No challenge card this morning...

my Lumiere paint I was going to use for the challenge was think and goopy and made a mess, guess I need a new bottle!

Last night I went to bed with an idea in my head and this morning I had to get up and get it on paper. I did this one with a masking technique to get the nice crisp sponge lines. I used Mellow Moss, Basic Black and Kraft. The stamp sets are Bella Toile, Pocket Silhouettes, EFP and Flores Suaves. I embellished with the word winodw punch, brads, the ticket corner punch and black and moss gingham ribbons.

This card I made with A Happy Heart and Sprinkles. I started with a Pink Pirouette base and added Kiwi Kiss and Baja Breeze. The circle tag and the heart on the circle tag are popped up with dimensionals to give it some volume and I used a piece of Baja Breeze ribbon and silver cording for accent. The dotted edge was done with a signo white gel pen. You can kind of see in the photo how I dry embossed the focal image to give it more focus. I used a straight edge and an embossing Stylus.

Scandinavian Season

I purchased this set so I could make a set of cards for my grandma. I had a hard time at first seeing much in it, but after my last card here with it, I think I am getting in my groove. I will post them in order of completion, so the last one, which is my favorite, is the last one I made.

I figured I had better do something with those mittens, so this is what came to mind. I chose Pacific Point and Baja Breeze. I used craft white ink as well as the Baja Breeze double stripe ribbon, the key tag punch (it never seems to get cleaned off my desk for long) and the scallop border punch with the 1/16" circle punch to add a lacey effect. The sentiment is from Best Yet, which is really growing on me!

This one started with Bravo Burgundy. I think I automatically reach for that burgundy because so much of the rose malling my grandparents made for me is in burgundy. I added a layer in craft and used a little scrap of that beautiful Green Tea DS paper. I added a word window punch with a piece of the sentiment from Best Yet and attached it with copper brads from the vintage set. The ribbon is Old Olive. I also used the Scandinavian wheel with the bravo.

The third one I am not so sure of, I chose a monochromatic color scheme from the color wheel trying to try something new. I used the scallop punch again, with the tab punch and some apricot brads. The colors are Pumpkin Pie and Apricot Appeal. I used a length of Pumpkin Pie ribbon.

This one is my favorite! The tree and the sentiment from Warm Words are embossed in white. The edges are sponged with the white craft to give it that softened snowy look. Then I added the artichoke and eggplant ribbons and the little swish of color with the aquapainter in eggplant. I used the ticket corner punch too. Let me know what you think about any or all of these. I am thinking of making a set of these cards to go in a Norwegian basket that our church is putting together for the Bazaar.

For Teddy

This is a card I made for my son's friend's birthday. I used Bugs & Kisses with Old Olive (told you I am on an Olive kick!) with Tempting Turquoise and Tangerine Tango. I used the Arrow Punch from Stampin' Up (I don't remember the name of it.) as well at the circle punches and the signo gel pen.

A Happy Heart scalloped card

I thought I would see if the scalloped punch would go thru 2 layers of cardstock, so I sharpened it by cutting on tinfoil and then punched the card out. It worked pretty well. Then I hand dyed a Pretties flower with Pacific point ink refill, stamped in Pacific point ink with Old Olive (yes again!) on whisper white and tied it up with a piece of pretty Pacific Point ribbon. I added a smaller Pretties flower to the center of the bigger one and a rhinestone brad also from the kit.

This was for a demo challenge. It is an envelope pocket keeper. It's made with an envelope (sealed) and the tag punch. I stamped Bella Toile in Rose Red with Rose Red scalloped trim and Rose Red ribbon with a hint of silver. The heart is from A Happy Heart and matted after trimming on Rose Red and attached with dimensionals.

LSC184 Orange Roasters

This challenge was to use orange and coffee on the same card. I used Like It A Latte on mine in Tangerine Tango and Chocolate Chip. Doesn't that sound like it would make a fantastic cappuccino? I used the scallop punch, tangerine tango ribbon, the key tag punch and a little metal heart brad.

A Happy Heart

The last card is made using A Happy Heart and Sprinkles. I chose Real Red, Old Olive (I guess I am an olive kind of girl tonight) and Black. I used a piece of red gingham to accent.

