Embossing With Friends

Today, the Friends of Speedy TV are embossing for the Monday challenge.  My card is very simple, but you know that is just exactly how I like them.  I just had to make sure that I stamped my sentiment before I clear embossed my basket weave over the top.  I mount that on a piece of chocolate colored card stock and then wrapped my burlap string around it.  My little trick for the burlap string is some scor-tape.  I seriously love that stuff!  Next, I punched out a little red heart and adhered it over my string! Finally, I brushed the edges of my card base with a little Versamark cube and called it good!  

I played along with Kelly's challenge from the Stamp 2 Spend thread and used chocolate tones and red.  I got one bonus item on there with my heart.  Yay, me!

I hope your Monday turns out to be a fabulous one!  Since my washer quit working properly, I decided to take a personal day and get that handled!  I have to drive my little one to school and then it will be off to the laundromat for me!

Details - Stamps: Background Fun (Mark's Finest Papers); Paper: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, SU print pack dsp; Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Versamark; Accessories: Heat tool, clear ep, scor-tape, May Arts burlap string, small heart punch, stampin' dimensionals, sponge dauber. 

Good Advice

I'm posting this today as it is dark and gloomy outside and I need a bit of cheer.  This week I have had a big infusion of new product and new to me product.  My craft room is overflowing at this point.  I am feeling the urge to go and get organized and then do some serious creating.  So quickly, I'll give you the run-down on this card.  I made it for a VSN challenge called 3-D flowers where I had to create my own flower.  I punched  a circle out of the same yellow paper I stamped my sentiment on and then topped it with a clear adhesive circle from my build-a-brad kit.  I place my circle atop of two die cut daisies.  I used a fabulous CPS Sketch to kick my card off. 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Details - Stamps: Words of Wisdom (Verve); Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, BG Lime Rickey dp; Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black ; Accessories: Sissix Daisy #2 die, 1/2" circle punch, build a brad kit, stampin' dimensionals.

Using Buttons With Steph

Happy Thursday!  Today a new co-hostess, Steph, is offering the Ways To Use It challenge.   Bring on the Buttons!  Now, buttons and I do not always get along and I have issues with leaving my buttons "naked".  In this case, I opted for the often done flower center button (x3).  The buttons are so dark that I felt like it was really okay to leave them without thread or twine.    

It's been quite a busy week at work.  It feels as though spring has come early.  That means that a rash of bad behavior comes, if you work in an elementary school.  That can sometimes wipe out my creativity.  I tried to make a card Tuesday night and looked at blogs, galleries and magazines and came up with nothing.  I am happy to report that I got this guy made last night and I love it's colors.  

Wish me luck!  I need to create about 9 simple cards for a co-worker to send to members of her church.  There really is nothing like putting things off until the last minute.

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso, Parisian Summer dsp; Accessories: Sissix Daisies 2 die, scallop border trim punch, bird and swirls ef, glue dots, stampin' dimensionals, buttons, cherry cobbler seam binding.

Mojo Surprise

Welcome to the Mojo Monday Surprise Blog Hop for Julee Tilman.  Hopefully you have come from Maureen's blog.  If not, you will want to head back to Teresa's blog for the whole hop list,  so you don't miss a bit of today's fun!

If you know Verve, then you know Julee is the Owner/Designer Extraordinaire.  Julee and her husband are just about 4 weeks away from twin baby boys and this hop is to congratulate the expectant couple and welcome those baby boys. 

Babies are such a blessing!  I got an afternoon of cuddles, just yesterday, with our neighbor's 5 day old baby boy.  I can barely remember when my daughter was so little and now she is five years old.  Time speeds by so quickly when children are young.  My husband often says, "I am never going to get this day back" and I am always reminded when he says this to make the most of my time with my family and really truly connect with them. 

My wish for Julee and Mark is that they get to be fully present in the lives of their boys each and every day.  Find the joy in each day of development and witness the miracle that is your children.  Don't sweat the small stuff because those babies will not!  And for goodness sake, don't make my mistake...sleep when those babies sleep!

