Mosaic Madness

Stampin' Up has several bundles in the current catalog - you purchase coordinated products and get a discount on them.   The Mosaic Madness is one of those bundles.  You get the Mosaic Madness stamp set and the Mosaic punch.   I have been playing with mine today.   All of these cards are inspired by those I have seen from other demonstrators.

Paper - Gingham Garden
Card Stock - Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Midnight Muse
Ink - Midnight Muse, Daffodile Delight
Stamp Set - Mosaic Madness, Pennant Parade
Tools - Mosaic Punch

 

Card Stock - Baked Brown Sugar,Whisper White

Ink - Baked Brown Sugar, Strawberry Slush

Stamp Sets - Mosaic Madness, Bring on the Cake

Tools - Mosaic Punch, Simply Scored

 





Card Stock - Gumball Green, Whisper White
Stamp Sets - Mosaic Madness, Petite Pairs
Ink - Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple and a gold pen
Tool - Mosaic Punch

Card stock - Pear Pizzazz, Garden Green, Whisper White
Paper - Gingham Garden
Ink - Garden Green, Pear Pizzazz
Stamp sets - Mosaic Madness, Petite Pairs
Tools - Mosaic Punch, Round corner punch
Embellishments - Candy Dots

Card stock - Daffodile Delight, Calypso Coral, Island Indigo
Paper - Gingham Garden
Stamp Sets - Mosaic Madness, Bring on the Cake
Ink - Island Indigo
Tools - Mosaic Punch, Mosaic embossing folder

Paper - Whisper White, Baked Brown Sugar, Pistachio Puddong
Ink - Strawberry Slush, Baked Brown Sugar, Pitachio Pudding
Stamp Set - Mosaic madness,
Tool - Mosaic punch

 

Card Stock - Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pear Pizzazz

Paper - Gingham Garden

Stamp set - Mosaic Madness, Bring on the Cake

Ink - Crisp Cantaloupe, Baked Brown Sugar

Tool - Mosaic punch, Punch Pack

Embellishment - Pear Pizzazz seam binding

 



Card Stock - Baked Brown Sugar, Midnight Muse, Marina Mist, Whisper White
Paper - In Color DSP
Stamp set - Mosaic Madness
Tools - Mosaic Punch, Mosaic Embossing Folder, 3/4 inch circle punch, 1 inch circle punch, Punch Pack
Embellishment - linen thread

Catd Stock - Whisper White, Soft Sky, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple
Ink - Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Raspberry Ripple, Gumball Green
Stamp Set - Mosaic Madness
Tools - Mosaic punch, Punch Pack, Mosaic Embossing Folder
Embellishment - rhinestones

Card Stock - Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe, Whisper White
Stamp set - Mosaic Madness, Petite Pairs
Tools - 3/4 inch circle, mosaic punch, small and medum oval.
Embellishment - pearls

Card Stock - Whisper White, Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe, Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding, Strawberry Slush
Ink - Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe, Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding, Strawberry Slush
Stamp Sets - Mosaic Madness and Bring on the Cake
Tools - Mosaic punch, Mosaic embossing folder.

No recipe cooking

Some evenings I like to just experiment and throw things together - sort of like Chopped.  The other evening I had some leftover potatoes and a wedge of cabbage that I needed to use.  Here's what I came up with.  The whole meal was a big hit.
Salmon over a bed of sauteed cabbage
Baked potato cup
Asian green beans (just to have a green vegetable)

Salmon over cabbage - 
I sliced up the wedge of salmon and had about 2 cups total.  I sauteed that in a small skillet with a little salt and pepper.   I used the recipe on the back of the bag of frozen salmon as a start.  Mixed together chili powder, garlic powder, sugar, and salt and rubbed it on the salmon.  I pan seared the salmon and cooked until it was done.

Baked Potato Cup -
I diced up the leftover potatoes and mixed with some sour cream and cheddar cheese.  Spoon the mixture into custard cups and topped with a little more cheese.  Heated in the microwave until the cheese melted.

Asian Green Beans -
Drained a can of green beans and tossed them with some Ken's Light Asian Ginger dressing.  Heated  until warm.

My husband really liked the green beans.  And it was ready in under 30 minutes.  Guess it was a combination between Chopped and Rachael Ray.

Heat embossing workshop

I held a Heat Embossing Workshop this weekend and here are some of the items we made plus some samples I had to display. 

 This is one of the cards we made.  I love the embossed colors on the dark card stock.  I used Melon Mambo and Wild Wasabi.  The stamp sets are Papillon Potpourri (butterflies), Simply Sketched (sentiment) and a retired Silhouette Sentiments (flowers).

 I used the clear embossing powder on the piece of Real Red and stamped the same flowers on using Real Red on Whisper White.  This was placed on a piece of Crumb Cake and Whisper White card base.

