Triple Challenge

I combined three challenges for this card- the Splitcoaststampers (SCS) color challenge from Tuesday, the SCS sketch challenge from Wednesday, and today's challenge from The Digi Shack. The color challenge colors are Certainly Celery, Pixie Pink, Apricot Appeal and any neutral. The Digi Shack challenge is "Say it with Flowers" by using a digi flower image.

Look here to see all the creations from The Digi Shack's Design Team..my sister Maui-Wowies. :)

The image is called Bud Vase. I colored the flower with my SU! Pixie Pink marker; the dimension was added by applying more marker color along the flower lines and the small inside part of the flower. I also colored more heavily along the lines of the leaves. If the receiver looks real close, this will be obvious but when looking from a normal distance at the card, it looks natural and dimensional. I enjoy spending time coloring, but there are many occasions when I want a quick card and nothing beats this technique with markers especially the high quality of the SU! markers.

I did not add many embellishments so as not to detract from the image; and I hope to send it without extra postage. ;) I hope you like it.

Have a great Thursday!

Recipe:
Image: Bud Vase (The Digi Shack)
Paper: Apricot Appeal, Pixie Pink, Sahara Sand, WW, DSP- Apricot Apeal from 2007 prints pack (all SU!)
Ink: Markers- Apricot Appeal, Pixie Pink, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue (SU!)
Accessories: Apricot Appeal brads (SU!)

Clean and Simple Challenge Card

Another quick note as I am still catching up from my little Florida jaunt.
This evening I made my very first 'clean and simple' (CAS) card for the Splitcoaststampers challenge. The challenge was a sketch challenge based upon a card by Krystie Lee.
My image is called 'Potted Plant' (The Digi Shack). I thought it was perfect for a CAS. I re-sized the image using Adobe Photoshop which maintains the proportion of the dimensions. Next I colored it using ink and blender pen & a little bit of marker on the pot. I added the ribbon and brad. I left off a sentiment so I could add something later- either get well, thinking of you, or sympathy. The card is 4 X 4.
This was definitely way outside my comfort zone. The card doesn't have multiple layers, designer paper, or distressing; and it has limited embellishments. It is so different from my typical style, I can't even evaluate if I like it. {don't get me wrong- I do love the digi image}.
But, trying new things is always fun for me even if I don't like the results. Another reason to love this art is that it is an adventure! Have a great Tuesday!

Recipe:
Stamps: Potted Plant (The Digi Shack)
Paper: WW, textured real red, black (Stampin' Up)
Ink: Real Red, Creamy Caramel, Really Rust, Old Olive
Accessories: Blender Pen, Black gingham ribbon (Offray), Red Velvet Brad (Creative Imaginations)

Beach Bum

Hi friends! I just returned from a little four day vacation. I did not have any of my stampin' stuff and I did not have internet. Don't moan....it was wonderful...a relaxing beach vacation with restaurants, shopping and sun. I'll be making cards, posting and checking out your blogs starting tomorrow evening. In the meantime, I wanted to remind of the Manic Monday Freebie Funday at The Digi Shack.

Alien Birthday

What a busy weekend we had at our home! Tonight is the first time I have made it to the studio for more than a few minutes. I just couldn't go to bed without making a card. Plus I had to play with this fun Alien image from the Digi Shack. Check out the blog starting Monday morning for "Manic Monday Freebie Fun" where you can get this Alien image for free.

I also made this card for the SCS Featured Stamper; minnidr was chosen this week. Her gallery is filled with great cards. I chose her "birthday two" card to case. I wanted to use some of the new SU! incolors and found this DSP in my stash that coordinated well enough. I kept the layout, the brads, dsp on top and cs on the bottom. I changed the dsp, the colors, the image, the sentiment, and the border.

"Happy Birthday, Earthling!" on the front and the inside reads: "Hope your birthday is out of this world." The sentiments and inside were generated on the computer using a font called Neuropol and I printed in brown. I know a few people who will get a kick out of this card; and I think it is gender neutral, do you agree?

Have a great week, Friends!

