A New Pair of Shoes

Here’s my card for the final round of the SCS clean and simple challenge fall design team search. The theme was “couples.” I’ve had the Stampin’ Up! set Humor in High Heels in my collection for a while now and it was just perfect for the challenge.

I stamped the pair of shoes on a white panel and colored them in bold shades of red. A tiny crystal is at the center of the bow on each shoe. I set the colored image on a black mat, then on a red panel. The set’s Cinderella sentiment is stamped in black directly on the red panel. I like the contrast of the delicate font against the deep red. I ran a piece of black ribbon underneath the sentiment to draw attention to it and added a pair of sparkly clear gems as an accent. Clean and simple and quick!

Materials Used:
Humor in High Heels stamp set, Cherry Cobbler and Basic Black cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); white cardstock (Xerox); markers (Copic); circle dies (Nestabilities); black grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink); clear crystals-large (Darice); Tiny Twinkles (Taylored Expressions); foam tape

Love and Kisses

Here’s my card for this week’s Unity Addicts challenge. This week’s challenge was to use black, white, and one other color.

When I made this card I had just gotten my August Kit of the Month and wanted to try it out right away. The large “love” sentiment caught my eye, so I knew I’d go with black, white, and red to match the sentiment. The sentiment combo is stamped in Real Red ink on a white circle panel. I stamped the heart separately on a scrap of white and cut it out to add it to the side of the sentiment panel using foam tape. It’s accented with a black button, tied with some twine.

I used a piece of black and white patterned paper to break up the black panel on the cardfront. I wrapped a piece of red ribbon around the card, knotting it underneath the sentiment. Simple, but still eye-catching.

Materials Used:
August Kit of the Month (Unity Stamp Co.); Real Red Classic ink, Basic Black cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); white cardstock (Xerox); Black Tie designer paper (Making Memories); black button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Labels 9 die (Spellbinders); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); foam tape

An Apple for You

Here's my card for today's SCS clean and simple challenge. This week's challenge was to be inspired by the word "delicious." Today is the first day of school in the school district I work for and because of that, I got to thinking about school supplies. There's something special about new, fresh crayons, pencils, scissors, and notebooks and the promise of a new school year. So, I went school themed with images from the Mint Motif School Basics set.

I started by cutting a fancy label shape from a piece of chalkstock--yes, that's right, chalkstock. This paper has a chalkboard-like look and finish. It's so cool and just perfect for school themed projects. I stamped the ruled line image and the words "for you" on the chalkstock in white pigment ink. I love the crisp chalk-like look! A red twill bow is set at one corner of the label. The set's apple image is colored with Copic markers, cut out, and placed at the lower right corner of the label with foam tape. In keeping with the school theme, I attached a piece of grid patterned paper to the center of a kraft card base, then placed the embellished label over that.

I had an eventful "first day of school" even without going to school. I got a call from my dog walker that Chloe the cutie puppy had gotten sick while I was at work. I rushed home to clean her and my house up and to get her to the vet. Once we got to the vet, Chloe acted so feisty that they couldn't believe she was sick. She has such a happy disposition that it's hard to tell with her. I guess that's a good thing . . . Anyway, she's on some medication to calm her tummy and on a diet of chicken and rice for the next few days. Now she's settled down to sleep on my craft room floor. Hopefully tomorrow will be a less eventful day.

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Mint Motif School Basics stamp set, Canvas Corp. chalkstalk tile, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Copic markers (R12, R22, R24, R27, YG05, YG07, YG21, E17), Alexx Kesh red herringbone twill, Spellbinders Labels 9 die, Sassafras Lass Cherry Delicious designer paper

other: Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Fresh Snow (Papertrey Ink)

Friendship is a Sheltering Tree

Here's my entry for this month's My Favorite Things guest designer challenge. The challenge theme is "get sentimental," or to make a sentiment the focal image on your project. I may have gotten a little away from this, but I'm really pleased with how my project turned out.

I used an inexpensive 4" x 6" wooden frame to make a piece of decorative art. Blue and green cardstock panels form the base of my art. I cut the top of the green panel in a wavy shape for grass, then stitched it in place with my sewing machine.

The pieces for the simple scene are made with some of MFT's Die-Namics. I cut a cloud from white felt and a sun from gold felt. A button without any buttonholes is at the center of the sun to add some dimension. The cloud is machine stitched in place for a sort of puffy look. The tree is cut from brown cardstock and filled in with green cardstock leaves. Once I had all of the scene's elements in place, I stamped the sentiment from the Sheltering Tree set on the panel using brown ink to complete the scene.

Materials Used:
Sheltering Tree stamp set, cloud, sun, and tree Die-Namics (My Favorite Things); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento); Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, and Close to Cocoa cardstock (Stampin' Up!); button (Papertrey Ink); felt; sewing machine; wooden frame

Lookin' Purr-ty

This afternoon, I finally got around to trying this week's SCS sketch challenge. I flipped the sketch on its side and paired it with one of the images from the latest Chicken Girl Design digi release.

I printed the Lookin' Purrty image and matching sentiment on white cardstock and colored the image with Copic markers. The girly image just screamed out for sparkle and shine, so I added some sparkly pink bling to the crown and some Platinum Sparkly Fluff to the cat's stripes.

I set the image on a piece of paper from Basic Grey's Olivia collection. A strip of solid cardstock, accented with a row of white pen faux stitches, runs along the left side of the image panel. I added a pretty pink faux suede bow on the stitched strip, just below the sentiment. The final touch was some Glossy Accents on the mirror to make it look glass-like.

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Lookin' Purrty digi image, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (RV00, R21, R81, R83, R85, C00, C-1, C-3. C-5, Y23, Y26), Zva Creative pink self adhesive crystals, Our Craft Lounge Platinum Sparkly Fluff, Basic Grey Olivia designer paper, May Arts light fuschia faux suede ribbon, Bow Easy, Ranger Inkssentials white pen and Glossy Accents, Bow Easy

other: Hibiscus Burst cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Pear Pizazz cardstock (Stampin' Up!)

Bright, Sunshiney Day

This week’s My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club challenge was called “floral fantasy.” I altered one of the Pure Innocence cuties to create this sweet, flowery card to fit the theme.

I started with the My Balloon set. I inked the image, omitting the balloon portion of the image as well as the part of the balloon’s string that extended below the little girl’s hand. In my mind, I envisioned the little girl holding a big flower. To do this, I used MFT’s rolled flower die and made a pretty gold rolled flower with a pearl center. I attached the flower to the image panel where the balloon would have been—worked perfectly! I used a combination of Copic markers and paper piecing to add color to the rest of the image.

