Stampin' Mama: A mama that stamps

"Arranged with love" birthday card - StampTV's 1st birthday!

It's a Surprise Party!!!! It is Stamp TV's 1st birthday and we just wanted to throw a little party for Gina! Happy 1st Birthday Stamp TV!!! To celebrate, a bunch of design team members and challenge hostesses decided to create birthday cards using a previous Stamp TV kit (or Gina K set). Leave a comment on every blog along the way because one lucky commenter will receive the all new Stamp TV kit that will be released next week!!!! (And....you're gonna LOVEEE it!) You will have until Sunday, March 14 at 8:00 p.m. central to post comments on all the blogs. The winner will be posted on Stamp TV on Monday!

For my card, I used the Arranged with Love set (by Melanie Muenchinger). This card doesn't have too many elements to it other than some cardstock and lots of fun coloring!

I stamped the image with black ink on Ivory cardstock and then colored it with Copic markers. I've always loved to color, as long as I can remember. This set is a coloring-lover's dream! 

I added a little bit of glitter to the rose petals and then mounted this on top of Black onyx cardstock and then onto a card base of Innocent Pink cardstock.

Be sure to check out all of the birthday cards on these blogs:

Carolyn, Jessica,

Melanie, Theresa, Lee

Tami ,

Lynn , Erika, Emily, Cathy, Valerie

Bev, Tina, Karen, Vicki

Sneak Peeks Day 3 - GinaK Designs

Day 3 of the GinaK Designs sneak peeks and the design team has put together amazing projects using the new StampTV Showtime Kit. Gina will be showing a video on StampTV to show you, up close, all the great things that come in this versatile kit. 

The Organize It! StampTV kit comes with 2 new stamp sets, an assortment of 8 different cardstocks, 6 yards of assorted 5/8 inch ribbon, 6 yards of assorted 3/8 inch ribbon, copper and black brad assortment and 12 ivory sateen flowers. Gina showcases videos on StampTV to show you different techniques that you can use with the new kit, though you can use the techniques with countless other sets, too.

I used the two sets to create a Goals & Dreams Box for myself. It's a great time for me to start filling this up as the new year always inspires me to come up with new dreams and goals. 

I used a sturdy cardboard box that was given to me by a friend and it originally held a collector's mug in it. I sanded it down so the surface wasn't as slick on top. I painted it with a tan acrylic paint, then layered a crackle medium on top, let it get tacky and then painted over it with moss green acrylic paint. I love the crackle effect and the way it gives surfaces and antique feel. I swiped over the top and edges of the box with a Basic Brown ink pad to age it even more.

The top of the box was done with the two new sets that come in the StampTV kit - Picture it! and Organize it!. The frame was done on Kraft cardstock with Basic Brown and the words were done with Basic Brown and Creamy Caramel. I used Mellow Moss craft ink to do the leaves. I distressed the edges and then sponged Basic  Brown around them. I mounted this on top of a piece of distressed Chocolate Kiss cardstock with pop-dots, but added a trimmed piece of green stitched ribbon underneath (part of the StampTV kit).

I wrapped a length of ribbon around the front of the box and secured it with a double knot and trimmed the edges.

I totally dig aging and distressing things......the effect makes me heart feel warm. I really think I was born in the wrong era! But then again....if I were born back then, everything would be new and shiny and I'd have to wait years for it to get aged and distressed. *wink*

For the inside of the box, I created three different sections for my cards to go in.

I used Chocolate Kiss cardstock to create the dividers. I made them by scoring the pieces in half and then scoring an inch from both bottoms so that they had something to "stand on" inside the box. I anchored the dividers to the bottom of the box with Sticky Strip tape (REALLY strong tape!)

I stamped the dotted half circles onto Fresh Asparagus cardstock and punch them out with a 1 3/8 inch circle punch. I wrote on them with a Black glaze pen. The first says, "Dreams," the second says, "Goals" and the third says, "Accomplished."

