Friends...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! I hope you all had a wonderful day spent with loved ones, doing exactly what you wanted to do! After all...it's your day!


I got a little stamping done this weekend, and actually used a couple of stamps I've neglected for a while. The main image on this card is Friend Calligraphy from Paper Inspirations. I stamped it on Neenah Natural White cardstock using Cranberry Adirondack ink. I overstamped the sentiment using the Watercolor Flower Stem stamp, also from Paper Inspirations. I used Seashell Pink ink from Ranger to get a soft background image.

The stamped image was cut and embossed using Labels Four Nestabilities . I matted it using Crabapple Prismatics medium. I did a little mini tutorial on how I mat Labels Four. You can see it on THIS POST .

The designer paper is from the Madeline Paper Pad . I made my flowers using Martha Stewart punches, distressing the edges a bit with Tea Dye Distress Ink . The cardstock used for the notecard and flowers is Crabapple Prismatics light and medium. The adhesive pearls in the flower centers were colored with Copic Marker RV34 to get the color I wanted.

I do hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today.

Floral Sympathy

As much as we all hate making sympathy cards, they are so necessary and meaningful to the recipient. Sadly, I found myself in need of a sympathy card this weekend. One of the men who works in my office lost his son in a tragic accident. It's a very sad story. I went to the visitation, but not the funeral. The 12 year-old daughter of the deceased was going to sing at her dad's funeral. I am such a wimp when it comes to those kinds of things, and I KNEW I wouldn't be able to handle it!

The background stamp I used is Baroque Leaves by JudiKins. I stamped it on Baby Pink Prismatics cardstock using Vintage Sepia VersaFine ink.



The flower on the main panel is Paper Inspirations Watercolor Pressed Flowers . I colored on the rubber using Tombow (water based) markers, then stamped on Neenah Natural White cardstock.

I did a little light distressing around the edges with Vintage Photo Distress ink, then added some piercing to each of the top corners.

The sentiment on the front of the card is from Impression Obsession's Sympathy Sentiments clear stamp set.



The sentiment on the inside of the card is from the Sympathy Sentiments stamp set as well. Both were stamped with Vintage Sepia Versafine ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

Do you see my little boo-boo on the bottom of the inside? I don't know WHAT I was thinking, but I cut the length about 1/8" too short. Of course, I was determined to make it work since I was out of time, so I added a pierced strip. Bad, huh? I've mailed the card already, so it's too late now!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I will try to get back to my Christmas cards soon!

Sympathy Cards

A couple of weeks ago a friend asked me to make a few sympathy cards for him. As much as I do not like to make sympathy cards (who does?) it's sometimes necessary. Since he was in a hurry for them I had to make something quick and easy.

This card was made with Paper Inspirations Cat Tails rubber stamp. It's one of my favorites for masculine cards, but I think it worked well here too.

I colored on the rubber with my Tombow (water based) markers, spritzed with water using a JudiKins Extra Fine Mister , then stamped on Neenah Natural White cardstock. It was cut and embossed with my Petite Oval Nestabilities.

The background layer was textured with my Dotted Swiss Cuttlebug folder (currently out of stock). I used my ScorPal to make a couple of score lines, then stamped the sentiment from an old stamp that I use a lot. It's by Printworks.

You will notice that I stamped the cream colored envelope with the Cat Tails to match the card.


The second card was SUPER quick and easy. I let my Inque Boutique Memoirs designer paper do most of the work.

The sentiment is With Sympathy . I simply added a few Prima flowers, and a Kaiser Craft Pearl .

The cardstock is Stormy Prismatics .

To make it a little more special I lined the envelope with the same Memoirs paper. But did I remember to take a picture of that before I gave it to him? No.....

So, by now I hope all of you have heard the good news that Laurie , Ali and Urs are going home tomorrow. I have to tell you, I've been on Cloud 9 all day! You can catch up with all the news on the SCS Thread HERE . Please continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Thanks for stopping by. I will be back soon.

Until then...

Thank You RAK from Charmaine

Ohhhhh.....is this a pretty card, or what?

