Friendly challenges

Happy New Year's Eve! We got a bit more snow last night, and the trees are still holding onto all that came down a couple of days ago, so it's still really pretty outside. We haven't seen much in the way of sunshine, though. I think this is the first time we've had icicles hanging from the roof since we moved into this house in 1991.

Since this is a holiday weekend, some of my friends over on SCS decided to do some impromptu challenges. I've done most of them, but do have a couple more to do.

The first card uses an old set that hasn't seen ink in awhile. (all stamps SU)






















The second is a one layer card. (all stamps SU)






















The third is a sympathy card. (floral stamps Kitchen Sink Stamps, sentiment SU)






















The fourth card was to use acetate on the card. This also fits the 5+ layers challenge. (all stamps SU)






















The fifth card is five or more layers. (all stamps SU)

















The last card was to use buttons. (all stamps SU)

More details on these cards are listed in my SCS gallery.

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a wonderful day and a Happy New Year.

Coctail dress inspiration

Today's inspiration challenge on SCS is this cocktail dress. I started this card late last night, but I guess I was too tired to get it to mesh together. This morning I was able to finish it. The flower and sentiment are from fabulous flowers (SU). I inked the large flower in pumpkin pie and then rolled the outer edges in ruby red ink on vanilla card stock. I stamped it twice more in pumpkin ink and cut out parts of the center. I sponged the edges with ruby red ink and popped them up in the center of the big flower. I added some crystal effects and dazzling diamonds glitter in the center. I layered this piece on cranberry crisp card stock.

The base of the card is groovy guava stamped with a small flourish from priceless (SU) in cameo coral ink. I used a piece of designer paper from the old world stack by DCWV, trimming around a swirl to get a softer look than just cut straight. The curved edge is sponged with bravo burgundy and chocolate chip. I stamped the full sentiment on rust and guava card stock and a portion on guava, vanilla and a scrap of the dp. I trimmed out just the word fabulous from the guava piece, coated it with crystal effects and dazzling diamonds glitter and stacked it over the same word on the rust card stock, using 3 extra layers of card stock for dimension. This piece was then layered on bravo burgundy. The rhinestone brad was clear, but I wanted it to blend better, so I colored over it with a Copic marker. The sentiment panel is raised up on mounting tape.

The 3 partial sentiments were punched out with a 1" circle punch. The edges were sponged with bravo burgundy ink and then I added page pebbles. The lowest one is popped up.

Today outside looks like a winter fairyland. Yesterday we got around 6 or so inches of wet fluffy snow, which is still clinging to all the trees and bushes - so beautiful - eye candy from God.

Thanks for stopping by.

No colored card stock

Happy Saturday. I created this card for yesterday's limited supplies challenge on SCS. Since I seem to have a difficult time using designer paper, it took all day before inspiration struck. By the time I had finished the card, it was already after midnight, so I decided to wait until today to post it. The image is a stamp called pumpkin flourish by Impression Obsession that I recently purchased at a LSS. It reminds me of blue onion design. Since a blue/white color combination is one of my favorite, I couldn't resist the stamp. I stamped it in navy and colored it with prismacolor pencils and gamsol. The dp is all from a bitty scrap stack by Provo Craft that my sister gave me. I like that the different papers all coordinate with each other. The challenge specified using only white or cream card stock and designer paper and only one piece of ribbon for embellishment. The image panel is popped up on mounting tape.

The details:
stamps: sentiment - celebrate everything (SU), pumpkin flourish (Impression Obsession)
ink: night of navy
paper: very vanilla, dp (Provo Craft)
other: prismacolor pencils, gamsol, stump, ribbon (Michael's), mounting tape

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stopping by.

The sweetest flower

Happy Hump Day! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and were able to spend time with those you love. We spent most of the day with my sister and her family.

One of the gifts I received was the 3 Step Daisy from Kitchen Sink Stamps. It's a beautiful floral set of clear stamps. When I saw the sketch challenge for today on SCS, I knew I has to use these new stamps. The flowers are stamped as 3 parts, so you can use different colors and get a lot of depth. I used apricot appeal, regal rose and rose red. For the leaves, I used certainly celery and wild wasabi. Two of the flowers are cut out and layered over the others, and all the leaves are cut out. The Victorian Sunflower Backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms is stamped in regal rose on apricot appeal card stock. The sentiment is from a Papertrey set called Green Thumb. The circles are all cut with my cuttlebug and nestabilities circle dies.

The details:
stamps: 3 step daisy (Kitchen Sink Stamps), victorian sunflower blackgrounder (Cornish Heritage Farms), sentiment (Papertrey Ink)
paper: apricot appeal, basic black, cameo coral, very vanilla
ink: apricot appeal, regal rose, rose red, certainly celery, wild wasabi, basic black
other: cuttlebug, nestabilities circle dies (Spellbinders), brayer, diamond stickles (Ranger), mounting tape

Have a wonderful day. Thanks for stopping by.

