Simple Saturday …

…on Sunday, because I was too pooped to post last night. Actually, I have four cards to show you but will save a couple until tomorrow. If you have Google Reader, you might have noticed my unsuccessful attempt to put all of the cards into a SmileBox slideshow. While I might have eventually figured out how to upload the darned thing into my post, I was frustrated as heck and decided to give up before frustration turned into a seriously bad mood. Back to my cards – they are the result of my realization that for all the cards I have sitting around here, I don’t have very many birthday cards for young people . I seem to make what I feel like making and don’t pay a lot of attention to what I actually need. A New Year’s Resolution: Stamp with a Plan. We’ll see how that goes. LOL.

All for of the cards I made use the same bright, fun color scheme, and none of them were made using any patterned paper. Instead, I used the Cuttlebug and embossing folders to add texture on all but one.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Lagoon, and Pear cardstock; Lagoon, Pear, and Sunny Yellow ink pads;  Party Pennants stamp set; White mini brads; Cuttlebug w/Happy Birthday embossing folder.

 

 

This second card is my adaptation of Unscripted Sketches #84 and was pretty much as design-as-you go thing. The strips along the side are cardstock and were looking a bit boring before I added a couple of rows of piercing. For continuity, I carried the piercing over to the upper left hand corner. The circle element needed some pattern behind the candles, but not too much, which is why I stamped the confetti with second generation ink. The flames were inked up with Sunny Yellow and rolled in Sunset. Yellow Stickles make them glow.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Lagoon, Pear, and Sunny Yellow cardstock; Lagoon, Pear, Sunny Yellow, and Sunset ink pads; Happy Birthday, Party Pennants, and Candlelight stamp sets; Lagoon Mini Medley Accents; Yellow Stickles; Piercing tool; Stampin’ Up Piercing Guide & Mat; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set.

A Slice of Life: The party yesterday for my 10-year-old niece and 17-year-old nephew was fun. It was held at a huge waterpark that is part of a casino/resort, which is located about seven miles from town. Watching the kids have so much fun, I have decided that I am going to buy a new swimsuit and join the fun next time, which may very well be for Bjorn’s 7th party birthday next month.

As for today, there is not a lot to say. I puttered around with a few things but didn’t accomplish much. Our Christmas decorations have been brought out of storage, and thus, there are totes stacked to the ceiling in the living room. It will be a works in progress over the course of the next two evenings, unless, that is, I get lucky, and Husband takes care of the tree while I am at work tomorrow. I thought about suggesting as much but then thought again. He’s a man. It’s got to be his idea. I’ll just cross my fingers.

What has everyone got on their agendas for the week? For me, there is work, of course, and Christmas to prepare for – decorating, shopping, addressing cards, menu planning, and a thousand little things. It will be fun.

For now, I am off to fix the hem on a couple of pairs of pants – glad that the seams hold up better than the hems on what seems like everything I buy these days. Have a great week, and thanks for stopping by. Your visits, friendship, and comments are what make it all worthwhile.

A Few More Cards

Rummaging through my basketful of Basic Grey paper pads last night, I came across Archaic and hoped I would have occasion to use it again soon. When I saw the sketch for C4C55 on the Crazy for Challenges blog, I thought of the Archaic papers and “Harold,” a digi image in my file.

Is Harold a dinosaur or a dragon? I have been thinking he is a dinosaur but wonder if he isn’t a dragon. Regardless, he’s kind of cute.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Cocoa cardstock; Basic Grey Archaic 6x6-inch paper pad; Autumn Terracotta and Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distressing Ink stamp pads; “Harold” digital image from DigiStamp Boutique; Happy Birthday stamp set; Autumn Terracotta Bigger Brads; Martha Stewart Embossed Zigzag Edger punch; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Sponge dauber; 1 and 1-1/4-inch circle punches; Sanding block; 3M foam mounting tape.

Here’s another card that features me and one of my pals. Are there any frizzy-haired redheads out there who like martinis? It could be you. LOL. I used the sketch from Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #128 again.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Bamboo, Black, and Holiday Red cardstock; Silhouette Creative Basics; Black, Twilight, and Chocolate ink pads; Autumn Terracotta, Garden Green, Holiday Red, Baby Pink, Grey Flannel, Desert Sand, Sweet Leaf, and Tombow #580 Flesh markers; Emerson Quillin "The Gals" rubber stamp from American Art Stamps; Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp set; Red satin ribbon and black button from my stash; Ecru crochet cotton; Dove blending pen. Martha Stewart Double Layered Arches border punch.