I used three strips of My Mind’s Eye’s Bloom and Grow designer paper to make the panels along the bottom of the card. I added a ribbon strip across the top of the patterned paper panels, then layered on the image. The sentiment is stamped in orange ink on a gold decorative edged panel and slipped under the image panel.

I worked on my entry for MFT's September guest designer challenge yesterday and I should have it ready to share tomorrow morning, so be sure to check back to see it . . .

Materials Used:
Pure Innocence My Balloon and Sunshiney Day stamp sets, rolled flower die (My Favorite Things); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Fresh Mango and Fresh Corn cardstock (Gina K Designs); Pumpkin Pie Classic ink (Stampin’ Up!); Bloom and Grow designer paper (My Mind’s Eye); Summer Sunrise grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Labels 9 die (Spellbinders); white pearl (Queen & Co.)

Smile

Wendy is hosting this week's Paper Craft Planet sketch challenge and she's added an additional twist to the challenge. Along with the sketch, you need to use a punch. I went with a fun border punch and images from Starving Artistamps for this card.

I started by making a simple scene for my image. I used the make a cloud stamp and some light blue ink to make a sky background. A piece of green cardstock, punched with a grass border punch, is set along the bottom of the panel. I colored Owen, one of the Cutie Kid images from the Doodle Factory People-Take a Seat collection, using Copic markers, cut him out, and attached him to the scene with foam tape. It's hard to see in the photo, but I covered the lenses of Owen's glasses with Glossy Accents for a glass-like look.

Instead of using a piece of ribbon, I continued the grass border strip across the cardfront. I replaced the bow in the sketch with a matching button, threaded with some twill.

If you play along with this week's sketch challenge, be sure to upload your card to the PCP gallery using the keyword sk082810 so it can be added to the album with the rest of the cards based on this sketch. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's creative use of punches with this sketch!

Materials Used:
DoodleFactory People- Take a Seat, Make a Cloud, and I'm Here for You Sentiments stamp sets (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Bashful Blue Classic ink, Pacific Point and Kiwi Kiss cardstock, Old Olive twill (Stampin' Up!); Night Light designer paper (October Afternoon); Simply Chartreuse button, twine (Papertrey Ink); grass border punch (Martha Stewart); Glossy Accents (Ranger); foam tape

Got Candy?

Clear and Simple Stamps is sponsoring this week’s Just Us Girls challenge. Some of the CSS design team is playing along with this week’s Halloween themed challenge using one of CSS's fabulous downloadable templates.

I skipped the template part and instead made this simple card using images from the Spooky Sweets set. I stamped the candy corn image in black ink and colored the images with Copic markers.

The colored panel is set on a trio of coordinating ribbon strips. I purposely mixed and matched colors, textures, and widths to add some interest (and use up some scraps as a bonus—LOL!). The “got candy?” sentiment is curved just above the upper edge of the image panel. A simple black button accent completes the card.

Materials Used:
Spooky Sweets stamp set, Perfect Little Black Dress ink, Perfect Little Black Dress and A Blanc Check cardstock, black button (Clear and Simple Stamps); markers (Copic-Y13, Y17, Y18, YR04, YR16); circle and pinking circle dies (Spellbinders); black twill, twine (Papertrey Ink); yellow grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); orange satin ribbon (?)

Little Peep Birthday

***Scroll down to the post below for my Blogger Challeng/Friends with Flair post.***

Here’s my card for this week’s Bellarific Friday from Stamping Bella. This week’s challenge was a free-for-all one. I ended up using one of my newest Stamping Bella images, one of the adorable Little Peeps.

The Little Peep's Birthday Cake image is stamped in black ink, then colored with Copic markers. I went with very girlie pinks and reds for both the cake and the girl’s dress. The polka dots on the dress are added in with a white gel pen. I used Stickles on the candle flames and some clear crystals at the flower centers to add some sparkle to the image.

The sparkle on the image goes perfectly with the sparkly striped paper I used for the panel at the bottom of the card. I added a decorative strip along the bottom of the panel to add interest. The “happy birthday” sentiment is set on this panel, accented with a matching button.

Materials Used:
Little Peep's Birthday Cake image and sentiment (Stamping Bella); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Berry Sorbet cardstock, Berry Sorbet satin ribbon, Berry Sorbet button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Blushing Bride cardstock (Stampin’ Up!) All About Girls matstack (DCWV); circle dies (Spellbinders); open scallop border die (My Favorite Things); clear crystals stickers (Offray); Yellow Stickles (Ranger); Bow Easy

Blogger Challenge: Week 166/Friends with Flair

This week’s blogger challenge is to use the colors red, green and yellow. I went the clean and simple route, combining just a bit of each color with lots of white space, to create this birthday card.

I started by stamping the birthday sentiment from Unity’s July Stampin’ Store Kit in black ink on a white card base. I used Copic markers in shades of red, green, and yellow to color in the letters that spell “birthday” for a little pop of color.

The trio of candles is made from scraps embossed with an embossing folder to add interest. I added a little flame to the top of each one, coated with Stickles for sparkle. Some pretty red crepe ribbon, tied in a bow, finishes off the festive card.

For more projects using these colors, you can check out what the rest of the challenge players have created. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right. And, for more Unity inspiration, check out the Friends with Flair list on the Unity blog.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Unity Stamp Co. July Stampin’ Store Kit, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Copic markers (Y18, R24, YG13), QuicKutz Diamonds and Dots embossing folder, Ranger Yellow Stickles, Creative Impressions red crepe ribbon

other: white cardstock (Xerox); Riding Hood Red, Daffodil Delight, and Certainly Celery cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); ¾” circle punch (EK Success)

You Make Learning Fun

Here’s my card for the second round of the SCS fall clean and simple challenge design team search. This round’s theme was fashion, translated as using designer paper on a clean and simple card.

I went with a school theme again, using a piece of Cosmo Cricket’s The Boyfriend pencil patterned paper for the panel on my cardfront. A strip of coordinating gold cardstock runs along the bottom of the designer paper. I stamped the sentiment from the Teacher set from Clear and Simple Stamps in black ink and accented it with a brown button. A row of paper piercing draws attention to the sentiment. I added a simple bow to make the card a little more feminine. It’s just perfect for letting a special teacher know how much she’s appreciated!

Materials Used:
Teacher stamp set, Perfect Little Black Dress ink (Clear and Simple Stamps); Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Harvest Gold cardstock, Harvest Gold grosgrain ribbon, button (Papertrey Ink); The Boyfriend designer paper (Cosmo Cricket); twine (The Cat’s Pajamas)

On the Journey of Life

Here’s another project using Across the Miles, this month’s stamp of the month from Clear and Simple Stamps. It was inspired by a recent trip to the beach. My best friend and her family joined us one morning and we walked along the beach (as best as we could with two kids and a super-bouncy puppy), collecting “treasures” for her older son to take home. That got me thinking what might happen to those treasures once they arrived at home, which in turn led me to this project.

