Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy

Happy Monday to you! I hope you had a great weekend. We celebrated several things this weekend -- my nephew's First Communion, Mother's Day, and my brother's birthday. I made this card with these happy occasions in mind. I used the MFT Happy Thoughts set paired with some fun MME Lime Twist paper, and the layout is Jen's May Sketch for You to Try.

I took a couple liberties with the sketch -- I hope that's okay, Jen. ;)  I made the main circle a bit smaller to accommodate the sentiment, and I used several lengths of Cappuccino Twine in place of the narrow vertical panel. I like this clean design, suitable for any happy occasion.

Tip: Have some "generic" happy cards available in your stash, then customize the inside as needed to fit the occasion. It will save you from those last-minute card making sessions before you run out the door. ;)

Tomorrow is our monthly MFT DT Creative Challenge... and it was quite a challenge, I'm telling ya! I hope you'll stop by to check it out. Thanks so much for the visit today. :)

Have a great day!
Christina

For the Graduate

Happy Friday, everyone! Today is the last day of school for my daughters -- this weekend officially begins my summer vacation! This summer I'll be doing some tutoring, and my older two will be working, but there hopefully will be lots of time for the pool and some crafting with my little ones! :)

Here is a card I made for my niece's graduation. I decided to do something a little bit non-traditional. She is a smart, talented and confident individual, and she has accomplished so much during her time in high school. I wanted this card to reflect her fun personality and style!

I used Jen's Sketch for You to Try. She always has the best sketches -- be sure to visit her on Saturdays if you need some inspiration for a layout! The stamp set is Fairy Tales from Verve Stamps, and the paper is June Bug by BasicGrey.

I made the flower by using my scallop circle punch on the patterned paper. I then crumpled up the scalloped circles, inked the edges, and layered them with a button on top. The top circle is folded and gathered in just a bit to make it smaller than the bottom circle. I used glue dots to hold the layers together. You can do this with several layers, or you can use other punches or flower dies to create a different look.

That's all for today! I appreciate you stopping by today and every day! :)

Have a fantastic Friday!
Christina

Teacher Thanks

Hello! I can't believe it's been almost a week since I posted here -- life just got in the way of my stamping time! I attended a training course last week from Monday-Friday, and the weekend was spent with family activities and playing catch-up around the house! It felt good to sit down and stamp something again!

If you haven't stopped by Jen del Muro's blog, i{heart}2stamp, lately -- be sure to check out this week's Sketch for You to Try. It's sponsored by My Favorite Things, and you can win a $25 Gift Certificate and the new Die-namics Jumbo Scallops die! I used the sketch to make this card for Teacher Appreciation Week at school.

The image is from Pure Innocence: Book in Hand. The sentiment is from this month's Triple Scoop set, Thanks a Bunch. I used the Die-namics Jumbo Scallops die and the new cork sheets to make the scalloped border. The paper is from October Afternoon's Cherry Hill and Night Light collections.

That's all for now -- I'm so glad you stopped to visit! :)

Have a great day!
Christina

You Make Me Smile

Hi there! I hope you're having a great weekend! It's been beautiful here -- we've spent lots of time outside, doing yardwork and just hanging out. I had to force myself to come inside and stamp something! :)

Jen's Sketch for You to Try this week is a great one, and it was just what I needed to get the juices flowing! I used sweet Millie the Mouse, a new character from My Favorite Things (she's already sold out, but she'll be back soon)! I paper pieced her body and bow, then I added some pink to her body with a Prismacolor pencil. I stitched and inked all the paper panels.

My kids are on spring break this week, so we'll be spending some time visiting my brother and his family. I have a couple things ready to post while I'm gone, so please stop back! :)

Thank you so much for visiting today -- have a fantastic day!

Christina

Stamps: Millie the Mouse (MFT) Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Vintage Touch Duo (PTI) Cardstock: So Saffron, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Wild Raspberry (K&Company) Other: Circle Nestabilities, Blossom Nestabilities, So Saffron ribbon, button, twine, Prismacolor pencil, Diamond Lace punch, dimensionals, sewing machine Card Size: 5.25" x 5.25"

A Veggie Sketch!

Happy Tuesday! I have a fun card to share today -- I inked up one of my Bellas! I *love* my Stampingbella images, and I've collected quite a few of them, but I don't get to play with them nearly enough! I had so much fun with this card -- mostly because of this great Sketch for You to Try from Jen del Muro.

