OLW--Two Stamps

The challenge for this week was to use only two images--no sentiments or embellishments. As usual, this was tough to do!

Now that all my Valentines are in the mail, I got to open my new stamp set (SU Growing Green) and ink up two images for the first time. After stamping the rose in India Ink Black, I used a yellow and peach marker to give it a Peace rose look. After masking it, I stamped the fern over it and used a green marker for the leaves. It looked okay, but made me feel like the images were just "stuck" there in the middle of a vast bare space!

To add interest and a little texture without layering or using another stamp, I got out my Scor-Pal and embossed some vertical lines a half inch apart above and below the image. For a little more interest, I also cut out the bottom right corner around the rose petals.

Now that I've fulfilled the OLW requirements, I'm going to add some yellow gingham on the inside and a ribbon down the left front. Shhh...don't tell!

MOJO MONDAY #177

I'm not completely happy with this one, but it will have to do for now. I think it would look better if I used black ink for the greeting to give it a little more contrast. It should be easy to do by just taping another oval over this one.











UPDATE: WOW! What a difference the change to black ink made!

ONE LAYER WEDNESDAY (Border, Main Image, Bling)

When you say lots of bling, I get really generous with it! I hope you can see all the gems I've added here, as well as the Gelly Roll glitter pen I used on some of the hearts.

For the tiny red gems, I used gemstones cut from the letters in the package shown. In fact, I have several packs in white, pearl, clear, red and black for use on other cards. It's a great way to add to your collection without the high cost. I apply them with a craft knife after cutting them apart with a small pair of scissors. The black ones are great for a bird's eye or a bunch of them in the center of a flower.

Thanks for another great challenge, Susan!

(Click on image twice for a closer view.)

Feeling a Bit Squirrel-y This Winter?

At least you don't have to dig for dinner!

WELCOME A NEW BLOGGER!

My friend, Jackie, has finally started her blog and has posted her first cards! Yippee!

Please drop in and leave a few words of encouragement HERE!

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

NOTHING!
THE SUN IS SHINING!
(If you click on the photo, you'll see some sparkle!)

ANOTHER VIEW FROM THE TOWER

Frosted treetops against a bright blue sky!

MOJO MONDAY SQUARE

I almost opted out of this one, thinking I wouldn't be able to come up with anything using this sketch. Since I've been on a butterfly "kick" lately, I decided to give it a try. This is what I came up with.

For the bottom, I used a piece of scrap dsp that was lying on my table. The stripes are from the same paper pad, so I used it for the top half of the card. After choosing 3 more coordinating purple patterns, I put them through the CB with a Butterfly Sizzlets die from SU and placed the butterflies along the curve.

For the main butterfly, I attached three together to make it "pop" then tied some silver cord around it. I cut the ends long enough to give it antennae. The crystal gems add some sparkle; the "trail" is hand drawn with a black marker.

After posting this, I rounded the top right corner to accent the curve below. Enjoy!

WILDLIFE WINDOW

CLICK ON OVER (HERE) TO MY FAMILY BLOG FOR A GLIMPSE OF THE BIRDS I PHOTOGRAPHED WITH RICK'S CAMERA!

TWO MORE BUTTERFLIES

As you can see, I'm really enjoying these butterfly stickers from K & Co.! The top one uses paper weaving mounted on a square of metallic cardstock. The dsp designs are from a 6x6 pack I had on hand.

The label was die cut from a sheet of butterfly embossed pearlized cs, and the sheer ribbon threaded through. The same cs was used for the scalloped oval under the butterfly.

It's Spring in the Stamping Tower!

K & CO. BUTTERFLIES

Another snowfall, another stamping day!

I came across these 3-D butterfly stickers in my stash the other day and thought they'd make a nice focal point for the paper weaving I've been toying with. There are 4 February birthdays on my list, and I'm tired of snowflakes! Or is there a saying somewhere that snowflakes are winter's butterflies???

I love the colors in these Memory Box dsp's. The dragonfly card is for a Valentine birthday friend. Click on the photo for a closer view of the weaving.

Mojo Monday Sketch

With all the snow we've been getting (another 8" this morning) I've had a lot of time on my hands. Easy to fill when you're a stamper, though!

