Top Note Card

It's been a long time since I played in an Our Creative Corner Challenge. This week was a color challenge to use Marina Mist, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, & Early Espresso. I used Kazan's sketch #62 from 2S4Y for the layout...a challenge to use a decorative edge on our card. I cut 2 top note dies in Soft Suede, then scored about 1/4 inch from the top of the back panel, folded it down and attached it using red tape. It forms a type of easel card. The flower was created using 2 different dies - the rolled flower die from MFT and the Blossoms die from PTI. Thanks for stopping by...I love to read your comments, so, let me know what you think.
STAMPS: Feel the Sun (Verve)
PAPER: Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Marina Mist, DP by SU
INK: Early Espresso, Soft Suede (sponging)
ACCESSORIES: Top note die (SU), CB, Early Espresso ribbon (SU), Rolled flower die (MFT), Blossoms die (PTI), Button, Twine, Leaves die (SU)

Another Sketch Card

This is a second card using Roxie's 300th sketch. I started with a 2 3/4 inch square of Blushing Bride CS then punched the 4 sides using Martha's arch lattice border punch to create a medallion BG. The flower image was stamped on a pale pink polka dotted DP scrap, cut out, sponged and popped with dimensionals. I also outlined the image with a Sakura Clear Star gelly roll pen to give it some sparkle and shine. I zigzagged around the 2 pink DP strips using a dark brown thread. Quick and easy layout!
STAMPS: Feel the Sun (Verve)
PAPER: Pastel Pad by Me & My Big Ideas, Blushing Bride, Chocolate Chip, Neenah Solar White, Pear Pizzazz

300th Sketch Challenge...PLUS...

Roxie's Sketch Challenge on SCS has hit the 300 mark and there are prizes to give away! The colors qualify for the Color Throwdown Challenge: Old Olive, Riding Hood Red & Pumpkin Pie - great autumn combo! My image was colored with Copics, cut out and popped with dimensionals. I sponged the Nestie shape with Antique Linen Distress ink then took the pen tip of a Tombow marker (dark brown) and traced along the shape before removing it from the die. I will add a sentiment to the inside at a later date. Thanks for stopping by...this was a great way to unwind after a very busy and eventful shift at work this evening!
STAMPS: Sunflower II by Rubber Stampede
PAPER: Riding Hood Red, Pumpkin Pie, Neenah Solar White
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Antique Linen Distress ink by Tim Holtz
ACCESSORIES: CB, Swiss Dots EF, Metal adhesive dots (Walmart), Labels Four Nestabilities, Sponge, Copics, Tombow marker #899

Color Challenge

I had to play detective to determine the Color Challenge this week. The SCS website has been under maintenance for a portion of the day and it still isn't fully functioning. I was able to see a couple of the guest card designers' creations and determined that the colors were Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight, & Rose Red with the option of plus one (adding another color). So, I went ahead and made this card...hoping my sleuthing skills were accurate. LOL! I loved a card done by Jackie Pedro a number of months ago - check it out HERE, so CASED it for this challenge. I colored the image with Copics, cut out and popped with dimensionals. The good ole corner chomper did its thing along the bottom. This was the first time I used my new Blossoms Nestie - love this circular shape! Time to call it a day!
STAMPS: Delightful Dahlia (PTI)
PAPER: Walk in the Park DP (SU), Rose Red, White, Daffodil Delight
INK: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black
ACCESSORIES: Corner Chomper, Fancy Tags die, Blossoms Nesties, Small Circle Nesties, CB, Ribbon, Copics (Y08, R32, R37, YG91, YG93, YG95)

Mojo Monday

I love this whimsical tree image which is so much fun to paper piece! I had it out from an earlier card that I made late last night, so I went with it again using the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge. I opted for a 5 inch square card...no fancy stuff on this one...just simple, self-explanatory steps to a Christmas card in non-traditional colors.
STAMPS: Christmas in the Air (tree) & O Christmas Tree (sentiment) - both by Verve
PAPER: Mitten Weather DP by Cosmo Cricket, Vintage Vanilla
INK: Versafine Onyx Black
ACCESSORIES: Satin ribbon, Bow Easy

CAS Christmas

Just a quick CAS Challenge card based on the sketch by cookiebaker's card seen HERE.
STAMPS: Christmas in the Air (Verve)
PAPER: Neenah Solar White, WinterSong DP by S.E.I.
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black
ACCESSORIES: Snowflakes EF, MS Snowflake border punch, Vintage button (PTI)

