Here for You

Stamps: Friends 24-7, Paradise
Paper: Mellow Moss, Whisper White, Pale Plum
Ink: Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery, Perfect Plum (classic & craft)
Accessories: Corner Rounder, Always Artichoke Grosgrain, Dimensionals®, Clear Embossing Powder

I was flipping through magazines the other day and it gave me the start for this card. I can't remember which card or even if it was just one or several that inspired me! I know it's not a copy or anything ... but anyways, I digress ... Simple card. I've been trying to play around with less layered cards as I really do love the look that others achieve but I never seem able to. So, I'm forcing myself to try and perhaps I'll one day achieve the same thing I so admire in others?!

Anyways, hope you like the card! Thanks for visiting my blog!!

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

Check out this post for more info on the sale of ink pad holders my father-in-law made!

a friend ...

Stamps: Greenhouse Garden, Great Friend, A to Z
Paper: Confetti White, Old Olive, Cottage Wall DSP, Whisper White, Pale Plum
Ink: Pale Plum, Versa Mark, Perfect Plum, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Corner Rounder, White Satin, Dimensionals®, Beautiful Wings Embosslit

I played with Taylor's sketch this time, and I'm not sure if I love this one. I did a little bit of emboss resist with the one panel, turned out kind of neat, don't you think? The sentiment was inked up using markers and the shape was just stamped and cut out rather than using the Matchbox die.

Thanks for visiting!

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

Check out this post for more info on the sale of ink pad holders my father-in-law made!

Happy Birthday

Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Basic Black, Kraft, Sweet Pea DSP, Watercolour Paper, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black, Stazon™
Accessories: Scallop Circle Die, Circle Die, Saffron Grosgrain (retired), Vintage Brads, AquaPainter™

I'd just recently gotten this large scallop sizzix die and just had to use it to make a cute scallop card! Although, I wouldn't necessarily describe the card as cute, more elegant which is how I interpreted the Tuesday Trigger challenge! I stamped the main image using Basic Black ink, an ink I never use as it really isn't waterproof but in this case, I wanted water soluble ink. I took an AquaPainter to it to add a little extra black ink. I also stamped the inside of the card! Here's a peek at that:

Thanks for visiting! Hope you like my card :)

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

Check out this post for more info on the sale of ink pad holders my father-in-law made!

Happy Together

Stamps: Fox & Friends, Family Phrases, A to Z
Paper: Whisper White, Old Olive, Sweet Pea DSP, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Chocolate Chip (Classic & Craft), Creamy Caramel Marker
Accessories: Full Heart Punch, Latte Designer Buttons, Linen Thread, Dimensionals®, Chocolate Grosgrain, Clear Embossing powder

I had gotten this set from Stampin' Up when they'd asked me to be a Featured Stamper for the March Stampin' Success magazine (a demo-only mag) and I just loved it! So I pulled it out to play with a sketch from Clean & Simple stamping. I'm not sure if you can see this, but the heart was stamped with the A to Z stamp and then punched. I eyeballed the piercing for an inner lining and then faux-stitched it.

Hope you like it!

Thankfully, my children are no longer throwing up and all I've got to deal with is the laundry and carpet cleaning ... ughh. Oh, and my head feels like stuffed melon ... the joys of life!

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

hey ... !

Sorry, nothing new to post ... well, I have some cards made but no photos! Not that you need to know all of this but I've got family visiting, two children throwing up and I've got a cold ... yuck ...

BUT, I have been doing something interesting with my hubby's help. He wasn't quite so reluctant to move things a bit in my craft room as he's benefiting from this! He really wanted a space somewhere in the house where he could put his computer that wasn't crammed in a corner, an afterthought, or a transient place (aka workshop/class tables!). So, we carved out a space by adding an extra desk at the end of mine and moving my computer over so I won't expand inadvertently into his space, LOL! Anyways, minor changes with major impact for him and all it meant was puttying a couple of holes.