I didn’t know for a while if I would end up showing you this card or not. Photographing the “glass” was a challenge. Speaking of challenges, this card meets the requirements for two – first, Stamp Simply Challenge #157 – Cracked Glass on the No Time to Stamp? blog and secondly, Unscripted Sketches #73.

A tutorial for the Cracked Glass technique can be found here. While I finally managed to get a photo that isn’t all glare, it does not do the card justice. Another PIP! Oh, and the sentiment is going on the inside, as I couldn’t come up with a bright idea with regard to what to do on the outside of the card. The ribbon was red and white, which wouldn’t do, so I “unwhitened” it with Antique Linen Distressing Ink.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, New England Ivy, and Desert Sand cardstock; Graphic 45 paper from the Communiqué Collection; Black and Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distressing Ink stamp pads; Holiday Red, Cranberry, Brown Bag, and Garden Green markers; Cranberry gingham ribbon; Stampin’ Up Pewter Jumbo Brads; Crop-O-Dile; Ultra-thick clear embossing powder; Embossing heat tool.

A Slice of Life: It has been a lazy restful day. Tonight, I am going to visit Mom. I’m taking my felt project with me. I discovered that after not having sewed for so many years, I don’t have a scissors fit for fabric. I hope your day was wonderful and you are looking forward to the week to come. Take care, friends, and thanks for stopping.

A Couple of Cards

This card is my adaptation of FTL105 as featured on the Clean & Simple Stamping blog. This card was “all wrong” until I added the narrow strip of Garden Green paper to the right of the scalloped edge. It’s amazing how a skinny strip of color can make such a difference.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Garden Green, and New England Ivy Stamp sets; Garden Green and New England Ivy stamp pads; Hero Arts Three Ferns rubber stamp and Impression Obsession Count Your Blessings stamp set; Fiskars Apron Lace border punch.

This next card is my take on Unscripted Sketches #70. I used my favorite Saran Wrap technique to add some pattern to the solid Autumn Terracotta cardstock. What’s the Saran Wrap technique? It’s a wadded up piece of plastic wrap basically used as a stamp. The result is a kind of suede-like look. You knew it had to be simple coming from me, right? LOL. The background for my grass was created with round sponges and ink from Autumn Terracotta and Sunflower ink pad. I love the results that look like one of those sunsets take one’s breath away.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Autumn Terracotta, and Cocoa cardstock; Autumn Terracotta, Sunflower, and Cocoa ink pads; Hero Arts Silhouette Grass rubber stamp and Impression Obsession Count Your Blessings stamp set; Basic Craft Buttons; Autumn Terracotta Designer Ribbon Rounds (retired); Piercing tool; Stampin’ Up Piercing Guide & Mat; 3M foam mounting tape.

A Slice of Life: It’s been a quiet, restful day. Nice.

How about you? Whatever you are doing today, I hope you are enjoying yourself. It’s hard to believe there are only a couple of days left in August, isn’t it? Marv will have his last week with Bjorn and Mathias before they go back to school next week. I know he isn’t nearly as excited about it as they are. In fact, I can imagine he’ll be a little lost until he becomes accustomed to not seeing them so much.

I’m off to read for a spell and then perhaps, stamp some more. Enjoy the evening, and as always, thank you for stopping by!

A Few Minutes to Spare

Here is my take on Unscripted Sketches #67. I didn’t deviate much from the sketch, and as for what I did to make it, the photo pretty much tells the story. The only thing I have to say is that I love the sweet little images in Close To My Hearts’ “Beary Best” and “Beary Busy” sets.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Outdoor Denim cardstock; Back Country paper packet; Black and Juniper ink pads; Beary Best stamp set; Outdoor Denim and Barn Red Bigger Brads; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Black My Legacy Writers; Dove blending pen; 3M foam mounting tape.

