ATS Button Challenge

Happy Wednesday! It's time for another ATS Challenge. This week's challenge is to use buttons in a creative way. For my card, I used Bitzy Bugz Tubby Time by C.C. Designs, and the buttons are the tub feet!

I used BasicGrey Euphoria paper and buttons. I machine stitched around the blue patterned paper. I paper pieced the tub and colored the little bug with Copics. For the bubbles, I used Liquid Applique sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds glitter, and I heat puffed it when dry. The sentiment is from the C.C. Designs set Sweet Treats. I finished the card with some Primas and white organdy ribbon.

If you want to play along with our button challenge, use keyword ATSDTC11 when uploading to SCS, ATS, or another public gallery. We'd love to see what you create!

I had planned to start the previews of the August C.C. Designs sets tomorrow, but Christine had to postpone the release a week. So, I'll have the previews for you starting next Thursday! I guess that means I'll have to whip up something else to share with you! ;) Thanks for visiting today -- I always appreciate it! Have a great day!

Stamps: Tubby Time, Sweet Treats (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko) Cardstock: Soft Sky, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Euphoria (BasicGrey) Other: Euphoria buttons, Liquid Applique, Dazzling Diamonds glitter (SU!), white organdy ribbon, Prima flowers, Euphoria brads

One More Dirty Card!

Hello! I have one last card to share from the SCS Dare to Get Dirty challenges. There wasn't nearly enough time to do all the challenges I wanted to do, so again I combined challenges on this card. I did Natasha's (aka Tashers) sketch challenge, and Carole's (aka TruCarMa) color challenge. If any of you know Carole's style, she loves bright colors. If you know mine, you know I don't. The colors for the challenge were Brilliant Blue, Real Red, and Yo Yo Yellow. I found out that I don't even have any Yo Yo Yellow cardstock, so I had to settle for Summer Sun instead.

I used two sets from Verve Stamps: Seeing Stars and Starlight Starbright. I added one more challenge to the mix, the Meet the Verve Divas Challenge to use buttons on your project. Where are the buttons? The stars are mounted on clear square buttons from SU!. For the rest of the card I added lots of layers, doodled around the image panel, Cuttlebugged the background, and added a row of star eyelets. I have to say that, although this isn't my usual style, I DO like it! Thanks for the color push, Carole! :)

Tomorrow is the ATS Wednesday Challenge. On Thursday, I'll start the previews of the August C.C. Designs stamps. Wait 'til you see them -- they're soooo cute!! :) Thanks so much for stopping by today -- have a great day!!

Stamps: Seeing Stars, Starlight Starbright (Verve Stamps) Ink: Basic Black (SU!) Cardstock: Real Red, Brilliant Blue, Summer Sun, Whisper White, Basic Black (SU!) Paper: Real Red Prints (SU!) Other: Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft); oval punches, red brads, clear buttons (SU!); star eyelets (CTMH); black organdy ribbon (May Arts); black Gel Exel pen (Marvy); glue dots; dimensional foam

Giveaway Winner and More Dirty Cards!

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope your weekend was a great one! The first thing I need to do is to announce my Giveaway Winner! Thanks so much to all of you who commented on my post! I'm so happy and humbled to know that you all are out there, and that you like what I have to share!! THANK YOU!!

I used Random.org to get the winner, and the number is:

Random Sequence Generator
Here is your sequence:
81

The winner is: Lorene said...
....congrats!!! What a treasure trove of goodies...hope I win!!

Congrats, Lorene! Email me with your address, and I'll get those goodies out to you! :)

Okay, on to the cards. I have two more Dirty Dare Challenge cards to share with you. This first one was for Taylor's Cupcake Challenge. I love Cuppacakeabella, and I don't use her nearly enough! I pulled the colors from this American Crafts paper. I colored with Copics and added Stickles to the cupcake. The background was done with the Spots & Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder.

This second card couldn't be more different than the first! The size is 4.25" square. Since I just didn't have the time to do all the DTGD challenges I wanted to do, I combined FOUR of them on this card! I did Lauren's monochromatic challenge, Joan's silhouette challenge, Julia's stitching challenge, and Laura's distressing challenge. Whew!! I often work with images that need to be colored, so I'd forgotten how much I love this style of card. I think more of my earlier cards had solid images and texture. My favorite color is brown (really, it is), so of course that's what I chose for my color scheme. I used the SU! set Fresh Cuts (my first time inking it up *gasp!*). The cardstock is Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, and Kraft. Ink is Chocolate Chip and Creamy Caramel. I slipped a little natural hemp twine through the Chocolate Chip ribbon and frayed the ends.

I still have lots of projects on my "to do" list, so I'd better get to work! Thank you so much for visiting today -- have a fantastic day! :)

Wanna Win a $25 ATS Gift Certificate?

Did I get your attention? Christine, owner of All That Scraps, is moving to a bigger, better location! That means more room for new stuff!! She's having a contest to celebrate! Here's the info from Christine:

Onto the Gift certificate.........
I want to know what new (or even old) items you would like to see me carry, pattern paper companies, stamp companies, inks, embellishments, you name it(links to the product would be awesome too). Leave a comment and you will be entered to win. The winner will recieve a $25.00 Gift Certificate to All That Scraps.
One entry per person, contest ends Tuesday at 12:00 noon est

Now, you have to go to THIS <---click! post on the All That Scraps Blog to leave your comment for Christine. While you're there, you can read more about the move and see photos of the new space! We all are so excited for Christine and for ATS -- the business is growing, and she can offer more great products! Yeah!