So, hope you're still stickin' with me?! :)

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

You're too Kind

Stamps: Whoo's Your Valentine, Whimsical Words, Dot to Dot
Paper: Naturals Ivory, Soft Suede, Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Watercolour Paper
Ink: Chocolate Chip Craft, Soft Suede, Stazon™, Perfect Plum
Accessories: Circle Punches, Soft Suede Grosgrain, Scallop Border punch, Pinking Hearts punch, Dimensionals®, Chocolate Satin, XL Bird on a Branch Punch

I had played with last week's Mojo Monday sketch along with the colour challenge on SplitCoast Stampers. I haven't played in their colour challenges for a while ... I find the pressure of a one day challenge too much. Yes, I know I have until the next colour challenge a week later, but it doesn't always feel like it, YKWIM? Anyways, I uploaded this one on SCS and am finally getting to upload it here!

Loved the layout, nice and detailed and fun, eh? I stamped the Dot to Dot background stamp over the Perfect Plum card stock using Chocolate Chip craft ink and then embossed it with Clear Embossing Powder. I've finally mastered how to line that stamp up with itself after serious time practising ... ugh. Lots of wasted paper!

I stamped the owl on watercolour paper, coloured it, coated it with versa mark and embossed it with clear embossing powder all before I cut it out and put it on the focal square. I had seen on Diana Gibbs' blog, a cute card using a giraffe hidden in and amongst the branches and thought that was a FAB idea and just had to use it!

Anyways, hope you like the card! Thanks for visiting and letting me know what YOU think :)

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

Check out this post for more info on the sale of ink pad holders my father-in-law made!

a bold Baby Card!

Stamps: Nursery Necessities, Cornelli Lace Jumbo Wheel, Vintage Labels, Neighbourhood Wheel
Paper: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Brilliant Blue, Welcome Neighbour DSP
Ink: Real Red, Stazon™, YoYo Yellow, Brilliant Blue
Accessories: Lg Star Punch, Summer Sun Corduroy Brads, Red Embroidery Floss, Curly Label Punch, Ovals die, Designer Buttons

Wow, yes, this is one heck of a bright card, wouldn't you say? Totally out of my comfort zone ... Arielle had an interesting combination for this week's colour challenge, eh? But, I actually really really really like how this card turned out! I combined the colour challenge with two other challenges as well (I only have time for so many, ya know!). Mercy's sketches are always interesting and I love to play when I have the time. This one had called for three squares on the left side, but I kind of reinterpreted them as the two stars and the curly label shape. The other challenge was one from Moxie Fab World; a challenge to use floss in a project. I happen to have a ton of floss as I used to cross stitch quite a bit. I've got a project on the go still, but haven't spent as much time on it as I should (I'm making name/date/weight birth things for each of my kids; 2 down, 3 to go ...). Anyways, so, I had a ton of floss so I pulled out some red floss and threaded the buttons with it. Love the extra colour that adds!

Anywho, hope you're having a great weekend! Thanks for stopping in!

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

Welcome Little One ...

Stamps: Nursery Necessities
Paper: Whisper White, Welcome Neighbour DSP, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Watercolour Paper
Ink: Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry
Accessories: Circle Cutter, Scallop Edge Punch, Dimensionals®, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Cream Organdy

This is a bit of a diversion for me ... nice and clean with bold colours! I tend not to pair these types of colours with white because I generally find it stark when I do it. I love other people's cards doing that, just not mine :) Anyways, this one turned out interestingly ... I started with the sketch from Clean & Simple, as they generally have the best ideas for layouts of fabulously clean and simple (yet not simple time-wise) cards. This week's Tuesday Trigger was a shot of a lamp with a white lampshade that had red trim on the bottom and a big yellow ribbon tied around the middle. Behind the lamp was a mirror frame edged in dark brown wood. So, that's where my colours came from and I tried to keep the same sort of level of colour too. Did I succeed?

Thanks for visiting today and I hope you like the card!

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

Check out this post to see how you can purchase these Ink Storage containers!

