Tip of the Week--Sketches!

I LOVE taking magazine ads (these are from Country Living) and turning them into sketches for cards and layouts. Here are 2 ads I used to create sketches and cards. I will use the same sketches for layouts too. Try it---it's addicting :)

Tip of the Week---Sketches! cont............

Here's the 2nd ad, sketch & card. I couldn't get all the pictures in one post........

May Cards

Spotlight of the week: Pamella Klatt

One of our newest swappers, Pamella Klatt, lives in Western New York with her husband of 13 years and their two children, Phoebe and Jackson. The Klatt’s own the house Pamella grew up in. They have an 18 pound cat named Martini and a 4 pound Chihuahua named Sophia Loren. Pamella’s been scrapbooking for 8 years and has been creating with rubberstamps for 6 years. She loves her job as a part-time cafeteria monitor at her son's elementary school. The job enables her to be home with her children in the morning and when they get home from school. Pamella’s goal is to work in the New York State court system in some capacity. Aside from scrapbooking and rubberstamping, she likes to make her own jewelry, listen to very loud music and go on road trips. Her current favorites are: Desperate Housewives, espresso roast coffee, butter pecan ice cream, Hershey’s Kisses and the sound of her husband's car pulling into the driveway. One of Pamella’s favorite quotes is, “When life hands you lemons...ask for tequila and salt!” Check-out Pamella’s blog: http://mysarcasticworld-k.blogspot.com/! We’re glad you are in our swap Pamella and appreciate your creativity and fun personality!

Tip of the Week: Criss Cross Card

I had so much fun making these criss cross cards that I wanted to share the instructions with all of you card chicks.





Supplies:

(2) 4 1/4" x 11" pieces of cardstock for card base
(1) 4" x 5" piece of patterned paper
(1) 3 3/4" x 5 1/4" piece of cardstock for insert
(1) 3 1/2" x 5" piece of neutral cardstock for insert
(1) 1 1/2" x 12" piece of colored cardstock for card band
Ink
Stamps
Adhesive
More paper for accents
Corner rounder
Embellishments

Step 1
Score both 4 1/4" x 11" pieces of cardstock at 5 1/2"

Step 2
Take one scored piece and cut it diagonally from center top to the bottom left.

Step 3
Take the other piece of scored cardstock and cut it diagonally from the center top to the bottom right.

Step 4
Add adhesive to the rectangle back of one of the cardstock pieces.

Step 5
Tape or glue both pieces together. Make sure both long edges of the diagonal sections are on the bottom.

Step 6
Cut the patterned paper in half diagonally. I made several cards at once so I used two different prints.

Step 7
Adhere it to your card front.

Step 8
Add sticky strip (Stampin Up) or run a narrow line of glue on the bottom of the middle panel, as well as on the bottom of the triangle flap that will be on the top of the card. Tape or glue the card base together and set aside.

Step 9
Take both pieces of cardstock for the insert and use the corner rounder on the top corners.

Step 10
Glue together.

Step 11
Stamp and add tab and other embellishments as needed. I used the tab punch from Stampin Up but you could easily make your own tab.

Step 12
Take the 1 1/2" x 12" piece of colored cardstock and score at 5 5/8" and 11 1/4".

Step 13
Add glue to the end of the strip with the small 3/4" scored section. Glue band together.

Step 14
Decorate the card band.

Step 15
Slide your band over your card.

Step 16
Add embellishments. I used stamps, versamark ink, clear embossing powder and a heat gun to make my embellishments. I punched my embellishments out with a circle punch and scallop punch (Stampin Up).

Viola'

Thanks for your feedback!

Coming soon..."Tip of the Week"

Thanks for the comments you posted in reference to my “feedback requested” posting. Starting this week, we will have a new feature added to our blog called, “Tip of the Week”. We have 24 swappers in our group and about 24 weeks left in the swap. Ideally, I would like to assign each of our swappers a week to post a “tip of the week”. Your tip can be anything from a tutorial on how to make a specific card or do a precise technique, a sketch, suggestions on where you get your inspiration to create, etc. Please let me know (via e-mail to melanieh928@yahoo.com) if you are interested in taking a turn to post a “tip of the week” and I’ll assign a week to you. Michelle Cox has graciously accepted the challenge to post our first tip—watch for it in the coming week! And…as always, if you have any other suggestions, feel free to let me know!

