stamping...........again?

Hey everyone!  Its Monday again.  Seems like we get to Wed. and Thur. and then its Monday again.  Where did the weekend go? 

We had a preview concert for the band on Saturday night.  We heard 2 movements of the field show.  Its so amazing how great these kids sound!  Makes me a really proud momma.  BUT, I forgot my camera!  I had 16 take pics with her phone but now I have to call Verizon and find out how to get the pics from her phone to the computer.  This shouldn't be so hard. 

School starts on Wed. around here.  Then I get a whole week to stay home by myself while the kids are in school before I have to go back to work.  I'm giddy just thinking about it. 

Anyhow, today I needed some Thank You cards.  So inbetween going to Grace's school and finding out who her teacher is and going to Target to get a new lunch box, etc., and chatting with neighbors and getting dinner together, I worked on cards. 

You know how when you haven't stamped in a long time and you sit down to do it, it feels like you're trying to decipher ancient Hebrew?  Yeah, thats what happened to me today.  Of course once I'd get the feel of an idea, I would get interrupted and lose the idea. 

So I tripped on over to the Stamping 411 site for inspiration.  Now this seemed like an easy enough sketch but holy cow I was struggling!  I ended up with 2 cards.

Flight of the Butterfly, Inspired by Nature and A Word for You sets.  Crumb cake, old olive and whisper white cardstock.  Tangerine tango, old olive, more mustard, pumpkin pie and soft suede inks.  Large oval punch, Newsprint DSP, round tab punch, spiral tab punch, scallop edge punch, 1/8" circle punch, stapler and sponges.


Now, I know this DSP makes no sense with this card, but I've seen so many cards lately that when I look at the elements of the card separately, they make no sense.  But when you look at the whole, its cute.  Not sure I accomplished this here, but I tried. 

I got the new Newsprint DSP back in June with my demo preorder.  I think I've used it once.  I sometimes have a hard time coming up with ideas to use DSP and I thought maybe you would too.  Here is my solution:

CUT IT UP! 

Really.  I only do a sheet when I think I'd like to use it but don't know how.  So take a sheet and cut it up into 4x4 squares.  You'll get 9.  They layer very nicely on a regular sized cardfront.  When I see it in a smaller size I seem to get ideas for it.  Does that make sense?  Try it.


I really need some new stamps!  Maybe a fairy Godmother could bring me some.  There are so many stamps and half back pearls and sticky rhinestones and brads and ribbon and wheels and diecuts that I want out of the new catalog.  AND JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE HOLIDAY MINI CATALOG!!  Love the stuff in there too.  Yours should be coming your way in the next few weeks. 

See this stamp?  Its a new one out of the catalog.  SU! gave it to me for FREE!  Aren't they nice?  Its on page 158 of the new catalog.  This stamp originally said, "thanks big time".  I decided I didn't like the "big time" part so I cut if off.  I could have just used a marker and inked up the "thanks" but I decided I would never in real life say, "thanks big time".  So its gone and I'm happy. 

One of the new punches in the new catalog is the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border.  I like this punch but of course don't own it.  So I made my own version of it. 

See the old olive strip?  I took a 1 1/8" wide strip of old olive and used my Scallop Border punch on one edge.  Then I turned it over, lined up the top scallops with the bottom and punched out that edge.  Then I used the 1/8" circle punch and eyeballed the little holes.  Its a little funky but I think I like it. 

I used the Spiral Tab punch for this edge.  Looks like real notebook paper huh?  I got a wild hair and decided to scrunch up and abuse the DSP.  Really it makes no sense to the card but, its done now. 

Okay, moving on..........

Season of Friendship set.  Crumb cake, soft suede, very vanilla and real red cardstock.  Soft suede, old olive and black Stazon inks.  Scallop border punch, Newsprint DSP, dimensionals and sponging. 

I like this card but I feel like it needs something.  For one, I need to reink my soft suede ink pad.  It gets alot of love. 

When I first got this stamp set, the first idea I had was to make a mask for a full tree.  I just freehanded it and it stays in the box with the stamp.  Again this DSP has nothing to do with a tree but............. 

I did the scallop edge punch trick again here.  This time I used a 1 1/4" wide strip of cardstock.  Really changes the look of it. 

When I get up tomorrow and look at this card with fresh eyes, maybe I'll see what it needs.  Otherwise its going in the mail tomorrow.  I won't say who its for but, act surprised when you see it.  Okay?

Alrighty then, this old lady is going to bed. 

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

Blessings, b.