Blue Angel Creations

Flower Soft Birthday

2010-09-12T19:50:00.001-04:00

I know it has been awhile since I posted. I have been occupied with family things and also my card making mojo has gone on an extended vacation. Cards for fun don’t exist right now, but cards for birthdays still have to be made. I took the easy route, and made this using Flower Soft 3-D elements. This is from the Spring window collection. I made it for my sister and hopefully by now she has received it. These are very easy to put together, just cut, apply foam tape and glue flower soft down. Here is a close-up:

There are three layers to the window. As I wrote to my sister, who has a window without a screen? Not down here in the South I tell ya. I would also love a garden like this to look at. Chuck has a green thumb, but so far, my view isn’t this. I did make another one of these in a different season for a certain store owner, but the darn camera batteries are dead and I can’t find anything to steal them from.

Oh well, another exciting week ahead…two council meetings this week, Hurricane Igor 2200 miles out to sea and heading west (the models show it curving north, we will wait to see) and I am on the hunt to find a cheater recipe for PF Chang’s lettuce wraps! Til next time… Live, Love, Laugh

Groovy Snowpeople

2010-08-01T22:40:00.002-04:00

I spent the day playing with snowmen (and women). With it being so hot here in Florida, it was nice to use stamps that gave me the feel that it was actually colder outside. This month at the Make It, Take It Claire is spotlighting some of the new sets from JustRite. (click on any picture to see a larger image)

The card above is the one I will be teaching. I began by using my Labels 12 die and cut a shape through the patterned paper and cardstock. I stamped the image with Memento ink and colored with Prisma pencils and gamesol. The pp is from Bo Bunny and it really glitters. A few strips of cardstock and some cream ribbon from May Arts are across the top. I used metallic pens on the hat and snowflake for some bling. The small snowflakes are from Hero Arts.

Claire likes us to prepare an alternate card to show the versatility of the stamp or set in this case. The following are the other stamps in the Groovy Snowman set:

The top left was made with a scalloped card by Paper Cuts. I colored the image with Copics. The outer ring is popped up on foam squares and the bow is made with some red cord. The card on the right used some Basic Gray Eskimo Kisses paper. The image is also colored with Copics. I layered a few scalloped circles under the image and each one is popped on foam squares. I found a bit of old SEI ribbon and was determined to use it on this card so I made a few loops and added a snowflake in the middle to hold it together.

For the fourth image, I made this tag inspired by Tim Holtz. I stamped the images with Vintage Sepia ink. Other than the snowman, the images are from Inkadinkadoo. Using a blending tool, I sponged Fired Brick, Antique Linen, Bundled Sage, Tea Dye and Walnut Stain. I distressed the edges with my TH tool and rubbed the Walnut Stain along the edge. I added a tree brad, stickles in Holly and Christmas Red and fiber (the fiber looked so much better than the white string that came on the tag).

My goal was to show how versatile the stamps are with the four different looks I created. Hopefully it was achieved :)

Sweet Tilda in a challenge

2010-07-22T07:16:00.001-04:00

After not working in my craft area for a few days, I got to missing it! I spent some time last night browsing on the blogs and my favorite sites and decided I wanted to play in a few challenges.

I began with the color challenge given by Kerry here on her blog. Now that I had a color scheme, the next step was a layout. That was found on SCS in their Dare to Get Dirty weeklong challenges for Fan Club members. Since I most always add a few flowers, I decided to enter the new challenge blog at Wild Orchid Crafts. Now that you have those details, here is the finished product:

The image is Sweet Tilda by Magnolia, the sentiment is by Verve. The flowers and lace are from Wild Orchid Crafts. The patterned paper is from DCWV Linen Closet (I thought that went well with the colors Kerry choose). The bottom blueish flower was colored with copic marker BG72 so it would match. I added a few pearls and stickles to glam it up a bit. Here are the markers I used to color the image: That is about it for now. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave me a comment and I will get back to you. Thanks for stopping by today!

Little Pieces of Quiet

2010-07-12T19:51:00.001-04:00

When I first saw this image, I knew I would get it to make a card for my sister. She has two little boys who are constantly around her demanding her attention. I colored this one to resemble her youngest who is 4.

One thing about close-ups, you can see the tiny spots I miss when coloring :) I stamped him (Penny Black image) with Memento ink and colored him with these markers:

I saw that the challenge this past Saturday on the Penny Black Challenge site was a sketch challenge so that is where my layout came from. It is a 6 by 6 square card (no worries as I will hand her the card Wednesday night) made with Bazzill cardstock. The patterned paper is new Basic Grey Oliver (brads too). I used my Nestie circle, scalloped circle and tiny tag sets to cut out my image. For the bottom piece I used my SU scalloped border punch.

The inside has the sentiment that reads “Just working on that piece of quiet you said you wanted.” I think she will like it. How can you stay upset with someone that cute?

Revisiting Thinking Inking week 1

2010-07-06T17:53:00.001-04:00

A good friend of mine has decided to revisit the Thinking Inking Challenge from last year. Originally posted by Jennifer McGuire last year on 2peas, Jan (Far North) has brought the challenge back to life this summer. To get all the information in case you would like to follow along, click here and it will take you to Jan’s challenge post.

(click the image for a larger picture)

The challenge is centered around using Distress Inks which I have plenty of. They sit there quietly stacked on top of each other with their neat label affixed. Sadly, they don’t come out very often to play. With my creative mojo absent lately, I thought this would be a stress-free venture. The first three videos are the basics of what the inks are capable of. My tag is fairly simple. I used the following inks on it: Black Soot, Wild Honey, Broken China and Bundled Sage. I took the picture so you could see the full image on the stamp. I stamped and embossed the image with clear powder first. After using the blending tool to apply the inks, I spritzed the tag with water, but I guess not enough because I don’t really see the splotches. Next I sprinkled Kiwi perfect pearls and hit it with the heat gun. I choose the sentiment to go along with the butterfly image because what better to represent a change than a butterfly! I stamped partial images of the stamp on the tag and added a few black rhinestones. The flower began as a white flower but I sponged broken china and bundled sage so it would match the tag. I also sponged ink on my twine for the top of the tag.

While my card mojo is on hiatus, I am busy with my cross-stitching. I am about to begin an afghan. Guess what design will be on it? Butterflies! I have been eyeing the Zweigart Butterfly Garden kit in magazines these last few months. I refused to pay the $80. After doing a google search, I found the booklet for $9, only had to buy 8 colors of yarn (i have a huge stash of colors that I never got rid of) and got the afghan at Joann’s with my 40% coupon for $17.99! I was stoked. If I finish it by Christmas, it will be my present to myself :)

Remaining “class” cards

2010-07-02T17:08:00.001-04:00

I spent the rest of the afternoon creating these three cards for my Mom and her friends. The first one actually has watercoloring on it. If you know me well, you know I don’t like this coloring medium. I am pleased with this image though. I used cold press paper which I think made a big difference.

The image and sentiment are by GinaK. I wanted it to have a summery feel. I layered the image with SU Pink Pirouhette and Regal Rose. Behind the patterned paper is Pesto coredinations.

The next card uses the shaving cream technique. I used Bashful Blue and Mellow Moss re-inkers for this. The sentiment is new from JustRite Designs. I used coordinating paper for the sentiment and popped each one up on foam strips.

The final card used the shaker kit from Impression Obsession.

The wild flower image is from Penny Black, the sentiment is from IO and the butterfly inside the shaker is from Memory Box. If you click on the picture it will enlarge and you can see that I lightly colored the wings and added some microfine glitter. Inside the shaker is Sweet Pea Flower soft with a hint of lavender.

I think the ladies will enjoy working on these, don’t you? Now to just cut out the kits!

I am back…with a card!

2010-07-02T09:00:00.001-04:00

I know it has been almost a month since I posted. I had some family business to attend to but I hope to get back to blogging and making cards on a more regular schedule. On top of the family commitment, my laptop monitor died. I ended up purchasing a new one since it would have cost $200 just to get a new monitor. I am now working with Windows 7 and getting used to the little messages my computer keeps giving me. It took me two entire evenings to upload all my bookmarks and favorites. Luckily I was able to get my information off my old hard drive.

But on to the card. My Mom asked me to put a few cards together that her and her friends could come over and do. They are not advanced stampers (actually only my mom stamps) but I wanted to do more than just a one layer card. They are hoping to work on 4 and here is the first one.

The image is by Hero Arts and the sentiment by Verve. I colored the image with my copics and added a bit of Platinum stickles in the centers. The embossed panel was done with my Cuttlebug and the Harlequin folder. I also used my SU scalloped border and MS butterfly punches. There are actually 7 layers on this card, but it really isn’t bulky to mail. Although the buttons might give the USPS heartburn going thru their scanners:)

I need to get working on the other cards for these gals. Check back later, you never know when there might be a new post!

Tilda with spring bundle

2010-06-06T00:05:00.001-04:00

Tonight I wanted to make a card just for me. I had ordered this cute Tilda a few weeks ago and finally inked her up. I colored her with my copic markers. The colors were picked to coincide with the Melissa Francis (Ella and Josaphine) paper for the background. After stamping the image I used my Labels 10 nestie to cut it out. For the middle layered panel, I used a Martha Stewart border punch (the arch one). The leaves were also punched with a Martha Stewart punch. The flowers are from Wild Orchid. There is a hint of stickles on the ribbon in her hair and I added Flower Soft to the bunch of flowers. The final addition was a few Kaiser pearls on the corners of each panel. I didn’t have the shade of blue that I wanted, so I just used white pearls and a my B93 marker.

We are off to Panama City Beach in the morning for a work conference. Hopefully the oil hasn’t reached there yet. The family is coming along because we have never visited that part of Florida before. I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Celebrating You

2010-06-02T22:05:00.001-04:00

This card was made so I could use another new stamp in my collection. I picked up this Penny Black slapstick Irises last week. I love this style of flower stamp. I pulled out my watercolor crayons, spritzer and I must say, I am happy with my first try. I usually have to try 3-4 times before I am happy with the look.

I used my Swiss Dot CB folder on the pink and light blue panel. The sentiment is by Verve, the butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch (it is covering up a small tear when I adjusted the ribbon!), and the pearls are from Basic Grey Opalines. I am happy to say this card fulfills three challenges. The layout is from Mojo Monday 141, the color scheme is from Cuttlebug Challenge and on A Spoonfull of Sugar the theme is celebrating. This might become a card for my Mom (who’s surgery was delayed until next Monday) once she is fully into therapy. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea….she is having a full knee replacement. Didn’t want you to think she was going to detox (wink). The week is half over so we are counting down to the weekend and our trip to Panama City Beach. Hopefully the oil slick stays away at least another week for us!

Cards from the weekend

2010-05-31T22:08:00.001-04:00

This weekend was a nice three day weekend. I had planned to participate in the Virtual Stamp gala over on Splitcoast, but alas….it wasn’t to be so. Friday night began with a party for our youngest. He turned 17 and invited 17 of his closest friends to celebrate. Saturday was cleaning and laundry, Sunday ran errands (and had dinner at Bahama Breeze) then today was yard work. I was determined to make my mom a get well card for her surgery tomorrow, so I looked at the various challenges and incorporated a couple for the card above. The first was Splish, Splash (use the colors blue, white and grey) and the second was Watermark (use versamark on your card). I was also able to throw in butterfly (ribbon from BSF thanks ;) and a heart so I can add Flutterby Wednesday and The Shabby Tea Room to the list.

My second card is the one I made our son for his birthday. I just bought this set from Stamp and Deliver and wanted to ink it up.

Yes we freely humiliate our children by making them wear birthday Mouse ears. The button was all him. He is listening to a fine rendition of Happy Birthday from his cousins in GA.

I hope you were able to enjoy the weekend. Did you know there is only 207 days til Christmas? Start your shopping early to avoid the rush!

Flora and Fauna with a Maggie

2010-05-24T23:02:00.001-04:00

I was able to work on a card tonight after dinner. Naturally, the first place I went to was 365 Cards to see their challenge for today. Pam wanted us to use both flora and fauna and they had to come from different sources. I have not been able to play with my Maggies for a while so I pulled those images out first. Next I went to my patterned paper and looked for one that had wildlife on it. The image was colored with copic markers and I used a bit of diamond Stickles on her wings.

To finish off the card I used a rose by Prima, the pearl flourish is from ZVA and the sentiment is by Inkadinkado. I wish it was a bit more fitting for my son’s birthday. He turns 17 on Friday. Do you think he would care? Just kidding, maybe tomorrow’s challenge will be more appropriate!

Blog Candy Winners...

2010-05-23T12:55:00.003-04:00

Last week I announced I had blog candy for playing my eye spy game on my messy desk. I had two people guess and they were both correct. So Amy T. and Heather (this and that) please send me your address and I will get a prize pack out to you. Please put blog candy winner in the subject line. You will find my email info in my profile. Thanks !

Asian Influence

2010-05-19T22:16:00.001-04:00

Today’s card was created for two challenges. The first one is on Flutterby Wednesday. Danni asked us to include a butterfly and flowers on our card this week. Easy enough, I love both of these elements. The second challenge is found on 365 Cards. We had to convey the theme of friendship without using a sentiment on the front. I went with a different take on the theme and began by stamping a faux postage layout image. I sponged Versa Magic Pixie Dust and Memento New Sprout ink inside the areas. Using a variety (ok 3) Asian images, I stamped them inside. I also used my Cuttlebug Autumn Type embossing folder and cut out the word friend. I used a Punch Bunch to cut out the butterfly. Kaiser rhinestones and pearls were added to the panel. To finish the card, I used my Fiskars scissors to cut out the white panel and layered this on a piece of SU Certainly Celery and a card base of Pretty in Pink.

