Iris Blooms Floating by Challis & Roo - A Green Card!

First, I would like to report that 2 bloggers have told me that they noticed their Followers were gone and tested my theory. My theory is that by emptying your Google Reader your Followers are somehow connected. Read HERE. They report that the Followers were back after doing that. :-)

I am still using up images I painted this last Winter in an attempt to go 'Green' and not waste! It was kind of fun going through what I have hoarded in backgrounds too.

I created the image by stamping Iris Blooms Floating by Challis & Roos twice using Galaxy Gold on Neenah Classic White Solar Crest cardstock.  I heated it to set and painted with Twinkling H2O's Royal Satin, True Blue, Moss Green, and Olive Green.  Images were trimmed and the edges were painted with Gold Galaxy too.

Two pieces of the Neenah Classic White were run through my Cuttlebug using Spellbinders Labels 13 and repeated to emboss the edges.  One Iris Bloom was mounted onto the embossed die cut with tape, followed by part of the other Iris Blooms and 3D pop dots as shown.  X-Acto knife on a healing mat was used to cut open slots for the ribbon on each side of the die cut. 

I created the back ground when I was doing this card for the Impression Obsessions Blog HERE, if you want to see the tutorial.  So now you know I have had it for almost 2 years. I liked the background so much that I saved 3 more backgrounds to work with later. I used Cover-a-Card™ CC024 Tapestry and CC002 Swirls.

Next I mounted the image with label onto the finished Quilt Background using 3D pop dots.  Michaels ivory colored organza ribbon was threaded through the slots and a double-bow using the Bow-Easy was mounted.  A gold filigree button from my stash was applied with a 5mm pearl sticker and additional Glossy Accents.  I used an acrylic circle and discontinued stamp from Rubber Stamp Tapestry for the tag.  I stamped the image and the edges with Galaxy Gold and heat embossed with Egyptian Gold, and tied it on using left over gold cord.  'Hello' didn't show up well enough, so I went over it with an Olive Green Sharpie.

Thanks so much for stopping by to look and share! 

Supplies:
Stamps:  Impression Obsession Cover-a-Card™  CC024 Tapestry and  CC002 Swirls; Discontinued Iris Blooms, Challis & Roo - Inkadinkado; discontinued stamp from Rubber Stamp Tapestry.

Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Super Smooth and Natural cardstock
Inks: VersaMark; Brilliance Galaxy Gold; Twinkling H2O's Royal Satin, True Blue, Moss Green, and Olive Green
Accessories:  Judikins Egyptian Gold Embossing Powder, Spellbinders Frameabilities Scalloped Edges (Flower), Fiskars Apron Lace border punch; Michaels Organdy Ribbon, Bow- Easy, Mark Richards 5mm, 3mm pearls; Olive Green Sharpie.

Thanks for stopping by to look and share!

 Shirley

Which Choice For Allowing Blog Comments And How Easy to Make It

I a really love being able to blog hop again.  Below are some things blogees may not know about the choices they have to make it easier for followers and fellow blog hoppers to comment on their posts. Besides the choices available, I thought it might be fun to see how you all feel as commenters.

First you have to know how to get to where your choices for comments are located.

1. Go to Dashboard Tab
2. Click on Settings Tab
3. Click on Comments

Go down to Comment Form Placement.  You have 3 choices:

1. FULL PAGE - When you choose this one All Of The Posts Show Up On A Page Together, and you cannot view the post itself.  It either replaces the blog page with the post totally or pops up in a new tab.  A time waster for the commenter having to go back and forth.
2. POP UP WINDOW - A separate smaller window pops up for your post, and it can be moved along side the image to view while you are commenting about it.
3. EMBEDDED BELOW THE POST - The post with image has all of the comments posted below it.  If there are a ton of posts you have to go back and forth from the bottom to the top to view the image while commenting about it.  A time waster for a commenter who is in a hurry.

Move on down the page to Comment Form Message. A place to post a brief message for commenters.  Something like thank you for taking time to leave a comment.  It appears above the area where the comment is posted.

