Christmas Doggies!

I made this card for the MFT Who's that girl #3 challenge on Splitcoast. We were challenged to use "Let's Go for a Walk" and the images in that set in a fun or creative way.  I made this stamp into a Christmas dog card.  I colored the hat from this set like a Santa hat, and put Liquid Applique over the fuzzy parts (I finally found it tonight!).  I used some designer paper from Junkitz that I've had for awhile, and cut the presents from a piece of the paper from the collection.  I stamped the twill ribbon with a sentiment from the set, and then stamped the main sentiment underneath the twill.  Enjoy!

Feel Better!

I have a card to share, before I leave for my girl's weekend! I am going to visit a friend for tonight and tomorrow in a little bit.  I made this card for MFTSC49 on Splitcoast.  I used the set "Bunny Slippers". I also used SU! dp called Bella Rose to paper piece the robe and the robe pockets, along with the bunny slippers.  I didn't follow the sketch exactly, because my sentiment is supposed to be on the bottom of the card, but when I pasted down everything, it wouldn't fit. I like the way the bookplate looks though!  I added stickles to the prima flowers to make them sparkley.  I think that's all for now, talk to you soon!

Autumn Friendship

Hi! I can't believe it is Friday already! The week seems to fly by sometimes! Yesterday, my Mom and I went to a Vera Bradley store, where they were holding an open house for their new Mediterranean line (I don't know if I've ever mentioned my Vera obsession!). We got some cute little goodies, and crossed our fingers to win the awesome door prizes (which we didn't win).  It was fun, and the new collection is beautiful!

Tonight I'm settling in for a "Ghost Whisperer" marathon with my Mom. We're going to watch season 1 since we just got it on DVD and take it easy!

I have this card to share first, though, which I made last week with the new Season of Friendship stamp set, which is available Oct. 1.  The set comes with stamps for every season to decorate the tree. I love the possibilities with the blank tree, and how you can combine this set with other sets to create beautiful scenes.  I used a new paper pack from the mini catalog as well, which I can't recall the name right now.  Hope you enjoy!

Happy Fall Ya'll!

I made this card tonight for the Splitcoast Sketch Challenge #195.  This stamp set is called Happy Blessings and it is from the new mini catalog that will be released October 1st.  The sets are gorgeous in this mini catalog!  I love this scarecrow especially!  

On to some card details now! I used the designer paper "Hakiu" and prints pattern in Close to Cocoa. I cut out the squares from my nesties.  On the main image, the scarecrow was colored with my SU! markers.  The pumpkins were paper pieced with Haiku dp.  The bookplate is from the Vanilla hodgepodge set. I used rhinestone brads on the sentiment panel as well.  

Thanks for looking tonight!

Time for the Bubbly!

I had some time tonight to participate in the MFT Who's That Girl? second challenge. This week, we were challenged to use Time for the Bubbly, a piece of ribbon, 4 brads, and blue.  My card is really bright in real life! I used some new paper from BasicGrey, called Urban Prairie.  The funny story about this paper is that I actually got it at Michaels! I was shocked they had it because it is brand new.

On the card, I paper pieced the wallpaper and the rug on the floor using the dp.  The image is colored with my good 'ole SU! markers.  The scallops at the bottom of the card are 2 die cuts from my Big Shot. I placed stickles on the scallops of the green circle.  For my brads, I used some rhinestone brads on the flowers on my wallpaper, and then one on the sentiment oval.  The bubbles on the image are covered in stickles and the mirror is coated with crystal effects.

Have a great Monday. I'll be watching Dancing with the Stars in a few moments!

MFT Colors!

Hi all! I've had a busy week and weekend, and just got around to stamping this morning.  I wanted to make a card for MFT Day, which is always the 20th of the month. This month the challenge was to use MFT colors: pink, white and black.  These colors make me think of my friend Katie, these are her absolute favs! I might send this card out to her, she's been having a tough time at work these past few weeks.

I just went to check out about uploading this for the contest, but realized it had to be submitted before noon today, so I'm too late! Oh well, I still enjoyed making it!  I used the stamp set "Meet Me at the Cafe" for this card. I stamped the image once on white paper, then also on the pink paper. I colored and paper pieced the white image, and them cut it out and layered it on top of the pink image, so that my background would be pink.  The paper I used is by a company called "Black Market Paper," which I picked up at CKC this past August.  I used some pretty primas, and my cuttlebug paisley embossing folder to finish the card.

