Muktowne Craft Room

New Blog and Phase

2009-09-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

Good morning! For various reasons, I have decided to move my blog to a new location and name. So, I really hope you will join me at my new location, starting today, Linda Barutha Designs. I am no longer selling Stampin' Up! products, although I do still enjoy their products. There was just too much conflict of interest for my crafting business to be meshed with theirs. Sooooooo, on to a new phase in my crafting world:) My new blog will feature all new projects, challenges, prizes and more! So I hope you stop by and say "hi".

Held up in my Illinois Hotel

2009-09-15T20:29:00.002-05:00

That's right -- spending my week in Illinois for work. I packed tons of papercrafting/stamping supplies and my crochet, but, it's night #2 and I haven't cracked it open yet. The all-day classes are very long and draining. Tonite I've just been online trying to get caught up on all of my favorite blogs. I guess there's just never enough time in a day -- even when you are away from home's distractions:( I hope to have a bunch of good pics to share with you at the end of the week:D

Illinois Help!

2009-09-11T09:02:00.003-05:00

Okay ladies and gents...I'm going to be staying in Addison, IL for a work thing all next week. I'm staying at the Hampton Inn. I'm not familiar with the area at all and was wondering if anyone that is could tell me if there are any good shops in that area that I could check out in the evening.

More Glimmer

2009-09-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Call me the Glimmer Queen:D Isn't this cool? I used a different tree screen. Then, this was my first attempt at making a grungepaper rose. I think I need more practice:D Enjoy your day!

More Glimmer

2009-09-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Fun, fun, fun! Here is a 4x6 canvas piece that I made over the holiday weekend. I love combining glimmer mist, canvas, and fabric. The silk flowers started out white, and I colored them with some Distressed alcohol ink. The rooster in the corner was stamped on grungeboard, cut out and then Distress inked. FUN!

BINGO

2009-09-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

I don't know if you have gotten any yet, but BINGO cards in all different sizes are everywhere! And, yes, they are addicting:D Such fun! These cards feature mini Bingo cards from Jenni Bowlin. So simple, yet fun!

Have a great day:D

More Cards

2009-09-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Time for me to get some more cards made for Expresso Love Coffee. They have generously agreed to sell my cards in their coffee shop regularly:D Thank you, Katie! If you live near Mukwonago, WI, you really do need to stop in there. They have great coffee and food! They are also "artist friendly", and feature a different artist on their walls every month. My goodies were there in August, and you can see my new stuff there September, 2010.

Have a great day!

Crocheting

2009-09-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

I love to crochet. I stick to very simple patterns because I tend to drift from following rules and like to experiment with my own ideas (not the stay-in-the-lines type of girl:) Anyways, I saw this pattern in my Today's Home Arts craft magazine a few months back and had to try it. Every year I make all of my Christmas presents for my family by hand. Something my mom had us do when we were young because we couldn't afford much. But to me it has everything to do with love and giving of yourself and nothing to do with money. So, here is a rag throw that I made.

Basically, you do a variation of a double-crochet and then rip and weave your fabric through. This one is tye-dye green because that is my daughter, Michelle's, favorite color and I want to give her this for her dorm room.

I also made a table runner for my mom, which I'll show you on another day, and I'm working on some others with different color schemes. I'll show you them as I go. Enjoy your day:D

Glimmer, Encouragement and a New Class!

2009-09-06T17:07:00.005-05:00

That's right! One of my favorite blogging buds, Vicki Chrisman, gave me inspiration today with her use of canvas and Glimmer Mist from Tattered Angels. So, I broke out all kinds of fun toys and got dirty today:D I'm also going to be offering this as a class this fall, locally. But more on that later.

Besides the use of Glimmer Mist, I am using all different products and techniques in this rustic goodie. I started with an 8x8 canvas mat and used Olive Glimmer Mist. I then used the new Tattered Angels Glimmer Screens Winter Trees and misted over them with Cocoa Glimmer Mist. There was also a light coat of Sunflower Glimmer Mist applied. The gingham behind the Jenni Bowlin Bingo Card is actually a piece of fabric. The pine tree in the middle of the screened trees is made with stamping and inking some Grungepaper. If you would like to know more, just email me. If you live locally, I will have this piece advertised at the Expresso Love Coffee shop in downtown Mukwonago this week. Class signups will also be there.

No more SU for me

2009-09-06T01:18:00.003-05:00

All good things come to an end. With that being said, I will no longer be an SU demonstrator. I have been so busy enjoying other's products and expanding my creativity. I was going to continue my SU demo just as a hobbyist, but now their announcement of the new, unreasonable agreement they want us to sign has sealed my fate.

There are so many wonderful companies out there right now for papercrafters to choose from, I really don't think this change will hurt me or my creativity one bit. I hope you will continue to visit my blog while I continue to share a little bit of everything from my craftroom:D

P.S. I'll be back a little later with pictures of my latest project (have to wait for daylight to take pictures:)

A few more...

2009-08-24T06:08:00.003-05:00

I had such a nice weekend! Did you? I never left the house:) Saturday was spent crafting and Sunday was spent cleaning and relaxing. Enjoyable. Now I'm off to start my week:D I hope you have a great Monday, too!

Not my usual, but...

2009-08-22T16:38:00.004-05:00

I usually stay away from stamps that require a lot of coloring, simply because I don't think I'm very good at it. But today my mom woke me up for a fun day of stamping, and I decided to play with this new SU set that she ordered, "A Kind Word". It's the perfect set to make plenty of cards for my little nieces. Since I'm not good at coloring, I chose to watercolor with my aqua pen and SU chalks. Watercoloring is so forgiving (thank God)! I love how soft these turned out. Let me know what you think:D

Can't Miss Blog Candy

2009-08-20T23:43:00.003-05:00

That's right. Jan has offered up some great blog candy to celebrate her birthday coming on September 1st, AND the fact that she has 100+ followers of her blog! Isn't that amazing? So don't forget to follow this link and wish Jan a happy bday:)

http://polkadotbarn.blogspot.com/2009/08/happy-birthday-to-me-and-presents-for.html

Aprons

2009-08-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

I haven't decided if I really like this card or not. I have these great vintage-inspired fabric scraps and they remind me of an old fashioned apron. So, when I was looking through my embellishments and came across these adorable little clothespins I know I had to replicate an apron.

