Friday, February 29, 2008

Baseball Spring Training Game


Yesterday we attended a Spring Training game in Tucson. Our seats were behind home plate and just a few rows below the box where all the TV cameras were! The Colorado Rockies played the Chicago White Sox. We left at the beginning of the bottom of the 9th inning as the White Sox were ahead 8 to 3. Only 1/2 of the Rockies team was playing as they were also playing the Arizona Diamondbacks at another stadium in Tucson. The first picture is taken of the grandstands from under the scoreboard (thanks to my cousin - superintendent of the Hi Corbett field) and the second picture is the first pitch of the game (WS at bat). The temperature ranged from 79 to 84 and we sometimes had a little breeze. It was great fun and I hope we attend many more games!

Album Project


This is a cute 3" x 3" mini album made from a 12" x 12" piece of cardstock. I've seen this many years ago but just now made one. The album below is of my brother's Christmas (remember I made a scrapbook in a box and my mom wanted it) and I will give it to him sometime this summer. This particular album above uses the Sheer Square Scallop Coasters, the Sweet Swirls set (Spring Supplement), and the Scor-Pal (which I really like!).



For my album I used the Cardstock Collection for the Amberly Grace Soar With It Collection. I used the Distressed Designs and Fancy Curls for the background. The tag is from the Amberly Grace collection and stamped with F Is For Family in Cognac P.H. ink and I used a black ball-point pen to add the lines to the F. The tag has tan Scrappers floss and beads from my stash. I matted the pictures with various scraps of cardstock and embellished with Christmas stamps from current and retired stamp sets. I also used the Tonic Corner Rounder punch, various Palette Hybrid ink pads, and Impress Brights Markers (which I got with my Starter Kit when I joined TAC and they're still working great!). This makes a fun and easy mini album for any occasion, maybe even as a small card for that special one in your life!




Monday, February 25, 2008

Tucson Stamp Expo


This is a project I made at the Sunday International booth Saturday. Michelle, a real sweetie, taught this. We used a 4 1/4" x 11" piece of cardstock, scored it in 5 places, folded, and punched holes. This would be great stamped with maybe Fancy Curls or some swirl set that TAC carries. The large flower is acrylic with small punched holes. We colored it using Brilliance Dewdrops and heat set. We pierced the paper before using the large brad to attach. I added a "rhinestone" to the center of the brad for bling. The flowers on the side is a sticker. This is a real cute idea for a gift bag.

This is the Bind-It-All bag that I purchased for my tool. I paid $30 + tax but now that it's no longer in the shipping box I may use it more! The Bind-It-All fits real nice with lots of pockets for accessories, but you cannot fit the boxes of wires in this, only little sections.

The Expo was a bit of a disappointment. There were many non-stamp/scrapbook related booths such as salsa, coffee, Tastefully Simple, Bras & Underwear (recommended by Oprah), home decor, flute players, and jewelry. I did buy a small can of Caramel Mochaccino Instant Gourmet Coffee from the Frog Hollow Coffee booth but I think I can make my own much cheaper version using my Faux Cappachino recipe. Stamp booths that I remember are: Denami, Rubber Necker, Sunday International, Cricut, Endless Creations, StampinUp, Close to my Heart, Creative Memories, Accent Scrapbooking, Sizzix, and many smaller companies. I already threw away my program so I no longer have the complete list. Besides the bag shown I purchased a Versamagic Cloud White ink pad, some Stickles, a 2 3/4" scallop circle punch by Punch Bunch ($20), and a cute (wood mounted) stamp of a Saguaro cactus with the word Arizona under it to use on my envelopes. I hope to play with some of these items after I get back from Curves today. I will post the cards I make, some here and some on my StampingCarol website. Catch you all later!!

Celebrate!



I can't believe I didn't see this earlier! The Angel Company is having a special for all our hostesses, customers, and new angels beginning March 1!!! Hostesses and customers earn DOUBLE rewards! This applies to the GWPs, Hostess Sets, and 1/2 price items for sales (not the booking 1/2 price item). New angels receive $50 in FREE T-coded stamps.

I also have the Spring Supplement now posted on my StampingCarol website. Look in the gallery at the first album. I don't have any information on the Project Kits yet but they sure look like fun. I will be ordering some as soon as I can. Stamps are not included in these kits.

I attended the Rubber Stamp and Scrap Expo Saturday in Tucson. An update and a picture of a project I did at Sunday International's booth will be posted later.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

New Cards

I played with some new techniques in the current Technique Junkies newsletter. This and the next card are using the Reinker Splash technique. I started with white glossy cardstock to do the technique. I overstamped with Basic Birds using Starry Night PH ink. I adhered with panel to a piece of navy cardstock then layered it on medium blue cardstock. I stamped the letters from the Swirly Bet set also in Starry Night ink. These letters are large so if you want to stamp a different word make sure it fits!




