davebrethauer

Let it snow

 

Happy Friday Memory Box friends-

Today I decided to make a pretty easy Christmas card as I have a few holiday classes coming up this month and I need to *try* and keep things simple.  Soon it will be Thanksgiving and then Christmas.  Wow its time to get busy making our holiday cards and not wait until mid December.  Every year I say I am going to get my cards made early so I don't feel so much stress before the holidays.  How about you?  Are you an early bird or last minute cardmaker?? 

OK back to the card!!  I really love the Dewfrost paper collection as I'm fond of blue and chocolate!!  LOL.  The paper works really well with the Snowy Eve clear stamp set.  I hope your week has been productive and you have something fun planned for the weekend.  Our weather forecast here in Minnesota is for unusually warm temperatures 58-62 degrees starting today.  Woo hoo.  I'll take it because soon it will be snow and bitter cold weather!!  I hope to get outside a bit and clean up my deck and garage before winter.  Thanks for stopping by and the card looks a lot better than the picture shows.  It has a vintage feel to it and I hope you enjoy it.  I loved making it!!  Tami  :D'  

 

Card Supplies:

Notecard-Mocha

Paper-Dewfrost cut to 3 7/8" x 4 1/8"

Pearl Stickers-Frost Blue

Jewel Stickers-Sparkling Snowflakes

Inks-Creamy Brown Chalk, Versafine Vintage Sepia

Stamps-Snowy Eve (CL142), Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

(B1166)

May Arts Ribbons-Brown, White Metallic Thread (SM01)

Sakura White Souffle Pen

Spica Clear Glitter Pen

1/16" round paper punch or paper piercer to punch small hole

White paper cut to 4 x 5 1/4"

Dimensionals, Double-Stick Tape, Mini Glue Dots

Card Directions:

Adhere white paper to Mocha notecard.  Stamp five snowflakes from Snowy Eve clear set (CL142) using Sepia ink. I used a white Souffle pen on the background paper.  If you look closely there are little white specks on the paper so I wanted to emphasis them and make them look like snow.  This was accomplished using the white Souffle pen.  Edge sides of Dewfrost paper with Chestnut Roan chalk ink.  Stamp Sentiment (B1166) on a scrap of Dewfrost paper in Vintage Sepia ink and edge sides with Chestnut Roan ink.  Layer sentiment to  a scrap of Mocha paper and add glitter accents to edges of blue paper.  Attach designer paper to white paper and adhere brown  ribbon on paper using mini glue dots.  Punch a small hole in the sentiment and tie tag onto ribbon and make a bow.  I placed a couple dimensional dots behind tag and double knottted the white thread ends to prevent fraying.  Add a Frost Blue pearl to the middle of each  brown stamped snowflake and one Sparkling Snowflake to the middle of a large snowflake printed on the paper as shown.   Ta da another card!!

Advent Calendar Envelope Book

Looking for a "different" kind of Advent calendar project? Try this one!

We used 25 A6 size envelopes - in Mars, Jupiter, Antique Gold, Chocolate and 24 Karat Gold colors. These shimmery envelopes from our Soiree invitation papers are beautiful assembled together! We used a Bind It All to make these into a book - just place 5 of each of these colors in a stack and bind it - make sure that you are binding your book along the bottom edge of the "book" so that the envelopes can open up.

We used the CL143 Advent Calendar Clear Stamp set to stamp out the tags for each page. The stamps position nicely on the tag, so that you can center them or make them partly off of the tag.

 

Notice that the "25" stamp isn't there - use the two bracket images included to enclose a star or charm or whatever to mark the 25th day as something special.

 

Stamp the tags with Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate ink and sponge the edges with Versamagic Gingerbread ink for a vintage look. A little bit of ribbon tied onto the tag adds some fun.

 

Decorate each page with paper and ribbon. We used the Spiceberry 6x6 pack, completing an entire book with only one pack of paper - and each envelope page is completely unique.

