You called?

I don't know about you, but when the phone rings and I need to jot something down, it seems like I'm always scrambling to find a pencil and some scrap of paper to write on...then later when I need it, who knows where it has ended up!  It is my turn to design the project for this month's Lizzie Anne Designs newsletter, so I decided to make a little notepad that hopefully will remedy my situation!  It was inspired by a card I made a few days ago in these same sepia tones.

I started out with a 6 1/4 inch wide x 8 1/4 inch long piece of black card stock which will form the cover.  To score it (I avoid math when I can!) just move the right edge to the 7 1/2 inch mark, then score at 2 3/4 and 3 inches.  Set this aside for now.





Score a 3 x 5 inch piece of card stock at 1, 1 1/2, 2, and 2 1/2, then score 1/2 inch from the bottom edge, trimming the flaps as the picture shows.  The part to the left of the first score line will be adhered to the inside of the cover at the bottom right corner to form the pencil holder.  (You can see how it attaches in one of the pictures below).

Cut a 3 x 8 1/4 inch piece of card stock to line the back cover.  This liner will form a pocket for the back of the notepad...that way it can be replaced when the pages are gone.  Yay for not having to throw the whole project away, right?!


Make a mark (about 1 1/2 inches from the top) to help keep the punch parallel to the top of the paper as you punch the slot.  (You should make yours in pencil so it is erasable!)  Keep the opening more toward the left edge of the piece so that when the front cover is closed, the notepad will not show from underneath.

Add a little notch in the top of the pencil holder if you like.  Here I've applied tape to the long edges that will attach to the inside back of the cover.  Fold this part under and align the edges along the right and bottom of the inside of the cover.  Adhere.

Flip the slotted liner piece over and apply narrow tape to the back side, along the very edges and to the top edge of the slot.  Be sure to keep the part below the slot free...that will become the pocket. (Notice that I forgot to flip mine over, so in this picture I put tape on the wrong side...OOPS!)



Apply tape along the long edge of the pencil holder, fold it under and press it flat to adhere it and form a box.  (Notice that the long edge of this flap, when folded under, will align with the long edge of the cover).  Use glue dots to adhere the flaps at the bottom.



Here you can see the tablet tucked inside the slot...because of my earlier mistake, I had to snip the slot of mine to get the notepad to slide further to the left, but it still looks ok!  The eraser helps hide my mistake!  :rolleyes:


Now for the stamping!  The image panel is 2 1/8 x 7 5/8 inches.  Use a multi-liner and a ruler to ink in lines along the left and bottom edges, then sponge on some transparent color using a mask and some distress inks, allowing the color to fade away toward the top and right side.

Stamp the phone image with black ink.  Mat the focal image with a layer of black (2 3/8 x 7 7/8), then another of white (2 1/2 x 8).




Tie a big bow with some wide ribbon and attach the finished piece to the front of the prepared cover with foam tape.  Add a few adhesive backed pearls to the pencil holder and you're all done!

Cupcakes and Ice Cream!

Hello friends! I hope you had a great weekend! Mine seemed to fly by and I didn't get the things accomplished that I had hoped to, but I am not complaining! Sometimes a little mishap can have a silver lining, KWIM?

I taught classes in Ocala on Thursday, and Friday afternoon when I went to reach for my paper cutter to play some VSN I realized that I left it down there! Ooopsie! I couldn't go without it long enough to have Tricia ship it, so I *had* to go buy a new one! Aww shucks! ;)

I love my Cutterpede, but I really needed something more durable for cutting card stock for classes anyway, so I went shopping at A Small Cleverness and came home with a brand new Tonic cutter. I looked at another more expensive German-made cutter that I really liked, but its marks for measuring didn't have small enough increments and I knew that would frustrate me.  Maybe I'm too particular...I was wishing that I could just mix features from each one of them to come up with the one that would be *perfect* for me.

I played a little with the Tonic over the weekend as I made two cards...I like it so far for its crisp, clean cuts and precise measurements.  It is a little different "eye-balling" measurements with it than with the Cutterpede, but I am sure I'll get used to it!

