A Triple Challenge

My card today meets 3 different challenges. First is the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge FTTC 35 which is to extend your creation out of the frame. The next is the Midnight Madness sketch challenge MMSC#21 . Last is the CC238 color challenge to use Pretty in Pink, Basic Grey, and Sage Shadow. The main image is the Sweet Pea by Flourishes, stamped twice on wc paper, and several of the blooms were cut out and popped up on foam tape. The image is layered on the Nestabilities petite oval and a labels 4 diecut, using Sage Shadow, Heritage Grey & Pretty in Pink. The base layer is embossed with the leafy branch ef and layered with Sage Shadow die cuts again using the Labels 4 and stamped with the swirls from the Sweet Pea set in Basic Grey ink. I used a pair of scalloped scissors to notch the top two corners of the main image. The sage and pink ribbons were layered and a Bow-Easy was used to make the bow. The flower in the center is actually a piece of glittered bobbin ribbon, with a pink gemstone in the center. I used Tombow markers and a wet brush to color the image.
I wish you all a wonderful Tuesday and thank you for spending a little of your day with me today :)

C4C4_Bunny Bath

I made this card for the C4C4 sketch challenge this week, hosted by Cindy Haffner. This was the perfect sketch for me to ink up this cute little Bunny Bath stamp by Stampendous that I just love. I stamped him on wc paper with Versafine Onyx Black ink, and embossed him with clear ep; then colored him with Derwent wc pencils. The papers are Baja Breeze and Parisian Breeze by SU and the ribbon is also by SU. I used an EK border punch on the vertical panel, and the Bow-Easy to make the bow. The clip was in my stash, and the sentiment was made by using $1 mini stamps, and punched with a 3/4" circle punch. The button was from my button box and tied with some thread.
If you want to have fun playing in this great challenge, click the link above and to check it out! You'll see some fabulous sample cards to kick your MoJo into gear! Thanks for the challenge ladies, and thanks for stopping by and spending a little bit of your day with me here:)

Carol

What a Birthday Surprise!!!

Today my husband and I are celebrating our birthdays and we received this awesome package from Heidi!! First is the amazing tri-fold card she created!! I've never seen anything so beautifully done!!! All those gorgeous flowers and beautiful Parisian Breeze papers! I just sat down and had a good cry when I opened this, because Heidi has not been stamping for a while and I was so happy to see her creating again!!!! She obviously hasn't lost a single ounce of her amazing talent has she? What a beautiful card!!!! I just LOVE this Heidi!!

Look at all these goodies she sent me?!! She knows my favorite color is purple and this beautiful little box was packed full of purple ribbon, buttons, gemstones, embossing powder and candy!! There's a beautiful pack of glittered Autum papers for Autumn, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, along with a pack of Autum ribbons to match! Behind everything you'll see some beautiful pink and wine colored cardstock she sent along. Not seen in the photo were several packs of adhesive refills too! Christmas came on my birthday, and I sure am lucky!!!

Here's the top of the box that Heidi made. She called this "black work".....something I never heard of before. There are tiny pieces of gems or metal somehow stitched into the pattern, and my photo doesn't capture them very well, but take my word for it, this is just stunning! Click the photo for a closer look and you might be able to see them. I'll have to check out this technique one day, not that my tired eyes could ever do such intricate details like this!

Here is the card and box Heidi made for my husband. The top of this box is also that "black work" I mentioned above and this beautiful little hinged box was filled with Dove candy! YUM!!!!

Heidi, my heartfelt thanks for your generosity and kindness with all of these wonderful goodies! You've made our birthdays very special and we'll always be grateful for your friendship. Most of all, I'm absolutely DELIGHTED to see you back in your stamp room again making cards and creating!! I hope to see more of your beautiful work again REAL soon!! We all miss seeing your beautiful cards, don't we?!?!!

Thanks for stopping by today, and make it a great day!

