Messy Hands

Masking tutorial

2011-09-28T21:51:00.002-04:00

Summer is winding down, but you can still create summery cards to brighten someone's day. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to use masking to lay one image on top of another without letting colors bleed or blend. Then, you'll follow the assembly of the rest of the card.

Cricut CTMH Art Philosophy Cartridge flower

2011-09-22T21:55:00.001-04:00

I loved making this card... lots of distressing and muted colors... my favorite! The dimensional flower was cut from my new Close To My Heart Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge, as were the layers. I've been having so much fun playing with all the shapes and dimensional elements that you can make with that cartridge! It is well worth the $99 when you consider the stamp sets and dimensional elements, which coordinate with cartridge shapes, included with the purchase. I added a little ink to the edge of my rolled flower, and then for fun, I added some fuzzy yarn fibers as the flower center. The yarn flower center coordinates nicely with the color of the butterfly. As you can see, I sponged the edges of the layers on the card with ink that coordinated with my Kraft cardstock. This card was really quite simple and quick to make, but has a lot of detail when you look closely! The dimensional flower adds a very special punch.

Are you ready?

2011-09-09T16:37:00.001-04:00

The holidays are just around the corner, so I'm making sure that I incorporate a few holiday cards among my other types of cards that I make. This one was a BIG experiment. If you've watched my card making for a while, you'll know that I just can't resist using Stickles. They are a type of glitter glue that come in a vast array of colors. I've been addicted to them for years. So, I took the opportunity to break in a new stamp set by experimenting with my Stickles. Close to My Heart has this awesome stamp set, which you can get for FREE with a $75 purchase during September 2011, called Pair-a-phrase. It is a double set that has an image and a phrase that generally goes with each one. This adorable snowman and cute phrase that goes with him is just one example of a an image/phrase pairing from this set. I stamped my Snowman first, and then colored the entire image with Stickles! It was such fun! It may be a little too much bling, but is there ever really too much bling? It also gives a ton of texture to the snowman. I had never colored an entire image, in multiple colors like this, with only Stickles!

This card really is a ton of texture everywhere you look and touch. It has an Cuttlebug embossed background patterned paper, which I then added some small snowflake images to. Snowy cutouts adorn the front as well, which also have some Stickles added to them. All in all, it was a fun card to make!

Are you ready for the holidays yet? Have you started prepping for holiday gifts in any way?

another mushroom

2011-08-19T11:23:00.000-04:00

This one is a bit brighter and includes a sentiment. The sentiment is tied to the image, but in a subtle way. Do you get it???

In the spirit of Gen Con

2011-08-06T09:14:00.000-04:00

So, all of my geeky pals know that Gen Con is this weekend. For those that don't know or have no clue what I'm talking about, Gen Con is THE major gaming convention. Board games, role plays, video games, even LARPing. Look that last one up if you don't know what it is, it's a riot - and no, I don't LARP. Anyway, my husband spent yesterday at Gen Con, and I spent the day crafting at home with the kids. We'll all go to family day at Gen Con just like we did last year and have a great time. I'll wear my Super Mario fire flower T-Shirt and my new mushroom earrings for the occasion. The kids will wear video game or Star Wars shirts too. Walk around Gen Con for about two minutes, and you'll see tons and tons of geekwear T-shirts... which hopefully don't stink too much since some of those folks will sit around and play games at Gen Con for about 24 hours straight! You'll also see some amazing costumes as well. Last year, we saw Darth Vader, Stormtroopers, a variety of monsters, costumes that looked like they would fit in at a ren faire, and many others as well.

In the spirit of all that is geeky, I made a card that has a subtle geek theme. It uses stamps from the Gnome Garden set that Close to My Heart has in its catalog. The first time I saw this set, I immediately thought of Super Mario Bros! The mushroom isn't as cartoony, but it is in the same spirit and evokes the same feel. If you have ever played a Mario game, you'll know that they often trapse through grassy lands with flowers, which is represented at the bottom of this card. This is also a more masculine card, which is always a little more challenging to make. The autumn colors that I used in both the papers (kraft card base, several autumn colored cardstock colors, and one patterned paper from CTMH) and inks help to give it a more masculine feel. I colored the mushroom image, grass, and flowers with a variety of CTMH autumn colored markers. For a final whimsical touch, I selectively slightly swiped my paper directly against an olive ink pad. It gives a grassy look to the areas with the mushroom and the trim along the bottom. Some funky green yarn adds a final bit of texture to the card and makes it a special present for the receiver!

Card Recipe:
kraft cardstock
cardstock in Close to My Heart Autumn colors
Close to My Heart pattern paper for front panel
Gnome Garden stamp set
Staz-On inkpad (so when you color, it will not bleed)
olive inkpad
markers in Autumn colors
yarn

Simple is sometimes better!

2011-08-05T09:53:00.000-04:00

Here is an example of a very simple card that uses several techniques. This is a one layer card using kraft cardstock. I used scrap paper from flowers a different project where I had cut out flowers with the Cricut. That scrap paper became my stencil for the flowers on the front of this card! I simply laid the scrap paper down and sponged the flowers with Tulip ink. It was very simple. Then, I took a marker and added faux stitching to the edges of the flowers. I sponged the edges of the card with Olive ink and used a sentiment stamp from the TLC set in the corner with Olive ink as well. A few brads that coordinate with the Tulip ink add another special touch to the card.

I made this card as a part of the Dare to Get Dirty challenges over at Splitcoaststampers. If you would like to participate or get details on challenges or see other people's entries, head over to their website and join the Fan Club. It is a blast!

Yay for the new catalog!

2011-08-01T10:33:00.000-04:00

The new catalog for Close to My Heart launched on the website today. Check it out under the "products" section at http://ashleyanne.myctmh.com. The new Cricut bundle should be a ton of fun if you have a Cricut. If you don't have a Cricut, this is a great excuse to get one! There are some great new stamp sets as well. I also love this month's stamp of the month. It is an absolutely divine Halloween set! Enjoy checking out the catalog. You can order directly from my website from the "shop online" section if you find some things you just can't live without.

