Free Bird

This lovely stamp from Tim Holtz reminds me of the Maya Angelou poem "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"...go figure!

I am enjoying creating cards in this altered style which is new to me. It takes me quite a while to put a card together. One thing that I love about paper art is that I become so focused that I forget everything else.

I used the SU! new color coach when picking these colors. Although I am not crazy about the color coach itself (I liked the previous wheeled one better), I do like the color combinations that the SU coach suggests. In the past I doubted the suggested colors, but have found that these color coaches really know color combos. The nice thing about the SU color coach is that it has the exact shades of my cardstock and inks. My favorite 'color coach' is EK Success pictured below. The reason I like it so much is that it gives you five options for each color. You get schemes for two (1), three (2) and four (2) colors both complementary and split complementary. In addition, there are small openings, where you can place your paper to see which color it best matches. And of course you can see the monochromatic options. I'm not a studied artist and color theory alludes me, so I rely on color coaches. But just like most people, I know when colors work well together and when it just isn't right. So my go to coach is the one below and you can pick it up for about $5.

If you haven't already, check out the sketch challenge at Splitcoaststampers. It is #300 and to celebrate, numerous companies have donated prizes.

Have a great day friends!

Supplies:
Stamps: Birdsong (Stampers Anonymous), Composer's Dream (Stampabilities) Baroque Motifs, Artistic Etchings (SU)
Paper: Crumb Cake (aka Craft), Marine Mist, Cajun Craze, Baja Breeze (for flowers) (SU), White (Gina K Pure Luxury)
Ink: Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, Marine Mist (SU)
Accessories: Flower punch (MS-3 in 1 Hydrangea), brads- vintage ( SU retired), clear embossing powder (SU), spritzer tool (SU), pearls (SU)

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings- Maya Angelou

The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hillfor the caged bird
sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze
an the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

Camellias

Good morning friends! I hope your week has started out wonderfully. We are having great weather in St. Louis- lots of sun and pleasant temperatures. Perfect convertible weather!

My card today was made for two SCS challenges- the CAS challenge was a sketch and the color challenge was to use basic gray, rose red and daffodil delight. I used my new Martha Stewart clear stamps called Camellia. It is one of the things I purchased last week- a $2 bargain that I couldn't pass up. Really - could you walk away from a 10 piece stamp MS set for only two dollars?

I've got lots to accomplish today, but I hope to be back in the studio later tonight. Hugs!

Supplies:
Stamps: Camellia (MS), Sentiment -Fresh Cuts (SU)
Paper: Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight (SU), White (neenah), DP- Cornflower (We R Memory Keepers)
Ink: Rose Red, Daffodil Delight (SU)
Accessories: Rose Red ribbon, basic gray corduroy button (SU)

Halloween Stickers

A very quick card today for the SCS sketch challenge. I used papers from the DCWV Indian Summer Fall matstack. The images are stickers popped up on dimensionals. The bat from Colorbok was outlined in white & was too stark for the card, so I used my Dusty Durango marker and colored the white outline. The Oct 31 sticker was tucked away in my stash from last year's $1 spot at Target. The ribbon retired SU Jersey.

Remember the vow to start using my stash? Well, I am using it, but I haven't stopped buying. Seriously I have spent the last two days picking up bargains again. Those sale and $1 items get me every time. Jeez...I just love this craft! :)

Have a great day!

Supplies:
Image: no stamps; just stickers
Paper: Dusty Durango, Black (SU); DP- Indian Summer stack (DCWV)
Ink: none; dusty durango marker coloring on bat (outline was white)
Accessories: Ribbon- Jersey (SU), Stickers- bat(colorbok); Oct 31 (Target $1 spot)

Vintage Car

Hello friends! I created this CAS card for the SCS CAS challenge to use the colors kraft, red, vanilla, and brown. Also created for the QFTD challenge where Darla was honored. Here is the card I cased. For the car's background I used the vintage dictionary I purchased recently from an estate sale ($0.50). The hardware is SU! silver star brads which I copic colored in brown and a touch of red.

Have a great day!

Supplies:
Image: The Journey (Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous)
Paper: Real Red, Kraft DP, Chocolate Chip (SU); Vintage dictionary
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU), Copic markers
Accessories: Star brad (SU), Scor-Pal

Autumn Thanks

Happy Saturday! Today is a bright sunny day! Hooray!

Here's my take on two challenges. The F4A29 challenge where Wendy presented us with a sketch. The second challenge was today's Inspirational Challenge. Stef gave us the website to World Market for the IC249 challenge. We have several brick and mortar World Market stores in St. Louis and it is so fun to browse there. The website doesn't do it justice as all the textures and smells really add to the experience. Anyway I chose two things that inspired me; I am very much into fall cards and autumn decorating so I gravitated in that direction. I chose two items from the world market: an autumn rug runner and batik table linens.

Nothing fancy to this card, but I enjoyed pulling out last year's fall DSP from SU!. Have a great weekend friends!

