Embracing My Inner Girl!

I love how sweet and girly this card turned out, perfect for an upcoming wedding. I made it recently for a challenge that just asked for a pretty, feminine card. I had this beautiful satin ribbon that my mother-in-law gave me, I think it was actually left over from my SIL's wedding years ago. So that was the starting point. My base is Blush Blossom and I simply smoothed some SU! Rub-Ons along the bottom. My flower image is from "Embrace Life", stamped with Black Staz-On ink and colored with my blender pen & Blush Blossom Wonder Watercolor Crayon. The corners are nicked out with my Tag Punch, the edges are sponged with Groovy Guava, and the tiny white half-pearls from my Pretties Kit fit charmingly in each corner. Groovy Guava cardstock forms the base of the panel.

Thanks for looking and hope you have a great day!

Quadruple Challenge Card

Just a quick post today, got the weekend (and Wimbledon) calling my name!! This card is a Quadruple Challenge card. "What?!" you say. "Four challenges in one card???" Yup. Here's the breakdown:

1) SCS Color Challenge = Wild Wasabi, Taken with Teal, and Whisper White (I used Bali Breeze DP for my teal panel and butterfly)

2) SCS Featured Stamper Challenge = using Diane's creation here as a jumping off point for my card

3) SCS Way to Use It Challenge = use a bird in the card (I colored mine with chalk for a softer look)

4) The challenge on Our Creative Corner = use one brad and one button. The teal button was from my stash, the brad is from SU!s Vintage Brads collection.

So what do you think? Thanks for looking!!

Mojo Monday, better late than never...

This was the Mojo Monday sketch for *last* week, but I just now got around to playing with it. I realized I had yet to make my dad a Father's Day card, so this was perfect timing. Not typical "manly" colors, but I just love the Le Jardin designer paper in a collage like this. The flower is from the Eastern Elegance Rub-Ons set.

RECIPE
Stamps: All Holidays
Paper: Le Jardin DP, Bashful Blue, River Rock, So Saffron & Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: Bashful Blue, Black SU! marker
Tools: 1/4" square punch (used to make zigzag border), paper piercer & mat pack, CM cutting system for circles
Embellishments: Bashful Blue ribbon, Soft Subtles Brads, Eastern Elegance Rub-Ons

Beate's WSC triple-challenge card

This card is based on Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge. Its colors and flow were inspired by Padme's dress in Star Wars, which was the Inspiration Challenge on SCS. You were to choose a movie dress and base your card on it. I accented my Soft Sky with black and white to do the Stamp Simply challenge on No Time to Stamp.

The base of the card was run through my Cuttlebug for embossing. The center panel is Soft Sky DP, layered on top of textured Basic Black and Whisper White paper. a little faux stitching with my black marker echoes the stitched black ribbon I used across the middle. For my sentiment, I used a Stampin' Up! rub-on from the Cherished Memories. The Soft Sky panel underneath the circle is stamped twice in Versamark with the swirl from my "Priceless" stamp set. I rounded the corners to further soften the card.

Here's Beate's sketch from her "Fresh & Fun" blog for you to try:

Disco Mickey Card

A friend and colleague of mine who is moving on to another job loves Mickey Mouse, so I googled and found this cute black & white graphic and printed it out on Whisper White paper. I made a huge card so the entire office could sign it and let the sparkly disco theme take care of the rest. Another black & gold color scheme (Basic Black and More Mustard, to be precise) based on collegiate colors, plus some Brushed Silver paper. I haven't gotten tired of my silver Hodgepodge Hardware from the Occasions catalog, and used my Warm Words for the sentiment. She loved it!!

Stamp Simply Challenge #35

Sharon's challenge on No Time to Stamp last week, which I just got around to finishing up, was to use panels on our project. I made this card for a friend. I am always so glad that I have the "Close as a Memory" stamp set because it's perfect for the difficult occasion of making a sympathy card. I find the font so soothing. Three panels from Le Jardin designer paper are layered on a longer panel of dp, then adhered to my River Rock Long Note. The sentiment, stamped in Bashful Blue, is popped up with a few SU! dimensionals. Vintage brads and some Soft Sky ribbon add delicate touches.

Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge

I made this card to send to Paul Torgerson, whose daughter Karen is a great friend of mine. Paul was president of Virginia Tech for many many years and is now fighting cancer. Karen asked that I send a card not to express sorrow or sympathy, but rather as a source of encouragement as President Torgerson faces the greatest challenge of his life. This is based on Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge, and includes orange and maroon as the collegiate colors of VA Tech's Hokies. I hope it will be a source of strength and encouragement to both him and Karen. GO HOKIES and GO PAUL!!!

