Blogger's Challenge - Black & White

Well, today has been one interruption after another and I can't even say it was kids, since mine don't live at home anymore. Phone calls and door bells, my husband wanting stuff...geez. FINALLY, I finished my Black & White card for the Blogger's Challenge. Yes, I know...I cheated just a LITTLE bit...but I couldn't have a police car without a light, could I? lol!

My Punch Class did a variation of this card with a bug car on Wednesday (Columbus...this class is coming soon!). I had in my head that I needed to do a police car, too. So this week's challenge really came at a good time.

Enjoy! I hope to have my Blog at it's NEW home next week. Everything is moving over very smoothly. Keep checking back! I'll also be offering up some Blog Candy for my BIRTHDAY next week! Woohoo!

Embrace Life

I love the simplicity of this card! Mercy (Lord Have Mercy blog) came up with another great sketch that Mary, Lisa and I challenged each other to follow. We were then restricted by using this picture for inspiration on colors. I knew immediately that I wanted to use the leaf from Embrace Life. I stamped in Chocolate Chip and used a blender pen and Old Olive to fill in the leaves. The background on the leaf piece is Sanded background stamped in River Rock. The base is also River Rock with Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and Handsome Hunter layered in small pieces behind the focal point. I used the Piercing mat and template to create a zig zig of faux stitching and used my Chocolate Chip marker for the "thread". I added Antique Brass brads in each corner. I think this would be another great card for Father's Day with its muted colors!

I'm back from out of town and exhausted, but wanted to get this up before the end of the night. My classes seemed to be a big hit! I had 12 in the morning and 10 in the evening...just about capacity!

Tomorrow is Blogger's Challenge Day! I'm going to try to sleep in and rest up...but I know I'll be anxious to get up and stamp! lol!

All in the Family

Another quick post cause I'm just about dead asleep on my feet! I had a class tonight, was prepping for two classes tomorrow and then a long conference call tonight! Whew!

I think this All in the Family is such a cute stamp set! Quick and easy to make up cards. This was a challenge card that Mary, Lisa and I worked on a couple weeks ago. Sorry, I've forgotten whose layout we used, but I love the little trio of circle presents! I used my ink pads and blender pens to quickly color the girl and her balloon. The rest is designer paper, a punch and striped ribbon!

I'll be gone a couple days, so I'll check in later on Thursday!

Good night!

Blogger's Challenge Week #49 - Animals

I didn't realize I was so limited on the stamp sets I owned that have Animals! Florals...yes...TONS...but very little sets that contain animals. I haven't used this Wanted set we got at Convention last year in quite a while, so pulled it out. The horse is subtle, but it IS there!

I started with Western Sky designer paper (I've really been LOVIN' this paper lately!) and pulled the colors Soft Sky, River Rock and Blue Bayou (REALLY going to miss these In-Colors when they go away!). Behind the Blue Bayou WANTED, I stamped off several horses in River Rock to look like they were running. The horse at the bottom follows along the paper pierced track. I used my distressing tool around all of the layers for some added texture. Finally, I added 3 Antique Brass brads along the bottom.

This would be a great card to use for Father's Day! Have a great weekend everyone!

Third time's a charm???

When I sat down yesterday to do Poetic Artistry's Mojo #38 sketch challenge with Mary and Lisa, I had my tin of Die-Cut Blooms sitting out for my class tonight. I thought I would build the card around them. I matched the blooms to some of the Summer Picnic paper, added a Build A Brad for some bling and used my white gel pen around the flower. Getting into the card, I realized that the finish card was deviating too much from the original sketch. I had moved the words, I didn't use the rectangle focal point or the oval...so I set it aside to use as a sample at my class tonight. OK...start over.

I already had the blue Bloomin' Beautiful flower done and sitting in my leftover pile from a previous Ink Wash Technique Class. This technique is in the April/May 2007 issue of Technique Junkies Newsletter! I decided to build the card around that rectangle piece. I love how Night of Navy turns into Almost Amethyst when watercolored, so I matched those two colors together, along with a touch of Always Artichoke green. I also used an oval piece from my Stylized Silver Hodgepodge Hardware and the Almost Amethyst designer prints, along with some white Taffeta ribbon. Cool...happy with how it turned out. Looked at the sketch again to see if I missed anything and saw that a part of the challenge was to use specific colors! Grrrr....

