Faux Tile Grid Technique

I noticed this week's tutorial on SCS is on the grid technique and it reminded me of this card I did for a shoebox swap at convention last year. I'm already signed up for this year's shoebox. It was one of my favorite parts of convention. Thanks Rose for all you do to organize it! Here's the tutorial link: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/grid_technique

I took this card a step further and with a faux tile technique. After I scored and stamped the main image, I coated the whole piece with a versamark pad. Then I coated it with a layer of glassy glaze embossing powder and embossed. Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs

Colors: River Rock, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla

Other Stuff: Twill, Glassy Glaze ep, vintage brads

Triple Challenge

For this card I tried this week's SCS technique challenge, color combo challenge and this great Mojo Monday sketch from Poetic Artistry http://poeticartistry.blogspot.com/2008/05/mojo-monday-week-37.html

The technique challenge was to emboss and watercolor, and the color combo challenge was to use Ruby Red, Soft Sky, and Pumpkin Pie. I had to throw in a little Chocolate Chip because it's my favorite neutral. I used the set Embrace Life, with Twill and En Francais backgrounds. Everything chocolate was stamped with craft ink and embossed in clear. I stamped the flowers on watercolor paper and blended ruby and pumpkin reinkers with my aquapainter. The pattern paper is from the Bali Breeze pack. I always look at the challenges, but I rarely give them a try. It was fun to not have to think about the layout, technique, or color combination. I may just get a little hooked on these challenges!

A little housework procrastination...

I haven't stamped this week, so I thought I'd show you a few more wonderful swaps. This one is by Dina Anderson using Live Your Dream and Afternoon Tea Designer paper. I love her subtle canvas background and sponging.

Danielle Lounds used Watercolor Wonder crayons to color this image from For Father. She used a great color combination with soft sky and close to cocoa, and I love the piercing on the greeting.

This card by Judy Discipio is so pretty in real life. She stamped the image from Essence of Love in craft ink, embossed with iridescent ice and then cut it apart. Cool effect!

That was my procrastination for the day. I've got to get busy cleaning my house for my stamp night tonight. I have a dozen ladies coming over from 6-midnight. I put out all of my swaps and supplies and they dive in and create as many projects as they can. So far the record set by two ladies is 36 cards each using 6 different designs! Wish I could stamp that fast. Have a fabulous Mother's Day weekend everyone!

Teacher Appreciation

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! I cased this card from Treasureoiler on SCS http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/866274 who cased the layout from someone else. It's funny to see how a great card gets recycled over and over. I thought is was a perfect teacher thank you. The set is Tart and Tangy and the paper is Summer Picnic. I stamped the apple in craft red and clear embossed it to make it look juicy. It's hard to see, but the background is stamped in paisley and the scallop punch is pierced.

Wanted

Happy National Scrapbook Month!! I'm still recovering from a weekend of scrapbooking for a total of 19 hours with 128 other crazy scrappers. Isn't that insane? Even though I'm now buried in housework and laundry (the price you pay) it was so much fun! I completed 18 pages! Okay, that's a lot for me! This is a page I actually made last week using the stamp sets Wanted and Bronc Buster with our Outlaw paper. I also used our very fun chipboard. For the small letters I just sponged them with chocolate chip craft ink. For the number one, I covered the chipboard with our glue stick glue, placed it down on the back side of the pattern paper, and trimmed around it with a craft knife. You don't have to be perfect because you can just sand off the rough edges with a sanding block. It's super easy. I also used the sanding block to sand the edges of my pictures to add to the old time feel of the page. That was a little scary, but I love the effect. I used our two star punches, the dog tag punch, and my Cricut to cut out the frame.

If you like the chipboard, now is the time to get it! This month, when you spend $35, you can have all of the chipboard your heart desires for 25% off!

These pages are of the wagon races my son took first place in at his school. He built this wagon with a little help from dad, and I let him use my sewing machine to make the cover. I don't think I've ever seen him more proud than he was on this day.