A Slice of Life: Sunday nights are bittersweet as I realize the weekend is about to end and attempt to wrap my mind around the idea of another workweek. Today has been a great day, however. I got quite a bit of cleaning done and washed a load of clothes. Cameron and the boys were here for supper before the little guys went to their mom’s house for the week. With temperatures in the 90s, I was smart enough to use the oven in the Community Room downstairs instead of adding to the heat and making the air conditioner work harder in my personal space.

Recapping yesterday, Bjorn caught his very first fish last night. He was so proud – even if it was just a little rock bass. His Daddy got the sweetest photo that will make a great scrapbook page when and if Grandma ever gets around to scrapbooking again. And Sharli, you were so right about small town life. Small communities are like gigantic families. Speaking of, there are 27 first cousins on Marv’s mother’s side of the family, ranging in age from 48 to 73. Twenty of them were at the funeral. These cousins have children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren, which makes for a lot of weddings, baby and bridal showers, graduations, and an occasional funeral. After a long and painful dying process, yesterday’s funeral was not as sad as the fact that Eddie had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer to begin with. While he was a good guy with a good life that included a wife, children, and grandchildren who loved him and will miss him, he is in a better place now.

If the weather is as hot as what is forecast, I’ll be hanging out inside after work this week – hopefully in my corner. I hope your week is wonderful. I’ll talk to you again soon.

A Different Sketch

When I decided to try another sketch last night, I literally grabbed my chosen paper and paper cutter and parked my keester in front of the computer. This card is my take on Unscripted Sketches #66 as featured on the Unscripted Sketch It Saturday blog.

This is one of those fun sketches where one can get buy with letting some pretty paper do most of the “work.” Once I’d selected my paper, I knew a coiled paper rose would make the perfect accent. The rose was made with Baby Pink cardstock. I inked the edges with Blush ink to give it a bit more depth. The freehand leaves were made with the same paper I used for the background. Before the leaves, I folded my paper strip in half and ran it through the paper corrugator at an angle. To give them more definition, I inked their edges with Olive ink. I also inked the edges of my patterned paper base as well as the circle elements. The card was relatively quick and easy, and I am pleased with the results.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Baby Pink cardstock; Basic Grey Sugared 6x6-inch paper pad; Olive and Blush ink pads; CTMH Happy Birthday stamp set; Gold mini brads; 1/2-inch circle punch; Sponge daubers;  Creative Memories Circle Cutter; Fiskars paper corrugator; Sponge daubers; Glue Dots.

A Slice of Life: Continuing my story from last night, the homemade ice cream was wonderful – worth the time and every penny of the extra expense. Who would have thought that a pint of Half & Half, a pint of heavy whipping cream (the budget buster), a teaspoon and a half of vanilla, and a cup of sugar would have turned into such a delight? I was a bit worried, too, as only after I filled the space between the cream can and the bucket with ice, salt, and water did I actually read the directions. I’d dumped what was supposed to have been layered and had used way more salt than I would have had I’d read up on the process first. Regardless, the texture was perfect and the taste – divine. About not reading the instructions first, that was me acting like a man. LOL. It was a good day at work. Tonight, the house is quiet – a stark contrast from last night. I’m going to call my Mom, stamp a little, take a relaxing bath, and go to bed early.

I hope your week is going well. Thanks for stopping by. Your visits and kind words are appreciated more than you know.

Another Play Day

They say all good things must come to an end. Tomorrow, it’s back to the 9 to 5 world. That’s OK. Having a job is good. Having had a wonderful weekend is better.

I made five cards today but am going to hold on to a couple of them for a day or two. The cards I am showing you were made using the same paper from the awesome “Spendor” packet and the same fun stamp set, “Love You Forever.”

With the exception of some fine detail – beaks and owl parts – that I colored in with markers, the critters and tree elements were all paper-pieced using the patterned paper for the top two cards and cardstock for the bottom one.

I made this top card first, my take on Card Patterns Sketch 71, which was featured Saturday on the Card Patterns blog. It was fun, albeit my hands seem like they include too many thumbs when it comes to handling itty bitty, little pieces such as the center of the flower. I used Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive to glue my pieces in place.