The next two items are where you decide how easy you are going to make it for your visitor and yourself.  You should choose ONE of these, NOT BOTH or NONE at all, by entering NO on each one.  I will explain each and why:

1. The first one is Comment Moderation lets you decide whether or not you are going to approve EVERY post.  If you choose Always or Only posts older than (number) days, and it won't show up in the comments area until you approve it.  BTW - This is the way that Challenge organizers prefer you choose when you participate in their challenges.  If you choose this one you need to be sure to leave your email address in the next area so you can be notified .
2. The next and second choice is Show Word Verification For Comments.  Many commenters do not like this one because it is time consuming.  Challenge organizers do not like this one and sometimes will not comment because of the time to do so.
3. If you choose NO on each choice, Google tries to catch Spam, etc. by entering it in the Spam area of your main COMMENTS TAB.  You are advised to check this weekly if you choose neither of the above.

If you choose both trying to avoid the spam posts, you create unnecessary work for you and the poster.  I have a poll below to see how you all feel.  You can choose 2, your first and second preference.  I had a psychologist once tell me he always tried to have 2 choices available.  That way if he couldn't have the first he could have some satisfaction is getting the second!!!



I hope I have helped some of you decide what is best for you and your followers. If not, maybe watching the polls above to see how people are answering will help you with the decision. :-)  If you have questions about the above or other areas, please ask.  Hope your weekend is turning out great! Off to finish a card! Thanks for stopping by to look and share.

 Shirley

This Card Is For You

Before I talk about this card I would like to give thanks for the inspiration I used for my last card.  You can see it HERE.  I loved the card Colleen Dietrich at Dietrich Designs as seen HERE.  If you have never been there you need to visit and I promise you will want to look for a while!!  Thank you Colleen for your inspiration and creativity!

The card above was inspired by Lynn McAuley at Confessions Of A Left-Brained Stamper.  I was so excited when I pulled the jpg as an inspiration because Lynn had her name on it so I could find her blog.  Do you think I could find the card~!!!!!! Nooooooooo~  So Lynn, if you see this let me know where I saw your card!! :-)

A very simple card.  One piece of paper for the quilt look is hoarded leftovers.  It is called Italian Venetian and is has gold filigree here and there in the leaves and blossoms.  The other is Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80lb. cardstock.  The pieces were punched with a 1 3/8" Paper Shaper punch and mounted to a piece of  the Neenah White.

The flourish, from Flourishes Siberian Iris, was stamped on the Neenah white cardstock with Brilliance Galaxy Gold.  The pearls are from Oriental Trading Company and they are not sticky and were mounted with Glossy Accents. The green is Twinkling H2O Moss Green.

A Dark Brown Sharpie and a ruler were used for the Faux Stitching.  That was run through my Cuttlebug with their Victoria embossing folder.  I pieced another piece of Neenah white so everything measured 4.0"X5.25".  That was mounted to a piece of Curious Metallic Chocolate text weight.

Now the fun really began.  I used my new PTI Flower Bloom #1 die set with the Italian Venetian paper as shown with my Cuttlebug.  I used a stylus on a piece of stylus foam to give the petals dimension along with 3D 1/16" pop dots under each petal.  The tips of the petals were rounded with the rod of a needle punch.  The buttons are from my stash, as well as the gold thread. One button is crystal clear with a gold trim and the other is a pearl pink.

The tag is from Spellbinder Tag Trio and was saved from a past project.  The sentiment is by Paper Salon and was embossed with Gold EP.  I mounted it on the Italian Venetian paper, trimmed around it, and cut out the ribbon slots with an X-Acto knife.  The dots are Stickles Cotton Candy. The ribbon is from Michaels.  The stick pin and Czech bead are from my stash!.

I am off to do another card.  I am down from 8 cards at a time to 2 and may get to 1.  That should speed up my production rate............maybe!!!  :-)

That's all for today and thanks for stopping by to look and say hi!!