The first time I saw this Offbeat paper, I knew I wanted to pair it up with Veggiebella. The card just took off from there! I colored with Copics and paper pieced her overalls, and I had some fun with the details and embellishments!

Here's a closeup...

I stamped the sentiment on vellum so it wouldn't completely cover the bottom of the image. I used dimensional foam circles to attach the vellum over the image panel, then I placed Dew Drops on the sides so the dimensionals wouldn't show through the vellum!

That's all for today -- I'm so glad you stopped by! I'll be back tomorrow with the ATS Challenge, so I hope you'll be back to check it out! :)

Have a fantastic day!

Christina

Stamps: Veggiebella, sentiment (Stampingbella) Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Kiwi Kiss (SU!) Cardstock: Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Offbeat 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: Copics; Button Bouquet, natural hemp twine (SU!); Poinsettia Dew Drops (Robin's Nest); sponge, dimensionals, sewing machine

Challenge Cards

Happy Friday, everyone! I have two challenge cards to share with you today.

The first card is the one I made for this week's SCS Sketch Challenge. It was a fun sketch to work with, and I built the card around this BasicGrey Ambrosia paper. I have never been a big fan of orange, but this paper has made me a convert! I used the Verve Stamps set Fluttering By for the image and sentiment. I stamped the butterfly once on the image panel and again on a separate piece of dp. I heat embossed the second butterfly, cut it out, and mounted it over the first. I embellished with Dew Drops, black organdy ribbon, and piercing. The background paper was embossed with my Cuttlebug and Swiss Dots embossing folder.

My second card is for this week's SCS Color Challenge. This photo is really icky (that's my favorite technical term) -- I don't know what was wrong with my camera! I think this card is so much prettier IRL! Oh well...

The layout is Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. Angel with Bunny and the sentiment are from American Art Stamp. I colored with Prismacolor Pencils and OMS, pulling the colors from the BasicGrey Sultry paper. I added Star Dust Stickles to the angel's wings. The background was embossed with the Cuttlebug and Birds & Swirls embossing folder. I embellished with ribbon and Prima Caboodles. I am in love with these flowers -- I've been using them on everything!! They are hydrangea flowers with the leaves attached. They come in many color combinations, and they are fun to work with!

Thanks for taking a look at my challenge cards! Thanks, also, for visiting today! I DO appreciate it so much! :)

Have a fantastic Friday!
Christina

Just a Little Something

Hi there! Happy Tuesday to you! Here's a birthday card I made with Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. The image and sentiment are from American Art Stamp. I stamped Gifty Girl in Momento Rich Cocoa ink and colored with Copics. I pierced around the image panel, and I sponged around the image and sentiment.

I just love these leggy images by Karen Stolper -- they make such fun cards! Speaking of fun, stop back after midnight for something new from MFT! Here's a hint: things are getting a little twisted! ;)

Thank you for visiting -- I'm so glad you stopped by today!

Have a fantastic day!
Christina

Stamps: Gifty Girl, sentiment (American Art Stamp) Ink: Momento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko), Old Olive (SU!) Cardstock: white, Old Olive, Riding Hood Red (SU!) Paper: Cupcake 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: Copics; ribbon; paper piercer, mat pack, circle punches, Button Bouquet (SU!); sponge, dimensionals

Hay, Chick!

Hello! Happy Thursday! We're still in a deep freeze here -- my kids are off school again today. The temps won't get above freezing for several days, so it looks like the ice and snow are here to stay for a while!

Yesterday I got a chance to play with Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. I haven't done one in forever -- she always has the best sketches! The images are from Anna Wight's set Crazy for Chickens by Whippersnapper Designs. I am a BIG fan of Anna's images, and I don't get to ink them up nearly enough! I stamped the checker border directly onto the Daisy D's paper, and I also stamped a path with the chicken feet, although it didn't show up well against the dp. I colored with Copics and sponged around the circle.

It was a fun sketch and a fun stamp set, so it was a fun card to make! There will be more fun tomorrow, because we're starting previews of the February All That Scraps releases! I hope you'll stop back to see! Thanks so much for visiting today!

Have a great day!
Christina

Stamps: Crazy for Chickens (Whippersnapper Designs) Ink: Momento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko) Cardstock: Always Artichoke, So Saffron (SU!) Paper: French Market Swatches (Daisy D's) Other: Ciao markers (Copic); Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders); scalloped ribbon (May Arts); Vintage brads (SU!); sponge, dimensionals

Happy Birthday, Kyle!

