A Little Basket of Strawberries

Happy Wednesday, peeps!  This is a crazy busy week, so this will be short and sweet!  No challenges, I was just looking for something I could create that would put my new Blends to work, and I realized I had never inked up the little strawberry image from Basket of Wishes!  So here is my simple card:

I used Memento ink on Shimmery White cardstock and colored it in with Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Crumb Cake and Bronze Blends; I used the Color Lifter pen to take out a tiny little bit of ink from each strawberry for a highlight:

For my background, I inked up the Hardwood stamp with White Craft ink and stamped it on a mat of Wild Wasabi, then stamped the sentiment in Wild Wasabi as well.  After die-cutting, I added a Crumb Cake ribbon and mounted it on a Early Espresso base!  The sentiment on the inside (forgot to photo it!) says "Sending a basket full of wonderful wishes for your birthday"!  Isn't that a sweet sentiment!  I love it!

No pix of Cassidy today but I thought I would share a little note she wrote to herself so she could remember the names she chose for her little playhouse dogs:

We have "Frito" - Big D (dalmatian), Spot - Small D Sitting, Chedoe (Cheeto) - Small D Standing; then Brownie - Big G (golden retriever), Goldy - Small G Standing, and Doritoe (Dorito) - Small G Sitting.  Too funny!  Enjoy your day and be blessed!

SIP127 All Wrapped Up

Happy Tuesday, everyone!  Our latest Stamp Ink Paper challenge is a fun one---All Wrapped Up!

I already had this little snowman from Seasonal Chums colored and cut out, so I set out to do something with him!  The stamp presents itself as a tag, but I didn't necessarily want to use him as a tag, but I did use him as an embellishment on a little Wood Crate:

I created the crate with the Wood Crate die, using Smoky Slate cardstock and stamping the Hardwood background stamp on it with Craft White ink.  I used a few retired products to create my little "sign" in Real Red and Bermuda Bay, then added some Mini Tinsel Trim and some holly leaves from the Quilt Builder die.  The berries were created with a scrap of Real Red Glimmer paper and my 1/8" circle punch:

Last, I added a little bit of Dazzling Diamonds glitter and some recycled tissue paper from my latest Paper Pumpkin (which I haven't even opened yet!!):

The design team has created some wonderful tags and packaging....be sure to check them out, leave some love, and share your gifty packaging with us as well!  Can't wait to see what you bring to the party!

Cassidy got her own little snowman over the weekend...unfortunately it's one of those annoying toys that mimics what you say....thank goodness there's an "off" button!  Enjoy your day and be blessed!

Project Details—All Products SU! Unless Otherwise Specified
Stamps	Seasonal Chums, Hardwood, Endless Wishes (ret), Time of Year (ret)
Card stock & Papers	Smoky Slate, Whisper White, Wild Wasabi, Real Red Glimmer
Ink	Basic Black, Bermuda Bay, Craft White, Real Red, Wild Wasabi
Accessories	Mini Tinsel Trim, Misc Markers
Tools	Big Shot, Wood Crate Thinlet, Stitched Shapes Framelit, Quilt Builder Framelits, 1/8" Circle Punch, Dimensionals, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Sponge Dauber

Happy Almost July 4th

Hi everyone!  Happy Monday!  It's almost the 4th of July but I thought I would share with you, since I hadn't done it earlier, the project we made at my last stamp camp using the Wood Words stamp set and Wooden Crate dies!  Since it has a patriotic color palette, I thought it would be a good day to share it!

The project is the little crate in Dapper Denim, stamped with Hardwood in Craft White ink and embellished with a little doily, and three mini cards to go inside:

We used Sahara Sand, Cherry Cobbler and Dapper Denim for our colors, and although these were the samples, everyone was encouraged to create their own designs!  They seemed to have a good time! This set is so versatile, and I love the country feel to it!

I also wanted to share a pretty card that my friend Wendy sent me:

Isn't that a fabulous design?!  And check out the inside:

Thanks, Wendy!

Cassidy's been camping all weekend, but I did snag a photo from Mommy when they went to the beach last week!  Enjoy your day and be blessed!

