A Change of Pace

I set my beloved Wings papers and stamps aside to change it up a bit with a Valentine and my take on CPS 200 as featured on the Card Positioning Systems blog. I colored my image with markers and used a white gel pen to add detail to some of the hearts.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy textured, Black, and Crystal Blue cardstock; Cherry-O Level 2 paper packet; Black ink pad; Holiday Red, Heavenly Blue, Sunflower, and Brown Bag markers; White gel pen; Impression Obsession Heartlines stamp set; Black/white gingham ribbon from Wal-Mart; Black Mini-Medley Accents Collection (button); Corner rounder.

A Slice of Life: Today is the day. I am off to work again later. Because my plan to condition myself for the new hours didn’t work out so well last night/this morning, I am hoping to nap for a couple of hours after we eat dinner at 4. Food puts me to sleep, so that should work and, hopefully, will help the cause.

Have I told you lately how sweet my granddaughter is? It was so good to get to spend some time with her last night. Unlike her dad and uncle who chunked out almost immediately, she is still quite petite. That’s a good thing, as her closet is stuffed with a lot of very cute, very small clothes. Maybe she’ll get to wear everything at least once. LOL.

I hope you are having a wonderful week. Unless I am too tired to surface tomorrow, I will be back. Take care, and thanks for stopping by.

Fun on the 4th of July

My idea of fun anyway! Last night, I went through the challenge blogs, made a list and between then and now, have made a few cards. I thought about posting them one-by-one, maybe saving a couple for the inevitable day when I either can’t get here or have no mojo, but then I thought, what the heck… And so, here you are!

This first card is the byproduct of a personal challenge – to use up some of the squares I cut for the quilt card I made the other day.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Crystal Blue cardstock; Sweet Harmony paper packet (retired); Crystal Blue and Blush ink pads; Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp set; Martha Stewart Doily Lace edger punch; Cuttlebug w/Swiss Dots embossing folder; Sponge daubers.

 

This next card is my take on FTL97 featured this week on the Clean & Simple Stamping blog. After waiting for a backorder, I finally got my hot little hands on Tim Holtz’s Tattered Florals die.

The flowers were made with Baby Pink cardstock that I sponged with Blush ink and ran through the paper corrugator multiple times to both soften up the paper and give my flowers some texture. The card base is textured white cardstock.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy Textured and Black cardstock; Black and Blush ink pads; CTMH Gracious Greetings stamp set; Buttons from my stash; Black/White mini check ribbon from Wal-Mart; White embroidery tread; Cuttlebug w/Tim Holtz Alterations Tattered Florals BigZ Sizzix die; Sponge dauber; Fiskars paper corrugator.

 

This card is my adaptation of Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #119. I inked my stamp with markers with the intentions of spritzing it with water to create a watercolor look. The problem was, when the time came, no water bottle was to be found. Thus, I huffed … and huffed … and huffed until I was darned near lightheaded. Lucky me. The image came out OK. To add a little texture, I stamped the background of my image with my Speckled Background stamp and used a sponge dauber to add some Bamboo ink around the edges.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Olive cardstock; Basic Grey Origins 6x6-inch paper pad; Olive and Bamboo ink pads; Sunflower, Olive, and Cocoa markers; Stampin’ Up Inspired by Nature and CTMH Happy Birthday stamp sets; CTMH Speckled Background stamp (retired); Antiqued Copper mini brads; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; Sponge dauber.

 

 

 

I was intrigued by CPS #174 on the Card Positioning Systems blog and thought the sketch would be a bigger challenge than it turned out to be.

I stamped some images on my script patterned paper with Bamboo ink – kind of collage style. Deciding how to embellish a rather plain, monochromatic card proved to be the greatest challenge. I ended up piercing around the perimeter of the stamped background piece and adding three mini brads before calling it “good enough.” Best of all, I actually like the way it turned out.

Materials & Tools: Colonial white and Cocoa cardstock; Passages paper packet; Bamboo and Cocoa ink pads; CTMH Live Inspired stamp set; Antiqued copper mini brads; Piercing Tool; Stampin’ Up Piercing Guide & Mat; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; Sponge dauber.

 

 

 

 

When I saw C4C44 – a challenge to use two or more ribbons – on the Crazy 4 Challenges blog, I remembered a favorite sentiment stamp and knew immediately what I wanted to do.

