Leaning Tower of Stella

I've been busy today working on stuff to share during the upcoming week. I do have something to share tonight that I did for this week's Cupcake Challenge at Taylor's blog. I pulled out one of my Stamping Bellas and some bright colors for the challenge.

I stamped the Leaning Tower of Stella image on white cardstock and colored the image with Copic markers. I added some highlights with Stickles on the cherry on top of the cupcake and on the candle and Stella's crown, too. I cut Stella and a Summer Sunrise mat out using Nestabilities dies, then added a matching ribbon tab.

I pulled the colors for the card from the bold dotted paper I used to cover most of the cardfront. I added a more subtle Lemon Tart dotted panel down the left side of the card and placed a trio of pink Bella dots along the bottom of the strip. There was so much going on with the patterned paper, so I left the embellishments at that.

I'll be back tomorrow morning with my card for this week's sketch at Page Plans using some images from Clear & Simple Stamps.

Materials Used:

Leaning Tower of Stella image, pink Bella Dots (Stamping Bella); white Pure Luxury cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic Ciao); Summer Sunrise cardstock, 2008 Bitty Dot Basics patterned paper, Summer Sunrise grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink); dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Yellow and Ruby Slippers Glitz Stickles (Ranger); patterned paper (My Mind's Eye); rectangle dies (Nestabilities)

Blue Retro Birdie

Here's my card for this week's sketch challenge at Paper Craft Planet. Kim is hosting this week and has shared a fun sketch for us.

I pulled out some new SU! chipboard for my card. I used one of the bird pieces from the On Board So Tweet package as the focal image on my card. The bird is covered with Ballet Blue craft ink. I added a rhinestone brad to make a twinkly eye. Love how that turned out!

The colors for my card were taken from the retro-inspired colors and patterns of the Good Morning Sunshine paper pack. I used a piece of really bright (maybe too bright?) Summer Sun dotted paper to cover the cardfront and added some coordinating panels to the cardfront. Since the colors and patterns are busy, I didn't use a lot of extra embellishments.

I used a sentiment from A Little Birdie Told Me in the bottom right corner of the card. I stamped it in craft ink for an opaque look to finish the card.

Materials Used (all from Stampin' Up!):

A Little Birdie Told Me stamp set, Ballet Blue Craft ink, Ballet Blue, Kiwi Kiss, and Chocolate Chip cardstock, Good Morning Sunshine designer series paper, On Board So Tweet chipboard, silver brads, yellow rhinestone brad, scallop edge punch, mat pack and paper piercing tool, white gel pen, dimensionals

Babe in Toyland

After yesterday's post, I felt kind of bad about what I said about Cosmo. He's really a fantastic dog, even with the "crazy dog" label I usually attach to him, I swear. To make it up to him, I did a scrapbook page showcasing his cute and cuddly side. I used the first sketch from Paper Craft Planet's new Scrappy Sunday challenge. Every Sunday, Jen will post a new scrapbook sketch on PCP. I'm going to try to make an effort to get out of my card making box and join in some weeks. I don't have a lot of photos to scrap (not much exciting stuff that's worth photographing goes on in my life--LOL!), so we'll see how much I get done.

I made an 8x8 page for this sketch. I found a photo of Cosmo among just some of his collection of toys. You'll notice a few flat-looking stuffed animal like toys in the photo. That's how I give them to him, otherwise he rips out the stuffing and eats some of it. Did you know that can cost thousands of dollars to empty a dog's stomach when it gets blocked by fiberfill and other assorted items? Probably not, but I do!

Anyway, I kept my page pretty simple. To make coordinating the colors easy, I used both sides of some Scenic Route patterned paper. I chose it for the blue and green color scheme that matched some of the toys that popped out to me in the photo and to keep it somewhat masculine looking. I added a photo tab with Cosmo's name along the edge of the photo and used a combination of letter stickers and tiny stamps for the title. I did my journaling along the bottom of the page, just under the photo.

Materials Used:

Night of Navy Classic ink, Night of Navy, Baja Breeze, and Kiwi Kiss cardstock, round tab punch, silver brad (Stampin' Up!); patterned paper (Scenic Route); blue letter stickers (KI Memories); letter stamps (Studio G); buttons (Papertrey Ink); twine (Walmart); blue marker (Sharpie)

Blogger Challenge: Week 88

This week’s blogger challenge was to create an altered item. I have a fun gift item made with stamps from Clear & Simple Stamps for this challenge.

After Valentine’s Day, I found a prepackaged cupcake making kit on clearance, including dry batter, icing, cupcake liners, and toppings. I repackaged these ingredients in my kit—what a time saver—and added some festive birthday candles, too. I pulled out a tall, clear acrylic paint can that I got on clearance at Staples a while back (less than $1 each—I couldn’t resist picking up a few!)--and converted the container into a cupcake kit.

The bucket was decorated simply. I made a “belly band” for around the bucked using some festive designer paper from Basic Grey’s Cupcake line, edged with a pink scalloped strip. I tied ribbon around the belly band and used that to attach a gift tag.

The tag is stamped with the cupcake image from the Make a Wish stamp set and a combination of sentiments from the Make a Wish and Birthday Darling stamp sets.

I decorated the paint can lid with the same cupcake image. This time, I colored the image with Copic markers and added some sparkle with Stickles and a clear glitter pen.

For more altered item inspiration, you can visit the rest of the challenge players. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right.

Materials Used:
Make a Wish and Birthday Darling stamp sets (Clear & Simple Stamps); white cardstock (Xerox); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers and clear Spica pen (Copic); circle and scalloped circle dies (Nestabilities); Lipstick Red Glitz Stickles (Ranger); red Glaze pen (Sakura); patterned paper (Basic Grey-Cupcake line); Apron Lace border punch (Fiskars); Pretty in Pink and Real Red Classic inks, Pretty in Pink, Real Red, and Whisper White cardstock, silver eyelet, Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon, tag corner punch, mat pack and paper piercing tool, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); red brad (Joann); acrylic paint container (Staples)

Meet Cosmo's "Cousin" and the Blog Candy Winner, Too

When I saw the Pat the Bad Dog stamp set from Our Craft Lounge in the i {heart} papers store, I knew I had to have it. From looking at the images, I’ve decided that Pat must be Cosmo the crazy dog’s cousin! It’s not that Cosmo is “bad,” he just does some crazy things at times and these images capture some of those moments perfectly.

So, here’s my first Pat the Bad Dog card, combined with a sentiment from the Pat the Dawg House set. I used Jen’s Sketch for You to Try as the basis for my card. Pat is colored with Copic markers and the sky and grass were added by sponging on ink.

I used some new designer papers here, too. The cardfront is covered by a new dotted patterned paper from Upsy Daisy and the strip down the center of the card is a new SEI paper. These SEI papers are even more WOW in person than in the photos—really! The other side of this paper is a pretty glittery pattern. Didn't work with what I was going for here . . .

I made my own sentiment by inking the “so” from the “sorry” image separately and stamping it, then stamping the “sorry” next to it. This is cut out with the Labels Trio die and layered on to the card.

