Kind Words

It's been a full and busy weekend and a very HOT day today! While I was chillin' in my AC, I combined Mary Marsh's fun summertime colors for the Color Challenge on SCS with Julee's Mojo Monday sketch challenge to do a round or square card using this layout. Though I adore circle cards, there just isn't much space to play with, so I went with a 5 1/4" square base. I cut 2 squares (3 1/2") from Pacific Point and white CS, then cut on the diagonal to get 4 equal points. I stamped 2 different floral images to create my own DP. The butterfly is a Jolee's sticker.

STAMPS: Hope Blooms (Verve), Kind Words (Verve)
PAPER: Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
INK: Rich Razzleberry, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight
ACCESSORIES: White string, Jolee's butterfly sticker.

End of School

Over at Raise the Bar, we're celebrating the end of another school year by using a school-related image on our card! I went to the Tiddly Inks site and found this sweet digi image to color with Copics. While still in the Labels Fourteen Nestie, I sponged lightly using Pumpkin Pie ink. The DP from DCWV's Nana's Kids pack is textured and looks/feels embossed IRL, but the photo doesn't show it well. Some MS seam binding and more rolled roses (MFT) and leaves from Spellbinders' Foliage set were used. The entire card is 5 1/4" square. So glad you stopped by...thanks for commenting and hope you can join in this fun challenge!
***Raise the Bar is going on a summer hiatus and we'll be MIA for a couple of months, but will return for more challenges on August 5!

Roses Are Blue

This was actually a card I made yesterday for the Color Challenge on SCS and couldn't post due to Blogger being wonky. Karen had some really fabulous colors for us: Baja Breeze, Perfect Plum & Soft Suede. Now you'd think I'd come up with something other than flowers on a card, but no...I just made plum and suede leaves! Who says they have to be green - lol?! I kept it CAS, which is hard for me to do, but I'm really happy with the way it turned out! Here's what I used:
STAMPS: Framed Wishes (Verve)
PAPER: DP by SU, Soft Suede, Perfect Plum, Baja Breeze
INK: Chocolate Chip
ACCESSORIES: Diamond EF by Sizzix, Foliage dies by Spellbinders, Rolled roses Die-namics by MFT.

Blooming Good Day!

Yay...Blogger is back! Couldn't post or comment for a couple of days and missed my blogging fix! It's Wednesday, so that means it's a new Color Throwdown challenge - this time with So Saffron, Old Olive & Pink Pirouette (with an option to add any other colors, but I chose to use only the first three) - great summer colors! I used the layout for the MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge in the MFT forum. I paper-pieced the PI gal and colored with Copics. This is pretty self-explanatory, so here is what I used:
STAMPS: Blooming Good Day (MFT)
PAPER: Watercolor Bouquet (K&Co), So Saffron, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, X-Press It Blending Card
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black
ACCESSORIES: Doily lace border Die-namic (MFT), So Saffron grosgrain ribbon (SU), Butterfly stickers (K&Co), Copics, Wonky Rectangle Nesties.

Steppin' to the Outhouse

This card is for the following challenges:
Crazy 4 Challenges - humor
Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge
Paper Sundaes Challenge - pop it up
I'm hoping the challenge police won't gong me for stretching the mojo sketch into a step card! The first step includes 3 rows of die cut grass and a punched picket fence. The 2nd step is a fancy labels die behind a Mega Ovals Lg. Nesties die. Here's a more complete list of what I used:
STAMPS: F-1165 by PSX (outhouse), Sittin' Here by Impression Obsession, Tiny Tags (SU), One Person (flower) by Verve.
PAPER: Old Olive, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Black, Certainly Celery.
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Riding Hood Red.
ACCESSORIES: Die-namic (grass) by MFT, MS picket fence border punch, Fancy Labels die, Mega Ovals Lg. Nesties, Gingham ribbon, Wonky Rectangle Nesties, Tiny tag punch (SU), Copics.

Special Anniversary

May 30th will be a special anniversary for an aunt & uncle - 65 years together! Their children have organized a card shower, so this is for them...a very special couple! I used Karen Giron's layout for the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge and am entering this into Our Creative Corner's challenge to frame it. The frame was silver embossed using an image from Gina K. Designs Lovely Labels set. It was cut using a Labels Four Nestie and then a center oval was cut as a window for the sentiment stamped in Blue Bayou. DP is from the Julianne pad by K&Co & mini rolled roses (Die-namics from MFT) are from Baja Breeze CS. Leaves were punched using SU's 2 step bird punch. Some Baja Breeze seam binding (SU), lace, bling & a silver button finish off this card.