Today is my oldest's birthday -- he's 16 years old! I can't believe it! Here's the card I made for him, using Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. It's a fun sketch, perfect for the image and paper I wanted to use! The truck is from SU!'s Loads of Love, and the numbers are from Melanie Muenchinger's set Just So Sporty, by Gina K. Designs. The dp is from American Crafts. I paper pieced the truck with the solid green that is the reverse side of the arrow pattern. I colored the rest of the image with Copics and sponged around the panel with Soft Sky ink.

I had bought a package of chipboard arrows when I bought the paper -- they work perfectly together! I covered the arrow with Basic Black ink, and I added a trio of brads. I also added brads to the truck tires. The Soft Sky background was Cuttlebugged with the Number Collage embossing folder. I pierced around the numbers and mounted everything on dimensional foam.

I like how it turned out -- I think it's a fun card! Kyle is one of my biggest cheerleaders, and he always likes to see the new projects I've made. I hope he likes this one! :)

We're going to a Japanese steakhouse for his birthday dinner -- his request! I have a few things to do around here before then, so that's all for now! Thanks so much for the visit -- have a fantastic day! :)

Stamps: Loads of Love (SU!), Just So Sporty (Gina K. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Basic Black (SU!) Cardstock: Basic Black, Soft Sky, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Travel (American Crafts) Other: Copic markers; vintage brads, circle punches, paper piercing tool, stamping sponge (SU!), Jigsaw Arrows (Making Memories); Cuttlebug, Number Collage (Provo Craft), dimensional foam

Lights On!!

We have electricity! Woohoo! It came back on around 4pm yesterday. There are still so many people without power -- please say a little prayer for all them! I have a new appreciation for the things I take for granted -- like flipping a light switch and being able to see! Since my stamping table is in the basement with no natural light, it was impossible to stamp anything during the day, and the night was definitely out of the question! Needless to say, I have a lot of catching up to do!

Here is a card I didn't get to upload before the power went out. I made it for Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. The challenge this week is to combine the sketch with a Stamping Bella image. I've been wanting to ink up Lattebella for quite a while, so this was the perfect reason! I colored with Copics and sponged the edges of the image and sentiment panels with River Rock ink. I tied natural hemp twine through SU! clear buttons for the trio of embellishments. The patterned paper is from the Archaic 6x6 pad by BasicGrey.

I didn't yet get a chance to play today's ATS Challenge, but I wanted to give you the details so you can play along! It's a color challenge -- if you don't have the new SU! In Colors, just substitute something similar! When uploading to a gallery, use keyword ATSDTC18. I'm hoping to get my sample done today! :)

Thanks so much for visiting today -- I always appreciate it when you stop by! Have a great day!

Bella Card Recipe:

Stamps: Lattebella, sentiment (Stamping Bella) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), River Rock (SU!) Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Archaic 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: Ciao markers (Copic); clear buttons, natural hemp twine, vintage brads, stamping sponge (SU!); dimensional foam, glue dots

Labor Day Challenges

Happy Labor Day! I hope you are doing something fun today! We're doing a lot of "catch up" around the house --doing laundry, cleaning the garage... but of course I did some stamping, too!

There are quite a few challenges in this one card! I did today's Technique Challenge at SCS (Black Magic), the Meet the Verve Divas Challenge (using unloved supplies), the Verve Project Parade (brown and pink), and Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. All of them came together pretty easily once I got started!

Okay, so here are the details. I used my Prismacolor Pencils dipped in OMS to color in the flower image which was stamped in SU! white craft ink. I used a few "unloved" supplies: SU! Berry Bliss paper (I HAD to have it but have used it once before now!), ticket corner punch (I honestly can't remember the last time I used it), and white detail embossing powder (I don't heat emboss nearly as much as I should). The brown and pink color scheme is perfect for the Verve Project Parade -- the brown and pink inspiration piece is so yummy! I love Jen's sketch this week -- it was perfect for this image and sentiment from Beautiful You by Verve Stamps. The small flourish is from Fairy Tales, also by Verve.

I had fun making this card, and I love how it turned out! I made it with the recipients in mind, and it will be in the mail tomorrow! :)

If you don't mind, I have a couple more blog awards I'd like to share with you today.

Candy from I Love Chocolate gave me this Javablu Award -- thank you, Candy!

Anna Sutherland of Funky, Fresh and Fun gave me this award. Thank you so much, Anna!

