Sunday, January 16, 2011

Inspiration Challenge

I did the Inspiration Challenge on SCS and here is the result.  Seems a little ho hum to me but can't figure out what is missing. I do love the colors though. I found this purple ribbon that is adhesive backed how great is that?  Sadly, I don't remember exactly where I got it, it has a clearance price so I am guessing Joann's or Michaels.   

CARDSTOCK:  White, Lavendar Lace (really old retired SU CS) Green Galore (also really old SU retired, my last little bit.) white and unknow DP
STAMPS:  SU Natural Beauty, on inked a small portion of the stamp
INK: Lavendar Lace, blue, green galore 
ACCESSORIES:  Circle Punch, Ribbon, Heart punch, Rhinestone, Deckle scissors.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Just Because

I was so inspired by Lisa's bright colorful card the other day, and coincidently had just purchased a new Colorbok pad at Wal Mart that had these really pretty papers!  Simple yet so much fun.
CARDSTOCK: White, Marigold Morning, Colorbok DP
STAMPS:  Heartfelt thanks, Hero Arts HB
INK:  Black, Marigold Morning, Certainly Celery
ACCESSORIES:  Spellbinders Scallop and Circle Nesties, SU Certainly Celery Ribbon, Rhinestones from Wal Mart
 The card below was done for an SCS Challenge to use Pink, purple and hearts.  I remembered seeing a fancy heart on my Cricut Botanical Cartridge and this is the result.
CARDSTOCK:  Pink Pirouette, Almost Amethyst, White
INK:  3 different shades of green
ACCESSORIES:  Cricut Botanicals Cartridge, CB Swiss Dots Embossing Folder, Scor-Pal, Pearls, Fringer, Quiller, Scallop scissors

Friday, January 14, 2011

Ribbon Organization

Can anybody say RIBBON?  I use to store my ribbon on dowels on the wall, but I got tired of dropping the dowels whenever I wanted to take a spool off, so I put them into boxes. 

I was in Joann's one day and I spotted these ART bins for half off and thought they would be perfect for some of my 12x12 papers, so I bought two, they worked really well for my paper.  I then discovered they have grooves on the bottom of them which made them PERFECT for holding the ribbon spools in place.  So I tried it out.  Wunderbar!!! Except for the really tall SU spools that the grosgrain ribbon is on and for those I bought another bin at Wal Mart which is a little taller but has no grooves.  Oh well, you can't win them all.

I numbered each bin, then I cut a small bit of ribbon. I used labels folded over onto themselves to attach to the bit of ribbon,  punched a hole in the label, numbered it, and stuck it on  rings that my good friend Marcine had given me.


I put all four rings onto another ring and hung it with my scissors right next to my desk within easy reach, now I don't have to paw through each bin, I just decide what ribbon I want to use, go get the bin it is in and I am ready to go!!!Did I mention that I went back to Joann's and they still had those bins at 1/2 off?  How great is that, so I bought 3 more.

WT304 Black Twine

The Challenge the other day was to use Twine.  This totally did not come out how I envisioned it but what the hey, at least something was created. 
CARDSTOCK:  Crushed Curry and Black
STAMPS:  TAC Happy Birthday, Stampendouse Marble Texture Cube
INK:  Clear Versamark
ACCESSORIES:  Black Twine, Black Embossing Powder.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Sketch Butterflies

I love Butterflies!  This Colorbok paper from Wal Mart is really so pretty.  The fun thing is that I am using it and not hoarding!  Yay for me!

CARDSTOCK:  SU Certainly Celery, Colorbok DP, White
STAMPS:  Stampendous Thinking of you
INK:  Versamark, Blue, Celery
ACCESSORIES:  Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch, SU Ribbon, SU Mat Pack, Piercing tool, Rhinestones , Black Embossing Powder.I did two cards for the Sketch challenge.  This one is based on a Pillowcase I saw on a TV show. 
Cardstock:  Sage Shadow, Pink Pirouette and White
Stamps:   SU Noteworthy and SU Whimsical Words
Ink:  Sage Shadow
Accessories:  Swiss Dots Embossing Folder, Scallop Scissors to make the flower with, Martha Steward Petal Punch for the little Flowers and Seed Pearls for the Centers.  Oh and Martha Stewart Branch Punch.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

More challenge cards

The Color Challenge called for Red, gray, and white.  I just happened to buy this Colorbok DP at Wal Mart that same day, rather nice I think.  The hardest part was gathering the ribbon and glueing the other ribbon to it, now I know to gather it first, glue it to the CS, THEN glue the ribbon onto that, much easier.  I hand stitched it then pulled the thread to gather it, for those of you who don't sew, lol.



CARDSTOCK:  White, DP
STAMPS:  Stampendous HB
INK:  Gray
ACCESSORIES:  SU Gray Taffeta Ribbon, Red Ribbon, Pearls, handmade flower, Scallop Scissors.
  
The Sunflower Card was made for the Try a New Technique challenge using Stickles.  It has been so long since I used a large BG stamp, it was a tiny bit difficult to stamp.

