Stamp Simply #72 - Love Is In The Air!

Today's Stamp Simply Challenge has to deal with LOVE!

Please stop by Sharon Johnson's blog and show her a little love ... she has had quite a lot on her plate lately and now has been down with the flu bug for the last four days!

Now on to the challenge! In Sharon's words "Make any love themed card you’d like — it could be for Valentine’s Day or for a wedding or anniversary, or even a LOVING birthday or thinking of you card — just incorporate LOVE into your project somehow!!! " (You can click on any of my images for a closer view).

I've had these beautiful vintage images hanging on my pegboard just screaming to be used. I printed them from DigitalCollageSheets.com. My intention was to use all three images on one card but as I started, I realized I wanted to focus on each image individually ... so now I have THREE cards to share with you on this challenge! I know ... CALL ME CRAZY!!!

My first card is my favorite!! The background paper is designer paper to mimic antique lace and is by Karen Foster. All stamping has been done directly onto the paper. Stamps used were: Crafty Secrets (Sew Special), Autumn Leaf Clear Stamp (Love) and Flourishes (Open to Love) double hearts.

My second card was very simple! The background paper is from the DCWV 12x12 Old World pack. The only stamping on this card is the "Special Love" sentiment which is from the Crafty Secrets (Mini Memories) set. I placed my vintage image behind a Darice photo frame and matted it with a scrap of SU designer paper. The organdy ribbon is from JoAnn's and the sticker pearls from Mark Richards. LOVE the softness of this card.

My third card was a little tricky due to the color tone of the image. I finally decided on Pacific Point for my card base and a scrap of SU dp for my background panel. The paper lace is by Around the Block and was given to me by my friend Tammy Hershberger (Stamp Happy). The heart tag I had in my scrapbooking stash and the fibers were also a gift and matched in perfectly. The only stamping on this card is the "Happy Anniversary" sentiment which comes from an Inkadinkado Wedding clear set.

Okay ... that's it for today's Stamp Simply Challenge cards. What fun I had once I decided what to do!! Hope you are having fun today too! Still cold and snowy here in NE Ohio ... so I guess I'll just have to go to the craftroom and play somemore ... oh wow is me!! LOL! Happy Day my friends and thanks so much for stopping by!

Sharing is a GOOD THING!!

Happy Friday my Friends!!

First let me say that the big black birds (grackles) have finally decided to "play nice" and share. As you can see by this photo, there are also cardinals and bluejays now able to partake in feeding! Although I did notice last evening (under the shadow of dusk) that the squirrels were on the feeders and by this morning have nearly cleaned them out! Looks like I'll be trudging through the snow later for a refill! Afterall, they are God's creatures and deserve a little help this time of year!!

Two More Challenges Complete!!

The snow has finally stopped here ... we ended up with nearly a foot and believe me when I say ... enough is enough ... bring on the Springtime weather!! It's nearly bedtime but I just had to share the other two challenge cards I was able to complete today! Hope you don't mind!!

First is a card I did for the sketch challenge over on the Our Creative Corner blog. This was a fun sketch and I couldn't wait to use my new Crafty Secrets "Feeling Yucky" images. Aren't they adorable!!! There are so many cute images on this set ... you'll be seeing more get well cards posted in the days to come I'm sure!! LOL!!

My second card was done for yet another sketch challenge ... this one is over on the PaperCraft Planet. The main panel on this sketch was a heart so I decided to use the nicest "heart" image I have which is from The Rubber Cafe. I've also used my Cuttlebug Heart embossing folder on the Crafty Secrets (Radiant) designer paper as well as the Cuttlebug With Love border folder. The rose is by Paper Inspirations and after inking it with Ruby Red & Always Artichoke, I cut it out and tucked it in behind my border folder panel. I'm very happy with the outcome! What do you think?? Oops, almost forgot ... the FOREVER image is from the SU Wonderful Words II set.

There you have it ... I'm finished playing for today!! But what a fun day I've had ... finally got some creative juices flowing and hated to stop. Thanks so much for stopping by and PLEASE come back ... I love hearing what you think of my work ... good or bad!!

DH is feeling a little better this evening ... let's hope it carries over into tomorrow!!!

Challenge Card fun ...

It is nearly 3 pm here in NE Ohio and it is STILL SNOWING! I see some of my neighbors out shovelling and snowblowing but I'm going to wait just a while longer until it slows up a bit before I venture out. SO ... in the mean time, here are a couple of challenge cards I had fun doing.



First card was for the Sketch Challenge over on SCS. I just received my new Crafty Secrets stamps this week and was so anxious to get them inky!! This set is SO much fun ... several pieces that can be used to make you own background panels and that is exactly what I've done here. The red polka dot paper is by Rusty Pickle and the other panels I made myself.




