the winning cards HERE. Mine is the last one, so click on it and all 3 cards will come up.

Organic is the new sexy!

2010-08-11T09:05:00.004-04:00

I had so much fun with this one! It's a laminated card that I can keep in my purse, because I have such a hard time remembering what fruits and veggies are on the Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen list. So, I printed out a copy of the list on cardstock, then added this image from My Favorite Things ("Who's That Girl Goes Green" set) to the other side. I think I'll make a few more up for some friends who have begun buying organic when they can. (As a side note, if you haven't read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" or seen "Food, Inc." I highly recommend both. They will change the way you eat forever.)

New Stamps!

2010-08-11T08:58:00.003-04:00

Shhh! The postman delivered some new stamps the other day, so I couldn't wait to ink them up! This time, I got several of the organic/gardening stamps from My Favorite Things. I love this set in particular because the fruit is separate from the basket, so she can carry apples, peaches, strawberries, or tomatoes! I paper-pieced her shirt using the checked paper I found in my stash, and again, I used the Set A papers from TAC.

Berry Thanks

2010-08-05T16:09:00.002-04:00

More berries from Flourishes. I cut the fancy frame from my Nestabilities. I haven't had the time to play with the berry stamps as much as I'd like, so stay tuned. Hopefully I'll have some more cards soon!

Berry Fun!

2010-08-05T16:04:00.002-04:00

It was so nice to come back from vacation and have new stamps waiting for me to ink up! I ordered several sets from Flourishes and so far, I'm loving the beautiful images. As a rule, I try to use TAC stamps whenever I can, but for beautiful, ornate, realistic images, I have to look elsewhere. I did, however, stick to the TAC Color Caboodles Set A for cardstock and Copic Colors. It's so easy and brainless to color an image and not have to worry about finding a matching cardstock.

Masculine Sympathy

2010-07-12T22:38:00.004-04:00

I don't know about you, but I NEVER have Sympathy Cards when I need them. Or Masculine Cards. They are both a challenge to me. So Masculine Sympathy Cards are a super challenge. Tonight I decided to ink up my new Water Color Plants set and see what I could come up with. It's not fancy, it's not ornate or complicated, but I liked the way it turned out. I was happy to find that I had some ribbon on hand that perfectly matched my Jacaranda Cardstock. I added some brown cardstock and brown ink (Hybrid Palette Burnt Umber) and ran one sheet of white cardstock through my Cuttlebug to add some texture. I resized the picture too small, but you can click on it to bring up a larger picture.

Window Box Tutorial

2010-07-11T19:53:00.007-04:00

I have spent many hours during the past two days playing with this new set, and have finally figured out how to make the window cut-out in a fairly efficient way that doesn't involve precise stamping. If you color with pencils, it would be easier and several of these steps could be eliminated, BUT I prefer copics. Unfortunately, they show through the back side of cardstock, so that's where the complication arises for this particular card. It's not as easy as stamping and coloring... it entails lots of cutting, too.

This is my first tutorial so I hope you like it, and I hope it saves you some headaches...

The first step is to create your template for the window. Stamp the window and then cut it out, using the OUTER frame for the inner square. (That's a little confusing, I know, but you want the inside square, the part that's cut away, to be larger.)

Using your template, trace the INSIDE square onto the front of your card, centering it from left to right.
Carefully cut out the window.
On another piece of cardstock, stamp the window, the back of the girl, the girls face, and the window box and flowers.
Color them in. I used Copics, of course!
Cut out all of the pieces. To get the inside of the window 'started', I used my Cropodile to punch a hole.
Cut out the insides of the windows.
If you want a sentiment on the front, now is the time to do it (in the event of a mess-up, it won't be the end of the world.) Attach the shutter piece to the front of the cardstock, aligning the windows.
Attach the girl to the inside of the card, again aligning the windows.
Her head will show through, and that's a good thing!
Glue her face on!
Attach the window box and flowers
This is what your inside will look like.

Another One

2010-07-11T11:34:00.002-04:00

So there was a card similar to this in the new catalogue and I wanted to try my hand at it. MAJOR pain in the neck! But it's cute, anyway! It obviously uses the same set as yesterday's post but this time you get to see the use of the window box, flowers, and the back of the girl. I *think* I thought of an easier way to do it, so I'll have to keep trying...

Brandy New Stamps!

