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Thursday, March 29, 2007

BLOOM - Petals and Paisleys DS paper on paper mache letters




My sister-in-law, Lindsi and I made these together this week. I have been making these paper covered letters for a little while now. This is the first attempt at the paper mache ones though and I have to say, I like working with the wood ones better. Wood can just take a beating better and it doesn't bubble as much when it gets mod podged.

But overall, I was pretty pleased. I love the Petals and Paisleys paper and matching stamps from the Stampin' Up! Spring mini catalog.
Here are the instructions that I promised. {Even though they are specific to this project, they can be easily adapted}
  1. Paint the back, sides, and insides of all letters with the desired paint color.
  2. Place "B" backwards on wrong side of paper and trace. Cut out. Don't worry if it is a little too big around the sides. You will take care of that in a minute
  3. Repeat this step for each letter on different papers.
  4. Cut out letters as going along.
  5. "B" is the only letter that paper was added on top of the cut out letter. Glue the strip down after piercing a hole through the center of the O in together. Add brad.
  6. Once all of the letters are cut out, take a foam brush and apply mod podge directly to the paper mache letter. Lay cut out letter onto the paper mache letter to adhere. As laying down, try to keep as smooth as possible. Bubbling may start to occur here. Run your fingers along all edges to help paper bond.
  7. Continue this step with each letter.
  8. Normally at this point, you would adhere another layer of Mod Podge on the top {don't worry, it clears dry as long as you keep it thin layers}. But if using the paper mache letters it's up to you, since it bubbles so badly.
  9. Once you have all of the letters covered, start sanding all the edges so that the parts that hang over are flush with all of the sides.
  10. Next start adding on all the extras! For "B" Use the big and small tag punches to create the tag. with twine and ribbon, tie around top of "B" so that hangs from top opening. Cris Cross ribbon on "l" from bottom to middle of letter. Tie in a knot in front. Add small chipboard flowers right above knot. On the small "o" take multiple ribbons and tie around the left side. For the big "O" add a couple Heidi Swapp flowers on top with a 1 3/8" circle in the middle. Stamp "happiness" from Warm Words stamp set in middle of circle. Punch 1/18" hole in top half of circle. Add brad through hole and through flowers to hold all together. Add a paperclip with ribbon tied around it to the circle. The last letter, "m" uses the Round tab punch. Stamp the word "memories" on it. Atach to "m". Take a blue flower from the Little Reminders Accents and Elements cardstock stickers and add off to side of round tab punch out and corner of "m". Stamp "happy" below round tab. Kris Cross ribbon on right side of "m" from top to middle. Tie in knot with another color of ribbon. Add another cardstock flower sticker and accent word sticker just below ribbon. Stamp "happy" below round tab.
The whole project takes about 3 hrs, start to finish.

Hope you enjoy it!

My Scrapbook Frame





















Here is my version of the scrapbook frame! No, it didn't turn out as I wanted but now that it is all together, I am loving it! It is so much fun to make!! And not too difficult. I owe it to Amber L. and Amber P. of course.
It may be hard to tell but this is a 12x12 scrapbook page behind the frame.
Amber L. came up with the great idea of punching out 1 3/8" circles to glue behind the big cirle. Now it looks like a scallop! She is so resourcful!

This is what I used:

  • Frame from Robert's $14 {40% off of course!}
  • All paper is Basic Grey
  • Various ribbon like Stampin' Up!, Making Memories, Offray, Chatterbox and lots of others
  • white and brown thread {sewn around circle and down strip. I can't sew so Amber L. had to do it for me.}
  • pink clip is Making Memories
  • brad is Stampin' Up
  • Stazon white ink
  • Autumne Leaves swirls acrylic stamps {around frame}
  • Rubon letters are Making Memories
  • Bazzill Basics and Heidi Swapp flowers
I think I will have to make another one out of the Stampin' Up Au Chocolate Paper to match my other frame. This one is for sure going in my craft room!!!
i am going to put one of our engagement pictures on here when I get it sized right. I am going to have it sepia tone or black and white so it doesn't compete with the paper. I can't wait!
Happy Stamping Everyone!