Whoooo you are (Sneak peek of a new set)

2011-07-26T16:06:00.002-04:00

A former student of mine went on a spiritual retreat last weekend, and his mom asked if I would be willing to write a letter for him to read at the end of the weekend. I was thrilled that she would think to ask me to do this for him, and in addition to writing, I made a special card just for him. It also gave me the chance to play with a brand new stamp set! This owl stamp and matching phrase are two acrylic stamps from CTMH's Pair-A-Phrase stamp set. This will be an awesome double stamp set on special August 15th and September 30th. It is two D-sized stamp sets that come together in one envelope. This will be an amazing deal you won't want to pass up! The stamps are adorable and can be used for so many holidays and occasions. I thought this one was just perfect for a high schooler who is still kind of trying to figure out how to be true to himself and avoid peer pressure.

The card stock is all from CTMH's Autumn color collection. I used Olive ink for the sentiment and for the swiped grassy look on the green panel. Orange Stickles glitter glue add a little sparkle to the corners. I stamped the owl in Staz-on ink and then colored in the owl and branch with CTMH Autumn color collection markers. I also used one of the markers to doodle around the image panel. I just love how colors coordinate so nicely when you use one brand!

Very rich, very texturized, Splitcoast sketch layout

2011-07-22T17:23:00.001-04:00

This week's Sketch Challenge on Splitcoaststampers involved layering three different panels. I took this opportunity to use some very rich autumn colors on a summery thank you card. I also incorporated lots of texture into my design. The small green panel has been embossed using Cuttlebug, and I added Garden Green ink to the embossed swirls. If you look really closely, there is a small green Stickles glitter glue dot at the curve of one of the swirl tips. I used a Close to My Heart My Acrylix stamp set called Delight for all of the images. I just love all of the coordinating butterflies and flowers! I used blue Stickles to add a little bling to the small circle image on the sentiment panel. Sponging Outdoor Denim along the outer edge of each panel gives the card a distressed and also more uniform look among all of the panels. Finally, I corner punched all of the panels, tied some funky green and pink yarn around the green panel, and assembled my card.

This is a thank you card to my friend Jacquie who was a HUGE help to me in the music rotation for Vacation Bible School at my church this week. Her help was so appreciated, that I had to make a really nice card for her.

Sketch challenge fun!

2011-07-17T23:12:00.000-04:00

Way back when, I used to participate in the Sketch Challenge on the Splitcoaststampers website on a regular basis. Now that I am back in to crafting on a regular basis, I am trying to participate in some of them again! The Sketch Challenge is a weekly challenge where you try to make your card based on a particular layout. It is exciting to see all the different cards that are submitted and how different they all look even though they all used the same layout!

I dug out some of my really old clear stamps for this challenge. They are from a company called My Favorite Things, and I bought them when the company was still quite young. Now, that company has grown and has a lot more to offer. These stamps were from one of their Christmas sets. It was probably their only Christmas set at the time! I used Close to My Heart papers and Olive ink, and I used Staz-On ink for the tree. I used Staz-On ink because it is permanent, and I used watercolor pencils to color the tree and a small, wet paintbrush to blend the color. An unintended effect was creating a sort of feathered texture on the paper where I had gotten it wet repeatedly. This gave a look similar to actual pine or spruce needles, which was perfect for a Christmas tree! I used a Close to My Heart wooden designer button and tied it with a small piece of funky green yarn. I also distressed the edges of all panels with Olive ink, and I roughed up the edge of the small green trim piece with a blade for texture.

Why did I make a Christmas card in July? Well, if you start making holiday cards here and there throughout the latter half of the year, the task is not quite so overwhelming when November and December come along.

Summer card by Annabelle

2011-07-12T20:05:00.000-04:00

Annabelle wanted to make a birthday card for her Grandma who has a summer birthday. She picked out some fun printed scrapbook papers in bright summery colors from my old scrapbook paper scrap pile. Laying out her stamps and picking out her ink colors was fun for her. She loved how she could layer the flower and the small butterfly from the Delight set from Close to My Heart. She also decided to distress the edges of her paper by swiping the paper directly on the ink pad, but she had trouble swiping it without getting it all over.

So, we just decided that it was ok for it to get all over the place! The ink that she swiped is sort of a turquoise color and is a fun summery color with the oranges, pinks, and yellows in the papers. She was really happy with how it turned out.

Proud of her card for Grandma!

Happy Retirement

2011-07-10T15:11:00.002-04:00

My uncle's retirement party was yesterday, and I made a card for the occasion. Then, I so thoughtfully left the card and gift on my kitchen table and went to his house for the party. Oops! Well, I guess it is the thought the counts and he'll get his special card and gift the next time I see him. In the meantime, I thought I would share his card here.
I used the following supplies:
Close to My Heart Outdoor Denim cardstock and ink
Close to My Heart Olive cardstock and ink
Close to My Heart B&T Duos paper (both sides of the paper are printed with a coordinated pattern)
Close to My Heart Enjoy Life stamp set and an acrylic block
Tombo Mono Adhesive roller

As you can see in the photo above, I layered a couple of different patterned papers as well as stamped images. The bicyclist is stamped in Outdoor Denim ink, and the swirls behind him are also stamped in the same ink, but I stamped my stamp on a sheet of paper one time before stamping it on my patterned paper. This gives a much lighter ink effect for the swirls and allows the bicyclist to come to the foreground. I also swiped all of my papers against ink pads to distress the edges a little.

I used a very dark color of cardstock for the base of my card. When you do this, you have a couple of options. One, you can stamp your sentiment in white (or other light colored) craft ink and write a message and sign the card using a light or white colored gel pen. Alternatively, you can do what I did, and cut a piece of lighter, coordinating paper, and stamp your sentiment in the darker ink. If you look at the two photos, you'll notice that my interior paper matches the small blue layer on the front of the card, although the coloring in my photos doesn't make it look quite that way. I promise, they are cut from the exact same piece! I then stamped my sentiment in Outdoor Denim ink. When I was all done with that, I signed my family names on the card in a matching Outdoor Denim marker. I used the same marker to write my uncle's name on the envelope. It was all very coordinated!

Congrats on your retirement Uncle Dale. You deserve to enjoy your time now.

Great deal!