Project Details—All Products SU! Unless Otherwise Specified
Stamps	Wood Words, Hardwood
Card stock & Papers	Whisper White, Dapper Denim, Cherry Cobbler, Sahara Sand
Ink	Craft White, Dapper Denim, Cherry Cobbler, Sahara Sand
Accessories	Stitched Cherry Cobbler Ribbon, Doilies (ret)
Tools	Big Shot, Wooden Crate Framelits, Dimensionals, Sticky Strip

CTS224 Jars of Yellow Flowers

 

Happy Saturday, peeps!  Just a quick little card today using the CAS(E) this Sketch sketch:

I am such a literal gal, I have trouble thinking outside the "box", so I put little square boxes on my card, using a small square acrylic block to make my three focal points:

I lightly patted them on my So Saffron, Smoky Slate and Crushed Curry ink pads and then "stamped them on my thick white cardstock base.  I added some florals from Jars of Love, along with the sentiment, a couple of enamel embellishments and some sequins:

The little panel on the left was a happy mistake...I smudged some ink on the left side, then realized I needed a little panel over there anyway, according to the sketch, so I cut the portion off of the front of the card only, then added a little Hardwood-stamped piece to take its place!  I like it!

A little serious coloring time with her Cheerios:

Be blessed, enjoy your day and be sure to come back tomorrow for our next Paper Players challenge!

Project Details--All Products SU! Unless Otherwise Noted
Stamps	Jars of Love, Hardwood
Card stock & Papers	Thick White, Smoky Slate
Ink	Smoky Slate, Basic Gray, So Saffron, Crushed Curry, Delightful Dijon (ret)
Accessories	Sequins from my stash, Enamel Embellishments (ret)
Tools	Big Shot, Everyday Jars Framelits, Dimensionals, Square Acrylic Block

FMS287 Wood Words Note

Hey everyone!  It's Friday....thank goodness!  It's been a long week!  I got some of my new SU goodies and finally had time to play with them...this is a really simple card using Jen's sketch at FMS:

I used two new items, the Wood Words set, and the Fresh Fig In Color:

Yesterday was our last class in Community Bible Study and I wanted to make a thank you note for my leader, so I just sort of threw this monochromatic creation together!  There are lots of fun elements in this set, I just can't wait to play with it more!  But here, I just stamped the floral image randomly on a piece of white cardstock, then stamped a separate little image and fussy-cut a flower out to put atop one of the elements in the set, then added the sentiment.  I thought the background looked a little bare, so I stamped the Hardwood background image on the base.  

You can be sure to see more of this set in the future!

Nothing like playing in the dirt and cement, just after you've had your bath, LOL!

And if construction photos bore you, you can just stop here, LOL!  The footers are poured:

And they began laying the block foundation; unfortunately, the rain kept them from finishing, so hopefully today they'll be back!  We have spent the last couple days looking at kitchen cabinets.  My head is swimming from so many decisions!

Enjoy your day and be blessed!

Project Details--All Products SU! Unless Otherwise Noted
Stamps	Wood Words, Hardwood
Card stock & Papers	Whisper White, Fresh Fig
Ink	Fresh Fig
Accessories
Tools	Big Shot, Stitched Shapes Die, Bitty Banners Die (ret), 1" Circle Punch, Dimensionals

PCC215 and SIP70 Fall Subway Art

Happy Thursday, peeps!  Wow, the week is zipping by!  I have a card for two challenges today!  The Paper Craft Crew Challenge is "Fall"; and the Stamp Ink Paper challenge is a tac-tac-toe!

The left column of leaves, sparkle and orange piqued my interest; I had something in mind but it wasn't coming together.  My final card is not really what I had pictured, but it's going to have to do!  I used a subway art panel from Close to My Heart and stamped it in Pumpkin Pie ink on Papertrey's Linen paper and matted it on Chocolate Chip:

 I stamped the Hardwood background in white craft ink on my Pumpkin Pie card base and then used some pastel chalks to darken the wood.  SU's new Pumpkin Pie glimmer paper was the basis for my Lawn Fawn stitched leaves; I also overstamped the subway art with the Linen background stamp in Crumb Cake:

On the inside, I stamped a sentiment from a retired SU set called Harvest Home, and added an extra glimmer leaf!

