Sunday's Featured Stamper Challenge

Yipee~ I was able to play the SCS Featured Stamper challenge today. Seems like the weekends rush past; probably because we are so busy. It was a very productive weekend. I worked in the yard cutting back the ivy, did laundry, and made it to Micheal's and found some corner shelves on sale (I've been waiting for these to be discounted). DH hung a mirror in my studio today and yesterday we mounted rods on the wall for my punches. Wow! I am tired just reading the list and that's just a few of the things we accomplished. I bet your weekends are just as busy. I recall when the kids were younger, many fall weekends were filled with soccer games and birthday parties. So I guess it doesn't really matter where one is in life, weekends are usually busy!

Have a great week!

Recipe:
Stamps: Cheep Talk, Petal Pizzaz, Teeny Tiny Sentiments (SU!)
Paper: Pacific Point, Lavender Lace, WW (SU!)
Ink: Pacific Point, Lavender Lace, Almost Amethyst, Versa Mark (SU!)
Accessories: Top Note (SU!), ribbon- sheer lavender (MSI), blue (Offray), buttons (stash)

It's already Thursday?!

I can't believe that another Thursday has rolled around. We were gone this past weekend visiting my daughter for her college's family weekend. It was so much fun seeing her plus our other daughter joined us for a day. A double shot for this Mom!

Today we are doing a sketch for the Thursday's Digi Shack challenge. I hope you like my take (below) and I hope you can play along too. Check out the sketch here.

Recipe:
Image: Christmas Bells (The Digi Shack)
Paper: Mellow Moss, Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke, WW (SU!); DP- Wassil (Basic Grey)
Ink: Mellow Moss, Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke (SU!); gold spika pen (Too Marker)
Accessories: Blender pen, Riding Hood Red striped ribbon, gold brad, Boho Blossoms punch (SU!); Colluzzle ovals (ProvoCraft), frond punch (Martha Stewart)

TDS Challenge Card

Another Digi Shack Thursday challenge, and once again, I am preparing for the upcoming holidays. Today the challenge is "Fall in Love" challenge where you use only fall colors. I chose to add to my Thanksgiving cards and I picked this adorable little squirrel with a pumpkin from The Digi Shack (another $1 image).

I am not much of a CAS girl (clean and simple), but I am trying to adapt from my usual many layers and DSP and sometimes complicated sketches to a CAS style...at least every now and then. The stretching outside my comfort zone really helps my creativity and well...challenges me. However, my CAS cards always look "naked" to me so probably I add more than a purest would. But hey, you can only change a little at a time. Anyway, I am not sure if I pulled the CAS technique off, but this is definitely simpler than my usual card. But I like it mainly because of this adorable squirrel image. Hop on over and play.

Recipe:
Image: Squirrel with Pumpkin (The Digi Shack), Sentiment- Occasions Collection (retired hostess- Stampin' Up)
Paper: Craft, Whisper White, Dusty Durango (Stampin' Up)
Ink: Markers- Creamy Caramel, Dusty Durange, Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke
Accessories: Ribbon- Jersey (retired Stampin' Up), Bow-Easy

Suede Snowflakes

A nice weather day here is St. Louis. I had some errands to run & driving around with the convertible top down always makes it so much more enjoyable.

Today I participated in the Featured Stamper challenge over at Splitcoaststampers. I just love all their challenges...oh yea, I blabbered about that on an earlier post. Today the FS was Shannon. She is a fantastic stamper and so nice too. I chose to case her Rustic Merry Christmas. I kept the design and the holiday theme with the ornament. I changed the colors, used different papers, added the 3/4" circle, eliminated the hardware & used my new Stamper's floss from The Angel Company.

I'm pretty happy with this card & may make several duplicates since it isn't too heavy for mailing. What do you think? Are the colors "Christmassy" enough?

Have a great week, friends!

Recipe:
Stamps: Delightful Decorations (SU!)
Paper: WW, Night of Navy, Soft Suede (SU!); DSP: Christmas Cocoa Speciality (SU!); the red panel- Sunny Side (We R Memory Keepers)
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Night of Navy
Accessories: Scrappers Floss (TAC), 3/4 circle punch, ornament punch (SU!), distressing tool (SU!)