Thanks for stopping by here, you next stop is the wonderful Wanda Cullen!

Details - Stamps: Love Notes (Verve), To The Moon (Verve), Emery PJ (Verve); Paper: Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Real Red, Summer Picnic dsp; Ink: Tuxedo Black, Versamark, Soft Sky; Accessories: Jotted Heart Die (Verve), From the Heart Die (Verve), white ep, heat tool, Bashful blue taffeta ribbon, paper snips, stampin' dimensionals, glue dot, quickie glue pen, score-tape.

Punching It Up With Speedy

Welcome to Monday!  Here I am again with another Friends of Speedy TV challenge.  This challenge is all about using punches, specifically more than three punches.  At first blush, it seemed harder that I thought.  After I settled down at my craft desk, it came to me.  I stamped and punched out my brick wall.  Next I stamped out my sentiment and punched it out.  {A little tip here:  I used the same square punch for my brick wall to punch out the forked end of my flag.}  Then I punched out my Martha Stewart butterflies, added some bling and gave them a little pop off the wall!  My card base looked a little plain to me, so I did a little subtle embossing. 

If you have today off, I hope you'll enjoy it!  If not, I hope you work day passes quickly with little trouble!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will play along with the Friends of Speedy TV this week!

Details: Stamps: Brick Wall (Mark's Finest Papers); Paper: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Mellow Moss, Prima Annalee dp; Ink: Veramagic Chalk Ink, Early Espresso; Accessories: 1 1/4" square punch, word window punch, MS butterfly punch, M's rhinestones, glue dots, stampin' dimensionals, paper snips.

Tulip Time

Tulip Time is just around the corner here in the Skagit Valley.  Just last week, the Kiwanis members delivered tulips to the front office at school as part of their annual fundraiser.  This card came about via one of the mini VSN challenge from last weekend, called Tulip Tones.  Heather challenged crafters to make a card using a floral image, bright green and your favorite tulip color.  My favorite tulips are the Negritas.  They are a luscious deep purple, accomplished here with some Rich Razzleberry ink!

I also used a CPS sketch to get the job done here!  I really love how this card turned out.  I hope every one had a wonderful weekend and those that have a day off tomorrow really take advantage of it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Floral Symphony (Verve), Wordy Birds (Verve); Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry; Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black, Rich Razzleberry; Accessories: Nestabilities, Copics. 1/8" black taffeta, glue dot, M's rhinestones, stampin' dimensionals, Charming Oval die (Verve).

Happy Valentine's Day

My daughter will be handing these out today in her Kindergarten class.  I have to admit, it was a fun little project for us to do together and it didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would.  She helped with the design idea and wrote out the names of all her classmates and teachers, in addition to writing her name 25 times.  I wrote to and from 25 times, punched 50 scalloped circles, punched 25 pink circles, punched 25 white circles and then stamped a sentiment and heart on each white circle.  Then I glued them all together after my daughter chose a pencil for each person.  The packaging for each pencil is a 1" by 8" cellophane bag that has a peel and stick flap and we picked up the pencils at a local party store. 



I hope your Valentine's Day is incredibly enjoyable.  With my hubby still out of town, it will be my daughter and I celebrating tonight.  She has already asked to have Funfetti Pancakes for dinner.  I'll have to justify that will some sausage, eggs and cantaloupe. Wish me luck!

Details - Stamps: Love Notes (Verve); Paper: Real Red, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White; Ink: Real Red, Tuxedo Black; Accessories: Scalloped circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1x8 cello bags, scor-tape.

The Inside of Monday

Happy Monday Peeps!  It's time for another Friends of Speedy TV challenge and today is all about decorating the inside of your card.  Whoa, this is something I rarely do.  But before I go ahead and share the inside, I wanted to give a shout out to my fellow MFP designer, Kathy Bradley, who is the Featured Stamper on Splitcoaststampers this week.  Woohoo, go Kathy!  I cased one of Kathy's MFP beauties for the challenge.  With that said, I can go back to my card now.  Since I rarely decorate the inside of my cards, I decided to do a little repetition of the Winter Crocus and the patterned paper.  Since the set has other great sentiments, I added another one.

