Arizona Stamp Lover Designs

A Week of Learning Something New

2010-09-21T05:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a bit since I've posted my Learn Something New pages for Shimelle's class. I've been a bit busy with home stuff lately, but still finding some scrapping time. Here are all of my pages from last week, and a little bit about each one. By the end of this month, I'm happy to say that this printed paper should be used up, and most of the accessories (minus the ribbon), should be used up as well. I have been greatly enjoying the narrow focus on product - it makes the creative process a little easier. When we first started dating, we used to just sit and talk for hours. Now that we are married, it's been more difficult to find that peaceful quiet time when we can just talk about nothing - no serious talk, just chatter. I used some old Amy Butler paper on this one, combined with some SU paper. I have a tin of the metal embellishments that I NEVER use, so I'm trying to find creative ways to use them.

Anyone who knows me knows that I struggle with cooking. I can bake better than I can cook. Baking, however, does not make us a meal. I like to try new recipes, but it seems they always flop, or are too bland for my hubby. I seem to have succeeded this past week in making 3 successful recipes. I received so many compliments on the scones - it was great. This page also used up a bunch of scrapbooking product - much of this is SU, but the patterned paper is some old Amy Butler paper. I liked the paper when I bought it, haven't really liked it for the past couple of years, and now I really like it...go figure!!

Ok - a little feud in the office that I have been put right in the middle of. I could have chosen to join in the little battle (that is still ongoing by the way), or throw my hands up and tell them they have to work it out. I like being on the outside of the argument much better...but I have to laugh...two grown people that are behaving like children. Stuff on this one - mostly SU, and more Amy Butler paper.

A funny time in the office....a coworker and I made a fool out of ourselves when we raced each other to the front door to greet a guest...turns out it was someone here for an interview. At least the visitor knows we like to have fun here :) Yeah for me for using more of the SU stickers that I've had for like 2 years!!!
Hmm, this day was a little odd. I went with my hubby's mother to the very small historical society museum in town. The lady knew nothing about the town, but yet she was volunteering there. Now I know this is a great way for her to learn about the town, but isn't she supposed to be educating the visitors??

He was so sweet - I wanted to hit the outlets and a local scrapbooking store in Phoenix before we drove back home, but we had the 3 dogs with us. He waited in the car for me while I shopped...kept the trip quick, but it was still really sweet. Went a little button crazy on this layout (and have been button crazy ever since). I did use up some letters that I've had for awhile. I've been on a letter kick now too...it all comes in phases.

Happy Tuesday everyone. I'll have some 12x12 layouts for you all later.

Playing in the Stream

2010-09-14T07:06:00.000-07:00

Good Morning All!! This page was inspired by a sketch over at Inspired to Scrap. I picked out the photos, and then went to my newly found stash of papers and pulled a couple that I've been hoarding as too beautiful to use - time to use it up!! I also have this great bag of random buttons that I found on sale that had a greenish blue that matched perfectly with this page (and you can tell I was a little button happy on this page). The page did not look quite finished until I inked the edge of the page, and the edge of the cream paper with a brown color. I still have a little of this paper left over - now to use it up before I decide it's too beautiful to use again!!

3 Classes - am I crazy?? and a layout

2010-09-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday all!!! I have a busy weekend ahead with a quick trip to Phoenix. My scrapping stuff is coming with me though, and I plan to make some cute Halloween tags. I'll share my creations with you next week. As you all have seen from my posts, I'm enrolled in a couple classes - Shimelle's Learn Something New class, and May's Use your Stash class. Well, crazy me decided to enroll in another class, but I just couldn't resist. It's with Stacey over at Inspired to Scrap, and is called the 15/15 - 15 Days of Inspiration class. The class starts on 16 September, but you can enter to win a spot in this class. Check it out here, but you must enter to win today. I can't wait for the class to start (and I can't wait to get my really cute kit I ordered from her yesterday as well...hopefully it will arrive before my big scrapping weekend next weekend). By the end of class I'll hopefully have 15 really great pages completed.

Ok, on to my layout I made last night. This page is based on the Sketchabilities Sketch Challenge #24. I've submitted it for their fantastic blog sponsor giveaway. You should check it out and submit your own work - the give away is some really great product, and you have until 14 September to submit your work - all weekend to come up with some great layouts. Sketch Challenge #25 just went up today, and that's on my list of things to do after I get back from a weekend away. Now for the layout:

I had purchased this paisley paper a few years ago, and totally forgotten about it. I found that along with a ton of other paper that I am still as in love with now as I was when I bought it. that was my inspiration. The polka dots on my nieces jacket just screamed out to me, and the layout began taking shape. I looked on my 'need to use my stash' board, and found these flowers that matched perfectly. I cut out the leaves and stitched by hand with embroidery floss, and added in some SU cardstock (Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, and Sahara Sand). I of course used one of my current favorite things - rick rack. The top of the layout looked a bit empty so I pulled out my rub ons, and added a bit of that, and also cut out on of the paisley images from the paper to complete the page. Here is a close up of the leaves with the flowers:

Have a great weekend!!

Using up the old stuff you've forgotten about is actually fun....

2010-09-09T06:48:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a couple of random things, and a layout with you today. The first is my very large collection of cards that I am sending on Monday to Operation Write Home. As I was going through my cards a couple weeks ago, I realized that I have so many (over 500) handmade cards, and I don't possibly know what I would do with all of them. I almost feel like I can't make more because I have so many already. I wanted to do something good with them, and I remembered that you can donate cards to send to the troops. So after a couple hours this past weekend, I came up with the below box of over 300 cards to send out this next week. I hope the recipients enjoy them, as much as I enjoyed making them.

Next is an idea that I came up with this past weekend. I'm taking May's 'Use your Stash' class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking, and I've been going through all of my scrapbook stuff. I've had a pile of things that I want to get used up - mostly items I forget about, and haven't looked at in over a year. The 'pile' idea wasn't really working for me. I had this corkboard I intended to put on the wall....I got it up this weekend and had the great idea to pin up everything (other than paper and metal embellishments) that I wanted to use over the next month. Here's a pic of it.

It's mostly packaged stickers, rub ons, and parts from kits I've ordered (and those dreaded vellum sheets). It's actually really working for me. I look up at the board when I'm starting a layout to see what I can use.

Ok, on to a couple layouts. I've had alot of trouble with blogger allowing me to post my layouts in the correct orientation. At least for today, it appears to be working. Both of these layouts was based on using up some of my stash. I'm moving outside of my normal comfort zone and I am LOVING IT!!!

I had purchased this bright patterned paper from Stampin' Up! last year to use at a birthday party stamping class. I ended up with some leftover, and it's not really my style, although very fun. The flowers were something purchased a couple years ago as well, and have been used very little. The picture of my sister and niece in the water looked perfect with this turquoise paper.

Last for today - another layout. I absolutely love this Cosmo Cricket paper!!! I bought the paper for a scrapbook I'm still working on, but I'm ending up with too much paper. All of the words on here are from a chipboard set that I haven't touched since I bought it. I started by looking at all of the words, and realized that so many of them expressed how I felt about my husband. The idea for the page started to take shape. My hubby is a pilot, and we are flying in his airplane in the picture. The airplane rub on was just a fun last addition.

Doggie Day Care Layout

2010-09-08T18:58:00.001-07:00

I found this great website this week, Sketchabilities. They hold bimonthly scrapping challenges, and I've decided to participate. Of course too many of the sketches were appealing to me, so I went back a couple challenges to their 15 August challenge. Check out their website for the sketch.

I had a couple ideas for the photo that I wanted to use. Going through my paper tonight, though, I found some beautiful paper I purchased a couple years ago - too bad that I don't live near the store I purchased it at :( Anyways, I found this great dog paper that I had totally forgotten about. The paper sparked the creation of this layout. Since I'm in the mode of 'use my stash' based on May's class, I pulled several different elements together for this layout - the ribbon, paw prints, flower, and alphabet stickers are all part of my effort to use up some supplies.

I then had fun with my sewing machine on this one.

Learn Something New Day 4-6

2010-09-08T04:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday!!!

I'm a bit behind on posting these. Below are my day 4, 5, and 6 for Shimelle's Learn Something New class. I'm having a ton of fun with this class, and using up alot of my stash. I've been pushing a little outside my norm with these pages (small pages equals easy to fill), and I'm working to translate this to my 12 x 12 pages.

This is my day 4 post. Today is a funny lesson. My hubby and I were at the Chili festival in New Mexico this weekend, and it turned out to be on a dirt lot. He looks at me and remarks that he shouldn't have worn his 'city' shoes. Well, first of all I didn't know that he owned a pair of city shoes (pictured in the page above), and second of all, I don't know what you would call a pair of city shoes (maybe my knee hi boots??). I went a little eyelet and rick rack crazy on this layout, but it works for me.

My lesson for 5 September - Sometimes you just need a break from the routine - time to relax and do something for yourself. This is a lesson for me about taking time from cleaning house or going to the gym, or anything else that I don't want to 100 percent do, and take time for a nap, or time to scrapbook and stamp, or do my other crafts. Used up two tags on this one. I stamped the top tag with a striped stamp I have, and the other tag is from a tag set that I really want to get used up.
Last one to share with you today. Lets just say I was a little frustrated with this lesson -replacing a toilet on my birthday :) The lesson was - 'Don't push down on the toilet until the screws are lined up - if you do, you've just earned yourself another trip to Home Depot.' Ok, so my hubby and I earned a trip to Home Depot courtesy of me. Who knew that when I stood up, I couldn't put any pressure on the toilet...doh!! I've had the green buckle on the bottom forever. It was part of a set on clearance (so of course I had to buy), and I just haven't used it. Well, the pieces that go with it are in my pile of things to get used up on this project.