Supplies: all from Stampin' Up
Stamp: The More the Merrier
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel and Really Rust
Paper: Really Rust, Close to Cocoa, Vanilla, DSP- Autumn Meadows
Accessories: Circle Punches- 1 1/4, 1 3/8, spritzer tool

Big Pink Bow

Now that is one BIG bow! I am not sure what I think, but I have been seeing so many cards with big bows I thought I'd give it a try. Maybe the big bow would be better on a non-CAS card. I do have other ribbon options so I can change it. Opinions, please!

I made this card for two challenges. THe first was the Curtain Call 46 challenge to use these colors and white. Fellow stamper, Silke is part of the design team & after visiting her blog I decided to give this challenge a try. I do love color challenges! The second challenge was the SCS CAS challenge where we were given a sketch by resqbarbie (aka Denise).

Have a great evening!

Supplies- all SU
Image: Darling Dots
Paper: WHite, Wild Wasabi, Peach Parfait, Pink Pirouette, Poppy Parade
Ink: White (craft)
Accessories: Winter white emboss powder, 1.25 square punch, 1.25" grosgrain Pink Pirouette ribbon

CTD109, SC297 and Stash Use

Isn't this a happy color combination? It is this week's color throwdown challenge and the colors are Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, and Pear Pizzazz. I used the SCS sketch challenge from today (CS297). I pulled out this retired set from SU! called Nature's Secret. I like the solid stamp with images and words make by open space (reverse images).

The stamper that inspired me to try the color throwdown challenge is Silke Ledlow; she's one of their guest designers this month. You can view her blog here. In my opinion, Silke is one of the best artists/designers of all time. I love everything she makes. When I am stumped for an idea or low on mojo, I head over to her blog. Pretty soon I will have an idea or I'll be creating a case of one of Silke's card. And besides being a super artist, she is so nice!

On another note, I have vowed to start using more of my stash~ it is not that I hoard it. I don't have a single thing that I hold back on using. The issue is that I buy too much and I don't seem to get around to using all of it. I think for so long, I didn't have much so if I saw a good deal, I'd buy it. I wouldn't pass it up & now I am overloaded with designer paper and all kinds of embellishments including ribbon. So I've put myself on a supply diet. PLEASE no fainting! And no, I don't need to have my head examined. I will still be buying stamps and card stock, but I am slowing way down on purchasing DSP and embellishments, so I can use up the stash. I am sure I'll break down at something(s) really pretty, cute, fun, adorable or otherwise irresistible. What do you do with all your things? Do you use them up? Certainly I am not the only one who over-buys {is over-buy even a word?}.

Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Image: Nature's Secret, Little Pieces (SU)
Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Pear Pizzazz, Melon Mambo (SU); white (neenah), Yellow embossed (unknown- stash)
Ink: Tempting Turquoise
Accessories: wide felt ribbon (unknown-stash)

Butterfly Faith

Here is another faith related card to add to the gift set I am making for my sister for Christmas. I combined three Splitcoaststamper challenges. The sketch (SC296), the color (CC287) and the teapot challenge (MMTPT110). I really like this color combination with SU! new in-colors. The purple- Concord Grape is really rich. It is nice for faith related cards as it is so regal. You can't see from the picture but the designer paper is textured which adds a nice feel and a little dimension to the card. Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Image: Verse- B&B Cardstock Co.
Paper: Concord Grape, Peach Parfait, and Pear Pizzazz (SU), White (Neenah), DP- Latte (DCWV)
Ink: Concord Grape, Gable Green marker with spritzer over sentiment
Accessories: Texturz plate SU), butterfly punch (MS), sprtizer tool (SU), pearls (Michaels)

Light of the World

This card was made for this past Sunday's Featured Stamper challenge on SCS where BobbiesGirl (aka Carol) was our chosen stamper. I picked this card to case. I will be making a gift set for my sister for Christmas. She is very involved with her church, so I am hoping that she will enjoy cards with some bible verses.

I'm sure you can see the similiarities to Carol's so I won't bother detailing what I changed and kept like we do for the SCS challenge. Instead, I'll share how I made the flower. For the bottom layer, I used my scalloped circle nestability; I pencil marked the center & then at every scallop, I cut toward that center mark to make the petals. The next layer was the Dahlia nestability die & the top paper layer was made with the SU scallop circle punch. The same petal making technique was used for all three paper layers. After cutting the petals, I spritzed with water and curled the edges a bit. I added the crocheted flower and used the sparkled lavender brad to hold the layers together.

Hope you like it! I have quite a few more cards from VSN (virtual stamp night) to post, so please come back soon.

For my US friends, have a wonderful Labor Day holiday!
Hugs, Marilyn

Supplies:
Image: Sentiment by B&B Cardstock COo.
Paper: Lavender Lace, Lovely Liliac, Gable Green, Vanilla (SU); Latte (DCWV)
Ink: Lavender Lace
Accessories: Nestabilities- oval, scallop oval, round scallop, dahlia (Spellbinders); Cuttlebug (Provocraft); punch- scallop (SU); lavendar ribbon (stash), Lace-hem tape (Wrights); Crocheted flower (Fancy Pants); sparkle brad (all kinds of happy-Imaginisce)