Friday, July 16, 2010

Four Ways Friday #14 - Friends Fur-Ever Stamp Set

Welcome to another Four Ways Friday!  If you've been following all week, you know that this has been a week full of Friend Fur-Ever!  Here I share four more ways to use this wonderful, whimsical stamp set!

Remember, you can stamp the same image more than once and then figure out creative ways to use the image multiple times in your layout!  Here I stamped the gift image 3 times onto Whisper White card stock and cut them out.  I then colored them with markers and added some super nova glitter with my 2-way glue pen.  The three packages were popped up onto dimensionals and adhered to the Tangerine Tango card stock.  The terrier was also stamped onto Whisper White card stock and cut out.  His collar was colored with my Pacific Point marker and then super nova aqua glitter was added for some bling!  I also colored his cute nose with my Basic Black marker.  The terrier was also popped up on a dimensionals.  The greeting from Sincere Salutations (I use this set ALL the time) was stamped directly onto the panel using my stamp-a-ma-jig and Basic Black ink.  A panel of Daffodil Delight was adhered to the Old Olive card base before attaching the Tangerine Tango panel.
Masking is another great technique to use with this type of stamp set.  For this second card, I stamped the dog onto the Whisper White panel.  Then, I stamped the same dog onto a scrap piece of paper and cut him out.  I then used temporary adhesive to adhere the mask directly over the dog on the Whisper White panel.  I then used my stamp-a-ma-jig to position and stamp the chair image so that it would appear the dog was sitting on the chair.  I removed the mask and voila!  I used my Aqua Painters to watercolor the chair with Bashful Blue and Pear Pizzazz ink.  Some dazzling diamonds was applied to the chair and the dog collar using 2-way glue.  I stamped the balloon image onto Tempting Turquoise card stock and added some dazzling diamonds to the balloon as well.  The balloon string was stamped with my stamp-a-ma-jig, once again using my mask on the dog, so that it would appear the balloon string was on the opposite side of the dog.  The balloon was popped up on dimensionals.  The white panel was adhered to an Elegant Eggplant panel and then attached to a Wild Wasabi card stock layer.  Finally, I stamped the greeting from Short & Sweet in Tempting Turquoise onto Whisper White and punched it out with the small oval punch.  Another oval was punched out of Melon Mambo card stock using the large oval punch.  I used my crop-o-dile to make holes on either side of the greeting and threaded a piece of 1/8" Marina Mist taffeta ribbon through to attach the greeting to the card.  The greeting is popped up on dimensionals.
How cute is this?! :)  Don't forget you can always create a scene on your card using card stock to create a landscape.  Here I used textured Sahara Sand card stock and adhered it to a piece of Very Vanilla card stock to create the ground and sky.  The puppy was stamped onto Whisper White and cut out.  Of course I added a bit of bling to his collar :)  The dish was also stamped onto Whisper White and cut out.  I then colored the dish with my Aqua Painters and Bashful Blue ink and then added crystal effects.  The greeting was stamped in Basic Black using my stamp-a-ma-jig.  This Very Vanilla panel was then layered onto a piece of Basic Black card stock and then onto a piece of Bashful Blue card stock.  The panel was then adhered to a Very Vanilla card base.
For this final card I created a more complex scene.  I used Crumb Cake card stock to create the ground and adhered it to a panel of More Mustard card stock.  Both puppies were stamped onto Whisper White card stock, cut out, and decorated using markers and glitter on their collars.  The chair was also stamped onto Whisper White card stock and cut out and then colored and blinged :)  I also used Crystal Effects on the chair back and seat.  The chair was adhered to the panel using Tombo Mono Multi-glue and the dog on the chair was popped up on dimensionals.  The second dog was adhered using Tombo Mono Multi-glue.  The little letter was stamped in Basic Black ink onto Regal Rose card stock and cut out.  It was popped up onto a dimensional and then covered with Crystal Effects.  The greeting is a combination of a greeting from the Friends Fur-ever stamp set and the Three Little Words stamp set.  I used a marker to color the part of the Friends Fur-ever stamp set greeting that I wanted and stamped it onto the card panel with my stamp-a-ma-jig.  I then used the stamp-a-ma-jig and Basic Black ink again to stamp the "i love you."  I mounted the panel onto a piece of Concord Crush card stock (love this color!).  I wrapped a piece of Rich Razzleberry ribbon (retired) around the card stock and made a faux ribbon.  Finally, I mounted this entire panel onto a Whisper White card base.  If, by now, you are not totally enamored with the Friends Fur-ever stamp set, I figure it must be hopeless!  I have tried my best all week to show you how AMAZING this stamp set is!  If you are convinced and still haven't purchased it, feel free to shop HERE now! :)  Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