 

We stamped the Snowpuff Branch (D1279) and added some glitter glue to the puffs on the branches. The punched out tags are from a Martha Stewart Tag Punch, the manila tags that we stamped on are just a standard tag.

 

We decorated this shimmery Chocolate envelope with white ricrac ribbon in addition to the pattern paper. I like how the number 7 goes off the edge of the tag.

 

I stamped the Monterey Flourish (C990) in Pearlescent Poppy in the corner - this is a great standard image for flourishes and collage! This is a pattern paper from our Poppystamps 6x6 Cedar + Snow Collection.

 

 

Don't worry if your stamped image - like the December image in the background - doesn't come out perfect! It just adds to the collage feel of the book!

Here's a better view of the binding - notice that the coils leave just enough room before hitting the envelope flap.

Have fun with this project - we're having lots of fun with this Advent Calendar set, and want to use it for lots of countdown events!
 

Here's what it looks like from above, fanned open - wouldn't this look great on a table?

Warm Wishes

 

Welcome & Happy November! I can’t believe how quickly this year is passing by. The holidays will be here before we know it. I am so happy to be making a dent in my holiday card creations. So what about you……..have you found a little time to get a start on those holiday cards yet? I usually mass produce one design, but last year I had multiple designs & this year is looking to be the same.

 

On a recent cover of a linens catalog, it had some cozy holiday flannel sheets pictured. It inspired me to “do up” the Build a Tree image in the same fashion. In addition to the Build a Tree stamp, I used Dewfrost paper, a Soiree White Scalloped card, a couple of images from the clear set Snowman Friends, & the Warmest Wishes sentiment. I didn’t know if it was “legal” to post an actual photo of the cover of the catalog, so here is a link if a different picture, although it doesn’t show a close up of the tree that was on the cover.

 

 

Here is a close up.

 

 

To make this card, start with a scalloped Soiree card. Add some Dewfrost  paper trimmed slightly smaller & round the corners with a corner rounder. I sponged some Color Box Creamy Brown Chalk ink around the edges. Adhere this piece to the scalloped base card. Stamp the Build a Tree image in brown ink (I used Memento Rich Cocoa) to Robins Egg card stock cut to a 2” circle. Decorate tree with white pearl stickers, white gel pen & snowflake jewelstickers. Add glitter to the snow on the tree if desired. Add bird stamp around the base of tree, perched on snow. Adhere to a scalloped circle of Dewfrost paper. Add a decorative border of Sapphire card stock using border punches ( I used EK Apron Lace Punch) and add some ribbon around this piece. Adhere to your base & add your circle using dimensional foam adhesive. Stamp the Warmest Wishes sentiment onto scraps of Dewfrost paper in brown ink & adhere to card. Add bow to corner.

As always, thanks for stopping by & I hope you enjoy a beautiful Fall day today!!
 

Project of the Month Calendar

I recently had the opportunity to work with a Karen Foster Countdown Calendar kit - and really enjoyed a project that went outside the realm of cardmaking, but still incorporated papercrafting. The calendar itself was designed well and was pretty versatile. The box of drawers comes with a list of countdown dates - so that you could begin counting down to Mother's Day, Father's Day, Easter or whatever holiday you choose.

I stamped the Advent Calendar Clear Set onto 25 little metal rimmed tags (Making Memories 32440 Mini Circle Tags Findings) with Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate ink - wipe off any excess ink that gets onto the metal rim, and allow to dry.

I cut out squares to fit on the front of the boxes, then used a 3/4 inch circle punch to create a half circle in the top of each square. The kit comes with a template that you can trace onto paper, for cutting the square and circle out perfectly to size. I did notice that a couple of the holes on the drawers were die cut off center, so, double check before you do all your cutting, to make sure things line up.

 

After gluing the paper to the front of the white drawer, I sponged the edges with Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate and sealed the drawer with some spray fixative (another option would be some acrylic paint - or just leave the shelf white).

