Saturday Surprises

No, I didn't win the 600 million dollar lottery, but this is a happy Saturday for me!  First off, I was nominated by Suzanne Russell "Beauty & Blessings Blog" for the Liebster Award--Leibster, is a German word meaning "beloved, dearest or favorite" and this award is shared only among up-and-coming bloggers who inspire you and have less than 200 followers. Once nominated, you then: 

• Acknowledge the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
• Give the award to 5 other bloggers, who have less than 200 followers and let them know through a comment on their blog.
• Post the award on your blog.

Thank you so much, Suzanne--what a boost you've given me!  Hard to pick just 5 people to nominate, but here they are:

• Debbie ( http://debbiedoescrafts.blogspot.com) She has awesome cards with dry embossing--one of my favorite things!
• Natalie ( http://www.simplysweetstamping.blogspot.com/) Truly one of the sweetest people I know & you won't believe her talent which includes making gorgeous flowers!
• Lai-Yoke ( http://walchowdesign.blogspot.com/) The first person to ask for my address to send me a card--I hadn't even realized people did that & what a thrill to get my first card & from across the world!
• Tracey ( http://inmycreativeopinion.blogspot.com/) I was so excited to get a comment from someone not on the design team who I hadn't even communicated with--& she's done it more than once.  I found her blog & love her style!
• Sue ( http://scrumplescrunch.blogspot.com/ ) A fellow nurse who is now my friend & what a talented papercrafter--she takes time to leave comments noticing details & explaining what is good about the card!

You won't be disappointed if you check out these wonderful crafters!

Secondly, I won the DeNami Color Challenge #9 (here).  This is my first time to win a DeNami Challenge, so needless to say, I'm thrilled to have my card (posted here) chosen.

I know this is a long post, so I'll close with the story behind this card.  You may know I recently resigned from the position I've had for 17 years.  Some people in my office didn't even say goodbye & yet a group of physical & occupational therapists that I worked with by phone (never met them in person) sent me a card with each of the 6 people writing a note saying how much they will miss working with me.  It made me cry & feel so thankful for good people in my life.  I used my PSA monogram stamp for the thank you card I sent to these wonderful professionals.

Thanks for visiting--I'm grateful for all of you.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Happy Spring

One of my first attempts at the velveteen technique for this month's Hero Arts challenge.  Decided to go ahead & make it into a card even though the effect is more obvious using an image with thicker lines than the HA Flourish Background I used here.  However, I really liked the HA Silhouette Vines stamped over it using my neglected Kaleidacolor rainbow inkpad called Calypso.  The butterfly is stamped again, cut out & glued over the base image with the wings curled up & Stickles put on the edges & the body.  The greeting is by Stampendous!  The panel is mounted w foam tape allowing the punched border (MS) to extend beyond the edge of the card.  I'm also entering PaperCrafts March Gallery Challenge "here" since the theme is rainbows.
Don't miss the HA "10,000 Likes" giveaway "here" .  The prize is fantastic!
Thanks for stopping by & leaving me your thoughts.  I always enjoy reading them!

Faux Silk

Completed my jury duty (a few hours at the courthouse, but not chosen), new job doesn't start for a couple weeks & the computer is back (not sure it's any faster--oh well!) so life is back to normal & I can catch up on everyone's blogs & post my entry for ODBD Shining The Light "here".  The challenge is to have silk or faux silk on your card.  Angie's faux silk tutorial is great & since I also had a piece of beautiful printed tissue paper waiting for the right project, I was set.  I stamped the saying from the ODBD Little Things set onto a piece of gorgeous white shimmery paper that has a pattern.  The dies are Spellbinders & the border punch is Martha Stewart (I punched both sides of the cardstock strip, leaving space for the trim.) The border & the circles are attached with foam tape.  I like combining pearls & gems & thought they worked well for this card.  The final touch was tying on white silk ribbon & adding the stick pins.  Thanks for stopping by--your comments are always appreciated!

