Cool Blog I found with a Giveaway

So, surfing the web as usual, I come across this great blog, Scrappin N Style.  She has the cutest Valentines box posted on there as well as items she has made listed by Cartridge!  I am only on the 2nd page right now but I think I will be on her blog for the rest of the night!  PLUS, she is giving away the Love Struck Cartridge on February 6th!!!  Definitely check out her blog - - -lots of inspiration!!  Scrappin N Style

My AWESOME Weekend!

So I have been a huge fan of Michelle Zindorf's work.  She creates beautiful work that has always intimidated me as I could not figure out how she got her cards to look so beautiful even with the tutorials!  Well, this weekend she came to Phoenix, AZ and my mom and I were able to take her beginning brayer course on Saturday and the Advanced course on Sunday.  WOW.  I learned so much in two days.  Not just the brayering, but different techniques and how to blend your colors so it looks like the color just transitions throughout the card.  So a total surprise to me is that included in the class cost is your own "kit".

Stop reading here if you are taking one of her classes within the next few months!!!

  

This is mostly what we received on Saturday. Pictured is a Stampin' Up Set, a brayer, a white gel pen, a work pad, and sponges  On Sunday we got as part of our kit, the Versamark pad and marker and these two sets.  How awesome is that !?!?!?!

Here are pics of the 3 cards we made on Saturday.  I'll update when my mom's pictures are up as her cards were better -no finger prints :o)  Plus she also has a picture of us with Michelle. 

They are so professional looking!!  I just love how these cards turned out!!

I also won a prize both days. This stamp set I won on Saturday and on Sunday I won Michelle's card that she made along with us + She autographed my brayer! I'm so bad!!

And here are the cards from the Advanced Class.  SO much harder than the Beginning Class just because of the additional content that was covered.  But it was sooooooo much fun!

This sunset card is my favorite by far of the 3 cards that we did because of the colors.  Can you see where I "marked" it?  I was so mad I did that!!

So this was the last card we did. Mine is the left one. The right is the card Michelle completed in class that I won in the drawing. She even signed it . . . . . . . hehehehe. . . .

This weekend was a BLAST . . . . . Thank you Michelle!!!

Mom's Birthday Gift

So here are the details for the card and "envelope" I made for my mom for her birthday.  I found an awesome template called Homemade by Lauren Meader (LOVE her stuff and NEW store!)  at PTI . I cut and assembled it all in one day.  The file came with assembly instructions -LOTS of scoring -and ideas for decorating/embellishing.  One house had the sides all crimped like siding on a real house.  I love the effect this had on the house.  I think I might try it with an embossing folder next time  . . . . hmm . . . . . Here are the house pics:

Here is the front and dormer view.  You can see where I used the FlowerSoft and also the leaves.

 

These pics are showing the details of the tree, lightpost and the inside of the box (picture my 6 yr old drew for Gramma inside too).  You can also see the sanding and distressing down on the Bazzill Swiss Dots paper.

Here is the back of the house and also the second tree that is on the right side. 

Supplies:
Template -Homemade by Lauren Meader
Stamps -PTI Homemade
Tools -Scor-Pal, Scor-Tape, Crimper, Cricut
Inks - Palette (Purple), Memento Rich Cocoa, Nick Bantock Van Dyke Brown
Markers -Copic (will update colors soon)
Paper -Kraft and Mulberry Cardstock from my stash, Bazzill Swiss Dots paper
Embellishments -FlowerSoft Heather, lightpost and fence from Images by Heather M, bush from Jubilee and bird from Home Accents cartridges, trees from Shelly's Art at Paperthreads.

Here is the card I made for her birthday as my mom is an avid quilter!  I found the svg file at Paperthreads and just KNEW it was for her!  I had some problems finding a card base that would work for what I wanted and asked around in a yahoo group for assistance.  The wonderful EXTREMELY talented Paulo came to my assistance and created a scalloped edge card for me.  THANK YOU!!  (I used the card with the scallop on the back edge of the card.)  I used the Bazzill Swiss Dots paper again for the whole card and sanded everything so the dots would POP.  I heavily distressed the card with Van Dyke Brown as my mom loves antique quilts and I thought she would love the "aged" look (no pun intended! Honest!).  Here is the card:

Sorry its blurry!  I am working on the lighting and "special" features my camera has :o)

Here is a clearer pic of the inside; you can see the detail of the chandelier and the paper.

Supplies:

Wedding Ring Square from Shelly's Art, Card Base came from scalhints@yahoogroups.com from Paulo,  Brackets on inside of card - I'm trying to find the website and will update the post :o)
Tools -Paper Sander, Cricut, Crimper
Inks - Nick Bantock Van Dyke Brown
Paper -Kraft, Bazzill Swiss Dots paper


The whole project took me about 9 hours for the house and card.  Sorry for the bad lighting.  I am working on that!  So, what do you think?