Missing You .....

So sorry about the late post! I was having a wee bit o' trouble with my photoshop. Blech!! Stupid thing......reboot, reboot, reboot! Anywhoooo...

I coloured this image, by Lockhart stamps, a few weeks ago and just found it in a pile on my desk so I figured I better use it before I lose it again on my desk, in a pile, waiting, waiting, waiting....

I wasn't sure about the simple-ness of this card, I really wanted to dress it up and add flowers and brads etc., but on the other hand if you are missing someone you don't particularly feel all gussied up! KWIM??


The image was stamped on Stampers Select White and coloured with Copic ciao (pronounced chow - I was always calling them Copic see-eh-oh markers, until, Kraftin' Kimmie very graciously corrected me!)

The card base is Papertrey Ink Aquamist with a layer of Stampers Select White and another layer of Papertrey Ink Everyday Blessings.

I mounted the coloured image on Papertrey Ink Spring Moss cardstock and then again on Stamping UP! chocolate chip.

I have this gorgeous chocolate satin ribbon that I got from Jacksonbelle Embellishments. It is soooo luscious - it lays and ties like a dream!!

The sentiment is from Cornish Heritage Farms stamp set called Script Essential Expressions and has more than 56 expressions!!! It is fabulous!!

No Time to Stamp and Happy about it!!?

This card is for Sharon's challenge over at No Time to Stamp. Her challenge this week is a Color Challenge — Black and White + 1 More Color.

The whole point of Sharon's challenges are to keep it simple. Although this does fall into the simple category, it was a bit time consuming with all that "stitching" and gell work!!

It was also simple because it was kind of cased/inspired by THIS PROJECT on the Nunu Toolies blog!

She uses a lot of black in her creations, so I knew I would find something to inspire me and I loved these colours together although maybe for a winter wedding it would be better!! haha!

I used Stampers Select White cardstock SU! Purely Pomegranate and SU! Black cardstock and a lot of black ziggy pen and white gel pen.

The sentiment and the white doo-daddy thingies are from Wedding Day Papertrey Ink stamp set and the flower is a Prima hydrangea!!

I scored along the Pomegrante paper with my new Scor-pal just so you wouldn't see a honking big red/purple/pomegrante rectangle in the middle.

What you CAN see, is how rotten a paper cutter I have! Does anyone know of a paper cutter that actually cuts the paper and not rip/tear/grind/slashes at it!!! UGH!!

Ways to Use a Happy Old Truck

Today's challenge on Splitcoast Stampers is the Way to Use it Challenge, and today it is called Get Packing!

"You can use packing/shipping products such as bubblewrap, shipping tags, packing tape (how about glitter window or packing tape transfer), even tissue paper. OR...spin the challenge the other way and use a travel theme such as luggage tags, vacation themed stamps etc. This challenge is wide-open for interpretation so have fun with it!"

I chose to focus on the last sentence!! Interpret!
This is my interpretation for travel......The Classic Pickup Truck!

This stamp is available from Little Paper Shop and is one of many trucks and equipment stamps they have over there. Super duper for manly cards (but I like them too!)

I coloured the old truck with copics and used glossy accents that I bought at The Paper Pickle, for the windows and headlights - love that stuff!

I used SU! chocolate chip for my card base and Basic Grey Archaic for the pattern paper.

The sentiment is from Little Paper Shop All Occasions set, which has 27 stamps and a bazillion ways to use them!!

Quite a simple card to make really, but perfect for Father's Day as sometimes men are, oops, I mean enjoy, simple things!! a wee Freudian slip.......

Papertrey Blog Hop!

I am having so much fun with my Scor-Pal. I love it!


I am still using those tall megabilities - love them too!


Okay, if it has to do with crafting- I LOVE IT!!


For this card I scored the Papertrey Ink Spring Moss cardstock on a diagonal and folded it in half. Then I ran it through the tall nestabilities with the fold at the top and the die a little bit off the top of the paper so it would keep the fold.


Then I ran a piece of white Stampers Select cardstock and Summer Sunrise cardstock through the same tall megabilities die, (not at the same time) eyeballed (Rachael Ray again...) and cut it to match up with the scallops in the card.


I stamped the sentiment in Spring Moss Ink on the white cardstock, lined it up with the Summer Sunrise cardstock and adhered it to the card where I thought it was please to my eye! The sentiment is from the Papertrey Ink's Simple Little Things. (Sorry, this is not available for sale!)


I used the Cuttlebug flower die set and cut the flowers out of Stampers Select White and Summer Sunrise cardstock. Papertrey Ink's Beautiful Blooms stamp set has some flowers in this set that match up with this Cuttlebug flower die! I stamped the bottom flower on the die cut in Summer Sunrise ink and then added some brads to the flowers!

