Dutch Dare - Challenge 8!

Wow! I didn't realize two months had passed already!

Today at the Dutch Dare card challenge blog, we have a sketch challenge. MY FAVORITE!

This one is from our sponsor Korin from Sweet'n Sassy Stamps.

The prize is a set of clear stamps, Elly & Friends (value of $25.00). Awesome, right?!

Here is my card:

This stamped image is from Korin...it was included in my package when I ordered my Sarah Kay stamps. Gotta say, I kinda want these stamps even more now!

What I used: Stamped image of Lily from Sweet'n Sassy stamps, sentiment from ??, Copic markers, Stampin' Up CS, K&Co PP, Cuttlebug, Cuttlebug embossing folder, faux dew drops, perfect layers tool, stickles, prima flowers, Making Memories button brad.

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you're having a great week. :)

Back to school time!

Or at least it will be soon here in California!

This is another Dirty Girls challenge on SCS. For those who don't know what I'm talking about (Jan..hehe!) it is a series of challenges made for the fan club members of SCS by the Dirty Dozen girls and alumni.

And on to today's card!

This is for the horrifying color combo of which I spoke yesterday. Not at all colors I would normally pick (yellow is my all-time least favorite color ever in the entire world.) I searched through my limited supply of stamps for something that wouldn't look completely out of place with these colors and then remembered I had my little Riley with the school scene! I think he works perfectly for these over-the-top colors. :)

What I used: Riley from Hanna Stamps, MFT sentiment, Memento ink, Copics, bashful blue ink for sponging, glossy accents for his eyeglasses and apple, Martha Stewart edge punch, Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, Cuttlebug embossing folder, SU and Bazzil cardstocks, yellow twill ribbon and my perfect layers tool.

Thanks for stopping by! I've only got 3 more challenges to complete today and I'll have finished them ALL! Wahoo!

I'm a lazy slug lately....

Well, when it comes to housework and cooking...I don't subscribe to those. hehe Specially when the hubby is gone away and it is just me and the furbabies...the house stays pretty intact. Imagine that! LOL

I have been having a lot of fun with my stamps lately. I desperately need to order some cardstock as I'm running low...but I want to wait for the new Stampin' Up catalog to see if I neeeeeeeeeed anything in it. LOL Sort of dumb since I could place TWO orders...but oh well. I've never prided myself on rational thinking. :)

So, these are another two cards that I created for the Dirty Girls challenges. Trying things I've never tried before....like making a scene. That took some head scratching 'til I figured it out.

Thanks for popping by! I'm gonna finish up some of the other challenges I haven't gotten to yet (dreading that horrifying color challenge..LOL!) And hopefully I'll be around visiting blogs tomorrow and getting back on track with that. Later, y'all!

Fun with Riley ....

These are more cards I created for the DTGD challenges on SCS. I think Riley is a pretty awesome little fellow. He leads QUITE the lifestyle with all his activities! :)

What I used: Riley stamp from Hanna Stamps, DCWV PP, Stampin UP CS, Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Memento Tuxedo ink, Copic markers, twine.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Watercoloring....

isn't my thing. See that blob of brown by her head? Yeah. Me too. LOL I guess the watercoloring looks okay...I just suppose I prefer my copics or my pencils more. :D

What I used: watercolor paper, ink smooshed onto an acrylic block to color, water color brush, vintage ribbon, SU CS, Daisy D's PP, Prima flowers, faux dew drops, glimmer mist.

Thanks for stopping by today! Hopefully I'll get some more sleep. Darn needy animals. LOL!

Here is what I make when I'm tired...

It isn't good. LOL

Yesterday my DH left out for a 16 day boat trip with the Sea Scouts. This always freaks the dogs and cats out because, "OMG WHERE IS DAAADDD?" So last night I had the entire menagerie on top of me in bed. I could put the dogs in the crate, but they weren't really the ones bugging me all night. No, it was Teddy, my male cat who is incredibly needy. He literally kept me up all night long by sitting on my head, licking my hair, purring in my ear, nudging me to get under the blankets. Then at 5:30 this morning, the puppy decided she wanted outside. SERIOUSLY, GUYS...MOMMY IS TRYING TO SLEEP! I gave up at that point and just got up to start the day.