Using my stash - check

2010-09-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

As part of May's 'Use your Stash' class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking, I spent the weekend trying to use up some of my stash. I had already planned to work on my wedding album, and bought supplies specific for that project. What I hadn't planned on using was the chipboard I bought years ago, and hadn't touched, or the rub-ons which I also bought a few years back and hadn't used at all. Here's a couple of my pages:

This is page 1 of my cake page. I used a little bit of my rub-ons on the bottom (the flowers). One thing I love about this page is the area right above the journaling. I had cut the polka dot corners out of printed papers. This left me with a rectangle cutout. One of the other ladies at my crop last night suggested that I put paper behind it and use it on my page. That is just what I did, and it looks really awesome. 'The Cake' title was made out of some letters that I haven't touched in at probably a year. I've been into stickers lately, and have forgotten about the other letters that I have. Most printed papers are from Stampin' Up!'s new paper out this year. I fell in love with the idea of black and white, and the simplicity that you get out of it. I then added in the red for a splash of color (and my colors were red and orange, so the red really works well).

The journaling reads:

"We booked the bakery for the cake almost a year ahead of time. We found a bakery online and went to visit for a cake testing - Maribelle Bakery. It was an adventure to just find the bakery. They were in a temporary location, and there was construction everywhere - we couldn't follow the Mapquest directions - streets were closed off. When we got to the bakery, the woman who was taking the order seemed a bit out of it. I have to say, we were a bit worried that they wouldn't remember our order....but they did.

I had it in my mind that it was a 14" cake (with a 16" cake plate), so I looked everywhere for the correct size cake plate. The day before I go to Arizona for the wedding, I look at the receipt again, and it's a 10" cake...doh!!!"

Page 1 and 2 of my wedding shoes. I used the rub-ons again :), and added a bit of fabric to one of the pages. I'm in love with the pre-cut borders (ie white rick-rack seen above) by Bazzill. I picked these up at my local scrapbook store last weekend. I know that I should be cutting these myself, and I have my eye on a die for the Sizzix machine that I'll pick up in the next month or so. The red polka dot border above was a pre-cut border from Graphic 45. I originally bought a bunch of that paper for my wedding scrapbook, but ultimately changed my mind. I'm still splashing a bit of it here and there - the paper is too great not to use on this album at least a little bit.

The journaling reads:

"The shoes were an amazing find. I originally had gold flat strappy sandals to wear because I wanted something comfortable. Well, the last stop of the wedding day shopping with Janet, I tried on these silver high heel shoes at David's Bridal. Amazingly, they were actually really comfortable. This is probably the only time that Tonya will help me put my shoes on, but I couldn't have done it without her.

Last one for today - this is page 2 showing where we got married (I can't get page 1 to load properly). Yeah for chipboard!!! I actually spraypainted the three squares seen here - first I used a cream color, and then lightly coated it with black. It actually has an antique look to it that you can't really see here. I also made the photo corners with a chipboard square covered with paper. Hmm.....could chipboard quite possibly be my new best friend???

Learn Something New Day 3

2010-09-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Labor Day!! I'm running a bit behind posting my pages for Shimelle's class. Below is the one for September 3rd (day 3):

I'm challenging myself to use my chipboard - part of the Use my Stash class by May over at Big Picture Scrapbooking. The paper is some old Amy Butler paper I had - I loved the paper and was saving it - for what I don't know. It coordinates with the paper pack I am trying to get rid of, so I threw it in there. I also had some coordinating Stampin' Up! stickers, so I'm using those up as well. It's amazing what you can do if you look to those things you don't normally use.

My lesson today - 'I learned today to 'give' into help. I don't need to do everything myself, and not everyone wants to help me just because they think I'm weak'. I'm stubborn - incredibly stubborn. I'm very sensitive to those who stereotypically treat me like a female - ie a dumb blonde (I'm blonde...so I can say that). I have trouble separating out those that just want to be helpful, with those who truly think since I'm a girl I can't do something. I'm learning that the new people around me at work just want to be helpful.

Learn Something New Day 2

2010-09-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

This is my day 2 for Shimelle's Learn Something New class:

I moved to Arizona only a couple months ago, and this is certainly a small town (although larger than where I grew up). I can easily find things to do 90 minutes from where I live, but it hit me yesterday when trying to reserve a conference facility for work, that there is alot more going on here than I think about. I just need to seek out events in the immediate area, rather than thinking about what is out of reach.

I'm also enrolled in a 'Use your Stash' class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking. Well - I'm combining the two, and I'm determined to use my stash on this 30 day project. The brads I've used were just two beautiful to use, so I kept saving them. Nope - time to use them up. The alphabet sets I've had - I haven't touched those in a long time - use em up. Now I need to tackle that pile of chipboard - look for some of that sometime this weekend.

The lesson (or rather reminder) that I didn't put on here - there are still people out there that separate men from women in the workplace (my pet peeve that I don't think I've seen in awhile).

Happy Friday to all - the weekend is only hours away!!!

Learn Something New Day 1

2010-09-02T05:50:00.000-07:00

I have two pics to share with you today. I completed my title page for Shimelle's Learn Something New class, and I got up very early this morning to complete Day 1's page. Here's my title page:

I had selected my paper for this project a couple days ago, and when I sat down to do my title page, I immediately thought of the fabric that I had bought a couple weeks ago for my bedroom curtains. Well, it matches almost perfectly, and I love using fabric. I created a ruffle with a contrasting green fabric, and went into my stash of letters to pull a variety of letters. I added a bit of stamping with the polka dots and the 'Learn' portion of the title page. I am so happy with it.

Here is my day 1 page:
I try and go to the gym at least 5 days a week, but it's a 15-20 minute drive to and from my house. I go in the morning, and then come home to get ready for work and then go to work. Alot of extra time is spent driving. With the gym being next door to my work, I can go straight after work a couple days a week, and avoid the extra driving.

I was conflicted today though, as I learned two new pretty important things today, but I just don't have the time to complete two pages. I wanted to share the second thing though. I learned that my sister was able to land her first nursing job. She has been a single parent for over three years, and has put herself through nursing school, is raising my amazing niece, and has now gotten the job she has worked for over three years for. I learned that anything is possible if you really push yourself (and get very little sleep). She is an amazing person, and such an inspiration.

Our dog, and oh how cute, but oh how she tests my patience

2010-09-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

My husband and I picked up a new dog (actually I did) at the end of June. I drove from Oklahoma to Arizona with her in the car as a 12 week old puppy. She started out at about 20 lbs, and now she is up to almost 50 lbs. She has alot more growing to do, but she has been incredibly adorable along the way. Just look how she has grown:

(This is her first night with me in the hotel room. She wouldn't move from under the sink. Look how cute, adorable, innocent, and quiet she is.)

(She somehow thought she could fit into her original crate. That crate was replaced the first week of July with a much bigger one. She's clearly outgrown it, but was determined to be in it none the less.)
(and this is her now, stretching almost all the way across the back seat in my SUV.)

With growth comes strength that she has not yet realized. She is a puppy in a 50 lb body, who has decided to do battle with our two 15 lb Shih tzu's at least daily. She has decided that she no longer knows her name, so therefore she doesn't have to look at me when I say her name, and that grabbing a rock in her mouth every time we go out the front is her new routine.

Ahh, the joys of being a parent to three dogs!!

Dresser before and after....

2010-08-31T20:44:00.000-07:00

I moved to Arizona at the end of June, and I was using one drawer of my husbands bureau, and keeping the rest of my clothes in the closet. I was feeling a bit lost without a dresser. I had never redone a piece of furniture before, but I wanted to give it a try. I found this fantastic dresser at a consignment shop in Bisbee, AZ. I love so much of their stuff there, and could go crazy sanding and painting furniture, but I have no where to put it!! Here is the before picture:

After a little bit of sanding and filling a few areas, and a really good washing, I painted it a blue color, and added new knobs. Here is the after:

I couldn't be happier with it. You can't tell from the picture, but I did a faux denim finish on it, so the brushstrokes show, but it's intentional. You can see the white primer underneath in many places, but it looks very natural. I love it love it love it!!!

Have a great evening!!!

Learn Something New

2010-08-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

I just signed up for Shimelle's Learn Something New Every Day class. It starts tomorrow, and I've been debating all day what format I want to use for this fun class. I finally settled on a small binder (still debating about what my cover will look like), with 6x8 pages. I'm determined to use some of my older paper, so no matter how much I like this paper (that's why I haven't used it), it's time for it to be used!!!

I gathered all of my materials, cut my papers, and stamped a 'To Do List' stamp which will serve as the base for each day. I stamped the dates for the month of September to hopefully keep me on track with this class. I have it all gathered in a red bin, so everything is in one place, including my cutter, scissors, and my adhesive. Class starts tomorrow, and I'll be sure to share my daily scrapbook pages. Here are a couple pics of my materials for this class (I even threw in a little fabric...I couldn't resist).

Getting into the Fall Mood

2010-08-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

Wow - I have been away from scrapbooking and stamping for so long. I finally have all of my supplies unpacked after two moves over the past 8 months, and I'm so excited to get back into it and share some of my newest creations.

There was a chill in the air this morning, and I can feel that fall is not far away. This tag I made will be a great little addition to a gift package for Halloween.

