Classic Convertibles cards and stamped miter corner frame technique

These cards are being donated to Operation Write Home.

I've always loved this Classic Convertibles stamp set from Stampin' Up!

It's a shame they haven't made any others like it.

I really hoped they would come out with more classic vehicles in this style.

I was really happy with the way the "faux black and white photograph" cards I made turned out,

I had to make several more !

Below are the steps to how I made the stamped frame around the image

on the above cards

using the retired Tire Tracks Stampin' Around wheel

from Stampin' Up!:

Use repositionable sticky notes or repositionable adhesive and scrap paper. 

Lay the scrap paper diagonally across the corner of the frame, 

lining up with the outer and inner corners.

Press in place. 

Stamp across the frame, starting on one piece of paper and ending on the other.

Carefully remove the scrap paper.

Make sure the ink is dry before adhering the sticky paper to the next section.

Once you are ready to lay the sticky paper over the stamped portions,

you may want to leave just a sliver of stamped image showing. 

I have found that this works better for me to get a better "miter" look in the finished

stamped frame. When you stamp onto a piece of scrap paper mask,  

it leaves a slight "gap" along that edge. By moving the mask just a tiny bit to show a sliver

of already stamped card stock, the edges seem to meet better - for me at least. 

Do this for all four sides and 

you will have a stamped "mitered corner" frame.

Closeup below:

Thanks for looking =) 

Halloween Cards Pt 2

Image was colored with colored pencils, background water colored with classic ink, sentiment is heat embossed with white embossing powder.

 Green Stickles glitter on the bubbles in the pot

 Purple Stickles glitter on the embossed spiderweb background (Fiskars texture plate)
The black and white ribbon was colored with a marker to make it orange and black.

Cuttlebug embossing folder "Boo To You" on the outside that I brayered, not very well, with Only Orange ink.  Pop up pumpkins inside. 

All stamp images are retired from Stampin' Up!
Card stock and inks are from Stampin' Up!
Polka dot and striped ribbon were bought from jkmribbon a few years ago.

Thanks for looking =)

Halloween Cards Pt 1

Side Step card instructions can be found here:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/sidestepcard/

I used colored pencils to color the images.

The Happy Fright Night piece was lightly water colored using ink from my Classic ink pads.

The bat was heat embossed with black embossing powder, watercolored with classic ink pad ink. I cut out one image that was stamped and colored on Whisper White card stock then adhered it to the full image that was stamped and colored on water color paper.

The moon was masked. I punched out a circle from scrap paper, placed it over the Whisper White card stock then lightly sponged Basic Gray ink over it. Remove the punched circle to reveal a white moon, stamp the bat images over it. Both pumpkins were stamped and cut out then layered on top of the sponged piece. One of the pumpkins has dimensionals (pop dots) under it.

The rubber stamp images are all retired from Stampin' Up!
Card stock and inks are from Stampin' Up!
Cuttlebug embossing folder and Fiskars texture plate, spider web design.

Thanks for looking =)

Football Shaped Card

I made this football shaped card for a nephews birthday. It was all freehand drawn and cut.
I used a Fiskars texture plate, Leather, to create the embossing.
The stitching is made with tiny little strips of Whisper White card stock from Stampin' Up! cut and glued on.
The white stripes at each end are cut and embossed text weight paper.
The football is made from Soft Suede card stock, Stampin' Up!
I used a stylus to hand draw, emboss the "seams" a the top and bottom of the football. I then used a Crumb Cake marker from Stampin' Up! to follow the lines, darkening them up a bit.
All of the work to the football was done on it's own piece that I then glued to another folded card and cut in the shape of a football.
It is small, it fits in a standard A2 size envelope.



Here is the (lopsided!) pattern I drew and used. I have no idea how to make a really nice one on the computer - surely someone out there has a nice, true to size pattern to follow. I didn't take the time to try to find one so I made my own.

Cut along the solid lines, use a stylus on the dashed lines to create seams (or cut out each piece separately to create real seams).

I cut out this shape for the card front, then made another with it slightly off of the edge of a folded card base. I adhered the decorated football to the folded card base.

