To 2012.

For the past couple of weeks, I've dabbled with the idea of a blog post or two. I do have a handful of updates that I'd love to share. First, I've begun stamping again. After a few years away, I couldn't be happier to revel in the creativity my (ten years worth of) supplies provide me. There is a cool serenity found when one cranks up the country music, closes their childhood bedroom door and decides that tempting turquoise really does work well with pretty in pink. I no longer know what patterned papers are in fashion nor when the next Stampin' Up catalog comes out, but I do know that my family members and friends still enjoy receiving a handmade card.

I've also found joy in physical exercise and healthy cooking for the first time in my entire life. I've taken up yoga and dabbled in corefusion. I made chocolate chip cookie dough hummus. I stock my fridge with almond milk. Who knew?

I even found a type of law I like (government contracts/real property) and received a full time job offer after the bar. Somehow, I truly became aware that adulthood is upon me. Whether I like it or not.

I realized the importance of old friends, but also of new.

So, with that. I leave you with a simple card, which I made yesterday. I hope all is well with all of you. Please, please, please post some of your life updates!

Happy Stamping,

Elyssa

Mom!

Sorry it took me so long to post, but alas, that is how life is. Some exciting things are happening: I am deciding between Emory Law and George Washington Law for next year. I am going to be teaching classes at a LSS this summer and working at Nordstroms. Busy, Busy!

The trip was AMAZING! I am trying to pick out a few pictures to post in the coming days. Today's project was made for my Mom for Mother's Day. It was super easy! I took an old wood SU! block that was collecting dust and painted it with White Acrylic Paint. I poured Diamond Glaze into the crease and held the letters into it in order to keep them upright (they're American Crafts stickers). Lastly, I tied a bow (American Crafts) around the edge of the block and TA DA! Simple and easy!

Happy Stamping,
Elyssa

Thinking of You-Spritzing and Spraying!

Although coloring will always be my favorite card related activity, I do love to play with a new technique every now and again. One in particular that I have come to love is 'Spritzing and Spraying'. It really is very easy! All you need is a mister (I love my mini mister by ranger) and some dye ink.

1. Ink up your stamp (for alot of these layers I used my marveys to ink up the top of the flower in a different color than the stem.
2. Spray various degrees of water on your stamp(more water=less of an image will come out)
3. Stamp!
4. Repeat with various levels of water and stamping off to create layers of images
5. Lastly, Ink and Stamp one non-watered layer.
6. Add sentiment and bow

Easy Peasy!!!!

Happy Stamping!!!
Elyssa Blair

P.S.
I'm back with another sale, this time from www.allthatscraps.com.

50% off all Adirondack Pigment Ink pads and Reinkers-What a deal!!

Scalloped Perfection

I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted. I think that's an all time high. I'm sorry :( Life has just been super crazy lately. I went to Orlando this weekend meet my parents and my dog. I forgot how wonderful a little break from school can be!

This particular card is easy peasy! All I did was stamp my sassafras lass border on Very Vanilla CS, then stamp this quote from Unity in Tangerine Tango. Cut, pop and layer!

I made 10 as a stationary set, I'm trying to get prepared for the incoming holiday season.

PLEASE make sure you don't miss the opportunity for some LITTLE PAPER SHOP blog candy!! Just follow the instructions a few posts below this one!!!

Happy Stamping!
Elyssa

Hamsa Magnet

A Hamsa is an ancient Jewish symbol meant to ward off the 'Evil Eye'. It is said to be mystical and a sign of good luck. I have personally always loved the symbol and I have many necklaces depicting it. When I saw this gorgeous stamp from Ruth's Jewish Stamps a couple of months ago I knew I needed it. AND when I saw the wonderful Mazel Tov set from PaperTrey I also knew I had to have. See a trend??

