Animal Attack!

Here is my take on Stamping 411's second sketch this week. I love that the ladies are giving us some options, and I really like them both! Thanks ladies!

So I went super simple with this. But I thought it would be a super kid card. I used bright colors (all from the Bold Brights except for the Early Espresso). I also used the Fox and Friends stamp set, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" square punches and 1" and 1 1/4" circle punches. There's also a blue brad in there.

Thanks for looking!

My Mashup Idea

This card is my own design for the Friday Mashup Fan Challenge. I am just in love with how this turned out. You know how that happens? Sometimes you get an idea and you try it an it just works? I love it when that happens!!!

My Mashup Challenge would be to:

1. Create a "Fall" project (it is right around the corner, people!)

2. Create a project using "brads... lots and lots of brads"

3. OR "Mash it up" and create a fun "Fall" project that uses "lots and lots of brads."

I think on this side view, you can count all 10 brads that I used on this card.

This card starts off with a base of Natural White. I also used Early Espresso, More Mustard, Soft Suede, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, and Cajun Craze. I watercolored using my blender pen and ink pads (all the same colors, but I did use basic gray for the bucket of apples). The only picture I didn't get a brad on was the pumpkin. I also used the Give Thanks stamp set.

I love it! Thanks for looking!

Who Wants Another Two-For?

...'Cause this card is a two-for. This beautiful creation hits this week's Stamping 411 sketch challenge and Create w/Connie and Mary's color challenge. I wasn't too sure about that color combo at first, but I totally dig this card. Love it so much, I made two basically the same. Thanks, Ladies!

Stamps: Great Friends

Colors: Tangerine Tango, So Saffron, Pacific Point Other: DSP, Tangerine ribbon, stampin' dimensionals

Thanks for looking!

Second stab at the Mashup

This is my second stab at this week's Friday Mashup Challenge. I stuck with the same basic colors as the last one. I swear I just can't picture a cupcake card that isn't pink and brown and white.

Very similar style, most because it's also Stampin' Royalty's sketch challenge.

Once again, I have cupcakes and buttons. The same basic colors are Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Whisper White, and Pretty in Pink. Again, I used Create a Cupcake stamp set and punch. I also used chocolate and pink buttons. I used the scallop oval punch and medium oval punch and Short and Sweet stamp set for the sentiments. See those brown itty bitty cupcakes on the background?

Thanks for looking!

First try at this week's Friday Mashup

I have been so busy and getting so much accomplished in the studio. I think it's because I know my time is so limited before I head back to work. So I am going to post pictures and basic info. This is for this week's Friday Mashup Challenge, cupcakes and buttons. See that cherry? It's really a button! So cute in real life. (sorry my camera sucks so bad...)

Colors used: Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, Real Red, Whisper white

Sets used: Create a Cupcake, A Word for You

Other: Dots embossing folder, create a cupcake punch, scallop oval punch, large oval punch, ribbon.

Thanks for looking...

It all started with a case...

I fell head over heals with this simple sweet card that Dawn O. created on her blog DostampinwithDawn. So. I copied it. Plain and simple.

And then, I used the same pack of dsp, the one in the in colors so I picked a different color for each flower/season.

This is the spring basket of tulips. It is in blushing bride and shades of pink with an accent of Soft Suede.

This is the spring card. I used Peach Parfait and Close to Cocoa.

And for the winter card, I used Poppy Parade, Garden Green, and some River Rock.

Thanks for looking!

A Mistake Made Right

I started to make a card I saw on Down O's blog. I saw it a while ago. I know she used patterns pack in Pear Pizzazz. So I put the base together using Natural White and Daffodil Delight. Then I used three different strips of dsp. That's all that's left now. I made a funky fold card with some hostess DSP with the frog and watering can of daisy's. However, that wasn't working for me. It was too busy with the dsp and these three dsps. So, I took that layer off this card, put it on a plain white card and created this. I have layers of pear and white with daffodil flowers and giant brad, some celery ribbon and some other green and yellow brads. I also used this new sentiment. I haven't learned the name of the set yet (and it's all the way in the studio...)