Happy Monday!!!

SPCC #25

2009-11-23T11:35:00.000-08:00

Good Afternoon all -

Here is my card for Scrapmasters Paradise Color Challenge this week. Here are the colors - just perfect for Christmas time:
and here is my card:
This is a fun gift card holder (gift card inserts behind the hunter green cardstock). This card was created with the Christmas Punch and Patterned Pines stamp set. Even though the trees come all on one stamp, this is a very versatile stamp. In fact, on most stamp sets you can create so much by eliminating part of the image - you produce a whole different look. Also - use multiple colors on an image as I did on the label above. The markers are fantastic for that.

One tip that has worked great for me - I'm moving in a week and I need to chose my stamping items carefully that will be with me for the next three weeks - I have 30 lbs to play with and limited space. I'm choosing all of my markers and a few of my favorite stamp pads. If I want a color, I have it in my markers for much less weight and space. I can have all colors neatly in a ziploc bag and not a ton of stamp pads strewn throughout my luggage. Gotta love my markers!!!

Ciao

SPCC #23

2009-11-11T06:50:00.000-08:00

It's been a crazy month, but I finally have almost my entire house packed up to move at the end of the month. It feels good, but it put my world into upheaval for a little bit.

Back to stamping- and I couldn't wait to do the Scrapmaster's Paradise color challenge this week. Here is the color challenge:
And here is my card:I went crazy with my Big Shot for this one, and used the Flower Layers #3, Blossom Party, and Circle #3 die to cut the various flowers. I didn't have any Yoyo Yellow, so I used Crushed Curry instead. The stems were created from the stem stamp from the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set.

Everything is just the way it should be...

2009-10-28T12:00:00.001-07:00

Everything is finally back to normal at home, and is just the way that it should be. Gidget visited the vet last night, and except for some scrapes and a couple bite marks, she survived the ordeal fairly well. The vet did say she was VERY lucky that she did survive. I am so very thankful that she was brought back home to me, and the family is once again complete.

I stamped this fabulous card today for the Mojo Monday 110 sketch:I used various papers from the Christmas Cocoa Specialty DSP. I love all the prints on this card, but the simple color selection. It reminds me of hot chocolate :) I heard it was snowing in Sierra Vista, where I will be settling in and making it home in December, and I can't wait. This card reminds me of a cold winter night with light snow outside, and I'm curled up in the window with hot chocolate - ok, so I'm missing the snow just a LITTLE bit right now.

The stamped image is from the Holiday Best stamp set, and is stamped in soft suede.

I flipped the Mojo Monday sketch, but I have to be honest, that was completely by accident. I made a mistake with the way the card opened, so I had no choice, but I love the way the card came out.

Ciao

Harvest Time

2009-10-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy week. Between starting to pack up my house, having a yard sale, Gidget running away (and then being found today...48 hours later), it's been one hectic week. I'm looking forward to hopefully a much calmer week.

I finally had time to sit down and be crafty, and I wanted to get to the SPCC challenge from this past week. Here is the color challenge and card:
I used the Branch Out stamp set and Holiday Best stamp set. I stitched the cardstock together to create the background, and stamped the 'dots' from the Branch Out set onto the cardstock. I stamped the tree image in Chocolate Chip, and stamped the leaves in Always Artichoke, Really Rust, and Crushed Curry. The 'Give Thanks' sentiment was done using the Stampin' Write markers, and cut out with the oval punch.

Happy Monday all!!

A little fun with blue and greens

2009-10-19T12:44:00.001-07:00

I had some fun using some different shades of blue and green today. The first card is for the Mojo Monday challenge, but is also the 365 card challenge (Day 232) for the day. The challenge for 365 was to use fabric as inspiration. I made this great purse a month ago out of some beautiful Amy Butler fabrics, and I used it as my inspiration today:Here's the card that I made:

I used the large medallion stamp, stamped with Not Quite Navy ink on Bermuda Bay cardstock. I then stamped the image using Not Quite Navy ink on Very Vanilla cardstock, and cut out a rectangle. I then used the scallop punch to cut out the center of the image that was stamped with Bermuda Bay ink on Very Vanilla cardstock. The final layer was cut out using the 1 1/4" punch - Not Quite Navy ink stamped on Bermuda Bay cardstock.

The bottom of the card was finished off with a strip of Not Quite Navy cardstock, cut out in a wave pattern, and Bermuda Bay grosgrain ribbon was added. The thank you sentiment was stamped from the For all you do set. I stamped the polka dots with only a little Bermuda Bay ink, and then stamped the thank you in Not Quite Navy ink.

The second card I did today is for the 365 Card Challenge (Day 231), and the challenge was to think clouds.I used the sponge daubers to ink Mellow Moss and Sage Shadow in the sky to make a unique cloud image on the card. I then used the same colors in cardstock on the bottom to create the rolling hills effect - I like how it came out on my card the other day, so I thought I'd use it again. The tree came from the Branch Out stamp set (on the retired list), and I inked leaves using the Mellow Moss and Sage Shadow ink. The stamped images come out darker than the sponged area.

Happy Monday!!!

Finally Friday

2009-10-18T05:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a card made for Finally Friday at SPCC and 365 Cards (Day 232). The challenge??? - a sketch challenge and a challenge to use embossing on my card. Here is my final card:I used the Fifth Avenue Floral Embossing folder, and embossed four pieces of paper. To create the color on the embossed image, I rubbed an ink pad on the raised side of the embossing folder, and then ran the folder through the Big Shot. This created color on the depressed side of the image. I used Sage Shaddow, Mellow Moss, Not Quite Navy, and Certainly Celery on this card.

I topped the card with cream and greenish/blue ric rac that I had in my stash, and a Happy Birthday greeting stamp.

Happy Sunday!!

A few challenges...

2009-10-18T03:49:00.000-07:00

Here are several cards for you all today. I've shifted from Christmas cards back to every day cards. After working so hard on the Christmas card making event this past week, I needed a break from red and green!!

The first one is for the Paper Pal Arts Challenge, and for the Color Throwdown Challenge:
I used the Birds and Bloom Bigshot die for the bird, and stamped the wing with one of the stamps from the Circle Circus stamp set. The circles were cut using the Bigshot. For the Baja Breeze circle, I cut a larger circle out, and then cut a smaller circle from the larger circle, to create a frame. I saved the cut out circle for another project. A great way to maximize your use of the paper.

This card is for the SPCC challenge #19, and for the 365 cards challenge (day 218):

The colors and sketch reminded me of rolling hills. I trimmed the Green Galore and Taken with Teal to have the impression of grass. The trees are all from the Trendy Trees stamp set. Thank goodness for the Stamp-a-ma-jig to line these trees up!!

This is a card for the 365 cards challenge (day 218). The challenge was to stamp a background image in the same color as the cardstock.
And finally, this is a card for the 365 card challenge (day 228). The challenge was to use the same patterned paper, in two different colors.The hostess paper pack worked perfectly for this project. It's a fabulous sampling of the DSP, and you have multiple prints to choose from. I was easily able to choose a print in two different colors. The colors on this card are Always Artichoke and Sahara Sand.

Ciao

Dropping by...

2009-10-15T14:23:00.000-07:00

Just dropping by to say hi. It's been a hectic week, and I've felt a bit under the weather today. I've been busy all week preparing for the holiday card making event, so I've had little time to sit and create. It's almost the weekend, and I can't wait. It means more time to do wedding preparations, and more time to stamp. I'm officially at 49 days until my fiancee and I are finally together again. I must warn you - I'm obsessed with counting down the days!!

Here are a few fabulous pictures from the button shopping adventure that I just took. My friend and I bought about 1200 buttons to use for my wedding. I'm a shopper, but about 4 1/2 hours into this, I was really tired of shopping for buttons!!!The shop had a book to pick out the buttons that I wanted. They were sold as a minimum of 100 each - ok, do I really need that many of one type of button?!?!

A button shoppers paradise - so many buttons to choose from in so many different colors...

I'll share more pictures of this shopping adventure, and what I am creating with all of these buttons when I have a bit more time. Gotta run.

Ciao

Mojo time again...

2009-10-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

It's time again for Mojo Monday. I made this card today for my upcoming holiday stamp class in a couple days. Here is the sketch challenge:

and here is the card that I made:

Almost any DSP in Old Olive will work on this card. I have a couple sets of DSP that have Old Olive paper, and any of them would work.

I bought the Stampin' Up! clear buttons awhile ago, but have lacked inspiration to use them, until now. I used a clear button topped with a green button from my stash, and it really helped to break up the clear button. The 'Happy Holidays' was spotlighted, and colored in with watercolor crayons and aquapainter. Lastly, the background is Always Artichoke and I ran it through my big shot to give me the polka dot background.

Ciao

A little bit of everything

2009-10-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

I had a chance this weekend to get several cards done, and I wanted to share them all with you. These were all based off of challenges I found on various websites.

This first card is for Day 225 of 365 Cards:

I couldn't get the picture to come out just how I wanted it, so the sentiment is hard to see - boo. Anyways, this was some old christmas patterned DSP that I had. I used buttons from my stash, and had some pom pom trim that I cut two off of. The sentiment is from an old Stampin' Up! Hostess set, and I used Old Olive and Chocolate Chip ribbon. I don't often make cards this size, so it was a really nice change for me.

Here's another card for 365 Cards (Day 222). the challenge was to use only 5 things - I used three pieces of paper, the rick rack, and the sentiment.

