Fun News, Great News, and some not so fun/great news

Guess what?!! I am now a part of the Card Patterns Design Team! If you haven't tried the challenges there, you've just got to check them out. I've participated in quite a few of the challenges and now I get to play with them every week along with some other amazingly talented artists!

As you can also see, I have no project for you today ... I'm just trying to catch up after being gone a week! Paul's grad was fabulous and it was so wonderful to be there and be a part of it. We had a wonderful week with just the two of us and no children underfoot. I'm sure I'll miss the busy-ness of that once we're empty-nesters but I certainly appreciated this break :)

Now, for some not-so-great news ... unfortunately I did not receive a phone call notifying me regarding the Artisan Award this year. So, I think I can assume that I did not win. Boo hoo :( I feel really yucky about it and am trying to pull myself out of it. Part of me is really disappointed that there are winners who have won several times now, although I don't begrudge them the win as they are very talented. But, it's certainly disheartening entering and seeing the same people win. Perhaps though, I just don't have the "Stampin' Up" style although I think that having a specific style for this type of contest should not be a consideration.

ah well, I'm blathering and venting ... eventually, I'll come out of the doldrums over the next while and be happy again :) I am extremely happy with what I'd made and just wish I would have kept them instead of sending them away forever. But, I know there's tons of other accomplishments that I have achieved for which I am thankful and proud of!

If you've gotten this far, thanks for stopping by :)

Inkspirations Challenge Friday!

It's Friday which means another Inkspirations Challenge! This week we have this fabulous sketch to play with and I kept the card "Clean and Simple" (CAS for short). I actually had a leftover butterfly from that other card I'd made and so I chose to use it rather than recycle it ... These are such fun bright colours, both from the Pink Flamingo Designer Series Paper (don't forget the buy 3 get one free special with Stampin' Up! until the end of this month!). I embossed the white circle using the Texturz Backgrounds plates, the harlequin pattern, just for some extra interest. Hope you like it!

Now, off you go (but leave me a comment here first of course! he he) and check out the challenge on Keesh's blog and then see what all my fellow challenge team mates have come up with! I'm sure they'll wow you!!

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly, So Many Sayings (retired)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Pink Flamingo DSP
Ink: Basic Grey, Craft Basic Black, Stazon™
Accessories: Kiwi Kiss Striped Grosgrain, Dimensionals®, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, Texturz Backgrounds

kilo WATT

I made this card for a colour challenge on SplitCoast a while ago (just before I left). I'd gotten these new images from Stamping Bella and I just LOVE them! These little robots are "da bomb" for little boys. I know my boys were asking me to stamp a bunch so they could colour them. I'll have to make them a colouring book or something, I think. Now, to convince Emily to have a whole line of different robots ... :)

Anyways, the colours were waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out there for me. Really bold, really bright, so I chose to keep it really simple. The colours were: Brilliant Blue, Only Orange, and Rose Red. Now, I have *never* used Brilliant Blue before because it scared me. Mind you, this colour combination scared me too although these robots totally redeemed it! So, not much else in the way of details. Hope you like it!! Thanks for popping in!!

Stamps: kilo WATT, Wish Big (Stamping Bella)
Paper: Pure Luxury 120lb (GinaK), Brilliant Blue, Basic Black
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Accessories: Copic Markers, Tangerine Tango Striped Grosgrain, Dimensionals®

Baby Gift Card Holder

I finally participated in a challenge over at Stampin' Addicts. They have daily challenges, did you know that? Fun and all Stampin Up! This challenge was to make a gift card holder, so that's what I did and combined it with a sketch challenge from Mojo Monday.

The card is all one piece, with the bottom/gift card part measuring 2" and folded up. I used sticky tape to hold it together! Now, technically, the gift card would cover the sentiment when inside, but I thought that would be fine because there's room to write a personal sentiment of some sort which I think is really important.

Anyways, hope you like it!

Stamps: Nursery Necessities
Papers: Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Walk in the Park DSP
Inks: So Saffron, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Dimensionals®, Eyelet Border Punch, Star Punch, Designer Label Punch, Corner Rounder, Soft Subtles Brads, Oval Punches

Happy Father's Day card!