With end-of-the-month design team assignments, I didn't have a whole bunch of extra time to just play...I spent most of it shopping for a cutter instead of crafting, so I only got this one card done for VSN.  The images are from Lizzie Anne Designs monthly mix from last month, Turn Toard the Sun.  They fit perfectly for Judi's Summer Foods challenge.  Love the colors in this designer paper from The Paper Studio!  It made for tasty flavors of ice cream (Memento Rich Cocoa, SU Pixie Pink, and Bashful Blue)!  I'm not so hot at making cards thought to finish in 45 minutes, so this one is super simple with only a drippy edge punch and a pretty two-toned satin bow.

Hi!

Birds are all the rage right now, and these from the {stamps} of life are such cuties.  Here they're havin' a chick-chat like my girlfriends did Tuesday night!  We went to see Eat Pray Love and then had dinner together afterward...so much fun!! 

I used Kaisercraft paper and some pretty American Crafts ribbon in a simple layout along with my favorite combination of media:  Memento ink, Copic markers, and Tim Holtz distress ink. 

CPS and OCL!

This week, Our Craft Lounge is sponsoring the sketch at Card Positioning Systems! Wait til you see the amazing cards that the CPS and OCL girls have made!  OMgoodness, they are so gorgeous you'll end up staring at them just to take it all in!

I am in LOVE with the new Halloween set, Mummy X-ing, and when I saw this sketch this sweet spook was the first thing I thought of!  I had to enlarge the card and tweak the sketch just a bit to make the three smaller images from last year's set, Granny's Potions, fit along the left edge so that it would look as though the mummy is reaching for them.  They were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored/shaded with Copic markers.

I used more left-over Basic Grey Eerie paper, and because of the busy-ness of the print, used only one embellishment, a pretty bow tied with crinkle ribbon. I inked the edges of the papers with Tim Holtz distress ink in soot.

On the inside, I framed this fun greeting with a nestabilities scalloped heart, adding a little popped up mummy-wrapping just for fun! 

Visit the CPS blog and the OCL blog to see more inspiration, and leave your link if you play along!

Hey there!

My Lizzie Anne Designs monthly mix arrived toward the end of last week, but in the flurry of preparations for homeschooling to start on Monday I am just now getting to ink it up.  Ugh, neither Matthew nor I were ready to start since summer was such a flurry...it flew by, and we just were not ready to get back to the grind yet.  Ah well, such is life!  There's lots to accomplish!

This image makes me smile...it isn't exactly like the phone my grandparents' had in their rural Mississippi home (theirs was the wood paneled wall version!) but it certainly reminds me of it!  Isn't it amazing to think of how different things are today!  Technology seems to change in the wink of an eye!

I used a nestabilities rectangle to cut a mask from a piece of printer paper, then sponged on some tea-dye and vintage photo distress inks onto white card stock, allowing the colors to fade toward center.  I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, then matted it black.  For the background panel I dry embossed some numbers with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and inked them with soot distress ink to add emphasis to the design.  A few black rhinestones, some ruched ribbon, and a pearl-studded filigree flower add interest to the layout.  I spelled "friend" with some clear adhesive letter stickers that I have had forever, proof that it pays to stash craft supplies!  ;)

I love the sepia tones and the vintage feel of this simple design.  I hope you like it too!

Congratulations!

Here's a card featuring two of three new special release sets from the {stamps} of Life. The patterned squares behind the sentiment are from backgrounds2build, which is a fun set which consisting of six background blocks to mix, match, or use alone.  The sentiment is from an adorable set called sweet4babies, with darling sweet pea images and coordinating sentiments.

I love the contrast of the white background prints against the dark designer paper!   I sponged on some distress ink to warm the edges, bring out the golds of the designer paper, and tone down the brightness of the white. The mats behind each square bring a touch of the colors from the paper into the rest of the card.  If I had been at home when I made it, I probably would have used my Cuttlebug and nestabilities to cut and emboss the squares, but I made it while in Michigan, so these were cut with a plain ole paper cutter.  ;)

Since I am so in LOVE with these rolled flowers lately, I could not resist adding one here!  I inked the edges and gently split the plies of the paper, and I think it came out absolutely lovely!  I cut some leaf shapes from a scrap of green card stock, then pulled the paper layers apart and gently folded in some veins to add another dash of color and "ground" the bloom to the rest of the layout.  There's a pearl in the center of the blossom, and a row of them underneath the sentiment as well.