Turquoise, Rose Red, Old Olive Target Notebook
















So as I am sure some of you know, I am obsessed with Target!!! It is hands down my favorite store (even above scrapbook or furniture stores!!!!). So I found these notebooks there that are $2.50. And they come with a pen even. The inspiration for the front came from the card in my last card class. It was designed by my Stampin' Up! upline Cindy Peterson. And she took the inspiration from a scrapbook page she made at a leadership conferance. I just love the color combination and I LOVE the Doodle This stamp set! It's just so much fun!!!! And you probaly couldn't help but notice the ribbon! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE ribbon! At first I wasn't going to do this as a class just because I pretty much have my classes lined up for the next couple months, but I have had a pretty solid response of requests to hold this as a class. So watch for it on my Stampin' Up! website: www.stampwithleana.stampinup.net. I will see about doing 2 different classes in April or May to fit everything in!

Monday, March 26, 2007

Sunday, 3/25 Card Class

Office Accoutrement tri-fold card

Find Joy Regal Rose Card
Rose Red Transparency Card (This is designed by Cindy Peterson, my Stampin' Up! Upline!!!)
may your day bloom with happiness! card
Here are the 4 cards for the class that I had yesterday. The first card is the tri-fold template that I found on SCS. I am in love with this little card. And it is so versatile.
Find Joy is designed to fit the small open end envelope.
The Rose Red transparency card was designed by my upline, Cindy Petersen. She got the idea from a scrapbook page that she learned at a Stampin' Up! conference. I absolutely love it! This was my first time stamping with Stazon Ink on a transparency. And ever since then I can't get enough! I also love how using the black Stazon ink is great for water coloring when you don't want the image to smear.
May Your Day Bloom With Happiness was fun to do since it was the first time I used watercolor paper.
So I know I am not a pro when it comes to wator coloring, like I see all over the web! But gradually I am learning and getting the hang of it. And it is a fun technique to teach in a class.
Happy Stamping Everyone!

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Amber's Frame!
















(This post is modified as of 3/29).
Just wanted to note, this project is inspired by Amber Packer's project she is teaching at All My Memories. She is an awesome teacher and a source of inspiration for me! Check out her blog. It's listed in my favorites. You won't be disapointed! We tried to take her class for this but it filled up too fast. So Amber Lafatta (the maker of the above pictures) just had to try it. I am going to work on my own version this weekend and will be posting it. Can't wait to show you guys!
OMG! Check this out! I can't stand how cute it is! Can you just die! So this is made by my friend Amber L. And as soon as I saw it, I just had to take a picture and post it!
This is made with a $14 frame from Robert's and the Pheobe BasicGrey patterned paper. Plus she also used Bazzill Basics flowers and a Making Memories brad in the center of it. To make the scallops around the outside of the circle, she took a large circle punch, adhered them behind the circle and then sewed them on in place. (Good alternative to breaking a circle punch to create the same effect!) For the frame, its BasicGrey rubons. (Rubons are also used right on the paper.)

I love it so much I am going out to get the stuff to make myself one! I absolutely just love the Phoebe paper! It's so bright and fun without being over the top cutesy!
I finally figured out how to let anyone post on my blog so make sure to tell me what you think. Besides, this is too cute not to make a comment!
Happy Stamping Everyone!

Au Chocolate Frame





I messed up but we can pretend that I did it on purpose! I forgot to put a protective finish over the ink before I added the mod podge on top and so now everything is all smeared! But I will just smile and say that I did it with stain or that I was going for a "diferent" effect. What can I say. I am the queen of messing up. I should be called repeat since I usually have to do everything twice. But I don't have 2 frames.

I look forward to Wednesday all week. When Thursday moring rolls around, as much as I love Grey's Anatomy, I still wish it were Wednesday so I could watch another episode of Lost!!!! So tonight was no exception and unfortunately I was mod podging all over the frame while I had my eyes on the T.V. (since I am such a good multi-tasker!) and when I looked back down, it was too late. The damage was done. It was smeared beyond covering up. I did my best to salvage it but it still isn't what i was hoping for. UUUGGGGGHHHHHHH!

Anyway....

This is a $5 frame from Roberts, the kind that comes unfinished. I haven't put a picture in yet but I will probably this weekend of my dogs.

I used my ribbon stash again. A lot of Stampin' Up! ribbon, Offray, All My Memories and anything else that was the right color.