For the sketch this week, I decided on an Easter card using my peg stamps. Spring is coming, right?

You can see the other cards made with this sketch HERE. (Mine is #186.)

Enjoy!

Coffee Anyone?

In fulfillment of my determination to use stamps in my stash that have not yet seen ink, I came across this one from an Impression Obsession clear set.

The diagonal background from a pad of "Jovial" (Basic Grey) seemed the perfect choice for a mug with diamond shapes. I used markers that matched the colors in the plaid and added some Gelly Roll clear ink over the rising "steam" and the handle. The metallic photo corners were from my stash which I got last summer at an AC Moore sidewalk sale bin.

(After posting here, I remounted the sentiment straight...looks much better now.)

Inspiration from a Special Person

These photos of Elliot were taken during our latest trip to Prague--too cute!

As for the card, it just sort of "evolved" as I tried to find a way to use of all the extra hearts I had punched for a previous card. First came the color scheme from Elliot's PJ's. I used a CB folder to dress up the white space.

Next, I used my SU bird punch to make a "plant" of hearts. The bird wings I used for the leaves, and the hearts for flowers. There's a hidden "secret" underneath: when I needed the scalloped oval and a couple of extra hearts, I discovered this piece of red was the last one I had. So I punched them out of the middle where it would be covered up!

Once everything was mounted, I added the pearls and metallic bow. Three of the hearts have no pearl because they're facing the other way in my imaginary garden.

FROM THE SCRAP DRAWER

Inspiration for this card came from Down Under at Edna's blog with her woven paper strips. What a great way to use up some of my scraps!

After stamping the tulip image and coloring it in, I added a few subtle embellishments. First, I traced along the top edges of the petals with a red Gelly Roll pen and used some tiny black gems for the stamens. The red metallic bow added a bit more glimmer. Then I stamped the word "Love" below the image and used a black marker to add a few dots in the opposite corners. Next, the image was taped onto the red cs and attached to the card with dimensionals. Finally, I placed a row of deep red gems alongside and one larger one at the bottom right.

This would make a nice Valentine--thanks Edna!

PAPERLICIOUS CASE

I just HAD to CASE this one that was posted HERE on January 21st!

Although I layered mine with some textured cs and added a sentiment, it's still quite similar. After all, I didn't want to just copy. To vary mine further, I added an antique brad; but I think the heaviness of it detracts from the elegance captured by Mrs. Paperlicious.

The card base and flowers are Very Vanilla (SU) and the textured tan layer is from a package of AC Cardstock Neutrals. I was happy to make use of the oodles of tiny pearls and the little flower punch from my stash.

What have you CASEd lately?

BLOGGERS CHALLENGE--DSP

Here's a quilted look with designer paper from Basic Grey. The raffia was knotted and spread open to look like a bow. I had some new brads that match, so I added them here.

For the quilt, I punched out 3 squares of 4 designs and taped them down on another piece of lightweight cardstock. The X's were drawn with a black marker to simulate stitches. I then used a Nestability for the shape and mounted it on the brown cs.

Check out the other blogs that entered the challenge HERE!

Impression Obsession Challenge--Purple

This was a fun card to make with a fun stamp set from Impression Obsession. Do you see the coffee beans inside the "pods" growing up around the cups? I didn't, that is until I went to color what I thought were just leaves--too clever!

The tiny green leaves were done with a green Spica pen for a touch of sparkle. The cup "flowers" match the purple cardstock, although they look a little bluish here. The foam on top was colored in with a Gelly Roll clear pen, and the spoons were done with a silver metallic pen. (For a closer view, click twice on card.)

The cups were attached with dimensionals; but next time, I think I'd like to use wire so they "jiggle" as though blowing in the breeze.

OLW-37--SENTIMENTS

This was a fun card to make!

First, I gathered a bunch of my birthday stamps. After stamping the main sentiment in black, I proceeded to stamp the others around it with Versamark ink. Then I added dashes around the main greeting and a strand of black embroidery floss on the left.

The inside says, "Obviously." This card will have to go to someone with a sense of humor...obviously!

OLW 36--Barely There

The inspiration for this week's One Layer Wed. card is this view from the Stampingtower window:

Yesterday, I felt like I was driving a salt lick.
Today, I feel like I'm living in a glazed doughnut.
That's winter!