2010-07-10T11:10:00.003-04:00

The nice UPS man delivered my box of new toys yesterday, so the first thing I did when I woke up this morning was put together this adorable card... perfect for 'thinking of you'. The patterned paper is from the new 'Maggie' set, and the stamp is from a set called Window Box Wonder. I just love the expression on her cute little face! I colored her using the Copic Markers from the Copic Caboodle A Set and I used matching cardstock, from the Color Caboodle A Set. The seven new coordinating marker/paper sets make things SOOO much easier!!!

Awareness

2010-07-08T22:18:00.002-04:00

Before you know it, October will be upon us. So, I decided to play with the Sizzix Breast Cancer pack I bought last year. It came with a couple embossing plates and die cuts. And, of course, there's my favorite swirls background! Are you getting sick of these flower embellishments yet?

Changing it up

2010-07-07T22:42:00.003-04:00

I found this floral paper in my stash and was inspired. It's from the discontinued "Belle Flora" paperline from TAC. I decided to change it up and make a square card. I love this basic design because you can change out the sentiment and easily have a birthday or even baby girl card. And I didn't use the Cuttlebug on it, can you believe it? Just punches.

Baby Boy

2010-07-07T22:38:00.002-04:00

I find it much easier to make baby girl cards. But I thought this would be perfect for a baby boy. I love the Cuttlebug Swirls folder with anything boat related because they look like waves. I used my Nestabilities to cut the oval and scalloped frame and colored with my Copics.

More of the Same

2010-07-07T22:36:00.004-04:00

These are the very same design as the baby cards I posted the other day, but I changed the colors and ribbons. Quick, easy, and handy to have on hand.

2010-07-05T19:00:00.002-04:00

Ok, you'll probably need to click on this one to bring up a bigger picture because it's hard to see. I needed a last-minute baby gift today, so I threw together these thank-you notes. I used the 'thanks' embossing folder for the Cuttlebug, added some ribbon, and a flower made the same way as yesterday's post. I think I'm about to make a ton of these in non-baby colors because they will be really pretty 'thank you' notes.

I've been using my 'bug so much lately because I love it, it makes for quick and easy cards, and also because my friend Anita will be getting one delivered in a few days. Since hundreds of miles separate us and we can't craft together, I thought I'd at least post some ideas for her!!!

No stamping required

2010-07-04T22:07:00.005-04:00

Tonight I dug into my paper pile and am pleased with the results. The patterned paper came from a DCWV stack that I cut apart. I used a flower punch and also my Swiss Dots Cuttlebug, buttons I bought at a yard sale, and that's about it! Very simple, easy to do in front of the tv, and I now have 8 elegant cards for my depleted stash. I think I'll stamp "Congratulations" in the inside and turn them into baby cards, although the purple would also make good 'thank you' notes now that I think about it!

Give Away!

2010-07-02T20:58:00.003-04:00

The Angel Company is giving away an awesome prize package! Enter to win here. Maggie is one of our new double-sided paper packs and I happen to think she's beautiful!

New Catalogue

2010-06-30T11:02:00.002-04:00

I am SOOO excited about the new TAC Catalogue. We now have SEVEN sets of matching Copic Markers and Bazzill paper (which you can buy in packs of 25 for those bulk projects!) and almost 90 new stamp sets!!! Prices have been rolled back, and we also have 2 brand new sets of exclusive, double-sided paper packs. As you can see, the cover is GORGEOUS.

As we speak, I am working on getting my lanette.ismyangel.net website back up and running because I am wanting to get back into stamping! I will let you know when it happens, but your 24 hour shopping will be here soon :-)

Sympathy

2010-02-22T16:51:00.003-05:00

Seriously... I never need just one Sympathy Card. I swear they really DO come in threes... I needed two masculine cards and this is what I came up with. It's simple but it does the trick. I think it's the first time I've used my "Love and Laughter" tree set from TAC, so I'm happy it finally got inked up. The ribbon is a little too thin for my taste, but it's the only brown that I have, so it's going to have to do. And of course I used my Nestabilities! I'm so addicted.

Little Boy Birthday

2010-02-09T14:18:00.003-05:00

I've had this paper from TAC for forever. Having 2 girls of my own, I had no clue what I was going to use it for. Then I decided to pair it with the cute little fisher-boy from Wonder and Joy and VOILA! I used pop dots to add some interest, since it's such a ridiculously simple card. I colored with Copics. Inside says "Fishing you a very Happy Birthday!"

