SC143 challenge

I made this card for todays challenge on SCS. I dont know what I think of the colors now. I was originally going to have the flower be clear embossed, but I didnt like the look so I embossed a new one with platnium. I sponged the main image with some bashful blue and then Mellow Moss and the edges with brilliance platnium, it made for a much darker looking card. I was thinking the base should be different color, maybe Basic Grey now, but I dont have any on hand. I dont know. I used my cuttlebug and Bloomin Dots folder to emboss the background and then sponged with Mellow Moss. I layerd some scraps from the PC decorative paper I used on the Scrapbook pages for the previous post, and then layered the light blue and Mellow Moss for matting. I used my Bits and Pieces wheel to add some Mellow Moss on the Whisper white Background. The brads come from a Creative Imagination antique metal collection, I figure they are either Pewter or Nickle. I embossed using Utee extra thick Platnium embossing Powder.

What do you think? I am not sure what I think it might need a tag but I'm undecided today.

Scrapbook Pages

I decided to do some scrapbook pages, actually a friend asked me if I wanted to swap pages for scrapbooks and I said sure, I need a little motivation to help me get things done.

These are the three pages I did today. I will have to do Scrapbooking a little bit more.

I got the decorative paper in a RAK box for the halloween page. I used SU Boolgie Eyes stamps, and some googlie eyes my DD bought me for Mothers Day.

The "Happy Halloween" is cut using my Zoobaloo Cartridge on my Cricut at 1 1/4 ". This was a fun page to make. Its the one I am going to swap. I used Basic Black ,Pumpkin Pie, a discontinued purple from SU, The lighter green from the Michaels variety package called Botanicals, and Whisper White. I colored the images with my water color pencils and an H2O painter after stamping with Stazon Jet Black. The ribbon and the Taglet stickers were clearance from last Halloween, and the bat button is JesseJames buttons. The brads are Queen co, making waves. I used my 3/4 circle punch to trim the black cardstock I stuck the taglets on and then punched 1/16th punch inthe center for the brad. Iused my SU tag punches for the spider image & matting, and my CM Sqaure punch the large opening to cut the images out and then mounted on the cardstock and trimmed to about 1/8".

The next page I used my "Walk In My Garden" cart and cut the cone flower out of Pumkin Pie. And the center a Textured light blue cardstock from a package I cant remembered where I got it. The tag is from the designer paper set mentioned later. I used a lightblue grosgrain ribbon and a large orange striped brad I picked up at Target on the tag. I covered the tag whenI took the picture. I need to remember to take pictures before I put them in the album and journal.

I added a section for journaling that my DD can do when she gets back home. I like the Decorative Paper (PC superslab rob and bob studio) it was a christmas gift my DD's recieved from their Aunt, and they reluctantly let me use it, but they know they use my stuff so I think it all evens out.

The last page uses the same decorative paper and some Stickers form the same package. I cut the same textured cardstock with my CM square punches and trimmed it to make the picture corners. I hid the journalling but it is matted with some complimentary DP from the same set mentioned earlier.

I used Whisper white to mat the pictures and for journaling I drew straight lines lightly with a pencil and used my SU Brocade Blue marker to write with. Then I used a white polymer eraser to erase all the pencil lines. I love the white erasers, they are a life saver.

Well Until later ... Happy Stamping!

Falling Leaves SC142

Tonight I finished up my SC142 challenge card.

I have been so busy, my son had a Birthday yesterday and today I ran errands, but tonight I found some time to stamp and I made a stamping discovery... I don't have any pumkin stamps. I did my layout thinking Pumpkins. I always thought I had one. I used D'vine Swirl embossing folder thinking pumpkin vines. I used the background cardstock I got out of a RAK box. I dont know who made it. I thought it would great behind a Pumpkin, I love the embossed paisley's on it.

I stamped part of my bare fall trees. to blend with the leaves I punched out of Certainly Celery. I might have to borrow/buy a pumpkin stamp and try again. The other cardstocks used are an off white GP, and SU Chocolate Chip. I used Close to Cocoa for ink and sponged with it as well. I added a little color with my water color pencil. The ribbon is a dotted chocolate I picked up at Wal-Mart. For the faux stitching I used a"The UltimateGel Pen Pastel by American Crafts I picked it up at JoAnn's in a twin pack. I cant remember where I picked up the off white rivets. I think at All That Scraps. I hope you enjoy the card. I enjoyed making it.

