MARCH STAMP CLUB

It's time for Stamp Club again!  And even though we've barely had a winter, we will be focusing on SPRING!!  Not only the spring colors in the projects, but that kite you see in the top card is applied with one of the little springs from CTMH so it's ready to weather any amount of wind!

Stamp Club will meet on these dates, all beginning at 9:30:

Monday, March 3

Tuesday, March 4

Thursday, March 6

Saturday, March 8

Email me at scrappingailaz@gmail.com to register

Cost for Stamp Club is $20 and includes everything to complete all four cards as seen.  There are options on several of the cards, so you can personalize them for whatever occasion you need a card for.

CASE Study #180 and FLOURISHES Timeless Tuesdays #260

 

I love the doily stamps in the CTMH  Spring/Summer Idea Book.  "Love Doily" was actually released last spring, but it is a perfect match to the pattern in the Jubilee background paper!  I knew I had to combine the two onto one project.

The photo at the Case Study Challenge Blog this week gave me the inspiration.  And over at Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge, they suggested a card with no coloring - just stamping.  So that worked as well.

To fill in the white spaces on the card, I mixed Honey reinker with water, rubbing alcohol and CTMH's Create-A-Shade paint to spritz some of the yellow on the background paper onto the card front.

Products I used (all CTMH):
Papers:
White Daisy cardstock
Jubilee Background paper (X7181B)
Inks:
Honey
Blush
Sweet Leaf
Gypsy
Pacifica
Stamp Sets:
Love Doily (B1418) - background doily
Ivy Lane Cardmaking Workshop (G1079) - square doily image
Dreamer (B1439) - butterfly
You're the Best (C1571) - sentiment
Other:
Sparkles Clear Flourishes - Small (Z1812)
Sparkles - Clear Assortment (Z1752)
Silver Geometric Washi Tape (Z1932)
Scallop Border Punch (Z1851)
Create-a-Shade Pearl Paint (Z1039)
Spray Pen (Z1380)

Here's the inside of the card - you can add whatever greeting you want!

Pop over to the two challenge blogs to see the other great creations inspired by the guidelines:
CASE Study Challenge Blog
FLOURISHES Timeless Tuesday Challenge Blog

Thanks for stopping by!

FAB FRIDAY 35 CHALLENGE

I'm finding that doilies are all the rage right now.  You see them on so many projects.  The sketch for Fab Friday this week is no different.  CTMH now has three different doily stamps, and I thought a stamped doily image would be just as pretty on this card as an actually paper doily. 

The ruffle on the bottom is actually paper pleated with the back side of the background paper.  I love this technique - it makes it so easy to have a dimensional accent strip that coordinates with your paper.  And you can fold it any way you like - you don't have to worry about being too precise.  It turns out looking great.

Here's what I used to complete this card (all CTMH unless indicated)
Papers:
Ariana background paper (X7179B)
Heavenly Blue cardstock (retired)
Buttercup cardstock
Hollyhock cardstock
Pink Lemonade cardstock (French Paper Company Pop-Tone collection)
Stamps:
Classy Doily (B1424) - doily
Sincere Expressions (A1146) - sentiment
Rosy Regards (retired) - rose
Inks:
Blush
Hollyhock
Sweet Leaf
Garden Green (retired)
Tools:
Scallop Border Punch (Z1851)

Check out the other great cards made with this sketch at the Fab Friday Challenge Blog.
Thanks for stopping by.

STUDIO J - THERE'S A SPECIAL COMING UP!

Studio J - CTMH's digital scrapbooking program - will be offered at a discount during the month of March.  You can start preparing for the special now by signing up for an account and creating wonderful 2-page layouts.  Studio J helps you easily create two-page layouts using our foundational scrapbook patterns, exclusive color palette, and themed designs, all delivered in 12" × 12" custom prints ready for your albums. It's a snap!

Here are some samples of what the finished projects look like.

You control all the themes and templates. Every layout is distinctively you.  You have hundreds of options for every pattern you choose, so your style always shines through.

After creating layouts in Studio J™ online design software, you can purchase your layouts for the special, discounted price of $5 in March. Studio J layouts are processed, not printed, using a silver-halide process considered the highest standard in the photo developing industry. Unlike printed papers or images you might print from a home photo printer, the silver-halide process yields “100-year+ quality” that has long been tested and used by the top photo labs in the world. We use the same papers and equipment used by leading labs to produce long-lasting photo prints, so you know your layout will be reproduced with high fidelity and will last throughout the years. As always, JPEG files are available free with your print purchase and are available as a stand-alone item at regular price during this promotion.

There are art samples for you to check out - complete with the instructions for you to recreate the designs with your photos.  Hop on over to the Studio J Art Gallery for lots of inspiration.  You can see more samples and ideas of how to embellish these digital pages once they are printed.  Check out the Studio J Blog.

Want to get started?  Just click here to go to my CTMH website and open a Studio J Account.  You can create projects with no commitment -  there is no up-front cost to use the program.  You pay only when you are satisfied with the layout you've created and actually submit the order.  During the month of March, that will be just $5 for a 2-page 12 X 12 layout, printed and delivered to your door.  You can order as many as 50 of these 2-page layouts and still pay only $5.95 shipping.  (There is a minimum order of 4 layouts.)  

During the month of March, there will be a unique Studio J online order option.  Order your layouts through this online gathering to be eligible for a free give-away.  I will be giving away a new CTMH scrapbook album to one lucky customer (as long as at least 20 layouts are ordered).  If fewer than 20 layouts are ordered, a smaller prize will still be given away.  Be sure to order your layouts during March to be eligible for this prize.