I just finished watching American Idol and I am thrilled with the final two; Crystal and Lee. I will not be upset with either one of them winning next week. I am off to bed now so I can read James Patterson’s 9th Judgement. I started it during lunch today and it is hard to put down!

Day 79 color theme for Dad

2010-05-18T21:29:00.001-04:00

I struggled with the title of today’s post. My first thought was Nauti Bird. Then a Pelican for Pops. You can see I just went with the challenge theme. Today’s card is based on the color theme for Day 79 at 365 Cards. When I looked at the colors this morning on my break, I immediately thought nautical. Most others doing the challenge went patriotic. I guess is was the different shades of blue that my brain focused on. I choose the set Guiding Light by Gina K Designs. I am very proud to say that all the cardstock (except the base) was pulled from my scrap bags. I stamped the image in black and colored it with copics. I used my Labels 4 to cut out the center panels. I sponged Memento Summer Sky and Versa Magic Wheat for the background. The netting is also from Gina K. The birds flying near the sentiment were stamped in Memento London Fog. I added a bit of Flower Soft in Sand for texture at the base of the image.

I am doing quite well keeping up with the challenges this week at 365 Cards. I just might make the weekly all-stars!

Shoe Shopping!

2010-05-17T21:34:00.001-04:00

What do you do when you have some extra funds at the end of the month? Go shopping. Today’s card combines Day 78 at 365 Cards with the sketch from Mojo Monday. The challenge we were given was to imagine Money. I took the theme and choose something we do when we have some extra cash. I began with the MFT set called Window Shopping. I colored the image in with copics and paper pieced the dress. All the patterned paper came from the SEI pack Claire. The brad is also from SEI and I used a bit of scrappers floss to hang the sign. What makes me laugh about this card is that I really don’t like to shop for shoes! I know most females love this, but if I could get by with the same pair each day I would!

Out of the box, err I mean Oval

2010-05-16T22:34:00.001-04:00

That title caught your attention I bet. It has been a week since I have really been able to work on a card/challenge. Being out of town at a conference was part of my obstacle, but I have also strained a muscle in my lower back. Staying in one position for any length of time is painful. Today’s card is made for two purposes. It follows the sketch at 365 Cards and it will be my swap card for the animal theme on Thursday night at Stamp & Deliver. Let me show you the entire card:

To explain the title of this post, take a look at my stamped image. I used my Large Scalloped Oval nesties, but didn’t want the bird’s wings cut off. I used the Out of the Box technique. Start by stamping your image. Lay the nestie on top and see what part of your image lays outside the edge. Trace the inside of the nestie close to the image. Using scissors, cut the image out that lays outside the nestie. When you place your die-cut back down on the image, flip the cut image on top of the metal die so it is not cut out. If this sounds confusing, please go to SCS, there is a tutorial on there. After cutting out the nestie, I colored the mouse with a base color and then mixed Toffee and Sand Flower soft to obtain the color I wanted. I also glued plain Sand down around his feet. I finished coloring the image with copic markers. I added some dashed lines around the oval to help it stand out. The card base is SU Almost Amethyst and the pp is SU Tea Party. I popped the oval up on foam tape and glued a few Robin’s Nest dew drops in the corners. Now to just make 3 more!

Lately I have seen bloggers showing pictures of their work space to see if they are “clean” crafters or “messy” crafters. You decide!

For you eye spy fans, can you find two entirely different types of candy? Leave me a comment with the correct candy names and I will send out some blog candy. I will take comments all week and announce the winner this weekend:)

Tattered Flowers

2010-05-13T22:40:00.001-04:00

I saw this card on Ellen Hutson’s classroom and knew that I wanted those die cuts. After a call to Stamp & Deliver I discovered that she was sold out of these. Determined to have these I looked at Ellen’s store and she had them in stock! With her excellent customer service they were waiting for me yesterday when I returned from a conference. You see, Mom’s birthday is tomorrow and I really wanted to use them on her card. I used paper from the Mariposa DCWV stack. I distressed and inked the background layer with Antique Linen. I used Tattered Rose on the flower and Bundled Sage on the leaves. I did use a small piece of foam between each flower layer. After I took the picture I thought the flower needed some shimmer so I spritzed it with Shimmer Frost. Much better:) The center is from Prima that I had just picked up. What timing!

I hope to get back in the swing of things and make some more cards for the challenges at 365 Cards. Keep checking back…you never know when you will see a new post!

Sunday sketch and MITI

2010-05-09T12:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mom’s reading this! Today’s cards are for the Super Sketch at 365 Cards and from yesterday’s Make and Take at Stamp & Deliver. As always, Pam gave us a wonderful sketch to follow. I began by taking my new Basic Grey Max & Whiskers paper pad and choosing the papers. After looking at the colors of the paper, I thought the image stamp would look good in brown ink. The stamp is from Limited Editions and the sentiment is SU.

The following cards are those from the store. The theme this month was masculine cards and these really fit the bill.

They were all fun to create and it is always fun to get with the ladies at the store. The top card with the vintage car was super easy (no stamping). Just cut out the car and add some patterned paper. The next card (lighthouse) was stamped and then colored with pencils. The background paper really makes the card pop. The fishing martini was stamped twice and the top of the glass colored and cut out. We popped it up on foam. I added some diamond glaze to the glass when I got home. The final card (3 bird profiles) is very elegant. We stamped it in brown ink and used chalks to color. The background panel was run through a crimper and then the mulberry paper added on top. It is hard to see, but we used a gelly pen to outline the flowers and the squares. Now to decide which one my hubby gets for Father’s Day!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. We are heading to my son’s for a cookout. He has teriyaki glazed steaks, shrimp kabobs and twice baked potatoes! This from someone who doesn’t cook! Thank god for the butcher shop on the corner :)

Day 66 the 3 W’s

2010-05-05T21:50:00.001-04:00

Today on 365 cards Pam gave us another trio challenge. Actually, she is going to do this all week! Today was W’s : white, white space and wings.

In case you haven’t noticed, I love butterflies, so the wings aspect was right up my alley. I have had this stamp and I don’t think I had inked it up yet. I hate to say, but I do tend to purchase stamps and don’t get a chance to ink them up before they are put away. I had the oval already cut out, so green was my hint of color. I used my scor-pal to make a few definition lines. I had some green pearls, but they were not the correct shade so I whipped out my G24 copic and colored a few white ones. These looked passable. I used a gelly pen to go over the trails, but it was very hard to pick that up in the photo. It didn’t help that it was a white card in a white photo cube. Even the piece of green cardstock in the back didn’t help too much. Trust me on this element.

There is still a few hours left of Cinco de Mayo so party like you are a Mexican!

Day 65 with 3 A’s

2010-05-04T20:47:00.001-04:00

I popped on the computer this morning to see what the challenge would be on 365 cards and lo and behold….3 A’s: alpha stickers, arc and anniversary!

I knew I had a few alpha stickers to choose from so that was ok, and the anniversary theme didn’t scare me, but creating an arc did. I came home to some new Basic Grey Cappella in the mailbox so that was my background. I used La Creme and SU cardstock for layers. The image of the hands is from GinaK and the sentiment is from JustRite. Roses and pearls are added for a bit of elegance. If you click on the card to enlarge it, you will see that she has a small pearl for a ring also! As you can see, I used the alpha stickers to create an arc. Now if any of you are engineers, please don’t measure my angles on the letters:)

Once Upon a Time….

2010-05-03T22:40:00.001-04:00

The challenge today at 365 cards was to use 3 F’s. They were fringe, fairy tale and favorite color. I began with the fringe and worked from there. They came from a fiber pack of Sugared Basic Grey.

Naturally, I pulled out my BG Sugared paper pack. Now on to the image….I am sure there are many fairy tales that involve mice in them so Penny Black to the rescue. I colored them with copics and cut out the image with my Labels 2 nestie. The sentiment is from My Favorite Things and it is how all happy fairy tales end. The hearts are Rain Dots to finish off the card. The final F is my favorite color of the moment…..Pink (she is a pretty colorful recording artist too). Thanks for stopping by today.

Sketchy Sunday with Melissa Frances

2010-05-02T14:22:00.001-04:00

Today’s post is a card I made for 365 cards. Every Sunday Pam posts a sketch to follow. Here is what I created:

I began with one of my new Vintage Ephemera Stickers that I just picked up. After selecting the image I played with my nesties to see what shape would work well for the background layer. I settled on Labels 11. I cut it out from a piece of Applesauce Bazzill paper. I love this color! While the die cut was still around the paper, I sponged Antique Linen ink inside. My Fiskars Treading Water border punch was used on another piece of Bazzill to follow the sketch. I did end up flipping the sketch on it’s side. The beautiful pink paper is MF called Henrietta. I distressed this layer with my Tim Holtz distress tool. I sponged Antique Linen ink on the remaining layers including the card base. Sorry I don’t know the name of that piece, but it is Bazzill. I used my Spellbinder Floral Accents die to cut the pink flourishes. Here is a close up for you…

They were cut from some pink scraps that I had. I used some of my new roses from Wild Orchid Crafts and a few pearls from Kaiser. After putting the entire card together, I spritzed it with Tsukineko Sheer Shimmer mist in Frost. You can see a bit in the photo above but here is another view:

Click on the photo for a closer view and you will see it shine. It looks so pretty in real life! I might just make this into a Mother’s Day card.

Thanks for stopping by today and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

TSTR #7 Comforts of Home

2010-05-01T22:42:00.003-04:00

I have been wanting to put this card together all week but never got a chance to until today. One of our most homey comforts is to sit down with a good book. With my husband working for a library, we have a lot of books with a wide range of topics. I just wish Flopsey had a small throw around his legs to complete the picture. That is how I sit on the couch and I am not talented enough to draw that in :)

The picture on the bottom is what we were given for our inspiration at The Shabby Tea Room. I went with the colors of a few quilts and pillows shown. The paper is from Memory Box Frond, image from My Favorite Things, ribbon May Arts and the stud is by Prima.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Mojo Monday meets 365 Cards

2010-04-30T21:04:00.001-04:00

I took the day off today to just relax and regroup. Part of regrouping was to spend an hour at my favorite LSS Stamp and Deliver. Here’s a shout out to Claire (the Store Owner). She had just received a shipment of Melissa Frances paper and other goodies. I purchased a few sheets of each design

plus a bunch of Bazzill paper. My card tonight is showing off the Rosaleen paper and I am not sure what color Bazzill as I didn’t write them down. I am going to submit this card to Mojo Monday 136 and also 365 cards circles 3 ways. The layout follows the mojo sketch and my three circles are: circle nestie, button and robins nest dew drops. The sentiment is from the new Justrite Hope set (did I mention I bought that today too?).

So tomorrow is National Scrapbooking Day….I am not a scrapper. Will it be horrible if I just try to work on some more cards?!

Flutterby CAS #107

2010-04-28T22:05:00.001-04:00

I just had time to make a quick card tonight so I looked over the challenges today and the Flutterby Wednesday challenge was chosen. Danni asked us

to create a Clean and Simple card. (I just noticed that those are also my initials) These cards are supposed to be easy but I struggle with them. I began by picking out my background paper from Webster’s Pages. I layered that on Always Artichoke cardstock from SU. I cut and embossed a Labels 8 die for the sentiment (by Verve). I sponged a bit of Milled Lavender distress ink on the edges. I wanted to add more, but kept telling myself it is supposed to be clean and simple. I do hope the paper isn’t too busy!

Enjoy your day…who knows what tomorrow will bring:)

Super Sketchy Sunday at 365 Cards

2010-04-27T21:06:00.001-04:00

Surprise! I am back. It has been awhile since I have been able to sit down and create at my craft table. Work and family duty called. I decided to try something easy to get my mojo going. This past Sunday was sketch day at 365 Cards. To see the original sketch and the other creative interpretations, click on the link I provided.

This is a close up of the sentiment I used from Verve. I was noticing it quite a bit on Splitcoast and finally broke down and ordered it. Do you see the rose? Is it Prima or not? Not. I ordered a few different styles from Wild Orchid Crafts and they arrived today. I will say these come from the UK but other than the short delay due to the Iceland volcano, they flew over fast. You get so many more for the money! I can’t wait to use more. Now for the whole card:

I used paper from the Memory Box gossamer collection. The ribbon is from Papertrey Ink and the strip below the ribbon was made using a Martha Stewart border punch. There really isn’t more to explain. Now to just figure out who to give this to. Tomorrow is Wednesday already, the work week will be half way over :)

It’s gonna be a boy!!

2010-04-11T21:26:00.001-04:00

It seems our family keeps having boys! And yes there is another one on the way. No it isn’t mine…goodness at 46 I do not want to have to start over with night feedings and dirty diapers. And no I am not going to be a Grandmother. That leaves the extended family. My sister’s niece is expecting a boy soon and she is having a baby shower. Sadly my Mom and I are not able to travel up to Savannah for the shower, so we made some special cards to send up with a gift card. First up is my Mom’s:

The striped paper is embossed with the Harlequin CB folder. She used SU Bashful blue paper, ink and ribbon. The footprints are from All Night Media and the sentiment is from Studio G. The border punched (Martha Stewart) topper is popped up on foam dots to give it a shade effect. Nice touch :)

Next up is mine. I used Graphic 45 paper from the Bride to Baby collection. I purchased the cutest clear set from Penny Black called Bundle of Joy with the intent of using a cute hedgie on the card. But as it came together, the hedgehog didn’t look right. You’ll see what I mean:

The card was taking a pretty vintage look, and the cutsie hedgehog was not right. But I did use the sentiment and adorable booties! I stamped the booties on a piece of the paper and cut it out using my Labels 1 die cuts. I stamped the image in Memento Rich Cocoa which is also great for the vintage feel. I edged all the paper in the ink for a softer look. There is a bit of lace, some prima flowers, a Kaiser pearl and a touch of Patina Stickles on the booties.