So ... another Featured Stamper card! I chose to case a very simple card and make it into a Father's Day card. I try to work ahead because my cards have to go out in the mail at least a week before the day or they'll arrive waaaaaaaaaaay late. So, now I've only got one more Father's Day card to make! Well, perhaps another if I rope my kids into helping me make one for Paul. I don't know they'll be roped in or if it will be me that'll be roped in ... we'll see :) I'm a little possessive when it comes to my stamp stuff!

Anyways, I pulled out the oh-so-fabulous for guys stamp set from the Occasions Mini called And Many Mower. I LOVE this stamp set for my guys. My guys are not nature people: meaning, no bears, no fish, no moose ... But they do golf and mow the lawn! Of course, that's not all they do but that's what the inside of the card is for, yes?

Hope you like this one! Remember, the products in the mini catalogue are only available for a limited amount of time, until the end of June, to be exact. There is no guarantee that they'll be in the big catty either. So get 'em while you can!

Stamps: And Many Mower
Paper: Baja Breeze, Basic Black, Walk in the Park DSP, Watercolour Paper, Whisper White
Ink: Stazon™, various for colouring
Accessories: Aquapainter™, Vintage Brads, Kiwi/Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Designer Bouquet Buttons, Linen Thread, Corner Rounder, Mat Pack & Piercer

Absolutely Fabulous

So, some of you may have seen this card a couple of weeks ago ... I made it for the sketch challenge on SplitCoast on the 13th! As I type, I'm actually in Grand Rapids visiting my hubby. I left on Wednesday after my in-laws came up to take care of our children. Paul graduated from Calvin Seminary yesterday and we are so thankful that this journey is almost complete. He has one short course to take this coming week and then he'll be on his way home for good! So, I've been really busy creating all sorts of lovely things for you to look at while I'm away and I'd been baking like a fiend so the kids would have nummy things to eat. Hopefully, there'll be some left when I get home on Wednesday!

Anyways, hope you're all having a fabulous day and I promise to get back to any emails when I get home!

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly, Inspired by Nature
Paper: Kraft, Basic Black, Urban Oasis DSP, Whisper White
Ink: Stazon™, Basic Black Craft, Basic Grey
Accessories: Texturz Backgrounds, Iridescent Ice EP, Dimensionals®, Black Organdy (retired)

My Hubby's Grad card

I realised late that I hadn't quite made my husband a card for his graduation ... so, I snuck in to my craft room really late after everything else was done and played with the SCS sketch challenge and came up with this! I even made the inside pretty too. I hope the overall effect is not pretty, but appropriate. He's graduating from seminary and for those of you who have read my blog for a while, you'd know that this has been a looooooooooong time coming! We are very thankful this journey has ended and I am very proud of Paul for working so hard and doing so well!

I embossed all the black craft ink as well as the one cut out flower. I'd actually inked the flower up with VersaMark and then Kiwi Kiss so that I could emboss it. Easy technique and gives you a wider range of "craft" inks!

Hope you like it!

Stamps: Thankful Blossoms, Jeremiah 29:11 (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Kraft, Basic Black, Urban Oasis DSP, Whisper White
Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Basic Black Craft, Versa Mark™
Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Black Satin Ribbon, Decorative Circle Brad, Dimensionals®

Hello There!

Did you all have fun with those colours from last week? This week brings us an inspiration challenge! I LOVE this photo. It screams little girl, all pretty and delicate yet fun and funky at the same time, don't you think?

So, how was I inspired? Well, I took the colours, for one and a bit of the bedspread layout! I felt like using Cheep Talk, as it reminded me of the pattern on that quilt. Simple lines, yet fun, eh?

The birds were stamped and cut out. I inked them up in the main body colour, took the ink off of their beaks using a blender pen and then use the Pumpkin Pie marker to ink them up again! Hope you like this card as much as I do!

Thanks for popping by today and don't forget to check out the challenge and my challenge team mates blogs over at the Inkspirations blog! Play along with us and link it up at Keesh's blog!