Spotlight of the week: Stephanie Storey

Stephanie Storey is celebrating a birthday TODAY (Monday, May 19th). She lives in West Weber, Utah (a suburb of Ogden located about 45 miles North of Salt Lake City). Stephanie is married to a great guy named Mark (they will be celebrating their 26th wedding anniversary this week) and are the parents of four sons. Stephanie’s sons are all named after U.S. cities (Cody, Karson, Logan and Austin). Cody attends Weber State University--close to home. Karson is in his senior year playing football at Mayville State in North Dakota (and will be graduating in July). Logan is serving a two-year mission for the LDS Church in Panama. Austin is in his senior year of high school. Mark (Stephanie’s husband) is a junior high school teacher and coach and is very supportive of her scrapbooking/card making obsession. He even makes homemade cards for Stephanie to give to her on special occasions—he tries to use a new “technique” on each one he makes. Stephanie’s sons are also supportive and good-natured about her crafting obsessions—they like to tease her about “Razzle Dazzle Bazzill” and other tools like her Cricut. (The day Stephanie arrived home after purchasing her Cricut, she told Logan that she had just bought the coolest machine—you could tell it what shape and size you wanted and it would automatically cut it out for you. So, Logan walked up to the machine and said, “Make me a three-inch circle.” When the machine didn’t respond, he turned to his mom and said, “It doesn’t work, mom!”) Stephanie is a stay-at-home mom, but previously worked at Jetway with Kathy and Melanie, before a chronic condition with her eyes forced her into medical retirement. Stephanie and Mark own a “Snow Shack” that is open during the Summer months—it’s been a great way to keep their sons and neighborhood kids busy and earning money for school. Stephanie collects bears and DVD’s (she has an impressive collection—films starring Doris Day are her favorites). Stephanie’s favorite color is green and her preferred scrapbooking items are brads and Stampin’ Up! paper (cardstock and patterned paper)! Stephanie has a great sense of humor and is very thoughtful and personable! We are glad we get to swap with you, Stephanie!

Spotlight of the week: Heidi Quimby

Heidi Quimby is a stay-at-home mom living in Andover, MN (a northwest suburb of the Twin Cities). Before staying at home with her two children (John - age 5 and Paige - age 3 1/2), she was a school counselor at a middle school. Heidi is hoping to return to school counseling once both kids are in school full-time. Heidi’s twin sister, Heather Kneis (also a Card Chick), got her into both cardmaking (7 years ago) and scrapbooking (5 years ago). Heidi says, “I LOVE this hobby - especially when I get to share it with friends and family. Oh, and the supplies are just so YUMMY!!” Heidi describes herself as an “idea book junkie” and LOVES sketches for both cards and layouts. Her other hobbies are: reading (she’s in two book clubs and loves to read just about anything), knitting (she just got back into it and now enjoys it more after finding the world of bamboo needles and projects using one skein of yarn), running and traveling. Heidi loves crossword puzzles and recently started playing Sudoku. Her “favorites” at the moment are: Grey's Anatomy, Vera Bradley purses, Coke Zero, Old Navy, the summer months, Clinique Happy perfume, Potbelly Sandwich Works, the color green, and dark chocolate.

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Spotlight of the week: Barbara Lindsey

Our spotlight of the week, Barbara Lindsey, is celebrating a birthday on Wednesday. Barbara says that one of the things she loves about living in Vegas is that there's a lot going on there. If they want to go out or watch a show, chances are, they've got a few good choices (and everything is open all the time)! They're not quite the party-animals that you would expect of a Vegas crowd though...they don't really do the shows and events very often. Barbara works as an office supervisor for the Las Vegas recreation division. Her office allows for alternative work schedules. Barbara works four 9-hour days and an 8-hour day one week, then four 9-hour days the next week (and therefore gets a 3-day weekend every other week). Her husband, Stuart, is a Doctor of Pharmacy. Barbara has one daughter, Stephanie, who will be graduating with her Masters in Biotechnology next week! Barbara’s family also consists of some pets—dogs and desert tortoises. Barbara enjoys reading, going to movies, and playing Sudoku. Her favorite color is purple. Barbara has been making cards for about 5 years. She also scrapbooks and just finished a 160 page scrapbook for her daughter. On top of Card Chicks, she also participates in a couple of Yahoo groups - one that focuses on cards based on the Joy of Cardmaking, and another one for dry-embossing. Barbara loves being a Card Chick and enjoys seeing everyone's creativity!

Question of the week: What is your favorite line of scrapbooking products?

The question of the week is...

What is your favorite line of scrapbooking products?

When you go to the scrapbook store/shop on-line, what products are you drawn to the most?

It's May

It's May and the start of another month of swapping! This month's theme is: feminine (birthday or Mother's Day). If possible, please mail your cards out by the 15th of the month. Don't forget to use the new spreadsheet I e-mailed earlier in the month (replacing Cindy Tucker with Kathy Weaver). Please remember to send me your card scans so I can post them on the Blog!

Celebrating birthdays this month are: Barbara Lindsey on the 7th, Pamella Klatt on the 13th, Stephanie Storey on the 19th and Michelle Martinez on the 25th. Happy birthday, ladies!