Showing posts with label stamping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stamping. Show all posts

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Happy Halloween!

These past couple of days have found me in Santa's Workshop actually making Christmas Accordion Tags, however I stumbled upon some witch's brew and concocted this:
I believe that one cannot have enough Halloween decorations, especially if you have children around. (Like my inner one.) So I had a lot of fun decorating this with all the spooky critters and creepers which allowed me to participate in the superfun challenge at the Cupcake Craft Challenges "Things That Go Bump in the Night!"
Love it!

This was based on Sharon Johnson's Splitcoast posting: and her Instructions. Happy Halloween and Merry Christmas have the same number of letters (midnight ruminations) so it works perfectly. After fiddling with the different papers for the ghost space between words I ended up making my own "dp" although I REALLY wanted the Twilight paper from Pink Paislee Twilight collection, just couldn't find it in town. I used Elegant Eggplant and Basic Black ink with the Negative Embossing technique to create this panel, hopefully evoking a spooky background. The circles are punched out of the Shimmery White, I sponged the edges (because plain just didn't look full enough) and I added Stickles dots (because I LOVE STICKLES!).

Paper: SU!: Elegant Eggplant, YoYo Yellow, Basic Black, Shimmery White
DP: Tim Coffey Halloween "I Want Candy" (green), Best Creation Inc. #GP320 (white swirly), Reminisce Halloween Collection "Jack" (pumpkins, black & orange polka dot)
Ink: SU!: Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Elegant Eggplant, Green Galore
Accessories: Recollections (Michael's stickers: spiders (so cute!), cats, ghosts, & bats) ? Pumpkin stickers, Making Memories "Spellbound" chipboard alphabet stickers, Ranger Stickles: orange, purple & green; Cuttlebug & D'vine Swirl embossing folder, circle & slit, tag corner punches, misc. Halloweenish ribbon, sponges, Fiskars scoring tool
Technique: Negative Embossing




















Saturday, October 10, 2009

Pink Camoflage and a Forest Friend

My daughter has a pair of pink & brown camoflage pants that I just covet, but instead of using my desire for misdoings I used it for inspiration. The brown color scheme is this week's Stamp Something Challenge. I made the pattern by tearing paper in the same direction all the way around with rounded edges, kind of oak leafy. The sketch is from Laura's #36 at 2 Sketches 4 You. I think this will make a sweet girl's birthday card.

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:

Stamps: Forest Friends (2009), Friendship Blooms
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Kraft, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Bella Rose DP

Ink: Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink

Ribbon: Chocolate Chip grosgrain, Making Memories Kids Trim "Kate" bric-a-brac

Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, Nesties & CB, Ranger Stickles "Cotton Candy", Creamy Caramel marker, pop & glue dots

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Challenge within a Challenge Day!


Boy, it has been a long time since I posted anything. I go in spurts... following my fancy... and it feels like I am back into stamping which is good for my soul. Getting together with one of my best friends who shares a stamping passion got me into doing challenges. I think I have combined the most ever for me into this project. And boy does it remind me when Tim Gunn comes into the workroom and put his hand under his chin when he declares "this could be beautiful or a hot gooey mess."
Here goes:
I used this week's challenge from Get Sketchy #7 and their Bonus Challenge Distressing. I distressed the Basic Grey DP: Infuse "Saturate" and the "thank you" circle from the Stampin' Up! All Holiday Set with the Stampin' Up distressing tool. I sponged all the paper as well to soften everything. Using Basic Grey paper (Infuse) and Chipboard Elements allowed me to participate in their challenge for Week 4: Embossing. I stamped the farm image from Harvest Home with Timber Brown StazOn and then used a combination of colored pencils and crayons to color the image and then blended them with a blender pen. I then did the Cracked Glass technique on the focal image which involved heat embossing with Ranger's UT Clear Embossing Powder. I stepped outside of my box in the Ways to Use it (SCS challenge WT237) with the use of Chipboard. I love the way people use it - I think it adds so much to a card... I have just been afraid to use it, worried it will look like an afterthought rather than integral and thus wasting it for a better card, a better idea. I decided not to overthink it. Lastly, I'm throwing this into the Limited Supplies Challenge (LSC239) for the SOS, mine being So Saffron, Old Olive and Saturate.





