A Pink and Brown Challenge

Good morning! Another week has begun! This is going to be a busy one for me -- two of my kids are finished with school this week, and two are finished next week. I have lots of teacher gifts to get finished! Plus, I'm co-hosting a bridal shower on Sunday, and there are many things left on my to-do list! I'll have some cute shower projects to share with you later this week!

But first, I have this card to share today. Christine at All That Scraps challenged the Design Team to create a project using only pink, brown, and white. This is the card I made for the challenge. The image and sentiment are from C.C. Designs. The birds are from Love Ya Much, and the sentiment is from Little Penguins. I watercolored the image with an aquapainter and SU! inks. To give the image some dimension, I drew around it with a blender pen and Soft Sky ink. The image panel and mat were cut and embossed with my new Nestabilities (Happy Mother's Day to me!).

If you'd like to play along with our Pink and Brown Challenge, leave a link to your creation here or post it on your blog, your SCS gallery, or the ATS Gallery. Christine will be posting the DT projects on the ATS Blog later on today!

I hope you have a fantastic day today -- thanks for stopping by to visit! :)

Stamps: Love Ya Much, Little Penguins (C.C. Designs) Ink: Basic Brown, Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky (SU!) Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Berry Bliss (SU!) Other: rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), flowers (Prima), Chick-A-Dee brads (SEI), aquapainter, pink grosgrain, sponge, dimensionals, glue dots

Alligator Birthday

Hi there! I hope your weekend is off to a great start! I have NOWHERE to go today -- that never happens anymore!! Three of our four children are at friends' houses, so Chris and I are just catching up with things around the house. And, of course, I'm sneaking in a little stamping and blogging! ;)

Here's a card I made for my friend's son's birthday. I was feeling a little mojo-less, and I needed to come up with something quick, so I went back to my old cards for inspiration. I liked this card I made so much that I just flipped the sketch and used a different stamp! I also used a different pattern from the same Summer Picnic paper -- this one has more "boy" colors in it!

There's not much to explain -- it's just a simple and fun birthday card! I hope you like it! If your mojo is on vacation, try taking a look at an old card and switching it up -- it may give you some inspiration! Thanks for stopping by -- have a great day! :)

Stamps: Wild About You, Hugs & Wishes Ink: Old Olive, Basic Black, Bashful Blue Cardstock: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White Paper: Summer Picnic Other: Old Olive 7/8" grosgrain, Bashful blue striped grosgrain, Old Olive brads, sponge, dimensionals

Alphabet Sentiments

Happy Friday!!! Geez, where do the weeks go? Here's a card I made today -- it was supposed to be for the Limited Supplies Challenge, but I kinda strayed from the challenge. The challenge is to use alphabet stamps as a sentiment and as the focal image of the card. Well, I used alphabet stamps for my sentiment (Playful Caps from CTMH), but it's not exactly the focal image! I needed a graduation card for my neighbor, and I HAD to use Diplomabella, so I guess the sentiment and the Bella are sharing the stage on this one! The school colors are -- you guessed it -- blue and gold. The paper is SU! More Mustard Prints, and the cardstock is SU! Night of Navy and Whisper White. I colored with Copics, sponged the edges with More Mustard ink, and added Xmas Red Stickles to the roses. I pierced around the edge and embellished with SU! brads and May Arts satin ribbon.

While we're on the topic of alphabet stamps as the sentiment, I have something exciting to share with you!! This card is in the June/July 2008 issue of Paper Crafts Magazine!! It's my first Paper Crafts pub!! WOOHOO!!!

Thanks so much for the visit today -- I hope you have a great weekend!! :)

A Sketch Challenge and More Verve

Here's my card for today's Sketch Challenge at SCS. This was a fun one -- I don't think I have ever used a layout like this before. I used another set from Verve Visual -- Seeing Stars. The paper is from the Boxer 6x6 pad by BasicGrey. I stamped the large and medium stars onto the patterned paper, cut them out, and mounted them on dimensionals. The star eyelets are from Close to My Heart.

I have several graduation cards to make this year -- I think this will be one of them! Thanks for the visit today -- have a fantastic day! :)

Stamps: Seeing Stars (Verve Visual) Ink: Night of Navy, Old Olive (SU!) Cardstock: Night of Navy, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Boxer 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: red satin ribbon (May Arts), star eyelets (CTMH), stampin' dimensionals, horizontal slot punch (SU!)

I Finally Got My Verve On!

Hello there! I hope you all had a great weekend, and I hope all of you mothers had a fantastic Mother's Day! It's been a few days since I posted -- our Internet has been on and off (actually, more off than on), and it was impossible to post anything yesterday! I'm not having much luck today, either -- hopefully everything will stay functional until this post is finished! I'll make it quick...

I have been a stalker of Julee Tilman's blog for a while, and I have had many Verve Visual sets on my wish list -- well, I finally took the plunge! I'm glad I did, too -- the stamp designs are beautiful, and they stamp so well!! Anyway, I received my first sets yesterday and went immediately to Julee's Mojo Monday Sketch for inspiration. I cut apart the sentiment to create the tabs called for in the sketch, and I sponged and stitched around the image panel. Other than that, it's pretty simple!

I have some other Verve sets waiting for some ink -- I'd better get busy! Thanks so much for stopping by -- have a great day!! :)

Stamp set by Verve Visual; all other products Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Serenity (Verve Visual) Ink: Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White Paper: Afternoon Tea Other: Vintage Brads, Choc Chip 7/8" grosgrain, Soft Sky stitched grosgrain, sponge, dimensionals

I'm not the MFT June Guest Designer, but...

