Patches of Patriotism

Remember the days of coloring in coloring books as a child or maybe as a grown up showing your child how to color? Relaxing, fun memories. Well, digi stamping can be very much the same. You can scale and print out the designs in your computer software program such as Photoshop, Microsoft Word, Corel Draw, InDesign or Illustrator on your inkjet printer. Let the ink set for a few minutes, then color to your hearts content. This is just one way to incorporate digital stamping into your craft projects.

Today I want to share with you some cards I made using Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff set named Patriotic Collection. It has great card kit elements for you to cut and paste, or if you have a photo editing program like Photoshop, you can incorporate layers of the stamps and add computer colorized backgrounds along with other digi stamps. I loved the quilted feel of her stamp design, so I used the Stitches set by Mels Brushes, also from Mygrafico.com to add the white stitchery to this card. I printed it out, hand colored the center using markers and blender pens, and I mounted on a deep red linen 5" x 7" card with blue and white panels embossed with the Divine Swirls cuttlebug embossing template and some gold metallic ribbon. I also embellished with the raised up star button and a couple more buttons, too! This set would be so awesome for making cards for the troops or for celebrating U.S. holidays like 4th of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day.

This Pockets of Patriotism card showcases another way to use digi stamps...print them onto colored cardstock. The pocket was printed on blue CS and shaded using an ink pad and sponge. I matted and layered the other hand colored digi stamp over an embossed dotted white background which I matted in red and placed on top of a hand stamped background using a distressed dot stamp from Stampin’ Up!’s Extreme Elements set. I alternated using Pacific Point and Real Red ink. And I added the red bow with white stitching as a vibrant accent.

Lindsay & I swapped sets to show our friends and followers what you can create using one another’s designs. To check out the card creations Lindsay made with my Elegant Name Plates set, check out her blog. To see some other card samples I made using some of her designs, be sure to see yesterday’s blog post. Also, check back on Monday for a spring card version using this very same pocket stamp! With digi stamping you never run out of ink, supplies or creativity!

Working on Samples

If it isn’t enough work creating the sets, I had to get busy showing samples of how to use them. There just aren't enough hours in the day it seems. One minute I am consulting on Prom Decor, the next giving boyfriend advice, next cleaning (which I try to avoid until it is time to evict the dust bunnies), then it’s writing, designing and creating. I know you can all relate to me! Right? I am well behind on cards for friends and family too, but here are some sneak peek photos of some cards I just posted to my mygrafico albums. For all the details on what sets I used, you can check there. These range from fairly simple to more complex hybrid . I will be posting more ideas today and tomorrow in the gallery. Happy Friday!

Frugal Crafting at It’s Best!

I have this super crafty and talented friend, Lindsay Weirich, who comes up with just the best ideas on saving money on your crafts. You have to check out her YouTube video on how to make faux pearls and dew drops. You will agree with me that she is amazing. I couldn't resist sharing this video technique using a hot glue gun and making it a Happy Crafting Friday for you! I will definitely have to try this one out!

Preview of New Sets

Here is a quick peek at 3 of my new digital design products available for purchase at MyGraficO. The Elegant Frames has been a popular set for cardmaking, scrapbooking and for custom stationery. You can pair with the Elegant Verses sets to add text or create your own.

These are also great for elegant scrapbook page layouts! I also have a color version.

Another new design that has been well received is my Birthday Pals set with it’s whimsical characters. It comes with b&w art that you can color or edit on computer as well as the 12 bonus colorized designs you see featured. I have some great phrases that go along with these!

I know most of us are just about shaking off the cold winter weather, but Easter is right around the corner. Just think of the fun ways you could incorporate these Spring Chicks designs into your Easter creations! This set has pre-colorized designs that are ready to print and use, or you can use them in a photo editing program, such as Photoshop, to incorporate into digital or hybrid scrapbook pages. As I catch up on some sleep from my designing frenzy, I will be sure to post some examples here for inspiration!

Be sure to check the site and my blog for samples made with all my new releases, and I would love to see your creations in the gallery! Not sure how to use digital designs in your creations? Keep checking back to my blog for tips and examples of how you can, digitally, live life creatively!