 

I used papers from the 6x6 Spiceberry pack to decorate the fronts of the drawers. I tried to mix things up a bit, using 1 pattern per row of the calendar, so that it would be colorful but still look a little bit organized. I tied some various bits of ribbon and twine into the holes on the tag - (I left these out in the photos) - which made things a little more playful.

 

The dotted paper looked especially good with the small round tags! I tried to stamp the numbers a little off center on the tag to add to the collage look. Using the clear stamps it's pretty easy to position these where you want.

Bonus - the drawers are reversible, so you can decorate the other side of the drawers in a different theme (birthday countdown? Halloween?) and then switch them out as needed!

You are so wise!!

 

Hello friends!!

I hope this post finds you well.  Its Halloween weekend and I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with my best friend and maybe do a little stamping too.  I did catch "Mr. Mousey" on Thursday in the wee hours and may he R.I.P.  He's in my trash can right now and will soon be hauled away.  Bye bye little one.  I hope none of your relatives pay me a visit!!  I know gross hah but at least he is no longer lounging around in my living room. 

I wish you a safe and spooktacular weekend friends.  Today's card was designed for my middle sister's Dec. birthday.  I am very fond of the Dewfrost paper collection and I love the stamps.  They were all new until today!!  Be good now and thanks so much for stopping by.  I'd love to hear what you have planned for the weekend.  I'm finally going to get some new glasses so I can see better while stamping!!  Dang they will cut into my stamping budget but its due time as I constantly struggle to see and its SO important to take care of your eyes.  See you next month.  Tami  :D'  

 

Card Supplies:

Paper-Dewfrost

Notecard-Vanilla Bean

Stamps-Owl Branch (F1287), CL141 Night Before (Calendar), You Are So Wise (B944), Happy Birthday Script (B828), Make A Wish (B831)

Pearls-Frost Blue

Inks-Colorbox Chalks Creamy Brown, Dark Brown; Versafine Vintage Sepia; Memento Brown (Copics)

American Crafts-Rick Rack

Copics-BG10, E00, E33, E35, E41, E50, E51, Y06, Y13, Y38

Spica Glitter Pen-Buttermilk

Saukura Glaze Pen-Clear

Quickie Glue Pen

Dimensional Dots, Double Stick Tape, 3M Tacky Adhesive Glue

Other Paper-Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80# Cover

Card Directions:

Cut Dewfrost paper to 4 x 5.25" and edge with creamy brown ink.  Stamp owls on light blue Dewfrost paper, again on another paper scrap from collection (for paper piecing scarves), and third time on a white scrap (Memento brown ink for Copic coloring).  Edge the first light blue paper with creamy brown and adhere to a larger brown polka dot layer (Dewfrost).  Cut out owls (cut off left side of scarves) and color with Copic markers.  Paper piece scarf.  I colored in each scraf with blue Copic BG10.  Glue pieces to main owl image as shown.  Stamp calendar twice on blue Dewfrost scraps in Versafine brown ink.  Cut out calendar and cut out number 2 from second image (my sister's birthday is Dec. 2).  Edge calendar with creamy brown and layer calendar to a vanilla bean paper scrap.  Glue down blue rick rack to background paper. Attach dimensional dots to back of calendar.  Adhere all card pieces to Dewfrost paper as shown and attach to a vanilla bean notecard.  On the inside I stamped both birthday sentiments and stamped you are so wise on a blue Dewfrost scrap and layered the sentiment to a brown scrap (vanilla bean).  Use clear glaze pen on eyes, nose, and pinecones.  Add buttermilk glitter accents.  Adhere frost blue pearls to three corners on main image and one on each side of December.    

Another picture showing sentiment:

 

My sister is very smart and again she's a December child.  We are very close and I'm the oldest daughter in our family of three sisters.  Sami and I are also know as "Pitter and Patter" respectively so I love the owl stamp for several reasons.  It is very symbolic to me.  I hope I have not bored you.   Thanks again if you have read this all the way.  