Carol

Rilee's First Birthday

Here's a card I made recently for a family member who just turned one year old. I wasn't able to attend his party, but I did get this card in the mail for him. I began with Olive and Pacific Point, embossing the olive panel with the Happy Birthday ef. The image is one Heidi sent to me, so I colored it with Tombow's and added some tan fun flock to his paws, chest and chin. The birthday sentiment is by Hero Arts, and I layered it on a scalloped punch, adding some crimped and curled paper for interest. The "first birthday" sticker is from my stash. Ribbon is by SU!

I hope you're all enjoying your Thursday, thanks for stopping by!

Carol

CTD#61, SC247

I made this card for the SC247 and the CTD#61 that Tammy is hosting this week. She challenged us to use Olive, Mustard, Rose Red, Regal Rose and Chocolate, or any of those colors you wish. I managed to use them all. They do look pretty together, although my photo has one of those wonky greenish hazes again. I used the flourishes CB ef on the olive panel and the Swiss Dots ef on the mustard. The main image is from Echoes of Kindness and was colored with markers before stamping. I added some stickles for a little pop after sponging and piercing the edges. The butterfly is from a MS punch, and the sentiment panel was done with a G Studio stamp and the word window and modern label punches. For the final touch I added 3 different sizes of gold beads.

As always, thanks for spending a little bit of your day with me today :)

Carol

MMSC20

Here's my card for the MMSC#20. I went to some lengths to stamp the panel beneath the poinsettias and then covered it up with the flowers.....DUH!! I used Vintage Cream and stamped it with the Linen backgrounder in Baja Breeze, and then stamped it with the snowflake spot, also in Baja Breeze. I couldn't find an image I was happy with so I just used the flowers from MM with Vanilla HPH brads. All the dsp is Figgy Pudding by BG and the ribbons are artichoke and cranberry. The sentiment panel was also stamped with Linen in Baja Breeze and then with Cranberry Crisp, and some Vanilla HPH for a frame. The corner accents were done with a Quickutz die. I added a few dewdrops for accents, and they're all blue in spite of one appearing to be purple. The color of the dsp underneath makes it appear other than what it is.
I hope you're enjoying your Wednesday so far. Make it a great day!!

Carol

FTTC#34_New Home

I'm going for a record here.......I'm actually getting the Timeless Tuesday challenge done on Tuesday again! LOL This is the FTTC#34 where Silke Ledlow challenges us to use the stamp misting technique; which is to ink your stamp, then mist it with water and stamp. It gives such a soft look to your images and I don't know why I don't use it more often, because it's a very pretty look! For this card I used a pair of Inkadinkado stamps. First I stamped the wc paper with the linen backgrounder, using caramel ink. Then I inked up the rose image with markers, spritzed it, and stamped it. I cut it with the Nestabilites label 4, and went around the edges with a gold opaque pen. I used a piece of K&Co dsp and also went around the edge with the gold pen. I added a little word window tag and champagne ribbon to the main image, tying the tag on with gold cording. The rest of the sentiment was done with eggplant ink, and a word window punch. The inside is computer generated and says " Wishing you a bright future and the opportunity to create many fond memories in your new home." My best friend is a realtor and she gave me an order last night for more "new home" cards, so this is the first of 6 I'll be making for her.

Thanks to Silke and Flourishes for this fun challenge and thanks to all of you for stopping by today! I hope you all have a super Tuesday!

Carol

VLVSep04

The VLVSep04 sketch challenge with a twist is to use only black and white on a card. I don't know that I ever used just these 2 colors before, but I tend to lean toward the dramatic side of creating, so this works for me. I went a little Fleur de lis crazy, using the Fleur de lis embossing folder, the fleur de lis border punch AND the Fleur de lis single image punch! The black panel is embossed with clear powder for that shiny look, as are the larger individual single punches. The smaller black Fleur de lis were made with the border punch and glued on the white panel. I used a Cuttlebug floral ef for the 3 flowers and put black brads in the centers. I used a chipboard button and sewed one of those embossed, punched images on with white embroidery floss and adhered it to the white grosgrain ribbon. The sentiment is by Inkadinkado.
Wishing you all a wonderful Monday...........make it a good one :)

Carol

Happy Birthday Danny!