More Cuties

2010-02-09T14:16:00.002-05:00

This card is another one using the new "Wonder and Joy" set from the 2010 Serendipity. It was so easy and simple, which is probably why I love it so much. I used my Fiskars border punch and colored with Copics. Add a ribbon and done!

Cool Video!

2010-02-07T16:56:00.001-05:00

I found a really neat video here on how to make adorable flowers for cardmaking. Check it out! I made one with today's newspaper... now have to figure out how to incorporate it into a card!

Thankzzzzzzz

2010-01-30T13:14:00.002-05:00

Used another new set of Nesties for this one, along with a bee image from one of the new hostess sets from Serendipity Street. I added Stickles to the wings (of course!)

Be Still

2010-01-30T13:11:00.003-05:00

Here's another card using the Anchor set. I colored it with Copics but next time I'm going to try it with colored pencils. This is a very simple card... no embellishments, just rectangles! I think it might even show up in the "Christian Card Buffet" I am hoping to have...

Anchor

2010-01-30T13:07:00.002-05:00

As soon as I saw this set, I knew I had to have it. As a Navy wife, the anchor sold me! I put this card together for one of the couples we are stationed with who will soon be moving to GUAM! The Bible verse is particularly applicable, don't you think???

New Stamps!

2010-01-30T12:59:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it's been two weeks since I posted last. Oops! I was awaiting the delivery of my new stamps from TAC's new mini-catalogue, "Serendipity Street." The nice UPS man brought them on Thursday, so I'm hoping to spend this weekend getting ready for my upcoming "Birthday Card Buffet" and then for a "Christian Card Buffet" I'm hoping to have in March.

This is the very first card I made using the new stamp set "Wonder and Joy." There are so few stamps out there that are good for little boys, and I fell in love with this one. I also used my new set of Nestabilities.

More Butterflies

2010-01-13T13:53:00.003-05:00

The sketch for this card came from Paperwings (see the sidebar and click on the link, it's a gallery for TAC stamps only). The color choices came from the Copic Colour Challeng e. This time it was blue, green, and grey. I used B-21, B-24, YG-03, C-3 and C-5. It's not the greatest picture, but you get the idea.

A Pretty Card

2010-01-12T16:16:00.003-05:00

Love how this one came out. I used the True Beauty set from TAC, along with the gorgeous Angelee patterned paper. Colored with Copics. Very simple, actually! The thing about Butterfly sets is that they are great for Birthdays, Sympathy, Thinking of you, Mother's Day... you name it!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-10T11:31:00.007-05:00

Ugh. I can't even begin to tell you how far out of my comfort zone this card takes me. Which, I guess, is a good thing... it's the whole reason I've started participating in these challenges... but sometimes I just don't love what results. This is one of those times!

It started out with the Pile It On Challenge, which is to take their challenge and combine it with several others. This time, it's a New Year's Theme.

Then I saw the Sketch Saturday #85 sketch and knew it would be perfect for this image from TAC (which in itself is NOT my usual style).

And of course I decided to add in the Daring Cardmakers' Theme of Garnet (January Birthstone).

I used glitter on the angel wings, so that qualifies me for the TCP challenge this week, too.

To take me further out of my comfort zone, I decided to break into my pack of Penelope Paper from TAC, which I've had forever and have never used. It had the garnet color in it, along with purples and greens, so that's where the color palette came from... which is NOT one I'm used to. I was pleasantly surprised to find the "Happy New Year" stamp in the Trendy Greedings set... all in all, not in love with it, but they can't all be beautiful!

... later...

Ok, seriously, I was SO disturbed by that card that I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep without changing it. In my heart I knew the dark paper was all wrong, this card was crying out for something bright and cheery. So, I changed the paper and feel much better now! I promise I am not normally this anal, but what can I say...

Same Sketch, two cards

2010-01-09T19:42:00.002-05:00

As you can see, these two cards both use the same basic sketch. But with different colors, different paper, and different stamps, you get two different looks. I love these cute little sets from TAC called "Ice Cream" and "Twinkle Toes". The patterned paper is from the Catelynne Pack which is so soft and perfect for girlie cards and scrapbook pages.

Birthday Buffet

2010-01-08T10:09:00.003-05:00

Time for a card using a TAC image, don't you think? This one is a preview of some of the cards we'll be making at next months "EZ Birthday Buffet." You can make as many cards as you want for only $1.00 each... AND I'll have everything precut! I love this set and use it all the time. I colored with Copic Markers, but didn't do any shading because I wanted to keep it EZ!

