Inspiration x 4

ETA: I just noticed my first anniversary of blogging is in two days! I thought it was more toward the middle of February! I'll have to pull some blog candy together! Stay tuned!

Ok are you ready for this long post? I don't know what happened to me today, but I was so inspired by the inspiration challenge today over at SCS. The inspiration was a website called Elum Designs and I must say WOW! I made four cards and each one really didn't take long to make at all! I also had a lot of time on my hands today...my DH is off skiing with Brad (his "little brother") and the boy scouts this weekend at Gore Mountain, which is in the eastern part of NY somewhere. So I have been enjoying my Saturday! Well, here we go!

Thanks

This was the first card I did. When I saw the inspiration piece, I immediately thought of this cuttlebug embossing folder with the vines and birds. I took my tangerine tango ink pad and applied the ink directly to the flat side of the folder. I sort of swirled the ink onto the folder instead of tapping it on so I wouldn't get any lines from the edge of the pad. I placed the piece of PTI white paper in the folder and embossed. I love the look, especially the white and tangerine...so fresh looking. I used a rectangular nestie to cut and emboss this piece. I then took a larger nestie and embossed the frame right on the base of the card, placed the tangerine piece inside of it, and stamped the sentiment. I received this stamp with my Verve order. This is what I did on the inside. You'll have to click on the picture for a better view, but I stamped my sentiment on the embossed frame (embellished with a flourish from PTI's Boxes, Bags, and Tags set) and left the other side blank (except for the bird, from a new Inkadinkadoo set) so I could write a message. Really easy card! On to the next card!




From Me to You
I actually used these two pieces as my inspiration for this card. I used the same technique as above for the center image. I used chocolate chip ink and the textile folder with soft sky cardstock. The rectangular nesties were also used again. Once I cleaned off the folder, I embossed a piece of soft sky cardstock for the large panel. The curly label punch was used for the sentiment. I sponged chocolate chip around the edges for more definition. This was the first time I ever made this bow. It's super easy and so pretty, I think! I used SU's chocolate chip grosgrain. I cut a piece long enough to go around the card to the back. Then I cut another piece and made a loop and fastened it with a large glue dot. I cut another smaller piece to wrap around the loop and fastened it with a glue dot as well. The bow was finally fastened to the strip of ribbon with another glue dot. I then added the dew drops. For the inside piece, I embossed just a portion of the left side and then, using the Scor-pal, I scored two lines. I left off a sentiment, as I don't know what this is going to be used for. I love the blue and brown together, don't you?














Butterflies Galore

This is one of my favorites of the bunch. I fell in love with this gift bag when I saw it. I went looking for my butterfly stamps and came across this one from Inkadinkadoo. It's called Patterened Bugs and the stamp is actually one long trail of different butterflies. I stamped it three times in pigment white ink and embossed it with white ep on PTI's aqua mist cardstock. I added the aqua mist swiss dot satin ribbon. Notice the bow? I told you I love that bow! I stamped these butterflies on the inside too in the aqua mist ink. I left off a sentiment on this one as well to use as a general note card. Love these fresh, springy colors! And now to the last one...phew!




Warmest Holiday Wishes
When I started making this card, I didn't think I was going to like it too much. I stamped the Wood Grain backgrounder stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms in chocolate chip on PTI white. Then I originally stamped the sentiment (from SU's retired Holiday Wishes) right over it (like in the inspiration piece) in red pigment ink and embossed it in red ep. It looked blah. So I stamped the sentiment in real red on a piece of white scrap, mounted it with real red, placed the brads in the corners and placed it over the top of the original sentiment with dimensionals. It looked to me like it had been nailed on a tree! I wanted to add something else, so I punched these ferns in garden green with a Martha Stewart punch. I'm lovin' this card. I think I may may more for my Christmas card challenge!

Well, I'm finally done! My fingers are sore from all the typing! Thank goodness I'm fast typer! Thanks for staying with me on this one, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Strut Your Stuff...