Hope you have a great "hump day":D

Happy Birthday to ME!

2009-08-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, today is my birthday! I am 48 yrs young:D And in celebration I treated myself to a purchase from Cupid's Charm. Checkout the beautiful necklace I bought! It's a piece of antique lace soldered in between glass. Joy of Cupid's Charm makes AMAZING jewelry! If you get a chance, take a look at her shop.

Thank you, Joy! I love how feminine your pieces make me feel:D

Happy Monday!

2009-08-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend because I sure did! We FINALLY had my daughter's surprise graduation party, and YES, she was surprised! Since my birthday is this week, she thought everyone was coming over to celebrate my bday. It worked perfectly. She truly was surprised, the weather was wonderful, food was great and plenty of guests arrived. Both my husband and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted.

So, today I actually have some art to share:)

I was in the mood to play with some paper heart-shaped doilies, so for this one I simply inked the doilie in SU Real Red with a sponge. Then I attached it to SU Kraft cardstock, inked up a Top Notez and attached a vintage button to the top half.

This is just a shot of the Top Notz open.

I have a habit of collecting embellishments -- usually ones that I make for a project but then end up changing my mind and not using. The above card features a chipboard star that I covered in Distress Crackle Paint, Fired Brick, by Ranger.

A quick update

2009-08-09T20:43:00.003-05:00

WOW! Ever since I started working, my weeks are just flying by! Although I haven't had much time to post, I have been sneaking a peek at some other's blogs here and there. I have also been very busy crocheting some gifts, which I will share with you soon. In addition to this, I'm in the process of putting together some FUN fall crafting classes, with the first to start next month! So, once I complete making my sample display, I will post it along with the date and time for the class. I always love to do all homemade gifts for everyone at Christmas time, in addition to some family birthdays. So my list is being formulated and I think you are going to love what I come up with:D My September project will have us playing with Grungepaper, stamps and ink. Oops! I think I told you too much already! Time to get back at it so that I have some beautiful eye candy for you! Have a great week:D

On another note...for those of you that have stopped to look at my artwork on display at Expresso Coffee, thank you! My Relay for Life cards have been selling out and I have more to restock with tomorrow! Thank you all for your purchases. 100% of the proceeds goes to Relay for Life:D

Just a Brief Commercial...

2009-08-05T21:50:00.003-05:00

to let you know that my artwork is being displayed at one of our local coffee shops for the entire month of August! I'm also selling cards there, with 100% of the proceeds going to Relay for Life. I have about 100 cards there, so I'm really hoping for a sellout:D

So, here is my BIG THANK YOU to Expresso Love Coffee for their generosity in supporting our local talents. And, talk about great coffee! All of their food is just as good! So, if you live near Mukwonago, WI, be sure to stop in for a cupa joe:D

Playing with new colors

2009-08-02T18:19:00.004-05:00

Last weekend I went up north and simply took the new Stampin' Up! In Colors with me and two stamp sets. I went shopping at my favorite scrapbook supply store in WI Rapids, and found this beautiful leave ribbon. Isn't it cool? Here's what I came up with, with such limited supplies.

KandCompany Day 4

2009-07-23T06:00:00.002-05:00

Day 4 of my K and Company Wild Saffron DSP cards! This one was fun because their paper has so many cool flowers that I can't help but cut them out and use them as embellishments:D With these, I cut out two for each embellishment, crumpled them and used a needle and jute through the center of the flowers to tie them together.

Have a great day:)

KandCompany Day 3

2009-07-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Hump Day! Today's card features K and Company's Wild Saffron dsp. Something new for me was making large holes down the side of the card and stringing ribbon through it for a different look. What do you think? I also crumpled the sentiment paper and adhered it with two little glue dots so that it wasn't flat.

On another note, I'm still taking orders for my Stampin' Up! DSP Share. So, if you want to get 192 6x6 pieces of new SU Designer Paper, be sure to contact me.

K and Company Day 2

2009-07-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning! Today's card uses KandCompany's Wild Saffron dsp, with a card design I cased from the CTMH Idea Book. Sometimes I need to case something to get my mojo going. Although I love and sell Stampin' Up!, I'm a fan of EVERYTHING that is out on the market. So it is actually quite stifling to use only one company's products, 100% of the time.

Hope you enjoy your Tuesday:o)

KandCompany Week

2009-07-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

That's right. This week I'm going to feature some of my very favorite KandCompany designer paper. I have so much designer paper (not that I wouldn't buy more in a heartbeat:), that I thought it was time to incorporate more of it in my cards this week. So, today's card uses Wild Saffron dsp. The card is pretty self-explanatory since it's just a little paper piecing. I used my Maya Road Office Sheers as a template to cut out my birdie. I then just made my own bird wing freehand. Have a great day:o)

Work update

2009-07-19T08:23:00.002-05:00

Well, I completed my first week of work, and it was GREAT! It's amazing how different work is when you like what you're doing. The days didn't drag, and I felt great all week:) Granted, I didn't have time to do any crafting, but once I get into a routine, I'm sure I will make time in the evenings. This weekend was a little too crazy though, because I hosted a yard sale all day Saturday. Time to get ready for the week and do some crafting today:D I'll be back later with some goodies to share. Thank you to everyone that wished me well on my new job:D

Love it!

2009-07-16T21:48:00.004-05:00

I had a vision for this card, and it worked out perfectly! I hope you enjoy:) (BTW, inspiration from the latest Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog:D

Didn't Your Parents Teach You to Share?

2009-07-16T07:55:00.002-05:00

Mine did! That's why I've decided to coordinate a Stampin' Up! DSP Share! This particular share is PERFECT for cardmakers, because I will be cutting the 12x12 DSP down to 6x6. So, if you want to get the best value for your money, you will definitely want to get in on this share. Here are the deets:
Each person receives two 6x6 sheets of each of the following DSPs, totalling 192 beautiful sheets! This share will include: Cottage Wall, Autumn Traditions, Tall Tales, Pink Flamingo, Kaleidoscope, Razzleberry Lemonade, Bella Bleu and Thoroughly Modern.
Your price for 192 6x6 sheets is just $20, and $5 for tax, shipping and handling.

