Always All the Rage

Today my email included the Weekly Inkling from Splitcoaststampers.com, and, as always, it featured a tutorial. This week's was for the chalkboard technique. I checked it out and it was easy peasy lemon squeezy, so I had to give it a try!

I was also influenced by this card over at Kristina Werner's blog. Circle cards seem to be "all the rage", and I wanted to do something unique for the last card I'm featuring at the Always Stamp Camp.

The picture shows some of the major elements used in this creation. In the upper left corner you can see part of a plastic lid. Circle cards are most commonly made using a tool called the Coluzzle Circular Cutting System which, you guessed it, I do not own. Did that stop me, though? NO! I was about to throw this lid out this afternoon when I realized that it was the size circle I was looking for. I traced it and had my base. The color is Apricot Appeal, which I used once before here and wanted to experiment with again.

The chalkboard technique uses Whisper White Craft Ink on dark card stock, Elegant Eggplant, in this case. Once the flowers were stamped, a sponge dauber was used to color them with chalks. (I chose Apricot Appeal, Pretty in Pink, and Lavender Lace, all from the Soft Subtles family.) The stickiness of the craft ink holds onto the chalk!

The Stamp-A-Ma-Jig was used to place the little flowers around the border of the card. Again, I cannot say enough about the versatility of this tool! I used EE ink, and I like the contrasting complement.

The ribbon at the top has a story. I had some snippets of white 1/4" grosgrain ribbon left over from another project. I hadn't been able to throw them away because, as you know, I'm a bit of a tightwad. Didn't want to waste them, dontcha know! Anyway, EE ribbon is not something I have in my stash, but with the help of the EE Stampin' Write Marker, I created it! I still the card could benefit from wider ribbon at the top, so I may order some 5/8" grosgrain in white and repeat the process of dying, only this time using the EE reinker. But for now, I'm pleased.

On the homefront, today was the day Michael took his first steps toward 22-24 months of braces. He had spacers jammed between his teeth that are farthest back in his mouth, and next week he'll have a full metal jacket on his teeth. The technician, Georgean, prescribed ice cream and Aleve, so he had as much as he could chew of our real dinner (chicken tacos), and then I made him a shake. Chocolate oreo mint...to invoke a Martha moment, "it's a good thing."