Curtain Call 49

I finally got a chance to use Mercy's Sketch Challenge layout and loved it! Stacey's Curtain Call Challenge was to use Real Red, Sahara Sand, Soft Suede, Black & Vanilla. This was an out of the box combo from my usual, but I liked it when I finished. I added Crystal Effects to the flower center and sponged Soft Suede ink on the Nestie shape... even had ribbon in my stash that went with the colors. It's been a rainy Sunday, but I love those days...great to watch some football, stamp awhile, and catch a few winks!
STAMPS: Forever in Our Hearts (small fern), Plain Jane (large fern), Petals & Stems (flower), Psalm 3:3 (sentiment) - all stamps by Verve
PAPER: Vintage Vanilla, Sahara Sand, Black, Soft Suede, Real Red
INK: Black, Soft Suede, Real Red
ACCESSORIES: Crystal Effects, Circle punch, Labels Fourteen Nesties, CB, Sponge, Ribbon, Dimensionals, EK Success border punch

Casing Sallie

The featured stamper on SCS is hobbydujour - a fabulously talented stamper whose work I've always admired! Choosing a card in her gallery was difficult, but I noticed she often uses twine with buttons...so, I picked this card that used twine and then I used the same layout, but changed colors, stamps, papers, etc. to create this CASE. I added silver glass glitter to the flower centers...such fun sparkle! I cut a 2 3/4 inch square of scrap pale pink polka dotted DP, the created a medallion by punching the arch lattice border punch on all 4 sides. The square was too large for my layout, so I cut off the frame edge and layered it on some Blushing Bride CS and it was the perfect size I needed.
STAMPS: Bountiful Backgrounds (Verve) - subtlely stamped on the brown panel; One Person (Verve) - flower; Dream Big (Verve) - leaves.
PAPER: Pastel Mat Pad by Me & My Big Ideas, Blushing Bride, Chocolate Chip
INK: Memento Rich Cocoa, Pear Pizzazz
ACCESSORIES: Silver Glass glitter (SU), Arch lattice border punch by MS, Twine, Dimensionals, Vintage button (PTI)

Wing It, Bling It!

My day had a very early start (for me anyway) with a craft yard sale with 2 stamping friends. Weather was gorgeous...sunny and breezy...and we had a fairly steady stream of buyers all morning. By noon, things had tapered off and we packed up the leftovers...counting our profits so we can turn around and buy more "things" to support our habit - lol! I was also happy to watch Va Tech win against Boston College, so life was even better this afternoon! Saturday is always a big challenge day in the stamping world, so I combined the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge, Crazy 4 Challenges (to use bling), and the Our Daily Bread Shining Light Challenge to use something with wings. As usual, I managed to tangle up the black gemstones, so there was no question where the large butterfly would go - lol! Over the messed up bling spot of course! I finally got to use my new Mega Ovals Nesties and discovered this stamp from Inkadinkadoo's Wedding set fit perfectly. I zigzagged around the 3 strips (I won't bore you with the details of my Janome not working right and having to lug out my big machine!). So, finally the card is completed. Hope your weekend is good and thanks for stopping by and leaving me a comment...I love to hear what you think!
STAMPS: Wedding/Marriage (Inkadinkadoo)
PAPER: Cappella DP (BasicGrey), Black, White
INK: Memento Rich Cocoa, Antique Linen Distress Ink (Tim Holtz) - sponged around oval.
ACCESSORIES: CB, Mega Ovals LG Nesties, Bling by Zva, Butterfly stickers by MS

My First Grunge Paper Rose

My new package of grunge paper lay unopened since my beach vacation in July until now. I finally watched the tutorial by Lynn (see link in my side bar) several times and this is the result of my first attempt. I got too much Liquid Pearls on my petals and the color didn't pick up well, but it seems to work just the same. I wanted to play in the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge, so gave the illusion of a row of squares by pleating the sheer ribbon. I reversed the sentiment to the other side of the card, but the basic elements are still there. The leaves were die cut and sponged with Wild Wasabi ink. It's past my bedtime, so have to say 'good night' for now...
STAMPS: Framed Wishes (Verve)
PAPER: Classic K Margo by K&Co, White, Grunge paper by Tim Holtz
INK: Bravo Burgundy, Wild Wasabi, Riding Hood Red reinker with pink PearlEx and water added in a spritzer bottle
ACCESSORIES: Sheer ribbon (SU), Corner chomper, Dahlia die (PTI)

CTD111 Meets SC299

I struggled with the Color Throwdown Challenge this week: Melon Mambo, River Rock, Pacific Point. After seeing Karen's Sketch Challenge on SCS, I decided to tie the colors together in the butterfly image that is retired but a standby fave of mine. I colored it with Copics, then sprayed with an alcohol/Shimmerz mixture so it glistens IRL.
STAMPS: Stipple Butterfly (SU)
PAPER: Blossoms & Butterflies glittered & foiled stack by DCWV, River Rock, Melon Mambo, Pacific Point
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black
ACCESSORIES: Arch lattice border punch by MS, Large polka dotted EF (PTI), Copics (YG91, B12, B16, RV23, RV25)

