Happy Retirement, Bar!

Hello everyone! It's a special day for a fellow Color Throwdown team member! After many years of nursing others to health, Barbara Anders is retiring from the nursing profession! To help her celebrate, we have a blog hop to honor her. One trait that stands out... besides her fabulous stamping creations...is her great sense of humor! I went with a play on words for her card and computer-generated this sentiment - Three Chairs for You! - to go along with the trio of chair images. Good luck, Bar, as you enter retirement! You so deserve some time for relaxation, sleeping in, stamping all day if you so desire, drinking a glass of wine for breakfast...and lunch...and supper! ENJOY!!

To check out some other well wishers' blog posts, click on these names:

Broni Holcombe - http://bronih.typepad.com/splashesofwatercolor/

Lynn Put - http://thequeensscene.blogspot.com/

Wanda Cullen - http://cullen-arycreations.blogspot.com/

Lori Tecler - http://inkingaloud.blogspot.com/

Joan Ervin - http://stampingwithapassion.blogspot.com/

Jody Morrow - http://confessionsofaribbonaddict.blogspot.com/

Cindy Haffner - http://cindyhaffnerscorner.blogspot.com/

Tammy Hershberger - http://www.stamphappy-tammy.blogspot.com/
Christine Okken - http://christinecreations.blogspot.com/

STAMPS: Recollections
PAPER: Lost & Found Two "Blush" pad by My Mind's Eye, White, Raspberry Fizz, Green, Black
ACCESSORIES: Mini rolled roses Die-namics by MFT, Foliage die by Spellbinders, Grommet die by SB, Black twine, Raspberry Fizz ribbon by PTI.

Valentine Girl

I love these feminine papers (new by Echo Park) and thought they'd be perfect for My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge in the MFT forum on SCS. I'm also entering this into MFT's challenge for a guest designer spot with the requirement to incorporate paper piecing on our creation. I love this technique...especially with the PI line of images! My favorite MFT Die-namic is the mini rolled roses and couldn't resist adding them as embellishments to the rose-themed DP.

Copic colors used:
Hair - E55, E57
Skin - E000, E00, R00 (used for blush on cheeks)
Heart - R22
Shoes - R17

What else did I use?
STAMPS: Love You With All My Heart (MFT)
PAPER: Victoria Gardens 6x6 pad by Echo Park, Old Olive, White (Neenah Solar white for image and PTI white CS for base of card), Cameo Coral
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black
ACCESSORIES: White satin ribbon, Adhesive rhinestones by Recollections, Corner Chomper, Foliage dies by Spellbinders, Mini rolled roses Die-Namics and Dainty Lace border Die-Namics by MFT.

You're Special

Roxie has been posting the Sketch Challenge on SCS for the past 6 years and she is stepping down after all these years of fun layouts. Three new ladies will take her place, but I definitely wanted to play and acknowledge Roxie's dedication! So, this is my take on it...using new papers from the Yours Truly 6x6 pad by Echo Park and some new images from Paper Smooches...A Little Lovin' and Sentiment Sampler. I added some Crystal Effects to the tiny hearts and balanced off the other corner with a trio of buttons w/twine (can't have nekkid buttons - lol). Hope you're having a great "hump day"!

Mojo Sketch & CC

It's a rainy Tuesday...great for some stamping time! This card uses the layout for Julee's Mojo Monday Challenge plus it includes Vicki's cool winter colors (Bashful Blue, Night of Navy & White) for the Color Challenge on SCS. I thought the blues and white would work with a snowflake theme, so went with some Verve images from the Glad Tidings set. The dessert option was to use glitter, so this was also perfect to add to some of the snowflakes. I used the Snowflake Tidings die for the large snowflake base and the Tiny Sweet Scallop tag dies for the sentiment - both by Verve. The postage stamp border Die-Namic from MFT was cut using Bashful Blue CS. The finished card is 4 1/4" square - great for fitting into an A2 size envelope. I'm trying to decide if I want to begin packing up Christmas decorations today. It seems like I just got them out, but I like to have it done before having to go back to work on Jan. 2. Have a great day, blog friends!