Helping You to Feel Lucky!

What luck! The St. Patrick’s Day Lucky Sale is the perfect time to purchase some of my brand new digital stamp designs at 30% off!!! Even though I am only Irish through marriage, I thought it would be fun to help you save a little green on St. Patrick’s Day! The sale will start Wed., March 17th, early morning and run through Thursday, March 18th at midnight. The entire store is on sale, so click on this link to Mygrafico.com to check out what all the buzz is about! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

If you just want to go to my shop, click here.

Be sure and check out the new set, just added, called Birthday Pals!

My Big New...A Launch into Digital

Many of you know me as a stamper, scrapbooker, crafter and project designer, however you may not be aware that I have also been a graphic designer & illustrator for over 25 years. In the past I have designed logos, ads and other marketing materials for clients, and since being introduced to the craft and hobby industry, my designs have appeared on papers, stamps and product packaging. I have been wanting to get back to doing more designing and illustrating and was accepted to be one of the designers for a wonderful site called MyGraficO.com. It features clip art, digital art, papers, stationery designs and more from talented artists from around the world. These designs can be printed out, colored in, or used to create digital and hybrid crafts including cards, scrapbook layouts, albums, tags, craft projects and even embroidery. My digital designs can be found by clicking on my name in the left hand column, (this link will take you there, too!) where you will be taken to a list of items in my shop. Since I am busily working on new products, there will continually be more products added to my shop, so check back often and please tell all your friends!!!

Who doesn’t like getting something for free, right? To kick off my launch into digital, I am offering this combo pack of digital papers as a free download. Follow this link. Register at the site, add to your cart, and the file will be emailed to you! I saved my favorites to share with you all and I hope you enjoy using them on projects. Be sure to email me so I can post your examples on my blog, or you can post them in the mygrafico gallery, too!

Keep checking back for more news about my digi art design team and new freebies!

Please share this blog post with all your friends and family.

Can you tell I am a little beyond excited? LOL!!!

Walking on Sunshine

I just got back from a walk in the sunshine, yes sunshine and warmth has finally returned to Florida today and I can't tell you how glad we all are to see it. This is the weather we truly love and miss. So I went through some of my project files to dig up a bright, cheerful card to post in honor of the bright, cheery weather.

In this “Wow, thanks!” card I chose a 3 color plus white combination of only orange, tempting turquoise and orchid opulence. The stamp set is Wow Flowers set also from Stampin’ Up¡®. This is a very simple and clean layered card to make. I also used a felt flower, brad along with a circle and scallop circle punch for the framed accents. I used my Glue Glider™ Pro with PermaTac adhesive for main parts and a few dimensionals to raise up circle area. (Be sure to stamp first before adding dimension or you won’t get a good image).

Hope this brightens your day. Craft something in vibrant colors today even if you can’t go walking in the sunshine.

A Card for A Craft Idol

American Idol is in full swing and it got me to thinking about how I actually got to meet and eventually become friends with one of my crafting idols, Susan Stringfellow. You see as I go go through my scrap and stamp magazines and find projects I REALLY like, I always check out who the designer is. More often than not the name was Susan Stringfellow. I was a huge, anonymous fan of her work so imagine my surprise when our worlds collided when designing for Inque Boutique. Susan and I have kept in touch and share projects and inspiration whenever we can via email and our blogs. Now the real dilmena...I wanted to send her a surprise along with a card. Talk about intimidating! I finally let go of trying to create the most fantastic Susan worthy card and sent one that reflected my style. Here is the card. I used papers from Me & My Big Ideas Sassy specialty CS pad, fiskars scallop heart punch an old hostess set of occasions verses for the greeting, flourish set from Autumn Leaves and this cool new wood mounted rubber stamp flourish from Inkadinkado that I used over top of the two side hearts. I used black and pixie pink ink from SU.

P.S. She liked the valentine surprise and the card!

A Momentous Birthday

Lately, it seems like I have had many family momentous occasions...50th birthdays and anniversaries, 70th & 80th birthdays, sweet 16 birthdays, so I am getting pretty used to making cards to commemorate these special events. Here is the Flourishing at 70 card that I made for my Aunt Floss’ 70th birthday. I didn't get to post on that day since the big baby delivery was the main focus. Still waiting on precious photos to share with you. I will either post on my facebook page or on the blog if anyone ever sends one. The new mom is pretty busy but Kelly promises to get them edited and to send us one. I did get to peek at the ones taken at the hospital and she is such a cutie pie!