I'll be back later on with more cards to share! Don't forget to leave a comment HERE to win my Blogaversary Giveaway! See you later! :)

More Dirty Dare Fun!

Happy Friday, everyone! Another weekend is on the way! I have a couple more Dirty Dare '08 cards to share with you. Doing these challenges is so much fun! If you aren't a Fan Club member you won't be able to see the challenge threads, but you can still view all the DTGD projects at the SCS gallery HERE.

This first card is a combination of Holly's (aka Toy) Sketch Challenge and Sharon's (aka notimetostamp) Stamp Simply challenge. I pierced the scallops, rounded corners, and added Red Stickles to the image. I also masked off the ends of the sentiment before stamping, because it was too long to fit in the space otherwise.

This second card was for Jenn's (aka JBalcer) Inspiration Challenge. She showed a photo of an incredible cake, and it was covered in a pattern exactly like the one in the paper I used! There was a gorgeous green bow on it, too -- so I was determined to get a green bow on this card! :) I paper pieced the cake with the dp. I added stickles to the heart and clear Glaze pen to the cake plate. The smaller panels were embossed with my Cuttlebug. The layout is from this week's Sketch Challenge at SCS.

**I want to remind you to look at yesterday's post below for my Blogaversary Giveaway! The winner will be randomly selected Monday morning. Thanks to all of you who have commented so far -- you all are too sweet!**

I'll be back with more DTGD projects this weekend, so I hope you'll stop back! Thanks so much for visiting today! :)

Card One

Stamps: Stem Silhouettes, Small Script (SU! - retired) Ink: Always Artichoke, Soft Sky (SU!) Cardstock: Soft Sky, Always Artichoke, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Figgy 6 x 6 pack (BasicGrey) Other: Xmas Red Stickles (Ranger); Corner Rounder, paper piercing tool (SU!); Mega Oval Punch, Giga Scalloped Oval Punch (Marvy Uchida); organdy ribbon; dimensional foam

Card Two

Stamps: Year After Year, Hugs & Wishes (SU!) Ink: Basic Black (SU!) Cardstock: Basic Black, Old Olive, Very Vanilla (SU!) Paper: the Paper Studio Other: Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain, corner rounder (SU!); Xmas Red Stickles (Ranger); Jelly Roll Glaze clear pen (Sakura); Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder, Birds and Swirls embossing folder (Provo Craft); dimensional foam

It's My BLOGAVERSARY!

Good morning! Happy Thursday to you! Today is my First Blogaversary! I can't believe how fast this year has flown, and I can't believe how much has happened. I remember a year ago I was tossing around the idea of starting a blog, but I just wasn't sure I had enough "stuff" to make it interesting. I had seen so many of my stamping "heros" (whose blogs I still stalk) who had amazing creations to share every day -- could I do that? And would anyone even read it?

It was one of the best decisions I've ever made. So much has happened since then. I have pushed myself to be better and to try new things. I'm on a fantastic Design Team. I've been asked to be a Guest Designer. I've been published. I NEVER saw it all happening a year ago. And truly, the best part of my decision to blog is that now I have all of you new "friends" to share the ride with me!!!! ((((friends)))))

So, to celebrate with you, my friends, and to thank you for visiting me, I have a Blogaversary Giveaway! Last weekend, while cleaning my stamp area, I came across lots of extra goodies! Here's what you can win:

Two retired SU! hostess sets, So Lovely and Reason to Smile

SU! Prints 6 x 6 pack

Gelly Roll Glaze Clear Pen

SU! Flower Fusion felt flowers

Black and White Magic Mesh

SU! Square Vellum Metal Edge Tags

Lots of fun ribbons!!

All you have to do is comment on THIS post -- ask a question, leave a comment, or just say hi! I'll choose a random winner on Monday morning, July 28. Good luck! :)

Before I go, I want to share another card I made for the Dare to Get Dirty '08 Challenges. This was for JulieHRR's challenge to make a Clean and Simple (CAS) card with lots of white space! NOT an easy challenge for me! I used the set Nature Silhouettes by Cornish Heritage Farms. I scored two lines with my Scor-pal, and I added some brads. This was one of the quickest cards I've made in ages! Maybe I could get used to this style after all... ;)

Have a great day, everyone! THANK YOU so much for making my first year of blogging a great one! HUGS!!!

Edited 7/28: I've chosen the winner -- see today's post for more! :)

ATS Challenge Day!

Hello! It's Wednesday, so it's time for another ATS Challenge. This week's challenge is "Anything But a Card." You know I've had Christmas in July on my mind this week, so my project is another wintery creation!

This container started out as Maxwell House Filter Packs -- I had taken them on vacation with us several months ago. And, like any good papercrafter, I saved the box for later recycling! It is now a "Snow Day Survival Kit," filled with hot cocoa packs and peppermint sticks! I covered the container with paper from My Mind's Eye.

I just love this image of Lulu and her snowman friend from Wintertime Fun. I think it's one of my favorite C.C. Designs images! I used Rectangle Nestabilities to cut out the image panel and mat. I colored the image with Copics, and I used Liquid Applique (heated to puff it up) for the trim on Lulu's coat. I added Stickles, Ghost Shapes snowflakes, glitter dots, and ribbon!

