Another Birthday Card!

My take on the Queen for the day challenge (QFTD16) over at Splitcoaststampers. Dorothy (aka etsdas) was our honored stamper. I cased this card of hers.

I made another birthday card. My family has been raiding my stash for birthday cards for their friends and family. So besides from being flattered, I am making more to add to the stash.

I apologize for not posting more and not visiting your blogs. Life has been a little crazy- nothing tramatic except not having much time with my paper and ink. I'll be around a lot this weekend so I hope to e-chat with you!

Happy 4th to my American friends!

Supplies:
Image: Piece of Cake (CTMH), Teeny Tiny Wishes (SU!)
Papers: Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, DSP- Razzleberry Lemonade (SU!), White (Neenah)
Ink: Rich Cocoa (Momento), Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo (SU!)
Accessories: Apricot appeal brads

Thanks & Free Font Fridays

This is my take on the Sketch Challenge (SC285) on Splitcoaststampers. I like this one~ very versatile. So I will be duplicating this one at least a few times. I used the newer Basic Grey papers called "Green at Heart"; some of the DPs in the pad match well with SU! Rich Razzleberry and Melon Mambo which is what I used here.

The "Thank You" sentiment was computer generated using Creating Keepsakes font called Woodbine Swatches. I signed up as a member for the CK Club when I was at the CK convention in St. Louis back in April. One of the perks is access to over 100 free fonts. But you don't have to be a member to get free CK fonts. Each Friday, "Free Font Friday", a new font is available for downloading for that week & then replaced with another font the following Friday. I am really happy I joined this club not only for the free fonts but for the scrapbooking forum and postings and especially free access to digital magazine issues of Creating Keepsakes and Simple Scrapbooks. Since I struggle with scrapbooking this is really great for me.

Happy Friday!

Supplies:
Images: Eastern Blooms (SU!), Sentiment- Computer generated; font- CK Woodbine Swatches
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, White (SU); DP- Green at Heart (Basic Grey)
Ink: Pink Passion (I don't have a Melon Mambo pad...at least not yet {{WINK}}
Accessories: Punches- 1' circle, 1 1/4" circle, 1 1/4" square, 1 3/8" square (SU!); paper ribbon (Green at Heart- Basic Grey); brads (Basic Grey)

Cupcake Birthday & Coral Blooms

This card was made for the Featured Stamper challenge on SCS. LeAnne's gallery is filled with wonderful creations. I chose to case this card. I am very happy with the Close to My Heart acrylic stamps- very crisp images & no need to prep or prime the stamp in order to get a nice image. I love this sketch and have used something similar and possibly identical in the past. I used up some retired stamping up designer paper. One thing that is really nice when you use double sided DP is that you can cut the full size (in this case 3 3/4 X 5 panel) and then just cut it in half and flip one side over and mount; because the double sided DP always matches. Another thing I love about this sketch is that you can use the center ribbon or narrow paper to hide if the designer papers don't match up precisely. It is a fairly quick card.

I am really happy with how this card turned out. And happy because it is honoring a very special stamper. This was made for the Queen for the Day SCS challenge. Lesley, aka Marleygo was crowned on Friday. It took me several days to complete as I only had a few minutes on Friday and Saturday to work on it. I chose to case this card. It is perplexing to me how sometimes when I start with an idea- whether it be a sketch, color combo, a case, or embellishment and as I create the card, it morphs. Most of the time, my idea doesn't look like my imagination pictured. I know other stampers experience this as I have read similiar descriptions.

I intended to also complete this past Tuesday's color challenge with this card, but I couldn't get turquoise to work. So I stuck the other two colors- cameo coral and ruby red and added close to cocoa. The image panel started larger like Lesley's; but that didn't look right either despite numerous adaptations. I just love this creative journey, don't you?

