Just Give Me Stamps...

A Fabulous Color Challenge...

When I saw today's Color Challenge, I knew I had to make some time to play!  I love Basic Gray and Pomegranate together!  :-)  I will actually be using this in my stamp club later this week.  After I finished my card, I realized that I wasn't sure my camera would work!  Ugh!  It did decide to "work" today...and I'm hoping that it will get me through the weekend, so I can spend some time price comparing before I buy another one.

This card really is SO quick and easy!  I embossed the Baroque background stamp with Black embossing powder on to Purely Pomegranate c.s.  The sentiment "You're absolutely fabulous" is embossed as well.  (I love the look of embossing...it is much more vibrant looking).  For embellishments, I added some Basic Gray taffeta ribbon (I love the sheen to this ribbon!!!) and finally used one of my pins from the Pretties kit.  Yes...I've been "hoarding" this a long, long time!  :-)  I guess it finally occurred to me that I can actually order more!  LOL!

Well, I'm off to finish preparing for my stamp club.  I hope you all enjoy the rest of your day!  And...since I've already come out of  the "American Idol closet" I can truthfully say that I'm stamping "fast" so I can enjoy watching the top 12 tonight!  Woohoo!  :-)  I hope you all enjoy your Tuesday!  ~Laurie

Recipe   Stamps: Baroque, Absolutely Fabulous   Paper: Purely Pomegranate, Basic Gray, Basic Black   Ink: Versamark   Other: Black e.p., Basic Gray taffeta ribbon, Pretties kit, Paper piercer

Simple Easter Elegance...

Happy Monday!!  I worked on some projects over the weekend and went to take pictures of them Sunday evening...and my camera wouldn't work!!!  I calmed myself down by convincing myself that my DH would be able to figure it out in the morning.  Well...this morning my DH not only couldn't get it to work, but said he thinks it's the computer inside and it's shot.  UGH!!!!!   Then...panic totally sets in.  I told him to try again...I have all my SCS Dirty Dozen projects to photograph still amongst many other things.  Well, he fiddled with it for quite a while and did get it to turn on...so I ran to take some pictures while I could.  Sure enough...it froze up on me again, but I did manage to get some pictures taken before that happened.  It looks like we are going to have to get a new camera.  Sigh.....

On a brighter note...LOL...I was able to finish lots of stamping projects this weekend!  Woohoo!  While I was making my DH's anniversary card (we will be celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary next week) I had this idea about an Easter card!  So...after I finished his card, I started in on this one. 

I really love the look of white on white...to me it is very elegant...and couldn't wait to try it with this gorgeous cross from Verve Visual's new Easter Elegance set!

I embossed the cross onto Pearlized White c.s. (the same as Shimmery White) with white embossing powder.  I then "highlighted" it using a wet watercolor brush and my Lavender Lace stamp pad. 

When I first made this card, I didn't have the popped up "frame" around the cross. After showing it to my husband...he thought the shape of the layer (I made that rounded top just by lining up my Coluzzle cutter and cutting just the top off with it) looked like a church window. That gave me the idea of the frame. I popped it up with Dimensionals mainly so you could see it better.  I then embossed the small swirl stamp (from the Easter Elegance set) in white under the cross panel.  For the finishing touches, I added some White organdy ribbon, Lavender flowers, & Lavender rhinestones.  For the inside, I embossed the sentiment "He Is Risen" (included in the set).

Well, I'm off to town today...  I hope you all have a wonderful today!!  ~Laurie

Recipe   Stamps: Easter Elegance   Paper: Pearlized White c.s., Lavender Lace, Vellum c.s.   Ink: Lavender Lace, Versamark   Other: Coluzzle, White organdy ribbon, Lavender flowers, Lavender rhinestones, White e.p.

Framed Butterfly...

Happy Friday!!  It's hard to believe that it's already the weekend!  This week just flew by!  I love Fridays, though.  We relax a bit more, stay up a little bit later, & tonight we'll probably catch up on all the American Idol episodes we've missed!  There...I said (admitted) it...our family is hopelessly addicted to American Idol!  LOL!  Friday also means that Beate has come up with another fabulous sketch for her Weekend Sketch Challenge!

 

This is a smaller card than I normally make (4 1/4" x 4 1/4").  I really wanted to use some of the frames from the Frames with a Flourish set (I LOVE that set) so I made my card just a bit smaller to fit them.  Everything except the butterfly is embossed using Black craft ink and clear e.p. onto Shimmery White c.s.  The butterfly is embossed onto Shimmery White c.s. using my Versamark and Soft Sky pads with Clear e.p.  There wasn't a lot of room for ribbon (believe me...I tried many, many different ways) so I just put a strip going down the middle and then attached some black rhinestones to it.  I pierced around edges of the Black card base to tie in all the dots of the frames.

That's it!  Pretty simple!  I'm sure that Beate, Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn, Mary Jo, Lori, & Sharon have made some amazing samples that you'll want to check out as well!

