Ocean Tides Sympathy

Here's my simple card for today's SCS featured stamper challenge. Angella, today's selected stamper, is very talented and creates really detailed, elegant cards--not my typical style--so it took me a while to find one I'd be comfortable recreating in my own style. I ended up selecting this clean and simple sympathy card to base my own card on.

I used Papertrey Ink's Through the Trees stamp set as a replacement for the images from SU!'s Lovely as a Tree stamp set. The tree trio image is stamped in brown, instead of black and white, on an Ocean Tides background. I used layered vellum strips to create the snowy landscape.

The set's "with heartfelt sympathy" sentiment is stamped along the bottom of the card in brown ink. It's accented with a single silver brad. A narrow dark brown satin ribbon is knotted around the top of the card. I omitted the paper piercing around the edges of the card to make it faster--have to get things finished up so I can pay full attention to the USA-Canada gold medal hockey game this afternoon . . .

Materials Used:

Through the Trees stamp set, Ocean Tides cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento); vellum (The Paper Co.); brown satin ribbon (Target); silver brad (Making Memories)

Country Flowers

Just a quick post, since I'm writing this Saturday night and not feeling so great. I think I'm fighting a cold, so I want to get as much sleep as possible this weekend . . . Anyway, here's my card for this week's Viva la Verve inspiration/sketch challenge. I took inspiration from a vintage set of kitchen decor pieces--not my typical style, but I liked the warm color combination.

I used images from Verve's Floral Symphony stamp set for the focal image. The tulips are a bright, vivid red--a hopeful sign of spring--and outlined in black. The stems are stamped in Kiwi Kiss. I matted the cream panel on a red one, then added a coordinating ribbon tab and button to the left side.

When I saw the inspiration piece, I immediately thought of October Afternoon's Farm Fresh collection. If I'd used some food/fruit themed stamps, I would have definitely used the fruit and veggie patterned paper, but since I didn't, I went with gingham and polka dots. The gingham pieces are distressed along the edges and stitched to the kraft panels for a nod to the vintage style of the inspiration piece.

Materials Used:

Floral Symphony stamp set (Verve Stamps); Real Red and Kiwi Kiss Classic ink, Riding Hood Red, Kraft, and Very Vanilla cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); designer paper (October Afternoon-Farm Fresh line); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); Pure Poppy button, twine (Papertrey Ink); distressing tool; foam tape; sewing machine

"Naked" Flopsy

I have a nice collection of Flopsy images from My Favorite Things, so when I saw that this week’s MFT challenge was to use a “naked” (uncolored) Flopsy image, I had to play along. My fascination with rabbits started at an early age and I assembled a pretty good collection of stuffed animal bunnies. I still have some of them today, including one that was named Flopsy. They’re all hidden away, though, because Cosmo the crazy dog had an unhealthy obsession with anything stuffed. He believed that any stuffed animal in the house belonged to him and would claim them as his own, usually by ripping out the fiberfill insides, then carrying them around to keep himself company. Fiberfill and dogs are not the best mix, as I learned when he had costly surgery for a blockage in his stomach. So, all things stuffed went to a closet or high on a shelf and I started giving him un-stuffed soft toys to carry. The things I did for that crazy dog . . .

Anyway, here’s my naked Flopsy. I used Valentine Flopsy, stamped on a piece of white cardstock and cut out. The heart is paper pieced with a scrap of Rich Razzleberry cardstock. I embossed a dot pattern on the heart to add some interest before attaching it to the image. The embossed dots were rubbed with some shimmery white ink for a little bit of sparkle, too.

I went with a mostly monochromatic color scheme to really set off the white rabbit. I covered most of the cardfront with a piece of heart patterned paper, then layered the rabbit image on a piece of lavender cardstock. I tied a coordinating dotted lavender ribbon around the card, then attached the bunny image on an angle. The sentiment is stamped on the same lavender cardstock and accented with a white heart shaped brad.

Materials Used:
Valentine Flopsy stamp set (My Favorite Things); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); Rich Razzleberry cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Lavender Moon cardstock, Lavender Moon Swiss dot satin ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Moonlight White ink (Brilliance); designer paper (K & Company); 1 ¼” and 1 3/8”circle punches (EK Success); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); heart brad (Making Memories); foam tape

Ultimate Stamping Party

Be sure to stop by the Clear & Simple Stamps blog today and tomorrow to check out the ensemble I created for the ultimate stamping party. I had a lot of fun designing the pieces in this set!

Here's one of my favorite pieces from the set for your viewing pleasure. You'll find the rest of the projects and details on the CSS blog.

You Go Girl

Here’s my card for this week’s Bellarific Friday challenge from Stamping Bella. This week’s challenge was to use a sports or winter sports related image in honor of the Olympics. It was the perfect opportunity for me to use my little used Hockeymomabella image! I think I’ve used her once before for a thank you note for some hockey tickets I received. If you’re a regular reader, you know I’m a big hockey fan, so I had to have the stamp, even though I knew that I most likely wouldn’t have lots of reasons to use it. I’m was so excited for this afternoon’s US hockey game. By the time I got home, the US already had a sizeable lead and was on the way to victory.

I colored Hockeymomabella in a red, white, and blue color scheme. I added a little sparkle and shine with some silver gel pen on the skate blades. I paired her with a navy mat and a blue card base.

A star border punched strip runs along the right edge of the card. I added some machine stitching to break up the red just a bit. The “you go girl” sentiment is stamped in red and layered on a navy mat. I attached a piece of knotted red stitched grosgrain ribbon to the end of the panel, then layered it on the card with some foam tape.

Materials Used:
Hockeymomabella image, sentiment (Stamping Bella); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Real Red Classic ink, Real Red, Night of Navy, and Brocade Blue cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); red stitched grosgrain ribbon (Creative Impressions); Classic Stars border punch (Martha Stewart); foam tape; sewing machine

Blogger Challenge: Week 140

This week’s blogger challenge theme is boxes and bags. I have one of each to share with you.

The first is a slide top pencil box I created using a box pattern that I designed. This box is easy to make using only one sheet of cardstock for the top and bottom pieces, plus some scraps to decorate it. You can find directions here.

I made a school-themed box using images from the ABC . . . 123 stamp set from Clear & Simple Stamps. The pencil image was stamped first on a white panel, then masked with Eclipse tape. I stamped the ABC block image repeatedly over the panel using red ink for the text-style background. Once I was finished stamping, I uncovered the pencil image and colored it with Copic markers. The box is filled with pencils I picked up in Target’s dollar spot.

Materials Used:
ABC . . . 123 stamp set (Clear & Simple Stamps); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Real Red Classic ink, Real Red and Barely Banana cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); white cardstock (Georgia Pacific)

My second project is for this week's 3D challenge at Paper Craft Planet. Adela shared a template for a simple bag and challenged us to decorate a small clothespin to close the bag. I printed out the template, then cut it out from a piece of plaid designer paper in a spring-like color palette. I made the score lines using my ScorPal, then used a Nestabilities flower die to cut out a window opening from one of the sides, then assembled the bag.

I filled the bag with a clear plastic bag with a spring mix of M&M's. It's held closed with a mini clothespin embellished with a big green grosgrain ribbon bow. I added a yellow button with a flower center to dress up the button just a bit.