... I'm the First Runner-Up! I just got home from the volleyball tourney and checked out the MFT Forum -- and there was the happy news! I got to choose a free MFT stamp set -- how fun!

The winner is susiestampalot -- she made a hilarious Doggy Duty scooper and an adorable bunny apron card! markie's mom is the second runner-up -- her "It's a Jungle Out There" mirror project is fantastic! All the entries were so great -- I don't know how the judges did it!

I'm worn out from a long day, but I wanted to pop in and share my news! Thanks to all of you for your sweet comments on my entry! To all of you mothers out there, have a fantastic Mother's Day! I'll be hanging out with my family tomorrow, but I hope to get some stamping time, too!

A Peacock and a Card

Happy Friday! Another late post, another busy day! I went to the Cincinnati Zoo with Anna and her kindergarten class today. We packed a lot into a few hours! I think love was in the air among the animals today -- the male monkeys were putting on quite a show, and the peacocks were strutting their stuff! The peacocks and peahens roam freely around the zoo, and rarely have I seen so many males with their feathers extended. I snapped a photo of one of them -- isn't he beautiful?

Anyway, I have a Mother's Day card to share with you. The image and sentiment are by Gina K. Designs. The flower image is from the set Comfort and Peace, her "Free with Three" set this month. The sentiment is from Kindred Greetings for Her, part of her Kindred Spirits line of stamps. The background is the Scalloped Lace Backgrounder by Cornish Heritage Farms. I won the backgrounder during CHF's Backgrounder Blitz a couple weeks ago! Woohoo! :)

The card design is pretty simple. The backgrounder is stamped in White Craft ink. I inked the flower image with SU! markers, and the sentiment is stamped in Basic Gray. I embellished with some ribbon and Primas, and that's it!

I'm off to another volleyball tourney with Megan tomorrow -- it's gonna be another long day! I hope you have something fun planned for your weekend! Thanks for stopping by today -- I really appreciate your visits and comments so much! :)

Stamps: Comfort and Peace, Kindred Greetings for Her (Gina K. Designs), Scalloped Lace Backgrounder (Cornish Heritage Farms) Ink: White Craft, Basic Gray, Certainly Celery (SU!) Markers: Pretty in Pink, Pixie Pink, Certainly Celery, Green Galore (SU!) Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Pink Passion, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Sultry 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: flowers (Prima Marketing), silver brads (SU!), Mega Oval Punch & Giga Scalloped Oval Punch (Marvy Uchida), White gel exel pen (Marvy), dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts), sponge, dimensionals

Spring Tic Tac Toe

I wanted to show you my entry for the My Favorite Things Guest Designer Challenge -- to use animal stamps on your project. I love these challenges -- and I'd love to be the Guest Designer! Heck, I'd love to design anything for Kim and MFT -- I just love those stamps! :)

Remember the tic tac toe board I made for Christmas? I figured this challenge was a good reason to make a spring game! My little girls love to play tic tac toe, so now they have a couple boards to choose from! The altoid tin is from Gina K. Designs, and it will hold the game pieces when they're not in use.

This was fun to make -- not very complicated, just a lot of coloring! :) Thanks for visiting today -- I'll have a Mother's Day card to show you tomorrow! Have a great day!

Stamps: Eggstra Special Easter (MFT) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko) Cardstock: pink textured (Bazzill), Regal Rose, Whisper White Paper: Two Scoops 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: Altoid Tin (Gina K. Designs), Copic Markers, 1 3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, white gel pen, Chick-A-Dee buttons (SEI), soft subtles brads, dimensionals, glue dots

A Bird in the Hand...

Hi there! Well, it's another late post for me! My internet was out until about 9pm -- just in time to pop in at the MFT release party -- so I'm finally getting around to posting today's Sketch Challenge card! I used Can Ya Dig It? by My Favorite Things. I can't get enough of this Sultry 6x6 pad! I cut out a 3 1/2" circle with my Fiskars Circle Cutter, then I cut it in half.I paper pieced the dress and gloves and colored with Copics. I sponged around the image with Soft Sky and River Rock inks. The hat was cut out and mounted on dimensionals. Instead of having the girl gardening, I thought it would be cute to have her holding a little friend! :) The bird was stamped on the same paper as the background. I cut it out, sponged the bottom to give it some dimension, and mounted it on a rolled up glue dot.

I still have some Mothers Day projects to share with you over the next few days -- I hope you'll stop back! Thanks so much for visiting! :)

Stamps: Can Ya Dig It? (MFT) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Basic Brown, Soft Sky, River Rock (SU!) Cardstock: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Sultry 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: Copic markers, flowers (Prima Marketing), Peony Dew Drops (Robins Nest), Fiskars Circle Cutter, Old Olive 7/8" grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals, glue dots, sponge, sewing machine & brown thread

Sweet and Simple Color Challenge Card

A quick post tonight -- it's been a busy day! Here's my card for today's Color Challenge -- Lovely Lilac, Pretty in Pink, and Certainly Celery. I thought this sentiment would be appropriate for Mother's Day -- what do you think? I added Stickles to the flower centers. The lilac scalloped layer is actually two Giga Scalloped Squares overlapped -- someday I'll have Nestabilities! :)

I'll list all the supplies -- if you have any questions, just ask! Thanks so much for the visit! :)

Stamps: Out on a Limb (Papertrey Ink) Ink: Lovely Lilac, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery (SU!) Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Lovely Lilac, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Sultry (BasicGrey) Other: Peony Dew Drops (Robins Nest), pink dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts), Cotton Candy Stickles (Ranger), Giga Scalloped Square Punch (Marvy Uchida), 3/16" corner rounder (SU!)

Monday, Monday...

