Limelight Sketch

There is a great sketch challenge on the Limeight Papercrafts Blog this week. When I saw it, I just knew that I wanted to try it...as if I needed an excuse to use the new Basic Grey Wassail 6x6 pad. :o) I was wanting to make a card using Kraft cardstock, but decided to try it with my well stocked River Rock cardstock instead. It goes very nicely, with just a light greenish tint to it. I also used the ornament stamp from the clear Christmas Magic stamp set. I embossed the ornament with clear embossing powder (since SU doesn't make their In Colors in craft ink, I had to stamp it first in Versamark ink, then stamped it onto the Cranberry Crisp pad prior to stamping the image on paper). I still have some Cranberry grosgrain from over 2 years ago so used some of that on the ornament and card base as well. I am tickled with how this turned out and will add it to my Christmas card stash :o)

I also wanted to share real quick what my kids made last night...they carved three pumpkins. They did a good job and are quite proud of their design (they came up with the template themselves). Of course, the baby couldn't carve his yet, he thought he would gnaw on it instead :o))
Have a great day!





**Last little tidbit I promise :o)....I wanted to let you know that Ryann has some wonderful Blog Candy up for grabs on her blog... The Inked Spot

Stamps: Christmas Magic stamp set (LYB)
Cardstock: River Rock, Cranberry Crisp, VV and Basic Grey Wassail
Ink: River Rock, Cranberry Crisp, and Versamark
Accessories: Clear EP, Cranberry Stitched ribbon, Tag Corner Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, and Circle Punches

Christmas Magic

I recently placed my first order with Limelight PaperCrafts and I love the speedy service. I ordered several Little Yellow Bicycle products: the 8x8 Christmas Magic paper pack, the stamp set Christmas Magic as well as the Clear Cut Shapes. I also saw a cute little 3 ornament kit, but held off and may try that next time. I am looking forward to seeing what I can create with these goodies in the next few weeks, lots of ideas floating around in my head. :o)) I was really drawn to the colors in the paper pack and was looking for some products to make some quick and easy cards for the upcoming holidays and this just fit perfectly. This is the first card I came up with and I have some other ideas I want to try real soon. Busy day here...so have a great day!



Stamps: Christmas Magic (LYB) and Linen
Cardstock: Handsome Hunter, Ruby Red, VV and Christmas Magic Collection DP
Ink: Ruby Red and Handsome Hunter
Accessories: Vanilla Grosgrain, Ivory Organdy, Silver Brad, and Tag Corner Punch

Cookie Box

My daughter wanted to make some cookies for her piano teacher this week so I made this little box to hold them. Over a year ago, a friend showed me how to make these cute boxes and I haven't made one in such a long time that I had forgotten all about them. Well, last week I saw a tutuorial for them on Cammie's Blog and these directions are just so easy to follow. Honestly, if I can make this...anyone can! I don't have a Scor-Pal (and am probably the only stamper that doesn't) so I just used my trusty Fiskars score blade and didn't have any problems.

I used the pumpkin from the stamp set Whimsical Autumn since the Sugar Cookies are in the shape of pumpkins. My daughter did such a good job helping me make these...we ended up doing two batches just because they tend to disappear around here! Well, that is all for today, have a great day!

Stamps: Whimsical Autumn and Flannel Plaid
Cardstock: Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Pumpkin Pie, VV and DCWV Retro paper pack
Ink: Brilliance Black, Close to Cocoa and reinkers: Pumpkin Pie and Garden Green
Accessories: Clear EP, Ribbon, Scalloped Punches, Niji Watercolor Brush

Anniversary gift

We went to a 50th Anniversary party for a sweet couple this weekend and I figured a nice gift would be an altered picture frame. I used the K&Company Hannah 12x12 Scrap Pad...I love the colors and the sturdiness of the paper just can't be beat...it really helps to have a thick paper when it comes to using Modge Podge to glue it onto the frame, and this designer paper fits the bill! The frame was painted using Linen Folk Art Acrylic Paint.
I doubled up two different ribbons and tied it on the side. Honestly, I wish I had of made it horizontal because then I would have had room for the word cherish, but I know that for next time.



I used the same designer paper on the card and used the retired stamp set Artfully Asian. It was easy enough to put together...I do wish I had a stamp that more closely matched the large flower on the designer paper, but figured this would work.
Have a great day!

1, 2, 3 Card

Flowers for Daisy is my "go to" stamp set these days. I tend to reach for it often because of its ease of use and really...I just love this daisy! I needed a quick little Thinking of You card and used a challenge on the Gina K forums from this past week. The challenge was simply to create a card using 1 piece of ribbon, 2 layers (including the card base) and 3 embellishments of the same type. It sure saves on cardstock! :o)
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Retro Christmas

This was a fun little card I made using the stamp set Retro Boutique from Gina K. Designs. I actually used a piece of chipboard on this card which is something I rarely do! I covered the label piece of chipboard with Dashing Designer Paper (which retired from SU). The cute little dress I stamped on Real Red and added some Puffy Paint and Dazzling Diamonds. I like the dimension with the Puffy Paint and the glitter really makes it just pop!