Recipe:
Image: Alien (The Digi Shack), Sentiment - Computer generated (Neuropol font)
Paper: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, DSP- Kick the Can (American Crafts)
Ink: Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay (for eyes)
Accessories: Gold Brads (Making Memories, Diamond Border punch (Fiskar)

TDSC14

Here's my take on The Digi Shack Challenge for the week (TDSC14). The challenge is to use clouds in your design. My clouds are in the form of designer paper. The digi image used was the gerber daisy image. To get four in a row, I used my picture editing software to resize the original image smaller. I kept the dimensions or ratio the same as the large daisy so the image wasn't distorted. Then I requested printing of 4 copies of the image on the same page. {I use Adobe Photo Shop elements, but any program will work}. Ta-da...4 daisies in a row and all perfectly aligned.
Even though I colored these daisies in the monochromatic purple shades, I can't help but want to do a 'crazy daisy' card in four different bright, bold colors. This was a super simple and fast card!
Hope you can join the challenge this week.

Recipe:
Image: Gerber Daisy- The Digi Shack
Paper: Almost Amethyst, Lovely Lilac, Black, DSP-page from travel scrapbook kit (DCWV)
Ink: Almost Amethyst, Lovely Lilac
Accessories: Lavender stickles, gold rhinestone stickers (Michaels)

Manic Mondays at The Digi Shack

Check The Digi Shack every Monday for the Manic Monday Freebie Fun Day image. That's right- a free image every Monday. No strings attached. How cool is that?!?!!!
I had technical difficulties last evening so I don't have a sample for you, but I think you'll love the image.

Yellow Bird

This card was made for this week's inspirational challenge over at SCS. I liked the green, orange and yellow combinations that are found in many of the Chasing fireflies products; here are two that really struck me: Enchanted Forest Tutu- http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/enchanted-forest-tutu/productinfo/27089/and the plaid board shorts- http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/plaid-board-shorts/productinfo/27616/

The card was also made for the monthly challenge for a blog group of friends (the Shabby Chics Blog Roll). We are to make a card this month with something that comes from nature; I chose this image of the tree with the bird.

I started this card last evening but didn't complete it. I began by stamping the tree with Garden Green craft ink and then I embossed it. The little bird was first colored with crushed curry and then summer sun. The paper is part of a 6.5" X 4.5" matstack called Safari Kids by DCWV that I got on clearance at M's. I had the layers and the design layed out but not attached. The embellishments were a row of five small buttons instead of the ribbon and three regular sized buttons instead of the corduroy buttons. {the buttons were the retired SU! earth elements and they matched perfectly.}

I kept looking at this card last night; and I was not quite pleased with it; and I was unable to come up with a better idea. So..I went to bed. When I woke up this morning I knew exactly what embellishments to use and I finished the card in 20 minutes. I like this much better that what I had previously. Have you ever had this experience of problem solving while sleeping? It's sort of weird, but I love when it happens.

Stamps: Friendly Forest (colorbok)
Paper: Garden Green, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, WW, DSP-Safari Kids (DCWV)
Ink: Garden Green craft, Crushed Curry& Summer Sun markers
Accessories: Summer Sun Corduroy buttons, Jersey ribbon (retired SU), crystal clear stampin emboss, heat gun
Techniques: Embossing

Happy Cupcake Day

Here is a card I made earlier this week but I had not had a chance to post it until now. It's my take on the FS126 challenge. Sandra has a great gallery~ I finally chose this one to case: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1299287?cat=500&ppuser=123966I kept the layout, the ribbon and banner for sentiment. I changed the papers, images, added brads and eliminated the stitching.

The DSP in the Basic Grey collection called off-beat are really fun. And these cute little cupcakes were from the $1 bin at Michaels. I just love them.

Recipe:
Stamps: Cupcakes Forever (studio g), All Holidays (SU!)
Paper: baja Breeze, Sahara Sand, WW, DSP- Off Beat (basic grey), Ski SLope (SU!)
Ink: Black, Real Red, Baja Breeze, Barely Banana
Accessories: Baja Breeze ribbon, brads (basic grey)

Cowboy Boots

Happy 4th of July! We had a full day at our home so I am just now finishing up the Inspirational Challenge at SCS and the Digi Day Sketch Challenge at SNR Card Universe. First, about the Inspirational Challenge #187. I really enjoyed this challenge as this poster website called posters.com was such an inspiration. I have many more card ideas from browsing there. A super big thanks to Stephanie for chosing this for the challenge today and to PrincessHeather for submitting the suggestion. I finally chose this one called Sepia Boots by Jennifer Goldberger. http://www.posters.com/pv-500869_Sepia-Boots-I-HI.html

I also made this card for the sketch challenge sponsored by The Digi Shack for the SNR Digi Day; tag it TDSC0704. See here: http://snrcardiverse.ning.com/events/digi-day-digishack. It is a great sketch with all sorts of possibilities too. Hop on over to see how you can get a free image. A big thanks to Toni for the sketch.