2011-07-08T16:17:00.000-04:00

http://ashleyanne.myctmh.com

Wow... just have to share this excellent deal from Close to My Heart. You'll find that I won't do a lot of these posts here. I really want to use this space to show you great ideas and techniques for crafts and gardening. But from time to time, I'll want to highlight a good deal - and this is one of them! For the month of July, when you purchase $50 in Close to My Heart products, you can choose from one of five paper or card kits for just $1! This is an awesome deal. These kits range in value from $8.95 to $14.95, so you really are getting a good value. The highest in value is the "Around the Holidays" card kit, which I think is an excellent investment at this time of year. I know it is summer, but it won't be long at all before you'll be thinking about making holiday cards and gifts for people. One of my favorite gifts to give is a set of five handmade cards with envelopes and a small book of stamps. People really appreciate a gift from the heart and a gift they can really use! Take advantage of this deal for the month of July 2011 only. Ashley's Close to My Heart Web Site

Sponge Distressing

2011-06-24T11:22:00.000-04:00

Distressing paper using a sponge is a great way to give paper either an antique or a softer look than it would have without the distressing. I use some sort of distressing technique on almost every card that I make. The transition of one layer of paper to another on a card is often times more smooth when the same distressing technique is used on both sheets. Here, I demonstrate how to use a sponge to distress your paper, giving this card a very antique, almost Old West type of feel.

Ready for Father's Day

2011-06-16T20:36:00.002-04:00

We spent the better part of this morning making Father's Day cards for various people. Annabelle and Joshua had a blast using my clear stamps and coordinating papers. I had not let them touch the My Acrylix stamps in the past, I only let them use my old rubber stamps that I didn't care about. So, today was a first for the kids, and both the kids and the stamps did well! Both kids had a MUCH easier time than usual since they could actually SEE where they were stamping. It makes a huge difference when you can see where you are placing your image, especially for kids. Both of them got very creative and pretty messy too.

Annabelle had especially inky fingers when she was done, but it was the result of finding many ways to be creative with stamps, ink, and sponges. She even used a combination of three stamps sets to create a happy face message on the inside of one card. It was quite unique!

Joshua really got into choosing his colors and centering and balancing images on his cards. He used markers to add a few details to his images when he was done with the stamping and assembling. Check out the look of concentration on his face!

I also made a few cards, including this one for my father-in-law. The stamp set I used is called Summer Days and has great cook-out images. Notice how my pattern paper very subtly matches the tablecloth image design? That is one of the convenient things about using Close To My Heart products - superb product coordination!
http://ashleyanne.myctmh.com

Promise of things to come...

2011-06-15T14:38:00.009-04:00

I'm making a commitment to actively blog again. I've resigned from my full-time teaching position to spend more time with my family. As a result, I will have more time for crafting and gardening with my kids and on my own. I've also taken on a little part-time work with my church and as a Close To My Heart independent consultant. Close To My Heart is a stamp/scrapbook/craft company with clear acrylic stamps, which are high-quality and easy to use. You'll start to see more of their products appearing in my videos and pictures, as I find them much easier to use than the rubber stamps I used to use.

So, without any delay, here is a digital scrapbook layout. Close To My Heart has a deal this month (June 2011) where you can create a Studio J online layout for free, and then download the .jpg file at no cost. You can then print it at home, post it to Facebook, or do whatever you choose with it. Typically, you have to purchase the layout prints through Close To My Heart in order to get a .jpg file, but this is a .jpg with no obligation. This is a great way to test out Studio J and see if a different mode of scrapbooking is for you. I had never used Studio J before, and I have to admit, it was pretty fun using all of the digital embellishments, layouts, and papers they had to offer. Because it uses professionally designed layouts with perfectly coordinated papers and add-ons, my product is much better looking than any of the photo book products I've create through other websites.

When you order, you have to go through the checkout process to receive your free .jpg. It takes about 15 minutes to process and will be sent to your email address. You will receive one file of the entire layout for posting online, like the one above. You will also receive separate files of each page of the layout that are of higher quality and do not have the Studio J information at the bottom of them. I highly recommend you try this while it is free!

Visit http://ashleyanne.myctmh.com to try Studio J for free this month.

Two posts in one weekend!

2008-02-09T15:27:00.000-05:00

Well, since I went back to work full time, I've had very little time for crafting and blogging. But, this weekend, I was inspired and created two cards with two tutorials. This latest Valentine card is more traditional in it's look, but uses an unusual technique. I call it the rock 'n' roll twist. You take a solid image stamp and ink it up in a light color. Then, you ink the edges of the images in a darker color. Then, you stamp the image, but instead of traditional stamping, you stamp and twist the image. Doing this on glossy paper gives a slightly blurred, tie-dyed look to the image. It's a very cool effect.

Click the image to the right to enlarge it and see the detail of the blurred hearts.

Here are the supplies you'll need:

Pretty in Pink cardstock

Ruby Red cardstock

White glossy cardstock

Ruby Red ink

Positively Pink ink

Your favorite Valentine images

I used Stampin' Up!'s Like it a Latte heart

and Close to My Heart's You and Me set

Love is in the air...

2008-02-08T19:10:00.000-05:00

... which means Valentine's Day is just around the corner! In the spirit of this day, I made a not too lovey-dovey card. It would be appropriate for a girlfriend/boyfriend, husband/wife, friend, child, or parent! It's a very basic card, which is all I have time for lately, that has been dressed up a bit with Stickles glitter glue. See the video below for a demonstration of making this card.

Supplies:

Ruby Red cardstock

Blush Blossom cardstock

Basic Grey "blush" designer paper

Ruby Red ink

Basic Brown ink

pink, stardust, and waterfall Stickles

double-sided tape or other adhesive

Simple Christmas

2007-11-09T12:52:00.001-05:00

With all the busy stuff going on in my life, I really need to maximize my time. So, I'm not able to spend excessive amounts of time making my Christmas cards this year. One simple way to make really nice looking cards, really fast, is to use patterned paper. There are lots of gorgeous patterned papers in the craft stores, and one of my favorite lines of paper is Basic Grey. I've used Basic Grey's "Fruitcake" line to make the cards shown here.

The snowman cards used Basic Grey designer paper, Stampin's Up!'s "Merry" stamp set, and Stickles glitter glue.

The ornament and tree card used Basic Grey designer paper, My Favorite Things and Stampin' Up! stamps, gel pens, colored pencils, and Stickles glitter glue.