I have to admit, I'm a little overwhelmed by the blog awards I have received lately. I really am humbled to know that you like what I do -- thank you all SO much! I get so much inspiration from all the blogs I visit, and it makes me happy to know that you get inspiration from me, too! Big hugs to all of you!! :)

Thanks so much for visiting today! I'll be back tomorrow with another card -- but now it's time to put in another load of laundry! Have a great day! :)

Bahamas on My Mind

As Dorothy would say, "We're not in Kansas anymore." We're not in the Bahamas anymore, either. I keep waiting for someone to offer me a fruity drink, but no one's lifting a finger. Aaaahhh, it's good to be home... ;)

I decided I'd make my own drink, but this one is the inky kind. The images are from the set Good Times by Whippersnapper Designs. So cute!!! I've long been a fan of Anna Wight and her adorable images, so when I saw this set I had to have it! I ordered it before I left for vacation, and it was waiting for me when I returned home! The sketch is Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. I'll list the supplies -- just let me know if you have any questions!

I have a busy week ahead and lots to share with you, so I hope you'll stop back! Thanks so much for the visit today -- have a fantastic day! :)

Stamps: Good Times (Whippersnapper Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Barely Banana (SU!) Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Barely Banana, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Beachy Keen (Flair Design) Other: Copic markers; Cuttlebug & Swiss Dots folder (Provo Craft); flowers (Prima); Ice Circle Brad, Pumpkin Pie striped grosgrain ribbon, horizontal slot punch, stamping sponge, dimensionals (SU!)

Springtini, Anyone?

It's hot today. Really hot. In the 90's, for about the fourth day in a row. I know some of you have hotter weather than this, but this is usually what we get in July or August. Not early June. I'm not a big fan of heat, so a nice cool drink would sure hit the spot. That got me thinking that I haven't inked up this image from Stamping Bella since I got it about a month ago! Today was the day! I colored it with Copics and sponged around the edges. I couldn't help using this sentiment from The Cat's Pajamas -- it makes me smile every time! :) The background is from C.C. Designs. It's stamped in white craft ink and heat embossed with white EP. I Cuttlebugged the half circle with the Bloom Dots embossing folder. The layout is Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try -- it's a fun one!

The girls are running through the sprinkler, and I promised them some ice cream, so I'm off to see what they're up to. I hope you stay cool today -- thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Stamps: Springtini (Stamping Bella), sentiment (TCP), Polka Dots Big Ol' Background (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko); White Craft, Regal Rose, Basic Black (SU!) Cardstock: Summer Sun, Regal Rose, Old Olive, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: "V" Monograms (American Crafts) Other: Copic Markers; Cuttlebug and Bloom Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft); Old Olive and Regal Rose 5/8" grosgrain ribbon (SU!); scallop circle punch and 1 3/8" circle punch (SU!); white Gel Exel pen (Marvy); scallop scissors (Fiskars); stamping sponge, dimensionals, heat tool

Cherries, Anyone?

Hi there! Happy Wednesday! It's a beautiful spring day here -- sunny, blue skies, and temps near 60 degrees F. It's the perfect day to share this fun summery card with you! The layout is Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. As soon as I saw her sketch, I knew I wanted to use this paper and stamp set. Just about everything on this card is Stampin' Up!, with a couple exceptions. I added a little texture to the background paper with my Cuttlebug and Spots & Dots embossing folder. The Ruby Slipper Glitter Dots were purchased at All That Scraps.

Actually, the best part about this card is the way it smells. Yep, the way it smells. All That Scraps carries the coolest product for your cards -- Card Scents by Simply Sistas. They come in lots of yummy flavors, and you just brush a little around your image panel to make it smell terrific! I used cherry on this one, and I'm telling you it smells sooooo good! It's so much fun!

Oh, I wanted to share some fun news with you -- yesterday Queen Kat's Bloggers Club featured my blog! If you check out the post you just may find out a little-known fact about me! ;)

That's it for today! I'll be back with another card tomorrow -- I hope you'll stop back! Thanks so much for visiting today -- have a fantastic day! :)

Stamps: Tart & Tangy, Hugs & Wishes Ink: Real Red, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Basic Black Cardstock: Real Red, Whisper White Paper: Summer Picnic Other: Real Red Striped Grosgrain, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scalloped Circle Punch, glue dots, dimensionals, white gel pen, sponge, Cuttlebug and Spots & Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft), Ruby Slipper Glitter Dots (Jesse James), Cherry Card Scents (Simply Sistas)

I'm Baaaaaaack!

Hello!!