Hello! I am moving slooooooooooowly today! Chris and I went with our friends Traci and David to Columbus yesterday to see The Police in concert. The last time I saw them was during their Synchronicity tour when I was in college! OMG, they are as AMAZING as ever!! Sting does not age, I'm telling ya!

Anyway, we got home very late, and I am TIRED! I had to wake the kids at 6:40 for school, and I've been in slow motion since! I'm working on some Mother's Day projects, but nothing I can share yet. So, I thought I'd show you this magnet that Traci gave me. I hope it brings a smile to all my scrapbooking friends!

Have a great day!!! :)

Bananas for You!

Hi there! I hope your weekend has been a great one so far! I want to say a big hello to all my ATS design teammates and everyone else who joined us at the release party last night! I had a great time getting to know all of you better! :)

In honor of today's new C.C. Designs releases at All That Scraps, here's one more card with some new rubber! You probably recognize the monkey from Monkey Love, and the banana was an April release, but the sentiment is new today! I'm so glad Christine has created accessories and sentiments for the monkeys! :)

The card size is 4.25" square. I colored the monkey and banana with Copics. The banana was cut out and attached with rolled up glue dots. I sponged around the image panel with River Rock ink. I embellished with some machine stitching, Peony Dew Drops, and some taffeta ribbon. I wish you could SMELL this card! I used some Banana Card Scents on it, and it smells just like bananas!!!

Thanks to all of you for taking a look at the previews last week -- I hope you liked them! I'll be back to my regularly scheduled blogging tomorrow!! ;) Have a wonderful spring day -- thanks for the visit!

Stamps: Monkey Love, Chiquita Bananas, I'm Bananas (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Chocolate Chip, River Rock (SU!) Cardstock: River Rock, Chocolate Chip (SU!) Paper: Archaic (BasicGrey) Other: Copic Markers, Peony Dew Drops (Robins Nest), Banana Card Scents (Simply Sistas), Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon (SU!), 1/8" circle punch, glue dots, sponge, Pop Dots, sewing machine & brown thread

Darling Frankie!

Happy Saturday! And, since I'm from Kentucky, Happy Derby Day! :)

I'd like you to meet Frankie. She's the third girl in the Glam Girlz set by C.C. Designs. She's definitely fun and funky, eh? I thought this SU! Summer Picnic paper would be perfect for her! I colored her with Copics, and I added Stardust Gelly Roll pen to the rims of her glasses and to the bangle bracelets. The red ribbon and blue dotted ribbon are from May Arts, and the flowers are from Prima. The red brad is from SU!. Cardstock and oval punches are also from SU!.

Here they are all together -- the Glam Girlz! Stop by the All That Scraps Blog for more samples and a giveaway! Then join us tonight on the All That Scraps Message Board at 11:00 PM est for fun and giveaways before the release at 12:01 AM est!!

Thanks for the visit -- I hope your day is a great one! :)

Glamorous Gwenny!

Meet Gwenny. She's very glamorous, isn't she?!? She has her cool shades and her patent leather handbag -- I think she's ready for some power shopping! Gwenny is another of the Glam Girlz by C.C. Designs. I have to tell you -- I *love* this set!!! So perfect for girlfriends, teenagers, girls night out -- so many possibilities! And, it's a great set for paper piecing -- I did it again on this card. I used Chick-A-Dee paper by SEI. I colored the rest of her with Copics.

I added Crystal Effects to her glasses and handbag, and of course there's a little bling, too! The other embellishments are May Arts two-toned ribbon, Prima flowers, and SEI Chick-A-Dee brads.

You'll meet the third girl in the set tomorrow, and on Sunday I'll have some new monkey sentiments to show you! Here are some things to note:

* Glam Girlz, A Hootin' Good Time, and the monkey sentiments will be available for purchase Sunday, May 4 at 12:01 AM est. Glam Girlz will be sold individually or as a set. If you buy the set, you'll receive a Stardust gelly roll pen free!

* Christine is having daily giveaways on the All That Scraps Blog -- you can see other Design Team samples there, too!

* We're meeting at the ATS Message Board Saturday night at 11:00 PM est for more fun and giveaways before the release! Come and join us! :)

I think that's all for today! I'm so glad you stopped by to visit! Have a glamorous Friday! :)

Fabulous Shari!

This is Shari. She's one of the new Glam Girlz by C.C. Designs. She has two friends -- you'll meet them later. They will be available individually or as a set. The girlz and the owls will be released at All That Scraps May 4 at 12:01 AM est.


I used another kit to put this card together. All the paper, cardstock, and embellishments were included. Christine will have the supplies available with the new stamps. I paper pieced her outfit with these fun Citrus Kick papers by SEI -- isn't she just groovy?!? I colored the rest of her with my SU! markers -- they just haven't had enough love lately! The really fun detail is the Stardust gelly roll pen on her glasses and ring! When you buy the set of girlz, the Stardust pen is free!


I can't wait for you to meet Shari's friends, Gwenny and Frankie! I hope you'll stop back to see them! Be sure to check out the ATS Blog each day for more Design Team samples and some giveaways! Also, I wanted to let you know that there will be a gathering on the All That Scraps Message Board Saturday night at 11:00 PM est. Christine will give away the stamps there, too!

I hope you have a fantastic day -- thank you so much for visiting me! :)

C.C. Designs May Stamps Preview!

Hello! It's Wednesday already! For the next four days, I'll have some previews of the May releases from C.C. Designs! They will be available May 4 at All That Scraps. Today I have two samples for the set "A Hootin' Good Time." This set has eight --yes eight -- little owls, a tree trunk, a branch, leaves, and three sentiments. SO many possibilities! Christine sent the Senior Design Team a kit with supplies (cardstock, patterned paper, brads, ribbon) to make two cards. I *love* this Grateful paper from KI Memories, and I can easily see myself needing more! These same supplies will be available with the new sets -- so all the thinking is done for you!! The only thing I needed to add was white cardstock.