Such a fun card!! I just bought this rick rack this weekend, and couldn't wait to use it. The paper is from the Pink Flamingo DSP, and the sentiment is from the On Your Birthday stamp set.

Ok, another one for 365 cards (Day 223). This challenge was to create a shadow effect:

The paper is from the Christmas Cocoa Specialty paper, and the tree images are from the Patterned Pines hostess set in the mini catalog. To create the shadow, I stamped the image on Sahara Sand paper with Sahara Sand ink. I then stamped the image on Sahara Sand paper using Always Avocado ink. I cut all of the trees out, and using Stampin' Dimensionals, placed the trees slightly off center from the stamped image underneath - creating a shadow. Images can be difficult to cut out at times, but these trees were so simple - a great project for even those that hate the cutting!!

Here's the last card for the day, but no doubt my favorite. This is for multiple challenges:
-SPCC Finally Friday - challenge to use flowers
-365 cards (Day 220) - to use cross stitch
-Color Throwdown #63 - to use the following colors:

And here is my card:

I layered a couple pieces of cardstock and then stitched around the card a couple times on my sewing machine. The sentiment is from the Really Retro stamp set. The buttons were just randome buttons from my stash, and the large flower was made from white and green felt, with an embroidered flower, and topped with a button. These are new flowers that will be featured on my Etsy shop soon. Stay tuned for more information!!

Ciao

Mojo Monday 107

2009-10-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

Time again for Mojo Monday -here is the sketch that we played with this week:and here is my card:

I was a little button happy on this card. The Bermuda Bay cardstock worked perfectly with the Close to Cocoa and Chocolate Chip cardstock. Add a stamped image, and lots of buttons from my stash, and voila. The sentiment in the lower corner is adhered to Bermuda Bay ribbon (remember - it's not just the polka dot side of the ribbon that you can use!!)

I wanted to share one other thing with you all today - I baked a couple items for a bake sale last week - a bit last minute, but I still had to package them nicely. I baked for two hours the night before and was up at 5:30am the next morning to package these goodies. Thank goodness for box mixes!!

I used up several of my smaller ribbon spools (love it when I use up some of my stash), and made these very simple tags. Such a simple addition makes these cookies look so much better. Pulled this basket out - I had bought it over a year ago and it has never been used. It completed the look nicely I think.

Happy Sunday all!!

Ciao

Seeing trees...

2009-10-10T20:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a ton of time to participate in the week long challenge over at SPCC for world cardmaing day, but I did have time to get one card done. Here was the color challenge:
and here is my card:I just received this stamp set a week ago - it was on backorder, and then it took weeks to get here - I was sooo excited once I finally got it.

The layout is simple, and I used a variety of buttons that I had in my stash, and some old embroidery floss on the buttons. This card is definitely in the running for mass production as my x-mas cards this year!!

Ciao

A new blog design and a day at the beach

2009-10-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about the new blog design that I have. I put my name on the design list with Veronica over at vk design company about two months ago, and I've been anxiously awaiting my turn to be at the top of the list. My turn finally came, and I love what she did with my blog. It's exactly what I wanted, and now I need to finish some of the other details of the blog. Let me know what you think.

I took time out from work and wedding planning to take my two dogs to the beachthis past week. Let me introduce them to you - two adorable, loving, but incredibly stubborn Shih tzu's named Herbie and Gidget.

I left the door open while bringing in the groceries before going to the beach. Herbie decided to hop in the car with the hopes that we would actually go for a ride. He's been doing that repeatedly for weeks. We finally went somewhere today!!!

They are both fearful of the water, and even my best attempts did not get them to relax...they fought me the whole time.

They enjoyed the off the leash time, and they listen so well!!!

Later

SPCC #18

2009-10-08T22:14:00.000-07:00

Hi All - wow, it's been a crazy week with lots of work, and a ton of wedding planning. I'll share more of the wedding planning at a later post - spending the upcoming weekend working on it, so I should have some pics to share with you.

I finally had time (and found my creativity again after a temporary absence) to sit down and stamp. The SPCC challenge for this week was a tad bit difficult with the Not Quite Navy color, but I love a good challenge. Here were the colors:
and here is my card:

The buttons were from a bunch of random buttons I just purchased (I'll post the pics of that later too - 5 hours of button shopping and I was exhausted). The background paper is from the Christmas Cocoa DSP.

More on my busy week later!!

Ciao

Rasberry Suite Color Challenge #17

2009-10-01T22:09:00.000-07:00

Love the color challenge over at Dawn McVey's website. Check out her website, but if you don't, here is the color challenge:Here is my card :)
I'd had this idea in mind over the past week, but the color combination fit the bill for this card very well. My BigShot did most of the work for this card, with the circles and the texture. I cut out the circles first (Circles #5 die), then used the Texturz plate to create the small dot background. I used my ink pads and sponge daubers to lightly add ink to all the circles, to make the texture pop. I really like the geometric feel that this card has.

Ciao

SPCC #17

2009-09-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

I love the color combinations that are posted on SPcolorcombos. Samantha is coming up with an awesome color challenges, and this week wasn't any different. It wasn't easy to add the yellow in, but it was a blast to play. Here's the color challenge:
and here's my card:

Ok gals, I admit that I can't get away from Holiday cards lately. It seems like at least every other challenge I'm particpating in, I'm making a Christmas card!!

I had the idea for a little bit to use the xxx alphabet set, but I hadn't come up with the write card to do it on. This card was turning into the perfect one for this alphabet set, and put it over the top fun. Hope you enjoy!!

Ciao

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I used the following product on this card (all product Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Snow Buddies (116505), Christmas Punch (115366), Jumble Alphabet (115199)
Paper: BashfulBlue(105120), Real Red (102482), So Saffron (105118), Old Olive (100702), Watercolor Paper (105019)
Ink: Bashful Blue (105209), Real Red(103113), So Saffron (105213), VersaMark (102283), Real Red Marker (100052), Bashful Blue Marker (105111), So Saffron Marker (105114)
Accessories: Glassy Glaze Enamel Stampin' Emboss Powder (100477), Scallop Edge Punch (112091)

Mojo Monday Week 106

2009-09-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

I LOVED this Mojo Monday sketch this week. Here is the sketch:and here is the card that I made:

Rose Red and Certainly Celery - what a great color combination. This card was just a simple but cute thank you card. The white popped so well on the Rose Red cardstock, and just makes the rose pop. Hope you enjoy looking!!

Ciao

Tips from this card:
-Don't be afraid to combine stamp sets and use stamps in a different way. Central Park is intended as branches, but work really great as leaves as well.

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I used the following product on this card (all product Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral (113734), Central Park (113732), For all you do (115360)
Paper: Kraft (102125), Certainly Celery (105125), Whisper White (100730), Rose Red (102544), Thoroughly Modern DSP (115673)
Ink: Whisper White (101731), Certainly Celery (105217), Sage Shadow (102532), Rose Red (101778)
Accessories: 1" Double Stitched Rose Red Grosgrain Ribbon (111846), 1/4" Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon (109025), Scallop Edge Punch (112091)

Color Throwdown #61

2009-09-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post today. The color throwdown colors this week were awesome, and I had so much fun playing with them.
I used the really retro stamp set for the sentiment on this, and had a ton of fun with all of the brads. This was just a really fun card full of paper/ribbon layering. Lessons learned from this card - you can so easily pair colors together that don't look like they will match at first glance. Give it a try - you never know what you will come up with.

Ciao

Thank U

2009-09-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

I was searching around on blogs yesterday and found this great picture on Design*Sponge, and I've attached it here.I immediately thought about how cute that would look as a card. I didn't have the perfect paper that I wanted, but I did find some paper that would make do. Here is the card that I made, as part of the Stamp Something challenge to create a card using a layout that I created or one that I found somewhere:

I used some old Stampin' Up! DSP that I had around and cut out the circle with my Circle Scissor Plus (what a fabulous tool).

Tips from this card:
-In a sentiment, cut the words out, and then piece them back together on your card. Not only does it allow you to fit your sentiment into a different space than the stamp intended, but it changes up the same sentiment.
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I used the following product on this card (all product Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: wow - Define Your Life (114950), Calendar Alphabet & Numbers (111610)
Paper: WhisperWhite (100730), Retired DSP
Ink: Not Quite Navy (103008)
Accessories: Circle Scissor Plus (112530), Round Tab Punch (108340), Vintage Brads (109109), Retired Stampin' Up! Baja Breeze Ribbon, Scrap of white ribbon

Pink on a Christmas card??

2009-09-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

I went out on a limb with this x-mas card, thanks to the SPCC x-mas combo #4 challenge. Here were the colors I had to work with:and here is my card:

I created a card with the same snowflake punch a couple weeks ago, but I just can't get enough of this punch!! The color combination on this card was fun, especially given that it is a christmas card. I think the pink on this really worked though as an accent color. Shocked when I was writing this and realized that I didn't use a single stamp on this card. Hope you enjoy!!

Tips from this card:
-I originally had two button on the lower right corner of my card, and then I traded those out for buttons cut out with my Big Shot. We all love those buttons, but try alternative embellishments... the Big Shot buttons will allow you to customize your colors.