Stampin' Up! Stamps: Harvest Home, All Holiday, Canvas, Timeworn Trim

Paper: Stampin' Up! So Saffron, Old Olive, Whisper White, Close to Cocoa, Watercolor paper

Designer Paper: Basic Grey Infuse "Saturate" and "Invest"

Ink: Old Olive, More Mustard, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, StazOn Timber Brown, VersaMark

Chipboard Elements: Basic Grey (corner pieces) and Marcella K (scrolly thing)

Accessories: SU! Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, WC pencils & crayons, Ranger UT Clear Embossing Powder, sponges, exacto knife & cutting mat, distressing tool, pop & glue dots

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Heart's Content


This was created for Mojo Monday #69. I think I have also combined it with VLVJan03 which is to add pink - I say think but I cleared out my cookies from my computer and erased my log in name & password for Splitcoast therefor I am barred from entering the relevant pages until Splitcoast gets back to work on Monday. :D
Paper: Bella Rose DP, Pink Pirouette & Chocolate Chip
Stamps: Many Happy Returns & Friendship Blooms (VersaMarked into the upper left corner).
Ink: VersaMark, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red
Acccessories: Soft Subtles buttons, Whisper White & Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon, SU! On Board Basics, SU! Cutter Kit: distressing tool, SU! Cutting Mat & Craft Knife, Mat Pack & piercing tool, Zots, MonoAqua, snail glue

Bee Mine


This was created for a Splitcoast Stampers Limited Supply Challenge #203 for a Non-Cheesy Valentine's Day Card. The idea is to make a card easily replicated 30 times. I deviated a little bit by adding the Mellow Moss ribbon - the flower just didn't look right floating in space, folding the card to make it a 3" x 3" (was supposed to be a face only) and by embellishing a little bit with the pens. It looked too plain without the Markie's Mom touches.


All supplies are Stampin' Up!
Paper: Real Red, Confetti White, Pretty in Pink, Summer Picnic DP
Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/8" & 1 1/4" Circle Punches, Black & Mellow Moss Gingham Ribbons, Vintage Black Brad, White Gel Pen, Black and Real Red Markers, and Mat Pack

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Christmas Thank You Cards


I loved to see what Kittie747 has posted over at Splitcoast Stampers. She is an inspiration to me and challenges my card making abilities. She created this card which I used as my base for my Christmas Thank You notes. She submitted it for the Sketch Challenge #91.
Stamps: Flaky Friends, Petal Pushers, and Canvas
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Whisper White, Confetti White, and Old Olive
Designer Paper: Basic Grey "Wassail" Laurel Leaves and Stampin' Up Bella Rose
Ink: StazOn Timber Brown, Old Olive, More Mustard, Craft White, Bashful Blush, and Almost Amethyst
Markers: Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive
Accessories: Riding Hood Red ribbon, Yellow Stickles, pop dots, sponge
Technique: sponging, masking

KWerner Design Blog Color Inspiration #38






I have been purging old magazines but saving interesting articles and found one for tiling floors in Martha Stewart Living from September 1999. She had a pattern for gingham, which I love. Kristina's Color Inspiration this week was perfect for creating the gingham colors. I created the gingham with my 1/4" square punch. I laid them out on a strip of Rose Red and created the pattern with the Whisper White and Pretty in Pink, leaving the Rose Red as open space.



Stamp Set: Heartfelt Thanks
Paper: Rose Red, Pretty In Pink, Whisper White, and Pumpkin Pie
Ink: Rose Red, Pretty In Pink, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black
Markers:Certainly Celery and Old Olive
Gingham Ribbon: Pretty In Pink.
Accessories: 1/4" square punch, pop dots

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Haven't been here in forever...