Today is my friend Danny's birthday and he should have received this card by now, so I can post it without spoiling his surprise! If you or Connie are reading this, happy birthday my friend!
Danny rides a motorcycle that's close to the teal color of this card, so that's how this card began. I embossed the dark teal panel with a diamondplate ef and added light and medium shades of teal cardstock for appeal. The silver panel is a piece of embossed metallic paper I found at a LSS for less than $1, but I knew it would work perfectly for a card one day. I added some pewter eyelets in the center and pierced holes on both sides, whip stitching by hand with black thread. The sentiment panel was done with the Just-Rite stamper and the center contains a big brad from SU along with a silver button from my stash, and it's tied with a piece of turquoise embroidery floss. The white circle and scalloped panel were both cut with Nestabilities.
I hope you're enjoying your special day Danny...............may you enjoy many more as well!
Happy Sunday everyone, thanks for checkin' in with me today :)

Carol

From Baileys to M&M's!

This little bottle has a story behind it. LOL! Last week I was the hostess of my SU club, and I made a Bailey's White Chocolate Cheesecake for refreshments. I sent my DH to the liquor store to pick up one of those small individual sample bottles of Baileys Irish Creme to make the cake, but they now sell them in packages of 4. I only use it to make an occasional cheesecake, so I don't think it's worth it to buy the larger bottle. Anyhooooo.........this little bottle was so stinkin' cute, I knew I had to reuse it for something, so after a good washing I decided my 3-yr old DGD might like this filled with M&M's since it's so tiny and perfect for little hands! I just punched a few scraps of cardstock with the MS goo punch and attached them with sticky strip and added a piece of ribbon at the top! I punched a flower and circle for the lid and glued on 2 googly eyes just for fun, but you can't see it in the picture. I'll be sending this out to her in IN in a couple weeks and I just WISH I could be there to see her face when she opens it! My DDIL emailed me today to tell me the card I sent to my DGD arrived last week, and ever since she opened it, she's been going to the mailbox with her mom and asking "Is there any mail for me today?" How cute is that! Grandma is going to have to make more cards to send there more often!!!
Thanks for checking in and have a great Sunday!!

C4C3_Crazy4Challenges

I had to make a card again for the Crazy4Challenges #3 this week, because it's another one of Cindy's great sketches. I went with black and white and a touch of red with this one. I embossed the black panel with the Cuttlebug Fleur de Lis ef and then swiped it with the Versamark pad and embossed it with clear ep. The striped dsp is by Kaiser, and the image is one sent to me long ago by Heidi. I colored the image with Tombows and filled in the white circles with a glaze pen, and then doodled around the edges. 3 brads later....done!!!!

Thanks for another fun challenge this week, and I hope you're all enjoying your weekend!