Don't forget, there are only a couple days left in the Crafty Secrets "Get Creative With Clear Art Stamps" . Make sure you check it out and join in!! There is $200 worth of prizes to be won and YOU could be a WINNER!!! Contest ends Friday, Jan. 30th. HURRY!!!





My second card today is for the Color Throwdown Challenge. We were to use Real Red, Basic Black & Brocade Blue. Mind you, this is not what I had in mind when I started this card ... I am definately NOT a Modern Styled designer but I'm actually quite happy with the outcome.


The background designer paper is a 12x12 DCWV sheet which I cut to fit an A-6 size premade white card. The designer paper was actually BLACK & WHITE. I decided to color in some of the flowers with markers to match today's color request. Over the weekend I purchased some new Nestabilities ... here I've used the "Label Two" set and I also purchased this Sizzix Corner Design diecut for a whopping $4 from a local scrapbooking store that is going out of business. I originally had a different focus image on this card but decided I didn't like it so used the Prima flowers and Making Memories brads instead. I like it much better now!! What do you think?? This may NOT be my typical style, but sometimes it's good to "think out of the box" and try new things.


Thanks so much for stopping by and please come back later when I hope to have a couple more challenge cards ready for you! Right now ... I'd better get the snowblower fired up and at least get the driveway cleared once before it gets filled in again, LOL!!


DH update: Mark has had a couple "bad" days since his weekend ICE chemo. He's fighting with nausea and exhaustion the most. Yesterday he never got out of bed to even eat anything until after 6 pm and then he didn't eat much. Today he's trying to work a little on his computer but just gets worn out so fast ... hasn't been able to get much accomplished! Hopefully tomorrow will be even better. Our trip to Cleveland Clinic for tomorrow has been cancelled for the present time. He is scheduled for a PET-CT on Monday the 2nd and then we'll got from there. If the results show that he is presently in remission ... we've been told that they will MOVE QUICKLY onto the transplant. I'll keep you posted. Please keep the prayers coming ... we certainly appreciate every one of them!!!

Squirrels Have to Eat Too!!

It is snowing to beat the band here in NE Ohio ... we're expecting a possible 12" before it's all done! Guess where I'll be today ... yep, right here in my warm home ... hopefully doing a little crafting after I get DH's breakfast.

When I opened the blinds in the kitchen this morning ... there they were ... the pesky squirrels up on the bird feeders. I usually chase them away but, (if you saw my previous posting) since the grackles ate all the squirrel feed I put out I guess the birds will have to share what's left of there food today. (Click on the photo for a really nice close-up view). When the snow slows down later in the day, I'll bundle up to clear the driveway and venture out back to replace both bird & squirrel feed. It's tough this time of the year on these little guys and I try to help where I can.

Please stop back later when I should have cards for today's SCS sketch challenge and the Color Throwdown. I'm also working on a few cards for challenges over on the Paper Craft Planet. See you later!!

Crafty Secrets Challenge #53

What fun ... today's Crafty Secrets challenge hosted by Marcy (kiddielitter) is LOST & FOUND!

It took me a few minutes to figure this one out then I remembered finding several image sheets by Crafty Secrets within my scrapbooking supplies (which unfortunately I haven't touched in a couple of years). At that point in time I didn't even know who "Crafty Secrets" was ... but now they are one of my very favorite companies & products!

The card is a premade A-6 ivory card from Michael's and the background designer paper is from a 12x12 DCWV pack. This paper reminded me of an OLD suitcase my parents had when I was a kid (I think it's still in my mom's house somewhere) and I aged it a little more by inking the edges with Ranger Vintage Photo ink and a sponge applicator. I also did faux stitching with a metal ruler, Creative Memories fine tip black marker and a paper piercer. The tag, postcard and "enjoy the journey" sentiment are all from the Heartwarming Vintage Cuts (adventures & travel) sheet that I had stashed away and the suitcase is a stamp by Inkadinkado that I thought fit in quite nicely. After having it all together, I decided it needed a little something so I used my Crafty Secrets "mini memories" stamps and put the words Memories, Dream, Imagine & Remember onto the background paper. The heart diecuts I've used on the corners (using both positive & negative) I made using a Sizzix Corner die which I just purchased for $4 at a local scrapbooking store which is going out of business. I ran it through my Cuttlebug and it worked perfectly. The ribbons are both by Darice and were in my scrapbox ... have to use up those scraps where you can!!

Hope you like my Lost & Found card ... thanks for stopping by and please come back!

Winter Birds

Hello my friends!

I hope to have a couple cards to share with you later in the day but for now I wanted to share the photos I took yesterday only moments after filling the bird feeders.

I have three different types of bird feeders in the backyard that we can view from our kitchen table looking out the sliding glass door. Over to the left of the backyard is our picnic area where there is a bird bath, picnic table, bird houses and a squirrel feeder. I try to feed the squirrels away from the birds so the birds have a chance at feeding before the squirrels eat it all!!