Want to find out more about using Studio J?  I'll be holding several sessions where we will walk through all aspects of the program.  Join me to find out what is possible.  And there is no charge for this!

Thursday, February 20

Monday, February 24

I'm available for both morning and afternoon sessions on both days - so let me know what works for you.  If these times aren't convenient for you, let me know and we'll work something out.

Contact me to register

scrappingailaz@gmail.com

Another option if you can't make it to my classes is to check out the videos available at the Studio J website.  Click here to watch the instructional videos.

 

 

NEW EMBOSSING FOLDERS FROM CTMH

CTMH has introduced five new embossing folders in the new Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book.  These 5 X 7 folders will give you a variety of designs to enhance the background of your projects - or offer a great way to make any element of your project really pop off the paper.  Watch this video from CTMH to find out about these great folders - and a secret element on them that I have not seen on any other embossing folders offered from any company!  You will also learn a great tip to use when you have white core cardstock.  ENJOY!

THE PAPER PLAYERS CHALLENGE #180

I wanted to give a gift card to someone and include it in a card.  This week's challenge with The Paper Players was perfect!!  I hadn't played with the new Balloon Ride paper pack, so chose that along with stamps from the Ivy Lane Cardmaking Workshop on the Go (all CTMH).  I embossed the phrase on the shape to make it stand out more, and just love the way the flower is used instead of the letter "O".   Every card needs a little bling, and I used the Brown & Tan Sparkles Assortment - using all three colors in the set. 

Check out the other cards made with this sketch at the Paper Players Challenge Blog.
Thanks for taking a look!

FEBRUARY STAMP CLUB - BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA

It's time for the yearly Birthday Extravaganza for Stamp Club in February.  We will be making eight birhday cards in class - that should get you stocked up for a bit.  Most of these cards have their own posts just below, but I'll be posting more information on the Stamp Club page soon.

Dates for Stamp Club are:

Tuesday, February 4

Thursday, February 6

Saturday, February 8

Monday, February 10

Class begins at 9:30 in the craft classroom in my home in Prescott Valley.  Cost of the class is $20 and includes everything to make all 8 of the cards shown.  Please email me to reserve your spot!

scrappingailaz@gmail.com

LESS IS MORE and TIMELESS TUESDAY CHALLENGES

I fell in love with this stamp set the moment I saw it in the new CTMH Spring/Summer Idea Book.  It is one of the hostess reward sets - and the 2-step stamping is so easy.  The sketch from Less is More worked very well for this card.  The greeting is from "Joyful Birthday" (B1419), and the paper is from the new Ariana collection.  The new items will be available when the new Idea Book releases on February 1.

Of course, the lilacs had to be purple (I used Gypsy ink, using a second generation technique for the background color and stamping over that with the top image full strength).  I happened to pop over to the Timeless Tuesday blog and saw that purple was the focus of their challenge this week - how fun!  The greeting on the inside of the card is from Card Chatter - Birthday, which is retiring at the end of this month. 

 

Take a look at the other cards for these challenges - Less is More and Timeless Tuesday.

Thanks for dropping in!

RETROSKETCHES CHALLENGE #99 & HEART 2 HEART In the Spotlight

The sketch at RetroSketches this week intrigued me.  It was a fun sketch to work with, and the new "My Hero" (B1448) hostess reward stamp set from CTMH worked very well with the opening in the design. In addition, Heart 2 Heart is having a Spotlight challenge this week, and nothing says spotlight like your image inside of a circle - even if it is only a partial circle! 

The pilot theme is carried over to the inside of the card, with a greeting from Hero Arts.  The background paper used is the retiring Huntington.  I'll miss that lovely paper pack - luckily I still have quite a bit in my stash!

Hop over to the RetroSketches Blog to see other cards made with this sketch, and don't forget to check out Heart 2 Heart to see other spotlight projects.
I appreciate you taking a look.

SUNDAY STAMPS SKETCH CHALLENGE & HEART 2 HEART CHALLENGE

 

 The new Skylark paper from CTMH is just beautiful - and this sketch from Sunday Stamps allowed me to showcase both sides of one of the sheets.  The bird image is from the "Believe in Yourself" stamp set (C1574).  The paper has so many different colors in it, but I choose to highlight the lagoon for the backing of the tag and the bird itself.  The sentiment is from an old Stamp of the Month (Life is Tweet S1206), but I thought it was perfect for this card.  The images on the inside of the card are from the Skylark Scrapbooking Workshop on the Go.  All of these new items will be available when the new Spring/Summer Idea Book releases on February 1.
This card also works for the two-faced Heart 2 Heart Challenge, where we were encouraged to use both sides of a sheet of background paper!

 

This card is one that I am using in February's Birthday Extravaganza class for my Stamp Club groups.  One of the goals for this class was to show how a single design could be adjusted and you can make multiple cards that don't look like carbon copies of each other.  So here's the second card I made.  While the orientation of the sketch remains the same, the papers are quite different.  And instead of adding the sentiment on the tag as the sketch suggested, I added it to the bottom of the card to bring another focal point.

The paper is from the new Lollydoodle collection, and the stamp set is "Belated Birthday" (B1442).  I love the way the little belated wish can be inserted into the greeting image if the wishes are being sent late.  The inside sentiment is from the same set, but the balloon image is another new single stamp "Balloons" (M1037).  Just the right thing to finish off the card!

You can see other cards made with this sketch at the Sunday Stamps Blog, and check out the Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blog for the 2-sided projects!

Thanks for stopping by!