The Patterned Paper is also from TAC and I used my Nesties, too. I added some stickles to the balloon and paper-pieced her pants.

Another Valentine

2010-01-06T21:25:00.002-05:00

This is another FREE digital image (from Pinkpetticoat) that is absolutely adorable. It fits the bill for two challenges. The first one is #46 at Copic Color Challenge which involved the colors blue, pink, and green. I used R81, YG03, B21, and C1... no shading, actually, so it was a breeze to color. The second challenge is for #85 over at A Spoon Full of Sugar which involves hearts. I also used Sketch #249 from SplitCoastStampers for the layout. It never ceases to amaze me how so many crafters can take the same basic layout and make cards that are so different!

Of course I had to add Stickles and a flower! The patterned paper is from my stash, which I'm really trying to use up. I'm really pleased at how it came out and am pretty sure the recipient will like it, as well!

A Valentine

2010-01-05T10:52:00.003-05:00

This is the first year EVER that I've been pretty set with upcoming cards. I made Valentine's for the girls, this one is for hubby, and I've even finished the Mother's Day cards! The adorable image for this card is a FREE digital image that you can download here from Pollycraft designs. I found it by doing a search for "free digital stamps" which is a great way to get some cool images without breaking the bank.

I made this for Digital Tuesday Challenge #40, which is Valentines. It's colored with copics. The sentiment is from the "Love and Laughter" set from TAC and the patterned paper is from my scrap stash.

And because it uses two of my favorite things (buttons and flowers... and, okay, three things... COPICS!) it's perfect for the Corrosive Challenge #45!

Love This One!

2010-01-03T15:54:00.002-05:00

Gorgeous, right? Unfortunately, I can take ZERO credit for it. I totally cased this card. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to recreate it using the patterned paper I've had in my stash for awhile. The lettering is all computer generated, so I actually made several of these. One says 'Mom' which will be my MIL's Mother's Day Card (I can NEVER seem to plan ahead with those!) and I also made one for each of my daughters using their first names. They will be their Valentine's cards. This would also be a great wedding/anniversary card with 'love' or 'forever'. Definitely will be playing more with it to see what I can come up with (I have several sheets of the paper that I'd love to use up... trying to attack my stash!)

Sympathy Card

2010-01-02T16:34:00.003-05:00

Ernie Withers passed away this morning. He was such a dear man of God. He had a Christmas Tree Farm and I have fond memories of getting our tree there. I knew I wanted to do a pine-ish card for his family. This was the only non-Christmasy stamp I had, so it got inked up for the first time in years! Ovals cut with my new Nesties. Love them. I did add just a little sparkle to the pines, but you can't see it in the picture. This is one of the few cards that actually looks better in real life!

Miki's Puppies

2010-01-02T11:22:00.004-05:00

This adorable card is serving triple duty!

First of all, the colors were chosen according to Challenge 45 over at Copics Colour Challenge. The color combo is YG03 (the yellow green used for the trim on the jacket, and boots), BV02 (which I didn't have, so I used BV00 instead for the jacket), and B93 (which I also didn't have, so I used B21, which is the blue used for the trim and pants and mittens).

Secondly, it also fits the bill for the current challenge over at Copic Creations, which is coloring fur. The browns used for the puppy and jacket are E00, E31, and E33. The greys for the puppy were C1,C3, and C5.

Thirdly, this will be sent to my friend Tristin who is in the middle of moving to Spain! She and her husband have a puppy named Takoda just like these little Huskies, so I thought she'd like it. (Also I owe her something homemade from a Facebook thing I did LAST SPRING!).

This is a digital image from Mo Manning's Digital Pencil Too and it is called Miki's Puppies. (It's adorable, don't you think?) This means it also qualifies for the Pile It On Challenge! The snowflake is from Spellbinders Shapeabilities, and the ovals were also cut using Nestabilities (SOOOOO excited that TAC is going to be carrying these!)

All Hearts Come Home

2010-01-01T21:00:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I've decided to work on Christmas Cards all year long during 2010 so that I don't have to make them during the next Holiday Rush. I am so in love with this one! It makes use of SCRAPS, which is wonderful. The sentiment is computer generated, and I think it's SO appropriate for this Navy Family. ("Though far and wide on earth we roam, at Christmas time all hearts come home.) And you'll recognize the ribbon... it's the same as I used on the pine branch card (hey, it was cheap, I bought a ton of it!).

