Just Give Me Stamps...

My Cupcake "Sprinkler" Card...

...at least that's what my 4 year old son calls it!  :-)  When I finished this card and was getting ready to take a picture of it...Bryan came up and said "Oh mom, I love your cupcake sprinkler card"!  It made me grin from ear to ear!!

Michelle, owner of Stamper's Dream, made a big announcement on her blog yesterday!  She has moved her store to her own domain!  All of her hard work sure has paid off...the store looks fantastic!!!  The new address is www.stampersdream.com (very easy to remember).  If you get a chance...take a peek!  It's full of lots of fun stuff...and she's always adding new items!

I haven't made a shaker card in years...and I had fun making this one!  They are so easy...I don't know why I don't make them more often.  The sentiment and cupcake are from the Hero Arts Cupcakes set.  Of course...I had to add some Stickles to the frosting (I'm sure you'd expect nothing less from me..right?  :-)  For the "sprinkles" I added clear Microbeads (they look kind of gray in the picture...but in real life they are clear and have just a hint of sparkle to them).

Here is a picture of my sweet 4 year old son!  He loves to go with his Daddy and "help" out on the ranch!  He gets his "work" coat, hat, & boots on (just like Daddy)...and plays on the hay wagon while my DH prepares the milk for the calves.

I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday!  ~Laurie

Recipe   Stamps: Cupcakes (Hero Arts)   Paper: Very Vanilla, Blush Blossom, Patterned paper by My Mind's Eye   Ink:  Blush Blossom craft ink, Palette Burnt Umber, Classic pads for watercoloring   Other:   Clear detail embossing powder, Vanilla 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Vanilla brad, Circle Nestabilities, Microbeads, Stickles, Clear acetate, Corner Rounder punch

Thanks...

Happy Friday!!  It's hard to believe this week is already gone!  We're all starting to feel better...so we're just now ready to get our week started...LOL!  I also can't hardly believe Easter is in two days!  I guess I better get busy preparing!  We will just be at home...but this year will be special in that my mom is moving away in a month and for her to be able to spend Easter with us will be wonderful!

I made this card for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge # 40.  My whole card was inspired by this new patterned paper from Memory Box's Inspire collection.  I LOVE these colors!  Mmmmm, mmmm!  I have no idea what I will do when Soft Sky retires at the end of this catalog year...it truly is my favorite color!  I used Memory Box's Of a Feather set...and stamped directly on to the patterned paper.  I popped up a couple of birds that I colored and cut out...then embellished with some mini Primas and rhinestones.  Both the Memory Box paper and stamps are available at Stamper's Dream.

Make sure you check out what Beate, Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn, Lori, Mary Jo, & Sharon have done with this sketch...I'm sure they're amazing!

I'll be back tomorrow to share another project that I've been working on!  Have a wonderful Friday!  ~Laurie

Recipe   Stamps: Of a Feather (Memory Box)   Paper: Inspire patterned paper (Memory Box), Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss, Soft Sky, Shimmery White   Ink: Soft Sky, Mellow Moss, Chocolate Chip   Other: Circle punches, Scallop circle punch, Scallop scissors, Paper piercer, Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Mini Primas, Rhinestones

Blushing Vintage Blooms...

Happy Thursday!  Thanks for all the sweet notes...I am starting to feel much better now!  AND...I've got a new camera!  Woohoo!!  I didn't have too much time to do the kind of research and comparing that I normally do when I make a large purchase (I normally take weeks to finally decide what I'm going to buy), but I'm very happy with my choice!  I ended up getting a Canon Rebel XTi.  I am in no way a "photographer"...but I'm excited about the possibility of learning!  :-)  It will probably take me quite a while to figure out how to take good pictures of my cards again...but I will have fun learning!  :-)

Each month (on the 20th) there is a challenge that Jami issues to all the current and Alumni Dirty Girls.  This month, we were to use stamps/embellishments that are an "old favorites"...ones that we haven't used for a while.  The restricted element is that we aren't supposed to use anything that we've had for less than six months.   

I chose Abundant Joy as my main stamp set.  Even though this set has retired...it is one that I will never part with!  I just love it!  For my colors, I used Blush Blossom, Mellow Moss, & Buckaroo Blue (all colors that I haven't used for a while but used to be favorites).

As a bonus challenge, we were to  use a technique that we used to love, but haven't used for a while.  Something that I used to love to do, is create "mini cards" within a card.  Here, each of the flowers opens up to reveal an image and a message (see picture below).

I stamped each of these flowers onto watercolor paper with Palette Burnt Umber ink and used my Classic ink pads and a watercolor brush to color them in.  You can't see this in the photo, but I stamped En Francais (I replaced my beloved French Script with this after the Fall/Winter catalog came out eight months ago) over each flower with the coordinating color (the top is in Buckaroo Blue, the middle in Blush Blossom, & the bottom in Mellow Moss).  I then stamped them all with the Sanded background (also purchased as soon as it was available eight months ago) using Sahara Sand ink.