Carol

Verve Release Kick-Off Challenges

First is a Sep09A sketch challenge card for Verve's kick-off release party. Julee gave us this great sketch and I used blush blossom, soft yellow and light blue. The b/g panel was done with Baroque Motifs in Versamark on glossy cardstock, and embossed with white ep, then sponged with blush, saffron, and blue inks. The rest was done with a combination of Nestabilities die cuts, punches and embellishments.
Next is the Sep09D challenge where Jackie challenged us to use distressing on our card. I stamped 3 different sized Verve flowers on Pomegranate with Versamark, then embossed them with white ep and cut them out. I layered them and attached a brad, and popped them up on foam squares after curling a bit for interest. The sentiment is by Verve, black pearls by Kaiser, and border punch by MS. Pink pirouette is the card base color.
Lastly is the Sep09E challenge where Lynda challenged us to bling it up by adding shine or sparkle. That's where these gold beads come in. I used a vintage cream cardstock base and BG dsp, with a scrap of rust textured cardstock matted beneath the sentiment panel. The sentiment was stamped with peach ink using the floral image, and the sentiment is from the same stamp set by Verve called Because of You. The sentiment was stamped in Close to Cocoa and then cut with a Nestability. The doily border punch is by MS. The flowers were punched using a SU 3 flower punch, and the circles beneath them were punched with a large hole punch. Some Ivory satin ribbon and lots of gold beads completed this card.
If you'd like to enter these challenges, they need to be completed by this evening, so hurry hurry! You can find all the information to enter here. There are 2 other cards I made for this challenge that were posted earlier.
Have yourselves a wonderful Friday and thanks so much for spending part of your day with me :)

Carol

Verve Sep09C color challenge

Michelle chose a color combo for the Sep09C Verve new-release kick off challenge found here. The colors are orange-yellow, cream, deep brown, and grey-green. I chose the trendy trees stamp set with these great fall colors. I used scraps of bazzill textured cardstock that perfectly match Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, and Mellow Moss. I stamped the trees on Vintage Cream cardstock in Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Sand Beige and Mellow Moss. I layered the trees on a piece of paper cotton cardstock and matted it with Chocolate Chip. I added 2 pieces of Mellow Moss grosgrain ribbon and stamped the sentiment in Chocolate Chip. Quick and easy - my kind of card!
Thanks for spending a little of your day with me here, I appreciate it :)

Carol

Color Throwdown #60

I made a scrapling for today's CTD #60, which is to use Barely Banana, Green Galore, and Bermuda Bay. I needed a gift tag, and I loved this color combination, so this was the result. I embossed the Banana panel with a Cuttlebug ef, and then scored it with my Scor-Pal. I added a piece of Bermuda Bay ribbon, a tiny prima, and a MS pearl for the finishing touch. Quick, easy, and fun!
Thanks for spending a little time with me today :)
Carol

A Triple Play!

My card today meets a triple challenge! First is the Verve Sep09 color challenge Charmaine gave us, to use Teal, Durango, Olive and Razzleberry. Next is the SC#246 sketch challenge found here. Thirdly it's for the Cuttlebug Spot challenge #48 to make paper confetti. I used 3 different embossing folders on this - the Herringbone, Diamondplate, and Pebbles. The confetti pieces were embossed with the Pebbles folder, and then run through a crimper and shaved on my paper cutter. I curled some of the ends after adhering them beneath the pumpkin image panel. I used circle punches, a scalloped punch, Nestabilities, and a white sharpie pen to dot the scallops. The pumpkin image was stamped on Durango with versamark, and embossed with black ep. The dsp is from a mat stack and the stickers were in my stash forever. I rarely use stickers, but they seemed perfect for this card.

Thanks for stopping by today, make it a good Wednesday if you can!!

Carol

Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #19

Here's my card for the MMSC#19 found here. This began with a Sarah Kay image and grew from there. I used mostly scraps of blue, green and yellow for the flowers, mats and focal panel. I colored the image with Tombows and wet brush. The pink "brads" are punched scraps of cardstock, covered with liquid glass and left to dry. The flowers and ferns were all done with punches, the leaves and flourish were done with dies and the border was done with a MS punch.

The background panel on the right was left over from a previous project. It's glossy cardstock, stamped with Versamark, embossed with white powder, and sponged with shades of blue, green, and yellow.

I hope you're enjoying your Tuesday!!

Carol

FTTC33

I've made a Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge card on a Tuesday! Yay me!!! LOL I've gotten caught up in so many challenges lately that I have a hard time deciding which ones to participate in from day to day. I may need to take a breather from it all!!

