Jul 2, 2012 | Almost Artisan, family, Scrapbook Pages |
I have a few final thank you’s to get out from orders that I had in the last couple of days of June – thank you to Sabrina and Molly. I keep checking back at my reports to make sure it is still there. And now I’m wondering what happens and what to expect on the trip. I guess I will learn that soon. The Getaway trip is at the end of September to a resort on Hilton Head Island.
Today’s share is another project that I entered in the Artisan Design Team contest. This is my second scrapbook page – this one is an 8×8 page and features a picture of my boys that I took at Easter this year. They were being silly together and it really makes me happy when they are together and having fun and laughing with each other.
The edges of the page are actually stamped with the French Foliage stamp set in various colors and also swiped with the ink pad. I added the three little pool party hearts – one for each of my three boys – there are also three little butterflies that represents each of them flying off in their own directions. As they get older they are finding themselves and where they fit in the world. I did the main journaling on the computer but used my own handwriting for the date and the little quote – maybe that was a bad idea – I don’t have good hand writing and it isn’t very straight and even. I really like this page and the picture of the boys. I need to make another one so I can frame and hang it in my craft room. That is the downside of this contest is making projects your love and giving them to Stampin’ Up! and not getting them back.
Have a good day today! It’s a little cooler here than it was this breaking – we had two record breaking days at 106 degrees – the highest ever. Today its only 99. Stay cool.
Jun 28, 2012 | Almost Artisan, Cards, Punch Art, Thank You |
The thermometer is nearly at the top! Yeah! Thank you to Dana, Merri, Stacey, Lana and Bethany.
Today’s card is a fun one. It was my second card for the Artisan Design Team contest. It is a Bobble-Head card. I came up with the bobble-head card a few years ago – my first one was a dog card. So this time I decided to try a frog and fly.
The frog’s head and the fly both bobble around when you move the card. Here is another view.
This is punch art with the head attached to a brad that is put through a hole and left loose so it will wobble. The card is layered with dimensionals so the brad can wiggle around underneath the top layer. Here is a view from the side –
The top layer is stacked on double high dimensionals to give it space. There is lots of sponging, punching and piercing to put this card together but it sure is fun. To create the woodgrain look of the fence background – drag the ink pad across the card stock – starting and stopping in different places. Then add little “nails” with the Stampin’ Write marker.
I figure no one else had made anything like this and that it was a unique idea. Moveable cards are fun aren’t they?
Have a great day!
Jun 27, 2012 | Almost Artisan, Cards |
First I want to say a BIG Thank You to everyone that has been placing orders and helping me earn the Stampin’ Up! Get-a-way Incentive Trip! I am really close now – just a few more orders needed – I’m about $400 away and only have a few more days – June 30th is the deadline! Thank You to Linda, Vicki, Gina, Nancy, Judy, Molly, Tamara, Cindy, Bethany, Suzie, Sally, Becky, Linda, Travice – every order is helping me reach this goal no matter what the size. Read more here about my goal to reach 55 orders. The thermometer is almost at the top!
Now on to today’s project. As I told you yesterday I am now sharing my Artisan Design Team entries. And this is one of my card entries. It was actually the very first project that I completed for the entry – there were 10 total.
I love my Linen Thread and the Beautiful Wings Embosslit. I thought this card was right on trend with the colors – neutrals with a burst of Daffodil Delight. I started with the Crumb Cake Base for the card. The squares are postage stamp punched from Basic Black, and 1″ squares punched from the First Edition designer paper. The paper was stamped with the Just Believe stamp set before I cut them apart. I added the little butterflies and Linen Thread.
On the inside I added little butterflies in the corner.
I love this card and can’t think of anything I would do differently. I hope you like it too.
Jun 26, 2012 | Almost Artisan, My Digital Studio, Scrapbook Pages |
Well sadly I was not chosen as one of the Stampin’ Up! Design Team Artisan Finalists this year. I really thought I had a chance but I guess I’m not what they are looking for. The list of finalists is posted on the Stampin’ Up! FB page – congratulations to all of those that qualified as finalists! The good news is that I can now share my projects on my blog – no need to wait until after convention in July!