You can now Subscribe!

2010-01-01T15:03:00.003-05:00

Ok, I finally figured out how to add a subscription button! You'll find it on the left... you can choose to subscribe via e-mail OR live book-marks (which places a handy link up in the toolbar) and you can also now become a follower (please do, I don't want to be the only one following my blog!).

New TAC promotion!

2010-01-01T10:55:00.001-05:00

www.theangelcompany.net

Peace

2009-12-25T18:52:00.003-05:00

I did this card for the current challenge over at Copic Creations which is Pine Trees/Branches. I didn't have ANY stamps that had pine boughs, so I found a free coloring image on the internet, resized it, and went to town. I am so pleased with the results that I made up a dozen of them for NEXT Christmas!

Copic Colors used include: G28, YG03, YG11, G21, E29 and E33. I added some stickles to give it a sparkly snow look and added the ribbon I got from Michael's on Black Friday for 70% off. The 'Peace' is computer generated, and the bottom uses a Fiskar's border punch that I love.

Bee Joyful

2009-12-25T18:46:00.001-05:00

This was our '09 Christmas Card for hubby's co-workers. Bees are big because of the Seabees, so I was excited to find this stamp and turn it into our greeting card. It took me FOREVER to figure out the colors (not as easy as it looks) but I colored with Copics and added Stickles (of course!). A jewel in the center tops it all off.

More Christmas Cards

2009-12-22T18:55:00.002-05:00

This was another design I made for this year's cards. I love how they turned out. I used the Christmas Circles set from TAC and also the same discontinued "Holly Flourishes" set that I used for the 'Lepper' cards. Embossed in gold, colored with Copics, Stickles. Background is hard to see, but it's snowflake Cuttlebug.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-19T11:17:00.002-05:00

I made about 40 of these for this year's Christmas card. Then I got tired and decided to a different design for the remaining 40! This is a retired "Holly Flourishes" set from TAC, embossed in god. I then added color with Copics and glitter with Stickles. The background is swirls from the Cuttlebug. I really like the way it turned out.

Merry Christmas, Sistah!

2009-12-05T15:28:00.004-05:00

I made this Christmas card for my high school sweetheart's sister. After many years, Facebook has reunited us and I couldn't resist it! It took forever to color/blend, and I know it could have been darker yet, but I was afraid of going too dark and then ruining it! The image is from Mo Manning (Digital Pencil Too), who has some adorable stuff out there. My favorite part of the digital stamps is that it's instant gratification (no waiting for shipping!) and you can also resize the images.

I was heavily inspired by this card by Jane, who has been so helpful with my Copic Questions.

Bee Merry

2009-12-04T11:49:00.002-05:00

I made this "Bee Merry" card this morning and realized it was perfect for not one, but TWO Challenges! The first is the Copic Creations Snow/Snow People Challenge. The Second is for the Magnolia-licious Highlites Anything but a Square/Rectangle Challenge.

The snowflake template can be found here. I colored mine with B000 and B00 Copics and added copious amounts of Icicle Stickles. For Tilda, I used E29, E31, E33, E00, G28, G21, RV14, RV11, Y21, C7, and C5.

First Snow!

2009-12-03T20:58:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile since I've been able to make any cards, so today I decided to set aside the dirty dishes and satisfy my stamping bug. In honor of the first snow of the year which left us with a dusting this afternoon, I decided to break out the Cuttlebug and my Nestabilities snowflake builder. The ribbon is from Michael's 70% off doorbuster sale on Thanksgiving.

If this card looks familiar to you, it's because it is very similar to the sympathy card I made when my friend Jane passed away. They were both inspired by this card at Splitcoaststampers.

I was so happy with the way it turned out I made a bunch more! May be next year's Christmas Cards?!?!

Cheers!

2009-11-02T22:36:00.007-05:00

While cleaning out my craft room, I came across a roll of this ribbon and I realized it would look really cute with this CosmoBella Stamp. Then I decided to color her hair 'red' so that this card would 'count' for my first ever Copic Challenge Here's the link for more info: http://copiccreations.wordpress.com
I didn't have the red colors they had, so I had to make due with lipstick natural and some light browns for blending the auburn colors. Colors used for hair: E04, E31, E33, E00. Clothes: B21, B24, YG03, YG11, and RV14.