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I used the following product on this card (all product Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: wow - None.
Paper: Pixie Pink (105121), Very Vanilla (101650), Close to Cocoa (101341)
Ink: None
Accessories: Jumbo Snowflake Punch (116628), Scallop Edge Punch (112091), 1 3/8" Circle Punch (104401), Sizzix Buttons #5 (113440), Hemp Twine (100982), 1/4" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon (111367), Designer Buttons Button Latte (114333)

SPCC #16 Color Combo Challenge

2009-09-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

The color combo for this week was so fun for SPCC - thanks Samantha for such great colors. Here is the color combo:
and here is my card:

This was such a simple and fun card to make. I think I'm enjoying playing with making my own backgrounds more than I am using DSP right now. It's hard to believe. This card used a variety of stamp sets to achieve the backgrounds, the fabulous in-color ribbons (I used the backside of the ribbons), and a fun little greeting. In the coming days I plan to make a thank you card set to go with this card as a birthday gift for a friend. I'll make sure to post my card set when it's finished.

Tips from this card:
-Try making your own printed paper and not using DSP sometimes. It brings simplicity to your card without being boring. And remember - your stamp-a-ma-jig is your friend in doing this!!
-Your in-color ribbon has dual uses - polka dot and solid. Remember that solid side - you have two ribbons in one.

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I used the following product on this card (all product Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Circle Circus (115778), Park Avenue Patterns (114445), On Your Birthday (111664), Lexicon of Love (Retired)
Paper: Bermuda Bay (115317), Rich Razzleberry (115316), Whisper White (100730), Tempting Turquoise (102067), Kraft (102125)
Ink:Rich Razzleberry Stampin' Pad (115316), Bermuda Bay Stampin' Pad (115317), Tempting Turquoise Stampin' Pad (100814), Rich Razzleberry and Bermuda Bay Stampin' Write Markers (sold as a set of six in color markers - 116329)
Accessories: Rich Razzleberry 1/2" Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon (115613), Bermuda Bay 1/2" Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon (115610), Tempting Turquoise 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon (109038), Round Tab Punch (108340)

Mojo Monday Week 105

2009-09-21T06:10:00.000-07:00

Time for another Mojo Monday sketch. I combined this challenge with the SCS Color Combination 236 challenge. Here is the Mojo Monday challenge:

and the CC236 challenge was to use Pretty in Pink, Whisper White and Soft Suede. Here is my card:
I'm in the fall/christmas mood, but the pink and color screamed valentines day, so I went that directions. This card was very simple to make, and used my Big Shot to cut out the button and hearts. I used a circle punch to cut out the 7 circles, and used Stampin' Write markers to make the faux stitching on all of the circles.

I was originally going to use the soft suede ribbon on it's solid side, but when I finally put the card together, I really liked the look of the polka dot. Look below for all ingredients of this card.

Tips from this card:
-Even the little details can make a difference. Make use of the texturz plates with the Big Shot as I did on the large heart. It helps to break up the 'white space', and adds that finishing detail.

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I used the following product on this card (all product Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: All Holidays (114916)
Paper: Soft Suede Cardstock (115318), Whisper White (100730), Pretty in Pink (100459)
Ink:Soft Suede Stampin' Pad (115657), Soft Suede Stampin' Write Marker (sold as a set of six in color markers - 116329), Pretty in Pink Stampin' Write Marker (100045)
Accessories: Vintage brads (109109), Stampin' Up! Hearts and Brackets Die (115955), Sizzlit Die Buttons #5 (113440), Texturz Plates Stampin' Up! Backgrounds 1 (114512), Small Oval Punch (107304), 1 1/4" Circle Punch (104403), Hemp Twine (100982), 1/2" Polka-Dot Soft Suede Grosgrain Ribbon (115612), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

SCS FS137 Challenge

2009-09-21T05:21:00.001-07:00

Trying a few new challenges, and did I have fun today or what. This was my card for Featured Stamper 137 over on Splitcoast Stampers.

This card was based on a card from Tankgrl,and I kept the design components of the card, but changed the color scheme, a couple of the brads, and the sentiment.

The DSP and ribbon on this card are all from retired products, but the image is from the On Your Birthday stamp set. The image was stamped with Crushed Curry and Basic Black, and I used the Crushed Curry ink to edge the sentiment.

Tips from this card:
-Use something besides adhesive on your card. Stampin' dimensionals add some height and dimension to your card to create a more interesting card. Dimensionals were used on this card to adhere the sentiment to the card
-To take a plain piece of paper a step up, use your Stampin' ink pads to edge your paper. You can do a light edging to separate the paper from your card base, or a heavier edging that will clearly show up on your card.

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I used the following product on this card (all product Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: On Your Birthday stamp set (111664)
Paper: Soft Suede Cardstock (115318), Kraft Cardstock (102125), Very Vanilla Cardstock (101650), Retired Stampin' Up! Designer Series Paper
Ink:Crushed Curry Stampin' pad (115659) Crushed Curry Stampin' Write Marker (sold as a set of six in color markers - 116329), Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker (100082), Close to Cocoa Stampin' Write Marker (100072)
Accessories: Vintage brads (109109), Flower Assortment Designer Brads (112583)3/16" Corner Rounder (109047), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430), retired Stampin' Up! Ribbon Originals

Color Throwdown #60

2009-09-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

I've had this card finished for a couple days, but I've been busy with several other projects, and haven't had time to sit down and post this. The challenge for the Color Throwdown #60 were:I was so excited when I saw these colors - what a fabulous combination. I'll start with my creation:Admittedly, I went really crazy with the layering of cardstock. I seem to be starting out with one version of a card, and ending up with something totally different lately. I started out with a base card of full of colored polka dots - boy what a change of card. I used the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set to create the flowers, and then used the Sizzix Buttons #5 to cut out the buttons in the center on my Big Shot. The scallop punch was used, and I used the crop-a-dile to cut out small circles in the scallops. I added a little bit of ribbon weaving on this card, and also some zig zag stitching on my sewing machine. A little too many layers?? Maybe, but I like it anyways!!

My Recent Birthday trip

2009-09-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

Oh boy - anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I've been dreading my 30th birthday since I turned 29!! Crazy, I know, but there was/is something about turning 30 that just bothered me. So, when it came time for the big birthday a couple weeks ago, I was determined to not spend it alone. I couldn't spend it with family or my fiancee, so I spent it with friends instead - on the beach. Here are some pics (I love black and white photos).
So I have to admit, besides not having access to the internet that weekend (there was wireless in the lobby but it was soooo slow - I'm spoiled), I actually had a good birthday - can't ask for much more than sun, beach, and good temperatures. It wasn't too painful, although I ate way too much. I'll be spending several weeks working off that overly indulgent weekend.

PPA8 Challenge

2009-09-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

The PPA 8 challenge was for a KISS card - clean with lots of white space; simple design; minimum time to create; limited layers and embellishments. Here is my card for this challenge:
I had a template for cutting out the tree, which I cut out of a piece of To the Nines DSP. I then used the Buttons #5 Sizzlit Big Shot die. I cut the buttons out of Always Artichoke and Pumpkin Pie cardstock, and To the Nines and Pumpkin Pie DSP. I adhered the buttons with glue dots or Stampin' Dimensionals. The sentiment was from an older set, and I attacheda couple pieces of ribbon using a staple. An incredibly quick card to make that was super simple, and I love how it came out.

SPCC Christmas Color Combo #2

2009-09-17T23:08:00.001-07:00

I love love love making Christmas cards, so I couldn't not participate in the SPCC Christmas Color Combo. Here was the challenge:
I remember seeing this scrapbook image from a couple years ago with gifts along the bottom, and I thought that was perfect for this card. Here's what I did:

Ok, so I did actually stamp on this card, but admittedly not much. I used Real Red, Old Olive and Handsome Hunter on this card. I cut out the dots using my Big Shot and the Big Bold Cupcakes die. I used a few buttons from the Playground Designer buttons, hemp twine, ribbons from the newest mini catalog, and 1/4 white grosgrain ribbon. The image was from an old stamping set that I had. I was all ready to put a nice 'Merry Christmas' sentiment above the ribbon, but then I remembered that I had a 'do not open til Christmas' stamp, and I thought that woudl be perfect. This was a super simple card to do, but looks so fun!!

SPCC #15

2009-09-17T00:52:00.000-07:00

This was such an incredibly hard challenge for me. First off, here was the Color Combo #15 Challenge:

I knew I wanted to do a halloween card with this combo, and thought it would be easy - boy was I wrong!! I had such a difficult time with this challenge, and sat down with this card many times to try and rework it until I had something I was finally happy with. Here is what I finally came up with:

The only original components of the first card that made it into my final card was the black card base and the rust stamped bracket. Nothing else really worked on this card, but I love the final version.

The stamped image was from the Twick or Tweet stamp set. I stamped it on Naturals White cardstock twice, and cut one of those images out to add a little dimension. The image was colored in with the Really Rust chalk from my Stampin Pastels. For the background, I cut out a Scallop Square using my Big Shot, and then added strips of various papers (from Night and Day DSP, Really Rust Cardstock) and Black Gingham Ribbon. Finally, the bracket was cut using my Big Shot out of Naturals White cardstock, and stamped with one of the stamps from the Circle Circus stamp set with Really Rust ink.

Mojo Monday Week 104 Sketch Challenge

2009-09-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

The Mojo Monday sketch this week was a tough one for me. I needed a Thank You card for tomorrow, so I was restricted to that idea. I wanted to use this sketch for everything but a thank you card today!! Here is what I came up with:

I like this card better in person than in the pictures. The pictures fail to capture that I used dimensionals on the circles, so it's not as flat as it appears in the pictures. I used Sage Shadow, Melon Mambo, Certainly Celery, and Kraft for this card. The kraft background paper was made using a couple stamps from the Circle Circus stamp set. I used the same set on the strip of Melon Mambo paper. The thank you sentiment was from the Taggers Dozen stamp set. Both the circles and the flower/leaves were cut out using the Big Shot (Circles #2 and Birds and Bloom). I finished the card off with a few embellishments - eyelets and a filigree Brad.