So, I figured I was behind on doing my Dare to get dirty challenges on SCS, so I'd do a few of those. NOTHING worked. So I just went simple with it and combined it with another challenge. LOL

Here is today's monstrosity (don't say I didn't warn you):


What I used: Impression Obsession stamp (LOVE this stamp, seriously), copic markers, Bazzil CS, SU CS, shimmery CS, Basic Grey PP, glossy accents, Copic spica glitter pens, stickles, perfect layers tool, ticket corner punch, ribbon, stick on pearls (and look at that goofy eyelet. It was left over from something else I was trying with this card and I wasn't going to re-do it...AGAIN.)

Anyway, I'm off to work until late tonight. With no sleep. I'm certain I will be VERY unpleasant at work. But thanks for stopping by...sorry to assault your eyes. LOL

The Dirty Girl challenges...again....heee!

Well, I went from being right up to the minute with my challenges to being a day and a half behind! YIKES! Never worry though. I'll catch up today. :) And I happen to have some new stamps and supplies to play with today....I may have "accidentally" gone to the stamp store and some stamps and supplies "fell" into my shopping basket. heheee

What I used: Just Rite stamper, Stampin' Up cardstock. Unknown maker of pattern paper, black SU Ribbon and that is a prima flower peeking from behind my monogram that I cut out with my Cuttlebug and Nestabilities. Oh everything is straight on the card, I'm just a crappy photographer. And I have no idea why the top right corner of the photo is washed out, I didn't even use the flash.

Thanks for stopping by! I gotta get to stamping! (Well, after I get back from Napa...LOL)

Dutch Dare #7!

It is THURSDAY! Time for another Dutch Dare Card Challenge. This week our challenge is to make a circle card. I combined it with the Color Throwdown for this week because I LOVE these fun colors!

What I used: Imaginesce penguin stamp and Studio G sentiment, Brilliance Graphite black ink, Copic markers, Glossy Accents, Prima flower, Faux dew drops, Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, Crop-A-Dile, Scor-Pal, perfect layers tool, and a white gel pen.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to drop by the Dutch Dare challenge blog for a chance to win that beautiful butterfly stamp set. :)

Using orchid opulence.

I must admit, I find this color....horrifying. LOL I dunno, it is just so NOT my color. But I challenged myself with this card this morning to use this, my least favorite color. On the SCS DTGD challenges, one of them today was to make a monochromatic card. I swallowed hard and set out to find something to with that color cardstock.

After navel gazing for a while and feeling sorry for myself that I don't have 12 thousand million sheets of patterned paper, I finally picked up my Daisy D's pack of patterned papers. And whaddyaknow? There was a perfect match.

And you know, I kinda like it in a weird way. hehe

What I used: Lockhart stamp, Stampin' Up CS, Daisy D's PP, Memento Tuxedo black ink (my pad is drying...yikes! Must find another!), Copic markers, glossy accents, prima flowers, faux dew drop, cuttlebug, nestabilities, perfect layers tool and white gel pen.

Thanks for popping by today!

I've made so many

cards in the past few days that I hardly know what to do with myself. I'm trying to control myself and not just dump everything on my blog all at once as I don't know what my schedule will be like next week but more than likely it is going to be crazy-busy so I'll keep a few back just in case I don't get to stamp a few days. :D

Anyway, this is for another dirty girl challenge on SCS. It was watercoloring. Y'all, I am not a fan of watercoloring. AT ALL. I mean, I appreciate it when other people do it, but for me, I am entirely too impatient to let it sit there and dry and then add more color and then it blobs somewhere that I don't want it to and the whole thing is ruined. THAT is why I don't water color. LOL

Stuff I used: Sarah Kay stamp, watercolor paper, stampin' up ink pads that I smooshed onto an acrylic block, water brush thingy, Stinky StazOn ink, Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Stampin' Up ribbon, Stampin' Up CS and K&Co DP and some buttons from somewhere (Basic Grey?) WHEW.

