Stampin' with KathynRuss

Friday, June 15, 2012

Creative Images June Meeting

We had a good meeting Wednesday night. Almost everyone participated in the challenge and card exchange. The challenge (done twice a year) was to do something with die cuts of Tim Holz’s umbrella man and tags. The exchange theme was “Something Old/New.” Pam and I took that theme to mean a wedding card, but everyone else’s cards were more eclectic. The theme is just a guideline, after all. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get them to line up by twos except by accident. Grrrrr! Click on any picture for details, then back to return.

First is Therese’s lighthouse/beach scene, lightly watercolored.

Here’s is Ella’s pretty dress thank you card, done with Twinkling H2O’s.

Herman is back and made this happy, blingy, layered birthday card.

Pam made this lovely white on white wedding card with the lace ribbon border punch (old), jewels and charms (new). Jeannie made this pensive Gibson girl collage.

I brought two wedding cards and since Jeannie came after the exchange had been made, I traded the one on the right for her Gibson girl. The forget me not bouquet stickers I have had forever, the lace was new.

Lona made this vintage thinking of you card.

Paper piecing and popping up seem to have been the most popular technique tried for the challenge. The hardest thing about the challenge was finding a clear winner. These first two are by Therese and Ella with different backgrounds. Therese has her guy holding the umbrella for a blonde and she tied for first place.

Mine was paper pieced, too, with the lady on the front and the guy on the back.

Lona made this fantastic desk calendar with different tags in the envelopes for twelve months. Lona tied for second place. On the right is Nancy’s collage using a unique watery technique for a tie for first place.

Tange’s mysterious blue tag (technique unknown to me) tied with Lona for second place. Jeannie made this bright tag, sans umbrella man.

Last, but not least, here is Pam’s umbrella man singing in the rain.

Here’s Tange’s sample of the technique she used for her June project, faux silk. You crush tissue paper, unfold it and adhere it to cardstock. She used xyron coated CS, but glue stick works, too, I have found. Tange did faux stitching in the corner with paper piercing. To see a video tutorial of Tange’s inspiration, go to http://ourdailybreaddesignsblog.blogspot.com/, the March 12 post. Go to the archives and scroll down through older posts and you’ll find the gorgeous teapot card Tange told us about.

That’s it for this month. Thanks for stopping by. Comments always welcome.

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) –:¦:- *** ((¸¸.·´*~Kathy~.·´*)****¨¨)) -:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Therese’s Make and Takes

I have been remiss in posting pictures of the cards I have made with Therese, so I will catch up on some. First, here’s a cute Scottie dog. Love the plaid paper behind him.

These two pics are the closed and open views of a nice fold. Works well for Father’s Day or a guy’s birthday.

Here’s a pretty fussy cut flower card.

I loved this lighthouse so much I had to break down and buy it!

Thanks for stopping by. Comments always welcome.

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) –:¦:- *** ((¸¸.·´*~Kathy~.·´*)****¨¨)) -:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Lace Ribbon Border Punch Tutorial

I ran across a beautiful card on Splitcoaststampers using the lace ribbon border punch. That lead me to a video tutorial by Frenchie on her blog here. Frenchie’s tute is informative (and I love listening to her) and it is full of good ideas. I went over to Pam’s last Friday and we putzed around with the punch and I figured out a much easier way to do it. Frenchie punches three times and was a little confusing on where to punch. I only punch twice on each side. I made four cards last night. Here are two of them.

My friend Dee in St. Louis loves the technique, but wanted me to splain to her how to do it the easy way. So, I took some pictures and did a little tute. Cut and score a piece of cardstock, 11 x 4 1/4”. Insert CS in the punch with the score line lined up just to the edge of the punch as shown. Punch.

Move CS to the left to match up the punched area to the guide on the punch till you can’t see any silver. Make sure right side of CS is snug in the punch and punch.

As Frenchie explained, the only way to make the two sides match is to turn the CS over before punching the next side. The second side will be a little rougher, but it is still nice. Repeat the two steps above.

As Frenchie would say, “Voila.”

Another major difference between mine and Frenchies card is that I inserted a 10 7/8” by 4 1/8” white piece of CS, scored in the middle. It’s pretty to have the lace floating around like Frenchie has hers, but I don’t have any sentiment stamps that would fit under the center panel. Writing in the card would also look funny through the lace.

After I saw Frenchie’s tute, I saw a gorgeous card on SCS that steps it up even farther by BronJ, here.

Thanks for stopping by. Comments always welcome.

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) –:¦:- *** ((¸¸.·´*~Kathy~.·´*)****¨¨)) -:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Creative Images May Meeting

We had seven ladies at our meeting last, what with sickies and vacations. Ella sent in her exchange card with Therese, so we did get eight cards. Only two brought in ATC’s. The theme this month was “Spread Your Wings,” and we sure did.

First of exchange cards is Tange’s winged dress form, with pearls and buttons, no less. Click on any pic for details, then back to return.

Here’s my flutters made with stickers, mounted on acetate, colored with markers on backside, then fussy cut.

Inside my card and the envelope.

Here’s Lona’s embossed, colored and fussy cut butterfly. Great colors.

This is Nancy’s interestingly colored embossed Believe, with lovely metal bird bellie. She colored the embossing folder, then sponged additional colors on it after running it through big shot.

Here’s Pam’s pretty embossed swirly flutter, with something shiny blue for details. She pierced all the way around for faux stitched look.

Shannon is new to stamping and didn’t have much supplies or equipment to work with, so she jumped right out of the box with this butterfly. She made it with feathers and wires, and attached it to a base with pretty photos, inside and out. The butterfly’s body is feathers, too. Way cool.

On the left is Therese’s ATC, my fave of six, all similar, but different ladies. Sorry about the blurry pic of Tange’s ATC.

Here are the two samples of the little box Nancy did for her project. Quick and easy with diecut CS, using two for each box.

That’s it for now. Thanks for stopping by. Comments always welcome.

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) –:¦:- *** ((¸¸.·´*~Kathy~.·´*)****¨¨)) -:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Thursday, April 26, 2012

So Long, Famous Amos

I got bad news today. My brother Billy’s 18-yr old dachshund Amos passed away yesterday. Started thinking of all the cool pics I have of Amos and decided to share them as my tribute to one dam good dog. First up, Amos and his Dad.

Amos fishing in his snazzy harness, custom-made by Uncle Russ. He could back right out of any collar.

Amos in his beloved flight jacket.

Famous Amos, intrepid co-pilot.

Amos had many names: Fearless, Famous, Brainless, Shameless and finally, Toofless.

The Rainbow Bridge

inspired by a Norse legend

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,

Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.

Where the friends of man and woman do run,

When their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,

Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.

On this golden land, they wait and they play,

Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,

For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.

Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,

Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,

Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.

All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,

Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;

Together again, both person and pet.

So they run to each other, these friends from long past,

The time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,

Has turned into joy once more in each heart.

They embrace with a love that will last forever,

And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.

May Amos be waiting on the other side of the rainbow bridge for Billy.

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) –:¦:- *** ((¸¸.·´*~Kathy~.·´*)****¨¨)) -:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Going, Going, Gone!

Stampin’ Up has released their lists of retiring stamp sets and accessories. I’ve done an e-mail to my customers with the changes and said I would post pics of cards I have made with the retiring sets here. I was going to put them in the e-mail, but there are too many. Breaking my heart, it is. sniff SU promises there will be lots of new stuff. So here goes.

Autumn Days (masking on first one, fussy cutting on second)