Did you ever see a pink rooster? Well, this guy looked too blah just stamped in the Adirondack Espresso ink, so I copiced him (I think I just made a new verb!) with a light pink copic marker! I was playing around with images to fit into this medallion (made with a 2 3/4" square and the scallop border punch) last week and he fit perfectly. I already had him stamped in the espresso, so I looked through my Basic Grey pads that have been ignored lately and found these three papers in the Bittersweet pack. I was just commenting on someone's blog about how I love brown and pink together, so that was my color inspiration.

The sketch is from Taylored Expressions Cupcake challenge. I thought it would be an easy sketch to work with, and it was. The buttons are from SU's soft subtles collection (now retired) matched really well with these papers. I only wish I had some crochet floss to pull through the holes. They looked "naked" to me! {Put on list!} The sentiment is a Lockhart stamp and I paired it with the new Congrats stamps from SU (seen on the inside). It says "Congratulations...you've outdone yourself again". (My battery in my camera was low and not taking very good pictures and it's difficult to see the words on the inside.) I thought this would be perfect for a girl who did better on her report card, got a promotion, or outdid herself in some sport or competition, don't you think? I like the pink rooster, no doubt...how about you? Have a great weekend!

Recipe

Stamps: Rustic Rooster and Congrats (SU), Lockhart Stamps (front sentiment)

Paper: PTI Vintage cream, Bittersweet (Basic Grey)

Ink: Adirondack espresso, copic marker

Accessories: Scallop border punch, soft subtles buttons (retired), dimensionals, mini glue dots

Color Throwdown Challenge

I finally completed a Color Throwdown Challenge! I think I did one when they first started the challenges, and I tried to do one two weeks ago, but I just couldn't get the colors to work for me. But this one was easier: basic black, brocade blue, and real red.

I also used this sketch by Ana Wohlfahrt for Taylored Expressions. I started with this adorable image from High Hopes. I received it from Dawn (aka flowergal36 on SCS). She sent me a few images a while back and I'm slowly getting around to coloring them. When I saw this image, I thought the jeans could be brocade blue and her shirt red, so I was all set. I used copic markers to color the image and put glitter on the wings. When the card was sitting on my counter, they just sparkled so incredibly I took a close-up picture of it. The picture is a bit blurry, but the sparkle can be seen.

The little hearts on the teapot were created using the tip of my copic marker. I just saw Marianne Walker, the copic guru, do a tutorial on making them on her blog, I Like Markers. I was just there, and the link to the video wasn't working, but that's where I saw it either yesterday or today. The hearts were punched using a Creative Memories punch, and the sentiment on the white heart was created using PTI's Beautiful Blooms and Mixed Messages. The Happy Valentine's Day sentiment and the hearts and sentiment on the inside are from Verve's new sets, Hearts on Fire and Hundred Hearts.

I'm on the mend from being sick with bronchitis. I didn't go to work for two days and still don't have my voice back. I'm going in tomorrow, but don't have to teach because we are correcting the English Language Arts (ELA) tests the kiddos took a couple of weeks ago. My poor students have had their routine interrupted for three days! I'll have to do something nice for them next week because I've heard they've been very good for the substitute! Well, off to bed so I can get a good night's rest! Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Stamps: High Hopes, Hearts on Fire and Hundred Hearts (Verve), Beautiful Blossoms and Mixed Messages (PTI)

Paper: PTI white, black, real red, brocade blue

Ink: Real red

Accessories: Creative Memories heart punch, heart cuttlebug folder, glitter, SU ribbon, glitter dots, dimensionals

You Like Me...You Really Like Me!