 Shirley

Supplies:
Papers: Neenah Classic Crest, Solar White, Super Smooth cardstock and text weight; Curious Metallic Chocolate text weight; Italian Venetian

Stamps: Flourishes Siberian Iris - flourish; Paper Salon For You

Inks: Brilliance Galaxy Gold; Shaprie Dark Brown; Gold EP

Accessories: Oriental Trading Company pearls; EK Success Paper Shaper 1 3/8" punch; clear and pink pearl buttons; Gold thread from stash; Cuttlebug Victoria; Spellbinders Tags Trio; Stickles Cotton Candy; Michaels ribbon; Bow-Easy; stick pin and Czech from stash.

The Case Of The Missing Followers And How Google Reader Relates

First I want to thank everyone for encouraging me to try Google Reader, because I think it really helped me bring my Followers list back.

I started out on my DASHBOARD.  I usually would go to it and then if you look down you see the READING LIST, followed below that with the BLOGS I AM FOLLOWING, and just beside that are the ITEMS.  Well I would go to this "place" to maintain and check out the new posts on the blogs I follow.  I would end up doing it here and there as I had time and I could usually tell if I had already seen a post and would go down further.  I thought I was really keeping up.  Please keep in mind, I have been pretty busy elsewhere for quite a few months and was behind in commenting.   I know, I know, not meeeeee!  Ha!

So after several of you referred me to GOOGLE READER and pointed it out to me on the DASHBOARD, I proceeded to first access it (Duh Me) by going down to the bottom of the page to the TOOLS AND RESOURCES link and accessed it from there.  Was I ever in for a rude awakening.  I had over 1000+ posts unread.  It seems I was not doing a good job of catching up after being away.

I started clicking on blogs on the left with the most items to catch up.  A funny thing happened.  When I got below 1000 MY FOLLOWERS CAME BACK.  Okay, okay, I know the people who follow me shouldn't have anything to do with the ones I follow, but for the most part they are all the same.  After reading about 300+ posts, I decided to just hit the MARK ALL AS READ and see what would happen.  I mean, it's not like I wouldn't keep up now.   Seriously, I do keep up as some of you have noticed.  LOLOL  Nothing serious happened and I am up to date and keeping it that way.  It is also important to note that they all stay where they were on your DASHBOARD area, you may just have fewer.

I guess what I would like to know for those of you who are missing followers, who don't keep up by using your GOOGLE READER, would you:

1. Go to your DASHBOARD
2. Go down to the TOOLS AND RESOURCES area
3. Click on GOOGLE READER and take a look at your unread post amounts.
4. If it exceeds 1000 would you just clear it out by clicking on MARK ALL AS READ. (Important to note, if you comment on posts from your DASHBOARD, it doesn't remove them at all and you can still do your thing from there if you choose.
5. Let us know if your followers came back.  I can't remember how quickly it happened for me.  Like that night, or within an hour, etc.

I tried to read up on this in the Blogger Help area, and all I could find is that they are two very distinctly different things, but I think they are intertwined in a way that isn't understood yet.  You can also get your Google Reader feeds that way too and maybe they are talking about that. They appear above the Follower list. Funny though that you can read blog posts you follow in the Google Reader area (that is supposed to be for Google Feeds) and that is confusing to read!!! :-)

That's all I have on this for now.  So far my Followers are right where they belong and so am I, I think!!!  I hope your weekend is turning out great and thanks for stopping by to say hi and share too!

 Shirley

It's My Flower Time

For months I have wanted to do some flower cards and just never made time.  Well as you can see, I have.  I am starting with a flower I made using Spellbinder's Blossom die set.

The smallest 3 dies from Spellbinder's Blossom set were run through my Cuttlebug twice using Curious Gold Leaf White Gold 8.5X11 text.  It is more of a bone color with a gold sheen to it.  Text is easier to mold and is still thicker than normal text weight paper.  I trimmed the petals in the valleys a little so they would curl easier.  I laid them out and then inked up Impression Obsession's Cover-A-Card Dots on my Mega Mount with Brilliance Coral and rocked it over them and then dried them with a heat gun.  I curled the petals with a crochet handle and mounted them on top one another as shown.   A humongous White pearl sticker was put in the middle and Stickles Cinnamon glitter glue was used for the dots you see around it.  At this point I have one petal layer left for the sentiment.