Pleased as punch with my first card, I thought I would try one more. This second card is my adaptation of Unscripted Sketches #62. I didn’t have a gold button, so I punched a gold circle to put behind my green button to make it stand out a little more. The smidgen of blue ribbon ties in the blue circle behind the cloud paper. The googly eyes add a whimsical element.

Oh, and before I forget, if you are not familiar with the Unscripted Sketch it Saturday blog, take a look. They have a fun Christmas in July promotion in the works, and today, their featured designer is my friend Alanna.  She made a wonderful Christmas ensemble that includes a card box, Christmas planner notebook, and three cards. Outstanding!

On a bit of a roll, I wanted to use the Love You Forever set one more time.  With baby on the brain, I could not resist making a baby card with  the little sheep stamps. And while you can’t see it, the sheep are actually three-dimensional. I stamped them twice on Grey Wool cardstock and once on white. I cut out the the grey pieces once in their entireties and from the other grey piece, just the heads. I cut out the white pieces, cutting around the bodies and heads. Then I applied white Liquid Appliqué to the bodies and let it dry.

Once the Liquid Appliqué was dry, I puffed it up with my heat tool and assembled by sheep. After gluing down the bodies, I used tiny 1/16-inch thick pop dots to attach the heads. Mama sheep was glued flat to the background paper. Baby, who wandered around my desktop, was finally captured and stuck to the card with a piece of foam tape.  Following me? LOL.

I used a silver gel pen to give Mama sheep’s bell some sparkle. Additionally, I cut a cloud from a scrap of the patterned paper, glued it to chipboard, and added to the card with foam tape.

Finally, this card is what I came up with for Get Sketchy #45 on the Get Sketchy blog. The funny thing about sketches is that sometimes I am totally into them, and other times, I am like an empty well. These past two days, I’ve loved ‘em and appreciate the folks who take the time to create them. Now, I’m going to try to assemble one Materials & Tools list for all three cards. I think that will be OK. If you have a question, please feel free to ask, and I will try to remember to answer you.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Colonial White, Goldrush, Topiary, Brown Bag, Grey Wool; and Crystal Blue cardstock; Spendor paper packet; Chipboard; Black, Bamboo, Topiary, and Crystal Blue ink pads; Love You Forever, Happy Birthday, and Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp sets; Summer Craft Buttons; White buttons from Wal-Mart; Goldrush Waxy Flax; White Embroidery Floss; Blue mini-check ribbon from reasonableribbon.com; Stampin’ Up Whisper White taffeta ribbon; Googly eyes from my stash; White Liquid Appliqué; Black My Legacy Writer; Silver gel pen; Piercing tool; Stampin’ Up Piercing Guide & Mat; Fiskars Apron Lace border punch; Sponge dauber; Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive; Liquid Glass (used as an adhesive); 1/16-inch foam dots; 3M foam mounting tape.

That was fun! And, being my post is already long and it’s getting late, I’ll let you go with a wish that the rest of your week (a short workweek – yippee!) is great. Take care, dear friends, and thanks for stopping by. 

Hmm …

Here is my take on Unscripted Sketches #60. In commemoration of National Eat Oreos Day, the bonus challenge was to make a black and white card. It was a challenging sketch, and as you can see, I felt the need to add a bit of catsup to my Oreos. LOL.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Cranberry cardstock; Black ink pad; Inkadinkado Asian Life and Verve Stamps Thankful Hearts stamp sets; Black/white mini check ribbon from Wal-Mart.

Did you have a good day? I certainly did. As planned, the family was here for supper. I spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen, trying not one but two new recipes. The first was for Southwestern Lasagna, and the second was for made-from-scratch cornbread muffins. The lasagna was good. The recipe for the muffins called for both honey and granulated sugar, which made them just a tad sweet for my taste. I can’t take credit for the dessert – a turtle ice cake that came from the frozen food section at the grocery store. It was yummy and was a much bigger hit with the little boys than the “serious” food had been. LOL.

No, I had better get this posted while it’s still Sunday and then skedaddle off to bed. Bjorn and Mathias are staying with us tomorrow night. Tuesday night there is a community picnic I plan to attend, and one night this week, I am going to attend the second Community Arts Council production of the season – “Kiss Me, Kate.” The turtle is sticking her head out of her shell once in a while. LOL.

I hope your week is wonderful. See you soon!