Using my scraps

2009-07-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

This is by far one of my favorite color combinations. Really Rust, Rose Red, Mustard and Green (any one will do) and Naturals Ivory. All from my scrap bin. The front of the card has a piece of Naturals Ivory stamped with my Hero Arts Woodgrain background stamp. 4 Distressed Stickles dots look like brads or rivets on the front. On the inside of the card I made a pocket that holds an altered shipping tag. I'm sending this card to a friend of mine that loves to read (hence the bookmark), because she is going to be unemployed this week.

Old In Colors

2009-07-14T06:00:00.001-05:00

This is the time for me to use up all of my Stampin' Up! Old In Colors:D I love how simple this card is. I simply pulled out this butterfly stamp set and these colors, and I knew exactly what to do with them. Fun:D

Deal of the Week

2009-07-13T20:46:00.005-05:00

I don't know about you, but I NEVER have enough embellishments. Stampin' Up!'s deal of the week is square ice rhinestone brads for just $6.99!

Celebration with blog candy:D

2009-07-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well, after 9 long months of being unemployed, today I get to report to my new employers!! Yippee!! In celebration of this monumental feat, I have a cute little way for you to win some blog candy. The above two cards were inspired by a card in the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog. If you can tell me what page has the card on it that I cased, you WIN! What will you win? Well, I have an awesome 5x5 scrapbook album kit (which I designed and created with my Bind it All), using some retired Stampin' Up! DSP. I have about a handful of these, so there will be more than one winner! BUT, you can only win if you tell me the correct page number. This picture is just a sampling of what the kit looks like.

More Christmas in July

2009-07-12T08:14:00.003-05:00

Out of all of the Christmas cards I made yesterday, I think this one is my favorite. The design idea came from a card that Linda Aarahus had made. I can't thank her enough for pushing my mojo back on top:D Her version wasn't a Christmas card, but I'm madly in love with this one. The top panel was run through my Big Shot with a texture plate. The stamped image and sentiment are both Stampin' Up!.

This card was also totally cased, however, the designer did not have their name on the picture and I can't recall where I found it. So if it is yours, please let me know so that I can give you a big "thank you" and credit.

WANTED: Mojo -- STATUS: Found!

2009-07-11T18:28:00.003-05:00

Leave it to a little casing and Christmas in July to get my mojo back!! Yeah!! I spent the entire day cardmaking with my favorite crafters (my mom and my aunt). They bring the lunch and I design a bunch of cards for them to make. We had a blast! It's been quite a few months since we got together to scrap, so this was long overdue and very much fun:D

Missing Mojo

2009-07-09T00:05:00.002-05:00

I'm craving a good couple of crafting days, but it just isn't happening. So, I thought I would show you one of my favorite scrapbook pages I made a few years ago. The pictures were taken while we celebrated my husband's 50th bday on a boat excursion. Today is his birthday and I haven't even had the mojo to make his bday card (yet)! Enjoy your day:D

Life turned upside down

2009-07-07T08:44:00.002-05:00

Every day for the past week I have had intentions of sitting at my craft table and getting something done, but life has been turned upside down in this family and I haven't been able to. As you may recall, my daughter was injured a week ago at work and is recovering from a burn injury. Yesterday, was her doctors appointment to followup and get a release for work. Well, she is definitely not being released to go back to work. A large part of the burn is on her left chest and a part of it is infected. The doctor referred us to a plastic surgeon to see if they can do anything for it so that it doesn't spread through her breast ducts. This was not the news we were anticipating.

Then, my MIL was just diagnosed with colon cancer, which is exactly what her father died from. We take her to see the surgeon the same day we take my daughter later this week.

To top it off, my husband's birthday is this Thursday and I start my new job next Monday! thanks for letting me vent a little. Today I'm going to try to focus on my husband's bday, so I hope to be back with a completed card (at least).

TA Glimmer Mist - Yay!

2009-07-04T12:15:00.003-05:00

Glimmer Mist is the same great product with a Fabulous NEW Look!

Want to win the new Glimmer Mist Winter colors? Just help them spread the word, by copying the above picture, posting it on your blog with the bold heading, and send your blog link to Liz Hicks at liz@mytatteredangels.com and she will enter you in the drawing:) Spread the word!

Artwork for Sale

2009-07-04T11:21:00.002-05:00

I am now offering PRINTS of my original artwork for sale. Such a great, reasonable way to collect art! If you are interested, visit my shop on Etsy at LLLCreate.etsy.com.

Relay for Life Cards

2009-07-01T17:54:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I had the good fortune to participate in the Relay for Life in Mukwonago, where we raised a combined $78,000. Lucky for me, I can continue to turn in donations to this worthy cause (American Cancer Society), until the end of August. Therefore, I have about 100 handmade cards that I am selling to raise additional donations. All of the cards are very well made, some by me, some by people I have swapped with. These are pretty much all occassion cards, but if you are looking specifically for "thanks" or "birthday", just let me know and I will dig through them for you.

I'm offering the cards for $1 each or six for $5 donation. Each card is in a protective cello bag and includes a coordinating envelope.

If you are interested in donating to this worthy cause, please email me to finalize your donation. Thank you!

Old and Young Glory

2009-07-01T14:19:00.003-05:00

I decorated this 5x7 canvas board with inked book print, tore the stars out by hand and added some "stripes" of red fabric. The picture is a scanned image of a 1909 postcard I have saved from my father-in-law.

2009-06-30T16:26:00.002-05:00

It's a cloudy day today, so this picture isn't the best. I can't believe how my week has turned upside down. It takes me an hour to change my daughter's dressings, but luckily we are seeing some improvements. She is pretty stir crazy with being home with nothing to do. We decided to reschedule our surprise party for her to next month. I guess this holiday weekend is going to be pretty quiet.