Dirty Girl challenges....

Y'all I'm having so much fun doing these. They actually like...inspire me to get off my bum and do what I like to do instead of poking my head into the computer or going all zombie-like with a television show.

This is for Jody's challenge from Monday. I LOVE the colors in this ribbon! Soo...I designed my card around the faboo ribbon. :D

What I used: Lockhart stamp, Memento Tuxedo black ink, Copic markers, K&Co. paper that I paper pieced the apron and used for the background DP. The CS is from Stampin' Up. I used my Cuttlebug and Nestabilities, too.

Oh! And guess WHAT?! It is like my lucky WEEK or something because I won TWO CHA blog giveaways! One from Melissa Frances the Christmas collection (are you SERIOUS?) That paper is just divine! And I won the big kahuna (two different paper lines and a bottle of each of their colors of bling AND a teeshirt) from the Rusty Pickle blog. GET OUT! I am so excited and can't wait to use them to make some pretties!!

Again with more vellum....

Are y'all sick of seeing vellum? Hope not, coz I have a LOT more. LOL Today on one of the Dirty Girls challenge on SCS was to use vellum. Oh my! Right up my alley of late! Hehe!

I went simple with this one. Actually, I dreamed this one up right before I went to sleep last night. The colors and the stamp and the sentiment. hah! But I had it being navy under the vellum layer but when I checked, it looked much better over the kraft.

What I used: Great impressions Dandelion stamp, Verve Visual sentiment, kraft and night of navy Stampin' Up cardstock, vellum for whoknowswhere, white craft ink and 2 rhinestones.

Thanks for dropping by today!!

I think I have a new favorite...hehe

I am in LOVE with this sketch. I love the square and the circles! This is for the MFTSC40 on the My Favorite Things forum on SCS. Do you not love this sketch? Gah! Right up my alley, y'all! And if you participate in their sketch challenge, you have a chance to win the August mini stamp set. So go play (or wait, no, don't...that would decrease my odds...y'all just stay here. LOL)

What I used: My Favorite Things stamp (I cut the be calm off the bottom of the stamp. It was annoying me being there); Stampin' Up cardstock; Nestabilities; Cuttlebug; Fiskars embossing plate; stick on pearls; ticket corner punch; ribbon, prima & hero arts flowers; perfect layers tool.

Thanks for stopping by...I know, I should have combined this card with the one below but I didn't! LOL

Christmas in July!

Okay, so I happen to LOVE Christmas. Like crazy love it....so much that I listen to Christmas music all year 'round whenever the mood strikes me. LOL So when I saw the Hanna Stamps Christmas in July sketch over at the Hanna Stamps forum on SCS, I knew I had to ink up some of my Winter/Christmas Rileys. :D

I found when I went looking that I didn't really have any Christmas papers. OH NO! I had used them all up on scrapbooks in previous years and since I started stamping AFTER Christmas, it never occurred to me to buy any Christmassy paper. But, after some digging, I found a lone single piece of ANCIENT 12x12 scrapbook paper. This paper might even be older than me...like at least 500 years old. So I tried to find a way to use it so you couldn't really see how old it is but you got the idea that it was wintry. hehe

What I used: Riley stamp from Hanna Stamps, Stampin' Up CS, ancient DP, flocked corner sticker, vesamark embossing pad and embossing powder, cuttlebug, nestabilities, Stickles, Memento black ink, Copic markers, some ribbon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Two Challenge cards for today

So anyway, I'm having some fun lately trying out different things. I love, love sketch challenges because for me, sketches are so hard. They shouldn't be as I do blog design work and have the basics of design and balance on my brain all the time. But I can do it on the computer easily, it is the hands-on part of putting it into paper that I have difficulties. *rolling my eyes* LOL

So anyway, on the All That Scraps blog, they posted a cute sketch challenge that I thought I'd try this week. I used my new C.C. Designs stamps for this one. Isn't that little bear so cute with all his drippy pink ice cream?! I could just snuggle him to pieces. hehe

What I used: C.C. Designs stamp, Bazzill and K&Co papers, Scor-Pal, faux dew drops, Memento brown ink, Copic markers, pink ribbon, oval nestabilities and my cuttlebug.

