Continuing to Create...

Etsy Shop Correction

2009-10-31T19:45:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure why but Blogger is not cooperating with the link to my Etsy shop. For anyone interested, here is the correct link: www.lesliestamps.etsy.com. Have a great weekend!
Leslie

Close to Christmas...

2009-10-30T09:29:00.009-05:00

I love Christmas! The colors, smells and comforts that surround it. So, imagine the fun I had last weekend with Cindy and Sue as we spent it in the country working on our Christmas cards. It has been an annual tradition to get together and work on our cards but this year we spent it at Sue's country home. Awesome place, food and scenery. My mojo was cooperating, which is always nice. So, this is the first of my Christmas card creations.

This card uses the country colors of tan, greens and brown as the primary accents. The SU! trendy trees are stamped along a hillside of Martha Stewart faux glittered snow. Country buttons tied in twine are added as accents. The SU! large grosgrain ribbon adds the final touch to the beautiful card. This was a fun card to make and since I made many, I've listed it in my Etsy shop (which has been poorly neglected!)

Thanks for visiting-

Leslie

It's Fall, Ya'll!

2009-10-15T14:35:00.002-05:00

Its Fall, my favorite time of the year. I love the crisp air, cooking with apples and cranberries, wearing sweaters, football games and fireplaces. That’s why I decided to use PTI’s stamp set, Vintage Picnic, to make a Fall birthday card. The patterned papers were taken from my Basic Grey stash and the cardstock is from SU! I decided to use my Copic Markers to color the apples and stamped the image with Memento ink. The background was embossed with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder, which I love! The mats were cut with the Spellbinder’s Oval dies. I did add “bling” on the image with the Copic Spica pens, but it is not showing in the picture. Luckily, the ribbon was found in my stash. Be sure to visit PaperTrey Ink’s website, as Nichole released darling holiday items today.

Stay warm!

Leslie

Making a Sympathy Card...

2009-09-29T12:07:00.002-05:00

It’s difficult to make sympathy cards when you need them. This past week, two of my dear friend's lost parents and it has really saddened me. I’m also grieving over my decision to leave Stampin’ Up!, after being a demonstrator for 9 years. So, this weekend, I had one of my “play dates” with Cindy and Sue. Each planned card ended to be a disaster. Finally, I threw everything in my bag and headed home. Determined to not settle for defeat, I created Sympathy Cards that evening.

This card was made using the Medallion stamp, by SU! I love this stamp and can see it being used multiple times for various occasions. I chose my colors, Sage Shadow and Chocolate Chip, from the SU! patterned paper. I decided to spotlight part of the Medallion image by matting and adhering it over the remainder of the image. The small sentiment fit perfectly over the card. The ribbon was found in my stash and adhered after a faint amount of Stickles was applied to the card front. I like keeping my Sympathy cards simple, but this one needed a little spark and the fine glitter was perfect.

Take care-

Leslie

Operation Write Home

2009-09-14T15:52:00.003-05:00

The month of September is very special to me as I celebrate Labor Day and remember the terrorist bombings. I recall our soldiers and the terrific sacrifices they make to serve and protect our company. That’s why this month I’m volunteering hours to make cards for our soldiers. Ironically, Cards for Heroes. org is also celebrating this month with a new name and website, Operation Write Home. You’ll notice above the stack of cards I’ve been working on to mail. This is a great cause and will only take a little time. I strongly urge you to check out the website and consider sending them a donation of handmade cards, stamps, envelopes or money. And, if you are making cards, be sure to follow the listed requirements. Some of the “bling” we like to use on our creations can actually harm the soldiers, so please read before sending your cards. Now get busy and participate with us today!

Take care-
Leslie

A simple birthday card...

2009-08-28T14:11:00.003-05:00

This was a simply made card due to DCWV gorgeous, glittery patterned papers. I simply trimmed the printed butterflies out of the patterned paper and adhered them to a coordinating background. Using the SU! stamp set, Only Ovals, I stamped the sentiment with Basic Brown ink and colored with the Regal Rose marker. Using the coordinated ribbon from SU!, I matted everything onto a Chocolate Chip card front. I love finding patterned papers that coordinate with my supply of inks. It's another birthday card for a busy time of year.

Have an awesome weekend!

Leslie

Free fabric from the Vintage Workshop...

2009-08-26T18:53:00.002-05:00

Here's an opportunity to win free fabric from the Vintage Workshop. All you need to do is leave a comment on their blog. The fabric is gorgeous and would make a beautiful quilt. Take a look here.

More later-
Leslie

Using those scraps...

2009-08-21T12:23:00.003-05:00

My sister’s birthday was also this month, one week prior to my mother’s special day. I had fun making her card while using lots of items from my stash. This is a great way to use those “extras” from your patterned paper pile.

The base of the card was made with SU! Kraft cardstock. I embossed the SU! Basic Black cardstock using a Cuttlebug embossing folder. The fun part began as I chose different patterns of paper to layer next to each other. I decided to use reds and blacks as the primary colors. These patterned pieces are from 7 Gypsies and Sassafras Lass. The SU! Scalloped border punch helped with designing the edge of the layered pieces. Using my neglected MorningStar stamps, I stamped the sentiment onto a circle piece of Very Vanilla CS and layered it onto a black scalloped border. The Spellbinders Nestabilities came in handy with these 2 pieces. The final pieces-Bazzill flower, vintage button, twine and ribbon-were all in my stash.

I have several of the MorningStar stamps with a circle design and was able to duplicate this card for other occasions. I can’t wait to try this design again using different sets of colors.

Have an awesome weekend!

Leslie

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-08-16T01:04:00.000-05:00

I decided to rejoin Blogland at the end of a busy and hot summer. The heat has put a damper on my desire to sit in my craft room and create. Don't get me wrong, as I've had lots of ideas floating in my head but finally made time to put them on paper as the annual Moore birthdays are starting up again. August and September are busy birthday months for me. So, let me share with you my latest creations.

My Mom's 71st birthday is today. I don't think she minds me sharing her age as she sure doesn't look or act it. You may have heard me mention that she is an avid and excellent quilter, so it was only fitting that her card contain a quilt theme. Cindy, Sue and I saw this stamp from "Impression Obssession" at the Rubber Stamp Expo in the Spring. I cased their idea of making the quilt and barrel look 3-D by using dimensionals. I've been on a Kraft cardstock rage, so this scene fit perfectly on it. After coloring the image with my Prism pencils, I mounted it on red cardstock and used Making Memories striped Kraft paper for a background. The sentiment came from PaperTrey Ink's Quilt stamp set. The buttons and twill were found in my stash. Knowing that I would hand deliver this card, I didn't have to worry about the size or thickness. Therefore, I made it business envelope size and enjoyed using the extra large buttons. Mom has made me plenty of quilts but this one is for her. Happy Birthday Mom. (Visit her blog and tell her yourself!)

A wedding gift...

2009-07-04T11:47:00.002-05:00

It's the season of weddings and I'm back at my craft table making gifts. These are gifts for office co-workers, who have children getting married. Sometimes, I want to share in the joy with a little gift for the children of my co-workers. For this couple, I made simple, elegant monogrammed note cards using Basic Black and Whisper White colors. The SU! Manhattan Floral Embossing Folder added a perfect background for this card. I used the SU! stamp set, Frames with a Flourish, to make the monogrammed border and like the way it coordinated with the elegant, floral theme. The monogram stamp set is called Collage Squares by Paper Studio from Hobby Lobby. After adhering the stamped focal image onto a scalloped black border, I placed it over ribbon from my stash. The final design was placed on a black card front. When using black for my cards, I adhere a white insert inside the card to make writing sentiments easier.

For my packaging, I placed all of the cards and envelopes in a clear card box. I made a much smaller gift card with black cardstock, embossed with the same Manhattan floral image. I simply embellished it with an white oval stamped with a sentiment placed on the card front. After slipping this on top of the box, I added more ribbon and my gift was ready for the new couple.

Be sure to visit my Mom's new blog, A Southern Quilter's Joy.

Happy July 4th!

Leslie

Little Tees for several events...

2009-06-22T18:54:00.003-05:00

I’ve been toying with an idea to use with these stamps and finally got to play a few weekends ago with Cindy and Sue. We try to get together once a month and share our toys and show any new purchases. We met at Sue’s, stamped awhile and topped the evening off by shopping at local craft stores and eating dinner out. I needed a birthday card for my oldest son’s girlfriend, a “miss you “ card for a friend and a graduation card for my sister. This set, “Little Tees”, by Gina K. designs was the perfect set to use for all my card needs. I decided to use paper piecing for all of the cards and coordinate Basic Grey paper with them. Each card was mounted on SU! Real Red cardstock and stamped with SU! Basic Black ink. After stamping the image onto the patterned paper, I cut it out and adhered on top of my faux clothesline made with SU! Hemp. I used mini clothes pins found at Hobby Lobby for extra embellishments. Each card required a separate sentiment and was found with the “Little Tees” stamp set by Gina K. Designs. After stamping the sentiment, I used my SU! circle punches to cut and layer together. I added a few buttons to one of the cards and used a Signo White Gel pen to add faux string thru the holes. Though not shown, my sister’s card said “You Rock” because she does after completing college at age 43.

I hope you are enjoying this awesome summer!

Leslie

Happy Birthday to SUE!

2009-06-01T14:12:00.003-05:00

I’ve been very slack about blogging lately. With Memorial/Mother’s Day and the beautiful NE GA weather, my time has been spent outside. I was able to spend Memorial Day in one of my favorite cities-Savannah, GA. Though it rained, I was still able to attend several art festivals and many quaint shops.

This card was made for Sue’s birthday. I made the card using the Stampin’ Up! Level 3 hostess set, Echoes of Kindness. Sue has been encouraging me to use my Copic Markers, which have been collecting dust in my craft room. I’ve spent much time reading about the proper use of them, hoping confidence would develop along the way. The confidence never developed but I finally decided to go for it and just use them. I now understand why people are addicted to them as they were fun to use. I stamped my main image and sentiment with Brilliance Black Graphite ink and coordinated the Copic marker choices with the SU! retired patterned paper. I added some clear Stickles glitter to the main image and paper pierced around the borders. The sentiment was punched using the SU! oval punches and sentiment. After layering the pieces onto the Bliss Blue card front, I added ribbon found in my stash.

I hope you are enjoying the summer weather too!

P.S. I’m on Facebook now. Come and join the fun!

2 cards using one design...

2009-04-30T13:31:00.003-05:00

We’ve had a full week of spring weather and I am really enjoying it. I may not be stamping as much, but when I do, I desire to stamp floral images. This card uses an older Stampin’ Up! set, “So Many Scallops”. I took my color combination choices from the SU! Designer Patterned Paper and used Groovy Guava, River Rock and Red Riding Hood inks. The scallops were stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock and punched out with the SU! Scalloped Punch. The stamp set was designed to use with this punch and saves time when creating cards. I adhered the floral images above a stamped stem design. Being that the Designer paper is double sided saves on time and money for me. After adding a few layers to my card background and a sentiment to the card front, I had another thank you card created.

And, here’s a similar card made with the same supplies, but useful as a birthday card. I decided to use Prima and silk flowers to replace the scalloped flowers previously shown. I’ve found discounted silk flowers at my local hobby store can produce lots of flowers for a minimal cost. And, if you can’t find the exact needed color choice, dye the flowers using markers. Buttons by Making Memories were added to the centers of the flowers.

Have a great weekend!

Leslie

Third design using one stamp...