I was so surprised and pleased to received this beautiful card in the mail from Charmaine. I KNOW that you all know who I'm talking about. Her blog is Oodabug Alley . I also KNOW that you've all been there, because she has one of the coolest blogs on the net! Her designs are FABULOUS, and in addition to that, she's one of the sweetest ladies I know! :-)





Charmaine used a stamp from Favorite Calligrapy for the sentiment. The flower is Watercolor Pressed Flower , also from Paper Inspirations.

You can find all the details about the card on Charmaine's blog post HERE .

Thank YOU, Charmaine! I couldn't be happier to have you on our "Dream Team"! You are such a delight and it's a pleasure to have with us!

Sunflower

Isn't this sunflower image just gorgeous? I received it in a new shipment this week and couldn't wait to ink it up.

The stamp is Paper Inspirations Sunflower . Either it is a new image they have just released, or somehow I've been overlooking it.

I stamped the image on cream colored cardstock using VersaFine Vintage Sepia ink. The stamped image was colored using Prisma pencils. Gosh...that's twice in the last week I've used those! That's pretty amazing considering that I haven't used them in a couple of years!



I distressed the edges of the stamped panel using Ranger Antique Linen and Tea Dye Distress inks applied with an Ink Sweeper . I love how much control it allows me to have with the ink!

The ribbon is May Arts Celery Satin , and the designer paper is Basic Grey Boxer .

I have A LOT of shipments scheduled to arrive this week, so it will be a busy one. I will keep you posted on what's new.

I hope you've all had a great weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by!

The future belongs....

While I was trying to find something on my desk this afternoon I found this *lost card* that I made before I started working on my new website. (Don't ask me how that happens...it just does!) So that's a good thing...right? It gave me something to post for you tonight.

I will admit that my taste is pretty eclectic. Elegant cards are my favorite, but I DO love the artsy stamps, and I adore the cute ones too. I guess that pretty much covers everything, doesn't it? LOL! This stamp is Paper Inspirations Dance of the Butterflies . I've had this stamp for some time now, and have used it many times.
I stamped it with Versafine Onyx Black ink on cardstock, then used chalks and a Q-tip to color. I wanted it to have a soft wispy look.

The blue background is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder for texture.

The sentiment is from Hero Arts Anytime Messages clear stamp set. I can't tell you how many times I have used that set! I stamped with VersaFine Ink , then embossed with Seafoam White embossing powder.

Tip: Be SURE to use a static guard to swipe your cardstock before stamping and embossing, especially if your cardstock is a dark color. I use Suze Weinberg's Puff Static Away . I promise that if you use a static guard it will save you a lot of cardstock thrown in the trash due to stray embossing powder particles. This IS the voice of experience here! LOL!

Thanks for stopping by....I will have something new for you soon!

And I hope you all have a special and Happy Easter!

Masculine Cat Tails

What a day! I didn't have a spare moment all day long, and I honestly can't see what I've accomplished. Don't you hate those days????

I did take time this morning to play along with this week's Featured Stamper challenge at SCS. This week's featured stamper is Petal Pusher, and you can find her awesome gallery HERE .

The card I chose to CASE is called Stems for a Man's Man . I rarely pass up an opportunity to make a masculine card. Since I have two sons and 5 grandsons, I'm ALWAYS in need of a guy card!

I changed the stamps, paper and embellishments, but kept the general layout of the card.

The main image is Paper Inspirations Cat Tails . Is that a great stamp for masculine cards, or what? I colored on the rubber with Tombow markers, spritzed with water using my JudiKins Fine Mister then stamped on white marl paper. Using my Ink Sweeper I lightly sponged the edges of the panel with Versafine Vintage Sepia ink.

The green background panel was also stamped with Versafine Sepia Ink using JudiKins Crackle Background .

I stamped the sentiment from Heartfelt Messages using Versafine Sepia Ink. I punched it out with SU! Designer Labels, and adhered it using foam tape for dimension.

The oriental coins are from my stash.

Thanks for stopping by tonight. I plan to be back tomorrow.

Until then....

