Chick's Crafty Chatter

House Mouse using copics

2010-07-05T08:00:00.039-05:00

This is another request from my stamping friends. I apologize for it being SO late. Hopefully this first day off in more than 6 months, will be the start of me getting back into the swing of blogging.

Everyone who knows me , knows that I love House Mouse Stamps. Many stampers had a fear of them because of the coloring issues.

Although I tend to make the skin of the mice a bit different for each one.. the easier way would beto use the same on all of them until you develop your own preferences.
SKIN
I use either E000 or R00 all over the skin and then use E00 to shade it with just a bit of W1 for the darker shadows. Underside of the tail etc.
CHEEKS AND INNER EARS
      TANNED look I use
            R11
       LIGHTEST, BRIGHTEST PINK LOOK
            RV02 blended out with RV000
       DARKER, VERY PINK
            RV23 blended with RV10
NOSE
      Although any of the cheek colors would work, I like
             R22 blended with RV000 or a hightlight done with 0.
FUR (I will post one Mouse a day)
AMANDA
She has been discribed by her designer as having fawn colored fur.
I use;
Y21 all over
I blend in YR 23
Y26 for deeper shadows
W1 to tone out the brighter areas.

I'm Back

2010-07-04T20:50:00.001-05:00

Well it has taken me a long time.. But I finally have a day off! Thank God for the 4th, and the freedom it has given me today...

I promised many stamping friends that I would post my favorite sandwiches for the cuttlebug.
So better late than never!!

To Cut a Nestable: (In the Cuttlebug)
(From the bottom up)
Wizard's master white plate
Wizard's magnet
Nestable die cutting side up
card stock
Cuttlebug's B plate
Wizard's other white plate

I like this sandwich as I have never had to replace another plate...and that is doing hundreds of cuts a week. Before, when I used what most of the people I read about use with the cuttlebug.. I had to replace a B plate about every third week. With this sandwich I've been able to even straighten out the warping caused by using the nestable with the cuttlebug only sandwiches.

My "fave" embossing sandwich (in the cuttlebug with the nestable)
(From the bottom up)

Wizard's master white plate
Wizard's magnet
Nestable die cutting side up
with card stock inside it
Wizard's Tan embossing mat
Wizard's white spacer plate
Wizard's other white plate

There you have it.. I have never been so happy with the way my spellbinders cut and emboss as when I discovered this sandwich.

Long time. . . I'm trying to come back!

2010-06-03T07:06:00.000-05:00

So sorry that all of my best laid plans went astray.. and I was unable to squeeze in blogging with all of my other duties since my hubby had had surgery in November of last year. Once you take it out if your daily schedule, one is sunk to find a way to squeeze it back in. i have MANY things to share, and I hope that it will start happening by this weekend. School is almost over.. so my early MORNING duty at school ended yesterday. (Why I have an extra 20 minutes this morning!)

My first order of business this weekend will be to get all of you MY fave sandwiches for the various other than cuttlebug dies in the cuttle bug.

So tune in, by Monday I will have the first installment of those ready to go!!! I'm Back!!
Thanks for your Patience!
Chick

Humerous encouragement

2009-12-20T12:30:00.002-06:00

Christmas time as wonderful as it is, it is also hectic, if we are honest about it. Not that we don't love it, just it is hard to get every thing done. Then at times, things happen that we need to give a bit of encouragement...How to fit THAT kind of a card into our schedule? You need to make a card that my friend Denise Householder calls, A QUICK CHICK card. Although she says that dripping with sarcasm. This is a quick one.
My main vice is ICE CREAM!! I could eat it for breakfast!! So when I saw this stamp at the Crackerbox Palace, http://www.crackerboxrubberstamps.com/ I had to make a card with it... I remember seeing a "sticker" of ice cream in a rummage sale-like box of goodies I had picked up.. and literally the card was created in a minute. I know that the CRACKERBOX PALACE also has some really cool ice cream stamps, and I plan to use those on cards when I am not in the season of needing to finish my Christmas cards. But to get it out "chick quick" style there are no bows, and the words are the only thing stamped.

Finishing up for Christmas

2009-12-20T11:46:00.003-06:00

Guess what happens if you bump a button too soon? You post something that wasn't ready.

The folders on here are a couple that I picked up from HSN( which are now totally sold out, sorry)

These stamps are really fun ones from the Crackerbox Palace http://www.crackerboxrubberstamps.com/

colored with copics and embellished with the only Flower Soft that I really really like (Polar Ice).

Here is a close-up of the Santa.

Cat card is finished!

2009-12-15T10:05:00.000-06:00

I promised that I would share the actual card once I got it finished! Well I mannaged to do so before the Kittens came home! It is also an easel card. I do love that style of card.

This shows it from the side for those who have not seen easel cards before.

and a close up from the front. Have a great Day!

For my "baby" boy's birthday!

2009-12-14T22:03:00.000-06:00

My youngest,Reza, turned 25 on 12/12/09 and since he loves to play poker, I decided to make him a "money" card. It is an easel/shaker card.