Here is a close-up of the booties. If you click on the image, it will get even larger. The layer of Bazzill underneath the gorgeous paper is called Patina also. A match made in heaven :)

Here’s to Shannon and the joys of motherhood!

How Beautiful A Day

2010-04-08T22:48:00.001-04:00

I came across a new challenge blog today called the Shabby Tea Room. They have a weekly challenge that appears on Mondays. It is their fourth week and the challenge was to Embrace the White. We were given this photo to use as inspiration:

Here is what I did for the challenge. We could use either white or cream as the main color and I choose to use cream. I have had this paper from Anna Griffin for years. It was probably one of the first sheets I ever bought 6 years ago. I used a border punch from Fiskars to create the scalloped edge. I utilized the portion of paper that had both the cream and pale lavender on it since it already had the defining line between the two shades. I pulled out many embellishments and even cut out a few nestabilities to see what would look good on the card. I choose this butterfly with the sparkle on its wings and the acrylic layer. It is soo pretty in real life. The flower is from Prima and the sentiment is by Verve. I used some pearls by Kaiser to make the trail. After checking the challenge on Flutterby Wednesdays I am going to submit the card for that also. Danni and her design team asked for a card with some sparkle and this butterfly fits the bill.

My second card tonight is what I will use as my alternate card for Saturday’s Make It Take It. Sadly, I didn’t take a photo of the card that I will be demoing before I turned it in.

I began by stamping the teapot and cups (Great Impressions) onto a Labels 11 die cut. Next I stamped the pot and cups onto scraps of paper and cut them out to paper piece them. All the papers are from DCWV Cafe Mediterranean pack. I looked through all my ribbons to find one that I could wrap around the striped panel, but none of them looked right to me. They were either all the wrong shade or had a design that did not compliment the stripes. I pulled out some brads and sponged Spanish Olive ink on the white die cuts and it was finished.

I have caught up on watching The Good Wife, Trauma and Survivor so I am off to bed. See ya next time :)

Enjoy today with a maggie

2010-04-03T23:59:00.001-04:00

Which little cutie is this? Can you tell from just this snippet of the image? Today my BSB (best stamping buddy) came over and we stamped images of each other’s magnolias. After looking at a few challenges today, I decided to use - Tilda with birdcage!

The challenges that I am entering are:

365 cards color scheme for day 34 Here is a look at the colors we had to use

Week 49 at Just M agnolia is requiring 2 folds on your card

Basic Grey has a sketch to follow Here is the sketch that Martine created

Now you know the requirements I had to comply with, here is my card creation:

I began with finding the paper for the color challenge. I pulled out my Basic Grey Green at Heart paper pack. Once the papers were chosen I colored in my darling Tilda with copic markers. I added scattered straw and frosted lace stickles to her dress, bow and the bird so they would shimmer. I cut the image and sentiment out with my Labels 4 from Spellbinders. I sponged the shapes with Versamagic Spanish Olive ink. Along with the BG paper, I used Marigold Morning from SU. To complete the sketch, I added buttons from BG and the middle one is from Tres Jolie. Isn’t the two toned button a perfect match? The flowers are by Prima with a couple Martha Stewart punched branches. To comply with the Just Magnolia challenge, the card is a gate-fold.

I have included the copics that I used in coloring my image

Thanks for taking the time to stop by.

Y’all Come…

2010-03-31T22:53:00.001-04:00

Once again I was asked to make the invitations for my husband’s work. They are having a volunteer luncheon in a couple of weeks with a Southern Picnic theme. I made invites that resembled a picnic basket.

I began with cutting out the card base from Creamy Caramel and Soft Suede cardstock. I stamped a basket weave stamp from Flourishes in Artprint brown ink. The cardstock was then run through the Cuttlebug with the distressed stripes folder to make it have the texture of a basket. Being that my husband works for the library, I decided to use my Labels 7 Nestabilities to cut out the invitation so it would resemble an open book. I used a base of Real Red and the actual invite was computer generated. For the sentiment on the outside, I used my Justrite stamps. Here is a close up of the invitation:

My husband thinks I went to the extra trouble of adjusting the ink on the stamp so the basket looked realistic. If he only knew it was extremely hard to get equal pressure on that stamp to cover the cardstock! If I never see a picnic basket in the next few weeks, it will be too soon. I hope to return to my cards in the next few days.

Mojo #131 To Love and Be Loved

2010-03-22T21:32:00.001-04:00

I came home to some happy mail today. An online friend sent me a Verve stamp set called Feel the Sun. I looked over the various online challenges and settled on Mojo Monday’s sketch 131.

To begin I started with a piece of SU Kraft cardstock. Next I thumbed through my 6 by 6 paper packs looking for just the right paper. It then dawned on me that my card is 8.5 inches long and a 6 inch paper won’t cut it. On to the big guns. I pulled out my Mariposa pack and actually cut into two of the large pieces of paper. This was an emotional moment and I only cut exactly what I needed so I could preserve the pretty paper. I stamped the flower on two pieces of white and colored them with copics (E31 and R20). I then stamped the image two more times and cut out the center and the inside petal layer. After coloring these, I popped them up on foam tape.

For the sentiment, I used my new Labels 10 nestie. I cut out the shape and knew I wanted to sponge the inside. I looked through all my brown/tan inks to find just the right shade. Now I know why I also hoard ink pads. I decided on my VersaMagic tear drop of Wheat for the color. Once this was done, I stamped the sentiment in black. For the center panel of the sketch, I grabbed one of my new Color me Crazy velvet butterflies from Petaloo. I used the same brown (E31) copic marker to color her in. I decided this butterfly is a she. For a finishing touch, Cotton Candy stickles was added to the flower centers and the wings. Isn’t she pretty?

Thanks for stopping by today and enjoy the rest of your week:)

Secret to a rich life..

2010-03-21T19:38:00.001-04:00

I finally was able to sit down today and work on a card or two. This coming Wednesday night is the card swap at my lss (Stamp and Deliver). The theme this month is odd shaped cards or folds. I went with the folds and created a wiper card. This card also will be submitted for the ad inspired challenge at 365 cards and for flutterby challenge to use green . I began with grey cardstock cut into 4 1/4 by 8 1/2 pieces. You will need 2 of these. Score at 1.5 and 3 inches on both sheets. Fold on the scores. Create your main panel as desired and add patterned paper on the two side panels. Cut a piece of cardstock 1.5 by 3 inches long. Score on the diagonal at 1.5 inches. This will be the part that pops up. Embellish as desired. Once the card front is complete, add a strip of sticky tape on each side and adhere your second piece of 4 1/4 by 8 1/2 cardstock. Along with the grey cs, I also used Aqua Mist by Paper trey ink, the patterned paper is from My Minds Eye Home collection. The butterflies are from a Martha Stewart punch, buttons by Basic Grey, ribbon from Michaels. I sponged the front sentiment panel with SU Baja Breeze, Ranger Distress inks in bundled sage wild honey and dried marigold. A few black rhinestones finished the card. I needed to make 4 cards total and I didn’t have enough of the patterned paper so I also made this version:

Both sentiments are from the clear set by Cloud 9 birthday sentiments. This really is an easy card to put together and when folded, it will fit into a regular envelope for mailing. Thanks for stopping by today.

Baby shower creations

2010-03-17T21:08:00.001-04:00

I have been busy the last two days putting these baby shower creations together. A co-worker is pregnant and she is moving to New York. We are having a shower tomorrow for her. First is the centerpiece which is a diaper cake. You can find a fabulous tutorial by Susan Liles if you click on her name. We know the baby is a girl hence the pink theme (wink).

Here are a few more shots of the diaper cake from different angles.

There are pacifiers, teething rings and rattles all around it. It went together really fast. The paper is from the Baby Girl Nursery pack (thanks again Char).

And now for the shower favors:

Aren’t these baby booties too cute? These did take a bit longer to trace, cut and glue together but I think they are worth it. They are made from a variety of patterned papers with cardstock bottoms. Here is a close up”

They are filled with pink and white M&M’s. A small brad holds the strap so it really resembles a shoe! Now to just wrap my present, fix my cold cut platter and make a card. This is very hard to concentrate on as I am watching the American Idol results show.

Til next time :)

Wacky colors and early birthday gifts

2010-03-10T22:28:00.001-05:00

Do the colors of the above card look wacky to you? I must state, the shade of purple is not really coming through on this picture. Today is wacky color Wednesday at 365 Cards. We needed to use Orange, Purple and Blue. I began with looking for some patterned paper and found some scraps from Basic Grey Sugar Rush. The image is a RAK that I received from a stamping friend in the UK (thanks Joan) and I believe it is a Sugar Nellie image. I colored her with these copics:

I added some ultrafine Flower Soft in Citrus Crush to the flowers. A strip of ribbon and pearls were added along with a butterfly punch. The sentiment is by A Muse and stamped on a Labels 4. I am also going to submit this card to Challenge 94 Recycle at A Spoonful of Sugar and Challenge 100 at Flutterby Wednesday. All three of these challenge blogs have some wonderful creations for you to look over.

I would also like to show you some early birthday gifts from my stamping buddy Char:

Isn’t that card wonderful? She knows my love of butterflies (especially blue ones). I can’t wait to try that pop-up butterfly punch!!! The big day is actually this Sunday, sigh.

Song inspired Mojo 129

2010-03-10T07:48:00.001-05:00

Today’s card fulfills two challenges. The first is the Mojo Monday sketch challenge and the second is from 365 Cards who gave us a song to be inspired by. The song is What a Wonderful World. I went with the first part of the song when Mr. Armstrong sings of the trees and roses. If you would like to hear the song, click on the blue words above that say 365 Cards and it will start playing for you.

The card itself is not very complicated. I was a bit pre-occupied when I made it last night. I had come home from a city council meeting and was playing catch up on some shows I missed last week. I began with just a plain white card base and put a layer of Sweet Blush from Papertrey Ink on top. The patterned papers are from Basic Grey. I stamped the roses (Hero Arts) and colored them with my copics. The sentiment is by Justrite. The ribbon is silk and the buttons are also from BG so the color matches perfectly! I tried layering the stamped panel on a few different shades of cardstock but none of them gave me the wow factor, so in the end I just used my Tim Holtz distresser and left it at that.

I hope you enjoy your Wednesday otherwise known as Hump Day! The week is all downhill from here:)

Imagine this…

2010-03-08T20:29:00.001-05:00

Today’s challenge at 365 cards was to imagine outer space. I knew I did not have any cute alien creatures or space ships so I went a different route. There are times we should march to the beat of our own drum, so I am marching here. I have loved this saying ever since I was given a card with it after my Dad passed away. I would like to think that he is up there in the heavens watching down on my family. When I think of outer space, yes the first thought is planets and rockets, but also Heaven.

The card itself is very simple. I began with my stars cuttlebug folder and used some Coredinations cardstock from the Vintage Flower Power pack. I sanded the cardstock so you could see the stars shining through. I stamped the sentiment (from Inky Antics) on a piece of scrapbook paper from the Complete Boy pack by My Minds Eye. A layer of dark red is behind it and I punched a corner punch by EK Success so you could see through the cardstock. A simple piece of twine holds the charm Hope.

I hope that I am able to hold onto this card for awhile and that I am not having to send it to a friend too soon.

A few days for 365 Cards

2010-03-07T21:06:00.001-05:00

I have tried to play catch up today. With our son getting into his new home, we have spent each evening with him doing small tasks. I have three cards tonight to show for some of this week’s challenges. First up is today’s Sunday Sketch by Pam. I began by using my new paper pack from

SEI called Claire. All three patterned papers on the cover are from the pack. I used my new Labels 12 from Spellbinders to cut out the shapes. In keeping with the curve of the label, I used an SU label and a corner rounder that attempted to mimic the curve. A strip of silk ribbon and a few button from Dress It Up finish the bottom. I didn’t want to drag out my huge sewing machine for the stitches, so I used my paper piercer and created some faux stitches.

Next up is a card for Day 6 stampin saturday. We were required to put ink on our stamps not color in a stamped image. Yikes! I rarely make a card without using my Copics anymore, this seemed so strange. I found this piece of background paper that was made with the shaving cream technique some time ago.

I looked at the colors I had used to create the background (Raisin, Butterscotch and Ginger) and dragged out my watercolor pencils. I used a stamp from Penny Black ( I just adore their floral stamps) and put the crayon color directly on the stamp then misted it with water. The sentiment is from SU and the flowers were punched from a SU floral punch. I added half pearls to their middles. Ladies, please close your dropped jaws, there are no nesties used on this card either. I went the old school way and just used my paper cutter to cut simple edged shapes.

For my last challenge, Day 5 Fancy Folds, I got out one of my wild card templates that I have had for years. Let me show you the card, then I will explain.

I began by using some material that was left over from the Wild Card class I had attended many moons ago. I glued the fabric onto some light cardstock and cut out the two templates that you see in the first and third picture of this section. Eyelets and copper leaves were attached to the third template. Inside is a small note card. The middle template is from a sheet of paper that I stamped a variety of leaves in Ranger Raisin ink. The top template has crushed velvet leaves on the four petals that open the envelope. Hopefully, the recipient doesn’t get tired of opening all the cards up to get to the sentiment inside!

It is time for a hot chocolate and a cinnamon raisin bagel while I catch up with some recorded shows from this week. I hope you all have a fun week coming up. If our schedule stays on track, we are driving up to Atlanta on Saturday to move our oldest. I will get to spend an evening with my sister and bring her Cuttlebug to her. She has been hearing about this machine for quite a while and I was able to get one for her quite cheaply.

My Lavender space challenge

2010-03-04T22:30:00.001-05:00

Today at 365 Cards Pam challenged us to a white space challenge. Since I used a lavender cardbase, mine is called the Lavender space challenge. I made this quick and easy because I spent my evening helping our middle son get organized in his new house.

