Dot & Whimsy

I rolled out a couple of sweetly bannered cards yesterday and was SO excited about getting them uploaded to this here blog and to I Heart-Ippity, but POOF our phone lines went down for several hours.  I'm thinking, 'okay'...no biggie.  Before picking Syd up from school, I went by the post office to mail a couple of packages.  They can't take debit cards, but luckily I have my checkbook (and I still remember how to use it LOL).  It literally takes two minutes for postage to pull up for one package;  I'm guessing that's tied to the phone line some how?  The clerks are talking about how the bank had to close early because they couldn't transact business without the phones!  Crazy...I guess even in our high-speed-internet, cell-phone-using world, that plain jane land-lines still play a big part of our lives.  I'm still praying for the day when they decide that we're worthy enough for high speed way out here in coun-try!

Here is my card for I Heart-Ippity!  I have thoroughly enjoyed working with this stamp collection, Flowers + Friends= Priceless....so many possibilities!  I used one of the larger floral stamps and simply stamped three of the image and then used my scallop punch to cut them out.  I folded them in half and strung them along a piece of baker's twine to create this fun and easy banner!  I added some color to the petals with a Zig pen and then attached a small Prima flower with pearl center.  This card went together so quickly!  I'm thinking that it'll be a design that I'll use again in the future :)

Tomorrow is my sweet Daddy's birthday!  He is absolutely my biggest fan, so I like to put as much love as possible into the cards that I make for him :)  I don't do many 'manly' cards and don't have much in the way of 'manly' supplies.  I took a piece of stripped cardboard and punched several small circles from it.  The star is one that I traced and cut out.  Then I glued it to the top of a piece of cardboard, machine stitched it and then inked and spritzed with bronze.  The ink picked up the pattern of the cardboard...looks really cool in person!

On a different note, I received my latest indulgence today...Slatkin's (you know Harry from Bath & Body Works?) newest FALL candles AND the cutest Frankenstein and Jack-O-Lantern candle holders.  I guess if you asked me what I collect, Slatkin & Co's seasonal scents and figural holders would be at the top of my list.  Anyway, how YUMMY does Salty Caramel (sweet cream and caramel sprinkled with glazed pecans), S'Mores (layers of gooey marshmallow, melted dark chocolate and sweet graham crackers) and Apple Crumble (baked Granny Smith and McIntosh apples topped with vanilla crumble, cinnamon and nutmeg) sound?  I can't tell you which is my favorite...they're all so delicious in their own right ♥  I picked these up at QVC this past week...I don't do a lot of shopping on the Q, but I can't pass up an hour with Harry! 

I think I'll get the Apple Crumble cranked up and at least make it smell like fall around here :)

See you all soon!

I've had a hauntingly good time at the craft desk for the past couple of days...the result is a few new Halloween goodies for Dot & Whimsy.  I have the whole week off and look to get lots of things done...last week netted nothing in the crafty department and I've missed my crafty time!  I cleaned the kids' closets out and ended up donating four huge bags of clothes to the local women/children's shelter.  I boxed up some of the boys' trophies and other little dust-collectors.  Trashed a ton of my daughter's stuff...I don't know why she keeps what she does...left me shaking my head so much that I'm surprised I didn't sprain my neck!  Broken toys, candy wrappers and every single crayon that she's ever owned...it goes a beyond simply being a pack-rat LOL.  Each year when school starts, I am just itching to get into her room and de-stash...she's none the wiser :) But I have learned to HIDE the trash from her too hahahaha!

I'm going to be working with Crate Paper's Peppermint and Fancy Pants' Off To School for the month of September...I'm so h-a-p-p-y!  Both collections are two that I've had my eyeball on since they debuted :)

I'll be posting a picture of my kit when it arrives.  Don't forget...YSS is a fabulous place to do your scrapbook shopping...and Erica is always hosting great specials!

It's been a good while since I last updated the blog, so here are several of my most recent projects:

Mini Halloween Album created for Dot & Whimsy.  I used vintage flashcards as the base pages!  I've been holding on to this reproduction vintage black cat postcard for quite a long time now...I thought it looked too perfect for this shape album so I decided it was time for us to part *sniff*

So I kept passing this adorable stamp at Hobby Lobby, laying in wait for the 40% off sale!  I love its whimsiness :)  My thought when purchasing the stamp was to create 'calling cards' for kids to handout when trick-or-treating.  I've left them blank so that they can be colored in and embellished by the kids themselves.  They can add a note of thanks to the back, along with their signature!