 I used the retired stamp set Elementary Elegance and DSP Everyday Enchantment on this one.  The ribbon is the new Baked Brown Sugar ruffled stretch ribbon.  I heat embossed Wild Wasabi powder on Wild Wasabi card stock then sponged over it with Soft Suede.

 I used Melon Mambo and Wild Wasabi again.  Basic Black was used to accent.  The butterfly punch works really well with the stamp set.  Most punches leave a little blank space around the design but this punch cuts right on the outer edge of the butterfly.

 Elementary Elegance again.  I did the frame in Gold on Basic Black.  The butterfly was done using black embossing powder on Whisper White. 

I then used a sponge dauber and added some Daffodil Delight to the very center and Melon Mambo to the wings. Very striking! 

 For this one I embossed the flowers on the Basic Black using Melon Mambo embossing powder and then stamped the flowers on Whisper White with Melon Mambo ink.

Another card we made at the workshop.  One of my favorite new stamp sets, Flower Shop.  The background is done by stamping the flower randomly using Smoky Slate.  I did one flower using Melon Mambo embossing powder on Whisper White.  The Pansy punch makes is so easy to 'cut out' the flower.

We made this card by embossing the Mixed Bunch flower on vellum.  The card base is Crisp Cantaloupe with a layer of Wild Wasabi. The large pearls add a finishing touch.

These Mixed Bunch blossoms were embossed on Whisper White using clear embossing powder.  I then sponged over the design and punched with the Blossom punch.  I used the Woodgrain embossing folder oon some Early Espresso for the background.

One of my favorite cards - the butterfiles are embossed with Basic Black on Whisper White.  I then colored them in with the Marvelous Markers.   The card base is Melon Mambo and the sentiment is stamped on Tempting Turquoise.  A couple Tempting Turquoise candy dots really set it off. 

These butterflies were also embossed with black on Whisper White card stock.  Using a sponge dauber I added a little Daffodil Delight to the center of the butterfly. Then I sponged the outside edges with different colors, from top to bottom, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie,  Tempting Turquoise, Pretty in Pink and Rich Razzleberry.

Another Mixed Bunch card.  I used Gold embossing powser and then painted the design with a blender pen, picking up ink from the lid of the stamp pads.  The colors are Daffodil Delight and Marina Mist.

Butterflies made from the Mixed Bunch stamp.  I embossed with Wild Wasabi and then sponged with Tempting Turquoise and Daffodil Delight.  I cut off two of the petals and curls the others up a little before adding the 1/8 inch taffeta ribbon and basic pearls. 

The watch shape was embossed with Gold on Whisper White.  Then the numerals were stamped/embossed using Black embossing powder.  The clock hands were embossed using Gold and then cut out and added to the clock face.  Other images from the Clockworks stamp set are used in the background.

 

I also tried the Heat and Bond adhesive with the Dazzling Diamonds.  The Mosaic Madness stamp set and coordinating Mosaic punch were used on this one.   I don't usually use glitter because I always make a mess.  I have little bits of glitter all over the place.  I will put this card in an envelope before storing with the others.  :-)

 



And one last one I made after the workshop.   The Crazy for Cupcakes stack was stamped in Basic Gray and colored in using a blender pen.   I added some of the Versamark refill using a Q-tip to the icing areas.  Then added some of the Dazzling Diamonds.  The colors are Very Vanilla, Melon Mambo, Pistacho Pudding, Marina Mist and Sahara Sand.  I added a Marina Mist candy dot and some Very Vanilla seam binding to finish it off.

It was fun playing with ideas for the heat gun and embossing powders.  I need to use them more!

Something old, something new

Had a day off today so have been playing with some card stock :-)  I needed to get some samples done for a workshop this weekend and used a piece of some retired Designer Series Paper - Everyday Enchantment.  So when I finished with my samples, I decided to use up the sheet and make some birthday cards.   Here are some I made using the 'old' DSP and some 'new' items.

 

This is the sample for the workshop.  We are going to do heat embossing and I did this one to see how the Wild Wasabi embossing powder would look on Wild Wasabi cardstock.  I wound up heated one section too much and sort of bleached out the color of the embossing powder so I overheated all of it.  Then I sponged over it with Soft Suede.  The stamps used here are from  Elementary Elegance - both it and the DSP were Sale-a-bration items that I got free. 
The something 'new' is the Baked Brown Sugar ruffled ribbon.  Love this stuff! 



Calypso Coral is used for this card.  The ribbon was another item from Sale-a-bration the same year as the DSP.  The stamp set is Simply Sketched, a new hostess set.  The vintage button is a new item this year.

On this one I flipped the DSP and used both sides.  The 'new' item is the two candy dots.  They look like brads but don't add the bulk to the card.  Love them!   Stamp set is Perfectly Penned.