Paper Garden

Warm weather, a store stuffed full of paper crafting supplies and a visit with the lovable and talented Stephanie Nishikawa - all these elements came together for a wonderful visit to The Paper Garden in Sacramento, California.

Located in a beautiful boutique shopping center, The Paper Garden is spilling over with stamps, papers, accessories and gifts perched on custom shelving, paper racks and shabby chic cupboards in pastel shades. Stephanie stocks tons of rubber stamps on clever shelves that display a sample card near the stamp used on each project. The idea cards are lined up 3 or 4 deep near each stamp - which could give hours of inspiration for devoted paper crafters. There are literally hundreds of card ideas posted in each section. 

Oh, and do you need some paper? Well, Stephanie has racks of specialty cardstock, notecards and envelopes for all occasions - she offers a full service or do-it-yourself wedding invitation service at the store. You can have her design an invitation and print/cut everything yourself - or she will design, print cut and customize an invitation for you, so that all you have to do is add an address and send it! Sending 20? No problem! Sending 1000? No problem!!

Stephanie stocks cool gifts and fun things too - she has a keen sense for buying terrific stuff and it's just great eye-candy to walk through this store. One of the customers who took my class regularly drives over from the Bay area because "there's no store like Stephanie's store!".

Of course, Stephanie's son Miles was on hand to "be my helper" (in between naps). I haven't seen him in a year - and he has really grown. Miles and I bonded and I wanted to bring him back with me! I'll just have to visit more often so that I can make sure he doesn't forget me!

Be sure and load up on the Japanese specialty papers while you're there - and check out the pre-made card and envelope packs (for beautiful stationery gifts!).

Spiceberry Cheer

 

Welcome!! I hope your week is off to a good start.  It’s been a little soggy around here the last couple of days. I was lucky to be able to get a photograph of my card outside this week in between rain showers & without the wind blowing it away. I’m hoping to take advantage of the gloomy weather & get some of my holiday gift crafting started this week & maybe do some baking.

 

I have not shared a card in a while using the Spiceberry papers, so I’m sharing a little Spiceberry cheer with you this week. J

 

 

 

To make this card, you will need a Dill note card, Cranberry card stock & Spiceberry paper. I used Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate & Moonlight White ink. I used stamps from the clear sets Twelve Days & Snowy Eve. The next couple of photos show you measurements of paper pieces & supplies used.

 

 

  
 

Start with Dill note card. Adhere larger piece of Spiceberry paper to left hand side leaving a thin border. Stamp the reindeer image on smaller piece of Spiceberry paper in Pearlescent Chocolate ink & edge with green ink. Adhere this to the right side of your Cranberry piece leaving a thin border on right side. Stamp three snowflakes in the empty space on the left side of your Cranberry piece & adhere Christmas jewels to the center of your snowflakes. Wrap ribbon (I used a thin red grosgrain) around the right hand side of your dill note card. To finish the card, adhere snowflake/reindeer piece to the card.

 

Thank you for visiting my post today……you always make my day!!

Busy, Busy Bee

After teaching 5 classes and attending a VIP Customer Appreciation party at Ink About It in Westford, MA Thursday through Saturday, I flew back Saturday night in time to get my kids from a tennis function that ended as my plane was landing in Seattle. To say things are busy is an understatement! We filled Sunday with homework and a trip to the nursery to get onions and garlic to plant for winter, and then stopped by a specialty Chrysanthemum show - there were Chrysanthemums in sizes I'd never seen before (some were 6 inches across!). While I do plan on getting caught up on all of my current projects, including video of my visit to The Paper Garden, I wanted to share a fun happening with you. Stephanie's store (The Paper Garden in Sacramento, CA) had an article written about it in the Sacramento Bee and there are some great photos in the article too - click here to see the article. Notice that the photos are of Stephanie (meticulously straightening her perfect store), a Memory Box card display, and my snowman stamp on top of what I think is an A Muse stamp - the stamp companies of Seattle were well represented!

