Friday, February 26, 2010

Stitched felt Z-fold card

Sorry I didn't post on Wednesday; I totally forgot!  I'd even made this card already.  It's another Z-fold card.  If you only look at the left side, it looks pretty good.  The sentiment and ribbon are way too far from the edge on the right!  But I'd already done the left side, and I'm not wasting all of that good stuff!
The vase is made with the ornament punch.  I let the punch do the work for me by placing the cardstock so it didn't go all the way into the punch.  Then I used a sponge dauber to add some champagne shimmer paint.  I pulled it lightly across so it would just emphasize the texture on the cardstock.
I used the cutter kit to cut the curved cardstock for my stem, and then I added the Sweet Pea stitched felt.  I used mono multi adhesive to make sure the felt is not going anywhere!
Happy stamping!
Jana Signature

Monday, February 22, 2010

2010 planner cover

A few years ago, Stampin' Up offered demonstrator planners. They were so nice! SU discontinued them, but the planner itself is reusable. The Franklin Covey inserts fit perfectly; I got mine at Target. Of course, I needed a new cover for it. The cover insert also slides out so it can be replaced. I made one in 2008, but last year I had a Hoops and Yoyo planner (with sound!). Hallmark didn't offer a new H&Y planner this year, so I decided to go back to my old one.
I've finally gotten around to making a 2010 cover for my planner. This year's color combo is Pale Plum, Rich Razzleberry and Basic Gray with splashes of silver EP. The fleur de lis in the corners are embossed with silver EP but overheated to look worn. (It was an accident, but I like the look!)
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: Beware Pirates, Extreme Elements, Vintage Labels; Paper: Pale Plum, Basic Gray, Rich Razzleberry; Ink: VersaMark, Basic Gray, Pale Plum, Rich Razzleberry; Accessories: Basic Gray marker, wide oval punch, corner rounder punch, silver EP, heat gun
Happy stamping!

Jana Signature

Friday, February 19, 2010

A card from Louise

I got this card in the mail yesterday from my friend Louise. Isn't it adorable? I love the Perfect Plum DSP combined with the pink buttons and ribbon. And that saying is a hoot!
Happy stamping!
Jana Signature

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Easel card

This week's workshop wow challenge is an easel card. Beate has a great tutorial on SCS. I made a fun discovery: the easel card is just a Z fold card with an extra piece adhered to the front! So it's just a step up from the card I made last week. Then you add something to the inside of the card to make the card stand up. In this case, I used a punched-out image lifted up by dimensionals.
I used a few new things on this card: satin ribbon, shimmer paint, SAB stamps, and Exteme Elements. The shimmer paint and Extreme Elements aren't new to SU, but they are new to me! I used the shimmer paint in 2 ways--I inked a stamp with it, and I painted it over the butterflies.
Here are the 2 pieces to the card. On the left is the card base with the front flap folded back on itself. On the right is what will be the card front. You line up the top edge of the card front with the top edge of the flap (where the sticky strip is).

Here's a side view of the card so you can see how it went together and how it stands up.
Supplies (all SU):
Stamps: Dreams du Jour, Extreme Elements, Vintage Labels
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Rich Razzleberry, Bermuda Bay
Ink: Basic Gray, Rich Razzleberry, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: champagne shimmer paint, scallop square punch, 1 1/4" square punch, curly label punch, Basic Gray satin ribbon

Happy stamping!
Jana Signature

Monday, February 15, 2010

Taco Soup recipe

Here is the recipe that made me famous, LOL. I got it from the Grand Forks Herald about 20 years ago. It's so easy that I was shocked that they wanted me to make it on TV. It's a great recipe for a weeknight dinner. It was one of my go-to recipes back when Daniel was little and I was going to school or working.

Taco Soup
Serves 6
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 onion, diced (optional)
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 17 oz can whole kernel corn
1 15 oz. can kidney beans
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef and onion; drain well. Add the 4 cans including all liquid as well as the taco seasoning. Stir. Simmer 15-20 minutes. Serve topped with shredded cheese.

