So.  Those of you that know me know I was born and raised in the mid-west.  Kansas to be exact.  THE FARTHEST PLACE ONE CAN GET FROM AN  OCEAN IN OUR COUNTRY.  Seriously.  So, when this stamp set, By the Tide, was selected, I had a miniature panic attack.  Cause what the heck do I do with a lobster.  I have no idea how to eat them, prepare them, or even how to ORDER them.  I’m not even sure I’ve had lobster… probably have, especially at some buffet or something like that, but I don’t recall…..  And, until I moved to Hawaii and actually had REAL fish, I thought I hated all seafood (cause all I had to compare it to was catfish…which, if you like catfish, my apologies for the offense.  I, however, do not like it.  not one bit.)

ANYWAY, so I had to do something with a lobster.  I realize there are other stamps in this set, but I had to make it a personal goal of mine to make something with a lobster.  LOBSTER.  WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A LOBSTER?????  Looking at my favorite inspiration sites (aka pinterest) I found lots of New-England Coastal scene.  Which was really nice… BUT, I am also unfamiliar with that TOO.  Remember.  Kansas.  Not New England.

So, I made it a point to do something unexpected with a lobster.  And, my first thought was to pair it with melon mambo.  Cause I didn’t see ANY of that color on the pinterest search.  And, this is what I came up with.

 

An IN YOUR FACE PINK AND BLACK (melon mambo and basic black) card with LOBSTERS.  Cause you wanna make a statement.  Send this card and I guarantee you will get a phone call… asking what do the lobsters mean?  So, here’s your chance to come up with something  REALLY funny.  Or just simply say, “they were to get you to call!!!”  Cause what do you do with a LOBSTER.  (I’ve polled several people, and the only answer I got was to EAT it.  Hum… )

 

 

So, here are some details on how to make the card.  The card base is made from melon mambo.  I cut basic black and whisper white panels to go on the inside.  Then folded a portion of the melon mambo front over.  I think I trimmed off about 1/2″ inch too, just to make it a little smaller.  Can you see the 3 scored lines?  Stampin’ Score.  Makes it SUPER easy to do neat scoring texture.  I added a scallop trim border.  Those buttons… those are the silver Basic Designer Buttons (item 129325 for $5.95) from the Spring Occasions Catalog.  I love those buttons.  And, you only have till May 31 to get them….  (or anything else in the Spring Occasions catalog you might want)  I added a little of the taffeta white ribbon on the button, embossed the word HI (from Fabulous Phrases set, 120501) onto the curly label punch.  And, that it it.

 

This next card was a little easier… in the sense of making something with the other images from the stamp set.  And, despite my resolution to try and NOT tempt you with the new colors going to be released, I did not have the willpower to do so.  WHAT YOU ARE SEEING HERE ARE SOME OF THE NEW COLORS.  Aren’t you LOVING them?  And now mad at me for showing them to you and making you wait until June 1 to buy??

The card base for this was naturals ivory.  It has a very earthy feel.  And, then I used Pistachio Pudding as the pale green layer and Coastal Cabana as the brighter green that has the “Miss You” stamp.  And the seashell stamp.  Brown Sugar ink was used for the wording stamps and crumb cake for the seaweed plant.  Those spots… that was a stamp from the My Paper Pumpkin Welcome Kit.  Which is marvelous.

 

Can you see the texture on this?  I used that canvas creations paper.  (item 129375)  Which is really not paper.  It’s kind-of a cross between paper and canvas… but really more canvas.  Maybe it is.   Who knows.  It doesn’t have the rigidity of paper… when you take it out of the package it definitely flops about.  But, it can be easily cut on the trimmer.  And, I love it cause you can fray the edges… just pull out some of the fibers.  There seem to be two different surfaces…one definitely has more texture than the other.  I used the more texture one.  I love it…gives a very earthy feel (I’m using that term for lack of a better word….)  I don’t FEEL very well right now, some cold that’s been going around.  Which I’m sure is why I’m having a more difficult time than normal figuring out something appropriate to do with lobsters…and figuring out the correct vocabulary to use for describing what I am trying to say…

I love the new colors, both the in-colors and the color refresh SU is doing.  It will definitely be lots of fun creating new things with these new products.

 

I think I win the prize for having the two most miss-matched cards from the same stamp set.  But, I did that on purpose (snort…).  Shows VERSATILITY.  And, I wouldn’t be anything if I weren’t versatile.     I don’t even know what I am saying.  Methinks it is time for more medication and an nap…..

Enjoy your next stop on the tour.  You’re off to see what Deb Leigh has for  you.  Click on the button below… or if that doesn’t work, there is a list…

 

 

 

So.  I have both my clubs meeting this weekend.  And, it’s Wednesday night.  And, I still have NO idea what they are going to make.  And, I’m trying to put stuff together and nothing is coming and I’m frantically combing pinterest, stampin’ connection, and all my favorite stampin’ bloggers.  Nothing.  Nothing at all.