I popped them up on pop up glue dots and added them to the card to finish it of! Perfect!

Still Hot Granny!!

I don't feel like a Grandma......my Grandma's were OLD...........but if I did feel like a Grandma, I hope I feel like Still Hot Granny from Little Paper Shop - who by the way is celebrating their opening by offering 15% off all stamps until June 3 AND free shipping on purchases over $45 (Canada and US only)


I am sure my sweet little grandson, Jake ( I am not biased - he is sweet!!) thinks I am old.......oh dear....{sniff}


Speaking of sweet - take a look at this sweet little Still Hot Granny.....She is so awesome and just ready to keep on "keepin' on"!! Good for her!


I have to keep on "keepin' on" also, because it is golf day today and I have to go and practise. I hope I am back in time for the Papertrey Blog Hop tonight!!


Supplies:
Stamps: Little Paper Shop "Still Hot Granny"
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink Stampers Select White and Spring Moss, SU! Purely Pomegranate
Designer Paper: Basic Grey Stella Ruby
Accessories: Maya Road Velvet Flowers, Prima Flowers, paper piercer, megabilities, nestabilities, Basic Grey Brads, MM brads, Tombow glue,

If it's Tuesday, it must be CC day!

I have been inspired lately by things just popping out in front of me. Today I was inspired by this!

My dog, Rosie, (remember devil dog?) has been sniffing around the clematis for the last month.

I finally investigated, after almost getting run over (well flown over) by the mother bird when walking by..... and there were 3 baby robins in this nest........in this huge clematis!! Silly Birds!!

The colour challenge today on Split Coast stampers was Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla and Sage Shadow!! How can anyone say NO to Chocolate and Vanilla??!

I used Chocolate Chip cardstock for the base of my card. I found some perfect paper in the Basic Grey Stella Ruby 6 x 6 paper pack I got from Scrapping Great Deals.

I used a sketch that Michelle Wooderson had shown from her sketch book - oh my goodness what I wouldn't do to get my hands on that baby!! LOL! and I had bought some ink pads from Julia Stainton awhile back and one of them was Sage Shadow! yay!

I stamped the owl from Kim Hughes U R A Hoot stamp set on Very Vanilla and coloured it with copics. I cut it out and then popped it up on the sentiment which was stamped with Sage Shadow ink on Very Vanilla and popped up on the base of the card. I added a brad at each end from the Archaic Basic Grey line - they are almost an identical match!

I stamped the paisley tree branch with Sage Shadow also and then sponged both the sentiment strip and the branch strip with chocolate chip ink.

Then I wrapped it up with some Prima flowers.....done!

Well, that was a bit of rambling today, but I really wanted to show you my baby birdies........I keep watching them everyday.....and I wonder HOW do they all stay in that nest together without falling out.....I am very afraid that my doggie thinks this too!! YIKES!

Ten New Stamp Sets......!!

Little Paper Shop is releasing TEN NEW STAMP SETS today. These stamps sets are offered at 15% off until June 3!

This card is using the Take Time set which has Calla Lilies and this beautiful Hibiscus flower on it along with three sentiments.

I coloured the flower with copics and cut and embossed it with the circle nestabilities. My designer paper is Memory Box cardstock, a 6 x 6 pack of 50 pieces called Sugar and I bought it through Ellen Hutson, who has a fabulous line of Memory Box!

The round scalloped piece adhered behind the flower and the bottom piece of cardstock is Spring Moss from Papertrey Ink.

I used the Martha Stewart paper punch on my pink cardstock -don't know the name of that cardstock - it was just laying around on my desk -very unusual -really - no really. That punch really lends a little pizazz to a card!

The ribbon is Papertrey Ink Spring Moss swiss dot ribbon - a beautiful soft and pliable ribbon!

Little Paper Shop has a huge sentiment set of stamps called "All Occasions" which consists of 27 stamps. The sentiment on this card came from that set, and believe me, I had a heck of a time figuring out which sentiment to use!

So I ended up using the "on your" and the "Anniversary" because it seems like everyone is having parties for this and for that, so sooner or later there will be an anniversary!!

NEWS! NEWS! BIG NEWS!!

I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I have joined the Design Team for the Little Paper Shop!! YAY!

This is a wonderful new stamp company based out of Alberta, Canada. Julia, the owner and designer, has fabulous ideas and such a creative mind!! Her stamp sets range all the way from cute and cuddly, to warm and sensitive and back to crack me up humourous!!

Right now, Little Paper Shop is having it's Grand Opening and is offering 15% off all stamps from May 27 -June 3

AND - as if that wasn't enough!!!

FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $45 (Canada and US only)

How is that for Fabulous!!!! yes-with a capital "F"!!