Stamps: Cheep Talk
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Summer Picnic DSP (retired), Berry Bliss DSP (retired), Kiwi Kiss
Ink: Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Stazon™
Accessories: Eyelet Border Punch, Dimensionals®, Mat Pack and Piercer, Real Red Striped Grosgrain

For You

Another week, another Splitcoast sketch challenge, albeit a couple of weeks ago! This time, I used the newest-to-me set called Branch Out. I'd used it once before, for the Inkspirations challenge and it was still out on my desk! Instead of pinks, though, I used blues. I am totally drawn to blues and greens ... I just took a look at my stamp creations wall (for my class attendees to see!) and most of them are blues and greens with a smattering of other colours. Anyways, the sketch card ... well, not to many more details than what you see!

In other news, today I head out to Grand Rapids to see my hubby graduate from seminary on Saturday!! I have a whole week, kid-free thanks to my in-laws who are with the kiddoes at our house. I'm lovin' the idea of some "me" time as much as I'll miss out children. BUT, I haven't seen my hubby in three months so I'm looking forward to that a whole lot! My blog is pre-scheduled to post while I'm away, so you'll still be able to see some fun creations. I'll catch up on emails and visiting your blogs when I get back!!

Hope you like this card and thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Branch Out, Fresh Cuts
Paper: Walk in the Park Designer Series Paper, Baja Breeze, Basic Grey, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Baja Breezse, So Saffron, Pacific Point
Accessories: Vanilla HPH, Eyelet Border Punch, Baja Breeze Striped Grosgrain, Dimensionals®

This was my weather for the past two days ... ughh. We actually ended up getting close to 12" ... Thankfully it will all melt quickly, but STILL!!!!! at least I get to escape it all!!

More Stamping Bella cards!

Well, you should know by now that I'm a fan of Stamping Bella. I've learned to just save up for the things I want and place a big order!! So, here are a couple of cards using some new-to-me stamps!!

This first one was made using the Bellarific Friday sketch and Giga WATT! Such a fab image that comes with three little itsy bitsy sentiments that fit right inside the screen on his tummy. I love love love these colours together too. So bright and happy and just perfect for a little guy or even not so little!

Stamps: Giga Watt, For a Special Boy (Stamping Bella)
Paper: Kraft, Basic Black, Summer Picnic DSP (retired), Pacific Point, Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss Patterns DSP
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Accessories: Circle Nestabilities, Black Brads, Copic Markers, Dimensionals®, Real Red Grosgrain

This second card was made using the sketch over at Card Positioning Systems (CPS). I haven't done a sketch from there in eons ... too many challenges and too little time. This week I made time for it as it's all about the Bellas and I happen to have some new Bella rubber here. I ended up purchasing a couple more of the Ketto images, this one called Charlotte. Love her sweet little dress and fun hair! I tried to do a less bright card and play with my PrismaColour Pencils. I think I'm beginning to prefer the Copics but that may simply be because I've been playing with them more!

Stamps: Charlotte Ketto, Giga Watt-sentiment, Grounder Oval (Stamping Bella)
Paper: Kraft, Afternoon Tea (retired) DSP, Java (Bazzill), Whisper White
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Going Grey
Accessories: Scribbles die, Silver Brads, Chocolate Stitched Grosgrain, Dimensionals®, PrismaColour Pencils, Sparkle Burst Brads

Anyways, hope you like both of these cards! Have a great day!!

Happy Together

I thought I'd play with the sketch from the Card Patterns design team call! I actually did email them with it when I was supposed to, so who knows? You can go vote for my card, though over at the Card Patterns blog!

I really do love this card. It turned out so bright and cheerful and I had a lot of fun playing with the All in the Family stamp set! The Pink Flamingo DSP is so very different for me with all those wild colours, so I've really been breaking out of my comfort zone with this paper. As you can see, both the guy and gal have been paper pieced and the card has been embossed using the Texturz Backgrounds. Love the look! Hope you like it as much as I do!

Thanks for stopping in and letting me know what YOU think!