The card details are: cardstock – Papertrey Ink Lavender Moon, ink – Versamagic Purple Hydrangea, stamp – Studio G, ribbon – May Arts, bling – Basic Grey, Nestie – New Label 10 :)

Here is what the challenge looked like and you can see what some of the others did with it. That’s it for tonight….I am off to bed.

Tuesday Trio….Follow Your Heart

2010-03-02T18:39:00.001-05:00

When you look at this picture can you figure out what the trio of elements we needed to use were? It is Day 2 at 365 Cards and Pam had a fun trio for us today.

So, did you guess circles, silver and pearls? Then you are a winner! Here is the entire card for your viewing pleasure:

I began by using my Blooming Dots CB folder on a piece of Coredinations Flower Power paper. I sanded the panel so the dots would pop out and be seen. I used my SU scallop border punch on the right side and used a strip of silver ribbon to attach the heart charm. The sentiment is from Justrite Joyful Hearts set. After cutting out some ovals for the sentiment I used Silver Liquid Pearls on the scalloped layer. I know it is a simple card, but I rather like it.

American Idol comes on with the 10 remaining girls tonight. I don’t have a favorite just yet, but hopefully they won’t be as nervous as last week:)

Mojo in colors

2010-03-01T19:15:00.001-05:00

Good Evening. This is a short post tonight to show the card I just finished after dinner. It uses the color challenge from 365 Cards and the layout from Mojo Monday #128. The sketch was a more simple one which is good since I am using some busy patterned paper. It is a new year at 365 Cards and it began with a color challenge. You can view the challenge here.

I began with a base of SU Chocolate Chip and put down a layer from Basic Grey Ambrosia paper pack. The butterfly strip is also from the same pack. In keeping with the colors required I added strips of SU Close to Cocoa. The sentiment is Justrite from the Just A Note set which is stamped and embossed on vellum. I layered the circle on a nice red flower and finished it with some chocolate dew drops to complete the sketch layout. This came together really quick….maybe I should submit it to Take Ten Magazine?!

G’Night :)

Sunday’s cards to share with you

2010-02-28T15:32:00.001-05:00

Happy Sunday to all of you. I worked a bit this afternoon and completed a total of 5 challenges with three cards. I finished 3 more challenges for SCS virtual stamp weekend. I also finished the two most recent challenges at 365 Cards.

This first card was for Day 364 which was to copy DT Vicky’s style. She loves florals and soft colors. I began with stamping my Justrite Breath of Spring image and coloring it with my copics. I cut it out using my oval nesties. Next I stamped the oval with Versamark ink and covered it with Heat N Bond. Once it was all sticky, I covered the image with Ultrafine glitter. This made it eligible for the glitter challenge on SCS. To finish the card I cut strips from SU Tea Party paper pack and added a strip of So Saffron ribbon. The sentiment is from SU Warm Words. I used some foam tape to pop the oval up as Vicky also likes to do. Here is shot of the copics I used and a close-up of the image:

The next card I have is for today’s challenge at 365 Cards and since it is Sunday, it is a sketch challenge by Pam.

I used the sketch layout, but also incorporated the triple inspiration challenge at SCS. We had to use three different ribbons on our card. I used ribbons to follow Pam’s sketch lines and instead of just having blunt ends, I cut each one in a different style. The flowers are very old Prima’s and the charm is also something I have been hanging onto for a while. The card base is from the Chocolate Coredinations pack. I needed a 12 by 12 sheet and didn’t have any plain brown paper that size. The front panel is from a new DCWV Linen Closet paper pack.

My third and final card this afternoon is for the first sketch challenge on Friday night which was to follow the shape of a Inuktuik. The Olympic symbol this year.

I began with a base of SU Taken with Teal cardstock. Next, I pulled out another new paper pack, DCWV Cafe Mediterranean. The colors are very vibrant and they went so well for the sketch. I used various papers from the pack to follow the sketch and finished it with turquoise rhinestones and new prima flowers. I have a fondness for Prima flowers and tend to purchase as many new types as they create. The corner sentiment is from Justrite Seeds of Kindness set. The bottom corner looked plain with something there.

I know this was a longer post for me, and I thank you now for reading to the bottom. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I am switching gears and pulling out my cross-stitch project. The latest one is a baby quilt for a co-worker. Once I get a bit more finished, I will show you a picture of it.

Couple of VSN Cards to share

2010-02-27T17:11:00.001-05:00

What could this Tilda be doing? You will have to read down a bit to find out. I must say, this close up shot shows that I don’t get very close to the image when I cut things out :(

I am playing along with a few challenges at Splitcoast stampers this weekend. They are having a virtual stamp night and the theme is the Winter Olympics. The first card I will show had the theme At the Waterfront. I choose to use this Tilda I received as an image swap. I colored her and then popped her up over the water ring. I used a bit of diamond glaze on the water ring so it could appear wet.

I used the curvy rectangle nestie to cut the image out first and layered it on a piece of CS cut with the Labels 7. I did this mostly because I was on a time limit (you only have 45 minutes to create your card) and I didn’t want to waste time resizing the next die in the curvy rectangle set. It was way huge for my card. The rest was easy….layer a few pieces of paper and cardstock, lay the netting across and glue a seahorse charm. I added the charm because I will give this card to my son’s girlfriend who adores seahorses. For those inquiring minds, here are the copics I used:

My next card was for the Snow Blind challenge. We were to make a white card with all white embellishments. I began with cutting out a Labels 6 die and using an oval to cut out the center. The sentiment inside is from Justrite Joyful Hearts set.

I embossed this piece with my swiss dot CB folder. I embossed the entire cardfront with the divine swirls folder. I added some narrow ribbons, bows and a few pearls. For the finishing touch that sadly doesn’t show up, I spritzed the whole card with Sheer Shimmer Spritz in Frost. The whole card really does sparkle.

I am planning to work on a few more challenges, so stop by again later.

Embrace Life

2010-02-26T20:33:00.001-05:00

Today’s designer challenge on 365 Cards followed Sophie’s clean and simple style. I don’t usually like my cards when they are clean looking, but I do like this one.

I also submitted this card into the Virtual Stamp Night on SCS. It it the Olympic weekend and the 7:00pm challenge was to match the colors of the Hudson Bay Sweater designed for the Olympic games. It worked perfectly with my card and Sophie’s layout. I kept the kraft cardbase and used my CB folder Floral Screen. The strip of maroon leaves are from May Arts. I only had to add a few cream buttons and dark navy flowers. The sentiment on the bottom is from SU.

I hope you take some time this weekend to Embrace Life!

Hooray for Mojo Monday!

2010-02-25T23:45:00.001-05:00

I had some new craft items that I have been wanting to play with and tonight I sat down while watching the American Idol results show. I went to 365 cards to see which designer was being showcased. Today is Amy and her style is fun, bright and whimsical. I next headed over to Mojo Monday to take a look at their current sketch. I really wanted to do the circle sketch, but the image was just a bit too large for my largest circle, so I went with the square.

I knew I wanted to use this image by Hero Arts so I pulled out my new Basic Grey paper pack Sugar Rush and looked through the pages. I choose two that were similar in brightness to Amy’s color choices. I used a scallop square nestie to layer the image in Almost Amethyst. The ribbon is from May Arts that has a nice shimmer to it IRL. I choose square brads for the corner since I made a square card and the color is almost spot on. To finish, I took my new pot of Citrus Crush Ultrafine Flower Soft and covered the flowers. The color blend fit the colors in my background paper perfectly. I couldn’t ask for a better match. And for those inquiring minds….

here is the handful of copics I used to color the little gal.

Be sure to enjoy your Friday and the last remaining days of February:)

Fly Away Home!

2010-02-24T22:09:00.002-05:00

I was struggling with the theme for our card swap this month at Stamp & Deliver. All we had to do is to utilize a punch on our card. That isn’t hard at all really but I wanted to show a few different ways to use my punches. I started playing with a few looks, tossed most of them out, and put this together an hour ago.

Before I started with the final layout, I checked a few challenge blogs that I love and incorporated two of them. First was an easy one, Flutterby Wednesday was an open challenge, just make sure there is a fairy or butterfly on your card. The second challenge I will enter this for is A spoonful of sugar. This week’s challenge asked us to use distress ink, pearls and glitter on the card.

I began with my Tilda image. I stamped her in Memento ink and colored her with these:

After I was done coloring, I cut her out and layered her on an oval that was distressed with Antique Linen ink. The patterned paper is from the DCWV Garden Party pack. On the darker blue panel, I used my Martha Stewart Arch Lattice border punch. I stamped a flourish from Basic Grey in Vintage Sepia ink on the lighter blue panel. The butterflies are also a Martha punch. But you may be asking…who makes the ladybug punch? Cheri does! I used a one inch circle punch and punched a red one and a black one. I snipped the red circle in half and used my crop-a-dile to make the smaller holes. I layered the red halves to look like wings. A smaller circle was punched for her head and sadly the face is hand-drawn. For finishing touches, I used some Stickles glitter glue in Mermaid on her dress and boots, pearls were added on the butterflies and as a trail on the ladybug.

Now that American Idol is finished, I can quickly put together the other three cards for the swap! Enjoy your night:)

Can you say sketch challenge?

2010-02-20T22:36:00.001-05:00

Let me start with a quick health update…our son is over the nasty stomach virus and feeling great. He unfortunately shared it with us first and we are still trying to get our strength back!

I needed to finish the gift set for my co-worker. Her birthday is this week and I was hoping for at least 6 general occasion cards to give her along with the cross-stitch project that you can see in this post. I noticed that it was sketch week on 365 Cards this week so I choose three sketches to make a few more cards from. First up is Vicky's sketch. I kept the same papers and color scheme from my first three cards and worked them into the sketches. The fabulous lace was a find on Monday at JoAnn’s. Instead of adding two different papers like the sketch, I let the lace and sentiment take their place. The image is from Justrite and colored with copics.

My second card followed Amy's sketch. I decided to use a cut out scalloped oval to place my image inside. I did use some foam tape to raise the image oval up so it is noticed a bit better. Robin’s Nest dew drops are in the corners and I wound scrapper’s floss on the sides. (I have had that for years and finally found a time to use it.)

For the third card I followed Kristies's sketch and made this one:

The buttons are from Jesse James Dress it Up Heirloom Collection. I have had these since last summer and their color was perfect for this. I debated about stamping the image in versamark on the purple strips, but didn’t like how it came out so in the end, I kept them blank.

I do want to show you a great find from Monday. We went into this vintage consignment shop called Top Drawer in College Park, FL. They had everything from designer clothes to fine china, furniture and these:

My husband took one look at them and said “Oh look, butterfly ashtrays.” I was like “They are not, they are glass dishes, there are no indentations where a cigarette would sit!” I plan to use them to hold charms (see above) and buttons, brads or eyelets. At any rate, they will fill a special place on my work desk. I was excited when I saw them and promptly picked them up. All the above charms were bought on my shopping spree Monday also. They are all by Blue Moon Beads.

If you are still reading this, thanks for staying with me. My posts are not usually this long. I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend:)

Just Words

2010-02-17T07:51:00.002-05:00

Good Morning....Just a few words this morning. I was not able to make anything to show you last night as I was running on 3 hours of sleep. The "babe" came down with a nasty stomach virus in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. I left for work at 7, had back to back meetings all day and returned home at 7:15 pm. After a quick dinner I relaxed while watching American Idol and promptly fell asleep. I am leaving work today at noon to go home and feed the babe. Hopefully, I can work on a few more cards that are coming due rather quickly. I do have some wonderful new items to play with from my Fantastic Monday with friends! I am so glad my week started off on a good note! Keep some good thoughts for him..he looks an Ethiopian orphan!

Everyday cards and Valentine’s cupcakes

2010-02-14T21:40:00.001-05:00

I wanted to make a set of everyday cards as a birthday present for a co-worker. I made the cross-stitch teapot that I already showed you and these will go along with that. I used the image from Justrite Plant a Little Love set. I cut out the images with various nestabilities.

The cardstock is from Coredinations called Pesto. The green is the same shade as the mat on my project. While I was shopping for the green cs at Stamp and Deliver, Claire (store owner) showed me this fabulous piece of cream paper which I have tried to incorporate onto each card. I colored the image with my copics and added some pieces of ribbon from MFT spring ribbon bundle.

This card has a few score lines made with my Scor-Pal. I used my eyelet border punch on the cream paper and my bow easy to tie this snazzy double bow. A button flower and pearl were added to the bow. For the next card, I used a sketch from Mojo Monday.

I stamped the image on a Labels 8 die and layered that with a Labels 5. Some kaiser pearls are attached to the edge. Decorative scissors were used on the cream strip. I am still working on a few more layouts, but wanted to get this post done tonight before I get too tired. I also wanted to show you the cupcakes I made for my guys today.

They are Red Velvet cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting. The boxes are from Wilton as are the candy hearts and if you look close in the window, there are toothpicks in the shape of an arrow. They were a big hit this morning! Tomorrow is a fun day with the girls. We are going to lunch at PF Changs. I have never been to one of these restaurants before and I hear the food is out of this world. I hope you have a fun week and can find time to spend with your friends:)

White space challenge

2010-02-10T22:23:00.001-05:00

Today on 365 Cards we were shown a white space challenge. These can be fun as you are very limited to what you can add to your card. I wanted to use my new Justrite Joyful Hearts oval set so I picked out the sentiment, cut out the nestabilities and was

ready to begin stamping. I tried to get the stamps to fit on my wooden oval stamper but it just didn’t want to stay. After many frustrating minutes, I looked at the size of the stamps and at the size of the stamper and discovered they didn’t match. Woe is me. I have two ovals, one larger and one smaller but I don’t own the 1 3/4 x 2 5/16 . I really wanted to finish the card so I just inked it up by hand and carefully laid it on the oval.