Remember when Sally Field said that when she won her Oscar? You can watch that on You Tube here. Well, that's how I feel. I've received a couple awards that I've been negligent on accepting! The first one is from Diane Zechman (aka papercookies). I met Diane at an SCS stamping event in Buffalo, NY last April. We sat at the same table and talked a lot during our non-stamping time! She is a wonderful papercrafter and all around nice person. She has designed a few stamps sets for All That Scraps under the name of Cookie Crumbs. I've posted two cards with her sets that you can find on my blog here and here. Super cute designs! Well, this is the award I received from Diane and this is what it means:

“This award is given to a blog that invests and believes in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!”The rule of the award is to now pass it on to another 8 people who demonstrate this spirit.”

I hope I can live up to that acknowledgement. So now I have to pass it on to 8 others who I believe are deserving of this award. And they are:

Cheryl - A nearby stamping buddy whose work I truly admire and with whom I share many so many similarities it's scary!

Deb - A new follower who has some great designs.

Lisa - Someone who I recently found who shares my passion for papercrafting and my name!

Teresa - Another awesome stamper whose work I admire.

Dawn - She was nice enough to send me this card when I commented on it!

LeAnne - She's always leaving such nice comments on my blog and has a fabulous blog.

Holly - Aka Toy...she is the one who inspired me to get blogging and has some awsome talent.

Nancy - I love her SU cards (as well as the others); I go to her blog for inspiration all the time.

Please stop by their blogs...I'm sure they'd appreciate it! I hope you pass on your award, ladies! Congrats!

I also received this Lovely Blog award from Lisa Brown from her blog Ink and Inspirations. She made some nice comments about my blog which you can read about here. When you stop over there, take a look at all her fabulous creations. Thanks so much, Lisa! I'm going to pass it on to Cindy Haffner and her blog Cindy Haffner's Corner. I love her style and especially her use of Primas! I'm always hopping over there for inspiration! Congrats, Cindy!

Well, that's it for the awards! Please scroll down for another post and thanks for stopping by!

1,2,3...A,B,...E?

Someone at Graphic 45 doesn't know their ABC's! Let me explain. I made this for today's Inspiration Challenge on SCS. Stef chose Lang Calendars as our inspiration today, and there were SO many I wanted to do. I settled on this one, being that I'm a teacher. It's from their Schoolhouse calendar. I was looking through my stash of paper, and came across this great line of paper and tags from Graphic 45 called Playtimes Past. I got it at my LSS, Buffalo Stamps & Stuff, a while ago and found these three square pieces on the sheet. They are actually punch-outs, so I was all ready to go. But then I noticed that they had one for A, one for B, and then went to E! Why wouldn't they have C? I went with it anyway cause they were so cute and perfect for what I wanted! For the other three squares, I used Wild Wasabi backed with Riding Hood Red squares. I used the new Fresh Alphabet stamp set from PTI and paired it with MFT's Back to School. I had gotten this set last year when SCS was doing their "I've Been Elfed" thing. I was sent this set by someone as a gift...nice gift! Thanks to whomever sent it! I stamped one globe, two apples, and three books in Versafine ink. They were colored with copic markers right over the wasabi paper. I used a white gel pen on the apples for more dimension, and gold and silver Spica glitter pens on the globe stand and stripes on the books. Very subtle shine going on there. The sentiment was stamped on a tag that was cut with the Spellbinders tag die (the sentiment is crooked...don't look!) and I placed black brads on the ends. The letter squares are up on dimensionals. I think I'm going to save this card for my nephew, Ethan. He will be going to kindergarten in September, and he'll love this card and a small "school" gift to take with him on his first day. I think that's it! I love these colors and these papers are fabulous! The colors are so rich and so me! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your weekend!

Recipe

Stamps: Back to School (MFT), Fresh Alphabet (PTI)

Paper: Black, so saffron, wild wasabi, riding hood red, Graphic 45 Playtimes Past

Ink: Versafine black, copic markers

Accessories: 1" & 1 3/8" punches, Spellbinder tag die, Spica glitter pens, dimensionals, brads, white gel pen

Oh So Raspberry Tart!