My trip to Westford was wonderful as always - Linda and Lori always take such good care of me when I'm in town and East Coast food is delicious. The trip was a bit of a blur, but it ended with a Lobster Roll (or was it a Crab Roll) - on toasted Brioche with Celery mayonnaise - and I am still savoring it! I will blog in greater detail about the trip in a few posts. 

In other news, our friends at the Stamp Addict in Southern California have been doing some fun things with our stamps and I wanted you to check it out. One of their instructors, Julia Quinsey, provided this project and instructions - and the card is great!

 

And here is the inside...

 

Memory Box Pop-up card

 

Supplies: D1278 Bird Tree

                 CL141 Night Before

                Spiceberry 6X6 paper set   

                Ink- Black Marvy Matchable

                Merry Christmas - Hero Arts Clear Set

                Hero Arts- Star gem, clear gems

                Mark Richards - gold nail head

                Red Sakura gelly roll

                Tan, Green, Ivory card stock

 

Tan card: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"

Tan card: 8 1/4" x 5 1/4"

Fold smaller card in half and cut in 3/4" at the center to form a pop-up mechanism.  Put smaller card inside bigger card and tape together.

Stamp border on card.

Tape on green layer: 4 3/4" x 3 1/2"

Tape on ivory layer: 4 1/2" x 3 1/4"

Use paper from Spiceberry set: Tree with writing : 3" x 2 3/8"

Calendar: stamp and cut out

Christmas ornament: stamp and punch out with 1 1/4" circle punch.

Attach green bow with Sticky dot

Add gold nail head (Mark Richards)

Add tiny star on tree(Hero Arts)

Add clear stick-on gem on calendar (Memory Box)

Add red dots on end of curly Q's with glaze pen

 

Inside: Attach 3" green circle with foam tape and memory box "Bird tree" Stamped in black(and cut out in Ivory paper) with red glaze pen berries and green leaves, stamp Merry Christmas inside.

Poinsettia Silhouette

Hi there friends-

Today I'd like to share an elegant holiday card and certainly one for a special person!!  Hee hee.  For those of you that don't really know me, ribbon is my thing.  I hate to admit it but the bow and scanning/cropping the card took the longest.  I absolutely love the new poinsettia silhouette stamp.  What are the holidays without a pot of poinsettias dressed in a foil wrap with a pretty bow??  Anyway I've been super busy these past few days stamping, teaching, and prepping for my annual Halloween stamping party on Saturday night.  I can hardly wait to see my friends.  We are having a potluck dinner (yumo) followed by a "crafty" white elephant dice game.  I have Halloween party favors for my guests and some nice prizes.  We are making five spooktacular projects and always have a good time stamping, eating, and gabbing the night away!!  You can be sure there will be lots of Memory Box stamps and paper at the party.  Its quite chilly in MN and I'm sad to report I have a mouse in the house.  I am totally freaked out by this and have screamed twice really loud when *it* ran by me.  I will just die if I see a mouse upstairs.  Come Sunday I will be taking care of some serious mouse/house business.  I know this sounds silly but I keep thinking the mouse is going to get in my bed.  Enough about me.  I hope you have had a great week and you will get in some stamping, scrapbooking or crafting this weekend.  Every time I post another card I get excited as I have quite the "Memory Box stash" since I've been guest blogging (May).  Thanks for stopping by and I wish you a very pleasant weekend.  Wish I had a nice digital camera like all my friends.  Did you hear that Santa??  I've been a good girl this year!!  See you next Friday with another card and a mouse report.  Tami  :D'  

 

Card Supplies:

Poinsettia Silhouette (E1282)

Peace, Love and Joy (B1114)