I Cuttlebugged the snowflake background. The snowflake is actually from Oriental Trading. Normally I don't like their stuff, but these are cute (with some Stickles, of course!)

Happy Anniversary!

2009-10-29T20:57:00.002-04:00

This is the card I made for Stephen for our 8th Anniversary. Love the TAC owls with the googly eyes!

Eskimo Kisses

2009-10-23T19:34:00.002-04:00

I saw a card on SCS that used this image and decided I had to have it. It's a digital stamp, which means it's basically clip-art. The advantage of these is that you can re-size them, which is pretty handy. It's from www.digitalpenciltoo.com

I also colored them with my new Copic markers, which I am totally in love with.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2009-10-23T19:31:00.002-04:00

Have I mentioned I love my Cuttlebug? The Swiss Dots truly make this card. The ribbon is from the Breast Cancer Awareness set from My Favorite Things.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2009-10-23T16:43:00.002-04:00

I made this card with a digital stamp (aka 'clip art') from My Favorite Things. I love the Snowflakes that I cut with my Cuttlebug using the Spellbinders die. (Also embossed the background with the Cuttlebug.) And, of course, note the liberal use of Stickles! I love this color scheme.

Sympathy

2009-10-22T19:35:00.003-04:00

My dear friend Jane passed away this week after a courageous fight against brain cancer. She was such a bright, encouraging woman of faith that the traditional dreary colors for Sympathy cards just didn't seem to fit. All and all this was a really easy card to make. Love my Cuttlebug! I got the idea for this from a card on SplitCoastStampers, so it's not my original design.

Happy Birthday, Bella and Olivia

2009-10-22T19:33:00.003-04:00

Abby's twin friends are having a birthday this weekend, so these are the cards I made for them. I'm really glad I got this set, as the images are too cute! Paper is from Hobby Lobby, used the Cuttlebug for the embossing.

May Give-Away

2009-05-03T22:15:00.003-04:00

Every month, TAC gives away some great stuff. Be sure to enter for your chance to win!http://www.theangelcompany.net/Promos_KaleidoMayGiveaway.html

Jenny's Getting Married!!!

2009-05-03T22:07:00.002-04:00

My dear friend Jenny is getting married the end of this month, and these are the wedding shower invitations that I made for her. There is no stamping at all! The wording was printed on the computer, punched, and that's it! The swirly embossing is from my relatively new Cuttlebug. The most time-consuming part was punching each of the holes around the scalloped edge by hand with a 1/16" punch. Yeah, that was a pain... but I really like how these turned out. And yes, her colors are rose and sage.

New Basic Grey Paper

2009-05-03T22:01:00.003-04:00

I found this paper at Archivers, I think (or may be Michael's?) Who knows. What I DO know is that I absolutely love it, and as you can see I got my money's worth out of it! The water-can gal is from a TAC that was discontinued awhile back. I FINALLY was inspired enough to ink it up. The plain old water can is from another TAC hostess set from last year (or the year before? They all run together!) and it's one of my favorite sets because it can be used for many different occassions. The monkey is from an image swap I was in on SCS. Isn't he adorable? He's from the Stampendous line of Changito stamps, and I love them!

I've been Stamping!

2009-05-03T21:58:00.002-04:00

It seems like forever since I've been able to stamp, but what with Mother's Day, a death, and the need for several gifts of boxed card-sets, I've been busy!

This card uses an Easter Set from TAC... but I turned it into a simple Sympathy card. I just embossed in black, and I was happy with the way it turned out.

It may be a little out of focus, but you get the idea.

The Prodigal Stamper Returns

2009-04-16T14:51:00.001-04:00

I know, it's been awhile.

A very LONG while.

I'm hoping to be able to stamp more in the near future, but isn't that always the case???

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that TAC is offering some really cool downloads... FREE!

Check them out here.

Also, TAC Grab Bags are back for a limited time only. This is your chance to get a bunch of different images... they could be current or discontinued...

Awesome Sale from TAC!!!

2009-01-03T20:52:00.001-05:00

How would you like UNLIMITED half-price stamps????

