Christmas Day After

Hello friends! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. I really think there should be a name for the day after Christmas similiar to the day before is called "Christmas Eve". My version is "Happy Christmas Day After" , but that doesn't have much of a ring to it. In some of the European countries and in Canada, this day is referred to as "Boxing Day" & the spirit of the day is to thank those who provide us service like housekeepers & postal service workers. If you have another name for the day, please let me know! To my Jewish friends, I hope you are having a great Hanukkah! And for all my friends, a very special early New Years Wish to you.
My card today is for the Victorine Originals blog challenge to use punches.My stamps are from Victorine Originals. I just love the versatility of these stamps...you can use them as I have here as a main image or you can use them for making your own background. I used the very cute Basic Grey paper called "Max and Whiskers" & even though it's been out a while, I love it!
Have a wonderful week!
Hugs,

Marilyn

VO Ribbon Challenge & Sale

Hey blogger friends! I hope my US friends had a great Thanksgiving holiday. I loved being off for 4 days in a row. It was such a treat to spend time with family and in my studio. This week is my last week at my current job. I have really enjoyed this job and will miss the people, but I was offered a real exciting opportunity. I am hopeful that I won't have to put in 60 hours a week to keep up & the location is much closer to home which will give me more STAMPING and creating time! I know I will be busy in the beginning trying to learn the business, department and my job, but I am ever hopeful it will be closer to 40 hours a week once I settle in.

Anyway, here is the card I created for the Victorine Originals Challenge to use ribbon. Easy peezy, right?!  Check out the VO online catalog while you are at it, because Vicki is offering half-price on all unmounted stamps but just through tonight.

 Don't you just love the sentiment?! Cracks me up.I also used the sketch from Clean & Simple FTL168 challenge. It was fun making a non-holiday card for a change even if I love making holiday cards, a little variety is good, right?!

I used my Pink Paislee Bayberry Cottage paper and die cuts. I love this retired collection and I have hardly used it. It just seemed perfect for these two challenges.
Have a great day! Hugs,

Marilyn

Supplies:

Stamps: Secret of Youth- 1244-E (Victorine Originals) 

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Momento)

Paper: Lucky Limeade, Basic Black (SU), DP-Bayberry Cottage (Pink Pasilee)

Accessories: Scallop Circle & Fancy Tags 1 (Spellbinders), Black grosgrain ribbon (SU) 

 

Holiday Thank You

Happy Monday Friends! I made this card for the Victorine Originals Challenge~ make a "thanks" card. While I realize most people are making Thanksgiving cards, I seem to be totally into Christmas already this year. Go figure!

Isn't this the cutest little reindeer? I colored him with copics but his scarf is colored with SU markers because I wanted a more exact match with the cardstock colors.

Have a great day!

Marilyn

Supplies:
Stamps: Rudy (74290-E), Thank You (3953-A) Victorine Originals
Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Real Red (SU), DP- unknown, Solar White (Neenah)
Ink: Black Tuxedo (Momento), Copics: E27, E31,  E33, E29; SU Markers: Pear Pizzazz, Real Red
Accessories: Snowflakes EF (Cuttlebug), Corner punch (marvy), Curly Label punch (SU), 3/8 Old Olive taffetta (SU), White ruffled ribbon (American Crafts), twine & button (stash)

Happy Halloween!

  My life has been occupied with our St. Louis Cardinals. I can't even begin to tell you how much time I've spent helping them win the World Series. At the end of this post, I'm putting a picture of my husband and I at the winning game. It really was an incredible experience!

What is also incredible is that I even made a single Halloween card! This one is for a couple of challenges. First, the Victorine Originals Challenge (VO20) to use Black & Orange. Challenge 2, is the Card Positioning Systems 242 (CPS242) to use the sketch below. As you can tell, I flipped the sketch. It worked perfectly with this fun cat image called Meow.

Supplies:

Stamps: Meow (1242D) and All Occasions Set (10512X) Victorine Originals

Paper: Basic Black, Peach Parfait, So Saffron, Daffodil Delight (SU!); White (Neenah); Designer Paper: Halloween Collection (Echo Park)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Momento), So Saffron (SU!)