Thanks for stopping by!

Who's That Girl?!

On the MFT boards over on Splitcoast, there is a challenge today to use "Rain or Shine" and to add some bling to her.  I created this card for the challenge, where I used bling on her umbrella. I also used Cloud 9 rain dots around the sentiment, but I'm not sure if that is considered bling or not!  The main image is watercolored with reinkers and my aquapainter.  Her dress and the dogs coat is paper pieced.  On the left side of the card, I stamped the wide ribbon with the rain stamp from this set in Baja Breeze ink.  The umbrella is up on pop dots and has Me and My Big Ideas crystals on it.  I think that is all the details! I'm really happy with how this turned out and the combo of these in-colors.

Thanks for stopping by!

These Boots...

Howdy! I made these 2 My Favorite Things cards tonight.  The first card is for TECC23, which is a sketch challenge on the blog Taylored Expressions. I created this card with the set Ride 'em Cowgirl.  I really love this set because of the cowboy theme. I think deep down I am a cowgirl, despite the fact that I live and grew up in a city-like area!  I used designer paper by BasicGrey called "Offbeat," which matched many of the new in-colors.  My brother cut out the orange scalloped oval this morning, when he was bugging me to cut something out of my Big Shot, so I wanted to incorporate it somehow.  The main image is watercolored with reinkers and an aquapainter.  

I also made this MFT card, using Serenity Now!  The dp is again "Offbeat" by BasicGrey. My image was watercolored and her shirt and pants were paper pieced with the dp.  I added some prima flowers on the background paper over the leaves.  The 'hardware' is from a Stampin' Up hodgepodge kit.  

Thanks for stopping by!

New Hero Arts

Hello! My Mom recently returned from visiting her brother in NC, where there is an Archiver's very close to his house.  She picked up some new stamps there, including this set by Hero Arts. The owl craze is huge now, and these cute Halloween owls are perfect for the holiday!  I used SC193 for my first card.  The DP is by Junkitz, a Halloween line by Teresa Collins, which I've had for some time now.  I used many stamps from this set, including the owl, spider web, spider, pumpkin, and sentiment.  The witchy owl is mounted on a nesties rectangle.  Her cape is highlighted with a Spica glitter pen (what witch isn't complete without some bling?!).

This next card features another stamp from this set, the owl ghost, and cat.  I used the Junkitz paper again, and some Halloween ribbon.  This card is pretty simple, but I like how it highlights the cute stamps.  The green spider web in the upper right corner is a Martha Stewart punch.

One other thing I did on both of these cards was to ink the edges of the paper. I use a dauber which fits on your finger, and dip it into ink, and then run the dauber along the edge of the paper. I do this on every piece of paper on the card. It is a simple technique which adds some depth to the paper!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Bella Sketches

I feel like I've been neglecting my bellas lately, so I used a few old bella sketch challenges on Splitcoast to make some cards tonight.  The first card uses topiarybella, who I hadn't used yet.  The designer paper is by BasicGrey, called Sugared.  I paper pieced bella's dress with the paper.  The heart in the upper left corner is a Marvy Uchida punch which I ran through a cuttlebug folder to emboss it.  

My second card uses wreathabella, who is so sweet for Christmas.  I know it's a bit early, but this bella fit well for the long rectangle in the sketch.  The paper is shimmery and is made by KI Memories. I think I've had it in my stash for awhile now!  Bellas dress and boots were paper pieced with the dp.  The ribbon is from the Oriental Trading scrapbooking magazine.  The certainly celery paper on the background of the card was embossed with a snow flurry Cuttlebug folder.

Congrats!

My friend, Sara, had big news today! She has found a new and better job! In honor of Sara, I made this Bella card with a "congrats" sentiment. Thanks for the inspiration, Sara!  This card follows the Bella Sketch Challenge #45 on the Splitcoast Bella forums.  I used Winobella as the main image. She was colored with SU! markers, and her dress was paper pieced with paper from the BasicGrey set "Sugared".  On the green layer of the card, I stamped a background image.  The congratulations was stamped on vellum.  Hope you enjoy!

Feeling the Halloween Spirit!

