Feb 23, 2010 | Big Shot, Designer Series Paper, Occasion Mini 2010, Scrapbook Pages, Upsy Daisy, Wildlife |
She is the shelter from the storm…
As you can tell if you have been reading my blog I spend some of my time observing the birds and animals in nature around me. It is actually very fascinating and you can learn a lot. Last year in May my friend and upline Wendy had a group retreat at her home. It turned out to be a rainy weekend. The back of Wendy’s house faces into the woods and the back porch is high off the ground and I was surprised to see on her porch a nest built on the floor next to the grill. I kept my eye on the nest – it had four beautiful blue eggs and belonged to a Robin.
I had never really thought about it but the mama robin sat in that nest during the rain to protect her eggs. She sat on top and spread her wings to create a shelter from the storm. When the rain stopped she flew away to do what she needed to do. I found it to be quite amazing the protection that she offered those eggs.
Because she was close I was able to get some great pictures of her on the nest and of the eggs. I pulled them out and decided to put them on a scrapbook page.
This is my week 5 page for the 52 weeks of scrapbooking challenge. (I also finished week 6 and I’ll show you that tomorrow).
I used Taken with Teal as my background to match the color of the Robin’s eggs. I added strips of designer paper from the Sweet Pea Designer Series paper pack. I used the Big Shot to create some accent pieces – the scalloped circle, and the flower daisies in the corner.
The new xl Two-Step Bird punch added an accent on my circle and the stems on my flowers. The stamp set I used is Upsy Daisy. And then a piece of black satin ribbon at the top.
The Designer Paper, the bird punch and the satin ribbon are all from the Stampin’ Up! Occasions Mini Catalog. If you haven’t tried out the ribbon you really should – I have used most of what I bought and I’m on my second roll of most of the colors. I hope it is in our next catalog and I wish they would add So Saffron – this week for some reason I have wanted to use So Saffron ribbon more than once.
Sadly, I found out a few weeks later that while the mom did a wonderful job protecting her eggs during the storm she did not make a wise decision on the location of the nest. Because it was on the floor of the deck it was easy for other animals to reach. I hope she tried again in a better location.
I’ll be back tomorrow with my week 6 page.
Feb 22, 2010 | Big Shot, Cards, class, Designer Series Paper, Occasion Mini 2010, Punch Art |
Valentine’s day has passed and while I’m mostly thinking about Easter – I created a St. Patrick’s Day card for last weeks class. There are about 24 days left before St. Patrick’s Day. And don’t think that you can’t create a St. Patrick’s Day card when you don’t have anything with leprechaun’s or shamrocks. The easiest way to create a shamrock is with a heart punch!
Punch 4 hearts and put the points together – look what you get!
For my card the base is Old Olive and it is embossed on the front only with the Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder and the Big Shot. The hearts are put on with Stampin’ Dimensionals and then I added the Jumbo Brad to the center. The stem is actually the branch from the XL Two-Step Bird punch in the Stampin’ Up! Occasions mini catalog. I just trimmed off the leaves and tucked it under my hearts.
The “happy st. patrick’s day” is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set. I’m using this stamp set a lot more than I thought. It has something for every holiday and they all fit in the Modern Label Punch.
This is really a quick card. I didn’t have a picture but on the inside I have 4 of the small hearts for a little shamrock in the corner.
Stampin’ Up! Supplies:
- Old Olive card stock and ink
- More Mustard card stock
- Chocolate Chip card stock and Stampin’ Write Marker
- Whisper White card stock
- Old Olive Patterns Designer Series paper
- Big Shot Die Cut machine
- Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder
- Movers & Shapers Die and the Modern Label Die
- Full Heart Punch
- Modern Label Punch
- Small heart Punch
- XL Two-Step Bird Punch
- Paper Piercer
- Jumbo Chocolate Chip Brad
- Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set
- Stampin’ Dimensionals
Thanks for checking in with me today – leave a comment – I love to read them. Everybody is back at school today – Tyler and Ryan were off for winter break last week so today we can get back to a regular schedule.
I decided to make a “Snow Day” scrapbook layout for my scrapbook class this week. It turned out great – I’m really happy with it. I’ll share it later this week. If you plan to come to my class please let me know right away.
Happy Stampin’!
Feb 20, 2010 | Big Shot, Create with Connie & Julie, Easter, Embossing, Occasion Mini 2010, Rub-Ons, SU Ribbon |
Happy Saturday! Congratulations to last weeks challenge winners – Becky G. was first place and Lori was second place, with honorable mention going to Robin. It was so fun to see all the entries last week – I hope everyone plays along this week – good luck!