CARDSTOCK:  Kraft, Artichoke, White
STAMPS:  Celebrate (?)  SU Cheesecloth BG , Penny Black Sunflower
INK:  Artichoke, yellow, brown
ACCESSORIES:  Yellow and Brown Stickles,Piercing tool



Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Kissing Technique

This card is so not what I envisioned when I started the "Kissing" Challenge on SCS!  I realized that out of over 1500 stamps, most of them are detailed and they aren't any good for the "kissing" technique.  I had to make do with what I had.  I love this Happy Birthday frame and have to remember to use it more often!

Monday, January 10, 2011

FS204 Featured Stamper Challenge

Good Morning every one.  I am asking everyone to say prayers for my DH.  We will be going in today for an MRI to check that the tumor in his head has not grown since his last radiation treatment.  The wait is the hard part, once this day is over we shall know if the treatment was successful.  All honor and glory to the Lord, whatever the outcome He will take us through it.

Now, on to more mundane things like the challenge card for the Featured Stamper on SCS.  I wanted to add to my stash of masculine card so I decided to go with more masculine colors.

Cardstock :    Kraft, Night of Navy and White
Stamps:  Hero Arts Sentiment, Stampa Rosa (Magenta?)
Ink:  Night of Navy, brown
Accessories:  Button & twine
 The next card was not a challenge card but it was a CASE, I change the color from Yellow to Bermuda Bay.

Cardstock:  White
Stamps:  Acrylic ( I never keep the name once I put them into a CD case) Sentiment is TAC
Ink:  Versamark, Bermuda Bay, White acrylic paint.
Assessories:  Ribbon

Sunday, January 9, 2011

CAS99 Wild Wasabi

I did almost all the challenges last week, at least I did one each day, which is super considering the most I ever did before was 2 in a week!!!

I had a hard time with these colors.  I am not crazy about Chocolate Chip but I stuck with my white base card for this as it is a CAS challenge card.  Not crazy about it but hopefully the recipient will appreciate the effort that went into creating it!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

CAS challenge and Black & White Challege


I am so pleased to be doing the challenges on SCS.  I also looked at the Clean and Simple blog and did the last challenge there.  I have found that as a result of doing these challenges I have been able to do my cards much more quickly.  It has really made me feel so much more creative, which I guess is the object of the exercise, hmmmm?  I promise to change up my colors in the next days from Pink and the black and white card below is a start. 

The butterfly image is an old Stampa Rosa stamp I purchased in the 90's when I first started stamping and it is still my favorite butterfly.  I stamped the image in Versamark and heat embossed it with black embossing powder so that it would really pop.  I also painted the butterfly wings with Pearl White Pearl EX to make them pop, and it looks sooooo much better in real life.  I then crumpled the cardstock and flattened it out again then passed my black stamp pad over the whole piece and especially around the edges. The whole process took me just a few minutes.


Friday, January 7, 2011

Yellow/Blue Birthday.

I am trying to build a stash of cards and since I have a LARGE family, my new hope this year is to actually mail some out.  I always make them.  In fact I still have the one I made for my Mom in June but never mailed.  So. Get. Them. MAILED. is my motto this year.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Bear Note

I ran across some stickers when I was looking for something else, isn't that always the case?  I was thinking to use them for my envelopes only but then I thought I could just make a CAS card and this is the result.  Took only 10 minutes and I would never have believed I could do a card that fast!  Too Kewl!


Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Ruffled newsprint flower

This is another card sparked by an image seen on Splitcoast.  I loved a flower I saw and this is the result.  I have been in a Ruby Red mode lately so I am going to have to look to use other colors.


Cardstock:  Natural, DP (unknown)  Ruby Red
Stamps: SU retired Feathered Friends, only the sentiment portion
Ink:   Ruby Red
Accessories:  SU round scallop punch, SU Scallop Edge punch, corner rounder punch, Dew Drops, brad,  


Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Sunflower

I saw a card on Splitcoast and I loved the image, so spoiled child that I am I just had to have it right (no comments from you pinkerbella)? So this is from my NEW Cricut Cartridge Botanicals.  I decided that the end product is a little too dark for my taste but I really like the image and will try again with a lighter background.  Do you think it is masculine even though there are flowers?  Let me know?
Cardstock/paper:  Kraft, black, computer generated BG writing on cream paper.
Stamps:    NONE, horrors
Ink:  Tim Hotz Distress Vintage Photp and Antique Linen, Old Olive, Yellow,
Assessories:  Cricut Botanicals cart, Cricut George Cart for the Ovals, Provo Craft Die Thanks, CB Swiss Dots embossing folder, Brown flower soft

Monday, January 3, 2011

Pink blossoms

I can't believe how fast this card came together once all the pieces came close to each other.  lol. I know the image looks like it is black but it is a really brown and a really dark chocolate brown for the middle strip. It really looks much nicer IRL!

Cardstock:  SU Pink Pirouette, White and a beautiful brown from who knows where.  I really wish I knew where I got it because I want some more.
Stamps: SU Eastern Blooms, an Acrylic Hello
Ink:  Brown
Accessories:  Cricut to cut the oval, Piercing tool, SU deckle edge Scissors, Blosssom punch, CB embossing folder (you can barely see it but it really adds to the card) Pink flower soft for the center.