Gosh, I haven't even framed an experience with a blogger's mind for so long now, I feel kinda rusty. Not that I am a pro at this. Darn it, I didn't win the Wii. I finally got the checkbook in the computer (2005 thru current) and have it balanced. Now hubby just has to make enough money to cover everything. If you thought of our finances as an outfit, it would look like something close to this: an expensive nice pair of shoes paired with a mini-skirt and crop top. Not as bad as pasties, but trust me - they're under the crop top if things get worse. Still have to figure out how we send a kid to college abroad in the fall. We make too much to qualify for federal loans but have no cash to speak of. Got all kinds of equity tied up in various places. I can't stand it. Oh, and not an option not to send the kid to college abroad, even though she got into a good in-state school. The half-full side of that is I'll just commandeer her bedroom for the two little kids about a month after she takes off. I want to put them in bunk beds. (There are four of us in the master bedroom right now.) Anyway, so I have been trying to get the checkbook all figured out and in before we leave on our trip on Monday. He wants to pay bills and then figure out how much he has to put in the account and I would rather work with a budget with the funds in the account and send them off from there. Hate joint checking too. Would rather not have him access the account other than to put money into it. He was mad at me because I took the IRS refund and stuck it in the account to pay bills and didn't say anything to him about it. I swear, if he had known there was that kind of money in the account he would have bought the latest computer for one of the older kids (none of the 3 computers between the 2 of them is very old) and funneled more money towards some baseball invention he is involved in. I think we should pay bills first, ya know? Oh, and eat. So that's done, but of course it will be a mess when I get home because he doesn't record checks in the register - hence the carbon copy checks. He spends money like he has it. Just wish we did.
I finally went to Urgent Care and got myself a check-up. Bronchitis and Sinusitis. So I am on Amoxicillin: 2 pills 3 times a day. I also got myself a little prescription for Diflucan for the unfortunate side effect of the other antibiotics. Ladies, you with me on this? I'll take that pill tomorrow. I remember the first time I ended up with a yeast infection because I went to the Doctor. It was in college and had gotten myself a pretty good cold, good ol' chest infection so got some antibiotics for that one and a week later had my very first yeast infection. I was pretty steamed up that no one warned me that I might end up with a little problem elsewhere. So I was proactive with this sets of drugs. Don't want that hassle ever, never mind the week I am due for my period, traveling for 3 days in the car and attending a wedding a week from now.
Let's see, last week I was also really pissed off at my husband. It all boils down to priorities. The pie chart is huge in the favor of one kid. Totally uncool. I wanted to attend a baby shower. I thought I had worked it out with him that he was going to look after the little ones while I went. The day before he informs me that he never actually gave me an answer and to call my mom to see if she could do it. (She jumped at the chance to spend time with the little ones. I love my mom. She is always there for me.) He told me that when he watches them he can't get anything done. (It means they actually want him to play with them instead of on his computer on the couch.) He is actually standing in the doorway telling me this as he is headed out to the baseball field for a friggin' double header. What the hell are you getting done while sitting on your ass for 6 hours on a bleacher? Gosh, what is that gushing sound in my ears? It's my hubby, winning the Hoover Award for Dad of the Year.


I made him a Father's Day card anyway. Because my kids love their dad. I'll have the kids sign it and stash it for F's D and have him open it then. All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted. Base card is Real Red, with a layer of Basic Black and Whisper White. I put the Black where I wanted it on the Red and placed it down on the cutter to slice away. Same with the next layer of White. My friend Toni asked if I had glued it down and then cut it. It was a great idea I didn't think of. The Red "Father" from the All Holidays set is on pop dots. A little bit of gingham to just add a touch and there you have a bold masculine Father's Day card. He also actually remembered my birthday so I went ahead and got him a replacement pocket knife for the one he lost a couple of months ago. His pocket knife is just part of his daily personal toolkit. He has his wedding band, watch, wallet, and belt that he carries on his person every day. The sound his watch makes - the links that hold the band together - are part of his music that he makes when he moves. His pocket knife usually clips onto his jeans and he uses it for all kinds of things. It isn't one of those Swiss Army knives, but he uses as if it were. It disappeared and I know he is missing it, because I miss it too. It is always handy to have him around if he has his knife on him.