That says it all.

ME? STYLISH?

I've been chosen to receive this award by Patrice of Old Back Porch HERE.

In accepting this award, I'm to list 7 things about myself, so here's what I came up with:

1. I like to get up early in the morning, sometimes before dawn, and have coffee while checking my emails. No, I don't go back to bed (until nighttime, that is.)

2. Autumn is my favorite season because of all the colors and the crisp, cool (but not cold!) air.

3. My favorite hotels are the Mosaic House in Prague and the Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World.

4. I spent 25 years entertaining at Sr. Citizen centers and nursing homes. For the first 20 years, I sang and played guitar. Then I found a piano accompanist who enabled me to do Broadway Show tunes. It was a lot of fun, but I stopped about 5 years ago in order to spend more time stamping and running the Mothers Club at my church.

5. Yellow is my favorite color. Pink I avoid as much as possible (sorry Dana!)

6. Every winter I host a February Blues Bash for my friends with a different theme each year. Last year, due to my icy driveway, it was delayed until March; so I made the theme "March Into Spring" with John Philip Sousa marching band music in the background.

7. In 1983, several other women and I started an inter-denominational Bible Study which The Lord has been blessing ever since. I never imagined myself as a teacher or public speaker, which just proves what The Lord can do in someone's life.

Next, I'm supposed to pass this on to 15 others. Since I'd rather not impose, I'll leave it up to you readers to decide whether you'd like to accept this award and follow the rules on Patrice's blog. You're all well-qualified!

Sunrise in the Forest

This could easily be the scene outside our window in the morning. In fact, sometimes it is!

The image was colored with chalks, starting with the lightest first. Darker details on the animals were added with dark brown and black colored pencils. The distressed edges, Cuttlebug strip and black embroidery floss provide some texture.

Enjoy!

ODBD Butterfly Stamp Set

I've only just begun to play around with this set, but I love it so far!

The blue one made use of some dsp I had left over with a woodgrain design which you wouldn't expect to work on butterfly wings, but it does here. I used a matching SU marker to add more color to the wings. The rest is blue glitter around the edge of the card front and black glitter for the body.

The gold one was stamped first on Very Vanilla cs with Versamark and chalked. The butterfly was again stamped on a SU dsp scrap and enhanced with some black glitter for the body. After adding the greeting on a scalloped oval, the panel was then attached to the card.

Both cards were very easy and fun to do!

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A COLOR MAKES

Although the difference between these two cards is subtle, the brighter green cardstock gives the card more life. I was happy with the first one, but it just looked dull. After taking off the top layer and re-mounting it on a brighter green, I was finally satisfied with it.

Unfortunately, my camera doesn't capture the glitter very well. The dark green leaves are done with Twinkling H2O's, giving them a nice sheen. The rose leaves were colored with a marker and Spica glitter pen on top, adding just a touch of glitter over the green ink. The rose center was colored yellow and toned down with Frosted Ice Stickles. If you click on the first image twice, you may be able to see more of the glimmer.

The background, green leaf and rose images were all in my file of pre-stamped images from several years ago!

NEW KIND OF CHALLENGE!

OK, it's my turn now to post a challenge! If you decide to play along, just leave a comment that will take readers back to your blog for a peek at what you've done. Meanwhile, you may want to read the post that inspired this challenge HERE. (Scroll down to Goldilocks...Dec. 10th post.)

Since we're often guilty of chasing down and purchasing new stamps and supplies we can't seem to live without, overspending as we go, I'm determined to start making better use of the stamps I already have. Do you have stamp sets where one or two of the stamps were used, but the rest are untouched? As I looked through my collection, I was amazed at how many images are still un-inked. Not only is this a waste of money (and storage space!) but also of creativity. I realize now that I've been CASEing a lot of cards I see online instead of finding new ways to use what I already have. New techniques are fun to learn, but don't require new stamps to do them!