I will be back later to put up my "blinkie"----very excited about that!!..... I can't figure it out right now and I have to take hubby to get an ultrasound on his shoulder - silly boy - "over use" during planting season - or was that golf season....and now he may need surgery on it....yikes!

I also have a couple of cards using Little Paper Shop stamp sets that I will post!!

Y'all come back, ya hear!!?

Scor-Pal quick card....

ETA: Just took a look at this post and so sorry about the photo - it is getting a little darker here, because it is going to rain. I didn't think that would show up in the picture, but it did.....

Man, this Scor-pal is awesome for jazzing up a quick card!

I needed a quick, quick, quick card for a Grand Opening of a new farm business that hubby was heading off to after his shower!! MEN!!



So I threw together this pretty little card - he will probably laugh when he sees it - kind of fussy for men, in a plain sort of way,but that is what you get when you spring it on me!


I actually scored the Blue Poppy Memory Box cardstock first and then cut it out with my tall rectangle megabilities using my Cuttlebug. I really love this Memory Box paper because it is coloured on one side and white on the other, and thick enough for a card base!!


I used the tag shapeabilities to make my tag and stamped my Verve Visual sentiment on it and then stamped over top with the Cornish Heritage Farms Pretty Pattern Backgrounder on top of the sentiment. I really should have stamped the background before the sentiment, but of course I didn't!!


I added a purple Prima flower and some Sweet Blush swiss dot ribbon and then sent it on its way to the Grand Opening!

I Love Lucy Inspiration!

I was leafing through my Rachael Ray magazine -looking for a 30 Minute Meal {*grin}, because my daughters and I went to "Art in the Park" and when I got home, I fell asleep on the couch.

So I wanted something quick and easy to make for supper but instead.....I saw this advertisement with a Lucille Ball look-a-like.

I absolutely fell in love with the colours in this ad, and I figured that I could do my OWN inspiration challenge for a card myself!

I ran downstairs completely forgetting about that 30-minute meal!! and made a quick and easy card!

I loved her lace skirt and the beautiful brooch she is wearing, so I took my Cornish Heritage Farms Lace Backgrounder, inked it up and worked away!

I used my rectangle nestabilities and made two rectangles. I stamped the inner rectangle with the lace backgrounder with brilliance black ink and left the outer rectangle the Stampers Select white cardstock.

I glued the two rectangles together and then adhered them to the lower half of the Aquamist cardstock base.

I attached a crystal brad to a big black button which I put ONE hole in with my Crop-a-dile! I didn't think the Crop-a-dile would make a hole in a button - but that thing took a chunk out of that baby like it was going through butter! I really figured the button would shatter or at the very least - crack! I was so excited - I was like HOLY COW!! I am so very impressed! (Can ya tell?!!) I don't get out much.......

Then I attached the button with brad to a couple of stacked big white flowers with a couple of glue dots, and then glued it to the card with more glue dots.......gotta love the dots.....

The sentiment "Birthday Wishes" is from Kim Hughes stamp set Silhouette Blooms II and the scrolly -like flourish stamped in SU! white crafter's ink is from the Rummage Bin's set "Beautiful".! This is my "go-to" set -a lot- because of the flourishes - they just add an extra oomph!!

I am pretty happy with how this turned out, even if we didn't get supper on time - Indianapolis 500 was on television so hubby didn't care too much - I would have told him to get his own anyway! LOL!!

Caution!! Work or Play?

I bought some very masculine stamps from Little Paper Shop recently and boy, (no pun intended!) have they got some fabulous stamps for masculine cards!!

Well, for any card, but this stamp that I used today is from a set called "Caution-Construction Zone". It has a dump truck, front end loader, plus this machine - whatever it is - it's certainly for the man in your life..Perfect

When hubby saw my card he was actually interested and then he hauled out all his little antique toys and I grabbed this one to take with the card.... Anything to make my stamping easier - YKWIM??!

I don't usually listen to his critiquing, but if it has a machine on it-look out!!- Wait until he sees the ATV stamp! I may get a shopping spree yet....LOL!

On my way to "Art in the Park" this morning - sun is shining, birds are singing! S/B golfing, ah well....

Supplies

Stamps - Caution-Construction Zone - Little Paper Shop

Cardstock - Chocolate Chip SU!, DCWV paper pack

Designer Paper - Prima Marketing Inc.

Accessories - Large star punch SU!, pop dots, tombow marker for faux stitching, sewing machine for REAL stitching, Basic Grey brads

Be Inspired and Beate....!

We had a beautiful inspiration challenge this week!!! - well they are always fun and always the most gorgeous-est (hmm) inspirational photos EVERY week!!

Sometimes I feel inspired and sometimes I don't - and today I did!!



