Pewter Cocktails

I really love how these colors work together, yet are really non-traditional chicken colors! The background is Crate Paper, and then I added some Basic Gray and Soft Sky cardstock. The roosters were colored with copics, with a little glitter added to their cocktail glasses. I stitched the image to its fram as well as framed the background. The jumbo brads appear to go through the whole card, but they are only through the top layer leaving a space to hide the ribbon ends. A little pewter hodgepodge and these funky chickens are *almost* classy!

My Stamp Inventory

I finally got this done! This is my little stamp book with every stamp I own inside. I did a 6x6 size since almost every set I have fits on a sheet of paper that size, so each page would have it's own set, and with smaller sets there are 2 or three on a page. After stamping ALL 170-some sets of images (here is the one time I am thankful that I don't have as many as everyone else), I bound it all together with my Bind-it-All. I did leave some blank pages in sections where I knew I would buy more stamps, as well as the backs of a lot of pages to add similar sets where they fit in. The hole spacing is the same as the SU binding punch though, too, so it would be easy to add more pages later. Though this binding wire won't fit any more pages...so I would just take it apart when I outgrow it and make two...one for SU and one for all other brands. All of the pages are cardstock, so there is no bleeding through.

I added basic tabs with my SU Tab Punch for each general Stampin' Up theme. And then each other company has a tab if there is more than one set. Finally, there is one section of odds and ends marked 'Other'.

I laid out the pages so that any sets that had another very similar or matching set were facing each other. Also the wheels were stamped on small (less than half) sheets and then added in with the sets that they worked with.

Backgrounds were stamped on these smaller sheets as well, and if they went with a specific set (ie: Chicken Wire with Best of Cluck) I put them in with it, and the remainder of the backgrounds have their own section.

Ink Pad Storage Unit

I got the idea for this from similar units that were being sold on Ebay. I needed my ink storage to fit inside a specific space on a shelf, so my husband helped (ran the table saw) make this one exactly how I needed it. The SU ink pads fit perfectly, with just enough sticking out the front to let you get a good hold on the thumb grips to pull one out. They have little room to move around so they always look nice and straight. I had been asked how we did this, and I have to say I didn't create any actual plans, but I have decided to post the basic directions on how we did this and the measurements for you girls to give to your handy husbands. :)

You can definitely modify this to fit the space you need. We bought 1x4 pine and 1/8" masonite, it was the same thing the peg boards are made from only without the holes...I am pretty sure it's called masonite anyway. Decide how many rows wide x how many columns and multiply this for your total in compartments. We cut the masonite into 4 1/8 x 3 1/4" squares (one for each compartment minus however many columns wide you are making it. You cut the 1x4 the same number of inches as the rows you decided on, and you cut one more than the # of columns. Mine is 4 columns of 13 rows...so we cut 5 1x4s at 13 inches long. We ripped these down to 3.25" wide, and then routed them with the table saw blade at every inch slightly over 1/8" deep. All but two get routed on both sides, and the last two just one side (these are the outsides). Then we fit all the little shelves in (pound with a rubber mallet...it's a tight fit) squared it off and air-nailed a full-width 1x4 cut with a slight overhang to the top and bottom. We added a square of masonite to the back too.

I am trying to get DH to help with a new one as I recently ran out of space! So make it BIG enough the first time!

Monkeys in the Rain

Just a fun
happy card...
I had to use this monkey image and decided to color it to coordinate with the background paper. Added some scallops and punched holes in them to make them more notieable I sewed the background on the base and popped the image up. I added some Glossy Accents to the rain and water, and a few dew drops. The sheer ribbon ties it all up! What a fun card to cheer someone up!

Copic Matches for Stampin' Up Colors

First of all...these are my personal choices for matches I have done IN PERSON. I did one layer of Copic ink on Papertrey Ink White Cardstock. The matching was done by holding the sample up to both the SU Marker and the SU Cardstock of the coordinating color. So, the results could be different if you use another brand of white CS. In the event of the match being in between shades, I chose the lighter one since a second layer of Copic would match it right up. Some SU colors have no exact match, these are created by TWO layers of Copics. One of the colors mentioned will not match by itself. In this photo you can see what I mean by this, the two smaller birds were colored with G21 and BG93 separately, neither is a perfect match for the Sage Shadow color, but when layered on each other in the larger bird, it looks just right!