My exciting news this week is that on Tuesday, I got to meet a long-time blogging friend, Linda Lapotka!  She grew up in my area, but now calls Wisconsin home.  She came back east to go to her niece's wedding and I met her and her sister at Longwood Gardens!   It was a gorgeous day, very warm, and we had a wonderful time!  I felt like I have known her all my life!  Here we are, early on the misty morning, ready to go inside the gardens:

Sitting on a pumpkin in the children's garden:

and we convinced Patty to sit with us too!

What a great day!  Thanks for popping in!

Paper Players 308 Back to School Color Challenge

Hi all!  It's Sunday, and that means it's Paper Players time!  Claire is our hostess and she is channeling all those years of being a teacher with these fun "back to school" colors:

I knew exactly what I was going to use when I saw the colors!  I had been given these cool diecut borders from my sweet friend Linda years ago, and they have been shuffled around in my craft room ever since.....you can see how "vintage" they look; a bit tattered and wrinkled (just like me!):

But I used them anyway, pairing them with some DSP that was also gifted to me by my friend Martha! Perfect for the challenge!  For my focal point, I created a little slate with some retired SU chalkboard paper, stamping a Papertrey sentiment in white ink, letting it dry thoroughly, then adding the apple image from the same set (Fruit Fusion: Apple Mini).  I created the frame with some Crumb Cake cardstock and the Hardwood background stamp:

I smudged just a wee little bit of white ink around the edges to make it look chalky!  A couple of candy dots finished it off!

I hope you'll play with us this week...not all the designers chose the back-to-school theme for their colors...you must see them, they're amazing:

• Claire
• Jaydee
• Joanne
• Laurie
• Nance - off this week!
• Sandy
• Linda
• Hannelie
• Colleen

The garden is keeping us busy; Cassidy was helping me snap beans after our afternoon swim..."snip snip SNAP"...and she found one that looked like a bird:

and she said this one was the curl "in the middle of her forehead" just like the little girl who was horrid!

 

Enjoy your day---stay cool!

Paper Players 299 Patriotic Hi!

Hi stampers!  It's Sunday, and that means another Paper Players challenge....this is our 299th challenge...so what do you think that means for next week?!  You'll have to wait and see!  Anyway, this week I am the hostess and I chose these colors for our challenge:

I just love that new Dapper Denim and can't wait to see it paired with Cherry Cobbler---yum!  You could go patriotic....or not!  My card also features the CAS Colours & Sketches sketch:

So here we go!

I have a little cross stitch picture in my kitchen of an apple with rustic red and white stripes and a blue star....and that was my inspiration for today's card! 

I stamped Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler and Dapper Denim cardstocks with the Hardwood background stamp, then formed my tag by cutting the "boards" apart and adhering them to a plain piece of paper and cutting them out with a tag die (My Favorite Things Blueprints 6).  I added some thick baker's twine, then I diecut the blue piece with a Nestie star die and added a couple of stamped stars from the new SU set Every Occasion. 

I also stamped the word "hi!" and the star with the Labeler Alphabet:

And I snuck in some of those cool enamel embellishments too!  It all went on a Very Vanilla cardbase embossed with the Lucky Stars embossing folder!  A sweet patriotic little note to send to someone!  Now, what will you create with these colors?  Share it with us over at the Paper Players, and check out the DT's samples as well:

• Claire
• Jaydee
• Joanne
• Laurie
• Nance 
• Sandy
• Linda
• Hannelie
• Colleen

On a personal note, I am sad to tell you that John's father Bill passed away Friday afternoon.  He had been battling lung cancer since the beginning of the year, so it was not unexpected.  He was a unique character...he regaled us (and anyone within hearing distance) with goofy stories, corny jokes and really awful magic tricks!  He loved to be the center of attention!  He will be missed!