Mojo Monday Coolness and mini tutorial

When I saw the sketch at mojo monday this morning, I almost didn't do it. I thought to myself that there were too many elements and I really try to keep it simple.

Well, one hour later, some embossing, bigshot~ting, and a whole lotta shimmer paint I'm excited with my end result. This is most certainly over the top.

Starting from the beginning...

Layer 1: I cut to 10 1/2" x 5 1/4" and folded in half with my bone folder.

Layer 2: I cut to 5" square.

The strip down the middle is 1 3/4" of red, with 1 1/2" of striped paper on top.
Then I used random measurements and shapes for the side panels to follow the sketch.

To make the white pocket, I used a 3x7" piece of whisper white. Scored on the long ends at 2 3/4" and down the middle at 3 1/2" this formed my pocket. I over cut the notches a bit so my flaps would fold over easy.

Next, I punched a notch out of my cardstock using my one inch circle punch for my bookmark holder.

Notice the notches on the SU! punch as in the photo below? Every SU punch has these. They indicate the middle on your punches. So in this case, if you wanted, you could create a punch that looks like 1/2 circle and have it be perfect, or you could even do a 1/4 inch circle by lining it up with two of the notches. So, I punched out a half circle in my pocket for my bookmark to sit in. This would also fit a gift card size pocket.

The bottom two photos show a close up of the snowflake punch, with a rhinestone that I removed from the casing, then colored with shimmer paint to get it to match my "gold tone" project. I also colored my bling and brad on the bookmark with the champagne shimmer paint to keep it all the same.

I embossed the sentiment with red craft ink and gold embossing powder, but tried to keep the stamp on the dry side, so you would see some of the red coming through.

the background snowflakes were inked in soft suede and i added shimmer paint to the stamp using a sponge dauber (picking the paint up from the cover after shaking) then stamping that on my cardstock!

What a fabulous start to the week!

Saturday Sketch Challenge 118 & mini tutorial.

I had a blast making my stampin 411 card today. I came up with a great way to make scallops for the 1 3/4" circle punch.

I used the full size heart punch! It was super simple, really! I took four heart punches and layered them on top of one another in the back and stuck them together. I was so excited that it lined up perfectly all the way around!







Can I get a whoop whoop??

My base layer is 4 1/4"x 11, scored and folded in half at 5.5 inches. Then I rounded all the corners and sponged that layer

The red layer is 4.5" x 2.5"
The soft suede layer is 4.5" x 1"
The striped DSP is 1/2" x 4.5"

I used shimmer paint and a sponge dauber to add some sparkle to my tree, then added crystal effects to make ornaments.

Super simple, super elegant! I love what the operators have come up with this week too. Please go to our post and play along! I can't wait to see what you create with this sketch!

Bloggers challenge ~ a study of DP

This week's bloggers challenge is simply to make a project using designer paper. Today, I sat down with my friend Barbi, and we put these together. I took pictures of 4 more pages that went home with Barbi, but somehow they didn't end up on my camera.

I have these pages all set to go for fall activities that pop up over the next few months. Plus, I had a great day with an amazing friend (complete with a grown up lunch). All the mattes are 4 1/4" x 6 1/4".

If you are so inclined please also check out what my girlfriends from the bloggers challenge are up to. A few have already posted and I'm loving what they did this week.

Technostamper Challenge

Good Afternoon! I actually Made this card for Mary Jo's technostamper challenge on Monday, and am just getting around to posting it now.

I stamped dasher in soft suede, then again using the champagne shimmer paint. Great Sketch MaryJo!

The red paper in the background has flock on it.. that's right FLOCK! It's so fun to play with and touch. The white part is fuzzy.

Happy Thursday! See you tomorrow with scrapbook examples for bloggers challenge ~ DSP challenge.

Big Shot Texture Plates on Chipboard

I was getting ready for my friend Pam's big shot workshop, when I noticed the directions on the "no tabs" setting for chipboard. Lo and behold, you can use texture plates with the bigshot on chipboard.

So first, i used the book basics small size chipboard to cut out a top note die. Then, I made my sandwich for the texture plates (according to no tabs directions on the multipurpose platform)

When it came out, i had the beautiful swirl design, but it needed some "pop". So I took a chocolate chip ink pad and swiped it right across the textured chiboard, and the design popped out!