I also made a card for my nephew who will be turning 9 while we are in Colorado with him. I had originally set aside a card for him that has this cute little frog on it: "Have I toad you how much I love you lately?" (Stampin' Up!) But I found out today how much he loves camouflage. I am thinking that if he likes camo, he might not be into little toadies. So I made him this card: The base card is Kraft. The other layers are Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, and Mellow Moss. The layers on top of the Always Artichoke are on pop dots. The sentiment is also from All Holidays and is stamped in Close to Cocoa on twill tape. Love that stuff! Aged copper brads from the Hodgepodge Hardware. Used the Mat Pack and piercer from Making Memories Crafter's Toolkit to pierce around the edges of the paper. I think I would like to make this card again but tear the paper into strips and then place the layers and see how that camo turns out. I'll cut off that little bit of tape fringe off before I give it to him.

It will be forever before I get to make another card again! We leave on Monday, wedding is next Saturday and not sure when we will be heading back here. I am not in a rush to return. Can I tell you how much I am looking forward to my vacation? I won't have to cook dinner for at least six people who won't show up or like what I have fixed. I will not have to put up with any one's dirty dishes in the sink or the counter or where ever, even when the dishwasher is empty. It will all just accumulate until maybe the folks around here actually notice that they are messy and expect someone else to clean up after them. They will run out of dishes until they remember to actually load the dishwasher. After they scrape the mold out of the drinking glasses left on the computer table and bedside shelf. They will run out of room to leave dirty dishes in the sink and on counters. They will run out of clean pots and pans to cook in. They will run out of towels because a new one everyday is dropped on the bathroom floor or left to mold in the corner of a smelly bedroom. They will run out of toilet paper because no one bothers to put anything on a shopping list. They will have to look for their shoes at the front door in the massive pile that will accumulate there in a matter of days. They will be unable to tell which pile of laundry is clean because as each new person does laundry they empty the previous load to the floor. Do you think they are going to mop the floor of the laundry room? They will run out of space in the garbage can because they don't bother to recycle. The last bulb will burn out in the living room and leave them in total darkness because the lights will not turn off by themselves any other way. Hopefully no one will break, well.... just open the front door and steal stuff because the door is always left unlocked, even when no one is home. And if it does get locked then dad will have to drive 20 minutes back home to let someone in because this person can't remember to carry the house key on his person. Somehow remembers the cell phone, tho. But school will be out and really, someone is always at home and on the computer or watching TV and bonus, there will likely be friends over while no adult is at home. The personal trainer will have to let himself in the house to wakey wakey his student. PT is strong enough to open the door despite the layer of crap that impedes its progress. My guess is that the lawn will be about 1 foot tall, not that I mow it now, but that the house will be unpleasant to reside in so the only one who does mow it will spend more time at the hangar. I hope he has fun doing it all by himself because that is what he asks of them now. Ahhhh, Vacation. I just hope Fishy survives. I'll call Merry Maids or Terminex to hit the house before I return.

I should be able to post from CO because I'll have access to the computers while we are there. Where I am going it might actually act like summer instead of mid-February.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Home Sweet Home



This is the card I created for scs Ways To Use It Challenge #166: Inchies. An inchie is a 1 inch square canvas (paper or fabric) on which you create your work. Mine is a 1 3/8" because that was the closest square punch that I own. The image from Little Somethings was stamped in StazOn Timber Brown and watercolored with crayons and an AquaPainter. It was matted on More Mustard and then Bashful Blue. The Bashful Blue covers up my handwriting attempt at Home Sweet Home. The Bashful Blue is pierced using the Mat Pack. I hand doodled along the edge of the Whisper White and felt it needed something else. I usually reach for the ribbon at that point. I thought the black & white gingham could look like bees with a yellow brad. So I added some bee trails and called it good. All supplies are by Stampin' Up!