This is what I came up with.  What do you think?  I like the end result. 

I popped my crocus off the front of the card in order to submit it for one of the VSN mini challenges this weekend too.  Tracy called for popped up flowers in her Poppin' Posies challenge. 

Hey, thanks for stopping by and I hope your Monday eases you gently into the week!

Details - Stamps: Winter Crocus (Mark's Finest Papers); Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, In Color dsp; Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black; Accessories:  Copic Markers, Nestabilities, paper snips, M's rhinestones, corner chomper, black taffeta ribbon, stampin' dimensionals, scor-tape, scallop border punch. 

A Little Bit VSN...

A little bit CPS.  I've been having a very crafty weekend due to the mini VSN on Splitcoaststampers.  I have spread out my play over the whole weekend.  VSN started Friday at 2 PM my time with five challenges in all.  I'm all done with the five challenges, but I'll have to wait to post my challenge number four until tomorrow.  This card is for Heather's challenge called Tulip Tones.  I decided to go with my favorite purple tulips a la Verve.  The color is almost dead on to the tulips you see in the field.  I got my sketch from CPS.  They are celebrating their 5th Anniversary and bringing back some really great sketches.  This is the Day  3 sketch.  Now, I think it is time for me to start some dinner and think about tackling the 52 Valentines that I need to make before Tuesday morning.  Can you feel my anxiety?

Happy Sunday folks!

Details - Stamps: Floral Symphony (Verve), Wordy Birds (Verve); Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry; Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black, Rich Razzleberry; Accessories: Nestabilities, Copics. 1/8" black taffeta, glue dot, M's rhinestones, stampin' dimensionals, Charming Oval die (Verve).

Coming Home

I am {im}patiently waiting for my hubby to come.  He's travelling right now and has been gone for about a month at this point.  I am really ready for him to be home.  So today when I saw the Day 7 challenge for Papertrey Ink's 5th Anniversary all about including hearts, I got an idea.  I opted to make a welcome home card for my husband.  I thought it was a good way to release some of that impatience and I will have a nice card for him too.  I die cut my heart shape out of the heart paper.  I chose the curry color as it worked better for a masculine card.  I did have blue, but my hubby isn't a blue kind of guy.  I rogued a sketch from Day 6 and called it a card.

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: A Wreath for All Seasons (PTI); Paper: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Welcome Neighbor dsp; Ink: Early Espresso; Accessories: Neutrals button assortment; Framelit Heart dies; yellow twine, glue dots, scor-tape, stampin' dimensionals, Linen & Canvas Impression Plate.

Not Using Red or Pink

It's Thursday again and time to Use It over on Splitcoaststampers.  Hannah is our challenge hostess today and she wants us to make a Valentine without using red or pink.  Can do!  I dipped into some older designer paper I have hanging about in my craft room and got to die cuting, embossing and punching!  There just isn't much else going on for this little number. 

I think I'll keep this short and sweet as I am up too late for a girl who has to work in the morning!

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes; Paper: Whisper White, Ballet Blue, Pawsitively Prints dsp; Ink: Ballet Blue; Accessories: Heart to Heart punch, Heart framelits, Houndstooth ef, stampin' dimensionals.

Heather's Favorite Colors

I think I am on a Heather Nichol's kick.  For Day 4 of the Papertrey Ink 5th Anniversary celebration, crafter's were given the challenge to create a card with one of the Papertrey designers favorite color combinations.  Of course, I chose Heather Nichols color combination.  I have no PTI colors, so I had to get as close as I could with the ink I have on hand.  I opted for a cool sketch I found via the Saturday Sketchbook Challenge.  I'm digging it, what do you think?  I used my impression plate to add a touch of texture to the sponged squares and then added some cutesy little stamps flowers just for fun!

I thank you for stopping by and hope you have a wonderful day!