And another bit of good news is my push to earn my first Incentive Trip – it’s going to happen – I can feel it! One final push this week – I’m only about $700 away!! How exciting is that? Just a hand full of people need to place a $55 order and I’ll be there. Read more here about the 55 orders and watch the thermometer rise on the side of my blog. I’m almost there!!!
So now on to the project – that’s probably what you want to see anyway. This first project is one of my three scrapbook pages that I entered. I created a 12×12 scrapbook page using My Digital Studio – I sent it to Stampin’ Up! to print through the professional print service on heavy-weight card stock. I printed more than one copy and then cut the extra one in order to make a hybrid version – I added a few real elements to it so it had some dimension. So that gave me two versions – the original digital version, the hybrid version and then I created a second digital version. I didn’t have time to get the second one reprinted otherwise I probably would have submitted that one to the contest. Unfortunately we live so far away from Utah that the print service can take a while to get back to me. So here you go – let’s see what they look like –
Digital Version 1
This first one is my original Digital Version – this is Magnolia one of my two Jack Russell Terriers. I used overlays, sititching, digital tape, punches, the downtown grunge frames, buttons and seam binding.
Hybrid Version contest entry
This is not the best picture but this is the Hybrid version that I entered into the contest. Its even hard to see the hybrid elements in this photo. So I’ll tell you what they are. First I printed a second copy of the entire page and cut out the framed photo of Magnolia – I popped it up on Dimensionals and layered right on top of the same frame on the first copy. On one of the scallop circles I added a real paper flower, and a crumb cake button tied with Early Espresso Baker’s Twine. To the left of the photo I added two Baja Breeze buttons. And on the lower corner of the photo I added a real piece of Very Vanilla Seam Binding.
Digital Version 2
Here is the second Digital Version of the page – there are a few changes. The journling is a poem that my niece wrote about Magnolia. I changed the Very Vanilla Seam Binding to Crumb Cake. The Baja Breeze buttons were replaced with the Antique Brads. And the button inside the paper flower was changed to Baja Breeze. I like this second version better and wish I had the time to print and submit it for the contest. That’s probably why I wasn’t selected – they would have liked the 2nd version better too!
There are some brand new digital downloads from Stampin’ Up! today. You can see all the available Digital Downloads on my website.
Have a great day and if you need to order any Stampin’ Up! products please let me know – every order counts towards my goal even the digital downloads you order through my website!
Aug 12, 2010 | Almost Artisan, Big Shot, Scrapbook Pages, Stampin' Up! Convention, Stampin' Up! Events |
The 10 Artisan Award winners had their projects on display at convention. And Stampin’ Up! announced I think 25 finalists. Unfortunately I wasn’t in that group either – bummer. I did however find 8-1/2 of my projects on the display boards so that was exciting. I also found 5 or 6 other projects some were swaps from the last convention – I thought that was good since they held on to those for a whole year.
If you are wondering about how I had 8-1/2 projects displayed this is where the half came in…..
I was looking at this display board 
and there was another demonstrator standing next to me. She commented on the pretty paper flowers which I hadn’t really paid attention to. So I looked at those and thought – oh my gosh those are my flowers – those are my flowers from my scrapbook page that I sent in for the Artisan Award contest – oh no – what happened to my page – and my mind continues to run in a whirlwind of thoughts – when did the page come apart – was it in shipping to SU, was it before the judging, was it after, was it in transit to the convention center, this is not good at all and I will never even know. It was my favorite page too.
I wish everyone could have seen the whole page not just the flowers up on that board. So here it is again for you to see – isn’t my niece Ally just Cute as a Button!
Otherwise both of my 3-d projects were on display, the other two scrapbook pages were on display, and four of my five cards – at least I never found the 5th one. If you want to see all of my projects that I entered – CLICK HERE.
I wondered what the winners had submitted and there were a few with very impressive projects – I think this one takes the cake! (literally)!
I can only imagine how many hours she spent making those flowers! The creator of this awesome cake project was Jodi Oliver.
Here is another winner Heather Van Duker.