More new Goodies

The second card tonight is my Halloween prototype for the kids for school. I figured I can alter the colors and the stamp to the kids' liking. This one is done in Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive and Tangerine Tango. The stamp sets are Batty for You, Sprinkles, and Itty Bitty Backgrounds. I also used the scalloped punch and Olive ribbon and the Signo again.

New goodies from the Holiday Mini...

I got my box of goodies today and I had to dive in and make something. I can't wait to see what others come up with for the Scandinavian Season Stamp set. I want to make some cards for my grandma with this set, but I haven't had much swirling in my head with it yet. Here's my first card with it. I chose Old Olive, Bravo Burgundy and Baja Breeze for the colors. My grandma used to rose male on woodworking that my grandpa would make. These were some of the more traditional colors she chose. I also used the Key Tag Punch, the horizontal slot punch and Olive ribbon with the signo gel pen to accent.

A Rose by any other name...

I chose Rose Red and Regal Rose for my color schemes on this card. The stamp sets are Bella Toila bg, Pocket Silhouettes and the Joy is from AYC. I also slipped a little piece of vellum in there. The circle punch is folded in half and embellished with the signo gel pen and then I added Rose Red Ribbon. The focal image is pierced and the sentiment is on the Word Window Punch with a rose red brad added.

WT182 Shore Do Love You

Made for a friend! The challenge was to use some of that fancy expensive paper we buy at the scrapbook stores and then hoard and not use! I cut a little piece out of a big 12 X 12 sheet, I am so proud of myself! I used Bashful Blue and Vanilla Naturals. The little critters are watercolored. I used Crab & Co. and Itty Bitty Backgrounds. And I embellished with a sponge, the Key Tag Punch and the blue and caramel gingham ribbons.

Another Month, Another Desktop

The Shabby Princess is my hero! I was looking at my desktop at work today, realizing that I had spent much too much time lately stamping that I hadn't made a new one for the current month! So here it is, complete with fresh pictures from yesterday's pre-first-day-of-school photo shoot!

A Quick one before work...

This is the Sketch Challenge for today at Splitcoast. The stamp set is Flight of the Butterfly. Colors are Baja Breeze, Old Olive and Certainly Celery. I used the Green Tea Designer Paper, Old Olive Ribbon, Celery brads and the ticket corner punch.

One more for today...

My Barely Banana pad was at the bottom of my pile so I figured it was time to resurrect it. This one is made with the Twill background stamp and the Live Like You Mean It hostess set. Colors are Barely Banana, Kiwi Kiss and Pretty In Pink. I actually used the Old Olive marker for the stamp and stamped that off before adding the rest of the colors. I embellished with the Key tag punch (double stamped with the "life" in Kiwi Kiss and Whisper White), Cutter Kit, Pink ribbons in grosgrain and gingham and brads.

Bella Rose Happiness Always

It's this paper yummy? Obviously, I didn't stay away from the Kiwi Kiss, I have no self control! I stamped Bella Toile in the background on Riding Hood Red, then added the piece of the Bella Rose paper and the piece of Kiwi Kiss Satin. The focal image is stamped in Pirouette Pink, Riding Hood Red and Kiwi Kiss. I added the little tab piece (from the key tag punch) which is from Warm Words and is stamped in White Craft. The stamp set is Happiness Always.

Pinky Flores Suaves

I think the Bella Toile background may be my new favorite background. The Bella Toile was stamped in Pretty In Pink on Pretty in Pink. The Flores Suaves was stamped in Jet Black Stazon and colored with Water Color Crayons. I added a little piece of moss ribbon and a little blossom from the Pretties kit to the tab. The tab and the mat are Cameo Coral. And the "joy" stamp comes from the Everyday Flexible Phrases set.

From the Color Wheel

I was looking for a way to use some of the colors I hardly ever pull out, so I pulled out my color wheel and low and behold, two of them were on the wheel together. Not Quite Navy and Blush Blossom. So I decided to add the other colors in there and this is what I came up with. The card base is the Not Quite Navy, stamped with the swirls from Priceless. I also stamped "Life" from Live Like You Mean It on the Key Tag punch out with NQN on Bashful Blue. The scalloped strip, which was punched with the scalloped punch is on Always Artichoke and accented with the White Signo Gel Pen. The focal image is Bashful Blue with NQN sponged on the edges, the added with dimensionals to a piece stamped with Blush Blossom and then matted in Close to Cocoa.

