Dare to Get Dirty 08 Challenges - Clean White and Masculine

I'm back! I can't believe I'm posting twice in the same day, but I want to get caught up with posting my Dare to Get Dirty Challenge cards. I think I've got 5 out of 20 done so far. Thank goodness the deadline isn't until Friday! LOL

This card is in response to Julie's challenge for a clean, simple white card. I knew that this hand-carved stamp from Craft Pudding (she sells on Etsy) was perfect for this challenge. After stamping and coloring the image, it still felt just a bit too plain for me, so I used Papertrey Ink's Borders and Corners Ovals to frame the image. The card is finished off by a sweet sentiment at the bottom right.

Recipe:

Stamps: Craft Pudding, PTI Borders and Corners Oval, greeting is by Stampendous

Paper: Papertrey Ink stock white cards

Ink: SU Chocolate Chip and Copic Markers

Accessories: none

This card was in response to Michelle's challenge to make a masculine card. I wanted to use my Papertrey Ink Pond Life set because it hasn't seen much ink. It took me several tries before I got the images the way I liked them, and even then I felt something was missing. So I used my Copic air can to fill in all the white space, and I do think it improved the scene.

The light brown duck was stamped on a piece of white cardstock and then cut out and mounted "over" the dark brown duck. This was the result of a mistake I made with the brown duck that needed to be covered up, but I really like how it turned out! I swear some of the best ideas come from trying to cover up mistakes.

I've been wanting to use some of that cool camo ribbon I got from my friend Lisa, and this was the perfect card for it!

Recipe:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Pond Life

Paper: Basic Grey Mellow DP, SU Always Artichoke and Chocolate Chip cardstock

Ink: Always Artichoke, Creamy Caramel, Basic Brown, Brocade Blue; Copic air can with B97 Night Blue marker

Accessories: misc camo ribbon, antique brass brads by Making Memories, SU corner punch

I'll post some more tomorrow. For now, I've got to get back to the never-ending laundry. At least I get to stamp while I do the wash, so it's not so bad. Thanks for stopping by!

Dare to Get Dirty 08 Challenges - Vellum and Ribbon

Hello! I know it's been over a week since I last posted. Again, I have to blame a slower than expected recovery from my surgery. It's not that I feel terrible... it's just that I get very tired after a long day at work and don't have the energy to stamp in the evening. Plus, all my extra energy has been spent shipping out stamps that have sold on eBay. Thanks to all who have helped to make my sales so successful! I will have more goodies to put up for auction next weekend, so stay tuned.

On Friday, my friend Lisa and I went to the Long Beach Quilt Festival. That's only the second quilt show I've ever been to... the other being Road to California in Ontario, CA this past January. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven the first time, and the Long Beach show was no exception. All I can say is that it fired me up to get back to my quilting... especially now that I own two more kits to add to the pile of those I've already purchased! LOL So many crafting projects, so little time...

One of our very favorite vendors was Nifty Thrifty Dry Goods. Talk about eye candy! You just wouldn't believe the assortment of buttons, ribbons and beads. You will definitely be seeing some of the delicious ribbons I bought there in future cards!

Quilting was my inspiration for this card. Laurie Schmidlin is one of my top two favorite stampers. I not only love her artwork, but I love hearing about life on a ranch in Montana... about as far removed from my life here in So Cal as can be! Anyway, Laurie issued the first challenge last Monday for Dare to Get Dirty 08, to use vellum on a card. I honestly have not used vellum in a loooonnng time. Laurie does some beautiful things will vellum. I'm a little stymied.

I pulled out my Cuttlebug embossing folder and made a background paper that looks to me like embroidered linen. Then I used my new PTI Quilter's Sampler stamps to stamp quilt squares on Guidelines paper... I used black ink...then punched them out with my 3/4" square punch, then assembled them together on a scrap of cardstock, and mounted all of that over a larger square of Guidelines paper. I got the idea for that from Michelle Wooderson, my other favorite stamper. (I see she's now caught the quilting bug!) With the cardstock background, I think it really looks like a quilt!