The first card is pretty self-explanatory. I used my Cuttlebug and Spots & Dots embossing folder on the background, since it looks so much like owl eyes! I colored the owl, branch and leaf with my Aquapainter and SU! inks. I added a little sponging with SU! Old Olive ink to the image panel and sentiment panel, then I mounted the panels on dimensionals. I'll let you in on a little secret -- I mounted the panels and then realized I wanted to add the eyelets. So, instead of taking everything apart, I used a wire cutter to snip the prongs off the eyelets and then attached them with glue dots. Don't tell... ;)

For the second card, I used the faux wood technique on the tree trunk. I had seen this technique on Gina K.'s blog HERE, and I knew it would be perfect! I stamped the image in Basic Brown on white card stock, then I swiped SU! More Mustard, Chocolate Chip, and White Craft ink across it. I cut it out and mounted it on the white cardstock with Pop Dots. Looks pretty real, doesn't it? I then stamped the owl in Basic Brown, colored it with an Aquapainter and SU! inks, cut it out, and mounted it on dimensionals. I drew in a ground line and sponged the white cardstock with SU! Soft Sky, Old Olive, and More Mustard inks. I stamped the sentiment in SU! Chocolate Chip ink directly on the patterned paper.

Be sure to stop by the All That Scraps Blog to see more samples of the new sets -- Christine is doing some giveaways, too! I'll be back tomorrow with another preview -- I hope you'll stop back! Thanks so much for visiting -- have a great day! :)

MFT Sketch Challenge

Hello! I'm posting late on this Monday night -- it's the first time I've had a chance to stamp in days! It was a busy weekend with lots of family "stuff" to do! This morning I checked out Cindy's sketch challenge on the My Favorite Things forum at SCS, and I thought it was perfect for the Happy Mothers Day set. The sentiment in the oval is from Essential Sentiments. The image was stamped three times -- once on the Shimmery White panel, once on the polka dotted Real Red Prints paper, and once more on another scrap of Shimmery White.

I paper pieced in layers -- I cut the dress from the paper and adhered it to the base panel, then I colored and cut out the pot and flowers and adhered them with rolled up glue dots to give them some dimension.

I finished the inside of the card with the flower image and the sentiment from Happy Mothers Day. There's still plenty of room for writing a personal message!

I have some fun C.C. Designs previews coming your way starting Wednesday! The new sets will be released at All That Scraps May 4 at 12:01 AM!! I hope you'll stop back -- thanks so much for visiting today! :)

Stamps: Happy Mothers Day, Essential Sentiments (MFT) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Basic Black (SU!) Cardstock: Real Red, Whisper White, Shimmery White (SU!) Paper: Certainly Celery and Real Red Prints (SU!) Other: Copic Markers, Real Red 7/8" grosgrain(SU!), celery striped grosgrain (May Arts), Lg and Sm Oval Punches (SU!), glue dots, Pop Dots

Amy's Friday Sketch

Happy Friday, everyone! I have a card to share -- it's AmyR's Friday Sketch. She'll be posting samples from the Design Team on the ATS Blog, and we'd love for you all to play! If you upload to any galleries, use the keyword AMYRS23.

Almost all the products used on this card are available at All That Scraps. Don't you love this adorable image of Lulu behind the stack of presents? It's from the C.C. Designs Itzie Inkies set It's My Birthday. The paper and buttons are from the Chick-A-Dee collection by SEI, and the ribbon is my May Arts. I colored Lulu with my Copics.

I will be at another volleyball tourney with Megan tomorrow, so it's likely I won't get a chance to post anything. There are some fun things coming next week, though -- previews of the May releases from C.C. Designs!! There are two new sets and some sentiments for the monkeys! Have a great day everyone -- thanks for visiting! :)

Stamps: It's My Birthday (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Basic Black, Pretty in Pink (SU!) Textured Cardstock: Bazzill Paper: Chick-A-Dee (SEI) Other: Copic Markers, two-toned pink ribbon & black dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts), Chick-A-Dee buttons (SEI), Mega Circle Punch & Giga Scalloped Circle Punch (Marvy Uchida), Cotton Candy Stickles (Ranger) sponge, dimensionals

A Simple and Fun Sketch Challenge Card

Hello! Here is a card I made for today's Sketch Challenge at SCS. I realized that my last few cards have been a little "busy", so I decided on a design that is simple and fun! I'm not normally a fan of brights, but I really like this Summer Picnic paper. I thought it would be fun paired with the Wild About You! set. I don't have enough "kid cards" in my stash right now, so this one is perfect! There's not much to explain here -- just email me if you have any questions!

I can't believe we're halfway through another week! We have a busy weekend ahead, so hopefully I'll get some more stamping done before then! Thanks so much for stopping by -- have a fantastic day!! :)

All products Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Wild About You Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue, Old Olive Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Real Red, Whisper White Paper: Summer Picnic dsp Other: Real Red striped grosgrain, Bashful Blue striped grosgrain, Pumpkin Pie striped grosgrain, Bold Brights brads, Lg Oval Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, stamping sponge

A Color Challenge with Kissed Flowers

How could I resist today's Color Challenge -- Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, and Chocolate Chip?!? I *love* those colors to begin with, but what's better is that they are the colors in the Sultry paper pad!!! Someone is going to have to forcibly remove that pad from my hands -- I think I could use it every day! :)

The images are from Silhouette Blooms I from The Kim Hughes Collection by Cornish Heritage Farms. I had some more fun with CHF backgrounders, too -- Spanish Script and Cheesecloth. I stamped Spanish Script lightly in Certainly Celery on the background of the image panel. Then I stamped one of the flower images a few times in Pretty in Pink. Today's backgrounder challenge is to use the kissing technique with your backgrounders, so I inked Cheesecloth with Chocolate Chip, pressed (or kissed) the flower image onto it, then rock-n-rolled the edges before stamping. I sponged the edges of the image and sentiment panels, and I embellished with brads and ribbon.