2009-04-24T06:16:00.000-05:00

So, I've saved the best card for last, as this is my favorite of the three. This card is a gatefold cut, which means it opens from the center. I use a white clip to keep it closed. Again, the flower was created identical to the previous cards but stamped on a rectangle image and layered on a scalloped mat provided by Sue. Sue even drew the little black border around the image, which I can never get straight. It does add a professional touch. All of this was mounted on a green Cuttlebug embossed folder background. I tied a simple bow with ribbon from my stash, added a simple sentiment and the last of my cards was created.

This was alot of fun to do and I recommend doing it with your friends.

Have a great weekend!

Leslie

Part 2 of 1 stamp, 3 creations

2009-04-22T06:08:00.000-05:00

This is the 2nd card using the same supplies as previously posted. Again, the flower was created the same way as mentioned before, but on a different shape created with the Spellbinders die. I cut a mat to coordinate with this shape. The background was made using red plaid paper from my scrapbooking stash. I added 2 layers of Cuttlebug embossed mats and paper-pierced the border of the green one. It was layered on a white mat created with a Martha Stewart border punch. The coordinating ribbon was also in my stash and was tied under the main image. Another simple sentiment was added and card 2 was completed. Next up is card 3 of my weekly creations.

Leslie

One stamp, 3 creations

2009-04-19T17:52:00.003-05:00

So, I've been MIA in blog land, but have been busy at the craft table. I promise to make it up to you this week by showing you 3 cards designed with one stamp. About once a month, I try to get together with 2 friends, Cindy and Sue, to share our new supplies and make cards. I had to miss our February play date, but Sue was kind enough to stamp the images and punch out the flower details for me. She even provided some of other supplies to complete the cards. She stamped 3 of the images on different shapes created with the Spellbinders dies and added the coordinating scalloped mat for me to use. (I have wonderful friends!) So, it was fun to take the supplies and design 3 different cards with them. The plant pot was paper pieced using different colored cardstock. The leaves were colored with markers, cut and adhered over the main image for extra dimension. The floral pieces were curled by poking a stylus in the center of each piece. Then they were adhered over the focal image using glue. I wanted my floral pieces to really "pop" and added Crystal Effects to them. (This also covered up the areas that the glue was showing.)

The background was made with 2 different Cuttlebug embossed folders and one was layered on a mat made with the SU! scalloped border punch. I adhered a piece of coordinating ribbon to it with 2 red brads. A simple sentiment was added and my first creation was completed. Stay tuned for part 2.

Leslie

Lydia Project

2009-03-23T12:27:00.002-05:00

One of the requirements at my current job is to volunteer with service projects outside of the hospital. I don’t have to use my nursing skills to meet this requirement and enjoy making cards for charitable causes. Splitcoaststampers is requesting cards for the Lydia Project, women who are recovering from cancer treatments. I knew this was a project close to my heart and wanted to make cards for this cause. The card requirements were very simple; an uplifting, non-bulky card. I was challenged with the non-bulky requirement and decided to add extra postage to my cards instead of fretting over the weight of my card. This card was made using all SU! projects and Red Riding Hood inks and cardstock. The stamp sets, Beautiful Borders and 24-7, were used in designing the cards. I love the versatile designer patterned papers as they are double-sided and easily combined. After cutting a large circle and scallop mat in half, I placed it on the right side of the card. The border was enhanced with Stickles glitter. Keeping it simple, I added a sentiment that could be used for multiple occasions. If you want to participate in this cause, visit this link.

Thanks-
Leslie

Using another Jumbo Wheel...

2009-03-06T03:37:00.000-05:00

This is my week for using SU! Jumbo Wheels in designing cards. While taking one out to play with, I enjoyed using several others before cleaning up. This technique was recently shared in Stampin’ Success, a magazine for SU! demonstrators. The idea is to make your own template and roll the wheel over it. It leaves a neat image on the card front. I chose to use several sized circle punches to make my template. I lightly adhered the template to the card front using removable Hermafix. After rolling the SU! Happy Happy Birthday wheel over the template, several text filled circles remained on the card front. Using a piercing template, I created several areas of pierced circles. Various sized text-filled circles were punched, mounted on Real Red cardstock and adhered with dimensionals. The Khaki card front was mounted on a Real Red card front. Using the SU! Window punch, I made tabs and adhered them with Antique Gold brads. A SU! Ribbon slide was placed over red grosgrain ribbon. I plan on putting this card in my “manly birthday cards” stash.

You can see my template below the card. The only recommendation I have is to use thinner paper when creating your template, so the image is clear on the card front. Copier paper would be a good choice in making your template.

Stay warm-
Leslie

Happy Birthday Timothy!

2009-03-03T10:33:00.003-05:00

Today is my nephew’s 19th birthday. I can still remember the day he was born. He has recently started college, which makes me feel very old, but proud of his choices. I wanted to make a card that was for a man, not too stuffy or childish. I saw a similar card on SplitCoast Stampers and used it as my inspiration for this card. I love the SU! Jumbo wheels as they aid in making a quick card. I’ve learned to keep my male cards simple, as men usually don’t notice finer details. This card was made using the SU! Classic Stars wheel, Basic Black, Bravo Burgundy inks and cardstock. I cut several of the Bravo Burgundy stars and mounted them with dimensionals over the Basic Black stars. I found the twine at Hobby Lobby and purchased several “manly” colors, so was able to use the black twine finally. This was finally layered onto a Basic Black mat, stamped with a birthday sentiment and adhered to a Bravo Burgundy card front. A fast and simple card for a quickly growing young man. Happy Birthday Timothy!

Introducing Dorothy..

2009-02-20T01:59:00.001-05:00

Here’s another example of an unusual color combination-pink, blue and green. The main lampwork beads in this set are from a brooch that belonged to my great-grandmother. My mother had the piece of jewelry stored as it was falling apart and not suitable for wearing. After taking it apart and discarding the damaged pieces, I was left with 5 beautiful lampwork beads. The beads were in perfect condition and had the colors of pink, blue and green in them. I added Swarovski AB blue and clear crystal beads, pink Czech glass beads, metallic seed beads and a sterling silver chain to make a necklace and coordinating set of earrings. I had wonderful thoughts of my mother while designing this set and thus named it after her, Dorothy. Be sure to check out your mother’s jewelry box or visit an antique shop this week looking for vintage beads.

Thanks for visiting-
Leslie

A Pink and Black Combo...

2009-02-17T13:43:00.001-05:00

I used a different color combination when making this card and had lots of fun designing it. Pink and black colors are currently seen on clothes, jewelry and home décor items. I used all SU! items to design this card. The background was stamped with the Floral stamp, which is a favorite of mine. The Elegant Notes stamp set was used for the sentiment. Everything was stamped in Basic Black ink and mounted on Basic Black cardstock. Black organdy ribbon was tied and secured with a pearl-tipped pin. (SU! carries these pins, but Cindy and I found them at a local fabric store, too.) The floral brad was in my stash and is from Creative Imaginations. The SU! corner ticket punch added to the elegance of the card. This easy design and color combination could be used for a variety of events.

Enjoy-
Leslie

Several Simple Cards...

2009-02-13T14:39:00.003-05:00

I’m late with blogging this week, but wanted to share a few cards recently made at a get together with friends Cindy and Sue. My card stash was slowly diminishing, after giving several away during the holidays. So, I wanted to make several simple cards to replenish my stock. The motivation for these cards came from Jennifer on her blog. I had fun picking out simple focal image stamps from SU!-It’s About Time and Seeing Spots-and a sentiment set from PaperTrey Ink. The cardstock, patterned papers, ink, buttons, twine and circle punches came from SU! The coordinating brads and Prima flowers were from my stash. As you can see, I made several designs of these cards and even created a male version for birthdays.

Have a great Valentine’s Day-
Leslie

Tranquility

2009-02-06T00:33:00.000-05:00

This is another set inspired by a visit to Native American Gallery in Athens, GA. (I mistakenly put the wrong name of the store in my last posting.) The store has wonderful displays and customer service. They will happily scan their display samples for me to use for inspiration. Starting this month, the store will be holding classes, which I’ll be registering for. This set is called Tranquility and uses the colors of brown, blue and green. I used Turquoise Puffs and Rounds, Kiwi Jasper Rondelles, Aquamarine Rectangles, Brown Quartz Discs and Rounds with Sterling Silver Spacer Beads and Toggle Clasps. I especially like the large S-hook clasps on the necklace and bracelet. An amazing thing with using these stones is that they look great when worn with blue, green and brown colors.

Have a good weekend-
Leslie

Meet Cynthia...

2009-02-04T11:08:00.001-05:00

I fell in love with these beads during a visit to one of my local bead shops, North America Trade in Athens, Ga. Garnet is the birthstone for a dear friend, Cindy and me. After making myself a set with these beads, I decided to do the same for Cindy’s January birthday. Also, I named the set after Cindy, aka Cynthia. The square lampwork beads consist of garnet, black and pale yellow colors. I decided to use Amber puffs, Garnet-colored Czech glass rondelles, coordinating round lampwork beads and metallic silver seed beads to make the necklace. A silver toggle set finished the necklace. The bracelet was easily strung on elastic cord and consists of the square lampwork beads, Czech glass and seed beads. This set can be worn with multiple outfits and is one of my favorite sets yet.
Thanks for visiting-
Leslie

Another Upsy Daisy Card...

2009-01-30T00:44:00.000-05:00

This is another card featuring one of my favorite SU! stamp sets, Upsy Daisy. This card uses SU! colors Certainly Celery, Regal Rose and Always Artichoke. I cut the focal image shape with the Big Shotz Top Note die and Ivory Confetti cardstock. Then, I stamped the floral image in the 3 colors of ink, without re-inking between stamping. The sentiment was stamped in Regal Rose ink. The background was made with a Cuddlebug embossing folder and Certainly Celery cardstock. All was mounted onto a Regal Rose card front. SU! Regal Rose ribbons and Stickles glitter were the finishing touches.
Thanks for visiting-
Leslie

Upsy Daisy week

2009-01-27T00:29:00.000-05:00

The stamp set from SU!, Upsy Daisy, is one of my favorites. It can be used for multiple occasions. This is also one of my favorite color choices from SU!-Basic Black, Very Vanilla and So Saffron. I stamped the floral image 2 times on the vanilla cardstock without re-inking between stamping. This allows a dimensional look to the flowers. Colorbox Yellow Cadmium ink worked best for this technique. I added Crystal Stickles to several areas of the floral image. The So Saffron double-sided patterned paper was helpful in designing my background, as one side was used for the large area while another design was used for the border. The SU! Scallop Border punch was used with Basic Black cardstock to provide a layer for the border. I added a sentiment from a SU! hostess set stamped in Basic Black ink. The last additions were 2 SU! ribbons, which coordinated beautifully.
Take care-
Leslie

Need recipes??

2009-01-21T00:13:00.000-05:00

My Mom has started blogging and has 2 blogs. This is her newest one, Cooking with Nana Moore, and she is adding favorite family recipes. It is a wonderful way for her children, grandchildren and friends to get out favorite recipes. So, take a visit and let me/her know what you think about the dishes once you've made them.

Enjoy-

Leslie

A Christmas Card...

2009-01-18T11:38:00.002-05:00

Have you ever received a "thank-you" gift with a craft order and thought "I wonder when I'll use this?" Well, this was my thought after placing an order from I Brake for Stamps. This unmounted piece of rubber stayed with my other Christmas themed stamps till this year. I pulled it out and had a "light bulb" moment and created one of my Christmas cards. I decided to make a monochromatic card and stamped the image on SU! Shimmery White cardstock with Sage Shadow ink. Sage Shadow ink rarely gets used by me, but it was the primary color in the SU! patterned paper that was used on the background of this card. (Sometimes it's nice to have another person do the thinking for me!) The remainder background was made with Bliss Blue cardstock embossed with the Cuttlebug Snowflake folder. A PaperTrey Ink sentiment was added to the front. I used ribbon from my stash, SU! faux pearls and Stickles glitter for the final touches and mounted everything onto a SU! Sage Shadow card front. And to think, this all started due to a kind person adding an extra gift to my order.
Have an awesome week-
Leslie

Peaceful Wishes...

