Just Give Me Stamps...

Several Things to Share...

Happy Tuesday!  I have several things to share with you today.  First, I wanted to share this picture I took yesterday of our three puppies.  One of our dogs had puppies a couple of months ago...and we've always known that we were going to keep one and give the rest away.  Well, as these guys grow(well, actually they are all girls...heheheee), the thought of parting with any of them is pretty tough.  (I think I have my husband almostconvinced that we should keep them and not give them away :-).  They are SO much fun to watch while they play.   They are so full of life (and mischief)...and the day that I took this picture, they were especially rambunctious!  They were running, playing, tearing up anything that the kids might have left outside, play fighting, & yapping at the wind all morning...so come afternoon they were wiped out!  When I saw them all cuddled up together, I just had to take a picture!  We affectionately call them the Three Musketeers!

This first card is one that I made for today's color challenge over at Splitcoast (Baja Breeze, Really Rust, & Chocolate Chip).  Well, fall colors are some of my favorite, so I just had to play along!  I stamped this Pumpkins in Moonlight stamp by Penny Black with Versamark ink.  I then used my chalks to color the image in...I just love the softness of it!  I then mounted it on some Memory Box patterned paper (from the Twiggy Collection).  I then added some twill, a decorative brad, piercings, and some stitching for the finishing touches.

 

It seems like so many of my friends are going through some difficult things, so I am in need of quite a few "thinking of  you" type of cards.  So, I put this next card together rather quickly, but I'm pleased with the result!  I started by picking my paper (I chose these two patterns from Chatterbox) and pulled my colors from them.  I embossed this bird and vine (from Inkadinkado's Birds Galore set) onto Neenah Solar White c.s. and used my oval Nestabilities to create the layered and scalloped ovals.  I added some mini white Prima flowers with some Blush colored pearls to the vine...along with some piercings around the edge of the oval.  Next to the Thinking of You sentiment (from Hero Art's Thinking of You set), I added some more of the Blush pearls (they are sooooo pretty in real life!!!).  That's it...very simple!

Thanks so much for stopping by!!  ~Laurie

Some AMAZING Blog Candy!!

My friend Tosh is giving away some AMAZING blog candy!!  If you haven't already...make sure to check it out (click HERE)!  You have until tomorrow to enter!  :-)

~Laurie

OCC Stitching Challenge...

Happy Saturday!!  We are having the nicest weather right now!  In fact...it reminds me of an "Indian Summer" type of Fall...where the nights are pretty cool (freezing temps), but the days are in the low 70's.  (I figured that as much as I've complained about our weather in the past, that I should also mention there are times when it's notsnowing...heheheee!)  Well, all of the trees are changing colors, and it just sparks this desire in me to start using warmer and richer colors in my stamping as well! 

Today's Our Creative Corner challenge is to use stitching on our card...but we have to use color (no white thread allowed).  I had picked up this copper thread at JoAnn's quite a while ago, and thought it would be perfect for today's challenge!  :-)

   

I also thought it might be fun to give you a "sneak peek" of some new Our Daily Bread Designs images!  I embossed the cross (from the soon to be released Flourished Christian Symbols) in copper onto vellum c.s (I layered the vellum on top of a piece of the same green patterned paper as the background).  The verse is also embossed in copper, but I used Neenah Natural White c.s. instead of the vellum.  This card really is fairly simple, but I think that with these bold colors it needed to be.

Our Daily Bread Designs in releasing five (yes FIVE!!) new sets on October 1st!  I know, teasing is not nice (LOL!), but I do have something fun to share with you that you don't have to wait for!  Kelley is offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders placed this weekend!  Here's the coupon code:

     

Don't forget to check out what the other talented OCC Designers (Amy, Cindy, Dawn, Denise, Jennifer, Julee, & Lynda) have created...you can see them all over at the OCC Blog.

Thanks for stopping by today...I hope you have a fantastic weekend!  ~Laurie

Recipe   Stamps: Flourished Christian Symbols (ODBD)   Paper: Neenah Natural White c.s., Vellum c.s., Metallic Copper c.s., Patterned Paper (Prima Marketing)   Ink: Versamark   Other: Copper e.p., Spellbinder's Tags die, Dew Drops, Copper thread, Ribbon

An Unexpected Fall Card...

When I was looking through my patterned paper last night, I came across this paper (from Crate Paper's Sweet Branch Collection) and was immediately drawn to it.  I've had it for a while now ((blush))...but for some reason the colors really stood out to me again.  I kept thinking that they were so interesting together...and very unexpected!  So...as my thought process continued...I started to wonder what "category" I could put these colors under and then it hit me!  These colors aren't spring-y...they have some summer-y type colors yet not completely summer-y.  That's when I thought that these colors would really work for "Fall" colors!!  I know...not traditional, but I just had to give it a try!!

I embossed the Autumn Tree from Inkadinkado's Cats & Bats set using Chocolate Chip craft ink and Clear Detail e.p..  I then highlighted the tree with my Dull Lavender Copic marker (mostly to tie in the colors from the paper :-) and added some mini rhinestones.  The sentiment is from Hero Art's Thinking of You set.  The ribbon is Papertrey's Summer Sunrise grosgrain ribbon.

Not only are the colors "unexpected", but so is the opening of this card!  :-)  I've included a picture of the inside (the solid color c.s. inside is from the Twilight Prism Paper pack) and one from the side so that you can better see how it opens.  :-)

 

  

I hope you all enjoy your afternoon!  I'll be back in the morning for another fun Our Creative Corner challenge!  ~Laurie

Recipe   Stamps: Cats & Bats (Inkadinkado), Thinking of You (Hero Arts)   Paper: Prism c.s. (Twilight collection), Dark Chocolate, Sweet Branch patterned paper collection (Crate Paper)   Ink: Chocolate Chip craft and classic, Antique Linen Distress Ink   Other: Clear detail e.p., Nestabilities, Summer Sunrise grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey), Rhinestones, Copic marker (Dull Lavender)

Weekend Sketch Challenge #59...

Happy Friday!!!  Woohoo for the weekend!!  :-)  It feels SO good to be back in my stamp room again!!  So...without further chit chat I want to share with you the card I made for Beate's Weekend Sketch challenge #59!

     

I started with some of my absolute favoritest patterned paper...Bella Rose (Stampin' Up!).  For my three panels, I stamped some of the flourishes and butterfly fromInkadinkado's Bohemian Flourishes in Chocolate Chip ink onto Neenah Natural White c.s..  I embossed the butterfly stamp in Riding Hood Red, cut it out, and glued it over the Chocolate Chip one (I do love browns...but not for butterflies LOL!).  I also wanted to add a little more color...so I embossed one of the small flowers several times using Pink Pirouette ink (stamped on cream paper they almost look more peach than pink  :-), cut them out, and glued them randomly onto the flourishes.  For the scalloped circle sentiment, I embossed the "Thank You" stamp from Inkadinkado's Expressions set in Chocolate Chip directly onto the patterned paper.  For the finishing touches, I added some rhinestones, brads, & ribbon.  :-)

To see more gorgeous cards using this sketch, check out what Beate, Cambria, Charmaine,Jenn, Mary Jo, & Sharon have created!!

I hope you have a wonderful Friday!!  ~Laurie

Recipe   Stamps: Bohemian Flourishes, Expressions (both by Inkadinkado)   Paper: Neenah Natural White, Bella Rose DP, Dark Chocolate c.s., Riding Hood Red   Ink: Chocolate Chip (Classic and Craft), Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa, Versamark   Other: Clear Detail e.p., Nestabilities, Rhienstones, Brads, Dark Chocolate satin ribbon