StarLitStudio

birdie birthday and necklaces

Two topics in today's post: my mom's birthday card and some new pendants!

We celebrated my Mom's birthday this past weekend, and I made this card for her. Because I discovered she reads this blog I had to wait until AFTER she received it to post it. :-D

For this layout, I am using this one from my friend Lisa Zappa!

This Memory Box Bird Branch image was paired with a new Hero Arts Birthday clear stamp, and a sheet of gorgeous Memory Box 6x6 Aerial paper.

The bird branch image was stamped in Adirondack Espresso on white cardstock, then I swiped the surface and edges using an Antique Linen Distress pad, and the edges only with Distress Vintage Photo. Blended with Tim's tool then matted onto Espresso cardstock. To the back right of this unit I added a small section of Aerial cardstock that was punched with a SU spiral punch, following Zappy's layout.

I know birdies are popular right now, but these stamps and paper to me are timeless - I don't know why I am so drawn to this Aerial cardstock but it sure talks to me! LOL!! Things like paper, stamps and even beads - they all talk to me!! They and tell me where to go and what to do. I just listen. And obey. :-D :-D

Back to the directions - I stamped the birthday circular sentiment on Aerial decorative paper, then punched out with a circle punch. Added a decorative brad and mounted to the cardfront with a pop-dot. Happy Birthday Mom!

Second part of the post: BEADS

I will openly admit I have, but do not suffer from: ribbon, paper, rubber (and photopolymer) stamp addictions. I am not seeking help or intervention at this time. :-D

However, I also have a bead addiction. My latest craze has been shopping on Etsy and finding wonderful bead artists that make lampwork focal beads!

And yes, these beads did talk to me through my monitor! LOL!!

Here are two sets of beads I found on Etsy last week from Mary Noelker:

talkative beads
really talkative beads

...and here is what I made with them!

They stop talking to me once I make them in to something. Maybe then they are happy and just talk to each other. :-D

Happy Friday and best wishes for a wonderful weekend!

Bird branch card:
stamps: Neenah Solar White cardstock, 6x6 Memory Box Aerial, Mango and Vanilla Bean.
ink: Adirondack Espresso, Distress Vintage Photo and Antique Linen,
paper:
accessories: 1-1/4" round circle punch - EK Success, Pop-up Glue Dots, Tim Holtz blending tool and foam, 7gypsies Calais decorative brads, spiral punch (Stampin' Up)

pendants:
artsy 3mm ball chain

good things - organizing

I love organizing and coming up with household ideas that make life a little easier.

While I am working on tomorrow's post I would like to offer a few ideas that help me in my creative workspace.

The first one is needles. I use needles not only to do stitching on cards with thread (sometimes but rarely on clothes too - :-D), but also to open up glue bottles or Stickles that become clogged for one reason or the other.

For this cork, I saved a wine cork and used E-6000 to adhere it to a Making Memories carousel that holds adhesives, Xacto blades, paintbrushes, hand-held hole punches, but...no pens. (said in my best Edna Mode voice - any Incredibles fans?? lol!! Edna is my favorite character...) Pens have their own container.

You could also glue a cork into a narrow bottle weighed with sand, or to the side of mug that holds tools or pens.

I keep the various glues that have a tendency to become clogged in the carousel sections near the cork of needles.

Second: I am a pencil freak and openly admit it. I love pencils. I love sharp, long, new pencils. Yes, there is a serious issue in my house regarding pencil theft. It was evident when the phone would ring and all I had to take notes was a crayon! I believe three little children are responsible for the vanishing act of my beloved graphite writing implements. :-D

I solved this problem using something I had here but was for another purpose: gaffer tape. Gaffer tape is a single sided sticky tape that has a decorative design or print on one side and is sticky on the other. Gaffer tape can be used for binding books, holding corners of cigar box kits together, and so forth.

Any child caught with a gaffer pencil must cough up $0.25 for each pencil or do pushups or jumping jacks - punishment depends on the age of the criminal. :-D

I hope to post more organizational ideas in the future...but for tomorrow...airbrushing!! Thank you for stopping by!

organic carrots

These carrots just crack me up!! Lockhart Stamp Company trilogy of whimsical carrots that can brighten any day. And yes, they are indeed called 'Organic Carrots' in Ellen's store - LOL!

I remember growing carrots in the garden when I was little, and plucking them from the earth! I really hope to have a garden this year, using the compost from my Bokashi composting system.

Based on what I have seen in magazines, I think the color cantaloupe will be very popular this spring. So I picked a Cantaloupe Memory Box card base and used two Basic Grey papers that coordinate to make it easy.

Carrots were stamped in black ink onto white cardstock and colored with markers. Yup I used my favorite BV31 (pale lavender) to trace the image and make it 'pop'. I stamped the image again onto a scrap piece of white cardstock, colored in only the center

If you look at the image underneath, I colored the center carrot orange before adhering the 'popped' center carrot. Since the carrot is slender and one can see a bit of the stamped image underneath I opted to color this in to give the card that nudge of quality that everyone likes and looks for.

This layout is based on a Mish sketch! You can see it in the cards in the post below too!

Thank you for stopping by and happy Monday!

stamps: Lockhart Organic Carrots, Thanks sentiment
ink: Palette pad in Noir Black
paper: white cardstock - solar white from Neenah, Basic Grey Oh Baby! Girl, Cantaloupe cardstock - Memory Box
accessories: Copic markers; fuzzy brad; Dew Drops.

silly seahorse

What is it about seahorses that are just so fascinating? Is it the name, is it their body shape? Their cute noses???

This little guy is from Stampendous, and it is called 'Limpet Points' (product code #L103), purchased at ATRS. I tried to go back to find him for a direct link, but they are sold out at the moment, and I only bought him last week!

Making Memories (MM) Fresh Anthology papers and page pebble brads in Eliza were used. The sentiment is new this year (2008) from Hero Arts - Birthday Messages Clear Design.

Using a template from Michelle Wooderson these four cards took about 20 minutes to make. I did not take time to make an intial sample; this MM paper collection all 'goes together' so nicely. I just cut the cardstock and ran with it.

Hope you have a great rest of the weekend!

paper: white cardstock (Papertrey Ink)
ink: Palette pad in Noir Black
accessories: Copic markers in BV31, R02, R20 and B41, Fresh Anthology Page Pebble Brads, scallop scissors; 1/8" hole punch