The striped card used Basic Grey designer paper, Stampin' Up!'s Ruby Red cardstock and ink, and red and lime green Stickles glitter glue. The striped card also has a video tutorial that goes along with it. The dimensions of the paper and supplies are as follows:

White cardstock base: 5.5"x8.5"
Striped paper: 5.25"x4"
Ruby Red cardstock: 3.25"x2.25"
Holly paper: 3"x2"

Paper trimmer
Ticket corner punch
Double-sided tape
3-D round Zots (dimensional adhesive)
Gold gel pen
Red Stickles
Lime Green Stickles

Christmas card eye candy

2007-08-05T21:52:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the Christmas cards I've been making lately. I'm trying to get a few done here and there so I'm not in a rush when the holidays come. I start back to work full time tomorrow, so I won't have as much time to make cards as I did last year! Here's hoping that by starting early, I'll have them all done with very little stress.

The wonders of summer

2007-07-27T22:26:00.000-04:00

Every year, I'm just absolutely floored at how beautiful hydrangea bushes are. They have quickly become my favorite flower, and I have six of them in my yard now. My latest acquisition (see photos at left) is "Limelight." It is a hydrangea paniculata, which is just one of several types of hydrangeas you can buy. Paniculatas bloom on new wood, which means they can sustain a bit more pruning than some of the other types of hydrangea. They can be pruned heavily in late winter, but you can leave some of the stronger woody stems intact in order to support the large blossom clusters.

My next hydrangea purchase will be a hydrangea quercifolia, which is also known as the oak-leaf hydrangea. The flowers are generally a bit less showy on the oak-leaf hydrangeas, however the foliage is absolutely gorgeous. The leaves are large and are lobed similarly to oak leaves. Their crowning beauty is their autumn leaf color.

Blanket Flowers

2007-07-17T10:44:00.000-04:00

Shirts and ribbons

2007-07-08T19:52:00.001-04:00

I've been ridiculously busy lately. I can't believe it's almost been a month since I last posted here! So sorry! Here is the shirt folding tutorial I promised. I decided to try my hand at a video tutorial for this. A college friend of mine recommended that I do some video blogging, so this is my first attempt. I have the shirt tutorial and flat ribbon tutorial posted here today.

Shirt Tutorial

Ribbon Tutorial

Origami Father's Day

2007-06-12T14:55:00.000-04:00

Last week's technique challenge at Splitcoaststampers was to make a card with a folded shirt on it. What a fun way to make a Father's Day card! Folding the shirt was a piece of cake once I read the technique challenge thread found at Splitcoast. I will update my blog with a tutorial of my own very soon!

The base of the card is Basic Black cardstock, with a brown panel on the front. The green panels, tie, and pocket are Old Olive, and the Old Olive squares are mounted on Creamy Caramel cardstock. I doodled faux stitching on the shirt and on the edges of the panels. The "DAD" was stamped with a typeset alphabet stamp set. The "loved" was from Stampin' Up!'s "So Very" stamp set. I handwrote the "is" using a silver gel pen.

Another Father's Day card I made was inspired by the Featured Stamper challenge at Splitcoaststampers. It was based on a design by Stamps4funinCA found here.

I created the striped panel down the left side of the card using the same technique I use to make grass on cards. The flowers are Primas and I added a faux brad sticker to the center of each one. The faux brads are also on the blue "Happy" and "Day" panels. The tree is from Stampin' Up!'s "Lovely as a Tree" set. It was stamped in Creamy Caramel ink, and colored with Stampin' Write makers in Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery, Sage Shadow, and Mellow Moss.

I've been a little lax in updating things here due to lots of changes going on in my life. I've recently found myself single again and am searching for a teaching job! I've already had one interview and have another one tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

Squares, squares, everywhere!

2007-06-05T19:17:00.000-04:00

I was inspired by Splitcoaststamper's color challege today. The challenge was to use Eggplant Envy, Certainly Celery, and Ruby Red in a card. I don't have the Eggplant color, so I used Perfect Plum instead.
Since Certainly Celery was one of the colors, I thought it was the perfect chance to make a graduation card for a theatre friend of mine. Her favorite color is green, and she's fond of the number four. So, I used squares in my layout (since she likes 4, I figured squares would be great). There are four squares: two in perfect plum, one in ruby red, and one in white. There are also four square brad stickers in the bottom corner and four dots of Stickles in the top corner. So, I really put some thought into this one! The stamps are all from Stampin' Up!. The background grapevine is from "Stippled Celebrations" and the main image and sentiment are from "Measure of a Life." The saying is from Eleanor Roosevelt and reads "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." I thought that was a PERFECT sentiment for a graduation card, especially when it's for a dear friend of mine who I know will do great things in her life.

Grassy How-To

2007-05-25T22:33:00.000-04:00

I've had a few people who were intrigued by how I made the grassy background on the card in my post earlier this week. So, I thought I'd make a similar card and create a picture tutorial for you all.

First, start out with a 4" x 5.25" rectangle in a light green color. I used Certainly Celery. You'll need at least two colors of green inkpads as well, one light and one darker. I used Certainly Celery and Old Olive. Open your lighter green inkpad and using only the edge of one side, swipe it down your card from top to bottom. I like to hold the paper in my left hand and the inkpad in the other, but you could do it with the paper laying on the table. If you do it that way, make sure you've protected your table surface. Continue swiping the edge of the inkpad down the length of the card, allowing for some lines to be diagonal and some a bit straighter.

Imagine how grass looks in your yard. As it grows up, some blades overlap one another and they don't all lean the same direction. The same look should be replicated in the swiped ink on your card. After you have filled your paper with "grass," you can use the same technique to make a few flower stems and leaves. You'll want the length and width of your lines to be somewhat proportioned to the size of the flower image you plan on using. In my example, I swiped two flower stems and added two leaves on each stem.

After you have done your grass and stems, you can add your flower blossoms and other card embellishments. In my example, I used the large flower from Stampin' Up!'s Delight in Life set. I stamped it with Staz-On ink on glossy white paper. Then, I highlighted the centers and edges of the petals with wax from a white birthday candle. After that, I used my brayer to apply Yo-Yo Yellow ink to the entire blossom. Then, I used a tissue to wipe the excess ink off of the blossoms. That left me with a white area highlighted on each petal. I was very happy with the outcome of this technique!

Not Flowers

2007-05-20T11:59:00.000-04:00

This weekend was the Virtual Stamp Night at Splitcoaststampers. Virtual Stamp Night is actually an entire weekend devoted to fun challenges. There's a new one posted every hour. This month's VSN focused on flowers, and my favorite challenge from the weekend was to make flowers out of something that isn't a flower. We could use anything we wanted, it just couldn't have any actual flower shapes.