Details - Stamps: A Wreath for All Seasons (PTI); Paper: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla; Ink: River Rock, Soft Sky, Early Espresso, Vanilla Craft; Accessories: 1 3/8" square punch, 1 1/4" square punch, Linen & Canvas Impression plate (PTI), Sakura clear star gel pen. 

Heather's Digi Image Take Two

If you read my last post, you know that this card is for Papertrey's 5th Anniversary challenges, day 2.  I chose this awesome digital image by Heather Nichols.  I had to do a bit of sponging of color onto my patterned paper to get it closer to the bird's body color on this card.  Just a funny little thing that most others probably know, my images printed up in different colors when I used different papers.  I like it and decided to play off of it.  I am guessing that one paper absorbed more color than the other.  Oh well, now I have two cutie little cards.  I'll cute the chitter-chatter now and link these babies up!

Happy Tuesday folks!

Details - Stamps: Heather Nichols digital image (PTI); Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Welcome Neighbor dsp; Ink: Not Quite Navy; Accessories: Paper piercing tool, mat pack, Sakura glaze pen, Recollections rhinestones, stampin' dimensionals, sponge dauber. 

Heather's Digi Image

For the Monday challenge of Papertrey's 5th Anniversary celebration, we were given ten digital images to work with.  The introduction of this year's designers was pretty amazing and so is the prize that is up for grabs.  I chose this cutie little image by Heather Nichols.  Incidentally, when I was editing my photo, I noticed that I chose a Heather image last year to work with too.  Guess I know whose sets are next in line to purchase!  I went uber-simple with this as I am tired.  Single parenting is for the birds (props to all you ladies who do it on a regular basis) and I will be happy to give it up when my hubby returns home.  I hit the deck running at 6:00 am and have not stopped yet!  Of course, I did sit down to have dinner with the girl and have spent a little crafty time on myself this evening (mixed in with the evening news).  Not much else to say here folks...can't wait to see what PTI has up it's sleeve for tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Heather Nichols digital image (PTI); Paper: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Welcome Neighbor dsp; Ink: Going Gray; Accessories: Nestabilities, sponge dauber, Sakura glaze pen, Recollections rhinestone, stampin' dimensionals.

Friends of Speedy TV and Valentines

Yep, it's that time of year folks!  Time to get your Valentines done.  The Friends of Speedy TV are all about being helpful, so today's challenge is to make a Valentine card.  This one is a little bit on the non-traditional side.  I don't know of many Valentines with yellow and green on them.  Pink seems a common color so you know I had to add it!  I went to a Copic coloring class on Saturday, so I probably should have colored this lemon.  I just got the idea of paper piecing in my head and just couldn't get it out.  By the way, how do you glue down your tiny little pieces!  Most times, I use a two-way glue pen or my Quickie glue pen.  Today, I thought I would be clever and use my Xyron, only I put the leaves and the flower in upside down.  I was irritated with myself as that was some serious fussy cutting I had done.  So...I stuck my flower down on top of the leaves and rushed downstairs to the bathroom for some baby powder.  Problem solved, baby powder wiped out my stick on top of the leaves and flowers.  Then I pulled my piece through the Xyron correctly and finished my card!  Incidentally, I used the current Splitcoaststampers sketch for today's card.

Happy Monday folks!  I hope you can stop by and play along with us this week!  Take care.

Details - Stamps: Pucker Up (Mark's Finest Papers); Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, BG Lemonade dp, BG Bittersweet dp, BG June Bug dp, Sweet Always dsp; Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black, Regal Rose; Accessories: paper snips, corner chomper, Xyron, sponge dauber, Heart framelit die, M's rhinestones. 

Jess Inspired

Papertrey Ink is celebrating its 5th anniversary.  That means there will be some challenges and a big, big prize.  Today's challenge is to be inspired by one of the design team members favorite cards.  These ladies work so hard to provide us with inspiration on a regular basis and they continually come up with pieces of breathtaking art.  I could have chosen any one of the design members.  But really, how could I not go with Jessica Witty?  Her card was truly amazing!  I tried to keep it quite similar with the sketch, except it looks like I threw some Melissa Phillips in there too.  (Now there is a cross to die for!)  I couldn't help myself, I loved the colors.  Instead of embossing the doily like Jess did, I die cut mine and glued it onto my card stock.  I fussy cut out my wreath and popped it up.  And I worked on all of this during the Superbowl and not the commercials folks!  I may have got my workout in for the day running up and down the stairs to get this and that.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek!  I hope you have had a fabulous weekend that leads right into a wonderful week!