My latest card for I Heart-Ippity using Flowers + Friends= Priceless stamp collection from Unity Stamp Co.  I really love how it turned out and it was so super-simple!  First, I 'water-colored' the actual stamp using a little ink that I pressed into the lid of the stamp pad and a water-color brush...then I stamped it onto the actual card three different times.  Next, I used a darker ink and pressed the same flower stamp into it and then stamped onto a separate piece of white cardstock.  I hand-cut the two flowers and placed them around the other flowers.  Inks: Tulip and Smoothie by Close To My Heart

Wowee!  I'm multi-tasking between blogging, crafting and getting caught up on scrappy news...I've just made it over to My Scrapbook Nook's forum and see that I've made the Short-List for their upcoming Design Team.  How exciting!  I'm headed there now to get acquainted with everyone :)

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I had a fabulous 40th birthday!  Thank you for the emails and birthday wishes...it made my day just that much more special ♥

I'll be back in a day or two!

And Rose!  I love these collections from My Mind's Eye and I really love it when I can get a deal from Scrapbook Steals. When I opened the kit and saw the girly die-cuts, I knew that I wanted to use the purse shaped chipboard to create an album.  I listed this at Etsy and it sold within just a couple of hours...I had to share it though!

School starts up tomorrow!  The whole family piled into the vehicle yesterday to partake in the Tax Free weekend.  We did pretty good.  Four pair of jeans, four t-shirts, two pair of underwear and a pair of Nike's for under $200.  The summer has just flown by, but I'm ready to get back on a normal schedule.  No more staying up late and sleepin' in :)

Have a great week!

Shellye

Whoot!  I received an email this past week from the editor of Simply Handmade Magazine;  my sweet little crepe paper fringe (Pink Confection) will be featured in the Jan/Feb 2012 edition...I'm just a tad excited wwweee!  I have TONS of color schemes available at my Etsy shop, Dot and Whimsy. It's become quite the popular item with my Etsy customers...I take custom orders too!

With my newest stamps from I Heart {Ippity}, I created this clean and simple card.  I love the possibilities with the selection of flowers in this stamp collection, {Flowers + Friends= Priceless}

 I stamped the stems onto a strip of cardstock, then spritz with Smooch spray and inked around the edges.  The flower images were stamped onto distressed scrapbook paper...gives the look of watercolor without the fuss.  I then hand-cut the flowers closely to the stamped edge and arranged them over the stems. A little machine stitching and sticker letters completed the look.  Yes, this is clean-and-simple to me LOL

On other design fronts, I completed another layout for Your Scrapbook Stash using Echo Park's NEW Splash papers...I've loved using these papers.

Back to the craft room today...Dot and Whimsy is becoming quite bare!  Oh and don't forget to visit Paper Issues;  the latest link party theme is "Let's Ride".  I'm always so impressed by the unique projects that everyone shares over there...many, many talented designers and I'm delighted to be amongst them :)

Stay cool and I'll see you all soon!

It was my time to share a sketch at  Your Scrapbook Stash :)  As with the last sketch that I created, I scrapped my layout then I did the sketch...I know, I know...I did it a little backwards!
  I don't have any fancy software on my dino-of-a-computer, so I wing it with probably the oldest version of Picture It known to man;  it gets the job done though.

 My Sample "Just Add Water and Fins"

Shellye

Sugar and Spice that is ♥  I got in a couple of hours at the scrap table yesterday and came up with this sweeeet little mini album entitled "Sugar and Spice"  I love the Emma's Shoppe papers from Crate Paper; they have a beautiful vintage feel that I often look for when creating minis.  I painted the Maya Road chipboard in a buttercream, spritzed with Maya Road Silver Mist and then distressed the edges just a bit with a walnut ink.  And can you believe that I did not use my sewing machine once?!? Instead of stitching the papers, I added a border of baker's twine around each photo mat...you know I'm lovin' some twine!  Plus I just added three new colors to my selection: orange/black, red/white and black/white.  I also used my brand new Sizzix 3-D flower die...I'm lovin' some 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby too :)