Shabby Chic

 

My 3rd post today--only because the computer goes for a tune-up in the morning & I can't be sure when we'll get it back.  I didn't want to miss Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge "here"  which is a sketch this week.  Decided to try & use some of my printed papers.  I tend to buy it & not use it, but I've been inspired by so many cards lately that incorporate beautiful papers.  Shabby Chic is not my style, per se, but thought I'd give it a try for a soft, feminine card.  The papers are Colorbok and the lace with pearls was on super sale when the Joann's moved to their new building.  Just wish I could have gotten more of it!  I used the 2 step butterfly from Flourishes Fanciful Flourishes set and the Ivy die is by Memory Box.  I inked all the edges & there are Stickles on the butterfly & the background roses (sorry I couldn't get it to show taking the picture tonight.)  Hope you've had a lovely weekend & thanks for visiting my blog--I appreciate each of you!

DeNami Color Challenge

 

Jury duty tomorrow (first ever--didn't think they wanted me--LOL) so decided I better finish up my entry for the DeNami Color Challenge "here" & get it posted before it's too late.  As you know if you saw my previous 2 posts, I'm having a ball making COPIC marker graduated backgrounds (see the video here).  The markers I used are RV19, RV21, YR04.  Cardstock, gems & pearls add the 2 shades of green.  This is my first card with the new Large Butterfly cling stamp.  Isn't it great?!  I first white embossed it on the bg & then white embossed it on vellum.  The vellum image is cut out, wings are slightly curled up & it's mounted over the image on the background.  I think it will be a great Easter card, so that's what I'll put inside.  Hope your weekend is going well and thanks so much for stopping by.

Papertrey March Blog Hop Challenge

Haven't been a blogger very long, so this is my first chance to participate in a PTI Blog Hop  "here" .  I was so inspired by the MIM video this week using COPIC markers to make graduated backgrounds, that I made another one inspired by the challenge photo.  I don't use a lot of yellow, but the photo certainly made me think Spring & I really liked the yellow/aqua color combo.  The COPICS I used are Y02 & B02.  I white embossed the leaf circles from PTI Tag-Its #3.  The sentiment from the same set is white embossed on vellum die cut with Spellbinders oval & the words are then colored with the same 2 markers.  This is another technique I learned in a MIM video.  The oval is attached to a vellum tag die cut with Spellbinders Ribbon Tag Trio 2.  The reverse corner punch is by Fiskars & the yellow glitter dots are Mark Richards.
   

Enjoy the hop!

Using my COPICS!

I fell in love with Nichole Heady's background made with COPICS in the post "here"
Fortunately, she made a video for this week's MIM Challenge #58 & I've had a ball using my COPICS to do these backgrounds!  Even if I can't color very well with them, now I can make good use of them--LOL!  For my entry I used one of my newer PTI stamp sets, Harvest Berries, and the greeting is from Lovely Leaves.  The markers I used are Y21, YR04, RV29, R59, E35--made me think of a sunrise.  I used one of my old favorite stamp pads for the leaves--Encore! Ultimate Metallic Champagne.  The focal piece is matted with shimmer yellow & black cardstock & then attached to a kraft card.  Decided too much embellishment would detract, so forced myself to just use 3 tiny yellow pearls.  I'm going to join in the PTI Blog Hop tomorrow (my first since becoming a blogger) with another graduated background card.

Hard to believe that we had 5 inches of snow 48 hours ago.  Today was all sun which Blitz & Keesha enjoyed to the fullest!  Hope you're having a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

It's a New Day!

Happy Friday!  As some of you know, Wednesday was my last day at the full-time job I've held for 17 years.  But, my days of being unemployed are already over as I was just offered a part time job--yah!  Some of the days are even in the town where I live, so only a 5 minute commute.  I don't think I have to start for a couple weeks, so now I'm on vacation--what could be better?!  We ended up with 5 inches of snow Thursday morning--really shocking here, but so beautiful!
On to cardmaking--needed a guy's birthday card so first stamp I thought of was my Hero Arts Silhouette Grass.  I inked it with Distress Ink wild honey, spritzed with water & stamped on wc paper a couple times.  Then the same thing with scattered straw.  It's cut with Nestie Labels Eight & then sponged with antique linen & mounted to a kraft card base cut with the same Nestie.  I used the Hero Arts Envelope Pattern stamp on the bottom of the card with vintage photo ink.  The greeting is Colorbok stickers on a piece of green textured cardstock cut into a banner with 2 rows of holes using the Tim Holtz ruler & mounted with foam tape.  Thanks for visiting--I appreciate all of you!