Always Bloom

"Define Your Life" is a gorgeous stamp set, definitely an investment but worth every penny in my estimation -- SU! has done all the wordsmithing with definitions that are applicable to so many card-giving and scrapbooking occasions -- all I have to do is pick out the perfect sentiment. Here, I combined it with the Bloomin' Beautiful flower, once again colored with my new Sakura jelly glaze pens. The sentiment was stamped in Always Artichoke on Barely Banana, layered onto Always Artichoke and Groovy Guava cardstock. The flowered background paper is from the Porcelain Prints designer paper set. Some classic Very Vanilla ribbon wraps the card. This one is for my hubby who took care of everything (and everyone!) last week while I was a bit under the weather. What a guy!!

Do you steal paper from other people's cards???

I received a nice commercially-made thank you note from a friend recently and found myself cutting it all apart to re-use the paper since I liked the components so much. I used my Blooming Beautiful flower (in the mini catalog) and photo corner punches, plus some Bashful Blue ribbon to jazz it up. After I stamped my flower on watercolor paper, I colored it with a Sakura jelly glaze pen which really gave it a 3-D gloss. Cool effect.

Delight in Butterflies Sketch & Color Challenge Card

This card came together fairly quickly once I determined my sketch (from Lauren Meader) and my colors (SCS color challenge: Soft Sky, Purely Pomegranate, and Basic Black).

I stamped my butterfly from the "Merci" Sale-a-Bration set twice, once on my medallion (created with my Scallop Circle punch) and once on watercolor paper. I used Watercolor Pencils and Purely Pomegranate, blended with my blender pen, to color the butterfly, cut it out, folded the wings back slightly, and popped it up with an SU! dimensional.

RECIPE
Stamps: Merci, Delight in Life
Paper: Soft Sky Prints & cs, Purely Pomegranate cs, Holiday Harmony dp, Basic Black
Ink: Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate, Watercolor Pencils
Tools: Scallop Circle Punch, square punches, paper piercer & mat pack (to space my brads evenly)
Embellishments: Purely Pomegranate satin ribbon, Vintage black brads

Fun With Pink & Green

Just a quick post of a few cards I did recently using up lots of pink and green scraps -- Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Spring Silhouettes designer paper. I sorta got on a roll... The one with the pumpkin was for a challenge to "think outside the box" and use a stamp for something other than it's typical use -- I turned my pumpkin into a Cinderella-type carriage for a bride-to-be, although it also resembles a baby buggy, LOL. :-)

Stamp Sets Used: Wonderful Words, Artfully Asian, Carte Postale, Fall Whimsy, Friendship Blooms, Lots of Thoughts

Fun Embellishments: Boho Flowers Punch, Pearls and Flowers from Pretties Kit, Silver Hodgepodge Hardware

Simple layout for stack of cards

This is a simple, clean layout that offers hundreds of possibilities. You can easily create a batch of thank you notes, a stack of party invitations, a bunch of Christmas cards. Just change the image, cardstock & designer papers, & ribbon or other embellies to suit your needs.

It's a versatile 4x4" card folded over from the top. I colored my white grosgrain ribbon with my SU! More Mustard marker to match the background mat of my sunflower, and used my blender pen to add mustard to the flower itself. Once again, the center of the flower is glossed with Crystal Effects. Easy, done, boom! Now *you* go make one. Go on, you know you want to!! :-)

Double Challenge Card

This pretty card is based on a sketch inspired by Maria Bell on her StampinInspirations blog to fit the Limited Supplies challenge on SCS, which was to use only one color plus white. I colored my white flowers from the Pretties Kit and my white 1/4" grosgrain ribbon with my Orchid Opulence marker. The flower was stamped in Versamark and cut out. A flurry of Versamark flowers form the background. I added more dimension by using my Color Spritzer to sprinkle color on the butterfly panel before stamping my butterfly image from the "Merci" Sale-a-Bration stamp set . Faux stitching and dots along various edges further highlight the color.

Here's the sketch if you want to give it a try. :-)

Warm Thoughts for a Friend

This card is for a friend who has the flu and has quarantined herself in her own guest room in order to spare her DH and two little kiddies from getting it. On top of that, she's pregnant, adding misery to misery. Hopefully this card will put a smile on her face. The colors meet the SCS Color Challenge for this week (basic gray, soft sky and whisper white) and the card is based on Julee Tilman's Mojo Monday sketch.

