Week 2 with Patti

Good morning! Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments about my lace tutorial, I was hoping you'd be as excited about it as I was! :) Today Patti Gilliam has a lovely easel card using the goldenrod and sentiment from Stately Flowers 2, stamped over a book page. I love the effect of the words showing through the coloring. Aren't the colors in this fun? All the polka dots in the pattern work so nicely with these clusters of small flowers on the goldenrod, the scale is just right. Here is what it looks like propped up...

and here is the inside: "Seize the day" Don't you love that saying?

I also just noticed (and this may have been a coincidence, but if so, a very happy one leading into her greeting) the last line of Patti's book page says, "...do more than try. You succeed." NICE! TIP: When you are selecting a page from an old book to stamp on, it is always a good idea to skim it to see if there is any content you wouldn't want someone to stop and read! Most people would not try to make out every word, but a line that falls along the bottom of your mat like this, or something next to a particularly eye-catching part of your image, is sure to pop out. :) Since this book print look works so well with vintage techniques, an old classic from a used book or store or garage sale is a good bet and will have pages that are already yellowed with time and a classic font. Just keep that on the bookshelf of your craft area for any time you need to rip one out!

Now here is a little more about Patti, grab a cuppa and enjoy! :)

Tell us about yourself! I am a retired school secretary, and have been married to a wonderful man for over 38 years, who spoils me rotten! Our grown son, is an AF Major, living in Los Angeles, and our grown daughter, is an Integrated Marketing Manager for a firm in Col. Springs. I love being active in my church and community. I think that my favorite blessing to come from this little hobby would have to be the friends that I've made from all over the world!

Describe your style/what you think you do best: I enjoy trying every style, but while it is fun to experiment, I'm really best with clean lines, some layers, and a bit of cute!

FAVORITE TECHNIQUE: Masking! It always amazes me how it works...like magic!

COLORS/COLOR COMBO: Black, white, plus one!

FAVORITE EMBELLISHMENTS: Buttons, Pearls, Bling, Ribbon, Baker's Twine.....do I have to stop?

FAVORITE GINA K SET BY MELANIE: I {{Puffy Heart}} Festive Frame! What a beautiful set to work with, and so versatile!

FAVORITE GINA K SETS (FROM ANY ILLUSTRATOR) Theresa Momber's nature sets! Nina Brackett's Vintage Borders. Gosh, I have a box FULL of GKD stamps by different designers, and love them all!

CRAFT SUPPLIES I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: Cuttlebug, Spellbinders, sharp scissors, yummy cardstock, designer papers, adhesive! Hope to add a Grand Calibur and a Silhouette Cameo to my 'stash' someday!

I’VE BEEN STAMPING FOR (HOW LONG): About 8 years, but only a few 'seriously'.

I GET MY INSPIRATION FROM: Magazines, blogs, store displays, empty boxes (lol...), and of course, Gina K. Designs DT members!!!

Tell us about your FIRST stamping experience!! Ha ha....my teacher, then, is now my BFF Shirley. I thought I had absolutely hit my project out of the park. I was SO proud of myself. I looked up to see her smiling, or maybe biting her lower lip to keep from laughing - turns out my project was totally finished with a very nicely stamped, and nicely colored 'upside down' image!

Tell us about your most MEMORABLE stamping experience!! Teaching my own first class. I was terrified. I felt I had fumbled every direction, my hands and voice shook all night, and I was embarrassed to collect my money from the store owner. I found out the next day that when asked by the owner, each one said that my class was fun, knowledgeable, and that they loved every project they went home with. All signed up for the next class and some brought friends! Four years later, they are still attending!

THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT STAMPING/CARDMAKING ARE: It's got to be fun. Don't sweat the small stuff! When you get 'stuck', get up and do something else for a while. When you come back, it will all fall in place. One thing my BFF taught me was that a mistake is just a creative opportunity, and a perfect place for a button, flower, or bling! That has stayed with me for years!

SOME OF MY STAMPING/CRAFTING GOALS ARE: Teach more classes - it's so much fun to see a beginner realize that they ARE talented! Get more items published. It's hard work, but it's something fun for my kids to remember me by. One of my upcoming projects with CardMaker Magazine is a mother-daughter creation. Last, but not least, I would love to author a book.

ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS: Don't give up! Ask someone for help! Take classes at your local LSS or big box store. Start out with limited supplies so that you aren't overwhelmed with 'stuff'. Watch tutorials on StampTV, SCS or You-Tube. Join Stamp TV, Paper Craft Planet, and other on-line communities, join forums, release parties, etc. Take part in challenges! I remember entering my first challenge - my hand shook all the way to the submit button! Theresa Momber was the first person I met on-line (actually my first non-family blog comment was left by her), and I can recall emailing her to tell her I'd entered a challenge, and how scared I was...lol...

FAVORITE THING TO MAKE THAT AREN’T CARDS: 3-D items are so much fun! Boxes, bags, cupcake holders, you name it.

SOME OF MY STAMPING/CRAFTING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: I've been blessed to have served on many design teams, and have had several items published. Last year, I instructed at a nearby YMCA Women's Wellness Weekend, for a very large group of ladies, and they requested that I return next month for another session. And of course, there are those days when a really great accomplishment consists of my ink NOT smearing!

CHALLENGES I LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN: StampTV, The Kraft Journal, Authentique, Stampin' Sisters in Christ, Doodle Pantry.....SO many challenges, so little time!

Another craft I have a talent for (or one I would like to try): My dear grandmother taught me at an early age to sew very well, and I'm also pretty good at floral arrangements, and painting. I would like to try some mixed media canvas work in the near future.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT MIGHT SURPRISE US! Number one on my bucket list is to sky dive! If ever I am again at a reasonable weight, my daugher and I are going to skydive together. (We'd take dear hubs, but he can't figure out why anyone would want to step out of a perfectly good airplane (tee hee).

WHAT I DO WHEN I’M NOT STAMPING: Think about stamping??? Ha ha...So true - I have to force myself to stop stamping to do laundry, or buy groceries!

A FAVORITE QUOTE: Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile. ~Mother Teresa

Thank you for visiting today! Be sure to visit Patti today to leave her some love, get more details on this project, plus another project , this one 3-D!