I hope you like my card, and that you enjoy seeing a set made specifically for one occasion used for another.  I love being able to get more mileage from the sets I have!

Have a great weekend!

Lizzie Anne Design Team Challenge

It's time for the Lizzie Anne Designs design team challenge!  This month we were to be inspired by our favorite things!  OK, if you're like me, you're singing the song from Mary Poppins already!  ;)

This month's challenge, with all the traveling I've been doing, proved to be a challenge indeed!  I spent three weeks away from home, so having my favorite things and my favorite stamps accessible was part of the issue.  I spent one week at CHA in Chicago, and then, for the next two, our family vacationed at my husband's parents' near Iron Mountain, Michigan. 

I finally settled on a pretty pair of botanical prints on the wall of the cottage guest room where we slept.  They are both of beautiful topiaries matted and framed in colors which (in SU terminology) would be similar to Blush Blossom, River Rock and Sage Shadow...and of course, I forgot to snap pictures of them before we left!  (Hopefully I can talk my niece into visiting Nona's to take some pictures for me soon!)  UGH!  I looked through hundreds of botanical prints on the internet and could not find THE ones, but I did find some that were close!  They are copyright protected so I could not post them directly on my blog, but take a peek here and here and then merge the two together in your imagination!  Notice the pointillism of the design, and the dark grays of the vase. 

Since I did not have the photos to keep me true to the original design, I decided to use some editorial license and try out some new Basic Grey paper samples from CHA which seemed to go along with this darling Lizzie Anne image.  Don't you think they look cute together?  Once I got started, I didn't want to cover up the pretty paper, so I kept things sparse, with only a bow and a few buttons to dress things up.  I tried to add more, but just couldn't find anything that made me happy, so this is it!  I hope you like it!

Visit the Lizzie Anne Designs blog to see the rest of the design team's favorite things and the creations inspired by them!

eta:  Thanks, Beate, for letting me know that my card also qualifies for this week's Just for Fun Friday color challenge!

OCL Blog Hop!

What fun these last few days have been, previewing the sets from OCL's latest release!  Aren't you glad it's not over yet?!  We're hoppin' through the weekend, so there's lots more fun to share!  You've got from now until 3 EST Sunday afternoon to leave comments in hopes of winning a free stamp set!  (Review the rules here!)

Halloween is one of my favorite themes to stamp!  It is because I absolutely adore these colors!  I have so many great memories of my brothers and I trick-or-treating in our small-town neighborhood.  My dad, a pharmacist (potions, haha!), worked at a store that put on a big Halloween trunk party every year, complete with the headless horseman and a faux Dracula and lots of other harmless Halloween drama.  So much fun!

Little Boogas perfectly captures the spirit of those safely spooky Halloween nights!  It's all innocent smiles and family-friendly costumes without any really scary stuff!

For today's card I used a bit of Basic Grey Halloween paper left over from last year.  I used my favorite concoctions of Memento ink, Copic markers, some Spica pen sparkle, nestabilities ovals, scalloped ovals and squares, some silky ribbon, a Martha Stewart border punch, and sparkly bling.  Everything about it just makes me smile!  I hope it makes you feel that way too!

Have fun exploring the rest of our friends' and team members' projects for today's hop!

Amber Hillman
Beate Johns
Beth Silaika
Bev Gerard
Broni Holcombe
Cambria Turnbow
Charmaine Ikach
Cindy Lawrence
Debbie Corbari
Deborah Anton
Denise Marzec
Heather McNally
Holly McMillen
Jeanne Streiff
Joy Kennedy
Julie Okada
Kendra Wietstock
Kisa Peters
Lori McAree
Maree Truelove
Michelle Fowler
Pam Hooten
Tammy Hershberger
Terri Thill
Vicki Garrett

More OCL Sneak Peeks!