Crazy Rollercoaster Ride

2009-06-28T23:08:00.003-05:00

That's what this week has felt like. First, the great news that I will be employed after 9 months out of work - Yeah! But then I get an unexpected call this morning from my daughter's employer that she was hurt badly at work. I was about 20 miles away and literally raced (90 miles an hour) to meet her at the urgent care. A large bowl of boiling water had fallen down her chest and on her arms. She has 2nd degree burns. I am so relieved that she is going to be okay, but what a scare. With all of the news about celebrity deaths this week, and then this...let's just say I'm not going to be sleeping too much tonite. My other daughter is on vacation with another family 3 hours away, and I can tell she is homesick. We had to reassure her that her sister is okay. Please keep my daughter in your prayers tonite.

Apology

2009-06-26T20:57:00.002-05:00

I'm so sorry that I haven't had a chance to create something new and post this week. I guess, with the news about my new job, I have just been so excited that I can't really focus. Yesterday I spent cleaning and reorganizing my kitchen/living/dining room and den. Tomorrow morning I run the Relay for Life, but I hope to spend the rest of the day in the house crafting. Stay tuned this weekend for some goodies that will make up for this week:)

Great News!

2009-06-23T10:12:00.000-05:00

Sorry I don't have any art to share this morning, but I do have some great news:) As you may or may not know, I've been unemployed since 10/2008. Well, I got a job yesterday! And not just a "job", but a GREAT career! I'm very excited! My first day is July 13th, so I have tons of crafting to get out of my system before then:) I'll be back later today with some goodies.

More soft cards

2009-06-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

These pictures don't do the cards justice! I actually dry-brushed some pink acrylic paint on the handmade paper flower and highlighted it with pearl paint dauber. The first card features an image from itkupilli.

Flowers and Red

2009-06-19T11:43:00.002-05:00

Last night I was in a creative mood. I don't know why, but it seems like I can't do a project without flowers:) I was also in a "red" mood. As much as I like stamping, lately I've been paper-piecing.

Father's Day

2009-06-18T16:37:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post today to show you the father's day card I made. I'll be up north with my parents and my brothers family this weekend. As for the card, the blue cardstock is discontinued In-Color from SUP! and the designer paper I made with alcohol inks and SU stamps. The ribbon is actually cardstock. The bird was cut out of some glossy paper that I designed with Tim Holtz alcohol inks. Then I used my Zig Paint gold marker to make the dots around the bird. Fun!

Worth sharing

2009-06-16T10:16:00.006-05:00

This morning when I opened my email, I had a forwarded message from my SIL. I don't know who the author is, but I did think it was worth sharing with all of you. Enjoy!

HANDBOOK 2009

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner
like a beggar...
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2008..
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk,
smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't overdo. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present. 21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime...
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30.. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.
Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your innermost is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least:
40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about

4 Quickies

2009-06-15T09:22:00.007-05:00

Get your mind out of the gutter! 4 Quick cards! Remember those digital images I told you about that I purchased from Itkupilli? Well, I finally had a chance to make a few quick cards with them. I love the shabby/vintage feel to them.

I apologize for the crappy photography. I actually have a photographer friend of my daughter coming by today to help me out with some picture taking. She's going to be taking some pictures of my items for Etsy, so I'm going to get her help and advice on these pics as well.

Stayed up late last night finishing my book. I HIGHLY recommend it -- The House on Tradd Street by Karen White. It's the start of a new series and the second book will be out this November.

Enjoy your day!

A little of this and that

2009-06-14T11:09:00.003-05:00

I got some great buys at the fair yesterday! These wooden flowers were only $1.50! I don't know if you can see it well, but I also bought two wooden birds--only $2.50 each!
This pitcher was only $4!

And look at this adorable little kitsch that my mom bought me for $2!
After the fair, I came home and continued reading my book. I have read all of Karen White's books (she's awesome). But this one has been a sweet surprise! I picked it up at the library, but I love it so much and own all of her other ones, that I'll have to purchase it:) Let's just say that this book has kept me from cardmaking -- but today I vow to make something BEFORE I open the book again:) Enjoy your Sunday!

What Freedom Brings...

2009-06-09T11:25:00.002-05:00

I'm realizing that with our Freedom comes some good and bad. My husband and I have a cabin up north that we rent out to vacationers. To advertise it, we post an ad on Craigslist. Of course, I know that not all inquiries are legitimate. But last week I had one scammer that almost got me. So, today I will have to spend some time logging an Internet Fraud Complaint. As good as most things are in this world thanks to our freedom, this also means the bad guys have freedom as well. I guess I should make a sign that says "Proceed with Caution".

Enjoy your "freedom" today:)

More Flowers

2009-06-09T09:17:00.004-05:00

Obviously, I can't get enough of making my flowers with grungeboard and fabric:) They are just too much fun! I think I'm going to add the words "sew pretty" to this one. It would be great hanging in someone's sewing room, don't you think?

So much to do...so little time:)

2009-06-07T23:51:00.002-05:00

I apologize for the blurred pictures. I was prepping these beautiful clip art images from Itkupilli, so that I can use them in future projects. She has some beautiful images. When I get the chance to take better pictures, I'll be sure to share my projects that I make with them.
Getting ready for my booth at Maxwell Street Days next weekend.
To see my latest mixed media piece, checkout my other blog at http://myalteredlifeartstudio.blogspot.com.

My First Patchwork Quilt!

2009-06-04T21:02:00.004-05:00

Well, I finally attempted to make my first patchwork quilt. It's just a table runner, but I'm pretty happy with it. No patterns -- just my noggin:) When I first started I really wasn't sure what I was going to make, but as I pieced it together I just figured it out. I even put some batting inside!! But now I'm trying to figure out how to keep it all together, if you know what I mean. I don't know if I should handstitch some random buttons onto it to keep the batting from messing up, or what. So, if you are a quilter, any time of "simple" advice would be appreciated:)

Crazy, Busy, Fun!

2009-06-01T18:53:00.005-05:00

That's how my weekend was! I feel like Monday was a spill-over from the weekend because I've been just as busy! My youngest and I had all day college orientation on Saturday and then high school graduation yesterday. Monday, I took her to open her own checking account and shopping. I don't remember the last time we spent so much time together! It's been really nice. My older daughter still hasn't emailed me all of the pictures she took from Sunday, but this is one I had taken of my two daughters. I'll post more when I get them.

