RAK from Anne

No new cards from me today. Yesterday evening was my 'Crafty Girlfriends' get together at my home so I was busy getting ready & when I did sit down to make cards, I just made duplicates. My crafty girlfriends are 3 other close friends who like to... craft. We get together every month and have a lot of fun; mostly we catch up with each other. One of us hosts, prepares appetizers and finger food, and splurges for the wine. This is a different group than the STL SCS group who also gets together about every month for a shoebox swap. I'm pretty lucky to have so many local friends who like paper crafting!

The picture above is a RAK [of sorts] from Anne (aka Itsapassion). In early February, Anne was offering the above prize to the person who correctly guessed the person's name who made a particular card that she posted. Lucky me guessed correctly. What was a total surprise was the card she sent with it! Isn't it just fabulous! I wish you could see it IRL! The little bird has all these teeny tiny dots bordering his image. Plus, can you see the itty bitty buttons on the leaves? I just love this card. To see more of Anne's work, visit her blog~ you won't be disappointed. Thanks Anne for a wonderful RAK and card!

Thanks for your kind comments! Have a great week! {{{Hugs}}}

Get Whale Soon!

This 'Get Whale Soon" card & a duplicate is for two different friends who recently had minor surgery for non-life threatening health issues. Both are doing great, but regardless a person can feel pretty punny. I hope this light-hearted card will give them a smile.

This card was made for three SCS challenges. The Olympic Color challenge, CC259, where I chose Event 1 ~ a neutral, and one color from the Olympic picture, with an optional dessert of metallics. I chose white as my neutral, pacific point and gold pearls. The second challenge was Teapot Tuesday Challenge, MMTPT82, where we were to use white and a splash of color. The third challenge was the new Friday Free For All challenge, F4A1, where we were to use textures and one color you do not normally use with an option of patterned paper. Obviously I did not use any patterned paper & the color I don't normally use is Pacific Point. It is one of my very favorite colors, so I have been using my remaining retired card stock sparingly.

Have a great weekend!

Recipe:
Image: Fishy Friends (TAC)
Paper: White, Pacific Point
Ink: Pacific Point
Accessories: CB folder-spots and dots, MS punch around the page, corner rounder, gold pearls

Puppy Congrats

We just returned home today from sunny California; boy~~ was it nice to get away from the cold and snow. Brian had a business trip and I tagged along. While he was working, I was reading, sitting in the sun, or shopping. What luxury & I really needed a break from work! Yesterday, we went to Huntington Gardens and Museum (in Pasadena). We saw one of the few remaining Gutenberg bibles and a few famous pieces of art such as 'Blue Boy" by Thomas Gainsborough & Pinkie by Thomas Lawrence. We walked in the Japenese Gardens~ oh, how beautiful!

I am happy that I got home early enough to play the Featured Stamper Challenge on SCS because one of my favorite ladies, Judi Rose (aka jovialjudi) was our FS. I chose this card of Judi's to case. I kept the basic design and the Swiss dot CB background. I changed the image, the colors and sentiment. I used both sponging and the spritzer tool for the background. In onder to achieve the white border around the dog, I used my clear dog stamp and held it in place (like I was stamping but without the mount) and sponged and spritzed away. I like this look and it is a lot easier than making a mask.

Supplies:
Stamps: Dogs, Round Frames (Inkadinkado)
Paper: Soft Suede, Basic Black (SU!), White (neenah), DP- Doggie Words (Paper Studio)
Ink: Soft Suede (SU)
Accessories: Small oval punch, 3/4 circle punch (SU), Oval and scallop oval nestabilities (Spellbinders), white pen (Signo), sponge, Spritzer tool, Cuttlebug

Have a great week!

Birthday Cards

Here is card I made for this past Sunday's Featured Stamper challenge. HamiltonGal (aka Laurie) was FS158. I really admire Laurie's work. She has a beautiful gallery filled with great cards, but I especially like her CAS (clean and simple) cards. I love the look of CAS however it is not easy for me...I am more of a layers, papers & embellishments kind of gal. So I enjoyed the challenge to case because it didn't take me very long and I ended with a card I really like. I will be making several duplicates of this one for February and March female birthdays. This card was also made for Sharon's SS no time challenge 126 to make a card with purple and green- any shades. Anyway...here is the card I chose to case from Laurie's gallery. http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ga...;ppuser=147277

Have a great evening! Thanks for stopping by.

