You're Spectacular!

Ever have a stamp set that you just can't get enough of and you go to repeatedly? I was so glad when I no longer had to make Christmas cards so I could play with the Geek is Chic stamp set and matching Geek is Chic Die-Namics by My Favorite Things!  I'm a lover of all things punny, so the many cute sentiments in this set give you endless possibilities!  I'm working on a card gift set for a DIL who works for a group of eye doctors...and... I'm hoping she won't be reading my blog anytime soon as that would end the birthday surprise! :-)  I'm using the new MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge layout which I love!  The banners and yellow gold frame topper are elements from SU's Tag a Bag accessory kit.  I punched out the glitter heart and added a couple of enamel dots for a fun pop of sparkle and shine!  Papers are from SU's Moonlight designer series paper stack.

Thanks for stopping by and hope that YOU are having a spectacular day!

Color Throwdown

It's hump day again, and that means we have a new Color Throwdown Challenge on board! Tammy has some sweet colors for us - so different from what I would normally use, but totally loved them!

I found some patterned papers in MME's Follow Your Heart and Fabrications 6x6 pads that I thought worked well. I'm loving this Large Marianna Vine die by Memory Box that was part of happy mail this past week.  The sequins were a freebie package with my Simon Says Stamp order.  The paper pretty much did the work for me (not sure why the yellow looks so gold in the photo). :-( The 'happy' die and sentiment stamp are from WPlus9's Whole Lotta Happy set.

Congrats to the talented Cassie Trask - our guest star stamper this week!  Be sure and stop by her blog...you'll be very inspired by her creativity and fabulous coloring skills!

For details on how to play along and for more inspiration, be sure and check out the rest of the design team's creations on the CTD blog or you can go to the links below:

Barbara Anders  
Broni Holcombe   
Joan Ervin  
  Jodi Collins 
  Lori Tecler   
Monika Davis
Tammy Hershberger  
Vickie Zimmer 
  Wanda Cullen (you are here)

Bonnie Sharp - January Guest Designer

Mojo Monday

Hello everyone! Get ready to get your mojo flowing with Teresa's great sketch for the new Mojo Monday Challenge!  I am needing a couple of sympathy cards (never fun to make!) for co-workers, so this was a perfect layout to try out some new Memory Box dies.  That qualifies me for Darnell's NBUS challenge to use "never before used schtuff".  I always know I'll never leave her blog without a smile! :-)  I added some texture to the white space by applying Liquitex light modeling paste with a Mini Coffee Splotch stencil by TCW.  The stitched panels are new dies by Lil Inker Designs.  So...my new "schtuff" includes the leafy and stitched dies.  The Verve Forever In Our Hearts stamp set is my 'go to' set for sympathy cards.  Inside, I used the sentiment "May precious
loving memories bring you comfort for today, strength for tomorrow and peace in the days ahead".  A trio of buttons by SU finished off the design.

For more inspiration, be sure to check out the other mojomakers' creations by clicking on their blog links below OR you can go to the Mojo Monday blog and the first 8 thumbnails will be the mojomakers' cards.

Carole Burrage

Debbie Carriere

Julee Tilman (Owner)

Marisa Ritzen 

Mary Fish

Sarah Biglow

Teresa Kline

Wanda Cullen (you are here)

CAS White on White

 

I have to admit...not using any color nearly made me twitch! :-)  I decided to go outside my box with this card and played along with 3 different challenges:
SCS CAS Challenge - Use sentiment as the focal point.
SCS Technique Lover's Challenge - Use only white (no color!).
Freshly Made Sketches #168

I embossed a lot and added a vellum panel that's hard to see in the photo.  I did shadow the love sentiment with some gold cardstock as it simply "got lost" when I didn't.  I tweaked the sketch a wee bit and added the sentiment over the tilted panels instead of below.

What did I use?
Base embossing folder by Cuttlebug; Frame embossing folder by SU; Tipsy Heart die by Sizzix; Dotted Swiss embossing folder by Cuttlebug; Love word die by PTI.
Thanks so much for stopping by...

Melon Mambo on the Runway

I really loved the flowing, hot pink Ralph Lauren gown in the Runway Inspired Challenge, so decided to play along for the first time! The gold glitter tape strips were inspired by the neckline bling of the gown and the large Marianna vine die reminded me of the flowing lines of the dress.  My card layout uses the current sketch for Arielle's Retrosketches Challenge #148. 

A bit of trivia for you...During my one and only trip to New York City, I went on a bus tour of the city.  The young tour guide pointed out Ralph Lauren's large apartment complex and mentioned his birth name was Ralph Lifshitz.  I guess the teasing and lack of flow with the name for cosmetics soon led to a name change.  Saying you are wearing a lipstick by Ralph Lifshitz just doesn't have a good ring to it! :-)  Trivia fact #2: My favorite fragrance is Blue by Ralph Lauren! 

STAMPS: Spring Blooms by WPlus9; Diagonal Stripes BG by MFT.
PAPER: Sour Apple (MFT), Old Olive (SU), Black, White.
INK: Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Versafine Onyx Black.
ACCESSORIES: Large Marianna Vine BG and Large Marianna Vine Outline dies by Memory Box; Small hello die by Simon Says Stamp; Gold glitter tape; Black enamel dots; Clear Wink of Stella shimmer pen (added to flower centers); Spring Blooms dies by WPlus9.

MFT Color Challenge

 It's the first MFT Color Challenge of the year on the MFT Challenge and Inspiration blog and I was really loving the spring-like colors after a really bitter cold week of weather blasted

us here in VA!  I left work last night and it was 6 degrees with wind chill below zero.  Tonight it was a balmy 20 degrees when I got off at 10:45 PM!  Amazing how 20 can feel so good - lol!  So...back to my card.  I've gotten really rusty at coloring with Copics, so decided to ink up and color this little PI gal.  I fussy cut and popped with foam tape over a square panel of vellum - my only option to avoid covering up the chevron rainbow!  The layout is for Jen's Deconstructed Sketch Challenge.  I had everything in place when it hit me I hadn't added a sentiment. I knew I couldn't remove the vellum panel without tearing up the card, so went with a tiny "hugs" sentiment that could be stamped without smudging.  :-)  I really wish I had swapped out the orange and green borders so the green would represent the grassy area. :-(  Guess that will have to happen next time.  Moral of the story: Stamp when you're more alert in the morning rather than burning the midnight oil!

STAMPS: Blooming Good Day (MFT), Love You With All My Heart (MFT).
PAPER: Fabrications 6x6 pad by MME, White, Teal, Sour Apple, Daffodil Delight, Orange Zest, Vellum CS by SU.
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black.
ACCESSORIES: Rick Rack Die-Namics by MFT, Copics, Brad.

Something New

I'm playing along with the current Retrosketches challenge and also the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge which asks us to use something new. I just opened these new MFT stamps and dies yesterday and also just got this paper pad in the mail this week.  I just love these eye chart sentiments and thought they would be fun to create cards to give to my one DIL who works in an eye clinic with multiple eye doctors! 

Here's what I used...
STAMPS: Eye Charts (MFT)
PAPER: Bella Rouge (Pink Paislee), White, Black
INK: Versafine Onyx Black
ACCESSORIES: Geek is Chic Glasses Die-Namics (MFT), Tab Die-Namics (MFT), Stitched Rectangle die by Lil Inker Designs, Enamel Dots.