This is not my favorite card, but I do really love the color combination. I'll be playing around with this color combination more this week.

Color Combo Challenge

2009-09-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

This card was my final challenge card of the day, and was designed for the SPCC #14 color challenge. The challenge was to use the following colors on my card:

Here is my card for this color challenge:

I stamped a variety of snowflakes using Ballet Blue, Basic Gray, and Soft Suede. I punched three snowflakes out of each of these colors, and used a white gel pen to create stitching on the snowflakes, and topped the snowflakes off with white buttons. The Joy sentiment was stamped with white craft ink. I like the simplicity of this Christmas Card.

Flowers and Polka Dots

2009-09-13T03:19:00.000-07:00

More challenges today. I'm sick at home, and using my down time to relax and do some stamping. My creativity is a little low, so these challenges are giving me a good starting point for today. This card was made for both the Curtain Call Color Challenge and the Cute Card Thursday Challenge. The challenge for Cute Card Thursday was green and pink, and the Curtain Call Color Challenge was Melon Mambo, Certainly Celery, Kraft, and Very Vanilla. Here's what I came up with:

I used the For All You Do Stamp Set. I stamped four stems using Sahara Sand Ink (closest thing I had to the Kraft color). I then stamped flowers in Melon Mambo and Certainly Celery and cut out the flowers. I punched holes in each flower and inserted a brad. I wrapped jute twine around the base of the stems and added a button from the Playground Designer Buttons.

The images on the right were all cut with the Scallop Square punch. Polka dots were stamped in Sahara Sand, Melon Mambo, and Certainly Celery, and the sentiment came from this same stamp set.

Color Throwdown #59

2009-09-13T03:06:00.000-07:00

There was a fabulous Color Throwdown this weekend. The challenge was to use the colors Ruby Red, Pumpkin Pie, and Chocolate Chip. This is what I came up with:

This card will be a little thick to mail, but I love the way the ribbons look. I cased the ribbon idea (still trying to figure out the blog I got it from to give credit). I used a retired orange ribbon, and paired it with Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon. The stamped images were from the Paradise stamp set. I inked the image in Ruby red, and then rocked the image on chocolate chip to create the brown colored tips. The sentiment came from the Full of Life stamp set. It was a great color combination and perfect for fall.

Frosty the Snowman

2009-09-13T02:53:00.000-07:00

Today is a day for challenges on my blog. I have several different cards that I've made for challenges. This first card was for Weekend Sketch Challenge #97 on Beate's blog. Here was my interpretation for the sketch:

I like the simplicity of this card, with the more complex stamped image. This card was so easy to make, easy to color in since the image is more of a sketch versus distinct lines. This may be the basis for a card for an upcoming stamp-a-stack.

The stamp set was from the Jolliest Time of the Year stamp set. It was inked on Very Vanilla cardstock, and colored in with the Aquapainter and Watercolor Wonder Crayons. The snowflakes on the bottom were stamped with Sahara Sand, Bordering Blue, and Close to Cocoa ink. The snowflakes were from a variety of stamp sets, to give a bit of variation. The base of the card was Kraft cardstock, with the large circle cut of out of Sahara Sand cardstock. I used some of the same ribbon from yesterday, as I love the look it adds to the card.

Inspiration

2009-09-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

I was searching around on blogs this morning, and checked out Dawn McVey's blog. She always has great ideas, and that was certainly the case today. I had an initial plan for stamping today, but after visiting her website, I came up with a whole new idea. Here are a couple of the cards I made today, all based on her blog from today.

I had used several background stamps to create the varied backgrounds. I used most of the paper for Christmas cards, but loved the color combination so much that I wanted to do something beyond Christmas. This is a fun and simple birthday card. The sentiment is from the 'On Your Birthday' stamp set. Made two versions of this card - the first version I accidentally put a staple through the back of the card!!

This is one of 5 Christmas cards that i made today with this paper. The greens are very traditional Christmas colors, but I love throwing the pink color in there (Cameo Coral). The top paper was actually made with the Circle Circus stamps. I couldn't have done this without the Stamp-a-ma-jig. It came in handy when trying to match up these images. I've been saving this ribbon from last years catalog because I love it so much. I used it a bunch today, so it's almost gone unfortunately.

This is my favorite card from today. I love the background stamp on the top (from the Park Avenue Patterns stamp set). On the bottom, I've been getting bored with just the plain scallop edge punch, so I decided to change it up a bit. After using the scallop edge, I then took the small punch on the crop-a-dile and made a hole above each scallop. This has taken the same punch and made it look like two different punches...I'm liking it!! The tag was from one of the current SU Hostess sets - looks fabulous stamped with Sage Shadow Ink on Certainly Celery cardstock.

Pals Paper Arts Sketch

2009-09-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

This was a card that I did for the Pals Paper Arts sketch. I was thinking about this all last night, and finally came up with an idea that I liked.

I used Rose Red, Not Quite Navy, and Certainly Celery Ink. The colors are bright, but I really like the outcome. I haven't really used the Circle Circus stamp set, but I started to play with it yesterday, and the ideas have started to flow with this stamp set. It's quickly going to become one of my favorite sets.

Mojo Monday 103 Card

2009-09-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

Time for Mojo Monday - here is the card I came up with. What a great sketch!!

I used Certainly Celery and Sage Shadow cardstock, with some retired DSP in the background. I used the For All You Do stamp set. To make the butterfly spotted, I stamped two images of the butterfly. On one butterfly, I cut the inside of the butterfly out, so I was left with a template. I put this template on the other butterfly, and stamped my coordinating dots. This prevented the dots from going outside the butterfly image.

My Bigshot got some use on this card, as I embossed circles on the pieces of Sage Shadow paper (hard to see in the picture). The card was not quite complete until I added the small flowers on the bottom, each with a hemp twine loop.

PPA6 Challenge

2009-09-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

This was a tough challenge for me - these are not colors that I would normally combine together. Thanks to this challenge, I jumped a bit out of my comfort zone.
The color challenge was for Brocade Blue, Crushed Curry, and Ruby Red. I started out with the Gallery stamp set in Ruby Red on Whisper White cardstock, and then trimming around the edge. In the center, I framed an image from the Pocket Silhouettes stamp set, stamped in Crushed Curry. I cut photo corners out for the upper left corner. On the bottom of the card, I pulled my sewing machine out and stitched a couple lines. On each end, I put buttons from the Playground Designer Buttons, tied with hemp twine.

Fun and Cute Challenge

2009-09-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

This is a card created for Moxie Fab Worlds Fun and Cute Challenge:
I tried a few new things on this card, and I love how they came out. This hat is from the Sock Monkey Accessories stamp set. I stamped the hat in black ink, and colored the center part of the hat with a Ruby Red Marker. For the bottom part of the hat and the pom pom, I used Tombow adhesive in between the black lines, and then used Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder. The glue combined with the embossing powder created a puffy iridescent look that highlighted the hat, and gave it a fun look.

The hat was backed a piece of Ruby Red cardstock cut with the scallop punch. I rubbed the cardstock with VersaMark, and then used a combination of Iridescent Ice and Glassy Glaze Enamel Embossing Powder to give the sparkle look, but also to subdue the red color.

I used DSP from the holiday lounge set, and finished the card with a piece of red ribbon.

Classy and Elegant Challenge

2009-09-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

This is a card that I made for the Classy and Elegant Challenge for Moxi Fab World.
I used Brushed Silver cardstock as my base. The snowflakes were created with a Jumbo Snowflake wheel. The wheel was inked first with VersaMark, and then with white craft ink. The wheel was rolled onto the cardstock, and then sprinkled with Iridescent Ice Emboss Powder, and finally the image was heated with the Heat Tool.

I did the same with the sentiment that came from the Christmas Punch set (minus the oval around the sentiment).

I had some wired white ribbon that I used on this card. To complete the card, I created a tag using the wheel above, and stamped and emobssed the image. The snowflake was cut out using a 1 1/2" punch, and then I used the scallop punch and Whisper White cardstock to create the frame around the snowflake.

Fall is soon coming

2009-09-05T03:22:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to get into my fall/winter mode. I'm about done with summer, and ready to move on to halloween, the fall colors of thanksgiving, and the fun colors of christmas. This was a color challenge that I participated in, that really got me into the fall color mood.

I used Kraft, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, and More Mustard Cardstock. My circle cutter came in handy on this card, and I cut a 5" circle out of Chocolate Chip cardstock and a 4 3/4" circle out of the More Mustard cardstock. I adhered these to the card, and then cut off the edge of the circles to line up with the card.

For the stamped images, I used the Paradise stamp set, and used Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, and Sahara Sand ink to stamp each image. I cut out each image to a 1 1/2" circle, and then used Kraft cardstock to cut a circle that was 1 3/4" to place behind each image. The three circle's were adhered to the card using Stampin Dimensionals.

The 'thank you' sentiment came from the All Holidays stamp set. The thank you was stamped on very vanilla card stock, and then cut out with the oval punch. The same oval punch was used to cut out an oval in Chocolate Chip and More Mustard cardstock, and then the ovals were layered. I toped the card off with a mini library clip with hemp twine tied to it. The sentiment was also adhered to the card with Stampin Dimensionals.