I can think of so many people I could give this to -- neighbors, teachers, even the mail carrier or bus driver! You could certainly change this seasonally, too -- lots of possibilities!

Want to play along? Use the keyword ATSDTC10 when uploading your project to a public gallery. The DT projects for this challenge will be on the ATS Blog later on -- you can leave a link on that post, too! All the ATS Challenges can be found HERE -- you can do any of them at any time! :)

Tomorrow is the big day -- my Blogaversary Giveaway!!!!! I hope you'll be back! I also have more Dare to Get Dirty challenge projects to share! Thanks so much for visiting today -- I always appreciate it! Have a great day! :)

Stamps: Wintertime Fun (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko) Cardstock: Brilliant Blue, Real Red, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Kaleidoscope 12 x 12 pack (MME) Other: Ciao markers (Copic); Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Real Red 5/8" grosgrain, Real Red striped grosgrain, circle punches, Stampin' Dimensionals, glue dots (SU!); Stardust Stickles (Ranger); White Lightning Glitter Dots (Jesse James); Snowflake Ghost Shapes (Heidi Swapp); Liquid Applique

Dare to Get Dirty '08

I'm gettin' dirty with the Dirty Dozen!! This week is Dirty Dare '08 for SCS Fan Club members. We get to play in challenges by the DD and DD alumni and post them to a special gallery. Not a Fan Club member? Go HERE to see how you can be one!

Yesterday the first two Dare to Get Dirty challenges were posted. Jody Morrow's challenge was to use ribbon as the inspiration for your project, and Laurie Schmidlin's challenge was to use vellum. I combined them to create this card. These ribbons were lying next to each other in my ribbon basket, so I used them as my starting point. They just so happen to be the same colors that are in the Afternoon Tea paper, so it just came together from there! I added the vellum to bring more flowers to the design.

This was fun -- I hope to do more of the challenges this week! Tomorrow I'll have the ATS Wednesday Challenge, and Thursday is my Blogaversary!!! Lots of fun -- I hope you'll stop back! Thanks for the visit today! :)

Stamps: Coffee with Friends (Flourishes) Ink: Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky (SU!) Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Afternoon Tea (SU!), White Floral vellum (Colorbok) Other: Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft); corner rounder, 1/8" handheld punch, Soft Sky stitched grosgrain, Euphoria brads (BasicGrey), glue dots, dimensionals, stamping sponge (SU!); brown dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts)

Featured Stamper: Susiestampalot

Hello! Welcome to the start of a new week!! I actually got in some good stamping time yesterday, which is unusual for a Sunday. I don't often have a chance to play the Featured Stamper Challenge at SCS, but I HAD to this week! The FS is Susan Liles, aka Susiestampalot. She's one of my favorite stampers! I CASEd this card from Susan's Gallery. I changed the colors and embossing folder. I also created dimensional butterflies instead of the heat embossed ones on Susan's card. I used a different punch for the sentiment, and I pierced around my image.

If you get a chance, head over to Susan's blog or gallery -- you won't be disappointed!!

Thanks for the visit today. I'll be back with more this week, and I'll have my Blogaversary giveaway on Thursday! Have a great day! :)

Stamps: Fluttering By, Petals and Stems (Verve) Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU!) Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Apricot Appeal, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White (SU!) Other: Cuttlebug, Birds and Swirls embossing folder (Provo Craft); Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain, Pumpkin Pie striped grosgrain, oval punches, soft subtles brads, paper piercing tool and mat pack, dimensionals (SU!)

Some Peppermint Tea

Good morning! Happy Sunday! I hope you have something great planned for today!

Kyle and Chris were gone all day yesterday -- Kyle's lacrosse team was playing in the Bluegrass Games -- and the girls were playing with friends, so I spent the entire day cleaning and purging down in my stamp area! When I was finally finished, I happily got a little stamping time around 9 pm! Here's a little more Christmas in July for you, this time with stamps from My Favorite Things. I've been dying to ink up my new Annie LaPoint Peppermint stamp, and the image is perfect with my beloved Figgy paper!



This card is 4.25" x 3.75". I started with a 10" x 3.75" piece of Soft Sky cardstock. I scored it at 4.25" and 8.5" -- that left a 1.5" flap to fold up for the pocket. I used eyelets to secure the pocket closed. The inside sentiment is from Baby It's Cold Outside. On the front, I Cuttlebugged just the front with the Snowflakes embossing folder. I colored the image with Copics and rounded just two corners of the image panel and Real Red mat. I sponged the image panel and added some May Arts red satin ribbon.

This would be a great little card to place in a gift basket, give to a teacher, or mail to a friend just because!

Guess what?!?!? In all my cleaning yesterday, I found lots of extra goodies lying around. It just so happens that my First Blogaversary is coming up this week -- that means a giveaway!!! Stay tuned for more... :)

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by today! :)

Christmas in July!

Well, it's been another day of me being Taxi Mom to teenagers, so it's been another day of no stamping time! No worries, though -- I have this card to share with you! And it's a good thing, too, because I could use a little cold weather around here! We've had temps in the 90's all week, so it's time for a little Christmas in July! This is one of the cards I made for Jen del Muro when I was the Guest Designer for i{heart}2stamp back in December. I can show it to you now! I've been hanging on to it, because I liked it so much -- have you ever done that?