About the card~ the digi boot image from The Digi Shack (of course) was colored with SU! markers including the new incolor, Crushed Curry along with Creamy Caramel and Close to Cocoa. I distressed the white background with More Mustard sponging. It was mounted on Crushed Curry and textured Chocolate Chip. The star brads were mounted on a 3/4" circle of Crushed Curry and a small block of textured Chocolate Chip. The jute is from my stash and was wrapped three time around the DSP called Vagabond Mustard from Basic Grey. The DSP has been in my stash for quite a while so I am not sure if it is even available anymore. I do like it for western and masculine cards as it has a distressed appearance and the colors of browns, mustard and touches of green in shades of Handsome Hunter and Always Artichoke, makes for a great backgound.

I made this card with my father-in-law in mind as his birthday is later this month. He just loves his cowboy boots and hat. He even wears a bolo tie when it it time to dress up a little. We are mid-western city dwellers, so this cowboy clothing theme makes him unique in the suburban area where we live. But who cares? If it makes him happy, it's all good.

Happy 4th of July!

Stars...

This evening I played the SCS "Ways to Use It' Challenge. The guest host, Melody, challenged us to use corrugated cardboard on our card. I combined this WT225 challenge with this week's Color Challenge (CC225) to use Kraft, Night of Navy and So Saffron.

I chose to pull off the top layer of the cardboard and then use my brayer inked up with night of navy craft ink to brayer the top leaving a striped appearance. I also brayered my chipboard star {it was still drying when the pic was taken so the color off a bit in spots}.

Two large stars were punched out of night of navy cardstock. The sentiment circle is from the SU! stamp set "Starring You" on page 173 of the new Catalog. It has a matching simply sent card elements kit. The sentiment was stamped with Night of Navy on So Saffton and punched out with the 1 3/8" circle punch.

That's it & another masculine card done. Have a great Friday!

Recipe:
Stamps: Starring You
Paper: Kraft, Night of Navy, So Saffron
Ink: Night of Navy- Craft and Classic
Accessories: Corregated box, Chipboard Star, Star punch, 1 3/8 punch, brayer

Happy 4th

Happy 4th!
I am so grateful to live in this wonderful country! And grateful to all those before me and those now who protect our freedom! Thank you!

The 4th of July is a favorite holiday around our house. Fireworks, BBQ, picnics, fun in the sun, outdoor lawn games, summer drinks, including my personal favorite sun tea, are just the many things that make this holiday fun. {Having an extra day off work isn't too bad either ;)}

My tent card celebrates the great holiday. The Digi Shack's weekly challenge is to make a card with Red, Navy, Bashful Blue (or light blue), White. Lani is colored with Copic markers. Isn't she adorable?! Some of my Design team sisters have colored her with brown hair and she is just as gorgoeus. {Hop over to the challenge to see all the cards}

The tent part of the card was made with 1/2 of an oval (instead of a circle) using my colluzzle. It is one of those old tools that I still love and use. The beaded arc was made by using Tombo multi liquid glue and then the beads were sprinkled and allowed to dry. The powder pal trays from SU! keep the beads off the work surface and floor.

I'll be blogging around this weekend; looking forward to some extra time cardmaking, playing challenges and seeing all your super creations. Happy 4th!

PS The new Stampin' Up catalog is out. To see - click on my sidebar link.

PSS Dont forget about The Digi Shack's Design Team call - due 7/10/09

Recipe:
Image: Patriotic Lani, Sentiment- All Year Cheer II
Paper: Brillant Blue, Real Red, DSP- SU! Print pack
Ink: Copic Markers, SU! White Craft ink
Accessories: Colluzzle, Tombo glue, red beads from stash, Bow Easy, ribbon from Target $1 bin