Archive for February, 2009:
Believe
Happy Friday! I wanted to mix things up for you a bit, so I inked this Primative Beginnings set that I bought over a year ago. It was so new, I had to cut the stamps apart.
I cut the white background paper to 5″ x 5″ and stamped out the image with Versafine. Next, I sponged colour onto the paper and coloured the house with Prismacolor pencil crayons. The surrounding decorative paper is a sheet of watercolour paper that I cut to 6″ x 6″ and did the distress ink technique. Finally, I painted a star chipboard and adhered it to my card with a pop dot and added the sentiment.
On the renovation front, my granite counter tops are being installed as I write this. Again, I got a “These are live colours.” He added, “These colours were painted where ever I went in Jamaica.” Guess I won’t need to spend the money to go on vacation then–I can kick back with a pina colada right here in my own livingroom! Hmmm, I wonder if I can find a bathing suit in these Jamaican colours.
Subscribe to the comments for this postApple Pie in the Spring
I was talking to my mom this evening, and she tells me that spring is around the corner in Atlanta.  Not here in Sarnia. I’m one hour away from Detroit, and three hours south of Toronto, and we’re still feeling the pains of winter with freshly falling snow. When I told my mom I was working on a card and trying hard to come up with the embellishments, she said that my card colours sound like spring. Hence, my title, “Apple Pie in the Spring.”
This week’s challenge at Magnolia vs Stampavie is to create a card using the sketch below. It looked easy, but I really struggled with it because I chose to create a card that opens with the image being the part that swings open. By doing this, the red paper on the right cannot have embellishments, or the image would cover up those embellishments.  The card is a little more simple than I would have liked but that happens sometimes. On a positive note, I passed the challenge I gave myself and that was to use colours other than Tempting Turquoise or Pixie Pink. When my girlfriends begin to notice that I use the same colours over and over, it’s time to change things up a bit.
This image is available for purchase through my store Sunflowers-Dragonflies Creative Designs.
Thanks for stopping by!
Tutorial Tuesday: Readable Text on a Coaster
Gel transfers are pretty popular these days, so I thought I would do a new tutorial for you. Today you will learn how to make your word(s) print backwards, so your finished product is readable.
Select your photo or picture for printing and put it into a Word document on your computer. On the top left of your computer screen you will see the option of going into “File.” Click on File. Next, click on Print. This portion is straight forward because most of us are already familiar with printing in this fashion. Next, you will see a tab on the upper right that says, “Properties.” Click on that. Next, you will see a series of file folder tabs along the top. Click on “Layout.” Under the area called Orientation you will see a box beside the words, “Mirror Image.” Click on the box. Next, click OK and your print job will be processed.
These are the steps I took you through
- File
- Properties
- Layout
- Mirror Image
Supplies:Â Coaster, Golden Gel Medium, Sponge, Image
With a sponge, paint Golden Gel Medium onto the image. Let dry completely.
When the first layer of gel medium is dry, paint on another layer. Repeat for a total of 4 to 6 layers. Smaller images need 4 coats. Larger areas should have 5 to 6 coats. The reason that larger images need more gel medium is because the gel medium goes on clear and it is hard to see what areas have been painted. Some areas will be left bare and will not receive a nice full coat. It is better to have more layers of gel, than not enough.
Dry all layers thoroughly. Personally, I let my image dry 7 hours. Many times, I leave it to dry overnight.
Flip your image over once all the layers are dry.
Dip your finger into water and gently rub the paper backing off the gel skin. Repeat until the area is completely free of paper.
This is what your gel skin will look like at this point.
Coat the top and sides of your coaster with gel medium. If you trimmed your image to rest on the top only, then paint gel medium only on the top. This step acts as the glue to adhere the image to the coaster.
Paint one or two layers of Gel Medium over finished image. Spray with protective sealer, or paint a protective sealer once the gel medium is completely dry.
For a complete list of tutorials, click on the page link on the top of the page.
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Shabby Chic Moose
Good morning. Today I have a shabby chic moose for you. He is one of the moose stamps I designed. Why a moose? Well, I am designing stamps with a Canadian theme in mind, and since there are lots of moose in Canada, I thought I would do a series of them. This fellow is called Happy Moose.
This cute fellow was coloured with Prismacolor pencil crayons and painted with Twinkling H2O’s. The clouds were painted with H2O’s. Prima flowers were placed for accent. Stitching around the designer paper was done by machine and the torn edges were hand stitched.
On the renovation side of things, my appliances were delivered yesterday, and my counter top was measured. Tonight when I get home from work, I’m going to finish painting the crown molding in the livingroom and ceiling in the hallway. My girlfriend was over yesterday and loved the colours I painted. She recognized the Tempting Turquoise (Stamp’n Up) walls in the livingroom and even knew I paired Pixie Pink (Stamp’n up) with TT on so many of my cards. I am thinking of accenting in Pixie Pink , but Donnie says that’s where he draws the line. My burly man says no pink, but we’ll see 
Have a nice weekend, and thanks for stopping by.
Stamp:Â Sunflowers and Dragonflies Creative Designs; Designer Paper, Gretel by Cosmo Cricket; Cardstock, black and burnt orange; Embellishments, Prima flowers, eyelits, mesh, ribbon, leaf punch
Sorry I’m Late
It certainly feels like I’m living in a circus with my house turned upside down for five weeks now.  I tried to put some order back into my life by spending three hours sorting cards for the mail, and placing card tops onto card bases. I always make card fronts, but never get around to putting them onto a full card base, so they just stack up until the mess is uncontrollable. Do you do that too?
Have a nice weekend.