Thanks for looking!

Take Three...

This is my third evolution of this card that all started with the sketch challenge over on Pals Paper Arts this week. I wanted to use my Trendy Trees set. I love it, and I don't use it as much as I could. When I was thinking about this sketch, this idea came to me.

I started with a base of artichoke. There's a layer of Chocolate Chip, on which I rolled my trees wheel. Next I used Very Vanilla for my "stamps." I used chocolate chip ink for the trees. Then I used artichoke on two different trees, the pine and... ahh.... that other one. The one with the separate leaves is More Mustard. The tree with the swirl of dots is in Cajun Craze.

I made two, both with the sentiment "thinking of you" stamped in Chocolate Chip ink. It's on the vanilla and punched out using the word window. Finally, the modern label punch is under that, one in Chocolate Chip, one in More Mustard.

Thanks for looking!

Take Two...

This is my second take on the sketch challenge over on Pals Paper Arts this week. I love it!

This was kind of an evolution. I have really been groovin' on the guy cards these days. I started with a square base of Early Espresso. Then I have a layer of Crumb Cake. Next a layer of DSP from the nautical set. Then I used The Open Sea set and stamped the anchor (in Basic Gray layered on Basic Gray), the ship (in Night of Navy layered on Night of Navy), the compass (in Cherry Cobbler on Cherry Cobbler), and "hello" from the pennant set (in espresso layered on espresso). I used a silver brad in the sentiment circle (one inch for the vanilla centers, 1 1/4 for the layer of color underneath).

Here's a side view. I did use my stamping dimensionals to pop up the sentiment for this card.

Thanks for looking!

It's a "Two-For"

I love, love, love the "Two-Fors." This is one of them. It fulfills the requirements for the CAS-ual Friday blog (this is a new blog for me and I really dig it! Love the CAS style). It also meets the challenge on Pals Paper Arts.

I used embossing folders for two of the pennants, I heat embossed using clear embossing power a third pennant, and I wanted the fourth, the sentiment to just be the sentiment. I had a base of Crumb Cake and I added a half inch strip of Early Espresso for the entire length of the card. I used a piece of DSP from the nautical pack. I also used my pennant punch, Early Espresso, and Cherry Cobbler. Main sentiment, on a separate sheet of Crumb Cake with base of espresso with a same one thicker boarder of Early Espresso. The sentiment itself is from the new hostess birthday set.

Thanks for looking...

Colour Q's Color Challenge

Here's my take on Colour Q's weekly color challenge. It's a take on all the cute present cards I've been seeing using the triple flower punch to make the bow on the top of the presents.

I started with a base of white. Then I used a layer of Soft Suede that is embossed. I used Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo and Soft Sky (I don't have Bermuda Bay!) I used some background patterns to create "wrapping paper." I don't remember the names of each set I used (three different sets), but one is Park Avenue Patterns.

I did (mostly) stick to the colors for this challenge, but I am not crazy about these cards. They will work for a guy birthday card, but they are not my favorite.

Thanks for looking!

Star Flowers

This is a flower I have seen on a few different blogs. Gretchen Baron recently highlighted them, but I saw them first on Scrap and Stamp with Frenchie.

I wanted something to enter in under the paper (not greeting cards) category at the fair. When I saw these flowers again on Gretchen's blog, I decided to give them a go. Here I used my favorite DSP ever, Cottage Garden, sadly retired.

This bouquet is made one 5 x 5 flower, one 4 x 4 flowers, and one 3 x 3 flowers. I love the way this turned out, and I have since found out I won a second place ribbon on this!

Thanks for looking!

Funky Fold Inkspirations Color Challenge

I created these cards to fit the Inkspirations Color challenge this week. I created this set of 4 cards, all using this funky fold, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Cajun Craze, and I used Whisper White, but the challenge calls for Very Vanilla... but white is close! I also used (for the first time) this hostess set, by the inch? I think that's the name of it.

I used Crumb Cake DSP from the patterns pack. I added a few embellishments on the cards, some Crumb Cake ribbon, a Cajun brad, some Cajun sponging. I so love this new set of sentiments... I don't remember the name, but it has the sentiment that says, "Everything will be okay in the end. If it isn't okay, then it isn't the end." Love it!