It's a pretty simple design, but I had fun using the backgrounder to give the flowers a different look! Try it with those background and solid image stamps that you have! If you don't have background stamps, kiss your solid image stamp against another stamp or a wheel! I'd love to see what you come up with! :)

It's another gorgeous spring day here today -- I hope you're having beautiful weather as well! Thanks for making me a part of your day -- I really appreciate it! :)

Stamps: Silhouette Blooms I, Cheesecloth Backgrounder, Spanish Script Backgrounder (CHF) Ink: Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink (SU!) Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Sultry 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: Chocolate Chip 7/8" grosgrain, oval punches, Soft Subtles brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, stamping sponge (SU!); Pink dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts)

A Technique Challenge and More Backgrounder Fun!

Hey, everyone! Happy Monday! It's a gorgeous day here today -- the temperature will be about 75 degrees this afternoon! Spring is finally here! I know some of my friends out there are under SNOW today (right, Dawn?), so I'll send warm wishes your way! :)

Today's Technique Challenge at SCS is to make a Gift Card Holder. I'd seen this type of gc holder on several blogs, but I hadn't made one myself until today! Check out the challenge thread for directions! I combined this challenge with another of the Backgrounder Blitz challenges at Cornish Heritage Farms. I have been having so much fun with these challenges -- they have opened my eyes to all the ways you can use background stamps! Today's challenge is to stamp on anything but paper. I chose to stamp on acetate and a Prima flower. I covered the front of the gc holder in Sultry paper. I took a piece of acetate (recycled from an unmounted stamp set) and applied white Stazon directly to it with the pad. Then I heat set it. Over the white I stamped the Lined Paper Backgrounder and a flower image from Nature Silhouettes in Timber Brown Stazon. I also used the brown Stazon to stamp the Spanish Script Backgrounder onto the Prima flower. I used glue dots to attach the acetate to the card front. I slipped some Regal Rose grosgrain under the acetate, wrapped it around the back, and tied it on the side. The sentiment was stamped in Chocolate Chip, and I sponged the circle with Regal Rose. The sentiment and flower are mounted on dimensionals.

Here is the inside of the gift card holder. The opening for the gift card was made with a Word Window punch and a 1 3/8" circle punch. I used other images from Nature Silhouettes to stamp the inside. I rock-n-rolled the image on the back panel. There is plenty of room above the image for writing a message to the recipient.

I hope this gives you some good ideas -- thanks for stopping to visit! Have a wonderful day -- see you all next time! :)

Stamps: Spanish Script Backgrounder, Lined Paper Backgrounder, Nature Silhouettes (CHF) Ink: Stazon White Opaque, Stazon Timber Brown; Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose, White Craft (SU!) Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Sultry (BasicGrey) Other: acetate, flower (Prima), Regal Rose 7/8" grosgrain, Vintage Brad, Word Window Punch, 1" circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, stamping sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals, mini glue dots (SU!)

Backgrounder Blitz

Hi, everyone! I hope your weekend is off to a good start! Here's a card I made today with images from Cornish Heritage Farms. Right now they're having a Backgrounder Blitz, and there are challenges each day to use their backgrounders! Today's challenge is a sketch challenge -- check out the details HERE. I had so much fun making this card, because I got to use my new Sultry paper from BasicGrey. It's gorgeous and had such a garden feel -- I *love* it!

To make the card, I began by stamping the Spanish Backgrounder at an angle in Pixie Pink ink over the patterned paper. The flourish and sentiment are from Beautiful, part of The Rummage Bin line. I covered the chipboard bird with another pattern from Sultry, and I added a rhinestone eye. I sponged the edges with Pixie Pink and Old Olive ink, and I embellished with a Prima flower.

I'm really happy with how it turned out -- it has such a springy look! I hope to have something else to share with you tomorrow! Thanks for visiting today -- have a great day! :)

Stamps: Spanish Backgrounder, Beautiful (CHF) Ink: Pixie Pink, Old Olive (SU!) Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Pixie Pink (SU!) Paper: Sultry (BasicGrey) Other: Undressed Holiday Chipboard (BasicGrey), flower (Prima) rhinestone, stamping sponge, glue dots, dimensionals

Too Beautiful Oustide to Stamp!

Hi, everyone! Happy Friday! I don't have any stamping to share with you today. It is SO GORGEOUS outside, so I've been working in the yard -- weeding, transplanting, and tidying up the beds! If I can't have ink on my fingers, it might as well be dirt, right?!? :)

I did want to share this with you, though -- Christine is having a sale at All That Scraps to make room for new inventory! The sale ends Sunday at midnight -- there are lots of items 50% off or more!

Sale includes:
Bazzill Discontinued Paper
Select Basic Grey Pattern Papers
Daisy D's Discontinued Papers
Flair Design Discontinued Papers
Select Prima Flowers
Gina K's Individual Stamps (not sets)
Simply Chic clear Stamps
Select Gel-A-Tins Stamps
Notecards and Envelopes
McGill Punches

Happy Shopping! I'll be back with more projects this weekend! Thanks for stopping by -- have a great day! :)

It's a Sunshiny Day!