My plan is to write my dreams and goals on each of the cards (I can add plenty more as there's a LOT of space in this box) and expand on those goals and dreams on the front and backs of the cards. As I accomplish them, I'll move those cards to the back section. The Accomplished section!

I'd love to see myself making another box JUST for Accomplished dreams and goals! That would be awesome!

I cut 12 cards each of Kraft and Fresh Asparagus (from the kit) and stamped them with the oval frame stamp in Basic Brown. This will be a place to title my cards with either a goal or a dream.

I added the sprig of leaves to each one to carry the theme. I used Mellow Moss craft ink for the Kraft cards and White craft ink for the Fresh Asparagus cards.

Now to start writing on my cards!!

To see more projects made with the new StampTV kit, check out these designer's links:

Gina Krupsky

Jessica Fick

Theresa Momber

Melanie Muenchinger

Nina Brackett

Carolyn King

Cathy Tidwell

Lee Murphy

Lynn Mercurio

Emily Giovanni

Erika Martin

Then, tune in to the newest StampTV video available tomorrow morning at StampTV as Gina will be sharing a special project she made with the new kit too!

"This free and precious life" - Scrapbook Page (GinaK)

 

(Photo taken by Jen, of The Family Room Studio)

Do you know what Tuesday brings over on StampTV? 

Every Tuesday, I host the Scrapbook Challenge over on StampTV and I provide a sketch to follow along with, as well as my own sample page. You have the opportunity to win an amazing prize - a brand new stamp set from GinaK Designs! You can check out this week's challenge here ---> Tuesday StampTV Scrapbook Challenge

For this Tuesday's sketch, I scrapbooked about myself. And, though that's not part of the challenge, it's highly encouraged. After all, for so many of us scrapbookers, we often find ourselves missing from our albums.

I started out with an 8x8" piece of Kiwi Kiss cardstock , which I stamped withthe flower image from the Eclectic Summer StampTV kit with Kiwi Kiss ink (Gina has new tutorial videos on StampTV to show you some unique ways to use this set). I went around the edges of the cardstock with my Chocolate Chip ink pad. I mounted my 4x6 photo on a piece of Chocolate Kiss cardstock.

I stamped the flower image with Versamark on Summer Sun cardstock and embossed them in white. I then used a yellow Copic marker to touch up the the tips and inner part of the petals. I used a light brown Copic Marker to color the inside of the flowers.

I mounted three of the flowers on the page with pop-dots. The other two flowers are mounted flat on the page.

I used a white gel pen to draw in the stems and leaves. I also used the white gel pen to write the quote at the top of the page. For those of you that find it hard to scrapbook about yourself, using quotes are a great way to wet your feet. As you get more comfortable putting yourself on your pages, you can delve into deeper journaling later on.

This is a very easy sketch to follow along and I'd love to have you join in with our weekly scrapbook challenges. Make sure to check it out ---> Tuesday StampTV Scrapbook Challenge

Happy Creating!

-Erika (Stampin' Mama) 

GinaK Sneak Peeks - Day 3 - Eclectic Summer StampTV Kit

Today's sneak peek shows something that MANY of you have been waiting for......a NEW StampTV Kit!

This new kit is called Eclectic Summer and it's packed full of fun, summery goodness! There are two new stamp sets, 18 sheets of assorted Pure Luxury cardstock, 12 sheets of assoted Lime Rickey patterned paper, a brad mix and a summer ribbon mix! It's an amazing deal, too! It all comes packed into a convenient storage case that's great for keeping all your kit items safe in one place. And don't forget....this kit will be the featured kit on StampTV for the next couple of months in their technique videos. 

I decided to do an 8x8 scrapbook page with my kit for this sneak peek. I've had this picture of Zach hanging around since summer of 2007 and the green patterned paper and fish image were just begging to be used with it.