I hope you all have a great weekend and get some fun stamping time in!  :-)  ~Laurie

Recipe   Stamps: Frames with a Flourish, Kind Thoughts, All Holidays   Paper: Shimmery White c.s., Basic Black   Ink: Black craft ink, Versamark, Soft Sky   Other: Clear e.p., Black rhinestones, Ribbon, Blue mini rhinestone, Paper piercer

A Pocket Full of Posies...

Happy Thursday!  I hope you all are having a good week!  Our company arrived last night so I've been busy cooking (and cleaning).  As soon as the dishes were done last night I hurried into my stamp room to finish up some projects for this month's Dirty Dozen gallery that I've been working on.  It's hard for me to believe that it's already been six months...but March will be my last month on the Dirty Dozen!  It's been such a wonderful experience...one that I will always treasure!

I was going to post another card I have done...but my DH brought home the mail this afternoon, and a couple of boxes arrived for me!  Wooohooo!  As soon as I opened the one from Michelle (owner of Stamper's Dream), I headed straight for my stamp room!  My new Cuttlebug folders came and I knew exactly what I wanted to do.  I had started a card using this Jeans stamp...but I hadn't finished it yet because I couldn't decide on the background for it.  Well...that was solved now!  LOL!

   

Remember  THIS card I made with the Jeans stamp?  I wanted a more feminine look this time.  I thought Sahara Sand would be perfect for a "khaki" colored pocket.  I stamped the Jean Pants stamp onto Whisper White c.s. using Sahara Sand ink and cut out just the pocket.  After I sponged the edges of the pocket a little, I embossed the sentiment "Thinking of You" onto the pocket with White embossing powder. (You can see it much better in real life...but if I darkened the photo anymore it would change the colors of the card too much).  For my background, I ran a piece of Shara Sand c.s. through my Cuttlebug using the new Diamond in the Rough embossing folder then ran my White Versamagic Dew Drop over the top of the diamonds. 

For the flowers, I stamped these Penny Black flowers (I am NOT a gardener...so I have no idea what kind they are) directly onto my embossed Sahara Sand piece.  O.k...I do know they are not posies, but I thought the "pocket full of posies" title sounded cute anyway!  LOL!  I then attached my pocket so that the flowers looked like they were peeking out of it.  Then, I embossed the flowers in white onto White Shimmery c.s., colored them in with my Copic markers, cut them out, and then glued them onto my card.  I just love the soft pink color with the Sahara Sand and white...it has such a soft and Springy feel.

Here is a closeup picture of the flowers.  You can see the shimmery-ness just a little bit better in this one.  Here you can also see the little dots of White Liquid Pearls I added to the stamen.  The stamps and most of the accessories are from Stamper's Dream store.

Well, I'm off to cook dinner...and then stamp!  :-)  I hope you all enjoy the rest of your day!  ~Laurie

Recipe   Stamps: Jean Pants stamp (Judikins), Flowers (Penny Black), Thinking of You sentiment (Hero Arts)   Paper: Shara Sand, Whisper White, Shimmery White   Ink: Sahara Sand, White craft, Versamark   Other: Diamond in the Rough Cuttlebug embossing folder, Copic markers, White embossing powder, Dew Drops, Sewing machine, Mini white brads, White taffeta ribbon

Smile Today...

Happy Wednesday!  I didn't have time to finish up some of the projects that I've been working on (darn house cleaning always seems to get in the way...LOL!!), but I do have a journal to share with you today.  I made this for Verve Visual's March release.

This actually is probably my favorite project that I made with the new Verve sets!  I just love the happy, bright colors on this...and I just love this pretty butterfly from the new Thankful Blossoms set!

I stamped the small bold leaf with Versamagic Dew Drops onto this journal (I picked it up at Target a while ago..I think they were like 2/$1.00).  I stamped the butterflies onto Stamper's Select c.s. with Adirondack Pitch Black ink and colored them in with my Copic markers.  I then stamped the butterflies using the same black ink directly onto the journal.  I cut the colored butterflies out and mounted them onto my journal.  For the sentiment, I used my Black Versamagic Dew Drop to ink up only part of the sentiment (the whole sentiment actually says "You made me smile today" but I thought this "abridged" version would be better suited for a journal).  I used the little flourish from Easter Elegance and stamped it just to the right of my sentiment.  For the finishing touches I added:  a strip of Black Gingham ribbon, a Prima flower, Black button, & I just had to add some Stardust Stickles to my butterflies!  :-) 

Here's a closeup of one of the butterflies.  You can see the sparkle just a little bit better here...

I will be back tomorrow with one of the finished projects!  Even though our company is arriving tonight, I still plan on getting lots of stamping time in!  :-)  My DH and his friend will most likely be speaking Swiss the whole time...and while I can carry my own in a converstation....the translation part of my brain shuts down around 8 p.m.! LOL!

I hope you all have a fantastic day!!  ~Laurie

Recipe   

Stamps: Thankful Blossoms, Easter Elegance (Verve Visual)
Paper: Stamper's Select (Papertrey)
Ink: Palette Noir, Versamagic Midnight Black & Key Lime
Accessories: Copic markers, Prima flower, Black button, Stardust Stickles, Black marker, Ribbon