Blog Candy at FYI!

Just a reminder to join us in the photo inspiration challenge on the For Your Inspiration blog! Valerie is offering some blog candy to one lucky participant! Check it out HERE!

Casing Carly

This is a weekend I don't want to see come to an end! Had a visit from our oldest son and his wife as they are on the move from Atlanta to northern VA. I don't post personal pics very often, but had to share a picture of them in our back yard. The weather was glorious, but all good things must come to an end as we told them goodbye this evening. I wanted to honor today's featured stamper on SCS - Carly Robertson aka PaperInBloom - who has an awesome gallery of CAS style cards! I chose THIS CARD to CASE. I used different stamps, different border punch, added some embossed lines to the sentiment strip and rounded the base card corners. I stamped and colored the dahlia image twice, then cut a portion out and layered with foam dots.
STAMPS: Delightful Dahlia & Mat Stack I Collection (sentiment) - both by PTI.
PAPER: Bashful Blue, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White.
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black.
ACCESSORIES: Modern Garland border punch by MS, Gingham ribbon, Score-Pal, Copics (Boooo, B91, B93, G40, G82, G94, Y13).

With Sympathy

It's Friday, so that means another Raise the Bar challenge. Since we're headed toward a special Memorial Day holiday weekend, Joni is challenging us to create a sympathy card - in remembrance of someone that we've lost. I used the Color Throwdown colors - a great combo from Broni - Black, gray, lime green. I'm also using the layout for the MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge. This is a clean, simple card...neutrals with just a pop of color. The Green Galore CS is retired but I've still got a stash I'm hoarding. It's a green that I always regretted seeing them discontinue. The doily lace border and the layered dies with the sentiment are all Die-namics from MFT. Spellbinders' Foliage Shapeabilities are some of my fave new dies! The floral trim is a new find at Mike's...love that they are adding more decorative lace trims to their ribbon section!
STAMPS: Forever In Our Hearts (Verve0
PAPER: DP by American Crafts, Black, Basic Gray, White,
Green Galore
Off to do some more cleaning...looking forward to our son and DIL visiting as they move from Atlanta to northern VA this w/e! After a TON of rain the past week...it's SO good to see the sun out! Thanks for stopping by...as always, I love reading your comments!

For Your Inspiration #6

It's time for another For Your Inspiration challenge! Join us and show us how this photo, filled with every color of the rainbow, inspires you! We have 3 new designers on our team and you'll want to see what Keva, Sara & Debby have created! Welcome, ladies...your talent is amazing!
There is blog candy being offered with this challenge - thanks to our Lovely Lotus DT member, Valerie!
I interpreted it very literally this time and paper-pieced a Verve balloon image. I cut out a couple of clouds from the DP and popped them on foam dots to add dimension. This is really fun paper from Echo Park's Summer Days pad. I added a MFT Die-namic border in yellow and accented it with a hand-crocheted flower, brad and die cut leaves with sentiment tag. The layout is for Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge - a great elongated version for a card!

STAMPS: Up, Up & Away (Verve), Faithful Phrases (Verve)

There are several shut-ins in our church who could use a cheerful greeting, so this will go out to one of these fine ladies! I'm trying to send out more of my cards rather than let them accumulate in my stamp room. Have a great day!

SC & MMTPT

There's no back door for the tea partiers this week...we're headed to the beach where Huck Owens and Skinny Pearl (can you guess who their grandparents might be?) will be recruiting rock stars to cross over to the country scene! They already had 42,000 guitars, so I brought some purdy sea shells instead! The destination is Anthony in Levvitown, PA who is facing a long recovery period following an accident. We all wish him nothing but sunny days! For more of the story...go to this link. I used Roxie's great layout for the Sketch Challenge on SCS. Here's what I used:
STAMPS: Stipple Shells (SU), Let it Shine (Verve)
PAPER: Seaside by October Afternoon, Vintage Cream
INK: Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Green Galore
ACCESSORIES: MS sea shell border punch, Swirls EF, Baker's twine.

Circle Hello

Julia has a great Color Challenge on SCS - Rich Razzleberry, Regal Rose & Vanilla with an option to add butterflies. I went with this week's Card Patterns Sketch 115 challenge for the layout. The card base is 2 die-cut pieces of Rich Razzleberry CS...then a layer of Vintage Cream...then DP from SU's Raspberry Tart pack. The sentiment is from SU's Great Greetings set - an oldie but goodie standby for sentiments. What else did I use?
Verve label dies, Half pearls, Butterfly sticker by K&Co, Grosgrain ribbon, Primas, Lg. & Sm. Circle & Blossom Nesties.