Oh, this Raspberry Tart by SU is a difficult one to work with! I like the outcome, but it took a while to settle on these three patterns from the pack and the rose red! I started with cameo coral and ended up with this. I used this week's Mojo Monday #70 sketch. That was the easy part! The half circles were cut with the round and scallop nestabilities. The image is SU's retired Oh, So Lovely. I needed a long image and I just love this set of three flowers and the sort of "sanded" over-stamp. I colored it with copics and the over-stamp is done in kiwi kiss. I used the curly label, small oval, and 1" punch for the sentiment, which is from PTI's Mixed Messages. I placed dew drops in the corners. The sentiment on the inside is from Cloud Nine Designs (I got this at JoAnn's). This one took a while to finish, and while I was doing it I started getting a sore throat (again!). I just got rid of one a couple of weeks ago! Well, I'm signing off for today. Work tomorrow and my stamp club, so I have to get some rest! Have a great Friday!
Recipe
Stamps: Oh, So Lovely (SU), Mixed Messages (PTI), Cloud Nine Designs
Paper: Rose red, kiwi kiss, white, Raspberry Tart dp
Ink: Adirondack black, kiwi kiss, copic markers
Accessories: Round and scallop nestabilities, curly label, small oval, 1" circle, corner rounder, and scallopborder punches, dew drops, dimensionals

Train For You

This doesn't look nearly as nice as it does in real life! There is something missing on this one...maybe some dew drops or brads on the left. Well, I was trying for a "manly" card, so I went with brown and red. I love brown with any color! The image was stamped in Chocolate Chip on Whisper White. The other layers are Ruby Red and Chocolate Chip. The dp is Close to Cocoa. I wanted to case my other card using this stamp (you can see that one here), but I thought the scallops were too "girly", so I left them off, placed the main image over to the right, and stamped the sentiment from Happy Everything on a circle. I placed one of the mini library clips on the circle. The image and sentiment are on dimensionals. Let me know what you think, because the jury is still out on this one! (This is another stamp club card for this Friday!) Thanks for stopping by!
Recipe
Stamps: Happiness is a Journey, Happy Everything
Paper: Chocolate chip, ruby red, whisper white, close to cocoa dp
Ink: Chocolate chip
Accessories: Mini library clip, circle punches, dimensionals

One of a Kind Medallion

I've seen the tutorial for this scallop edge medallion on SCS here and thought I'd give it a try. This is for my stamp club on Friday (I hope I'm not spoiling it for them!), and I thought they'd enjoy making this. The main image is the flower from One of a Kind. It was stamped in Tangerine Tango right on the medallion and then again in Bashful Blue on a piece of scrap. I cut out the middle flower and layered it on the medallion. The top flower was stamped in orange and punched out with the Bojo Blossoms punch and layered on top. I used Washington Apple dp, which is where I got my color scheme. The So Saffron piece was run through the cuttlebug (I can't remember the name of the folder). The ribbon is Tangerine Tango and the base is Bashful Blue. I actually went to one of my own cards as the inspiration for this card. This is the one I sort of cased. The layout is similar...it was fun to case myself! Well, that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by and I'll have another tomorrow, so stop by again!

Recipe

Stamps: One of a Kind

Paper: Bashful blue, tangerine tango, so saffron, whisper white, Washington Apple dp

Ink: Tangerine tango, bashful blue

Accessories: Scallop border punch, cuttlebug folder, striped tangerine tango ribbon,

Just Buzzin' By...