Soiree 24 Karat Notecard, Begonia Notecard (for layering)

Ink Pads-Color Box Pink, Lime, Olive Pastel Chalk; Brilliance Galaxy Gold 

Spica Glitter Pen-Buttermilk

Pearls-Daffodil, Baby Pink

May Arts Ribbon 13" (JB16)

Other Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Natural White 80# Cover, Green Bazzil to match ribbon

Other Supplies:  Scotch Tape, Mini Glue Dot, Adhesive, Finger Sponge (Gold Ink Edging)

Card Measurements: 

Natural White-3 5/8" x 4 7/8"

Begonia Pink Layer- 3 3/4" x 5"

Green Bazzil Layer-4" x 5 1/4"

Natural White Card Liner (Inside)-4" x 5 1/4'

Card Directions:

Scotch tape the two flowers on the Poinsettia Silhouette stamp.  This is called "omit stamping".  Ink leaves and stems mixing lime and olive pastel chalk inks.  Lift off tape and discard.  Carefully ink up poinsettia flowers using pink pastel and stamp out image on natural white paper.  Remember "practice makes perfect"!!  Edge sides of natural white paper with gold ink.  Layer main image to begonia paper and then to green paper.  Stamp sentiment in pink ink.  Wrap ribbon around all three layers and tie a bow.  Secure middle of bow to card using a mini glue dot under the bow's center.  Adhere layered poinsettia image to Soiree 24 Karat notecard.  Place a daffodil pearl in the middle of each flower and add butttermilk glitter pen accents near center of each flower.  Adhere a baby pink pearl in each corner as shown and add liner to inside of card.  

Tami Notes:

I love the buttermilk glitter pen and use it all the time (my favorite color next to the clear glitter pen).  I also love love love baby chalk inks and use them as tools and for distressing/edging.  Let me know if you have any questions.  Whew....I can't wait to get my new Poppy designer paper and yes, I have more Memory Box and Poppy stamps on my wish list!!  One can never have too much rubber right?  : )   

Build A Tree 'Branch'

 

Hey guys…welcome! Thanks for stopping by today. I am posting a bit later than usual so you could enjoy Dave’s post.

 

Do you every have one of those cards that doesn’t play out on paper quite like you were envisioning it in your head? That is sort of what happened with this card. Looking back on my design, I think simply adjusting my layout may have made a difference for me. I figure it’s OK to have that happen though, since it gives me a springboard for another card.

 

My idea was to use the Build a Tree (D1273) stamp as a branch/limb for the Scalloped Owl (C1293) to perch and having a large moon in the background. The more I play with the Scalloped Owl, the more I enjoy working with this image.....a great one to add to your collection.

 

 

I thought it would be fun to add some wood grain texture to the Build a Tree stamp. I did this by stamping the image in Ancient Page Chocolate ink & stamping a wood grain background stamp onto the inked image before I stamped it onto my card stock. I hope the picture below may give you a better visual of what I’m talking about. 

 

After stamping the “branch/limb” onto my Sweet Corn circle, I felt like I needed to add some dimension, so I stamped the limb again onto Sweet Corn card stock & carefully trimmed the image out, this time leaving a thin border around it. I did the same with the owl after I colored it with colored pencils. I sponged ColorBox Yellow Ochre chalk ink around the border of the circle & added some Art Institute yellow ultra fine glitter. I adhered the branch & owl onto the circle using dimensional foam adhesive. I added some of the Halloween Jewel stickers to the eyes of the owl. I hope the photo below gives you a better view of the dimension.

 

 

I adhered the Twilight paper onto the Jack o Lantern card stock & adhered that piece to the Licorice note card. Next, I adhered the “moon”, again using dimensional foam adhesive. I finished the card off by adding some more Halloween Jewel stickers to the Twilight paper. I've included a photo with the measurements of the paper pieces for you.

 

I hope you will stop back for another visit next Tuesday!! J