My Digital Studio Monday ~ Celebrates Summer

Welcome Friends to My Digital Studio Monday (MDS) Challenge. Today's My Digital Studio Challenge was to create a project that celebrates Summer!!!

Please, check out the awesome Cards / Scrapbook Page designs below... and remember you can click on the designers name to learn more about the made their projects.

MDS Design By ~ Tonya Bowers

























MDS Design By ~ Gwen Webb

























MDS Design By ~ Brandy Cox

























MDS Design By ~ Amber Meadows



























MDS Design By ~ Patty Chenail



























MDS Design By ~ Sue Erickson

























MDS Design By ~ Ruthie Burkey


Wow!!! What did you think? Did we inspire you to start creating digitally?

If you have the My Digital Studio Software get ready to learn to use it and join in the fun. We'd love for you to post comments and suggestions too. We hope that you'll post your MDS creations with us here at UDI.


Let's continue to inspire one another to embrace the art of creating digitally and enjoy crafting from a different perspective. You can also visit http://www.mydigitalstudio.net/ for more inspiration or for technical support.

Next week: Happy 4th of July!!!

If you don't have MDS and are interested in learning more about this Software please contact your Stampin' Up! demonstrator.

Have a great week friends!

Brandy

Perfect Timing

Today I am so excited to share some wonderful, timeless treasures created by Christine R. It was so great to be able to meet Christine at Convention last year then see her again at the UDI retreat. She is a very sweet, knowledgeable and talented hippie. I'm so glad I've been able to get to know her and learn from her. Hugs to you, Christine. :) And....Here's...Christine.....

I have been a Demonstrator for almost 7 years and a Diva for 2. I took early retirement from my job (16+ years) as a judge's secretary last July. I still type trial transcripts for the Court at home (I get to work in my pajamas! how cool is that?!) to supplement my pension, and am trying to build my Stampin' business more, plus I'm now madly trying to do all those other things we all tell ourselves we'll do when we retire (y'know, watch all those videos you taped, read all those books you bought, try all those recipes you've been cutting out since high school, scrap 40 years worth of photos, make quilts from a lifetime's stash of fabric, etc. etc.!) Trouble is, there's just not enough time in the day...

Speaking of time, and since we just went back to Daylight Savings Time (yay!), I was thinking of clocks -- and how I enjoy creating decorative clocks with Stampin' Up materials! Here's how:

Buy a relatively inexpensive clock (usually can find very plain ones at Wal-Mart and Target for under $4.00).

Use a dull knife (I actually use my "baby knife" from my childhood flatware set!) to gently pry off the clear cover from the face of the clock.

Next, gently lift the hands to remove them, after taking careful note of the order in which they will be put back on...

At this point, I lift out the paper on which the numbers are printed and use it as a template to trace and then cut out either a circular piece of cardstock or DSP. Be sure to also trace around and cut out the little notched-up part that helps you orient the paper when you put it back in. Also trace and cut out the little circle in the middle where the hands will be attached. Here is where we need that long-reach circle punch back, but I'm getting better at just using my snips to cut a nice little circle!

On the printed clock face, I then draw lines with a heavy marker from 12 to 6, 1 to 7, 2 to 8, etc., (kind of making the clock face look like a pie cut into pieces), and then use those lines to make pencil "tick marks" on my cardstock or DSP circle. (Save this to use on future clocks...) This will help you know where to put the numbers, if you're using them, or to stamp small designs (like the ladybug stamp from "Garden Whimsy") in place of numbers.

Some of our smaller number stamps sets, like "Short Order Numbers" or "Best Friend Numbers" can be used, or you can get metal numbers at your local craft store, or maybe even stick-on numbers at the Home Depot-type store, or rub-on numbers by some other brand. I tend not to use numbers at all, which I realize is a problem for the younger folks who are more used to digital and don't have the same intuitive understanding by just looking at clock hands that we old geezers do...!!!

Next, just decorate your cardstock or DSP circle however you wish! I like using the "Garden Whimsy" set because it has the saying "The time to be happy is now...", and I've also used the big stamp from "It's Your Birthday" that says "Life is not a matter of counting years; it's a matter of making years count" (stamping the first 2 lines above the center hole and the last 2 below).

I am showing you four different ones I've made,
two using stamped cardstock and two using DSP with some stamping as well. Look through your DSP for pretty swirly things and "fussy-cut" your base circle to make the most of the design. Be imaginative and have fun!

My experience so far has been you don't want to get real elaborate with layers or brads, etc., because once re-installed, the clock hands may "hang up" on anything too dimensional.

Once you have the design you like, lay the decorated circle down on the clock base and re-insert the hands mechanism in the same order in which you took it out. Use that notch to orient the paper properly, and then gently ease the plastic cover back over the entire clock face, letting the notch on the cover settle into the opening on the base.

You can use Sticky Strip to lay some ribbon (the double-stitched works nicely) around the outer perimeter of the clock, with a bow somewhere if you'd like.

Put a AA battery in your clock and let the time begin! I actually usually keep an eye on my clocks for at least 12 hours. Once in a while, the hands spazz out and stop, or the minute hand always stops on the 7 or something -- just take the clear face back off and re-set the hands and try again. I want to know if there's going to be a problem before I give the clock to someone as a gift.

Last fall, before the holidays, I made quite a lot of clocks and had my little clock "nursery", where they were being watched over to make sure they were all okay. But I'll tell ya', the ticking in my craft room was really starting to get to me...

Well, I hope you'll try making a clock, and if you do, post a pic to show the rest of us. You might want to incorporate a clock into an upcoming Stamp Camp or as a special project at a Hostess Appreciation Event. I'd think you'all might come up with some nifty new approaches to this if you start experimenting with it, so be sure to share!

Thank you so much for sharing, Christine. I cannot wait to try one of these. You're creations are amazing.

Have a great weekend.

Alicia :)

Into the Scrap pile!

I am sure that if you are anything like me you save every piece of paper and cardstock which are leftovers from a project you have done. Also, if it is anything like mine they are overflowing! I have tried many ways to store and keep these cut offs/scraps but was never happy ... well till now :)

I've been using this system for a while and I find as the scraps are handy to my work area I just need pull a drawer open and there they are! now in saying that I need to work some more with my soft subtle scraps!
It also makes tidying up quick and easy - well it would if i did tidy my table! I have a drawer for each family plus another set of drawers on the shelf above for the patterned papers scraps.

I was at a loss today on what to blog here and I saw some of the girls on UDI talk about storing their paper scraps so I thought I'd share how I store mine and also make a couple of things to show you that you can use those bits left over instead of putting them in the recycling bin or giving them to the kids!

Here are a couple of 4x4 cards I made a while ago using scraps from the Enchante Papers and the Carte Postale Stamp Set. I love these little cards as they are just so quick & easy.

I wanted to make something new for you and thought well I only have one more month left with the Summer Mini here in Australia so I'd use up some of those papers.

Here is a 6x6 layout I whipped up tonite using scraps from the Loves Me papers - yes these too are in the Summer Mini Catalogue so will be gone after 31st March.

I have just used strips of the papers and used the small corner rounder to give them a decorative edge. I've also punched out the circles from the same paper pack and raised them with Stampin Dimensionals.

I quite love this layout but then this little angel is easy to scrap!

Recipe for Love U layout
Stamps: Dream come true, Big Deal Alpha
Papers: Loves Me Designer Series Papers
Ink: Close to Cocoa
Accessories: Stampin Dimensionals, Snail Adhesive, small corner rounder punch