Anyway, this week Betty Wright challenges us to "Mix it up." We can mix stamps, dsp, textures, or a combination of all 3. I chose 3 different colored paint chips and embossed them with 3 different embossing folders. I used the Life Lemons Love stamp set and stamped 3 slices of lemons, coloring with Tombows and adding stickles for interest. I did a few scored lines for interest, and used some very old unloved fibers for the final touch.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks to Flourishes and Betty for another fun challenge!

VLVSep03

The "twist" this week over at the VLVSep03 sketch challenge is to add a girlfriend to your card...... moms, grandmas, sisters, etc. I made a card for a Mom. I used all Cottage Wall dsp along with Razzleberry, Pale Plum, and Olive. The sentiment was done with an Inkadinkado stamp, the word window and modern label punches. 2 gemstone brads were added along with some tiny matching gemstones on the top. The Nestabilities scalloped circle was pierced, and the inner circle was stamped with a Verve (Because of You) stamp in Razzleberry. The vertical panel is a piece of olive ribbon matted with razzleberry cardstock.
Wishing you all a fantastic Monday, and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

KSCC#17 - Back to School

I made this card for the Kitchen Sink Crew Challenge #17 found here. Makiko Jones challenged us to make something using school supplies, so I used a few items from a back-to-school themed scrapbook pack. First I took the notebook paper and punched it with a spiral punch and distressed the edges by curling, tearing and sponging with caramel ink. I layered a gold piece of cardstock beneath it and added a border of crayons and alphabet letters. Since a lot of the little ones hate to see summer end and return to school, I stamped the "oh nuts!" using the KSS Autumn Squirrel set on top of the "back to school" rubon. I stamped the leaves and acorn from the KSS set, embossed them, cut them out, and popped them up on dimensionals. The ribbon has little red and green apples on it, how cute is that?! This one is going to my 3-yr old granddaughter who is going to daycare "school" now. I'm enclosing some stickers and a coupon for a free candy bar and mailing it to her in IN tomorrow.
Have yourself a wonderful Sunday and enjoy!!

Carol

stamps - KSS Autumn Squirrel
paper - red, gold, Imaginisce back-to-school scrapbook kit
inks - sand beige, chestnut roan, walnut stain, marigold, chestnut, potters clay, caramel, Versamark
accessories - clear embossing powder, ribbon, spiral punch, rubon, dimensionals

OCC Fall Y'All!

I'm on a roll today and catching up on some great challenges. This card is for the OCC challenge, which is to create a fall/autumn card. This one used up some scraps and a retired piece of River Rock cardstock. I cut the squares and adhered them to a piece of cardstock with a dab of adhesive in the center - then I stitched them down on the edges and cut the whole piece with a Top Note die. The RR background was stamped with a $1 leaf stamp with RR ink. The embossed leaves and sentiment were done with a KSS set called Autumn Squirrel. I stamped them, embossed them and cut them out and popped them up. The ribbon bits were tiny scraps I finally put to good use! LOL The sentiment panel was done with Nestabilities labels diecut and a SU punch.
I'm having so much fun today just making cards..........there aren't too many days like this, so I'm taking advantage of the time and just creating.
Catch ya later! :)

Carol

stamps - Kitchen Sink Stamps Autumn Squirrel
paper - River Rock, scraps of assorted cardstocks
inks - Chocolate Chip, Versamark, River Rock, marigold, potters clay, chestnut, sand beige, cantelope
accessories - ribbon, top note die, clear embossing powder, Nestabilities, SU punch, sewing machine

You're the Best!