I picked up a small, inexpensive wood suitcase at the craft store and painted it with brown acrylic paint. While waiting for the paint to set, I stamped the set’s “on the journey of life” sentiment in brown ink on a piece of plaid designer paper that I had cut to fit the front of the wood case.

After the paint dried, I attached the paper to the case using a coating of Mod Podge. After that had set, I went back and added a strip of sage twill tape just underneath the sentiment to draw attention to it in that sea of plaid. A simple brown button was the final accent. The box isn't really big inside, but it's just big enough to hold a few special items and mementos, like shells or ticket stubs.

Be sure to stop by the Clear and Simple Stamps iPhone app today. I have another CSS project featured exclusively over there. I can't reveal it here, but I'll say that it's another box, totally different from the one in this post, but inspired by the very same little (or not so little now that he's about to start first grade!) boy. You can get all the info about downloading the app to your iPhone or Touch right here.

Materials Used:
Across the Miles stamp set, Dish All the Dirt Brown button (Clear and Simple Stamps); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento); Mr. Campy-Happy Camper designer paper (Cosmo Cricket); twill tape (Martha Stewart); twine (Papertrey Ink); acrylic paint; Mod Podge; wooden suitcase

Brown Bag Blog Hop

It’s time for another Papertrey Ink Blog Hop. This month’s theme is projects using brown paper bags. I almost didn’t participate this month because I had a really hard time coming up with a project idea. But, I really enjoy participating in these hops (so much that last month, I actually finished my blog hop post and added my link from a wireless hot-spot at a local Panera due to an extended power outage at my house after a major summer rain storm . . .), so I kept thinking until an idea finally formed.

Here’s what I came up with—a gift card holder that uses a tiny brown paper bag as a pocket for the card. I started by cutting a few inches off of the open end of the gift bag to better fit the small size of the gift card.

The outside of the gift card holder is decorated with PTI’s Dotty Biscotti paper and images from the Fillable Frames #6 set. I made my own birthday candles by stamping one of the dot strips from Polka Dot Basics on scraps of Aqua Mist cardstock in Hawaiian Shores ink, then adding glittery flames made from Lemon Tart cardstock scraps.

The gift card slides out and is revealed when the recipient pulls on the bow. The card is held securely in place with the Aqua Mist twill. I used a panel of Hawaiian Shores cardstock along with the library pocket die to create the insert. I covered the front of the pocket with a scrap of the Dotty Biscotti paper to tie the two pieces together.

Materials Used:
Fillable Frames #6 and Polka Dot Basics stamp sets, Hawaiian Shores ink, Hawaiian Shores, Aqua Mist, Lemon Tart, and Kraft cardstock, Dotty Biscotti patterned paper, Fillable Frames #6 and library pocket dies, Aqua Mist twill, Hawaiian Shores button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Dazzling Diamonds and horizontal slot punch (Stampin’ Up!); ¾” circle punch

Flowers and Flakes

Here are my cards for the last two Viva la Verve August challenges. I got a little behind last week while I was working on Verve’s anniversary challenges . . .

I started with this simple birthday card, inspired by the colors in a bedding set. I flipped the layout on its side to accommodate the Plain Jane image. I stamped it twice so that I could cut out the flower image and attach it to the panel with foam tape for a dimensional look. The flower’s center is decorated with a self-adhesive pearl.

The rest of the card is very simple. I built it around an eggplant base. I added an olive strip, then a strip of paler purple paper with both a subtle pattern and texture. For an elegant touch, I added a piece of green satin ribbon across the card, tied in a pretty bow.

Materials Used:
Birthday Wishes Plain Jane (Verve Stamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic);Elegant Eggplant and Old Olive cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Latte matstack (DCWV); celery satin ribbon (Michaels); lemon self-adhesive pearl (KaiserCraft); foam tape

This one is inspired by this quilted bedding set. I was inspired by both the colors and the triangle shapes in the quilt’s pattern. Those triangles led me to a pair of Verve’s wintery sets that feature snowflakes made of triangles.

I stamped the smallest solid image from the Frosty Flakes set on shimmery white cardstock circles, then went back and stamped the matching outline image from the Christmas in the Air set in darker blue ink. A small rhinestone is set at the center of each flake for a little more sparkle. I stamped the “happy holidays” sentiment on the same shimmery white paper in the navy ink and arranged the pieces on a Marina Mist panel.

I used a larger shimmery white panel along the bottom of the card. Originally, the panel was plain—no embossing, no ribbon. Even though I usually go for clean and simple, it felt too plain to me. So, I went back and embossed the panel with a snowflake pattern and added a blue ribbon, too. Much better!

Materials Used:
Frosty Flakes and Christmas in the Air stamp sets (Verve Stamps); Night of Navy and Marina Mist Classic inks, Night of Navy, Marina Mist, and Shimmery White cardstock, Marina Mist grosgrain ribbon (Stampin’ Up!); 1” circle punch (EK Success); Snowflakes embossing folder (QuicKutz); rhinestones (Offray); foam tape

Taylored Expressions Blast from the Past Blog Hop

I’m excited to be participating in today’s Taylored Expressions Blast from the Past Blog Hop. You can find a full list of blog hop participants and links to their blogs at the end of my post.

Here’s my card for today’s hop, based on the sketch created by Sankari. I went for a masculine look using a combination of images from the You’re My Hero set. I stamped the accent images first on a Marina Mist panel in coordinating ink, then stamped the rocker over them in darker blue ink. For a shadowed look, I stamped the image again in white pigment ink, slightly offset.

The image is paired with a red and blue striped paper. To keep with the rock star theme, I included some star shaped and shiny silver accents to the card. I stamped the “rock” sentiment on a silver star and added it to the card using some foam tape.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the participants have created for the hop. Enjoy!


Materials Used:
You’re My Hero stamp set (Taylored Expressions); Marina Mist Classic ink, Marina Mist, Not Quite Navy, and Cherry Cobbler cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Enchanted Evening and Fresh Snow inks (Papertrey Ink); silver shimmer paper, silver satin ribbon (Target); Lil’ Robots designer paper (My Mind’s Eye); circle punches (EK Success); circle dies (Spellbinders); Classic Star border punch (Martha Stewart); foam tape

Cutie Patootie Dancer

This card features another one of the DoodleFactory People-Take a Seat images from Starving Artistamps. Here, Cutie Kid Lizzy takes center stage in a super girly card based on this week’s Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.