Until Later ... Happy Stamping!

A Note from Me

I really love creating things, and lately I've been giving a lot of thought to why I create and why I do what I do. After giving it a lot of thought. I started trying to figure out how something I love became such an obsession. I really don't know why it has. I've had to re evaluate why I do stuff and if I need to make changes. I have made a few changes on my Blog. I Blog because I enjoy sharing and giving and I felt it was away to give of myself. I enjoy sharing and reading your comments and suggestions. However lately I have been trying to figure out how my Hobby has become an obsession, and an obligation. One thing that contributed to it was the Stamping top 50. I wanted to be there, but I have learned that I think you have to be extremely talented and gifted or have a store where you sell stuff, to get there and I just do not have that kind of time for my hobby. Posting occasionally became I had to post everyday. Well I think you know where I am going. I removed all those links and buttons from my blog.

I just want you to come if you want to come. I want to share what I want to share. and Lastly I want to buy what I want to buy and not because I feel I need it to keep up with the Jones, KWIM. I know my skills will continue to improve the more I use them. I just want to share a part of me, with you and hope you like what I've done. I want my hobby to be my hobby again and not an obssession or burden. I just want to have fun. I want to go shopping and not feel obligated to go check out the latest and greatest, and always have that something NEW. I own a lot of stuff and I want to use it and not hoard it. I hope I have explained myself well. I hope you'll come and check my blog out because you want to. I hope we can become friends. I just need to feel like I am in control of my hobby and it's not in control of me. I left the feedblitz sign up on my blog, because I thought if you get tired of checking and seeing the same post it might be handy because it would send an email to let you know if I've posted. I think it saves time when I check out my favorite blogs.

Until Later ..."Happy" Stamping!

Dancing Snowmen

My card was inspired by the second card on this post at Debbie Olson's blog Thinking Inking. I just love her blog I visit it every time I can.



I used my SU "Cold Play" set to try and duplicate the snowmen. I think I got close. What do you think? I like all the great stamps out there but my budget is limited. I got so excited yesterday that I had to go try doing a bird's eye view of a snowman right away before I fixed dinner. I think I took about a half hour to put the card front together. I should have used my Basic Black or Jet Black Ink but I grabbed my versamagic Midnight chalk ink. Because it was closer, and I was so excited. The same goes for the white ink Igrabbed my Dew drop brilliance Moonlight white when I should have dug out my craft white. I only had a little bit of time. I should change my blog title to the rushed stamper.



I used a baby blue from my assorted blues from Michaels for the Card front base. I rolled whirly twirly wheel with the embossing ink, then sprinkled Kaliedescop embossing powder for some shimmer. After heat setting it, I loved the look and decided to stamp the snowflake in white.

I stamped the snowmen next, the bodies were stamped using the smallest three circle from th eset on whisper white cardstock and then punched out with my SU 1 3/8" circle punch. The hat was made by stamping one of the coal buttons from the stamp set and then adding a rounded brim with my Basic Black marker. After I determined their location and stamped the arms like Debbie states in her post. I stamped the arms then placed the snowmen After I attached the red and whiter gingham ribbon. I adherred the snowmen and then drew the arms on the body to mid way on the second circle. Then I attached the three 1/4 " satin with glue dots and cut the fringe. I stamped the carrot noses in Pumpkin pie and then trimmed about an 1/8" off from the fat end and then stuck them to the bodies using my sakura glue pen. For the base I didn't have any Real Red Cardstock on hand so I sponged alot of REal Red Ink on a white base around the edge and then attache dthe card front.



Debbies card is goergeous. I think she has a little more time to stamp and a lot more patience. I know I need to work on it, but I still think this card turned out great. It would be better if I had taken more time but I only had about 45 min. Thanks Debbie for the great Idea.



Tomorrow I hope to have my Challenge card finished.



Well Until Later ... Happy Stamping!

SC 141 Finally

The SC142 challenge came out tonight.

Usually I work on Challenge cards right away when they are posted.