I combined this first card with Beate's sketch challenge, WSC49, because it was in the plan for today... LOL! yeh, like I ever have a plan.....

I started this card by stamping the flowers from Papertrey Ink's Spiral Bouquet and making a background on Stamper's Select white cardstock. (Have you noticed a trend lately ?- I'm lovin' making the backgrounds!)

I cuttlebugged the middle portion with the Swiss dot cuttlebug folder and layered a pieced of boughten designer paper for the third panel.

I cut out my circles with the plain circle and scalloped circle nestabilities and stamped the sentiment from Silhouette Blooms.

I added some sparkly white brads at the bottom and then traced over the words with the copic spica pen. In real life, this is so sparkly and pretty!

Have a great day!! I just cut the grass and I LOVE that smell of freshly mown grass! So VERY summery and full of promise! Now, I may not be so kind about the grass when I am cutting it twice a week due to fertizlier and rain.....but right now - it's all good!!

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Spiral Bouquet
Paper: Stampers Select white Papertrey Ink, stock navy cardstock, stock DP, Memory box - Blue Poppy
Ink: Versacolor - LapisLazali, Chateau Gray, Versamagic Aspen Mist, Colorbox fluid chalk Blue Iris
Embellishments: glitter white brads

Limited Supplies- sort of....

Well, I guess I really didn't read the "rules" very carefully for the Limited Supplies challenge. Instead of using hardware you were to substitute your small stamps.

I was thinking that you just couldn't use brads.........it does sound a little too simple, doesn't it?

Well, then I will put it in the Ways to Use it Challenge, which was to make a masculine card - yeh, that'll work!

I started with a base of spring moss cardstock from Papertrey Ink and layered SU chocolate chip cardstock, with a couple of embossed lines in it and some pretty (can ya say pretty on a guy card - sure ya can!) ribbon that I bought at the Paper Pickle the last time I was there. {note to self: that visit to the Pickle was really a long, long time ago......}

The image is from Allison's clip art and is coloured with copics and then layered on some delicious SEI Dill Seed designer paper, as is the sentiment.

At first glance I thought this little guy had a bookbag slung over his shoulder, so I went for the school theme. But then one of the girls thought it was just a suit jacket, so that blew that out of the water!

So now he is a professor instead of a school "kid"!

The sentiment and the graduation cap is from Kim Hughes set U R A Hoot available at Cornish Heritage Farms.

Everything is popped out because I LOVE that look!! I need more pop-dots - so off to the Pickle I go!! yay!

Rockin' Sockin'!

This award say that I ROCK!!

I received this wonderful award from Diane the other day and because I am getting old (hmphff) I forgot to post it....sorry Diane!

Now I am supposed to pass it onto 10 other bloggers - YIKES!!

Well, I am going to nominate everyone of my SBS sisters - because they are always commenting on my blog and leaving such sweet messages for me!!

They know who they are (pssst - on my side bar) - and now you know who they are!!

Have a Happy Day!

Boys and Swirls.....

I seem to be doing a lot of challenges lately and I haven't even looked at the Splitcoast Stampers sketch challenge today!

This card is for Allison's challenge on Stampin' When I Can and it was to download the boy clip art and use it in a card. There were 24 little guys to choose from so it was kind of hard to narrow it down!!

I chose to use the little cowboy and the inspiration came from the ribbon which reminded me of the kerchief's the cowboy's used to wear around their face to keep the dust off - or maybe rob a bank!

The big red circle has the star embossed in it from the Cuttlebug Decorative Star Embossing folder. I placed it behind the ripped designer paper so that it would look like a setting sun - get it!!??

I coloured the little guy with copics and layered him on black cardstock.

I stamped some flourishes in white craft ink on the designer paper with the Beautiful set from the Rummage Bin at Cornish Heritage Farms.

Isn't he cute!?

Now off to do the laundry, cleanup lunch, unload the dishwasher, make the bed - you probably already know all this!!

SCORE!!!!!! - pal........

My lovely daughter, Marcie, from Cardmakin' Chaos is giving away blog candy - a Gina K Designs stamp set!! There is a catch, however, and that is to make a card with no stamping....I have done it before and I can do it again!



I would love that Gina K Designs stamp set, Spring Blooms, but she probably won't even let me win (doh!) - here is my card anyway!



I started with my card base of Lemon Tart from Papertrey Ink and used my SCOR-PAL!! Yes, I can't believe I haven't mentioned it before now! Marcie and Jared and Jake gave me and Scor-pal for Mother's Day - isn't that just GRAND!! I LOVE IT!!


I scored my card base on diagonals and then added a piece of Basic Grey Stella Ruby DP with a little chocolate chip ruffle on the bottom.