Of course the words are mostly computer generated, and I had to put a quarter in the shaker part to symbolize his turning of a quarter of a century.

I love the easel cards, because not only do they display themselves, your message that is hand written can be hidden from the rest of the viewers, even when the card it on display.

TIP:

Did you know that if you use an ink jet printer and work quickly, you can emboss your words, thus making it seem like you really stamped them. You do have to work quickly, but if anyone is interested in the details, email me at chickali@gmail.com and I will give you the details.

St. Nicholas's Day

2009-12-10T00:07:00.000-06:00

Although I know that this should have been posted before the sixth of Dec.... sometimes life gets in the way.

St Nicholas's day has always been special to me, coming from a German background and all, but when my Beloved Dad passed away on St. Nicholas Eve. Dec. 5th , 30 years ago....I found it was a way to honor the beautiful giving person he was. So I have always celebrated it by making a simple gift and giving it out in his name.

This was something that was cased from candle- lite reps, who made Lollipops from their tea lite candles.

Of course they didn't stamp a card with it..

Here is a close up of the tag.

This has been my favorite St. Nicholas face for a long time.

I hope to finish up some cards I have in the making with other Santa faces and post them soon.

Between the dumping of snow that came, as well as all the birthdays we have in Dec. I don't always get things done in the timely manner that I would like to.

I will share one more picture, although it is a card in the making. My good friend and co-worker is getting two baby kittens soon, and this is to welcome them into the family...when it is finished that is!

For now that's all folks!

hugs and blessings,

Chick

getting healthy

2009-12-01T23:37:00.000-06:00

This is a card that we probably won't be using much until after the holidays. LOL
I made it for a co-worker and great friend, who has been losing weight by choosing to eat healthy.

I wanted to let her know that her hard work was "paying off"...but with a little humor inside.Chuckle chuckle.

Notice that the same Cuttlebug HSN folder that was used in the winter card, was used again here.. I think it is one of the most versatile folders they have made.I love it!

The stamp is another one of my beloved House Mouse ones. This one is from their Happy Hopper series.

I colored with copics, but then flocked the Larger Bunny.. I love that we can "pet" it. I mixed my own color,using brown, white, gray and glitter..with the new think pink for the inner ear. Words are computer generated. Also used are the spellbinders labels 8 and ribbon tag.

A simple winter card

2009-12-01T23:03:00.000-06:00

I'm trying to keep out of my putsy comfort zone, and remind myself that no one has the time to get putsy in December...also that not everyone celebrates Christmas... so here's a 5 minute "Non Christmas" card.

I decided that I wanted a different color, other than the usual red, green, or blue that we see during the holiday season, . so I chose pink, set on a deep Burgandy base.

I used one of the cuttlebug folders from the HSN Holiday bundle, and embellished it with purple pearls and deep pink gems, after coloring it with Wild Plum Adirondack ink.

I also stamped the 'Warm Winter Wishes' and the 'Chill of Winter' in the Wild Plum.

Both Stamps are from the Crackerbox Palace http://crackerboxrubberstamps.com/ .

Time total five minutes (Gotta love that Cuttlebug!)

A couple more fall/Thanksgiving cards

2009-11-25T17:21:00.000-06:00

...that I had done a few weeks ago.. when I didn't know how to post yet.

As you can see I love the spellbinders. (I use them in my cuttlebug) The Pumpkin and the leaves are of the group that will be gone by the end of November...I use them over and over ..well worth having.

I also used Labels nine.. and did the card in a simplified easel format so that it is easy to display.. The pumpkins fold down so tthat the card could be sent by post if one wished.

Both of the sayings are from the Crackerbox Palace.

They are two of my favorites that I pull out time and time again.

Here is another card that I have used the same Crackerbox stamp on. I just added a couple more leaves.. (Also from the Crackerbox) The border punch used is from EK success and the "garbage" of the border punch is the decoration around the spellbinder ovals. The acorns and leaf is fun foam cut with spellbinders, too.

Have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving,

Insides!

2009-11-25T10:38:00.000-06:00

I was asked what I do to the insides of my cards??

SOOOO I took a couple of pictures of the cards that I already have posted.
Sometimes I leave them blank until I know who will get it, so that it can be personalized for that particular person... Sometimes.. I am short of time and just grab my beloved outline stickers and jazz it up a bit.. They are pretty, but do not add bulk like layering would. (Layering is reserved for when the stamped image didn't get on straight) LOL like in the blue card.. This is the inside of the House Mouse santa card. The words are from :
The Cracker box Palace.

This one is the inside of the cuttlebugged Santa flyinf over the houses card. The stickers allow it to remain one CS thick.

These words are also from the Crackerbox Palace.

I really love their stamps.. Well made, Stamp well, and neat sayings and images.. A huge variety! Check 'em out!

I have some thanksgiving things to share... my kids (in my profile picture) can't get home until Saturday.. so I have more time to finish things up than most of you.. So these are just my proto types not the finsihed product.. more later.