For more creative box and bag ideas, you can check out what the rest of the challenge players have created. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right.


Materials Used:
designer paper (DCWV); Nested Blossom die (Nestabilities); green grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); Lemon Tart button, twine (Papertrey Ink)

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop: Inspired By

For this month's Papertrey Ink Blog Hop, the challenge was to be inspired by a member of PTI's fabulous design team. I took a look at some creations from one of the newest DT member, Maile Belles. I took my inspiration from the ribbon treatment on this card. I'm always looking for new, fun ways to use ribbon as an embellishment and I loved what I saw on her card and had to try it out for myself.

Here's how I used what I saw on her card--along with some brand new PTI goodies, too! I made my focal image panel using one of the flowered branch images from the Asian Fusion stamp set, stamped in Spring Moss ink on an Aqua Mist panel. I added the "thank you" sentiment in brown ink, then dotted the center of each flower with just a teeny, tiny dot of Liquid Pearls for dimension and some shine.

I used one of the new impression plates to add some interest to the kraft panel that covers most of the cardfront. Unfortunately, my photo doesn't show it off too well. I set a piece of Aqua Mist grosgrain ribbon across the panel and stitched it in place with my sewing machine, then added the image panel with little ribbon loops on each side. So pretty!

Materials Used:
Asian Fusion stamp set, Spring Moss cardstock, Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, and Kraft cardstock, Aqua Mist grosgrain ribbon, Tin Types impression plate (Papertrey Ink); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento); circle dies (Nestabilities); White Opal Liquid Pearls (Ranger); sewing machine; foam tape

Happily Ever After

The "happily ever after" sentiment from the Fairytale Sentiment set from Starving Artistamps is a perfect match for the books and shelf images from the DoodleFactory Boudoir set. This clean and simple would make a fun "love you" card for a book lover. I don't know about you, but I love getting lost in a good book. I'm pretty much always in the middle of a book and have several spares on hand and ready for when I'm finished with one--been that way since I started to read as a young girl.

I stamped the books first, then covered them with sticky note masks before stamping the shelf image. The image is colored with Copic markers, then cut out. I used foam tape to attach the cut out image to a panel of striped paper for a wallpaper-like background look. Using the foam tape gives my tiny scene just a little depth and dimension.

The image is matted with a scarlet panel. The scarlet really pops against the card's soft blue background. I ran a strip of the same color scarlet ribbon along the edge of the panel. The ribbon ends with a blue button. The sentiment is centered beneath the image.

Don't forget that you can always use the discount code savetenLT to save 10% on your DoodleFactory and Starving Artistamps stamp purchases at Starving Artistamps. And, if you're a Flower Soft fan, be sure to check out the sale going on for all Flower Soft products.

Materials Used:
DoodleFactory Boudoir and Fairytale Sentiments stamp sets (Starving Artistamps); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Enchanted Evening ink, Scarlet Jewel cardstock, Scarlet Jewel grosgrain ribbon, Enchanted Evening button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Bashful Blue cardstock, Brocade Blue Prints Series designer paper (Stampin' Up!); foam tape

Aqua Asian Fusion

Here's my last contribution to the SCS clean and simple challenge design team search. I made this card based on a sketch Jen provided for the current DT and those who were in the running for the DT. The DT reveal will come later on tonight . . .

I got some new stamps from Papertrey Ink a few days ago and really wanted to try them out. I'm not usually interested in Asian-inspired images, but the look of the vase and flower images in the new Asian Fusion set really drew me in. Here, I used an aqua card base for an almost one layer card. I stamped one of the border images twice along the bottom of the cardfront, then wrapped a piece of green ribbon around the card, just above the stamped images.

I stamped the outline vase image on a scrap of green cardstock and cut it out. To add some interest, tt's stamped with the set's other border image. One of the flower images is stamped in green ink directly on the aqua card base. I attached the vase to the card with some foam tape for just a little dimension, then dotted the center of each flower with a tiny bit of Liquid Pearls. The set's "thinking of you" sentiment fit nicely alongside the vase to complete the card.

Materials Used:

Asian Fusion stamp set, Aqua Mist and Spring Moss inks, Aqua Mist and Spring Moss cardstock, Spring Moss grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento); White Opal Liquid Pearls (Ranger); foam tape

Plum Krafty Thanks

Here’s my card for the final Viva la Verve challenge for February. This month’s inspiration room is the dining room. My card is inspired by a photo of a pretty linen napkin set on an eggplant colored dinner plate.

I used a lot of kraft cardstock to mirror the inspiration piece’s mostly natural kraft color. I stamped a circle with the frame from Verve’s Thankful Accents set and used that as the focal image. One of the thank you sentiments from Celebration of Thanks is stamped inside the frame using plum ink. I layered the panel on vanilla cardstock to match the color of the flower image on the napkin.

The rest of the card is pretty simple, keeping with the clean and simple look of the inspiration piece. I used one of the images from Bountiful Backgrounds to add some interest to the plum panel that runs across the card. I distressed the edges a bit to add texture, inspired by the look of the napkin’s edges. A piece of cream satin ribbon is tied around the panel and a trio of pearls sits just below the ribbon. I used a strip of softer plum patterned paper along the length of the card. Everything is arranged directly on the kraft card base. I probably wouldn't have combined the purple shades with kraft on my own, but I really like how they look together.

Materials Used:
Thankful Accents, Celebration of Thanks, and Bountiful Backgrounds stamp sets (Verve Stamps); Plum Pudding and Snow White inks, Plum Pudding cardstock, Pretty Pastels patterned paper (Papertrey Ink); Kraft and Very Vanilla cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); cream satin ribbon (Target); self adhesive pearls (Queen & Co.); circle dies (Nestabilities)

You've Got Mail and a Monochromatic Mosaic

I played along with two different StampTV challenges using two different sets, both designed by Melanie, and came up with two totally different style cards.

First, here’s my card for this week’s sketch challenge. I love the computer image in the Tech Talk set. Here, I colored it with Copic markers and added a message on the computer screen in red ink. The screen is covered with a piece of acetate for a glassy look.

I paired the computer image with some patterned paper with letters printed on it in a variety of colors. I pulled colors from the paper for the colors on my card. The blue background panel is embossed with a ring pattern to add interest. I added the “hello” sentiment on a circle panel at the lower right corner of the image panel. The image and sentiment are matted with red for a little pop. This would make a fun card to drop in the mail to an online friend . . .

Materials Used:
Tech Talk stamp set, Lipstick Red and White cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Riding Hood Red Classic ink, Brocade Blue cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (Karen Foster); circle punches (EK Success); Rings embossing folder (QuicKutz); foam tape; acetate

This one is for this week’s blast from the past challenge to use paper piecing. I’ve been wanting to try the paper piecing technique with the large block image in the Inspiration Mosaic stamp set, so this challenge was just the push I needed to do it.

I decided to go with a black and white color scheme. I pieced the different segments of the block together using pieces of paper from a Making Memories paper pack. It took a while to figure out how to piece it together so that the patterns were spread out across the entire block image. I left two blocks white—one for stamping the sentiment, and one for stamping one of the floral silhouette images from the Elegant Flowers stamp set. I layered the image panel on a gray base to complete the card. I’m not sure how I feel about the finished project—this may be one of those things that looked better in my mind than how it actually turned out, but I think it’s starting to grow on me.