And, before I forget, MrsETaylor (comment #15) is the winner of the shimmery ribbon assortment from IHP. Please contact me with your mailing info and I’ll have Kate get your goodies out to you right away.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Our Craft Lounge Pat the Bad Dog and Pat the Dawg House stamp sets, Upsy Daisy Stillness designer paper, SEI Margarita designer paper, Nestabilities oval, scalloped oval, and Labels Trio dies
other: Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); white Pure Luxury cardstock (Gina K Designs); Baja Breeze and Kiwi Kiss Classic inks, Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip cardstock, mat pack and paper piercing tool, sponge, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!)

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop-Inspired by Spring

It’s time for another Papertrey Ink Blog Hop. This month’s theme was to use PTI products to create a spring inspired project based on the sights, colors, and images that are reminiscent of spring. I pulled out some of my new PTI goodies to create this simple spring feeling card.

I started by randomly stamping the smaller flower image from the new Friends ‘Til the End stamp set in white pigment ink on a Spring Rain panel. I covered the stamped images with white embossing powder and heat embossed them. The raised white images look so clean and crisp against the blue background. I layered this panel on a slightly larger Ripe Avocado panel, then set it aside.

I attached a piece of dotted Spring Moss patterned paper to the bottom of a white card base (this is the only one of PTI’s exclusive colors that I have yet to purchase—I may have to add it to my collection). I tied a piece of Spring Rain twill ribbon around the cardfront, then threaded a white button through the ends of the ribbon before knotting it again. I am loving these buttons!

I attached the stamped image panel, closer to the left side of the card than the right to accommodate the button and knotted ribbon. That left me just a tiny bit room for the sentiment. I stamped it along the edges of the stamped image panel in Ripe Avocado ink, kind of framing the image.

Materials Used:
Friends ‘Til the End stamp set, Ripe Avocado Palette ink, Spring Rain, Ripe Avocado, and white cardstock, Spring Rain twill, Bitty Dot Basics patterned paper, white button (Papertrey Ink); White Craft ink, Whisper White embossing powder (Stampin’ Up!)

Unity Challenge: Week 25

****Check out blog candy in post below****

This week's Unity Addicts challenge comes from Jessy, who was feeling a little under the weather over the weekend. So, she challenged us to make a get well card.

Here's my bright and cheery card. I used the "stacked" bird image from Unity's August Kit of the Month for the image panel. The birds are heat embossed, then colored in with an aqua painter and reinkers I added some Angel Wings Shimmerz, too.

I didn't have a Unity get well sentiment, so I went through my collection for a substitute sentiment. I decided on the "hugs" sentiment from the Mix Up of Cuteness kit and stamped it repeatedly alongside the bird image in Pumpkin Pie ink.

I colored the birds to coordinate with the cheery colors in the multi-colored patterned paper from We R Memory Keepers I used to cover most of the card base. I added a strip of a different patterned paper in the same shades of color along the bottom and wrapped a ribbon around the card. I may go back and add a trio of Dew Drops to the upper left side of the card--I'm still undecided on that.

For more get well card inspiration, you can visit the rest of the Unity Addicts. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right.

Materials Used:

August Kit of the Month and Mix Up of Cuteness kit (Unity Stamp Co.); Pumpkin Pie, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, and Regal Rose Classic inks/reinkers, Versamark, Pumpkin Pie, Barely Banana, Bashful Blue, and Whisper White cardstock, aqua painter, Black embossing powder, Certainly Celery 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, mat pack and paper piercing tool, scallop edge punch (Stampin' Up!); patterned paper (We R Memory Keepers); Angel Wings Shimmerz (i {heart} papers)

I {heart} Shimmery Ribbon-Want Some?

Now that CHA's over, Kate is getting tons of new product in at i {heart} papers. I used some of the new goodies on this card for this week's sketch challenge at a new sketch challenge blog, Card Patterns.

Most of the products on my card (papers and embellishments) come from the Three Bugs in a Rug Happy Bird-Day Caboodle Kit. This kit has a nice variety of coordinating patterned papers, die cuts, and stickers. It made it easy to pull this card together quickly using the sketch.

I used two different patterned papers for the panel on the cardfront. The gingham strip between the two papers is one of the stickers from the kit. I used another sticker from the kit for the sentiment panel.

I added a few simple embellishments, including some scalloped edge panels, a ghost heart, and a delicate pink flower with a beaded center.

My favorite embellishment is the red glimmer ribbon. See the sparkle? Want some for yourself? Then be sure to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a fabulous assortment of this pretty stuff that includes all 15 colors IHP carries. I'll have my random number picker, also known as my sister Jill, pick a winner on Thursday night. I'll have another IHP card to post then along with the winner's name.

And, for another chance to win IHP goodies, you can play along with this week's sketch at Card Patterns. Kate has offered a great collection of IHP products that will go to one lucky participant who links their card to the challenge post. You can find the details here.

Materials Used

from i {heart} papers: Three Bugs in a Rug Happy Bird-Day Caboodle Kit, Heidi Swapp ghost heart, The Card Co. beaded pink daisy, Creative Impressions red glimmer ribbon

other: Chocolate Chip, Kraft, and Pink Pirouette cardstock, scallop edge punch, dimensional (Stampin' Up!)

Sketches {by Tamara}: Recipe 37

Here's my card for this week's recipe challenge at Sketches {by Tamara}. This week's required ingredients were flowers, buttons, and glitter. My glitter is a little bit of a stretch, but it's there!

For the main image panel, I used one of the flower images from the new Papertrey Ink Friends 'Til the End stamp set. I stamped the images in white pigment ink on Raspberry Fizz cardstock. I like the contrast of the white against the vivid pink.

I layered the stamped panel on a shimmery silver paper, then on the black card base. I incorporated a little more black for the sentiment panel. The word "friend" is stamped in white pigment ink, with a row of paper piercing below it. I added a white button to the end of the panel. Here's where my glitter comes in--I threaded a piece of magenta glimmer ribbon through the button hole and knotted it. Love this stuff! Check back later today for a chance to get some of it for yourself . . .

Materials Used:

Friends 'Til the End stamp set, Raspberry Fizz cardstock, white button (Papertrey Ink); White Craft ink, Basic Black cardstock, mat pack and paper piercing tool, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); magenta glimmer ribbon (i {heart} papers)

Clean and Simple Blue Birds

Here's my card for this week's clean and simple card challenge at SCS. This week's challenge was a sketch challenge. I really like this sketch!

I used a monochromatic blue color scheme and images from my Unity Stamp Co. February Kit of the Month (still hasn't made it's way off of my table . . .). The birds are stamped in Baja Breeze ink on a Soft Sky panel. I placed a narrow strip of white grosgrain ribbon below the birds, creating a divider between the stamped image and the Baja Breeze patterned paper panel below it. I stamped the "happy" sentiment directly on the patterned paper in Blue Bayou ink. These SU! In Colors from three different years look so nice together!

I layered the stamped panel on a kraft cardfront. I placed a trio of brown and blue felt flowers, each with a brad at the center, on the upper left corner of the panel to finish the card.

Materials Used:

February Kit of the Month (Unity Stamp Co.); Blue Bayou and Baja Breeze Classic inks, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, and Kraft cardstock, Baja Breeze Patterns designer paper, white grosgrain ribbon, silver brads, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); felt flowers (American Crafts)

Kitchen Sink Monday: Refrigerator Art

For this week's Kitchen Sink Stamps Monday, Lynn challenged us to take a favorite quote and make it into "refrigerator art" by printing it out, putting it on a magnet, and embelllishing it with KSS images.

I spent a little while thinking before deciding on this quote about teaching: "It is not so much what is poured into the student, but what is planted by the teacher that really counts."

