Thank You Card The Stamping Way

When my oldest daughter competed in a solo competition in 2009, we weren't sure of the outcome. We thought it would just another experience, but it turned out this event was a surprising one. Our daughter, Emily, performed well and wasn't really expected anything special. But then when Emily's name was being called as one of the winners, we cheered beyond control. Everybody was so happy. One of the people who cheered with us, was a music teacher who became Emily's pianist. She was so helpful towards the rehearsal and very supportive of Emily, though we only knew her in a short time. For her help being Emily's pianist, I made her a thank you card using clear stamps to decorate it. The card was an accordion card, with the part of the stamped image being cut off in certain way and I colored the images with markers. This thank you card was one of my favorite stamped card.

Thank you card with stamped images

Handwritten sentiment on the front

Emily posing with the other winners, juries and the people who sponsored the competition

Limbah Itu Indah

Begitu membaca tulisan limbah, yang terbayang adalah barang-barang yang bau, kotor dan harus dibuang jauh-jauh. Tapi tidak semua yang berbentuk limbah patut dibuang. Ada limbah yang bisa digunakan untuk mempercantik karya seni atau dirubah menjadi karya seni itu sendiri. Beberapa proyek terberu saya melibatkan limbah ini dalam bentuk label dari botol soda, bekas kemasan coklat, bekas kantong benih bunga dan kotak tissue. Saya mempunyai koleksi beberapa bekas kemasan coklat, karena saya pecinta coklat. Illustrasi pada kemasan coklat inilah yang awalnya memberikan saya ide untuk menggunakannya sebagai hiasan di kartu ucapan. Selain itu karena kebutuhan tissue yang cukup sering dipakai di keluarga kami, kotak tissuenya menjadi bertumpuk. Kotak-kotak ini menjadi perhatian saya karena warna dan motif serta illustrasinya yang menarik. Proyek pertama menggunakan kotak tissue ini berupa notebook buatan tangan yang pernah saya hadiahkan untuk guru anak-anak di sekolah. Limbah lainnya yang saya pakai ulang untuk proyek ini adalah kantong coklat yang biasa digunakan untuk membungkus barang belanja, terutama yang bentuknya kecil atau dalam kemasan kaca. Di bawah ini adalah hasil dari proyek mengolah limbah tersebut dengan penjelasannya bahan-bahannya.

Bahan-bahan limbah: kantong coklat kecil, halaman buku tua, bekas kemasan coklat, daun kering dari halaman, benang sisa, kertas sisa (kemudian distempel) dan alasnya berupa karton bekas cup holder.

Bahan-bahan limbah: kantong coklat kecil, kertas sisa (yang ada tulisannya), bekas kotak tissue (warna hijau) dan hiasan yang berupa bekas gantungan yang lepas.

Bahan-bahan limbah: kantong coklat kecil, bekas kantong benih bunga, sisa pita, kancing tua, dan kertas sisa.

Bahan-bahan limbah: kantong coklat kecil, label dari botol soda, bulu burung (hasil temuan, misalnya), kertas sisa dan halaman buku tua.

Diorama My Private Paradise

Sepulang dari sekolah, si bungsu membawa kardus kosong besar. Sewaktu saya tanya untuk apa, dia jawab, itu untuk tugasnya membuat diorama. Tugasnya kali ini adalah merancang lingkungan yang menurut masing-masing murid adalah ideal, "private paradise" mereka. Si bungsu memberitahukan saya tulisan dia berisi daftar dari tempat atau institusi yang menurut dia harus ada dalam lingkungan idealnya: perpustakaan, sekolah, community garden, taman, pantai dan pemukiman. Saya tentu saja dengan senang hati bersedia membantu Bayu membuat diorama My Private Paradise. Yang saya kerjakan lebih dulu adalah membahas dengan sang perancang mengenai tata letak tempat dan institusi yang ada di lingkungan idealnya. Lalu saya mencari bahan-bahan pendukung dioramanya baik yang bisa kami dapatkan di toko ketrampilan atau berupa barang bekas. Salah satu ide cemerlang dari Bayu adalah menggunakan plastik untuk lautnya. Kami gunakan plastik pembungkus koran yang kebetulan sekali berwarna biru untuk lautnya. Sebagai pasir pantainya, kami pakai kertas coklat yang diremas-remas.

Beberapa kardus kecil bekas berubah menjadi sekolah, perpustakaan dan rumah. Untuk langit dan awannya saya mempergunakan tinta stempel yang saya ajarkan Bayu untuk membubuhkannya memakai sponge make up ke bagian dalam kardus. Selebihnya, hiasan yang sampai detail memakai sticker atau barang bekas, seperti ayunan dan perosotan yang saya buat dari kertas sisa. Untuk tiang benderanya, saya memakai pensil yang sudah pendek, sementara Bayu yang menggambar bendera Amerikanya. Dia juga yang meletakkan orang-orangan dari sticker yang saya beri sandaran. Ada seorang gadis yang sedang mengagumi air mancur. Ada seorang anak yang sedang bermain di taman dan seorang lagi sednag ebrada di pantai. Selama proses pembuatan diorama ini, Bayu sangat menikmatinya. Dia berlaku sebagai insinyur perencana tata ruangnya, sedangkan saya sebagai kontraktornya. Semua bahan-bahan yang saya ajukan, harus dia setujui, layaknya seorang insinyur hendak membangun gedung sungguhan. Guru wali kelasnya bilang ke saya, kalau dia tidak sabar untuk melihat diorama Bayu keseluruhan, apalagi karena dia satu-satunya murid yang memilih membuatnya. Ini dia penampakan diorama My Private Paradise.