Materials Used:
Inspiration Mosaic and Elegant Flowers stamp sets (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); white cardstock (Georgia Pacific); Basic Gray cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (Making Memories)

Simply Grateful

I haven’t pulled out my Kitchen Sink Stamps in a while, but I was feeling inspired by Maki’s latest Crew Challenge. I created this vintage looking card for her challenge to use stamped images to make your own background paper.

I stamped one of the leaf images from the Multi Step Big Leaves stamp set randomly in brown inks on a kraft panel to get my patterned paper. I wanted a soft look, so I stamped off before stamping each step. To further soften the look, I sponged some brown ink along the edges of the panel, then rubbed the edges with some cream ink.

I stitched around the panel with my sewing machine before adding it to the card base. I stamped one more leaf image, this time on a cream panel and in slightly bolder colors. I stamped the “grateful” sentiment from the Multi Step Harvest set overlapping the leaf just a bit. The sentiment is attached to the patterned paper panel along with a strip of brown grosgrain ribbon, embellished with a single coppery brad.

Materials Used:
Multi Step Big Leaves and Multi Step Harvest stamp sets (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, and Chocolate Chip Classic inks, Chocolate Chip, Kraft, and Very Vanilla cardstock, Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon (Stampin’ Up!); Vintage Cream ink (Papertrey Ink); circle dies (Nestabilities); copper brad (Making Memories); sewing machine

Giga Guide Line Thanks Redo

Today's SCS clean and simple challenge was to remake one of your own cards in clean and simple fashion. I remade this already clean and simple card, but with a feminine take.

I went with a monochromatic pink color scheme. One of the flower-looking medallions from Papertrey Ink's Giga Guide Lines is stamped three times in Melon Mambo ink across a Pink Pirouette card base. This set is becoming one of my go-to favorites for quick cards.

I placed a Melon Mambo fancy scallop edged strip underneath the trio of images. A matching pink grosgrain ribbon is knotted around the card. The "thank you" sentiment is stamped along the bottom of the card in matching pink ink. Like I said in my original post, it would be so easy to use this layout and stamp set to make up a quick set of cards for lots of occasions and I just may have to do that.

Materials Used:

Giga Guide Lines stamp set (Papertrey Ink); Melon Mambo Classic ink, Melon Mambo and Pink Pirouette cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Pinking Scallop border punch (Martha Stewart); pink grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); self-adhesive pearls (Queen & Co.)

Time for Some Girl Talk

As promised, here's my card for the final round for the selection of the SCS clean and simple stamping challenge design team. The challenge in this Olympic themed event was to be inspired by being a "reporter." Well, I have to admit that one of my guilty pleasures (besides my General Hospital obsession) is reading celebrity gossip magazines. My best friend and I each subscribe to different ones and swap the ones we've read on a weekly basis to feed our hunger for celebrity news. So, I thought it was only fitting that my card had kind of a gossip theme.

Here's what I came up with. I used a girly pink color scheme for my focal image. I stamped the dotted couch from Papertrey Ink's On My Couch Additions stamp set in Melon Mambo ink on a soft pink panel. I stamped the table and mugs from the On the Couch set alongside the table. The pink rug is sponged in with pink ink slightly darker than the background panel.

I didn't want to do all pink--I thought that might be a bit much. So, I toned it down with a kraft panel. I ran a piece of bold pink ribbon along one edge of the panel and added some paper piercing alongside it. The image panel is layered over the ribbon and piercing. I attached a button-embellished bow to the upper corner of the image panel to dress it up and fill a bit of empty space. The girl talk sentiment is stamped beneath the image panel directly on the kraft panel in pink ink.

Is it good enough to secure a spot? The final results will be announced on Wednesday . . .

Materials Used:

On My Couch and On My Couch Additions stamp sets, Raspberry Fizz button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Melon Mambo and Pretty in Pink Classic inks, Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, and Kraft cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Rich Cocoa and Tuxedo Black inks (Memento); pink grosgrain ribbon (Michaels)

Miss You in Blue

Here's my quick, clean and simple card for today's SCS featured stamper challenge. It's based on this card in Judi's gallery.

I kept the layout of the card the same, but made a few changes on my version. Instead of using real inchies, I created my own from cardstock scraps. I went for a monochromatic look for the four 1" squares. I picked 4 different shades of SU! blues and arranged them in a square on a plain white card base.

I used the two-step heart with interchangeable sentiments from the Sweet Hearts set from Clear & Simple Stamps for the image on the palest blue square. This set is this month's Stamp of the Month and you still have a few days to use the discount code CSS0210 to get $1 off your purchase of the set. The image is stamped in ink that matches the darkest square. I wanted to keep with a somewhat masculine look, so instead of a rhinestone at the top of the card, I knotted a piece of blue grosgrain around the card to complete the design and fill in just a little of the white space.

The weekend has gone by so fast! I can't believe tomorrow's Monday already. I plan to spend the rest of the evening working on my entry for the SCS CAS challenge design team and watching Olympic hockey. Go USA!

Materials Used:

Sweet Hearts stamp set (Clear & Simple Stamps); Not Quite Navy Classic ink, Not Quite Navy, Blue Bayou, Baja Breeze, and Soft Sky cardstock (Stampin' Up!); white cardstock (Xerox); Enchanted Evening grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink)

You Are My Sunshine and More

I'm still working on thinking spring here. Maybe that will help the snow to melt a little bit faster! I made this cheerful card using this week's Our Craft Lounge sketch challenge. I had a great time hanging out at the OCL booth at CHA last month, meeting the OCL gals and checking out the new sets and gorgeous samples. Kate's just gotten a bunch of the newest sets in at i {heart} papers. And, to go along with the Copics she's just added to the store, she's also carrying Memento ink, my favorite ink for using with Copics, too.

I used the adorable duck from the Ducky Days set as my focal image. The duck is stamped with Memento ink and colored with Copic markers. I have to admit that I cheated a bit and used the color enclosure that came with the set as a coloring guide--I love that feature of the OLC sets! It doesn't show in my photo, but I coated the puddle under the duck's feet with some Glossy Accents for a watery look.

I used both sides of a piece of My Mind's Eye designer paper for the panels on the cardfront. I matted the panels on coordinating pink and green cardstock pieces. A piece of bold pink faux suede ribbon runs across the card for some texture and contrast. I decided to keep the sentiment panel a simple circle instead of a fancy shape because of all the patterns in the designer paper. It's added on with some foam tape.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Our Craft Lounge Ducky Days stamp set, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Copic markers (Y00,Y11, Y21, YG03, YG05, R81, R83, R85, YR20, YR61, B000, B00, B02, C-3), Ranger Glossy Accents, My Mind's Eye Abbey Road Whirlybird "Blossom" Floating Flowers designer paper, May Arts light fuschia faux suede ribbon

other: white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Kiwi Kiss and Melon Mambo cardstock (Stampin' Up!); circle punches (EK Success); foam tape

While I had my OCL sets out, I thought I'd use another one for this week's Fabulous Friday challenge from the i {heart} copics group at Paper Craft Planet. For this one, I used the Pat the Dawg House set. I have a few of the dog sets in my collection. They remind me of my sweet Cosmo the crazy dog. Boy, do I miss having that big guy around. . .