SO HERE'S THE CHALLENGE: Using only supplies you already have in your stash, apply them in a different way to a technique or style you haven't tried yet. Dig deep into your supplies and see what you come up with! Then share it with the rest of us. Meanwhile, here's my entry:

The tree stamp I got for my birthday several years ago. I inked it up in black, stamped off once on scrap paper then on the dp, and then added green and brown inks to the image with a water-color brush. The woodgrain and solid dp is from a Basic Grey 6x6 pad in my collection ("Granola".) The vertical birthday stamp is several years old, as are the deckle edge scissors. I now have a masculine birthday card for future use.

Have fun with this challenge!

OLW--35 Yellow

Here's my entry for Susan's One Layer Wednesday using Yellow.

Using the masking technique, I first stamped a row of Hero Arts blossoms down the side, added a little sparkle with a Spica glitter pen for the edges of the petals and some yellow Stickles for the centers.

Since I had a smudge on the right side, I stamped the butterfly over it and colored it in with a yellow marker. Isn't it amazing how a smudge can help determine the elements of a card! The sentiment below is from Our Daily Bread Designs.

Not being able to layer as I usually do certainly IS a challenge!

Crafts in Prague

One of our activities was to explore a blown glass exhibit at the Bethlehem Chapel in Prague, just a short walk from the Mosaic House where we were staying.

Most of them were Nativity scenes, and all were beautifully done. This one, which captured my attention, was done in black, white, amber and clear glass. Each handblown piece featured intricate details of instruments and musicians--stunning! Though not a Nativity scene, you could almost imagine them playing Handel or Bach in celebration. (Click twice to enlarge.)

There is a lot of emphasis on various artists in Prague, like Mucha (art deco portraits) and the music of Mozart, Smetana and Dvorak; so it's not surprising to see lots of artwork on buildings, walkways and in architecture.

More to post later...

Prague in Celebration!

At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, the sky literally exploded with fireworks! We were able to enjoy a spectacular view from the balcony outside our room at the Mosaic House and listen to the sounds of people in celebration.

The skyline reminds me of a scene from "Mary Poppins." I'm glad we were back at our 6th floor room, safe from all the street revelry and rockets.

The next morning, workers throughout the city were picking up fallen debris off the streets and sidewalks. We were amazed at how much there was!

I tried to post a video here, but for some reason it kept failing. However, you can see it HERE on my other blog. Enjoy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We'll be in Prague with our children and 4 grandchildren for the New Year's Eve festivities. We finally get to fly out later today, Dec. 28--only two days late. The blizzard left over 2 feet of snow at the airport, while we just got the fringe of the storm with 3 1/2 inches here. The wind, however, sounded like a freight train for two days; but it's sunny and calm this morning--much better traveling weather.

The Lord, in His Providence and Mercy, had us at home when a 50-mile/hr. gust of wind blew the back door open in the middle of the night. When Rick went downstairs later, the temp. in the Family Room was 30 degrees--what a disaster that could have been! He has since screwed a board across the door to keep it shut while we're away. Not exactly glamorous, but it will do until we can get a new door.

What are your stamping goals for 2011? I'm determined to use up as much of my stash as I can without buying more--until the Stamp Show in April, that is!

Glitterfy.com - Christmas Glitter Graphics

Best wishes to all for a Christ-centered, fun-filled Christmas!

"See" you when I get back from Prague next year. Meanwhile, check out our tree and how our cat enjoys it here.

Have a wonderful holiday and a Happy, Healthy New Year!

Scripture Cards

I've been making cards for our pastor to use as he ministers to our congregation.
What better stamps than these beautiful Scriptures from Our Daily Bread Designs!














Coupled with a new pad of dp from Basic Grey ("Archaic",) the soft colors fit very well with soothing words of encouragement. The lettering used is large enough for the stamp to be the focal point of the card. As you can see, I use very little embellishment, making the cards more postage friendly while keeping them on the masculine side for the pastor's use.

These cards will be entered in the Our Daily Bread Designs challenge for a chance to win a gift certificate at ODBD for more of their beautiful stamps. For other cards using their beautiful stamp sets, click HERE.

(Meanwhile, my own challenge is postponed until after the holidays.)

SET YOUR TIVO!

Our son-in-law, Chris, is part owner/manager of a new hostel in Prague which will be featured on the Today Show Dec. 9th. Not only is The Mosaic House sleek and modern (already a success!) but is also "green" which I assume is the main interest for the show. Camera crews have already been there to film. Enjoy!