Thanks for looking!

Second Place Award Winner

Just wanted to share this fun and colorful frame I also entered into the fair. It's a bright white frame, filled with colorful animals from Fox and Friend's set. I used a variety of colors and, especially with the monkey, I placed the animals in a variety of poses.

Thanks for looking!

Ship Sketch Challenge

I created this card using the sketch challenge over on Just Add Ink. At first, I was a big intimidated about it, but I got into it once I thought of this set and paper.

I tried to set this card up using two different layouts. This one is landscape. I think it's cool that there is a anchor on the inside.

The base is Basic Gray. I used Nautical DSP to accent, and the ship from The Open Sea.

Here it is all closed up, tied shut with cherry baker's twine. Not Quite Navy, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, and Early Espresso were the other colors used. I made about 4 of these and changed each a little bit: layout, placement of the brads, angle of the brads, etc.

Thanks for looking!

Sailboat Sketch Challenge

This is my second card for this week's sketch challenge over on Stamping 411. I flipped the card on it's side to create this piece.

I used strips of Not Quite Navy and Early Espresso. My base and oval are from Natural White. I used the brayer to give my card the faded sunset. I used a sponge dauber to make a navy ocean and I sponged around the edges with the espresso. I stamped the boat a second time and cut out the sails to pop them up using my dimensionals. Finally, I added some espresso baker's twine.

This will be the second card I'll use in my "Dude, where's my card?" class.

Thanks for looking...

Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge

This is the result of this week's sketch challenge on Stamping 411 (I am having trouble linking for you... here's the URL- http://stamping411.blogspot.com. sketch challenge 216.)

Basically, this card is a win-win for me. I get to play in a sketch, and I get to design a card for a friend who just ordered 10 guy cards from me. I told her, I'll give you two copies of 5 different designs. I figure I'll get to create a little this way. I am also thinking of hosting a "Dude, Where's my Card?" Class. I will give you more details on that later, but it will feature the cards I come up with designing my friend's cards. Fun!

I have two slightly different designs. Can you tell the difference? There are things I love about each one. Which one is your favorite? Post a comment and let me know.

I think most materials/colors are obvious. (Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White, Real Red DSP) However, the silver materials is.... a diet coke can! I used the inside, but after I did it, I thought, you could use the outside too. That might look a bit vintage if you distress the can a bit. I did try to do that, don't think it shows on the pictures very well. Also, what doesn't show is the crystal effects on the red part of the motorcycle. That gives the candy apple effect to the red bike. That does look pretty sweet.

You could add a variety of messages for your dude. These are general, but it would make a great birthday for a motorcycle man in your life. You could even make it a Father's Day card. Choose what you need.... love it!

Thanks for looking and don't forget to leave your opinion. Bike cut out or a rectangle layered on red. I'll make the winning vote for my class.

Dressed for Success

This card is my creation for the Pals Paper Arts Challenge this week (www.palspaperarts.com). The challenge was to use DSP, a punch and a sentiment. I used the DSP from the hostess set (don't remember the name), the ribbon trim punch, and the build a flower punch. My colors are Concord Crush, Bashful Blue, Lucky Limeade, and my sentiment is stamped in Melon Mambo. You can't really tell from this picture, but I curved the petals of the flower so it is super 3D. Good thing I didn't plan to put it in an envelope!

Thanks for looking...

Seeing Green... well... Artichoke and Pear

Here is my take on the Utah Divas International color challenge. The challenge was to use Pear Pizazz, Always Artichoke, and Basic Black. I also used a base of Natural White. The stamp set I used was pennant parade. I used black ink and versamark ink.

On this one, I used the dots embossing envelope, and a sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes, Word Window punch, and Modern Label punch. I added artichoke brads on either side of the sentiment.

For this one, I used a different embossing folder. (I don't know the name.) For the top and bottom pennants, I versamarked on Pear Pizazz, covered it with clear embossing powder and heat embossed it. In the center pennant, I stamped the "thank U" sentiment in artichoke on natural white. I added a black brad, and I sponged the edges in artichoke, too.