It's a beautiful spring day here -- sunny, not a cloud in the sky, temperatures around 75 degrees F. My windows are open, I can feel the breeze, and I can hear all the neighborhood kids playing outside. Today's weather got me thinking about summer days ahead, so I created this card for today's Sketch Challenge at Splitcoaststampers. The image and sentiment are from By the Seashore by My Favorite Things. I colored with Copics and sponged the edges of the panel with Bashful Blue ink. Her hat is cut out and popped up on dimensionals. The two background panels are actually pieces of the same paper (Beachy Keen) turned in two directions. The horizontal panel is Bashful Blue cardstock which I ran through my Cuttlebug in the D'Vine Swirls embossing folder. I embellished with Soft Subtles Brads and striped grosgrain ribbon.

I hope you are enjoying some spring weather today! Thanks so much for stopping by -- have a fantastic day!! :)

Stamps: By the Seashore (MFT) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko); Basic Black, Bashful Blue (SU!) Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Shimmery White (SU!) Paper: Beachy Keen (Flair Design) Other: Copic Markers; Cuttlebug & D'Vine Swirls folder (Provo Craft); Soft Subtles brads, Bashful Blue striped grosgrain, Pumpkin Pie striped grosgrain, Stamping Sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!)

Color Challenge: Basic Guava Blossoms

Hi, everyone! It's Tuesday, and that means another Color Challenge at SCS. I HAD to do this one, because it's really a challenge for me! Groovy Guava and Blush Blossom are my most unloved colors -- thank goodness for Ginger Blossom paper! :)

I stamped the image three times without reinking, then I filled in with an aquapainter and inks. I punched two holes and tied the ribbon around the flowers. Everything else is pretty straightforward! Just let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks so much for visiting today -- I hope your day is a great one! :)

All products Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Embrace Life Ink: Basic Gray, Groovy Guava, Blush Blossom Cardstock: Basic Gray, Groovy Guava, Blush Blossom, Shimmery White Paper: Ginger Blossom Other: Vintage Brads, Aquapainter, Basic Gray taffeta ribbon, 1/8" handheld punch, 3/16" corner rounder, Word Window Punch, sponge, dimensionals

I'm So Excited!!!!!!!

Have you been to Gina K.'s Blog today?? Did you see?? I'm Gina K.'s Guest Designer this month!! YIPPEE!!!!!!!! Click HERE to see it! :)

A Tulip for Mom

It's not often that I get ahead of the game with my card making, but I actually have a Mother's Day card finished already! I used Spring Blooms by Gina K. Designs. I inked the tulip image in Groovy Guava and Garden Green ink, spritzed it with water, then stamped it on watercolor paper. I then took my Aquapainter and inks (Groovy Guava, Cameo Coral, and Garden Green) and filled in the image with color. I rounded two corners and sponged the edges with Soft Sky ink. The tag is from Gina K's Bling & Dazzle Plastic Tags. I covered the tag with paper, sanded the edges, and stamped the sentiment in Chocolate Chip ink. I did some freestyle stitching on the background paper and embellished with ribbon, cord and brads.

Please stop back tomorrow -- I have something very exciting to share with you! Thanks for visiting today -- have a great day!! :)

Stamps: Spring Blooms (Gina K. Designs) Ink: Groovy Guava, Cameo Coral, Garden Green, Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip (SU!) Cardstock: Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip, watercolor paper (SU!) Paper: Afternoon Tea (SU!) Other: Bling & Dazzle Plastic Tag (Gina K. Designs); Chocolate Chip 7/8" grosgrain, Horizontal Slot Punch, Gold Cord, Gold Brads, 3/16" Corner Rounder, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamping Sponge (SU!); sewing machine & brown thread

Something Special

I'm posting late today -- I've been at a volleyball tournament for the last two days, and we just got home!

This week I received my order from Cornish Heritage Farms. I couldn't wait to ink up this set, Nature Silhouettes. It's part of The Kim Hughes Collection. I just love all the silhouette stamps in her line (heck, I love all the stamps in her line!). Anyway, I built the card around some things I had lying on my table, namely the chipboard circle from On Board Lots of Letters and this BasicGrey Romani paper. I used Certainly Celery and Yo Yo Yellow classic inks and applied them directly to the chipboard, and it gave me just the right shade of green to match the paper. I punched out a vanilla circle with a Mega Circle Punch (it's the perfect size to fit behind the chipboard), then I stamped the images on it. The flower image was inked with SU! markers, and I stamped three times without reinking. The sentiment and dragonfly were stamped in Basic Gray ink. For the background, I used the Spanish Script and Cheesecloth Backgrounders stamped lightly in Almost Amethyst ink. I machine stitched and distressed the edges of the floral paper. The half pearls are from the SU! Pretties Kit. I was going to place them in the corner in a typical line, but I decided instead to follow the curve of the chipboard. I like it much better! I finished the card with Prima flowers and dotted May Arts ribbon.

I can't wait to use this set some more -- the images are so beautiful and summery! I have even more new stamps on my table awaiting some ink -- hopefully I'll have some time this week to break them in! Tomorrow I have a Mother's Day card to show you, and on Tuesday I have some exciting news to share! I hope you'll stop back! Thanks so much for visiting -- I appreciate it so much! :)

Stamps: Nature Silhouettes, Spanish Script Backgrounder, Cheesecloth Backgrounder (CHF) Ink: Almost Amethyst, Basic Gray, Certainly Celery, Yo Yo Yellow (SU!) Markers: Certainly Celery, Yo Yo Yellow, Almost Amethyst (SU!) Cardstock: Very Vanilla (SU!) Paper: Romani (BasicGrey) Other: On Board Lots of Letters chipboard, Cutter Kit, Pretties Kit, Glue Dots (SU!); dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts); flowers (Prima Marketing), sewing machine

Friday Sketch

Happy Saturday! I didn't get a chance to post this yesterday -- so here it is now! This is a card I made for AmyR's Friday Sketch -- you can check out the All That Scraps Blog to see the sketch and what some of the other Design Team members did with it!

I'll just give you the supplies -- it's pretty self-explanatory. I'm off to a volleyball tournament with Megan -- have a great day, everyone! :)

Stamps: Beautiful Butterfly (C.C. Degigns) Ink: Basic Black Cardstock: Barely Banana, Pretty in Pink (SU!) Paper: Chick-A-Dee (SEI) Other: flowers (Prima, Bazzill), Chick-A-Dee brads (SEI), 3/16" corner rounder (SU!), Cotton Candy STickles (Ranger) sponge, dimensionals

Spring Daffodils

These are some of the daffodils in bloom around my home right now. I love daffodils -- they're some of the first flowers of spring, and they let us know that better days are ahead! They inspired me to make this card:

I used the daffodil image and a sentiment from Spring Blooms by Gina K. Designs. I stamped them in Basic Black ink and colored the daffodil with SU! markers. After coloring I used an Aquapainter to blend and soften the colors. The blue and striped papers are actually one piece of paper. They're part of a sheet from the Monograms collection by American Crafts. Each sheet has a solid side with a letter/monogram, and the other side has patterns, solids, or a combination of both. This piece is from the "V' sheet. Since today's Ways to Use It Challenge is to use eyelets, I pulled these eyelets from my stash. They're Large Oval Eyelets by SU!, retired a few years ago. I still have quite a few left, so I figured this would be a good time to use them! I added a little sponging, ribbon, and white dots to finish the card. It's a pretty simple design, but I wanted the focus to be on the daffodil!

Thanks so much for visiting today. Have a great night -- the weekend is just around the corner! :)

Stamps: Spring Blooms (Gina K. Designs) Ink: Basic Black, Regal Rose (SU!) Markers: Summer Sun, Yo Yo Yellow, Certainly Celery, Old Olive (SU!) Cardstock: Regal Rose, Summer Sun, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Monograms (American Crafts) Other: Large Oval Eyelets, Regal Rose 7/8" grosgrain, Stampin' Dimensionals, Aquapainter, stamping sponge, Scalloped Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, stamping sponge (SU!); White Gel Excel pen (Marvy); striped grosgrain ribbon (May Arts)

Wedding Day

I was so busy with design team work and other deadlines last week that I didn't get to ink up some of my other new sets! I was glad for a chance to play today! I am in love with this gorgeous set by Alli Miles, manufactured by Papertrey Ink. It's called Wedding Day, and it has so many possiblilties! For some reason Chocolate Chip and Cool Caribbean just seem like a classic, romantic combination, so I used them on this card. Two of the images were used to create "patterned paper" on the Cool Caribbean cardstock. The circles were cut with my Fiskars Circle Cutter, and I sponged around the edges before mounting them on dimensionals. The white background layer was made with my Cuttlebug and Textile Texture embossing folder. I think it coordinates perfectly with this set! I used a corner rounder (paper guide removed) to create the scallops, and I finished it with some Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon. I also stamped a coordinating envelope.

This card could be used for a wedding, anniversary, engagement, or just because! My best friend's daughter is getting married in July, so I have lots of things planned for this set! You'll definitely be seeing it again! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by -- I hope you're having gorgeous spring weather like ours (sunny and 75 degrees F). Have a fantastic day! :)

Stamps: Wedding Day (Urban Design by Alli Miles/Papertrey Ink) Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Cool Caribbean (SU!); C.C. Designs White Cardstock Ink: Chocolate Chip, Cool Caribbean (SU!) Other: Circle Cutter (Fiskars), Cuttlebug & Textile Texture embossing folder (Provo Craft), 3/16" corner rounder (SU!), Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon (SU!); stamping sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!)

Square Cards and an Award

Hello! Sorry it's been a couple days since I posted -- we've had a lot going on around here. I wanted to share a couple cards I made since my last post. I really like 4.25" square cards, because they will fit in a standard A2 envelope -- no extra postage! The first one is a card I made for the My Favorite Things Guest Designer Challenge. I didn't win, but it was fun to play! :) The challenge was to use a background stamp for something other than a background. For some reason this design came to mind right away! She's thinking happy thoughts! I know, she doesn't have a head, but just work with me! ;) The focal image is from Serenity Now. I paper pieced her outfit and mat with BasicGrey Stella Ruby paper and colored the rest with Copics. I used the lotus blossom image from Serenity Now to create a pattern on her top.Her thought bubble is the cloud from Rain or Shine -- I stamped it in Soft Sky ink, cut it out, and sponged the edges with Sahara Sand. I used the "Happy" background stamp from Happy Occasions to be her happy thoughts. I added a couple rhinestones and mounted the cloud on a Pop Dot. I machine stitched the top of the striped panel and used a corner rounder to scallop the bottom. The sentiment from Essential Sentiments is stamped in Chocolate Chip ink.

This second card is one that I made for my niece, who will be 16 tomorrow!! Every girl needs a pink polka-dotted truck, don't cha think? ;) I used SU! Spring Fling paper and SU! stamp sets Loads of Love and Loads of Love Accessories. I paper pieced the truck and colored the rest of the image with Prismacolor Pencils. Then I added some sparkle to the gifts with a Sakura Stardust Jellyroll pen. I drew the ground line with a Basic Black marker. I embellished with SU! brads, SU! Wild Wasabi stitched grosgrain, and May Arts pink dotted organdy.

Lastly, I was thrilled and honored when Kirsten Dubosque (ked) gave me this Arte Y Pico award. Kirsten is one of my favorite stampers!!! Thanks so much, Kirsten!!! Here's how it works.

The rules of this award are....
1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity,design,interesting material,and also contributes to the blogging community,no matter what language.
2. Each award has to give the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.
4. Award winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of Arte y Pico blog ,so everyone will know the origin of this award.
5. To show these rules.

Now, I'm gonna wimp out on Rule 1. I can't possibly choose 5 blogs -- I am so inspired by so many fantastic bloggers!!! I hope you'll forgive me! :)

That's it for now! We're expecting some beautiful spring weather here this week -- maybe it will inspire some spring projects! I hope you'll stop back! Thanks so much for visiting -- you don't know how much I appreciate it! :)

Sneak Peeks Day Five: It's My Birthday

Hello! Here's the fifth and final C.C. Designs set being released at midnight (12:01 Friday morning to be exact) -- It's My Birthday. All your favorite C.C. Designs characters are back for this one -- Lucky, Lulu, and of course this adorable monkey! I decided to use yesterday's Sketch Challenge at SCS for this card -- the long panel is perfect for this image. I used my Cuttlebug and Spots & Dots folder to make the background, then I applied White Craft ink DTP to make the embossing pop. I colored the monkey with Copics. I stamped the balloon on a solid piece of the Piggy Tales paper, and I popped it up on a dimensional. The cupcake is a separate image -- I cut it out and put it under a slit I cut around his hand (thanks, Michele, for that idea!). I added Cotton Candy stickles to the icing. The sentiment is cut in two pieces so I could make the little tags.

I have a busy day today, but I'm hoping to play with this set some more! The images are just too cute! Be sure to stop by the All That Scraps Blog to see more Design Team samples -- plus you can win some great giveaways! :)

Stamps: It's My Birthday (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Basic Black, Regal Rose, White Craft (SU!) Cardstock: Regal Rose, Whisper White, Green Galore (SU!); C.C. Designs White Cardstock Paper: Ba Ba Black Sheep (Piggy Tales) Other: Cuttlebug, Spots & Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft). Copics, Limeade Sugarcoated Brads (Doodlebug Design), Cotton Candy Stickles (Ranger), white organdy ribbon, silver cord, sponge, dimensionals

Sneak Peeks Day Four: Queenie

This is Queenie. She is ready for some spring cleaning! She's part of the C.C. Designs set Cleaning Queenie. I thought the set would be perfect for making this gift -- great for a college student, a new homeowner, or even a bride-to-be! I stamped and colored two identical images and used them for the tag and the card.

On the tag I used the sentiment stamp from the set and inked just the word "Cleaning." Then I used Simple Alphabet from Papertrey Ink to stamp "Supplies."

The background of the card is the Polka Dots Big Ol' Background. I left a sentiment off the card, so it can be used for any occasion. It might even work for Mother's Day, if there's a gift certificate for a cleaning service inside!! Chris, if you're reading this -- there's your hint! ;)

Don't forget to visit the All That Scraps Blog this week for lots of samples and some great giveaways! Christine is giving away a new set each day plus some fun embellishments! I'll have one more set to show you tomorrow, then all of them will all be available at All That Scraps at 12:01 AM Friday, April 4! Thanks for stopping by -- enjoy your day! :)

Stamps: Cleaning Queenie, Polka Dots Big Ol' Background (C.C. Designs); Simple Alphabet (Papertrey Ink) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Basic Black, So Saffron (SU!) Cardstock: So Saffron, Pixie Pink (SU!); C.C. Designs White Cardstock Paper: Spring Fling (SU!) Other: Copic Markers, Soft Subtles Brads, Jumbo Eyelets, Crop-a-dile, 3/16" corner rounder, Stampin' Dimensionals, stamping sponge, black gel pen, white organdy ribbon, pink stitched ribbon

Sneak Peeks Day Three: Handyman Jack

Meet Jack. He's a Jack of All Trades, and he is Queenie's main squeeze (you'll meet Queenie tomorrow). This hunky handyman is ready to work! I had a lot of fun making this card. The finished size is 5.25" square. Jack is stamped on C.C. Designs White Cardstock with Brilliance Graphite ink and is colored with Copics. I cut him "out of the box" before matting the panel on Chocolate Chip cardstock. I stamped the nails image on the Figgy paper with Close to Cocoa ink. For the sentiment, I inked up part of the sentiment stamp with a Chocolate Chip marker. The entire sentiment reads "My Sexy Handyman", but I wanted to show you the versatility of the set -- just in case you were making a project for someone other than your man! I sponged around the image and sentiment panels with Creamy Caramel ink, and I embellished with Jumbo Eyelets and natural hemp twine.

There is a lot of dimension on this card -- I used Stampin' Dimensionals on all the layers. It is a fun card IRL! It's funny -- Jack actually looks a lot like MY handyman. When I was editing the photo on our computer, Caroline walked up and said "Daddy!!" -- I cracked up! :)

You can see more samples of Jack and all the new releases on the ATS Blog, where Christine is having giveaways all week! You can win the new sets and more! Also, you can see all the Design Team samples in the DT Gallery At All That Scraps.

I really appreciate you stopping by! I hope you have a great day today -- thanks for making me a part of it! :)

Stamps: Handyman Jack (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel (SU!) Cardstock: Chocolate Chip (SU!), C.C. Designs White Cardstock Paper: Figgy 6x6 paper pack (BasicGrey) Other: Copic Markers, Jumbo Eyelets, Crop-a-dile, natural hemp twine, Stampin' Dimensionals, stamping sponge