Accessories: Corner rounder and Scalloped Circle punches (SU!), Small flower punch (Nellie Snellen); Pumpkin brads (stash-many years old)

Here were are before Game 7 on Friday night! 

Fall Acorn

Happy Fall! I just love this time of year, don't you? This card was created for the Victorine Originals blog challenge. Stop over & play along for a chance to win free stamps.

Aside from card making, I enjoy decorating for the different holidays throughout the year & making a special meal with little decorative touches. This year for Thanksgiving we will join my husband's clan for dinner & on Friday we will be having a small celebration at our home. So I am starting on the decor for the table with this napkin ring made from the same acorn stamp as the card above. As always, thanks for your comments. Your friendship means more than you know!
Have a great week! Hugs,

Marilyn

Supplies for Card:
Stamp: Large Acorn (Victorine Originals) 
Paper: Early Espresso, Old Olive (SU), Solar White (Neenah), DP- Indian Summer (DCWV)
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko), Old Olive, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel (SU)
Accessories: Labels 3 (Spellbinders)


Supplies for Napkin Ring:
Stamp: Large Acorn (Victorine Originals)
Paper: Crumb Cake (SU), Solar White (Neenah)
Ink: Old Olive, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Certainly Celery, More Mustard (SU)

October Best Witches

 

Hello friends! Today I have a card for the Victorine Originals Blog Challenge~ Make a Halloween card. Isn't that just perfect for this time of year!?! I love making Halloween cards; I usually send nearly as many Halloween cards as I do Christmas cards.  This little cutie has a purple glitter dress & little purple glitter gems on her shoes. I love this paper from Echo Park too~ such great colors! Thanks for stopping by! 

Hugs,

Marilyn

Challenge Cards

Hey friends! It has been a while since I posted. It certainly hasn't been my preference. My work has been ultra busy...I've been putting in at least 12 hours a day. My creativity is completely shot when I get home at 7-8pm. I really must find a new job; I mean, really...a girl has gotta' have time for stamping! LOL!

This card is for the Victorine Originals Blog challenge. Today's challenge- make an easel card! How fun. I don't usually do many special folds or techniques so this was just the nudge I needed to finally make an easel card. It was really easy especially after I followed the instructions and video from Beate on Splitcoaststampers. Once I saw the video, my card came together super fast. My base is SU! River Rock, with a layer of white and topped with this cute cloud paper from my huge "Best of K&Company" stack (there's 360 12X12 papers in all colors and styles). I fussy cute the VO branch and owls- the owls were so easy. If you look close you can see what I mean. This little set from Victorine Originals has two additional sentiments- "Owl I always love you" and "Owl be thinking of you". How cute is that!?!
 
My second card is one from yesterday's Featured Stamper Challenge over on Splitcoaststampers. The FS for the week is Linda (aka Morningsun47). I chose this card of her's to case. I kept her design; changed up the papers, changed the border, kept the Greeting Card kids image. I left off the greeting and kept some of the brads. I chose this one so I could practice my copic coloring.

That's it for me. I'm hoping for a little more studio time so please don't give up on me.
Hugs,

Marilyn

Hokey Pokey

Hi Friends! I hope your week is starting out just fine. My card today is for the Victorine Originals Blog challenge (every other Monday). This week- make a card using primary colors. I used the super awesome papers from Echo Park called "For the Record". Love 'em! The yellow base layer of my flower is felt which was cut with a nestie die & then I stitched it black embroidery thread, topped with a nestie cut paper flower & added a red button. The highlight of the card is this fun phrase! I love it because it reminds me to not take myself or life too seriously. Have a super day!