I chose to make my flowers from hearts printed with butterflies. The heart stamp is from Close to My Heart's "You and Me" set. I stamped it on Pretty in Pink paper using Ruby Red ink, repeating the same image in a circle to make it look like flower petals. Then, I cut out the entire heart flower and added a silver rhinestone to the center for a little sparkle.

I distressed the Certainly Celery paper with Certainly Celery and Old Olive ink. I simply rubbed the edge of an ink pad in a stripe down the paper. The Certainly Celery ink is supposed to be grass, and the Old Olive ink is the stem and leaves of the flowers. Then, I added the cut out heart flowers to the Certainly Celery paper using dimensional adhesive.

Wonderful Watercoloring

2007-05-17T11:31:00.000-04:00

I think making watercolor cards is so much fun, and it really gets the creative juices flowing. I first got the idea to do this from Kittie747 at Splitcoaststampers. She has some awesome watercolor cards in her gallery. I have developed my own style and technique for watercoloring that is similar, but a little different than others I've seen. I tend to make my watercolors a bit more vivid than most people.

Here are the supplies you will need:
Reinkers, watercolor brush, blender pen, stamps, permanent ink such as Staz-on, permanent black pen, watercolor pencils, water, white paper 4" x 5.25"

First, I use Staz-on and a black permanent pen to ink the portion of the stamps that I want to use for my landscape. I stamp the page, keeping distance in mind. Smaller images in the back, larger ones in the front. In my picture, you can see the trees, cows, and flowers are stamped in such a way that they show distance. After stamping, I doodle the remaining elements of the landscape. In this case, I drew lines for a couple of hills, and pieces of grass around the flowers.

After all of my elements are stamped and drawn, I can begin watercoloring. I start with the large areas, the grass and sky. First, I place a drop of reinker on the the lid of the coordinating inkpad. You could do this on a plastic lid or a tray of some sort instead. Then, I dip my watercolor brush into my cup of water. With my wet brush, I pick up some of the reinker color from my lid. You'll see that the water will dilute the reinker in the lid. I like to have some of it very diluted and some of it not diluted much at all, so I try not to blend the reinker and water in the lid too much. I start with the lighter areas, and brush the diluted reinker ink onto my paper. I always try to make sure that my brush isn't too wet, or the paper will really curl and wrinkle. As I'm brushing the ink on the page, I make sure that I'm using strokes that match the curves of the land and match the cloud design I want in the sky. This way, as I add more and more strokes, I end up with lots of highlights and lowlights.

After I'm done brushing the large areas, I use watercolor pencils to color in the more detailed stamped and doodled areas, such as the cows, flowers, and tree trunk in my picture. Then, I use a blender pen and water to blend the colors. I use the blender pen instead of a brush because I can get into finer detailed places with the pen.

When all of the details have been colored, I add any desired sentiment panels (the blue "like to udder" panel on mine) or other embellishments. I try to keep the extra embellishments simple so as not to detract from the watercoloring.

You can see my final product below. I really hope you try this technique sometime... it really gets the creative juices flowing!

Nothing like a great challenge

2007-05-16T19:21:00.000-04:00

There's nothing better than a really interesting sketch challenge at Splitcoaststampers. Today's challenge involved two triangular pieces that are met in the middle by a square piece. I had great fun with this one! I used Basic Grey Blush designer paper for my triangles, and I matted it with brown cardstock. The edges of the brown cardstock were cut with wavy scissors to give an interesting look to the matting. The Pretty In Pink cardstock in the background was dry embossed with the D'vine Swirl Cuttlebug embossing plate. Then, I swiped Pretty in Pink ink over the embossed areas. The brads are really faux brad stickers that I've been getting in $1 packets at JoAnn's. They are awesome, because they give the look of brads without having to mess with punching! The layered flowers were cut with the Asterisks Cuttlebug dies. They are cut from brown cardstock and Basic Grey's Lily Kate paper. The flowers and the sentiment panels are popped on dimensionals.

The second card that I made for the challenge is for an old college friend who is getting married in a couple of weeks. This sketch challenge really reminded me of a dress, so I thought it would be the perfect sketch to make a wedding dress card from. The card base is Basic Black and is, once again, Cuttlebug embossed. I swiped pearlescent lavender ink over the embossed areas for a little elegant shine. The dress is made from vellum, and I highlighted the embossed areas underneath the dress with "icicle" Stickles on top of the vellum. The bouquet is a circle punched from Perfect Plum cardstock. I layered a couple of green paper leaves and three Prima flowers on top of the circle. Then, I added "gold" Stickles to the centers of the flowers. I really hope my friend and his new bride enjoy the card.

Simple challenge

2007-05-13T09:19:00.000-04:00

Friday's challenge at Splitcoaststampers was to create a card with lots of open space. Ordinarily, I'd fill open space with something like dry embossing or doodling. But, I couldn't do it on this card. For me, creating simple cards is a real challenge. So this challenge really took me out of my comfort zone. I used a set of stamps that was new to me, and it was my first attempt at using some Close to My Heart stamps (the hearts with butterflies). I got them from AmyJo at ScrapinUtopia, and I'm pleased with how they worked. They are clear stamps, and it was nice to be able to see where I was stamping!
I used masking to layer one heart behind another, and I doodled the border, faux stitching, and balloon strings. The "happy" stamp is from Stampin' Up's! "So Very" set.

How and when to plant

2007-05-10T09:21:00.000-04:00

It is still VERY risky to plant at this time of year. Much of Indiana has to wait until mid-May for the average frost-free date, and even then, that is only an average. Frost can still come much later than that! My area of Northern Indiana has been known to get frosts in June, and on very rare occasion, July! So, the fact that I planted 3 flats of flowers yesterday, may not have been particularly smart. But, I have lots of sheets for covering them in the event is does get cold again.
One thing that I like to do when planting anything is to make sure the roots aren't too root bound before planting. You'll know if a plant is root bound by taking the plant out of the container and examining the roots. If they wrap around the root ball of the plant, then they are root bound. The petunias I bought yesterday were a little root bound (see roots wrapped around the bottom of the root ball), so I needed to break up the roots a little bit before planting them. Breaking up the roots is called "teasing." I prefer to do this by hand, but other people like to use a tool such as a pocket knife.

