3-in1

Here I go again! 3 challenges in one!

WSC #51, CC114 & TLC #174

This layout is for Beate John's Weekend Sketch Challenge #51 . The color challenge CC114 I had, used the colors Gable Geen, Rose Red, Apricot Appeal and Taken with Teal. I had this fabulous designer paper that had all the colors except the Teal, so I added it with the ribbon and the around stamped bird image. I love this stamp, a $1 stamp from Michael's. I used Chocolate Chip on Whisper White paper and did the TLC174 challenge, so I filled it in with Rose Red and the aqua painter and used Taken with Teal around the Bird. I sponged around the edges with Apricot Appeal. Layered it on Rose Red and Chocolate Chip. The main Apricot Appeal background is Cuttlebugged, I layered the designer paper on Chocolate Chip. I used a retired teal velvet ribbon for the stripe on top. Sorry if this explanation is a little disjointed, I'm on the phone with my BF from Copenhagen!

Lily cards

Well, I after a very exciting night of tornados, lighting and thunder storms, and about 3 hours of sleep, my pregancy insomnia kicked in this morning at 5:00 am. Ahh the joys of pregancy! Since I was up I decided to spend some more time in my newly organized stamipn space and complete a few more challenges!

SC #182 & CC #171

I love both of these challenges! First, I have already professed my love of the color challenge with Soft Sky, Basic Black and Kraft, but I am loving this layout! It's cute, simple and makes great cards and scrapbook pages! I made 2 cards that can be used in a 6x6 scrapbook, so I'll be sending these out to the grandparents. The base is a 6x6 kraft square, I then used my Marvy scalloped square punch to make the Basic Black squares. The designer paper is one I have been hoarding for too long, so I decided to use it, the squares are 1 3/8" and the Soft Sky layer behind it is 1 1/2". After I assembled each piece, I used my uniball white gel pen to make the dots in the scallops. The photo is from my DD 2 year photos (she just turned 4) and my dear friend, the best photographer around Tracie Jacobs took these. Lily was looking at the hole in the tree saying it's where Owl from Winnie the Pooh lived. Any way, I layered the photo on Soft Sky and Basic Black. Because my first card front smeared (I used white craft), I ended up used a piece of acetate to put the sentiment on it with winter white EP. I attached it with black brads and tied Soft Sky and hemp twine thru the holes. That's it! I'll post the other card later that I did.

So sad...

My girlfriend's dog was hit by a car on Sunday. She was having a party and had to call all her guests that morning to cancel...eeek, the last thing you want to do in that situation. I made her this card to send her and let her know I'm thinking about her.

SC#181

I used the card sketch from the SCS weekly challenge. My dimensions are a bit off, but the essence is there. I used 'Embrace Life' stamp set, inked with Always Artichoke, then colored it in with Mellow Moss and So Saffron markers and Blender pens. I lost my Cutter Kit in the re-organization of my space, so I had to resort to the old way of distressing, my nails, around the edge of the stamped image. I also used sponge daubers to ink the edges with So Saffron and Always Artichoke inks. The lower panel is So Saffron DP, also distressed and inks. They are layered on Mellow Moss, So Saffron and Always Artichoke on a Mellow Moss card base. I stamped the leaves along the base of the Mellow Moss backgound for some added interest. For embellishments, I used Moss grosgrain ribbon, layered it with help twine and a Very Vanilla button.

Color Challenges!

My other favorite place to get inspired is at Splitcoast Stampers. it's a great resource for anyone interested in stamping! They have daily challenges and here are a few that I got caught up on:

CC#170, WSC #52
This challenge was to use, Regal Rose, Real Red and So Saffron. I had this great paper that I just got that had all those colors, so I thought I'd use it for this challenge. The So Saffron backgound is stamped with So Saffron ink and the 'Canvas' backgound stamp. It's layered on Real Red card stock. Now here's where I stray a bit... the next layer is Regal Rose, Cuttlebugged and put on More Mustard (not part of the challenge...oops). The 3rd layer is the designer paper on, again, More Mustard. The verbage is on Very Vanilla, stamped with Close to Cocoa and again with the 'Canvas' stamp and So Saffron ink for some texture. I finished off the card with twill ribbon, flower and rhinestone from the Target $1 stop, and punched out leaf from Target as well. I also paper pierced for some extra detail. This card is also inspired by Beate John's 'Weekend Sketch Challenge' #52. I'm sending this card of in the am to my DH grandmother, she sent us a generous gift for our 6th year anniversary! Thanks Grandma T!

CC # 171

I LOVE this color combination! This challenge had us using Soft Sky, Basic Black and Kraft. LOVE IT!!!!! I had a miss hap when making this card, apparently I didn't clean my backgound stamp last time I used it, inked it with my Soft Sky and the ink pad turned green!!!! Boy was I mad!. After I regained my composure, I cleaned the stamp, and used Versamarker and clear EP to make the backgound panel on Soft Sky at the bottom (I can't remember the name of the stamp). The top panel I left plain and added the sentiment in Basic Black ink. Both panels are layered on Basic Black then on the Kraft card base. The image is from 'Garden Silhouettes' (I obviously like that set) stamped on Soft Sky with Versamark, then embossed with Winter White EP. I then sponged the bottom of the image for some depth because it looked a bit plain. It is also layered on Basic Black and Kraft. The ribbon is from the SU! Sherbet ribbon originals collection. I finished off the card with 2 Basic Black buttons tied with hemp. I really LOVE this card

Be Inspired!!