I've been going through my older stamp sets, trying to decide which ones to keep and which ones to let go of. As I do this, I wonder how I'll ever part with any of them! LOL This one called From the Garden has been so unloved since I bought it, but it still makes a beautiful card. This time I used some Soft Suede cardstock and used a MS border punch on both sides. I was going to use Soft Suede ribbon, but it was just too much brown, since I stamped the image in Soft Suede. I decided that the Bermuda Blue was a nice contrast so I added a piece of ribbon, and then used 2 different stickles colors (aqua and turquoise) for the flower center. The sentiment was done in Soft Suede with an Inkadinako stamper and cut out with a word window punch. 2 Kaiser turquoise gemstones were added. So quick and easy, and yet I really like how this one turned out! I think I'll make more of these in different colors.
It's dreary in PA today once again, so I'm just playing in my stamp room today. Who knows, I may have a 3rd or 4th card to post as the day goes on!!
Thanks for stopping in again............it's always nice to have you:)

Carol

Crazy4Challenges#2

Here's a card I made for the Crazy4Challenges#2 sketch found here. This one is going to a life-long friend of mine who will undergo a double mastectomy/reconstructive surgery within the next week. She's facing this with a positive attitude and a remarkable spirit, but I want to send a little personal encouragement of my own.
I embossed the squares with a Cuttlebug ef, and used Nesties label 4 for the main panel, embossing the smaller one with another Cuttlebug ef. The velvet ribbon was in my stash, and the little acrylic flower is by CTMH. Dsp and cardstock are by SU Pretty in Pink, and I used scraps of morning mist gray cardstock. The sentiment stamp is by Hero Arts and was stamped in Basic Gray.
Thanks for stopping by and if you get time, check the Crazy4Challenges blog and play along. You'll find lots of inspiration there!! Enjoy your weekend!

Carol

StampinB #23 Challenge

I accidentally deleted yesterday's post while trying to edit it, so I'm posting these tags again. They were made for the StampinB's #23 challenge to make a box with 4 small cards. Figgy Pudding dsp, bazzill green cardstock, Satin flowers punched with the 5-petal punch and buttons tied with tan raffia. Copper eyelets and copper cording. Great challenge ladies!
I hope to have another card or two posted later today! Happy Saturday everyone!
Carol

WT235_Red

The WT235 challenge on SCS today is to use red on a card. NOoooooooo problem! I happen to love using the color red. Today I kept it simple with just red and white. I stamped the flowers from the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set on red cardstock with versamark, and embossed them with white embossing powder. I cut them out and popped them up and added a MS pearl on each one. I scored a few lines with my Scor-pal and stamped the sentiment from Sincere Salutations with Real Red ink. The dsp is by SU and matted on real red with some SU real red ribbon. Quick & easy, and I love the look of these flowers!
Sorry for the pinkish photo - it's raining here in PA today and it's almost impossible to photograph a white card indoors on a cloudy day - unless you happen to be an educated photographer (which I'm obviously NOT) LOL!!
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by :)

Some Bathroom Birthday Humor

One of my customers asked me to make a card for a woman who loves to laugh all the time and has a bawdy sense of humor. I knew right away which stamp set to use! LOL This is an older GinaK set called Way To Go. A long time ago I saw a card Cambria Turnbow made that was similar to this. Funny how those hilarious images stick in your mind huh? I stamped the toilet and tissue roll with Versafine Onyx Black and cut the images out and popped them up. I cut a couple strips of tissue and lightly sponged them with caramel ink to look "soiled" and created a disastrous bathroom scene! You know, like "another year down the drain" sort of theme? LOL I couldn't figure out how to make this an obvious birthday card until I thought of making a little picture with the sentiment hanging on the wall. Stick with me and let's plunge to the inside of the card now................

I called my customer to tell her the theme of the card I created and wondered if it wasn't a bit too much bathroom humor, but she cracked up laughing and said it was perfect for this person she has in mind! I have to admit, I wish I could see her face when she opens this birthday card! I can't imagine she'll receive a card that ever comes close to this one!! LOL

Thanks for stopping by and sharing a chuckle or two with me today:)

Carol

stamps - Way to Go, hero arts, g studio

paper - pretty in pink, white, sage, dsp scrap

ink - versafine onyx black, caramel

accessories - tombow markers, mint liquid pearls, quickutz diecut flowers, tissues