Cinderella's Pink Shoes

2009-09-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

This is part of the new shipment that I just got in. I've been dying to play with all of my new sets and paper, but I have such a limited amount of time. This is based on a sketch challenge, and it was such a simple sketch, but so much fun to use.I used Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, and Very Vanilla cardstock. The DSP used is from Thouroughly Modern.

The stamped image is from the Humor in High Heels stamp set. I stamped the shoe image in black, and the sentiment in Bermuda Bay. To color in the shoes, I used the Melon Mambo marker to color in the dark part of the shoes. To better blend the ink, I then used my Aquapainter to blend the marker ink a bit (my melon mambo ink pad is backordered and has yet to arrive - otherwise the ink pad would have been a good option as well to ink your aquapainter). The inside of the shoes and bow were painted with the Watercolor Wonder Crayons and Aquapainter in Cameo Coral.

I wanted to use the clear button, but couldn't figure out how. I decided to use my Big Shot to cut a flower out of the DSP, made holes for the hemp twine that lined up with the clear button, and tied the flower to the Very Vanilla ribbon.

I'm not a corner rounder person, but I like how it came out on this card. To add a little variation, I left one corner pointed on the piece of background paper.

Sock Monkey Christmas

2009-09-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

I made this card as part of a technique swap. I just received the stamp set this week and couldn't wait to sit down and play with it. The technique was the spotlighting technique, and I immediately jumped to the circle idea for the card.

The card was made with Ruby Red, Soft Suede, and Whisper White cardstock. I used Holiday Lounge DSP on the background.

Here's a tutorial for this card:

1) Cut a piece of Ruby Red cardstock 11" x 4 1/4". Score the paper in half at the 5 1/2" mark.
2) Cut a piece of DSP 5 1/4" x 4". Take care with directional paper that you cut it the right way.
3) Stamp an image of the hat using any ink color. Cut the hat out (you don't need to worry about the ball at the top of the hat - you can cut that off). Put the image aside.
4) Stamp two hat images on a piece of Whisper White cardstock using black ink. Leave alot of space between the images - you will be stamping the monkey as well and then cutting them out in a circle.
5) Place the cut out hat image over one of the stamped hat images. This will mask your hat image. Ink your monkey image on the paper, aligning the head to give the image that the monkey is wearing the hat. Do the same with the second hat.
6) If not using Stazon black ink, let your images dry well, to avoid smudging.
7) Use a 1 1/2" circle cutter to cut a circle out of one of your monkey images.
8) Use a coordinating color (I used soft suede) and cut a circle 1 3/4" wide (I used my circle cutter to cut this second circle).
9) Color the small circle image in as you desire - I used Ruby Red, Soft Suede, and Creamy Caramel markers to color the monkey in. Set the small circle aside.
10) Use your circle cutter to cut a circle around the monkey. Make sure to not cut off any of the image.
11) Using the same coordinating color cardstock as above (I used soft suede), but a circle about 1/4" larger than the circle above. Adhere the monkey image to this circle.
12) Time to assemble the card - adhere the monkey image to your card. Then use dimensionals to adhere the small circle monkey image to your card. Line up the image to create the 'spotlighting' technique.
13) To make the gift box, ink a gift box with black ink and cut the box out. I used a Ruby Red marker to color in the dots, and to make the ribbon dotted. Adhere the box to the card using dimensionals.
14) Use a piece of ribbon (I used soft suede polka dot grosgrain ribbon) and tie it around the card and knot the ribbon.

Mojo Monday Week 102 Card

2009-09-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

This is my Mojo Monday submission. I saw the large circle on the sketch, and immediately thought of this stamp set. I've traditionally done brighter colors with this set, but I really like how the muted colors ended up looking. Here is the sketch that I was working off of:
This is my take on the sketch:I used the Good Friends stamp set on this one. Again, the stamp-a-ma-jig came in very helpful to place the beak and legs of the bird. I used Always Artichoke and Sage Shadow ink on the bird image, and Always Artichoke ink on the other two images. For paper, I used Sage Shadow, Sahara Sand, and Always Artichoke cardstock and To the Nines DSP. My favorite part of the card was the flower on the left. I used brads in place of the starts that were on the stamped image. The picture doesn't show this card as well as I had hoped - the brads really add a punch to this card.

I used the circle cutter to cut the larger circles - worked like a charm!!

First Halloween Card of the Year - PPA5 Challenge

2009-08-31T12:07:00.000-07:00

This is my first Halloween card of the season. I couldn't seem to locate my Halloween stamps, so I was a little limited on my stamp choice, and ended up using a stamp set that I bought about 12 years ago. This is my submission for the Paper Pal Arts Challenge - PPA5. The challenge was for a Halloween theme. Here is the card that I came up with:

The card was made with Tangerine Tango, Basic Black, and Very Vanilla cardstock. The base of the card was made of Tangerine Tango, and was stamped with a Jumbo Background wheel with Tangerine Tango Ink. The ribbon is Tangerine Tango striped ribbon. I accented the card with three buttons/brads from the Pumpkin Pie corduroy brad set.

The image was stamped using black Stampin Pad. If you use the Stampin Pad, you need to let the image dry for an hour or so, to avoid the ink from running. If you don't have time to let the image dry, Stazon ink will work perfectly. The stamped pumpkins were colored with the aquapainter and Watercolor Wonder crayons. The aquapainter was almost dry to avoid pooling water on the image.

Putting my idea into action

2009-08-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

I had this great idea as I was laying in bed one night. I miss sewing, but when I sew I miss stamping and scrapbooking. So I was trying to think of a way to combine the two. I came up with an idea to make a mini scrapbook out of unconventional materials - cardboard, fabric, old dicionary paper, notebook paper, and cardstock that I altered.

I had so much fun putting this together, and I'm incredibly happy with how it came out. I was so excited about it, that I couldn't wait to see the finished product. This is only a prototype for an even bigger and better scrapbook, as I compile additional ideas, and find easier ways. Here are pictures of the scrapbook:

I used Very Vanilla cardstock on this scrapbook, but colored it with coffee. To do this, you crumple the paper a couple times, and place in a baking dish. You pour coffee (and grounds) over the paper and let the paper soak for 5-10 minutes. Drain the remaining coffee and bake at 250 degrees until the paper is completely dry. At this point, you can brush off the coffee grounds to get this desired result. I used this same technique on the dictionary pages and the notebook pages.

The flowers were made with extra fabric that I had sitting around, and were handsewn. I totally loved how these flowers came out, and now I can't stop making them :)

Catching up on Cards

2009-08-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

I've been intending to post several cards for awhile, and I finally have time. It's an overcast day outside and about to rain. What a perfect time to spend on my laptop sharing some great cards with you all. So here you go:

Red Rose Flower:

This card was made with Ruby Red cardstock, accented with Close to Cocoa cardstock, with the image stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock. The striped paper is from a retired DSP set.

I used the large flower from the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set. I stamped the image directly on the Ruby Red cardstock with Ruby Red Ink. I randomly placed two images of this on the background, just to break up the solid red. Inking the same color on the cardstock gives a subtle image, but does not overpower the main stamped image. To get the main flower, I stamped the flower on Very Vanilla cardstock using Ruby Red ink. I then cut the flower out, getting as close to the edges of the flower as possible. It can be tedious, but definitely worth the end result. The flower was put on the card with a stampin dimensional to make the flower standout just a little bit more.

Lots of Trees:
I love this stamp set so much, and it's such an easy set to use. This card is made with Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, and Whisper White cardstock. I used a retired DSP for the background.

The images are from the Trendy Trees stamp set and were stamped using Not Quite Navy ink for the trunk of the trees, and Baja Breeze ink for the bush part of the tree. I used the stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the trees. This tool is a must with this stamp set!!

I accented the card with 1/4" white grosgrain ribbon wrapped around the entire card, and 2 jumbo brads in the lower corner.

Happy Birthday!
I made this card a couple months ago, and it's still one that I really like. This card used Baja Breeze and Very Vanilla cardstock, and retired DSP. The package images are from teh stamp set Big Bold Birthday, and the 'Happy Birthday' sentiment is from the 'Voila' stamp set. All images were stamped using Not Quite Navy ink. The card was finished with an eyelet on either side of the card.

Mojo Monday Week 101

2009-08-25T10:52:00.001-07:00

Back to stamping in full force again after dabbling in a bit of scrapbooking this past week. I'll post pictures of this later in the week. I'm so proud of my creation, and it's a springboard and experiment for an even better creation in the near future once I have purchased all of my supplies. Isn't that always the way - I have an idea but I have to buy mores supplies...I'm a hoarder and a lover of all things stamp related, I admit it.

Here is the challenge sketch for this weeks Mojo Monday challenge:
Here is my interpretation of it:

I got this stamp set when it was retiring in July with every intention to use it on my own wedding invitations. I got the stamp and realized it didn't really fit with my plans for a wedding invite. I bought the stamp so now I have to use it. When I saw this sketch, the stamp set popped out at me, and the elegant look of the DSP that I had made it look even better.

I used Bella Bleu DSP, with coordinating Brocade Blue and Very Vanilla cardstock. I accented the card with 5/8" inch Brocade Blue grosgrain ribbon topped with 1/4" Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon.

The stamped image is from the 'To Have & To Hold' Stamp set. I stamped the image on cardstock, and then cut the portion of the image that I wanted with the scallop punch. The image was too plain as is, so I used the Watercolor Wonder Crayons in Bashful Blue and my Aquapainter to subtly color in the flowers in the bouquet and the hair piece. I also painted lightly along the outline of her dress and his suit. I did not use the coordinating Brocade Blue because I wanted a lighter more subtle effect. When doing this, make sure that you Aquapainter brush is not full of water - the brush should be almost dry or you will get a blob of color on your flowers.

