Just Give Me Stamps...

Pretty Pink Bundle...

Happy Friday!  You know what Friday means....another one of Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenges!!  :-)  I love the sketch this week!  I have several cards I need to make, so I plan on using this sketch several times this weekend.  :-)

I have a couple of friends expecting new arrivals pretty soon, and I will be needing cards for them.  I just received this sweet Clear Baby set from Rubber Soul, and couldn't wait to use it!  I started with a 3 1/8" x 6 1/2" card base, and layered on some Sahara Sand and Pretty in Pink c.s.  I added a little bit of polka dot ribbon, and some rhinestones (two of my favorite things :-). 

I've got a thank you card I need to make this morning...so I will be back later with another sample of this sketch!  This is one that I filed away in my sketch file...and will be using it often.  :-)  If you want to see some gorgeous samples right now...make sure to check out what Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn, Lori, Mary Jo, & Sharon have made...these ladies always wow me!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Recipe   Stamps: Clear Baby set (Rubber Soul)   Paper: Shimmery White c.s., Pretty in Pink, Sahara Sand, Basic Black   Ink:Versamark, White Craft   Other: Black detail e.p., Copic markers, Soft Pink gems, Circle punches, Scallop circle. Sewing machine, Paper piercer

For A Bronc Bustin' Dad...

Happy Friday!  Friday means it'sBeate's Weekend Sketch ChallengeTime!  Woohoo!  This Friday will also be (hopefully) the start of *actual* summer weather for us!  It's snowed almost every day this week...and has rarely gotten above the 40's...but today, we are supposed to get up to almost 70!  Party time!!  LOL!

I still needed to make another Father's Day car for my DH...and what could be more appropriate than this Bronc Buster set?  LOL!  I turned Beate's sketch to the side, and also changed it to a square (5 1/4") card so that it would work better with my larger focal image.

I embossed all the images in black...and also distressed most of the edges (with the Cutter Kit and lots of sponging).  I added a knotted rope (today's Limited Supplies Challenge) and a couple of brads as embellishments.  I have no idea why (grin), but my DH doesn't like a lot of embellishments....  LOL!

Make sure to check out what the other talented ladies have come up with for this sketch:  Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn, Lori, Mary Jo, & Sharon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe   Stamps: Bronc Buster, Wanted, Sanded   Paper: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Basic Black   Ink:Versamark, Chocolate Chip, Basic Gray   Other: Black embossing powder, Hemp, Brads, Photo Corner punch, Cutter Kit, Paper piercer

Have a Prrrr-fect Day...

Happy Friday!  It's been pretty busy around here lately!  I had no idea how much *work* it would be to keep my DH from going to work!  LOL!  He is definitely not one to just sit around...but, between the kids and I...we have made sure that he doesn't go too far. He is recovering nicely...and for that I am very grateful!  :-)

I'm pretty late in posting my card for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge # 51....but better late than never, right?

I needed a little gift to go along with my card...so I made up this little goodie bag also.  This smiling goldfish is my absolute favorite image from Whipper Snapper's new Cat's Life set...I just love it!!

I kept the color combo pretty simple, as I wanted the patterned paper to stand out.  I stamped both the cat and fish with Adirondack Pitch Black ink and colored them in with my Copic markers.

I filled the cellophane bag with some Swedish Fish (YUM)!  I also added some Crystal Effects to the fish...for that "just out of the water" look!  LOL!

To see more samples of this sketch, check out what Cambria,Charmaine, Jenn, Lori, Mary Jo, & Sharon have made! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe  Stamps: Cat's Life (Whipper Snapper)   Paper:Papertrey White, Real Red, Patterned paper (Rob & Bob Studio)   Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black   Other: Copic markers, Tiny Bubbles embossing folder, Paper piercer, Mini brads (Queen & Co.), Ticket corner punch, Heart punch, Tag punch (Lg. & Sm.), Real Red 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Crystal effects, White gel pen, Spica glitter pen (gold)

Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge # 50!

Happy Friday!!  Can you believe that there have now been 50 Weekend Sketch Challenges??  Wooohoo!!  Something that just occurred to me the other day...is that I should be keeping these sketches in a binder so I can refer back to them.  (I know...I'm slow!  LOL!)  They really are a great resource!!