For the other card details: SU kraft cardstock, swiss dot CB folder, prima roses and Martha Stewart punch.

So for you American Idol lovers, what did you think of group night? I thought they let more through than in other years. Some of my favorites are still going strong. And wasn’t Big Mike’s little baby girl adorable?

Quick Valentine Challenge Cards

2010-02-07T17:31:00.001-05:00

Here are a couple more quick valentine cards I put together for a couple more challenges at 365 Cards.

This first one is for Day 343 which required using two separate images and put them together. I used the super cute raccoon from Stampendous and scrumptious cupcake from Hero Arts. I colored the image with copic markers and added stickles to the heart for sparkle. The sentiment is also from Stampendous and the scattered hearts are from Great Impressions. The white card opens out and is on a card base from Bo Bunny.

The next card is for Day 340 for Shape Up! The challenge was to use a heart as the dominant shape on our card. Here is what I made:

I had the red card base already made in my stash. I pulled out my score pal and made a quick border on the front. Next grabbed a scrap of gold paper and used my deckle scissors to cut the edges. The epoxy heart sticker is from Christine Adolph collection. The same scattered hearts were added to the corner so I could say there was some stamping on it :) Finally, the sentiment is a rub-on from Stampin Up.

I wanted to get these uploaded before the Super Bowl started. We are making a bunch of yummy appetizers for dinner. So who are you rooting for? Me…I would like to see the Saints win, but I think the Colts will prevail.

Love is in the Air

2010-02-02T22:24:00.002-05:00

Can you believe it? Two posts in one day!! Today’s challenge at 365 Cards is to use the word Love somewhere on our card. I accomplished that

not once but twice! When I saw the name of the challenge I remembered I had this adorable Fluffles stamp. He doesn’t see ink as often as he should. The card layout came from today’s challenge at A Spoonful of Sugar. I flipped the sketch as I already had the white curvy rectangle cut out. The rose striped paper is from Colorbox which is two sided. I used the flip side of the paper to make a curvy frame and embossed heart. That heart was made from a Cuttlebug set called Textile Hearts. The sentiment in the circle is from Justrite Romantic Sentiments. Here is a close up of the image

so you can see I added some Stickles on the fish and diamond glaze on the hearts. A little bling looks good on just about any card don’t cha think?!

Tomorrow is Wednesday, otherwise known as hump day. I hope the rest of your week goes smoothly.

Cute Little Tilda

2010-02-02T19:39:00.001-05:00

Isn’t she cute? Ok so you can’t see all of her just yet.

Yesterday’s challenge at 365 Cards was a color challenge. You had to use red, white, pinks and purple. Since I am still in Valentine making mode, I made another one for the challenge. I used the sketch from this week’s Mojo Monday.

I began with a layer of purple cardstock and a piece of pink dotted paper. I was able to use some new goodies: the Tilda image and the white prima roses. I used my curvy rectangle nestie to stamp the image on. I colored her in using the following markers:

I finally got to use my fancy tag nestie set that I have had since before Christmas but sadly never opened until today. I tucked it behind the image so just a portion showed. As finishing touches, I wrapped a piece of ribbon around the card and put the prima flowers on top. There is a hint of Fruit Punch Stickles on Tilda’s bow in her hair. Don’t go scouring the Internet looking for the stamp that says Sweetie, you won’t find it. That is my handwriting which I usually don’t like, but practice will get you everywhere!

The next item I want to share with you is one of the projects I mentioned over the weekend. I finished the co-worker’s birthday gift. Let me say, it was very difficult to get the correct lighting to use on it.

In real life, the checkerboard border is a lovely shade of soft greens. It is a Daydreams kit by Debbie Mumm. The finished size is 8 by 8. I plan to make her a few note cards with my new Justrite garden stamps to go along with it. People who drink coffee should still appreciate a stitched teapot right? Gosh I hope so:)

Barrelful of love

2010-01-31T13:01:00.001-05:00

Today is Sunday so Pam at 365 cards has another sketch to follow. With February starting tomorrow I thought it would be a good time to start making a few Valentine’s cards.

The patterned paper is from Little Yellow Bicycle and I have used both sides. Center image is from Great Impressions colored with my copics. The eyelet border was made with my SU punch and I again used the patterned paper for that. (I just couldn’t get the right match in my cardstock). The sentiment is a rub-on I have had for ages. Rain dot hearts and Kaiser pearls were added in the corners (grouped in 3’s Ms. Stamp Temptress) wink ;).

Make the most of your Sunday. It is a cold, windy grey day here in Florida, so I am staying inside and will cook up a couple of Shepherd pies for dinner tonight.

Cultivate Love with 3D’s

2010-01-30T21:43:00.001-05:00

I was able to work on one more card tonight before I do some cross-stitching. Have I mentioned that I am working on two projects? I am. One is for a co-worker’s birthday (due the end of February) and the other is a baby blanket for a different co-worker (due in June). I make myself work on one of the projects each night for one hour.

Day 335 at 365 Cards invited us to use 3D’s: dark brown, a diamond and distressing. I began with Dark Chocolate cs by PTI, used a piece of fabulous paper by DCWV Mariposa that my best stamping buddy Char gave me, and finished it with a small square embossed with the CB Diamonds in the rough folder. The paper was so pretty and glittery I didn’t want to cover anymore up than I needed to. After checking at Flutterby Wednesday to see what type of challenge Danni had going I was happy to see it was an open one. This card will work!

I am off to my next craft, but first I need some kleenex – I am watching Sleepless in Seattle…

Spring Hedgie meets 3R’s

2010-01-30T18:23:00.001-05:00

After getting my chores done for the day, I was finally able to sit down and work on a card. After looking over the different challenges offered today, this first card meets three of them. First up is 365 cards and the 3S’s. The requirements were to use stripes, make it a square and have spring represented. Got it.

The second challenge was Week 12 at Basic Grey that stated your card needed to have an animal on it and of course use a Basic Grey product. The third challenge was Week 86 at Penny Black Saturday Challenge that required a Penny Black image for someone special. So the details are: image by Penny Black that is cut out and layered on oval nesties. The background paper is BG Lemonade, flower by Prima, leaves from a Martha Stewart punch, SU Regal Rose and Kiwi Kiss cardstock.

For my second card, I followed the directions for Day 332 at 365 cards which were the 3R’s. The requirements were to use red, rick rack and a rhinestone. Here is what I came up with:

The card details are super easy: Paper by Bo Bunny, sentiment from Just Rite, rick rack from All My Memories and Rhinestones from Marcella. I used my circle and scalloped circle nestie for the sentiment.

Did ya notice I now have a watermark for my cards? Thanks to my son, he showed me how to use Picassa to add text to my photos. They are almost looking professional:)

Violets in Pink

2010-01-25T21:17:00.001-05:00

I liked my card so much from yesterday, that I made another one in pink today. The cardstock colors are PTI Sweet Blush, SU Regal Rose and Barely Banana. The patterned paper is from the Basic Grey Sweet Pea collection. Everything else about the card is the same. I am not sure which one is my favorite. Which one is yours?

Buttons, Brads and Monograms..Oh My!

2010-01-24T22:20:00.001-05:00

Today’s cards are not for any challenge but instead for the local monthly swap and the make and take at Stamp and Deliver. I knew I wanted to use the easel layout for my card design and what better way to show off my new Justrite garden stamps! The new arrivals had just come into the store last week when I stopped in to get my materials for my demo card. The theme of the swap is to use buttons and/or brads.

I began with a lovely shade of purple bazzill paper for the base. The patterned paper is from Basic Grey Two Scoops (pistachio almond). I stamped the flower on a scrap of white, colored it with my copics and cut it out. Here is a close up of the center.

If you click on the picture, it will enlarge to see the detail. I did use some spica pens on the flowers, but sadly that didn’t show up in the picture angle. I sponged Lavender Brilliance ink on the smaller background circle. It didn’t look that attractive when it was white. A deeper shade of Bazzill Bling or shimmer was used for the scalloped circle. I tried to pick up the darkest shade used on the flower. After taking a look at the purple brads I have it seemed that I would not have enough to complete the four cards I need for the swap with the square brads. What to do? Stick a butterfly on one corner! You know I love butterflies :) For the inside of the card, I chose the lighter shade of green from the paper and luckily I had 4 pieces in my green scrap ziplock baggie. YES, something was going right. The two buttons were added in the middle to help hold the easel upright when it is opened.

This is going to be the card that I will demo at the Make and Takes. The theme is black and white next month. I think that makes an elegant monogram card. I am actually using creme and black which is totally elegant. The stamped bottom border is by Great Impressions. The center is from Justrite designer frames. The alphabet inside is Special Occasions font. I cut out a Labels 5 out of black for the bottom layer. This is popped up on foam squares. The ribbon is a double satin for the length and sheer black for the bow. I used my Bow Easy so it would look fabulous. I suck at tying bows without that thing now.

Here is my alternate card that I will display. The monogram was made with the Monogram stamper. I used a Cuttlebug border from the Organic Flourish set for the top. I added black rhinestones to highlight the swirls. For the bottom piece, I cut a piece of black cardstock with my SU eyelet border punch. Really a simple quick card to put together.

I hope you have a fabulous week coming up! Stop by again and hopefully I will have another card to show you.

Layers of Chocolate

2010-01-19T23:25:00.001-05:00

Hello! Betcha didn’t think you would read another post for awhile:) After working on transcribing some minutes for work, I thought I would reward myself and take the time to make a card. I must say my attention was divided between the card and watching American Idol and White Collar on tv.

Tonight’s card from two challenges I saw today. The first is over at 365 Cards which was to use chocolate as your inspiration. The second is at A spoonful of sugar and you had to use lots of layers. I began with Chocolate Flopsey from MFT for my image. I then pulled out my pack of Chocolate Kiss paper (also from MFT). I totally struggled piecing the chair. That pattern was way too dark for me to stamp on, so I attempted to cut it out on my own. I colored him with my copics and colorless blender. I used my labels One and Three nesties (look closely in the corners of the middle pink layer…it really isn’t just a circle). For the bottom brown strip I tried my Fleur de lis die…still not sure I like that but it is glued on so it’s staying.

I like the card, but I think it is missing something and I can’t figure out what. I tried ribbon from the MFT Chocolate Kiss set and that didn’t work. My buttons didn’t fare any better. If anyone has a thought, please share in the comments. I don’t want the card to be partially naked :)

To Tame a Wild Chick

2010-01-18T18:23:00.001-05:00

Here is my second post today. If this is the first one you are reading, there is another one below this. Last week I picked up this set from The Cat’s Pajamas at my LSS. Even though it is a bit early for Easter cards, I still went ahead and used it.

I choose the layout from Mojo Monday week 122 as my starting point. The image was stamped in black ink and colored with my copic markers. In looking through my papers, I came across the MFT Spring pack and I had the matching ribbon pack also. I layered the papers with SU Rose Red paper (I have used that color alot lately). The bow was made using my Bow Easy so it would look attractive.

Here is a close up of the image. If you click on the picture, it will enlarge. Then you will see that I did not use the proper paper for copics and it bled a bit:( I layered a few primas to create the flower and punched a few MS fern branches to go behind it. Instead of just adding white dots on the scalloped oval, I saw Suzanne Dean’s blog earlier today and she made the dashes and I liked them. So I used her idea!

If I don’t get to chat with ya anymore this week, I hope you have a great one!

Stockin’ up on cards

2010-01-18T13:40:00.001-05:00

Every now and then I need to make some cards to have on hand. Birthday cards are always on that list, but sadly lately I also have needed many sympathy cards. The card below is the last one of my stash and I really liked how it turned out. In order to make more, I took a picture of it.

I can tell it has been in my card pile for awhile, as I didn’t use any nesties to cut out my layers. That will change with the next round of cards made. I do like the colors though, PTI Summer Sunrise cardstock and ribbon. The other layers were just Basic Grey papers. The stamp and sentiment is from GinaK Comfort and Peace set. Putting it together is easy enough…just a lot of layers.

The next card I am showing you today is one I started before the holidays and just wasn’t happy with. I wanted to try making a ribbon blossom. I studied the tutorial over at SCS and watched the short YouTube video but I just wasn’t happy with my blossom. Until today…

After many tries of tying the ribbon I think I have been successful in making a blossom. I began with SU cardstock in Kiwi Kiss and Rose Red. The patterned paper is also SU Raspberry Tart. For the embossed panel I used SU Pretty in Pink and the CB Happy Birthday folder. The image is by IO, called birthday martini and I used my copics to color it in. For the blossom I used 4 different ribbons, 6 pieces of each. I will have to admit, if I go to mail this card, it is going to be bulky so extra padding and postage will be required.

I have a few more ideas I would like to complete today, so I am off for now. Hopefully there will be another post later today.

You are my sunshine

2010-01-10T20:50:00.001-05:00

Well we haven’t been seeing or feeling the sunshine here in FL too much lately. Winter has set in and is in no hurry to leave. Our temperature has been a high of 43 if we are lucky. Our heater is working overtime to keep the house comfortable. Notice I didn’t say warm!

Today’s card is for week 83 sketch challenge over at Penny Black Challenge Blog. My son’s girlfriend loves hedgehogs (she got a live one for Christmas) so I enjoy making her cards when I can. The image

is from the Wonderful clear set as is the sentiment on the inside. The sentiment on the outside is from Justrite. This is my first attempt at an easel card and it was really very easy. The patterned paper is from DCWV Sweet mat pack. The circles were cut using my nesties and Cuttlebug. The inside white strip that holds my card upright was cut from a border punch by SU. I spread my love of stamping around to many companies:)

I hope this is the start of a great week for you. It is a short work week for me as I have a conference to attend Wed. thru Friday. Unfortunately, the hotel is inside the Orlando Airport. What fun is that…

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T12:53:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year friends! We rang in the new year quietly at home last night after having dinner with our middle son. Our poor little dog Zoey unfortunately didn’t appreciate the fireworks going off. She went crazy in the house shredding anything she could find :(

Since I am home today for the holiday I was able to check out the first challenge for 2010 on 365 cards.