Surprise!

 I must have looked at the calendar wrong--today can't be the first day of Spring, can it?!  We don't even get snow every winter & look what greeted us this morning!  It's actually been snowing lightly all day--wet & slushy on the roads, so no problem driving.  Hopefully it won't all freeze tonight. This is quite a day--my last day working full-time after 37 years.  I'm not worried about adjusting to the new schedule--more time to make cards--LOL!  Of course hubby is hoping it also means more time to get my chores done around the house--bummer!  I'm looking for something part time so we can enjoy doing all the things we like before we're too old!  Hope things are good in your neck of the woods whether it looks like spring or not.

Butterfly Thank You

Needed to take a thank you card to work tomorrow & I've had butterflies on my mind, so decided to use my Flourish stamps again--love the 2 part stamping with this set.  The gal this is for loves mauve, so I stamped the solid image with Distress Ink spun sugar & then the flourish image with victorian velvet.  I punched the edges with my new MS punch called flourish--appropriate, I thought!  I had a scrap of textured cardstock just the right color to use for the mat.  I've been wanting to ink an embossing folder before running it through the machine & love how it came out with the spun sugar ink.  The layers are all adhered with foam tape.  Thanks for stopping by--I always love to hear what you think.  Wishing you all a great week!

Spring

First time to do 2 posts in one day, but I did get a second card made, so here it is.  I've been wanting to try Elizabeth Allan's technique for creating your own chipboard-like element with a solid stamp here.  I used an old favorite Penny Black stamp called  Wings & inked it with Encore! Ultimate Metallic Honeydew, Teal & Purple & then gave it 3 coats of clear ep & cut it out.  I really like the glossy effect.  I mounted it with foam tape to a Spellbinders scalloped oval with the same inks pounced & clear embossed & then edged with the purple.  The Penny Black paisley outline stamp is white embossed for the background.  The greeting is by TPC Studio.  Thanks to Sue (Scrumplescrunch) I found out about the Penny Black & More challenge for March here which is to make a Spring card or project & I'm finally entering a PB Saturday Challenge here. Wishing you all a wonderful week.  Thanks for stopping by.

Kissing with Color

Hope you had a great Saturday.  The luck of the Irish was with me as I was one of the lucky winners of the Flourishes March release!  Sure glad I stayed up late & got my cards posted Thursday--you never know.  I still had some of the foam green cardstock on my table from the Flourishes card & I love green & brown together, so that got me started for PTI MIM #57 http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/make-it-monday/  I've done stamp kissing, but never quite like this.  I highly recommend the video if you haven't seen it.  I decided to use my 2 newest PTI sets--Rosie Posie & Background Basics Medallions.  I stamped the flower with VersaMagic Aquatic Splash onto white cardstock.  Then I stamped the uninked flower with the medallion image inked with Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate until it was completely covered.  Then I lined it up & stamped over the solid image--did take some practice to line it up even with the clear stamp.  Isn't it a great effect?  I scored a couple lines & then mounted it to the green panel with foam tape.  The border & butterfly punches are Martha Steward.  Hard to tell, but the vellum butterflies are stamped with white Memories ink using the same medallion image.  Finished off the card with this sparkle ribbon & a couple pearl stick pins.  I debated as the whether or not the butterflies detracted from the flower, but in the end I thought they weren't overpowering being vellum.  I'd love to hear what you think.

Flourishes

 

It's another release week at Flourishes, so I was determined to get a couple cards made to be in the running for the wonderful new stamps & products.  I started with the  Pinter-Inspiration here and used the gorgeous Medallion stamp set to make my shades of purple and green card.  The cut out purple image is mounted with foam tape over the image stamped with VersaMark & clear embossed on the green panel with the scored edges.  The greeting is cut out with Spellbinders Labels 9.  I added gems, pearls & Stickles.

The second card is for the Front & Back challenge here using your focal image also for the background.  I decided to make a card with the feel of spring using the Thinking of You set.  I used my stamp positioner & clear embossed the image in each corner of a square of white card stock.  Then I used one of my favorite techniques--emboss resist with Distress Inks scattered straw, shabby shutters & ripe persimmon.  It's mounted to a piece of yellow shimmer card stock after I attached the green & yellow ribbon.  The focal image is white embossed on the same shimmer card stock & cut out with Spellbinders Labels 22.  I added Stickles to some of the flowers & 3 green pearls.  Past my bedtime, so excuse the formatting--still figuring out things like that.  Thanks to everyone who visits--I love hearing what you think.   