Another gift card holder

I have a hard time using designer paper. I love it, but am just not sure what to do with it, so I've been accumulating quite a stash. I used 2 small pieces on this gift card holder and I feel good about that. Thursday's ways to use it challenge on SCS was to use gift wrap, so I also incorporated that on this piece. The gold behind the spotted dp is from an old roll that I got from my mom about 8 years ago. And she probably had it for 10 years before that. It has a wonderful texture and is very shiny. I used the same layout as the previous post. The punched flowers were roughly edged with a Krylon gold leafing pen to give them more texture. And I added some faux piercing around the white circle, because I thought it looked a little bare.

The details:
stamps: season of joy (SU)
ink: wild wasabi, garden green
paper: wild wasabi, real red, whisper white, gold textured wrapping paper, dp (JoAnn's Christmas stack)
other: cuttlebug, nestabilities circle dies (Spellbinders), 5 petal flower punch (SU), small flower punch (EK Success), piercing tool, gold brad, ribbon

Thanks for stopping by.

Since tomorrow and Tuesday involve family Christmas celebrations, I will probably not be posting. I want to wish you all a wonderful and blessed Christmas.

Gift card

This time of year, many of us find that a gift card is a great solution for giving to a friend or relative who lives some distance from us, or for that person that is impossible to buy for. It's nice to be able to present the gift card in a personalized holder.

This one is for a young man and fits two challenges on SCS - the fan club central theme challenge for this month and sketch challenge 101.
There is actually very little stamping. The large U is stamped on red and embossed in silver as is the word 'rock'. I also used 2 star punches and the key tag punch.

All products are from SU except the word rock, which is Karen Foster snap stamps.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day.

A Birthday Bluebird

Today's card was made for the inspiration challenge on SCS. I've recently seen some bird stamps that would have been perfect for this challenge, but since I don't own any of them, I had to improvise and use what I do have. I made this card 5" x 7" to accommodate the large circle, because I thought it was a bit too close to the edges of a normal sized card.

The image is a combination of two SU sets, touch of nature and infinite goodness, a brand new hostess set that will be available in the Spring/Summer 2008 Collection on Jan. 2. I colored the image with markers and popped up the bird. Then I stitched the white circle to the black scalloped circle on my sewing machine using a feather stitch. Since this particular stitch backs up every other stitch, it took me awhile to figure out the rhythm going around a circle. I then added some brads and popped up the circle on mounting tape.

The sentiment is stamped on twill in basic black ink. I then also stitched that to a strip of black card stock and added parts of a small scallop circle punch at the ends. A layer each of black and white for the photo corners finished off the card.

The details:
stamps: touch of nature, infinite goodness, it's your birthday (SU)
ink: jet black stazon, basic black, various SU markers
paper: ballet blue, basic black, whisper white
other: twill, sewing machine (Bernina), thread, piercing tool & mat, black brads, mounting tape, cuttlebug, nestabilities circles (Spellbinders), photo corner punch (SU), small scallop circle punch (Uchida)

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great weekend and a wonderful Christmas.

A sketch challenge

It's seems I've been neglecting my blog. I can't believe how quickly this week has gone. I managed to do yesterday's sketch challenge on SCS finally today. I used an image from the retired SU set Friendships Grow for the main focal point. I stamped it three times on vanilla card stock with jet black stazon ink, and then colored the images with Copic markers and punched out the images with my 1-1/4" circle punch. I layered these on 1-3/8" circles of black. The other two circles are ruby red card stock layered on black.

The background is stamped with the victorian pattern backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms in night of navy ink. Since I usually ink my backgrounds with my brayer and black stains the brayer so badly, I prefer to substitute another dark color instead of black on backgrounds, in this case - navy. The background was then embossed in my cuttlebug with the textile folder.

The sentiment is from a new set that I just received today, Celebrate Everything, as part of my preview order from SU's new Spring/Summer Collection 2008. I had to mount it in order to use it on this card. I don't often use my hardware, so I thought that would make a nice border for the sentiment. I added some faux stitching around the sentiment, the red circles and the mustard rectangle.

I also added some crystal stickles to the flower centers for a bit of sparkle.

The details:
stamps: friendships grow, celebrate everything (SU), victorian pattern backgrounder (CHF)
ink: jet black stazon, night of navy, basic black, copic markers (R29, G07, E99, E09, C1)
paper: basic black, ruby red, more mustard, very vanilla
accessories: piercing tool & mat, hardware, cuttlebug, textile embossing folder, crystal stickles (Ranger)

Yesterday I received my complimentary demonstrator copy of the new Spring/Summer catalog and I've spent a lot of time perusing it and deciding what is going to be on my first order. I like way too much and I must say that it's well over my budget, so I'm going to have to limit myself... {sigh...}.