I colored the cutie to coordinate with the two glittery patterns of My Mind’s Eye paper that I used on the cardfront. I’ve realized I don’t use purples too often, so I’m making an effort to try to use them a little more. I added a little sparkle to the image with some fine glitter—matches the paper nicely. The cutie’s layered on the round panel using foam tape for some dimension.

The panels are arranged on a soft purple card base. Instead of going all purple, I used some pale green as a contrasting color. The “cutie patootie” sentiment from the Sentiments Baby set is stamped at the bottom of the card in a plum ink to finish the sweet, feminine card.

Materials Used:
DoodleFactory People-Take a Seat and Sentiments Baby stamp sets (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Plum Pudding ink, Spring Moss cardstock, Spring Moss satin ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Lovely Lavender cardstock (Gina K Designs); Penny Lane designer paper (My Mind’s Eye); circle dies (Spellbinders); Dazzling Diamonds, corner rounder (Stampin’ Up!); foam tape; Bow Easy

Celebrate Good Times

Here's my card for today's SCS clean and simple challenge. It was a color challenge using turquoise, white, and kraft. I ended up with a few more large layers than I'd usually use on a clean and simple card, but I think it still qualifies.

I used the balloon pair image from Verve's new Birthday Bash set (ordered on Friday night, arrived today--pretty fantastic shipping!). The balloons are colored turquoise with Copic markers. I stamped them a second time so I could cut them out and pop them up on foam tape for a "floatier" look.

I layered the image panel on a kraft dot embossed panel. The sentiment is stamped on a notched edge panel and embellished with a pair of silver brads for a little sparkle. I layered the kraft panel on a slightly larger white one, then on a turquoise card base. Quick and fun--good times!

I'm off to pay undivided attention to Chloe the cutie puppy. Somehow after a full hour at the dog park with a whole bunch of other dogs (followed by a walk home and a rinse in the tub), she still has loads of energy to burn. Amazing!

Materials Used:

Birthday Bash stamp set (Verve Stamps); white cardstock (Xerox); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Tempting Turquoise and Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin' Up!); circle die (Spellbinders); silver brads (Making Memories); Polka Dots embossing folder (QuicKutz); foam tape

Sweet Baby Sketch

Here’s my card for this week’s Our Craft Lounge sketch challenge. I went soft and girlie with a sweet baby card using images from the Tree-Mendous Love set.

I stamped the set’s giraffe image on a white panel and colored the image in shades of pink using Copic markers. I went back and added dots of Petal Pink Liquid Pearls to add some texture and dimension.

I dug through my scrap pile to find three coordinating scraps for the strips across the cardfront. Each scrap is from a different line (and even manufacturer), but they still work together nicely. I layered some felt flowers and leaves, attaching them at the center with pink brads, for the accents on either side of the image. The set’s “sweet baby” sentiment is stamped in black ink at the lower left corner of the card base.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Our Craft Lounge Tree-Mendous Love stamp set, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (R81, R83, R85, RV00, C00), My Mind’s Eye Abbey Road-Whirlybird "Blossom" Floating Flowers designer paper, GCD Studios Rose Colored Glasses-Light Stripe designer paper, October Afternoon Ducks in a Row designer paper, Creative Impressions felt flowers and brads, Ranger Pink Petal Liquid Pearls

other: Pink Pirouette and Regal Rose cardstock, corner rounder (Stampin’ Up!)

Woodlands Thinking of You

Here's my card for today's SCS sketch challenge. As soon as I saw this card, I thought of the tree images in the Woodlands set from Clear and Simple Stamps. I put together my own version with the Woodlands image and a similar fall-inspired color scheme.

The tree images are stamped in brown ink and colored with Copic markers. Since I made my version of the card a standard A2 size and had a little less height to work with, instead of embellishing the image panel with a ribbon at the top, I used a tiny piece of CSS's Dare to Be a Diva Red satin ribbon to make a ribbon tab. The tab is slipped under the left edge of the image panel.

I used scraps of two papers from October Afternoon's Farm Fresh line for the strips of paper that run down the cardfront. I went with a kraft panel instead of a white one for a more rustic look. The set's "thinking of you" sentiment is stamped in brown ink directly on the kraft panel.

Now I'm off to finish my laundry and vacuuming so I'll be ready to start the work week tomorrow . . .

Materials Used:

Woodlands stamp set, Dare to Be a Diva Red, Kraft Like a Rockstar, and A Blanc Check cardstock, Dare to Be a Diva Red satin ribbon (Clear and Simple Stamps); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento); markers (Copic-R12,R22,R24, R27, E25, E27, E99, Y17, Y18, YR04, YR16); Farm Fresh designer paper (October Afternoon)

Knowledge Is Power

Since I was a little girl, I've always loved to read. I'm one of those people who's always in the middle of a book and has at least one or two more by their side, waiting to be started. Given all of that, the I {Heart} Books set from My Favorite Things was a must have for my collection. I used it for my card for this week’s “hit the books” themed Wednesday Stamp Club challenge along with this week’s Color Throwdown challenge colors (Soft Sky, Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip, and Kraft).

I started with a simple kraft base and built a tiny scene using one of the reader images from the set and the Dienamics tree and grass dies. To add texture, I cut the grass from green felt. The grass and die cut/embossed tree are layered on a Soft Sky background. The reader is colored with Copic markers and set on the scene with foam tape.

I added a strip of brown ribbon just beneath the scene panel and a strip of celery cardstock along the bottom of the card. They helped to ground the image panel a bit on the cardfront. The set’s “knowledge is power” sentiment is stamped along the side of the scene—it just fit underneath the leafy tree!

Materials Used:
I {Heart} Books stamp set, Dienamics grass and tree dies, green felt (My Favorite Things); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Certainly Celery, Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip, and Crumb Cake cardstock, Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon (Stampin’ Up!); foam tape

I'm Here for You

Saturday brings a new sketch challenge over on the Planet, this week courtesy of Kim. I really wanted to use an image from the DoodleFactory People-Take a Seat stamps from Starving Artistamps that arrived in my mailbox yesterday, so I sort of stretched my interpretation of the sketch a bit to make my image fit. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I colored Casey, one of the Cutie Kids, with Copic markers and carefully cut her out for my focal image. She's set on a striped sky background. A strip of border punched grass is attached along the bottom of the striped panel for her to sit on. I stamped the "here for you" sentiment on the grass strip and dressed it up with some red stitched ribbon. The mini scene is set on the center of a red dotted paper, then on the aqua cardfront.

If you play along with this week's sketch challenge, please upload your card to the Paper Craft Planet gallery using the keyword sk082110 so it can be added to the album with the rest of this week's sketch-inspired creations.

