Soft Castles

I found the time to make a card after DD went to bed – how exciting! This one is for the Try a New Technique Challenge this week, which is a Two Way Open Card. Beth posted some awesome directions, so be sure to check it out.

I was in a mellow mood when I stamped this – it was a really awful weather day here, complete with torrential thunderstorms and tornadoes sighted in the area. Somehow, a bright card just seemed wrong tonight, kwim? So I went for an aged, softer look.

I shrunk my card 1/4″ on all the measurements, so it would fit into the envelopes I have here at home. I sponged everything to death on this card using Creamy Caramel ink. I stamped on the dp (Fancy Pants) with the French Script BG and Close to Cocoa ink. My image is from the Provencal set. The image is larger than the panel I had cut, so I inked it up and laid the cs down on the stamp – I like the way it fills up the whole piece of Naturals Ivory cs. I distressed the edges with my fingernail (yes, I was too lazy to get up and grab my distresser tool).

On the inner panel I added two primas with a large brad. I love the element of surpsie they add – you can’t see them at all when the card is closed! I added a piece of hodgepodge hardware in the corner to keep the card closed, and considered it finished. I do need to spend some time with DH!!

Stamps: Provencal, French Script

Paper: Close to Cocoa, Soft Sky, Groovy Guava, Naturals Ivory, Fancy Pants dp

Ink: Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel

Accessories: distresser, hph, random sprial clip, ribbon, primas, brad

Techniques: two way card, sponging

A Quick Thank You Card

Sorry about the terrible picture – my allergies are so bad I can barely see the camera anyway! I just hate pollen season 😦  I knew it would catch up to me eventually. And for some odd reason, I don’t think DH likes me with tissues stuffed up my nose, lol. So I spent most of Sunday semi-reclined on the couch, trying to get some rest.

I needed a few quickie thank you cards, so this is one I whipped up. The base is Sage Shadow, the large panel is Groovy Guava stamped tone-on-tone with the retired Harlequin background stamp. I used Prima dp, from their Lucid collection, for my accent panels. It is double sided paper, which makes for easy coordinating! I handstitched around the edges of each panel with dark brown and creme thread, and added some die cut photo corners to it. I used the SAB So Many Scallops set, and punched it with my scalloped circle punch. I punched another scalloped circle out of Groovy Guava cardstock and put it behind the stamped image, and sewed a button in the middle. I finished the whole thing off with some guava organdy ribbon (what a great RAK that was!).

Have a great day, and I hope it isn’t pollen season at your house, too!

Tempting Blackbird

I made this for this week’s sketch challenge on SCS. I am really pleased with how this card came together. And all day long I have been singing “Blackbird” to myself! I love that song.

I discovered this ribbon at Michael’s recently, in the dollar spot area. I got several spools, all of them a bold color with black and white accents. I haven’t made a card yet with any of them, so I was pretty determined to make that happen today! The stamps on this card are more from the set I won from Rose Ann (Paper Delightz) – I’m totally lovin’ it! It makes beautiful cards 🙂

The sketch this week is so great — I did have to flip it on end, though. Sometimes when you flip a sketch on end, it doesn’t work. I do think this one does, thank goodness! I stamped the large bird and the small flowers in Versafine Black ink. I stamped the French Flair background on the white panel and on the card base in Temtping Turquoise.

Stamps: French Flair, Garden Assortment (inkadinkado)

Paper: Tempting Tuquoise, Basic Black, Whisper White

Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Versafine Black

Accessories: $1 ribbon, crystal brad

Birthday Bird

I must know a zillion people (okay, I’m exaggerating slightly) that have a birthday in May. I am trying to get a jump on the cards I know I need to mail out. So far, I’ve made…one! I’m a bit slow, okay??

The inspiration for this color combo came from the fabulous dp, which is by Me & My Big Ideas. I got the whole pad on clearance at Michael’s awhile back. The card base is Bashful Blue, The large accent panel is Real Red, and the small mat is Old Olive. I stamped my image and sentiment on textured (no SU) watercolor paper (with Versafine Black ink) and colored it with ink and aquapainters.

I added *bling* to the bottom of the image panel (but noticed when I took the picture that one side had slipped a bit – I have fixed it now!) and to the center of one of the circle designs on the dp (bottom corner). The other circles all had red dots in the middle, so I left them alone. Click on the picture for a better view of the dp!