I cut the scalloped rectangle panel first and used that as a guide to cut my magnet sheet down to fit the panel. I cut another rectangle to use for the quote. I printed the sentiment on a piece of plain white copy paper to check for size, then used temporary adhesive to place my cardstock rectangle over the printed sentiment on the copy paper. I ran the copy paper with the cardstock through my printer again to get the placement as I wanted it to be.

I used the smaller carnation image from the 3 Step Get Well Teddy set to decorate my quote panel. I went with a mostly monochromatic color scheme with just a pop of green in the stems. Since I don't want the panel to be too heavy for the magnet, the only embellishment I added was a piece of white satin ribbon.

For more refrigerator art samples, you can visit the rest of the talented KSS Crew Members. Here's where you can find them:

Angela Knopf
Dee Jackson
Julie Masse
Lynn McAuley
Maria Colosimo, owner
Nicole Cooke
Tammy Hershberger

Materials Used:

3 Step Get Well Teddy stamp set, Pearlescent Orchid Brilliance ink (Kitchen Sink Stamps); rectangle and scalloped rectangle dies (Nestabilities); Regal Rose, Rose Red, Certainly Celery, and Old Olive Classic inks, Pretty in Pink and Pink Pirouette cardstock (Stampin' Up!); white satin ribbon (Target); magnet sheet

Lucky Bunnies and Sweet Blessings

Here's my card for today's featured stamper challenge on SCS. It's based on this card in Jami's gallery. Lots of her cards use images from The Greeting Farm, so I figured I'd change her original card to use one of Marie's cute images.

I replaced the original bear and balloon image with the bunny and balloon image from Lucky Bunnies. I colored the bunny with Copic markers and added a white Fun Flock belly. I stamped a few extra balloons to add to the image panel. I used a cloud template and an inked up sponge to make the cloud backdrop for the image. After carefully trimming around the bunny, I set it on the panel using dimensionals, along with the extra balloons.

I borrowed a sentiment from the Home Sweet Home set and inked just the "miss you" part to stamp along the bottom of the image panel. The rest of the card is pretty similar to the original, other than the change in color scheme to a softer, pastel one.

Materials Used:

Lucky Bunnies and Home Sweet Home stamp sets (The Greeting Farm); white Pure Luxury cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic Ciao); Ballet Blue and Bashful Blue Classic inks, Bashful Blue, Barely Banana, and Pretty in Pink cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); cloud template (Nicole); light blue grosgrain ribbon (Morex); white Fun Flock (Stampendous); Spots and Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

And, here's another card from this afternoon. I made this using some of the downloadable digital papers from Gina K Designs. I paired the paper with the Sweetest Blessings set, also from Gina K, and Taylor's Cupcake Challenge sketch.

I colored the cupcake with Copic markers to coordinate with the digital papes and added some Pink Shimmerz on the cupcake top and a little clear Glaze pen to the cherry. I cut the image and mat with Nestabilities and layered them over a strip of dark brown grosgrain ribbon.

I printed the digi papers on matte presentation paper. It's a lighter weight than cardstock, so hopefully it will use a little less ink to print. I trimmed the paper strips to size on my paper cutter then layered them on the brown cardstock mat. I used a little adhesive to sew them in place before stitching them with my sewing machine.

Materials Used:

Sweetest Blessings stamp set, Neopolitan digital paper pack (Gina K Designs); white Pure Luxury cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic Ciao); dark brown grosgrain ribbon (Morex); Close to Cocoa Classic ink, Pink Pirouette and Close to Cocoa cardstock, mat pack and paper piercing tool, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Pink Shimmerz (i {heart} papers); clear Glaze pen (Sakura); oval and scalloped oval dies (Nestabilities); sewing machine

Cute Times Two

Here are two kind of cutesy cards I did for some sketch challenges. This first one is for this week's card sketch at Page Plans.

I was inspired by the colors in my new Citrus papers from DCWV. I thought this color scheme would be perfect for a card with the orange image from SU!'s Tart & Tangy stamp set. I stamped the orange in Pumpkin Pie ink then punched it out with a circle punch. I layered it on another pair of circle punches before setting it on the Barely Banana panel and stamping the matching sentiment.

The papers on the cardfront are a mix of two of the patterns from the DCWV pad. The striped paper has some glitter in it, too. I added a narrow scalloped strip to separate the two different patterns a little, then tied a piece of Pumpkin Pie ribbon around the patterned panel before attaching it to the turquoise card base.

Materials Used:
Tart & Tangy and One Smart Cookie stamp sets, Pumpkin Pie Classic ink, Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise, Barely Banana, and Whisper White cardstock, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, scallop edge punch, mat pack and paper piercing tool, Pumpkin Pie grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); patterned papers (DCWV's Citrus Stack); 1 1/2" circle punch (EK Success)

This card is made using Beate's weekend sketch challenge. I loved the cute bird trio image from Unity's February Kit of the Month (still out on my table!) so I built this card around it. It's going right in the Paper Craft Planet design team's gallery full of friend cards.

I inked the birds with three different markers, then stamped them on Sweet Blush cardstock. I edged the pink panel with a strip I punched with my new Fiskars Apron Lace punch. The bird strip is layered on a lavendar panel, then set on a plum card base.

I stamped the word "friend" on the lavendar panel in the darker plum ink. This sentiment comes from the January Kit of the Month. It's actually "best friends," but I decided to shorten it here for my small 4 1/4" square card.

I trimmed a strip of Papertrey Ink's polka dotted paper to attach to the right side of the card. It looked a little plain, so I found some matching American Crafts felt flowers to add. I layered a pair of plum and olive flowers with a small pearl at the center and attached to the cardfront.

Materials Used:
January and February Kit of the Month (Unity Stamp Co.); Plum Pudding Palette ink, Plum Pudding, Lavendar Moon, and Sweet Blush cardstock, Polka Dot Parade patterned paper (Papertrey Ink); Apron Lace border punch (Fiskars); felt flowers (American Crafts); Perfect Plum, Old Olive, and Close to Cocoa markers (Stampin' Up!); self-adhesive pearl (?)

Gold Star

Here's my card for this week's Viva la Verve sketch challenge. This week's challenge twist was to include acetate on your card.

I decided to use a star theme for my card. I took the colors for the card from the star patterned paper that I used for the panel on the right side of the card. I added a shimmery gold panel, wrapped with a blue ribbon. I stamped one of the star images from Verve's Polka Stars on a piece of acetate in gold pigment ink, then let it dry while I assembled the card.

The "superstar" sentiment from was a perfect match for my card's theme. I stamped it in the gold ink on a scrap of navy cardstock and added a gold star brad to the end before attaching it to the cardfront. I added the acetate layer last, using a glue dot hidden under the sentiment panel to adhere it to the Brocade Blue panel on the cardfront.

Materials Used:

Great Expectations and Polka Stars stamp sets (Verve Stamps); Galaxy Gold ink (Brilliance); Night of Navy and Brocade Blue cardstock, French Blue grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); star brad (Making Memories); patterned paper (Scribble Scrabble--Sam's Collection: Little Circles/Blue Houndstooth); gold paper (Target); gold Dew Drops; acetate

Enjoy (the Weekend)

It's Saturday morning (the weekend--yay!) and time for another Paper Craft Planet sketch challenge. This week's challenge is hosted by Lynn. She shared a sketch for a fun square card with multiple panels.