In Lieu of American Idol…

I tried the cardmaking thing again and am happier with this one. It’s my on-its-side version of Unscripted Sketches #56. The image is a piece cut from the Graphic 45 paper. I used a craft knife to cut around the wings of the butterflies to give my card some added dimension. Only the sentiment was stamped and then “faux stitched” to the card – pierced with the holes connected with a marker. This is my second attempt at the same card. I got a little carried away with the distressing on the first one. Instead of looking old, it looked like it had been dropped in the mud. Ugly. My biggest disappointment with this card is that the ribbon wouldn’t pick up the tea staining I tried. Stampin’ Up’s taffeta ribbon must contain nylon or some other dye-resistant manmade fiber. Oh well. This card is so much better than the first, I’ll just call it good and let it go at that.

Materials & Tools: Vanilla Cream, Desert Sand, and Black cardstock; Graphic 45 Botanicabella Collection Antiquity; Black and Desert Sand ink pads; Make It Count stamp set; Stampin’ Up Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon; Piercing tool; Stampin’ Up Piercing Guide & Mat; Edge Distressor tool; Sponge dauber; Black My Legacy Writer.

I guess I said just about everything there was to say in my last post. I’m just a little happier now that I accomplished a card. Still in a funk about American Idol but will get over it. LOL. Thanks for stopping by! Have a great Wednesday, too.

Bon Appétit

Although “Enjoy your meal” is not my idea of a great sentiment for a card, the Bon Appétit stamp from the CTMH set of the same name is just so darned pretty, I had to use it for my take on Unscripted Sketches #55.
While the stamps I used are new (to me), much about this card takes me back to my beginning with Close To My Heart – 12 years ago this month. A four-piece, wood-mounted stamp set that included a bunch of grapes, raspberries, a leaf, and maybe a strawberry (?) were part of my kit. Solid stamps, I was amazed at what I could do with them, and that set remained a favorite for a very long time. My first ink and paper colors were New England Ivy and Smokey Plum, which are still part of CTMH’s awesome collection of colors.
Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Smokey Plum cardstock; Bella paper packet; Smokey Plum, Petal, New England, and Bamboo ink pads; Bon Appétit stamp set;  New England Ivy Bigger Brads; Sponge dauber; Edge Distressor tool; Sanding block; and 3M foam mounting tape.

The weather has been amazing these past few days with sunshine and temperatures in the mid to high 70s. With that, I do not know how I managed to catch the cold that is becoming more miserable with every hour. Crap. Sick is not on my agenda, and thus, I’m hoping the mega doses of Vitamin C I am taking work their magic. A good night’s sleep might help, too. Bed is where I’m headed.
Thanks so much for stopping by. Your encouraging comments keep me coming back. Have a terrific Thursday. I’ll be back …

Challenge Cards

This first card is my take on Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #107.  The umbrella was paper-pieced, and the ducks were stamped on Sunny Yellow cardstock. After coloring their feet and beaks with an Orange marker, I ran my Sunny Yellow marker around the outside of the image to give them a little extra dimension. A pair of paper-pieced boots and an extra duck decorate the lower right corner of the inside of the card. One last thing – the forward-facing ducks were adhered to the card with foam mounting tape.

Materials & Tools: Vanilla Cream, Sorbet, Sunny Yellow, and Sweet Leaf cardstock; Caboodle paper packet; Black and Sorbet ink pads; Sunny Yellow and Sorbet markers; Close To My Heart Springtime and Verve Stamps Thankful Hearts stamp sets; Sorbet Designer Ribbon Rounds; Sorbet and Crystal Blue mini brads; Piercing tool; Black My Legacy Writer; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set.

This second card is my modified version of Unscripted Sketches #49. It also meets the criteria for Stamp Simply #133 – Chipboard as featured on the No Time to Stamp? blog. The cherries are a digital image from Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff that I colored with markers. The leaf was cut freehand, folded lengthwise, and run through my paper corrugator. I used a chipboard bookplate (or part of one) to frame my sentiment. The color on the bookplate was added with a round sponge.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Cocoa, and New England Ivy cardstock; Graphic 45 Times Nouveau Collection Bee’s Knees paper; Close To My Heart Veranda paper packet; Cocoa and Bamboo ink pads; Holiday Red and Garden Green markers; Digital Image from Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff; CTMH Noted Backgrounds and Sweet Baby stamp sets; Chipboard bookplate; Antiqued Copper mini brad; Paper corrugator; Piercing tool; Sanding block; Round sponge; Sponge dauber.