It’s Saturday and time for another challenge at Create with Connie & Julie!
This week our challenge is a Theme Challenge – Easter cards. The featured items this week are Eggcoutrements stamp set, Spring Floral Wheel, Eggcellcent Eggs Kit, and the Chocolate Bunny stamp.
I used the Chocolate Bunny and the Eggcellcent Eggs Kit along with a few other products. I was trying to do something different. The problem is that it was hard to photograph because there is a window sheet over the bunny so I kept getting a reflection when I took the picture. This one was the best one.
What I had in mind was a chocolate bunny behind the window – like the boxes in the store – and then I wanted to try something different besides making him chocolate – so mine is a white chocolate bunny! I used the Emboss Resist technique to create him. So the Chocolate Bunny is stamped with VersaMark ink on Whisper White card stock. Covered him in Clear Embossing Powder and heat set. Then I used a Stampin’ Sponge and Chocolate Chip ink over it and then buffed it with a paper towel. And now that it is done it kind of looks like an old fashioned portrait.
I added rub-ons on the window sheet – these come from the Eggcellecent Eggs Kit. The inside also has some rub-ons. I think I could have added more but decided I needed to stop before I added too much.
Here is a full list of Stampin’ Up! supplies for this card:
- Crushed Curry card stock
- Chocolate Chip card stock and ink
- Whisper White card stock
- Clear Window Sheet – Medium
- Chocolate Bunny stamp
- Teeny Tine Wishes stamp set
- Eggcellent Eggs Kit
- VersaMark Ink
- Clear Embossing Powder
- Heat Tool
- Stampin’ Sponge
- 1-1/4″ Striped Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon
- Big Shot Die Cut machine
- Stampin’ Up! Perfect Details Texturz Plate, Impressions Pad, Silicone Rubber
- Oval Scallop Frame die
- Stampin’ Dimensionals
And here is a look at the rest of the Create team:
Connie
Julie
Mary
Kerin
Thanks for stopping by today! Happy Stampin’!
Feb 19, 2010 | Big Shot, Designer Series Paper, Occasion Mini 2010, Scrapbook Pages |
More desktop calendar pages for you today. We are now into the fall pages. And one of the stripes from the Sweet Pea papers was perfect for fall. I used the Big Shot to die cut leaves which were sponged and I added veins with a marker.
This photo is when we were hiking last September at Red Top Mtn State park during our big flood – the trail was blocked by the water which is behind us in the picture.
September Stampin’ Up! Supplies:
- Pumpkin Pie card stock
- Taken with Teal card stock
- Chocolate Chip card stock
- So Saffron card stock
- Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper stack
- Scallop Border punch
- Big Shot Die Cut Machine
- Leaves #2 die
- Billboard Alphabet Sizzlits Strip die
- Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set
- Chocolate Chip ink and marker
- Stampin’ Sponge
Happy Stampin’!
Feb 18, 2010 | Big Shot, Designer Series Paper, Occasion Mini 2010, Sale-A-Bration 2010, Scrapbook Pages |
I just realized I didn’t finish showing you my desktop calendar pages. It looks like the last ones I shared were May and June so I’ll finish the second half of the year over the next week or so.
Since I used the Sweet Pea Designer Series paper for the calendar project I had to make July fit with the color scheme of the paper. The paper doesn’t have a red in it so I decided to use the Pumpkin Pie and Taken with Teal for my July page. And since it was July I used the Star punches. The photo on this page is from Greg’s family Reunion last July – this would be Greg’s sister, my niece, me and then all of the girl cousins. Somehow we actually coordinated pretty well with our clothing choices.
July Stampin’ Up! Supplies:
- Pumpkin Pie card stock
- Taken with Teal card stock and ink
- Sahara Sand card stock and ink
- Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper stack
- Scallop Border punch
- Star punch
- Large Star punch
- Big Shot Die Cut Machine
- Billboard Alphabet Sizzlits Strip die
- Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set
- Chocolate Chip ink
- Stampin’ Sponge
The August Calendar uses the new stamp set in the Sale-A-Bration Brochure called Good Neighbors. It has the little houses and trees. The Sweet Pea paper has patterns with trees on it so those worked perfect. I haven’t added a photo to this page yet – I can’t decide what to put on it – a picture or our house might be good here. Since the boys are older I don’t take the First Day of School pictures like I used – we start school in August so that would be a great picture for this page.