My February Kit of the Month from Unity Stamp Co. arrived yesterday (jammed in my mailbox . . .), so I had to try it out on this sketch. I used markers to ink the different parts of this whimsical image featuring a table and a vase with a single flower.

I found solid and patterned papers that coordinated with the colors in the stamped image to finish the card. The border was drawn in with a fine-tip marker and a ruler. I tried doodling, but it didn't work for me, so I ended up going the "safe" route and drawing a straight line instead. Since my card was small (4 1/4" square), I decided to put only 2 little Prima flowers as an embellishment.

I have fun plans for today. Instead of my usual Saturday filled with laundry and catching up on errands and other stuff, I'm meeting one of the Paper Craft Planet DT girls, Sankari, for lunch and maybe some crafty shopping. I'm so excited to get to hang out with her for a while!

Materials Used:
February Kit of the Month (Unity Stamp Co.); Tempting Turquoise Classic ink, Tempting Turquoise, Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, and Whisper White cardstock, Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise and Certainly Celery marker, Regal Rose 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); patterned paper (My Mind's Eye); flowers (Prima); rhinestones (Walmart); London Fog ink (Memento)

Pink Princess

Admittedly, I'm not much of a scrapbooker, but I had to pair this fun photo of Miss Bella, my sister's dog and Cosmo the crazy dog's favorite girl, with the Glam Girl images from Clear & Simple Stamps.

In the photo, Bella is wearing a pink feather boa. I matched the solid cardstock for the layout to the pink in the photo. I made a simple border using the crown image from the set, stamped in alternating pink and black. I added rhinestones to each of the crown and a star border, punched with a border punch.

I layered the photo on the page at an angle. I used a simple metal rimmed vellum tag for the page title/journaling. I stamped one more crown on a scrap of pink paper and carefully trimmed around it. It's embellished with some rhinestones and attached to the tag with dimensionals. I stamped the "glam girl" sentiment directly on the vellum, then attached the tag to the page.

And, in other Clear & Simple Stamps news, the DT is having its first official swap and we'd love it if you'd join us. We're starting out with an ATC swap and, in case you don't have any CSS stamps in your collection yet, CSS is offering a free download of its new digi papers so you can participate. You can find out more info on the CSS blog or on the CSS group at Paper Craft Planet.

Materials Used:

Glam Girl stamp set (Clear & Simple Stamps); Pixie Pink and Basic Black Classic inks, Pixie Pink, Basic Black and Whisper White cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); rhinestones (Walmart); star border punch (Martha Stewart); black/silver reversible satin ribbon (May Arts); metal rimmed vellum tag (?)

Blogger Challenge: Week 87

This week's blogger challenge was an inspiration challenge based on a photo of a bedding set. It had a damask pattern in shades of rust and coral-ish colors, so I pulled some of those elements for my challenge card.

I'm not a big damask person--just not my style, I guess. I created my own pattern using some gloss patterned cardstock I found in a package of patterned paper from the Target Dollar Spot in the fall. The paper has a subtle tone on tone circle pattern. I cut a piece of the paper, then stamped in each of the circles with one of the images from Papertrey Ink's Guide Lines set.

I layered my re-mixed patterned cardstock on a piece of cream cardstock, then attached it to a Melon Berry card base. My new PTI stuff arrived yesterday and I couldn't resist using it for the challenge! I stamped the "thank you" sentiment from the new Beyond Basic Borders set on a small piece of Melon Berry in Melon Berry ink, then attached a cream button (also new PTI) to the end of the sentiment panel.

For more projects inspired by the same bedding set, you can visit the rest of the challenge participants. In these inspiration challenges, I'm always amazed at how different everyone's projects are even though they're based on the exact same thing. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right.

Materials Used:
Guide Lines and Beyond Basic Borders stamp sets, Melon Berry Palette ink, Melon Berry cardstock, cream button (Papertrey Ink); Very Vanilla cardstock, mat pack and paper piercing tool, Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!); Raw Silk pigment ink (Colorbox); patterned paper (Target Dollar Spot--Modern Fall pack)

A Pirate's Life

It's gotten so cold here again that I'm hoping that thinking warm thoughts and stamping "warm" cards will help! I had dinner with some friends tonight and when we walked out of the restaurant after dinner to head home, all of us were remarking on the cold and the wind.

So, here's another tropical themed card using DoodleFactory Tropics images from Starving Artistamps. I used just a section of the tropical background scene to go with the Buck-Eye Bob pirate image. Both Bob and the scene are colored with Copic markers. I layered the pirate image over the background scene using a dimensional.

The blue cardfront is embossed with the Cuttlebug D'Vine Swirls folder. I rubbed some shimmery white ink over the swirls (I think of them as my very own version of ocean waves . . .) to highlight them a bit. I layered the image panel on the card, then added the sentiment on an oval panel, kind of like a speech bubble.

Materials Used:

DoodleFactory Tropics, sentiment, and tropical scene background (Starving Artistamps); white Pure Luxury cardstock (Gina K Designs); Real Red and Cool Caribbean Classic inks, Real Red, Barely Banana, and Pacific Point cardstock, distressing tool, sponge, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Moonlight White ink (Brilliance); petite oval die (Nestabilities); D'Vine Swirls embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

Sweet Baby

I love the giraffe image in the Tree-Mendous Love set from Our Craft Lounge. It's such a sweet image and perfect for baby cards, too. I used it as the focal point on my card for today's SCS sketch challenge.

I picked some girly pink patterned paper for the panels. The paper is appropriately from My Mind's Eye's Sweet Baby Girl line. I colored the image in pinks and reds to coordinate with the patterned paper, then trimmed around it. I attached it to a cream panel with dimensionals, then stamped the sentiment alongside the image.

I created coordinating scalloped borders for the patterned paper panels using a Nestabilities die and a border punch. I used the very last of my cream faux suede ribbon (there will definitely be more of this stuff on my next order from i {heart} papers!) along the bottom panel. After carefully arranging and securing the panels, I layered the image panel on top, using dimensionals. I finished off the card with some really sparkly Ruby Slippers Glitz Stickles. Believe it or not, this stuff is even more sparkle-filled than the regular Stickles . . .

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Our Craft Lounge Tree-Mendous Love stamp set, Ruby Slippers Glitz Stickles, My Mind's Eye Sweet Baby Girl patterned paper, May Arts cream faux suede ribbon, circle, classic scalloped circle, and rectangle Nestabilities dies

other: Riding Hood Red Classic ink, Riding Hood Red cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Sweet Blush and Vintage Cream cardstock (Papertrey Ink); mini heart border punch (Martha Stewart); markers (Copic Ciao)

Unity Challenge: Week 24

This week’s Unity Addicts challenge was an inspiration challenge, based on a photo provided by Amy. The photo featured a bouquet of bright yellow tulips, set in a bowl filled with orange, yellow, pink, and blue jelly beans. The colors in this photo are a bit out of my comfort zone—for the most part, I’m not a bright yellow or bright orange “person.” Here, I used just a bit of the bright orange (Only Orange) and more of the earthier Pumpkin Pie shade to make it work for me.

I started by stamping the Chancy Flower Pot image on a piece of white cardstock. I colored the image to match the color scheme of the photo—yellow flowers, green leaves, some colorful accents, heavy on the orange. I added a little Stickles to the flower centers for some sparkle. The “you are my sunshine” sentiment from the Flirty Flowers kit fit perfectly along the side of the colored image.