Thanks for looking!

Friday Mashup Challenge, Take Two

Here is my second take on this week's challenge on Friday Mashup. I used the same stamp and virtually the same layout of my first take, but I love this one more (please don't tell my first card!)

This has a base of Peach Parfait. Next is a fancy layer of glittery, sparkly DSP. Next is a layer of Pixie Pink (I think... I know it's retired, but it goes so well with the paper). The sentiment is stamped in Early Espresso ink on Whisper White paper. Again, I used my slit punch to make two slits to hold the sentiment on the paper, and I used two peach glitter brads to secure it in place. I also use a dark brown grosgrain ribbon. Inside is the sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes, "Happy Anniversary."

Thanks for looking!

Friday Mashup Challenge (on Sunday)

This card hits on two challenges, this week's Friday Mashup Challenge and Just Add Ink's weekly challenge.

I started with a base of Pretty in Pink. Then I added a Not Quite Navy base. On top of that, I added a piece of DSP (not SU... does that mean that it is really designer series paper? Well... you get the idea). I did rip the bottom of the DSP (making it fit the bill for Just Add Ink's challenge). There is not a ton of ripping or distressing, but I like the touch anyway.

I stamped the sentiment on Whisper White in Not Quite Navy. Then I put that on top of Old Olive. I used my slit punch and put it on the front of the DSP. I used two glitter brads (it's Blushing Bride, but I think it still works). On the part of the navy paper that shows, I stamped "Happy Anniversary" in black. I also used some glue and dipped the bottom edge in Dazzling Diamonds.

Thanks for looking!

Introduction to the New Colors Class

I'd like to formally introduce you to the 2011-2012 New In Colors!!! This class will be a perfect way for you to see, appreciate, and fall in love with the 5 new colors that Stampin' Up introduced in July. These colors will be around for the next two years. Come meet them!

The card above is Pool Party. Very cool....

These two are Wisteria Wonder and Island Indigo.

We will be making these 5 cards on Friday, September 2nd at 5:00 p.m. OR on Saturday September 3rd at 10:00 a.m. Choose the date that works best for you, and the times are flexible.

You'll get 5 cards (and envelopes) for $15.00. As usual, you can totally customize the sentiments on the cards to suit your needs. They can say whatever it is you want them to say: birthday, thanks, thinking of you, etc., etc., etc. You can also choose how dense your flowers are or which flowers to use! You can also choose to orient your card to be portrait or landscape. I love how you can put your own spin on these cards.

These two colors are Calypso Coral and Lucky Limeade.

I hope you'll join me. When you let me know if you are planning to come, please let me know which day you'll be attending.

I look forward to creating with you!

New STUFF!

This is a card that I made for a friend's birthday. I made it using my new Stampin' Up stuff! I love getting new stuff! This is the new designer series paper that is the hostess option. There are so many cool designs in this set, and it is so easy to make a really beautiful card by layering a few papers and adding a sentiment.

I also used this sentiment from the new birthday hostess set. I stamped Elegant Eggplant Ink on Pink Pirouette. Then I stamped it a fee more times to get three different colored gifts (Melon Mambo, Elegant Eggplant, and Lucky Limeade). I cut out the gifts and popped the presents up using stamping dimensionals. I finished it all off with a melon ribbon.

"Colour" Challenge at the Q

This card was supposed to be for two challenges, this week's Colour Q here and Stamping 411's weekly sketch challenge. However, I missed the cut off for Stamping 411, but I used the sketch anyway!

I used Basic Gray, Bashful Blue, Tempting Turquoise, Lucky Limeade and Whisper White. I also used a retired set I haven't used in a while, Heartfelt Thanks.

Inside, I put a piece of printer paper and stamped the "thanks" in turquoise.

I have been a bit MIA on the challenge scene lately because my husband and I have moved my studio to a new location. I have so much more room, AND I will be able to hold my classes there, too! I am so psyched about it. Going there to create now...

Thanks for looking!