(For a further look at the Mosaic House, you can check it out here.) There are shared rooms for backpackers and luxurious single rooms for world travelers, all at reasonable rates. The decor is stunning, the food outstanding and the staff friendly.

If I sound like a proud mother-in-law, it's because I am!

Flourishes White-Out

Here's my card for the Flourishes Winter White challenge. For the first layer, I used my Scor-Pal to make the diagonal lines. The next layer was a CB swiss dots folder underneath the CB snowflake folder. The top snowflake was done with a Marvy punch with a snowflake brad added in the center. Silver twine finished it off.

This was a fun challenge!

Christmas Card Workshop

Today was the workshop at my house where everyone made 2 each of 3 designs. The designs I came up with worked really well, and we all had a lot of laughs as we put them together.

Joan, on the left, is my "regular" stamping buddy; Debby on the right is a new stamper who is lots of fun to watch as she is constantly amazed that she CAN do this.

Ruth and Jackie, in the second picture, were happy to show off their cards. These were the snowflake ones. There was also one with a candle, held by Joan. Last was a candy cane design with the candy cane story printed up for the inside.

To add to the cheery mood, we had a few snow showers earlier this morning before they arrived.

I'm so blessed to have such fun friends!

(If you click a second time on a card, you can get an even better view.)

Christmas Cards Are In the Mail!

Whew! I just dropped 80 cards into the letter drop at the post office yesterday, with the remaining 20 to be hand delivered. What a relief to get them all on their way!

Have you seen the new Forever postage stamps? They're 4 images of pine boughs and berries/pine cones and are just right for Christmas or winter cards. I bought enough to use next Christmas too! Now all I have to do next year is remember where I put them ;).

Yesterday was also tree-decorating day (See 2008 post for a photo.) Today I'll be cleaning up and preparing for the Christmas card workshop here tomorrow. Once that's done, I can concentrate on Christmas shopping and wrapping gifts for the next 2 weeks.

I truly enjoy the hustle and bustle of Christmas, but I also like to take the time for reflections on the true meaning and purpose of the season. I challenge you to do the same.

Merry Christmas!

Give Thanks

Although it looks gray here (probably because of the gray skies today) this card is on Crumb Cake cardstock from SU. I pulled out a folder of pre-stamped images from last year and used the indian corn as my starting point. After coloring it with markers and cutting it out, I turned to Anna Wight's "Give Thanks" set for the sentiment.

A striped dsp border, a Martha Stewart border punch, some rafia from my stash and embroidery floss inside (above the striped paper) and on top all added to the Fall look. Three dot sparklers from Stampendous provide a little bling that is also postage friendly.

Among my reasons to be thankful are all my stamps and supplies that not only bring me great pleasure as I create with them, but also bring blessing to those who receive them. It seems letter writing has become a lost art in this day of texting and emailing! However, that's what makes getting a card so much more special.

If I had to name the one thing for which I am most thankful, it would have to be the greatest blessing the Lord has ever given me--salvation in Christ.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge

This stamp and die set is sooooo versatile--I just love using it!

Whether you do the poinsettia in white, pink or red, it looks great every time. On this card, I opted for the white with a gold glitter center. The die cuts out all the little openings on the sides, which makes this a 5-minute card (yes, really!) I used the stamp for the background also.

The sheer ribbon behind the image adds a litter shimmer without being too much. The poinsettia was mounted with a dimensional, and stickers were added at the corners to look like brads.

For a look at some of the other cards in the ODBD challenge, click HERE.

SHINY BERRIES

Using the SU "Sketch It" set, I first stamped the wreath in green, added the scriggles in a darker green, and stamped the red berries around. With black ink, I stamped the greeting. Using a hole punch, I punched out all the berries using the red ink as a guide and set it aside while I stamped some swirls from "Fresh Fillers" on the red card with Versamark.

Then came the fun part--making the berries shine. All I did was punch a large circle of red foil and tape it on the back of the wreath so that the shiny paper would show through. After adding the red metallic bow, I attached it to the card with dimensionals.

This was a quickie card, for sure!

(Click on photo for a closer look.)

OLW--Five Colors

Here's a card that actually looks worse IRL! That's quite appropriate in this case since the subtitle for this week is "Colour Me Bad."