Monochromatic Flower - FS43

I LOVE Sunday's Featured Stamper challenge on Splitcoast. I just wish I had time to indulge myself in the challenges every day! Unfortunately, Sunday seems to be the only day I have time to play. If you haven't participated before, I strongly urge you to try it. You can find daily challenges on SCS HERE .

Today's featured stamper is RoseAnn, aka CuttersCallous on SCS. She has left so many sweet and thoughtful comments on my posts, and I was really happy to see that she was the featured stamper today. You can view her fabulous SCS gallery HERE .

The card I chose to case was something a bit different for me, which is what stretches our abilities and imagination. And as Martha would say, "That's a good thing!" I think it helps us grow and learn. You can see her card HERE . I used the same basic layout and color scheme, but changed all the stamps.

The main image is a Paper Inspirations stamp called Watercolor Flower Stem . I stamped it using Versafine Onyx Black ink on white cardstock. Then I overstamped the image with a splatter stamp using Versafine Smokey Gray ink. Please note that I inked the stamp, stamped off on scratch paper, then used the second generation stamping for the spatter dots. I wanted them to be light, and not overpowering.

The background stamp is Baroque Grain from Stamper's Anonymous. I love this stamp, and forget to use it! I stamped on gray cardstock using Versafine Smokey Gray ink.

I think the rest is pretty self explanatory. But if I left out something pertinent, please don't hesitate to email me.

Gotta run....I have much to do before I can call it a day. AND this is my favorite TV night. I need a life, don't I? LOL!

I have more for you tomorrow night, so please be sure to stop by.

Have a happy Monday! :-)

Watercolor Birthday Wishes

This stamp has been on my desk for a few days, since I made the Sympathy card. Before putting it away in its rightful place, I decided to make another card with it.

The stamp is Watercolor Press Flower by Paper Inspirations.

I colored on the rubber using Tombow markers, then spritzed with water using my JudiKins Extra Fine Mist spritzer to remoisten the ink.

I stamped on white cardstock, then distressed the edges with a Paper Distresser . The pink mat was distressed as well.



The sentiment is from one of my favorite Gina K stamp sets called Punchy Words . (Oh yeah....this is the set I'm giving away tomorrow night!) :-)

The birthday sentiment and the pink circle behind it were cut using my circle Nestabilities.

The ribbon is from my stash, and the paper is made by It Takes Two.

Really, this is a pretty simple card. But sometimes I like those the best.

This post is your last opportunity to register for the Dreamy Treats I'm giving away tomorrow night. Don't miss another chance to register before the winner is announced!

I'm off to do something about dinner and watch the grand finale of Dancing with the Stars! I can't wait to see who wins!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I will be back tomorrow to announce a winner!

Floral Sympathy - FS42

I always enjoy participating in Splitcoast's featured stamper challenge on Sundays. It's really the only day I have any time to play!

This week's featured stamper is TexasGrammy. She is very talented, and has some fabulous designs and layouts. You can view her gallery HERE !

The card I chose to CASE can be seen HERE ! Isn't it pretty?

I used her primary concept, but changed all the stamps, as well as the ribbon.



The background was stamped on pink cardstock using JudiKins Leaf Background and VersaColor Brown ink.

The flowers are from Paper Inspirations. The stamp is called Watercolor Press Flower . I colored on the rubber with Tombow markers, and stamped off on scratch paper. Then I spritzed the image with water using my JudiKins Fine Mist Spritzer to refreshen the ink, and stamped on cream cardstock. The purpose was to make the background light enough so as not to overpower the words.

The sentiment is from Penny Black, and was stamped with VersaColor Brown ink. I then embossed it using JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

The ribbon I used was found in the wedding section at Hobby Lobby on sale for 50% off! It is wired, and really holds its shape. I really wished I had brown. And if you could see my ribbon collection you would be shocked that I DON'T have it! LOL!

So, that is it for tonight, my friends! I have to go get some housework and laundry finished before tomorrow. I don't like Mondays...and I REALLY don't like them if I don't have things caught up around the house.

