Watercolor Rose "Throw-Back"

Today, I did something different from my usual trend. I made a card, just because I needed to. No sketches. No color challenges. Just sitting at my desk creating. I made a very similar card a few months ago using the Watercolor Rose technique. It had been a long time since I had used my Fifth Avenue Floral set, so I wanted to see if I actually remembered how to use this great watercoloring technique. Turns out I forgot a few things...

There is an AWESOME video tutorial over at Patty's Stamping Spot (on Patty Bennett's blog). I know this isn't necessarily a "new" technique, but if you have never tried it, click the link above! 

Everything is pretty well explained on Patty's blog, so I won't go into detail on the "how to's". I will just tell you what I used to achieve this result on my image. I used three colors of re-inkers: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo and Crushed Curry (retired). I blended a couple of the colors together on some of the sections of the rose. The Shimmery White cardstock gives such a great effect when it's done (you can see it on the second photo). The key is to have patience once you get the color result and just let the image dry. I tried to use my heat tool to "hurry-up" the process and ended up "charring" the white embossing powder on the image outline...yay, me! Since I didn't really think that a stinky, brown-ish outline on half of the card was really the look I was going for...I re-stamped and tried again. (If you read my post before this one, you will completely understand the week I have been having with "mishaps" on my projects.) Uggggh!! So, today I decided that I would redo the image, then head out for a run with my sweet dog, Ozzy and the new tunes on my iPod. Hmmm, patience is such a virtue!  

I added a couple of leaves to the flower, using my oval punch. Then decided to add some detailed "veins" to them using my Bone Folder. The background on the Melon Mambo card was created using the large image from the Baroque Motifs set, randomly stamped to fill the space. I added a small layer of Razzleberry Lemonade DSP (retired), a layer with the Eyelet Border punch (to tie in all of the colors), then some bling. I wish the card was for a happier occasion, though. :(

Stampin' Up Supply List: 
Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Baroque Motifs, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Basic Black classic ink, Whisper White craft ink
Paper: Melon Mambo, Basic Black, Whisper White cardstock, Shimmery White cardstock (for the flower) and  Razzleberry Lemonade DSP (retired)
Accessories: Clear Embossing powder, Heat Tool, Eyelet Border punch, 1 3/8" x 5/8" Oval punch (sentiment and leaves), 1 3/4" x 7/8" Oval punch, bling (non-SU!)

Hope you had a great day today,

Cheep Talkin' Challenges

Ah, Monday...where do the weekends go? We had a great weekend, I hope you did as well.  We hosted a BBQ on Saturday for a bunch of old friends and it was so much fun to catch up with everyone. Sunday was quite possibly the laziest day my husband and I have had in a long time. Sometimes you just NEED that though, right? 

For my inspiration today I used two challenges, which is really not shocking, I know...I pretty much ALWAYS do. :)

First up, I went with the fabulous color combo over at The Playdate Cafe blog. I went with Concord Crush, Kiwi Kiss (retired) and Basic Gray for my color mix. I like this combo a LOT and will definitely be using it again!

Next, I used the sketch from the Pals Paper Arts blog. I really liked the simplicity of this one...although I struggled with deciding on my stamp set for some crazy reason. As I was looking through my stamps, Cheep Talk stood out, so I went with it.

I really wanted this card to be all about the color so kept it pretty simple. I did add two strips of silver fiber on either side of the ribbon for a little sparkle. Also, when I was getting it all put together, I realized I didn't have any buttons that matched Kiwi Kiss. No buttons? No problem! I punched a 3/4" circle of Kiwi Kiss cardstock and adhered it to the back of a clear button. Instant Kiwi Kiss embellishment....woot woot! I also added tiny accents to the bird's eyes to give them a little more personality.Then I tied some silver elastic cord (retired) to the button along with some bling accents on the corners to finish it off. 

