Easy on the Eyes (and Brain)

Wow! Aren't summers just crazy busy?!? I have been stamping, really I have. A couple of weeks ago I won a Caardvark's contest, which means I'm guest designing for the June 20th (I think) challenge. When I was entering the original contest, I remember thinking: "you watch, I'll win, and then the guest designing challenge will be something I find really difficult, like 'such and such' ". Well, don't ya know it? The challenge is exactly "such and such", my stamping nemesis. But I've got four cards done now. So the only thing left is to decide which three I'll send them.

Today, I also squeezed in this card for this week's A*Muse*a*Palooza challenge, to use glitter. My brain was pretty fried by this point, so I altered an idea from page 24 of the June 2007 Paper Made Easy. I used this pretty chatterbox decorative cardstock so that the inside would look just as nice as the outside. I also layered some pink on chocolate chip inside, so there'd be a little writing space. The flowers on the outside have Fruit Punch Stickles on their centers (for the glitter challenge).

I used:
Stamps: A Muse
Ink: Brown stazon, mellow moss marker
Paper: Chatterbox Nook Circles, choc chip, whisper white
Other: fruit punch stickles

Now, speaking of crazy summers, I have to make a salad and head on out to a friend's Tiki Party this evening. And I'm supposed to "dress for the occassion". What exactly does one wear for a tiki party? I may end up wearing what I bought for next weekend's Jimmy Buffet concert. I'll let ya know how it goes. Thanks so much for stopping by.

My Favorite Things

Today's card uses stamps from My Favorite Things and papers from Basic Grey's Gypsy 6 x 6 paper pad, plus real red. The scallops were cut with Provo Craft scissors. The brads are layered on 1/4" black punched circles. Everything is stamped in black Versafine and colored with Stampin' Up! markers. The dress in the far back and the front, right bag were pieced in with more Basic Grey Gypsy papers. Ribbon by May arts.

I had sent this and one other card in for My Favorite Things card contest. I'm pretty sure it was just a random drawing pulled from all the cards sent in. Regardless, I didn't win, but I did have fun making this card. It came together so quickly.

Thanks for stopping by.

I'd Pick You

I made this for Caardvarks' current challenge: Mix It! The challenge is to use patterned papers from THREE different manufacturers. I found that to be a serious challenge, but here we go. The top paper is Gypsy by Basic Grey, the bottom paper is Star Fish and Dreams, and the sentiment is mounted on DCWV's Pocket Full of Posies Green. I stamped the poppies from Stampendous on watercolor paper (black stazon) and colored with a blender pen dipped in Versamagic Dew Drop Inks, including some shadowing with the color wheat. This gives a beautiful, soft coloring since they are chalk inks and blend very well. I went over the poppy centers with a black gel pen to make them stand out a bit more. The sentiment (from Papertrey's Green Thumb) was also stamped on a scrap of watercolor paper, just so it would all match, using Pumpkin Spice. The two flowers were layered, along with the sentiment, a ruby red circle and olive brad. The ribbon is from Stampin' Up's Rustic Retreat pack.

The Goods:
Stamps: Stampendous poppies, Papertrey Ink's Green Thumb
Ink: black stazon, versamagic tea leaves, wheat, mango madness, pumpkin spice, red magic
Paper: SU! ruby red, pumpkin pie, watercolor, DCWV pocket full of posies, star fish and dreams, basic grey gypsy
Other: blender pen, ticket corner punch, yellow flower by Heidi Swapp, red flower by Creating Keepsakes, circle punch, earth elements brad, rustic retreat ribbon, dimensional, black gelly roll pen

Thanks for stopping by. And thanks to those who wished me well after my rough week. I HATE talking about my problems, but just so you don't worry over much: I have Epstein Barr, which is like mono, but you have it forever. For the most part I truly don't even remember that I have it. But when it flairs up, I'm exceedingly tired and get ulcers. So, I basically slept most of the week. I hate it. Not only am I sleeping my week away, but I also feel lazy and have to remind myself that it's not my fault and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm so thankful that my husband can support us and I don't have to have a regular full-time job. So that's it. I'm feeling more energetic already, and I probably will never mention it again.

Now, I have to finish a fruit tray with amaretto dip (yummy), get myself ready, and head off to a picnic. It's at some friends' house in the country, about an hour from here. It's like a different world. I'm in the suburbs, but I'm heading to their OLD farmhouse, complete with barn and lots of land. It's beautiful. It was actually a bed and breakfast before they bought it. Sure to be a relaxing evening.

A True Friend

Hello! I've actually got a card for you today. It's been a pretty rough week. Hopefully I'll be able to post more frequently next week. Today's card is for A*Muse*A*Palooza's Challenge #6, to use heat embossing. The sentiment and all of the stamped flowers are done in black embossing powder. The top red flower, by the sentiment, is also covered in Star Dust Stickles. To even out the design a bit, I pierced along the large flower on the bottom left. A very quick card.