2009-01-11T11:50:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since I last blogged. Please forgive me, but life got in the way. Holidays are always busy, but especially at the hospitals. I enjoyed time celebrating with my sons, parents, family and friends. I worked on the holidays this year and left on December 27 for a week long Caribbean cruise to celebrate the big "50" birthday. Yes, I was in Nassau on the big day and would recommend it for anyone. Once arriving home, I started a new job in the hospital which is less taxing on me but involves the computer and phone. I've only been at the new position for one week, but do not want to see a computer by the end of the day. I have enjoyed having the evening and weekends free again. So, today I am sharing a thank you note made using the SU! set, Peaceful Wishes. All products are from SU! so my coordination of colors was easily done. The ink colors, Soft Sky and Chocolate Chip, are 2 of my favorite combos. After adding the satin ribbon, I used Platinum colored Stickles to accent the tree branches. I'm behind in my blogging and even more in sending my thank you notes, so I'd better get busy.
Thanks for visiting-
Leslie

Fall Flair Jewelry Set

2008-11-21T02:21:00.000-05:00

Beaded creations are suppose to be named, according to the pros in the craft, so this set is called "Fall Flair". I fell in love with the lampwork, square beads and envisioned many creations with them. I chose to use the lampwork beads as my focal point and added Yellow Jasper, Topaz and Amber Czech glass beads to the set. Antique Gold toggle clasps and ear ring findings were used to accent the fall colors. The necklace is approximately 19 inches long and the bracelet is approximately 9 inches long. The great thing about making jewelry is that it can be altered for size. The ear rings are made for pierced ears. I'm still working on taking the best possible photos for my creations, so please be patient with me.

Thanks for visiting-

Leslie

I like Beads..

2008-11-19T13:43:00.002-05:00

As promised, I've returned this week with more pictures of my beading creations. This was a fun necklace to make, as I used some of my favorite beads. I wanted a piece of jewelry that could be worn with jeans and multiple colored tops. The hardest part of making the necklace was choosing the color combination. When working with beads, like any other craft, the coordination and placement of color is important. I decided to use the silver and black beads at random spots to give the eyes a resting place. Different varieties of silver are found in the large balls and spacer beads and varieties of black are found in donut shapes and seed beads. Being that this is a heavy necklace, I used a sturdy toggle clasp to secure the necklace.

I've received several comments and questions concerning my jewelry that I'll try to answer.

The best way to get started is to find a pattern/supply list and follow the instructions. I found the instruction booklet for a simple set and supplies at Walmart, for my first piece of jewelry. It described the basic techniques and allowed me to make a simple set before progressing onto other pieces. Also, there are numerous blogs and information on the Internet. Do a Google search and you'll find a wealth of helpful ideas.

I am blessed to have several local beading shops that offer classes. I've taken 2 classes that have proven valuable. Most shop owners will allow you to take pictures of samples, if you are purchasing supplies from them. (Always ask first!) I love to visit Etsy for inspiration.

Yes, I do sell my jewelry. If you see a piece of jewelry that you like, e-mail me at lesliestamps@yahoo.com and we can discuss details. I'll be happy to take custom orders, too.

Stay warm!
Leslie

Happy Veteran's Week!

2008-11-11T11:18:00.003-05:00

I'm going to celebrate Veteran's week, instead of one day, as they deserve it! Where would our country be without the faithful men and women that have/are serving our country? This is a scrapbook page honoring a veteran, my dad, Virgil D. Moore. He served in the USA Army and started his training at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas in 1954. As you can read in the journaling, he was suppose to accompany the 38th Battalion to Germany but instead was sent to Radio Service School at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Dad has aided me with scrapbooking as he has kept important papers throughout his life. He gave me his draft notice and a post card that are tucked in the pocket on the layout. The patterned papers and embellishments are from K & C Company and adhered with Pop-Dots for dimension. The title was created with tiles from Creative Imaginations. I adhered patterned paper to a picture mat to frame the focal photo. The Blue Highway font was used for my journaling. Don't forget to hug a Veteran today!

Leslie

Last one...with those pencils..

2008-11-07T02:59:00.000-05:00

This will be the last card for awhile, demonstrating the use of colored pencils. I have not tried using Baby Oil with other brands of colored pencils and can only share my experiences with Prismacolor pencils. If you try the technique with other pencils, let me know the results. I'll share the information with the group.

This card was the easiest of the week, due to the small image. Also, due to the detailed image, it was easy to highlight specific areas with the choice of colored pencils. Once again, I used the SU! set, "Thinking of Father" to stamp my focal image. The color choices for the image came from the SU! patterned paper that was used in the background. I love to use patterned paper, ribbon and other accents to choose my focal image colors. A strip of Cuttlebug embossed card stock was added on top of the patterned paper. I used Papertrey Ink's set, Mixed Messages, to add the sentiment. A little paper piercing, sponging ink around the edges and I'm done with another masculine card.

I've had several questions/comments concerning beading, which I hope to share with you next week.

Have an awesome weekend-
Leslie

#2 Using those Pencils...

2008-11-05T02:45:00.000-05:00

Have you used those pencils yet? They can be addicting! I used the same pencil technique on this shaker card made with Gina K.'s set, "A Warm and Cozy Christmas". You'll have to believe that the little boy's snow suit does coordinate with the patterned paper, but looks orange in the picture. I chose to use this adorable image on a shaker card. I added faux snow, "Twinklettes", between the image and transparent cover of the shaker card. You can find several varieties of faux snow at your local craft stores and Walmart. I like mine as it's a little thicker than glitter and doesn't make the card too heavy for mailing. I used Paper Studio's patterned paper from their Christmas stack and layered it onto Shimmery Red card stock. After adding SU! ribbons and a snowflake button accent, my card is ready for the holidays.

Thanks for visiting-
Leslie

A different way to use Prismacolor pencils...

2008-11-03T14:21:00.004-05:00

For several years, I feared using Prismacolor pencils. I actually attempted to use them several months ago, after Gina K. sent me a small bottle of Gamsol, odorless mineral spirits. (Thanks, Gina!) Unfortunately, Gamsol has an odor that I didn't care for it, so the pencils went back into storage. Recently, someone shared using Baby Oil instead of Gamsol with their colored pencils. After trying it, I am in love with my pencils again. If Baby Oil is used just as Gamsol would be, you'll get a clean and clear image with your pencils.

Everyone has a different technique for using their tools, so I'm sharing what works best for me. I like to stamp my images in Brilliance Black ink before coloring. Then, I choose the pencils I'll be using. Sometimes this takes several attempts on a "practice" image, till the correct color/shade are shown. I try to add highlights to the area by adding less color. Once I'm satisfied with the coloring, I blend Baby Oil onto the image using paper stumps. (These can be found at your local craft store. They are great for moving the color around and even removing too much color.) I start with the lightest areas first and progress to the darkest areas. When I move to another area of the image, I either file the end of the stump or rub it across scrap paper till clean. I only use the oil when the end of the stump becomes dry, so it takes a small amount of it to complete a project. Baby Oil dries quickly and has a more pleasant smell to me.

This card was made with SU! products and stamp set, "Thinking of Father". I added texture to the background with my Cuttlebug embossing folder. After sponging ink around the edges of the image, I added 2 strips of ribbon for another masculine card.

So, go get those pencils and out and start coloring!

Leslie

A look at my new love--

2008-10-31T07:48:00.000-05:00

As previously mentioned, I have a new love, the hobby of beading. This is one of the sets that I've made, using the gemstone, Sodalite. The stone appealed to me due to the many hues of blue, grey and white in it. Silver accents were added with beads, bead covers and the outer surface of the pendant. This necklace is approximatley 19 inches long. I added toggle clasps to both pieces as they are easier for me to use. I'm still working on the ear rings and will share them later. The gemstones can be found in Athens, GA at The Native America Gallery. The accent pieces were found at Michael's and Hobby Lobby.

Thanks for visiting!

Leslie

Get Well RAK's

2008-10-29T10:40:00.003-05:00

I received 3 get well cards on the same day. What a happy day! Three of my dear friends made me a card, which I had to share. On the first card, Kathy dry embossed images and added punched flowers with eyelets. Sue sent the second card and heat embossed on vellum for an elegant look. And, on the third card, Cindy added bling with glitter and adorable ribbon. Thank you girlfriends!
Thanks for visiting-
Leslie

An Organizational Tip...

2008-10-27T05:35:00.000-05:00

When I moved into my new home, my entire living space was down-sized dramatically. Knowing that my craft room would be 1/4 the size of my previous space, I started searching on the Internet for storage ideas. I stumbled onto this idea but don't know who's original idea it was. So, this is/was a wonderful way for me to store and see my ribbons. Using an over the door hook unit, found at Target, I secured the ribbons on binder clips. I used different clips, found at Office Depot, for different colors/types of ribbon. Now when working on a project, I can remove the clip and view the available ribbons. I admit this system was a pain to get initially started due to my ribbon addiction, but it is now easy to keep organized and viewable.

Takes care-
Leslie

A new love...

2008-10-24T05:13:00.000-05:00

I have another new love...Kitchen Sink Stamps. My friend Sue introduced me to these stamps during a recent visit. The stamp sets are acrylic and involve 3-4 stamping steps to get the beautiful detailed images. Being acrylic stamps, helps with placing the stamps in the correct place to produce the life-like images. The hardest part for me was deciding which ink colors to use, as the recommendation is to start with light color inks and gradually add darker color inks. After choosing several shades of SU! pink and green inks, I stamped the main images on SU! Vanilla card stock. Masking the focal image, I stamped the SU! French Script (retired) with Creamy Caramel ink and sponged the edges of the card stock. Using the SU! patterned paper, Bella Rose, made the coordination of colors easier for this card. I embossed one background layer with my Cuddlebug embossing folder. The pearl, hat pin and thin Twill ribbon were the final additions to this card. Be sure to visit the Kitchen Sink Stamps website as they have a monthly contest with the winner receiving free stamps!

Thanks for visiting-
Leslie

A Hero Arts Thank You to my folks..

2008-10-22T16:48:00.002-05:00

This card was made for my folks as a thanks for their help, as I recuperated from knee surgery. Mom went to the hospital with me, gave up her bed and room, made sure my ice pack stayed cold, cooked great meals and kept me hydrated during my stay. Dad made sure I stayed comfortable at all times and shared his big screen TV with me on Saturday, as we watched UGA beat Vandy. I was able to come home on Sunday and am mastering the stairs into my craft room. Thanks to everyone for the phone calls, e-mails and cards of encouragement.

I used the Layered Collage technique from the Technique Junkie newsletter to make this card. Instead of stamping my background pattern, I used patterned paper as a shortcut. The Hero Arts Stamp, Gratitude Collage, was stamped with SU! Pumpkin Pie ink onto the patterned paper found in my stash. I spotlighted the word Gratitude, by using my SU! oval punches and mounting onto SU! Pumpkin Pie card stock. The Prima flowers were secured with a Making Memories brad and Heidi Swapp photo corners were added to the edges. May Arts ribbon was wrapped around the focal image and mounted onto Basic Grey patterned paper.

The colors of this card definitely remind me of fall, which is my favorite season of the year.

Thanks for visiting-

Leslie

I have a new love...