Hey, I have a question...anyone out there ever finish a card completely and then decide you just had to mess with one, teeny, tiny element on it? Then by doing so, it goes horribly wrong and you completely ruin what you were attempting to fix? Just me? *Sigh* I am going to share my "GRRRRR moment-of-the-day" because I'm hoping by sharing it I will feel better about it...and possibly hear that I am not alone in my struggle. :) 

Imagine the card is 100% complete and then someone (who is not ready to admit it yet) decided that one of the leaves on the image weren't fully stamped to her OCD standards. Then someone thought "hmmm, maybe I will add a little ink to my blender pen and try to fill it in". Yeah, that was a BAD IDEA!! It's an even worse idea when the card is completely assembled and stuck down. (Anyone who has crafted with me knows my love of SNAIL adhesive...) So, needless to say, I had to redo the image. Then I, very strategically, removed the ruined image to add the new one. It came off, in torn pieces. Fantastic! I re-stamped a new one (and changed the sentiment, also) in a fit of anger and somehow got it reattached without ruining any more of the card. 


I have included a picture so that if I ever decide to do something like this again, I can refer to this post and stop myself. Note that icky leaf that almost ruined my day. Now, note the crumpled paper. That was my continuation of the "fit of anger". Okay I feel better by sharing that...although slightly embarassed admitting it. I should tag this post "Angry Stamping" or perhaps "When Good Stampin' Plans Go Bad"...HaHa! 

Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Cheep Talk
Ink: Concord Crush, Kiwi Kiss and Basic Gray classic ink
Paper: Concord Crush, Kiwi Kiss, Basic Gray and Whisper White cardstock, Concord Crush DSP In-Color pad (Level 1, Hostess set)
Accessories: 3/4" Circle punch, Clear Buttons, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig
Non-SU! Accessories: ribbon, fibers, bling...MY SANITY!!! 


Have a great day! 

Handbag Therapy

Okay, I have to come clean in this post. I'm a "bag lady". I have a ridiculous "collection" of cute and sassy bags. One particular brand of bag (that starts with a "C") is the main component of my collection. *Sigh* 


For some reason, this week's sketch at The Paper Players blog inspired me to make a card about my obsession. Hmmm, is it a sign that it may be time for a new bag for the fall season? :)

The color combo came from.....me! I wanted to participate in a color challenge but decided to just let the sketch dictate the color combo. I really wanted to use the Greenhouse Gala DSP because I love the bright color mix of this paper.

Some time ago, I saw this cute idea to make these little "punch handbags" on Splitcoast Stampers (sorry, I can't remember exactly WHO it was)  and thought they would be fun on this card. The bags are made from the Round Tab, Curly Label and 1 1/4" Circle punches. I made the handles by double punching the  1 3/4" x 7/8" Oval punch and the 1 3/8" x 5/8" Oval punch. The little "flaps" on the bags were made with the Modern Label and 1 3/4" x 7/8" punches and accented with silver brads.  

After I decided on the punches, I needed a cute image to go with them (yes, I do things backwards, I know). My friend Dawn gave me this sassy, little stamp last month as a gift. (She is so sweet!) I thought it would be PERFECT with this card. She looks like she's contemplating getting her  little mitts on a new bag, doesn't she? Just like me! Hee Hee! 

I colored her in and then paper pieced her skirt to match one of the bags to tie in all of the colors. Then I added an itty-bitty dab of sparkle on her necklace and handbag so she would be perfectly accessorized. The sentiment just seemed so perfect because let's be honest, who doesn't LOVE a little "retail therapy" every now and again! 

Have a great Saturday! I'm off to get some things ready for a BBQ we are hosting today. Maybe I can sneak in a little shopping trip, too...hmmmm! 

Stampin' Up! Supply List: 

Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso and Whisper White cardstock, Greenhouse Gala DSP

Ink: Basic Black and Early Espresso classic ink, Versa-mark

Punches: Round Tab, Curly Label, 1 1/4" Circle, Modern Label, Word Window, 1 3/4" x 7/8" Oval, 1 3/8" x 5/8" Oval, 1 1/4" Square and 1 3/8" XL Square

Accessories: Daffodil Delight 3/8" Taffeta ribbon, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, black embossing powder, silver brads

Non-SU! products: stamped image and sentiment, glitter glue and some really FABULOUS markers

Happy Stamping, 

Upsy Daisy Throwdown

Yesterday, I spent some time catching up and creating with my stampin' pal, Dawn. Her mom is in town visiting and made a fabulous lunch for all of us, as well. Mmmmm! As an added bonus, I got some quality "cuddle time" with Dawn's 2 1/2 month old baby boy, which always makes me smile. :) We decided to try our hands at a couple of challenges today, since we always gain a ton of inspiration from them. I went with my usual "dynamic duo" consisting of a color challenge and a sketch challenge...it seems to work for me so why mess with a good thing, right?