Well, today, the squirrels didn't even get a chance at the feed before the "Grackles" swarmed in (by the hundreds) and began to gobble it all up. Notice photo #2 ... that is my squirrel feeder hanging on the tree which the birds are sitting in ... feeding on the corn/peanut mixture I put out for the squirrels. What a site ... the tree tops were FILLED with these black birds just waiting their turn at the feeders (looked like an Alfred Hitchcock movie). And the poor "little birds" like the wrens, chickadees and cardinals didn't stand a chance until the grackles had their fill.

In fact, so many grackles tried feeding out of my double plate feeder that they broke one of the plates and that's it laying on the ground in photo #1 (right side feeder). I always feel bad when the little birds can't get into the feeders but I guess the big birds have to eat too and it's really tough this time of the year when everything is frozen. I'm sure they'll get their fill and move on ... I have more feed and will refill everything and the little guys can have their fun later in the day!!

Thanks for stopping by ... please come back later when I'll have my card posted for the Crafty Secrets challenge today which is "Lost & Found" ... should be fun!!

FS103 - Vicky Gould

Today's Featured Stamper on SCS is Vicky Gould. Vicky is not only a GREAT stamper/crafter, but is always ready with a kind word on your work. She is so deserving of this honor today!! Vicky's card PERFECT FORM is the card I chose to case. I kept her layout, but changed the theme and colors.

My images are from two Crafty Secrets sets. The bras and sentiment are from the "Support the Girls" set and the garters are from the "Sew Special" set. I stamped the bras on a piece of vanilla cs using Versafine black ... then stamped the images again on scraps of designer paper I had lying on my table and paper pieced them onto the main panel. The garters were stamped with Versafine black and embossed with clear embossing powder before I cut them out using my swivel craft knife. The background paper is also a scrap I had on my table from the DCWV Luxury pack. The brads are "sugar-coated" by Doodlebug and the ribbon is by Darice. So, what do you think?? I have so many friends that have been so supportive through my DH's cancer treatments that I don't know which one to send this too ... have to give that some thought!! (or make quiet a few more, LOL)!

Thanks for stopping by ... please come back again!!

DH update: Mark had I.C.E. chemo again this weekend and we just arrived back from the hospital a short time ago. He had a bit of a rough time during the night with nausea & vomiting and didn't get much rest ... so he's in his own bed now and resting comfortably! We're not exactly sure what the next step is ... but I'm sure they will let us know!! We also don't know how he'll respond to this current treatment ... time will tell. Either way, we're still keeping a positive attitude and taking it one step at a time. With the wonderful, positive thoughts & prayers from all of you ... I have no doubt we'll get though this ... JUST FINE!! Thanks for your prayers and I ask that you keep them coming ... they're so helpful!! Bless You All!!

Thanks to the Chemo Nurses

We just got back home from the hospital where Mark has spent the last 24 hours + ... hooked up and receiving chemo. The Oncology section of our local hospital is staffed with a wonderful, caring group of folks. We have only been in this section of the hospital on 2 occassions, but they have been very professional and so attentive to Mark's every need!

I was having difficulty sleeping last night with Mark not here so I decided since I was awake I may as well put my time to good use and make up a couple boxes of cards to let these two special Nurses know how much I appreciate their kindness towards my husband in my absence. Megan was the RN this weekend and Heather was on duty during his last I.C.E. treatment. I asked Megan to choose which set she liked the best and please give Heather the other one. She thanked me over & over again for the gesture and I thanked HER over & over again for being so good with Mark!! We kind of chuckled about that!!

You know, in my mind, it's difficult enough to be going through something like this and if you have someone who shows a little extra kindness ... it just makes it a little easier to endure! I realize they are only "doing their job" ... but I've seen others "do their job" but not near as nicely!! So, thank you NURSES out there who help take care of us in some of our "not so pleasant moments" and do it with a smile on your face!! God Bless You!!

Card details:

(blue set)

Stamps: Embrace Life and Stampendous

Paper: 2-sided ivory/white cs, Sweetwater designer paper (summertime blues collection)

Ink: versafine black

Accessories: Michaels' ivory satin ribbon, pop dot

(groovy guava set)

Stamps: Inkadinkado and Stampendous (sentiment)

Paper: Groovy Guava cs & dp, Glossy black

Ink: Versafine black

Accessories: clear embossing powder, Creative Memories black round tip marker, gold Pilot marker, Nestabilities (labels one)

Only ONE week left ...

Hey everyone ... don't forget, there is only ONE week left to take part in the AWESOME Contest Crafty Secrets is having over on the SCS Member Company forum found HERE!

You can also read more about the Contest and other GREAT things they have going on by checking out their BLOG.

WOW ... $200 worth of prizes!!! PLEASE ... check it out!!

Stamp Simply #71 - Modern

Hello friends!!

