Welcome DT Member Cherry Nelson!!

Hi there...my name is Cherry Nelson and I live in Oregon with my dh, son, and lovable lab Riley and our two cats Calvin and Bailey. All of which are male, lol, so I get in touch with my feminine side by creating. 
I have a passion for paper which started with paper dolls as a little girl.  I love all things vintage and shabby.  My style is definitely vintage and I love to add depth and layers to my projects which include cards, altered items, banners, and mini albums. 
I currently am designing for Vintage Street Market, Cupcards to Go, Purple Onion Designs, and Keep In Touch Creations.  My past design teams include GCD Studios and Helmar Adhesives.  I have done monthly guest designing for Melissa Frances, Crafty Secrets (which I still do occasional designs and samples for CHA) , Emma's Paperie, Frost It Pink, and My Craft Spot.  I have been published in Artful Blogger. 
Here are just a few of my favorite projects:




I’m really excited to be a part of The Rubber Café design team and I look forward to working with the team. You can also see what I’ve been up at my blog: http://cherrysjubileehome.blogspot.com/ where I share many of my projects.
Hugs,

Cards and techniques with Rita

Hey there bloggers!

Rita Barakat here and I am so excited to share

this project with you!

I had so much fun playing with stamps and Gelatos, and meeting so

many lovely ladies all weekend at the

Scrapbook Expo that I had to bring you a sample on the blog!

The stamps I used were the

 Large Paisley Butterfly stamp

and the 18th Century Proclamation stamp.

I stamped my paper with the Stampers big brush., I used watercolor paper.

Then I colored the butterfly image in with

    PITT Artist Pens in reds and yellows.

When I was finished with the butterfly I added

color all over the page with Gelatos !

After I had the colors I wanted I went over the butterfly with a thin layer

of Scrap Happy Glue. I waited until it was dry then added

You're so fine glitter-Diamond Clear Cool Highlight.

Such a fun project! You should try this!

Before Prozac…

…there was QUILTING. :) Do I need to say I love this sentiment? :) :)

Today’s card is using the über cute Quilt Ecstasy Set combined with the Roaring 20’s Placard background stamp.

I added some glossy accent on the sentiment and didn’t have time to wait for it to dry before photographing (wanted some daylight…). So it didn’t photograph that well, it’s much more visual irl. I stamped the sentiment first on the background and then on the quilt before adhering the cut out quilt.

The background is stamped with Versa Fine ink and then inked with Distress inks around the corners. Then I went over it all with some pink mist to get some shine and lovely mist dots.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful new week!

Masculine Happy Birthday Greetings

I have another masculine birthday card here for you today.  Lots of February birthdays in our bunch!

I used the same technique as last week and inked up the Pine Bough image using the Tim Holtz Distress Stains in Walnut Stain and Peeled Paint.  I stamped the image on kraft cardstock and then blotted any additional blobs of stain.  I distressed the image panel and embossed background with a touch of Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

The two vertical sentiments are Vertical Greetings and Vertical Birthday. 

Michelle Pearson - Inspiration Blooms

Through a Window

Happy Friday! 

I hope you have had a great week and are headed toward a fabulous weekend.

I have a fun card that uses the masking technique to share with you today.  Do you recognize that Cypress Scene outside the window?  It's the same tree I used on this card last week but used in a whole new way.

The window and the sentiment are from the Through the Window set.  New to masking?  I took a few pictures while I was making this card to walk you through the steps.

To begin with I stamped the window image on  a piece of Pugnacious Signature White card stock and again on a post it note with Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink.

I cut  the windows out of the frame.

And then I lay the "mask" over the image that I had stamped on the white card stock.

I then inked up my  Cypress Scene  stamp with the black ink and stamped it over the mask in the window.

When you remove the mask you are left with this image.

I colored with copic markers and trimed around the edge of the window before completing the card.  Everything was adhered with Scrap Happy Glue.

These window stamps are so versatile...you can turn the outdoors into any season you want!

Need more inspiration?

Michelle used this set to create a winter window card.

Lisa made this card with some pine trees.

That's it for now!  I hope you enjoyed my project and get a chance to try some masking when you are stamping this weekend!

Meet new Design Team member: Irit Shalom

Hello, my dear  crafting and stamping friends!

My name is Irit and I am from sunny Israel. I am really thrilled to be on  The Rubber Cafe team and hope to inspire you all with new and different projects.