Next, I took a sheet of bride paper, and colored it with ruby red ink using a sponge dauber. I punched 3 butterflys out of the center (behind the top note where you won't see it missing). I attached one to my envelope with a two way glue pen, and added some marker to show flight. I added the other two to the card. One is glued directly on the brown butterfly, and the other was adhered with a glue dot. I just pulled on the paper to squeze the wings together and he looks like he is flying.

I added the sentiment, i'm not sure how well it shows up in the photo.. but friends do make us much stronger. I thank God for my friends everyday, and wonder who Pam is going to give this awesome card to. :)

Saturday Sketch Challenge

This week, the sketch from the 411 blog has a bit of a curve ball in the weekly sketch challenge. There's a funky shape in there.. I thought to myself it ould make a good bird house, crayon or building. It's funny what I finally ended up with. My card finished size is 6 1/2" x 4 3/4".

Isn't the shimmer paint cool looking on the black?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Something New with the big shot and Bloggers challenge

Happy Friday!

This week's bloggers challenge is a color throw down. Chocolate chip, melon mambo, and crushed curry are the colors.

Last night I had a big shot workshop for my girlfriend Pam. There weren't too many of us here, but those who didn't have a big shot, now have one on order! When coming up with ideas to do my big shot class, I refer back to the stampin up website for ideas. They have a product guide that makes it easier to break down and teach all about a particular product from soup to nuts. I gather information from as many sources as I can about different things you can do and compile every way I know how to use a product.

This is my new class/workshop format. I teach all the ways I know how to "do" one topic, and my friends and customers are raving about it. I did a watercolor class this week at my friends work. Guests left with one make and take, and directions and small samples for six ways to watercolor. I was done packed up and out in an hour. Isn't that cool?

One of the ways I found to use the big shot... by reading the directions (that never happens) is that you can use your texture plates right on chipboard. I'll be posting a card I made for my hostess Pam, later in the week. I was so excited about the technique on the card I wanted to do another.

So sticking to the bloggers challenge colors, here's what I came up with.

1. I used some tombo multipurpose adhesive (in the green tube) to attach some crushed curry Designer Series Paper to my chipboard (book basics size small in the SU catalog).

2. I ran this through my big shot using the top note die. Tip** Whenever you are using the big shot, you want the paper that's going to face up on your project to face the die when you're cutting (learned that the hard way).

3. Then, I took the top note chipboard piece and ran it back through (on the no tabs setting with the big shot) and used my texture plates to add some depth.

4. I used my chocolate chip ink pad, direct on the paper to make the textured parts pop.

5. in this example I added a thin coat of shimmer paint to give it an antique look.

The butterfly is another die, and i cut 3, attaching the top one with a glue dot and bending the wings to make him look like he's flying. Then, I added 5 half beads from the pretties kit with glue dots and the sentiment. The sentiment is a rub on from the chit chat series, and I love this saying. You can never have too many friends.

Speaking of friends, please check out what my girlfriends are doing on the bloggers challenge group this week. They will wow you with this cool color combo!

I hope you have time to stamp something fun today!
Selene Kempton

Technostamper Challenge

I tried to get a card done yesterday for Mary Jo's Technostamper challenge. It didn't happen.. However ~ today is a new day, and one of my long time customers/friends is looking for a gift certificate. I had to make the sketch a bit longer for the size of my gift certificate. The certificate was 3 1/4 x 8" So my "holder" is 8 1/2" x 3 1/2".

I think the sketch lends itself well to a long style card, so I thought today, when I needed a gift certificate holder, that it would be perfect for what i needed. I think I may have made it even longer than the sketch but, that's ok..

What I learned ~~ After adding the little lip for the paper to sit in, I had to cut my certificate down a bit to fit. Sticky Strip is 1/4" thick, but even on the edge you need to account for another 1/8" of an inch on both sides at least.

I used crushed curry, ruby red, and soft suede markers to ink up my image and I stamped it on very vanilla cardstock. I cut that focal point down to 2 1/4" x 4 1/2" and then matted it with a piece of soft suede cardstock.

The ribbon sitting on top of the below view, is just hanging there. That is how I am keeping the envelope closed. I think it looks really beautiful above, when the designer series paper frames where the ribbon sits going across and that part stays true to the sketch. What a great sketch Mary Jo! I'm going to try and start playing along more! Beautiful!

Would you like to play along too? Check out the lunch time Monday sketch here!