ODBDSLC90 Anything Goes!

Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge for the next two weeks is "Anything Goes". I always love the "wide open" challenges and this was my chance to CASE an idea seen in a photo on Pinterest...that wonderful "time suck" web site with endless ideas and inspiration - lol! I created a large tag - about 3 1/4" x 5". I used Tim Holtz' Mini Paper Rosettes die to create the medallions out of white CS. The nose and hat were cut free hand and the eyes are tiny button brads (I cut off the prongs and attached them with a tiny glue dot). I added glitter to the snowflakes which never wants to show up in my photos very well! I made the pompom out of white baker's twine (SU). The sentiment is from the Warm Wishes set at ODBD...another sweet set if you're a lover of snowman images like I am!

To make the challenge even more fun, we will be giving out a prize, a $15 gift certificate to be used toward stamps at the Our Daily Bread Designs store!! Entries for the prize must be submitted by Friday, January 6 at 8 a.m. EST. One random winner will be chosen and announced next Saturday. If you are not using ODBD stamps, please do not enter more than once. Additional entries without using ODBD stamps will not be commented on or will they qualify for prizes.

While it is not required to use Our Daily Bread Designs images and sentiments on your creations, we would love to see them if you have them.As a way of recognizing those who do use Our Daily Bread Designs stamps, we will again be choosing 1 to 2 creations to spotlight for our Shining the Light Award. In order to qualify for this award, however, you must use Our Daily Bread stamps and have your submission added to Mr. Linky by Friday, January 6 at 8 a.m. EST. If you upload your creations to Splitcoast Stampers or any other online gallery, please use the keyword ODBDSLC90. When creating your posts on blogs please include a link to the challenge.

You'll want to check out all the lovely entries by the rest of the challenge team!
Francie Gumprecht
Silke Ledlow
Lori Ulrich
Sabrina Jackson
Sue Worthington - guest designer

STAMPS: Warm Wishes (ODBD)
PAPER: Mitten Weather by Cosmo Cricket, Kraft, White
INK: Versafine Onyx Black
ACCESSORIES: Crinkly ribbon, MS snowflake punch, small snowflake punch (?), Vintage buttons by PTI, Medallion die by Tim Holtz, Baker's twine, Button brads, Coarse glitter by MS, Grommet tags die by Spellbinders.

Tri-fold Card

Dawn Mercedes is asking us to create a tri-fold card for the Free 4 All Challenge on SCS. I saw an elegant card recently on Debbie Olsen's blog (see photo on right) and wanted to CASE it for this challenge. It gave me a chance to play with a new heart border die from Papertrey Ink that I just LOVE! By using white on white, it gives the illusion of an embossing pattern. I also tried a trick that I picked up on Pinterest to create an edge using a Nestabilities die (I used a Labels Twenty One Nestie). The one thing I would do differently is to emboss the doily stamp using black EP. Using only black ink isn't as vivid as I would like it to be. I'll more than likely add a sentiment to the inside to use as a wedding card. Thanks for stopping by and I want to wish all of my blog friends a very merry Christmas! I have a post set up for Saturday for the ODBD Shining the Light Challenge, but otherwise, my stamping will be on the back burner until after Christmas.

STAMPS: Day of Gratitude (SU)
PAPER: PTI White
INK: Palette Noir Black
ACCESSORIES: Labels Twenty One Nestie, Black satin ribbon (SU), Gemstone flower brad by Spare Parts, Hearts border die by PTI.

Digi Day

Hannah is asking us to use a digi for the Ways to Use It challenge over on SCS. I've had this sweet image from Mo's Digital Pencil for some time and have never inked it up until now. I needed one more Christmas card, so this was perfect. Coloring was done with Copics.

STAMPS: In the Manger by Mo's Digital Pencil, Blessed Christmas (Verve)
PAPER: Old Olive, So Saffron, Music DP by Creative Imaginations, Neenah Solar White
ACCESSORIES: Copics, Distressing tool.