Inkspirations Inspiration Challenge!

Stamps: Bloomin' Beautiful, Fresh Cuts, Matchbox Messages
Paper: Melon Mambo, Pretty in pink, Whisper White, Watercolour Paper, Welcome Neighbour DSP
Ink: Melon Mambo, Soft Suede, Pretty in Pink, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip Craft
Accessories: Dimensionals®, Mat Pack & Piercer, Pinking Heart Border Punch, Vanilla HodgePodge Hardware, AquaPainter™, Whisper White Satin, Beautiful Wings, 1" Circle Punch

Today's Inkspirations challenge day and there's an inspiration challenge for you! Loved this photo of an oh-so-cute bedroom. Nice and bright and cheery! I kind of ignored the blue, but took more of my inspiration from all the pinks and the butterflies.

Starting with a sketch from Kazan, I stamped the larger background image from the Fresh Cuts stamp set all over the Melon Mambo card stock. Then I stamped the definition the is the Bloomin' Beautiful set using Soft Suede ink (stamped off once first). The flower was watercoloured and cut out. The rest of the deets are pretty easy to see, eh?

I'm real curious to see what the rest of the DT did! Check 'em out too, why don't you?!:

Cindy
Kirsty
Chantelle
Sarah-Jane
Dawn
Makeesha

Thanks for visiting my blog, hope you've liked what you see today! Let me know what you think?!

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

Check out this post for more info on the sale of ink pad holders my father-in-law made!

Little Yellow Alien ...

Stamps: Greetings Earthling, Vintage Labels, A to Z
Paper: Basic Black, So Saffron, Kraft, Old Olive Patterns DSP, Watercolour Paper
Ink: Stazon™, various for colouring
Accessories: Basic Black Grosgrain, Designer Buttons, Linen Thread, Star Punches, Circle Cutter, Dimensionals®, Crystal Effects®

Since I had this stamp set still out and I haven't used it much lately, I thought I'd play with Jen's newest sketch! I love how the colours ended up pulling together. The little alien is covered with crystal effects. The background is stamped with that single alphabet image that's from the Occasions mini and I love the fun newsprint look it gives, don't you? Let me know what you think?!

Thanks for poppin' in today! Have a great day :)

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

Happy Birthday

Stamps: Vintage Labels
Paper: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Welcome Neighbour DSP, retired DSP
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Chocolate Grosgrain, Latte Designer Buttons, Curly Label Punch, Linen Thread

Remember me saying I'd had a class on Monday? Well, this was the second card we made! Nice and simple after a fairly detailed one (especially in a class setting!). I tied this one in with the current Embellish blog challenge: a birthday card using these four colours.

Hope you like my card! Thanks for visiting :)

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

For You

Stamps: Vintage Labels
Paper: Blush Blossom, Welcome Neighbour DSP, Close To Cocoa, Regal Rose
Ink: Chocolate Chip Craft, Whisper White Craft
Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, 3 Heart Punch, Clear Embossing Powder, White Taffeta, Latte Designer Buttons, Dimensionals®, Linen Thread

Good morning! Here's a real simple card for you today! Love how it turned out. I played with the past Colour Q challenge and hadn't time to upload it until now ... I'll betcha a new challenge will be posted soon ... :) Anyways, not much in the way of deets, but email me if you must know something!

Thanks for visiting! Hope you like this CAS (clean and simple) card!

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

hurrah!

Stamps: Greetings Earthling, Dot to Dot, Small Serif Alphabet (retired)
Paper: Naturals Ivory, Basic Black, Sweet Pea DSP, Ruby Red, Watercolour Paper
Ink: Whisper White, Stazon™
Accessories: Blender Pen, Watercolour Crayons, White Embossing Powder, Pinking Heart Border Punch, Circle die, Black Grosgrain, Silver Brads

Isn't this cute?! My son loved it when I showed it to him. I think it was the alien, not the gorgeous creation! LOL! I have an impromptu class this evening and they requested a couple of birthday cards for the evening. I made this one and I'll show you the other later! I used the sketch from Taylored Expressions (celebrating 100 sketches already!). I finally pulled out my watercolour crayons for the first time in eons. I have no idea why I haven't used them in a while 'cause they are fab tools!