Today's card is for the fun filled Stamp Simply Challenge over on Sharon Johnson's blog No Time to Stamp. Today Sharon has asked us to think "MODERN". To make a card/project using our personal interpretation of MODERN style.

Well any of you who know me or follow my blog know that I am NOT a MODERN styled person. Vintage - definately ... maybe even a little Country ... but MODERN ... WOW, I need help in that department!!! So after talking with a few friends and taking a peek at the cards Sharon's design team ladies came up with, here are MY thoughts on the subject!!

My base card is A-6 white ... the A-symmetrical paper is from a DCWV designer pack. The dress form is a solid stamp by My Sentiments Exactly and was given to me by my friend Tammy Hershberger (Stamp Happy). The lettering is from Creative Memories. That's it!! It took me longer to come up with the idea than it did to actually create the card!!! SO ... what do you think?? Am I on the right track?? Thanks for stopping by ... please come back.

DH update: As I type this, Mark is over at the Oncologist office having the "out-patient" portion of this 3-day I.C.E. chemo treatment. He called and said that his blood platlets were good enough that they would be doing his chemo this weekend. That means that we will be spending Saturday & Sunday at Summa Hospital in Akron Ohio. We also have an appt. this coming Thursday with the doctors at Cleveland Clinic to discuss the next steps in the stem cell harvesting/transplant process. I will keep you posted. Please keep him in your prayers as you have ... it certainly is helping us make it though!!!

Cards for Carolyn

I made up this set of Thank-You cards for my sweet daughter Carolyn!! She's an accountant and as I'm sure you know, this time of the year is a real pain in the butt for accountants with the ole' tax time nightmare beginning !! I thought a little "just because" gift would help lift her spirits.

A very simple set to make, I used my JustRite DIY MonogramStamper Kit, SU Elegant Greetings stamp set, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Darice organza ribbon and DCWV Old World designer paper.

Carolyn is a wonderful daughter and has turned out to be an AWESOME wife & mother!!! I am so proud of her!! She's a hard worker ... devoted friend and just a downright good Christian woman!! If you'd like to take a glimpse into her world, check out her BLOG ... quite different from my own!!

Thanks for stopping by ... please come back!!

GLAMOUR GIRL

Morning All!

Today I'm in a bit of a hurry to get out the door. I have a hair appt. with my sister (an hour away) ... lunch with dear daughter ... then headed to PA to update my Mom's computer ... then take her to dinner for her upcoming birthday. Goin' to be a busy day!

I did, however, make a quick card to cover both today's Card Sketch Challenge over on SCS and the Color Throwdown Challenge. The only stamp set used on this card is the Glamour Girl set by Crafty Secrets. What do you think of all the polka-dots?? Kind of "not really me", but I think it works in this case. The colors for the Throwdown are Kraft, Pink Passion & Black. My polka-dot paper is from the Radiant pack from Crafty Secrets. I did a little distressing just to give it a little more vintage feel.

Well, that's it! Gotta get on the road! Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek. Please stop back again when you're in the neighborhood!! Happy Stamping!!

Crafty Secrets Challenge - PURPLE

Today's Crafty Secrets challenge over on the SCS Member Companies forum was hosted by Pammyjo and she has asked us to use the color PURPLE!! Being my favorite color, I truly enjoyed putting this one together!

I've had this 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper by Tapestry in my drawer for quite awhile now and didn't have the heart to cut into it ... that is, until today!! I was looking for that perfect paper to go with my Crafty Secrets, Clear Art Stamps - Sew Special images and here it was!!! Once I picked the paper and the images I wanted to use, this card was a "snap". The "faux stitching" was done by using the zig-zag stamp in this set and stamping it right onto the dp. The scissors is also from this set and after stamping & embossing, I cut them out with my "handy-dandy" swivel craft knife and popped them up using pop-dots. The flowers are by Prima and the sugar-coated brad is by Doodlebug. I have a whole bucket of buttons from which I picked these three to use as embellishments. I've used Michael's holiday metallic thread for the button centers and Offray Amethyst satin ribbon also purchased at Michael's. What a fun card ... and challenge ... please come join in!

Thanks for stopping by ... please come back!!

DH update: Mark was feeling very well today although he did go to work because he had two meetings scheduled that he didn't feel he could miss. The exhaustion has gotten worse and it was all he could do to get out the door today ... I'm sure he won't be home long before he is napping. We're still looking at this weekend for the next round of chemo ... I'll keep you posted. All prayers throughout this journey are appreciated!!

Fun with Friends

Today I had the pleasure of getting together with a couple of my friends ... Sandy Egbert and Linda Davis. First we met for breakfast at Friendly's (our usual breakfast meeting place) then back to my house for a little stamping, crafting, and gabbing fun. Sadly Linda had to leave early and wasn't able to get in on too much of the stamping fun and I don't have any of her samples to show you (maybe next time), but I did get some photos of what Sandy & I were able to come up with. I had asked her to bring over her "Valentine's" images since I don't have many of my own and wanted to do a few cards for this year. WOW ... she has a whole case of different heart stamps ... big - little - vintage - cutesy ... you name it, she had it ... WHAT FUN!!!