I think this is a fun card, and I hope it makes the birthday girl smile!

Stamps: Inkadinkado – Bird Assortment

Paper: Bashful Blue, Real Red, Old Olive, non SU watercolor, My Mind’s Eye dp

Ink: Versafine black, Bashful Blue, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive

Accessories: aquapainter, mme bling, white gg ribbon, blue organdy ribbon

Techniques: watercoloring

Small Changes…

I changed a few things – I really like it! Hope you do too 🙂

Spotlight on Poppies

Would you believe I have never done a “spotlight” card? What a fun technique! If you’ve never done it either, be sure to check out this tutorial over on SCS.

I was inspired to make use this technique when I saw this adorable card my friend Victoria made. It is such a sweet little card!

I used the new Poppies stamp by Inkadinkado – it’s part of my most recent splurge at Jacksonbelle Embellishments. I don’t think it is possible to make an ugly card with this stamp!  I stamped it on this cool ribbed watercolor paper I found (at Michaels, maybe?) – I love the way it provides texture to the image. I used Brilliance Coffee Bean ink for it. I colored my spotlighted piece with a Blush Blossom WWC and True Thyme ink, and an aquapainter. I also used the inks to watercolor around the edges. 

Stamps: Inkadinkado – Poppies; Carte Postale

Paper: True Thyme, Blush Blossom, Watercolor Paper, Basic Grey DP

Ink: Brilliance Coffe Bean, True Thyme

Accessories: WWC, Aquapainter, small and large oval punches, ribbon

Techniques: Spotlight, tent topper

Purely Butterfly

I made this card for Beate’s weekend sketch. As usual, it was a stunner of a sketch – so simple yet so many possibilities! Her blog is so much fun to drool over!

I knew going in that I wanted to use this Butterfly Scroll stamp that I got from Jacksonbelle Embellishments. I love it! I’m thrilled it happened to work so perfectly with the sketch, lol 🙂

I used my new Brilliance inkpads – Rocket Red Gold, which has the most gorgeous gold sheen to it ever, and Pearlescent Poppy. I am so in love with this whole line of inks! What took me so long??

The dp is from Basic Grey’s Perhaps line. I used two different Inkadinkado stamps – one wood mounted image (the butterfly/scroll/doodle on the Whisper White) and two different images from the clear stamps set Garden Assortment. I used my Martha edge punch to trim the dp.

Stamps: Inkadinkado – Butterfly, Garden Assortment (clear stamps)

Paper: Purely Pomegranate, Regal Rose, Basic Grey – Perhaps

Ink: Brillinace – Pearlescent Poppy, Rocket Red Gold

Accessories: polka dot organdy ribbon, Martha Stewart edge punch

I Love Barely Banana!

I did the Featured Stamper Challenge on Sunday, and spent some serious quality time drooling over Kharmagirl’s gallery. I mean – wow!! Her stuff is amamazing!

I eventually settled on this card, after adding more than a few to my personal favs gallery. She went with River Rock, which I totally love. I had a specific purpose for making a card on Sunday, and this really worked well for it. I sponsor a woman through Women for Women International, and this week I was given a new *sister*. So I’m writing my intro letter to her, and sending it in this card. The organization asks that packages remain as flat as possible, so on my version I left off the hardware. If you have a minute, click on the link to their site and learn a little more about this organization. I’ll share this about them, from their “What We Do” page:

Women for Women International mobilizes women to change their lives by bringing a holistic approach to addressing the unique needs of women in conflict and post-conflict environments.

We begin by working with women who may have lost everything in conflict and often have nowhere else to turn. Participation in our one-year program launches women on a journey from victim to survivor to active citizen. We identify services to support graduates of the program as they continue to strive for greater social, economic and political participation in their communities.

Women begin in our Sponsorship Program where direct financial aid from a sponsor helps them deal with the immediate effects of war and conflict such as lack of food, water, medicine and other necessities. Exchanging letters with sponsors provides women with an emotional lifeline and a chance to tell their stories —maybe for the first time. As their situations begin to stabilize, women in our program begin building a foundation for their lives as survivors.

Women for Women International believes that establishing a means to earn a sustainable living is critical to being fully active in the life of a family, community and country. To help women transform their new skills into financial independence and sustainability, we offer job skills trainings to strengthen women’s existing skills and to introduce new skills in traditional and non-traditional fields so women can access future employment opportunities.