Details - Stamps: A Wreath for All Seasons (PTI); Paper: Confetti White, Pale Plum; Ink: Crumb Cake, Mellow Moss, Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Soft Suede; Accessories: Large Paper Doily Sizzlit, SU flower punch, paper snips, SU pearl, May Arts burlap string, corner chomper, glue dots, liquid glue, stampin' dimensionals.

Flashin' Back Black and White

The latest Flashback Friday challenge is to show off your first black and white card.  Well, this little number comes from December of 2008 and shows off the fabulous Unity dream tree.  I definitely need to pull that baby out and ink it up again!  This card has a bit of silver in it and so I hope that is okay.  When I looked back, I had a black and white bookmark a bit earlier, but I decided it would be best to follow directions and find a card for the challenge. 

Well, it's Superbowl Sunday and while my family doesn't follow football, I think we will have the game on so I can speak to others tomorrow about the game and the commercials.  I think my little girl would be happy to play games on the living room floor with the TV on in the background!  Enjoy your Sunday folks!

Thanks for stopping by!

Details:  Dream Tree (Unity), Sentiment O'Simple (Unity); Paper: Whisper White; Ink: Basic Black, Versamark; Accessories:  Black ep, Silver Tinsel ep, heat tool, Black organdy ribbon, Black grosgrain ribbon, Silver cord.

Sunny Days

Sunny days are here again!  This morning it was so light and bright outside that I thought my clocks were off and I was late for work.  I really did have to look at my watch to make sure I was still on time.  I have heard that we are going to have a dose of nice weather for the next four days.  Sunshine and high 40's is unheard of in February around here.

But you didn't come for the weather report!  I am the Ways To Use It hostess this week and I chose the theme of repetition for Thursdays challenge.  I stamped my sun a few times on my thin strip of Yo-Yo Yellow.  I know, Yo-Yo Yellow is another unheard of thing around here.  But let me tell you folks, it is bright, sunshiny and fabulous paired with Early Espresso.   I stamped my sentiment and then wrote in "wishing you" in an effort to meet Kelly's Stamp 2 Spend challenge.  Only, I didn't remember all of the details of the challenge quite clearly.  Oh well, I'll try again later.   I did however use Diva Shannan's Viva La Verve sketch to make this card. 

Thanks for stopping by and I  hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Details - Stamps: Sunny Days; Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso, Yo-Yo Yellow; Ink: Yo-Yo Yellow, Early Espresso; Accessories: Canvas and Linen impression plate (PTI), dotted scallop border, Lemon spica pen .

January's Christmas Cards

I play along with the Christmas Card Challenge on Splitcoaststampers.  I pledged to make 10 cards a month.  It really works great for me when it comes down to November and December.  So for the month of January, I made five of one style and five of another.  I had originally intended to make all ten cards like the one on the left, a Fall To Layout.  Soon after I began production of the cards, I realized that I would not have enough designer paper.  So....I opted to make a different style of card, a second Fall To Layout, and still use the same designer paper.  I guess these are a little bit non-traditional in color, but I like them.  

I colored my Christmas tree with Copic and Touch Twin markers.  I think I am really in the beginning of my learning curve about how to color with markers.   I am signed up to go to a Copic class on Saturday and I am really looking forward it.  I have a couple of books that I have browsed through with regard to coloring and I am planning on brushing up with them before class on Saturday.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Thursday.  It's a sunny day and I am loving it.  Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Sidekick Sayings, Christmas Greetings; Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Jillibean soup dsp; Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black; Accessories: Copics, Nestabilities, circle punch, star punch, paper snips, Snowflakes #8 ef, stampin' dimensionals, scallop border punch, Sakura clear star gel pen.