Since I have been without a stampin space for so ling, I have spent part of the day making cards from past challenges! I'll post each one based on the challenge and explain them so they are easy to find, so I hope that helps.

The first challenge catagory is the 'Be Inspired Challenge' by Beate Johns. If you are an avid stamper, you know who she is, but if you're not, check out her blog. She is AMAZING and creates beautiful works of art! She is taking the summer off, but has so much information on her site it will keep you busy until she returns!

BIC #16

Check out the inspiration sample by clicking here. I LOVED the color of the walls in the inspiration photo! I'll be painting a room in my house that color soon. The card base is 4.25" x 4.25" on Whisper White. I Cuttlebugged the front of the card so simulate the pattern of the wall on the right without adding more color. The square blocks are stamped with 'Embrace Life' on Soft Sky with SS ink, I think colored in the flowers using my uniball white gel pen. Each SS square is layered on Cool Caribean (yes I still have TONS of that paper - jealous???:) I put rhinestone brads in the colors of the flowers on the shelves to add the colors as well as layering the squares on Apricot Appeal and Regal Rose. A little loop of Celery grosgrain ribbon and I was done! It's not my favorite card, but I like it.

BIC #17

I liked this challenge (click here) because I have a black and white room in my house with green accents (or maybe it's the other way around). I did have a hard time with the matching of the blacks on the designer paper with the SU! basic Black, so I ended up using my black shimmer paper instead. It has a ton of shimmer and shine, perfect for a loyal girly girl friend. The image is from 'Garden Silhouettes' and I used white EP with versmark. The rest is just cut and paste! I found this sentiment in my scrap embellishment box so I'm not sure where it's from.

BIC # 18

This inspiration photo looks good enough to eat!!! I tried to recreate the wonderful icing details on the white panel, using 'Garden Silhouettes' again, colored with SU markers, Certainly Celery, Ruby Red, Apricot Appeal, and Bashful Blue. I layered it on Bashful Blue and Apricot Appeal card stock and used the Ticket Corner punch on the corners. The sentiment is stamped with Always Artichoke on Whisper White, layered on Ruby Red with the edges cut with a scallop scissor. The background is Groovy Guava, Cuttlebugged and layered on Apricot Appeal and again the corners are punched.

The chaos is over...I think?

So, about 3 weeks ago, I had a desk malfunction in my work space. The drafting desk I had gotten as a gift on my 16th birthday calopsed under the weight of all my stamp sets (it was 20 years old). So I have been spending the last few weeks getting everything re-organized and sell off some stuff to make space for new stuff. I was also at the mercy of my husbands good nature since I'm 6 months prego and can't lift anything heavy so it took much longer than I anticipated.What I have discovered, is that even with a HUGE purging (it was difficult) I still have entirely too much stuff!My space is in my basement, it's a typical basement, however, the previous owners glued drywall to the cinderblocks, so we cannot hang anything walls, or else it will rip the drywall off. This is my attempt to keep organized. This space also holds my MaryKay business empire.

Underneath chaos...

Sorry I haven't posted, my 'creating desk' callapsed under the weight of all my stamp sets. It was the drawing desk I got when I was 16 so I guess since it lasted me 20 years, I'll forgive it. I'll post before and after pictures when I get that mess cleaned up...whenever that is. I am excited though, I have a new neighbor that loves creating and stamping as much as I do, so I'm motivated to get her over here for some creating soon!

I thought I had downloaded the new pictures of Lily, but apparently I didn't. So I'll post some old ones from her 4th birthday at the end of April. This is the townhouse we got her. She has wanted to sleep in there for weeks now... it's hard to let her grow up!

The Whole Enchilada!

So for Monday's SCS Techniques challenge, the Whole Enchilada, we were challenged to make 3x3 cards and a coordinating box to go with it. Since I love making these it was no challenge!

I love using the Take Three stamp set for 3x3 cards, it gives a great simple, but adorable card to add to any package! I used Creamy Caramel paper as the card base and box base. The image is stamped on Whisper White card stock and I used Close to Cocoa and Chocolate Chip markers to ink the stamp. I then colored in the flowers with Pretty in Pink. I layered the image on Chocolate chip paper and added a brown grosgrain bow with a glue dot.

The box was just as simple, I layered the front flap with Chocolate Chip added an extra layer of Regal Rose under the image and closed the box with a small velcro dot. The ribbon is attached by using the horizontal punch, threading thru the ribbon and adhering the ribbon to itself with aglue dot.

Easy Peasie Lemon Squeezie!

Red Bird Blues

It's so much fun to create! I did today's SCS Color Challenge which was Blue Bayou, Soft Sky and Real Red. Strange combo but looks great together! I also used an oldie but a goodie layout from SCS, SC97.

I only used one SU! stamp, So Swirly on the soft sky main background (oops!). The second panel was made by wetting a piece of Whisper White paper, then using the direct to paper technique, rubbing Soft Sky all over it. Before it dried, I sprayed rubbing alcohol on it. It didn't give the effect I wanted (it's better on H2O paper) so I stamped over it with a stamp set from Autumn Leaves (I don't know what its called) with Soft Sky, then embossed with white over it, then stamped with Blue Bayou over it. Time consuming, but I like it! The bird stamp I got from Michaels in the $1 bin a while back. I used my Aqua painter to fill in the bird with Real Red, finished off the card with red polka-dot ribbon and red snaps. So like I said earlier, the only thing that is SU is the paper and the 1 stamp.