Seeds of Love

I know you may be a little over seeing all these Valentine’s cards, but I had to share one more. This was a matching card and envelope I sent to my fellow friend in crafting, Melissa Bove, who is expecting her second child. It was a combination greeting...wishing her belated Valentine’s love and congratulations on her growing family. Our mutual friend, Lindsay Weirich, designed the digital set, Love Grows, which I purchased at www.Mygrafico.com for use on cards and layouts. I did another similar card for my friend Kathleen which I posted on the gallery of that site. The background Cardstock is from Core’dinations. It is a golden buttercream color which put me in the Spring frame of mind. Hope it does the same for you, too!

Sorry but this card got picked up for publication. I can repost the photos again later!

Spread some seeds of love and kindness today. Make a heartfelt card for a friend. Note: I used Glue Arts adhesives (Glue Glider Pro w/ high tac adhesive & Ribbon Adhesive) on this set.

Love, Love, Love...is meant to be shared!

O.K. remember when I told you that my family handmade me Valentine’s Day cards and I promised to share them? Well, I am coming through on that promise and posting the cards along with a few (behind the scenes) notes about them. You will be so impressed, as was I. See what can happen if you stamp enough...it eventually rubs off on the rest of the family! {big grin}

I am posting these in the order that I opened them! This first one is by my 14yo, Kai.

She stamped the top portion with a background floral stamp to create a

tone-on-tone look. She also used direct ink to paper distressing on the

type area and incorporated a punched flower and border...who says they

don’t pay attention to what you are doing. Maybe I should watch

and learn a few tips from them! Can you say talented? Is it

o.k. for me to proudly state that I’m her mom?!!

detail view of punched flower with button and stamped background...

This card is kind of a tag team effort. You see, several years ago I stamped this pretty 2 step stamping floral background for a friend’s gift. I had one long strip left and stashed it away for safe keeping to use on a special project. Truth be told, I was having a tough time parting with it!

Well, while I was cleaning out my supplies and reorganizing my studio, I put this strip into the patterned paper scraps file, and guess who quickly snatched it up — Ashley! I LOVE how she used it and LOL over the fact that I was saving it for something special, which it did turn out to be, only I wasn’t expecting to be the recipient!!!

How lucky am I that Ashley made me such a gorgeous Valentine card.

O.K., try not to get too jealous. My husband has only twice attempted to make me a card, both of which turned out great and meant so much to me. I am sure it is pretty intimidating for him in truly being out of his element (sort of like me on a bicycle, his specialty). He kept it simple and sweet. Doesn’t this rock!!! Poor sweetie discovered some little glue smears on it while we passed it around for everyone to ooh and ahh over. He was so heartbroken that it wasn’t perfect. Says who? Too me, it was perfect and appreciated more than any store bought card.

Think Pink!

Yup, you guessed it! Kelly and Chris had a baby girl and we are all over the top ecstatic to have a new baby in the family. Welcome lil’ Brooke Avery O’Connor! Such a sweet name. We just can’t wait to see photos. We hear she has a cute round face, strawberry blonde hair with light brows and lashes...fair like her mama with some of daddy’s good genes thrown in there too! Whe weighed in at 7 lbs. 12 oz. Not sure how long she was. I got the call around 11:30 am with the news.

Now grandmom Flossie can have a piece of cake for the both of you to celebrate the shared birth date. Will post a photo when I get one either here or on my facebook page.

I pulled this old card sample from my archives. It is one I made for my mom with the pink flowers. Thought it was appropriate in honor of the new mom, Kelly. May you and your baby share love always!

On this I embossed the rose and leaves in gold EP, bleached the areas inside the flower and leaves, then colored with an aqua painter and some ink puddles. This was from a set I designed for Inque Boutique. Talk about a flash back! The pattern is done with Clear EP and scrolly leaves from the same Aging Gracefully See-D’s set.