These first photos (watermarked for Sandy) are what she came up with. (Click on photo for larger view) The background paper on two is actually Pink Pirouette though it looks nearly white in the photo, sorry! The double matting is glossy black & silver metallic. This vintage heart image is by PSX ... she bought it at a garage sale awhile back for $1.50 ... can you believe that!!! The background stamp is a retired SU heart image.



The double card photo she made using a "blue-purple" vellum which she'd punched the border using the Martha Stewart border punch then ran it through the Cuttlebug using the "swiss dot" embossing folder. The card on the left has a 3d cluster of flowers and she's not finished with this card yet ... she has plans for the right hand side but was going to finish it off at home. The card on the right uses the same PSX vintage heart image only it was stamped in SU perfect plun then mounted on the silver metallic. The photo really doesn't do either of these cards justice!!!



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Now, here's what I came up with!


Basically, they are the same concept as Sandy's but I layed them out a little differently ... using Basic Grey designer paper for the background on the one ... glossy black background with Creative Memories hearts on another and I colored the rose on the main vintage heart stamp on a couple of them.


The card with the solid glossy black background was actually done by accident. I had several pieces laid out putting "this with that" and I just happened to lay this on top of the black background by itself and thought "wow ... that looks great, okay let's do one like that" and here you go!!






Now this was an idea we both really liked! The PSX vintage heart image was stamped on red cardstock with Versafine black ink and embossed using detail clear embossing powder. This card was done using 3 different sized rectangle Nestabilities. The smallest being the size that the image was cut from ... the next size up was used to cut the opening in the front of the card and ... the next size up was used to cut the glossy black from which we layed the "middle sized diecut" ontop of and cut again to give us the frame we overlayed on the front of the card. Did you follow that??? The heart stamped red panel is actually on the INSIDE of the card. Doesn't this look cool ... you should see it in real life ... awesome. We both make a couple of these!!

Isn't it great fun to get together with other ladies and share fresh ideas and "stash"!! We will certainly have to do this again ... maybe next time a few more friends (and family members - that mean you my sweet daughter) can join in too!! Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek!!

HOW ABOUT THOSE STEELERS!!!

PITTSBURGH'S GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL ....

Featured Stamper (Lori)

Sorry to overload you with postings today ... but I've had the chance to play and I'm certainly making the most of it.

Here is my card for today's Featured Stamper Challenge over on SCS. Today we're honoring Lori (Stamp_Momma). What a fantastic gallery ... PLEASE check it out (just click on her name) ... she's got wonderful ideas and techniques. HERE is Lori's card I chose to case. There are several others that I know I'll go back and case also!

The technique of stamping on designer paper is one I LOVE but don't think to do often enough. This designer paper is by Creative Imaginations and I've used an image from the SU Stem Silouettes set to stamp the top & right side of my card. The faux zig-zag stitching is done using an image stamp from the Crafty Secrets (sew special) set. My sentiment stamp is by Wordsworth. I used the same designer paper to stamp my sentiment on then used my Nestabilities for the panel & mat. The ribbon is Michael's textured ribbon and the decorative pin is by Heidi Grace.

I must remember to use this technique more often ... I just love the dimension it adds. What do you think?? Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek!! That's it for today, LOL ... tomorrow's another day!!!!!

Can you tell DH is feeling well and watching football since he didn't have chemo this weekend! Gives me more time to play ... yeah!! Don't get me wrong, we are still fighting the battle and appreciate all your prayers ... keep 'em coming!!

More Gift Sets

Don't mind me ... I just found these gift box sets so easy to make and have on hand that I just had to make a few more. No ribbon was used on any of these sets. In fact, here is my BASE LINE for making these sets as well as the ones on an earlier post. (click on any photo for a larger view)



1) Cards are A-2 in size (4.25 x 5.5)
2) Background paper is cut 4x4.
3) Images are either stamped then cut with Nestabilities (or similar product) ... or stamped right onto the designer paper.
4) I've used the SU Elegant Greetings set for my sentiment (inside & outside).
5) Embellishments to fit the set.





This first set is designed for someone with the "love of the ocean" in mind. The main image is by Stampendous and has been colored in using SU watercolor pencils & blender pen. I used my Nestabilities to cut the oval image and the double scalloped matting. The paper used for matting is SU Pacific Point and Chocolate Chip. The designer paper is from the DCWV "old world" pack and is 12x12. (Works perfectly when you are cutting 4x4 panels). My only embellishment are the birds from the Martha Stewart punch. I used Versafine Sepia ink for the sentiment which I thought tied in better with the color scheme.