Mojo & CC

I'm so ready to set the Christmas colors aside and bring on some spring colors! Peggy has a fabulous trio of colors on the SCS Color Challenge today: Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, & Wisteria Wonder! I used Teresa's great sketch for the Mojo Monday sketch challenge this week.

Here's what I used:
STAMPS: Sunny Days (Verve)
PAPER: Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, White
INK: Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon from SU, Crocheted circle, Vintage button, Adhesive pearls, Charming oval die by Verve, Victoria and square lattice EFs.

Now it's time to fix my mother's favorite cheese ball recipe using crushed pineapple and dried beef!

ODBD Stamp Sale

Not only is Our Daily Bread Designs having a stamp set sale, but they are offering Daily Dough Dollars as well! Here is what Kelley has posted on the ODBD blog:

We are having a fabulous inventory reduction sale on the stamp sets listed below. From now until December 24 these sets will be discounted 30% off! Check out these titles for great savings.

And that's not all! For every $50.00 purchase in the ODBD store you will receive $10.00 in Daily Dough Dollars! These DDD's can be redeemed in the online store (or by phone order) from January 1-March 15th! You will receive your Daily Dough Dollars code with your order!

Did I mention we are also throwing in FREE SHIPPING? Yes, the free shipping runs through December 24 for all US orders placed either online or with Josh over the phone (877-451-4909)!! International orders will receive a $5.00 credit on their shipping charge.

So check out these stamps sets! They would make a great gift for yourself or for the stampers on your list!

Remember to enter the coupon code DOUGH in the bottom of the shipping page to receive these fantastic offers! (International orders use code DOUGH5)

Ask, Seek, Knock
Bless this Home
Blessed Virgin Mary
Children of God
Cross of Christ
Don't Worry
Flourished Christian Symbols
Flower Frames
Flower Frames 2
Fleur de Lis Borders
Footprints in the Sand Set
From Me to You
Fruit of the Spirit
Give Thanks
God Loves You
Happy Fall
He is Risen
Ironworks Borders
Jesus
Large Scrapbook Words
Lift Up Your Hands
May God Hold You
Mini Tags 1
Mini Tags 2
Mini Tags 3
Missing You
Nest
Never Thirst
Noah's Ark
On Eagles' Wings
Our Daily Bread
Path of Life
Porch
Quiet Waters
Sweet William Large
Sweet William Small
The Living Bread
Time
Vine Borders
You are the Potter

Flourished Reindeer

I decided to venture out with some new challenges for a change in my stamping pace! I am barely making the deadline for the Moxie Fab World's Tuesday Trigger Challenge, but loved the elegant partridge in a pear tree pillow with it's pale blue tones paired with silver/gray and white! The elegant design of the bird made me think of my long neglected reindeer image from Flourishes. I seem to gravitate to the elegance of embossing powders with many of my Christmas cards. I then added some Copic coloring using BG0000 & C00. This card uses the sketch from Cardabilities #45 sketch challenge and yes...I had to be a bit rebellious and flip it to a vertical layout. I'm thinking I'll use this for my daughter's boyfriend's gift and tuck a nice crisp, green piece of spendable paper on the inside! Hope the size will fit - lol!

STAMPS: Flourishes
PAPER: Fifth Avenue by Melissa Frances, Metallic silver, White
INK: Versamark
ACCESSORIES: Labels Fourteen Nestie, Fancy Labels die by Spellbinders, Copics, Rhinestones, Silver EP, White satin ribbon.

CAS Christmas

Thanks to an early CAS Challenge post by Miss Boo on SCS, I was able to get this card done before going to bed. We were to use a shaped card (other than an A2) using the layout of a beautiful card by LilLuvsStampin (aka Charlene Merrick) seen HERE. I used a Labels One Nestie for the card shape. I needed one last card to send out to a local family, so this will wrap it up (no pun intended) for my 2011 cards!