From January 6-26, Choose ANY T-coded merchandise in the Fall/Winter Inspiration Book & Catalogue for 50% off the regular retail price!!! Whether you choose 1 set or 20, each and every T-coded stamp set that you choose is half-price! Begin 2009 with a fresh, new stash of the stamp sets that have been on your wish list!• Please note that due to the special nature of this promotion, stamp set packaging type and quantity may vary from typical packaging.• No other special offers or discounts apply.• Orders must be received by 5:00 PM CSTJanuary 26 for orders received via e-mail, USPS, or fax.• Promotional discounts will not apply to orders placed before January 6 or after January 26.• R-Coded stamp sets are not included as part of this promotion.• Please expect shipping delays during this promotional period.• ”Spec-TAC-ular Savings” promotional discount does not apply toward SOTM or vintage stamps.

To order, go to http://lanette.ismyangel.net and click on the 'products' tab at the top of the page. Then, look for the 'stamps' link on the left hand column.

Bee Merry

2008-12-19T22:09:00.001-05:00

This is the Christmas Card I sent to all of Stephen's coworkers. It's not a great picture, but I stickled the wings. The 'snowflake' is actually two different flower punches, and I put a dot of Stickles on each 'petal'. These were really simple, but fun.

Happy Bee-Day

2008-12-19T22:06:00.002-05:00

Bees are big with the Leppers because of the Seabees. So when I saw the "Bee Happy" line of Stamps from Stampendous, I had to have them, even though they ARE wood mounts. When my order came the other day, I had to play! I made the same card in blue, pink, and green... but blue was my favorite, I think, because it pops with the yellow. And of course I stickled the wings!

This Year's Christmas Cards

2008-12-19T22:03:00.001-05:00

It's a bad picture, but I thought I'd post this year's Christmas Cards. I needed something fast and easy, yet elegant, and this is what I came up with. The stamp is actually from an old set, and I just added some Stickles and a red bow. Very easy.

TAC Changes

2008-12-19T21:55:00.003-05:00

So, I guess it's been a long while since I've updated the blog. I need to get on the ball!

I am VERY excited to announce that TAC will be changing the catalogue schedule, and moving back to one catalogue per year, with two 'megalogues' released as supplements. Images will once again be 100% (YAY!!!!!!!!)

The new megalogue will be out on February 1, 2009 and I am super excited to see what is in store for us.

New Give Away

2008-08-04T14:52:00.003-04:00

TAC is giving away more good stuff! To enter, follow this link:

http://www.theangelcompany.net/Promos_Aug08WoodroweWin.html

An Update

2008-07-09T11:27:00.002-04:00

A few days ago I posted a picture of one of these cards... but they sat here on the table calling "I need something else! I'm not done yet!" So today I finally dug out the bitty blossoms and added one. Yup! Much better.

Gender Equality

2008-07-07T13:45:00.003-04:00

I decided to use the other piece of coordinating patterned paper from Hobby Lobby in the same card sketch I used for the masculine birthday cards I posted a few days ago. As you can see, the design is the same. I just switched out the colors. Easy Peasy. I didn't have any coordinating buttons, so instead I used some Prima Flowers with a matching brad.

More Mass Production

2008-07-07T13:41:00.004-04:00

So I had a meeting on Saturday in the next town over (I'd never been in that direction before). Coming home, I was sitting at a red light and to what did my wondering eyes should appear??? A HOBBY LOBBY! Only about 8 miles away. Oh, the sheer delight. Before I knew what was happening, I was in the parking lot and walking through the doors. (For those on the East Coast, well... think a cross between Michael's and Christmas Tree Shop... craft stuff PLUS the frames and decorations and party supplies, etc) I noticed a couple of pieces of beautiful patterned paper and decided they had to come home with me. So I made these using some of the Bitty Blossoms from TAC and of course my beloved scallop punch! It's hard to see, but I also used Crystal Stickles on the frosting to add a little sparkle.

Hoppy Birthday!

2008-07-04T17:23:00.002-04:00

This card is basically the same as the Frog cards I posted the other day, with the exception of the image (from the Missy B set, of course!) and the added button. It's perfect for little boys. I used a scrap piece of patterned paper and that was that!

HB

2008-07-04T17:21:00.003-04:00

This is the very same card as the last one, except for the image. I love the way it came out, because it's great for males of all ages, from toddler to adult... and I don't know about you, but I'm ALWAYS desperate for more masculine card ideas! The stamp is an old GWP from TAC, so some of you may have it. This is such an easy card... go dig it out and make some!

Hoping your Birthday is Dog-gone Wonderful!