I love this set, Got Snow?, from Gina K. Designs. The images are so sweet! I'm a big fan of snowmen, so I purchased this set as soon as it came out. I watercolored the images with SU! inks, and I used BasicGrey Figgy paper.

I embossed the olive panel with the Cuttlebug Spots & Dots embossing folder, and I tied the ribbon through two Jumbo Eyelets. I added Stardust Stickles to the snow, and I placed three snowflake eyelets randomly on the design. I sponged the edges of the image panel and sentiment with Soft Sky ink, and I mounted the panels on dimensionals and pop dots.

You know, just looking at this card makes me feel cooler! Tomorrow is going to be a good day -- I have nowhere to go, so I'm gonna do some stamping! I have a couple more ideas for some Christmas in July projects, so I hope you'll stop by to see them! Stay cool, and have a great day! Thanks for visiting today! :)

Stamps: Got Snow? (Gina K. Designs) Ink: Basic Black, Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise, Cranberry Crisp, Soft Sky (SU!) Cardstock: Soft Sky, Old Olive, Cranberry Crisp, Watercolor Paper (SU!) Paper: Figgy 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: Cuttlebug, Spots & Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft); Jumbo Eyelets, Aquapainter, Soft Sky stitched grosgrain, lg oval punch, stamping sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!); Stardust Stickles (Ranger); snowflake eyelets, pop dots

Some Verve Inspiration

Happy Thursday, everyone! It's another late post for me -- I just can't seem to get ahead of things this week! I've been spending lots of time in the car and not enough time stamping! I did get a chance this afternoon to spend some time at the Verve Stamps Forum at SCS. This week's Meet the Verve Divas Challenge was posted. It's an Inspiration Challenge, with this photo from Crate and Barrel as the inspiration piece. Since there is a grid in the pattern, it was a perfect reason to include this week's Technique Challenge as well!

Well, I couldn't stop there!! I saw that Verve Stamps also has their July Project Parade Challenge posted, and the challenge is to make an Artist Trading Card (ATC). An ATC is a 3.5" x 2.5" card used for trading and inspiration. If you've never made one, see Jen del Muro's ATC tutorial HERE. They're easy and fun!

I used my Scor-pal to make the 1/8" grid pattern, then I stamped Linen in Cool Caribbean over the scored grid. I pulled the colors from the photo and stamped the flowers and sentiment from Petals and Stems. I cut out the Cool Caribbean flowers and mounted them on dimensionals. I stamped the centers, punched them out with a 1/4" circle punch, and mounted them on the flowers with rolled up glue dots. I used Fiskars decorative scissors to cut the sentiment mat, and I added some ribbon and brads to finish the card.

Here you can see the dimension a little better. I packed a lot into a small canvas! :)

The great thing about ATCs is that you can easily turn them into a regular-sized card! I just created a card base, embossed a background with my Cuttlebug, and mounted the ATC on top! :)

I had fun combining these challenges -- it was just what I needed to get me stamping today! Thanks for taking a look -- I appreciate your visit so much! Have a great day! :)

Stamps: Petals and Stems (Verve Stamps), Linen (SU!) Ink: Brilliant Blue, Cool Caribbean, Summer Sun (SU!) Cardstock: Cool Caribbean, Brilliant Blue, Summer Sun, Whisper White (SU!); C.C. Designs White Cardstock Other: stitched grosgrain (Michaels); ric-rac, lg oval punch, 1/4" circle punch (SU!); Scor-pal; Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft); Scalloped scissors (Fiskars), dimensionals

ATS Sketch Challenge

Hi! Happy Wednesday! I'm back with another ATS Wednesday Challenge. This time the challenge is one of AmyR's sketches. It was the perfect sketch for my monkey from Summertime Fun. I also got to use my new BasicGrey Euphoria paper and buttons!

I colored Monkey with Copics, and I added white dots to the oval scallops. I embellished with ribbon and the buttons, and that's about it! A fun, simple design! :)

Be sure to stop by the All That Scraps Blog later on to see what the Design Team did with the sketch. Wanna play along? Use keyword ATSDTC09 when uploading to Splitcoaststampers or the All That Scraps Gallery. You can also leave a link at the ATS Blog so we can all see your creation!

To see a list of all the ATS Challenges, go to the post HERE. You can play along with any challenge at any time!

Thanks so much for visiting today -- I'm glad you stopped by! Have a great day! :)

Stamps: Summertime Fun (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko) Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Purely Pomegranate (SU!); C.C. Designs White Cardstock Paper: Euphoria (BasicGrey) Other: Giga Scalloped Oval Punch, Mega Oval Punch (Marvy Uchida); Euphoria buttons (BasicGrey); white grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!); white Gel Exel pen (Marvy)

A Color Challenge and New Rubber!

Hi there! I hope you're having a great day! Before I talk about my card, I just want to give a huge shout out to my ATS Design Teammate Dawn Easton (TreasureOiler)-- she is now a member of the Splitcoaststampers Dirty Dozen !!!!! Whoohoo! Gongrats, Girlie!! :) The other new Dirty Girl is Emily Giovanni (emilymomto3boys). Head over to their blogs or galleries to congratulate them!! Emily hosts the weekly SCS Color Challenge, and this week's color combo was suggested by Dawn -- so I made this card in honor of them both! :)

This image and sentiment are from American Art Stamp. I recently purchased several of their stamps. I love Karen Stolper's whimsical people, and I finally had a chance to ink this one up! I colored the image with Copics, and I drew in the ground line with a black SU! marker. The image panel and matting were cut with my Rectangle Nestabilities. The background is SU! Pretty Petals. I sponged all the edges of the cardstock and paper with coordinating ink (So Saffron on the white cardstock). I mounted the image and sentiment panels on dimensionals, and I added some ribbon and Primas.

