Hanging with the girls

I've been busy getting ready for convention, as I'm sure alot of you are as well. My upline Vivian and side line Susan and I got together for some pre-convention stamping. Here are a couple of my cards for swapping.
This first card uses the stamp set Priceless and the sentiment from Short and Sweet. The colors are Perfect Plum, Barely Banana and of course Whisper White.


This card uses the background stamp Polka Dot, the set Together Forever and it's matching wheel, Forever Flowers. The sentiment is from Warm Words. I added purple cosmo glitter, which of course you can't see, but it's there.

Here we are ~ Susan, Vivian and I sitting on the side of the pool at Vivian's new home.

I hope you are enjoying your day,

Fabulous Brayer

I dusted off my brayer again and tried something a little different from my other tries. This time I brayered the card stock first using Barely Banana, Rose Red and Brocade Blue. I then stamped the large flower from the Fabulous Flowers set with versamark and embossed it with clear embossing powder. Once it was cooled I outlined each petal with the sharp end of my Stampin Up black marker. I layered the card using Cameo Coral, Black and Brilliant Blue. Also adding the ticket punch to some of the layers. I used Brocade Blue ribbon attached with Brilliant Blue brads, used dimensionals to pop up the main image. The sentiment is from the Fresh Cuts stamp set.

Recipe:
Stamps: Fabulous Flowers, Fresh Cuts
Paper: Whisper White, Cameo Coral, Brilliant Blue, Black
Ink: Black, Rose Red, Banana Yellow, Brocade Blue
Accessories: 5/8" Brocade Blue Grosgrain Ribbon, Bold Bright Brads, Ticket Punch & Dimensionals, Brayer, Versamark, Clear Embossing Powder

Thanks for popping in,

Oreo Personality Test

I came across this neat personality test on Iline's site. It fit me perfectly, how wierd is that! Take the test (it's quick and painless ) and see if how you eat an oreo tells a bit about you.

You eat the oreo ~

1. The whole thing all at once.
2. One bite at a time
3. Slow and methodical nibbles examining the results of each bite afterwards.
4. In little feverous nibbles.
5. Dunked in some liquid (milk, coffee...).
6. Twisted apart, the inside, then the cookie.
7. Twisted apart, the inside, and toss the cookie.
8. Just the cookie, not the inside.
9. I just like to lick them, not eat them.
10. I don't have a favorite way because I don't like Oreos.

READ the results:

Your Personality:
1. The whole thing: This means you consume life with abandon, you are fun to be with, exciting, carefree with some hint of recklessness. You are totally irresponsible. No one should trust you with their children.
2. One bite at a time: You are lucky to be one of the 5.4 billion other people who eat their Oreos this very same way. Just like them, you lack imagination, but that's okay, not to worry, you're normal.
3. Slow and Methodical: You follow the rules. You're very tidy and orderly. You're very meticulous in every detail with every thing you do to the point of being anal retentive and irritating to others. Stay out of the fast lane if you're only going to go the speed limit.
4. Feverous Nibbles: Your boss likes you because you get your work done quickly. You always have a million things to do and never enough time to do them. Mental breakdowns and suicides run in your family. Valium and Ritalin would do you good.
5. Dunked: Every one likes you because you are always up beat. You like to sugar coat unpleasant experiences and rationalize bad situations into good ones. You are in total denial about the shambles you call a life. You have a propensity towards narcotic addiction.
6. Twisted apart, the inside, and then the cookie: You have a highly curious nature. You take pleasure in breaking things apart to find out how they work, though not always able to put them back together, so you destroy all the evidence of your activities. You deny your involvement when things go wrong. You are a compulsive liar and exhibit deviant, if not criminal, behavior.
7. Twisted apart, the inside, and then toss the cookie: You are good at business and take risk that pay off. You take what you want and throw the rest away. You are greedy, selfish, mean, and lack feelings for others. You should be ashamed of yourself. But that's ok, you don't care, you got yours.
8. Just the cookie, not the inside: You enjoy pain.
9. I just like to lick them, not eat them: Stay away from small furry animals and seek professional medical help - immediately.
10. I don't have a favorite way, I don't like Oreo cookies: You probably come from a rich family, and like to wear nice things, and go to up-scale restaurants. You are particular and fussy about the things you buy, own, and wear. Things have to be just right. You like to be pampered. You are a priss.