The First Day of School

I can't tell you how excited my kids have been to start school. Last night Catera went to bed with a squeal about the fact that school started TODAY! Here are a couple of photos of the kids this morning before school, in all their first day finery.

I made these little cards and snuck them in the kids' lunches this morning with a little Hershey's bar attached. I hope their day's are going as well as they'd hoped. I was wonderful to see how excited they were for the first day of school.

CC182 Monochromatic Kiwi

Have I told you lately that I love Kiwi? It is my favorite right now of the new in colors. I thought it was going to be Baja Breeze, but that Kiwi Kiss has me reaching for it on almost every projects. I am going to try to make a few more things today with no Kiwi on them, because I am a hoarder and I am afraid I will run out before I get a new package!

This was the color challenge on Splitcoast this morning...monochromatic. And I had heard some grumblings that some stampers didn't think that Kiwi Kiss could go with other greens. I felt the need to stick up for the Kiwi, so I came up with this. I used Pocket Silhouettes and Flores Suaves. The base is Kiwi Kiss, then I added a piece of the Green Tea Designer Series paper, a Kiwi Kiss focal image, matted in Old Olive...and a Kiwi Kiss ribbon tied on a slip of Artichoke ribbon (I didn't find my Olive ribbon til after it was attached to my card!) The edges are distressed with the Cutter Kit.

"Bear"tastic Series - Bear Hugs...

I made these for some of favorite people in the world...my bible study kids who just left for college in the last two weeks. I figured they'd enjoy some snail mail and a hug. Here's a picture of the wild bunch:

For all the cards I used the bear from "Under the Stars". When I saw it, I knew the bear look like he wanted to give a big hug and so that's why I had to have the set. This card is stamped on a Kiwi Kiss Base, which Chocolate Chip and Confetti White. I used the alpha from "I'm here" to do the letters and the pinecones are from Peaceful Wishes. I used the 1/4" square punch, Hemp Twine, a sponge and chocolate chip grosgrain. Oh, and mini glue dots for the letters.

This card is made with a Barely Banana Base, Kiwi Kiss, and Pumpkin Pie. Can you tell I am in love with Kiwi Kiss? The stamped foliage is from Pocket Silhouettes. I added two little orange primas and the sentiment is hand written with a chocolate chip marker. I used the Kiwi Kiss Satin ribbon for embellishment and a brad for the flower too!

This little bear is on a Chocolate chip card with Apricot Appeal and yes, you guessed it, Kiwi Kiss punched with the spiral punch. The background is the Twill background stamp in Chocolate Chip. He is again sponged and the sentiment is hand lettered with the Chocolate Chip marker. The ribbons are a slip of Kiwi Kiss Satin and Apricot grosgrain.

This one is also on Chocolate Chip (the bear just looks so good in woodsy colors!) with a piece of Green Tea DS paper. I stamped the Skeeters wheel in Kiwi Kiss, and the sentiment is hand lettered on the word window punch out and attached with Gold brads.

This one is on Ruby Red Cardstock base, with Artichoke, Chocolate Chip and a piece of Cameo Coral thrown in there 'cuz the color wheel said so! The backgrounds were stamped in Chocolate Chip with Peaceful Wishes. I used Artichoke and Chocolate Chip grosgrain, the word window punch and artichoke brads. I used the ticket corner punch for the fancy corners too.

This one is on Chocolate Chip with Ruby Red and Artichoke. The backgrounds is from Itty Bitty Borders. I used copper brads from the Vintage Brads set and artichoke ribbon with a little bit of hemp twine.

And last but not least is the other one with his words on a string. I used Sprinkles for the background, a piece of artichoke paper and the caramel gingham ribbon. It also uses hemp twine, the "I'm Here" alpha and mini glue dots with the 1/4" square punch outs.

I hope they enjoy them as much as I did making them!