The general process of teasing the roots went like this: First, I gently pulled on the roots that were wrapped around the plant. I ended up breaking some off and tearing a few in half. This is perfectly fine. In fact, breaking some of the roots can help to stimulate root growth after it is planted. Of course, breaking too many can kill the plant! After gently tugging on the roots, I spread them out a little bit. I set the plant into it's hole, and gently filled the dirt in around it. I used my hand to pat the dirt lightly to prevent the plant from falling over. Stamping on the ground with your foot around your plants can compact the soil in such a way that it hinders a plants ability to drink and breathe.

I have planted many flowers with teased roots and un-teased roots, but the ones with the teased roots almost always perform better in my flower beds. The ones that weren't teased were especially likely to pop out of the ground if they were disturbed by critters or kids!
Here is a great reference from Purdue University for when and how to plant many popular annual flowers. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-080.pdf

And here's another Purdue publication with more detailed planting and care tips. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-99W.pdf

Amazing growth

2007-05-10T09:02:00.000-04:00

There has been an amazing amount of plant growth in my yard since I last posted a picture. The hostas and ferns have almost completely leafed out, the bleeding hearts have recovered from the cold snap, and my red twig dogwood is starting to bloom. My hydrangeas are pretty slow to bounce back from the cold snap, but they are starting to show a little growth again. I also started planting Impatiens yesterday. It's still risky to plant cold-sensitive plants, and I may very well be out $40, but I'm willing to chance it. In our area, it's possible to have frost in June and even July, but I have lots of sheets to cover the plants with if it happens to get cold again.

A foggy morning

Stamps - an economical way to scrapbook

2007-05-01T09:57:00.000-04:00

As any scrapper knows, paper and embellishments can get pretty expensive. But, if you use stamps to create your own backgrounds and embellishments, you can get a lot more bang for your buck!

The photo to the left shows an example of how you can make a really fun scrapbook page without spending a lot of money on extra embellishments. I used Stampin' Up!'s Big Blossom stamp to create the background flowers. Then, I added brown punched circles to the centers. You can see that I also made two Big Blossom images that I cut out and adhered to the page. I doodled faux stitching along the edges of both of these. On the far left flower, I put a 3 in the center and things my daughter enjoys on all of the petals. The caterpillar is made from circles punched from pink paper, and I used an alphabet stamp set to make her name. The caterpillar face, antennae, and feet are all hand doodled. The brown matting is where I'll be putting her photo.

The Big Blossom and alphabet stamps can be used over and over on many different pages, and you can achieve different looks with them by using different colors and stamp techniques. The initial cost of the stamp is often more pricey than the average scrapbook embellishment, but the amount of use you get from it makes up for it over time.

Here is an example of another way to use the Big Blossom stamp to achieve a very different look. This look is very easy using the "Faux Shaving Cream" technique, which is explained here:
http://stampsandflowers.blogspot.com/2007/04/faux-shaving-cream.html

Weeds!

2007-04-30T21:28:00.000-04:00

I've had a ridiculous amount of weeds to deal with this spring. It's probably mainly due to the fact that I have very little mulch protection in a couple of my beds. The weed seeds just fall and germinate. It's awful! I wanted to knock out as many weeds as possible before my plants started to leaf out. I didn't want the weeds to shade my good bedding plants! Mulch can be a good weed preventer since it restricts access to the soil. Plants in your garden beds and lawn grass that is cut at 3.5" tall, help to shade the dirt and prevent weed seed germination.
I love how green things are getting in my lawn and garden now, and I can't hardly wait until they have leafed out completely! The photo below shows my backyard and shady garden as of today. You can see ferns and hostas and other plants are really starting to grow now. I'll post another picture in a week or two so you can see the progress!

Poppin' Pastels Part II

2007-04-30T14:04:00.000-04:00

A few days ago, I posted instructions for the traditional Poppin' Pastels technique. Here is another way to do it using the same supplies (see supplies below). Ink your stamp with Versamark or Embossing Ink. Then, quickly turn your stamp over and apply the chalk directly to the stamp. You can color different parts of the stamp different colors. For example, in my photo, I colored the flower petals with Orchid Opulence chalk and the flower center with YoYo Yellow. After coloring the stamp, huff on it and stamp it onto your paper.

It gives you a similar effect as before, except you don't see the chalk on the paper around the image. You only see color on the stamped image itself!

Poppin' Pastels Tutorial

2007-04-26T13:54:00.000-04:00

One great way to utilize a wide variety of colors, without buying the inkpads, is to use a technique called "Poppin' Pastels." You use pastels or chalk and Versamark or embossing ink for this technique.

The first thing you need to do is gather all of your materials. You'll have to work quickly once you get started, so you won't have time to hunt for materials. If your craft area is as messy as mine, it could take a while to find something!

I use a Q-tip to apply my pastels, but you could use another applicator such as a stiff paint brush. I also have my pastels, the stamp I want to use, and my Versamark pad handy. I have a small white square of paper that I'll be working with.

The first step is to stamp your image using the Versamark or embossing ink. I stamped mine over the entire square, but depending on the look you want, you may only need to stamp once. In either case, it pays to move quickly so the ink doesn't have the chance to dry before applying the chalk.

This brings us to the next step, chalk application. Simply rub your Q-tip (or other applicator) over the pastel square of the color of your choice.

Then, brush the Q-tip over the stamped area. You'll see the chalk (in my case Orchid Opulence) cover the paper, but it will show up very bright where you stamped your image. This is why it's called "poppin' pastels." The stamped area almost pops off the page!

After you have covered the entire stamped image or images, wipe the excess chalk off of the paper with a tissue.

After that, you can embellish the paper any way you want. Then, simply add it to your card!

Finished Product

Sketch of the day

2007-04-25T14:00:00.000-04:00

As you may have read before, the Sketch Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers is my favorite one every week. This week was no different! This weeks challenge used one large background panel, another big panel offset to the left side, and another small item in the lower right hand corner of the big panel. I used Basic Grey's Blush and Lily Kate papers on my card. I doodled the brown and green panels to match the leaves and stems on the Lily Kate paper. The Blush Basic Grey paper has been sponged with Mellow Moss ink. I just love how soft and sweet this card turned out!

Spring inspired

2007-04-24T15:23:00.000-04:00

We've been having some beautiful weather here in Northern Indiana the past few days. Temps have been warm, and the sun has been shining! All of the plants are starting to grow, and some of the early blooming plants are showing their color. This wonderful weather inspired a very springy floral card.