Anyways, hope you like the card! Thanks for visiting!

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

Happy Valentines!

Stamps: Pun Fun, Family Phrases, Small Sayings (retired), I {Heart} Hearts
Paper: Kraft, Rose Red, Watercolour Paper, Whisper White, Welcome Neighbour DSP
Ink: Stazon™, Rose Red, More Mustard, Sage Shadow, various for colouring
Accessories: Dimensionals®, Scallop Trim Border Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Rhinestone Brad, Pink Organdy (retired), AquaPainter®

Hope you'll have a happy Valentine's! We don't really celebrate it in any formal fashion (ie no Valentines cards for each other, no flowers, no evening out ...) but I still like to be reminded of those I love in different ways. So, while we're not doing anything special today, we had spent yesterday skiing as a family! Yes, we took all 5 kiddoes skiing and they all LOVED it with the exception of one daughter who didn't want to go again after 2 runs ... LOL!

Anywho, I made this card for a couple of challenges: the Just Add Ink colour challenge and Mercy's sketch. It's a cute little card, the same measurements as yesterday's!

Hope you like it! Have a fab day :)

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

Mr & Mrs

Stamps: Together Forever, Great Friend
Paper: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Sweet Pea DSP
Ink: Stazon™, various for colouring, Rose Red Craft
Accessories: Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Matchbox Messages Bigz die, Pinking Hearts border punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Dimensionals®, Sticky Pages, Little Leaves Sizzlits die, Beautiful Wings Embosslit

Three challenges for this one: the theme from CaardVarks, the sketch from Laura, and the inspiration from Tuesday Trigger! I absolutely love how this one turned out. My vision in my head before creating it actually came completely through in the execution. Does that sound weird? Well, I generally visualize a card in my head before it comes out in paper ...

It's an interesting size card too. I have no idea what the "professional" measurements are supposed to be, I just made up my own. If they happen to be right, hey, what do ya know, eh? The size I used is 3-1/4" x 6". I added a panel of Pretty in Pink that I punched with the new scallop edge punch that's available free during SAB (and then for purchase there-after). Can't remember what it's called off the top of my head, but it's cool! Then, I added a small mat of white and patterned paper from the Sweet Pea DSP thats in the Occasions mini.

The main image panel was created by stamping the floral image randomly, well, not so randomly. I used a stamp-a-ma-jig to position it "randomly" hee hee! Then I coloured it in using a variety of pinks, hence the inspiration from Tuesday Trigger. The popped up sentiment was made using the matchbox die to die cut that frame with the sticky page on top. Then I coated it with Dazzling Diamonds. messy, but so worth it! The "mr" and "mrs" are embossed with iridescent ice embossing powder for a little more glitter.

It looked bare without anything else, so I added a couple of sprigs of the leaves using the Little Leaves sizzlits die (LOVE that die! if you don't have, you really should get it!). Add a little butterfly and I was done!

Anywho that's enough blather about the card! Hope you liked it!

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

oh, guess what?! Stampin' Up! had contacted me a loooooooooong time ago and asked me if I wanted to be a featured artist for the Stampin' Success magazine! It's a magazine that is sent to all demonstrators full of inspiration, business helps, and product info. Fairly cool to be asked and of course, I said yes!! Soooo, the mag came out online yesterday and here's a small peek at my stuff :)

Inkspirations Colour Challenge #18

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts, Framed with Love, Picture This
Paper: Kraft, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, DSP, Ruby Red
Ink: Ruby Red, Brocade Blue, Mellow Moss, Stazon™
Accessories: Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Designer Bouquet Buttons, Vintage Brads, Dimensionals®, Full Heart Punch, Linen Thread

It's a colour challenge for you today from the Inkspirations blog! These are interesting colours and I love the end result that I came up with. I started out (besides using the colours) with the sketch from "i {heart} 2 stamp" and went from there. I had to add a couple neutrals though, just a touch of black and kraft. Again, my sewing machine was sitting out (handy too 'cause I had to fix some blown pant knees!) and so I stitched around the edge of the card front.