I then added the sewing elements to finish the card. The thread spool was stamped first on the "quilt" and then stamped on white cardstock, cut out and mounted over the image stamped on the "quilt" so that you could see the thread portion of the image. I tried to put a greeting on the front, but couldn't get one to look right. I can't tell you how I struggled with this card. I think I must have been brain dead... it came together very slowly and evolved as I went along, but in the end, I think it turned out okay.

Recipe:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Quilter's Sampler

Paper: Papertrey Ink Plum Pudding cardstock, Guidelines 6 x 6 DP, Stampin Up vellum cardstock

Ink: SU Basic Black, PTI Plum Pudding

Accessories: Cuttlebug embossing folder, PTI Plum Pudding satin ribbon, misc button and pin

This card is in response to the ribbon challenge issued by Jody. She challenged us to use ribbon as the starting inspiration for a card. I have lots of wonderful ribbon, and it didn't take me long to choose this one. I was inspired by the bright colors, and I was pretty sure I had cardstock that would match. Sure enough, I did!

I was anxious to ink up my new CC Designs stamps, and thought this little guy with his melting ice cream cone was perfect for the bright colors of the ribbon and papers. My sons Clay and Avery love sherbet, so that's what I was recreating in my ice cream images. All the coloring was done with Copics. I colored the bear with two different colors and then removed some of the color with my Colorless Blender. I'm sorry I forgot to write down the Copic colors for you. The sketch is patterned after one I saw on Taylor VanBruggen's blog. The bottom green cardstock piece was put through a Cuttlebug emossing folder, although it's a bit hard to see. Anyway, I just love the way this card turned out!

Stamps: CC Designs

Paper: SU Rose Romance and Green Galore cardstock, PTI Lavendar Moon and White cardstock

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Copic markers

Accessories: misc ribbon, Cuttlebug embossing folder, SU scallop circle punch and 1- 3/8" circle punch

I've got to go and get ready for church. I'll post three more cards this afternoon, so stay tuned!

A Little Break!

Hello there! Yes, I'm finally taking a bit of a break from my chores to sit down and post a new card. I didn't get much crafting done this past week because I was really tired every night when I got home from work. I'm still recovering from my little surgery and another problem that cropped up requiring me to take two antibiotics... which I finished today. I'm sure I'll be back to my old self again soon.

I actually made this card a couple of weeks ago for my friend Susan. Her SCS name is coffeeforme. I know she likes coffee... but ONLY after she has taken a shower and gotten dressed for the day (me, I have to have coffee before I can do anything), which I discovered when we roomed together at a CKU. And we both love our Starbucks, that's for sure!

This Hanna image is so large, I really didn't have room for much else. I stamped her, the table and other images with Brilliance Graphite Black ink and then colored everything with my Copic markers. (I will start taking pictures of my markers for future cards, but for now they are listed below.) The tabs are the SU small oval punch folded in half over the edge, and finished off with a Dew Drop. I just realized one of the tabs popped up in this picture... sorry about that! Anyway, the tabs were added because I accidentally made a stray black mark on the card when stamping the main images and I needed to cover it up rather than start all over again. I hate stray marks! But I will say that many's the time I've liked what I did to cover up a mistake, and this is no exception!

Recipe:

Paper: Basic Grey Two Scoops, Papertrey Ink Sweet Blush and White cardstock

Stamps: Hanna

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Copic Markers R32, RV42, YG03, B21, C1, E25, E00, YR31, B34, To

Accessories: Dew Drops, SU Small Oval Punch

The purge of my craft room continues. Thanks to all who have purchased my stamps on eBay. I'm really glad that they will get new life and attention in someone else's hands. Today I put the ones that didn't sell last week back up for sale with all fixed prices (Buy It Now) and an offer to Buy One Get One Half Off. I'll add some more "new" items tomorrow, so please be sure to check out my listings.