The August calendar supply list:
- Old Olive card stock, ink and marker
- Chocolate Chip card stock and ink
- So Saffron card stock and marker
- Whisper White card stock
- Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper stack
- Scallop Trim Border punch
- 1-3/4″ circle punch
- Big Shot die-cut machine
- Billboard Alphabet Sizzlits Strip die
- Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set
Thanks for stopping by today. It is a beautiful day today – perfectly blue skies!
Happy Stampin’!
Feb 16, 2010 | Big Shot, Birthday, Build-a-Bear, Designer Series Paper, family |
Yesterday I went to visit my parents and my brother and his family. We were trying to get together to celebrate 4 birthdays. My sister-in-law, Tammy’s was in late January, my nephew’s was last week, my mom’s is tomorrow and my niece’s is next week. Tyler and Ryan are out of school this week for winter break so they came with me and we took Haley. Kyle had to go to school and Greg went to work. As it turned out my brother was going out of town for business so I only got to say hi for a minute and I briefly saw Tammy because she was sick.
So for the 4 birthday’s I decided to make them each a cupcake box to go along with their gifts. I got my niece and nephew Build-a-Bear gift cards so their boxes were decorated with the Stampin’ Up! Build-a-Bear die cuts.
Ally’s has the girl bears and a pink lid. Noah has the boy bears and a blue lid.
I changed the boxes slightly from how I made them last year. The other design seemed to be hard to get the cupcake out because you had to reach down into the box. So I made these like an exploding box – so when you lift up the lid the sides fall down and you are left with the cupcake in the center sitting in the little stand. For these Build-A-Bear boxes the bottom of the bears are attached to the outside of the box with Stampin’ Dimensionals. That left room for the lid to tuck behind their heads and arms.
For Tammy I made one using the Pink Flamingo Designer Series Paper. The colors actually matched the sweater and top I bought her – they were Cameo Coral and Summer Sun.
Cupcake box when it is open
I decided to wrap the cupcake in baggies and tie them with ribbon. It was good that I did that since 3 year olds don’t really understand the concept of keeping the box upright. Yummy, Yummy cupcakes!
All Supplies were Stampin’ Up! – the Build-A-Bear boxes used the Pawsitiviely Prints Designer Series Paper and the colors come from it – Pretty in Pink, Brocade Blue, Old Olive, So Saffron. The base of the boxes are Sahara Sand. The bears are Chocolate Chip and Close to Cocoa and they are cut the with Big Shot and the dies along with the clothes.
Tammy’s box is Real Red and Summer Sun and I used the Whimsical Words stamp set for the tag. Punch with the Wide Oval and then layered with two Tempting Turquoise Wide ovals.
I had one more for my mom – it was actually one I made last year and hadn’t given away – it used the Tall Tales DSP with the colors Old Olive, So Saffron and Chocolate Chip. 
It has the owl on the tag and birds on the sides.
It wasn’t a big celebration but we had it.
Late in the afternoon we had a real life version of Police Chases right in front of my parents house and we watched from the porch. There house is almost at the end of a dead end street – it ends at a camp ground that is gated shut right now for the winter and then there is the lake. Apparently the police were chasing a couple that made a bad decision when they picked this road to come down – when they got to the gate they got out of the car and ran into the park on foot. A police car was chasing them and somehow at the same instant he came in this big truck was trying to turn out of the road before the house and to do that they had to swing wide across both lanes blocking the police car – who pulled into the ditch jumped out of the car and ran down the street after these people. Apparently the girl wasn’t fast as he quickly caught her, cuffed her and brought her back up to his car. After yelling a lot at the tucker he told them to “get out of here”. Then more police came and eventually a K-9 unit came and they went on a search for the missing guy. They finally found him, cuffed him and took him away. By the time it was done I think we had 7 or 8 police/sheriff cars, an ambulance, an emergency truck from the fire station and a tow truck all lineup on the small road in front of my parents house. It made for an exciting afternoon – and I’m just glad they caught who ever it was. We were calling all the neighbors to tell them to lock their doors and stay inside – many of the people walk in the park including my parents – luckily we were there so they didn’t go for their afternoon walk. Now I wonder what those people did wrong…
Anyway…..enough rambling from me. Have a nice day!
Because she was close I was able to get some great pictures of her on the nest and of the eggs. I pulled them out and decided to put them on a scrapbook page.