So...now I use the Verve Visual Summertime colors that we were SUPPOSED to use on the challenge (Soft Sky, Cameo Coral or Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Old Olive or Certainly Celery). OK...at this point I should be working on my class samples, so I quickly made up the same card using these Summertime colors. I again used the Ink Wash technique from Technique Junkies Newsletter. I started with the background of Soft Sky. On white I stamped the flower, the Pumpkin Pie watercolored to the So Saffron color. Yeah! Just a hint of the Cameo Coral behind the So Saffron designer prints makes the layers POP! I used the Soft Sky double-stitch ribbon and Antique Brass hardware since those tones seemed to match a little better.

And the best thing? I have 3 birthday cards done! Woohoo!

Canton folks, we are doing this technique next week at our Technique Class, so if you haven't signed up...it isn't too late!!!

Bali Breeze

I've been hoarding the flowers on my Bali Breeze designer paper. I love how big they are, unfortunately you only get 3-4 full ones per sheet...but I know I can use the half ones, too.

I decided to pull out my saved flowers when Mary, Lisa and I worked on a few challenges over the past weekend. This was one of the cards I did using a past MoJo Monday sketch from Poetic Artistry and BLING. Only a small amount of stamping on it. Those designer papers make it EASY to make cards!

The Tempting Turquoise background is stamped with the Twill background stamp (still my favorite!) in Tempting Turquoise and used the ticket corner punch. I cut out the large Bali flower and added an Old Olive and Purely Pomegranate felt flower (Flower Fushion) with yellow Rhinestone brad in the center. The entire flower is popped up with Dimensionals. I first crimped my Old Olive paper, then punched out the leaves with the small oval and placed them under the flower. I also added 3 small pink Rhinestone brads on the left side.

Enjoy! (Anyone have their days mixed up because of the holiday? I feel like it is just Tuesday!)

Embrace Life

Last night, before American Idol, Lisa, Mary and I decided to work on some challenges! It had been a LONG while since we'd played! This sketch was one of the challenges, along with the color scheme of Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Mellow Moss and/or River Rock. It was a pretty simple sketch for me...this idea came together pretty easy. Amazingly enough, though, Lisa used the same set and her idea was similar! I can't believe how many times that happens with us...a couple of us will come up with similar end results.

For this one, I used the Twill background stamp with Perfect Plum on the Perfect Plum layer. I watercolored the large flower with markers and the AquaPainter on Watercolor paper. I layered it on two scallop circle punches from River Rock. The center is a 1/2 pearl from the Pretties Kit. I tied River Rock double stitched ribbon around the Perfect Plum layer, too. It has a simple elegance to it, I think!

Well, they challenged some more while I was watching Idol, but I caught up afterwards. So...more coming in the next few days!

Blogger's Challenge - Mother's Day Card

This weeks Blogger's Challenge was to create a Mother's Day card. I am giving this card to my mother this Sunday (hope she doesn't peek at my Blog before then!)

Stampin' Up!'s Cutie Pie designer paper has been one of my favorites since it first came out. Even though I will be sad when it retires in a couple months, I know they will have great NEW designer paper for me to love. I picked out the colors in the designer paper, and started with the base card of Wild Wasabi and then a layer of So Saffron on top. Then I used a square of the cluster flower designer paper. I wrapped a square of a complementary design around the one corner and tied it with the white Taffeta ribbon.

For the focal piece, I stamped the trio of flowers from the hostess set, Spring Solitude with white Craft ink and embossed with White Embossing Powder. In the center I placed a small Stampin' Up! So Saffron button. I took my black marker and highlighted the word mother from the Happy Mother's Day stamp in All Holidays, stamping it on Wild Wasabi cardstock. It is just slightly slipped under the button. I also used a scrap strip of Wild Wasabi and made a scallop border to go under the Purely Pomegranate focal piece. I really like how it turned out! And, I know my Mom will love it.

Check back tomorrow for my Super Stamp Sale list. I'm parting with some of my retired stamp sets. Have a great weekend!

Stitched Exotics and GOOD news!

Here is another card that I made when Lisa, Mary and I were doing sketch and color challenges a couple weeks ago. I'm not sure I'm wild about these colors together. lol! We needed to use More Mustard, Really Rust, Night of Navy and Bordering Blue. The center flower is stamped in Really Rust and More Mustard and punched out with the 5 petal punch. The side flowers are stamped with More Mustard and cut out. I layered them on the Scallop Circle in Night of Navy, along with using the Round Tab punch to make the circle behind the center flower. I stamped the small center flower with More Mustard and used a Build-A-Brad. In the background on the Bordering Blue, I used the stitched leaf in the Stitched Exotics set. I added some Night of Navy ribbon and Thank you at the bottom!