This card was fun to make. The background was also done on white glossy cardstock, layered on kraft cardstock and both were trimmed with a deckle scissor. I stamped the horse from Hieroglyph Horses with Burnt Umber P.H. ink and heat set. These were layered on the orange cardstock from the Brights Cardstock Stack, edges wiped with the Burnt Umber and wrapped with brown scrappers floss. The background paper was something I received as a gift and I have no idea who it is by but it fit the color scheme. I stamped the verse from the Be Still set using Noir P.H. ink.

This card uses another technique from the Technique Junkies newsletter called Magic Pattern. I stamped the Rose from the Rose Garden set in Noir P.H. ink and heat set. I also used Versamark ink, Clear embossing powder, the static pad, a heat tool, and the Script Background. I then colored the roses and background with Watercolor Crayons and my Niji Water Brush. I stamped the verse from the Be Still set in Noir P.H. ink on a scrap piece of white cardstock and colored with the crayons to match the floral piece. I layered both on red cardstock. The white card was stamped with Fancy Curls in Spanish Olive Versamagic ink and so was the light green piece of cardstock. I added the spiral clip and a small piece of red ribbon from my stash.

My friend, Sandi, in WY. lost her horse yesterday. I'll leave out the details but, if you are so inclined, please pray for her. She's had a lot of loss in her life lately, including me moving, and she's having a tough time. Thanks.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

We had snow!

This is the most snow I've seen here in southern Arizona in the 4 months we've lived here. This is the peak just east of us. There is an observatory on top that did some of the work on the Hubble Telescope years ago. Mount Lemmon (northeast of Tucson) and northern AZ got lots more snow. This storm is headed east and Texas is supposed to get lots of severe thunderstorms. My brother (in Dallas) sent me pictures of a house behind them that got struck with lightening and caught fire. We had about an inch of rain here at our place, and a light frost. Our back steps were quite wet and, needless to say, I slipped. I twisted my right ankle and pulled a back muscle. I worked much of the pain out at Curves yesterday and will go back today.

I was playing with an old technique on this card. I used black glossy cardstock for the fancy background but you can use white glossy and brayer Noir P.H. if you don't have the black. I placed a dot of cheap white glue in the middle of the glossy and stippled it all over. I added Pearl Ex (retired from us but try Radiant Pearls!) and stippled again to blend. You don't need much of the powders as a little goes a long way! I then heat set this so it wouldn't rub off. I layered this background on some dark purple and adhered to the medium purple card. I took a piece of scrap white cardstock and stamped the flower from the Fanciful Flowers set using coordinating colors of Palette Hybrid inks. I also recolored the flower using my Dove Blender Pen and more Pearl Ex (use Radiant Pearls). The corner punch is from All Night Media and the lining up of the corners was a pleasant surprise! I also stippled a little coordinating ink on the white so it wasn't so blaring.

Well, time to go get mom and go exercise. Got my car back from repairs. Had a front strut fixed, replaced back struts, new front brakes, and replaced a seal in the tranny that was leaking. After all the repairs last summer I almost have a new car! My 1998 Buick LeSabre has almost 190,000 miles and is going good! Hope to keep it another 3 years before replacing it. That's when the new tires, rotors, and brakes will need to be replaced. Definitely getting my money's worth out of this car! My last LeSabre (1988) went 225,000 miles before I sold it to my son but he hot-rodded it and it went down fast.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope all you "sweeties" are having a wonderful day and celebrating with loved ones.

This card is made with metallic glossy paper (from my stash) embossed with a Fiskar texture plate run through my Wizard (Spellbinders) and then using a heart Sizzix die and a heart punch to cut the hearts. I stamped the text (a current GWP called With All My Heart) with Versamark ink and black embossing powder. The pattern paper is from DCWV Black & White Mat Stack. I had to run the X-Static pad over the glossy cs before stamping to help control the embossing powder. After I embossed the hearts I lightly ran my Black Staz-On pad over the cardstock to make the raised swirls show up better.


This card was also made with the metallic glossy cardstock (from my stash) and a Fiskar texture plate, the Wizard, and Black Staz-On ink. The tree is from the Good Timber set stamped with a Bronze Encore pad on white. This is mounted on black cardstock over grey cardstock the inset eyelets and rafia. I set the eyelets with my Crop-a-dile and the eyelets came in the Crop-a-Dile case. This card was made for a sketch challenge on Technique Junkies, a yahoo group. Pat H. does a great job with newsletters of great techniques and CDs so if you're interested just email me for more information. Pat also has a blog you can check out for some great ideas.

