You're Just My Type

Wow, Thursday sure rolls around fast these days! I have a set of Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) for you today. I am in a swap at the Stamp Shack (of course) and the theme for this set is "That's So Funny". We had to create a set of ATCs with some kind of play on words, so I put on my thinking cap and got out my STEAMPUNK and SCHOOL PAPERS sets from LINDSAY'S STAMP STUFF and went to work. I covered my digital canvas with the ledger paper and then layered the typewriter over it. I added the text "You're just my" on the next layer and then sized it to 2.25 x 3.25 and printed a sheet of them and cut them out. I then stamped "type" on each one using letters from My Sentiments Exactly, swooshed a bit of black soot distress ink around the edges for extra depth and added a few dots of distress stickles in the corner. That piece got mounted on a black cardstock panel and that completed the front. Easy peasy!
Next, I decided to print up the ATC back FREEBIE that Lindsay has in her Mygrafico Shop. I think it's nice to put some information on the back to let the collector know a bit about the card. I love making greeting cards and doing mini books, and lots of other paper crafts, but I think ATCs are my very favorite pieces to create. I just love making and collecting them! Each one is so different and unique, even though we all have the same basic theme and instructions.
Since it's almost Halloween, I thought I would give you a last peek at a couple of the great Halloween sets Lindsay has in her Mygrafico Shop.
The Creepy Crow set is my all time favorite, but the Too cute to spook set is fun too! Gobble them up while you still have time to eek out a few more Halloween cards! Here is the DT list for this week...you know the drill! Have fun and happy digi stamping!

Lindsay Weirich (Owner and Stamp Designer)

Cheryl Gorka DT Coordinator

Shannon Neparko

Margie Visnick

Lisa Jurecek

Melissa Craig

Tamara Bennett

Cindi Hooks

Micki Harper

Karin Martin

Jennifer Bliss

Rhonda Walker

Diane Bove

Tracy Vinson

Laurel Seabrook

These girls rock! I hope you enjoy their creations as much as I do!

It's all Fun and Games until somebody loses an EYElet!

Are you tired of my ATC swaps yet? LOL I couldn't resist this one, just because of the name! This swap required us to use at least one eyelet, so, I HAD to use it on an eye! I thought of this cute owl stamp I had (studio g) and decided to use it. I stamped it with Distress Ink, distressed it with more distress ink, added my eyelet and cut it out. I distressed the base with more distress ink (sorry Lindsay!), added the swirl (studio g) and glued on the owl. I hadn't done many swaps this summer and I seem to be making up for lost time! It's always so much fun to get everyone's creations back in the mail. Anyway, just thought I'd share. Have a wonderful day, and keep an eyelet out for more ATCs!

That's So Random!

I have been on a card making rampage for the last week! These are a few that I made recently using stamps from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff. (Yes, still working on those UFOs!) These were random images that I had in my stash and were begging for me to use them on some cards. All images were colored with my bic mark its and Prisma markers. I embellished the cards with Stickles, ribbons and trims. These cards were lots of fun to make! If you would like to make a project or (two or three), check out Lindsay's Stamp Stuff at MyGraficO for instant downloads of these cute images and more! Everything at MyGraficO is 30% off all day today! I used images from the following sets:
Cute Easter
Love Grows Here
Coffee Talk
The school papers and apple (which was part of an image) were freebies on Lindsay's blog, THEFRUGALCRAFTER'S WEBLOG. Hop on over to her blog and see what she has for today's freebie and check out what the rest of the design team has been working on this week and be sure to leave some love for them! Happy Digi Stamping Everyone!

I am the Queen of UFOs!

If you are anything like me, you probably have a fair amount of UFOs (Un-Finished Objects) laying around your studio/craft area. I think I am the Queen of UFO Land. I was in the middle of a great project last week when something important came up and I couldn't finish it. This seems to happen to me often! I am always coloring images, but don't put them on a card. I take (and sometimes even print) photos, but don't scrap them, I cut out a wood craft and don't get it painted...you get the idea.

I am now on a mission to complete these UFOs in my basement studio and relinquish my crown. I started by using these images from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff that I colored (who knows how long ago, LOL) and made them into cards. I love this tree image, but didn't know what to do with it until I saw a fun card in the Dec/Jan/Feb issue of stamper's sampler take ten magazine. The card was designed by Rosemary Dennis and is on page 5. Being inspired by her card, I created this one.
My card measures 5 1/2 x 7 1/2. I used a cream cardstock base and this cute patterned paper that our very own Lindsay gave me from her stash (THANKS, Lindsay!). I just love this paper and thought it would work well with this stamp. I distressed each layer of paper and card stock before adhering it to my base. I distressed my white string and green button with Timber Brown StazOn ink. Next, I ran a scrap of brown paper through my paper crimper, stamped a sentiment from Stampscapes, added a brad and...VOILA! A finished object!