Recipe:
Images: Let's Party & Birthday Whimsy (SU!)
Paper: Solar White (Neenah), Pefect Plum (SU!), DP- Paper Studio Pack
Ink: Perfect Plum, Versamark
Accessories: Heat 'n Stick powder, dazzlind diamonds glitter (SU!), circle punch (SU!), Scallop circle nestabilities(SU!), ribbon (Offray)
Challenges: SSnotime126, FS158

IC219 Blue Bird

True confessions- I am not a hoarder but I do save things that show promise for being reused. {Isn't that what all hoarders, say?} Well, it is true I am not a hoarder; maybe a recovering 'saver' but after having to clean an entire basement and countless closets in preparation for moving after fourteen years, I have changed my ways. Now, I par down my closet every season and give away shoes and clothes that I haven't worn. I decorate sparingly {except for Christmas}. I recycle my magazines even the card making ones after a year. Typically if I do not have a specific upcoming purpose for something- it's gone. I like to believe in the law of abundance, I will find what I need when I have a need.

So I really don't hold onto lots of things except when there is real promise for reuse. And when it comes to reusing items, I am a pro...and this print is one of those few things I have saved. In it's former life it was a page of a calendar from 2008; the prints were beautiful so I stashed it away in my studio. And now I am in vogue because re-using is in style. Before I was cheap instead thrifty and green...both trendy attributes. Ha- I've been trendy for a long time. So, today I used this saved calendar print from Cavallini as the center piece for my Inspirational Challenge card. The inspiration was from this Etsy site.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day! Please don't hoard your chocolate- please get rid of it & I know you know the best way to do that.

Recipe:
Image: Print from Cavallini calendar
Paper: Pacific Point, Chocolate Chip, Gable Green, DP-Autumn Meadows (SU!)
Ink: Chocolate Chip for distressing
Accessories: CB embossing folder-script texture (Provocraft), bashful blue ribbon (SU!), blue flower (Prima), button (stash)

Valentine

Happy Friday! I took a day of vacation from work today to just hang out- stamp, shop, sleep a little late. Oh what luxury!
Here is another Valentine card. I recently met up with an Angel demonstrator here in St. Louis. We live about 40 minutes apart so it won't be a regular deal but TAC really has some fab designs & I am having fun with them. Enjoy your sweetheart weekend!

Recipe:
Image: Leafy Trees (TAC), Teeny tiny wishes (SU)
Paper: Riding Hood Red (SU!), Solar WHite (neenah), Sugar Rush (Basic Grey)
Ink: RHR (SU!)
Accessories: Corner punch (Marvey), Scorepal, Ribbon (blog candy win from Joni), Red stickles, chipboard heart (SU!), bow easy

Here's My Heart

This card is for my DH for Valentine's Day. I used the SCS IC 218 challenge as inspiration. Erte has wonderful art, both prints and sculptures; and I chose this 'Heart II' print as my inspiration. I love the art deco images especially the women but I have no such image in my large {substitute the words huge, overflowing, ridiculous} collection. That's probably due to the fact that the art deco is not my style although I love the look.

I have the hardest time making cards for my husband. He is a super supportive, caring and nurturing individual but a real manly man. He has been taking really good care of me through this somewhat depressing stage after the loss of my mom, our new empty nest, my challenging job, and well, the winter season. So I hope this card is manly enough and also expresses my deep love and gratitude.

I'm off to take care of the weekend chores. I hope to visit the IC218 gallery again later tonight. Have a great weekend, friends!

Recipe:
Image: Boho Blossoms (MFT), corner flourish- Wedding (Hampton Art)
Paper: Real Red, Basic Black (SU!), Solar White (Neenah)
Ink: Real Red (SU!), Tuxedo Black (Momento)
Accessories: D'vine Swirl embossing folder (CB-ProvoCraft), Nestabilities Classic Heart (Spellbinders), Red rhinestone bling (Studio 18)

Mambo Love

Happy February! I used the SCS sketch challenge from last Wednesday for this card (SC265).
This cute Stampendous stamp is called "Chantigo's Love Balloons". I used my copic markers to color the image. I am still learning but I think it turned out okay. My Bow Easy helped me make this triple looped bow in this smaller size and then I popped a button with scrapper's floss on top. What do you think?

Recipe:
Stamps: Chantingo's Love Balloon (Stampendous), So Many Sayings (SU!)
Paper: Melon Mambo, Perfect Plum, DP-Razzleberry Lemonade (SU!), Solar White (Neenah)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Momento), Melon Mambo (SU!), Copics R02, E27, RV11, RV14, R37
Accessories: Melon Mambo polka dot ribbon, Word window punch (SU!), button (stash), Scrappers Floss (Karen Foster), Bow Easy