I'll be back tomorrow with something new to share! Thanks for stopping by.

New Stampin Up Goodies!

I'm feeling so much better now that I've had time to play with my new Stampin Up goodies. I figured a couple of good challenges would get the juices flowing again, so I visited Taylor's blog for the Friday Cupcake Challenge... and here's my card! Everything here (except for the Whisper White and Chocolate Chip cardstock) is new: this adorable stamp set is called Sock Monkey, who comes with a lot of accessories, including... tada... a cupcake! That's the new Riding Hood Red... love it...and one of the Rosa Bella DSPs, and a button from the new Button Bouquet... awesome!

For my sock monkey, I wanted him to look like knit... which all the sock monkeys I've ever seen are. So I took my Canvas background stamp and stamped some Whisper White first with Chocolate Chip and then with Riding Hood Red. I then stamped the sock money on both and cut out and paper pieced the various parts of the monkey. Next time, I might try doing the face with maybe Creamy Caramel or stamped off Chocolate Chip. I also paper pieced the cupcake frosting. I used my blender pen to color the cupcake holder and candle with Riding Hood Red since unfortunately SU doesn't make markers for the In Color group. But you can always color with the re-inkers, which I did for the next card.

Everything on this card is new, too. The sketch is Julee's Monday Mojo Sketch #45. This stamp (and greeting) is from a new Hostess Level 2 set called Serene Spring. You can get this set for free! I stamped the image in StazOn Jet Black on watercolor paper and then colored with my reinkers, water and a paint brush. I used four of the six new In Colors: Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Tangarine Tango and Pink Pirouette. I put the background Baja Breeze cardstock through my Cuttlebug for a rustic look. The DSP is also from Rosa Bella, with the scalloped edge courtesy of the new SU scalloped punch (that punch will be getting a lot of use, let me tell you!).

I also did a second version of this card with Tangarine Tango as a more predominant color. I can't decide which I like better. But I do like using the window punch to layer the greeting underneath the DSP, as I did in the card above, rather than layering it on top as I did for this one.

The Dew Drops were added as a nod to the sketch... I didn't have room at the bottom of the image. Otherwise, everything is Stampin Up!

Okay, I'm going back for more, so stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by!

Get Well Soon

I actually sent this card to a friend who has been under the weather recently, but it could apply to little ole me. I just had a minor surgery on Thursday afternoon... a female issue... no details required (LOL)... and I'm still feeling a little punky, but much better than yesterday. It always takes a few days to recover after going under general anesthesia. That is the wierdest feeling... a complete loss of time. Anyway, I'm glad to say the procedure was declared a success, and I'm very happy to have that behind me!

I'm anxious to get back to stamping, especially since my Stampin Up order of the new colors and preview stamps arrived on Thursday. They have been patiently awaiting my recovery so that I can start playing!

Let me tell you, the new colors are WONDERFUL, much better than I imagined. Plus, there's a new scallop edge punch... right on! And cool new buttons... you won't believe how cute they are. And the stamp sets... all I can say is WOW! We have a lot to look forward to when the new catalog comes out.

For this card, I paper pieced the bedding and even the table top. A strip of paper served as my "ribbon," which I ran through a HPH slide. Don't forget that the HPH is retiring on August 10th, as are this year's In Color and (I'm pretty sure) anything that coordinates with those colors. While the new colors being introduced in August are great, so are the current ones. I especially love Wild Wasabi, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky and Groovy Guava.

Recipe:

Paper: SU Porcelain Prints DSP, River Rock and Blue Bayou cardstock

Stamps: Morningstar

Ink: Basic Black

Accessories: Hodgepodge Hardware

I've been up for a little too long, I think, so I'm going to go lay down for awhile, and then I'm going to dig into my new SU goodies, so stay tuned!