STAMPS: Richly Blessed (Verve)
PAPER: DP from years ago - ? company, Riding Hood Red, White
INK: Versafine Onyx Black, Versamark
ACCESSORIES: Queen's Gold EP by Ranger, Cross die by Verve, Gold trim by Wright's (Walmart), Vintage button, twine, Labels One Nesties, Square lattice EF by SU.

ODBDSLC89 "NOEL" Word Play

Good Saturday morning! The ODBD Shining Light Challenge this week is a word play challenge: NOEL. Use each letter of NOEL to create a card. Here's my take on it:
N - Nestabilities
O - Ovals (punched sentiment)
E - Embossing (dry embossing on the Nestie layers)
L - Lacey border and Layers

I just love this new Stitch BG stamp created by fellow dirty girl, Dina Kowal! The Daisy/Black-eyed Susan image is also new and a fun one to color...in this case I used Copics. The layout is the Card Patterns Sketch challenge for this past week.

To make the ODBD challenge even more fun, we will be giving out a prize, a $15 gift certificate to be used toward stamps at the Our Daily Bread Designs store!! Entries for the prize must be submitted by Friday, December 23 at 8 a.m. EST. One random winner will be chosen and announced next Saturday. If you are not using ODBD stamps, please do not enter more than once. Additional entries without using ODBD stamps will not be commented on or will they qualify for prizes.

While it is not required to use Our Daily Bread Designs images and sentiments on your creations, we would love to see them if you have them.As a way of recognizing those who do use Our Daily Bread Designs stamps, we will again be choosing 1 to 2 creations to spotlight for our Shining the Light Award. Inorder to qualify for this award, however, you must use Our Daily Bread stamps and have your submission added to Mr. Linky by Friday, December 23 at 8 a.m. EST.If you upload your creations to Splitcoast Stampers or any other online gallery, please use the keyword is ODBDSLC89. When creating your posts on blogs please include a link to the challenge.

You'll want to check out the fabulous creations by the rest of the challenge team!
Chris Olsen
Francie Gumprecht
Silke Ledlow
Lori Ulrich
Sabrina Jackson
Sue Worthington - guest designer

STAMPS: Daisy by ODBD, Stitch BG by ODBD
PAPER: White, Black
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black
ACCESSORIES: Copics (Y13, Y15, YR14, E55, E25, E49, G21, YG63, YG67), Vintage floral border punch by MS, Circle Nesties, Oval punches by SU, Twine, Gingham ribbon.

At West End Inspiration

It's been awhile since I've played along with the Inspiration Challenge on SCS, but now that I'm on Christmas vacation, I have more time to play. Anne has given us a great shabby chic/rustic style web site with so many wonderful goodies for inspiration: At West End. I loved the wooden snowflakes they had for sale and was inspired by the luminaries as well. I decided to punch out a snowflake pattern from white CS and let the DP "shine through" much like the light would shine through a luminary design. I ran the snowflake punched square through the Big Shot using the square lattice EF. Some satin ribbon, a tiny scallop tag (die by Verve) and some glitter around the edges of the punched snowflake finished it off. I simply could not capture the sparkle of the glitter in the photo, but it's there. Talk about going down to the wire! What happened to my past habit of having my cards completed by Thanksgiving?!

STAMPS: Tag Time & O Christmas Tree - both sets by Verve
PAPER: Mitten Weather DP by Cosmo Cricket, White
INK: Perfect Plum
ACCESSORIES: Tiny Sweet Scallop tag die (Verve), Satin ribbon, Silver cording w/wire, Square lattice EF, Snowflake punch by EK Success, Vintage button by PTI.

Flowers in Winter

Wendy has challenged us to bring on the flowers to brighten up a drab winter day in the Free 4 All challenge on SCS. So, I'm bringing you some new daisies from Our Daily Bread Designs! I colored the image with Copics as follows...I used Y18 to color the petals; YR21 was added to each tip, then I flicked some YR24 color lightly from the center to the middle of the petal. Centers were colored with E44 & E47. I used YG03 & YG67 on the leaves. While the image was still in the Nestie, I sponged Antique Linen distress ink around the edges. Hope your Friday has been brightened with this card!