Spring Gifts

This is card is for 3 different challenges:
Technique Lover's Challenge - create paper buttons
CAS119 on SCS - be inspired by the word "GIFT"
Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge - a CAS sketch by my Paper Doll friend, Edna Morrisedie. Edited for mistake...didn't use any rodent stamps, so this one is disqualified!
So...I'm hoping Edna won't gong me for adding a long oval to the sketch. I popped it on foam dots, so I'll just call it an embellishment - lol! I've always loved this old set from SU with the spring flowers and then the sentiment was a perfect fit for the "gift" theme. The faux button was my second attempt (had WAY too much Crystal Effects piled on the first one...got impatient and messed it up because it wasn't completely dry). I do like the fact that you can custom make a paper button to match any color...BUT...patience is a big must! I punched 5 hearts and glued them together, sanded the edges, applied CE to give it shine, punched holes and threaded it with some baker's twine. The lace border was stamped using Versafine Black Onyx ink...my fave ink...unless I'm coloring with Copics. Then I use Memento Tuxedo Black.
STAMPS: Stella & Rose Hattie "Remember" Stamps by My Mind's Eye (lace border); The Gifts of Spring (SU).
PAPER: Stella & Rose Hazel "Mother" Meadow DP by MME, Neenah Solar White
ACCESSORIES: Corner Chomper, Mega Ovals Large Nesties, Triple hearts punch by SU, Baker's twine, Copics.
Flood watch is on for the large amount of rain that has hit our area today...and it's still coming down! Hope everyone stays safe!

Mojo Monday

Though it's a rainy Monday, it's a good Monday...I'm off work for 3 days and it's another Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge! I went back to my stamping roots and used gold embossing on the sentiment. I remember the awe as a new stamper when I heated up gold EP...felt like magic - lol! The logical next step was to use metallic gold CS...another thing I rarely go to anymore. I love this easy to use sketch...will have to use this one again! What did I use?
STAMPS: Plain Jane sentiment by Verve, Bloom & Grow by Verve
PAPER: Watercolor Bouquet Die-Cut Mat Pad by K&Co, Metallic gold, Neenah Solar White
INK: Versamark
ACCESSORIES: Sentiment flag die by Lil' Inker Designs, Prima, Leaf die by Verve, Adhesive rhinestones, Gold fine detail EP.

Viva la Verve

This is the 3rd Viva la Verve Sketch Challenge for May and Amy has given us a great layout to work with. I tweaked it a bit so I could use the shape of the papers from K&Co's Watercolor Bouquet Die-Cut Mat Pad. The finished card size is 5 x 6.5". Some machine stitching, lace trim, baker's twine, and a ginormous button (SU) were included. What else did I use?
STAMPS: Sweet Treats (Verve)
PAPER: Old Olive, Vintage Cream, Watercolor Bouquet (K&Co)
INK: Elegant Eggplant
ACCESSORIES: Oval and Frame dies by Verve

Raise the Bar

Well...Blogger has certainly tested my patience! This is my 3rd attempt to post my Raise the Bar challenge card - 1st time I had preset the time, 2nd time saved as a draft and now I'm posting AGAIN and hope it will work! Joni's daughter is having a birthday tomorrow and her fave colors are orange and green...sooo...that's what we were challenged to use. This is a fun a la mode image from MFT complete with yummy icing...well, I should say it's actually white opal Liquid Pearls. The image was colored with Copics and also paper-pieced. Some wonky Nesties, label dies from Verve, border punch by Martha and some ribbon finish off this birthday card. The paper is from Kaisercraft's Devonshire collection. The easy layout is Roxie's design for the Sketch Challenge on SCS this week. TGIF and I'm off work!

CTD CAS Card

Danielle has chosen some awesome summery colors for this week's Color Throwdown Challenge! I did something I rarely do and that's create a one layer card - gasp! What did I use?
STAMPS: Bloom & Grow by Verve (leaves), Hope Blooms by Verve (flowers)
PAPER: Cool Caribbean, White
INK: Cool Caribbean, So Saffron, Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss
ACCESSORIES: Brad, Garden Gate deep border punch by Martha Stewart, Leaves die by Verve
This is a generic card...something I like to keep on hand to add a sentiment as needed. I'm enjoying this sunny day...looks like on and off rain in the forecast for the next 6 days.