2008-10-17T01:43:00.000-05:00

I have a new love...beading. Several years ago, I tried doing this on my own while not have the correct tools or instructions and did not enjoy it. A month ago, my best friend walked in wearing a beautiful necklace, bracelet and matching ear rings. Of course, she had made them herself and I was smitten. This time I decided to take a class, obtain the correct tools and read the basics to get started. It is definitely a more enjoyable hobby now. I have been planning and packing projects to work with while recuperating from my knee surgery.

The picture (sorry it's blurred) shows 2 pendants from a class at Side Street Beads in Watkinsville. I had seen the flower shaped beads, but did not know how to design with them. Kenneth, our instructor, showed us how to stitch seed beads into the flower beads and sew/shape into a pendant. Being a vintage lover, I will definitely be making more of these for myself and gifts. The pendant can be hung on ribbon or combined with other beads to make a necklace. Be sure to visit the website of Side Street Beads and see their gallery of beautiful work.

Take care-

Leslie

Last one of the Masculine Cards..

2008-10-15T06:54:00.000-05:00

OK, this is the last of my masculine cards for awhile as I'm ready to try something new and different. This card was made with the new SU! set, A Light onto My Path. I love lighthouses, quotes and scripture verses, so this set was a keeper for me. I chose to use the lighthouse to make a birthday card and stamped it with a Spectrum Pad. The Spectrum pads combine 3 different colors of inks and make it easy to coordinate the card's colors and to ink large images. I placed a Cuddlebug mat behind the image and layered it onto SU! Brilliant Blue patterned paper and cardstock. Paper piercing was added to the top and bottom borders of the image. The sentiment was stamped in coordinating ink onto white cardstock and cut with my circle punch. It was adhered with pop-dots and stands away from the main image. I wanted to accent the windows and light on the lighthouse and used a silver glitter pen over the areas. Viola! I now have plenty of birthday cards for the men in my life.

Thank you for the comments and e-mails concerning my upcoming knee surgery.

Thanks again for visiting!
Leslie

A Hero Arts Masculine Card #3

2008-10-13T00:02:00.000-05:00

This is my last entry for the Hero Arts Contest. The card was made with SU! inks and cardstock. I used the Hero Arts Happy Birthday Block to make the card. I think this stamp is very versatile, but kept the look simple for the guys. The buckle was made with a punch. I added paper piercing to the sentiment, but it's hard to see in the picture. Using my SU! oval punches, I was able to spotlight a part of the sentiment. After reading your posted comments, I realize making masculine cards can be challenging for both of us. I hope my creations have inspired you to make more cards for the guys.

And, speaking of the guys (and gals), Gina K. is hosting a great give-away and the only requirement is to send a card for the soldiers. With every card donated, you will receive additional entries in the drawing. Read the details as there are specifications about the donated cards. I think this is a great aid in showing our appreciation to the soldiers that have made many sacrifices for our country.

Take care or yourself-
Leslie

A Hero Arts Masculine Card #2

2008-10-11T11:54:00.001-05:00

This was a fun card to design. When I purchased these adorable Hero Arts birds, I had no idea what I'd be using them for. They come in a set of 4 different images. But, they were perfect for making another entry card for the Hero Arts contest. The card was made with SU! inks and cardstock. I used the Cuttlebug embossing folder to add texture for the background. The sentiment stamp is from Inkadinkado. I usually don't add glitter to masculine cards, but the birds looked bare. My glitter pen came in handy for the accents. This card will definitely be going to my oldest brother, who is two years younger than me.

Take care-
Leslie

A Hero Arts Masculine Card...

2008-10-09T23:17:00.004-05:00

I received news last week that I'll be needing more knee surgery. This will be my third surgery on my right knee. Three years ago, I had a knee cap replacement which was very helpful. It appears now that I've developed scar tissue and have some tears to the area. So, on October 17th, I'll be having the surgery. My MD has put me on medical leave for 6 weeks which is a mixed blessing. I am enjoying having more free time, but am tired from my knee pain. This time has given me the opportunity to participate in challenges. Hero Arts is sponsoring a contest and the theme is masculine cards made with their stamps. This challenge came at a wonderful time, as both brothers have birthdays this month. Also, I decided to print the 400+ card sketches saved on my computer and start using them. So, this is the first card I made for the challenge, that is posted on the Hero Arts Pool Flickr group. (The contest ends on the 12th, so you still have time to enter)

This card was made with SU! supplies and the Hero Arts small Birthday Collage stamp. I used SU! Basic Brown ink to stamp the image and SU! Creamy Caramel ink to distress the torn edges. I added some grosgrain ribbon and a circular clip to the focal image. The SU! punch was used at the top of the stamped image, which I think adds to the masculine theme of the card. Sweet and simple, just like I like my men.

Thanks for visiting-
Leslie

One more Christmas project idea..

2008-10-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

I love making lunchbox holders for cards and recipes. While you have the supplies handy to make one, go ahead and make two of them. Then, you'll be prepared the next time a gift is needed. I chose to make this lunchbox into a recipe file with a retro look. The best way to adhere the scrapbook paper to the metal surface it with carpet tape. It is inexpensive, very sturdy and can be found at Home Depot or Lowe's. After covering the box with scrapbook paper, I tied coordinating ribbons to the handle. The chipboard letters were extras in my stash. A crimped cardstock border was added to the top and bottom of the paper layer. I already had a template for the file folder and made them with various scrapbook papers. I like to add chipboard between the 2 layers of paper on the folders to make them sturdier. I printed the tab titles on my computer, trimmed them with my SU! window punch and adhered to the top of the file folders. The clip art was downloaded from the Internet and added to the different folders. Add a few family recipes and your gift is ready.

Enjoy!

Leslie

Another Christmas gift idea...

2008-10-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is a fast and inexpensive project to make for your holiday gifts. I took a clipboard, found at my local office supply store and altered it into a picture frame. It can be used to store memos, too. I traced the board onto scrapbook paper, cut the pattern and adhered it with glue. Since the sides of the board were white, I didn't need to paint them. Ribbons were added to the top and bottom of the board. Binder clips were used to adhere the pictures to the board, after tying coordinating ribbons thru them. Two of my favorite pictures, my sons at a younger age, were attached to my board. I keep this above my work space in my craft room.

Start creating as Christmas will be here quickly.
Leslie

Christmas Gift Idea

2008-09-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Do you know what day will be here in less than 3 months? Yep, it's going to be Christmas. I spent the weekend with 2 of my girl friends, Sue and Cindy, to tackle making our Christmas cards. We tried this idea last fall and got many cards completed, so it's become a new tradition. This week, I'm sharing some projects that you can make for Christmas gifts.

These are pendants made with Dominoes. Dominoes are so versatile and inexpensive. I find mine in the toy section of Walmart. Before stamping on the slick surface, I apply a coat of Lumiere paint. The paint serves as a barrier between the slick surface and Stazon ink. If I make a mistake, everything washes off nicely and the dominoe can be reused. After the paint is dry, the image is stamped with Black Stazon ink. I colored the area with chalks, but watercolor pencils can be used too. Using alcohol markers with Stazon products will cause the ink to smear. Around the edges of the dominoe is colored with a Gold Leafing Pen. A layer of Crystal Effects adheres the glitter to the image. To seal my work, I spray it with Krylon Clear Acrylic Spray. The metallic bead is adhered with strong glue. I like to wear these as pendant on a necklace during the holidays, but they can be used as ornaments and tags too. The retired SU! set Yuletide Montage was used to make these pendants.

Send me a picture of your Christmas projects and I'll select a few to share on my blog.

Happy Creating-

Leslie

Artwork by Maria Bell...

2008-09-26T08:14:00.000-05:00

I hope you've had a chance to visit with Maria at one of her blogging sites. If not, here are some samples of her artwork to entice you. Maria loves altering items as shown on this gorgeous box.

And, look at the delicate work shown on this card. Do you see the bling added on the patterned paper?

Now, this card should get you into the fall spirit with it's great colors, layering, use of embellishments and coloring. Maria does a great job coloring and shading her images.

This card definitely makes me feel thankful that I've met Maria thru Blogland, as her artwork continues to inspire me.

Thank again Maria for visiting with us and sharing your awesome artwork.

Take care-

Leslie

Please welcome back Maria Bell...

2008-09-25T00:15:00.000-05:00

Maria and I met thru blogging and stamping. After reading her blogs for several months, I decided to create my blog. Maria was kind to be a previous guest and return for another visit. Maria is a busy gal and has 3 blogs for you to visit:

1. Stampin' Inspirations
2. Card Inspired
3. Demonstrator Website

Tell us what you’ve been doing since last visiting my blog.

Not much has changed but for a short period, I switched to CTMH but I missed being a SU demonstrator and switched back last month. I also started a new blog for my Stampin club but it’s open to the public. Other than that, life is still the same.

What is your favorite hobby?

Card making and paper crafting for sure. I recently started scrapbooking and it’s a challenge for me but I’m beginning to enjoy it. I also like to draw, sketch, and paint once in a while.

What is your favorite thing to do while enjoying your hobby? i.e. Music, TV?

I do have a tendency to watch television mainly for the background noise. It keeps me from getting bored. I also like to listen to music, especially upbeat music. Again, to keep me alert. LOL!!

What are your favorite current colors to work with?

I love pink, brown, and green as a combo. I also love the different SU blues mixed with the greens.

Currently, what is your favorite stamping technique?

I really don’t have a favorite. I do love coloring with different color mediums and adding blings to my images, i.e., glitter, beads, rhinestones

Any special food you enjoy while creating?

I don’t eat when I craft or I may end up eating ink and glue. LOL!

Any special companies that you are fond of?

I don’t have a favorite. My focus is more the image and not the brand. If the image is pretty, I’ll buy it regardless of who makes it.

What’s happening on your blog?

A lot of stuff! LOL! Like I said earlier, I started a new blog focusing on Stampin' Up! products only called “Stampin Inspirations Club Site”. I’ve been working on video tutorials and continue to write tutorials for my blogs. I’ve also been creating templates using Adobe Illustrator. Right now, I’m focusing on Halloween and Thanksgiving cards and projects.

Are there any special materials that are your favorites to work with?

I love using and mixing different color mediums. I love the different ways that you can mix them together and come up with different colors. My favorite embellishment is brads. I use it a lot. I also love using Prima flowers and other embellishments to add texture and enhance the way an image or card looks.

What are you currently creating?

I’m in the process of creating a treat box tutorial for my Stampin club. I’m also working on Holiday cards and projects.

Be sure to visit Maria's website, leave a comment and visit here Friday to see her artwork. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for visiting!
Leslie

For the Caregivers..

2008-09-23T11:19:00.002-05:00

This card was made for the special people that are caregivers, especially for Alzheimer's patients. Being a caregiver is a demanding job, especially for someone that might not remember your name or act their age. Daily, I see the patients that have been damaged by this disease and the families that are struggling with the process. I made this card for one of my patient's wife, who has been with him as they struggle with Alzheimer's. Carolyn King, Cammie, has recently designed a stamp set in memory of her grandmother, an Alzheimer's victim. Gina K. is selling the set, Whimsical Autumn. All proceeds from the sale of the stamp set will go to the Alzheimer's Association. And, since the sales of the sets have been great, Cammie wants to celebrate by offering a huge package of BLOG CANDY, worth over $1000. Many companies have donated items towards this great candy and many stampers are contributing their artwork. My Favorite Things, Stamping Bella, Paper Trey Ink and Gina K. Designs are just a few of the participating contributors. A few of the featured artwork donors are Beate Johns and Emily Giovanni. Be sure to make a card for a caregiver and visit Cammie's blog for more details about this worthy cause and blog candy.