More Mutts! Friends Fur-ever!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Get To Know Your Postman/Postwoman!

Al delivers our mail.  At least most days.  It's strange to think that for years we had our mail delivered by someone we never met and whose name we never knew.  Maybe even sad to think that we never took the time to find out.  One day our doorbell rang and the postman was making a box delivery so we opened the door and were able to meet our postman face-to-face.  That's how we learned his name is Al.  Today Al stopped by and we gave him a glass of ice water and a bit of chocolate as he handed us our mail.  This may sound like a strange train of thought...but I know I have heard that you shouldn't name a stray animal if you don't want to keep it since once you give it a name you begin to feel connected to it.  No, I'm not saying that Al is a stray!  What I am saying is that knowing someone's name makes them feel like a person to you.  Who is the person who delivers your mail?  Who is the person who picks up your garbage?  Who is the person who bags your groceries in the grocery store?  Do you know their names?  If not, maybe today is a great day to start to investigate!  It is all a part of feeling more connected as a community.

I warned you - I'm still CRAZY for this Friends Fur-ever stamp set!!!!!!  I took the cart idea one step further in this card.  I stamped the cart onto Whisper White card stock and cut it out and colored it using my Aqua Painters.  I stamped the left-hand dog directly onto the Whisper White card stock panel and used the stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the rope.  The second dog was also stamped and cut out and then popped up on the card with dimensionals.  The cart was also popped up on dimensionals.  This time both of the collars and the grass (created with my Aqua Painter and some Certainly Celery ink) needed some bling!  I used different colors of the super nova glitter and added it to the card using my 2-way glue pen.  Oooh - and I had to glitz the little bird too :)  The greeting was stamped onto Whisper White and punched out with my 3/4" circle punch.  A few additional circles (1" and 1 1/4") were used to layer the greeting.  A small piece of Old Olive satin ribbon finishes the look.  If this card and all the other cards this week have made it impossible for you to live another minute without the Friends Fur-ever stamp set, then feel free to shop HERE now!  If you're still not convinced, check back tomorrow!  Four Ways Friday is featuring this set too!!!!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

More Fur For You! Friends Fur-ever!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Nothing Compares 2 U!

Do you remember the song Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O'Connor?  Lately I've been thinking about the title to the song.  I need to find my way back into that realization.  The realization that nothing compares to you - there is no one else like you.  Only you can bring your unique contribution to the world.  I need to pull myself back into this recognition every once in awhile since it can be easy to stray and start to compare yourself to everyone and everything out there and start feeling like you aren't "enough."  You are enough!  You are the only you there is!  Now go out there and shine!!!!!!  NOTHING compares to YOU!!!!!

So....are you in love with this Friends Fur-ever stamp set yet?????  It is sooo CUTE!!!!!  Here I stamped the adorable pooch onto Whisper White card stock and cut him out.  Had to add a bit of glitz to his collar by coloring it with Real Red and then topping it with some Dazzling Diamonds!  I used the stamp-a-ma-jig to get the rope and the little cart in just the right place.  I then stamped a bunch of the hearts using Basic Black ink onto various red/pink shades of card stock and cut them out.  I colored the cart using my Aqua Painters and some Baja Breeze and Basic Gray ink.  I love to cut my dimensionals into small pieces so that I can pop up smaller elements like these little cut out hearts.  Of course, I had to add Crystal Effects to the hearts :)  The greeting comes from the Loads of Love stamp set and works perfectly here.  I used my Scallop Trim Border punch on the Old Olive card stock for the bottom panel and attached it to the Whisper White panel and then attached both to a Marina Mist card base.  The 1/8" Marina Mist taffeta ribbon completes the look.  I hope you like it!  If you still haven't purchased your Friends Fur-ever stamp set, feel free to shop HERE now!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Woof! Woof! Friends Fur-ever!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Things Look Different Depending On Where They Are