Stamps:Â Odd Bird Planet
Have you seen my new store yet? http://sunflowers-dragonflies.ca
Spring Sale at Odd Bird Planet
In these economic times, Johanna understands the importance of good value which is why she has put all her kits on sale. The sale has been a great hit and the penguin kit is now sold out. Don’t dispare though, there is the Fairytale kit, Ladies Dancing kit, and Monkey Business kit.  The link to the kits can be found here.
This card uses the Ladies Dancing kit, right down to the wings where I turned one of the skirts into the wings. The image was watercoloured with Tombow markers and Twinkling H2O’s. Machine and hand stitching was done, and you’ll be seeing a lot more of sewing in the future. I’m on a sewing kick again, and even take my cards to work and cross stitch paper on my breaks and lunch.
Have a great day!
Stamp:Â Odd Bird Planet; Paper:Â Stamp’n Up So Saffron and Pretty in Pink; Basic Gray designer paper, Urban Prairie; Pink gems from Hobby Lobby
Tutorial Tuesday – Pieced Quilt
I’m happy to say I have a tutorial this week for you. Renovations are almost done so I have a little more time to spend in my studio. There’s still lots of wall trim to paint, and about 100 boxes that need to be unloaded into the kitchen and livingroom, but that can wait for now. Appliances get delivered today, so there is an end in sight. Still another two weeks before I get my countertop though. Let’s get started, shall we….
This 6″ x 6″ box is decorated to resemble a pieced quilt. By using coordinating designer paper, the results are stunning.
Choose coordinating papers. Here I used Basic Grey’s Sultry pad.
Measure the top and sides of the box.
Cut cardstock 1/4 inch smaller than you want the finished piece to be to allow for the matt.
Cut designer paper into a variety of widths. For my 6″ x 6″ box, I cut 1/4″ to 1″ widths.
(Opps, my pics got smaller. Guess I sized them different. Must need another cup of coffee I guess) Placing the paper in an interesting pattern is easy, but it may also be intimidating so I will help you with your first piece. Place two pieces of paper into a T shape.
Fill in one of the empty areas by placing strips of paper both horizontally and vertically. Don’t worry about the edges hanging over the cardstock because that will be cut later on.
(guess the coffee kicked in…pic is big again)
Above the top of the T, run strips of paper in the same direction until the open space is filled.
Keep adding strips until all the space is filled. The card on the left is what your piece will look like, once the overhanging edges have been trimmed. Turn cardstock over and with an exacto knife, trim the overhanging edges.
Here the finished pieces are matted.
Doesn’t this box remind you of a pieced quilt?
Top of the box.
I would love to see how your pieced quilt looks like. Please link me up to your card or box, once you have one finished.
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A Note of Thanks
Hello Folks! Today I am sharing some thank you notes I made using my brand new stamp from Stamp’n Up. It is called Bella Blossoms. Sadly, it didn’t make the most recent catalogue, and I hope to see it come back in the next issue.
This stamp cries to be layered so I stamped out the blossom three times, and cut the blossoms apart and inked the edges, and then layered them with pop dots.  The sentiment was added to the nestability cut oval and adhered with a pop dot as well. This set will be for sale in my store.
Someone is quite spoiled. Snow loves lying in bed and cuddling up. She cries to be picked up all the time. Snow loves to be held and just lays patiently for an hour at a time in our arms. She is more interested in being held than playing on her own. Her favourite toy at the moment is some string I cut off a ball of yarn. Funny girl!
Spring is in the Air
Are you enjoying this warm weather? What a nice break in the very cold and snowy winter we have had. To celebrate spring I watercoloured a spring boquet using my Tombow markers. Next, I added Stickles, and then I loaded up with Prima flowers.
Thank you for stopping by!
Cardstock and Designer Paper, Stamp’n Up; Image, Stamp’n Up; Watercolour paper, Tombow Markers, Prima Flowers, Martha Stewart Leaf Punch
My Store Is Open For Business
Sunflowers and Dragonflies Creative Designs rubberstamp and scrapbook store
I am thrilled to announce the opening of my rubberstamp and scrapbook store. With the support of my family, and 12 months of preparations, we are now open for business.  My mom and sisters have hounded me for years to start a business. I didn’t listen. A store front just wasn’t for me. Then Donnie came along and suggested I start up blogging and a home based business.  For two years I told him no way, but with unexpected changes in my career outside the home, I decided that I needed a business to fall back on. So, I would like to thank my mom, sisters (Cathie and Debbie) and Donnie as I start down a new path. How Did Donnie finally convince me? It all started when he came home from work last January and said, “Matt will be here this evening to get you started.” I had no idea, which was the point–I couldn’t find an excuse to cancel out because Matt would arrive in one short hour.
I design my own rubberstamps, specializing in Canadian images.  As well, our store carries Stampavie images, all the way from France. To compliment our rubberstamps, you will find a variety of products such as Basic Grey, Prima Flowers, Pop Dots, Big Shot, etc.  All our products coordinate with each other, and will continue to grow over time.
Earlier I said “we” are open for business. I am thankful to have the support of my family as each of them offers me assistance in one form or another. My baby sister, Debbie, helped to design some of my rubber stamps, and now she is doing some administrative duties for me. My mom and sister, Cathie, keep me on track and kick my butt,and offer advice, when I need it. Donnie, well he is the keeper of the gate. He buys me every computer program I could possible need or want, pushes me to learn these programs, and keeps me on track. When I wanted to computer surf, he made me design stamps. When I wanted to be lazy in the house, he packed a picnic lunch and took me on day trips to the park so I would be forced to sit down and design stamps. With his computer know-how, he looks after all my needs and will eventually be filling my orders.
My design team is also a part of my business. Some of you might not know what a design team does. They are a group who I depend on for their creativity and advice.  Each of these ladies will showcase cards and projects that use my products.  Each are very talented, and all have a unique look of their own.  Please meet my four dear friends:
When one door closes, another one opens.
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