Happy Birthday Lou!

Today was my sweet sister Linda's birthday. I call her Lou. My mom used to call her Lou, I think from Linda Lou, even though that's not her middle name. Anyway, my sister is one of my best friends. We have a LOT of history together. She lived with me a time or two, and I was her coach when she gave birth to Dylan 17+ years ago. I wish we lived closer together so that we can see each other more often. Thank goodness for email!

I know we don't look anything alike. That's because Kim and I are adopted. Linda always hated it when I'd explain that... she figured it was no one's business...but I always felt an explanation was in order! It truly doesn't matter. My sisters and brother are my sisters and brother... period. And, of course, my parents are my parents... period. I'll have to tell the story sometime, though, of how I found my birth mother and what an impact it had on me.

Anyway, I just got finished packing up a lot of boxes (thanks to all who have bought some stamps from me on eBay!), sending invoices for more sales, cleaning out my email, and browsing a few blogs. As tired as I am, I thought I'd share a quick card with you.

I love The Apron Book by EllynAnne Geisel, so I couldn't resist this stamp from Lockhart Stamp Co. I paper pieced the apron using the same papers I used for my Bowl Full of Cherries card. The dish towel and ties were colored with Copic markers. The cherry in the circle is from the Hero Arts Cupcake set.

Recipe:

Paper: Hello Sunshine DP by Cosmo Cricket, Real Red and Basic Black cardstock by Stampin Up!

Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Co., cherry is by Hero Arts, dots in the circle is from Think Happy Thoughts by Stampin Up!

Ink: SU Basic Black, Copic Markers

Accessories: Black brads

Okay, I'd better get to bed before I pass out. Thanks for stopping by!

Bark Bark!

Whew! I'm FINALLY done putting stamps and stamp sets up for sale on eBay... at least for now. The best part is that I'm getting lots of buyers, so that's great! I'm happy for my stamps to go to new homes where they will be used. Don't forget to check my auctions. Stampin Up! sets are toward the end.

I've been so busy with that, I haven't had time to stamp OR watch my soaps (thank goodness for DVR!). I made this card last week for a friend who watched our two little dogs for a couple of days while we were out of town. The funny thing is that our dogs look a little like this stamped image because they have their summer cuts.

Molly is a Bichon Frise and Sadie is a Bolognese (the two breeds are "cousins," so they look very similar), which means they are supposed to be all fluffy and cute. Not around here they aren't! LOL They've been fluffy only a few times, fresh from the groomer. I think they are cute all the time! Anyway, they are quite a pair and we love them dearly.

That's Sadie on the left and Molly on the right. Aren't they cute! My friend Marianne's husband took these pictures at my graduation party. The girls were fresh from the groomer, but mighty nervous about all the people in the room.

Anyway, back to the card. The sketch was Taylor's Cupcake Challenge #22. The stripes in the paper took the place of ribbon in my interpretation.

Recipe:

Paper: Cosmo Cricket Honey Pie, SU More Mustard and Very Vanilla cardstock

Stamps: Inkadinkado

Ink: More Mustard

Accessories: The collars are little Stampendous Class-A-Peel rhinestones

I figure I'll be busy for the next week mailing out packages, but I should have time to get back to my stamp room and maybe do a few challenges. Just in case, though, I have a few more cards I've already finished to share, so be sure to check back.

Thanks for stopping by!

Billy Birthday Card

I'm taking a short break from putting up stamps and stamp sets for sale on eBay to post this cute card. I just love Billy and Lily. So cute! My Billy has brown hair because so does my Avery. He loves to stamp with Billy, too. I made this card in response to Valerie's Design Team Challenge on the Pink Cat Studio blog. Billy is taking a break from skateboarding to enjoy an ice cream cone. I had these Basic Grey Cupcake scraps, and I thought they'd make a great summery birthday card. Billy's hat is popped up with a Dimensional.