Tomorrow I'll have the ATS Wednesday Challenge for you -- it's a sketch challenge. I hope you'll stop back to check it out! Until then, have a great day!! :)

Stamps: Watering by Karen Stolper, sentiment by Kathleene Callei (American Art Stamp); Pretty Petals (SU!) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko); Wild Wasabi, Almost Amethyst, So Saffron (SU!) Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, Almost Amethyst, So Saffron, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Almost Amethyst 6x6 Prints (SU!) Other: Wild Wasabi stitched grosgrain, white grosgrain, Ice Circles brads, oval punches, 1/8" handheld punch, stamping sponge, stampin' dimensionals (SU!); flowers (Prima); Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Ciao markers (Copic)

Verve Monday

Hello, friends! Happy Monday! Chris and I had a wonderful weekend in Northern Michigan, in the Traverse City area. We were there for my friend's daughter's wedding. Neither of us had never been there -- what a beautiful place! We fell in love with the area and will surely go back!

It's good to be home, but I was in need of a little mojo boost today. I turned to Julee Tilman and Verve Stamps for inspiration. The sketch is Julee's Mojo Monday sketch, and the colors are from the Meet the Verve Divas Challenge at SCS.

The stamp set I used is Petals and Stems. For my scalloped circles I used Die Cut Blooms, from the SU! Occasions Mini Catalog. They coordinate perfectly with the colors and the images! I used my Cuttlebug and two embossing folders: Swiss Dots and Birds and Swirls. I did a little sponging around the Saffron panel and the white circles. For my embellishments, I added some brown dotted organdy ribbon and some Dew Drops (thanks to my ATS Secret Sister for the Dew Drops!). I also pierced under the sentiment.

That's it for today! I have a pile of uninked stamps I need to play with, and I have lots of projects I need to work on for the coming weeks -- I can't wait to share it all with you! Have a great day today, and thanks for stopping by! :)

Stamps: Petals and Stems (Verve Stamps) Ink: So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip (SU!) Cardstock: So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White (SU!) Other: Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder, Birds and Swirls embossing folder (Provo Craft); brown dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts); Dew Drops (Robins Nest); Die Cut Blooms, paper piercing tool, mat pack, stamping sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!)

Sweet Pea

Hello, everyone! I hope your weekend is a good one so far!

This card is one that I submitted for publication, but it wasn't picked up. That means I can share it with you!! :) It's a pretty simple design, perfect for a baby girl. The images are from the Papertrey Ink set Green Thumb. I stamped the pea pod and peas, then I placed Dew Drops over the three peas to give them some dimension. I machine stitched around the square paper panel and on the top and bottom of the horizontal panel. I attached the tag to the ribbon with a Making Memories safety pin. That's about it!

I'll have more to share with you next week -- I hope you'll stop back! Have a great day today -- thanks for making me a part of it! :)

Stamps: Green Thumb (Papertrey Ink) Ink: Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink (SU!) Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Sultry (BasicGrey) Other: Giga Scalloped Oval Punch, Mega Oval Punch (Marvy Uchida); Word Window Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamping Sponge (SU!); Peony Dew Drops (Robins Nest); pink dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts); pink safety pin (Making Memories)

Girl Talk

Hello! Happy Thursday! The weekend is almost here!!! For today's post, I'm sharing the card that was my sample for the Ambassador Challenge I posted during the My Favorite Things release party. I had completely forgotten to post it here (bad blogger -- I know)!! My challenge was to use piercing on your project. That's one technique I use all the time, so it was the first thing I thought of when deciding what my challenge would be! I was so lucky to have received the new MINI, Call Me, before the release -- it was lots of fun to play with! I pulled the colors from the Romani paper. I colored the image with Copics, and I paper pieced her pants. I added piercing in the scallops, around the image, and under the sentiment. I used the Swiss Dots CB folder on the red panel.

Thanks to everyone who played in the challenge -- there were so many great projects in the challenge gallery! I had so much fun hosting it! I know next month's Ambassadors will have some great challenges, too! :)

Thank you for the visit today -- have a great day!!

Stamps: Call Me (MFT) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko) Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Real Red, Green Galore, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Romani (BasicGrey) Other: Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft); Ciao markers (Copic); paper piercing tool and mat pack, scalloped circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, stampin' dimensionals, Real Red 5/8" grosgrain (SU!); Apple Green dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts)

ATS Chipboard Challenge

Hello! It's Wednesday again!! Time for another ATS Challenge. This week the challenge is to use chipboard on your project. This card is a little different than my usual style, but I think I like it. I wanted to use this chipboard piece from SU! On Board Accents, and I thought it would be a great "frame" for the Glam Girls! So, since the girls are a little funky and fun, I pulled out this flower paper from the Kaleidoscope collection by My Mind's Eye. Definitely retro, don't you think? the rest of the materials are what I had left from the Sweet Treats Card Kit.