Then I tied this most luscious chocolate satin ribbon that I got from Jacksonbelle Embellishments around the card and attached a huge Prima flower from a can (I don't know what kind of prima - sorry)


I thought I could always go back and attach a couple of tags to the flower later on if I needed a sentiment, or you can always stamp the sentiment on the inside. I don't know if that is cheating for Marcie's blog candy or not - LOL!

More Sympathy......

I hate when I need sympathy cards. It's not something I stockup on, because heaven forbid I need a stockpile of them. I just kind of make them as I need them.

And of course I need some.

This one was cut out with the new tall nestabilities that I got from Cut at Home with the 40% off coupon code.

I folded the 8 1/2" x 11 vanilla cardstock in half and I cut it so the top of the die was off the top of the paper, thus keeping the fold.

I inked my Pretty Pattern backgrounder with Tim Holtz distress ink - antique linen- and then pressed the vanilla card base onto the stamp, and with my hands smoothed the cardstock all over the rubber making the image.

I layered another piece of stamped vanilla onto Kraft cardstock and sewed around it with brown thread.

I stamped my sentiment from Papertrey Ink's Everyday Blessings stamp set with Colorbox dark brown ink and layered that onto Kraft cardstock cut out with the tall nestabilities.

I added a little bit of Offray vanilla ribbon that I got from Wal-mart on to the side of the sentiment.

It looks like a long card, but it still fits into a regular envelope.

They say things happen in three's and it is true in this case, so now that is enough......hopefully we don't have another three.

Thanks for checking in!

New Technique - Double Pocket Bag...

Monday's Challenge on Splitcoast Stampers is called the New Technique Challenge where you learn how to do something you have never tried before! In my case - that is A LOT!!


Today there was a tutorial on how to make a double pocket bag. I tend to cringe at new things - but I read the tutorial and then read it again and it really wasn't too bad - in fact it was super easy!


I broke open my package of Berry Bliss designer paper - can't believe I haven't opened it before now - and just followed the directions! - something I am getting very good at!! LOL!


The flowers are cut out with the Cuttlebug flower die and stamped with Papertrey Ink's Beautiful Blooms stamp set. Some of the flowers in that set were designed specifically for the Cuttlebug flower dies. Cool, eh?


I stamped them with Versacolor Tea Rose ink and then the outside of the flower in Colorbox Dark Brown.


I tied in some handles with Papertrey Ink's Sweet Blush twill ribbon, and taped the ends with double sided tape.


I cut and embossed the chocolate chip cardstock tags with the Nestabilities Tag set and found some rub-ons from my ever-luvin' loaded stock of scrappin' "stuff"!


I thought it turned out quite cute if I do say so myself!! You could use it as a gift card holder for sure although two regular size cards will fit in it too and two!!

Featured Stamper....Dawnsing!

Oh my goodness I LOVE everything about her gallery I have it bookmarked to CASE everything!! She is just my style of stamper - clean lines and easy on the eye! (at least some of my cards)

I chose to case this card (today) and the object is to change two things in your card.

I actually changed 3 things:

1. I changed the card base from pink cardstock to Stampers Select White

2. I changed the SEI designer paper from the brown to the white

3. I changed the sentiment for selfish reasons - I need a "feel better" card

Sometimes the featured stamper is sooooo far above and beyond my "talent" that I just remove myself from the whole SCS scene for about 5 days......but this week I stuck it out - I see a window!!

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink Stampers Select white, pink cardstock from stock

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Garden of Life, Out on a Limb

Accessories: Papertrey Ink Sweet Blue Swiss Dot ribbon, Versamagic Old Rose Ink, Nestabilities

SFYYT.....

I made this card for Jenn's sketch for you to try - SFYTT. I don't do the sketch very often, but today I decided - why not? I am going to TRY to do more challenges - I think I say that almost every day - but REALLY I am going to try harder - honestly - I am - really.

I incorporated Jenn's sketch with a thank you for our bank manager who is a golfer. We found this out after going to the bank for our annual visit. One of our withdrawals was a $4,000 that we did not remember making, so we had her investigate it and sure enough - we remembered - ouch! They just hadn't put any details in, which was strange, so she sent a whole bunch of golfing "stuff" for us - towels and tees and golf ball markers - kind of cool!! (Mind you our service fees are enough to cover the golf "stuff"! LOL!)

I paper pieced the golf bag and golf clubs - this is some of that designer paper that I have had FOR-EVER!! so I don't know the name and it didn't have a name on the back, but it had quite a bit of colours to choose from.

I chose glorious green and Blue Bayou cardstock- both from Stamping Up as complimentary colours and used them for the sketch.

I stamped the Cornish Heritage Farms Large Polka Dot Backgrounder in craft white pigment ink on the green cardstock and then sewed all three panels on to the chocolate chip background.