STAMPS: Daisy by ODBD
PAPER: Lost & Found Two "Sunshine" pad by My Mind's Eye, Black, White
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Antique Linen distress ink by Tim Holtz
ACCESSORIES: Postage Stamp Nestie, Labels Twenty One Nestie, Satin ribbon by SU, Gold cording, Vintage button by PTI, Tiny hearts border by MS

Razzleberry Gift Card Stocking

The Ways to Use It Challenge on SCS is to take a look into our favorites gallery...pick something that inspires us...and JUST DO IT! No, Nike is not the sponsor - lol! I had just "faved" a card today by Kittie Carraciola with clusters of white poinsettias...check it out on her blog HERE! I haven't mastered her detailed work yet, but did want to create a layered poinsettia to decorate this die cut stocking. I sponged the flower petals with Cranberry Crisp ink and sponged the olive holly leaves with Always Artichoke ink. I then took Imaginisce's petal roller tool and slightly curled the edges of all the leaves. I kept a simpler approach with the flower and omitted the punched ferns.

Here's what else I used:
PAPER: Rich Razzleberry, Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive
ACCESSORIES: Stocking die (SU), Layered Poinsettia die by Spellbinders, Gold cording, Gold glitter adhesive dots by Recollections, Petals-a-Plenty EF by SU, Square Lattice EF by SU.

Color Throwdown 172

It's time for another Color Throwdown Challenge, and this week Kerri Michaud (my sweet online comrade, fellow nurse, dirty girl and lover of Jeff Gordon - lol) - is hosting!
Now, I'll have to admit I was a little sparse with my use of pumpkin pie, but it's there...in the snowflake BG! Some Crystal Effects on his nose, Flower Soft on the pompom and an embossed BG all add a bit of texture to this 5 1/4" square card. Coloring was done with Copics. I've never had a Copic coloring class before, but highly recommend the book, "Copic Coloring Guide" by Colleen Schaan and Marianne Walker for great instructions and photos.
Remember, you don't have to have the exact colors listed...anything close will work! For more inspiration, be sure to check out the rest of the design team's awesome creations! This will be our last challenge for 2011, but we'll be back in 2012 with a fresh new look!

Barbara Anders

Broni Holcombe

Danielle Kennedy

Joan Ervin

Kerri Michaud

Keva Brown

Kristin Eberline

Lori Tecler

Lynn Put

Tammy Hershberger

Wanda Cullen - You are here!

Lydia Fiedler (December Guest Designer)

STAMPS: Bright Spirits (snowflakes) - Verve; Bear image - ?.
PAPER: Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, White
INK: Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, Memento Tuxedo Black, Antique Linen distress ink by Tim Holtz
ACCESSORIES: Labels Fourteen Nesties, Fancy Tags die by Spellbinders, 5x7 snowflake EF by CB, Crystal Effects, Polar White Flower Soft.

Sketch Challenge 363

This will be a short and sweet post...another "unwinding" card created after getting home from my last shift of work for this year! Looking forward to some much anticipated time off! Roxie has a great, clean-lined layout for the Sketch Challenge over on SCS, so I used this great Verve sentiment with the elegant mixed fonts for the focal point (from Verve's Richly Blessed set). The holly leaves are a new die from Lil' Inker Designs...highlighted with some glittery half circle stickers by Recollections. DP is from the Season's Greetings pad by Echo Park.

Chill Out

Today's CAS Challenge on SCS is to use the inspiration phrase "Chill Out" and I not only created a winter scene, but brought the 20-something degrees of chilly weather along as well! I omitted the snowflake for the CAS entry, but added it later for the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge which was perfect for a longer 3 1/2 x 6" card. Some coloring with Copics and lots of added glitter made this a quick and easy card to complete!

Here's what else I used:
STAMPS: Christmas Cottage (Waltzingmouse)
PAPER: Season's Greetings (Echo Park), PTI White
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black
ACCESSORIES: EK Success snowflake punch, Vintage floral border punch by Martha, Crystal fine & crystal coarse glitters by Martha, Brad by Echo Park, Copics.