...to say hi! Isn't this set just the cutest? I am in love with this card! I have to say that I cased the image from this card by Qbee on SCS. I just changed my layout. It's a smaller size, 4.25" square, but still fits in a regular envelope. The images were stamped in Stazon black on watercolor paper. Then I used the ink from the lid and a blender pen to color them in. I tried this on Whisper White, and the outcome was ok, but using the watercolor paper made all the difference! I used So Saffron on the bee hive and the petals of the flowers. Then I used More Mustard to shade the hive, for the flower centers, and the bee. I also used Creamy Caramel for more shading on the hive and the opening. The bee's face was colored with Blush Blossom and I used Soft Sky on its wings. I also used yellow and diamond stickles for the flowers and the wings. I LOVE sparkle on a card! The dp is So Saffron layered on white, then that is layered on the More Mustard base. The ribbon is More Mustard grosgrain. I was sad to see the SU retired this color ribbon. I should have bought more! I stamped the sentiment on So Saffron (the entire sentiment says "just buzzin' by to say...", but I abbreviated it and cut it apart. I also saw this done on SCS and thought it was an interesting look. Each piece was dragged through the More Mustard pad to dirty up the edges a bit. They are on dimensionals, as is the entire center panel. I just got SU's corner rounder recently. I already had one from Creative Memories, but that one was very difficult to use on thicker paper. This SU one is fantastic! So I used it on the top corners of the card and main panel. I'll have to play with the rest of the images in this set. There is a honey pot, two more bees, and another sentiment that says "have a honey of a day!" Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your day! (P.S. I'm using this for my stamp club this Friday. I hope I'm not spoiling it for them, but I just couldn't wait to post it! LOL!)
Recipe
Stamps: Just Buzzin' By
Paper: More mustard, whisper white, So Saffron dp, watercolor paper
Ink: More mustard, so saffron, creamy caramel, blush blossom, soft sky, Stazon black
Accessories: Blender pen, reinkers, yellow and diamond stickles, more mustard grosgrain ribbon,dimensionals, corner rounder

50 Beers for 50 Years!

So what do you think of that catchy little sentiment? My DH needed a card for a 50th birthday party he's going to tomorrow. It's for one of the guys he works with, and he's giving him 50 cans of beer for his gift! Guys...! So he asked me to make a card for him.

My idea right away was a glass of beer. I thought I had one in one of those Studio G $1 stamps, but I guess I never bought it. So I then remembered Papertrey Ink's Warm Happiness set. I just masked off the handle of the mug and made a glass! I paper pieced the glass with a piece of More Mustard dp and used some liquid applique for the foam on top and voila! I had a glass of beer! It took a few tries to get the glass just right, but I'm pleased with the outcome. This paper came from an SU Print Pack, which is a hostess gift. I used today's sketch from Jen del Muro. The sentiment on the front is computer generated. I'm also going to enter this in Sharon Johnson's (notimetostamp) Stamp Simply #70 challenge - Senior Citizens Rule. She just turned 55 and thought making a card that a senior citizen would like would be a good challenge. I don't know if turning 50 makes you a senior citizen, but I'm entering it anyway!

I also like the saying on the inside. Click on the picture to get a better view. I just got this from Lizzie Anne Designs the other day. I love to have different sentiments on hand. They just make the card more personal. Well, that's it for today. I have another post below, Zebra Monogram. I played in today's Inspiration Challenge...so please scroll down for that and thanks for stopping in!

Recipe
Stamps: Warm Happiness (PTI), inside sentiment (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper: Black, white, More Mustard dp
Ink: Versafine black
Accessories: Star punches, liquid applique, dimensionals

Zebra Monogram

I was checking out the Inspiration Challenge on SCS today, and Stephanie gave us the Pottery Barn Teen website to use as our inspiration. As I was looking through it, I saw these monogramed pillows with a zebra print border. I thought of this Zebra stamp set I have by Darcie's and went from there. I used PTI Vintage Cream as my base then a layer of black. The dp is from DCWV's All Dressed Up stack. I had just purchased more of this because I love these papers. I stamped the zebra border on cream in Versafine black, and then cut and embossed it and the black layer beneath it with rectangular nestabilities. The letter is from PTI's Ambassador Monogram set. Super easy! It only took minutes to make. I always decorate the inside of my cards and I thought of leaving it blank for a note card (I SHOULD have done that). But I embossed a frame with the rectangular nestie, then used my stamp-a-ma-jig to position the zebra frame within it. Well wouldn't you know, the SAMJ slipped and my frame is crooked! UGHHH! I went with it anyway. The "thanks" is something I got free with my recent Verve order. I thought I uploaded that picture, but I didn't. It's still in my camera (really!). Well, thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Stamps: Darcie's Zebra, Ambassador Monogram (PTI)