Well, my honey and I are going to a Valentine banquet tonight at the Assembly church in Green Valley. I'll give him his special card when he gets home from work today. I was thinking if giving it to him this morning when I fixed his lunchbox but I think I was sleep-walking and went back to bed and slept for another hour. Hugs to all!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Beautiful Day!

This past Sunday and Monday I took in the Tucson Gem Show. This event takes place for 2 weeks all over town! I only went to 2 locations and it was amazing. Here you see $32 worth of glass and various beads. The photo just doesn't do them justice but they are amazing. Guess I need to learn to do some beading! My friend, Nona, in WY would have gone absolutely crazy at all the amazing beads. And the gems, OHG!! Precious, semi-precious, all kinds. There were huge rocks with amethyst crystals that, if laid down, I could sit in the rock like it was a bathtub! Would be rather painful but you get the picture of the size. Just mind boggling. There were vendors and buyers from all over the world. Even seen some great driftwood furniture, fossils, leather goods, concrete statues, huge Onyx vases (about 5' tall and costing about $12,000 each), and so on. I will save up for next year!!

This is a little picture frame of our son, his girlfriend, and her niece. The frame is made from the lid of one of our GWP (gift with purchase) stamps. I seen this on a fellow "angel's" blog so if you are interested on the directions please email me for her site. I used beige cardstock from the Natural Cardstock Asst., Sunflower P.H. ink, Fancy Curls stamps, and Bumblebee Paper Posies. I also used various fibers for the top. Kinda cute and I can hang this from my purse or keys with a chain (may have to remove the fibers) or from whatever! Use your imagination!

Now I need to make my dad a Valentine for him to give to my mom. He bought me a beautiful necklace and earring set at the Gem show made of Larimar. It's a a rare blue variety of pectolite found only in the Dominican Republic, in the Caribbean, and its coloration varies from white, light-blue, green-blue to deep blue. It was "officially" discovered in 1974. Do a search on Google for more information.

Well, I better start creating my Dad's card so catch you later!

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Great Saturday!

This has been a great week, not just today!

I celebrated another birthday this week. No, I'm not telling my age but I do have an A.A.R.P. card and I am a grandmother (my stepson has our wonderful granddaughters). My stepdaughter gave me a gift card and I purchased these ribbon holders from Wally World. Well, I need a couple more. Never realized how much ribbon I had and I rarely used it since it all was hidden away in a drawer. Now that it's visible maybe I'll use it more. My folks took me to dinner at Red Lobster and $100 to use toward my airfare to Wichita for the T.A.C. annual convention in June. My dh bought me a paper shredder (not romantic but much needed). The son called and I think my stepson forgot but he will remember before the month is out.

Today I went with cousins, folks, and an aunt to the Tubac Arts Festival. It was great! I visited with Vesta Abel whom I've seen on the Carol Duval Show a number of times and I have some books and magazines with her wonderful artwork. She had a tent of her jewelry and I purchased a beautiful set of earrings. Her website has a "catalog" of her items for sale. Check it out!

This card was inspired yesterday as I sat out on our back steps soaking up the warm sun. Our 2 cats were sitting there with me and we just felt so good. The temperature must have been in the lower 70's and the sky was just as blue as could be. Just felt like spring! I was being buzzed by a stupid fly and I was thinking how nice if it was a ladybug. Now, doesn't this sound kinda silly? Anyway, I used the Scor-Pal to create the grid in the yellow cardstock. I stamped the ladybug from the Squiggle Ladybug set on white, layered over a scrap piece of red cardstock and used a sponge and a stipple-type tool (purchased years ago and called a Kewl Cattracks Tool) to add the yellow and red around the ladybug using Palette Hybrid inks. I added the 2 yellow eyelets and red ribbon from my stash then layered all this on a white cardstock card. I stamped the phrase at the bottom with Noir P.H. ink.

This card idea was taken from a challenge on another blog using certain colors of cardstock: pumpkin, rose red, olive, and teal. The cardstock is from the Brights Cardstock Stack. The rose red is stamped with the little swirl from the Spring Dream set in Versamark ink then sanded with the Sanding Block. The teal is stamped with the paisley from the set with Versamark ink and also sanded. I stamped the flower using Orangerie Palette Hybrid ink and Spanish Olive Versamagic (I got this in the JewelBox Dew Drops last year but the link shows it as Night Sky, I think this is a misprint) ink on a piece of white cardstock. I then edged this with Red Brick and Turquoise Gem Versamagic inks from the Southwest Dew Drops ink set. I added the 1/4" sheer red ribbon. The "live inspired" comes from the Live Inspired set and I stamped this with Noir P.H. ink and added the 3 little orange paperbrads. Kind of a different look but I like it. I show the little paisley and swirl stamps from the Spring Dream set and the Spanish Olive Dew Drop along with the card.