I used:
Stamps: A Muse flower and sentiment
Ink: versamark, markers: real red, bashful blue
Paper: Papertrey Ink white, SU! real red and bashful blue, DCWV Star Posies
Other: detail black embossing powder, dimensionals, star dust stickles, paper piercer, american crafts ribbon

I Won! and Another Card

I was so excited that I won the "Bling, Bling...Hello!" contest. There were some really great entries. You should check out the whole gallery at {caardvarks}, and they also have a new contest up and running. You can see my winning card in this post.

I got some time this afternoon to sit at my stamping desk and make this card using Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #4, eventhough the weekend has already escaped me. I, unfortunately, needed a sympathy card for a long-time older friend from back home whose husband recently passed away. I'm coming to grips with the idea of stamping sympathy cards.

It almost seemed wrong to me at first, to do something I enjoy (stamping) for such a bleak, sad occassion. But, really, you need a card one way or another. And under what circumstances could a from the heart, handmade card be more appropriate, to let the recipient know that you truly care? So, I sat down to make this card with the hopes of lifting her spirits. These sweet little birdies certainly make me smile!

I stamped the two birds (black Stazon) on Papertrey Ink white card stock, as well as on scraps of Autumn Leaves Shangri-La designer paper to paper piece the wings and body. I used an aquapainter and inks to watercolor. I colored the beaks red dots with markers. The Marvy giga scalloped and mega circle punches took care of the layered circles. "With" was stamped in NQN and "sympathy" in versamark and white embossing powder, both from Papertrey Ink. The brads are layered on NQN 1/4-inch circles.

The Stuff:
Stamps: Hero Arts Decorative Birds, sentiment from Paper Tray by Papertrey Ink
Ink: black stazon, not quite navy, more mustard, sahara sand, close to cocoa, real red, versamark
Paper: Sahara Sand, Not Quite Navy, white, Autumn Leaves Shangri-La
Other: Marvy punches, 1/4" circle punch, Creating Keepsakes brads, white detail embossing powder, aquapainter, american crafts ribbon

Bling, Bling...Hello?

A little while ago, I made this card for {Caardvards} Bling, Bling...Hello? contest. Well, today is the deadline, and I'm squeezing another card in just under the wire. This is Melanie by Rubber Romance. Isn't she stunning? So stylish. I got her in my Eclectic Paperie order.

All the designer papers are from the Perhaps 6x6 paper pad by Basic Grey. I also used Stampin' Up's basic black and whisper white. I colored Melanie with prismacolor pencils and gamsol after stamping with black StazOn. I added a rock to her finger. Doesn't she just look like she's showing it off. And a couple more rhinestones on her shoes, which I had given a coat of Sakura black gelly roll pen. I also highlighted her bags with Stickles (Lime green, Fruit Punch, and Star Dust).

The white dots around the green circle layer are faux eyelets. You just punch a hole with your paper piercer and draw around it with a white gel pen. Lastly, I added a strip of beads to the bottom with Sticky Strip. The "hello" is by Papertrey Ink, done in Versamagic purple hydrangea.

The goods:
Stamps: Melanie by Rubber Romance, Paper Tray by Papertrey Ink
Ink: black StazOn, Versamagic purple hydrangea
Paper: Perhaps by Basic Grey, basic black and whisper white by SU!
Other: Halcraft beads, sticky strip, Stickles, Coluzzle, rhinestones, prismacolor pencils, gamsol, sakura gelly roll pen in black, white gel pen, paper piercer

Using the "Other" Stamps

I finally got some gorgeous My Favorite Things stamps. This card uses the Say Charge set. I wanted to make a card that didn't focus on the large main image that comes in most of the sets. I love the large image. It's gorgeous, but I also want to use the "other" stamps. So here we are with the sentiment and purses.

It's all pretty self-explanatory, execpt maybe the tabs and purses. The purses were each stamped on white and cut out. Then the bodies of the purses (not handles) were stamped on designer paper, cut out, and layered on top of the white cut outs. The tabs: the half-inch circle didn't look quite big enough, so I used the slit punch. I punched right on the edge of a piece of scrap paper, so that I would just have a loose half circle. I glued it on top of the sentiment layer and added rhinestone brads.

Ingredients:
Stamps: My Favorite Things Say Charge
Ink: Versamagic black
Paper: Pixie pink, certainly celery, Papertrey Ink white, Memory Box ring toss and cherry blossom
Other: SU! slit punch, dimensionals, ribbon from Walmart, making memories rhinestone brads

I also got my first blogger's RAK! Isn't it so cute? I LOVE the felt rick rack and how the green is up on dimensionals with the cut outs for the frogs. It's from Shannon at Hoppy Creations. Thank you! I love it! Definitely stop by and check out her really cute stuff.

Have a fabulous Friendship Friday! Now, I have to clean the house to have the in-laws over for dinner tomorrow.