To cover the chipboard, I first cut the paper to size. Then I placed the paper over the chipboard and turned it upside down. I traced the holes and punched them out with a 1 1/4" circle punch (it's the perfect size). I adhered the paper to the chipboard with Mono Multi adhesive, then I just did a little sanding around the edges.

I colored the images with Copics. For some added texture, I used my Cuttlebug and two embossing folders: Swiss Dots and Bloom Dots. I punched the hole for the ribbon with my Crop-A-Dile. I matted the chipboard and mounted it to the card with Dimensionals.

Stop by the All That Scraps Blog later today to see what the rest of the DT created for this challenge. Play along with us, too! Use the keyword ATSDTC08 when uploading your project to a public gallery. Leave a link here, too -- I'd love to see it! :)

Tomorrow Chris and I are headed to Michigan for a wedding. We'll be back sometime Sunday. I have a couple posts scheduled while I'm gone -- I'll catch up with all of you when I get home! Have a fantastic weekend, everyone -- thank you so much for visiting today! :)

A Sketch Color Coffee Challenge

Hello, friends! Sorry for the late post today -- it's been a busy day! I spent most of it in the car, driving my son and three other high school sophomores to their team soccer camp 35 minutes from our home. Then, as soon as I dropped him back in our driveway, I was off to a hair appointment 15 minutes in the other direction! I went through $40 worth of gas today!

I have realized lately, since I'm increasingly at a loss for time, that I've been combining challenges to get my creativity flowing! Today I combined three challenges: Our Creative Corner sketch challenge, the SCS color challenge, and the Flourishes Coffee Time challenge. All three came together perfectly to create this card. And, as a bonus, the colors in my beloved Stella Ruby paper were perfect for the color challenge!

This was a very simple card to make. This set, Coffee With a Friend, is part of Flourishes' Stamp Simply line. I just stamped the image and paper pieced the mug and saucer. For the sentiment, I inked only the word "Coffee" and omitted the rest of the sentiment. The banana layer is embossed with the Cuttlebug and Textile Texture folder. I added a lot of sponging, some Vintage Brads, and some gorgeous scalloped satin ribbon. That's it!

I can't end this post without saying a big HELLO to all the girls who were at the C.C. Designs release party last night! **waving** It was so much fun, and it was great to see some new faces! :) The new sets and the Sweet Treats Card Kit are available NOW at All That Scraps.

Tomorrow I'll have the ATS Wednesday Challenge to share with you, so I hope you'll stop back! Thanks for coming by today -- I really appreciate it! :)

Stamps: Coffee With a Friend (Flourishes, LLC) Ink: Basic Black, Chocolate Chip (SU!) Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Groovy Guava, Barely Banana (SU!) Paper: Stella Ruby (BasicGrey) Other: Cuttlebug & Textile Textures embossing folder (Provo Craft); circle punches, Vintage Brads, stampin' dimensionals, stamping sponge (SU!); scalloped satin ribbon (May Arts)

Fun News!!!

Hey! I'm sneaking in another post this morning to share my happy news with you -- I was chosen to be the MFT August Guest Designer!!! WHOOO HOOO!!!!!Look HERE to see the announcement at the MFT Forum on SCS. The challenge was to create a birthday card, because Kim turned 40 and MFT turned 2!

I made this birthday card for Kim as my entry. It is a pocket card with a hinged opening. The inside sentiment is computer generated. The idea came to me when I was looking at the adorable bunnies from the Eggstra Special Easter set. Since I'm 42, I can appreciate the sentiment! LOL.

Okay, that's really all for me today! I just couldn't wait to share it! Be sure to see my other Monday post below for another peek at the new C.C. Designs stamps! Thanks again for the visit!! :)

It's Release Day!

Happy Monday, everyone! A new week has begun, and new C.C. Designs stamps are being released tonight! :)

My final preview is another card using Sweet Treats. Tell me, isn't this bear just the cutest? This time I didn't use materials from the card kit, but I used stuff from my own stash instead. The paper and buttons are from the Chick-A-Dee collection by SEI. The card base is Bazzill textured cardstock. I colored the bear with Copics and added some Stardust Stickles to the ice cream.

There are more samples of this set and all the new sets on the All That Scraps Blog -- be sure to check them out! Also, please join me and the DT from 8-10 pm EST tonight for a little party on the ATS Message Board before the sets are released!

That's all for me today! I'm so glad you stopped by to visit! Have a great day! :)

Stamps: Sweet Treats (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko) Cardstock: Bazzill textured, Regal Rose, Basic Black, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Chick-A-Dee (SEI) Other: Copics; Scalloped Circle punch, circle punches, 3/16" corner rounder, paper piercing tool, dimensionals (SU!); Chick-A-Dee buttons (SEI); Stardust Stickles (Ranger)

In the Garden

Hello! Happy Sunday! It's a beautiful day here today -- I hope it's the same where you are! :)

People have asked me why I call my blog Flowers and Ink. The reason is that my two loves are stamping and spending time in the garden. So, today I'm taking a break from the "Ink" and showing you the "Flowers." I hope you don't mind! Just click on a photo for a better view!

My garden is the area behind our house and around the deck. It contains mostly perennials with a few annuals thrown in for color. I'm no professional -- I just buy plants that I like and that I think will look good together, and I've had pretty good luck so far! :)

Here's a closeup of the fishpond area. We have seven goldfish who call the pond home. They have survived two winters already, so we're just crossing our fingers that they last a little longer!