Another very busy week...

2009-05-28T19:34:00.004-05:00

Please accept my apologies up front for the lack of visits to each of your blogs this week. It has been a crazy, busy week and tomorrow I will be gone all day helping at my brother's rummage sale. Saturday is orientation at my youngest's college and Sunday is her graduation. So you know what that means....no time for my artwork this weekend:( So I will count on the brief little visits I can make to your blog homes:)

So, since I don't have any new art to share with you, I thought I would share some pics of our dog, Maddie. Isn't she a cutie?! She is a cock-a-poo, and about 6 years old. She really is a good dog:)

New artwork

2009-05-23T11:58:00.003-05:00

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, everyone! I'm finally able to share my next piece of art with you. I am a HUGE fan of sunflowers, so the minute I saw this scrapbook paint from Making Memories, I was inspired to create some sunflowers. I will be selling prints of this and other collages I make in my Etsy shop very soon! Let me know what you think?

Tagged and Award:)

2009-05-22T11:07:00.007-05:00

WOW, what a week! I was up north for a day, today's the last school day for my senior H.S. daughter, and we are moving into a holiday weekend! Sorry I'm so behind on my blog surfing these past few days. I promise to get caught up by the weekend. I have a new piece of artwork to share with you later on today. Just need to make a few final touches. No new cards. I was burnt out from making so many graduation announcements.

While I was away I received this awesome award from xiumaiyuki.

Thank you xiumaiyuki:) That was very sweet!

I was also tagged by a new blog friend I made during the Cupids Charmed Blog Party, Dragonflydreamer (Susie) at http://www.stardustmoonbeams.blogspot.com/ . This tag requires me to follow Susie's blog (which I already do:), and to tell you 6 fascinating things about myself. I don't know if I can come up with 1 fascinating thing, much less 6, but I will simply tell you things about myself:)

1. I started early menopause last year at the age of 47. It wreaked havoc on my life and I've been trying to "find" my new self ever since.

2. I used to be a Girl Scout Day Camp Director and loved the insanity of coordinating an entire week for 500 people. I never thought I would enjoy my life once I moved on from that, but now I am happy with the time to discover other new things about myself.

3. I grew up with parents that listened to country music. I preferred 70's rock all the way through my 20's and 30's, but in the past 2 years I've gone back to my roots--country. Carrie Underwood is my favorite.

4. My knee-jerk reaction is to do everything for others, but my unemployment and new-found freedom, now that my daughters are adults, has allowed me to appreciate time to myself for crafting and reading.

5. When I was in my teens I loved to dance to drum solos:)

6. When I was 20 I dressed up in a bunny costume on Easter and hopped over to my parents' neighbors to brighten their day.

Now that you know some ridiculous things about me, I'm tagging the following 6 people to do the same:

1. Angela at The Paper Gourmet
2. Jazzy at Color Your Imagination
3. Anita at the Hovey Hut
4. Joanne at Sleepy in Seattle
5. Michelle at Shellpole
6. Dawn at My Stamping Thyme

Graduation Announcements

2009-05-19T07:37:00.002-05:00

I made two completely different graduation announcements for my daughter to choose from. She, of course, couldn't decide, and asked me to send out half of each kind. I finished them yesterday and need to get them in the mail today.

Baby Shower Card

2009-05-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

I don't usually do cutesy cards, but my daughter needed a baby shower card and believe it or not, I didn't have any in my stash! I "mistakenly" purchased this Bundled in Love stamp set from Stampin' Up! a few months ago. I hate to do returns, so I held onto it, thinking I would sell it or give it away. Well, it fit the bill for my needs today. I will still probably sell it though.

Enjoy your Monday!

Collage

2009-05-17T16:15:00.004-05:00

I don't know about you, but I never get tired of flowers. Birds are another hot image in crafting these days as well. I've been working on this collage all week and I think I'm done. Lots of details to share. This collage was created on a 11x14 prepped canvas board. The bird was handdrawn and created with grungepaper. The base of the bird was painted with acrylic paint, then stamped with flourishes with stazon. The bird's wing is a separate piece of grungepaper, covered by Cosmo Cricket Honey Pie dsp. Then, the entire bird was given a finish with Simply Stamped Simple Shine.

I made my own designer paper starting with plain ivory paper, stamping my images and then inking the papers with Ranger inks and some Luminarte glimmer mist. The papers were decoupaged onto my painted canvas. The flowers were also made by hand drawing on grungepaper, inking some and covering others with KandCompany papers. The grass base is a torn corrugated cardboard that has been inked with Ranger Distressed Peeled Paint. The flower stems were freehand cutout Basic Grey paper, and decoupaged accordingly.

I'm thinking about using black velvet ribbon to hang it. What do you think??

Shower Favors

2009-05-17T12:20:00.003-05:00

My daughter is hosting a baby shower today. Here are the party favors I put together for them. So simple, but cute:)

More Wall Art

2009-05-14T06:34:00.002-05:00

This flower was made using grungeboard and fabric. So easy to work with!

Bday

2009-05-13T12:25:00.003-05:00

My niece celebrated her 5th birthday last weekend. This is the card I made for her. The giftboxes are actually a Penny Black sticker! No stamping! The flower was made using Stampin' Up!'s Bigz Daisies Die.

Mother's Day Gift

2009-05-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of the plaque I made my mom for mother's day. It was inspired by one that Shanna Vineyard in Paper Crafts 225 Cards & Gifts Magazine. It was fun and easy to make. The paper is from K and Company.

Mother's Day Goodies

2009-05-10T17:53:00.004-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to everyone! My daughters surprised me with breakfast in bed and a sewing machine! Exactly what I had been hoping for! It was a great day!

Yesterday, I saw my sister and sister-in-law, and gave them some journals for them to write notes to their daughters. I think they enjoyed them.

What a Difference a Day makes!