Well, it's been a long day and tomorrow we're going to a gem show after church. I'll know more of what this is when I get back so stay tuned!

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Hey, I'm posting again!

I tried a new technique, Faux Denim. Does the background kinda look like bluejeans? Not too sure myself but I like the effect. Anyway I started the the medium blue cardstock that the main horse is stamped on the swiped Beaux Arts Blue P.H. Ink one direction, heated to dry. I then swiped Starry Night P.H. Ink over it and heated to dry. Next I swiped Brilliance Moonlight White and heated to dry. Then I turned the cardstock 90 degrees and swiped again with the Starry Night and heated. I then stamped the horse from Hieroglyph Horses with Starry Night. Then using another piece of the blue cardstock I stamped the horse and the words from Live Inspired with Starry Night. I added the small dark blue paper brads and tore the edge. I layered this on the dark blue cardstock (I used some scrap duplex cardstock that I had in my stash - blue on one side, white on the other). I think this is a great masculine card.

My "Subscribe to me" is now working! Judy from Lusk, WY was my first subscriber (and a great customer) and will get a small gift from me. Watch your mailbox!

February Pop Rockz Pack Special



Pop Rockz™ Pack
YOUR PROJECTS WILL "POP" AND "ROCK!"

Make your projects “pop” with an exciting burst of sassy color! “Rock” out inspired projects perfect for the spring season with our spirited Happy Everything stamp set.

“Spring” into creative action with the exclusive Pop Rockz™ Pack special offered by theangelcompany™. Available from February 1st - 29th, this sassy & spirited kit will fill you with creative sunshine.

Available for a very low price, this special includes our exclusive Pop Rockz™ SWIC™ and our limited edition Happy Everything stamp set. (Happy Everything will be retired on March 1st and will no longer be available for purchase, so pick up your set today!)

Hostesses also have an extra reason to celebrate from February 1st - 29th, because they can receive the Happy Everything stamp set for free with a qualifying FUNshop™ of $250 or more!

February 1st - 29th
Pop Rockz™ Pack • FEB08 $25.95


Kit Includes:
Pop Rockz™ Soar With It Collection™
Happy Everything Limited Edition Stamp Set

*The retail value of the Pop Rockz™ Pack special is $35.90. The Happy Everything Limited Edition Stamp Set is only available in this special offer. Happy Everything will not be available after February 29th, 2008. No other special offers or discounts apply.


Stamps are not shown to size.

View the February Stamp of the Month and the February Vintage Set on my www.stampingcarol.com website in the Specials album in the gallery.

Friday, February 1, 2008

It's Official!

I got my Instructor Badge today! I will be teaching 2 classes in March of 3 techniques each. On the 12th I'll teach Faux Linen, Chalk Popping, and Bleaching. On the 26th I'll teach Crinkled Paper Texture, Saran Wrap Texture, and Rock N Roll. I got these techniques from Rita Holmes and the TAC-niques group. If you are an "Angel" you should join this yahoogroup, it's great. I also have to make 22 fliers that will be distributed around the area to help promote these classes. I'm charging $10 per person and will be supplying some paper or special items, the "students" have to supply the rest. These classes will also be promoted through the GVR's newsletters and other newspapers. I am also working on my April classes as I have to have the info in by the end of February. The only stipulation.... I can't mention T.A.C. or take orders but I can have business cards available. I have donated a current catalog to the stamping ladies classroom and have already gotten orders. Just too cool!!

A Belated Christmas Gift


Before I describe this scrapbook page I want you to know that I am still having trouble with the Subscribe Me section. I have reconfigured the info again and again (and this blogger.com rearranges the info!) and now have sent more into to FeedBlitz for help. I have tried to delete it and hope FeedBlitz gets back to me soon. Sorry for all this. It has been a real PIA!

Now for the page! This commemorates my brother's engagement in New York City and marriage in Cancun, Mexico. It was a long, drawn-out process of "will this work?", "I need more elements", "I need more pictures!", and so on. I mislaid my CD from him of the engagement pictures and only had these that he emailed me (I packed the CD when we moved and just haven't uncovered/unpacked it yet). The marriage photos I took as I attended and am in the small group photo in the back row. I used the retired Comic-Bet set for his and DeDe's names, the retired Angel Alpha-Plate set for the dates, Kinder-Bet set for the word Cancun, Salsa Flowers for the little red elements in the marriage section, Palette Hybrid inks and VersaMagic inks, DCWV Cardstock Stack for the beige, yellows, and brown papers, a 12" x 12" white sheet, and stickers by Paper House Productions (purchased at Hobby Lobby). I purchased the frame at Michaels. I will ship this today, finally! So I'm over a month late but my folks really liked it. I just hope my brother and sister-in-law (who is a real sweetie and her middle name is Carol!) like it.