When I saw this color combo over at The Color Throwdown blog, I was super excited to "throw it down". I love, love, LOVE Melon Mambo and Pacific Point is such an awesome, vibrant blue...but then there was River Rock, ugh! Try as I may, I just am perplexed by this color, perhaps I need to attempt to use it more frequently...it's just NOT my favorite. I think I have used 1/2 of a sheet of River Rock cardstock in over 2 years...

I recently heard about the Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenges from one of their DT member's (and fellow SU! demo), Genny, and decided to give it a go this week. Thanks, Genny and team for a fun sketch challenge! I was fun to participate with y'all for the first time . :) 

The floral image in the Upsy Daisy set is such a fun, bold silhouette on it's own. But I really wanted it to stand-out a little more on this card. So, I added some Dazzling Diamonds mixture (see below) to the image for sparkle. Thanks to Dawn for reminding me of this great technique, as I hadn't used it in a while. I'm adding instructions, in case someone out there hasn't tried it before. 

To achieve this look: 

-First, I wiped an Embossing Buddy over my Whisper White cardstock to catch any stray embossing powder.  

-Second, I used a Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to stamp my image in Melon Mambo on the white cardstock.
-Next, I cleaned my stamp, then re-inked it in Versa-Mark.
-Then, I used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to perfectly place my (Versa-Mark'ed) stamp over the existing (Melon Mambo) image on the cardstock. I chose to stamp it, just a wee bit off from the original image, for a little "shadow".
-After stamping, I sprinkled some Dazzling Diamonds embossing powder and Heat & Stick powder (50/50 mixture blended together...thanks Dawn for letting me use yours) over the image and heat embossed it. 
-Voila! Sparkly stamped SUCCESS! :)


I also decided to tie the hemp twine on through some eyelets, since just knotting it around the cardstock alone, was causing it to tear. Oops! Hope you like how it all came together. I'd love to hear what you think! :) 

 

Stampin' Up! Supply List:
Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Melon Mambo and Pacific Point classic ink, Versa-Mark
Paper: Melon Mambo, Pacific Point, River Rock and Whisper White cardstock, Good Morning Sunshine DSP (retired) and Razzleberry Lemonade DSP (retired)
Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds embossing powder, Heat and Stick powder (blended together with Dazzling Diamonds), hemp twine, 1 3/8" x 5/8"Oval punch, 1 3/4" x 7/8" Oval punch, Crop-A-Dile
Non SU! Accessories: pink bling, (Dawn's) blue eyelets and blue ribbon 

Have a great day!
Until next time,

Christmas Cheer...Inspired by Benjamin

Hello and Happy Tuesday! This card was about 5 different cards before this end result was achieved. Eeek, ever have THAT kind of day?! It all started because I REALLY wanted to give the fun color challenge from The Playdate Cafe a whirl. For some reason all I could think of creating with this combo was a Christmas card! Why?? If you have visited my blog before, you know my aversion to traditional colored holiday cards. The red/green combo is NOT my favorite. So it's completely logical why I would think of creating a holiday card with this mix of colors, right? HaHa! :) 

Anyway, I used Real Red, Garden Green, Bermuda Bay...and of course, Whisper White and Basic Black.

From there I started THREE (yes, three) different sketch challenges before I decided on this week's Mojo Monday sketch. I'm just really having an "off" day today...must be the gloomy, rainy weather here in Texas today. 