Materials Used:
DoodleFactory People-Take a Seat (Casey Cutie Kid) and Here for You sets (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Kiwi Kiss cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Aqua Mist cardstock (Papetrey Ink); Lil' Man designer papers (Cosmo Cricket); grass border punch (Martha Stewart); red stitched grosgrain ribbon (Creative Impressions); foam tape

Sew Lovely

Happy weekend! It was a long week at work so I'm planning to spend a relaxing weekend with Chloe the cutie puppy. A trip to the dog park is in the plans, as is a trip to the store to pick up yet another new watch. Since Chloe's arrival, she's managed to break not just one, but two watches (and I somehow dropped a third in the driveway, where it was run over and squished beyond repair). Definitely not the kind of expense I anticipated with a new puppy . . .

Anyway, here’s another creation using Lawn Fawn stamps. I combined images from the Sew Lovely set with this week’s Mojo Monday sketch for this fun card. I used a bunch of different patterned papers from BoBunny’s Peacock Lane collection for my card to tie it all together. I love the combination of patterns and colors in this collection! For the focal image I paper pieced the set’s dress form image using some green grid patterned paper. The image panel is matted on a bold purple panel, then set on a striped paper panel. I added a strip of notched edge grosgrain ribbon and a twine-threaded button as accents.

I used a scallop edge die to cut the large scallops from the end of the gray dotted paper that covers most of the card. A strip of green cardstock runs across the top of the card, underneath the scallops, matching the color of the dress form. I dotted some silver Liquid Pearls on, matching the dots in the patterned paper. The set’s “you’re sew lovely” sentiment was stamped on a scrap of cardstock and attached at the bottom of the card using foam tape.

Materials Used:
Sew Lovely stamp set (Lawn Fawn); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); Hawaiian Shores and Simply Chartreuse cardstock, Simply Chartreuse grosgrain ribbon, Hawaiian Shores button, twine, large scallop die (Papertrey Ink); Vibrant Violet cardstock (Gina K Designs); Whisper White cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Peacock Lane designer papers (BoBunny); petite oval dies (Spellbinders); Silver Pearl Liquid Pearls (Ranger); foam tape

Bella Birthday

****Scroll down to the post below for my Blogger Challenge/Friends with Flair post.****

Here’s my card for this week’s Bellarific Friday from Stamping Bella. This week’s challenge was a pretty basic sketch. I ended up changing the image panel’s shape from a diamond to an elongated oval—much easier for me to die cut an oval than to use a paper cutter to form a somewhat symmetrical diamond.

The I Can't See a Thingabella image is stamped in black ink, then colored with Copic markers. I purposely stamped the image so that part of the image (the balloon) extended beyond the edge of the panel. I stamped that part of the image a second time, colored it too, and cut it out, then added it to the image panel with some foam tape. I drew in some grass and airbrushed in a very soft, pale sky.

I used some bright patterned paper from Bo Bunny for the panels on the cardfront. A strip of coordinating green ribbon hides the seam between the two papers. I added some looped ribbon to the strip at either end of the image panel as a fun embellishment. I also machine stitched around the edges of the card to add interest. The “happy birthday” sentiment fits in the bottom right corner of the card, accented by a trio of teeny, tiny sparkly stars. It’s hard to see in the photo, but there’s another one of those stars nestled in the fringe at the top of Bella’s party hat.

Materials Used:
I Can't See a Thingabella image and sentiment (Stamping Bella); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Simply Chartreuse cardstock, Simply Chartreuse ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Vibrant Violet cardstock (Gina K Designs) Peacock Lane Stripes designer paper (Bo Bunny); petite oval dies (Spellbinders); tiny star crystal stickers (Taylored Expressions); foam tape; sewing machine

Blogger Challenge: Week 165/Friends with Flair

This week’s blogger challenge theme is back to school. I created a clean and simple back to school card using images from some Unity kits.

I love this school house image from last August's Kit of the Month--it’s just too cute! I stamped it on a scrap of white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers, then cut it out. I wanted to set it on a simple scene, so I built one using an aqua paper panel. To add a school-themed accent, I used a spiral edge punch across the top of the panel. I used a border punch to create the grass strip that runs across the front of the card. The school house is attached to the cardfront with some foam tape. I stamped the “sending you a little happy” sentiment from the May 2010 Kit of the Month on the grass strip in black ink and added an aqua button as a simple accent.

For more back to school themed projects, you can check out what the rest of the challenge players have created. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right. And, for more Unity inspiration, check out the Friends with Flair list on the Unity blog.

Materials Used:
August 2009 and May 2010 Kits of the Month (Unity Stamp Co.); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Simply Chartreuse cardstock, Library Ledger patterned paper, Hawaiian Shores button (Papertrey Ink); Crumb Cake cardstock, spiral edge punch (Stampin’ Up!); grass border punch (Martha Stewart); twine (The Cat’s Pajamas); foam tape

Anni-Verve-Sary Cards Part II

Chloe the cutie puppy and I are back from a fun romp at the dog park. While she rests and recovers, I thought I'd post my last three cards for Verve’s anniversary and release week challenges.

Here’s card number three. I used an image and coordinating sentiment from the Always on My Mind set on the focal image panel. The tiny star is paper pieced using a scrap of gold shimmer paper.

I continued the star theme with some star patterned paper covering most of the cardfront. I used coordinating colors for the solid and scalloped panels underneath the image panel and for the two grosgrain ribbon strips that run across the card. I dug through my stash to find a trio of gold-ish brads to use as an accent. I don’t use much gold, so it was a challenge! I added one more star, punched from gold shimmer paper, to complete the design.

Materials Used:
Always on My Mind stamp set (Verve Stamps); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); Riding Hood Red, Not Quite Navy, More Mustard, and Very Vanilla cardstock, large star punch (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (K & Company); Enchanted Evening grosgrain ribbon, large scallop border die (Papertrey Ink); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); star brads (Joann); gold shimmer paper (Target)

On to card number four . . . I pulled out a Verve set I haven’t used in a while, Practically Perfect, to make a girlie baby card. I colored the girl bunny image in shades of pink using Copic markers. Her necklace is dotted with pink Liquid Pearls for texture and shimmer.

She’s paired with a dotted circle pattern designer paper in pink, blue, and green pastel shades. I used a solid piece of green cardstock across the center of the card and a pair of pink grosgrain ribbon strips to set the image panel off from the background. I stamped the sentiment in coordinating pink ink and layered it on a matching pink scalloped circle.

Materials Used:
Practically Perfect stamp set (Verve Stamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Summer Dream matstack (DCWV); Sweet Blush ink, Sweet Blush grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Pink Petal Liquid Pearls (Ranger); petite oval and scalloped petite oval dies (Spellbinders)

And, here’s the final card, number five. The colors came from this week’s Curtain Call Color Challenge. I though the challenge colors—Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, Kiwi Kiss, and Whisper White—would make a great masculine card, so that’s what I went for.