This second set was designed for someone who loves "vintage" (like me) in mind. The main image is by Impression Obsession and I just LOVE this lady!! She is so beautiful whether you choose to color her in competely or just color the flower in her hair!! My base card is SU Pink Pirouette and the designer paper is by Crafty Secrets "classic" pack. To save on layers, I chose to just outline both my image and dp panel using a gold Pilot marker. Now how's that for quick & easy!!! Add your sentiment (inside & out) and this set was done in no time!!! ( And of course is my favorite so far!!) What do you think??






The last set (for today, LOL) was an experiment. I just love the "old" In-Color ... River Rock and wanted to make a set using it but was having trouble deciding on what type of image to use with it. So ... I got creative and decided to stamp my image right onto the River Rock designer paper that matches the base card. The pattern on the paper was tight enough that color in the "Spring Song" image was not a problem! The garden of flowers is an image from a newly purchased Inkadinkado set. I thought the flower matched well enough to create a garden from which the hummingbird had chosen his "special nectar filled" beauty. Here to, I've colored in the hummingbird and flowers with SU watercolor pencils & blender pen. I'm very happy with how this came out!! I also added a faux stitching line beneath the image vs using ribbon. What do you think of this set??


Thanks so much for taking a peek ... please come back!

Still Snowing -- Time to Play

It's still snowing here in NE Ohio and I've been enjoying being in the house and time to play! Here are a few cards I made just playing around after visiting one of my favorite local stamping stores. (click on any image for a larger view)


This first card is very quick & easy. And actually could have been a lot nicer if I'd taken my time and my gelly roll would have cooperated !!! I've seen this technique used before but just never remember to do it myself! So after seeing it yesterday, I came home a did a quick card just to have as a reference for future use! The main thing I picked up here was to use the white gelly roll pen along with the black embossed flourishes to really make them stand out. You could use ANY sentiment on the side and could certainly add more embellishments to suit the occassion!! The flourishes image I used here is by Hero Arts and the sentiment is by Art Impressions.



This next card was fun to do and also very easy!! I purchased this Art Impressions image yesterday and couldn't wait to make a card with it. I bought it because my first thought was "Wow, what a great image for GUY cards" ! All I've done here is stamp the image on vanilla cs using SU Pacific Point ink ... then colored in the ship with a blender pen while the ink was still wet. The sentiment & birds are from a set I've had sitting around ready to cut & mount for months ... by Cornish Heritage Farms. I framed it using a "scrap Nestabilities negative" that I had from another project then using makeup applicators and chalk, I did the sky. Added a couple ribbons (guys like ribbons, right???) and tadah ... complete!



For my last card (on this post) I've used a card idea I saw at this same stamping store since I realized I owned the same stamps as on her sample. These cute birdies is a stamp by Magenta. The sentiment is Art Impressions and the branch is by Stampendous. Again, very quick & easy ... all 3 images are stamped on a piece of vanilla cs ... colored in using SU watercolor pencils and a blender pen. The gingham ribbon is by Offray. See ... easy peasy!!



Thanks so much for stopping by ... please come back!!

Birthday Challenges ...

Today there are two challenges using a "Birthday" theme.

Today is Sharon Johnson's STAMP SIMPLY #70 challenge honoring Senior Citizens! I wonder if she chose that idea for today's challenge since today is HER BIRTHDAY !!!! Although at 55 ... I wouldn't consider her a Senior Citizen! Come to think of it though, she can get a Senior Citizen discount at various restaurants now!!! (like I do, LOL) This SIMPLY STAMPED card is for SHARON ... Happy Birthday my friend ... I'll have this in the mail for you tomorrow.

Card Details: Basic white A-2 card which I first scallop punched the bottom front before running through the Cuttlebug using the stylized flowers embossing folder. The sentiment is from the Inkadinkado garden flowers clear set ... stamped in Versafine black then sponged around using SU ruby red ink before using the oval Nestabilities diecut for the panel & mat. The butterflies are from the Martha Stewart punch and the ribbon is Michael's organza. To set off the bottom scalloped edge, I place a 1" strip of black cs 1/4" up from the bottom of the inside of the card.

On the 27th of this month my sweet Mother will celebrate her 79th birthday. All I can say is that I hope I'm as active and enjoying life as much as she is when I reach that age! Here is the card that will be going to Mom. She always enjoys my "vintage styled" cards so I made this with her in mind.

Card Details: There is no stamping on this card. The base card is navy and the designer paper is by Basic Grey (I think ... not sure). I do know however that the beautiful main image is from the Joys of Life booklet by Crafty Secrets. If you don't have any of these booklets or other Crafty Secrets products ... you really must check them out ... they are awesome!! The vintage heart tag came from Archiver's but I don't recall who the manufacturer was. My embellishments consist of a small piece of purple organza ribbon from Michaels on the heart tag, Prima flowers, Mark Richards sticky pearls and the luscous lace is from Webster's Page's.