2009-05-08T20:38:00.002-05:00

My Tuesday interview left me praying that I would win the lottery. But, Thursday's was a whole new game. Whether I get the job or not, at least they restored my faith in humanity. What a difference! Then, my DH and I went up to our cabin for a quick 24 hours to get some yard work done. It was very pleasant--especially since the weather was PERFECT! Now it's time to complete my mother's day projects. My niece's 5 yr old birthday is Saturday, and my oldest daughter is treating me to a mother/daughter dinner and event at a local church. Should be a great weekend:) I hope everyone else does the same. Happy Mother's Day:)

Update and ATCs

2009-05-07T06:54:00.005-05:00

My interview on Tuesday was a bit of a disappointment. But on the bright side, I have another interview this morning with a different company. In these hard times, most people aren't even getting interviews, so I guess I should be thankful. I'll keep you posted.

Today, my picture is of some fabric ATCs that I made using a Donna Downey kit. I'm very interested in making some fabric scrapbooks, so this was a good way to get a feel for it. If you have never seen Donna's products, you really should check her out HERE. She is one of my favorite artists and I have admired her work and read her books for years.

Exciting News!

2009-05-06T11:21:00.003-05:00

As I was going through my blog reading list this morning, I came across Nicole Heady's blog where she talks about the CHA Supershow in Orlando, FL on July 31 and Aug 1st. I have ALWAYS wanted to attend one of these, but it has never worked out. Even though I live in WI, I figure I can drive down to FL, and as luck would have it, my husband's aunt passed away last year and we have yet to have sold her home down in FL -- just 1 hour out of Orlando!!! So yep, that's FREE lodging! I'm so psyched!! I ordered my $14 two day pass online!! Now I just have to save some spending money:) If there are any other bloggers that are going and want to hook up, let me know! Yeah!

Wednesday

2009-05-06T08:09:00.002-05:00

Well, just a few thoughts before I start my day. First of all, I would like to thank everyone that wished me well with my job interview yesterday. Being unintentionally unemployed for the past 6 months has been difficult. But, when one door closes another one opens. I would have never had the time to meet such awesome bloggers without this extra time. You gotta love how God works:)

Anyways, with mother's day fast approaching, why not treat yourself and take a peek at the new store opening up, Paris Rags. Click on their grand opening banner here and enjoy the beauty of being a woman while marveling at this lady's talent! I'll be back later today with some artwork to post:)

quick necessities

2009-05-05T07:36:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post today. I have a job interview this afternoon (fingers crossed), and I'm in the midst of some other projects that I'm going to show you in another day or so. But, I always need generic birthday cards. Hence the reason for today's card. The picture isn't the greatest, but the twill is stamped with "happy birthday". Sometimes the quick and simple cards are just as good as the ones we labor over. Have a good day:)

Thank you!

2009-05-02T10:25:00.004-05:00

Hear is a huge "THANK YOU" to all the bloggers that are new to visiting my craft room, thanks to Joy's Blogging Party yesterday. What a GREAT party! I had out-of-town guests yesterday, so I couldn't get to visiting everyone in blog-world until this morning. I can't believe how many wonderful like-minded women are out there! I truly is inspirational to me. Thank you all for stopping by and introducing yourselves. I can't believe how many more blogs I have added to my subscriber list! I'll be busy, but loving every minute of it.

Last night I had a chance to get some Mother's Day cards done, so that I what I'm sharing today. I hope you enjoy your Saturday:)

Why I love to blog...

2009-05-01T06:00:00.002-05:00

Today is the Beautiful Blog Party over at Cupids Charm and it is all about why we love to blog. So here is my answer to that question.
I didn't start blogging until fall of 2008. Once I spent some time reading other's blogs, I felt the urge to participate in this awesome social network. I blog because I am happy to share my thoughts, feelings and crafts with others. When I read other's blogs, I am so thrilled to realize that I'm not the only one with similar thoughts and feelings as theirs. Blogging to me is a unique way to share your thoughts, perceptions and yourself. My blog is based around my crafts, and I must admit that at the beginning I only wanted to share my best of the best work. But once I started participating, my shyness of showing my crafts went away and now I realize that my craft is a journey, not just an item to be shown. I enjoy the entire process and have been strengthened by fellow bloggers.

Now be sure to go over to CupidsCharm and visit all of the other bloggers participating in our blog party!

Awesome Blog Candy Giveaway!!

2009-04-30T18:50:00.001-05:00

Check it out HERE! Good luck:)

Winners!

2009-04-30T13:35:00.002-05:00

Since only 3 people entered my eBook giveaway, all THREE of you are winning your very own copy! Thanks for participating! I will be emailing your copy this afternoon! Congrats!

Free eBook Reminder

2009-04-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

You have until midnight tonite (4/29) to enter for your chance to win my eBook:) Simply leave me a comment sharing your favorite or most-used sentiment, and advertise my contest on your own blog. That's it! Good luck:)

Get ready to party!

2009-04-28T17:35:00.005-05:00

Thanks to CupidsCharm we are all invited to participate in an awesome blog party this Friday! To find out more and participate, be sure to checkout CupidsCharm blog.

Why party? For a very good reason -- the Summer release of Artful Blogging is hitting newstands this week! If you haven't yet seen this publication you are missing alot! Artful Blogging is very inspirational and makes me proud to be a blogger! Check it out where ever Stampinton's publications are sold. You can also follow a link from CupidsCharm's blog to order it online. See you at the party!

Dirty Fingers!

2009-04-28T15:12:00.003-05:00

That's what I have...and I love it! I just finished the wall art I showed you a peek at the other day. Here is the final. My ATC's are mounted onto a 13"x13" stretched canvas. I painted the canvas, then enhanced with alcohol inks. Painted the trim and attached my ATC's. I absolutely love ATCs, but I hate the idea of not displaying them. So this seems to fit the bill. I'll have to continue with that thought. Let me know what you think:)

eBook now available! WIN YOURS!

