Absolutely Gorgeous Penny Black Image

One of those stamps you just have to have!

I couldn't resist this stamp after seeing it in the Die Cut Divas' Flickr group. Cathy A's fabulous card is absolutely amazing!   This is my first attempt in creating with this beautiful Penny Black stamp.

I used a little Washi tape because I just had to.  

The card is one that has images already on it, but it seemed perfect to put this lovely image on it.  Simple and easy.  This card is much nicer sitting here on my desk.  LOL  Thank you Cathy for the inspiration.

Thank you Scotties

I wanted to say "Thanks" to Scotties, the sponsor on Die Cut Divas, for our April Challenge.  I've certainly been making some fun cards for this challenge.  I think I need one little black gem at the upper right.  You know how it is with cards... one more thing.

I'll be hosting the May challenge and it is quite a challenge.  I know it was for me!    Have a great week!

It's that Crazy Washi feeling!

Once I got started, I couldn't stop.  I hope I didn't scare you on an early Monday morning...  This was so much fun to color... just a slip and slap of color.  Nothing blended in or even colored the way you should.  I just had to leave this sketchy... yes, color sketchy.

Sentiment:  Friends don't let Friends wine alone.

 Aren't these gals somethin'?  It looks so crazy, it's cute.   The gals are on a rectangular panel I cut on my Cuttlebug. After I mounted the panel, I just started adding Washi tape, every color I had in this design.  The glasses (eye and wine) are all dabbed with Glossy Accents and really pop on the card. This was so much fun to do:)  I was in the mood to color, but to color in a crazy way... Yes, I was successful... Have a good week and don't let any whining get you down.

Remember, there is time to join the April challenge at Die Cut Divas.

If you don't know Deborah...

If you don't know Deborah, let me point you in the right direction.  Deborah Nolan gave Die Cut Divas an interview yesterday and you absolutely will see Deborah's wit and charm express themselves. Please don't be shy.  Click HERE!

This is not the only place Deborah hangs out and today is the last day of sign-ups for the CCC... CCC?   Yep.  The Card Chain Challenge is so much fun.  We, the players, all win.  We receive a beautiful card from someone around the globe when we participate.  It makes the world a smaller place.  I still love to receive mail - the card kind of mail, not the bills or the flyers, or the.... ad infinitum.

As I alluded to, Deborah hangs out somewhere else, her blog, The Society of Stampaholics.  This is a fun place to hang!  Deborah's sense of humor and sense of honesty come through.  Now Scat!

The Code at an LSS - Buy!

One should never stop by one's local stamp shop (LSS), just to pick up an order without surveying the new items in one's LSS.  And one never surveys, patrols the aisles, or browses, WITHOUT BUYING.... And I live by that code!  I picked up my Hero Arts re-inkers AND three other things....

Lawn Fawn "You've Got Mail" set (already in it's plastic CD sleeve)

Two die cuts - Hero Arts Skyline (D1079) and

Impression Obsession - butterflies

I didn't put a thin mat in when I used the Skyline die and came up with windows that were not cut all the way through.  Still, I thought I might be able to highlight the windows with distressing it.  I went tooooo far and used the ink pad itself.  However, I found my "pink" side and decorated it with Washi tape.  I stamped the Fawn Lawn Postcard and sponged with the same Distress ink, cut it out and wondered what to put the panel on.  The little stamps in the set were perfect and once I smudged a spot with my stamp, I smudged more and more ..... So the result of all this smudging is below. . .

My building looks like a cake... So be it!  For a stumble along card, I really like it.  Remember to visit the blog at Die Cut Divas to join in on the challenge - make a birthday card or make a card with Washi tape.  Of course, if you want to be more creative, go for it!  Enter your projects at  <a href="http://die-cut-divas.blogspot.co.nz/2013/04/washi-birthday-challenge-for-april.html">Die Cut Divas</a>

Recipe:

Lawn Fawn "You've Got Mail"

Hero Arts "Anytime Messages" CL129

Washi tape - 4 different tapes, 2 long strips along the side and 3 on and under the building

Distress Ink "Worn Lipstick" and "Pumice Stone"

ATC Time in the City

It is ATC time, but the city???  cowtown?   Well, Sacramento, yes.  The Stamp Convention will be here this weekend and I'm going to submit my ATC to be judged.  I may not enter this one, but, more than likely I will.  I don't have anything other than this idea floating around for now.

My ATC:

This may look large here, but this is 2 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches.  Some "Spare Parts" arrows set on a die-cut of a clock.  I couldn't believe my luck that one of my circle Spellbinders was perfect AND that the cut was so good.  I love the Hero Arts sentiment fit very well, along with some embellishments - twine, Washi tapes and clear gems colored black and yellow.  Helping the yellow is a dollop of yellow Stickles.  I like the way it turned out.   Just having fun with Washi tape.  Hope you do too.

Of course if you use either Washi tape or something for a Birthday, you can enter the <a href="http://die-cut-divas.blogspot.co.nz/2013/04/washi-birthday-challenge-for-april.html"> Die Cut Divas' challenge</a>.

Thank you Jennifer - No More Torn Sleeves!

I have been looking for a good storage system for my clear and cling stamps.   Everyone knows Jennifer McGuire is always on top of things and wondered what exact storage she was using.  Getting a peek at the handy dandy storage drawers and tidy, neat way she keeps her stamps was like finding the proverbial "gold mine."   See Jennifer's post on April 4, 2013 here.

I traipsed over to my local Office Depot with a printout of the exact CD Sleeves she used.  I knew if it worked for Jennifer McGuire, it would definitely work for little ol' me.  Her containers are perfect for storage, however, I didn't think I wanted to pay $23 for the container to hold the CD sleeves, so I went to check on Office Depot containers.  EUREKA!

I think my Really Useful Box will work out better for me than the one Jennifer has because I can literally pick up my stamps and go. I also have fewer stamps than Jennifer McGuire.  I could not find the 11 liter box online at Office Depot, so have linked you to the company that makes it in the U.K.   I think any container  12 inches (30.48 cm) interior width will work to hold the CD sleeves.  The sleeves are just barely over 11 inches (27.94 cm) wide and about 7 1/4 inches (18.415 cm) tall.  Those conversions should be right.

Here's what my container and repackaged stamps look like now:

Repackaged clear stamps in CD binder page

Repackaged Cling stamps in CD binder page 

Labeling System: Brand name on top and Name of stamp with Stamp # on bottom

As you can see, the container is less than full for now!

Here's what I like about this container - I can take my stamps with me!

The container is a Really Useful Box - REALLY!

I just stood the container upright to take to my friend's to stamp.

Visit Jennifer McGuire to see her wonderful storage room and stamp filing system.