The monochromatic card was made using the new Hero Arts Design Block, Butterflies. After stamping the image with Brilliance ink, I stamped the butterflies again on SU! Whisper White card stock. I cut the butterflies out, curled the wings and applied them over the previously stamped image. A Martha Stewart border punch was used for the decorative edge and a SU! corner punch was also used. I cut the ribbon slide with a Cuttlebug die and stamped the sentiment with a SU! stamp set. The ribbon and rhinestone bling came from my stash.

Thanks for visiting-

Leslie

September Male Birthday Cards...

2008-09-12T12:02:00.000-05:00

Why do we struggle with making birthday cards for the men in our lives? For me, it's because I feel certain embellishments are "off-limits", i.e. ribbons (hemp, twill and twine are acceptable), buttons, flowers, glitter, scalloped borders and anything "bling". September is a busy month for birthdays in the Moore family. I have 2 nephews and my oldest son celebrating birthdays in the same week. So, I made several cards using different sheets of patterned papers to complete these cards. The SU! Jumbo Wheel, "All Holidays", was used with Basic Black ink for the focal image/sentiment on these cards. I really like a stamp that has a variety of words and fonts on it, so this stamp was a keeper. I matted the focal image on SU! Basic Black card stock and adhered it to patterned papers from Crate Paper, Rusty Pickle and DCWV. Using the SU! window punch, I made the lower embellishment and mounted it with a simple silver brad. Sweet and simple for the September celebrations!
Have an awesome week!
Leslie

Stamps for Sale!! UPDATE

2008-09-10T06:46:00.002-05:00

I am going to be updating this list till the stamps are sold to avoid extra e-mails. Thanks for your patience!

Payment is to be made by PayPal or money order/cashier's check. My PayPal address is: lesliestamps@yahoo.com. Please check with me before sending payment to verify the stamp set is still available. USA Priority shipping for 1 set=$5, 2 sets=$8. Canada Priority shipping for 1 set=$11, 2 sets=$14. International shipping for 1 set=$13, 2 sets=$17. If you need additional shipping information, go to http://www.usps.com/. If you need to see a picture of the stamp set, I recommend doing a Google search as it would take days for me to post pictures.

Birthday Whimsy-unmounted-2 sets-$8 each SOLD
Off the Chart-$10 PENDING
Check it Out-$11 PENDING
Stipple Celebrations-$18 SOLD
Little Layers II-$11 PENDING
Quick Cards-$10 PENDING
So Many Scallops-unmounted-$8
God's Blessings-mounted, but never used-$20 SOLD
Best Bar Codes-$9 PENDING
A Little Bit of Happiness-$8 SOLD
Pattern of Friendship-$10
Christmas Carolers-$10
Holiday Woodcuts-$12
It's A Date-$9
Good Things-from a Simply Sent Set-$8
Send a Celebration-$8
Merci-$8
Noteworthy-$8
Reason to Smile-$8
Delight in Life-$8
Polka Dot & Paisley-$11
Time Well Spent-mounted, but never used-$13 SOLD
Big Blossom-$8
Big Blooms-mounted, but never used-$19 PENDING
Fun with Shapes-$25
A Greeting for all Reasons-$18 PENDING
Big Pieces-$19 PENDING

Thanks-
Leslie

Happy Birthday to my Son, Daniel!

2008-09-08T09:38:00.000-05:00

My oldest son, Daniel, is 25 years old today. The years have quickly flown by and he has grown into an awesome young man. Last May, I completed this scrapbook layout for an entry into the Memory Makers Masters Contest. One of the required layouts for the contest had to be labeled "I wish" so this was the reason for the title of this page. I didn't make it to the Masters Contest, but did get published in the July 2008 edition of Memory Makers Magazines in the column "The Best of the Rest." Being that this was the first time I've been published in a magazine, you can imagine my surprise receiving the announcement in January. I thought it was appropriate to share the layout/news with you on my son's birthday as he is the subject. I used a variety of materials on this page to create a collage-effect as my "wish list"for him is long. Bazzill card stock served as the background for the layout. The chipboard letters are from Heidi Swapp and the remaining words are from K & C. Company and Making Memories. The ribbon was found in my stash.

Thanks for visiting today!
Leslie

National Card Making Day Event at my home..

2008-09-06T21:12:00.002-05:00

Saturday, October 4 is National Card Making Day and I am participating by hosting a Stamp-A-Stack at my home, 1-4 PM. I live in Bogart, GA, which is in NE Georgia, outside of Athens (Home of the UGA DAWGS!) For $40, you can make 30 cards, with all the items and ideas prepared in advance for you. You’ll need to bring scissors, adhesive and envelopes.
You’ll make 6 cards of 5 different designs for birthdays, get well, sympathy and thank you cards. In order to prepare, I need to have your payment/reservation by September 13. (one week from today) Once the items are prepared, I cannot offer refunds, but will give you the supplies, if you cannot make it on that day. Seating is limited, so please RSVP soon and spread the word to your friends. I look forward to celebrating this day with you!

Leslie

Enabler Alert!

2008-09-06T09:05:00.000-05:00

Jody Morrow has posted another ribbon share and you can read about it here.
Her selection and quality of ribbons are awesome!
Enjoy-
Leslie

Card for the new baby...

2008-09-05T11:44:00.002-05:00

I was invited to a baby shower for a dear friend's daughter-in-law. The expectant parents did not want to know the sex of the child till the delivery date, so I made the card using neutral colors. I knew the mom-to-be would have the birth announcements and decided to make thank you notes. Using SU! Groovy Guava ink, card stock, ribbon and stamp set, "I'm Here" helped make this card quick to create. One has to admit that when you are short on time, it's nice to know all the card elements will coordinate together. I paper-pierced around the edges of the Whisper White card stock that had the main image stamped on it. The scalloped square border was cut with my Nestability die. The sentiment was stamped in SU! Basic Black ink over the focal image. I made a set of eight cards, included envelopes and wrapped them in a clear box with an organdy ribbon around it for a perfect baby gift.
Thanks for visiting-
Leslie

How sweet it is!

2008-08-30T08:38:00.003-05:00

I received this sweet and thoughtful award from Wanda at My Creative Corner. Thank you Wanda for your sweet and encouraging words.

In the spirit of paying it forward, I now get to nominate my favorite blogs! Here are the rules:

1. Pick 5 of your favorite blogs (that's hard there are tons!)

2. Winners can put the logo on their blog.

3. Link the person who gave your award to your blog.

4. Name the 5 that you are giving the award to with their links.

5. Leave a message on their blogs so that they know they've won!

Here's my list:

1. Maria Bell from Cards Inspired

2. Jody Morrow from Confessions of a Ribbon Addict

3. Cathy Indelicato from Crafty Thoughts

4. Connie Babbert from Inkspired Treasures

5. Kim Howard from Basement Stamper

I hope you have time over the holiday weekend to check out these terrific ladies!

Have a safe one-

Leslie

Happy Birthday Cheryl!

2008-08-30T08:24:00.001-05:00

August has been a busy month for birthdays. My dear friend, Cheryl, celebrated her birthday in early August. She and I have been through many experiences together-marriages, divorces, raising sons and traveling. I recently was invited to join she and her family on a cruise to the Bahamas, which we visited in April. This card was made with the new SU! set, Fresh Cuts. I used the retired color, Groovy Guava, with Bashful Blue. After stamping the image with Stazon Black ink onto glossy card stock, I added highlights with a white crayon. When I sponged coordinating ink colors onto the glossy card stock, the crayon resisted the ink. Coordinating ribbon and a scalloped edge sentiment added to this card.

Take care-

Leslie

BLOG CANDY WINNER

2008-08-28T08:49:00.000-05:00

It's time to give away the BLOG CANDY and it goes to:

Tracy

"Hi! I am an RN too but at the start of my career (grad. in 2004) That is so brave of you to return!! It is great for us new ones to have such great mentors around! Hope the transition to work is great! Thanks for the blog candy offering. I am currently working on my son's scrapbook. It is a challenge because I got more into card making and left the scrap booking in the last few years. But it is rewarding! and it will hopefully be a great keepsake for my son!"

So, Tracy, please sent me your snail mail address, so I can get the CANDY to you. Thanks to everyone for the comments and participation!

Leslie

A BIG Birthday Celebration!

2008-08-26T20:03:00.008-05:00

This is my Mom, Dorothy Moore. She recently celebrated a very BIG birthday and still doesn't look or act her age. She can run circles around me with her endless supply of energy. Isn't she beautiful? I hope to age as gracefully as she has done. Mom has 4 children, 8 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. Her passion is sewing, especially quilting and embroidery. Each of her children and grandchildren have a personalized quilt from Nana. Some family members have more than one quilt, especially if they have moved into a new home or graduated from college dorms into personal apartments. My mom taught me to sew when I was much younger. I took a quilting class with her a few years ago but realized my passion is paper crafts. Mom did learn how to stamp but prefers the cards that I make for her. Her most recent accomplishment is her blog. Happy Birthday Mom!

This card was made using all SU! supplies and the set, Embrace Life. I stamped the main image several times onto Pretty in Pink card stock, then cut out various parts of the flower. Layering the different parts of the flower and adhering with pop-dots adds dimension to the image. Patterned paper, coordinating ribbon, paper piercing, a simple faux pearl and sentiment completes the card.

Thanks for visiting-

Leslie

Another Just-Rite Monogram Card...

2008-08-23T11:00:00.003-05:00

Ahh, I finally got to make a pink card for a new little baby girl, Katie Jane. Having 2 sons, I don't usually have lots of pink in my craft room, so this was a fun and refreshing card to make. Also, one of my dear friends had been wanting a baby girl for awhile and her wish came true with Katie Jane. Again, I used the Just-Rite Monogram Stamper to add the initials and border (in one step) to the card stock. I used SU! Pretty in Pink and Whisper White card stock for this card. The patterned paper and Basic Black ink are also from SU! I find it easier to stamp the monograms first then place a Nestabilities template around it to be cut perfectly. The coordinating Nestabilities scalloped circle was used for the monogrammed border. I added another scalloped border to the edge of the card with a Fiskar's Edge Punch. The ribbon was from my stash. The final touch of bling was added with Stickles Glitter, placed between the monogram letters. I left the inside of this card blank, so Mom and Katie Jane can use these cards for multiple occasions.

Take care-

Leslie

P.S. Only 5 days left till I give away BLOG CANDY!

A Just-Rite Monogram Card

2008-08-22T10:49:00.002-05:00

So. I put off ordering the Just-Rite Monogram Stamper for awhile and then had several reasons "I had to have it!". Several friends and family members were having birthdays and another friend was having a baby girl. So, that justified my reasoning for ordering it. I ordered the main stamper kit and the Damask borders. The main stamp comes with a dual ink pad, one side with black ink. I filled the other side with SU! Basic Brown ink, as I feel I'll use that color many times. For this card, I used SU! Cool Caribbean ,Chocolate Chip and Natural Ivory card stock for the base of my card. The patterned paper is from an Autumn Leave self-adhesive mat stack. I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder on the Chocolate Chip card stock before mounting it onto the card base. A Martha Stewart Scallop Edge Punch helped to make the decorative edge to the left of the card. I used a dimensional pop-dot to adhere the monogram and added a coordinating brad for embellishment. One of my Spellbinder Nestabilities helped punch the perfect oval shape.

The letters in the Just-Rite Stamp may need to be trimmed before stamping to avoid any mistakes, so be sure to test it first. And, if you want to obtain additional ink pads, they can be ordered for the stamper. I purchased mine from The Stamp Castle.