I found these great patterned papers in my stash of non-SU! goodies (there are quite a few on this card today) and they seemed to do the trick for the color combo. The striped paper had kind of a strange, lighter shade of blue-ish turquoise, that almost seemed too light for the card. So I just grabbed my Bermuda Bay ink pad and a sponge and magically changed it to a shade that matched a little better. Ha, take that patterned paper! :)

The decision on the stamped image was also a process for me today. First it was a snowman, then an ornament, then a different snowman, back to the ornament...then I remembered this cute stamp I bought because it reminded me of my chunky, "beef-cake" kitty, Benjamin Maxwell. The whole image is much larger then this, I just used a circle punch to highlight the area I needed. 

**Side note: my husband is completely giving me a hard time for never mentioning our other fur-kids here, so to be fair, I added everyone to the sidebar.**

I attempted to color and shade my image, like a pro, with about 10 different shades and kinds of markers. I realize it looks NOTHING like my cat's coloring, but just imagine I really KNOW what I'm doing with shading. I promise I will get there eventually! I also added some Crystal Effects to the ornaments on the image to give them some "pop".

The sentiment is a (retired) SU! rub-on, simply because, with all of my indecisiveness today, I hadn't really planned on adding a sentiment until the card was finally finished. I actually just noticed that my bling is crooked, too...oops! It's just one of those days. After all was said and done, I really kind of liked using this color combo for a holiday card. Shhhhh! 

Because I can't mention Benjamin Maxwell without providing a photo...I have added a classic of the chunk-ster in his "party tie". This was taken last year and he has since outgrown the tie.  His brother, Tomas, will be sporting it this weekend at our BBQ we are hosting. I'm sure he is thrilled! :)

Thanks so much for visiting, 

Awash with Pearls

It's Monday and what better way to start the week then with a little creative mojo? I decided to combine two challenges with this card, once again. Two challenge combos are my limit, any more then that and I just end up confusing myself (which lately, isn't that hard to do)! Haha!  


How fabulous is THIS color mix from The Color Throwdown blog?? In my opinion, you just can't go wrong when any shade of PINK is involved!

I paired these great colors with this sketch from Mojo Monday...too bad I started working on this one on Sunday evening and missed out on getting it entered to BOTH challenges on time. Oh well, if only there were more hours in the day sometimes. :(

For this card, I decided to use my Awash With Flowers set, simply because I have never used it before. I have seen some pretty amazing cards people have made with this set, but for some reason, I have just never really been inspired to use it. As I started playing around with it, I thought it would liven it up a little to add a couple (ok, a few more then a couple) pearls as accents. Not going to lie though, it STILL isn't destined to be one of my favorite sets...but I will keep trying.

I did a little soft shading on the leaves, with a gray marker. Then I added the shimmery pink ribbon, that I randomly came across in a basket on my desk. I love when that happens, when you don't have to search for supplies! 

The sketch was a great opportunity to use up some of the scraps of paper and cardstock I have accumulated over time, too. The layer of Rich Razzleberry DSP already had some Smooch Spritz on it from another project but after getting it all put together, I liked the shimmer so much, I just "Smooched" the whole background! 

I went with the "Happy Retirement" sentiment, why? Because I needed a retirement card? Nope...I just REALLY liked the font on the sentiment with this card! I can always swap it out later! Or hey, maybe someone I know will be lucky enough to retire, then *poof* I will just whip this card out to send off! Yup, I'm being proactive...that's it! 

Stampin' Up Supply List: 

Stamps: With Flowers, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Pink Pirouette, Basic Gray classic ink

Paper: Rich Razzelberry, Pink Pirouette and Basic Gray cardstock, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP (retired), Bella Rose DSP (retired), Basic Gray DSP (retired, hostess paper pad)

Accessories: Square Lattice embossing folder, Scalloped border punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Smooch Spritz in Vanilla Shimmer and PEARLS!
Non SU! Accessories: pink ribbon and pearl brad

Have a great day and a great start to your week, 

Wickedly Fun Footwear

Happy Sunday! I was SO excited when I saw this week's WICKED Halloween Inspiration Challenge over at the Pals Paper Arts blog, I couldn't wait get started! 

