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)

TDSC20

Update: 8:45pm Thursday- Things have settled down a bit so I wanted to let you know just a few things about this card that may not be obvious. First the layer under the teal with white dot layer started as Bella Rose DSP (retired SU!). Because the challenge required copper, I covered the DSP with copper glitter glue. This took a while to dry but I like the effects of a glittered layer just peeking out of the teal. The other not so obvious thing is the corner embellishment. This is a paper epoxy button like accent from Colorbok's Friendly Forest line. I punched a 3/4 circle from Taken with Teal and layered it on top of the button and threaded the ribbon through both. The rest is pretty much self explanatory.

It is a crazy hectic week so I won't be able to post the details of my card until late this week or early next but I would be remiss if I did not remind you of the fun challenge over at The Digi Shack. This week's challenge is a color challenge- chocolate, caramel. teal, and copper. You can see the challenge and the other DT members creations here.

Recipe:
Image: Apples (The Digi Shack)
Paper: Chocolate, Close to Cocoa, Taken with Teal, WW, DSP- Bella Rose (Stampin' Up)
Ink: Green Galore, Taken with Teal, Close to Cocoa. Bashful Blue, Summer Sun, Garden Green, Certainly Celery (Stampin' Up)
Accessories: White gel pen (Uniball-Signo); Mat pack, 3/4 circle punch, Scallop punch (Stampin' Up), Epoxy accent (Friendly Forest-Colorbok), Ribbon (offray), copper glitter glue (Hampton Arts)

Marvelous Manic Monday

Update: Thursday 8:45 pm. as noted in the above post, things have settled down a bit so I can give you the deets on this card. Pretty obvious that I used the SU! top note layered. The flowers are a mixture. The large ones I have especially enjoyed as these are white textured paper flowers that are easily colored with chalks, markers, watercolors, ink. I wish I could recall the maker, but I purchased them in 2007 { and they lost their packaging :( } I colored the large flowers with Rich Razzleberry and Dusty Durango. Each flower has a button and either ribbon or embroidery thread. The sentiment was the free image from Manic Monday. I distressed it with Really Rust ink (right now I just have the Dusty Durango marker {no ink}), layered it on Rich razzleberry designer label tag. The brads are layered with a 1/4" circle. I like that this is only flowers, paper, and sentiment (no image) . It makes a really special girlfriend card.

Manic Monday at the Digi Shack. Be sure to check it out today for your free digi image. Today, the image is the sentiment "wonderful friend". Perfect for cards or scrapbook pages. I'll be back later tonight to tell you about this fun flower creation, but I didn't want you to miss the freebie.
Have a great day!

Recipe:
Image: Wonderful Friend sentiment (The Digi Shack)
Paper: Dusty Durango, Rich Razzleberry, Sweet & Sassy Bold Stripe (The Paper Studio)
Accessories: Flowers from stash, Small pink flowers (Itty Bitty Blossoms-piglet- Imaginisce), small paper flowers were from my SCS secret elf in 2007 {I still never figured out the name of that generous person}; Buttons: Earth Elements & Earth Elements and Neutrals (retired SU!); embroidery thread; Ribbon: (American Crafts); 1/4" inch circle, Designer label punch, Top Note Die (SU!); brads (Creative Impressions).

Miss you Fish

What a great Saturday! Lots of things went together just right today! I love when that happens. I have had two of these fish images from The Digi Shack on my desk for several days awaiting coloring and I finally got to them.

My husband and I took the whole week off work to help my daughters get settled at college. They go to different colleges- one 5 1/2 hours away and the other is 3 1/2 hours away from home. This is the first year of having an empty nest; it is really quiet!

The reason I was anxious to get these fish images colored was so I could send cards to each of the girls. When they were little and unhappy, the pout-y face would appear. As they got older we made a joke of it. So I think they will get a little chuckle from this card. {the second is a duplicate}.

As it turns out, I was able to incorporate several challenges. First the SCS Featured Stamper this week is ' jojot', aka Joanne. I love everything she makes and when I saw her fish card that she made earlier this week, I knew I could get to work coloring my fish images. Joanne is a wonderfully supportive Splitcoaststamper. She leaves the nicest comments for so many. I can recall when I first started stamping, she was one of the few that would leave notes to my cards.

My card also qualifies for Mothermark's Tuesday's teapot challenge #60. SInce I cased Joanne's card for the Teapot Challenge, I think it qualifies for the Teapot too. See what I mean about things coming together nicely. I have been wanting to play for quite some time as Cindy is a wonderful stamping friend, but as you can image, things were a little hetic around the house this summer with getting two college kids ready to go. It seemed like I was shopping three times a week for stuff for the apartment or dorm. Anyway...you read more about the teapot challenge on Cindy's blog here.

Last I incorporated the SCS Inspirational challenge. We were to use a cool, funky e-store called Pylones as an inspiration. I chose this flask as my inspiration. Actually, the store makes quite a few things with this pattern. The colors of this pattern reminded me of the colors in Euphoria paper from Basic Grey.

Whew! I don't usually combine this many challenges but it all flowed together. Have a great Sunday, friends.

Recipe:
Image: Huffy-fish (The Digi Shack), sentiment- All year cheer II (Stampin' Up)
Paper: Pixie Pink, Gable Green (Stampin' Up); DP- Euphoria (Basic Grey)
Ink and Markers: Pixie Pink, Gable Green, Green Galore, Bashful Blue, Tempting Turquoise, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Brads (Basic Grey), Glitter glue from stash
Techniques: Sponging, Masking