I have finally figured out how to include a link within a blog post and I am so stinkin' excited! This has boggled my mind for quite sometime (I wasn't losing sleep or anything, but *really* wanted to figure it out! :oP ) Now I can cross that off of my list of things to conquer...now I can move on to teaching my daughter to understand "why" she needs algebra in real life, teaching my son how NOT to get holes in the knees of every pair of pants he owns and getting my baby to sleep through the night....every night. :o) Have a great day!

Mojo Madness #57

The Mojo Monday sketch for this week was something I wanted to do again so I combined it with the Color Challenge for this week on SCS (Pink Pirouette, Kiwi Kiss and Chocolate Chip). Nothing quite like multi-tasking :o) It was going to be hard to make a fall card using pink, so I made a flower card instead. :o)
The roses were stamped using Pink Pirouette and Pretty in Pink since this is a two-step stamping set. When I first bought this set I wasn't sure those two colors could be layered together, but so long as you have a juicy ink pad, it does work.
Off to get busy today and hopefully clean my stamp table...it looks like a tornado hit it! Have a great day!

Mellow Seasonal Whimsy

I made several of these cards yesterday for my husband who needed some thank you notes. The background paper is from the Target Dollar Spot. You have to love that because this pack of paper will go a long way for $1.00! :o) The color combination was chosen based on two colors of this DP: Mellow Moss and Chocolate Chip. I wanted to try something else with the Seasonal Whimsy stamp set, so I inked the stamp up using Mellow Moss and then went over parts of it with Chocolate Chip, Really Rust and Pumpkin Pie markers. I am pleased with how it came out.. I also stamped the sentiment using Chocolate Chip onto Mellow Moss cardstock and punched it out with the Oval Punch. It looked a little plain so I stamped a single leaf stamp from the set over the sentiment. This shouldn't require extra postage. I am trying to be more careful about that for the cards that I mail, but it is so hard! :o)
Have a great day!

Mojo Madness #56

I made this card for the sketch challenge on the blog Poetic Artistry (http://poeticartistry.blogspot.com/2008/10/mojo-madness-contest-week-56.html ). I thought the snowman would work perfectly as the main image and I have wanted to use the star punches with this stamp. Obviously, this sketch made that just so easy! I added a little extra bling on the star with some star gems that I recently picked up at Michael's. It didn't show up well in the picture...but you get the idea. I promise I am going to take a break from my snowmen stamps :o)
Have a great day!

Autumn Whimsy

Mandy at Limelight Paper Crafts (http://limelightpapercrafts.blogspot.com/) has a sketch challenge on her blog that I just had to try. I have been in quite a snowman mood lately, so I had to use something other than a snowman.... :o) So with it finally feeling like fall here in NC, I thought it would be fitting to make a seasonal thank you card and Seasonal Whimsy is perfect for that! This is supposed to be a "manly" card, but for some reason it didn't look right until I added the bow. It is going to be busy here for the rest of the day so have a great Saturday!

Penny Black Snowman

I have never thought about it before, but what do you call a female snowman/snowperson?
I am definitely in a snowman mood.... There is a great sketch challenge on SCS this week (which I used for this card), and I just had to try it with my Penny Black Warm & Cold stamp. The black half circle was made using the Coluzzle, which I don't quite have the hang of, but for half of a circle it worked. I think I am Coluzzle challenged! Sometimes my circles end up all wonky :o))
Off to get busy ;o) Have a great day!

Such Cute Snowmen

Ever since I received the new stamps, A Scarf for Three (from My Favorite Things), I have been in a serious snowman mood! Right now this snowman stamp is my favorite.. I wanted to keep this card simple and so I didn't stamp the River Rock background. I may use this with my Christmas cards that I send this year. Instead of making the same 60-75 cards for Christmas, this year I am going to switch it up a bit and do an assortment ~ just 10 of each design so I don't get quite as bored with making the same card! Also with having a little one (who will soon be crawling and into everything), my time is a bit limited with mass producing cards so that is a factor as well.



I also wanted to share this card today from Gina K. Desgins....I think this lobster is just the cutest. I bought him before Gina K. started selling her stamps in sets so I only have three from this set. I think a Santa hat on him would be too cute! I will have to be on the lookout for one. That is about all from here. Have a great day!