The challenge was a 5 for Friday. What ever element you used on your card had to be in groups of 5. I opted for the clean and simple approach. (If you click on the picture, it will enlarge for you). I used my set from PaperTrey Ink called Remember. After stamping the blossoms in Versamagic Purple Hydrangea and the stems and leaves in Memento Cottage Ivy. I attached a small green pearl to the stem. The sentiment is from the same set and was just stamped in black ink. I tried piercing 5 holes around the sentiment, under the sentiment but was not happy on my sample so that element didn’t make the final card.

I am going to eat a bit of lunch and then start on a project I have been wanting to tackle since getting my new Expedit cube system. Taking more of my wooden stamps of their blocks. Wooden blocks add a lot of weight, and some of my fabric cubes are HEAVY. I have my cd cases ready, paper is cut into squares to make an index in each case, I just need my ambition to kick in. Here’s hoping the tuna sandwich provides it.

Enjoy the rest of your day:)

A green snowflake?

2009-12-31T23:32:00.001-05:00

What? You mean you have never seen a green snowflake before? Well this is all we really get in Florida! You can’t really blame me. I made this card to fit into 4 different challenges and the color scheme at Copic color challenge was YG03, BV02 and B93. I had to fudge a bit and used BV01.

The card also completes sketch challenge 82 at A Spoonful of Sugar, week 80 at Penny Black was to use a charm and finally Day 306 at 365 cards asked us to Dig Deep into our stash to use something we have hoarded. The sketch challenge is self explanatory. My “charm” is also my hoarded item. I must confess, it is really a brad with its points cut off. I looked through all my stash and couldn’t find any more charms in a Christmas theme, so I improvised. The image is by Penny Black from the Christmas Critters clear set. The green snowflake is a Spellbinders die from the Snowflake Wonder set. Here is a close-up of the adorable hedgie. I used Polar White flower soft on the stocking. The following copics were used to color: YG03, BV01, B93, E11, G28, R29, RV10, E00, W1, the blender and a clear spica pen.

It is 11:30pm as I am posting this so let me wish you all a very Happy New Year. I am going to head to the living room to watch the ball drop with the family.

Divide and Conquer

2009-12-30T23:00:00.001-05:00

Surprise…two posts tonight! I popped on and looked at 365 Cards. I have been checking the challenges regularly, just haven’t been able to complete any :( Today’s challenge was to divide and conquer. Mark your card into 4 equal quadrants and put a stamped image on one, rhinestones on another, a flower on the third and a punched image on the fourth. I pulled out my Basic Grey Sugared paper pack and choose coordinating papers. I cut them out with my Labels 4 die (i love this shape). The stamped image is by Justrite Just a Note set. Once I thought of how to make the quadrants, the card went together rather quickly.

I am off to bed to read Julie & Julia. I am waiting patiently for my name to come up on the library hold list. Last I checked, I was still number 130. Have a fun New Year’s Eve!

2009 is dwindling down...

2009-12-30T21:12:00.002-05:00

I see it has been a couple of weeks since I have posted. We were really trying to not have a hectic holiday but life had other plans. There was a sudden death in the family which had me hurriedly getting my Mom to the airport on Christmas Eve. Luckily I was able to get a flight out of our city and she only lives 10 minutes from the airport. It seems that I am not a good clothes packer as I gave her tons of pants to wear, but only a small amount of tops.

So as we only have one day left of 2009, I resolve to do better on my postings. I also plan to eat a bit healthier and to work out on our Wii Fit. I bought the Fit Plus game and it has loads of challenges to do. I also want to plan on being a better blogger friend and to visit and make comments on blogs that I follow.

The new year is bringing a new Magnolia blog to follow. You will find it here called Magnolia Stamp Lovers. It officially starts Monday January 3rd. To help kick off the new blog, one of the DT Viviane is giving away some blog candy. She is offering 100 images! I have these both marked as favorites now and can't wait until next week!
See ya soon:)

Is it too late to be good?

2009-12-17T22:14:00.001-05:00

My son came home from work today and asked me to make a card for his boss who is also my coworker. He has a good sense of humor so I pulled out this unmounted snowman stamp that I hadn’t used yet.

I began by cutting out a shape with my Spellbinders Label 8 die and stamped the image with Memento black ink. I colored it with my copics and then went about looking for a piece of paper that would match the scarf. I know, usually smart people pick the paper out first (head is shaking here). I found this piece of Basic Grey from an old collection called Mistletoe and Pear. The sentiment is by The Cat’s Pajamas and I thought it was very fitting for the naughty little dog. The snowflakes are also Spellbinder dies, a mix of Create a flake 1 and 2. I added just a bit of sparkle using Mermaid stickles on the scarf and hat band and glittering snow on the snow of course. Now I just hope the guys remembered to purchase the gift card to go inside.

Ciao (I have been watching Under the Tuscan Sun while I typed this!)

Butterfly and Angels

2009-12-12T23:14:00.001-05:00

I know it has been awhile since I posted. Sorry, but other things have gotten in the way of my crafting. Today was make it/take it day at Stamp and Deliver. I was demoing the butterfly stamp from a recent post. This card below was my alternate way to use the stamp.

I stamped the image in Versamark ink and embossed with gold powder. After cutting it out, I used a copic marker to color it in. The sentiment is a new one by Just Rite from the Just a Note set. The paper is all from the Basic Grey Lemonade paper pack. As an added touch, I made the flight trail out of alternating pink pearls and green rhinestones.

One of the projects that has kept me busy is a small order of Christmas cards for a lady at work. They are for her relatives and she likes a card that reflects the true meaning of the holiday. I purchased the Rejoice set by Flourishes knowing I would use the angel stamp in the set. As you will see I made the same card in three different color schemes. The first is Burgundy; the patterned paper is from Bo Bunny and I used Memento ink in Rhubarb Stalk.

Next is brown; paper by K and Company ink is Versafine Vintage Sepia.

And finally the blue version; paper by Bo Bunny and ink is SU Not Quite Navy.

The sentiment is from the same Flourishes Rejoice set. I used my Nestabilities to cut out the circles. I also went over the angel wings and stars with my Atyou spica pen in clear. If you click on any picture to enlarge it, you will see the sparkle.

Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to finish my own Christmas cards.

Embossing and a holiday treat holder

2009-12-01T22:21:00.001-05:00

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week. Ours went well even though the turkey was a bit underdone. The microwave helped to cure that problem. I basically relaxed over the weekend and caught up on my reading. If you are a James Patterson fan, I recommend his latest – I Alex Cross. We also decorated the house inside and out for Christmas.

On to the card below. Tomorrow is our monthly card swap at Stamp and Deliver. The theme was to use any type of embossing on our cards.

I went the easy way out and did dry embossing. I used the flourish frame Cuttlebug folder on a white panel. Layered this onto a green panel then a red panel. The finished card is 5 by 6.5 inches. The sentiment on the card is from Bo Bunny. It is actually a rub-on. A few red and green Kaiser pearls were a finishing touch. I have really decided that all my holiday cards are going to be clean and simple. I am not going to stress over them this year.

The next quick little holiday treat is for our co-workers. It is a simple matchbook fold treat holder and inside is a Ghirardelli chocolate square.

The paper is from Basic Grey – one of their older Christmas packs. I used a Martha Stewart border punch on one end. The sentiment is Just Rite from the Merry Little Christmas set. I stamped it in Memento Rich Cocoa ink. The layered circles are cut from my Nestabilities. If I work assembly line style I should be able to finish them in a few nights. I have about 4 dozen to make and I just might have my DH help this year. Surely he can use a paper cutter….

Reindeer Food and a Christmas Card

2009-11-22T21:21:00.001-05:00

I saw this idea on a couple of blogs now and thought I would make up a batch for my nephews in Georgia. I had the pail from Stampendous and it was the perfect size for Reindeer Food. I used a strip of patterned paper that I had in my collection for a while now.

I stamped the image and colored it with my copics then cut it out with my nestabilities. The snowflakes are also a variety of nestabilities. What you can’t see are the cute buttons I glued all around the pail. The saying was printed out on the computer.

The second project I finished today was a simple Christmas card. I saw the layout at Heartprints blog and fell in love. It lets me use my Cuttlebug and ScorPal.

If you click on the picture it will enlarge so you can see the details better. I began by cutting out the nesties Label 9 and the ribbon tag. The sentiment is from The Cat’s Pajamas. The image is by Impression Obsession and was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black. I used the following copic colors: c1, yr07, B0000, BV0000, Spica pens in yellow and clear. I used the swiss dots CB folder on the card base first, then lined it up and scored in 1/4 increments. This really came together fast tonight and I just might look at my images and see what else would fit on that nestie to make this my Christmas card for this year. I know many of you are probably saying….it is almost Thanksgiving and you have not designed your Christmas cards yet? I work much better under pressure. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving week. If you are traveling….safe traveling wishes go out to you.

Happiness Is……

2009-11-21T16:06:00.001-05:00

A coworker is getting married in a few weeks so I thought I better get her card finished soon. It worked out really well that today’s challenge at 365 cards was to color…but alas we could not use markers! My first thought, was oh no but once I pulled out my prisma pencils and started working it wasn’t that bad.

I dug through my floral stamp sets and decided to use this one by Flourishes called Sweet Pea. I inked the image with Versafine Vintage Sepia and stamped just a portion of the large stamp. That image square is just 3.5 by 3.5 inches. I used only two pencils to color with, Olive Green and Pink. I also used a lot of Gamsol and my blending stumps! Once the image was colored, the rest was easy. The cardstock is SU Blush Blossom, ribbon is Champagne satin that I have been hording since my Flourishes weekend last February (the bow easy was used for the bow), a few mini pearls and the sentiment (which is from the sweet pea stamp set).I think it will do just fine for a wedding card, don’t you?

Give Yourself Room to Grow

2009-11-20T07:23:00.001-05:00

A quick little post this morning before work. I checked the challenge for today at 365 cards and saw that it was Simply Put. We could only use one piece of patterned paper, one embellishment and one sentiment.

So with my card base of SU Marigold Morning, a strip of Basic Grey Indian Summer paper edged with a Fiskars border punch, a flower from Prima and a rub on from Marcella for my sentiment my card is done. I hope you have a great Friday and may it be the start of a wonderful weekend for you!

Just Rite Christmas Card

2009-11-19T21:21:00.001-05:00

I was able to work with one of my new Justrite holiday sets last night. I used the Old Fashioned set and choose the stamp with the snowpeople.

I began by stamping the image in Rich cocoa ink and coloring it with my copics. Then I cut out the image with my nestabilities. I sponged a bit of ink around the edge. The background paper is from Bo Bunny and the pink is a scrap of something. Not a very elaborate or hard card to make. I might make a few more of these for my Christmas cards this year.

This weekend I need to write up a diagram of what I have in each cube. I have put my stuff away all nice and neat and now I can’t remember where I put anything. I also need to get my remaining stamps off the wooden blocks. The wood adds alot of weight to my cube boxes!

Purple Butterfly Wishes

2009-11-17T22:31:00.001-05:00

Next month it is my turn to demo at Stamp and Deliver’s Make N Take Saturday. I choose to use the Basic Grey clear stamp set called Dragonfly. No you don’t need glasses, there is not a dragonfly on the card so stop playing I Spy! I picked this gorgeous paper from Harlee Quinnz Designs called – what else – Butterfly Garden. The entire sheet is beautiful, so no matter which section you use, your card will turn out fabulous.

I inked the stamp in Versamark and sprinkled pearlustre Amethyst embossing powder from Stampendous. You can’t see the shine in the photo, but it is really shimmery IRL. The image is stamped in a soft shade of green Bazzill paper, sorry I don’t know the correct color name. I punched a fancy corner from the same green paper and a scrap of purple Bazzill bling. A strip of purple ribbon, some raindrops and a sentiment finish the card. The sentiment is from Impression Obsession. This was a rather fast card to put together. The longest part was cutting the stamped image out.

I loved working in my newly organized craft area tonight. Everything is neatly put away….I just have to remember where that place is. That will be next weekend’s task…labeling the cubes. Here is a quick shot of the Expedit cube system we got from Ikea. Please excuse the weird light in the middle of the picture. That is my Ott light. I have 24 cubes that store everything (almost everything…my stamps and inks).

Snow in Florida…..Not

2009-11-15T22:33:00.001-05:00

This has been a busy weekend for me. We went to Ikea to attempt to find a storage solution for all my crafting supplies. We were successful!

We purchased an Expedit cube system that has 16 cubes in it and another cube that has another 8 cubes and we stacked the two. So with 24 cubes to organize and fill my Sunday was completely gone. I will take a picture during the daylight as it is too dark right now. I started this card Saturday morning but didn’t get very far. Yesterday’s challenge at 365 Cards was to use the word Snow as your inspiration. I decided to make a snow globe or something close :)

I began by using my largest circle nestabilitie. I cut a piece of Christmas paper from the newest DCWV stack and a second circle of just white cardstock. I tore the white to resemble a snowy ground. I used a snowman from Darcie’s that I have had a few years and never inked up until now. I colored him with Copics and cut him out. I spread Glistening Snow Writer by Deco Art on the “globe”. I cut and scored a piece of cardstock for the base and added a snowflake composed of felt and a button. I looked pretty blank and after trying a few items I decided to use two pieces of ribbon that gave the appearance of wrapping the base like a package. I am totally exhausted and heading for bed. I hope you were able to complete whatever weekend plans you had!