This weekend was beautiful (well it showered a couple times yesterday). We managed to get the mulch down and I planted flowers in all my pots and some variegated marigolds in the flower beds (the rabbits eat any other type of flower). I bought the mixed variety this year and they are really pretty! Glad to have that chore done...now to keep them watered.

Oh...I did get some great news yesterday! I received a postcard from Stamper's Sampler telling me I have card(s) in their June/July 2008 magazine! Woohoo! I submitted quite a few, so I'm not sure which one(s) they chose...guess it will be a surprise! Good news is that it should be out in a couple weeks. Yeah!!!

Time for You

I was following a sketch and color challenge with Mary and Lisa a few weeks ago and this is the card that I ended up making for the challenge. The sketch was from Poetic Artistry's site and the color combo from Kristina Werner's site (Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise and Taken with Teal). This isn't my "favorite" card, but I think it turned out OK. If I didn't have to follow the sketch, I would have moved up the flower to above the stamped bench.

I used some of my Berry Bliss paper and the bench stamp from Time for You. This is a fun, unusual set for me...I like the bike, the clock and the bench. On this one, if I substituted the star for the 5 petal flower, I think it could easily be a masculine card. I used my new Posy background stamp with Tempting Turquoise on the Tempting Turquoise layer. I colored the bench with my ink pad and a blender pen.

Hopefully Mary and Lisa and I can get together soon and do some more challenges. They are fun and get me creating! I have several assignments that are due NOW...today was too nice to play inside...tomorrow it is supposed to rain. I hope to get some work done then.

Got to go! Gray's Anatomy is on in a few minutes! Woohoo! I'm so glad the writer's strike is OVER!

Oh...check out the new Icons on my right sidebar...Stampin' Up! has an AWESOME recruiting special going on...20% off the starter kit AND a FREE Hodgepodge Hardware set in your choice of colors. AND, all the On Board pieces are 25% off this month! Woohoo! Contact me today to place your order!

Blogger's Challenge Week #44 - Color Challenge

OK...I know I say this almost every week, but doesn't it feel like time is speeding up? I can't believe another week has passed and it is time for the Blogger's Challenge again!

This week's challenge was to use the color combination of Brocade Blue, Certainly Celery, So Saffron and Chocolate Chip. I decided to do a variation of the Flap Fold card from June/July 2007 Technique Junkies online bonus newsletter. It is a fun card to make...I did our Christmas cards using this template last year.

My Bloomin' Beautiful set was sitting out from last night, so I decided to use it...such a pretty set! I stamped the flower pot with Black Stazon and water colored it with my Watercolor Crayons. I did a little zig zag faux stitch along the side of the printed Certainly Celery paper. I also pierced around the scallops of the Scallop Circle punch. Inside, I stamped some dotted circles from the Seeing Spots set in So Saffron for a little added texture. This card will go to my Mother in Law for Mother's Day! (Hope she isn't peeking here!)

I'll be gone for the next couple days...we are off to see our eldest son in Madison, WI. I'll try to line up some timed posts before I go, but I have a lot of stamping projects with due dates, so we'll see.

Had fun with my Stamper's Club group last night! I know Cynthia in particular "enjoyed" the glitter card we did!

Have a great weekend.

Blogger's Challenge Week #43 - Chipboard!

My thoughts for this challenge were to use up some of the scrap pieces of chipboard I have laying around. I used the large chipboard flowers that surround this center circle for my Tart & Tangy Camp, so I had a lot of these circles with the cut out flower shape left over. I really haven't seen that many ideas out there using them (however, I haven't really looked either!). But, this card idea sort of evolved as I went along.