I used the slit punch (and decorated the top of the tabs with an Ivory organdy bow with a little pearl in the middle) to hold each of these little cards closed.

To see all the cards the other Dirty Girls came up with, click on this Gallery Link.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!  I hope you all enjoy your day!!!  (It's snowing here...again...but maybe we'll get to go sledding after school).  ~Laurie

Recipe   Stamps: Abundant Joy, En Francais, Sanded, Fancy Flexible Phrases   Paper: Watercolor paper, Blush Blossom, Mellow Moss, Buckaroo Blue   Ink: Palette Burnt Umber, Sahara Sand, Buckaroo Blue, Mellow Moss, Blush Blossom, Various Classic pads for watercoloring   Other: Slit punch, Ivory organdy ribbon, Pearls, Sewing Machine, Sakura Stardust pen

Light of the World...

Happy Monday!  I almost didn't add the exclamation point to that last sentence...but figured it might be a bit sarcastic sounding if I didn't.  For me...the happiest part of today is that it is almost over!  LOL!!  I started getting sick Friday night...and now it is a full blown Bronchial yuckness.  My DH has been wonderful though...taking care of the munchkins while I rest in bed.  I couldn't stand not doing anything anymore so I got up, cleaned up a bit...and headed to my stamp room for a little "stamping therapy"!   Something else I wanted to mention quickly...I *loved* reading your stories about your own experiences with an escape-artist child!  :-)  As quiet and "stealth" like as he is...he is not very stubborn and is responding well to my DH's and my correction.  Because of his "need" to go, go, go...a little time out and he is more than ready to comply to the rules!!  LOL!!  I SO wish our other children were like that!  LOL!

Isn't this lighthouse just gorgeous!!??!!!!  There is a brand new stamp company called Our Daily Bread Designs...and they are celebrating their Grand Opening today!!  What really impressed me about this company (aside from the stunning artwork) is that a portion of all the proceeds will be donated to various Hunger Centers!  Stamping and helping others...it doesn't get much better than that!!  :-)  You can read more about Our Daily Bread Designs at Kelley's blog (she's the owner) - The Stamping Studio.

For my card, I started by stamping the lighthouse image onto watercolor paper with Palette Burnt Umber ink and then using my Classic pads and a watercolor brush to color the image in.  I then used my circle Nestabilities to cut out a circle frame from some My Mind's Eye patterned paper.  I added some ribbon, a Prima flower, & a decorative brad for some embellishing.

Here's a peek at the inside.  I used the circles that were left over from the front to highlight this verse.  I also wanted to tie in the yellow from the front of the card inside...so I added the same color of Prima but just smaller in size.

I'm not sure exactly when I'll be posting again as my camera has totally died.  I am so grateful for my friend that has lent me her camera this past weekend (to finish taking pictures for the DD gallery (that opened on the 15th).  Alas...I must return it to her!  :-)  I DO have a new coming soon!  Woohoo!  It's "supposed" to be delivered tomorrow...but living way out in the sticks has taught me NOT to get my hopes up for deliveries being on time.  Hopefully it will be here more toward the middle rather than the end of this week. :-)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  ~Laurie

Recipe   Stamps: Light of the World (Our Daily Bread Designs)   Paper: Watercolor, Chocolate Chip, My Mind's Eye Patterned paper  Ink: Palette Burnt Umber, Various Classic pads for watercoloring   Other: Circle Nestabilities, Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Prima flowers, Decorative brad, Small brad

Hugs...

   Happy Friday!!  I know I've been very quiet lately...I'm just trying to finish up all of the projects that I've been working on.  That...and my two year old is...well, acting two!  LOL!  He is becoming quite the "Outdoorsman"!  Just when I think he is actually napping...I see him running around outside!  He knows how to open the window, pop the screen out, & crawl outside!!!  So..naptime is spent checking on him every few minutes!  :-)  Mostly, I think he has a bad case of cabin fever!!  It is snowing again today, and we are all just tired of the cold weather!

     Friday also means it's time for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge!  I stamped this super cute monkey (C.C. Designs...available at All That Scraps) onto watercolor paper with Palette ink.  I then used my Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol to color the monkey in.  The rest is just embellishments!  :-)

I wanted to add some leaves, so I cut out some leaf shapes from Old Olive c.s. and glued them onto the branch. 

Make sure  you see what Beate, Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn, Lori, Mary Jo, & Sharon have created for this sketch!  :-)

Thanks so much for stopping by!  ~Laurie

Recipe   Stamps: Monkey Love, Little Penguins (C.C. Designs)   Ink: Palette Burnt Umber, Close to Cocoa, Various ink pads for watercoloring, Sahara Sand   Paper: Watercolor paper, Fall Flowers DP, Old Olive, Choc. Chip   Other: Nestabilities, Three For You punch box, Brads, Ribbon, Sewing machine