The little beehive is also an image in Alison Jay's 1 2 3 A Child's First Counting Book. It is a picture hanging on the wall in the house of the Three Bears.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Pedals to the Wind




This was created for scs Color Challenge 166: Rose Red, Soft Sky & Pumpkin Pie. The gallery is full of beautiful cards so I had to play. While looking I ran into a great card with a cupcake on it and it was for something called Mojo Monday. I checked the site out, it is called Poetic Artistry, and loved her card & sketch so I decided to play there as well. I just got this new set and thought the flower blossoms would be fun in the PP; only later did I remember that I had some flowers that might match. I stamped the image in Jet Black StazOn on watercolor paper. I masked the bike and flowers to sponge the sky in SS. If it weren't for a cc I would use Bashful Blue as I think it is a much happier sunny kind of day sky color. I colored the bike in RR with a blender pen. The tires were done with a black WC pencil and then also blended in. I used SS scraps to weave a little basket and then touched it to the SS pad to give it some depth. (It sounds like I might have known what I was doing, but in reality I had no clue what was going to happen to my cute little basket. It actually turned out just like I wanted it to! LOL I think I just got something like that in a new stamp set: "If you at first succeed, try not to look astonished!) I used a PP marker to color in the flowers. The SS layer was stamped in SS using the Polka Dot background. The base card, in RR, is stamped using the Everyday Blossoms wheel in RR. I added the PP grosgrain ribbon embellishments and sat back to look at it. It needed something. So I dug through my stash trying to remember where I kept the flowers. Found them without too much trouble and played with it in various forms. I ended up keeping the flower with the two layers of petals and changing out the brad with a RR one. I would have used white if I owned white brads. It still needed something. One of my favorite children's illustrators is Tracey Campbell Pearson. She does ink and watercolors so I borrowed her outline technique and added the PP pen to the bike panel. It is one of those things that once you start you have to keep going and if you don't like it your stuck with it unless you want to make another one. I am not that gal. I don't mind mass producing but I don't like redoing a mistake. Go figure. I liked it so I did more handwork on the SS panel in black marker, polka dots like the stamp. Last I colored in the centers and dots to the RR blossoms. I like it better than when it was plain. I had originally popped some of the little float away blossoms on micro pop dots but you couldn't see then and there wasn't enough surface area for them to really stick so I peeled them off. One was still on my work surface which I added to the prima, just cuz I thought it might look cute.
This card took me a little while longer to make. My toddler never feel asleep during nap and I could hear her scampering around in the bedroom. I'll be so sad when she drops her once a day nap. It is my time. To nap or stamp or fold laundry or call a friend. Then the baby woke up. I got there in time to say hi and give him a hug and catch his barf. Aren't you thinking cute little orange blossoms too right now? Hey, that's my get away bike! I haven't had as much time at the computer and thinking funny blogging thoughts because the three of us are a little punky right now. Each of us has a head and chest cold and he has the vomiting and nasty smelling diarrhea to go along with his cold. I had to do laundry so that we could have blankets tonight and the most abundant amount of clean bedding as possible before we went to bed. The last time he had the flu in January we went through all the bedding & his pj's in the house. In a 4 hour stretch. Starting about 2:00 in the morning. I bought more bedding after that. Then I caught it and that's when my friend Shannon brought over the pink 7-Up because my DH didn't have the time to run to the store. My other friend Rena was reading my blog, catching up and thought that I was sick again so she bought me Fresca, in the original flavor. Although she was disappointed that I wasn't in need of her soda (not that because I wasn't sick) I was very happy because it is now secretly stashed away from the soda snatchers in the house for the next time I am praying to the porcelain god and my DH is too busy to be kind and thoughtful. Blog candy is when win something off some one's blog.... so is that called Blog Booty?