I used Very Vanilla cardstock for the golf ball, cut it out with my circle nestabilities and ran it through the Tiny Bubbles Cuttlebug folder to make it bumpy.

The thank you sentiment is from Papertrey Ink Wedding Day set and the glitter dots are Gina K Designs.

Thanks for coming around to see today! It is waaayyy too cold to golf today so, unbelievably, TWO more loads of mulch are coming.....I am faking sick.

Fashionista Bella in the Sky.....

Not actually, IN the sky, but in Soft Sky blue paper from Stamping UP!

I made this for Beate's Sketch Challenge which I don't do very often - but today I thought I would give it a try - as you can see I turned it sideways so that this pretty Fashionista Bella could fit on the sketch.


I wanted to use my Kraft paper from Stamping Up because, naturally, I have ordered more from the Papertrey Ink release on Wednesday, so I have to justify ordering it by saying that I use that colour a lot!! LOL!


I cut a piece of Soft Sky blue cardstock 3 3/4" x 5" and stamped it first in Tim Holtz distress Ink Antique Linen - that is the closest ink colour I have to the Kraft cardstock. I used the Pretty Pattern backgrounder for that.


Then I stamped the Lace Backgrounder in White craft ink and stamped that over top.

I coloured the Fashionista Bella with copics and then cut it out and embossed it with the rectangle nestabilities.


I masked the outside of the embossing with a post it note and inked the edges of the image with the Antique Linen distress ink to make a faux border.


I had a strip of patterned paper left over from Basic Grey Figgy Pudding (can't imagine I didn't see that!) so I tucked it in behind her for the strip on the sketch!!


I matted it on Kraft paper and stamped the A Muse sentiment in dark brown Colorbox chalk ink that I bought from Cornish Heritage Farms - but I can't find the link right now - they may be sold out.


I added some Autumn Leaves bag-o'-buttons along the bottom of the card because I am LOVIN' buttons right now!! Julia Stainton has a fabulous post today on Belle Papier about buttons - check it out - you can do a bazillion things with them......!!


Our yard looks fabulous, and yet I am still being beckoned to go out and shovel more mulch.......unfortunately my back is fine today so I better go and do it!!


The end result.....keep thinking of the end result!!!

Stars and Swirls and Dots....

and ripping apart and putting together!

Why would this card cause me such grief, you ask?

I don't know I answered....just one of those things.....

I ripped and tore and finally got it to where it is not so bad!!

All the ink used is Tim Holtz Distress Ink, that I got at Cornish Heritage Farms. The Old Paper is what I used for the stars and is the closest to the Kraft paper!! Almost an exact match!!


These stars and sentiment are from Verve Visual's set Polka Stars-Clear and I have had them for ages! I just have never inked them up - how AWFUL is that???


Just one of those things, ya know - no not today, no it doesn't go with what I am doing.....craziness....


The kraft paper is from Stampin' UP! and I got it from Kim Reid when she placed a big order and included mine!! Thanks Kimmie!!


I stamped the Large Polka Dots backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms in Old Paper distress Ink and then the Hero Arts Design Block Flouish background in Broken China distress ink.


The swirly background was a free stamp from the Paper Pickle because I am such a great customer and I spend kazillions of $$$$ at the store everytime I got in I think they feel sorry for me and throw in a fabulous stamp for free!! Hubby says " and well they should"!! - but he says that about anywhere I get stamps.... aren't hubbies grand!!


The base of my card, I think, is Ballet blue from Stamping UP! but I can't remember the name -how awful is that! ETA: I think it is Blue Bayou- I saw it over on A Necessary Creativy (check her out - gorgeous creations!!)

Well, I have to run, hubby has me on a marathon gardening session today ----3 loads of mulch and now he has gone to get 4 more loads-ugh I'll be glad tomorrow because it will look so beautiful!!

But my back won't thank him!!

Ways to use INCHIES!!

ETA: I was out on the golf course today and suddenly I had a thought - "I didn't colour those inchies with copics - I watercoloured them!" I had a good game too, by the way - even with all that thinking!!

I bought a box of inchies from Ellen Hutson's store a while back and have been wanting to use them.


Ellen has a challenge on the Inchie INKling blog to create a food themed inchie and as luck would have it Splitcoast Stampers challenge yesterday was to use inchies!!


I have a few of the itty bitty Lockhart stamps so I decided on the itty bitty teapot and the itty bitty cupcake (herein refered to as IB).


I stamped my IB on the inchie square and coloured each one with copics.



Then I stamped the teapot on a post-it note making sure that I stamped it at the top of the note so that the sticky part would be on the back of the image when I cut it out.



After I cut the teapot out, I stuck it on top of the inchie and inked up my Pretty Patterned backgrounder with Papertrey Ink's Sweet Blush Ink. I pressed the inchie on top of the backgrounder, carefully lifted it off and peeled off the mask.