I layered the image on coordinating cardstock mats, including one with a scalloped edge. I used the Floral Fantasy Cuttlebug folder to create an orange panel for the cardfront. I wrapped a piece of dotted yellow organdy ribbon around the panel before placing it on the cardfront. I covered the cardfront with a panel of subtly patterned yellow paper from the new DCWV Citrus paper pack. The bold yellows, reds, and oranges of this stack were a perfect fit for this challenge!

To check out what the other Unity Addicts have created based on the inspiration piece, you can stop by their blogs. Links are in the sidebar on the right.

Materials Used:
Chancy Flower Pot single and sentiment from Flirty Flowers kit (Unity Stamp Co.); white cardstock (Xerox); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic Ciao); Only Orange Classic ink, Pumpkin Pie and Yoyo Yellow cardstock, scallop edge punch, mat pack and paper piercing tool, Crystal Effects, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); Summer Sunrise cardstock (Papertrey Ink); yellow dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts); Yellow and Diamond Stickles (Ranger); yellow dome embellishments (Michaels); Floral Fantasy embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

Going Tropical-Again

I’m enjoying these tropical themed images from Starving Artistamps, maybe because it's still feeling a little wintery here. On this card, I stepped out of my “box” a little and did some watercoloring. I used watercolor paper (not a good quality one, I’m afraid—need to get something different . . .) and watercolor crayons blended with an aquapainter to color in the tropical scene. I was envisioning a tropical sunset as I was coloring it, so that explains the non-blue sky.

I set Cliff in the front of the image, relaxing on a lounge chair, drink in hand. I had to add the “drinks on me!” sentiment here! I set the panel on a turquoise card base, at an angle, and added a pair of layered flowers at the upper right corner of the image.

Materials Used:
DoodleFactory Tropics image, sentiment, and background (Starving Artistamps); watercolor paper; Basic Black ink, Jet Black Staz-on, watercolor crayons, So Saffron and Tempting Turquoise cardstock,aquapainter, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); flowers (Prima); clear acrylic dome embellishment (Michaels); white cardstock (Xerox); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic Ciao)

I have to admit that I made this card to try out my new Fiskars Boundary Waters punch. It punches out a series of little waves—how cool!

I layered some punched and torn Blue Bayou cardstock to create the ocean, then used a cloud template and a sponge to create the sky. Puck, the dolphin, is colored with Copic markers, then coated with a layer of Angel Wings Shimmerz for some sparkle. I set Puck on a bright surfboard for fun. The “surf’s up!” sentiment is stamped in bold red ink, then accented with a red button.

Materials Used:
DoodleFactory Tropics image and sentiment(Starving Artistamps); Soft Sky and Real Red Classic inks, Soft Sky, Barely Banana, and Blue Bayou cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); button and twine (Walmart); Boundary Waters border punch (Fiskars); white cardstock (Xerox); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic Ciao)

Sketches {by Tamara}: Recipe 36

Here's my card for this week's recipe from Sketches {by Tamara}. This week's required ingredients were something that you've been hoarding, flowers, and something sparkly. I have a lot of stuff that I've been hoarding, so that was my first tough decision when putting together this card--LOL!

I based the card on Jen's Sketch for You to Try. The main image is i-can't-see-a-thing-abella from Stamping Bella. I've been sort of neglecting my Bellas and it was fun to play with this one. I colored the image with Copic markers to coordinate with my hoarded item, the fun paisley flocked paper I got a long, long time ago at Target. I was able to fit the matching sentiment alongside the image.

I used my Cuttlebug Perfectly Paisley embossing folder to make a paisley panel for across the cardfront. I matted it on blue cardstock to match the Bella's blue jeans before attaching it to the paisley covered cardfront. I added a trio of small Prima flowers and placed a small self-adhesive rhinestone at the center of each one. And, then I added one more hoarded item--pink/purple organdy ribbon, wrapped around the cardfront. Cute!

Materials Used:

i-can't-see-a-thing-abella stamp and sentiment (Stamping Bella); white cardstock (Xerox); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic Ciao); Pink Passion and Brocade Blue cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); patterned paper (Target); flowers (Prima); self-adhesive rhinestones, organdy ribbon (Michaels); Perfectly Paisley embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

Georgia Peach Inspired Butterflies

I spent the last day of my long weekend being mostly lazy--nice way to spend a day off! I did some stamping this afternoon while I watched a movie, then had dinner with my parents.

Here's what I got done this afternoon. I pulled out one of my go-to sets for quick and easy cards and combined it with Beate's weekend sketch challenge for this card. The Flight of the Butterfly set always makes nice cards!

All of the supplies used for this one are from Stampin' Up! (but the designer paper is now retired . . .)I used colors from the Georgia Peach paper pack for my card, staying mostly with shades of pink, with just a pop of So Saffron.

Since there's a lot going on between the dots on the butterfly, the two circle panels, and the patterned papers, I kept the embellishment simple--ribbon, a photo corner, and some brads--to finish the card.

Materials Used (all from Stampin' Up!):

Flight of the Butterfly stamp set, Pink Pirouette and Regal Rose Classic inks, Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, So Saffron, and Whisper White cardstock, Georgia Peach designer series paper, photo corner punch, silver brads, Pink Pirouette striped grosgrain ribbon

And, while I had the stamp set out, I made a quick thank you note that I needed using many of the same materials. I was inspired by today's Clean and Simple challenge on SCS. Clean and simple (CAS) is really my natural stamping style, but I find myself straying from it more and more. I think participating in these challenges will be a good way to be sure that I keep "practicing" this style.

Anyway, this is a pretty simple card. The butterfly is stamped in Pink Pirouette ink (2 times so it would stand out a little more), then the dots were stamped in Regal Rose. I inked just the "thank you" portion of the sentiment and stamped it underneath the butterfly. I layered the butterfly panel on circle mats, then attached it to the cardfront.

I used a piece of pink taffeta ribbon, inserted through a slit under the stamped image panel (like I did in my Valentine card here) on the cardfront. A yellow button (the basis for the challenge) is strung on to the ribbon and the ends are knotted around the button.

Materials Used:

Flight of the Butterfly stamp set, Pink Pirouette and Regal Rose Classic inks, Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, and Barely Banana cardstock, Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon, mat pack and paper piercing tool, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); circle and scalloped circle dies (Nestabilities); yellow button (Walmart)

Kitchen Sink Monday: Boy, Oh, Boy

It's time for another Kitchen Sink Stamps Monday. Today I have a pair of projects designed for little boys. I have a harder time making stuff for boys (or masculine stuff in general), so I thought it would be good challenge to myself.

Here’s my card for this week’s sketch at Page Plans. I used the sketch to create a fun, masculine card. I think it would be a perfect birthday card for a little boy.

There’s not much stamping on this one, just the sentiment in the upper left corner. I used one of the sentiments from the 3 Step Baseball set from Kitchen Sink Stamps, stamped in Night of Navy ink to stand out against the Bashful Blue paper.

I used some epoxy pieces from a Making Memories embellishment packet for the elements on the cardfront. I started by placing the baseball cap in the center, then surrounded it with baseballs and stars. The red of the pieces pops against the blue background.