Fresh Cuts Shazam!

I just found a new Photoshop trick on a gal's sight that has Photoshop Fridays. Cool! So I took her challenge today to add some 'Shazam' to a picture. I decided to try it on my last picture that I uploaded so we can all see the difference. What do you think? Does it make a better picture? I think it does. If you'd like the directions to add 'Shazam' to your photos go visit Jessica and let me see what you can do with your pictures.


Today has been an interesting day. First I had to call my dentist because my temporary crown broke last night. They said to come in right after lunch. Yup. So instead of shortening the long drawn out process they made another crown for me to wear until I come back next week to do more drilling and then another temporary. I'm sure there are many other stories about teeth and crowns. Let's hear them...post a note for us.


Someone, who will remain nameless, mentioned to me that circles were going to be very big this year. Well here's my first step into the circle room. I used the Fresh Cuts stamp set. Stamped it on WW cards stock. Colored in the plants and used crystal effects on the brown. I sponged around the sides and even some of the middle, of course that would be after the crystal effects had dried. Or I may have even done it before I put the Crystal Effects on the card. Who knows...my night time drugs are starting to kick in...woohoo. Here's my recipe before I fall asleep at the computer.

Recipe:
Stamp Set: Fresh Cuts
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Barely Banana, Regal Rose
Paper: the same as ink
Extras: SU ribbon, white gel pen


Thanks for looking,

Another Try

I decided I didn't care for the card that I shared yesterday. There was just something that didn't click for me. Well I turned the card over and loved it. I also took some of the Ballet Blue away, I thought it was a little too strong for the subtle color changes. Let me know which card you like better.


Stamps: Fabulous Flowers
Ink: Rose Red, Barely Banana. Ballet Blue
Paper: Always Artichoke, Ballet Blue, Barely Banana, Real Red
Ribbon: Always Artichoke
Other: White embossing powder


This card uses the Fresh Cuts stamp set. I saw a similar layout somewhere out in web world and promptly lost the page. So from my feeble memory, I put this card together.


Stamps: Fresh Cuts
Ink: Black, Bashful Blue
Paper: Black, Bashful Blue, River Rock, Designer
Riboon: White, Bashful Blue
Other: Black embossing powder, Half Pearls


Thanks for looking,

Another Brayer attempt

I'm still learning how to use the brayer. I'd love some comments on what's right and whats wrong with this card.First I embossed the flower from Fabulous Flowers using white embossing powder. I then brayered a piece of Whisper White card stock using Regal Rose, Barely Banana and Ballet Blue. My Barely Banana is starting to look like Old Barely Banana, it's so dirty. I then outlined the petals with an Elegant Eggplant marker. I embelished with the Elegant Eggplant ribbon. Then used Elegant Eggplant, Creamy Caramel, Ballet Blue and Real Red to mount the card.
Let me know your thoughts,

Hello again blog world

Hello again blog world. I'm back from my forced vacation from crafting. My hand has no broken bones, thankfully, just a nice sprain. At least with a sprain, I can take the annoying brace off. Now back to business ~
This is a card using the new Fresh Cuts stamp set. I used the sponge quite a bit on the main image and used crystal effects on the vine and the brown elements.


I'm still working with the brayer. It's fun to use, but boy it sure hurts my poor wrist.