Due to some last-minute stuff going on, I don't have anything stamped for you today, but I will on Wednesday. Let me know if you make the soup and what you think of it!
Jana Signature

Friday, February 12, 2010

I'm going to be on TV!

On Wednesday, I taped a segment for a cooking show at our local PBS station. A few times a year, they ask viewers to submit recipes for a cookbook. The one I submitted for is "B is for Beef." To my amazement, they called and asked if I would come in to cook on TV! They create a show with some of the recipes that they show during pledge drives. If you live in northeast Minnesota, the show will air on WDSE (8.1 and 31.1) on Saturday March 6 and Sunday March 21 at noon (both days). Here I am with Juli Kellner, the host, after we were done taping. I got to keep the apron, and they will send me a copy of the cookbook too.
Here are the last of my Valentine candy boxes. Two of them are for men, so I used the reverse side of the glittery paper. The box on the upper left is smaller because I have a smaller box of candy in there; it's Jelly Belly jelly beans. It's really just the front and back that are smaller; just decide how tall you want the box to be, add that size again for the back and add 3/4" for the width at the top.
Happy stamping!
Jana Signature

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Z-fold card

For this week's demonstratable card challenge, I asked everyone to make a Z-fold card. To make the Z-fold card, you cut a piece of cardstock 4 1/4" X 11", score at 5 1/2" then score the front of the card at 2 3/4" and fold it forward to make the Z. Normally you leave it loose, but I decided to tie ribbon around mine. The Soft Suede mat is 3 13/16" (before punching) which is the perfect size for the scallop trim punches. The Rich Razzleberry mat is 3 1/8" and I stamped on a 3" Very Vanilla piece.
On the back part of the card, I punched the scallop trim corner punch on both corners then used the horizontal slot punch to make little slots for my mat to fit in to hold the card closed.
I got the color combo (Kraft, Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede) from Jenn Diercks' blog.
Happy stamping!

Jana Signature

Monday, February 8, 2010

Pauline's horsey card

Look at this adorable card that my friend Pauline made for her niece. What a great use of the Wanted stamp set!
Happy stamping!
Jana Signature

Friday, February 5, 2010

Quick simple card

I love this Medallion stamp! Why don't I use it more? Couldn't get much simpler than this. I stamped the Medallion in Rich Razzleberry onto a piece of Razzleberry Lemonade DSP. Adhered it to a Crushed Curry cardbase. Punched on the spine of the card with the horizontal slot punch. Tied on a piece of Melon Mambo ribbon.
Happy stamping!
Jana Signature

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Revisiting an old favorite

Way, way back in 2007, I took some stamping classes at my upline, Sandi's. It was so fun to just relax and stamp without having to do the prep work! At one of the classes, we made cards using Priceless. I recreated one of them using different colors back then, and I decided to do it again. I love the result! This card is in Bermuda Bay and Chocolate Chip.
This card is Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango and Chocolate Chip. Which do you like better?
Happy stamping!

Jana Signature

Monday, February 1, 2010

It's hip to be square

I'm handling the demonstratable card challenge on SCS for the next couple of weeks. This week, we're using squares. I've been seeing squares everywhere on cards lately, and I really wanted to use my poor, neglected square punches. I was inspired by a card on Mary Jo Albright's blog where she made a card with 6 circles.
My color combo is Cameo Coral, Certainly Celery, Bermuda Bay and Soft Suede. I just love it! I saw it somewhere and wrote it down to try. I pulled out my Eastern Blooms set and stamped the 3 flowers. Then I dry embossed them. Love how that makes the flowers pop! I punched them out and layered them on scallop squares.
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: Eastern Blooms, Sanded; Paper: Whisper White, Cameo Coral, Soft Suede; Ink: Cameo Coral, Certainly Celery, Bermuda Bay, Soft Suede; Accessories: scallop square punch, 1 1/4" square punch, Bermuda Bay grosgrain ribbon, Empressor, Floral Frenzy classy brass template
Happy stamping!

Jana Signature