Materials Used:
3 Step Baseball stamp set (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Night of Navy ink, Night of Navy and Riding Hood Red cardstock, Bashful Blue Patterns designer series paper, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); epoxy pieces (Making Memories Boy Primary Epoxy Shapes); white grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); white twine (Walmart)

This is a little gift package, inspired by some earth-themed items I found recently in the dollar section at Michaels. I picked up a "grow a world" (tiny Earth you put in water and watch "grow" and a cute pair of socks with a picture of the earth on them. All I needed was a fun way to package them together.

I stuck with earthy tones--blues, greens, and browns--for my project. The tote is made from a pair of SU! Top Note dies attached to the sides of a small brown paper bag (top cut off) with some sticky strip. I used the heart image with the earth on it from the 3 Step Hearts set as the main image on the front of the little tote I created. It's not Valentine-looking at all here, is it?

Materials Used:

3 Step Hearts stamp set (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Soft Sky, Kiwi Kiss, and Old Olive Classic inks, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Kraft, and Whisper White cardstock, Top Note die, Sticky Strip, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); twill ribbon (Martha Stewart); circle dies (Nestabilities); green acrylic dome embellishments (Michaels); small brown paper lunch bag

For more inspiration from the Kitchen, you can see what the other Crew Members have cooked up for this week. Here's where you can find them:

Angela Knopf
Dee Jackson
Julie Masse
Lynn McAuley
Maria Colosimo, owner
Nicole Cooke
Tammy Hershberger

Vellum Butterfly

Here's my card for today's featured stamper challenge on SCS. I was drawn to the embossed vellum panel on this card, so I used it for my challenge card.

I liked the clean, simple look of the original card, so I kept the look and layout in my version. I replaced the butterfly image in the original with one of the smaller butterfly images from the 3 Step Butterfly set from Kitchen Sink Stamps. I stamped the butterfly on a piece of shimmery white cardstock, then layered it on a brown scalloped circle.

I embossed a piece of white vellum using the Cuttlebug Stylized Flowers folder and layered that on the cardfront. The adhesive is hidden under the pink satin ribbon.

I'll be back tomorrow with more from the Kitchen . . .

Materials Used:

3 Step Butterfly stamp set (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, and Close to Cocoa Classic inks, Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Chocolate Chip, and Shimmery White cardstock, white vellum, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Stylized Flowers embossing folder (Cuttlebug); pink satin ribbon (Michaels); circle and petite scalloped circle dies (Nestabilities); white cardstock (Georgia Pacific)

New Releases from Clear & Simple Stamps!

Clear & Simple Stamps is releasing 14 stamp sets today, including some that I’ve shared sneak peeks of recently right here. I have a few more samples to share with you today, but before I get to that, I have a list that includes all of the new sets. You'll find something for everyone and every occasion in these sets!

* Martini Darling
* Game On
* Rockstar
* Wine Tasting
* Glam Girl
* Make a Wish
* Irish Kiss
* Diva Airlines
* Flight of the Bee
* Bun in the Oven
* Believe in Words I
* Wedding Wishes
* Class of
* Love Bug Kisses

The DT has been hard at work creating new samples using the new images, so be sure to stop by the website's gallery to check them out.

And here’s another new sample featuring images from two of today’s new releases, Martini Darling and Rockstar. I combined one of the Darlings with the guitar image to create the main image panel. When I look at how this card turned out, it kind of reminds me of the guitar playing girls in the Robert Palmer music videos in the 80’s—LOL!

I inked the Darling carefully, omitting the martini glass and the purse from her hands so I’d be able to place the guitar image there instead. She’s colored with Copic markers to coordinate with the SEI Poppy paper that I used on the cardfront.

The guitar was stamped separately, then cut out. I used some dimensionals to place it in the Darling’s hands. I had just enough room to stamp the “guitar hero” sentiment along the side of the image panel.

Materials Used:
Martini Darling and Rockstar stamp sets (Clear & Simple Stamps); white cardstock (Xerox); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers and glitter pens (Copic); Real Red Classic ink, Taken with Teal and Real Red cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); patterned paper (SEI-Poppy); silver paper (Target); teal satin ribbon (Michaels)

And, sticking with the star theme, here’s another new release sample. This one uses one of the sentiments from the Make a Wish set. This set is perfect for birthdays, or other occasions, like I used it for here. I covered a chipboard star with gold ink for my focal image.

Once it had dried, I layered it on a textured scalloped circle. I stamped the “wish upon a star” sentiment on the circle and layered the pieces on a cardfront covered with patterned paper. I added some Stickles in each of the scallops and patiently waited for them to dry. No smears here!

Materials Used:
Make a Wish stamp set (Clear & Simple Stamps); Ballet Blue Classic ink, Bashful Blue and Barely Banana cardstock, chipboard star, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); Galaxy Gold ink (Brilliance); patterned paper (Prima-The Baby Boutique Collection); Champagne Glitz Stickles (Ranger); scalloped circle punch (Marvy Uchida); gold ribbon (Michaels); blue textured cardstock (?)

Friends Are Always in Fashion

Since this month's DT gallery theme at Paper Craft Planet is friendship, I knew I wanted to do a card for the gallery using the sentiment in the title in the post for the gallery. The sentiment is from The Greeting Farm's Pretty Hat set and features TGF's signature Anya character. I used Susanna's sketch for this week's PCP sketch challenge to get this one done.

I stamped Anya and her furry friend (hope he/she doesn't shed as much as Cosmo the crazy dog . . .) on white cardstock and colored them with Copic markers. I added a little Prima with a little pearl to her hat and filled in her pearl necklace with some silvery Liquid Pearls. I was good and didn't touch it until it was good and dry!

I used a piece of soft pink patterned paper to cover most of the celery cardfront. I wrapped a piece of celery grosgrain ribbon around the card, then slipped a solid band of pink cardstock under the ribbon. The sentiment is stamped on the solid pink paper in rose ink.

I tried and tried to get a good photo of this card, but I just couldn't get it right . . . sorry about that!

Materials Used:

Pretty Hat stamp set (The Greeting Farm); white cardstock (Xerox); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic Ciao); Regal Rose Classic ink, Certainly Celery and Pretty in Pink cardstock, Certainly Celery 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Labels 2 die (Nestabilities); patterned paper (Autumn Leaves); Cotton Candy Stickles, Silver Pearl Liquid Pearls (Ranger); flower (Prima); self-adhesive pearl (Target); silver gel pen (?)

Monochromatic and Mojo

Another long weekend--yay! I have no plans at all, so I plan to spend some time at home, sleeping, watching movies, cleaning (when will Cosmo the crazy dog stop shedding???), and of course, stamping.

Here's what I've started on for the weekend. I made this card for this week's Viva la Verve sketch challenge. This week's challenge "twist" was to use a monochromatic color scheme. I started with the idea of using the friend sentiment from Verve's Hundred Hearts as the focal point and worked from there.

The card is built with layers in different shades of pink, including SU!'s Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, and Regal Rose. I combined striped and dotted patterns and added an embossed dotted background, too. I kept the embellishments simple, adding only a pair of pink Prima flowers and a white ribbon tab.

Materials Used:

Hundred Hearts stamp set (Verve); Regal Rose Classic ink, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, and Pink Pirouette cardstock, Sweet Always and Pink Pirouette Patterns designer series papers, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); flowers (Prima); rhinestone brad (Making Memories); white grosgrain ribbon (Michaels)

This card uses this week's Mojo Monday sketch. I really liked how the ribbon runs through the image panel in this sketch, but when it came to doing that on my card, I had a hard time with it!