Paper: PTI Vintage Cream, black, All Dressed Up dp (DCWV)

Ink: Versafine black

Accessories: Rectangular nestabilities, dimensionals, SAMJ

Cast Away Love

Hi! I participated in my first VSN...Virtual Stamp Night! I've never played before, so I thought with my dh out at a lacrosse game and me stuck in the house because the weather is treacherous and near zero, I'd try my hand at this. The challenge is called "Cast Away Love" and can be found here. We were to make something called a "scrapling', which is a scrap from cutting a 4.25 square card.

My scrapling is 1.75" by 5.5". I didn't have a scrap of this pink pirouette, so I just cut what I needed. I first stamped the butterfly on Bella dp and cut out the wings. Then I stamped the image on the scrapling and paper pieced the wings. I did the tag next and colored the hearts with Riding Hood Red and a blender pen. I then placed the prima with dew drop on it and layered the tag with riding hood red. It needed something, so I embossed the swiss dots border folder between the image and the tag and drew in some score lines with my Scor-pal. Cute use of scraps. These could be little gift cards, tags on gifts, or anything your imagination comes up with! This was a fun "mini" VSN challenge for me! Thanks for stopping by:
Recipe
Stamps: Happy Heart Day
Paper: Pink pirouette, riding hood red, PTI white, Bella dp
Ink: Adirondack black, riding hood red
Accessories: Prima, dew drops, swiss dots border folder, small and large tag punches, Scor-Pal, mini glue dots

Have an Udderly Perfect Day!

Well, this card took an "udderly" long time to make! I won't even comment on how long, but believe me, it was a long time! Here's the reason why. I started out tonight wanting to do two challenges: the Mojo Monday sketch challenge and the Color Throwdown challenge. I was able to accomplish the sketch challenge no problem, but the Color Throwdown this week was a real challenge for me. So much so, I gave up! The colors we were supposed to use were Riding Hood Red (check), Baja Breeze (check), Pumpkin Pie (no way), and Certainly Celery (no way either)! I just couldn't make it work. I had every SU dp I own that would possibly work, but I just had to give up! Maybe another day!

I was happy to get the sketch challenge done. I chose this stamp set that was designed by my stamping friend, Diane Zechman (cookiestamper on SCS). It's called Annabelle and can be found at All That Scraps. I've had it for a while, but never inked it up. This image from the set was perfect for the sketch. I stamped it in Adirondack black and colored it with copic markers. I sponged some Baja Breeze within the circle and matted it with Riding Hood Red and Baja Breeze. The blue dp is Urban Garden and the red is Washington Apple. The little cupcakes were colored with copics and I added glitter to the frosting and the flame. I also added glitter to her tiara and earrings. I used a Spellbinder tag die for the sentiment and placed red brads on the ends. When it was done, I thought it was too bare on the top, so I placed the red and blue flowers there. There's a white glitter dot in the center. The sentiment on the inside is cute: Have an "udderly" perfect day! It's a very simple card, but I don't know what happened to me today! I think that color combo really threw me for a loop! I'm really going to try to get one done with it, though! My challenge for the weekend! Stop by again this weekend to see if I lived up to my challenge!
Recipe
Stamps: Cookie Crumbs Annabelle (C.C. Designs)
Paper: PTI white, riding hood red, baja breeze, Washington Apple, Urban Garden
Ink: Adirondack black, copic markers
Accessories: Primas, glitter dot, brads, circle punches, circle nestabilities, tag die, dimensionals, glitter