Altered Items

This is a little gift set I made for some friends. I altered this picture frame that you can get at Michael's for $1.99 as well as a spiral notebook that Target used to sell (I am not sure if they still do or not). For both of these I used Basic Grey designer paper from AC Moore.
Well, right now I am working on a little something, (actually four little somethings) for my son's baseball coaches so there won't be any stamping for me today until these projects are finished. :o)
Have a great day!

Cupcake

This week on SCS they had a very interesting sketch challenge, that is where the layout came from for this card. I wanted to make it easy on myself and thought I would just use designer paper and punch out two different sizes of squares and alternate the design of the designer paper. I doodled around the edges to distract a bit from the stark white background, I think it works :o)

Obviously, I am still using the clear cupcake stamps I bought from Hobby Lobby to make cards for my daughter and thought this would be the perfect card for her. She loves the color pink and even has a piano book I made her that matches this paper, so I know she will love it.

This card is a 4.25 inch square card, a bit smaller than the standard card I usually make, but it will still work in the regular invitation sized envelope. I really like this size of card and the true squareness of it!

Recipe:
Stamps: Birthday Cupcake by Inkadinkado
Cardstock: Regal Rose, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White and designer paper Brooke Narr Paisley and Brooke Narr Stripe
Ink: Staz On Black and Regal Rose (marker)
Accessories: Heart Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals and Regal Rose marker

Always Romance

I got inspired to make this card from this piece of scrapbook paper I had laying around that I bought from Michaels for 25 cents a sheet about 6 months ago. The color scheme I thought would go perfectly with Purely Pomegranate, Black and the stamp set Always. I am pleased with how this turned out and I thought of adding the flower from the stamp set, but I think that would have been too much and didn't want to overpower the card. I think it is just enough without being too much. :o)

Recipe:
Stamps: Always and French Script
Cardstock: Purely Pomegranate, Basic Black, Very Vanilla and DCWV Once Upon a Time
Ink: Purely Pomegranate, River Rock, and Versamark
Accessories: Black EP, ribbon, brads, Photo Corner Punch and Paper piercer

Friendship Blooms

I wanted to make a card and was somewhat at a loss for what I wanted to do...sometimes too many choices can cause a creative block. I took some designer paper and considered the colors/design and knew from that what I wanted to make. Isn't it nice when it comes together? ;o)

For this card I used the Basic Grey Phoebe designer paper (gotta love Basic Grey!!!) and gathered Cranberry Crisp and Wild Wasabi ink and cardstock (to me, those colors coordinate very nicely with this designer paper). So this is what I came up with, a nice cheery card that can easily be made in a short amount of time!
Have a great day and Happy Stampin'!

Recipe:
Stamps: Friendship Blooms (SAB)
Cardstock: Cranberry Crisp, Wild Wasabi, Very Vanilla and Basic Grey Phoebe
Ink: Cranberry Crisp and Wild Wasabi
Accessories: Spiral Punch, Jeweled Brad and Stampin' Dimensionals

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

This is a special card I made for our oldest son who turns 9 years old today. The years have gone by so fast and I am so thankful to the Lord for blessing us with him. As you can probably put together from the card, he is quite interested in baseball.

This card uses the stamp set Take Me Out to the Ballgame that retired several years ago. Now I am afraid it is harder to find (which often happens to "themed" retired sets). This one was given to me by a dear friend and I know (with my family) it will be used often in the years to come. I love realistic looking stamps and have used this set for cards, scrapbooking and name frames. I am trying to more carefully consider my personal stamp purchases because I want them to be more versatile than just using them for making cards (and this set would certainly fit in that category).

For this card I used some scrapbook paper I found at Hobby Lobby for my background. These colors match up with my sons baseball uniform (which was quite accidental), but an added bonus!

Have a great day and Happy Stampin'!

Recipe:
Stamps: Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Whimsical Numbers and Birthday Whimsy
Cardstock: Real Red, Going Gray and Basic Black
Ink: Real Red
Accessories: Circle Punches, Paper Piercer and Stampin' Dimensionals

You're So Sweet!

Yesterday I went to Hobby Lobby and found the cutest clear stamp set on sale. It is called Birthday Cupcake by Inkadinkado...too cute! I have seen so many cute cupcake cards and they really make just the perfect birthday cards or any little thinking of you kind of card. I may just have to go back to get another one I was eyeing...
This one I made for my daughter when she goes to camp...She loves to get mail and I know it will make her smile.

Tomorrow I have a special card to share using an old favorite SU stamp set that is retired. I made it for a special occasion.....
'Til then, Happy Stampin!