I also finally got my Christmas cards mailed. I think I have all my shopping done, but still have some wrapping to finish up.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Sunday!

For Saturday's inspiration challenge on SCS, I made this card. I used the colors and the circles for my inspiration. I cut all the circles with my nestabilities in my cuttlebug. The scallops are edged with Krylon copper leafing pen. The flower is colored with Copic markers (I have much to learn in using those). The bird is stamped with chalk ink, but there wasn't enough contrast, so I outlined it with black pigma pen. If I were to make this card again, I would use a darker ink. I pierced around the circle and added faux stitching with a black marker. I added liquid pearls in the scallops of the larger circle and on the dots of the flower. But I didn't want them to be white on the scallops, so I colored over them with a Copic marker once they were dry. The sentiment is from a retired SU background stamp. I added the doodling around the edges, because I thought the card needed something to pull it all together. I think a black layer under the guava would have worked as well.

The details:
stamps: time well spent, paisley, word by word (SU); robin script heart (Stampington & Co.)
paper: groovy guava, ruby red, basic black, white mat coat paper
ink: basic black, groovy guava, adirondack pitch black, burnt sienna chalk ink (Colorbox)
accessories: Copic markers, white liquid pearls (Ranger), Krylon copper leafing pen, piercing tool & mat, mounting tape, nestabilities (Spellbinders), cuttlebug

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful week.

Works for 2

Happy Friday. I hope you're all set for a great weekend. Yesterday I didn't get a chance to do the ways to use it challenge on SCS, which was to make a monochromatic card, so I doubled up with today's card for the limited supplies challenge, making a mostly white card. I love the soft look of this card.

I stamped the image from Artfully Asian in basic gray ink on white card stock and colored it with SU markers. I added the lines along the edge with a marker and straightedge. The bashful blue layer is made by punching 2 scalloped squares and putting them together to form a rectangle. I covered the seam with ribbon. Then I added blue liquid pearls in the flower centers and around the frame. This panel is popped up on mounting tape.

Along the edge of the card, I stamped another image from the same set in bashful blue ink and then the sentiment in ballet blue ink. It took longer for the liquid pearls to dry than it did to put the card together.

The details:
stamps: artfully asian (SU)
ink: basic gray, ballet blue, bashful blue, always artichoke
paper: white, bashful blue
accessories: blue liquid pearls (Ranger), ribbon (Michaels), mounting tape

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great weekend.

Scrooge Chick

This card was made for a Lindsey's challenge in the member company forums over on SCS. The challenge was to make a Christmas card using nontraditional colors and lots of bling. I thought this chicken would make the perfect scrooge. I would have used 'bah humbug' for the sentiment, but I didn't want to hand write it and my printer isn't working very well right now, so I decided to use something I could stamp and just add a bit of sarcasm.

On vanilla card stock, I stamped the pine branches in chocolate chip ink, and the chicken in basic brown ink. Then I used watercolor crayons and an aqua painter to color the chicken. Then I stamped the small snowflake from the snowflake spot three times on creamy caramel and punched them out with my 3/4" circle punch. I drew in the ornament caps and wires with a chocolate chip marker and then glued on the ornaments and attached page pebbles on top of them. Next I sponged the edges with chocolate chip ink and stamped joy three times. I layered the image piece onto a piece of bravo burgundy card stock, then punched a slot and added ribbon tied in a knot. I then attached it all to the more mustard card base. The final step was adding lots of copper stickles to the branches and the nest. I had a lot of fun with this card. I hope you enjoy it, too.

The details:
stamps: the snowflake spot (SU), chicken (Judith), pine branch (Rubbernecker)
ink: basic brown, chocolate chip
card stock: more mustard, bravo burgundy, chocolate chip
accessories: watercolor crayons, aqua painter, sponge, 3/4" circle punch, horizontal slot punch, page pebbles, copper stickles (Ranger), ribbon (Jacksonbelle's store)

Thanks for stopping by.

Let it snow

This is what it looks like right now out my window - the white spots are huge snowflakes!















I went out to my class this morning. We had a very low attendance, since the roads were bad. We've had snow, rain, sleet mix, but mostly snow and just cold enough for the roads to be slushy.