Hope you like my card?! Please check out the rest of the gals' work and play in the challenge too?! You can link up your creation on Keesh's blog :)

Cindy
Kirsty
Chantelle
Sarah-Jane
Dawn
Makeesha

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

An Easel Card!

Stamps: Vintage Vogue, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel
Paper: Kraft, Real Red, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Creamy Caramel Classic, Chocolate Chip Classic, Real Red Classic
Accessories: Latte Designer Buttons, Linen Thread, Chocolate Satin, Little Leaves Sizzlit die, Eyelet Border Punch, Mat Pack & Piercer

This is what the girls in my stamp club are making tomorrow night! I'm quite excited about this card, actually. I love the look of the easel card! It's unique but not overwhelmingly challenging to create. A couple lines of simple scoring and voila, an easel card! The tutorial for this type of card can be found in the resources section of SplitCoast Stampers.

As for the stamping deets, well, I can't give it all away or else my club gals'll get mad at me for giving to all of you! LOL! You'll just have to join one of my clubs if you wanna make projects like this with my help! But, I will tell you this --> lots of sponging and the layout is for this week's Card Positioning Systems sketch.

Hope you like it! Have a great day!

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

Best Wishes

Stamps: Friends 24-7, Oval All, Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel
Paper: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Watercolour Paper
Ink: Dusty Durango, Chocolate Chip Craft, VersaMark®, various for colouring
Accessories: Corner Rounder, Lots of Tags Sizzlits die, Scallop Edge Punch, AquaPainter®, Clear Embossing Powder, Dimensionals®, Vintage Brads, Chocolate Satin

This is so different than what I've been posting so far, eh? Lately it's been all clean and crisp but this card is anything but crisp! I started out with doing a technique .. yes, a technique! I generally stay far away from techniques because I rarely am happy with the results I get ... BUT, this one is a tried and true technique called "Emboss Resist". Many of you, I'm sure, are familiar with it, but for those that aren't, here's a quick how-to:

• Supplies: Basically, all you need is (or as I used on this card) white card stock, stamps, versa mark, clear embossing powder, sponges, and ink. Pretty basic supplies, right?
• Now, I first sponged the edges of this piece before doing this step for a little extra. Take your stamps, ink 'em up with versa mark and stamp randomly on the white cardstock. In this case, I used a wheel. Then emboss with clear embossing powder and allow to cool.
• With a sponge, sponge colour all over the embossed piece of cardstock. Then, take a piece of tissue and wipe any excess ink from your embossed images. Embossing "resists" the ink. Done!

See what I mean? Easy technique with no-fail results!

So, onto the rest of this card. I extended the branch that this bird is sitting on using a masking technique and then I watercoloured the whole thing. The image and the sentiment are both stamped with Chocolate Chip craft ink and embossed with clear embossing powder.

Anywho, long enough chit chat, eh? Hope you like this card! Thanks for visiting!!!

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!

Love you much

Stamps: Well Scripted, Inspired by Nature, I {Heart} Hearts
Paper: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Welcome Neighbour DSP
Ink: Old Olive, Rose Red Craft, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Pink Satin, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Butterfly Punch, Sm. Heart Punch, Dimensionals, Clear Rhinestone Brads, Clear Embossing Powder

I found a new challenge through a friend's blog (thanks Silke!) called Tuesday Trigger. It was a really cool inspiration challenge that spurred this creation of mine! I combined it with the sketch from Clean & Simple Stamping as it really fit with what I was looking for in the Tuesday Trigger challenge: clean and crisp!

So, what do you think?

Thanks for visiting my blog!

all Stampin' Up! supplies available 24/7 through my demonstrator website!