Another day, another dollar… or two. LOL. I’m glad to be home where there is a pile of laundry that I didn’t get to on the weekend waiting for my attention. With the hope that yours was a good day, too, I’ll let you go. Take care, friends, and as always, thank you for stopping by! Later …

Tattered Sparrow

I am not certain I am loving this card, my take on Unscripted Sketches #48. I made the mistake of turning on the news when I got home from work, and I believe it zapped the mojo right out of me. All I wanted to do after I’d listened for a few minutes was go to bed and pull the blankets over my head. I did just that for about 15 minutes but luckily, did not fall asleep. That would have just ended up adding to my woes, as surely, I would have been bright-eyed and bushy-tailed come 2 a.m.

About my card, I wanted to use my new sentiment stamp one more time with the Tattered Sparrow stamp by Tim Holtz. I love it even though it lends itself to more artiness than I am capable of. The bird is stamped with Desert Sand. I used my script stamp again in the background with the Bamboo ink that I also used to ink around the edges. The sentiment is stamped with Cocoa ink and might have looked better had I stamped it smack dab in the middle. The glare from the flash on the camera spoiled the affect of coolest thing about my card – the two Antiqued Copper photo corners that I put together to create a square embellishment. That was the most genius thing I did all day. LOL.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Desert Sand, and Cocoa cardstock; Bamboo, Desert Sand, and Cocoa ink pads; Tim Holtz Tattered Sparrow stamp; Verses Wings of Your Dreams stamp; Close To My Heart Air Mail (retired) stamp set; Antiqued Copper Mini-Medley Accents Collection; Chocolate Bigger Brads; Sponge dauber; Sanding block; 3M foam mounting tape.

I may try this sketch again. I have a vision for something brighter, more cheerful. After all, it was a beautiful day with temperatures if they didn’t reach 70 degrees were very close. I didn’t wear a coat this morning and went outside on both my breaks and at lunchtime to soak up some Vitamin D. The only not-so-good thing today was a rather boring 90-minute meeting in a room that had to have been 85 degrees. Dressed in a sweater, blazer, denim capri pants, and suede boots, I thought I would faint or worse, start pealing off my clothes and embarrass myself.

Back to the merits of the day, I had a half-hour call from my son as he was driving home from the Twin Cities this evening. He’d had a wonderful, very informative day and is so excited about the prospects of his new career path. I also had a few minutes with my grandsons this afternoon before their dad and Sarah picked them up after work.

Albeit bleak news on TV and the urge to strip, my day was a good one as I hope yours was. Enjoy your Wednesday! Later …

A Few Challenge Cards

This first card is my take on Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #105. My inspiration came from these beautiful cards posted recently by my blogging buddy Deb’s on her Scrapbook Czar blog. No lack of Mojo there!  I love the way she created three gorgeous cards in one sitting – all using DCWV’s La Crème Matstack.

My card is pretty straightforward. I inked around the edges of the focal point image and sentiment with Bamboo ink using a sponge dauber. I struggled a bit when it came to placement for the sentiment. In fact, since starting this post, it has been moved up from the lower left corner. I like it better now … I think. I always find it interesting how, when looking at my card on the computer monitor, I see things (potential improvements usually) that I don’t see when the card is right in front of me.

Material & Tools: Colonial White, Black, and Bamboo cardstock; DCWV La Crème Matstack; Black and Bamboo ink pads; Close to My Heart Treasure Life and TLC stamp sets; Hero Arts pearl accents; Martha Stewart Large Butterfly punch; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; Sponge dauber; 3M foam mounting tape.

 

 

“Fruits of Labor” is the theme for Raise the Bar Challenge #10. I colored my image with Prismacolor pencils and OMS, trying my darnedest to get the colors to coordinate with those on the patterned paper.