I started off with a piece of Close to Cocoa cardstock and swiped around the edges with Chocolate Chip ink. I stamped the fish image (from the Eclectic Summer stamp set) all over the cardstock with Close to Cocoa ink.

I cut the green patterned paper apart (also from the kit), going along the lines of the prominent designs, and mounted those in the corners. I used just about every bit of paper except for a couple of small scraps. There was almost no waste whatsoever from that piece of 6x6 patterned paper.

My photo was matted on a piece of Chocolate Kiss cardstock - I am totally digging this color of cardstock. So rich and dark. It's like a piece of dark chocolate truffle in the form of cardstock. Simply YUMMY.  

The Eclectic Summer Sayings stamp set worked really well for this page, as I used one of the greetings as my title. The journaling was done with a white gel pen.

I stamped a fish image onto Kraft cardstock, then cut it out. I added some details with a white gel pen and some of the silver mini brads from the Eclectic Summer kit. I added some white brads (from the kit) to the green flower I cut and placed right above the journaling.

So, tell me...wouldn't YOU want to catch a handsome fish if he looked like my Zachy-boy? *wink*

Make sure to check out what the rest of the Design Team has done with this versatile kit!

* Carolyn King

* Melanie Muenchinger 

* Jessica Fick

* Theresa Momber

* GinaK  

* Emily Giovanni

* Joanne Basile  

* Melissa Shultz (GinaK's In the Spotlight Designer)

Change....scrapbook page & challenge (GinaK stamps)

 

It's Tuesday again....and that means another Scrapbook Challenge on StampTV!

I chose to do an 8x8 page for this challenge and I also created a sketch to go with it so that you have a guide to follow when creating your own page. 

I started off witih a piece of So Saffron for my base. I stamped the large butterfly from the Take Flight set (by GinaK) all over the cardstock with So Saffron ink. I swiped around the edges of my cardstock with Creamy Caramel ink. 

I used a piece of Close to Cocoa cardstock with a piece of patterned paper from the Floral Elegance digi-paper pack to put across my layout (these papers also come in the Floral Frenzy kit). My journaling was done on a couple strips of So Saffron cardstock and then placed on top of the digi paper. I used 3 copper brads from the Floral Frenzy kit as embellishment. 

I mounted my picture (yes, I did tweak the contrast on it for an artistic look) on Kraft cardstock and then on top of my layout.

I used a Close to Cocoa Stampin' Write marker for my journaling. I used Basic Brown ink to stamp the quote at the bottom of the page (which also comes from the Take Flight set) and the butterfly accent.

The butterfly stamp was stamped on So Saffron cardstock and then colored in with Copic markers. I love the soft look these markers gave the image. When I mounted it to my page, I folded the wings up so that it looks like the butterfly is sitting on my page.

If you'd like to take up the challenge, there's a great prize for the winner! A GinaK set valued at $24.95 (or less). And....you'd be getting caught up on some of your scrapbooking! Why not play along? Check out the challenge by clicking here --->Tuesday 4/14 Scrapbook Challenge

Happy Creating!

-Erika (Stampin' Mama)

You're a blur - Scrapbook page (GinaK Designs)

 

I apologize for not updaing in a week.....It's been a while since I've gone that long with updating. It's been really busy here lately. We had family come to visit for 5 days, school meetings, workshops, and then we were planning a birthday party for my daughter, who just turned 9 years old yesterday. We had her party on Saturday and a total of 19 kids in the house! It was a lot of fun, but LOUD, and I informed the girl-child that this would be the last BIG party we have until she turns 13. *wink* To her credit, she helped me with a lot of the planning and the prep. We even tried to attempt making our own pinata, but that was a major fail and a lesson in what NOT to do. We'll try it again another time, but we ended up going out at the last minute and purchasing a pre-made pinata.

So......it's quiet in the house once again and I'm back at my craft desk for things OTHER than party favors and invitations. Wow...I've missed it.