Summertime Flowers

Hello friends! I hope each of you is having a nice start to your week.
My card today is for the Victorine Original Blog Challenge to create something based on the theme "summertime".  Check it out- there's a chance to win stamps.
Hugs,

Marilyn

Supplies:
Image: (2716-H- Flower Pot With Birdhouse) Victorine Originals
Paper: (Poppy Parade, Rich Razzleberry) Stamping Up; (Solar White) Neenah
Designer Paper: (Bright Florals) ColorBok
Ink: (Tuxedo Black) Tsukinko; (Rich Razzleberry, Poppy Parade, Gable Green, Crumb Cake markers) Stampin Up
Accessories: (white gel pen) Uniball; (ribbon) Michaels; (Scrapper Floss) Karen Foster; (Button) Oriental Trading

Summer Memories

Happy Saturday! We have spent the last few days moving youngest DD into an apartment at her college. Boo Hoo-I'm going to miss that young lady! I can't believe that summer is coming to an end. It went by so fast, and thankfully we have lots of wonderful memories. My card today was created using a Victorine Originals image called Children Playing. It was made for three challenges. First, the SCS Inspirational challenge where I chose the yellow wallpaper placemat as my inspiration. My designer paper which is mostly covered up now (eye roll) is from Webster Pages & looks nearly identical. The second challenge was the CPS231 sketch challenge. 

I altered my card size to 5.5 X 5.5 inches. The last challenge I used in creating my card for the day was the CR84FN36 challenge. The colors are shown below.

My ribbons are from SU! & I used my Bow-Easy to create the multi-looped bow. The pretty little button is Making Memories Vintage Findings. I really love both of these challenges & now that fall is arriving, I will have more time for challenges. Thanks for stopping! You know how much it means. Have a great evening!
Hugs,

Marilyn

Birthday Mouse

I made this card for two challenges. First, the Victorine Originals (VO) blog challenge #14 to make a birthday card. I used my VO stamp called "Mouse with Balloon". Stop by & play...you don't have to use VO stamps (of course we'd love it if you did)...we just want everyone to have fun! Anyway, today I chose to make the mouse masculine & I used my Basic Grey Marjolaine plaid paper. (I'm already thinking about a little girl mouse with some feminine colors like pink and yellow). My sentiment is also from VO; you should check out their All Occasions set (10512X)~ it's a super value. There's 38 Occasions and 8 descriptive words like Merry and Happy making a total of 46 stamps for less than $10 when you chose the unmounted rubber option.

The second challenge is the Pals Paper Arts (PPA) #105 challenge  where we were to use the colors below.

I just love this new SU! color "Island Indigo". I'll be using a lot of it over the next two years. Yea- it is a blue & you know how I love blue.

Thanks so much for coming over to my place. Have a great week!
Hugs,

Marilyn

Supplies:
Stamps: (Mouse with Balloon & All Occasions Set) Victorine Originals
Ink: (Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight, Basic Grey, Blushing Bride, Not Quite Navy) Stampin' Up; (Tuxedo Black Memento) Tsukineko
Paper: (Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo) Stampin' Up; (Solar White) Neenah
Designer Paper: (Marjolaine) Basic Grey
Punches: (1-1/4 square, 1-3/8 square) Stampin' Up
Accessories: (Blender Pen) Stampin' Up

Party Hats

Happy Monday, Friends! I have some very exciting news that I've kept quiet for a little while...I was selected to join the Victorine Originals Design Team! Isn't that cool? I'm super thrilled and honored, to say the least. I waited until today to tell you as today is my first DT challenge card. Hop on over to the Vicotrine Originals blog (aka http://vostamps.blogspot.com/) to check it out. Today our challenge is "Bling".

I used a fun VO stamp called "Party Hats" as my main image. Colored it with SU! markers in Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzazz and retired Pixie Pink. Then covered the entire image with Versamark ink and sprinkled with Iridescent Ice for a beautiful sparkle. But you knoiw that it is hard to capture that twinkle on the camera. The card base is Pear Pizzazz that I scored with my Scor-Pal to highlight the image and the gemstones. My sentiment is from VO's All Occasions Set.

Supplies:
Stamps: (Party Hats-2925F; All Occasions Set-10512X) Victorine Originals
Paper: (Pear Pizzazz, Pretty in Pink) Stampin' Up, (Solar White) Neenah
Ink: (Memento-Tuxedo Black) Tsukineko, (Markers-  Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzazz &retired Pixie Pink) Stampin' Up
Accessories:  (Iridescent Ice) Stampin' Up, (Oval and Scallop Punches) Stampin' Up, (Pink Gemstones) Paper Studio