I did that with Aquamist, Lemon Tart and Spring Moss ink also.



When I did the cupcake - and for some un-godly reason- I did not make a mask and just stamped the Lemon Tart ink on the inchie without the mask. While I was doing this I suddenly thought - CRAP!! I didn't make a mask for this!!! Anyway, it turned out okay, so I was saved!!



I covered the teapot and cupcake with glaze and glued the inchies on my card base of a piece of designer paper from Memory Box.



The sentiment is from Kim Hughes stamp set Silhouette Blooms II from Cornish Heritage Farms.

Off to golf again today!! YAY!!

Sketch Challenge, and busy card!!

This card is for the Sketch Challenge on Splitcoast Stampers and for Allison's Suggestive Sunday challenge - not colouring an image you would normally colour!

A lot going on here in this card, I couldn't stop myself from stamping so I think I overdid it a wee bit!!

I used the Cornish Heritage Farms Open Plaid Backgrounder for my card base on Papertrey Ink Stampers Select white cardstock and I coloured copics over top for a coloured plaid.

Then I stamped Cornish Heritage Farms Leaves #3 backgrounder on top of white cardstock for the top panel and on the back of Chatterbox Greenhouse Olive plaid DP for the bottom panel.

Then I stamped Kim Hughes tree limb from the Pretty Birds stamp set on the top panel and tied a Papertrey Ink ribbon through it.

I stamped the nest on the Chatterbox DP and cut it out and popped it up and stamped the bird on DCWV boys Nursery DP and cut it out and popped it up.

I stamped the bird house, tree limb, nest, bird and the sentiment in 'Dark Brown' ColorBox Fluid Chalk Inkpad.

I sewed around both panels and added Autumn Leaves buttons in a funky little grouping!

I golfed today and actually it wasn't too ugly. There is a lot of water where I golf and of course I had to donate a couple of balls to the pond. It seems like a very nice thing to do. Yeh right..... such is golf.

Happy Bee-Day!

Ah, yes....bees seem to be the theme of the week and a happy theme it is!!

What better way to celebrate spring arriving than with the arrival of those crazy bees!

At least these kind of bees do not sting and are so fun to stamp because they are so happy - which could be because they are the sting-ers and not the sting-ees!!

I began by stamping this image from Stampendous called Bee Wings with Brilliance black ink and colouring it with copic markers and Frosted Lace Stickles for the wings. (by the way, Sheila has a deal on all Stickles right now!!)

I cut and embossed it with the square nestabilities and mounted it on black cardstock. Then I popped it up on some Lemon Tart cardstock that was also mounted on black cardstock.

I set that aside and made the background with Cornish Heritage Farms Large Polka Dot Backgrounder and Berry Sorbet ink on Stampers Select white cardstock.

I was going to use this background as the card base, but it just seemed kind of overpowering! Instead I cut it down and mounted it on blackcardstock.

I knew I wanted a flower for the bee to perch on, so I took a Maya Road Sheer Blossom in white and laid the Lemon Tart inkpad on top and then heat embossed it with yellow embossing powder. If you look closely one of the petals in the flower has a little lump coming out the side - that is where I came too close with the heat gun and it started to melt! - AND it was RATHER HOTTTT!!!! (be careful.....hmmmmm)

I attached the flower with a black button brad and added a flag of Berry Sorbet swiss dot ribbon behind.

For the card base, I finally decided on the Berry Sorbet cardstock. I stamped the sentiment from Stampendous on the base and added the polka dot piece and then the image on top.

I highlighted the sentiment, and his little heart hands and antenna-i (!!) with the Sakura glitter pen because I love the sparklies!!

To finish it off I added 3 little yellow brads under the sentiment. yay!

We had Jake last night for a sleepover because his mommy had a meeting early this morning and his dad is away on business.

So Grandpa took him out to the barn to show him the chickens and then over to the shop to see the airplane. They were walking back across the front yard kind of tripping and the dog was jumping all over him and so dang cute!!! (Jake -not hubby....)

And then his dad came around the corner of the house, and Jake stopped and looked and started running towards his dad saying "daddy, daddy!!" and his dad scooped him up and .....oh my goodness, I started crying!!! what a baby!! (me - not Jake....)

Happy Times!

May you find Peace

I was playing around with the free with 12 "Simple Little Things" stamp set from Papertrey Ink and I decided to make my own designer paper, again.

I love doing that now! You can make such interesting designs and no one else will have it!

For this paper I just took a piece of 8 1/2" x 11" Lemon Tart cardstock and stamped two of the images on the paper kind of "willy nilly" all over, in Summer Sunrise and Spring Moss ink.