Whether you are a GOOD witch or a BAD witch, let's be honest, it's REALLY all about the shoes. That was my inspiration for this one. I mean, c'mon, what gal wouldn't want to sport those famous "RUBY SLIPPERS"? I know I would. I would wear them everywhere...I'm NOT kidding! Hmmm, can you imagine the stares I would get at the gym while wearing those sparkly gems on the treadmill? :)

I decided to go with the Wicked Cool stamp set and the color combo of Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive (AGAIN, I know), and Basic Black. I love how they look together, perfect for a "wicked" Halloween card! The layout? Well, for the first time in a while I didn't use a sketch challenge, I just made it up as I went. I embossed those cute little boots in black to give them some added SASS! I then sponged Rich Razzleberry ink on pretty much, every single edge of the card to give it a spooky feel. I used the Itty Bitty Backgrounds set (retired) to give a messy look to the Old Olive layer. I also used the new Spider Web embossing folder on the black layer for dimension. Oh, and shhhh, those 3 green Glimmer Brads are actually Pear Pizzazz, not Old Olive...but they are stuck on so there is no going back now. 

The BIG excitement for me with this card was that I finally figured out how to use the new Waffle Paper (found in the Holiday Mini)! This stuff has had me stumped since it arrived in my stamp room. To attach it, I placed a piece of Sticky Strip on the back of the cardstock, then just  "folded" it back and forth to create the ruffled effect. I liked how it came out so well, I then decided to add another layer of it to the card. Then, in keeping with my tradition of sparkly additions, I used a small paintbrush to add some glitter glue onto the Waffle Paper and also around the main image, just for fun. 

The main image is "tilted" because I'm trying to challenge myself NOT to keep everything straight and linear on my cards. Funny thing was, as I had everything cut out, laying on my desk to assemble, this was how all of the layers looked, positioned in the pile...so I just attached it to the card that way. I freaks me out a little that it isn't perfectly matted but I can get over it...I guess! :)

For some final touches, I colored in the tiny socks with my Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive markers. I decided they needed a little something else, so I placed two tiny pearls on the bows...hmmm, come to think of it, I wouldn't mind sporting these hot little boots myself. Ha! Since this was a "wicked" challenge, the sentiment was perfect. I embossed it in white on the black cardstock to make it stand out a little more, then attached a piece of lace trim. Whew, there you have it, about 100 tiny details later, the card is complete...

Look who I caught sleeping on one of the desks in my stamp room (while I was working on this card)...my WICKED, little monster, Benjamin Maxwell. Note how he is using the stamp pad as a pillow, just lovely isn't he? Ugh...he is SUCH a stinkin' mess! :) 

Stampin' Up! Supply List:

Stamps: Wicked Cool, Itty Bitty Backgrounds (retired)

Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Basic Black and Whisper White cardstock, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP (retired)

Ink: Basic Black craft ink, Rick Razzleberry classic ink, Versa-Mark

Accessories: Black Waffle Paper, 1/2" lace trim in Raven, Glimmer Brads, Spider Web embossing folder, pearls, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1" circle punch, clear embossing powder, white embossing powder, glitter glue (non-SU!)

Have a wickedly fantastic day, 

OWH Birthday Challenge

I had a fun day creating with my friend Mandi, yesterday. Isn't it great how being around friends and having a good time can be so inspiring? Mandi decided to create her card based on the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge in support of Operation Write Home's birthday celebration. Today, I decided to FINALLY get my card finished. I'm a slacker, sheesh! 


Here is the sketch (with the ADDED challenge to make birthday cards for deployed soldiers to send home to their loved ones):

For my color combo I pulled out some of my favorite DSP, Summer Picnic (sorry, it's retired), simply because I was determined to ink up my Playful Pieces (level 3, hostess) set for the first time, on this card. The paper seemed to go really well with the set. Look what color made it's way onto the card, yet again...yup, Old Olive! (see my previous post questioning why I always seem to run out of this color...hee hee!)

I wanted to keep it pretty simple, since bulky cards are a little tougher to send...but for this one I got a little out of hand with the Stampin' Dimensionals. I decided that I would NOT pop EVERY layer up on the cards for OWH. They are still fun AND they fit in an envelope! HA! I embossed the sentiment in black, paper pierced around the edges and added some black brads for a little dimension. There you have it...birthday cheer for one of our deployed hero's to share with someone very special to them. 