Have a great week friends! Marilyn

Cupcake Birthday Supplies:
Stamps: Piece of Cake (CTMH-D1407)
Paper: Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery (SU!), White, DP- retired SU!
Ink:Tuxedo Black (Momento), SU markers: Apricot Appeal, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Nestabilities- circle and scalloped circle (Spellbinders), Apricot Appeal ribbon (SU), glitter glue (Sulyn Industries- stash recycled from my kids old art cabinet)

Coral Blooms Supplies:
Stamps: Eastern Booms (SU!)
Paper: Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, Close to Cocoa, Vanilla
Ink: Cameo Coral, Close to Cocoa, Ruby Red
Accessories: Ribbon- 5/8"white organza (SU!), Button (stash), adhesive pearls (want2scrap)

Happy Anniversary

Don't you just love this clock image? I sure do! It's from a fairly new set from Mark's Finest Papers & it's called Take The Time & Father's Day. It's great for masculine cards and scrapbook pages. Today's Free for All challenge on SCS was to make a masculine card; and the Queens for the Day was Connie Jo9. I cased this card

I made several changes and tweeks to accomodate the image size, the verse and a more masculine pallete & now it is a little hard to see the Connie Jo's original in my card. But it was this card of Connie's that inspired me.

On a personal note, this Sunday my husband & I are celebrating our 29th wedding anniversay & this will be his card. My husband is the best man in the world and a great father. I am just so very blessed!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Image: Take the Time (Mark's Finest Paper)
Sentiment: computer generated using Engraver font
Ink: Rich Cocoa (momento), markers- Sage Shadow, Close to Cocoa (SU)
Paper: Sage Shadow, Close to Cocoa, Vanilla, (SU!) DSP- granola (Basic Grey); clock face- scrap (unknown)
Accessories: clock icons (the paper studio), gold brads (SU), gold pen on clock hands, Spritzer tool, CB folder-branches (Provocraft)

Hip Hip Hooray

Today's Featured Stamper was Emily, aka Scoopy at SCS. She designs for A-Muse and has a wonderful gallery filled with Clean and Simple (CAS) cards. Since I don't do CAS easily, it was fun to case her. It is always good to copy someone else when you are doing something outside your comfort zone. For me, I like CAS but can't quite get the hang of designing a card that doesn't look naked. I cased her Hippo Birdie card. I do like how this one turned out so I may make several like it using the Pun Fun set with different colored card stock. Who knows, I might actually design a CAS on my very own. Thanks for looking! Happy Memorial Day weekend.

Supplies:
Stamp: Pun Fun (SU!)
Paper: Barely Banana (SU!), White (Neenah)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Momento), Copic Markers
Accessories: Ribbon (Michaels)

Happy Mail

On Monday, my oldest daughter returns to college for summer classes. She's been home for the month of May & we are really going to miss her. I want her to have a little 'happy mail' so we will be sending this off soon so she will have it soon after she returns.

Have a great holiday weekend!

Challenges: QFTD11, CC271, IC234- Splitcoast Stampers
Supplies:
Stamps: Pure Innocence (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Dusty Durango, Rich Razzleberry, So Saffron (SU!), Solar White (Neenah), DP- Green at Heart (Basic Grey)
Ink: Rich Cocoa (Momento), Copic Markers
Accessories: Large Oval Punch, Round Tab Punch (SU!)

IC233

Today was a great day! I woke up a bit too early (around 4 am) and just couldn't get back to sleep. So instead of fighting it, I started organizing the studio. Really organizing! I removed from my file cubes' hanging pendaflex folders all the retiring SU! papers & put them in a big basket under my desk. I am going to use up as much as I can, but there is a lot there. I have every color in 8.5 X 11 card stock. So that's 24 packages of papers & some (like the purples/lavenders) are nearly full.

I filed some of the newer papers I purchased at the CK convention & a few good finds from other stores including the three local craft shops that I adore. (Red Lead, The Ink Spot, The Checkered Cottage). Each offers a little something different & I have to limit my trips because I always find way too much cool stuff.

Recently, I organized my nestabilites, my brads and embellishments, flowers and embossing powders into new places including some faux leather baskets in solid colors of bright green, an orange and a hot pink (From Hobby Lobby- multiple trips with the 40% off coupon).

