A Girly Scrapbook

I have been working diligently on my niece's new baby scrapbook. Her baby shower is this weekend and I have 14 pages complete. I used Tea Party DSP and made 2 bags full of embellishments. I used a retired stamp set called Baby Firsts for some of the embellishments. The words are from Warm Words-one of my favorite sets for scrapbooking. The butterflies are punches from the new Butterfly punch, embossed with heat & stick powder and glittered! I think I will include a few sheets of matching cardstock, glue dots and double stick tape.

(I am not sure why my photos are turned on their sides??? Sometimes Blogger does that to me and I am not sure why?? Just tilt your head a little when you look at them LOL!)

Whenever I scrapbook I remember why I love Stampin' Up!-Because everything matches!!! I don't have to scramble to find solids that match the colors in the print. The embellishments did consume some time but the pages came together quickly! Yes, my name is Rhonda and I am a matchy matchy girl!!

A River Runs Through It

This is a photo of my tent. This photo is actually from last year's camping trip because I left my camera at home. Yes, I know it is an awful thing to do but. . .

Every year I carefully keep track of the weather in Lakeview, Arkansas before we leave. One year it did get a little cold at night so we packed blankets, jackets and hot cocoa. But usually the weather in Arkansas in August is just HOT, HOT, HOT and very dry. The forecast this year called for scattered showers or isolated showers but much cooler than usual-highs in the 80's. What the weather reports failed to tell me was there was a monsoon coming to Arkansas!!

In one afternoon we got 4" of rain. My tent was basically pitched on top of a river. The water was so deep it was up to our ankles and then some. The water at the back of the tent was higher than the yellow trim on the tent. So much water fell so quickly that the tent stakes sunk in the mud and the back half of my tent went to the ground. Thankfully my DS & I were able to raise it and nothing was ruined. I was soaked and then some!!! WE WENT TO THE NEAREST MOTEL AND RENTED A ROOM!!!!! We spent from 10AM-2PM the next day drying everything out. Luckily we decided to spend the rest of our stay at the motel because it rained AGAIN on Saturday. I love to camp but I did not like this camping trip.
Hopefully I will have something to share in a couple of days-after I unpack and do 2 million loads of laundry!!!!!

A Distressed Card With SU only!

I finally went to the eye doctor (it has been 6 years) and ordered new glasses. My vision changed a little but everything was fine. However, I DO NOT LIKE my new glasses. I am not sure what the exact problem is but I just know they are not right-UGH!! The last ones were pretty much perfect from the time I put them on. They are guaranteed but if you don't know what is wrong how do you explain it to the eye people???? Of course they say, "Give it a little time-they are a different prescription. . ." I think they are giving me a headache-not sure if it is the glasses, the new medicine I am on or just that I am annoyed that my new glasses aren't perfect like the last ones!!!!! Okay-venting is over on to the card.

This is a CASE of a card by Lisa Somerville. It was published in Stampin' Success in July. Mainly I wanted to make this card to show that it is possible to create a distressed or aged look using SU products only. I think we associate a certain style with a certain product line and actually it is more how those products are used.

I made the background by first stamping the flourish from the Friends 24/7 stamp set in white craft ink and embossing it with white EP on Naturals White paper. I then took Old Olive, Cameo Coral, and Creamy Caramel ink pads and swiped them across the the paper. I spritzed a little water to make the ink bleed a little and not show the lines from swiping the ink pads. Don't use very much water or your colors will make "mud". I wiped the ink off the embossed images and then rolled the Friends wheel in Chocolate Chip over the entire paper. The edges of the layers were distressed using the Distresser found in the SU Cutter Kit.

Pop Up Card from Stampin' Sucess

The idea for this card was in the July Stampin' Success magazine, a magazine for Stampin' Up! demonstrators. I put my pop up bird on wrong-I should have put the bird up higher and placed the strip of paper holding him the other way and attached it to his body. Every time I fold this card he folds flat and doesn't really pop up; but you get the idea.The stamp set is Always and the colors are, Brocade Blue, Chocolate Chip and Rose Red. I am not sure I like the color combo but Brocade Blue was the only wider ribbon I had so . . .
I finally had a chance to stamp last night just for fun. I played with a couple of my new sets and with the new In-Colors. I also discovered that I mounted one of my stamps UPSIDE DOWN! Yep! I discovered it AFTER I stamped with it!! If you ever need to remount a stamp just zap it in the microwave 5-10 seconds and the rubber will come off and restick good as new!!!

Better Embossing With a New Heat Gun!!

This has one of my new favorite color combos, Always Artichoke and Rich Razzleberry. I had to purchase a new heat gun because apparently the old one was not getting hot enough. It took me several weeks of frustration before I realized it was my heat gun and not the embossing powder. I always thought if your heat gun went out it would simply not turn on or not get hot at all but sometimes it doesn't get hot enough. I mean how can you check it? Stick your hand in front of it?? I think not!! So if you are having trouble with all of your embossing powder melting well it could be your heat gun and you will need to purchase a new one (from me preferably!)
The Daisies were stamped with Versamark and embossed in black; then I brayered So Saffron at the top, Always Artichoke at the botton and sponged Rich Razzleberry around the top edge of the So Saffron. The ribbon is the new Polka Dot grosgrain that is solid on one side.

I am having stamping withdrawals! I helped with VBS crafts at my church last week and had very little time to play. My stamping area is a disaster so I guess I should straighten it first so I can find my table-Ugh! I want a magic clean-up wand!!!

Dryer Sheet Technique

I am helping with crafts in VBS this week and I have had little time to make anything new. We have over 200 kids times 5 days that comes to one million projects!!! (Okay my math is a little off but that is what it feels like!!!)
This card was made with a used dryer sheet!! Isn't it fabulous??? We made this card in stamp club last month using the retired in-colors, Pacific Point, Riding Hood Red, and Kiwi Kiss. It is a simple technique. Stamp your images, spray with spray adhesive, place the dryer sheet on the adhesive, trim, and sprinkle Dazzling Diamonds on top!! As they say, "an oldie but goody!" I definitely need some more of those corduroy buttons in current colors-I really love them!!
Off to cut out 2 million fans, 3 million stars and 4 million flowers!!!!!! Thank goodnes for the Big Shot!!!!!!!

A Simple Card

Sometimes it is nice to make a quick & simple card! I actually made this for a make & take when I was pressed for time! The center of this card is made with the Top Note die. Simply cut a Top Note out and then turn it sideways and cut again! Easy as pie!! I am not sure whose original idea this was but I have seen it on several blogs lately. The pieces on the sides are the ones that are cut on the second time.
The stamp set is Trendy Trees; I love this set! It is great for making masculine cards and is a smaller less expensive set.
I am still working on VBS projects! I cut about a million sheets of paper in half for prayer journals and now I get to punch holes in them. Luckily my DD and her friend take bribes-I rented them a movie and bought ice cream in return for them putting some projects together. Actually, I think they would have helped without the bribe but this way I not only got help but ice cream and a movie!!!