Lady in Red

2009-11-13T07:14:00.002-05:00

I absolutely love re-creating this note card. It was one of the first designs I ever made in a card class but I never tire of making it. Today's challenge on 365Cards is to make a card that has a hat on it. This lovely vintage style lady fit the bill perfectly.

To begin, I stamped the image in Versamark and embossed her in gold. I then cut the image out. The background paper of the roses and flowers is some that I have had for years. I am almost out of it so I need to find a few more sheets soon. I carefully trimmed a few flowers to layer the image on. Next, I made a card base that is a bit smaller than A2 size. She looks better on a small note card than a full size card. I trimmed the corners with two different punches, one is called the iron eagle but I don't know the other name sorry. I trimmed a piece of burgandy mulberry paper and feathered the edges with a water pen. After gluing the flowers and stamped image on top of the mulberry paper, I took a gold Krylon pen and splotched (yes that is a word) it over the front. I also trimmed the card edge with the gold pen. For the finishing touch, three buttons were added on her hat.

That's it for now. I need to get to work this morning. I hope you enjoy your Friday :)

Christmas Patchwork Angel

2009-11-10T21:55:00.001-05:00

Today’s post is for the challenge at 365 Cards. We had to put a patch somewhere on our card. I decided to use a patch on this angel by Lockhart Stamps. I know the patch seems a bit big for her dress, but I wanted you to see it and not think it was a defect.

I began by choosing this yummy paper from Bo Bunny called Snowy Serenade Overture. It glitters in real life. I layered this on some Bazzill Bling cardstock. I stamped the image and colored it with copics. The wings were painted with some Pixie Dust Shimmerz. I sponged some Tea Dye distress ink around the image to keep it in tune with the background paper. I added a few Prima poinsettias, greenery from a Martha Stewart punch, Kaiser pearls and ribbon from May Arts. Here is a closer view of the image (if you click on the picture it will enlarge) so you can see the shimmer:

This one came together pretty easily tonight. Maybe my creative mojo is returning!

Long time no Blog!

2009-11-09T21:45:00.001-05:00

It has been a long time since I have posted anything. If I am being honest, it took a lot to create this card tonight. My last post was right after my son had surgery. He has healed perfectly but still can’t lift extra heavy objects until Thanksgiving. We left to babysit for my nephews in Atlanta over the weekend. The boys were great but I really didn’t look forward to riding in the car for 8 hours. After the long weekend, we came back home and my family promptly got the flu! We didn’t physically go to the doctor, but from what I hear there is no seasonal flu going around right now, we had a mild case of H1N1. We all felt like crap for about a week. Once the crappiness leaves, you still have NO energy and a lasting cough. To add to my ailments, I pulled a muscle in my lower back from coughing!

So when I say it has taken all my energy to sit here and work on a card, it really has. I decided to play catch up at 365 Cards Super sketchy Sunday.

I picked up this new set from The Cat’s Pajamas while I was in Georgia. I thought it would work well with the sketch this week. I began by using papers from My Mind’s Eye. Next I stamped the image and sentiment using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and cutting them out using my Labels 1 nesties. I colored the image with my copics then distressed the edges with Tea Dye ink. I added a touch of Polar White Flower Soft and a hint of diamond glaze to the candy cane. Here is a closer view of the cute bear -

If you click on the image it will enlarge to give you a closer look. Hopefully my creative itch will beat out my lack of energy and I can create a few more things this week. See ya soon :)

Perfect Paisley

2009-10-22T13:20:00.001-04:00

I was able to work on a quick card just now and luckily today’s challenge at 365 Cards was easy for me. We were to use paisley on our card with as a background or a stamp.

I had the paisley vellum CB’d left over from another project so I grabbed it and placed it over SU Rich Razzleberry cardstock. I attached it with some white brads. The flowers are by Prima, the ribbon is All My Memories and sentiment is by IO. That’s it!

The patient had a good night and slept all the way through. He has completely thawed out and is uncomfortable but nothing he can’t tolerate. He was able to shower and he said the worst part is just going from standing to sitting and vice versa. That stretches your stomach and groin muscles. This will probably be my last post as early tomorrow morning I leave for Atlanta to babysit for my nephews this weekend. I hope you have a wonderful weekend planned and I will see you next week :)

I just washed my hands

2009-10-21T22:05:00.002-04:00

I think I heard this more than 100 times today while at the hospital with my son. It is a new rule the hospital has implemented to help fight MRSA. If the staff member who is wanting to treat you doesn't say this, you are not supposed to let them touch you. The mantra began at 6:30 am and continued until he was released just before 1:00 pm.
The hernia repair went very smoothly and was done in an hour. Then I had to wait for him to fully wake up. That took awhile. He is home and has been resting comfortably all afternoon on the couch. The weather was very pleasant today (meaning 76) so I had the windows open. He wanted his comforter on him for warmth and it had to be gray side facing him. OK. I have kept his ice pack going all day so it wouldn't get warm and mushy. I left to go to the store for 1/2 with my husband in charge. I come home and the a/c is now on, set to 74, the ceiling fan is on high in the living room, my son is complaining about the heat wave in the house and demands a cold cloth for his body!
I am like, what happened? Did I mention, the son now has an attitude. I am guessing the numbing solution they poured into his groin is wearing off. Oh joy. Lortabs here we come:)
forgive me for not getting a card done today....if he cooperates I will try one tomorrow.

Tuesday’s Trio for a friend

2009-10-20T22:20:00.001-04:00

Today’s card involves a trio of items for the challenge at 365 cards. You were required to use a pearl, tag and ribbon on your card. I began by grabbing one of my seldom used CB folders, script and embossed a piece of dark brown cardstock.

I rubbed copper metallic paste over the embossing to make it shimmer. Next I stamped a collage stamp by Hero Arts onto a piece of kraft and then a scrap of blush cardstock. I cut out just the heart image from the blush and layered it onto the kraft image. I tore the bottom edge and layered this onto a turquoise scrap and tore that bottom edge. Using a colored pencil, I highlighted the butterfly and the postmark in blue. To go along with using seldom used products of mine, I dug out some copper eyelets and threaded the ribbon through them. I attached the tag, (don’t look for the hello stamp in any store….that’s my handwriting *wink*) a few prima flowers and the required pearl. I took the challenge literally and it said pearl, so I used a rhinestone for the second flower.

Nothing to hard or complex on this and it isn’t bulky so it should be easy to mail to a friend. Gotta get to bed as it is an early day tomorrow. My son is having surgery and we have to be at the hospital by 6:30 am.

Inspired by Fabric

2009-10-19T22:39:00.001-04:00

We have made it home on our unexpected trip to Buffalo, NY. We drove straight home on Saturday and shaved off one hour from our trip up. We would have made it home two hours faster, but we hit a detour in WV due to “Bridge Day”. Apparently it is a big to do with people jumping off a particular bridge located on Rt. 19. I will say that the detour route was even more scenic than Rt. 19 as we kept going around hair pin turns and finding waterfalls around each corner. The fall foliage was in full bloom even on a gray rainy day. We came home to our little dog Zoey looking so lonely. Each time we went outside to grab more bags, she thought we were leaving her again. Our cat Smokey apparently thought my photo cube was his new bed. It was tipped over so the opening was facing outward and I had a ton of gray fur on the white backdrop! If you see any fur in my photos, please just overlook them. I spent quite a bit of time with a lint roller earlier.

On to today’s card. It is Day 233 at 365 cards and the challenge was to use your favorite fabric to inspire a card. I couldn’t use curtains as we don’t have any. We are a mini blind household. I looked at our comforters and they are all a solid color so nothing there. After looking around the house I finally settled on this picture frame:

That lovely family is my sister from three years ago and she will probably freak if she reads this and sees herself. I bought this frame at Pier One ages ago. Please excuse the glare in the bottom right of the glass. Any who..here is the card that I was inspired to create:

I began with a base of SU chocolate chip and embossed a flower stamp with versamark and Weathered White powder. I punched flowers from SU Riding Hood Red and vellum paper and layered them. A dab of Diamond Glaze and micro beads were used for the centers. The ribbon is also Riding Hood Red taffeta and the sentiment is from Impression Obsession.

That’s all for tonight. Today was extremely long at work as I tried to catch up on a week’s worth. Blackberry’s are a great invention, but they also just keep informing you of what is waiting for you upon your return!

Quick Update from the Chilly North

2009-10-14T10:36:00.002-04:00

Good Morning

Just wanted to give a quick update. We are in Buffalo, NY to attend my Mother-in-law's funeral. We drove straight through on Monday, 19 hours total. Today is the memorial service at the funeral home and a mass will be tomorrow. The weather up here is a culture shock from the heat wave in FL. We left 96 degree heat and came to 34 degree cold. They are actually expecting flurries tomorrow and Friday! Why can't the country just have a huge fan and get the weather to meet in the middle somewhere around 60ish.

Sorry, but I didn't bring any stamping supplies with me nor do I have any cards made ahead so I could schedule some new posts. I am not that organized with this blog yet.
Hopefully, we will be home on Sunday and I can work on something before my next venture to Atlanta for a babysitting gig with my nephews.

Friendship Grows…

2009-10-07T22:56:00.002-04:00

I was determined to make a card again today. This adorable image came last week in the midst of my heat wave. Why have I suddenly taken a liking to stamps that don’t have a face? Well, technically Magnolias have a face, just not a complete one. This cutie is a relatively new one by Sarah Kay for Stampavie. I ordered a new Christmas image at Stampers Dream and the website told me that people who bought that particular one also bought this gardener. So in my shopping cart she went.

The challenge today at 365 Cards was to use denim. I pulled out my old patterned paper and found this piece. I began by stamping the image on a piece of GinaK paper that was cut with my Small Label nestie. I then stamped the image again on the pp and carefully cut out the overalls and glued it onto the image. The rest of the image was colored with my Copics. I sponged the edges with Tea Dye distress ink. The background papers are from Basic Grey Indian Summer pack. The sentiment is by Stampabilities that is supposed to go with a House Mouse image, but I inked it up into two lines so it would fit my card. The flowers are from Petaloo and are called Wild Roses. I would love to have some of these IRL. A bit of silk ribbon is across the top and it is hard to see in the photo but there is a snippit of pale pink ribbon in the knot.

Tomorrow is our 1st annual Chili Cook Off at work so it will be a long day. I will catch up with you on Friday.

Punchy Bats

2009-10-06T22:06:00.001-04:00

It has been so long since I have been able to work on any card. It started last week. Remember my attempt to play tennis after work? Well, I am actually getting better at that and I no longer feel like crap from heat exhaustion. But the same day, our air conditioner broke. Even though it is October, we are still getting temps close to 90 here in Florida. It took 6 days to get a new a/c installed. We now have a huge Bryant beast in our backyard. But it cooled the house down from 85 to 75 in two hours! So needless to say, with an extremely warm house and not getting too much sleep at night from above mentioned heat, I have not done much of anything.

I checked the Daily Dare blog and saw that A spoonful of Sugar had a new challenge up today. It was to create a Halloween card. Even though I don’t need another one of these, I made the above card. I saw a similar card in a stamping magazine a few weeks ago at Barnes & Noble and sketched some notes. I began by punching the EK Success corner punch on a strip of black cardstock three times, rotating the punch each time. The paper left in the middle ends up looking like a bat! I glued this to a black cardstock base trimming the right edge so the bat strip would fit. I used some scraps of paper by Cosmo Cricket for the left edge and inside card. I cut a circle with my Nestie out of cream cardstock. I sponged some SU More Mustard to make it look like a harvest moon. The witch silhouette was stamped in black along with the bats and sentiment. The stamps are from GinaK. Finally, I spritzed the circle with Jack O'’Lantern Glimmer Mist and the card with Haunted Shadow Glimmer Mist. I tried getting it to shimmer in the picture, but just couldn’t capture it.

Oh well, such is life. I am off to have a piece of pumpkin pie that my son brought home.

Mother Earth

2009-10-01T21:46:00.001-04:00

Is it a flag for a new country? No, it is my interpretation for the 4 elements of nature. Today’s challenge 365 Cards was tough. We were to divide our card into four equal parts and have them represent earth, air, fire and water. Please click on the link and check out what the others did. They are fabulous. I went for the basics and choose to display the colors that represent the elements. Things to note on my simple card: the swirls on the four sections all match perfectly together and I remembered to tilt the earth on it’s axis *wink* (If any of you are science majors, please tell me if I tilted the earth on the wrong side.)

I played tennis again after work today and it went much better. I ate a small sandwich before playing and I bought a Sobe life water to drink. We were actually able to volley the ball quite a few times. On the down side, we were scolded about our shoes. Apparently we have running shoes not “tennis” shoes. We left horrible marks in the clay. So this weekend I have to go shopping. Apparently they also make “tennis” clothing that enable you to put a ball in your pocket without stopping the blood flow to your thigh. I hate to go clothes shopping but I will have to make a trip this weekend.

Winter’s Butterflies

2009-09-30T22:00:00.001-04:00

I did it, I did it! I finished all 30 challenges for the month of September on 365 Cards! Today’s card challenge was about white space. We could only add items along the top and left edges of the card and put a little something in the bottom right hand corner.