2009-04-27T12:30:00.002-05:00

No matter how many stamps I have, I never have enough sentiments to use in my projects. This is why I wrote the book, "Say What?", a Cardmakers Sentiment Resource. Every quote is categorized and displayed in different fonts giving you an endless array of ideas on how to use them. And now I'm offering it in an eBook version so you can keep it on your computer for even more efficient use! So, in order to celebrate the electronic version of my book, I'm offering up a FREE eBook! For your chance to win, simply leave me a comment on this post, telling my one of your most-used sentiments. Then, post a link of this blog candy on your blog, letting others no of the chance to win. You must perform BOTH steps in order to have a chance at winning. The deadline to enter is Weds., April 29th at midnight. The winner will be announced on Thursday, April 30th. Good luck!

New project

2009-04-27T11:41:00.003-05:00

When I was up north I started this new project. As I've mentioned before, I save and repurpose my old Lang calendars. I had the packaging from one up north, and on the back of it was a miniture version of the artwork included in the calendar. I cut them out and applied some Simple Shine to them. Now I'm using them to make these ATCs that will then get mounted onto a board. I'll show you the completed project once it's done:)

I'm back!

2009-04-26T14:37:00.002-05:00

Sorry I have been out of touch for quite a few days. I've been out of town at my cabin up north. I'm just trying to sort through all of my mail, etc. I'll be back tomorrow with some new art to share. In the meantime, I have tons of surfing to do:)

Recycling

2009-04-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

My brother's birthday is next week. I live in WI and he lives in AZ, so unfortunately we don't get to see each other very much. I really struggle making manly cards. For this one, I was on a roll with the base, thanks to the designer paper, but then I couldn't for the life of me figure out what to put on it as a focal point. As I was going through my box of misc embellishments, I thought this recycled tag that I saved from a pair of jeans I bought over a year ago was just the thing. Since my brother is turning 46, I'd say he was "broken-in". hee hee:) Happy BDay, Dale!

Another Task -- Check!

2009-04-21T12:47:00.003-05:00

Finally finished the wedding scrapbook and card to go with. Here are the final pics. Now I just have to get it to the post office.

On to my brother's bday card....:)

Wedding Gift

2009-04-20T09:07:00.002-05:00

My nephew is getting married on May 2nd. Unfortunately, they live too far away for us to attend the wedding. So, I've been working on making them a wedding scrapbook this morning. As usual, I ran out of paper:( Their wedding invitations featured black and a bright pink, so I'm making every base page black and then accenting it throughout with bright pink. I hope they like it. My pictures here aren't so spectacular -- sorry! The album is 8x8 and has a cutout frame on the cover for them to put their wedding picture in. I'll try to take better pictures once it's completed. I need to go to the store and get more paper. Enjoy your day!

Timeless cards

2009-04-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

I just had to play with this new stamp set the minute I got it. It's 'Sense of Time' from Stampin' Up! I actually made a set of 4 of these to sell on Etsy. I have no idea how they will sell, but I figured I would give it a try. I enjoyed making them nonetheless.

Fun, fun, fun!

2009-04-16T18:44:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, I purchased this awesome kit from one of my very favorite designers, Vicki Chrisman. I am wildly in love with this shabby chic project! I'm thinking of redoing my bedroom this summer and having one wall dedicated to this type of artwork. Thank you Vicki! If you haven't ever seen Vicki's work, be sure to checkout her blog. She rocks!

Bloom!

2009-04-14T14:03:00.003-05:00

I think I named my latest collage appropriately:) I'm actually listing this for sale over at Etsy. Making this shabby chic collage totally satisfied my romantic side! Checkout my new Etsy store if you wish -- LLLCreate.Etsy.com.

Thank You!

2009-04-11T16:57:00.003-05:00

I just have to say "Thank You" to Abi at Cornwall Crafters for this sweet award. Especially, since it is my VERY FIRST award! Here are 5 others that I would love to bestow this award to:

1) Shellie

2) Martha

3) Crystal

4) Stampinkitty

5) Anita

Thanks Abi!

AWESOME BLOG CANDY ALERT!

2009-04-11T09:48:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite bloggers, Vicki at Stamped Smiles, has an incredible candy offer. Check it out HERE! (But, don't win because I want to:)

Workshop fun

2009-04-09T11:16:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned, I did an SU workshop on Monday at my cousin's. It was just my mom, aunt and 2 cousins, but we can easily spend:) Anyways, since they are not new to cardmaking I brought two different projects for them to make something new to them. Here is one of them. This "card" is made from a sealed envelope that has gone through the crimper. Directions are on SCS (the best resource EVER!) Everyone's turned out different. It was fun.

I'm on my way up north with my daughter for a day or two. Have to hit the scrap stores up north:) Be back with a different wall collage this weekend:) Enjoy your week!

You can't rush art!

2009-04-08T19:30:00.004-05:00

At least that's what it seems like. Here is the project I have been working on. This collage is mounted on a 13"x13" piece of wood that I painted. It took me awhile to get all of the items I needed because my DH is NOT crafty and doesn't have the tools I needed to cut the wood. Finally, I recalled that my cousin does his own carpentry, so I took it by him to get cut. Amazing what kind of hoops you have to go through sometimes just to complete a vision.

There is a wonderful coffee shop in town that displays a different artist's work each month. I love their coffee and checking out what local artists are doing. Even though I'm not an artist, I am a crafter, so I asked if she could display my wares. After seeing some samples, the owner said "yes", so my items will be on display this August! I'm so happy!:) So, let me know what you think???

(Oops! I wanted to give you some details). The flower was made with grungeboard and grungepaper, and a combination of a stamped flower and freehand flower, stem and leaves. These 4x4 Jennie Bowlin papers were adhered to coaster boards. The vintage picture is my grandmother, great-grandmother, mom and aunt. The flower by the picture was created by using the 5 star flower punch on grungepaper, alcohol inks and a handmade crochet flower.

Crazy, busy!

2009-04-08T09:03:00.002-05:00

WOW! I'm so happy to have time to sit and visit all of my favorite blogs today:) It has been a very busy couple of days. I ran a Stampin' Up! workshop at my cousin's house during the day on Monday and hosted our monthly Bunco group last night. Cooking for 12 and cleaning the house -- yuck! But, it all got done and went really well. We had a good time and my house is still clean! But I'm sure that will change by the end of today. I plan on running errands and scrapping! I will finally finish the project that I teased you with...that's the first item on my crafting agenda! I just didn't have the time to work on it and to make a mess. Time for me to visit all of your blogs before I shower and share my art. See you soon:)

Sneak peek

2009-04-03T15:19:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post today to show you a peek at what I've been working on. I was inspired earlier this week by Angela's use of 4x4 coasters to make a quilt-like wall hanging. Mine will be totally different, and I hope you will like the finished product. I should have it completed in the next day or 2. Stay tuned:) Enjoy your TGIF!