So, here is my thinking process on making this card. I knew I wanted to use Ginger Blossoms paper (love the colors). So I started with the base of River Rock and played with the flower strip of DSP and the Ruby Red layer until I liked it. I love polka dots, so I originally cut 2" polka dot DSP squares...well those were too big to go across the card (duh!), so I cut them down to 1 3/4" squares. I originally had the Vanilla squares lined up evenly with the polka dot squares, but you couldn't see much of the cool polka dot DSP. So, I ended up turning the Vanilla squares on the diamond (those were cut with the larger 1 3/8" square punch). Finally, I stamped the flower from the Three for You Punch Box stamp set in the center using Cameo Coral ink and placed a Ruby Red mini brad. I colored my chipboard with Cameo Coral Craft Ink (yes...it came out dark!) and added Iridescent Ice EP and heat set! I love the sparkle that II EP adds. Last I added the Groovy Guava double-stitched ribbon across the flower DSP and used "Make a Wish" from the Big Birthday Candle set. I'm happy with how it turned out!

I can't believe it is Friday already! Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Today is supposed to be GORGEOUS here...mid to high 70s and sunny. Perfect!

Spring Solitude

Here is another sketch and color challenge that Mary, Lisa and I participated in last weekend! This card turned out to be one of my favorites! Lisa chose the colors from a pretty notecard she had received...Cameo Coral, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Summer Sun and Chocolate Chip. The sketch was from Amy Rysavy's site.

Spring Solitude is my favorite of the Hostess sets! I stamped the solid flower with White Craft ink on the tempting turquoise. I used markers for the bird and tree limb. I used the other stem on the Old Olive layer and rounded the corners. The Cameo Coral base card I used the Twill background stamp with Cameo Coral ink...I love the textured look with that stamp! Of course, I also used my 5 petal punch and the Bo Ho Blossoms punch. And, I love the narrow twill ribbon (comes in Chocolate Chip or Old Olive), it works great!

I've had a sinus migraine all day. Luckily it wasn't too bad...just more annoying than anything!

Essence of Love

I love the simplicity of this set, Essence of Love. It looks equally wonderful stamped in black on a colorful background...or using Versamark and pastels...or individually coloring the flowers with markers. Truly a very versatile set! This card was another one done during the sketch challenges with Mary and Lisa last weekend. (I'm sorry! I've forgotten where we found the sketch!)

I did the background by placing Summer Sun and Ballet Blue ink pads next to each other on the table...and using my brayer to ink both colors simultaneously. You need to make sure you are getting the center of the brayer inked well, too. Then I ran the brayer over glossy paper. I love the effect...a faux Spectrum pad! I stamped the flower image with Basic Black over the colored background. The Summer Sun layer has the background Posy stamped with Summer Sun! I love the look that background stamp gives, too!

American Idol results show tonight...it is certainly getting harder and harder to determine who leaves each week! They are all such awesome performers! Who is YOUR favorite?

Bronc Buster with Western Sky

Again another challenge card Lisa, Mary and I worked on over the past weekend. This challenge used Jen Del Muro's blog sketch with our requirement to use Designer Paper. I decided that I hadn't used Western Sky in a long time and I think it goes perfect with this stamp set. I pulled out some scraps (this sketch is PERFECT to use up scraps!) and matted them using Ruby Red. I stamped the Genuine stamp with Basic Black on Blue Bayou and colored in parts of the image with my Versamarker. Using the Versmarker this way is great for getting just a little darker shade of the background cardstock! Then I used my White Craft pad to sponge around the edges of the stamped image layer for a little added interest. I added some punched stars and pewter brads. Done! I'm very happy with the way this turned out!

This morning we had a little frost on the ground...I hope it doesn't hurt the beautiful spring flowers and buds that are just coming out! Spring is my most favorite time...seeing the bright green shoots coming out on the trees...the flowering crabs, rhododendrens, yellow forsythia and sunny daffodils! Beautiful time of year!

Big Birthday Candle

I spent some time on Friday and Saturday doing challenges with my friends, Mary and Lisa. Some challenges were sketches...some were sketches and color combos. This was one of the sketch and color combinations. We picked the colors from Kristina Werner's blog this week and the sketch from Mercy's blog. Taken with Teal, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla were the colors. I had already started on this card, when I realized I wouldn't be able to use yellow for the flame! So...I compromised by using Tombow Multipurpose glue and dazzling diamonds. In real life, it does sparkle and look like fire!

This was a cute sketch...I like the way it turned out. Big Birthday Candle if fun to use with designer papers...you can cut out so many fun designs for the base of the candles. The greeting is from It's Your Birthday, and I made it into a tag using the tag corner punch. A little added 5/8" chocolate chip ribbon adds a nice touch...along with the silver brads in the corners and on the top of the layer.