Stamps: All in the Family, Family Phrases
Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Basic Black, Pink Flamingo DSP, Whisper White
Ink: Stazon™, Blush Blossom Marker, Close to Cocoa Marker, Chocolate Chip Marker, Pretty in Pink Marker
Accessories: Kiwi Kiss Striped Grosgrain, Summer Sun Corduroy Brad, Circle Rhinestone Brads, Dimensionals®

A Little Something

well, I'm waaaaaaaaaaaay late for this particular "Sketch for You to Try" but I really liked the sketch so I sat down to make something. I'd had the idea in my head to use this Branch Out set like this, so that's what I went with! The sentiment is embossed with Black embossing powder and popped up on a dimensional. Hope you like it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Branch Out, Matchbox Messages
Paper: Kraft, Basic Black, Not Quite Navy, Bella Bleu DSP, Naturals Ivory
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Not Quite Navy, Basic Black Craft
Accessories: Eyelet Border Punch, Dimensionals®, Black Organdy (retired), 1-3/8" and 1-1/4" Circle Punches

From All of Us

When I saw the sketch from Card Patterns this past week, it totally made me think of the Brady Bunch, you know the opening credits with the family? So, that's what I went with!! Each person represents someone in our family. So, you can see Paul and I in the first square and then our five kiddoes. I thought this would make an awesome Father's Day card or a birthday card for one of our dad's! All the little people are covered with Crystal Effects just give a little extra oomph. Hope you like it!

Stamps: All in the Family, Family Phrases
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Bella Rose DSP, Whisper White
Ink: Stazon™, various for colouring
Accessories: Flower Fusion Felt Flowers, Latte Designer Bouquet Buttons, Chocolate Grosgrain

Thanks for visiting and letting me know what YOU think!

Let's Celebrate

I used the sketch from the Weekend Sketch Challenge, this time hosted by Cambria. I've had the idea for a long time to do a pattern with this set but never quite got around to it. Because this sketch has those three panels on the bottom, I thought it'd work perfect! So, all in all, a colourful, fun card. Perfect for any child celebrating a birthday or a milestone of some sort!!

Hope you like it, thanks for popping in!

Stamps: Wild About You, Family Phrases
Paper: Whisper White, Pacific Point, Rockabilly DSP, Summer Picnic DSP (retired)
Ink: Pacific Point, Garden Green, More Mustard, Real Red, Stazon™
Accessories: Black Gingham Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, Dimensionals®

Inkspiration Challenge!

Did you all have fun with that last sketch from Keesh? I have to go check all the participants out yet, but I'm sure you all did an awesome job with it! This week brings us a colour challenge, and an interesting one at that. I was quite hesitant when seeing these colours together ... Normally what I do for a colour challenge is pull out a piece of the card stock for each colour and just look at them. I was somewhat stumped so I left :) came back and had it all figured out and I hope you like it!

I stamped the flowers in Really Rust and the leaves in Sage Shadow, with their outlines in Chocolate Chip. Then, I topped it off with the Sanded Background stamp, stamped off once first. The Pretties Kit flower was dyed with the Really Rust ink refill. I just squirted a bit of water in an empty stamp container and added a couple of drops of ink refill. Plopped the flower face down into the mix, swirled it a bit and then pulled it out. I could have let it dry naturally, but I'm not that patient :) I grabbed my heat gun and carefully dried it. I wasn't sure how the flower would handle being dried with a heat tool, so I did it from far away and a little bit at a time. It dried really quickly! Loved that!! The sentiment is stamped with Chocolate Chip Craft ink and then embossed with clear embossing powder.

Thanks for popping by today and don't forget to check out the challenge and my challenge team mates blogs over at the Inkspirations blog! Play along with us and link it up at Keesh's blog!

Stamps: Flower Fancy, Close as a Memory, Sanded
Paper: Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, very Vanilla
Ink: Really Rust, Chocolate Chip (Craft and Classic), Sage Shadow
Accessories: Pretties Kit, 5/8" Neutrals Brad, Clear Embossing Powder, Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain

Times Fun ...