Then I cut it into 4" x 5 1/4" pieces. I like to cut it a little smaller than the regular size card because I love the look of the card base showing, kind of like a border.

For this card I trimmed the designer piece smaller and layered some Spring Moss and Summer Sunrise cardstock behind the homemade designer paper.

I used my corner round on the Summer Sunrise cardstock to create a scalloped edge. Amy Rysavy has an excellent video tutorial on how to make a scalloped edge-check it out!!

I tied a length of Summer Sunrise satin ribbon around the designer paper and glued the three pieces (now one piece) onto the white Stampers Select cardstock..

I stamped one of the sentiments from the Simple Little Things stamp set in versamark and then embossed it with white embossing powder.

I think it is kind of elegant and actually turned out nicer than I had hoped.

Don'tcha just love that!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Edited to add: Okay now that is ridiculous! I spelled Happy wrong in my title (I fixed it) - I guess I was in a hurry!

I just wanted to quickly show you how I dressed up the boxes of cards for my Mom and Mother-in-Law.


I think they turned out wonderful!


The clear boxes are from Papertrey Ink's website along with the Berry Sorbet and Spring Moss swiss dot satin ribbon.


I used the Spellbinders tag set that I got at the Paper Pickle for the tag and stamped the sentiment with the "Women of Life" stamp set.


I added the little swirl and the witty bitty piece of bling to top it off!!


YAY!!

There was an Old Lady who drove in a car.....

I wanted to try to do some more watercolouring so I grabbed this new set (to me) from Gina K Designs......this little ol' lady cracks me up!!

I stamped her on watercolour paper which I didn't get at the Paper Pickle, but I learned my lesson because this paper is all bumpy and wumpy and lumpy and I didn't like it - AT ALL!.

So I did go back, hanging my head in shame, and bought some of the PROPER stuff from the Pickle.



I watercoloured her with my Tombow markers and I think she didn't turn out too bad - I might have a used a bit too much water on the car, but by the time I did the hair, face and car seats, I had it ironed out!!

I used Kraft paper for the base of the card and Basic Grey Two Scoops designer paper.

That delicious ribbon is from the Paper Pickle, my local scrapbook store, that puts all their ribbon in HUGE jars, at the counter, right at the checkout - it's really not too fair!! I have to buy it!




The little glittery baubles are also from Gina K Designs and are sooooo pretty and schparkly!!

I used the Sakura glitter pen for the headlights, her glasses and the hubcaps!

The inside sentiment reads "your driver's license picture looks better than you do" !! LOL!!

Have a Happy and Fun Mother's Day everyone!! and drive safely.....

Comfort and Peace

We are expecting more bad news in our neighbourhood, so I am getting prepared by making sympathy cards.

Honestly....sometimes when it rains, it pours.

Gina K Designs had a great set this month with her "One free with 3" offer, so I made sure that I bought three sets in order to receive the free one.

It is called "Comfort and Peace" and an excellent stamp set for sympathy or difficult times.

When looking at this card up on the post it looks dirty! LOL! But I think it is just all the sponging - maybe overdid it a bit.

I began by stamping and embossing in white, the Cornish Heritage Farms large dot backgrounder on Papertrey Ink Aquamist cardstock.

I coloured the stamp with my Tombow markers, misted it with water to get the soft, kind of watercolour look and stamped it on the PTI stampers select cardtock.

I decided that it was too stark white on the paper so I masked it off and stamped another backgrounder by CHF called Spanish Script in PTI Spring Moss ink overtop of the masking and sponged the image with more Spring Moss ink.

I distressed the edges of the image, stamped on the sentiment and added a couple of Stamping Bella baubles.

Then I roughed up the edges of a piece of PTI Everyday Blessings patterned paper and attached a piece of Cosmo Cricket velvet ribbon to the edge.

I glued the image onto the Everyday Blessings paper and then glued that whole thing onto the Aquamist cardstock base.

A beautiful day for gardening today, but instead we went golfing!(hee hee)

And tomorrow we are going for brunch with my Mom and Step-dad and then over to hubby's mom's house for a visit and then back home for a bar-b-que with all our family here with me!! Perfect day!

Yuck.......last year when we did the Mother's Day thing, we put Rosie in her cage because she was just a wee puppy, and left.

When we came back, she had escaped from her cage (hubby didn't close the latch - grrrrr), taken apart 3 afghans that I had been crocheting, pooped in our closet and somehow (turn away if you don't want to be grossed out) flung her poop all over our bedroom. I guess she must have been playing in it because, it really was all over.

I really wondered back then, why on earth ANYONE would want a puppy, and if someone would please take MY puppy!! I would have paid you right there and then to take her away. Anywhere.

She's cute now......this picture is a few months old- but really - isn't she the sweetest!!