The stamp on the left I brought home tonight from Stamp and Deliver. It is part of the October stamps for Great Impressions. I colored it with a few copics. The round stamp is a new set from JustRite called A Merry Little Christmas. That was waiting in the mail for me today after work! I stamped that in SU Cool Caribbean ink. I added the strip of blue snowflake ribbon and a couple of buttons along the top. This gives me another holiday card to send out. This is at least 5 count them 5 Christmas/holiday cards finished by September 30th. I never really start making my cards this early. I need to tell my hubby that this blogging and following 365 Cards is really getting me more organized. Do you think he will buy it? Enjoy the rest of your day :)

Autumn blessings

2009-09-29T22:52:00.001-04:00

I will apologize now for my card. I attempted to play tennis this afternoon with a co-worker and I think I developed a mild case of heat exhaustion. Can you have a mild case? Extreme nausea, chills, sweats, light-headed. I am sooo out of shape it isn’t funny. I have stared at this card for over an hour now and it won’t improve itself. So it is getting posted.

The challenge today at 365 cards is to paper piece a particular template given us by Pam. I used the pumpkin shape but not the face. The papers used are from the Basic Grey Indian Summer pack. The background stamping is from GinaK Whimsical Autumn stamp set. Not much else to explain on this. I am off to bed and I hope I wake up feeling normal again.

Life on the fringe

2009-09-28T16:56:00.002-04:00

Today’s challenge at 365 cards required us to use fringe on two sides of our card. I must confess, I had the pear image made for quite a while but just this afternoon finished a card with it.

The image was made by stamping first with versamark then layering embossing powders to color it in. A really hot heat gun helps with this technique. The powders are from The Powder Keg and the technique was taught by Janelle (the owner herself). I stamped a saying on a panel of burgundy cardstock and layered that onto a creamy yellow card base. The scalloped ovals were layered with a foam dot and that saying is by My Sentiments Exactly. The fringe is from a Basic Grey Sugared fiber set. I thought the colors went pretty well.

That’s all for now, I need get dinner ready as I have some swap commitments that need to get finished and sent on their way to Canada.

Super Skating Hedgie Sketch

2009-09-27T12:55:00.001-04:00

It is Sunday so another fabulous sketch was given to us by Pam to follow at 365 Cards. Here is her sketch:

And here is what I was inspired to do:

When I first looked at the sketch and saw the line along the bottom edge, my first thought was to use my new Martha Stewart icicle punch. The card evolved around that. I took a piece of SU Cool Caribbean and punched the strip of icicles out. I was able to use a piece of paper from my new BG Eskimos Kisses paper pad. The hedgie image is from the Penny Black Holly Day Critters clear set. That was stamped on an extra nestie labels 3 piece. The image was colored with Copics and spica pens. The pink Noel is actually a snow flake die from Spellbinders Create a Flake 2 set. The ribbon is from my holiday stash and the snowflakes on the ribbon are from Hero Arts. As I laid the pieces in place on the paper it looked nice but sorta plain. I took out my Zig glue pen and outlined the icicles, the nestie label and the snowflake with glue and sprinkled micro-fine glitter over them. That looked much better.

Only three days left to go and I will have completed every challenge for the month of September at 365 Cards! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday :)

Sandy Greetings

2009-09-26T22:12:00.001-04:00

Today’s challenge at 365 Cards was to try a new technique – Sanding. We needed to give the card a distresses look by sanding it. Like many others, I pulled out my Coredinations cardstock and ran it through my Cuttlebug. I choose to use my Holly folder. After sanding the image, I used the ticket corner punch on the corners. I decided to keep the card simple so I added two prima flowers, a strip of organza ribbon, a few Robins Nest dew drops and the sentiment.

This card didn’t take more than 15 minutes to complete and I am truly grateful. We had a long day traveling out of town to attend a gun show. I have never been to one before and it was an eye opening experience. It was a successful trip as I was able to find a gun that I liked, a 32 Kel-tec semi-automatic. We traded in one that I didn’t like at all. I was able to buy a second clip, ammo and a small case that fits in my pocket and conceals it nicely all within our budget. The gun is so small that your hand covers the whole thing. Now when I travel out of town alone for work, I will feel a bit more comfortable.

I have tried a different look for the image upload. It is called reflection….what do you think?

Rejoice Challenge Combo

2009-09-25T23:24:00.001-04:00

I have been really trying to complete all the challenges for the month of September at 365 Cards. I needed to complete yesterday’s challenge Day 208 which was a challenge combo. We needed to take one challenge each from June, July and August to use on your card. I choose the following:

Day 119 See a Silhouette

Day 139 Paper Piercing

Day 162 Super sketchy Sunday

For a closer view, you can click on the image to enlarge it.

I have to admit, my first thought was to grab my Spooky Silhouettes stamp set by GinaK but then I stopped myself and said “No more Halloween cards”. It is my quest to make more Christmas cards now so I am not scrambling on Dec 20th to finish them. I didn’t want to look through the June challenges again to pick another one so I kept the silhouette and used this angel stamp by Inkadinkado. I stamped her in Brilliance Pearlescent Ivy on a piece of white cardstock. Next I used a corner template by Ornare to create the piercing. I trimmed the corners with a corner rounder and ran my gold leaf pen along the edge. This was adhered to a dark green card for the base. I stamped the sentiment on a scrap of gold cardstock and glued buttons on the edges to keep with the sketch. A third larger button and a piece of lace finished the card.

In my earlier post tonight , I mentioned the show Monk. Did you watch it? Did you think Natalie would really get decapitated? I knew Mr. Monk would not let that happen. I am off to bed now. Tomorrow we are heading to a gun show.

It’s a Jungle Out There

2009-09-25T17:46:00.002-04:00

So are you thinking about African Safaris or the television show Monk? I hate that this is the last season of Monk. I just started watching it late last year! Oh well, my hubby works at the library and he can bring home all the past seasons on DVD for me. Today’s challenge at 365 Cards was to make a card with a jungle theme.

I had purchased these Changito stamps after a class using these cute monkeys. I stamped and colored the image in. I did stamp a leafy branch that is just peeking out of the leafy ribbon. Isn’t that wonderful May Arts ribbon? I have that in a few colors. The brown panel was run through the CB for texture. If you can't see it very well, click on the image for a larger view. I haven’t stamped an inside sentiment yet as I could use this card for a few different occasions. The green base card is made with Bazzill cardstock.

For all you Monk fans, it is Friday night and there is a new episode tonight with a voodoo doll theme.

Tilda wants Peace and Love

2009-09-23T22:39:00.001-04:00

This post is a catch up post. I was not able to finish Monday’s challenge at 365 Cards until tonight. We had to use a color scheme that reminded me of fall. Friends came over that night so I was only able to work on my card for a short time. This is what got completed.

I looked through my paper hoping to find a sheet that incorporated all the colors like the sample showed us. No such luck. But Basic Grey did come to the rescue with the Ambrosia pack. I added some SU Dusty Durango, Marigold Morning and a bit of retired paper. I used my scalloped circle nestie to cut out the border for Tilda to sit in. The ribbon words are from my leftover box and the cool large flower is a new one by Prima. I wish I had some live ones like that. I colored Tilda in with the following copics: E000, E00, E11, E33, E59, R20, Y21, YR14, B93, B95 and B97.

Are you ready to see the finished card?

Please click on the card for a larger image. I think I captured all the required colors. That’s it for tonight. I have been wanting to try a new jam that a friend at work brought back from her vacation. It is called Butler’s Best - Peach Amaretto Pecan. The recipe on the side says to make a sandwich with the jam and cream cheese. Dip sandwich into French toast batter and fry. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?

DIY Flutterby blooms

2009-09-23T21:15:00.001-04:00

Today’s card was made to fulfill two challenges. The first is for 365 cards which asked us to create our own patterned paper. Since today is Wednesday, I hopped over to Danni’s blog Flutter by Wednesday which asked us to make a card with a butterfly or fairy on it and include flowers. No twisting my arm to include a butterfly!

For the patterned paper I first choose a background sheet from my new pack of Basic Grey Indian Summer. (I finally got to pick up my new paper!) Next I took a piece of SU Kraft paper and used the Fine Lace background stamp with Memento Rich Cocoa ink. Then I choose a stamp by Inkadinkado from the Fall Season clear set. I inked it with my Kaleidacolor pad - Cappuccino Delight. I randomly stamped it over the fine lace image. I trimmed the corners with an EK Success corner punch. For the butterfly, I took a small piece of Tim Holtz grunge paper and my butterfly CB set. I cut out the image first than ran it through one of the four embossing folders that come in the set. I used a sponge and choose two shades of ink from the ink pad to color it. I popped it up with foam tape and attempted to curl the wings a bit. I added a few Primas to resemble the butterfly’s flight trail.

The card seems a bit dark to me but that is what I was drawn to create tonight. I didn’t think I was in a dark or gloomy mood. Hopefully tomorrow’s card will look cheerier.

Tuesday Triplets

2009-09-22T18:07:00.001-04:00

The challenge today on 365 Cards was to use three items on your card. If you used a flower, you had to use three and so on. I decided I wanted to start making some Christmas cards so I pulled out last year’s paper pack Christmas Magic Collection by Little Yellow Bicycle. The snowflake punch outs were on the first page. It was a sign!

I punched out three of them and set about getting the right background paper. If you click on the image to enlarge it, you will see that some of the circles are blue, so the blue snowflake really isn’t out of place on this card :) I added a sentiment by Penny Black and even though our sentiment didn’t have to be done three times, it was appropriate to stamp Let it Snow….Let it Snow….Let it Snow. I added three new teardrops from Robin’s Nest and my bow is a triple one made with my Bow Easy. I hand trimmed the front flap of my card to give it that wavy look. No fancy scissors will achieve that wave.

I have got to run back to work for a meeting tonight. Hopefully it won’t last too long as I still have to work on yesterday’s color combo card.

Life holds many blessings

2009-09-20T22:36:00.001-04:00

I have finally finished the demo card for next month’s make and takes at Stamp and Deliver. I really was struggling with this for some reason.

I had the sentiment to use and the border folder but didn’t know what else to do. After placing both on many different patterned papers, I looked at a leftover scrap and it clicked. I used my nesties Label 4 to layer the image. The border embossing is done directly on the card front. The printed paper butts right up to the edge (or rather where the edge would be). Since the paper had streaks of color in the corner I was lucky enough to find these button by Tres Jolie that also had the color streaks on them, how cool was that! They looked naked just sitting there so I tied a bit of hemp in them.

So what do you think? You can click on the image for a larger view. In other news, I recently discovered that I had over 12,300 views to my blog! I was blown away by the number. Little ole me who is not on a design team or widely known on SCS. I have only been blogging for 6 months and never in my wildest dreams thought my counter would get that high. At this rate I will hit 15,000 before Christmas I imagine. When I hit 15,000 I will have some super fantastic blog candy up for grabs. Not sure what yet, but some stamp sets and neat embellishments for sure. So if you want a chance to win this, please keep coming back for a visit and watch for the candy to be announced.

A Haunting Sketch

2009-09-20T12:53:00.001-04:00

Today is Sunday so I couldn’t wait to see what sketch Pam created at 365 cards. Here is what she gave us to work with:

And here is what I did with it:

I looked at the circles in the top left of the sketch and new I wanted to use my new paper from Bo Bunny for those. I compiled the rest of the card from there. MFT Fright Night stamp set was used for the focal image, sentiment and spider. I used my SU 1 1/4 circle punch, the bats are from my Martha Stewart punch and the candies are buttons from Dress it up Happy Haunting collection. SU Modern Label punch was used for the sentiment. Here are the copics I used to color in the image:

I think this card turned out rather cute and will be perfect to send to my youngest nephew for Halloween. I hope you enjoy the rest of your Sunday. I am off to eat some lunch then attempt my demo card.

They’re After Me Lucky Charms

2009-09-19T21:12:00.001-04:00

How sad is it that I had a bowl of Lucky Charms for breakfast today while I was reading that the daily challenge at 365 Cards was to use a lucky charm on your card? I have a smidge of Irish heritage in me, so I went with the clover (although now that I look at the stamp, it isn’t a 4 leaf one :( and a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

The stamps are from Studio G. I used my nesties to cut out the circles for layering. I randomly stamped the clover on the background. I used my Krylon gold leaf pen to outline the card. A scrap of two toned green ribbon was my finishing touch.

Tomorrow is Sunday, which means Pam will come up with another super sketch for us to follow. I also have got to complete my demo card for next month’s Make and Take at Stamp and Deliver. I have the sentiment and the CB embossing border already picked out for me. Getting them to work together hasn’t happened yet for me.

You look Mahvalous!

2009-09-19T21:00:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was Day 202 at 365 cards. The challenge was called Once Upon a Time. We were to base our card on a favorite fairy tale. I have to honestly say that I don’t have a favorite. So while at work I Googled fairy tales. There are a lot that I had never heard of before. But I came across one, The Ugly Duckling, that intrigued me. I switched to a search of images and found this one that I fell in love with.

I layered the image on a scrap of SU Orchid Opulence and a scrap of white. It is hard to tell from the picture, but I used a gold Atyou Spica pen around the mirror so it would shimmer. The background paper I have had for a while. A local stamp store was going out of business a year of so ago and they had this line of marbleized paper. I bought a sheet in every color they had thinking it was the greatest thing. Well, I haven’t found many times to use them but this card seemed to work ok. The sentiment is in the font of “Cheri”. I added the heart by Rain Dots and the flower gem by Hero Arts.

……And they lived happily ever after.

One Two Buckle My Shoe

2009-09-17T20:39:00.001-04:00

Today the challenge at 365 Cards was to use a shoe on your card. I looked through my stamps and the only true shoe stamp I have I used just recently from Ginak. I know that I could have googled images but there were so many to choose from. I settled on this stamp by Paperbag Studios. I hope it is okay that I have more than shoes on my card. They looked funny if I cut off the pants.

I first stamped the image in brown then again in blue ink. I cut the pants out and used foam tape to pop them up for dimension. I used a script stamp with brown ink for the lower half of the card. The word adventure is an unmounted stamp and I used screw brads to keep the feel of a masculine card.

Very easy card to put together. I should make a few more to have on hand.