Thanks for stopping by,

Blog Candy

Blog candy alert! http://karenscreation.blogspot.com/

Blender Pen Refill

Hi all! I have been MIA for awhile because I have hurt my hand. I had x-rays done yesterday, so hopefully I haven't' broken a bone and it's just a bad sprain. Of course it's the right hand, the hand that I do everything with. I have been wearing a brace, but boy, is it hard to do anything with it on. Gosh, I mean anything. So that I don't run the chance that you will forget to visit my blog I am giving you something to read. It's a How To that I found here. This is a recipe for the fluid used in your Blender Pen. I know I'll be needing this soon because I love using my Blender Pen, alot.

Blender Pen Refill

Mix together:
1 oz. glycerin
2 oz. distilled water
3/4 teaspoon rubbing alcohol

Gently pull the tips out of the pen on both ends. Some people use tweezers, but I have no problem just grabbing it with my fingers. If you do use tweezers, be very careful. You don't want to mar the tip.
Soak the tips in the fluid that you mixed together. Some say to soak it over night, others say for a few hours. It depends on how dry the tips are.
Gently push the tips back in. Add a drop of fluid to each end (since you probably squeezed some of the liquid out) Now you're ready to do more creating ;-)

I was playing around with my new brayer today and fell in love with what it can do. Add a sponge to the mix and woohoo. They sure do make beautiful sunsets, or sunrises depending on your point of view. When I got finished I realized that this would be an excellent card to give my husband for his birthday next week. So he has been told to not look at my site all week. I had to do it that way because there was no way I was going to not be able to share these cards with you. So they are up and ready for your thoughts on these creations using the same technique, colors and stamp sets.


thanks for peaking,

Liyah's Treat Can

I decided to make something other than convention flowers today.
I found myself always bending down and reaching behind my pup's dog food to get to her treats. Then a light bulb went off in my head and since I had this blank pail I was able to create her a special treat can that I can have sitting on the counter. Yay! No bending over and she's probably happier too, since she gets more treats this way.


Sorry Vivian, nothing on her pail is a Stampin Up! product. Do you want one for Amber anyway?

Shoe Box Swap Mount Dora Style

We had our monthly shoe box swap this past weekend. Here are all the great cards we made. I had never made a waterfall card or a popsicle card for that matter! We made a Z card and a card with envelopes in it. I love them all. It was a great turn out, with nine swappers and nine fabulous cards. If you see anything you would like instructions for, just let me know.


Have a great day,

And the winner is......

I have forgotten to mention that I won a contest on a yahoo group that I belong to. Well, it's more than a group, it's my uplines, upline's Stampin' Up! group. We had a design a logo contest and yours truly won it. I decided to go with the owl theme because of the owl set that we have all seen that will be coming out in our next catalog. Then I put the moon behind the owl so it would seem like night time..hence our name 'Late Night Stampers'. Pretty cool huh?

Black Magic
I tried out a new technique called Black Magic. I used black cardstock with Whisper White ink. I then outlined everything using a white gel pen and then colored in with colored pencils. It looked a bit boring, so I added dazzeling diamonds. You can't go wrong with a little bling :-) I also added the butterflies from the set Pretty Amazing and added glitter to them as well.
Thanks for visiting!

Sunny Florida has officially started it's rainy season. That means less time in the pool and more time crafting! I used the Fabulous Flowers stamp set, some glittered up brads, white gel pen, and the Lovely Lilac ink pad. I like it so much I am going to make it in pink , too. But my secret is that I will be using my technique making flowers. I can't reveal how I do it until after the Stampin Up! convention, where I will be holding a class on the flower making process. I hope you've signed up, because the class is full.

Graduation day! My son graduated from college recently on the first sunny UNH graduation day in five years along with 2,023 other kids. That's alot of people! Lucky for us parents is that they didn't call each graduate up separately. He got his diploma and left the masses of people to find us. Here's a picture of Colby and me, the proud Mama.