Here's a peek at my newest album...on sale now at my Dot & Whimsy shop

Several projects on tap for the remainder of the week!  Paper Issues will be having a new Link party, so be sure to check it out.  I'm always, always amazed at the talent displayed there♥  My "Beach Dude" layout was also featured a couple of weeks ago...very excited!   I have a couple of layouts to do for Your Scrapbook Stash...I'm getting to play with a couple of Echo Park's new paper line (Country Drive, Splash and Summer Days).  Today I'll be working on my "Stash Fav"...hint: journal cards and the numerous things that you can do with them.  Journal cards; they're NOT just for journalin'! Stop by the YSS Blog and take a gander at what the other DT members are sharing :)

Have a TERRIFIC THURSDAY!
Shellye

Saturday's mailed yielded the brand new I Hearty {Ippity} Stamps from Unity that I'll be working with this month.  I was on my way to work for the next two nights, so I haven't had time to show them off.

When I spotted the large spiral flower, I knew that I wanted to use it to create at least a couple of 3-D flowers. So easy!  I'm sharing a little how-to for those of you who may not have experimented with this type of flower-making yet :)

 As you can see, I stamped the flower again...twice... onto the red cardstock and simply cut out the image.  I used my fingernail to give the edges a distressed look before adding a little glitter to all three flowers.  Sweet and cheery! 

Thanks for looking and don't forget to shop I Heart {Ippity}

I like to get a head start on crafting seasonal items for my Etsy shop.  So, yesterday I crafted a couple of really cute and really fun things for Halloween.  I start decorating for Fall around the middle of September...which, by all estimates, isn't that far away!

I purchased these sweet-faced Halloween kids stamps last month and have been looking forward to making something with them ever since.  I love little pieces of art-work hanging from hutch fronts or door knobs.  For the base I used two vintage cardboard bingo cards and sandwiched them together so that the worn patina would show. 

I machine-stitched, Smooched with silver spray, stamped, water-colored and added fun trims and embellishments.  She turned out quite nicely!

The second project is a set of bag tags that seem to a recurring favorite.  I use this "Homemade for you" stamp and add a little something extra, depending on the holiday.  For these I found an ittby bitty bat stamp.  Then, of course, I added my favorite orange and white Baker's Twine :)

I listed both of these at my Dot & Whimsy shop at Etsy.  I've been so busy with work, Athletic Booster functions and design team stuff that I haven't had much time for my Etsy;  it was nice to get some new stuff up!

I have two large packages of chicken breasts boiling to put away for spaghetti, salads, etc.  "Someone" left the big freezer open last night and we're trying to save as much food as we can.....fun, fun, fun *smh*

Off to work! Stay cool out there :)

I've now used all of the pretty stamps from the "New Season, New Wonder" collection from I Hearty {Ippity}.  I love a cherries motif coupled with dots and gingham.  I decided to go with a shabby look for this card, so I also added crumpled seam binding, pom pom trim and vintage buttons.  

For the stamping part, I didn't actually stamp.  I used REAL RED stamp pad from Stampin Up and OLIVE stamp pad from Close To My Heart.  I pressed the lid into the pads before opening.  I then dipped a watercolor pen into the lids and brushed the color onto the stamp...I was worried at first that the ink would dry before I got both colors applied, but they didn't.  I think that it turned out quite nice! Have a look

On the close-up you can see that I cut the stem from the image and used foam dots for the cherries and leaf.

The little dots on the tag?  Actually a fluke!  I had tea-dyed a whole lot of tags one day and in drying them (in the oven), this particular tag took on the design of the pan that I used to lay them on...pretty cool though!

Thanks for looking!  

I don't mean to wish away the rest of 2011, but I can't wait to use this handy little calendar when the new year begins!  One of my assignments for August with Your Scrapbook Stash was to create an altered project;  in my box this month I received an acrylic flip style chipboard album from Maya Road...I knew immediately that I wanted to create a desktop calendar...I so need this at my desk ♥  I downloaded the perfect mini calendar from Splitcoast Stamper's. Also in my kit were the brand new papers "County Drive" from Echo Park!  Very adorable designs and easy to work with.  I cut out a few of the accents to use throughout the calendar and I also added some of my own stuff like brads, buttons, etc.  

  I need to get back to the scrap table and finish a new card for I Heart {Ippity}  Should be getting my new set of stamps this week (for August designs)...I'm anxious to see what I'm going to be working with :)

Hope you all have a great week!