I'm back in business! My husband got us connected to the Internet last night -- yay! I've been wanting to share this card since Monday! I used Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try, which was a perfect sketch for this little chick from Eggstra Special Easter by My Favorite Things. The paper is For Peep's Sake by Imaginisce. You'll be seeing a lot more of it in the next couple days, because I *love* it! :) Everything on this card is pretty self-explanatory, so I'll list the supplies for you. I will tell you that I machine stitched the paper to the Certainly Celery cardstock, and the flowers and scalloped circle are mounted on dimensionals. That's about it!

I'm off to finish Caroline's treats for tomorrow -- it's her last day of school before Easter. My other three kids are finished today! Thanks for checking in with me -- I'm so glad you stopped by! :)

Stamps: Eggstra Special Easter (MFT) Ink: Basic Black & Regal Rose (SU!), Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko) Cardstock: So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Hot Chicks from For Peep's Sake (Imaginisce) Other: Copic markers, Got Flowers (Prima Marketing), Scalloped Circle Punch & 1 3/8" Circle Punch (SU!), Soft Subtles brads (SU!), Stamping Sponge & Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!), white gel pen (Marvy), sewing machine & pink thread

A Touch of Spring

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you had a great weekend! Around here the snow starting to melt, the temperatures are climbing, and there is a promise of spring in the air. With that in mind, I made this card for Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. I don't make long cards very often, so this sketch was fun for me. The finished card size is 8 1/2" x 4", and it will fit in a business size envelope. You can click on the photo to see it better -- those long cards are hard to photograph! :) I used the retired SU! set Blooming With Happiness. On the Barely Banana cardstock I stamped Pretty Petals in Barely Banana ink. The flowers were made with the Boho Blossoms Punch, and the centers are Sugarcoated Brads by Doodlebug Design (available at All That Scraps). I have been using these little brads a lot lately! They come in several yummy colors and give just the perfect amount of sparkle to your project! The heads are a little larger than those on SU! brads, so they work better if you need a center for a larger flower (like a Prima).

I colored the image with SU! markers. I sponged around the white oval with Certainly Celery ink, and I sponged around the scalloped oval and the three flowers with White Craft ink. I couldn't help adding some dots with my Marvy white gel pen. I scalloped the bottom edge of the paper with a 3/16" corner rounder (paper guide removed), and I added some dotted ribbon to the image panel. The Banana panel and the scalloped oval are mounted on dimensionals.

That's about it! I hope this card gets you thinking about spring! Thanks for stopping by today -- I appreciate it so much! Have a great day! :)

Stamps: Blooming With Happiness, Pretty Petals background (SU!) Ink: Basic Black, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery, White Craft (SU!) Cardstock: Barely Banana, Orchid Opulence, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Pocket Full of Posies glitter stack (DCWV) Other: Mega Oval Punch & Giga Scalloped Oval Punch (Marvy Uchida), Stampin' Write Markers - Certainly Celery, Barely Banana, Orchid Opulence (SU!), Boho Blossoms punch (SU!), 3/16" Corner Rounder (SU!), orchid dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts), Sugarcoated Brads (Doodlebug Design), White Gel Excel pen (Marvy), Stamping Sponge & Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!)

No Stamping Required!

Happy Saturday!

It's Februray, and that means it's Sale-A-Bration time at Stampin' Up!. I decided to showcase one of the SAB sets on this card. It's not a stamp set, but a set of rub-ons called Love & Happiness. There is no stamping on this card -- there's no ink at all! There are four sheets of rub-ons in the set -- the same images in four colors: black, brown, white, and olive. I used the olive and white images on this card. I added some felt flowers from Flower Fusion. In real life they are the same color as the olive cardstock and ribbon, but for some reason I could NOT get it to photograph correctly! UGH! The layout for the card is Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. It's different than the layouts I typically use, and that's why I love it!

That's all I have for today. We're headed to the Freshman Regional Basketball Tournament to watch Kyle and his team play -- let's hope for a victory! Have a great day and a fantastic weekend -- thanks for visiting! :)

All products Stampin' Up!

Rub-ons: Love & Happiness Cardstock: Soft Sky, Old Olive, Whisper White Paper: Fall Flowers Other: Flower Fusion, Vintage Brad, 5/8" Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, Horizontal Slot Punch, paper piercing tool, dimensionals

Priceless Butterfly

Hello! I realize it's been a few days since I last posted. It's been a busy week so far -- we've had the usual practices, games, and homework, combined with trying to pack up our Christmas things and get ready to have Chris's family over this Friday night. We'll be celebrating his dad's 75th birthday!