Look at the wall hanging that she made. The fabric pieces are cut with the Big Shot and a variety of the dies. My sewing skills are not that great – I probably should not have attempted it on my entry.
Another winner was Angela Timms – here are some of her projects – just check out the details in her scrapbook pages – OMG!
Oh and there were actually only 9 girls that won the Artisan Award. The 10th one was a guy! Yep we do have men that are Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators.
So in case you wondered what his stamping looks like I thought I would share his winning projects too.
His name is Richard Garay and he won some other stuff too. Each year they have a commercial/video contest and Richard won that this year with his team of demonstrators. I’ll have to try to locate the video it is probably somewhere on the internet by now.
Let’s see if I have the names of all of the winners (not in any order other than my pictures were taken in this order).
- Sarah Sagert
- Tessa Wise
- Richard Garay
- Renee Ballard
- Rebecca Cowley
- Heather Van Duker
- Jodi Oliver
- Elizabeth Price
- Angela Timms
- Andrea Munro
Have a great day today! Only one more week until we move Kyle down to college. I’m not sure how that will be not having him here. I guess I’ll know soon enough…..
Jun 18, 2010 | Almost Artisan, Baroque Motifs, Big Shot |
Well this post is my last project for the Artisan Award contest. I really loved how this turned out. It is based on the little Hugs & Kisses holder I created earlier this year – click here to see it – for that one I used the scallop square die and 
the Big Shot. For this one I started with a 12×12 piece of card stock and if I remember correctly I had to trim it down to 11-3/4″ x 11-3/4″ so that I could use the Scallop Trim Corner and Edge punches to get an even scalloped edge on all four sides.
I know that there are several instructions and videos on how to use the corner and edge punches together. I have tried those and by the time I get to the fourth side I no longer have a square or rectangle so I had to come up with what worked for me. I punch all four corners first and then fill in between with the edge punch. In order for this to work though you need to start with a size that allows even scallops on each side.
Anyway I got the scallops even all the way around and added a little white gel pen dot on each of the little scallops. Then each side has a piece of So Saffron Designer Series Paper. I decorated each of the sides – here are some close up photos of those:
The base is stamped with the large swirl from Baroque Motifs on each side using Old Olive ink. This first side has a scalloped layered flower and butterflies. I used Ballet Blue and So Saffron as my colors. The center of the flower has an embossed button tied with linen thread. The large butterfly has a beaded body and it is layered with several butterflies from the Beautiful Wings Embosslit die.
The second side as a bluebird made from the two-step bird punch. I used sponges to add the colors – Ballet Blue and Really Rust to create the bird which was punched from the Naturals White card stock. Then some little flowers from the Trio Flower punch and the Little Leaves die was used for branches.
The third side is similar to the first just rearranged differently.
The fourth side is similar to the second side.
I think this would be a really pretty center piece on a table for a bridal shower, wedding or other spring/summer event. Or change the colors and decorations for whatever season you need.
Here is a view from the top looking down. 
I filled the inside with some straw after tying up the centers with some of the Old Olive Satin Ribbon. This would have been pretty for Easter with an egg nestled in each section.
That is the last of my Artisan Award projects that I entered into the contest. Looking back now at my projects as compared to the retired list and colors – I think I used lots of retiring product – not that we knew any of that before our projects were mailed in. But I guess my work is not in the current style that they may have been looking for.
There is always next year……
Thanks for visiting!
Want to see the rest of my projects that I entered – CLICK HERE.
Want to see some other Almost Artisan projects – CLICK HERE.
The edges of the page are actually stamped with the French Foliage stamp set in various colors and also swiped with the ink pad. I added the three little pool party hearts – one for each of my three boys – there are also three little butterflies that represents each of them flying off in their own directions. As they get older they are finding themselves and where they fit in the world. I did the main journaling on the computer but used my own handwriting for the date and the little quote – maybe that was a bad idea – I don’t have good hand writing and it isn’t very straight and even. I really like this page and the picture of the boys. I need to make another one so I can frame and hang it in my craft room. That is the downside of this contest is making projects your love and giving them to Stampin’ Up! and not getting them back.