I love Black-eyed Susans. They are so low-maintenance but give such a burst of color! In mid-summer they mix in so beautifully with these orange daylilies.

This morning, as I was taking these photos, I walked down the ramp next to the deck and saw this butterfly on the Coneflowers. I was lucky to get a shot before it flew away!

Just a few minutes later, as I was coming back toward the house, THIS butterfly was on the same flowers! Luckily I still had the camera in my hand! We always have lots of those little white butterflies everywhere, but we've NEVER had butterflies like these before!! If someone knows what kind they are, please let me know! :)

We also have a small raised-bed vegetable and herb garden. We have Roma and Big Beef tomatoes; Jalepeno, Cayenne, and Bell peppers; and a few herbs -- basil, cilantro, dill, and oregano. We've already used the Cayennes and Cilantro for Chris's guacamole (yum!). When the tomatoes ripen, we'll have homemade salsa and tomato-basil tarts. I'll share the recipes with you later on! :)

Thanks for taking a stroll through my garden today. If you're ever in my neck of the woods, I'd love to sit outside with you and sip a beverage! I'll be back tomorrow with one final C.C. Designs preview before tomorrow's release at 10:00 PM. I really do appreciate the visit -- have a great day! :)

I Scream, You Scream...

We all scream for ice cream!! Here's a preview of Sweet Treats by C.C. Designs. The images are just too cute!! In addition to the ice cream cone shown here, the monkey is back with a friend -- a bear! Lots of drippy ice cream for everyone! Head over to the All That Scraps Blog to see what the rest of the DT is doing with this set -- you'll be blown away!

The materials on this project (except the chipboard coasters) are from a Kit Christine has put together for this set. It's her first card kit, and she's offering it every other month. The Sweet Treats Kit contains:

10 pieces of cardstock
6 pieces of pattern paper
7 yards of ribbon
36 brads
16 gems
1 Stardust Glitter Pen
1 Sweet Treats Stamp Set
1 Instruction sheet to make 5 cards
There is enough in this kit to make the 5 cards plus plenty more!

For this project, I did a mini scrapbook/frame using 4x4" chipboard coasters and materials from the kit. I scalloped the edges of the paisley patterned paper with a corner rounder. The ice cream was colored with Copics, cut out, and mounted on dimensionals. The image has only one scoop, but I stamped a second one to put on top of the first one. The photos are of my girls and my nephews eating ice cream under the tree in my front yard, right after the Ice Cream Truck made its way down our street! :)

See the word "June" in the circle? That's from a set of 12 months also being released this month. Perfect for calendars and scrapbook journaling!

Don't forget -- the new stamps will be available at 10:00 PM on Monday, July 7. Join us on the ATS Forum for a little party from 8-10 before the release! I'll be back tomorrow with more samples from this set -- it's just so much fun! I hope you'll stop by! Thanks so much for visiting today -- have a fantastic Saturday! :)

Summertime Fun!

Happy July 4th!! I hope my American friends have something fun planned for today! We're headed to a parade and then to my in-laws for a cookout. The weather is YUCKY, though -- rainy and temps in the 70's! :(

Anyway, I have more previews of the July C.C. Designs releases to show you today! This set is called Summertime Fun, and it really is SO much fun! There is a snorkling Lulu, a surfing Lucky, and a monkey in an innertube! Here is Lulu doing a little diving. I had originally planned to make a gel (water) card, but I didn't have a bag that was the correct size. So, since necessity is the mother of invention, I embossed some bubbles on a piece of acetate instead! I used the Cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles embossing folder, and I love the result!

Here's a closeup of the bubbles -- it looks like she's swimming in a big tank! :) I colored the image with Copics and added some Baby Blue Stickles to the bubbles. I cut some wavy corners and added ribbon and Dew Drops to the card.

Surf's Up!! Here's Lucky doing some surfing! As soon as I saw this image, I knew I wanted to create some waves with the D'vine Swirls Cuttlebug folder. I cut around some of the swirls and applied Cool Caribbean ink directly from the pad to the embossing. I colored Lucky with Copics, cut him out, and mounted him on dimensionals. The ric rac adds another wavy element, and the Sugarcoated Brads and Stickles give some sparkle.

Do you like the previews so far? Head over to the All That Scraps Blog for more DT samples of the new releases -- you can also leave a comment for a chance to win one of them! All the new sets will be released July 7 at 10:00 PM Eastern Time.

Have a great day, everyone -- thanks for stopping by! I'll have more previews tomorrow! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, USA!!!!!

Lulu Card

Stamps: Summertime Fun (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Bashful Blue (SU!) Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Old Olive (SU!); C.C. Designs White Cardstock Paper: Cutie Pie (SU!) Other: Ciao markers (Copic); acetate; Cuttlebug & Tiny Bubbles embossing folder (Provo Craft); Dew Drops (Robin's Nest); Circle Cutter (Fiskars); Bashful Blue striped grosgrain, Word Window punch, stamping sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!), Baby Blue Stickles (Ranger)

Lucky Card

Stamps: Summertime Fun (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Cool Caribbean (SU!) Cardstock: Bazzill; C.C. Designs White Cardstock; Cool Caribbean, Chocolate Chip (SU!) Paper: Kaleidoscope Collection (My Minds Eye) Other: Cuttlebug & D'vine Swirls embossing folder (Provo Craft); Swimming Pool Sugarcoated Brads (Doodlebug); Stardust Stickles (Ranger), Seaside Originals ribbon, circle punches, stamping sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!)

