Another two to share....and it's Friday!!

Yahoo!! It's Friday...not sure what that means exactly for me but I am EXCITED!! Mostly I think because the spring season for baseball starts tomorrow. My youngest son Aiden (age 11) will be playing and he has his first practice tomorrow. The fields are probably too wet from the last snow we had...but the cages are fine and he too is ready. Hard to believe that it's here...I remember last year there were a couple of late evening games early on in the season that were a wee bit too chilly for me! He's such a good sport about it...get it...sport?? Oh...I know...I 'think' I'm funny!

Anyway...this morning I was scared I wasn't going to be able to post anything...slept wrong or worked out too much yesterday and my neck is stiff. Hard to stamp when you can't turn your head...all I can do is look down! But here I am~ posting away and sharing with you what I made today.

It uses a couple of sets, which work well together. Not sure if there is a stamp set that I don't like...but I sure do have my favorites!! Anyway...I grabbed the first set...a favorite (Artistic Etchings) stamp set...stared at it for a few minutes wondering what I was going to come up with and started with the card base..Summer Starfruit. This is probably one of my favorite colors, remember Crushed Curry?? It sadly retired...but this is pretty close. Anyway...then I grabbed a piece of First Edition Specialty DSP, cut it at 2" and stamped on it. Then when I was about to place it on the front of the card...I didn't like it (too wide). So...I cut in 1/2 and the piece on the right I stuck to a Soft Suede back (same size) and popped it up with dimensionals.

Love the dimension...here is another picture.

Inside:

My name is Erin Barker and I am a 'Spritz-a-holic'. Yes indeed...I find myself always thinking a project needs just one more element...one final touch. I can't hold back...I grab the Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz and SPRITZ away!! But today someone tried to intervene...


Ah ha~

Who is this you ask?? This would be Oscar....my very sleepy kitty!

 I need my box!! Oscar...give it back!! I felt bad removing him...but momma needs to 'spritz'..you understand right??

Supplies
Stamp Set: Artistic Etchings (120573 C), Collage Curios (129102 C), French Foliage (121166 C)
Card Stock: First Edition Specialty DSP (121878), Very Vanilla, Summer Starfruit
Ink: Summer Starfruit, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Versamark pad
Access: Stampin' Write marker Crumb Cake, linen thread (104199), dimensionals (104430), Color Spritzer tool (107066), stampin' sponges (101610), postage stamp punch (122344), 1 " square punch (124094), Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz (118772), heat tool (129053), silver embossing powder (109131), key (retired)


This next card is one I made for my brother's birthday (his was the day after mine). And yes...you guessed it...I spritzed it!! You can really see the shimmer from the flash. Ahhhh..just looking at it makes me smile!

I used a couple of retired goodies...the copper embossing powder and key tag punch. Shhh!! I just had too!! This image is from the stamp set called Feeling Sentimental (129630 C) available as a FREE item from 'Sale-a-Bration'. Remember for every $50 you spend you get to choose a FREE goodie!!

Note: I heat embossed the bicycle image first using the Stamp-a-Ma-Jig to place it perfectly on the raised embossed border, then I stamped it again using Early Espresso ink, then again without re-inking the stamp stamp a third time to achieve the lighter look.

Supplies
Stamp Set: Feeling Sentimental (129630 C)
Card Stock: Naturals Ivory, Early Espresso, Island Indigo
Ink: Early Espresso, Versamark Pad
Access: Big Shot (113439), Textured Impressions Needlepoint border embossing folders (129383), linen thread (104199), Sycamore Street ribbon and button pack (130812), copper brad (retired), Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz (118772)

That's it for today...about to pop some more ibuprofen and have a glass of wine...don't judge me!

Have a great weekend!!
-Erin
Shop Online 24/7 (even in your P.J.'s)
website: www.erinsstampart.stampinup.net
email: stampingwitherin@yahoo.com  

X's and O's...Tic-Tac-Toe

X's and O's mean 'hugs' and 'kisses' here!!

My husband made me a bunch of 'tic-tac-toe' boards out of luan a few years ago...have had them stashed away in a drawer not knowing what I was going to do with them...until now!! I decided to make the X's and O's (hugs and kisses) for Valentine's Day! The board measures 4 1/2"x 4 1/2" and is unfinished. I thought about painting them, or staining them...but this was WAY easy!!

Here is the back (again...stamped with Staz-On ink)

Directions:

First I stamped the X's and O's using Staz-On ink (so the ink would not smear) onto the More Amore Specialty DSP (129309). I used clear flat marbles, added just a dab of Crystal Effects (101055) to the back of the marble and pressed it down centered over the letter. Press firmly to squeeze the Crystal Effects out to the edges (removing any air bubbles). Allow to dry (approx. 10 minutes). Trim the DSP cutting as close to the underside of the marble as you can. I then used a sanding block to smooth the edges and sponged some ink.
Note: the stamp set I used here is Lovely Letters Alphabets (115030 W, 127796 C)

Pretty easy huh?? Give it a try!! If you are interested in purchasing any Tic-Tac-Toe boards, leave me a comment or send me an email stampingwitherin@yahoo.com  for details. 

February is a crazy busy month...birthdays galore!! In yesterday's post I mentioned my niece's birthday...at the end of the month is mine (but I am not getting any older!) and the day after mine is my brothers! In addition...the 19th is my Mom's anniversary..and my step-dad's birthday. For them I try to incorprate one card...two occasions (you know...two birds one stone?) Of course you also have Valentine's Day...so it's a perfect time for Stampin' Up!'s promotion Sale-a-Bration!!

Here is a birthday card I made for our neighbor (his B-day is 1/31) See what I mean about a busy month??

Not sure why this picture is crooked~ could be the few glasses of wine I drank before taking it (wink).

It uses a stamp set that I earned FREE from Sale-a-Brations called Feeling Sentimental (129627 W, 129630 C) and you can too!! Click here for details!!

Supplies
Stamp Set: Feeling Sentimental (129627 W, 129630 C), En Francais (109521 W)
Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Riding Hood Red, Crumb Cake
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso
Access: stampin sponges (101610), glue dots (103683), silver designer buttons (129325), 7 16" natural trim ribbon (129287)

This next little tease it pretty cool~ just a sneak peak of my tea stained fabric!!

If you have noticed in some of my pictures previously posted...I like country decor~ 'primitive' is what I call it...me likey!! Now...that's not to say that I don't like the More Amore fabric (129307) the way it is.

But...this suits me MUCH better!!! The grungier the better...don't worry I will post what I have done with it when it's finished!! Here is what I did.

When I made the paper roses...posted here. I thought about making them look 'grungy' and dunked it into a cup of hot water with an opened tea bag. Not good...not good at all...my petals fell apart (soaked up too much water) and I'm sure the heat didn't help much either..Oops!!

Then the light went on inside my little 'pee' brain and I thought about our fabric~ tore a strip of it, crumpled it up and in the cup it went. Left it in there for about 30 minutes and rinsed the herbs off. It looked great, smelled heavenly and I couldn't wait to dye/stain more!!!

Have fun...dye it~ don't drink it!!
Let me know if you have any questions, or please leave me a comment and make my day!!

BIG hugs,
Erin

Shop Online 24/7 (even in your P.J.'s)
website: www.erinsstampart.stampinup.net
email: stampingwitherin@yahoo.com