One layer sendable!

2009-11-23T07:01:00.000-06:00

We all have postal problems.(TEE HEE).. this card has nothing hard on it (like a brad)and only one layer, thus it will go through the mail no "problemo".

The folder is one of last year's Cuttlebug Holiday folders.
The Stamps are from the CrackerBox Palace.
I colored it with Liquid Applique in gray, brown, and white and sprinkled with holograhic glitter before the applique dried.
The houses are colored this SPICA Glitter pens from Copic!! LOVE EM!!

The card is Edged with a Krylon Gold Marker!

Another easy to mail Christmas card.

2009-11-23T06:51:00.000-06:00

It has to be quick this morning... but wanted to show you a couple more easy to mail quick Christmas cards.This first one is using an EK holes and a couple snow flake punches, a Cuttlebug holiday border, and Martha Stewards snow border/corner punch set.

The stamps of Rudolph and Chill are from the Crackerbox Palace;

The holes behind Rudolph and the side holes are covered with packing tape and then covered with glitter and BURNISHED.
Rudolph's nose is half of a fishing bead. Image is colored with Copics and the glitter,antlers and sunglasses are covered with Triple Thick from Deco Arts. (Makes it so that the glitter will never shed!!!)

2009-11-22T19:48:00.000-06:00

After Christmas we always need to get our Thank yous out and they also need to be quick ones.

This card is a five minute card..

I used a scrap of wall paper for the back paper.(I believe in living green) I made a template by cutting a spellbinder plastic packaging material... cut it to A2 card front size... then cut out the center to have what I thought would be an eye appealing border width...
I can use this template over and over again and again.
HOW???
I line up the outside edges, and use a copic pigment pen to draw the border ..leaving room to stamp my words. Using this pen, I can emboss if I wish. (On this card I did.)

I stamped the roses from the "Crackerbox Palace" and embossed them.
Then I used a cheap paint that works like H2O's...and covers well on wallpaper to paint the flowers.
The embossing keeps oit from going out of the lines, thus Ican paint it quickly.
The words are also from another Cracker box stamp, that is so well made that I can use the rest of the stamp for the inside.     The inside says: May the world always be
                                                             as wonderful for you,
                                                             as you make it for others.

The line on the front of this card is the first part of the same word stamp. I forgot to take a picture of the inside before I sent it out!!LOL Told you I was new to this!
Joy and Peace to all,
ChickAlizadeh

Another easy fun Christmas Card

2009-11-22T12:45:00.000-06:00

This is not the season for putsy :(".....; even though I love them...

So I used the November House Mouse stamp, colored it with Copics, then used "Think Pink" and "Heart Red" Flock by Stampendous
on the cape, socks and hat.

The strip of white CS that I used was 3 1/4 inches wide,( necessary if you wish for the Martha Steward snow flake border and corner punch to work out.); I like this punch because the "garbage" was easily used to put the snow flakes on to the card.
I used the Polar ice flower soft on the hat brim and tassle. . . ( this is the first one that I have not been frustrated with.. It has a glint all on it's own.. and it doesn't seem to shed as badly as the others have...It is giving me some Ideas to use on flower soft that might make me like it more.. Will let you know how they come out... But the Polar Ice. . I like!)
The top of the card was embossed with the new cuttlebug holiday snowflake border...and rubbed with versa magic "cloud white"chalk ink.
The words are from putting a small green CS strip into the new holiday words cuttlebug folder, embossing and then rubbing a bit of green chalk ink on it.. I think it was "color box ice jade chalk ink" , but I had done it before.. not knowing when I would use it and didn't pay attention to that detail.
I finished off the card with dabs from my two-way glue pen and holographic glitter. Then added a Poinsettia sticker that I had picked up from Michael's bargain bin a while back. The spellbinders poinsettia nestables smallest die could do the same thing for me, had I not had this cheap quick solution to embellishment.
I bought the stamp of the month, punch,& and all the supplies I used at
The Crackerbox Palace in Janesville, WI.
Cheer and Peace,
Chick Alizadeh

The first of many. . . I hope.

2009-11-17T23:33:00.000-06:00

Christmas is coming up faster than we realize. No time to make the "putzy" kind of cards I love to make, so my first picture post is a five minute card, that hopefully still has enough of a wow factor that my "receivers" aren't disappointed.
It is one of the new cuttlebug folders,colored with copic markers.
Greeting is from the Crackerbox Palace.
Icicles punched with the Martha Steward punch, and a little liquid applique and holographic glitter as an embellishment. Easy to make and easy to mail!
Have a great day!
Chick

JUST THE BEGINNING

2009-10-17T22:51:00.000-05:00

This is something that I have been asked to do or a long time now, but since I have a very slow connection and no computer training, it is the scariest adventure that I have ever been on.

I will try very hard to give the tidbits about my passion ( stamping) as I learn them.

for today. . . it is only the beginning.

by the way. . .October is a good month for scary adventures no???