I used my Memento ink and Copics again to color the image. I paired it with 3 different patterns from the My Mind's Eye Love Me Do Collection Kit. The triangles are machine stitched together (with a slightly smaller white panel behind them to hold them in place for stitching purposes). I attached the stitched panel to a Bermuda Bay card base, then layered the colored image on top. I added the sentiment on a pair of layered circles to finish the card.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Our Craft Lounge Pat the Dawg House stamp set, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Copic markers (C-1, C-3, C-5, E00, E21, E33, E35, E43, E51, YR21, YG03, YG05, YG23, R27, R46, B0000), My Mind's Eye Love Me Do Collection Kit

other: Bermuda Bay cardstock (Stampin' Up!); circle punches (EK Success); foam tape; sewing machine

Blooming Bouquet

Here's a simple card for Mercy's latest sketch challenge. I'm anxiously awaiting my newest Papertrey Ink goodies to arrive in the mail, so I thought I'd use some other PTI stuff to pass the time. I used a pair of images from Blooming Button Bits for this floral card.

I stamped the vase in Plum Pudding ink and the leafy branch image in Spring Moss ink. A trio of Plum Pudding buttons are set in the branch to be the pretty blooms. Before attaching the buttons with glue dots, I threaded some twine through each one.

I used small squares of PTI's Pretty Pastels designer paper for the panels underneath the image. The images and muted colors are so pretty and perfect for spring! The squares are layered on coordinating solid mats, then attached to a Lavender Moon card base. I added a ribbon tab at the right side of the image panel to complete the card.

Materials Used:

Blooming Button Bits stamp set, Plum Pudding and Spring Moss inks, Plum Pudding, Spring Moss, and Lavender Moon cardstock, Pretty Pastels patterned paper, Plum Pudding grosgrain ribbon, Plum Pudding buttons, twine (Papertrey Ink); white cardstock (Stampin' Up!); oval dies (Nestabilities)

Better Get Better

After my first almost full work week in quite a while, I am so ready for Saturday! And, since it's Saturday, it's time for another Paper Craft Planet sketch challenge. This week's sketch is courtesy of Adela.

I used another one of my new Pure Innocence images from My Favorite Things as the focal image on the round panel. I colored the little girlie and her teddy bear with Copic markers. The ground is drawn in with a marker and there's a soft blue background airbrushed around the image.

I paired the girl with some patterned paper from K & Company's Wild Raspberry line. I added a yellow ribbon and button-embellished bow to the left side of the card. The image is matted on a red panel and layered over the ribbon. A small red felt flower sits at the top right edge of the panel. It's a little smaller than I would have liked, but the larger one I had was way too big, so I settled for this one. The matching sentiment is attached to the card with foam tape.

If you play along with this week's sketch challenge (and I think there may even be a prize involved with this one . . .), be sure to upload your card to the PCP gallery using the keyword sk022010 so it can be added to the album with the rest of the cards made using the sketch.

Materials Used:
Pure Innocence-Better Get Better (My Favorite Things); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers, airbrush (Copic); Barely Banana and Riding Hood Red cardstock, So Saffron grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (K & Company-Wild Raspberry line); button, twine (Papertrey Ink); circle dies (Nestabilities); red felt flower (American Crafts); silver brad (Making Memories); foam tape

Cloud Nine

Here’s my card for this week’s Bellarific Friday from Stamping Bella. This week’s challenge was a color challenge using aqua, rose, and melon.

I used ALTEEtude from the Tiddly Inks line for my card. The image is colored with Copic markers to coordinate with the challenge colors.. I added a few embellishments, like some Stardust glitter pen on the cloud and a white pearl at the center of the flower on her hat. It's hard to see in the photo, but I airbrushed a soft aqua-ish sky/glow around the image. I'm making an effort to practice my airbrushing in hopes that my technique will start to improve . . .

I paired two patterned papers from a My Mind’s Eye stack I picked up recently at Michaels for the panels on the cardfront. To bring in a little more of the rose color, I added a decorative scalloped strip underneath one of the papers. I also matted the coordinating “on cloud nine” sentiment on pink and embellished it with a small piece of knotted pink satin ribbon. With the little touches of pink, the card turned out sweet and girly.

Materials Used:
ALTEEtude image and sentiment (Stamping Bella); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Hibiscus Burst, Aqua Mist, and Melon Berry cardstock, Hibiscus Burst satin ribbon (Papertrey Ink); designer paper (My Mind’s Eye); circle dies (Nestabilities); circle punches (EK Success); pinking scallop border punch (Martha Stewart); clear Stardust glitter pen (Sakura); self-adhesive pearl (Queen & Co.)

Blogger Challenge: Week 139

This week’s blogger challenge is a sketch challenge, provided by our leader, Lisa. This one has lots of possibilities!

I went for a mostly clean and simple look here. The pretty flower from Verve’s Love's Flower stamp set is my focal image. I stamped the flower twice on white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers. I cut out one of the flowers and layered it on the other image for a multi dimensional flower. A self-adhesive pearl sits at the flower’s center.

I paired the bold red flower with a creamy yellow designer paper panel. I added some yellow and red accents, including a strip of coordinating grosgrain ribbon and a matching fancy scalloped edge panel. I also did a little machine stitching to add some interest. The “merci beaucoup” sentiment from Verve’s Thankful Hearts set is stamped in contrasting red underneath the flower. I love the font combination in this set!

For more ideas using this sketch, you can check out what the rest of the challenge players have created. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right.

Materials Used:
Love's Flower and Thankful Hearts stamp sets (Verve Stamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Riding Hood Red Classic ink, Riding Hood Red and So Saffron cardstock, So Saffron grosgrain ribbon (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (My Mind’s Eye-Be Loved Collection Kit); Pinking Scallop border punch (Martha Stewart); self-adhesive pearl (Queen & Co); foam tape; sewing machine

I'm Still Thinking on This One

Here’s my card for the latest Viva la Verve challenge for February. This month’s inspiration room is the dining room and my card is based on an inspiration photo featuring a pink room.

I made this card a few days ago and was hoping it would grow on me, but it really hasn’t. The focal image is a layered medallion-ish piece made with Verve's Accent Notes stamp set. I stamped the sentiment on a separate scrap of pink paper and punched it out with a circle punch to make the image dimensional.

I used a pair of papers from SU!’s retired Raspberry Tart designer paper pack for the cardfront. The floral pattern reminded me of the panel displayed on the back wall of the inspiration photo, so this paper immediately came to mind when I went to design this card. I added a big rose bow beneath the medallion. Maybe if I make the bow a little smaller, I’ll be happier with how this turned out . . .

Materials Used:
Accent Notes stamp set (Verve Stamps); Rose Red Classic ink, Rose Red and Pink Pirouette cardstock, Raspberry Tart designer series paper, Regal Rose grosgrain ribbon (Stampin’ Up!); circle punches (EK Success); foam tape

I'm Sorry

I'm in the running for the next design team rotation for the weekly Clean and Simple challenges on SCS. This clean and simple card is the next step in the selection process. The challenge was to make a card inspired by the slopes in the Winter Olympics sports. Well, given the "winter wonderland" surrounding me, I've got lots of inspiration. I went with a silly, snow themed card for my submission.