Live Your Dream

Live Your Dream is my favorite set in the Occasions Mini Catalog. For this card I used the colors Chocolate Chip and Cool Carribean and two different backgrounds (Floral and Enfrancais). I just love these colors together!!! For the sentiment, I stamped it in Chocolate Chip and went over it with Cool Carribean to give it a shadowing effect. This is another card that took about 3 days to make...the reason...LIFE! ;o)

Now that summer is here I am trying to organize my stamp stuff better and am knee deep in scraps. You know all of the various sizes of cardstock that collects in various places (how did it get so many places??) and when you pile it all together are SHOCKED at the massive amount of cardstock you have not used! I am looking at that and with the cost of cardstock I am GOING to use it!

Hopefully tomorrow I will have something else to share...Back to the scrap pile!

Always

Today's color challenge on SCS was using Soft Sky, Basic Black and Kraft cardstock. I decided to use the SU stamp set Always to come up with a design and wanted to emboss the bird stamp on Soft Sky cardstock. I am pleased with how it turned out, but it did take quite a bit of figuring in getting the main image, scalloped circle, ribbon and photo corner punch all on one card without it being "crowded." It was a fun card to make and will definitely be easier the second time! ;o)))

Recipe:
Stamp set: Always
Cardstock: Basic Black, Soft Sky and Kraft
Ink: Versamark and Soft Sky
Accessories: Circle punches, Black EP, Photo Corner Punch, Soft Sky double stitched ribbon, Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder, White Gel Pen and Cutter Kit

Embrace Life

I really thought I would get this posted earlier, but was having some blog problems with uploading a picture....who knows!
Embrace Life is still a favorite stamp set and one that makes it very easy to design a card quickly. I used the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder to add texture to the background piece of Groovy Guava. The dots on top of the floral image is from the stamp set Polka Dots and Paisley, it looked a little plain without it.

The new retirement list is out for Stampin' Up! and sadly some favorite background stamps (Flannel Plaid, Weathered, and Print Pattern) are retiring. There is only one stamp set that is a definite must have for me, so that is good...

Garden Silhouettes

Garden Silhouettes is a favorite stamp set that retired last year and has some beautiful images. This card is for a sketch challenge on Beate's blog (Fresh and Fun). She has sketch challenges that she posts on her blog every Friday and when I can, I enjoy trying them. Obviously, this is the first one I have done in a long time. ;o)

I like various shades of blue and brown together and with this card also used a new Cuttlebug folder (Swiss Dots) that came in the mail today. I got mine from Allthatscraps.com (they had plenty last week). Sorry the photo isn't as clear as I would have liked..the sentiment "thank you" is a bit blurry.
Have a great weekend!

Recipe:
Stamp sets: Garden Silhouettes and Short and Sweet
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla and Infuse (DP) from Basic Grey
Ink: Bashful Blue and Old Olive
Accessories: Oval Punches, brads, Bashful Blue Striped Grosgrain and Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder

Hiking with Dad card

This is the Father's Day card I made using Gina K. Designs stamp "Hiking with Dad." I saw it online when she released her new stamps almost a month ago and knew I "needed" to add it to my collection because my husband loves to hike. I will use it with scrapbooking too, so it will get used for more than just for a Father's Day card...(how is that for justification?)

I used the retired Holiday Thyme Designer paper, True Thyme, Basic Black and Natural Ivory SU cardstock as well as the True Thyme ribbon. The corners of each layer of cardstock were punched with the tag punch. I am pleased and looking forward to giving it to my husband on Sunday.

Garden Whimsy

I love these "springy" colors together. I bought the Photo Corner Punch months ago and have had the hardest time figuring out the best way to use it on a card. I see other people's cards and it looks perfect, but on mine I struggle with it. This one turned out all right, it definitely needed the brads in it to make it look right.
I am trying to make a card a day, but this one took 3 days... ;o) Oh-well...now I need to figure out a couple of cards for Father's Day. I recently ordered a Gina K. Designs stamp to use for my children's card so hopefully I will get that made today or tomorrow and will share it here. Have a great day!

Artfully Asian

It is always nice to have an assortment of cards available should the need arise.
I saw a version of this card on Stamper's Showcase on SU a couple of weeks ago and loved the layout and color scheme. It is easy to change the sentiment and use the same layout and be able to make lots of cards. I have several birthday, thank you, get well wishes and others to have on hand, so hopefully I won't be caught unprepared.

Back to stamping.....and blogging

Well it has obviously been a while since I have blogged. The Lord blessed our family with a third child in March and I have been enjoying every minute of having a newborn. He brings so much joy to our family.

Stamping is coming slowly... I have lots of ideas just not getting to the stamping table to do so. :o)

Here is something I made last week which combined the sketch/color challenge from SCS.
It was nice and easy and for once I didn't use designer paper, but actual background stamps!