Sketch Challenge 116 from the 411

This week's stamping 411 sketch is pretty simple! I took some liberties to fit the stamps I wanted to work with. I really love to watercolor. I used a watercolor "wash" method, to do the background.. This was completely water colored with markers and a water brush.. I'll be doing this card, this week for a workshop on water coloring.

Have a great weekend! If you have time to play along, check out the 411 blog and post a link to your card, if not please visit my girlfriends and see their amazing creations. You'll be glad you did!

Blogger's Challenge ~ Thinking Of You

With the CRAZY week I've been having, I haven't had a moment to go through the BIG BOX of goodies I ordered from the mini catalog. Last night was scrapbooking club, and this morning I get a few moments to myself.

While my scrappers were here last night, I loaded My Digital Studio on my laptop. This morning with the Thinking of you challenge from the bloggers challenge group... I carved out 10 minutes and Threw this card together, from SCRATCH!!!

I'm really excited now, because, this seems to take no time to put something fun together. My little girl was feeling a little sad this morning before school (taking lessons from the other kids who miss their parents maybe??) and so I'm missing her this morning and thinking of her..

So ~ I made MYSELF a card to console.. (LOL) and I'm thinking of my baby girl (who's no longer a baby).

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and an even better weekend. I'll be set up under a tent for Old Home Day in Dracut (in the rain). If you have an umbrella ready and you don't live too far, come see me.. I'm raffling off a gift certificate for $25 in stampin up product.

Also ~ please go and check out what my fabulous and talented girlfriends are doing this week for "thinking of you".

Rubbah Hugs,
Selene Kempton

Fall Scrapbooking

I've been crazy in my personal life this week. My daughter got accepted to a new preschool on Friday, that's closer to my home and I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off since.

The paperwork that you have to fill out, takes more time than it does when you are getting married! Then they sent us shopping for clothes and other things.. but I'm finally done and breathing a bit easier today.

My scrapbook Club meets tonight, and I bet they WISH we were making this page.. I had some fun with the suspension technique which is usually used in cardmaking.. I'm thinking I will just cut the page protector so you can still play with the element..

This hot air balloon ride is at storyland in new hampshire and we spent a day there going on EVERY ride we could find! Her favorite is the hot air balloon ride. Mom is not a big fan of heights, but I would do almost anything for my daughter. When you flip the suspension part of my page over, theres a photo of alexis and I in the balloon waiting in line to get on the ride.
There's an 8 1/2 x 11" piece of paper glued onto the 12x12" piece, and cut with scissors to create the whimsical effect.. I had a fun time making the pages and capturing our day on paper. This one will be going straight in the album.

Saturday Sketch Challenge 115 ~ I had FUN!!!

Sometimes I come up with a challenge card and I'm not overly sure that I LOVE the outcome... This week, I LOVE MY CARD!!!

I started out with some clear window sheets, and I stamped my pumpkins with white stazon on that layer. I added some sticky strip to the top of the strip and stuck it on some Halloween DSP from the catalog. I cut that piece down and mounted it on a piece of black cardstock. I layered pumpkin pie 1/4" grosgrain over that and tied a tiny bow at the middle.

I used some rubons for the sentiment and sponged a little craft ink (whisper white) around the edges. Underneath this layer, I cut a top note die out of pumpkin pie. It wouldn't have fit if I used the whole piece ~ so I cut it in half and overlapped it on the back. I still wasn't satisfied. I wanted another layer or two in there, so I cut a basic grey layer 1/4" larger than my black layer, and put it behind the pumpkin pie to really make it pop.

I cut my base and second layer out of basic black cardstock. My second layer was also sponged with white craft and then laid on the stark black for a pretty fun contrast. Please check out what my stampin sisters from the 411 are up to this week. You won't be sorry! You can even play along if you choose. You never know, your card could be featured on the blog OR you might even win something! Happy stamping!

On vacation ~ blogger's challenge

This week with the bloggers challenge group is all about babies!

I have been wanting to use this set for quite some time, and this was the perfect challenge to get the party started!

I've never been a big fan of using chalk pastels, but after a suggestion from my friend Lee, I tried using them with makeup applicators, which can be found at any drug store.

It was so simple to color these with the right applicator! Thanks Lee!

Also, these cards were going to be identical, just changing the color. My daughter informed me that girls arent into trains, so together we changed the second one..

I'm up at hampton beach today, and will be headed for the mountains, please check out what the bloggers challenge group ladies are up to. As soon as i have internet access, i'll be checking them out too!

Here'a a few close ups.