I used an Impression Obsession stamp set to create a disembodied snowman that's taken a tumble down a steep, slippery slope. The slope is made with some torn shimmery white cardstock. I stamped the snowball on a scrap of paper, shaded it a bit with a Copic marker, and cut it out. It's attached to my little scene with some foam tape. I stamped the hat, scarf, and carrot nose splayed out on the snow near the snowball.

I found the perfect matching sentiment in a Hero Arts sentiment set. "I'm sorry" just about sums things up, doesn't it? I accented the sentiment with a piece of red stitched grosgrain ribbon. Not only is this clean and simple, it was a quick one, too--less than 30 minutes from start to finish, including a few trial runs on scrap paper.

Materials Used:

Snowman Set stamp set (Impression Obsession); Everyday Sayings stamp set (Hero Arts); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); marker (Copic); Real Red and Only Orange Classic inks, Real Red, Bashful Blue, Kraft, and Shimmery White cardstock (Stampin' Up!); ribbon (Creative Impressions); foam tape

Plant a Tree?

There won’t be any tree planting here any time soon! I still have four foot plus snowbanks in both my front and back yards and anticipate the snow sticking around for quite a while. That didn’t stop me from using this sweet tree image from Unity Stamp Co. for this week’s Fabulous Friday challenge, the first one from the new i {heart} copics group at Paper Craft Planet. This week’s challenge was a sketch. I flipped the sketch on its side to come up with my version.

Before I share my take on the sketch, I want to share some super exciting Copic-related news. i {heart} papers is now carrying the full line of Copic markers (and refills, too)! So, now you can get your markers, too, when you're shopping for your stamps, designer papers, and other goodies. You can get all the details in Kate's post here.

I colored the tree image using Copic markers, of course. I used a combination of YG 03, 05, and 07 for the leafy portion and E99, E37, E35, and E31 for the trunk. The flowers were colored with yellows and blues. I added a tiny bit of Baby Blue Stickles to the centers of two of the flowers, then matted the image on a teal panel.

The tree is paired with some My Mind’s Eye designer paper. I used both sides of the paper—the dot patterned side to cover most of the cardfront and the distressed green/brown side for the panels underneath the image. I added a green corduroy ribbon tab to the side of the image for some texture. Love the look and feel of this ribbon!

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Unity Stamp Co. Plant a Tree stamp, Copic markers, My Mind’s Eye Abbey Road Stomp "Rock On" Tadpole designer paper, Ranger Baby Blue Stickles, May Arts moss green velvet corduroy ribbon

other: white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); Taken with Teal cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); foam tape

Whee!

I'm still trying to think spring. It's kinda hard to do with the huge snowbanks towering everywhere around me, so I'll have to do it through stamping. I made this spring feeling card using the adorable Pure Innocence Start the Day with Whee! stamp set from My Favorite Things and this week's Taylored Expressions sketch challenge. It's a pretty loose interpretation of the sketch--much looser than my mostly linear, concrete thinking self usually does--but I think it still works.

I stamped the the little girl on a scrap of white cardstock and colored her with Copic markers, then carefully cut her out, staying close to the image borders. She's set on a piece of cloud patterned paper for a spring-y backdrop. The set's sentiment fit nicely underneath the little girl.

I constructed a tree for the little girl's swing using some cardstock scraps. I found a put-aside celery scalloped circle (missing a scallop or two) to use as the tree top. A bunch of circles, embossed with a swirl pattern, are layered on as leaves. The trunk is made from an embossed brown strip, also discarded from another project. I pieced it all together and added a trio of pink rhinestones to the right edge of the card to finish it off. The perfect spring scene--and not a moment too soon!

Materials Used:

Start the Day with Whee! stamp set (My Favorite Things); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, and Close to Cocoa cardstock (Stampin' Up!); designer paper(K & Company-Citronella line); scalloped circle die (Nestabilities); D'Vine Swirl and Forest Branches embossing folders (Cuttlebug); pink self-adhesive rhinestones (Darice); foam tape

Purse-onally

*****Be sure to scroll down to the post below to see my i {heart} papers design team challenge project.*****

Like I said earlier this week, I needed to add some thank you cards to my collection. Here’s another one, inspired by this week’s Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge and this week’s Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge. This week’s featured movie was a fun one—Clueless—and the required element to include was plaid.

I went with a trendy gray/yellow color combination, inspired by the sparkly plaid My Mind’s Eye designer paper. This definitely isn’t a combination I would have turned to myself, but I’m seeing it around a lot. Taking a cue from the shopping/fashion element in the movie, I paired the paper with an aqua purse from the Tote-ally Fantastic stamp set from My Favorite Things. I added some silver gel pen embellishments to the bag before layering it on a round panel with foam tape. I curved the sentiment stamp around the purse to fit the panel and added a pair of pearls to dress it up.

The four patterned paper panels are arranged on a gray panel. I used my sewing machine to stitch around the edges for added interest, then layered the panel on a Crushed Curry card base. I wanted the purse to stand out against the busy background, so I layered the image panel on a coordinating scalloped circle, then on a Crushed Curry panel embossed with a dot pattern. A piece of looped ribbon is attached under the curry panel as a fun detail. This takes up less space (and ribbon) than a bow on the small card space. The image panel is attached to the card using some foam tape. Purse-onally, I think this is almost tote-ally fantastic!

Materials Used:
Tote-ally Fantastic stamp set (My Favorite Things); Smokey Shadow ink, Aqua Mist cardstock, Aqua Mist satin ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Crushed Curry, Basic Gray, and Whisper White cardstock (Stampin’ Up); designer paper (My Mind’s Eye); circle and scalloped circle dies (Nestabilities); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); self-adhesive pearls (Queen & Co.); silver gel pen; sewing machine; foam tape

i {heart} papers DT Challenge

It's time for this month's i {heart} papers design team challenge. This month's challenge is a supply challenge. All of the DT members are working with the same designer paper to create a project to share with you.

The Best Creation Green Day Stripes designer paper is two-sided, featuring a sparkly St. Patrick's Day design on one side and a mod, bold green pattern on the other. I went seasonal and created a St. Patrick's Day card using my paper.

I wanted to show off the super sparkly elements and fun pattern on the paper, so I kept my card's design pretty simple. For the focal image, I fashioned a 4 leaf clover out of 4 punched hearts and layered the clover on a pair of circle mats (cut with my Nestabilities) using foam tape. The hearts are joined at the center with a glue dot and embellished with a Zva Creative crystal at the center.

I found the perfect sentiment to go with my 4 leaf clover in Unity's August Stampin' Store Kit, {100% Happy}. I stamped "lucky" in green ink on a pale green panel and wrapped some pretty green satin edged ribbon around the edge. The stamped panel runs across the card base with the clover panel attached to its right edge.

Be sure to stop by the rest of the DT member blogs to see what they've done with this fun paper. Here's where you'll find them:

Carolyn
Cathleen
Deb
Gretchen
Kate
Kendra
Lori--you're here!
Lynn
Megan
Tracy

And, be sure to stop by the store, too. New goodies are arriving on a daily basis and you don't want to miss out on the latest and greatest!