I stamped a trio of tree images from SU!'s new Trendy Trees set. The Stamp-a-ma-jig made it easy to line up the trunks perfectly once I'd stamped the tree tops. I used Staz-on and an acetate sheet to create a permanent SAMJ guide sheet to keep in the box with my stamp set. Here, the leaves are stamped in Old Olive, the trunks in Close to Cocoa. I added layered torn Certainly Celery cardstock to make a grassy base.

The colors for the card came from the retired Fall Flowers paper. I threaded a piece of Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon through the panels underneath the stamped image panel and secured the ribbon ends with a large olive brad. That's the only non-SU! item on the card. I haven't gotten any of the new larger brads SU! has started selling yet . . .

Materials Used:

Trendy Trees stamp set, Old Olive and Close to Cocoa Classic inks, Soft Sky, Close to Cocoa, Certainly Celery, and Very Vanilla cardstock, Fall Flowers designer series paper, Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon, corner rounder, horizontal slot punch, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); olive brad (?)

i {heart} papers DT Challenge

The members of the i {heart} papers design team are participating in another challenge today. The challenge was to use some "seasonal" products like paper or stamps to create a project that's not related to that season.

I still have some scraps of the Be Merry designer papers from My Mind’s Eye’s winter holiday line. I love this stuff! The colors are soft, kind of non-traditional colors, which is what I prefer for my holiday cards. I used my winter holiday paper along with the Hero Arts Whoo Loves You stamp set, which is sort of Valentine's Day themed, to make a pair of baby cards.

I didn’t have much of the designer paper left, so my cards have slightly different dimensions, but are the same basic layout. I picked out card bases to coordinate with the colors in the patterned papers, then attached a panel of the patterned paper directly to the cardfront. I pulled some coordinating ribbon pieces from my stash to attach to the left side of the patterned paper panel, extending beyond the edges of the patterned piece. Had I remembered to pick up more white thread while I was searching for a replacement Cuttlebug C plate, I might have added a row of machine stitching to the ribbon for an extra fun detail . . .

I stamped the pair of bird images from the Whoo Loves You set in rose ink on a soft pink cardstock circle. The circle is layered on a scalloped circle, then attached to the cardfront. I stamped the “congratulations” sentiment from the Hero Arts All Occasions Messages set on white cardstock, then layered that over the stamped image.

You can find links to the other DT members in the sidebar on the left. And, be sure to stop by SCS to check out the i {heart} papers banner ads. The ads have a discount code for a special sale that runs through Sunday.

Materials Used:
From i {heart} papers: My Mind’s Eye Be Merry designer papers, Hero Arts Whoo Loves You and All Occasions Messages stamp sets, May Arts light fuschia faux suede ribbon and light pink velvet ric rac, Nestabilities circle and scalloped circle dies, labels trio dies, Pink Shimmerz

Other: Regal Rose Classic ink, Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, Kiwi Kiss, and Whisper White cardstock, mat pack and paper piercing tool, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!)

Blogger Challenge: Week 86

This week’s blogger challenge was to create a project with a Valentine theme. I’ve shared a bunch of Valentine projects over the past month, but I have a few more still up my sleeve. I made some quick Valentine’s Day cards to send to friends and family. I didn’t want to share them until I was fairly certain they had reached their intended recipients, but I think it’s safe now.

Since I needed to make a few, I chose a simple design that would be easy to reproduce in a short time (why can’t I learn this lesson for my holiday cards??).I am loving the Raspberry Fizz and black color combination lately, so that’s what I went with for my cards. I used Papertrey Ink’s Heart Prints set for all of the images on the cardfront. The large dotted heart is stamped directly on the cardfront in black pigment ink. The smaller heart was stamped in Raspberry Fizz ink on a scrap of white cardstock, then punched out with a coordinating heart punch.

The ribbon is threaded through the cardfront and tied around in the front. I cut a small slit in the black dotted heart to thread the ribbon through. When I attached the smaller heart to the cardfront using a dimensional, I set it so that it hid the slit (and end of the ribbon). I used the ribbon as a guide for stamping the small “xoxo” sentiment, also in black pigment ink.

For more Valentine ideas, you can visit the rest of the blogger challenge participants. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right.

Materials Used:
Heart Prints stamp set, Raspberry Fizz Palette ink, Raspberry Fizz cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Basic Black Craft ink, Basic Black cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); black satin ribbon (Target)

I {Heart} Valentine Papers

I have two cards to share with you that showcase some of the fabulous Valentine’s Day designer papers I got from i {heart} papers.

Here’s my card for this week’s recipe challenge at Sketches {by Tamara}. This week’s required ingredients were patterned paper, hearts, and ribbon. I used Lauren’s Saturday sketch as the basis for this one. I think my dimensions/proportions are a little off from what was intended in the sketch, but it seemed to work out . . .

I started with a panel of My Mind’s Eye Irresistible designer paper. The images on this paper are an almost-perfect match for the heart and stem flower I built using stamps from the Hero Arts Heart to Heart set. I love when that happens!

It’s hard to see in my photo, but I painted the heart image with Royal Red Shimmerz paint. It’s so shimmery IRL! I added a Valentine’s Day sentiment along the side and layered the panel on a red panel with a scalloped heart border. I used a scrap of cream faux suede ribbon to form a ribbon tab on the right side of the image panel.

Materials Used:
From i {heart} papers: My Mind’s Eye Irresistible designer paper, Hero Arts Heart to Heart stamp set and self-adhesive heart pearls, May Arts cream faux suede ribbon, Royal Red Shimmerz paint
Other: Old Olive and Real Red Classic inks, Riding Hood Red and Very Vanilla cardstock, circle punches, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); tiny heart border punch (Martha Stewart)

This card is for this week’s mid-week bonus sketch reveal at Page Plans. I used some of my other favorite Valentine’s Day papers, the Bittersweet line from Basic Grey, on this one. This is a great sketch for showing off pretty designer paper! I layered the paper on a piece of kraft cardstock with slightly distressed edges.

The sentiment is a self-adhesive metal word (love) that I picked up in the dollar bin during a recent trip to Michaels. I added a dainty pink puffy heart to the left side of the panel as a fun accent.

I don’t usually do this, but I wrapped two different kinds of ribbon around the cardfront. The piece on the bottom of the card, under the sentiment panel, is a narrow cream double stitched velvet ribbon. The piece knotted at the top of the card is a reversible pink/dark pink satin ribbon.

Materials Used:
From i {heart} papers: Basic Grey Bittersweet designer paper, The Card Co. pink puffy heart, May Arts reversible pink/light pink satin ribbon, Maya Road cream double stitched velvet ribbon
Other: Bravo Burgundy, Pink Pirouette, and Kraft cardstock, distressing tool, scallop edge punch, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); self-adhesive metal word (Colorbok)

You've Got a Friend

The cute bird images in the Cheep Talk set caught my eye on my first look at the new SU! catalog. I made sure that it was on my first order and it hasn't disappointed me. I've found that this set makes great looking, quick cards.

This card uses the smaller bird image along with the branch image. I stamped the friend sentiment under the branch using Pacific Point ink. A Summer Sun panel behind the stamped image really makes it pop against the cardfront.