I also used some of the hodge podge hardware kit for the oval book plate, brads, and ribbon slide. It is antique brass. I also used a pretty in pink brad in the middle of the flower. I used a pop dot to hold the flower above the frame.

I used Doodle This, Doodle That stamp sets, and Au Chocolate DS paper

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

SCS (Splitcoast Stampers)

I almost forgot, you can check out my online gallery with www.splitcoaststampers.com. It's under my name Leana. Some of the stuff that is on here is also in my gallery, but I have a little more there posted.
Plus it is a great place to get ideas because you can put a stamp set name in search and get a ton of ideas showing that stamp set!

Card Class Prize!

Sorry for the short post but it is late and I am tired. Here is a sneak peak at one of the door prizes for the card class on Saturday. It consists of a $1 Pail from the Target $1 section, all kinds of ribbon and a small 2 1/2x2 1/2 card. And as you can see there is a treat inside!



Monday, March 19, 2007

Sassy Girl!


My niece, Malia is so stinking cute, I just can't get enough! She and her mom were over at my house one evening while we were working on cards for our card swap. She found my candy jar and couldn't stay out! I told her at one point she could only have one more piece. I left the room for a minute while she and her mom were still in my craft room. I was still within hearing distance and heard Malia ask her mom to open a piece of candy for her. When her mom told her that Aunt Leana said no more, this was her reply "I NO ASK YOU MOM!!!" We laughed and laughed and laughed! Can't stay mad at the cutest little sassy girl!

Love Is My Relgion


Who doesn't love a litte Reggae music! My family certainly does. So it is no surprise to me that my niece, Malia's favorite song happens to be Love Is My Religion by Ziggy Marley. One weekend as I was sitting around in my craft room, it came to me! I figured out I could make a sign to fit in a standard 8x10 frame that would be perfect for her bedroom and would display her favorite song. I loved it so much, I had to make me one too!
Supplies
Stamps: Monogram L, Headline alphabet, Big Blossom backbround, Spunky alphabet.
Inks: Bashful Blue classic, Apricot Appeal classic, Always Artichoke classic.
Paper: Just Delightful Simply Scrappin' Kit, Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery, Whisper White, Bashful Blue.
Accessories: Just Delightful Simply Scrappin' Kit cardstock stickers, Old Olive brad, Moss gingham, Cream grosgrain, pink fringed ribbon from the 2006-2007 winter mini catalog.
The frame is a $5 frame from Target.
I took the patterned paper from the kit and cut it to fit the 8x10 frame.
This then turned into me making another one with the new Basic Grey paper and featuring another favorite song of mine, Better together by Jack Johnson! The possibilities are endless when you think of what you can do with song lyrics, favorite quotes, poems, and on and on!!!



So here is my first project on the blog. I made this card last night, but didn't get it posted yet since I was working on getting everything started. Sorry the picture is so dark but hopefully you can see the details still the same.

Stamps: Polka Dots & Paisley
Paper: Whisper White, Regal Rose, Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery (12"x12"), Petals and Paisleys Designer Series Double-Sided
Ink: Rose Red classic, Apricot Appeal classic, Regal Rose Marker, Old Olive Marker
Accessories: Stapler, Certainly Celery brads, Offray pink polka dot organdy, Certainly Celery grosgrain, green and cream stripe grosgrain, Offray pink organdy, Horizontal Slot punch, Slit punch

Techniques: Instead of taking apart a circle punch to make the scallop boarder, I love the fact that I can use the slit punch to make the same effect and I don't have to break anything!!

My favorites in my craft room










I love having my own little slice of heaven! I know it isn't perfect but it's all mine! I am still needing to work on organization, but it is all coming together. One of my new favorite things is my picture of Audry Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, one of my all time favorite movies. I also love my Pottery Barn rotating photo holder my parents got me for my birthday, My Rod works Ribbon Holder I got from Thong for Christmas and my Rod Works tri-baskets that I use to hold my miscellaneous stamps! I have a lot of other favorite things, but this is just some of them!

First Post - My Messy Room!!!

  and on the projects for my upcoming classes. I have also been helping my upline, Dee with her projects for her club as well. This has left me no time to clean up after my self, and as a result I have a very messy craft room. As soon as I get it all straightened up, I will post another picture to prove it!
This is my first post on my first blog! I have been working on my website:
www.stampwithleana.stampinup.net