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Best Creation Green Day Stripes designer paper, Zva Creative self-adhesive crystal dot, Unity Stamp Co. August Stampin' Store Kit {100% Happy}, CTrims apple green satin edge organza ribbon, Nestabilities circle dies

other: New Leaf ink, New Leaf and Spring Moss cardstock (Papertrey Ink); heart punch (EK Success); foam tape

No Thanks

Yes, that's what I found when I went looking through my card stash--or more accurately, what I didn't find. I have lots and lots of cards lying around, but very few thank you cards. So, I'm going to make an effort to make more thank you cards, starting with this one for today's SCS clean and simple challenge. The challenge theme was "think spring" and I am more than ready for that!.

I used a die cut butterfly, made using my Slice, as the focal image. I cut the butterfly from some new glittered SEI patterned paper (coming soon to i {heart} papers) and from a piece of acetate. The acetate is embossed with a dotted pattern to add interest, then layered over the striped cardstock butterfly. A trio of pearls along the center hides the glue dot I used to adhere the acetate.

The rest of the card is pretty simple. I punched a fancy scalloped eyelet border along the edge of a pale pink panel. A strip of rose grosgrain ribbon is wrapped around the panel. The butterfly is set on a celery circle. I stamped one of the thank you sentiments from Verve's Thankful Accents in teal ink on the aqua card base to finish the card.

Materials Used:

Thankful Accents stamp set (Verve Stamps); Taken with Teal Classic ink, Pink Pirouette cardstock, Regal Rose grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!); Aqua Mist and Spring Moss cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Just Chillin' Slice cartridge (Making Memories); designer paper (SEI-Happy Day/Streamers); circle die (Nestabilities); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Pinking Scallop border punch (Martha Stewart); self-adhesive pearls (Queen & Co.); acetate

Love and Basketball

The snow has stopped--at least temporarily--but the stamping hasn't. With the long holiday weekend, I had time to check out what's going on at StampTV and tried out two different challenges.

The Heartily Yours stamp set from Gina K Designs is much more than a Valentine's Day set. Here, I used the set along with this week's StampTV sketch challenge to create a sweet birthday card.

I stamped the set's wishing well image on white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers. One of the hearts in the well's base is colored a contrasting red and highlighted with some Stickles. I carefully cut the image out and set it on a softly sponged background with foam tape.

I paired two papers--a striped and a dotted one--from the My Mind's Eye Bloom and Grow line for the panel on the card front. The papers are divided by an embossed green strip, wrapped with an aqua satin ribbon. The top edge of the birthday sentiment from the coordinating Heartily Yours Additions set is slid underneath the band.

Materials Used:
Heartily Yours and Heartily Yours Additions stamp set, white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Aqua Mist and Spring Moss cardstock, Aqua Mist satin ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Soft Sky and Certainly Celery Classic inks, sponge (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (My Mind's Eye-Bloom & Grow line); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Ruby Slippers Glitz Stickles (Ranger); foam tape

When I saw that this week's Blast from the Past challenge was woodgraining, I knew I wanted to give it a try. This is such a fun and easy technique. With the Olympics going on now, I guess I have sports on the brain, so I decided to make my woodgrain piece a basketball court. Yes, I know that basketball's a summer sport in the Olympics, but it's still an Olympic sport--and it's only about a month until March Madness begins.

Anyway, I did my woodgraining on a piece of More Mustard cardstock with a combination of cream, caramel, and mustard inks. The panel is layered on a contrasting red card base. I used images from Melanie's Sporty Accessories stamp set for the image panel. The pennant is paper pieced with a scrap of red cardstock. I stamped the basketball image on a scrap of paper, colored it with Copic markers, then cut it out and added it to the panel with foam tape.

I placed a strip of Gina's Tan Leather cardstock across the cardfront. This paper has a fabulous texture. It's held in place with a row of zig zag stitches and a copper brad. This one's going in this month's Paper Craft Planet DT gallery, too. Our theme for this month is stitching and the gallery's filling up with some fabulous samples. Be sure to stop by and check them out here.

Materials Used:
Sporty Accessories stamp set, white and Tan Leather cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); More Mustard and Creamy Caramel Classic inks, More Mustard, Riding Hood Red, and Very Vanilla cardstock (Stampin' Up!); circle dies (Nestabilities); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); copper brad (Making Memories); sewing machine; foam tape

Soft Stone Sympathy

Here's my card for today's SCS featured stamper challenge. It's based on this clean and simple sympathy card seen here. I've really been drawn back to the clean and simple look lately. It's the style that comes most naturally to me.

I kept the card's layout the same since that's what drew me to the card. I kept the theme the same, but changed the images used and the color scheme, too. The color scheme I used--pale gray, darker gray, and teal--was inspired by an ad in a CB2 catalog I received a while back. I used Papertrey Ink's Soft Stone along with SU!'s Basic Gray and Taken with Teal for my version.

The focal image comes from PTI's Giga Guide Lines stamp set. This set is so versatile! I stamped one of the medallion images in teal ink and added a silver brad to the center. It's attached to the scalloped gray circle with foam tape.

The scalloped circle is layered on a Soft Stone panel. I stamped the "with sympathy" sentiment from Beyond Basic Borders in Smokey Shadow ink next to it. A piece of knotted silvery gray ribbon runs diagonally across the upper left corner of the card.

Materials Used:

Giga Guide Lines and Beyond Basic Borders stamp sets, Smokey Shadow ink, Smokey Shadow cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Taken with Teal Classic ink, Taken with Teal and Basic Gray cardstock, 1 3/4" circle punch (Stampin' Up!); scalloped circle die (Nestabilities); silver brad (Making Memories); silver satin ribbon (Target); foam tape

Pink Pair

Even though I'm a single girl and really won't be doing any celebrating today, I couldn't let Valentine's Day pass without one more sweet Valentine. This card was inspired by this week's Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger. As soon as I saw Julie's fun inspiration photo, I knew what I wanted to do.

I used the two-step heart tree image from the Sweet Hearts stamp set from Clear & Simple Stamps for the focal image. The hearts are colored in shades of pink using Copic markers. I airbrushed over the colored design with a pale pink marker for a soft, subtle pink glow.

I paired the tree image with pink polka dotted paper on a bold pink card base. The tree is matted on that same bold pink paper. I ran a strip of pink grosgrain ribbon along the length of the card. A button-embellished bow is added to the bottom of the ribbon. The "be mine" sentiment, also a two-step image, fits at the bottom corner of the image panel.

Materials Used:
Sweet Hearts stamp set (Clear & Simple Stamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento); markers, airbrush (Copic); Melon Mambo Classic ink, Melon Mambo cardstock, Loves Me designer paper (Stampin' Up!); Raspberry Fizz button, twine (Papertrey Ink); pink grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); 1" and 1 1/4" circle punches (EK Success); foam tape

And, here's one more pink card, this time with a more spring like feel. It's not inspired by the Tuesday Trigger, but I figured it fit in this post because of the layout. As I was photographing them, I realized that even though it wasn't planned that way at all, the layout for these two cards was pretty similar, just oriented in a different way. I did the tree card first a day or two before, then created this second card after checking out Mercy's latest sketch challenge.

I used a new Pure Innocence image from My Favorite Things for this one. These poor stamps were a victim of the extreme snowfall on the east coast and spent an extra-long time at the post office before arriving safely at my house.

The little girl image is colored with Copic markers and her dress is paper pieced with gingham paper matching the paper that covers the card base. I used my airbrush to add in the grass and a soft blue sky. Instead of adding an embellishment to the edge of the image panel, I used the sentiment, attached with some foam tape.