TDS Challenge Card

Here we are with another Thursday challenge from The Digi Shack. I just love these challenges because it is never the same...sometimes its a recipe challenge, sometimes a color challenge and today it is a sketch challenge. You just never know, but one thing you can count on is that it will be FUN! Yesterday the TDS hosted the sketch challenge over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday.
And that is the challenge for The Digi Shack today...two in one!

Here is a picture of the sketch, but you will want to check out the Sweet Sketch Wednesday and The Digi Shack blog for all the deets.

Below is my take on the challenge. I used TDS's Santa Baby image (which is now only $1 as are all TDS images except Lani and the packs). I did some serious distressing and added some gold pearl-ex. See my previous post on how I make a pearl-ex spray.

Recipe:
Image: Santa Baby (The Digi Shack), Sentiment-Teeny Tiny Wishes (Stampin' Up)
Paper: Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White (SU!), DP- Christmas Stack (DCWV)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red; Markers: Apricot Appeal, Pretty in Pink, Brillant Blue, Basic Black; Watercolor Pencils-White (all Stampin' Up)
Accessories: Circle and Scallop circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), Modern Label Punch (SU!), Pearl-ex (Jacquard products for SU! {retired}), Cutter Kit (Stampin' Up), Sponges (stash)

Pearl-Ex Glimmer Spray

Pearl-Ex Spray (aka Glimmer Spray)

I like to add glimmer to cards occasionally but especially to Christmas cards. I make a little glimmer spray from pearl-ex. One of my stamping friends shared this technique with me several years ago although I don't remember who & I'd like to share it with you. It is easy and inexpensive. It does evaporate because the base is alcohol so I only make it in small quantities. Also, I apply it at my bathroom sink with the fan running.

Supplies: Empty spray bottle (mine is an empty perfume sprintz bottle), Rubbing alcohol (I use 91% but 70% will work too), craft stick, and pearl-ex (I used "Interference Gold" but you can use any color depending upon what you want your glimmer color to be).

My next step is to open my spray bottle, and get a small amount of Pearl-ex on my craft stick. I add the pearl-ex to my bottle.

Next, add a small amount of rubbing alcohol to your bottle (approximately 2-3 Tablespoons or 30 ml.). The concentration (or amount of alcohol compared to glitter) will be up to you and you may want to vary according to your project. Need I say, the lesser amount of alcohol will give you a more concentrated glimmer spray, more alcohol will give you a less glimmer in the spray.
That's it! You have a glimmer spray. Two other tips. First, (& again)- the spray will evaporate over time, days to weeks. If this happens try adding a little alcohol to the bottle. Often the pearl-ex has dried along the sides and the bottom of the bottle and you need only reconstitute with more alcohol. And because it evaporates, I only make a small amount at a time.

Second, when you spray the concentration of your mixed glimmer and the distance you hold your bottle from your project will vary the concentration of the glimmer on your project or card. You may want to experiment on a scrap piece of paper before applying to your project. It will look different on light paper versus dark paper.



I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and have fun making your holiday cards glimmer. Please let me know how you like this tutorial and please share your tips.

Digi Shack Thursday Challenge Card

Happy Thursday! I can hardly believe that another week has flown by. I chose this pretty cherry blossom image for the challenge over at the Digi Shack because I just returned from Washington, D.C. Monday evening. Even though the cherry blossoms aren't blooming this time of year, it reminds me of the trip this past spring where I did get to see the trees in full bloom. Gorgeous! I am fortunate to participate in a volunteer professional organization and they are headquartered in D.C. and had the opportunity to do some work at headquarters.

The challenge was to use two DP, 3 brads and one ribbon. I chose the pretty DSP from SU! called Razzleberry Lemonade which coordinates with the new in-color Melon Mambo as well as the Crushed Curry and Rich Razzleberry products.

Check out the fun challenge here. Hope you have a great day!

Recipe:
Image: Cherry Blossom (The Digi Shack)
Paper: Melon Mambo, Black, White, DSP- Razzleberry Lemonade (all SU!)
Ink: SU! markers
Accessories: Rose Red ribbon (SU!), jewel brads (stash)