Building on the skills training program, we offer comprehensive business services designed to help women start and manage their own micro-enterprises. We give them access to capital and operate microcredit programs in Afghanistan and Bosnia and Herzegovina with an overall repayment rate of 98 percent. We give women access to markets by facilitating product sales through outside retailers and our online Virtual Bazaar. We provide expertise such as product design, production assistance and business development workshops. We also help women form micro-enterprises such as production facilities and cooperative stores to sell the goods women produce.

Ok, back to the card! Other changes I made on my version were: the ribbon, the color, the stamp set, and I added Primas with Stickles for centers. I’m pretty pleased with the way it turned out!

I think I am the only person who does not have the photo corner punch, lol. To make mine, I used a square punch, cut the square in half diagonally, and then used the square ounch again to punch a bit out of the center.

Stamps: Embrace Life, Baroque Motifs

Paper: Barely Banana

Ink: Barely Banana, Versamark

Accessories: Clear EP, Sponge, Word Window Punch, Oval Punches, Sqaure Punch, Primas, Stickles

Techniques: Sponging

I hope you have a terrific day!

Chocolate Owl

Is this not the cutest little owl?? He is part of the Garden Delight clear stamps set by Inkadinkado. I won the blog candy that Rose Ann over at Paper Delightz was giving away a little over a week ago. How fantastic is that? It came at the tail end of a spectacularly bad week, so I was totally stoked to win! The cool thing was that I got to pick from two different prizes (see her original post here) – one from Verve Visual and One from Inkadinkado. Both also came with the So Many Scallops SAB set. Great candy, huh?

I finally figured out how to add my pictures so that you can click on them to make them larger – so go ahead! Give it a shot! If it doesn’t work, please let me know, lol. This was a quick card that I made while DD was cleaning up before bed. I kept it simple, because I was trying to keep at least one eye on her. My base is Chocolate Chip, and my large panel is Soft Sky. The dp is Crate paper, and I just can’t remeber where I bought it! I stamped that cutie patootie little owl using Chocolate Chip ink. I edged each piece of cardstock and the dp in Wild Wasabi ink, and added a smidge of wasabi-toned grosgrain ribbon to the corner of the image panel. And that’s about it!

Stamps: Garden Delight – Inkadinkado clear stamps

Paper: Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky, Whisper White, Crate paper (dp)

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Wild Wasabi

Accessories: ribbon

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful day!

Is It Masculine?

So, I’m wondering if this card is masculine enough to give it to my husband. I made it last week while he was out of town, and have been trying to decide about it ever since. The flowers are blue and brown, so that makes it masculine, right?????

I used Brilliance Cosmic Copper ink to stamp the image and the sentiment. The dp and coordinating chipboard tag are from Cosmo Cricket’s Wanted line (purchased from Jacksonbelle). To make everything look sufficiently *aged*, I rubbed on some Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Tea Stain (on the Soft Sky base, the Creamy Caramel panel, and the Very Vanilla one). The Creamy Caramel panel was run through my Cuttlebug.

I used my new Martha Stewart edge punch to get the scalloped edge.  Yes, the $14.99 punch that I paid $1.49 at Michael’s last week. I was so excited to get such a deal! They don’t know why it rang up that way, and none of the other punches did. I took this one and ran!

Stamps: LAD Far East

Paper: Soft Sky, Creamy Caramel, Very Vanilla, Cosmo Cricket dp

Ink: Brilliance Cosmic Copper, Tim Holtz Distrss – Tea Stain

Accessories: Cuttlebug, MS edge punch, Primas, copper brads, Cosmo Cricket chipboard, ribbon

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful day!

Funky Florals

I just love this loud, colorful dp by Urban Lilly. Something about it screams *loud flower* to me, so that is just what I did.  As soon as I saw it over at Jacksonbelle’s store, I knew I had to have it!! There is not too much stamping, but I didn’t think the dp really needed it.

I stamped the flower and stem on Whisper White (and cut them out separately), colored the petals with SU markers, and added some stickles to the center. A small pinch of pink ricrac and a sentiment, and I left it alone. It’s loud enough without me messing with it!