MMSC18 and CC235

This card was made to meet two challenges. The first one is the Midnight Madness sketch challenge #18 found HERE. Second was the color challenge #235 found HERE to use eggplant, olive and black. I used some old ribbon brads in my stash to string the embroidery thread. I also used the Forest Branch Cuttlebug ef on the olive b/g. I didn't have any eggplant cardstock, but I had an eggplant marker, so I worked in the eggplant that way. I colored the image with Tombows and pierced and faux stitched it. I used lavender chalk on the white spaces of the image after coloring. I used the party punch stamp set with the tab punch to create the white embossed panels on the ends of the card. I layered a flower underneath each tab punch for interest. I don't think I've ever seen a sketch quite like this, so I enjoyed the challenge and especially the great Halloween colors.
I hope your Tuesday is a fantastic one for you now that the long holiday weekend has passed. Thanks for checking in today, it's always nice to have you drop by :)
Carol

ETA: The main image stamp is by Stampendous

VLVSep02_Something Tiny

The VLVSept02 challenge this week is to make something "tiny." That could include a scrapling, 3x3, 4x4, tag, etc. Anything but the standard A2 card. I chose to make a scrapling again. Since I discovered how to make them in the challenge last week, I want to make lots more! I made a card for the VLVSept01 challenge in the same colors, so here's a picture of the card and scrapling together.

If anyone has an anniversary I'm well prepared now with a card and gift tag! The colors are pale plum, plum, olive and cottage wall dsp. I used an impressability on the plum and sanded it and punched out a flower. Then I added a Kaiser lavender pearl and some PTI plum satin ribbon, an eyelet and silver cording. The borders were created with a MS doily punch.

Thanks for spending a little time with me again today............have a good one!!

Carol

A Spanish Birthday Card

I have a customer who asked me to make a birthday card for a Spanish co-worker who has a great sense of humor. Whoa! Talk about a challenge! I have no Spanish-themed stamps at all and I'm not familiar with the language either, so I had to think about this one for some time! The image of this amusing chihuahua came to mind, so I put in a request to Heidi for a stamped image, and of course she came through right away for me! {Hugs Heidi} I went online to find the Spanish translation of "Happy Birthday" and that's the sentiment on the card. I just printed it out and used an EK punch around the neon orange panel. When I think of Spanish fiestas, I think of vivid colors, so that's why this card is so colorful. I used the MS doily punch for the vertical panel, and a Nestabilities on the main image panel. The image was colored with Tombows and Derwent wc pencils and a damp brush. I cut the cactus pot out and popped it up on foam squares and put everything on a Pacific Point card base. The lime green ribbon is from my stash and I'm pretty sure it came from WalMart eons ago.
Happy Labor Day everyone.........enjoy your extra day of rest and thanks for stopping by!

FLLCSEPT, The Feel of Fall

There's a sketch challenge going on over at Flourishes to help usher in fall with their latest stamp release. The card doesn't have to be a theme for fall, but I went out on a limb and tried to use a summer flower stamp for a fall image. The drooping bud reminded me of when the weather turns cooler, stopping flower growth almost overnight. I stamped the Flourishes Poppy image with Versamark on wc paper, and then I used a mixture of malachite green, cornelian and brown ep's and embossed. I colored the image with wc pencils and a wet brush, sponging with caramel ink. The PTI bitty box dsp was stamped with a leaf image in white craft ink, but I didn't get the results I was looking for, so I added some cornelian ep and hit it with the heat gun. The Dusty Durango cardstock base was stamped with the Weathered backgrounder in Close to Cocoa. I used the spiral punch on the Kraft panel, added a KSS sentiment stamp and a piece of ribbon from my stash.
Flourishes is offering a chance to win all four of their new releases by playing along with this sketch, so what are you waiting for? Click the link above and check it out!
Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!!

