In Color Memories

Well thank you so much to my finicky computer...this post is two days late. You know, sometimes life happens, and it has been a CRAZY couple weeks!! But enough of all that...time to talk crafting!

In November, I went to my first Stampin' Up! OnStage event. This isn't your ordinary, dull convention, it was a truly AMAZING and life-changing experience! I met SO many new people, made several new friends, and left with my head full of new ideas.

So part of the tradition when you travel for OnStage is to create handmade gifts for your roomies. Let me just say, this part of the experience can be an adventure all its own. Never in my life, would I have thought I'd end up sleeping in a bunk bed and sharing a bungalow with six other women! So not only did I need to create something unique and special, I had to do it in volume!

I knew two things without a doubt...Number One: I wanted to use the newest In Colors (especially since one of those colors matches my car - there I go, settings trends!! haha) Number Two: I wanted to create a keepsake that my roommates could use to display their OnStage memories. I thought of altering frames, among a couple other ideas, but I couldn't find enough matching items in stock. Then I realized that I already had the perfect items at home. I'd bought a bulk of composite clipboards for another project, and decided they would make PERFECT memory boards!

To ensure my gifts were special for each lady, I decided to personalize each one with a monogram, and of course, I had to make one for myself, too. Now I get to share it with each of you!

For the "graffiti wall", I sponged each of the In Colors on a section of the Wood Words floral stamp. I used the Labeler Alphabet set to stamp the sentiment. After my stamping was done, I ran the cardstock through my Big Shot using the Brick Wall EF. For the monograms, I used the Letters for You stamps and cut them out with the coordinating dies. I popped them with Dimensionals to create the effect of "signs" on the wall.

From there, I built on up to the clouds. The large rectangle fits a 4" x 6" photo, and the white circle in the balloon can hold a small photo or space to jot a small note. For the final touches, the hot air balloon banner and clouds carry the event name and date.

I won't need to make roommate gifts for the next OnStage because it will be a local event in my own town!! Super exciting! I will, however, be making myself a new keepsake.

From my heart to yours...Happy Stamping!

Sarah Grace

Winter Feeling

Even though it's mid-January, we're going to take one last look at Christmas for today's post. I WAY underestimated the number of Christmas cards I needed last year and had to make additional cards...several times! 😓 BUT! Some good came out of that extra work. I decided to combine my Stampin' Up! products with some favorites from other companies. I not only created a card I loved, but I also found a fun new way to use one of my favorite products: Nuvo Drops.

Because we Vegas folks don't see much of the white stuff, I really wanted to amp up the feeling of winter! I used white embossing powder on my sentiment and was intentionally "messy" with it, leaving some powder behind to create the feel of a snow flurry.

Now...for the fun with the Nuvo drops!! I applied a heavy drop of Nuvo to the cardstock, then pulled a straight pin from the center straight up and down, and along both sides and all diagonals to create a snowflake!

TIP: When trying this technique at home, be aware that your drop will mostly likely crack some in the middle from being pulled. To combat this problem, apply an additional drop to the center when your snowflake is almost dry. I recommend practicing a few times on a scrap piece before moving to your project. (You'll see in the photo above that the first snowflake has a crack in the center).

For this card, I turned to the adorable House Mouse line from Stampendous! I cannot get enough of those cuddly little critters. I colored these adorable mice with my Stampin' Write markers. Having both a brush tip and fine tip make these markers perfect for highly detailed images. One look at the finished hot cocoa image, and I knew the coffee ring pattern from Coffee Break DSP (Item#144155) was just the right paper to pair it with!

Last year's miscount had a silver lining, but trust me, lesson learned. This year I'll be working on Christmas cards MUCH sooner than last year...

From my heart to yours...Happy Stamping!

Sarah Grace

https://www.facebook.com/HeartofaStamper/

Life is Sweet!

I initially set out to get back into the blogging world about a year ago. However, 2017 proved to be more overwhelming than I'd expected, and my blog fell by the wayside. Well...there is no better time than a fresh new year to start again!

For the past three years, as the new year approaches, I've created a container to house my special memories for the coming year. I first saw the idea on social media and knew it was just the thing for me to keep my spirits up! Whenever something special or exciting happens during the year, you write it down. The idea is to review the memories at the end of the year, but I find it is also helpful to look through when challenges hit during the year.

2018 has started on a high note with feelings of gratitude and excitement for what's to come...This positive energy led me to think about how sweet life really is...and thus "Life is Sweet!" was born.

For this year's container, I chose a standard mason jar and just a few other supplies. I grabbed a fresh pack of index cards and decided to re-purpose the retired Candy Cane Lane washi tape to fit my sweet life theme. Then I grabbed my double-stitched ribbon, Labeler Alphabet Stamp Set (Item #141936), and Real Red ink.

I found the right size circle from the Layering Circles Framelits Dies (Item #141705) and lined washi tape over the cut circle. I trimmed around the circle, then adhered it to the jar lid with Multipurpose Liquid Glue. I always like to grab my bone folder to ensure even adhesion with both washi tape and multipurpose glue. I simply run the long edge back and forth a few times over the top layer.

Next I used Tear & Tape Adhesive to attach the ribbon to my lid. I tied the bow separately to ensure it sat smoothly on my lid and adhered with a glue dot.

I decorated the index cards with the washi tape and stamped out my theme and the year on Whisper White card stock, adhering with the Tear & Tape. I absolutely love my finished product and have already written my first card!

I hope my project has inspired you to keep track of the special moments 2018 has to offer you.

From my heart to yours...Happy Stamping!

Sarah Grace

http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/heartofastamper/