Take care-
Leslie

BLOG CANDY PICTURE!!

2008-08-20T00:07:00.003-05:00

As promised, here is the picture of the BLOG CANDY that will be given away on August 28th. I've included a variety of items, in hopes that they will please everyone. The magazine has great ideas for scrapping school pictures. The kit comes comes with instructions and supplies to make an accordion album. The last item is a set of matching cards, envelopes and ribbon from Making Memories. The cards can be embellished for your use. I am enjoying reading the comments from everyone and am awed by the variety of projects that each of you are creating. Please don't forget to tell me what you are currently creating when leaving a comment. Feel free to share the candy news with your friends, too.
Take care-
Leslie

I'm back with BLOG CANDY!

2008-08-14T11:12:00.002-05:00

Do you remember over 6 months ago when I posted my move would take a month? Well, I was definitely wrong. It's been a busy 6 months, but I am back to Blogland. What have I been doing? I moved into my new home and downsized 1/3 of my living space. Returning to my career as a Registered Nurse was the hardest transition, after being out of the field for 8 years. But, I am loving my job at a local hospital, working the 3-11 shift. After my move, I was treated to a Bahama cruise by my best friend, Cheryl, and her husband, Chris. I've started dating again, which has been an interesting experience. And, in the midst of it, I still found time to stamp and scrapbook.

I want to offer BLOG CANDY as a 'thank you" to those that have patiently waited for my return and sent e-mails with good wishes. To be entered into the drawing, which will take place on August 28th, please leave a comment telling me what project you are currently working on. If you add a comment on your blog about my return, I'll enter your name 5 extra times in the drawing. I'll be posting a picture of the candy at a later date.

Thanks and have an awesome day!
Leslie

Good news and time for a break..

2008-01-23T01:30:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in over a week and it is because of good news. I've found a new town home in Athens, Georgia and will be moving there in the middle of February. I'm sure you are familiar with the many details that are involved with a move. Unfortunately, it has left me with little time to stamp and share with you. So, I'll be taking a break till the beginning of March to get settled and resume my creating efforts. Please hang in there with me and I hope to have lots of goodies to share with you later.

Stay warm!

Leslie

Hang in there, Joseph!

2008-01-12T00:48:00.000-05:00

This card was designed for my youngest son, Joseph. As you can probably tell in the picture, he is a college student, whom loves the outdoors. The picture was taken on an afternoon after he completed a 60 mile bike trip. I'm amazed that he can smile after exerting himself for 60 miles, but he loves bicycling. And, after serving in the Navy for 3 years, he is happy to make his own decisions about how to spend his time. I was blessed to have him here for Christmas and my birthday this year. I made this card with him in mind, as school has resumed and he has a tough quarter ahead of him. He has been going to college in Ohio for approximately 2 years, without taking any summer breaks.

The SU! hostess stamp set, Event Full, once again was perfect for this card and message. I stamped the image and sentiment on watercolor paper and used my SU! markers and Stickles glitter to accent it. After layering the stamped image on a scalloped oval, I adhered it to double-sided paper by SEI. I used eyelets in the four corners and added ribbon found in my stash.

Hang in there, son!

Much love-

MOM

This one's for Cindy!

2008-01-10T00:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Cindy! I know you haven't received your card yet, but you'll get it once we celebrate our birthdays together later in the month. Cindy is a dear, dear friend of mine. We both have January birthdays, so we've made a tradition of sharing a birthday lunch together and exchange gifts. Since we share several of the same hobbies-scrapbooking, rubber stamping and shopping-it's always fun to pick a gift for her. Cindy is one of those friends that listens really well. She has cried when I've cried and laughed when I've laughed. I am blessed by her friendship.

This card was inspired by several examples on SplitCoast Stampers and the ribbon. I love using SU! Perfect Plum, Old Olive, Pale Plum, Certainly Celery and Orchid Opulence colors together on this card. The stamp set, Bodacious Bouquet, is retired from SU!, but still one of my favorites. I chose to embellish the flowers with seed beads and use my Sakura Glitter Pen for some "Bling". The SU! Oval punches were the perfect size to stamp and layer my sentiment. Though the card was a little time consuming, it was well worth every minute, for my dear friend Cindy.

Happy Birthday Cindy!

Leslie

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2008-01-08T01:17:00.000-05:00

Today is my dad's birthday and I wanted to make a special card for him. Using the ribbon as a layer and source of inspiration, I chose the colors for this card. SU! Perfect Plum ink and cardstock were used with SU! Copper metallic ink and cardstock to make this design. The lower portion of the card was stamped using SU! Print Pattern, a background stamp. I cut it in half and layered it onto the card front. I stapled the ribbon with copper staples, to give the card a masculine touch. The camera is from the SU! retired set, Travel Post, and stamped in Copper Metallic ink. The sentiment was added in SU! Black ink and from the SU! set, They say it's your birthday. Once finding this ribbon, I knew this card could be designed quickly.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

I love you-

Leslie

I Brake for Stamps Birthday Card...for Me!

2008-01-02T03:31:00.000-05:00

OK, so the secret is now out. Today is my birthday and I'm celebrating the last of the 40's. This is the first time that I have used stamps from "I Brake for Stamps" and thought it was appropriate for my birthday. After all, "We're not old people, we're recycled teenagers". The image and sentiment are from IBFS and I am impressed with the quality of their unmounted stamps. They arrived mounted on cushion and are etched deeply into red rubber. I love getting a nice clear image every time and their stamps fulfilled my expectations. I found the patterned paper by Scenic Route and it coordinates with SU! Orchid Opulence and Apricot Appeal Designer Papers. I colored my stamped image with the SU! markers, using the colors in the patterned paper as my inspiration. Bling was added with coordinating Stickles glitter. I added 2 rows of paper-piercing to the Apricot Appeal layer and tied SU! Grosgrain ribbon around it. Be sure to visit I Brake For Stamps.

Thanks for visiting-
Leslie

Get Well to a favorite Aunt

2007-12-29T01:34:00.000-05:00

This card was made for one of my favorite aunts, Pat. She is having a difficult time currently going thru chemotherapy and I've been trying to send her several cards. Pat is a fun person to be with and a little on the wild side. She sends some of the funniest and unique cards to my Mom. The cards pop-up, sing a song and various other unusual animations. I know she spends a long time looking for her cards. If I didn't think it would cause her extra work, my card would pop-up and throw confetti everywhere. But, instead I decided to design a monochromatic get well card. This card uses the SU! set, Best Barcodes. Pumpkin Pie ink and cardstock are added to the patterned paper that was in my stash. I used the Cuddlebug Embossing Template to add texture to the left side of the card. Mays Art ribbons were added in the center of the card and attached to the clip on the left side of the stamped image. The white clip, from Office Depot, coordinates with the circles in this card. I used my faithful Sakura Glitter Pen to the stamped image for a little upgrade. I'm hoping this adds a bit of joy to your day, Aunt Pat!

Leslie

Congrats to Cheryl!

2007-12-27T12:32:00.000-05:00

I'm late in posting this card and sending my congratulation to my dear friend Cheryl. She recently graduated from the University of Georgia with a Masters Degree in Education. I was able to attend the event and celebrate with her family afterwards. Cheryl is one of those friends that can tell me the brutal truth and get away with it. It may not be something I want to hear, but I need to hear. And, I am blessed and thankful for her friendship. She decided about 4 years ago to attend college and work till she completed her Masters degree. (Keep in mind we are both heading towards the big 50) When she has a plan, she can stay focused and there is no stopping her. She completed all of this while working her job, raising a teenager, being a step mom to 3 grown children, having 2 shoulder surgeries and being newly married. (I think she had a few weddings to plan and a grandchild born during this time, too) Of course, her husband is a wonderful man and was very supportive of her decision. So, Cheryl, hats off to you! I am very proud of your accomplishments.

The card was made using a SU! Hostess set, Event Full. I am enjoying the stamp set since playing with it. I used SEI patterned paper for my background and stamped my image on an oval made with watercolor paper. I have found the watercolor paper to be the best when coloring with SU! markers, as the lines do not show. I layered the image on a scalloped oval and secured it over a piece of stashed polka-dot ribbon. My Sakura Glitter Pen and Brenda Walton rhinestones on the cap and corners added bling to my card. The SU! Ticket Corner Punch was the last part of embellishing this card.

Congrats again to my dear friend, Cheryl!

Leslie

Cards from Past Christmas

2007-12-25T00:43:00.000-05:00

I've shared in previous posts my Christmas cards for this year and thought it would be fun (and humiliating) to share my past Christmas cards with you. I've tried to keep one card from each year and place it in my Christmas scrapbook, which is now in storage, so some of the facts/years are guessed.

The top card, made with SU! retired Winter Wonderland, was my first handmade Christmas card and made in 2000. It was a total CASE (copy and steal everything) from one of my upline's cards. I stamped the image,cut it into quarters and layered in onto Silver Metallic cardstock. I was very nervous about making them and didn't start early enough, but did get them mailed by Christmas. Also, I learned the importance of using good adhesive on my designs, after witnessing my Mother's Day card fall apart in front of my family.

The second card was made in 2003, stamped with SU! Stipple Plaid and Vertical Greetings. I used the SU! Pure Color Crayons to color it and added the wide organdy ribbon. Again, I didn't start early enough due to helping my customers design their cards first. But, they made it in the mail by Christmas.

The third card was made in 2005 with the new SU! Jumbo Wheels and coordinating set, Happiest of Holidays. I added a rhinestone to the center poinsettia for an upgraded look. By this time I had become a SU! "hobby" demo and had more time to making my own cards.

The last card was made last year with the SU! Christmas Caroler's set. It just about drove me crazy due to the many steps to design it. I used the Scor-It Tool, as it had been featured on the Technique Junkie Group and needed to be used. After stamping my image and coloring it with the SU! Metallic Pencils, it was scored and then embossed with clear embossing powder. I used the Cracked Glass Technique by putting the images in the freezer to get cold, removing them, cracking the embossing powder and aging the look by applying Creamy Caramel ink. The background of the card was stamped with the SU! Linen background stamp and the Designer Series Paper was layered over it. Thank goodness these cards were made on time and mailed before Christmas.

I hope you've enjoyed my trip down memory lane and may your Christmas this year be filled with beautiful and special memories!

Merry Christmas!

Leslie

Autumn Fest Thank You

2007-12-23T16:51:00.001-05:00

Did you think I was finished posting my thank you cards? Well, this is the last one for awhile. I have been wanting to make this card after seeing several different samples from other stampers, using the SU! set, Autumn Fest. I think this set would be nice to make masculine or holiday cards as well. The design is time consuming, but it's a thank you card, so it needs to be special. When I first received this package of SU! Designer Series Patterned Paper, I wasn't sure what to do with it. but, it was very useful for the background paper on this card. I used the SU! 2007 "In Color" inks of Buckaroo Blue. Marigold Morning, Cranberry Crisp and True Thyme to stamp my leaves. After trimming them and leaving a small border of white cardstock, I layered them onto a strip of white cardstock, matted in Cranberry Crisp cardstock. This piece serves as a "grounder" for my leaves and prevents them from getting lost in the busy patterned paper. The grosgrain ribbon is some from my stash and blended perfectly. I added a sentiment from the SU Simply Sent Kit, Just K. And, a big Thanks to You for visiting my blog today!