We brought a painting home today and put it up on the wall.  It looked dark - darker than we had thought.  So then we moved it to another wall - a wall that had a different paint color on it.  All of a sudden the painting just "popped!"  It looked fabulous!  It just needed the right place to shine.  I think this is true of us as well.  Sometimes we find that we are stifled, dull, low on energy...because we are not in the right place for us.  When we find this to be true, we need to explore where the perfect right place for us might be.  Maybe we just need to relocate for an afternoon - or maybe it's time to relocate for a longer time.  Just know that that perfect right place exists where you will shine!

Did I mention that I'm in love with this Friends Fur-ever stamp set?! :)  For this card I stamped the frame image on a piece of Whisper White card stock.  I then stamped the same image on a scrap piece of paper and cut out the square center to create a mask.  I placed the mask over the Whisper White frame image and then stamped the little dog so that he would looked "framed."  I used my markers and a bit of Dazzling Diamonds to glitz up the frame and the dog's collar.  I then cut out the frame image and popped it up on dimensionals.  I took a piece of textured Sahara Sand card stock and stamped all over it with the bone image in VersaMark ink.  A piece of linen thread was added with a touch of Tombo Mono Multi-glue at the ends to adhere it to the card.  A brad was punched through at the top of the thread to make the picture hangar.  The greeting was stamped in Basic Black ink onto Tangerine Tango card stock and punched out with the round tab punch.  I adhered the tab onto the back of the Sahara Sand card stock and then mounted that piece onto Pacific Point card stock and a Daffodil Delight card base.  Finally I adhered the framed Westie using the dimensionals and cut out a little bone and popped that up on dimensionals as well...of course I had to coat the bone with Crystal Effects.  Are you as in love with this set as I am???  Feel free to purchase the set HERE now!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Who Let The Dogs Out! Friends Fur-ever!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Keep Your Head Down And Keep Plowing Forward!

I went for a run yesterday and ran myself right into a storm!  All of a sudden the wind kicked up and tried to knock me down!  Then the rain started to pelt me...ouch!  But I would not be deterred!  I put my head down (and took off my baseball cap since it was not wanting to stay on my head in the wind) and I kept plowing forward.  At times I wasn't making any progress since the wind was pushing right back at me.  But then the storm broke and I was able to move forward again.  Life has felt a bit like a big storm for me lately - I won't get into the details, but I've been a bit down and sulky :(  Yesterday's run was a lesson for me.  In the midst of this life storm, I need to keep my head down and keep plowing forward.  This storm too shall pass.

If you are not a fan of West Highland terriers, then this post and this whole week will not be the week for you! :)  I am CRAZY for this new Friends Fur-ever stamp set and by the time this week is done I'm convinced that you will be nuts for it too!!!!!  Not only will this week's Four Ways Friday feature this stamp set....so will every other post this week!!!!  Did I mention that I'm madly in love with this stamp set???!!!!  Here I stamped the adorable dog onto Sahara Sand card stock and cut him out.  I also stamped the brush and heart image onto Whisper White card stock and cut that out as well (you can use your sharp paper snips or a hobby knife - both make cutting very quick and easy).  Then came the super nova glitter on the collar and the heart - adhered with 2-way glue.  The word "create" was made using the rough type stamp set and a 3/4" circle punch.  Some of the letters and the adorable Westie are popped up on dimensionals.  Textured Tempting Turquoise and Sahara Sand card stock, along with a bit of Basic Black card stock, complete the look.  I hope you like it!!!!!  If you can't wait another minute to own the Friends Fur-ever stamp set, feel free to shop HERE now!