My second card, isn't quite finished yet. I started it with a blue base and border punched the lower edge and adhered a scrap of green cardstock to the bottom. I added some distress stickles to the image and the scalloped edge of my card base, but it seems to need something else. I was hoping to get some feedback from you all. I can't seem to come up with anything. My ribbons don't quite do it, my flowers seem like too much, but think it might need "more" so I would love any ideas you can give me for this one. :)

To buy these stamp sets and/or check out the new sets Lindsay has in her shop, go to her blog, Thefrugalcrafter's Weblog and you will find a link to her Shop Handmade store and her MyGraficO! store. You will also be able to see what wonderful objects she has created this week and link to her fabulous Design Team blogs! The stamps I used today come from the Funky Forest and Love Grows Here sets. I'm off to finish some more UFOs! See you soon...and Happy Digi Stamping!

Love this Primitive Flower Stamp!

Hello All! I colored this stamp PRIMITIVE FLOWERS a few weeks ago when I got home from the big stamping expo in Massachusetts. I got a pallet of pearl paints while I was there and, well, everything I colored that week got at least a smidge of pearliness. (New word) :)

For this card, I used a digi stamp from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff. I printed the image on cream card stock and colored it with my Bic Mark Its, highlighting areas with white pearl paints. For the card base I used cream card stock also. I folded a whole sheet in half lengthwise. Next I trimmed a piece of color core paper to the same size (11x 4 1/4) and ran it through the CuttleBug, embossing it with the swirls folder. Since it is so long, you have to emboss each end and meet up in the middle. Once the paper is embossed, sand off the embossed swirls and the second color will peek through. Trim the (folded) card stock base to 7 3/4 x 4 1/4 and trim the embossed paper to the same size. Attach maroon ribbon and bow to embossed panel and adhere that to base. Attach matted stamp to card front. Add Martha Steward Pearls to front. Die cut heart using chipboard and book page with CuttleBug and stamp LOVE (studio g). Use black ink to edge heart and pop dots to attach to card front.

I decided to use the scraps right away, instead of tossing them in my already overflowing scrap drawer! I trimmed the leftover color core panel down and adhered it to the scrap of cardstock. I stamped a bird (inkadinkado) with cream ink on a scrap of brown paper and trimmed around it. I attached the bird to the card front with a few pop dots and stuck a small sticker in the corner. Two MS pearls finished it off! This card measures 4 1/4 x 3 1/4. Now I have a small gift card to add to my stash, not more scraps!

Don't forget to do the blog hop and see who has this week's freebie stamp and check out all the beautiful creations Lindsay's Design Team members have posted this week. Welcome to Melissa and Leanne, our two newest members! Leave them all some love and let them know what you think! Happy 4th!!!!

Cindi - Guest Designer for June! (Sadly, this is Cindi's last week with us. sniff...)
Melissa
Janet
Kim
Lisa
Margie
Katt
Tamara
Row
Olena
Lindsay
Leanne
Melissa

Still Green

Just a quickie post this evening. I just wrote a nice, long post, only to find when I clicked "publish post" that I had lost my internet connection somewhere near the beginning, which means I lost my post, so here's the short version!

These are a few more cards I made this week using parts of Lindsay's beautiful card kit, some scraps, and a couple of my nature photos. Since I used scraps and pieces with my nature photos, I guess I'm still going green!

I just got back from the Stamping Expo in Springfield, Massachusetts this afternoon, and I've got TONS of new toys to play with!!! So be sure to check back in soon, I'm in a creative mood! Until then, Happy Stamping!

Peep! Peep!

I love this ATC I made for a swap at The Stamp Shack. I used this great "chick with egg" digi stamp that I got at Lindsay's new on line shop. Click HERE for a link to her blog (The Frugal Crafter's Weblog) and once you are there she has a link in the left hand column to her store. I had never used a digi stamp before, but with Lindsay's how to's (also on her blog) it was a snap! I just love the idea of digi stamps to use along with my rubber and acrylic stamps. Digi stamps can be re-sized to be as big or small as you want/need, and they don't take up any room in my already too full studio! Here I used a digi stamp for the main focus and stamped the sentiments with my studio g dollar stamps. I punched one edge with my Martha Stewart punch. The image was colored with Bic Mark-its and a couple of PrismaColor pens.

Here are the Bic colors and what I used them on:

The chick was colored with Lemon Bliss and highlighted with Moonstone Yellow. The beak was colored with Adobe Orange. Next, I used Tranquil Teal and Lime Sorbet on the grass. I outlined the edges of the paper with Polynesian Purple.

I used PrismaColor Light Peach and Brick Beige on the egg.

I've already downloaded Ellie the Elephant, and I can't wait to get her colored and onto a new creation. Hmmm, maybe I can work her into one of the new challenges over at The Stamp Shack this week!