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Orange You Wonderful



I created this card for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #47. I still had Pumpkin Pie (orange) on my mind because of Kristina's "Color Inspiration" or Color Frustration in my case for last challenge. I had fun but liked the other submissions a lot better than mine. Anywho, I wanted to do something cute with orange. I just got the Tart and Tangy set from the SU! Occasions catalog and knew I was going to use the orange in some fashion. Beate's challenge included an oval. Hmmm.
I don't own Nestabilities YET and I went to Michaels this week with my 40% off coupon to get the Cuttlebug and they were OUT OF STOCK! #@$">%#*$'! She wouldn't issue me a rain check. Lady, it isn't easy to drag my kids around this store puh~lease help me out here!
I looked all around my house for something to use and I finally found an oval. It came off the top of my daughter's fish toy. It even came pretty close to the size I wanted. So I traced and cut it out. I am not a very good snipper. Drives me nuts!
I have the new DP Summer Picnic that matches the Tart & Tangy set so I pulled a couple of sheets out along with Whisper White, Real Red and Pumpkin Pie. When I was brainstorming over Beate's challenge at nap time I came up with Orange juice sweet. And if you say it fast enough it sounds like Aren't You Sweet. All fine and dandy until I look through my stamp sets and realize I don't have the sentiment "sweet!" Must be in my craft room over at my friend Toni's house. During my search I pulled out my Warm Words set just in case because it does have a lot of fun and cheerful words, including the "wonderful" I ended up using, stamping in Basic Black. I decided to write out "you" in Real Red using my ABC Alphabet lowercase set, made better by the use of my Stamp-a-ma-Jig. That has to be in my top 5 tools for perfect placement of stamp images. Really great when you hand-mount your own stamps - you can do a lousy job of mounting and never know it by your masterpiece!
Since the scalloped edge might cover up some of my graceless cutting I used my 1/2" circle punch to pop out a bunch of Pumpkin Pie paper circles and glued them on the back of the oval. I decided to further cover my cutting tracks by sponging on a little Pumpkin Pie around the edges. Add a little Pumpkin Pie grosgrain and call it kinda punny. When I added my submission in my comments I mentioned a bit of MacGyvering to make this card. She said she was glad that I didn't do any MacGrubering. Boy, so am I because with having to small children, not to mention some pretty icky runny noses and stinky butts there would be lots of opportunity for some nasty tools! Plus my house already looks like something exploded.
I am much happier with the way this one turned out. The colors are happy together, the orange fruit is cheerful, and someone receiving it might feel a little bit better about his/herself. I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for looking!

Saturday, May 10, 2008

DragonFly Friend


This is the other card I made for the In Stitches challenge . I have been thinking about this DP since I bought it. It is Cosmo Cricket called Fleuriste. Yummy!
The base card is 4 x 8. I wanted the project to be long enough that I could have more of the designer paper showing. The base is Blush Blossom. I just got that cs in my latest order. I kinda overlooked it for a while, but I really like the softness of it. It was stamped with River Rock using the Canvas background. The three panels are Almost Amethyst, Pale Plum, and Certainly Celery. I sponged the edges of them in River Rock as well to soften their effect. River Rock is so versatile! I stamped the image in Jet Black StazOn and colored the flutterbyes in the Soft Subtles markers. It is mounted on Blush Blossom. I used a crewel embroidery needle to sew 1/4" taffeta over the dragonfly wings. They are shimmery in my mind when I think of them. I also added Stickles: Waterfall and Yellow to the main body of the dragonfly for some extra shine.
I faux stitched the image panel in a basic straight stitch, the DP panels in a zig zag, and cross-stitched around the edge of the base card. Oh! and I faux sew as well I sew IRL. Enjoy and thanks for looking!