Color Challenge

My mojo was MIA this morning as my 1st 2 attempts at a tag and a card were awful! So bad, in fact, that I didn't even post them! I took a break and spent the day with my daughter as she independently purchased her own car at the age of 23! I was proud of all the research and planning she had done...her knowledge of cars surpasses many of her guy friends! Oh yes...back to my card...I finally was satisfied with this card for Betty's Color Challenge to use Cajun Craze, Baja Breeze & Wild Wasabi with the option to use a strip sentiment. I was stumped for awhile to know how to incorporate the blue, but finally came up with this idea. I inked up the 2 smallest flower images and stamped with Cajun Craze ink on Cajun Craze CS - gives a subtle pattern without being too bold. A little embossing to add texture to the bottom, and a rickrack die border in Baja Breeze, a layered flower with a fancy copper brad and there you have it.
STAMPS: Dream Big (Verve), Let it Shine (Verve)
PAPER: Vintage Vanilla, Cajun Craze, Wild Wasabi, Baja Breeze
INK: Cajun Craze, Wild Wasabi, Baja Breeze
ACCESSORIES: CB, Square Lattice EF (SU), Modern Garland border punch (MS), Rickrack die (MFT), Copper brad (Flourishes)

Garnet Hill Inspiration

Hi to all my blogger friends! I've missed stamping and blog hopping over the past week, but had a more important mission to help my aging parents downsize and move from their home place of 60 years to a condo. Do you know how much STUFF can be accumulated in 60 year? LOTS! It was an exhausting week but rewarding and even interesting to hear the stories behind many of their possessions...like the beautiful dishes given to mom by her first boyfriend - lol! It took some powers of persuasion to talk them into letting some things go but overall, they did well.
I just had to make a card last evening, so my stamping withdrawal didn't get to the acute stage! :-) Stef gave us another great website for the Inspiration Challenge: Garnet Hill. I used the bath rugs for my inspiration and kept the card very simple. I think it's pretty self-explanatory...I hand-dyed the seam binding and crinkled it by letting it dry in a bunched up ball in a baggie after spraying with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Turquoise Blue and Dazzling Diamonds. It's a gorgeous fall day in VA...enjoy your w/e!
STAMPS: Tiny Tags (SU)
PAPER: Hawaiian Shores (PTI), Neenah Solar White
ACCESSORIES: Seam binding, Prima, Tiny Tag punch, CB, Lattice die (SU)

CTD's Last Hurrah!

This week's Color Throwdown Challenge colors are a last hurrah for summer! I'll miss summer...everything but those merciless high temps and humidity! The flowers are die cut from felt, then rolled into flower shapes and a brad added to the centers. The white panel was embossed using CB's Grace's Frame EF.
STAMPS: Psalm 46:10 Plain Jane (Verve)
PAPER: Rainbow Sherbet DP (SU), Tempting Turquoise, Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight, Neenah Solar White
INK: Versafine Onyx Black
ACCESSORIES: CB, Labels Fourteen Nesties, EF, MFT Rolled Flowers Die, Leaves die (SU), MS monarch butterfly punch, Kaiser silver pearls, Grosgrain ribbon (SU), Brads (BasicGrey), 100% wool felt (PTI), Large scallop border punch (EK Success)

Christmas Blessings

Though it seems early, I want to put more effort into getting my Christmas cards completed. I really flipped with Roxie's Sketch Challenge...I turned it completely upside down! Love this new Jovial DP from BasicGrey - so many wonderful prints for Christmas! I colored the wreath with Copics and added rhinestones and a touch of Sakura pen highlights on the bow.
STAMPS: O Christmas Tree (wreath) & Blessed Christmas (sentiment) - both by Verve
PAPER: Jovial DP (BasicGrey), Poppy Parade (SU), Vintage Cream (PTI)
INK: Versafine Onyx Black
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon (PTI), Adhesive rhinestones, Copics (R27, Y13, Y15), Dimensionals

Two Toadally Great Challenges

Betty's Color Challenge: Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait with optional dessert to use string.
Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge
STAMPS: A Flower for All Seasons (SU)
PAPER: DP by SU, Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzazz, Concord Crush
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black
ACCESSORIES: Copics, Oval Nesties, CB, Eyelets, Yarn

Mojo Monday

Sad night for us Hokie fans! The game against Boise State was a nail biter to the end and VT just couldn't hold off the opponent's offense on the last drive. :-( On to happier subjects...Julee presented another great Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge. I can't seem to quit using the Great Friend set! I white embossed the flower (again!) and added some punched leaves. Since I already had a sentiment on the circle, I simply added a tiny flourish on the tag. I didn't want to cover up any of the stamped area, so I placed the twill tape ribbon behind the circle. It was a great Labor Day...did exactly that...labored around the house! We had a cookout with our middle son and his girlfriend plus our daughter was off work and was able to join us as well. Food...family...fun!
STAMPS: Great Friend & Dream Big (sentiment) - both by Verve, Tiny Tags (SU) - flourish
PAPER: Pyrus DP (BasicGrey), Vintage Cream (PTI), Sweet Pea DP (SU)
INK: Versamark, Chocolate Chip, More Mustard
ACCESSORIES: CB, Nesties, MS frond punch, White EP, Sponge, Dimensionals