I have had this set ever since the latest catalogue came out and have used it once ... isn't that sad? I love it, but just have a hard time using it. I wish the frog wasn't solid. I think then it'd be easier to use perhaps. Ah well, I do however, love this card!! I played with Taylor's sketch and did a little paper piecing. Hope you like it!

Stamps: Hoppy for You
Paper: Whisper White, Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss Patterns DSP, Chocolate Chip DSP, Good Morning Sunshine DSP
Ink: Stazon™, Bashful Blue, Basic Black Marker
Accessories: Corner Rounder, Dimensionals®, Pacific Point Striped Grosgrain, Mat Pack & Piercer

Crimped Envelope Card

Isn't this fun? I had this tutorial printed out ever since I saw it on SCS but had never gotten around to it. It's called a Crimped Pocket Envelope Card and you can find the tutorial right HERE. I also used Kazan's sketch for the card that's inside the envie!! I missed last week's sketch from Laura :( , but I made sure I made time this week for Kazan's. I do believe I use these colours almost every time I do a sketch from 2 Sketches for You ... I usually put the paper away so I don't use it again on the next card, so it must just cycle through or something!

Anyways, fun sketch, fun envelope. Hope you like it! Thanks for stopping in today!!

Stamps: Flower Fancy, Absolutely Fabulous
Paper: Basic Grey, Basic Black, Watercolour Paper, Urban Oasis DSP, Envelope
Ink: Basic Grey, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Stazon™
Accessories: Kiwi/Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Crimper, Circle Rhinestone Brads, Eyelet Border Punch, Aquapainter™, Dimensionals®, Mat Pack & Piercer

Paper Wagon

I'd seen this totally cute idea on Susie Berker's blog (Sharing What I Love) and loved it the minute I saw it! So, I had to recreate it!

I came up with my own measurements to fit these 4 x 4 cards in it. I also used the colour challenge from Color Throwdown (#14) as the starting point for this wagon and cards. I made 4 cards to go in the wagon, 2 of each card. I thought it'd be a cute holder for baby cards as there are always people having babies around us ... it's handy to have a stash :) The card are simple but cute. I love how the bows turned out for the Riding Hood Red card. I'm learning!

I made a template for you, if you want to make it yourself. Just click on the pic to make it bigger and then you can see what I did!

Hope you like it, thanks for stopping by!!

Stamps: Nursery Necessities, Nursery Alphabet
Paper: Basic Black, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Baja Breeze, Baja Breeze & Riding Hood Patterns DSP, Pink Pirouette
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, Stazon™
Accessories: Circles Decorative Brads, 1-3/4", 1-3/8", 1-1/4" Circle Punches, Eyelet Border Punch, Celery Twill (SAB '09), Riding Hood Red & Baja Breeze Striped Grosgrain, Designer Button Bouquet, Scallop Edge Punch, Baja Breeze Corduroy Brads, Dimensionals®, White Gel Pen

Stamp Club: 3D Project

As always, with my stamp club, we make a 3D project of some sort. Lately, we've been doing some Fun Folds, just to get away from the boxes and baskets! This time, I did a Double Slider card (the tutorial can be found on SplitCoast Stampers under the Resources tab!). The tutorial shows it vertical, but I chose to make it horizontal instead. I pulled out the colours from the "Walk in the Park" Designer Series Paper that can be found in the Occasions mini. What fabulous paper! Totally different colour combinations.

The frame behind the butterflies is from the set called "Matchbox Messages", also in the Occasions mini. BUT, I made a bit of a change to it. The frame was not large enough for what I wanted so I simply masked off one edge and stamped it and then masked off the other side to stamp it again (always using the SAMJ!), creating a bigger rectangle.

Hope you like it!

Stamps: Great Friend, Matchbox Messages, Curvy Verses
Paper: Walk in the Park DSP, Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Cameo Coral, Whisper White
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Cameo Coral, Baja Breeze, Old Olive, Stazon™
Accessories: Designer Label Punch, Eyelet Border Punch, Dimensionals®, Word Window Punch, Corner Rounder, Metallic Eyelet, Linen Thread, Old Olive Grosgrain