I ran a pink piece of cardstock through the Cuttlebug using their Textile Texture embossing folder.  I ran my Opalite Golden Mist pad over the embossed area to add a gold sheen to it.   I cut it in half and then taped it to a white piece of Domtar cardstock.

I ran remnant pieces of Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80lb. text weight paper through my Fiskars Eyelet Lace Border Punch to do 5 layers at 1.5"X4.0".

A remnant piece of dark brown ribbon was threaded through a piece of May Arts lace and taped to the card.  The bow was done with the Bow-Easy.  This was mounted on Curious Chocolate.

The sentiment is from Impression Obsession Clear Stamp Set Mini Messages and was stamped on Neenah Solar White Classic Crest remnant cardstock using Memento Rich Cocoa.  I placed a clear oval sticker on top of it and then taped to center of the last petal die cut and mounted as shown.  Last I used a Viva Decor Cream Pearl Pen to accent certain embossed areas in the paper lace.

I had fun and think I might try a ribbon rose next!  Thanks for stopping by to look and say hi!

 Shirley

Supplies:
Papers: Domtar White, Super Smooth, 90 lb. Folded card base ; Neenah Classic Crest, Solar White, Super Smooth cardstock and text weight; Curious Gold Leaf White Gold and Chocolate text weight; Pink cardstock

Stamps: Impression Obsession Cover-A-Card CC003- Dots and Mini Messages

Inks: Brilliance Coral; Memento Rich Cocoa; Opalite Golden Mist

Accessories: Fiskars Eyelet Lace Border Punch; Viva Pearl Pen Cream; Cuttlebug Textile Texture; Spellbinders Blossom; Mark Richards 10mm Pearl sticker; May Arts Lace; Bow-Easy; Clear Dome sticker, Michael remnant ribbon

FOLLOWERS - Give Me Your Opinion Please

Okay, over the last week, I have had several Blogger friends tell me about their experiences with disappearing Blogger Followers.  It is a real problem for me when it happens because, other than a short list of feeds for those who don't have a "Follow Me" group, that is what I use to get updates on who has new posts.


Would anyone out there who uses another source that is:

• easy to access, besides the regular sidebar feeds, 
• will let me see at a glance if there is a new post
• and hopefully would provide it regardless of the server (Blogger, TypePad, WordPress, etc.)

please comment and let me know what you use and where you got instructions on how to use it.  LOLOL  I think the reason my Facebook followers aren't showing is because at the moment I have less than 20 Followers.  I really don't use that to follow blogs.  That's another story.  I just want a list I can follow without using tons of sidebar space. :-)

Thanks in advance for your input.

 Shirley

Two Wonderful Gifts, Well Three Actually

My first gift arrived some time ago.  I apologize for not posting it sooner.  It is a beautiful card from a very lovely enabler!!!  Her name is Mary Ann Evans.  The name of her flicker account is OnLine22much.  If that doesn't ring a bell for some of us.  You should really check out her other cards and things Here.  She has a craft room that is way too cool!  Her pictures of the card below show something I couldn't get.  She used Tsukineko's new Goosebumps!  She also used 2 Impression Obsession stamps that she lists on her Flickers account.  You really gotta see how Goosebumps sprays on.  It is really wonderful.  Thank you Mary Ann for your wonderful card.  It has been brightening my day every time I sit down at my computer!!! :-)

My next gift arrived just day before yesterday.   I have known Linda for a few years and we have kept in touch off and on online.  Low and behold, she couldn't access her blog.  In the end she finally could get to one of her Dashboards, but had to start a new blog and what does she do to thank me for that!!!  She sends me the beautiful box and card below.  I would like to talk about the box first!! Isn't it beautiful and enchanting too!  Makes me think of wishes come true and trip to Fantasia!  It has 4 little drawers.  I will do with it what I do with all the cards I receive.  I will save it and treasure it.

Here is the really cute card she sent with it.  I love the flowers and that totally wonderful bear!  I really envy people who can work well with DP too.  I have a horrible time with it.  I love it too.  As you can see she has a knack with paper flowers also.  I have them and need to use them more.  Thank you again, Linda, for your wonderful surprise.  I really needed it this week, especially.  I will get even thought.  ;-)   I am in the process of that right now!!! :-)  Enough, you all have to see her blog at Linda B's Crafty Creations!!!