I stamped the large open flourish image from Verve’s Happy Days set in Kiwi Kiss, then added the sentiment in Pacific Point. The image panel is matted on a Kiwi Kiss circle, then layered on a piece of SU!’s retired Haiku designer paper. I used a combination of paper and ribbon to make the strips across the cardfront to add some texture while keeping the overall look masculine.

Materials Used:
Happy Days stamp set (Verve Stamps); Pacific Point and Kiwi Kiss Classic inks, Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango, and Whisper White cardstock, Haiku designer series paper, corner rounder (Stampin’ Up!); Simply Chartreuse grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink); circle dies (Spellbinders); foam tape

You Float My Boat

Here’s another card featuring this month’s Stamp of the Month from Clear and Simple Stamps. This card uses the cute boat image from the Across the Miles set along with a tiny accent from the Sweet Hearts set.

The boat is stamped on white cardstock, colored with Copic markers, and cut out. I added some Glossy Accents to the boat’s windows (portholes?), then set it aside. I stamped the image a second time on a white panel, this time adding in some blue water beneath the boat. The cut out boat is attached to the panel with some foam tape. The heart trio from the Sweet Hearts set is stamped above the boat in red ink.

I paired the boat image with a plaid paper panel. A red grosgrain ribbon strip, stamped with the set’s “you float my boat” sentiment, runs across the plaid paper. I added a True Blue Fan button, tied with a scrap of narrower red grosgrain ribbon, as a final accent.

Materials Used: Across the Miles and Sweet Hearts stamp sets, Perfect Little Black Dress ink, True Blue Fan, Dare to Be a Diva Red, and A Blanc Check cardstock, True Blue Fan button (Clear and Simple Stamps); Copic markers (B0000, B000, B00, B24, B24, E31, E33, E35, R12, R22, R24, R27, C-1, C-3, C-5)Real Red Classic ink, ¼” Real Red grosgrain ribbon (Stampin’ Up!); Summer Dreams matstack (DCWV); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); Glossy Accents (Ranger); foam tape

Be sure to stop by the CSS iPhone app every day for more CSS inspiration. You can find all the info about the app and download it here. Here's a little sneak peek of the project featured today, created by me!

Dreaming of You

***Scroll down to the post below to see my projects for the Lawn Fawn Cards for Kids Blog Hop.***

Here's my card for this week's SCS sketch challenge. It features one of the cute digi images from this month's Chicken Girl Design release, available at i {heart} papers.

I printed the sleepy sheep image twice on white cardstock so that I could layer the images for a dimensional look. The images are colored with Copic markers and the sheep part is popped up with foam tape. To add a little sparkle, I covered the little tuft on the top of the sheep's head with some Sugar Sparkly Fluff. I printed the "dreaming of you" sentiment along the edge of the blue panel that I layered the image on.

This sketch has a lot of layers! For two of them, I went with solids and for the other two, I used coordinating prints from the October Afternoon Thrift Shop collection. I added a strip of ruffle edged faux suede ribbon along one of the panels for a little more texture. Too sweet!

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Dreaming of You digi image, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (Y000, Y11, Y13, Y18, R32, B0000, B000, C00, C-1, C-3, C-5, C-7), Our Craft Lounge Sugar Sparkly Fluff, October Afternoon Thrift Shop designer papers, May Arts ivory ruffle edge faux suede ribbon

other: Hawaiian Shores cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Barely Banana cardstock (Stampin' Up!)

Lawn Fawn Cards for Kids Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the Lawn Fawn Hearts Cards for Kids Blog Hop! We have all come together today to make cards for a wonderful cause, Cards for Kids! We hope to encourage you to also make cards for this great cause and have fun along the way, too! So please hop along with us, and make sure to leave comments as there will be prizes for commenters and participants! So let's get going! You should have arrived here from the talented Tenia's blog. If you're just finding the hop or you've gotten lost along the way, you can always start at the beginning at the Lawn Fawn blog. Thank you so much for hopping along with us today!

Here’s my fun kid-friendly card, made by combining images from Lawn Fawn’s Critters in the ‘Burbs and Partly Cloudy sets. The cute little puppy image takes center stage here. I colored the image to match my own Chloe the cutie puppy. It doesn’t show in the photo, but the puppy image wiggles from side to side, thanks to some foam tape and pennies hidden behind the image—too cute!

The clouds are stamped in white pigment ink on a blue panel. I machine stitched some layered patterned paper strips to the bottom of the panel to act as grass. I added the “yay!” sentiment on a small circle at the bottom of the scene, accented with a small blue button threaded with some twine.

Materials Used:
Critters in the ‘Burbs and Partly Cloudy stamp sets (Lawn Fawn); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Fresh Snow ink, twine (Papertrey Ink); Bashful Blue and Old Olive cardstock, Haiku designer series paper (Stampin’ Up!); gray Glaze pen (Sakura); circle punches (EK Success); blue button (Clear and Simple Stamps); foam tape; sewing machine

And, while I had my Lawn Fawn stamps out, I made another quick card, this time for the current Embellish color and style challenge. My quirky, cutesy, clean card features images from the Partly Cloudy set. I stamped the cloud image in cream ink on an aqua panel and added some aqua rain drops, masking the clouds along the way. Each cloud is outlined with a clear Stardust pen for some sparkle and shimmer. I stamped the smiling sun image in melon ink, positioning it so that it looks like it’s peeking out from behind one of the sparkly clouds.

I stamped the set’s coordinating sentiment on a cream strip, edged with a melon scalloped strip along the bottom. The set’s umbrella image is stamped in melon ink (with a touch of brown) on a melon cardstock scrap and carefully cut out, then placed at the left edge of the image panel using foam tape.

Thanks for stopping by today! Your next stop along the hop is Deb's blog. Enjoy!

Materials Used:
Partly Cloudy stamp set (Lawn Fawn); Vintage Cream, Melon Berry, and Aqua Mist inks, Vintage Cream, Melon Berry, and Aqua Mist cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Crumb Cake cardstock, scallop edge punch (Stampin’ Up!); clear Stardust pen (Sakura); foam tape

I'll Owl-ways Be Your Friend

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

Here’s my card for this week’s Our Craft Lounge sketch challenge. I used the two different owl images from the Swingin' By set for the trio of circles running along the right edge of the card. The owls are colored with Copic markers in earthy tones and their eyes are dotted with some Glossy Accents to add some interest (doesn’t show too well in the photo, though . . .)