It cannot be a surprise that the card base is White Daisy textured cardstock – my favorite for CAS. And, I’m sure you know, too, I love this card – the colors, the message, the clean and simple style.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy Textured cardstock; Ocean ink pad; Verve Stamps Asian Flair stamp set; Striped ribbon from reasonableribbon.com; Grosgrain ribbons from Wal-Mart; Gemstones from Wal-Mart; Liquid Glass.

 

So, if you are wondering what else I’ve done so far today, the answer would be, “Not much.” LOL. I have managed to make a bit of a mess in my corner, and I am struggling to stay cool. After several days of temperatures in the high 80s and lower 90s, it’s dropped to 79 degrees today – cool enough that husband doesn’t think the air conditioner is necessary. As I type, I have two loud, annoying fans blowing hot air at me. Men get the dumbest notions in their heads sometimes, don’t they?

Tonight, we are going to a small town about 30 miles from here for a concert. It’s Oklee’s centennial celebration, and our friend, Jack Sundrud, has returned to his hometown from Nashville and will be performing. I guess that means I will have to comb my hair. LOL.

What are you up to? If you are out and about, I hope you are safe and enjoying yourself. If you’re relishing time at home like me, I hope you are having as much fun as I am. Take care, friends, and as always, thank you for stopping by.

More Challenge Cards

 

 

Every once in a while, I make a card I love. While it is nothing fancy (a different way of saying “simple”), it’s a pretty combination of paper, ink, stamps, ribbon, and a punched border and my take on Card Patterns Sketch 64.

The card base is 3-3/4 by 5-1/2 to accommodate the lace border. Everything else, I believe, you will understand from the following list of materials and tools. It’s a short one!

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Cocoa, and Sweet Leaf cardstock; DCWV Latte Matstack; Cocoa and Sweet Leaf ink pads; Verve Stamps Serenity stamp set; Papertrey Ink Spring Moss grosgrain ribbon; Martha Stewart Doily Lace Edger punch.

 

 

 

 

 

This next card is my adaptation of CPS 67 as featured on the Card Positioning Systems blog. It also meets the criteria for this week’s theme, “Let’s Hear It for the Boys,” masculine birthday card challenge on the Our Creative Corner blog.

I used the Happy Birthday stamp from Close To My Heart’s Candlelight set to create a background for the candles. The candles and flames were stamped, cut out, and mounted to the card with foam tape. While I don’t usually use glitter on cards for guys, I didn’t think that adding Orange Peel Stickles to the flames would strip the card of its masculine appeal. The same goes for the not-so-feminine ribbon tied using a square knot.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Cocoa, Barn Red, and Ocean cardstock; Sarsaparilla paper packet; Cocoa, Sunny Yellow, Orange, and Bamboo ink pads;  Candlelight stamp set; Ribbon and brads from my stash; Orange Peel Stickles; 13/16-inch circle punch; Sponge dauber; 3M foam mounting tape.

 

 

Another good day for me. How about you? I am tired, however, and by no fault of my own. The phone rang at 2:30 am – a very sweet 97-year-old tenant with breathing problems – which resulted in a 911 call. I don’t know about you, but I don’t sleep well when there are police cars and an ambulance outside my front door. It was a couple of hours before things settled down again. And the tenant? She was home again before I went to work this morning. Obviously, whatever was ailing her was not serious. I am glad she is OK.

We’ll try the sleep thing again tonight. But first, I’m going to slip over to see what I can come up with for tomorrow. Enjoy your evening!

P,S. About yesterday’s post, I didn’t mean for my wisecrack to sound sarcastic. I truly appreciate being appreciated by my sons. And, I am so very blessed to be their mother. With beautiful (inside and out) women in their lives and the precious grandsons Cameron has brought into my life, my blessings have multiplied. It’s all good … very good, and I’m grateful.

Chirpie

This top card is the first of three quick Easter cards I made using the Chirpy Collection from DigiStamp Boutique. This one is my take on FTL #84 on the Clean & Simple Stamping blog.

This second card is my adaptation of CPS160 as featured on the Card Positioning Systems blog. I colored all three images with Prismacolor colored pencils and odorless mineral spirits.