Tonight is TV night. I've been enjoying The Big Give and a new Desperate Housewives. My other favorite show, Grey's Anatomy, will be new next week! Can't wait!

Hope you have a great week!

Blogger's Challenge - Triangle box

This week's challenge was to create a triangle box. There are several different variations we saw when we started looking for patterns. Mine is a simple 4 x 8 square, scored in half and scored from the center of each short side to the side of the center crease...making a diamond. When you fold up the scores, the flaps are tucked over each other. I punched two holes in the top flaps and the ribbon keeps it closed.

I chose the Embrace Life stamp set and Ginger Blossoms DSP and Groovy Guava...I hadn't used either of them in a while. I stamped the long stem image randomly on my box with Groovy Guava. Then I adhere the triangle piece of DSP to the front. Stamped the large flower in black and used my sponge dauber to ink the center. I added a coordinating stripe of reverse red stripe DSP by the flower and a Rhinestone brad.

This is a fun little treat box! I'm glad we had this challenge so I pulled out my notes on how to make them!

Enjoy your Friday! Weekend here we come!

Embrace Life

My girlfriend, Mary and I did a couple challenges today. One used Beate's inspiration dress she found from J C Crew. The challenge was to use the colors or the pattern as inspired by the dress. Here is my take on it.

The simplicity of the dress and design made it much harder than I anticipated! I usually like to finish the challenges with Mary within 30-45 minutes. This one I ripped apart after 45 minutes and went a different direction! It just didn't come together easily. I do think my finished result has the nice clean lines like the dress...what do you think? Colors I used are Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi, Bashful Blue, Whisper White and Apricot Appeal. I did use the Twill background on the top...it is just hard to see.

After showing you my studio yesterday, I did some rearranging. I went back to The Container Store and purchased some additional baskets for my ribbon. And, I found this great little cart for my punches to sit in next to my working desk! I'll take some pictures tomorrow after I get it put back together.

Several of you have asked for directions on making the little Tart & Tangy treat pouches. Here is the website I used: Pouch

Have a great evening. We are supposed to get thunderstorms tonight...but the last few days have really felt like spring. The trees are starting to bud out. However...that dreaded word "SNOW" is in the forecast for the weekend! Yuck!

Blogger's Challenge #41

Today's Blogger's challenge was to use the layout at the top of Page 65 in the Spring/Summer catalog. I had several scraps of East Coast Prep designer paper laying on my table, so I decided to pull something together using the colors in the polka dot paper. Flowers have those colors, so I grabbed my much neglected Stitched Exotics (one of the sets I received for making displays at Leadership). I've used it very little since I made all those samples. I stamped the large flower with More Mustard and Real Red craft ink and the Versamark/Soft Sky trick...then used Iridescent Ice to glitter and emboss the flowers. The leaves were stamped in Wild Wasabi. I placed green round Rhinestone brads in the center of each flower and popped them up with dimensionals. Added a greeting from Full of Life in the mini catalog in Basic Black, the DSP semi circle cut with the Coluzzle and the 5/8 Red Grosgrain ribbon. Voila!

Exciting night around here last night...the Ohio State Buckeyes won the NIT Basketball Tournament! Woohoo! Go BUCKS!!!

Have a wonderful day!

Blogger's Challenge #40 - Spring Flowers

Well...I've fussed with this card enough! I kept diddling and diddling with it, without it getting much better. I think it is the white background I don't like on it...cause I do like the center part of it! Oh well...time to move on!

I haven't used this set, Doodle This, in ages! It is one of those sets that I LOVED when it first came out (Spring last year?) and used it SO much that I kind of burnt myself out on it. But...I saw it sitting there...so unloved for so long...that I couldn't resist pulling it out and working with it a little.

The background is the scroll stamped in Certainly Celery on Whisper White. Then I used a couple designs from the Flowers for You designer paper. The large flower I stamped once on Watercolor paper and blended the outlines with my aquapainter...but I think it needed more...so I added the extra layer of flower with Regal Rose on Pretty in Pink cardstock. Both flowers are popped up, then curled backward towards the card for some dimension. The center is So Saffron with Iridescent Ice over it, as well as the Certainly Celery leaves...so they prettily sparkle! Then I added a green Rhinestone brad to the center. Like I said...I kept tweaking and tweaking it...lol! I used the Round Tab punch to add the words For You on the side. Done! lol!

Thanks for checking out my Blogger's Challenge card this week! Have a great weekend!