I have a new challenge going on over at StampTV. It's time for my weekly Tuesday Scrapbook Challenge. Every week, I share a new sketch and my page to help inspire you to use your stamps on your scrapbook pages. 

This week, I used a picture that most people would have thrown out because the picture isn't clear. My friend, Jen, took while she was here in May of 2007. Girly was running across the lawn and Jen moved the camera with her while she snapped. I really liked how it came out, but struggled to find a way to use it. I gave it its own 8x8 scrapbook page. 

If you're interested in playing along with this challenge, you have a whole week to get your page finished and uploaded to the StampTV site. Just follow the sketch on the challenge thread and load your page to the gallery and I'll take it from there.

Everyone that enters the challenge has a chance at winning a $24.95 (or less) stamp set from GinaK Designs! What a great prize!

And make sure to check back all this week for fun 3-dimensional ideas that you can use for Easter  - made with GinaK stamps!

Happy Creating!

-Erika (Stampin' Mama)

New Scrapbook Sketch Challenge on StampTV

 

I have a new Scrapbook Challenge up over at StampTV! Don't forget...every Tuesday, you'll find a new scrapbooking challenge over in the Challenge Forum on StampTV by yours truly! 

This is an 8x8 page and, while I normally work on 12x12 pages, this size works great if you have extra photos that you couldn't fit on a bigger layout, but you still want to scrapbook it. 8x8 albums make great gifts...and it's also another way to use those extra photos in a gift album for grandparents or other relatives. Or even a coffee table book. Or...to make an album to give as a gift to the person featured on the pages. I'm actually thinking of creating an 8x8 album for each of my kids with the extra photos and using the journaling as a way to tell the kids how I feel about them. Kind of like a letter to the kids, complete with pictures of them. Some day, their kids will be able to look at them! 

You could also use this sketch and transfer it to a 12x12 page if you're using a larger photo, like a 5 x 7 photo.  

Most of the supplies for this page came from the new Floral Frenzy kit. This kit is the featured kit for StampTV right now. There are two stamp sets in this kit, but for some reason, I've really latched on to this Bold Flowers set. It's just so perfect for the energy and personality of my daughter. It works so well for pictures of her. 

I used one of the images to create a background effect on some Groovy Guava cardstock. I stamped a line of grass/stems along the bottom of the page and then added some punched out flowers that were completed with a white brad in the middle, then popped up off the page with pop-dots.

The mat for the photo and the journaling, as well as the printed paper under the journaling, are all from the kit. I used a length of Old Olive grosgrain ribbon to coordinate with the green on the backpack and pop out some color.

If you'd like to take part in the challenge, and also to have a chance at winning a fantastic prize (a GinaK stamp set), head on over to the challenge, check out the sketch and get scrapping! You have until Monday of next week, so it's still plenty of time.

Erika's Scrapbook Challenge

Scrapbook Sketch Challenge on StampTV

 

If you haven't yet gotten a chance to stop over and check out GinaK's new site, you really should head on over to StampTV and see what all the excitement is about! 

Gina just released her new set of video StampTV episodes today, so you'll learn how to do the Kissing Technique, along with a project using the technique. I have never seen such wonderful and high quality video tutorials before. Gina and team have done an amazing job with them!

There's also challenges taking place all throughout the week with chances to win fantastic prizes! 

I'll be hosting the Scrapbook Challenge every Tuesday on the Challenge Forum and you can already check out the first one that I've put up this week. I created a sketch to follow and the page you see above was created using this sketch. The page above is also made completely from items in the Floral Frenzy Showtime Kit. I am totally digging this kit. There is SO much included in it that I could keep creating for hours....no, for DAYS!!!

You have almost a whole week to take part in this challenge, so head on over to see how to participate and you just might find yourself winning a free stamp set from GinaK!

Erika's Scrapbook Sketch Challenge

There's another close up photo over there showing the paper flowers in detail, along with a sketch to create with.

Hope to see you over there!