I am totally feeling ready for Halloween! Even though the weather here has been miserably hot, the spirit of the fall is in me!  I pulled out all of my SU! Halloween stamps tonight, and make a few cards with them. These first two cards use the latest sketch challenge on Splitcoast: SC192. I really like how simple the sketch is. I used the stamp set "Sweeter Treaters" and just switched a few colors around and the main stamp image on each card.  I colored both cards with my SU! markers.  Even though I do have some Copics, I just love the color match and ease of using my SU! markers.  I think I need more practice with the Copics to get the results I really want.  The

 orange panel on each card has a Cuttlebug embossing folder on it. These are part of the new fall line.

The next card is a modified version of SC190. I didn't want to make a square card, so I altered the sketch a bit to accommodate a regular size card.  Once again, the cat is colored with SU! markers, cut with my CM cutting system, and

then a Marvy Uchida scallop punch.  I used Bitty Backgrounds on the base of the card.

My last card was originally for  a sketch challenge, but it ended up taking a different route. I stamped each image on paper, punched it out with my CM circle punches, then matted them, and then matted them again on a scallop circle.  The DP was cut with a nestabilities rectangle. I tied ribbon around the whole card to complete it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Trying New Things!

Yep, that's me, trying a few new things. I got the latest issue of Paper Crafts and saw some really neat "suspension cards" with a hanging element hanging between two layers. I gave it a try with my new Big Shot scallop circles. I first cut out the largest circle on the actual card. Then I cut out a smaller circle in Whisper White and Kiwi Kiss (the Kiwi Kiss layer is behind the white piece).  I stamped with the "Tasty Sweet" set, and a Michael's $ sentiment, then put ribbon between the two circles and suspended it in the middle of the larger circle. I am really excited how this turned out!

My next card uses a Hanna stamp that I haven't used before. I (almost) followed Beate's WSC56.  I used the scallop border on the pennant die to create the Riding Hood Red scallop border.  The

DP is Boxer by BasicGrey.  Hanna is colored with Copic markers, and the lamp shade was paper pieced.  

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Big Shot is in the House!

Hi all! If you haven't heard already, SU! has partnered with Sizzix to have their own line of special die cuts! The designs by SU! are just beautiful and coordinate so well with many stamps. My order came yesterday, and I had a chance to play around with them today.

The possibilities are endless!  I first tried the Basket and Blooms die, which cuts out an 

adorable basket. With some sticky strip, the basket is together in a flash. I decorated the outside with the "Cheers to You" stamp set.  The So Saffron scallop is from a die also, with this scallop and a larger scallop.  

This next card uses the largest scallop circle die cut as a card base. I cut out the scallop on white paper, leaving the top edge off the scallop so 

that it would stay together and leave me a card. I then layered a scalloped circle cut in Riding Hood Red over the white base.  I created the ornament hook with paper.  The "noel" is colored in with reinkers and an aquapainter.

My last card is my favorite! It uses the "Bird with Leaves and Flowers" die cut.  I cut the large scallop in Riding Hood Red, then cut the bird, branch and leaves, which all come on the same die.  The Tangerine Tango leaves are from a Creative Memories punch.  On the large scallop circle, I stamped these leaves from "True Friend" in Versamark, and embossed them with clear EP.  I added dimension to the leaves and branch by inking them with a dauber and ink.  

Have a great rest of your weekend, we are feeling the effects of  Hurricane Hanna right now!

Happy Labor Day!

Hi and Happy Labor Day! This morning I cooked eggplant parm with my Dad and brother, fresh from our garden, and my brother was joking that we were doing some 'labor' on Labor Day.  We are actually about to eat some of it for dinner in a few moments (don't worry we have 10 more trays left that we will freeze for the winter!).  I've spent the rest of the day getting ready for school which starts in 2 days! I have some meetings tomorrow and then will work on the final touches for my classroom in the afternoon.

I got 2 new bellas on Friday at Stampingly Yours.  This bella is called "I-wish-I-looked-so-good-on-a-bika-bella".  How do you like that?!  I used paper by Sassafras, and flowers by Prima on the card. The bella is colored in with my Copics.  The sentiment is by Stampin' Up!.  The 'life' portion was stamped on vellum and cut with my oval punch.  

Hope you enjoy today!