I pulled the colors for the card from the colors in the dotted patterned paper from the Good Morning Sunshine paper pack. I used a strip of that paper on the cardfront, paired with a striped panel of Baja Breeze Patterns paper. The Kiwi Kiss panel on the cardfront is randomly stamped with the flower image from the Cheep Talk set. Since there's a lot going on on this card (spots, stripes, and curves), I kept the embellishments simple, adding only a piece of Kiwi Kiss striped grosgrain ribbon. Now that I look at the card again, I may go back and add a felt flower in the lower left corner of the image panel.

I must go deal with Cosmo the crazy dog now. It's getting windy and that always freaks him out. He's already destroyed a full roll of toilet paper while I was at work today and now refuses to go outside. As I frequently say, he's lucky he's cute . . .

Materials Used (all from Stampin' Up!)

Cheep Talk stamp set, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, and Pacific Point Classic inks, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Summer Sun, and Whisper White cardstock, Baja Breeze Patterns and Good Morning Sunshine designer paper, Kiwi Kiss striped grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals

Unity Challenge: Week 23

It was my turn to pick this week’s challenge for the Unity Addicts. I thought it would be fun to do something for Valentine’s Day that was a little different. I was thinking about my classroom teaching days and the fun little cards that my students exchanged (and that I found in my classroom, left behind, for the rest of the school year). So, I challenged everyone to create a cute little child’s Valentine card like the ones you might find in the boxes at the stores. They’re about the size of an ATC (mine is 2 ½” by 3 ½”) and usually have a cute image with a funny (or “punny”) saying.

Here’s my version. I used the owl image from Mix Up of Cuteness as the main image. The owl is colored with Copic markers, then cut out. I added a pair of heart brads as eyes.

I made a simple scene for my owl on a piece of matching Pink Pirouette paper. I used part of the branch from the Owl Always Love You kit and attached the owl over the branch with dimensionals. I stamped part of the “hoo loves ya, baby?” sentiment along the side of my little card. It fit perfectly! The final embellishment was a narrow piece of red grosgrain ribbon along the bottom of the card.

For more fun Valentine inspiration, you can visit the rest of the Unity Addicts. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right.

Materials Used:
Mix Up of Cuteness and Owl Always Love You kits (Unity Stamp Co.); white cardstock (Xerox); Tuxedo Black and Rich Cocoa ink (Memento); markers (Copic Ciao); Riding Hood Red Classic ink, Pink Pirouette and Riding Hood Red cardstock, Real Red grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); red heart brads (Making Memories)

Rock Star!

Here’s my card for this week’s sketch challenge at Paper Craft Planet. The sketch comes from DT member Kim and is a fun one! It’s a standard sized card with about 1 ¼” cut off from the right edge of the front panel. This reveals a bit of the back panel of the card and gives you the perfect place to put a sentiment or some embellishments.

I used a sneak peek set from Clear & Simple Stamps for my card. These images are from the new Rock Star set. I colored the guitar image with pink Copic markers and highlighted it with some silver gel pen and pink Spica glitter pen, too. I cut out the guitar and attached it to the yellow panel with dimensionals, then added a trio of star brads to the corner of the panel.

The front of the card is covered with some shiny, sparkly striped paper from Debbie Mumm. I continued the sparkly theme by adding some sparkly yellow ribbon around the card, too. And, to tie in a few more stars to go with the star brads, I used a Martha Stewart star border punch to create a strip to attach underneath the cardfront, just peeking out. I stamped the “rock star” sentiment in Regal Rose ink on the back of the card--a perfect match for my star punches and star brad embellishments. I'll have more samples to share using this set over the next week or two . . .

Materials Used:
Rock Star stamp set (Clear & Simple Stamps); white cardstock (Xerox); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers and pink Spica pen (Copic); patterned paper (Debbie Mumm Baby Girl); Regal Rose Classic ink, Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, and Barely Banana cardstock, mat pack and paper piercing tool, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); star border punch (Martha Stewart); sparkly yellow ribbon (My Favorite Things)

Banjo's at it Again!

Starving Artistamps is one of this week’s sponsors at Card Positioning Systems. This week’s sketch is a fun one, perfect for a card for Valentine's Day.

I used images from the DoodleFactory Valentine Remix set for my card. I colored Banjo with Copic markers and added some white Fun Flock to the image, too. Banjo is set on a soft blue background with dimensionals. I added the “you stole my heart” sentiment in craft ink along the bottom part of the panel.

I arranged a trio of pink chipboard hearts along the left side of the panel. They’re kind of button-ish, so I threaded some gray taffeta ribbon through the button holes before attaching the buttons with glue dots and dimensionals.

I used the Martha Stewart heart lace border punch to make the gray strip that’s along the bottom of the image panel. Now that I’ve used the punch a few times, it seems to be working a little better than it was when I first tried it out. It is very messy, though. I’ve learned to use the punch over a trash can to collect the teeny tiny dots it makes . . .

Materials Used:
DoodleFactory Valentine Remix set and sentiment (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Xerox); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic Ciao); Regal Rose Craft ink, Pink Pirouette, Soft Sky, and Basic Gray cardstock, gray taffeta ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); White Fun Flock, Ruby Slippers Glitz Stickles (i {heart} papers); pink chipboard hearts (Colorbok); Heart Lace border punch (Martha Stewart)

Girls Night Out--and More!

The theme for this month’s Paper Craft Planet design team gallery is friendship. I thought that the “girls night out” sentiment from the soon to be released Martini Darling set from Clear & Simple Stamps would make a great card to send a friend.

I used a predominantly pink color scheme with grey and black accents. The sentiment is stamped in bold raspberry ink against a paler pink background. I attached a scalloped strip matching the color of the sentiment directly beneath it. I love the metallic silver-gray shade of the satin ribbon wrapped around the satin strip. It looks so smooth and cool.

I stamped the martini glass image on a piece pf pale pink cardstock in gray ink, then punched it out with a circle punch. It’s layered on a slightly larger black circle to help it stand out, then attached to the card with dimensionals.

Materials Used:
Martini Darling stamp set (Clear & Simple Stamps); Raspberry Fizz Palette ink, Raspberry Fizz cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Basic Gray Classic ink, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Basic Gray, and Basic Black cardstock, scallop edge punch, mat pack and paper piercing tool, 1 ¼” and 1 3/8” circle punches, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); gray satin ribbon (Target)

Here’s another fun project using the Martini Darling set. I wanted to try something that was new to me and a little different, too. I used the images in the set to stamp on some towels to make a fun hostess gift. I’m really pleased with how this turned out.

I used a set of flour sack towels (purchased at Target) as the base for my project. They were pretty plain-looking, so after I ironed the towel, I stitched on a length of red grosgrain ribbon with my sewing machine (first time I’ve used it on a real sewing project—LOL!). The ribbon proved to be very helpful for lining up my stamped images at least somewhat straight.

The images were stamped in Palette inks. This type of ink works nicely on fabrics and dries pretty quickly, too. I stamped a simple repeating pattern of black outlined martini glass and red “happy hour” sentiment from one end of the towel to the other. After I was done stamping, I let the images set for a few minutes, then went over them with my iron to heat set them.

Materials Used:
Martini Darling stamp set (Clear & Simple Stamps); Noir Black Palette ink; Pure Poppy Palette ink (Papertrey Ink); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); flour sack towel (Target); sewing machine