So, here are my choices for Copic colors to match SU colors:

Current Colors
Almost Amethyst - B63 Light Hydrangea
Always Artichoke - G99 Olive
Apricot Appeal - YR21 Cream
Ballet Blue - B23 Phtalo Blue

Barely Banana - Y11 Pale Yellow
Bashful Blue - B32 Pale Blue
Blush Blossom - E00 Skin White
Bordering Blue - B91 Pale Grayish Blue (Add N2 over it for a perfect match)
Bravo Burgundy - E09 Burnt Sienna over R59 Cardinal
Brilliant Blue - B18 Lapis Lazuli
Brocade Blue - B34 Manganese Blue
Cameo Coral - R22 Light Prawn

Certainly Celery - *** I found that G12 was not quite right, currently looking for the perfect match.

Chocolate Chip - E49 Dark Bark
Close to Cocoa - E74 Cocoa Brown

Creamy Caramel - E33 Sand
Elegant Eggplant - V09 Violet
Gable Green - YG06 Yellowish Green
Garden Green - YG67 Moss
Glorious Green - G17 Forest Green

Green Galore - G14 Apple Green
Handsome Hunter - G29 Pine Tree Green
Lavender Lace - BV02 Prune
Lovely Lilac - BV17 Deep Reddish Blue
Mellow Moss - BG93 Green Gray
More Mustard - YR23 Yellow Ochre
Night of Navy - B39 Prussian Blue
Not Quite Navy - B97 Night Blue
Old Olive - YG95 Pale Olive
Only Orange - YR68 Orange
Orchid Opulence - V15 Mallow
Pale Plum - V95 Light Grape
Perfect Plum - BV13 Hydrangea Blue over BV25 Grayish Violet
Pink Passion - RV25 Dog Rose Flower
Pixie Pink - RV13 Tender Pink

Pretty in Pink - R32 Peach

Pumpkin Pie - YR16 Apricot
Real Red - R29 Lipstick Red
Really Rust - E08 Brown
Regal Rose - R85 Rose Red

Rose Red - R37 Carmine
Ruby Red - E07 Light Mohogany

Sage Shadow - BG93 Green Grey over G21 Lime Green

So Saffron - Y21 Buttercup Yellow

Summer Sun - Y17 Golden Yellow
Taken with Teal - BG49 Duck Blue
Tempting Turquoise - BG05 Holiday Blue

Yo Yo Yellow - Y15 Cadmium Yellow

2007 In Colors
Buckaroo Blue - B95 Light Grayish Cobalt
Cool Caribbean - BG45 Nile Blue
Cranberry Crisp - N2 over R37 Carmine
Marigold Morning - Y38 Honey
True Thyme - YG97 Spanish Olive
Vintage Violet - BV29 Slate

2008 In Colors
Blue Bayou - BG75 Abyss Green

Soft Sky - BG10 Cool Shadow

Wild Wasabi - YG63 Pea Green

River Rock - YG91 Putty

Groovy Guava - R02 Flesh

Purely Pomegranate - R39 Garnet

2009 In Colors
Baja Breeze - BG72 Ice Green
Kiwi Kiss - YG03 Yellow Green (a little bright alone, add YG95 over it for closer match)
Pacific Point - B06 Peacock Blue
Pink Pirouette - RV00 Pinkish White
Riding Hood Red - R29 Lipstick Red
Tangerine Tango - YR07 Cadmium Orange

Neutrals
Basic Black - 110 Special Black
Basic Gray - C7 Cool Gray No. 7

Going Gray - N2 Neutral Gray No. 2
Kraft - E43 Dull Ivory
Sahara Sand - W3 Warm Grey No. 3
Very Vanilla - E30 Bisque

Just Chicken In

I have neglected my blog for over a week, so I have decided to make today *Chicken Day* and add three of my latest creations at once! All three of these chicken stamps are from Whipper Snapper. On this one I used the SU Chicken Wire background stamp, and embossed it in Distress Weathered Wood embossing powder...if you feel it, it's just like real chicken wire! The sentiment is also from SU (Best of Cluck), and it's framed in pewter hodgepodge. The image was colored with copics, and I used a mini pearl to make the flower pop. Well, enough with the chickens for today...hope you find inspiration in one of these clucky creations!