Leslie

Another way to say "thanks"

2007-12-20T12:10:00.000-05:00

The design of this card was inspired by one of SU! Simply Sent Kits. The kits are handy because they come with a pre-cut stamp set, prepared and needed materials (including envelopes) and instructions to make 10 cards, five each of 2 different samples. If you are in a hurry, need some inspiration or know someone that is a beginner stamper, the Simply Sent kits would make a great gift. I love the inspiration from them, but I used a different stamp set (Kids Cards, retired from SU!), with the same sketches and prepared items from the kit. I dry embossed polka dots on the front of the Kraft cardstock. Using the large background stamp, Dotted, I stamped the Old Olive layer of cardstock. The main image was colored with the SU! Markers and embellished with Stickles glitter. Gingham ribbon was the final accent. Be sure to have plenty of these cards available for the holidays!

Thanks for visiting-

Leslie

Thank You card to have handy for the holidays

2007-12-18T01:04:00.000-05:00

I was raised by a Mother who insisted that thank-you notes be written for gifts, dinners and any other services given by others. It is a ritual that I taught my sons and still practice myself. So, I make sure that thank-you notes are always plentiful at my house. This card was easy to design, as all supplies are from SU! Being that the inks, cardstocks and patterned papers coordinate saves time in designing cards. I used the All Occasions Level 3 Hostess Set for this card. It comes with a set of four stamps and 2 jumbo wheels. I used the "thanks" wheel and jumbo red ink cartridge for the sentiment on this card. The patterned paper is from the Cerise Designer Series set and is double-sided. I love this set of papers and found it hard to part with, but what good does hoarding it do? (Is there a 12 step program for this addiction?) After layering it onto a scalloped border, ribbon and brads, from Making Memories, were added. I'll be ready for my ritual after the holidays are over with.

Enjoy-
Leslie

Last card inspired by a gift bag

2007-12-15T01:43:00.000-05:00

This is the last post (I promise) of showing ways to be inspired in making a card. I tried to find a green that matched the color of the gift bag and was unsuccessful. So, I used the SU! Simple Stripes Background stamp on this card to coordinate with the bag. The SU! Floral background stamp was used on the upper portion of the card. The sentiment is stamped on a circle embellishment and layered onto the front of the card. Rick-Rack, Bazzill flowers and a brad complete the card. Next time you need a gift for someone, make some coordinating cards and give them with the gift bags to the recipient. They'll be glad to have these available and appropriate for several different occasions.

Thanks for stopping by-

Leslie

Another card inspired by a gift bag

2007-12-12T12:39:00.000-05:00

If you've read my previous post, you'll realize I am sharing cards that were inspired by a gift bag this week. As you can probably tell by now, I stamped my floral images on a large sheet of paper and cut it appropriately to meet the needs of my design. This is a big time saver. I used the SU! Floral background stamp on this card, too. Once again the sentiment was adhered to my Cuttlebug slider and adhered with Mays Arts ribbon. A row of paper piercing was done to the top of the solid layer. I added a Bazzill flower by adhering it with a Making Memories brad. As you can probably tell, these are addicting.

Thanks for visiting!

Leslie

Cards inspired by a gift bag

2007-12-10T13:33:00.000-05:00

Inspiration is something I am constantly looking for when designing my cards. Melissa Baldwin, owner of The Stamping Studio, shared this inspiring idea with us, when we attended her fall retreat. Using a gift bag, she had us design a coordinating card. I brought several of the bags home with me and used my own inks and papers to make my own coordinating cards. I'll share the 3 bags and cards with you this week. If you want to do this for yourself and have many cards to make, it's nice to get gift bags in the same color family. I used SU! colors of Certainly Celery, Cameo Coral, Pretty in Pink, Pink Passion and Mellow Moss to coordinate with the bags. The SU! retired floral stamp sets are Bodacious Bouquet and Floral Fantasy. Using different background stamps, I attempted to duplicate the design on the gift bag, in this example the SU! Floral stamp was used. I added a sentiment to my Cuttlebug punched slide and adhered it with Mays Art ribbon. A little paper piercing was done to the layer behind the stamped flowers. Bazzill and Prima flowers were adhered with a brad by Making Memories. Stay tuned and see the remainder of the bags this week!

Thanks for visiting -

Leslie

We have a BLOG CANDY WINNER!

2007-12-02T15:28:00.001-05:00

Melissa come on down and claim your candy, by sending me your mailing address.

Melissa wrote:

"Woo-hoo!My favorite tradition is putting up the tree. My husbands really dislikes the whole season so I end up doing it alone, but that's ok! I have to keep working at it so that I get it just right anyway!" And, Melissa has a blog, so check it out. I enjoyed reading everyone's comments and have been blessed with ideas for starting new Christmas traditions this year. Thanks for participating!

Have a good and safe week-
Leslie

Another card inspired by ribbon colors

2007-12-01T12:02:00.000-05:00

As previously mentioned a few weeks ago, I was playing with color combinations by using colors in selected ribbons. This Mays Art ribbon has several shades of pinks and greens in it, so I reached for another of my favorite stamps, a Thomas Kinkade design, by Cornish Heritage Farms , called The Garden of Prayer. Can justice be done to these beautiful images? I still feel most comfortable using a monochromatic design with these intricate designs. On this card, I use the spotlighting technique, by punching out the area I wanted to highlight and mounting it onto the main image. I used SU! Always Artichoke ink for my card base and ink color. A layer of Mellow Moss Cardstock was placed behind the spotlighted image and main image. I added a little shimmer color of pink to the spotlighted area with the Pebbles chalks and tied the ribbon to the left side of the card. Inside, I stamped The Serenity Prayer, which is another stamp in the Thomas Kinkade series.

One last day before the BLOG CANDY is given away. Leave me a comment describing your favorite Christmas tradition and you'll be eligible for the candy. If you link my blog to your blog, you'll have 5 additional chances to win, but I'll need to know the name of your blog.

Thanks for visiting!

Leslie

A Wondrous Gift

2007-11-29T10:38:00.000-05:00

Indeed, Christmas is about the "Wondrous Gift" given to us by the birth of Jesus Christ. I've seen this set, by SU!, used in beautiful ways. I decided to use non-traditional colors of purple and silver to make this card. Again, I used the Prismacolor Shimmery Cardstock for my purple card base and coordinated it with SU! inks: Orchid Opulence, Basic Black and Silver Metallic. The SU! ticket punch was used on the corners of the layers and the retired metallic silver ribbon was added to the left border of the card. It was a quick and elegant card, due to the use of shimmery cardstocks.

And, don't forget to leave a comment for the BLOG CANDY drawing to be held on Sunday, December 2. To be eligible, you have to tell me your favorite Christmas tradition. If you link to my blog, you'll be entered 5 additional times, but I need the name of your blog. So, share the information with me in the comments section. Spread the word and thanks for visiting!

Leslie

BLOG CANDY!!

2007-11-25T14:07:00.001-05:00

I'm overdue on offering free BLOG CANDY! The holidays are making the days pass quickly, so please forgive my delay. This candy is a new copy of "Card Creations", which I use over and over. It includes samples and sketches of cards for all occasions. It will be helpful when making your holiday cards. The way to be included in the drawing is to leave me a comment telling me about your favorite family holiday tradition. I'm going to need some ideas to start a new year, so I want to hear your feedback. Post a comment and description of your favorite family holiday tradition and I'll add your name to the drawing. And, if you link to my blog, you'll get 5 extra chances to win the drawing. You have to let me know in the comments that you linked to my blog. I'll leave this open for one week and draw a lucky name on Sunday, December 2. Let the posting begin!

Thanks-
Leslie

Ready for Christmas Cards?

2007-11-25T13:44:00.001-05:00

I hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving, have consumed the leftover foods and are ready to prepare for Christmas. Shopping on the day after Thanksgiving put me into the holiday spirit, so I'm sharing Christmas cards with you this week. This card was made with Prism's shimmery cardstock, which is pretty and elegant. Luckily, SU! has a coordinating ink color in Bravo Burgundy, so I could use the "All About Christmas" wheel. If you have alot of cards to prepare for Christmas, a wheel set makes the time pass quickly. I highlighted the word "peace" by punching it out of the sentiment piece and layering it onto Shimmery Silver cardstock. All of this was mounted onto a scalloped border of Shimmery Silver cardstock, which SU! produces. Metallic silver organdy and cording were tied around the main image and a little paper-piercing was added to the lower portion of the card. Taking a suggestion from a friend, I made several different Christmas cards this year and it made the process more enjoyable. I made a few of each card and didn't get bored with it, as I've done in previous years.

Thanks for visiting-

Leslie

To my friends card inspired by patterned paper

2007-11-13T00:49:00.001-05:00

I've recently gone thru a divorce and am very thankful for the friends that God has placed in my life. My girlfriends have listened and encouraged me as I travel this journey. So, I made this card thinking of my special friends and added a few special touches to it. Thanks to SU!, it was easy to make this monochromatic card, as their inks, cardstock and patterned paper coordinate perfectly with each other. I stamped the Floral background stamp with Blue Bayou ink onto the matching cardstock. The stripe design is from the Blue Bayou Designer Paper Pack. I added Sky Blue cardstock and coordinating ribbon, as it was also in the patterned paper. The stamped sentiment is from the SU! set, All Holidays. I love the elegant look it gives to the card. A little paper piercing around the edges of the stamped sentiment block and a bow completed the card.
Everything was mounted onto Shimmery White CS, which adds a little "bling" for my special friends.

Thanks for visiting!

Leslie

A Masculine card inspired by ribbon colors

2007-11-13T00:40:00.000-05:00

Do you get tired of using the same colors on your cards? I do and was thrilled to find this ribbon at my local Archiver's. Knowing that I wanted to make another masculine birthday card using the Thomas Kinkade stamps by Cornish Heritage Farms, this ribbon met my needs and search for a new color scheme. Using a monochromatic tone for the main image, I stamped it in SU! Chocolate Chip ink and matted on SU! cardstock that coordinated with the ribbon. The sentiment is from the SU! set, Circle of Friendship. After punching it out, it was layered onto a Cuttlebug designed slide. I layered everything onto a Chocolate Chip card and had a masculine card designed quickly. Stay tuned for more cards inspired by ribbon colors.

Another take on a different card template

2007-11-04T23:48:00.001-05:00

Do you recall my description of the new card template that I learned in September? Well, this is another card using the same template. It was easy to make, as I used almost all SU! products and everything coordinated perfectly. The double-sided patterned paper and cardstock are retired from the SU! 2007 catalog and uses the In Color of Cranberry Crisp. I used a SU! punch to make the large flower and added a Prima flower and SEI brad to the center. Inside the card is stamped "Season Greetings".

Speaking of patterned paper, Stampin' Up! is currently having a special promotion. If you purchase any 3 packages of their Designer Patterned Paper Packs, you'll get the 4th pack free. That is a $9.95 value. Personally, I love their patterned papers, as they are sturdy, double sided, true 12 X 12 size and coordinate with the other cardstock and ink colors. SU! has quite a variety of patterned paper packs to choose from now, too, so be sure to stock up on them.

A Different card template

2007-11-04T23:37:00.000-05:00

I love learning new card templates and folds. Sometimes I get stuck in the rut of using the same old "fold in the middle" template and enjoy trying a new task. This was a template that I learned at a stamping retreat in September. The cardstock, by Bazzill, is cut 4 1/2 inches X 9 1/2 inches. Score the long side of the cardstock at the 4 1/4 mark and the 8 1/2 mark. You'll have a 1 inch border left to fold over onto the card front. I decorated this simply by adding Basic Grey patterned paper and a large silk flower that can be purchased at any hobby store. The Mays Art ribbon wraps around the back/ front of the card and is secured underneath the flower with a large Queen & Company coordinating brad. I left the inside of the card blank and will add a sentiment when needed. Thanks to Melissa Baldwin, of The Stamping Studio, for using this card as one of her "make and takes" at the fall retreat.