The Finished Calendar Scrapbook

At last, the project that I started a month ago has finished. My media is an old calendar that I turned into a scrapbook album. I really enjoyed doing it and thought of creating another one, since end of the year is approaching, there'll be another calendar available. The album that I called AUTUMN IN CONNECTICUT is about the photo series of sceneries that I took throughout parts of Connecticut during Autumn. Looking at the pictures always bring smile and peace to my self. Of all the four seasons, I think I love Autumn the most.

More of Old Calendar Scrapbook

I've finished my latest project turning old calendar into a scrapbook album and I LOVE IT! I found it very interesting and addicted, coloring the calendar pages with ink stamps. I combined 2 or 3 colors on a page to create the color nuances of Autumn. My scrapbook theme is AUTUMN IN CONNECTICUT. I took the pictures during Autumn in 2010 and 2011 in several places in Connecticut. It's always lovely when Autumn arrives in New England. New England is an area in the eastern of United States that consists of several states, including Connecticut. This area is famous during Autumn for its colorful foliage. The earlier scrapbook pages have been posted here, OLD CALENDAR SCRAPBOOK and the additional pages you can view below. I will post more of the tutorial to turn old calendar into a scrapbook album later.

Altered Calendar Tutorial

As I promised you on my recent post about OLD CALENDAR SCRAPBOOK, I will describe the materials I used and how to make an altered calendar. First of all, because I used a small hanging calendar or if you want to use a desk calendar that is usually small, make sure the size of your photos is adequate. I printed some photos in 4inches x 6inches and the rests are in wallet size. Since the theme of this scrapbook album is Fall, I use a lot of colors that are in Fall gradation: dark and light brown, terra cotta, yellow, and green. I also used maple leaf paper punch to create a stencil when I decorated the paper. I chose the technique called inking to color the pages with arrays of fall-theme ink stamps. Here are the details of materials and the directions on how to create an altered calendar.

MATERIALS:

• Old calendar (mini or desk calendar)
• Wallet size photos or any other suitable size
• Ink stamps (I prefer using distress and archival ink)
• Make up sponges, each for different ink color
• Maple leaf paper punch (use the punch-out for decoration and the left-over paper for stencil)
• Scrap papers
• Specialty ribbon (with words)
• Sticker and other types of decorations
• 3dimentional foam tape
• White or light color cardstock

 

 HOW TO CREATE PAGE 1:

1. With a make up sponge, dab lightly and smoothen out evently the ink stamp unto the calendar page. For the first page of the scrapbook, I used Adirondack earthtones ink in butterscotch color. 
2. Then using a maple leaf punch-out, cover parts of the inked page and dab the dark ink color to create the leaves imprints.
3. Color the maple leaf punch-outs with the same ink color ( I used StazOn timber brown) as the one you used to make the leaves imprints. Set aside for decorations.
4. Adhere the photo unto white cardstock and place it on the page.
5. Decorate with strips of scrap papers and decorative ribbon.
6. Then adhere 3D foam tape on some of the maple leaves and place them on the photo, and adhere the rests on the other part of the page.

 

Old Calendar Scrapbook

My latest scrapbooking project involves an old calendar. I keep several of old calendars that are very good. Because I love buying calendars especially illustrated with paintings or drawings. Like the one with Charles Wysocki's paintings or Mary Engelbert's. Last year I came upon calendar with paintings by Ellen Eilers called Life in Calico Country and right away fell in love with it. But after one year has passed, I don't want to throw away such a beautiful calendar. So instead I use the mini calendar as an album for my scrapbook project called FALL IN CONNECTICUT, therefore I can still enjoy Ellen Eiler's artworks too. I've created several pages already and will post them below. I will describe the details about the materials and directions later on. By the way, this is one excellent way to reuse an old calendar to turn it into a scrapbook album. This way, if you use a desk calendar or a sturdy mini calendar like mine, you can show off your scrapbook album on a table and change the page each month just like a calendar.

London is Calling

Have you followed the London Olympic? I have, so have my kids.. We really had some great times together cheering for the home team and also other athletes that we like. It's too bad it ends tonight. But oh, so many inspirations from it and of course, the city of London its self is the biggest inspiration of all. I created two cards that were inspired by the Big Ben, one of the famous London icons. On the first card, I used Hero stamp in the theme London Background, and on the 2nd card I used stamp from the Yellow Owl Workshop. Maybe one day I'll visit this magnificent city and be amazed by its many interesting destinations.

 

Antique Bottle Inspiration

I love antique and vintage bottles, in fact I collect some vintage bottles. Their appearance and shape are intriguing. While visiting Metropolitan Art Museum in New York City, I was amazed by the quality and artwork by some of the antique bottles on the exhibition and this was my inspiration. I created cards in the shape of bottle and decorated them in an antique feeling with romantic touch. I used white cardstock paper and adhered patterned paper unto it. The decorations are mostly from stamped images. I really love the result and ended up created four bottle cards in total. Perhaps I'll make some more, since my friends' birthdays are coming and just for the fun of it.

 

 

 

Dear Friend, You're A Hoot!

My friend, Anne, loves owl. This particular bird has special place in some cultures. It is the symbol of wisdom, teaching and learning institution, and attributed to witches and wizards. An owl is also beautiful bird with uniqueness from its sensitive hearing, excellent night vision and the only animal that can rotate its neck 270 degrees. That's incredible! Based on that, I was tickled to create some cards with owl as a decoration and a theme. I use an owl rubberstamp from Studio G (the only owl themed stamp I have). The shape of the cards are of mason jar. I love this jar and collect some. So, what do you think of these two owls? Aren't they cute?