I used the Cuttlebug D'vine Swirl embossing folder to emboss the Barely Banana panel. Then, I swiped Certainly Celery ink over the top. The panel that the triple layered Prima flowers are attached to is Barely Banana paper that has been sponged with Pretty in Pink ink. It gave the paper a sort of apricot hue, which blended with the Prima flowers nicely. The Prima flowers are all attached with pewter brads, which have lime green stickles (glitter glue) on top. Lime green and Icicle stickles also adorn the edges of several panels.

The "Levi Tab" is made from Barely Banana cardstock and was stamped with Old Olive ink and sponged with Pretty in Pink ink. The "in life" text comes from Stampin' Up's "Delight in Life" stamp set, which the word "delight" on the green panel and the leaf behind the triple flower are from Stampin' Up's "Paint Prints."

Perennial divisions

2007-04-24T09:45:00.000-04:00

In my area, Zone 5 of Northern Indiana, now is a great time for dividing perennials. It is really easy to find ideal spots for your divisions as the plants are sending up their shoots (see photo to right). For example, in my yard, I have lots of hostas. Hostas need to be divided every few years in order to perform well in the landscape. Due to their size and fairly delicate leaves, Hostas can be difficult to divide in the fall; although they can be divided in either the fall or spring. I prefer to do mine in the spring since it's so much easier.
By looking straight down onto a Hosta plant that needs to be divided, you will usually see some clumps of leaf shoots. They are often like small circles (see photo to left). In order to divide them up nicely, you will need to dig up the entire plant. First, be sure to remove any debris in and around the plant. You'll see in my photos, that fallen leaves litter the plant. They should be removed before starting this process. Start by digging a circle around the entire plant with your shovel. Your circle should be a few inches away from the edge of the plant. Then, use your shovel to gently lift the plant and all of it's roots. Once your plant is loose, you can use a shovel, spade, or other flat garden tool to divide the clumps. Simply slice through the plant, top to bottom, in the desired areas. Then, you can lift the divided clumps and plant them in new places or give them to friends. I planted mine in a new place in my shady garden, and then added a slow release fertilizer (see photo below). Regular water is also very important, as it is with any newly planted plant.

Magazine Inspiration

2007-04-19T11:04:00.000-04:00

Twisted Chick Creations a.k.a. Flaxychick (see my blog links to the right) challenged her blog readers to use a magazine ad as an inspiration for a card. As I was flipping through my House and Garden magazine, I saw an ad that would be PERFECT! The layers of the appliances immediately stood out as a fun card layout. The font colors (blues and lavender) inspired the color scheme. The font style inspired the swirly Cuttlebugged background (which I rubbed with Lavender metallic ink). The Harlequin style paper is made by My Mind's Eye. I used my "Like it a Latte" stamps for the coffee cup and the sentiment, because it was really the only kitchen related stamp set that I had! The steam for the coffee cup is stamped with Staz-on ink on acetate, and then cut out. I got the idea for that trick from "labullard" at Splitcoaststampers. Thanks for the idea Linda! The blue panel that the sentiment is stamped on is popped using 3-D Zots.

Thanks for the inspiration Flaxychick! I'll definitely be using magazine ads for inspiration again!
Better view of the card.

Primas, Primas, everywhere!

2007-04-19T08:30:00.000-04:00

I just love Prima flowers. Prima flowers are just like any other fabric flower embellishment, but they aren't made of the thin slippery fabric that most faux flowers are made from. They are much thicker, and almost feel like a soft velvety paper. Their quality is a big step above most other flower embellishments. They are a little on the pricey side though, so you have to use them wisely, but you do get a lot of flowers in each container so I guess that makes up for the initial sticker-shock. They also come in really cute containers that can be re-used for something else. My favorite one is the one that looks like a milk bottle. It has a label that says "got flowers?" It's really way too cute!

So, yesterday, I got out my brand new Primas. They are little hydrangea blossoms, and for whatever reason, I was inspired to make an entire cluster of them. I love how this card turned out, but it's definitely one for hand-delivery only! I paper-pieced the stem and leaf, and arranged the primas so they looked similar to a real hydrangea cluster. Then, I used a small dot of "icicle" stickles in the center of each blossom. I also added dots of stickles on the cut-out corners of the green panels. This one was really fun and simple to make!

Trifold Card

2007-04-16T10:28:00.000-04:00

Wow! This is a really fun style of card to make. Following Beate's tutorial on Splitcoaststampers, makes each step easy. Basically, the process goes like this. Cut a piece of cardstock to 3.5" by 10.5". Score it 3.5" in and 7" in from the left side. This gives you three equal panels. Score diagonals on each of the side panels, making sure they go in the same direction. Fold one square panel in, and then the triangle up. Then, fold the other square in, and then the triangle down. Add your decorative panels and images, and tie it all up with a ribbon. It's so simple and quick! Beate's tutorial (linked above) is much more detailed and shows step by step pictures, so I recommend reading the tutorial if you plan on making one.
I was inspired by my red and white floral designer paper. I love red and white as a color combo, but I don't typically use it. For some reason, I tend to stick to a softer color pallet. Anyway, I thought this was the perfect excuse to do something a little bit bolder. I used two layers of white Heidi Swapp flowers for my center image. Then, I added orange stickles to the inside of the flower. Stickles are a sparkly glitter glue, are acid free, and are really easy to apply to cards and scrapbook pages for accents. The interior of my card has the small flower image from Stampin' Up!'s Delight in Life set. I stamped it in Ruby Red ink, which matches my Ruby Red cardstock base.

Argyle Inspiration

2007-04-13T11:37:00.000-04:00

The layout for this card came from the Sketch Challenge at Splitcoaststampers this week. It had lots of layers, which always means a fun and challenging card-making experience for me! As I went down to the basement to work on the card, I really didn't have any particular color or image scheme in mind. But, when I saw my argyle ribbon laying there, I knew I just had to use it! The ribbon inspired the color scheme and the image choice. The colors reminded me of a 40s or 50s coffee shop, so I used the "Like it a Latte" stamp set for my images. I used Stickles (glitter glue) to make the foam, straws, heart, and outline of the mug sparkle.

Fickle Mother Nature

2007-04-11T14:55:00.000-04:00

This morning was a real shocker. I woke up to a blanket of really heavy, wet snow on my lawn, garden, and trees. Snow alone really isn't all that bad for the plants. It can actually offer plants some protection from cold air temps. Today, however, wasn't really all that cold. It was around freezing, so everything is really wet and slushy. We've also been getting sleet, which is no fun either. On the plus side, I think the snow is absolutely gorgeous, and I do love images of snow on plants and flowers.