Celebrate and a tip

I hate to miss Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenges FTTC159 & it had to be done today, so I looked again at the inspiration picture.  The card must use at least 3 of the colors & I chose light & dark yellow, a shade of orange, light green, black & white.  Color challenges are good for me, since I tend to stick to ones I'm comfortable with &  neither yellow or orange would be one of them--LOL!  However, how can you think of Spring & not have yellow in the picture?   I thoroughly enjoyed putting this card together & hopefully someone will be happy to get it.
Stamp set:  Flourishes Fanciful Flourishes
Inks:  Brilliance Pearlescent Yellow, Vivid! Yellow, VersaMagic Mango Madness, Versafine Onyx Black
Die:  Flourishes Classic Keyhole made by Spellbinders
Gems:  Queen & Co Grass Green
Ribbon:  Michaels Basic Basic









Almost forgot--here's the tip:  I've read that to get the best image with clear stamps, you should put something like a mouse pad under your paper.  Today I couldn't get a large wooden stamp to give me a complete, crisp image.  So, before I used up the whole ream of paper I decided to try the mouse pad trick.  Sure enough--worked great! Now, maybe it was just a coincidence, but give it a try if you're having trouble--even with a wood mounted rubber stamp.  Thanks for stopping by--I love to hear your comments.  Wishing you a great week, friends.

Believe

Unexpected challenges for me this week & not feeling very creative.  However, I didn't want to miss ODBD Shining The Light challenge to make a card with flowers here.  I love this beautiful deep teal color & it turned out I had the COPIC BG09 & this cardstock & ribbon that all matched--plus the cute Sticko flowers I used for the centers.  I like the shading from just embossing the flowers in white & coloring with the COPIC.  Hope your week ends on a high note.  Thanks for visiting--I always appreciate it.
ODBD stamps Sweet William-Small

Country Comfort

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge here this week is to make a card depicting Country Comfort.  Country to me is a white farmhouse (represented by the Tim Holtz woodgrain embossing folder) with lace curtains & fruit trees.  Here's my first card using the wonderful Flourishes Pears stamp set that I won.  As some of you know, coloring is not my top skill (not even close!), but decided if I don't try I'll never be able to do it.  I used Memento markers dandelion & new sprout and COPICS Y21 buttercup yellow, R20 blush, E35 chamois.  I did have to discard my first attempt, but didn't give up this time.  The image is cut out with Spellbinders labels one & edged with Distress Ink antique linen.  Vellum was punched with MS classic butterfly & colored on the back with the same yellow markers.  Added Stickles star dust to the blossom centers & the butterflies.  The ribbon & pearls are from Michaels.  The layers are mounted with foam tape.  I used the Card Patterns sketch here for inspiration--fun to enter a challenge I haven't done in a long time.

Thanks for stopping by & suggestions for improvement do not hurt my feelings--how else do we get better?!  Happy Sunday everyone.

Friends

I had a hard time coming up with something to do for the current Shining The Light Challenge for ODBD here & I didn't want to miss the chance to make a shaped card (love them!), so pulled out this beautiful Basic Grey pp called Two Scoops.  I started by making the card using one of my favorite Spellbinders Nesties--Labels 9.  Then I looked through my ODBD stamp collection & decided on the first stamp (Friends) I bought which is the verse from a song I've always liked--good thing because it ran through my head over & over & over--LOL!  It is stamped with Brilliance Starlite Black & clear embossed on the next size down Nestie turned the other way.  I added pink grosgrain ribbon & some pearls & popped it up on the card.  The butterfly is from the Don't Worry set.  It was stamped in black & embossed with clear ep, colored with Memento markers, cut out & sprayed with Tsukineko Shimmer Spritz Frost & popped up on the edge of the verse.  The card is a little plain, but I think that's OK for this one.  Sorry I couldn't get a pic that was sharp.  Thanks for coming by--I always appreciate hearing what you think.