I've also been tagged by Kristy:

The rules of the game:

• Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
• Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog, we all want to know them.
• Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
• Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

7 Things about me:

1. I have 2 sisters & 2 brothers.

2. I've been to Europe twice.

3. I celebrated my 30th birthday on my honeymoon.

4. I'm basically a very shy person.

5. With the exception of my college years in Michigan, I've lived in Wisconsin all my life.

6. I hate doing housework and my house normally looks like a disaster area.

7. I hate shopping!

That was hard, since I don't usually share things about me.

I am tagging:

Diane

Amber

Gena

Dawn

Kittie

Andria

Alex - (she has blog candy)

So there you have it. Thanks for stopping by.

No stamping

Hello! I hope your weekend was wonderful.

No, I don't mean that I haven't stamped, because I have, but the only stamping I did yesterday or today was cards for my class tomorrow, and that isn't what I want to share with you. The card I want to show you has no stamping on it. Last month Tracy had a mystery challenge on her blog. She gave each participant a different challenge and we were not to upload the card anywhere during the challenge period. My challenge was to make a masculine card with no stamping on it. So, here's my card:
The faux woodgrain background was made using ink pads direct to paper and then adding board lines and nails with a black marker. I did a Google search for a picture of a backboard, which I printed out on my computer and trimmed around. I also used a craft knife to cut out between some of the larger spaces in the net, so the background would show through. I sponged some creamy caramel over the backboard, so it wasn't such a bright glaring white. I printed out the sentiment, cut that in a partial circle and did a lot of sponging on that piece. The basketball is made up of several layers of cereal box chipboard and a piece of really rust card stock, each punched separately and then glued together. The lines on the ball are hand drawn. I adhered the ball onto the card using mounting tape for some dimension. The brads are all faux, made with a marker and my SU mat pack. The highlight is made with a white gel pen. This was quite a challenge, but a fun one.

I'm sorry I don't remember which colors I used for the background. I no longer have the card, since my DH used the card for his brother's birthday, so I can't look at it to try and figure it out.

Thanks for stopping by.

A bella ball

Hello. I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend. Friday evening, there was a bella ball on the Stamping Bella forum on splitcoast in honor of a new release of bellas and a stamping bella one-year anniversary. Chatting, challenges, prizes and fun. I did a total of six cards. These two cards were created for two sketch challenges. Because it's late, and it's been a long day, I'm not going to list all the details. If you would like more details on these, please see my gallery on Splitcoast.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

A masculine card

Today's ways to use it challenge on Splitcoast was to use tape as part of your card design. I chose drywall tape, which I find extremely versatile.
I decided to use this buck image from Biblical Impressions. I stamped it on creamy caramel card stock with jet black stazon ink. I then sponged the edges with chocolate chip ink. I mounted this on navy card stock and set aside.

Drywall tape is white and sticky on the back. I thought it would be fun to change the color, so I cut a piece and gently stuck it onto a piece of scrap paper. Then I rubbed my Copic marker (E27) over it to color it brown. I let it dry and then adhered it to a piece of brocade blue card stock. I wanted to add some hand stitching, so I pierced holes through the card stock under the tape and then with a needle and blue crochet cotton proceeded to stitch a large zig zag from the top to the bottom of the card. I also added 2 brads at each end of the stitching. I then glued that panel to a chocolate chip card base. I thought a couple of echoing brads should be on the main image panel as well. This panel is popped up on mounting tape. I'm really happy with how this card turned out.

Thanks for stopping by.

More from the party

Happy Tuesday. I hope you've all had a wonderful day. I taught my senior ladies card class this morning. That's always a fun time.

Here are some more of my challenge cards from Saturday's Cornish Heritage Farms party. Now you can't have a birthday party without a birthday card, right? So here's one. Remember I said there were prizes? This next one was a winner. I'm getting a free background stamp. Woohoo! The challenge was to use one to four background stamps and one sentiment. Since quilting is a big part of my life, it was easy for me to translate this challenge into a paper quilt.It's snowing here. We're under a snow advisory. 4-6 inches expected by morning. So it's nice to be inside where it's warm and cozy. Have a great evening. Thanks for stopping by.

A birthday party

Happy Monday!

Saturday I spent the day at a birthday party - an on line birthday party! Lisa (Mona Lisa at Cornish Heritage Farms) was having a birthday party with the release of 16 awesome new background stamps. There were games, challenges, prizes, etc. and lots of fun. Every hour a new challenge was issued. I played a game of bingo, went on a scavenger hunt and did seven of the card challenges before I ran out of time for uploading. The deadline was 3:00 a.m. ET.

Here are some of the cards I made. This first card was for a color challenge using light brown, light blue and vanilla. I only used one color of ink, creamy caramel.

The second card was for a monochromatic challenge. I love blue, so that was an easy color for me to use.

There were a total of 13 challenges, so I thought I did pretty good in finishing more than half.

I will show you more of the challenge cards tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by.