Thanks for looking =)

Another Card Set

Here is another set of cards to donate to Operation Write Home.

I made used a set of "postcards" with matching envelopes as a base. I adhered the postcards as a decorative background to a 5x7 card base then added stamped images. Most images are retired from Stampin' Up!. The ENJOY and THANK YOU are clear stamps from Heidi Swapp. The colors are out there for me !

First time I've used this robot set

Thanks for looking =)

Card Set - On The Farm

All of these cards are being donated to Operation Write Home.


The images I used are from an old retired set from Stampin' Up!, On The Farm. The images were prestamped and given to me years ago for use with the 4H group I had at the time. We didn't use all of the images, I saved them for "one day". Yesterday was the day - I made them into cards to donate ! I am making almost all of the cards blank so they can be used for nearly anything, but there are a couple I added sayings to that I made using Snap Stamps.

Just "chicken" in                          "Herd" the good news

I love "ewe"                        "hogs" and kisses

Thanks for looking =) 

Tractor Time - assorted cards

My favorite

I was sent these images a couple of years ago to be used for another project. 

They are from a retired stamp set from Stampin' Up! called Tractor Time.

I received more than I needed, so I kept the extras for use another day.

I finally used them up, making two of each of the above cards to donate to Operation Write Home .

Thanks for looking =)

More Cards ...... Serengeti

I'm back to sharing more cards I made to donate to Operation Write Home :

These are all 5x7 size cards, blank. I stamped the images with basic Black ink then colored them with colored pencils.

Thanks for looking =)

Admiral Riverboat Miniature and Postcard

We recently went to a huge out of town car show -  and hubby bought river related mementos at a cool old record store/ shop. It's my sons favorite store to spend time in while at the car show. Each time we go in ( two or three times over the weekend ), we see something new.

I used restraint and didn't buy the two old Breyer model horses I really wanted, but didn't think I had room for. Hubby couldn't resist the Admiral set, no room for that either, but I managed to clear out a space on the bookshelf for the time being. I just happened to have a small frame nearly the correct size to put the postcard in.  I plan to move them to the hall with the other two river related prints I matted and framed hanging on the wall that I painted.

Click here for more information about the Admiral.



Here are the two prints I personally matted and framed that are hanging in the hall:

I worked for a frame shop many years ago. 

I ordered this huge Michael Blaser print then matted and framed it. 

It is titled "The Moonlight Above Memphis".

Funny tidbit about this particular print: it is a signed numbered print,

I didn't get to choose the number.

The random number that was sent to me was #396 - 

this happens to be a Chevy engine size and we are a Ford family !

Old print (reproduction) of the Eads bridge in St. Louis. 

In 1970 the print was given to employees of a quarry that an uncle of mine worked at. 

He gave the print to my parents as a gift. They passed it down to me a dozen years ago. 

I matted and framed it, hung it on the wall opposite the Michael Blaser print. 

Yes, I know it is not centered. I tried my best with what I have at home,

with no professional tools of the trade.   I'll redo it one day.......

Bargain Cabinet Pulls

The plants were a bargain, but the deal mom and I fell into was almost a steal:
24 new pulls for my kitchen cabinets, regularly $4 each and we got them for 50c each !

They were marked on clearance for $1 each. The cashier that was ringing us up asked if we got them off of the clearance rack. Yes, we had (they had yellow stickers, couldn't she tell ?). She didn't say anything, but walked over to another employee and scanned a card in her hand. Rung up our plants (mom bought some, too) and two cans of spray paint. Total was just shy of $37 ! We didn't think anything of it, but when we got to the car mom looked at the receipt because she thought it was awfully cheap. Sure enough, the pulls rang up 50c each ! WOW !!!!

I was hesitant when I first saw them in the store, wasn't sure I wanted something with a debossed design on them and they are longer than my old pulls. They are an antique brass though, which is what I needed since I didn't want to replace the hinges, too (I'm cheap).

I cleaned the cabinets and installed all of the pulls that evening. I am really glad I got them, they look great! My old ones were tarnishing and needed replaced, but I couldn't justify spending $100 on handles alone (plus probably just as much if I needed to replace the hinges). I like them even more since they were so cheap.