2008-07-04T17:18:00.004-04:00

This is another layout that's very easy to do. Again, pick a piece of patterned paper, and three sheets of matching cardstock, and just go to town! This is another Missy B stamp from the same set as the prior one. The patterned paper is from Michael's. I have been seeing a lot of cards done in green, blue, and orange recently and I love the combination. So when I walked by the paper, I knew I had to buy a piece. I'm trying to use up some of my embellishments, so the button is from my stash and just happened to match really well! I used Scrapper's Floss to tie the knot.

More Birthday Cards

2008-07-04T17:15:00.002-04:00

This card uses the same layout as the cupcake cards I posted the other day. You can see that just by changing the paper and image, you get a totally different looking card!

This stamp is from http://missybdesigns.com She is a designer for TAC, so some of her work may seem familiar. Santa brought this set for me several Christmases ago, but I'm just now getting around to using it! It's a great set for little boy cards.

Holy Cow!

2008-07-01T17:20:00.002-04:00

Here's another card using the same sketch as the last ones. Change the color, change the image and you've got a totally different looking card! These cows are adorable.

Hoppy Birthday!

2008-07-01T11:40:00.002-04:00

This is another really easy sketch for mass-producing cards, and I especially like it because it's great to use up all those scraps of patterned paper. Simply grab your scraps and 3 colors of matching cardstock and go to town! These scraps are from Nana's Nursery Stack (you know how much I love them) and the papers match perfectly because they are also from DCWV. Easy matching! I am loving these frogs from the "Hoppy Everything" set.

Mass Production

2008-06-29T15:50:00.002-04:00

I am getting low on birthday cards, so I knew I needed to do some serious mass production. Here's the trick for getting lots of card with minimal thinking:

1. Choose a piece of patterned paper and cut into 4.25 x 2" pieces.

2. Choose three colors of matching cardstock and cut into 4.25 x 3.5" pieces.

3. Punch the solid cardstock with scalloped circle.

4. Punch white cardstock with regular circle.

5. Stamp image of your choice, color, and embellish.

6. Assemble base, attach ribbon over the seam, and attach scallop.

7. Add eyelets.

Easy as pie, and this sketch works with a multitude of images and colors.

Tea Time

2008-06-29T15:48:00.002-04:00

So, I have joined a monthly ATC swap at the local scrapbook store. June's theme is "Tea Time" so I came up with this ATC which is a cute way to give a little tea bag. I also make a similar size card during the holidays with a slightly different poem! I love this 'Hat's Off' set from TAC and try to use it as often as possible.

New Sets are up!

2008-06-27T22:31:00.003-04:00

I am happy to announce the new sets are up on the TAC website! To view, simply go to:

http://lanette.ismyangel.net/

and click on the 'products' tab at the top of the page. Click on 'stamps', and then whatever category you're interested in.

Be sure to check out the new papers, too... Angelee is gorgeous and so is Reece!

I love this card!

2008-06-27T15:59:00.003-04:00

..but I hate that the stamp set was retired! This is what I made for the mini-gathering shoebox project that I mentioned a few posts back. It's the same set that I used for the black/white/pink card... and I just love this color combo, which I lifted from a card I'd seen on Splitcoast.

Stinking of You

2008-06-27T15:57:00.003-04:00

Here's another card with the skunk set. I used a "Thinking of you" sentiment, and only inked up the 'inking of you'. After stamping, I hand-wrote the 'st' with a tiny black pen. This was what I gave my Dad for his Father's Day card, since it's VERY appropriate if you know him! :-)

Joke ATCs

2008-06-27T15:51:00.002-04:00

For those of you who have been with me from the start, you may remember that at one time I was posting a bunch of ATCs for swaps that I was in on the Papercrafts Message Board. (For those of you who are new, ATCs are mini card-fronts, 2.5 x 3.5", and have become the trading cards of the paper crafting world. Take a look at my very first posts to see more!) Eventually, I stopped swapping because postage rates were crazy!

So I was very happy to learn that there was a Scrapbook Store near us here in IL, AND that they have ATC swaps once a month! Tomorrow is the first one that I'll be attending, and the theme is "Jokes." I had no clue what to do! I finally picked this set (one of my very favorites) and googled 'skunk jokes.' When I found this one, I thought it was too cute and had to use it.

This ATC opens, which is unusual, but I thought it would be a great way to hide the punch line. Gotta love those Sweet Skunks!