Baseball Star

Being on a design team means that you usually have 2 weeks to 3 months to make cards for when the challenge/release goes live.  That is why I find it more than mildly amusing that my Design Team card for today's challenge at StampNation happens to be a baseball card.

Why do I find it funny?  Tonight happens to be sign-up night for our local Babe Ruth Baseball league.  Last month when I was creating this I had no idea when sign ups would be.  Perfect timing, wouldn't you agree?

All Star Team at Tacoma Rainier's game 2012

If you are in the Rochester, Oakville, Tenino area and have a son age 13-15 head on over to the middle school between 6-8pm and sign up.  See you on the field.  (If only Spring would arrive in the Pacific Northwest when baseball season starts... time to get that jean's quilt made for game time.)


Creative Blessings,
Heather North

You + I + Thank You

The chalkboard technique is so trendy right now.  You can find it anywhere.  I like the look of it and wanted to try it out with some of my new (and old) stamps.

My first thought was to make a card for Operation Write Home.  I think the sentiment above is perfect for OWH, but I'm not sure the button is flat enough. Perhaps I will remove it and put a candy dot or red heart in its place.

What I really need right now for myself is Thank You cards, so I tweaked the center a bit and came up with the card above.   Don't you love a design that will work with almost any sentiment?

To decorate the inside I took the sliver of paper I had cut off from the Hardwood stamped layer on the front of the card and I adhered it to the inside.   I like to have my insides flow with my outsides.

PP177

As I said, this technique is very trendy right now.  :)  It's even the current challenge at The Paper Players.   If you want to see how other people are using this trend, click on the image above and it should take you to their challenge.

If you are wondering "how" to do your own "chalkboard" it couldn't be easier.   Start with a piece of black cardstock, cut it into the shape/size you want it.  Add "chalk" and "chalk dust" with one of the following:
Embossing Powder bag rubbed over the paper
White Craft Ink
White Staz-On Ink
White Embossing Powder
Chalk
White Pencil

See what I mean?  It's all up to you!   For my card I stamped the image from Great Sport in White Craft Ink, then added a layer of white embossing powder over it and heat set it.   Then I took a sponge, dipped it in my craft ink pad and gently rubbed it onto my cardstock to make it look like a used chalkboard.   This was cut out using the Labels Framelits and layered onto a piece of Crumb Cake cardstock that had been stamped with my new Hardwood stamp in White Craft Ink.  It kind-of reminded me of a wood framed chalkboard.  :)

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

SU Supplies Used:
Stamps: Great Sport, Hardwood, Perfect Pennants, A Round Array
Ink: White Craft Ink, Real Red, Basic Black
Cardstcock: Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Real Red, Whisper White
Misc: Silver Baker's Twine, Labels Framelits, Various Punches, Brights Buttons (Retired)

Hardwood

Perfect Pennants

Labels Framelits

Silver Baker's Twine

Masculine Monday

Last Friday I was in need of a quick card for a 5th grade boy's birthday.  I was looking at my friend, Kristie's, blog, of Kreative Kristie fame, and was instantly inspired. 



At first I thought about dusting off the Cricut and clearing off the space in front of it so I could make a star like she had on her card, but I was short on time.  Instead I used the stamped image I had on my table from the Great Sport stamp set and colored in the stars with a Daffodil Delight marker.  The piece was already cut out using my Labels Framelits, and sponged.  (this is why I don't clean my stamp space, you never know when inspiration will hit!)  Then I stamped Happy Birthday from the Blue Ribbon stamp set. 

It appears I used just about every "masculine" stamp set I own.  :D  Next I stamped one of the Gorgeous Grunge stamps with Smoky Slate ink and then stamped Celebrate, from Seasonal Sayings, on top of it with Pacific Point ink.

How many stamp sets did I use?  5? I was thinking this was a clean and simple card, but now I'm wondering if it was.  :)  The boy that my son gave this to actually thanked me for my card when I picked him up from the birthday party.  Isn't that sweet?

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Celebrate ~ Basketball

My husband and father-in-law are both big Sacramento Kings fans.  Not sure what will happen if the Kings move, but for this season they get to cheer on their team from Sacramento.  With Papa Marty's birthday in February I wanted to make him a special birthday card sporting the Kings colors.

The first thing I did was to stamp the basketball image from Great Sport 3 times using Black Staz-On ink and stamping them on to Pumpkin Pie cardstock.  Then I punched them out with different sizes of circle punches.  Next I ran them all through the big shot using my dots embossing folder.