Finally, for the inside of the card, I used the same stamp set to stamp a frame on Very Vanilla cardstock and used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to center the sentiment in the middle of the frame. I was hesitant to buy the Stamp-a-ma-jig at first - just another thing to have lying around on my craft table, but it has become a staple for me and saved me from many frustrating moments when I can't get my sentiment straight.

Final Mojo Monday Turns 100 Sketches

2009-08-23T12:35:00.001-07:00

A little behind on the sketches for the week, but I just had to do the Friday and Saturday sketches.

Here is Fridays sketch:

Here is my take on the sketch.
This is sort of red, white, and blueish I admit. I've had this DSP for the past year, and I've liked it so well that I've hardly used it. Why buy it if I'm not going to use it, right? And...I can't buy more paper until I use what I already have. So enough procrastination on the paper usage. I made one other card with this paper today as well.

The circles were new for me today - this is a sketch that I haven't done anything remotely close to in the past.

This card used Ruby Red and Not Quite Navy paper, and retired DSP. The inked images were from the 'Trendy Trees' stamp set, and were stamped using the Stamp-a-ma-jig. What a great invention - it takes so little work now to line up the images for two steps stamping. I used the same paper colors for my ink. I topped this off with some beautiful white ribbon that I had in my stash.

And here is Saturdays sketch:

and my idea of this card:
I personally love this card. I'm so happy with how it came out, and only wish that this as well was not retired DSP - I'd like to make these as my holiday cards. I'll have to work out an alternate version of this card for my yearly cards.

This card used retired cardstock and DSP - Baja Breeze and Riding Hood Red cardstock. I also used Red Riding Hood ribbon. The scallop's were cut using the scallop edge cutter. I used eyelets on the stamped image for a little something extra.

The stamp set I used is the same as a card earlier this week - 'It's Snow Time'. I used one of my new favorite techniques - watercoloring with the aquapainter and crayons. It creates such a nice look on the snowmen - better than a stark white, and just a hint of grayish blue. It's overall a light look that is not as stark as using cardstock.

Mojo Monday turns 100 - Day 4

2009-08-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here is Thursdays Mojo Monday turns 100 challenge:
And here is my version of the sketch:

Today was all about layers for me. I'm also going through a stage where I want to use stitching on my cards. I used all retired Stampin' Up product on this card. A little early for holiday cards, but it's never too early to start on holiday cards!!

I used Dashing DSP, and coordinated with Real Red, Ruby Red, Old Olive, and Certainly Celery cardstock. I used my sewing machine to create the zig zag stitches seen in the background.

The santa image is from the 'Its Snow Time' stamp set. I stamped the image and cut it out using the Scallop Circle punch. To color the santa, I grabbed color from the Ruby Red wonder crayon using the aqua painter and painted the red, just like using water color paint. To color in the 'ho ho ho ho', I used a black stampin marker.

I topped the card off with certainly celery ribbon, and a red button from the retired button bouquet set. Glue dots worked perfectly to adhere these two things to the card.

Mojo Monday turns 100 - Day 3

2009-08-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

Here is the template challenge for Wednesday (day 3) of Mojo Monday turns 100:
Here is my take on the card template:

I'm doing a monthly technique challenge, and I loved the technique so much, that I couldn't wait to do it again. I love the Kindred Spirits stamp set, but I'm always trying to think of a different way to use this stamp. I really like how this card came out - muted colors again, but I just can't seem to bring myself to use bright colors lately.

I used Not Quite Navy, Brocade Blue, and Very Vanilla cardstock, and Bella Bleu DSP. The scallop edge punch was used on the left side, and the 'Thinking of you' sentiment was cut with the curly label punch.

The stamped branch image is from the Kindred Spirits stamp set (retired), stamped with Not Quite Navy ink. To create the raised circle image:
-inked the stamp first on Versamark, and then on the Stampin' Pad.
-immediately stamp the image on cardstock
-sprinkle Glassy Glaze Enamel Stampin' Emboss Powder (Clear Emboss Powder will also work) over the image and make sure it is thoroughly coated
-use the heat tool to melt the Emboss powder
-use a circle punch to cut out the image, and line up the image on the larger image to match them up

I used the same raised image technique for the 'Thinking of you' sentiment.

The aged look on the stamped image was achieved by using a sponge dauber inked with Not Quite Navy.

The buttons were from retired designer buttons in a light blue.

Mojo Monday Turns 100 - Day 1

2009-08-18T10:37:00.001-07:00

Here is my submission for day 1 of celebrating 100 for Mojo Monday. This is the design template that was used:

Based on this sketch, I made the following card:

The original image had a large scallop circle under the stamped image. Since I don't have a large scallop circle cutter, I had to improvise a bit. I had seen an image where the chef in the Voila stamp set was cut off at the middle, and I liked the different look that it gave, so I thought I would give it a try here.

The base of the card is Sahara Sand cardstock, accented by Brocade Blue cardstock. The images were stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock. The printed paper is Bella Bleu DSP.

To create the circle image behind the chef, I used the scallop punch, and cut 6 scallop circles and positioned them to create a circle.

The stamped images come from the Voila stamp set. I stamped the chef onto a piece of cardstock, then positioned the cake stamp using the Stamp a ma jig to center the cake on the platter. I cut out the portion of the chef image that I wanted for my card and used Brocade Blue, Not Quite Navy, and Gray markers to color in the chef and create some shading. Silver brads were used on the chef jacket in place of the black dots on the stamped image. The corners of the cardstock were rounded using the corner rounder, with one corner left square.

The Happy Birthday was stamped using Brocade Blue and adhered to a piece of cardstock cut using the Scallop punch. Holes were cut in the stamped image using the crop-a-dile, and jute twine was run through the holes and wrapped around the card.

Splitcoast Challenge 241

2009-08-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

Splitcoast Stampers challenge 241 provided the following template to stampers to make their version of the card. Here is the template:

and here is the card that I created based on this template:

I immediately gravitated to this stamp set, as this layout allows me to showcase the stamp from and center. The layout also allows me to use DSP, but not cover it up with the additional layters on the card. The card ended up being simple, but earthly colors - my favorite kind of card.

The base for the card was Sahara Sand Cardstock, and the background DSP was Chocolate Chip. I used a couple of the prints from the 'To The Nines' specialty DSP. I chose the Always Artichoke based DSP prints to best match with the stamped image.

The stamped image is from the Font of You stamp set (currently on the dormant list), and I used Chocolate Chip for the vase, and Always Artichoke for the flowers. The paper edges of the image are distressed and then inked with Always Artichoke ink. You can use the Stampin' Up! distressing tool, or your fingernail by running it along the edge of each side of the paper. I topped the card off with eyelets in all 4 corners and Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon.

Week 99 MojoMonday Challenge

2009-08-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

I was searching the web today for some inspiration to get me started with stamping again, and I found this fabulous weekly challenge. This is exactly what I needed to get me going - I went ahead and made 7 other cards while I was at it. This got my juices flowing.

I've been trying to use some of my retired Stampin'Up! DSP, and I think this was from about a year ago. I loved it so much when I bought it that I didn't want to use it, and I wanted to save it. Now I'm left with almost a whole package of it. Time to use it up.

The stamp used is from the Trendy Trees stamp set, and was stamped with Always Artichoke and Certainly Celery ink. I accented with Always Artichoke and Certainly Celery cardstock. The hardware was from the Stampin'Up! Hodgepodge Hardware set. The flower brad was distressed a bit by running it along the Always Artichoke stampin' pad. I like how it breaks up the heavy brad on the card and does not seem so overpowering when I stamp a smaller image. The ribbon is Certainly Celery.

Hello Kitty Birthday

2009-06-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

I bought the Here Kitty Kitty stamp set awhile ago because I thought it was so adorable. Well, its been sitting on my shelf for awhile now. The only reason the stamps were actually mounted is because a friend wanted to use the stamp set. I just haven't felt inspired by this stamp set. I was looking through all of my sets the other day, and I suddenly felt an inspiration to finally use this set - yeah!!!

I used Brocade Blue and Mellow Moss paper - an awesome combination. I stamped the cat with black ink, and then used my water color crayons and the aquapainter. The cat was painted with a combination of barely banana and apricot appeal. The party hat was stamped separately and colored in with mellow moss water color crayons and aquapainter.

I used the fine tip end of the marker to create the stitching around the white pieces of card stock, and the scallop punch on the side of the card.

Inside the card, I used the 'Happy Birthday from the cat' sentiment.

Fabric Design Inspiration

2009-06-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

I was looking on the internet and found a great fabric picture that instantly inspired me to sit down and create a card. Here's a copy of the image so you can see what I'm talking about.

Here's my take on the image:

For the first card, I used the Central Park stamp set, with ruby red, certainly celery, and not quite navy ink and paper. To make the background paper, I straightedged the main branch, and used the stamp-a-ma-jig to place the leaves. I wasn't quite sure of the design on this first card. Admittedly it is a bit busy, but there's still something that I really like about it.

Card number 2 was my second attempt at this card. I used Gallery and Thank You Kindly stamp sets for this one in additional to Central Park. I like this one as well, and it's a tad less busy. Oh, and I tried the smaller leaf on teh second card, but I think I like the larger leaf better. These are two cards that are definitely keepers.