Pretty Kitty

Hi there! First of all, I'd like to say hello to everyone who was at the MFT Forum last night for the release party! And, a big thank you to everyone who played in my Ambassador Challenge! If you haven't played yet, there's still time! The challenge is open through Sunday, July 6. On Monday a random participant will be chosen to received a pre-released MFT set! :)

Now, on to more fun stuff! It's Thursday, so that means it's time to start previewing the July C.C. Designs sets! Christine is releasing four new sets on July 7. Here's a look at the Pretty Kitties set. This kitty is quite the princess, don't you think?

I stamped the background with the Polka Dots Big Ol' Background, also by C.C. Designs. The paper is from Paper Pizazz. I found it in my stash and pulled the colors from there. The image panel and mat were cut with my Rectangle Nestabilities. The images were colored with Copics. I pierced the scallops on the narrow panel, but they're kinda hidden behind the bow. I thought the little mouse would be cute on a tag -- it looks like he's teasing the kitty! I had to add a little bling to her crown and the Prima flowers, and I colored her collar with a Stardust Pen.

I know tomorrow is Independence Day here in the USA, but I hope you have time to stop back for another preview! I promise you some summertime fun! :) Thanks for the visit today -- have a fantastic day! :)

Stamps: Pretty Kitties, Polka Dots Big Ol' Background (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Pumpkin Pie (SU!) Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Purely Pomegranate, C.C. Designs white cardstock Paper: Paper Pizazz Other: Ciao markers (Copic); Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders); 1 1/4" and 1" circle punches, silver cord, 1/16" handheld punch, dimensionals, paper piercing tool, 3/16" corner rounder (SU!); flowers (prima); white organdy ribbon, rhinestones

ATS Wednesday Challenge

Hi there! It's time for another ATS Wednesday Challenge. This time it's a color challenge: Groovy Guava, Chocolate Chip, and Blue Bayou. I'm glad I'm getting some chances to play with these In Colors before they retire! I used BasicGrey Stella Ruby paper (what is with me and BasicGrey this week?) with my cardstock. The images are from the C.C. Designs set Layla and Virginia. I colored Layla with Copics, and I drew the ground line with my black SU! marker. I used my rectangle Nestabilities on the image panel and mat. To break up all the straight lines, I added some freestyle machine stitching to the top and bottom of the guava panel. I had some fun with the sentiment and matting -- I layered them off-center and added some piercing.

Stop by the All That Scraps Blog later today to see the rest of the DT samples for this challenge. If you want to play with us, use the keyword ATSDTC07 when uploading to SCS or the ATS Gallery. You can leave a link to your project on the ATS Blog, too! That way we all can see it! :)

Tomorrow begins the previews of the C.C. Designs July releases -- you won't want to miss it! I'm having way too much fun with Christine's stamps this month! :) Also, don't forget to stop by the MFT Forum at SCS tonight from 9-11 EST for the release party. I'll be posting my Ambassador Challenge, and I'd love for you to play! :)

Have a great day, everyone -- thanks for the visit! See you all tomorrow! :)

Stamps: Layla and Virginia (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Chocolate Chip (SU!) Cardstock: Groovy Guava, Blue Bayou, Chocolate Chip (SU!); C.C. Designs white cardstock Paper: Stella Ruby (BasicGrey) Other: Ciao markers (Copic); Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Dew Drops (Robin's Nest); Blue Bayou stitched grosgrain, Basic Black marker, circle punches, paper piercing tool, dimensionals (SU!); sewing machine & brown thread

A Triple Challenge!

Hello! Can you believe it's July 1st already? Where is the summer going?!? Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends! :)

Today's SCS Color Challenge is a great one, with some of my favorite colors: Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi, and Certainly Celery. I decided to combine it with this week's MFT Sketch Challenge. As I reached for paper, I picked up some BasicGrey Perhaps because it has a gorgeous pomegranate color. That makes this card another entry for the Our Creative Corner challenge to use BG paper! Three-in-one! Whew!

The card size is 5" square. The inner celery panel is 4.25" square and is embossed with my Cuttlebug and Textile Texture folder. The images are from My Favorite Things. I stamped the flowers after masking off the word "Chamomile" from the bottom, because I thought it would compete with the sentiment. The sentiment is from Essential Sentiments. I paper pieced the pot with the BG paper, and I colored the flowers with Copics. Prima flowers and a rhinestone brad finish the card.

Tonight is Megan's first dive meet of the season -- cross your fingers for her! It's going to be a beautiful night, so we're looking forward to hanging out by the pool and enjoying the evening! I'll be back tomorrow with the ATS Wednesday Challenge -- it's a color challenge. I hope you'll play with us! Have a great day -- thanks for stopping by! :)

Stamps: Chamomile, Essential Sentiments (MFT) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Purely Pomegranate (SU!) Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Perhaps (BasicGrey) Other: Ciao markers (Copic); Cuttlebug & Textile Texture embossing folder (Provo Craft); flowers (Prima); rhinestone brad, stamping sponge, stampin' dimensionals (SU!)