Bookmarks are FUN !

These were really fun to create and I will have a great way to remember my place when I read my summer novels ...

1. Use sea bottom stamp and a kaleidoscope pad to create floor of ocean about 1 1/2 inch up from the bottom.
2. Use same stamp to create borders up the sides. Yes, one will be upside down, but could you see that before I told you? Just keep close to the edge and nobody will know.
3. Stamp same image on acetate and turn over, place carefully and rub the ink off to create illusion of a reflection
4. Use torn paper and a cotton ball to create rows of fluffy clouds
5. Create central image. Color if needed.
6. Add a bunch of glitter glue to the reflection in zigzags. Stickles is my favorite brand.  This doesn't show well in the scan, but try it on yours and see the difference it makes.
7. Insert into a SweetPea bookmark sleeve and choose your fibers for the top.

Introducing Cat

Here's a quick note about me since Lynette thinks you are eager to know ... Cat is short for Cathy but I am a cat lover too, currently trying to keep fur and feathers off my stamping table which is hard with 2 cats, 3 birds and a dog in the house.     I beach and teach between Florida and Michigan.  When I am not walking the beach, I am teaching English at Saginaw Valley State U.  Been stamping for 30 years ... which is exactly half my life. You do the math; I haven't had enough coffee to count that many years.

Priceless !

Love these long strippy sayings - they could go down the card but I thought something like PARTY TIME had to be screaming across the card. This card will be a birthday card for a JULY 4 birthday.

1.Wet a watercolor marker ( crayola fat markers work fine) and spatter across white cardstock.

2. Cuttlebug Birthday across white

3.  Stamp "Party Time" and add more color with a contrasting color marker

4. Layer and adhere; add some punchies and brads for more fun.

I love the "priceless" stamp for the back of a card, but decided to try putting it on the front. I was kind of tickled with how this turned out.

1.  Stamp the mermaid on fish images randomly with a dark color leaving large gaps between

2.  Repeat with 2 lighter colors and fill in the gaps

3.  Layer with solid and coordinating print cardstock

4.  Stamp "Happy Birthday" using quick dry pigment ink on colored twill tape

5.  Stamp "Priceless" on scrap of print background

6.  Highlight just ONE of the fish/mermaid images with glitter glue, dazzles, or sparkle of your choice. Mine doesn't show up in the scan but is pearlized with twinkling H2O's and does stand out from the crowd.

More fun with the fish and mermaid pair.

1.  Use the seabed stamp and a kaleidoscope pad to create an underwater hillside for the fish to swim down.

2. Color fish and mermaid with prismacolor pencil

3. Deckle cut edges and rub with dabber or cosmetic sponge

4. All images have been sparkled with a variety of glitter glues; my scanner doesn't like sparkle

5.  Stamp sentiment on scrap; attach and border with brads. Again these are sparkly metallic brads but my scanner is keeping that a secret!

If I counted ...

This thank you card was for a very dear friend who took me out to lunch on my 60th birthday. We have been friends and did lunch together wayyyyyy back on my 40th!

1. Choose 3 coordinating papers.

2 Cut squares and rectangles and back with solid paper 1/4 inch larger.

3  Layer

4. Stamp sentiment on white and layer

5. Assemble and add brads

This is based on the splitcoast sketch challenge # 232. See splitcoast for more details.

Sentiment stamp is from SWEETPEA, of course.

sample by cat gondek

Welcome

I am Jennifer, a stay at home mom of two beautful girls. I have been involved in paper art and crafts for many years off and on. I enjoy rubberstamping, creating collage art, scrapbooking, atc's and more. I am so happy to be able to share ideas for Sweet Pea stamps with you.

Kaleidoscope dreamy mermaid

This is a fun way to use the wedge design of the Dreamy Mermaid stamp -

1... Stamp image 8 times

2.  Fold a paper in quarters and then fold it once more to get a pattern for your 8 wedges.

3.  Position your paper till you like the placement on the stamped image and cut out 8 of them

4.  Color images with colored pencils

5. Arrange in a circle. I put double stick tape on a punched circle of cardstock to help in arranging the wedges

6.  Mat and embellish

card by cat gondek

No one can rain - again

This card uses the splitcoast sketch challenge # 232 - and the spattered background and metallic ink backgrounds from before.  I made it from scraps by my paper cutter.

sample by cat gondek

Stamps Sheets

Plates 1 & 2 were used for the following card recipes.

These plates can be purchased through the link below:

http://www.sweetpeastamps.com/category_16/Full-unmounted-sheets.htm

No one can rain

I love this stamp for a cheer-up card plus it was great fun with a new technique I have been playing with from my latest technique junkies newsletter.

Inside text could be computer generated or hand written and my card says " Except Mother nature. She can rain on anything she wants ! "  I was thinking of incorporating my mermaid stamp as Mother Nature but that may have to wait till tomorrow.

1.  Drop some metallic craft paint into a coke can and add a few drops of water.

2.  Splatter over your white cardstock and let dry

3.  Stamp and mat your text

4. Use your paper punch to add interest and to create 2 tabs over your matting.

card by cat gondek

Butterfly Thank You Card

Supplies:

Butterfly Thank You Stamp
Brilliance Ink Pads (Tsukineko)

• Platinum Planet
• Galaxy Gold
• Cosmic Copper

Black Card Stock (Bazzill)
Bravissimo Verdi Gris Vellum (Emagination Crafts)
Metallic Card Stock (DCWV)
Ultrafine Clear Embossing Powder (Ranger)
Double Sided Tape (Provo Craft)
Sticker Maker (Xyron)
Glue Stick (Scotch)
Ribbons (Unknown)

• Light Green 1/2" Wide
• Dark Green 1/4" Wide

Heat Gun (Marvy)
Scissors (EK Success)

Instructions:

1. Stamp the butterfly image one time with each of the three colors ink on the vellum. Coat with embossing powder, remove excess and heat to set.
2. Cut away the border of the gold stamped image leaving the center.
3. Cut out the butterfly from the platinum stamped image.
4. Layer the three images with the copper image on bottom, the gold in the middle and the platinum butterfly on top being careful to align each image neatly.
5. Cut a 3.25" x 3.25" square from the metallic card stock and mat the stamped image on top, centering.
6. Cut the black card stock to 4.25" x 11" and fold to 4.25" x 5.5" card.
7. Position and adhere the matted butterfly image on the card front, positioning the card to lay with the opening at the bottom.
8. Run the .5" ribbon through the sticker maker and attach to the left side of the stamped image, centering in the open area.
9. Tie a knot with the loose ends of the dark green ribbon and cut open the loop in the center. Run the glue stick down the back of the dark green ribbon and attach on top of the lighter one, centering.
10. Enjoy sharing!