Some results

2009-04-02T12:10:00.002-05:00

Okay. Here is a lot of the spring cleaning I have been doing. I used to have a 6ft. long table against the wall and another 4ft table on one of the other walls. I had stuff on top of the tables and LOADED underneath. I took down both tables, sorted through everything, and brought the armoire I had in a different room in here to house most of my supplies. All of my stamps are in the bins on the white cabinet. I'm going to be replacing that this weekend with this awesome hutch I bought off of Craigs List last month. I just need to clean it up with some Murphy's Oil Soap. I'll take a pic of it when I'm done. Anyways, I can't believe how much I fit into this armoire. I love that I can just shut the doors and no one sees how much is really in there. Keep in mind that this is my dining room, in the center of my open concept home, so I really do need to keep it clean. Now, onto some crafting:) Thanks for stopping by!

Still spring cleaning...

2009-04-01T14:55:00.004-05:00

What a mess! You know how it is -- you start in one area of the house and then you start creeping into other rooms, nooks and crannys. Angela at the Paper Gourmet has an awesome wall display that I'm dying to case, so I think I will need a break shortly to start that fun little task:) stay tuned!

what do you do?

2009-03-30T22:29:00.002-05:00

Okay--I have a question for all of you. What do you do with all of your beautiful papercraft creations? I have been spending the last few days doing some very serious spring cleaning. My motivation -- my Bunco group will be hosted by mystelf next week Tuesday. So, my dininig room doubles as my craft room. I have spent the past 2 days revamping my entire space so that it looks appealing to those just vitisting my home. Yes, I will post before and after pictures, but right now I have a question -- WHAT DO YOU DO WITH EVERYTHING YOU CREATE?? I just don't know what to do with all of this that I have:( What do you do?/???? Please tell me. I'm more than willing to put up some blog candy for some great insight:)

Drum Roll Please......

2009-03-29T23:11:00.002-05:00

The winner of my blog candy is....

Comment #3, Crystal.

Crystal, email me at linda_barutha@yahoo.com with your mailing address please:) Congratulations! Thank you to everyone that participated.

Say Whaaaaaat?

2009-03-27T14:31:00.005-05:00

This term always reminds me of that little kid on Different Strokes -- "Say Whaaaat? What you talk'n about Willis?" hehehehe -- LOL! Well, "Say What?" is the name of my new project -- a Cardmakers and Scrapbookers Sentiment Resource. It is a compulation of over 200 different quotes, all organized by category. I designed this booklet as an easy resource for you to turn to while crafting, but also convenient enough to take with you to crops and shops. The last few pages are left blank for you to jot down any other favorite sentiments you don't want to forget about.

Here are some samples of how you can use this book. Print the sentiment on cardstock, DSP, acetate or vellum. Quick and simple.

So, in celebration of introducing you to my new book, I am offering it up as Blog Candy:) If you would like a chance at winning a FREE copy of my book, before it goes on sale, simply leave me a comment here and post a link on your blog for others. I will run this candy offering until Sunday, 3/29, and announce the winner that evening.

I'll be back tomorrow with some more examples of using this fun, convenient resource:)

I'm so excited!!!!!

2009-03-26T19:39:00.003-05:00

For YOU! Not only is tomorrow Friday -- but I also will be unveiling a little secret I've been keeping from you:o) tee hee hee;) And with this unveiling, you will have a chance to win some Blog Candy! So, check back Friday afternoon for some goodies -- TGIF!

A fun day:)

2009-03-25T10:07:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, my mom, aunt and I were planning on going craft shopping for the day. But, the weather was horrible -- cold, dark and rainy. So instead, I had them spend the day in my craft room. It was just what the doctor ordered! I taught them how to use the faux postage stamp, some coloring techniques, and we played with some new dies and embossing folders in the Big Shot. All in all, it was a fun, productive day. These are two cards I made using my aunt's Penny Black stamps (which I LOVE:) Productive crafting days ROCK! Have a good day:)

Another Faux Stamp

2009-03-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

For this faux stamp, I did something different. First, I made my own designer paper with alcohol inks on a glossy paper. Then, I stamped my image with Staz-on Black ink. Then, I stamped the Just For Fun faux postage stamp over it. Next, I used Fiskars stamp scissors to cut along the lines of the faux postage stamp I just stamped. The rest was just matting and gluing.

Faux Postage Stamp Tutorial

2009-03-23T11:34:00.008-05:00

Okay, here is my first attempt at a tutorial. Last week I showed you this card. Today I will show you how to make it. This is how you use the faux postage stamp from Just for Fun. Checkout their website for a great gallery of ideas. I actually won this stamp about a year or two ago, and just learned the correct way to use it at the Rockford, IL convention 2 weekends ago. Mine is the 3 and 1 stamp.

First, cut your matting cardstock and your cardstock that you will stamp your image on. In this case, my matting cs is 3.5"x4". (I actually find it easier to cut my matting to size once the image is attached--but that's just me). In addition, you will need some Fiskars "Stamp" Paper Edgers and a template on vellum of your faux postage stamp. Just for Fun sells them. I made my own out of vellum. To do this, just stamp your faux postage directly on vellum and then with a straight-edge ruler and craft knife, carefully make your cuts. (see my picture).

1) Stamp the outlined postage stamp on the matting cardstock and then on the stamp cardstock.

2) Lay your vellum template on the stamped cardstock (not the matting).

3) Now stamp your image right on top of the template. Remove the template and set aside.

4) Use your Fiskars "Stamp" Paper Edgers to cut out each piece of your stamped cardstock.

5) Line up the cut-out images on your matting and attach accordingly.

What I really love about this, is that this technique works great for featuring your own handmade designer paper. I'm off to make some more:)