So, I decided to play! I wanted to make a gift for my Grandma Jean, whom I call 'Bubbie'. I used the UTEE impression technique to make this fun magnet. It really is an easy technique. All I did was cut a piece of cardboard into a rectangle, then melt UTEE Gold on it 3 times. After it was thick, I added some different sprinkles of other embossing powders, heated it again and pushed my stamp into the center. Hold down for 30 seconds and then release. VERY EASY! I used Black Staz-on for the sentiment and the other Hamsa impressions. I filled the impression with Diamond Glaze to give it a cool texture.

Make sure you scroll down to the post below this for a chance to win BLOG CANDY!!

Elyssa

Little Paper Shop Sneak Peak #1

This set is my absolute favorite for this month. The main image is a snow globe with other sentiments and elements to go with it. The minute I saw it I thought of one word POTENTIAL. This set can be used with ANY set to create the perfect globe. I decided to play around with it a little make a nature themed global to sent to one of my cousins. She LOVES butterflies.

I used Little Paper Shop's Butterflies and Blossoms set for all of the stamping save the globe. I stamped the Butterfly in Memento Tuxedo Black and colored it in with YG91, YG95 and BG13. Next I masked the butterfly and stamped flowers to replace snowflakes as the 'floating element' of my globe in Soft Sky. Next, I masked the top portion of the globe and stamped the leaves from BnB in River Rock. I then cut out my globe and placed it aside. My focus then went to my layer. I decided to keep the two color theme and stamped the flowers in Soft Sky/River Rock. Then I used my copic marker (YG95) to make a faux layer by using the chisel tip and swiping my marker across the paper. Finally, I dyed my clear ribbon with YG13. EASY!!!!

I also wanted to share with y'all a little tip I've picked up with acrylics. Sometimes circular images (or straight lines) are hard to place on your acrylic block while maintaining shape by just 'eyeing it'. I find it helpful to place your block over the set's label and then layer your stamp over it. Thus using the label as a template.
Also, make sure you check out the wonderfully talented other members of the LPS design team at our very own LPS DT BLOG!!!


Happy Stamping!
Elyssa

Relaxing is Mice...

How fun is this stamp? I have literally spent the last two days coloring and stamping. Between the sale at my LSS and the Little Paper Shop Sneak Peak starting TOMORROW! I have been a creative machine!

This particular cards is colored with copics, of course. I used R20, R14, Y000, YR31, B01, BG10, G21, G24, BV000, V01, E00, E31, W1, W3, C1 and C3. I got great use out of those markers for this one, because of course the more you use something the less it costs.

The last thing I did for the main image is to cover the glasses in Glossy Accents by Ranger. Then I mounted the image on white cs (I think the white brings some relief for the eyes between all the bright colors and the busy-sh image). After that, I inked the edges with color box chalk ink in Deep Blue. The base card is Rose Red Stampin Up Card stock.

I'm off to finish up some LPS samples, check back tomorrow for the first sneak peak!

LPS Challenge #1

Renee presented the first Little Paper Shop Design Team Challenge to the team a couple of weeks ago. I am totally excited to be able to show my version to y'all today! I have been waiting to show you this beauty for some time now and I really hope you like it.

The challenge rules were:
- use only 2 colors (any two plus one neutral if desired)
- use one May release stamp set
- no ribbon!

We really want you stampers in the blogosphere to play along, so if you choose to make a card and upload it to SCS please use the code LPSDTC01.

I knew right away that I wanted to use the LPS set 'Jungle Fun' for a belated birthday card. The sentiment from the set 'Life is a Zoo' expressed my reasoning behind the lack of timeliness of this card. But, I think the cuteness of this lion will just melt the heart of the recipient to the point that they may just have to forgive me!

I always have a lot of fun with challenges because I find that they really stretch my imagination. For instance, keeping this card with just So Saffron and two tones of 'Sand' made a really cool almost monotone card.

I used So Saffron for the base (but I guess you could have deduced that, silly me!). I inked up my retired SU! Background, Linen, and stamped it in So Saffron on the base. Then I layered the base with a piece of sand colored cardstock and graduation stamped the leaf from JF in Real Rust. Next I stamped my Lion in Memento Tuxedo black and colored him in with R20 and YR31, my new favorite combo. He is planted in E33. My final touch was stamping 'Life's a Zoo' in Memento TB and punching it out to be 1 inch in diameter and nesting it in metal tag.