Cheerful Fall

What is missing from this card?....Hhhmmm...So I can make a card without using the Cuttlebug :o))
I bought this designer paper at the Target Dollar spot...I ended up buying 8 and I really didn't need any more (I am afraid I can't resist a good deal!) I combined this with the leaf stamp from All Through the Year (retired SU stamp set) which I stamped using the Pumpkin Patch Spectrum Pad. I like the various colors of each leaf! The sentiment is from the Short and Sweet stamp set and fits perfectly in the oval punches.
It is a busy day here so have a great day!

Two to share...

I was sick with a nasty head cold most of last week so therefore no stamping! This first card I made for a challenge in the GKD forum on SCS. I like the sketch for this square card and used the colors Pumpkin Pie, Apricot Appeal, and Old Olive. I will add a sentiment later when I decide what this card is for.



In the midst of my cold...my new MFT stamp came: A Scarf for Three. I think this image is so cute! We have three children and the three snowman will work perfect for their thank you cards after Christmas. It is so easy to color and I am trying a lot of different color combinations, so don't be surprised if you see these guys again soon :o))
Have a great day!

Comfort and Peace

These are two cards I made this past weekend for the challenges in the GKD forum. The first challenge was to create a card using red, white and one other color of our own choosing. I wanted to try a neutral other than black so chose the retired SU color River Rock. Nice and simple card....I like that! :o)



This card was more work, but oh, so fun make! The challenge was to run a piece of glossy cardstock through a Cuttlebug folder and brayer over it. I used the Tiny Bubbles folder and brayered over it with the Pumpkin Patch Spectrum pad, a definite wow effect! This is really not my style of card at all (and really outside of the box for me), but I enjoyed making it. Not sure about the flower, but wanted to try something different. I am looking forward to trying some other CB folders.

Have a great day!

Sparkly Snowman

There is a challenge on SCS (in the MFT forum) to make a card using the paper piecing technique with your MFT stamps. Since I just received my first MFT stamps last week, I just had to give it a whirl. I paper pieced so many parts on this card, I think I went a little overboard! :o)) I paper pieced: the coat, dress (underneath the coat), scarf, mitten, legs (which I colored with my Blush Blossom marker) boots and the blue snowflake background. I used the desginer paper Holiday Thyme (SU) that retired a couple of years ago. The blue panel I put through my Cuttlebug Snowflake folder and sponged over it with Bashful Blue ink.
I used Dazzling Diamonds Glitter for the snowman and snow. It is so sparkly!
Have a great day!

Stamps: Baby, It's Cold Outside
Paper: True Thyme, Bashful Blue, WW, Basic Black and Holiday Thyme DP
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, and Bashful Blye
Accessories: Clear EP, Blue Striped Ribbon, Scalloped Edge punch, Snowflake brads, Word Window Punch, Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Snowflake CB folder, and Corner Notch Punch

Comfort and Peace

This week is just flying by, I can hardly believe it.... I think I missed part of September and now it is October 2nd already!

The Color Challenge on SCS this week was to use colors: Chocolate Chip, Really Rust and Baja Breeze (which I substituted with Sage Shadow). The stamp set used is Comfort and Peace from Gina K. Designs. I think the sentiments in this stamp set work very nicely for a variety of occasions when you are concerned for someone, whether it is for a sympathy card or if someone is just going through a difficult time for a variety of reasons. The font is form of script and different from anything else that I have in my collection. I created the background on the Really Rust layer by first stamping it using the Canvas BG from SU, then I put it through the Cuttlebug using the Distressed Stripes folder. I think both steps give it great texture! The main focal image was stamped using markers and then stamped over the image using Creamy Caramel ink and the Linen BG.
Have a great day!

Recipe:
Stamps: Comfort and Peace (GKD), Linen, and Canvas
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Sage Shadow, and VV
Ink: Chocloate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Sage Shadow, and Really Rust
Accessories: Brown Organdy, Brads, and CB folder Distressed Stripes

Whimsical Pumpkin

How is your Wednesday going? My little one slept all night so I am feeling pretty perky today! I was ready to start the day before he was....Amazing what a full nights sleep will do :o)
Today I have a card to share with you using a stamp set from Gina K. Designs: Whimsical Autumn. The pumpkin image is one of my favorites. I stamped the pumpkin three times using Brilliance Graphite Black Pigment ink and clear embossed it. I adhered the center one with a dimensional, so it stands up a little bit. The pumpkins are colored with Koh-i-Noor pencils and Goo Gone. I don't have OMS and for me, Goo Gone works great!

I noticed yesterday's blog entry was a little long....so today is short and simple. I had no idea I could ramble so much :o))

Recipe:
Stamp set: Whimsical Autumn
Cardstock: Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, Groovy Guava, and striped designer paper from Hobby Lobby
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black Pigment ink, Groovy Guava, Ruby Red and Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Cuttlebug folder Tiny Bubbles, Circle Punches, Scalloped Circle Punch, Photo Corner Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, Chocolate Grosgrain, Brown Polka Dot Organdy ribbon, and finally.....Ruby Red Brads