Also, last week, a car accident took the life of the daughter of Kyle's Freshman basketball coach. She was 18 years old. The funeral service was last night. Although it was heartbreaking and difficult to attend, it was also a beautiful celebration of a young life. She graduated high school last year with the daughters of several of my friends, so it was very difficult to see all those girls in their grief. In addition to her father being a long-time basketball coach at Kyle's high school, her brother plays basketball on the JV and Varsity teams. Kyle, along with the rest of the basketball players, sat in a section near the family in their white shirts and ties. It was amazing to see the outpouring of love given by those teenage boys to their grieving friend.

The family used a butterfly to symbolize her life. The theme was used throughout the service, from the programs to the photos to the eulogy. I came home and made this card to send to the family.

The colors are from yesterday's Color Challenge at SCS, and the layout is Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. The banana panels are Cuttlebugged, and I sponged Wild Wasabi ink on those panels and around the center image panel. The butterfly was stamped twice, once on the panel and a second time on a separate piece of cardstock. The second butterfly was cut out, and I used my Quickie glue pen to add Dazzling Diamonds glitter to it. I folded up the wings and attached it to the panel with a glue dot.

I'm hoping to get a little time in the next couple days to do some more stamping, so I hope you'll come back to visit. Thanks for stopping by -- and if you have kids, hug them a little tighter today.

Stamps: Priceless (SU!) Ink: Blue Bayou, Wild Wasabi (SU!) Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, Blue Bayou, Barely Banana (SU!); Crafters Select White (Papertrey Ink) Paper: Stella Ruby (BasicGrey) Other: Wild Wasabi and Blue Bayou stitched grosgrain, DD glitter, Earth Elements brads (SU!); Quickie Glue Pen; Cuttlebug and Stylized Flowers embossing folder (Provo Craft)

A Card for Jen's Sketch

Good morning -- Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend! Thanks for all the well-wishes for my birthday! See my previous post for a chance to win some birthday goodies!

I had some time to stamp yesterday, so I worked on a card for Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. I so badly wanted to use my new set from My Favorite Things, Baby It's Cold Outside, and this sketch was perfect! I paper pieced her coat and scarf and colored the rest of the image with SU! markers. I added Liquid Applique to the top of her boots and heated it to make it puffy. The snowman, snow, and background were watercolored with an Aquapainter and Cool Caribbean ink. I did some faux stitching on the horizontal panel. I sponged around the circles and image panel and added some Frosted Lace Stickles. The centers of the snowflakes are Ice Circles brads from SU!.

That's it for today -- I'm off to start on some teacher gifts and some treats for Caroline's preschool class. I hope you'll stop back tomorrow -- have a great day! :)

Stamps: Baby, It's Cold Outside (MFT) Ink: Chocolate Chip, Cool Caribbean, White Craft (SU!) Cardstock: Cool Caribbean, Chocolate Chip (SU!) Paper: Figgy 6x6 pack (BasicGrey) Other: 1" & 1 1/4" circle punches, Ice Circles brads, Frosted Lace Stickles (Ranger), Liquid Applique, heat tool, paper piercing tool, Chocolate Chip marker, sponge, dimensionals

GUESS WHAT?!?!?

I am i{heart}2stamp's Guest Designer for December!!!!! I was blown away when Jen del Muro asked me about a month ago, and it's been so hard to keep it under my hat! :) Jen del Muro, or genie1314, is a SCS Dirty Dozen alum, and her work can be seen in publications and as a Design Team member for Verve Visual and My Favorite Things. I have been a fan of her work since I first saw it at Splitcoaststampers. So, you can imagine my surprise when I received a PM from her through SCS!!!! I am so excited and honored!! Wooohooo!!!!!


Jen also asked if I'd do a sample for her Sketch for You to Try (SFYTT). Here it is, and it's also on her blog. I used a $1 Michael's stamp -- I stamped the entire image once in the middle, then just the glass once on each side. I stamped another glass, cut it out, and popped it up on the center image. They are colored with my Prismacolors and covered in Crystal Effects to give them a realistic look. The paper is Holiday Words from the Christmas Collection by Flair Designs. Cardstock is SU! Garden Green and Real Red. The ribbon is SU! 5/8" Real Red grosgrain, and the brads are Sugarcoated Brads by Doodlebug. I sponged around the image panel with Real Red ink, and I machine stitched around the paper with white thread to create a border.

I'm headed out this morning for the annual Christmas shopping day with Megan, my sisters-in-law, and my nieces. Wish me luck!! And, thanks for sharing my joy!! *smile* Have a great Saturday!!