I paired the image and gingham panel with a daisy border punch and a light pink grosgrain ribbon with a button-embellished bow. The ribbon is zig zag stitched in place to add some interest.

Materials Used:
Pure Innocence Blooming Good Day (My Favorite Things); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento); markers, airbrush (Copic);Pink Pirouette cardstock (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (Memory Box-Layette collection); 1 3/8" and 1 1/2" circle punches (EK Success); pink grosgrain ribbon (Morex); Daisy border punch (Martha Stewart); Sweet Blush button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Pink Petal Liquid Pearls (Ranger); sewing machine; foam tape

Bella's Love Me Do Blog Hop

Welcome to the LOVE ME DO Blog Hop sponsored by Stamping Bella! If you've just happened upon my blog, you can CLICK HERE to start from the beginning at Bloggabella.

Here's my contribution to today's hop. I made a "joy fold" card featuring the adorable Tiddly Inks Sending You Love image. The image is colored with Copic markers. I used my airbrush to add the sky and grass. I still need lots of practice with that sucker--LOL!

I used some two-toned red paper with stripes to cover the front and line the inside of the card. I machine stitched around the panel on the inside to add interest. To keep the card closed, I attached the sentiment panel with some foam tape. The image panel slips under the sentiment and can be slid out to reveal the message inside.

In addition to the fabulous eye candy, there's a prize hidden somewhere along the hop! One pre-selected blogger will draw a random winner from the comments on her post, and the winner will receive a $25 Gift Voucher to Stamping Bella!!! The fun part is...we're not telling you who it is! So as you hop, make sure you leave comments on every post so you have a chance to win!! The winner will be announced on Friday in the Splitcoast forum.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Now it's time to hop on over to Paula's to continue the hop.

Materials Used: Sending You Love image and sentiment (Stamping Bella); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Chocolate Chip and Kraft cardstock (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (K & Company); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); circle punches (EK Success); red button, twine (Papertrey Ink); sewing machine; foam tape

You Melt My Heart

Happy Saturday! I'm looking forward to watching some of the Winter Olympic games over the weekend and doing some stamping, too. It's also time for a new sketch challenge at Paper Craft Planet. This week's sketch was designed by my friend Lynn.

Since it's been so Arctic-like here, I knew I'd need to pull out my DoodleFactory Arctic set from Starving Artistamps for some cards this week. I made this sweet, perfect for Valentine's Day card with Eva, the female Eskimo image from the set. I colored Eva with Copic markers, then added some Polar White Flower Soft to her jacket and hood for a fluffy look.

I set Eva against a heart patterned designer paper. The set's "you melt my heart" sentiment is stamped on a pink panel. I omitted the word "heart" and replaced it with a white felt heart and pink heart brad for a fun detail. The panel is layered on a mat with a decorative heart edge. It extends just beyond the edge of the card.

If you play along with this week's sketch, be sure to use the keyword sk021310 when you upload your card to the PCP gallery so that your card can be added to the album with the rest of the creations using this week's sketch. And, don't forget that you can use the code savetenLT to save 10% on your Starving Artistamps and DoodleFactory stamp purchases at Starving Artistamps.

Materials Used:

DoodleFactory Arctic stamp set, Polar White Flower Soft (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Pink Pirouette and Regal Rose cardstock (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (K & Company); arrow border punch (Fiskars); felt heart (American Crafts); pink heart brad (Joann); foam tape

I Heart You

It's time for another Bellarific Friday challenge. This week's challenge was anything Valentine. I pulled out a Stamping Bella image I've had for a while for this one. This Kissyface image is so cute and perfect for this week's theme.

I colored the image with Copic markers in reds and blues. The hearts on the girl's dress are coated with Cotton Candy Stickles for some sparkle.

I wanted the image to take center stage, so I kept the layout very simple. I matted the image on a red panel and set it on a piece of pink paper with a subtle red pattern. I wrapped a piece of red grosgrain ribbon around the patterned paper, covering just the very top of the image panel. A button-embellished bow is attached to the ribbon. I stamped the "i heart you" sentiment directly on the patterned paper, then layered the panel on a red card base.

I'll have another Stamping Bella card to share for tomorrow's Bella Blog Hop . . .

Materials Used:
Kissyface image and sentiment (Stamping Bella); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Real Red cardstock (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (DCWV); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); pink button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Cotton Candy Stickles (Ranger)

Blogger Challenge: Week 138

This week's blogger challenge theme is, appropriately, Valentines. The card I'm sharing today is the card I made to send to family and friends to mark the occasion (so act appropriately surprised when you get it, Mom and Michele!). It has a hard act to follow since the card I made to send to them last year was selected for publication in the current issue of Stamp It! Cards magazine.

Since I was making multiples of this card, I went with a design that was easy to reproduce and wouldn't be too difficult to put in the mail. I used images from Papertrey Ink's Simple Valentine set and a design with lots of white space. For the focal image, I combined two of the set's heart images with the "hugs & kisses" sentiment. I accented the stamped images with a piece of knotted bright pink grosgrain ribbon. A black mat really makes the stamped images pop.

On the card base, I stamped one of the set's border images in Raspberry Fizz ink across the bottom. A matching strip of Raspberry Fizz cardstock runs along the top of the stamping. I added a single silver brad to the left edge of the strip to balance the design. The image panel is layered on with foam tape, overlapping the pink strip and the stamped hearts just a little.

For more Valentine ideas, please visit the rest of the challenge players. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right.

Materials Used:

Simple Valentine stamp set, Raspberry Fizz ink, Raspberry Fizz cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); Basic Black cardstock (Stampin' Up!); white cardstock (Xerox); circle dies (Nestabilities); pink grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); silver brad (Making Memories); foam tape

More Snowstorm Creations

I'm still on a snow-imposed vacation here in the DC area. No more snow today, just a little more digging out. I haven't worked all week and won't be working again tomorrow--in fact, I'm off until Tuesday if you count the weekend and the Monday holiday. Not a bad mid-winter break!

The time off has given me plenty of time in my craft room. I played along in Becky's Compose a Card challenge for the first time. The combination was definitely challenging for me, but that's what's good about it. One of the elements called for was a flourish and I'm definitely not a flourish-y type stamper and really don't have flourish images in my collection.

This is what I came up with using this week's colors and elements. I used the larger flower from Papertrey Ink's Friends Til the End stamp set for the focal image. I think this is the first time I've used the large flower image. It was a better fit than the smaller one for the scale of the card. The image is embossed in white on Raspberry Fizz cardstock, then cut out. I added 1 of the 3 rhinestones to the flower's center and a pair of leaves underneath it.

The flower is layered on a Spring Rain panel that's stamped with the smaller flower image tone on tone. I love PTI's new inks--the pastel colors have such a soft, pretty look. A scallop edged strip runs underneath the panel and the sentiment panel overlaps it. I added a pair of rhinestones and a ribbon tab to dress it up.

Now, how I handled the tricky flourish . . . I stamped a flourish-looking leafy branch from Turning a New Leaf in the upper right hand corner of the Terracotta Tile card base in Terracotta Tile ink. The image has kind of the same shape and form as a flourish, but is a lot less fussy looking and much more my style. Once I decided on the placement of the flourish, all of the other elements of the card came together quickly.