Well everyone, that is all for now. I hope to be back before the weekend is over with a card!!!  Thanks, all, for stopping by to look and share!

 Shirley

A Tweet Bird And A New List

I'll want to let you know about my new list tab.  With my new blog layout comes TABS.  Love them.  They are taking some of the stuff out of my sidebars and placing it on top where you can see them if you like.  As you can see, I've added 3 more tabs.  I think you can have a total of 7.

The one tab I would like to bring to your attention is the "Any Stamp Challenges".  I have been blog hopping more recently and noticed all of the Rubber Stamp Challenges in Blogland.  :-)  I had someone ask if I knew where there was a list of challenges for 'using any stamp'.  I said no, but I would collect them while hopping.  If you are interested, check the tab.  I was blown away with the ones I have already found.  If you know of any I don't have, let me know and I will put them on the list.  On to my card!!!

I was over at Stephanie Lanzalotto's blog, My Ink Well, and saw her cute Chickadee card!  I didn't have the stamp set she used, but I did have a button I had been wanting to use on a card for some time.

Construction of Bird:

I applied the button to a remnant of white cardstock and drew the legs, tail feathers, and beak with a pencil. I punched out a wing with one of my tear drop punches and then used it to make a larger one with a pencil. Cut it out and used it as a template on some SU DP scraps for the wing and the background for the flowers. Mounted it with a glue dot.  I trimmed around the bird, nose, and legs. Lined them with Viva Black Pearl Pen and applied a generous dot for the bird's eye.  I used the Viva Hematite Glitter Liner to accent some little dots on DP on the Wing.  Set aside to dry.

Stamped on Neenah White Cardstock with Cover-A-Card Swirls and VersaMark pigment ink.  Embossed with Clear EP.  Used Cuttlebug and Spellbinders Lacey Circles Dies for 2 die cuts.  Used larger die as a stencil and brayered with SU Classic Bashful Blue.  Used as stencil again on vellum to put over the Bashful Blue part to later stamp sentiment.  Used smaller die as stencil for background on SU remnant DP and used Viva Hematite Glitter Liner to accent small circles.

Placed larger die over Vellum as stencil, cut out and mounted over center, placed bird near top, stamped sentiment with StazOn near bottom, created Tweet on computer sticker paper, trimmed around, and placed above sentiment, and used Viva Hematite Glitter Liner over all words.

Mounted bird and words in upper left-hand corner with 3D pop dots.  Mounted May Arts ribbon and bow made with Bow-Easy as shown.

Mounted SU DP remnant in center of smaller die cut.  Mounted Prima flowers as shown.  Used Twinkling H2O's True Blue with Niji waterbrush on edges of larger rose.  I wet the edge of petals first with colorless water and Niji.  Then brushed the color lightly onto edges.  It bleeds and blends on the dampened area for a softer natural look.

It needed something else, so I pulled out a Making Memories Blue Heart Stick Pin and threaded it with a Czech jet black onyx bead and a Blue Moon cultured pearl bead from my stash.

Done except for a little of the DP and Cover-A-Card in thin strips inside the card on the top and on the envelope in the lower left-hand corner.

Thanks for stopping by to say hi and look and share!!

 Shirley

Supplies:

Papers: Domtar White, Super Smooth, 90 lb. Folded card base ; SU Bashful Blue/DP remnants; Neenah Classic Crest, Solar White, Super Smooth; Tan or Bone cardstock;Vellum


Stamps: Impression Obsession Cover-A-Card CC002 - Swirls and Damask; Just Rite Friendship Nested Sentiments; Tweet Computer Generated - Flemish Script BT


Inks: StazOn Jet Black; Brilliance Moonlight White;SU Classic Bashful Blue; Twinkling H2O's True Blue


Accessories: Viva Pearl Pen Black and Glitter Liner Hematite; Niji waterbrush 9mm Small; Cuttlebug; Spellbinders Lacey Circles; Prima Innocence (I think!); May Arts Ribbon; Bow-Easy; Czech black faceted bead, Making Memories stick pin, Blue Moon cultured pearl