I hope you are enjoying getting to see some gorgeous creations with stamps from OCL's holiday release!  Yesterday I was blown away by what my friends and design team mates created!   I'm sure today will be equally amazing!

Today I am previewing a set called The Art of Nature.  If you love to color, then you will adore this set!  There are quick and easy images or more detailed ones, and they're all gorgeous!

My first card is simple and rustic, with warm, country colors from a Kaisercraft 6 x 6 pad, another CHA new product preview.  I am so excited that Kate from i {heart} papers will be carrying Kaisercraft products!  Because this sentiment alludes to quieting your spirit, I deliberately kept the embellishments very understated, tying the sentiment on with a strand of jute thread.  This card would work equally well for a guy or a girl, don't you think?

My second card, although also very simple, is elegant and definitely feminine. This image took only a few minutes and a small handful of Copic hues to color.  It features Basic Grey Capella designer paper, a nestabilities oval image panel, pearls and a pretty crinkle crepe bow.

Remember to comment for your chance to win a free stamp set!  You might want to review the rules (see yesterday's post) before visiting the blogs featuring today's peeks.

Amber Hillman
Beth Silaika
Bev Gerard
Cambria Turnbow
Charmaine Ikach
Cindy Lawrence
Debbie Corbari
Deborah Anton
Denise Marzec
Heather McNally
Holly McMillen
Jeanne Streiff
Joy Kennedy
Kendra Wietstock
Kisa Peters
Lori McAree
Michelle Fowler
Pam Hooten
Tammy Hershberger
Terri Thill

Hope to see you again tomorrow for the blog hop!

OCL Sneak Peek!

Welcome to my blog, With a Stamp and a Song!  I'm so excited to give you a peek at some brand new Our Craft Lounge stamps!  I am a good secret keeper, but the wait between CHA and the actual release of the new product is sheer torture!  It is so nice to finally be able to share!  

The image that I'm previewing today is from a very elegant new set called Shades of Fall.  This set is simply gorgeous! I love that it has traditional Fall sentiments as well as sentiments that work for everyday.  It is a versatile set that can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion.  I chose to pair it with some beautiful paper samples which were graciously given to me at CHA.  I thought that this ginko leaf image would look nice with these colors.

I colored the background behind the leaf with very pale Copic markers, adding a bit of peach to the corners and then distress-inking the edges of entire piece.  The leaves were colored with hues of green and blue which accentuate the colors of the stripes in the designer paper.

Here's a close-up of the subtle out-of-the-box cut-out technique used with this image and the beautiful metallic finish of the text of this designer paper.

It is so exciting that some of the new lovelies from CHA have already start to appear in the ihp store!  I've been visiting often to click on the new products link to see what arrives each day.  Yesterday Kate added new Our Craft Lounge stamps and a whole bunch of new ribbon!

Here's the list of products from i {heart} papers that I used to make my card:
Our Craft Lounge Shades of Fall stamp set
sneak peek designer papers (more to come soon!)
Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black
Tim Holtz tea-dye distress ink
Copic markers
satin ribbon
pearls
Scor-Buddy (got this for my trip to Michigan, and I'm in love with it!)
EK Success border punch
pop dots

This is a big release, so there are lots of previews! You can see the sets over on the OCL blog today and enjoy blog hopping through the weekend to see all the wonderful samples. Don't forget to leave comments on each blog for your chance to win the set I will reveal on Friday.

A few rules to remember:

• Blog candy runs from today (8/18) through Sunday, August 22nd (3 pm Eastern time). 
• You may leave 1 comment per day on each blog listed in our sneak peeks and blog hop. (Make sure you are signed in or leave contact information. If we can't get in touch with you, you won't be eligible to win!)
• Only one set per winner.

