Tracey Stamps

Going Yo-yo!

This week's Ways to Use It challenge on SCS was to use Yoyo Yellow in a card. It was harder than I thought! It's funny to think that when I first got started stamping, I used primarily the Bold Brights, Yoyo Yellow included. Now that color family is normally the last I reach for. Needless to say, this was a good stretch!

I knew I wanted to tone the yellow down a bit, so I stamped and sponged on it with Summer Sun. I was happy with the result. I also used my gel pen to put in a few highlights.

After fretting over this one and being generally disatisfied with it, I finally decided to make the card base purple instead of yellow. What a difference that little frame of dark color made! I actually like this card now!

Labels: heat embossing, Ways to Use It challenge

No stamping today...

just cleaning (blah), but I had to share my joy. My card was on the SU! demo website today! I was (am) so excited! This is my first card in the "Stamper's Showcase". I know it's not a great big deal... but I'm excited! Yay!

Oh yes... it's this card. Maybe my other swap will appear soon. ~:-)

VSN creation

As I mentioned earlier, this weekend was VSN (virtual stamping night) on Splitcoast. I was able to do two of the challenges. Here was my first. The challenge was titled Pocket Full of Posies and the challenge was to create a pocket card.

This was my first pocket card. It's not great, but I think it's a start! I used one of my So Saffron long cards as the base. I also picked Four Seasons designer paper. The stamp set is Simply Said.

Part of the challenge of VSN is creating your project in just 45 minutes. Let me tell you, I really struggled with that. Perhaps if it had been a standard card I wouldn't have gotten stumped. In the end I was playing beat the clock. I won... but there are definitely some things I will do differently next time. First off, I learned to take a moment and think. I had just grabbed whatever popped into my head. While that can work if you have endless hours to tweak, it's not really effective for quick projects. I also learned to put some consideration into the tag that goes into the pocket. This one was thrown together, and although it serves its purpose, it's not just right.

I love learning experiences. They can be humbling, exposing your weaknesses and inexperience. They can also be encouraging, showing you that you can stretch and do the unexpected!

Labels: designer paper, VSN

Sketch Challenge

Told you I was on a roll! This is today's sketch challenge. The important part was to keep the center piece small. I decided to use Sweet Shapes for this. I wanted a soft girly kind of card, so Pretty in Pink was a natural choice and my color wheel suggested Sage Shadow as a compliment. I like it. Simple is good.

Labels: masking, Sketch Challenge

I'm on a roll!

Woohoo! I'm on a roll! After being told to stamp by hubby this weekend I participated in VSN on Splitcoast. That will definitely be happening again! I am inspired and have been stamping... as you can probably guess. I want to post what I made for today's color challenge. I also used the previously mentioned sketch as inspiration.

I also want to encourage anyone learning to stamp to participate. I am learning soooo much... about colors and techniques and my style... it's fun!

Labels: Color Challenge, layout

Card from a sketch

I decided to enter the CPS Card Design Contest. See the details here. I'm feeling a little more confident in my card making skills. I have no illusions of winning, but wouldn't it be cool? Hehe... Anyway, here it is...

For this card I obviously used the provided sketch. It was easy to pick out my papers, but I had a little more trouble choosing which sets to use. I didn't really have anything in the style I really wanted, so I picked something that came close.

All products by Stampin' Up! unless stated otherwise.
Stamp Sets: Linen, Everyday Flexible Phrases, Both Way Blossoms
Ink: Versamark, Night of Navy Classic
Paper: Bravo Burgundy, More Mustard, Four Seasons Designer Series
Accesories: Prima flowers (dyed with Night of Navy reinker), antique brass brads, mustard grosgrain ribbon, chalk, markers, corner rounder punch

Labels: designer paper, layout, markers

Mom! Don't look!

That was just in case my mommy checks out this blog. It's rare that she really spends time online, but you never know...

So anyway, slacker that I am, I finally got her Mother's Day gift finished. It's pretty cool. Once again I used one of Beate's tutorials to get going. This time it's a Jacob's Ladder. I have loved these ever since mom showed me how to use the one my grandma had. I thought she might like it too... especially covered in pictures of her beautiful grandchildren! :-D So here it is...

This is the cover. I used the sets Wild Rose (which I finally bought) and Just So Sayings. I painted the edges of the coasters using white acrylic paint dyed with Always Artichoke reinker. This probably won't be something I do again... it would take the whole reinker bottle to get the color dark enough for my liking. It would probably work if I only needed a small amount of paint or maybe if I used a craft reinker. Hmmm... I used Heirloom designer series paper. And did you notice? I finally was able to kiss successfully! I was soooo excited! I inked my canvas background stamp up with Cranberry Crisp ink and used it as the ink pad for the flower stamp. How cool is that?

I think next time I make one of these, I will plan for more white space. I just wanted to fit all the pictures... but maybe that wasn't the greatest. I know mom will love it though!

Labels: designer paper, kissing, not a card

Grr...

My hubby "cleaned" again the other day. That means I can't get to my stamping area because he stacked everything that's "mine"... well, anywhere it would stack!

I would never claim that this space is clean, but normally I can sit down and put my hands on things I need! I guess I know what my stamping time goes toward today. *sigh* I guess it was time to reorganize anyway. I have to start making room for new stamps. The new catty is just around the corner!

Love Bug

I was looking through my files and found this photo. This is a card I made my sister for Valentine's Day. I didn't post it at the time because I wanted to send it first (she visits here occasionally... Hi Sarah!)... but then I forgot to send it until about a month later. Anyway, I think it's kind of cute. I pierced the paper and tried "floating" the color ala Debbie Olsen. You can't really see it well in the picture, but I learned how it worked (and how... ahem... sucky whisper white CS is for watercoloring). This was fun!

Labels: designer paper, holiday, valentine, watercoloring

Baby!

I've never done a baby card before! It was a nice change and actually a little challenging for me. I had ideas floating around in my head, but none of them worked for a full card. I hate it when that happens. I'm hardly ever satisfied with end result. It's so much better in my head!

Anyhow, I used Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Barely Banana and Whisper White CS. I stamped my backgrounds using Versamark. I stamped the giraffe in Barely Banana and Bashful Blue (on the blue background for shadowing purposes). I also used Whisper White craft ink for the word "baby", which you can kind of make out beside the giraffe's neck. The stamp sets are Linen, Polka Dots & Paisleys, Wild About You and Everyday Flexible Phrases. I also used my white gel pen and grosgrain ribbon.

I did some fun things with this card. I created a scalloped edge using the slit punch. I also did faux stitching. Believe it or not, this was my first faux stitching experience (I know... where have I been?). I like the idea and may use it more later.

So, I guess that's it. You may be seeing more out of me since stamping seems to be the only thing that keeps me from killing my 3yo (right now he's throwing his 3rd tantrum of the morning at my feet... it's not even 10 yet!). I guess that's a good thing? ~:-)

Labels: faux stitching