The other challenge card is from the challenge posted on the Our Creative Corner blog. These ladies are so talented...I'm always just in awe of their fabulous work. Maybe someday I'll be at that level...I'm a few years behind them so I'll keep working at it!

Anyway, their challenge was to do dry embossing. EEee...I love dry embossing! I just love texture. I'm a "touchy" person in that I like to touch things and see how they feel. Does that make me weird? Anyway, for this one I used two cuttlebug folders for the cream cardstock. First I inked up my Swiss Dots cuttlebug folder and ran it through my Cuttlebug. Then I ran it again through the cuttlebug using my Birds and Swirls folder. I just loved how the embossing turned out on that! I used my Nestabilities oval to cut and emboss some vellum, then I stamped my birds stamp from Inkadinkado in white on my vellum. I colored it from behind so the colors would be a bit muted. I then took a piece of black cardstock, cut and embossed a scalloped rectangle then ran it through the Swiss Dots folder. I then mounted the vellum onto the rectangle using my Xyron adhesive so that I could get the itty dots to appear on the vellum from behind.

What I used: black, pomegranate, vanilla CS, vellum, Cuttlebug and Nestabilities ovals and rectangles, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots and Birds and Swirls folders, black SU! ribbon, white craft ink, Copic markers, white gel pen, Scor-Pal.

Whew. So now that I've rambled on for 10 days...thanks for stopping by. Hope you're having a fabulous weekend. :)

New blog clothes...and a project.

Whee! My BFF 4-EVR Mary Dawn made me a new blog outfit to wear! Isn't it perfect?! hehe She sells her pretties like this over on her design blog, so run on over and check her out...great prices. ;)

And on to the project I made. I saw a challenge from Mothers and Daughters Creations blog to use Nestabilities. Well, as y'all can tell from my previous cards and stuff, I happen to ADORE my Nestabilities! :D

Now, I've had this floating around in my head for a while. I even purchased all the fixin's to make it. And did I ever do it....no. At least until now!

I used 3 patterns of Cutie Pie paper from Stampin' Up and cut a blue bloody million (okay not that many...but a LOT) of scalloped circles using the smallest scalloped circle nestability die that I have. Then I pinned the papers on with sewing pins and then glued the loose edges down with my Quickie glue pen (LOVE!) Then I cut out a circle using one of my plain nestabilities circle to form the "hole" for the birdhouse. Then I made a larger scalloped circle, cut about 1/2 the way in on one side and glued it to make the topper. Then I used a smaller circle, did the same thing to top the topper. Use a copic marker to color a toothpick black, shoved it in under the bird "hole" and edged it with faux dew drops stuck on with glue dots. I stickled a bit here and there on it (prolly can't tell from the picture) and then I wrapped a half a pencil with green satin ribbon and put it into a votive holder filled with more faux dew drops.

It was way fun to make!

Thanks for dropping by today. :)

Again with the no stamping

These are more of my outline Starform stickers that I bought when I made my quilt card a few posts down.

I just carefully laid the sticker down on to vellum paper and then colored it in from behind with my Copic markers. I found a cool piece of paper in my DCWV paper pack that had the same little symbol on it as one of the stickers so I used that and put it on a base of kraft from Stampin' Up.

Thanks for stopping by today. :)

Dutch Dare Challenge 6

This is week 6 of our Dutch Dare Card Challenges! This week our sponsor is 7kidscollegefund, the challenge is to make a card using something that can be found in the web-store.