In my “real life” I am a dentist but for the last 5-6 years I'm doing it as a part time job. I really need some extra time for my scrapping and crafting addiction and I'm looking forward to doing something else after 25 years of dentistry. I have been married for 29 years to a retired high police officer who is the full time family cook these days. I am a mom to 4 grown ups: 2 sons and twin daughters.

The empty nest is probably the main reason for my obsession for crafting – finally I have some time for myself. My oldest son is an army officer, married and is a Dad to my first grandson, Omer. My other son is “a world traveler” – for the last 6 years after he served in the army, he has been traveling outside of Israel for at least 9 months a year. He currently lives and works in Spain. My twins are in their last year of college and are my major scrapbooking inspiration.

I need to say that I have been totally addicted to crafting since I was a little girl. For many years it was polymer clay and jewelry making but after I saw a scrapbook layout for the first time in my life (only 5 years ago during my visit to USA), I finally understood that I am in love with paper. Today I mostly scrap and do altered art and less card making. My style is mostly shabby and vintage but sometimes I move to other styles too.

I have been a design team member in about a dozen challenge blogs and was a guest designer on lots of others during the last few years but since 2010 I design for manufacturers only. Right now I am a permanent designer for a UK chipboard company named Tando creative, A2Z Scraplets Australian company, Robin’s Nest paper, Creative Inspirations Paint, Epiphany Crafts Tool company, WOW embossing powders company, and Inspired by Stamping stamp company. I was a DT member for Best Creation paper, Pretty Little Studio paper company and Cherry Lynn Designs die company for a year term. I was also an SNR web magazine staff member and a Guest Designer for several USA companies in the past. I was published in print in Israel several times and was published in every possible web magazine during the last few years as well.

So, as you can see, I am a craft addict. But I also have three more addictions: two of them good and one is  pretty bad. I am an addicted folk dancer, addicted reader and addicted to smoking... Bad, I know. Can't quit.

Now here are some of  my most recent projects  I'd like to share during this introduction.

As this is a stamp company, I want to show you my stamping but I don't have any TRC stamps yet as they are on the way... Can't wait! Really!

The first one is this altered old vinyl record with my favorite song quote: "Dance me to the end of love" by Leonard Cohen. I wanted to make a whole mini album around this quote as both of us, my DH and I, have danced for 16 years and we have a lot of photos to scrap. However I decided to stick with an altered record.

The second one is little Me - old, really vintage photo, scrapped in this vintage style I love.

Another altered project and it's all about Time. This project was seen on HSN TV as it was made for Epiphany Crafts show and it's in EC catalog as  well.

And the last one is this mini printers chipboard tray from Tando Creative made in my usual shabby style.

And just one quick close up to the inside

You all are most welcome to visit my blog and even to be my followers.

See you next time with my inspirational posts and using those fantastic The Rubber Cafe products.

IRIT

Meet New DT Rita Barakat

My name is Rita Barakat and I am so excited about

becoming part of the team at the Rubber Cafe!

A little about me...

I have been married to my wonderful hubby for over 20 years.

             I am blessed to be a SAHM (stay at home mom) to five beautiful children,

 biological and adopted! 

I hand painted murals for a living before stumbling onto scrapbooking.

I love incorporating art into my pages and cards. Journaling my heart onto my pages is my passion. I am on several
manufacturer teams and have been published in Creating Keepsakes
and other scrapbooking magzines.

Here are a few of my favorite projects...

Playing with my new stamps Vintage Treasures in my art journal! Yay!

 A card - I love texture!

Three of my five kids on a layout!

You can see more of my work on my blog here 

and I will posting soon (on Tuesdays) so be on the lookout!

Meet New Design Team Member - Renea Harrison

Hi Everybody! My name is Renea Harrison a.k.a. Reneabouquets in the virtual world. I am delighted to be a part of the Design Team here at The Rubber Cafe. Let me start by saying, that I am passionate about scrapbooking, and love every aspect of this ever changing, multi- media art form. I don't have just one artistic style, I tend to change how I create with whatever mood I happen to be in. I love texture, dimension, and coming up with creative, new ways to use materials. 

I currently work as a Design Team member for Scraps Of Darkness, Scraps of Elegance, Berry Bleu Pages and Tags, and Twisted Sketches. I also run my own Etsy Shop, and have been published in Scrap Book News And Reviews online magazine, and have been featured along with my Scraps of Darkness Sisters at Bo Bunny, The Robin's Nest and Creative Imaginations.