Don't forget to register for the dreamy treats. You get one chance every day from now through Wednesday. If you commented on yesterday's post, you can comment again on any post after that one for an additional chance to win. Just one comment per post, please. I will announce the winner Wednesday evening.

Thanks for stopping by...and good luck on winning the Dreamy Treats!

Shepherd Collage

I had a few stolen moments today, so I decided to participate in Jen's sketch challenge at I{heart}2stamp . Jen has a sketch every Saturday. You really should consider playing along. I love the challenge, and it gives me new ideas for layouts so I don't end up with the same ones time and time again. Thanks Jen!

I used Paper Inspirations Shepherd Collage to stamp the main image on designer paper. I stamped with VersaMark Ink , then embossed with JudiKins Black Opal embossing powder. It's really a very black embossing powder with a touch of gold glitter in it. So pretty!

The designer paper is from Hobby Lobby. The back of it says The Paper Studio. I also used this same dp for my background layer, and the strip across the bottom in order to tie it all together. Sometimes continuity is a good thing! :-)

The noel stamp is from my Penny Black stash. It was embossed with JudiKins Black Opal embossing powder as well. The cardstock is all from Bazzill. The texture really shows up in the photograph, doesn't it?

The second card is one I made last year using the same stamp. I simply added it to this post so you can see how versatile the stamp is, and how many different looks you can get with the same stamp.

Much to do....so this is short tonight.

Thanks for stopping by. I will try to have something new for you tomorrow night.

And don't forget to set your clocks back, otherwise you will be EARLY for church tomorrow morning!

Art Brush Reindeer

My friend Nancy came by one night this week to pick up the Nestabilities she had ordered. I always ask her to bring her latest creations so I can see what she's been up to. She brought these two GORGEOUS cards that she made with the Art Brush Reindeer by Paper Inspirations. Aren't they just beautiful????

One of the things I really like about both of these is that you could make A LOT of them in a relatively short period of time if you send quite a few Christmas cards.




The designer paper is by Basic Grey. She used a little clear gemstone for his eye, and tied a pretty bow with May Arts ribbon. You should see some of her bows....perfect every time!

Honestly, I can't decide which one I like better.

Beautiful work, Nancy. Thanks so much for sharing these with us!

Art Brush Turkey

I was on a bit of a roll after participating in my first challenge yesterday, so I tried another one. Gosh, this could become addictive! LOL!

The sketch challenge was posted at one of the blogs I stalk. If you've never been to Jen del Muro's blog, you must go there. Her work is awesome, and so inspiring! Besides that, she lives in Texas, not so far from here...so we're practically neighbors! :-)

You can see the sketch we were to follow HERE .

The background for this card is mustard cardstock, stamped with Memories Crimson ink using my SU! linen background stamp. I distressed the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The designer paper panel was also distressed, as was the turkey panel.

The turkey is from Paper Inspirations, and is called Art Brush Turkey . He was also stamped on mustard cardstock, then layered several times for added color and dimension.

Really, I think everything else is self explanatory. But if not don't hesitate to email me.

This was a LOT of fun, and it made me think outside the box. And that's a good thing! Thanks Jen...great sketch!

So, that's it for tonight, peeps. Be sure to check back tomorrow.

RAKS from Jackie

Both of these cards were mailed to me by my good friend Jackie. And she bought the stamps at Stamper's Dream Stamps !

I just love the rich colors she used for the Paper Inspirations Watercolor Cone Flower card. Didn't she do a beautiful job with those stamps?

The other card she made using the Hero Arts Decorative Birds set. For the background she used the Cuttlebug Stylized Flowers folder. I think the colors and composistion on this card are just superb! I love it Jackie....you did a wonderful job! I am temporarily out of stock on the Decorative Birds set, but I DO have the Holiday Doves in stock.

Am I a lucky girl to get such great cards from my friends.....or what? :-)

Another Masculine Birthday

One can never have too many masculine cards on hand! That's especially true for me since I have two sons and four grandsons!