Easy enough, right? She carries a lot of things in that store! I used Sarah Kay-Picnic of Daisies stamp, Glimmer Mist, Scor-Pal, and Spellbinders Nestabilities dies as well as my Cuttlebug which she also sells.

Now, on to the card. WHICH I don't like. I would like it but *sigh* I dropped my sewing machine the other day. SPLAT! right in the middle of the floor. And now the tension is ALL out of whack. I've tried everything I can think of to get it back but nothing is working. I think it is lost to the other world now and that I'll just need to go out and buy a Sew-Mini AND a new fabric sewing machine. heee Maybe later...anyway the card:

See how horrible the stitching is? Yes, I can't FIX that. So annoying. So, for the purposes of time and because I didn't want to alter my plans, you get the slightly horrific version. Once I have my new Sew-Mini, I will be ripping off that cute image and my cute flowers and re-doing it with the pretty stitches.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Piercing bonanza

Hehe! How ya' like that piercing? I love piercing and think that it adds a little extra to a sort of plain-ish card. BUT...Mary Dawn and I were bemoaning the other day about not having any piercing templates. And so I told her...well...why don't you make some yourself? Which then prompted me to study some of the piercing templates that are available on the market and put some together myself.

I drew a few out in Adobe Illustrator (some were good, some were duds), printed them on to plain copy paper, cut them out, covered the copy paper with my removable Scotch Tape, and practiced on some cheap-o cardstock until I found one that I liked. And then I thought to myself...well, what if people don't HAVE Adobe Illustrator (it is an expensive program)...what else could they use? And then I had an A-HA! moment. There are TONS of scrolly dividers available in clip art on the web, why not use those? And so I repeated the process from earlier with the Illustrator created ones, opened the clip art into Microsoft Word, resized them, and they worked just fine, too!

I realized after I was putting it on the card that I should have reduced it just a tad more which I can totally do later. I'm going to reduce them just a smidge, print them on cardstock, and then laminate them with my Xyron laminating rolls so that I can reuse them. :) Cheap and easy piercing templates. :)

Supplies I used: SU paper, DCWV paper, Memento ink, Copic marker, Nestabilities and Spellbinders dies, green velvet ribbon, homemade piercing template, paper piercer

Another quickie....

I'm lazy today. I played with some stuff but didn't finish anything really. I went to the stamp store today so....I HAD to come home and play with my stuff and test it out, right? hee

Anyway, here is another quick one. Looks complicated doesn't it? Well, it might be if it weren't for these cool stickers that I got at my LSS! They are new to me at least! According to the lady at the store, they are a hot seller. They're called Starform stickers...the official website is here.

I just slapped 8 of these little triangle stickers on a 1-1/4"x6" piece of scrap double-sided Daisy D's paper and then trimmed around, matted and stuck it to the card. I kept the card simple so that my patchwork "quilt" is the focus...oh and coz it is quick, too. LOL

Enough typing. Here is a close-up of the "quilt":


Thanks for stopping by. :)

A Quickie to post....

Just a quick card that I put together this morning to share today. I'm working on a few other things right now so I whipped this one out just to have something to post today. LOL!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I used: Sarah Kay stamp, Stampin' Up cardstock, DCWV pattern paper, Memento Tuxedo black ink, Copic markers, Prima flowers, Stickles, Paper piercer, gel pen, Perfect Layers tool, SU black ribbon, Versa-something blue ink for the sentiment, Cuttlebug, Embossing folder, my new Creative Memories wavy cutter thing-a-ma-bob.

Lazy Sunday...

perfect for making things! Right? Having a bit of fun today with some things.

Anyway, I saw on the Our Creative Corner blog a beautiful dining room as the inspiration challenge this week. No rules or sketch were given, just that we were to take whatever elements or colors or whatever we liked from the room and create a card. Okay! :D

Here is what I made:

Supplies I used: Stampin' Up CS, unknown sourced DP, MFT stamp and sentiment, cuttlebug & nestabilities & swiss dot folder, May Arts ribbon, Memento Rich Cocoa ink and copic markers.