Carol

Crazy 4 Challenges C4C1

I found a new blog called Crazy 4 Challenges that posted their first challenge today. This week it's a sketch challenge designed by Cindy Haffner, and if you're looking for inspiration, check out the amazing DT they have over there! You'll love the fabulous cards those talented ladies created.

For my card I began with an old Quickutz snowflake die and cut it out of PTI bitty box dsp. I stamped a big snowflake in Soft Sky on the white circle panel and matted it with Soft Sky textured cardstock. The brads were pressed in a Versamark pad, dipped in Winter Wonderland ep, and embossed for some sparkle. The sentiment is by Inkadinkado and it's on a Nestability tag die, strung up with some Soft Sky double stitched ribbon. I added a prima and some piercing for finishing touches.

Thanks for stopping by on this gorgeous day! I hope you're enjoying your extended weekend!

Carol

Ever heard of a scrapling?!

I guess I just don't get out often enough, because I'd never heard of a scrapling until I logged onto SCS this morning and saw it for their LSC236 challenge! It's a leftover piece of cardstock with a finished size of 1.5"x4". I thought hmmmm, what am I ever going to do with something that tiny? At the same time I thought it's a great way to use leftover scraps, so I set out to make one, using the colors of the StampinB#22 challenge this week, which are Chocolate, Cocoa, Caramel, and any neutral. Once I cut out the pieces and began to assemble them, it hit me what a GREAT little item this would be to tuck into a childs lunchbox or backpack, or even your DH's briefcase! I made this with my DGD in mind, and used the spiral punch on the inside panel since she's going to find this while she's at school. I used a red glazepen to color the heart, and Tombow markers to dot the scallop and color in the other letters. The stamp is from CTMH, the Cuttlebug ef is Swiss Dots, and the flower at the bottom is acrylic. I know.........it looks more like a big hairy spider in this picture, but it's really sparkly and shiny! LOL
Thanks for checking in with me today and I wish everyone a safe and wonderful extended holiday weekend!

Carol

Stitched Wishes

There's a challenge going on over on StampTV this week to do some sewing on your card, either with a machine or adding hand sewing, buttons, etc. Ever since I dug my machine from the darkness of my closet a few weeks ago, I've been using it more often........not to mend the things that need it, but to sew on my cards! LOL I find that I enjoy the look of real stitches because it reminds me of the comforts of home somehow. I used an old GinaK stamp set that I won a long time ago, but I love to color the image and use it for birthday cards. This time I used scraps of textured pastel cardstock and randomly cut them different sizes and sewed them all together. It probably would have made a great baby card with these colors, but hopefully someone will enjoy getting this for their birthday. I added some dew drops and a piece of PTI satin ribbon and another birthday card was done!
Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by.

Carol

A Double Challenge

I surprised myself by getting two challenges done on the same day they've been posted! Actually I wrapped up 2 challenges into one card, so that made things a little bit easier. This card is for the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #17 and the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge #31 to use NO coloring! GASP!! I very rarely do paper piercing, but I gave it a shot today. I used YoYo Yellow, Black and White card stocks, along with some green dsp that I had in my stash forever. I stamped the lemon branch from the Flourishes Life, Lemons, Love set 4 times on white, green, and 2 different yellow dsp's. I stamped it a 5th time on some Chocolate chip for the branch too! Then I cut all the images out and placed them on the original stamped panel. The pieced image looked lifeless until I added the darker branch. The little pink center on the blossom is not colored if you're wondering. I punched that with my smallest hole punch and glued it on :) Thank heaven for tweezers!!!
The horizontal panel is 2 pieces of ribbon glued down side-by-side. The corners on the main panel are just folded pieces of matching dsp with a 3/4" yellow square cut in half diagonally and adhered underneath along with 2 black brads. I added some matching ribbon and felt ric-rac to the other 2 corners, also keeping with the sketch.
Thanks for these two great challenges, and thanks for stopping by to say "hello!" Have a great Tuesday!

Carol