For this card, I was going for a fresh and clean style.  I normally don't leave so much empty white space on a card (maybe I think of it like "dead air" on a radio??)...but it really did fit the fresh and clean style so I broke out of my stamping "box" and went for it!!  LOL!  I decided to use my Priceless set (it's been waaay to long since it's seen any ink).  The flowers are embossed with Clear e.p. (I really think this helps the color pop a little more) and cut out.  I scored the bottom Chocolate Chip panel to create a striped pattern (I looooove stripes and polka dots together).

You should also check out what Beate, Cambria, Charmaine, Lori, Mary Jo, &Sharon have made!  It's so fun to see all of the different cards they come up with using the same sketch!!  If you want to play along...make sure to check out Beate's sketch HERE.

The sun is shining here...and it promises to be a gorgeous Spring day!!  Woohoo!  I hope you all have a fantastic day!

Recipe   Stamps: Priceless, Short & Sweet   Paper: Shimmery White c.s., Closet to Cocoa, Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip   Ink:Certainly Celery, Versamark   Other: Clear e.p., Corner rounder punch, Scor-Pal, Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder, Brads, Ribbon, White e.p., Paper piercer

Inspiring Blooms...

Happy Friday!!!  Woohoo for the long weekend!  :-)  Even though it warms up a little during the day...it is still pretty chilly outside...so no camping for us!  LOL!  I'm sure we'll get some warmer weather pretty soon...and since we've been in a drought for several years now, I cannot complain about the moisture we're getting (even if it does come in the form of snow!!)!!  LOL!

When I saw the sketch for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challengethis week, I was thrilled!  I have been wanting to use my Bloomin' Beautiful set again...and this sketch is perfect for it!  :-)

I don't know what it is about K & Co paper exactly...but I swear I'm addicted to it!  This paper was the inspiration for the colors of my card, the embellishments...well just about everything!  LOL!  I stamped the flowers onto Shimmery White c.s. with Adirondack Espresso ink and then colored them in with my Copic markers.  I cut the flowers out and mounted it on the circles with dimensionals.  I wanted to define them just a bit more, so I added Crystal Effects to both the flowers and the vase.

I used my new Spellbinders Tags 5 die to  cut/emboss the large tag at the top.  The "inspire" metal embellishment is one that I've had in my stash for a while.

You all have to check out what Beate, Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn, Lori,Mary Jo, & Sharon have made...they always knock my socks off!!

I hope you all have a fantastic day!!  I'll be back tomorrow with a couple of cards to share with you!  :-)

Life's Simple Pleasures...

Happy Friday!  Today is supposed to get up into the 70's!!  That may not seem very warm to some of you...but we had snow again less than a week ago, so I am thrilled about the warmer temperatures!  I am going to spend as much time outside as I can!  LOL!  I wish I could say that I will be spending time in my garden...but alas, my thumbs are nowhere near green (believe me, my mom would definitely agree with that statement!!  LOL!!)!

   

This is the card I made for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge # 48. 

I found this paper in the back of my stash and knew immediately that I wanted to pair it with Verve Visual's newly released Floral Whimsy set (I have no idea why it was in the back...it is so pretty!) 

I kept the stamping pretty simple...it didn't seem fitting to do a complicated card with a sentiment about "simple pleasures"!  LOL!

Make sure to check out what Beate, Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn, Lori, Mary Jo, & Sharon have created...they always blow me away with their creativity!!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you enjoy your day!

Recipe   Stamps: Floral Whimsy (Verve Visual)   Paper: Bazzil, My Mind's Eye patterned paper, Naturals Ivory   Ink: Chocolate Chip craft in, Close to Cocoa, Soft Sky, Versamark   Other:   Clear e.p., Frame by K & Co., Close to Cocoa velvet ribbon, Rhinestones, Basic Brown Journaling marker, Corner rounder

Oh, the Irony of It!

Good Morning!  The past few days, we have been enjoying some warm (at least for us :-) days...and finally seeing the results of Spring (green grass coming, leaf buds starting on all the trees, & all the birds starting to return)...it's been wonderful!!  Yesterday, I sat down to stamp my card for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge...and I had my window open by my stamp desk, enjoying a warm Spring breeze.  I was so inspired by it, that I decided to cut out and mount my "Life's a Breeze" set and make a fun, Summer-themed type of card!