In Stitches

No Time to Stamp has her Stamp Simply challenge #34 posted. She says: we want you to sew — real or faux — your choice. You can machine stitch, hand stitch, lace something up, faux stitch with pen, faux stitch with pierced holes, faux stitch with the perforator on SU’s cutter kit — whatever you can figure to do — you can even sew on a button!!!
I really wanted to get my hands on my ribbon embroidery supplies and sew a garden of flowers and critters. Couldn't even locate my needles. I want a craft room! I'd have shelves where I could organize my supplies, be able to use my sewing machine, leave a project out on the table without the fear of crumbs and soda splashes...
{sigh}
Yesterday was my step-son's 16th birthday. He'll go for his driving test later on in the summer, something to do about not having applied for his learner's permit in time to take the test on his birthday. It'll work fine that way, his big sis will head off to college, most likely without her car and he'll have something to drive. It keeps him from wanting to borrow mine. I remember finding her high school parking space application with my Tahoe information on it, stuck in a book of mine she had borrowed. As if she was going to take my car, park it for 7 hours, and then go off for Lord knows where for hours until whenever... as if I didn't have a toddler in tow and a baby on the way with limited activity restrictions and things to do. I got a real kick out of finding that application.
This is the card I made for the birthday boy. My husband didn't really like the card I had pulled out for him, he said it was too girly so my challenge was to make a manly manly card. To me that meant primary colors, no ribbon, brads, and a sap-free sentiment.
His card was all SU! supplies: Basic Black base card, Brilliant Blue panel, Real Red and Whisper White. I used markers to color in the sentiment and Real Red brads. I used my new Mat Pack, which I love! and my crafter's tool kit. My husband gave a little ooh when I presented it to him so I know he was pleased with it. We wrote our hand sentiments with a Signo gel pen, great for dark cards. I also made him a cherry pie as his birthday cake. I had been asking about when we were going to have him for his birthday because we share the day with his mom. DH had said that he didn't think he would be with us for dinner so I figured we would celebrate at our next dinner together. Yesterday afternoon, birthday boy was hanging out on the couch and I learned that we were going to pizza for dinner. Holy cherry pie not made Batman! So off the the grocery store we (the little kids & I) go to pick up regular grocery stuff and hurry home to make the pie. DH swears he told me to make it for yesterday. I still think the info was too vague. He gives me a present to wrap, I make the card and I get the pie made and in the oven to bake while they are at baseball. In the meantime the baby has asked to go "nigh, nigh." What kid asks to go to bed? How great is that? I know we are going out to dinner so I left him in his clothes. My daughter decorates a card for her big brother. When they get home, big sis rolls in with her BF and we all get in the 'burb to go to pizza. BD Boy is carrying a bag with him. When we finish pizza he asks that he be dropped off at his mom's. Only on his birthday and Christmas does he ask to go see her, 353 other days he demands that he stay with us. So we do. And the only one to eat the cherry pie is my husband. This morning Big Sis and Dad had it for breakfast. Maybe there will be some left when BD boy comes back.

Friday, May 9, 2008

So Sweet!


Friday is Limited Supplies Challenge at splitcoast; today's challenge was "No Stamping." I used the new Designer Paper series from SU! called Summer Picnic. I can't tell you how hard it was to cut it! I used the coordinating rub-ons called A Perfect Day for the flower in the middle and the sentiment. I cased a card (Sassy Tulips) from last week's Featured Stamper (FS65) Nutsymuhl for the design sketch. I loved the challenge from No Time To Stamps "Stamp Simply" #31 in which black was used as an accent. I love Mary Engelbreit so I wanted to add the checks but I don't think my card has the same level of whimsical as her works does. Another great stamper Markie's Mom always frames her work in white gel pen dots so I used her technique here too.

Here is a link to my card in the scs gallery for all the details.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Kristina's Color Challenge #7




Kristina has issued her latest color challenge.


The colors are Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Soft Sky and Very Vanilla.


I used Soft Sky for base card stock, Close to Cocoa DP, Chocolate Chip as a base for the Very Vanilla piece with the pussy willow from the Blooming with Love stamp set. It was stamped in Timber Brown StazOn and the pussy willows were colored in with a Creamy Caramel marker. The sentiment is from the Simple Delights set stamped in VersaMark. The band is Chocolate Chip grosgrain and the ruffle is Very Vanilla Taffeta. All materials and stamps are by Stampin' Up! I think it will be the Mother's Day card I send to my step-mom in Colorado. Thanks for looking!


Thursday, April 24, 2008

A Mother's Day Card for Me!