My initial thoughts were that this card would have to be one for the husband. Then, I thought about all the people I collaborate with on a one-on-one basis at work. I’m going to tuck this card into a desk drawer and save until such time as I’ve brought a tough project to fruition with the help of a co-worker.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Cocoa cardstock; Basic Grey 6x6-inch Nook and Pantry Paper Pad; Black ink pad; Stampendous Fresh Fruit stamp set; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Antiqued Copper mini brads; Black My Legacy Writer; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; 3M foam mounting tape

 

 

This final card today is my contribution for Unscripted Sketches #47. I must have pulled out 10 stamp sets before finally selecting “A Tweet.” I inked up my bird stamp with Honey ink and then used a sponge dauber to ink some Cocoa ink around the edges to give the image a little added dimension. It’s wing, which is not part of the stamp set and was cut freehand, is popped up with a piece of foam tape.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Cocoa cardstock; Basic Grey 6x6-inch Origins paper pad; Cocoa, Honey, and Bamboo ink pads; Close To My Heart A Tweet stamp set; Ribbon from Michael’s; Antiqued Copper bitty and mini brads; Stampin’ Up Photo Corner punch; Sponge dauber; 3M foam mounting tape.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. The wedding yesterday was lovely. I’ll tell you a bit more about it on a day when my post isn’t already so long. For now, I’d better finish up on some projects I started yesterday. Thanks for stopping by, friends! Later …

Aspiration

Here’s my take on Unscripted Sketches #45. What a fun sketch! With its metal accents and strong color, my card has a bolder look than what I had envisioned. Even though the stamped image includes flowers, I am not so sure I wouldn’t give this one to a man, although I suppose the “with love” sentiment limits it to only a few candidates. LOL.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Cocoa cardstock; Perfect Day paper packet; Cocoa, Juniper, and Bamboo ink pads; Aspiration and Say it in Style stamp sets; Stampin’ Up Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon; Chocolate Waxy Flax; Antiqued Copper mini brads and Mini Medley Accents; Sponge dauber; Sanding block.

Here’s an Easter card I put together last night – my take on Mojo Monday 128.  I colored the bunny with Prismacolor pencils and OMS. I was thinking about how some stitching around the outside would added a little flair. Oh, to figure out how to incorporate a sewing machine into my tight, little corner. A small sewing machine, maybe? I actually dreamt about the Janome Mini last night. It must have been a sign. LOL.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Sweet Leaf, and Sorbet cardstock; Caboodle paper packet; Black and Crystal Blue ink pads; Bunny Love and Say it in Style stamp sets; White Daisy Mini Medley Accents; Sweet Leaf Designer Ribbon Rounds; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; Piercing tool; 3M foam mounting tape.

Before I forget, there was a question about the Sizzix embossing folder I used for my Simple Saturday card. Yes, Sizzix’s embossing folders are compatible with the Cuttlebug. They look just like a Cuttlebug folder, and the only difference I noticed was their size. They will emboss a full 4-1/4 by 5-1/2 piece of piece of paper – a feature I appreciated.

I woke up this morning feeling pretty lousy – sore throat, icky headache, the start of a cold – not down-and-out sick but close. Shoot. Little Bjorn has had a cold and cough all week, and while it might have been wiser to have kept my distance, I couldn’t do it.

I guess I will rest today and see what transpires. For now, I’m off to the medicine cabinet to see if I can find something to take care of the headache.

Thank you for all of your sweet comments on my Simple Saturday posts. The encouragement is always appreciated. Have a wonderful day! Later …

It’s March!

I will have to admit I was a little intimated by Unscripted Sketches #44 but think I managed to pull it off.

I don’t think my card requires a whole lot of explaining either!

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Baby Pink, Chocolate, and Crystal Blue cardstock; Topstitch paper packet; Chocolate ink pad; Togetherness and Happy Birthday stamp sets; Chocolate big brad.

In my ongoing computer saga, we didn’t have Internet service again this afternoon, so husband called our cable provider, who said it sounds like we have a line problem. Just what I thought. They are coming tomorrow. As for the dying monitor, I took the bull by the horns and told computer whiz kid to go to Dell’s website tonight and build me a whole new computer. Whether I get another one from Dell or not remains to be seen, but he knows what I want/need and will give me an idea of approximately how much $$ I will have to part with. While I’m at it, I’m getting a new printer, too – the wide format one I’ve been eyeing from Epson that will be good for digital scrapbooking. I informed husband of my plans when I got home tonight. As nothing is completely dead yet, he grumbled a bit but will get over it. In fact, once everything is here and set up, he’ll turn the story around so that somehow it was all his idea. After close to 33 years, I’ve got him figured out. LOL.