Did anyone ask for glitter? Well here you go ~ this card is full of it. I used the Baroque Border wheel for the background and the center medallion is from the A True Friend set. Stamped them both with Taken with Teal on Tempting Turquoise then using my glue pen, followed all the lines. I used the turquoise cosmo glitter and wow! I also put the glitter on the brads in the corner. A girl can't have enough glitter, right?
I made this card in preparation of a friend of mine becoming a grandmother. She wants to be called meme. When my time comes, that's what I would like as well. Grandma sounds just too old!
I water-colored the hippo, sponged all the cream colored papers and used a lot of dimensionals.


Thanks for peaking,

I wanted to make my Dad his Father's Day card and I loved this layout that I had used awhile ago. Instead of using Rose Red I used Bashful Blue and I made four of them so that I will have some to use for the future.


Recipe:
Stamps: Always, Boho Backgrounds
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Sahara Sand, Bashful Blue, Whisper White
Accessories: eyelet, ribbon, clear embossing powder
Thanks for stopping by

Here are a few cards that I was able to squeeze in between traveling to New Hampshire to see my son graduate from college and lounging around back home in Florida.


I made the card below at my Stamp Club meeting. One of our members showed us all how to do embroidered cards. We have our meetings at the Lakeland Library and would love to have more people join us. It's very casual, we had some fabulous cards to share during our show-and-tell.

I love how this tri-f0ld-card came out.
I'll have to make another to sendto someone . . any takers?

Thanks for stopping by

Mount Dora Shoe Box Swap

Come to our 3rd Mount Dora Shoe Box Swap June 14th
The meeting is at 10 am to 1:30pm at:

WT Bland Public Library
1995 N Donnelly Street
Mount Dora, FL 32757
(352) 735-7180

You are all invited to attend the Mount Dora Shoe Box Swap on Saturday June 14th at 10 am - 1:30 pm held by my upline, Vivian. The Library room can only hold 12 people so she is accepting sign ups now. You will need to design a card sample or project and make enough kits for everyone who comes to make one. Please have all your supplies in a box so that everything is there to make your card or project. You will need to please supply your own adhesive and basic stamping supplies. Please bring a bag lunch and beverage as we can eat in the room. We plan on having lots of stamping fun and being able to talk stamping with other stamp addicts and friends. Most people just don't understand our addiction, poor things. LOL!!!

Vivian will post the final number for the amount of swap packets everyone needs to bring but please make 2 extra in case with have last minute attendees. Please contact Vivian for questions at florida_scrapper@earthlink.net or (352) 357-7184.

I'm bad! I haven't posted in over a week. Well I have been busy being creative...that's always my excuse these days. Here are a few pictures of the cards I have made since my last posting.

This card is for my son who's graduating from the University of New Hampshire.
I'm so proud of him.

It's a criss cross card and you can find the directions here.


Next is a nice little set that I am bringing to convention for one of the prizes our group will be offering.


I used the Garden Whimsey set. I think I'm liking this set more and more.



I decided that I needed a 'gussied up ' notebook and matching pen.
Love it!


And lastly for today anyway. Is the card I made for Vivian, my upline gal. She and her wonderful husband have recently moved into their custom dream home. And it is gorgeous! You can find some pictures at her site here.
So this is the card I made for them using the Neighborhood wheel.

I hope you enjoyed taking a peek at what I do with my life.
cheers,

I found a new way to make flowers using all Stampin Up! products. Me...I 'invented' it! I came up with the idea! Tell me what you think of these pretty flowers using whisper white, markers, water and crystal effects. Wow!



Here's another view. The dimension and colors come out fabulous. Can you tell I'm quite proud?

This is another go at scrap booking. The theme was to be about yourself. If you click on the picture, I'm sure you'll be able to read my 'journaling' and of course see the flowers!
I am enjoying these little forays out of making multitudes of cards. My husband has hinted about me doing a scrapbook about his life. He is proud of the fact he has his pilots licence, his scuba license, been to the Grand Canyon......Yes hunny I think it's a fabulous idea.
But anyway, this site is about me! So here is the page about me!

And to finish off my post, this has got to be the easiest card I have ever made.

Enjoy your day,