I decided to post this card this morning because it is quite the dreary Monday here, and my day needed something bright! I think Mondays should be part of the weekend, too, lol 🙂

Stamps: Fun to Be Floral – Lizzie Anne Designs

Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Pink Passion, Green Galore, Urban Lilly – Forever

Ink: Brilliance black

Accessories: SU markers, stickles, word window punch, ricrac

Sweet Frog

I had forgotten how I love this set!!! This card was for Monday’s Technique Challenge. I loved the whole idea – paper tole always turns out looking so cool. It took me a few minutes to decide what set to use. I rummaged through my drawer until I found this little cutie – he just looks so sweet!

I stamped the frog and mushroom in Versafine Black ink (twice, to really darken it) on the watercolor paper, then again twice more to create 2 more images elsewhere. I watercolored all of the images, and then started cutting! The mushroom stem is one piece, mounted on a dimensional. The cap is another piece, mounted on 2 stacked dimensionals. The frog’s body is also mounted on 2 stacked dimensionals; his back legs are separate pieces adhered with Crystal Effects. For his eyes, I put some CE on the ones attached to the body, and used that to adhere the cutout eyes, and then put more CE on top.

I also busted out the Liquid Applique and used it on the spots on the mushroom caps, after I watercolored them Groovy Guava. I applied it when the paper was still a bit damp, so it would tint the applique. The poofy circles look adorable 🙂

The sky is watercolored using Cool Caribbean, Blue Bayou, and a touch of Basic Gray. The mushroom was done with River Rock, Groovy Guava, and Creamy Caramel. And the frog is Certainly Celery and Wild Wasabi.

Stamps: Unfrogettable

Paper: Blue Bayou, Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, River Rock, Basic Grey dp, Watercolor

Ink: River Rock, Groovy Guava, Creamy Caramel, Blue Bayou, Cool Caribbean, Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Basic Gray, Versafine Black

Accessories: Liquid Applique, Crystal Effects, Aquapainter, cuttlebug, ribbon, brad, dimensionals

Mellow Florals

I did it! With minutes to spare 🙂 My goal yesterday was to finish and upload the color combo challenge — and it was 11:58 pm, EST when I uploaded this one to SCS. Woohoo!! It felt like it took me forever to finish this one — I kept starting and stopping and getting sidetracked and forgetting what my goal was.

I did one of my favorite things to do for my first layer. I cut a piece of Apricot Appeal and a piece of Creamy Caramel and then cut each one into a triangle, to combine them for one layer. You totally cannot tell in the picture, but the two triangle panels are stamped in Cameo Coral with the Linen background, the Mellow Moss layer is stamped with Mellow Moss using the Harlequin background, and the Apricot layer is done with Linen again. One flower on the Whisper White panel was rock n’ rolled in Creamy Caramel and Cameo Coral. The smallest flower ont he panel is popped up on a dimesnional.

The chipboard button is from Cosmo Cricket’s Buck Naked line – I colored it with a Mellow Moss marker and tied a small piece of white organdy polka dot ribbon (also purchased from Jacksonbelle Embellishments). To finish off the card and add a bit of *oomph* I handstitched the smallest Apricot Appeal panel to the lovely Fancy Pants designer paper.

Stamps: Fun to be Floral – LAD, Linen, Harlequin

Paper: Cameo Coral, Creamy Caramel, Apricot Appeal, Whisper White, Fancy Pants dp – Lavish (Aged Florals line)

Ink: Cameo Coral, Apricot Appeal, Mellow Moss, Creamy Caramel

Accessories: markers, dimensionals, thread, paper piercer, chipboard, ribbon

Friendly Little Birdie

I got these fab clear stamps by Inkadinkado on sale at AC Moore for $5.99 on Saturday — I love them! I super-duper love them because they were so cheap. Who doesn’t love cheap and fabulous?? (Okay…that looks bad when I type it!)

The card is pretty self explanatory.  The bird is stamped with my new Brilliance black inkpad — holy goat that thing is wonderful! The image came out so dark, and crisp — I’ll definitely be buying more (truth: I bought a Cosmic Copper one, too!). I watercolerd the bird using Wild Wasabi, Bayou Blue, Old Olive, and Groovy Guava. I added some Wild Wasabi around the edge of the panel with the aquapainter, too. I just think this bird has the funniest loook about  him — so sassy!

Stamps: Bird Assortment – Inkadinkado

Paper: Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, Fabriano Medioevalis, Me & My Big Ideas dp

Ink: Brilliance black, Wild Wasabi, Groovy Guava, Old Olive, Bayou Blue

Accessories: spiral clippie, ribbon, cutter kit, ticket corner punch