I paired the Calypso Coral with Basic Gray for this card.  The paper doily is the 'new' item.  They came out some time ago but they are fairly new for me.  The brad is from Sale-a-bration too. 

And here are a few cards that don't really have anything 'new' on them.  Just using up the sheet of DSP.

The little butterfly brad is from the Sale-a-bration also.  I love free stuff!  The brads coordinate so well with the DSP.

Just a little different version of the same items. 

Now - back to playing - have a punch art workshop in a couple weeks and need to find some designs.

July 4 Operation Write Home project

 

My project (or mission ) for July 4th is to use the odds and ends of designer papers and make some cards for Operation Write Home (OWH).  OWH provides handmade cards for the military personnel to write home to loved ones.   I love making cards but there is no way I could use all that I make so this is a great way to share my talent.

 I had a stack of scraps all cut the same size that worked well for these triple pane cards.   Really quick and easy but colorful, bright, fun cards.

 Another triple pane and a very simple card using some polka dot paper.  The paper reminds me of confetti or sprinkles. 

I pulled out a new stamp set, Road to Happiness, for this one.  I think it would make a great birthday card for a teen-ager who is getting their license :-) 

Some more sketch stamps.  I have lots more to play with in the 3 sets I got off E-Bay.   "Thinking of you" cards are requested by the soldiers.

And a couple more using the same Melon Mambo background paper.  Very pretty paper with a tiny feminine flower design.  The Fancy Flower punch is one of my favorite and it fits nicely on the 2 3/8 Scallop Circle punch.   I use that combination a lot.

Operation Write Home also accepts Any Hero cards.  These are cards made for the soldiers to thank them for their service.  There are less restrictions on those.  I always try to include some of them in my shipments.  Here are a few I made today.

Since it is Independence Day, I used a red, white and blue theme.  Seems I had quite a bit of red or blue designer paper scraps.  

If you aren't able to make cards but would like to send some thank you cards to the soldiers, you can do so. They do not have to be handmade cards.  They suggest writing a short note about your family or life events as the troops like to hear that life is going on as normal back home.   Today with email and skype, many of them stay in touch without the cards but a card is something tangible that was held by the other person and selected especially for you.  Much more personal and encouraging than an email :-)

More craft therapy

Time in the craft room whether sorting paper, cataloging my stamp sets or actually making cards is always a sort of therapy.  I can sit and think through troubles while doing something like sorting paper scraps or push troubles out of my mind while searching the internet for new ideas and techniques. 
Recently I worked on some sample cards for one of my customers.  She does not have access to the internet so is always thankful when I share some of my card samples with her.  She recently purchased the Floral Frames framelits and I wanted to show her a couple fancy cuts using those.

 

 The Floral Frame is partially cut through the cardstock - just from the back of the card - so that the flower sticks up about the fold of the card.   The Daydream Medallion stamp set coordinates well with the frame dies. I have used some retired Designer Series paper and a retired stamp set, Sketches for the card. 

 

The Floral Frame again for the card on the left.  I set it up wrong and cut out more than I wanted but it works :-)  For the card on the right, I used the Oval framelits.   Another one I like to use is the Heart framelits.  I will have to make some more of those and post them.

 

Another request from my friend was a cut-out card.  She saw one in the new catalog with a square and just a single flower stamped inside the card.  I know she has the Floral Frames so tried that on one.  The other uses the Heart framelits   I will probably do more of these as they are 'special' but still easy.

 

 

I also am low on anniversary cards.  Last time my sister was visiting (probably around Christmas/New Year) I asked her to bring along any stamps she had for anniversary cards.   I stamped up a bunch of the love-birds and love image and finally got around to doing something with them. 

 

 

Here are some more of the love image.  The scraps of retired designer paper worked perfectly for the hearts. 

 

 

I also did some of these Sketches images.  really like these for an anniversary card.  I stamped on whatever scraps I had so had a variety of colors.  These were quick and easy.

 

 

I liked the Sketches set so much that I checked it out on E-Bay.  I found 3 retired sets of various sketches that I wound up bidding on and winning.  This one is a sketch of a woman with a baby.  I combined it with sentiments from the Cuddles and Kisses set.  I really like some of the sentiments in that set.  There is one for twins, one for adoption and one for either boy or girl babies.  So you can be more specific on the card if you like.  I love the grandma sentiment on the card on the left.  I have a couple friends who will become grandmas for the first time later this year so will put that to good use.  The set also has a "Thank you from baby and me" which I used for thank you cards I made for my daughter. 

I have been forcing myself to use up scraps before I can get anything new :-)  I have done a pretty good job but still have so many to use!   The polka dot ribbon on the grandma card was from a baby gift at my daughter's shower.   I don't throw anything away - one reason why I have so many scraps to use up.