This last week was nuts. I finally managed to make a card last night. I am not sure what I think of it.

I was going to do red tulips with "Bothway Blossoms" , but decided I needed a fall flower so I picked daisy's instead. I stamped the daisy's and the "sweet" from "So Very", with Timber Brown StazOn. I sponged Ruby Red onthe back ground after sponging off a little on scrap paper to tone the color down. then I trimmed the corners using my ticket corner punch and then sponged with Close to Cocoa. The daisy's were colored with summer sun and Mellow moss and Old olive markers, then I used white liquid applique on the petals, just the smallest dab, and then spread it a bit with a thin scrap of paper and then put Kaliedescope embossing powder on it and heat set it. Then I dabbed the sponge on it without reinking it to tone down the white a bit. I matted this and the green embossed paper with Summer Sun. The strips were embossed after trimming, using the "friend" and "D'vine Swirl" cuttlebug embossing folders. They were matted and then sponged with Close to Cocoa. I tied an Autumn colored ribbon I picked up last fall at Joann's with a piece of True Thyme Stitched ribbon to the thin friend embossed strip. The base of the card was stamped with SU canvas background stamped off once with Summer Sun. then Stamped with Crosshatch in Old Olive. I sponged the edges and between where the pieces would lay, lightly with Close to Cocoa. The red gem stones come from the HoHoHo words I bought at Target a few weeks ago. I felt I needed to add a bit more red to go with the ribbon. It was a toss up between faux stitching and the bling. I added the bling because of my finger. It was quicker, and I had banged it right on the stitches once already.(Ouch)

It is hurting a little more now because I am cutting back on the meds.

Until Later ... Happy Stamping!

Bonus Sketch Challenge Card

I have been wanting to use my Cricut since I got back from vacation. SO I instantly thought of using it for making the card for the sketch challenge Round Bonus. Who wants to cut out all those circle by hand. I hope I can get through the typing I took some extra pictures of the assembly. Pictures are worth a thousand words and my finger is a bit swollen because I made both my challenge cards today.

I used my Cricut "George" cart to cut out the flowers in Whisper White at 5" in Shadow and a 2" circle. In Basic Black I cutusing the silhouette setting a 2" circle and a 5" flower, and a 1" circle shadow. I also cut a 1" circle in summer sun. I love using George to cut focal foundations, etc.. Next I used my "Walk In My Garden Cart" to cut two large leafs in shadow Blackout, one Leaf#1 and 1 leaf #2, so I could over lap and have the extra cut out for height. After using my cricut I used my Cuttlebug to emboss the leaves with "D'vine Swirl" and the flower center with "Bubbles". I also marked the silhouette on the white with light pencil marks at this time.
I cut a short piece of Black and White gingham and used my double hole punch to punch holes through the 1" circles. I lined them up and used my paper piercer to keep them lined up in the punch. I also sponged the Brilliance Midnight black over the bubbles embossing on the flower. After getting everything lined up I threaded the ribbon through the yellow through the center on the flower through the black circle and then back through the flower and the yellow. I was going to shadow with the black circle but the flower was big enough so I just used it to anchor the ribbon so it didn't have to go through the base or be mounted on a glue dot. This is how it looked before adherring it to the white base.

I stamped the flower image from SU Little flowers set in Summer Sun between the markings over lapping making sure not to get past the seond mark. after stamping I used a white Polymer eraser to erase the pencil marks, and then mounted it on the base. The last thing I worked on was the leaves . I over lapped them using 1/16" dimensionals then I determined where I wanted the leaves to be and trimmed them. I sponged the card base , the 2" white circle snd the leaves to accent their dimension and to mute the contrast between the white and black a bit.I trimmed them more after I placed the Brads to get the width down to 5 1/2" and sponged them a little more after using the antique brass brads to attach the leaves and the card fron tto the card back.

Lastly I assembled the Circle with "giggle" from the Warm Words stampset. I used my Sakura gel pen to glue the thin shadow over the circle. Then I punched one yellow flower using my under used "three for you" punch. I adhered it using an 1/16th circle punch and yet one more antuqie brass brad. I like how it turned out. The only thing I would change is cut the flower at 4" so it could fit in an envelope.

I hope you enjoyed it! Until Later... Happy Stamping!