Weeeeelllll, THIS is what I woke up to this morning!!!  We have definitely had the strangest weather this year!!  I'm just glad that while I was in town yesterday, I resisted the temptation to buy these GORGEOUS potted flowers!  We are a good 1000 feet higher out here, and usually we wait until after Memorial Day to plant anything anyway...but MAN, these flowers were pretty!  Hopefully the snow won't last...

So, this is the card that was inspired by our warm (although short) weather yesterday!  When I saw the sketch (see below), I kept thinking that the bottom strip would be perfect for water!  :-)

I kept my layers to a minimum (for me, anyway :-) , and sponged some of the edges with Cool Caribbean to help "pop" them out a bit.  For my sailboat, I first embossed it onto White c.s. using Pumpkin Pie ink and Clear e.p.  I stamped it again onto some coordinating patterned paper (all the patterned paper is from the We R Memory Keepers "White Out" Collection)...once onto the the red patterned paper (for the bottom of the boat), and once onto the dotted paper (for the sail).  After I cut out and glued the different pieces onto the boat, I used one of my Oval Nestabilities to cut out and emboss the oval.

Like I've mentioned is a previous post, I'm not normally a huge fan of bright colors....but I was just so taken by this fun paper!!  I LOVE stripes...and thought it went perfectly with my card, but I didn't want to cover it all up with the rectangle layer...so, I used some vellum c.s. for the main layer and added a strip of turquoise patterned paper for the water.  I cut out a "frame" from Pumpkin Pie c.s. and then sponged it a little with some White craft ink.

This is Beate's sketch for this week!  I hope you get a chance to play!

To see more gorgeous cards made with this sketch, check out what Beate, Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn, Lori, & Mary Jo have made!

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday! 

Recipe   Stamps: Life's a Breeze   Paper: White c.s., Pumpkin Pie, Vellum c.s., We R Memory Keepers (White Out Collection)   Ink: Versamark, Cool Caribbean, Pumpkin Pie, White craft ink  Other: Clear e.p., White e.p., Oval Nestabilities, White grosgrain ribbon, Large decorative eyelet, Craft knife

Mother's Day is Just Around the Corner...

I'm usually making my Mom's and Mother in Law's cards one or two days before Mother's Day.  Well, that's not that great if you have to mail one of them half way across the world!  LOL!  When I saw this week's sketch (Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #46) I knew it would be perfect for a Mother's Day card!  My Mother in Law will be so surprised to actually get her card ON TIME!!!  Woohooo! 

 

I fell in love with this gorgeous new paper from K & Company (from the Blue Awning Collection) that I picked up at my LSS store yesterday.  (I call it my Local Scrapbook Store because it is the closest one to me...even though it's three hours away)!  I was shopping...happily loading my card with lots of really, really fun stuff...when the owner told me she just got a shipment of BRAND NEW K & Co. stuff.  She must have seen my eyes glaze over or something, because she led me to the back room where it was still in boxes.  I did my best not to drool over all of her merchandise....but MAN...this paper is GORGEOUS!!! 

Anyway....hehehheee....the paper was my inspiration for colors and patterns!  :-)  For my rectangle background piece, I embossed the swirls from Baroque Motifs on to Vellum c.s. using River Rock Classic ink and my Versamark pad.  Both the bird (from the Always set) and the Mother's Day sentiment are embossed using Night Sky VersaMagic Dew Drop ink and Clear e.p. onto Shimmery White c.s.  I added some Prima flowers (with some smaller flowers int he centers), clear rhinestones, & White organdy ribbon for embellishments.

You'll want to see what Beate, Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn, Lori, Mary Jo, & Sharon have made....they will amaze you for sure!!

I hope you all have a fantastic Friday!! 

Recipe   Stamps: Always, All Holidays, Baroque Motifs   Paper: Vellum c.s., Shimmery White c.s., River Rock (sponged with Certainly Celery), Night of Navy, K & Co. (Blue Awning Collection)   Ink: River Rock, Versamark, Night Sky Versamagic Dew Drop   Other: White organdy ribbon, Clear rhinestones, Prima flowers, Small white flowers, Sewing Machine, Clear e.p.

