Cousins

My cousin came over to scrapbook last week and I started back with Nathalie's album. I managed to get 4 pages done, so I was quite happy.

Nathalie was the third baby born in 3 months in my family. My cousin had a little boy in March, then my Sister-in-law/Brother in April and finally Nathalie in July. When she was just a couple of days old, they all came to visit and we got a great photo. It's hard remembering her so tiny. She looks so different now. Her hair is so much lighter.

It's a very simple layout, but that's me, right?? And I'll never catch up if I spend hours on each layout.

I've read that you shouldn't always journal on the computer since people will want to remember your writing too. I hate my writing and wish longingly that I had cool printing like all the scrapbookers in the magazines. But I don't, so I don't often print on my layouts since I'm scared of messing them up. But since I could do this on a tag and if I messed up, it wouldn't wreck my layout and I could start over, I went for it.

I've decided that you don't need a lot on a layout for it to be nice. This has one piece of patterned paper, one piece of cardstock with another small one for a mat. Then just a title and a journaling tag. So simple.

Thanks Jackie

First of all, I need to say Congratulations to my friend, Jackie Smith (check out her blog) as she was published in the "Stamper's Sampler: Catch Up Issue." She is very talented and I am so excited for her.

Jackie and I, although we share a name, are somewhat different when we stamp. Jackie does the most gorgeous intricate cards. There is so much detail and they must be seen in person to truly understand what went into them.

I helped Jackie teach a class recently and so she had come over a couple of times to show me what we were doing. She does this gorgeous background and then stamps flowers and leaves and cuts them out to use as embellishments. The end result was stunning, but more work than I usually put into my cards. So, I played with her technique and did just the first few steps and created backgrounds that I really liked.

For those who know me, they know I tend to do very simple cards. Mostly because I'm lazy and don't have a lot of time to stamp, so I need to be quick and efficient. I made three cards with her backgrounds and so today, I'll show one.

Mother of Pearl Hearts

A quick post to showcase another Mother Of Pearl card that I introduced yesterday. This one is done with Gold Lumiere paint and then I used Red Distress Ink overtop. Then I die cut two hearts (Tim Holtz) and stamped on them.

Very simple, but I like how it turned out!

Mother of Pearl

The technique for May was Mother of Pearl. It's a cool technique with Lumiere Paint and Distress Inks. It's a kind of resist and for those who know me, they know I love just about any type of resist.

This technique called for dabbing Lumiere paint onto white matte cardstock with scrunched up saran wrap. Then you heat set it (if you're impatient like me) or put it aside to dry. Then just apply Distress Inks overtop with a blending tool (I love the Tim Holtz Blending Foams). Then spritz paper towel with a bit of water and wipe off the ink from the Lumiere. You have a beautiful metallic resist.

As I was doing this, I started thinking. I wonder if you can stamp with the Lumiere instead of just dabbing it on and it worked great. I spread some Lumiere paint on my craft sheet and used some solid stamps. Then you can overstamp. If you stamp with Distress Inks overtop of the Lumiere, they won't stick to the Lumiere, but that creates a unique effect in itself. You can use Chalk Ink if you want it to stick.


For this card, I used my favorite Tim Holtz Set (Reindeer Flight). I love those trees! I stamped them with silver Lumiere paint and added two colours of green Distress Ink. Then I overstamped with Forest Moss Distress Ink because I wanted the green trees to be in the background.

Stamping Bella

I opened my orders last night and started drooling over some new Stamping Bella Stamps. I ordered them because they looked cool, but I'm really liking them once I see them in person! I just ordered 3 of the new Eclectic Line.

Eclectic Ticket ($15)


Eclectic Butterfly ($9)


Eclectic Mini Bubble Wrap, Mesh & French Script ($14)





They are beautiful grey rubber unmounted stamps. Unfortunately, the description said that they were cling mounted, but they appear to be just the rubber. But they are still quite beautiful and I really like them. They would be gorgeous for lots of different types of cards.

Organization

I know it's been forever since I posted. I have not been in a very creative mood lately and I have barely stamped in the last month. I find it really hard to get back into it if I haven't done it in awhile and then I get overwhelmed. There are days I feel like just selling it all off and giving up.

Thankfully, those days pass and eventually I end up back in my room. It often takes scheduling a friend to come over and stamp or scrapbook with me. It's fun to have the company and I often actually make something I like. Then I get motivated and am excited to get back into it.

I had my friend Jackie over a week or two ago and she was showing me the technique she's teaching on Saturday (I'm going to help her). Jackie does very gorgeous, very intricate work and she taught me a beautiful technique. Of course, I'm lazy and lost focus after the first few steps, so I adapted the technique and I quite like it. It's so great how we can all start out with the same thing and end up with something so different.

I then had my cousin over yesterday and I finally finished putting titles on the layouts I did at the retreat a month and a half ago. I do think that the two days that Jackie and Debbie came over are the only time I have spent in that room in the past month, but the desire to go back in there is getting stronger and so I'm hopeful that I'll be able to get over this hump and get back into the swing of things.

I got two packages this week full of goodies. I was worried about the once since it comes from the US and with the strike, but it managed to make it here anyway. I'll be throwing up some of the new stuff this week as I'm going to try to keep this blog updated.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm rather anal about organization. I get so excited when I go into a store that sells organizational goodies. It's better than a candy store for me. So, I ordered a magazine "Creative Spaces" which showcases Scrapbook and Stamping Rooms and organizational ideas. I have just briefly flipped through it, but I'm salivating at these rooms. And while, I'll never have a huge studio, I always find neat ideas from these larger rooms. I can't wait to sit down and quietly look through it.

I have one extra magazine for sale for $16.00 if anyone is interested.


I'm hoping to be back here more often now. Thanks for your patience.

Shimmer Bird

I did this card awhile ago when I was doing all of these shimmer backgrounds, but for some reason, never got around to posting this one, so here goes. Stamps are all Tim Holtz.