Just Give Me Stamps...

A Card for Bryan...

As I wrote earlier this week, I've been trying to replenish my card "stash".  After a busy day yesterday (soooo much to catch up on after a week of Jury Duty!) and a busy morning, I was anxious to get to my stamping nook (I call it a nook because it's a small area in the corner of the family room).  I put my 1 year old down for his morning nap, and was on my way to stamp when my 3 year old came running up to me.  He gave me a huuuge hug and said, "Mom, will you make me a card"?  Stunned, I said, "what"?  He then told me how pretty my cards were and he wanted one too!  My heart melted right there on the spot!  Of course I said, "you bet"!!  So, here is the card for my son!

When I sat down to make this card, I immediately knew which stamp set I wanted to use.  Bryan LOVES airplanes!!  I also thought how this set would be perfect for today's Way to Use it Challenge over at Splitcoast (the challenge was to use one of the soon to be retired sets).  I used two retiring sets- By Air and Play on Words. 

Since I'm writing about my son Bryan, I thought I'd share this picture of him.  He's riding on one of his favorite toys - an airplane!  The airplane is actually my 1 year old's, but for Bryan, it was love at first sight!  He loves to pretend that he's one of the Koala Brothers (a cartoon on either Disney Kids or Nick Jr.) and he "flys" around the house looking for people to rescue!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Recipe   Stamps: Play on Words, By Air   Paper: Ultrasmooth Vanilla, Buckaroo Blue, Old Olive, Real Red   Ink: Old Olive and Buckaroo Blue Classic Pads, Versamark, Clear embossing powder   Other: Cutter Kit, red brads, Linen Thread, 1 1/4 and 1 3/8 circle punches, Coluzzle, Crafter's Tool Kit

A Surprising Color Challenge...

Tuesday means Color Challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers!  It's been sooooo long since I've been able to participate in a color challenge.  When I first saw the color combo I was a little stumped...Chocolate Chip, Cool Caribbean, and Garden Green???  The first two are some of my favorite colors...and I even like Garden Green...but I couldn't imagine them together.

I have created a kind of personal challenge for myself.  I want to start using some of the stuff I *just had to have* but have rarely actually done anything with it (patterned paper, fun ribbon, misc. embellishments, forgotten stamp sets).  So, in creating this card, I wanted to keep this personal goal in mind.

When I thought of Cool Caribbean, I thought of this very pretty designer paper that is part of the Friends & Flowers Simply Scrappin' Kit (for hostesses).

I want to tell you all about those fun little Prima Flowers on this card.  My daughter, who is 11, is quite the budding stamper!  So, it was no surprise to me when she wanted me to order her some Prima Flowers (she had saved up some of her allowance specifically for this).  Well, to my surprise, I received this gorgeous package for Mother's Day..with you guessed it...a lot of little Prima Flowers!!!  I am such a blessed mom!  Thanks so much stopping by today!

Recipe  Stamps:  Bodacious Bouquet, Fancy Flexible Phrases  Paper:  Chocolate Chip, Cool Caribbean, Garden Green, Friends & Flowers Simply Scrappin' Kit, Vellum cardstock   Ink:  Chocolate Chip, Cool Caribbean, Garden Green, Versamark, White embossing powder   Other:  Crafter's Tool Kit, Chocolate Chip button, stitched ribbon from the Ribbon Originals Collection, brads, Giga Scalloped Circle & Mega Circle punches, 1/2 circle punch, Word Window Punch, Prima Flowers

Sweet Heart Bear...

I had so much fun making this card!  I fell in love with this stamp set when I first saw in the Spring Mini Catalog!  I still have plenty of scrapbook pages to catch up on for my children's books, so I definitely needed this set.  (At least that's how I justified it to myself..LOL!)

Please excuse the poor quality photo.  I'm still learning how to take decent indoor pics with our new camera.

I got a package with some new "toys" in Saturday's mail, so I had to play a little.  These new Prima Sprites (the pink flowers) are sooo fun!  And those Pearl accents (the one in the middle of the flowers) are sooo pretty in real life!

I embossed the bear with white embossing powder on white vellum cardstock.  I then colored him in softly with my Prismacolor pencils (my mom got me a whole set of them for Mother's Day!!!  Thanks MOM!!!).  I still wanted the bear to appear softer, so I brushed on a little Micropearl Pearl-Ex powder.  The picture really doesn't do this sweet bear justice...in real life he has this soft shimmer that makes me smile.  Of course, you all know how I feel about shimmer and sparkles..hehehee!  I dabbed a little Stardust Stickles on the heart.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope to be able to take part in the Splitcoast Color Challenge, but it will have to be later tomorrow evening (I still have at least one more day of Jury Duty).

Recipe   Stamps: Bundle of Joy   Paper: Gable Green, Regal Rose, White Vellum cardstock, patterned paper from Flair Designs, Doodlebug paper frills (the fun border across the bottom)  Ink: Versamark, White embossing powder, Prismacolor Pencils  Other: Stickles, Pearl, Sprites, pink polka dotted organdy ribbon, narrow pink organdy ribbon, Designer Label punch, 1 1/4 circle punch, Micropearl Pearl-Ex powder

Tulips for a Friend...

I made this card for a friend that watched my children for me.  I have 3 fun-loving and adventurous boys and 1 amazing girl.  My daughter, Ali, is 11 and is sooo much help.  But my boys...LOL!...that is a different story!  I love them all SO much and wouldn't have it any other way.  My friend, however, only has girls so a house full of boys can be a little overwhelming!  :-)  With this card, I'll be giving her some Buttermilk Cookies with Maple frosting (one of her faves).  I'll post the recipe to those later this week...they are yummy!

This card is pretty straight-forward.  I had to really resist the urge to add glitter to these tulips!!!  I warned you all I have a glitter/all things sparkly addiction!  I ended up adding my much-neglected Crystal Effects for some dimension and shine.  The next-best thing to sparkle!

The tag on the bottom right was created with the Lg and Sm oval punch.  I colored the tulips in using my Stampin' Write Markers.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe   Stamps: Pocket Full of Posies (a retired Stampin' Up! hostess set) and Everyday Flexible Phrases  Paper:  Whisper White, Real Red, & My Mind's Eye patterned ppr (from the Wild Asparagus Collection)  Ink:  Basic Black, Versamark, Black detail embossing pwdr, Real Red and Certainly Celery Stampin' Write Markers, White Signo gel pen  Other:  Red striped ribbon, white narrow organdy ribbon, Marvy's Mega Circle Punch & Giga Scalloped Circle punch, Lg and Sm Oval punch, red eyelets, Jewel

Watercolored Thank You...

I do have some more goodies to share with you (from my marathon stamping weekend :-)....but will share them a little later.  I wanted it to show you the card I created for today's Technique Challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers.  The technique is called Wet Watercolor.  I have never tried this exact technique (I've done similar ones) and wanted to give it try.

I used this technique for the background.  On the focal image, I colored the flowers in using my Classic Pads and Blender Pens.  I know I have a complete addiction to sparkle.  I do try to go "outside" of my sparkly stampin box..but alas, I always end up adding some sparkle to most of my creations!  :-) 

The sparkle on the background is *Stardust Stickles* and the flowers on the focal image and prima flower have little jewels.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I wish you and your family a fun and safe Memorial Day!

Recipe 

Stamps: Simply Said by Stampin' Up!  Paper: Confetti White, Basic Black, Ballet Blue, Taken with Teal   Ink: Basic Black, Ballet Blue, Blue Breeze (spectrum pad), Taken with Teal  Other: Word Window Punch, Ticket corner punch, jewels, stickles, prima flower, ribbon, water spritzer