Birds Galore...

Happy Friday!!  It's so hard to believe that it's the weekend again!  We are still waiting on Spring here...at least the snow is gone (even if it's taken it's sweet time to melt...LOL!).  It was helpful to hear from those of you that are also experiencing a winter that doesn't want to leave...thank you for your emails/comments!

   Friday means that it's time for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge!  This week's sketch, I thought, really lent itself to showcasing some beautiful patterned papers.  I've had this Crate Paper (Twill Collection) for a while now (isn't it sooo pretty??), and thought this would be a perfect sketch to use it with! 

  I inked up one of the birds (from Inkadinkado's Birds Galore set) with two different colors of Versamagic Dew Drops...starting with the lighter color, then adding a bit of the dark around the edges)...and stamping it onto my Ivory rectangle.  After the ink was dry, I stamped the En Francais background (which was inked in Close to Cocoa ink and stamped off once).  I then stamped the same bird image again...this time in Close to Cocoa ink...on another piece of Ivory paper, cut just the bird out, and glued him onto my stamped rectangle.  To tie in some of the pink, I added some mini pink Primas with rhinestone centers to the leaves.

The Inkadinkado stamps and Hero Arts Pale Pink rhinestones are both available from Stamper's Dream store.

Make sure you check out what Beate, Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn, Lori, Mary Jo, & Sharon have made!  I know I can't wait to see their creations!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Have a wonderful Friday!   

Recipe   Stamps: Birds Galore (Inkadinkado), En Francais  Paper:  Crate Paper patterned paper (Twirl Collection), Close to Cocoa   Ink: Aloe Vera & Key Lime Versamagic Dew Drops, Close to Cocoa, Sahara Sand   Accessories: Rectangle Nestabilities, Sewing machine, Mini Pink Primas, Pink rhinestones, Close to Cocoa velvet ribbon, Dew Drops

Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #44...

Happy Friday!!  I hope you all are enjoying your week!  It is supposed to snow here this weekend...in fact...there is a Winter Storm Warning for Saturday and Sunday!  Can you believe it??!!!  I must be in some alternate universe where it really is only February or something...and NOT almost May!!  Please tell me there are others out there experiencing Christmas like weather?  I guess I shouldn't complain though...if the weather is yucky...all the more reason to stay in and stamp, right?  Heheheee!

When I saw the sketch for this week's Weekend Sketch Challenge, I knew right away that I wanted to use these Mini Envelope Templates and create a little envelope for my rectangle element.  Do you ever get ideas and then never get around to actually making/completing them?  This card is actually something that I've had in my mind to do for a couple of months!

I used some of the new Crate Paper's Blue Hill collection..and just chose my colors from the pieces I wanted to use.  I embossed the butterflies (from the Designer Butterflies clear set by Hero Arts) in white and cut them out.  I wanted them to look like they were flying out of the envelope.

I also embossed the little swirly thing on the envelope in white (it's from the Designer Butterfly set as well) and the thinking of you sentiment on the bottom of the card (it's from the Thinking of You set by Hero Arts).  Both of these stamp sets and the Mini Envelope Templates can be found at Stamper's Dream store.

Oh..thanks for all your suggestions on how I might fix my Janome Mini sewing machine!  I fiddled and fiddled with it...heard a "click"...and now it's sewing again!  When I heard the click the bobbin holder thingy looked like it kind of snapped back into place, so I am thinking that I somehow dislodged it during my sewing fiasco yesterday.  Anyhoo..it's working again!  YAY!!!  I'm so relieved, because I really, really wanted to sew around the background pieces on this card.  I am going to try and be more careful...(I can almost hear my mom's words now...) LOL!

To see some more samples, make sure you check out what Beate, Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn, Lori, Mary Jo, & Sharon made!  These ladies never cease to amaze me!!

Have a wonderful day! 

Recipe:   Stamps: Designer Butterflies (Hero Arts), Thinking of You (Hero Arts)   Paper: Crate Paper (Blue Hill Collection), Kraft   Ink: Versamark, Sahara Sand, Soft Sky   Other: White e.p., Soft Sky dbl stitched ribbon, Heart button, Sewing machine, Clear rhinestones, Mini Envelope Templates, Paper piercer