Peaceful Wishes and Paper Pieced Ornaments

2007-10-29T11:35:00.001-05:00

I saw this card idea, but am not sure where, but liked the idea of paper-piecing the ornaments. The Stampin' Up! punches made it easy to make the ornaments as I used the 2 oval style and one circle style punch. The ribbon was adhered across the circular ornament. (Ribbon from Michael's) I love the Fruitcake patterned paper by Basic Grey, as it is double sided and perfect for this card idea. I matched it with SU! Not Quite Navy cardstock and Wild Wasabi ink. The gold cording was retired from SU! a few years ago. Inside the card is stamped "Peaceful Wishes", from the SU! stamp set with the same name. I can see this stamp set being used all year long, as some of the images are various foliage parts and would look great on a man's card. Thanks for visiting!

Leslie

Check it out!

2007-10-29T11:33:00.001-05:00

I've updated my Etsy shop and have started adding cards for the holidays. They'll be here soon, so stock up early. Thanks!
Leslie

Is it too early for Holiday Cards?

2007-10-27T22:44:00.000-05:00

Is it too early for Holiday Cards? I'm always one of the last ones to complete my Christmas cards as I get busy helping others make their cards. This year, I spent an entire weekend at a retreat, and completed all of my Christmas cards. What a relief! And, it gives me more time to play with additional designs. Most of you know that I love Thomas Kinkade's artwork. His God-given talent has blessed many people. I cannot imagine the time he puts into developing the fine details of each item. If you ever get a chance to go into one of his galleries, do so, as it's an educational field trip. I learned that each of his paintings were made for a special person-one of his daughter's, his wife or a best friend. And, he has apprentices that will add paints to various parts of his drawn images to give the appearance of light. I was thrilled when Cornish Heritage Farms developed the stamps based on Kinkade's paintings. I didn't feel that justice could be done to his "Silent Night" artwork by coloring every detailed piece, so I used a monochromatic look for this card. Using Brilliance inks and Shimmery Cardstock, I stamped the main image. I added glitter in the windows and lamp post with a Sakura Glitter Pen. The photo corners were made with the Stampin' Up! punch. The final touch to the card were the faux rhinestones made by punching white shimmery cardstock and adding Stickles glitter to each one. Be sure to visit Cornish Heritage Farms and order your Kinkade stamps for the holidays.

Polka Dot Posies Pocket Card

2007-10-27T20:29:00.000-05:00

Are you tired of the Pocket Cards yet? I promise this will be my last one to post for awhile. These cards are convenient to have available and easy to make. Fill the pockets with gift certificates, money, tea bags, seed packets or notes of encouragement and you have a completed gift. I used patterned paper from Scenic Route and cardstock from Stampin' Up! The inks and stamp set, Polka Dot Posies, are also from Stampin' Up! The coordinating button is from Doodlebug and the ribbons were in my stash.

I know some people were having trouble with directions posted from other sources, so I'll try to explain my technique. You'll need to have a piece of double-sided patterned paper to make this card and lay the front of the paper face down. The 8 1/2 inch side of the paper should be at the top. Fold the paper in half vertically and then horizontally. Unfold it and look at the 4 sections. The top left side section will be "A" and the top right side section will be "B". The lower left side section will be "C" and the lower right side section will be "D". Have I lost you yet? Now cut on the fold line between B and D to the center of the paper. Fold the corner of section D 1/2 up, to form a small triangle. Fold the corner of section A downward to the center, making a large triangle. Fold Section D to Section C, then Section C upwards to Section A. Fold Section B behind all the folds and you'll have your card made. You can secure the folds with a brad or staple. Embellish and add to the pockets as desired. I hope this helps you. Thanks for visiting my site!

Leslie

Another type of Pocket Card

2007-10-21T16:34:00.000-05:00

I learned this card template from Melissa Baldwin, of The Stamping Studio, after attending her fall retreat in September. My version does not require much stamping. This is a great card to have handy and fill with gift certificates, money or notes. Another idea would be to make the card a little longer, add an additional pocket and stamp each area to correspond with a different season of the year. The recipient would receive 4 different gifts from you during the year.

For this card, I cut the base 4 1/2 inches X 11 3/4 inches. I scored the base at 2, 2 1/4, 5 1/2 and 8 3/4 inches. You can use a sealed legal size envelope for your pockets by cutting 3 inches off of each end. I chose to use the cut legal size envelope piece as a template and make my own pockets. Adhere each pocket below the fold, after punching 1/2 of a 1 1/4 inch circle out of the upper left sided border. If you want to make cards to put into your pocket, just make them a little smaller to fit properly. To make a belly band to hold the card together, cut a coordinating strip of patterned paper 8 X 1 1/4 inches. You can embellish it with buttons, flowers, brads, bottle caps, etc. I chose to use Prima and Bazzill flowers and a brad. The only stamped part of the card is the definition of "Friend", a stamp made by Rubber Stampede.

I used Prismacolor paper for my cardstock, Basic Grey for my patterned paper, Stampin' Up! ink, scorer and paper punches. Target was nice enough to give me 4 non-valid gift certificates to use for my demonstration. I hope you are enjoying the fall weather. Thanks for stopping by my site-

Leslie

No Stamping this week, Folks!

2007-10-14T14:19:00.001-05:00

Sorry, but it's been a busy week and I haven't had the time to stamp anything new. I have been enjoying the following blogs, though, so you may want to visit them. All of the links are on the left side of my page. Nicole Heady is releasing new sets tonight at midnight, and has been giving sneek peeks all week long. Gina has new holiday stamp sets ready for release. Have your heard that the two of them, along with Emily from Stamping Bellas, are planning a cruise? Jody Morrow has a new ribbon share going and has some beautiful selections to use for the holidays. And, Pat Huntoon is still giving away goodies to celebrate her 5th anniversary of the Technique Junkies Newsletter. Check them out and enjoy the beautiful weather!

SU! Basket Full of Fun Pocket Card

2007-10-07T14:40:00.001-05:00

I hope you enjoyed National Card Making Day yesterday. I knew my day would be spent scrapbooking with a friend at a local Archiver's, so I made this card to celebrate the special day. Isn't it great to know that card making is now an international hobby? We may not be able to communicate in the same language, but we can share our artwork together. Yes, this is another double pocket fold card. Did I mention how addicting they are? I used the SU! set, Basket Full of Fun for this card. After stamping the images with SU! Basic Brown ink, I added color with Chocolate Chip and Brocade Blue. SU! card stock used were Chocolate Chip and Naturals White. SU! Ribbons were also added. The patterned paper is from the Sharon Anne Collection and the clip from Office Depot. How did you spend your day yesterday? Let me know!

SU! Give Thanks Pocket Card

2007-10-02T19:42:00.001-05:00

I first saw the Pocket Card Template when I attended The Stamping Studio Retreat in September. The owner, Melissa Baldwin, used this template as one of the cards we made during the Round Robin. (For more details about her annual retreat and classes, visit her website) I was going to post a tutorial on making this type of card, but Pat Huntoon, owner of the Technique Junkies list and newsletter, beat me to it. It is featured on the front page of this month's newsletter. This card has alot of options for it's use-add gift cards, money, coupons, tea bags, bookmarks or even the extra notes of encouragement, similar to what I did. The patterned paper is from SEI. It's best to use double-sized paper for this card, so be sure to clean out the stash you've been hoarding and get busy. The inks, cardstock and stamp set, Give Thanks, are by Stampin' Up! I used American Crafts Glitter Gem Pens to add bling to my leaves. The paper clip and ribbons were in my stash, so they were added as well. Adding the paper-piercing around some of the stamped images was the last accent added to this card. Beware, these cards are very addicting.

While speaking about Pat, I remembered she is celebrating her 5th year anniversary of the list and newsletter this month. She is giving away freebies everyday, so be sure to visit her blog and let her know that I sent you. The gifts are donated by sponsors and very nice.

Enjoy!

Aww, It's Fall!

2007-09-29T16:30:00.001-05:00

I can finally feel and smell the season of Fall approaching the southern state of Georgia. The nights and early mornings are beginning to get cooler. We're taking our winter clothes out of storage and hanging them in the closets. Apples and pumpkins are showing up in the grocery stores. This time of year makes me want to drag out the SU! Earth Element colors and coordinating patterned papers to design with. This card was made with Scenic Route's designer papers and SU! cardstock and inks. I used the floral image from Hero Arts, stamped it in SU! Basic Brown and added colors with the SU! Markers. Stickles add flair to the petals. The SU! set, Circle of Friendship, was used for the sentiment and placed in the center of the flower. I trimmed approximately 1/2 inch off the card-front border, so my paper-piercing would show. The main stamped image is mounted on a large mega scallop, while ribbon from Junkitz adorns the bottom of the card. So, tell me what your favorite season it, as you can probably tell that I love fall!

In the Spotlight Card CASED from Beate

2007-09-26T17:34:00.001-05:00

Every now and then I see a card that has to be totally CASED (copy and steal everything). Sometimes, it may just be the colors, stamp sets or layout of the card that I want to case. Either way, I believe it is acceptable to do this, if the original designer of the artwork receives the credit due. This card was CASED from Beate Johns. Everyone knows Beate, don't they? If not, you need to visit SplitCoast Stampers and subscribe to her blog. She is truly a wonderful artist. I love this card! It uses the new SU! "In Colors" of Wild Wasabi, Soft Sky, Blue Bayou and Purely Pomegranate. The stamp set is one of the new Level 2 Hostess sets, In the Spotlight. I used scallop scissors to add the border on the bottom of the card. Paper-piercing was also added to the lower border. The ribbons and cardstock are also from SU-Purely Pomegranate Double-Stitch Ribbon and Black Gingham Check with Blue Bayou, Sky Blue and Purely Pomegranate CS. The only difference in my card is that I stamped the greeting on white CS, punched it out and mounted to a larger circle of Purely Pomegranate CS. Adhering it to the card with large pop-dots makes it stand out on the card. Thanks Beate for the inspiration!

Another card by FireCracker Designs by Pamela

2007-09-22T12:31:00.001-05:00

I've had a very busy week, so forgive my lack of blogging. This is a another card made using the Scrappin Doodles stamps set by FireCracker Designs by Pamela. I received my new stamp set from her yesterday (for October) and am thinking of many uses for my submissions to the Design Team. (Stay Tuned!) This card is simple and can be used for multiple occasions. I stamped part of the doodles in SU! Green Galore ink and added Prima Flowers with brads from Queen & Co. The paper-piercing tools, ticket punch and cardstock are also from SU! The sentiment is from Hero Arts. Simple and quick!

Guess what I received in the mail yesterday? My blog candy from Erika Martin-The Idea Book. I quickly flipped through it and can't wait to spend more time reading, but it incorporates stamping into scrapbooking. Be sure to visit Erika' blog at Stampin' Mama. Have great weekend!

BLOG CANDY WINNER!!

2007-09-14T10:01:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry for the late post regarding the blog candy. My computer and I were battling each other last night. I loved the many thoughts regarding supplies for a new stamper. If you have time, read the comments. The majority believed a new stamper needs a good pair of scissors, paper trimmer and scissors. The winner is:

September 10, 2007 11:08 PM
Debi said...
I usually tell my customers to choose a color family that they like best and then order the assortment pkg of card stock, and the coordinating Stampin' Spots, a basic black classic ink pad, and a pkg of either white or vanilla cs and a good paper cutter/trimmer.

So, Debi, please e-mail me at lesliestamps@yahoo.com and leave me your mailing address. I'm off to my first stamping weekend retreat this weekend and am sure to come home with great ideas and inspiration. Enjoy your weekend!