I also have a very close friend who shares my Mother's birth date and this card was made with her in mind. God love her, she's not very crafty so I'm sure she would love any card I sent her but I wanted to let her know how much her friendship means to be as well as celebrating her birthday.

Card details: The card base is A-2 Pink Pirouette. The stampset I used is a retired SU set called See With the Heart. By using the single rose stamp and SU ruby red ink, I made the "background". My image is stamped on very vanilla cs using Versafine black ink. I colored in the flowers using Rose Romance, YoYo Yellow & Old Olive SU inks and a blender pen ... then matted the image with glossy black cs. The little kids vintage image was a gift so I'm not sure of the maker. The happy birthday sentiment is by AMuse and the "dots" are by Colorbok. Last but not least, this beautiful organza mauve ribbon I believe is by May Ribbons.

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The second "birthday challenge" is the STAMP SOMETHING challenge called "Birthday Somethings". For this challenge just make a project with the theme of birthdays. You can make a card for someone or scrap a page using photos from a birthday party, or even make a gift idea for a birthday present. There will be a prize for one lucky winner ... check it out!! I'm thinking these 3 birthday cards should fit this challenge quite nicely ... what do you think???

Thanks so much for stopping by and please come back!! (Quick DH update ... chemo for today was cancelled. He's actually feeling quite well, but his blood platlets were to low to start another round of chemo today. He'll be going back for blood work next Friday and if the platlets are back up ... then they'll do the 3-day chemo treatment. In the meantime, he's happy that he'll be home for the Steeler game on Sunday. GO STEELERS!!)

Boxed Sets

For some reason I got the bright idea to make up some boxed sets of cards ... 6 cards & envelopes ... 3 Thanks You & 3 Thinking of You. Once I got the idea in mind, it only took a few hours to get 3 sets completed. I purchased these clear boxes from my friend Tammy Hershberger at Toyrifix and they are perfect for this size set. In fact, I probably could have fit 8 cards vs 6 without a problem. (click on any photo for larger view)




The two stamp sets I've used are SU Elegant Greetings & SU Sassy Stems. The image used on the Blue Bayou set is by Just For Fun. The colors I've used for my base cards are SU Blue Bayou, Mellow Moss & Groovy Guava. They are all similar but just a little different one from the other. I've used my Nestabilities rectangle for the main image panel ... stamped, colored then using a matching ZIG marker, made the dots around the edge ... this just helped to make it "pop" a bit.


These were so quick & easy to make and will certainly come in handy for those times that you need a last minute gift!



Thanks for stopping by ... DH has headed over to the doctors to begin his chemo so I'm going to try and get a few challenges done while he's gone. Please stop back later to see if I was successful, LOL!!

LOVE those challenges ...

I have a double post for you today.

First is yesterday's Color Throwdown challenge using the following colors: Pumpkin Pie, Certainly Celery, Riding Hood Red, and Baja Breeze. Aren't these fun colors!! I chose to do a very simple layout to focus more on the colors. My image is by Stampendous ... sentiment by Close to my Heart and the two punches (doily lace border & butterfly) are by Martha Stewart. I did a little coloring in on the image using a Creative Memories copper metallic pen and an American Crafts glitter pen. I also used the glitter pen to outline the butterflies. The image was stamped in Versafine Black and the sentiment in SU Ruby Red.

Secondly is a card for yesterday Sketch Challenge over on SCS. I needed a wedding card so I decided to utilize this sketch for that purpose. I was just informed that a friend was "quietly" married on New Year's Eve ... how romantic! I would say that her new husband has absolutely NO excuse for forgetting their anniversary!!! LOL!!

I just love black, white & red together ... so rich I think!! Here I've used a basic white card and made my own background by using two of the sentiment stamps within this Inkadinkado Wedding set. The floral paper used on my panels is by American Crafts ... simply cut & matted. The only think I've added to the main image is to chalk a little blue on the bouquet and the flower in her hair. I've stamped all images with Versafine black. The corner images have been cut out and popped up for dimension then I decided to add red stickles to the hearts for a little added sparkle. Fairly simple card but I think the newlyweds will like it! Congratulations Cindy & Todd!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by and please come back!!

Hubby update ... Mark has been feeling fairly well this week other than the fact that he is now coming down with a cold (probably caught it from me ... oops). The doctor has put him on a prescription of Z-Pack before he starts the next round of chemo on Friday and throughout the weekend. He seems to be feeling much better even today! Thanks for all prayers and I ask that you keep them coming ... bless you all!!

More Crafty Secrets Fun

Hey Everyone ... have you checked out today's SCS Weekly Inling #141???

Here's a LINK and if you notice on the right hand side, there is a box identified as Clear Art Stamps ... click on it to see even more Crafty Secrets fun and FREE GIVEAWAY!!!