My last card is a modified version of C4C30 on the Crazy 4 Challenges blog. You can’t see it, but the eggs have glitter on them. Maybe the flower and egg on the other cards could use a little glitter, too… Hmm...

How has your weekend been? Excellent, I hope. I’ve had a great weekend albeit the hands on the clock seemed to have stepped it up. I made a trip downtown yesterday, which is something I rarely do. I also came to the realization that I live in the town where one cannot buy something as basic as a spool of thread. Wal-Mart sells small repair kits with an assortment of thread colors in them but no spools are to be found. Is it any wonder the UPS man makes regular trips to my door? I hate to half to resort to the Internet for something as basic as black thread, however. Sigh…

Dustin’s 864-word autobiography ended up being a four-hour project this afternoon. He’s determined (a nice word for stubborn) and a bit persnickety, so I was pleased when my first draft passed inspection with only a few minor changes. I fully expected that we would lock horns at some point. It didn’t happen. Nice.

Nope, I’m off to do a little spray painting before it gets too dark or cold. I bought materials for a “project” yesterday, which I will show you if it turns out. LOL. I hope your week is wonderful. Thanks for stopping by. Your visits and words of encouragement mean the world to me. Later …

A Tall Order

I think I shy away from these tall cards, because they are so darned hard to photograph. An artificial light situation didn’t help. Ok. That’s all the complaining you’ll hear from me this evening.

My card is my take on CPS #156 as featured on the Card Positioning Systems blog. If you take a peek at the sketch, you’ll note I turned it around a bit. The sentiment on the right with the bird facing the fold of the card didn’t look right.

About that bird, I made two. The first one fell on the floor, and I couldn’t for the life of me find it. The funny thing was the floor was clear with the exception of a couple small scraps of paper. Hmm… a disappearing bird that will eventually show up in some strange location. Oh, and the stamped bird was mounted on a piece of chipboard, which I attached to the card with foam tape.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Chocolate, Honey, and Autumn Terracotta cardstock; Felicity patterned paper and stamps; Chocolate, Honey, and Bamboo ink pads; Treasure Life stamp set; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Sponge daubers; 3M foam mounting tape.

Here are a couple more cards, which were inspired by this awesome card on the P[inks] blog. It’s based on a sketch challenge, too, but I don’t know which one and am too lazy to hunt for it. These were quick, easy, fun cards. The only challenge involved cutting out the babies with their stick arms and legs.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Heavenly Blue, Baby Pink, and Key Lime cardstock; Sweet Pea paper packet; Black, Heavenly Blue, Crystal Blue, Baby Pink, Blush, and Key Lime ink pads; Heavenly Blue and Baby Pink markers; Family Ties – Adults, Family Ties – Children, Sweet Baby, and Togetherness stamp sets; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Ovals set; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; 2-inch scalloped circle punch; Black My Legacy Writer; 3M foam mounting tape.

Tired and not feeling quite right, I took the afternoon off to come home and rest. After having done that, I’m perkier and getting ready to go bowling. When I get home, there will be a pair of little overnight guests waiting to play until bedtime. There is no better way to end the day.

I hope your day is going well. On a high note, the workweek is on the downslide. Only two days left. Take care, friends, and enjoy the evening. Talk to you again soon.

So Sweet

You were warned. Here are a couple more cards made with Close To My Hearts new So Sweet stamp set and Veranda papers.

This first card is my take on CPS 153 as featured on the Card Positioning Systems blog.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Cocoa cardstock; Veranda paper packet; Cocoa, Juniper, and Crème Brule ink pads; Garden Green marker; So Sweet and Say it in Style stamp sets; Stampin’ Up Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Rectangles and Labels Eight sets; 3M foam mounting tape.

While it’s not often I say I love something I have created, I will have to admit a fondness for this little 4-1/4 inch round card, which is my adaptation of SSS 42 on the The Sweet Stop sketch challenge blog.

The image behind the sentiment was stamped with second generation ink. I colored the leaves and added a little more color to the flowers with a blending pen and ink from my ink pads. While my camera didn’t do it justice, the little butterfly (from CTMH’s Spring Blossom Just Blooms collection) is sweet and a coordinates beautifully with the Crème Brule paper.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Cocoa cardstock; Veranda paper packet; Cocoa, Juniper, and Garden Green ink pads; So Sweet stamp sets; Hero Arts pearl accents; Spring Blossom Just Blooms collection; Fiskars Apron Lace border punch; Stampin’ Up Ticket punch; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; Dove blending pen.