Hen & Eggs

My Whipper Snapper chicken stamps arrived last week and I had to try them all out! The one is bigger than I expected it to be, so it really doesn't leave much room for a lot of embellishing. The bowl of eggs reminded me of life on the farm, and I kind of went with a bright country cafe style with this. Just a happy, fun, good-for-any-occasion card for a chicken lover!

Chicken Soup

Yep, I love chickens! What a cute take on Chicken Soup from Whipper Snapper. This card is another simple one...the image is colored with Copics and sewn onto a mat. The whole thing is popped up on a chicken wire background with a scalloped edge. The ribbon is tied underneath with a flower overlapping all. The cardstock and ribbon colors are Stampin' Up Purely Pomegranate and Soft Sky. This cheerful Get Well card should make someone smile!

Starting With Copics

Let me start out by first saying that I am NO Copic expert! For detailed information on how to color with these magical markers, please click on the link to the left which will lead you to the Ilikemarkers blog. Marianne is the copic expert! I just see a lot of questions from stampers on SCS asking which Copics to start with when they make their first purchase. So I put together a list my of most-used favorites. Again, these are MY favorites, and everyone has their own style and taste, so they me be all wrong for you! I love more subtle rustic colors, and tend to stay away from brights, so these colors are more muted. They are also fairly versatile selections. This is a basic starting-off point, to which you will be adding to as you branch off into your own style.

This collection starts with the basics, a colorless blender and C1 for light shadows and outlining. BG000 is a watery outline color with a bit of blue-green tint. E41 is a great white color for outlining things that should remain white.

For browns E21 (skin) and then the 2 in that row, E25 (nice medium brown) and E27 (plain brown) are the colors I often choose for coloring trees, dirt, hair and my brown monkeys too. I use E31 a lot...it's a beig-y sandy color. A lighter pinker skin is E00 which is usually the go-to skin color.

For greens...most used are the G20's: G20, G21, G24 and a little G28 (same as 29 so don't bother with both)...I usually use these on grass, leaves and trees.

Favorite blues are the B90's: B91, B93, B95 and B97. These have a soft denim appearance...but work with almost anything I need a blue for. I use BG72 a lot too with these blue colors or on its own for dark water.

Yellow-orange...good basics to start with are Y23, Y38 and YR68...this offers a soft yellow, dark yellow and an orange.

Reds...this one is tough...I use so many! To start with though, I would go with the R20's...all of them. This gives a nice blendable range from soft pink to a red.

These colors will offer options for blending with each other as well as great colors to use alone and for shadows. As you start buying Copics you will quickly find out which ones you need next! And, yes, you just might *need* them all!

Copic & Ribbon Storage

I have had a few questions about how I store my ribbon and my Copic markers, so I have added a close-up of this little space. (Click on the photo for a larger version.) The black storage compartments are actually 3 separate Quickutz Magpie Storage units. This photo shows one of them, all three are mounted to the wall together to look like one piece. Under that I strung an Ikea curtain wire, and all of the ribbons hang from clips. This works great, since I can pull out any strand of ribbon to lay across my project to decide if it will work. There is no time spent unrolling and rolling it back up if I change my mind. Right now I have about 150 Copics in this unit, and there is room for about 50 more, but they are difficult to pull out when it gets crowded, so maybe this will prevent me from adding to my collection! I hope?

Stamping in the Kitchen

I wish I had my own room just for stamping...but since that's not an option right now, I use the kitchen table as my workspace. I was determined to keep it looking like a dining area, without my supplies taking completely over, and I have been asked a few times how I do this. Well, for one, it IS taking over...but when everything is put away, it still looks *mostly* like a dining room.