So go and enjoy the gorgeous creations made by our amazing design team and guests!
Amber Hillman
Beth Silaika
Bev Gerard
Broni Holcombe
Cambria Turnbow
Charmaine Ikach
Cindy Lawrence
Debbie Corbari
Deborah Anton
Denise Marzec
Heather McNally
Holly McMillen
Jeanne Streiff
Joy Kennedy
Kendra Wietstock
Kisa Peters
Lori McAree
Michelle Fowler
Pam Hooten
Terri Thill

Notes to Self!

Hello friends! It's i {heart} papers' design team challenge time, and this month's challenge was to get organized and use some office supplies in the process.  I chose to make a cork memo board that hangs by a magnet on the fridge.

I started with a 7 inch square of chipboard that I lined with black card stock, mitering the corners and centering the six inch square of cork on top so that the chipboard backing was completely covered.  I attached a strip of Basic Grey Origins paper, edged it with 3/8 inch scalloped velvet trim, then used i stick papers tape to create a pleated border of parrot green sheer dots ribbon accented with staples and a bow tied with the Bow Easy.  On the opposite side, I attached Basic Grey chipboard letters which were painted with green acrylic paint, substituting a button for the O in the word memo.

For the notes, I used Basic Grey Basic Manila designer paper, some fabulous Unity sentiments stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, with subtle images stamped-off in Memento Rich Cocoa and Certainly Celery in the background. The edges of the papers were inked with Tim Holtz distress ink, their pins embellished with little knots of black twisted burlap rope.

It is nice to be reminded that we are each special in our own way!  Take a look at how special and creative each member of our ihp design team is!  LOVE these girls!  So glad I got to spend time with most of them at CHA!

Carolyn
Cathleen
Gretchen
Kendra
Loretta
Lori
Lynn
Megan
Tracy
Kate

Thanks!

I made this card as a thank you to our family for the great time we had together this vacation...there's a cute ceramic turtle in the garden which inspired me to use these colors and this adorable Unity image.  LOVE this Basic Grey Oliver paper!  This deep red pom pom trim is a perfect match!

I have certainly enjoyed having my stamps and Copic markers along for this trip.  I even got to stamp with my SIL from Arizona, which was sooooo fun!  She loved it...wish we could be together more often!  I don't think it would be too hard to have her addicted to this fabulous hobby!

My flight was delayed, which would have caused me to miss my connecting flight home, so I got to spend an extra night here and will hopefully be heading home this afternoon!  I'll have to hit the deck running!  I have some upcoming design team challenges, and we'll be starting homeschooling for the year again soon.  I'm not ready for summer to end, but I'm ready to be home again!  Traveling is fun, but there really is no place like home!

Paper Pretties Blog Hop!

Welcome to the next stop on the Paper Pretties Paper Pretties Grand Re-Opening and New Release Blog Hop!!  If you’re arriving from Nancy's blog, you’re in the right place!  If you are just joining us on our HUGE PARTY TRAIN, you can head back to the Paper Pretties Blog to start from the beginning. Check out all the information in the blog post too, there are PRIZES galore and different GIFTS WITH PURCHASE, you don’t want to miss out!

You’ve likely heard by now, but Paper Pretties is releasing TWELVE brand new sets today, along with the big Prettie Boutique Re-Opening.  All of the new sets will be available for purchase in the Prettie Boutique beginning no later than 7 AM CST today.  I am showcasing the set Just Because Zac.

This is the CUTEST stamp set!  I used a combination of Memento ink, Copic markers, Basic Grey Max and Whiskers papers and embellishments, Queen and Co buttons and a scrap of polka dot ribbon to make a long card...makes me smile because it so vividly captures that shy self-consciousness that most teen boys go through!  I think he is absolutely adorable!

It’s our party, but the PRESENTS are for you!!  Leave a comment right here on this post to enter to win this fabulous stamp set!!  I will take comments until Sunday, August 15^th at 6 PM CST, and then one Prettie Lucky stamper will be chosen at random to receive this set!! Can’t get a better deal than that!  And you can shop now without fear, if you happen to win a set you already purchased (you know you can’t resist these amazing new images!), you may substitute a different set of equal or lesser value in its place.