I am really looking forward to getting to create with all the quality, and unique products here at The Rubber Cafe, and I hope that my work inspires you to create something beautiful of your own~

Here are some of my recent projects:

 Believe

 

 Fragile Handle With Care

 Altered Memory Box Top View

Altered Memory Box Side View

 Find Your Way Home

Please feel free to visit me at my blog, My Glitter Coated Life 

for loads of inspiration, video tutorials and links to other great sites!  

 
I really appreciate you stopping by for my introduction. Be sure to drop back by, over the next week, as each of the Design Team members introduce themselves . I hope you will join all of us as we come together to create unique and wonderful projects with all The Rubber Cafe stamps and products. Happy Scrapping!!

Be Good…

I have a vintage card to share today. I had so much fun making this one, playing with loads of layers, inking and distressing and misting.

I started with some soft colored papers in beige and blue and stamped them with the Oh So FAB Paris Nights Background using Distress ink and weathered wood.  All the layers are distressed with my edge scraper and inked with some Vintage Photo.

The Dress form is from the Steampunk Charity Wings Set. A favorite!

I framed it all with pearls made with the White Pearl Pen – it’s wonderful to play with!!!

Love the sentiment from Be Stylish Set. I tried to fit in the Corset too, but didn’t manage so I’ll save it for next time. It’s a stunner! :)

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great new week!

With Special Thoughts of You

Time for a masculine card I say....and clean and simple it is for me this week for my Rubber Cafe project.

I wanted a soft watercolor effect on my card, so I stamped my trees with Tim Holtz Peeled Paint Distress  Stain!  I stamped the Barbed Wire Fence in Memento ink and then colored it with my brown Copic marker.  I then diluted the stains a bit with water to watercolor my sky/grass background.

For the background I *painted* my Pine Bough image with more distress stains.  I stamped my image and then blotted up any puddles of ink. 

A touch of faux stitching and the With Special Thoughts of You image finish off my card. 

Michelle Pearson - Inspiration Blooms

Love Bugs

I know Valentines Day has come and gone, but it's still February so I couldn't resist sharing these adorable 'Love Bugs' with you. 

I wanted to keep these simple so I stamped and created my own backgrounds, by using 3 different phrases from both sets.  Each of the bugs were colored with Copic markers, cut out and popped up with pop dots.   The cards measure just 3x3 and would make the perfect gift card for any occasion. 

Well that's it for now.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

~Karen   

 Stamps:

Love Bugs - The Rubber Cafe 

Just My Type - The Rubber Cafe

Paper:

Kraft Bazzill Cardstock

Ink:

Memento Cocoa Dye Ink

Ranger's Distress Ink- Festive Berries

Copic markers

Signo Broad White Gel Pen

Take Time to Dream

Happy Friday!!!

It's time for the weekend!  I hope you have something fun planned.  I am headed to Fresno to see my son perform in the California All State Honor Jazz Band.  He's been there since Wednesday and I can't wait to see him and hear the concert.

We will be coming back home on Saturday and I hope to have some time to stamp some on Sunday.  I find stamping so calming and relaxing for me.  Making this card was especially calming because this stamp reminds me of one of my favorite places...Carmel, CA.  

Carmel has ton of these beautiful Cypress Trees all around.

I kept the card simple so that the focus was on the scene.

Stamps:

Cypress Scene by The Rubber Cafe

Take Time to Dream by The Rubber Cafe

Paper:

Pugnacious Signature White Paper by The Rubber Cafe

Bazzill Basic Card Stock

Ink:

Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink

Copic Markers

Other:

Scrap Happy Glue by The Rubber Cafe

White Brads

Next week I'll have a fun project for you that uses this same stamp in a different way.

Thanks for stopping by!

Meet New Design Team Member, Karen Thede

Hi! I am Karen Thede, from Vista, California.
I have been crafting and creating for years, but my latest passion is in the paper arts.  Along with card making and scrapbooking I also love home decor and 3d projects where I can make the most of textures and dimensions.  

Becoming a member of The Rubber Cafe Design Team has been a dream come true for me, and I am very exited to join this talented group of individuals.

Here are some of my recent projects. 

3 Generations

Valentine Mailbox and Gift cards

You can see more of my work, on my new blog, by design.  Here's a sneak peak of what I have to share with you next month, right back here on the Design Team Blog for The Rubber Cafe.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to stay tuned over the next several days, as each of the Design Team members introduce themselves and WOW you with their creativity and techniques using all the wonderful stamps and products from The Rubber Cafe!

~Karen