I used more earth tones for the rest of the card. Most of the card front is covered with a panel of Upsy Daisy patterned paper. I embossed a portion of a mustard panel with the Diamonds and Dots embossing folder and set that across the center of the cardfront, edged with narrow strips of paper pierced olive cardstock to set it apart from the patterned paper. A strip of brown crepe ribbon is tied just underneath where the embossing ends and the set's friendship sentiment is stamped just below the knot. The owl images are attached to the cardfront with foam tape.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Our Craft Lounge Swingin' By stamp set, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Copic markers, Nestabilities circle dies, QuicKutz Diamonds and Dots embossing folder, Upsy Daisy A Walk in the Park-Beautiful designer paper, Creative Impressions brown crepe ribbon, Ranger Glossy Accents

other: Old Olive, More Mustard, and Chocolate Chip cardstock (Stampin' Up!); foam tape

Get Organized with the i {heart} papers DT

The theme for this month's i {heart} papers design team challenge is organization. We've all created a project that can be used to help get a handle on all that's going on in our busy lives.

I find that I tend to write lots of little notes about things to remember on small pieces of paper. Those papers tend to get scattered everywhere (or, when my back's turned, "stolen" and chewed up by one Chloe the cutie puppy, as was the fate of two different sticky notes last night . . .) and it's hard to keep track of them. So, I altered a wooden clothespin that I picked up at a craft store to help me keep the notes all in one place.

I started by painting the wood piece with some bright yellow gold acrylic paint. While waiting for the paint to dry, I cut a piece of October Afternoon designer paper to fit the flat front of the clothespin. I stamped the ruled line image from the Mint Motif School Basics set on the patterned paper in black ink, then used a black pen to write the word "notes" in my very best kindergarten teacher handwriting.

After the paint had dried, I used Mod Podge to secure the paper to the wood. Once the Mod Podge had dried, I added a few simple decorations. Some light blue faux suede ribbon, layered with some white velvet ric rac, is wrapped around the front of the clothespin. I found that the i {stick} papers redline tape held the ribbon really well. I added a felt flower, embellished with a Copic marker colored self-adhesive crystal at the center, to finish the project.

Be sure to check out the rest of the IHP DT for more fun organizational ideas. Here's where to find them:

Carolyn
Cathleen
Deb
Gretchen
Kendra
Loretta
Lori (you're here!)
Lynn
Megan
Tracy
Kate

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: October Afternoon Fly a Kite designer paper, Mint Motif School Basics stamp set, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, May Arts light blue faux suede ribbon and white velvet ric rac, i {stick} papers redline tape, Queen & Co white felt flower, Zva Creative clear self-adhesive crystal dot, Copic marker (BG13)

other: acrylic paint, wooden clothespin, Mod Podge

Monochromatic Moon Beams

Here's my pretty loose interpretation of this week's SCS clean and simple challenge. It's based on a sketch that had an image panel running across the card, so I ran with that part and switched up the rest to fit the sweet image from Ippity's Moon Beam & Heart Strings Kit that I really wanted to use. I came up with a girly, monochromatic baby card in no time at all.

I stamped the moon and stars image in rose ink on a white panel for the focal image. I slipped a star border punched strip underneath the bottom edge of the stamped panel and a matching rose trip along the top, then attached the panels to a pale pink card base. I stamped the coordinating sentiment above the image panel and wrapped some pink and white twine around the card a few times to add some interest.

The twine makes my card fit this week's Ippity challenge to use string on your card. I've got plenty of string lying around since while I was finishing up my card, Chloe the cutie puppy managed to destroy a new rope toy that I got her on Saturday. I looked down at her and there were piles of shredded string everywhere. Needless to say, I've seen enough string to last me for a few days--LOL! A matching pink button is tied through the ends of the string to complete the card. I'm now off to vacuum up the remnants of Chloe's rope toy before she swallows any more threads . . .

Materials Used:

Moon Beam & Heart Strings Kit (Ippity); Regal Rose Classic ink, Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, and Whisper White cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Classic Stars border punch (Martha Stewart); pink Divine Twine (The Cat's Pajamas); Paint the Town Pink button (Clear and Simple Stamps)

Anni-Verve-Sary Challenges, Part I

I spent some time this weekend working on cards for Verve's anniversary release challenges. I finished the first two and hopefully will have the other three to share later this week.

Here's the first card. The colors were inspired by this week's Color Throwdown colors--Elegant Eggplant, Always Artichoke, and Soft Suede. I came pretty close to the colors and threw in a little cream, too.

I used a piece of striped paper from DCWV's Latte mat stack for the panel at the center of the cardfront. I added some solid eggplant and soft suede panels to contrast with the stripes, then added the medallion image from Thankful Accents as the focal image. It's stamped in eggplant on a cream panel and dusted around the edges with some suede ink for a softer look. The sentiment is stamped on another cream panel, layered on an artichoke mat, and attached to the center of the medallion image with some foam tape.

I added a few elegant details to the card. The ribbon that runs across the card is looped to add dimension and accented with a pair of self-adhesive pearls. I used an embossed bracket punch to frame the panels on the cardfront.

Materials Used:
Thankful Accents stamp set (Verve Stamps); Elegant Eggplant and Soft Suede ink, Elegant Eggplant, Soft Suede, Always Artichoke, and Very Vanilla cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Latte matstack (DCWV); olive grosgrain ribbon (Morex); circle dies (Spellbinders); circle punches, Bracket border punch (EK Success); self-adhesive pearls (Queen & Co.); foam tape

Here's card number two. I flipped the sketch so I could make a simple scene using images from the Up, Up, and Away set. I set the scene on a piece of Marina Mist cardstock. The clouds are paper pieced with white cardstock (I may go back and glitter them up . . .) and the balloon is paper pieced with a scrap of dotted paper. I had just enough room at the bottom of the scene to stamp a sentiment from the Great Expectations set.

I used a combination of striped and dotted paper for the panels on the cardfront. The colors in the striped paper inspired the colors for the card. The dots on the yellow paper are stamped with the dotted background stamp from Bountiful Backgrounds--it's great to be able to make dotted paper in whatever colors you need. A little coordinating yellow ribbon with notched edges completes the fun, bold design.

Check back later this week to see my creations for the remaining challenges . . .

Materials Used:
Up, Up, and Away, Great Expectations, and Bountiful Backgrounds stamp sets (Verve Stamps); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); marker (Copic); Marina Mist, Riding Hood Red, Daffodil Delight, and Whisper White cardstock, Riding Hood Red Prints designer series paper, Daffodil Delight, corner rounder (Stampin' Up!); Scooter's Vacation-Ruffin' It designer paper (Imaginisce); Straw ink (Vivid); circle punches (EK Success); foam tape

Simple Thanks

Here's my card for today's SCS featured stamper challenge. It's based on this clean and simple birthday card. Mine's pretty similar, with a few adjustments to the design to make it my own.