A locally owned bookstore in town was a huge destination spot for many people but because the way people have changed the way they buy books the bookstore decided to close. Along with books they had a great selection of cards - unusual and quality in their selection. The ripple effect still touches me on major holidays because that was where my DH shopped for my cards. He doesn't like the ones in the grocery store and isn't the Hallmark kind of guy. So instead I made myself a Mother's Day card for him and the little kids to give me. It was fun. This was for another combination of splitcoast challenges; a card sketch (layout) and colors: chocolate chip, pretty in pink and certainly celery. I used SU stamp sets: All in the Family & Accessories, Fresh Fillers, Blooming with Love, Mixed Bouquet and Watercolor Garden.
The main flower image was done using Watercolor Crayons and I added Yellow stickles to the centers. The stickles are also on the flowers that the kids are holding. Those flowers were cut out and popped up a little bit using mini glue dots.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

How cute is this?



http://www.scrapsupply.com/forums/album_showpage.php?pic_id=18758

I LOVE how creative people are - they make you look at the world with new eyes. I find it thrilling to see what other people come up with. Inspirational challenges are fast becoming a favorite of mine. What inspires you?

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #44





I was able to do Beate's challenge since there was not a Sprint Cup race on TV today. I am number 117! It is not posted to my scs gallery as there are no uploads on Sunday. Here is what I used:
Stamps: Simply Sent Simple Delights card kit and Watercolor Garden
Ink: VersaMark, Rose Red, Close to Cocoa, River Rock, Always Artichoke, Soft Sky, and StazOn Timber Brown
Paper: River Rock (for the base card), Night of Navy, Always Artichoke, Kraft, Soft Sky and Basic Grey DP Phresh & Phunky: Phlordilee and Phiniky
Accessories: twill tape (stamped with the StazOn), SU Vintage pewter brad, Brown SU journaler (stitching), K & Co. "Ancestry.com" adhesive chipboard, SAMJ, glue dots
Tools: SU Mini-envelope template, Making Memories Paper piercer, sponges
Techniques: faux stitching, distressing
It is difficult to see but I used VersaMark to stamp the flower on the Night of Navy. On the envelop I stamped off in Close to Cocoa, River Rock and Rose Red. I distressed the envelop and stamped the inside with the smallest stamp from Simply Sent with River Rock. The sentiment card from WC Garden is stamped in Always Artichoke and I sponged River Rock and Rose Red along the edges. There is faux stitching along all the edges of the main blocks.
Thanks for Looking!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

An Apple a Day...


I was wandering around the new submissions on Splitcoast when I ran across a card that really popped to me. I opened the post up to find that it was part of this challenge:


The challenge was simply to use black accents, that's all. And there's no time limit! Woo hoo! So I made this after I put this kidlets to bed.
I used Stampin' Up (SU) products for stamps & paper. Filigree stamp for the background on the Old Olive and Swirls & Blossoms for background on the Real Red, both stamped in VersaMark. The Real Red inked apple is out of the Fresh Fruit set. I used a Brown SU marker for the stem. The double stacked ribbon was a technique challenge from a couple of weeks ago; it is a combo of Michael's ribbon. The SU gingham ribbon in the corner is secured by a Vintage black brad. It was a very simple card to make.
I uploaded my card and stumbled across another challenge from Beate - she's big at splitcoast! http://beate.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2008/04/18/weekend-sketch-challenge-44/ I hope to give this one a shot tomorrow.
I think it is fun to wander around people's blogs and see where you end up. Around the world in 80 pages, ya know?

Friday, April 18, 2008

Live Love Laugh


I think that is such a great motto to live by - the key is to remember to practice it every day. I need to laugh as I reshelve the books again after finishing this post! Friday is Limited Supply challenge day at splitcoast stampers so I made a card. I just got this stamp set last week from Cornish Heritage Farms. The set is called "Primitive Beginnings". I had been visiting with out of town family so I have been out of the house most of this week. It sometimes takes me a couple of days to settle back in. I wanted to participate in Kristina's color challenge on Wednesday but the pile of laundry was more pressing. Hopefully I can catch the next one. Thanks for looking!