Details for the Mother's Day Card Class at Art Smarts this Sunday

This Sunday at Art Smarts in Latham, I'll be hosting an open house for kids to make cards for Mother's Day. I'll have three cards for each of three age groups:  preschoolers, elementary school age children and the older crowd.  Kids can make multiple cards choosing the same or different designs as long as the kits last.  The open house is 1-4PM.  Cards will cost $3 for one, $5 for two, and $7 for three with each additional card costing $2.

Cheaper than Hallmark and way better.  In fact, priceless.  All materials supplied.  I won't be posting samples until after Mother's day so I won't spoil your surprise.  Simple designs to keep the stress down and outcome happy.

Have your people talk with my people, which of course means me.

Celebrate National Scrapbook Day at the Latham Michael's

This is the best crop of the year with lots of prizes.  And the best thing, a free double page spread.  The kits vary so you can pick your preference.  They layout is either a solid bracketed template on patterned paper or patterned template on solid paper.  You'll have four 6x12 strips for the center and two 1.5x12 strips to decide how you want to mat your photos.  You can use the border punch of your choice and make the layout a little more of your own design.  You have a handful of ivory paper flowers and buttons and a vellum strip of phrases.

Thanks to my pals Heather and Dawn for helping with the sample and kits.  And thanks to Kelly for hosting the crop while I'm out of town. Based on the current attendance, almost everyone can be a winner.  Grab a friend and stop by from 3-9 and get your craft on for only $5.  Enjoy the day however you craft.

Cards for May 22 Stampin' Up! class

Next month's Stampin' Up! class will be at Art Smart in Latham on May 22 from 6:30-8:30.  Here are the cards.  As I went to post them I noticed lots of thing that are crooked.  And I wasn't even drinking...

The first stamp takes the common 'keep calm' message an appropriately advises us to keep stamping.  Just like 'just keep swimming', you should 'just keep stamping'.  Stamp on It used to sell a shirt that read 'to stamp or not to stamp, that's a stupid question'.  

This uses some SU designer paper series prints with a black ribbon and jeweled brad.  The phrase is stamped with whisper white on black paper.  The middle solid is not quite navy to tie in the blue pattern and the green jewel helps tie in the bottom pattern.

This card has almost no stamping. I adore the designer paper series Sunshine and Sprinkles.  I used it for two cards here and I'm going to have to order more.  The cloud paper and the dotted dress paper are both from that series.  The dress, frame and sweater are cut with the Dress Up framelits dies.  The belt is a piece of ribbon and the pin is two tiny SU punches with a little bling.  The phrase is from the All Dressed Up stamp set.  

This is the second card with the Sunshine and Sprinkles paper, the umbrella paper. The cloud is cut from a piece of paper embossed with the Cloudy Day embossing folder.  The rainy chick is from Million Dollar Moments. I've been wanting to use Goosebumps texture spray since I bought it last August.......and finally used it on this card.  I sprayed what I hope looks like rain drops on the stamped image piece and added some yellow ink with a sponge to resist the goosebumps.  

Finally, what looks like the most simple card is actually the most complicated.  This uses the Just Believe stamp set. The person that posted this card on Splitcoast said she used the stamp positioner to make this card.  She stamped the circle to line up side by side then stamped the floral image once in blue then again on top with versamark to add clear embossing.  I probably stamped this 12 times and wasn't happy with the results.  

My final version below shows the brown circle stamped without a positioner, slightly overlapping which I'm OK with, then the floral image stamped in blue dye based ink and the whole thing covered with clear embossing powder and heat set.  No pigment ink used at all.

I think it's helpful to see what doesn't work as well as the final result so here's some other options.  The second picture shows an attempt to emboss the circles first then stamp and emboss the floral piece.  You can see that the blue ink resisted where the embossed circle is so you get an incomplete image.  I was so sure the dye based image wouldn't stay wet long enough to stamp everything then cover with powder, but I was wrong.  I think that's in part because I used the natural paper which seem to dry slower than the regular card stock.

 The next picture shows my attempt to stamp as the original artist described.  I was never able to get the versamark image to stamp exactly on top even with the positioner so I always got a shadowed image. I actually like this but it wasn't what I was trying to do.  For me, this 'wrong' outcome looks fine.  I like asymmetrical art and less than perfect images.  But not everyone does and since it's for a class, I wanted to get the technique right.  Many options, different outcomes.

These cards will be on display at Art Smart and you can register directly to me or purchase a kit to assemble the cards. Images are prestamped in kits.  Please call or email me if you have any questions.

Reminder: Stampin' Up! card class at Art Smart this Wednesday

The monthly Stampin' Up! card class is this Wednesday at Art Smarts at Hoffman's Playland from 6:30-8:30 PM.  Make four cards using current SU products for only $15 and get free shipping on any order placed that day.  Contact me at jetsfan88@aol.com or call 860-8970.  Please don't contact the store for details as I only rent the space from them.  It's not an Art Smart class.

Hope to see you there.

Art Smarts Open House-May 5th Mother's Day Cards

Save the date and share with others in your family.  On May 5th from 1-4 PM, I'll be working at an Open House at Art Smarts at Hoffman's playland.  Children can come and make a mother's day card(s) to give to you and grandma, aunts, whoever.

Price and age recommendations to be posted as soon as I have the final details.  There's nothing like getting a hand made card from your kids.

So put this on your calendar and pass it on......

And the answer is......

I'll be having this Saturday's card class at Michael's instead of Art Smart due to the scheduling error.  It's a big plus for you because the class fee is set at $10.  You can register at the store on Saturday just give me a head's up that you are coming so I make sure I have enough kits.  I usually make several extra, but with such a deal!, who knows.

Thanks for your patience with these changes.

Some adjustments in class dates/times

I love the space at Art Smart and I'm so happy to be able to host classes there.  Unfortunately we have a small glitch with the transition.  The store has booked a birthday party at the same time I scheduled my card class on 4/13.  I'm hoping to be able to either have the class later that day or the next day.  If you planned to take the class, email me to let me know what works best for you.

Also, the second Saturday in June is the dates of the Syracuse stamp show and I'll be working for DeNami that weekend.  Again, I'll let you know what options the store has available.

Spring is a time of change so my transition in locations seems appropriate.  Looking forward to hearing from you.