I wanted to do something simple with the Vertical Spotlight stamp, so that's how I got here. I inked the stamp with my Versacolor cube stamps, and overlapped colors just a bit from one to another. If you have ColorBox Cat's Eyes, those would work well too. Actually, you could use any ink pad. I just find it easier to work with the small ones on this stamp. Tip: Be sure to start with your lightest color first, then graduate to darker colors so as not to contaminate your ink pads.

I stamped the inked Vertical Spotlight on vanilla cardstock, then used Birthday Calligraphy inked with Versafine Vintage Sepia to stamp over the spotlight background image.

The edges of all the papers were distressed with a Making Memories distressing tool, then sponged with Ranger Vingage Photo distress ink. I added brads to each corner and a photo turn in the center. No ribbon for this one.....guys don't like that, you know. LOL!

Trick or Treat!

After making a sympathy card last night, I wanted to do something fun and colorful!

I love this little stamp from Paper Inspirations. It's called Pumpkin Face and it's got a lot of possitilibies! I can see it stamped on little treat bags for my Trick-Or-Treaters this year!

I stamped it with Versafine Onyx Black ink (my FAVE), on a pumpkin colored panel. The black and yellow panels were cut to frame the image. Then I used pinking shears to cut the purple panel for a little "umph"! (Don't you love my descriptive vocabulary?)

The sentiment is from Hero Arts. It's my "GO TO" sentiment set for Halloween. There are three stamps in the set, and one of them almost always fits my needs. It's called Ghostly Greetings, and you can find it HERE .

I adhered two different ribbons together in colors to compliment the paper. All paper is from Doodlebug Designs. They make some really cute stuff!

So......this was a lot more fun for me. I love bright colors! And I've got one more card in my stash for Halloween. I'm betting the grands get this one!

Sympathy Card

I had a meeting after work tonight and didn't get home until late. I needed a quick sympathy card, and wouldn't you know that I wasn't satisfied with any that I had in my card stash. So I made this one...and it was really pretty quick and easy.

I started with pink and white decorative paper, then stamped the Watercolor Flower Stem from Paper Inspirations on the paper using VersaMagic chalk ink. Then I used my stamp positioner to stamp the Sympathy Calligraphy over the flowers. I used VersaMark ink to stamp, then embossed with JudiKins Lapis Lazuli embossing powder. I do wish the color of this embossing powder showed up better in the photograph. It is sooooooooo pretty! Actually the photo doesn't do this card justice at all!

To finish the card I used my Cuttlebug Vintage Corners die for all four of the corners, then layered with pink, metallic silver, and adhered to a dark pink note card.

I hope you all had a happy Monday. Only 4 more days until the weekend! LOL!

Masculine Birthday Card

Masculine cards are really difficult for me. I always want to add ribbon or something really pretty, which doesn't work for guys.

When I started this card, this is not where I thought I was going with it. I don't know about you, but I will admit that happens for me a lot!

The background stamp is from Paper Inspirations. It's called Cat Tails . I colored it with Tombow markers then spritzed with water and stamped it on cream colored cardstock. The birthday stamp is also from Paper Inspirations, and is called Birthday Calligraphy . I stamped it with Versafine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with detail clear embossing powder.

The background paper is from My Mind's Eye. I used a little Vintage Photo distress ink to age it, as well as sponging the ink around the edges of the cream birthday panel.

Even though this wasn't what I initially thought I was going to do with this card, it has grown on me, and I like it. Now I just need a worthy man to send it to! LOL!

I hope you all have a great Friday!

Watercolor Cone Flower

First and foremost, I want to thank all of you for your birthday wishes. You have no idea how much that means to me. Isn't it amazing how a few kind words go such a long way. :-)

I received a shipment of stamps from Paper Inspirations this week. I DO love their stamps! Be sure to check out my website here to see them all.

The one I used on this card is one of my all time favorites, and is called Watercolor Cone Flower . I colored the rubber with Tombow markers, spritzed with water using a JudiKins Fine Mist Spritzer , then stamped on glossy cardstock three different times.

I'm not so sure I like the photo corner I made, but I needed something to balance with the thank you in the lower left hand corner. I'm going to have to let that grow on me a bit, I think.

Thanks for stopping by. I do so appreciate you all. And thanks for helping me celebrate another year!