And I made a cute Riley card, too. :) I loves me some Rileys...I do, I do! I was just futzing around with some circle cards and put this little guy together. And since his floatie has dots on it, I carried the dots theme throughout. hehe (Oh and a note about his floatie. After I took this picture, I remembered to use my glossy accents on it so it was shiny...so pretend you see it there, okay?!)

























Thanks for stopping by today!!

The card that almost wasn't.

I made this card for Mojo Monday Week #45 and the sketch itself is LOVELY and a real pleasure to view for sure. However, everything I did for this card, I ended up doing AT LEAST twice. SO frustrating! My cuts were wrong...I smudged the coloring or the ink...I cut it with the wrong Nestabilities die...I stuck it wrong and then when I went to pull it up, I ripped the cardstock. MY WORD I was nearly in tears when it finally came together! LOL

So HERE is the card that I nearly scrapped, not because of the sketch, but because of my own stupidity.

Supplies I used: MFT stamp and sentiment; River rock, Summer Sun, White CS; K&Co DP; Memento cocoa or whatever the name is ink; Copic markers; Ribbon from Michael's; American Craft white brads; Crop-a-Dile; Paper piercer; Scor-Pal; Inksentials white gel pen; Summer Sun ink sponged around the edge of the sentiment; Copic Atyou Spica clear glitter pen. Blood, sweat, tears, a few curse words and LOTS of patience. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Are you sick of these stamps yet?

I'm not and I have more. heh This is another Sarah Kay stamp from Stampavie. These just remind me of my youth..sort of like Holly Hobbie or something. I had a Holly Hobbie bedroom. :D

Anyway, thanks for running by today. I've got to run off to work. BOOO! This whole "getting money to buy things" business is getting old. hehe

What I used: stamps, ink, paper, ribbon, sticky stuff, tools. (If you're dying to know, I'll tell you buy I'm guessing you already know.) Or you can visit my SCS gallery.

Dutch Dare Challenge 5

It is Thursday again which means it is time for the Dutch Dare card challenge! This week's challenge was to use only one patterned paper. Usually not a problem for me! :D

Here is my card: I'm not a terrible fan of this card, if I'm to be honest. I sewed on it...my first real, actual sewing with stitches on a card. I much prefer the faux stitching. hehe And I don't really like the big flower at the bottom because I couldn't photograph the card standing up because of that big ole flower. I do like my Sarah Kay stamps and that paper from Daisy D's. And of course, I love that yummy stitched ribbon. I could use it on everything but now I'm trying to hoard it because I don't have much left. hehe

Anyway, thanks for stopping by today and don't forget to visit the Dutch Dare challenge blog for your chance to win. :)

New non-rubber stamps!

I love unmounted rubber! I love the Sarah Kay stamps from Stampavie. I wish the Sarah Kay stamps were unmounted rubber rather than clear stamps, but I'll take what I can get. :D

I was so excited to get my Sarah Kay stamps! I'm still all excited about them to be truthful. hehe They're SO fun to color and I just love all the little details and scenes. They're just fabulous.

Hope you have had a good week thus far! I've been crazy-busy at work so no stampy-fun-time for me the past few days.

Thanks for stopping by! :)

What I used: Basic Grey paper, prima flowers, Sarah Kay stamps, Cuttlebug and Nestabilities, Memento ink in brown, Copic markers (eleventy million of them), and I used some chalk to color the sky around her...y'all remember chalk, right? hehe!

Since I'm dumb, I got to have fun!

Well, on Sunday I thought I had to be at work at 11am, so I got dressed and went all the way there (less than a mile...LOL!) and found out that I was working a half shift from 4-8pm so I was super-excited that I'd have more time to play with my stamps! And that is what I did most of the day...played with stamps and did some challenges and just had a wicked good time!

Here are two of the ones that I finished during my "spare" time Sunday!

Thanks for running by today!