Before I stamped anything, I used a scrap of paper as a guide for scoring a "frame" on my kraft card base using the Scor-Buddy, a smaller version of the Scor-Pal. Kate has just gotten these back in stock at i {heart} papers and with markings at each 1/4", they're great for card making.

I replaced the leaf images used in the original card with different leaf images. Mine are from the Harvest of Memories half of Unity's August Stampin Store Kit. I stamped them in Rich Cocoa ink on the kraft card base. The sentiment comes from the same kit. Once I was done stamping the leaves, I used a white pen to highlight the embossed frame. I played around with adding a ribbon or some twine around, but in the end, let the simple framed images speak for themselves.

Materials Used
from i {heart} papers: Scor-Buddy, Unity Stamp Co. August 2010 Stampin' Store Kit-Harvest of Memories & Learning {year by year}, Memento Rich Cocoa ink, Ranger Inkssentials white pen

other: Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin' Up!)

You're Yummy

This week’s Wednesday Stamp Club challenge from My Favorite Things was to use cupcakes on your project. Since I haven't used one of MFT's fun Flopsey images in a while, I went with the cute Cupcake Flopsey image for my simple but sweet card.

Flopsey’s colored with Copic markers and cut out. I used some foam tape to layer Flopsey on a round patterned paper panel, cut with a circle die. One side of the circle is covered with a strip of teal grosgrain ribbon that runs from the top to the bottom of the pink card base. The other side has paper piercing around it as a simple accent.

I added a button embellished bow to the ribbon to dress the card up a little. The sentiment is stamped in the same teal ink and layered on a matching panel. I set it just underneath Flopsey’s feet, almost like he’s standing on it.

Materials Used:
Cupcake Flopsey stamp set (My Favorite Things); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Blushing Bride cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Hawaiian Shores ink, Hawaiian Shores cardstock, Hawaiian Shores grosgrain ribbon, Hawaiian Shores button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Summer Dream matstack (DCWV); circle die (Spellbinders); foam tape

Calming Blue Thinking of You

Chloe the cutie puppy and I have had a busy Saturday. My sister stopped by to visit Miss Chloe, then we headed out for lunch and a little shopping. I came home and stamped for a while, then Chloe and I walked over to the dog park. She played happily with pair of labradoodle puppies just a few months older than she is, but later on, got pinned down and snapped at by another dog. After that I decided we'd had enough dog park excitement for one day, so we headed home for a bath (for Chloe) and a shower (for me). We're both tired now and looking forward to a relaxing evening.

Here’s my card for this week’s Mojo Monday sketch challenge. It's kind of a soft, calming card, perfect for the kind of evening I'm hoping for--LOL! I went with a soft silhouette paired with my new favorite color, Trendsetter Blue from Clear and Simple Stamps.

I stamped the silhouette image from the Kind Deeds set from CSS on a cream panel for my focal image. The panel is set against an elegant patterned paper from a Pink Paislee paper pack. The paper’s color is a perfect match for CSS’s new Trendsetter Blue paper!

I added the “thank you” sentiment, stamped in the coordinating Trendsetter Blue ink, across the bottom of the image panel, layered on coordinating strips of cardstock. A piece of CSS’s Dish All the Dirt brown satin ribbon runs down the front of the card, accented by a matching button.

Materials Used:
Kind Deeds stamp set, On the Catwalk Cream and Trendsetter Blue inks, Trendsetter Blue, Dish All the Dirt Brown, Kraft Like a Rockstar, and On the Catwalk Cream cardstock, Dish all the Dirt Brown satin ribbon, Dish all the Dirt Brown button (Clear and Simple Stamps); 365 Degrees designer paper (Pink Paislee); scallop edge punch (Stampin’ Up!); twine (The Cat’s Pajamas)

Go Forth and Eat Cake

Happy Saturday! It’s my turn to host this week’s Paper Craft Planet sketch challenge. I have another one of my favorite, go-to sketches to share with you today.

I used one of the fun birthday bunny sets, Forget About the Cake, from The Cat’s Pajamas for the focal image on my sample. The image is colored with Copic markers. I added a little Yellow Stickles to the candle flames for some sparkle and colored around the edges of the image in pale yellow for a soft, candlelight-ish glow.

The rest of the layout is very simple. I put a piece from a panel of My Mind’s Eye designer paper (that had been sitting on my table for a while) at the bottom of a Daffodil Delight card base. Starting at the left edge of the card base, I ran a piece of red grosgrain ribbon along the top of the paper panel. It’s embellished with a button, but that could be replaced with another embellishment, like a flower or chipboard piece. I stamped the “go forth & eat cake” sentiment on a white circle, matted it on a red one, then attached it to the cardfront, overlapping the right edge of the image panel.

I have a pair of other cards using this sketch on my blog. You can check them out here and here (second card in the post) if you want some more ideas to get you started. If you’re inspired and have a chance to play along, upload your card to the PCP gallery with the keyword sk081410 so that it can be added to the album with the rest of this week’s creations.

Materials Used:
Forget About the Cake stamp set (The Cat’s Pajamas); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Daffodil Delight and Real Red cardstock, circle punches, Real Red grosgrain ribbon (Stampin’ Up!); Quite Contrary designer paper (My Mind’s Eye); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); button (Papertrey Ink); Yellow Stickles (Ranger); foam tape

Bellarific Friday with Balloon Bling

****Scroll down to the post below to see my blogger challenge/Friends with Flair post.****

Here’s my card for this week’s Bellarific Friday from Stamping Bella. This week’s challenge was to use bling on your project. I altered the Tiddlyinks solly'TUDE image just a bit to add my balloon bling.

The image is stamped in black ink, omitting the heart-shaped balloons, then colored with Copic markers. I added a little Stickles to the heart on her shirt for some extra sparkle. Two crystal heart stickers are added to replace the balloons I omitted when I stamped the image. Even though they’re super sparkly, they looked a little plain, so I colored the open spaces inside the hearts to match my little girl.

I layered the image panel on a piece of kraft paper with a foil heart pattern. A small scalloped strip is at the bottom of the patterned paper, dotted with some silvery Liquid Pearls. The “love is in the air” sentiment is stamped directly on the patterned paper, alongside the image panel.

Materials Used:
solly'TUDE image and sentiment (Stamping Bella); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Cherry Cobbler and Chocolate Chip cardstock, Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, scallop edge punch (Stampin’ Up!); Ka-Zoo collection designer paper (K & Company); Scarlet Jewel button (Papertrey Ink); twine (The Cat’s Pajamas); Silver Pearl Liquid Pearls, Ruby Slippers Glitz Stickles (Ranger); crystal heart stickers (Gartner); foam tape