First of all, I bought the tallest widest bookshelves I could fit on the one wall (Ikea - $80 x 2), and then a bunch of wicker baskets (also Ikea) to fill some of the shelves. I use 4 of the baskets to store my wood block stamps, which are mostly SU organized by flowers, animals, sentiments, and elements. One basket is for other brands, and one is for my Big Shot. The last basket stores larger tools, my work mat, and my folding trimmer fits in there too! I use mag files (Ikea again) laying on their back for my 8.5 x 11 cardstock on the top shelf, and then I have 12 x 12 paper trays (Display Dynamics) for all of my patterned papers.



My husband helped build an ink pad holder that fits perfectly in the top shelf, which makes all of the pads easily accessible by just turning around. My table is counter-height, which makes it so easy to stand and grab items I need without getting up and down from a regular height table. Just about everything is right behind me as I work. The tool carousel (Makeing Memories) was one of the best purchases, since it fits almost everything I use all the time, and I can just pull it out and set it on the table, as well as my trimmer, Big Shot, Revolution and Scor-Pal. Set-up really only takes about 2 minutes, it's cleanup that I don't look forward to! I store most of my dies and my Copics and Stickles in the black storage units (Quickutz Magpie) on the wall, and I hung a curtain wire underneath it with clips for my ribbons. Since I was running out of room, I bought the little rolling plastic cart that just barely fit in the corner. The drawers store my smaller ink pads, punches, SU wheels, clear envelopes and packaging, and background stamps. Above that I hung a CD rack to hold my clear and unmounted stamp cases.



Across the room
I have a tall dresser that fits a lot of odds and ends, like ribbon on spools (I put one yard of everything on the clips), scrapbook albums (the drawers are 13x13 inside!) as well as my cuttlebug and all of the embossing folders, and all of my heat embossing tools and supplies.




Right now

my Cricut is banished to the laundry room (right around the corner) where I have a large solid shelf that allows me to use it without moving it around. I also store my in-progress scrapbooks in there near it.

So...until I get my own room...this is *my stamping space*. Yep, we spend a lot of evenings eating dinner together around the coffee table or in the family room. But I *can* put it all away and we have our dining room back!

Surfing Penguin

A summer card in the middle of winter! I got this little Surf Shop stamp from Amuse and thought it went perfectly with the surfing penguin from SU's Penguin Paradise. The background paper is Crate Paper brand, and I pulled the colors from that to color the images. I added Glossy Accents to the windows and the water to make them look *real* and then tied the background up with a bunch of coordinating ribbons. The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink. I love how this turned out, but it's making me sick of the snow, and it's only January!

Alpine Ski Hut

This image is from Amuse Art Stamps, and it turned out so neat with Liquid Applique *Snow* and Crystal Effects *Glass* windows, that I decided to keep the rest of the card very plain, so it wouldn't draw attention away from it. I used the snowflake Cuttlebug embossing folder and a pewter snowflake brad on the white background, and framed that in dark gray. I added a bunch of slate-colored ribbons for som extra texture. This would be a fun card for a Skier for almost any occasion.

Crazy Monkeys

These monkeys are so fun! This image is called Changito Amigos from Stampendous. I colored it with Copics and then added Glossy Effects (Ranger) to the spit and the tongue to make it stand out. Nothing like coloring monkey spit! :) I kept the overall look fairly simple, but zig-zag stitching the image and the background paper added some texture. The cocoa frame is popped up for some dimension and the sentiment just kind of slapped on to go with the *crazy* theme.

Farm House

This house is an image that really didn't look like it could turn into anything special! I am sharing a *before* pic to show how simple it really is. I love red houses...so I decided to start there. I ended up leaving the trim white, and making the roof charcoal gray, and then framed the image in dark gray cardstock. I used a dark red background that I Cuttlebug embossed with a stripe pattern and turned it sideways to micmic the siding on the house. The windows were colored with a light yellow and then covered with Glossy Accents (Ranger) so they look like glass. The ribbon goes through the

image panel and then I added the

sentiment near the bottom to balance it out and give it a *theme*. This one would work as a thank you card for a dinner or even for weekend host(ess). :)