If you can't tell from my previous post, I am really excited about what OWH is doing to keep soldiers connected with their families. If you have a little extra time, please consider checking out their link (at the top of this post) and creating a couple of cards. It makes SUCH a big difference! :) Every time my husband has been deployed, it ALWAYS made my day a little brighter when I went to the mailbox and got a card from him. I saved every single one of them, too!

I also wanted to post Mandi's fabulous card. Why? Well because I think it is pretty cool that this is the SECOND card she has made...EVER!!! How awesome is that? I think she did a pretty good job, too! If you are on Splitcoast Stampers, click on this link to her card and give her some love. I know it will make her day. By the way, I nagged the heck out of her to post it and enter it in the challenge...I hope she forgives me! :)

Hope you have a great weekend,

Stampin' Up! Supply List:

Stamps: Playful Pieces (level 3, hostess)

Ink: Real Red, Old Olive, Bashful Blue classic ink, Basic Black craft ink

Paper: Old Olive (shocking), Real Red (although it looks orange in the photo...why??), Bashful Blue, Whisper White cardstock, Summer Picnic DSP (retired)

Accessories: Scalloped border punch, 1 1/4" square punch, Scalloped square punch, 1/2" crcle punch, clear embossing powder

Non-Stampin' Up! Supplies: black brads, sentiment stamp

Fall Scalloped Flower

When I saw this FABULOUS flower over on Nance Leedy's blog, I couldn't wait to try it out. I mean, how cute is this?? It is made from the 2 3/8" Extra-Large Scallop Circle Punch. Nance has a GREAT pictorial on how to make these fun flowers, just click the link to her blog above. 

So now that I knew I wanted to make this fab flower, I needed some inspiration on what to do with it. So I turned to two challenges to put it all together. 

First, I used the sketch over at the I{heart}2Stamp blog:

From there, I was completely inspired by the great fall color combo of Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, More Mustard and Old Olive from The Paper Players blog.

A couple of random facts:
-I have a tough time with sketches that have elements that are "tilted". Why? I honestly have no idea! I like things on the "straight and narrow", I guess. Funny thing is, when I actually DO these "tilted" elements, I really like how they come out. It's just a quirky thing, I guess.


-Old Olive has probably been one of my favorite colors from SU! since I started stamping. I go through more of this color then any other, which I find odd because of my obsession with all things pink. Seriously though, when I reached into the "cardstock files" to get some Old Olive for this card I was shocked that I was almost out AGAIN! Where does it all go??


-Lately, I keep making cards that can NOT realistically fit in an envelope. Looks like I am going to be hand-delivering a LOT of greetings this year. *Ding-ding*..."Get the door, it's probably Anne Marie with one of her fabulously chunky cards! Hmmm, maybe she has cookies, too...! " :)


Anyway, enough with my random musings, I'm sure you want to know about the card, right?

Because the flower had so much dimension, I wanted to repeat that same element throughout the card. I used my paper crimper on the Old Olive strip. I also embossed the Early Espresso strip after punching the border to give it more pop. 


I really wanted to try to add some fun accents to the flower, so I "dirtied" it up with sponging some Early Espresso on the edges. Because I can't let ANY card leave my desk without sparkle, I "hit it up" with a little Smooch Spritz. The Antique Brad in the center topped it all off. Next, I just "dirtied" up all of the layers by sponging some more Early Espresso ink on them to give that rustic, fall look. There you have it, ready to pop in an envelope...oops, wait...


Off to order more Old Olive cardstock...
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by, 

Stampin' Up! Supply List:

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes (sentiment)

Ink: Early Espresso and Cajun Craze classic ink

Paper: Old Olive (shocking), Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Very Vanilla cardstock, Autumn Vine DSP (retired)

Accessories: 2 3/8" XL Scallop Circle punch, Modern Label punch, Word Window punch, Eyelet Border punch, paper crimper, More Mustard brads, Antique brad

Non-Stampin' Up! Supplies: ric-rac