This started out fine until I ran some gray "shadow" lines under the tree. It didn't look right, so I kept adding more, and more...and more...until I had quite a mess. Let me warn you: glitter doesn't cover up large blotchy areas like this one. White snow might have worked better; but I couldn't find it in my stash before the glue dried, so I reached for a jar of chunky glitter. Maybe it will improve when it all dries (HA!)

This one's headed for the trash once I link it to the One Layer Wed. challenge on Simplicity--I should at least get "credit" for using 5 colors and colouring it bad!

Second Snowfall

I like this better--consider it tweaked! (See post below.)

Snowfall Instead of Fall Leaves

This is my first attempt at CASEing a beautiful Fall card done by Julie Marshall, posted on Oct. 15th, here, but it still needs some tweaking. I think I'd like mine better with a few less snowflakes next time.

I started with stamping a portion of French Script on the lower left of the white piece, then spritzing some blue ink diagonally across with a blow pen. Next, I gently pressed a light tan ink pad on the right side. Using various shades of blue inks, I stamped snowflakes of assorted sizes. The white ribbon was tied around the first layer only, the white panel was attached to the very vanilla panel with ds tape, and both were mounted on the blue cardstock with dimensionals.

The sleigh bell was punched out of blue foil paper with a Martha Stewart punch I just bought yesterday and added over the white ribbon with a dimensional. For the final touch, I added some Ice Stickles to the center of each snowflake.

In a way, it's certainly appropriate to swap out leaves for snowflakes since no two are alike and they both fall from the sky! (Unfortunately, they also both have to be removed from yards and driveways.)

Autumn Corn Stalks

One of the things I like about this time of year is that, once the field corn has been harvested, the fields are cleared and you can enjoy the wide open spaces again. What was once vibrant green has turned brown and been chopped up for silage for the local dairy farms. That's the look I tried to capture here.

I used colored pencils for this card, with added sparkle on the corn, tassels and weeds below. Spica pens provide the fine glitter--I highly recommend them! (If you click to enlarge and then click a second time, you can see the effect.)

Vellum Snowflake

This card using vellum was inspired by a Nov. 2nd post on Cat's Creations (here) and I just had to try it! Instead of a snowman, I white embossed a snowflake from a SU set.

The vellum is folded over a piece of Very Vanilla cs and secured on the back with double stick tape. After placing a clear gem in the center, I added a glue dot behind it for extra hold. I then added a strip of white cs that was punched with a Martha Steward lace edge. I attached the green cs and sheer ribbon to the Very Vanilla card base and mounted the snowflake piece with dimensionals.

What appealed to me about Cat's card was that the vellum covered a separate piece attached over the card front, making it easier to hide the tape and glue dot.

Simple Saturday #19

My Next Stamping Tower

If I lived here in this castle, one of those towers would be just perfect for stamping! It is located in Karlstejn, about a 45-min. ride from Prague, CZ.

After the long uphill walk (that's Owen in the foreground, leading the way) we took the tour of the inside. The rooms were huge with very high ceilings. I was imagining how many stampers the rooms could accommodate! The valley views would be very inspirational, too!

It would need Ott lamps for good lighting, though; especially on gray days like this one. Then I'd add large tables on warm carpets, wall tapestries for sound absorption, and huge wooden cabinets for supplies. Oh, and lots of electrical outlets for heat guns, a coffee station and my computer--all the comforts of home with a little castle splendor thrown in!

(Click on photo twice for a closer view. For more photos of our trip, use the Fox Mtn. link at sidebar for our family blog.)

Pine Tree Christmas

This card was fun putting together. It all started with the pine tree dsp left over from last year. Since I wanted to emphasize the pine tree theme, I ran a piece of metallic brown cs through the Cuttlebug with a Fiskars wood grain embossing plate and cut it long and narrow to simulate a tree trunk. After tying some green embroidery floss around it, I taped it to the left side of the card.

For the greeting, I stamped the sentiment on white and ran it through the CB with a Nestabilities oval die. Then I sponged some green ink on the edges before removing it from the die, leaving a white border. Using two of my peg stamps, I added the pine and pine cones to the bottom center, then popped it up with dimensionals.

I love how the peacefulness of this design reflects the sentiment.