It was a quiet day at work, which was fine by me. I did find out I have to move again on Friday, which is not so fine but the way it is when a company has outgrown its 600,000 square foot facility. What’s crazy is that when I started seven years ago, they were just putting the finishing touches on a 400,000 square foot addition, and most of it was empty. There were 800 employees then and now over 2,000.

Tonight, I am going to tackle a pile of clutter in my den and then kick back for the rest of the evening. I hope yours was a good day, too, and that you enjoy the evening. As always, thanks for stopping by! Later …

The Last Hurrah

… for January 2010. It went fast, and while I’m not wishing my life away or anything, the fact that January is over means we are one month closer to spring!

Here’s my contribution to Unscripted Sketches #40. It will most likely be a card, too, for our next new tenant… whenever that is. Have I said I love these stamps? Probably so. I’ll say it again. They remind me of playing with paper dolls or cutting furniture out of outdated catalogs and compiling the “dream home” of an eight-year-old.

About the card details, I embossed the lamp base with gold embossing powder. The shade was stamped on Indian Corn Blue cardstock with same color ink, cut out, and attached to the card with foam tape. I made the pillows by stamping the sofa on Buttercup cardstock and cutting them out. I used a background stamp from the set to stamp a little detail with Buttercup ink. The sentiment was also attached to the card with foam tape. There’s no shortage of pattern on this one. LOL.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Buttercup, Garnet, and Indian Corn Blue cardstock; Sweet Home paper packet; Garnet, Indian Corn Blue, Buttercup, Bamboo and VersaMark stamp pads; Welcome Home stamp set; Garnet Bigger Brads; Gold embossing powder; Embossing heat tool; Sponge dauber; 3M foam mounting tape.

I had an awesome day. While I didn’t get everything done I wanted to do this weekend, I accomplished enough to feel OK about it tonight. And, I’m ready to tackle another workweek.

I hope your weekend was a good one and a great start for the first week of February. Thanks for stopping by, friends. I’ll catch you again tomorrow night. Later…

P.S. I updated my “Whole Lotta Love Sale” page. There are photos of the retired sets and links to photos of the sets that are current.

Can You Believe It?

Two posts in one day? What a feat for one who has been a bit of a dud lately! LOL. Seriously, scroll down to check out my Simple Saturday offering.
I had a feeling my camera wasn’t going to do this card justice, and I was right. Oh well, you’ll get the idea.
Unusual for me, this card fits the requirements of three challenges – Unscripted Sketches #38 (love this sketch), Stamp Simply #122 “Mid-Winter Perk-Me-Up!” challenge (to create projects with a floral theme and some fresh spring-time colors) on the No Time to Stamp? blog, and Our Creative Corner’s blue/green color challenge.
To make my card, I stamped the flower on glossy cardstock with VersaMark ink. Oh, and before I forget to give credit where credit is due, I was inspired by these gorgeous cards on the Clean & Simple Stamping blog. Since I’ve never really gotten the hang of using a brayer (successfully), I applied my ink with round sponges – Sweet Leaf on the bottom, Heavenly Blue in the middle, and Crystal Blue on top. The white background is White Daisy Textured cardstock. The sentiment stamped on plaid adds a smidgeon of interest.
Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Sweet Leaf, Crystal Blue, Glossy White, and White Daisy Textured cardstock; Sweet Leaf, Heavenly Blue, and Crystal Blue ink pads; Close To My Heart Treasures and Thank You stamp sets; Martha Stewart Clear Pattern stamp set; Heavenly Blue Bigger Brads; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; 3M foam mounting tape.
As I don’t seem to hesitate to complain about the weather in the frozen tundra, I should say something, too, when it is so nice. It is currently 30 degrees, and while I don’t know how warm it was earlier in the day, it was warm enough to have the window in my den wide open. While it is far from spring air, it’s fresh air, and I love it!
That’s it for now. As always, thank you for stopping by! Later…