This gave them great texture, but I wanted a little more, so I took a sponge and some Basic Gray ink and sponged VERY lightly to add some shading.  Then used my tombow mono-multi glue to adhere the balls to white circle mats.

The arrow paper clip points to my sentiment.  These clips are larger than I thought they would be, but I was (almost) able to fit it where I wanted too on the card.

I wanted to finish off the inside of the card, so I stamped yet another basketball, but did not emboss it this time.  Instead I used my Designer Label and Word Window punches to make a "banner" over the ball. 

Happy Birthday Papa!  Hope this card made you smile when you opened it!

Creative Blessings,
Heather North




Great Sport



Seasonal Sayings



Hung Up Cute Clips



Silver Glimmer Paper



Football Friday

Are you ready for some football?  It's playoff season and this weekend is a big one for our house.  We live in Seattle Seahawks territory, but being born and raised in Northern California, we are 49er fans in this house.  (I have to admit the Seahawks have prettier colors.  LOL)  My husband's phone is sure to be going crazy as both teams play, though not against each other.

Wouldn't this be a fun card to give to the host/hostess to thank them for having you over for the big game?  I actually made it as a masculine birthday card.  Do you know anyone who likes football?  This card would be perfect!  You could even change the colors to match their favorite team.

Do you have a nephew who plays football?  I bet he would enjoy getting a card themed for his favorite sport.

I made the card a "moving" card, but you could layer it in the same way without "movement" if you want to.  I still need a bit more practice to perfect this technique, but it is fun when I get a card to work right.

Whoever you are cheering for this weekend, I hope they win, and I wish you lots of creative time!  That is what I will probably be doing this weekend. 

One last thought, you could switch this card up and make it work with most any sport.  You could also leave off the ball and just have a stamp that will fit in the circle.  There are so many possibilities when it comes to paper crafting!

Creative Blessings,
Heather North




Great Sport



Blue Ribbon




Labels Collection Framelits






Sweet Swap Revealed ~ Video

I was recently involved in my first ever online card swap.  I've done many scrapbooking swaps before, but this was only my second card swap.  Thankfully my first card swap was with ladies who loved me, because my cards were awful!  That was many years ago, before I really learned how to make cards by watching videos made by some great instructors.  Coincidentally that is why I make and share videos.  I hope to inspire you like I have been inspired.

I decided to tweak my videotaped card a bit, but I still give instructions for those of you who want to CASE the original.

Swap 'Til We Drop Card

Can you spot the differences in the stepped up card?

Sweet Baby Stepped Up Card

Check out the video below to see how I created these cards.  ***If you are viewing in your email you may need to head over to my website to watch the video. ***



  You can see the detail in this close-up shot.  This card was not simple, but it wasn't all that difficult either.  There are a lot of steps, but I hope you will give this card a try.  I think next time I'll use the largest Labels Framelit Die instead of the Top Note Die and emboss the black layer instead of the Melon Mambo.  What do you think?

Come back on Sunday to get more tips on participating in swaps and see the FABULOUS cards I got back in the swap.  I think they'll blow you away too.  :) 

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Great Sport

Top Note Die

Itty Bitty Banners

Bitty Banners Framelits Die

Labels Framelits Die

Blue Ribbon

Teacher, You Rock!

My children have been blessed with some good teachers over the years.  Last year there was one that really stood out from the rest.  She called us at home a couple of times to let us know what a joy our son was to teach.  She praised him and wanted us to know how good he was doing?  Isn't that awesome?!!!  I wanted to give her an extra special card to show my appreciation.

I got this Great Sport stamp set to make baseball thank you cards, but I thought if I stamped it in black and added some Melon Mambo pink, then I could use it to let Mrs Hill know that I think she ROCKS.  :)   What do you think?

Instead of a ball, I stamped an image from Blue Ribbon stamp set in Melon Mambo, and then I pulled out some more new goodies to do the Thank You banner.  :)  (Itty Bitty Banners stamp set and the Itty Bitty Framelits dies... LOVE them!)

The inside had to be special too.  :)  (Perfectly Penned, XL Oval, and Decorative Label Punch) 


Thank you Mrs. Hill and all the other teachers out there who give of their time, energy and talents to teach our children.

Creative Blessings,
Heather North




Great Sport



Blue Ribbon

Bitty Banners Framelits

Itty Bitty Banners



Scallop Dotted Ribbon

Top Note Die