Materials Used:

Friends Til the End and Turning a New Leaf stamp sets, Terracotta Tile, Spring Rain, Raspberry Fizz, Ripe Avocado, and Fresh Snow inks, Terracotta Tile, Spring Rain, Raspberry Fizz, and Ripe Avocado cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Whisper White cardstock, Winter White embossing powder, scallop edge punch (Stampin' Up!); blue grosgrain ribbon (Morex); pink rhinestones (Darice); foam tape

Here's yet another card I created in my craft room during the double-decker snow event of the past week. This card is for this week's Technostamper sketch challenge. I replaced the heart in the sketch with a star, but other than that, stayed true to the sketch.

I chose the colors for my card to coordinate with the bold dotted designer paper from K & Company's Lemon Drop paper pad. The blues I used aren't an exact match for the ones in the paper, but they worked well enough. I created a two-toned panel using Baja Breeze for the top and an embossed Crushed Curry panel for the bottom. The seam between the two papers is covered with narrow white grosgrain ribbon. I layered the panels on an Enchanted Evening mat, then edged the left side with a star border punched strip.

I stamped "you're a superstar" from Verve's Starstruck stamp set in Enchanted Evening ink on the Baja Breeze panel. I left plenty of room on the left side of the panel to attach a large star, using foam tape to help it stand out.

Materials Used:

Starstruck stamp set (Verve Stamps); Enchanted Evening ink, Enchanted Evening cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Baja Breeze and Crushed Curry cardstock, white grosgrain ribbon, star punch (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (K & Company-Lemon Drop line); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Classic Stars border punch (Martha Stewart); foam tape

Monkey Mojo

I got Verve's Love Monkey stamp set when it was released, but it arrived just as I was leaving for CHA, so I didn't get a chance to ink it up. I couldn't let Valentine's Day pass without trying it out, so I used it for this card for this week's Mojo Monday sketch.

The monkey was stamped in brown ink on a scrap of white cardstock and colored with Copic markers. I filled in the belly with some brown flock. The cut out monkey was attached to a pale pink circle with foam tape.

I used some wide striped paper from a K & Company Valentine's Day pad for the curved edge piece on the cardfront. I carefully cut the paper so there'd be a wide white/pink stripe at the center of the panel. To get the curve, I traced the edge of the roll of grosgrain ribbon that I used for the card--perfect semi-circle! I edged the circle with a piece of scalloped circle cut with a Nestabilities die. The sentiment is stamped on a SU! Curly Label punch piece, slipped just underneath the scalloped edge.

I have to admit that I wasn't crazy about this card when I was finished with it. But, it's growing on me a bit as I look at it now. I guess that's a good thing!

Materials Used:

Love Monkey stamp set (Verve Stamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Real Red, Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, and Kraft cardstock, Curly Label punch (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (K & Company); circle and scalloped circle dies (Nestabilities); pink grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); brown flock (Doodlebug); sewing machine

Elegant Giga Guide Lines

It's mid-afternoon here in snowy DC and the white stuff is still coming down! And it's blowing around like crazy, too. I haven't made my way outside to shovel yet, but I know that big job is looming ahead of me once again.

I made this simple card for today's SCS sketch challenge. I used one of the bold images from Papertrey Ink's Giga Guidelines stamp set for the trio of images along the center of the card. Each image was stamped twice, first in cream ink, then again just a tiny bit offset in Aqua Mist ink. So pretty! A small, self-adhesive pearl is at the center of each image to dress them up just a little.

My color combination came from the October Afternoon designer paper I used for the panel on the cardfront. I layered it on a kraft mat to set it apart a bit from the Aqua Mist card base. A piece of Aqua Mist grosgrain ribbon layered with a piece of black satin ribbon runs across the cardfront, over the patterned paper panel and under the image panel. The satin ribbon adds a really elegant touch to the design.

Materials Used:

Giga Guidelines stamp set, Vintage Cream and Aqua Mist inks, Aqua Mist cardstock, Aqua Mist grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Kraft cardstock (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (October Afternoon-Hometown line); black satin ribbon (Target); pearls (KaiserCraft); foam tape

Simple Snowy Sympathy

These are the hardest cards to make! I made a pair of these sympathy cards to send off in the mail as soon as I'm able to wade through the snow to the mailbox.

I got Papertrey Ink's Through the Trees partly with sympathy cards in mind and partly because the silhouette tree image reminded me of SU!'s classic Lovely as a Tree set. I think I'm one of the only stampers that doesn't have that set in my collection, but I've always thought it would be great to have several different tree images to use for things like masculine cards and sympathy cards.

Here, I used one of the tree images to create a simple winter scene. I tore two strips of white cardstock to layer along the bottom to ground the trees. The trees are stamped in brown ink on the kraft panel. I used a sponge to softly ink around the edges of the panel. The sentiment is stamped in green ink on one of the white strips. A wooden button, tied to a strip of green grosgrain ribbon, fills in the open space on the right side of the card.

I'll be back later with another project as long as my electricity stays on in the winter storm . . .

Materials Used:

Through the Trees stamp set, Ripe Avocado and Dark Chocolate ink, Ripe Avocado and Spring Moss cardstock, Spring Moss grosgrain ribbon, wooden button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Kraft and Whisper White cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento)

Ruff You

The next snow event has started here. I prepared this morning by shoveling the 20 plus inches of snow that has been sitting on my deck since the weekend. I wasn't sure that my deck could handle the weight of an additional 10-15" of the white stuff, so I dug in. I'm all thawed out now and spent some time in my craft room this afternoon. I'm hoping the power stays on so I can stay warm and keep crafting (and watch Lost tonight, too!).

Some of the new goodies that Kate ordered at CHA are starting to arrive at i {heart} papers. Be sure to stop by the store and check it out. I made a card for this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge featuring one of the new items--the I Ruff You stamp set from Unity Stamp Co. I met Heather Rolin, the set's illustrator, at CHA. We chatted for a while about pets and our shared love of sports--what a sweetie!

Here's what I came up with based on the sketch. I colored the doggie image with Copic markers and cut it out with a Nestabilities circle die. The image is paired with a panel of heart-covered designer paper from the Love Me Do Collection Kit from My Mind's Eye. I don't use much bright yellow in my crafting, but I love how it looks in these papers! A piece of light blue faux suede ribbon is knotted around the panel. It's hard to see, but there's the tiniest blue scalloped border around each of the hearts in the patterned paper and the ribbon picks up the color perfectly. I embossed a matching strip of yellow cardstock with a polka dot embossing folder and set it across the card. The texture from the embossing seemed to make the yellow a little less bold.

Once I had assembled all the panels and pieces, there was just enough room left to squeeze in a sweet sentiment. I inked up just the "ruff" portion of the set's "i heart u" sentiment with a marker and stamped it on the blue panel. I left room to attach a coordinating chipboard "u" sticker from my stash next to it.

To my other snowed-in East Coast pals--keep safe and warm!

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Unity Stamp Co. I Ruff You stamp set, My Mind's Eye Love Me Do Collection Kit, Nestabilities circle dies, QuicKutz Polka Dots embossing folder, May Arts light blue faux suede ribbon

other: white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Real Red and Yoyo Yellow cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Ocean Mist cardstock (Gina K Designs); chipboard sticker (Target dollar spot)