Recipe:

Paper: Basic Grey Cupcake DSP, SU Barely Banana carstock

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Copic Markers: R000, E00, E51, YG95, Y11, B24, E35, W5

Stamps: Dress up Billy by Pink Cat Studio, greeting is from Lily & Tweet

Accessories: SU buttons

Whew it's hot here in So Cal. It feels like a continual hot flash today. I have to stand in front of the a/c sometimes to cool off. I hope it's cooler where you are. If not, stay inside in the a/c and stamp!

Don't forget to check my eBay sales . (You can also click on the link at the top of the right hand column of my blog). Tons of goodies... many brand new, never been used. My loss is your gain!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Fourth of July!

God Bless America, indeed! Happy 4th of July everyone! I'm sure most of you are already at the beach, the shore, the river, the lake, the pool, wherever you like, enjoying the day with family and friends. We're heading out ourselves in a bit. This hot weather makes it hard for me to drum up any enthusiam for outdoor activities. I am definitely NOT a hot weather gal... which makes one wonder what I'm doing in Southern California in the desert climate!

I made this card years ago. I don't even have these stamps anymore (but they are Stampin Up!). Since I currently have no patriotic stamps, I pulled this out to share in recognition of this important day. The flag image was embossed using glitter embossing powder, which looks really shimmery in person. The strip along the back is a piece of Magic Mesh.

I hope you all have a wonderful day, feeling proud to be an American. (I love that song... it brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it.)

I'll be back tomorrow with some new creations.

P.S. My son Collin finally helped me figure out how to do a better job cropping my photos! Yay!

Thoughts of You

What a nice sentiment that is... "thoughts of you." I was thinking the other day, as I read through a few blogs, that a recurrent theme is one of how busy life is. Many bloggers say things like, "this will be a short post because I'm out the door in a minute," or "I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile, but you wouldn't believe the week I've had," or "today I have this, that and the other thing to do, and I don't know how I'll ever squeeze it all in!" I've said similar things myself on my own blog!

I used to laugh to myself when other people would talk about how busy they were, (smugly) thinking that no one could possibly be busier than me. But I've since realized that it isn't a contest. We're all super busy. That's what life is all about in this fast-paced world we live in. All I need to concentrate on is achieving balance in my own life.

My husband accuses me of being the "complicator." I guess he's right... I (like so many others) tend to take on too much and become overwhelmed. I'm trying to dial it down a bit, and I'm making some progress. It's the guilt that gets me every time.

The thing I'm worried about right now is this: if you've read my bio (or know me personally), you know that not only do I love to stamp, but I also love to scrapbook and quilt. I've been neglecting the latter two hobbies for months now. What I'm trying to figure out is how I can squeeze those back in and still have time to stamp.

Anyway, the point I was trying to make about "thoughts of you" is that we all have special people in our lives (past and present) and sometimes we need to stop and remember them... and connect with them... let them know we are thinking of them. It's the "pause that refreshes" for both people!

This card is one of the two projects we did for Stamp Club this past month. I was giving the ladies a quick lesson in paper piecing. I love to paper piece, but it can be fiddly. Probably everyone already knows this, but the trick is to move the paper, not the scissors, while you cut. And to use good sharp small scissors. Stampin Up's Paper Snips are perfect for this.

Recipe:

Paper: Stampin Up (SU) Jersey Shore DSP, Pumpkin Pie and Whisper White cardstock

Stamps: SU Just Celebrate

Ink: SU Basic Black

Accessories: SU Pumpkin Pie Striped grosgrain ribbon, bold brights brads, corner punch

I'm going to heed my own advice and call two old friends tomorrow... one who left a message for me three days ago, and I haven't called her back yet (shame on me!) and another I've been thinking a lot about lately, but haven't bothered to pick up the phone. She and I have been friends since 9th grade, and that's a long time!

Thanks for stopping by!