If we’re going to have a party, we’re going to make it a REALLY GOOD PARTY.  Here are the purchase specials for all purchases from the Prettie Boutique:

• Every order placed during release weekend (now through Sunday, August 15^th) will receive a free Paper Pretties “Hand Stamped” stamp!
• All orders that total $25 or more (before shipping charges are applied) will receive a free stamp set (Paper Pretties’ choice) in their package!
• Any orders that total $100 or more (before shipping charges are applied) will receive a free 6x6 paper pad (Paper Pretties’ choice) with their order!
• The older Paper Pretties’ stamps are still on sale!  Up to 75% off, with many of the Sophia and Cooper sets selling for just $5!  WOW!!

Thanks for joining us today. We hope you love this release as much as we do!! Your next stop on our Blog Hop is Jen's.   Good luck and Shop Prettie!

Best Fisherman

We have been having a great time on the lake, which inspired this morning's card using Our Craft Lounge's set, Fishing with Dad.  I stamped with Memento ink, colored with Copic markers, then cut out the image to set atop another stamped on a mat of two papers to create a horizon of water and sky.  I love the soft colors of this Basic Grey Capella paper, which reminds me of the way the lake looks in the early morning when the mists are swirling over the water.

I must say, I miss my nestabilities!  I had originally planned to either ship or carry my Cuttlebug, but it just didn't work out that way.  Of all the supplies I don't have with me, those are what I miss the most!

It's supposed to rain today, so I spent the morning stamping...we're planning on an extended family outing to see Inception this afternoon!  I have heard great things about it, so I'm excited to finally get to see it.

I'll be back tomorrow with another post, so until then, happy stamping!

I have always loved colors and textures, and this adorable Little Lizzie stamp set from Lizzie Anne Designs reminds me of the hours my friends and I spent playing paper dolls!  I have to laugh, because as heavy as the carry-on of stamping supplies I brought was, somehow I still feel as though I don't have exactly what I need so this card is another rather bare card when it comes to embellishments.  I used my usual combination of Memento ink and Copic markers (from http://iheartpapers.com/) along with a single row of dots from Basic Grey's Olivia designer paper.  I colored this image during my flight, so I was happy that the paper's colors matched well enough to use them together.

Monstrously Cool

Back from CHA, then off for another trip! What a whirlwind!  I am visiting family and had a hard time getting an internet connection (or phone for that matter!) and finally my tech-savvy nephew got things worked out for me! I'm all excited because I just bought a new MAC and I'm finally trying it out! Still learning the ropes, but so far I love it!  I wanted it for this trip, knowing that once I'm back home it will be perfect for my studio!

Here's a Lizzie Anne Designs card using a darling image from Little Monsters!  I used SEI's Happy Days 6 x 6 paper, Memento ink, and Copic markers...it is rather like a limited supplies challenge here!  ;)

Just Be You!

I'm home from CHA, and can't even begin to tell you how much fun it was! I met so many stamping friends...some brand new, some that I feel I've known forever, although this was the first time IRL.  There were others I've met before, grateful this trip for another visit!  It was such a fabulous week!

I made this card before I left, although I think it is absolutely perfect for today's post!  As I think of the past week, of all of the gorgeous sneak peeks of up-and-coming papercrafting and stamping products...as wonderful as they were, they were all eclipsed by the amazing personalities and talents of the people behind them!  Each person is so unique, and such an absolute treasure!  You are each such a blessing to me!

Lizzie Anne Designs is celebrating the anniversary of the Monthly Mix Club...all mix sets are on sale at club prices from now through Saturday!

Notes: 
Basic Grey Ambrosia designer paper
Lizzie Anne Designs stamp from Simply Sweet
Memento ink
Copic markers
Stickles

TSOL New Release!

What an adorable set this month's release is! I have had a great time playing with trees2Build from the {stamps} of Life! Of the cards I have made so far, this one is my favorite!  The designer papers are from Basic Grey's Nutmeg collection. I love that wood grained tree pattern with this image, and the colors worked great!  I snipped a little strand of jute thread into small pieces and glued it under the birdie for a little nest...I think he's so cute!  A simple, sweet card!