I reorganized my stamps; and put my few current favorites sets, my birthday sets and my favorite sentiment sets into two baskets near my work area. I cleared off one side of my center island that serves as a second work surface (it was over-run with magazines, papers and other odds and ends). Now, I have a place for scrapbooking or other bigger projects where I can leave that current project out until it is done. Since I joined the SEI club where I receive a project each month this was a quite a necessity!

I am so thankful to have a studio room of my own where I can store all my wonderful crafting 'tools of the trade' and a place to craft. I would have never thought five years ago that I would have gotten so 'taken' by this hobby, but I love it and it seems I love it more with each passing year. I have met some marvelous women through SCS, here in St. Louis and more recently a few new friends through the CK convention. Life is sweet!

My first card:
Image: Matthew 7:7 (Stampabilities) & Innoscents 2 (Heartfelt Creations)- these fit blossom 2 nestabilities
Paper: Crushed Curry, white, DSP- Razzleberry Lemonade
Ink: Rich Cocoa (Momento); Copic Markers (I'm learning), white craft & summer sun for distressing
Accessories: Nestability Blossom 2, In stitches template (brazzil), Emboss & punch (fiskars), stickles

I posted a card yesterday in honor of Deborah, the Queen for the Day on Friday at SCS. I kept looking at it, not liking something but I decided not to fuss with it. Then when I woke up this morning, I knew exactly what to do. Out came the MS butterfly punch and I added the three little b-flys. I like it much better now. Below is the revised version. What do you think?

My mind must have worked over the problem while I was sleeping and gave me the answer when I woke up. Does that ever happen to you? It is sort of weird, but I am not going to think too much about it as I was just happy to have the improved version.

Plum Good-Byes

Quite a few of the current colors are being discontinued from Stampin' Up, so I am attempting to make cards with those discontinued colors as I know that once the new colors arrive, I am going to be SO excited that the older ones will get set aside. So last evening I made a few cards with the lavender and purple shades.
My first card was for the Queen for the Day challenge on SCS, where Deborah was chosen. She is the nicest person and is an amazing coloring artist. I chose to case this card. I really like the design.
Nothing special about the other cards and all used designer paper from one of the first stack I ever received. I still like it but I hope it isn't out of style.


For the card above, I used a sketch from Papercrafts "Go to Sketches" - page 50.



This last one was done with Orchid Opulence paper instead of Pale Plum.

Have a great weekend, friends!

Con-GRAD-ulations!

Today's Featured Stamper over on SCS was Cathleen (aka ctorina). Cathleen has a beautiful gallery; she makes the most amazing cards with beautiful flowers and ribbon. However, today I needed to get busy making graduation cards. We have several family friends who are finishing their HS years.

I chose to case Cathleen's Whimsical Sheep card. I kept the colors because these are the school colors for the graduating senior. I also kept the design. I changed the papers, the central panel to embossed words and the embellishments.

Have a great week!

Supplies:
Image: Embossed folder- 2 X 2.75 - Congrats (ProvoCraft)
Paper: Black, White, Baja Breeze, Real Red (SU); DP- Real Red (SU-mat pack), Offbeat (Basic Grey)
Ink: None
Accessories: Grad Cap (Sandylion stickers)- the tassel was yellow and I exchanged it with blue embroidery floss, Diploma- handmade with copy paper and embroidery floss, edge punch (Fiskars)

Floral Verse

A pretty floral card with an inspirational bible verse was what I made yesterday for the Inspiration Challenge (IC232) on SCS. I chose to case a pair of purple kitchen gloves from the Two Lumps of Sugar website.

I cased a card from CardMaker magazine, May issue, p62 by Michelle Woerner for the design.

Sentiment: Verse-Stampabilities, Flourish-Inkadinkado
Paper: Lavender Lace, Gable Green, Brocade Blue, Tempting Turquoise, White (SU!), Euphoria (Basic Gray)
Accessories: Purple Bling (Paper Studio), Punches-Boho Blossoms (SU), Frond (MS)