It looks like we made it through Monday. For me, it wasn’t all that busy a day, which might mean I will be avalanched tomorrow. That will be OK. Busy makes the time go faster. Tonight, I’m going to go hang out in my corner for a while before attempting to go to bed at a decent time.

I hope you enjoy your evening, too. Thanks for stopping! Later…

Simple on Sunday, too!

It’s so nice to be able to slip into my corner again and stamp without thinking about the 1,001 things I should be doing. Today, there’s only one thing – cleaning up the mess from Friday and that can wait a bit.

This simple 4-1/4 inch round card is my take on CPS147 sketch challenge featured on the Card Positioning Systems blog. I love the little Organic Dimensional Elements. While I don’t mind covering or finishing chipboard, I’ll have to admit it’s kind of fun when it’s ready to use right out of the package. As for the patterned paper, this blue/green combo is my favorite from the Twitterpated paper packet.

Materials & Tools: Sweet Leaf, Crystal Blue, and Colonial White cardstock; Twitterpated paper packet; Crystal Blue and Bamboo ink pads; Happy Birthday stamp set; Organic Dimensional Elements; Ribbon from my stash; Ecru crochet cotton; Sponge dauber; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set.

OK. After being a bum yesterday and having a little fun this morning, it’s time to go clean up the mess. Hope your day is wonderful. If I have my way, I’ll have something to post again later in the day. I have some “making up” to do. LOL. Take care, friends! And, thanks for stopping by!

Just Monkeying Around

… with a few sketch challenges and a new set of stamps I won in a random drawing on the

Card Positioning Systems blog a few weeks back. I had my choice of any set from sponsor Inky Antic’s clear stamp line. And while it was a tough choice with so many cute stamp designs, I kept going back to “Monkeys Hanging Around” and finally decided that was the set for me. Winning was fun, particularly when I didn’t even realize there was a drawing. Surprise!

Fittingly, the top card was made with this week’s CPS Sketch #140 on the CPS blog.

This second card is my take on this week’s A Sketch for You to Try on the i{heart}2stamp blog. I colored all of the images with Prismacolor pencils and OMS and used papers from the Animal Cookies paper packet. It probably goes without saying these are cards for kids!

This last (but not least) card is my take on Unscripted Sketches #29.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Tulip, and Dutch Blue cardstock; Animal Cookies paper packet; Black, Tulip, and Dutch Blue ink pads; Inky Antics Monkeys Hanging Around and Close To My Heart Happy Birthday stamp sets; Tulip mini brads; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Corner rounder; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; Black My Legacy Writer; Stampin’ Up Photo Corner punch; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; 3M foam mounting tape.

How’s that for a lot of monkey business? LOL. How has your day been? So far, mine has been great. And if my evening is as productive as the workday was, I’ll go to bed a happy, albeit tired, camper. Thanks for your comments on my last post. I’m glad some of you found my one-word answers to the questionnaire to be amusing. As for the place I go over and over, I think it’s an old-lady thing that I don’t always find so darned funny. Might as well laugh about it though. Anyhoo, enjoy the evening! Later …

Hope is ...

Today's card was inspired by CPS135 sketch on the Card Positioning Systems blog. It was the perfect sketch for a favorite sentiment. As for details, the sentiment is raised, attached to the card base with foam mounting tape. Everything else is self-evident and/or explained in the following list.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Papertrey Ink Berry Sorbet cardstock; K&Company Ancestry.com Designer Mat Pad; Cocoa and PTI Berry Sorbet ink pads; Wordsworth Comfort stamp set; Offray brown satin ribbon; Kaiser Krafts pearl accents; Stampin' Up Ticket punch; 3M foam mounting tape.

Happy Friday! I don't know if anyone has noticed but most of my posts this week have been scheduled. Tonight, I'm here in person. LOL. I hope your week has been a good one, and you, like me, are looking forward to the weekend. Thank you for your visits and kind comments, which are so appreciated. With that, tune in tomorrow to see what I've come up with for Simple Saturday. Later, friends ...