And, I’m so INVOLVED in scouring these interwebular spectacular inspiration-starters that I don’t notice that my arm has been resting on my staz-on ink pad.  BLACK STAZ-ON INK PAD.  For several minutes.

 

That’s my arm.  With a big, black, permanent rectangle.  And an outline of a rectangle.  I’ve tried to get it off.  But, it didn’t come off.

Tomorrow is gonna be a long-sleeve day.

sigh.

 

And, if you wanna see if I actually survive my hobby until the weekend, check back THIS SUNDAY for the Next Installment of the BEST OF stamp tour.  This month we will feature ‘Best of Flowers’.

 

 

Well…  Up until SU posted the color refresh, I knew what stamp I had to use for this month’s Stamp of the Month Blog Tour, but had NO IDEA what color pallet to use.

Then, SU SAVES THE DAY.  (They seem to do that a lot for me)

The color refresh got me to thinking that I should use some the colors I loved, but have kinda ‘strayed away’ from in light of the new in-colors and what have you.  Kinda feel sorry for the ‘main-stay colors’  Though moving from an IN-Color to a  color collection definitely must be a promotion….  I would think the color collection colors must feel, hum, how shall we say, over-looked in the newness of things?  The ‘red-headed step child’???  NEVER.  I could not imagine… but alas, I was at fault for LOVING our in colors and not always remembering to use the main-stays.  Forgive Me.  I hope there are no hard feelings.

ANYWAY…

Secret Garden.  IT’s LOVELY.  Page 17 in the Spring Occasions Catalog.  It has Framelits Dies to match…. and therefore comes as a bundle (dies and stamps–15% off if you buy them together–and if you buy today, you won’t pay shipping).  woo-hoo.  ANYWAY.  I love this flower set.  Extremely versatile.  Has both solid and outline flowers.  Leaves on a stem, and those leaves can be easily trimmed off to be separate leaves.  And, some of the flowers can really be made to look tropical (an PLUS if you are living in Hawaii and you need some tropical themed cards).  SO.  Here it is…

I made 3 cards:

The color scheme is the now retiring More Mustard and Riding Hood Red.  And, I also used Soft Suede (not retiring).  I did the bottom and right card in the ‘one-sheet-wonder’ technique.  This is an AWESOME technique. if you have never tried it.  You stamp a sheet of whisper white or very vanilla ALL over with your images.  Then you cut it and use it like a dsp.  And the two cards are basically the same… just the exact opposite in composition… The bottom one has a dark background and light strip, and the right one has a light background and dark strip.  Then, flipped from  horizontal to vertical… SO, you can see how different you can make a card look just by altering something VERY simple.  This one-sheet-wonder technique would let you make SETS of cards (think gifts, favors, etc… Mother’s Day, Teacher Appreciation, and END OF SCHOOL is COMING!!–and as a teacher, I can say, a set of beautiful, hand-made cards would be an awesome teacher appreciation gift!!).  ANYWAY, I digress… here are some closer pictures.

I added some subtle texture with the honeycomb embossing folder.  (LOVE IT) and used the soft suede taffeta ribbon for the knot.  The Labels are dimmensionaled to make it stand up a bit…

Here is the companion card.  I trimmed the label tags to just peak out under the ribbon….

I also have to show you the 3rd card I made…My inspiration for this one was a invitation I made for my mother-in-law’s 50th birthday party using the Fifth Avenue Floral Stamp set from a couple years ago.  I enjoyed that set.  And, I was happy to see this one, cause it pays homage to a wonderful stamp set (this one is NICER cause it has both outline and solid stamps…AND FRAMELITS).

Anyway, here is the card:

Simple.  Delicate.  LOVE IT>  Sometimes simple is good.  This would make a good sympathy card now that I think of it.  (I need to make some sympathy cards…. it’s on the brain…)

Here is a picture of all the cards, including the invitation from a few years ago…just so you can see.

More Mustard, Riding Hood Red… though you may be gone, you will not be forgotten…

But, we must not tarry… on to the next blog tour!!  (AND WOW.  I cannot believe I did all that without using the framelits.  They are fabulous… even though they weren’t displayed….)

Click on the image here to take you to the next blog.  If it doesn’t work, there is a list of the people on the tour… you can move along ‘old school’.

Easter’s a-comin’…

Better get crackin…

Here is a SUPER easy little Easter Goodie Bag…  It uses that super easy Pop-up Posies Designer Kit.  Again.  Did I mention I LOVE that kit??

 

 

I just scored and folded the tag that came in the kit in half to use it as a topper on a cello bag!!  Added a few Easter Eggs (those whopper robin eggs…my favorite)…  And some of that crinkle grass.  I STOCK up on that stuff during this season cause it comes in handy all year… I like the clearish one cause it matches everything…

For this flower, I used one of the vanilla fabric covered brads and just scruntched up the petals some.  The “Happy Easter” stamp is from the Teen Tiny Wishes stamp set.  Stamped in Crumb Cake on Vanilla, punched out with the Word Window punch and layered on a Summer Star-fruit modern label punch.  Took NO TIME to put together.  Perfect for office mates or your child’s school party…