RECIPE
Stamps: All Holidays, Priceless, Like It a Latte
Paper: Soft Sky DP, Basic Gray, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Gray
Tools: Ticket Corner punch, paper piercer
Embellishments: silver brads, Soft Sky ribbon

Seaside Dream

I combined two challenges to make this card, basing it on Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge and the elements in the bracelet used for this week's Inspiration Challenge on Splitcoast Stampers. I stamped swirls in Versamark for the background. The little girl from "Summer by the Sea" (retired) fit perfectly in my sea theme and was stamped in Staz-On Black on Shimmery White paper before colored with Watercolor Wonder crayons (Soft Subtles) and a blender pen. The sentiment is a rub-on from the Eastern Elegance set. Other papers used are Brushed Silver, Wintergreen DP, Porcelain Prints DP, Soft Sky, and Sage Shadow. I used my scallop circle punch to create the background medallion. The ribbon was in my stash as was the mother-of-pearl button. The large creamy half-pearl is from the Pretties Kit.

we all need this one sometimes!

I made this card for a colleague who has been really helping me out with some last minute details on a huge project at work. She was a little flustered today so I thought a card might make her smile. What do you think?

RECIPE
Stamps: Event Full (retired hostess set)
Paper: Old Olive DP, So Saffron DP, Ruby Red, Groovy Guava, Barely Banana, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black, Ruby Red, White Signo Pen
Tools: Scalloped Circle punch & additional circle punches
Embellishments: silver ribbon slide from Hodgepodge Hardware, new 1/4" Old Olive twill ribbon (Occasions catalog), Love & Happiness rubons

Sometimes enough is enough...

I tackled Jen Del Muro's sketch over at i{heart}2stamp to create this girly bridal shower card. But y'know, I should've stopped myself before the last step -- I used an American Crafts glitter marker to fill in the hearts at the bottom and it was too fuzzy to make clean lines. Sigh. Stampin' Up!, when are *you* going to come out with glitter markers???

RECIPE Stamps: Sprinkle, Tag Time Ink: Regal Rose, White Signo Pen Paper: Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Flowers for You DP Tools: Creative Memories cutting system (for ovals), SU! dimensionals, glue dots, Snail adhesive Embellishments: Silver Hodgepodge Hardware (ribbon slide and brads, from new "Occasions" catalog), Pretty in Pink ribbon, Love & Happiness rub-ons

Here's the sketch if you want to try:

Bring on the Blarney!

I'm having fun figuring out what else I can have my little Happy Heart Day elephant hold other than a heart. Today he's holding a four leaf clover in honor of St. Patrick's Day. This card was for the Ways to Use It Challenge on SCS, which was simply to use your computer in some way. I created the sentiment and printed it out in green on Very Vanilla cardstock. I stamped the elephant on Wild Wasabi Designer Prints paper (part of the hostess paper pack) and cut out his shirt, then stamped him on Wild Wasabi textured cs and cut out his shorts (he's hoping for warmer weather, obviously!) I stamped a background stamp from "Sprinkles" on top -- love this random pattern -- and sponged the edges with Wild Wasabi. My clover ribbon was a cheapie from Michael's.

Mojo Monday (a few days late...)

Julee over on her "Poetic Artistry" blog has a sketch she calls Mojo Monday and I got to play along for the first time this week. This card has a St. Patrick's Day feel to it but it's actually for a friend who is undergoing surgery. Hopefully it will perk her up!

RECIPE
Stamps: Priceless, Tag Time
Paper: Wild Wasabi (CS & textured), Blue Bayou, Porcelein Prints DP
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Basic Black, Versamark
Tools: Photo Corner Punch
Embellishments: Build-a-Brad, Wild Wasabi double-stitched ribbon

Sketch Challenge Mother's Day Card

Fun sketch over on Splitcoast Stampers -- and the perfect time to start thinking about Mother's Day cards. I know, I know, but I'm selling cards at a fundraiser this weekend and thought this one might appeal. The new Ginger Blossom paper has so many fresh colors and beautiful blooms on it, it's inspiring. I stamped the vase from Blooming with Love on Ginger Blossom DP and cut it out to place over the stem of the blossom. And I put dots all around the edges -- really does up the "wow" factor. The edges of the vanilla panel are distressed with my Cutter Tool and sponged in Cameo Coral.

Stamps: All Holidays, Artfully Asian, Blooming with Love

Paper: Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, Groovy Guava, Very Vanilla, Ginger Blossom DP

Ink: Basic Black, Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, Old Olive

Accessories: Paper distresser, vanilla ribbon, ruby red brads, ticket corner punch, black marker, mat pack & paper piercer

Here's the sketch if you want to play: