Wednesday's Sketch

Since the first one didn't work out(see last post), I had to do something for today's sketch over on SCS. Our hostess is Roxie, and she is fabulous!! She comes up with(or finds) the most amazing sketches, and always has brilliant samples!!! She is also so sweet about commenting. Speaking of commenting, I wish I could get paid for it. Somedays I leave well over 200 comments, for a girl on dial up, that is a ton!!!
I just got my new Gina K. stamps in the mail today, so I was eager to get them inky!!! This set is Just So Hoppy designed by the fabulous Melanie Muenchinger. She is also the designer of my favorite set for Valentine's day, Just So Hippy. Both of these sets work so well together, and I am thrilled to have them. Back to the card. I started with a 51/4square Whisper White card. I stamped my sentiment from Just So Hoppy on it in Black stazon. The next layer is Mellow Moss, Bashful Blue and Bashful Blue DSP from the Prints Pack. The next section is Whisper White, Mellow Moss, Pretty in Pink and PinP DSP from the Prints Pack. I just had to put some white brads through the ends of it, they just go so well . I stamped my bunny on Whisper White and matted it with PinP, BB, MM. The scene was created with my SU markers/pads and aquapainters. The grass was with the Mellow Moss marker and highlighted with Always Artichoke. The sky was done by squeezing some ink onto my BB pad and using my aquapainter. I left the Bunny mostly white, but used a Creamy Carmel marker to highlight it. The flower, which is a seperate stamp, ears, and cheeks are in Pretty in Pink. For those of you out there that have this set, the flower is just the top part, the stem, I drew in my self with the Basic Black marker and color it in with Mellow Moss. Trust me, if I can do it, anyone can!!! I did go around the bunny and flower with my cool grey Prismacolor marker, just to give it some depth. Once this was all done, I thought it was a little bare, so I attached a silver spiral clip and tied some of the moss, blue and pink gingham on it. I forgot to say that I sponged the top of the card down to a "grass line" with Bashful Blue, and then the bottom with Mellow Moss.Thanks for looking and have a great day. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

stamps-Just So Hoppy
paper- Mellow Moss, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue, and prints pack dsp
ink-Bashful Blue, Black Stazon, mellow Moss
tools-pink, moss and blue gingham, white brads, spiral clip, aquapainter, su markers

This Is Why I Don't Stamp This Late!!

I started this card with today's sketch challenge in mind. I saw the sketch, and knew exactly what I wanted to do. Well, to make a long story short, it was way to big for the sketch. You will learn, in time, that I have absolutely no perception of size, time or distance. I was one of the smart kids in school, everything came easy and I never had to study. I am what you would call book smart. I don't think that anyone, ecspecially anyone who has asked me for directions would call me street smart!!! I can't judge distance, I am famous for saying I am so many minutes away and being way off(and it's places I go all the time, I should know this stuff!!), or for thinking something will fit, when it is either to big or to small. Oh well, I guess you can't have everything!! So anyway, I stamped this wonderful Brushed Lily from Rubbernecker(one of my treasure hunt goodies) on watercolor paper with Black Stazon. I used my Pretty in Pink marker to color the flowers in and used my aquapainter to lift some of the color off. On the stems, I used Mellow Moss and went over it with my aquapainter. After coloring it I matted it with Pretty in Pink, Mellow Moss, and Chocolate Chip. It was way to bright for me, so I sponged the edges with Chocolate Chip ink. After getting it all matted, I knew it was going to be too big for the sketch, but I loved the image. I had used this Mellow Mossy grid paper on a card on Sunday, and I loved it, so I decided to use it again. It is matted on Very Vanilla, Mellow Moss, and Chocolate Chip. The card is 5 1/4square, by the way. I used my very neglected(it's not neglected, I am totally hoarding it!!!) Chocolate Satin ribbon and tried really hard to tie a pretty bow. If you only knew how long it took to get it to where it is, you would think it was the best bow ever!!LOL The sentiment is from the All Holidays set. It is stamped in Black Stazon on Very Vanilla then matted with PinP, MM and CC. I sponged the edges on it to soften it up too. That is all for now!!! Thanks for looking and have a great day!!
stamps-Rubbernecker brushed lily, All Holidays
paper-Mellow Moss, Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, Very Vanilla, Spring Flowers, Watercolor Paper
ink-Black Stazon, Chocolate Chip
tools-su markers, chocolate satin ribbon, aquapainter

Tuesday's Color Challenge

Today is color challenge day over on SCS, and boy is it a good one. I actually love it, and it's made up of three of my FAVORITE colors. I will admit, I love Orchid Opulence, although, I never use it. I don't know why though, it is so pretty!! The color combo is Certainly Celery, Orchid Opulence and Pumpkin Pie. I knew what I wanted to do as soon as I saw the combo, but you know how it goes, you start one place and finish another. Case in point, I started this card using Julee Tilman's mojo monday sketch for this week. And this card is where I ended up. I let my main image, which is from the My Favorite Things set Eggstra Special, get a little too big, so I had to modify it, but I love this card. It is so sparkly and happy!! I started this card with a Certainly Celery base and matted it with Whisper White. The strip across the middle is 2in at the widest layer and goes down from there. I started with Pumpkin Pie, then Orchid Opulence, and then I used some Certainly Celery DSP. I added two white brads to each end and then tied some orchid grosgrain around each end and tied them in a square knot. The main image is matted with all the challenge colors and colored in with SU markers. I used my aquapainter and Bashful Blue pad to create the sky and Artichoke marker to accent the Certainly Celery grass. I stamped the main image in Black Stazon as well as the sentiment. I am really into these layered tags right now, if you can't tell. It was created using SU punches-1 3/8,1 1/4,scallop and key tag. The edges were sponged with Orchid ink. Once I was done, I thought it needed something, so I tried to use my different color stickles, but I tried the orange peel first, and it wouldn't come out of the bottle(so frustrating), so I covered the whole thing with Icicle stickles!!Thanks for looking, and I hope you have a great day!!

stamps-Eggstra Special

paper-Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Orchid Opulence, Whisper White and Certainly Celery

ink-Black stazon, Bashful Blue and Orchid Opulence

tools-SU markers, aquapainter, white brads, orchid grosgrain, icicle stickles

My Favorite Sketch!!

Wow, I can't believe I totally forgot about this challenge. Every week, Cindy Haffner(isn't she amazing) hosts a sketch challenge in the My Favorite Things member forum on SCS. I started participating in the sketch challenge, because I felt like I wasn't using my MFT sets enough. I got so busy with life, and my mom, and being sick, that I totally forgot about it!! So this card is for that challenge. I will be working on lots of Easter cards for awhile, so bear with me. I will try to throw something else in there every once in a while, but for now, it'll be Easter!!

Anyway, I used the new set Eggstra Special on my card today. Isn't that bunny cute!!! I love his big old ears!! I started with a standard A2 card in Certainly Celery then layered it with Lavender Lace, and then Whisper White. I did a half strip of CC DSP and wrapped a piece of white grosgrain around it. The main image was stamped with Black stazon on Whisper White. The sky was done using my aquapainter and Bashful Blue ink pad and the grass was with my Certainly Celery marker. The accent on the grass were made with the writing end of my Always Artichoke marker. I used my Pretty in Pink marker to color in the ears and the cheeks. I think the rest is pretty self explanatory. Thanks for looking and have a great day!!

stamps-Eggstra Special

paper-Whisper Whtie, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Lavender Lace, and Certainly Celery DSP

ink-Black Stazon and Bashful Blue

tools-white grosgrain, SU markers, circle punches, aquapainter

Easter Is Coming!!

I can't believe how early Easter is this year. Maybe it's not early, I just think it is!! I need to get out my easter decorations while I am thinking about it. I know, crazy right, but I decorate my house for spring, fall and winter. The rest of the time it is just really boring around here. I don't have alot of spring stuff, but the amount of Fall/Winter stuff is ridiculous. I will have to post photos when I do it this year.
So anyway, I need to get a jump start on my Easter cards, so pretty much every challenge will be devoted to Easter cards. I sent out 35 Valentines, so I figure I will need atleast that many Easter cards. I made this card using Jen del Muro's Sketch For You To Try. I started with a standard sized card base in Whisper White. I then stamped the Chicken Wire background stamp from Rubbernecker on Certainly Celery. Lavender Lace and Apricot Appeal are the other two colors on here. The strip down from the main image is from the Prints Pack Level 1 hostess gift(my favorite by the way!!). I stamped my chick from Rubbernecker on Whisper White in black Stazon. I watercolored the sky in Bashful Blue, and the grass was drawn in with my Certainly Celery marker. I highlighted it with the writing end of my Always Artichoke marker. The chick was colored in with Barely Banana an highlighted with Apricot Appeal. Aren't her rosy little cheeks so cute!! I used my circle nestabilities to cut out the chick and the layers. The sentiment panel was done using various SU punches, and the sentiment is from the MFT set Eggstra Special. I sponged the edges of the key tag punch with Bashful Blue.


stamps-chick&chickenwire from Rubbernecker
paper-Certainly Celery, Lavender Lace, Apricot Appeal, Whisper White and Prints Pack DSP
ink-black Stazon, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue
tool-key tag punch, circle punches, aquapainter, SU markers, ribbon

WOOHOO!!! Go Betty, Go Betty!!(I got tagged again too!!)

Today's featured stamper over on SCS is Betty, aka gbedwright. If you haven't been to her gallery, go now, you WILL NOT be disapointed. If you aren't familiar with the featured stamper challenge, it is where our host(Beth Siliaka) picks a stamper every Sunday, and you go through their gallery and CASE(copy and steal everything) one or more of their cards. The rules do require you to make atleast two changes, and to give proper credit to the original artist. If this sounds like something you would be into, check out the challenge here. It is a great way to see galleries you may have never found on your own. I think it is a huge honor, and Betty totally deserved it. I picked Betty's Thank You card here. Since it is required by the challenge, I changed, the colors, the images, the ribbon, used dp instead of making my own background, and I left off the flowers in the top corner. I just couldn't get them to look right. I started with a 5 1/4 square base of Mellow Moss, then Lavender Lace, Whisper White, and then a piece of the retired Spring Flowers DSP. The layers were 5in to 4 3/4 to 4 1/2 for the DSP. I then stamped my truck, driver, and eggs(don't you just love this set, it is so versatile) on whisper white with Black Stazon. I colored it in with my SU markers and used my Zig painty for the hubcaps and bumpers. The shading is done with a cool grey prismacolor marker. I cut it out using my circle nestabilities. The sentiment is from the Loads of Love accessories set, a genius set also, and was also stamped using Stazon black on whisper white. I used the 1 1/4, 1 3/8 and scallop punch for it. The ribbon is more of the yummy ribbon I got from Embellish It. My circle ended up way to big, but I love the end result. I tied the ribbon aroung in a square knot and then used the ends to tie more scraps of the ribbon, so their would be lots of tails sticking out.
Can you believe Easter will be here so soon. I figure I am going to have to make atleast one card a day, somedays two, to have enough by then. I am still trying to figure out how I am going to get my St. Patrick's day ones done too. I sent out 35 valentines, and I am certain, I will need more than that for Easter, as I make new friends. Speaking of new friends, I got tagged again with the E for Excellence tag!!! You guys really know how to make a girl feel good!! This time I was tagged by Jenn D, you can check out her blog here. Thanks so much!! Have a great day everyone!!!

stamps-Loads of Love and accessories

paper-Whisper White, Mellow Moss, Lavender Lace, Spring Flowers DSP

ink-Black stazon

tools-Circle nesties, cuttlebug, sheer ribbon, circle punches, SU markers, prismacolor marker, and Zig painty

Such a Sad Little Birdie

First of all, I am up way to late. I really need to get some housework done, but I have a bad habit of getting up, turning on the computer, and pretty much sitting there all day. I need to get up and start cleaning immediately, or it may be a lost cause again!! My husband Travis has been going on roadtrips for work a lot lately, and right now, he is on his way home from Texas. I never thought I would say this, but I MISS HIM!!! I don't miss the dirty dishes under the bed, his disgusting bathroom habits, or his pile of dirty clothes in front of the hamper, but I miss going to bed at night and laying beside him. In fact, that is probably why I am still up. Gonna have to take some NYQUIL to get some sleep!LOL!! He is leaving again on Tuesday to go to Florida, so I need to have my chores done so I can spend time with him, besides, he owes me a Valentine's dinner.

Anyway, this is my card for the inspiration challenge on SCS. It was hosted by our new host Steph, aka SmilynStef. It was a beautiful art piece, you can see it here. I started with a Basic Black base, then Bordering Blue. I stamped the Geometric BG in black on Creamy Caramel. To give it some depth, I sponged Chocolate Chip around the edges. I then punched out to tabs with the word window punch, sponged them, and put a black brad through them. The round tab was punched out in all three colors. The I miss you stamp is from All Year Cheer and stamped in black. Again, I sponged all the edges with Chocolate Chip. The bird was stamped on Watercolor paper in Stazon Black and was colored using Julie Buhler's No Copics, No Problems. I used Creamy Carmel, and highlighted with Close to Cocoa. The puddle of tears is in bordering blue. My aquapainter was used to lift some of the color and to blend it.
Well, that is all for tonight!! Have a great day!!

stamps-All Year Cheer, A Little Birdie Told Me, Geometric

paper- Basic Black, Creamy Caramel, Bordering Blue, Watercolor paper

ink- Stazon Black and Chocolate Chip

tools-word window punch, round tab punch, black brads, aquapainter, SU markers

RAK for Katie

If I haven't already told you, I am a challenge junkie. If I don't participate everyday I seriously get the shakes(not really, but you know what I mean). I once saw someone post that there needed to be a 12 step program, and I tell you what, I would be one of the first in line!!! This card is for Beate's weekend sketch challenge. I saw Sandy, aka sandrasmart64, post the other day that there was a young mom whose baby is very sick, and I wanted to make a card to send to her. You can get more info from Sandy.
This is one of the biggest cards I have ever made. It is an A6, which is 6 3/8 by 4 5/8(9 1/4 unfolded). I started with a Whisper White base, then Close to Cocoa. The DSP panel is Berry Bliss DSP, Pretty in Pink and then Purely Pomegranate. I stamped the Cherry Blossom branch stamp by Rubber Stampede on Whisper White with Black Stazon. It is colored in with SU markers. I sponged the edges with both Close to Cocoa and Pomegranate ink. The rest is pretty simple. I hope that this helps to brighten her day. If you expressed an interest in being in an RAK group, this would be the first assignment. Send me an email or leave a comment, and I will get you the address. Thanks for looking and have a great day!!
stamps-Cherry Blossom and Circle of Friendship

ink- Black Stazon, Close to Cocoa, and Purely Pomegranate

paper-Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Purely Pomegranate, and Berry Bliss DSP

tools-Circle punches, pomegranate satin ribbon, primas, brads, and page pebbles

I Thought This Was Supposed To Be Simple???

Isn't the purpose of a "stamp simply" challenge for the card to be simple?? So why is it every week, I seem to make it difficult?? Sharon's, aka notimetostamp, challenge for today was a sketch challenge. She had a lovely sample to work from, as always!!! Somehow, I seem to make it so hard. When it is done, it is easy to replicate, it's just the journey there that is difficult for me, anyone out there feeling my pain??

As soon as I saw the sketch, I knew exactly what stamp I wanted to use. I just recieved an order from Rubbernecker this week, and this was one of the stamps that I recieved. Isn't it beautiful!! I also knew exactly who it would be for. Jen, aka Jen70, usually hosts the limited supplies challenge on SCS, but had a death in the family, so this is for her and her family. I was going to put a sentiment on it, but couldn't get one to work.

So, I colored the Hearty Vase in using my SU markers. It is stamped on watercolor paper and I used Stazon Black ink. I used Pretty in Pink and Rose Red for the hearts and Mellow Moss and Always Artichoke for the leaves and stems. The base is actually my 20% cool gray prismacolor marker and it is highlighted with my Going Gray marker. I then went over all of it with my aquapainter. It really helps to blend all of the colors. It was matted on Pretty in Pink and Rose Red. The strip across the card is 3 1/4 to 2 3/4 starting with Rose Red. The base is 5 1/4 square in Basic Gray. The ribbon is Basic Gray tafetta.

Well, that is all for now. Thanks for looking and have a great day!!!

stamps-Hearty Vase

paper-Basic Gray, Very Vanilla, Watercolor, Pretty In Pink, and Rose Red

ink-Stazon Black

tools-SU markers, aquapainter, gray tafetta, Prismacolor Cool Grey maker

Circles, Circles Everywhere, But None That I Like!!

Just when you think that you have one of every kind of stamp imaginable, the limited supplies challenge is posted, and you become aware of the fact that you don't!!! I have come to the realization today, that I have no circle stamps besides Riveting and Circle of Friendship. Well, that is not 100% true, I do have Seeing Spots, but just couldn't get it to work, and believe me, I tried! I usually, as a rule, look only at the challenge guidelines for any challenge. I look at what supplies to use, what colors, the sketch, etc., but I NEVER look at the gallery. I feel like I am cheating when I do. I am also afraid, that I will unintentionally copy someone, you know what I mean?? Well today, I was stuck, I thought, I stamped, I thought some more, I stamped some more, I tore two cards apart and put them back together, to make a long story short, I was completely blocked!!! So I decided to look at the gallery for the stamp sets that I had, but nothing inspired me. I finally broke down and looked at the gallery. Bad idea!! I now feel the need to go shopping!! Where do you guys come up with this stuff at???? I will admit, when I first started stamping, I bought what I thought was cute, never taking into consideration how on Earth I was going to use them. Thankfully, I am getting better about that now!! But today I became sadly aware of the fact, that I am not completely there yet. Luckily for me, inspiration finally came. I just got an order yesterday in the mail from Embellish It. Their website is fabulous, you should totally check it out!! I still had it sitting on my stamp table, and I got to looking at the yummy ribbon I had purchased, and finally inspiration came. I started with a standard A2 card in Basic Black, then Pink Passion. I embossed the On the Spot background on white with detail black ep. I sponged the edges with Pink Passion ink. The layered strip down the middle is in the same colors starting at 1 3/4 then 1 1/2 for the pink, and 1 1/4 for the white, which I sponged the edges on as well. I tied the black organdy around this strip in a square knot, and then took the fabulous ribbon I got from Embellish It around it in a bow. Then sentiment is from Circle of Friendship, and I do believe that I used every circle punch I own on it!! I started with my 1/8th handheld punch in white, then I used the 1/4in in Pink Passion, and 1/2in in Basic Black. The sentiment was stamped in black and then punched out with the 1in circle punch. Then 1 1/4 in Pink Passion, 1 3/8 in white and then the scalloped punch in Basic Black. I layered them all together, and then put a page pebble over the top of it, it just looked bare without it. I used my Signo white gel pen to make the dots. I was going to try to be brave and totally go all Markie's Mom(dots everywhere) on this, but didn't have the guts to!!!!
Well, that's it for me today! Hope you have a good one, and Happy Stamping!!!
stamps-Circle of Friendship and On the Spot
paper- Basic Black, Pink Passion, and Whisper White
ink-Versamark and Stazon Black
tools-Lots of circle punches, black EP, black organdy, pink and white ribbon from EI, and page pebbles