Quick and Easy!

Hope you enjoyed it and please check out the other DT's cards (their links are on my sidebar!).

Also, T minus one day until the big LSAT, I can't believe it is almost here!

OH, and HAPPPPYYYY Father's Day DAD(yep, he reads this!)

Ely

Faux Batik

I think I am a techniqueaholic. I love to try new things with my supplies and when I saw Lisa Johnson's Faux Batik Tutorial, I searched my house high and low for some rubber cement and eventually found one that I believe had it's hey-day in the early 90s as adhesive for some spectacular science fair projects. But, I decided to give it a try. And, to my surprise...it worked!!!

If you're interested in the technique please check out the aforementioned link, she explains it really well! I actally used my Mini-Mister from Range which I filled 3/4 of the way with water, put 4 drops of Regal Rose Re-inker inside, then topped it off with some perfect pearls (gold and pink). You can't really see how much this card shines in the picture, but let me tell you it's sure does sparkle.

The dragonfly is from Magenta and the sentiment is by Stampendous. The base is actually Brocade Blue.

My biggest tip is to let the RC dry. If you get overanxious about wanting to see if it worked you will tear the paper.

Easy Peasy!

Elyssa

Happy National Scrapbook Day

Happy National Scrapbooking Day!!!!! I am off to a 12 hour crop, cold and all. I figure I can stay home and mope or go to the crop and play. I voted for playtimeee!!!

I really like sending cards for people who aren't feeling well. But, thankfully by the time the card gets there the person is usually over their cold or flu. So I love this thinking of you style sick stamp from Stampendous. It's one of my favorite sentiments.

I used Ruby Red ink and cardstock plush some of this adorable designer paper. The ribbon is from offray. The bling is from the 1.99 bin at Michaels. I sponged some sage shadow over the sentiment. If I had Soft Sky I probably would of matted it on that, but alas none to be found in my stash.

Elyssa

Postage

I love this card! It is so out of my normal realm of cutsy images and copics. It is actually made with a faux postage stamp grid and a matching template. It is very easy to do. I did each 'postage stamp' individually. First, I stamped my grid. Then, I taped my matching template over the image. Next, I masked my image off by covering the other stamps with post-it notes. I stamped my images in Basic Grey from SU! then colored them with chalk. Chalk gives such a great subtle effect on these funky stamps. I repeated the aforementioned for each stamp. EASY PEASY and so cute. I think this is such a fun and easy technique and works very well for note cards!

Well, finals week is almost over! I am actually going home on Tuesday, but my dad is coming up on Saturday to move me out (isn't he great?!?). This year totally flew by, but I am excited for this summer and looking at law schools. The good news is that I think I am getting straight As again!!! I'm very happy about that!

I just finished 4 hours of LSAT prep, so I'm off to bed. I hope you like this card, it's always a challenge to stray from my usual style :)

Ely

It's the little things that make life BIG

Although I don't personally celebrate it, I wanted to wish you all a Happy Easter!

I got 5 pages of my paper written yesterday and hopefully I can be just as productive today! I also spent a good amount of my time reading through "The Princeton Review's 170 best Law Schools". I can't believe college is almost over, but I think I am ready for this next step.

Today's card is from the series that I made for my grandparents. It is simple and elegant and I really like it! I used a marvy mega/giga punches for the circle and scallop and a SAB stamp set from last year. Easy! The ribbon is from May Arts.

Also, how true is that sentiment? It's always the small things that put a smile on my face, the text that say 'hope you did well on the test', the note in a package from my parents, getting someone who you can understand when you call customer service, a wave hello or just another smile!

Also for the enabler in me, Hobby Lobby is having 50% off their stamps and ink pads!!!! VERY exciting. I wish they were open on Sundays so I could scoot down there now, but alas no luck!