Coffee beans

2007-04-10T22:12:00.000-04:00

This card uses two similar techniques, masking and reverse-masking. Masking is a simple technique that allows you to use only part of a stamp for your image. It's handy for layering images in front of one another. In this case, I masked the interior of the coffee cup. I did this by stamping the coffee cup on a scrap piece of paper, cutting the center out, and using that center cut-out to "mask" the center of the stamped image on my pink cardstock. So, when I stamped it, it only showed the outline of the coffee cup. Then, I did reverse masking. I used the other part of the scrap paper that I cut (which had the outline of the cup on it), and used that as a reverse mask. It basically covered the outline of the coffee cup on the pink cardstock, so I could fill in the center with something else. I filled the center with Creamy Caramel sponged ink, and then with coffee beans in Basic Brown. It's a fun technique that I'm sure I'll be using many times over again in the future.

There's an excellent tutorial by Beate at Splitcoaststampers. It shows pictures of how to do this fun technique!
Reverse Masking Tutorial at SCS

2007-04-09T00:35:00.000-04:00

I've been out of town for a few days, but I'm back home and crafting again. Unfortunately, I can't do anything in the garden since it's so cold and snowy again. But, that gave me a little time to stamp this evening.

Today's challenge at SCS was to CASE (copy and change a few things) a card of a fellow stamper named HB. She had many gorgeous cards in her gallery, but when I stumbled on her fishy card I knew it was the one I would choose. You see, I just got an order of Stickles (glitter glue) in the mail the other day, and I thought a fish card would be the perfect excuse to use them! So, I got to work making a similar card. I changed a few of the stamps and modified the tag. I also did sponging and doodling. It's a really cheery card, and it looks great in real life. The glitter looks a little funny in the photo, but it doesn't look that odd in person.

Cold weather 'a comin'

2007-04-03T15:12:00.000-04:00

Well, this unusually warm, spring-like weather is about to end for us here in Northern Indiana. We are supposed to get severe storms this evening and snow by tomorrow morning! Compared with today, which is about 70 degrees, this will be a really frigid blast. I figured that my blooming daffodils will either be beaten by the storms this evening or ruined by the cold air, so I cut most of the ones that were already in bloom. I am leaving all the ones with buds and ones that don't even have buds yet, hoping that the freezing cold doesn't do any damage to them.

On the bright side of this all, I was able to bring some gorgeous daffodils inside for some springy flower arrangements. I even cut some spirea branches and used them to accent the daffodils in my larger vase. They are brightening up my kitchen, and giving me some hope that spring will return again.

Faux Shaving Cream

2007-04-02T13:50:00.000-04:00

What a COOL technique this is! The challenge on SCS today was to make a card using the faux shaving cream technique. Basically, you take a solid image stamp (like Big Blossom on mine) and ink it up with whatever color you choose. Then, you take a smaller image, inked in a different color, and kiss the solid image with it. When you kiss it, you also swirl it a little. This give a really cool, almost tie-dye like, effect.

For my card, I used Big Blossom for the large image, and the medium flower from Paint Prints for the kissing. I used a brayer to ink my Big Blossom in Pretty in Pink ink. Then I kissed it with the Paint Prints flower in Perfect Plum. I used purple stickles to dress up the center of the flower. My background panel is Mellow Moss cardstock that was embossed with my Cuttlebug. I swiped the embossed areas with Perfect Plum ink. The base paper of my card is Perfect Plum.

This card was very fun and easy to make, and the faux shaving cream technique gives a really neat effect!

Signs of Spring!

2007-03-31T15:54:00.000-04:00

I'm finally seeing some fun signs of spring in my yard. The daffodils (see first picture) started blooming this week and lots of perennials (such as bleeding hearts, second photo) are starting to pop up out of the ground. I've also done a ton of yardwork during the past week.
Weed pulling has been my biggest chore. If you live in an area like mine, where the ground is still pretty soft, now is a great time to pull weeds. They come out of the ground easily, and they probably haven't had the chance to flower yet. There are a few flowering in my yard, but most of them aren't that mature yet.
It's also a good time to cut bad old perennial foliage that has been left to dry all winter long. Trim them back now so you can enjoy the beauty of the new growth. Removing old plant debris reduces the chances of having disease or pest problems around your plants.
New growth is also popping up on a lot of shrubs. I really dislike the spireas in my yard, and have gotten rid of all but two, however I love the lime green leaves they are getting right now (see third photo). They are so bright, they almost look like flowers. Unfortunately, those leaves will soon grow and I'll be annoyed by the shrub's weedy look again. They just grow too doggone fast and clog up an otherwise pretty landscape very quickly. The two spireas in my yard keep my dog out of a planting area, so I'm keeping them even though I'm not in love with them.

Challenging challenges

2007-03-29T11:05:00.000-04:00

I absolutely LOVE doing the challenges at SCS. They give me a great starting point for making a creative card! I've done a couple of them this week, and was really happy with the results on both of them.

For this card, the challenge was to make something out of punches. This was the perfect challenge for me since I've made it a personal challenge to try to make animals out of circle punches! I made this little doggy from two 1" circles. A whole circle was used for the doggie body, and pieces of another circle were used for the doggie's legs, tail, head, and ears. I was inspired to make a sad doggie by the blue and brown designer paper. The "feeling blue" tag was cut using my Cuttlebug. My new favorite toy!

This next card was made for the "sketch challenge" this week. The sketch challenge is probably my favorite one each week. Creative layouts are usually my biggest obstacle in making cards. The sketch challenge provides me with the layout idea, and then I can let the creative juices flow for the rest of it. This card has a lot of things going on, but I love how it turned out. My daffodils outside inspired the color scheme, and it just blossomed from there! The designer paper is Me and My Big Ideas, and the "cute" image is copyright Stampin' Up! I used pewter flower brads to attach the ribbon on the side, which has been distressed with ink and frayed at the ends. The swirly background was embossed using my Cuttlebug.

Here I am!

2007-03-29T11:00:00.000-04:00

So, here I am jumping on the blog bandwagon. I've seen so many great blogs by other stampers, so I thought I'd combine my two favorite hobbies on my blog - stamping and gardening. You'll find project information and gardening ideas here.

Hope you enjoy reading it!