Go one step further within that posting and you'll find more information on my previous post in reference to the SCS Crafty Secrets forum weekly challenge **with $200 worth of prizes**. You can see it HERE.


Hurry now, GO CHECK IT OUT!!!

CSSC51 - Get Creative with Clear Art Stamps

Morning Everyone!!


Today I am your hostess for the weekly Crafty Secrets challenge over on Splitcoaststampers. My first idea for today's challenge was to use "something NEW" that you received over the holidays. Then after being contacted by the lady at the helm of Crafty Secrets, Sandy Redburn, our challenge today has been "kicked up a notch" and will also be recognized on the homepage of Splitcoaststampers. HOW COOL IS THAT!!!


She will be giving away 3 prize packs and all you have to do is use at least one of the Crafty Secrets - Clear Art Stamps. You can combine them with any other Crafty Secrets products if you like. Your card or keepsake needs to be new and not previously posted. These are the 3 Gift Certificates awarded:

Most Comments - $100 Gift Certificate
2nd Most Comments - $50.00 Gift Certificate
Random Winner - $50.00 Gift Certificate


Additional information will be forthcoming as to the start and end dates. So PLEASE ... blow the dust off those Clear Art Stamps and join in ... what great fun this will be!!!


I chose to make both a card and a keepsake. My card was created using my NEW Crafty Secrets - Clear Arts Stamp set (Wine Lovers) which I received over the holidays from my very own Santa. Also NEW on this card is the background paper which was given to me by my dear friend, Linda Davis. This designer paper is by BoBunny and it is 2-sided ... both sides are beautiful!! I used Nestabilities to make my circles & ovals. The fireworks image is by Great Impressions and I've "sparkled" them up using both Black Opal & Gold Sparkle embossing powder. All images other than the fireworks are from the Wine Lovers set. I don't know if you can see it in the photo (you can click on image for larger view), but I have used the "liquid applique & chalk" technique (explained in the previous post) on the grapes hanging from the grapevine in the left corner. Looks really cool in real life!! I have cut out the wine bottle & glasses and popped them up using dimensional tape. What a fun set to play with! Being a wine lover myself, this set will come in handy I'm sure!!



Now, on to my keepsake project.


I've been wanting to make a set of coasters using marble tiles for quite some time and this gave me a good excuse to PLAY with that idea. These are 4x4 Tumbled Marble tiles that I purchased at Lowe's (in the flooring section). I chose to used the Crafty Secrets - Clear Arts Stamps (Sweet Kids) images. Aren't they adorable!!! I first stamped the images on each tile with Stazon, heat set and even let them sit for awhile (during dinner) for a little extra drying time. Using Ranger cut-n-dry pen nibs, I colored in my images with CHALK. You can also use permanent markers for brighter colored images. After coloring my images, I used a cotton ball and coordinating chalk to go around the outside parameter of the tile. When your coloring is completed, to make these coasters water resistent, you'll need to give them a few coats of your favorite Clear Acrylic Sealer. I prefer a "gloss" finish and I get mine at WalMart. Hint: be sure your first coat is VERY light and not sprayed on too closely. Make sure to let it dry thoroughly between coats.


Remember, these are rough marble tiles and you'll have to put some type of backing on them to protect your furniture from damage. I chose to use heavy duty self sticking felt pads (also purchased at Lowe's). There are other products available for this job ... just check out you local home improvement or crafting store.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Don't forget, check out this fun challenge over on SCS to win some awesome prizes!!

New Technique

My good friend, Sandy, taught me a new trick using Liquid Applique and Chalk.

It's a very simple technique and looks fantastic when completed. I decided to use two different Thomas Kinkade images which have a variety of flowers for my base. I've tried to give you a better view by photographing my cards at an angle ... hoping you can see the dimension this technique gives the flowers on these images. You can also click on any of the photos for a larger view!

The images were stamped using India Ink Black onto Glossy White paper. Then were colored with various SU inks & inking nibs. I didn't color the entire image ... I left the flowers plain because I would get my color from the liquid applique/chalk technique. However, I think next time I will try coloring in the flowers also ... I don't think you'll get that white hallow around the applique if there is color in the background.

After coloring your image, apply liquid applique over the floral part of the image ... either using little dots or following the line of the flower ... use your heat gun to "puff" up the liquid applique. Give it a couple minutes to dry then color in by using a makeup applicator (or chalk applicator of your choice) and just brushing lightly over the puff with chalk. That's all there is to it!!


Coloring in the Thomas Kinkade images takes a little more time than some other images but it's always worth that additional time ... using this method of dimension adds that little extra element of style to a card that we are all looking for. I'm anxious to try this method on other images.


Thanks so much for stopping by today! (Hubby Update: he's feeling fairly well this weekend and intends to go to work this week ... that is of course until Friday when the next round of I.C.E. chemo begins. Thanks for all your prayers ... they are obviously working!!)